“–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?–”
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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…”