Muscle Beach History - by Stuntmovie

[funk51]

 :)another person of color who was ahead of his time.

[Mr. MB]

When I was training at Bert Goodrich in Hollywood no blacks. When I went to USC I joined a neighborhood gym.....almost all black. I was amazed at the level of the physiques. The love of iron was the common denominator...more so then with black gyms than the white.

[stuntmovie]

MB, Some old memories kick'en in!

Can you recall the address of Goodrich's gym and what's there at present? Was it actually located on Hollywood Blvd?

Did you know Dr. Jekot back then?

Were you in Santa Monica when Ken Sprague promoted the contest (AAU or NPC ) at the Santa Monic Civic Auditorium with a parade the day before and a live orchestra playing during the posing routines? And with Bert and Mae West filling in as the trophy presenters?

Did you ever train  at Gold's while it was located in Santa Monica?

Buy supplements from the Weider store under the management of Dave Draper?

"Fine dine' at Zucky's and enjoy their ultra fine Jewish Soup which was sure to cure a cold or any other ailment while Arnold held court over his dominion at the furthest table in the rear?

Or stop to have chat wirh Joe Nazario at the entrance to Tony Roma's whiere he pulled people  in and then threw them out .... thereby making room for the next large group of baby-back-rib fans. (A very popular Santa Monica place to dine!)

Or how bout the Swedish Smorgasboard Buffet where you could eat all you desired for a damn low price?

But then the Gold's Gym guys found it and just ate too damn much .... so the Swedish  owners had to close it down and look for another location that was situated miles away from any location in which a gym was situated.

And maybe you can recall a night club called the JAGUAR which was situated in Venice a block or so from the beach just about in the same location where the CIrcle Bar is presently located. It was there long before that area re-created itself, but people would drive up from Orange County just to raise hell for a few good hours before driving back to Anaheim in an alcoholic haze.

Were you  a POP fan and am I mistaken or am I not .... but wasn't the Rose Cafe one located on Rose Avenue a mile or so north of its present location?

Were times way much better back then ..... or wot?

[Mr. MB]

My Mac died and working off tablet until we drive back into civilization in a week or so. We spend the summer deep in the Arizona drop dead beautiful forest. I will rack my rusty memory and do my best to answer your questions. Note from 1954-58 trained at Berts. 59-79 at various So cal gyms in between bouts of alcohol and drugs. Sobered in 80 and trained non stop until this year due to arthritis at age 73. Trained at Brignolis Pasadena, Pearls Pasadena, Golds Venice, Worlds Glendale, then Golds No Hollywood until I moved to AZ. In 2010 and joined Golds. Peoria AZ and hooked up with Troy Valves.                  I used Dr. Walzcak as my sports med Doc from 1980-85. Then Dr. Dean, sports med. I knew Dr.J. lunched with him at Ceasars Palace.  Vegas around 88. Also at table was Sanchez, NPC official, Rory Lidelmeyer, and Joe Antouri AAU Mr. USA.            Berts was on Hollywood Blvd. I have pics in my Mac.              Went to one Santa Monica show with the Goodrich gang.....fuzzy. We also went to a major show at the L.A. Shrine Auditorium. Also fuzzy. I was 15ish.           The Goodrich gang did the Rands Roundup all you can eat. Closer to Hollywood. However gid the Tony Romans once even thoughI passed on the ribs.         Zuchys I knew but never went in.      My clubbing was in and around Hollywood and Sunset blvd'.      Rose Cafe was on Rose near gym when I went there.    I got my first ink at POP.

[stuntmovie]

MB, Sorry to hear about your mom.

Sounds like you had a busy summer. I have met or know well most of the people you have mentioned above.

Sounds like you had an interesting life and surprised that we haven't crossed paths at some point during all those good old years.

I come from a major alcoholic family and surprisingly it appears that alcoholism skips generations as I never seemed to have that problem ..... but I've been to hundreds of AA meetings in an effort to drag some good friends into the program.

I have to admit that some of the most interesting people I've ever met started with the "..... I'm an alcoholic!" introduction and that included  a good number of well known movie and tv personalities as well as some Fortune 500 individuals who were damn impressive public speakers.

