Lawrence Mace Journal Entry (Deforest "Moe" Most) September 2006
[Some of which was read by Moe's Daughter at a Memorial Dinner at Back On Broadway, 2006]
"Moe. Saturday morning 9/2/6 Deforest Most died age 89 from heart problems. Deepest thanks Moe for our 58 years of close friendship.)
"Eleventh grade 1948 learning gymnastics in Oakland California heard best high school gymnasts in world worked out at Santa Monica Muscle Beach. Hitch-hiked 400 miles one Friday night, arrived early Saturday morining. 8:00 director Moe opened the Shack, small green storage building for beach equipment. Got warm friendly greeting, Moe's standard for anyone."Give me a hand with the mats," he said. Together we pulled gymnastic mats from an enclosure at one end of the platform, an 80 by 24 foot masonite-covered structure raised 3 feet above beach sand. "Let's try a hand-to-hand," Moe said laying down on the mats, raising his hands, inviting my hand-stand on his hands. At the time I could barely hold a hand-stand on solid parallel bars, certainly not on his shaky hands. My weight was heavy 185 plus, amazing how solid he felt, how patient with my first unskilled attempts, our first of thousands of hand-to-hands together over the years, often exchanging top and bottom positions.
"Later that morning Muscle Beach came alive, some acrobats did hand-balancing on the platform mats, others did male-female adagio lifts and tosses, gymnasts arrived to work on nearby horizontal-bar and high flying-rings my own special interests, weight-lifters and body-builders arrived to work out in their equipment area, volleyball players began to play on several courts, table-tennis and chess players collected at concrete tables. Moe provided support, structure, equipment managing it all, obviously well-liked, respected by everyone.
"Social variety at Muscle Beach was extreme: rich/poor, young/old, beautiful/not, famous/infamous, professional/amateur, whatever. Especially on weekends or holidays vastly different kinds of people clustered in the small area surrounding the shack/platform, most with different activity interests. Tolerance for such differences was amazing, universal purpose for all was recreational fun, few spoiled it. Moe was the enthusiastic participant/organizer for successful diverse Muscle Beach social interaction. It could not, would not, have happened without him.
"Several current American institutions originated or were strongly influenced by Muscle Beach. The physical culture industry grew from Muscle Beach generated Mr. Americas contests and weight lifting championships, two-man beach volleyball began at Muscle Beach, people like Bobby Fisher played chess there, Bob Ashley played table tennis, professional circus and night club performers acquired skills, world-class gymnasts became regulars. It was mecca for all these activities. Moe was there from 1934 to 1959 to welcome/ encourage/facilitate.
"Because of more high school [1948-1949] hitch-hiking weekends to Muscle Beach, gymnastic competition judges in Oakland were impressed with my horizontal-bar/flying-ring movements not seen before in the Bay Area: got First rings, Second high bar senior year Oakland Athletic League. Began learning crucial success principle because of Moe: to do anything well associate with those who do it best and imitate.
"1949 full year Navy Electronics School at San Francisco Treasure Island. Most Friday nights hitch-hiked in Navy uniform to Muscle Beach, changed to swim suit in shack, worked out all day Saturday then Sunday with Moe and others, hitch-hiked 400 miles back north early Monday morning exhausted. Dozed through electronics classes two days then studied hard to get liberty for following weekend. That year learned far more hand-balancing/acrobatics/gymnastics than electronics.
"Moe was recognized as strongest man in world supporting/balancing live human weight over-head, sometimes four people on his shoulders. Standing-three-high was basic: second man standing on shoulders of bottom-man, top-mounter standing on shoulders of second man. Worked with Moe in hundreds of standing-three-highs, often exchanging bottom position, often with inexperienced top-mounters like Mr. America Steve Reeves, sometimes with top-mounter high-hand-to-hand. One New Years Eve at ballroom on the Santa Monica Pier we did standing-three-high on the crowded dance floor at precisely midnight. Moe was renowned for many other acrobatic feats such as head-to-head balancing, once he did fifty consecutive horizontal bar giant swings bare-handed, world record no bar gloves!
