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Johnny Weissmuller
1904-1984
Updated 2/28/2008.
biography
Born in Freidorf, Austro-Hungary on June 2, 1904 (he often claimed to have been born in Windber, Pennsylvania), Johnny Weissmuller emigrated with his parents to the U.S. as an infant. The family eventually wound up in Pennsylvania, where his father Peter Weissmuller worked as coal miner. The family moved again to Chicago; a sickly youth, Johnny Weissmuller took up swimming in Lake Michigan to build strength. By the time he entered the University of Chicago in 1922, the 6'3" young man had become an excellent swimmer, ultimately leading him to the Olympic Games in 1924 and 1928. He won five gold medals and set numerous world records.
LEFT: Weissmuller at the 1924 Paris Olympics, where he won three gold medals. RIGHT: In his most famous role as Tarzan. You'll find even more photos of Johnny Weissmuller in the Johnny Weissmuller Gallery
After appearing in a couple of small film roles, Weissmuller signed with BVD and worked as a print model for swimsuits and underwear, instantly becoming a hit with admiring female fans. Louis B. Mayer of MGM Studios signed Weissmuller to a long-term contract in 1932, but in doing so Mayer forced Weissmuller to divorce his second wife, Bobbe Arnst. (Mayer feared that female audiences wouldn't swoon over Weissmuller were it known he was a married man.) Mayer sweetened the deal by paying off Arnst to dissolve the year-old marriage. The next year Weissmuller married fellow MGM contract player Lupe Velez. The union was always fodder for gossip columns, and they divorced in 1939. Weissmuller remarried in 1940 to Beryl Scott, and the couple had a son and two daughters before the marriage ended in 1948.
LEFT: With third wife Lupe Velez. CENTER A, B, and C: Early 1930s MGM stills. RIGHT: Weissmuller with western actor George O'Brien
In 1942, MGM's option with Edgar Rice Burroughs expired, so Weissmuller and the series headed over to RKO Studios, where he made six more Tarzan films before retiring from the role in 1948 when Lex Barker replaced him in the role of Tarzan. Weissmuller then fielded an offer from Columbia Studios, where he starred in fifteen low-budget Jungle Jim films and a short-lived TV series. Columbia's Jungle Jim series was based on the popular comic strip by Alex Raymond.
the films of johnny weissmuller
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
From Weissmuller's first Tarzan film, Tarzan the Ape Man. The film was an immediate smash hit with filmgoers and critics alike, and Weissmuller forever was identified with the role of Tarzan. Also pictured are C. Aubrey Smith, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Neil Hamilton
Tarzan and His Mate (1934)
From Tarzan and His Mate with Maureen O'Sullivan. Note the then-daring costumes
Tarzan Escapes (1936)
From Tarzan Escapes, the third entry in the series with Johnny Weissmuller. LEFT: With Maureen O'Sullivan. RIGHT: With Herbert Mundin
Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939)
From Tarzan Finds a Son! with Maureen O'Sullivan. This film marks the first appearance of Johnny Sheffield in the role of Boy
Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)
Still from Tarzan's Secret Treasure with Johnny Sheffield and Maureen O'Sullivan
Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)
With Johnny Sheffield in RKO's Tarzan's Desert Mystery
Tarzan Triumphs (1943)
From RKO's Tarzan Triumphs with Frances Gifford
Tarzan and the Amazons (1945)
From Tarzan and the Amazons; this was Brenda Joyce's first outing as Jane
Tarzan and the Huntress (1947)
With Johnny Sheffield and Brenda Joyce in Tarzan and the Huntress
Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948)
Tarzan and the Mermaids was Weissmuller's swansong as Tarzan
Jungle Jim (1948)
LEFT: Weissmuller as the title character in Columbia's Jungle Jim. RIGHT: With Lita Baron and Virginia Grey
Jungle Jim In the Forbidden Land (1952)
With Angela Greene in Jungle Jim In the Forbidden Land
Voodoo Tiger (1952)
From Columbia's Jungle Jim adventure Voodoo Tiger
Valley of Head Hunters (1953)
Jungle Jim wrestles with a paunchy headhunter in Valley of Head Hunters
Devil Goddess (1955)
With Angela Stevens and Selmer Jackson in Columbia's Devil Goddess, the final Jungle Jim feature
later years
By the mid 1950s, Weissmuller grew weary of acting and retired to Florida. He made only a handful of film and TV appearances in the ensuing years. In the later 1970s, he suffered a series of strokes and other health maladies. After moving to Acapulco in the early 1980s, he passed away there in January 1984 at the age of 79. He was survived by his sixth wife, a son, and a daughter.
