Paradise Lost - Pitcairn's Island (2004)

Everyone has heard of Pitcairn's Island. Even if you have never read the book "Mutiny on the Bounty" the name of the Island itself evokes the image of tranquility and seclusion. But there is a story behind that story; and it's not always pretty.

The residents of Pitcairn's Island came to the place by way of an illegal act; the mutiny of Her Majesty's ship Bounty by Lt. Fletcher Christian, who forcibly relieved Captain Bligh of his command. The reason oft stated; and enshrined in the book by Nordoff and Hall; has always been that Bligh was a terribly cruel Captain. And that impression has survived the facts, and probably always will.

The truth is that Bligh was pretty much an enlightened Captain for his time; floggings on the Bounty's outbound voyage were actually fewer than on any other ships at the time. Bligh's biggest mistake was in letting his crew grow attached to the people of the island, making them very unhappy at the prospect of a return voyage home to England. Christian had married a native woman, for all intents and purposes, and was emotionally shattered at the prospect of leaving her. This was the real genesis for the mutiny. You can read the transcripts from the trial, rather than the fictional account if you have any doubts.

Pitcairn's Island was uncharted at the time, and Christian chose it for just that purpose. It lies halfway between New Zealand and South America. But troubles beset the newly freed mutineers almost from the very beginning in 1790. It all began with the women. There were fewer women than men in the original party, and some of the men were not willing to accept their situation of celibacy. Friction arose between some of the men over the issue; someone violated someone's honor; and then came the murders.

The island has existed in its own little niche for over 200 years, with the population reaching 233 in 1937 according to this article, and plummeting to 47 at the time this story surfaced in 2004. I have always been a fan of the book and apparently I cut the article out and left it in the book. While re-reading one of my favorite chapters the other day (I do that) I found it nestled comfortably between the pages where I last saw it 10 years ago.

Apparently there was some hank-panky on the island in the 1980's involving some of the children, who were sexually used; abused or molested; by 7 men living on the island; including the great great great etc grandson of Fletcher Christian; Steve Christian; who was also the Mayor at the time this article appeared. His son, Randy, was also charged with the same criminal acts.

According to the article the case began in 199 when a British police officer Gail Cox, who was visiting the island for an undisclosed purpose, heard that men on the island were having sex with girls as young as 12 years old. It took a 3 year investigation to gather enough evidence to charge 15 men; 8 of whom did not live on the island; with multiple counts of rape and unlawful intercourse with a minor.

The trial was conducted by a team of 2 dozen judges, prosecutors and defense attorney who came from French Polynesia to do their jobs. A court had to be built for the trail and a jail had to be erected for the defendants. With a population of about 47 people the defendants were actually enlisted in the endeavor. I can't help but think that this would be illegal in the States; kind of like giving the hangman the rope to string you up with. It's just not done.

By September 30, 2004 the trial had begun and the 7 residents of the island were found guilty and sentenced on October 24th all but one of them was found guilty of some of the 55 charges they faced. The other men; who all lived off the island; were convicted in a separate trial held in Auckland, New Zealand the following year.

The trial was a source of contention and disagreement among the residents of the island; particularly the women; some of whom had to have been aware of what was going on with their daughters. The full story of this aspect of the trial can be further explored in this article on Wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcairn_sexual_assault_trial_of_2004

At any rate, this is a sad story. It's beginnings held such promise. The inhabitants truly thought they had found freedom in a world of paradise. But, in the end; through their own actions and infighting; Pitcairn's Island became just another Paradise Lost.

Marlene Dietrich - "Lili Marlene" - The Biography of a Song.

In the film "Judgment at Nuremberg", with Spencer Tracy and Marlene Dietrich, there is a song which plays in the pub scenes and alehouses. It is a wonderful melody, which belies the bleak surroundings of that bombed out city. It was also the one song which was most favored by the soldiers of both sides during the war. Ms. Dietrich used to sing this song on the Bob Hope tours. I often wonder how she must have felt, a German born star who had found worldwide fame in America, as she toured the bomb ravaged cities of her continent of birth.

The song itself was taken from an old German poem titled "The Song of a Young Soldier on Watch." It was written in 1915 by Hans Leip, who was a schoolteacher from Hamburg, and first recorded in 1939 by Lale Andersen under the title "The Girl under the Lantern".

