Tom Barnes's Blog: Tom's 'RocktheTower' Blog
January 5, 2011
Ninotchka, Politics, Wit, Humor and Garbo
This Week
Ninotchka
Political
Writers Notebook
Ninotchka background.
Ninotchka didn't start out as a political satire, MGM wanted to find comedy material for Greta Garbo and were searching around when Bernie Heymann an MGM executive producer while at the Hollywood Brown Derby asked Melchior Lengyel if he had a good comedy up his sleeve that they could use for Garbo. Lengyel said no he didn't but he would think about the idea.
He phoned in the next day and said he had an idea. The line read; Russian girl saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, Capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has an uproarious time. Capitalism not so bad after all.
In the end MGM paid him $15,000 for those three sentences..
The first writing assignment to expand the idea into a screenplay was given to Melchior Lengyel And Salka Viertel. They failed. The next was Jacques de Val who also failed, they then turned it over to the venerable S.N. Behrman.
By this time MGM was hooked on the idea and were not going to give up on the project. In a brilliant move they got Ernst Lubitsch on loan from Paramount as producer and director. He was happy to be directing Garbo and liked much of the dialogue in Behrman's script, but the plotting was loose and the pieces didn't fit well and story didn't flow.
Walter Reisch was a contract writer for metro at the time and Lubitsch had Reisch assigned to the project.
They were using the Behrman script but Lubitsch didn't like the idea of a Siberian nickel mine. He needed something he could show on the screen something like diamonds.
Behrman stuck close to his original script and disagreed with Lubitsch and Reisch and in the end Behrman walked away from the project.
Next Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder were asked to join the team and as it turned out that was the talent combination that made things start to happen.
Politics was at the core of Ninotchka. If you really portrayed a woman of flesh and blood you had to write about her convictions and this inevitably lead you to the nature of life in Russia. And the trials, confessions, the purges, and the terror.
Lubitsch and his writers knew they were braking political protocol but they were aiming for high comedy, not political drama.
Ninotchka was not only breaking with international politics but with the Hollywood left. Many actors, writers and directors were proud to call themselves Communist because they honestly believed that Russian Communism had the answers to unemployment, war and race relations.
Ernst Lubitsch thought otherwise. In 1936 Lubitsch along with many other art notables were invited to visit the Russia. En route to Russia Lubitsch stopped briefly in Vienna to visit his friend Walter Reisch before proceeding to Moscow and Leningrad where he would spend about eight weeks. The two men had a good visit and Lubitsch departed for Russia only to return 19 days later. Reisch asked, why, what had happened in Moscow? Lubitsch said he was committed to silence and wouldn't talk about it.
Speculation is that he had seen first hand the fear and terror that stalked Moscow. Many of his friends in the Russian film industry had been purged or were in jail, or like Eisenstein was simply in disrepute.
Lubitsch came near to validating all of that not long after he returned to Hollywood and told Salka Viertel as she later reported that he was withdrawing from the Anti-Nazi League, saying it was a tool of the Communist. He warned her to get out of it also. She begged him to think it over, it's the only way to fight fascism. His last words were, 'I can't speak for you but I'm getting out.'
The Anti-Nazi League in Hollywood had 4,000 members in its heyday, no one knows how many were actual Communist.
Billy Wilder was a liberal, but he didn't join organizations and didn't like meetings. He was however on friendly terms with many Communist and left leaning writers. And he noticed that after the release of Ninotchka a number of his former friends stopped talking to him. He thinks by and large that Communist have no sense of humor. Years later during the House UN-American Activities Committee hearings Billy was asked what he thought of the unfriendly ten. His answer was, 'Two of them have talent the rest are just unfriendly.'
Ninotchka was a classic romantic comedy, with a clever and witty script written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett and Walter Reisch, based on a screen story by Melchior Lengyel. Perfect casting brought Greta Garbo into her first true American comedy playing opposite Melvyn Douglas. The charm of the film was in bringing out the clashing ideologies of Soviet communism and western capitalism. In the early stages of the film Garbo is portrayed as a humorless, cold, curt and austere Russian envoy. In some respects it was a parody of her own stiff off screen public image. However this image soon fades and Ninotchka is transformed into a Parisian lover by a persuasive playboy Count played by Melvyn Douglas into a frivolous, romantic figure, and converted away from Communism.
The sparkling screenplay satirizes the Communist political system with sex, humor and wit.
When the scrip was finished it was shot on the MGM lot. The last day of shooting was July 27, 1939 and was not released as an MGM film, but as a lubitsch Production, which likely means that the heads of MGM felt that the political content might pose a problem for the MGM International distribution unit.
The World Premier was at Grauman's Chinese Theater on October 6, 1939 and became an over night success.
Billy Wilder received his first Academy Award Nomination along with Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett for their writing.
Now remember this was 1939 and another film was making it's way toward fame and glory.
Sidney Howard won the Writing Award for Gone With the Wind. Ninotchka was nominated for Best Picture. Gone With the Wind won. Garbo was nominated for Best Actress. Vivian Leigh won for Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.
Now those were the top two films of 1939, but if you look at films of that year you'll have to admit that 1939 was a very good year for Hollywood Pictures: Gone With the Wind, Ninotchka, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Stagecoach, Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and you might find a dozen other worthies to add to that list – yes 1939 was a vintage year.
Next week we'll talk about the numbers of writers, directors, actors and locations Ring Master David Selznick had to keep in line in order to pull off --The Greatest Show (film) On Earth.
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he said, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
Ninotchka
Political
Writers Notebook
Ninotchka background.
Ninotchka didn't start out as a political satire, MGM wanted to find comedy material for Greta Garbo and were searching around when Bernie Heymann an MGM executive producer while at the Hollywood Brown Derby asked Melchior Lengyel if he had a good comedy up his sleeve that they could use for Garbo. Lengyel said no he didn't but he would think about the idea.
He phoned in the next day and said he had an idea. The line read; Russian girl saturated with Bolshevist ideals goes to fearful, Capitalistic, monopolistic Paris. She meets romance and has an uproarious time. Capitalism not so bad after all.
In the end MGM paid him $15,000 for those three sentences..
The first writing assignment to expand the idea into a screenplay was given to Melchior Lengyel And Salka Viertel. They failed. The next was Jacques de Val who also failed, they then turned it over to the venerable S.N. Behrman.
By this time MGM was hooked on the idea and were not going to give up on the project. In a brilliant move they got Ernst Lubitsch on loan from Paramount as producer and director. He was happy to be directing Garbo and liked much of the dialogue in Behrman's script, but the plotting was loose and the pieces didn't fit well and story didn't flow.
Walter Reisch was a contract writer for metro at the time and Lubitsch had Reisch assigned to the project.
They were using the Behrman script but Lubitsch didn't like the idea of a Siberian nickel mine. He needed something he could show on the screen something like diamonds.
Behrman stuck close to his original script and disagreed with Lubitsch and Reisch and in the end Behrman walked away from the project.
Next Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder were asked to join the team and as it turned out that was the talent combination that made things start to happen.
Politics was at the core of Ninotchka. If you really portrayed a woman of flesh and blood you had to write about her convictions and this inevitably lead you to the nature of life in Russia. And the trials, confessions, the purges, and the terror.
Lubitsch and his writers knew they were braking political protocol but they were aiming for high comedy, not political drama.
Ninotchka was not only breaking with international politics but with the Hollywood left. Many actors, writers and directors were proud to call themselves Communist because they honestly believed that Russian Communism had the answers to unemployment, war and race relations.
Ernst Lubitsch thought otherwise. In 1936 Lubitsch along with many other art notables were invited to visit the Russia. En route to Russia Lubitsch stopped briefly in Vienna to visit his friend Walter Reisch before proceeding to Moscow and Leningrad where he would spend about eight weeks. The two men had a good visit and Lubitsch departed for Russia only to return 19 days later. Reisch asked, why, what had happened in Moscow? Lubitsch said he was committed to silence and wouldn't talk about it.
Speculation is that he had seen first hand the fear and terror that stalked Moscow. Many of his friends in the Russian film industry had been purged or were in jail, or like Eisenstein was simply in disrepute.
Lubitsch came near to validating all of that not long after he returned to Hollywood and told Salka Viertel as she later reported that he was withdrawing from the Anti-Nazi League, saying it was a tool of the Communist. He warned her to get out of it also. She begged him to think it over, it's the only way to fight fascism. His last words were, 'I can't speak for you but I'm getting out.'
The Anti-Nazi League in Hollywood had 4,000 members in its heyday, no one knows how many were actual Communist.
Billy Wilder was a liberal, but he didn't join organizations and didn't like meetings. He was however on friendly terms with many Communist and left leaning writers. And he noticed that after the release of Ninotchka a number of his former friends stopped talking to him. He thinks by and large that Communist have no sense of humor. Years later during the House UN-American Activities Committee hearings Billy was asked what he thought of the unfriendly ten. His answer was, 'Two of them have talent the rest are just unfriendly.'
Ninotchka was a classic romantic comedy, with a clever and witty script written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett and Walter Reisch, based on a screen story by Melchior Lengyel. Perfect casting brought Greta Garbo into her first true American comedy playing opposite Melvyn Douglas. The charm of the film was in bringing out the clashing ideologies of Soviet communism and western capitalism. In the early stages of the film Garbo is portrayed as a humorless, cold, curt and austere Russian envoy. In some respects it was a parody of her own stiff off screen public image. However this image soon fades and Ninotchka is transformed into a Parisian lover by a persuasive playboy Count played by Melvyn Douglas into a frivolous, romantic figure, and converted away from Communism.
The sparkling screenplay satirizes the Communist political system with sex, humor and wit.
When the scrip was finished it was shot on the MGM lot. The last day of shooting was July 27, 1939 and was not released as an MGM film, but as a lubitsch Production, which likely means that the heads of MGM felt that the political content might pose a problem for the MGM International distribution unit.
The World Premier was at Grauman's Chinese Theater on October 6, 1939 and became an over night success.
Billy Wilder received his first Academy Award Nomination along with Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett for their writing.
Now remember this was 1939 and another film was making it's way toward fame and glory.
Sidney Howard won the Writing Award for Gone With the Wind. Ninotchka was nominated for Best Picture. Gone With the Wind won. Garbo was nominated for Best Actress. Vivian Leigh won for Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.
Now those were the top two films of 1939, but if you look at films of that year you'll have to admit that 1939 was a very good year for Hollywood Pictures: Gone With the Wind, Ninotchka, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Stagecoach, Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and you might find a dozen other worthies to add to that list – yes 1939 was a vintage year.
Next week we'll talk about the numbers of writers, directors, actors and locations Ring Master David Selznick had to keep in line in order to pull off --The Greatest Show (film) On Earth.
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he said, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
December 29, 2010
From Ninotchka to 'Well, Nobody's Perfect'
This Week
Billy Wilder From Vienna to Hollywood
Writers Notebook: Review
Billy Wilder of Vienna, Austria came to Hollywood by way of Berlin and Paris. Wilder's early writing career was that of a journalist. He became a filmmaker in Berlin and his first film was called People on Sunday. They did it on the cheap, with a total cost of about five hundred dollars.
When Wilder landed in Hollywood he bunked in with Peter Lorre. During those early days Billy spoke little English and wrote only in German relying on some of his pals to translate for him. He was never fluent in English, but was good enough to be about as funny as Sam Goldwyn, without Sam's Goldwyn-isms.
Billy's translation problems ended during his second year in Hollywood when he teamed up with Charles Brackett, one of Paramount’s best writers at the time. Brackett and Wilder became one of the most successful writing teams in Hollywood. Their first collaboration was on Bluebeard's Eighth Wife. Ernst Lubitsch was the director; Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert were the stars.
During the following year the team had three credits What a Life, Midnight and Ninotchka.
Wilder and Brackett's first award winning success was Ninotchka in 1939, the screwball comedy starred Greta Garbo and won popular and critical acclaim. The film marked the teams first Academy Award nomination, which was also shared with Walter Reisch. For a dozen years Wilder co-wrote most of his films with Brackett, from 1938 through 1950. Following Ninotchka was a series of box office hits in 1942, including his Hold Back the Dawn and Ball of Fire, as well as his directorial feature debut, The Major and the Minor.
But like most Hollywood teams Wilder and Brackett had their differences and eventually after a string of great successes Wilder said he didn't want to collaborate any more and walked away from his writing partner.
After the breakup Brackett worked for Twentieth Century Fox as a writer producer. He did Titanic, The King and I, Ten North Frederick, Journey to the Center of the Earth, State Fair and many others.
But somewhere down the line several Fox studio executives decided they had gotten the best out of Brackett and canceled his contract, which had two years remaining on the agreement. In an unwise decision Fox decided to stiff Brackett by refusing to pay him the remaining two years.
Billy Wilder heard the news, called a press conference and exposed what Fox was doing to Brackett. Fox argued, fumed and foamed for a while, but eventually due to the bad publicity, paid Brackett the two years remaining on his contract.
Billy Wilder proved that he was not only a talented filmmaker he was a loyal friend, a combination not often found in Hollywood.
More Billy Wilder Films
The success of Sunset Boulevard had a major impact, also his third film as director of Double Indemnity, a film noir. He was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay, which was co-written with mystery novelist Raymond Chandler. In this case the co-writers did not get along. The book was very popular with the reading public, but it had been considered unfilmable under the Hays Code, because adultery was central to its plot. Double Indemnity is credited by some as the first true film noir, combining the stylistic elements of Citizen Kane with the narrative elements of The Maltese Falcon.
Wilder was the Editors Supervisor in the 1945 US Army Signal Corps documentary film Death Mills.
Two years later, Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend, an examination of alcoholism, which proved to be another difficult theme under the Production Code.
In 1951 the Billy Wilder film was Ace in the Hole. It was a critical and commercial failure at the time, but its reputation has grown over the years. In the fifties, Wilder also directed two adaptations of Broadway plays, the prisoner of war drama Stalag 17 , and the Agatha Christie mystery Witness for the Prosecution. After that he made mostly comedies, which included The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot followed by The Apartment, then the romantic comedy Sabrina and Love in the Afternoon.
In Some Like it Hot Wilder introduced cross dressing to American film audiences. In this comedy Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians on the run from a Chicago gang, who disguise themselves as women and become romantically involved with Marilyn Monroe and Joe E. Brown.
In 1959, Wilder began to work with writer-producer I. A. L. Diamond, an association that continued until the end of their careers. After winning three Academy Awards for 1960's The Apartment, Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay Wilder's career slowed. His Cold War farce One, Two, Three (1961) featured a rousing comic performance by James Cagney, but was followed by the lesser films Irma la Douce and Kiss Me, Stupid. Wilder got his last Oscar nomination for his screenplay The Fortune Cookie (1966). His 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was badly cut by the studio and has never been fully restored. Later films such as Fedora (1978) and Buddy Buddy (1981) failed to impress critics or the public.
Billy Wilder's last two failures reminds me of the last line in one of his most popular films, Some Like Hot. Jack Lemmon says as he takes off his wig, 'We can't get married, I'm a man...I'm a man.' Joe E. Brown turns with a wide grin. 'Well, Nobody's perfect.'
Writers Notebook:
The Power of Positive Thinking – Reviewed by Tom Barnes author of Tungee's Gold.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Norman Vincent Peale, one of America’s most distinguished speakers was not born with that gift. As a child Norman was shy and retiring and had a terrible inferiority complex. Then to add to those feelings of inferiority, he was a preacher’s son and believed that he was expected to be perfect. Well, he didn’t want to be perfect he wanted to be hard-boiled and something else, he vowed never to become a preacher. He grew up in a religious family and as part of the church community from time to time they were all called upon to make public speeches. Norman was urged to join the others in their activities, but the thought of speaking in public scared him to death.
Eventually though, with the urging of his father, reading the Bible and interacting with other family members he began to shed those feelings of inferiority. Then once he got over his shyness and began to connect with an audience he became a very effective public speaker and writer. He also became a preacher, something that he had vowed earlier in life not to ever do.
After a number of years of interaction with church members as their minister he determined several simple truths about life. You must believe in yourself because, ‘without a humble and reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.’ Basil King once said, “Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.” Emerson declared a tremendous truth. “They conquer who believe they can.”
Dr. Peale tells the story of a day on the golf course. It seems he hit the ball into some tall grass and when he finally located the almost hidden ball, he lamented about his chances of hitting it out. Well, his golf partner saw his dilemma and talked him through the problem. Dr. Peale took a swing, as instructed, and wound up hitting the ball near the green. He was delighted with the results and always remembered a comment made by his playing partner that day, ‘the rough is only mental.’
Now while The Power of Positive Thinking is based on Dr. Peale’s belief in God, he also says that belief in your own abilities play a large part in individual success or failure.
Self-confidence or the lack of it plays an important part in our lives. A survey of college students when asked to state their most difficult personal problem seventy five percent answered that it was a lack of confidence.
One of the ways to self-confidence is to expect the best. When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind, which by law of attraction tends to bring the best to you.
When you buy and read this remarkable book your attitude will change, and you’ll find success -- sometimes in the most unexpected places.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Billy Wilder From Vienna to Hollywood
Writers Notebook: Review
Billy Wilder of Vienna, Austria came to Hollywood by way of Berlin and Paris. Wilder's early writing career was that of a journalist. He became a filmmaker in Berlin and his first film was called People on Sunday. They did it on the cheap, with a total cost of about five hundred dollars.
