Reading for Fun - A Self Portrait

I began to read a new book the other day; I had just cracked the cover of the book which I intend to review next week; when I realized that I had no idea which book I had picked up, nor what the subject was about. I frequently have several books going at once, sort of a juggling act which I enjoy doing, but I always know which book I am reading. Apparently ,not this time. However, in  my defense I offer the following;

I had just turned to the first page of Chapter One; I read the Introductions, etc. later on, after I have gotten the flavor of the book, so as to avoid being steered in any direction other than that of the author’s own words within the narrative. This book begins with the line, “Fred Whalen learned to scam along the Mississippi, the river that divides America, at pool halls and revivals.” Great line; it  hooked me from the get-go, it has the elements of time and place, along with the personal type of pitch which appeals to me. In short; it made me want to read more; and I am in the process of doing just that. We'll have to wait and see if it can hold my interest against the other two I'm reading.

But, my greater point is this; I have finally reached the point I always dreamt about; I have become that absent minded, besieged by books, slightly confused type of old guy I always wanted to be. And, I actually understood Clint East Eastwood the other night. You got a problem with that?

"The Salt of the Earth" with Will Greer and David Wolfe (1954)

“Salt of the Earth” holds the honor of being the only film ever blacklisted, and actively pursued by the law, in the history of the United States. It was more vigorously harassed than even any pornography which existed at the time. And the saddest part of the whole thing is this; the story is based on fact, and as such is really the story of a group of zinc miners in New Mexico during the 1930’s. This band of miners, consisting of both Mexican and Anglo workers, along with their wives, lived in deplorable conditions, prompting the men to call for a strike. 

This film may seem to be poorly acted at times; and if so, is to be excused. You see, most of the cast are the actual members of the Local Zinc Miners Union, and not actors at all. Just people; like you and I. The actual strike lasted 8 months, with no settlement in sight, until the women stepped in. With their children’s stomachs to be filled, these women could wait no longer to get the strike settled, so they pitched in in the best way they could. They got arrested, causing all kinds of logistical problems; including dirty diapers; for the local constabulary. This hastened them to put pressure on the mine owners to settle with the workers, who were none too happy to be at home washing clothes.

More important than the actual story is the example set by all who pitched in together to organize for change. Together there is nothing that cannot be achieved. It is only when we let the powers that be keep us divided by class, race, religion or sexual and political persuasion that they have any power over us at all. And that is what scared the government so much about this film.

The story not only speaks to labor equality, but is also one of the earliest films to encompass feminism and the deprivations of all workers. Being released in the midst of the McCarthy Era did it absolutely no good, as it was banned; and that ban was widely enforced.

The film was written and directed by Herbert Biberman, who had been among the Hollywood Ten, which was a group of directors singled out by the House of Un-American Activities during the McCarthy Era witch-hunts as being a subversive, and therefore a danger to society. His real crime, of course, was his unwillingness to name other people to be persecuted by McCarthy and his aides, who included future Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

A very educational and groundbreaking film; which also explores the issue of illegal immigration; this is a film that you will want to see more than once, if only to see whether your reactions to the issues remain consistent with what you think you believe, versus whether you have changed.

The Frank Sinatra Spectacular - 1965

The night before this TV special was recorded in St. Louis for a charity benefit in 1965, Joey Bishop slipped a disc in his back. While this was bad for Mr. Bishop, it was a wonderful opportunity for Johnny Carson, the King of late night TV at the time, to work with one of the hottest acts in entertainment history.  Acting as the emcee for, and sometimes performing with, the legendary trio was one of the self-confessed highlights of Mr. Carson’s long and storied career in show business.

The show was recorded and beamed live via closed circuit TV to selected movie theaters across the country on June 20^th, 1965. The broadcast originated at the Kiel Opera House in St. Louis.

Whatever else needs to be explained about this video is done in Mr. Carson’s introduction to the show. So, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy it!

"FDR and Chief Justice Hughes" by James F. Simon (2012)

The old saying about how everything changes, yet remains the same, is highlighted in this book highlighting the battle between the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Charles Hughes, and Franklin Roosevelt, the President of the United States, over the Presidents “New Deal” policies. More than just a chronicle of events, the author takes the time to study each man’s past in an effort to more fully understand the differences in the two.

Within the first 5 days of his administration taking over the office of the Presidency, FDR enacted sweeping changes which put him; as well as the changes he did manage to make permanent; at odds with certain interests in the financial community. That chasm still exists today. And that’s what makes this book so important to read. At a time when we should be using the success of the New Deal to wriggle our way back to financial security as a nation, we seem to be having the same old arguments about how that recovery should take place.

