Cheeta
Encyclopedia
Cheeta is a chimpanzee
character appearing in numerous Hollywood Tarzan
movie
s of the 1930s–1960s as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarzan. Cheeta's role in these films is to provide comic relief, convey messages between Tarzan and his allies, and occasionally lead Tarzan's other animal friends to the ape-man's rescue. Cheeta has usually been characterized as male, but sometimes as female, and has been portrayed by chimpanzees of both sexes. While inextricably associated in the public mind with Tarzan, Cheeta as a character was a product of the movies, never appearing in any of the original Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs
. There are, in fact, no chimpanzees at all in the novels, the closest analog to Cheeta therein being Tarzan's monkey companion Nkima
, who appears in several of the later books.
Comments providing more details about these performers follow.
on 31 March 1995. His star is at 110 South Palm Canyon Drive. Since 2004 there have been several unsuccessful campaigns to secure a star for Cheeta on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, and as of 2008 filmmaker Matt Devlen is continuing the effort. Attempting for the seventh time to get him a sidewalk star, the handlers of the Cheeta born about 1960 (see above) launched an online petition to get supporters to urge the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to give him a star in 2009. As of June 2008, Cheeta was not selected to be so honored.
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
character appearing in numerous Hollywood Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s of the 1930s–1960s as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Tarzan. Cheeta's role in these films is to provide comic relief, convey messages between Tarzan and his allies, and occasionally lead Tarzan's other animal friends to the ape-man's rescue. Cheeta has usually been characterized as male, but sometimes as female, and has been portrayed by chimpanzees of both sexes. While inextricably associated in the public mind with Tarzan, Cheeta as a character was a product of the movies, never appearing in any of the original Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
. There are, in fact, no chimpanzees at all in the novels, the closest analog to Cheeta therein being Tarzan's monkey companion Nkima
Nkima
Nkima is a fictional monkey character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly comics.-Character:...
, who appears in several of the later books.
The Cheeta role
The character of Cheeta was a composite role created through the use of numerous animal actors. According to journalist R. D. Rosen, "In each Tarzan movie, the Cheeta role [was] played by more than one chimp, depending on what talents the scene called for." Known and alleged performers of the role include:| Name | Sex | Species | Born | Died | Owner(s) | Trainer(s) | Period as Cheeta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiggs Jiggs (chimpanzee) Jiggs was a male chimpanzee and animal actor who originated the character of Cheeta in the 1930s Hollywood Tarzan movies. He was owned and trained by Tony and Jacqueline Gentry.-Career:... |
M | Chimp | ca.1929 | 2/28 or 3/1/35 | Tony & Jacqueline Gentry | Tony & Jacqueline Gentry | 1932–1934 |
| David Holt David Jack Holt David Jack Holt was an American actor initially groomed at the age of seven to be the male Shirley Temple... |
M | Human | 8/14/1927 | 11/15/2003 | Inapplicable | Inapplicable | 1933 |
| Cheetah-Mike | M | Chimp | Unknown; ca.1931 claimed | Living in 2009 | See comments | Unknown | 1930s–1940s? |
| Jiggs, Jr. (AKA Jiggs II) | M | Chimp | ca.1935 | Unknown | Tony & Jacqueline Gentry | Tony & Jacqueline Gentry | 1930s–1940s? |
| Unknown | ? | Chimp | 1930s | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 1930s |
| Unknown | ? | Chimp | 1930s | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | ca.1933–1943 |
| Cheta | ? | Chimp | ca.1937 | Unknown | Unknown | George Emerson | 1943 |
| Unknown | ? | Chimp | 1940s | Unknown | Unknown | See comments | 1944–1945? |
| Unknown | ? | Chimp | 1940s | Unknown | Unknown | Albert Antonucci | 1946–1949? |
| Harry | M | Chimp | ca.1944 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 1948 |
| Cheeta | ? | Chimp | 1940s | Unknown | Pinky Jackson | Pinky Jackson | 1950 |
| Cheeta | F | Chimp | ca.1948 | 9/6/1957 | Ed Rogers | Unknown | 1950s |
| Zippy | M | Chimp | ca.1951 | Unknown | Ralph Quinlan | Ralph Quinlan | 1950s |
| Cheeta | M | Chimp | ca.1960; ca.1932 claimed | Living in 2009 | See comments | Tony Gentry | Never; 1930s–1950s claimed |
| Cheetah | ? | Chimp | 1960s? | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 1966–1968? |
| C.J. | M | Orangutan | 1970s? | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | 1981 |
Comments providing more details about these performers follow.
