A Note about Ned Beatty

On June 13 veteran character actor Ned Beatty died at the age of 83. I've always been a fan and wondered if any of his work had an Alabama connection. So I checked his Wikipedia and IMDB entries and found one in his long list of film and television credits. More about that in a moment.

He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and by the age of 19 began appearing in theatrical productions in that state. His first film was Deliverance, and he started his career with a memorable role. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about; if not, I won't spoil it.

Beatty appeared in a television role in that same year and continued to act frequently in both media until 2013. If you are not familiar with him, I urge you to seek out some of his appearances. I especially urge you to watch him in the 1976 film Network. If you've seen it, go watch it again. I watched it last year [probably for the fourth or so time], and the entire movie just gets better and better.

Network focuses on a low-rated  tv network and its attempt to raise ratings by turning the news division into entertainment. The film is a perfect storm of great personnel and casting. Sidney Lumet directed, Paddy Chayefsky wrote the script, and the stars include William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall and Beatrice Straight. Dunaway won a Best Actress Oscar, Straight a Best Supporting Actress one and Chayefsky won for Best Original Screenplay. Peter Finch received a well-deserved posthumous Oscar as Best Actor, playing newscaster Howard Beale. 

Beatty was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Jason Robards in All the Presidents Men, another stellar performance. Beatty's nomination was somewhat unusual; he has only one scene in the movie, which lasts about five minutes. He appears as Arthur Jensen, the CEO of the corporation that owns the network, and who summons Howard Beale to lecture him on how the economic forces of nature work. In his five minute speech, Beatty proves to be a force of nature himself. His delivery has been described as one of the best, and one of the most terrifying speeches in American cinema. Watch and you will understand.

When it was first released, Network was viewed as a well-done but way over the top satire of television and its news business. Watch it today and it seems like a documentary....

Wait, I was supposed to discuss an Alabama connection, right? Two years before Network, Beatty played the priest Father Stafford in a television movie, The Execution of Private Slovik, first broadcast on March 13, 1974. Martin Sheen in the title role plays the only American soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War. The film is based on the non-fiction book by William Bradford Huie, a journalist and author with strong state connections. I've written a bit about his life and work here. 

This piece is the 700th blog post I've done since March 2014. Sheesh...

Beatty at the 1990 Emmy Awards

Source: Wikipedia

William Bradford Huie [1910-1986]

Beatty as Arthur Jensen, CEO, and newscaster Howard Beale's ultimate boss, instructing Beale about the primal economic forces of nature. You can watch it on YouTube but if you haven't seen it, watch the film first. The speech is even more impressive in context. 

Source: American Rhetoric Movie Speeches where you can read the entire speech. Impressive as it is even on paper, it's just not the same without Beatty's delivery.

Alabama History & Culture in the News: June 20 edition

 

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

Why every 8th grade class should go to Alabama

Lowell Sun

Some of my most impactful trips have been traveling to Alabama with ... In Alabama, we confront the history of racially motivated mass shootings.

David Housel shows he's more than the 'Auburn guy' with new book

WRBL

David Housel shows he's more than the 'Auburn guy' with new book. Alabama. by: Drew Taylor. Posted: Jun 18, 2021 / 12:19 PM EDT / Updated: ...

A history of the Alabama Power Building, including Vulcan's mythical love for Electra [Photos] Bham Now But did you know the company's Birmingham headquarters are nearly one hundred years old? We took a look at the historic Alabama Power Building ...

Africatown 'Heritage House' museum to open late fall al.com -Artifacts, recovered from the shipwreck on loan from the Alabama Historical Commission, will also be on view. Fowler said the exhibit will consist of ...

UNA celebrating 150 years since women were first admitted with “Year of the UNA Woman” whnt.com 150 years ago, the University of North Alabama made history as the first four-year university in the southeastern United States to admit women.

Edna Miiller Daily Mountain Eagle She was also awarded Alabama's Nurse of the Year in 1969. She was a devoted and ... Burial will be at Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Mike Smothers will ...

An Alabama Quilting Collective Receives $250K to Build a Museum Hyperallergic The Souls Grown Deep grant will be used to repair the collective's historical building, which will house the Freedom Quilting Bee Heritage Center and ...

