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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years

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GEORGE NEEDS A RAISE

October 7, 1949

"George Needs a Raise” (aka “George Tries for a Raise”) is episode #57 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on October 7, 1949.

This was the fifth episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.

The script was later adapted for television as “Ricky Asks for a Raise” (ILL S1;E35) first aired on February 16, 1953.

Synopsis ~ Liz tries every trick in the book to convince Mr. Atterbury to give George a raise. To get results she even resorts to selling apples in front of the bank where he is employed.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George's boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father's garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) had worked with Lucille Ball on “The Wonder Show” on radio in 1938. One of the front-runners to play Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” he eventually played Alvin Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana, during two episodes in 1952. After playing a Judge in an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1958, he would re-team with Lucy for all of her subsequent series’: as Theodore J. Mooney in ”The Lucy Show”; as Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy”; and as Curtis McGibbon on "Life with Lucy.” Gordon died in 1995 at the age of 89.

Gordon also played the boss Alvin Littlefield in the television version of this script on “I Love Lucy.”

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricarodo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, “Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Waiter) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs. His trademark was playing clerks and other working stiffs, suddenly turning to Benny with a drawn out “Yeeeeeeeeees?” Nelson appeared in 11 episodes of “I Love Lucy”, including three as quiz master Freddy Fillmore, and two as Ralph Ramsey, plus appearance on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” - making him the only actor to play two different recurring roles on “I Love Lucy.” Nelson returned to the role of the frazzled Train Conductor for an episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1963. This marksed his final appearance on a Lucille Ball sitcom.

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers it is morning. Katie is singing in the kitchen.”

The song Katie is singing is “Some Enchanted Evening” written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for their 1949 hit musical South Pacific, which had just opened five months earlier on Broadway and would continue until 1954. “Some Enchanted Evening” became a pop standard and was covered by many artists, including Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, who’s version hit #1 in 1949.

The stage show would be a punch line in “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22). Ethel allows the Ricardos to stay in their apartment despite a clause in the lease forbidding children. She later repeatedly brags about her good deed. “My friendship with the Ricardos means more to me than all the money in the world…” She repeats the speech so often that Lucy quips: “That scene has had more performances than ‘South Pacific’!“ Authors and producers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II dominated Broadway from 1943 to 1959 and were frequently mentioned on “I Love Lucy,” often as just ‘Dick and Oscar.’

Liz enters and wants to know why Katie is so cheerful. Katie attributes it to Mr. Nagy, the mailman.

LIZ: “Katie, have you been playing post office?” KATIE: “No, but I have been giving him a cup of coffee every morning. That’s three kinds of coffee I have to make every morning. He’s Silex. I’m an old-fashioned boil drinker, and you and Mr. Cooper are drip!”

Katie is referring to a coffee brewing system marketed by the Silex Company (now Proctor Silex). The name Silex is almost synonymous with any glass vacuum pot. At the 1939 New York World's Fair, the Silex Company's exhibit was dominated by a seven-foot replica of a Silex glass coffee maker in operation. It was considered superior to boiled water, drip coffee, or metal percolators.

Liz is desperately waiting for a bill from Miller’s Department Store that is due in today’s mail. Liz has overspent on a red velvet suit she couldn’t resist. George confronts her about the $98 expense and her history of her over-spending. Both Miller’s Department Store and Mr. Nagy the Mailman are running references on “My Favorite Husband”.

Liz encourages George to ask for a raise. George says he hinted at wanting a raise from Mr. Atterbury. Liz wants George to bring it up at dinner, as they are dining with the Atterburys that night. Liz begs George not to pick up the check and let Mr. Atterbury do it.

LIZ: “Every time the check comes he’s looking down at his fingers. You’d think he just discovered Uranium under his fingernails.”