It appears that the Germans first used this song when they occupied Yugoslavia in 1941, when Yugoslavia's "Radio Belgrade" became "Soldatensender Belgrad", tasked by the Germans with entertaining the German troops.

There have been many versions of this song recorded, both before and after Ms. Dietrich's, which was recorded sometime around 1943. But hers remains the penultimate rendering of this timeless classic. Maybe it's because she was completely anti Nazi and had been ordered by Adolph Hitler to return to Germany as far back as 1935. Her refusal to return resulted in her films and records being banned from the country of her birth.

When the war broke out and the USO tours began, Ms. Dietrich was one of the first to join up in an effort to entertain the troops. And "Lili Marlene" was a natural for her to do. It was German, as was she, and by doing this song, which was also being used by the Germans in their own propaganda; it was like kicking sand in the Fuhrer's face.

At any rate, her performance and recording of this song have made it synonymous with her name. Not a bad legacy at all.

If you are looking for an in depth history of this song you can do no better than this link;

http://280th-usasa-berlin.com/BA%20002%20101%20Lili%20Marlene.html

Note: These are the best translations of the song lyrics I could find. The poem was drastically altered from the original, yet still maintains its integrity. You will notice a great discrepancy in the lyrics, from artist to artist, depending on the various arrangements and styles of singing.

"Lili Marlene" by Hans Leip (altered for Ms. Dietrich about 1942)

Outside the barracks by the corner light,
I'll always stand and wait for you at night.
We will create a world for two.
I'll wait for you the whole night through.
For you, Lilli Marlene.
For you, Lilli Marlene.

Bugler tonight, don't play the Call To Arms,
I want another evening with her charms.
Then we will say goodbye and part.
I'll always keep you in my heart.
With me, Lilli Marlene.
With me, Lilli Marlene.

Give me a rose to show how much you care,
Tied to the stem, a lock of golden hair.
Surely tomorrow you'll feel blue.
But then will come a love that's new.
For you, Lilli Marlene.
For you, Lilli Marlene.

When we are marching in the mud and cold,
And when my pack seems more than I can hold.
My love for you renews my might.
I'm warm again, my pack is light.
It's you, Lilli Marlene.
It's you, Lilli Marlene.

My love for you renews my might,
I'm warm again, my pack is light.
It's you, Lilli Marlene.
It's you, Lilli Marlene.


(This is the original 1937 recording)

"Lili Marlene" by Hans Leip (Original 1937 lyrics)

Underneath the lantern,
By the barrack gate.
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait.
'Twas there that you whispered tenderly,
That you loved me,
You'd always be,
My Lili of the lamplight.
My own Lili Marlene.

Time would come for roll call,
Time for us to part.
Darling I'd caress you
And press you to my heart.
And there neath that far off lantern light,
I'd hold you tight,
We'd kiss good night.
My Lili of the lamplight.
My own Lili Marlene.

Orders came for sailing,
Somewhere over there.
All confined to barracks.
'Twas more than I could bear.
I knew you were waiting in the street.
I heard your feet.
But could not meet.
My Lili of the lamplight.
My own Lili Marlene.

Resting in our billet,
Just behind the line.
Even though we're parted.
Your lips are close to mine.
You wait where that lantern softly gleamed.
Your sweet face seems
To haunt my dreams.
My Lili of the lamplight.
My own Lili Marlene.
My Lili of the lamplight.
My own Lili Marlene.

And this is the translation of the original poem, from which the song was composed;

"Lili Marlene"(Semi-literal Translation of original poem)

In front of the barracks, at the large entrance gate
Stood a lamplight, and if it’s still standing there,
We want to see each other there again
We want to stand at the lamplight
As before, Lili Marlene, as before, Lili Marlene.

Our two shadows appeared as one
That we were so much in love, one saw immediately.
And everyone should see it
When we are standing by the lamplight
As before, Lili Marlene, as before, Lili Marlene.

The sentry had already called out: They are sounding curfew.
“It can cost three days.” “I’m coming momentarily, comrade.”
Then we said goodbye.
How much I wanted to go with you,
With you, Lili Marlene, with you, Lili Marlene.

It [the lamplight] knows your footsteps, your graceful walk
Every evening it is burning, but it forgot about me long ago.
If harm should come to me,
Who will stand at the lamplight,
With you, Lili Marlene, with you, Lili Marlene?

From the quiet place, out of the earthly ground
I am lifted as in a dream to your loving lips.
When the evening mist swirls in
I will be standing at the lamplight
As before, Lili Marlene, as before, Lili Marlene.

