Our Epitath

If it weren’t for Lars we wouldn’t have had the shirt. If it weren’t for the shirt we wouldn’t have known Denise. If it weren’t for Denise we wouldn’t have been in Barcelona. If it weren’t for Barcelona we wouldn’t have that cell phone. If it weren’t for that cell phone we wouldn’t have been found by Umberto. If it weren’t for Umberto we wouldn’t have gone to the market. If it weren’t for the market we wouldn’t have met Mr Kim. If it weren’t for Mr Kim we wouldn’t have learned the code. If it weren’t for the code we wouldn’t have written the song. If it weren’t for the song we wouldn’t have gotten the coins. It it weren’t for the coins we wouldn’t have bought the pills. If it weren’t for the pills we wouldn’t be dead.

-Bob Zatko

I söndags natt tittade jag på Ghost hunters på TV4+. Här besökte Taps det kända Tombstone, AZ där bröderna Earp och Doc Holliday hade en eldstrid mot bröderna Clanton och bröderna McLaury den 26:e oktober 1881. Taps var där för att se om det förekom några paranormala händelser där, men tack vare dåligt väder med hårda vindar gav de upp då de inte lyckades få fram något. Så i måndags kväll googlade jag på Tombstone och O.K. Corral för att läsa lite om detta och hittade en del bilder som fångade mitt intresse. Bilden här nedan hittade jag via Google maps.

När jag tittade på de bilder jag hittat och ju mer jag läste om denna eldstrid på OK Corral och på wikipedia blev jag intresserad av detta. Om jag någonsin i framtiden får råd och har tid vill jag besöka denna plats och fotografera. Dessutom tog jag reda på att det finns en hel del så kallade ghost towns runt Tombstone i Arizona och det vore så kul att fotografera.

Jag kom även på att jag har filmen Tombstone från 1993 på video, men istället för att krångla med att koppla in min gamla videospelare för att titta på den så hämtade jag hem den i dvd-format och har tänkt att se den någon gång i veckan. Jag älskade westernfilmer när jag var yngre och en del westernfilmer av idag kan även vara intressanta och bra att se. Det var inte så längesedan jag tittade på en westernfilm vid namn Appaloosa som var helt ok.

Här nedan scenen från eldstriden vid O.K. Corral från filmen Tombstone.

Det var allt från mig idag.

Hasta la vista!

A collection of unique environments in a month’s time. (There are rollovers.)

"My jab is serious."

INT. – NIGHT

THE BEDROOM

Jon and The Feath are sitting in bed. A heated discussion over positive thinking is in progress. Jon shrugs off such things in a  fit of melancholy. The Feath has heard enough.

THE FEATH: I can’t! Jon…you could be great at so many things. I just…sometimes, I wanna punch you in the face, knock you on your butt and say “Hurts don’t it?” then pick you up and dust you off and go on with our life.*

JON considers this and thinks about a saucy retort. Then actually listens. Then laughs hysterically. The saucy dame had something of a point.

FADE TO BLACK

*”Hurts don’t it?” is from the Kurt Russell tour de force Tombstone, a favorite quoted multiple times a week since we’ve met.

Transcription:

A la memoire de Alexandre Doucet decede le 23 av. 1931 age de 81 ans & de Marie Doucet decede le 27 jan 1920 agee de 75 ans. RIP Translation: In the memory of Alexandre Doucet who died on April 23rd, 1931 at the age of 81 and Marie Doucet who died on January 27th, 1920 at the age of 75. Rest in Peace.

Genealogy Notes:

I came across the couple memorialized on this tombstone while researching my own grandmother Elizabeth Doucet(m. Joseph Lagace) who is the daughter of a couple named Alexandre Doucet and Marie Roy. Both couples lived in the same approximate area and time period, and since my ancestors are also referred to as Alexandre and Marie Doucet, I am trying to untangle the two family trees. I would greatly appreciate help from anyone familiar with either of thse two lines.

This would seem to be the couple Alexandre and Marie Doucet who were married on November 19th, 1872 in Bathurst, New Brunswick in Ste-Famille Parish in the presence of James and Helene Doucet.

Related Posts:

Cemeteries

Desperately Seeking Elizabeth(1)

Desperately Seeking Elizabeth(2)

Desperately Seeking Elizabeth(3) Eureka!

