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Greatest Hits: Philadelphia Memories (Part V)
 The Return Of The Giant: Remember Gino's Hamburgers? Gino's was known for high quality hamburgers such as the Sirloiner, which was made from sirloin steak, and the Gino Giant, which predated and later competed with the Big Mac.
Gino's pioneered indoor seating at its fast food outlets and in the early 1960s and was more popular in Philadelphia area than McDonald's. In those days, Gino's advertising slogan was: 'Everybody Goes to Gino's', repeated in print and in radio jingle form.
This East Coast regional fast-food mainstay had over 300 company-owned locations when it was acquired by Marriott Corporation in 1982. Marriott discontinued the brand, converting stores to Roy Rogers Restaurants.
Now Gino's is making a comeback. New restaurants will open this year, serving burgers, chicken sandwiches, hand-cut french fries and hand-spun milkshakes. Gino's plans to make its burgers to order from fresh beef.
Initially, the chain plans to open locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In charge is Tom Romano, who worked for 20 years with the company and was COO in 1982 when the chain was sold.
Cofounded by Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti, Gino's was the preferred choice of my buddies and me during our younger years.
My wife and I once had dinner at Gino Marchetti's in the Baltimore area - it was an upscale steakhouse, owned by the same Gino. (posted 7/30/10, permalink)
Book Review: 'You Can't Get to Heaven on the Frankford El' by Thomas J. Lyons II
If you're of a certain age, you'll really enjoy Tom's memoir about growing up in the golden age of postwar America and finding his place in the turbulent, fast moving 1960s. It is an affectionate and nostalgic look back at the late 1940s through mid-1960s. Tom's book is set in Northeast Philadelphia; if you're a Philly native, the names of old hangouts and NJ shore stuff will make you smile and nod. As will the tales of the Frankford El, Philadelphia's ancient, rattly crosstown elevated transit line.
If your ancestry is ... (more >>>)
Philadelphia Trolleys - 1955: Recently, I was looking at a video with the title: 'Philadelphia Trolleys - 1955'. It was 45 minutes worth of footage (transferred from nicely done 16 mm color film) shot in the period 1955-57 by a trolley car enthusiast. While I like trolley cars, I didn't really buy this video to watch trolleys. I wanted to observe the street scenes of Philadelphia to see if the film matched my memories of growing up there in the 1950s.
The most interesting things about the video were ... (more >>>)
Mayfair Splashdown: Boulevard Pools was one of the main attractions in Northeast Philadelphia between 1929 and the 1960s. Located on Roosevelt Boulevard between Tyson, Princeton, and Brous Avenues, the Mayfair complex was one of the largest and most complete swimming facilities in America. It featured over two acres of pools and cost more than $500,000.
It was composed of four separate compartments that furnished water at varying depths. The diving pool had a 10-foot spring board and a low spring board with a water depth of 10 feet. The main building contained locker rooms for 6,000 people, a large ballroom on the second floor, a restaurant and rest rooms.
The entire property covered seven acres, with grandstands surrounding the pools that seated 3,000 people who could watch water shows, races and thrill-seeking entertainment. Tons of sand were placed around the pools, along with trees and lunch tables, creating what newspapers of the period called "the Northeast's seashore."
In 1930, an alligator-wrestling promotional stunt went horribly awry, when the ten-foot 'gator got free of his mouth bindings and bit two lifeguards, causing one to lose his left hand and arm.
By the 1940s and ’50s, the Boulevard Pools had evolved into a swim club, with members paying yearly fees. The large ballroom was rented out for wedding receptions and parties; regular Friday and Saturday dances were also held on the second floor. I met my wife at a Boulevard Ballroom dance in 1962.
A small amusement park and miniature golf facility were nearby - outside the gates but on the grounds. As a kid, I lived about three blocks from the pool but only swam there a few times. It cost money to get in and swimming in large populous pools was considered a polio risk in those days. I played miniature golf on numerous occasions while munching a cone from the nearby frozen custard stand.
The complex continued to be a popular spot for Northeast residents into the 1970s but increasing operational costs and an aging facility brought the end of Boulevard Pools on Labor Day 1976.
The old real estate is now inhabited by a car dealership, K-Mart, skating rink, housing and a small strip center. (posted 7/15/09, permalink)
Soft Piracy: Mister Softee, the mobile ice cream vendor and perpetual butt of erectile dysfunction jokes, is taking a stiff stance against impostors who illegally use the corporation's name, slightly-creepy smiling cone-head logo and/or famous jingle.
 The U.S. Marshal's Office last month confiscated two ice cream trucks from owners who had been ordered by a federal court judge to stop operating as lookalikes and to reimburse Mister Softee $20,000 in legal fees.
Faux Softees have been known to track legitimate Softees on their routes and start roaming neighborhoods 20 minutes before they arrive. "The children, they don't know the difference," Jeffrey Zucker, Mister Softee's attorney said.
The company was founded by William and James Conway in 1956 in Philadelphia. It is now one of the largest franchisors of soft ice cream in the United States with 350 or so franchisees operating 600 trucks in 15 states. The company is headquartered in Runnemede, NJ and is still run by the Conway family.
If you grew up in an area served by Mister Softee, you'll always remember the musical jingle. Fifty years later and from 3,000 miles away, it still sticks in my head. (posted 7/10/09, permalink)
Book Review: 'Remembering Northeast Philadelphia' by Dr. Harry C. Silcox. When you live in a particular area, you're often oblivious to its rich history, the significance of street names or particular buildings. I was reminded of this as I read and reread this fine book.
