CHARLIE CARLSON ON LA FLORIDIANA
Will,
I don't know how I miss these places, but the Chattaway sounds like a must-do...therefore, I must-do the next time I'm in the Tampa area. Glad you're back to writing again, La Floridiana is one of few places where I can read about things I can remember....Old Florida might be old, but it's certainly not dead or forgotten!
Charlie Carlson
New Smyrna Beach, FL
WILL MORIATY RESPONDS
Thanks for the kudos Charlie! It's always an honor to hear from you and thanks for noticing that I'm back on the air (sort of)!
It's been difficult as you no doubt know to write on a consistent basis through the duration of this seemingly never-ending housing crises I'm enduring, but I'm finally able to dedicate a little more time again, although a lot is really needed to produce quality work that I demand of myself for our readers.
I'm preparing a two-parter right now about the Historic Roser Park neighborhood of St. Petersburg and plan to have other articles about the efforts of a Temple Terrace man to resurrect a bat tower built there in the 1920's, and an article about a "bayou castle" in St. Petersburg with a twisted and bizarre history (both great for Halloween!)
Let me know when you're in the area and we'll plan to do a "St. Petersburg Summit!"
I talked to Florida's Mister Magic (Harry Wise) yesterday and he was feeling pretty rough as a result of his radiation treatments. Please keep Harry in your prayers.
Well there Florida's Man In Black, Florida's Man In White has gotta go! Take care and thanks for reading our on-line 'zine!
William Moriaty
Plant City, FL
READER REMEMBERS DR. PAUL BEARER
Nolan,
Wow, I just Googled Dr. Paul Bearer and came across your tribute page. What a mindfu** that was! Took me back---waaaaaaaay back to my youth. God I miss Creature Feature.
NM (No other signature)
NM,
Thank you for the kind words and glad you enjoyed the articles on Dr. Paul Bearer. As you probably guessed that is a very personal subject to the majority of the individuals who participate in this website so every word is written with the utmost sincerity and reverence. Hopefully by now your mind has been able to digest everything it took in and has even gone back for seconds!
- ED Tucker -
Jacksonville, FL
READER REMEMBERS TAMPA RESTAURANTS
Hi there.
I'm a writer based in Athens, GA, but I spent my formative years growing up in the lightning-strike capital of the US, age 5-18, '84-'97. Like Tim Dorsey or Carl Hiaasen, I've got a love/hate relationship with my locational parentage, and I keep a wary eye cast down there for pieces of what will forever be home.
I read on the Times website yesterday that Bennigan's and Steak & Ale were both closing down, and it inspired the following email to fellow Tampa refugees (and one remaining hostage who I'm soon to visit). One refugee sent me a link to your site and a post from several years ago about Tampa restaurants, many of which were before my time down there but some of which (Anita's in particular... Ever eat at the Red Apple, on Dale Mabry right by Malio's and the Press Box? Great burgers... Now here *I* go...).
Anyway, since the market for Tampa nostalgia is rather thin up here in Northeast Georgia, I figured I'd share. Cheers, mate-- may the malathion always fall on your neighbor's car...
Sincerely,
Matt Hannum
Matt, hello and thanks so much for writing! I'm glad you enjoyed our article on old Tampa restaurants and eateries.
I'd almost forgotten about The Red Apple, which makes me feel guilty as I spent so many nights there enjoying the delicious hamburgers you mentioned! The job I had at the time (early-to-mid-'80s) wasn't far from it and I visited the restaurant almost religiously. I always had the same waitress, a large middle-aged woman with red hair and I'm ashamed now I can't recall her name, she was a trip.
The recent closings of Bennigan's and Steak & Ale came as a shock to all of us, although there were warnings in the media that all restaurants are having problems in the current horrible economy. Still, you figure something like Bennigan's would somehow be impervious to that.
