History Writ with Lightning
‘The Birth of a Nation’ was produced and directed by D.W. Giffith and released on February 8, 1915. It starred Lillian Gish, Henry Walthall and Mae Walsh. The 3 hour 10 minute film was originally presented in two parts separated by an intermission. The film cost $110,000 (over 2 Million in 2006) and grossed over 10 million ($300 in 2006). In 1992 the United States Library of Congress deemed it “culturally significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
It is a story of Northern Stoneman family and the Cameron family from Piedmont, South Carolina. Through their eyes we see how their friendship is affected by the Civil War. The consequences of the War in their lives are shown in connection to major historical events, like the development of the Civil War itself, Lincoln’s assassination, and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.
The movie was based on Thomas Dixon Jr’s ‘The Clansman’. Dixon had committed his entire writing career arguing in favor of the superiority of whites and the Ku Klux Klan’s use of violence. After being angered by a staging ‘Uncle Brown’s Cabin’ in 1901 he decided to produce a play that offered his own interpretation of race relations. He said: “My object is to teach the North, the young North, what it has never known—the awful suffering of the white man during the dreadful Reconstruction period. I believe that Almighty God anointed the white men of the South by their suffering during that time . . . to demonstrate to the world that the white man must and shall be supreme.”
After the release of the film in 1915, the NAACP and other groups protested the film. The NAACP published a pamphlet titled ‘Fighting a Vicious Film: Protest Against The Birth of a Nation’. W. E. B. Du Bois published scathing reviews in ‘The Crisis’, which helped spur a debate among the National Board of Censorship of Motion Pictures to whether the film should be shown in New York. In the years after Griffith released ‘The Birth of a Nation’ there were massive race riots throughout the country, peaking in 1919.
President and former history professor Woodrow Wilson after viewing the film at the White House proclaimed it not only historically accurate, but like “history writ with lightning.” Many whites feeling it to be a truthful and accurate portrayal of racial politics flocked to join the rejuvenated Ku Klux Klan.
‘The Birth of a Nation’ went on to become one of the most admired and profitable films produced by Hollywood during its silent phase. Many Film scholars agree that it is the most important and a key film in American movie history. It contains many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements with a formative influence on future films.
The Tramp’s First Appearance
Whenever anyone speaks of Charlie Chaplin, the image that will come to mind is his signature character, the Little Tramp. Chaplin himself called him The Little Fellow. The character rarely was referred to by any name onscreen.
The Little Tramp was first seen by the public when Keystone released the comedy short Kid Auto Races at Venice on February 7, 1914. This was actually the second time Chaplin played the character. The first filmed production was Mabel’s Strange Predicament, which was released two days later on February 9th.
It’s not hard to picture the character. He wore a pair of baggy pants, tight coat, a derby hat, large shoes and had a small mustache. Chaplin said in his autobiography, “… on the way to the wardrobe I thought I would dress in baggy pants, big shoes, a cane and a derby hat. I wanted everything to be a contradiction: the pants baggy, the coat tight, the hat small and the shoes large. I was undecided whether to look old or young, but remembering Sennett had expected me to be a much older man, I added a small moustache, which I reasoned, would add age without hiding my expression.”
The Little Tramp soon became a very popular character. Chaplin made 34 short films in 1914 with Keystone, before moving to Essanay Studio in 1915 and Mutual in 1916. Chaplin would assume control of his productions in 1918. There were only a few productions during the Silent Era that Chaplin played characters other than the Little Tramp.
Perhaps the best film to feature the Little Tramp was the 1925 film The Gold Rush. It was in that film that the classic scene of the starving man, during the Yukon Gold Rush, carved and ate an old boot.
In 1981, IBM acquired the rights for the Little Tramp from the Chaplin family to used the character in a series of ads for their new personal computer. The idea was that even Charlie the common man could use a computer.
A Savior for Baseball
After the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 baseball needed a hero. That hero came in the name of Babe Ruth. He changed the game by hitting long home runs at a time when very few players hit them. He took the fans and the media minds away from the scandal.
