From the Potato Famine to Hollywood – How Irish Actors Won Over America

By Kathy Kovach

The 19th Century was not kind to the Irish. After suffering under British rule in their own country, they were plagued with bad crops that destroyed their staple nutrition, the potato. As a result, thousands fled their beloved homeland for America. After filtering through Ellis Island, they unfortunately found that the new country wasn’t any more hospitable than the one they had left. A fact made more volatile as the population of New York City became roughly a quarter Irish.

Many getting off the boat were emaciated, diseased, and worse yet, spoke funny. They brought their religion with them, and the Protestant versus Catholic battle continued on this side of the pond, just as it had in Ireland. “No Irish Need Apply” signs popped up faster than shamrocks, and the immigrants fought a new battle that felt hauntingly familiar to their old one.

With no more choices left, they soldiered on, carving their place in American culture. Few jobs were offered, but they took them gladly. One such career path was in the entertainment industry. Broadway offered backstage work and a smattering of menial onstage acting roles.

Eventually, Irish American actors, musicians, and others in the field made their way to Hollywood. However, the stigma was still there to some extent, even in the early 20th Century.

The Bells of St. Mary's, 1945, Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby

In a conscious effort to glamorize the Irish lifestyle, movies were produced depicting lovely, smiling, and often singing and dancing characters, many in stalwart yet carefree tableaus. Charismatic actors such as Pat O’Brien, known as “Hollywood’s Irishman in residence” by the press, Spencer Tracy, and Bing Crosby played amiable priests in order to destigmatize the Catholic lifestyle. Gene Kelly took us to Brigadoon, a delightful movie about an Irish village that only appears once every one hundred years. John Wayne, showing off his Northern Irish roots, let us see what customs were like in 1920s Ireland in The Quiet Man.

The Quiet Man, 1952, John Wayne

Hollywood would go on to show the seedier side of the Irish in movies such as the 2002 offering Gangs of New York, but thanks to the groundwork laid early on, Irish American no longer harbors the stigma it once had—for which the drop of Blarney in my blood is thankful.

To see the long list of actors born since the mid-1850s, check out this article on the Irish American Journey site.

Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal

A TIME-SLIP NOVEL

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection.

Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart.

To buy: Amazon

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother and a great-grandmother—though much too young for either. Kathleen has been a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

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Happy November Birthday to Classic Beauties

 

For the past few months, we’ve celebrated people born on the 14^th of that month because that’s the day I post. 

 

This month is an exception. Each of these classic beauties—talented and award-winning actresses—are November babies but none were born on the 14^th. 

 

I’m a big classic movies fan, and these women star in a few of my favorites. So let’s celebrate them together!

Happy 95^th Birthday to Grace Kelly

Princess Consort of Monaco (1956-1982)

Birth Name: Grace Patricia Kelly

Born: November 12, 1929 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: September 14, 1982 (52 years old; Principality of Monaco)

 

She performed as:

• Amy Fowler Kane in High Noon with Gary Cooper (1952);
• Lisa Carol Fremont in Rear Window with Jimmy Stewart (1954);
• Frances Stevens in To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant (1955).

Ms. Kelly, an Academy Award-winning actress, starred in eleven feature films, including a few Alfred Hitchcock classics, and multiple television productions.

 

The American Film Institute named her the 13^th Greatest Female Star of Classic American Cinema in 1999.

"Hollywood amuses me. Holier-than-thou for the public and unholier-than-the-devil in reality" ~ Grace Kelly

 

Happy 104^th Birthday to Gene Tierney

 

Birth Name: Gene Eliza Tierney

Born: November 19, 1920 (Brooklyn, New York)

Died: November 6, 1991 (almost 71 years old; Houston, Texas)

 

She performed as:

• Laura Hunt in Laura with Dana Andrews (1944);
• Ellen Berent Harland in Leave Her to Heaven with Cornel Wilde (1945);
• Lucy Muir in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with Rex Harrison (1947). In my opinion, this is one of those rare instances when the movie is more engaging than the book.

A talented artist and poet, Ms. Tierney loved to garden and was fluent in French and Italian. She received an Academy Award nomination in 1946 for Best Actress (Leave Her to Heaven), but Joan Crawford took home the Oscar that year for her leading role in Mildred Pierce. 

 

In 2006, Ms. Tierney was ranked 71^st on Premiere Magazine’s “100 Sexiest Movie Stars of All Time” list. 

