Connect (part 1) : The Pepe Connection

 

Wikipedia/Skunk

Pepe Le Pew

A favorite Bugs Bunny (Warner Bros.) cartoon was a suave, overly romantic French skunk with a thick accent, Pepe Le Pew. This polecat definitely had a very high opinion of his lady-killing charm.

Typical plot formula: A female tuxedo cat (later named Penelope Pussycat) accidentally gets a white stripe painted down her back. Then Pepe would see her--love at first sight. He ardently pursues her with florid, romantic declarations and advances, such as wanting her to run off with him to the Casbah.

(This was an age before the #MeToo movement.)

Meanwhile, the unwilling pussycat is fighting to get away from the odor of this skunk. But Pepe believes she is flirting and playing hard-to-get, and he enjoys the thrill of the chase.

Where did the idea of this cartoon come from?

https://youtu.be/HMnbNTv_D3A?si=HeC0m7qtCZtMFVFY

Go back a few years, before World War Two to the introduction of another character.

Pepe le Moko

In the first half of the 20th century, one of the movie heartthrobs was Charles Boyer. He was a lady-killer with a French accent, which could make his female fans swoon.

In 1938, an American crime/romance drama Algiers, made the big screen starring Charles Boyer as Pepe le Moko. This suave Frenchman was the inspiration for Pepe Le Pew, no doubt.

This Pepe was a notorious French jewel thief, hiding in the Casbah (the native quarter) of Algiers, where he was virtually untouchable. Yet, it was an effective prison of his own making. Meanwhile, French police were determined to arrest him, and they waited for the right moment to pounce. 

The girls in the Casbah were wild about Pepe. But he had developed a strong attraction for one beauty, Gaby, unhappily married to a wealthy man, who was visiting the Casbah. 

Gaby reminded Pepe of the Paris life and freedom he can no longer have. In the end, Pepe was drawn toward risking everything to leave the Casbah for Gaby. When he ran to Gaby's departing ship, the police pounced and shot him.

Not so happy ending for this paramour.

 https://youtu.be/vGFFItr9_8I?si=5GIz8NGQ39bkRiPj

One note: Hedy Lamarr made her Hollywood debut as Gaby, the woman Pepe died for. 

This is the same Hedy Lamarr who was the co-inventor of a frequency-hopping technology during World War Two. Later, this tech would be an important foundation for wireless communications such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi--which is how you are reading this blog.

That will be a connection for another story.

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For Similar threads (search blog):

ELM - English, Language, Musings

History

Culture

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photo: Wikipedia/Skunk

Geo (part 1) - Geography: Nations of the World (with movies)

 

world map/wikipedia

Can you name a country?

Any country?

Sadly, many can't....

https://youtu.be/kRh1zXFKC_o?si=1fehg-DbNeB_VYEI

One kid was on fire and knew his stuff.

Way to go, kid!

He must have watched trip around the world....with Yakko!

https://youtu.be/V1508wboZXk?si=bm4JYyjut5p8cW2O

And here is a new spin around the world...with movies!

https://youtu.be/aysvMtLuzIg?si=JzlIprUBaOfBKvoG

So begins a new thread...

Geography

We are all stuck on this earth, at least in this life. So, we may want to know where we're at...

Or do we?

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For similar posts on this thread, search:

Science

Culture

Education

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photo: world map/wikipedia 

LOL (part 7) - Snow White Trailer Trash Talk

Art:  Archibald The Psychotic Housecats Den of Insanity

 

One of my cherished memories of Disney's Snow White (1937) is when my dad took me to see it in the drive-in movie theater. I remember how much Dad laughed at Dopey.  He loved Dopey.

Since 1937, many retellings and remakes and reimagining of Snow White followed this classic with a built-in fan base. Yet, the latest in 2025 seems to be as cursed as the poison apple with PR nightmares and bad press.

Then the trailers came out...with the reactions.

