Gremlins and Huey Long: Difference between pages
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[[Image:HueyPLong.jpg|thumb|Huey Long]] |
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:''This article is about the film '''Gremlins'''. See [[Gremlin]] for the fantastical beings.'' |
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{{Infobox_Film | |
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name = Gremlins | |
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image = Gremlins1.jpg| |
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imdb_id = 0087363| |
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writer = [[Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus]] | |
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starring =[[Zach Galligan]]<br /> [[Phoebe Cates]] | |
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director =[[Joe Dante]] | |
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producer = [[Michael Finnell]] | |
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distributor = [[Warner Bros.]] | |
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released = 1984 | |
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runtime = 106 minutes | |
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language = English | |
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music = | |
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awards = | |
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budget =$11,000,000 | |
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}} |
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'''Huey Pierce Long''' ([[August 30]], [[1893]] – [[September 10]], [[1935]]) was an controversial [[Politics of the United States|American politician]] from the [[U.S. state]] of [[Louisiana]]. A [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], he was noted for his [[radicalism|radical]] [[populism|populist]] policies. He served as [[governor of Louisiana]] from [[1928]] to [[1932]] and as a [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[1932]] to [[1935]]. Though a backer of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] in the [[U.S. presidential election, 1932|1932 presidential election]], Long split with Roosevelt in June 1933 and planned to mount his own presidential bid in the future. |
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'''''Gremlins''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[horror film|horror]]-[[comedy film|comedy]] [[film]] directed by [[Joe Dante]] and released in [[1984 in film|1984]]. It is about a young man who receives a strange creature named Gizmo as a [[pet]]. The creature then spawns other creatures who transform themselves into small, destructive [[monster]]s. This story was continued with a sequel, ''[[Gremlins 2: The New Batch]]'', which was released in 1990. Unlike the lighter sequel, the original ''Gremlins'' opts for more [[black comedy]], which is balanced against a [[Christmas]]time setting. |
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Long created the [[Share Our Wealth]] program in [[1934]], with the motto "[[Every Man a King]]," proposing new [[income redistribution]] measures action to curb the [[poverty]] and [[crime]] that came as a result of the [[Great Depression]]. Immensely popular for his [[social reform]] programs and willingness to take forceful action, Long was accused of [[dictator]]ial tendencies for his near-total control of the state government and media and was noted for his colorful, flamboyant, and bombastic character. At the height of his popularity, Long was assassinated at the [[Louisiana State Capitol]] in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]], dying of a fatal gunshot wound two days after being shot by [[Carl Weiss]]. His last words were reportedly, "God, don't let me die. I have so much to do." |
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[[Steven Spielberg]] was the film's [[executive producer]]. The screenplay was written by [[Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus]]. ''Gremlins'' stars [[Zach Galligan]] and [[Phoebe Cates]], with [[Howie Mandel]] providing the voice of the creature Gizmo. The actors had to work alongside numerous [[puppet]]s, as puppetry was the main form of [[special effects]] used to portray Gizmo and the gremlins. These puppets became the real focal point of the film. |
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==Early life and legal career== |
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''Gremlins'' was a commercial success and received some positive feedback from critics. It was also at the centre of a large [[Product (business)|merchandizing]] campaign. However, the film has also been heavily criticized for some of its more violent sequences. These scenes, critics alleged, made the film inappropriate for younger audiences who could be admitted into the theatres under its PG rating. In response, the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA) reformed its [[MPAA film rating system|rating system]]. |
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Long was born in [[Winnfield, Louisiana|Winnfield]], [[Winn Parish, Louisiana]], in the north-central part of the state. He was the seventh of nine children of a landowning upper [[middle class|middle-class family]]. He attended local schools, where he reportedly was an excellent student with a [[photographic memory]]. In 1910 he was expelled from school for forming a secret society against adding a 12th year of school as a graduation requirement. He spent the next four years as a successful [[traveling salesman]], selling books, [[tin can|canned goods]], and [[patent medicine]]s as well as working as an [[auctioneer]]. |
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In [[1913]], Huey Long married Rose McConnell. She was a home economics teacher who had won a baking contest that he promoted to sell "Cotolene," one of the most popular of the early vegetable shortenings to come on the market. Rose Long was, according to the memoirs of the Long family observer [[William J. "Bill" Dodd]], a "lovely, introvertish sort of lady, but she knew what to say and do to help Huey and her family, and she did just that." The Longs had a daughter, also named Rose, and two sons, Russell and Palmer. |
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==Plot== |
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{{spoiler}} |
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The film starts by introducing the character Randall "Rand" Peltzer, an inventor of modest abilities and questionable success. He is from the fictional community of Kingston Falls, and travels to [[Chinatown]] in [[New York City]] to sell his inventions and pick up a present for his son Billy. A young Chinese boy takes Rand to his grandfather's small shop, where Rand takes interest in a small, cute, furry creature called a [[mogwai]] (which, in [[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin]] [[Chinese language|Chinese]], translates literally as "evil spirit"). Mr. Wing, the Chinese boy's grandfather and owner of the shop, refuses to sell the mogwai even when Rand offers $200 for it. This is money that the Wing family desperately needs. Consequently, Wing's grandson secretly sells the mogwai to Rand. Though the creature seems innocent enough, the grandson warns Rand that he must take the following precautions regarding the creature: he must not let the mogwai near bright light, especially sunlight, which can kill the mogwai, he must not get water on the mogwai, and, most importantly, he must never feed it after midnight. |
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Long briefly attended the [[University of Oklahoma|University of Oklahoma School of Law]] in [[Norman, Oklahoma]] and later [[Tulane University|Tulane University Law School]] in [[New Orleans, Louisiana| New Orleans]]. In [[1915]], he convinced a board to let him take the [[bar exam]] after only a year at Tulane. He passed and began private practice in [[Winnfield, Louisiana|Winnfield]] and later [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], where he spent 10 years working on [[worker's compensation]] cases. He lost a lawsuit against [[Standard Oil]] but achieved successes in other cases. When Long argued before the Supreme Court, Chief Justice [[William Howard Taft]] was so impressed with the legal arguments that he declared Long one of the best "legal minds" he had encountered. |
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Rand names the creature "Gizmo" and brings him home to his son. Billy has recently completed high school and has taken up a job at the bank to make ends meet for his parents, whom he still lives with. He owns one dog, Barney, but Barney's mischieviousness makes both him and Billy the target of harassment from Mrs. Deagle, an elderly woman with much financial influence. She is also a bitter, malicious person, and she threatens to kidnap and murder Barney. |
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[[Image:Mogwais-in-school-lab.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Two mogwai in the science lab of the local high school.]] |
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Billy is fascinated with Gizmo, who is highly intelligent and can hum a tune. Billy's new companion also proves to be a very gentle and well behaved creature. Unfortunately, however, one of Billy's friends accidentally spills water on Gizmo. This causes Gizmo to instantly multiply, spawning five new mogwai in a process that appears painful for him. The new mogwai are much more aggressive. They are led by Stripe, who has a white [[mohawk hairstyle|mohawk]]-like hairstyle. |
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==Political career and rise to power== |
