Friday night: 7:30 … Jerry Blavat, the one and only Geator With the Heater, drives through the tunnel under the Wildwoods Convention Center, steps out of his car, and saunters into the Green Room at the back of the big hall.

My partner, Tony Deutsch, and his son, Anthony, have been setting lighting and cameras for almost an hour and I’m ready to interview Blavat.

This is a big moment for Tony,  Anthony, and me. The Blavat interview is the first step in the sequel we’re shooting to the “Boardwalk” documentary that I made almost 15 years ago with Longshore Films and Joe Van Blunk and Gus Rosanio.

Now, the Deutsch’s and I are Boca Cape Films and we’re shooting “Boardwalk 2,” as we’re calling it.

We were nervous for nothing. The Geator is a great interview, even given his slight penchant for taking over, but – what the hell – he didn’t get to be the Geator by being a shrinking violet. So we get some good stuff, and then Tony asks Jerry to do a promo for our Blog, Watchthetramcarplease.com.

It’s a stone hoot. Jerry somehow can’t get the name right and the results have everyone in stitches. See for yourself right here.

I forgot to give The Geator a poem I wrote about him a couple years ago in the Sun-By-the-Sea newspaper, so I’m including it here, in the hopes that it will make it’s way to Jerry Blavat’s eyes – If they haven’t stopped watering from laughing at the Blog promo.

 

Geatormania

by Bob Ingram

Slide, turn, snap fingers, slide, hup, hup,

do that dance ,

do that line dance,

hundreds of you, in total sync,

Philly perfect all your lives,

know it anywhere,

China even,

Damn you can dance girl,

Philly girl in your heart no matter where now.

And the Dance Master presides,

Oh yeah the Geator

with that Heater,

Oh yeah that Boss

with that tasty Hot Sauce.

Put another nickel in his machine

and he’ll rock every nite away

up on that total stage

Loving you loving him.

Cha-cha-cha.