SERIES I: Films & Audio Materials

Abstract
The films in Series I are predominantly comprised of 16mm film prints and production elements for the long running syndicated wrestling show that the couple produced through their production company IWF. The show was given a variety of names including Wrestling from Chicago, Wrestling from the International Amphitheatre, ‘Rasslin with Russ, Main Event, and Chicago Wrestling depending on the station that leased the show.

The 208 wrestling matches in the collection were recorded in the 1950s but the prints were distributed throughout the 1960s. Precise dates of the matches are uncertain. Also contained in this collection are prints for a short run syndicated show Raymond Massey Reads the Bible, a print for a sponsored film Arapahoe, and a print and production elements for a television show on hunting and taxidermy called Indoor/Outdoor.
Series identifier
S.2008-04-0001

Series Items

Browse All Objects
[Wrestling TV show]: Little Beaver vs Tom Thumb, “Chest” Bernard vs Tarzan White, Angelo Poffo vs Mighty Atlas
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Little Beaver vs Tom Thumb, “Chest” Bernard vs Tarzan White, Angelo Poffo vs Mighty Atlas
1952 – 1956
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne & Bobby Bruns vs Al Williams & Rudy Kay, Lou Thesz vs Bronco Nagurski
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne & Bobby Bruns vs Al Williams & Rudy Kay, Lou Thesz vs Bronco Nagurski
May 12 1950 – October 5 1951
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Darnell vs Hans Hermann, Dick Afflis vs Ivan Rasputin, Len Rossie vs Great Yamato
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Darnell vs Hans Hermann, Dick Afflis vs Ivan Rasputin, Len Rossie vs Great Yamato
June 10 1955
[Wrestling TV show]: Ramona Teselle vs Sharon Lass, Verne Gagne & Edouard Carpentier vs The Lisowski Brothers
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Ramona Teselle vs Sharon Lass, Verne Gagne & Edouard Carpentier vs The Lisowski Brothers
[Wrestling TV show]: Dick the Bruiser vs Bill Melby, Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Dick the Bruiser vs Bill Melby, Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs The Mighty Atlas
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs The Mighty Atlas
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt & Ivan Rasputin vs Rudy Kay & Farmer Don Marlin
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt & Ivan Rasputin vs Rudy Kay & Farmer Don Marlin
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Verne Gagne
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Verne Gagne
[Wrestling TV show]: Vittorio Apollo vs Miguel Torres, Haystacks Calhoun vs Buddy Rogers, Sweet Daddy Siki & Art Thomas vs The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Vittorio Apollo vs Miguel Torres, Haystacks Calhoun vs Buddy Rogers, Sweet Daddy Siki & Art Thomas vs The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore)
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Dick the Bruiser
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Dick the Bruiser
[Wrestling TV show]: Art Neilson & Reggie Lisowski vs Mighty Atlas & Billy Goelz
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Art Neilson & Reggie Lisowski vs Mighty Atlas & Billy Goelz
[Wrestling TV show]: Wilbur Snyder & Verne Gagne vs Dick the Bruiser & Cowboy Carlson
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Wilbur Snyder & Verne Gagne vs Dick the Bruiser & Cowboy Carlson
[Wrestling TV show]: Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Buddy Rogers (Reel 1/2)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Buddy Rogers (Reel 1/2)
January 26 1951January 26 1951
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Verne Gagne
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Verne Gagne
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Harry Lewis, Zaharias Brothers vs Rudy Kay & Al William (Tag)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Harry Lewis, Zaharias Brothers vs Rudy Kay & Al William (Tag)
Arapahoe, The
Film
Arapahoe, The
circa 1955
[Wrestling TV show]: Joan Ballard vs Jean Noble
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Joan Ballard vs Jean Noble
1956
[Wrestling TV show]: Violet Viann vs June Byers
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Violet Viann vs June Byers
[Wrestling TV show]: Jim Graham vs Bozo Brown,Verne Gagne vs Red Bastien
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Jim Graham vs Bozo Brown,Verne Gagne vs Red Bastien
[Wrestling TV show]: Johnny Gilbert vs Jack Terry, Bearcat Wright vs Big Moose Cholak
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Johnny Gilbert vs Jack Terry, Bearcat Wright vs Big Moose Cholak
[Wrestling TV show]: Jim Dobie vs Lou Britton
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Jim Dobie vs Lou Britton
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Moto vs Ivan Rasputin
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Moto vs Ivan Rasputin
[Wrestling TV show]: Haile Selassie vs Fuzzy Cupid
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Haile Selassie vs Fuzzy Cupid
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Atlas vs Carl Engstrom
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Atlas vs Carl Engstrom
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Ruffy Silverstein
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Ruffy Silverstein