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At about this time Billy's personal life takes a more positive turn. He asks his co-worker at the bank, Kate, out for a date, and she agrees. Kate is also the local bartender, who sees first hand the depression caused in the town by Mrs. Deagle's inhumane financial moves. |
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Long was elected chairman of the [[Louisiana Public Service Commission|Louisiana Railroad Commission]] in [[1918]] on an anti-Standard Oil platform. (The commission was renamed the [[Louisiana Public Service Commission]] in [[1921]].) He ran for governor of Louisiana in [[1924]] but failed, although he was reelected to the Public Service Commission. In that campaign he became one of the first [[Southern United States|Southern]] politicians to use radio addresses in a campaign. Around this time he also began wearing his distinctive white linen suit. |
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In 1928 he ran again for Louisiana governor and campaigned with the slogan of "every man a king, but no one wears a crown"—a phrase adopted from [[William Jennings Bryan]]. He became known as "'''the Kingfish'''" because he answered the telephone with "this is the Kingfish"— a reference to George "Kingfish" Stevens (voiced by radio actor [[Freeman Gosden]]), a character in the immensely popular radio show "[[Amos 'n' Andy]]." Stevens was the lodge leader who was always trying to lure the title characters into [[get-rich-quick scheme]]s. Long explained his adoption of the nickname by saying "I'm a small fish here in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], but I'm the Kingfish to the folks down in Louisiana." Long's attacks on the utilities industries and the privileges of corporations were popular and he won the election by the largest vote margin in the state's history— 92,941 to 3,733. |
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Eventually the mogwai fool Billy into feeding them after midnight. All soon form [[cocoon (silk)|cocoon]]s, except Gizmo, who was wise enough to know not to accept the food Billy offered after midnight. While Billy is at the bank, the cocoons hatch, and the mogwai emerge having transformed into [[gremlin]]-like monsters with dark green reptilian skin. Billy's mother is now alone with the gremlins and comes into conflict with them. She manages to defeat them one-by-one, killing one in the [[blender (device)|blender]]. She stabs a second with a [[kitchen knife]], and traps a third in the [[microwave oven]], which she turns on. The gremlin promptly explodes. While she is strangled by the next gremlin, at this point Billy arrives and saves her by decapitating the gremlin with an ornamental sword. The only remaining gremlin left in the house is Stripe, but he breaks out. Billy tracks him down to the local [[YMCA]], but the creature escapes once more by jumping into a swimming pool. This causes an incredible multiplication in gremlins. |
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Long made frequent disparaging remarks about the rich as a class. Huey Long constantly depicted the wealthy as parasites that grabbed more than their fair share of the public wealth while marginalizing the poor. |
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[[Image:Gremlin_eating_cookie.JPG|thumb|right|220px|A Gremlin eating a gingerbread man]] |
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Billy then takes Gizmo to the bar to recover Kate, who has been bartending that night. The gremlins have taken over the bar and Kate has been forced to serve the unruly lot. However, she eventually discovers they are frightened by light when she attempts to light one's cigarette. She then knocks down several through [[flash photography]], and is reunited with Billy. The two seek shelter in the bank while the gremlins wreak havoc upon Kingston Falls. Notably, the creatures kill Mrs. Deagle. When Billy, Kate and Gizmo re-emerge, they find the gremlins are gone. Billy and Kate track them down to the local theatre, and Billy manages to explode the theatre. The gremlins burn to death, with the exception of Stripe, who had left briefly to get snacks at the department store across the street. |
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==Governorship== |
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Billy pursues Stripe through the department store, but Stripe manages to escape and head toward a water fountain. By this time, however, it is morning, and Gizmo, having escaped notice of the human characters, opens a blind and exposes Stripe to sunlight. Stripe melts as everyone watches. |
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{{expandsect}} |
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At the end of the film, Mr. Wing returns to collect Gizmo to prevent any reoccurance of the trouble. Mr. Wing observes that while western society is not ready to properly care for a mogwai, Billy shows some potential. |
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Long introduced several major reforms once in office, including free textbooks and free night courses for adult learning, increased expenditures on [[Louisiana State University|the state university]], a program to build a school within walking distance of every child in the state, and jobs for young men in need. Once in office Long also financed a wide-ranging program of [[public works]]; over 12,000 miles of road were paved and over 100 bridges were built, one which was the Huey. P. Long bridge, as well as a new airport in [[New Orleans]], and a medical school at [[Louisiana State University]] (LSU). The programs were financed by increased [[tax]]es on the rich and on big business; the new roads were paid for with a tax on gasoline. Long was so determined to have his way that, bypassing the [[state legislature]], he put considerable effort into ensuring that his own people controlled every level of the state political system. |
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==Production== |
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===Background=== |
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''Gremlins'' was produced during a time when combining horror with comedy became increasingly popular. The film ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', released in the same year as ''Gremlins'', and later ''[[Beetlejuice]]'' (1988) and other such films, were part of this growing trend. The new genre seemed to emphasize sudden shifts between humourous and horrific scenes, and/or drawing laughs with plot elements that have been traditionally used to scare. The comic strip ''[[The Far Side]]'' indicated this was a broader cultural phenomenon. This, however, drew from older precedent, such as the film ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' (1948).<ref>Noël Carroll, "Horror and Humor," ''The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism'', Vol. 57, No. 2, ''Aesthetics and Popular Culture'' (Spring, 1999), page 145.</ref> |
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His efforts in [[Louisiana]] were the subject of an [[United States Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] investigation; he had increased annual state government expenditure three-fold and the state debt over ten-fold. In [[1929]], he was [[impeachment|impeached]] on charges of [[bribery]] and gross misconduct, but the state senate failed to convict him by a narrow margin of two votes. It was often alleged that Long had concentrated power to the point where he had become a [[dictator]] of sorts; this was unprecedented. |
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The notion of "gremlins" was first conceived during [[World War II]], when mechanical failures in airplanes were jokingly blamed on the small monsters. This mythology is referenced in the film, when the charater Mr. Futterman, played by [[Dick Miller]], drunkenly warns Billy and Kate of foreign technology sabotaged by gremlins: "It's the same gremlins that brought down our planes in the big one... That's right. World War II." |
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Long also was efficient in the use of his personal time. The Reverend [[Gerald L.K. Smith]], an advisor to Long, read and capsuled every large newspaper in Louisana and the wire service stories each day and placed a typed summary before Huey each morning. That way Long knew what was happening and did not spend valuable time reading all the papers. He was a man with a mission, and he knew that he might not have all the time needed to accomplish what he desired. |
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Before the 1984 film, gremlins had already made a mark on [[popular culture]]. ''[[Falling Hare]]'', a film about the fictional character [[Bugs Bunny]] and a gremlin, had been released by Warner Bros. in 1943. In 1983, Dante publicly distanced his film from the earlier work. As Dante explained, "Our gremlins are somewhat different- they're sort of green and they have big mouths and they smile a lot and they do incredibly, really nasty things to people and enjoy it all the while."<ref name="Featurette">''Gremlins: Behind the Scenes'', Warner Bros., 1983, in the DVD Steven Spielberg presents ''Gremlins.'' Special edition. Warner Home Video, 2002.</ref> Children's author [[Roald Dahl]] had also published a book called ''[[The Gremlins]]'' in 1943. Dante had read ''The Gremlins'' and claimed this book had been of some influence to ''Gremlins''.<ref name="DVD">DVD commentary; Steven Spielberg presents ''Gremlins.'' Special edition. Warner Home Video, 2002.</ref> |
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===Pre-production=== |