I grew up in Frankford and Northeast Philadelphia but was unaware of much the region's history. I learned that many of its main roads dated back to the 17th Century: Bridge St. and Frankford Ave.(1683), Oxford, Bustleton and Adams Avenues (1693). The Jolly Post Inn and Tavern opened its doors in 1682 and hosted such colonial-era luminaries as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, French general Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington himself. It stood on ... (more >>>)
Food Always Tastes Better ... after it has traveled along a conveyor belt.
If you grew up in Philadelphia during the 1940s-60s, you know this to be true. Because every Philadelphian from that era dined at Linton's at least once. For me, watching dishes of hot food travel along the belt was great entertainment - a low-buck sort of dinner theater.
In 1890, Isaiah Linton opened his first restaurant on Front Street in Philadelphia. In 1898, Linton's had Pennsylvania's first "air conditioned" restaurant. Fans positioned in front of blocks of ice blew cool air into the dining room.
Later on, conveyor belts were installed to quickly move food from the kitchen to the customer. Eventually, Linton’s operated 26 restaurants in the Philadelphia area. Linton's coffee was considered by many to be the best in the area. In my opinion, Linton's made the best Brown Betty dessert.
In the 1970s, competition from the fast food chains led to the restaurant chain's closing. But Linton's still carries on as a commercial food service company. (posted 6/24/09, permalink)
Thank You ... and Good Night: Ed McMahon, the loyal 'Tonight Show' sidekick who bolstered Johnny Carson with guffaws and a resounding "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" for 30 years, has died at age 86.
 McMahon, whose grandmother was a cousin of Rose Kennedy, put himself through college as a pitchman for vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City boardwalk. He began his television career in Philadelphia at WCAU in 1949. Ed came to Philly to work at WCAU-TV and radio for $75 a week.
One of his early gigs was a clown on the 1950 'Sealtest Big Top' show, an hour-long, live-broadcast children's variety show, featuring a multitude of circus acts. (Sealtest was a well-known brand of dairy products.) Ed McMahon - in clown makeup, including a blinking nose - opened the show. "Ed wore a fake bald head wig over his hair as a clown on Big Top," said John Zacherle (aka - Roland), host of WCAU's late-night horror movie. "He started the show by looking into the camera, bowing his head, and 'BIG TOP' was written on his bald spot."
Longtime WCAU personality Gene Crane recalled, "Ed sometimes filled in for me as emcee on Fame and Fortune talent show, which included doing the commercials for Erlanger Beer. The sponsor made him do the commercial over and over, each time drinking a beer. He was a little bombed when he returned to the show but was a pro. Ed was fun and worked harder than any of us."
My mom took me with her when she saw the television cooking show 'Aunt Molly's Den' in 1951 or so. Ed McMahon played her nephew, the handyman. Wearing bib overalls, he would demonstrate simple home repairs while the food was cooking. Former WCAU-TV director/producer Bill Bode recalled a famous on-air flub when announcer McMahon mistakenly referred to Krispy Krackers as 'Krispy Krappers' while the sponsor's ad agency people watched from the control room.
 Ed's big break came when Edward R. Murrow met him while in Philadelphia to interview Dick Clark of American Bandstand. Clark and McMahon were neighbors in Drexelbrook apartments in Drexel Hill in the 1950s. Murrow was impressed and Ed soon took a television job in New York with Johnny Carson. The rest is history.
Mr. McMahon's last show at WCAU, 'Five Minutes More', was a commentary at the end of the 11:00 pm news. "I was the producer and was only 21," said Jim Hirschfeld, who went on to produce Captain Kangaroo. "Ed and I met everyday for lunch at Cynwyd Lounge on City Line Avenue and wrote the show over two martinis and a hamburger."
Even when 'The Tonight Show' originated from New York City, McMahon kept his Drexel Hill residence. Only when the program moved to the West Coast, did Ed finally break his ties to the Philadelphia area. He also had a shore home in Avalon, NJ.
Millions of younger viewers knew Mr. McMahon as a commercial pitchman: "You may have already won 10 million dollars!" for American Family Publishers' sweepstakes. Or: "Budweiser, the only beer that's beechwood aged."
William Katz has written, "He was a warm, gregarious and totally accessible guy, a former Marine pilot, who seemed genuinely grateful for his luck. ... He was one of the decent guys, in an industry not known for that trait. He represented the last era of the "old" show business, which we sorely miss."
Requiescat In Pace. (posted 6/24/09, permalink)
Mummer's Appearance: On Saturday morning, we gathered 'round the plasma big screen and watched the Portland Grand Floral Parade, the culmination of the 102nd Rose Festival. The skies were cloudy and, towards the end, there was some rain - a Portland tradition - but the parade soldiered on, as always.
There were more than 90 entries, including 15 floats, old cars, equestrian units, dancer troupes, marching bands and llamas. The float count was down considerably; many of the corporate floats were absent - due to the recession, I'm sure. The Battle Ground float - constructed entirely by 100 or so local volunteers - won the President's Trophy. The Battle Ground High School Band took third place in the out-of-state division.
A most pleasant surprise was the appearance of the Philly-based Woodland String Band which has ... (more >>>)
Philadelphia Memories (Part IV) can be found here.
Philadelphia Memories (Part III) can be found here.
Philadelphia Memories (Part II) can be found here.
Philadelphia Memories (Part I) can be found here.
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