By Joe Rinaudo

CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7

Chapter 8

It has taken me a long time to come to grips with what happened next. For that reason, I have delayed my writing of this chapter as this was the hardest one to write.

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As you might have remembered from chapter 7,  I have had a great dinner with Dave and Jennifer. Her spaghetti dinner and conversation were fun and fantastic as usual.  The next day when I called Dave’s house, Fred Von Helf’s wife, Diana, answered the phone. When I asked to talk to Dave she just said in a very somber voice “There was a tragedy here last night.” After my initial shock I asked “Are the kids and Dave all right?”  Then Diana’s voice on the phone said “Jennifer died last night.” 

I couldn’t speak for a few seconds. How could someone as alive and funny as Jennifer be gone? When I asked what happened, Diana just said that Jennifer had died in her sleep last night. I asked how Dave and the kids were doing (a very dumb question due to the fact that I was in a stunned state).  I didn’t know what to say other than “God bless her.”  I said something like “Oh my God I’m so sorry!” I started to cry and hung up the phone.

After gaining my composure, I wondered what can I possibly do at a time like this? The only thing I could think of was that two young children had lost their mother and Dave his wife! I didn’t know what to do next. The only thing I did know was that I needed to be with Dave and his kids. I went to a toy store and bought something for Cordie (the youngest). Being in a zombie like state, my only thought was to go to the market for groceries for Dave and the kids. When I arrived at Dave’s house it was a very chaotic  place filled with family and friends. Dave’s mom and brother, Dave’s friends Fred and Diana Von Helf, Jennifer’s brother and sisters along with Jennifer’s parents were all there giving support.  This was a house filled with sadness. Cordie was only 17 months old so she really didn’t seem to realize the gravity of the situation. Nadine, on the other hand, was not doing well as she was greatly consumed by the sudden loss of her mother.

When I finally got to see Dave to express my grief, He just said “Let’s go out to the shop for a while.”  I was at first surprised by this but then I realized that this was one way Dave could cope with what had just happened.

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When we were out in his shop Dave said that he appreciated that all his family was doing for him and his children but he just needed to get away from all of the commotion for a while. Dave told me that his first and foremost concern was for his kids. I told him that if there is anything that I could do for him and the kids all he needs to do is ask. Dave said that he might need a friend to call upon from time to time for support and help.  I told him that I would be there for whatever he needed. He then sadly told me how he had awakened and found Jennifer’s cold body next to him. We both wondered how someone so young and vital could be gone! It was later found out in an autopsy that Jennifer had a congenital heart problem.  She had the heart of a 90-year-old!

The next several months were a bit of a blur. Dave’s mom stayed for several days and nights helping around the house along with babysitting Cordie and Nadine while Dave and I worked out in his shop. Dave had to keep working on restoration projects for his customers (to keep food on the table). Family members always seemed to be coming and going; helping wherever they could. I made it a point to try to get over to Dave’s house almost every day. Since I worked part time this made it possible to spend more time with Dave.

One time the phone rang and it was the bank asking why Dave was late on his mortgage payment. Dave said that he will pay it when he could. The lady from the bank said “You sure seem to be taking this lightly!” Dave said, “How else do you expect me to take it? My wife just died and I have two kids to raise!” The woman from the bank hung up. Dave made the payment a few days later. Several family members offered to take Dave’s children and raise them. Dave would have none of this and said “These are my kids and I will raise them!”

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One evening Dave said, “Let’s go for pizza. I know a great place!” So, Dave, me, Nadine and Cordie all piled into Dave’s big old Chevy truck and headed off to a place called Mike’s Pizza. Cordie would stand up on the bench seat In between us and yell “I want to EAT!” Every time Dave would take off from a stop the truck would lurch forward (it was a stick).  Cordie’s head would then bounce off the back window with a boom! Like the sound of a bass drum! Cordie seemed totally unaffected by this situation as all she could think of was to eat! I thought that this might be an interesting experience.  So, after several “I want to EAT!” and Booms, we arrived at Mike’s Pizza. It was a Friday night so when we arrived, there was a line out the back door with about 25 people in front of us. I thought that this place must be good! As we slowly creeped up a little at a time. I thought that this better be good because it’s going to take all night to get in! Just then a rather skinny frail old man with white hair holding a clipboard comes out to count the people in line. The old man sees Dave and shouts rather loudly at us “Where the hell have you been? Your friends have been waiting for you inside!” So, he ushers us into the restaurant ahead of everybody else! Of course, there was no one waiting for us inside. So, the old man brings us to a table and shouts to Dave “Don’t let that happen again!” throws the menus on the table turns and leaves. I asked what that was all about. Dave said “That’s Paul the owner.” I said that “You must come here a lot for Paul to treat you so.” Dave just said with the Dave Hartman smile “I’ve been here a few times.”