When Wilder landed in Hollywood he bunked in with Peter Lorre. During those early days Billy spoke little English and wrote only in German relying on some of his pals to translate for him. He was never fluent in English, but was good enough to be about as funny as Sam Goldwyn, without Sam's Goldwyn-isms.
Billy's translation problems ended during his second year in Hollywood when he teamed up with Charles Brackett, one of Paramount’s best writers at the time. Brackett and Wilder became one of the most successful writing teams in Hollywood. Their first collaboration was on Bluebeard's Eighth Wife. Ernst Lubitsch was the director; Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert were the stars.
During the following year the team had three credits What a Life, Midnight and Ninotchka.
Wilder and Brackett's first award winning success was Ninotchka in 1939, the screwball comedy starred Greta Garbo and won popular and critical acclaim. The film marked the teams first Academy Award nomination, which was also shared with Walter Reisch. For a dozen years Wilder co-wrote most of his films with Brackett, from 1938 through 1950. Following Ninotchka was a series of box office hits in 1942, including his Hold Back the Dawn and Ball of Fire, as well as his directorial feature debut, The Major and the Minor.
But like most Hollywood teams Wilder and Brackett had their differences and eventually after a string of great successes Wilder said he didn't want to collaborate any more and walked away from his writing partner.
After the breakup Brackett worked for Twentieth Century Fox as a writer producer. He did Titanic, The King and I, Ten North Frederick, Journey to the Center of the Earth, State Fair and many others.
But somewhere down the line several Fox studio executives decided they had gotten the best out of Brackett and canceled his contract, which had two years remaining on the agreement. In an unwise decision Fox decided to stiff Brackett by refusing to pay him the remaining two years.
Billy Wilder heard the news, called a press conference and exposed what Fox was doing to Brackett. Fox argued, fumed and foamed for a while, but eventually due to the bad publicity, paid Brackett the two years remaining on his contract.
Billy Wilder proved that he was not only a talented filmmaker he was a loyal friend, a combination not often found in Hollywood.
More Billy Wilder Films
The success of Sunset Boulevard had a major impact, also his third film as director of Double Indemnity, a film noir. He was nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay, which was co-written with mystery novelist Raymond Chandler. In this case the co-writers did not get along. The book was very popular with the reading public, but it had been considered unfilmable under the Hays Code, because adultery was central to its plot. Double Indemnity is credited by some as the first true film noir, combining the stylistic elements of Citizen Kane with the narrative elements of The Maltese Falcon.
Wilder was the Editors Supervisor in the 1945 US Army Signal Corps documentary film Death Mills.
Two years later, Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend, an examination of alcoholism, which proved to be another difficult theme under the Production Code.
In 1951 the Billy Wilder film was Ace in the Hole. It was a critical and commercial failure at the time, but its reputation has grown over the years. In the fifties, Wilder also directed two adaptations of Broadway plays, the prisoner of war drama Stalag 17 , and the Agatha Christie mystery Witness for the Prosecution. After that he made mostly comedies, which included The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot followed by The Apartment, then the romantic comedy Sabrina and Love in the Afternoon.
In Some Like it Hot Wilder introduced cross dressing to American film audiences. In this comedy Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians on the run from a Chicago gang, who disguise themselves as women and become romantically involved with Marilyn Monroe and Joe E. Brown.
In 1959, Wilder began to work with writer-producer I. A. L. Diamond, an association that continued until the end of their careers. After winning three Academy Awards for 1960's The Apartment, Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay Wilder's career slowed. His Cold War farce One, Two, Three (1961) featured a rousing comic performance by James Cagney, but was followed by the lesser films Irma la Douce and Kiss Me, Stupid. Wilder got his last Oscar nomination for his screenplay The Fortune Cookie (1966). His 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was badly cut by the studio and has never been fully restored. Later films such as Fedora (1978) and Buddy Buddy (1981) failed to impress critics or the public.
Billy Wilder's last two failures reminds me of the last line in one of his most popular films, Some Like Hot. Jack Lemmon says as he takes off his wig, 'We can't get married, I'm a man...I'm a man.' Joe E. Brown turns with a wide grin. 'Well, Nobody's perfect.'
Writers Notebook:
The Power of Positive Thinking – Reviewed by Tom Barnes author of Tungee's Gold.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Norman Vincent Peale, one of America’s most distinguished speakers was not born with that gift. As a child Norman was shy and retiring and had a terrible inferiority complex. Then to add to those feelings of inferiority, he was a preacher’s son and believed that he was expected to be perfect. Well, he didn’t want to be perfect he wanted to be hard-boiled and something else, he vowed never to become a preacher. He grew up in a religious family and as part of the church community from time to time they were all called upon to make public speeches. Norman was urged to join the others in their activities, but the thought of speaking in public scared him to death.
Eventually though, with the urging of his father, reading the Bible and interacting with other family members he began to shed those feelings of inferiority. Then once he got over his shyness and began to connect with an audience he became a very effective public speaker and writer. He also became a preacher, something that he had vowed earlier in life not to ever do.
After a number of years of interaction with church members as their minister he determined several simple truths about life. You must believe in yourself because, ‘without a humble and reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.’ Basil King once said, “Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.” Emerson declared a tremendous truth. “They conquer who believe they can.”
Dr. Peale tells the story of a day on the golf course. It seems he hit the ball into some tall grass and when he finally located the almost hidden ball, he lamented about his chances of hitting it out. Well, his golf partner saw his dilemma and talked him through the problem. Dr. Peale took a swing, as instructed, and wound up hitting the ball near the green. He was delighted with the results and always remembered a comment made by his playing partner that day, ‘the rough is only mental.’
Now while The Power of Positive Thinking is based on Dr. Peale’s belief in God, he also says that belief in your own abilities play a large part in individual success or failure.
Self-confidence or the lack of it plays an important part in our lives. A survey of college students when asked to state their most difficult personal problem seventy five percent answered that it was a lack of confidence.
One of the ways to self-confidence is to expect the best. When you expect the best, you release a magnetic force in your mind, which by law of attraction tends to bring the best to you.
When you buy and read this remarkable book your attitude will change, and you’ll find success -- sometimes in the most unexpected places.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 22, 2010
Filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch and Greta Garbo
This Week
Ernst Lubitsch
Lubitsch and Garbo
Writers Notebook:
Ernst Lubitsch – Writer, Director and Filmmaker.
Ernst Lubitsch was born in Berlin, as son of Simon and Anna Lubitsch, Russian immigrants. The youngster turned away from his father's tailoring business to enter the theater. In 1911 he became a member of Max Reinhardt's Theater, made his film debut the following year as a comic actor and was received very well by critics and audience as well. However, this young talent had something else in mind for his career and he began to concentrate more on directing.
In 1918, Ernst Lubitsch made his mark as a serious director with The Eyes of the Mummy, starring Pola Negri. Lubitsch alternated between comedies and historical dramas, and enjoying international success in both. His reputation as a director reached it's high point with the release of Madame Du Barry in 1919 and Deception in 1920. Both of these films were picked up by American distributors early in 1921 and along with his Carmen, released as Gypsy Blood in the U.S. were selected in 1921 by the New York Times as part of its 15 most important movies of the year.
Lubitsch left Germany for Hollywood in 1922, and was contracted as a director by Mary Pickford. He directed Pickford in the film Rosita to a success, but director and star had a personality clash during the filming of Rosita and it ended up as the only project that they made together.
Lubitsch was signed to a remarkable three-year, six-picture contract by Warner Brothers that guaranteed the director his choice of both cast and crew, and full editing control over the final cut.
Lubitsch established his reputation for sophisticated comedy with such stylish films as The Marriage Circle.
That Lubitsch Touch
Ernst Lubitsch was a master of bedroom comedy, and he didn’t have to resort to the filth of an X Rated film to get his point across.
Camera moves in on a highly charged seduction scene, the picture of smoldering passion and steamy kisses have gone too; CUT.
Camera moves just outside the bedroom door. The French maid, her ear glued to that door and her flushed face reflecting embarrassed excitement at madam’s indiscretion and misbehavior. The results are, in the minds eye of the audience, a scene played out vicariously through the maid and the door.
As part of the audience, a dirty mind sees a dirty picture and likewise those with cleaner thoughts. Subtlety was a large part of The Lubitsch Touch.
During the 1920’s and 30’s Greta Garbo’s name was movie magic. She had a string of hits during those years and beginning in 1930 she was nominated for best actress in pictures Anna Christie, Romance and Camille.
Interview with Greta Garbo
Ernst Lubitsch was about to produce and direct a film for Paramount Pictures and wanted to sign Garbo for the lead. Ninotchka was the film, but since Garbo shunned publicity and lived an almost secret life Lubitsch knew very little about the star with the exception of her stunning performances that he’d seen on the screen. Her last picture Camille was heavy drama and Ninotchka a comedy.
Lubitsch had Paramount arrange for Miss Garbo to come in for a sit down interview at his office and talk about the film.
Ernst Lubitsch had an outgoing personality and the interview went well, but Lubitsch had something in mind that went directly to his concept of the film, and it had to do with the female star.
Lubitsch got up from his desk and paced the room, when suddenly he turned to Garbo and said, “Can you laugh?”
A wry grin broke over Garbo’s placid face and she said, “Yes. I think I can laugh.”
Lubitsch continued to pace a bit more and said, “I’m not talking about just a little laugh. I mean a big laugh. You see the star of Ninotchka must be a character with a wide-open and completely spontaneous laugh. Can you do that?”
Garbo smiled and said, “Let me give it some thought. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
As Lubitsch escorted the star out of the office he was thinking well, it wasn’t a yes and it wasn’t a no.
True to her word Garbo was back the next day. And following the normal amenities including coffee the two of them manufactured small talk as they sparred around avoiding the subject of laughter.
Eventually though Greta Garbo’s grin changed to a wide smile and she said, “Your question and the idea – can you laugh is silly.”
Lubitsch chortled. “I think you’re right.”
“And I love it, “ she whispered. “The more I think about that silly notion the more I want to laugh.” And she began to laugh the most joyous outgoing kind of laughter Lubitsch had ever heard. In fact it was so infectious that he joined her in the celebration of the laugh.
And of course she signed a contract and they made the film.
The Paramount publicity people picked on the story and used the two-word phrase to spearhead their publicity campaign – Garbo Laughs
The Ernst Lubitsch film resume is long and important. His influence on individual filmmakers as well as the industry is well established. Billy Wilder is one of those filmmakers and he will be featured in next week's RocktheTower blog post.
Writers Notebook:
The Ernst Lubitsch experience left a powerful lesson for all writers. He would take a screenplay that had some weak spots and instead of dwelling on those shortcoming, Lubitsch would build on the strong and the good to the point where the weak no longer made any difference.
This lesson could also apply to the novelist.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Ernst Lubitsch
Lubitsch and Garbo
Writers Notebook:
Ernst Lubitsch – Writer, Director and Filmmaker.
Ernst Lubitsch was born in Berlin, as son of Simon and Anna Lubitsch, Russian immigrants. The youngster turned away from his father's tailoring business to enter the theater. In 1911 he became a member of Max Reinhardt's Theater, made his film debut the following year as a comic actor and was received very well by critics and audience as well. However, this young talent had something else in mind for his career and he began to concentrate more on directing.
In 1918, Ernst Lubitsch made his mark as a serious director with The Eyes of the Mummy, starring Pola Negri. Lubitsch alternated between comedies and historical dramas, and enjoying international success in both. His reputation as a director reached it's high point with the release of Madame Du Barry in 1919 and Deception in 1920. Both of these films were picked up by American distributors early in 1921 and along with his Carmen, released as Gypsy Blood in the U.S. were selected in 1921 by the New York Times as part of its 15 most important movies of the year.
Lubitsch left Germany for Hollywood in 1922, and was contracted as a director by Mary Pickford. He directed Pickford in the film Rosita to a success, but director and star had a personality clash during the filming of Rosita and it ended up as the only project that they made together.
Lubitsch was signed to a remarkable three-year, six-picture contract by Warner Brothers that guaranteed the director his choice of both cast and crew, and full editing control over the final cut.
Lubitsch established his reputation for sophisticated comedy with such stylish films as The Marriage Circle.
That Lubitsch Touch
Ernst Lubitsch was a master of bedroom comedy, and he didn’t have to resort to the filth of an X Rated film to get his point across.
Camera moves in on a highly charged seduction scene, the picture of smoldering passion and steamy kisses have gone too; CUT.
Camera moves just outside the bedroom door. The French maid, her ear glued to that door and her flushed face reflecting embarrassed excitement at madam’s indiscretion and misbehavior. The results are, in the minds eye of the audience, a scene played out vicariously through the maid and the door.
As part of the audience, a dirty mind sees a dirty picture and likewise those with cleaner thoughts. Subtlety was a large part of The Lubitsch Touch.
During the 1920’s and 30’s Greta Garbo’s name was movie magic. She had a string of hits during those years and beginning in 1930 she was nominated for best actress in pictures Anna Christie, Romance and Camille.
Interview with Greta Garbo
Ernst Lubitsch was about to produce and direct a film for Paramount Pictures and wanted to sign Garbo for the lead. Ninotchka was the film, but since Garbo shunned publicity and lived an almost secret life Lubitsch knew very little about the star with the exception of her stunning performances that he’d seen on the screen. Her last picture Camille was heavy drama and Ninotchka a comedy.
Lubitsch had Paramount arrange for Miss Garbo to come in for a sit down interview at his office and talk about the film.
Ernst Lubitsch had an outgoing personality and the interview went well, but Lubitsch had something in mind that went directly to his concept of the film, and it had to do with the female star.
Lubitsch got up from his desk and paced the room, when suddenly he turned to Garbo and said, “Can you laugh?”
A wry grin broke over Garbo’s placid face and she said, “Yes. I think I can laugh.”
Lubitsch continued to pace a bit more and said, “I’m not talking about just a little laugh. I mean a big laugh. You see the star of Ninotchka must be a character with a wide-open and completely spontaneous laugh. Can you do that?”
Garbo smiled and said, “Let me give it some thought. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
As Lubitsch escorted the star out of the office he was thinking well, it wasn’t a yes and it wasn’t a no.
True to her word Garbo was back the next day. And following the normal amenities including coffee the two of them manufactured small talk as they sparred around avoiding the subject of laughter.
Eventually though Greta Garbo’s grin changed to a wide smile and she said, “Your question and the idea – can you laugh is silly.”
Lubitsch chortled. “I think you’re right.”
“And I love it, “ she whispered. “The more I think about that silly notion the more I want to laugh.” And she began to laugh the most joyous outgoing kind of laughter Lubitsch had ever heard. In fact it was so infectious that he joined her in the celebration of the laugh.
And of course she signed a contract and they made the film.
The Paramount publicity people picked on the story and used the two-word phrase to spearhead their publicity campaign – Garbo Laughs
The Ernst Lubitsch film resume is long and important. His influence on individual filmmakers as well as the industry is well established. Billy Wilder is one of those filmmakers and he will be featured in next week's RocktheTower blog post.
Writers Notebook:
The Ernst Lubitsch experience left a powerful lesson for all writers. He would take a screenplay that had some weak spots and instead of dwelling on those shortcoming, Lubitsch would build on the strong and the good to the point where the weak no longer made any difference.
This lesson could also apply to the novelist.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 15, 2010
Battle of the Bulge and Lost in Antarctica
This Week
Battle of the Bulge WW II
MFC Becalmed in Antarctica
Writers Notebook: Truman Capote
World War II
The American and Allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944 and from that day forward they continued to beat the Germans back on every front.
By December the German situation was becoming desperate, and at that time Adolph Hitler devised a bold counteroffensive in the west. On December 16th 30 German divisions hit the Allied lines in the Ardennes region. Frigid cold and overcast weather prevented use of Allied air power and gave the Germans an early advantage.
That was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. Max Schwartz a member of the US Army’s 1306 Engineers gives us a close up look at one of those frigid days.
A Day with an Army Engineer in the Battle of the Bulge
By Max Schwartz
As Sgt. Schwartz drove with his Colonel north on N-9, the main road to Bastogne, they saw the tanks ahead in trouble. They were sliding sideways off the icy road into the gullies. Rushing back to their bivouac base, the Colonel immediately ordered all available men to spread sand to slippery road surfaces.
Sgt. Schwartz spent long cold hours shoveling and throwing sand under tank treads from the back of trucks and from stockpiles dumped in advance at critical locations.
Dammit. It’s cold,” he cursed, standing ankle-deep in snow and mud. His overcoat, wool gloves and knit cap failed to keep out the wind. He exhaled a white cloud of vapor whenever he stooped to fill his shovel and throw the sand under a tank’s treads. Then he scooped up another shovel full, ran in front of the steel behemoth to throw sand again, and repeated the exercise for hours.
They’ll never believe this back home,” he muttered. “A bunch of Army Engineers playing nursemaid to Patton’s vaunted armor.” When he looked up at the warmly dressed tankers taunting him from the protection of their turrets, he became even angrier.
You poor dogfaces, they shouted. “ You should have joined the Armored Corps.”
Its OK, tanker,” Sgt. Schwartz answered. “You guys have to go through the German lines to reach Bastogne.”
Go to hell, dogface,” they laughed. Actually, Sgt. Schwartz was proud of the tankers and hoped that someday he would be able to say he helped liberate the 82nd Airborne Division trapped in Bastogne.
As Sgt. Schwartz shoveled and threw sand, he could see the road ahead was deteriorating. The surface had turned to mud under the traffic, particularly from the treads of the 35-ton tanks and the wheels of the 70 ton loaded tank retrievers. The asphalt paving had given way and bulged up between the treads and wheels. He could see the raised ridge rupture and yellow clay base ooze through.
