~ Malden Musings ~ Malden 1963, Part 1

By Peter Levine

We are Malden. Lifelong Malden or short time Malden. We are Malden. If your peeps put down roots in Yankee Village 150 years ago, you are a Maldonian. If your kinfolk chose Malden when their homes in the West End of Boston were unsparingly destroyed, you are a Maldonian. If you and your family escaped a Caribbean Island in turmoil 25 years ago, you are a Maldonian. If you spent your early childhood on Osprey Road in Saugus, came to Malden and made it a much better place than you found it, you are a Maldonian (hello, Neal Anderson!). If your extended family and friends followed you from a faraway Southeast Asian country to Malden for a better life, you are a Maldonian. Long time, short time. No diff. We are Maldonians.

If you choose to use the length of time you’ve lived in Malden divisively (which, sadly, some do – no names necessary), that’s on you. These columns, myself and my family have always chosen the high road, drawing no distinction – ever. Which brings this somewhat long-winded diatribe to a point. I had the pleasure of speaking recently with Karen Lynch. You most likely know Karen from UMA, where she greets you warmly as you enter the front door (ever notice the Gordon’s “ghost sign” as you enter?). You may have heard that Karen was recently named Commonwealth Heroine Class of 2024 of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (congrats, btw, Karen!). Ms. Lynch has “only” been in Malden for 25 years, but she loves Malden very much. Our love for Malden is on equal footing. No difference. Our love of Malden is in our souls! This is for you, Karen. Gabba gabba, hey, you’re one of us! Long live short- and longtime Maldonians!

Before we continue, a brief walk down Peter F. Levine memory lane, which will all tie into the genesis of this article (I think). The Levines originated in Boston’s West End (Scollay Square, Leonard Nimoy, Ruth Roman, The Howard Theater, Joe & Nemo’s, Lawrence Berk). Displaced and exiled to Carney Court in Charlestown by Rappaport and the BHA when they mercilessly tore the heart and souls out of thousands of West Enders with the destruction of the West End. “If you lived here, you’d be home now…” that dreadful and terrible reminder for thousands haunting each and every exile as they travelled Storrow over the years.

On a West End side note, one of the only good things to come out of the West End’s demise/betrayal was that a lot of great families who were displaced by the ruination of a way of life made it to Malden – the Skiffingtons, the Spinellis, the Jotkis, the Downies and the Papas, to name but a few.

Once again, I digress…Good fortune finally rained down on Solomon and Dorothy Levine (as well as their ever-expanding brood) through the sheer goodwill of my father’s employer and patron saint, Agar Supply’s owner Karl Bressler. A mitzvah for the ages, the Levine’s arrived on Charles Street in early 1963 just in time to enjoy the renaissance sweeping throughout Malden at the time. Thank you, Karl (tzaddiq) Bressler.

Which at last brings this tedious introduction to (somewhat) of a crescendo. This week’s article will take a “Malden Musings” look at that history making, earth shaking, pants dropping, heart-stopping year of 1963 (sorry, Bruce, I borrowed from you once again). Malden in 1963 is not to be confused with Malden in 2024. It was a vastly different animal in so many ways, yet so similar (as you will see). I’ll explain (eventually). Here ya go, in multiple parts, my take on 1963 Malden, Part 1…

First, we’ll look at an event that shook Malden (in a good way) in July of ’63. Hard to believe and really cool, but true. One of the original Rat Pack era icons made a short but unforgettable trip to Malden, leaving an impression that is still felt today. As reported in publisher and well-respected man about town, (Molly and Earl Brickman’s grandfather) David Brickman’s Malden Evening News:

  July 11, 1963 – Comedian Thrills Youngsters… “Jerry Lewis Gets Big Welcome”

By Jean McSweeney

“Malden’s Granada Theater provided hundreds of youngsters with the thrill of a young lifetime Wednesday afternoon in the form of the real-life gangling, madcap comedian Jerry Lewis – in person.

