Best of Intentions, Chapter 1

New York City, 1939

Three middle-aged men are sitting at a table in the bar of the Commodore Hotel on 42nd Street near Lexington Avenue drinking beer and arguing about baseball and politics.  Ben Johnson, divorced, tall and slender, is a high school history teacher.  He’s there with his two life-long friends, Bob and Billy, blue collar workers, on a road trip from their hometown of Oswego, New York, to see their beloved New York Yankees play baseball.  Ben’s clothes, including his tie and jacket, need pressing.  He also needs a shave and a haircut. 

“Hitler’s just nuts,” said Bob.

“Anybody with lots of guns got to be taken serious,” retorted Billy.

“And what are we supposed to do, send more boys there to die like before?  Fuck ‘em all, I say.”

Ben finally chimed in with, “That’s what they do in Europe.  Every so often they have a war...instead of playin’ ball.”

“That reminds me.  Can you believe what Feller did to the Yanks today?” said Billy.

Bob responded, “I’m sick of Feller.  Who’s pitchin’ tomorrow?”

This was the end of the day for Ben.  “I’m tired.  Night, fellas.” 

Ben slowly got up from his chair, turned and headed for the exit, ignored by his friends who continued their arguments about baseball and politics.  It was several minutes before they even realized Ben was gone.

Ben slowly crossed the hotel lobby, slouching, hands in his pockets, head down, almost instinctively knowing where the elevator banks were.  Once there, he entered the only one whose door was open and waiting for hotel guests wanting to go up to their rooms.

“Floor, please?” said the elevator operator.

“Twelve.”

The two of them, Ben and the elevator operator, remained silent and motionless for some time, with the operator in front on the left side, while Ben stood directly behind him, leaning against the side wall, as he was not quite steady from the beer he had consumed in the bar.  The elevator operator was obliged to either wait five minutes or until he had five passengers, which ever came first at that hour of the night.

At the same moment, a taxi pulled up in front of the hotel with two passengers inside.  Rita and her brother, Miguel, exited from the taxi.  Rita is beautiful, forty-ish, a widow, an entrepreneur, and a Mexican.  Her brother is younger, single, handsome, and a lawyer.  They have arrived from an evening at the opera and are dressed elegantly as befitting the occasion.

Miguel asks the taxi driver to wait a minute as he turns to his sister.

“Go straight to bed and I’ll see you at breakfast in the morning.”

“Miguel, when am I going to meet your lady friend?”

He hesitates, while looking down at his shoes, unable to look his sister in the eye.

“Maybe some day.  I have to go.  Sleep well, my darling.”

Miguel jumps back into the taxi which speeds off into the night before Rita can utter another word.  She takes a deep breath, turns and walks past the doorman and enters the hotel lobby.  Regally she walks toward the elevator bank, drawing stares from both the men and women who are there at this late hour.  Rita doesn’t seem to notice the attention she is receiving.  Finally, she enters the same elevator as Ben, and then gracefully turns around facing front.  Both Ben and the elevator operator study her intently.

“Twelve, please.”

After completing his wait of five minutes, the elevator operator closes the door and the elevator slowly rises.  Ben, standing slightly behind Rita on her left, can’t keep his eyes off her.  It’s like he’s never seen a woman as beautiful or as different as she is, especially her dark skin and hair.  Finally, the elevator arrives at the twelfth floor.  The door opens and Rita steps off.  She turns right and walks slowly in the direction of her room.  A second later, Ben disembarks from the elevator as well and he, too, turns right, and is a little behind her.  He moves quickly in order to catch up.

“I hope you don’t think I’m following you.”

Rita, turning slightly towards Ben while still walking, said, “No, I’m sure you’re not following me.”

Ben is a little unsure of himself, but is determined to talk to this incredible-looking woman.

“I don’t mean to startle you, but I’ve never seen such a beautiful dress.  I’m sure you weren’t at Yankee Stadium today.”