This post is for Eddie Ray.

"The Bagman" with John Cusak and Robert DeNiro (2013)

This is one strange movie! A man named Jack, played by John Cusak, is hired by a man named Dragna, who is played by Robert DeNiro, to pick up a bag and bring it to him at a later date and location. No matter what happens during this assignment, he is not to look inside of the bag or even inquire as to its contents. He is to be paid a large sum of money for this, money which he desperately needs.

From the opening scene in which Dragna contracts with Jack to take the assignment, the film abruptly leaps to Jack already having the bag and waiting to meet Dragna at a run-down motel. The cast of characters there include a blue wigged hooker, a midget, and a pimp. The manager of the motel is in a wheelchair; his mother’s. And the local police are decidedly uninviting.

The hooker, Rivka, played by Rebecca DeCosta, has some sort of problem with her pimp and ends up taking refuge in Jack’s room. It is implied that she has looked into the bag when Jack was out of the room. She, of course, denies having done so. The two wind up being unlikely accomplices as the film progresses and Jack waits for the elusive and mysterious Dragna to show up with his money.

The film ends on a strange note and I will not ruin that for you. I will say this; I am getting a bit tired of films which seem to revolve around a mysterious bag or briefcase with something inside that can never be disclosed. This was the signature hook in “Pulp Fiction” and it worked well in that film.

But since that time we have been deluged with films such as this one, which contain a requisite cast of odd characters and something which cannot be opened.  In some films they even let you know what the package contained; the last one I saw used a head. Hey, who knows, that might have made this film work. 

"Dallas 1963" by Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis (2013)

Here’s an interesting little book which got lost among the plethora of stuff released last year for the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. This book, however, is a bit different than the rest. There is no exploration of any theories surrounding the Presidents murder. Instead, it is a portrait of a city conflicted by old money and new morals.

The book examines the 3 years between January 1960, when Kennedy was running for President, and November 22, 1963 when he was killed. Month by month the authors take you through what was happening in Dallas during that time in relation to Civil Rights, and the public’s reaction to both the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. These events helped to fuel the already predominant view amongst conservative fringe groups that Kennedy; and his entire administration; were closet Communists.

The main characters in this dramatic run-up to the Presidents assassination are a veritable who’s who of the Dallas social/political world. There is oil tycoon H.L. Hunt; who funds right wing causes, as well as newspapers and media ads calling for the U.S. to get out of the United Nations, and the Impeachment of Earl Warren as Justice of the Supreme Court. The echoes of these actions in Texas were felt all across the country. The John Birch Society was helped enormously by Hunt’s campaign of radical rhetoric.

Disgraced Army General Edwin Walker; whom Oswald would attempt to assassinate 6 months before he killed the President; is shown in all his glory here. Beginning with his resignation from the Army, to his delusional Presidential aspirations, the General is exactly the character portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the film version of the book “Seven Days In May”; which is almost a play by play account of what General Walker was up to. 

That book was one of Kennedy’s favorites, as it dealt with the showdown between the military and the President over nuclear disarmament; which is exactly what he was attempting to do. And he was meeting with the same resistance; both in and out of the White House; as his fictional counterpart was in the book. His meltdown in front of a Senate Committee was fascinating.

Reverend W.A. Criswell, head of the Dallas First Baptist Church, led the country’s largest Baptist church at the time and was squarely aligned with the segregationists in opposition to Civil Rights for Negroes. His goal was to baptize H.L. Hunt as a way to avail himself of Hunt’s money. He was successful in both endeavors.

Congressman Bruce Alger, an oily politico from Dallas, has a gaggle of women who are smitten with the vitriolic speeches he makes about President Kennedy and the menace of Civil Rights. He is known to have bedded many of them, in spite of his own marriage. 

Alger is desperate to be re-elected and courts the right wing fringe groups to that end. He is the driving force behind the “Mink Coat Mob” incident; in which Vice President Johnson and his wife were trapped in a hotel lobby and threatened with violence by a mob of Dallas’ most refined and wealthy women. When he was told that it was not safe to walk out of the hotel he replied, “When it has become so unsafe in America that a man can’t walk his lady across the street unmolested, I want to know about it!”

Stanley Marcus, owner of Dallas based Neiman-Marcus, spent the years between 1960 and 1963 walking a tightrope. He doesn’t want to lose business, but he doesn’t want to knuckle under to the right wing fringe groups. He brokers a deal where-by his store will allow Negroes to sit in his restaurant alongside of white patrons. He then convinces other businessmen to do the same. Dallas is quietly integrated.

Ted Dealey is the editor and owner of the Dallas Morning News; a fiery right wing daily. Dealey Plaza was named for his father who founded the paper. In the 1920’s the KKK moved its national headquarters from Dallas after the elder Dealey convinced the city’s fathers that it was not good for their image as an up and coming city. But the younger Ted Dealey is in league with some of the more racist and conservative elements in Dallas. He takes the advertising money for the hateful ads; all the way up until the night before Kennedy’s fateful visit.

The quotes from General Walker about racial purity, and his obsession with Communist infiltration of the government, will have you thinking of some of the rhetoric you hear about the current administration. Medicaid was also in the news at the time. It was touted by the right wing radicals as being a blank check for the President to have a “Death Panel” and kill off elderly Americans.

There are so many players here that I can’t include them all in this short review. Let’s just say that this book, more than any other, captures the mood and feel of Dallas in the 3 years leading up to the Presidents murder. It draws no conclusions; it plays no angles; it has no agenda. It is; instead; an account of the small part which so many people and groups played in creating a climate of hate and danger. Adlai Stevenson's legendary visit to Dallas; just weeks before the President's murder; is a prime example of that climate at the time.

It is said that we are all characters on a stage; and if that is true then we all contribute to the larger picture, which is a product of our individual actions. We; as a society; are the sum and total of our collective selves. The good elements outweigh the bad ones when we are lucky. But when the darker forces take root and hold sway, we all suffer the consequences.

The book seemed familiar to me in style and in the way it builds towards a climactic ending. I read a lot of books, and the authors names sometimes get lost in the jumble, but their individual styles are often instantly recognizable. Such was the case with this book; which, in spite of its being co-authored by Mr. Davis; bears the unmistakable mark of Mr. Minutaglio’s unique style. Together they comprise an even more formidable team.

Here is a link to Mr. minutaglio’s earlier work; “City On Fire”, which I first reviewed here in 2009, and re-posted again when I re-read parts of the book for reference purposes just last month;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2014/07/city-on-fire-by-bill-minutaglio.html

"Sheik of Araby" / "Right or Wrong" (1921)

Music is often said to be a mathematical experience, in that there are 7 major chords and 8 notes which comprise all of the western music ever written. It’s different in India, where they have a seemingly infinite number of notes; or sounds; 64, I think. Imagine the possibilities!

I love music, and listen to a lot of older music. Sometimes I think I hear the nascent sounds of a later song in an older one. It’s usually just a phrase or so, a stumbling upon the same territory and sound, as another composer elsewhere. But every now and then I come across one as blatant as “My Sweet Lord” was to “She’s So Fine.” But this time it’s different.

These 2 songs were written by 2 teams of songwriters working at different ends of the country at a time when radio wasn’t available beyond the crystal head set phase. So that makes it very unlikely that either one of these songwriters even had the opportunity to plagiarize anything from one another. This is a true mathematical/musical coincidence. The odds are astounding that this could occur, even by chance.

“The Sheik of Araby” is a bit faster and in a higher key, but the melody is the same as the slower “Right or Wrong.” If you don’t believe me just sing the lyrics to “Right or Wrong” while listening to the “Sheik of Araby.” I have used instrumental versions of both songs to make it easier.

"The Sheik of Araby", like “Right or Wrong”, was written in 1921. The lyrics were by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler, and the music was composed by Ted Snyder. It was written at the height of Rudolph Valentino’s popularity in the film “The Sheik.” It is considered to be one of the thousands of hits to come from Tin Pan Alley in New York City.

Now, moving on to “Right or Wrong”; remember that the coincidence here is two-fold. Not only did the music have to be of the same melody, the lyrics had to be of the same meter; as in rhyme scheme. This really is an amazing thing, even though the songs are in different keys.

“Right or Wrong" is considered to be a jazz ballad. The music was composed by Art Sizemore and Paul Biese, and the words were penned by Haven Gillespie. It was meant to be played as a foxtrot. Bob Wills immortalized this song with his two step version in 1936, which has become the standard.

So check it out and let me know what you think. Here’s the main chorus for “Right or Wrong”;

Right or wrong, I'll always love you.

Tho' you're gone, I can't forget.

