Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
On March 4, 1922, F.W. Murnau released Nosferatu (1922). Nosferatu was Murnau’s adaptation of the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. Murnau neglected to purchase the rights to film the story from Stoker’s estate, which almost led to this film being lost to film viewers. Stoker’s widow successfully sued Murnau and the German film company that produced the motion picture. The
George Collins, the second bank robber involved in the Union, MO bank robbery on December 26, 1902, attempted to escape the St. Louis Jail in January 1904. Besides working with the other prisoners on making a hole in the wall of the jail, he also arranged with a prison guard to have saws smuggled to him. Collins intended to use
On Thanksgiving Weekend 1944, Paramount Pictures released One Body Too Many, a comedy-mystery film starring Jack Haley. Haley famously played the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The film also starred Jean Parker, Lyle Talbot, Douglas Fowley and Bela Lugosi in supporting roles. One Body Too Many begins with millionaire Cyrus J. Rutherford’s heirs gathered to hear the
When most students start forms training, their main focus is on learning the proper sequence of the techniques to perform the pattern in the prescribed manner. It is unusual for a beginning or even intermediate student to think too much about what they are doing with the techniques and what they are defending against. Is the technique straight forward or
In a testament to his foresight and vision, the World Wrestling Champion William Muldoon was preparing to be a fitness trainer even while at the height of his powers as a wrestler. Muldoon held the championship from 1880 until he retired in 1890. During his reign, he often gave exhibitions to attract attention to his way of training. The Saturday,
Minor film company Conn Pictures Company released Tough to Handle (1937) on May 24, 1937. Director S. Roy Luby pairs “B” film stars Kane Richmond and Frankie Darro in this story of phony lottery tickets. Grandpa Sanford believe he won the lottery. Grandpa will be able to use the money to improve the circumstances of his grandchildren, Mike, played by
On September 5, 1984, I walked through the doors of Grover Cleveland High School for the first time. I attended St. Louis’ most popular magnet school at the time, Kennard NJROTC Academy. The St. Louis School Board decided to move the program to “The Castle on Grand”. Cleveland High School would graduate many St. Louis children on St. Louis’ South
I wanted to write about one of my favorite movies, The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935). It is an adaptation of the novel by the same name, written by Baroness Orczy. The film (affiliate link) concerns an English peer, who risks his life by saving French aristocrats from the guillotine. The story is complicated by the fact the peer is married to
Julius “Uncle Jules” Johannpeter was born in St. Charles, MO on March 5, 1875 to recent German immigrants Frederick William Johannpeter and Johanna Johannpeter nee Grieve. “Uncle Jules” was seven years older than his sister Caroline Leah “Lee” Johannpeter, my great grandmother. When Lee’s husband William Ellis died in 1917, Lee had the challenge of raising her two-year-old son Gilbert as a single
In 1880, William Muldoon would become World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in the Greco-Roman style after defeating Thiebaud Bauer, the reigning champion. Before he would accomplish this feat, Muldoon had to pay his dues and prepare for the title tilt with Bauer. In 1876, Muldoon caught the attention of former bare knuckle prizefighting world champion John Morrissey. Morrissey was a former