You Bet Your Life: The Best Episodes [DVD] DVD
Eighteen of the greatest episodes from Groucho's legendary game show--including the first appearance of the program's trademark duck--are highlighted in this three-disc set. Along with his timeless wit, this collection features guest stars Phyllis Diller, Edgar and Candice Bergen, Joe Louis, Johnny Weissmuller, Frankie Avalon, Harpo Marx, and Groucho's daughter, Melinda. Also included are three rare pilots starring Marx, including the never-before-seen "The Plot Thickens." 9 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; commercials; bloopers; outtakes; audio commentary; unseen footage; bonus pilots "The Plot Thickens," "Tell It to Groucho," "What Do You Want?"; more.
Glorifying The American Girl [DVD](1929) DVD
The legendary Flo Ziegfeld "personally supervised" and appears briefly in this early Hollywood musical. Featured are 75 glorified beauties, music composed by Irving Berlin, wonderful costumes and choreography, and an all-star cast that includes Rudy Vallee crooning "Vagabond Lover," Helen Morgan singing "What Wouldn't I Do for That Man?," Eddie Cantor performing his "Cheap Charlie" skit, and more. With Mary Eaton, Noah Beery, Billie Burke, and a cavalcade of screen icons. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Hollywood Musicals [DVD] DVD
Three-disc collector's set includes "Glorifying the American Girl," "Three Broadway Girls," "Manhattan Merry-Go-Round," "Moonlight Sonata," "Second Chorus," "The Stork Club," "Doll Face," "Happy Go Lovely," "Mr. Imperium," and "Royal Wedding." 14 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; biography; trailers; more.
The Tarzan Collection [DVD] DVD
Johnny Weissmuller swings as the jungle hero, and Maureen O'Sullivan is his true love, Jane, in six classic MGM Tarzan actioners. See how the pair first met in "Tarzan, The Ape Man" (1932); ivory hunters threaten their idyllic life in "Tarzan and His Mate" (1934); Tarzan must rescue Jane from poachers in "Tarzan Escapes" (1936); the tree-dwelling duo take in an orphan boy who they name...well, Boy, in "Tarzan Finds a Son!" (1939); gold seekers take Jane and Boy hostage in "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" (1941); and the ape man takes the Big Apple by storm in "Tarzan's New York Adventure" (1942). Also includes a bonus disc filled with special features. 8 1/2 hrs. on four discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
The Tarzan Collection, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Jungle hero Johnny Weissmuller moved from MGM to RKO for his next six swinging action sagas. First, "Tarzan Triumphs" (1943) over Nazis who attempt to conquer a lost civilization; the search for a plant that will yield a malaria serum leads Tarzan and Boy (Johnny Sheffield) back into conflict with German agents, in "Tarzan's Desert Mystery" (1943); Tarzan and Jane (Brenda Joyce) help defend a female tribe from some nosy archeologists, in "Tarzan and the Amazons" (1945); a bizarre African cult must contend with an angry ape man when they attack Jane and Boy, in "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman" (1946); the jungle king goes up against poachers out to repopulate a zoo, in "Tarzan and the Huntress" (1947); and Weissmuller plays Tarzan for the last time in "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1948), rescuing a young girl from a pearl trader posing as a tribal god. 7 1/4 hrs. total on three discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Swamp Fire [DVD](1946) DVD
Screen Tarzans Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe find themselves on opposite sides of the law and rivals for Virginia Grey in this rarely seen actioner set in the Louisiana bayou. Look for a young David Janssen among the alligators. 69 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access. Plays All Regions.
books available from amazon.com
Tarzan, My Father
Johnny Weissmuller Jr. has published the definitive biography of his famous father. An authoritative insight into the life of the man many film fans consider best Tarzan, Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller, this book offers an intimate look at Weissmuller's early life, middle years, and later decline, through swimming training, Olympic triumphs, failed marriages, a Hollywood life as Tarzan of the Apes, and subsequent career as Jungle Jim.