I first met Doug Brignole when he was training at Pearl's in Pasadena. That was the same year in which Bob Birdsong won some IFBB International contest in Tiajuana and I think that Doug still a teenager . After that contest, the "Farmacieas" had long lines waiting to make an order. And the same even where Sergio kept challanging Arnold to a posedown but only Franco eventually accepted.

You might have also known Solo El Fenzy who ran the gym for Bill for a short while and possibly even wayne Bouvier who was a great shot-putter at USC or UCLLA. And Rob Johnson who was a great friend of Bill and Judy's before he got hurt and headed back to Ohio and went to work for Remington Arms.

I also have known or have met Drs. Wolzak, Jekot, and Ken Kerr who took a lot of the credit for "creating" the champions.

Rory was still a teemager to the best of my knowledge at that time and used to give haircuts in the back of a gym that I recall as being on the edge of civilization because beyond that area there was little more than dirty-deser- dirt until you came to Las Vegas which was mainly dirty desert dirt itself back then.

Clark and Patty Sanchez are great people and I've known them for a good long time and whenever we get together we talk about his latest movie making ventures. Patty always seems to be busy at the judges' table.

I have a feeling that you may also know Steve and Elysse whom I believe presently own two Gold's Gym operations in AZ.

You might also have met or known LANCE (last name I have forgotten but he was on active duty  during my tour). Lance  won the AZ State Championships a while  back but I have long forgotten exactly when.

We were at POP on a couple of occasions but all I can remember was the roller coaster and something like an indoor apple orchard where the apple trees tossed apples at you while you walked through.

If I recall right, the Disneyland entry fee was $12 and included A,B,C, and D tickets for each ride or attraction.

Great days back then. We'd drive down from Northern California with less that $60 each in our pockets and have a blast drinking, dining and sneaking into the movie studios for an  entire week. And that included a day in DL and also Knott's  and a chicken dinner.

Marlon Brando even bought us a round of beers at a joint called the Lamplifghter and we were three years shy of 21.

[Mr. MB]

That's my Mac laptop that died.      I was Harold Pearl's WO partner and knew Solo well.    Met Wayne and Rob.    Was a different Sanchez. This guy was Rory's mentor out of Whittier Ca and a head judge at local L.A. shows.     And Kerr, he assisted several of my friends.    I know it was either J or K who went to jail for a short time and wrote a book about anabolic stopping waisting from AIDS.      I never met any of the Arizona bodybuilding hierarchy. Too busy training for the Masters and taking care of my 31 years younger GF. I did not know she was a sober alike. She came off the wagon big time. Fugly. The escape was just in time.  I no longer train due to arthritis issues and now happily married.

[stuntmovie]

MB, OPPS!  Sorry about your "MAC".

!It sounds to me like "Sanchez" just might actually be "Joe Valdez" who was also a good friend of Rory's and an NPC official in So Cal plus a damn good photographer.

Joe V. worked at one of the studios and became a close friend of a good number of the top stars and always told me about a book he planned to write .... "Why is Everyone in Hollywood Famous Except Me!!?"

I guess you also knew CF Smith and his training partner whose name I have presently forgotten.

Does the name Dale Adrian ring a bell?

Birdsong?

Do you recall who won the national contest (AAU or NPC) the year  it was held at the Shriner's Auditorium (or was a contest held there more than once?)?

MB, Thanks for kicken my memory banks.

 

[Mr. MB]

Joe Valdez.....yes. your memory keener than mine. I sat with Joe when Rory won the AAU tall class at the Mr. A in Tucson. *I met Bob B once I think at Brignolis. The other gents, know of them but never met. Don't recall much more than the huge posters of the competitors at the Shrine. Lots of stuff other than bodybuilding going on. Memory fuzzy on this. Which of the 50 do you reside in these days? I will get those Goodrich pics up once the MAC is fixed.                      * Funny day in Tucson. My hair and beard made me a dead ringer for Jesse Ventura those days. I was flooded for autographs. Wife insisted I do it for the younger kids to make their day.

[stuntmovie]

Thanks, MB! I don't think that any of this is of much interest to anyone else but it's great to recall these good old days of bodybuilding and the great people who we had the opportunity to meet who were an important part of it.

when I  was a kid my dad actually  kicked me out of the house and told me to get out into the world and meet people. He even gave me his 1941 Ford to do so.