Artifacts solve puzzles from Redstone land's history Theredstonerocket From prehistoric times until the present age, the land on Redstone Arsenal tells the story of hundreds of generations of North Alabama's occupants. That ...

'Fine Feathered Friends" Gulf Coast Illustrated Book FOX10 News He now makes his home on the Alabama Gulf Coast and writes about nature, family gatherings and the beauty of the Gulf Coast. Other book titles by ...

US-born Payne sisters make history for Nigeria, set to face USWNT together ESPN The Opara sisters played for Nigeria, but on different occasions and were never on the pitch at the same time, unlike the Alabama-born Payne sisters, ...

Alabama Press Association celebrates 150 years Alabama NewsCenter It's been said that newspapers are the first draft of history. This month, those responsible for those first drafts in Alabama will celebrate 150 years of ...

“Nighthope: A Novel” By: Gregory N. Whitis Alabama Public Radio Gregory Whitis, originally an Iowan, has been the manager of an Alabama catfish farm, a deputy sheriff, and an extension specialist for Auburn University ...

People Identified in Long-Lost Photos of Black Neighborhood U.S. News & World Report John Hardin, museum division director of the Alabama Department of Archives & History, watched as local residents went to a corner of the room to ...

Pioneer Museum brings local history to life Troy Messenger But, this weekend at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama, history came alive in an interesting and rather personal way. Bob McLendon, local historian ...

7 local authors to keep on your radar + how to get involved in Birmingham's book scene Bham Now Here are seven Birmingham authors whose book you'll want to add to your reading list. Plus, check out how you can get involved in the city's book scene. ... with the Burdock Book Collective in the Alabama Books to Prisons Project.

8 Iconic Literary Landmarks To Visit In Alabama

TravelAwaits

1. The Scott And Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, Montgomery. The name of F. Scott Fitzgerald immediately conjures up memories of his most famous novel, ...

Birmingham's Catherine Burks-Brooks, on 60th anniversary, Recalls Her Historic Ride for Freedom Birmingham Times Alabama Freedom Rider Catherine Burks-Brooks visits the newly renovated Birmingham Greyhound Bus Station. (Joe Songer for The Birmingham ...

Alabama Freemasons Celebrate 200 years Alabama Public Radio The Grand Lodge of Alabama will celebrate its bicentennial at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park near Selma. They'll place a historical marker at the ...

Inside the Restored Greyhound Bus That Celebrates Freedom Rides Birmingham Times ... was unveiled at the Alabama Historical Commission's Freedom Rides Museum in downtown Montgomery. The May 4 date of the unveiling coincides ...

'The Miracle Worker' brings people from all across the country to Tuscumbia WAAY "Not only does the Keller home benefit, but the whole area like the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the Coon Dog Cemetery, the Rattle Snake Saloon, ...

Methodists drop state line church, one of the seven original Methodist churches in Alabama al.com While Genesis has fewer than 50 members remaining, it is a dramatic turn as far as its significance in Methodist history in Alabama. In 2002, the ...

“Concert in the Rocks” Rocked the Alabama Hills! Sierra Wave ... the Alabama Hills, the film location for many Westerns, was held last Saturday, June 5 as supporters of the Museum of Western Film History in Lone ...

Marshall Buell--Comedian, Murder Victim, Ghost?

Occasionally I run across someone who has an apparent Alabama connection, but after doing a bit of research the connection seems to vanish. See my post on author William P. McGivern, for instance. Marshall Buell is another good example. 

I recently stumbled upon an article about the Odd Fellow's Hall/Opera House in Westminster, Maryland. The building, opened in 1858, served as an entertainment venue after the Civil War and well into the twentieth century. One incident probably in the 1870's has contributed to its reputation as one of the "haunted theatres of Maryland." 

Sometime during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, i.e. 1869-1877, a comedian named Marshall Buell appeared at the Opera House. During his performance he affected a broad Southern accent and proceeded to make crude fun of Grant. The audience reacted violently, tossing rocks and other items toward the stage. Buell fled but was later found murdered near the theater. The Sheriff had supposedly offered a night in jail as protection; Buell refused. His killer was never caught, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Westminster Cemetery. Every account of this matter identifies Buell as a comedian from Alabama.

