[ 11-27-2009, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
'Twas Beauty slayed the Beast (the original French Angel). No date and the woman is unidentified.
The photo below is from the Antekprizering dot com site and the autographed vintage one is for sale there.
Ken (I substituted a clearer version of the same photo for Beauty and the Beast.)
[ 11-28-2009, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
The girl was Dorian Leigh, the first supermodel more or less, and they did a whole photo shoot.
So long from the Sunshine State!
[ 11-28-2009, 06:53 AM: Message edited by: Crimson Mask from FL ]
Posted by werewolf (Member # 413) on :
Maurice Tillet "The French Angel"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maurice Tillet (1903) - August 4, (1954) was a professional wrestler in the early years of Sports-entertainment. Born in France, he was highly intelligent and could speak 14 languages. He was also a keen poet and was hoping to get into the acting business. Tillet won American Wrestling Association (Paul Bowser Boston promotion) World title and some of his moves included the palm strike and his finisher the bearhug.
In his twenties, he developed acromegaly, a rare disease that causes bones to grow wildly and uncontrollably. Soon his whole body was disfigured as a result. This led to much pain for Tillet as this gentle man was being called names, berated and forced to flee the place he loved so much.
Seeking a new identity to fit his chronic disfigurement, Tillet fled to America where he made a living on his appearance by becoming a professional wrestler, and was dubbed as the "freak ogre of the ring". His villain persona ("the French Angel") was an instant success with the crowds. Perhaps the highlight of his career was on August 1, 1944, when The French Angel defeated Steve "Crusher" Casey for the American Wrestling Association World championship.
He soon became a recluse, although a few people did manage to befriend Tillet, including the businessman Patrick Kelly, whose home in Braintree, Massachusetts Tillet would often visit. There the pair would often play chess together.
Tillet died in 1954 from heart disease at age 51. Bobby Managain, who as Bobby Managoff was a wrestling champ, asked Tillet on his death bed if he could make a plaster cast of his face. Tillet agreed, and Bobby made three masks of his face. One of which was given to Milo Steinborn, while two ended up with Patrick Kelly. Steinborn donated this mask to the York Barbell Museum years ago. One of the masks sat on Kelly's office desks for years, the other he donated to the International Wrestling Museum in Iowa.
There is a life-size bust of Tillet on display at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago, Illinois. The bust was done in 1950 by Louis Linck.
One 'Death Mask' of Maurice Tillet currently resides at the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame inside the York Barbell Building in York, Pennsylvania. It is on display in the strongman/wrestling section that serves to provide a glimpse into the origins of modern competitive weightlifting and powerlifting.
" In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she lived in Pound Ridge, New York, where she made pâtés for delicatessens and specialty food shops..."
I used to go on long bicycle trips by the pretty rolling hill Pound Ridge country in the 1970's and 1980's. I might well have passed her or her shops. Small world.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
Karl Pojello, a pro wrestler in the 1920's who became Tillet's best friend, manager, and rare ally in life, died in 1954. A matter of hours later, when Tillet heard about Pojello's death, he dropped dead. The doctor who tended to Tillet at the end said that he died of grief. When I first heard about this, years ago, I was skeptical. But then, in thinking about it, I realized that "Tillet died of grief" would be too erudite a worked explanation for a wrestling office to offer the public. If Tillet was dead and Pojello was dead, what money could be made?
[ 11-28-2009, 01:16 PM: Message edited by: doc ]
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
Here is the death mask at the Wrestling Museum. I don't know if it survived the flood.
[ 11-28-2009, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: Crimson Mask from FL ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
Amazing. The Tillet-Pojello story should have been made into a film years ago.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
I just read a report, during a Pojello-Tillet surf-a-thon on the Web, that Tillet and Pojello are buried side-by-side in a Lithuanian cemetery in Cook County's Justice, Illinois, which is close to Chicago. I haven't been able to confirm that story, but it's possible, since Chicago was their home base, business-wise, for years.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Tillet did not come to America to learn to be a wrestler, nor did he flee Europe because of his looks.
So much of what is on Wiki in regard to wrestlers is concocted -- not a typical situation there, where enough experts correct each other to keep the joint honest.
Tillet laid claim to the AWA (Bowser) title in May of 1940, when he won over Steve Casey by a DQ finish.
