THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 31

     On March 31, 1995 Major League Baseball players agreed to end the sport’s longest strike in history after a judge ordered a preliminary injunction against team owners.

THE HARVEY HOUSE

    

You’re driving along a long stretch of highway.  You’re starving.  Do you dare risk stopping at a greasy spoon, not knowing much about the cleanliness factor let alone the caliber of  the food?

            Suddenly a sign for a chain restaurant comes into view.  Like water in an oasis.

            It could be Denny’s, or I-Hop, or Coco’s.  Whatever it is you know that this is a known entity.  The food may not be gourmet, but it meets a uniform standard of hygiene and is subject to oversight.

            One might not ordinarily choose to dine at a casual chain restaurant near home on a regular basis, but, man, do we welcome the sight of one away from home.

            I’m not speaking here of fast food places such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s, but rather of the diner-style chain restaurant.

            How did these all come about?  One of the first of its kind was the Harvey House.

            Fred Harvey, a native of England, immigrated to New York as a young man and in 1875 opened up a café. The restaurant didn’t work out too well for him so he began working for the railroads as a freight agent.  Still, he never gave up his passion for the restaurant business and eventually, he came up with the idea of establishing a system-wide eating house operation at all railroad meal stops.

            It should be remembered that before the inclusion of dining cars in passenger trains became common practice, a rail passenger's only option for meal service in transit was to patronize one of the roadhouses often located near the railroad's water stops. Fare typically consisted of nothing more than rancid meat, cold beans, and week-old coffee. In 1878, Harvey contracted with  the  Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and started the first of his eating house-hotel establishments along the AT&SF tracks in Florence, Kansas. The rapid growth of the Harvey House chain soon followed.

            Harvey’s waitresses, young, adventurous women from back east eager for a new life out west, came to be known as ‘the Harvey Girls’.  (You might recall the 1946 movie, The Harvey Girls, starring Judy Garland). These girls brought a sense of decorum and civility to a region otherwise known as ‘the wild, wild west’. In order to re-enforce this, girls hired as Harvey waitresses were held to a high level of moral accountability. (In other words, there were Harvey Girls and there were ‘saloon girls’ such as Miss Kitty of Gunsmoke fame.

            The Harvey House, with its comfort food and friendly service, continued until the early sixties, but it can be looked at as a model for other eating establishments to follow.

            Of course, we have a plethora of more upscale food chains including Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden, but across the nation there still exists Denny’s, Coco’s, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Howard Johnson’s, I-Hop, Bob’s Big Boy, and Friendly’s.

            Long live them all.

Hope you enjoy a great weekend, and thanks for joining me on Rhodes Less Traveled.

If you haven’t already done so, please download my mystery ($.99) GROOMED FOR MURDER, now available on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Vivian

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 30

    On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by John Hinckley as he left a Washington hotel. Apparently Hinckley was doing this to impress actress Jodie Foster. Perhaps a nice box of Sees would have sufficed.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 29

    On March 29, 1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were found guilty of passing atomic secrets to the Russians and were sentenced to death. They were executed on June 19, 1953. While for years supporters of the Rosenbergs maintained that they were merely innocent victims of the communist witch hunts of the time, it was revealed years later that at least Julius was indeed guilty of treason. Morton Sobell, the co-defendant in their famous espionage trial, finally admitted that he and his friend, Julius, had both been Soviet agents.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 28

     On March 28, 1941, novelist and critic Virginia Woolf, 59, drowned herself near her home in Lewes, East Sussex, England.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 27

      On March 27, 1977, Pan American and KLM Boeing 747s collided on a runway in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands. The 542 people killed is the highest ever for an aviation disaster.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 26

     On March 26, 1945 The battle of Iwo Jima ended; about 22,000 Japanese troops were killed or captured in the fighting and more than 4,500 U.S. troops were killed.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 25

     On March 25, 1911 A fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York City killed 145 workers.  Outrage about working conditions at sweat shops lead to stricter regulations and labor reforms.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR 24

   On March 24, 2002 Halle Berry became the first African-American actress to win a best actress Oscar and Denzel Washington became the second African-American actor to get the best actor award.

