On this day in history.

[Hawker800]

That may cure my coulrophobia. [emoji57]

 

[giradman]

That may cure my coulrophobia. [emoji57]

LOL! I can't remember if our son had a fear of clowns - decades ago my younger brother started to cry the first time on Santa's lap (Santaphobia or Clausophobia) - but even movie stars admit to a fear of clowns. Dave
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[giradman]

Great Emigration departs for Oregon in 1843

In the 19th century, there were many 'trails' used for settlement of the American west and its coastal areas (see first map); the famous Oregon Trail was just one (second map); today in 1843, the first LARGE group of settlers left Independence, Missouri for a 2000+ mile journey in a variety of wagons, many converted farm types (see quotes).

Over the decades, numerous movies have been made about these 'western trails' - I don't own that many but an early one from 1930, The Big Trail is a favorite w/ a really young (early 20s) John Wayne (see pics below) in the title role; I have the Blu-Ray Restoration (great review - check link) which could be better BUT includes an early widescreen technique, as described: "the plot of a trek along the Oregon Trail is aided immensely by the majestic sweep provided by the experimental Grandeur wide-screen process used in filming" (Source - first link); a 2.10:1 aspect ratio. The movement of the wagons down and up the mountains is just spectacular for the era (and of course before CGI!) - highly recommended. Dave

A massive wagon train, made up of 1,000 settlers and 1,000 head of cattle, sets off down the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri. Known as the “Great Emigration,” the expedition came two years after the first modest party of settlers made the long, overland journey to Oregon. After leaving Independence, the giant wagon train followed the Sante Fe Trail for some 40 miles and then turned northwest to the Platte River, which it followed along its northern route to Fort Laramie, Wyoming. From there, it traveled on to the Rocky Mountains, which passed through the broad, level South Pass that led to the basin of the Colorado River. They then went southwest to Fort Bridger, northwest across a divide to Fort Hall on the Snake River, and on to Fort Boise, where they gained supplies for the difficult journey over the Blue Mountains and into Oregon. (Source)

The Great Emigration finally arrived in October, completing the 2,000-mile journey from Independence in five months. In the next year, four more wagon trains made the journey, and in 1845 the number of emigrants who used the Oregon Trail exceeded 3,000. Travel along the trail gradually declined with the advent of the railroads, and the route was finally abandoned in the 1870s. (Source)

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[scifan57]

The Big Trail was also one of the first films shot on 70mm film.

The original path of the Oregon Trail is still quite visible in various locations.

 

[giradman]

The Big Trail was also one of the first films shot on 70mm film.

The original path of the Oregon Trail is still quite visible in various locations.
View attachment 77515 View attachment 77516

Yep, the film was shot in both 35mm & 70mm, the latter called Fox Grandeur or Grandeur 70, which was used for the widescreen version of the film (described & linked below) - the one I prefer; unfortunately, the restoration might have been better and both versions appear similar in their appearance although the BD is described as being sharper from my previous link - NOW, where is Criterion when needed? BTW - have you seen that movie in the widescreen version? If not, only an $8 purchase from Amazon USA (assume similar amount in Canada?) - Dave

P.S. now in putting that previous post together, I came across some interesting 'Oregon Trail FAQs' websites - might take another look and post some more - WHAT a trek (and the hardships and deaths along the way) - and Susan and I complain about taking 2 planes to go somewhere - in July we're doing a return trip to Toronto, 2 planes arriving about 6 PM and already wanting to get their earlier (but not that many options from our airport) - HOW long would that trip have taken from NC in the 1840s in a 'Prairie Schooner'? LOL!

