Mark Twain said something along the lines of, "A Lie can get out and be Half Way Around the World before the Truth can get its Shoes on!" At times there is so much nonsense and misinformation circulating, spewed out by very authoritative sounding charlatans, who don't seem to be able to admit human fallibility to anyone. After all, what is so hard about being able to just say, "I don't know!"? Getting the story right about well-known, prominent 'Celebs' who are currently popular, is difficult enough. But usually, due to the high visibility of those currently in the public spotlight, any untruths can usually be corrected quickly. Not so where the erroneous news item concerns a less than currently prominent public idol.
Indeed, in some circles there is a feeling that the Atlas Legend was a mythical character, like Paul Bunyan, John Henry or Pecos Bill. Some of the public accepted the most outlandish of far-fetched fables. One that was making the rounds in the early 1960's went like this:
"There was this guy, Charles Atlas was his name, I think! Well, he worked out a lot and got real strong! But he kept liftin'weights and stuff, and he got real Musclebound! But even then, he wouldn't stop working out, then he finally got so much muscle that he couldn't breathe! And then he died!" (Honestly Dear Readers, that's how I heard it, from more than one separate source, yet!)
Well, it took some years, but finally in 1999, the A&E Network's BIOGRAPHY decided to devote one of their hour segments to the Charles Atlas story. The Jack Perkins narrated segment, which was titled oddly,"BIOGRAPHY" CHARLES ATLAS:MODERN DAY HERCULES*. This episode boldly'took no prisoners' in getting the real story out to the TV audience.
There were of course references to all of those countless "Sand kicking Bully, 97 pound weakling" advertisements, which proliferated so thoroughly through just about every magazine and comic book in the period of the 1930's to the 1960's and even beyond!** That "Insult that made a Man out of Mack", with all of its variations which we saw over the years, is considered a true classic in the annals of the Madison Avenue Crowd. It has been hailed as most memorable, effective and it has basis in a true experience of the young Italian Immigrant boy, Angelo Siciliano.
What's that, Angelo, who's he? Well Mr. Atlas began life as one Angelo Siciliano in Acri,Calabria, Italy on October 30, 1893 and left this world on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1972. His story reads like the American Dream, on more than one level.
As a young boy, member of a family new to America, Angelo had a tough road to go. The customs and language of basically rural Southern Italians would present some obstacles to any one. Luckily, being a youngster, the adaptation was more easily achieved. But he had another problem that was a source of deep, psychological pain was his underweight, skinny physique. He was his own proverbial "97 pound Weakling!" Observation of a Classic Statue of Hercules on a School Trip trip to the Art Museum led to the YMCA, daily exercise, including using the weights.
From there, he began to fill out and upon reaching his late teens, his new position as a Lifedguard at Coney Island and a certain resemblance to a statue of Atlas holding the World on his shoulders, earned Angelo the nickname 'Charlie Atlas'. Later he would assume the more formal and proper form of 'Charles' (Atlas), having it changed so legally. His claim of "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" was more than a braggart's empty claim. He was winner of a couple of Contests of that "World's Most..." title that were promoted by Bernarr MacFadden, now known as the father of physical culture.
Mr. Atlas used his prize money to open a gym in NYC, but soon had ideas of going mail order with a home, self improvement course. It was at this time that a friend from the neighborhood, one Charles Roman formed a life long business arrangement between the Italian Roman Catholic, Atlas and his Jewish friend, Roman. Charles Roman had acquired a good practical business sense and wanted to move up from his copyright clerks job.
What they did next was a near brilliant move for business. Instead of promoting the practice of using progressive resistance exercise via the use of Barbells, Dumbbells and related equipment, they touted the following of a system of what would later be called Isometric Contraction. The Course as published was called the now famous name of "Dynamic Tension". The claim was that it was the invention of Charles Atlas, who was inspired by observing Lions, Tigers and other Big Cats in captivity, stretching and pushing their considerable sinew against its own resistance.*** It was highly successful, as we know.
But business aside, like most Naturalized Citizens, Atlas deeply loved America and offered a version of his Dynamic Tension for use by our men in uniform during World War II, free of charge, his contribution to the War Effort. His Dynamic Tension for G.I. was very much in evidence in 1967, when this writer entered the Chicago Police Training Academy, where everyday began with a session of Atlas Exercises.
* Is it just me, or is it really proper to give the episode this title? After all, they're starting off by calling Atlas, Hercules!
** The Whole Atlas course, including the "Dynamic Tension" lessons, is still available for purchase from Charles Atlas, Ltd., via the Internet.
