The Snake Pit

Fall of '48 post #7

The Snake Pit

November 4, 1948

Starring Olivia de Havilland, Leo Genn, Mark Stevens, and Betsy Blair

Juniper Hill State Hospital is a large ward for mental patients. One of it's patients, Virginia Cunningham (de Havilland), originally comes from a wealthy background. She has a loving husband and a lovely home, but she was sent to the mental institution supposedly for schizophrenia. She hears voices, and eventually gets so that she cannot keep track of reality, so she is sent to Juniper Hill for safety and healing.

When she is first admitted, Virginia is so lost that she does not even know who her own husband, Robert (Stevens) is. Virginia's doctor, Dr. Mark Kik (Genn), works with her to try and bring to light what it is that unhinges her. Through the use of shock therapy, and hypnotherapy among other things, they begin to make good progress. She tells him about traumatic events from her childhood, a previous failed engagement, and about how she met her husband.

The hospital is split into 12 different wards, Ward 1 being the best and 12 being the worst. Dr. Kik manages to get Virginia a place in Ward 1, believing that as she continues to progress, it would be beneficial for her to be away from less critical patients. Virginia undoubtedly would have continued to improve even more, but one of the nurses in the new ward believes that Dr. Kik coddles her too much, so she is very strict, harsh, and even brutal towards Virginia. Eventually she torments Virginia so much that Virginia has a breakdown and is sent away from Ward 1 in a straight jacket. Dr. Kik hears what happens and knows that unless she is given special attention very soon, Virginia will have a full setback, so he begins to work with her more extensively again. Virginia improves once more, but she is now in the 12th Ward, and she knows she has a lot of work ahead of her still. In order to leave the hospital, she has to have a full interview in order to be sure that it is safe to release her. When Virginia gets to the point where going home becomes a possibility, she is terrified that she will have a relapse and that she will not be able to leave. In the end, her husband Robert comes to take her home, and she is successfully discharged.

The Snake Pit was a film adaptation of a novel of the same name by successful author Mary Jane Ward. The story was allegedly written by Ward as a commentary on the state of psychiatric facilities at the time, urging for reform. The 1948 film was a delicate masterpiece. Olivia de Havilland portrayed Virginia Cunningham, a character which was the polar opposite of the roles she was usually cast in. But de Havilland's hard work payed off, because the film was very well received. The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Recording and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Writing Adapted Screenplay; de Havilland, who had already won an Academy Award the previous year, was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

"It was strange, here I was among all those people, and at the same time I felt as if I were looking at them from some place far away, the whole place seemed to me like a deep hole and the people down in it like strange animals, like...like snakes, and I've been thrown into it...yes...as though...as though I were in a snake pit..."

-Virginia Cunningham, The Snake Pit

"Ain't misbehavin', just savin' my love for you.."

Fall of '48 post #6

Dinah Washington

Born August 29, 1924

Died December 14, 1963

Ruth Lee Jones was born in August of 1924 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Soon after her birth, her family relocated to Chicago, so the majority of her upbringing took place in the windy city.

Even as a child she had an ear and talent for music. She was a very gifted pianist, and played for many church and school functions while she was still in elementary school. By the time she reached high school she was running the show and directing her church choir. In 1940, the famous Mother of Gospel Music, Sallie Martin, formed the first female gospel group known as the Sallie Martin Gospel Singers, and Ruth Jones was one of it's lead singers.

At the young age of 15, Ruth felt she had gotten enough encouraging feedback on her talent that she began to sing in night clubs, then she progressed to jazz clubs and even hotels. In 1942, a friend took her to hear the legendary Billie Holiday perform at the Garrick Stage Bar. She could hear instrumentalists upstairs playing I Understand and she began to sing along. Staff heard her and were so impressed that she was offered a job. She spent a year working at the Garrick Stage Bar, and it was during this time that she fully transformed and developed her stage name, Dinah Washington. In 1943, jazz instrumentalist Lionel Hampton came to hear Dinah sing, and he liked what he heard enough to present her with an offer. She began to work as his female vocalist later that year.