They are now walking side by side.

“That’s quite all right.  No, I wasn’t watching the Yankees today.  I was at the opera.  Do you like the opera?”

“I heard one on the radio once.  Beautiful music!  Do you like baseball?”

“You know, I’ve been to New York many times, but I’ve never actually been to a game.  It must be exciting.  Did the Yankees win today?”

“No, but there’s always a game or two tomorrow.  That’s one of the beauties of baseball.  What opera did you see tonight?”

“La Boheme.  Do you know it?  I’m sure you’d like it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure I would.  Maybe next time we come to New York, my friends and I should go.”

“Yes, you should.  And the next time my brother and I come to New York, I’ll insist he take me to Yankee Stadium.  Is it a deal?”

“A deal.”

Rita has arrived at the door to her hotel room, while Ben has been accompanying her without any thought to where is his room.

“Well, here I am.  It was nice talking to you, Mister...”

“Johnson, Ben Johnson.  The pleasure was all mine, Miss ah...”

“My name is Senora Ramirez, Rita Chavez Ramirez.  Good night.”

“Good night.”

She put her key in the door lock and opens the door.  She steps into the open doorway and turns to look back at Ben.  She studies him for a brief moment with a calm expression and then gives him a warm and friendly smile.  Finally, she closes the door behind her.  Ben stares at it for a second or two.  Then he realizes he needs to find his own room.  After some minutes of confusion, he retraces his steps, now standing erect, and finally finds it. He puts his key in the door lock and smiles.

“Rita Chavez Ramirez.  Wow!” he whispers to himself.  He opens the door and steps in for the night.

Peck and Jones

Gregory Peck was born in San Diego, California on April 5, 1916, just over one hundred years ago.  He began his film career in 1944 with Days of Glory.  Over the next five years Peck was nominated for, but failed to win, the Academy Award for Best Actor four times:  1944, The Keys of the Kingdom (lost to Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend), 1946, The Yearling (lost to Frederick March in The Best Years of Our Lives-see post of February 7, 2016), 1947, Gentleman’s Agreement (lost to Ronald Coleman in A Double Life), and 1949, Twelve O’Clock High (lost to Broderick Crawford in All The Kings Men).  In 1962, Peck finally won his Academy Award for To Kill a Mockingbird.  He continued making movies for about the next thirty years.  See my blog post of June 14, 2015 for a critique of his 1965 movie, Mirage.  Gregory Peck died in 2003 at age eighty-seven.      

Jennifer Jones was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 2, 1919.  She began her film career in 1943 with The Song of Bernadette, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.  In 1944, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film, Since You Went Away (lost to Ethyl Barrymore in None But the Lonely Heart).  In 1945, Jones was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film, Love Letters (lost to Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce).  In 1946, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film, Duel in the Sun (lost to Olivia de Havilland in To Each His Own).  In 1955, Jones was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (lost to Anna Magnani in The Rose Tattoo).  She made her last movie in 1974 (The Towering Inferno).  Jennifer Jones died in 2009 at age ninety.      

The Academy Award winning team of Gregory Peck and Jennifer Jones made two very good movies together, albeit two very different ones.  The first was the above-mentioned Duel in the Sun in 1946, directed by King Vidor.  The second was ten years later, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, directed by Nunnally Johnson.

In the classic western, Duel in the Sun, Peck portrays Lewt, the younger son of a cattle baron, Senator Jackson McCanles (Lionel Barrymore).  Jones portrays Pearl, the daughter of a cousin of the Senator’s wife, Laura Belle (Lillian Gish), who had been orphaned after her father kills her mother in a jealous rage and is executed for his crime.  Pearl accepts Laura Belle’s invitation to come live with them on their spacious ranch.  However, the Senator resents Pearl because her father and his wife were once sweethearts.

