Walk of Fame plaque unveiling
Ocala Main Street will honor Newt Perry on Feb. 24.
Newt Perry [Photo courtesy Delee Perry]
Ocala Main Street invites the community to celebrate the life and legacy of Newton A. “Newt” Perry with a Walk of Fame plaque unveiling on Feb. 24 in front of the Marion Theatre.
The free event will honor the man known as the “Father of Florida’s Springs” and a global pioneer of underwater filmmaking. Perry’s influence reached the heights of Hollywood. He served as a consultant and stunt double for stars like Johnny Weissmuller in the “Tarzan” films and was instrumental in bringing “Creature from the Black Lagoon” to Florida’s crystal-clear springs. His legendary underwater stunts, such as eating bananas and drinking soda while submerged for nearly four minutes, were captured in more than 150 short films and seen by audiences worldwide, noted the news release.
Perry, a graduate of Ocala High School, dedicated his life to aquatic excellence, from teaching more than 120,000 people to swim to training the Navy’s elite underwater demolition teams (the forerunners of the Navy SEALs) during World War II. He also is credited with establishing the Weeki Wachee mermaid attraction.
The unveiling event will begin at noon and will include a short program and the screenings of a Newt Perry documentary and the feature film “Distant Drums.”
In a special collaboration, Ocala Main Street’s Heart of the Park, a community hub and exhibit center in Tuscawilla Park, has an exhibit highlighting Perry’s accomplishments. Selected items from the collection will be taken to the Marion Theatre for display during the event.
The Walk of Fame contains plaques dedicated to Bruce Mozert, the photographer whose creative underwater images put a major spotlight on Silver Springs; noted musical producer Bruce Swedien; underwater cinematographer Jordan Klein Sr.; and award-winning photographer, musician and cinematographer Mark Emery.
To learn more, go to ocalamainstreet.org
To read a comprehensive history of the Perry family teaching swimming in Ocala/Marion County for 100 years, go to ocalastyle.com/in-the-swim
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