Lincoln Discussion Symposium

There's a connection with 38 years ago.

---

Apart from the Lincoln Brigade, there's no connection for the 2 people with Abe Lincoln

Ok, summary ...

We need the names of 2 of the people in the photo. One is more famous than the other. (I'll accept any of 4 names because they were each known by 2 surnames)
They are shown in a Spanish War group of Lincoln Brigade soldiers ... but that's the only connection to Abraham Lincoln.

Ernest Hemingway isnt correct. They are not from the US. They were subject to soviet surveillance.

April and 13 o'clock might assist ... along with a connection to 38 years ago.

George Orwell (the tallest figure) and Eileen Blair, seated in front of Orwell.

(Thanks Google!)

well done, Roger. No harm in using Google (it wasnt dis-allowed) and you would have had to use some initiative.

Yes, Orwell (Eric Blair) and his wife.

And ' 1984' (= 2022-38) has the first line
' It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.'
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/o...-civil-war

And ( I for one didnt know this) it has been suggested that Orwell may have based 1984 on work that his wife Eileen had written ...

"Some scholars believe that Eileen had a large influence on Orwell's writing. It is suggested that Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four may have been influenced by one of Eileen's poems, End of the Century, 1984. The poem was written in 1934, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the school she went to, Sunderland Church High School, and to look ahead 50 years to the school's centenary in 1984.

Although the poem was written a year before she met Blair, there are some similarities between the futuristic vision of Eileen's poem and that in Nineteen Eighty-Four, including the use of mind control, and the eradication of personal freedom by a police state."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Blair

Many thanks to Bill Binzel for sending this question. He feels it's not as hard as some of his previous ones.

The author of this 1939 book is probably better known for inspiring what Christmas classic?

Great question Bill.
I didn't know so I looked it up.

TCM has been showing Christmas classics the last few weeks. I watched a few favorites- "It's a Wonderful Life", "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Christmas in Connecticut". Is it one of these?

(12-24-2022 03:08 PM)Anita Wrote: [ -> ]TCM has been showing Christmas classics the last few weeks. I watched a few favorites- "It's a Wonderful Life", "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Christmas in Connecticut". Is it one of these?

Yes!

I asked my 19 yr. old twin grandchildren to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" this Christmas and then we discussed it as a family. So this is my choice.
I'm holding off on looking it up but I'd love to know more about this author.

Yes, Philip van Doren Stern also wrote the short story that inspired It's a Wonderful Life. It's nice to know that fellow history nerds (and I am one) have other talents.

---

Congrats to all (and there were many, who did not post it) who knew or found the answer!

(12-26-2022 12:22 PM)Anita Wrote: [ -> ]I asked my 19 yr. old twin grandchildren to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" this Christmas and then we discussed it as a family. So this is my choice.
I'm holding off on looking it up but I'd love to know more about this author.

Anita, there is some discussion regarding Philip Van Doren Stern here.

"It's a wonderful life" was on TV here two days ago - I am a great fan of James Stewart and think this was one of his best movies.

It was also on here just before Xmas ... and also the year before ... and I think the year before that. Not bad for a black and white film.

"Stern finished the 4,100 word short story in 1943 after working on it since November 1939. Unable to find a publisher, he sent the 200 copies he had printed as a 21-page booklet to friends as Christmas presents in December 1943."

( Gives encouragement to short story writers. I wonder what those publishers who knocked it back would be thinking if they were here now)

(12-28-2022 06:12 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote: [ -> ]"It's a wonderful life" was on TV here two days ago - I am a great fan of James Stewart and think this was one of his best movies.

I agree it was one of his best movies. When Jimmy Stewart was asked which of his films was his favorite, he said this is the one film he loved more than any other.

(12-28-2022 06:23 PM)AussieMick Wrote: [ -> ]"Stern finished the 4,100 word short story in 1943 after working on it since November 1939. Unable to find a publisher, he sent the 200 copies he had printed as a 21-page booklet to friends as Christmas presents in December 1943."

Just found this. "Stern’s Hollywood agent, one of the lucky recipients, asked Stern if she could “offer the story to the movies.” Stern thought that was a crazy idea, but he agreed. By March of 1944 the story's movie rights were sold for $10K. RKO Radio Pictures planned to turn the story into a movie for actor Cary Grant.

https://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/2018/12/fr...rful-life/