Tonight, on your local PBS television station, Part One of the documentary, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History debuts. This episode kicks off a seven night, fourteen hour exploration of the complex lives, times and relationships between three of our country’s most influential citizens- Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
And it is brought to us by Ken Burns.
Who else?
I was lucky enough to hear him speak last Tuesday night at the Francis Parker School in Chicago. WTTW had brought him to Chicago- and Parker- to preview some clips from this new documentary film and take some Q. and A. from the audience.
How could I pass that up?
And I was not disappointed. He was terrific. Poised, assured, witty, self-deprecating, a fabulous speaker who instantly electrified his audience, Ken Burns was exactly what I had expected.
Related to the poet Robert Burns, Kenneth Lauren Burns was born in Brooklyn in 1953 to a mother who was a bio-technician and a father who was then a student of cultural anthropology at Columbia. He lost his mother to breast cancer when he was eleven, and he has always felt this tragic event helped shape his career as a documentary film maker.
With his brilliant artistry, Mr. Burns makes “people long-gone come alive again.”
He lives in New Hampshire, and his films like The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Dust Bowl, The National Parks and Prohibition have won everything from Emmys to Grammys to the Peabody Award.
His passion project about the Roosevelts had taken him nine years to bring to fruition. And he was charming, funny and chagrinned about the need to reduce fourteen hours worth of film down to three short clips for our viewing pleasure that night. He jokingly offered to lock the doors of the auditorium and show us all fourteen hours without bathroom breaks.
The entire audience would have gladly agreed to his offer. We were his willing slaves from the moment he stepped on the stage.
The three clips whetted my appetite for the main course. After all, I have been interested in this trio since I was a child.
My own personal fascination with the Roosevelts started with Fala- Franklin Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier.
Given to him by his cousin, Daisy Suckley, this little black dog captured the nation’s attention and heart- and mine- when, as a dog-crazy kid, I read all about him.
Check out this photo of the FDR memorial. Fala is the only presidential pet so honored, btw. He outlived his master by seven years and is buried beside him at his home, Springwood, at Hyde Park.
It might have all started with a bark, but this led to my life-long fascination with all things Rooseveltian. And believe me, it was easy to become engrossed in their dramatic life stories.
Although all three were born to vast privilege and power, they were challenged- and ultimately triumphed- over unbelievable adversity.
ICYMI: Theodore had to overcome debilitating childhood asthma and poor eyesight in his sickly youth. He painfully built up his physical strength day after dedicated day until he became the robust “locomotive in trousers” that we have come to associate with T.R.
His emotional health was another matter. In his manhood, he had to bear the pitiful loss of both his beloved wife and adored mother in the same house on the same day– Valentine’s Day, 1884.
The house was so filled with the tragedy that he abandoned his brand-new baby daughter, Alice, on the spot and headed West. A cowboy- and a legend- was born.
But even after he happily remarried and had more children, the specter of that awful tragedy haunted him and served as a goad and a demon for the rest of Teddy’s unbelievably-productive life.
His fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, from the Hyde Park branch of the family, was another patrician with big ambitions. A mama’s boy, (his acid-tongued cousin, the aforementioned Alice Roosevelt Longworth, once said his initials “F.D.” stood for “Feather Duster.”) he was emotionally and financially dependent on “Dear Mamma” for most of his adult life.
In 1918, a torrid affair with his wife’s beauteous social secretary, Lucy Mercer, torpedoed his marriage. But Mamma- the imperious Sara Delano Roosevelt- decreed that if Franklin ditched Eleanor, she would withdraw all support from then on.
He stayed, but the marriage was over. And when infantile paralysis struck him down in 1921, he fought back to walk again. He never did. And for the rest of his life, he only walked in his dreams.
But steel braces on his legs had put steel into his spine. And in 1929- following in his illustrious cousin’s footsteps- he became governor of New York. And then nothing could stop the juggernaut that became our thirty-second president of the United States.
Out of the betrayal and wreckage her marriage had become, the personage we now recognize as “First Lady of the World,” Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt was born.
I’ve saved Anna Eleanor Roosevelt for last. Her life story just might be the most improbable- and inspiring- of the three.
UPDATE: After watching Part One last night, I have tweaked this section slightly. It needed it.
Her father, Elliott was T.R.’s beloved younger brother. As a teen, severe headaches foreshadowed mental problems later to come. He became erratic, violent and a hopeless drunk.
Eleanor’s beautiful belle of a mother, Anna Hall, died of diphtheria in 1892 . Her little brother, Elliott, also died of it a year later.
Then, in 1894, her father died from a seizure following an attack of the d.t.s.
That left “Little Nell” and brother Hall orphaned at an early age.
Not only was her nickname right out of Charles Dickens, so was her ghastly early life. Left to be raised by her maternal grandmother, she grew up in a dark, cheerless house, haunted by two perpetually-drunken uncles.
She was ignored and frightened. But her education at Allenwood Academy in London- overseen by the brilliant Marie Souvestre- nurtured both her mind and soul.
In 1905, the “ugly duckling” married her handsome fifth cousin once removed. (Her uncle T.R. congratulated her on keeping the name in the family. And his presidential presence at their wedding completely upstaged the bride and groom.)
Eleanor was the link between these two men. The favorite niece of one. The gadfly and conscience of the other.
No three members of any other American family have done more to shape our modern world- and its politics. Tune in tonight and hear the likes of Peter Coyote, Ed Hermann, Patricia Clarkson and Meryl Streep read their own eloquent words.
Is it any wonder that these three have long-fascinated the world? Is it any surprise that Ken Burns has dug up never-before-seen photographs and letters in this masterful undertaking?