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” ~Cynthia Ozick

While searching for songs that fall into my “Zombie Rock” genre, I came across Midnight Juggernauts. I’m not sure they quite fit that genre. Close but no cigar. The voice distortion and repetition are there but the dissonance is not quite there. The desire to eat brains is not quite there either. However I could see them totally rocking a dance floor. They do seem heavily influenced by Daft Punk too if I had to guess, and I do love Daft Punk. Go Australia for the rocking electropop scene!

Song Recommendations

If you like this song, I also suggest:

• Crystal Castles
• Cut Copy
• Daft Punk

I also suggest the music genre:

• Electropop

Click here for more info on Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia – “Tombstone”.

The MP3 may be purchased here:

Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose”– from The Wonder Years

Έναν ήρωα λιγότερο φαίνεται να έχει η σειρά στην τέταρτη σεζόν της. Οι φήμες σχετικά με τον θάνατό του οργίαζαν εδώ και καιρό και να που τελικά επιβεβαιώνονται…

SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!

Ο λόγος για τον Adrian Pasdar, τον τηλεοπτικό Nathan Petrelli, που φεύγει για τα καλά από τη σειρά. Μέχρι τώρα ζούσε μέσα στο σώμα του Sylar, καθώς τον είδαμε να πεθαίνει στον προηγούμενο κύκλο και απ’ ότι φαίνεται οι σεναριογράφοι αποφάσισαν να πεθάνει για τα καλά.. Rest in Peace Nathan!!!

The New York Times wrote a story last week (Wednesday, 10-28) with a photo and additional information about the tombstone discovered in Washington Square Park during Phase II Construction – it was from 1799!

WSP Blog first broke the news on Friday October 23rd when commenter Matt Kovary wrote in with his sighting and then confirmed the story with the NYC Parks Department and added details from Mr. Kovary in blog post “Tombstone Discovery at Washington Square Park Could Date Back to 18th Century” on Monday October 26th.  It was very exciting (in its own way, of course)!

******************************************************************
Updated: This technically all happened in the midst of a blog writing hiatus, therefore, WSP Blog needs to take some additional time away from the blog starting tomorrow, Thursday, November 5th. (Note: this hiatus does not have anything to do Mayor Bloomberg’s re-election news!) And, unless another tombstone is discovered(!), this break will go through Monday, November 16th end of November — but will update now and again. During that time, I hope to get further along on a separate writing project. Check other updates (although hopefully not too much!) at twitter.

This is a list I’ve truly been prepping for, for about a year now. About a year ago I had only seen a couple westerns that I had actually enjoyed (a few of those made this list), and I realized as a lover of movies I have not seen nearly enough westerns. So, I filled my netflix queue and got to watching and enjoying. I realized two things while watching the many westerns I did.

First of all, I’m quite sorry to say and I know many won’t agree with this statement and might even just X out of this page as soon as they read it, but an opinion’s an opinion and I’m not gonna lie to agree with society. I found John Wayne to be overrated. I’m just not a fan. I liked a few of his movies, such as The Searchers and True Grit, and my favorite would probably have to be The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but that didn’t even make the list. It probably would be 11 or 12 though if I were to add on to this list.

Secondly, and much more importantly, I realized that Western genre is one of my favorites and this list list would be harder to make than I thought. I was very right. Through watching this dying genre I found not only fantastic westerns, but also some of the greatest movies I’ve seen of all time. Well, I’ve been waiting to do this for a very long time now. Here are my top ten favorite westerns of all time.

10. The Outlaw Josey Wales

Some of Eastwood’s best all around work in both acting and directing really shine in this film. There was only one other Clint Eastwood directed movie that was able to surpass this one and its listed later on this list. The story is a surprisingly  heart felt one and its told to near perfection.

9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This is the newest western to be placed on this list and in my eyes this movie is a breath of fresh air because it showed that great westerns can still be made today. Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck are phenomenal. A brilliant cast and script was combined to tell the very true and quite epic tale of the assassination of one of the most famous western outlaws there ever was.

8. The Magnificent Seven

There’s not much you can really say about The Magnificent Seven except that you have to let the movie speak for itself. Needless to say, the cast is stupendous and there are many great scenes. Most importantly though, There’s not much that compares with the camaraderie you feel with each character when that theme music comes on.

7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

At the heart of this classic lies what may be the most iconic duo of all time. Paul Newman and Robert Redford play so impeccably well off each other that every scene is made real and memorable. The timing of every witty crack is absolutely perfect, the action sequences are highly entertaining, while sticking to realism and the finale is breathtaking.

