Johnny Weissmuller
Johann Peter Weißmüller ( called Johnny Weissmuller, baptized in the name of János Weißmüller; born June 2, 1904 in free village, Austria - Hungary, now a district of Timisoara, Romania; † January 20, 1984 in Acapulco, Mexico ) was an Austro- Hungarian, American swimmer, water polo player, five -time Olympic champion and film actor. He was the first man who swam the 100 - meter track in under a minute. After his swimming career, he became famous as Tarzan actor.
Life
When Weissmuller was seven months old, his parents, the Banat Swabians Peter White Müller (1876-1938) and Elizabeth Kersch (1879 -? ), From Austria - Hungary to the United States, where it on January 26, 1905 in Ellis Iceland, New York arrived. The guided as German with Hungarian citizenship in the passenger list family members changed their names to the entry so that János Weißmüller was to Peter John Weissmuller; the father called Peter Weissmuller. In the new home, the family went to Windber, a village in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where his father found work in the coal industry. The brother in law of the spouses, Johann Ott, had emigrated in 1902 by Windber and had the Atlantic crossing of the family paid. Johnny's younger brother, Peter Weissmuller Jr. was born on September 3, 1905 here.
In Windber the family lived for several years, until she moved to Chicago, where Johnny and his brother grew up in a quarter of the Banat Swabians. Johnny took this part in various competitions yodel, which served as the basis for the he created Tarzan yell. His father ran a bar with limited success and worked in a brewery, beat up quite often the family and eventually left her. At the age of twelve years Weissmuller left school at times lived on the street and made his way as an elevator operator and Page. During his childhood he suffered from various diseases; his father later said in a radio interview that the doctors did not give his son 30 years of age. During this difficult time, Johnny Weissmuller learned to fight. On the advice of his former doctor, he began swimming and discovered his athletic ambition and his vocation in it.
Sporting successes
At the age of 17, he was the first time U.S. champion over 50 yards freestyle, in the same year he swam his first world record in 1:27,4 minutes over 150 yards freestyle. As the best swimmer of his time he was also the first person who managed the 100 - meter track in under a minute: On July 9, 1922 Weissmuller presented in Alameda, California in just 58.6 seconds set a new world record for the 100 meters on. At the beginning of the 1920s, he developed his own swimming style, the so-called "American Crawl ".
In the 1920s, he was the undefeated five -time gold medalist at the 1924 Olympics (100 and 400 m freestyle, 4 × 200 m freestyle relay ) and 1928 (100 m freestyle and 4 × 200 m freestyle relay ). Added to this was in 1924 also the bronze medal in water polo.
Officially introduced Johnny Weissmuller on 51 world records. How many he actually swam, is unknown because he often failed to file the record logs. Be Reported numbers such as 67 world records. In 1965 he was admitted for his outstanding athletic achievements in the Hall of Fame of the international swimming sport.
Film career
Weissmuller was the first athlete who was able to make due to its success in the film studios of Hollywood career. Between 1932 and 1948 he played the role of the forest people who made him world famous in twelve Tarzan films. He was enough for a single sentence on the screen: " Me Tarzan, You Jane ", which he has never spoken so original; when it states:
- Jane: " Jane. "
- Tarzan: " Jane. "
- Jane: " And you You? "
- Tarzan: "Tarzan Tarzan! "
- Jane: "Tarzan. "
- Tarzan: ". .. Jane Tarzan Tarzan Jane. "
His rather mediocre acting talent justified Weissmuller with the words: "The public forgives my acting because it knows that I am an athlete. " The layman is still regarded as the most famous Tarzan actor of all time.
Prior to his career as Tarzan Weissmuller was seen in 1925 in the German film path to strength and beauty on the canvas. From 1948 to 1956 he turned in the lead role of Jungle Jim another, sixteen -part film series, which shows him as ruler of the jungle, and an eponymous television series in 26 episodes.
The world fame as Tarzan applies not only to lack of acting skills in general as the reason for the absence of later role offers. After 1956, he only had a small cameo appearance in the comedy Won Ton Ton, the Dog of Hollywood Rescued (1976).
Musical Entertainment
Johnny Weissmuller was an avid yodel. He won several competitions. Also the main part of the famous Tarzan cry was mixed together from yodeling. Later Tarzan movies took the world famous jungle cry as an example.
TV appearances
Private life
Johnny Weissmuller was married five times, with Bobbe Arnst, Lupe Vélez, Beryl Scott, avenues Gates ( later McCleland ), Maria Baumann. With his third wife Beryl Scott he had three children: Johnny Weissmuller Jr. ( †), Heidi Elizabeth Weissmuller (†) and Wendy Anne Weissmuller.
Contrary to many claims Johnny Weissmuller was not an alcoholic, but only hard drinking. In the 1970s, he had to realize that his heart was no longer up to the high demands of a former competitive athlete. During this time he was several times in stationary treatment, partly because of a leg and Hüftbruchs. There was also a stroke. After that, he was a short time in an American nursing home in California, this left but because he felt uncomfortable with the other residents.
1984 Johnny Weissmuller died impoverished several strokes in Acapulco, Mexico. When lowered his coffin into the ground sounded the request of his wife Maria Baumann of the world famous jungle cry. On his grave stone in Acapulco is simple: "Johnny Weissmuller 1904 - 1984 ". Meanwhile, there is also a stele with a plaque. Even at his former house is a memorial plaque.
His last wife, the Berlin-born Maria Weissmuller died on March 7, 2004 after a long illness at the age of 83 years in a hospital in Acapulco. She was buried at her husband's side.