Memory monologues of Eve Ensler

Reference: In the Body of the World: A Memoir by Eve Ensler

This is a fascinating book in which the author, Eve Ensler, narrates her life experience as an activist for women's rights. She speaks of atrocities committed against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the war-torn parts of former Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan. Her experiences in working with less fortunate women and her inner thoughts have evolved into a beautiful and creative work of scholarship. She challenges us; who will join those who lived through the atrocities of war; who have lived in the deserts, forests, in the projects, and the cramped cities, and these brave women have carried the sacs of physical and emotional pains, some much scarred, and yet their work and sacrifices are not in vain as the world continues to roll into the future. She writes that the world burns in her veins just like chemotherapy at the Mayo clinic when she was being treated for her uterine cancer. She calls for action; to turn pain into power, victimhood to fire, self-hatred into action, self-obsession into service. Be transparent as wind and be relentless in being a part of the larger humanity that keeps evolving.

When Ms Ensler was young, she drank herself to the extreme, did drugs at 16, snuck out with much older men, lived naked in communes, stole things, and wrote about suicide. She worked as a caretaker of in a Chelsea House of Schizophrenics, and as a group leader of a homeless shelter. Took acid for three days and made love to a famous Jazz musician. In college, she lived half-naked, lived as exhibitionist, experimented with both gay and straight sex without landing firmly in either court. She gave a commencement speech at the college and spoke against racism and sexism and sat down and drank from a bottle of Jack Daniels in a brown paper bag. Eve Ensler was an outrageous woman much of her life. Her theatrical work, "Vagina Monologues," was bold but also ruffled many conservatives. This outstanding memoir begins with her body and the abuses she faced. She has focused much of her latter life on reclaiming her body and herself and leading others to do the same.

When she was on her sickbed at the Mayo Clinic with terminal stage IV uterine cancer, Ensler recalls her life, the turmoil, and the men and women she befriended over the years, and the end of the of humanity she saw through the eyes of sufferings in Congo. It is during this tumultuous time of her life she looks back to understand that her cancer and the mankind's ruthless violence are in fact very similar. She successfully fights off the cancer surrounded by her friends, family and well-wishers. She goes back to Congo, a country she cared so much, to meet her old friends and acquaintances. She persuades the doctors at the Mayo clinic to offer their services to the needy people of Congo. This book is full of her thoughts and experiences; it is very touching.

Palm Springs: The playground of rich and famous

Palm Springs and the surrounding towns were playgrounds for rich and famous which rivaled tinsel town for decadence and excess in the last century. This book was written in the same spirit as that of "Hollywood Babylon," but this book is less on the history and more on tidbits. Palm Spring had its own brand of social futility; sex, drugs, alcohol, suicides, jealousy and fights. This was a place where celebrities came to hide from the glitter of Hollywood and have uninhabited fun. For example, gay bars and gay oriented establishments were flourishing in Palm Springs. Gloria Swanson hung out in the first lesbian hotel, Desert Knight. The Lucy and Desi estate became the most lavish gay-oriented establishment. Liberace's 1925 Cloisters estate reflected a life style of pure opulence, and it was open to numerous young men. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Jim and Tammy Bakker, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, Charles Ferrell, Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, and Errol Flynn hung out in this town and partied like there is no tomorrow. Many hotels and casinos were used to Sinatra's temper tantrums. Kennedy's and other U.S. presidents were known to visit Palm Springs and visible in social scenes. Frank Sinatra helped JFK in the presidential elections but he resided in the home of republican supporter Bing Crosby during his stay. Bobby Kennedy was trying to dismantle mafia and was going after mobster Sam Giancana who was behind Sinatra's help in JFK's campaign. It also appears that JFK and the mobster shared the same woman, Judith Campbell in Palm Springs. Jim Bakker's philandering gay life styles were legendary to the folks in town; apparently this was happening with full knowledge of Tammy Bakker who was busy shopping at the local thrift stores for cheap beauty supplies that included her eye lashes valued at $1.98. Another hot spot for celebrities was the Palm Springs Racquet Club owned by Ralph Bellamy and Charles Ferrell and its clientele included; Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich, Jack Parr, Ernst Borgnine, Ricardo Montalban and Johnny Carson. Marilyn Monroe was discovered by the pool, and Mexican actress Lupe Velez swam in the pool completely naked. Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, Errol Flynn, Rita Hayworth, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Mary Pickford, John Barrymore and Greer Garson spent hours by the pool for attention and fun. Fatty Arbuckle was well remembered for his prodigious drinking bout. Charles Ferrell was romantically involved with Janet Gaynor and also had numerous women (and few young men) in his life, in addition to his wife Virginia Valli. Apparently she knew his ways and tolerated it for sanctity. Bob Hope became rich in this town due to his investing in real estate in Palm Springs and Los Angeles before anyone could see its potential. He owned some of the choicest parcels of land in Ranch Mirage and vast stretches of ecologically priceless Santa Monica Mountains.