Thanks again for writing and hope you'll check in from time to time. Oh, and may your upcoming visit to Tampa be a pleasant one. ---Nolan B. Canova
READER INQUIRY RE: RUDY PERZ
Hello, Nolan,
I stumbled upon your website and the marvelous question-and-answer session about the creation of Poppin' Fresh, the Pillsbury Dough Boy by Rudy Perz.
I wonder if you could share Rudy's email address with me.
My name is Drew Babb and I teach a college seminar based on my list of "The 100 Greatest TV Spots of All Time." Not suprisingly, The Dough Boy spots are on the list. I've always loved 'em.
I have 84 copies of the other spots, but have been uable to bag one of the Dough Boy spots.
I'd love to ask Poppin's godfather if he could share one with me.
Any help you could give me would be MUCH appreciated!
Cheers,
Drew Babb
Lincoln, Virginia
Hello Mr. Babb and thanks so much for writing! I'm always delighted to hear when the PCR Lettercol has proven helpful in researching matters of popular culture. That's what we try to do.
Although I save all my email, unfortunately, Mr. Perz's email, from May of 2004, is saved on a now-crashed and broken hard drive and is inaccessible to me, so sorry to say. The oldest email on the computer I'm writing on now is from February of 2006.
I was not nearly diligent enough making backups at the time, a lesson I learned the hard way. What you found on the Lettercol is all I have regarding Rudy Perz. Sorry I couldn't be of more help in locating him.
Thanks again for writing and, of course, I'm glad you found us! I hope you'll check in from time to time. ---Nolan
READER REMEMBERS ROY SCHEIDER
Dear Sir/Madam,,
I have just read the interesting article "Remembering Roy Scheider". Have you heard of "IRON CROSS", this thriller feature film is Roy Scheider's last leading role, he plays Joseph, a retired New York cop, who witnessed the massacre of his family in Poland 1941, travels to Nuremberg to visit his son Ronnie (SCOTT COHEN) having turned his back on him for the last five years for rejecting a promising career in the NYPD and marrying a German woman, Anna (CALITA RAINFORD). No sooner does Joseph attempt to heal the rift with Ronnie, he swears that living in the apartment below under the false name of Shrager (HELMUT BERGER) is the now aging SS Commander who committed the atrocity. With little hope of seeing him stand trial, Joseph talks Ronnie into exacting justice - and vengeance - and together they set out to kill him...
Roy still has 2 minutes of the film left to do so we are going to have to recreate him using prosthetics!
This thriller will be released in December 2008 and hopefully Roy will receive a posthumous Oscar for his outstanding performance.
Kind regards,
Michelle Lodge
PA to Joshua Newton
MIKE SMITH RESPONDS
Michelle,
Thank you very much for reading my memories of Roy Scheider and keeping me updated on "Iron Cross." I was aware of the film and learned shortly after Roy passed that there was still some necessary shooting needed to complete his role. Obviously this has been a sad problem filmmakers have had to address in the past, from Natalie Wood in "Brainstorm" to Brandon Lee in "The Crow."
I applaud Mr. Newton's idea to, in a sense, "re-create" Roy so that his final performance can be shared with his fans all over the world. Roy was an important part of my life, both as an actor and as a friend, and I look forward to viewing the film when it is finished.
Please keep in touch as filming progresses as I'm sure this story will be something the readers of Nolan's Pop Culture Review would very much like to follow.
Best,
Michael A. Smith
READER REMEMBERS CLEARWATER RESTAURANTS
Nolan
I'm not sure when this inquiry was made about the Clearwater businesses but I can confirm the existence of at least one of them. John Phillip Tuba's Ice Cream did in fact exist and I worked there at the ripe age of 16 with 2 of my friends. It was located in Dunedin in a small strip shopping center across the street from the Nielsen Media Research building on Patricia Avenue, I believe is the name of the street.
Dee Dee Crawford
Dee Dee, thanks so much for writing! I appreciate the update and info on Clearwater businesses. So frequently, our memories are all we have to document these things ever existed! ---Nolan
To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com. Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan
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