The pizza was great! Along with the indescribable garlic rolls. These things were soft and gooey with a buttery garlic and melted cheese center that was to die for. They were always served hot and fresh! Mike’s Pizza also served something called a schooner of beer! It consisted of a huge heavy 24 oz. glass goblet of ice-cold draft beer! The schooner goblets were always kept frozen in a large freezer with a glass door. The house salad was a bowl of dark green lettuce served chilled with small discs of Italian meat. It came with a wonderful oil and vinegar dressing. The entire salad was topped with grated cheese! O.M.G.! What a feast! When we paid our bill and were walking out the door Paul came running after us yelling for someone to stop us because we hadn’t paid the bill! Then he yelled “O.K. have it your way just don’t ever come back!” Of course, everyone in the restaurant was laughing! It was always a very entertaining time with Paul and Dave at Mike’s Pizza!

Mike’s Pizza was located in Panorama city and was decorated with all sorts of race car memorabilia. On one of the various trips to this magical place I had asked Paul why all the racing décor and why is it called Mike’s if your name is Paul? Paul said that Mike was his son’s name who was killed in a racing accident and this was Paul and his wife’s way of remembering their son.  Dave, myself and his children spent many happy hours at Mike’s Pizza.

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Dave was always working on the strangest things. He was restoring several Mutoscopes which was a card flipping motion picture machine. All kinds of antique phonographs, player pianos and several coin operated pianos. When I asked who was all of this stuff for Dave said “All this belongs to a good customer, Lennie Marvin.” I helped Dave deliver some of the restored items to Lennie. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very hyper, happy, fast-talking man. I found out that this was Lennie. Lennie opened up his garage which was filled with all kinds of antique phonographs, coin operated pianos, gambling machines and old arcade equipment.  When I asked Lennie what this was all for, he told me that he had been renting this kind of equipment to the movie industry to be used as props. I found out later that the jukebox featured in the T.V. show Happy Days was Lennie’s. I wondered how far could a guy go by renting things out of his garage. Dave said “Don’t under estimate Lennie. He has been giving me more and more work and I have watched his business grow steadily.” I realized that Dave was helping to grow Lennie’s business.

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Brass lamp, center. Red boxes contain Picturolls, left. A couple of funny characters, center. Organ pipes, above right. Logo rendered in gold leaf by friend Charlie DeSimone, presented to me on my 16th birthday. (I was wondering why that wooden panel—the cover to the roll mechanism—went missing a few days prior.)

I always wanted to start my own business. I had been trying to manufacture the lamp which was missing on my Fotoplayer.  Original lamps are very rare and only a couple are known to exist. This unique lamp was needed to give the operator light to work the Fotoplayer in the darkened theater.  A friendly collector who has a style 45 Fotoplayer, with one of the two lamps known to exist, was kind enough to send me photos and dimensions of his lamp. Since the lamp looks like a picture frame lamp it would be hard to fabricate. It was rolled sheet metal with special bracket arms at each end.   This was beyond my skill level. I asked Dave if he had any thoughts on how to make the lamp. Dave said that this was also out of his wheelhouse. He said that I should find a manufacturer that has the equipment to create this special type of lamp.

I inquired around and was told of a man by the name of David Sennett who was an old-style lamp manufacturer. When I went to see Mr. Sennett, I found him to be a very friendly man in a large old shop devoid of any other employees. This old shop was a wonderful place with all kinds of wire, lamp supplies and old-time manufacturing equipment. When I showed him a picture of the lamp he said “Do you want me to show you how to build one?” I couldn’t say “YES” fast enough! He takes a sheet of brass, shears it to size then rolls it to the proper diameter with a hand crank roller. He places it in a bending break and bends the front and rear 45 degree returns on the rolled shade! He did this on old hand and foot operated equipment just as it might have been done originally. He found two vase caps, one for each end of the rolled shade and (viola!) the shade was done! All in about 20 minutes! I was amazed at his skill level and how easy he made it look. Mr. Sennett told me that this was a great business to get into as custom fabrication of old-style lighting is a dying art. He told me that he did not have the arm and brackets but they are still being made. He gave me the name of a lamp supply where I could buy the brackets, wire and sockets to complete my project. When I asked how much I owed him for the lamp he said “Showing a young person how it was done was payment enough!” When I, again, insisted that he take some money he refused and told me that he had done well in this business and it was time for him to retire. He went on to say that if he could get more young people interested in this trade it would be a wonderful thing. I thanked him profusely and bid him well and gave practicing his trade some thought.

On my way home I thought what a kind and skilled man he was. I couldn’t wait to thank Dave for inspiring me to seek out someone like Mr. Sennett and tell him about my new adventure!  

It’s sobering to realize how chance meetings can change the direction of your life because what would happen next did just that.

To be continued…

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Do You Have
— EXPERTISE in NON-PROFITS? —

Joe Rinaudo, founder of Silent Cinema Society, is currently forming a non-profit which he calls SCAT —Silent Cinema Art and Technology — to fund the restoration and preservation of the actual machines and media of the silent era.

Advice and suggestions in the area of non-profits are most welcome. Contact Joe Rinaudo here.

Through Silent Cinema Society, which is comprised of you, the fans and supporters of silent cinema, Joe will continue to enlighten and entertain with The Newsreel newsletter; this Silent Cinema Society website; and hopefully soon, live shows where audiences are once again able to wear big hats that block the screen. SCAT, the non-profit, will also support Silent Cinema Society so that information and entertainment will continue to be presented to you, silent cinema fans. Lady, will you please take off that big hat!