Steve Yohe's biography of Tillet has been posted below. It's the authoritative work on the guy.
Other photos of Beauty and the Angel are available, but one was enough to document that stunt. (I've replaced the first one with a better version of it.)
Ken (Edited.)
[ 11-30-2009, 08:18 AM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Nice suit, will trade for dentist?
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
One doesn't always know, when looking at someone, at whom one is really looking. Tillet came from an affluent, highly-cultured French family (I know, it sounds like a press release out of the Johnston office--"How 'bout if we say he comes from a hoily cultchid French fambly,Mista Johnston?" "Good, Florence, that's very good!"--but it's true), and he spoke multiple languages (I know, I know...), and he played a mean game of that cerebral bit of leisure known as chess (I know...). What one knows when looking at this photo, though, is that the guy knew how to dress.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
O Gladys, dear Gladys I got somethin t'say I want ya t'let me b'lieve in Maurice Tillet If ya do I'll be good t'ya ev'ry night and day Geez, Gladys, please, Gladys Hey, whaddya say?
O Paulie, dear Paulie I love ya like crazy But for some reason, hon, your clear mind has grown hazy It's me who ya married not some wrestla from France who looks like a monsta with bum patoo-a-terry glands.
--"O, Gladys" -- Words and lyrics by Sammy Foof, 1950
Posted by KURT HOLBOOK (Member # 5503) on :
MY FATHER WRITES, "I MET MAURICE PERSONALLY IN BOSTON IN 1941, SHORTLY BEFORE PEARL HARBOR. WHILE HE WAS TRULLY GROTESQUE IN APPEARANCE, I FOUND HIM TO BE A CHARMING,WELL EDUCATED, WELL TRAVELED MAN, WHO CONVERSED IN AT LEAST 10 LANGUAGES." BE WELL ALL, KURT
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
quote:Originally posted by doc: the guy knew how to dress.
Sure did.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
The guy's manager and/or Paul Bowser were masters of their own publicity machine. Is there a photo like this one of Andre the Giant?
Ken
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: The guy's manager and/or Paul Bowser were masters of their own publicity machine. Is there a photo like this one of Andre the Giant?
Ken
That was taken on 23rd Street in the greatest city in the world...on the roof of the Chelsea Hotel, my bruddas...
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by KURT HOLBOOK: MY FATHER WRITES, "I MET MAURICE PERSONALLY IN BOSTON IN 1941, SHORTLY BEFORE PEARL HARBOR. WHILE HE WAS TRULLY GROTESQUE IN APPEARANCE, I FOUND HIM TO BE A CHARMING,WELL EDUCATED, WELL TRAVELED MAN, WHO CONVERSED IN AT LEAST 10 LANGUAGES." BE WELL ALL, KURT
Wonderful story, Kurt. Thanks.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by Crimson Mask from FL:
"Dammit, Grunk! This pterodactyl leg is overcooked!"
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Doc, Brudda,
You've been seeking a fight all evening, so here it is, in sorta-slow-motion due to all sorts of stuff that Crimson Mask can explain. I don't know who FA's opponent is, but this is 1940 footage.
[ 11-28-2009, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Doc,
Before I sign off for the night, here's another you may enjoy:
October of 1965, Paris, France, Ricky Starr vs L'Ange Blanc. Ricky is armed with his ballet slippers and talent. The other guy is, well, not much compared to the star Starr.
[ 11-28-2009, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Doc, Brudda,
You've been seeking a fight all evening, so here it is, in sorta-slow-motion due to all sorts of stuff that Crimson Mask can explain. I don't know who FA's opponent is, but this is 1940 footage.
Great, Ken. I've never seen the Angel on film. Thanks, man.
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Doc,
Before I sign off for the night, here's another you may enjoy:
October of 1965, Paris, France, Ricky Starr vs L'Ange Blanc. Ricky is armed with his ballet slippers and talent. The other guy is, well, not much compared to the star Starr.
Ange schmange. Looks like Crusher Verdu to me.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by Crimson Mask from FL:
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Doc,
Before I sign off for the night, here's another you may enjoy:
October of 1965, Paris, France, Ricky Starr vs L'Ange Blanc. Ricky is armed with his ballet slippers and talent. The other guy is, well, not much compared to the star Starr.
