Make Mine Freedom - 1948

Make Mine Freedom (1948) is a simplistic cartoon warning about the evils of communism, without saying the word, and interestingly, in its depiction of the evils of various "isms" we can easily lump fascism, isolationism, and racism, among the basketful of "isms" that threaten to destroy America.

It was produced by John Sutherland Productions for the Extension Department of Harding College, now Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. It was the first in a series of short films produced for Harding.  

At the start of the Cold War, we were worried about the expansion of communist rivals across the globe, and while concerned about the bleak future that might mean, we were still looking over our shoulders at the horrors of the fascism we had just defeated in World War II.  It seemed like we were between a rock and a hard place -- and we clung, perhaps innocently, but with faith, to the idea that authoritarianism in any form -- from politicians, from big business, from foreign governments -- was not the path to freedom.  It still isn't.

Vote accordingly.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

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My new non-fiction book, CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS - The Silent Generation's Vicarious Experience of World War II -- is now available in eBook here at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a wide variety of other online shops.

And it is here in eBook, paperback print, and soon, hardcover, from Amazon.

From Cherry Ames, to Meet the Malones, from Dave Dawson to Kitty Carter - Canteen Girl, the Silent Generation spent their childhood immersed in geopolitical events through the prism of their middle grade and young adult books.  From the home front to the battlefield, these books are a window on their world, and influenced their hard-working, conformity-loving generation.

It Happened in Springfield - 1945

It Happened in Springfield (1945) is a short subject produced by Warner Bros. starring Andrea King as a teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts, where a new approach and emphasis on citizenship in a multicultural society was taught during World War II, which came to be called The Springfield Plan.  This included teaching students to identify racist propaganda and to foster democracy.

We referred to the Springfield Plan last week in the Americans All post.  Unfortunately, I was not able to track down a copy of the film It Happened in Springfield, but I'll keep looking.

Also in the cast were Warren Douglas, John Qualen, Charles Drake, William Forrest, and Arthur Hohl.

Short films such as this and the two previous films discussed in this series illustrate the government's concern over the catastrophe of fascism that had caused World War II, and the horrors the Allied armies were discovering about those fascist societies as the war progressed.  We did not want that mental disease to take root here.

The differences between the shameless lies about the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, by Traitor Trump and the radical right MAGA fascists -- and the nobler intentions of the wartime Springfield Plan of Springfield, Massachusetts, are stark and rather jolting, but it further illustrates our choice in November.

Vote accordingly.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

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My new non-fiction book, CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS - The Silent Generation's Vicarious Experience of World War II -- is now available in eBook here at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a wide variety of other online shops.

And it is here in eBook, paperback print, and soon, hardcover, from Amazon.

From Cherry Ames, to Meet the Malones, from Dave Dawson to Kitty Carter - Canteen Girl, the Silent Generation spent their childhood immersed in geopolitical events through the prism of their middle grade and young adult books.  From the home front to the battlefield, these books are a window on their world, and influenced their hard-working, conformity-loving generation.

John Hayes - Requiescat in Pace

This is to post a belated public farewell to a dear friend and colleague, John Hayes.  I "met" John in the early years of this blog, and some of you may remember his eclectic blog, Robert Frost's Banjo.  A musician as well as a poet, some years ago John and his partner wrote and performed on the movie track a musical score for Nell Shipman's silent film The Grub-Stake (1923) which I covered in this previous post.

Most recently, John published a three-volume book set of poetry, which I posted about on my New England Travels blog here.  Another volume of poetry will be published by Askance Publishing posthumously.  He was overjoyed at the contract and the accomplishment even as he bravely faced rapidly declining health.  A gentle man of extraordinary perspective, he faced his mortality with grace and gallantry.

For many years he was also my proofreader of my books, and I will miss his friendship.  Unlike most of the dear friends I've gratefully come to know through this blog, I actually was delighted to have met John in person.  He had been living on the West Coast, but on a trip to Boston to visit his mother, he kindly made arrangements to visit me in western Massachusetts, and we went to lunch.  

I read his poems from time to time and I feel the comfort of his big heart, his intellect, and his spirituality.  He has left us in his poetry a precious gift: himself.

Here is his obituary as published in The Oregonian.

John Hayes Obituary

John (Jack Hayes, his pen name) entered the light of heaven July 12. Born in 1956 to Elizabeth (Atkinson) and John Hayes Sr. in Bellows Falls, Vt., Jack was a warm, loving man with a generous, kind spirit. He received his BA in English from UVM and his MFA in Poetry from UVA and had a lot of passions, including music, baseball, and Tai Chi, but poetry was his calling. He published 11 books of poetry, most recently Prayer Wind (Askance), and has one more collection slated for publication posthumously. In life, as in his poems, John saw beauty in the ordinary and the unordinary, often in nature. He shared music that he loved, played with, and taught both guitar and ukulele.
In 2018, John married his true love, Sandy Pullella. Besides her, he leaves behind her family; his sister, Naomi (Mort) Rosenberg; niece, Jessie; nephew, Ethan; their children; several cousins; and his beloved dog, Chloe; and cat, Curious.
John felt enormous gratitude to the Taoist Tai Chi Society, where he practiced in Portland, Ore. for many years. He developed lifelong friendships with two nuns from the Marymount Hermitage in Mesa, ID and also felt deeply connected to his editor and friend, Sheila Graham-Smith.
Thank you to the teams of Kaiser Permanente Hospice and Palliative Care, Portland, Ore., OHSU, and the Alpha One Foundation. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Kaiser Hospice, the Alpha One Foundation, or the Marymount Hermitage. John's body has been donated to the OHSU Body Donation Program. Mass will be at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church 7600 N. Hereford, Portland, July 28, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. 

