Strength & Health, Page 26, September 1950
May I introduce the good friends and famous physical culturists who are serving with me on the judging panel of this greatest-ever physique show - the 1950 "Mr. Universe" competition?
On my immediate right, as we sit here in the ballroom of the Royal Hotel ready to commence our preliminary adjudication, is the doyen of strong-men, George Hackenschmidt. A legendary figure to the young enthusiast but a very real and very lovable character to those of us who know him well, the "Russian Lion" is fully prepared for many hours of painstaking comparison and selection.
On Hack's right sits Professor Craeye of Belgium - a continental physical culture authority of long experience and vast enthusiasm. And to the right of Craeye - strategically placed so that he can dart away with his camera whenever he thinks it necessary - is the world famous physique photographer friend of all body-buidlers, Arax of Paris. It is impossible to contemplate an important European physique contest without the presence of Arax as observer or judge; and to-day, I know from past experience, he will be working harder than any competitor giving scrupulous attention to the rendering of his decisions and capturing, like the true artist that he is, many memorable photographic impressions for the delight of the myriad enthusiasts who cannot witness the competition.
On my immediate left is George Greenwood - the friend and adviser of body-builders the world over and, in experience though not in years, the most veteran of all physique judges.
On George's left is Andre Boulard, the official delegate of the French Federation of Physical Culture. M. Boulard is an adjudicator of lengthy experience; and his fellow judges will soon discover that he is as meticulous in forming his judgements as he is charming in presenting them!
On the extreme left sits Alexander Carali of Egypt - a professional physical culturist of many years standing and principal of the largest training centre in the middle east. I know, from experience, that Carali is most scrupulous in the forming of his opinions and I anticipate, with a slight touch of apprehension since time is not unlimited and fifty men must be appraised, the possibility of some delayed decision from this official. I am quite certain, however, that, once made, Carali's decisions will be positive and irrevocable; and with this assurance in mind I am less apprehensive on the matter of the time schedule.
Here, then, ready for action, is my panel of international judges: six of the most famous names in physical culture prepared to decide the destiny of the greatest of all physique titles.
And here - marshalled into position by the Editor who finds himself compelled to accept the duty simply because he is the one person who knows each competitor - comes the first group line-up: the fourteen competitors in the class 4 division.
What an imposing spectacle they present! Not even the harsh daylight (we are criticized, in some quarters, because we require competitors to appear before us, initially, without the aide of artificial lighting which can emphasize strong points and camouflage weak ones; but we think we are right) destroys the impressiveness of these mighty little men.
They stand before us for ten minutes in a natural, unposed, but a uniform heels together position. They turn around so that we man view them from the rear. And now Arax and Hack have asked that the first seven in the line-up shall change places with the last seven so that the judges shall view them mall (from front and rear) from an exactly central position.
Now comes the presentation before us of each individual competitor in turn to show himself to the best advantage; and I note that my judges have all exhausted the first of their official judging sheets and are busily engaged upon the second!
Now that the individual presentation is completed (some competitors, I see, are a little limited in posing repertoire while others are over generous although, in fact, neither characteristic will influence the ultimate decision) I shall ask my judges for their list of the six "finalists".
Here are the judges' sheets before me - and it requires only a few moments of calculation to find that Bratty, Dorans, Himitian, Levy, Rodgers and Sellers have qualified for the final placings. I inform the judges (one or two of them, of course, have recorded a vote for other competitors) that these six are the "qualifiers" and that, from these six, they must now select the class winner.
The voting, in this case, takes very little time and without the necessity of recording my own casting decision (I have decided to refrain from voting unless it is necessary) I am able to announce that Dorans is the winner. It is obviously superfluous but it gives me a good deal of pleasure to tell my judges that, had my vote been necessary, it would certainly have been given to Don; so the declaration (quite confidential to the judges at this stage) that a Britisher had won the first round is a very pleasant duty.
Now comes the task of placing the men who occupy the other finalist places in order of merit.