Right or wrong, I'll keep on dreaming,

Tho' I wake with that same old regret.

All along I knew I'd lose you,

Still I pray'd that you'd be true.

In your heart, please just remember,

Right or wrong, I'm still in love with you.

And here are the lyrics to “The Sheik of Araby”;

Well I'm the sheik of Araby

Your love belongs to me

Well at night where you're asleep

Into your tent I'll creep

Aha

The stars that shine above

Will light our way to love

Ah you rule this world with me

I'm the sheik of Araby

Well I'm the sheik of Araby

Your love belongs to me

Wow oh at night where you're asleep

Into your tent I'll creep

Aha

The sun that shines above

Will light our way to love

You rule this world with me

I'm the sheik of Araby

Well I'm the sheik of Araby

Well I'm the sheik of Araby, yeah.

The Old Clock - 1927 Seth Thomas

This is the 1927 Seth Thomas S 86 mantle clock which Sue picked up a few weeks ago at a yard sale. She paid 50 cents for it. One main spring is over wound; or sprung; and the pendulum disc is missing. The two items will cost about $150 to repair/replace. However, there is the remote possibility that it will need a complete overhaul, which would bring the cost to $400. That probably won’t happen; as in “I’m not willing to spend that much.”

No matter, the clock is a Westminster type; which means it strikes on the quarter hour; or every 15 minutes. Twice at 15 minutes past; 4 times at half past; and 6 times at a quarter to the hour. On the hour it strikes the appropriate amount of times for the time indicated. It’s a wonderfully soothing sound.

Each of the people I called about repairing the clock mentioned that it may “not be worth fixing”. The funny thing is that they each then offered to “take it off my hands” for a small amount of cash. No way. This is a keeper.

My great Aunt Katherine had several of these clocks; only older; in her brownstone in Park Slope when I was growing up. I took 2 of them home when she passed away in 1965. My father refinished one and we both tinkered with the “works.” We actually had that clock running for many years. Decades later, after it had stopped working, I foolishly sold it. Not so with this one.

Time has a funny way of restoring to you all the things which you have lost. And when you can recover something which was once so dear to you, it becomes twice as dear for the time lost. So it is with this clock. This clock will never be sold; we will be spending the rest of our respective time together.

Little John and the Chickens

Johnny was a strange little boy. Even his parents were a bit puzzled by him. He grew up in a small backwoods area where white people were almost never seen. This was the era of Apartheid and bullwhips in South Africa. He got “religion” at a young age and would preach to the hens in the henhouse as he tended to his chores. He stuttered while he spoke. He even disapproved of his father’s farm work because it was interfering with God’s plan.

As a young teen he was given an opportunity to learn with a church volunteer who was visiting the area. Although he stuttered and stammered; and most people, including his parents; thought that he was wasting his time; this woman saw something in the boy. She encouraged him to go further.

A few more years passed by and that woman became involved in legal difficulties. The laws of that time and place did not allow his people to learn to read and write. In many churches the local authorities allowed only 1 copy of the Bible. And, they actually came around to check.

With only 1 book it would be almost impossible to teach people to read. This restriction was one of the many factors which gave way to “lining”; a practice common to his people; whereby the Pastor would read, or sing a line; and then the congregation would repeat it.

When the authorities couldn’t stop the woman from teaching they closed the church and sent her to jail for “moonshining” after they found 1 bottle of beer. Then they confiscated the building, tore it down and sold the church property. Little Johnny, a teenager by this time, was affected greatly by this whole turn of events. And all the while the racial tension in South Africa grew ever worse.

You might say that these events informed the person who Johnny would ultimately become. You see, that little boy; Johnny; was John Lewis, future activist and Congressman. He can be seen in the above photo. He is the one being attacked by the dog on March 7^th, 1965 during the Selma-Montgomery march for the right to vote.

You see, all that befell Johnny took place; not in South Africa under Apartheid; but here at home in the United States of America. And the sacrifices made by Mr. Lewis and thousands of other brave men and ensured that later generations would have the right to be heard in the voting booth.

As for the woman; the one who was arrested and jailed for “moonshining”; that was Septima Clark, of the Highland Folk School. Now, fifty years later, the rights which these 2 fought for; in the form of the Voting Rights Act; are under attack by people who would have you believe that the need for these protections has passed. Don’t believe that for a second. The new battle for Civil Rights will not be about color. The new battle will be about economics.