"Greatly missed Moe and Muscle Beach '50-'53: two years Hawaii as Navy antenna rigger, one year Korea aboard ship. Tried to export Moe's teaching and Muscle Beach spirit to Waikiki. Oahu provided opportunity for part-time vaudeville-type show business: circus, military service clubs, night clubs, two or three person acrobatic acts with hand-balancing, adagio, all first learned through Moe.
"'53 left Navy, began college in Santa Monica. Great to be with Moe again living at Muscle Beach, '53-'59 were glory days for Muscle Beach life, as always friend Moe integral. For me semi-professional show business supplemented GI Bill, sometimes with Moe. Muscle Beach helped me get four college letters in gymnastics at SMC/UCLA.
"Muscle Beach was closed in '59, Moe fired as director returned to studios working as set carpenter. Shack/platform area next to pier became new life-guard headquarters, acrobatics activity was allowed on beachfront grass area without platform. Years later metal rings, bars were installed again one block south along beach front. Evidently Santa Monica city officials looked forward to lavish profitable beach hotels with large parking lots, decided to spread out beach activities thinking clustered exhibitionistic Muscle Beach participants would not contribute. Wrong! Name identity was stolen by phony Venice Muscle Beach.
"Traveled in Europe '59-'60, returned to UCLA with more beach life. One Sunday doing adagio in life-guard grass area Moe collapsed with massive heart attack: intensive care, double by-pass, almost died but recovered ended further acrobatic activity. '80's Moe soon also had double hip replacement further slowing him down.
"Completed doctorate '64, moved to New York to work seven years, commuted to Santa Monica beach when possible, always looked forward to seeing Moe. '71 settled in Santa Monica teaching hang gliding. Again spent regular time with Moe, especially summers in Sierras' Owens Valley swimming at Mammoth Hot Creek.
"Moe had no enemies, everybody liked him, he hated nobody. Why? Moe never pushed anyone around in any way, he accepted everyone just as they were, never any consequences imposed for bad behavior. Many times heard 20-year third wife Jackie scream or rail at Moe about something, never heard a hostile retort. Occasionally heard mild irritation over events, never deep anger. Moe always had two vicious dogs, biting people, attacking other dogs. Why? Because he treated his dogs as he did all people totally without discipline, no negative consequences for undesirable actions. Watched Moe's two sons develop from birth into manhood, both turned out fine much like Moe. Why? Moe was a master of positive example leadership, not all people followed, most did.
"Late '90's began The Dying Bench: most days half dozen of us male senior citizens would cluster for hours next to Moe on a beach-front bench opposite the Santa Monica Pier, talking, watching all the girls go by. Clearly Moe's charisma, his personal magic of leadership arousing special loyalty was always working. "Where's Moe today?"was heard immediately when Moe was missing or tardy.
"Several years ago several of us: Cheb Conway, Georgio Carabas, myself began enjoyable regular Thursday morning brunch with Moe, usually at Norm's Restaurant, Santa Monica. Recently Moe spent several long hospital stays, latest for a third hip replacement. Each time lack of exercise in hospital caused increasing weakness, finally Moe needed a walker to get around. Thursday 8/24 had our last brunch at Tommy's Restaurant, West LA, Moe's favorite place for roast beef with mashed potatoes with brown gravy, Strangely Moe ordered only soup. He was completely lucid, same sense of humor as always, memory better than my own; as always, planning to attend a party that evening. Learned following Sunday Moe had collapsed at the party, insisted paramedics take him home rather than hospital. Called Moe Thursday morning 8/31 for regular brunch, speech slurred he said, "can't get out of bed today, son coming tonight." Suspected the worst. Son Steve took Moe to hospital Friday evening, he died Saturday morning.
"Awoke this morning feeling deep sorrow never to see Moe again, crucial part of my life gone forever. Goodbye good friend, hundreds besides me will remember with gratitude your central importance in their lives."