Below is a sample of the "trailer trash" reviews, with biting humor.

https://youtu.be/toRNbnSrxxM?si=JqQyX0W7kLpVh10h

Three previous review videos (part 4 is shown above):

Part 1:  https://youtu.be/bgPDxRkci_A?si=sBQrTEqRm5A_4oqP 
Part 2:  https://youtu.be/4HBd37NERrw?si=12Wq3nB0YxHMzEMj
Part 3:  https://youtu.be/8N38hW2eBq4?si=LGcdx1smcc0wgBtz 

In all fairness, I haven't see this version of Snow White...yet. But this 3-minute recap of the 2 hour movie doesn't seem so bad.

https://youtu.be/J99NTVG7OIQ?si=CWla3HVb-5nso9qM

Who knows? Maybe Snow White 2025 could become a cult classic.

Or if the reviews are right, the devil really is in the details.

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For other posts on this thread, search:

LOL

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photo: Archibald The Psychotic Housecats Den of Insanity

Nostalgia (part 8) - April Showers

April Showers/everystockphoto.com

April showers

Bring May flowers

Learned that as a child.

Still true.

And one of my nostalgic memories is when my dad took me to Disney movies in the drive-in as a kid. One of those movies was Bambi (1942). And he laughed at Thumper and Bambi more than I did.

But one of the scenes was Bambi experiencing his first spring - April showers.

( reference: https://youtu.be/saa98l0yDYQ )

As I look out my window, 

I see the April showers
come and go. 

Sometimes,
snow. 

But the wet weather doesn't last. The sun comes out.

The grass is greening up. The buds bursting on trees. Birds are nesting. And yes, the deer and the bunnies are frolicking in the meadows. Like Bambi and Thumper.

Bambi was awed by nature. Like the young ones born in spring find all things new and wonderful.

And Disney tapped into our inner child. So as we get older, we may still wonder, too.

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Previous Posts in the series:

 Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer  (2014)

Nostalgia (part 2) - Christmas Past in War and Peace (2014)

Nostalgia (part 3) - Something Old, Something New  (2014)

Nostalgia (part 4) - VJ Day Kiss - 70 years ago (2015)

Nostalgia (part 5) - Big Band and World War II  (2015)

Nostalgia (part 6) - Dear Eleanor (2016)

   

Nostalgia (part 7) - Calendar Girl (2016)

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Photo from: April Showers/everystockphoto.com

Nostalgia (part 6) - Dear Eleanor

Eleanor Roosevelt/wikipedia.com

The 1960s were tumultuous.

Cold War. Vietnam. Counter culture. Hippies. US vs USSR Space race. Iron Curtain. Civil Rights. Assassinations. Not to mention: Drugs. Sex. Rock N Roll.

But the early 1960s were almost an extension of the perceived calmer, more innocent 1950s. Leave it to Beaver. Happy Days. Kennedy and Camelot.

And the year 1962 is the setting for Dear Eleanor (2016). The recently released movie, on DVD and internet, captures the spirit of those times.

It begins in California as the Ellie Potter's mother leaves the house that day to give an introduction to former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Only Ellie's mother is killed in a car accident along the way. The same day Marilyn Monroe died.

While Ellie's dad shrugs off his parental responsibilities and sinks into depression,  Ellie takes on the roll as Little Mom as the oldest girl. But Ellie's best friend Max the Wax has ideas. And convinces Ellie to ditch school for a road trip cross country. From California to New York.  To deliver her mom's speech to Eleanor Roosevelt in person.

During this "Thelma and Louise" type road trip, the Cuban Missile Crisis grips the nation, the girls unwittingly find company with an escaped convict from Alcatraz, and they pick up Max's Aunt Daisy, a dancer in Las Vegas. That is, Las Vegas, New Mexico. Not Nevada. Meanwhile, Ellie's father and the boy next door discover the girls' plans and are on their tail to bring them back home.

The extended movie trailer below sums it up pretty well.

