PBS to Tell Story of Somers Point & ‘Eddie & the Cruisers’

Somers Point City Council President Janice Johnston has received a request from an executive producer of PBS NJ to make arrangements to tell the story of the Making of the movie Eddie & the Cruisers at Tony Mart's in Somers Point.

The Story of Making Eddie & the Cruisers

The 1983 movie Eddie and the Cruisers tells the story of a fictional rock 'n' roll band in the early '60s, that fell off the radar when singer Eddie, played by Michael Paré, vanished after a dispute over their experimental second album.

Ellen Barkin plays journalist Maggie Foley, who nearly 20 years later tracks down the old Cruisers to see if she can unravel the secret of Eddie's disappearance.

By piecing together the band members' stories, she hopes to find the missing master tapes to the lost album and solve the mystery of Eddie's ultimate fate.

The Making of Eddie & the Cruisers in Somers Point

Much of the movie's concert footage was filmed at the late, great Tony Mart in Somers Point over three weeks in May 1982.

The famous “Follow the Arrow” neon sign is prominently displayed in the scene which features the song, “Wild Summer Nights” performed by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

Many regular Tony Mart patrons and employees appeared as extras in several scenes filmed at Tony Mart’s.

Tony Mart was opened by Anthony Marotta Sr. in 1945 on Bay Avenue in Somers Point and enjoyed wildly popular years in the 1960s featuring national celebrity acts like Conway Twitty, Bill Haley and the Comets, Duane Eddy, Del Shannon, and more.

In 1965 at Tony Mart, Bob Dylan was introduced to the music of Levon & the Hawks, who later became The Band.

The filming of Eddie & the Cruisers was a swansong of sorts for Tony Mart which was sold and closed a few months later.

The PBS Retelling of the Eddie & the Cruisers at Tony Mart

PBS is interested in covering the 4th of July performance in Somers Point by John Carrferty & Beaver Brown, who recorded the music for the film, and in telling the story of the unique musical history of Somers Point

PBS intends to reach out to the people who were in the movie to talk about their days in South Jersey 40 years ago.

“ It is very gratifying and exciting! I want all of our residents to know how important it is for all of us that a very highly respected news source, PBS, wants to come and document to the world the story of the Eddie & The Cruisers Legacy and our proud town”.