70 mm Grandeur film, also called Fox Grandeur or Grandeur 70, is a 70mm widescreen film format developed by the Fox Film Corporation and used commercially on a small scale in 1929–31. It was a forerunner of the Todd-AO 70mm system which was introduced in 1955 and is still in limited use (albeit with significant modifications) today. A small number of shorts and features were produced in 70m wide Fox Grandeur. These included several issues of Fox Movietone News called Fox Grandeur News first shown May 26, 1929. Features shot in Grandeur include Fox Movietone Follies of 1929, the musical Happy Days (1929), directed by Benjamin Stoloff, Song o’ My Heart(1930), a musical feature starring Irish tenor John McCormack and directed by Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven, A Farewell to Arms), and the Western The Big Trail(1930), directed by Raoul Walsh, in which John Wayne played his first starring role.(Source)

 

[scifan57]

May 23, 1934;

Bonnie and Clyde are killed in a hail of bullets by Texas and Louisiana police near Sailes, Louisiana.

Bonnie and Clyde - Wikipedia

There is more than one alleged Bonnie and Clyde death car but the pattern of bullet holes on this one matches the photos of the car taken at the time of their deaths.

 

[giradman]

May 23, 1934;

Bonnie and Clyde are killed in a hail of bullets by Texas and Louisiana police near Sailes, Louisiana.
View attachment 77518
Bonnie and Clyde - Wikipedia

View attachment 77519
There is more than one alleged Bonnie and Clyde death car but the pattern of bullet holes on this one matches the photos of the car taken at the time of their deaths.

The 1967 film Bonnie & Clyde w/ Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway has been on blu-ray for a while - I've seen the movie on release and also years ago on TV, but never had an interest in owning - although I have certainly watched a LOT of 'cops & robbers' films over the decades, there are not that many in my collection (but I'd have to check my database - my memory could be going?). Dave
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[giradman]

Oregon Trail - Some Facts

Last night I decided to re-watch the 1930 The Big Trail w/ the youthful John Wayne - of course, I picked the 'widescreen' 70mm version which looked amazingly modern in that aspect ratio but w/ intermittent presentations of text descriptions which harked back to the 'silent movie' era - for those wanting to see this film, then try to view in the format suggested.

Also, I found a number of websites discussing traveling the Oregon Trail - some selected below from HERE - the idea of taking nearly half a year to travel a couple thousands of miles is hard to imagine, especially in a bumpy wagon and walking most of the way! AND, the journey was indeed hazardous, i.e. accidents, death from a variety of diseases, murder from Indians, and likely other causes. A railroad would have been a miraculous relief in my mind - Dave

Oregon Trail - Some Stats
On the road for 4 1/2 to 5 months depending on many variables
Oregon did not become a state until 1859 so a vague area
Wagon could hold 1,600 to 2,500 pounds
About 20,000 died on the Oregon Trail (how many years?)
Illnesses - typhoid, cholera, flu, measles, smallpox, et al
From 1840-1860, 360+ travelers were killed by Indians
Many of the travelers walked the 2000+ miles (wagons filled)
Many wagons were converted farm wagons w/o springs
Trails branched off to other areas, especially the California Trail
Trail lasted from 1843 until the 1870s when railroads took over

 

[giradman]

Brooklyn Bridge Opens This Day in 1883!

The Brooklyn Bridge remains an impressive and iconic structure spanning the East River and joining the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Early in the 1980s, I spent a week w/ Dr. Lucy Frank Squire, a world famous radiologic teacher of medical students; she lived in the Dakota Building, upper West Side (where John Lennon was shot) and a colleague and I were in a near hotel; each morning, Lucy and we were chauffeured across the Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn where she taught (she was independently wealthy - part of the Kodak fortune) - a wonderful experience crossing that structure twice a day for a week.

More history quoted below, along w/ some pics of the bridge - for those wanting to learn more, the PBS documentary by Ken Burns is also shown (from the early 1980s) and is highly recommended; need to re-watch myself, but not in my collection at the moment. Dave

After 14 years and 27 deaths while being constructed, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River is opened, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date. John Roebling, born in Germany in 1806, was a great pioneer in the design of steel suspension bridges. He studied industrial engineering in Berlin and at the age of 25 immigrated to western Pennsylvania. (Source)