RELAXATION

     I found myself pressed for time to write this week's blog.  For a variety of reasons, these past few weeks have been hectic for me, to say the least. I've been seeking ways to relax. Relaxation, however, varies for different people.
     With all the gadgets of today's society, relaxation is not easy to come by. For some, it's as simple as zoning out by playing a video or computer game.  For others it's taking a long walk.
     My favorite form of relaxation is a hot bath, a glass of wine, or cooking on a Sunday afternoon.
     How do you relax?  I mean really relax,  (Stressing out about an upcoming vacation and trying to pack everything into a moment to moment itinerary can be anything but relaxing).
     Do you relax by:

     .Practicing yoga?
     .Painting with watercolors?
     .Going for a run?
     .Gardening?
     .Composing music?
     .Reading a work of fiction? (Try downloading GROOMED FOR MURDER  this weekend:)
     .Escaping to a movie?
     .Getting a massage?
     .Playing with a pet?
     .Making love?
     .Zoning out in front of a mindless TV show?

Whatever it is you do, I hope you have a relaxing weekend.  Thanks for joining me on this week's journey along, RHODES LESS TRAVELED.

Vivian
   

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 23

     On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry declared "Give me liberty, or give me death."

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 22

On March 22, 1895 Auguste and Louis Lumiere first demonstrated motion pictures using celluloid film in Paris.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR 21

     On March 21, 1962 Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay, a harsh maximum security jail which once housed gangster Al Capone, closed.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 20

     On March 20, 1969 John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. Some maintain that this was the beginning of the end for the "fab four".

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 19

     On March 19, 1953 the Academy Awards were first televised; 34 million viewers tuned in.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 18

     On March 18,1990 the biggest art theft in U.S. history occurs at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The works, including pieces by Vermeer and Rembrandt, were never recovered.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 17

     On March 17, 1776, British forces evacuated Boston during the Revolutionary War. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone:)

CHARACTER ACTORS of the 50'S & 60'S

     Character actors.  They’re the backbone of any good film or television show. They’re the faces that make us say “oh him again” or ask “don’t I know her from somewhere?  They can be depended upon to put in a solid performance all the time and yet they rarely, if ever, receive top billing.

            Some of my favorite films were flavored by character actors such as: Thelma Ritter, Clifton Webb, Elisha Cook, Martin Balsom, Spring Byington, S.Z. “Cuddles” Scakall, Ellen Corby, Walter Brennan, Andy Devine, Elsa Lanchester, Charles Coburn, Hattie McDaniel, Eve Arden, Mary Wickes, Jane Withers, William Frawley, Sam Levine, Richard Haydn, Ed Begley, Dame May Whitty…the list goes and on.

            Usually cast as second bananas, chauffeurs, cooks, detectives, elevator operators, and kindly aunts and uncles, these actors were the stuff of what movies were and are still made. Often, a character actor went on to become a lead as was the case with John Cassevetes. More often than not, they remained a supporting actor, lending the substance that a film needs in order to succeed with both critics and viewers.

            There are numerous contemporary character actors, such as John Goodman and Steve Bushemi, who serve this purpose and I hope to write an article about them eventually.

            Today, though, I thought I would focus specifically on those character actors of the fifties and sixties who appeared in countless television shows and films (think Disney movies as well as movies starring Jerry Lewis).

            See if you can match the description to the appropriate photo then scroll to the bottom for answers:

      1.   CHARLES LANE:  usually cast as a no-nonsense, mean, miserly, businessman or accountant.  

      2.  NANCY KULP:  frequently she was the spinster private secretary, playing just such a role in a hit sitcom of the sixties.

      3.  JESSE WHITE:  often seen in sitcoms, he later went on to receive fame as the spokesperson for a well known appliance.

      4.  FRANK NELSON:  the annoyed shop clerk, the frustrated neighbor. Known for his drawn out, “Yessssssssss?”

      5. JOHN FIELDLER:  his was the high pitched voice of Piglet in Winnie the Pooh..

      6. LOUISE BEAVERS:   usually relegated to the role of housekeeper, cook, or maid, she always appeared to do so cheerfully (at least according to script).

