Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...

eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 and was the first actor to portray on film novelist

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, ...

' fictional "jungle" character

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

, initially appearing in that role in the 1918 release ''

Tarzan of the Apes ''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine ''The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released as a novel in June 1 ...

''.

Early years

Lincoln was born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt in Rochester, Indiana. He had six siblings, and he left home at 18 to begin a railroad career as a brakeman on a train. He went on to be a boxer, sailor, and

stevedore A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...

before he became an actor.

Career

Lincoln began acting for director

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

, who changed the performer's name. Lincoln's first role was in ''The Battle of Elderbush Gulch'' (1914), followed by ''Judith of Bethula'' (1914), ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915), and ''Intolerance'' (1916).

Tarzan films

Stellan Windrow, who initially portrayed the title character in

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

's ''

'', went into military service five weeks after filming began. Lincoln replaced Windrow, although author Edgar Rice Burroughs objected to the choice. Lincoln became best known for that role. ( Gordon Griffith played Tarzan as a child in the same movie). He portrayed the character twice more—in ''

The Romance of Tarzan ''The Romance of Tarzan'' is a 1918 American silent action adventure film directed by Wilfred Lucas starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, Thomas Jefferson, and Cleo Madison. The movie was the second Tarzan movie ever made, and is based on Edgar ...

'' (also

) and in the

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...

serial '' The Adventures of Tarzan''. Following the end of the silent movie era, Elmo left Hollywood and tried his hand at

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...

. He also had a salvage business in Salt Lake City. In the late 1930s, he returned to the film industry, most often employed as an extra. He appeared, uncredited, in two Tarzan films in the 1940s—as a circus roustabout in ''

Tarzan's New York Adventure ''Tarzan's New York Adventure'' (also known as ''Tarzan Against the World'') is a 1942 black-and-white adventure film from Metro Goldwyn Mayer, produced by Frederick Stephani, directed by Richard Thorpe, that stars Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen ...

'' (

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

), and as a fisherman repairing his net in ''

Tarzan's Magic Fountain ''Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' is a 1949 Tarzan film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The film also features Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers. It was co-written by Curt Siodmak. This ...

'' (

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

). File:Tarzan of the Apes 1918.jpg, Tarzan of the Apes (1918) File:The Romance of Tarzan.jpg, The Romance of Tarzan (1918) File:The Adventures of Tarzan (1921) - 2.jpg, alt=Tarzan holding a tiger corpse above his head, Tarzan's agility, speed, and strength allow him to kill a Leopard in 1921's '' The Adventures of Tarzan''.

Final role

His final work saw him also playing a brief, uncredited role in the 1952 film '' Carrie'', starring

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

. According to ''Tarzan of the Movies'', by Gabe Essoe, Lincoln was quite proud of his work in this film, as he was an admirer of Olivier.

Death

Lincoln died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

on June 27, 1952, at age 63.He is interred in a niche at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...

. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, he has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 7042

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

Biography

Lincoln's daughter, Marci'a Lincoln Rudolph, recounts his life in her 2001 book ''My Father, Elmo Lincoln: The Original Tarzan'' ().

Partial filmography

1910s

* ''

The Battle at Elderbush Gulch ''The Battle at Elderbush Gulch'' (also known as ''The Battle of Elderbush Gulch'') is a 1913 American silent Western film directed by D. W. Griffith and featuring Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish, and Alfred Paget. Plot Salley (Mae Marsh) and her li ...

'' (1913, Short) - Cavalryman * ''

John Barleycorn "John Barleycorn" is an English and Scottish folk song listed as number 164 in the Roud Folk Song Index. John Barleycorn, the song's protagonist, is a personification of barley and of the alcoholic beverages made from it: beer and whisky. ...

'' (1914) * ''

Judith of Bethulia ''Judith of Bethulia'' (1914) is an American film starring Blanche Sweet and Henry B. Walthall, and produced and directed by D. W. Griffith, based on the play "Judith and the Holofernes" (1896) by Thomas Bailey Aldrich, which itself was an adapt ...

'' (1914) * ''

Brute Force Brute Force or brute force may refer to: Techniques * Brute force method or proof by exhaustion, a method of mathematical proof * Brute-force attack, a cryptanalytic attack * Brute-force search, a computer problem-solving technique People * Brut ...

'' (1914, Short) - In Club (Prologue) / Tribesman (The Old Days) * ''

Buckshot John ''Buckshot John'' is a 1915 American Western film that was directed by and starred Hobart Bosworth. Prints of the film survive in the Library of Congress film archive. Cast * Hobart Bosworth as "Buckshot John" Moran * Courtenay Foote as Dr. Buc ...

'' (1915) - The Sheriff * ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Clan ...