We - the judging panel - know that eight of these splendid men are already eliminated; but the army of enthusiasts waiting to see them on the stage of the Scala Theatre tonight will want a glimpse of them all and we are anxious, too, that the whole physical culture world shall see the men we have rejected. So, once again, every competitor is appearing before us - none knowing whether he is qualified or what position he occupies.
With the final sheets before me (the judges are required to accord 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point to each of the remaining five finalists in order of descending merit) I see that I am required to make a casting vote only to separate two of the most remote place winners. Himitian and Levy - although extremely close in the final voting - are definite second and third place winners.
And here is the first line-up of class 3 competitors - the men whos stature is between 5'6" and 5'8 3/4".
Once again daylight doesn't destroy the impression of collective massiveness and Hack, on my right, exclaims at the muscularity of Klejniak, and George Greenwood, on my left, has an involuntary whistle for the symmetry of Coutould and Ladeuze.
Voting in this class is so close that I am forced to participate. Ferrero emerges as a narrow winner and - after the individual presentation and final group line-up - Klejniak and Coutoula take narrowly disputed places. Arax, Boulard and Carali have taken rather a disturbingly long time to reach their decisions on the final placings; but looking at the men again as they stand at the side of the room how can I blame them for their careful and calculated deliberations?
Here is Class 2 with three new names to be added to the judges' sheets as the competitors line up: Nasr, the winner of the official "Mr. Egypt" contest a few days ago and present as his country's representative and Lees and Heidenstam of Britain, who, on checking, are found to be less than 5' 11 3/4" and are, therefore, re-classified from Class 1.
What a magnificent body of men! I am amazed that Heidenstam, at almost 40 years of age, should appear before us with greater bulk and cleaner definition than even in pre-war days. It is hard to believe that young John Lees can have made such improvement since the 1949 "Mr. Britain" competition. Nasr is a magnificent specimen! Reub Martin's might torso seems, incredibly, to be more spectacular than ever. The rest of the British boys - White, Knott, Jarrett and Purser - all seem to have made improvement.
Here is a stoke of luck for me. Although the voting is extremely close the panel is positive in its selection of John Lees as the class winner. What a triumph - and well deserved, I think - for this up-and-coming young British body-builder.
My good luck continues. Although the voting for the minor places is again extremely close I am called upon to decide only the most minor issue.
And here is the big moment for which we have all waited so expectantly - the appearance before us of the Class 1 competitors including the sole American challenger, Steve Reeves, and Britain's great hope, Reg Park. How nice and how British a gesture it is that the Editor should lead a round of applause for each of these outstanding body-builders as they face us for the first time!
With the class reduced to four - charming Georges Dardenne of Belgium and Hubert Thomas, the reigning "Mr. Wales", are the other two - it is, of course, unnecessary for us to follow any process of elimination.
But our task is none the less heavy for, as they stand before us individually and together and display their stupendous physiques in pose after pose of breath-taking splendour who could easily separate the might American from the awe-inspiring Britisher?
In a short interval - the men are to be called back again in a moment - each judge now informs me that, regardless of all other class winners, first and second place in the supreme "Mr. Universe" competition itself must rest, so far as they are concerned, between Reeves and Park.
I am not surprised; but I find myself wishing, at this moment as the two men appear before us yet again, that others might share my responsibility (for it might easily happen now, or later in the evening when final decisions are taken, that the judging panel is equally divided leaving to me the task of choosing "Mr. Universe") and my confidence (for if the judging is decisive at this stage and is not subsequently changed I alone shall know which of the two is to be the supreme winner).
We follow the four competitors to the special stage where photographs are to be taken and it is obvious to me - even at this stage - that several of my judges are not yet decided. Carali, forgetful of dignity, crouches down to the floor to gain a new perspective of the two principal contenders as they stand together before the cameras. Greenwood holds the tableau motionless for a few moments and advances for a ruthless and intimate inspection. Craeye, I see, is wedged into a far corner to secure a different angle of observation. As for me - and against the possibilities I dislike to contemplate - I am, at one moment, crouching on my heels with Carali, then I am huddled in the corner with Craeye and now, at the end I am standing behind the camera with Arax.
