Former Olympic swimming champion turned "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932). Weissmuller was Hollywood's longest-running loincloth-clad creeper-swinger and also appeared in the not-unrelated role of "Jungle Jim" in late 1940s and early 50s B-movies and on TV.
- Also Credited As:
Jonas Weissmuller, Peter John Weissmuller
- Born:
June 2, 1904 in Freidorf, Romania
- Died:
January 21, 1984.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Author, Swimmer
Education
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University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Milestones
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1924 Won three Olympic gold medals in swimming, two for solo events and one as part of the US relay team, all breaking world records
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1927 Was credited with saving eleven lives, rescuing passengers of a capsized cruise boat in Lake Michigan
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1928 Took more Olympic gold as a swimmer with one solo medal and one relay medal, both record-breaking efforts; won a bronze medal in water polo
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1929 Played Adonis in the musical revue "Glorifying the American Girl", an early talkie about the rise of a showgirl (Mary Eaton)
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1931 Was featured in the swimming shorts "The Human Fish" and "Water Bugs"
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1932 Made feature starring debut opposite Maureen O'Sullivan's Jane in "Tarzan the Ape Man"; would go on to star in eleven other Tarzan features, making him the most prolific "Lord of the Jungle"
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1934 Starred in "Tarzan and His Mate"
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1936 Played the titular fugitive in "Tarzan Escapes"
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1939 Paired with Johnny Sheffield as Boy in "Tarzan Finds a Son"
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1941 Starred in "Tarzan's Secret Treasure", his third film with director Richard Thorpe
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1942 Starred in "Tarzan's New York Adventure", final installment with Maureen O'Sullivan as Jane
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1943 Battled Nazis in "Tarzan Triumphs"
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1943 Reprised role in "Tarzan's Desert Mystery"
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1945 Teamed up with Brenda Joyce as Jane in "Tarzan and the Amazons", directed by Kurt Neumann
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1946 Rare non-adventure dramatic role as a soldier struggling to return to civilian life in the melodrama "Swamp Fire"
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1946 Starred in "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman", also helmed by Neumann
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1947 Final collaboration with Sheffield and Neumann, "Tarzan and the Huntress"
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1948 Continued his jungle adventures as African safari adventurer "Jungle Jim"; went on to star in thirteen more films as the character
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1948 Final feature appearance as Tarzan in "Tarzan and the Mermaids"
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1954 Final film as Jungle Jim, "Jungle Man-Eaters"
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1955 Portrayed himself, a "Jungle Jim"-like character in the adventure feature "Devil Goddess" and the similarly themed "Jungle Moon Men"
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1955 Reprised character in the syndicated "Jungle Jim" TV-series
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1970 Had cameo role as himself in the pop-culture satire "The Phynx"
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1983 Inducted into the United States Olympic Committee Hall of Fame for his achievements in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic games
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Raised in Chicago, Illinois