The Lex Barker Story – Part 4

Read the beginning: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

The fourth part of a large interview with American actor Lex Barker, which he gave at the end of 1964 in Yugoslavia during the filming of Karl May's film “The Treasure of the Aztecs”. A conversation with journalist Dirk Fond from the German magazine BRAVO:

As a matter of fact, in all Dubrovnik there is only one real fish restaurant. Lex Barker sat with me at a table in the corner and dictated me to the secrets of cooking crabs in the most exquisite way:

Everyone is just in awe of my recipes. And only one person says he can do better.

- Who is he?

Pierre Brice. How often I sat with him here, at this table, and debated. Well, okay, he’s French, he knows better than me. Perhaps in oysters, frogs and the like, he understands more. But the crabs! I have no equal here.

Lex Barker paused and then smiled rather.

Nonsense. For this I will shoot him at the beginning of the new year.

I thought that I did not quite understand correctly, and asked again:

“What will you do, Lex?”

I’ll shoot Pierre Brice. Bang bang!

[Lex Barker and Pierre Brice during the filming of Hell in Manitoba in Spain (1965)]

- Ha ha! New Year joke? Or was my English failing me? It sounds like you just claimed to shoot Pierre Brice!

Right! No jokes. At the beginning of the year, I will star in a film called “Halle in Manitoba” / A Place Called Glory”, a joint production of the German CCC and an American company. A film worth almost 2.5 million marks will be shot in Spain. It will star Marianne Koch, Mario Adorf. Both Pierre and I will appear in this tough western as opponents. In the finale, it will come to a duel in which I mortally wound Pierre ...

A piece of fish stuck in my throat, although there were no bones in it.

- But this is unreal! This will cause a protest from moviegoers. All fans will rise if Old Shetterhand shoots his blood brother Winneth!

Stop!

Lex patted me comfortably on the back.

The most dangerous thing in the cinema is just that for the fans I am Old Scatterhand, and Pierre to Winnetu. If we are not careful, we in Germany will only be associated with these two figures. And it will the end for us as actors. I know this from my own bitter experience.

- Because of Tarzan?

He made a face as if his fish dish was seasoned with hydrochloric acid.

Yes, because of Tarzan. The story of Tarzan is a typical movie business story. Right for you - real Hollywood without makeup.

“You must tell me this story,” I begged. - And also without makeup. How did you become Tarzan?

And he me told. Without makeup.

[Lex Barker in one of the first episodic roles in the film Two Guys from Milwaukee (1946)]

How do you like this phrase: “Ah, I see the coast”? Not very remarkable, is it?
Lex looked at me probingly.

My first role consisted of this phrase after I spent six months idle in Hollywood. By order of Fox, director Sai Endfield took me to this taping. I had to stand on the ship, stare through binoculars and pronounce this stupid phrase. And that’s all. For this performance, the Endfield-film company was forced to unfasten Fox $12,000 - the amount Fox paid me for the above-mentioned sitting idle. Endfield took revenge - he did not let me lower the binoculars, and my face is not visible in the film for a single second. You see, this is Hollywood!

After that, for months, nothing. When Fox was about to pay me less money for idleness, I went to my competitors, at Metro-Goldwin-Mayer. There were screen tests again with me. To pass them, the day before as a sedative, I tripped triple whiskey. He was in a good mood on samples - and that was all. They gave me a turn from the gate. Now I completely lost the contract. This happened until one agent brought me to the Warner Bros. From time to time they gave me tiny roles. And yet I was hoping that this, albeit slow, was the way up. Then came the law according to which all actors who served in the war should be restored by film companies on the same terms. So, they suddenly formed an overabundance of young people - and I flew out of the studio. The director of the distribution of roles of Warner Bros. company stood up for me - she flew out too ... Here it is, Hollywood!

[Lex Barker in “The Farmer’s Daughter” (1947)]

My agent was indignant at the unfair decision, stood up for me and again gave me another seven-year contract, this time with RKO.