Harry Truman once said that “The only thing new is the history you don’t know.” I quote that often, mainly because it is true. Within days of his taking office, FDR had declared a bank holiday, and suspended trading in silver and gold, using the Banking Acts of the First World War as his precedent to do so. He then went on radio to deliver the first of his “fireside chats”, explaining to the average American just how the financial system worked. After only three days the banks which had been allowed to reopen showed twice the amount of deposits as they did withdrawals. By the 15^th of March, a mere 2 weeks after the new administration took control, Wall Street re-opened, surging well ahead of the markets in Europe, and racking up the highest gains in 6 months.

Of course these changes did not sit well with many people in the banking profession. Particularly glaring were the changes regarding the Gold Standard, which had many of the more well-heeled industrialists fulminating. Eventually the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Hughes, struck down the New Deal as being Unconstitutional, leaving an exasperated FDR to come up with a new plan which would pass the courts muster. This is the part where he tried, through a failed attempt at legislating the age of retirement for the Justices on the Court, 6 of whom were over the age of 70. He hoped to be able to “pack” the court with Justices who would uphold his legislation. Although his motives may have been pure, his thinking was not.

The framers of the Constitution had made a point of having Supreme Court Justices appointed for life. They did this for a very good reason. In order to keep the Supreme Court from becoming a “plumb” position; handed out as a reward to political lackeys; they envisioned the positions to be life-long. This ensured that no party, no matter how long they might retain control of the Executive Branch of Government, could maintain control of the Court. The Court, like the Executive and Legislative Branches, was to act separately, answering only to their interpretation of the Constitution under which it was formed.

The book is filled with the history of both Franklin Roosevelt and his family, as well as that of Chief Justice Hughes. Even if the book were completely devoid of the struggle between the two men over the New Deal, the histories of their respective families would be interesting enough on their own.

Throughout the book, as the two men circle one another over this issue, the reader cannot help but admire the tenacity of both parties as they struggle to do what they feel is right for the American people. Both men were brilliant statesmen, making the tale of their adversity all the more remarkable.

Fully researched, and deftly written, this is the perfect book to help you get through both Conventions. It contains the seeds of the economic struggle which still rages in America today, as the “haves” try their best to bring back the days when the rest of us were “have nots.”

Convention Alternatives

I don’t know about you, but I have been going out of my way to avoid the 2 freak shows which have been masquerading as Conventions this past week, as well as the one just beginning. (This is quite an accomplishment on my part, considering the Democrats have taken over Charlotte, and the surrounding environs, which is where I live.) To that end I have accumulated some of my favorite all time movies about the Presidency to watch; all of which I have seen before. But with nothing new, or unexpected, set to happen at the Conventions, I have been getting the better part of the bargain.

 

In the first film, “The Manchurian Candidate”, pictured above, the Convention becomes the backdrop of an assassination plot to kill the party nominee while he is at the Podium. The most fascinating thing about this movie is that it was made 1 year prior to John Kennedy’s assassination, allegedly at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, who had been involved in some of the same mind control experiments as Laurence Harvey’s character in the film. As a matter of fact, this film; much like the Zapruder film of JFK’s murder; was taken out of circulation for 25 years. It’s re-release only came about due to a conversation between Larry King and Frank Sinatra, in which Mr. King asked why the movie was never shown after its initial run. Sinatra didn’t know it, but the film had been purchased from the studio and then locked in Sinatra’s vault without his knowledge. The film was re-released in the late 1980’s by Mr. Sinatra. If you have never seen this original version of the film, this is a good week to do it.

 

In “Seven Days in May”, which was actually filmed in the family quarters of the White House; much to the dismay of Jackie Kennedy; Frederic March plays the President. He has just signed a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Russians, which invokes the ire of his Joint Chiefs of Staff, who then plot to overthrow the civilian government. Burt Lancaster plays the villain in this thriller, which mirrors the events of the time to a tee. Only an accidental observation by Kirk Douglas saves the day in this thriller, which was actually viewed pre-release by President Kennedy. He had already read the book 3 times upon its release in 1960. 

 

“Dr. Strangelove” is another off my favorite movies involving the Presidency. In this film, Sterling Hayden plays a Major in charge of a Strategic Air Command base who decides to preserve our American way of life; and our precious bodily fluids; by taking a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the Soviet Union. With George C. Scott playing the General who is tasked with recalling the planes, and Peter Sellers playing multiple roles; including the President; this is a satire which exposed some of the weaknesses in our official policy of Mutually Assured Destruction.

  

"John Adams”, with Paul Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, is another movie high on the list of films about the Presidents. This mini-series is at once a story of a man, his marriage, and the birth of a nation. No matter what you might think of John Adams, the movie is superbly written, produced and performed.

There are several more movies about the Presidency which I have been watching in lieu of the Conventions, but these are just a few of the best. Turn off your TV and slip in a disc. You’ll be glad you did.