“With a crowd of 2,050 inside the theater, mostly members of the younger set, stomping on the floor chanting ‘We want Jerry,’ after having sat through his latest film, ‘The Nutty Professor,’ Jerry was greeted by more crowds outside.

“His arrival, 5 minutes earlier than scheduled, led some uninformed spectators to guess that one of the Kennedy family was dropping in for dinner at the Kernwood Restaurant next door.

“A black limousine, license plate 4X, pulled up to the Dartmouth Street side entrance of The Granada, and a swarm of youngsters immediately engulfed the auto.

“Quickly following was a second limousine, 2X, carrying musicians, agents and other entourage members.

“Jerry sat in the limo for several minutes as dozens of eyes pried into the shadows of the auto for a glimpse of a live movie star.

“The entrance was over in a flash as Jerry stepped out, surveyed the sea of faces shouting ‘Hi Jerry,’ and hustled into the theater, with local police keeping a path open.

“A retinue of some 9 associates, five of them musicians, quickly went into action backstage to set up their equipment for the 15-minute personal appearance while Lewis had one last cigarette.”

Loud Cheers

“The cheers were deafening as the movie and TV star for whom some had waited since 9:30 a.m., walked into the spotlight singing ‘When You’re Smiling.’ For the next 15 minutes he held his audience in the palm of his hand entertaining them with little bits of dancing, comedy, and song.

“Lewis brought the world of show business to Malden Wednesday not only by his own presence but also in the form of a three-minute film clip of ‘goofs’ from the set of ‘The Nutty Professor.’ A ‘goof,’ Hollywood style, is when someone on the set of the movie breaks up in laughter or makes a mistake while the filming is going on.

“His closing number, ‘Rock-a bye Your Baby,’ which has become a Lewis standard, came all too soon for his audience who indicated by their stomps and screams that they could have stayed there for hours more.

“But behind the scenes, the man called ‘the clown,’ ‘the nut,’ was observed to be a highly complex and exacting person who demands perfection from himself and his associates and accepts nothing less.

“Obviously tired from a day in which he had already done two shows, he expressed annoyance at his crew when minor problems developed with the film clips, microphone and spotlights.

“He hadn’t flown in from the Coast until Wednesday morning and shortly after did two shows, one in Boston and one in Framingham, prior to coming to Malden. And when he left Malden, he still had three more shows scheduled for Wednesday night.

“His tight schedule allowed for no interruptions, by autograph seekers or fans who wanted to shake hands. Even if he wanted to do an encore, time would not have permitted.

“As soon as the show was over, he darted through the wings and out the side door waiting just long enough to let his associates pave the way for him before disappearing once again into the confines of his limo.

“Again, the cheers went up as the police held the crowds back and the star and his retinue went on their merry way.”

As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” – from the more things change, the more they stay the same department – from the 1963 Maldonian… “From these roots come nearly 2,000 students to M.H.S. in 1962-63. And what are these roots beyond the typical outline of a busy industrial city of 60,000 people living in the shadow of Boston, ‘The Hub of New England?’ They reach far back to those days in the early 1600’s when a sturdy little band from Salem followed the narrow path through the forest, now known as Salem Street, to establish Mystic Side with its meeting house high on the hill where the huge bell attached to the rock could be rung to call them all together for emergencies or worship.

“Some of the residents have ancestors who fought in the revolutionary, civil, and world wars, but most of them came here during the great immigrations’ in the early 1900’s. From Adoniram Judson to Rabbi Charles Weinberg in religion, from Elisha Converse to Chester Lawson in industry, from Charles Daniels to Thornton Jenkins in education, from Alvin Fuller to John Volpe in government, from Reverend Michael Wigglesworth to Henry Morton Robinson in literature, and countless others who have influenced and brought fame to Malden. From all these roots we students, representing almost every nationality, race, and religion, come to M.H.S. from seven distinct sections in the city.” My note: All were/are Maldonians and as humorist/journalist Herb Caen once wrote, “A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.”

Postscript: My note “tzaddiq” aka the righteous one. To be continued.

— Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate and can be reached at PeteL39@aol.com for comments, compliments or criticisms.