It even came with small roles. I was not the only one who was expecting a great chance then. Robert Mitchem, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas and Robert Ryan were in the same position. We are similar to Robert Ryan, we have similar types. But since he advanced a little further than me, it was him who took on larger roles. And this is also Hollywood!
But suddenly there was a big chance. I was supposed to play the main role with Loretta Young in the film "Mourning Becomes Electra”. But Loretta Young got sick, the start of filming was postponed. And when they finally took place, I was already busy in another film, where I played a completely insignificant role. Because of this, I could not get the main role - and instead of me they took Kirk Douglas. For Kirk, it was a breakthrough.
For this reason my contract was terminated. Howard Hughes again took over the management of RKO and decided to start from scratch. During the cleaning process, my contract flew off with a whistle.

This is Hollywood. 1947 Hollywood I was left without security, without a contract, without a chance. And then Sol Lesser appeared.

[First Tarzan Elmo Lincoln (1918)]

The fate of Lex Barker is inextricably linked with the name of Saul Lesser. Sol Lesser, today one of the richest people in Hollywood, was then the producer of the world-famous Tarzan movie series.

The very first silent films about Tarzan were released in 1918. In the role of Tarzan, a man in a leopard skin named Otto Elmo Linkenhelt, known in the world of cinema under the pseudonym Elmo Lincoln, jumped from branch to branch.

He played the role of the son of a British lord, abandoned in a dense African forest and became adopted by chimpanzees. He learned the language of monkeys, and only many years later was discovered by an expedition of researchers, and then returned to the civilized world. However, whenever there was a need for a strong defender in the jungle, Tarzan went back to the virgin forest, experiencing exciting adventures, overcoming thousands of dangers to complete the mission as a brilliant hero.

Elmo Lincoln competed with chimpanzees for four years, and then transferred the role of Tarzan to another actor. The series survived till the end of the silent cinema, a major stock market crash, economic depression, and World War II. New adventures of Tarzan were filmed annually, the actor playing the main role periodically changed. The most famous was Johnny Weissmuller, a former Olympic swimming champion. However, when Sol Lesser noticed that his Johnny became a little old and slow, so that, with a piercing scream, he would switch from a liana to a liana, and the cinema box office would no longer be filled to the brim when Tarzan showed off at the movie poster, the producer knew what to do.

[The most famous Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller (1904-1984), once the first swimmer to overcome the distance 100 meters faster than in a minute.]

Now after the ninth Tarzan he needed a new, tenth. The news broke, and agents laid out daily on Mr. Lesser's desk a bunch of photographs of well-built men. Famous athletes, unknown athletes, circus performers, weightlifters - all who had a wide chest and strong biceps, stayed there.

“It would be excellent,” Lesser sighed heavily, “if we had found a new Tarzan who not only looked like him, but also had acting talent.”

And then he fell into the hands of pictures of Lex Barker.

The photographer made them, not knowing who he was shooting. Saul Lesser tapped the photographs with his finger: “It's him! Drag him here, wherever he is.” His employee politely reported: “He was with us at RKO only a few weeks ago. He has just been cut.”
“In that case, he is free again!”

Lex Barker was not happy with the offer to play Tarzan.

"I'm an actor! He resolutely protested. “I want to play decent, normal roles, and not roam naked with a herd of monkeys through the primeval jungle.”

“Calm down, young man,” his agent replied. - If you play Tarzan, you get first-class advertising, your name will become famous, they will talk about you. Then you can afford to demand suitable roles. In addition, there is a strike again in Hollywood. The only film that goes into production in two months is Tarzan. As?"

[Lex Barker for the first time in the role of the son of the jungle. Danish poster for the film "Tarzan’s Magic Fountain" (1949).]

And so he became Tarzan. As a result, he received the coveted advertisement, became famous and, finally, could demand the best roles. But they were not given to him.

Everyone asked: “Lex Barker? Yes this is Tarzan! He can’t play anyone else. ”

In 1948, his "Tarzan" life began.

He was given tiny triangular leather swimming trunks. Then, front and rear, they hung on these swimming trunks on a leather flap.

"What is this?" - inquired Lex.

“This is your new suit,” came the reply.

“But I'm not a stripper!” - excited Lex.

“You are Tarzan. And Tarzan is a man with a great physique. That means your body, Mr. Barker, is crucial to the film. This means that from now on your body is part of the production process!”