Published by The Oregonian from Jul. 22 to Jul. 28, 2024.

Americans All - 1940s

This World War II-era short U.S. government film (a little over 16 minutes) attempts to safeguard American democracy through the message of religious and racial harmony, and to strike back at the evils of bigotry.

Towards the end of the film the noted Springfield Plan is discussed, an interracial education program implemented in the public schools of Springfield, Massachusetts (which happens to be in my neck of the woods).  

One fosters democracy by fighting bigotry, which is the main tool of fascism.

Remember this as you go to vote next month.  When one group's rights are taken away, eventually it happens to other groups.  Don't think it might not be you.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

***************

My new non-fiction book, CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS - The Silent Generation's Vicarious Experience of World War II -- is now available in eBook here at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a wide variety of other online shops.

And it is here in eBook, paperback print, and soon, hardcover, from Amazon.

From Cherry Ames, to Meet the Malones, from Dave Dawson to Kitty Carter - Canteen Girl, the Silent Generation spent their childhood immersed in geopolitical events through the prism of their middle grade and young adult books.  From the home front to the battlefield, these books are a window on their world, and influenced their hard-working, conformity-loving generation.

Don't Be a Sucker - 1947

Don't Be a Sucker (1947) is a U.S. government instructional film -- these days, we may even say inspirational film -- about the evils of allowing fascism to take hold over America.  As this short (only a little over 17 minutes) was made just two years after the end of World War II when we should have been confident in vanquishing our fascist enemies, it is obviously prescient about a future when the allure of domination over our fellow men and women might return.

It stars Paul Lukas as an American immigrant warning young Bob Bailey about joining the siren's song of a street soapbox fascist, and how bad it got in Europe when men such as he fell prey to the false promises of authoritarianism.  

Bob Bailey, old time radio fans will note, was the best insurance investigator Johnny Dollar among many who played the role in the program Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

Felix Bressart plays a brave, but doomed, university professor in the old country.  Lloyd Nolan is the narrator.

Paul Lukas tells us, "Racial and religious hatred is just another of the mental and emotional diseases which are sweeping the world today as plagues and pestilences swept the world before science and education controlled them.  This pestilence can be controlled, too."

One certainly hopes so.  But not without education and critical thinking.  Most especially, a free press, not one that's been bought and paid for.

When the soapbox blabbermouth denigrates foreigners, Blacks, Catholics...Bob Bailey almost succumbs to the fascist's reasoning and reassurance of his own superiority -- until the fascist lumps Freemasons in with the other undesirables.  Bob is a Freemason, and he is more than insulted, he is shocked that he could be the next one in the detention camp.

So could you.  Watch this very timely film.

And vote accordingly.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

YouTube review of my book Children's Wartime Adventure Novels

Here's a review by Meg Perdue of my latest book, Children's Wartime Adventure Novels up at YouTube.  Please have a look!

Happy Labor Day!

 

NOW PUBLISHED - CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS

My new non-fiction book, CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS - The Silent Generation's Vicarious Experience of World War II -- is now available in eBook here at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a wide variety of other online shops.

And it is here in eBook, paperback print, and soon, hardcover, from Amazon.

From Cherry Ames, to Meet the Malones, from Dave Dawson to Kitty Carter - Canteen Girl, the Silent Generation spent their childhood immersed in geopolitical events through the prism of their middle grade and young adult books.  From the home front to the battlefield, these books are a window on their world, and influenced their hard-working, conformity-loving generation.

For many of us later generations, these books were hand-me-downs from older siblings or other relatives, or discovered at yard sales or online.  Here they are discussed and examined against the background of the exciting and tumultuous era that produced them.

I hope you enjoy it.

For reviewers, please email me at JacquelineTLynch@gmail.com for a pdf copy in exchange for a fair review on the website of your choice.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

Happy 96th birthday to Ann Blyth!

Happy 96th birthday to the wonderful Ann Blyth!

Here Ann stars as Maria in THE SOUND OF MUSIC summer stock production at Milwaukee's Melody Top tent theater in 1972.  Many thanks to Dan Pagel and his wonderful Memories of Melody Top site for permission to post this photo.

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Looking for a gift a classic film fan?Have a look at my book -- Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.

eBook edition (Amazon)

print edition available at Amazon and also my Etsy shop.

audiobook edition

Also available in eBook at:

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBooks

...and a variety of other online shops!

