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Captain Video
updated: Nov 02, 2012, 1:31 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Does anybody remember the old "Captain Video" store on turnpike and the guy who worked there ? We think his name was Reit. He was such a character. HIs name came up in conversation and we thought we would ask edhatters about him.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 338485	2012-11-02 01:36 PM
yup
SBMKR	2012-11-02 01:38 PM
Absolutely! He was a great guy. We loved his movie reviews. My daughters always called him "Captain" when they were growing up. He moved to Florida to be nearer elderly parents. I haven't heard how he is doing there. I hope well.
COMMENT 338488	2012-11-02 01:38 PM
heck yes ! spent so much time in that place.. Reet was the man !!! Actually ran into him in the vons there about a year or 2 ago...
COMMENT 338493	2012-11-02 01:47 PM
Reet reminded me of Gallagher.
COMMENT 338498	2012-11-02 02:02 PM
Absolutely!
COMMENT 338506	2012-11-02 02:30 PM
Reet!
COMMENT 338509	2012-11-02 02:38 PM
When 493 said Reet was like Gallagher, the memories came flooding back in. I had forgotten all about him! And also Video Schmideo behind Victoria Court.
REXOFSB	2012-11-02 02:47 PM
I had one of the very first Captain Video accounts when their only store was on way upper State Street near San Marcos Pass. (My membership number was 64). Captain Video started out on Lombard Street in San Francisco, then opened their first Santa Barbara branch. The upper State Street branch was managed by Sylvie, who was either the owner's brother or brother-in-law. He was from either NY or NJ and had the thickest back-east accent I've ever heard before or since. Both he and the owner, whose name escapes me, were super-nice guys. There was another business partner, who later went on to open the World of Wood unfinished furniture store in the 1200 block of State Street, with another store in Santa Maria. The SB store is now, unfortunately, closed. I don't know about the one in Santa Maria. One day a couple of years ago I was at Amoeba Music in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. Amoeba is a huge used-CD megastore. Come to find out, the owner of Amoeba is the same guy who started and ran Captain Video all those years ago. I was delighted to bumble across another Amoeba on Sunset near Vine Street, catty-corner from where Wallach's Music City used to be, in Hollywood. It's as good as the SF store. Interesting how one person can be involved in so many successful diverse enterprises.
COMMENT 338518P	2012-11-02 02:53 PM
I remember him! There was also a video store on Mission Street between De La Vina & Chapala
COMMENT 338544	2012-11-02 03:58 PM
Reet was our go to guy for video recommendations. We always looked for the "Reet sez" handwritten reviews on the boxes.
NATURE BOY	2012-11-02 04:11 PM
There was one on Coast Village Rd, across from Peabody's too.
COMMENT 338554	2012-11-02 04:21 PM
Reet did run off to Florida to lead a cheaper life and Silvy died last year leaving his wife Sprout and daughers to move to Ventura. They sure did know their Movies and their hobby of Brewing Beer with the Santa Barbeerians club
ROGER DODGER	2012-11-02 05:43 PM
You guys should look for him and have a reunion..Sounds like you all miss him it might be fun..
SBARTS	2012-11-02 09:13 PM
Reet was great. He turned me onto some great movies which he so loved. I especially remember Big Night with Stanley Tucci.
CHILI_CON_ARTCARNE	2012-11-02 09:45 PM
Reet was (is) a great guy. Loved his "reet sez" reviews. I think some years ago he put an ad with a picture in the SB Independent seeking decent employment or he was going to skip town.
COMMENT 338637P	2012-11-03 03:23 AM
I remember the one in Fairview Center. I got my beta player there. They assured me at the time that beta was the way to go!
COMMENT 338640	2012-11-03 06:40 AM
637P - They were right. Beta WAS the way to go. Unfortunately, we Americans being what we are, opted for quantity (VHS) over quality (Beta.)
LALALALA	2012-11-03 07:03 AM
I'm sure "the Reet" would love to know so many people have such fond memories of him. What a character. The end of an era.
COMMENT 338658	2012-11-03 08:32 AM
Just to clarify, Reet didn't just run off to Florida on a whim. The Captain Video store at Turnpike & Hollister where he worked closed its doors due to the changes in how folks got their movies (read: Netflix, Blockbuster, Hollywood Video at that time). So, being laid off, he had little choice but to move to a less expensive area, and I heard Florida was that place. Miss the guy! He was a mini-education into New York "culcha".
COMMENT 338678	2012-11-03 09:14 AM
Reet whete are you? C'mon now... Stand up and make yourself known. SB obviously misses ya
COMMENT 338724	2012-11-03 11:22 AM
He was quite a guy and, of course, a real movie buff. One of my sons who graduated from UCSB with a major in film studies was quite good friends with him when he was operating "Captain Video"
COMMENT 338793	2012-11-03 03:27 PM
Reet's classified ad seeking employment when Captain Video closed down was classic. Wish I would've saved it. That was a great video store and he was a definite character. I used to live next door to Silvy and his family a couple blocks off Turnpike/Hollister, practically a stone's throw to Captain Video. Sad to hear he passed.
BULLSEYEB	2012-11-03 04:25 PM
Reet's a nice guy. He always greeted us by name. His Reet sez tags were definitely unique and something we watched for. He made our daughter very happy by making recommendations to her personally. She was 5 or 6 at the time. Reet's leaving was definitely SB's loss. I do hope he sees this posting. It would certainly make me happy to know that I had such a positive impact in my community.
COMMENT 339390	2012-11-05 03:48 PM
I was one of the original partners here in SB. There were four of us (Tom Marsalas-Russ Kaufman-Ed Suchow-Skip Willis) I think I'm the only one still in town.
COMMENT 339522	2012-11-06 07:04 AM
Had the pleasure of working with The Reet. Still have his comic page written about how my fellow Captains were annoyed with the phone calls on my day off. Sorry, Jack's O.. today. Picture all the former video workers of America in their own REDBOX... slide in your card and up pops your favorite reviewer. REET, Willie from the Schmedeo, you name 'em
COMMENT 361124	2013-01-07 12:33 PM
I've known Reet for about 50 years. I named him based on an R Crumb cartoon panel from Gothic Blimp Works around 1969. I'll send him the link to this page. He can take it from there.

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