Sometimes an imaginary nightmare can stop a terrible, real-life one from happening. Such was the case in this clipping from 1933.
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In this story found across multiple papers in the early 1920s, 101 year old Janet Newbury shares the vanities, life experiences, and pastry perks that come with age.
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Sometimes you just want to wear some trousers and have some fun. Alas, that didn’t work out too well for a woman named Ethel Marks in 1912:
One thing is for sure: she was from Missouri.
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Today marks the release of Disney’s newest take on Aladdin, an event that never would have happened without the success of its popular animated predecessor. In honor of the beloved original cartoon, here are five fun facts to mildly entertain your friends and family on the drive (or magic carpet ride) to the theater.
Disney’s Aladdin Wed, Nov 25, 1992 – 14 · The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) · Newspapers.com
Between the initial pitch and the film’s release, almost everything about Aladdin’s character completely changed. His age, his family situation, and even the choice of inspiration for his personality and looks shifted over the course of several years’ work.
Al’s lack of charisma and “on-screen” presence was a recurring problem in early versions. Between the self-assured Jasmine and the scene-stealing Genie, Aladdin had a hard time keeping up. Forunately, he went through several rewrites to make his character a stronger contender.
The Arabian Nights story of Aladdin is a well-known source of inspiration for the movie we know and love today. But a fantasy film from the 40s about a scrappy young thief, a handsome king, and a (nameless) beautiful princess was also significant to the story. It even includes a deceitful adviser, Jaffar.
It’s pretty fascinating to see what goes into a movie that, on the surface, can seem like little more than a children’s cartoon.
Inspiration for Agrabah Wed, Nov 25, 1992 – 14 · The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah) · Newspapers.com
And here’s a bit of fun trivia about the film’s use of color:
The biggest controversy of the film’s history has to do with its most recognizable talent, Robin Williams. The role of Genie was not just perfect for Williams’ incredible versatility—it was specifically written for him.
Williams was happy to take the part; he wanted to be involved in animation and help create something great for his children. Disney agreed to his one request: that they not to use his voice to sell merchandise or prominently feature his character for marketing. You can probably guess (or remember) how that went.
All’s well that ends well. After a direct-to-video sequel (The Return of Jafar, 1994) and a change in Disney management, a public apology was made to Williams. The original Genie was back for Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and some Genie-led educational videos to boot.
Shortly after its release, Aladdin surpassed Beauty and the Beast as the highest-grossing animated film. However, it would only hold that record for about two years before being smashed by 1994’s wildly successful The Lion King.
Do you have any fond memories of Aladdin, and are you planning to see the new adaptation? Tell us about it below! Try a search on Newspapers.com to find more on the movie, its influences, and its reception.
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Need a nap? Try taking a look into the “huge, unblinking eyes” of Puffy, King of all cats, for a bit of restful hypnotism.
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Wedding ceremonies bring with them a wide range of experiences. Mundane or magical, weird or wonderful, there’s a lot of pressure to make that knot-tying day something to remember. In the case of the clippings below, the happy couples made memories novel enough to earn a spot in the newspaper.
Marriage on Skis Fri, May 27, 1910 – 5 · The Weekly Guard (Council Grove, Kansas) · Newspapers.com
This is just a few of the many clippings to find on this topic. Try a search on Newspapers.com for more.
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Here’s an interesting article from 1922. A man named William H. Bryson claimed to have been visited by many ghosts from his past, and all but one were “first rate chaps.”
He Met 20 Ghosts Sun, Mar 12, 1922 – 8 · New York Herald (New York, New York) · Newspapers.com
Those last couple lines are in reference to a haunted farm in Caledonia Mills, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, a story that was making its own trail in the papers of early 1922.
The Ghostly Fellows
Most of the ghosts Bryson met were friendly, and were often people he’d known in life.
But according to Bryson, the ghosts did not appreciate being given the cold shoulder (though it seems nothing malevolent came of their frustration.) Only one ghost was ever unwelcome, an old business partner who haunted Bryson for six straight nights to scold him for losing his money.
Despite all these visitations, Bryson seemed pretty comfortable with the whole experience.
See the full article here, or try a search for similar stories on Newspapers.com.
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From the pages of The Washington Times, 1912, this clipping shows that cats can sometimes be too much to handle…especially by the dozens.
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Punchy headlines can be great at letting you know what’s up…sometimes quite literally. This particular battle not only involves a bald eagle, but a hot air balloon and the aeronaut within.
For a while the eagle circled around the balloon, while Cleveland watched. This all seems a bit tame so far, but don’t worry. It’s about to get much more intense.
A befuddled and exhausted Cleveland threw out his anchor and touched down on solid land. He walked along the nearby river until he found the bird—dead, as he suspected. Unfortunately for him, bald eagles are kind of a big deal in the United States and he was nearly fined for the crime of killing one. But, though the article doesn’t confirm, it seems likely that in this case the fine wasn’t enforced.
Find more odd and interesting stories like this one with a browse on Newspapers.com.
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In late April of 1865, the steamboat Sultana chugged up the Mississippi river with over 2000 passengers weighing down its decks. Most were Union prisoners returning home from camps like Cahaba and Andersonville, weak and happy to be heading home after a hard and bloody war.
With thousands of Union prisoners needing a way home, the U.S. Government paid steamship captains several dollars a head for every soldier transported north. The Chief Quartermaster at Vicksburg, Missouri, suggested a deal to Captain James Cass Mason of the Sultana: he’d get Mason a full load of 1400 men in return for some of that sweet government cash. Mason agreed, but didn’t expect over 1900 soldiers to crowd every spare inch of space on a boat only meant to carry 376.
Meanwhile, a leaking boiler on board had been quickly patched to allow the steamer to take on the massive load of passengers. With decks sagging under the weight and the boiler crack ominously nailed together with a metal plate, the Sultana continued on its way.
At 2 am on April 27th, the leaking boiler exploded and took out two more boilers along with it. The blast tore the steamer apart just north of Memphis, Tennessee, and within twenty minutes the ship was burning to the water line. Those who survived the blast found themselves trapped on the fiery decks or thrown into the river. Those in the river either drowned, weakened from their injuries, or watched in horror as the ship burned with their friends still on board.
In all, around 1200 passengers perished. To this day it remains the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. But in the wake of events like the war ending and Lincoln’s assassination, this tragedy has been all but forgotten.
The Sultana disaster wasn’t as covered as other events at the time, but there’s more to find on Newspapers.com. Try a search for the steamship or Captain Mason for more about the incident and aftermath.
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