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The story of ''Gremlins'' was conceived of by Chris Columbus. As Columbus explained, his inspiration came from his loft, when at night "what sounded like a platoon of [[mouse|mice]] would come out and to hear them skittering around in the blackness was really creepy."<ref name="Behind Scenes">''Behind the Scenes'', in the DVD Steven Spielberg presents ''Gremlins.'' Special edition. Warner Home Video, 2002.</ref> He then wrote the original screenplay as a "writing sample" to show potential employers that he had writing abilities. The film was not actually intended to be filmed until Spielberg took an interest in it.<ref name="DVD"/> As Spielberg would explain, "It's one of the most original things I've come across in many years, which is why I bought it."<ref name="Featurette"/> |
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==In the Senate== |
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Spielberg chose Dante for the director because of Dante's experience with horror-comedy; Dante had directed ''[[The Howling]]'' (1981), though in the time between ''The Howling'' and the offer to film ''Gremlins'', he had experienced a lull in his career.<ref name="DVD"/> Spielberg took the project to [[Warner Bros.]] and also produced it with his own company, [[Amblin Entertainment]]. |
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In [[1930]] he was elected to the [[United States Senate]]. He went to [[Washington, DC|Washington]] in [[1932]] after having ensured that [[Oscar K. Allen]] was elected to replace him as governor. Long continued to be in effective control of Louisiana while he was a senator. Though he had no constitutional authority to do so, he continued to draft and press bills through the Louisiana legislature, which remained controlled by his supporters. He was vigorous in his efforts to try to counter the profound socio-economic impact of the [[Great Depression]]. By [[1934]] he began a reorganization of the state that all but abolished local government and gave himself the power to appoint all state employees. |
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He was a vocal supporter of [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] in the [[1932]] election, but when Long was not offered a federal post, he turned against Roosevelt. In [[1933]] he was part of the three week Senate [[filibuster]] against the [[Glass-Steagall Act]]. In another famous filibuster on [[June 12]]–[[June 13]], [[1935]], Long made the longest speech of his Senate career. The speech took 15½ hours and comprised 150,000 words. [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Huey_Long_Filibusters.htm] In [[1934]] he created the [[Share Our Wealth]] program, proposing heavy new taxes on the super-rich. Though he was a Democrat, President Roosevelt considered Long a [[demagogue]] and privately said of him that "he was one of the two most dangerous men in America." The other to whom he referred was [[General Douglas MacArthur]]. Long positioned himself to [[U.S. presidential election, 1936|run against Roosevelt]] in the [[1936]] election. He announced his bid in August [[1935]]. One month later, he was dead. |
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The film's script went through a few drafts before a shooting script was finalized. The first version was much darker. Scenes were cut portraying Billy's mother dying in her struggle with the gremlins, and her head thrown down the stairs when Billy arrives. Dante later explained the scene was darker than what the filmmakers wanted the film to be. Also, instead of Stripe being a mogwai who becomes a gremlin, there was no Stripe mogwai and Gizmo was supposed to turn into Stripe the gremlin. Spielberg overruled this plot element because he felt Gizmo was cute and audiences would want him to be present at all stages of the film.<ref name="DVD"/> |
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It was later revealed by historian and Long biographer T. Harry Williams that the senator had never, in fact, intended to run for the presidency in 1936. Instead, he had been plotting with [[Father Charles Coughlin]], a Catholic priest and populist talk radio personality from [[Michigan]], to run someone else on the soon-to-be-formed Share Our Wealth Party ticket. According to Williams, the idea was that this candidate would split the left-wing vote with President Roosevelt, thereby electing a Republican president and proving the electoral appeal of SOW. Long would then wait four years and run for president as a Democrat in 1940. |
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There is a famous [[urban legend]] referenced in the film, <ref>"[http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/stuck.asp Santa Claustrophobia]". ''[[Urban Legends Reference Pages]]''. October 23, 1999.</ref> in which Kate reveals in a speech that her father died on a Christmas when he dressed as [[Santa Claus]] but broke his neck while climbing down the family's chimney. This scene was always a part of the ''Gremlins'' script. In the film the speech was delivered in the bank, and one early version of the script included the speech in a scene where the leading characters found a [[McDonald's]] restaurant after it had been attacked and the patrons eaten, but the hamburgers were untouched. Later, the filmed scene would be controversial, as studio executives insisted upon its removal. They felt it was too ambiguous as to whether it was supposed to be funny or sad. Dante stubbornly refused to take the scene out, saying it represented the film as a whole, which had a combination of horrific and comedic elements. Spielberg did not like the scene but, despite his creative control, he viewed ''Gremlins'' as Dante's project and left it in.<ref name="DVD"/> |
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==Assassination== |
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The film's score was written by [[Jerry Goldsmith]]. It was written with the objective of conveying "the mischievous humor and mounting suspense of Gremlins."<ref name="Behind Scenes"/> As the filmmakers recalled, the so-called "Gremlin Rag" came across not as "[[horror music]]" but as "[[circus music]]," and some cited it as an influence to their later work on the film.<ref name="DVD"/> |
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On [[September 8]], [[1935]], Huey Long was shot once by [[Carl Weiss|Dr. Carl Weiss]] in the Capitol building at [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]]. Weiss was immediately shot dead by Long's [[bodyguard]]s. The walls of the capitol hallway are still nicked from the bullets fired in the shootout. Dr. Weiss was a medical doctor and the son-in-law of Judge [[Benjamin Pavy]], a long-time political opponent of Long. Long died two days later from internal bleeding following an incompetent attempt to close the wounds by Dr. [[Arthur Vidrine]]. |
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Many have questioned whether Dr. Weiss actually killed Long, or whether the senator was shot to death by stray bullets from his bodyguards who struck Weiss because they mistakenly believed that Weiss had fired on Long. One who takes this view is former Louisiana state police superintendent [[Francis Grevemberg]]. |
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===Casting=== |
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The speech was given by the character Kate, played by Phoebe Cates. She received the role despite concerns that she was known for playing more risque parts, including Linda Barrett in ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]'' (1982). Spielberg urged the casting of the relatively unknown Zach Galligan for Billy, because he saw chemistry between Galligan and Cates during auditions. Galligan later compared himself to Billy, saying he was a "[[geek|geeky]] kid- and so being... in this picture for me was really kind of a dream, I mean what I get to do, what my character gets to do, blow up movie theatres... got to work with great people." |
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==Legacy== |
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In contrast to Galligan, many of the supporting actors and actresses were better known. Many where [[character actor]]s. [[Glynn Turman]], who portrays a science teacher who studies a mogwai and is killed by it after it had formed a cacoon, was more experienced. Miller was more experienced as well. As a result, Galligan had the opportunity to query both on the set about their careers. Rand was played by [[Hoyt Axton]], who was always the preferred choice for the role even though it was widely contested by other actors. Axton's experience included acting in ''[[The Black Stallion (film)|The Black Stallion]]'' (1979) and he was also a [[country music]] singer. Since an introductory scene to ''Gremlins'' was cut, Axton's voice also earned him the role of the [[narrator]], to establish some context. Mr. Wing was played by [[Keye Luke]], another experienced actor. Although he was around 80 in reality and his character was portrayed as very elderly, Luke's youthful appearance required [[make-up]] to cover. |
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Huey's brother, [[Earl Long]], was elected governor of Louisiana on three occasions. Huey Long's wife, [[Rose McConnell Long]], was appointed to replace him in the Senate, and his son [[Russell B. Long]] was elected to the Senate in [[1948]]. Russell Long narrowly defeated Judge [[Robert F. Kennon]] in a Democratic primary for a two-year unexpired term and then overcame Republican Clem S. Clarke in the general election. Russell Long was the narrow winner. He held the seat from 1948 until his retirement in 1987. |
