Muscle Beach Early Days a

It all began in Muscle Beach in the early twenties. Beach volleyball, weight lifting, and of course hot-dog a stick made it a memorable place to stick your umbrella in the sand and view the greatest weightlifters in the land. 
   In fact my life began a mile south at the Ocean Park Pier where my Mom Edith met my Dad on a blind on a blind date. She marveled at my Dad's muscular legs while roller skating. A year later I came along in August of  1939.  
  We joined a Jewish club by the beach. It had an indoor pool.  that  My Mom enjoyed the beach, so much so, that later in life, she kept the dermatologist busy. 
   Today I am sitting with Bob Rich who had moved to Santa Monica from New York in the late forties. It is grey day and the volleyball courts are busy. To my left is the Hot Dog on a Stick and in front of me are the sandy volleyball courts. 
   "So Bob, what was Muscle Beach like in the early days?"
    "I met the guys who began two man volleyball in the 20's. I knew everyone of them. I arrived here in the fifties. Even Joe who began the Hot Dog on a Stick played volleyball with us. Bobby Barber's swimsuit store was over there. Most of what he sold didn't last too long - it was cheaply made."
     "Where was the location of the platform where the weightlifters worked out.?" 
     "It was next to the hot dog stand. In fact in the thirties, there was a fast food place until Hot Dog on a Stick took over.  We had three stages. Two for adagio and one strictly for weight lifting. People came from all over to watch these events. Cotton candy, snow cones, pop corn and candy apples were served up all of the time."
      "I did not care much for Sanders since he showed off too much. But he had raw talent. The parking lot was up to the benches then. One day, He drove up in a large car and hit to black sitting on a bench. He was unaware he hit them. One of them, now laying on the floor, cussed him out real good trowing out every #@*&% that he could." 
       "Sanders got up unaware that he had bumbled into the bench. The two men took one look of his muscles and ran." 
I heard that Moe Most was run out of here in the sixties. Wasn't he the supervisor of the recreation facilities.?"
        "We had a lot of teenagers come to Muscle Beach. The gals looked in the twenties but in fact were in their teens. We all took advantage of it then - and it was no big deal. They looked for fun and they certainly got it. They were prostitutes. 
        Teachers came down with their kids and fooled around. When a mother complained, the police came and picked u[ several of the weight lifters. Moe Most resigned but one of them Schwartz had his lawyer tell him to plead guilty. He did and was sent to a mental hospital where he contacted Cancer. He died within a few days after getting out. I think that Muscle Beach would have been better if the police had not interfered. 
       "Did you know Eddie La Baron, the wrestler? He was my favorite on black and white T.V." 
    "As a matter of fact, his younger wife is still alive and lives in Santa Monica. We see her every once-in-a-while.  
    It was now going on one o'clock. I had lost my cap and my head felt like burnt toast. He told me to get in touch with Steve Ford who had written a book about the old Muscle Beach.  beach. Soon Expo Metro will be finished and millions will flock to old Muscle Beach. 
   Muscle Beach pictures will soon be a part of this collection of stories. The book on Old Muscle Beach will be completed when Expo line is.