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Tiny Roe vs Ivan the Terrible and Gagne, Rocca & Snyder vs. Lisowski Bros. & Dick the Bruiser (Reel 1/2)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Tiny Roe vs Ivan the Terrible and Gagne, Rocca & Snyder vs. Lisowski Bros. & Dick the Bruiser (Reel 1/2)
[Wrestling TV show]: Atlas Strong Man Exhibition, Mighty Atlas vs Great Moto
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Atlas Strong Man Exhibition, Mighty Atlas vs Great Moto
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Yukon Eric vs Hans Schmidt
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Chief Lone Eagle
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Chief Lone Eagle
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Hans Schmidt
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman & Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple & Ramona Teselle (cont), Wilbur Snyder vs Mighty Atlas
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman & Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple & Ramona Teselle (cont), Wilbur Snyder vs Mighty Atlas
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman & Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple & Ramona Teselle
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman & Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple & Ramona Teselle
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo vs Roberts, June Byers vs Penny Banner
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo vs Roberts, June Byers vs Penny Banner
[Wrestling TV show]: Rocky Columbo vs Larry Chene
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Rocky Columbo vs Larry Chene
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Hans Schmidt
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo & The Sheik of Araby vs Roy McClarity & Seymour Koenig (cont.), Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple (Reel 2/2)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo & The Sheik of Araby vs Roy McClarity & Seymour Koenig (cont.), Lorraine Johnson vs Shirley Strimple (Reel 2/2)
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Yamato vs Billy Darnell
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Great Yamato vs Billy Darnell
[Wrestling TV show]: Frank Stojack vs Dutch Hefner
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Frank Stojack vs Dutch Hefner
[Wrestling TV show]: Larry Chene vs Gordon Hessel
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Larry Chene vs Gordon Hessel
[Wrestling TV show]: Killer Kowalski vs Yukon Eric
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Killer Kowalski vs Yukon Eric
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Buddy Rogers
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs Buddy Rogers
June 21 1950
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Pat O’Connor
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas vs Pat O’Connor
I-O Corn Creek
Film
I-O Corn Creek
1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Édouard Carpentier vs Lou Thesz (Reel 1/2)
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Édouard Carpentier vs Lou Thesz (Reel 1/2)
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Killer Kowalski
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Killer Kowalski
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Ned Taylor vs Rafael Alvarez, Jackie Nichols vs Billy Goelz
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Ned Taylor vs Rafael Alvarez, Jackie Nichols vs Billy Goelz
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Don Leo Jonathan
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Don Leo Jonathan
January 21 1955
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas & Bob Orton vs Bill Melby & Billy Darnell
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Mighty Atlas & Bob Orton vs Bill Melby & Billy Darnell
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Gorgeous George vs Hans Schnabel
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Gorgeous George vs Hans Schnabel
November 3 1950
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Verne Gagne
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Verne Gagne
October 10 1952
[Wrestling TV show]: Don Leo Jonathan vs Tiger Moore, Verne Gagne vs Roy McClarity
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Don Leo Jonathan vs Tiger Moore, Verne Gagne vs Roy McClarity
[Wrestling TV show]: Hombre Montana & Roman Zernados vs Al Williams & Rudy Kay
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hombre Montana & Roman Zernados vs Al Williams & Rudy Kay
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Yukon Eric
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Verne Gagne vs Yukon Eric
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Schnable Brothers vs El Hombre Montaña & Ramón Cernades
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Schnable Brothers vs El Hombre Montaña & Ramón Cernades
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo vs Bobby Managoff
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Angelo Poffo vs Bobby Managoff
[Wrestling TV show]: Rudy Kay vs Jack Bauer, Dick the Bruiser vs “Chest” Bernard
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Rudy Kay vs Jack Bauer, Dick the Bruiser vs “Chest” Bernard
[Wrestling TV show]: Cyclone Anaya vs Buddy Rogers
