Mario Lanza... The Modern Caruso By Terry Robinson   Strength & Health Magazine April 1951 From Pat Burkhart <burkhart.6@osu.edu>       Just twenty-eight years ago in a humble section of Philadelphia dark-eyed and black-haired beautiful Maria Cocozza gave birth to little Alfred. He naturally was the pride and joy of mamma Maria and his world war hero daddy Antonio--and he looked like any other baby, but he was destined to become the greatest tenor voice of his time. This baby today is Mario Lanza, acclaimed as the logical successor to Enrico Caruso, the immortal.   Mario Lanza's physique, his strength, good looks and personality are outstanding, and second only to his remarkable singing voice. As there was only one Caruso, there is now only one Lanza. What was the background, and what was responsible for this tremendous personality? Mario was born of wonderful parents. His father was an athlete and a hero of World War I. "Pop" was a champion bicycle rider, and trained in his spare moments with weights using the wall pulleys mainly. He captured the first German prisoner, and was wounded in action, and as a result he received the Purple Heart and other decorations. he was also a lover of the arts, and his collection of Caruso records is one to behold, as his knowledge of the opera is priceless.   Mario's mother, Maria Lanza Cocozza, is a real dark-eyed and dark-aired Italian beauty. "Mom" has had the good sense to have been logical and understanding and to have helped guide the young boy to his present success. She went to work to help out when dad came home wounded. She got up at 5:30 every morning and traveled on the old trolley in all types of weather, and then came home and cooked and washed and sewed to keep her two men healthy and happy.   When Pop and Mom found out that their son had a good singing voice, he was encouraged and given every chance for study. They also encouraged him to train physically, for they also noticed his athletic abilities. They bought him a set of "York" weights, and Mario worked out at home after school. He also studied his singing by playing Caruso records and singing along with them.   Mario was growing fast, playing football and baseball and boxing as he continued his studies in voice and opera with the hard earned help from his parents. As he gathered momentum his weight-lifting began to attract notice. mom said his chest was getting so big she couldn't buy shirts to fit him. Mario recognized that as he exercised with the weights his voice was also growing.   After graduation from high school Mario was examined by a doctor. This doctor told Ma Lanza that Mario should stop weight training because it would make him "muscle-bound." Mario laughed at this, and trained all the harder. mom said she would shiver every time she heard the weights being pushed around upstairs. (Mario is a boy who knows what he wants and what is best for him. He continued to train because he knew that this conditioning and the building of his body would give him strength and good circulation, proper breathing and muscle control to help his singing.   It was time now for Mario to go to work and help along with the household expenses, so this husky boy went out to become a truck driver and a piano mover. It was while moving pianos to the Philadelphia Academy of Music that Mario was urged to sing by a man who had heard his voice. He was urged to sing because Serge Koussevitzky was in a room opposite to where the pianos were being delivered. After a few minutes of "Vesti La Giuba," Koussevitzy could not believe his ears, whereupon he grabbed Mario and made him promise to attend the Koussevitzy conducted Berkshire Music Festival in Massachusetts.   Mario went with Koussevitzky and studied for seven weeks. During this time he also trained with his weights. They were as much a part of him as his voice. At the age of 20 Mario made his opera debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After this he was signed to a concert contract in New York with Arthur Judson. All was going great when Mario was drafted to become a GI and served with the Army Air Corps. His soldiering put an end to his weight training for a few years as the Army chow took its toll. he gained a great deal of weight, especially around the abdomen.       After his discharge he met and married Betty Hicks, sister of his war time pal, Bert. Betty herself, a believer in exercise, put Mario back on his schedule of training, as well as back to his vocal studies. Things were tough at this time, but with Betty's help, Mario once again started to climb back to his natural self. And with this change other things began to happen. Sam Weiler, a wealthy businessman who was studying voice himself, became interested in Mario, sponsored him, and to this day is still a very important cog in a whirling career that promises to become the most fabulous of modern times.   Pop and Mom put Mario on first base, Betty placed him on second, Sam Weiler on third and now he was ready for "Home" and "Goal."   Mario Lanza, who was one day to carry on in the tradition of Enrico Caruso, commenced studying again, this time with Enrico Rosati who was the teacher of Beniamino Gigli of Metropolitan fame. It was soon after that MGM signed Mario to a contract. It happened this way. Walter Pidgeon, the motion picture star, attended a concert at the Hollywood Bowl where Mario was performing. He was so impressed with this great voice that he immediately arranged for an audition with Louis B. Mayer, which was followed immediately with a contract. Walter Pidgeon is known to have said, "This is the great tenor of the century."   Upon the termination of his current commitments, Mario then moved to California. Having gained some weight he decided to again regain his athletic figure. So he joined the Bert Goodrich Gym in Hollywood where he worked out three days a week. His exercises included squats, dead lifts, high pull ups, deltoid lifts and prones and curls. As he got stronger, the weights and repetitions were progressively increased.   