(reference: https://youtu.be/So9rGSzLt24 )

It's a shame the movie didn't get a wider release. Based on what I've seen in the theaters these days, this would make it in the top ten percent or higher. And much of the songs, pop culture, news of the times, are interwoven in the story. At bit of nostalgia. Like Forrest Gump (1994). Only far more realistic of a story.

It was an uplifting movie with a good message. During difficult days, the heroines dream big and they go for it. Though it didn't turn out as they had hoped, they all were enriched by the journey.

And this movie has a special meaning for me. One of its writers  is Amy Garcia. Before I retired, I had the privilege of working with Amy's father. And I learned from him that his daughter had worked very hard over the  years, overcame many obstacles and setbacks, to see this project through.

To all creatives out there, this is encouraging. Take the risk! Go for it!

And never give up!

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Previous Posts in the series:
 Nostalgia (part 1) - A Father's Thanksgiving Prayer  (2014)

Nostalgia (part 2) - Christmas Past in War and Peace (2014)

Nostalgia (part 3) - Something Old, Something New  (2014)

Nostalgia (part 4) - VJ Day Kiss - 70 years ago (2015)

Nostalgia (part 5) - Big Band and World War II  (2015)

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Photo: Eleanor Roosevelt/wikipedia.com

CC (part 10) - Little Big Man

Little Big Man/wikipedia.com

Little Big Man, also known as Charging Bear, really existed.

He was a fearless Oglala Lakota warrior, who fought under, then rivaled Crazy Horse. When Crazy Horse was murdered, Little Big Man was a suspect.  But one of the notable battles Little Big Man fought was the Battle of Little Big Horn in the Montana Territory. 

* for more info: Little Big Man at american-tribes.com

And....

 June 25, 1876 marked the Battle of the Little Big Horn, also know as Custer's Last Stand. And we've coming up on its 140th anniversary. 

* for more info: Battle of the Little Big Horn - Native American History

Many stories and movies (fact, fiction, legends, lies) were made about this battle as well as General Custer and many of the key players.

One of my favorites is this oldie from the 1970s...

Little Big Man - the movie

The Little Big Man  movie (1970), starred Dustin Hoffman and Chief Dan George. It's not a story about Charging Bear. But it's the story of a 121 year old Jack Crabb, in hospice, telling his recollections of the Old West to a reporter. His tale included being adopted by the Cheyenne, adventures in the Wild West, culminating in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. (reference: synopsis with spoilers)

And I make some references to the movie as well as the battle in The Commander and the Chief series, such as a quoted line from the scene below:

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

At time 1:40 in the clip, the frustrated preacher's wife offers to give Jack Crabb, who was rescued from Indians, a bath.  Asking him to take off his clothes, she assures him:

But I shall avert my eyes at the necessary moment.

At time 3:35, she reassures him when the bath is done:

I shall avert my eyes, of course.

And here's how I work that all in....

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From Book 1, His Tribe of One in The Commander and the Chief series. 

In this scene, the Commander wakes up in guest room of the Chief, as she's assembling her team:

Reggie rolled his good eye to Colonel Jack Sheffield. “Where am I, Jacko?”

“A very posh suite in the Gladstone Hotel.” The Colonel put a hand on Reggie’s shoulder. “At least you woke up in a high class place this time.”

cover by Davis Creative, Becki Davis

“How’d I end up here?”

“We collected you off the street and had one bugger of time getting you up here. Wise got a baggage cart, and we took you up the lift.”

Wise pressed a plastic bag of ice to the left side of Reggie’s face. “You know, Commander, this reminds me when I was in Her Majesty’s service, and one of the lads fell in love with one of the local women, and he got into quite a row with one of her male relatives who took offense…”

Reggie peeked under his blanket. “Where are my clothes?”

“If you pardon me, you were rather soaked to the bone, old boy, so we took the liberty of stripping your wet garments while you were…indisposed.”

“So you left me bloody naked?”

“Your clothes are being laundered.” Wise picked up a plush white robe from the end of the couch. “Meanwhile, the hotel has provided this.” Then Wise signaled the women to look away.