So a bunch of us high school adventure seekers piled in that old car and drove the 400 miles down to LA and had the adventure of anyone's lifetime meeting the likes of Brando, Strohl, Reeves, Linkletter, Crosby, Fisher, Gold, and even a lady by the name of Mae West who laughed when we asked her about W.C. Fields.

There are a couple of bodybuilders up-there in that mix of names and most of the others you're probably familiar with even though first names ain't mentioned.

I'm totally convinced that Joe Gold had his very first gym location or storage facility in an old beach front Santa Monica hotel now known as the very exclusive Sand Castle Apartments, but no one else seems to remember if that is a fact or not. I entered the place and lifted a couple of dumbells but other than myself, the place was empty. This was long before Joe opened his first Venice Beach location.

Thanks again, MB. Been enjoyable recalling the distant past and the good people within it.

[The Scott]

Thanks, MB! I don't think that any of this is of much interest to anyone else but it's great to recall these good old days of bodybuilding and the great people who we had the opportunity to meet who were an important part of it.

when I  was a kid my dad actually  kicked me out of the house and told me to get out into the world and meet people. He even gave me his 1941 Ford to do so.

So a bunch of us high school adventure seekers piled in that old car and drove the 400 miles down to LA and had the adventure of anyone's lifetime meeting the likes of Brando, Strohl, Reeves, Linkletter, Crosby, Fisher, Gold, and even a lady by the name of Mae West who laughed when we asked her about W.C. Fields.

There are a couple of bodybuilders up-there in that mix of names and most of the others you're probably familiar with even though first names ain't mentioned.

I'm totally convinced that Joe Gold had his very first gym location or storage facility in an old beach front Santa Monica hotel now known as the very exclusive Sand Castle Apartments, but no one else seems to remember if that is a fact or not. I entered the place and lifted a couple of dumbells but other than myself, the place was empty. This was long before Joe opened his first Venice Beach location.

Thanks again, MB. Been enjoyable recalling the distant past and the good people within it.

Stunt, would the Fisher in your post be "Gene Fisher"?  Good guy.

[stuntmovie]

SCOTT, No, not GENE FISHER!

Actually is was EDDIE FISHER ... the singer who was once married to Debbie Reynolds and then Liz Taylor. He had some big TV show around that time that was sponsored by Ford and was driving along side of us in a Ford and one of my high school friends wanted us to smash into the side of his Ford so he would meet him and the lady we could not identify in the passenger seat. (True story.)

Me being the only one with any brains decided against that recommendation and just kept driving down Sunset Blvd.

[Mr. MB]

Sunset Strip was my backyard. Lived on corner of Sunset and Doheny for a few years between my two early marriages. Just watched the documentary Sunset Strip (2012). The Whiskey was my hangout. Use to down beers with Jim Morrison pre show when Doors was the house band. My gym when not hung over in those days was a private club in Westwood. Training was more off than on.

[stuntmovie]

MB, Was the Whiskey the same place at WHISKEY A GO GO?

I guess you also knew PANDORA'S BOX.

We used rto go to The Playboy Club when it first opened, but most of my drinking days were spent closer to Camp Pendleton at a USMC hangout called The Sandpiper.

That drive from Hollywood to San Clemente was too damn difficult while intoxicated so most of my drinking was done further down south in the beach towns.

If we did any serious  drinking in the LA area it was over in the Valley where some some Universal stuntmen friends of mine got  somewhat rowdy on the weekends.

[The Scott]

SCOTT, No, not GENE FISHER!

Actually is was EDDIE FISHER ... the singer who was once married to Debbie Reynolds and then Liz Taylor. He had some big TV show around that time that was sponsored by Ford and was driving along side of us in a Ford and one of my high school friends wanted us to smash into the side of his Ford so he would meet him and the lady we could not identify in the passenger seat. (True story.)

Me being the only one with any brains decided against that recommendation and just kept driving down Sunset Blvd.

His version of "O Mein Papa" is a favorite of mine.  Great singer but poor taste (except for Debbie!) in women.  He and Debbie did a remake of "Bachelor Mother" called "Bundle Of Joy".  I enjoyed both versions.