Lewt, “a ladies man,” takes an immediate liking to the very attractive, dark-skinned young woman.  Despite trying to be a “good girl,” Pearl “submits one night to (Lewt’s) aggressive advances.”  She can no longer deny her very strong attraction for him.  However, Lewt won’t marry her because of his father’s objections.  But, Lewt considers Pearl to be “his girl.”

When Pearl accepts a proposal of marriage from an older man, Sam (Charles Bickford), who can offer her security, Lewt murders him and becomes an outlaw.  During this time, Pearl hides Lewt from the sheriff and professes her love for him.  Despite this, Lewt won’t take her with him when he leaves.  Later, he shoots, but doesn’t kill, his own unarmed older brother, Jesse (Joseph Cotton), whom Pearl is fond of.  When she learns that Lewt intends to try to kill Jesse again, Pearl takes matters into her own hands by going after Lewt with a rifle.  In a strange clímax, the two of them, Lewt and Pearl, are conflicted in a true love/hate relationship that can only end with a “duel in the sun.”

In The Man with the Gray Flannel Suit, Peck and Jones portray a happily married couple (Tom and Betsy) who live in suburban Connecticut in the mid-1950s.  While he works in Manhattan as a public relations executive, she stays home caring for their three children.  He feels the pressure of being the breadwinner, trying to balance a career with his family life. 

Tom learns that ten years earlier, when he was a soldier in Italy at the end of World War II, he fathered a child during a brief, but meaningful relationship with Maria (Marisa Pavan), a local woman.  Through an intermediary, she sends Tom a letter asking if he could send her some money to help the child.  Maria truly does not want to cause Tom any trouble.

Tom had kept his affair a secret from his wife for those many years.  But now, he feels it best to be honest with Betsy, especially as she had encouraged Tom to be honest in his professional life.  Of course, at first she becomes very angry.  In a classic female response, Betsy asks Tom:   (a) “Were you in love with her?”, (b) “Was she prettier than I am?”, (c) “Did she have a better figure than I do?”,  (d) “Were you happier when you loved her?”, (e) “Did she love you more than I do?”, and (f) “Do you think of her now when you’re kissing me?”  Then she runs away from Tom and their children and their house.  However, once she calms down, Betsy and Tom reconcile, and they both agree to send Maria a modest amount of money each month to help Tom’s illegitimate child.  The end of this movie is the exact opposite of their previous one.

It is fascinating to me to see these two great actors working together in two very different films ten years apart.  I assume they enjoyed their first experience so much that they jumped at the opportunity to work together again.  Thirty-three years after their last movie together, in 1989, Jennifer Jones made a rare public appearance at the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Life Achievement Award Ceremony honoring Gregory Peck.          

I Like Ike

In the next two weeks, both the Republican and Democratic parties will meet at national conventions (in Cleveland and Philadelphia respectively) to officially choose their candidates for this year’s election (Tuesday, November 8) for president of the United States of America, the winner to be inaugurated on January 20, 2017.  The delegates to the conventions were mostly chosen as a result of primary elections in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and various US territories.  These elections matched numerous competing candidates and delegates pledged to vote for said candidates at the convention (at least in the first round).  Both parties require that the winning candidate receive the votes of a majority of the delegates at the convention.  It appears that Donald J. Trump (Republican) and Hillary R. Clinton (Democratic) will be the nominees.

Candidates weren’t always chosen so democratically.  In 1952, the first year I can remember a presidential election, the candidates were chosen by a limited number of party leaders and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels.  There were a few primaries, like New Hampshire, but for the most part, you were a delegate if you were well-connected within the party establishment.  For example, the mayor of Oswego, Ralph Shapiro, was a New York State delegate to the Democratic Party Convention in Atlantic City in 1964.  However, a presidential candidate, even though an establishment outsider, if thought to be electable in the general election, could have gained the party’s nomination.

