In 2003, we put our house at 69-43 Cloverdale Boulevard in the Oakland Gardens section of Queens, New York on the market. It was important that the house be in 100% condition to make it desirable to potential buyers. The towel rack in the second bathroom needed to be replaced. I bought a replacement, but I chose a cheap one, a decision I would live to regret.
Later that year, I was taking a shower in the second bathroom, which was unusual as I normally used the other. After I turned on the hot water, I looked for shampoo and discovered there was none there. Opening the sliding shower door, I saw shampoo by the sink. I attempted to reach it from within the shower instead of leaving the shower. Bad move!
In order to reach the shampoo with my left hand, I had to balance myself with my right hand holding the towel rack for support. Just as I was about to grab the shampoo, the towel rack snapped. I lost my balance and my upper body fell toward the floor. Instinctively, I put my hands forward to absorb the impact. Almost immediately, I felt something happened to my right shoulder. I think the shock passed from my palms all the way up.
I exited the shower, got dressed and drove to the Emergency Room at the North Shore Hospital, keeping my right arm as close to my body as possible. After an x-ray of my right shoulder revealed nothing, I was advised to go to the office of a nearby orthopedic surgeon.
At the surgeon's office, I had another x-ray, this time with my right arm fully extended away from my side. Doing that dislocated my damaged right shoulder. I was in awful pain, the worst of my life. Two doctors tried to manipulate my right arm and shoulder to relocate it and stop the pain, but couldn't.
I was then taken by ambulance to Long Island Jewish Hospital and waited in its Emergency Room for about three hours (with my right arm extended) before a resident came to help me. Finally, by giving me a strong sedative, my muscles relaxed enough for him to relocate my right shoulder. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I asked for God's (if any) help. He (or she) didn't answer right away.
Some days later, the surgeon put a couple of pins in my right shoulder and I have been pain free ever since. However, my right arm's mobility is somewhat limited.
A couple of days before the surgery, I took a train to the University of Maryland in College Park to visit my son Bret who had just started his freshman year there. It was risky going with my right arm in a sling, but I had previously promised him I would come and I don't like to break my promises.
A few weeks after the surgery, I moved to Brazil and did my physical therapy there. My Brazilian therapist was half Spanish and half Japanese. She told me her father was a big Elvis Presley fan, but because he couldn't speak English, he didn't understand the lyrics of his many songs. It didn't matter.
Before leaving the USA, I remember an act of kindness by my surgeon. He needed to repeat the same x-ray that had previously dislocated my right shoulder. I was frightened it would happen again. To calm me, my doctor went with me into the x-ray room and manipulated my right arm and shoulder himself. I trusted him and nothing bad happened. I'll never forget what he did.
__________
As I will be on vacation the next three weeks, my next post will be Sunday, July 1.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Do The Right Thing
Do the right thing sounds like good common sense. However, some times it is difficult to know what is the right thing to do.
Spike Lee acted in, produced, directed and wrote the screenplay (nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Tom Schulman's Dead Poets Society) for his 1989 film, Do The Right Thing, which explores the dilemma of what is the right thing to do in one particular situation. The cast included Danny Aiello (nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Denzel Washington in Glory), Ossie Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn and John Turturro. "The film was shot entirely on Stuyvesant Avenue between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn."
Do The Right Thing tells what happens on the hottest day of the year in an African American neighborhood in which there is a popular pizzeria (Sal's Famous), owned and operated by an Italian American family, Sal (Aiello) and his two grown sons. One of the sons (Turturro) is not happy to be there and would prefer to move the business to an Italian American neighborhood. Sal remains committed to stay where he has succeeded for over 20 years.
On one wall (Sal's Wall of Fame) of the pizzeria are many photos exclusively of Italian American celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Al Pacino and Robert Di Nero. A customer named Buggin' Out (Esposito) complains there are no African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal retorts that it's his pizzeria, so he can put whom ever he wants on it. As a result of this rejection, Buggin' Out calls for a boycott of Sal's Famous, but few agree with him.
Sal's decision is short sited and contrary to good business practice. I learned from my experience working in customer service at Kohl's that you want each customer to have a good experience every time they are in your establishment. Would it have hurt Sal to have put some African Americans on the Wall of Fame? Many of his customers would have been pleased to see this.
Late that night near closing, Buggin' Out returns with his friend Radio Raheem (Nunn), who always carries a boombox with loud music blaring. They repeat the demand about putting African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal again says no and demands that Radio Raheem turn off his boombox, which he refuses to do. Buggin' Out and Sal exchange ethnic slurs. Sal then destroys the boombox with a baseball bat. Radio Raheem and Sal get into a fight which "spills out into the street."
Police arrive to break up the fight. They arrest Buggin' Out, but Radio Raheem resists. One policeman puts him in a choke hold which he doesn't release until too late, killing Radio Raheem. The police put Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem's body in a squad car and quickly depart the neighborhood.
