At age 40 fitness guru Jack LaLanne swims from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf while wearing handcuffs

00:00:00:00 Fitness expert Jack Lalanne speaks to reporters, on his 70th birthday, at Long Beach Harbor/ (0:00)/

11/9/2002

Close-up Tire man balancing the rim in the workshop

Interview

INTERVIEW WITH JACK LALANNE

JOHN BERMAN CS VO ON THE DEATH OF EXERCISING LEGEND JACK LALANNE WHO DIED TODAY AT 96

EXT Jack LaLanne; workers work on pool

This incredible 16mm silent film shows images of Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California (near today's Santa Monica Pier) including the Miss Muscle Beach Beauty Contest. The original Muscle Beach was just south of the SM Pier, and is credited as being the source of the fitness craze in the US. <p><p>Based on a bit of detective work we think this is the 1954 contest won by ravishing beauty Barbara Thomason whose victory was headlined in the papers as: “Blonde, 17, Chosen Muscle Beach Queen.” She was described as “a bouncy, blue-eyed blonde in a white bathing suit,” with hourglass measurements recorded down to the half-inch. In 1955, she made her screen debut (as Carolyn Mitchell) in an episode of “Crossroads,” an ABC morality-play series. Three years later Thomason married actor Mickey Rooney but their marriage was an unhappy one. Thomason was murdered by her lover, actor Milos Milosevic, after she and Rooney announced they planned to reconcile. It was quite a terrible end for such a promising and attractive young woman.<p><p>Muscle Beach dates back to the 1930s when the Works Progress Administration (WPA) installed exercise equipment immediately south of the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. Popular gymnastic and acrobatic exhibitions were routinely held there on city-provided equipment. A platform on the beach with weight lifting equipment provided a workout area for such famous bodybuilders as Vic Tanny, Jack LaLanne, and Joe Gold. Muscle House was a "crashpad" just off the beach where many bodybuilders would live for cheap rent and convenient access to the beach. It was a common waypoint for bodybuilders such as Chet Yorton, Steve Reeves, Vince Edwards, Jack Delinger, George Eiferman, and Dave Draper.<p><p>The site of Muscle Beach Venice has inherited the modern fame and attention that was initially generated by Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, as the tumbling platform from this earlier facility had been removed by the City of Santa Monica due to difficulties in the day-to-day maintenance and supervision of the original Muscle Beach site in 1959. Yet the original regulars of Muscle Beach in Santa Monica continued to congregate at the world-famous setting with an emphasis on gymnastics events, acrobatics and adagio training and performances.<p><p>In 1989, the City of Santa Monica officially rededicated the original Muscle Beach and today it serves gymnasts, acrobats and youth with an extensive gymnastics training area. Meanwhile, the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department has continued the primary barbell, weightlifting and bodybuilding aspects and events of the original Muscle Beach fame at the Venice weight pen. In 1987, the City of Los Angeles officially dedicated "Muscle Beach Venice" with the added word of 'Venice' in the title to distinguish it from the original "Muscle Beach" in Santa Monica.<p><p>We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."<p><p>This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com<p>

WORLD NEWS NOW FEED. 10:00:00 CLIP OF PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH COMMENTING ON THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION'S DEALINGS W/ IRAQ AND SAYING HE WAS PROUD TO SUPPORT IT. FTG OF JACK LALANNE ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF A HOUSE COMMITTEE TO EXERCISE. 10:01:20 FTG OF THE OPENING OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY ARCHIVES IN MOSCOW. FTG OF FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD CHAIRMAN ALAN GREENSPAN DISCUSSING THE RECESSION. FTG OF BUSH DISCUSSING TAX CUTS. 10:04:04 FTG OF SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IOWA) DURING HIS CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT OFFERING SUPPORT FOR FACTORY WORKERS. FTG OF THE UNVEILING OF A PERSIAN GULF WAR MEMORIAL. CLIP OF BUSH COMMENTING ON TAXING THE MIDDLE CLASS. FTG OF MEMBERS OF A SOUTH AMERICAN DELEGATION ARRIVING IN THE US FOR A DRUG SUMMIT. CI: PERSONALITIES: BUSH, GEORGE. PERSONALITIES: GREENSPAN, ALAN. PERSONALITIES: HARKIN, TOM. PERSONALITIES: LALANNE, JACK. ECONOMY: RECESSION. POLITICS: PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN, 1992.

Jack LaLanne swims the Golden Gate strait in California

Interview

Close-up Tire man balancing the rim in the workshop

Jack LaLanne doing exercises and fitness routines on his 1960s TV show.

JACK LALANNE SWIMS FROM ALCATRAZ

WASHINGTON, DC FEED NBC POOL CUTAWAYS OF PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH HOSTING THE GREAT AMERICAN WORKOUT PHYSICAL FITNESS DEMONSTRATION ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN. 07:26:30 INTV W/ HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) SECRETARY LOUIS SULLIVAN ABOUT BUSH'S UPCOMING MEETING W/ CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS ABOUT THE OUTBREAK OF RIOTING IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA FOLLOWING THE ACQUITTAL OF FOUR WHITE POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED W/ BEATING BLACK MOTORIST RODNEY KING. SLATE. CU'S OF CELEBRITY GUESTS GATHERED ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN. THEY INCLUDE FITNESS STAR JACK LALANNE, FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION MUHAMMAD ALI, ACTOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, OLYMPIC TRACK STARS FLORENCE AND AL JOYNER, COMEDIAN MILTON BERLE AND ACTOR DICK VAN PATTEN. VS OF SCHWARZENEGGER MAKING A SPEECH AND LEADING THE AUDIENCE IN DUMBBELL ROUTINES FROM A PODIUM ON A SOUTH LAWN DAIS. 07:32:29 BUSH BOARDS THE DAIS W/ HIS WIFE BARBARA, READS A SPEECH, SINGS THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND POSES FOR PHOTOS W/ SCHWARZENEGGER AND A DELEGATION OF HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS. REFEEDS OF THE SULLIVAN INTV. 07:47:23 SLATE UNTIL THE END. CI: POLITICS: PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN, 1992.

Jack LaLanne demonstrates sit ups

Interview

Car Removing Tire in the Auto Shop, Tires in auto parts store car-care center.