Larry's Fairy Tales - Part 3

Cinder-Elvis

Starring champion runner Herb Elliott (in some photos) as Cinder-Elvis
and his trainer Percy Cerutty as his fairy godfather

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Elvis who lived with his cruel stepmother and stepsisters.  They made him do all the cleaning and dirty work around the house.  "Don't be cruel," said Elvis, but they just laughed and called him Cinder-Elvis.

One day, as Elvis was bemoaning his non-existent love life, a little old man appeared.  “I’m your fairy godfather,” he said.  “I can help you with your love life, but first, let’s work on your muscles.”

(Photo: Percy Cerutty by Leonard McCombe, LIFE photo archive, 1958)

    “Do you know how to clean and jerk?” asked the fairy godfather.
    “I do nothing but clean all day, and then I jerk at night,” said Elvis.
    “No, not that.  It’s a weight-lifting thing.”
    The old man showed Elvis how to do the clean and jerk, which may have involved some inappropriate touching.

(Photo: Percy Cerutty and Herb Elliott by Leonard McCombe, LIFE photo archive, 1958)

The prince of this kingdom was holding a ball to which everyone was invited.  Elvis’ stepmother and stepsisters went to the ball and left him behind.  “I’m all shook up,” said Elvis.  Then his fairy godfather appeared.

(Photo: Laurence Woodford, c. 1910)

    “I want to go to the ball, but I have nothing to wear,” said Elvis.  
    “You ain't kidding,” said the fairy godfather.  Then poof!  Elvis was wearing shoes.
    “That’s the best you can do?”
    “You’re right.  Oxfords, what was I thinking?  Let me try again.”  And poof!  Elvis was wearing blue suede shoes.  “Much better,” said the fairy godfather.
    “But … just shoes?  Nothing else?”
    “You want the prince to notice you, don’t you?  Trust me, my boy.  I’m a fairy.  I know these things.”

(Photo: early Bruce Bellas photo of a man with shoes)

    “Don’t I get a pumpkin coach or something?” asked Elvis.
    “Don’t be silly,” said the fairy godfather.  “Oh, one more thing.  Be home by midnight.  Don’t ask.  It’s a magic rule.”  So Elvis ran off to the prince’s ball in his blue suede shoes.

(Photo: Rice University streaker, 1974.  Shoe color added.)

    At the ball, the prince indeed noticed Elvis.  "I couldn't help seeing your ... shoes," he said.

    "A little less conversation, a little more action, please," said Elvis.

    The prince was happy to comply.

(Photo: two sailors kissing)

Then Elvis noticed the time.  “It’s midnight,” he cried.  And he ran off in such haste that one of his blue suede shoes came off and was left behind.  The prince picked it up.  “Return to sender, address unknown,” he told his servants.  So they set off to find the owner of the shoe.

(Photo: Archbishop’s palace staircase, Spain, 1925.  Shoe added in Photoshop.)

When the prince and his men got to Elvis’ house, the stepsisters pushed Elvis out of the way to try on the shoe, but the prince told them, “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog.”  Then Elvis, wearing one blue suede shoe, put on the other shoe, which fit perfectly.
    “My boy,” said the prince.
    “Love me tender,” said Elvis.
    And they lived happily ever after.

(Photo: Herb Elliott, 1961.  Shoe color altered in Photoshop.)

NOTE: Australian runner Herb Elliott was the greatest middle-distance runner of the late 1950s and early 1960s.  He set world records, won Olympic gold, and never lost a mile race.  He credited his unconventional trainer, Percy Cerutty.  This little story is just in fun and is not intended to imply that either man was gay.  And of course, our use of the word "fairy" is also just in fun.

Vintage Athletes - Part 4

Brooklyn Dodgers

These photos are part of a set in the LIFE magazine photo archive taken by John Dominis on May 23, 1955.  Those were the days when athletes weren't ashamed to be naked in the locker room, and they just ignored the photographers.  None of these photos were published in the magazine.

Left to right: Clem Labine, Carl Furillo, and Pee Wee Reese shaving.

A slightly different angle gives us a view of Clem Labine in the mirror.

The subject of this photo is the Dodgers' eccentric property manager John Griffin.  But we can't help noticing someone in the background.

Another shot of John Griffin in the foreground.  We're still concentrating on the background.

Likewise, the subject here is the group in the foreground, but we can't help noticing George Shuba in the background toweling dry.

George Shuba again (locker #8) and Frank Kellert (locker #12).  Players were not highly paid in those days, and facilities were primitive.  Here the lockers were just some shelves and boxes.

We close with a view of Dodgers left fielder Sandy Amoros.

Festivals - Part 3

 Vortex I

In 1970, President Richard Nixon was scheduled to speak at an American Legion convention in Portland, Oregon, promoting the continuation of the Vietnam War.  A huge anti-war demonstration was planned to be held in Portland.  State officials were concerned about potential violence.

Some local counter-culture anti-violence groups proposed to Oregon's governor, Tom McCall, to permit a rock festival to be held in a state park during Nixon's visit, to draw potential protestors away from Portland.  The Republican governor agreed, and surprisingly, he agreed for police to turn a blind eye toward nudity and drug use at the festival.

Thus was born Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life, the only state-sponsored rock festival in America.