1920 was the Babe’s finest season. Even though he would have years where he would hit more than that season’s home run total of 54, his batting average that year was .376. He led the league in extra-base hits, runs, RBI, walks and total average, which was an all-time high of 1.934, or nearly two bases for every out made! It was also the first year that the Yankees won the AL Pennant.
Ruth began his career as a Pitcher with the Boston Red Sox pitching for them from 1914 to 1919. During those years he was on a team that win the World Series in 1915, 1916 and 1918. In the 1918 series he would pitch 29 2/3 scoreless innings, a mark would stand for forty-three years. He was winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball from 1915-1917.
But he was also a good hitter and beginning in 1918 he would play in the field between his pitching starts. In 1919 he became an everyday player in the field and left the the pitching mound behind. It appeared he would be leading the Red Sox for years to come, but at the end of the 1919 season he was sold to the Yankees. A move that has been called the Curse of the Bambino (Bambino was one of his nicknames). The Red Sox, who had been a dominate World Series Champ for the first 20 years of the series winning 5, would not win another until 2004.
In many ways his impact on the game was just as revolutionary as that of Jackie Robinson. Robinson’s Number 42 has been retired from baseball. Ruth’s should be too.
George Herman Ruth, forever known as the Babe was born in Baltimore, Maryland on February 6, 1895.
Facts about the Super Bowl
1) The original name of the game was the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt coined the term Super Bowl. Hunt only meant his suggested name to be a stopgap until a better one could be found. None has been found.
2) The ticket price for the 1st Super Bowl which was played at Los Angeles’ 100,000-seat Memorial Coliseum was $12. The price for a ticket at Super Bowl XLI is $600-700. The first game was not a sell out and those living in Los Angeles were not able to see it televised. The first game was also televised on 2 of the 3 major television networks (NBC & CBS).
3) The first four Super Bowls were played between the Champions of the NFL and the rival league AFL. Each of the leagues won 2 of the games, with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers winning the first 2. The first AFL Super Bowl champion was the New York Jets lead by Joe Namath, who beat the heavy favorite Baltimore Colts. The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl IV.
4) The only Super Bowl MVP that played for the losing team was Dallas’s linebacker Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts. The Cowboys also have the only dual MVP in Super Bowl XII when Randy White and Harvey Martin were named MVP. ½ of the MVPs have been the winning team Quarterback.
5) The Pittsburg Steelers has won the most Super Bowls with 6. San Francisco and Dallas Cowboys have each team winning 5. Of these San Francisco is the only one not to have lost one.
6) Minnesota, Buffalo and Denver have lost the most Super Bowls at 4 times. Buffalo reached the Super Bowl 4 years in a row, losing all 4 times. Of these teams only Denver have won a Super Bowl winning Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII.
Confederate States of America
Beginning on February 4, 1861 delegates from South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana met in Montgomery, Alabama to create a form of government based on the United States and many of the same beliefs.
By February 8, 1861 they had developed a Provisional Constitution forming the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis was named President, to serve a six year, non re-electable term taking the oath of office on February 18, 1861. Alexander Stephens served in the post of Vice President. This Provisional Constitution left out some key points such as ratification process. The final Confederate States Constitution was adopted on March 11, 1861.
The capital of the Confederate States of America (CSA) only remained in Montgomery, Alabama, until May 29, 1861. After Virginia became part of the CSA, Richmond, Virginia was named the capital and the government moved there. In 1865 the Confederate government evacuated Richmond. Danville, Virginia, served as the last capital of the Confederate States of America, from April 3 to April 10, 1865.
The formation of the Confederate States of America started when South Carolina removed themselves from the United States of America on December 20, 1860. They were followed by Mississippi on January 9, 1861, Florida on January 10th, Alabama on the 11th, Georgia on January 19th, Louisiana on January 26th, Texas on February 1st, Virginia on April 17th, Arkansas on May 6th, North Carolina on May 20th and Tennessee on June 8th. In total 11 states would formally leave the union of the United States. The first seven of these states would leave before Abraham Lincoln was swore in as President with the remaining doing so afterward. Missouri and Kentucky both had a group that proclaimed secession, admitted in the the Confederate States, but remained part of the United States of America.
Winston County, Alabama refused to join the CSA and declared itself the Republic of Winston. They felt that if a state could secede from the union a county could secede from a state. Jones County, Mississippi, (The only county thought to have been named for John Paul Jones) is said to have declared its independence from both countries calling themselves the Free State of Jones. And the western part of Virginia became the State of West Virginia in 1863.
After the War was decided the states were readmitted to the United States. Tennessee on July 23, 1866, Arkansas on June 22, 1868, Florida on June 25, 1868, North Carolina on July 4, 1868, South Carolina and Louisiana on July 9, 1868, Alabama on July 13, 1868, Virginia on January 26, 1870, Mississippi on February 23, 1870, Texas on March 30, 1870 and Georgia on July 15, 1870.
A Dutch City in America
During the early part of the 17th Century the English had a colonies in New England (the Plymouth Colony and ones along the Chesapeake Bay (Virginia and Maryland. Between these two areas the Dutch established the colony of New Amsterdam.
New Amsterdam was founded in 1625 outside of Fort Amsterdam located on an island on the Hudson River. The settlement had been moved from Governors Island.
Fort Amsterdam was created to defend the entrance of the Hudson River. The mouth of the river was a perfect place for the settlement . It had easy access to the ocean and was a great place to trade with traders and tarppers farther north.
On February 2, 1653 New Amsterdam received municipal rights becoming a city.
Many may not know the name New Amsterdam, but they sure know the name that the Dutch city on Manhattan Island was changed to a few years later when the English gained control of the city. After the Ditch ceded the city to England it was renamed after the Duke of York.
New Amsterdam is one of those unique 17th century cities in that being a Dutch settlement it’s history can be told through maps. The Dutch was the era’s pre-eminent cartographers.
The Great Stone Face
During the 1920’s Buster Keaton was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, comic actor-directors of the end of the Silent Film Era. Roger Ebert has even called him the “greatest actor-director in the history of the movies”. Keaton’s films during this decade, such as The General or The Navigator, Steamboat Bill, Jr. or Our Hospitality are still considered great comic films. His films were full of comic elements and dangerous stunts. Stunts that Keaton himself would perform.
Buster Keaton was born on October 4, 1895. His father was Joseph Hallie “Joe” Keaton a vaudeville showman and traveling show owner. Joe Keaton was the fifth man in his linage to be named Joseph and his son was the sixth. Joseph Frank Keaton probably earned his nick-name because of his talent of being able to fall without injury. The word buster often referred to a spill or a fall that had the potential to produce injury.
Buster learned early how to fall without injury and before he had turned five he was part of an act created by his father that had him tossed around the stage, against the scenery, into the orchestra pit, or even into the audience. It was also during this period that he created his deadpan, stone face expression that would become his trademark. After being thrown and brushing himself off he would look to the audience with the expression that brought laughs.
While still working in the Vaudeville Theatre in February of 1917 he meet the comic film clown Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Even though he had had some doubts about the medium, after studying the inter workings of a movie camera he decided to join Arbuckle. The two became close friends with the two working together for a number of years.
From their friendship and work for Joseph M. Schenck, Buster Keaton was given his own production unit. It was from this unit that he worked throughout most of the 1920s. But at the end of the decade he made what he considered the worst decision he made during his life and his career. He signed a contract with MGM. The company restricted his creativity to a point where he simply did as told.
The 1930s saw problems in his personal life as well. His first wife and he divorced and he began a bout with alcoholism. By the 1940s he became more stable, but his fame was behind him. He did work continuously until his death from Lung Cancer on February 1, 1966. He worked in television during its early days creating a film series Life with Buster. He also appeared in numerous Television commercials and in a couple of the Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello Beach movies in the mid-1960s.
Grammy Awards – Did You Know?
