Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sputnik Soars Again

Club Clearpool was the scene for the 1964 Les Debs dance, and the girls had hired Randy and the Radiants to supply the music. At evening's end, there was an argument between the club owner and the band over what time to stop. He had flipped the lights on fifteen minutes early and we were contracted to play to the hour. When all the party-goers were herded out, a tussle broke out between band members, the 40 year old owner, and his two greaser bouncers, one of whom followed me outside and punched me while my hands were filled with musical equipment. I was just 16, and when I entered my parents' home with a bloody shirt and a busted lip, my mother lost her mind and my father called the police. We went to court, where all three received stiff fines for assault and battery and malicious mischief, which would have been great were we not scheduled to appear at Club Clearpool again the next weekend. This time, I hired a security guard with a sidearm to join the band, but when we set up on the stage facing the concession stand on the opposite wall, the same three men were glaring at us with blood in their eyes.

Suddenly, the front door crashed open and hit the wall with a bang and in walked Sputnik Monroe, doing the Beale Street Strut, followed by our young, DJ manager, Johnny Dark. The entire room erupted and stopped the dance cold, while Monroe greeted a stream of teenagers before bounding onstage. When the cheering subsided, Sputnik took the microphone and said, "I'll tell you people what I said at the Tennessee State Prison last week. I couldn't say, 'ladies and gentlemen,' because there were no ladies, and if they were in there, they sure weren't gentlemen, so I'll just say, 'Damn, it's good to be here." Then like Babe Ruth at bat, he pointed directly at the concession stand saying, "And I want to tell everybody," he paused for dramatic effect and jerked a thumb back over his shoulder in the band's direction, "These boys are Sputnik's boys, and if you mess with them, you're messing with Sputnik." Thanks to Johnny Dark, Sputnik took a rare Saturday night off to attend a teenage party and put the fear of God into some bullies. The following morning, the club owner called and apologised for the entire mess, telling me that he had fired his two associates and  we were always welcome to play at Clearpool. I have been one of "Sputnik's Boys," ever since.

Like others of the Mouseketeer Generation who grew up in Memphis, I was addicted to live, Saturday morning, television wrestling, and especially fascinated by the blood feud between good-guy Billy Wicks and the evil Sputnik. After one particularly violent encounter, Sputnik swore revenge at the Monday night matches at the downtown Ellis Auditorium. I had never been to the live matches before and I begged my father to take me. He said, "Call your grandfather. He loves wrestling," and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe my immigrant grandfather, with his continental manners and ever-present jacket and tie could be a closet wrestling fan. We drove downtown in a taxi and got ringside seats to view the mayhem. I watched fascinated as toothless men screamed epithets at Tojo Yamamoto and howled at the shoulder length hair of Mario Galento, but the main attraction was Wicks and Monroe. When Sputnik entered, the arena burst into open hostility with boos and calls of  "Commie," and "Skunky," referring to the white streak in Sputnik's hair. Wicks arrived like the Golden Boy. It was a two-out-of-three fall marathon match which Sputnik won by cheating. He hit Wicks with a foreign object and held his trunks while applying the pin, but the referee raised his arm in victory anyway. I was aghast that he could get away with it, and it was left to my grandfather to explain to me that sometimes the good guys have to lose for the sake of the gate.

As a Billy Wicks fan, I could never have imagined myself 15 years later, hanging out at the Phillips Studios on Madison, sharing a joint with the evil Sputnik. He told me that if you wanted to smoke reefer in the 50s, you would ask someone to "come help me mow my yard," and they referred to marijuana cigarettes as "muggles," to the surprise of Harry Potter fans. It was the early 70s, and Sputnik was frustrated because he couldn't get the fans to hate him like before. I said that in these times, everything was upside down and what the fans truly despised were the hippies preaching peace and love. My friend Skip Ousley, a tall, black man, suggested that Sputnik find a black wrestler to tag-team with. The next Saturday on studio wrestling, Sputnik appeared with Norvell Austin, also with a white streak in his hair and calling himself "The Black Panther." Their hapless opponents were tangled in the ring ropes when Sputnik retrieved a bucket of black paint from ringside and poured it over their heads. Grabbing the announcers microphone, Sputnik declared, "Black is Beautiful." Norvell shouted, "White is beautiful," and linking arms they said in unison, "Black and white together is beautiful." The next time I saw Sputnik, he was a happy man and proclaimed, "They hate me again."  