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[[Polly Holliday]], an actress known for her role in ''[[Alice (TV series)|Alice]]'', played Mrs. Deagle. As she was well-known, Dante considered the casting fortunate. Ironically, two other well-known actors, [[Judge Reinhold]] and character actor [[Edward Andrews]], received roles that were significantly reduced after the film was edited. They played Billy's superiors at the bank.<ref name="DVD"/> |
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Long's first autobiography, ''[[Every Man a King]]'' was published in [[1933]]. His second book, ''[[My First Days in the White House]]'', was published posthumously. It emphatically laid out his presidential ambitions for the election of 1936 [http://www.ssa.gov/history/hueywhouse.html]. |
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===Special effects=== |
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The performances were shot on the [[backlot]] of [[Universal Studios]] in [[California]]. This required fake snow. As the special effects relied mainly on puppetry, the actors worked alongside some of the puppets. Nevertheless, after the actors finished their work for good, a great deal of work was spent finishing the effects. During the filming, numerous small puppets, some of which were mechanical, were used for Gizmo and the gremlins. They were designed by [[Chris Walas]]. There was more than one Gizmo puppet, and occasionally Galligan, when carrying one, would set him down off camera, and when Gizmo appeared again sitting on a surface it was actually a different puppet wired to the surface. These puppets had many limitations. The Gizmo puppets were particularly frustrating because they were smaller and thus broke down more. Consequently, to satisfy the crew, a scene was included in which the gremlins hang Gizmo on a wall and throw darts at him. |
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A statue of Long[ http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/long_h.cfm] stands in [[Statuary Hall]] in the U.S. Capitol building. The other statue representing Louisiana is that of [[Edward Douglass White]]. |
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Other effects required large mogwai heads to be produced for close-ups. Consequently, large props simulating food were needed for the close-ups in the scene in which the mogwai feast after midnight. An enlarged Gizmo puppet was also needed for the scene in which he multiplies. The new mogwai, which popped out of Gizmo's body as small balls which grew, were [[balloon]]s and expanded as such. Walas had also created the exploding gremlin in the microwave by means of a balloon that was allowed to burst. |
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Two bridges crossing the Mississippi River are named after Long: [[Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)]] and [[Huey P. Long Bridge (Jefferson Parish)]]. |
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Howie Mandel provided the voice for Gizmo and the prolific voice actor [[Frank Welker]] provided the voice for Stripe. It was Welker who suggested Mandel for ''Gremlins''. The puppets' lines were mostly invented by the voice actors, based on cues from the physical actions of the puppets, which were filmed before the voice work. Mandel also chose the type of voice for Gizmo, which was [[baby]]-like, based on what had been done. Mandel explained, Gizmo was "cute and naive, so, you know, I got in touch with that... I couldn't envision going any other way or do something different with it. I didn't try a few different voices."<ref name="DVD"/> |
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The Reverend [[Gerald L.K. Smith]], an advisor to Long, read and capsuled every large newspaper in Louisana and the wire service stories each day and placed a typed summary before Huey each morning. That way Long knew what was happening and did not spend valuable time reading all the papers. |
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==Reception== |
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===Critical reaction=== |
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The reactions of [[film critic]]s to ''Gremlins'' varied. [[Roger Ebert]] was approving, calling the film not only "fun" but a "sly series of send-ups," effectively [[parody]]ing many elemental film storylines. In his opinion, ''Gremlins'' did this through depictions of mysterious worlds (the shop in Chinatown) and tyrannical elderly women (Mrs. Deagle), for examples. Ebert also believed the rule in which a mogwai cannot eat after midnight was inspired by [[fairy tale]]s, and that the final scenes parodied the classic horror films. He connected Kate's speech about her father with "the great tradition of 1950s sick jokes."<ref>Roger Ebert, "Gremlins," January 1, 1984. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]].''</ref> Conversely, [[Leonard Maltin]] has complained that ''Gremlins'' is "negated by too-vivid violence and mayhem," and gave the film two out of four stars.<ref>Leonard Maltin, ed., ''Leonard Maltin's 2002 Movie & Video Guide.'' A Signet Book, 2001, page 557.</ref> |
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==William Dodd on Huey Long== |
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One scholar acknowledged some critics thought the death scenes and Kate's speech cannot be funny, and that even depictions of greed (with the gremlins indulging in gluttony) cannot be funny. However, this scholar suggested that in its depiction of these things, ''Gremlins'' emerges as a [[satire]] of "some characteristics of [[Western civilization]]." The film may suggest that Westerners take too much satisfaction out of violence. ''Gremlins'' could also be a statement against [[technology]], in that some characters, like Billy's father, are overdependent on it. In contrast, Mr. Wing is shown having a strong distaste for television.<ref>Charlotte Miller, "Using ''Gremlins'' to Teach Theme," ''The English Journal'', Vol. 74, No. 4. (Apr., 1985), p. 69.</ref> |
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Former Lieutenant Governor and Superintendent of Education Bill Dodd, who observed the Longs up close, says in his memoris that no writer in the 1930s could discuss Huey P. Long objectively but once he was dead and Franklin Roosevelt began to implement "Huey's 'share the wealth' governmental philosophy in the name of the New Deal, writers and commentators fought to give Huey credit for pushing FDR into sponsoring that program." |
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Dodd continued: |
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Another scholar drew a connection between the microwave scene and urban legends about pets dying in microwave ovens. He described the portrayal in the film as successful, but that meant it seemed terrible.<ref name="Doyle">Charles Clay Doyle, "The Avenging Voice from the Depths," ''Western Folklore'', Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan., 1988), page 21.</ref> This is indeed a scene that is thought of as being one of the film's most violent. Even Ebert expressed some fear in his review that children might be encouraged by the film to try similar things with their pets, and for that reason urged parents not to let their children see the film. |
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"I met but never knew Huey Long, Sr. He looked mean as hell. He was the father of Huey, Jr., Earl, Julius, and George S., four brothers who in differing degrees affected the history of Louisiana. Huey, Sr., was also the father of five daughters. I personally knew all of his children but two of the daughters. These brothers and sisters made lasting impressions, good or bad. They had similarities of temperament -- intelligence and strong personality, plus a healthy dose of jealousy, ambition, and hard-down meanness. In my opoinion, if girls had been boys, we would have had nine Long politicians in Louisiana. . . The family was not rich, but was well-fixed, as the term was used for middle-class people of that era. All seven whom I knew were interesting, college educated, and above averae in many respects." |
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It should also be noted that ''Gremlins'' has been criticized for more than its depictions of violence. One [[BBC]] critic wrote in 2000 that "The plot is thin and the pacing is askew." However, that critic also complimented the dark humour contrasted against the ideal Christmas setting.<ref>Almar Haflidason, "[http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/15/gremlins_1984_review.shtml Gremlins (1984)]," ''Film Reviews'', BBC, URL accessed 29 April 2006.</ref> In 2002, another critic wrote that in hindsight ''Gremlins'' has "corny special effects" and that the film will likely appeal to children more so than to adult audiences. He also said the acting was dull.<ref>Blake French, "[http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/763408a278500cd788256c2b00838caf?OpenDocument Gremlins]", ''Filmcritic.com'', 2002. URL accessed 3 May 2006.</ref> |
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Dodd comments on Huey Long's ability to attract supporters on the stump: |
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''Gremlins'' won numerous awards, including the 1985 [[Saturn Award]] for Best Director, Best Horror Film, Best Music, and Best Special Effects, and Holliday won the award for Best Supporting Actress. The film also won the 1985 [[Golden Screen Award]] and the 1985 [[Young Artist Award]] for Best Family Motion Picture (Adventure). [[Corey Feldman]], who played Billy's young friend, was also nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama. |
