Tuesday, May 20, 2008
SOME LIKE HOT : 1950's SOCIAL REVIEW
Some Like It Hot
During the 1950's, there were many social changes. The "American Dream" of owning a house and car in the suburbs, and having a wife, three children and a dog became ever more popular along with the old Dream of being able to come from nothing to be something. The seeds of the Civil Rights movements were planted, Rock and Roll became popular among teens, and people became more comfortable about talking about sex. In fact, during the 1950's the "Sexual Revolution" took place. Men began to feel increasingly comfortable about announcing homosexuality. In 1953, Hugh Hefner published the first Playboy Magazine, and the first Playboy Centerfold - and American sex symbol - was Marilyn Monroe.
This increase in sexuality, and being sexually comfortable is evident in the 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe. The scene from Some Like It Hot that shows America’s increasing comfort with sexuality is the "party" scene on the train. This part of the film show many women (Monroe more than the others) in their "sleeping attire" at a period in time when that would be seen as very risky and almost in direct violation of the Hayes Code. Also, Monroe’s "naked dress" - a dress that at first glance gives the appearance that Monroe is not wearing anything - is a shock for audiences of this time. And of course, the last line of the film was a comedic shock to the movie. Osgood Fielding’s response to Daphne telling Osgood that she is really Jerry, "Hey, nobody’s perfect,", implies that Osgood Fielding maybe a homosexual at a time when homosexuality (in the film) is illegal, and (in reality) just becoming comfortable among males to announce their homosexuality.
The old idea of the American Dream is also shown in the film. Jerry and Joe go from being to struggling musicians in Chicago to being somewhat well off in Miami; Joe with Sugar and Jerry / Daphne with Osgood Fielding on their way to a yacht at the end of the movie. Also Sugar’s character shows an aspect of this American Dream. She runs off from her home and family to achieve success as the singer of a jazz band. This idea of going from nothing to something is an old aspect of the American Dream, but one that has proved itself time and time again as something that is possible to do.
During the 1950's, there were many social changes. The "American Dream" of owning a house and car in the suburbs, and having a wife, three children and a dog became ever more popular along with the old Dream of being able to come from nothing to be something. The seeds of the Civil Rights movements were planted, Rock and Roll became popular among teens, and people became more comfortable about talking about sex. In fact, during the 1950's the "Sexual Revolution" took place. Men began to feel increasingly comfortable about announcing homosexuality. In 1953, Hugh Hefner published the first Playboy Magazine, and the first Playboy Centerfold - and American sex symbol - was Marilyn Monroe.
This increase in sexuality, and being sexually comfortable is evident in the 1959 movie Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe. The scene from Some Like It Hot that shows America’s increasing comfort with sexuality is the "party" scene on the train. This part of the film show many women (Monroe more than the others) in their "sleeping attire" at a period in time when that would be seen as very risky and almost in direct violation of the Hayes Code. Also, Monroe’s "naked dress" - a dress that at first glance gives the appearance that Monroe is not wearing anything - is a shock for audiences of this time. And of course, the last line of the film was a comedic shock to the movie. Osgood Fielding’s response to Daphne telling Osgood that she is really Jerry, "Hey, nobody’s perfect,", implies that Osgood Fielding maybe a homosexual at a time when homosexuality (in the film) is illegal, and (in reality) just becoming comfortable among males to announce their homosexuality.
The old idea of the American Dream is also shown in the film. Jerry and Joe go from being to struggling musicians in Chicago to being somewhat well off in Miami; Joe with Sugar and Jerry / Daphne with Osgood Fielding on their way to a yacht at the end of the movie. Also Sugar’s character shows an aspect of this American Dream. She runs off from her home and family to achieve success as the singer of a jazz band. This idea of going from nothing to something is an old aspect of the American Dream, but one that has proved itself time and time again as something that is possible to do.
1950's RACE PERFORMER: NAT "KING" COLE
NATE KING COLE
Nathaniel Adams Coles, better known as Nat "King" Cole, was born in Montgomery, Alabama, 1919. His father, Edward, became a pastor in Chicago when Nat was four years old. Nat and his father, along with his mother, Perlina, and his older brother, Edward Jr, and two sisters, Eddie Mae Evelyn moved north to Chicago - where his two younger brothers, Issac and Lionel were born.