'' (1915) - Blacksmith (uncredited) * '' The Slave Girl'' (1915, Short) - Bob West * ''

The Absentee ''The Absentee'' is a novel by Maria Edgeworth, published in 1812 in ''Tales of Fashionable Life'', that expresses the systemic evils of the absentee landlord class of Anglo-Irish and the desperate condition of the Irish peasantry. There are ma ...

'' (1915) - The Toiler - in the Prologue * ''Her Shattered Idol'' (1915) - Ben - a Blacksmith * ''Jordan Is a Hard Road'' (1915) * ''

Hoodoo Ann ''Hoodoo Ann'' is a 1916 American comedy-drama silent film, written by D.W. Griffith, directed by Lloyd Ingraham and released by Triangle Film Corporation. Plot Ann (Mae Marsh) is a young girl who has lived in an orphanage since infancy. Sh ...

'' (1916) - Officer Lambert * '' The Half Breed'' (1916) - The Doctor (uncredited) * '' Gretchen the Greenhorn'' (1916) - Mystery Ship Captain * '' Intolerance'' (1916) - The Mighty Man of Valor (uncredited) * ''

The Children of the Feud ''The Children of the Feud'' is a lost 1916 silent film drama directed by Joseph Henabery. It was produced by D. W. Griffith(his Fine Arts Film Company) and released through Triangle Film Corporation. Cast * Charles Gorman - Pap Clayton *Dorothy G ...

'' (1916) - Bad Bald Clayton * '' The Fatal Glass of Beer'' (1916) * '' The Bad Boy'' (1917) - Yeggman * '' Betsy's Burglar'' (1917) * ''

Might and the Man ''Might and the Man'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Edward Dillon and starring Elmo Lincoln, Carmel Myers and Wilbur Higby.Connelly p.386 Cast * Elmo Lincoln as McFadden * Carmel Myers as Winifred * Wilbur Higby as Hiram Sl ...

'' (1917) - McFadden * '' Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp'' (1917) - Magic Genie * ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1918) - Prologue Player * ''

'' (1918) - Tarzan * ''

The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1918) - Marcas, the Blacksmith * ''

'' (1918) - Tarzan * '' The Greatest Thing in Life'' (1918) - The American Soldier * ''

The Road Through the Dark ''The Road Through the Dark'' is a 1918 American silent war drama film directed by Edmund Mortimer and starring Clara Kimball Young, Jack Holt and Elinor Fair.Langman p.268 It was made as an anti-German propaganda piece during World War I. Cas ...

'' (1918) - Pvt. Schultz * ''

Elmo the Mighty ''Elmo the Mighty'' is a 1919 American silent Western film serial directed by Henry MacRae and J. P. McGowan. The film is now considered to be lost. Cast * Elmo Lincoln as Captain Elmo Armstrong * Grace Cunard as Lucille Gray * Fred Starr * V ...

'' (1919) - Capt. Elmo Armstrong * ''The Fall of Babylon'' (re-edited from ''Intolerance'') (1919) - The Mighty Man of Valour

1920s

* '' Elmo the Fearless'' (1920) - The Stranger * ''

Under Crimson Skies ''Under Crimson Skies'' is a 1920 American silent adventure film directed by Rex Ingram and starring Elmo Lincoln, Harry von Meter and Mabel Ballin. There are no known archival holdings of the film, so it is presumably a lost film. Cast * Elm ...

'' (1920) - Captain Yank Barstow * ''

The Flaming Disc ''The Flaming Disc'' is a 1920 American silent adventure film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. The first episode of the series, "Rails of Death", opened on November 21, 1920. A total of 18 film episodes were produced. ''The Flaming Disc'' is ...

'' (1920) - Elmo Gray / Jim Gray * '' Devotion'' (1921) - Robert Trent * '' The Adventures of Tarzan'' (1921) - Tarzan * ''

Quincy Adams Sawyer ''Quincy Adams Sawyer'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Clarence G. Badger. Distributed by Metro Pictures, the film is written by Bernard McConville, based on the 1900 novel ''Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason's Corner Folks'', wr ...

'' (1922) - Abner Stiles *''

Rupert of Hentzau ''Rupert of Hentzau'' is a sequel by Anthony Hope to ''The Prisoner of Zenda'', written in 1895 but not published in book form until 1898. The novel was serialized in '' The Pall Mall Magazine'' and '' McClure's Magazine'' from December 1897 t ...

'' (1923) - Simon * ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...

'' (1923) - (uncredited) * '' The Rendezvous'' (1923) - Godunoff * ''

Fashion Row ''Fashion Row'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Mae Murray in a dual role, Earle Foxe, and Freeman Wood. The film involves two Russian sisters emigrate to America. One tries to hide her peasant or ...