6. Tombstone

Tombstone is a fantastic film that just barely misses my top five. Tombstone is the greatest telling of the now classic tale of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. There are many memorable parts, from the classic OK coral shoot-out, to Holiday’s tricks with a tea cup in a bar. There’s something for everyone in this flick because even if you don’t find solace in the fantastic scenes, you will certainly find enjoyment out of Val Kilmer’s masterful performance as Doc Holiday.

5. For A Few More Dollars

For A Few Dollars More is a fascinating character study of bounty hunters in the old west. It’s the second film in Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name Trilogy, but as with every movie in the Dollars trilogy, it stands alone as its own fantastic story. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef make for a very interesting and entertaining pair in the old west. Leone builds tension, keeps you guessing, and in the end he most certainly does not disappoint.

4. The Proposition

The Proposition is another western that is relatively new. It was made only four years ago and I believe it is one of the greatest westerns of all time, only surpassed by some of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen. The plot of The Proposition is genuinely simple, yet superbly poetic. In the Australian Outback, a man is hired to kill his older brother in order to save his younger one from the noose. It’s the most brutal western I’ve seen and it never lets up till its pitch-perfect ending.

3. Once Upon a Time in the West

By far the greatest title for a western I’ve ever seen, if not just the greatest title for a movie. I mean, what can possibly indicate better that you’re about to watch an epic masterpiece than a title like that. Anyways, besides a great title Sergio Leone’s complex, gritty, western tale of revenge and mayhem is so amazing that it was hard to even put it at three. I’m going to say this right now, Sergio Leone builds tension better than Hitchcock does. Every single scene from the (waiting for the train) opening to the final showdown, your always on edge. I’d also like to say that Ennio Morricone is probably the greatest film composer in history. Westerns almost always have fantastic scores, but this is my favorite of any western score. Last, but certainly not least I have to mention Henry Fonda’s flawless performance as the ruthless western gunslinger Frank, certainly out of character for him and in my opinion; his best work.

2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Most commonly called the classic western and for good reason. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is nothing and I repeat nothing short of a masterpiece. If I’m not mistaken I think the Man With No Name trilogy is the only trilogy that truly gets greater with each film. Leone’s skill for building tension, which has attempted, but never matched, was never greater than in every single, intricately plotted, scene of this movie.

What Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood (Blondie-The Good) , Lee Van Cleef (Angel Eyes-The Bad) and Eli Wallach (Tuco- The Ugly) have given us is masterful look at the west and adventures, and subsequent stories it inspired. A story full of depth and characters, whether that be the good guys, the bad guys, and the ones in between. A timeless epic that savors my hunger for excellence with each passing scene eventually leading to what is probably the most iconic and greatest western showdown/ending ever put on screen. And for this, from the bottom of my heart, I thank them.

1. Unforgiven

As I said in the past, this was a difficult list to make, but there is not a doubt in my mind when it comes to number one. Clint Eastwood starred in many classic westerns including Sergio Leone’s classic Man With No Name Trilogy. Than he directed some of his own great westerns. His knowledge on the genre grew over years of experience and he than gave us the greatest western of all time. Unforgiven is western that was able to do what no other western was able to do. It showed us what the west really. Unforgiven showed us that a ruthless killer could fall off his horse or miss a shot.

Unforgiven shows the realistic West where no one could really be considered the good guy, not even the guy your rooting for (William Munny- Clint Eastood in an Oscar nominated performance) ,  and especially not the sheriff (Little Bill Dagget- Gene Hackman in an Oscar winning performance). Unforgiven was a masterful look into a world we’ve never seen. We thought we had, but we realize that was all just fantasy. Unforgiven mixes dark realism with the  fantasy Western genre. Add brilliant acting and characters, fantastic writing and direction and the result is not only the greatest western of all time, but one of the greatest movies ever made. A true masterpiece of our time worthy of recognition and praise.

In 5th grade, our teacher forced us to contemplate a rather macabre topic when it came to our classroom Halloween decorations….memorializing our own deaths. I guess my effort was ok, but that’s because Dracula ghost-wrote it for me.

My sister and best friends and I had many favorite places to play when we were kids. Like Slut Linda Trout, one was our local cemetery. We didn’t climb on head stones, run across graves, steal flowers or any other disrespectful things we could have done.

So why in the world did we like to play there?

