“STOP THE WAR (The Cats Are Killin’ Themselves)”; Wingie Manone and his Orchestra; Wingie Manone; George Brunis; Joe Marsala; Mel Powell; Carmen Mastren; Al Morgan; Zutty Singleton; Bluebird (B-11107-A); Publication date: March 19, 1941

Unidentified Photographer, Weegee, Weegee by Weegee, 1961

Weegee, Weegee by Weegee, 1961, pp. 8-9

…Father kept on working. By this time, he had decided that he could do better as his own boss with a pushcart. When the second shipment of money came to Zlothev, it was OK, and the five of us, Mother, my three brothers and Weegee, could leave by first-class steerage…

Weegee, Weegee by Weegee, 1961, pp. 8-9

“STOP THE WAR”; The Macedonians; Amos; McDaniel; Octive (707-A)

Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine

Screenshot, The New York Times, March 17, 2022

A protester storms a live broadcast on Russia’s most-watched news show, yelling, ‘Stop the war!’

The New York Times, March 14, 2022

“STOP THE WAR (The Cats Are Killin’ Themselves)”; Wingie Manone and his Orchestra; Wingie Manone; George Brunis; Joe Marsala; Mel Powell; Carmen Mastren; Al Morgan; Zutty Singleton; Bluebird (B-11107-A); Publication date: March 19, 1941

“Planes”; Major (5051 B); 1960

The New York Times, December 7, 1941

POLICEMAN SLAIN AS HE HALTS GANG WHILE OFF DUTY

135 Detectives Hunt for Killer in Upper East Side Area to Which He Fled in Cab

COMRADE’S HAT A CLUE

Victim Was on Way Home at 4:30 A.M. When He Met Group Believed Bent on Hold-Up

“Air Raid Sirens”; Major (4023 A); 1960

Brooklyn Eagle, December 6, 1941

UNARMED COP, OFF DUTY, SLAIN BY 3 GUNMEN

Cab Driver Sees Killing As Policeman Halts Trio, Starts to Identify Himself

“Air Raid”; Major (5026 A); 1960

PM, December 7, 1941

Gunmen murdered Patrolman Thomas J. Casey…

(Spoiler alert: On January 22, 1943 Frank Castellano, 26, was “electrocuted in Sing Sing prison” for the murder of Thomas J. Casey…)

Castellano looked straight ahead as he entered the death chamber. In the electric chair he leaned over to silently kiss the crucifix held by Father Martin. He said nothing from the time he entered the chamber until he was dead.

Brooklyn Eagle, January 22, 1943

“Explosions”; Major (5033 B); 1960

“Dreamsville, Ohio”; Charlie Spivak and his Orch.; Jean Hutton; Lee; Rinker; Freeland; Okeh (6518); Publication date: November 24 1941

“Newspaper Boy Blues”; Tiny Bradshaw; Little Tiny Kennedy; Bradshaw; Kennedy; King (4537-A);l February 27, 1952

The Newspaper That Can and Dares To Tell the Truth!

Read PM Everyday…

PM, November 24 1941, p. 5

“Tell the Truth”; The “5” Royales; Lawman Pauling; King (5141); 1958

…the newspaper division of the New York Public Library…

PM, November 24 1941, p. 14

“Get Your Paper (The Newspaper Song)”; Eddie Fisher; Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra; Jerry Ross; RCA Victor (20-4100-B);1951

PM, November 24 1941, p. 22

“Clifford Burdette: African-American Radio Pioneer” on WNYC.ORG

“News Effects”; Major (5038 A); 1960

The Real Macumba…

PM, November 24 1941, p. 23

“She Brought Life Back to the Dead”; “Sonny Boy” Williamson and His House Rockers; W. Williamson; Trumpet (No. 215); December 4, 1951

PM, November 24 1941, pp. 12-13

“As Long As You Live (You’ll Be Dead If You Die)”; Mildred Bailey and her Orchestra; Mildred Bailey; Mercer; Hanighen; Vocalion (4253); June 29, 1938

PM, November 24 1941, p. 13

Cop Kills Holdup Man:

A few minutes after he held up an Essex Street lunchroom on the Lower East Side and shot a patron, Vincent Mannuzza, 31, was lying dead at the feet of the cop who shot him. Patrolman Laurence Cramer, right, shot and killed Mannuzza after a two-block chase and is shown handing the gunman’s revolver to Sgt. Eugene Morland. The $20 loot taken from the restaurant lies in Mannuzza’s hat at his side. An ambulance surgeon crouches over the dead man who was shot in the head and back. Mannuzza shot a customer, Adam Zayko, 50, when he refused to go into the back room with two other customers and the manager of the lunchroom.
PM Photo by Weegee

PM, November 24 1941, p. 13

“Dead Man’s Blues”; Scat Man Crothers; Riff Charles And Friends; Vic Dickenson; Riff Charles; Capitol (15076); 1948