I’ll be tuned in. After all, I got a great preview when I spent last Tuesday evening with three national treasures.
Oops, sorry, Mr. Burns. My bad.
Better make that four.
Ellen, you write softly but carry a big shtick. Seriously, after reading your account, it almost makes me want to take an evening off from writing crossword puzzles to watch some TV. BTW, FALA is an old crossword standby, though used much more frquently pre-Shortz than under Shortz’s editorship.
Nice T.R. reference, GB. All I can say is “Bully!”
Between ages 50 and 57 (mine, of course), I read a biography of every American President, in elective order. The bios of TR and FDR were fascinating exemplars of what the American Presidency represented, the history of the US (and the world) as each man grew to adulthood, and the (sometimes revolting) political maelstrom of their respective days. None were more interesting than those of TR and FDR (though some came close).
We have had grandfather/grandson Presidents, father/son Presidents (two sets of those), and father-in-law/son-in-law Presidents (hint: I said “American”, not “United States”), but the Roosevelts, whose collective impact on the 20th century was so vast, were our only cousin Presidents. I would argue that FDR was the far greater President; we needed him and he delivered. TR was more the man’s man and a great symbol.
I am recording the series.
Thanks for reminding us!
Every president? We are going to have to discuss this, Michael. Fillmore, Buchanan…this is a fascinating fact about you. I couldn’t agree more, of course. If it wasn’t for FDR – and Churchill- we’d all be speaking German- if we weren’t dead, of course. Thanks. To be continued….
In addition to FDR and Churchill, much credit should also be given to one of my heroes…..Eisenhower!!
I don’t know if you’re familiar with the story that when Eisenhower came upon and liberated the concentration camps, he ordered his personal photographer to take pictures because in Eisenhower’s words, “Take pictures of this because someday, the world will not believe what we see here”.
In another vein, I’m so thankful that the current occupier of The White House was not our commander-in-chief on Dec. 8, 1941!!!
I’m a big DDE fan when he was Supreme Allied Commander. His shining hour. As POTUS, not so much. As for your last statement, I’m not surprised. This is a post about politics, after all. Thanks, Bernie, for making it au courant.
PRESIDENT Eisenhower:
Fought communism and corruption in government.
Established NASA.
Opposed Joseph McCarty and McCarthism.
Expanded Social Security.
Launched the Interstate Highway System.
Launched “The Defense Research Project Agency” which led to the internet (NOT Al Gore)!!!
Encouraged PEACEFUL use of nuclear power through “The Atomic Energy Act”.
Sent federal troops to Little Rock, AK to enforce federal court orders to desegregate public schools.
Signed civil rights legislation in ’57 and ’60 (way before LBJ!!!) to protect the right to vote.
His two terms were mostly peaceful times that saw CONSIDERABLE economic prosperity.
Want to hear more??
Now, what was that about “no other shining hours”?
(Vote REPUBLICAN!!!!)
So sue me. I like Ike as a five star general. And just vote. Ok? This is an equal opp.blog.
I look forward to watching all 14 hours.
Herbie
I second that. If only Henry X was here. Think how much he would have enjoyed it.
Trivia ? There is only one WWI veteran buried at the US cemetary in Normandy and he is buried next to his brother a WWII vet. Who are they?
I know T.R.’s son Quentin was a flyer killed in WWI. Is it he and his brother? T.R. Family were the only father/son Medal of Honor winners to storm Normandy Beach on D Day.
You’re are correct ER. You weren’t named rookie of the year for nothing!
Thanks, for letting me play, Mitch. And thanks, too, for the ROTY mention. I’m really proud of that, btw. I was up against all men.
What a marvelous, lyrical writer you are and so easy to read. I look forward to the Ken Burns documentary — among the very best programming that PBS does — and believe it’s time that I focus more on my writing.
My experience in college (Jeffrey Himmel was my fraternity brother and roommate) and a journalism school class in Journalism and the Law convinced me to go to law school. Your writing and Ken Burns’s film-making remind me that the the life of an historian might have been more interesting.
Thanks for your perspective.
What a great comment for this beautiful Sunday. Anything that puts me and Ken Burns in the same sentence is AOK by me. You made my day, Jack.
Dear Brilliant Blogger,
I am so looking forward to this series which you so vividly described. Rickey and I were just at the Telluride Film Festival and had a wonderful conversation with Ken Burns about this documentary. We are fortunate every year to have conversations with this multi- talented man.
But my best story, probably no one we know had this experience, is when Eleanor Roosevelt had dinner at our home. She was speaking later that evening at our synagogue, and we hosted the dinner. It was the early sixties and my brothers and I were allowed to greet her at the car, escort her into the house, engage in a little conversation (we were quite young) and then we were shipped across the street to my Aunt and Uncle’s. I have amazing photos of her sitting in my living room in a black and white print dress, holding court with so many admirers. What a great memory to have of such an amazing woman.
That’s truly impressive, Joan. Not everybody can say they had ER over to dinner. Thanks for sharing that with all of us today. You’ve met two of my heroes. (And you’re my third.)
Interesting fact about congressman LBJ, who illegally smuggled about 400 Jews into the port of Corpus Christi. My faves of the 20th century in order were FDR, TR and HST. Least favorites were, Harding and George W and the current one. Too bad Nixon was a miscreant b/c he did some good things. The worse was his sabotage of the Paris Peace Talks in October of 1968. Sorry for jumping around so much.
I believe JFK saved the world in 1962 and learned from his errors at the Bay of Pigs. DDE was very qualified and RR was surprisingly good. One thing I’ve learned is that even the best presidents have made incredible mistakes.
Thanks for chiming in on the discussion. I’m sure history will agree with your assessments.