hiː wʌzɐ hˌæbɪɾəˈeɪ ʌvðə fˈeɪməs mˈʌsəl bˈiːtʃ bˈɑːdɪbˌɪldɪŋ miːljˈuː ɪn sˈʌðɚn kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, wʌzðə fˈɜːst "mˈɪstɚ. kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə" ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn, ænd fˈɪnɪʃt sˈɛkənd ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈaɪv mˈɪstɚ. ɐmˈɛɹɪkə kˈɑːntɛst.
He was a habitué of the famous Muscle Beach bodybuilding milieu in southern California, was the first "Mr. California" in 1941, and finished second in the 1945 Mr. America contest.