~
I was watching a movie on TV a few days ago that triggered memories of a
couple of men and events I'd forgotten about for decades. The movie was
the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young which starred a very young Terry Moore; it was the first film I saw her in, she was adorable and I fell in love with her those seventy or so years ago.
Mighty Joe Young - 1949
movie poster Primo Carnera is in the film as himself and, along with other famous wrestlers of the period, had a tug of war with the giant ape (YouTube link below). When I looked him up for info I discovered today is his birthday.
left to right: Primo Carnera, The Swedish Angel
The Swedish Angel suffered from the disease known as Acromegaly as did wrestlers Andre The Giant & Maurice Tillet (The French Angel).
When
I was a kid in the forties my father, a former boxer, would take me to
wresting matches. We would go to an auditorium, I can't remember the
name of it, south of the Slot,
as it was called then, on Ninth or Tenth Street. I enjoyed the matches
tremendously because of the excitement, the drama and, of course, the
theatrical performance! Yes, it was out and out theater. I saw dozens of
matches so I'm sure I saw many of the greats of the period but as I was
very young at the time the only two I remember with any clarity,
though, are Gorgeous George and Primo Carnera.
Gorgeous George poster
photographer unknown If you only saw Gorgeous George
just once, his image would be irrevocably burned in your memory
forever! He wore the most phenomenal costumes! Wrestlers with fancy
costumes would not come into fashion until decades later, he was THE
first.
Gorgeous George - July 19, 1954
photographer unknown The
one vivid image of him I have is, as he entered through the auditorium
doors and walked down the aisle to the ring with an attendant in a
tuxedo behind him, with a grand flourish he threw hairpins out into the audience while a long, pink, sheer, tulle negligee billowed out behind him. It looked something like this . . .
photographer unknown
I
remember the attendant in the tuxedo, Jefferies, who had followed
behind George, pulled the ropes apart so George could enter the ring;
George then removed his gown and handed it to Jefferies who folded it
over his arm ever so carefully and gracefully left the ring with it.
George was total effete decorum outside of the ring.
photographer unknown
Gorgeous George then proceeded to beat the crap out of his opponent! How could you EVER forget a scene like THAT?
photographer unknown
The other wrestler I vividly remember even more is Primo Carnera. He had the exact opposite appearance. He was a rough and fierce looking guy.
date & photographer unknown
Also,
he was the tallest man I've ever seen in my life, 6 ft., 7 in. tall! At
a time when the average height in the United States was 5 ft., 7 in.,
Carnera was considered a giant!
Primo Carnera - ca 1932
photographer unknown
I
went up to him after one of the bouts to get his autograph on the
program for that night. At the time I couldn't have been much more than 3
feet tall; he simply towered over me. I raised my program up for him to
sign and instead of taking the program, he lifted me up over his head
into the air! Like a Fireman's carry, he spin around a few times! I don't know if I've ever been more surprised and shocked
in my life.
I
remember the thrilling view of the auditorium from twelve feet
above the floor and the hard pressure of his huge hands that wrapped
completely around my rib cage. When he started spinning I felt like I
was flying through the air! I remember the rush of the lights over the
ring rolling into view then the darkness of the back of the auditorium
coming in view, swiftly, over and over! It was probably no more than a
few seconds but it seemed to go on forever! He put me down then turned
away. My entire recollection of the scene are those few seconds from
when I looked up at him and when he put me down, nothing else. My father
was there, of course, but there is no rememberance of his presence or
what action he might have taken. A couple of years later, Mighty Joe Young was released.
photographer unknown
Primo Carnera was born on October 26, 1906, in Sequals, then in the Province of Udine, now in the Province of Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia at the north-easternmost corner of Italy.
He started out as a boxer and began his professional boxing career on September, 1928, in Paris. Carnera won by a knockout in round two.
On February 10, 1933, he knocked out Ernie Schaaf in thirteen rounds in New York City. Schaaf died four days later. Schaaf had suffered a severe beating and knockout in a bout with future heavyweight champion Max Baer six months earlier, on August 31, 1932. An autopsy revealed that Schaaf had meningitis, a swelling of the brain, and was still recovering from a severe case of influenza when he entered the ring with Carnera (link below).
Carnera fought the world heavyweight champion, Jack Sharkey, on June 29, 1933, at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Queens, New York, and became world champion by knocking out Sharkey in round six.
Carnera had a bout for the heavyweight championship at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan with Max Baer on June 14, 1934, but lost (link below). Baer was the father of Max Baer, Jr.
who would grow up to become a producer, director and best known for
playing Jethro Bodine, the dim-witted nephew of Jed Clampett (played by Buddy Ebsen) on The Beverly Hillbillies.
On June 25, 1935, Carnera fought Joe Lewis but lost that fight as well. Lewis would go on to become the Heavyweight Chmpion of the World in 1937 until 1949.
For the next two and a half years, Carnera won five and lost three of eight total fights. But in 1938, Carnera, a diabetic,
had to have a kidney removed, which forced him into retirement by 1944.
Carnera's record was 89 wins and 14 losses. His 72 wins by knockout
made him a member of the exclusive club of boxers that won 50 or more
bouts by knockout.
In 1946 Carnera
became a professional wrestler and was immediately a huge success at
the box office. For several years he was one of the top draws in
wrestling and continued to be an attraction into the 1960s.
After
he married, he moved with his wife to the United States in 1930. In
1953 they received dual citizenship and they settled in Los Angeles, where Carnera opened a restaurant and a liquor store.
Primo Carnera died in 1967 in Sequals, Italy, of a combination of liver disease and complications from diabetes.
Requiem for a Heavyweight, the Rod Serling 1956 Emmy Award-winning teleplay for Playhouse 90 directed by Ralph Nelson
(who also won an Emmy), focused on down-and-out former heavyweight
boxer Harlan "Mountain" McClintock; it was thought by many boxing fans
to resemble Carnera's life. The travails of McClintock, was portrayed by
Jack Palance in the United States and by Sean Connery on British television, while Anthony Quinn took the role in the 1962 film. Quinn's performance in the film is superb!
There is an excellent video of Carnera images set to the song, Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor. Yeasayer references Carnera in their song Ambling Alp.
The video for it is pretty interesting (links below)
Viewfinder links:
Cyber Boxing Zone ~ Primo Carnera
Legacy of Wrestling ~ Primo Carnera Boxing & Wrestling History
Online World of Wrestling ~ The Swedish Angel
YouTube links:
Primo Carnera ~
Documentaries ~
Fights ~
Mighty Joe Young ~
Music ~
Survivor ~ Primo Carnera; The Real Rocky Balboa
Yeasayer ~ Ambling Alp (Official Music Video) Primo, thanks for the flight!
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