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While spending my Saturday approving the copyedits in the Technical Innovation in American History 3 volume encyclopedia Peg and I completed this year, I came upon the entry for Almanacs and was reminded of these smart bits of advice from none other than Benjamin Franklin.
Isn’t it funny how he becomes such an icon of history – and such a character (he even appeared in an episode of Bewitched!) that we forget he was a man – and a writer – and a rebel (why does ‘writer’ and ‘rebel’ often go hand in hand?).
Remember he said it first:
“There are no gains without pains.” “One today is worth two tomorrows.” “Have you something to do tomorrow? Do it today.”
Many thanks to the essay contributors who joined us and spoke so eloquently about the women writers they had researched: Toni Anita Hull, Laura Kirk, Amelia Phillips, Sarah Phillips, Julie Berkobien, Khanisha Foster, Lauren Smith, and to Cari Beauchamp, who wrote the Forward to the collection.
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Okay, I’ll admit it. They’re not the “Fab Four.” In fact, they are best known for being the “Prefab Four.” Still, that amusing — if somewhat misleading — moniker should in no way deter The Monkees from gaining enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. For the 1960s pop music quartet of Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and the late Davy Jones, who created such chart-topping hits as “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville,” deserve to be on the scenic shores of Lake Erie as much as any of this year’s inductees.
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“When interviewing Hollywood stars, St. Johns saw beyond the glamour. She knew the extravagant woman on the red carpet was not that different from the average woman. Both fight to make a living and that battle is worthy of recognition.”
Adela Rogers St. Johns: Survival of the Feisty by Sarah Whorton
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Rosanne Welch, PhD, Author of Why The Monkees Matter, presents “How The Monkees Changed Television” at a Cal State Fullerton Lunch Lecture on May 8, 2018.
In this talk, she shows how The Monkees, and specifically their presence on television, set the stage for large changes to come in the late 1960s.
Transcript
In this case, we are looking at Princess Bettina of Harmonica. She’s the first character that we meet — the first female in the pilot episode — take that back — the first episode that aired. The Pilot was not the first episode that aired because they felt it was too different from what the show became. So this was about the 6th one that was filmed and it became the first one on the air. So here it’s called Royal Flush and Princess Bettina comes to the United States and it turns out her guardian is trying to kill her because at the stroke of her 18th birthday she takes over the kingdom and he doesn’t get to be in charge anymore. So, of course, Davy saves her life on the beach from drowning in a little bikini thing, but at the end of the episode he asks her to stay with him here in the United States and she says no because I have responsibilities for the welfare of my people.
Rosanne Welch, PhD is a writer, producer and university professor with credits that include Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences, Touched by an Angel and ABC NEWS/Nightline. Other books include Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture (McFarland, 2017) and Women in American History: A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection (ABC-CLIO, 2017), named to the 2018 Outstanding References Sources List, by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association. Welch has also published chapters in Torchwood Declassified: Investigating Mainstream Cult Television (I.B.Tauris) and The American Civil War on Film and TV: Blue and Gray in Black and White and Color (Lexington Books, 2018) and essays in Doctor Who and Race: An Anthology and Outside In Makes it So, and Outside in Boldly Goes (both edited by Robert Smith). By day she teaches courses on the history of screenwriting and on television writing for the Stephens College MFA in Screenwriting programs. Her talk “The Importance of Having a Female Voice in the Room” at the 2016 TEDxCPP is available on YouTube.
To highlight the wonderful yet largely forgotten work of a collection of female screenwriters from the early years of Hollywood (and as a companion to the book, When Women Wrote Hollywood) we will be posting quick bits about the many films they wrote along with links to further information and clips from their works which are still accessible online. Take a few moments once or twice a week to become familiar with their names and their stories. I think you’ll be surprised at how much bold material these writers tackled at the birth of this new medium. — Rosanne Welch
From the Manger to the Cross or Jesus of Nazareth is a 1912 American motion picture that was filmed on location in Egypt and in Palestine.[1] It tells the story of Jesus’ life. Directed by Sidney Olcott who also appeared in the film, actress and screenwriter Gene Gauntier wrote the script and portrayed the Virgin Mary.
The film received excellent reviews at the time of its original release. After Vitagraph Studios acquired Kalem, the film was re-released in February 1919.[2]
Herbert Reynolds has shown[3] how Olcott used James Tissot’s illustrations for his The Life of our Saviour Jesus Christ (1896-1897)[4] as the basis for numerous shots in the film. The head of Kalem, Frank J. Marion, presented a copy to the troupe as they departed for the Middle East.[3]
According to Turner Classic Movies, the film cost $35,000 to produce (roughly between $1,600,000 and $3,300,000 adjusted to 2007 dollars);[5] another source[6] says that Olcott spent $100,000 of his own money on the project. Although the film’s profits eventually amounted to almost $1 million (roughly $46,000,000 to $95,000,000), the Kalem directors refused to increase Olcott’s basic salary and he resigned.
In later years, Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, would say this was the premiere film for his movie theater in Haverhill, Massachusetts and a major boost for him in the movie business.[7] However, most sources place the release date of this film as 1912, long after the opening of Mayer’s theater.[8]
At around 5,000 feet it was one of the longer films to be released to date,[6][9][10] although the Kinemacolor documentary With Our King and Queen Through India released in February 1912 ran to 16,000 feet;[11] and another religious film The Miracle (the first full-colour feature film) – was released in the UK at 7,000 feet in December 1912.[12] — Wikipedia
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library
Many thanks to the essay contributors who joined us and spoke so eloquently about the women writers they had researched: Toni Anita Hull, Laura Kirk, Amelia Phillips, Sarah Phillips, Julie Berkobien, Khanisha Foster, Lauren Smith, and to Cari Beauchamp, who wrote the Forward to the collection.
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library