Akron native recalls 1970s teen idol quest in ‘Dear Ike’ film

As a kid growing up in Firestone Park in the late 1970s, Akron native Dion Labriola dreamed of making a movie.

He stuffed a three-ring binder with his far-out ideas, drawing sketches of sci-fi creatures for an animated epic about a boy visiting a strange planet. It became a fixation. All he wanted to do was talk about the film and its characters.

And he had the perfect person in mind for the lead role: Ike Eisenmann, a teen actor who had starred with Kim Richards in the Disney classic “Escape to Witch Mountain” (1975) and its sequel “Return from Witch Mountain” (1978).

If only he knew how to reach that guy.

Labriola, 57, will present the Ohio premiere of his documentary “Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol” at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at the Highland Theatre at 826 W. Market St. in Akron.

“I think this might be the biggest screening we’ll have,” Labriola said during a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles.

He produced, directed, animated and edited the 70-minute documentary, which recounts his youthful quest to contact Eisenmann.

‘Dear Ike’ is snapshot of Akron in 1970s

The film brims with pop-culture nostalgia and local history.

Labriola grew up on Ido Avenue with his mother, Josephine Falletta, and sister, Carmella, and attended Firestone Park Elementary, Roswell Kent Junior High and Garfield High School.

The sci-fi idea began in September 1977.

“I’ve always wanted to be an artist, but in seventh grade, I started drawing these creatures because I was bored in study hall one day,” Labriola recalled. “And I got so many of them, I just decided to make stories out of them. And eventually I decided that I should write a book.

“And then I decided it should be an animated movie. And then I started telling some of my classmates that they could be in the movie — you know, trying to impress the kids when you’re adolescent.”

Then in June 1979, Labriola spotted Eisenmann in a Doublemint gum commercial and recognized him from “Witch Mountain.”

“That film was one of the seminal moments of my childhood,” he said. “Since I’ve made the film, everybody’s like, ‘Oh, my God. That movie!’ A lot of people really have an attachment to that film.”

The Akron boy decided that Eisenmann “had to be in one of my movies.”

In those days before the internet, Labriola mailed letter after letter to Hollywood addresses in an attempt to reach the actor to pitch the project.

“I assure you, this will go down in history as one of the best (if not THE best) animated movies of all time,” he vowed in one letter.

“A lot of people don’t think I’ll ever make my movies, but nothing can stand in my way,” he wrote in another.

And then one day in April 1982, a letter from California arrived in the mailbox on Ido Avenue … but we won’t spoil the rest.

Career leads Dion Labriola to LA

After graduating from Garfield in 1983, Labriola studied painting at the Cleveland Institute of Art before transferring to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with an emphasis on video.

Moving to Los Angeles about 20 years ago, he worked in the entertainment industry as a video editor on television documentaries. In recent years, he’s been a freelance editor, animator and illustrator. His website is dionlab.com.

Labriola turned his attention to the “Dear Ike” documentary in late 2016 after the shutdown of the production company where he worked.

“This was something I always kind of had in the back of my mind: something to work on if I had some spare time,” he said.

Filmed in Akron: These Akron locations get moment in spotlight in LeBron's 'Shooting Stars' movie on Peacock

Film soundtrack: Akron native Mark Mothersbaugh lends '80s sensibilities to 'Cocaine Bear' soundtrack

Initially, Labriola thought it would be a short film, maybe 20 minutes long, but it kept growing. A crew came to Akron and received permission to film interviews inside Roswell Kent only days before the school closed forever. Among those on camera in the movie are his high school art teacher, Pat Bishop, his sister, Carmella Moore, and former classmates John DiMascio, Loren Qualls and David Zuder.

“There’s probably 70 of my classmates that appear on screen,” Labriola said. “I show old yearbook pages. There’s a lot of people in the film from Akron.”

Instead of shooting reenactments of past events, Labriola decided to animate the scenes, including his childhood self and the sci-fi creatures he designed as a kid. Drawing on a tablet and using computer software, he spent two years on the animation. Actor Talon Bohn provided the voiceovers for Labriola as a teen.

And, yes, Ike Eisenmann is in the documentary.

“That’s kind of common knowledge at this point,” Labriola said. “And I knew it would be, so he appears early in the film. The main question in the film is not that I got in touch with him. It’s how. Because it’s a crazy, twisted story.”

Pandemic delays release of ‘Dear Ike’

The movie wrapped in late 2019. Labriola began submitting the film to Sundance, South by Southwest and other festivals, but within a couple of months, everything got canceled because of COVID-19.

So the filmmaker had no choice but to wait until festivals returned. His spirit was buoyed by a nice note that he received from the head of Sundance’s documentary committee.

“Every time I’d get discouraged, I’d read this letter because it was really effusive about the film,” Labriola said. “It was like my guiding light for the months of darkness during the pandemic.”

Finally, “Dear Ike” had its West Coast premiere Sept. 5, 2021, at Dances With Films in Los Angeles, entertaining audiences at TCL Chinese Theatres. The film went on to play seven other festivals across the country, winning the prize for best documentary feature at the Orlando Film Festival.

And now it’s coming to Akron.

“Oh, my God, I can’t wait,” Labriola said. “I was always hoping to have an Ohio screening.”

He’ll attend the Highland Theatre premiere Sunday and expects to see a lot of familiar faces, including his sister, friends, classmates and teachers.

“That’s just the people I know about,” he said.

Tickets will be $5 at the Highland door. A question-and-answer session will follow the film.

Those unable to attend the one-night screening will have other opportunities. “Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol” will make its broadcast premiere June 1 on Los Angeles station PBS SoCal.

In Ohio, the film is scheduled to air on PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1/WEAO 49.1) at 1 p.m. June 17 as well as the PBS Fusion channel (WNEO 45.2/WEAO 49.2) at 9 p.m. June 23.

Support local journalism: 6 reasons why you should subscribe to the Akron Beacon Journal

It took more than 40 years, but a seventh grader’s dream came true.

Dion Labriola made a movie!

And according to that Firestone Park kid in the late 1970s, it just might go down in history as one of the best (if not THE best) animated movies of all time.

Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com

Details

Movie: “Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol”

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, May 28

Where: Highland Theatre, 826 W. Market St., Akron

Running time: 70 minutes

Phone: 330-253-0100

More info: https://dionlab.com/

Local history: The torrid truth of Climax Park

More: ‘Sword in the Stump’ removed from Wallhaven neighborhood in Akron

More: Local Flavor: Ido Bar & Grill is just plain delicious

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron native Dion Labriola’s ‘Dear Ike’ documentary to premiere