Elvis Presley was nominated for 14 Grammy’s. He won three times, all for gospel recordings. The Albums How Great Thou Art (1967), and He Touched Me (1972) and his live Memphis concert recording of the song How Great Thou Art (1974). In 1971 at the age of 36 he was also given the Lifetime Achievement Award (known then as the Bing Crosby Award in honor of its first recipient).
DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince won the first award for a Rap Performance. This was in 1989. For those who don’t know it, The Fresh Prince is Will Smith.
Only the composers Richard Rodger and Marvin Hamlisch has won a Grammy, Tony, Oscar, Emmy and the Pulitzer Prize.
Rodgers won one Oscar (Academy Award) in 1945 for Best Song – “It Might As Well Be Spring” from State Fair, an Emmy Award in 1962 for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composed – Winston Churchill-The Valiant Years, two Grammys in 1960 for Best Show Album (Original Cast) – The Sound of Music and in 1962 for Best Original Cast Show Album – No Strings, 6 Tony’s 1950 for Best Musical – South Pacific, Best Producers, Musical – South Pacific and Best Score – South Pacific then again in 1952 for Best Musical – The King and I, 1960 for Best Musical – The Sound of Music and 1962 for Best Composer – No Strings. His Pulitzer Prizes were a Special Award and Citation in Letters for Oklahoma! in 1944 and Pulitzer Prize for Drama for South Pacific in 1950.
Marvin Hamlisch won 3 Oscar’s/Academy Award in 1973 for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score – The Way We Were, Best Music, Original Song – The Way We Were and Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation – The Sting. His Emmy’s came in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction – Barbra Streisand: The Concert, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics – Barbra Streisand: The Concert, Outstanding Music and Lyrics – AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies and in 2001 for Outstanding Music Direction – Timeless: Live in Concert. In 1974 he won four Grammy’s for Song Of The Year – The Way We Were, Best New Artist Of The Year, Best Pop Instrumental Performance – The Entertainer, and Album Of Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special – The Way We Were. His Tony and Pulitzer Prize was for his musical scoring of A Chorus Line.
Al number of contestants from the show American Idol have gone on to gain Grammy nominations. The first to win was the first season winner Kelly Clarkson. She won two in 2006. Carrie Underwood has won the most at 4 (2 in 2007, and one in each 2008 and 2009). Jennifer Hudson has also had a win.
A Day for Adolf
It’s not unusual for a day of the year to become a focal point in one’s life. For some it’s their birthday or another day the person decides is their Lucky Day. Others it’s a date where something always seems to happen. For Adolf Hitler that day could have been January 30th.
It was on January 30, 1933 that Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany taking the reigns of the 14 year old Germanic democratic republic. Hitler had spent his entire political career denouncing the republic and now he was the German leader. Within weeks Hitler would be the absolute dictator of Germany.
During his fourth anniversary speech on January 30, 1937 he delivered 8 points on ways to bring pacification of Europe. Among those points were for “individual countries should possess stable political and economic conditions”, “The vital interests of the different nations must be frankly recognized.” and “The German Reich will watch over its security and honor with its strong Army.”
Two years later in his 1939 speech detailed that Europe had a “Jewish Problem” and that Germany was going to solve that problem with “… the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!”.
And it was on this day in 1945 that Hitler gave his final speech on the 12th anniversary of him coming to power. It was broadcast like many of his speeches to the general public on radio.
When you think back on your life, has one day of the year become a focal point in your life such as January 30th became one for Hitler. Not everyone has an anniversary such as his, but most of us do have an anniversary that means something to us.
Serendipity
Serendipity is defined as a discovery of something fortunate while looking for something else.
The word was first used by Horace Walpole in a letter dated January 28, 1754 to Horace Mann, an Englishman living at the time in Florence. This is not the Horace Mann who was a American educator.
Walpole had read a Persian fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip. The tale is about three men who were on a mission but they always found something that was irrelevant but needed.
Serendip is the Persian name for the island county Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka did not adopt this name until 1972. In its history it has gone by many different names including Lankadweepa, Lakdiva, Ceylon and Sinha.
Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry may have said it best with “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’, but ‘That’s funny…’”
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