      7. BURT MUSTIN:   The ‘go to’ old man, Mustin didn’t begin his career until he was a senior citizen.

      8. RETA SHAW:   also cast as a servant, but a much more acerbic one than Beavers.

      9. KATHLEEN FREEMAN:   played a servant in a sitcom involving two ghosts and appeared in more than one Jerry Lewis film.

     10. FRED CLARK:  slimy politician, disgruntled store manager, baggy eyed and bald, he was a regular on the BURNS & ALLEN show

      

Good luck.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

1C, 2B, 3E, 4J, 5F, 6D, 7A, 8I, 9G, 10H

How did you do?  Have a great weekend and thanks for joining me on this week's journey of RHODES LESS TRAVELED,

Vivian

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 16

     On March 16, 1968 the My Lai massacre occurred in Vietnam.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 15

     On this day, March 13 44B.C.,  the “Ides of March,” Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the senate house by a group of conspirators led by Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and Marcus Junius Brutus.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 14

     On March 14, 1964, Jack Ruby was found guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

     On March 13, 1925 Tennessee passed a bill prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools. Fallout of this was the famous Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which was inspiration for the play and film "Inherit the Wind".

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 12

      On March 12, 1951 the comic strip, "Dennis the Menace", appeared for the first time in 16 newspapers across the U.S.  “Mr. Wiiiiillllssssson!” was a familiar cry as the strip became an international favorite in thousands of newspapers and spawned a CBS-TV program that starred Jay North as Dennis, the annoying boy with the unruly cowlick.. The series lasted for several seasons and is still seen in syndicated re-runs. A somewhat popular movie starring Walter Matthau as Mr. Wilson and Christopher Lloyd as the bad guy was released in 1993.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 11

     On March 11, 1993 Janet Reno won unanimous Senate confirmation to be the first female U.S. Attorney General.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 10

     On March 10, 1937 an audience of 21,000 jitterbuggers jammed the Paramount Theatre in New York City to see a young clarinetist whom they would crown, ‘King of Swing’ on this night. The popular musician was Benny Goodman.

TREASURES

    

            Some of my most treasured possessions are things I’ve picked up over the years at a flea market, a swap meet, a garage sale, or at a thrift shop.

            I didn’t discover any of these venues until I moved to Los Angeles but once I did I was hooked (what’s that they say about one man’s trash being another man’s treasure?)

            Years ago I would frequent the Rose Bowl Swap meet (second Sunday of every month) on a regular basis.  I found some terrific buys there including two chairs imported from Germany, a Haywood-Wakefield china cabinet, an art deco lamp, and more.  At the Ventura swap meet I bought a mid-century standing ashtray with an alabaster lamp, an antique floor radio (someone actually offered to buy it from me as I was leaving), and a statuette of Louis Armstrong.

            Thrift shops are a little trickier to navigate and one really needs to be able to differentiate the good stuff from the junk, especially now when those running the shops are more discerning and aware of the value of some of their items (Of course there are the rare occasions when someone lucks out.  Last week a man in the south purchased a painting for three dollars that was apparently worth close to $200,000. Doesn’t happen too often).

            I became aware of thrift stores when I would run into antique dealers I knew scouting the thrift shops in the area for merchandise they would purchase, bring back to their stores and resell (for a jacked up price). I did much the same thing when I briefly had my own antique shop.  One of my favorite thrift store finds was an oval mirror encrusted with vintage rhinestone earrings.

            I’ve discovered treasures on Ebay (an antique kitchen island with a solid marble top) and at garage sales (a pair of Gucci earrings and several collectible plates).

            The thrill is always in the hunt.

            What was your greatest “find”?  Feel free to post it here.

Have a great weekend and thank you for joining me along Rhodes Less Traveled.

And don’t forget to check out my newly released book, GROOMED FOR MURDER now available at Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.

Vivian

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 9

     On March 9, 1796 Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais, widow of a former French officer executed during the revolution.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 8

     On March 8, 1948 the Supreme Court ruled that religious instruction in public schools violated the Constitution.

In my opinion, this was taken to an extreme when it was later decided that public school students could no longer sing Christmas carols. Carols are an intrinsic part of the American culture (they are permitted to read Dicken's Christmas Carol aren't they?) Couldn't they at least sing 'non-religious' ones like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or is Rudolph controversial as well?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 7

     On March 7, 1936 Adolf Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact when he ordered troops to march into the Rhineland.The "fuhrer" was the man with whom British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had declared he had come to an agreement (the Munich Pact) that would bring "peace in our time". Excellent judge of character Chamberlain was.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 6

     On March 6, 1857 the Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that slaves were not citizens.    