- JiggsJiggs (chimpanzee)Jiggs was a male chimpanzee and animal actor who originated the character of Cheeta in the 1930s Hollywood Tarzan movies. He was owned and trained by Tony and Jacqueline Gentry.-Career:...
, a male chimpanzee born about 1929 owned and trained by Tony and Jacqueline Gentry, who originated the role and appeared in the first two Johnny WeissmullerJohnny WeissmullerJohnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
Tarzan films, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) and Tarzan and His MateTarzan and His MateTarzan and His Mate is a Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the second in the Tarzan film series to star Johnny Weissmuller....
(1934), as well as the Tarzan serials Tarzan the FearlessTarzan the FearlessTarzan the Fearless is a 12 chapter film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 71-minute feature film which comprised the first four chapters of the serial version. Co-starring was actress Jacqueline Wells, who later changed her name to Julie...
(1933), starring Buster CrabbeBuster CrabbeClarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
, and The New Adventures of TarzanThe New Adventures of TarzanThe New Adventures of Tarzan is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters. It is a more authentic version of the character than most other adaptations, with Tarzan as a cultured and well educated gentleman as in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. It was filmed during the same period as the...
(1935), starring Herman Brix, which was also released in feature-film form as Tarzan and the Green Goddess (1938). In the Brix films, which were more faithful to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original stories than the Weissmuller ones, Jiggs was cast as Nkima, not Cheeta. He also appeared in Her Jungle Love (1938), starring Dorothy LamourDorothy LamourDorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
, his last film. Died on February 28, 1938 or March 1, 1938 at age 9, of pneumonia, and was buried March 2, 1938 in the Los Angeles Pet Cemetery. Not to be confused with Mr. Jiggs, an orangutan who appeared in The Jungle BookJungle Book (1942 film)Jungle Book is a 1942 American color action-adventure film based on the Rudyard Kipling book, The Jungle Book. The film was directed by Zoltán Korda based on a screenplay adaptation by Laurence Stallings. The cinematography was by Lee Garmes and W. Howard Greene and music by Miklós Rózsa...
and numerous other films, who was retired in May, 1943. - David HoltDavid Jack HoltDavid Jack Holt was an American actor initially groomed at the age of seven to be the male Shirley Temple...
, who as a six year old child actor appeared uncredited as a human double for the role in Tarzan the Fearless (1933). - Cheetah-Mike, a male chimpanzee owned by Suncoast Primate Sanctuary after being donated from Noell's Chimp Farm in Palm Harbor, FL. Alleged to have been born about 1931 (claimed age in February 2008 was 77), to have been acquired from the estate of Johnny WeissmullerJohnny WeissmullerJohnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
in 1957, and to have been "one of the original 'Cheetahs' from Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan movies." - Jiggs, Jr. (also known as Jiggs II), a male chimpanzee born about 1935 owned and trained by Tony and Jacqueline Gentry, alleged to have appeared in a number of Tarzan films and possibly other movies. Stated to have gone to the Baltimore Zoo when Gentry went into the service in World War II, his ultimate fate is unknown.
- Unknown, chimpanzee stated to have been a juvenile understudy to Jiggs in one of the Weissmuller Tarzan films, who on one occasion accompanied Weissmuller and a 14-foot boa constrictor on a visit to newspaper columnist Nelson B. Bell.
- Unknown, chimpanzee stated to have portrayed Cheeta for ten years from approximately 1933 until retirement in 1943. This Cheeta's last film was presumably Tarzan's Desert MysteryTarzan's Desert MysteryTarzan's Desert Mystery is a 1943 film starring Johnny Weismuller and Nancy Kelly. The movie was directed by Wilhelm Thiele.Like its immediate predecessor, "Tarzan Triumphs," this movie makes reference to Tarzan's mate, Jane, played in earlier Weissmuller films by Maureen O'Sullivan, but it does...
(1943), as the first film of its successor was Tarzan and the AmazonsTarzan and the AmazonsTarzan and the Amazons is an adventure film starring Johnny Weissmuller in his ninth outing as Tarzan. Brenda Joyce makes the first of five appearances as Jane and Johnny Sheffield returns as Boy. Henry Stephenson and Maria Ouspenskaya co-star. The movie was produced by Sol Lesser and Kurt...
(1945). - Cheta, a chimpanzee of undetermined sex born about 1937 trained by George Emerson, stated to be the current chimpanzee under contract by Metro for the Tarzan films in Mar, 1943.
