Cleveland Vintage Blog — Culture

Remembering the Cleveland Press Pumpkin

• Culture • History

Remembering the Cleveland Press Pumpkin

For kids growing up in Northeast Ohio during the days of the Cleveland Press, who could forget receiving their jack-o-lantern cutout to hang in their windows every October?

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Little Italy: One of Cleveland's Most Enduring Neighborhoods

• Culture

Little Italy: One of Cleveland's Most Enduring Neighborhoods

The Perfect Blend of Award-Winning Dining, Unique Artisans, Religion, and Rich History Pretty much every lifelong Clevelander has their own personal story or memories of the best-known of the five major Italian settlements established in Cleveland. Mine dates back to the early 1980s when I got my start in the wholesale beer business. The Little Italy neighborhood was a large part of the delivery territory I was responsible for, and I got to see on a day in, day out basis the pride that the people had in their culturally rich little part of the city that allowed them to...

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The Enduring Appeal of Cleveland's Ghoulardi

• Culture

The Enduring Appeal of Cleveland's Ghoulardi

Ghoulardi's Shock Theater ran from January 13th of 1963 until its abrupt end in December of 1966 on local Cleveland channel 8 (WJW TV). I say abrupt because at the time of his departure, Ghoulardi’s popularity during late-night Friday nights was soaring and at its peak even included hosting Saturday afternoon’s Masterpiece Theater and the weekday children's program Laurel, Ghoulardi and Hardy.

Late-night movie hosts at the time typically portrayed themselves as vampires or mad scientists. Anderson wanted something different, so the idea for a wisecracking “hipster” ahead of his time in a long lab coat, Van Dyke beard, bad wig and glasses was born.

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