The Old Heidelberg in Hallandale is now gone, However, the one in Fort Lauderdale still thrives.
Here’s where The Old Heidelberg is in Fort Lauderdale:
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This is part of the Swampy’s Florida collection.
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The Million Dollar Mermaid by Esther Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Esther Williams biography is a very good guide as to what can happen in a celebrity’s life. From tragic moments in her youth to the ease she entered show business to the difficulties staying there and an adult life with troubles from men, Williams lays out her life. It is all well written and better than most autobiographies.
Though, I did wonder at times if Williams was letting us know the whole story. She admits to mistakes, but also seems to take a too innocent stance involving other instances in her life. I especially felt that when reading about the demise of her marriages.
Involving Florida, she writes about her time making movies at Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. She wasn’t happy with having to make the films with directors Richard Thorpe and Busby Berkley. She was even less happy with Cypress Gardens owner, Dick Pope, who she calls ‘the little Napoleon”.
Esther Williams has died at the age of 91. She was at one time one of the most popular movie stars and internationally known for her swimming ability. Most of her films involved her swimming to one degree or the other. Dick Pope, stalwart promoter and owner of the largest Florida attraction at the time, Cypress Gardens, figured away to promote more. He proceeded to build a Florida shaped pool, above, in the cypress swampy to land Cypress Gardens as the setting an Esther Williams film. She ended up making three films in Florida and two television specials at Cypress Gardens.
About the Florida pool: the current owners, who have LegoLand in place of Cypress Gardens these days, filled in the pool a few years ago.
The photo above is from ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’ by Esther Williams.
You can purchase a copy by clicking here or below.
Here’s Swampy with Bill Stanton, Executive Director of the Jackson County Development Council, with just a small part of his incredible Florida book collection.
Bill set up a tremendous meeting with local leaders to discuss how Swampy can help promote visiting and learning of the great history of Jackson County. More to come about Jackson County and Swampy getting involved!
Here are a few of the designs for some Swampy apparel coming in the near future. It’ll feature Trilby the baby alligator. More to come soon!