In early July of 1952, the Grand Old Party (GOP, Republican) met in Chicago.  The top two candidates were US Senator Robert Taft of Ohio, the grandson of former US President Howard Taft (1909-1913), and General Dwight David (Ike) Eisenhower, a World War II hero (led the D Day invasion).  Taft was the choice of the conservative wing of the party, while Eisenhower was considered to be more electable as he was popular with independents and Democrats.

An early barometer of political strength at the convention came when delegates backing Eisenhower plus some other lesser candidates were able to block 42 delegates from the South (supporters of Taft) from participating at the convention because of so-called “moral issues.”  Despite this setback, Taft still garnered 500 votes on the first ballot.  On the other hand, Eisenhower’s total was 595, only nine votes shy of the total necessary for the nomination (604).

In a dramatic fashion, before the first round of voting had been closed, 19 delegates who had been pledged to and originally voted for former Minnesota governor Harold Stassen (then president of the University of Pennsylvania) decided to now vote for Eisenhower (since Stassen had received less than 10% of the total number of delegates [1,206], they were able to change their votes under GOP rules), thus giving Ike the majority necessary to win the Republican nomination.

A couple of weeks later, also in July, in the very same Chicago arena, the Democrats met as well to choose Eisenhower’s opponent.  The leading candidates were Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Senator Richard Russell of Georgia, and former Secretary of Commerce Averill Harriman of New York.  Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson, who had stated he was not a candidate, was asked to give the welcoming speech to the convention delegates.  “He proceeded to give a witty and stirring address that led his supporters to begin a new round of efforts to nominate him.”

In the first round of balloting, needing 616 votes to win the nomination, Kefauver led with 340, while Stevenson had 273, Russell 268, and Harriman 123.5.  In the second round, Kefauver’s total went up to 361, Stevenson’s to 324.5, Russell’s to 294, while Harriman’s dropped to 121.5.  In the third round of voting, Stevenson jumped to 617.5, just 1.5 votes more than the minimum needed for victory and the Democratic Party nomination.  Perhaps Harriman’s decision to drop out after the second round was the tipping point that led to Stevenson’s victory.  

The Democratic National Convention of 1952 was the last time that a major party US political convention needed to go beyond one round of voting to choose a presidential candidate.  As you probably know, Eisenhower won the general election (Where are all those “I like Ike” buttons I collected that year?) on November 4, 1952 and was inaugurated as the US president on January 20, 1953, succeeding Harry S. Truman.  Eisenhower defeated Stevenson again in 1956 and served as president until January 20, 1961 when he was succeeded by John F. Kennedy.         

Trip to USA, 2016

It all started almost four weeks ago, at 5:15 PM on Monday, June 13, when our taxi driver picked us up at our home.  United Airlines flight #844 took Cristina and me from Guarulhos Airport to O’Hare Airport outside Chicago, arriving at 7:00 AM the following day, Tuesday, June 14.  Our first order of business was to take a taxi to downtown Chicago, specifically the Marriott Hotel at 540 North Michigan Avenue, where we temporarily checked our bags and hung out for a while.  When the nearby AT&T Superstore opened at 10 AM we bought a cell phone we could use for domestic and international calls during our twenty-four day stay in the USA.  At 11:00 AM, we were hungry and searched for a restaurant.  Across the street at 535 North Michigan Avenue, we found a wonderful place, Labriola Ristorante and Café, where I had the best grilled salmon of my life.  On our way to the Enterprise car rental on foot, we did a little site seeing of Chicago, which was very impressive.  Then the trouble began.

First, we had to wait for a car as they had none waiting for us.  They gave us the first one returned and we headed for I-90 East that would take us to South Bend, Indiana, about ninety miles away.  Second, we ran into a nearby detour and a lot of congestion.  Third, our Mapquest directions were not quite one hundred percent accurate.  Fourth, we ran into several delays on the interstate due to road renovations.  Fifth, when we got to South Bend, we ran into more detours that led to more delays.  Finally, we arrived at the DoubleTree Hotel where we met my son, Bret, who was working (for the LPGA) that week in South Bend.