With the police gone, the many onlookers, now a mob and angered over the death of Radio Raheem, turn their hostility toward Sal and his sons. Why? They didn't kill him. Maybe because they are white like the police.
Two key figures can turn this mob either for good or bad. Da Mayor (Davis) is an old man who walks around the neighborhood forever exhorting people to "do the right thing." Proving his own metal, earlier he risks his life to save a boy from being run over by a car.
Mookie (Lee) lives in the neighborhood and delivers pizzas for Sal's Famous. Thus, he has connections to both this throng of onlookers and Sal. Mookie has heard Da Mayor's exhortation. What does he do? He throws an empty garbage can through the front window of Sal's Famous Pizzeria inciting a riot.
While Da Mayor pulls Sal and his sons away to safety across the street, a horde destroys the pizzeria and eventually burns it to the ground. It will probably never be rebuilt. No more pizza in the neighborhood?
Did Mookie do the right thing? One explanation is that Lee's action diverted the rioter's attention away from Sal and his sons and saved their lives. Better a burnt out pizzeria than three more dead people. It's his movie and he decides how the mob will react.
Another explanation is that Lee's action was an expression of anger and frustration over the continued violence by the police against the Black community. Why blame Sal for what the police did?
However, in the real world, when a crowd is encouraged to be violent, there is no guarantee what the result will be. They could burn the pizzeria and kill the owners. Perhaps, Mookie should have led the group to the police station where the real culprits were and peacefully protest against police brutality.
A year or two after I saw this movie, I entered the elevator in my office building at 800 Third Avenue in Manhattan. I suddenly realized that to my left was Spike Lee. I guess I was starring at him. He smiled and said, "How ya doin'." I said back to him, "How ya doin'." That was the extent of our conversation. I regret not saying, "Spike, you didn't do the right thing."
Spike Lee acted in, produced, directed and wrote the screenplay (nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Tom Schulman's Dead Poets Society) for his 1989 film, Do The Right Thing, which explores the dilemma of what is the right thing to do in one particular situation. The cast included Danny Aiello (nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Denzel Washington in Glory), Ossie Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn and John Turturro. "The film was shot entirely on Stuyvesant Avenue between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn."
Do The Right Thing tells what happens on the hottest day of the year in an African American neighborhood in which there is a popular pizzeria (Sal's Famous), owned and operated by an Italian American family, Sal (Aiello) and his two grown sons. One of the sons (Turturro) is not happy to be there and would prefer to move the business to an Italian American neighborhood. Sal remains committed to stay where he has succeeded for over 20 years.
On one wall (Sal's Wall of Fame) of the pizzeria are many photos exclusively of Italian American celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Al Pacino and Robert Di Nero. A customer named Buggin' Out (Esposito) complains there are no African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal retorts that it's his pizzeria, so he can put whom ever he wants on it. As a result of this rejection, Buggin' Out calls for a boycott of Sal's Famous, but few agree with him.
Sal's decision is short sited and contrary to good business practice. I learned from my experience working in customer service at Kohl's that you want each customer to have a good experience every time they are in your establishment. Would it have hurt Sal to have put some African Americans on the Wall of Fame? Many of his customers would have been pleased to see this.
Late that night near closing, Buggin' Out returns with his friend Radio Raheem (Nunn), who always carries a boombox with loud music blaring. They repeat the demand about putting African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal again says no and demands that Radio Raheem turn off his boombox, which he refuses to do. Buggin' Out and Sal exchange ethnic slurs. Sal then destroys the boombox with a baseball bat. Radio Raheem and Sal get into a fight which "spills out into the street."
Police arrive to break up the fight. They arrest Buggin' Out, but Radio Raheem resists. One policeman puts him in a choke hold which he doesn't release until too late, killing Radio Raheem. The police put Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem's body in a squad car and quickly depart the neighborhood.
With the police gone, the many onlookers, now a mob and angered over the death of Radio Raheem, turn their hostility toward Sal and his sons. Why? They didn't kill him. Maybe because they are white like the police.
Two key figures can turn this mob either for good or bad. Da Mayor (Davis) is an old man who walks around the neighborhood forever exhorting people to "do the right thing." Proving his own metal, earlier he risks his life to save a boy from being run over by a car.
Mookie (Lee) lives in the neighborhood and delivers pizzas for Sal's Famous. Thus, he has connections to both this throng of onlookers and Sal. Mookie has heard Da Mayor's exhortation. What does he do? He throws an empty garbage can through the front window of Sal's Famous Pizzeria inciting a riot.
While Da Mayor pulls Sal and his sons away to safety across the street, a horde destroys the pizzeria and eventually burns it to the ground. It will probably never be rebuilt. No more pizza in the neighborhood?
Did Mookie do the right thing? One explanation is that Lee's action diverted the rioter's attention away from Sal and his sons and saved their lives. Better a burnt out pizzeria than three more dead people. It's his movie and he decides how the mob will react.
Another explanation is that Lee's action was an expression of anger and frustration over the continued violence by the police against the Black community. Why blame Sal for what the police did?
