Richard DuBois, 74; 1957’s Mr. USA was part of Mae West’s act

Richard DuBois, 74, a former Mr. USA who was one of the musclemen in Mae West’s stage act, died Wednesday at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, said his wife, Marcy. The cause of death was being determined.

When DuBois was crowned Mr. USA in 1957 at the Shrine Auditorium, Muscle Power magazine praised his “good biceps,” “well proportioned figure” and “greatly improved posing.” Three years earlier, DuBois had won the Amateur Athletic Union Mr. America bodybuilding contest.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, DuBois was a sought-after physique model who frequently appeared in muscle magazines.

Using the stage name Richard Sabre, he appeared in the 1954 film “Athena,” a musical comedy with Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell. He later toured the country as part of Mae West’s stage act.

DuBois, who lived in Santa Monica, eventually became an evangelist. For the last 19 years, he was the pastor of Gospel Lighthouse in West Los Angeles.