This time my Hard News is a trip down memory lane as we revisit two of the most outstanding contests I ever filmed in USA in the period 1977 to 1980.
This story has come to light due to my desire to research the events and competitors of those two wonderful events. I had been planning on releasing this video footage on DVD and today was the day. If you want to see the DVD order page it is GMV-011DVD : GMV MUSCLE VIDEO MAGAZINE # 1 - STARS OF THE LATE 70s.  Please click here. Here is a summary of what I found in my old films.  The contents can now be enjoyed on DVD.
It is also a small tribute to some of the stars you will see who are no longer with us such as Ray Mentzer, Dave Johns, Don Peterson and Ron Teufel.

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1977 and 1980 AAU Mr. AMERICA SHOWS REVISITED!
  
This "all-star" DVD is somewhat like a previews DVD, as it contains so many famous champions.  It has more stars than a Mr. Olympia line-up!

Although we have titled the original video throughout listing major contests and solo stars, there simply isn't space to list on-screen all the champions.  This report gives you a complete 'body by body' word description of all that takes place, and lists all the physiques in order of appearance.
We suggest you keep a copy of this information with the DVD for future reference.

GMV Muscle Video Magazine #1 opens with a look at the light heavyweight line-up of the 1980 AAU Mr. America Show, held in the beautiful Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California. You will see Bob Jodkiewicz, Bronston Austin, and James Seitzer.
 
The lightweight class solo posing commences with John Burkholder and Joe Distinti then the light weight class posedown, won by blond Ken Passariello from John Burkholder. Ken is presented his trophy by Chris Dickerson, future 1982 Mr. Olympia.

The middleweight solo posing commences with Tony Pandolfo, Bill Register, Mike Torchia, Richard Baldwin and Casey Schneider. Then the class posedown, won by Richard Baldwin and presented by Casey Viator.

The light-heavyweight solo posing commences with Ernie Santiago, James Seitzer, Pat Hayes, Bronston Austin, Larry Jackson and Bob Jodkiewicz, followed by the class posedown, showing Austin, Glass, Teufel, Santiago and Seitzer. The class was won by a very charismatic and elated Bronston Austin who does some victory posing before thanking everyone.

The heavyweight class solo posing is preceded by guest posing from Ray Mentzer followed by contestants John Brown, Billy Arlen, Rufus Howard, Gary Leonard, Marlon Darton, Greg (Rocky) DeFerro, John Kemper and Lance Dreher.

Next the fantastic heavy-weight posedown, said by some of the judges to rival the quality of a typical Mr. Universe contest.  This was one of the toughest and best heavyweight line-ups ever seen in an AAU Mr. America. The posedown feature Kemper, Arlen, DeFerro, Leonard (the winner of the
class) and Dreher. Next the overall Mr. America posedown between the 4 class winners. It was a narrow victory for GARY LEONARD over Bronston Austin with the trophy presented by big Lou Ferrigno. Leonard hits more victory poses with his huge trophy beside him.

A full report of this fantastic contest appeared in Iron Man Magazine November 1980 Vol. 40 #1. A number of these top men went on to become our present day professional champions. Gallasch Muscle Videos also made out door solo features on many of these Mr. America contenders such as: Gary Leonard, Lance Dreher, John Kemper, Billy Arlen, Marlon Darton, Ron Teufel, Charles Glass, Ernie Santiago, Robert Jodkiewicz, Larry Jackson, Pat Hayes, Jesse Gautreaux, George Palmiero, Richard Baldwin, Mike Torchia, Tony Pandolfo, James Gaubert, Joe Distinti plus trophy presenters Dickerson and Viator!

Next we present the 1980 Mr. Venice Beach contest. You see a lively posedown plus solo posing by the winner Jim Tarleton, in the Californian sunshine at famous Muscle Beach. 

Our DVD now moves to a preview of Mike Sable pumping up, prior to his outdoors solo video feature. Then a similar outdoor preview of Masters Over 40 champ Don Knipp, pumping with cables on the Santa Monica beach.

Next Wayne's camera moves to Singapore in 1983 for the IFBB World Championships, where he filmed big blond Frank Gay of Switzerland, posing and pumping at pool side.  Other solo features were also filmed this same day with Chuck Williams and Charles Glass, see GMV-005DVD.