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 5

On March 5, 1946 Winston Churchill delivered his famous Iron curtain speech, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent."

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 4

On March 4, 1789 the Constitution of the United States went into effect.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 3

     On March 3, 1931 The "Star-Spangled Banner" was adopted as the national anthem. Probably one of the most difficult songs to sing (there's been a move to change it to "America the Beautiful" for years) and yet there is an incredible feeling one gets when hearing it played at a sporting event or other cultural venue while visiting abroad.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

      I've spent the past week in Las Vegas due to a family medical
emergency.  While here I had occasion to drive down 'the strip' several
times.  Each time I'm here I marvel at how many changes take place
between my visits here.  New hotels, restaurants, casinos, etc. The
city continuously seems to be re-inventing itself.
      My first visit to Las Vegas was years ago when I won a trip for
two as a contestant on Name That Tune.  My weekend was spent at the
'luxurious' Fremont Hotel in downtown Las Vegas.
      When my kids were growing up, our family spent many vacations in
Las Vegas.  We'd stay at Bally's or the Mirage, or Caesar's Palace (my
favorite).  A good number of our family lives there and by then Vegas
had become 'family friendly' with kids shelling out as much money on
video games as their parents were coughing up at the craps table. My
husband enjoyed gambling more than I ever did; I much preferred taking
my money and betting it on a sure thing  -- a purchase at Fashion Mall.
       Hard to believe that nearly two hundred years ago this hamlet was 
little more than a marsh of water and vegetation.  In fact, in the 19th
century, small parts of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells
that supported extensive green areas, hence the name Las Vegas, Spanish
for The Meadows. The Las Vegas valley was found by American explorer
and mountain man Jedediah Smith and his party in 1827. In 1926 Las
Vegas was finally connected to California with a road but the city
became notorious as a place for speakeasies catering to tourists and
traveling businessmen. It wasn't long before Vegas began to get a seedy
reputation. Crime figures having connections to the Irish mob, Italian,
and Jewish mafias began arriving in significant numbers. On July 3,
1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the appropriation bill for the
Boulder Dam (which was later renamed the Hoover Dam under the Truman
administration). Even with its known association with organized crime,
by 1954, over 8 million people were visiting Las Vegas yearly, pumping
200 million dollars into casinos. Gambling wasn't the only attraction,
they also came in droves to see the biggest stars of film and music
of that era. Stars like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr.,
and Dean Martin.  There was a lull for a while and then the megaresort
era was ushered in in 1989 with the construction of The Mirage.
       Vegas is a popular lure for those seeking vacations, bachelor parties,
destination weddings, gambling junkets, and entertainment venues. Though
things have changed from the fifties and sixties when Sinatra and his
rat pack ruled the town (see the archives for my blog on the Rat Pack)
visionaries like Steve Wynn and Donald Trump have succeeded in bringing
the glitz back to the strip by creating the kind of hotel that has
always made Las Vegas the fantasy destination it is.
       Hotels like the Sands, the Dunes, and the Sahara were razed to
make way for newer, more modern hotels resorts, such as:

1990: Rio and Excalibur
1993: MGM Grand Las Vegas, Treasure Island, and Luxor,
1996: Stratosphere Tower and Monte Carlo
1997: New York-New York
1998: Bellagio
1999: Mandalay Bay, The Venetian, and Paris
2000: Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.)
2001: Palms
2005: Wynn Las Vegas (opened in April by Wynn Resorts Limited opened
its new flagship, the constructed at a cost of US$2.7 billion.)
2007: The Palazzo, Las Vegas
2008: Encore
2009: CityCenter
2009: The Aria Resort and Casino
2010: The Cosmopolitan

Have a great weekend and thanks for joining me on my journey along RHODES LESS TRAVELED,

Vivian

THIS DAY IN HISTORY MAR. 2

On March 2, 1933 King Kong, starring Fay Wray, premiered in New York
City

THIS DAY IN HISTORY Mar. 1

On March 1, 1961 President John F. Kennedy signed a signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps.