Desire's Time Machine Visits the Forties

December 13th, 1940.  "Santa Fe Trail" premieres in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Errol Flynn plays the Civil War General "Jeb Stuart" in this biopic about his early days including his relationship with Kit Carson Holliday (Olivia De Havilland), his friendship with George Armstrong Custer (Ronald Reagan), and his battles with the abolitionist, John Brown (Raymond Massey).

December 13th, 1940.  Django Reinhardt et le Quintette du Hot Club de France Hubert Rostaing (cl); Alix Combelle (cl, ts & chimes); Django Reinhardt (g solo); Joseph Reinhardt (g); Tony Rovira (b); Pierre Fouad (dm).

December 12th, 1940.  Tommy McClennan records "Whiskey Head Man" in Chicago.

December 11th, 1940.  on the set of Ziegfeld Girl, being photographed with Lana Turner for publicity shots. Photo Credit: Clarence Sinclair Bull Serial Number: S1165-170

December 10th, 1940.  Fats Waller records "Frenesi" in the Panther Room at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago.

December 9th, 1940. Cameron Highlanders, a Scottish infantry regiment of the British Army, and Indian troops march past the Great Pyramid in the North African Desert.

December 8th, 1940.  "Fishing on the San Lorenzo"  This was back in the day before the Santa Cruz City Council’s let pollutants and developers kill off our fish. This was the opening of the steelhead season, by Murray Street on East Cliff. 

December 8th, 1940.  The Chicago Bears defeat the Washington Redskins, 73-0 for the championship, in what still stands as the most lopsided victory in NFL history.

December 7th, 1940.  Above is seen Frederick Ewen, Professor of English at Brooklyn College, speaking before a mass rally of Brooklyn College students who have organized a S.O.S. (Save Our Schools) movement against the rabid attacks of the Rapp-Coudert witchhunt committee.

photo and caption via Brooklyn College

December 5th, 1940.  "The Son of Monte Cristo" premieres in New York City.  The son of Edmund Dantes (Louis Hayward) tries to help the Grand Duchess of Lichtenburg (Joan Bennett) regain her rightful throne from the evil General Gurko Lanen (George Sanders).

December 5th, 1940. "The Thief of Bagdad" premieres in New York City.  It stars John Justin as King Ahmad who after being unjustly banished from Bagdad by the evil Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), tries to regain his throne and his love with the help of a thief named Abu (Sabu).

The force of a bomb blast in London piled these furniture vans atop one another in a street after a raid on December 5, 1940. (AP Photo)

December 4th, 1940.  Artie Shaw and his Orchestra record "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me".

December 3rd, 1940.  "Second Chorus" premieres in New York City.  Starring Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith as pair of trumpet playing buddies who need some help from manager Paulette Goddard to get hired to play in Artie Shaw's band.  Paulette was currently married to Great Dictator co-star Charlie Chaplin, but she would end up marrying Burgess Meredith four years later.  You might not recognize young Burgess in the picture above... Today's audiences usually know him better as Mickey, the cantankerous trainer from the Rocky pictures.

Charlie Parker records "Lady Be Good" at only 20 years of age.

Recorded: KFBI Studio, Wichita, KS December 2, 1940 Personnel: Jay McShann Orchestra Featuring Charlie Parker Charlie Parker - Alto Sax Buddy Anderson - Trumpet Orville Minor - Trumpet Bob Gould - Trombone /Violin Bob Mabane - Tenor Sax Jay McShann - Piano Gene Ramey - Bass Gus Johnson - Drums