“I shall avert my eyes,” Nova said in a put-on southern accent as she gave a sidelong smile to Wise.

“Avert your eyes?” Reggie wrinkled his nose.

“It’s a joke between us. My client, she’s part Cheyenne.” Lord Wise grinned at Commander Barrett. “The line comes from the old American movie, Little Big Man.”

“The one that ends with General Custer meeting his Waterloo, Reg,” Jack explained.

From His Tribe of One, Part 1, Chapter 9: Wake Up Call

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Back to the movie...

And later, Jack Crabb becomes a scout for General Custer during the Battle of the Little Big Horn. And Jack issued this report to the General:

(reference:  https://youtu.be/fTe8uIaO-KE )

Custer's response?

Still trying to outsmart me, aren't you, mule-skinner. 

You want me to think that you don't want me to go down there, 

but the subtle truth is you really don't want me to go down there!

And General Custer goes down there and goes down in history, but not in the blaze of glory he had hoped for.

(reference:  https://youtu.be/vFjdz2bRHRg )

And so Custer met his Waterloo. Only he did not survive. Napoleon did.

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Back to the book....

Later in His Tribe of One, Lord Wise, the Chief's confident, finds out she's been betrayed by their guide. And Kaya Stillwater, the Chief's loyal friend of the family quietly knits as Wise interrogates Omar:

Wise pushed Omar inside a tent where Kaya sat on a campstool, knitting. She no longer had her burka on, but was dressed in khakis. And as her needles clicked, she was stealing glances at their guide. Omar whined, “Why you take me to woman’s tent—it’s unclean.”

“That’s the least of your worries, old boy.” Wise pointed Omar’s face toward Kaya. “Surely you remember my client’s companion? She’s been suspicious of you since the day we hired you back in Adam.”

“She’s a woman.”

“Not just any woman. She’s Cheyenne, one of the Native American Indians. Ever hear of General Custer?”

“Don’t know no American generals.”

“Then let me tell you. This general lived 150 years ago. Fought in the American Civil War. And he was a big hero back then, until he came across the Cheyenne, her people. The ancestors of this woman killed all the American soldiers that had attacked them at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.”

Kaya gave Omar an icy stare, then coolly resumed knitting.

Wise held Omar’s face in Kaya’s direction and continued, “And when her people slaughtered all the soldiers, they left the mutilation of their bodies to the women, women such as this woman you see in front of you.”

“What do you mean?” Omar was sweating.

“See those knitting needles?” Wise eyed Kaya. “She can do things with those that would make the most hardened man break down and weep like a whipped puppy.”

Kaya gave Omar another icy stare as her needles clinked together.

Wise continued, “Oh, yes. I was with MI6, so I know how to interrogate. And Kaya, she knows how to loosen a man’s tongue. So Omar, I ask you this: Do you want it said that a woman broke you and made you squeal like a pig? Or do you wish to talk to me and keep your manhood intact?”

“Wh-what do you want?” Omar quavered.

Wise flashed a grin. “Information.”

And Omar talked as Kaya knitted.

From His Tribe of One, Part 8, Chapter 2, Little Big Horn, Revisited.

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If this has piqued your intererst, please feel free to read the book.

His Tribe of One, now available:

* Paperback:  CreateSpace

* eBook:   Kindle
                  Nook

Your readership is much appreciated. 

Sequel is coming soon and I'll keep you posted.

S. K. Smith

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For other posts in this series:

CC (part 1) - The Commander and the Chief: His Tribe of One (2014)

CC (part 2) - Universe in a Glass of Wine  (2014)

CC (part 3) - Happy Bill of Rights Day  (2014)

CC (part 4) - Stories and the Brain (2015)

CC (part 5) - Audie Murphy  (2014)

CC (part 6) - Pavle Orlovic (2015)

CC (part 7) - Buzz Aldrin  (2015) 

 CC (part 8) - Little America (2016)    

CC (part 9) - Buffalo Bill's Wild West (2016)

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Photos from: Little Big Man/wikipedia.com

and                Davis Creative, Becki Davis

Pop Culture (part 2) - Halloween Martian Invasion

wikipedia/War of the Worlds

Eve of Halloween: October 30, 1938 

Now that was a night my mother remembered.  As a young teenager listening to the radio, she heard the breaking news:

Martians invaded Earth ... and they landed in New Jersey!