[Mr. MB]

Yes the Whiskey a Go Go. Just across the street. I thought the Box was too crazy a scene for me. I was 26 and had 2 kids. I was into good music, Jack Daniels and getting laid.

[Vince B]

The only MB in the 1979 Mr America was Mark Brazen who placed 16th in the tall class. Ray Mentzer won the overall.

But Mr MB could be simply Mr Muscle Beach here. No worries.

Here is a link to an Ellington Darden article about Muscle Beach.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/a_return_to_the_golden_age_ii

[Joe Roark]

The only MB in the 1979 Mr America was Mark Brazen who placed 16th in the tall class. Ray Mentzer won the overall.

Here is a link to an Ellington Darden article about Muscle Beach.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/a_return_to_the_golden_age_ii

Vince,, I believe Brazen was 17th. Frank Wainwright also competed in that class.

[musclecenter]

Back to early 1990s, I had trained at Joe Gold's World Gym for weeks.
And as i remember that Joe Gold is a very very nice guy. he is a great legend !
here is a pic of Lee Priest when he trained there too.

[funk51]

The only MB in the 1979 Mr America was Mark Brazen who placed 16th in the tall class. Ray Mentzer won the overall.

Here is a link to an Ellington Darden article about Muscle Beach.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/a_return_to_the_golden_age_ii

good addition to thread. pics of el darden steve m and bill peanuts west.louie paul pic'd with zabo and bill peanuts west

[stuntmovie]

The first time I saw a picture of Ellington Darden he was on the cover of a long forgotten bodybuilding magazine and if I recall correctly he was  sitting in a tub of mud doing 'resistance exercises'.

I never did have the opportunity to meet him but I understand that he was a very interesting individual,

Here is some info taken from Wikipedia.

Ellington Darden has a goal: to help people live leaner and stronger longer. For the last 30 years he has worked with thousands of men and women who wanted to feel better physically, look more attractive, and improve overall health through a disciplined approach to nutrition and exercise.

He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from Baylor University and a doctorate in exercise science from Florida State University (1972) as well as two years of postdoctoral study in food and nutrition.

Darden was director of research for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries for 17 years. There he helped develop and popularize the Nautilus exercise machines. Darden is the founder and chairman of Living Longer Stronger, a corporation devoted to science and education.

He was honored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1989 as one of the top 10 health leaders in the United States. He has written 45 books including A Flat Stomach ASAP, The Nautilus Book, 32 Days to a 32-Inch Waist, Living Longer Stronger, Body Defining, and Hot Hips and Fabulous Thighs.

[stuntmovie]

I  met Bill West (Peanuts) and his good friend, George Frenn, many times while they were competing in various Odd Lift events in the LA area. I do recall that they were considered to be the "wild men" within the powerlifting game, which to the best of my knowledge was just getting started.

it the photo with Zabo, Peanuts is the guy on the right wearing the T-shirt and what appears to be a USMC cover.

The individual on the left looks familiar but I can't recall his name. Any help?

It appears that that photo was taken in the early 1960's.

And I have been told that Bill competed in a SoCal bodybuilding contest shortly before he passed away.

I think that Mike Lambert did a good story on Bill in Powerlifting USA. Any help?

[Mr. MB]

:Pbill howard

I am reading entire thread. I have a pic somewhere of Bill Howard handing me my first Mr. MB trophy. I spent the day at MB with Ric Drasin (this man is a walking history of MB) in 2010 and he did an interview with Bill. If I had my laptop working I could post these. Embassy Aud saw shows there. Paramount Studios aka Desi lu, I worked there 2 summers as an apprentice set man. POP, my fav date place. My first ink there.

At least 3 of you gents gotta have me by 3-5 years. I have 11-16 year old memories and you seem a bit more savy and or observant.

OK back to reading and awakening dormant brain tissue.

[stuntmovie]

MB, I've  got some old LA and Hollywood and crashing into the movie studios stories that you may find to be of interest  but they arn't too much bodybuilding related.

But I'll pass them along anyway because during all those crazy, old So Cal events we'd  start or end the day within the Santa Monica Beach and pier area so it might be somewhat appropriate to mention here. And I'll probably mention some names of individuals who you may recall a long time ago.

