Stalin, prior to death and relocation You know you're a bad guy when people don't want your body around, even after you're dead. Our case in point is Joseph Stalin, who was kicked out of his resting place on October 31, 1961. After his death, Stalin's embalmed body had been put in Lenin's tomb, but eight years later, Khrushchev gave him the boot. As part of the new leader's De-Stalinization campaign, Stalin's corpse was moved to a burial ground outside the walls of the Kremlin. Stalin wasn't the first controversial person to have his corpse moved from its original resting place. In one of the more bizarre cases in history, John Wycliffe's body was dug out of its grave, burnt, and the ashes deposited into the Thames River in 1428 -- over forty years after he died. This posthumous condemnation was designed to prevent Wycliffe's Protestant supporters from using his body as a relic. People sure did get their knickers in a twist about religion back then: Wycliffe’s biggest offense was translating the Bible into English. As for Stalin, the removal of his body has spawned a generation of fantastic Soviet jokes, which I learned from Emil Draitser's book, "Taking Penguins to the Movies: Ethnic Humor in Russia." My personal favorite regards a conversation between an ethnic Russian and an ethnic Georgian, who's just noticed that Stalin's body has disappeared (note bene: Stalin was Georgian): "Listen, comrade! What's happened to such a handsome mustached man, his decorations all over him, who was lying over here? Where is he? Where did you take him?" In order not to embitter the Georgian, one of the guards begins to explain: "Well, you know, his relatives came over…They took him away." "They took him away?! Can it be? And what about him?" He points to Lenin, "Why didn't anyone take him away? Is he an orphan, or what?" Indeed, Stalin is gone from Red Square, while Lenin remains, even 50 years later. If you have a hankering to see the body of somebody who died in 1924 (an odd memorial, if you ask me), you can still pay your respects. You may, however, have to wait in line. Suggested Sites... Lenin Mausoleum Homepage - see visitor information, as well as historical photos. Stalin Internet Archive - read Stalin's bio, writings, and see pictures. Russian Tourist Board’s guide to Moscow - figure out what to visit in Moscow.

Directory categories: Joseph Stalin, 20th Century Soviet Leaders, 20th Century Soviet History, The Cold War

Archived under: 1920s, 1950s, 1960s, Dead Celebrities, Death, History, Joseph Stalin, Russia

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This might be satisfying, but it wouldn't exactly be polite. Violators beware! (Photo by Mark Wallace) Once upon a time, the term "etiquette" referred to knowing which fork one used at the dinner table (the one on the outside), or which side of the sidewalk a gentleman should walk on when escorting a young lady (the side closest to the curb). Lately, etiquette's become something of a dirty word, though. At best, it evokes a nostalgic sentiment for the "good old days;" at worst, a general disdain for a kind of archaic protocol that seems to have no place in the modern world. And while it's true that, nowadays, few people outside of historical reenactment societies need to know the proper way to leave a calling card, the art of civility and good manners is not yet obsolete. Consider the Internet troll who launches a flame war on your comments page. What's the proper way to tell them to mind their own beeswax without making yourself look like a fool? Then there's the sticky situation of how to politely deny your diabetic relative's request for marijuana. Not to mention the ever-important question of how to convey to the woman you've just walked into your apartment building after a date that you're not a rapist. No, this isn't Amy Vanderbilt's or Emily Post's brand of etiquette (even though Miss Vanderbilt’s “Book of Etiquette” was published on this date in 1952). But even in a post-Lewinsky world, it seems we still have some need for decorum (as so aptly demonstrated by the formal rebuke of Republican Representative Joe Wilson after his "You lie!" remark during President Obama's address to the Congress on health care). So turn off your cell phone when attending the theater, don't text while at the movies (we can still see the glow of the screen even if the ringer’s off), turn your radio down at the drive-thru, and send your thank you cards via e-mail  -- just make sure to claim it's in the name of saving the environment, and not because you're too lazy to buy a card, write a message, find a stamp, lick the envelope, and send it. Suggested Sites... Emily Post’s Etiquette Daily - http://www.etiquettedaily.com/ The Urban Etiquette Handbook - the answers to all your modern conundrums -- like who walks the bride down the aisle when there are two of them. Dear Prudence - Slate's advice column on manners and morals. The Core Rules of Netiquette - how to deal with forwards, flaming, and the dreaded caps lock key. Modern Manners Guy - podcast about modern manners issues.

Directory categories: Etiquette, Netiquette, Cell Phone Etiquette, Emily Post, Wedding Etiquette

Archived under: 1950s, Anniversaries, Authors, Books, Eating, Etiquette, Society and Culture, Telephones, Writers, dating

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Larry Fine looking stunned, undoubtedly by some unexpected turn of events People who work in comedy know the "Rule of Three." That is, when writing jokes or creating a comedic movie, TV show, play, or even a skit, writers know how to establish a situation, confirm it, and then overturn it. If you look for it, you'll see it all the time: "A priest, a minister, and a rabbi walk into a bar ..."; "an Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman were arguing ..."; "a genie grants a man three wishes ..." With that rule so well-known, it makes us wonder why there are so few three-man comedy teams. There's the Ritz Brothers (who few remember nowadays), the Marx Brothers (who originally were a quartet), the Three Stooges -- and that’s about it. We were reminded of this apparent paradox today in noting that October 5 marks the birthday of our favorite Stooge, Larry Fine. Every Stooge fan has his favorite. (We use the pronoun "his" deliberately here, since it's well known that women just don't get -- or even like the Stooges.) Some prefer the outright lunacy of Curly; some think Shemp is the ne plus ultra of wackiness; there are undoubtedly those who think the antics of Joe or Curly Joe cannot be bettered; and we're sure Moe brings delight to many for his attempts to bring order out of chaos. But Larry is, for us, the essential Stooge. His "normalcy" (at least in terms of Stoogedom) provides the necessary grounding between Moe's masochism and Curly's flights of fancy. The Trinity of Stooges has been compared to Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconscious (no, honestly), what with Moe's controlling force representing the ego, Curly the uncontrollable id, and Larry, the superego that strives for organization and peace. Larry Fine himself was an unassuming man. He was born Louis Feinberg in Philadelphia in 1902, and after a childhood accident (he burned his arm with acid), he took up the violin, a choice that led to a career in vaudeville, where a chance meeting with comedian Ted Healy (who had originally hired the Howard Brothers -- Moe, Shemp, and Curly -- to accompany him on stage) led him to join Healy's act as the third Stooge, a role he would hold for the next four decades, until a debilitating stroke forced him to retire. Larry's contribution to the act is invaluable. He provides an entry point for the viewer, allowing us to put Moe's harshness and Curly's craziness into context. Without him, Stooge fanatics would be left only with an authoritarian beating up on a lunatic. And every so often, Larry will say or do something so off the wall that it confirms his own existence as a Stooge. Director Peter Farrelly has been threatening to make a new "Three Stooges" movie for years. While this may not seem a good idea at first blush (Benicio Del Toro as Moe? Sean Penn as Larry?), his views on Mr. Fine give Larry-philes reason for hope (while also providing a fine epitaph): "Growing up, first you watched Curly, then Moe, and then your eyes got to Larry. He's the reactor, the most vulnerable. Five to fourteen, Curly; fourteen to twenty-one, Moe. Anyone out of college, if you're not looking at Larry, you don’t have a good brain." Suggested Sites... Larry Fine.com - dedicated the most important Stooge of them all. IMDb: Larry Fine - film credits, biography, and photos. Wikipedia: Larry Fine - good overview of his life and career. Stooge World: Larry Fine - illustrated biography. Farrelly Brothers' Three Stooges Saga: The 13-Year Backstory - is the lack of a movie a good thing or a bad thing?

Directory categories: Larry Fine, The Three Stooges, Comedy Teams, Comedy, Actors

Archived under: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Actors, Biographies, Birthdays, Comedians, Entertainment, Humor, Men, Movie History, Movies, Musicians, The Three Stooges, Vaudeville

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"I tell you, Ike; Mamie's a looker, but she's no Annette." I recently found out that Nikita Khrushchev and I have at least one thing in common: Disneyland figured into our first trips to the United States -- though not for the same reasons. (Rest assured we didn't go to the "Magic Kingdom" together) My own story is pretty short and really not worth a line in history books: when I was 14, I came from France to "discover" the U.S. I was expecting I'd visit national parks and see the wonders of nature. Instead, the family I was staying with took me to Disneyland, even though I hate roller coasters and rides. I give them a lot of credit, though, for thinking that was the best "American" experience for a little foreigner like me. Apparently, Khrushchev had much higher expectations regarding Disneyland: he asked specifically to visit the amusement park during his first trip to the U.S. in September 1959. The then-Prime Minister of the Soviet Union landed in Washington, DC on September 15, and embarked for a snapshot tour of America, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Des Moines. (Des Moines?) Khrushchev spent only one day in the City of Angels, but still managed to trigger a major diplomatic incident. After a pleasant visit to the 20th Century Fox studios and a lunch with such famous attendees as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, and Charlton Heston, the General Secretary expressed his desire to go to Disneyland. The amusement park had opened in 1955, giving many celebrities and politicians the chance to stroll through the Magic Kingdom and meet with a giant mouse, but the Chief of the LAPD refused to be held responsible for the security of the convoy to Disneyland, arguing that Anaheim was in Orange County, and therefore, out of his jurisdiction. Needless to say, Khrushchev was not happy, and threw a tantrum in front of a baffled crowd: "What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there? Have gangsters taken hold of the place? Your policemen are so tough they can lift a bull by the horns. Surely they can restore order if there are any gangsters around. I say, 'I would very much like to see Disneyland.' They say, 'We cannot guarantee your security.' Then what must I do, commit suicide? For me, such a situation is inconceivable. I cannot find words to explain this to my people." Fortunately, he didn’t bang his shoe to show his anger, keeping that trick for his trip to the United Nations the following year. A film based on the incident was in the works, with Peter Ustinov playing Khrushchev, but the Disney Studio cancelled the project after Walt Disney died in 1966. Too bad, since they would have had the perfect title: "The Bay of the Three Little Pigs Invasion." (*"No, you can't go to Disneyland.") Suggested Sites... Nikita Khrushchev Goes to Hollywood - a detailed report on the Soviet Prime Minister's visit to Los Angeles. The Incident -- According to Walt Disney - what the father of Mickey Mouse had to say about Khrushchev being barred from his park. More Parks That Khrushchev Missed - for his own good?