She was scared, captivated by the Orson Welles broadcast based on the H.G. Wells science fiction novel - The War of the Worlds.   Though disclaimers were given that this was only fiction, many in the audience missed it, and panic ensued. [reference: 1938 Welles scares the nation ]

An abridged audio of that broadcast is here below -

(reference: https://youtu.be/ClreKtEi4dM )

The generation that first heard this broadcast knew something about troubling times. In 1938, they had lived through most of the Great Depression, many remembering the Great War and hearing the rumblings of more wars to come.

From Wars of the Worlds to World Wars

Ironically, H. G. Welles wrote The War of the Worlds  in 1898, sixteen years before World War I (1914 - 1918). And Orson Welles broadcast the radio version within a year of World War II (1939 - 1945). Both these World Wars surpassed the horror of science fiction.

Often society, science, and tech imitate art...

From book to radio to the big screen

The SciFi novel jumped from radio to the movies: The War of the Worlds (1953). And its remake in 2005 is shown in its trailer below:

(reference: https://youtu.be/msxe3yJPfyY )

And there have been countless stories about life on Mars and their invasions of Earth.  Now, it's our turn, for real, as science and tech continue to follow SciFi.

Earthlings invade Mars

Humans via their robots have invaded Mars from 1976 with Viking 1 to the 21 century's  Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Curiosity Rover.  Their findings are still in the news: MarsNews.com

As we plan to colonize Mars, more SciFi hit the big screen as The Martian (2015), still in theaters:

(referenence: https://youtu.be/HwSg_XFCE64 )

So our fascination with Mars continues in Pop Culture as science and tech follows SciFi.

The Classic Halloween Scary Story?

This October 31st, treat yourself to the original  radio broadcast. For the full broadcast (its an hour long), see below:

(reference: https://youtu.be/oWD9Q6klzco )

 And that one Halloween almost 80 years ago, 

 Orson Welles said 

Boo! 

to the entire nation.

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Previous Post in the series:

Pop Culture (part 1) - Only Time and 9/11 (2015)

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Photo: wikipedia/War of the Worlds

Culture 101 (part 15) - Persevering and Prevailing during Dark Days

wikipedia.com/Daily Mail 31 December 1940

September 3, 1939 - 75 years ago - Britain and France declared war on Germany.  It was in response to Hitler's invasion of Poland two days earlier on September 1st.

So World War II began.  

And some historians say it was an extension of War World I.  [reference:  Britain and France declare war on Germany — History.com This Day in History — 9/3/1939, HowStuffWorks "World War I" ]

Six years later, World War II would prove to be the most devastating war of the 20th century.  One estimate gives close to 50 million killed.  Some go as high as over 70 million.  But no doubt about it, all corners of the planet were affected by perhaps the greatest conflict in history ... so far.

Many stories have been spun about this war, particularly those of persevering and prevailing during dark times.  And art imitates life in the ...

* Movies *

    

The King's Speech (2010), is the true story of King George VI facing a crisis in both his personal life and as a reluctant wartime monarch.  First, he persevered and prevailed in public speaking in spite of a speech problem; likewise leading his people through the most trying time in the 20th century.

"The stammering that defined him, and the courage with which he tried to beat it, came to symbolise the vulnerability of the British people as they stood alone against the Nazi tyranny that had the rest of Europe in its grip."   [reference: The King's Speech: the real story - Telegraph] 

And as World War II began 75 years ago, this speech, dramatized below, was given at the start of the six year marathon of persevering and prevailing over great evil.

(reference:   http://youtu.be/6fY3BOcjAnw)

Below are the last lines of the King's speech:

"There may be dark days ahead, and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield. But we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God.

"If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it, ready for whatever service or sacrifice it may demand, then, with God's help, we shall prevail."

George VI - September 3, 1939

[reference:  Online Speech Bank: King George VI -- First Radio Address (transcript-audio-video)]

George VI backed up his words with actions. He stood by his people as they experienced enemy raids from the sky on native soil.  The most intense were from September 1940 to May 1941, the first attacks lasting for 57 consecutive days, known as the London Blitz.

Instead of fleeing to Canada or to the countryside, the King stayed in London, which was the target of the most intense Nazi bombings.  Buckingham Palace even took a hit from the raids.  Shown here  (bridgemanart.com) is a picture of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth walking through London during the Blitz, 1940 or 1941.

The King gave the people courage to stand up to Hitler and his "supermen."  And ultimately, Great Britain and her allies did prevail.  For a transcript of some of the King's Speeches, check out:  HISTORIC ROYAL SPEECHES AND WRITINGS

The trying times of World War II not only influenced the stories shown on the big screen like The King's Speech, but also such genres on the smaller screens like ...

* Science Fiction * 

One such is the longest running Science Fiction television series in history - Dr. Who.  In this following scene from "The Empty Child," the Doctor commends Nancy for the tenacity of her people during a time which Sir Winston Churchill had described as "their finest hour."

(reference:  http://youtu.be/J_Kwo7RZT1s)

Below are some of Dr. Who's comments during the London Blitz:

"1941 ... the German war machine is rolling up the map of Europe ... country after country falling like dominoes .... nothing can stop it ... nothing.

"Until one tiny, damp little island says, No! No, not here.

"A mouse in front of lion  ..."

Another genre is ....

* Fantasy *

Many stories are set during great conflict of good and evil as epic as World War II.  As shown in the clip below from The Lord the Rings,  The Two Towers (2002), Sam's speech reflects perhaps the theme of the trilogy:

(reference:  https://youtu.be/k6C8SX0mWP0 )

Great stories give hope for the future during the many dark days in our history. Heroes and heroines had lots of chances to turn back, but they did not.  As Sam put it -

"Because they were holding on to something ...

"That there's some good in this world ... and it's worth fighting for."

[reference:  The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Quotes - IMDb]

The King's Speech and Sam's Speech ... a little of Dr. Who - this is a sample of those stories that speak to our soul during dark days.  And during such times, there are heroes and their stories of persevering and prevailing over great evil.  And many of these stories become part of the culture and we pass them on ....

As they give us hope for the good worth fighting for!

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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression (2012)

Culture 101 (part 5) - Blue Bloods and 9/11 (2012)

Culture 101 (part 6) - Gilligan's Island and Breast Cancer Awareness (2012)

Culture 101 (part 7) - Band of Brothers  (2013)

Culture 101 (part 8) - Snow White (2013)

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

Culture 101 (part 10) - Summertime! x 3 (2013)

Culture 101 (part 11) - Native American Osmosis (2013)

Culture 101 (part 12) - Thanksgivukkah (Thanksgiving and Hanukkah) (2013)

Culture 101 (part 13) - Coventry Carol (2013)

Culture 101 (part 14) - World War I - that Golden Summer of 1914 (2014)

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Photo from: wikipedia.com/Daily Mail 31 December 1940

America's Story (part 14) - I Was a Male War Bride - the real story

IMDB.com/I Was a Male War Bride

One day rummaging through the local thrift store, I picked up an old copy of The 30th Anniversary Reader's Digest Reader (1953).  Perusing its table of contents, this one story caught my attention -

I Was a Male War Bride

condensed from The Baltimore Sunday Sun, September 28, 1947

Henri Rochard.

Many years ago on the late show, I had seen a movie of that same title, but I didn't know it was based on the autobiography of Henri Rochard.
[reference: Henri Rochard :: Traveling Culture - Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century]

As we are passing another anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe, May 8, 1945, marking the beginning of the end of World War Two - let us take a closer look at one of its heroes, this male war bride and the story behind this movie.

