Gordon Scott(1926-2007)
- Actor
Physical Education major Gordon Weschkul left the University of Oregon
after one term. He became an infantry drill instructor (rifle, pistol
and bayonet; judo and hand-to-hand combat; close order drill), then a
military policeman. After his honorable discharge in 1947, he was a
fireman, cowboy, and farm machinery salesman. In 1953, a Las Vegas
lifeguard, he was spotted by a pair of Hollywood agents who introduced
him and his 19-inch biceps to Sol Lesser, who had already conducted 200
tests in search of a new Tarzan. The producer gave him a seven-year
contract and a new last name. His three MGM Tarzans were run-of-the
mill, but his two for Sy Weintraub, through Paramount, marked a rebirth of
the Tarzan character. The movies were well received. Weintraub was
looking for a leaner, more thoughtful Tarzan so Scott moved on to a
number of Italian strong-man spectaculars and spaghetti westerns,
becoming a sensation in Europe.