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"He used the media that was available to him more and better than any of his political opposition or professional speakers or radio competitors of that day. . . . Huey used investigators to find his opponent's Achilles' heel, knowing that every man has a weak spot or some of his family has one. He always had the best poltiical poker hand, and he had it before the cards were everdealt to the players. |
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===''Gremlins'' and audiences=== |
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[[Image:Gremlins.png|thumb|The DVD cover in 1999, featuring the character Stripe.]] |
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''Gremlins'' was a commercial success. It was filmed on a budget of $11,000,000, making it more expensive than Spielberg had originally intended but still relatively cheap for 1984.<ref name="DVD"/> The [[trailer (film)|trailer]] introduced the film to audiences by briefly explaining that Billy receives the strange creature as a Christmas present, going over the three rules, and then coming out with the fact that the creatures transform into terrible monsters. The trailer showed little of either the mogwais or the gremlins.<ref>''Theatrical Trailers'', in the DVD Steven Spielberg presents ''Gremlins.'' Special edition. Warner Home Video, 2002.</ref> |
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"Huey was a great speaker. And we do not say that because his voice was the best, because it was not; not because his diction, gestures, and sentence structure were exceptional, for his speeches were made to be heard and to motivate, not to be read and criticized. Huey had a style that got next to the people and made them act and react. He overpowered you while Earl wore you down. You followeed Huey like the children did for the Pied Piper. People surrendered to Earl and let him have his way. The two Long styles were different, but their goals and results were the same -- to get what they wanted and keep their opposition from getting anything." |
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Afterwards, ''Gremlins'' was released into US theatres on June 8, 1984. It grossed $12.5 million in its first weekend. In August it opened in [[Argentina]] and [[Spain]] and in October it premiered in [[West Germany]]. Screenings began in [[Australia]] and much of the rest of [[Europe]] in December. By the end of its screenings, on November 29, it had grossed $148,168,459. This made it the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, after ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'', ''Ghostbusters'' and ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]''.<ref name="box office">"[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gremlins.htm Gremlins]," ''[[Box Office Mojo]]''. URL accessed 30 April 2006.</ref> <ref>"[http://imdb.com/title/tt0087363/releaseinfo Release dates for |
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Gremlins]" [[The Internet Movie Database]], URL accessed 11 May 2006.</ref> As ''Gremlins'' had an international audience, different versions of the film were made to accomodate cultural barriers. Mandel learned to speak his few intelligible lines such as "Bright light!" into various languages such as [[German language|German]]. Regional music and humour were also incorporated into foreign language versions. Dante credited this work for ''Gremlins''' worldwide success.<ref name="DVD"/> |
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==In culture== |
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Still, there had also been complaints among audiences about the violence. This was true particularly among people who had brought their children to see the film. Many had walked out of the theatre before the film had ended. As Dante admitted to reporters later, "So the idea of taking a 4-year-old to see 'Gremlins,' thinking it's going to be a cuddly, funny animal movie and then seeing that it turns into a horror picture, I think people were upset... They felt like they had been sold something family friendly and it wasn't entirely family friendly."<ref name="PG-13">Anthony Breznican, "[http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/187529_pg13rating24.html PG-13 remade Hollywood ratings system]", The Associated Press, Tuesday, August 24, 2004.</ref> |
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The character of Buzz Windrip who in [[Sinclair Lewis]]'s 1935 novel ''[[It Can't Happen Here]]'' becomes U.S. President ("The Chief") on a strongly populist platform that quickly turns into home-grown American fascism was speculated to have been based on either Long or [[Gerald B. Winrod]]. The 1946 book ''[[All the King's Men]]'' by [[Robert Penn Warren]], charting the corruption of a politician, Willie Talos ("Talos" is used in the restored novel, Willie "Stark" is the name in the original edition), is clearly based on Long. The book won the 1947 [[Pulitzer Prize for the Novel]], and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1949, and a [[All the King's Men (2005 movie)|2006 remake]] is also set to be released. |
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''[[Huey Long (book)|Huey Long]]'' by T. (Thomas) Harry Williams won the [[1970]] [[Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography]]. Huey P. Long was also the subject of an early [[documentary film]] by [[Ken Burns]], who went on to direct epic documentaries about [[jazz]], [[baseball]], and the [[American Civil War]]. Long's career is the subject of the biographical song "Kingfish" by [[Randy Newman]] on his 1974 album, ''[[Good Old Boys]]''. The album also features a cover of Long's campaign song, "[[Every Man a King]]", which Long himself co-wrote; Long is also said to have helped compose the [[LSU]] marching band pregame song. |
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The film became available to audiences again when brought back to theatres in 1985. This brought its gross up to $153,083,102.<ref name="box office"/> It was also released on [[video]], and made $79,500,000 in [[Rental shop|rental stores]].<ref>"[http://imdb.com/title/tt0087363/business Business Data for |
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Gremlins]" [[The Internet Movie Database]], URL accessed 7 May 2006.</ref> The [[DVD]] was released in 1997 and 1999. On August 20, 2002, a "[[special edition]]" DVD was released featuring cast and filmmakers' commentary and deleted scenes. |
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[[Baton Rouge]], the capital of [[Louisiana]], formerly had an ECHL hockey team named the [[Baton Rouge]] Kingfish, after Huey Long. It included a fish mascot named Huey. |
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==Merchandizing== |
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[[Image:Neca-mogwaii-action-figure.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[National Entertainment Collectibles Association|NECA]] [[plushies]] released 2005.]] |
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With its commercial themes, especially the perceived [[cuteness]] of the character Gizmo, ''Gremlins'' became the centre of considerable merchandizing. As such, it became part of a rising trend in film, that had received a boost from Spielberg's earlier film, ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982).<ref name="DVD"/> Under the [[National Entertainment Collectibles Association]], versions of Gizmo were sold as [[doll]]s or [[stuffed animal]]s. Both Gizmo and the gremlins were mass produced as [[action figure]]s. Additionally, [[Topps]] made [[trading card]]s based upon the film.<ref> [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000A1R4Q Gremlins Action Figure: Gizmo by NECA], ''Amazon.com'', URL accessed 30 April 2006; [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000A1R4O Gremlins Action Figure: Poker Player by NECA], ''Amazon.com'', URL accessed 30 April 2006; [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000EO5MRI Gremlins Movie Photo Trading Cards Box -36 Count by Topps]," ''[[Amazon.com]]'', URL accessed 30 April 2006.</ref> |
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Disney [[comic strip]] artist and creator of the [[Huey, Dewey and Louie]] ducklings, [[Al Taliaferro]], named Huey after Huey Long. |
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The film was also the basis for a [[novel]] of the same name by [[George Gipe]], published by [[Avon Books]] in June 1984. The novel offered an origin for mogwais and gremlins as a prologue. Supposedly, mogwais were created as gentle, contemplative creatures by a scientist on an alien world; however, it was discovered that their physiology was unstable, and under "certain circumstances" (alluding to the three rules that were given in the film), mogwais would change into creatures that the somewhat sanitized novel referred to as "mischievous". This origin is unique to the novel. No definitive origin for mogwais/gremlins is ever given in either ''Gremlins'' film. |
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[[Huey P. Newton]], founder of the [[Black Panther Party]] and also born in Louisiana, was named by his father after Huey Long. |
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A few [[video game]]s based on ''Gremlins'' were also produced. These included ''Gremlins'' (1985) by [[Brian Howarth]] and [[Adventure Soft]]. In the 2000s more were released. ''Gremlins: Unleashed!'' on [[Game Boy]] was released in 2001. It was about Gizmo trying to catch Stripe and thirty gremlins, while the gremlins try to turn Gizmo himself into a gremlin. Both Gizmo and Stripe are playable characters in this game.<ref>"[http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OW8Z/202-4969683-6358259 Gremlins Unleashed]", ''Amazon.com'', URL accessed 3 May 2006.</ref> ''Gremlins: Stripe Versus Gizmo'', with both Gizmo and Stripe as playable characters, was released in 2002. |