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The Movie

I Was a Male War Bride (1949) can be classified as a screwball comedy.  Its director Howard Hawks made this genre - the rapid fire dialog, the slapstick comedy of antagonism between a man and a woman who cannot admit their feelings for each other, where in the end love eventually triumphs.  Such is the case in this summary -

In post-World War II Germany, French Army Captain Henri Rochard  (Cary Grant) and American Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan)  have a history of hating each other.  And their final assignment together portents to be the mother of all misadventures, most at Captain Rochard's expense.  But before their mission is over, they fall in love, marry quickly, then face endless red tape when Rochard tries to immigrate to the U.S. as Lieutenant Gates'  male war bride.

The trailer gives a taste of the high jinks that ensure from the duo's volatile chemistry:

(reference:  http://youtu.be/bRVycGZk3Kg)

Turner Classic Movies has a good summary here - I Was a Male War Bride

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The real story

Then I read the condensed story about the real Henri Rochard

* His name was not Henri Rochard.

Henri Rochard was his pen name.  His real name was Roger Henri Charlier

* He was not a French Army Captain, but a Belgian Army Major

The real Henri Rochard was a native of Antwerp, Belgium.  A broadly educated man, he had planned to be a college professor. But he was called into service  as  an anti-aircraft artillery officer when the Axis Powers invaded the Low Countries.  He served until the surrender of ex-King Leopold, then joined the underground resistance.

* He was a POW

Major Rochard's work for the Allies landed him in German prison camps for five months. But since then, among many honors, he got a commission in the army after the liberation of Belgium and a commendation from SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force). 

* He was a representative at the German War Crimes Trials

Because of his ability to speak several languages, the real Henri Rochard served as a liaison officer for the Belgian Government at the Nuremberg and Dachau War Crimes trials.  For his service there, he got a special commendation by President Truman.

* His bride was an American Army nurse

While at the war crimes trials, the real Henri Rochard was accidentally hit by a car, which landed him in a U.S. Army hospital.  It was there he met Catherine - a U.S. Army nurse.  Upon release from the hospital, Major Rochard was discharged from the Belgian Army and returned to Nuremberg as a civilian employee of the U.S. War Department.  But Cupid had struck and Catherine and Henri became engaged. They had planned to get married and leave for the United States as soon as possible.

[references:  I Was a Male War Bride, The Baltimore Sunday Sun, September 28, 1947 and Henri Rochard]

* Up to this point, the real Henri Rochard is so much different than the movie.  Right?

 But there is nothing like government red tape that creates a real life screwball comedy.

Much of the movie did get the flavor the confusion, the frustration, the problems, the waiting, that are stranger than fiction.  (Though the real Henri Rochard did not dress in drag like Cary Grant.)

First, Henri needed permission from the U.S. Army Headquarters to marry Catherine, like they were her father, only more demanding with paperwork.  This took a few months.  Then came the inquiries at the nearest U.S. Consulate regarding his conditions to enter the country.  That took another four months to get an answer.  It was then Henri learned he could be admitted to the U.S. under Public Law 271 - 1945 War Brides Act.

This was when the real trouble began.

The bureaucracy could not deal with a male spouse of a female Army officer.  But through the muck, Henri Rochard wrote -

A long war of attrition with Army regulations, a change of sex - and finally victory and the U.S.A at last.

And in the end the real Henri Rochard - Dr. Roger Henri Charlier - did become an American citizen - a writer, speaker, international consultant.

Movie Remake?

I would like to hear more of the real Henri Rochard - the multilingual scholar, the Belgian anti-aircraft officer making a last stand against Hitler, the underground resistance fighter, the POW, the liaison and representative at the World War Two war crimes trials.  He seems most interesting.

As for government red tape, haven't many of us have shared some of these same frustrations of dealing with a government bureaucracy or large institution that is too big too fail?  (That could be a subject for another blog.)