"Come Together" - Black America Sings Lennon and McCartney" (2011)

 

Music crosses all barriers of race and culture. It's primal. When you hear something that you like, it pleases you. It doesn't matter if you're a stone cold racist; Little Richard is just plain good. During the 1950's America was deluged with what were called "race" records at the time. That is; they were black artists singing gospel infused blues music, which quickly came together with the blues to form a new genre in music; rock and roll. That's one direction on the two way street of music.

 

But just as the American artists of the 1950's influenced the British artists of the time, the British Invasion which came of that music, came to inspire the same artists back in America. By 1969 Aretha Franklin was singing "Let It Be” even before the Beatles released their version. And Wilson Pickett was doing "Hey Jude", with Duane Allman on guitar, to tremendous success.

 

Good music is like that, it crosses; or passes through; anything in its way. When Howlin' Wolf howled; and Little Richard shrieked; white America and all of England took note. So, it was really great to see that some of these same American artists were equally enthralled with the sounds that were coming back at America.

 

This 2011 release pays homage to the 4 guys who led the British Invasion, and had been influenced by Chuck Berry, Mary Wells, Fats Domino, Little Richard and a host of others. All of the artists I have mentioned; with the exception of Chuck Berry; appear on this album singing songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Some of the selections were a real surprise to me. Long familiar with the Wilson Pickett version of "Hey Jude"; with Duane Allman's searing guitar;  and Aretha Franklin's version of "Let It Be"; which was actually a present to her from Mr. McCartney; I was more surprised at the scope of songs, as well as the artists, who are included in this unusual collection.

 

Billy Preston doing "Blackbird" was almost expected, as he had been working with the Beatles at the time McCartney wrote the song. But Chubby Checker doing "Back in the USSR" came as a surprise, even though it is basically the twist, for which Mr. Checker is widely known.

 

Fats Domino rocks out on Lennon's "Me and My Monkey", and I was shocked that Chairmen of the Board, known mostly for their beach music, would even tackle something as political as the title song "Come Together".  Below is a list of the 24 tracks on this album, which is unique in its concept of having African-American interpretations of British "pop" music. Check out the unusual, and different, renditions of some of your favorite Beatles tunes done by some of the premier African-American artists of our time. And, when you do, you will understand that there are no boundaries when it comes to music.

 

1. Back in the USSR - Chubby Checker

2. We Can Work It Out - Maxine Brown

3. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey - Fats Domino

4. Ticket to Ride - Wee Willie Walker

5. Good Day Sunshine - Roy Redmond

6. Please Please Me - Mary Wells

7. Eleanor Rigby - Gene Chandler

8. And I Love Her - The Vibrations

9. Come Together - Chairmen Of The Board

10. Blackbird - Billy Preston

11. Paperback Writer - R.B. Greaves

12. Rocky Racoon - The Moments

13. Drive My Car - Black Heat

14. Lady Madonna - Junior Parker

15. Help - David Porter

16. Yesterday - Linda Jones

17. Day Tripper (previously unissued alternate take 4) - Otis Redding

18. Why Don't We Do It in the Road - Lowell Fulson

19. I Saw Her Standing There - Little Richard

20. Don't Let Me Down - Donald Height

21. Get Back - The Main Ingredient

22. The Long and Winding Road - The New Birth

23. I Want to Hold Your Hand - Al Green

24. Let It Be - Aretha Franklin

"Building A Building" with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (1932)

Bullying is a problem which has beset mankind for ages. From the first cavemen, up through the present time, there have always been; and probably always will be; those who would use their size, or strength, to impose their will upon others. Although a serious problem, bullying has proven to be great fodder for some of the best comedy ever produced; be it on stage, screen or even in cartoons.
 

Think of Charlie Chaplin’s early films. Wasn’t he always the victim of some bullying type, whether it be an authority figure, or just a plain old rude person? But he always came out on top in his confrontations with bullies, even if only by accident.

The same is true of the Popeye cartoons, in which the intrepid sailor was always up against someone bigger than himself. Bluto was always trying to savage him in a never ending quest for the love of Olive Oyl, only to be beaten by Popeye and his spinach each time. Since school has just begun again, I thought I would address the issue with a cartoon to illustrate the topic of bullying.

In this 1932 release, Mickey is working on a construction site, building a building. Everyone works in unison except for the riveter. He is the big man on site, and let’s Mickey know it. When Minnie Mouse comes along with her lunch wagon, he quickly makes unwanted advances towards her. This brings him into confrontation with the much smaller Mickey, who; aided by Minnie; gives him a taste of his own medicine. They then ride off together on a new joint venture, as evidenced by the sign on the side of the lunch wagon.

Bullying is a real issue in our schools today. With the beginning of the new school year, all parents should take the time to talk to their children about this topic. Give them the tools they need to confront the problem. The first is humor. Most bullies can be laughed away, but sometimes the only choice is to stand up for your own dignity. But, if fighting back is not your cup of tea, then telling an adult at school, and home, are the next best things. There is no shame in being bullied; but there is also no reason to accept it lying down

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