MAN MOUNTAIN DEAN

Man Mountain Dean was a real-life pro wrestler who had a most unusual career! He enlisted in the Army in 1905 at the age of 14, because he was so huge, and then in 1914, he became a professional wrestler, and Damon Runyon gave him the idea to be a hillbilly wrestler, and named him "Man Mountain Dean". He did some minor film roles, always playing a wrestler or strong man (including six in the 1930s, and one of those was "Reckless" in 1935, with Jean Harlow). He re-enlisted in the Army during World War II, despite being in his 50s, and after the war, he enrolled in college and majored in journalism! He passed away in 1953 at the age of 61.