Elmo Linkenhelt, a former peace officer from Arkansas, initially worked in D.W. Griffith's 1912 film "The Battle of Elderbush Gulch", where he was involved in a fight scene that showcased his impressive physique, leading Griffith to remark on his "quite a chest" and subsequently rename him Elmo Lincoln.
Lincoln went on to feature in several of Griffith's films, and it was his powerful build that earned him the role of Tarzan in the 1918 film "Tarzan of the Apes", after the original actor, Stellan Windrow, was recalled to active duty due to the outbreak of World War I.
The film was a massive commercial success, grossing over a million dollars, making it one of the first to achieve this milestone. Its sequel, "Romance of Tarzan", did not fare as well, barely breaking even.
Elmo Lincoln went on to star in three successful serials and a feature film for Universal Film Manufacturing before reprising his role as Tarzan in "The Adventures of Tarzan" in 1921, which marked his final performance as the Apeman.
He continued to work in the film industry, appearing in a cheap Rayart serial "King of the Jungle" in 1927, after which he relocated to Mexico and invested in mining.
Lincoln later returned to the United States, taking on bit parts and making a brief appearance in the Seal Brothers Circus as "The Original Tarzan in Person".
In 1949, he appeared as a fisherman in "Tarzan's Magic Fountain", and just before his death, he had a small part in "Carrie" starring one of his heroes, Lawrence Olivier.
