Strength & Health, Page 10, October 1948

The Mr. Universe Contest

by George Walsh, Chariman of "Mr. Universe" Judges

JOHN GRIMEK was crowned "Mr. Universe" at the Scala Theatre, London, last month by an international panel of judges supported, unanimously, by an international audience.

But it was Steve Reeves - the man he had just beaten in open competition - who gave him the proudest title of all when, after the decision had been announced, "Mr. America 1947" stepped up to the microphone and declared "I think that John Grimek is the greatest body-builder who ever lived."

Steve's frank confession was a sportsman-like action. That his opinion was shared by the Physical Culture leaders of a score of different countries who were present was shown by the thunderous applause. I have never known an audience so enthusiastic nor one so united in its enthusiasm!

Here in Britain we have had few opportunities of staging large-scale physique contests during the past ten years for obvious reasons although we have been holding them at intervals ever since Eugene Sandow ran his competitions more than half a century ago. We seized on the occasion of the Olympic Games to hold a "Mr. Universe" contest because we knew that many of the world's best built men would already be in London and some world-famous authorities who might be asked to act as judges would also be visiting Britain at the same time.

We thought that some of the "new" physical culture countries like New Zealand, Australia and Burma would be glad to have their representatives see the world's best developed men gathered together in competition. We knew that our audience would be the most international crowd ever assembled for such an occasion including athletes from nearly sixty different nations. We planned the "Mr. Universe" competition very carefully and impartially.

I was asked to act as chairman of the judges panel and I am glad of the opportunity of stating that I could not have had a more internationally representative and respected group to serve with me.

The whole physical culture world honours and reveres George Hackenschmidt. George, now a veteran of more than seventy years, is only a legend to the modern body-builder but all who know him personally are ware of his scientific analysis of all that goes to the making of physical perfection. As our first judge George was universally acceptable.

Tromp Van Diggelin, the famous South African Physical Culture authority, who was the discoverer of Maxick and Herman Gorner and who, in the early days of the century, made an endeavor to match Arthur Saxon with Joseph Steinbach, was the second judge to be invited. Tromp flew 7,000 miles to act as a judge in the "Mr. Universe" competition - a gesture and a sacrifice that was well appreciated.

Monsieur Arax of Paris is believed to have photographed more physiques than any man in the world. He has been a physical culturist for nearly forty years and is invariably an official at European physique competitions. When it was found that Professor Debonnet, who had just celebrated his eightieth birthday, was not able to make the journey to London, Monsieur Arax was the obvious substitute.

Doctor Bankhof is a famous Russian surgeon but also a weightlifter and trainer of weightlifters. Doctor Bankhof sacrificed a great deal of time in acting as a judge in the "Mr. Universe" competition.

Bob Hoffman was to have completed our panel of judges - a panel which I considered to be the most representative ever assembled for a physique contest.

But Bob declined. When it was known that John Grimek was making the journey the American lifting coach declared that he would prefer not to act as John is a York man and it could happen that criticism would be made. We would like to have had another member of the American Olympic party take Bob's place - somebody like Ray Van Cleef or Johnny Terpak who have more than sufficient years in the business to qualify them as authorities. But - and it is much to their credit - they all declined to officiate in a contest in which one of the particular friends was participating.

We all respected and admired their scruples in this matter although, personally, I did not consider them necessary. A physical culture teacher cannot remain in the public eye for ten or fifteen years without all the men who matter getting to know whether he is a genuine and impartial enthusiast or simply a man of business; and if Bob Hoffman or Ray Van Cleef had been a judge in the "Mr. Universe" competition there couldn't surely, have been any criticisms. My own opinion is that John would have been rather handicapped by the back-bend Bob or Ray got into endeavoring to be 101 per cent impartial!