However, in the real world, when a crowd is encouraged to be violent, there is no guarantee what the result will be. They could burn the pizzeria and kill the owners. Perhaps, Mookie should have led the group to the police station where the real culprits were and peacefully protest against police brutality.
A year or two after I saw this movie, I entered the elevator in my office building at 800 Third Avenue in Manhattan. I suddenly realized that to my left was Spike Lee. I guess I was starring at him. He smiled and said, "How ya doin'." I said back to him, "How ya doin'." That was the extent of our conversation. I regret not saying, "Spike, you didn't do the right thing."
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Memorial Day
Date: May 27, 1918 (100 years ago today)
Place: Aisne, France
I'm thinkin' it's been a long time since I left Springfield, Illinois to do basic trainin' in the army after I received my draft notice. It seemed as if I just finished high school, was havin' a good old time and then it came. Why'd Wilson have to go and get mixed up with Europe? It was so peaceful at home. Mom and Dad and brother Bobby and of course, Cindy on Saturday nights, dancin' and drinkin' and neckin'.
It was weird at first bein' away from home, gettin' used to the army. I've made some good new friends, especially Jack and Elliot. The sergeant's a pain in the neck, but he means well and is a good teacher. I think I'm a good soldier now and ready to fight for America. Also, I got to see the Atlantic Ocean and meet some different girls.
And then the ship to France. At first, I felt horrible, but after a while I got used to it. When we landed, it was amazin'. Everythin' here is so different from back home. I think this could be the greatest experience of my life.
We've done more trainin' since we got here, but we've had some time off and a bunch of us went to Paris and met some French girls. They don't speak much English, but you'd be surprised how you can communicate other ways. There was one in particular, Yvette, that I was alone with for about 24 straight hours. I think I want to marry her after the war is over. Everyone thinks that'll be soon.
But today could be the day, my first experience under fire. I hope I show some courage. We've heard reports the Krauts are moving forward and we need to push them back, all the way to Germany.
We've been marchin' towards our position now for about an hour and I can hear loud explosions gettin' closer and closer. I'm feelin' nerves in the pit of my stomach. Kinda reminds me of when we were playin' football and the other team ran on the field and both bands were playin' and I wanted to do good and not embarrass myself in front of my teammates.
This is the real thing and its gettin' kinda scary. I can almost see Germans in the distance and they want to kill me. Well, I have to kill them first. The noise is so loud I can almost not hear anythin'. Bullets are flyin'. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some of us fallin'. I'm afraid, but I can't stop movin' forward. I'm followin' my buddies. I fire my gun. I wonder if..........
Place: Aisne, France
I'm thinkin' it's been a long time since I left Springfield, Illinois to do basic trainin' in the army after I received my draft notice. It seemed as if I just finished high school, was havin' a good old time and then it came. Why'd Wilson have to go and get mixed up with Europe? It was so peaceful at home. Mom and Dad and brother Bobby and of course, Cindy on Saturday nights, dancin' and drinkin' and neckin'.
It was weird at first bein' away from home, gettin' used to the army. I've made some good new friends, especially Jack and Elliot. The sergeant's a pain in the neck, but he means well and is a good teacher. I think I'm a good soldier now and ready to fight for America. Also, I got to see the Atlantic Ocean and meet some different girls.
And then the ship to France. At first, I felt horrible, but after a while I got used to it. When we landed, it was amazin'. Everythin' here is so different from back home. I think this could be the greatest experience of my life.
We've done more trainin' since we got here, but we've had some time off and a bunch of us went to Paris and met some French girls. They don't speak much English, but you'd be surprised how you can communicate other ways. There was one in particular, Yvette, that I was alone with for about 24 straight hours. I think I want to marry her after the war is over. Everyone thinks that'll be soon.
But today could be the day, my first experience under fire. I hope I show some courage. We've heard reports the Krauts are moving forward and we need to push them back, all the way to Germany.
We've been marchin' towards our position now for about an hour and I can hear loud explosions gettin' closer and closer. I'm feelin' nerves in the pit of my stomach. Kinda reminds me of when we were playin' football and the other team ran on the field and both bands were playin' and I wanted to do good and not embarrass myself in front of my teammates.
This is the real thing and its gettin' kinda scary. I can almost see Germans in the distance and they want to kill me. Well, I have to kill them first. The noise is so loud I can almost not hear anythin'. Bullets are flyin'. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some of us fallin'. I'm afraid, but I can't stop movin' forward. I'm followin' my buddies. I fire my gun. I wonder if..........
Sunday, May 20, 2018
KLMN
I knew a girl in high school, a long time ago. Let's call her KLMN. "The names have been changed to protect the innocent."
When I was fifteen, I was attracted to girls and wanted to have a girlfriend. But I didn't have the courage to go out and get one. The attractive, desirable girls had boys hovering all around them and I felt I wasn't good enough to win any. So, why try? I would only open myself up to rejection and humiliation.