Directory categories: Nikita Krushchev, Disneyland, The Cold War, Soviet Union, Soviet Leaders

Archived under: 1950s, Amusement Parks, Ancient History, Anniversaries, Bob Hope, California, Celebrities, Censorship, Communism, Communists, Dictators, Disney, Disneyland, History, Hollywood, In Character, Los Angeles, Marilyn Monroe, Men, Presidents, Russia, United Nations, United States, Urban Legends

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The King holding court at the 1982 San Diego Comic-Con (Photo by Alan Light) How did a kid from the Lower East Side of New York grew up to become the "King of Comics," and have an immeasurable impact on the world’s popular culture? That’s the story of Jacob Kurtzberg, better known as Jack Kirby, who was born on August 28, 1917. As a child, Kirby was likelier to get into fistfights than study art, but he was captivated by such masters of the comic strip as Alex Raymond ("Flash Gordon"), Hal Foster ("Prince Valiant"), and Milton Caniff ("Terry and the Pirates"). He enrolled at the Pratt Art Institute, but soon left because they wanted him to linger over his work, and he wanted to "get things done." His imagination was so full and his creativity so profound that he rarely lingered over anything, turning out dozens of pages of brilliant comic art every week. From Pratt, he went to the Fleischer animation studios (working on their "Popeye" cartoons), but left because of the "production line" way the movies were turned out). He then tried creating a number of comic strips (under an equal number of pseudonyms: Curt Davis, Fred Sande, Jack Curtiss, Ted Grey, and even just "Teddy"). While his work was good, nothing stuck until he met fellow writer and artist Joe Simon. With Simon, he created the character Captain America for Timely Comics (the precursor of today's Marvel Comics), and the rest was history. Simon and Kirby became one of the top teams in comics history, but when they suspected they were being underpaid, they moved to DC Comics, revitalizing such characters as Manhunter and The Sandman, and creating The Guardian and The Boy Commandos. After World War II, the duo went back to work, creating the classic "Boys’ Ranch," the tongue-in-cheek "Fighting American," any number of crime comics, and even found time to invent the romance comic genre. But good things can last only so long, and the partnership split up. Kirby went back to DC, where he created "The Challengers of the Unknown." But after another legal battle, he returned to Marvel, where he began an unparalleled run that saw him co-create scores of characters, including The Fantastic Four, The Hulk, The X-Men, The Avengers, Thor, The Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom, and The Black Panther, mainstream comics' first black superhero. His muscular and dynamic style was credited by the New York Times as creating "a new grammar of storytelling and a cinematic style of motion ... Even at rest, a Kirby character pulsed with tension and energy in a way that makes movie versions of the same characters seem static by comparison." But the comics business being what it is, and Kirby being Kirby, following a dust-up over creator's rights and original art, he again went back to DC, creating the "Fourth World," a series of characters (The Demon, Mister Miracle, The New Gods, and Darkseid, DC's ultimate supervillain) and storylines that were nothing less than cosmic in scope. After only four years, though, he was back at Marvel yet again, leaving only three years later to work in animation (becoming an inadvertent footnote in the Iran Hostage Crisis of the 1980s). But ink was always in Kirby's blood, and after another brief stint at DC, he went to smaller publishers that allowed him not only full creative freedom, but also the ownership of his characters -- something he'd always craved. He died in 1994, never having lost any of his talent or creativity. It's hard today to find a comics artist -- or even a film director -- who has not been influenced in some way by Kirby's dramatic and dynamic style. He set the standard, and even 15 years after his death, he is still "the King." Suggested Sites... Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center - promoting and encouraging the study, understanding, preservation, and appreciation of the work of Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby - really nice analysis of Kirby's style and influence. Marvel Comics Database: Jack Kirby - detailed biography, with links to massive galleries of Kirby covers, characters, and interior art. Grand Comics Database: Jack Kirby - 60 years of comics, catalogued and categorized. Wikipedia: Jack Kirby - extensive biography of the King.

Directory categories: Jack Kirby, Comic Book Artists, Comic Books, Marvel Comics, DC Comics

Archived under: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Animation, Artists, Arts, Biographies, Birthdays, Captain America, Cartoonists, Celebrities, Comic Books, Comic Strips, Comics, Entertainment, History, Men, Popeye, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Villains, Writers

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