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''The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish'' ([[1977]]) and ''Kingfish'' ([[1995]], [[Turner Network Television|TNT]]) are two made-for-TV [[docu-drama]]s about Long. [[Ed Asner]] played Long in the former, with [[John Goodman]] starring in the latter. |
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==Legacy== |
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''Gremlins'' was one of two films in 1984 to influence the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, the other being ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom''. Both were rated PG. The scene in which a gremlin explodes in a microwave was particularly influential to the idea that some films too light to be rated R are still too mature to be rated PG. Indeed, before ''Gremlins'' came out the controversy over ''Indiana Jones'' might very well have died. The change to the rating system was not insignificant. The rating PG-13 turned out to be appealing to some film patrons, as it implied some excitement without going too far.<ref name="PG-13"/> |
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In the [[Timeline-191]] series' ''[[American Empire (Harry Turtledove)|American Empire]]'' subtrilogy, parallels are drawn between [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] President [[Characters_in_the_Southern_Victory_series#Jake_Featherston|Jake Featherston]]'s populist, dictatorial style of rule and Huey Long's governorship of Louisiana. Long is ultimately assassinated on orders from Featherston when he refuses to side with the Confederate ruling party. |
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The film not only spawned a sequel, ''[[Gremlins 2: The New Batch]]'', but is believed to be the inspiration for several other unrelated films about small monsters, many of which have similar one-word titles. These include ''[[Critters (film series)|Critters]]'',<ref>Maltin, 298.</ref> ''[[Ghoulies]]'',<ref name="Doyle"/> ''[[Troll (film)|Troll]]'',<ref>Maltin, 1141.</ref> ''[[Hobgoblins]]'',<ref> Jason Gibner, [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll ''Hobgoblins.''] ''[[All Movie Guide]]''. URL accessed 28 April 2006.</ref> and ''[[Munchies (film)|Munchies]]''.<ref>Jeremy Wheeler [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll ''Munchies''], ''All Movie Guide''. URL accessed 28 April 2006.</ref> Many of these films were not critical successes, and ''Hobgoblins'' appeared on the television series ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''. |
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Huey Long is mentioned in Tennessee Williams' play [[A Streetcar Named Desire]] which takes place in Louisiana. Stanley, the husband of Stella and brother-in-law of Blanche, the drama's main character, mentions how he admires Huey Long. |
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There were rumours that the talking doll [[Furby]] was so similar to the character Gizmo that Warner Bros. was considering a lawsuit in 1998, but Warner representatives replied that this was not true.<ref>"Gizmo And Furby To Co-Exist," 24 December 1998, ''StudioBriefing''.</ref> The [[anime]] ''[[Pet Shop of Horrors]]'' has also been compared to ''Gremlins''.<ref>"[http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/alt_reviews/416.php Pet Shop of Horrors]," ''Anime on DVD Reviews'', URL accessed 30 April 2006.</ref> |
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[[Dr. James Starr]] exhumed the body of [[Carl Weiss]] in the 1990s and concluded that it was very probable that Dr. Weiss did not shoot Huey. Huey's son will not allow his body to be exhumed, therefore leaving everyone to wonder who really killed him. |
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In [[Rebecca Wells]]' novel [[Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood]], set in Louisiana, Sidda's dog is named Hueylene, after Huey Long. |
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==See also== |
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* [[The Gremlins (band)]] |
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* [[1980s in film]] |
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* [[List of fantasy films]] |
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In an episode of [[The Simpsons]], it is revealed that a character took a bullet for Huey Long. |
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==References== |
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<div style="font-size: 85%"><references/></div> |
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==Bibliography== |
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<!--<nowiki>Please do not type footnotes here. Instead insert the footnote in its proper spot in the body of this article using the <ref name=> </ref> tags. See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the tags.</nowiki>--> |
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''Note:'' The Library of Congress lists more than eighty publications with Huey Long as a subject. Most of the biographies and historical works in this list inevitably rework the same information and add little if anything in the way of new conclusions. The following titles are either highly regarded, standard, critical and synthetic scholarly works, or are important contemporary partisan writings of particular interest to students of politics, or are the only titles available that cover less commonly addressed aspects of Long's career. |
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* Boulard, Garry. ''Huey Long Invades New Orleans: the Siege of a City, 1934-36.'' Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 1998. |
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* Davis, Forrest. ''Huey Long: a Candid Biography.'' NY: Dodge Publishing Co., 1935. |
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* Dodd, William J. "Bill." "Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics." Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing Co., 1991. |
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*Fineran, John Kingston. ''The Career of a Tinpot Napoleon, a Political Biography of Huey P. Long.'' New Orleans: J. K. Fineran, 1932. |
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* Harris, Thomas O. ''The Kingfish, Huey P. Long, Dictator.'' Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 1938. |
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* ''Huey Pierce Long, the Martyr of the Age.'' A publication of the Louisiana State Museum. New Orleans: T. J. Moran’s Sons, 1937. |
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* Jeansonne, Glen (ed.). ''Huey at 100: Centennial Essays on Huey P. Long.'' Ruston, LA: McGinty Publications (for Dept. of History, Louisiana Tech University), 1995. |
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* Kane, Thomas Harnett. ''Louisiana Hayride: the American Rehearsal for Dictatorship, 1928-1940.'' William Morrow, 1941. |
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* Long, Huey P. ''Every Man a King: the Autobiography of Huey P. Long.'' New Orleans: National Book Co., 1933. |
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* Pavy, Donald A. ''Accident and Deception: the Huey Long Shooting.'' New Iberia: Cajun Publications, 1999. |
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* White, Richard D., Jr. ''Kingfish: the Reign of Huey P. Long.'' Random House, 2006. |
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* Williams, T. Harry. ''Huey Long.'' Knopf, 1969. [Winner of the 1970 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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* {{imdb title|id=0087363|title=Gremlins}} |
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*[http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5109/ Listen to, and read the text of one of his Share the Wealth speeches] |
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* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=A20918 All Movie Guide entry] |
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* [http://www.ssa.gov/history/hlong1.html Social Security Administration Bio of Huey Long] |
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* [http://gremlins.idohost.com The Gremlins Homepage] - fan site |
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* [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlongH.htm Biography with quotes] |
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* [http://www.horrorlair.com/movies/gremlins.html April 27, 1982, Second Draft screenplay by Christopher Columbus] |
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* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=640 Huey Long's Gravesite] |
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{{succession box | title=[[U.S. Congressional Delegations from Louisiana|US Senator (Class 2) from Louisiana]]| before=[[Joseph E. Ransdell]]| after=[[Rose McConnell Long]] | years=[[1932]]–[[1935]]}} |
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Revision as of 16:17, 29 May 2006
Huey Pierce Long (August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935) was an controversial American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. He served as governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. Though a backer of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential election, Long split with Roosevelt in June 1933 and planned to mount his own presidential bid in the future.