It is over at last; and here, in my hand, are the judges' final decisions. No one judge knows how the others have voted. It is, in any case, a tentative decision with the right to alter it, at the show itself, if the individual judge so wishes.
There is an hour or so before the great show commences - time for a bath, a change of clothes and a hasty sandwich. I am grateful for the break; but, deep within me, is the apprehension (I can think of no more appropriate word) that fate might call me again to cast my vote for the greatest of all physique titles.
All my judges are here at the theatre in good time and a hasty conference is convened in the dressing rooms to decide upon procedure. We have cast our votes for the winners and finalists in each of the three junior classes (junior, of course, only in respect of height scales) and these are irrevocable. We have decided that the winner of Class One shall be the winner of the "Mr. Universe" title and that the runner-up in the same class shall enjoy second place. There remains to us, therefore, only the selection between Reeves and Park and the election, from the remaining class winners (or, of course, the third place winner in class Four) the third position in the supreme contest itself.
The crowd is giving us all a great reception as we are introduced from the stage with, need I say, a particularly warm welcome for the great George Hackenschmidt. The competitors from the lighter classes (none of whom, of course, are aware of our previous decisions) are appearing one by one and it seems to me that most of the audience agrees with the final six we have selected in each category.
But everybody is waiting, of course, for the appearance of the two "Big Shots" of the competition - Park and Reeves.
And so, in great trepidation, am I!
Here, before me, I have five completed judging sheets. Two of my judges have found it impossible to separate the American and the Britisher and have recorded a joint vote for each. One has voted outright for Park and two have voted outright for Reeves. If the remaining judge should decide for Park and if none of the others decides to alter his decision the unwelcome task of making a casting vote will descend upon me.
I can hear the deafening applause that is greeting the appearance of Park and Reeves as they display their breath-taking poses before the world's most enthusiastic audience. How I wish I could be sitting up there in the gallery or with my wife and my son in the stalls. I marvelled at these two supermen in the ruthless daylight of the afternoon. How much more I would have enjoyed their matchless posing beneath kind and co-operative spot-lighting!
But I am waiting now, for confirmation or retraction from five of my judges and, first of all, it is the confirmation of the previous decisions that I receive.
Now for the last judge who, I see, is approaching me from the wings. If his decision should be for the Britisher it will be my most unenviable task to render a casting vote; and although I am ready to shoulder this responsibility, it is one which I would infinitely prefer to avoid.
I am overwhelmingly relieved!
Had it been my fate to have decided between these two great physical culturists I should have cast a vote for Reeves. (It is, I think, fair that I should now make this fact clear.)
But I am relieved from this responsibility. My sixth judge has declared his decision so that I am not compelled to render any sort of decision at all.
I am not quite sure of the words I am choosing but to judge by the tumultuous applause that greets my halting phrases at the microphone I imagine that the audience understands.
What I am trying to say is: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the 'Mr. Universe' of 1950 - Steve Reeves of America!"
- An inspiring pose of STEVE REEVES taken during his display at the "Mr. Universe" contest. This gives convincing evidence of why Steve's victory in this big international competition at London was acclaimed with popular approval.
- An informal photo taken back stage at the Scala Theatre at London following the "Mr. Universe" contest. The attractive lass between STEVE REEVES and REG PARK is Jeanne Orman, a winner of British physical culture contests. ALLART, the heavyweight champion of Belgium, is in the background at the right.
- This group includes many of the greatest physical specimens of this era. Shows a liberal number of the physique champions that participated in the "Mr. Universe" compeition at London on the 24th of June. All photos by Philip Mercer.
- "Mr. Universe" -- STEVE REEVES with the elaborate Sandow statuette he was awarded for this victory at the Scala Theatre in London on June 24th. Steve attained a pinnacle in this success to add to his previously won laurels as "Mr. America" and "Mr. World".
- Competition for the 1950 "Mr. Universe" title was particularly keen between REG PARK, "Mr. Britain", and STEVE REEVES. This photo of these supermen was taken during the course of the judging for the "Mr. Universe" contest. Steve was selected by a vote of three to one over Reg for this honor. All photos taken by Philip Mercer and provided by Health & Strength of London.
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