- Unknown, chimpanzee stated to have replaced the 1933-1943 Cheeta, cast in 1944 with a trainer from the St. Louis Zoo hired as handler for Tarzan and the Amazons (1945).
- Unknown, chimpanzee trained by Albert Antonucci who had apparently played Cheeta for three years as of April, 1949; Antonucci is known to have been Cheeta's trainer for the films Tarzan and the HuntressTarzan and the HuntressTarzan and the Huntress is an adventure film starring Johnny Weissmuller in his eleventh outing as Tarzan. Brenda Joyce makes the third of five appearances as Jane and Johnny Sheffield marks his eighth and final appearance as Boy. Patricia Morison and Barton MacLane co-star...
(1947) and Tarzan's Magic FountainTarzan's Magic FountainTarzan's Magic Fountain is a 1949 Tarzan film starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The film also features Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers, was co-written by Curt Siodmak, and directed by Lee Sholem....
(1949), so presumably this Cheeta played in these films and the intervening Tarzan and the MermaidsTarzan and the MermaidsTarzan and the Mermaids is a 1948 action film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Robert Florey, it was the last of the Tarzan movies to star Johnny Weissmuller in the title role.-Plot summary:...
(1948); Antonucci himself was stated to be slated for an acting role in the next Tarzan film, to be titled Tarzan and the Golden Lion, presumably a working title for the actual next film in the series, Tarzan and the Slave GirlTarzan and the Slave GirlTarzan and the Slave Girl is a 1950 film starring Lex Barker as Tarzan, Vanessa Brown as Jane, and Robert Alda as big game hunter Neil. It was directed by Lee Sholem...
(1950), but if so his role was uncredited or performed under a stage name. It is not known if he continued to serve as Cheeta's handler in that film, or indeed if "his" Cheeta was the one who appeared in it. - Harry, a male chimpanzee born about 1944, possibly the same as the above, stated to be playing Cheeta in the Tarzan films in May, 1948.
- Cheeta, a chimpanzee owned and trained by Pinky Jackson, who made personal appearances in promotion of the Tarzan films at six Sidney Lust theaters in Maryland in early December, 1950. Possibly the Cheeta who appeared in the then current Tarzan film, Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950).
- Cheeta, a female chimpanzee born about 1948 owned by Ed Rogers, stated to have appeared in 42 films, including Tarzan films as Cheeta and the television program Truth or ConsequencesTruth or ConsequencesTruth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
as Beaulah. Died at age 9 on September 6, 1957 in Cypress, California, shot by deputy sheriffs after breaking out of her cage, attacking her owner, and charging at a group of children. - Zippy, a male chimpanzee born about 1951 owned and trained by Ralph Quinlan, stated to have appeared as Cheeta in Tarzan films of the mid-1950s.
- Cheeta, a male chimpanzee born about 1960, formerly owned by Tony Gentry and now residing at the C.H.E.E.T.A. Primate Sanctuary (Creative Habitats and Enrichment for Endangered and Threatened Apes) in Palm Springs, California. Claimed by Gentry to have been born in 1932 or later in the 1930s and to have portrayed Cheeta in most of the Johnny Weismuller and Lex Barker Tarzan films, and for that reason long celebrated as the longest-lived chimpanzee. Both claims were debunked by journalist R. D. Rosen in 2008 in an article that settled the animal's true age and established that he had not appeared in any movies, let alone in the role of Cheeta.
- Cheetah, chimpanzee appearing with Ron Ely in the 1966-1968 Tarzan TV series, said to be the only trained animal on the show.
- C.J., a male orangutan stated to have played Cheeta in the 1981 remake Tarzan, the Ape Man, and (more famously) Clyde in the 1978 Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
film Every Which Way But Loose.
Honors
The character was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of StarsPalm Springs Walk of Stars
The Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California, is the portion of Palm Canyon Drive, Tahquitz Way and Museum Drive where "Golden Palm Stars" are embedded in the sidewalk pavement...
on 31 March 1995. His star is at 110 South Palm Canyon Drive. Since 2004 there have been several unsuccessful campaigns to secure a star for Cheeta on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, and as of 2008 filmmaker Matt Devlen is continuing the effort. Attempting for the seventh time to get him a sidewalk star, the handlers of the Cheeta born about 1960 (see above) launched an online petition to get supporters to urge the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to give him a star in 2009. As of June 2008, Cheeta was not selected to be so honored.