And then along came KLMN. Compared to other girls, she was very skinny. And the glasses she wore didn't make her very attractive. The custom in those days was for girls to sit and wait for boys to be the aggressor and come to them. However, for girls like KLMN, the boys didn't come.
So, KLMN decided "if the mountain will not come to Muhammed, then Muhammad must go to the mountain." She chose me because she considered me to be good looking (I think) and intelligent. The latter quality was important because she was very intelligent and would want someone similar to be her boyfriend.
KLMN acted in a manner so that I could not ignore her. She made her presence felt. When we had a class together, she would sit near me and engage me in conversation. When I decided to take a school bus to an away football game, she came too and sat next to me. When I went to visit my friend on Varick Street on the west side of Oswego, she (who lived on the east side) showed up, too. Her interest in me was obvious.
In retrospect, I should have welcomed KLMN with open arms. She was female and she would be all mine. Good times ahead! Plus no rejection and no humiliation! But, I didn't see it that way. What an idiot!
KLMN wasn't playing by the rules I was led to believe were tried and true. I was supposed to be the pursuer, not the pursued. How dare she treat me so. Thus, we became like oil and water. I remember some arguments we had: the film Splendor in the Grass and the 1961 Notre Dame-Syracuse football game.
After chasing me for two years, she finally gave up and found another to be her boyfriend. However, one night senior year I was walking down West Second Street and our paths crossed. KLMN was dressed up for some occasion with makeup and looked great in high heel shoes and a brightly-colored, tight-fitting dress. Maybe I made a mistake?
For a change, I'll let KLMN have the last word (which she wrote in my high school yearbook fifty-five years ago). "After all is said & done, it's been lots of fun knowing you. I'll never forget the fights we had in history, Latin, study hall, etc., etc. Good luck always, be good & let's quit fighting. OK? I'm glad we're finally parting friends. Bye bye."
"P.S. I won't hold any grudges if you don't. I hope you'll agree that high school days are the best days. At least I think so."
When I was fifteen, I was attracted to girls and wanted to have a girlfriend. But I didn't have the courage to go out and get one. The attractive, desirable girls had boys hovering all around them and I felt I wasn't good enough to win any. So, why try? I would only open myself up to rejection and humiliation.
And then along came KLMN. Compared to other girls, she was very skinny. And the glasses she wore didn't make her very attractive. The custom in those days was for girls to sit and wait for boys to be the aggressor and come to them. However, for girls like KLMN, the boys didn't come.
So, KLMN decided "if the mountain will not come to Muhammed, then Muhammad must go to the mountain." She chose me because she considered me to be good looking (I think) and intelligent. The latter quality was important because she was very intelligent and would want someone similar to be her boyfriend.
KLMN acted in a manner so that I could not ignore her. She made her presence felt. When we had a class together, she would sit near me and engage me in conversation. When I decided to take a school bus to an away football game, she came too and sat next to me. When I went to visit my friend on Varick Street on the west side of Oswego, she (who lived on the east side) showed up, too. Her interest in me was obvious.
In retrospect, I should have welcomed KLMN with open arms. She was female and she would be all mine. Good times ahead! Plus no rejection and no humiliation! But, I didn't see it that way. What an idiot!
KLMN wasn't playing by the rules I was led to believe were tried and true. I was supposed to be the pursuer, not the pursued. How dare she treat me so. Thus, we became like oil and water. I remember some arguments we had: the film Splendor in the Grass and the 1961 Notre Dame-Syracuse football game.
After chasing me for two years, she finally gave up and found another to be her boyfriend. However, one night senior year I was walking down West Second Street and our paths crossed. KLMN was dressed up for some occasion with makeup and looked great in high heel shoes and a brightly-colored, tight-fitting dress. Maybe I made a mistake?
For a change, I'll let KLMN have the last word (which she wrote in my high school yearbook fifty-five years ago). "After all is said & done, it's been lots of fun knowing you. I'll never forget the fights we had in history, Latin, study hall, etc., etc. Good luck always, be good & let's quit fighting. OK? I'm glad we're finally parting friends. Bye bye."
"P.S. I won't hold any grudges if you don't. I hope you'll agree that high school days are the best days. At least I think so."
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Cinco de Mayo
On July 17, 1861, with Mexico crippled in a financial crisis, President Benito Juarez signed a law suspending payments to France on debts owed to it. The following November 11, Emperor Napoleon III of France ordered his navy to occupy Mexican port cities on the Gulf until the debts were repaid.
In January of 1862, about 2,500 French troops, the first of a much larger expedition, arrived in Mexico at the port of Vera Cruz. Three months later, on April 19, the first military confrontation between Mexican and French armies occurred. The following day, France declared war on Mexico.
On May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) of 1862, 5,000 French soldiers attacked the City of Puebla (between Vera Cruz and Mexico City) defended by 12,000 Mexican troops, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. The attack failed and the French were forced to retreat, having suffered 476 casualties, twice as many as their adversaries. Mexicans felt a moment of national pride that is remembered to the present day.
