In the April issue of Memphis magazine, I told the interesting story of John George Morris, who opened a restaurant on Poplar called “The Old Master Says” and even planned on topping the building with a 14-foot replica of his own head. Oh, just read the column; don’t make me repeat the whole story here.
Anyway, I had expressed some doubt that the plaster head was ever installed atop the restaurant (since none of my friends can recall such a sight), and I also had a few other questions about this short-lived venture. So I few days ago, a nice packet of materials arrived in the mail from George J. Morris, attorney-at-law in Charleston, South Carolina, who just happened to be John George Morris’ son and had read my original article.
Though he is still searching for a photograph, the younger Morris assures me that the giant head was indeed placed atop “The Old Master Says” restaurant, an establishment which, in later years, became home to the Dobbs House Luau. He also says the restaurant stayed in business for several years longer than I said it did, though I believe Memphis city directories listed “The Old Master Says” for only two years. Still, I believe he knows what he is talking about, so it is possible that Dobbs House, which is shown in later listings, continued to operate the restaurant until they finally converted it into the Polynesian-themed Luau (which had its own giant head — an Easter Island-styled one) by the front door.