"BROWN BAG LUNCH" IS SPONSORED EVERY WEEK BY THE
JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND IS HELD IN THE DOWNSTAIRS COMMUNITY ROOM AT THE
CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM. IT IS FREE AND EVERYONE BRINGS A SANDWICH AND THE BEVERAGE AND DESSERT IS
SUPPLIED BY THE SOCIETY. ANYONE MAY COME AND EACH WEEK THERE
IS A PROGRAM ON LOCAL HISTORY.
TODAY, THE PROGRAM WAS ABOUT THE MOVIE "
F.I.S.T ". IT WAS FILMED IN DUBUQUE AND CLEVELAND AND
RON DELAGARDELLE OF MAQUOKETA
WAS IN THE MOVIE AND PRESENTED TODAY'S PROGRAM.
RON IS A RETIRED MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND WAS ALSO THE HOST OF THE DAILY "CARDINAL COUNTDOWN" ON KMAQ-FM, BROADCAST
"LIVE & DIRECT" FROM THE SCHOOL. THE MOVIE WAS FILMED IN 1977 AND DIRECTED BY FAMOUS DIRECTOR NORMAN JEWISON. RON FOR MANY YEARS IN THE 60'S, 70', (AND EVEN LATER) WAS A MEMBER OF THE LITTLE THEATRE GROUP, "PEACE PIPE PLAYERS" AND WAS IT'S LEADING ACTOR.
IN THE SPRING OF 1977, HE WAS IN THE PLAY, "NO SEX PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH" THE DIRECTOR, ALSO HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, KAREN TILTON SUGGESTED TO RON THAT HE TRY OUT FOR A PART IN THE MOVIE. HE DID, GOT THE SPEAKING PART OF
"SAMUELS" AND BECAME A LOCAL STAR.
(AFTER READING THIS, GOOGLE F.I.S.T. MOVIE AND YOU WILL GET ALL KINDS
OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILM, INCLUDING THE LIST OF THE CAST WHICH INCLUDES RON. RON HAD A SMALL PART THAT TOOK OVER A WEEK TO FILM AND HIS SALARY WAS AROUND $700. HE STILL GETS ANNUAL RESIDUALS FROM THE MOVIE, MOSTLY FROM OVERSEAS SHOWINGS. WHILE WORKING ON THE MOVIE, SUPT. LEONARD ROBERTS HIRED A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AND RON WAS NOT PAID FOR THE DAYS SHE WAS HIRED.
THE MOVIE WAS RELEASED IN 1978 AND HAD A PREMIER IN DUBUQUE.
IT COST $11 MILLION TO MAKE AND GROSSED $20 MILLION.
IN MAQUOKETA, IN TWO WEEKS, 1,917 PEOPLE WATCHED THE MOVIE AND
AT $2.50 FOR ADULTS (NOW WE CHARGE $7) AND $1.25 FOR KIDS (NOT MANY KIDS WENT TO IT) I GROSSED $3,160.00 WITH THE MOVIE AND PAID $1,264.00 FILM RENTAL. IN OTHER WORDS, THE MOVIE DID VERY WELL AT MY THEATRE AND I MADE SOME GOOD MONEY WITH IT. THANKS RON!
HOMER ULRICH AND DURWARD GOHLMAN OF MAQUOKETA (BOTH DECEASED) ALSO HAD SMALL (NON-SPEAKING) PARTS IN THE MOVIE (NO SALARY) AND JIM FRANCOIS RENTED JEWISON HIS 1933 PICK-UP THAT WAS
A "PADDY WAGON" IN THE 1937-ERA MOVIE. JIM WAS ALSO AT TODAY'S LUNCHEON AND SAYS HE NO LONGER HAS THE TRUCK.
191 PEOPLE, NEARLY A FULL HOUSE, ATTENDED THE SPECIAL THURSDAY NIGHT PREMIER HERE IN MAQUOKETA.
BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: JIM FRANCOIS, RON AND JOAN DELAGARDELLE MARTI AND HOMER ULLRICH, AND IRENE AND DURWARD GOHLMAN
ABOVE, WE HAD A LOBBY PARTY AFTER THE PREMIER SHOWING TO
CELEBRATE.
YES, MAQUOKETA ALSO HAD A PREMIER SHOWING AT THE VOY THEATRE (SEE ABOVE) WITH THE ACTORS (RON, DURWARD AND HOMER) COMING TO THE THEATRE IN JIM'S PADDY WAGON. IT WAS A FUN NIGHT! IF YOU GET A CHANCE, RENT THE MOVIE, AND WATCH FOR RON AND HIS
GREAT ACTING. HE OF COURSE MET THE DIRECTOR AND SYLVESTER STALLONE AND MANY OF THE OTHER STARS (HE HAS AN AUTOGRAPH BY
SYLVESTER) AND HAS PLEASANT MEMORIES OF WHEN HE WAS MAQUOKETA'S "HONEST-TO-GOODNESS" INTERNATIONAL MOVIE STAR.
NO...HE DID NOT GET NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR!
DENNIS VOY