Some things never change.

And it is heroes and immigrants like Henri Rochard that are part of the America's  Story.

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Other posts in this series:

America's Story (part 1) - The Speech that redefined us, November 19, 1863 (2011)

America's Story (part 2) - Savages! (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace (2012)

America's Story (part 6) - GI Joe Tuskegee Airmen (2012)

America's Story (part 7) - When Reagan was shot (2012)

America's Story (part 8) - Memorial Day, Gettysburg, and Amos Humiston (2012)

America's Story (part 9) - A Tale of Two Revolutions (2012)

America's Story (part 10) - Sergeant York (2012)

America's Story (part 11) - Sacajawea  (2012)

America's Story (part 12) - Death and Taxes (2013)

America's Story (part 13) - The Enola Gay (2013)

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Photo from: IMDB.com/I Was a Male War Bride

Culture 101 (part 7) - Band of Brothers

Auschwitz Liberated January 1945

War is hell ...

Yet, in the history books, not many words are spent on the great periods of peace.  Peace and tranquility seem to be boring - at least in literature.  That gives credence to the saying - no news is good news.  (So said Ludeovic Halevy.)

But wars are the things that great stories are made of.  The epic battles are retold in many forms -  songs, ballads, plays, poems, stories, novels, movies ...  They are rich with heroes, villains, victims, oppressors,  political leaders, military generals.  The plots are replete with conflicts on many levels, suffering, passion, cowardliness, valor, victories, defeats, tragedy, triumph.

In the 20th century, World War Two was perhaps the most devastating of wars in that century - at least in scope of its global conflict and causalities.  As Hitler rolled up the map of Europe, the battle lines were drawn.  The Axis powers - Germany, Japan, Italy, ... - pitted against the Allied powers  - the British Empire and its Commonwealth, free France, the United States, the Soviet Union, after Hitler double crossed them.

As the tide turned against Germany, the Soviets were one of the first to liberate the inmates of the concentration camps -  such as Auschwitz on January 26, 1945.  (reference:  Soviets liberate Auschwitz)

Here is a short clip of some of that story - one of great emotion.



In the last 70 years, numerous stories have been told about World War Two - books, movies, TV shows.

One of the first major retelling of this real life drama in the 21st century was the 2001 HBO mini-series, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, based on the Stephen Ambrose book - Band of Brothers.

As the trailer below shows, Band of Brothers is the soldiers' stories from Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division.  These soldiers were in the war from before the Dawn of D-Day to the surrender of the Nazis.





The title - Band of Brothers - comes from Shakespeare's play - Henry V.

One scene is The King's Speech of the 15th century, as Henry rallies the troops on the Feast of St. Crispin  (October 25) to fight the French at the Battle of Agincourt.

From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
(reference:  Henry V)




It reminds me of Aragorn's speech at the black gate in Lord of the Rings, as shown below.

Undoubtedly, J. R. R. Tolkien was very familiar with Shakespeare ... as was Peter Jackson who directed the movie.



But I digress ....

Back to the liberation of the concentration camps.

One of the most moving episodes from the Band of Brothers mini-series is Episode 9 - Why We Fight.  Easy Company encounters their first concentration camp.  The sight of man's inhumanity to man broke the heart of even the most hardened combat soldier.




Plays from Shakespeare like Henry V, war movies like Band of Brothers, and fantasies like Lord of the Rings are told not only in books, but by the story tellers of our day - the movies.  All great stories have the multi-faceted elements of the human drama of struggle - good vs. evil, defeat and victory, and the roller coaster of human emotion.

And Band of Brothers, Henry V, and Lord of the Rings
 are part of western culture
still being told by our story tellers.


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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression (2012)

Culture 101 (part 5) - Blue Bloods and 9/11 (2012)

Culture 101 (part 6) - Gilligan's Island and Breast Cancer Awareness (2012)


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photos:  Wikipedia - Auschwitz Liberated January 1945