The war continued with more and more French soldiers arriving in Mexico. In 1863, the French again tried to capture Puebla. On May 19, the Mexican Army, badly outnumber, surrendered the city. The invaders then turned their attention to the capital.
On June 3, 1863, the French Army entered Mexico City and proclaimed a Mexican Empire, headed by an Austrian prince, Maximilian, who was told by the French that the majority of the Mexican people wanted him as their ruler. It was really only the Mexican aristocracy that did.
The French Army supported Maximilian against Juarez forces until May of 1866 when Napoleon III (encouraged to do so by the USA after the American Civil War ended) ordered it home. Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867. The war was over.
I think the first time I heard the expression Cinco de Mayo was ten years ago when I was driving down East Franklin Street (near Estes Drive) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and noticed a new restaurant named Cinco de Mayo. I knew it had something to do with Mexico, but I didn't know exactly what.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated as a significant military victory in the Mexican State of Puebla, but it is not a national Mexican holiday. Mexicans living in the U.S. State of California have been celebrating Cinco de Mayo since 1862 when news of the Mexican defeat of the French first arrived.
In the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo became more popular in the USA when Mexican beer company marketers started using it in their commercials. Since then, Cinco de Mayo has come to represent Mexican culture in the USA. As of 2006, there were more than 150 official Cinco de Mayo events held across the 50 states, especially in areas with high concentrations of Mexican Americans.
Both U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the White House during their entire eight-years there (2001-2016). In 2017 and 2018, President Trump said no.
In January of 1862, about 2,500 French troops, the first of a much larger expedition, arrived in Mexico at the port of Vera Cruz. Three months later, on April 19, the first military confrontation between Mexican and French armies occurred. The following day, France declared war on Mexico.
On May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) of 1862, 5,000 French soldiers attacked the City of Puebla (between Vera Cruz and Mexico City) defended by 12,000 Mexican troops, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. The attack failed and the French were forced to retreat, having suffered 476 casualties, twice as many as their adversaries. Mexicans felt a moment of national pride that is remembered to the present day.
The war continued with more and more French soldiers arriving in Mexico. In 1863, the French again tried to capture Puebla. On May 19, the Mexican Army, badly outnumber, surrendered the city. The invaders then turned their attention to the capital.
On June 3, 1863, the French Army entered Mexico City and proclaimed a Mexican Empire, headed by an Austrian prince, Maximilian, who was told by the French that the majority of the Mexican people wanted him as their ruler. It was really only the Mexican aristocracy that did.
The French Army supported Maximilian against Juarez forces until May of 1866 when Napoleon III (encouraged to do so by the USA after the American Civil War ended) ordered it home. Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867. The war was over.
I think the first time I heard the expression Cinco de Mayo was ten years ago when I was driving down East Franklin Street (near Estes Drive) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and noticed a new restaurant named Cinco de Mayo. I knew it had something to do with Mexico, but I didn't know exactly what.
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated as a significant military victory in the Mexican State of Puebla, but it is not a national Mexican holiday. Mexicans living in the U.S. State of California have been celebrating Cinco de Mayo since 1862 when news of the Mexican defeat of the French first arrived.
In the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo became more popular in the USA when Mexican beer company marketers started using it in their commercials. Since then, Cinco de Mayo has come to represent Mexican culture in the USA. As of 2006, there were more than 150 official Cinco de Mayo events held across the 50 states, especially in areas with high concentrations of Mexican Americans.
Both U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the White House during their entire eight-years there (2001-2016). In 2017 and 2018, President Trump said no.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
The Real Ben Johnson
Last Sunday, I ended the saga (Best of Intentions) of Ben Johnson, history teacher from Oswego, New York, who lost his son, Frank, in a hunting accident, his first wife, Paula, in a traumatic divorce stemming from the loss of their son, and his second wife, Rita, as a result of a tragic mistake that sometimes happens during war.
I chose the name Johnson because the British commissioner, Sir William Johnson, went to Oswego in the mid Eighteenth Century to enter into a peace treaty with Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Tribe. I chose the name Ben because Ben Johnson is one of my favorite actors.
The actor Ben Johnson, of Irish and Cherokee ancestry, was born in Oklahoma in 1918. Through his father, he developed an interest in horses. Ben's film career began with the 1943 Howard Hughes western, The Outlaw, when he was hired to bring the horses Hughes bought for the film from Oklahoma to Hollywood. Once in California, Ben got stunt work because of his ability riding horses.
The director John Ford hired Ben to be the stunt double for Henry Fonda in his 1948 film, Fort Apache. So impressed was Ford with Ben's horseback riding that he signed him to a seven-year acting contract.
Ben Johnson's first credited role was in the 1949 John Ford/John Wayne movie, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. In 1950, he worked again with the two Johns in Rio Grande. In 1953, Ben had a famous barroom fist fight with Alan Ladd in the classic, Shane.
In the early 1960s, Ben was in three episodes of Have Gun Will Travel with Richard Boone. In 1961, he worked with Marlon Brando in One Eyed Jacks. In 1968, Ben appeared in the Charlton Heston movie, Will Penny, and the Clint Eastwood film, Hang 'Em High. In 1969, he was one of The Wild Bunch, along with William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates.
In 1971, Ben was cast in the film The Last Picture Show, directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich. It is a coming of age story of two teenage boys living in a dying small town in north Texas in 1951. It received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. All three awards were won by The French Connection.
In The Last Picture Show, Ben Johnson plays Sam the Lion, the owner of the local pool hall, movie theater and cafe. There is one touching scene in which he takes the two boys, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges) on a fishing trip. While there, Sam the Lion recalls a time in his past when he took a young woman to the same place.
"I brought a young lady swimming out here once. More than twenty years ago. It was after my wife had lost her mind and my boys was dead. Me and this young lady was pretty wild, I guess. In pretty deep! We used to come here horse back and go swimming with no bathing suit. One day, she wanted to swim the horses across this tank. A kind a crazy thing to do, but we done it anyway. She bet me a silver dollar she could beat me across. She did. The horse I was riding didn't want to take the water. But, she was always looking for something to do like that. Something wild! I bet she's still got that silver dollar."
Ben Johnson received the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Sam the Lion. He died of a heart attack in 1996 at the age of seventy-seven, mimicking the death of Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show.
I chose the name Johnson because the British commissioner, Sir William Johnson, went to Oswego in the mid Eighteenth Century to enter into a peace treaty with Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Tribe. I chose the name Ben because Ben Johnson is one of my favorite actors.
The actor Ben Johnson, of Irish and Cherokee ancestry, was born in Oklahoma in 1918. Through his father, he developed an interest in horses. Ben's film career began with the 1943 Howard Hughes western, The Outlaw, when he was hired to bring the horses Hughes bought for the film from Oklahoma to Hollywood. Once in California, Ben got stunt work because of his ability riding horses.
The director John Ford hired Ben to be the stunt double for Henry Fonda in his 1948 film, Fort Apache. So impressed was Ford with Ben's horseback riding that he signed him to a seven-year acting contract.
Ben Johnson's first credited role was in the 1949 John Ford/John Wayne movie, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. In 1950, he worked again with the two Johns in Rio Grande. In 1953, Ben had a famous barroom fist fight with Alan Ladd in the classic, Shane.
In the early 1960s, Ben was in three episodes of Have Gun Will Travel with Richard Boone. In 1961, he worked with Marlon Brando in One Eyed Jacks. In 1968, Ben appeared in the Charlton Heston movie, Will Penny, and the Clint Eastwood film, Hang 'Em High. In 1969, he was one of The Wild Bunch, along with William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates.
In 1971, Ben was cast in the film The Last Picture Show, directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich. It is a coming of age story of two teenage boys living in a dying small town in north Texas in 1951. It received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. All three awards were won by The French Connection.
In The Last Picture Show, Ben Johnson plays Sam the Lion, the owner of the local pool hall, movie theater and cafe. There is one touching scene in which he takes the two boys, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges) on a fishing trip. While there, Sam the Lion recalls a time in his past when he took a young woman to the same place.
"I brought a young lady swimming out here once. More than twenty years ago. It was after my wife had lost her mind and my boys was dead. Me and this young lady was pretty wild, I guess. In pretty deep! We used to come here horse back and go swimming with no bathing suit. One day, she wanted to swim the horses across this tank. A kind a crazy thing to do, but we done it anyway. She bet me a silver dollar she could beat me across. She did. The horse I was riding didn't want to take the water. But, she was always looking for something to do like that. Something wild! I bet she's still got that silver dollar."
Ben Johnson received the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Sam the Lion. He died of a heart attack in 1996 at the age of seventy-seven, mimicking the death of Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Best of Intentions, Chapter 22
Landing craft full of soldiers leave the U.S. Navy destroyer and head towards land as intense firing from both sides continues. Finally, they hit the beach in front of Maria's and Ben's cottage. One of the first soldiers to disembark is Private Harry Johnson from Syracuse. He and the others charge ahead looking for cover from Mexican gunfire. Once in the brush, the Americans wind their way towards the enemy. Finally, Harry comes to the area where the cottage had been. It is completely leveled. He is about to pass over it when he hears human moaning causing him to stop.
"Help...help."
Harry pulls off layers of debris until he discovers the blackened body of a naked woman. Underneath her he sees the tortured face of his uncle, whom he doesn't recognize. Realizing they are both injured, Harry calls for a medic and then continues on his way. After the medic arrives, he checks out Rita and then gently rolls her body off Ben's so he can examine him.
The medic asks, "Speak English, sir?"
Ben mumbles, "Yes!"
"American, sir?"
"Yes!"
"Your wife, sir?"
"Yes!"
"I'm afraid she's dead, sir."
At this horrific news, Ben's goes into shock. He's in too much pain from his bodily injuries to move. The medic gives him an injection. Tears run down Ben's bloody face until he passes out. As the battle continues, an unconscious Ben is placed on a stretcher and removed from the area, leaving Rita's body behind.
Some time later, Ben wakes up in a hospital ward on a U.S. Navy ship. He is still groggy as a nurse approaches.
"Hello, sir. I'm Lieutenant Anderson. What were you doing in the middle of a battle zone?"
"Where's Rita? Where's my wife? What are you talking about, a battle zone? I don't understand any of this."
"Didn't you know the president ordered an invasion of Mexico to stop them from making a super bomb they were going to use against us?"
Ben shakes his head in the negative. "My wife?"
"I'm sorry. I've no report of any woman found in the area. Please rest, sir."
She leaves. Ben starts to cry out, but his injuries limit his response.
"Rita...Rita."
Days later, Ben's been transferred to a U.S. Navy hospital in Key West, Florida. It's difficult for him to get around as his ankle was broken. Ben phones his brother Dave from an administrative area.
"Dave, it's me...I'm at a Navy hospital in Key West. I'm recovering from some injuries I suffered at Vera Cruz when all hell broke loose. Rita and I were there honeymooning. We had no idea what was about to happen. Now Rita's gone. The moment before was the happiest of my life. And now...I don't know what to do. The Navy wants to get rid of me and I've no where to go. Can I come up to your place to finish my recuperation? My ankle's busted...Thanks. I'll let you know when my plane'll arrive...Bye."
A week later at the Miami Airport, an attendant pushes Ben's wheelchair to his gate. Once there, with help, he transfers to a regular chair. Ben waits by himself for his flight to Syracuse. His foot is in a cast and he has crutches. Ben looks straight ahead without emotion. There's a radio nearby broadcasting news.
The announcer says, "The president has reported that Operation Segundo is a success. In a relatively short time, U.S. forces have crushed the Mexican Army and its government is in hiding. However, there appears to be a growing insurgency that's causing problems for our troops. As has been previously reported by Washington, the reason for the invasion was Julius Karchevsky, a notorious scientist who was working on the creation of a super bomb to use against the United States. Unfortunately, he has not yet been captured. However, President Roosevelt has assured the American people that he will be soon and this threat from the south will be over."
Meanwhile, in front of a house on Lyell Avenue in Rochester, New York, a short, elderly man with grey hair, a mustache, and a pot belly sits on his porch while interviewed by reporters.
Ben is still listening to the radio back in Miami.
"In another report, a man calling himself Julius Karchevsky, a salesman from Rochester, New York, claims to be the man the government is looking for in Mexico. He said he lived there before the war, but then moved to the United States. He says he knows nothing about any super bomb. Washington is looking into this report, but so far has discounted its authenticity. The War Department said that, even if it is true, we went into Mexico with the best of intentions, to protect the American people."
Ben sits and waits with no expression on his face. He wonders what happened to Rita's body, to Patricia, to Miguel, and to their beautiful house in Mexico City.
A smile then appears on Ben's face. He remembers when he first met Rita in the corridor at the hotel in New York.
Rita said, "Well, here I am. It was nice talking to you, Mr..."
"Johnson. Ben Johnson. The pleasure was all mine, miss uh..."
"My name is Senora Ramirez, Rita Chavez Ramirez. Good night."
"Good night."
Rita puts her key in the lock. She steps through the open doorway and turns to look back at Ben. She studies his face for a brief moment with a calm expression and then gives him a warm, friendly smile. Finally, she closes the door.
Ben's flight to Syracuse has just arrived at Hancock Airport. As an injured passenger, he's the last one off the plane. Ben slowly hobbles down the stairway assisted by a stewardess. An attendant with a wheelchair awaits him at the bottom. Ben sits down holding his crutches. He is wheeled across the tarmac to the gate. Ben looks for his brother, but he doesn't see him. Instead, he sees the silhouette of an unknown woman. As he gets closer, he recognizes his ex-wife. Ben sits straight up, starring at her, startled by her presence. As the wheelchair reaches the gate, Paula motions to the attendant that she will take over. She reaches over and touches Ben's left hand.
"I'm sorry."
Ben nods. Paula pushes the wheelchair into the terminal and down a long corridor towards the exit. The attendant keeps watching them until they turn a corner and disappear from his view.
__________
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, SENATOR JOHN KERRY QUOTED RICHARD CLARKE, THE FORMER WHITE HOUSE TERRORISM CZAR, AS SAYING "INVADING IRAQ IN RESPONSE TO 9/11 WOULD BE LIKE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT INVADING MEXICO IN RESPONSE TO PEARL HARBOR."
The End.
"Help...help."
Harry pulls off layers of debris until he discovers the blackened body of a naked woman. Underneath her he sees the tortured face of his uncle, whom he doesn't recognize. Realizing they are both injured, Harry calls for a medic and then continues on his way. After the medic arrives, he checks out Rita and then gently rolls her body off Ben's so he can examine him.