Perlina was choir director at her husband’s church, introduced the children to music at an early age; all four of her sons went on to become professional musicians. By the age of 12, Nat Cole was taking professional lessons. At Wendelle Phillips High School, Cole became infatuated with Jazz music; as Chicago’s African American south side was the center of the city’s Jazz music.
By age 16, Cole was a pianist for his brother Edward’s quintet, Solid Swingers. Cole dropped out of school before earning his diploma, and in 1936 he performed on the Decca company’s Sepia Series (records aimed at black audience’s). In 1937, Nat and Edward joined Shuffle Along. After six weeks in Chicago, Shuffle Along went on tour. It was during this tour Nat Cole married dancer Nadine Robinson. The tour abruptly ended in Long Beach, but Cole and Robinson decided to stay on the West Coast. Cole began working at the Century Club- a favorite hang out for Los Angeles jazz players. In 1936, Nat was asked to put together a group to play at the Sewanee Inn. He recruited guitarist Oscar Moore, bassist Wesley Prince, and drummer Lee Young. Young failed to appear on the opening night, but the trio went on and played. Sewanee Inn owner Bob Lewis nicknamed Nat Coles "King" Cole. This performance was the birth of the King Cole Trio.
By 1946, Nat began to move towards a solo career, which was regard as artistic sellout to many jazz musicians. Many have attributed Cole’s movement to mainstream music to Maria Ellington, a young singer who Cole met in 1946. Many people close to Cole thought that the intelligent Ellington was calculating, controlling, and snobbish. Other claim that Nat enjoyed many kinds of music and felt that he was too confined in Jazz. After divorcing Robinson, Nat Cole married Maria Ellington in 1948. The couple had three daughters, and adopted a son and daughter.
Nat’s first major hit after stepping away from Jazz was "Nature Boy" and was a major hit in 1948. Nat wrote meaningful songs that made his vocal limits seem meaningless. In 1956, Cole was given his own television show, "The Nat King Cole Show" on NBC. The show left the air after year despite good ratings. Cole’s African heritage was seemed as a waste of money to sponsor as it would only draw black audiences. Rock and Roll, the revitalized career of Frank Sinatra, and competition from younger black "crooners" caused Nat "King" Coles popularity to fade, so he began acting. In 1964, Coles was diagnosed with a case of advanced lung cancer, as he was a heavy smoker, and on February 15, 1965, Nat "King" Cole passed away.
In 1991, Coles legacy saw a resurgence when his daughter Natalie blended her voice with his top charter "Unforgettable". Also, recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio were released in 1991, giving new insight to the career and legacy of Nat "King" Cole.
Perlina was choir director at her husband’s church, introduced the children to music at an early age; all four of her sons went on to become professional musicians. By the age of 12, Nat Cole was taking professional lessons. At Wendelle Phillips High School, Cole became infatuated with Jazz music; as Chicago’s African American south side was the center of the city’s Jazz music.
By age 16, Cole was a pianist for his brother Edward’s quintet, Solid Swingers. Cole dropped out of school before earning his diploma, and in 1936 he performed on the Decca company’s Sepia Series (records aimed at black audience’s). In 1937, Nat and Edward joined Shuffle Along. After six weeks in Chicago, Shuffle Along went on tour. It was during this tour Nat Cole married dancer Nadine Robinson. The tour abruptly ended in Long Beach, but Cole and Robinson decided to stay on the West Coast. Cole began working at the Century Club- a favorite hang out for Los Angeles jazz players. In 1936, Nat was asked to put together a group to play at the Sewanee Inn. He recruited guitarist Oscar Moore, bassist Wesley Prince, and drummer Lee Young. Young failed to appear on the opening night, but the trio went on and played. Sewanee Inn owner Bob Lewis nicknamed Nat Coles "King" Cole. This performance was the birth of the King Cole Trio.
By 1946, Nat began to move towards a solo career, which was regard as artistic sellout to many jazz musicians. Many have attributed Cole’s movement to mainstream music to Maria Ellington, a young singer who Cole met in 1946. Many people close to Cole thought that the intelligent Ellington was calculating, controlling, and snobbish. Other claim that Nat enjoyed many kinds of music and felt that he was too confined in Jazz. After divorcing Robinson, Nat Cole married Maria Ellington in 1948. The couple had three daughters, and adopted a son and daughter.
