Life Magazine Loving the Lindy: August 23, 1943

Posted on September 18, 2017 by

Judging from the movies made during World War II, one would think that every service man and woman was an expert swing dancer, except, of course, for the goofy side-kick who was always stepping on the feet of the leading lady’s slightly less attractive friend.

The fact is that dancing was an escape from the many troubles of the day, and the kids—the ones who were bearing most of the troubles—preferred to swing it, as they would say. Indeed, no less of an authority than Life Magazine proclaimed that the Lindy Hop “with the exception of tap dance  . . . is this country’s only native and original dance form,” in its August 23, 1943 issue. After a brief introduction to the history of the Lindy, Life devoted nine full pages to photographs and descriptions of the various moves. If you find it difficult learning dance moves from videos, imagine those kids trying to figure out exactly what to do from still photos! Especially still-photos of experts who always make anything look so easy. I can only imagine how many Purple Hearts might have been handed out to an untold number of ladies for broken toes on the dance floor. This is not to say that it is impossible to recognize the poses and descriptions listed on these pages as I am sure many of my dance friends will.

Whether you are a dancer or not, the article is a fascinating look into what was a national craze despite the fact that “to elders, the gyrations of jitterbugs may appear disordered and vulgar.” Thanks to the folks who run jitterbuzz.com, you can see the entire article for yourself here. There is even a link that will allow you to download a pdf of the entire piece, and while you’re there, I recommend cruising around the website which is of interest to anyone who continues to believe that it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.

Advertisements
Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

War Music About Hope and Home

Posted on September 11, 2017 by

Music plays an important role in The Secret of Their Midnight Tears and indeed, perhaps no other type of music is associated with a particular era more than swing is with World War II.

The swing era, which had its roots in the music of the 1920s, actually began on a rather specific date—August 21, 1935—when Benny Goodman began his highly successful run in Los Angeles at the Palomar Dance Club, when his “hot swing” brand of music was wildly embraced by West Coast youngsters. The era continued until 1946 when changing musical tastes, and the fact that the thousands of young Lindy hoppers and jitterbuggers were now married adults beginning families, brought it to a close. (The era closed, but the music continues!) Wikipedia has a rather thorough article on the history of swing that is worth your time if you desire a deeper look. Here’s an excellent website with a page regarding the various genres of music during the war, including song samples.

What strikes me about the era are those pieces such as “I’ll Be Seeing You” which combine a longing for reunion with the very realistic attitude that it might not happen. Written in 1938, Bing Crosby took “I’ll Be Seeing You” to #1 on the Billboard charts during the first week of July, 1944. That same week, telegrams began arriving at homes throughout the United States announcing the casualties from D-Day. I cannot imagine a greater sadness than hearing this song and after receiving a telegram from the War Department announcing that one of the casualties is someone you loved.

The American military knew how important the music from home was to the servicemen overseas and worked very hard to provide it to them. Assembling the biggest stars, singers, and bands, the military produced “V-discs,” (V for Victory) which were records with songs and greetings that were sent all over the world including the front lines. Another important military musical production was Command Performance which, as the name implies, was programmed by the G.I.s. There might be a request to hear bullfrogs on the old mill pond or church bells or a “sigh from Carol Landis,” for example. Recording and movie stars lined up to appear on these programs which were beamed over Armed Forces Radio Network and later, placed on transcription discs. The shows were not generally broadcast to the folks at home.

The video below is a segment from a November 1943 Command Performance featuring Betty Hutton singing “Murder, He Says,” a funny, bouncy tune that satirizes the slang of the day. (You’ll hear MC Bob Hope announce some of the servicemen’s names who requested this performance at the beginning of the video below.) The entire episode is sometimes seen on TCM and it, along with other Command Performance shows and clips are also on Youtube. Despite Miss Hutton’s lively performance and the fun nature of the song, I can’t help but become a bit emotional watching it. Indeed, I watch Betty Hutton and sense that she knew that she was doing much more than singing a song; I think she knew that she was sending a piece of home and a dose of hope to men and women who were far from the former and running low on the latter.

Yes, indeed, music was very important to the people who fought World War II.

 

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Great Subject Equals Great Art Equals Great Gift

Posted on September 5, 2017 by

Everyone should have a hobby. It not only keeps you off the streets, it makes it easier for the rest of us to get you a gift. For example, you can always give a golfer a dozen more golf balls. So what if your golfer friend takes those golf balls and puts them with the other 18 dozen he’s accumulated out in his garage? The point is that those golf balls say, “I pay attention to you and to what you like.” The gift is personal and not a mere marking of an occasion.

If you know my wife, Martha, then you know that she has taken up a new hobby, namely anything to do with our granddaughter, Riley. As a result, I managed to score the perfect gift, namely a framed, poster-sized photo on tiles, of the bald little joy-ball herself. I hung it in the bedroom and just let Martha find it.

