Ed Fury

Ed Fury (born Rupert Edmund Holovchik; June 6, 1928 – February 24, 2023) was an American bodybuilder, actor, and model. He is best known for starring in a number of "sword-and-sandal" films in the 1950s and 1960s.[1] Fury returned to acting in the early 1970s and appeared mostly in small parts in television series.

Ed Fury
Fury with model Jackie Coey in 1953
Born
Rupert Edmund Holovchik

(1928-06-06)June 6, 1928
Long Island, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 2023(2023-02-24) (aged 94)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Bodybuilder, actor, model
Years active1946–1996
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
SpouseShelly

Early life and career

Rupert Edmund Holovchik was born in Long Island, New York, on June 6, 1928.[2] An orphan,[3] he moved to Los Angeles, California, in the late 1940s and competed in numerous bodybuilding competitions, such as "Mr. Muscle Beach" in 1951 and 1953, coming in third and second respectively. In addition, he worked as a physique model for photographers Bob Mizer and Bruce Bellas, and also made a couple of loops for Mizer's male erotica studio Athletic Model Guild (AMG).[4] Fury began his acting career as a stage actor. After appearing in a handful of uncredited parts in films, he received his first bigger role in The Wild Women of Wongo (1958).

In 1958, Fury portrayed an Olympic hero in the television series Naked City. After this appearance, Fury found himself out of work for some time. He was arrested in October after being accused of stealing 50 spark plugs from Macy's and using them to assault a store detective who had pursued him after he left the store.[5]

In the 1960s, Fury travelled to Italy and took advantage of the popularity of "sword-and-sandal" films. Led by Steve Reeves, who starred in Hercules (1958), the popularity of those films allowed Fury to star in films such as Colossus and the Amazon Queen (1960), The Seven Revenges (1961), and Maciste Against the Sheik (1962). He also starred as Ursus in the film trilogy Ursus (1961), Ursus in the Valley of the Lions (1961), and Ursus in the Land of Fire (1963), before the popularity of "sword-and-sandal" films waned.[1]

Later life and death

Fury avoided the limelight in later years,[2] but made several public appearances. On September 3, 2001, Fury was honored at Venice Beach by City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks as part of that year's Labor Day celebrations. The ceremony for local bodybuilders who had made a mark on the film industry was also attended by Gordon Mitchell, Mark Forest, Mickey Hargitay, Brad Harris, Richard Harrison, Reg Lewis and Peter Lupus.[6] Hargitay, Mitchell and Fury again appeared together at the "Swords & Sandals" festival, hosted by the UCLA Film and Television Archive in July 2003.[7]

Fury died at his home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on February 24, 2023, at the age of 94. He was survived by his wife, Shelly.[2][3]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Easter, Alvin (2004). Lash: The Hundred Great Scenes of Men Being Whipped in the Movies. Xlibris Corporation. p. 203. ISBN 9781469100265.
  2. "Ed Fury, Bodybuilding Legend and Sword-and-Sandal Movie Star, Dies at 94". Extra TV. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. Barnes, Mike (7 March 2023). "Ed Fury, Bodybuilder and Star of 'Sword and Sandal' Films, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  4. Edmonds, Richard (5 April 1995). "Posers in pouches and thick slices of beefcake Edit Share Print Download". Birmingham, West Midlands, England: The Birmingham Post. p. 75. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  5. "Cops-Robbers Actor Seized in 'Preview' Edit Share Print Download". Daily News. New York, New York. 8 October 1958. p. 33. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  6. "'Hercules': B-Film He-Men to Reunite for Venice Beach Tribute Edit Share Print Download". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. 3 September 2001. p. 173. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  7. "Muslcemen Heroes of Italian Cinema". The Los Angeles Times. 27 June 2003. pp. E6. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  8. Blottner, Gene (2000). Universal-International Westerns, 1947–1963. McFarland. p. 198. ISBN 9780786407910. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  9. Klossner, Michael (9 January 2015). Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television. McFarland. p. 162. ISBN 9781476609140. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  10. Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908–1990. McFarland. 28 February 2017. p. 36. ISBN 9781476627045. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  11. Worley, Alec (5 January 2021). Empires of the Imagination: A Critical Survey of Fantasy Cinema from Georges Melies to The Lord of the Rings. McFarland. ISBN 9781476611839. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  12. The Motion Picture Guide: Volume 7. Cinebooks. 1985. p. 2839. ISBN 9780933997073. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  13. Daniel Blum's Screen World, 1964 (Screen World): Volume 15. Biblo-Moser. 1964. p. 187. ISBN 9780819603050. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  14. Stecopoulos, Harry; Uebel, Michael (1997). Race and the Subject of Masculinities. Duke University Press. p. 314. ISBN 9780822319665. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  15. Smith, Gary Allen (3 September 2015). Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on More Than 350 Historical Spectacle Movies, 2d Ed. McFarland. p. 235. ISBN 9781476604183. Retrieved 6 March 2023.


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