As he threw sand, he saw that many of the tanks had welded cleats on their treads to improve traction, but the cleats dug into the road surface, which were then plowed up by the trucks that followed. This completed the destruction of the road.
When the heavy rains came, applying sand to the road surface became a thankless job. The road to Bastogne became so impassable that fighting units were supplied by parachute. One Engineer officer complained to the Colonel, "I know you told me the roads would go to pieces, but, hell, you can't even see the pieces."
It was cold, miserable work but fortunately, Patton’s Armored forces reached Bastogne and broke the back of the Bulge …with a little help from the Army Engineers.
MFC Becalmed in Frigid Antarctic Waters
Sleet was changing to a freezing mist as a dreary dawn struggled to break through the heavy overcast. Ragged underbellies of the clouds were so low at times they touched the waters. Waters cluttered with brash ice ranging in size from a bobbing apple to that of a full grown pumpkin. Ominous thumping noises caused by frozen chunks hitting the sides of the hull were underscored by the steady beat of a crew working the bilge pump. Those were the sounds they heard above an almost still ship that lay as near to dead in the water without being so as you would ever see. Ocean currents gave more movement to the ship than did the jibs and spanker, the only sails that were set.
Captain Foster, Fritz Cheny, Hank Jensen, Gabe Toombs and Tungee all stood on the quarterdeck in the teeth chattering cold, their hands stuffed deep into their pockets. No one said anything. They waited, watched and listened. But for what, none of them was quite sure. Two nights had passed since they'd had a clear shot at the stars with their sextant. Navigation anywhere near the South Pole was a tricky business at best. And considering the wild compass swings down in that region along with merging currents of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans pushing and pulling in contrary directions you were left with only one formula for navigation, dead reckoning. And under their present circumstances that was almost worthless.
Foster and Cheny were both schooled in navigation, but neither of them had a real fix on their present location and they were worried.
Gabe Toombs asked, "What do you make of the ice, Captain?"
Foster thought for a moment. "We may be too far south, Gabe."
"What does that mean?"
"We get too deep into these freezing waters we could get hung up."
"You mean ice bound."
"That's what I'm saying."
Gabe Toombs rubbed his hands together, spat a mouthful of tobacco juice over the side and drawled, "Gawd."
Fritz Cheny was less pessimistic. "We're not in trouble yet and if we get a break in this overcast we won't be."
"Do you think we're south of the Drake Passage?" Tungee asked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I doubt that we're that far south, but all this ice makes me wonder," The captain said bleakly.
"Then you think the ice may have drifted farther north than is normal," Tungee commented.
"I think that is just the case," Fritz Cheny said. "The way I see it, the wind hasn't been strong enough to carry us to longitude sixty. But the currents, on the other hand, are something else."
"Then we could have drifted faster and farther than we've sailed."
"That's the rub, Mr. Cahill," Foster cautioned. "With the running seas we've experienced for the last two days and nights along with no chance to shoot the stars, we're guessing. Damn I hate to admit that, men. But we're reduced
to calculations based solely on an educated guess."
"Better In nothin' I suppose," Gabe Toombs said dryly.
The youthful voice of Gene Blakely called out from the bow. "Yo, there on the quarterdeck, listen up."
Captain Foster moved toward the kid and the others followed. As they walked forward the captain demanded, "Avast, you men on the bilge pump."
After the noise of the pump ceased and the captain's group arrived at the bow, they all stood looking at Blakely.
He had just crawled back from the bowsprit and stood stark still with his hands cupped behind his ears. He was looking and apparently listening in a direction off the port bow. He finally took his hands down and while he cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief he almost whispered, "Breakers, Captain. Way off in the distance."
The earlier conversation came to Tungee's mind and he wondered if they were south of longitude sixty and hearing waves pounding the shores of some small Antarctic island. Could that be the real reason for all the brash ice? There was an eerie stillness in the air and the kid may have heard breakers, but no one else did.
"Mr. Jensen," Captain Foster said quietly, "go and get my long glass from the chart room. Mr. Cahill, you and Mr. Toombs get the chains and find what kind of depth we've got."
Jensen scooted for the captain's long glass while Gabe and Tungee removed the lash from the measuring chain and began to play the lead out over the side.
Writers Notebook:
Review: Music for Chameleons
Music for Chameleons and Hand Carved Coffins is a diverse collection of short stories written by Truman Capote.
Music sets the mood in Fort de France on the island of Martinique as a silver haired aristocrat plays a Mozart sonata on a piano to the delight of the skittering chameleons.
Then there’s Mr. Jones the blind wheelchair bound Brooklyn rooming house resident that turns out, in the end, to be nothing short of a human chameleon.
On a cold winter’s night TC was fortunate to seek shelter and a phone in the house with the ‘Lamp in the Window’ and a homeowner that was nocturnal, lonely and trusting.
‘Hand Carved Coffins’ is billed as a nonfiction account of an American crime set in an unsophisticated farm and ranch community. However, the string of murders apparently perpetrated by one person was anything but unsophisticated.
Truman Capote is as comfortable walking down Second Avenue with Mary Sanchez, the cleaning lady in ‘A Day’s Work’ as he was with friends at a posh reception in Turtle Bay.
The preface to the book gives an insight to the writing discipline TC exacted upon himself.
Keep a copy of ‘Music’ as reference to a writing style you’re not likely to see again.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Battle of the Bulge WW II
MFC Becalmed in Antarctica
Writers Notebook: Truman Capote
World War II
The American and Allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944 and from that day forward they continued to beat the Germans back on every front.
By December the German situation was becoming desperate, and at that time Adolph Hitler devised a bold counteroffensive in the west. On December 16th 30 German divisions hit the Allied lines in the Ardennes region. Frigid cold and overcast weather prevented use of Allied air power and gave the Germans an early advantage.
That was the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. Max Schwartz a member of the US Army’s 1306 Engineers gives us a close up look at one of those frigid days.
A Day with an Army Engineer in the Battle of the Bulge
By Max Schwartz
As Sgt. Schwartz drove with his Colonel north on N-9, the main road to Bastogne, they saw the tanks ahead in trouble. They were sliding sideways off the icy road into the gullies. Rushing back to their bivouac base, the Colonel immediately ordered all available men to spread sand to slippery road surfaces.
Sgt. Schwartz spent long cold hours shoveling and throwing sand under tank treads from the back of trucks and from stockpiles dumped in advance at critical locations.
Dammit. It’s cold,” he cursed, standing ankle-deep in snow and mud. His overcoat, wool gloves and knit cap failed to keep out the wind. He exhaled a white cloud of vapor whenever he stooped to fill his shovel and throw the sand under a tank’s treads. Then he scooped up another shovel full, ran in front of the steel behemoth to throw sand again, and repeated the exercise for hours.
They’ll never believe this back home,” he muttered. “A bunch of Army Engineers playing nursemaid to Patton’s vaunted armor.” When he looked up at the warmly dressed tankers taunting him from the protection of their turrets, he became even angrier.
You poor dogfaces, they shouted. “ You should have joined the Armored Corps.”
Its OK, tanker,” Sgt. Schwartz answered. “You guys have to go through the German lines to reach Bastogne.”
Go to hell, dogface,” they laughed. Actually, Sgt. Schwartz was proud of the tankers and hoped that someday he would be able to say he helped liberate the 82nd Airborne Division trapped in Bastogne.
As Sgt. Schwartz shoveled and threw sand, he could see the road ahead was deteriorating. The surface had turned to mud under the traffic, particularly from the treads of the 35-ton tanks and the wheels of the 70 ton loaded tank retrievers. The asphalt paving had given way and bulged up between the treads and wheels. He could see the raised ridge rupture and yellow clay base ooze through.
As he threw sand, he saw that many of the tanks had welded cleats on their treads to improve traction, but the cleats dug into the road surface, which were then plowed up by the trucks that followed. This completed the destruction of the road.
When the heavy rains came, applying sand to the road surface became a thankless job. The road to Bastogne became so impassable that fighting units were supplied by parachute. One Engineer officer complained to the Colonel, "I know you told me the roads would go to pieces, but, hell, you can't even see the pieces."
It was cold, miserable work but fortunately, Patton’s Armored forces reached Bastogne and broke the back of the Bulge …with a little help from the Army Engineers.
MFC Becalmed in Frigid Antarctic Waters
Sleet was changing to a freezing mist as a dreary dawn struggled to break through the heavy overcast. Ragged underbellies of the clouds were so low at times they touched the waters. Waters cluttered with brash ice ranging in size from a bobbing apple to that of a full grown pumpkin. Ominous thumping noises caused by frozen chunks hitting the sides of the hull were underscored by the steady beat of a crew working the bilge pump. Those were the sounds they heard above an almost still ship that lay as near to dead in the water without being so as you would ever see. Ocean currents gave more movement to the ship than did the jibs and spanker, the only sails that were set.
Captain Foster, Fritz Cheny, Hank Jensen, Gabe Toombs and Tungee all stood on the quarterdeck in the teeth chattering cold, their hands stuffed deep into their pockets. No one said anything. They waited, watched and listened. But for what, none of them was quite sure. Two nights had passed since they'd had a clear shot at the stars with their sextant. Navigation anywhere near the South Pole was a tricky business at best. And considering the wild compass swings down in that region along with merging currents of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans pushing and pulling in contrary directions you were left with only one formula for navigation, dead reckoning. And under their present circumstances that was almost worthless.
Foster and Cheny were both schooled in navigation, but neither of them had a real fix on their present location and they were worried.
Gabe Toombs asked, "What do you make of the ice, Captain?"
Foster thought for a moment. "We may be too far south, Gabe."
"What does that mean?"
"We get too deep into these freezing waters we could get hung up."
"You mean ice bound."
"That's what I'm saying."
Gabe Toombs rubbed his hands together, spat a mouthful of tobacco juice over the side and drawled, "Gawd."
Fritz Cheny was less pessimistic. "We're not in trouble yet and if we get a break in this overcast we won't be."
"Do you think we're south of the Drake Passage?" Tungee asked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I doubt that we're that far south, but all this ice makes me wonder," The captain said bleakly.
"Then you think the ice may have drifted farther north than is normal," Tungee commented.
"I think that is just the case," Fritz Cheny said. "The way I see it, the wind hasn't been strong enough to carry us to longitude sixty. But the currents, on the other hand, are something else."
"Then we could have drifted faster and farther than we've sailed."
"That's the rub, Mr. Cahill," Foster cautioned. "With the running seas we've experienced for the last two days and nights along with no chance to shoot the stars, we're guessing. Damn I hate to admit that, men. But we're reduced
to calculations based solely on an educated guess."
"Better In nothin' I suppose," Gabe Toombs said dryly.
The youthful voice of Gene Blakely called out from the bow. "Yo, there on the quarterdeck, listen up."
Captain Foster moved toward the kid and the others followed. As they walked forward the captain demanded, "Avast, you men on the bilge pump."
After the noise of the pump ceased and the captain's group arrived at the bow, they all stood looking at Blakely.
He had just crawled back from the bowsprit and stood stark still with his hands cupped behind his ears. He was looking and apparently listening in a direction off the port bow. He finally took his hands down and while he cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief he almost whispered, "Breakers, Captain. Way off in the distance."
The earlier conversation came to Tungee's mind and he wondered if they were south of longitude sixty and hearing waves pounding the shores of some small Antarctic island. Could that be the real reason for all the brash ice? There was an eerie stillness in the air and the kid may have heard breakers, but no one else did.
"Mr. Jensen," Captain Foster said quietly, "go and get my long glass from the chart room. Mr. Cahill, you and Mr. Toombs get the chains and find what kind of depth we've got."
Jensen scooted for the captain's long glass while Gabe and Tungee removed the lash from the measuring chain and began to play the lead out over the side.
Writers Notebook:
Review: Music for Chameleons
Music for Chameleons and Hand Carved Coffins is a diverse collection of short stories written by Truman Capote.
Music sets the mood in Fort de France on the island of Martinique as a silver haired aristocrat plays a Mozart sonata on a piano to the delight of the skittering chameleons.
Then there’s Mr. Jones the blind wheelchair bound Brooklyn rooming house resident that turns out, in the end, to be nothing short of a human chameleon.
On a cold winter’s night TC was fortunate to seek shelter and a phone in the house with the ‘Lamp in the Window’ and a homeowner that was nocturnal, lonely and trusting.
‘Hand Carved Coffins’ is billed as a nonfiction account of an American crime set in an unsophisticated farm and ranch community. However, the string of murders apparently perpetrated by one person was anything but unsophisticated.
Truman Capote is as comfortable walking down Second Avenue with Mary Sanchez, the cleaning lady in ‘A Day’s Work’ as he was with friends at a posh reception in Turtle Bay.
The preface to the book gives an insight to the writing discipline TC exacted upon himself.
Keep a copy of ‘Music’ as reference to a writing style you’re not likely to see again.
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 8, 2010
The War of the Worlds and Sailing to Cape Horn
This Week
Mercury Theater Radio
Treacherous Cape Horn Waters
Writers Notebook: Somerset Maugham
Orson Welles and the War of the Worlds:
The Mercury Theater company was founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theater moved into their best-known period as The Mercury Theater on the Air radio. It was during that time when one of their most notable and infamous radio broadcasts of all time was produced. The War of the Worlds, adapted from an H.G. Welles story was broadcast on October 30, 1938. The Mercury Theater on the Air produced live radio dramas during the years of 1938–39 and 40.
The Mercury Theater troupe included Welles, Houseman, Carl Frank, Joseph Cotten, Martin Gabel, Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Hans Conreid, Paul Stewart, Will Geer, George Coulouris, Olive Stanton, and Everett Sloane.
Welles had already worked extensively in radio drama, playing the title character in The Shadow and directing a seven-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables for the Mutual Broadcasting System.
In 1938, he was offered a chance to direct his own weekly, hour-long radio series. Wells didn't take the first offer, but later worked out a deal for The Mercury Theater on the Air. His intent was to put a revolving repertory company of actors together. That was why
Welles insisted his Mercury company actors and crew be involved in the radio series.
The Mercury Theater on the Air was an hour-long dramatic radio program which began in the summer of 1938 on the CBS radio network. Welles was given complete creative control by CBS over the new series. Collaborating with John Houseman and other writers, Welles wrote, directed and performed in the productions. Some of the most memorable Mercury Theater productions were adaptations of great novels. Several good examples are the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Tale of Two Cities, and Heart of Darkness. John
Houseman wrote the early scripts for the series, but later turned the job over to Howard Koch. Music was conducted by Bernard Herrmann. Their first radio production was Bram Stoker's Dracula, and other adaptations included Treasure Island, The Thirty-Nine Steps and The Count of Monte Cristo.
The show was originally scheduled for nine weeks, but the network extended the run and moved it in as the summer substitute for the Lux Radio Theater on Sunday night opposite Edgar Bergen's popular variety show.
The early dramas got high praise by the critics, but even so their ratings were low. However, the airing on October 30, 1938 of an adaptation of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds changed all that.
No one can be sure, but the chances are that thousands of people listening to the show were taken in by the realism of the production and thought Martians were invading the earth. It was amazing how much publicity was generated by the show and as a consequence The Mercury Theater quickly became one of radio's top-rated shows.
The show's new found popularity had a huge side effect as the Campbell Soup Company signed on to sponsor the show guaranteeing Mercury's survival.
The company moved to Hollywood and settled in at the RKO Studios with Welles' final performance on the radio series coming in March 1940.
A number of the original group were cast in Welles' films that were produced at RKO Studios in Gower Street, Hollywood.
Tungee's Gold (Excerpt)
The Clipper Ship MFC is on a southerly heading down the west coast of South America toward Cape Horn.
The barometer had been steadily dropping along with the temperature. And not to be caught with his sails billowing out full when the gale struck, Foster had done the prudent thing by taking off large sections of canvas. All the sailors in the rigging were holding on a bit tighter as the running sea preceding the high wind caused the masts to sway like some giant pendulum swinging it's circle and exerting enormous centrifugal force.
Tungee was on the port side of the fore royal yard and saw the sky light up with a flash followed by the rolling crack-bang thunder bouncing off the building waves. Jeff was on his right Dobbs and the kid were below on the fore upper topsail completing their furl.
"Hang onto to what you've got now, men. The wind from the squall line is going to hit any minute," Tungee yelled.
Dobbs declared, "I've got me a grip on this here foremast that lovers just dream about, mate."
Cheny raced from the quarterdeck and took a position halfway between the main and foremast, leaned back and yelled new orders. "Yo, fore and main top men spill and secure your outer and inner jibs and all stays.
The men in the rigging had just gone to work on Cheny's order when the man in the crow's nest bellowed, "Land ho."
"Give me a point and what you see," Captain Foster ordered.
"Broad on the port bow, sir. They are distant, sir, but they are hills, make no mistake about that, sir."
The skipper knew that Wellington was behind them, present position had to put them off the Strait of Magellan. The crow's nest must be reporting the hills of Punta Arenas.
"Give me a distance," Foster demanded.
"I'd reckon a score of miles, sir."
"Helmsman, we'll wear ship to a starboard heading of one hundred ninety five degrees."
The MFC was nearer land than the skipper had intended and with that starboard maneuver the ship would likely be on a collision course with the storm. But Captain Foster figured it was better to stick his bow into the turbulent waters rather than drift toward the shoals and in the end be broadsided and slammed onto the rocks by the storm's fury.
All top men had returned to the deck and ducked inside the forecastle by the time white pebbles began to bounce off the mast and decking.
Tungee held onto a lifeline and made his way back to the quarterdeck where Foster and Cheny stood just outside the chart room observing the helmsman. They would soon find out how the ship handled in a real storm. She had weathered some rain and gale force winds, but nothing like old Cape Stiff could dish out.
Tuck Rogers was at the wheel and was as good a helmsman as you'd ever want to see, especially on tack and close haul sailing. By the time hailstones began to collect in the scuppers, intermittent sprinkles of freezing rain started to fall. The sea was running wild and a monstrous roller built up and moved ominously toward the starboard bow. The big one missed, but all of a sudden the men on deck were looking down at a trough below.
Captain Foster yelled, "We can tie the wheel down, if you'd like, Mr. Rogers."
"If you don't mind, I'll stick with her for now, sir."
"You feel you have some steerage then."
"Aye, she's a bit cranky, but that's to be expected in these crazy cross seas."
The ship rode the top of that giant wave for a few brief moments and then she plunged and dove down into a canyon. Dirty gray walls of water churned up on either side of the ship and they still hadn't hit bottom. When those huge walls collapse we'll be overwhelmed, Tungee thought. They bottomed out and he was forced to his knees. He knew the sides would come crashing in, but they didn't. Those gray walls held. The ship was in the pit of the trough and just as fast as they had fallen to the bottom they were spat up and out again.
The wind was not much more than gale force and it was somewhat dryer than they had expected, so the skipper ordered a modest sail change. "Call out the watch, Mr. Cheny. "I'd like to set the stays and jibs."
Tungee peered into the black night and worried about the overcast and how the captain planned to navigate when there was no chance to shoot the stars.
And before the night was done, the MFC had collected a veneer of ice that covered both deck and rigging. The storm raged and screamed as it blew in off the South Pole and sent the thermometer's mercury retreating far below zero.
Writers Notebook:
A few words from Somerset Maugham about story form.
‘I think you must make sure not to divide the interest in a story; Checkov, however haphazard his appear sometimes, took care never to do this. In fact, in a story as in a play, you must make up your mind what your point is and stick to it like grim death. That is just another way of saying it must have form.’
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Mercury Theater Radio
Treacherous Cape Horn Waters
Writers Notebook: Somerset Maugham
Orson Welles and the War of the Worlds:
The Mercury Theater company was founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theater moved into their best-known period as The Mercury Theater on the Air radio. It was during that time when one of their most notable and infamous radio broadcasts of all time was produced. The War of the Worlds, adapted from an H.G. Welles story was broadcast on October 30, 1938. The Mercury Theater on the Air produced live radio dramas during the years of 1938–39 and 40.
The Mercury Theater troupe included Welles, Houseman, Carl Frank, Joseph Cotten, Martin Gabel, Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Hans Conreid, Paul Stewart, Will Geer, George Coulouris, Olive Stanton, and Everett Sloane.
Welles had already worked extensively in radio drama, playing the title character in The Shadow and directing a seven-part adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables for the Mutual Broadcasting System.
In 1938, he was offered a chance to direct his own weekly, hour-long radio series. Wells didn't take the first offer, but later worked out a deal for The Mercury Theater on the Air. His intent was to put a revolving repertory company of actors together. That was why
Welles insisted his Mercury company actors and crew be involved in the radio series.
The Mercury Theater on the Air was an hour-long dramatic radio program which began in the summer of 1938 on the CBS radio network. Welles was given complete creative control by CBS over the new series. Collaborating with John Houseman and other writers, Welles wrote, directed and performed in the productions. Some of the most memorable Mercury Theater productions were adaptations of great novels. Several good examples are the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Tale of Two Cities, and Heart of Darkness. John
Houseman wrote the early scripts for the series, but later turned the job over to Howard Koch. Music was conducted by Bernard Herrmann. Their first radio production was Bram Stoker's Dracula, and other adaptations included Treasure Island, The Thirty-Nine Steps and The Count of Monte Cristo.
The show was originally scheduled for nine weeks, but the network extended the run and moved it in as the summer substitute for the Lux Radio Theater on Sunday night opposite Edgar Bergen's popular variety show.
The early dramas got high praise by the critics, but even so their ratings were low. However, the airing on October 30, 1938 of an adaptation of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds changed all that.
No one can be sure, but the chances are that thousands of people listening to the show were taken in by the realism of the production and thought Martians were invading the earth. It was amazing how much publicity was generated by the show and as a consequence The Mercury Theater quickly became one of radio's top-rated shows.
The show's new found popularity had a huge side effect as the Campbell Soup Company signed on to sponsor the show guaranteeing Mercury's survival.
The company moved to Hollywood and settled in at the RKO Studios with Welles' final performance on the radio series coming in March 1940.
A number of the original group were cast in Welles' films that were produced at RKO Studios in Gower Street, Hollywood.
Tungee's Gold (Excerpt)
The Clipper Ship MFC is on a southerly heading down the west coast of South America toward Cape Horn.
The barometer had been steadily dropping along with the temperature. And not to be caught with his sails billowing out full when the gale struck, Foster had done the prudent thing by taking off large sections of canvas. All the sailors in the rigging were holding on a bit tighter as the running sea preceding the high wind caused the masts to sway like some giant pendulum swinging it's circle and exerting enormous centrifugal force.
Tungee was on the port side of the fore royal yard and saw the sky light up with a flash followed by the rolling crack-bang thunder bouncing off the building waves. Jeff was on his right Dobbs and the kid were below on the fore upper topsail completing their furl.
"Hang onto to what you've got now, men. The wind from the squall line is going to hit any minute," Tungee yelled.
Dobbs declared, "I've got me a grip on this here foremast that lovers just dream about, mate."
Cheny raced from the quarterdeck and took a position halfway between the main and foremast, leaned back and yelled new orders. "Yo, fore and main top men spill and secure your outer and inner jibs and all stays.
The men in the rigging had just gone to work on Cheny's order when the man in the crow's nest bellowed, "Land ho."
"Give me a point and what you see," Captain Foster ordered.
"Broad on the port bow, sir. They are distant, sir, but they are hills, make no mistake about that, sir."
The skipper knew that Wellington was behind them, present position had to put them off the Strait of Magellan. The crow's nest must be reporting the hills of Punta Arenas.
"Give me a distance," Foster demanded.
"I'd reckon a score of miles, sir."
"Helmsman, we'll wear ship to a starboard heading of one hundred ninety five degrees."
The MFC was nearer land than the skipper had intended and with that starboard maneuver the ship would likely be on a collision course with the storm. But Captain Foster figured it was better to stick his bow into the turbulent waters rather than drift toward the shoals and in the end be broadsided and slammed onto the rocks by the storm's fury.
All top men had returned to the deck and ducked inside the forecastle by the time white pebbles began to bounce off the mast and decking.
Tungee held onto a lifeline and made his way back to the quarterdeck where Foster and Cheny stood just outside the chart room observing the helmsman. They would soon find out how the ship handled in a real storm. She had weathered some rain and gale force winds, but nothing like old Cape Stiff could dish out.
Tuck Rogers was at the wheel and was as good a helmsman as you'd ever want to see, especially on tack and close haul sailing. By the time hailstones began to collect in the scuppers, intermittent sprinkles of freezing rain started to fall. The sea was running wild and a monstrous roller built up and moved ominously toward the starboard bow. The big one missed, but all of a sudden the men on deck were looking down at a trough below.
Captain Foster yelled, "We can tie the wheel down, if you'd like, Mr. Rogers."
"If you don't mind, I'll stick with her for now, sir."
"You feel you have some steerage then."
"Aye, she's a bit cranky, but that's to be expected in these crazy cross seas."
The ship rode the top of that giant wave for a few brief moments and then she plunged and dove down into a canyon. Dirty gray walls of water churned up on either side of the ship and they still hadn't hit bottom. When those huge walls collapse we'll be overwhelmed, Tungee thought. They bottomed out and he was forced to his knees. He knew the sides would come crashing in, but they didn't. Those gray walls held. The ship was in the pit of the trough and just as fast as they had fallen to the bottom they were spat up and out again.
The wind was not much more than gale force and it was somewhat dryer than they had expected, so the skipper ordered a modest sail change. "Call out the watch, Mr. Cheny. "I'd like to set the stays and jibs."
Tungee peered into the black night and worried about the overcast and how the captain planned to navigate when there was no chance to shoot the stars.
And before the night was done, the MFC had collected a veneer of ice that covered both deck and rigging. The storm raged and screamed as it blew in off the South Pole and sent the thermometer's mercury retreating far below zero.
Writers Notebook:
A few words from Somerset Maugham about story form.
‘I think you must make sure not to divide the interest in a story; Checkov, however haphazard his appear sometimes, took care never to do this. In fact, in a story as in a play, you must make up your mind what your point is and stick to it like grim death. That is just another way of saying it must have form.’
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
December 1, 2010
It Takes and Audience and The Legend of Ebo Landing
This Week
The Poor Little Rich Girl
The Patrick Pearse Motel
Writers Notebook: Tungee's Gold
Stand up and Laugh.
For a comedy play or film to work, it needs and audience. The best writers, producers, directors, actors and critics cannot will a comedy play or film to success – only an audience can do that.
I'll a film and a play to illustrate my point.
The Poor Little Rich Girl filmed in 1917 Directed by Maurice Tourneur and adapted for the screen by Frances Marion from a play by Eleanor Gates, starring Mary Pickford.
Mary Pickford got her start in films when D.W. Griffith cast her in several of his films shot in New York. She became very successful, and in fact became the first major film star.
Later on while working at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood Adolph Zukor chose two films that put Mary Pickford's career in jeopardy. In the first film called 'Less Than Dust' she played and East Indian girl and the second, 'The Pride of the Clan,' she played a Scottish lassie.
Both films were well made, but Mary's fans made it clear that they didn't like her in those roles. Her fans saw her as a little girl -- America's Sweetheart and wouldn't go to see her in Dust and Clan. Box office told Paramount and Zukor they'd better find something acceptable to Mary Pickford's fans.
They found a play called The Poor Little Rich Girl, and arranged to have Frances Marion, a top Hollywood writer and good friend of Mary Pickford, write the scenario.
The film was shot at the Ft. Lee studios in, New Jersey. Ms. Marion spent a lot of time on the set and between her humor and Mary Pickford's they came up with some spontaneous off the wall scenes and between the two of them managed to sell them to the director.
When the major photography was finished and the editing complete, the executives looked at a screening. And what came out of that screening room was a kind of hopeless despair.
Mary and Frances heard the bad news and were shocked by the executives reaction. Frances Marion had taken a pretty good play and developed, what she thought was a good script and couldn't account for what the executives saw on the screen.
There was talk of scrapping the project starting over with a new story. A great deal of money was involved, and press releases had already gone out. Eventually the company decided to release the film and hope the audience would overlook the flaws in the film and buy Mary's personality.
They were afraid to let the press preview the picture and opened it cold at the Strand Theater on Broadway.
Mary and Frances couldn't stand the idea of seeing the bad news in cold print so they decided to sneak into the theater and watch the first showing along with the public. Mary put on shades and a floppy hat to hide her face. They made it to the theater and up to the top row of the gallery without being recognized. They sat nervously, hardly knowing what to expect. Eventually the house lights dimmed and the credits flashed onto the screen.
At Mary's first appearance she settled low into her seat and shook her head with gloomy expectations.
It wasn't long though before Mary and Frances became aware of audience reactions. They were picking up on the story and going along with it. As the picture progressed the theater began to rock with laughter. Applause sounded like thunder at the conclusion of some of the scenes leaving the writer and star in shocked disbelief.
The audience went along and empathized with the sadness of the young girl, and gave the film a standing ovation at the end.
Mary and Frances recognized it for what it was and Mary Pickford's career had a rebirth and another hit on her hands.
Shakespeare said, 'The Play's the Thing... '
The Patrick Pearse Motel, a comedy by Hugh Leonard.
The cast of players assembled and rehearsed at the Limestone Valley Theater just outside Baltimore. Most of the actors (Including this writer.) came in by train from New York.
Josh Cockey, the theater owner, provided us with a fine theater, as well as good rehearsal and living accommodations.
The play read well and our first few days of blocking and finding our way around the furniture went off without a hitch. The early stages of getting up in our lines and out of the books was normal. It was during the second or third run through when we began to get a good grip on our individual characters and a sense of the play when it happened. Everyone in the cast felt that something was missing. We were not getting a grasp on the Irish humor, and it wasn't funny but we tried to ignore it even as a sense of gloom persisted. We had a matinee preview for several friends of the theater and got a few laughs and light applause at the end, but that didn't generate much enthusiasm within our cast.
Even so, we were blessed with a solid group of professionals and we went into opening night with high energy but low expectations.
The opening sequence with a posh living room setting and a few stereo sound tricks went well. We set a fast pace of banter and it suddenly became obvious that the audience was coming along. The full house audience picked up on the theme along with some of the eccentric characters and before we got through the first act they had shown us a few things about The Patrick Pearse Motel. That audience had pulled us out of the average dinner theater fare into a season hit. And that one night was no fluke, the show maintained that level for the entire run of the play. Go figure.
Writers Notebook:
Tungee's Gold: The Legend of Ebo Landing.
Tungee Cahill is shanghaied at San Francisco into a world where conspiracies, distortions and lies are the rule. Tungee joins the skipper in a battle of bigots and bullets just to stay alive. It took a mutiny, the icy hell of Cape Horn and a brush with the African slave trade to make him take a hard look at himself.
The idea for this historical novel came from an old slave tale, ‘The Legend of Ebo Landing.’ I first heard the story in Savannah, Georgia while doing research and writing a series of documentaries for PBS Television.
The human tragedy got my attention and I followed up by going to the source of the story, Saint Simons Island. After talking to the natives and tromping around the place I began taking notes and asking myself the obvious question, why? The answer came in the form of a novel I call ‘Tungee’s Gold.’
Tungee Cahill deposits a quarter of a million dollars in gold into a San Francisco bank account in the morning and is shanghaied that night.
He wakes up on board a Clipper Ship bound for Liverpool. The ship is rife with plots from mutiny and piracy to insurance fraud.
Tungee’s Gold Is built on the strong character and resolve of Tungee Cahill as he struggles to save the Ebo people and at the same time fights the battle of his life for his own survival. The sub plot shows the strong willed Ebo people and the horror and tragedy as they debark the slave ship and use the only resource they have in order to remain free.
Tungee returns to San Francisco and begins his quest to reclaim his fortune. And it’s during his search that Tungee meets the lovely Laura Du Beck who becomes the love of his life.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
The Poor Little Rich Girl
The Patrick Pearse Motel
Writers Notebook: Tungee's Gold
Stand up and Laugh.
For a comedy play or film to work, it needs and audience. The best writers, producers, directors, actors and critics cannot will a comedy play or film to success – only an audience can do that.
I'll a film and a play to illustrate my point.
The Poor Little Rich Girl filmed in 1917 Directed by Maurice Tourneur and adapted for the screen by Frances Marion from a play by Eleanor Gates, starring Mary Pickford.
Mary Pickford got her start in films when D.W. Griffith cast her in several of his films shot in New York. She became very successful, and in fact became the first major film star.
Later on while working at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood Adolph Zukor chose two films that put Mary Pickford's career in jeopardy. In the first film called 'Less Than Dust' she played and East Indian girl and the second, 'The Pride of the Clan,' she played a Scottish lassie.
Both films were well made, but Mary's fans made it clear that they didn't like her in those roles. Her fans saw her as a little girl -- America's Sweetheart and wouldn't go to see her in Dust and Clan. Box office told Paramount and Zukor they'd better find something acceptable to Mary Pickford's fans.
They found a play called The Poor Little Rich Girl, and arranged to have Frances Marion, a top Hollywood writer and good friend of Mary Pickford, write the scenario.
The film was shot at the Ft. Lee studios in, New Jersey. Ms. Marion spent a lot of time on the set and between her humor and Mary Pickford's they came up with some spontaneous off the wall scenes and between the two of them managed to sell them to the director.
When the major photography was finished and the editing complete, the executives looked at a screening. And what came out of that screening room was a kind of hopeless despair.
Mary and Frances heard the bad news and were shocked by the executives reaction. Frances Marion had taken a pretty good play and developed, what she thought was a good script and couldn't account for what the executives saw on the screen.
There was talk of scrapping the project starting over with a new story. A great deal of money was involved, and press releases had already gone out. Eventually the company decided to release the film and hope the audience would overlook the flaws in the film and buy Mary's personality.
They were afraid to let the press preview the picture and opened it cold at the Strand Theater on Broadway.
Mary and Frances couldn't stand the idea of seeing the bad news in cold print so they decided to sneak into the theater and watch the first showing along with the public. Mary put on shades and a floppy hat to hide her face. They made it to the theater and up to the top row of the gallery without being recognized. They sat nervously, hardly knowing what to expect. Eventually the house lights dimmed and the credits flashed onto the screen.
At Mary's first appearance she settled low into her seat and shook her head with gloomy expectations.
It wasn't long though before Mary and Frances became aware of audience reactions. They were picking up on the story and going along with it. As the picture progressed the theater began to rock with laughter. Applause sounded like thunder at the conclusion of some of the scenes leaving the writer and star in shocked disbelief.
The audience went along and empathized with the sadness of the young girl, and gave the film a standing ovation at the end.
