A Brief History On April 23, 1953, Shane premiered in New York City at Radio City Music Hall.  This American Technicolor Western film from Paramount Pictures is noted for its landscape cinematography, editing, performances, and contributions to the genre. The picture was produced and directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A. B. Guthrie Jr., based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Jack Schaefer. Its Oscar-winning cinematography was by Loyal Griggs. Shane stars Alan Ladd and Jean Arthur in the last feature (and only color) film of her career. The film also stars Van Heflin and features Brandon deWilde, Jack Palance, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook Jr., and Ben Johnson. Digging Deeper You can rent or buy this film on YouTube below: Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Did you enjoy…

A Brief History Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is an 1893 novella by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). The story centers on Maggie, a young girl from the Bowery who is driven to unfortunate circumstances by poverty and solitude. The work was considered risqué by publishers because of its literary realism and strong themes. Crane – who was 22 years old at the time – financed the book’s publication himself, although the original 1893 edition was printed under the pseudonym Johnston Smith. After the success of 1895’s The Red Badge of Courage, Maggie was reissued in 1896 with considerable changes and re-writing. The story is followed by George’s Mother. Digging…

A Brief History Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks is a Bildungsroman by Horatio Alger Jr., which was serialized in Student and Schoolmate in 1867 and expanded for publication as a full-length novel in May 1868 by the publisher A. K. Loring. It was the first volume in the six-volume Ragged Dick Series and became Alger’s best-selling work. The tale follows a poor bootblack’s rise to middle-class respectability in 19th-century New York City. It had a favorable reception. Student and Schoolmate reported their readers were delighted with the first installment, and Putnam’s Magazine thought boys would love the novel. One modern scholar considers the story a “puerile fantasy” about class…

A Brief History On October 24, 1957, the US Air Force combined the proposals of three companies to develop a rocket powered spaceplane that was to perform multiple military roles, including bombing, reconnaissance, and research.  Plans included a timeline of planning until 1963, first flights conducted as glide tests with powered test flights to follow in 1964.  The plan was for an unmanned glide missile to be fielded in 1968 and a fully operational manned system by 1974. Digging Deeper Intended to be sent into space atop a rocket and return to Earth on a glide and land like an…

A Brief History On October 23, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln, defender of the Union of the United States, illegally suspended the rule of Habeas Corpus, the Constitutional protection of Americans against being held in confinement without charges and due process.  Lincoln has been made into an American legend and icon, an idol mostly deserving of high praise, but he was not necessarily what people think he was, or what schools teach children about him.  Here we list 10 things either contrary to the Lincoln myth, or interesting facts that you might not be aware of. Digging Deeper 1. Suspension of Habeas…