"I have a role now that I think becomes me. I am a grandmother." ~ Gene Tierney

 

Happy 110^th Birthday to Hedy Lamarr

 

Birth Name: Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler

Born: November 9, 1914 (Vienna, Austria)

Died: January 19, 2000 (85 years old; Casselberry, Florida)

 

She performed as:

• Delilah in Samson and Delilah with Victor Mature (1949).

Ms. Lamarr was both beautiful and brilliant. Not only was she the inspiration for the character of Catwoman, from the Batman franchise, she also “co-invented frequency hopping spread spectrum technology, which laid the foundation for modern wireless communication systems like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi….During World War II, Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes, which used frequency hopping to prevent enemies from jamming the signals” (Profile).

"Hope & curiosity about the future seemed better than guarantees. The unknown was always so attractive to me...and still is." ~ Hedy Lamarr

 

Happy 111^th Birthday to Vivien Leigh

 

Birth Name: Vivian Mary Hartley

Born: November 5, 1913 (Darjeeling, India)

Died: July 8, 1976 (62 years old; London, England)

 

She performed as:

• Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind with Clark Gable (1939);
• Myra Lester in Waterloo Bridge with Robert Taylor (1940);
• Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando (1951).

British actress Vivien Leigh won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. Before the latter was made into a movie, she’d performed the role of Blanche DuBois more than 300 times on stage.

 

Ms. Leigh has said that Waterloo Bridge, which was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Music and one for Best Cinematography, was her favorite of all her films (Bean).

"Sometimes I dread the truth of the lines I say. But the dread must never show." ~ Vivien Leigh

 

Happy Half-Birthday to Me!

 

That’s right ~ my real birthday is May 14^th which makes today my half-birthday. Perhaps I’ll celebrate with half a cupcake and a half-scoop of ice cream!

Johnnie Alexander writes “Stories Past and Present” in multiple genres. A fan of classic movies, stacks of books, and road trips, she shares a life of quiet adventure with Rugby, her racoon-treeing papillon. Visit her at johnnie-alexander.com.

 

Photos ~ all photos are in the public domain and posted images were created with Canva.

 

Sources

 

Bean, Kendra. Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Running Press, 2013, pg. 71. 

 

Profile ~ https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/hedy-lamarr-6139.php (accessed 29 October 2024).

The Hays Code in Early Hollywood

 by Edwina Kiernan

From the early 1930s until the mid-1960s, the Hays Code - also known as the Motion Picture Production Code - was a set of guidelines that regulated the content of Hollywood movies. 

The Hays Code sought to preserve moral values and advance social responsibility within the film industry. During its inception, there was a genuine apprehension that movies were capable of influencing and potentially corrupting societal morals, especially among the younger generation. The code was designed to ensure that films conveyed messages that were wholesome and ethically sound.

Cover of a paper copy of the Hays Code

Here are ten facts about the Hays Code:

1. Named After Will H. Hays: The Hays Code was named after Will H. Hays, who served as the president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), the organization that developed and enforced the code.

2. Enforced in 1934: The Hays Code was officially implemented in 1934, although it was created in 1930. It was a response to increasing concerns about the content of films, which many considered morally objectionable. 

3. Strict Moral Guidelines: The code imposed strict moral guidelines on the content of films. It prohibited the portrayal of certain themes, such as nudity, explicit sexuality, and excessive violence. This was viewed as a measure to shield audiences, especially children, from exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.

4. Forbidden Subjects: The code explicitly forbade the depiction of a wide range of subjects, including drug use, and any content that was blasphemous or sacrilegious.

5. Clean Romance: The Hays Code placed significant restrictions on the portrayal of romantic relationships. It mandated that on-screen romances should not "arouse passion or lust." The Hays Code promoted the production of family-friendly and wholesome entertainment so people of all ages could enjoy watching movies together without apprehensions regarding offensive or objectionable content.

Will H. Hays (left) with movie camera

6. Seal of Approval: Films that adhered to the Hays Code were granted a "seal of approval" by the Production Code Administration (PCA), indicating that the film was in compliance with the code. The code offered a consistent and dependable set of guidelines for filmmakers to adhere to. This minimized uncertainty and controversy within the film industry, allowing studios to create movies with reasonable expectations of what would be deemed acceptable by the public and censors.

7. Enforcing Uniform Standards: The PCA, headed by Joseph Breen, was responsible for enforcing the Hays Code. Breen and his team reviewed film scripts and provided feedback to ensure compliance. The code worked in tandem with local censorship boards, giving them a standardized set of regulations to follow. This facilitated uniform standards in film regulation across the United States.