Mary and Frances recognized it for what it was and Mary Pickford's career had a rebirth and another hit on her hands.
Shakespeare said, 'The Play's the Thing... '
The Patrick Pearse Motel, a comedy by Hugh Leonard.
The cast of players assembled and rehearsed at the Limestone Valley Theater just outside Baltimore. Most of the actors (Including this writer.) came in by train from New York.
Josh Cockey, the theater owner, provided us with a fine theater, as well as good rehearsal and living accommodations.
The play read well and our first few days of blocking and finding our way around the furniture went off without a hitch. The early stages of getting up in our lines and out of the books was normal. It was during the second or third run through when we began to get a good grip on our individual characters and a sense of the play when it happened. Everyone in the cast felt that something was missing. We were not getting a grasp on the Irish humor, and it wasn't funny but we tried to ignore it even as a sense of gloom persisted. We had a matinee preview for several friends of the theater and got a few laughs and light applause at the end, but that didn't generate much enthusiasm within our cast.
Even so, we were blessed with a solid group of professionals and we went into opening night with high energy but low expectations.
The opening sequence with a posh living room setting and a few stereo sound tricks went well. We set a fast pace of banter and it suddenly became obvious that the audience was coming along. The full house audience picked up on the theme along with some of the eccentric characters and before we got through the first act they had shown us a few things about The Patrick Pearse Motel. That audience had pulled us out of the average dinner theater fare into a season hit. And that one night was no fluke, the show maintained that level for the entire run of the play. Go figure.
Writers Notebook:
Tungee's Gold: The Legend of Ebo Landing.
Tungee Cahill is shanghaied at San Francisco into a world where conspiracies, distortions and lies are the rule. Tungee joins the skipper in a battle of bigots and bullets just to stay alive. It took a mutiny, the icy hell of Cape Horn and a brush with the African slave trade to make him take a hard look at himself.
The idea for this historical novel came from an old slave tale, ‘The Legend of Ebo Landing.’ I first heard the story in Savannah, Georgia while doing research and writing a series of documentaries for PBS Television.
The human tragedy got my attention and I followed up by going to the source of the story, Saint Simons Island. After talking to the natives and tromping around the place I began taking notes and asking myself the obvious question, why? The answer came in the form of a novel I call ‘Tungee’s Gold.’
Tungee Cahill deposits a quarter of a million dollars in gold into a San Francisco bank account in the morning and is shanghaied that night.
He wakes up on board a Clipper Ship bound for Liverpool. The ship is rife with plots from mutiny and piracy to insurance fraud.
Tungee’s Gold Is built on the strong character and resolve of Tungee Cahill as he struggles to save the Ebo people and at the same time fights the battle of his life for his own survival. The sub plot shows the strong willed Ebo people and the horror and tragedy as they debark the slave ship and use the only resource they have in order to remain free.
Tungee returns to San Francisco and begins his quest to reclaim his fortune. And it’s during his search that Tungee meets the lovely Laura Du Beck who becomes the love of his life.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving and Gunfight Witness
This Week
Thanksgiving Poem and Story
Spicer Hearing – Nickel-plated Pistol
Writers Notebook: John Steinbeck
Thanksgiving
November Nights grow longer and cold'
when a wedge of honking geese
flies past a harvest moon
that melts on the edge of the world at sunrise.
When turkey and dressing with all the trimmings,
becomes a feast-
Thanksgiving day is here.
Lenora Smalley
From The Little Boy Series:
A Thanksgiving Story from my Little Boy Series.
I was three of four years old and we were living in Bonita Springs, Florida at the time of this incident. It was only a short walk from our house into the Everglades. Dad walked with a purpose that day, a rifle slung over his left shoulder, and I followed along only a few steps behind. I didn’t know exactly where we were going, and it didn’t matter because Dad knew. He didn’t always tell me the purpose of our outings when we were going fishing or digging for oysters or just going for a walk, and maybe I didn’t need to know all the time.
In any event, we must have walked a mile or two at a slow pace; Dad seemed to be listening for something. Then all of a sudden he stopped beside a big palmetto palm tree, kneeled down and whispered for me to stay quiet and not to move away form the tree.
I nodded and without a sound he moved into the brush. It was so quiet I don’t even remember a birdsong that broke the silence.
My wait didn’t seem too long, just long enough for me to start worrying about being lost in the Everglades. But about the time I was sure Dad would never find me again I heard the crack of his rifle.
Then I bet it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes when I heard the brush rustle and my Daddy came into the clear wearing a broad smile on his face, the rifle in one hand and a turkey slung over his shoulder.
‘Lets go home, Son. We’ve got Thanksgiving dinner.’
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone – Spicer Hearing
Defense Attorney Tom Fitch's Cross Examination of Billy Allen.
Tom Fitch’s first question in his cross-examination of Billy Allen was, "When you first got to Fremont Street, where was the Earp party?"
"Between Fly's building and the next house. The Earps had already passed down Fremont Street when I got there."
"What were the first words you heard spoken between the two parties -- the Earps and Holliday and the Clantons and McLowry’s?"
"I heard Tom McLowry say, ‘I haven’t got any arms."
“Where were you at that time?” Tom Fitch asked.
“I was standing about ten feet away, in front of Fly’s building.”
“When Tom McLowry said he hadn’t any arms, did he make any kind of gesture or movement?”
“He held the lapels of his coat open.”
“Did anyone other than Tom McLowry say anything?"
"Billy Clanton held up his hands and said, 'I don't want to fight."'
Doc nudged Wyatt and whispered, "Allen just said Billy Clanton held up his hands. Like hell he did. He was holding a six gun and was pointing it at either you or Virg."
Wyatt nodded and pointed to himself.
Tom Fitch stared at the witness. "Did you see the first shot -- who fired it?"
"The first shot came from the Earp party, the smoke came from Doc Holliday."
"I don't understand." Tom Fitch looked directly into Allen's eyes. "Are you saying Doc Holliday fired the first shot?"
"Well, I saw Doc swing his hand up and then I saw the smoke come from him and hearing the shot and seeing the smoke I just think it came from the Earp party."
"But you did not see Doc Holliday fire the first shot. You just think because some smoke swirled around at that time that it was Doc Holliday who fired the shot. You were behind the Earp party and couldn't see a thing. Maybe it was Billy Clanton that fired the first shot." Tom Fitch then said neutrally, "Who fired the second shot?"
"I did not see it, but I know from the sound that the second shot was fired from a shotgun. When the shotgun went off, Tom McLowry threw his hands up to his breast."
"What did you do when the firing commenced?"
"I ducked between the buildings, I got out of the way, quick!"
Wyatt turned to Doc. "Sounds to me like he used pretty good gumption, ducking in between the buildings."
"He might duck well, but he can't count for beans." Doc grinned. "If I'd fired the Parker when he said I did, the horse would have caught the buckshot, not Tom. And something else, Tom had already fired at Morg and was lining up another shot when I unloaded on him."
Tom Fitch softened his approach and gently said, "Now, when you were back on Allen Street with Mr. Coleman. You say he walked away and gestured you to come along and you said, 'I don't want to see it."' Then the attorney snapped. "You didn’t want to see what?"
"I didn't want to see the quarrel, I knew there would be one."
"Quarrel?" Tom Fitch said mockingly. "No. It was not a quarrel you were concerned about. There was to be a gunfight and you were privy to that information. You knew the cowboy's plans didn't you?"
"I object. I strenuously object, Your Honor." The district attorney blurted out, "Mr. Fitch is badgering the witness."
"Calm down, Mr. Price." The judge gestured toward the overwrought attorney. "Objection sustained. Mr. Risley, strike Mr. Fitch's last remark from the record."
Tom Fitch grinned. "I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.”
Wednesday, November 2nd
Judge Spicer opened the session by announcing that he was rescinding his rule on the closed-door session. Then he said to the bailiff, “Go ahead and open the door and let the folks in.”
Doc nudged Wyatt with his elbow and said, “I guess if you’re going to put on a show, you might as well have a good crowd.”
Once the bailiff opened the doors the people shuffled into the courtroom, but if they were expecting any fireworks that morning they were sorely disappointed.
The defense lawyers came up with a technical question in reference to Spicer’s authority to rule on evidence. Both sides argued points of law and quoted precedents. Their questions and debate took up the balance of the morning.
To open the afternoon session District Attorney Price summoned Sheriff Johnny Behan to the stand. Everyone in the courtroom knew where the sheriff stood. He was a politician and when it came to a court of law he could tap dance around an issue with the best of them.
Once the sheriff settled into the witness chair Price asked, "When were you first made aware of a possible difficulty on the afternoon of October 26th?”
“I was in the barbershop when I heard there might be trouble with armed cowboys,” Sheriff Behan said, “and I took it upon myself to disarm the men."
"How did you go about disarming the cowboys?"
"I first ran into Frank McLowry, and told him he had to disarm, there is likely to be trouble and I've proposed to disarm everyone in town that has arms. He said that he would not give up his arms, as he did not intend to have any trouble. About that time I saw Ike Clanton and Tom McLowry down the street. I said to Frank, come along with me. We went down to where Ike and Tom were standing. I said to the boys, you must give up your arms."
"How many men were in that group?" Price asked.
"I saw five standing there and asked them how many there were of them. They said four of us. The young man Claiborne said he was not one of the party. He wanted them to leave town. I saw the Earp's and Holliday coming down the sidewalk on the south side of Fremont Street. I said to the Clanton's. Wait here I see them coming and I'll go up and stop them."
“Then what did you do?”
"I went up the street and met them at Bauer’s butcher shop and told them not to go any further, that I was down there for the purpose of arresting and disarming the McLowry's and Clanton's. They did not heed me and I threw up my hands and said, "Go back. I'm Sheriff of this county and I'm not going to allow any trouble, if I can help it."
Then the witness shook his head and gave an embarrassed sigh. "They brushed past me. Then I turned and followed them by a couple of steps. When they got to within a few feet of the Clanton's and McLowry’s I heard one of them say, I think it was Wyatt Earp, ‘You sons-a-bitch’s you’ve been looking for a fight and now you can have it.’ About that time I heard a voice say throw up your hands. At that point I noticed a nickel plated pistol pointed at one of the Clanton party, I think Billy Clanton."
"Could you say with any certainty, who was holding the nickel plated pistol?"
"My impression, at that time, was that Holliday had the nickel plated pistol. I will not say for certain,” he added. “When the order was given, throw up your hands, I heard Billy Clanton say, ‘don’t shoot me, I don't want to fight.” Tom McLowry at the same time threw opened his coat and said, ‘I have nothing. Or I'm not armed.’"
"What was the position of Billy Clanton's hands, at that point?"
"I couldn't tell the position of Billy Clanton's hands at the time he said, ‘I don’t what a fight’, my attention was directed just at that moment to the nickel plated pistol."
"Who fired the first shot?"
"The nickel plated pistol was first to fire and another followed instantly."
"Both from the nickel plated pistol?"
"No. Those two shots were not from the same pistol, they were too nearly instantaneous to be fired from the same weapon."
"What happened after the second shot was fired?"
"All hell broke loose." The sheriff mopped his brow. "Two or three shots fired rapidly after that first shot."
"Who fired those shots?"
"By whom, I do not know." Behan cleared his throat. "The first two shots were fired by the Earp party."
“I have no further questions at this time, Your Honor."
When Judge adjourned court for the day the defense team stayed in their seats to discuss the day’s proceedings.
Doc picked up one of his notes. “Here’s something Behan said near Bauer’s Butcher Shop, which he conveniently left out of his testimony. I can recall him saying, ‘don’t go down there, they will murder you.’”
Wyatt perked up. “Damned if he didn’t say that, Doc. He sure as hell did.”
T.J. Drum said, “Good point but I doubt that we could prove it. Behan’s pretty slick with his answers. You might have noticed that he did not say that the cowboy’s hands were in any kind of position to surrender. He avoided that lie by simply saying that his attention was on the nickel-plated pistol.”
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he wrote, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.’
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
Thanksgiving Poem and Story
Spicer Hearing – Nickel-plated Pistol
Writers Notebook: John Steinbeck
Thanksgiving
November Nights grow longer and cold'
when a wedge of honking geese
flies past a harvest moon
that melts on the edge of the world at sunrise.
When turkey and dressing with all the trimmings,
becomes a feast-
Thanksgiving day is here.
Lenora Smalley
From The Little Boy Series:
A Thanksgiving Story from my Little Boy Series.
I was three of four years old and we were living in Bonita Springs, Florida at the time of this incident. It was only a short walk from our house into the Everglades. Dad walked with a purpose that day, a rifle slung over his left shoulder, and I followed along only a few steps behind. I didn’t know exactly where we were going, and it didn’t matter because Dad knew. He didn’t always tell me the purpose of our outings when we were going fishing or digging for oysters or just going for a walk, and maybe I didn’t need to know all the time.
In any event, we must have walked a mile or two at a slow pace; Dad seemed to be listening for something. Then all of a sudden he stopped beside a big palmetto palm tree, kneeled down and whispered for me to stay quiet and not to move away form the tree.
I nodded and without a sound he moved into the brush. It was so quiet I don’t even remember a birdsong that broke the silence.
My wait didn’t seem too long, just long enough for me to start worrying about being lost in the Everglades. But about the time I was sure Dad would never find me again I heard the crack of his rifle.
Then I bet it wasn’t more than a couple of minutes when I heard the brush rustle and my Daddy came into the clear wearing a broad smile on his face, the rifle in one hand and a turkey slung over his shoulder.
‘Lets go home, Son. We’ve got Thanksgiving dinner.’
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone – Spicer Hearing
Defense Attorney Tom Fitch's Cross Examination of Billy Allen.
Tom Fitch’s first question in his cross-examination of Billy Allen was, "When you first got to Fremont Street, where was the Earp party?"
"Between Fly's building and the next house. The Earps had already passed down Fremont Street when I got there."
"What were the first words you heard spoken between the two parties -- the Earps and Holliday and the Clantons and McLowry’s?"
"I heard Tom McLowry say, ‘I haven’t got any arms."
“Where were you at that time?” Tom Fitch asked.
“I was standing about ten feet away, in front of Fly’s building.”
“When Tom McLowry said he hadn’t any arms, did he make any kind of gesture or movement?”
“He held the lapels of his coat open.”
“Did anyone other than Tom McLowry say anything?"
"Billy Clanton held up his hands and said, 'I don't want to fight."'
Doc nudged Wyatt and whispered, "Allen just said Billy Clanton held up his hands. Like hell he did. He was holding a six gun and was pointing it at either you or Virg."
Wyatt nodded and pointed to himself.
Tom Fitch stared at the witness. "Did you see the first shot -- who fired it?"
"The first shot came from the Earp party, the smoke came from Doc Holliday."
"I don't understand." Tom Fitch looked directly into Allen's eyes. "Are you saying Doc Holliday fired the first shot?"
"Well, I saw Doc swing his hand up and then I saw the smoke come from him and hearing the shot and seeing the smoke I just think it came from the Earp party."
"But you did not see Doc Holliday fire the first shot. You just think because some smoke swirled around at that time that it was Doc Holliday who fired the shot. You were behind the Earp party and couldn't see a thing. Maybe it was Billy Clanton that fired the first shot." Tom Fitch then said neutrally, "Who fired the second shot?"
"I did not see it, but I know from the sound that the second shot was fired from a shotgun. When the shotgun went off, Tom McLowry threw his hands up to his breast."
"What did you do when the firing commenced?"
"I ducked between the buildings, I got out of the way, quick!"
Wyatt turned to Doc. "Sounds to me like he used pretty good gumption, ducking in between the buildings."
"He might duck well, but he can't count for beans." Doc grinned. "If I'd fired the Parker when he said I did, the horse would have caught the buckshot, not Tom. And something else, Tom had already fired at Morg and was lining up another shot when I unloaded on him."
Tom Fitch softened his approach and gently said, "Now, when you were back on Allen Street with Mr. Coleman. You say he walked away and gestured you to come along and you said, 'I don't want to see it."' Then the attorney snapped. "You didn’t want to see what?"
"I didn't want to see the quarrel, I knew there would be one."
"Quarrel?" Tom Fitch said mockingly. "No. It was not a quarrel you were concerned about. There was to be a gunfight and you were privy to that information. You knew the cowboy's plans didn't you?"
"I object. I strenuously object, Your Honor." The district attorney blurted out, "Mr. Fitch is badgering the witness."
"Calm down, Mr. Price." The judge gestured toward the overwrought attorney. "Objection sustained. Mr. Risley, strike Mr. Fitch's last remark from the record."
Tom Fitch grinned. "I have no further questions for this witness, Your Honor.”
Wednesday, November 2nd
Judge Spicer opened the session by announcing that he was rescinding his rule on the closed-door session. Then he said to the bailiff, “Go ahead and open the door and let the folks in.”
Doc nudged Wyatt with his elbow and said, “I guess if you’re going to put on a show, you might as well have a good crowd.”
Once the bailiff opened the doors the people shuffled into the courtroom, but if they were expecting any fireworks that morning they were sorely disappointed.
The defense lawyers came up with a technical question in reference to Spicer’s authority to rule on evidence. Both sides argued points of law and quoted precedents. Their questions and debate took up the balance of the morning.
To open the afternoon session District Attorney Price summoned Sheriff Johnny Behan to the stand. Everyone in the courtroom knew where the sheriff stood. He was a politician and when it came to a court of law he could tap dance around an issue with the best of them.
