Vintage Muscle Men: October 2023

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Halloween

It's Halloween, and I've managed to scrape together a set.

We start with something I can't quite figure out.

Mizer's Movies

This is the first of three scenes from what I think are Bob Mizer/AMG movies or themed still shoots.

It is also the only one I found on my own. The title is Witches and Wizards.

Devil

Here we have a Devil with a toy pitchfork and a ditchdigger tan.

Paul and Jim

Paul Bigelow and Jim Johnson appeared in the AMG movie "Dr. Bigelow and his Monster."

I pilfered this off Men From Back Then. Thank you, James!

Skeleton

Getting the skeleton in place on the bike doesn't look easy.

Armchair Chief

Going politically incorrect here with a Native American "costume."

Our subject may be bored . . . or drunk, but the dog seems amused by it all.

"Arf! Arf! Arf! Daddy got loaded and took off his clothes again."

Great film concept

I think a naked male stalker'slasher is a great idea for a horror movie.

Devil or Batman?

I can't tell if this gentleman was going for a devil or a bat look.

Either way, his kind eyes spoil the horror element.

I was so taken with the very hairy Howard Frame at right that his name was all I bothered to record when I stole this photo off Men From Back Then. It looks like a Bob Mizer devil-themed film or photo set, and Mama Mizer should have fitted Howard with a smaller posing strap. It's way too big.

Drunkenness will not be tolerated!

Apparently getting drunk on Halloween is not anything new. My besotted high school class was so notorious in the late 60s that the sponsors kicked off the annual Halloween Carnival by loudly announcing, "Drunkenness will not be tolerated!" We all got plastered anyway.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Smile, smile, smile!

My grandmother was a fashionable woman who frequently gave beauty tips to her daughters and granddaughters. She closed every session by saying, "Smile, smile, smile! No matter how good your hair, makeup, and clothes are, you'll look better if you smile." Good advice. Today we look at ten physique models who may have taken similar advice, starting with this typically execellent photo of Ken Dokter by Dave Martin.

Kurt Stanley

Douglas of Detroit did his usual amazing job with this picture

of Kurt Stanley, and the smile is the icing on the cake of fine artistry.

Ron Gregory

We get a sly smile from Ron Gregory in this Pat Milo photo.

Bob Jackson

Even thought he has shorts on, Bob Jackson and his smile

look great in this color photo by Champion.

Roy Hilligen

Russ Warner took this photo of a beaming Roy Hilligen during

a memorable photo shoot in and around a California hay barn.

Rusty Steele

We don't get the widest grin from Rusty Steele in this Troy Saxon photo,

but he is smiling and he does look great.

Helmut Riedmeyer

Here we see Helmut Riedmeyer in what will be one of the cleanest John Barrington photos you'll find. It's also worth noting that Herr Riedmeyer is one of the most likely models to smile.

Romeo

The only name I have for this smiling Jean Ferrero model is "Romeo."

He certainly looks the part and seems pleased with himself.

Ronnie DiFalco

Frank Giardina was a model, protege, and possible lover of Alonzo Hanagan, aka Lon of New York.

At some point Frank took up physique photography himself, and this photo of Ronnie DiFalco is an example of his work. Ronnie's smile let's us know the swordplay is just for fun.

Johnny Savage

Our last smiling model is Johnny Savage who looks happy, proud, and confident.

The photographer was Chuck Renslow of Kris. Used by permission of copyright holder:

The Leather Archives and Museum of Chicago.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Playgirl . . . again by request!

My viewers can't seem to get enough of Classic Playgirl photos, and I have had yet another request for more, this time from Don D. of Austin. We start with Don Stroud from 1973, and he might have been a trendsetter when it came to Playgirl's use of lurid orange lighting.

Fabian Forte

Better known as just "Fabian," late 50s/early 60's teenage heartthrob Favian Forte

made an appearance in a very early Playgirl edition from 1973. That coincided

with his return to singing after a decade focused on his movie career.

William Lewis

"Playgirl's Discovery" was a coveted spot in the lineup, because it involved a promotional image on the subscription pitch page the month before. I made a composite of these two photos of William Lewis from January, 1974. The promo from December wasn't nearly as good. Love the dog.

Mike Purpus

I probably don't need to tell you that Mike Purpus was a California surfer guy.

The picture is from 1974, and the smile is priceless.

John Corvello

In the first (and most obvious) haystack photo today,

we get John Corvello from February of 1975.

Geof Helrich

Geof Helrich got the centerfold for September of 1980.

The Royal Stewart tartan blanket is a nice touch.

Daniel Egger

This 1983 picture of Daniel Egger is one of those times where "nothing special"

somehow becomes special. There isn't anything there that really stands out,

but the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Martin Mabilia

We get a twinkly smile from Martin Mabilia while he's hanging off that wooden fence.

The photo and the hairdo are both 1984.

Paolo Pecota

1989 is a little past my usual limit for the blog, but one look at that bush told me I had

to post Paolo Pecota. Interestingly, when I researched him, a female photographer

of the same surname showed up in roughly the same time frame. Sister? Wife?

Steve Rally

Somebody at Playgirl must have liked Steve Rally . . . a lot. He appeared several times during the 1980s with several hairstyles, but always the same great hairy body. This particular rendition shows him after literally having taken a roll in the hay. Can't think of a better way to end the set.