'' (1923) - Kaminoff * ''

All Around Frying Pan ''All Around Frying Pan'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by David Kirkland and starring Fred Thomson, James A. Marcus, and Clara Horton Clara Marie Horton (July 29, 1904 – December 4, 1976) was an American actress ...

'' (1925) - Foreman Slade * ''Whom Shall I Marry'' (1926) * '' King of the Jungle'' (1927, Serial)

1930s

* ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

'' (1939) - Card Player (uncredited) * ''

Blue Montana Skies ''Blue Montana Skies'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and June Storey. Based on a story by Norman S. Hall and Paul Franklin, the film is about a singing cowboy who goes up a ...

'' (1939) - Mack (uncredited) * ''

Wyoming Outlaw ''Wyoming Outlaw'' is a 1939 American "Three Mesquiteers" Western film directed by George Sherman and starring John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, and Raymond Hatton. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one films in the series. Plot summary Ca ...

'' (1939) - U.S. Marshal Gregg * ''

Timber Stampede ''Timber Stampede'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by David Howard from a screenplay by Morton Grant, based on a story by Bernard McConville and Paul Franklin. The film stars George O'Brien, Chill Wills, and Marjorie Reynolds. RK ...

'' (1939) - Townsman (uncredited) * ''Colorado Sunset'' (1939) - Dairyman Burns * ''

The Real Glory ''The Real Glory'' is a 1939 Samuel Goldwyn Productions adventure film starring Gary Cooper, David Niven, Andrea Leeds and Broderick Crawford released by United Artists in the weeks immediately following Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland. Based o ...

'' (1939) - Townsman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) - Minor Role (uncredited)

1940s

* ''

Stage to Chino ''Stage to Chino'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Edward Killy from a screenplay by Morton Grant and Arthur V. Jones, based on a story by Norton S. Parker. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on July 26, 1940, who also p ...

'' (1940) - Townsman (uncredited) * '' Reap the Wild Wind'' (1942) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) - Circus Roustabout (uncredited) * ''

Bandit Ranger ''Bandit Ranger'' is a 1942 Western film. It was the first of six Westerns produced starring Tim Holt between 11 May and 17 July 1942 caused by Holt's impending induction into the United States Army Air Forces.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, '' ...

'' (1942) - Townsman in Bank (uncredited) * ''

Fighting Frontier ''Fighting Frontier'' is a 1943 Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer."The Christian Science Monitor's Guide to Current Motion Pictures: Recent Releases" ''The Christian Science Monitor'' 17 Feb 1943: 11. Plot A detective goes undercover as ...

'' (1943) - Barfly who knocks Ike down (uncredited) * '' Frontier Fury'' (1943) - Sam Stewart (uncredited) * ''

The Story of Dr. Wassell ''The Story of Dr. Wassell'' is a 1944 American World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on a book of the same name by ...

'' (1944) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Black Arrow Black Arrow, officially capitalised BLACK ARROW, was a British satellite carrier rocket. Developed during the 1960s, it was used for four launches between 1969 and 1971, all launched from the Woomera Prohibited Area in Australia. Its final fl ...

'' (1944, Serial) - Chief Arano (uncredited) * ''When the Lights Go on Again'' (1944) - Farmer #2 (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Walked Alone'' (1945) - Turnkey * ''

Escape in the Fog ''Escape in the Fog'' is a 1945 American film noir crime film directed by Budd Boetticher (as Oscar Boetticher Jr.) and starring Otto Kruger, Nina Foch and William Wright. Boetticher called it a "nothing" picture, though he enjoyed working with ...

'' (1945) - Cop (uncredited) * ''

The Return of the Durango Kid ''The Return of the Durango Kid'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Derwin Abrahams and written by J. Benton Cheney. The film stars Charles Starrett, Tex Harding, Jean Stevens and John Calvert. The film was released on April 19, 1945 ...

'' (1945) - Luke Blake (uncredited) * '' Badman's Territory'' (1946) - Dick Broadwell (uncredited) * ''Rolling Home'' (1947) - Racing Official * ''A Double Life'' (1947) - Detective (uncredited) * ''Tap Roots'' (1948) - Sergeant (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) - A Fisherman (uncredited)

1950s

* ''

Hollywood Story ''Hollywood Story'' is a 1951 American mystery film directed by William Castle and starring Richard Conte and Julie Adams. The supporting cast features Richard Egan (actor), Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Fred Clark and Jim Backus. The film was an at ...

'' (1951) - Elmo Lincoln (uncredited) * ''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...

'' (1951) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Carrie'' (1952) - Minor Role (uncredited) (final film role)

References

* * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln, Elmo 1889 births 1952 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors People from Rochester, Indiana Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Male actors from Indiana 20th-century American male actors