Long created the Share Our Wealth program in 1934, with the motto "Every Man a King," proposing new income redistribution measures action to curb the poverty and crime that came as a result of the Great Depression. Immensely popular for his social reform programs and willingness to take forceful action, Long was accused of dictatorial tendencies for his near-total control of the state government and media and was noted for his colorful, flamboyant, and bombastic character. At the height of his popularity, Long was assassinated at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, dying of a fatal gunshot wound two days after being shot by Carl Weiss. His last words were reportedly, "God, don't let me die. I have so much to do."
Early life and legal career
Long was born in Winnfield, Winn Parish, Louisiana, in the north-central part of the state. He was the seventh of nine children of a landowning upper middle-class family. He attended local schools, where he reportedly was an excellent student with a photographic memory. In 1910 he was expelled from school for forming a secret society against adding a 12th year of school as a graduation requirement. He spent the next four years as a successful traveling salesman, selling books, canned goods, and patent medicines as well as working as an auctioneer.
In 1913, Huey Long married Rose McConnell. She was a home economics teacher who had won a baking contest that he promoted to sell "Cotolene," one of the most popular of the early vegetable shortenings to come on the market. Rose Long was, according to the memoirs of the Long family observer William J. "Bill" Dodd, a "lovely, introvertish sort of lady, but she knew what to say and do to help Huey and her family, and she did just that." The Longs had a daughter, also named Rose, and two sons, Russell and Palmer.
Long briefly attended the University of Oklahoma School of Law in Norman, Oklahoma and later Tulane University Law School in New Orleans. In 1915, he convinced a board to let him take the bar exam after only a year at Tulane. He passed and began private practice in Winnfield and later Shreveport, where he spent 10 years working on worker's compensation cases. He lost a lawsuit against Standard Oil but achieved successes in other cases. When Long argued before the Supreme Court, Chief Justice William Howard Taft was so impressed with the legal arguments that he declared Long one of the best "legal minds" he had encountered.
Political career and rise to power
Long was elected chairman of the Louisiana Railroad Commission in 1918 on an anti-Standard Oil platform. (The commission was renamed the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 1921.) He ran for governor of Louisiana in 1924 but failed, although he was reelected to the Public Service Commission. In that campaign he became one of the first Southern politicians to use radio addresses in a campaign. Around this time he also began wearing his distinctive white linen suit.
In 1928 he ran again for Louisiana governor and campaigned with the slogan of "every man a king, but no one wears a crown"—a phrase adopted from William Jennings Bryan. He became known as "the Kingfish" because he answered the telephone with "this is the Kingfish"— a reference to George "Kingfish" Stevens (voiced by radio actor Freeman Gosden), a character in the immensely popular radio show "Amos 'n' Andy." Stevens was the lodge leader who was always trying to lure the title characters into get-rich-quick schemes. Long explained his adoption of the nickname by saying "I'm a small fish here in Washington, but I'm the Kingfish to the folks down in Louisiana." Long's attacks on the utilities industries and the privileges of corporations were popular and he won the election by the largest vote margin in the state's history— 92,941 to 3,733.
Long made frequent disparaging remarks about the rich as a class. Huey Long constantly depicted the wealthy as parasites that grabbed more than their fair share of the public wealth while marginalizing the poor.
Governorship
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg?lang=en){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Long introduced several major reforms once in office, including free textbooks and free night courses for adult learning, increased expenditures on the state university, a program to build a school within walking distance of every child in the state, and jobs for young men in need. Once in office Long also financed a wide-ranging program of public works; over 12,000 miles of road were paved and over 100 bridges were built, one which was the Huey. P. Long bridge, as well as a new airport in New Orleans, and a medical school at Louisiana State University (LSU). The programs were financed by increased taxes on the rich and on big business; the new roads were paid for with a tax on gasoline. Long was so determined to have his way that, bypassing the state legislature, he put considerable effort into ensuring that his own people controlled every level of the state political system.
His efforts in Louisiana were the subject of an IRS investigation; he had increased annual state government expenditure three-fold and the state debt over ten-fold. In 1929, he was impeached on charges of bribery and gross misconduct, but the state senate failed to convict him by a narrow margin of two votes. It was often alleged that Long had concentrated power to the point where he had become a dictator of sorts; this was unprecedented.
Long also was efficient in the use of his personal time. The Reverend Gerald L.K. Smith, an advisor to Long, read and capsuled every large newspaper in Louisana and the wire service stories each day and placed a typed summary before Huey each morning. That way Long knew what was happening and did not spend valuable time reading all the papers. He was a man with a mission, and he knew that he might not have all the time needed to accomplish what he desired.
In the Senate
In 1930 he was elected to the United States Senate. He went to Washington in 1932 after having ensured that Oscar K. Allen was elected to replace him as governor. Long continued to be in effective control of Louisiana while he was a senator. Though he had no constitutional authority to do so, he continued to draft and press bills through the Louisiana legislature, which remained controlled by his supporters. He was vigorous in his efforts to try to counter the profound socio-economic impact of the Great Depression. By 1934 he began a reorganization of the state that all but abolished local government and gave himself the power to appoint all state employees.
He was a vocal supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1932 election, but when Long was not offered a federal post, he turned against Roosevelt. In 1933 he was part of the three week Senate filibuster against the Glass-Steagall Act. In another famous filibuster on June 12–June 13, 1935, Long made the longest speech of his Senate career. The speech took 15½ hours and comprised 150,000 words. [1] In 1934 he created the Share Our Wealth program, proposing heavy new taxes on the super-rich. Though he was a Democrat, President Roosevelt considered Long a demagogue and privately said of him that "he was one of the two most dangerous men in America." The other to whom he referred was General Douglas MacArthur. Long positioned himself to run against Roosevelt in the 1936 election. He announced his bid in August 1935. One month later, he was dead.
It was later revealed by historian and Long biographer T. Harry Williams that the senator had never, in fact, intended to run for the presidency in 1936. Instead, he had been plotting with Father Charles Coughlin, a Catholic priest and populist talk radio personality from Michigan, to run someone else on the soon-to-be-formed Share Our Wealth Party ticket. According to Williams, the idea was that this candidate would split the left-wing vote with President Roosevelt, thereby electing a Republican president and proving the electoral appeal of SOW. Long would then wait four years and run for president as a Democrat in 1940.
Assassination
On September 8, 1935, Huey Long was shot once by Dr. Carl Weiss in the Capitol building at Baton Rouge. Weiss was immediately shot dead by Long's bodyguards. The walls of the capitol hallway are still nicked from the bullets fired in the shootout. Dr. Weiss was a medical doctor and the son-in-law of Judge Benjamin Pavy, a long-time political opponent of Long. Long died two days later from internal bleeding following an incompetent attempt to close the wounds by Dr. Arthur Vidrine.
Many have questioned whether Dr. Weiss actually killed Long, or whether the senator was shot to death by stray bullets from his bodyguards who struck Weiss because they mistakenly believed that Weiss had fired on Long. One who takes this view is former Louisiana state police superintendent Francis Grevemberg.