Johnny Weissmuller: Twice the Hero
David Fury's biography of Johnny Weissmuller spans his entire life and includes a number of rare photos.
Johnny Weissmuller Photos and Posters Available at AllPosters.com
filmography
FILM
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
The Phynx (1970) with Clint Walker, Michael Ansara, George Tobias, Joan Blondell, Martha Raye, Ultra Violet, and Pat McCormick
Devil Goddess (1955) with Angela Stevens
Jungle Moon Men (1955) with Jean Byron and Myron Healey
Cannibal Attack (1954) with David Bruce
Jungle Man-Eaters (1954) with Karin Booth, Richard Wyler, and Bernie Hamilton
Savage Mutiny (1953) with Angela Stevens
Killer Ape (1953) with Carol Thurston, Nestor Paiva, and
Ray "Crash" Corrigan
Valley of Head Hunters (1953) with Christine Larsen and Don Blackman
Jungle Jim In the Forbidden Land (1952) with Angela Greene
Voodoo Tiger (1952) with Charles Horvath, Jean Byron, and Robert Bray
Fury of the Congo (1951) with Lyle Talbot and Sherry Moreland
Jungle Manhunt (1951) with Lyle Talbot and Sheila Ryan
Mark of the Gorilla (1950) with Trudy Marshall
Captive Girl (1950) with Buster Crabbe
Pygmy Island (1950) with Ann Savage, David Bruce, and Steven Geray
The Lost Tribe (1949) with Myrna Dell and Elena Verdugo
Jungle Jim (1948) with George Reeves, Virginia Grey, and Lita Baron
Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948) with Brenda Joyce, George Zucco, and Linda Christian
Tarzan and the Huntress (1947) with Brenda Joyce and Johnny Sheffield
Swamp Fire (1946) with Buster Crabbe and Virginia Grey
Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946) with Brenda Joyce, Johnny Sheffield, and Acquanetta
Tarzan and the Amazons (1945) with Johnny Sheffield and Brenda Joyce
Stage Door Canteen (1943)
Tarzan Triumphs (1943) with Johnny Sheffield and Frances Gifford
Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943) with Johnny Sheffield, Nancy Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lloyd Corrigan, and Robert Lowery
Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942) with Maureen O'Sullivan, Elmo Lincoln, Johnny Sheffield, Virginia Grey, Charles Bickford, Paul Kelly, and Chill Wills
Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941) with Johnny Sheffield, Maureen O'Sullivan, Reginald Owen, Barry Fitzgerald, and Tom Conway
Rodeo Dough (1940) with Gene Autry, Tom Neal, and Roy Rogers
Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939) with Johnny Sheffield, Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry Wilcoxon, and Laraine Day
Tarzan Escapes (1936) with Maureen O'Sullivan and Benita Hume
Tarzan and His Mate (1934) with Maureen O'Sullivan, Neil Hamilton, and Paul Cavanagh
Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) with Neil Hamilton, Maureen O'Sullivan, and C. Aubrey Smith
Glorifying the American Girl (1929)
TELEVISION SERIES
Jungle Jim, 1955-1956 syndicated TV series. About 26 episodes were produced
johnny weissmuller links
The Johnny Weissmuller Gallery at Brian's Drive-In Theater
You'll find more Tarzan-era photos of Johnny Weissmuller here.
Geoff's Johnny Weissmuller Web Site
A terrifically comprehensive site devoted to Johnny Weissmuller, Geoff's pages are chock-full of biographical information, filmography, history, and more. The extensive biographical section on Weissmuller is particularly impressive and well researched.
Matt's Tarzan Movies Guide
Another site for Tarzan fans which includes pages devoted to Johnny Sheffield's Bomba series and Johnny Weissmuller's Jungle Jim series.
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered December 12, 1999.
Counter reset March 1, 2001.