8. Loopholes and Rule-Bending: Filmmakers often found creative ways to work around the code's restrictions. Subtle innuendos and coded language were used to convey forbidden themes without explicit depiction.

9. Decline and Erosion: In the 1950s and 1960s, the Hays Code began to erode as filmmakers and studios challenged its restrictions. The rise of foreign cinema and changing social norms also played a role in its decline.

10. Replaced by the MPAA: The Hays Code was replaced by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) film rating system in 1968. This new system offered content ratings (G, PG, R, etc.) to inform viewers about a film's content rather than imposing strict censorship.

The Hays Code had a significant impact on the content and themes in Hollywood films during its existence, shaping the industry's approach to storytelling and content for several decades.

The History of the Famous Hollywood Sign

By Michelle Shocklee

We've all seen it at some point, either in person, in photographs, or on television. It's probably one of the most famous signs in the entire world. Yep, I'm talking about the nine enormous letters that sit on a hill overlooking Los Angeles, California, that spell out H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D!

Hollywood sign; Free use photo

I remember the first time I saw the sign. I was about ten years old, and my family had traveled from New Mexico to California, with stops at Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, and Arizona's Grand Canyon One of the most exciting sites for me, however, was the famous Hollywood sign. Why? I have no idea. HA! I suppose it represented a foreign, exciting world to me back then. A world where the rich and famous lived, and where you could see a movie star on every corner. Well, we didn't see any movie stars while we were in California, but I still remember seeing the huge, white letters on the hillside as we drove through Los Angeles in the craziest traffic I'd ever witnessed in my short life.

Yet even though most of us recognize this famous landmark, not everyone is familiar with its history. Let me tell you a fun little tale...

Once upon a time (it was actually 1923, 100 years ago!) a group of real estate developers bought some land in the hills above Los Angeles, California, with the intention of building upscale homes on big lots. One of the investors was Harry Chandler, publisher of the Los Angeles Times. Harry wanted everyone in LA to know about this new housing development called Hollywoodland, but he needed something BIG and EXTRAVAGANT in order to capture the publics attention. Your average advertising billboard simply would not do.

Hollywoodland; Free use photo

Harry hired Crescent Sign Company to create his vision. For $21,000, the company crafted thirteen giant letters, spelling out Hollywoodland. Each letter stood 43 feet tall and was 30 feet wide. But even though the entire sign was over 350 feet long and was visible from up to 15 miles away, Harry wanted to be sure it was seen 24-hours a day. So he had 4,000 lights installed on each letter, along with spotlights shining from below. At night the sign blinked into the darkness: first ‘Holly’, then ‘wood’, and finally ‘land’, punctuated by a giant period. Now everyone could see it!!

Because of its instant popularity, the sign that was supposed to stay on the hill for a year or so, remained in its original location, with blinking lights and all, into the 1930s. In 1933, however, the new owners deemed it too expensive to illuminate, and the power was turned off. Over the next decade the sign began to deteriorate. The "H" was damaged in 1944, either by strong wind or vandalism. By 1949, complaints from residents began to roll in, deeming the sign an eyesore and asking that it be removed.

Enter the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber offered to take over the cost of repairs of the sign, but one thing had to change: the last four letters -- L-A-N-D -- had to be removed. The sign was shortened, repaired, and continued to grow in fame. Sadly, in the 70s, it once again fell into disrepair. This time the public was invited to save the famous landmark. People from the movie industry, famous singers, and businessmen contributed money, raising over $250,000, with each contributor assigned to a letter.

Hollywood sign; Public domain picture

Today, the Hollywood sign continues to draw visitors, although access to it is not easy due to private land that surrounds it. But millions of people, including myself, have been in awe upon seeing it in person for the first time.

Your turn: Have you been to Hollywood and seen the sign? What did you think?

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including Count the Nights by Stars, winner of the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award, and Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Awards and Selah Awards finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two grown sons, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Michelle's next novel, Appalachian Song, releases October 3, 2023, and is available for preorder. Visit her online at www.MichelleShocklee.com

COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS
*2023 Christianity Today Book Award Winner*

1961. After a longtime resident at Nashville’s historic Maxwell House Hotel suffers a debilitating stroke, Audrey Whitfield is tasked with cleaning out the reclusive woman’s room. There, she discovers an elaborate scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Love notes on the backs of unmailed postcards inside capture Audrey’s imagination with hints of a forbidden romance . . . and troubling revelations about the disappearance of young women at the exposition. Audrey enlists the help of a handsome hotel guest as she tracks down clues and information about the mysterious “Peaches” and her regrets over one fateful day, nearly sixty-five years earlier.
https://www.tyndale.com/p/count-the-nights-by-stars/9781496459930

Bess Whitehead Scott

News Reporter and so much more

By Martha Rogers

 

As a journalism student serving as reporter on our high school newspaper, I learned about Bess Whitehead Scott, but never thought much about again until recently when I read an article about a Baylor girl being awarded a scholarship named for Bess Whitehead. I did some research and learned more about her fascinating life. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I could find of her. 