Two years later she began working for Keynote Records, and she had much promise, but the company was shut down in 1946. But Dinah wasn't about to give up--she went and won herself a record deal with Mercury Records as a solo artist. She started off with a bang, her first single to be released being Ain't Misbehavin'. Between the year of 1948 and 1955, Dinah released 27 top ten hits. She had made it big, and she was one of the most popular artists of the time period. Her 1948 single Am I Asking Too Much? even made it to #1 on the R&B chart. She continued to crank out what would be come some of the most popular songs of the day, like What A Difference A Day Makes, Manhattan, and Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? She had a style all her own and a very distinct voice--salty, gritty, yet more high pitched than one might expect. She became known for her versions of torch songs, one of her most popular being Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.

To go along with her hectic career which seemed to have blossomed overnight, her home and personal life also lacked stability. She was married seven times, her last marriage was to pro football player Dick "Night Train" Lane, and she had two sons. She struggled with weight gain on and off for many years, feeling self conscious when performing in front of people. She even went through bouts of depression. In 1963, at the age of 39, Dinah Washington apparently accidentally overdosed with a lethal combination of drugs used for sedatives and to combat insomnia.

Here are some of her more famous ballads, for your enjoyment:

Please Vote Responsibly

I realize that we listed our next scheduled post as the October 20th, 1948 film The Three Musketeers starring Gene Kelly, but we here at Think Classic recognize that there are other things of more importance that should be discussed at the moment, and it just so happens that we can tie it in with Fall of '48.

If you have any awareness to political happenings going on around you, then you know that this November is another presidential election, and that's coming up mighty fast. So, we'd like to do our part to encourage you to vote and make an educated decision, but we'd like to give some fun history first.

The year of 1948 was a presidential election year, but not a typical one. Even today it is still known as the biggest presidential election upset in the history of the United States of America. The primary candidates were Thomas E. Dewey of the Republican party, Strom Thurmond from the Dixiecrats, and Democratic nominee Harry S. Truman. The Republican party was ahead in every poll, and support poured in for Dewey from all across the nation. He was expected to win by a landslide, with Truman and the Democrats not just coming in second, but third. Political cartoons were slapped across every front page all through the campaigns, very much like this one:

In all honesty, Dewey and the Republican party had every right to be confident that they would get the vote. They had it in the bag. Pro-Republican newspapers even printed headlines announcing Truman's defeat before the election was over. But on November 4th, 1948, the results were shocking, with Harry S. Truman coming in first with 303 out of the 266 electoral votes that were needed to win, thereby making him the 33rd president of the United States and the 5th consecutive Democratic nominee to take office in a presidential election.

"A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities out of his difficulties."

-Harry S. Truman

"When even one American, who has done nothing wrong, is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."

-Harry S. Truman

I don't want to go on and on about the importance of voting because I would hope that every able man and woman knows the importance of it already. And I don't want to turn Think Classic into a platform for stating my own political beliefs because they should not sway you at all. I simply want to stress the following:
1. Voting IS very important, and your vote DOES matter, so you should cast it.
2. Always educate yourself not only on who you are voting for, but the party that you choose to identify with.
3. It is okay to vote for someone who is not a candidate for your political party, so don't let that sway you.
4. As long as you are well educated about who you want to support and vote for, do not let others sway your opinion.

Do I realize that those seem like extremely elementary pieces of advice? Yes, but you would be surprised how many adults out there make those decisions.
The only other thing I'd like to address is the major political parties themselves. I know for a fact that a lot of teenagers who are just able to vote this year, or who will be old enough for the next election, either have no idea what party to identify with or (sometimes because of that fact) just choose which party to identify with because that party has had more presidents, or because that party has a president that they liked. You really need to be much more educated on the different parties and what they fundamentally stand for, BEFORE you choose to identify with one. So, for your convenience, here they are in all their glory, with their beliefs and views:

INDEPENDENT PARTY:
1. Acknowledges God as Creator and that all independent rights come from Him.
2. Individuals have specific God-given duties/responsibilities.
3. The Constitution enables us to protect those rights and fulfill those duties.
4. Rights and duties of association, including government.
5. The Constitution is the original contract that America has with itself, but it has been distorted and has therefore led to the violation of the promise of limited government from the Tenth Amendment.
6. Believes in freedom from "liberalism."
7. Believes in the sanctity and protection of life, and the corresponding duties and rights of family units.
8. Supports heterosexual marriage.
9. Individual and common defense.
10. Pro-life.
11. Believes that all those who serve in government and political positions are held responsible to God and answer to Him.
http://www.aipca.org/

REPUBLICAN PARTY:
1. Believes in the power and opportunity of America's free-market economy, and the importance of sensible business regulations.
2. Opposes interventionist policies that put the federal government in control of industry.
3. Believe in peace for national defense through freedom and the will to defend it.
4. Requires full commitment to America's armed forces.
5. Supports common-sense reforms to health care systems that lower cost, ensure equality, and end lawsuit abuse.
6. Opposes government run health care.
7. Encourages responsible production of nuclear power, clean coal, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, oil drills, and natural gases in environmentally safe ways.
8. Believe in maintaining fidelity to the U.S. Constitution.
9. Tend to take stances supporting pro life and heterosexual marriage.
10. Supports the death penalty.
http://www.gop.com/

DEMOCRATIC PARTY:
1. Believes in equality for all citizens.
2. Believes in more government control over economic matters.
3. Believes in less government control over individual rights.
4. Supports accessible, affordable, high quality health care for everyone.
5. Supports same-sex marriage.
6. Opposes any efforts to privatize or voucherize health care program.
7. Promotes liberalism.
8. Tends to take a pro choice stance.
9. Supports the death penalty, but has a strong base of those who oppose it.
10. Decreased spending on military issues.
http://www.democrats.org/
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican

Baby,it's cold outside!

We're halfway through the month of October!  The leaves are turning, and so is the temperature.  There have been chilly days already, but temperatures will continue to drop, so it's important to stay warm, and to look good while doing so. So, if you're going to step outside to a chilly day in the fall of 1948, then I guess it's up to us to let you know how to do so in style. But first, there are a couple of important things you should know...

First of all, you should know that, no matter what, turbans are out! I know you still see them occasionally, and at times it is more than tempting to wear one (if for no other reason than to keep your ears warm), but don't commit that fashion crime! Now that war is over, you can find hair pins and curlers again, so it's time to get back into your beauty routine. Throw that turban out! A fashionable hat is more than acceptable, so try opting for that instead.

NO

Yes!

Due to WWII, there were many shortages on fabric, many warehouses and industries were shut down or put on hold--mass production on things like clothing articles was brought to a halt, and that effected even the Haute Couture fashion industry. WWII ended in 1945, so now, two years later in 1947, Haute Couture made a spectacular comeback thanks to Christian Dior, who developed the "New Look," which is a refined and elegant style, recalling previous eras of fashion that emphasize rounded shoulders, a tiny waist, tea-length and wider skirts, gloves, and hats. Oh, and high heels, of course! Even though this revolutionary "New Look" for Haute Couture took place in 1947, it is still prevalent now, in the fall of 1948.

Some of the haute designers to look for this fall are:

JACQUES FATH

This talented and self-taught French designer has some fabulous designs out for this fall. Look for his labels when shopping for a daytime outfit that is suitable for low temperatures on colder days, like this one, which is modeled by his wife, Genevieve:

ELSA SCHIAPARELLI

If the wider, more bouffant skirts are not really your style, then you might be interested in Italian designer Schiaparelli.  She sticks to the more classic and sleek lines, like this afternoon dress:

MADAME GRES

Perhaps you have an engagement or special occasion that you need to dress up for, but you don't need a fancy cocktail dress. You need something warmer, mores substantial. If that's the case, then Parisian designer Madame Gres has something for you:

CHRISTIAN DIOR

The French designer who brought about the comeback of haute couture will obviously always have something to suit your needs, no special occasion necessary:

ELIZABETH HAWES

American designer Elizabeth Hawes can keep you warm, yet simply elegant this fall, in a well tailored coat like this one:

MAINBOCHER

Perhaps you'd like a stylish coat to keep you warm for that special occasion you're headed to with that killer Madame Gres dress? If that's the case, American style guru Mainbocher is just the man:

It's definitely important to stay warm on these chilly days, but it's also of equal importance to look your best. So, hopefully this information can help you do just that during this Fall of '48!