We tried to find another American with sufficient knowledge and experience to justify selection and, for my part, I wouldn't have cared if he had been a particular friend of Steve Reeves so long as his integrity was unquestioned. Some of my fellow judges were astonished to learn that no such man was available. I was a little surprised myself. I had been reading quite a lot about physique and bodybuilding associations springing up on the American continent: I thought I remembered that one of them was not only American but International. Either the 1948 Olympic Games weren't important enough to warrant the attendance of members from these bodies or the term International applies to their claims and not their activities. There was no American in London whose status in the physique world justified the organizers in inviting him to officiate; and so George Greenwood, one of Europe's leading authorities in bodybuilding, was invited to fill the remaining place. An intricate system of awarding points was hammered out at several preliminary meetings although I made it quite clear to all the judges that they were not to be bound by it but must base their ultimate verdicts upon their experience and convictions.

The first class (the competition was arranged for four different height groups with the winners and runner-up in each class competing in the finals) was for those under the height of 5 ft. 5 3/4 ins.

Only on the occasion of an Olympic Games, with athletes from the smaller stature countries present, could a class of this nature be well represented. Namdjou, the bantam eight world record holder from Iran, was a popular winner of this class and his physique is truly impressive. A Britisher, Don Dorans, was the runner-up, beating competitors from India, South Africa, Burma, Belgium, Northern Ireland.

The next class - men from 5 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. 8 3/4 in. gave the crowded theatre its first glance of John Grimek. And what a welcome John received!

It wasn't just Grimek's physique that made a thousand or so enthusiasts from a score of different countries rise to their feet and give him the greeting of his life. For all the Britishers present and for most of the foreigners John Grimek has been, for years, a symbol and an inspiration. Grimek has proved himself a strongman. He has lasted, in the physique world, for more than fifteen years. The men who acclaimed John Grimek's first appearance on the stage of the Scala Theatre weren't novices or masculine bobby-soxers. They gave him a terrific ovation largely because they appreciated the inspirational value of his work over the last fifteen years and, win or lose, they wanted him to know something of their feelings in the matter. John's posing, it is hardly necessary to add, brought a further volume of applause. I thought, personally, that John was a little listless at this stage. He took the class honors easily enough but Andre Drapp, the current "Mr. France", gave a rather more lively display and rightly gained some well earned applause. He was an obvious second to Grimek.

The third class - 5 ft. 9 in. to 5 ft. 11 3/4 in. - produced nothing extraordinary, the present "Mr. Britain", Charles Jarrett emerging as the winner followed by E. White of London.

The "big" class - men of 6 ft. and over - gave the crowd its first sight of Steve Reeves and once again, as he appeared and ran through his poses, there was a demonstration of enthusiasm. The audience gave him a terrific reception - and one that I thought was well deserved. Steve has a super build and the international crowd that watched him were not at all slow to show their appreciation.

There was no doubt at all about the winner of this particular division; but even so Steve didn't have matters all his own way. Heidenstam, who won the Plus bel Athlete d'Europe contest back in 1939, is superbly proportioned and Martin, last year's "Mr. London" can control his 18 in. upper arms and 50 in. chest better than most. Martin was given second place in this class but as the margin was so close it was decided to allow Heidenstam to take part in the final judging.

Nine men - Namdjou, Dorans, Grimek, Drapp, Jarret, White, Reeves, Martin and Heidenstam - took the stage individually and together for the semi-final parade; and never before have I heard an audience let itself go so wholeheartedly over a group of muscle men.

While the heavyweight class of the British Empire weightlifting championships was being decided the judges made their final decisions. Each of them handed me a folded slip giving their selection for first, second, and third place; and it was agreed that I should not reveal the name of the winner until after the top three had appeared on the stage again. Not even the judges themselves knew at this stage who had been chosen "Mr. Universe"; and this point is rather important because some people might have thought that the judges were influenced by Grimek's wonderful display of posing and muscle control which brought the evening to a close. The verdict was actually reached before the three top scoring men went on again although nobody but myself knew what it was.

We had decided to "give" the stage to each man in turn for a period of three minutes during which he could do exactly as he pleased.

Drapp lost the toss and the crowd rose to him as he went through a fine posing and agility routine.

The applause he received was nothing to the absolute roar of approval that was sustained all the time Grimek was on the stage giving his incomparable posing and muscle-control show. In a life-time of watching every kind of sporting event I have never known such a demonstration. As John's great display came to an end men stood on their seats and shouted themselves hoarse!

Steve had an advantage in appearing last and he, too, had a terrific reception as he ran through his poses again. But the man has not been born who could have followed Grimek's great display without suffering a little by comparison. When I announced that John Grimek was "Mr. Universe" 1948 with Steve Reeves runner-up and Andre Drapp in third place the great international audience gave the decision whole-hearted approval.

The judges have asked me not to make public their own individual selections and point awards and naturally I shall honor their request. It is only fair to John, however, to state he won the title by a decisive margin.

With representatives from sixteen different countries taking part this was a real "Mr. Universe" competition in every sense of the word and the U.S.A. should be proud that she took first and second places.

When Bob Hoffman was called to the microphone (what a genuine regard lifters and athletes of all nations have for the genial editor of this magazine!) he paid a fine tribute to Steve Reeves and pointed out that he is still a youngster with a great career in front of him.

Steve himself put into words what everybody present was thinking - that John Grimek was a worthy winner of the "Mr. Universe" title because he is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, "the greatest bodybuilder who ever lived."

Photo Captions

- A lineup of the finals in the Mr. Universe contest before the final selection which was opened to all amateur and professional athletes. Left to right is REUBEN MARTIN, OSCAR HEIDENSTAM, STEVE REEVES, E. WHITE, CHARLES ARRETT, ANDRE DRAPP, JOHN GRIMEK, DON DORANS and NAMDJOU. Photo by Andy, Vigour Magaine, London.

- OSCAR HEIDENSTAM, a former winner of the "Plus Bel Athlete d'EUrope" back in 1939 represented Britain in the tall men's class. Oscar has been handicapped of late because of his work in Egypt which gives him very little time to train, yet made this long trip just to take part in this contest.

- ANDRE DRAPP, Frenchman who place third in the Mr. Universe competition displays his fine all round development. Drapp was chosen as Mr. France in 1947. He is a remarkable wrestler and follows his profession.

- The three final winners in the Mr. Universe contest in London, Enland, just before the awards were presented. Left is STEVE REEVES, Oakland, California second place man. Center, the winner, JOHN GRIMEK, York, Pa., and ANDRE DRAPP, Les Lias, France, third place winner. Grimek and Reeves will appear in Ed. Yarick's show October 22nd in Oakland. International News Photo.

- JOHN GRIMEK, judged as the "best developed man in the world" and given the title as "Mr. Universe" strikes one of his poses after being presented his awards which are displayed on the dais at his feet. This contest was, up to this time, the most successful and most represented ever held, embracing competitors from 16 different nations. International News Photo.

- At the wonderful banquet reception given in honor of the contestants where many famous personalities were present, JOHN GRIMEK was asked to say a few words. Grimek, somewhat embarrassed by this great honor bestowed on him admitted he couldn't say much but thanked the huge gathering. The smiles on the faces of GEORGE WALSH, author of this article, and BOB HOFFMAN, coach of the victorious American lifting team seem to think John was holding back. Apparently he was because at the conclusion of the Mr. Universe contest when Grimek was proclaimed winner he did make a fine speech in appreciation of the support given him to the vast audience at the Scala Theatre in London. Photo by Sidney SHarp, London.

- JOHN GRIMEK, in a fine physique study which won him the Mr. Universe title recently. This and the cover photo was taken just three days before he boarded a plane and flew to London to take part in the Mr. Universe contest. Quotes he: "I was amazed at the wonderful reception the British public accorded each and every contestant. They sure are an enthusiastic group. I was surprised that physical culture, particularly body building has made such tremendous strides in recent years. Perhaps, one day in the not too distant future, our greatest competitors will come from that part of the world, England."

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