- Paperback: 128 pages
- Publisher: Angel City Pr (Mar 15 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1883318327
- ISBN-13: 978-1883318321
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California is known as the birthplace of the physical-fitness boom of the twentieth century. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was the trendsetting spot where Steve Reeves, Jack LaLanne, the Tanny Brothers, and Joe Gold built their bodies, as well as their reputations.
With first-hand experience in the world of hard bodies, Harold Zinkin (the first Mr. California as well as inventor of the Universal Gym Machine) tells the story of Muscle Beach and the people who worked out on its sand. He shares not only the stories of Hollywood celebrities who frequented Muscle Beach-including Mae West, Jane Russel, Jayne Mansfield, and Kirk Douglas-but also provides an insider's account and photographic view of how this small strip of sand became a haven for the health-conscious and bodies beautiful. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed but Valuable Historical Document,
By rick@azalmax.demon.co.uk (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began--Photographs and Memories (Hardcover)
While enjoying the great photos and reading about the amazing characters and individuals who pioneered physical culture in the 1930's and 1940's at muscle beach, I found the book to be a little unstructured and would have preferred to read more about how muscle beach developed, the impact it had, and the local politics and changes from the 1950's to today.The book tended to be just a series of character portraits (wonderful as they were) but is obviously a valuable historical artifact as these pioneers of fitness are now fading from our 21st century view. I may be wrong, but from a European perspective muscle beach has always meant bodybuilders and the focus in the book was more on acrobats/gymnasts. My own recollection of first hearing of muscle beach was as a teenager seeing Arnold in the weights compound area in 'Pumping Iron' - a period that post dates all of this book. What I learned reading this book is that muscle beach now only exists as a concept being, as it was, close to where Golds and World gym are now.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved It !,
By A Customer
This review is from: Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began--Photographs and Memories (Hardcover)
I got my copy of the book, went home and read it cover to cover that night. It brought lots of memories of Muscle Beach. I put faces to the names that I have heard since I was a kid visiting my Uncles Russ and Ray Saunders and family friend Paula Boelsems. They used to toss us around in the 50's and 60's at Muscle Beach. For all these years I have heard the names mentioned in "Remembering Muscle Beach" and now I can put faces to the names. Even now visiting with Russ Saunders I hear the names repeated over and over. Muscle Beach was such a huge part of all these people's lives. It moulded their careers and their leisure time for their whole life. It will give you a good picture of what life was like in Santa Monica. The early years of Hollywood stunts and the movie industry came directly from the regulars at Muscle Beach. Even if you don't personally know the people in this book, you will recognize at least some of the names. What a great documentation of this era of Muscle Beach. PS I somehow think I might be related to the other reviewer!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Childhood Memories,
By A Customer
This review is from: Remembering Muscle Beach: Where Hard Bodies Began--Photographs and Memories (Hardcover)
It is with much anticipation that I wait for the release of this book. As a child in the 50s and 60s,visiting from my home in Canada, I spent many Sunday afternoons with the folks at Muscle Beach. My uncles Russ and Ray Saunders and good family friend Paula Boelsems were some of the original muslcle beach folks and they are on the cover of this book. The acrobatics that were taught to us kids was great fun. They always put on a wonderful show. Some of these folks (including my uncles) were stunt people in the movies and went on to become world class gymnastic judges. They contributed a great deal to the Pier and it became a way of life for a lot of us. As a kid I remember eating too many corn dogs and drinking too much lemonaide, from the stand beside the grass in front of the lifeguard building, before being tossed in the air from the teetor board by Uncle Russ. You can guess what happened. Buy the book and bring back some memories of a simpler time in Santa Monica.
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