Once the sheriff settled into the witness chair Price asked, "When were you first made aware of a possible difficulty on the afternoon of October 26th?”
“I was in the barbershop when I heard there might be trouble with armed cowboys,” Sheriff Behan said, “and I took it upon myself to disarm the men."
"How did you go about disarming the cowboys?"
"I first ran into Frank McLowry, and told him he had to disarm, there is likely to be trouble and I've proposed to disarm everyone in town that has arms. He said that he would not give up his arms, as he did not intend to have any trouble. About that time I saw Ike Clanton and Tom McLowry down the street. I said to Frank, come along with me. We went down to where Ike and Tom were standing. I said to the boys, you must give up your arms."
"How many men were in that group?" Price asked.
"I saw five standing there and asked them how many there were of them. They said four of us. The young man Claiborne said he was not one of the party. He wanted them to leave town. I saw the Earp's and Holliday coming down the sidewalk on the south side of Fremont Street. I said to the Clanton's. Wait here I see them coming and I'll go up and stop them."
“Then what did you do?”
"I went up the street and met them at Bauer’s butcher shop and told them not to go any further, that I was down there for the purpose of arresting and disarming the McLowry's and Clanton's. They did not heed me and I threw up my hands and said, "Go back. I'm Sheriff of this county and I'm not going to allow any trouble, if I can help it."
Then the witness shook his head and gave an embarrassed sigh. "They brushed past me. Then I turned and followed them by a couple of steps. When they got to within a few feet of the Clanton's and McLowry’s I heard one of them say, I think it was Wyatt Earp, ‘You sons-a-bitch’s you’ve been looking for a fight and now you can have it.’ About that time I heard a voice say throw up your hands. At that point I noticed a nickel plated pistol pointed at one of the Clanton party, I think Billy Clanton."
"Could you say with any certainty, who was holding the nickel plated pistol?"
"My impression, at that time, was that Holliday had the nickel plated pistol. I will not say for certain,” he added. “When the order was given, throw up your hands, I heard Billy Clanton say, ‘don’t shoot me, I don't want to fight.” Tom McLowry at the same time threw opened his coat and said, ‘I have nothing. Or I'm not armed.’"
"What was the position of Billy Clanton's hands, at that point?"
"I couldn't tell the position of Billy Clanton's hands at the time he said, ‘I don’t what a fight’, my attention was directed just at that moment to the nickel plated pistol."
"Who fired the first shot?"
"The nickel plated pistol was first to fire and another followed instantly."
"Both from the nickel plated pistol?"
"No. Those two shots were not from the same pistol, they were too nearly instantaneous to be fired from the same weapon."
"What happened after the second shot was fired?"
"All hell broke loose." The sheriff mopped his brow. "Two or three shots fired rapidly after that first shot."
"Who fired those shots?"
"By whom, I do not know." Behan cleared his throat. "The first two shots were fired by the Earp party."
“I have no further questions at this time, Your Honor."
When Judge adjourned court for the day the defense team stayed in their seats to discuss the day’s proceedings.
Doc picked up one of his notes. “Here’s something Behan said near Bauer’s Butcher Shop, which he conveniently left out of his testimony. I can recall him saying, ‘don’t go down there, they will murder you.’”
Wyatt perked up. “Damned if he didn’t say that, Doc. He sure as hell did.”
T.J. Drum said, “Good point but I doubt that we could prove it. Behan’s pretty slick with his answers. You might have noticed that he did not say that the cowboy’s hands were in any kind of position to surrender. He avoided that lie by simply saying that his attention was on the nickel-plated pistol.”
Writers Notebook:
You have committed to a project, finished the basic research and character prep work and you’re all set to begin writing. Suddenly you’re overcome with anxiety – you’ve got a knot the size of a baseball in your stomach. Stop!
You are not alone. It might give you some comfort to know that John Steinbeck experienced some of those same anxious moments. In one of his letters written in February 1936, which was included in his ‘A Life in Letters’ Steinbeck said, ‘I have to start [writing] and am scared to death as usual – miserable sick feeling of inadequacy.’ Then in the very next sentence he wrote, ‘I’ll love it once I get down to work.’
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
November 17, 2010
Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp
This week
First Witness, Spicer Hearing
Search for the real Doc Holliday
Writers Notebook
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt from the Spicer Hearing
First Witness
Tuesday, November 1, 1881
Judge Spicer took the bench at nine am rapped his gavel and gestured for the prosecution to call their witness.
A young spare built man with gray eyes took the stand and in answer to the first question said, "My name is William Allen. I live in Tombstone."
The lanky district attorney said in a quiet voice, "Tell us if you know any of the men who were involved in the difficulty on the afternoon of October 26, 1881?"
"I knew all of them, at least on sight.”
District Attorney Price slowly paced in front of his witness, chewing on a yellow pencil. "When were you first made aware that any difficulty existed between any of these men?"
"Well, that morning, I heard there was some trouble between Isaac Clanton and Doc Holliday. I also heard from Henry Fry that Tom McLowry had been hit with a pistol, by Wyatt Earp."
Tom Fitch got to his feet and said, "I object, Your Honor, the witness is testifying to hearsay."
"Objection sustained." Spicer then admonished the witness, "Just tell them what you yourself saw or heard."
The lanky Price gave his witness a not to worry look before he continued. "When did you first see any of the participants on the day of the difficulty?"
"I first saw Frank McLowry, pretty near the Grand Hotel, as they were riding into town. Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton were with an old gentleman I'm not acquainted with."
"What was the time of day when you saw these men and what occurred at that time?"
"It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. Frank McLowry, Billy Clanton and the old man went inside the Grand Hotel."
“What did you do?”
"I followed them into the bar. They were about ready to have a drink, and they asked me to join them."
“Did you all take a drink?”
"No. I called Frank off to one side and asked him if he knew what was going on, that Wyatt Earp knocked Tom McLowry down with a gun, on --"
"I object to this line of hearsay and request to strike from the record," Tom Fitch said.
"Sustained. Court reporter, strike that last statement from your record," Spicer then glared at the prosecutor.
The district attorney shook off the rebuke and gently asked his witness, "Then what happened after your conversation with Frank McLowry?"
“Frank McLowry said, ‘We won’t drink.’ Those are the last words I ever heard him say. They went out the door, got on their horses and rode off. Just before that he said, ‘I will get the boy’s out-of-town.’”
Doc scribbled a note to bring up the point of Allen's recollection, two sets of Frank's last words?
"When did you next see them?" Price asked.
"I saw them from a distance, crossing Allen Street from the Dunbar stable and going toward the OK Corral, one of them was leading a horse. Ike Clanton and Tom McLowry had joined them at that time."
"After they crossed the street and passed from your sight, what did you do?"
"I walked down on Allen Street where I ran into Mr. Coleman."
“Did you say anything to Mr. Coleman?" The district attorney asked.
"Yes. I told him I did not want to see it, he said, ‘Come on lets go see it.’” The witness drew a deep breath. "Then we walked on through the OK Corral and up through the construction site, beside the Papago Cash Store."
"What did you see?"
"The Earp’s and Doc Holliday coming down the sidewalk. I fell in behind them and then I saw Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLowry and Johnny Behan, near Fly's building. I heard Behan tell the Earps not to go down to the Clanton’s.”
"What happened next?"
"When the Earp party got down to the Clantons, the Earp party said, 'You sons-a-bitches, you have been lookin' for a fight', and at that same time Virgil Earp said, 'Throw up your hands.' Tom McLowry threw his coat open and said, 'I ain't got no arms.' William Clanton said, 'I do not want to fight.' He held his hands out in front of him."
"Was Billy Clanton holding any weapons?"
"He had nothing in his hands when he held them out."
“When did the shooting begin?”
“Just as Billy Clanton said, ‘I don’t want to fight,’ and Tom McLowry threw open his coat and said, ‘I ain’t got no arms.’ the firing commenced.”
"Which of the two parties fired first?" the prosecutor prompted sharply.
“The Earp party,” Billy Allen quickly said.
“Could you determine which individual, from the Earp party fired first?”
“I think it was Doc Holliday. Their backs were to me. I was standin' behind them, but the smoke came from him.”
“What about the second shot?”
“I couldn’t tell who fired the second shot, they came in such quick succession.”
“Could you tell what kind of weapons, from their sound, were being fired?”
“I think the first was a pistol shot and the next was a double barrel shotgun, these two shots were from the Earp side before any other shots were fired.”
“Was Frank McLowry in possession of a gun?”
“He was carrying a gun. Yes I saw it.” Then Billy Allen squirmed and said, “He had a pistol on him.”
“When the firing commenced and became general, what did you see and what did you do?”
“When the first two shots were fired Thomas McLowry slapped his hands on his breast. I rushed in the other side of Fly’s building. I kept in between the buildings until the shooting was over.”
“When the shooting stopped, what did you do?”
“I went and picked Tom McLowry up and carried him in the house where he died.”
The district attorney paced and chewed on his pencil. “Did you see any of these men, Tom or Frank McLowry firing during the fight?”
“If the McLowry’s shot at all, it was after I got behind the building.”
“I have no further questions.” Price looked toward the defense table.” Cross examine?”
Judge Spicer interjected, “Hold it until after the noon break. Court’s in recess until one o’clock.”
Doc had listened through the morning session and concluded that the prosecution was laying the foundation that would eventually portray the cowboys as innocent victims.
(To be continued)
In Search of the Real Doc Holliday
Wyatt Earp said on more than one occasion that, ‘Doc Holliday was the most skillful gambler and the speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew.’
Doc Holliday’s name is still magic among western aficionados, but even the most avid fans know little about the man. My first brush with the legend came when I worked the final episode of the PBS TV Series ‘Georgia’s Heritage.’ That Heritage segment got my attention, but through the years as I read more about Doc Holliday and looked at film I became convinced that the true legend was hidden beneath the veneer that dime store novels had drawn and Hollywood perpetuated.
My search for the real Doc Holliday started at the Los Angeles Central Library. Then I went on the road chasing leads and rumors from Tombstone to Texas, and Georgia to Philadelphia.
A historian in Doc’s hometown, Griffin, Georgia asked, 'Why would you want to write about a common gunslinger?'
I told him I thought there was more to Doc than the cardboard cutouts most of us were familiar with. And since I was in Griffin I planned to begin my research by going over old court records. I located old Court records dating back to the 1850's that provided me with information Doc’s biographers had never seen.
The County Clerks Office gave me critical information on land sales and deeds. Then it was on to newspaper archives, buildings and graveyards. The red brick office building on Solomon Street, willed to John Henry by his mother is still standing.
During my stay in Griffin I heard stories, from locals, about Doc’s romantic interest in his cousin Mattie Holliday. Mattie later became a nun and her name was changed to Sister Mary Melanie. The rumors included Mattie’s relationship with Margaret Mitchell and why the name Melanie was used as one of the central characters in Gone With the Wind.
The next stop on my research campaign was Atlanta. I spent days in the Atlanta Archives studying census and military records.
Then I drove across town to the Atlanta Historical Society, chasing a rumor that had to do with the kinship between Sister Mary Melanie and Margaret Mitchell.
I asked about Margaret Mitchell’s papers and was given a small file. One of the memos in that file was written in Margaret Mitchell’s own hand and it confirmed the rumor. Philip Fitzgerald was Mattie Holliday’s great uncle and Margaret Mitchell’s great grandfather. That made Margaret and Mattie third cousins.
The note from Margaret Mitchell made the genealogical connection to Mattie Holliday and provides ample reason for using her cousins’ name in Gone With the Wind.
Doc’s Dental College records were in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. I flew there and located the library curator, Mr. John Whittock. Once I explained what I was after, Mr. Whittock showed me all the papers they had on John Henry Holliday and graciously copied the files for me.
That short description gives you some idea, but only scratches the surface of my research into The Life and Times of John Henry Holliday. I made more trips to Tombstone and Texas and spent hours poring over ragged edged newspapers.
Now if you read some of the books listed below you’ll get an idea of what it takes to chase down a legend. And by the way, you’ll get some conflicting stories, but if you read enough you’ll be able to make up your own mind about what the facts are and what kind of character Doc Holliday really was. Then if you keep reading you'll cross paths with Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and a host of other western legends.
Writers Notebook:
Writers write best about what they know – sounds cliché, but it’s true. You might also add this bit, there’s a tinge of autobiography and a hint of bias in all of it.
Margaret Mitchell's ‘Gone With the Wind’ is an excellent example. Ms. Mitchell based her great American novels location in and around Jonesboro where her ancestors had lived, and a number of her characters were based on either relatives or people she knew.
Ernest Hemingway drew from a real life experience when he wrote ‘The Sun Also Rises.’ Donald Ogden Stewart, Oscar winning writer, and friend of Hemmingway's tells that, while in Spain together they had made it into American newspapers as, ‘bullfighting Americanos’ in Pamplona in 1924. Then when ‘The Sun Also Rises’ was published in 1926, Stewart was mystified by the praise lavished on it. It seemed to him only an accurate journalistic account of what had actually happened during their trip to Pamplona with a group of friends, including some British Royalty. (Brett Ashley in the book).
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
First Witness, Spicer Hearing
Search for the real Doc Holliday
Writers Notebook
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt from the Spicer Hearing
First Witness
Tuesday, November 1, 1881
Judge Spicer took the bench at nine am rapped his gavel and gestured for the prosecution to call their witness.
A young spare built man with gray eyes took the stand and in answer to the first question said, "My name is William Allen. I live in Tombstone."
The lanky district attorney said in a quiet voice, "Tell us if you know any of the men who were involved in the difficulty on the afternoon of October 26, 1881?"
"I knew all of them, at least on sight.”
District Attorney Price slowly paced in front of his witness, chewing on a yellow pencil. "When were you first made aware that any difficulty existed between any of these men?"
"Well, that morning, I heard there was some trouble between Isaac Clanton and Doc Holliday. I also heard from Henry Fry that Tom McLowry had been hit with a pistol, by Wyatt Earp."
Tom Fitch got to his feet and said, "I object, Your Honor, the witness is testifying to hearsay."
"Objection sustained." Spicer then admonished the witness, "Just tell them what you yourself saw or heard."
The lanky Price gave his witness a not to worry look before he continued. "When did you first see any of the participants on the day of the difficulty?"
"I first saw Frank McLowry, pretty near the Grand Hotel, as they were riding into town. Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton were with an old gentleman I'm not acquainted with."
"What was the time of day when you saw these men and what occurred at that time?"
"It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. Frank McLowry, Billy Clanton and the old man went inside the Grand Hotel."
“What did you do?”
"I followed them into the bar. They were about ready to have a drink, and they asked me to join them."
“Did you all take a drink?”
"No. I called Frank off to one side and asked him if he knew what was going on, that Wyatt Earp knocked Tom McLowry down with a gun, on --"
"I object to this line of hearsay and request to strike from the record," Tom Fitch said.
"Sustained. Court reporter, strike that last statement from your record," Spicer then glared at the prosecutor.
The district attorney shook off the rebuke and gently asked his witness, "Then what happened after your conversation with Frank McLowry?"
“Frank McLowry said, ‘We won’t drink.’ Those are the last words I ever heard him say. They went out the door, got on their horses and rode off. Just before that he said, ‘I will get the boy’s out-of-town.’”
Doc scribbled a note to bring up the point of Allen's recollection, two sets of Frank's last words?
"When did you next see them?" Price asked.
"I saw them from a distance, crossing Allen Street from the Dunbar stable and going toward the OK Corral, one of them was leading a horse. Ike Clanton and Tom McLowry had joined them at that time."
"After they crossed the street and passed from your sight, what did you do?"
"I walked down on Allen Street where I ran into Mr. Coleman."
“Did you say anything to Mr. Coleman?" The district attorney asked.
"Yes. I told him I did not want to see it, he said, ‘Come on lets go see it.’” The witness drew a deep breath. "Then we walked on through the OK Corral and up through the construction site, beside the Papago Cash Store."
"What did you see?"
"The Earp’s and Doc Holliday coming down the sidewalk. I fell in behind them and then I saw Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLowry and Johnny Behan, near Fly's building. I heard Behan tell the Earps not to go down to the Clanton’s.”
"What happened next?"
"When the Earp party got down to the Clantons, the Earp party said, 'You sons-a-bitches, you have been lookin' for a fight', and at that same time Virgil Earp said, 'Throw up your hands.' Tom McLowry threw his coat open and said, 'I ain't got no arms.' William Clanton said, 'I do not want to fight.' He held his hands out in front of him."
"Was Billy Clanton holding any weapons?"
"He had nothing in his hands when he held them out."
“When did the shooting begin?”
“Just as Billy Clanton said, ‘I don’t want to fight,’ and Tom McLowry threw open his coat and said, ‘I ain’t got no arms.’ the firing commenced.”
"Which of the two parties fired first?" the prosecutor prompted sharply.
“The Earp party,” Billy Allen quickly said.
“Could you determine which individual, from the Earp party fired first?”
“I think it was Doc Holliday. Their backs were to me. I was standin' behind them, but the smoke came from him.”
“What about the second shot?”
“I couldn’t tell who fired the second shot, they came in such quick succession.”
“Could you tell what kind of weapons, from their sound, were being fired?”
“I think the first was a pistol shot and the next was a double barrel shotgun, these two shots were from the Earp side before any other shots were fired.”
“Was Frank McLowry in possession of a gun?”
“He was carrying a gun. Yes I saw it.” Then Billy Allen squirmed and said, “He had a pistol on him.”