Well, it was close to home and just a little out of our parents’ reach. (And close enough they could grab us if we were needed.) We enjoyed walking around, reading the old stones. Finding the prettiest and spookiest ones.

There’s one “stone” that looks like hand poured cement with hand curved metal letters that says, “Unknown.” (We just knew someone had to have crept into the grave yard and buried this guy in the dark of night.)

We’d make up stories about why (and how) this young person or that couple died.

 These are the only fenced off headstones in the place. We decided they were a Catholic couple (we didn’t know any Catholics. LOL.) The large gray stone is the husband’s, and the small one, which looks as if it were carved from a rock out of a nearby creek, the wife’s.

I used to feel sorry for the wife because she got stuck with the ugly rock tombstone, while the husband got the professional looking one. Now I love the hand carved essence of the darker stone, which looks like a log, standing on end, with a cross at the top.

Now and then, we’d pretend there was someone skulking around, getting ready to kidnap us. Last time we played that game was right after my sister got over Mono. Apparently we pretended too well, because she was so frightened, she paled to the color of white marble.

Which scared me so badly, we gave up the game after that.

This is one that really scared us the week after we saw the old Dracula movie with Bela Lugosi. We decided this vampire was so mean, even a stake through his heart couldn’t kill him. They couldn’t keep him in his grave, so they had to cement over him to do it.

A few years ago (after we’d quit playing up there) it was discovered a Confederate General had been buried in our cemetery. Wouldn’t we have had a blast if we’d known it back then! 

I still enjoy walking through our beautiful cemetery, remembering old times, visiting friends who’ve passed on and, of course, making up stories about how and why some of the residents died.  

Do you have a favorite cemetery? (Or cemetery story?)

It’s almost Halloween. Why not share?

Postcards were created of various vistas at Vale Cemetery.

Taken at Vale Cemetery, this image shows how, although a cemetery, Vale was a picturesque location and a destination for Schenectadians looking to escape the city for an afternoon.

Starting in the 17^th century, most burials were next to a church or chapel in order to be closer to the saints and improve the chance of salvation at the resurrection. Graves were packed in close together and in no particular order. As room became scarce, bodies were often interred one on top of another. Nor were the church yards well kept. Tombstones were often broken and it was not uncommon to find scattered bone fragments or sunken graves from collapsed coffins. In the late 18^th and early 19^th century, the current conditions generated concerns about additional space, sanitation, and aesthetics. Taking the dead outside of the growing city, the rural cemetery came to America in 1831. Utilizing the landscape’s natural geography, plots were spread out among hills and trees. Visitors could escape the noise and filth of the city while they walked the paths through nature and contemplate history as they gazed upon monuments to the deceased.   

While Albany and Troy established their own rural cemeteries at the height of its popularity, Schenectady created theirs as the movement was dieing out. As early as 1838 a petition was presented to the city government bringing attention to the need for a new burial ground, but it was not until 1854 that the city responded to another petition demanding action. However support for the new cemetery was not universal. Some still wanted to be buried with their ancestors, while others saw the necessity of a new burial ground but did not want taxpayer money to pay for the endeavor. Resistance was enough that the Mayor and City Council was voted out of office in 1855 for anti-cemetery candidates who then sold the land the city had already purchased.

“Our beautiful and romantic Vale Cemetery.”

Finally in 1857 the city built Vale Cemetery which was taken over by the Vale Cemetery Association in 1858. In a major departure from the old church yards, visitation was restricted to daytime, at one point being prohibited on Sundays. No eating was allowed and loud children and pets were to be kept under control. Monuments were controlled as well. The association encouraged simplicity in design, yet beauty and originality.

Today Vale resembles more of what it was meant to replace than a rural cemetery. Larger than when it was originally established, Vale now contains over 42,000 burials. Thickly cluttered with various monuments and stones of different times and cemetery movements, many of which are decaying or have been vandalized, it has lost most of its natural beauty and the effect of its original design.

Engineer in yellow rain gear gestures towards the newly uncovered tombstone

Despite the morning rain, passersby were eager to catch a glimpse of the tombstone that was uncovered last week in the southwest quadrant of Washington Square Park. Parks workers were hard at work constructing a scaffold to protect the tombstone from the elements and ground movement. Matt Kovary, who first noticed parks people fawning over the tombstone, was on-site and happy to point out the artifact to this photographer

Although workers were tight lipped about the find and said all inquiries must go through the Parks Department Press Office, they did affirm the object is, indeed, a tombstone. Although it appears to be in excellent condition, because of it’s location and depth, some speculate it’s probably at least 200 years old.

In 1826 the City bought the land west of Minetta Creek, which at the time lay outside the City limits. The square was laid out and leveled, and it was turned into the Washington Military Parade Ground. Minetta brook, and its surrounding banks, became an underground waterway. So the notion that an 18th Century tombstone could be placed six feet, or more, beneath current-day ground level is perfectly plausible. It certainly will be interesting when the Parks Department reveals the inscription on the stone.

Slideshow

Well.

So, the baseball season is all but officially over for me. Sour grapes? Maybe. And what do you do with sour grapes?

You make sour wine, get drunk, and bitch about the Yankees some more.

But I’m not that petty. Instead, I’m going to do a 360 here and talk about movies for a change. Specifically, Western movies. Yesterday was the 128th anniversary of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and since I excel at arbitrary reasons for writing posts, I’m gonna run with that. It may be a throwaway reason for a post, and one that would have been considerably less throwaway had I posted this on the day of the event in question, but what the hell. I’m here now, and we are ROCKIN’ THIS.

So, without further ado, here is a list of the Seven Best Westerns Of All Time as chosen by me, the Lu Galasso. Why seven, you no doubt ask? Well, ten is to common, and five isn’t enough so…seven. Also, it was Mickey Mantle’s number, so I’m at least attempting to tie this into baseball.

I should also blatantly state that this is a list of personal preferences and not necessarily the be-all-end-all classics of the genre. I feel the need to add this disclaimer, because things are gonna get a bit wacky, and there’s going to be moderate dissention as to the nature of my choices. And on that note, I begin this list with the wackiest and sure to be most argued member of this list – a movie so far removed from traditional “classic” status, that many would no doubt question it’s merits as a “competent” film, let alone a defining entry in the Western genre.

Seven: Young Guns. (1988)

That’s right. This is happening. “Young Guns” made the cut.

I swear to god it gets better from here.

Here’s the deal about “Young Guns.” It takes the legendary life of Billy the Kidd, removes 95% of the historical facts and accuracy that have been collected over the years, and then casts the Brat Pack as his merry band of ne’er-do-wells.

Awesome.

This may well be the last time, or perhaps the first time, Emilio Estevez, Lou Diamond Phillips, Casey Siemaszko, and to a lesser extent, Charlie Sheen, have ever been this badassingly awesome. Throw in Jack Palance as a deliciously over-the-top Irish land baron (for some damn reason), and you got the makings of a Western staple.

Or, at least, you got the makings of an almost textbook example of how NOT to make a Western.

And Kiefer Sutherland always has and always will be awesome, so it’s got that going for it too.

Six: Silverado. (1985)

What better way to follow the ridiculous over-the-top Brat Packery of “Young Guns”, than with the ridiculously, over-the-top Kevin Klinery of “Silverado.”

So here’s the setup: take Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and a shockingly young and enthusiastic Kevin Costner, pit them against Brian Dennehy, Ray Baker, and a young and creepy Jeff Goldblum, throw in some needless and ineffectual sentimentality provided by Linda Hunt as a down-trodden saloon keeper and Joe Seneca as Danny Glover’s down-trodden farmer dad, and cap it off with some Sheriff John Cleese (?) and the always reliable Jeff Fahey, and you got yourself “Silverado.”

Sound bizarre? It is.

Kline and Dennehy are great as ex-friends who reunite in the movie’s titular town – one as a “good” outlaw, the other a corrupt town official. (See what they did there?)

But it’s Costner, surprisingly, who gives the movie its heart. His turn as up-and-coming gunslinger Jake, teeming with boundless energy and real joy and excitement at what he does, is fairly unique in his career, and a lot of fun to watch.

And, hey, it’s even got Jeff Goldblum as a suave, knife-throwing villain. What’s not to love?!?

Five: Tombstone. (1993)

“Tombstone” is a strange beast. On the one hand, it’s one of my all time favorite films. On the other hand, it remains one of the most frustratingly flawed movies I have ever seen, Western or otherwise. Still, on the strength of its stellar cast, it’s stunningly accurate depiction of the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, as well as Wyatt Earp’s vendetta ride against the sinister Cowboys, and it’s sheer enthusiasm, I think it remains a strong entry in the Western genre.

