Frank Simmons Leavitt, better known by his ring name Man Mountain Dean, was an American professional wrestler of the early 1900s, characterized by his imposing stature and rugged appearance.
Born on June 30, 1891, Leavitt's early wrestling career was marked by limited success, ultimately prompting him to take a job as a police officer in Miami, Florida.
It was during his time in Miami that he met his future wife, Doris Dean, who would also become his manager.
In 1932, at Doris' suggestion, Leavitt adopted the nickname "Man Mountain" and replaced his original surname with the more Anglo-Saxon-sounding "Dean".
Standing at a stocky 5'11" and weighing over 300 pounds, Dean was an intimidating figure, which he complemented with a long, full beard as part of his wrestling persona.
After a successful wrestling tour of Germany, which had been booked by his wife, Doris Dean, Dean was invited to take on a role as stunt-double for Charles Laughton in the movie The Private Life of Henry VIII, marking the beginning of a supplementary career in film.
Over the course of his acting career, Dean would appear in a total of twelve movies, with five of those being portrayals of himself.
One of the most notable of these was the 1938 comedy film The Gladiator, an adaptation of Philip Gordon Wylie's 1930 novel of the same name, in which Dean played himself.
Leavitt's wrestling career and subsequent acting career demonstrate his versatility and adaptability, both in and out of the ring.
