Johnny Weissmuller Buster Crabbe. In a total of 12 Tarzan films, Weissmuller earned an estimated $2,000,000 and established himself as what many movie historians consider the definitive Tarzan. Although not the first Tarzan in movies (that was Elmo Lincoln), he was the first to be associated with the now traditional ululating, yodeling Tarzan yell. During an appearance on television's "The Mike Douglas Show" in the 1970s, Weissmuller explained how the famous yell was created. Recordings of three vocalists were spliced together to get the effecta soprano, an alto and a hog caller. Edgar Rice Burroughs himself paid oblique tribute to Weissmuller's powerful
Fame in the 20th Century hardly anywhere else outside the US. Other celebrities have been around for so long that the reason they originally became famous has been almost forgotten. Elizabeth Taylor has been cited by James as an example of someone who originally achieved fame as an actress, but later became more famous for her weddings and lifestyle. As James observed, the fame of some celebrities fades away after a few years. Silent movie stars like Florence Lawrence and William S. Hart, for instance, have nowadays sunk into obscurity. Other celebrities have become more famous over time. James cites T.E. Lawrence as an example.