Muscleman & movie star Slideshow

Photos: 1

From: xychromo

Categories: Pictures

Tags: Degni, Forest, lou, Mark, movies, sword&sandals

Added: 14 years ago

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, Louis (Lou) Degni started working out at 13, and within six years, achieved the results immortalized here by Lon of New York. It was around this time that he moved to LA and placed 27th in the 1952 Mr. America contest--an impressive feat for a 19-year-old who had scarcely begun his competitive career. Although he won Mr. New York City title the next year, Mr. Venice Beach soon afterward, and, in the 1956 Mr. American had advanced to 15th place , he gave up competing in favor of movie career, where as 'Mark Forest,' he emerged as a worthy succesor to Steve Reeves in the Italian-made sword & sandals epics that had won him worldwide fame. I've just posted a scene from one of Forest's earliest triumphs in the videos section.