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Among the ruins of Acapulco stands the house of Tarzan, once a vivid fuchsia retreat for the jet set and the final residence of the King of the Jungle, American actor Johnny Weissmüller, until his death in 1984 at the age of 79. This landmark did not withstand the maximum category 5 hurricane that devastated the western Mexican city of Acapulco.
Perched atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the building served as the setting for the jet set and Weissmüller, best known for his role as Tarzan. The actor’s love affair with Acapulco began in 1948 during the filming of Tarzan and the Mermaids, the final movie in the series. For one memorable scene, Weissmüller, an ex-Olympic swimming champion, dove into the sea from the Quebrada, the renowned rock of Acapulco, a natural diving platform 45 meters above the ocean. Together with other Hollywood stars including John Wayne, Weissmüller purchased the Flamingos hotel. They transformed it into a private party haven for the era’s stars: figures such as Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Orson Welles and Errol Flynn, all while eluding the paparazzi’s gaze. As he aged, Weissmüller had a secluded house built away from the hotel, in which he spent his final years.
On October 25, Hurricane Otis ravaged the iconic hotel, emblematic of Acapulco’s golden age, along with the rest of the port city, leaving a death toll of 46 and 58 missing. “The pool, which we were in the process of renovating, is destroyed,” laments Víctor Manuel Hernández, the current administrative head of Los Flamingos, in an interview with AFP. “The hurricane demolished trees, shattered windows, and ravaged the interiors of rooms. As for the ‘house of Tarzan,’ it is completely destroyed,” adds the administrator, referring to Weissmüller’s personal dwelling.
The jet-set legacy once graced Acapulco, a city with an economy deeply reliant on tourism. The hurricane impacted 274,000 residences and 600 hotels in the city, which is home to 780,000 people. The question now arises: Will the hurricane mark the definitive end of Acapulco? In its heyday during the 50s and 60s, the Pearl of the Pacific was an extension of Hollywood. Elizabeth Taylor celebrated her third marriage there, and the then-Senator John F. Kennedy honeymooned with Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in its embrace.
At the height of its fame, Acapulco inspired dozens of movies, such as Fun in Acapulco starring Elvis Presley, who ironically never visited Mexico (the film was shot in California). The sunsets on its beaches also inspired the musician, singer and poet Agustín Lara, who was deeply enamored with María Félix, the star of Mexican cinema’s golden age. Since the 2000s, Acapulco has been caught in the throes of drug-trafficking violence, which dampened the flow of tourists. Currently, only 10 of the 40 employees of the Flamingos hotel have been able to return to work, owing to the city’s still-complicated transport conditions. “The situation is dire. But we must remain optimistic,” the hotel manager exhales. The government has pledged a $3.5 billion relief plan to help Acapulco rise from its ruins.
With AFP.
