Bruce Bennett

Had two children, Christopher and Christina, by longtime wife Jeannette, who died in 2000. They named their children after his parents, but ironically, Christopher and Christina were also the names of the two eldest children of his "Mildred Pierce" co-star, Joan Crawford.

A reclusive man, he eschewed interviews, although he did appear at one Burroughs-oriented convention in the 1970s and discussed some of his experiences during the making of his Tarzan serial.

In 1960, he retired from acting and went into business, becoming sales manager of a major vending machine company, making only occasional TV guest appearances.

After starring in the Republic Pictures serial Hawk of the Wilderness (1938) as the Tarzan-like Kioga, he dropped out of films for a few years, took acting lessons, and changed his name to Bruce Bennett. He made many movies after that, gaining fame as a leading man in many Warners products.

Urban legend has it that Brix was personally selected by Edgar Rice Burroughs to play Tarzan in the independent serial The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935). In fact, this notion came from publicity material in the serial's press book. As he told his biographer, Mike Chapman, he only met Burroughs briefly, for a handshake and photo-op, days after he had been chosen and contracted for the part by the serial's producer, Ashton Dearholt.

After losing the lead in MGM's Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) due to a shoulder injury, he was contracted by Ashton Dearholt for his independent production of The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935), a serial and the only Tarzan film between the silents and the 1960s to present the character accurately, as a sophisticated, educated English nobleman who preferred living in the jungle and was able to speak directly with animals in their own language. He subsequently found himself typecast and confined to starring roles in other serials and character and even bit parts in poverty row features and two-reeler comedies.

Broke his shoulder while filming Touchdown! (1931), which cost him the role of MGM's Tarzan, which went to Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. The injury also caused him to fail to qualify for the 1932 Olympic trials while holding the world record for shot put.

Moved to Los Angeles in 1929 after being invited to compete for the Los Angeles Athletic Club and became friends with actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who arranged a screen test for him at Paramount.

Herman Brix was a star shot-putter in the 1928 Olympics.

A onetime University of Washington football and track-and-field star, he played in the 1926 Rose Bowl as tackle for the Huskies. He graduated in 1928 with a bachelor's degree in economics.