When Two Heroes Meet: Tom Tyler and Abraham Lincoln

It is not too far-fetched at all to imagine a meeting of Tom Tyler with President Abraham Lincoln. While a number of Tom’s movies take place during Lincoln’s presidency, the one that most stands out is “Two Fisted Justice”. In this B-western from Trem Carr Pictures, Tom is Kentucky Carson, an agent on a special mission down south during the Civil War, sent by President Abraham Lincoln. The existing print of this movie is available from Sinister Cinema, but unfortunately is missing the reel which contains the famous meeting of Kentucky with President Lincoln. That is not to say we cannot conclude what this event actually looked like, for we have film stills, along with film synopses and descriptions from Hollywood trade publications, along with a film booklet from Spain, Biblioteca Films, that provides insight on this missing reel. On the positive side, a more complete 16mm print of “Two Fisted Justice” is at UCLA – which hopefully will be restored and digitized one day. In the meantime, let’s take a look at this scene where Kentucky Carson meets Abraham Lincoln before he receives a reprieve to free Cameron (John Elliott) who is about to be hanged for murdering Cheyenne Charlie (Pedro Regas), from the President himself. Considering the point where Kentucky receives this letter, the missing footage is from the beginning of the film, where he is called into Lincoln’s office. The two men shake hands, and Kentucky is deputized and sent out west during the Civil War to maintain peace along with his Poncho Riders.

In the Biblioteca Films title “Al que a hierro mata”, the Spanish title for “Two Fisted Justice”, President Lincoln issues a memo dated April 15, 1861, a means to eventually summon Kentucky Carson into the Oval Office – and in turn sends him to a post out in Kansas territory. The memo reads as follows:

“Fuerzas rebeldes han formado una confederación de los Estados del Sur, optando por la sesión de la Union.

“Las fuerzas de los territorios fronterizos han recibido órdenes de concentrarse en Washington.

“Los ciudadanos leales de dicho territotio se organizarán para mantener el orden y hacer cumplir la ley durante las emergencias, Hay que preservar la Unión!”


English translation:

“Rebel forces have formed a confederation of the Southern States, opting for the session of the Union.

“The forces of the border territories have been ordered to concentrate in Washington.

“The loyal citizens of said territory will be organized to maintain order and enforce the law during emergencies. We must preserve the Union!”

The exchange between Lincoln and Kentucky continues in the Oval Office:

El muchacho esperó a que Lincoln extendiera un salvaconducto y, antes de entregárselo, se lo leyó el presidente, diciéndole:

-Mire lo que dice; creo que con esto basta.

“El portador, Kentucky Carson, puede viajar y obrar como lo crea conveniente. Los officiales del gobierno federal deben prestarle apoyo. Comuníquese con el suscrito si se desea confirmar esta autorización. - A. Lincoln's

-Gracias, señor – exclamó Kentucky una vez que tuvo en su poder aquella autorización.

-Qué piensa hacer ahora? - le preguntó el presidente.

-Iré al territorio de Kansas. Allí hay mucho qué hacer, pero le prometo que lo mantendré en pas…

Pues buena suerte – le dijo el presidente despidiéndole. Ya sabe que hay que obrar con energía. Cada uno debe ser un héroe que exponga su vida.

In English:

The boy waited for Lincoln to extend a pass and, before handing it over, the president read it to him, saying:

“Look what he says; I think this is enough. The carrier, Kentucky Carson, can travel and act as he sees fit. The federal government officials must support him. Contact the undersigned if you wish to confirm this authorization.” - A. Lincoln

"Thank you, sir," exclaimed Kentucky once he had that authorization.

“What do you plan to do now?” the president asked him.

“I'll go to Kansas territory. There is a lot to do there, but I promise that I will keep it in country.”

“Well good luck”, said the president, saying goodbye. “You already know that you have a lot of work to do. Each man who risks his life is a hero.”

Precisely why Abraham Lincoln summoned Kentucky Carson to the Oval Office: because he knew Kentucky was of hero material who would not let the President nor his country down. It seems fitting that these two men should be meeting, under the circumstances they did, given their historical place in American History – and film history.

Released on October 20, 1931, “Two Fisted Justice” stayed in movie theatres long enough for the media to take advantage of the Lincoln factor to exhibit it near February 12 – President Lincoln’s Day, the day he was born on in 1809. The New York State Exhibitor states that this movie “...is an ideal attraction for Lincoln's Birthday, what with sequences depicting Tyler and the martyred President.” (January 10, 1932). Movie trivia about American Presidents in film and who portrayed them may be a fun and interesting topic of conversation, but how many people today know that Abraham Lincoln was depicted in a B-western, and one that starred Tom Tyler? Mention this to someone interested in Lincoln and who portrayed him, and the answer would be Joseph Mills.

