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Nat Pendleton was nearly forty years old when he made this film in 1935. He is portraying the internationally famous Victorian "strong man" Eugen Sandow, a pioneer in physical education. A hundred years ago, photographs of the nearly-naked Sandow sold by the millions. It was a logical role for Pendleton, whose career relied on the roles of cop, officer, boxer, wrestler, driver, goon, gunman, gangster and oaf. He had played this same type role (named MacHardie) in the Marx Bros. film 'Horse Feathers' (1932). A native of Iowa, Pendleton graduated Columbia University in New York in 1916. In 1914 and 1915 he was Champion of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association in the 175 pound category. In the wrestling field he earned the Silver Medal for the U.S. in the 1920 Olympic games in Antwerp. Before entering a film career, he was a sports manager in New York. His manager in these scenes is William Powell, as Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., and the fawning dowager is played by the prolific "stout" character actress Grace Hayle.
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nat
pendleton
strongman
ziegfeld
follies
Added: 11th October 2007
Views: 410
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Posted By: Guido |
 
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Pro wrestling's first superstar was George Wagner, better known in the world of grappling thespians as Gorgeous George. His shtick was designed to outrage conservative-minded Americans of the 1950s. George was quick to realize it didn't matter if the patrons bought tickets to cheer him or jeer him--as long as they bought tickets. With Pomp and Circumstance as his entrance music, George would often climb into the ring clad in effeminate robes, his long hair pinned back with gold bobby pins. His valet would spray George's corner with perfume and his opponent with disinfectant. Gorgeous George was a TV icon in the early 1950s. His appearances on the tube often scored higher ratings than Milton Berle. Muhammad Ali cited Gorgeous George as the inspiration for his braggadocio. George retired from wrestling in November 1962. He died of a heart attack just 13 months year later, on December 26, 1963. He was only 48 years old.
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Gorgeous
George
Added: 21st November 2007
Views: 388
Rating: 
Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Famed wrestling bad guy, the Iron Shiek, appeared in this short Toyota commercial in the mid-1980s.
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Iron
Sheik
Toyota
commercial
Added: 8th January 2008
Views: 245
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Here's about five minutes of the New York Chiefs skating against the Jersey Jolters in 1952. Roller derby is another fine, upstanding sport--much like pro wrestling.
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Roller
Derby
Added: 15th January 2008
Views: 292
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Pro wrestling may have hit its pinnacle in 1985 when grappling thespian Hulk Hogan was featured on the cover of the April 29 edition of Sports Illustrated. It generated letters to the editor for several weeks, equally pro and con. One rasslin' fan wrote, 'With low ticket prices, no offseason, no trades, no contract disputes...pro wrestling is true sports entertainment!' A contrary opinion was offered by another SI reader who wrote, 'For you to even think of pro wrestlers as athletes is ridiculous, let alone put one of those marshmallows on the cover. Come on!'
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Hulk
Hogan
Sports
Illustrated
cover
Added: 14th June 2008
Views: 218
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Time out for a little personal patriotic pride: Canada finally won its first Olympic gold medal today at the 2008 Beijing Olympics! It was won by 48-kilogram female freestyle wrestler Carol Huynh. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who came to Canada in 1978. With the help of a church in Hazelton, British Columbia (population 1,500), the Huynhs managed to raise Carol and four other children. Carol's parents and husband were in attendance when she won her gold medal. Here's a CBC News clip of the happy event.
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Carol
Huynh
gold
medal
Canada
wrestling
Added: 16th August 2008
Views: 116
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I Google-searched 'wrestling fans photos'...and this is what I got! (Is that prominent guy a relative of yours, Naomi?)
Tags:
wrestling
fans
Added: 7th September 2008
Views: 86
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Two of Naomi's favorite wrestlers (I'm sure)--the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff--do their thing in this WWF tag team match from about 1984.
Tags:
WWF
Wrestling
tag
team
Added: 9th October 2008
Views: 138
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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