Full Name Joseph Bonomo Children Joan Bonomo Spouse Ethel Newman (m. ?–1978) | Role Stunt Performer Name Joe Bonomo Siblings Victor Bonomo | |
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Occupation Stunt performer, strongman Died March 28, 1978, Los Angeles, California, United States Movies The Great Circus Mystery, Perils of the Wild, The Golden Stallion Books Building Body Power, Improve Your Dancing | ||
Joseph Bonomo (December 25, 1901 – March 28, 1978) was a famous American weight lifter, strongman, film stunt performer and actor.
Biography
Bonomo was born to Esther and Albert Bonomo, Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Izmir. As a child Bonomo built himself into a strongman winning the "Mr Modern Apollo" contest of 1921 where the prizes included a ten-week movie contract.
He began as a stunt double soon doubling for Lon Chaney in The Hunchback of Notre Dame then playing a variety of roles. He lost the role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Mighty when he injured himself before shooting,.
When sound came, Bonomo's strong Brooklyn accent precluded him from most film roles but he reportedly retained his fame in magazine adverts offering bodybuilding by mail order.
References
Joe Bonomo (strongman) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA