"The Flame Keepers" by Ned Handy (2004)

One of my favorite Christmas movies has always been “Stalag 17” with William Holden. Though not considered to be a holiday film by most, the film does take place the week before Christmas. I always felt it offered somewhat of a real life peek inside of a POW camp. And in some respects it did just that. But, overall no movie can ever really capture the horror of being a Prisoner of War. When that film was made into a TV comedy called “Hogan’s Hero’s”, the bar between reality and what these prisoners actually went through was further blurred.

Imagine my surprise at finding this book in the stacks at the Mooresville Public Library in North Carolina the other day. Written by Mr. Handy in 2004 this book sets the record straight once and for all about Stalag 17. It wasn’t just a Broadway play, or a Hollywood movie, or even a TV show. It was years of hell for the men who lived through it; a hell they would never forget; though some would push it back further in their subconscious, only to have it come back to the forefront and haunt them years after the fact. Such was the case with Mr. Handy.

The film, written for the screen by director Billy Wilder and Edwin Blum; was originally a play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. It is uncannily similar to this book. Where the film has a character named Animal, this book has one named Beast. There is also a fellow from Brooklyn and a few other recognizable characters who will remind you of the movie. This actually makes the whole thing immensely readable. It does not diminish, in any way, from the intensity of what Mr. Handy experienced. Rather, it heightens the experience as you have an immediate connection with the characters from having “seen” them before.

The men in Mr. Handy’s barracks decide to escape; and after obtaining permission from the barracks coordinator; actually dig a tunnel which connects to an abandoned storm drain. The book is an invaluable insight into what life was like for the thousands of Army Air Corp prisoners held by the Nazis all throughout the war.

The book is also an invaluable insight into the mind on one man; and those around him; and how they coped, or did not, with their long imprisonment. New ways to think and dream, as well as remember, become crucial to survival. The author makes this discovery early on in his ordeal, reinforcing the notion that the key to one’s freedom really does lie within.

Note: Mr. Handy, and his story, are featured in the Bonus Materials on the re-released version of the film "Stalag 17". I watched that part of the DVD for the first time last night after finishing this book.

"Ranch Party" with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline (1957)

Here’s another example of the weekend entertainment which we missed in the city when I was growing up. Where we had Sullivan, they had Tex. And I think they may have gotten the better part of the deal!

Tex Ritter; John’s father; was a staple of the country music scene in the 1950’s. He was there at just the right time, too. He was showcasing acts that were changing the face of music, like this show with Johnny Cash. We didn’t even hear him on the radio in New York until a few months after the record was a hit all over the interior portions of the country. (I was very young, about 3 years old at the time, so I had to look that up.)

And Patsy Cline was another example of where the city was now sometimes lagging behind the more rural areas in entertainment. Up until then it had always been the big city setting the pace via the radio.

The point is that with the growing influence of the mass media, we were becoming more homogenized as a nation. Soon, what was considered to be “hillbilly” music would become rock and roll, taking the world be storm, and ushering in the 1960’s; one of the most mercurial decades this nation has ever known.

I love looking at these old shows, especially now, living down south in North Carolina. They are windows back into time which let me see what the people who are native to this state were seeing at the time. In turn, that gives me perspective on who they are today. 

"Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" - Max Fleischer (1944)

Here is another one of those magical creations by Max Fleischer, who is undoubtedly my favorite cartoon animator. In this retelling of the classic Christmas story of Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer, Max Fleischer went to great lengths in devising a story to go around the basic plot.

He sets the story in the woods of the great North where the reindeer play and await the Christmas season. Rudolph is the youngest of the herd, and with his shiny red nose he takes a lot of grief from the others.

But, when Christmas Eve comes around; bringing with it the worst fog Santa has ever seen; Rudolph is called upon to guide Santa and Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen through the weather and get the job done.

This cartoon has a great rendition of the song “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” by Johnny Marks. It’s sung in the tight harmonies which were typical of the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The lush quality of the whole production smacks of the post war world into which I was born about 6 years later. I remember it making the rounds on TV when I was about 5, which is probably the reason I can still recite the names of the reindeer from memory over 50 years later!  Watch this one with your kids/grandkids. They’ll remember it forever.

Warning: This song may become lodged in your head for a day or two. Although it can be annoying, I assure you that it is harmless.

Howser House

Nestled about an hour from our house, in the Kings Mountain National Park, is the stone house built in 1803 by a veteran of the Revolutionary War named Henry Howser. The house was home to several generations of Howser’s who farmed the fertile soil there. The site itself is also historically significant; as it sits right on the edge of what was once a famous battleground in the struggle for Independence.

The area in which Kings Mountain sits was a hotly disputed area during the war, with the Loyalists largely holding sway over the daily lives of the people who lived there. Because of this a group of volunteers from Tennessee were compelled to set out to cross the mountains separating Eastern Tennessee from the Piedmont area of the Carolinas. They took their canons with them.

The result of their efforts to help the people there throw off the yoke of British rule became known as the Battle of Kings Mountain. It was a significant victory, as it allowed the Continental Army to exert some control over the all-important mountain routes which were needed to resupply the Continental Army on the other side of the mountain, and as such it united the efforts of both colonies to be free.

The house itself is made of the local fieldstone and was considered to be quite a palace for its time and place. Oddly, although located within the boundaries of the Kings Mountain National Park itself, the house is only open 2 days a year; once in May and then again on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s when Sue and I went, last Saturday.

The Howser House is a treasure for anyone looking to broaden their knowledge of life in the early 19^th Century. Staffed by volunteers in period costumes, the visitors are shown how things were done in the old days; everything from raising herbs and vegetables to cooking and even constructing such a house are either demonstrated or discussed.

Sue and I love these type of day trips, as they require very little walking for me, but also provide a fantastic window back in time. With Sue being a member of DAR; and her great grandfather several times removed, Henry Pensinger being an American revolutionary Veteran; these sights are almost personal in a way. With no photographs, and very little in the way of written reminisces of the time, this is one of the best ways to see and feel what his daily life must have been like.

The following links will provide directions and information on both the Howser House and Kings Mountain National Park;

http://www.npca.org/about-us/center-for-park-research/stateoftheparks/kingsmountain/KIMO-report.pdf (about the Park)

http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1090&context=archanth_books  (about the Howser House)

"George Harrison: Living In the Material World" - Martin Scorsese (2011)

This may be the best rock biopic you will ever see about George Harrison. It shouldn’t surprise you as it was produced by Martin Scorsese and Olivia Harrison. It is filled with personal photos and film footage taken by Harrison and the other Beatles, and is narrated throughout by some of the people who knew and loved him the most.

That’s not to say that this is a marathon of celebrities stating how “Beatle George” affected, or influenced, them. Rather it is a film made by those closest to him, about him. Along the way Mr. Scorsese manages to extract the most telling interviews with George concerning fame, fortune and religion. Mr. Harrison’s take on religion was not so far removed from what he terms the concept of God being “a man in the sky”, which he originally rejected.

After delving into the sitar Mr. Harrison also embarked on a spiritual journey. He began in San Francisco, where he expected to see an enlightened community populated by people who had found some sort of inner peace. Instead he found sloth, rampant recreational use of LSD, and commercialism beyond belief. He promptly fled the scene after his famous walk through Golden Gate Park.

When he got to India he was lured into the Hindu teachings in a very simple way. He had always been taught, from birth, that you only needed to have Faith in God’s existence. But in India it was accepted that one cannot believe what he cannot see or feel for themselves. And, further, that this belief was valid.

His relationship with Ravi Shankar is explored and there is some film of George and Ravi weaving together on the sitar and guitar, melding the East and West into one. The film is so insightful and informative that you come away from it feeling as if you have met Mr. Harrison for the very first time; having misunderstood him for all these years.

Eric Clapton pays homage to not only his friend, but also to the creativity of the Beatles. He even tells the story of how he got to be on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, and the anxiety he felt about performing with them.

Klaus Voorman and Astrid Kirchherr, the two German friends from Hamburg days, give their first impressions of meeting both the Beatles and George, and how that relationship affected them, as well as influenced their own artistry. Their descriptions of the friendship post Hamburg; including the LSD trip which led to John writing “I Am the Walrus”; make this film even better. Klaus went on to do the cover for the Beatles album “Revolver” and also became the bass player in the original Plastic Ono Band.

Yoko Ono weighs in with some delightfully unguarded comments about meeting George and how he perceived her as a fellow artist, rather than an enemy. George Martin is fatherly in his affection for Mr. Harrison, and Paul McCartney talks of their first meeting and how he convinced John to hear George play.When he performed “Raunchy”; atop a double decker Liverpool bus one night; he was in the group.

This film is a delightful treat. I am the type who usually gets up several times during a film, either to eat or stretch. This film had me in my chair for the entire first disc, which runs about 94 minutes. There is also a second disc with bonus features and performances which runs about 2 hours.

Whether or not you were ever a fan of the Beatles; or even George Harrison; you will not leave this film “empty handed.” This film will lift you up while also making you take a closer look at your own system of beliefs. Surprisingly; whether you are an atheist, a Christian, a Jew, or even a Buddhist; this film will touch you in a very personal way.  

"Disunion" - Edited by Ted Widmer (2013)

Even for a Civil War buff like me, this book holds unknown treasures. From the files of the New York Times blog of the same name; which chronicles the Civil War; Mr. Widmer has drawn upon the 106 most poignant articles; each of which illustrates a point about the conduct of the War Between the States, as well as the men who waged it.

The subjects represented here form an eclectic view of our nation’s most trying conflict. From Lincoln’s furtive trip through Baltimore to Washington for his first Inauguration; and on through the first years of the War Between the States, the editors have given us a comprehensive view of not only our own internal struggle, but also a look at what was happening in the rest of the world at the time, and how it affected us all. We were not alone in our struggles.

In Russia the serfs had just been freed, even as we were first going to war over the same issue. The differences in geography and how that affected the Russian serf are explored in a thorough manner, with the author taking only a few pages to make his point.

In Europe the Germans were struggling over the question of whether or not to be Germany or the Austrian Empire. Otto Von Bismarck was in charge and opted for a smaller Germany. The question of what would win out in the end would not be fully decided for 3 more wars and almost 100 years.

Mexico was mired with debt to the European powers; a debt which they decided not to pay. This decision brought the fury of the French down upon them. Maximilian was the designated President but he only lasted until 1869.

A letter to President Lincoln from the ruler of San Marino; a small country nestled in the northeastern corner of Italy which is the world’s oldest Republic, having been founded about 1300; is an interesting event all in itself. It took Lincoln 2 months to prepare the reply which he deemed proper enough to send.

The role which the railroads played in the Union victory is also explored, making the reader fully aware of the new power to get supplies to the front in an expeditious manner. What used to take months now took mere weeks, and sometimes just days, to accomplish. This “progress” made the killing faster and more numerous. And, for those who love the story, the Great Locomotive Chase is not ignored in this all encompassing book.

Here at home the authors tackle such subjects as the hundreds of women who disguised themselves as men to fight in combat. Children were also involved in the conflict, one of the most famous being Johnny Clem, who at the age of 9 years, held the dubious distinction of being the youngest person in the war to have killed a man. Clem was a Union drummer boy, a veteran of quite a few campaigns before he shot the Confederate officer who demanded his drum in surrender.

Abraham Lincoln is at the center of almost every article presented here, giving us more insight as to who he really was as a person versus the legend we have come to know. His relationship with a man named Mr. Johnson, who did some work for the President in Illinois and then accompanied him to Washington, is a wonderful example of Lincoln’s attitudes concerning race.

Mr. Johnson was an African-American man. He cut Lincoln’s hair, and even nursed him to health in late 1863 when the President was stricken with a mild case of smallpox while travelling to Gettysburg for his famous speech. As a result of ministering to the President’s needs, Mr. Johnson himself came down with the pox and passed away as a result. Lincoln had him buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The President felt that, while it could not be proven that Mr. Johnson died as a result of exposure to his illness, it was a strong possibility. He took this burden literally, which is why he paid for Mr. Johnson’s funeral.

Rose Greenhow, a woman who lived around the corner from the White House, was a spy for the Confederacy. She was successful in passing the plans for the Battle of Bull Run to the enemy. Her late husband’s military contacts and her own social circle, allowed her to hear bits and pieces of information which she passed through the lines via messenger.

When she was discovered, Allan Pinkerton, who was in service to the US Government at the time, had her placed under house arrest. She then used her window shades to pass messages to other agents strolling by. At that point Pinkerton had the windows boarded up and Mrs. Greenhow removed to a military prison. She was so much trouble there; where she was the only woman; that she was exiled down South for the remainder of the war.

One of my favorite articles in this book was written by Mr. Widmer and concerns Sarah Bush, Lincoln's stepmother. He saw her for the last time in 1861 on his way to Washington. He gave her a black dress on the occasion, not knowing that she would wind up wearing that dress for his funeral. This is the woman who introduced him to books, and in doing so changed the course of history. This is also one of the finest pieces of writing to grace the pages of an already wonderful book.

The authors also explore the many famous names we have come to associate with the Civil War and give us a little more information about them. For instance, we meet Grant not as a General, but as a failed soldier working in a dry goods store. His star was yet to rise.

Filled with descriptions of everything imaginable about the War Between the States, this book will complement any literary collection about the Civil War. With so many subjects presented in its pages, the book will have the effect of making the reader look even further than ever before in an effort to understand the war which nearly drove a stake in the heart of our young nation, and in so many ways still divides us today.

"The Preacher And The Bear" - The Jubalaires

This song was originally recorded by Arthur Collins sometime in the early 1900’s. I've seen it listed as 1905, which puts it in the category of a waxed cylinder. It was recorded 2 more times by Claude Hopkins in 1935 and then the Golden Gate Quartet in 1937.  It didn't do much after that for about 12 years until Phil Harris recorded it in the 1947, the same year as the Jubalaires recorded theirs. (I’ll wager that their recording preceded Mr. Harris’.)

It was the Jubalaires who really immortalized the song. That’s the group you see singing it here. This film is from shortly after the records release. It was later covered by artists such as the Big Bopper in 1958, and then many more, including; The New Christy Minstrels in 1962; Jerry Reed in 1971; Jim Kweskin in 1979; David Holt in 1986; and also the Robert Decormier Singers in 1996. I’m sure there are many others, but these seem to be the most well-known versions.

The Jubalaires were a gospel oriented group from Florida originally comprised of Orville Brooks, Ted Brooks, Caleb Ginyard and George McFadden. At times the group included J.C. "Junior" Caleb Ginyard and even Willie Johnson. There have been many incarnations of the group over the decades since these men performed, all calling themselves some sort of derivative of the Jubalaires name. There are the Fairfax Jubalaires, the Sunset Jubalaires and etc. They all perform reasonably well, in the same style as the original Jubalaires, which is reminiscent of the Mills Brothers, with their tight harmonies sounding almost as one voice with different layers.

The group originally recorded under the name of The Royal Harmony Singers, beginning in 1936. In 1941 they relocated to Philadelphia. At that time the group was composed of Brooks as baritone; Willie Wright as tenor; Elijah Wright as bass; (he was soon replaced by Biggie McFadden); and the talented Billie Lee Johnson joined as guitarist in 1946. There had been quite a few others on guitar before him, but his style complimented the groups vocals in a way no other guitarist had done before.

The groups greatest success came in 1942 with their hit recording of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” which reached #10 on the R&B charts for the week of November 14, 1942.

By 1946 the group was appearing on shows such as Arthur Godfrey’s radio program on CBS. A short time after that Willie Johnson left the Golden Gate Quartet to become leader of the Jubalaires. They recorded on Decca, King and even Capital Records.

For a more lengthy history of this group please use the following link;

 http://www.ugha.users5.50megs.com/UGHA/ughahof98.htm

Note: You will have to scroll about halfway down the page before you see the Jubalaires, but it’s worth the trip as the article is much more detailed than my own.

The song itself is about a Preacher who goes hunting on the Sabbath, knowing that it’s wrong. He encounters a bear larger than he can handle and finds himself supplicating the Lord to help him in his time of need, all the while knowing he has left his own flock to fend for themselves.

THE PREACHER AND THE BEAR

(Traditional / Joe Arzonia)

The preacher went out a huntin’, it was on one Sunday morn’

It was against his religion, but he took a shotgun along

He got himself a mess o’ mighty fine quail and one old scraggly hare

And on the way home he crossed the path of a great big grizzly bear

Well the bear got down lookin’ ready to charge

The preacher never seen nothin’ quite that large

They looked each other right smack in the eye

Didn’t take that preacher long to say bye

The preacher, he run till he spotted a tree

He said, "Up in that tree’s where I oughta be"

By the time that bear made a grab for him

The preacher was a sittin’ on top a that limb

Scared to death, he turned about

He looked to the sky and began to shout

"Hey lord, you delivered Daniel from the bottom of the lion’s den

You delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale and then

The Hebrew children from the fiery furnace

So the good books do declare

Hey lord, if you can’t help me,

For goodness sake don’t help that bear"

Yea, look out preacher!

Well, about that time the limb broke off

And the preacher came tumblin’ down

Had a straight razor out of his pocket

By the time he lit on the ground

He landed on his feet right in front of that bear

And Lord, what an awful fight

The preacher and the bear and the razor and the hair

Flyin’ from left to right

Well first they was up and then they was down

The preacher and the bear runnin’ round an’ round

The bear he roared, and the the preacher he groaned

He was havin’ a tough time holdin’ his own!

He said, "Lord if I get out a here alive

To the good book I’ll abide

No more huntin’ on the Sabbath day

Come Sunday I’m headin’ to the church to pray"

Up to the heavens the preacher glanced

He said, "Lord won’t you give me just one more chance"

So the preacher got away, he looked around

Seen a tree where he’d be safe and sound

Jumped on a limb, turned about

Looked to the sky and began to shout

"Hey lord, you delivered Daniel from the bottom of the lion’s den

You delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale and then

The Hebrew children from the fiery furnace

So the good books do declare

Hey lord, if you can’t help me,

For goodness sake don’t help that bear"