"Remember me as a man who loves Raintree County,but just happens to loathe most of the people in it."

Welcome to Think Classic and post #4 for Fall of '48!

Ross Lockridge, Jr.

Born April 25, 1914

Died March 6, 1948

Ross Franklin Lockridge, Jr. was born on the twenty-fifth of April, 1914.  History notes nothing exceptional about his upbringing until his college years. He attended Indiana University, and when he graduated in the year of 1935 it was with the highest average in the history of the university.

Lockridge dabbled in creative writing and desired to produce something noteworthy--something important. He finally finished his only novel, Raintree County, and it was published in 1948.

Unfortunately, even as his career as a successful writer was just beginning to blossom, Lockridge, who suffered from severe depression, committed suicide very shortly after Raintree County's publication. He was only 33 years old, and left behind his wife and 4 children.

Raintree County

1948 novel

by Ross Lockridge, Jr.

The novel revolves around a man by the name of John Shawnessy, who resides in (fictional) Raintree County, Indiana. The story is uniquely told through reminiscings, memories, flashbacks, and dreams of John, which take place over many years and give the reader a depiction of the growth of Raintree County through westward expansion,  the Civil War and it's impacts and consequences, abolitionism, and the Labor Movement. In the beginning of the story, John is very much involved with his old high school flame, Nell Gaither. Then, a breathtakingly beautiful southern belle by the name of Susanna Drake moves into the area. Susanna seduces John and they have an affair. At the end of the summer, Susanna goes back to the south, and John attempts to return to normal and pick up where he left off with Nell, who is hurt by his previous actions but is willing to make it work, until John learns that Susanna is pregnant. John decides that the only right and honorable thing to do is marry Susanna and provide support, so he leaves Nell to go south and start his life with Susanna.

Life is much more difficult in the south. John is an outspoken, northern abolitionist, so he has a hard time finding common ground with most of the wealthy plantation owners in the area. He also learns over time that his wife had an extremely troubled past, and not only that, but that Susanna herself is mad. She confesses to John that she lied about being pregnant just so that she could ensure they would end up together. Eventually they do have a child, however. They return north and live in Raintree County just before the Civil War breaks out. As time goes on, Susanna's mental illness worsens and she begins to imagine things, becoming delusional and paranoid. She eventually runs away with their son, Jimmy, believing that she will find a safer life for them if she returns to the south. John is heartbroken and determined to find them, but traveling is dangerous those days. He therefore enlists in the Army, hoping that he can at least learn what happened to them and where they are as he travels various southern routes. After a while he finds their son, Jimmy, but he is alone. He discovers that Susanna has been taken and placed in an insane asylum. While trying to take his son to safety, John is wounded, and it leads to his discharge from the Army, which enables him to go and find Susanna. When he does, he is horrified at the conditions of the asylum and he arranges to take her home with him.

Things do not return to normal, however. John does his best to establish a safe and normal life for his family again, but Susanna is never right after that. When the political atmosphere takes a turn as the Civil War comes to a close, John begins to contemplate running for office, but he does not know for sure what he should do. He consults Nell, who is still living in Raintree County, and she is completely supportive. Susanna sees them interact and she accepts the fact that John only married her because of circumstance, and that he will always truly love Nell, even if he won't admit it. So, wishing to give them a chance at a happy life together, Susanna goes to a swamp in the middle of the night and drowns herself. Jimmy follows her, and the town frantically searches for the two of them the next day. Eventually they find Susanna's body and they discover that Jimmy is safe--alone and scared in the night, he had found solid ground under a tree and fallen asleep.

Raintree County was warmly received, and highly praised by critics. It is, to this day, considered by many to be a great, historical American novel.

