# Chimpanzee "Cheetah" (old Tarzan flicks) Still Alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964 "2008-04-11T23:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/21 "2008-06-19T23:39:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] (I love the reports that he actually watches his old movies with his grandchildren- true.) [/QUOTE] _“–this one was pretty much all shot on the MGM backlot. Money was tight after Thalberg died; a lot o’ these scenes are recycled from earlier movies. Now this scene here, see that big fella in back? That’s Elmo Lincoln. Ol’ 'Mo was the first Tarzan in movies, back in the silent days with National Pictures. He didn’t even get screen credit for this one. He was a real trooper though. Helluva guy; always good for a cigar. Say, did I ever tell you about the time I threw my feces at Dalton Trumbo?–”_ Since nobody appears to have linked to it yet: [Cheeta’s IMDb page.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1426535/) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/22 "2008-06-20T01:59:50Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] That sounds as if it is likely. A near example might be with the two Clint Eastwood movies, “Every Which Way But Loose” and “Any Which Way You Can” in which a different orangutan played [“Clyde”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080377/trivia) in each movie. [/QUOTE] A documentary on the DVD set of Weissmuller’s six MGM Tarzan films (released back around '04 or so) stated that there were four main chimps who played Cheeta in Weissmuller’s twelve films (32-48). The surviving Cheeta was shown with his owner at home. Poor old dude seemed a little slow and had gained a lot of weight, but he still enjoyed tickling the ivories. Being somewhat tone deaf I couldn’t hazard a guess as to how good a player he was. 😃 Seriously, I suppose chimps continue to grow for a long time, but I was struck by just how damn big his head was. Much much larger than any chimps I had ever seen on film or at a circus (and I assume the ones on display at circuses are relatively young). Seemed way out of proportion with his body. Forehead seemed unnaturally elongated to my unscientific eyes. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/23 "2008-06-20T02:11:36Z")
FTR: A fairly recent picture of Johnny “Boy” Sheffield, who is now 77 years of age. [![](https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/ld6705v4.jpg) ](https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/ld6705v4.jpg) Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/24 "2008-06-20T14:38:53Z")
Wow - his head’s gotten bigger over the years, too! 😛😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/25 "2008-06-20T17:52:59Z")
I did sorta figure there’d be “Cheeta has aged better than Sheffiled” jokes. 😃 Cheeta probably wisely invested his money so he doesn’t have to do the convention circuit. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/26 "2008-06-20T18:48:55Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] That sounds as if it is likely. A near example might be with the two Clint Eastwood movies, “Every Which Way But Loose” and “Any Which Way You Can” in which a different orangutan played [“Clyde”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080377/trivia) in each movie. [/QUOTE] The Olsen twins are another famous example. [QUOTE=JThunder] Bah. Orangutans. They all look alike. [/QUOTE] See my comments above. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/27 "2008-06-20T19:03:06Z")
> [@](#): > > This bit of anachronism was the result of the WWII war effort, Tarzan fights against the Nazis (even Cheeta machine guns one Nazi!) and at the end of the movie Cheeta takes over the radio the Nazis were using and the Nazi HQ confuse him with the Führer. Anachronism? You evidently haven’t read a lot of Burroughs. Tarzan fought in the Second World War in the Burroughs-written **Tarzan and the Foreign Legion** Earlier, he’d fought in the First World War. No joke. Tarzan’s a vet. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/28 "2008-06-20T19:05:05Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] The Olsen twins are another famous example. [/QUOTE] Pardon me, but I’m rather sure that the Olsen twins are not orangutans but instead part of the pygmy mouse lemur family. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/29 "2008-06-20T21:04:30Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Tarzan’s a vet. [/QUOTE] He is Lord Greystoke. He is educated, speaks several languages and owns an estate in Africa. I’ve not read the particular novels, but I should be surprised if he didn’t fight for King and Country. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/30 "2008-06-20T21:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Pardon me, but I’m rather sure that the Olsen twins are not orangutans but instead part of the pygmy mouse lemur family. [/QUOTE] By gad, I can [see](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mouse-lemur.html) the [resemblence.](http://three65.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/olsen-twins-nose-job.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/31 "2009-10-06T20:59:49Z")
Eh. . . [Maybe, maybe (probably) not](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/25/AR2008112500939.html?hpid=features1&hpv=national). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/32 "2009-10-06T21:35:26Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > That is what they meant. Cheeta is alive at 76 years old, living in Palm Springs, and selling paintings. > > [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheeta) [According to this article, nope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiggs_%28chimpanzee%29#Cheeta). Not the same one as in the movies. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/33 "2009-10-06T22:22:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > No joke. Tarzan’s a vet. Well, surrounded by all those animals, I wouldn’t wonder if he picked up a few medical skills along the way… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964/34 "2009-10-06T22:31:38Z")
“Tonight on Nancy Grace… for fifty years he’s been livin’ a LIE! Takin’ accolades that didn’t belong to him, pretendin’ he was all in with the Hollywood in crowd, but now it turns out he’s nothin’ but a half erect chimpanzee identity thief! We uncover this- who is he really, what’d he do with the real Cheeta, and where was he the night that Natalie Holloway disappeared in Aruba, and then my twins will read from my new novel…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chimpanzee-cheetah-old-tarzan-flicks-still-alive/444964.md?page=1)