*** An unconfirmed story says that the Dynamic Tension course was the invention of Florida Chiropractor, Dr. Frederick Tilney, who sold the rights to Atlas and Roman. The home study course also included lessons in Self Defense and Weightlifting.(Get the course if you doubt me! See charlesatlas.com
Indeed, in some circles there is a feeling that the Atlas Legend was a mythical character, like Paul Bunyan, John Henry or Pecos Bill. Some of the public accepted the most outlandish of far-fetched fables. One that was making the rounds in the early 1960's went like this:
"There was this guy, Charles Atlas was his name, I think! Well, he worked out a lot and got real strong! But he kept liftin'weights and stuff, and he got real Musclebound! But even then, he wouldn't stop working out, then he finally got so much muscle that he couldn't breathe! And then he died!" (Honestly Dear Readers, that's how I heard it, from more than one separate source, yet!)
Well, it took some years, but finally in 1999, the A&E Network's BIOGRAPHY decided to devote one of their hour segments to the Charles Atlas story. The Jack Perkins narrated segment, which was titled oddly,"BIOGRAPHY" CHARLES ATLAS:MODERN DAY HERCULES*. This episode boldly'took no prisoners' in getting the real story out to the TV audience.
There were of course references to all of those countless "Sand kicking Bully, 97 pound weakling" advertisements, which proliferated so thoroughly through just about every magazine and comic book in the period of the 1930's to the 1960's and even beyond!** That "Insult that made a Man out of Mack", with all of its variations which we saw over the years, is considered a true classic in the annals of the Madison Avenue Crowd. It has been hailed as most memorable, effective and it has basis in a true experience of the young Italian Immigrant boy, Angelo Siciliano.
What's that, Angelo, who's he? Well Mr. Atlas began life as one Angelo Siciliano in Acri,Calabria, Italy on October 30, 1893 and left this world on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1972. His story reads like the American Dream, on more than one level.
As a young boy, member of a family new to America, Angelo had a tough road to go. The customs and language of basically rural Southern Italians would present some obstacles to any one. Luckily, being a youngster, the adaptation was more easily achieved. But he had another problem that was a source of deep, psychological pain was his underweight, skinny physique. He was his own proverbial "97 pound Weakling!" Observation of a Classic Statue of Hercules on a School Trip trip to the Art Museum led to the YMCA, daily exercise, including using the weights.
From there, he began to fill out and upon reaching his late teens, his new position as a Lifedguard at Coney Island and a certain resemblance to a statue of Atlas holding the World on his shoulders, earned Angelo the nickname 'Charlie Atlas'. Later he would assume the more formal and proper form of 'Charles' (Atlas), having it changed so legally. His claim of "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" was more than a braggart's empty claim. He was winner of a couple of Contests of that "World's Most..." title that were promoted by Bernarr MacFadden, now known as the father of physical culture.
Mr. Atlas used his prize money to open a gym in NYC, but soon had ideas of going mail order with a home, self improvement course. It was at this time that a friend from the neighborhood, one Charles Roman formed a life long business arrangement between the Italian Roman Catholic, Atlas and his Jewish friend, Roman. Charles Roman had acquired a good practical business sense and wanted to move up from his copyright clerks job.
What they did next was a near brilliant move for business. Instead of promoting the practice of using progressive resistance exercise via the use of Barbells, Dumbbells and related equipment, they touted the following of a system of what would later be called Isometric Contraction. The Course as published was called the now famous name of "Dynamic Tension". The claim was that it was the invention of Charles Atlas, who was inspired by observing Lions, Tigers and other Big Cats in captivity, stretching and pushing their considerable sinew against its own resistance.*** It was highly successful, as we know.
But business aside, like most Naturalized Citizens, Atlas deeply loved America and offered a version of his Dynamic Tension for use by our men in uniform during World War II, free of charge, his contribution to the War Effort. His Dynamic Tension for G.I. was very much in evidence in 1967, when this writer entered the Chicago Police Training Academy, where everyday began with a session of Atlas Exercises.
* Is it just me, or is it really proper to give the episode this title? After all, they're starting off by calling Atlas, Hercules!
** The Whole Atlas course, including the "Dynamic Tension" lessons, is still available for purchase from Charles Atlas, Ltd., via the Internet.
*** An unconfirmed story says that the Dynamic Tension course was the invention of Florida Chiropractor, Dr. Frederick Tilney, who sold the rights to Atlas and Roman. The home study course also included lessons in Self Defense and Weightlifting.(Get the course if you doubt me! See charlesatlas.com
