Possible Clues:

• Leaders deserting the navy -- that's hard to bear
• Weighty — ponderous
• Word that can precede the first parts of 17- and 60-Across and 11- and 35-Down
• Teeming (with)
• Movie villain
• On the door of nightclub perhaps with stout
• Oppressive man gaining a hollow victory
• Not light on start of 15 down
• Discovery of youth attaching metal tag, finally, to tamed elephant?
• Suspension-busting