Muscle Beach was shown in competition at Cannes in 1949 and won a prize at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1951. The short became a cult favorite, screening at film clubs around the world. Strick used an army surplus movie camera to shoot the film during weekends in the fall of 1948. The songs in “Muscle Beach,” composed and sung by political folk singer Earl Robinson, with lyrics by screenwriter and poet Edwin Rolfe, accent the film’s three-movement structure as it transitions between soaring gymnastics shows, flirty beachgoers and children playing near the now-demolished pier at Ocean Park. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2009.
Muscle Beach (1948) is a documentary film directed by Irving Lerner, released on December 1, 1948 with a runtime of 9m. Viewers rate it 5.8 out of 10 across 4 ratings.
Average viewer score of 5.8/10 from 4 ratings.
"Think like an athlete, cut them apron strings, starve on your own..." This is essentially a very early music video. A vehicle for a 10 minute musical appreciation of the beach. It's all actuality - fit young people using gymnastics apparatus, people sunbathing, kids playing, ice cream, soda pop - all to an accompaniment from Earl Robinson under the gaze of a seagull. At times the lyric is quite observational and…
Reviewed on April 4, 2022
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Muscle Beach was released on December 1, 1948 and runs for 9m.
Muscle Beach (1948) holds an average rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 4 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.