Americana (part 5) - From Cowboys to Cops

The Herd Quitter

The American Cowboy

Many movies and TV shows, especially in the 20th century, romanticized the cowboy in westerns. 

One such:

Rawhide

Set in the 1860s, the trail boss, Gil Favor, headed the drovers of cattle as well as their adventures during the drive.  

reference: Rawhide (1959 - 1966)

And Rawhide's theme song echoes the drama of the show as well as the era in American history:

https://youtu.be/PFGyhSifqzA?si=b8jWemWosi5si8i-

Sadly, the star Eric Fleming, who played Gil Favor, came to a tragic end, drowning in Peru while making High Jungle, an adventure program. Hence the tribute at the end of the clip.

reference: Eric Fleming biography 

But one of the young cowboys in the ride was the impetuous Rowdy Yates played by Clint Eastwood.

reference: Clint Eastwood biography

And Clint Eastwood would move on from TV to the big screen, in which he made many cowboy movies. Among them, the Spaghetti Western: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

reference: What is a Spaghetti Western 

Clint Eastwood would star not only in many other westerns but also other genres as well, such action thrillers. One such character:

The American Cop

Homicide Division Inspector, "Dirty" Harry Callahan, of the San Francisco Police Force, not only fought crime, but the corrupt system, the enemy within. And it became the film series:

Dirty Harry

First movie in the series was based on the Zodiac killer, unsolved to this day. 

reference: Dirty Harry (1971)

Classic opening scene from Dirty Harry:

https://youtu.be/8Xjr2hnOHiM?si=T-zX5VzlYmSj9JPf

Four more Dirty Harry sequels followed, including Sudden Impact (1983):

https://youtu.be/3ishbTwXf1g?si=hXjeiQVD6pgQajKc

And that film opening scene gave us the catch phrase:

Go Ahead Make My Day

Clint Eastwood contributed to the icons of the American Cowboy and Cop, a slice of Americana.

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For other posts on this thread, search:

Americana

Nostalgia

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Photo: The Herd Quitter

 

Americana (part 4) - Do you remember these?

 

Ghost sign

Just a little fun....

A trip down memory lane with the music of the Statler Brothers: Biography 

https://youtu.be/puGQsQux80k

Enjoy this slice of Americana!

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For other posts on this thread, search:

Americana

Nostalgia

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Photo: Ghost sign

Americana (part 3) - Appeal to Heaven

 

wikipedia/appeal to heaven flag

An Appeal to Heaven?

Sound like a call to prayer. It is. And it was almost 250 years ago as well as one of the motto on one of the earliest American flags.

In 1968, the US post office issued its series of historic American flags (then 6 cents). Among them, Washington's cruisers flag 1775 - AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN.

Close up below:

(reference: https://youtu.be/rRHEAT-1ItI )

For the history of the Pine Tree Flag, the description in the video explains it best:

The Tree Flag  was one of the flags used during the American Revolution.  The flag, featuring a pine tree with the motto "An Appeal to God" or, more usually, "An Appeal to Heaven", was used originally by a squadron of six cruisers commissioned under George Washington's authority as commander in chief of the Continental Army in October 1775. 

(reference: https://youtu.be/DP5n9u-Lvog )

And General Washington (with his cruisers and this flag) has been considered the Father of our country, as so aptly described in this description and video below: 

There would have never been a United States of America without George Washington. John Rhodehamel, author of "George Washington: The Wonder of the Age," details how Washington successfully guided the budding nation through war and nurtured her in peace.

(reference: https://youtu.be/D7FFtMlm4V0 )

Now, 250 years later, in the chaos and turmoil of our times, the Appeal to Heaven is the ongoing prayer for our republic.

 And as Ben Franklin allegedly said,

“A republic . . . if you can keep it.”

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Other articles on the Appeal to Heaven flag:

* An Appeal To Heaven Flag – 1775 

* For more on the historic flag stamp collection, check out: Jim's Stamp Album

Previous posts in the series:

Americana (part 1) - Seinfeld, Superman, and Wyoming (2020)

Americana (part 2) - What a Country! (2021)

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Photo:  wikipedia/appeal to heaven flag

Americana (part 2) - What a Country!

 

wikipedia/Motherhood and apple pie

What a Country!

That is the catch phrase of Russian immigrant comedian,  Yakov Smirnoff. 