Ange schmange, indeed. That's Verdu. Nine years later, he was in L.A., working for Le Bell and living at the Flamingo in Santa Monica where I met The Good Docta. His (Verdu's) hair was a strange orange-brown color, like he'd done the job with a pumpkin-chocolate mix, and he was nothing to write home about in the ring...but Jerry liked him and vice-versa, he and The Doc seemed to have a good rapport.
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
quote:Originally posted by Crimson Mask from FL:
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Doc,
Before I sign off for the night, here's another you may enjoy:
October of 1965, Paris, France, Ricky Starr vs L'Ange Blanc. Ricky is armed with his ballet slippers and talent. The other guy is, well, not much compared to the star Starr.
Ange schmange, indeed. That's Verdu. Nine years later, he was in L.A., working for Le Bell and living at the Flamingo in Santa Monica where I met The Good Docta. His (Verdu's) hair was a strange orange-brown color, like he'd done the job with a pumpkin-chocolate mix, and he was nothing to write home about in the ring...but Jerry liked him and vice-versa, he and The Doc seemed to have a good rapport.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Doc,
You hangin' out in de wrong thread. I posted the link to the French Angel's newsreel footage some years (okay, in October) ago.
Regarding Verdu, I've seen other visuals of a guy using the 'White Angel' gimmick in other French matches, but normally skipped over that stuff because I never knew who he was or that he'd wrestled in the U.S.
Ken
[ 11-29-2009, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by werewolf (Member # 413) on :
quote:Originally posted by doc:
quote:Originally posted by KURT HOLBOOK: MY FATHER WRITES, "I MET MAURICE PERSONALLY IN BOSTON IN 1941, SHORTLY BEFORE PEARL HARBOR. WHILE HE WAS TRULLY GROTESQUE IN APPEARANCE, I FOUND HIM TO BE A CHARMING,WELL EDUCATED, WELL TRAVELED MAN, WHO CONVERSED IN AT LEAST 10 LANGUAGES." BE WELL ALL, KURT
Wonderful story, Kurt. Thanks.
As they say, you can't judge a book by its cover.
Posted by Steve Yohe (Member # 302) on :
Maurice Tillet The French Angel By Steve Yohe
Real Name: Maurice Marie Joseph Tillet Nicknames: The French Angel, World’s Ugliest Man
Birth Date: Oct. 23, 1903 Death: Sept. 4, 1954 Height: 5’ 8” Weight: 280 lbs Signature move: Bear Hug Tag teams: none Wrestled in: Mainly AWA Boston, but all over North America and in Europe
Credits: THE MAURICE TILLET RECORD BOOK published by Jim Melby, which includes research by Jim Melby, J. Michael Kenyon, Steve Yohe, Matt Buziak, Libnan Ayoub, Fred Hornby, and Don Luce. Sponsered by IHC. ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, Parts I, II, & III by Ed (The Phantom of the Ring) Garea. Many Newspapers.
The freak, Maurice Tillet, was born on Oct. 23, 1903 in the Russian Ural Mountains by French parents. His father, a French engineer, was involved in the building of the Trans-Siberian road and the modernization of Russian railroads. At some point, the father died and Mrs. Tillet, a professor of Philology (the study of languages), stayed in Russia to teach French in a Moscow high school. Son, Maurice, was one of her best students. He was perfectly normal at birth, had a keen mind, an intelligent curiosity and a well-built body. He was a slim boy with blonde hair and an angelic face. His friends nicknamed him Angel. With 1917 came the Russian revolution and the two fled back to France. The mother took a job teaching languages at a women’s college in Rheims. At age 17, Maurice noticed an unusual swelling in his hands, head and feet. Doctors diagnosed it as a disease called Acromegaly, a condition that causes swelling of bone and is caused by malfunction of the pituitary gland. This disease soon turned him into what the common public would see as a horrible monster. Maurice, finding it hard to face his former friends, joined the French Navy for five years and served as an engineer on cruisers, torpedo boats and submarines. With his mates were out picking up girls in every port, Tillet spent the time studying and learned to speak half dozen languages. With his body and head taking on hideous proportions, Tillet left the Navy. Some stories have him going on to graduate from college, where he studied law. His changing voice forcing him to give up his dream of becoming a lawyer. It is documented that he became a noted rugby footballer and may have played on the French national team in 1926. He also spent some time around French movie studios working as an actor in horror films.