Yeah, it’s flawed. The romantic subplot is cheesy and tacked on, and there are way too many wannabe-epic-moments that come off as ridiculously over-the-top and forced. (Earp’s slow motion assault on Cowboy Curly Bill Broscius whilst shouting “no!” repeatedly screams to mind.)

The cast IS excellent, though. Kurt Russell remains my favorite portrayer of Wyatt Earp, ever. He’s stoically awesome throughout the picture, and let’s face it – Kurt Russell is like the face of awesome.

Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton are great as Wyatt’s brothers, Virgil and Morgan, and Michael Biehn is wonderfully disturbing as the psychotic gunslinger Johnny Ringo.

But it is of course Val Kilmer, in his career defining role as the alcoholic ex-dentist Doc Holliday that steals the show. Kilmer’s performance ranks as, bar-none, the BEST portrayal of Wyatt Earp’s best friend ever put to screen. The fact that a character as bizarre as Holliday existed to begin with (alcoholic-doctor-cum-gunslinger, steadfast in the face of danger because – the hell with it – he’s dying anyway) is awesome in its own right. But Kilmer manages to inject him with just the right amount of happy-go-lucky charm, cynicism, and yes, even sadness, to make him come alive on-screen like never before. And his unwavering loyalty to Wyatt is epic in its own right as well; when asked by a fellow vendetta rider why he’s fighting alongside Earp when he should be at home resting (or dying), Doc replies curtly that “Wyatt Earp is my friend”, and the scene suddenly becomes poignant when the fellow asking the question, along with the audience, realizes that that’s the only friend he’s got.

Flawed? Sure. But it has enough going for it to make it a perennial favorite of mine…and to give it a spot on this list.

Four: Unforgiven. (1992)

Heading into darker territory, now. Circle the wagons!

“Unforgiven” is a dark, disturbed film, where the good guys and the bad guys have all seemed to come to an agreement to cast off the traditional white and black hats that usually define the heroes and villains in these sagas, and instead opt for hats shaded in gray.It’s a Clint Eastwood masterpiece, and turns the Western genre upside down.

Eastwood’s morally ambiguous protagonist William Munny, a former alcoholic gunslinger searching for redemption, centers a tale that atmospherically and thematically, has more in common with the noir genre then the Western one. Steeped in violence, the film showcases the cruel side of the old West like never before – personified by Gene Hackman’s corrupt lawman, Little Bill Daggett, a murderous bully who becomes Munny’s nemesis by film’s end.

It’s a defining and defiant film, that had many critics praising it as the “eulogy for the Western.” Grim, violent, and devoid of the usual morality found in films of this ilk, it remains a classic in the genre, and a haunting, disturbing film that will remain with you for quite some time – you may never look at cowboys the same way again.

Well.

“Unforgiven” kind of messed up my “fun Western” thing I was going for. Ah, well.

Anywho, I’m fast approaching 1500 words here, so I think I’ll cut it short. Tune in tomorrow for the final three.

I promise they’ll be slightly better films than these.

Though I doubt ANYTHING is better than “Silverado.”

]]> http://stacyshomejournal.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/unearthing-the-past-in-washington-square/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:11:34 +0000 Stacy Walsh Rosenstock http://stacyshomejournal.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/unearthing-the-past-in-washington-square/

Only weeks after the fences went up and the City began Phase II of the redesign of Washington Square Park, workmen seem to have, once again, unearth a bit of history.

According to Washington Square Park last Friday local resident, Matt Kovary, spotted workers dusting off and taking pictures of a tombstone in the southwest quadrant, near Sullivan Street and not far from The Hills and the two dog runs.

Before it was a park, the site was a paupers field, and approximately 20,000 yellow fever victims are said to be buried in mass graves there. However, the discovery of a tombstone would indicate a private cemetery either co-existed on the site, or predated the better known public burial ground.

Monday afternoon parks workers, directed by an archaeologist, were hard at work hand digging and inserting barriers, presumably to preserve the dig site. Four bodies and 80 loose bones were uncovered during the Phase I redesign that concluded this Spring.

That’s quite some way to begin the week before Halloween!

