OMEN
07-10-2006, 01:39 PM
The Fabulous Moolah First Goddess of the Square Circle
Lillian Ellison with Larry Platt
Copyright by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
Hardcover 231 pages
Publisher ReganBooks
Book Overview
As I was leafing through this book prior to purchase I could not help but notice the dedication. “This book is dedicated to all of my fans and to the wonderful McMahon family- most especially Vince Sr.”. The book jacket featured a very young exotic looking attractive Moolah adorned in gold and ruby jewelry, and wearing what appears to be a leopard cape. One other item, just to the right of Moolah’s face sits a large conspicuous WWE logo over a gold round circular field.
Moolah began wrestling more than ten years earlier than the plus forty years I have been a fan. My earliest memories do include her. Her impact on the game was equal to all but the very elite male wrestlers. She is about my mother’s age however my mom did not hold the Women’s Championship as late as 1999. Moolah was recognized by virtually all organizations as Women’s Champion initially from 1956 until 1984. She broke that streak losing the title to Wendi Richter in the Rock and Wrestling days of Cyndi Lauper. All of that made the book at least worthy of reading.
It appeared to me that with the exception of comments about Wendi Richter, Moolah’s shoot comments were only directed at long dead or infirm people. That did not make such stories any less interesting however the more recent the event occurred the lighter Moolah treaded. Some would think that at her advance years there would be no need for light footsteps.
The biography reads well and does fill in the details of her career and personal life. There was a serious fairly recent illness outlined. Included are a variety of stories about her housemates which includes Mae Young and Diamond Lil a former midget wrestler. We learn how Lillian Ellison morphed into the fabulous Moolah. When asked by old time promoter Jack Pfeffer why she wanted to wrestle Lillian Ellison blurted out, “for the Moolah!” The famous names are present from Mildred Burke to beyond Hulk Hogan. Her harshest criticism was reserved for old time promoter Billie Wolfe. Moolah actually was married for a time attempting to become a run of the mill urban housewife.
From valet, (diva) to wrestler, to trainer Moolah did and saw it all. The book does give a good sense of those experiences. Moolah did seem to struggle with exposing the business and actually tries to maintain a semblance of kayfabe. I guess that is to be expected from such an old timer. In 1984 Moolah dropped the belt to Wendi Richter. She relates how she concentrated all of her efforts in winning the title back using Muhammad Ali as inspiration. That is an example of the Kayfabe style no longer needed in the twenty first century. Moolah relates her 1999 World title victory in the Kayfabe fashion of the book. She marveled that she was champion again and in her seventies. At the same time she did concede that she dealt with Wendi Richter, her arch rival, in the locker room. She did not like Wendi at all. As Moolah tells it Wendi insisted she was due a 50,000 dollar payoff. What follows is quoted from the book,
“Vince McMahon is not that kind of man, what you were supposed to get you got...” Moolah goes on to tell Wendi “you better keep your mouth shut. You’re forgetting that you were serving Wendy’s hamburgers out of a drive-through ----before Vince McMahon. ----and you better believe it was an honest payoff if Vince McMahon gave it to you.”
Clearly there are lines Moolah will not cross or is afraid to venture past. The business is over protected to the point of absurdity. If you could put all that aside the book is an interesting story and a first rate historical prospective.
Marc Melinda
Lillian Ellison with Larry Platt
Copyright by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.
Hardcover 231 pages
Publisher ReganBooks
Book Overview
As I was leafing through this book prior to purchase I could not help but notice the dedication. “This book is dedicated to all of my fans and to the wonderful McMahon family- most especially Vince Sr.”. The book jacket featured a very young exotic looking attractive Moolah adorned in gold and ruby jewelry, and wearing what appears to be a leopard cape. One other item, just to the right of Moolah’s face sits a large conspicuous WWE logo over a gold round circular field.
Moolah began wrestling more than ten years earlier than the plus forty years I have been a fan. My earliest memories do include her. Her impact on the game was equal to all but the very elite male wrestlers. She is about my mother’s age however my mom did not hold the Women’s Championship as late as 1999. Moolah was recognized by virtually all organizations as Women’s Champion initially from 1956 until 1984. She broke that streak losing the title to Wendi Richter in the Rock and Wrestling days of Cyndi Lauper. All of that made the book at least worthy of reading.
It appeared to me that with the exception of comments about Wendi Richter, Moolah’s shoot comments were only directed at long dead or infirm people. That did not make such stories any less interesting however the more recent the event occurred the lighter Moolah treaded. Some would think that at her advance years there would be no need for light footsteps.
The biography reads well and does fill in the details of her career and personal life. There was a serious fairly recent illness outlined. Included are a variety of stories about her housemates which includes Mae Young and Diamond Lil a former midget wrestler. We learn how Lillian Ellison morphed into the fabulous Moolah. When asked by old time promoter Jack Pfeffer why she wanted to wrestle Lillian Ellison blurted out, “for the Moolah!” The famous names are present from Mildred Burke to beyond Hulk Hogan. Her harshest criticism was reserved for old time promoter Billie Wolfe. Moolah actually was married for a time attempting to become a run of the mill urban housewife.
From valet, (diva) to wrestler, to trainer Moolah did and saw it all. The book does give a good sense of those experiences. Moolah did seem to struggle with exposing the business and actually tries to maintain a semblance of kayfabe. I guess that is to be expected from such an old timer. In 1984 Moolah dropped the belt to Wendi Richter. She relates how she concentrated all of her efforts in winning the title back using Muhammad Ali as inspiration. That is an example of the Kayfabe style no longer needed in the twenty first century. Moolah relates her 1999 World title victory in the Kayfabe fashion of the book. She marveled that she was champion again and in her seventies. At the same time she did concede that she dealt with Wendi Richter, her arch rival, in the locker room. She did not like Wendi at all. As Moolah tells it Wendi insisted she was due a 50,000 dollar payoff. What follows is quoted from the book,
“Vince McMahon is not that kind of man, what you were supposed to get you got...” Moolah goes on to tell Wendi “you better keep your mouth shut. You’re forgetting that you were serving Wendy’s hamburgers out of a drive-through ----before Vince McMahon. ----and you better believe it was an honest payoff if Vince McMahon gave it to you.”
Clearly there are lines Moolah will not cross or is afraid to venture past. The business is over protected to the point of absurdity. If you could put all that aside the book is an interesting story and a first rate historical prospective.
Marc Melinda