Pictures of something long past

Help Support Ruger Forum:

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
I posted in the Lounge about the passing of Ronnie Milsap's wife Joyce. That was done as a way to remember her.
But as for Ronnie,, my Dad was his first real manager,, and promoted him & booked him all over. (Dad's business was "Talent Attractions.") I've managed to salvage a few posters from that era,, and wanted to share them, highlighting Ronnie, & not take away from the notice about Joyce.
These are from the happier times.
My Dad had generic posters made up to be put on telephone poles & such as advertising. And when he performed at my Dad's nightclub, he'd print those as well. My Dad's nightclub,, was "The El Tango" and has a lot of history too.That was quite common back when. Here are two of them with Ronnie. The picture of him was the very first professional picture done of him as a performer. Notice the "Ray Charles" style. That was my Dad's idea. Enjoy these little pieces of history.





Another gentleman & group my Dad managed,, was Dennis Robinson & the original Atlanta Tams. Here's a poster of them.



Next, I have some of our original menu's from the El Tango. these were never folded or used. This is the cover & back of one. Top picture is the building, and the bottom picture is the dining room.



Lastly, is the inside of the menu. The prices always make me chuckle.

 

hittman

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
16,924
Location
Illinois
Very cool, thanks for sharing.

About what year(s) are the posters from?
 

Johnnu2

Hunter
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,846
Location
NYS
Those are now called 'artifacts' and are SUPER NEAT.....

I'll take the T-Bone for $3.00..... in fact, I'll take TWO please.

J.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
When they were filming Dirty Dancing,, it was kinda low key. Remember, it was a low budget film,, and supposed to be a "B" grade. The movie sets around here weren't where tourists & such could easily access them. And yes, Patrick & Jennifer as well as others were seen around town during some of their "off" time.
I know where all of the LL set locations are/were. Many buildings & places are either gone, or no longer recognizable from the movie timeframe.

I regularly look at one of our menus & smile at the items as well as the prices. In some ways,, it doesn't seem so long ago,, yet,, it also feels like a lifetime ago.

Sadly, the "El Tango" building burned down in 1978. My Dad had chosen to reduce his work load by leasing out the nightclub portion. (We called it "The upstairs.") Dad didn't know the 2 guys he leased it to were bootleggers & crooks. They put in a disco set-up, some equipment, and then insured it all. Well, it was arson, and the SBI tried HARD to pin it on those 2 scumbags. I was privy to the file several years later, and I'm 100% convinced they burned down my Dad's dream. If I could have caught up with them somewhere,,,, well,,,, it may have been ugly.
I do know that at least one of them is now dead,, and I'm not sure about the other guy.

Mom & Dad didn't rebuild there. They instead opened another business a few miles away on other property they owned. A convenience store. It was finally sold for good in 2005.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Jim, I don't know the exact year Dad had those menu's printed. But if I'm not mistaken, the car in the foreground of the picture is a 1962 caddy. I may well be wrong about that.

Dad started building the place in 1947,, with just the Dairy Bar. (It's the section on the left, small, and has a red popcorn machine next to it. At first, he offered ice cream, snow cones, popcorn milkshakes etc. The restaurant & nightclub were added to it behind the Dairy Bar portion. Directly behind it was the kitchen for the restaurant. The whole place wasn't completed until early 1952.
 
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
2,419
Location
The Sticks---N.W. Orygun
Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing the memories of the building and especially the menu. Sure wish I would have taken the extra day or 2 to come and see you when I was out there in June. No idea if or when I will ever make it back out there. SC is still on my list of states I have not yet made it to, so you never know. I think I only have about 7 or 8 states I still need to get to.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
AJ,, you are more than welcome to drop in anytime! (And SC is only about 20 minutes away!) :D Come back & we can visit, AND a trip to SC for a bit. I do know a "few" places!
 

sixshot

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
1,835
Location
soda springs, idaho
Tyrone, great post & I'll buy the T Bones for both of us! A lot of great old history right there. Don't think I've seen frog legs on a menu since I got out of the service back in 70. Fixed right they are very good! Thanks for sharing & I wish you would have got that other bad guy, we have too many any more.

Dick
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
:D Dick! I smile looking at that old menu also. T-bones, Frog legs, Del Monico's, or even the Filets,, all were good. And despite the many, many milkshakes & stuff I fixed over the years, I can still recall how good they were on the old mixing machine. Biltmore ice cream, good fresh milk, flavoring,, and depending upon which one,, a few other little things to make them stand out. Mmmm! Example; Banana milk shakes,,, banana flavored ice cream, AND about 1/3 of a good well ripened banana added to it.

As for the other thug,, well, I'm hoping the gates of Hades swing wide open for him. You are right,, too many of that type anymore!
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2009
Messages
11,837
Location
Webster, MD.
Highstandardguy said:
I guess Lake Lure really was a "Swinging Hot Spot" back in the day. I can't imagine what it must have been like around there when they were filming Dirty Dancing.
Having driven the roads around Lake Lure I doubt that much happened anywhere but inside the establishments. There are turns on the road that allow you to look at your trunk. :)
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Hah, hah, hah! There's a section of road we call "drunkard flats" and it's not too far from my range. Used to be a restaurant & such near it, (long gone,) and when things were busy,, those who had "too much" used to RACE through the "flats." Nuff said!
 

Latest posts

Top