These accounts all seem to be secondary. I first came across the story in an article by Kevin Dayhoff, "The Odd Fellow's Hall Opera House in Westminster a witness to history for over 165 years" published in the Baltimore Sun on April 16, 2021. He mentions an article by Mary Ellen Grabill published in the Sun on June 3, 2007, and an earlier lengthy one by Jesse Glass in the Carroll County Times November 3, 1978. Dayhoff's article does not mention any sources contemporary to the Buell incident, so this story may be a case study in building folklore--a real event transmuted far beyond its origins.

I made some effort to track down Martin Buell, but Ancestry.com and the Library of Congress' Chronicling America collection of 19th century newspapers coughed up nothing. I did find a Martin Buell working in the General Land-Office of the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1878, but he was born in Massachusetts. Of course, Buell may not have been his real name, and perhaps he wasn't really from Alabama. Nevertheless, Buell is said to haunt the locale of his last performance. Perhaps a seance could be held to ascertain the true facts. 

Source:  Eastern Entities

The Opera House in Westminster, Maryland

Source: Historical Marker Project

Source: Historical Marker Project

Westminster Cemetery

Westminster, Maryland

Source: Find-A-Grave

Drinking Beer in Elementary School

How's that for a clickbait title?

I've written a couple of blog posts in the past about Valley Elementary School in Pelham, which both our kids Amos and Becca attended back in the 1990's. The first one posted in 2015 looked at a postcard and some other memorabilia related to Valley. The second posting in February 2020 included many photos and a bit of history. The school opened in 1964 and closed as a main school when the new Pelham Oaks Elementary opened in 2015. Long a part of Shelby County Schools, the facility was used in its final years by Pelham City Schools. 

The school system sold the campus to a developer planning to duplicate the sort of retail and entertainment complex already completed in an elementary school in Huntsville. That second post includes photos taken in August and December 2019 showing before and after views as the facility transitioned from one use to another. 

Below are some photos taken in early May when Dianne, Becca and I visited the daughter's alma mater one beautiful Saturday afternoon. Not much is open yet except the Beer Hog, which was very busy. A hair salon, The Guy's Place, is also operating; you can guess which one we gravitated toward. This Campus 124 development is expected to include other retail, office and residential spaces. 

Some further comments about the visit are below. Most of the photos were taken by daughter Becca Leon. Our son Amos is anxiously awaiting his opportunity to visit. 

The facade of the building has changed, but is still recognizable to those of us who knew it as a school for so many years. Yes, that's Dianne and I making our way inside. 

A chili cookoff was in progress, but we had to resist checking it out. We were saving our appetite for a visit to one of our favorite local eating places, 

Cozumel Grill and Mexican Restaurant.  

The place was hopping that Saturday afternoon. The Beer Hog is located in what used to be the school library. As a retired librarian and craft beer lover, I can appreciate the transition. 

That corner door past the drinking fountain is for the women's restroom. Becca said she and several friends would gather there, turn off the lights and call for Bloody Mary in the mirrors. Good thing they didn't try to summon Candyman. 

We ended up trying three flights with 12 different Alabama craft beers. Dianne seems happy with the selections. 

Alabama History and Culture News: June 8 edition

 

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

With John Patterson's death, all key players in 'Sin City Story' now gone

WRBL

(WRBL) — Over the weekend, Phenix City lost one of the central players in its history of corruption and crime. Former Alabama Governor John ...

Tuskegee Airman Cornelius Davis dies at 100 Gainesville Sun The parking lot at Forest Meadows Funeral Home was filled with army ... his basic training at Fort Custer in Michigan and then Tuskegee, Alabama.

What We Know About The Big Fish House Featured On Home Town: Takeover Screen Rant Home Town: Takeover featured the house that the movie Big Fish was filmed in. The house is a Wetumpka landmark and a major part of film history. By ...

Tara McKennie becomes the first woman general in Alabama Air National Guard alreporter.com “You have truly made history being both the first female and first African American General Officer for the Alabama National Guard,” Gov. Kay Ivey said.

This plain Alabama store is one of South's most iconic

al.com

It was photographed ca.-1935 as part of a project by the Farm Security Administration, a photo which later ended up in a book and on display at the ...