“Dead Broke”; The Du Droppers; Emma Pratt; Jesse Stone; Groove (G-0001); 1954

“As Long as You Live You’ll Be Dead If You Die”; Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra; Louis Armstrong; Bernie Hanighen; Johnny Mercer; Decca (2230 A); May 13, 1938

POLICEMEN KILL BANDIT IN BATTLE

Thousands Awed as Gunman Fires Wildly at Pursuers in Crowded Delancey Street

CUSTOMER OF DINER SHOT

Critically Wounded When He Blocks Doorway as Thug Flees After Hold-Up

The New York Times, November 24 1941

“Minnie the Moocher Is Dead”; Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra; Dandridge Sisters; Edwin Wilcox; James Crawford; Moses Allen; Al Norris; Willie Smith; Joe Thomas; Ted Buchner; Earl Carruthers; Dan Grisson; Gerald Wilson; Paul Webster; Snookie Young; Elmer Crubley; James Young; Russell Bowles; Musgrove; Taylor; Segure; Columbia (35700); June 19, 1940

Weegee, Naked City, 1945, pp. 82-83

There was a good double feature at the Loew’s Delancey Street on Sunday, November 23, 1941. At 8:45 PM, for 39 cents [7 bucks today], you could have seen this double feature, (neither were were gangster films):

Tanks a Million (1941): “It was the first of Hal Roach’s Streamliners, short films under an hour designed for the lower half of a double feature.” (Wikipedia)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941): “American horror film starring” Lana Turner, Ingrid Bergman, and Spencer Tracy. (Wikipedia)

PM, November 23, 1941

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde trailer

“…good and evil are so close as to be chained together at the soul…”

“Your Eyes Have Never Seen Entertainment So Graphically Filmed.”

“You Must See It To Believe It!”

“Newspaper Headlines”; Formerly Star & Garter; Whiz (Emp 22)

The Cop Kills Holdup Man story was widely published, photo-free, on November 24, 1941, here are selected newspaper headlines (and a book caption):

Cop Kills Holdup Man (PM)

Crime And Punishment (Naked City)

Delancey St. Battle Ends In Death (Knickerbocker News)

Ex-Convict Slain In $9 Holdup Of New York Diner (Troy)

Ex-convict Shot Down after Chase (Niagara Falls)

Exconvict Killed, Diner Patron Shot in East Side Holdup (Syracuse)

Just Out Of Prison Thug Is Shot Dead In a Street Battle (Daily News)

New York Police Chase, Slay Convict (Herald Statesman)

Police Kill Ex-Convict (Ossining)

Policeman Kill Bandit In Battle (New York Times)

Robber Slain, Diner Wounded (Rochester)

“OUT TO LUNCH”; Coleman Hawkins; Walter Thomas Orchestra; Walter Thomas; Hilton Jefferson; Cozy” Cole; Clyde Hart; Milton Hinton; Jonah Jones; Eddie Barefield; Davis (DA-10-6), 1945

Screenshot, (Weegee, [Weegee and the Weegee archive, Hollywood], ca. 1950)

Celebrate Archives!

Did you know that June 9 is International Archives Day? All around the world, professionals in the archival community unite their voices on June 9 to make you understand why it is essential to support archives and the profession.

The ICA believes that the value of archives and archivists should be promoted at the international level. Archives and archivists play an important role in accountability, transparency, democracy, heritage, memory and society.

During the 2004 International Congress in Vienna, 2000 attending participants adopted a resolution requesting that the United Nations (UN) designates a specific day to mark the importance and value of archives.

Screenshot, (Weegee, [Weegee and the Weegee archive, Hollywood], ca. 1950)

International Archives Week

Since the first International Archives Day in 2009, ICA has expanded the event to an entire week. During International Archives Week (IAW), organisations worldwide share their events and participate alongside ICA to promote the value and importance of archives and archivists.

Screenshot, (Bob Parent, [Weegee and Mel Harris working on the the book “Naked Hollywood”], ca. 1953)

Mandate

The objectives of the International Archives Day and International Archives Week, are to:

– raise public awareness of the importance of records and archives;

– raise awareness among senior decision-makers of the benefits of records management for good governance and development;

– improve the public, private and public sectors’ understanding of the necessity of long-term archival preservation and access;

– showcase the unique, extraordinary, and rare documents preserved in archival institutions; and

– advance the image of records and archives to enhance their visibility globally.

ica.org

Screenshot, (Gerald Straw, [Wilma Wilcox working with the Weegee archive], ca. 1975)

“Tempest STORM, ‘New’ Series – Large Photos, ‘Full Set,’ Only $1.00”

“Two Insurance Policies
$25,000 Each
Tempest Storm, the ‘Bazoom Girl’ has insured herself most definitely against occupational hazards to the merry tune of $50,000, naturally divided into two polices. Recently…”

“Everyone watches intently as the first spoonful of immortality is poured. Goo didn’t even tickle.”