Due to the movie’s human nature side plus the presidential element, “Two Fisted Justice” was one of the few early Tom Tyler movies to be exhibited in France, under the title “Seul Contre Tous”, dubbed in French. A full page ad for this movie even appeared in Hebdo Film, July 9, 1932. Other publicity materials for “Two Fisted Justice” also appeared in Spain and Poland. “Two Fisted Justice” was one of Tom Tyler’s more important movies of the early 1930’s, with the Civil War, President Lincoln, and justice concepts which dominate the plot. Considering the reach of “Two Fisted Justice”, it can be asked if President Lincoln himself would want to meet Tom Tyler after viewing the movie. There is the strong possibility that he would.

From Hebdo Film, July 9, 1932

The National Film Registry Nominations 2019

It is that time of the year once again! The Library of Congress is accepting nominations for the National Film Registry. The deadline for nominations is September 15, 2019. It is your duty as a devoted Tom Tyler film fan to suggest his best films for inclusion on this list. Ideally, “Adventures of Captain Marvel”, “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”, and “The Phantom” should be on the list but of course you may suggest any movies Tom starred in – surprise us and the Library of Congress!

The following movies Tom Tyler appeared in are already in the National Film Registry:

The Grapes of Wrath 1940 – Inducted in 1989
Gone with the Wind 1939 – Inducted in 1989
Red River 1948 – Inducted in 1990
Stagecoach 1939 – Inducted in 1995
Ben Hur 1925 – Inducted in 1997

The nomination form is here:

www.research.net/r/national-fim-registry-nomination-form

The complete listing of films in the National Film Registry which also include the ones for last year, 2018:

www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/

Thank you to everyone who submits Tom’s movies to the LOC National Film Registry!

Boys and Girls! It’s Tom Tyler!

Tom with boy and girl co-stars in "Idaho Red", 1929

All too often a film historian of B-westerns will write about how popular a star was with the red-blooded American boys but rarely, if ever, mention the star’s popularity with girl cinema patrons. Yet female interest in Tom Tyler long pre-dates his stage name, when he was still a growing young man in Hamtramck, Michigan. As Vincent Markowski, his sister Katherine would often comment to their family, friends and neighbors how good looking he was – and he certainly was – to the point of all girls  in town close to his age would be drawn to his looks, often staring at him while walking down the street (The Tom Tyler Story, by Mike Chapman). It goes without saying Tom Tyler’s physical appearance certainly helped him become a star in Hollywood, along with his acting skills and overall demeanor. To a large degree, Tom’s good looks had a continuous appeal to the female gender many decades later, long after he died in 1954. Females in the twenty-first century found him attractive and sweet enough to give him an exclusive little spot in cyberspace, but was Tom Tyler’s movies of the silent film era and early talkies specifically marketed to just boys? Or were girls included on equal footing?

From Shamokin News Dispatch,
Shamokin, PA, March 30, 1929

Surprisingly enough, it was just as common for girls to be a target marketed audience as boys were, according to many Hollywood trade publications and newspaper cinema listings. There are a few reasons for this: Tom Tyler’s level of attractiveness to the opposite gender, but also because many girls received a weekly allowance from their parents which meant enough money to attend the matinee (which usually cost between a dime to twenty cents in the mid- to late 1920’s and early 1930’s). Many cinema listings in the local newspapers included “Boys and girls...” in black and white to draw their attention to the latest Tom Tyler film being shown. At the Victoria theatre in Shamokin, PA, a cinema listing for "Terror Mountain" also advertised free toy musical instruments to the first 500 boys and girls in attendance. Because the date of the ad was the day before Easter in 1929, live bunnies were also available for the children.

One exhibitor took advantage of Tom's image, posting a large photo of him in the lobby of the Jewel Theatre in Verndale, Minnesota (Exhibitor's Herald, November 27, 1926) for the showing of "The Arizona Streak”, knowing that the girls were interested in seeing what he looked like. Another exhibitor in St. Cloud, Florida, commented that the girls raved quite a bit over Tom and how attractive he is, at the showing of "Wild to Go" (Exhibitor's Herald, October 2, 1926). With the silent film being in full force by the time Tom Tyler became a star, memorabilia was also easily accessible in the form of arcade and exhibit cards, stills, and of course the ever-popular request for an autographed photo of the handsome leading man.

