--- taylor401306 <Taylor401306@...> wrote:
>
> Date: 1/14/2004 4:37:52 AM Eastern Standard Time
> From: muslpupi@...
> Reply-to: BodybuildingContests@yahoogroups.com
>
> To: BodybuildingContests@yahoogroups.com
>
>
> The first
> bodybuilder I ever met was Steve Reeves. Must have
> been in the mid
> 40's because I was about 6 years old and sitting on
> the shore of a
> lake in the Oakland Hills (Lake Tamascal, I think it
> was) and Steve
> came walking out of the water and almost tripped
> over me. He tapped me
> on the head and said, "Hi, kid!".
>
> I thought he was some football player but my dad
> told me he was a
> local bodybuilder living in Okland. I think he was
> in high school at
> that time.
>
> About a month later, I was with my dad waiting at
> the San Francisco
> Terminal for the "train" that ran to Oakland over
> the Bay Bridge and
> saw Steve Reeves and a friend on the other side of
> the platform. I
> yelled, "Hey, do you remember me?" And he said,
> "Yea, hi. You're the
> kid from the lake.".
>
> That was the extent of that conversation and Steve
> was not yet famous
> enough to even kw his name.
>
> A few years later, some Oakland newspaper ran a
> story about Reeves
> and Yarick's gym and his mom and horses on a ranch
> up in Oregon. It
> talked about him going to some school in the Bay
> Area and mentioned
> that he never had a cold or a cavity.
>
> I do recall reading that story because a little
> while later, I met
> Steve at a summer resort called Rio Nido on the
> Russian River about 70
> miles north of San Francisco situated in some of the
> last remaining
> Redwoods in that part of California.
>
> Every school kid in the Bay Area spent summer time
> ont he Russian
> RIver back then.
>
> It was early afternoon in the Redwoods and Steve and
> a friend of his
> who looked like a powerlifter were sitting on the
> back of a bench
> watching all the summertime activity and just
> enjoying the day. I said
> "hello" and asked him if he really never had a
> cavity and he said that
> that story was completely true, "Never had a cold
> either."
>
> Years later (1950's) they showed Steve Reeves' first
> Hercules movie at
> the River Theater in Guerneville (two miles from Rio
> Nido). It was the
> last day of summer vacation but most of the kids
> stayed to see that
> movie because Steve was something like a
> neighborhood hero. I do
> recall seeing Hercules and driving back to San
> Francisco late that
> nite and starting school the next morning and
> talking about the film
> and Steve Reeves' riole in it. It was a major hit
> back then.
>
> Many years later I had the opportunity to escort
> Steve and his soon to
> be wife when they arrived in Hawaii to participate
> on one of the local
> bodybuilding contests.
>
> Steve was in his 60's then but honestly looked more
> like his early
> 40's. We drove around in a limo seeing the sights
> and discussing the
> early days.
>
> Steve enjoyed talking about his role in the Ralph
> Edward's TV Show,
> training at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland, and the
> present situation or
> steroids in the sport which saddened him a lot.
>
> There was a reception for Steve and his fiance at
> the gym and they
> were playing the original Hercules movie in his
> honor on the big
> screen TV. Steve noticed that immediately and
> grabbed a chair and
> watched the remainder of the film offering comments
> about it as it
> progressed.
>
> Once Hercules was over, he got up and met everyone
> who was there to
> welcome him to Hawaii.
>
> He spent about five days with us and had a great
> time seeing the
> Hawaii sights and going to a Luau in the country.
>
> Steve mentioned that he had come to Hawaii when he
> was much younger
> and had taken pictures on the North Shore but was
> not sure if that was
> the right location
>
> After he returned to his ranch in Southern Cal, I
> received a nice card
> thanking us for the great time he had with us in
> Hawaii.
>
> As you all know, Steve passed away a few years back.
> That was a sad
> occasion for all of us who knew him
>
> Some related information:
>
> Arty Zeller took the pictures of Steve when he was
> very young at
> Stenson Beach just north of San Francisco. The
> silouetted, double arm
> bicep, shot of Steve standing in the ocean is one of
> Steve's best
> physique shots. Arty thought so too.
>
> Steve was a close friend of George Eifferman and
> after Steve passed
> away and while George was in the hospital in Las
> Vegas, all his
> visitors were asked not to tell him of Steve's death
> as it would
> affect him badly.
>
> Steve's first movie was "Jail Bait". Steve clarified
> this to me
> personally. Steve played the part of a young
> detective and had to
> remove his shirt in one scene. (Added to the
> script). It is available
> on DVD.
>
> Steve played a lot of humerous tricks on Ralph
> Edwards during the
> production of the Ralph Edwards TV show in the mid
> 50's. I don't
> recall him telling what they were though.
>
> He had a bit part on the old "George Burns and
> Gracie Allen" TV show.
>
> Steve trained at Ed Yarick's Gym in Oakland. I think
> it was Oakland.
>
> Steve's second film was a big role in an MGM movie
> called "Athena" in
> which he appeared to be in better shape that the
> later Hercules roles.
> This video is available on tape. He plays a
> bodybuilder and even
> enters a contest.
>
> I believe Steve had a minor role in a major play
> called "Kismit" and
> was up for the part of L'il Abner once or twice.
>
> Steve visited Muscle House run by Pudgy Stockton (I
> believe that there
> was a Mr Stockton too) in the Santa Monica/Venice
> Beach year but I
> don't know how long he stayed. I do know that he
> trained at the Santa
> Monica Muscle Beach pit on a few occasions.
>
> Did Eric Pederson ever beat Steve Reeves in a
> contest? Did anyone ever
> beat Steve in any BB contest back then? How about
> John Terpak?
>
> Steve was a great guy and was genetically gifted in
> many ways.
>
=== message truncated === hi tylor buddy, thanks a
lot for sharing your Memories on GREAT STEEVE REEVES
with us, his admirers and fans who will NEVER forget
him. STEVE died on mAy 1st 2000, a date we should
ALWAYS remember !!! I became "acquanted" with Steve
in 1950 seeing HIM on several Bb Mags, I well
remember he had some shots together with another
Great and Impressing Bb named SEYMOUR KOENIG ( who
did a remarkable career in Wrestling...)Do you have
any info on that? I mean if the 2 great Bbs ever
compete each other????, and what abaut Steeve,s love
afairs ?, I am sure he was very much desired by almost
everyone who came across him, I dont think he just was
interested in Barbells and Weights. If u can tell us
something on that I ll be greatfull to U. TNX <moshn@...>

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