Fun With Philatelic Material - Olympic Gold Medalist to Tarzan!

Sometimes it's fun when I run across philatelic materials that illustrate part of my collection where the subject takes a strange twist. Such was the case with the stamp from the Isle of Man that commemorated Johnny Weismeuller's Olympic achievements in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games.

I never new he was an Olympic gold medalist! I knew about him since I was a little boy because my father loved to watch him in his Tarzan movies late at night. He and I would sit together in the dark and watch late into the night on Saturday. Weismeuller's parents were from Banat, Yugoslavia where my father was raised.

Later I found this First Day Cover issued in Romania in 2004 to commemorate his achievements.

Johnny Weismeuller was born June 2, 1904 as an ethnic German, the elder son of Peter and Elisabeth, both Banat Swabians. His generally accepted birthplace is in Freiodorf, Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

At the age of 9 Johnny contracted polio and at the suggestion of his doctor, took up swimming to help battle the disease. Weismeuller was swimming's first superstar; swimming the 100m freestyle and the 4x200m relay team event at both the 1924 Paris and 1928 Amsterdam Games. He also won gold in the 400m freestyle.

On the cache, postmark, and stamp, this FDC Romania commemorated his Olympic achievements as well as his transition to the Tarzan roles in multiple Hollywood films.

The following postcards were also issued with caches from various Tarzan movie posters.