From Middletown Times Herald,
Middletown, NY, October 9, 1941

Girls would often take part in contests held at the neighborhood cinema, and be actively involved with any events, usually held in the lobby. During Christmas time, many a theatre would encourage both boys and girls to bring in an unwrapped toy or food to be given to the needy, in many cases, through The Salvation Army.

Likewise it was not just American boys who idolized and wanted to meet him – and sometimes did, when Tom shot on location as he did in “Tracy Rides” (Reading Times, Reading, PA, May 28, 1934). Being swarmed by both adults and children wanting to see the filming on the sidelines was exciting – and who did not want to see Tom Tyler up close and in person at the height of his career? The best part of all being, what girl would not be bragging to her friends at school that she met Tom in person during a filming? It was exciting events like this which encouraged and preserved Tom’s popularity in decades to come. While American girls enjoyed Tom Tyler’s movies when they were first exhibited in cinemas across the nation, future generations of his female fans (one of them happens to run the Aventuras de Tom Tyler website and blog) appreciate this timeless man and his work that was meant to be cherished.

Tom Tyler in "Weird Western"

I am very happy to report the following news: Dario Lavia, a regular on the Facebook and Twitter social media pages for Aventuras de Tom Tyler, is working on a re-edition of the book “Weird Western” which includes the mention of Tom Tyler’s silent films such as “Tyrant of Red Gulch”. Many thanks to Dario for giving the credit to the blog article “Lost in translation: How ‘Tyrant of Red Gulch’ became ‘The Sorcerer’ across the pond” which he mentions in this silent film entry in “Weird Western”, as well as a link to the blog in his entry (free publicity is always welcome). For those interested in purchasing a copy of Weird Western when it is published, the information can be found here. Dario is the owner of Cinefania, a website devoted to fantasy/science fiction/horror films.

"Phantom of the Air" to be released by VCI Entertainment

Some good news with regards to Tom Tyler film serial releases: “Phantom of the Air” will be released within the next year (possibly later on this year) by VCI Entertainment. VCI already offers a number of Tom Tyler 1930’s westerns as well as Three Mesquiteers films on DVD. More details will follow as they come up, plus of course a notice on the website once it is available for purchase. “Phantom of the Air” is a 12-chapter Universal film serial from 1933 which also stars Gloria Shea, LeRoy Mason, William Desmond, and Sidney Bracey.

Tom Tyler's Captain Marvel costume

The very first silver screen Captain Marvel, as portrayed by Tom Tyler, had a superhero costume that was custom made for his muscular physique, which he displayed to perfection during the filming of the Republic Pictures serial. The costume itself was gray instead of red so that it would film better in black and white. Unlike many superhero costumes, this one was not padded in the biceps, for Tom Tyler certainly did not need any emphasis with his champion weightlifting build. While the colors were slightly different, the form-fitting costume was still identical in detail to the red and yellow costume that Captain Marvel wore in the comic books. The four-piece costume consisted of a half-length white cape with the gold braid designs upon it, in addition to the gold lightning bolt upon the chest, six gold bands at the cuffs on each arm, and gold belt. The tunic is of gray wool, with the front flap buttoned at the upper right shoulder. The lower half of the costume, which resembled tights with feet, were in the same color gray to match the tunic. The boots were yellow in color, with the standard top fold. It seems like nothing was missing from Tom Tyler’s Captain Marvel costume, right down to the very last detail. Little information exists as to who created the costume and sewed it, although existing copies have a “Western Costume” stamp inside the collar. Naturally, stuntman Dave Sharpe wore the identical costume matched to fit his frame for all of the fancy leaps and backflips in “Adventures of Captain Marvel”.

As with most cinematic wardrobes, several versions of the Captain Marvel costume were made, which have sold at auction sites online like eBay. According to “The Tom Tyler Story” by Mike Chapman, one of the original Captain Marvel costumes described above was listed at a market price of $10,000.00 – ten times the amount of money Tom was paid to play the superhero in the film serial. Today, the costume remains at a market price between that amount and $15,000.00 – not bad for its being the very first superhero costumes made for film, even before that of Superman’s.

Say the magic word: Shazam!

Based on the 2011 DC Justice League The New 52 story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, “Shazam!”  manages to combine not only the origin story as narrated by these two gentlemen, but also the comedy elements of the early Captain Marvel stories in Whiz Comics since 1939, and superhero growing pains, bringing the C. C. Beck and Bill Parker creation up to date in the 21st century.