This he understood.

“You immediately lose fifteen pounds, then the weight should be maintained. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited, they can lead to weight changes. Clear?"

“Yes, but ...”

"Further. You must sleep at night! Yes, besides, up to nine hours, at least. Do not visit restaurants and bars nightly. You can get involved in a fight and get a scar. Clear?"

“Yes, but ...”

"Further. We heard that you are a ski lover. Very good, but not for Tarzan. From now on, you are not allowed to ski due to the risk of injury. You will also not fly, in any case, in private jets. Clear?"

“Yes, but ...”

"Further. Boxing ... Needless to say, boxing is over. And other sports that do not cause injury, also try to avoid. Every second, think that there are many millions of dollars on the scales. And all this depends on the integrity and perfection of your muscles and your figure. Clear?"

“Yes ...” Lex hit the table. - The body, the body, nothing but the body! Does this Tarzan have no brains? In all the films of the series, he still could only that mutter something under his breath, yell, scream and hardly squeeze monosyllables from himself. Can Tarzan finally become a little wiser?”

[Producer Saul Lesser (1890-1980)]

They looked at him only with sympathy.

“No man wants to see a running professor of philosophy in the jungle. Tarzan is strong, noble and beautiful. All! With you we still have a sip of grief."

And they drank it. Saul Lesser really was looking for a real actor, but now he got one who used to study at a prestigious college, who seriously thought about his role, who came up with his proposals. From all this, the producers began to slowly lose their nerves. On the other hand, Lex Barker had his own problems. With great effort, he managed to make Tarzan something more than a chimpanzee in human form. At the same time, the main thing in every film of this series still was that Lex-Tarzan frolic in the jungle in a mini bandage on his hips with long disheveled hair, rescuing a captured girl, or protecting her at the last second from the sharp poisoned arrows of astray researchers, before than they would turn into huge hedgehogs studded with needles.

In the first films that Lex starred in, the jungle was fake. A wild forest with trees, vines, orchids, a waterfall, rocks and dense thickets was artificially recreated in a spacious pavilion.

This pavilion was thoroughly populated by animals. Half of a large zoo from butterflies to a lion's pride and giant elephants moved directly to the studio. So, for example, in every film about Tarzan played an experienced "cinematic" elephant Emma. After she had a baby, Emma changed her temper. She did not admit a single person to the offspring. Only one could approach her: Tarzan - Lex Barker.

[Brenda Joyce, Harry Chimpanzee as Chita and Lex Barker during filming in 1949.]

In those days, his best friend was known as Harry. Harry is a chimpanzee who starred with Lex for two years. Then he grew up, became strong and evil. I had to give it to the zoo in Los Angeles. Lex was upset because he had a lot of fun with Harry.

He will never forget how once in his car he turned into a parking lot for a restaurant. The waitress went to the car, he ordered two cups of coffee. She looked at him in surprise, because she did not understand what one single person was going to do with two cups of coffee. Shrugging her shoulders, she handed him both cups, and when, next to Lex, a hairy long arm reached for the second cup from the open window, the waitress squealed and rushed away, forgetting about the payment. Lex and Harry drank her coffee and smiled at each other.

This is Tarzan's funniest memory.

But there are cases when it wasn’t funny. One occurred in the pavilion. Filmed a scene with three lions.

Lions were in a cage, the rods of which were skillfully covered with vines and leaves. A camera and a spotlight were installed behind the cage. In it ran only these three lions and half-naked Lex.
“These are lovely guys,” he assured. “Absolutely good lions that would not hurt a fly.”
Of course, the lions were sweet and kind. True, only until one of them stepped on the spotlight cable, tearing it apart with its claws. He received such an electric shock that would instantly kill any person. On the contrary, electricity revived him greatly.
The Lions were no longer sweet and kind. They still did not want to offend a single fly, but now they were eager to tear Lex apart. The filmmakers fled in fear, fearing that lions in rage would crush the cage. Roaring predators saw only one man in front of him, the enemy who was to be killed.

They raised their paws, widened their mouths and decideded to put an end to the life of the tenth Tarzan ...