Behind 'Pumping Iron'

A Coversation with the Director of Schwarzenegger's Debut Film

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Courtesy George Butler/Simon & Schuster

Pumping Iron director George Butler, left, takes a photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger working out at Gold's Gym in Venice, Calif. in an image from Butler's 1990 book, Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Portrait

Day to Day, August 14, 2003 · The 135 candidates for governor in California's upcoming recall election include business people, an ex-cop and a sumo wrestler. But polls indicate the man to beat is movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. This week, he won the backing of famed investor Warren Buffet, who will be a financial adviser to Schwarzenegger's campaign.

To better understand the Schwarzenegger phenomenon, NPR's Alex Chadwick spoke with George Butler, who directed the 1977 movie Pumping Iron, documenting the Austrian native's quest to win the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding title.

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