It didn't take Mario long to get in shape, and now he was ready for his first movie assignment, "That Midnight Kiss," with Katherine Grayson, Ethel Barrymore, Jose Iturbi and Keenan Wynn. quite a cast for a boy's first picture! And to top it off, right before the filming started, Betty Lanza presented Mario with prize beauty of the year, little dark-eyed Colleen.   While making this movie Mario decided he needed a more convenient way of doing his exercises, so we built a little gym on the roof of his garage. Every night we would meet, go up stairs, and watch the fat go and the muscles grow.   A movie star's life may seem an easy one, but take my word for it, it's tough. From 6:30 AM to 6 PM the stars work under hot lights in full makeup-interviews, studying lines and with acting thrown in it's rough. I've seen stars sleep the moment they got home, but Mario Lanza went up to his little gym and trained with the weights.   Well, after this picture Mario went on a personal appearance tour, a trip that kept him going from morning until night, and then some. Again, he got away from his training, and with the abuses in diet and sleep that come with traveling, he put on an excessive amount of extra weight. This would never do. So, shortly after his return to Los Angeles, and after Mario and Betty moved into a big Spanish type home in Beverly Hills, we set about erecting a gym near his spacious pool. We decided to go on a regular six day a week training schedule. Mario said that once and for all he was going to get training in every day.   I wrote out a course of three days a week heavy lifting. On heavy days Mario has military pressed 200 lbs, dead lifted 400 lbs, prone pressed 250 lbs, and curled with 190 lbs. On the other days we did abdominal exercises, dumbbell routines and stretching exercises. One thing we always watched, that we never over-exercised any particular part of the body. Mario practiced proper posture, and especially proper breathing while exercising. He has found that deep breathing and fast workouts with only one minute rest periods has been the most beneficial of all systems. Fresh air is also an important factor. We do all our training outdoors, and Mario keeps properly clothed.   In a six day a week training schedule we train about one hour each day, and use a progressive system continuing always to keep in mind that we are building a proportionate body. About one week each month I put a little variety into our program, like boxing and the training routine of a fighter. This keeps us sharp and fast, and Mario who is a darn good boxer, gets the chance to keep his body and temperament at an even keel. Remember always that an artist with Lanza's talents must let off a lot of steam, and this is a good way of doing it. Mario is an expert at punching both the big sandbag and the little fast punching bags. Any exercise Mario is shown he masters, his mind is that quick.   Our workouts are pleasurable, for we are watched by the family. This is great to witness. Here is one of the world's great talents training at home, and the family of Betty, Mom and Pop, and little Colleen observing our every move. This is American and good. Believe me, it is better than the family worrying where the children are and what they are doing.   In Mario's case, he is always on the go. When he isn't making a picture he is cutting records for RCA Victor. At present, there is available "The Midnight Kiss" album, and records of "O Sole Mio," "Mattinata," "Lolita" and "Granada," available for sale all over the world. He is also booked for numerous concerts and opera appearances.   Truly then, you can see that this is no easy life, and that it calls for top physical conditioning.   Mario Lanza's latest released picture is called, "The Toast of New Orleans." All through the making of this picture he trained whenever he could. There were times when he worked out at the studio. I would bring his (York) set over to MGM and in between takes on a scene, Mario, instead of sleeping (as most actors do) would exercise. We were limited in our exercises because once the makeup was on we had to be careful not to permit too much sweating. So we did curls with dumbbells and barbells, pullovers, deltoid exercises with dumbbells, and supine (prone) pressings.         Whenever we trained at MGM studio, many of the actors would watch us. In fact, pretty Kathryn Grayson tried her hand at lifting and dead lifted 104 lbs. the first time she picked up a weight. It was great watching J. Carrol Nash and David Niven lifting weights. They enjoyed themselves also, and congratulated the star of their picture, Mario Lanza, for his perseverance.   As I sit here and write this story, I recall the many people in all walks of life that I have trained, and no one has ever compared to Mario Lanza. Just picture this great talent, full of fire and busy as any ten men--stopping his numerous activities each day to devote one hour to training with weights, and training hard. I've watched the sweat pour from his brow, and I've heard his phone ring constantly, people all wanting him for something. Photographers bulbs flashing, and writers of all descriptions firing questions at him, are a daily occurrence in Mario's life as a star--but he has not only taken all this in stride, but he has taken time out for physical conditioning, which he believes is most important to his career as a singer and an actor.   As I reflect further, I see his wonderful parents urging him on and offering help in many ways--his wife, Betty, reminding him of his training, Sam Weiler aiding with his good sense by allowing me every chance to train and condition this great artist.   There should be more Ma and Pa Lanzas, More Bettys and Sam Weilers in this world--and by all means, more leaders like Mario Lanza.

BACK TO FEATURE ARTICLES