Author Topic: Muscle Beach History - by Stuntmovie (Read 727492 times)

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1325 on:** April 27, 2015, 04:41:39 PM »

JOE, Yes! Bill Stathes. He was a prominant BB in the city of San Francisco and opened a very small gym in the Sunset neighborhood which I recall was called SUNSET GYM.

Those were the days when gyms were small and not too popular in Northern Caifornia and most people who were interesting in lifting were YMCA members.

I think it was VIC TANNY who opened the first large scale, chrome plated gym in the San Fran Bay Area. Then came American Health Studios which closed after a very short season.

MB, thanks for the LA Beach Club info. What is the name of the very large beach club beneath the cliff at the very north end of the beach?

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1326 on:** April 28, 2015, 09:48:38 AM »

SCOTT, HOWARD, MB. PRIME, FUNK, etc ....

I had written this earlier but it was way too long and complicated so this is the condensed version in my attempt to describe how that two+ mile stretch of beach and beachfront properties from the Santa Monica Poer and down south to Venice Beach has changed since the 1950's.

Times were so much different then which I have difficulty describing so you'll have to use your imagination a bit more than usual to get some simblence of an accurate picture.

Maybe PRIME and MB can add some stuff themselves and correct me where I am mistaken.

Starting off in the mid 1950's.

Gas was cheap but I forget how much. But sometimes I could fill her up with the small change that I found beneath the back seat of my 1941 Ford Sedan That Ford was good enough to get some small part in some major motion pictures.

Parking meters were rare if they even existed at all and there was always space for your car within a hundred yards or so from SM Beach.... but some warm weekends were an excerption.

The drive from Santa Monica to Disneyland was through orange orchards and strawberry fields. The freeway either did not exist at all or else we just didn't find it.

And once you got to Disneyland you'd have to pay the $12 admission fee which included a bunch of tickets that might last you the rest of the day.

A motel room across the street from Santa Monica Beach was about $12 per night.

The sun rarely came out before noon but one, two, or three die-hards would be doing basic exercises in the small enclosed weight area while gymnasts would be doing gymnast stuff
on a small grassy area a few yards away while the morning sun hid behind the clouds.

One lone fisherman would be fishing off the shore and many more would be fishing from the pier.

Surfing was too new to be too popular and the small Santa Monica surf seldom helped anyway.

Ocean Front Walk (it might have been called something different back then) ran from the Santa Monica Pier south to Venice Beach and beyond .... but I never got beyond Venice because there wasn't too much to see down hat way back then.

I knew Ocean Front Walk as well as anyone back then. I took that 2+ mile walk and back very often and ran it more than I walked it and met a lot of good people in the processs.

But there was another option for anyone who did not wish to walk or run from Santa Monica Beach to Venice Beach and back.

It was an electric trolly. A very old electric trolly but it went the distance and got its passengers to their beachside destinations safely at probably 8 miles per hour .... or less.

You could hop on this electric trolly on Ocean Front Walk right beside the Merry-GO-ROund.
It would cost a quarter for a round trip ticket, but the sights you'd see and the people you'd meet along the way were worth a million more.

That Merry-Go-ROund music played constantly and sometimes I can still hear it in my head.

Throw the driver a quarter, hop on this slow moving electric trolly .... and you were soon to see sights that were even more strange than the every day circus type occurrences of Muscle Beach.

More to follow.

Mr. MB · « **Reply #1327 on:** April 28, 2015, 09:49:47 PM »

Stunt same club. Quite the set up. Upper club was more social, weddings, fancier bar, bridge and gin rummy tournaments and general hob nobbing for the BH/BelAire crowd.

I was the asst. mgr. of the Glendale Vic Tanny Gym (American Health Studios) for about 3 days at the old age of 18. I could not stand the deception I was told to use to get people to sign up.

Primemuscle · « **Reply #1328 on:** April 28, 2015, 10:42:17 PM »

-Cool car. A 1955 or 1956 Ford Fairlane, right?

funk51 · « **Reply #1329 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:42:56 AM »

funk51 · « **Reply #1330 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:44:21 AM »

funk51 · « **Reply #1331 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:48:01 AM »

vic had quite a few health clubs back in the day.... both his brother armand and son were involved in bodybuilding, armand competeing and writing extensively for mr. weider and his son vic jr competeing... if i'm not mistaken i think vic jr recently came out describing the horrors of his steroid use...

funk51 · « **Reply #1332 on:** April 29, 2015, 10:49:58 AM »

junior

Mr. MB · « **Reply #1333 on:** April 29, 2015, 06:25:56 PM »

Vic would do live Los Angeles Pro Wrestling commercials in the 1950s. The era of Gorgeous George and Mr. Moto. Great fun. His padded shoulder suits would sure make him stand out.

Could he be the Father of High School Hair? a la Brian Seacrest.

6 Reps · « **Reply #1334 on:** April 29, 2015, 08:32:07 PM »

Quote from: Primemuscle on April 28, 2015, 10:42:17 PM

-Cool car. A 1955 or 1956 Ford Fairlane, right?

Ford yes, but earlier; either a 1953 or 1954.

