Interview with Linda Christian

As you are known as Linda Christian, I will call you Mrs. Christian in the interview if you don't mind.

First of all I would like to thank you for granting me to send you this questionnaire, which I will add to my website after your approval .

If a question is not appropriate please answer it with No Comment.

Why this interview?

As a true Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) fan, I am very fascinated by the people behind the movies, comics etc. Because those people never received the deserved gratitude I wanted to find out who they are and tell them that we all appreciate what they all did for us fans.

Most of the artists whom I have approached were pleasantly surprised and very happy to hear this.

Unfortunately the actors are difficult to reach (understandable).

Hello Mrs. Christian,

As I am not a real journalist or a movie expert, perhaps my questions may come across a little too direct, and my lack of knowledge probably shines through.
I hope you will understand and forgive me for that.

The questions:

When I contacted your daughter I prepared several questions and asked a fellow Tarzan fan (Rob Donkers, who is an expert on Tarzan movies) if he could help out with the questions.

It resulted in a list of questions which I've divided in three parts:

Before the Tarzan movie, during the filming/rehearsing of the movie and after the movie.

Best Regards,

Before the movie :

RDL : Did you have to do an audition for this movie? Do you remember anything about that?
Were there any other candidates for the part of Mara?

LC :All I remember is that they wanted someone who could swim very well.

RDL : Do you remember where and from when till when the rehearsals took place?
Were there any script or camera rehearsals you had to do before the sequences were filmed?

LC :There weren't any.

During the shooting days:

RDL : Did you have long shooting days ? Could you tell us something about what a shooting day looked like?

LC: They were long and strenuous . 6 am at make up and hair, wardrobe. At noon a one hour break , then back on the set till 6 pm.

RDL : During the filming the terrible accident with Johnny Weissmuller's double Angel Garcia took place. What do you remember about this accident?
I guess the film crew and cast were in shock. Was the filming delayed?

LC: What accident? I remember an accident that happened to my double. She had to dive off a very high cliff into rough seas .In doing so she broke both her front teeth , refusing to dive anymore, so I had to do the rest of the diving myself. I don't blame her!

RDL : How was it to work with Brenda Joyce, what kind of colleague was she?
I recently discovered that she still lives!

LC: She was very nice , she kept to herself and so did I .

RD : What kind of person was Brenda Joyce to work with, or in private? It's said that she disliked the part of 'Jane' in the Tarzan movies. Or at least she didn't want to be reminded of it in later years.    

LC : well then lets not remind her !    

RD : How long did the filming of the sequences that you were in take in total? Did all the filming take place in Acapulco , or also at other locations?  

LC: About a month and a half. Some shooting was on location in Acapulco and some in the studios in Hollywood .    

RD : Do you recall any trouble with the chimp Cheeta? It's known that many actors and actresses didn't like to work with chimps. Maureen O'Sullivan hated them for example.  

LC:I didn't hate them , but they were difficult . I have heard that Cheeta is still living here in California and his owner is trying to get him a star on the walk of fame like other famous animals.      

RD : How many chimps were used playing the part of Cheeta, for 'Tarzan and the mermaids', just one or more than one ?  

LC: I don't know.

RD : Did you get along well with your movie partner Gustavo Rojos? By the way: did you know that he was considered for the part of Apache chief 'Winnetou' playing opposite to Lex Barker, in the very successful German Karl May movie series back in the 1960's? The part went to Pierre Brice however, as Gustavo was considered not tall enough.  

LC: Yes, I got along, I saw him again in 2003 .It was a wonderful reunion!          

LC: I remember having to stop shooting when Cheetah would get over-exited . We would have to take a pause while we waited for him to get back to “normal “.

After Tarzan :

RDL :Did this movie had any influence on your career ?

LC: no idea. Ask my fans.

RDL : Do you still have contact with people from this movie?
Are you still in touch with any of the crew or cast members who have worked with you during the filming of this movie?

LC: Apart from Gustavo, No, not really.

RD : Were you present when the film premiered in the US , or anywhere else in the world?  

LC: No.      

RD : How did the people around you react to your acting in the Tarzan movie, positive or negative?  

LC Positive.I It seems that everybody loves Tarzan.    

RD : Do you remember being interviewed about your work for ‘Tarzan and the mermaids' by any Dutch reporters?  

LC: No, I don't.  

RD : Did you ever meet again with Johnny Weissmuller in the years after the filming of 'Tarzan and the mermaids'? It's known that you were the only represent person of all the Hollywood stars at Johnny's burial in Acapulco .  

LC: No, I never met with him again after the filming, I had always cherisheda very good memory of our working relationship. I was moved to attend his funeral services because of the fond memories of our collaboration. He never stepped out of line.    

RD : Would you have considered saying yes if RKO would have offered you the part of 'Jane' in the later Tarzan movies with Lex Barker? You looked stunning and would have fitted the part perfectly I think.  

LC: Why not? I knew Lex personally and we had a very good connection.

RD : I know you and your sister Ariadna both were actresses. Did you and your sister Ariadna resemble each other ?

LC: No, not at all, Ariadna had dark brown eyes ,dark hair , her voice was very deep . Her personality was very different to mine. She was content to live and work within the Mexican industry, while I made the world my home.

Nederland :

RDL : As you were born with partial Dutch blood do you still have contact with Nederland ? Do you have any memories of our country?

LC: Every day I remember Holland ! I remember some dutch songs, food recepies….nursery rhymes .
I have very very fond childhood memories of visiting my father in Den Haag, my best friend in Rotterdam ….when you say partially dutch blood, I would say mostly dutchblood since I spenta good part of my formative years there. And those years had a positive and long-lasting effect on me .

RDL : Are you having the looks and personality from your father or mother?

LC: A cocktail .

RDL : In 1947/1948 Edgar Rice Burroughs was still alive.
Did you have the possibillity to meet him in person?

LC:yes. I did.

RDL : Was this a brief meeting or did you had a long talk?

LC: It was a long meeting, a lunch at the Beachcomber in Beverly Hills . He was a very pleasant elderly man . He was interested in nature and the development of undeveloped islands.

Thank you for your contribution for :

*******************************************
Holland meets ERB!
A website where you can find all material
concerning Edgar Rice Burroughs which was
produced for the Dutch market
http://www.hollandmeetserb.nl
*******************************************

RDL = Ron de Laat

RD = Rob Donkers

LC = Linda Christian