Elmo Lincoln

Biography

Elmo Lincoln's path to cinematic stardom was forged in the unlikeliest of ways. A onetime lawman in Arkansas, Lincoln traded in his badge for a chance to work with the esteemed D.W. Griffith on the 1912 film "The Battle of Elderbush Gulch". It was during a pivotal fight scene that Lincoln's physique caught Griffith's attention, as his shirt was ripped open to reveal a chiseled chest. The director was taken by Lincoln's rugged appearance and soon rechristened him Elmo Lincoln, featuring him in a string of subsequent films. Fate intervened when World War I erupted, and the original Tarzan, Stellan Windrow, was called back to active duty, paving the way for Lincoln to take on the iconic role in "Tarzan of the Apes". The film's massive success, reaping over a million dollars at the box office, catapulted Lincoln to fame. Although the sequel, "Romance of Tarzan", failed to replicate the same magic, Lincoln went on to star in three successful serials and a feature for Universal Film Manufacturing, before reprising his role as Tarzan in "The Adventures of Tarzan" in 1921. His final foray into silent films was in the 1927 Rayart serial "King of the Jungle", after which he ventured to Mexico to explore mining investments. Lincoln later resurfaced, taking on minor roles and even making a brief appearance as "The Original Tarzan in Person" with the Seal Brothers Circus. In the twilight of his career, he landed a part as a fisherman in "Tarzan's Magic Fountain" in 1949, and just before his passing, he shared the screen with his idol, Lawrence Olivier, in the film "Carrie".