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This article is a FIRST DRAFT.  [ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]  which would be helpful is highlighted in bracketed bold blue.

David Draper, [Full name?], (April 16, 1942 - ), bodybuilder, actor and author. Nicknamed "The Blond Bomber".

Early life
Dave Draper was born in Secaucus, New Jersey. His weight training began at the age of ten and was a well-formed habit by the time he was about twelve, in the mid-1950s.

In high school he participated in wrestling, gymnastics, and swimming, but was most inspired by training with weights.

At 21, he won the Mr. New Jersey title. Six months later he moved to Santa Monica, California, working for the Weider Barbell Company until 1969. During this period he also worked in motion pictures.

Bodybuilding
In the early days, Draper says, "There wasn't a whole bunch of encouragement or inspiration from a society which considered you either stupid or egotistical and probably a sissy."

In California, Draper initially trained at a gym many called "The Dungeon", which he described as "a large, awful space dug out of the ground on the corner of 4th and Broadway [in Santa Monica?] ," and later at the original Gold's Gym. Training partners included Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, and Mike Katz.

Draper is 6 ft. 0 in. (1.83 m) tall, and his bodybuilding competition weight was around 225 lb. (102 kg).

Competition history

 * 1962 Mr. New Jersey
 * 1965 IFBB Mr. America Tall Class & Overall, 1st
 * 1966 IFBB Mr. Universe Tall Class & Overall, 1st
 * 1967 Mr. Olympia 4th
 * 1970 AAU Mr. World 3rd
 * 1970 IFBB Mr. World Tall & Overall, 1st
 * 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe Tall, 3rd

Screen appearances

 * Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) (uncredited)
 * Lord Love a Duck (1966) as Billy Gibbons
 * Three on a Couch (1966) (uncredited)
 * Walk Don't Run (1966) (uncredited) as Swedish athlete
 * Don't Make Waves (1967) as Harry Hollard

TV guest appearances
The Beverly Hillbillies, playing himself in episode: "Mr. Universe Muscles In"&mdash;October 25, 1967 Here Come the Brides in episode: "Lorenzo Bush"&mdash;December 19, 1969

Later life
Dave Draper continues to train with weights into his 60s, and to write, including a weekly newsletter which he emails and publishes on his website.