Stories May Differ, but End Result the Same

I always Wanted a Moustache Like Wyatt Earp

On This Date In History:  In the silver boom town of Tombstone, Arizona an event occurred that would be etched in western lore: The Gunfight at the OK Corral. Trouble is many historians say it didn’t happen at the OK Corral and it wasn’t much of a gunfight (here is one account).  The main protagonist in most of the tales was Wyatt Earp (see photo gallery).  This may be because the main story teller ended up being Wyatt Earp.   There had been many disputes between the Earps (Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan) and a group of ruffians known as the Cowboys. Five of the group gathered on this date in 1881 on a vacant lot near the OK Corral. Virgil was the town Marshall with Wyatt and Morgan as his deputies. Their friend and gambler, John (Doc) Holliday joined the Earps and the quartet went down the street to greet the Cowboys. At about 3 pm the gunfight began. About 30 seconds and 30 gunshots later, it was over.

You Don't Find Too Many Pictures of Doc Holliday

Unlike the movie versions, particularly Gunfight at the OK Corrall with Burt Lancaster and My Darling Clementine with Henry Fonda and Louisvillian Victor Mature, it apparently involved the Earps and Holliday walking up to the bad guys and gunfire breaking out. There is dispute about who fired the first shot but in the end, 3 of the 5 cowboys lay dead and all but Wyatt was injured, though one of the remaining Cowboys fled. There was a trial for the Earps but they were found not guilty with the judge saying they were “fully justified in committing these homicides.”

Wyatt Earp Later in Life

If you go and look this up, you will find all sorts of conflicting stories. The early movies were based almost solely on the reminiscences of Wyatt Earp, who spent his later years in Hollywood as a consultant to those making westerns. So, the stories tend to lean toward Wyatt’s heroics. Later films try to be more realistic. But there is no real clear cut truth. However, one interesting aspect to the Earp lore appears to be true. That is that Wyatt, through all of his gunfights and violent episodes never once was shot. The same can’t be said of those who rode with him or against him. Wyatt died in quietly in his sleep 1929 in Hollywood, CA. Many of the western movie stars of the day attended his funeral.

Great Fonda Waltz

Which is your favorite portrayal of Wyatt Earp in film? I kinda liked My Darling Clementine…Henry Fonda does a great dance.   Aside from Gunfight at the OK Corral, AMC lists ten films depicting Wyatt Earp.  The AMC list notes that the portrayal of Erroll Flynn in Dodge City (1939)  was of the character Wade Hatton, but claims the role was “clearly based on the gunslinger.”  Why would they not just use the name Wyatt Earp? AMC doesn’t say but maybe it was to protect the innocent.  But, it may have had to do with the fact that Randolph Scott had the role of Wyatt Earp in Frontier Marshal from the same year.        So popular is the lore of Wyatt Earp, Colleen Coughlin has an article on the Law in Popular Culture collection at the University of Texas’ Jamail Center for Legal Research called Law at the OK Corrall: Reading Wyatt Earp films.   

A Very Weird Film

One other thing about Victor Mature. He sorta retired in 1961 but he did appear in the Monkees last (and only) movie called Head. It was a really weird movie and was a sorta good-bye from the Monkees as their tv show either had been cancelled or if they made the film it would be cancelled. It’s really a psychedellic late 60’s film produced by Jack Nicholson and was totally un-Monkee like. Even Frank Zappa was in it. To give you an idea of how off the wall it was, the premise is that the Monkees are living in a world that is really a spot of dandruff on Victor Mature’s hair. See it if you can. There are really some pretty good songs(especially The Porpoise Song) that, again, are very un-Monkee-like.

Tuesday Evening

Weather Bottom Line:  The upper level disturbance associated with a surface low to our south is still out there, it’s just behind schedule.  A few days ago I was looking toward Monday for the clouds and maybe a shower but I thought it would be generally dry.  Well, the disturbance is still going to come through and will still bring clouds but most likely on Tuesday and I still think most of Tuesday will be dry but now indications are that Tuesday night we may see some showers.  Now, a vigorous storm system will be swinging through toward the end of  the week with a pretty deep trof in association.  Seems to me that Friday we will probably see rain and possibly some thunderstorms.  The SPC is looking more at the lower Mississippi Valley for strong storms on Thursday but it will be interesting to see how it shakes out around here.  There is a lot of low level convergence down there and the disturbance moving through is pretty robust.  The big stuff will probably get cut off down that way but, it will be of interest to see if some of that action moves up our way.   I say that the trof is deep but its more accurate to say its very pronounced.  By the time it comes our way, its already lifting up and out and damping.  Hence, we will get coolish but not too terribly cold for the weekend behind the cold front.