RIP, Cheetah

[brian]

Cheetah the chimp from 1930s Tarzan flicks dies

PALM HARBOR, Florida — Cheetah, the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s, has died at age 80, a Florida animal sanctuary said.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced that Cheetah died Dec. 24 of kidney failure.

Sanctuary outreach director Debbie Cobb on Wednesday told The Tampa Tribune that Cheetah was outgoing, loved finger painting, and liked to see people laugh. She said he seemed to be attuned to human feelings.

Based on the works of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Tarzan stories, which have spawned scores of books and films over the years, chronicle the adventures of a man who was raised by apes in Africa.

Cheetah was the comic relief in the earliest Tarzan films, which starred American Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Cobb said Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller's estate sometime around 1960.

Cobb said Cheetah wasn't a troublemaker. Still, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest said that when the chimp didn't like what was going on, he would throw feces.

The chimp was unusually long-lived, surviving beyond both Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan, who played Tarzan’s mate Jane in many of the early films. Chimpanzees live an average of 35 to 45 years in captivity. Guinness World Records cited Cheetah as the world’s oldest non-human primate.

Many chimpanzees have played Tarzan’s simian sidekick over the franchise’s long run in both films and television. The Cheetah who died Dec. 24 is not the one who appeared in the first two Weissmuller films, “Tarzan the Ape Man” (1932) and “Tarzan and His Mate” (1934), but is thought to have played the role in the 1930s and ’40s.

[lswot]

Had no idea Cheetah was still alive...up until now, that is......

[Xjmt]

I agree. I had thought Cheetah died many years ago. Guess it was one of the other "actors" who played the role.

If you haven't seen "Tarzan & His Mate" do so. Made BEFORE the "code" went into effect and just may be one of the better Tarzan movies made.

[lswot]

From what I hear this Cheetah was the only one that played...um, Cheetah in the Tarzan series on TV.....and I guess any Tarzan movies......(didn't know they made movies....I only remember the series) or........that was a long time ago and who wants to go down memory lane.....so to speak.

[Xjmt]

From what I hear this Cheetah was the only one that played...um, Cheetah in the Tarzan series on TV.....and I guess any Tarzan movies......(didn't know they made movies....I only remember the series) or........that was a long time ago and who wants to go down memory lane.....so to speak.

[lswot]

Welll, from what I hear this wasn't the 'original' Cheetah. What? So now we have Cheetahgate?

[brian]

He most likely wasn't in the first two films, but he did play Cheetah. And lived with Johnny Weissmuller afterward. Good enough for me.

[Henry J]

Welll, from what I hear this wasn't the 'original' Cheetah. What? So now we have Cheetahgate?

Just so long as no monkey business is involved! (Since after all, chimpanzees aren't monkeys!)