Last Thursday was declared Sputnik Monroe Day by the mayors of  both Shelby County and the city of Memphis, and Representative Steve Cohen read a declaration into the Congressional Record commending the late professional wrestler for his role in desegregating public accomodations. The honor was to coincide with the premier of the new documentary, "Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'," and it was such a success, I would like to offer a suggestion. Make Sputnik Monroe Day an annual event, and then the congressman can take it nationally. We need this, people. Directly on the heels of Valentines Day, where in order to express love, you are required to cough it up for cards, candy, and flowers, there needs to be a day when you're allowed to tell somebody to kiss your ass. (Not you, sweetheart. I'm talking about someone else). Then, every March 24th, in Sputnik's honor, you are entitled to go in and spill your boss' coffee in his lap and smash him over the head with a folding chair (what would pro wrestling be without the folding chair?). But listen and listen good, pally. Anyone who recalls a jam-packed Mid-South Coliseum with Jerry "The King" Lawler, Bill "Superstar" Dundee, "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant, or the infamous antics of Andy Kaufman on the bill, and doesn't go to see this film, is just another ignorant pencil-neck geek.

15 comments:

Teddy said...

Brings warm tears to my eyes. Great story. Phenomenal memory. Clear vivid pictures. Rich life, RJ. S'good.

John McLallen said...

Randy, this is an excellent account to a favorite story about Sputnik.I remember the first time that I heard you tell it and it was at the Hall of Fame celebration that the Phillips boys put together. It was so wonderful to be included in what I have always called "a family celebration." To be embraced by Sputnik himself as a friend is something that I will always cherish. By the way, I picked up Sputnik and Joanne for dinner one night in Houston and I asked Sputnik to excuse the paper work that was scattered around the passenger side of the car. "John," he asked me, "do you know where a 235 pound wrestler sits?" I told him that my guess was "anywhere he wants to." One more thing about that evening, we went to a very nice restaurant and our very pretty hostess was smitten by our 235 pound friend. Indeed.

Steve said...

Randy brings back the nights when I sold popcorn and cokes at Monday night "wrestlin" and the Old WDIA Star Light Revue boy didI get to see some great entertainment and make some spending money!

Chris Davis said...

Bueno

Colusin Cliff said...

In Dallas, Saturday night wrestling was just as big, held live at the World Famous Sportatorium. Our local heroes were Fritz Von Erich, Thunderbolt Patterson, Chief Wahoo McDaniel, Johnny Valentine, the masked Spoilers (Spoiler #1 and Spoiler #2), and many, many others. If you try to take Sputnik day national, I'm afraid you are going to run into a lot of local competition.

Cousin Cliff said...

That's Cousin, not Colusin. Hit publish too quick.

Cary Wolfson said...

What, no "Anonymous" to tell you that you're a liberal asshole? Good tale, and I'd never heard of Sputnik Monroe. Although I do remember a DJ in Baltimore in the '60s named Johnny Dark. Wonder if it's the same cat.

Anonymous said...

Randy, try posting a picture of your favorite wrestling hold for all the fans to see, "The Double Lip Lock".

Flip Wilson said...

Anonymous, try doing everyone a favor. Pull YOUR bottom lip over the top of your head, and swallow.

Anonymous said...

I think Cousin Cliff is your favorite Anonymous. And, Randy, I'm sorry to tell you I was bein' raised in Mphs at the same time you were but didn't care for "wrastlin." Course, I'm a "girl." I can see why you loved Sputnik, though. Finally, I think I saw something about Johnny Dark on that Chiltonian forum one night after Katrina. Is he the same Johnny Dark who was a DJ in the DC/Baltimore area? Is he still alive? Best to you all, including the Big Oil guy.

Alan said...

Cousin Cliff
The reason for the national Day is what Sputnik did to Desegregate Memphis. He demanded and got the MidSouth Coliseum to allow mixed seating.

Cary Wolfson said...

As it would happen, the Johnny Dark who was in Baltimore/DC has a Facebook group and appears to be very much alive.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69117333085&v=wall

Still not certain this is the same guy, but likely.

performs said...

As a boy, I was in the habit, also, of tuning in to live wrestling in Miami, FL. The other shared experience is that the only time I remember attending live matches was with my immigrant grandfather.
I saw the excellent movie, The Wrestler, when it came out, but have no interest in professional wrestling at all. It looks like staged mayhem.

Drew said...

Such a small world is Memphis. John Daughtry aka Johny Dark, was my brother's chief rival for a certain Frayser Hi cheerleader to whom he has now been married for 47 years. When I delivered the Press Scimitar in my junior hi days, the route included a mobile home park on 51N wherein was located the garishly painted mobile home of Sputnik and Treacherous. Two wonderful gentlemen who always has a kind word and an extra dime on collection day. The route also included the Steele at Haywood home of Dewey P.

Ben Powers said...

I designed this Sputnik tribute site:

http://sputnik.memphis-heat.com/

Hope you've seen 'Memphis Heat'! It's great!