Steve Reeves

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, history buffs! Did you celebrate Steve Reeves's birthday on Saturday? He was born here in Montana 86 years ago.

Steve Reeves, the famous body builder of the 1950s, was a native Montanan, born in Glasgow in the mid-1920s. He became famous, winning the titles of Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe. His parents met and married in Scobey. When he was only months old, Reeves won Healthiest Baby of Valley County, the first title in a lifetime of awards. In 1927, when he was not yet two years old, Reeves’ father was killed in a threshing accident. His mother, Goldie, worked as a cook and soon took her son to live in Great Falls. When Reeves was ten, they moved to California. But the youngster spent his summers in Montana on his uncle’s ranch. He served in World War II and began body building. After winning the most prestigious body-building titles, Reeves took acting lessons and landed the leading role in Hercules. The movie skyrocketed him to fame. Reeves went on to star in other films. Despite his Hollywood connections, Reeves never forgot his eastern Montana roots. He returned to Scobey several times to visit his father’s grave and become acquainted with family friends. Reeves had a remarkable physique and many regarded his appearance as “godlike.” Although his fans believed the legendary Mr. Universe would live forever, he died at age seventy-four in 2000.

From Montana Moments: History on the Go

P.S. Thanks to The Film Archive, you can watch the movie that made Reeves famous.