Yakov had been an art teacher in Ukraine, then in the 1970s, he made it to the US from the former USSR. Later, in America, he earned a Masters in psychology and Ph.D. in Global Leadership. In between, he did his comedy acts, acted on TV shows and in movies. (reference: IMDb )

After Yakov became an American citizen on July 4, 1986, he starred in a show about immigrants taking classes to pass the American citizen test: What a Country (1986-1987):

( reference: https://youtu.be/IxCzAVuwdFg )

Yakov's acting art on a TV series imitated life.

Many immigrants (like my grandparents) had entered the United States from New York City, so the comedy speaks to many of us. Many came for a better life...freedom...opportunity.

Fifteen years after What a Country! ended, there came the attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a hijacking that ended in a plane crash. September 11, 2001.

And here's the rest of  Yakov's story as the artist:

Paul Harvey - The Rest of the Story from Yakov Smirnoff on Vimeo.

"After the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade centers, he began working on a mural to commemorate the event. Just in time for the first anniversary of the event, the mural was printed on a huge banner, with the quote 

The human spirit is not measured
by the size of the act,
but by the size of the heart. 

It was hung from a nearby building where it was clearly visible from Ground Zero for over a year. Yakov financed the banner with $100,000 of his own money, but kept his donation anonymous, for fear that people would see it as a joke because of his reputation as a comedian." 

Reference: Imdb.com trivia

Yakov Smirnoff made us laugh,
then shared his art
to help us heal during a traumatic time.

Here's to a Russian immigrant
who loves his adopted country! 

What a country!

God bless him.

And God Bless America!

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Previous post in the series:

Americana (part 1) - Seinfeld, Superman, and Wyoming (2020)

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Photo: wikipedia/Motherhood and apple pie

Americana (part 1) - Seinfeld, Superman, and Wyoming

Wyoming/wikipedia.com

Americana....

Definition
 
1: materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization,
    or its culture
  broadly : things typical of America
2: American culture
3: a genre of American music having roots in early folk and country music
 
“Americana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, 
Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Americana .

And what better way to start a thread of that name than an American Express commercial from the turn of the century.

The 21st century, that is.

Mix in with American Express two American icons: comic book superhero and beloved comedian.

Enter the dynamic duo: Superman and Seinfeld.

(reference: https://youtu.be/Ao-Lj2x-yRE )

And their adventures continue...

(reference: https://youtu.be/VLuPTg8HcMY )

And the punch line.....

Oh Yes Wyoming!

(reference: https://youtu.be/ssdazVDcrb8 )

Wyoming.
Smallest state in the Union, population wise.

Great little parks: Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devil's Tower...
Great places to live.

There's no place I'd rather be roaming.
Social distances since 1890.

A slice of Americana of what America used to be.

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Related article:

Superman meets Seinfeld

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Photo:
Wyoming/wikipedia.com

Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer

Wikipedia/Thanksgiving Grace

Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday.  And this holiday has been the focus of some TV specials and episodes in series, especially in the 1950s.  Reflecting on some of the early days of television is a good lead in for this new thread -

nostalgia

a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time:  a nostalgia for his college days.

according to:  nostalgia. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nostalgia

One popular show of the 1950s was  Father Knows Best (1954 - 1960). At its center was a loving family: a hard working father, a wise stay-at-home mother, and three kids growing up in more innocent times.  And it was a time when prayer and patriotism were not banned from public places or ridiculed, but they were encouraged in our culture.

The series first Thanksgiving episode, "Father Knows Best" Thanksgiving Day (TV Episode 1954), focused on this holiday that had started out badly.  But in the end, the family came together and the father prayed with his wife and children.

(reference:  http://youtu.be/VOJbPLPROvg )

Though it first aired 60 years ago, this final scene still touches me and fills me with nostalgia.

This father leads, loves, and prays.  And he thanks God for their blessings, which are our blessings: our country and our freedoms, especially personal rights to worship, think, and speak as we choose.  And finally he thanks God for his family and their love for one another.

With the masculine references and King James English, this prayer is as un-PC as it gets.  But these virtues are a good thing to remember and something to reclaim.  The following Scriptures come to mind:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

During this Thanksgiving special, with its religious roots, its nostalgia helps me to -

Remember Who We Are!
   

For its history and its impact on our culture, here is a  good resource for more information for starters:   Thanksgiving - Facts, Origin, Pictures & Videos - History.com

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Similar post in this series:

New Years 2012 - the Good worth fighting for! (2011)

AI (part 2) - How Curiosity got our groove back (2012)

Culture 101 (part 9) - Father Knows Best (2013)

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Photo:  Wikipedia/Thanksgiving Grace