In Feb. 1937, Tillet made a trip to Singapore (it was said that was in country to frighten the tiger population) and met Carl Pojello an American of Lithuanian extraction, who was a famous wrestler with shooting skills (Pojello’s career had been damaged in 1931 when he double crossed and pined Sandor Szabo, giving the Hungarian his first loss to mess up a Szabo build up to an Jim Londos match in MSG). The two men, from the very start, took a liking to each other. Pojello convinced Tillet that his future was in working pro wrestling matches. The two traveled to Paris for 15 months of gym training. (Some have claimed that wrestler Jack Sherry played a part in discovering and training Tillet but Pojello disputed that story.) By 1938, Tillet was working matches in Europe and England, getting himself ready for an invasion of the cash cow….America. Tillet was billed as the “ugliest man in the world” under the name “The Angel”. Fleeing WWII, the two wrestlers arrived in the USA late in 1939.
By 1940, Pro Wrestling had been in a slump for a number of years. Its stars had become old and much of its new talent was tied down by the on coming world war. The wrestling wars and revelations of the mid and late 30’s had made a joke of the sport in the public’s eyes. It needed a new gimmick. Boston promoter Paul Bowser greeted Pojello and his 5’8” gargoyle with open arms and a push unprecedented in wrestling history. They billed Tillet as “The French Angel”, a man so deformed that he was examined by Harvard scientists and ruled a throw back to Neanderthal man. He was only 5’ 8” but weight 280 lbs of muscle and bone. He’s hands were so massive that he could shuffle three decks of cards at a time. He was so strong that he could pull locomotives and crush any normal wrestler with his feared bear hug. But most of all, this angel was really…really ugly. So ugly he was beautiful. Bowser knew this sheer “attraction of repulsion” would make his diseased man into the biggest wrestling star in the world.
The French Angel made his American debut on Jan. 24, 1940 at Boston Garden. Bowser’s average crowd of 2,500 increase to 7,000 and Tillet and Italian wrestler Luigi Bacigaiupi put on a great show. The highlight of the night was the incredulous murmur that gathered momentum as the Angel walked to the ring. As the Angel stripped to become a misshapen specimen of manhood, women were said to have fainted. Tillet leered over the gathering and performed a growl worthy of Boris Koloff. Bacigaiupi was crushed in 7 minutes and The Angel became a sensation. Word spread like wildfire (Newsreel clips of the first match were shown thru out North America in movie theaters) and the French giant became wrestling most talked about attraction coast to coast.
Over the next 4 months Tillet defeated Rudy, Emil, Joe & Ernie Dusek, Joe Cox, Frank Sexton, Gino Garibaldi, Frank Judson, Tor Johnson, Leo Numa, Gus Sonnenberg, Danno O’ Mahoney, Ivan Rasputin, Bobby Managoff, and Wild Bill Longson, without losing a fall. He toured NYC, Montreal, Philadelphia, Toronto, Buffalo, St. Louis, and Chicago. He drew everywhere.
The push then got bigger. On May 13, 1940 The French Angel defeated Steve Casey via DQ (Casey punched referee Gus Sonnenberg) for the AWA World Title in Boston. This was the sane Title that Lou Thesz lost to Casey in 1938. Tillet then beat Casey clean on May 27. Paul Bowser and pro wrestling had made there freak World Champion.
The Angel remained unbeaten over the next 19 months as he toured North America. Some of the greatest wrestlers of all time fell before him: Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Yvon Roberts, Joe Savoldi, Ed Don George, Dean Detton, Leo “Whiskers” Savage, Man Mountain Dean, Ray Villmer, Hans Steinke, Pantaleon Manlapig, Sammy Stein and Bill Longson (5 times).
Then on Jan. 19, 1942 he lost a match. In a match at Portland, MA, he was drop-kicked (or kicked) in the face as he laid on the matt by Steve Casey and was unable to return for the second fall. Casey (who was serving in the army at the time) claimed the AWA World Title but referee Fred Bruno ruled he didn’t have the “Authority” to declare a new champion. (Sounded like the truth.) This was never recognized as a title change and it really didn’t matter because Casey was defeated by Tillet 3 days later in Toronto and on Feb. 8 in a rematch in Portland, MA. During his reign as AWA champion Tillet beat Casey 8 times.