Auburn football's historical record against every SEC opponent Auburn Wire The Tigers have had a lot of success against these teams as well as only three longtime opponents — Alabama, Georgia and LSU — hold an edge in ...

John M. Patterson, Segregationist Alabama Governor, Dies at 99 The New York Times In those days, a primary victory was tantamount to election in heavily Democratic Alabama. The youngest governor in Alabama history at 37, Mr.

DON NOBLE: Book allows readers to follow in the steps of Lafayette in Alabama Tuscaloosa News On the 4th of July 1917, at the Picpus cemetery in Paris, at the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette, Col. Charles E. Stanton of the newly arrived ...

'Pain and shame' explain why Tuscaloosa's Bloody Tuesday remains less-known Tuscaloosa Magazine "It's either shame or it's pain," said Giggie, University of Alabama history ... book “Bloody Tuesday: Civil Rights History and Memory in Tuscaloosa.”.

Selma to Montgomery 1965 campsites top new list of America's most endangered historic places al.com On the final night of the march, about 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) from Alabama's Capitol, demonstrators camping at the City of St. Jude were entertained ...

History in danger: Selma to Montgomery march campsites on list of threatened places Montgomery Advertiser Martin Luther King Jr. to the Alabama Capitol the next day, March 25, 1965. Thousands joined the demonstration for voting rights for Black people.

Rachael Ray magazine names Birmingham among must-see roadtrips Bham Now There is so much history that runs through Birmingham and Alabama. ... of places the magazine recommended, which include historical monuments ...

Arnold G. Diethelm, M.D., RIP

Early this past February I wrote a post about Charles McCallum, D.M.D., M.D.,  who had died on January 16. Dr. McCallum was a very important figure in the history of the UAB and its School of Medicine, eventually serving as President of the university. He also served two terms as Mayor of Vestavia in his "retirement".

I'd like to take note here of the passing of another giant in the history of UAB and medicine in Alabama, Arnold G. Diethelm, M.D., who died on January 28. He was born in Baltimore into a multi-generational line of doctors, graduated from Washington State University in 1953, and Cornell University Medical College in 1958. A fellowship in transplantation at Harvard followed, then study of transplant immunology in England under Sir Peter Medawar, a Nobel Laureate. In 1967 he was recruited by Dr. John Kirklin to come to Birmingham and begin a transplant program at the University of Alabama School of Medicine.

Dr. Diethelm performed the first organ transplant in the state of Alabama on May 8, 1968; the operation was successful. By 2018 more than 14,000 organs had been transplanted by the program, which expanded to include hearts, livers, lungs, pancreas and multi-organ procedures. Later in life Dr. Diethelm received kidney and liver transplants himself. 

Named a full Professor of Surgery in 1973, he chaired the medical school's Department of Surgery from 1982 until 1999. A football player at Washington State, Dr. Diethelm became a Crimson Tide fan after moving to the state. He even invited former coach Gene Stallings to give a grand rounds lecture at the Department of Surgery in 1998.

You can read more about Dr. Diethelm in his obituary in the Birmingham News and an official remembrance from UAB and one from the Department of Surgery. He was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 2004. 

Dr. Diethelm reviewing a patient chart in 1991 

Dr. Diethelm in a hospital suite ca. 2000. You can see more material related to him here. 

Source: UAB Archives 

This article reprinted Dr. Diethelm's Presidential address at the Southern Surgical Association annual meeting in 1989. The source is Annals of Surgery May 1990. The article is one of 195 he published as indexed in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database. 

Alabama History & Culture News: June 1 edition

 

Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Enjoy!

Alabama pastor leads church that survived the Tulsa Race Massacre 100 years ago whnt.com After the riot, the church hosted the graduation ceremony for Book T. Washington High School. The church did sustain some damage and was later ...

Birmingham birthed from 'weeds and briars' 150 years ago today Alabama NewsCenter From “Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama: Historical and Biographical ... In “The Valley and the Hills: An Illustrated History of Birmingham and ...

7 vintage Alabama homes and the fascinating history behind them al.com “I've always been into Southern history and architecture,” the Florence-based mortgage underwriter explains. “I love to explore off the beaten path.”.