Nana finds her birthday gift.

Adding to the photo itself is the story behind it. When I showed Becky the photo that I had selected, she told me that Riley’s smile had been produced by a specific incident. It seems that they had been caught in the rain between the car and the house and once inside, Becky dried Riley with a rabbit-ear towel. Becky then dried herself and put the towel on her own head, which elicited this great big smile.

The creator of this wonderful gift is Ms. Stacy Mirabella of Inwood, West Virginia, which is just north of where we are in Stephenson, Virginia. I met Stacy at her home office and had a chance to view some of her wonderful pieces, and she was able to create a wonderful piece for us. Stacy is in the process of launching her business, Image43, the website for which is here. I highly recommend, not only the finished product, but the business itself as Stacy is both quite personable and professional.

Now, Riley Dice, who on that day was 6 months/27 days, will smile at us for years to come, and I am looking forward to the moment when say, five-year old Riley stands before that masterpiece-in-tile and contemplates just who that baby is. I won’t be around when 50-year old Riley stands before it, but if she is like her grandpa, I know that it will fill her full of wonder and awe and her sense of time will be acute. What is the distance from 6 months to 50 years but a series of moments and this photo captures one link in that long chain when she and her mom were caught in the rain.

Posted in Life is Weird, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 6 Comments

My Cousin, My Grandpa, and Chief Pontiac

Posted on August 25, 2017 by

My post from August 11th of this year concerning the news of 1943 generated a very interesting response from my older cousin Chuck who lives in Cincinnati. In that post, I discussed the need to be accurate when writing historical fiction and wondered if I had assigned Reverend Hall, my minister in The Secret of Their Midnight Tears, the correct automobile. I opined that he would certainly not be driving the ’41 Nash that I saw in Winchester on the street one day. Chuck, however, wrote a wonderful email explaining that our Methodist minister grandfather, Edward Gisriel, actually had something even better in the years immediately following the war. I’ll let Chuck take it from here:

Maybe Rev. Hall didn’t have a flashy car, but Rev. Gisriel did.  He owned a 1947 Pontiac Chieftain—black with all of the bells and whistles, including a lighted acrylic Indian-head hood ornament.  As in the photo, the Reverend’s car was loaded with REAL chrome and a

1947 Pontiac Chieftan

driver’s side search light.  We would frequently drive to Seat Pleasant to one of his churches for evening activities:  movie night, minstrel shows and evening services.  The drive always began in the early afternoon and we would always stop by a running stream about half way there, eat our lunch, and spend some time skipping stones on the water.  

 After the evening event, sometimes very late at night (at least for me at 4 or 5 years of age) we would be driving back to Howard Street, where we both lived with my parents, and I clearly remember asking “Are you sure we are going the right way?”  This was well before Interstates and major road lighting, so it was always extremely dark and we’d be the only car on the back roads.  I must have asked the question thousands of times. It became a joke between us and the answer was always the same, always accompanied by his Methodist Evangelical hearty laugh: “Don’t worry.  Chief Pontiac is leading the way.”  Then I was assigned the task of finding a radio station by pushing the ivory buttons on the dash.  

 I will always remember these moments and the tremendous bond that grew between us.  He always encouraged my questions and always patiently answered.  This was something my father never did.  Granddad Gisriel and I shared a bedroom on Howard St. and we always listened to the Orioles game on the radio at bed time.  When he was away at night I would turn on the game and try to stay awake, listening for the Pontiac to pull into a garage, and then report the score as he got ready for bed.  On gameless nights, we would always play “Bet I can beat you to sleep”. That was probably to shut me up—and I never could tell who won.

Thanks, Chuck for sharing this beautiful story­. Don’t be surprised if I steal it and put it in a work of my own some time.

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Trailer for The Secret of Their Midnight Tears

Posted on August 21, 2017 by

Hope you enjoy this trailer for The Secret of Their Midnight Tears. I thought this work of fiction was best illustrated by real people and mementos taken from my mom’s scrapbooks.

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Boots Poffenberger: Still Bringing People Together

Posted on August 14, 2017 by

As rivulets of water streamed across the parking lot of Hagerstown’s Municipal Stadium Saturday night, fans streamed into the ballpark  to receive their Boots Poffenberger bobble head, handed to them by members of Boots’ family. I had been invited to attend and sign copies of Boots Poffenberger: Hurler, Hero, Hell-Raiser, which I did, and I had a great time doing so. I met a couple of Boots’ relatives, reconnected with a friend who also happened to be one of Boots’ old drinking buddies, and even met a gentleman–younger than I am–from Detroit who knew all about Boots. It seems that his legend is still very much alive in the Motor City.