A film adaptation was produced by MGM, starring Montgomery Clift as John Shawnessy, Elizabeth Taylor as Susana Drake, and Eva Marie Saint as Nell Gaither.

The film was released in 1957--almost 10 years after the publication of the novel. It was a massive and costly production--the most expensive MGM production since Gone With the Wind (1936).

"Why do you want to live?"

Fall of '48 post #1

The Red Shoes

September 6, 1948

Starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, and Marius Goring

A talented but undiscovered ballet dancer by the name of Vicky Page (Shearer) gets her big break and sets her career in motion when she meets the ruthless but extraordinary director Boris Lermontov (Walbrook) at a small after party for one of her dance recitals. Lermontov watched her dance and was somewhat impressed, so approached her afterwards. By talking to Vicky, he learned what true passion she had for dance--that it didn't matter to her who she danced for, whether she was famous or got paid for it, but that the only thing that mattered was that she simply dance, because she loved it so much. After that night, Lermontov decides to take her on and train her as one of his pupils. He never truly realized her potential and her gift until he watched her perform a part in Swan Lake.  Lermontov then approaches Vicky and tells her how impressed he is with her and extends an invitation for her to accompany his studio to Paris.

While in Paris, the star prima ballerina of Lermontov's company makes the decision to try and balance a personal life and her career, so she gets married--a choice that Lermontov finds infuriating and unacceptable. He makes the clear statement in front of all of his dancers saying, "A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love will never be a great dancer. Never." And from that time on, he begins to take a new interest in Vicky, believing that she would make an excellent replacement and lead dancer. So, he has Julian Craster (Goring) create a new dance called The Red Shoes, and everything revolves around Vicky--his new rising star. Unbeknownst to anybody else, Vicky and Julian fall in love and begin an affair while working together on The Red Shoes. Their secret is safe for a while, but eventually Lermontov discovers that the two are lovers and he is furious. He approaches Julian and reprimands him for the affair--for tampering with Vicky's career--and he demands that the two no longer see eachother. When Julian refuses, he is fired from the company. Lermontov believes that will solve the problem, but Vicky and Julian are in love, and when she learns that Julian is leaving the company, she goes with him. Lermontov frees her from her contract, and the two lovers move to London where they get married and live quite happily together.

Some time later, Vicky goes on a vacation to Monte Carlo, and whilst travelling is approached by Lermontov, who begs her to return to the company just to perform in a revival of The Red Shoes. She agrees, but on opening night, while Vicky and Lermontov are backstage, Julian appears wanting to take her home, because he wants to keep her safe from the destructive lifestyle of Lermontov. Julian and Lermontov go head to head, and Vicky, emotionally torn between her love for her husband and her love of dance, does not know what to do. Yet since she did not automatically choose to go with Julian instead of stay and dance with Lermontov, Julian believes he has lost her, so he leaves them to go to the railway station.

While standing in her costume backstage, Vicky realizes that she can dance anywhere and under any circumstances to get enjoyment out of it, but she will never be happy without Julian so she runs out of the theater and to the railway station to stop him from leaving. Julian is on the platform, waiting to board his train when he sees Vicky running. Desperate to reach him, she climbs over a balcony, but falls out onto the track in front of the oncoming train. Vicky dies, and Lermontov is shocked to hear the news almost instantaneously back at the theater. He goes out in front of the audience and tells them of the tragic accident. But the show must go on, so The Red Shoes is performed as scheduled, but where Vicky would be dancing on stage, there is only an empty spotlight.

The musical drama The Red Shoes was released on September 6, 1948, making it our first movie to help us get in gear and go back in time to the fall of 1948. The film was a success, grossing five million dollars at the box office. Moira Shearer, the star of the film who plays Vicky, made her film debut in The Red Shoes. She was an internationally famous ballet dancer from Scotland, and (in case you were wondering) was of no relation to Canadian actress Norma Shearer.

That is all of the first post of Fall of '48.

We'll see you next week, but in the mean time,

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"Lermontov: Why do you want to dance?

Vicky: Why do you want to live?

Lermontov: Well, I don't know exactly why but...I must.

Vicky: That's my answer too."