Angel continued to defeat some of the greatest wrestlers of all time during 1942. That year he beat Ed “Strangler” Lewis 5 times and beat Lou Thesz in Buffalo on April 24. On March 20, it’s believed that he won the Montreal World Title when he defeated Yvon Robert in Canada. He then held two major World Titles.
Perhaps the freak show was getting old because Bowser had The Angel drop the AWA Title back to Steve Casey on May 13, 1942 in Boston. Tillet would also lose two rematches to Casey in Boston in 42. Tillet lost the Montreal World (if he had it) back to Yvon Roberts on June 25, 1942.
Around this time, Jack Pfeffer, the true master of the freak show, got a hold of the Angel gimmick and before long was promoting a stable of bald headed angels. The first seemed to be The Swedish Angel (Phil Olaffson). Tillet record shows four victories over The Swedish Angel in 1942. Other Angels that followed were Super Swedish (Tor Johnson), Polish (Wladislaw Tulin), Russian (Tony Angelo), Canadian (Jack Rush), Czech (Stan Pinto), Irish (Clive Welsh), Golden (Jack Falk), Black (Gil Guerrero) and a Lady Angel (Jean Noble). In Oct. 1945, Jack Peffer sued Tillet for $30,000, claiming the original Angel had hit him in the face. He won the suit but was awarded only $250.
After losing both titles Tillet continued to be protected, he had more wins over greats like Ray Steele, Sandor Szabo, Wladislaw Talun, Whipper Watson, Earl Mc Cready, Chief Little Wolf, but he stopped being unbeatable. On Aug. 1, 1944, he had his last major victory in defeating Steve Casey at San Francisco for his old AWA World Title, but he dropped the belt back to Casey two weeks later via two straight falls. He did other jobs for Casey that year and also got beat by Dean Detton.
In Jan. 1945, The Angel defeated Dutch Rohde who would later change his name to Buddy Rogers. Around July of 45, he had a series of 4 matches with a soldier named Lou Thesz stationed in Tacoma, WA. Tillet won the first, lost the second and then had two draws with Thesz before leaving town.
After his The French Angel became a name to put over the new stars. He lost to the new AWA champ Frank Sexton many times, Whipper Watson, and even traveled to Europe to put over Bert Assirati three times. On June 2, 1948, Tillet put over wrestling’s newest gimmick, Gorgeous George, at The Olympic Auditorium in front of a sold out 10,400. He also lost big matches to Buddy Rogers, Bronko Nagurski, Verne Gagne, and Antonio Rocca.
The French Angel’s last match, Feb. 14, 1953, was a loss to Bert Assirati in the same place it started; Singapore. On Sept. 4, 1954, Maurice Tillet (age 51) died from heart disease; 13 hours after his friend and manager, Karl Pojello, had died from lung cancer. The legend is that he died from grieving.
With his health problem and the fact that he was 35 years old before he had his first match, it hard to believe The French Angel was any kind of a worker, but most of his matches were short and many reports comment that he had surprising agility considering his enormous proportions. The only video we have of Tillet is a two-minute newsreel clip of his first match in Boston vs Luigi Bacigalupi, and he looks very massive and clumsy, but he doesn’t look as stiff as some wrestlers we’ve seen. His rugby background must have helped with the illusion that he was a wrestler.
It’s also hard to overlook the similarities between Maurice Tillet and Andre The Giant. Andre’s push lasted longer, but he was keep away from the major stars, while Tillet beat every major wrestler of the 1940’s and was made world champion. They both suffered from Acromegaly, but Andre’s gimmick was size, Tillet’s was ugliness; which would seemed even more personal. The American public of the 1940’s took to the Angel, not with love and mercy, but hate. Tillet’s look preceded his kind heart and personality; leaving him as the wrestling villain he was. By all accounts this educated man led a very lonely life.
TITLES: >AWA World Title (Boston) 5-13-40 to 5-13-42
>Montreal World Title 3-30-42 to 6-25-42
>AWA World Title 8-1-44 to 8-15-44
Posted by ehrjr from L.I.,N.Y. (Member # 4773) on :
He comes across as one hell of a guy. Would have liked to have met him.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Hey, Steve,
Sensational research, efforts and writing. Great work. Thanks for sharing it.
Is the footage I linked to the same newsreel film you referred to?