Legacy
Huey's brother, Earl Long, was elected governor of Louisiana on three occasions. Huey Long's wife, Rose McConnell Long, was appointed to replace him in the Senate, and his son Russell B. Long was elected to the Senate in 1948. Russell Long narrowly defeated Judge Robert F. Kennon in a Democratic primary for a two-year unexpired term and then overcame Republican Clem S. Clarke in the general election. Russell Long was the narrow winner. He held the seat from 1948 until his retirement in 1987.
Long's first autobiography, Every Man a King was published in 1933. His second book, My First Days in the White House, was published posthumously. It emphatically laid out his presidential ambitions for the election of 1936 [2].
A statue of Long[ http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/long_h.cfm] stands in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol building. The other statue representing Louisiana is that of Edward Douglass White.
Two bridges crossing the Mississippi River are named after Long: Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge) and Huey P. Long Bridge (Jefferson Parish).
The Reverend Gerald L.K. Smith, an advisor to Long, read and capsuled every large newspaper in Louisana and the wire service stories each day and placed a typed summary before Huey each morning. That way Long knew what was happening and did not spend valuable time reading all the papers.
William Dodd on Huey Long
Former Lieutenant Governor and Superintendent of Education Bill Dodd, who observed the Longs up close, says in his memoris that no writer in the 1930s could discuss Huey P. Long objectively but once he was dead and Franklin Roosevelt began to implement "Huey's 'share the wealth' governmental philosophy in the name of the New Deal, writers and commentators fought to give Huey credit for pushing FDR into sponsoring that program."
Dodd continued:
"I met but never knew Huey Long, Sr. He looked mean as hell. He was the father of Huey, Jr., Earl, Julius, and George S., four brothers who in differing degrees affected the history of Louisiana. Huey, Sr., was also the father of five daughters. I personally knew all of his children but two of the daughters. These brothers and sisters made lasting impressions, good or bad. They had similarities of temperament -- intelligence and strong personality, plus a healthy dose of jealousy, ambition, and hard-down meanness. In my opoinion, if girls had been boys, we would have had nine Long politicians in Louisiana. . . The family was not rich, but was well-fixed, as the term was used for middle-class people of that era. All seven whom I knew were interesting, college educated, and above averae in many respects."
Dodd comments on Huey Long's ability to attract supporters on the stump:
"He used the media that was available to him more and better than any of his political opposition or professional speakers or radio competitors of that day. . . . Huey used investigators to find his opponent's Achilles' heel, knowing that every man has a weak spot or some of his family has one. He always had the best poltiical poker hand, and he had it before the cards were everdealt to the players.
"Huey was a great speaker. And we do not say that because his voice was the best, because it was not; not because his diction, gestures, and sentence structure were exceptional, for his speeches were made to be heard and to motivate, not to be read and criticized. Huey had a style that got next to the people and made them act and react. He overpowered you while Earl wore you down. You followeed Huey like the children did for the Pied Piper. People surrendered to Earl and let him have his way. The two Long styles were different, but their goals and results were the same -- to get what they wanted and keep their opposition from getting anything."
In culture
The character of Buzz Windrip who in Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here becomes U.S. President ("The Chief") on a strongly populist platform that quickly turns into home-grown American fascism was speculated to have been based on either Long or Gerald B. Winrod. The 1946 book All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, charting the corruption of a politician, Willie Talos ("Talos" is used in the restored novel, Willie "Stark" is the name in the original edition), is clearly based on Long. The book won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1949, and a 2006 remake is also set to be released.
Huey Long by T. (Thomas) Harry Williams won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. Huey P. Long was also the subject of an early documentary film by Ken Burns, who went on to direct epic documentaries about jazz, baseball, and the American Civil War. Long's career is the subject of the biographical song "Kingfish" by Randy Newman on his 1974 album, Good Old Boys. The album also features a cover of Long's campaign song, "Every Man a King", which Long himself co-wrote; Long is also said to have helped compose the LSU marching band pregame song.
Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, formerly had an ECHL hockey team named the Baton Rouge Kingfish, after Huey Long. It included a fish mascot named Huey.
Disney comic strip artist and creator of the Huey, Dewey and Louie ducklings, Al Taliaferro, named Huey after Huey Long.
Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panther Party and also born in Louisiana, was named by his father after Huey Long.
The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish (1977) and Kingfish (1995, TNT) are two made-for-TV docu-dramas about Long. Ed Asner played Long in the former, with John Goodman starring in the latter.
In the Timeline-191 series' American Empire subtrilogy, parallels are drawn between Confederate President Jake Featherston's populist, dictatorial style of rule and Huey Long's governorship of Louisiana. Long is ultimately assassinated on orders from Featherston when he refuses to side with the Confederate ruling party.
Huey Long is mentioned in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire which takes place in Louisiana. Stanley, the husband of Stella and brother-in-law of Blanche, the drama's main character, mentions how he admires Huey Long. Dr. James Starr exhumed the body of Carl Weiss in the 1990s and concluded that it was very probable that Dr. Weiss did not shoot Huey. Huey's son will not allow his body to be exhumed, therefore leaving everyone to wonder who really killed him.
In Rebecca Wells' novel Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, set in Louisiana, Sidda's dog is named Hueylene, after Huey Long.
In an episode of The Simpsons, it is revealed that a character took a bullet for Huey Long.
Bibliography
Note: The Library of Congress lists more than eighty publications with Huey Long as a subject. Most of the biographies and historical works in this list inevitably rework the same information and add little if anything in the way of new conclusions. The following titles are either highly regarded, standard, critical and synthetic scholarly works, or are important contemporary partisan writings of particular interest to students of politics, or are the only titles available that cover less commonly addressed aspects of Long's career.
- Boulard, Garry. Huey Long Invades New Orleans: the Siege of a City, 1934-36. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 1998.
- Davis, Forrest. Huey Long: a Candid Biography. NY: Dodge Publishing Co., 1935.
- Dodd, William J. "Bill." "Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics." Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing Co., 1991.
- Fineran, John Kingston. The Career of a Tinpot Napoleon, a Political Biography of Huey P. Long. New Orleans: J. K. Fineran, 1932.
- Harris, Thomas O. The Kingfish, Huey P. Long, Dictator. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 1938.
- Huey Pierce Long, the Martyr of the Age. A publication of the Louisiana State Museum. New Orleans: T. J. Moran’s Sons, 1937.
- Jeansonne, Glen (ed.). Huey at 100: Centennial Essays on Huey P. Long. Ruston, LA: McGinty Publications (for Dept. of History, Louisiana Tech University), 1995.
- Kane, Thomas Harnett. Louisiana Hayride: the American Rehearsal for Dictatorship, 1928-1940. William Morrow, 1941.
- Long, Huey P. Every Man a King: the Autobiography of Huey P. Long. New Orleans: National Book Co., 1933.
- Pavy, Donald A. Accident and Deception: the Huey Long Shooting. New Iberia: Cajun Publications, 1999.
- White, Richard D., Jr. Kingfish: the Reign of Huey P. Long. Random House, 2006.
- Williams, T. Harry. Huey Long. Knopf, 1969. [Winner of the 1970 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award]
External links
- Listen to, and read the text of one of his Share the Wealth speeches
- Social Security Administration Bio of Huey Long
- Biography with quotes
- Huey Long's Gravesite