The festival was held from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, 1970 at Milo McIver State Park.  Admission was free, and there were no official attendance records, but estimates range from 30,000 to 100,000 people.  Meanwhile, Nixon cancelled his visit to the American Legion convention, and the Portland protests drew only about 1,000 people with no violence, so the festival achieved its purpose.

Nudity was commonplace at the festival, especially at a mud sauna tent (above).

(Photo by LIFE photographer Arthur Schatz)

Then you could head to the river to wash off the mud.

(Photo by LIFE photographer Arthur Schatz)

The video above contains extracts from a program about the festival shown on Oregon Public Broadcasting (with a soundtrack that I borrowed from another video about the festival).  The full program can be seen at https://www.pbs.org/video/oregon-experience-vortex-i/

No famous rock groups performed at the festival because it was put together at the last minute.  Instead, the musicians were mostly local groups from Oregon and California.  But the audience didn't care.  They were there to have a good time, and they did.

Miners - Part 3

 Czechoslovakia

The sulfur miners of Sicily were not the only miners to work naked.  These are coal miners in the František (Francis) mine in Czechoslovakia in 1928.  The mine was over 1800 feet deep, and the air temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit), with the rocks up to 55 degrees C (131 degrees F).  The guy above is working on the wooden beams.

Most wore a leather apron to protect their private parts, but it's said the toughest guys dispensed with even the apron.  

This and the previous photos were taken in 1928 by Sergej Protopopov.

Workers clearing a break in the mine shaft in 1937.  Photographer unknown.  The mine finally closed in 1999.

Weighing In - Part 3

 What to Wear When Weighing In

Pat at Big Whack Attack commented on my previous Weighing In post, asking "When did they switch to bike shorts? for the weigh-in?"  That inspired me to create this post.  So, this is for you, Pat.  (You can see Pat's blog at https://bigwhackattack.blogspot.com.)

There's no rule for what fighters wear when weighing in.  They've worn all sorts of things, generally lightweight (since they're trying to keep their weight under the limit).  So, the fashion-conscious fighter might ask, what should I wear when weighing in?

In the early days, fighters just weighed in nude, and no one thought anything about it.  This is American boxer Billie Papke before a fight in Paris with a French boxer in 1912.

In 1954, Don Cockell wore underpants, while Roland LaStarza wore his boxing trunks.  They're doing the ceremonial handshake after the weighing-in.

In 1962, British featherweights Terry Spinks (left) and Billy Davis both wore tighty whities.

But here's Spinks for the last fight of his career, against Johnny Mantle in 1962 (Spinks won).  Of course, fighters strip naked if necessary for the actual weighing, but after the weighing (and before the handshake) they put back on their shorts or whatever.  So, it looks like Spinks showed up naked for his last weigh-in, like the good old days.

In a British middleweight title fight in 1963, Mick Leahy wore see-through underwear.

But this unidentified fighter went him one better by wearing really see-through underwear.  And he appears to be wearing a cock ring – what's up with that?  This looks like a regular UFC event (a type of mixed martial arts), so I think the photo is real.

There is no weight limit for heavyweights, so they can wear anything to the weigh-in.  Most just wear their boxing trunks.  Here, former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson weighs in for a rematch with Floyd Patterson in 1961, wearing plaid shorts.  Really, Ingemar?  Plaid?

British heavyweight champion John L. Gardner (right)  looks more fashion-conscious at a 1979 heavyweight title fight weigh-in, wearing stylish bikini briefs.

MMA fighter Nick "the goat" Thompson wore a jock strap in 2008.  This is the ceremonial "face off" after weighing in.  Is it just me, or do you also want to adjust his jock strap so it's not twisted?

Boxer Paulie Malignaggi wins the prize for most original weigh-in costume with his elephant G-string in 2014.

So, what to wear when weighing in?  I recommend what Paul Lloyd wore in this weigh-in video. It never goes out of style.

Hiking - Part 2

Winter Hiking

Naked hiking?  When the ground is covered with snow?  Well, that doesn't stop some guys.

What would entice this guy to head naked down a snow-covered path?

It was this hot spring at the end of the path.  Or maybe it was the guy who joined him there.

Some hardy souls just love getting out in the fresh air.  Deep snow?  No problem if you have snowshoes.

Another snowshoer contemplating the wintry scene.

And if the snow's not deep, who needs snowshoes?  Not this guy!

Calendars - Part 1

Sheffield Hallam University Rugby

Many organizations have produced nude calendars as fund raisers, including several college sports teams such as the Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) rugby team in England.  Though these calendars usually hide frontal views with strategically placed objects, rear views are abundant, and the occasional frontal view slips through.

The 2003 SHU Rugby calendar included this photo that I call "ass against glass".

It also included this remarkable photo of team members trying to sit on this fence.  Two of the lads are grimacing, while the smug expression on the third from the right seems to be saying, "Now watch me, guys, and I'll show you how to do this."

 

This 2005 calendar photo has the usual props to conceal frontal nudity, but the guy on the right didn't quite manage to hide everything.

In another 2005 calendar photo, the third guy from the right surely knows that his rugby ball isn't hiding anything, but he doesn't care.

This 2007 calendar photo saw no need for false modesty.

This 2008 photo doesn't show much nudity, but it was a fan favorite for the "then what happened?" factor.

This 2008 photo is one of many shower photos over the years.

 

In 2010 this lad found a new way to hold a cell phone.  Look, Ma!  No hands!

 

We close with this 2011 photo.  I call it "asses to asses, dust to dust."