Ken
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
quote:Originally posted by doc:
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: The guy's manager and/or Paul Bowser were masters of their own publicity machine. Is there a photo like this one of Andre the Giant?
Ken
That was taken on 23rd Street in the greatest city in the world...on the roof of the Chelsea Hotel, my bruddas...
If you ever make it back East, we have to go there, convince the management to let us investigate by going up to that spot, and find some gal to pose, in a bathing suit, on the ledge. Photos will be taken and posted here.
Ken
[ 11-30-2009, 08:24 AM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
I've pondered the possibility...and I'm in! (Flight info to follow, circa Spring '10)
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
You could spend today scouting the locale, Brudda...take a subway down to 23rd, walk into The Chelsea, have a chat with the aspiring 24 year-old actress behind the front desk with the tattoo of Edith Piaf on her forehead, and, if the gods are willing, convince her to show up with bathingsuit in hand in front of the building (or come back to the building, if she was no longer working there--y'know, if she quit so she could co-star in an evening of pre-Amiri Baraka Le Roy Jones One-Acts) in order to pose with me as I stand on the ledge doing my best Mo Tillet impersonation. You, of course, will be the photog, the PR guy, and the guy who stands guard outside my hotel room as I do a Kobe/Tiger with the 24 year-old.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
quote:Originally posted by doc: You could spend today scouting the locale, Brudda...take a subway down to 23rd, walk into The Chelsea, have a chat with the aspiring 24 year-old actress behind the front desk with the tattoo of Edith Piaf on her forehead, and, if the gods are willing, convince her to show up with bathingsuit in hand in front of the building (or come back to the building, if she was no longer working there--y'know, if she quit so she could co-star in an evening of pre-Amiri Baraka Le Roy Jones One-Acts) in order to pose with me as I stand on the ledge doing my best Mo Tillet impersonation. You, of course, will be the photog, the PR guy, and the guy who stands guard outside my hotel room as I do a Kobe/Tiger with the 24 year-old.
Doc,
The one with the Piaf tattoo on her forehead wanted $10 for the stunt. I had $10, but the choice was the stunt or a three-egg Greek omelet with feta cheese, chopped tomatoes and diced scallions, served with orange marmalade, juice and coffee for $8, plus a $2 tip. Guess where the $10 went.
Ken
[ 11-30-2009, 06:20 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Doc, how about this instead, from June of 1956, in Paris while on tour, Sky Low Low and Major Tom Thumb are double-teaming Lord Clayton Littlebrook at the Palais Des Sports. Alas, Littlebrook's partner, The Black Panther, had suffered a beat-down and was indisposed:
[ 11-30-2009, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
I don't know whether to believe this story about female Japanese wrestlers in 1926, or not, but it's Corbis' claim, and maybe some of the historians here will explain if this is genuine or a hoax:
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Doc, how about this instead, from June of 1956, in Paris while on tour, Sky Low Low and Major Tom Thumb are double-teaming Lord Clayton Littlebrook at the Palais Des Sports. Alas, Littlebrook's partner, The Black Panther, had suffered a beat-down and was indisposed:
I'm not at all sure that's the Brook we know here, whose first (ring) name was always Roger as far as I know.
Posted by KURT HOLBOOK (Member # 5503) on :
ERIC TOVEY?
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
A Lord Littlebrook impostor?
Ce qui est prochain?
Ken
[ 11-30-2009, 07:31 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
quote:Originally posted by KURT HOLBOOK: ERIC TOVEY?
Yup.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
quote:Originally posted by Crimson Mask from FL: Obviously this refers to Sumo. The caption is mostly gibberish. Here is a somewhat confirming reference specifically to women's Sumo in 1926:
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the research and reference link.
The earliest known wrestling rain-dance, too?
Ken
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
This is a scan from a wrestling magazine and asserts its a listing of the highest grossing matches from 1900 to 1950.
Below that is a photo of Jim Londos shoving a hand into Strangler Lewis' nose in a 1934 match.
Ken
[ 12-26-2009, 07:52 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Ali in a leg-grab by Inoki.
Mostly linked to in order to make known the photos owned by United Press International, which happen to be in its archive, allegedly all of 'em -- and I have grave doubts about that -- are available for licensing. Obviously, if you license something you've seen via these free previews, the watermarks are not present.
Ken
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
In 1951, Bob Hope put on the trunks and prepared for battle with Jack Dempsey. You figure out who is who.