“When the firing commenced and became general, what did you see and what did you do?”
“When the first two shots were fired Thomas McLowry slapped his hands on his breast. I rushed in the other side of Fly’s building. I kept in between the buildings until the shooting was over.”
“When the shooting stopped, what did you do?”
“I went and picked Tom McLowry up and carried him in the house where he died.”
The district attorney paced and chewed on his pencil. “Did you see any of these men, Tom or Frank McLowry firing during the fight?”
“If the McLowry’s shot at all, it was after I got behind the building.”
“I have no further questions.” Price looked toward the defense table.” Cross examine?”
Judge Spicer interjected, “Hold it until after the noon break. Court’s in recess until one o’clock.”
Doc had listened through the morning session and concluded that the prosecution was laying the foundation that would eventually portray the cowboys as innocent victims.
(To be continued)
In Search of the Real Doc Holliday
Wyatt Earp said on more than one occasion that, ‘Doc Holliday was the most skillful gambler and the speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew.’
Doc Holliday’s name is still magic among western aficionados, but even the most avid fans know little about the man. My first brush with the legend came when I worked the final episode of the PBS TV Series ‘Georgia’s Heritage.’ That Heritage segment got my attention, but through the years as I read more about Doc Holliday and looked at film I became convinced that the true legend was hidden beneath the veneer that dime store novels had drawn and Hollywood perpetuated.
My search for the real Doc Holliday started at the Los Angeles Central Library. Then I went on the road chasing leads and rumors from Tombstone to Texas, and Georgia to Philadelphia.
A historian in Doc’s hometown, Griffin, Georgia asked, 'Why would you want to write about a common gunslinger?'
I told him I thought there was more to Doc than the cardboard cutouts most of us were familiar with. And since I was in Griffin I planned to begin my research by going over old court records. I located old Court records dating back to the 1850's that provided me with information Doc’s biographers had never seen.
The County Clerks Office gave me critical information on land sales and deeds. Then it was on to newspaper archives, buildings and graveyards. The red brick office building on Solomon Street, willed to John Henry by his mother is still standing.
During my stay in Griffin I heard stories, from locals, about Doc’s romantic interest in his cousin Mattie Holliday. Mattie later became a nun and her name was changed to Sister Mary Melanie. The rumors included Mattie’s relationship with Margaret Mitchell and why the name Melanie was used as one of the central characters in Gone With the Wind.
The next stop on my research campaign was Atlanta. I spent days in the Atlanta Archives studying census and military records.
Then I drove across town to the Atlanta Historical Society, chasing a rumor that had to do with the kinship between Sister Mary Melanie and Margaret Mitchell.
I asked about Margaret Mitchell’s papers and was given a small file. One of the memos in that file was written in Margaret Mitchell’s own hand and it confirmed the rumor. Philip Fitzgerald was Mattie Holliday’s great uncle and Margaret Mitchell’s great grandfather. That made Margaret and Mattie third cousins.
The note from Margaret Mitchell made the genealogical connection to Mattie Holliday and provides ample reason for using her cousins’ name in Gone With the Wind.
Doc’s Dental College records were in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania. I flew there and located the library curator, Mr. John Whittock. Once I explained what I was after, Mr. Whittock showed me all the papers they had on John Henry Holliday and graciously copied the files for me.
That short description gives you some idea, but only scratches the surface of my research into The Life and Times of John Henry Holliday. I made more trips to Tombstone and Texas and spent hours poring over ragged edged newspapers.
Now if you read some of the books listed below you’ll get an idea of what it takes to chase down a legend. And by the way, you’ll get some conflicting stories, but if you read enough you’ll be able to make up your own mind about what the facts are and what kind of character Doc Holliday really was. Then if you keep reading you'll cross paths with Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and a host of other western legends.
Writers Notebook:
Writers write best about what they know – sounds cliché, but it’s true. You might also add this bit, there’s a tinge of autobiography and a hint of bias in all of it.
Margaret Mitchell's ‘Gone With the Wind’ is an excellent example. Ms. Mitchell based her great American novels location in and around Jonesboro where her ancestors had lived, and a number of her characters were based on either relatives or people she knew.
Ernest Hemingway drew from a real life experience when he wrote ‘The Sun Also Rises.’ Donald Ogden Stewart, Oscar winning writer, and friend of Hemmingway's tells that, while in Spain together they had made it into American newspapers as, ‘bullfighting Americanos’ in Pamplona in 1924. Then when ‘The Sun Also Rises’ was published in 1926, Stewart was mystified by the praise lavished on it. It seemed to him only an accurate journalistic account of what had actually happened during their trip to Pamplona with a group of friends, including some British Royalty. (Brett Ashley in the book).
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
November 10, 2010
Round Table Revue, Doc and Wyatt Hearing Strategy
This Week
Upstairs and downstairs at the Algonquin
Tombstone – Spicer Hearing Strategy
Writers Notebook: Katharine Hepburn
Round Table Potpourri:
Those known as the Round Table regulars were an outgoing lot and never made the occasional visitor feel unwanted. Something that made the group function well for so many years was the fact that the people involved respected and liked one another. Anyone that came to the table with any consistency was a professional and for the most part were at the top of their game.
Alexander Woollcott could be domineering at times, but at least two of the regulars Edna Ferber and F.P. Adams generally kept him in check. Woollcott did have one constant theme that eventually became annoying. He served in Europe during World War I working for Stars and Stripes and many an opening to one of his stories would begin with a bellicose, 'When I was in the theater of war' and go on and on and on. He also had a tendency to brag. One afternoon he was feeling a little high on himself and his brag lines getting a little thick when he announced, 'What is so rare as a Woollcott first edition.'
Franklin Adams shot back, 'A Woollcott second edition.'
Frank Case was the owner of the Algonquin as well as host and benevolent godfather to the group. Frank was no dummy as he realized the free publicity he got from this cast of characters.
To give you an idea about his benevolence; here’s an account that happened to, and was told by John Barrymore.
Barrymore was walking across Time Square and ran into a fellow actor. They struck up a conversation and John’s friend asked where he was staying?
'The Algonquin.'
'Isn’t that a little rich for your pocketbook?'
'Sure is, but the owner Frank Case is one heck of a good guy. To say he is generous is shortchanging him. Let’s put it this way, Frank Case would give you-' Barrymore looked down at his own torso. 'He'd give you the...¦ my God, I’m wearing one of his shirts.'
The Round Table was the foundation for this group, but they crossed paths during other social activities and settings. For example Frank Case arranged to have a room set aside for poker games and there was a regular group of players, which usually included Heywood Broun, F.P. Adams, Marc Connelly, George S. Kaufman and Harold Ross. Heywood Broun, the columnist, sports writer might have been the most consistent looser with Harold Ross the ultimate winner. In Ross's case it wasn't just in cash winnings, it was something quite different. It was during those poker games when Ross hatched the idea for the New Yorker magazine. He talked about his idea with the group, got positive feedback, found a backer and once he got far enough along he hit up the group to contribute articles for his around the town magazine. Everyone agreed to donate a few articles and eventually with the help of a very small staff Harold Ross published the first edition of the New Yorker on February 21, 1925. The magazine featured great art work, E.B. White's simple but complicated essays, a number of guest columnists', a report from Paris on Hemingway and Fitzgerald. James Thurber wrote humor and did pen drawings of his Thurber people. When Ross complained that Thurber's women had no sex appeal Marc Connelly quipped, 'They do to Thurber men.'
Ross hired Dorothy Parker to review books and he knew before he hired her that she pulled no punches when it came to her opinion. Here are a few choice words she had to say in several reviews:
'It was written without fear and without research.'
'It must be a gift, as no one would take it on any other terms.'
'This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.'
Frank Case also kept typewriter and paper handy in a small mezzanine room for Alexander Woollcott's convenience to write his play reviews. There was usually a gathering of people interested in the New York Times review. They waited in the lobby and watched Alex Woollcott sprint through on his way to the New York Times newsroom, which was just down the street. Speculation would begin based on Woollcott's demeanor as he crossed the lobby, but nobody knew. All they could do was wait for the paper to hit the street.
Another member of the group was the popular and talented magazine illustrator Neysa McMein. Her paintings ranged from portraits of famous people, baby food ads, beauties on popular magazine covers and a Lucky Strike cigarette ad. Marc Connelly said that at time you couldn't pass a news stand without seeing one of Neysa's pretty girls staring back at you.
McMein's studio was known as a regular gathering place for celebrities, Round Table people and you might see Irving Berlin sitting at a piano playing a medley of his own tunes.
Helen Hayes ran into Marc Connelly on 5th Avenue and he dragged her along to Neysa's Studio. Helen knew a number of people at the gathering, but she was shy and sat on a sofa in the corner and told the story on herself. 'I sat there and no one paid any attention to me. The room was full of celebrities and I just watched them all going around like butterflies. The music was going and I was happy just watching, sitting there but scared to death.' Alex Woollcott stepped in and served her a brandy Alexander and it went right to her head. 'I sat there like a mouse and I was thinking they're going to know I'm drunk if I don't say anything. I have to say something fast. There was a pause and I said, If anyone wants my piano, they're willing to it.'
'There was another heavier pause and George Kaufman said, 'That's very seldom of you, Helen.'
The Round Table group staged their own revue called No Sirree, a take off on a European touring revue Le Chauve-Souris. To play one night only in April 1922. A sample of some of the acts were Kaufman, Woollcott, Connelly, Adams and Benchley doing the Opening Chorus to Jascha Heifetz off stage, off key violin accompaniment.
He Who Gets Flapped performed by Robert Sherwood and written by Dorothy Parker.
The Greasy Hag, an O'Neil one act play featuring Kaufman, Connelly and Woollcott. Some of the stars recruited to perform a background chorus line were Helen Hayes, Tallulah Bankhead and Margalo Gilmore. The enthusiasm for the show was palpable as they rehearsed their routines along with their all star chorus line.
Robert Benchley did his Treasurer's Report for the first time and launched his career as a comic actor and later short film personality.
The Chorus Line reviewers gave the show an enthusiastic thumbs up rating and Ruth Gordon said it was fantastic as did the full house audience.
Two more notables that should be mentioned were Round Table irregulars: Ruth Gordon had a long and successful career with a Tony for 'The Matchmaker,' a Golden Globe for her work on 'Inside Daisy Clover' and an Oscar for Best Supporting actress in 'Rosemary's Baby.'
Donald Ogden Stewart earned a long string of writing credits which included the Oscar winning screenplay for 'The Philadelphia Story.'
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt: Judge Spicer's Court Hearing – Defense strategy meeting.
At the close of that first court session the defense team gathered their papers and hustled down Fremont Street for a meeting at Col. Herring's office. The colonel and Hill Howard, of Howard and Street joined them there.
Colonel Herring greeted everyone and then abruptly asked, "Are any of you gentlemen acquainted with William Allen?"
Doc was in the process of making a cigarette, furrowed his brow and nodded. "Yeah. I know him. I first saw him up north in mining camps around Cheyenne and Deadwood.”
Colonel Herring stared at Doc. "Anything else?"
"Yes there is," Doc said as he struck a match and lit his cigarette. "He was there the other day. I saw him in the construction site on Fremont, just prior to the fight."
Wyatt added, "He's a ring hanger-on. I'm sure of that."
Colonel Herring polished his monocle on the sleeve of his coat. "We have it from a pretty good source, they're making Allen their key witness."
Tom Fitch scratched his chin. "Then we need to pay close attention to his testimony. I suspect if we stay sharp and listen to every word spoken between the prosecutor and his first witness they are likely to give us a hint into the prosecution’s strategy."
Writers Notebook:
Several years ago Paula Zahn was interviewing Katharine Hepburn on the CBS morning show. Paula asked about the main difference in films today versus earlier motion pictures. Miss Hepburn’s answer was, “Writers, Writers, Writers. Wit… Humor… You see when I started out there was great wit and humor, there isn’t now.”
Miss Hepburn’s words are as true today as they were when she said them.
Lighten up writers and laugh at yourself once in a while.
Robert Benchley once said, “It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.”
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
Upstairs and downstairs at the Algonquin
Tombstone – Spicer Hearing Strategy
Writers Notebook: Katharine Hepburn
Round Table Potpourri:
Those known as the Round Table regulars were an outgoing lot and never made the occasional visitor feel unwanted. Something that made the group function well for so many years was the fact that the people involved respected and liked one another. Anyone that came to the table with any consistency was a professional and for the most part were at the top of their game.
Alexander Woollcott could be domineering at times, but at least two of the regulars Edna Ferber and F.P. Adams generally kept him in check. Woollcott did have one constant theme that eventually became annoying. He served in Europe during World War I working for Stars and Stripes and many an opening to one of his stories would begin with a bellicose, 'When I was in the theater of war' and go on and on and on. He also had a tendency to brag. One afternoon he was feeling a little high on himself and his brag lines getting a little thick when he announced, 'What is so rare as a Woollcott first edition.'
Franklin Adams shot back, 'A Woollcott second edition.'
Frank Case was the owner of the Algonquin as well as host and benevolent godfather to the group. Frank was no dummy as he realized the free publicity he got from this cast of characters.
To give you an idea about his benevolence; here’s an account that happened to, and was told by John Barrymore.
Barrymore was walking across Time Square and ran into a fellow actor. They struck up a conversation and John’s friend asked where he was staying?
'The Algonquin.'
'Isn’t that a little rich for your pocketbook?'
'Sure is, but the owner Frank Case is one heck of a good guy. To say he is generous is shortchanging him. Let’s put it this way, Frank Case would give you-' Barrymore looked down at his own torso. 'He'd give you the...¦ my God, I’m wearing one of his shirts.'
The Round Table was the foundation for this group, but they crossed paths during other social activities and settings. For example Frank Case arranged to have a room set aside for poker games and there was a regular group of players, which usually included Heywood Broun, F.P. Adams, Marc Connelly, George S. Kaufman and Harold Ross. Heywood Broun, the columnist, sports writer might have been the most consistent looser with Harold Ross the ultimate winner. In Ross's case it wasn't just in cash winnings, it was something quite different. It was during those poker games when Ross hatched the idea for the New Yorker magazine. He talked about his idea with the group, got positive feedback, found a backer and once he got far enough along he hit up the group to contribute articles for his around the town magazine. Everyone agreed to donate a few articles and eventually with the help of a very small staff Harold Ross published the first edition of the New Yorker on February 21, 1925. The magazine featured great art work, E.B. White's simple but complicated essays, a number of guest columnists', a report from Paris on Hemingway and Fitzgerald. James Thurber wrote humor and did pen drawings of his Thurber people. When Ross complained that Thurber's women had no sex appeal Marc Connelly quipped, 'They do to Thurber men.'
Ross hired Dorothy Parker to review books and he knew before he hired her that she pulled no punches when it came to her opinion. Here are a few choice words she had to say in several reviews:
'It was written without fear and without research.'
'It must be a gift, as no one would take it on any other terms.'
'This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.'
Frank Case also kept typewriter and paper handy in a small mezzanine room for Alexander Woollcott's convenience to write his play reviews. There was usually a gathering of people interested in the New York Times review. They waited in the lobby and watched Alex Woollcott sprint through on his way to the New York Times newsroom, which was just down the street. Speculation would begin based on Woollcott's demeanor as he crossed the lobby, but nobody knew. All they could do was wait for the paper to hit the street.
Another member of the group was the popular and talented magazine illustrator Neysa McMein. Her paintings ranged from portraits of famous people, baby food ads, beauties on popular magazine covers and a Lucky Strike cigarette ad. Marc Connelly said that at time you couldn't pass a news stand without seeing one of Neysa's pretty girls staring back at you.
McMein's studio was known as a regular gathering place for celebrities, Round Table people and you might see Irving Berlin sitting at a piano playing a medley of his own tunes.
Helen Hayes ran into Marc Connelly on 5th Avenue and he dragged her along to Neysa's Studio. Helen knew a number of people at the gathering, but she was shy and sat on a sofa in the corner and told the story on herself. 'I sat there and no one paid any attention to me. The room was full of celebrities and I just watched them all going around like butterflies. The music was going and I was happy just watching, sitting there but scared to death.' Alex Woollcott stepped in and served her a brandy Alexander and it went right to her head. 'I sat there like a mouse and I was thinking they're going to know I'm drunk if I don't say anything. I have to say something fast. There was a pause and I said, If anyone wants my piano, they're willing to it.'
'There was another heavier pause and George Kaufman said, 'That's very seldom of you, Helen.'
The Round Table group staged their own revue called No Sirree, a take off on a European touring revue Le Chauve-Souris. To play one night only in April 1922. A sample of some of the acts were Kaufman, Woollcott, Connelly, Adams and Benchley doing the Opening Chorus to Jascha Heifetz off stage, off key violin accompaniment.
He Who Gets Flapped performed by Robert Sherwood and written by Dorothy Parker.
The Greasy Hag, an O'Neil one act play featuring Kaufman, Connelly and Woollcott. Some of the stars recruited to perform a background chorus line were Helen Hayes, Tallulah Bankhead and Margalo Gilmore. The enthusiasm for the show was palpable as they rehearsed their routines along with their all star chorus line.
Robert Benchley did his Treasurer's Report for the first time and launched his career as a comic actor and later short film personality.
The Chorus Line reviewers gave the show an enthusiastic thumbs up rating and Ruth Gordon said it was fantastic as did the full house audience.