Bess Whitehead was born near Blanket, Texas on a farm in 1890.  After her father’s death, her widowed mother managed the farm and Bess’ eight brothers and sisters. Although facing enormous obstacles, Beth studied hard. She wrote her first poem at age six and the love of writing buried itself deep in her heart. Later she won literary awards for her poetry and essays.

Despite poverty and her hearing impairment, Bess graduated from high school in 1908 and went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She graduated from there in 1912 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, she taught English and Latin at a high school in Center, Texas.

She moved to Houston and began teaching English and Latin in a Houston high school, but her sights were set on the world of journalism. In 1915, the world faced a great challenge with World War I in Europe and the later involvement of the United States. She wanted to write for the Houston Post, which hired only male reporters.

Not to be thwarted of her ambition, Bess talked her way into a trial run position because she reasoned that men were going to be going off to war for the next few years. That two week trial position at $6 a week marked the beginning of her 77-years of journalism. It also made her the first female reporter ever to be hired by the newspaper.

According to William P. Hobby Jr., who ran the post in the 1960’s, “Bess made it because she understood one of the basic principles of the newspaper business—everyone has story. You have only to discover it and tell it well.”

In her days as a journalist, she covered major events such as disastrous floods and storms as well as the Democratic Convention in 1928. She also interviewed such well-known persons as Eleanor Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and Clark Gable.

In 1917, at the age of twenty-seven, she spent time in Hollywood writing publicity tear sheets for the silent movies of the day and even tried her hand at writing scripts several of which were produced starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

She also married and had two sons, but the marriage ended in divorce and she had to supplement her small income with what she could earn as a reporter.  The wonderful opportunities afforded to women, the handicapped, and single mothers were non-existent. She used her talent and stamina to fight hardships.

During her years in journalism she served various positions such as amusement editor, school editor, religious editor, news reporter for city hall and a columnist. While working as a reporter from 1931 to 1942, she also taught high school journalism in Houston at Milby High School as well as adult night classes in journalism and creative writing. The high school newspaper earned top honors in the state for excellence in journalism when she taught at Milby.

Despite the fact that she never achieved fame or fortune, Bess left an imprint on the world of journalism. She wrote three communication textbooks as well as her autobiography, You Meet Such Interesting People. Bess wrote that book at the age of 98.

Among her awards is the Bess Whitehead Scott Journalism Scholarship set up by the Writers’ League of Texas in honor of her 100^th birthday. At the age of 102, she was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of Baylor University and two years later inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. She remained active with her writing until her death in 1997 at the age of 107, which is a major accomplishment in itself.

Bess Whitehead Scott is a great example of how determination, courage and hard work along with caring friends, can carry a person past enormous obstacles in life.

Martha's latest release, A House That Love Built is now available on Amazon. A Christmas story to warm the heart.  http://amzn.to/2cOcLMY

Callie Armistead has long dreamed of going away to school and studying medicine. She’s read medical journals and textbooks for several years with that goal in mind and has helped care for the citizens of Pine Grove since the death of their town doctor. When Dr. Penelope Carmichael arrives and settles in as the new doctor, she gives Callie the opportunity to work with her and learn more about medicine. Micah Sellers has been in love with Callie since their school days and is now building a house for her on his farm in hopes she’ll marry him. Callie is touched by Micah’s love, but her love for her work in the infirmary conflicts with her feelings for him. The miracle of a birth at Christmas opens Callie’s eyes and heart to true love. With her heart full of joy and hope she steps into the future God has planned for her with the man she loves.



Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and multi-published author from Realms Fiction of Charisma Media and Winged Publications. She was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2009. She is a member of ACFW and writes the weekly Verse of the Week for the ACFW Loop. ACFW awarded her the Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Her first electronic series from Winged Publications, Love in the Bayou City of Texas, debuted in the spring of 2015.  Martha is a frequent speaker for writing workshops and the Texas Christian Writers Conference. She is a retired teacher and lives in Houston with her husband, Rex. Their favorite pastime is spending time with their eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren