‘Mid-Atlantic Memories’ to flow at Charlotte Fanfest
– Mike Mooneyham
Videographer John Andosca figures he’s logged hundreds of hours in the editing room and thousands of miles on the road preparing for the big night.
“Mid-Atlantic Memories,” a 75-minute documentary on one of pro wrestling’s most revered territories, will make its world premiere Thursday night in Charlotte when the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Fanfest opens it annual four-day run.
It’s been a labor of love for Andosca, 31, who has spent much of the past two years working on the documentary with Fanfest organizer Greg Price.
“The first shot we did was with Les Thatcher back in March of 2013. We went all the way up to shooting with Jim Ross in Norman, Okla., a couple of weeks ago,” said Andosca.
While much of the filming was done at previous Fanfests, Andosca had to put on his traveling shoes to conduct a number of the interviews.
For Andosca, a lifelong wrestling fan, it was a little taste of what wrestlers used to do on a nightly basis back in the territory days.
“It was a lot of fun going to all the different towns. It was a little bit like the guys who used to drive to different cities night after night. The last trip we took down there was in Greenville, S.C., then we went up to Charlotte and Greensboro, N.C., and over to Raleigh.”
Final production took Andosca to Ross’ neck of the woods in Norman, Okla., a drive of 16 hours from Andosca’s home in Toledo, Ohio.
“It was well worth it,” said Andosca. “Jim was a consummate professional.”
One of Andosca’s favorite trips was traveling to Jim Cornette’s home, dubbed “Castle Cornette,” in Kentucky.
“Now that was a fun shoot,” said Andosca. “It’s a real museum of wrestling history.”
The climate-controlled, custom-built vault at Castle Cornette contains the result of nearly 50 years of collecting pro wrestling memorabilia, including more than 5,000 magazines and programs, 3,000 plus videotapes, 15,000 photos, and large stacks of newspaper clippings, fan publications and reference material documenting the history of the sport.
Cornette, said Andosca, was particularly helpful in allowing him access to old footage and other material that was used in the documentary.
“It definitely added to the film,” said Andosca. “I’m very grateful that he allowed us to do that.”
With the film’s premiere only a few days away, Andosca is eagerly anticipating the response of the audience that will be on hand to witness the documentary.
“Even with all the challenges, including the late nights and sleepless nights doing all the editing and everything, along with all the long drives, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It was really a special project. When you’re passionate about doing something, you just do it. You dig in and make it happen. I’m just so grateful to be a part of it.”
‘Little documentary’
Andosca attended his first Fanfest in 2006 in Rockville, Md. Due to scheduling conflicts, he didn’t attend another until a couple of years later. It was then that he came up with the idea of making “a little documentary” around Fanfest.
“At the time, Greg didn’t know me. I was just a fan who wanted to make a little film about Fanfest. He gave me access. People had tried to do it before, but he was very impressed after we got great feedback on the film I did there.”
“He produced a 10-minute mini-documentary on Fanfest. He really told a great story about what the weekend is all about. It turned out to be a tremendous promotional piece for Fanfest,” recalled Price.
Price brought Andosca to his Atlanta Fanfest in 2011, this time to film the entire event, and was again impressed with his work.
Knowing that Fanfest wasn’t going to last forever, and with time taking its toll, Price decided to document the territory’s history by interviewing the men and women who were actually there.
Andosca estimates that nearly 50 people — including wrestlers, managers, announcers and fans — were interviewed for the film. The list includes Cornette, Thatcher, Ole Anderson, Lars Anderson, Paul Jones, Tully Blanchard, Magnum T.A., Ricky Steamboat, Jerry Brisco, Barry Windham, The Assassin (Jody Hamilton), Mr. Wrestling No. 2 (Johnny Walker), Ken Patera, Kevin Sullivan and Tommy Young.
The fans, he said, added an extra touch.
“I’m only 31 years old, and it was cool to see people talk about things that I had only heard about from people who were actually there.”
Andosca said one of the most revealing interviews he conducted was with former NWA world champ Steamboat, who will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes on Friday night with the late Jay Youngblood.
“Just the way he articulated things,” Andosca said of Steamboat, who first arrived in the Carolinas in the mid-1970s and started a legendary feud with “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. “He told all these tremendous stories that I had never heard about. He talked about the impact they had. He seemed to be genuinely touched by what he talked about. That interview was really compelling.
“To see Ricky Steamboat, who wrestled at Wrestlemania 3, say that his days with Jay Youngblood were the most fun … Given that context of where he’s been and what he’s done, it was neat to see him talk about what fond memories he had at places like Dorton Arena (Raleigh) and Park Center (Charlotte).”
Mid-Atlantic legacy
Recreating the feel of a bygone era was no small feat. But that’s exactly what Andosca and Price did with “Mid-Atlantic Memories.”
The film captures the sights, sounds and feel of one of wrestling’s most celebrated territories.
Making it a cohesive story, said Andosca, was the biggest challenge. Admitting that time constraints and deadlines probably resulted in some quality material being left on the cutting room floor, Andosca said the edited 75-minute version should make for entertaining viewing.
“There were so many good stories and so much good stuff out there that I think people will really want to see. It’s been so much fun. I can’t believe we’re finally here.”
One of the early promotional videos for the film featured the 84-year-old Bob Caudle with the backdrop of Raleigh’s Dorton Arena, where wrestling was once held every Tuesday night.
Caudle, regarded as the “Voice of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling,” was a staple of Carolinas wrestling during the 1960s and ’70s. His easygoing, straightforward approach at the announcer’s desk made him one of Mid-Atlantic’s most beloved figures.
“No cue cards, sharp as a tack and knocked it out of the ballpark,” Andosca said of Caudle’s performance.
“Bob never played the role of a wrestling announcer,” added Ross. “Bob was himself. He never talked down to the audience. He was a great communicator. At that point in his life, he probably could have been successful broadcasting anything that he chose to do or was assigned to do.”
“I’m still in awe of Bob Caudle,” echoed Price. “He reminds me a lot of my dad.”
“Good people” like Caudle, said Price, are what initially attracted him — and many other fans — to the product.
“It’s just folks who are genuinely good people. Those same things that hooked me then still have me now.”
While Andosca wasn’t even born when much of the Mid-Atlantic history was being written, he said he appreciates its rich legacy.
“Just being a wrestling fan and getting to be a part of something that’s attached to people who I grew up watching … it’s very special to me. I didn’t grow up in the Mid-Atlantic territory, but I’m just as passionate about wrestling as any of the fans might be. I was a fan first before ever coming here. I’m just like everybody else. I see it from a fan’s perspective.”
Andosca, who has roots in the music industry, said working on the project was an education in itself.
“Working with Jim Ross really upped my game, too,” he said. “I work primarily in the music business. I love doing that, but I have such respect for these guys and girls. It was really special. I’ve made so many new contacts and new friends.”
Musical act
Andosca received degrees in both film and communications at the University of Toledo.
“While I was in college, I started my own videography business, doing commercials and weddings, and that’s how I make my living,” said Andosca, who has done projects with such diverse artists as Britney Spears, Hank Williams and Def Leppard.
“I have a passion for it, but my heart has always been in wrestling.”
Not only is he excited about the film, but Andosca also is looking forward to doing a “free-form” musical presentation with “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart prior to the film’s premiere.
“It’s sort of like a storytelling thing,” explained Andosca. “Jimmy will be talking about the stories behind the songs, and I’ll be accompanying him playing piano.”
The two combined on a DVD a couple of years ago, and Andosca is looking to amp up an encore performance, but this time adding production value.
Hart’s musical background is well documented.
Before becoming involved in pro wrestling, the animated manager was a member of rock band The Gentrys, best known for their 1965 top five Billboard Hot 100 hit “Keep on Dancing.”
Hart also composed many theme songs for WWF and WCW performers during his time with those companies. One of Hart’s most notable compositions is Shawn Michaels’s catchy “Sexy Boy” entrance theme.
In the late 1980s, Hart released a music album titled “Outrageous Conduct” that consisted of comical songs done in character, such as “Barbra Streisand’s Nose” (originally written for famed Memphis wrestling announcer Lance Russell) and “Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield.”
Narration by J.R.
Jim Ross, who will serve as host at the premiere and provides narration for the film, is equally excited about the project.
“I wasn’t sure when the film was actually going to end. It kept kicking out at two,” joked the WWE Hall of Fame broadcaster.
“Fans are gonna love it. I enjoyed it immensely because it was so nostalgic and so open and honest. Everybody in the film spoke from the heart. Not necessarily in a sad way … in many ways it was almost celebratory.”
Price hopes the film will evoke those same feelings that attending a Fanfest does.
“It’ll be a 100 percent positive experience. It’ll be something just like Fanfest. When you walk into a ballroom and know that you’re in there with several hundred people that like, love and grew up with the same thing that you did, that’s a special feeling. This documentary is the same way.”
Two of Ross’ favorite scenes involve the legendary Johnny Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel.
“There are a couple of pieces on there — a promo with Wahoo McMcDaniel and a separate promo with Johnny Valentine — that were just chilling. They never raised their voices and they never made you think they were on Broadway. That was very memorable to me.
“I like the historical aspects of it. I loved the promo Valentine did with (announcer) David Crockett. He (Crockett) looked like a meek little child who was intimidated by Johnny Valentine. Valentine didn’t have to do anything to be a bully. Just his presence was enough. And then there was Wahoo sitting on the couch with his foot in a cast. That was it. That was him being honest.”
Ross, who began his broadcasting career in the mid-’70s in Oklahoma, added that he also was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of fans in the documentary.
“There are a lot of fans whose memories seemed to be so vivid that what they were talking about could have occurred yesterday. I think the fans in the Mid-Atlantic area are going to be ecstatic with what they see, especially those who grew up with it. I think that fans outside the Mid-Atlantic area that consider themselves wrestling fans will look at this with a great deal of historical significance. I think people who never saw one minute of Mid-Atlantic wrestling will embrace it.”
“The film is very well done, the music is well selected and utilized,” said Ross. “It’s got some very gritty interviews. The Valentine and Wahoo stuff gave me chills.”
This year’s Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest will be held July 30-Aug. 2 at University Place Hilton hotel in Charlotte.
Copies of the DVD will be available at the event, and also can be pre-ordered at MidAtlanticMemories.com.
For photos, plus lots more by Mike Mooneyham, go to
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150726/PC20/150729501/mid-atlantic-memories-to-flow-at-charlotte-fanfest
Reach Mike Mooneyham at (843) 937-5517, or follow him on Twitter at @ByMike Mooneyham and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MikeMooneyham.