Here goes .... Back in the 1950's one of my relatives graduated from school (GIL DONALDSON) and had no idea what he intended to do for the rest of his life. He loved to ride horses but he was too damn big to be a jockey, so I somewhat seriously mentioned that he should move to LA and become a cowboy in the movies. He simply laughed.

Shortly after that suggestion he and his wife packed up and left the San Francisco Bay Area (the Sunset District) and moved down to the San Fernando Valley where one day he was 'discovered' by a famous actress who encouraged him to try out for a part in her next feature film.

To CUT TO THE CHASSE, he got the part and had a major role in a 1950's Warner Brothers movie called DALLAS with GARY COOPER and RUTH ROMAN. He impressed the studio enough that they started a major publicity  camgaign to make him a major star but he didn't like what he had to do to become a major Hollywood movie star, so he quit outright and went into TV  roles for the next  few years until he retired completely.

And then a local bodybuilder by the name of Reeves whom I first met as a young kid got a break and became a major star.

Then  Joan Blackman from our neighborhood got a good role in an Elvis  movie which started her movie career after a few years of TV work.

That was 3 for 3!

I never had the opportunity to meet anyone who was not successful in the movie business back then, so I sort of grew up thinking that it was pretty damn easy to become a movie star ....

And within  the few short years that followed .... I was convinced entirely.

More if interested.....

[Mr. MB]

Love to see where Stuntmovie wraps into this.....yes.

[stuntmovie]

 (MB, as you probably know ..... A good number of the old time bodybuilders of the 50's and the 60's had part or full time jobs in major film studios within the LA area).

OK, MB, continuing …..

So as a young kid I was not familiar with any failures  on the part of anyone regarding their attempt to get into the movie business as an actor or an actress.

And later on that would include various individuals who went to Hollywood to work in some job behind the camera or within some field related to the entertainment Industry.

This positive attitude on my part continued throughout the 1960’s  while I was stationed at Camp Perndleton when a good friend was released from active duty and was having some difficulty deciding what to do wit h the rest of his life.

I encouraged him to drive up to Los Angeles and get a job working in the movies.  (History repeating itself!)

Jack Tyree was a Recon Marine in the 1st Marine Division and served as a Scuba Diving Instructor so he did manage to get a job teaching SCUBA diving classes to civilians at a public pool near Universal Studios. (This was years before Universal began building its theme park “up on the hill”.

Jack was not a movie fan so he knew nothing about movie making nor the stars involved in the making of major motion pictures, but a few of the Universal Studio ‘people’ were in his class as well as some of the cast members from the old “Virginian” TV series.

And Jack was asked if he’d be interested in working at Universal as a SCUBA instructor and a stuntman in some of the westerns that were being filmed in the ‘back lot”.

Jack accepted that offer convincing me once again that getting into the movie business was not a difficult task.

I would often visit the ‘back lot’ and would sometimes volunteer my head to insure that ‘break-a-ways’ actually broke-a-way before the principal stars got hit over the head with spun glass bottles or plywood chairs …. called breakaways back then.

When my hard head wasn’t needed I would have free reign to roam about the studio and enter any sound stage providing that I didn’t enter while the red light was on.  That red light meant that  the camera was rolling  and sound was being recorded.

These guys were not major stars at this time but I can recall meeting the likes of Bill Smith (Vince Gironda Gym member), Woody Strode (trained), Rosalyn Russel, Pat Boone., Edward Everette Horton, Raymond Burr, Sean Flynn (Errol’s son), Jack Elam,  Pam Austin, Terry –Thomas, and a few of the first PLANET OF THE APES apes, etc.

Just about around this time the stunt guys used to ‘barrow’ film making equipment from the studio/studios over the weekends when it would not be missed. And then they would proceed to make motorcycle movies that were eventually released to drive in theaters and to the smaller movie houses throughout the orient.

So up to this point everyone I personally knew who wanted to be in the movies … was in the movies or making movies  and making money while doing so.

And more stuff would come about that would convince me that being part of the movie business was not an impossibility.

I had yet to meet anyone who had failed while making an attempt to get into the legitimate movie making business.

BUT arguments  were soon to folllow.....