Tell me what company you keep, and I'll tell you who you are."
Miguel de Cervantes 1547-1616 (Author of Don Quixote)
Norm's Daily Ramblins
A POUPOURI OF PATRIOTIC VIDEOS.
FOURTH OF JULY 2009 - HAPPY 233rd BIRTHDAY!
These videos have been especially selected just for you on this very special Independence Day Weekend. We invite you to come back and there are too many to see at one time. They are thrilling, no inspiring to view and hear. Most of them have the clarity to be changed to full screen. Enjoy and be inspired.
Gibbons, in his "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" writes that the average civilization lasts 200 years. He gives several reasons why they die, which is something you should review. What is alarming is that all of the great ones are not conquered. They die from within. -n plunkett
by Isaac Asimov
Author of 500 books and 1500 essays
Born: Russia, 1920; died: USA, 1992
See the link at close of article for Asimov bio and info
I have a weakness--I am crazy, absolutely nuts about our national anthem.
I was once asked to speak at a luncheon. Taking my life in my hands, I announced I was going to sing our national anthem –– all four stanzas. This was greeted with loud groans. One man closed the door to the kitchen, where the noise of dishes and cutlery was loud and distracting. "Thanks, Herb," I said.
"That's all right," he said. "It was at the request of the kitchen staff."
I explained the background of the anthem and then sang all four stanzas.
Let me tell you, those people had never heard it before –– or had never really listened. I got a standing ovation. But it was not me; it was the anthem.
More recently, while conducting a seminar, I told my students the story of the anthem and sang all four stanzas. Again, there was a wild ovation and prolonged applause. And again, it was the anthem and not me. So now let me tell you how it came to be written.
In 1812, the United States went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas. We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country. Great Britain was in a life and death struggle with Napoleon. In fact, just as the United States declared war, Napoleon marched off to invade Russia. If he won, as everyone expected, he would control Europe, and Great Britain would be isolated. It was no time for her to be involved in an American war.
At first, our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually.
New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession. Meanwhile, Napoleon was beaten in Russia, and in 1814 was forced to abdicate. Great Britain now turned its attention to the United States, launching a three-pronged attack.
The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England. The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west. The central prong was to head for the mid-Atlantic states and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York. If Baltimore was taken, the nation, which still hugged the Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.
The British reached the American coast, and on August 24, 1814, took Washington, D. C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. On September 12, they arrived and found 1000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.
On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beanes, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release. The British captain was willing, but the two Americans would have to wait. It was now the night of September 13, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start.
As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red glare of rockets. They knew the fort was resisting, and the American flag was still flying. But toward morning, the bombardment ceased, and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed, and the American flag still flew.
As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, trying to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over, "Can you see the flag?"
After it was all finished, Key wrote a four-stanza poem telling
the events of the night. Called "The Defense of Fort M'Henry," It was published in newspapers and swept the nation.
Someone noted that the words fit an old English tune calle "To Anacreon in Heaven" -- a difficult melody, with an uncomfortably large vocal range. For obvious reasons, Key's work became known as "The Star Spangled Banner," and in 1931, Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States.
Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old Dr. Beanes is speaking. This is what he asks Key.
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
"Ramparts," in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer:
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure. In the third stanza, I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise. During World War II, when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling:
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n - rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes.
Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears.
And don't let them ever take it away.
MEMORIES OF INDEPENDENCE DAY IN WISCONSIN. "THOSE WERE THE DAYS, MY FRIEND..."
With a pocket of these you had power.
Maude Plunkett at 101
GROWING UP IN WISCONSIN -- WHEN EVERY SINGLE ONE
WAS THE GREATEST FOURTH OF JULY...BECAUSE WE WERE CELEBRATING AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY!
Can it be another year? How fast they go by and are devoured by our intense love for life. Each year at this time, my memory bank opens up a special pigeon-hole. Out flows the joyous memories of how we celebrated past birthday anniversaries of our beloved country, America. The images and sounds come roaring out as noisily and dependable as Fibber McGee's closet. I have to repeat the following memory I wrote a few years ago and take the time to enlarge the memory as another bubble from the basement comes bouncing up the scary stairs.
This memory was recently renewed by a trip to Wisconsin and beautiful Beaver Lake when we visited the Ralph Siefert family and were united with some 20 friends from Wauwatosa Class of '53!