On Wednesday, June 15, the first order of business was lunch at Tipacanoe Place, located at the former mansion of the Studebaker family, which long ago produced cars in South Bend.  We were there to meet Dr. Elizabeth Sanfelippo, my old friend (Betty Tucker) from Oswego High School, Class of 1963.  We had a wonderful reunion after fifty-three years.  She brought us some Oswego County strawberries which were as delicious as I remembered them.

Afterwards, we toured the nearby campus of the University of Notre Dame.  I had stopped off there briefly over forty years ago while driving from San Francisco to New York.  On that visit, I only saw the inside of the football stadium.  This time, we walked the campus including the Eck Visitors Center, the Hammes Bookstore (where I bought a blue and gold ND cap), the Basilica, and the Grotto.  The stadium was closed to the public.  It is a very impressive campus and I can never “hate” the Fighting Irish again.

We finished our short visit to South Bend, a city similar to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with another dinner with my son.  We had to get up at 4:00 AM the next day, Thursday, June 16, to catch a 6:00 AM United Airlines flight to Newark Airport.  Our hotel provided us, along with the flight crew, a free shuttle to the South Bend Airport.  From Newark, we took New Jersey Transit into Penn Station in New York City, across the street from the Hotel Pennsylvania.  Before checking in that afternoon, we did a little shopping (I bought a Nike sweatshirt) and eating (Just Salad) at Macy’s Department Store.

At 5:30 PM, we were to attend a play at my grandson’s, Leo’s, school, P.S. 290, on East 82nd Street.  I foolishly chose to take a taxi instead of the subway and we arrived fifteen minutes late, but fortunately, the play, Leo’s kindergarten class presentation, started fifteen minutes late, too.  All went well.

On Friday, June 17, Cristina and I returned to the same school to make presentations about Brazil to both Leo’s class and to my other grandchild’s, Nate’s, third grade class.  My daughter, Rachel, who had just returned from a business trip to Portugal, was there at the school as well.  Cristina and I were nervous about our presentations, but according to my daughter, we “exceeded (her) expectations.”  We were very impressed with our students and especially the kindergarten teacher, Paula.  That evening we had dinner with my friend, Joe Giordano, at Biriccino’s restaurant at 260 West 29th Street.  The food was very good and our waiter reminded us of the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Not now!”), whom he said he had once been an understudy for.

On Saturday, June 18, we ate at two of our favorite restaurants in New York: Ess-a-Bagel (with Nova Scotia Salmon, tomato and cream cheese) at 831 Third Avenue (waited about an hour in line, but worth it) and Gallagher’s Steakhouse (we split a 14 oz. filet mignon plus I consumed a large piece of chocolate cake) at 228 West 52nd Street.

On Sunday, June 19, we, along with my daughter and her family, visited my old neighborhood in Bayside, Queens, so Cristina could see where my children grew up (next door to Divya Narendra) and to also sample the delicious pizza at Gino’s Pizzaria on Springfield Blvd.

On Monday, June 20, we took an Amtrak train from Penn Station to Union Station in Washington, D.C.  From there, we took the Metro to Shady Grove where my brother, Paul, would meet us.  While I was trying to figure out how to buy a Metro ticket, my nephew and niece, Bill Callen and his wife, Karen, and their children, arrived on their way from visiting Paul and his wife, Janet, to the Reagan National Airport and their home in a suburb of Atlanta.  It was a brief, unexpected, but wonderful visit.  That evening Paul and Janet hosted us to a great dinner, featuring steaks and corn on the cob. 

The following morning, Tuesday, June 21, we followed the Callens to the airport on our way to Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) and our sixteen days of R&R in the Chapel Hill-Durham area. 

On Thursday, June 23, I had a successful doctor’s visit with my USA gastroenterologist, Dr. Morton Malkin, who renewed my Delzicol prescription and helped to expedite the delivery of a 135-day supply of such medicine to our very comfortable hotel, the Staybridge on Mount Moriah Road in Durham, five days later.   

On Friday night, June 24, we went to Friday’s on the Porch at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill where we were entertained by live blue grass music and drank some wine. 

On Saturday, June 25, we visited the brand new movie theater at the University Mall in Chapel Hill, the Silver Spot Cinema, where we saw the British romantic film, “Me Before You,” which I recommend, especially because of the performance of the leading actress, Emilia Clarke. 

On Sunday, June 26, we visited Southpoint Mall in Durham where we ate lunch at Maggione’s Little Italy restaurant.  The food was very good and we took advantage of a special offer where we received two free meals to go, which we ate for lunch the following Monday and Tuesday.  I also bought a couple of books at Barnes and Noble:  Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving and Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwen. 

On Monday, June 27, we visited the New Hope Commons Shopping Center where I bought another book at another Barnes and Noble, Ernest Borgnine’s autobiography.  As we were walking from there to Walmart, we were attacked by a dog lying unseen in the shadows in front of Jason’s Deli.  Luckily the dog was tied up (apparently by its unseen negligent owner) and was intimidated by my shouting at it.  Also luckily, we were unharmed.  At Walmart, we bought many items, including sunglasses, slippers, cosmetics, and many food items either (1) because of better quality in the USA, (2) not found in Brazil or (3) expensive if available in Brazil. 

On Tuesday, June 28, we walked to nearby Kohl’s, where I worked for some three plus years (2007-2011) and where I bought a pair of New Balance running shoes.  I talked to two former colleagues, Lori and Maria.

On Wednesday, June 29, we had dinner with our friends, Belinda and Raymond Smith, at the Weathervane Restaurant which is located at the University Mall.

On Thursday, June 30, I called my brother, Joel, to wish him a happy birthday.  Later we had lunch with our friend, Connie Maynor, at Kipos, a Greek restaurant on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.  I must mention that they have the best baklava I have ever eaten.

On Friday, July 1, we had dinner at the home of Connie and her husband, Kevin, my friend and former boss at OSR, UNC-Chapel Hill.  Kevin cooked pulled pork on the grill.  Another treat for our visit was their dog, Fender, a standard poodle.

On Saturday, July 2, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant in Chapel Hill, Vespa.  I ordered lasagna, which was very good, but the portion was too small in my opinion.

On Sunday, July 3, I had my favorite traditional falafel sandwich at Med Deli on West Franklin in Chapel Hill.  We also found dark chocolate covered almonds, which had disappeared from two other local sources.

On Monday, July 4, we returned to Kevin and Connie’s for a traditional Independence Day celebration where Kevin grilled some hot dogs.  Connie’s mom, Miss Melba, and her sister, Laura, joined us as well.  Later, we returned to the Silver Spot Cinema to see Matthew McConaughey in Free State of Jones, which is the unknown story of a rebellion in the midst of the Civil War (by non-slave owning whites and escaped slaves in Mississippi) against the Confederacy plus what happened during the years under Reconstruction.  It’s a very sad story, but we enjoyed the film. 

On Thursday, July 7, a 10 AM taxi took us back to RDU for our 1:30 PM Delta flight to Orlando International Airport.  Upon arrival in Orlando, we met my son, Bret, again, but this time with his girlfriend, Katie, for an early dinner near the airport.  To kill some time before our 10 PM Delta flight to São Paulo, we watched on our Ipad the classic 1948 black-and-white James Stewart film, Call Northside 777, which Cristina had never seen.  While on board the plane, I watched Spike Lee’s 1989 comedy-drama, Do the Right Thing.  I think it’s his best work and it reminded me that after twenty-seven years, America has not yet solved the problem involving the tension and violence of white police in the African-American community.

On Friday, July 8, our plane touched down in Brazil at 8 AM and we arrived at our home a couple of hours later.  Trip over.  Will return next year.