Our video next takes us back to 1977 and the old Gold's Gym in Santa Monica, with then owner Ken Sprague posing in front of the gym with his top physiques for the TV news camera.  We caught this rare moment on video, with all the big boys, which included: Manuel Perry, Bill Grant, Kent Kuehn, Larry Gordon, Larry Jackson, and present part owner of Golds, Pete Grymkowski. 

This TV segment was to promote the 1977 AAU Mr. America Day Parade, Saturday July 16th. This special street parade, from the Santa Monica Pier along Ocean Ave to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, was caught by Wayne's video camera. It's pure nostalgia. See if you can spot the following people - Bob Reis, Pete Samra, Dan Lurie and Bert Goodrich (in open cars), Dave Dupre, Rudi Hermosillo, Ken Waller, Bill Grant, Tony Pearson, Bill Pettis and more. Note that DuPre, Hermosillo and Waller are the crazy ones riding the elephants!

Last, but far from least, the action switches to on-stage action at the 1977 Mr. America Show at the final presentations. This was later in the  day, after the parade and prejudging.  Over 100 of the nation's top bodybuilders competed for the major awards. You will see in the posedown line-ups Tom Platz, C.F. Smith, Ron Teufel, Dave Johns, Doug Beaver, Manuel Perry, Clint Beyerle and Pete Grymkowski. Legendary film goddess MAE WEST presents the overall Mr. America trophy to a jubilant DAVE JOHNS who hits poses for his fans. He also took the most muscular award and went on to win the overall title at the 1978 NABBA Amateur Mr. Universe in London.

You may spot a very young Andreas Cahling in the background of this last scene. Johns, Perry and Teufel were the three class winners in this all time classic contest video, and none of this footage has been released by us before. We believe this was Mae West's last public appearance.
Unfortunately it was recorded before the days of live sound video, so we don't have her words of wisdom recorded on this original silent film. Mae West was the star of the film "Sextette".



GMV MUSCLE VIDEO MAGAZINE # 1 - STARS OF THE LATE 70s

We subsequently shot solo features on the following guys from this event:
Manuel Perry, Clint Beyerle, Pete Grymkowski, Dave DuPre, Louie Perotta, Doug Beaver, Larry Gordon, James Pittman, Tom Platz and Don Peterson. A sad note. I asked Bronston Austin and Dave Johns to shoot solo posing features with me. They both politely declined saying that they would shoot and make their own posing films later. I am sorry to say that it never happened and it was an opportunity lost for bodybuilding history.
All footage was recorded on super 8 film, transferred to video, then digitally remastered to DVD, with music added.

This is a star-studded collection of the finest in body building presentations from 1977 and 1980 from our library of physique classics. Plus a highlight from 1983.



Dave DuPre (pictured) was one of the crazy ones posing with an elephant! Ken Waller also rode an elephant.



See full contest results below:

1980 AAU Mr America

Overall Winner: GARY LEONARD.

HeavyWeight
1   Gary Leonard
2   Greg DeFerro
3   Lance Dreher
4   John Kemper
5   Billy Arlen
6   John Brown
7   Ray Wilson
8   Rufus Howard
9   Marlon Darton
10   Stephen Stepaniak
11   Robert Reis
12   Dave Rogers

Light-HeavyWeight
1   Bronston Austin
2   Ron Teufel
3   Ernie Santiago
4   Charles Glass
5   James Seitzer
6   Robert Jodkiewicz
7   Paul Love
8   Larry Jackson
9   Raymond Gingo
10   Patrick Hayes
11   Jesse Gautreaux
12   George Palmiero
 
MiddleWeight
1   Richard Baldwin
2   Bill Register
3   Casey Schneider
4   Mike Torchia
5   Derek Prescod
6   Charles Colson
7   Anthony Pandolfo
8   Ed Holmes
9   Earl Herndon
10   Philip Cianciolo
11   James Gaubert
12   David Campbell 
 
LightWeight
1   Ken Passariello
2   John Burkholder
3   Joseph Distinti
4   Larry Manuel
5   Paul Daniels
6   Joe Adams
7   John Manoogian
8   Lionel Gaubert
9   Robert DePalma
10   Cornell Maye
11   Dean Tornabene

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