"And with every stop along the way to consider and enjoy a precious memory, we must also also match it with a hopeful look to our future and our next step in this marvelous journey in this present time/space dimension God has given us to use to get us ready for the Big Time with Him! - n.p.
I remember so clearly standing on our pier at Beaver Lake in 1948 as I ignited cherry bombs with the glowing end of a cotton rope and threw them into the water. Some will remember those cherry bombs and M-80's that are no longer legal anywhere in the U.S. Did you know that an M-80 was equal in gunpowder to a quarter of a stick of dynamite?
The cherry bomb was about the size of a jaw-breaker you would get out of a two-cent machine and had a thick, well seated, waterproof wick which allowed it to remain lite as the cherry bomb sunk two to three feet under water before exploding like a depth charge from a U.S. Destroyer -- with a deep Baaaarooop! -- and a giant bubble full of smoke would break the lake's surface.
The sound of firecrackers could be heard all day long around the lake and we did our part making noise with four brothers and two sisters trying all kinds of creative things as we awaited nightfall and the beauty of chemical colores in the sky that the mortars and skyrockets would provide.
During the war we had difficulty getting punk to light the firecrackers so we used a six-inch piece of frayed cotton clothesline and kept it glowing by blowing on it. Another year, I was probably 12 or 13, we thought we'd be cool and justify the presence of a cigarette in our fingers, explaining that we were using it to light firecrackers. When we were told that you have to drag on the cigarette to keep it lit, our parents torpedoed our cool plan of blatant mischievousness.
Speaking of "torpedoes“ do you remember them? They were white and about the size of a malted-milk ball or a mothball. My brothers cherished the four and five inch cannon crackersť (Yes, there used to be firecrackers that large.) But my favorite sound maker was the "torpedo. When you threw one against a hard surface like a brick wall or a cement sidewalk the torpedo would explode with gusto. Torpedoes were awesomely loud until they began to downsize them for safety reasons. We used to waste them by trying to throw them to the pavement from the window of a moving car. We finally figured out that the horizontal speed of the car negated the vertical speed of our throw so it just plopped on the pavement. With the speed my brother was driving his 1938 souped up and channeled chartreus Mercury convertible, I wouldn't have heard the explosion anyway -- even if the physics of the project were correct.
The ban on public use of fireworks in Wisconsin in the 1950's was a sad day for my brothers and me. Why should the "pros" be allowed to have all the fun? By not banning fireworks, South Carolina produced the well-known "South of the Border" fireworks mega supermarket on I-95 that still sells millions of dollars of colorful explosive displays. And what about the huge operations on I-24 east of Chattanooga and the superstores in South Carolina on I-85? It's just a short trip for clandestine Atlantans to acquire their celebration hardware and software in a short drive. And that doesn't even take in the state of Texas, Florida and others who are allowed to sell and use these wonderful noisemakers. Just a few years ago a bill was passed in Georgia to allow fireworks to be sold and used in Georgia as long as, whatever it is, does not fly higher than 20 feet -- so small firecrackers, pinwheels, and fountains have been able to be legally used since 2005 in Georgia. Residents can now do what I've seen for the past 45 years in Atlanta.
In Georgia, many now celebrate legally with bottle rockets, small mortars, repeating aerial reports, and legally with Black Cat Salutes, fountains, flares, and pinwheels at Fourth of July, New Years Eve, and often Christmas week.
'My three sons' used to be the entertainment center of Gainesbourgh West, right off the north loop of I-285. It seemed like the neighbors were always ready and waiting for the Plunkett boys semi-annual, creative interpretations of light, sound and smell. The response from the neighbors in applause and cheering was often as loud as the presentation.
If you're a boomer or older, chances are you look back on your Fourth of Julys with special fondness because of family picnics and the anticipation of what usually happened during the day's celebration. Oh, for sure, kids and families still enjoy the celebration today as they establish their own memories, but it's from a whole different perspective.
The Fourth was always the highlight of summer for me. I'm sure many of us thought about the freedom we enjoy and were grateful for this unique country many times during the year -- especially with the lasting events of WW2 clearly etched in our minds and hearts and the immense loss of men and women in the military. The majority of us had relatives in the service but not all of us had been touched by a personal loss. We were still grateful for the one chance a year we had to specifically celebrate the founding of our country -- a unique nation founded on faith in God and biblical principles.