After several aborted attempts to get the movie made, “Shazam!” finally debuted in cinemas worldwide during the first weekend of April 2019. Directed by David F. Sandberg, and written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke, the DC movie stars Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel and Asher Angel as Billy Batson.  There is a yin-yang between comedy in the early comic books by Fawcett Publications since 1938 and The New 52 dark universe, with no shortage of special effects from playfully cast lightning by Captain Marvel to the animated looming Seven Deadly Sins, ready to unleash havoc courtesy of Dr Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).

Zachary Levi with Mark Strong in "Shazam!" 2019

“Shazam!” introduces the background story of Thad Sivana, a miniature monster in the making who causes a serious car accident, almost killing his brother and father, who is the owner of a major conglomerate. Young Thad ends up journeying to The Rock of Eternity where he encounters the wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou), only to find himself discarded by the ancient mage who is seeking a young boy to succeed him. Once Thad is sent back to his immediate present, castigated by his father, he then spends the rest of his trying to regain access to the mysterious location which remains concealed by magic. In steps Billy Batson, whose life story is also told in a brief flashback before he finds himself adopted by Victor (Cooper Andrews) and Rosa (Marta Milans) Vasquez, who are foster parents to five other children. Billy quickly becomes close to Freddy Freeman, who is slightly younger than him, plus Mary Bromfield, who is on the verge of graduating from high school and applying to colleges. Still unsatisfied with his position in life as a teen, Billy continues to seek out his real mother, eventually finding her. To his shock, Billy learns that his mother, who does not make good choices when it comes to boyfriends, was in her teens when she had him, and that his father is in jail in Florida.

Once Billy discovers himself in the role of a superhero after making the same journey to The Rock of Eternity and becomes the Chosen One by the wizard Shazam, he is not fully aware of the potential of his new abilities; he does not know what he can really do, although he delights in generating electricity, using it to charge people’s cell phones as he walks past them in public. Captain Marvel continues to go about his daily routine, accompanied by Freddy most of the time while preventing crimes such as handbag thief and a convenience store holdup. Once Captain Marvel discovers who his main enemy is – Dr. Sivana – he must engage in the most important battle of his life – leaving his childhood behind temporarily to save the world from destruction. At this point, it is the wisdom of Solomon that really kicks in to Billy when he learns how to remove the evil magical force from Sivana.

“Shazam!” references Tawky Tawny the tiger, in the form of the plush toy tigers prizes at the balloon and dart booth during the Christmas Carnival, along with Mr Mind, the worm during the early part of the movie, characters in the original Whiz Comics publications. What is noteworthy in “Shazam!” is that like “Adventures of Captain Marvel”, the superhero’s name is never formally introduced to the audience; it even goes further to never refer to him as Captain Marvel at all, possibly to avoid confusion with the Marvel Comics “Captain Marvel” movie released only weeks before “Shazam!” Instead a variety of nicknames are given to him: Captain Sparklefingers, even more simply- hero. Billy is only supposed to say the word Shazam in times of need, not as a means to impress others around him, certainly not himself. At one point Freddy speaks to his foster brother Billy like an authoritarian figure, much like Jackson Bostwick’s Captain Marvel, or even John Davey’s Captain Marvel from the 1974-1977 television series “Shazam!” Billy might be Captain Marvel yet even after his initiation, still has to work hard on understanding the powers bestowed upon him and the responsibilities that come with having these powers, the properties of the thoughtforms who have seemed to disappeared in the distant past of human history (or did they?). Zachary Levi, at age 38, looks younger than his age, and with his “big kid” personality, really does come off as a 14 year-old inside his 6’3” frame. Like Tom Tyler in “Adventures of Captain Marvel” (1941), he pulls the same expression,  looking at himself then his surroundings. Yet the resemblance to Tom’s Captain Marvel stops there, reverting back to more childlike superhero as he was originally intended to be in Fawcett Publications rather than a World War 2 era superhero who uses a machine gun to vanquish his enemies, and throwing them off tall buildings.

Mark Strong pulls off a formidable Sivana, able to unleash the Seven Deadly Sins whenever he chooses, using his demon eye which glows blue. At times he takes on the appearance of Aleister Crowley(early 20th century ceremonial magician and founder of Thelema) on steroids. Unlike the comic book Sivana who is short in height, Mark Strong is 6’2” in height, making him a substantial physical adversary of Captain Marvel. The movie soundtrack includes Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” which plays as Freddy tests Billy’s new powers as Captain Marvel, and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” sung by Bing Crosby during the Christmas holiday with the Vasquez family. The top-notch production team of “Shazam!” includes Peter Safran, Geoff Johns and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

How many families do you know of who discuss superheroes and their various powers at the supper table?