Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
KENNETH L. MANNING'S THE PENSACOLA CONNECTION - October 2025
This month: A mix of sad news, and some surprising news, from the Northwest sector of our beloved Sunshine State…
FIRST: As of Saturday, August 30th, 2025, I was deeply saddened to learn that our esteemed editor-in-chief and former Boston policeman, EDWARD “BUSTER” DONOVAN, died in Eustice, Florida, following a lengthy but undisclosed illness. A memorial ceremony was held online in his honor, on Sunday, September 14th. He was 94 years old, and is survived by 4 sons, plus several daughters, sisters and grandchildren. Mr. Donovan took over this paper when the previous editor, Ms. Yvonne Lorence (back when it was called ‘Focus In’) became ill and died from cancer, all in the course of the last 20 years or so. I’ve been writing this column as a long-distance contributing writer for the past 28 years, ever since my first Letter to the Editor, in 1997. Here’s hoping new editor Lisa Blanck will carry on after them both, and do an excellent job at the helm. RIP, Mr. Donovan, and best of luck, Ms. Blanck.
NEXT: Part of my duty in submitting this column, has been to share not just current film production news from the Northwest Florida Panhandle area, but also to spotlight the unique cinema history shot here, or using our people, or mentioning our cities & towns on screen, or otherwise having some kind of great or small cinema connection to our shores. And here is one story I only just recently learned about…
Besides the 1982 Paramount Pictures military drama “An Officer and a Gentleman” mentioning Pensacola at least 3 times on screen, besides the film featuring TJ’s Bar & Grille as a subtle reference to our famous Trader Jon’s aviators’ bar, and besides his winning the Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for his hard-nosed performance as Marine Corps drill sargeant Emil Foley training young Richard Gere as Navy private Zach Mayo, actor Louis Gossett Jr. also had a famous Air Force role. He played flight instructor Colonel Charles “Chappy” Sinclair, in all 4 of Tri-Star Pictures “Iron Eagle” films, from 1986 to 1995. (So what, you say? Hang on, I’m getting there…) Turns out his Chappy was inspired by and modeled after, another famous ‘chap’ of sorts…
Pensacola born-bred native Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. joined the Air Force back in 1943, when it was still called the US Army Air Corps. He also became one of the famous ‘Tuskegee Airmen’ of World War II, then later flew air combat missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and by 1975 became the Air Force’s first African-American 4-star general. Although he died suddenly from a heart attack shortly after his retirement in 1978, the name of Chappie James is highly revered in Pensacola to this day, with a museum, a federal building, and a 3-mile bay bridge, all bearing his name.
One more thing about Mr. Gossett: we almost had him as a PensaCon guest star. He was slated to appear at PensaCon 2025 on February 14th, 15th & 16th last winter, but fell ill and died of COPD on March 29th, 2024. RIP to both Chappies.
FINALLY: In music news, one very interesting treat dropped into my trick-or-treat bag just before this Halloween season. On Saturday, September 20th at mid-town Pensacola’s Tryon Branch of the West Florida Public Library, I purchased on clearance a copy of Panama City Beach singer/songwriter Gene Mitchell’s CD: “Greetings from Florida.” Released in 2002 on the Sailor Boy Publishing label, this laid back jazz & steel album features 10 original music tracks about Panhandle Gulf Coast fun in the sun, plus a cover painting by Paul Brent, entitled “Egret Bay.” Track 2 in particular: “Emerald Coast” features the lyric: “Start out in Pensacola, head to Panama City…” Others mention Miami, Key West, Captiva Island, and even the Dry Tortugas. Mitchell’s other albums include “Caribbean Cowboy, Big Coconut, Tropical Jazz,” and “Down Island Way.” A must-have collection for tourists and natives alike. For more info, visit: www.sailorboyrecords.com, or www.GeneMitchell.com.
Okay, that’s all the tricks & treats for October. Until November, later, gators!
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Sincerely yours, KENNETH L. MANNING
Your Pensacola Connection
49 Murphy Lane, Pensacola, FL 32505
Phone: 1-850-287-2581
Email: [email protected]