One summer, Mary and I listened to David McCullough's John Adams audio book as we drove across the country. It was a wonderful, enlightening experience. Not only were we reminded about what was involved in the formation and establishment of America, but more specifically the role John and Abigail Adams and other leaders played in that real-life drama. The importance of God for each of them is so evident in history and in their writings. It was this faith in their Creator God and his son, Jesus Christ that impacted all of life for those who formed our nation. Everything they did revolved around a deep faith and commitment to their Creator God. You might say that God was not prominent in their lives, but preeminent meaning not just "First," but "First" in every area of their life. We did the same thing with McCullough's book on George Washington. I highly recommend it.
I've been an old guy for sometime now so I won't be messing around with explosives. But I did just get back from Florida and have some fountains, sparklers, pin wheels and some half-inch Lady Fingers you can light and hold with your fingers while it goes off which was a sign of great personal male virility when I was a pre-teen.. (Make sure that you're holding the Lady Finger with your thumb and forefinger AND only at the extreme bottom tip of the Lady Finger!)
Dad's favorites were fireworks at night. As soon as it was dark and there was an audience of family and friends, he would ignite two Roman Candles in each hand moving them in a circular motion. For years I thought Dad's conductor movements were the reason the colored, flaming balls escaped the three-foot tube spreading an impressive arc of color out over the water.
Dad seemed to always have trouble with pinwheels. They would be nailed to the Cottonwood trees next to the beach at Beaver Lake, but for some reason the pinwheel would get hung up before burning out and stop after a rapid blazing start. If not that, I remember when not all three of the powder tubes would fire up so the pinwheel would just sit there with one colorful jet taking it nowhere.
Dad's "piece of resistance" was the six-inch mortars he paid $5.00 a piece for! And $5 in the late 1940's was a whole lotta money. These mini-bombs required a two or three-foot launching tube that had half of it sunk into beach sand. He would light the 16-inch fuse, and all of us would excitedly watch the fuse burn up to the rim of the tube and then disappear. Suddenly, with sparks flying, the mortar would roar out of the tube with a loud FA-THWAP!
Out and up, the flying bomb would travel over the lake resulting in an explosion and shower of color that would generate "ahhhhhhhhs!" and applause from the small lakeside audience. Dad usually had ten to fifteen mortars (sky rockets) and they were carefully and reverently ignited one at a time. It was much too long a pause between explosions for a ten-year old boy, but Dad wanted us to appreciate the excitement and beauty of each gunpowder sky painting. Like Jean Shepherd's Dad, my father was in his glory. During the 1940's, Dad conducted a mean fireworks show every Fourth whether it was our church picnic out at Utica Lake in Dousman,WI or a family gathering at Beaver Lake.
Now the grandsons have assumed the heavy responsibility for maintaining the continuity of meaningfulť family traditions in this constantly changing world.
Jon is traveling to Wisconsin to be part of a Fourth of July pyrotechnic show. Grandpa Plunkett would be so proud of the show they put on up in Waupaca.
Chris is back in his beloved Uinta Wilderness and Flaming Gorge Reservoir where he's works as a hydrologist. "Dad, I have to do a quality check on the Green River and do it in a canoe. Tough job, eh?" I'm sure he will celebrate the Fourth of July creatively and not endanger the forest by tending his one acre garden in Naples, UT.
Norm Jr., who's now 49, may light a couple of Lady Fingers and light a pinwheel just for old time sake with his Aunt Judy and 102 year old grandmother who enjoyed the sparklers last year.
The links I've provided below are really sensational, especially the Nova and Zambelli sites. On the Zambelli site you can design your own fireworks show with sound on their DESKTOP page.
"Those were the days, my friend!ť We never ever thought they'd end! But they certainly did and will for you too.
And you young parents, "These ARE the days, my friend!" And you know they'll end -- so enjoy! Sure hope when this Fourth of July is over, it will be one that added to the memory bank of all those you love.
HAPPY 233rd BIRTHDAY..... AMERICA! Wonder How Many You Have Left?
Patriotic post card from 1908
Independence Hall - Philadelphia
Why should I write about Independence Day and the Fourth of July when Harvey Nowland had already done an excellent job communicating the facts and purpose?
Independence Day is the national holiday in the USA commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The 13 colonies that signed the declaration were under the rule of England's King George III, and distressed over taxation without representation. The colonists had no representation in the English Parliament.
