White House Letter - 1965

I was a real patriotic little kid.* I actually used to watch the Presidential speeches and news conferences etc. And then I would critique them, in my own naive way. This often took the form of encouraging letters from me to the particular speaker. This response to me was written in 1965, by Bill Moyers, after I had written a comment to President Johnson concerning his War on Poverty. I had my own stationary and a typewriter, which made me as old as I wanted to be. I was actually 10 at the time. Sorry, Bill!

But as a result of this letter my parents took my brother and I on a trip into the Appalachian Region to show us the poverty that the President was alluding to in his speech. I had never seen such dire conditions before, and would not again, until on a family trip to Florida in 1969 down Routes 301 and 1 in North Carolina and Georgia. The sight of people living in tin can shacks by the side of the road is not one easily erased from my mind. Actually, the thought of it haunts me to this very day.

Those trips really made an impression upon me and I've always been grateful that my folks took the time and made the effort to make them. 

* I still am.

"Klansville, USA" - A PBS Film (2015)

I just read this book back in January and somehow never reviewed it here. Don't know why, except that one book ends and another begins. Sometimes a good one gets left out. Such was the case with that one. But, in case you missed the book there is a PBS documentary of the same name and by the same author; David Cunningham.

Reading the book was an eye opener in that I would never have guessed that over half of all the KKK memberships and claverns in the United States were located here in North Carolina; many within 100 miles or less from my home. Kannaoplis; which is 18 minutes from my house; was a particularly active area. There is a tree located about 3 miles from me which is indicated on the chart showing the location of each of the lynchings which took place between the turn of the last century and the dawn of this new one. 

The film is stark and will leave you wondering how the hell they got some of these films. They actually show the "secret" initiation ceremony and other portions of the documentary show men, women and children parading; with hoods up in broad daylight; down the streets of Salisbury, Greensboro and other cities throughout the state. Watching them reminded me of the people who indiscriminately allow themselves to be filmed saying and doing idiotic things today. What were they thinking? 

I passed through North Carolina for the first time when I was 9 years old in early 1964. We were on a trip to Virginia and Washington, DC when we decided to go a bit further and see where my Dad's cigarettes came from. So, we wound up in Raleigh and also Durham, where the biggest cigarette manufacturers were located.

The most memorable part of the trip for me was stopping at a Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge, complete with restaurant and orange roof. What could be more welcoming than the familiar corporate colors, which meant comfort and civility? We entered the restaurant and ate our meal. I was amazed listening to the accents and hearing the waitress call everyone "honey" and "sweetie." Man, I was down South! Then the Coca-Cola truck arrived to make a delivery.

The waitress behind the counter greeted the driver flirtatiously and with honey dripping from her every word. The driver, too, played his part perfectly. With his rolled up short sleeved Coca Cola shirt and a cigarette dangling from his lips he was the embodiment of an American workingman. Then they spoke.

She began by barking, "Boy! The trucks here, get it inside!" A small black kid; skinnier than me; came out from the kitchen area. He never looked up; only down at the floor and mumbled "Yes, 'aam." And as he went to to the door and the task of wheeling in those cases of soda; which were taller than either of us; the driver added, "And don't you break nothing now, y'hear?" This film captures that with crystal clarity.

"Doc Martin" with Martin Clunes and Caroline Catz (2011)

This quirky little series has a unique charm which will draw you in quickly. The characters are all richly developed. The story revolves around the simple plot of a doctor in a small Cornish town who has a baby with another medical professional. The two are unmarried.

Between the slightly inept Town Constable, the drugged out pharmacist, the cat woman, his off-beat “mother in law”, and problems associated with his rather brusque bedside manner combine to create some truly awkward moments for the Doc as well as those around him. In short, he has no bedside manner at all and is somewhat of a bull in a china closet. But, he is a genius.

One things for sure in this series; you never know what’s going to happen next; nor how Doc Martin is going to react to it. Nor, how the people around him will react to the things he says and does. You will marvel at the fact that this socially backward man could even land a woman at all, let alone one as sweet as his significant other. But will they last? This season finds her moving out to be with her mother, taking the baby with her.

While Doc Martin struggles to come to terms with his personal life, he saves just about everyone else’s. This is another of those great British series which I never see on TV; electing to watch them binge fashion instead when they are released as DVD’s. Though I have started with the 5^th Season, the characters are immediately familiar, and basically what you see is what you get. 

"George Gently" with Martin Shaw (2008)

The George Gently series is actually based on the Alan Hunter novels involving Inspector George Gently of London’s Metropolitan Police Force. He is based at Scotland Yard, but due to his penchant for getting to the heart of things, without particular regards to the regulations, he finds himself transferred to the North East District of London. Here he faces new and uglier cases than before and also finds himself teamed up with a new and younger partner, who may be just a tad over eager to prove his worth.

 In this compilation labeled Season One, there are three discs. The first one is the pilot “Gently Go Man”, which first aired on Apr. 8, 2007. It met with great acclaim and set the ball rolling for the rest of the series in 2008. The first two of episodes of that season are also included here.

In “Gently Go Man” we are introduced to the main characters just as Inspector Gently’s wife is killed by a hit and run driver which may not have been an accident at all. Rather than retire, Gently finds himself caught up in a similar case, which leads him back to the same people whom he believes killed his wife. A clash of jurisdictions further complicate matters as Gently considers retirement. But not before he solves this case.

The following summer saw the release of the first real episode with “The Burning Man” airing on July 13, 2008. In this episode Inspector Gently finds himself with a partner in the form of Detective Baachus, an impulsive young man who is prone to leap to conclusions; but are they all wrong? Inspector Gently is faced with solving the case of a badly burned body found near the old RAF base at Huxton. A second murder puts him and Baachus on the scent of the IRA in this cat and mouse episode featuring a faked death and a kidnapping.

In the third episode; each airs about 90 minutes; “Bomber’s Moon”, which aired on July 20, 2008, Gently and Baachus look into the murder of yet another man, this time Gunter Scheikel; someone must have had a laugh naming this character; a former POW, who is found in the local harbor, apparently the victim of an accidental drowning. But with a broken back, why was he in the water in the first place? And if he wasn’t there by choice, someone had to put him there. Inspector Gently, along with Baachus, are determined to find the person/persons responsible for this one.

Good writing and tight direction make these shows highly entertaining. Like the “Foyle’s War” series, they evoke a palpable sense of England and also what it was like in the early 1960’s, when the effects of the war were still felt in Britain. Great cinematography and acting round out these shows, making them a sure fire hit each time. I can’t wait to pick up the 2^nd season.

"Starportrait" - Acker Bilk (1959)

An offhand comment from another episode of Inspector Lewis brought me to You Tube to find out what Acker Bilk was all about. In the episode I was watching from the Third Season, Inspector Lewis makes a comment concerning him to his younger partner, who always knows everything. But this time, Lewis had him stumped; answering only that it was something from the “old days”.

Of course, that sent me to the computer to find out. Some might describe Acker Bilk as being Britain’s version of Artie Shaw. Mr. Bilk is a well accomplished clarinet player, and holds a place in the hearts of many in Britain for his fluid renditions, or “covers”, of other artist’s hits as well as his own compositions. So, I would imagine that Mr. Bilk’s recordings have been played at English weddings for decades now, becoming a staple.

This number, “Starportrait”, the title of which immediately made me think of “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael, was written and released in 1959 by Bill Acker and His Paramount Jazz Band. He would later go on to record “Stranger on the Shore” which he also wrote, and that is the hit for which he is most remembered. Among those backing Mr. Acker on his clarinet are Dave Collett on piano, Ernie Price on bass, Ron Mackay on drums. Mr. Acker is a new artist for me and a reflection of Britain’s Post World War Two and Pre- Beatles era. It’s amazing what you can pick up on while watching TV.

And here's Mr. Acker with his orchestra in the 1970's doing "The Twelve of Never." Real ragtime New Orleans style jazz.

