MY LEGENDARY MEETING WITH MOE . . . AND SOME BLATANT NOSTALGIA!

 I KNEW I DIDN'T DREAM IT!!!! 

Back in 2006, I wrote this post about the old Walt Whitman Theater in Pennsauken NJ which my great grandfather built.  I also recalled dimly seeing Moe Howard (of the Three Stooges, natch) at a personal appearance there.  Well, the interwebs came through with an actual newspaper ad for the event I went to when I was 7 years old!!! 

As previously noted, I used to stay at my grandparents house on Westfield Avenue back in the 1970's.  My grandmother and I would frequently walk the length of Westfield Avenue all the way to Thor's Drug Store and the Walt Whitman Theater was about midway between their house and Thor's. 

My great-grandfather was an architect and built many things in the area; not only the Walt Whitman Theater but also the cabins at Medford Lakes as well as the Maple Shade Custard Stand (the latter two of which still exist today!). 

The Maple Shade Custard Stand

The Walt Whitman sadly was torn down I think back in the 1980's but by that time my grandparents had moved away from Pennsauken closer to my parents and I.  But this old newspaper ad is so awesome to finally find as confirmation of Moe's appearance there on April 28th & 29th, 1973 and the time I actually got to meet him.  Sadly, I can't remember if he called me 'porcupine' or not but I can dream, can't I?

Now I'm in such a nostalgic mood, I'll post a bunch of old 1970's stuff that I remember vividly from my childhood in the 1970's.

The little bridge & pond that used to be in the Moorestown Mall

The huge birdcage that used to be in the Moorestown Mall

Sound Odyssey record store that used to be in Cherry Hill Mall - I remember the purply/maroon shag carpeting that used to be on the floors AND the walls!!!

The Pennsauken Mart used to have a Listening Booth record store in it.

Wow! A Pennsauken Mart ad from before EVEN I was born!!!!

An exterior of the Pennsauken Mart in its final days.

An interior of the Pennsauken Mart after it closed down

The iconic pretzel sign from the Pennsauken Mart

An S&H Green Stamps store used to be on Main Street on the way from Maple Shade to Moorestown.  I got my red King Tut T-shirt there - I still own it but it's too small for me to wear now!!!

Grant's Department Store had a "restaurant" in it called the Bradford House

Bradford House delectables from their menu.

Hey!  Grant's is having a steak dinner special in this newspaper ad!

There used to be a Richman's in the Cherry Hill Mall in the late 70's/early 80's (for all I know it might still BE there!!!) which not only had the best barbecue beef sandwich (my mother and I loved them) but also my mother's (and my) favourite flavour ice cream:  Black Raspberry!!!

Steinhauer Elementary School in Maple Shade.  Other than that goofy yellow and blue thing, this facade looks exactly the same as when I went there in the 1970s.

On Main Street going in the 'other' direction from Maple Shade towards Merchantville & Pennsauken (on the drive to my grandparents' house) was Peaches Records & Tapes!  Wish I had some of those Peaches wooden crates to keep my vinyl in these days.