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Notes from interview 10/28/04 - 1992 Film interview with Eric Bechus
Glolria Biggs wrote for the Evening Independent. David Anderson painted the pink man. There is a film at the Pointer institute? and St. Pete Times Library. Tom had one uncle on his faher's side and two aunts on his mother's side. Aunt Olive was a good poet, got into real estate. Had two daughters, Donna and Joyce. Aunt Stella of Albequereque, married the man with the turepentine factory on Lowman Ave.
Tom booked Barton after he returned from the Korean war. Had 7 lots and 3 buildings to manage. Had to care for mother and grandmother. Someone had a theatre over on the North side of town that was transformed into a theatre. Barton had ballet dancers from NY. He created a lot of shows After 5 seasons they had to close.
Barton went to Rolands. Tom went to Stetson for his BA, and teaching credentials during his Navy training over near Datona. He had two years at SPJC. He hung out with Barton and Ted Shawn around Barton's father's house in Eustis.
Painting by Jane McClelland "Poet and Shamman"
After Stetson, Tom went to Berkeley and took his own abstract style of painting. He studied with Alfred Kesey.
Photo of sculpture by Viet Nam War Veteran who killed a stranger on the street, depicting the times through the sysmbols of War, Peace, Sex.
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Tom Talks:
Ballet Jinx for his friend, SF Ballet formed by Christensen Brothers, was the first American dance company to travel to Europe.
Russell Hartley won the grand prize. It was done in a heat of passion.
Clifford Anderson at USF in the early 80's
Jerry Wagner, Gerard
Sydney S. Stern
David Anderson painted Mother in lace and oleander.
Thomas Bruce Reese
Glorida Biggs
Stella
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1939 Directory
SP Times in 1990
May 15, 1990 SPT
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Wayne Garrison, gangster
Welsh Community form Massachusetes started by his uncle Howard, when Tom was two
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Miami - Tom had several shows at Miami Beach. Taught at Miami Edison.
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Tommy O Moore from Miami provided free costumes and dancing in Tampa.
Isadora Duncan was supported by Singer in a studio just above the University of Berkeley.
Livingstone Family
Grandmother, Livingstone, and (Grand)father traveled from Ontario to Oregon in 1907, Origanally from Glasgow, Scotland. (David Livingstone found in Africa a relative?) Grandfather was given a land grant in Canada when the Irish problems began. The King had given him Lemmerick and part of the River Shannon.
Lloyds of London has all hte records of the ships that sank off the cost of Canada. Grandmother's ship sank off the coast of Canada.
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Donna Livingstone, Reese, Turfler -
1891-1980 Pinellas Park Pioneer
BIO - SPI - 7/13/76
OBIT - SPI - 3/1/80
OBIT - SPT- 3/1/80
Co-Operator Beaux Arts Gallery
YWCA Charter Member
Her first husband was the Fire Chief, Archie
Mother later married Turfler and moved to Middletown NY. Tom stayed with his Grandparents and father in Pinellas Park. Attended st. Pete high.Tom
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The ACL train for passengers went to downtown St. Pete. The freight train brought the animals and unloded them outside of Pinellas Park. They were marched into town.
Tim Shoecraft grew flowers, exported stutus to the north, helped Grandfather survey Sarasota and Venice. They were working for Mrs. Potter of Chicago, surveying her lands.
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Thomas Bruce 1937 Poetry Award
SPT 4/18/37
Pornography
SPT 6/4/68
SPT 9/15/68 p.2
Artist - SPT - 1/6/52
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Reese Family
Grandfather and Mother laid out the streets of Pinellas Park.Grandmother's ship sank off the coast of Canada, a lot of sheep fed the people. Her father was given the city of Limerick. She was the 7th of 13 children. She was somewhat psychic, read tea leaves.They had a 600 acre farm in Cambrio County, PA. Father and Uncle (Howard) built the church, cemetery and school, (in Cmbrio prior to moving to Florida?)
Ralph Reed "Pinellas County Historical Museum, print included wtih letter to paper from Howard. Letter written back to Home in Cambria PA
Dad (first name?) Reese, left theatre and real estate office in Janette. PA. Moved to Pinellas Park. Lived by himself.
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England
Fags of Falmus Art Group started by Doctors Hair and Leopard, who worked on venereal disease during WWI. They started an Art Gallery, Opera and Symphony WWII. They were knighted for their work with patients. Dame Hair and Leopard.