Palm Springs had a different edge than Hollywood that attracted celebrities. In addition to relative privacy, it did not come under the authority of a strong Los Angeles Police Department. The town was run by celebrities and a few mobsters, so whatever happened, the secret stayed here. The bad boys of show business and a few out-of-control women made this place a fun sanctuary for themselves. Promoters of gay life styles had the biggest victory in this town.

Reference: Palm Springs Babylon: Sizzling Stories from the Desert Playground of the Stars by Ray Mungo

A brief history of American cinema from 1930-1934

This is a product of fine piece of work done by Brandies University professor Tom Doherty investigating into the history of Hollywood at the height of Great Depression when much of the nation was reeling under economic turmoil. Hollywood was stressed out not only by the depression and lack of demand for their products and services, but also by the production code requirement of American motion pictures. The studios had no choice but to fight codes in order to make the movies attractive to as many viewers as possible so that folks of the depression have something they can see, enjoy and forget about their financial and domestic problems. During this time, the censorship was weak and Hollywood made movies about anything that looked controversial; sexual liaison, adultery, corruption of mind by wealth, sexism, racism, social inequality, poverty and reckless behavior. This was essentially a reflection of Hollywood, which was the epicenter of all forms of excesses that were of daily occurrences in the bars, salons, restaurants, hotels and other celebrity hangouts in tinsel town.  

The author presents most movies of this time systematically and discusses them to illustrate his point. For example, in the movie “Tarzan and his mate” (1934), the underwater swimming scene featuring Johnny Weismueller and the Olympic swimmer Josephine McKim (doubling for the lead actress Maureen O’Sullivan) is a fine piece of artistry. In this synchronized swimming, you can see fantastic underwater aerobics; McKim is also totally nude which may be found on YouTube in fully restored version. This is not only erotic but also a spectacular show, and a bold move on the part of the studio. MGM faced minimal objections from the censor board. The pre-code era is known to be from 1930 to 1934; the code was officially adopted in 1930, but never enforced until the beginning of July 1934. The production code administration was widely referred to as “Hays office” that regulated the Hollywood productions and its perimeters with the full involvement of the clergy and the politicians. In MGM’s “Faithless,” starring Tallulah Bankhead and Robert Montgomery, the pressure of the depression drives a married woman to the “oldest profession” when her husband is incapable of working. Ironically this role was given to Bankhead who was highly controversial with her notorious, well publicized, out-of-control behavior. In “Blonde Venus” (1932), Marlene Dietrich begins her decent by trading her virtue for feeding her child and herself. Released weeks after FDR’s inauguration, Roy Del Ruth’s “Employee’s Entrance” (1933), shows Warren William at his worst. The film tracks the machinations of a ruthless business executive of a department store. A workaholic with no home-life roams the store after hours, and finds an unemployed young woman (Loretta Young) whom he invites for dinner and in the next scene we see them together in his apartment. Next thing you know she is hired for the store. In Walter Wagner’s production of “Gabriel over the White House,” directed by Gregory Lava, supported by media mogul William Randolph Hearst shows how acute the malady was in president Hoover’s last year. The movie makes you believe that you can have a tyrant president than a passive one. Hays office required many changes but still the final version was allowed to have the president (played by Walter Huston) to have mistress who would roam in the White House. This is certainly the wrong movie for the troubled time. He declares martial law, assumes dictatorial power in order to bring order in America during the Great Depression.

Numerous examples are given in the book that includes; James Cagney’s gunplay, wordplay of temptress Mae West, and many more. This book is a well researched by a respected academic.

Reference: Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Immorality, and Insurrection in American Cinema; 1930-1934 by Thomas Patrick Doherty