In 1774 the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia to form the First Continental Congress. These delegates were unhappy with England, but were not yet ready to declare war. In April 1775 the King's troops advanced on Concord Massachusetts, Paul Revere sounded the alarm as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord was the “shot heard round the world, marking the unofficial start of the colonies struggle for independence.
In May 1775 the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress and they labored for almost a year to work out differences with England, without formally declaring war. By June 1776 efforts seemed hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft, which was presented to the Congress on June 28. Changes were made and a vote was taken the afternoon of July 4th. Nine colonies voted in favor of the Declaration, Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted against it, Delaware was undecided, and New York abstained.
John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence with a great flourish so that King George can read that without spectacles! The next day copies of the Declaration were distributed and the Pennsylvania Evening Post printed the Declaration on July 6, 1776.
The Declaration was read on July 8 in Philadelphia's Independence Square to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. The bell in Independence Hall, known as the Province Bell, was also rung. Later it was renamed the “Liberty Bell, because of its inscription Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof(Leviticus 25:10). The signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, but the 4th of July was accepted as the official anniversary of US independence, and the first celebration took place the following year July 4 1777.
Our great and beautiful nation has been at the forefront of personal freedom, rights, and liberty since those brave colonial men and women faced off with the power of England in 1776. Many have lived and died to maintain our freedom, and we are only a small percentage of those who inhabit this earth that can freely and openly: believe, choose, march, pray, protest, speak freely, vote, and worship. Do you understand and appreciate the significance of that fact?
While you're wolfing down that third hot dog, bratwurst, or hamburger, getting sunburned at the ocean shore, or on a lake, take some time on July 4th to exercise the precious freedom we have to believe in the sovereign God who blesses us so abundantly. Worship Him, thank Him, and pray that His hand will stay upon this country of ours.
HAPPY 233rd BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
RETURN TO GOD SO THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE!
HARVEY NOWLAND 2005
[Harvey had an excellent Web site that deserves you visit. You'll be glad you did.
The 2002 flag had pointed stars for the first time
This is such a great story and photos it's worth running each year.
Neighbor, Henrietta Hastie, sent over a very nice "pass-on" that gives a unique story about how someone used to honor the United States of America and the flag. It seems that the Bodger Seed Company (not Badger) of Lompac, California near Costa Mesa, has honored this country in an incredible way on several occasions. I did a little research on the Internet and came up with some interesting information and some great pictures which I've posted. Regretfully, the company no longer posts the flag or produces it in their field. Grandpa must have died and it no longer may seem important. Glad I documented the story before it was all over.
Lompac is the flower raising center for Southern California and as of 2002 there were still nine miles.... yes, nine miles of open fields of flowers from the Town of Lompac all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1942, Bodger Seed "raised" the first Floral Flag in honor of our fighting men and women and in memory of Pearl Harbor and those who gave their lives then and after. The first Floral Flag was painted.... er, planted on December 14, 1941, a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was in bloom during the early summer of 1942. It not only was a memorial to that fateful day but honored all the days after as men and women put their lives on the line and fought an honorable war against tyranny.
As a patriotic gesture after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Bodger Seeds again planted a Floral Flag in Lompoc, California. It was 50 years since they planted such a flag.
There have been four Floral Flags planted by Bodger Seeds in Lompoc during the last century:1942, 1943, 1945, 1952. All of the flags were comprised of Red, White and Blue Larkspur flowers. Some of the flags were set off in a background of white Larkspur. The 1943 flag was planted as a 'wavy' flag that turned out as a failure.
The first flag, shown on the right was the first one in 1942 and was 455 feet long and 260 feet high, equaling 2.75 acres. It was planted in a 9 acre field of White Larkspur. The Stars were 10' x 10' and the Stripes were 22 feet wide. It was estimated to contain 200,000 Larkspur plants.
Then in 1952, as shown on in the second photo, the Floral Flag was planted with Stripes of varying widths so that the flag would retain proper perspective from the top of Lookout Point, approximately 1/4 mile to the south. This Flag was 7 acres square: 550 feet long and 540 feet wide. The Stripes were 33 feet wide on the south end of the flag and became progressively wider to a maximum of 53 feet wide on the north end of the flag.
By 2002 Bodger Seed knew exactly how to do it and the Floral Flag commerating the tragic "9/11" experience was 740 feet wide and 390 feet high and maintained the proper Flag dimensions. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter; Each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants with 4-5 flower stems each for a total of more than 2 million flowers.
Don't know what they are doing this year but you Southern Californians might want to drive by V Street south of Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, California see what's going on and send us a photo.
I've linked Bodger Seed's website below. It has many pages you would enjoy if you would just tell yourself that you really have enough time to visit and do everything else you seem to think you must do.
GOD BLESS AMERICA! Oh, how it needs that blessing. But how can God bless a nation or a person without repentence?"
THE TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE BACKYARD BARBEQUE PROCESS!
We are about to enter the summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it's the only type of cooking a 'real' man will do. This is probably because there is an element of danger involved in the barbeque process.
When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion. Here's the routine...
(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes the dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along
with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is
lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
>>
>> Here comes the important part:
>>
>> (4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
>>
>> More routine....
>>
>> (5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
>> (6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He
>> thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with
>> the situation.
>>
>> Important again:
>>
>> (7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
>>
>> More routine....
>>
>> (8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins,
>> sauces, and brings them to the table.
>> (9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
>>
>> And most important of all:
>> (10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
>> (11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." And, upon
>> seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing
>> some women.... .
Ferraday and Chester Morris as Blackie - movies and radio
Label from 15 inch transcription record that syndicated all radio programs played at 33 1/3
Boston Blackie
This excellent crime/detective radio drama that included movies and eventually morphed into television as well, ran on national radio from June to September 1944 on NBC and June 1945 to June 1949 and syndicated over various stations by the Mutual Broadcasting System. It became a television broadcast in 1951 and ran for two years to 1953 syndicated over various local stations. There were numerous silent and sound-era motion picture films from 1919 to 1949 that were considered to be "B" movies.
Boston Blackie, that shimmering gem in the pantheon of solid B-grade entertainment, began life in the 1910's as the character Boston Black in Jack Boyle's short story series of the same name. In Boyle's original work, Black was just your typical young, charming, handsome, educated, hardened-criminal serving out his time in a hellish California prison.
The year 1919 saw the premier of Blackie's Redemption, the first of several silent films featuring the likes of Bert Lyell, David Powell, Forrest Stanley, and Lionel Barrymore in the starring roles of Blackie, the professional thief with a heart of gold. The last of these Blackie-silents was released in 1927.
Then in 1941 Boston Blackie films were revived with the release of "Meet Boston Blackie" featuring Chester Morris in the leading role of the former thief now freelance-detective and adventurer, Blackie. Over the next eight years, Morris would go on to star in 14 films as Boston Blackie, as well as act in a summer radio-run of the character for NBC in 1944.
Morris brought to the Blackie role (according to hallowed movie-critic Leonard Maltin) a lively offhand sense of humor that kept the films fresh even when the scripts weren't. By the Chester Morris-era, a main nemesis/foil had developed in the Blackie storyline, a Police Inspector Farraday, played by the actor Richard Lane, whose dislike of the ex-jewel thief was only surpassed by his abilities at misreading a case.
In 1945 a long-running radio version of Boston Blackie was launched by producer and television syndication pioneer, Fredrick Ziv. In this later radio version Richard Kollmar played the role of Blackie, with Maurice Tarplin as the vindictive and bungling Inspector Faraday, and Jan Miner as Blackie's love interest, Mary Welsey. The radio program would run for five years syndicated over various radio stations, usually within the Mutual Network, with over 200 episodes produced.
In 1951 Fredric Ziv developed a television version of Boston Blackie to add to his growing collection of syndicated programs that included such timeless classics as Sci-Fi Theater, Highway Patrol, Sea Hunt and The Fugitive. B-movie acting greats Kent Taylor and Lois Collier were hired to play the roles of Boston Blackie and Mary Welsey for the television series, which ran until 1953.
Recently the Boston Blackie story has been resurrected once more, in comic format. Some five years ago comic publisher Moonstone Books released Boston Blackie as a part of its retro Moonstone Noir comic series, also featuring such crime/detective classics as Johnny Dollar, Bulldog Drummond, Jack Hagee P.I., and The Mysterious Traveler.
For today's Sound From the Past we offer you a delightful audio buffet of several episode of Boston Blackie from Chester Morris' stint on the radio series, which was designed as a summer fill-in for the Amos and Andy program in back in 1944. The episodes you'll hear, by pressing on the links below are identified as to when they first aired so many years ago. Boston Blackie was one of my favorite programs as a gangly adolescent, again, so many years ago.
Ramblns has not featured Boston Blackie since 2004 so welome to a neglected memory - for some of us.
