This 1940s bodybuilding video is now in color & it’s got everyone breaking a sweat
A post shared by Colorful History (@colorful.upscaled.history)The original clip, posted by newsreel archivists British Pathé on YouTube, adds a bit more context to the newly resurfaced video.
Not that we needed an excuse to appreciate some vintage beefcakes in their underwear!It seems the bodybuilding contest was called “The Perfect Man” and the competition was especially fierce.In a perfect Transatlantic voice, the announcer begins: “In San Francisco, they found a tribe of strong, silent, and almost perfect men.” (Notice the spectacled person standing up to get a closer view.
Perfectly understandable!)The collection of eye candy was described as, “Samsons and Adonises all rolled into one.” And their natural beauty was not lost on the women or any of the men.
It was San Francisco, after all!That’s not to say everyone was appreciative. These two ladies –– let’s called them Ruth and Margaret –– seemed less than enthused by this contestant’s flexing muscles. “Bulging biceps may appeal to some feminine fans, but they don’t seem to impress a tip-titled nose and an open mouth,” the announcer observed.And let’s give a round of applause to all the men competing for the title: “The finalists, the creme de la creme of masculine beauty.”That being said, this unnamed gentleman took home the grand title at the competition: “And the winner, the perfect man!”The comments on the video are just as thirsty as you’d expect them to be. “Homoeroticism at its very best,” one user wrote on YouTube, while another asked, “What is the name of the winner?” (In hopes of finding an Only Fans account, perhaps?