For more on my other books and plays, please see my website: JacquelineTLynch.com  

"Lynch’s book is organized and well-written – and has plenty of amusing observations – but when it comes to describing Blyth’s movies, Lynch’s writing sparkles." - Ruth Kerr, Silver Screenings

"Jacqueline T. Lynch creates a poignant and thoroughly-researched mosaic of memories of a fine, upstanding human being who also happens to be a legendary entertainer." - Deborah Thomas, Java's Journey

"One of the great strengths of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is that Lynch not only gives an excellent overview of Blyth's career -- she offers detailed analyses of each of Blyth's roles -- but she puts them in the context of the larger issues of the day."- Amanda Garrett, Old Hollywood Films

"Jacqueline's book will hopefully cause many more people to take a look at this multitalented woman whose career encompassed just about every possible aspect of 20th Century entertainment." - Laura Grieve, Laura's Miscellaneous Musings''

"Jacqueline T. Lynch’s Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. is an extremely well researched undertaking that is a must for all Blyth fans." - Annette Bochenek, Hometowns to Hollywood

Children's Wartime Adventure Novels - COVER REVEAL

Here's the cover of my new book, CHILDREN'S WARTIME ADVENTURE NOVELS - The Silent Generation's Vicarious Experience of World War II.

Long title, I know.  Sometimes I feel it's best to just be plain about it, that way you know what you're getting.

Here's the blurb:

Experience World War II like an American twelve-year-old.

From Cherry Ames and Ann Bartlett nursing in war zones from the Pacific to Europe, from aviators Dave Dawson and Stan Wilson in aerial dogfights with the enemy, the middle-grade and teen readers growing up in the early 1940s received through these characters an amazing window on a world at war.
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The World War II-themed series novels discussed in this book were their companions in the baffling and exciting era of their already normally angst-ridden pre-teen and teen years.  These books provided entertainment, inspiration, education, and indoctrination as to what would be expected of them as kids supporting the war effort and what kind of adults they should strive to be.

They grew up to be called The Silent Generation, known for conformity, respect for rules, and a quiet but determined work ethic that never left them. See how the adventures in the wartime children's books they read shaped their knowledge of the world and formed their ideals.
 
The series novels for children published in the early 1940s allow us to explore the theaters of war, the home front, the news of the day as it was absorbed by the teens and pre-teens who were too young to participate in the war effort like adults, but who still felt the impact of world-shaking events.

This book will be available in eBook, paperback print, and also in hardcover.  I expect publication to be in late August.

Email me at JacquelineTLynch@gmail.com for a PDF review copy in exchange for a fair review at the site of your choice.  Thank you!

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Our greatest gift from the Greatest Generation was freedom from fascism. Relive, and celebrate, how evil was faced, discussed, dramatized...and fought. Classic films were Hollywood's weapon.

Get your copy of my book Hollywood Fights Fascism here at Amazon in print or eBook, or FREE here for a limited time at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a variety of other online shops.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.

 

NEW BOOK -- Children's Wartime Adventure Novels

I’m happy to announce the forthcoming publication of my next book, which is non-fiction, an exploration of children’s middle-grade and teen adventure stories published during World War II about that war.  It’s called (cue trumpet):

 

Children’s Wartime Adventure Novels 

The Silent Generation’s Vicarious Experience

 of World War II

 

The book revisits some kids’ books you may even remember from your own childhoods—from the Cherry Ames series to the Dave Dawson series, Ann Barlett, Meet the Malones, and a host of other stories that brought the war home to the kids too young to fight it but who nevertheless were acutely aware of its tragedies, triumphs, anxieties, and grim realities.  The books were published not merely to entertain—indeed, some of the violence is astounding—but to educate the kids on what the war was ideologically about and to indoctrinate them to the kind of patriotic and self-sacrificing citizens they should try to be.  Moreover, there was a burst of feminist inspiration as women not only desired to help the war effort but were actually needed to win the war.

The stories are a real-time view of not only the battle zones but also what was happening on the home front.

Most of these books are no longer in print—but some old copies are quite valuable to collectors.  Some of them remained in print to entertain the Boomers—Cherry Ames is notable for inspiring more than one generation to enter the field of nursing.

In the weeks ahead I’ll be unveiling the cover.  

This book will be available in eBook, paperback print, and also in hardcover.  I expect publication to be in late August.

If any blogger, or reviewer would like an ARC (advance reader copy) in PDF, either drop a comment below with your email, name of your blog, website, or where you plan to post the review, or email me at JacquelineTLynch@gmail.com.  Thank you!

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Our greatest gift from the Greatest Generation was freedom from fascism. Relive, and celebrate, how evil was faced, discussed, dramatized...and fought. Classic films were Hollywood's weapon.

Get your copy of my book Hollywood Fights Fascism here at Amazon in print or eBook, or FREE here for a limited time at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and a variety of other online shops.

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Jacqueline T. Lynch is the author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star. and Movies in Our Time - Hollywood Mirrors and Mimics the Twentieth Century and Hollywood Fights Fascism and Christmas in Classic Films. TO JOIN HER READERS' GROUP - follow this link for a free book as a thank-you for joining.