From L-R, Laco Anderson, some writer guy, and Donna Weimer

I also got to talk to my friend Laco Anderson, who I interviewed extensively for the book. Laco was one of the kids that Boots would gather up when home on leave from the Marine Corps, and play baseball with them all day, “until it was time to go to Murray’s Tavern in the evenings,” according to Laco. Laco’s daughter, Donna Weimer, was there as well, and she, along with Pam Gouker, formed the first grade teaching team at Fountain Rock Elementary school where both Becky and Sarah attended. Now, of course, Donna and her dad can watch Sarah on WDVM, the local television station at which she is a reporter, and Becky teaches first and second grades.

The most striking thing that I learned about Boots Poffenberger when I was researching the book was how beloved he was and how, in spite of his eccentricities (or irresponsibilities, depending on your perspective) people gravitated towards him. He became the focal point around which new friendships and connections were formed and he continues to perform this role even 18 years after his death.

Thanks to the Washington County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for sponsoring the bobble head and to the Hagerstown Suns in putting on the event. Oh, and as for the game? After feverishly working on the field for over an hour, the game had to be postponed because of wet grounds. Any fans who headed to a tavern to spend the time that they otherwise would have spent at the ballpark, were no doubt saluted by Boots with a frosty mug raised on high Somewhere Out There where there are no rainouts.

Posted in Boots' biography | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What’s In the News: June, 1943

Posted on August 11, 2017 by

Recently, I wrote about the necessity to include only accurate details when writing fiction. That post detailed my quest for accurate information regarding tomato varieties that might have been planted during World War II. Even after publishing The Secret of Their Midnight Tears, I continue to concern myself with the details that it contains. On the streets of Winchester recently, I came across a 1941 Nash in beautiful condition, and the first thing that came to mind was wondering if my preacher-character, Reverend Hall, would have really driven a Buick, as I had written. I think I remain safe in that assumption—he sure wouldn’t have driven anything as flashy as this

1941 Nash

Nash—but it’s something that I never even thought about when I included that automotive detail.

In any case, what brought me to downtown Winchester was the pursuit of more details for the sequel to The Secret of Their Midnight Tears, specifically June 1-8, 1943. I ventured to the Stewart Bell Archives Room at Handley Library and found the microfilm that I needed from the Winchester Star.

Combing old newspapers is fascinating for several reasons. The ads are always fun. Tomatoes were $.22 per pound and there were ads for Marvels cigarettes and Spur, “The Cola Drink.” I have never heard of these last two products.

The copy for the movie ads are either dramatic or hilarious, at least to me. The June 5th ad for The More The Merrier starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrae, and Charles Coburn, read, “Can they put a ceiling on ‘that old feeling’? Don’t give it another thought . . . They’ll never ration romance!” The movie, which plays on TCM is about the housing shortage in Washington, DC. The Andrews Sisters were starring in How’s About It, which not even I knew was ever produced, and virtually every star at Paramount appeared in Star Spangled Rhythm including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Veronica Lake, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour, and about 20 other very big names of the day. Featured songs include “That Old Black Magic,” “Hit the Road to Dreamland,” and “I’m Doing It For Defense.” This last is sung by Betty Hutton who is fast becoming one of my favorite performers from that era and probably deserves a post of her own.

Of course, there were the news stories, many of which were grim then and now. Striking coal miners were threatening the war effort and bringing threats upon themselves from President Roosevelt, while black ordnance workers in St. Louis were refusing to work under white foremen.

The Allies were close to invading Italy (which would begin on September 3rd). Another war-related headline proclaimed, “Warsaw Ghetto Nearly Wiped Out By Germans.” The sub-headings noted that 2,000 had been shot, 3,000 had died in the flames, and 14,000 had been “deported.” We now know what being “deported” from the Warsaw ghetto truly meant.

The Zoot Suit riots in Los Angeles were covered, one headline proclaiming, “Sailors, Soldiers Strip Zooters of Bizarre Clothing.” Yes, the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ song details a real event.

Perhaps most interesting was a small, page-two article by the Associated Press that was no more than 5 column inches long. Headlined, “Axis Warns of Invasion Costs” the article led with the fact that “German Army experts, taking a long and careful look at the chances of [an] Anglo-American invasion of Europe, acknowledged today that such landings might be carried out successfully, but only at heavy cost to the invaders.” Those experts felt that a Mediterranean invasion point, or certain points in Norway would most likely be the target. The date was June 3, 1943. One year and three days later, the German Army experts were proven correct in at least their first assertion, and the story would be front-page news all over America.

To purchase a copy of The Secret of Their Midnight Tears, please click here. Thank you!

Posted in Uncategorized, World War II | 1 Comment