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Johnny Weissmuller Jr.

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Name
  
Johnny Jr.

Role
  
Actor

Books
  
Tarzan, My Father



Died
  
July 27, 2006, San Francisco, California, United States

Movies
  
American Graffiti, Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle

Siblings
  
Heidi Elizabeth Weissmuller, Wendy Anne Weissmuller

Parents
  
Johnny Weissmuller, Beryl Scott

Similar People
  
Johnny Weissmuller, Picha, Lupe Velez, Manuel Padilla Jr, Debralee Scott

Johnny Weissmuller Jr. (23 September 1940 — 27 July 2006) was an American actor and longshoreman. He also authored a book about his father, the five-time Olympic Games gold medalist Johnny Weissmuller, who achieved additional fame playing the title role in the Tarzan movies of the 1930s and 1940s.

Weissmuller's mother was Beryl Scott, the third of his father's five wives. He was born in San Francisco, where his father was performing at the Golden Gate International Exposition in a water ballet show called Billy Rose's Aquacade. The younger Weissmuller graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he was on the swim team. He joined the United States Navy, using his swimming acumen to specialize in underwater demolition.

In 1958, Weissmuller Jr. got his first screen role in the Mickey Rooney film Andy Hardy Comes Home. His subsequent credits include parts in THX 1138 (1971) and the 1973 hit American Graffiti (as Bad Ass #1). He also provided the voice of the Tarzan character in the English language version of the X-rated cartoon Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1975). His last movie role was as a bounty hunter in the 1988 release Wildfire. Weissmuller Jr. also appeared as a guest star in two episodes of The Streets of San Francisco. In 1961, he appeared in the episode "The Four" with Jack Elam in the western series, Lawman, starring John Russell.

Weissmuller Jr. returned to San Francisco in 1973. He worked as a longshoreman, but also appeared in Bay Area stage productions. His longest-running stage role was as Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Little Fox Theater in San Francisco. Weissmuller Jr. also belonged to yacht clubs in San Francisco, Hawaii and Acapulco, taking part in several Transpac yacht races from California to Hawaii.

"He was really a swashbuckler; he filled the room," said his wife, Diane Weissmuller.

Weissmuller Jr.'s memoir, Tarzan, My Father, was published in 2002 by ECW Press in Toronto. In 2005, he retired from the docks to begin writing a book about work as a longshoreman. He died from liver cancer on 27 July 2006, aged 65.

Filmography

Actor
2006
G.I. Jesus as
Passenger - Plane
1988
Wildfire as
Bounty Hunter
1987
Six Against the Rock (TV Movie) as
Charlie Buckner
1986
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (TV Movie) as
Agent Ed King
1985
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (TV Movie) as
Card Player #2
1984
Massive Retaliation as
Virgil Griffin
1984
Partners in Crime (TV Series) as
Monster
- Celebrity (1984) - Monster
1980
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (TV Series) as
Felish
1974
The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series) as
Duke Barrett / Mickey / Gino Carlino
- The Cannibals (1977) - Duke Barrett
- The Most Deadly Species (1974) - Mickey
- Commitment (1974) - Gino Carlino
1975
Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle as
Shame (English version, voice)
1973
Magnum Force as
Palancio's Hitter (uncredited)
1973
American Graffiti as
Badass #1
1971
THX 1138 as
Chrome Robot
1961
Lawman (TV Series) as
Willy
- The Four (1961) - Willy
1958
Andy Hardy Comes Home as
Jimmy 'Jim'
Thanks
2004
Tarzan: Silver Screen King of the Jungle (Video documentary) (special thanks)
Self
2004
The One, the Only, the Real Tarzan (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
2004
Tarzan: Silver Screen King of the Jungle (Video documentary) as
Self
1998
In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross (TV Movie documentary) as
Self
1997
Investigating Tarzan (Documentary) as
Self
1971
Bald: The Making of 'THX 1138' (Documentary short) as
Self
Archive Footage
1987
Celebrity Commercials (Video documentary) as
Self (as Johnny Weismuller)

References

Johnny Weissmuller Jr. Wikipedia


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