The medic asks, "Speak English, sir?"
Ben mumbles, "Yes!"
"American, sir?"
"Yes!"
"Your wife, sir?"
"Yes!"
"I'm afraid she's dead, sir."
At this horrific news, Ben's goes into shock. He's in too much pain from his bodily injuries to move. The medic gives him an injection. Tears run down Ben's bloody face until he passes out. As the battle continues, an unconscious Ben is placed on a stretcher and removed from the area, leaving Rita's body behind.
Some time later, Ben wakes up in a hospital ward on a U.S. Navy ship. He is still groggy as a nurse approaches.
"Hello, sir. I'm Lieutenant Anderson. What were you doing in the middle of a battle zone?"
"Where's Rita? Where's my wife? What are you talking about, a battle zone? I don't understand any of this."
"Didn't you know the president ordered an invasion of Mexico to stop them from making a super bomb they were going to use against us?"
Ben shakes his head in the negative. "My wife?"
"I'm sorry. I've no report of any woman found in the area. Please rest, sir."
She leaves. Ben starts to cry out, but his injuries limit his response.
"Rita...Rita."
Days later, Ben's been transferred to a U.S. Navy hospital in Key West, Florida. It's difficult for him to get around as his ankle was broken. Ben phones his brother Dave from an administrative area.
"Dave, it's me...I'm at a Navy hospital in Key West. I'm recovering from some injuries I suffered at Vera Cruz when all hell broke loose. Rita and I were there honeymooning. We had no idea what was about to happen. Now Rita's gone. The moment before was the happiest of my life. And now...I don't know what to do. The Navy wants to get rid of me and I've no where to go. Can I come up to your place to finish my recuperation? My ankle's busted...Thanks. I'll let you know when my plane'll arrive...Bye."
A week later at the Miami Airport, an attendant pushes Ben's wheelchair to his gate. Once there, with help, he transfers to a regular chair. Ben waits by himself for his flight to Syracuse. His foot is in a cast and he has crutches. Ben looks straight ahead without emotion. There's a radio nearby broadcasting news.
The announcer says, "The president has reported that Operation Segundo is a success. In a relatively short time, U.S. forces have crushed the Mexican Army and its government is in hiding. However, there appears to be a growing insurgency that's causing problems for our troops. As has been previously reported by Washington, the reason for the invasion was Julius Karchevsky, a notorious scientist who was working on the creation of a super bomb to use against the United States. Unfortunately, he has not yet been captured. However, President Roosevelt has assured the American people that he will be soon and this threat from the south will be over."
Meanwhile, in front of a house on Lyell Avenue in Rochester, New York, a short, elderly man with grey hair, a mustache, and a pot belly sits on his porch while interviewed by reporters.
Ben is still listening to the radio back in Miami.
"In another report, a man calling himself Julius Karchevsky, a salesman from Rochester, New York, claims to be the man the government is looking for in Mexico. He said he lived there before the war, but then moved to the United States. He says he knows nothing about any super bomb. Washington is looking into this report, but so far has discounted its authenticity. The War Department said that, even if it is true, we went into Mexico with the best of intentions, to protect the American people."
Ben sits and waits with no expression on his face. He wonders what happened to Rita's body, to Patricia, to Miguel, and to their beautiful house in Mexico City.
A smile then appears on Ben's face. He remembers when he first met Rita in the corridor at the hotel in New York.
Rita said, "Well, here I am. It was nice talking to you, Mr..."
"Johnson. Ben Johnson. The pleasure was all mine, miss uh..."
"My name is Senora Ramirez, Rita Chavez Ramirez. Good night."
"Good night."
Rita puts her key in the lock. She steps through the open doorway and turns to look back at Ben. She studies his face for a brief moment with a calm expression and then gives him a warm, friendly smile. Finally, she closes the door.
Ben's flight to Syracuse has just arrived at Hancock Airport. As an injured passenger, he's the last one off the plane. Ben slowly hobbles down the stairway assisted by a stewardess. An attendant with a wheelchair awaits him at the bottom. Ben sits down holding his crutches. He is wheeled across the tarmac to the gate. Ben looks for his brother, but he doesn't see him. Instead, he sees the silhouette of an unknown woman. As he gets closer, he recognizes his ex-wife. Ben sits straight up, starring at her, startled by her presence. As the wheelchair reaches the gate, Paula motions to the attendant that she will take over. She reaches over and touches Ben's left hand.
"I'm sorry."
Ben nods. Paula pushes the wheelchair into the terminal and down a long corridor towards the exit. The attendant keeps watching them until they turn a corner and disappear from his view.
__________
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2004, SENATOR JOHN KERRY QUOTED RICHARD CLARKE, THE FORMER WHITE HOUSE TERRORISM CZAR, AS SAYING "INVADING IRAQ IN RESPONSE TO 9/11 WOULD BE LIKE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT INVADING MEXICO IN RESPONSE TO PEARL HARBOR."
The End.
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