Two more notables that should be mentioned were Round Table irregulars: Ruth Gordon had a long and successful career with a Tony for 'The Matchmaker,' a Golden Globe for her work on 'Inside Daisy Clover' and an Oscar for Best Supporting actress in 'Rosemary's Baby.'
Donald Ogden Stewart earned a long string of writing credits which included the Oscar winning screenplay for 'The Philadelphia Story.'
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Excerpt: Judge Spicer's Court Hearing – Defense strategy meeting.
At the close of that first court session the defense team gathered their papers and hustled down Fremont Street for a meeting at Col. Herring's office. The colonel and Hill Howard, of Howard and Street joined them there.
Colonel Herring greeted everyone and then abruptly asked, "Are any of you gentlemen acquainted with William Allen?"
Doc was in the process of making a cigarette, furrowed his brow and nodded. "Yeah. I know him. I first saw him up north in mining camps around Cheyenne and Deadwood.”
Colonel Herring stared at Doc. "Anything else?"
"Yes there is," Doc said as he struck a match and lit his cigarette. "He was there the other day. I saw him in the construction site on Fremont, just prior to the fight."
Wyatt added, "He's a ring hanger-on. I'm sure of that."
Colonel Herring polished his monocle on the sleeve of his coat. "We have it from a pretty good source, they're making Allen their key witness."
Tom Fitch scratched his chin. "Then we need to pay close attention to his testimony. I suspect if we stay sharp and listen to every word spoken between the prosecutor and his first witness they are likely to give us a hint into the prosecution’s strategy."
Writers Notebook:
Several years ago Paula Zahn was interviewing Katharine Hepburn on the CBS morning show. Paula asked about the main difference in films today versus earlier motion pictures. Miss Hepburn’s answer was, “Writers, Writers, Writers. Wit… Humor… You see when I started out there was great wit and humor, there isn’t now.”
Miss Hepburn’s words are as true today as they were when she said them.
Lighten up writers and laugh at yourself once in a while.
Robert Benchley once said, “It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.”
Tom's Books and Blogs:
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
November 3, 2010
The Great Collaborator, Edna Ferber and Doc Holliday
This Week
George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber
Tombstone, AZ Spicer's Court
Writers Notebook:
George S. Kaufman – The Great Collaborator
George S. Kaufman was born in Pittsburgh, PA, went to school there and studied law for a brief period before becoming interested in writing for newspapers. He worked all the low level jobs in the local newsrooms before landing a job on the staff of a Washington, D.C. Newspaper. He later moved to New York and worked for a couple of newspapers. Kaufman had a style of his own and his writing was most generally laced with satirical commentary and caustic wit. It wasn't long before his name was being mentioned around town and in 1917 the New York times noticed his work and he was hired as their drama critic.
The following year Kaufman working with Larry Evans and W.C. Percival wrote a play 'Someone in the House,' which was panned. That was just part of the problem, the flu epidemic prompted the City of New York to post warnings for people to avoid crowds, which cut Broadway audiences in half. Kaufman had one of those the devil made me do it moments, and advised the play producers to run an AD campaign that would read; 'Avoid crowds: see 'Someone in the House.'
For some reason Kaufman seemed to need a co author, a collaborator to exchange ideas with. But for what ever reason, the system worked. An Algonquin Round Table regular almost since its inception a couple of his collaborators came from that group. Marc Connelly was one of those writers and Edna Ferber was the other. Connelly was best know for his Pulitzer prize winning play 'Green Pastures.' His work with Kaufman produced three plays 'Merton of the Movies, Dulce, and Beggar on Horseback.
Edna Ferber and Kaufman wrote 'The Royal Family, a story about the Barrymore's of Broadway, Stage Door and Dinner at Eight.
Moss Hart and Kaufman had a long lasting work relationship and some of their most famous works were 'Once in a Lifetime, 'The Man Who Came to Dinner and the Pulitzer prize winner 'You Can't Take it With you.
Musical theater was not Kaufman's first love, but once you mix it a healthy dose of Marx Brothers comedy, he could accept the music. His early efforts in the musical field was for the Marx Brothers , 'The Cocoanuts' written with Irving Berlin and 'Animal Crackers' written with Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar, and Harry Ruby.
Kaufman also wrote the screenplay for the Marx Brothers MGM film 'A Night at the Opera.'
Writing for the Marx Brothers could prove hazardous to the sensitivities of a writer when Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo ad lib-ed their way through one of your plays.
Back stage during one of his productions Kaufman once shushed someone, cupped his hand behind his ear and whispered, 'I think I just heard one of my lines.'
Kaufman was not tied to Broadway, he worked in Hollywood as well and a number of his plays were adapted to film. Among them were 'Dinner at Eight,' 'Stage Door' and 'You Can't Take it With You,' which won best picture Oscar in 1938.
As a stage director Kaufman directed, among others, the original production of 'The Front Page' by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck, ' and the Frank Loesser musical 'Guys and Dolls, for which he won the 1951 Best Director Tony.
You might also remember George S. Kaufman from the early days of Television when he was a guest on many of the Sunday evening comedy shows.
Round Table regular, Edna Ferber:
Edna Ferber was one of the most dedicated and prolific American writers of her generation. There was style and class in everything she wrote from the 'Homely Heroine' published in Everybody's Magazine in 1910 to 'A Kind of Magic' in 1963. Ferber was recognized as one of America's top writers by critics and the public.
Ferber and Kaufman collaborated to produce four plays although their first effort, based on Ferber's short story called Minick is seldom mentioned. As a play Minick went nowhere, apparently though it did nothing to dampen their working relationship, for Ferber and Kaufman eventually produced three successful Broadway plays 'The Royal Family,' 'Dinner at Eight' and 'Stage Door.'
Ferber's first Pulitzer prize was for her novel 'So Big,' which has been made into three different motion pictures.
The Pulitzer prize notwithstanding, her major works were 'Show Boat,' 'Giant,' 'Ice Palace,' 'Saratoga Trunk,' and Cimarron.' Three of those novels were made into musicals with 'Show Boat' being the most prominent.
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Judge Spicer's Hearing
Monday, October 31, 1881
Judge Wells Spicer walked into his courtroom at exactly three o'clock and one glance at the spectators in the room told him he had a problem. The judge had ruled that the hearing would be closed to the public. But from what he could see the order was being disregarded. The first two rows of the gallery were filled with backup lawyers, assistants and a few hangers on. He also recognized several members of the press that had apparently lied their way past the bailiff. It caused him some concern, but for the time being, he decided to ignore it.
Doc and Wyatt sat at the defense table wedged in between Tom Fitch and T.J. Drum. Beads of sweat appeared on Doc's forehead and he nervously toyed with a pencil and began to doodle on a note pad.
Ike Clanton was at the prosecution table, his personal lawyer, Ben Goodrich to his right, District Attorney Price and his chief assistant, Earl Smith, was at the left end of the table. Doc sensed a more than confidant; you might even call it a cocky air coming from the prosecutions side.
Judge Spicer rapped his gavel and called, "Order in the court. Court is now in session."
And with those words E. J. Risley, the court reporter began taking notes.
Judge Spicer said, “Papers have been filed with this court entitled: Arizona Territory Vs Earp’s and Holliday. Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp and J.H. Holliday are charged with the wanton and willful killing of Frank McLowry, Tom Mc Lowry and Billy Clanton. This hearing has been called in order to examine those charges.”
Judge Spicer then nodded toward the district attorney and said, “I believe the first witness is to be Dr. H. M. Mathews. Dr. Matthews, would you please take the stand."
A bushy browed man in his early fifties wearing a rumpled gray suit and horn-rimmed glasses walked forward. The gentleman was sworn in by the clerk and took a seat in the witness box.
District Attorney Price got up from his chair and walked to a position in front of the witness. "Would you please tell the court your name and what position you hold in the community?
"My name is H. M. Matthews, I am a practicing physician, and Coroner of Cochise County.”
Price then asked, "Where were you on the 26th of October, 1881?”
"I was in the town of Tombstone on that day.”
"Did you see or were you made aware of a difficulty that occurred between the Earps and Holliday and the Clantons and McLowry’s on that day?"
"I was notified of the affray. I did not see it."
"At any time during that day, did you have occasion to observe William Clanton, Thomas McLowry, and Frank McLowry?"
Dr. Matthews nodded and said, "Yes. It was in the middle of the afternoon. And when I saw those men, Frank and Thomas McLowry were dead and William Clanton was in a dying condition."
"Did you know them by sight?" Price asked.
"I did not. I knew them only as they were identified to me by witnesses."
"What, if you know, caused their deaths?”
"Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry died from pistol bullets and Tom McLowry's death was caused by buckshot wounds."
“Would you describe Tom McLowry’s wounds?”
Dr. Matthews pursed his lips and said, “Found on his body twelve buck-shot wounds, on the right side of the body, near together under the arms between the third and fifth ribs. Laid the palm of my hand on them and it covered the whole of them, about four inches in space. The wounds went into the cavity of the chest and I consider them mortal.”
The District Attorney then asked about the various wounds on the bodies of Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton. Dr. Matthews took his time and gave a complete technical description of each wound sustained by Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton.
By the middle of that first session Doc’s nerves calmed down and he found himself fully engaged in the process, listening and taking notes.
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Popular novelist Frank Yerby, The Foxes of Harrow, The Vixens, Floodtide, and 27 others had this comment relative to writing a novel. ‘It’s my contention that a really great novel is made with a knife and not a pen. A novelist must have the intestinal fortitude to cut out even the most brilliant passage as long as it doesn’t advance the story.’
For your information we touched on this subject back on October 15, 2008 when Ernest Hemingway talked about and related to it as regards to his short story, The Killers.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber
Tombstone, AZ Spicer's Court
Writers Notebook:
George S. Kaufman – The Great Collaborator
George S. Kaufman was born in Pittsburgh, PA, went to school there and studied law for a brief period before becoming interested in writing for newspapers. He worked all the low level jobs in the local newsrooms before landing a job on the staff of a Washington, D.C. Newspaper. He later moved to New York and worked for a couple of newspapers. Kaufman had a style of his own and his writing was most generally laced with satirical commentary and caustic wit. It wasn't long before his name was being mentioned around town and in 1917 the New York times noticed his work and he was hired as their drama critic.
The following year Kaufman working with Larry Evans and W.C. Percival wrote a play 'Someone in the House,' which was panned. That was just part of the problem, the flu epidemic prompted the City of New York to post warnings for people to avoid crowds, which cut Broadway audiences in half. Kaufman had one of those the devil made me do it moments, and advised the play producers to run an AD campaign that would read; 'Avoid crowds: see 'Someone in the House.'
For some reason Kaufman seemed to need a co author, a collaborator to exchange ideas with. But for what ever reason, the system worked. An Algonquin Round Table regular almost since its inception a couple of his collaborators came from that group. Marc Connelly was one of those writers and Edna Ferber was the other. Connelly was best know for his Pulitzer prize winning play 'Green Pastures.' His work with Kaufman produced three plays 'Merton of the Movies, Dulce, and Beggar on Horseback.
Edna Ferber and Kaufman wrote 'The Royal Family, a story about the Barrymore's of Broadway, Stage Door and Dinner at Eight.
Moss Hart and Kaufman had a long lasting work relationship and some of their most famous works were 'Once in a Lifetime, 'The Man Who Came to Dinner and the Pulitzer prize winner 'You Can't Take it With you.
Musical theater was not Kaufman's first love, but once you mix it a healthy dose of Marx Brothers comedy, he could accept the music. His early efforts in the musical field was for the Marx Brothers , 'The Cocoanuts' written with Irving Berlin and 'Animal Crackers' written with Morrie Ryskind, Bert Kalmar, and Harry Ruby.
Kaufman also wrote the screenplay for the Marx Brothers MGM film 'A Night at the Opera.'
Writing for the Marx Brothers could prove hazardous to the sensitivities of a writer when Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo ad lib-ed their way through one of your plays.
Back stage during one of his productions Kaufman once shushed someone, cupped his hand behind his ear and whispered, 'I think I just heard one of my lines.'
Kaufman was not tied to Broadway, he worked in Hollywood as well and a number of his plays were adapted to film. Among them were 'Dinner at Eight,' 'Stage Door' and 'You Can't Take it With You,' which won best picture Oscar in 1938.
As a stage director Kaufman directed, among others, the original production of 'The Front Page' by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck, ' and the Frank Loesser musical 'Guys and Dolls, for which he won the 1951 Best Director Tony.
You might also remember George S. Kaufman from the early days of Television when he was a guest on many of the Sunday evening comedy shows.
Round Table regular, Edna Ferber:
Edna Ferber was one of the most dedicated and prolific American writers of her generation. There was style and class in everything she wrote from the 'Homely Heroine' published in Everybody's Magazine in 1910 to 'A Kind of Magic' in 1963. Ferber was recognized as one of America's top writers by critics and the public.
Ferber and Kaufman collaborated to produce four plays although their first effort, based on Ferber's short story called Minick is seldom mentioned. As a play Minick went nowhere, apparently though it did nothing to dampen their working relationship, for Ferber and Kaufman eventually produced three successful Broadway plays 'The Royal Family,' 'Dinner at Eight' and 'Stage Door.'
Ferber's first Pulitzer prize was for her novel 'So Big,' which has been made into three different motion pictures.
The Pulitzer prize notwithstanding, her major works were 'Show Boat,' 'Giant,' 'Ice Palace,' 'Saratoga Trunk,' and Cimarron.' Three of those novels were made into musicals with 'Show Boat' being the most prominent.
(To be continued)
'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
Judge Spicer's Hearing
Monday, October 31, 1881
Judge Wells Spicer walked into his courtroom at exactly three o'clock and one glance at the spectators in the room told him he had a problem. The judge had ruled that the hearing would be closed to the public. But from what he could see the order was being disregarded. The first two rows of the gallery were filled with backup lawyers, assistants and a few hangers on. He also recognized several members of the press that had apparently lied their way past the bailiff. It caused him some concern, but for the time being, he decided to ignore it.
Doc and Wyatt sat at the defense table wedged in between Tom Fitch and T.J. Drum. Beads of sweat appeared on Doc's forehead and he nervously toyed with a pencil and began to doodle on a note pad.
Ike Clanton was at the prosecution table, his personal lawyer, Ben Goodrich to his right, District Attorney Price and his chief assistant, Earl Smith, was at the left end of the table. Doc sensed a more than confidant; you might even call it a cocky air coming from the prosecutions side.
Judge Spicer rapped his gavel and called, "Order in the court. Court is now in session."
And with those words E. J. Risley, the court reporter began taking notes.
Judge Spicer said, “Papers have been filed with this court entitled: Arizona Territory Vs Earp’s and Holliday. Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp and J.H. Holliday are charged with the wanton and willful killing of Frank McLowry, Tom Mc Lowry and Billy Clanton. This hearing has been called in order to examine those charges.”
Judge Spicer then nodded toward the district attorney and said, “I believe the first witness is to be Dr. H. M. Mathews. Dr. Matthews, would you please take the stand."
A bushy browed man in his early fifties wearing a rumpled gray suit and horn-rimmed glasses walked forward. The gentleman was sworn in by the clerk and took a seat in the witness box.
District Attorney Price got up from his chair and walked to a position in front of the witness. "Would you please tell the court your name and what position you hold in the community?
"My name is H. M. Matthews, I am a practicing physician, and Coroner of Cochise County.”
Price then asked, "Where were you on the 26th of October, 1881?”
"I was in the town of Tombstone on that day.”
"Did you see or were you made aware of a difficulty that occurred between the Earps and Holliday and the Clantons and McLowry’s on that day?"
"I was notified of the affray. I did not see it."
"At any time during that day, did you have occasion to observe William Clanton, Thomas McLowry, and Frank McLowry?"
Dr. Matthews nodded and said, "Yes. It was in the middle of the afternoon. And when I saw those men, Frank and Thomas McLowry were dead and William Clanton was in a dying condition."
"Did you know them by sight?" Price asked.
"I did not. I knew them only as they were identified to me by witnesses."
"What, if you know, caused their deaths?”
"Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry died from pistol bullets and Tom McLowry's death was caused by buckshot wounds."
“Would you describe Tom McLowry’s wounds?”
Dr. Matthews pursed his lips and said, “Found on his body twelve buck-shot wounds, on the right side of the body, near together under the arms between the third and fifth ribs. Laid the palm of my hand on them and it covered the whole of them, about four inches in space. The wounds went into the cavity of the chest and I consider them mortal.”
The District Attorney then asked about the various wounds on the bodies of Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton. Dr. Matthews took his time and gave a complete technical description of each wound sustained by Frank McLowry and Billy Clanton.
By the middle of that first session Doc’s nerves calmed down and he found himself fully engaged in the process, listening and taking notes.
(To be continued)
Writers Notebook:
Popular novelist Frank Yerby, The Foxes of Harrow, The Vixens, Floodtide, and 27 others had this comment relative to writing a novel. ‘It’s my contention that a really great novel is made with a knife and not a pen. A novelist must have the intestinal fortitude to cut out even the most brilliant passage as long as it doesn’t advance the story.’
For your information we touched on this subject back on October 15, 2008 when Ernest Hemingway talked about and related to it as regards to his short story, The Killers.
Tom's Books and Blogs
Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.
Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels Tungee's Gold, The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
Facebook and Twitter
http://thehurricanehunter.blogspot.com
www.tombarnes39.com
Tom's 'RocktheTower' Blog
I do a variety blog and post every Wednesday. I am an actor, writer and hurricane hunter and my subjects are generally written about those fields. During Hurricane Season I do at least one story every
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