Ken
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Embedded-link, done in the dark of night, from The Destroyer's web site because I cannot find any photos of Dick Hutton, former NWA heavyweight champion of the world, of this quality anywhere else.
Yes, that's the $1.000 bill Hutton offered to anyone who could whatever. Hutton is wearing the Ohio State title-belt, whatever that was..
If The Destroyer objects, down it comes. If this embed violates WCMB policy, I ask the Administrators to delete the post.
Ken
[ 01-05-2010, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
"That's right, folks, Heavyweight Champion of the World Dick Hutton will pay one thousand American dollars--and you can see the cool thousand right there on the champ's chest, waiting to be given away--to anyone who looks more like someone who's never been a guest at a Bar Mitzvah than the champ himself..."
[ 01-05-2010, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: doc ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
"Y'know, Hope, I got somethin' in common with ya'..."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
"Like I ain't funny, either."
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Well, Doc, since you're here, this one's for you:
Poster of Ricki Starr, as he was promoted in France as a top wrestler, and I suspect both photos are of him. No date.
Ken
[ 01-05-2010, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Ricky Starr in England (note the spelling of "Ricky" changed with the venue, or sometimes, day of the week or sports reporter). Main-eventer all the way, and ya wonder why he never came back to the States?
Has he got a moustache? Ballet dancers don't wear facial hair...
Ken
[ 01-05-2010, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
Great posters, Ken. I never saw the first one, and I own the above one. Thanks, Brudda, and a belated Heppa Noo Yar.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Hippy Nue Yeah to you too, Brudda Doc. Or as Dusty Rhodes would say, 'Happii Noooo yaaaaaaaaa!"
Been looking for another Ricki Starr poster, but so far, nothing.
Ken
Posted by doc (Member # 5897) on :
Only thing more elusive than a Ricki poster is Ricki, hisself.
Posted by diamondmd (Member # 1292) on :
Yes Ken, Starr is wearing a moustache. That picture was taken during his early 70s "Sonny Bono" period. As was this one:
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Thanks for the photo, Diamondmd.
Not of the quality that Diamondmd posted, but here's another for Doc; Starr in England. No date. Also, there's a load of Starr photos in "Page 23" of "Photos of the Legends"
Ken
[ 01-05-2010, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Danny Hodge vs someone named Tillet. No date.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Pepper Gomez leaping onto Kinji Shibuya -- who is being held down by Jose Lothario.
[ 01-06-2010, 09:23 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Gomez throws a dropkick at Shibuya.
[ 01-06-2010, 09:27 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by diamondmd (Member # 1292) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Danny Hodge vs someone named Tillet. No date.
That would be Louie Tillet. The referee is the brilliant Leo Garibaldi. One of the best minds in the history of wrestling as far as booking went.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Thanks, DiamondMD.
Here's one with no ID. Maybe you can tell if one of the wrestlers is Lou Thesz?
Ken
.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
A photo of the Amazing Zuma, a/k/a Argentina Zuma, wrestling Hiro Matsuda. No date.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Gorgeous George vs Ernie Dusek.
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
Tillet i was a pretty creative booker too. Sometimes maybe too creative, but when he hit it right, it was great.
Matsuda was one of the best conditioned guys you could ever see.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Gorgeous George vs The Destroyer.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Another shot of George vs The Destroyer. The Gorgeous one's arm has that white color because this here photo is in black-and-white.
Ken
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Hiro Matsuda vs Frank Martinez.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
There are some very-short, relevant and important comments in this thread, and a quick scan may cause you to miss material that informs about the photos and people.
Just a note.
Ken
Posted by diamondmd (Member # 1292) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ken Viewer: Thanks, DiamondMD.
Here's one with no ID. Maybe you can tell if one of the wrestlers is Lou Thesz?
Ken
.
Ken no idea on either of these guys, but I am pretty sure neither is Lou. The guy applying the short-arm certainly isn't. Not as certain on the applyee, but doen't look like Thesz to me.
Posted by Ken Viewer (Member # 5528) on :
Thanks, Diamondmd. Thought there's a resemblance between the guy in the short-arm and Thesz, but I couldn't recognize my own family, off of a photo, anyway.
Ken
[ 01-07-2010, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: Ken Viewer ]
Posted by Crimson Mask from FL (Member # 10449) on :