Filmmaker releases details about new book WIAT - CBS42.com It is a film about the integration of Alabama football and basketball teams. Now, he has written a biography about Bob Gilliland, the first man to fly the ...

Oak Ridge Boys' William Lee Golden writes book WBBJ-TV Golden's book, “Behind the Beard,” covers his childhood in Alabama, his time with The Oak Ridge Boys, what his first wife said when he was unfaithful, ...

First American woman killed in line of duty in World War II died in Alabama al.com She was buried beside several family members in the cemetery at the Stateline Methodist Church just across the Alabama line. Easter was remembered ...

Help tell the stories of 7000 Alabama WWII casualties al.com He was buried there, before being returned to Pleas Mount Cemetery in Gurley in 1949. Pvt. James Samuel Birchfield died in Italy as a medic in ...

Alabama's Tyner Rushing to play 'Bama born badass' in new Chris Pratt series al.com The series, based on a best-selling novel by Jack Carr, focuses on James Reece, a Navy SEAL “who has nothing left to live for and everything to kill ...

Child publishes a book in Huntsville WAAY In Connecting North Alabama, WAAY 31 introduced the "Every Child has a Story" non-profit organization. On Sunday, one of the authors from the ...

Monroeville author releases debut novel, 'The Souls of Clayhatchee' TribLIVE For example, his grandparents grew up in Alabama. "This is one of my favorite novels on my book shelf!"⁣⁠

Have you visited the Bessemer Hall of History? Bham Now The facility is housed within the old Alabama Great Southern Railroad depot, a historic train depot that served passengers from 1916 until the late ...

Huntsville museum salutes military history and service members' sacrifices City of Huntsville Blog Other collections include individual medals, military vehicles and aircraft. Visitors can even “go aboard” Alabama's “40&8” World War I French military ...

Timeline of Birmingham's 150-Year History

Birmingham Times

–During a mass meeting at Birmingham's Sardis Baptist Church, Shuttlesworth and other local black ministers establish the Alabama Christian ...

Oldest Alabama HBCU, Talladega College considering reviving football program

The Chicago Cusader

“The year 2021 marks the one-hundred-year anniversary of our historic back-to-back championship win,” said Hawkins in a press release. “Given the ...

Mount Hebron East Baptist Church celebrates 125th anniversary Alabama Baptist Ralph Foster, a commissioner for the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, presented the church with a certificate during the anniversary ...

60 Years Later, Freedom Riders Roll into Birmingham

Birmingham Times

The Freedom Rights Museum is a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission. It is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. “Having the bus ...

ALDOT installs Trail of Tears national historic signs in Limestone County whnt.com The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has authorized a local resident with the Trail of Tears Association to display official national ...

Rooster Bridge a Unique Part of Demopolis History

Alabama News Network

From the West Alabama Newsroom–. The Rooster Bridge near Demopolis was originally built 102 years ago. It's construction closed the only gap in a ...

Ryan Morrison makes a living as a bagpiper… in Alabama al.com And his weekends are busy performing at weddings and funerals, where the lone bagpipe never fails to give listeners chills. “Amazing Grace” is the ...

Fuller wraps up book tour in Chambers County Valley Times-News Since the start of March, Fuller and the Alabama Forestry Association have been going to different elementary schools promoting “Lucy Meets a Logger.” ...

Old Monroe County Courthouse Atlas Obscura An Alabama courtroom where two famous American authors played as children became the setting for a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Been Here? 1.

African American genealogy researcher, Southern photography historian to headline MSU ... Mississippi State Newsroom Robb is author of “Shot in Alabama: A History of Photography, 1839-1941” (University of Alabama Press, 2017) and is writing a book about A.C. Oxford ...

Markers to Honor Fight for Female Suffrage in Alabama U.S. News & World Report The fight to allow women to vote in Alabama will be recalled in a series of historical markers across the state. By Associated Press. |. May 22, 2021.

Purple marker shows where Alabama women made history al.com State and local leaders dedicated a new historic marker in downtown Huntsville Wednesday marking the complicated battle of Alabama women for the ...

Alabama Freedom Riders recall their fight for equal treatment Alabama NewsCenter Two Birmingham natives who participated 60 years ago in the historic Freedom Rides told their stories to an inquisitive and admiring crowd ...