Young Apollo Matches Feats of Superman

Traditional strongman Paul Anderson, stage name 'The Mighty Apollo' or 'Young Apollo', was famous in the 1940s for his Superman-like feats of strength. In signature leopard-print tight shorts with belt, gladiator sandals and leather handcuffs, the young Melbourne performer drew crowds with some impressive tricks that often placed him in great danger.

In this new NFSA find from the Movietone News vault, a segment filmed in 1949, you can hear New Zealand-born broadcaster Jack Davey comically narrating how Apollo makes an 'hors d'oeuvres of iron bars', and how he 'lies on a bed of nails, borrowed from my boarding house' before men smash stones on his body using sledgehammers. We also see him get run over and haul a 20-tonne tram with (you guessed it) his teeth! Just another ordinary day at work for the athletic performer.

Anderson retired in 1988. Throughout his career, he claimed 50 weightlifting records and smashed 30 world records; however, he also nearly died during several stunts and suffered a multitude of injuries.

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