Primemuscle · « **Reply #1335 on:** April 29, 2015, 11:38:32 PM »

Quote from: 6 Reps on April 29, 2015, 08:32:07 PM

Ford yes, but earlier; either a 1953 or 1954.

You nailed it! I believe it is a 1953 Ford Fairlane. There are no fins, they arrived in 1954 and grew after that. Shoot, that was long before I was old enough to drive. Don't think they let 9 year olds behind the wheel.

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1336 on:** April 30, 2015, 10:11:42 AM »

WOW! You guys have opened up a lot of old time memories here.

The Tanny's and some of the old time wrestlers used to spend daylight hours on Waikiki Beach directly behind the Outrrigger Hotel, so I would pass by and say "Aloha" to them whenever I ran the beach which was just about every day because I lived about 100 yeard from the famous spot.

I have some stories to pass on about those good old Waikiki beach days but not enough time right now.

And... MB ,,,, I was also a member of AHS when it first opened up in the SF Bay Area but that business didn't last too long. If I recall correctly it was originally owned by a group of old time bodybuilders who ran it into the ground financially and it had to close up.

At that same time, Vic Tanny had the fancy chrome plated place on Market Street in San Francisco and to true best of my knowledge Jack Lalanne had yet to open anything except of his small place in an old building down by the Ferry Building.

I believe that it was Wyn Paris who got his operation open starting with Lalanne's first major operation in the Los Angeles area. That's another interesting story that should be told someplace on this internet.

Do you have more info regarding any of that stuff mentioned above? I bet you knew Wyn.

As I mentioned earlier, I was a good friend of George Eifferman's and that photo taken at the Sahara Hotel in LV brought back some other old time memories.

George's gym was in a small shopping center about half a mile from the Sahara so I think he spent a lot of time there when it was a popular place to be.

Now the SAHARA HOTEL CASINO is the newly upgraded and remodeled SLS Hotel Casino and like all the other Strip Casinos it is having its financial difficulties but should be turing around soon if the economy continues to improve. And something called Rock'n Rio will be going on across the street and that it supposed to be of interest to thousands of Rock Fans.

I'd go see what that's all about but the daily tickets are over $300 and I now have little interest in Rock Groups but some kid by the name of BRUNO MARS will be appearing on opening day along with seven other major rock stars over a multi hour period.

That will help the SLS fill their rooms immensely.

Speaking of LV hotel rooms. I've heard that the cheapest room you can get now is $500 due to the big fine this weekend and if you want a good seat at that fight it will cost you $26,000
and up.

I have been to lots of fights and have always sat within he first three rows ringside (compt) so I'm not willing to spring $26,000 for any fight nowadays and it's hard to believe that anyone is actually shelling out that much money.

What would happen if the fight only lasted one round???!!!!

FUNK, once again, Thanks for the photos. I've known or have met at least 80% of the peeps on those photos. Maybe 90%!!!!

Gotta head out. Thanks you all for all this new input of historical interest for someone .

bern · « **Reply #1337 on:** May 05, 2015, 01:42:54 PM »

really great thread

funk51 · « **Reply #1338 on:** May 21, 2015, 11:22:21 AM »

stern's gym san diego 1947

The Scott · « **Reply #1339 on:** May 21, 2015, 06:39:33 PM »

Quote from: funk51 on May 21, 2015, 11:22:21 AM

stern's gym san diego 1947

Both my cousin and I used to train there. Great gym. Its still there but I no longer go there. Now owned by one of the Brown brothers, I believe.

funk51 · « **Reply #1340 on:** May 22, 2015, 10:21:57 AM »

Quote from: The Scott on May 21, 2015, 06:39:33 PM

Both my cousin and I used to train there. Great gym. Its still there but I no longer go there. Now owned by one of the Brown brothers, I believe.

wow was leo still training people then?

funk51 · « **Reply #1341 on:** May 22, 2015, 11:23:43 AM »

Mr. MB · « **Reply #1342 on:** May 22, 2015, 07:32:52 PM »

I have competed in the Mr. Muscle Beach Open, Over 40, Over 50 multiple times all the way into my 70s. I have also competed AAU and NPC in a dozen states around this country. The Muscle Beach tops them all with adequate competition, amazing outdoor scenery, smell of the Pacific instead of sweat, armpits, Pro Tan, and baby oil..... and the most receptive crowds on the planet. They have 3 shows...Memorial Day, the biggie July 4th and Labor Day.

I miss my competitive days and physique. I will miss Venice Beach for the 3rd year in a row. My summer place to be since I was 11. This Monday will be another great event. The Bikini part of the show is becoming the big draw at the beach. I am there in spirit....

The Scott · « **Reply #1343 on:** May 22, 2015, 09:36:45 PM »

Quote from: funk51 on May 22, 2015, 10:21:57 AM

wow was leo still training people then?

He was there but I don't know if he "trained" anyone at that time. Leo was pretty cool.

funk51 · « **Reply #1344 on:** June 01, 2015, 11:13:32 AM »

another famous area gym owner ed yarick's...

funk51 · « **Reply #1345 on:** June 01, 2015, 11:14:44 AM »

ed yarick 6 ft 4...

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1346 on:** June 01, 2015, 05:33:16 PM »

FUNK, SCOTT, MB, WOW! Those old shots bring back some ancient memories

I never did have the pleasure of meeting Yarick, but I did meet Reeves, and Eifferman and a good old friend of a few years back .... Tommy Kono who is standing on the far right in that group shot with Yarick in the middle .

One of the finest individuals within the game. I've had the pleasure of working with Tommy for a good number of years.

Have been trying to ID some of the other guys in that group shot but Tommy appears to be the only individual I can recognize.

As I've mentioned before, I was a friend of George's a few years before he passed away. He was in the hospital when Reeves passed and we were requested to say nothing about Reeves' death due to the fact that he was in pretty serious condition himself.

A few years back we were touring around Oakland and we did pass by Ed's old gym but I don't recall what is located there now.

Thanks, FUNK!

SweetDaddySiki · « **Reply #1347 on:** June 12, 2015, 10:27:51 AM »

Quote from: Mr. MB on May 22, 2015, 07:32:52 PM

I have competed in the Mr. Muscle Beach Open, Over 40, Over 50 multiple times all the way into my 70s. I have also competed AAU and NPC in a dozen states around this country. The Muscle Beach tops them all with adequate competition, amazing outdoor scenery, smell of the Pacific instead of sweat, armpits, Pro Tan, and baby oil..... and the most receptive crowds on the planet. They have 3 shows...Memorial Day, the biggie July 4th and Labor Day.

I miss my competitive days and physique. I will miss Venice Beach for the 3rd year in a row. My summer place to be since I was 11. This Monday will be another great event. The Bikini part of the show is becoming the big draw at the beach. I am there in spirit....

Best thread on the board! You're great, Mr MB, and I wish you could go July 4th.

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1348 on:** June 16, 2015, 08:57:26 AM »

This might be a good point in time to leave Santa Monica's Muscle Beach and head on down the beach a couple of miles south to the present day "Muscle Beach" located in Venice, California.

That two mile stretch of ocean front property from Santa Monica Pier to the Venice Beach weight "pit" has one hell of a lot of interesting history in it's own right which I think may be of interest to any GetBigger who has walked or ran that 'route' within the past few years.

Santa Monica's Muscle Beach may be world famous even though it ain't there no more but Venice Beach back in its 'heyday' came in a close second and just might be even more popular today.

And that Venice 'heyday' started with a guy by the name of Abbot Kenny more than a 100 years ago.

Could be that Abbot and Mr MB and Wes were olden day neighbors and can contribute more than I can recall to this part of this Muscle Beach History.

I can only go back in time to when there was an electric trolly that ran along Ocean Front Walk from the Santa Monica Beach Pier to the Main St "turn-a-round" at Venice Beach.

And that was somewhere within the 1950's.

That two mile stretch of beachfront property always seemed relatively deserted except for the few Jewish elderly ladies with shopping bags at their feet who would fill the benches along Ocean Front walk and communicate in a language that was not understandable by 99
.9% of this beachfront population and 100% of the LA Basin.

Back then (1950's) it seemed that there was some sort of Jewish synagog along every hundred yards of that Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk ... so it wads nowhere as commercialized as it is today.

No tattoo shops, no skateboarders, no aroma of marijuana, no bums, no juggling acrobats, no cops on horses. Just about no nothing at all, except for old Jewish ladies on beachfront benches speaking an unspeakable language with shopping bags around their ankles.

So if you are a beach-nut fan from the 'get-go' .... you might be interested to find out how that two mile stretch of oceanfront sand came to be and how it was way back then ... way before the 1950's when ocean front roller coasters and ocean pier dance halls were the 'rage' in Southern California until the invention of the television set destroyed it all .. followed by the interesting history of Venice Beach, its canals, and the eventual founding of the modernized Muscle Beach itself.

History does indeed repeat itself.

If this story continues there will be a lot of bickering and shenanigans and backstabbing here so forget "Game of Thrones" and see how life really was back then along that two mile coast of Southern California and a couple of blocks east where the 'canes' used be.

They didn't call it "VENICE" for nutten!

This really would be a damn good TV series if we got a writer out there!

But before heading south to VB, let's take one last look at the original Muscle Beach in them good old days when gas was 23 cents a gallon and a hamburger would set you back a total of 19 cents.

Things were so much different then.

More to follow ...

stuntmovie1 · « **Reply #1349 on:** June 18, 2015, 07:51:46 AM »

If you have been looking at these olden day beach photos, you might have noticed that the bikini bathing suit was non existant.

The first two piece bathing suit was 'developed' by a fashion designer in Paris in July 1946 and was dubbed the "Bikini" simply due to the fact that the US was testing A-bombs at the Bikini atoll a week earlier.

During WWII many of the world's beach coastlines were 'closed' in an effort to protect against foreign invasion.

SO once the war wads over, civilians began to attack the beaches in large numbers the bikini grew in popularity.

At first in a modest and then into an "almost nothing at all" format.