Neighbors: Bristol Twp. Man Helps Preserve Movie History

Neighbors by Pat Wandling is a new regular feature that will profile interesting local residents.

He’s known locally as Smilin’ Lou Powers, the host of “Sunshine Music Memories,” on local radio station, WBCB-AM.

Old music is his specialty, but there’s more to this affable music man.  

Powers, whose birth name is Lou DiCrescenzo, is a native Bucks Countian, living in Bristol Township, pre-recording a week’s worth of two-hour daily shows, perfectly timed and faithfully delivered to the radio station a few miles away.   

For material, Powers looks to the dazzling songs of yesteryear. Pure Americana. “When music was music,” he says, “songs with definable melodies, no global influences,” explaining why he prefers music from the first half of the 20^th century gleaned from extinct, waxy records.

DiCrescenzo’s demeanor belies his resume. A professional musician who played clarinet in the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and the Trenton Symphony, he has degrees in music – and electrical engineering. And he’s the subject, the”star”of two documentaries and another in the works.  

“I’m a preservationist. Film is my passion,” he says, citing 50 years of committed collection and salvation.  “I fell in love with movies when I was a child – committed myself to learning everything about the industry.”  

National and international recognition stems from his ability to find, recognize and save antique film, equipment, and rare items from the birth of the film industry – and ultimately, his generous donations to the Library of Congress and the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, New York City.  

He’s a skilled projectionist who can operate and even repair obsolete equipment needed for the antiquated reels of film he would find in flea markets and dingy theater basements.  

DiCrescenzo has a million tales to tell – some more astonishing than the first 500. Here’s one: He was working as a projectionist at the old Garden Theater in Trenton when his beleaguered boss asked for help in clearing out the cluttered basement.    

And it was one serendipitous occasion. The helpful projectionist came upon a treasure trove of film history, movie reel “cans,” as they were called, each weighing about 75 pounds and all headed for the trash heap. 

In that musty basement, he found two original 1940s Disney films –  “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia”  – and a 1940s Sinatra movie, “The House I Live In.” Of the latter, he said, “I think it may have been the only copy.”   

And one DiCrescenzo donation — a 1902 silent movie – was used in the  2011 fantasy film “Hugo.” It was borrowed by producer/director Martin Scorcese from the national archive.

“And I couldn’t have been more proud that I was able to preserve this bit of history,” he said.   

Among  his precious finds are early film-related equipment created by the great inventor, Thomas Edison.  Notably, DiCrescenzo’s  collection of over 125 Edison artifacts was presented to the Museum of the Moving Image and remains its core exhibit. Others were donated to the Library of Congress.    

Behind the projector and into the spotlight:  In 2012, DiCrecenzo became the subject of a 27-minute documentary, “The Projectionist: A Passion for Film.” Again, in 2015, he was the subject of a documentary, “The Dying of the Light,” and another, “Viva Film,” currently is in production in Boston. 

Fame? No, thanks. DiCrescenzo would rather be known as a film historian who helped preserve some of the earliest artifacts of a nation-changing industry —  a phenomenal story he loves to tell.  

Meanwhile, Smilin’ Lou Powers is keeping vintage music alive as he  unabashedly fills the airwaves with the music he loves –  keeping the old stuff, real. “Sunshine Music Memories,” airs Monday through Friday on WBCB from 10 a.m. to noon. 

Pat Wandling hosts WBCB-1490 AM  signature talk show “Speak Your Piece,” M-F, noon to 1 p,m.  

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