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Cyclone Anaya vs Buddy Rogers
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Lou Newman, Bob Geigel vs Buck Weaver
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans Schmidt vs Lou Newman, Bob Geigel vs Buck Weaver
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans & Fritz Schnabel vs Benito Gardini & Rudy Kay
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Hans & Fritz Schnabel vs Benito Gardini & Rudy Kay
[Wrestling TV show]: Fritz Von Schacht vs Farmer Don Marlin
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Fritz Von Schacht vs Farmer Don Marlin
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Don Beitelman vs Dick Hatcher
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Don Beitelman vs Dick Hatcher
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Geigel vs Buck Weaver, Bozo Brown vs Johnny Balbo
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Geigel vs Buck Weaver, Bozo Brown vs Johnny Balbo
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Carl Meyer vs Alo Leilani, Wilbur Snyder vs Angelo Poffo
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Carl Meyer vs Alo Leilani, Wilbur Snyder vs Angelo Poffo
circa 1956
[Wrestling TV show]: Baron Arena vs Sonny Meyers, Cowboy Carlson vs Vincent Lopez
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Baron Arena vs Sonny Meyers, Cowboy Carlson vs Vincent Lopez
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Red Bastien vs The Mighty Atlas, Kostas Davelis vs Sonny Myers
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Red Bastien vs The Mighty Atlas, Kostas Davelis vs Sonny Myers
[Wrestling TV show]: Carl Meyer vs Verne Gagne, Jack Carter & Balk Estes vs Hans Schmidt & Bob Orton
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Carl Meyer vs Verne Gagne, Jack Carter & Balk Estes vs Hans Schmidt & Bob Orton
circa 1956
[Wrestling TV show]: Tiny York vs Johnny Gilbert - Ricki Starr vs Hans Herman
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Tiny York vs Johnny Gilbert - Ricki Starr vs Hans Herman
circa 1960
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs The Mighty Atlas
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Lou Thesz vs The Mighty Atlas
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Ivan Rasputin, “Chest” Bernard & Fritz Von Schacht vs Don Beitelman, Farmer Don Marlin & Pat O’Connor
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Ivan Rasputin, “Chest” Bernard & Fritz Von Schacht vs Don Beitelman, Farmer Don Marlin & Pat O’Connor
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Sheik of Araby vs Bill Melby
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Sheik of Araby vs Bill Melby
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Hickson vs Bob Orton - Mighty Atlas Strong Man Exhibition
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Hickson vs Bob Orton - Mighty Atlas Strong Man Exhibition
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Sheik of Araby vs Harry Lewis
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Sheik of Araby vs Harry Lewis
circa 1956
[Wrestling TV show]: Legs Langevin vs Bobby Managoff
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Legs Langevin vs Bobby Managoff
circa 1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Goelz vs Juan Hernandez
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Billy Goelz vs Juan Hernandez
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Harry Lewis
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Harry Lewis
circa 1954
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Bob Orton vs Hans Schmidt
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Benito Gardini vs Al Warshawski
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Benito Gardini vs Al Warshawski
circa 1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Pat O’Connor vs Ivan Rasputin
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Pat O’Connor vs Ivan Rasputin
1950s
[Wrestling TV show]: Chief Lone Eagle vs Great Jojo
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Chief Lone Eagle vs Great Jojo
1957
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman vs Ramona TeSelle
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Rose Roman vs Ramona TeSelle
1950s
Raymond Massey Reads the Bible: The Greatness and Divinity of Man, The Returned of the Ransomed, On the Bible
Film
Raymond Massey Reads the Bible: The Greatness and Divinity of Man, The Returned of the Ransomed, On the Bible
1951
Raymond Massey Reads the Bible: Man’s Choice, David & Bathsheba & Rules of Living
Film
Raymond Massey Reads the Bible: Man’s Choice, David & Bathsheba & Rules of Living
1951
[Wrestling TV show title sequence]
Film
[Wrestling TV show title sequence]
1965
[Wrestling TV show outtakes]
Film
[Wrestling TV show outtakes]
1958
[Wrestling TV show]: Yulie Brynner vs Rose Roman
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Yulie Brynner vs Rose Roman
1958
Color Reject on Wrestling, (SMPTE) Special Society
Film
Color Reject on Wrestling, (SMPTE) Special Society
1958
Side Outdoor B&W Outs, Taxidermy
Film
Side Outdoor B&W Outs, Taxidermy
[Wrestling TV show]: Ray Gunkel vs Hans Schmidt
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Ray Gunkel vs Hans Schmidt
[Wrestling TV show]: Gypsy Joe vs Leon Kirilenko
Film
[Wrestling TV show]: Gypsy Joe vs Leon Kirilenko
1962
View More Items
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media