Tom met Barton in London. He was stationed there before there broke out. Barton was a stevedore until his dancing abilities were discovered. After the war, Tom spent some time at Jacob's Pillow and Eustis with Barton and Ted Shawn.
He was buried under rubble from a bomb in London for 6-7 hours. Met James Marcom, who designed costumes for Rockerfeller Center in NY. He had interviewed HJames for hte Independent and Introduced his to John Guildgood and Hermine Guingold. She had a Vicotrian style place in Paddington, and Madenhead, outside of London.
In Naval Reserves, Tom worked for the Post Office. He held the mail for the soldiers and sailor at Box 26. Then sent them it to the ships.
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Michael Moore ran Beaux Arts for 24 months while it was in the garden.
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Dave Foster of Pinellas Park "This Little Kitten" and "Time Was" photo by Jennifer Corbett 1997
Jennifer Near manager Beaux Arts for 6 years in his horse barn after Michael Moore. It moved to her horse ranch
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Skip Harris is coming from New York November 20t, 2004.
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Mick Hay patron of the arts. shjotp videos in 1982. Films off-beat. 1982-85. Transitioning to video. First time story. Tom exposed him to pornography.
Mick's dad was an average dad who was a big movie buff. He heard Tom was playing a Humphrey Bogart film that he wanted to see. He invited his wife, but she turned him down, so he went by him self. Came back early. Didn't care for the scene at all. chouches instead of regular theatre seats. said "You're not going to believe this..."The show this movie in this house. Not even a goddam bar."
Of course Mick was intrigued, had to check it out. He liked the odd "B" movies such as "Venus in Furs", "Return to the Valley of the Dolls". Tom had just bought a video projector
when he went. He still goes even though the films are not being shown any more.
727-528-7425 Mick?
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Marilyn bought a red painting. Told Tom not to worry about wrapping it. She would just hold it on her lap.
Gambol Rogers - 1970-76.
Asked Mike to play and he was (on Banjo) St. Pete Sidewalk Art Festival (?)
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California
Tom was going to get a theatre degree at Berkeley, but the department was not very good at the time, so he switched to CCAC. He also studied at the University of SF. While in the East Bay, he lived with Federrico Mollet, a distinguished sculptress, (heads in Ipsolante, MI) in Piedmont. He worked at the YMCA. Studied theatre at SF State, and art at CCAC.
Swam with Olympic trainees in Berkeley class. Didn't want to dive off the high dive after hearing of GG Bridge suicide.
He wrote the words for a song by ???, with music by one of he world's greatest composers, at girls college. (Mills?)
Was a judge for the first Mr. California contest.
Alfred Kensey Report - Tom has stories about knowning Kensy in California. May have coined the term, "gay".
London WWII
In Naval Reserves, Tom worked for the Post Office. He held the mail for the soldiers and sailor at Box 26. Then sent them it to the ships.
Reese - Bard
Turfler, was his stepfather.
Liquor and girls seperated his parents, though Tom never saw his father drunk.
From Jeannette PA. his dad had real estate office with casting couch.
For a while Tom had a secret male theatre outside of Beaux Arts
He has an Indian headdress that he picked up at a second hand shop on 9th and Central.
1989
Bob Kealing, on Kerouac "Where the Road Ends." (Baptist Church?) Mom?
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Tom was first to open a foreign film house. on 12th ave. and 9th st.
Sun Arts theatre. He opened it with Society Editor. there was an upsidedown tree.
First to drive a car. You used to put your car out to bid for a driver. He got top penny. He was also the first to drive a mail van.
Congressman Young and Kramer
He taught at Farragut for a term. He taught art and remedial reading. He took teaching lessons from a top educator, so was well-trained in reading.
Korean Way - He was in Alexanderia for 4 years during the Korean war, head of the education department. Taught reading and art.
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Tom invited Mrs. Roosevelt to an art show at the WPA Art Gallery when he was at the Jr. College.
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My holes in the story so far:
I would like to more know about the entertainment that was offered during the early days as the Royal Palms Hotel. Was the entertainment on-going or was there a gap in the schedule?
What kind of music, art and theatre was offered? Any national acts? Local artists?
When (in Tom's life, not the year) did Tom officially take over the Hotel and turn it into Beaux Arts? After graduating from CCAC or after the Korean War?
Did he have any partners other than Mother?
When was the school established? (same as above?)
What was the second avant garde film house in the area?
What was the second modern art gallery/museum?
Anything about Ira Magee, a reputed hypnotist who frequented the old Beaux Arts, and sparked a lot of wild stories.
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