Nat’s first major hit after stepping away from Jazz was "Nature Boy" and was a major hit in 1948. Nat wrote meaningful songs that made his vocal limits seem meaningless. In 1956, Cole was given his own television show, "The Nat King Cole Show" on NBC. The show left the air after year despite good ratings. Cole’s African heritage was seemed as a waste of money to sponsor as it would only draw black audiences. Rock and Roll, the revitalized career of Frank Sinatra, and competition from younger black "crooners" caused Nat "King" Coles popularity to fade, so he began acting. In 1964, Coles was diagnosed with a case of advanced lung cancer, as he was a heavy smoker, and on February 15, 1965, Nat "King" Cole passed away.
In 1991, Coles legacy saw a resurgence when his daughter Natalie blended her voice with his top charter "Unforgettable". Also, recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio were released in 1991, giving new insight to the career and legacy of Nat "King" Cole.
DEPRESSION LIFE MAGAZINE
Daily Farm Life
I am a farmer, and I live about a mile outside of the city of Childress in Childress County, Texas. Life is hard in the year of 1938. It’s been nine years since the Stock Market crashed. For awhile the family and I were doing well, but then this drought hit, and it has been hard to grow enough to support my family. My wife keeps nagging me to move the family into Childress, but I can’t leave this farm. It was my grandad’s, and his before that. If my family were to move, it would be a disgrace to generations of hard work, and that is not the American way.
Besides, I don’t know what else I could. I’ve been farming my entire life. It was what I was born into, just like my father, and his before that. Farming is in my blood, and I am not no good at anything else. To get a new career so late in life does not make sense to me. There is no rationality to it. But my wife keeps saying it would be for the best of the family. I don’t know what I should do. I think my wife just wants to return to the city.
"There is electricity in town after all ," is argument she keeps using against me. But I hard from old Mr. Ray from down the road that the County is planning on putting up some electrical poles. To have electricity out here would change the lives of many farm families like my own. I have a hard time believing that. But Mr. Ray is rarely wrong, so I have total faith in what he says. If the he says the County is putting up poles out here, then I am going to believe him. But I have also heard that it’s going to cost us folk out here ten dollars for every mile of wires and poles every month. That’s the plan for up in Kansas, or so I’ve heard. I have also heard that families up there are also banning together so each family has to pay roughly three dollars for the electricity.
But my family can’t afford three dollars a month to pay for electricity. Like I said, we can hardly afford enough for ourselves. And it’s no use for my wife to get a job in town, it’s too far, and I just sold our family car to pay for this months groceries.
The future for this family seems uncertain and I don’t know if we can survive out here much longer. Something needs to happen soon that will get the economy of the United States of America rolling again so average, hard working, farm families like mine can get some security back. I just don’t know what to do.
I am a farmer, and I live about a mile outside of the city of Childress in Childress County, Texas. Life is hard in the year of 1938. It’s been nine years since the Stock Market crashed. For awhile the family and I were doing well, but then this drought hit, and it has been hard to grow enough to support my family. My wife keeps nagging me to move the family into Childress, but I can’t leave this farm. It was my grandad’s, and his before that. If my family were to move, it would be a disgrace to generations of hard work, and that is not the American way.
Besides, I don’t know what else I could. I’ve been farming my entire life. It was what I was born into, just like my father, and his before that. Farming is in my blood, and I am not no good at anything else. To get a new career so late in life does not make sense to me. There is no rationality to it. But my wife keeps saying it would be for the best of the family. I don’t know what I should do. I think my wife just wants to return to the city.
"There is electricity in town after all ," is argument she keeps using against me. But I hard from old Mr. Ray from down the road that the County is planning on putting up some electrical poles. To have electricity out here would change the lives of many farm families like my own. I have a hard time believing that. But Mr. Ray is rarely wrong, so I have total faith in what he says. If the he says the County is putting up poles out here, then I am going to believe him. But I have also heard that it’s going to cost us folk out here ten dollars for every mile of wires and poles every month. That’s the plan for up in Kansas, or so I’ve heard. I have also heard that families up there are also banning together so each family has to pay roughly three dollars for the electricity.
But my family can’t afford three dollars a month to pay for electricity. Like I said, we can hardly afford enough for ourselves. And it’s no use for my wife to get a job in town, it’s too far, and I just sold our family car to pay for this months groceries.
The future for this family seems uncertain and I don’t know if we can survive out here much longer. Something needs to happen soon that will get the economy of the United States of America rolling again so average, hard working, farm families like mine can get some security back. I just don’t know what to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)