I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Ted Lewin
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Released: 9/94
The Good
A lightning fast read that is mostly a series of anecdotes. What I really liked is that Ted Lewin did not write this assuming the reader is a smart fan, so he explains things to some extent. However, he does not let his explanations kill his tales and there is plenty of namedropping and insider lingo to make a smart fan feel good. This was marketed by Scholastic, so I picture a thirteen year old reading this today. I think he could get it and probably get through the book without putting it down because it never mentioned Jeff Hardy, barbed wire tables or some sexual escapade with a ringrat. Lewin writes a straightforward book that is positive and fun for anybody. Since this predates the pro-wrestling autobiography craze, it must be considered a little differently. I think it delivered what Lewin wanted it to, nothing more, nothing less.
The Bad
Who the heck is Ted Lewin, people probably ask. Mark Lewin was a big deal in several places, but he's not exactly a legend and this is his brother? That knock is obvious, but that does not really inhibit what this book wanted to be. I think the brief, sometimes random and often unnecessary stories are what one would knock this autobiography for. The selling point, he started wrestling as a teenager, is not really the central issue...in fact, you might say he downplays it. The major story is in fact him being an art student by day and a pro-wrestler by night, but I guess "The Wrestling Art Student" doesn't have the same ring to it.
The Rating: ***
Showing posts with label Golden Age. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Age. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Friday, April 9, 2010
Mark Lewin [Highspots Shoot Interview]
The Good
When Mark Lewin seemed to magically appear after relative obscurity, I was intrigued about this man who is one of pro-wrestling's most unique and well-traveled individuals. When I learned he was doing shoot interviews, I was overjoyed. This really delivers the goods as Highspots appears to have hired an interview who does solid research, builds a rapport with the interviewee, conducts a flowing interview and makes almost everyone else seem second- or third-rate. As great as the interviewer was, Mark Lewin was just the man I'd like to have in that hot seat. His amazing career was covered in sufficient detail (for a two-hour shoot), he touched on psychology, booking, character development and even heavier topics like substance abuse and personality flaws were not left untouched. Mark Lewin seems to be fairly open, but is certainly calculating in his responses. It is funny because he looks remarkably like Johnny Powers nowadays (although both had very different looks during their careers), but the gum-smacking Lewin seems so much more laid back, honest and humble than JP (whose career I feel Lewin's is superior to in most ways). This is one of those must-see/hear shoot interviews that happen every once and while.
The Bad
Two-hours was just simply not long enough. If undercarders from the Monday Night Wars can get four-hours, how can Mark Lewin not get more time! Actually, I suspect he'll be subject of several (guest booker, anyone?) and I cannot wait. Mark Lewin's thirty-year career was so unbelievable and the surface is only scratched here. His early career seems well covered, although a two-hour interview about just the "Golden Age" would work for me. The part about Australia was what I was most looking forward to as a highlight, but it was not delved into as deeply as it might have been. His notable runs in Florida, Detroit and Georgia are only briefly covered and others (San Antonio, New Zealand and San Francisco) are hardly mentioned if not left out completely. I don't want to beat up on this too much because what is there is gold, but I'd take a Ric Flair-like marathon shoot interview with Mark Lewin anytime!
The Rating: ****3/4
The Good
When Mark Lewin seemed to magically appear after relative obscurity, I was intrigued about this man who is one of pro-wrestling's most unique and well-traveled individuals. When I learned he was doing shoot interviews, I was overjoyed. This really delivers the goods as Highspots appears to have hired an interview who does solid research, builds a rapport with the interviewee, conducts a flowing interview and makes almost everyone else seem second- or third-rate. As great as the interviewer was, Mark Lewin was just the man I'd like to have in that hot seat. His amazing career was covered in sufficient detail (for a two-hour shoot), he touched on psychology, booking, character development and even heavier topics like substance abuse and personality flaws were not left untouched. Mark Lewin seems to be fairly open, but is certainly calculating in his responses. It is funny because he looks remarkably like Johnny Powers nowadays (although both had very different looks during their careers), but the gum-smacking Lewin seems so much more laid back, honest and humble than JP (whose career I feel Lewin's is superior to in most ways). This is one of those must-see/hear shoot interviews that happen every once and while.
The Bad
Two-hours was just simply not long enough. If undercarders from the Monday Night Wars can get four-hours, how can Mark Lewin not get more time! Actually, I suspect he'll be subject of several (guest booker, anyone?) and I cannot wait. Mark Lewin's thirty-year career was so unbelievable and the surface is only scratched here. His early career seems well covered, although a two-hour interview about just the "Golden Age" would work for me. The part about Australia was what I was most looking forward to as a highlight, but it was not delved into as deeply as it might have been. His notable runs in Florida, Detroit and Georgia are only briefly covered and others (San Antonio, New Zealand and San Francisco) are hardly mentioned if not left out completely. I don't want to beat up on this too much because what is there is gold, but I'd take a Ric Flair-like marathon shoot interview with Mark Lewin anytime!