Roebling earned a reputation as a designer of suspension bridges, which at the time were widely used but known to fail under strong winds or heavy loads. Roebling is credited with a major breakthrough in suspension-bridge technology: a web truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the structure. Using this model, Roebling successfully bridged the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls, New York, and the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio. On the basis of these achievements, New York State accepted Roebling’s design for a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan–with a span of 1,595 feet–and appointed him chief engineer. It was to be the world’s first steel suspension bridge. Just before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final compass readings across the East River. (Source)

The two granite foundations of the Brooklyn Bridge were built in timber caissons, or watertight chambers, sunk to depths of 44 feet on the Brooklyn side and 78 feet on the New York side. Compressed air pressurized the caissons, allowing underwater construction. At that time, little was known of the risks of working under such conditions, and more than a hundred workers suffered from cases of compression sickness ('bends'). Other workers died as a result of more conventional construction accidents, such as collapses and a fire. The Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the “eighth wonder of the world.” The connection it provided between the massive population centers of Brooklyn and Manhattan changed the course of New York City forever. In 1898, the city of Brooklyn formally merged with New York City, Staten Island, and a few farm towns, forming Greater New York. (Source)

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[giradman]

Brooklyn Bridge - Part 2

Well, this morning I watched the Ken Burns video below on YouTube (2 Parts, just over an hour total) - highly recommended, if interested (and free!). Also added, some more beautiful pics, several w/ birds - finally, a scene from Woody Allen's film Manhattan - although I've seen virtually all of his movies, I own just a half dozen, Manhattan, Annie Hall, & Hannah and Her Sisters are probably our favorites. Dave

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[scifan57]

May 25, 1977;

Star Wars premiers at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and several thousand other theatres 40 years ago today. It's hard to believe Star Wars is that old.
Star Wars (film) - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

May 25, 1977;

Star Wars premiers at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and several thousand other theatres.
Star Wars (film) - Wikipedia
View attachment 77549 View attachment 77550

These films have seen a number of re-releases - in 2012, I bought the Blu-ray set below of the original 3 movies, i.e. IV - VI (these were 2011 blu-ray re-dos; saw the prequels but never interested in owning) - cost me about $30 w/ a gift certificate (from Amazon) - George Lucas manipulated a number of the scenes and introduced some CGI graphics, presumably to 'improve' the films?

Some of these changes are shown in the second image (Source) - the last two pics are several visual alterations made. I don't believe that the 'original theatrical' releases of these films have been put on blu-ray yet, or never will - an irritation to some critics and reviewers - not sure that I care that much, i.e. my BDs are completely acceptable and enjoyable, just my 2 cents! Dave
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[scifan57]

These films have seen a number of re-releases - in 2012, I bought the Blu-ray set below of the original 3 movies, i.e. IV - VI (these were 2011 blu-ray re-dos; saw the prequels but never interested in owning) - cost me about $30 w/ a gift certificate (from Amazon) - George Lucas manipulated a number of the scenes and introduced some CGI graphics, presumably to 'improve' the films?

Some of these changes are shown in the second image (Source) - the last two pics are several visual alterations made. I don't believe that the 'original theatrical' releases of these films have been put on blu-ray yet, or never will - an irritation to some critics and reviewers - not sure that I care that much, i.e. my BDs are completely acceptable and enjoyable, just my 2 cents! Dave
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View attachment 77555 View attachment 77556 View attachment 77557 View attachment 77558

The original theatrical release version of Star Wars, with the original opening sequence(without the episode number and subtitle), has not been seen since its original release in 1977. The theatrical re-release in 1978 and all subsequent theatrical and home video releases have the modified opening sequence.

 

[giradman]

Bismarck Sunk Today in 1941 & the Golden Gate Bridge Opens in 1937

I've noticed that we are starting to repeat ourselves, including the events above; SO, I'll just leave some links to the older posts which will include history, links, and pics:

Bismarck Sunk - see post #1782 & #1783 (May 26, 2016).

Golden Gate Bridge - see post #2190 - Dave
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[scifan57]

Here's a view of the intact hull of the Bismarck and some wreckage from the Hood.