"All You Need Is Love" - 45 Years Later

It was 45 years ago  yesterday that the Beatles broadcast “All You Need Is Love” for the first time on a show called “Our World.” This was the very first worldwide live satellite television broadcast. There were no politicians allowed on the show, which was broadcast from 19 different countries on 5 continents. It took 10,000 technicians to produce the show using a myriad of satellites, including Intelsat II and an array of ATS-1’s. The only country to pull out of the project, at the last minute, was the Soviet Union, which did so as a protest against the recent Israeli victory during the 6 Day War with Egypt.

At approximately 9:30 PM London time, the Beatles; with a live orchestra and some very prominent guests; began their now iconic anthem. The show was live, and that meant that although it was 9:30 PM in London, it was 4:30 PM in Brooklyn. The show was to be broadcast; in black and white; on Channel 13, part of the National Educational Television group, which eventually became todays Public Broadcasting Service.

400 million people watched this 2 hour event, starring such luminaries as the Beatles in England; Maria Callas broadcasting from Greece; Pablo Picasso coming from Spain; and others. In London, seated on the floor as the Beatles performed were Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash and Keith Moon.

There was a portion of the backing track which was pre-recorded, but the band was live, as was the 13 piece orchestra and the Beatle’s vocals. I had to hurry home from whatever I was doing that afternoon after school in order to catch the broadcast.  Since I did see it, I can only assume that I beat the clock. I remember watching it on the television, possibly with my Mom. (Originally, I remembered watching this in the middle of the night, but that is geographically impossible. In addition, further examination has shown me that June 25th, 1967 was a Sunday; so  my recollection of coming home from school is also incorrect!)

The record would not be released until July 7th, some 2 weeks away, after some slight alterations of the original master recording. So, along with the rest of the world, I had never heard this recording before, but even the limited scope of a 13" black and white screen  TV set which only received in mono could not mask the majesty of the song, or the message.  That message still rings today.

"New York" a Documentary by Ric Burns / Discs 5-8

Everything about this documentary is a delight. From the cover photo of "Steel Workers at Lunch" by Charles C. Ebbets, right down to the closing credits on Disc 8, this film really moves at a brisk pace, imparting a whole lot of information in the process.

Disc 5 begins with the return of the troops at the close of first World War. The footage of the ticker tape parade is particularly interesting, and I found myself looking for my Grandfather. The film simply involves the viewer to that extent. Of course, being a native New Yorker doesn't hurt my love for this film. This is the New York my older relatives spoke of. These are the streets and the people with whom they would have associated. This is as close as I can ever come to experiencing their world, as they saw it.

Disc 6 deals with the end of the Post War Boom and the subsequent collapse of the Stock Market in 1929. It follows the city through the Depression years, which were the ones my parents always spoke of. Again, this is as close as I can get to being there, my parent's stories aside. As the Depression deepens the city struggles to survive and with the help of the NRA and WPA, it does. Some of the greatest buildings in New York went up at this time. My Great Grandfather worked as a brickmason on the Empire State Building, so watching these "skyscrapers" rise on film is a real treat. Again, I found myself looking for a relative in the films.

Disc 7 was a bit of a disappointment as I really expected it to pick up with the year 1941 and the entrance of the United States into World War Two. I thought there would be at least some study of the city during the war years, with the blackouts, and the U-boats lurking off Coney Island. These were the stories upon which I was raised and I had very much hoped to see here.

Instead, Disc 7 explores the city between the years 1945 and 2000, casting it in relation to the rest of the world. The films were very well placed and the dialougue and interview portions lent light to some of the late 1940's and 1950's, particularly in relation to the arts, as well as commerce.

Disc 8 was kind of like a booster for the city, covering the years 1946-2003, which seemed a bit redundant, and entitled "The Center of the World." This disc really explored the commercial redevelopment of the city from a crime infested metropolis, which by the 1970's had become almost too complex to police correctly, to the re-emergence of New York, especially Times Square, as a once again vibrant and safe place in which to live and work. It also explores the recent demographic changes in Immigrant population and it's effect on our own culture.

If you love New York, then this film will not fail to deliver. And as a documentary it bears all the hallmarks of what we have come to expect from Ric Burns. Best part is that he can't help it. Along with his acclaimed brother Ken Burns, I'd say it's in their genes.