The Rating: ****3/4
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Lipstick & Dynamite:
The First Ladies of Wrestling
Directors: Ruth Leitman
Distributor: Koch Lorber Films
Released: 9/05
Featured Talent
Mary Aquaviva (fan), Rita Cortez-Lee, Penny Banner, Marie Bernardi, Cathy Branch, Karin Dromo,
The Good
This may very well be the greatest documentary ever made about pro-wrestling. It has the shocking moments like Beyond the Mat, it has the scope of Heroes of World Class, it has production value better than all of the WWE's documentaries and it succinctly investigates one dimension of pro-wrestling. The overall feel of this is fantastic with a post-war art deco and rockabilly combination that adds greatly. It should also be noted that much of the music is provided by Memphis-based surf rockers Los Straightjackets who are known for wearing luchador masks. The stories and anecdotes are tremendous and only add to the overall package, although it seems likely that some great ones were left on the cutting room floor. The stories of political maneuvering, sexual promiscuity and bitterness between the stars adds a lot of zest to this effort. Furthermore, the openness of the ladies featured is incredible and the perfume is practically radiating through the camera lens. The overall story is simple. Women's wrestling went from the carnivals to arenas through the manipulation of seedy men like Jack Pfefer and Billy Wolfe, but eventually the Fabulous Moolah seized control and helped transition the control to the McMahon family where it is today. It is interesting to hear linkage from the carnies to Vince McMahon. There are numerous morsels of intrigue to this from the Fabulous Moolah's disturbing relationship with “girl midget wrestler” Diamond Lil to Penny Banner describing her abusive relationship with legendary babyface Johnny Weaver. This documentary is exactly what it aims to be and it ends up being one of, if not the best documentary of its kind.
The Bad
While any documentary on pro-wrestling has its flaws, this one has very few. Clearly, it only takes a small portion of pro-wrestling (women's wrestling) and is mostly limited to a certain time period (1940s-1980s), although it talks about the time before and after. There is a level of kayfabe from some of the ladies that you expect from old-schoolers. Yes, they had tough matches and yes, sometime people took liberties or went into business on their own, but there is a feeling that there was a level of shooting going on that seems implausible. The other facet that bothers me is burying the “divas” of today, specifically those in the WWE. One is led to believe that the women's wrestlers of today are purely sex objects with no athletic ability, but that is simply untrue. While sex is perhaps the strongest part of the package, it is only a part and demeaning the athleticism (as opposed to the working ability) of current female pro-wrestlers is unnecessary. The cult of Japanese women's wrestling is never acknowledged, although it was more successful and arguably better than the generation of wrestling featured here, but you can always check out Gaea Girls for that. Another strong knock I've heard about this is that Moolah & Mae Young snatched up filmmaker Ruth Leitman and led her to believe that they were the pioneers of women's wrestling, so people outside the clique like Penny Banner and others did not get accurately depicted. Thankfully Penny has a book out and I'm sure it is much better and more credible than Moolah's. Overall this documentary is excellent and an example for any that follow it.
The Rating: *****
The First Ladies of Wrestling
Directors: Ruth Leitman
Distributor: Koch Lorber Films
Released: 9/05
Featured Talent
Mary Aquaviva (fan), Rita Cortez-Lee, Penny Banner, Marie Bernardi, Cathy Branch, Karin Dromo,
The Fabulous Moolah, Gladys “Killem” Gillem, Judy Grable, Joyce Grable, Sylvia Hackney, Joe Hamilton [The Assassin], Karl Lauer (promoter), Marie Laverne, Sara Lee, Ida May Martinez, Jim Melby (referee/magazine publisher), Sputnik Monroe, Sandy Parker, Anthony Piazza (fan & collector),
Stu Schwartz (referee), Millie Stafford, Ella Waldek, Johnny Wall Jr. (Gladys Gillem's son), Bonnie Watson, “The Great” Mae Young
The Good
This may very well be the greatest documentary ever made about pro-wrestling. It has the shocking moments like Beyond the Mat, it has the scope of Heroes of World Class, it has production value better than all of the WWE's documentaries and it succinctly investigates one dimension of pro-wrestling. The overall feel of this is fantastic with a post-war art deco and rockabilly combination that adds greatly. It should also be noted that much of the music is provided by Memphis-based surf rockers Los Straightjackets who are known for wearing luchador masks. The stories and anecdotes are tremendous and only add to the overall package, although it seems likely that some great ones were left on the cutting room floor. The stories of political maneuvering, sexual promiscuity and bitterness between the stars adds a lot of zest to this effort. Furthermore, the openness of the ladies featured is incredible and the perfume is practically radiating through the camera lens. The overall story is simple. Women's wrestling went from the carnivals to arenas through the manipulation of seedy men like Jack Pfefer and Billy Wolfe, but eventually the Fabulous Moolah seized control and helped transition the control to the McMahon family where it is today. It is interesting to hear linkage from the carnies to Vince McMahon. There are numerous morsels of intrigue to this from the Fabulous Moolah's disturbing relationship with “girl midget wrestler” Diamond Lil to Penny Banner describing her abusive relationship with legendary babyface Johnny Weaver. This documentary is exactly what it aims to be and it ends up being one of, if not the best documentary of its kind.
The Bad
While any documentary on pro-wrestling has its flaws, this one has very few. Clearly, it only takes a small portion of pro-wrestling (women's wrestling) and is mostly limited to a certain time period (1940s-1980s), although it talks about the time before and after. There is a level of kayfabe from some of the ladies that you expect from old-schoolers. Yes, they had tough matches and yes, sometime people took liberties or went into business on their own, but there is a feeling that there was a level of shooting going on that seems implausible. The other facet that bothers me is burying the “divas” of today, specifically those in the WWE. One is led to believe that the women's wrestlers of today are purely sex objects with no athletic ability, but that is simply untrue. While sex is perhaps the strongest part of the package, it is only a part and demeaning the athleticism (as opposed to the working ability) of current female pro-wrestlers is unnecessary. The cult of Japanese women's wrestling is never acknowledged, although it was more successful and arguably better than the generation of wrestling featured here, but you can always check out Gaea Girls for that. Another strong knock I've heard about this is that Moolah & Mae Young snatched up filmmaker Ruth Leitman and led her to believe that they were the pioneers of women's wrestling, so people outside the clique like Penny Banner and others did not get accurately depicted. Thankfully Penny has a book out and I'm sure it is much better and more credible than Moolah's. Overall this documentary is excellent and an example for any that follow it.
The Rating: *****
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