Uranium is a very heavy metal found in most rocks that can be used as a source of concentrated energy. It was first identified in 1789 and named after the planet Uranus. As early as 1949, Popular Science Magazine started highlighting uranium hunting as a hobby using a device known as the Geiger Counter. In 1958, “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” joined the scores of other television shows and films by presenting “Lucy Hunts Uranium”.

The Coopers resolve to order the most expensive items on the menu and let Mr. Atterbury pay. That night,while Rudolph and Iris are waiting for the Coopers at the restaurant, Iris laments that George never picks up the bill. They resolve to let the Coopers pay tonight’s check and to order the most expensive items on the menu.

The waiter (Frank Nelson) comes by and they start with four bottles of imported Champagne. [Note: All Champagne is imported. Domestic is called sparkling wine.] Liz orders a Porterhouse steak and Iris orders a double lobster thermidor. The waiter feigns excitement about waiting on such big spenders.

Of all the roles Frank Nelson played on “I Love Lucy,” only once did he play a waiter: in "Lucy Changes Her Mind” (ILL S2;E21), repeating the role he created in “Liz Changes Her Mind”, episode 50 of “My Favorite Husband.”

Lobster Thermidor is a French dish consisting of a creamy mixture of cooked lobster meat and brandy stuffed into a lobster shell with a mustard sauce. Due to expensive ingredients, it is usually considered a dish primarily served on special occasions. Porterhouse Steak is a T-bone cut of beef. The origin of the term "porterhouse" is disputed, with several cities and establishments claiming to have coined it. Owing to its large size and the fact that it is one of the most prized cuts of beef, Porterhouse are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks, and prices at are accordingly high.

After dinner, everyone is stuffed and the waiter wants to know who will pay.

WAITER: “Will this be cash or do you want to finance it?”

Rudolph drops his fork and George claims he left his wallet in his other suit, fulfilling Liz and Iris’s predictions about how the men will avoid paying the bill.

Next day, Liz preps George on asking for a raise. Liz role plays with George giving him the bravery he needs to ask for a salary increase.

In Mr. Atterbury’s office, George can’t get out the words. Mr. Atterbury tells George he just fired Joe Ridgley for asking for a raise. Instead, George sheepishly asks for the key to the washroom! At home, Liz is dismayed to hear that George didn’t have the guts to ask, and vows to Katie to do her utmost to campaign on his behalf with Mr. Atterbury.

LIZ (about George): “Oh, he’s so wishy-washy. And if he doesn’t stop being so wishy I’ll have to take in washy.”

Later, Mr. Atterbury calls George in to his office and tells him of Liz’s ‘campaign' consisting of four anonymous phone calls, and three telegrams, one of which said:

“I think you should give my brother a raise - signed Gary.”

Gary Cooper (1901-1961) was one of the most popular and successful actors in Hollywood. In 1949 he could be seen in the Warner Brothers picture It’s a Great Feeling. Cooper was mentioned in two episode of “I Love Lucy” but never acted opposite Lucille Ball. She did, however, impersonate him in “Lucy and Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28) in 1955.

As George and Rudolph are leaving for lunch, a rock comes crashing through the window with a note tied to it:

“Dear Mr. Atterbury - George Cooper deserves a raise. Signed, an important depositor. PS: Sorry, I thought the window was open.”

When the men go to lunch, Liz is on the street disguised as an apple seller!

LIZ (in a trembling voice): “Apples! Apples! Buy an apple, Mister. Buy an apple and help a starving vice president and his wife!”

Liz’s apple seller was inspired by the Damon Runyon story “Madame La Gimp” which was made into the 1933 Frank Capra film Lady for a Day, starring May Robson as Apple Annie. It was remade in 1966 as Pocketful of Miracles starring Bette Davis. In 1972, Lucy Carter went undercover as “Dirty Gertie” (HL S5;E10), a direct nod to the story and films.

Later George phones home to tell Liz he’s been fired! It seems Liz sent 10 rag-tag children to his office yelling “Daddy I’m hungry!” Liz says she borrowed them from Mr. Wood next door.

In “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15), Lucy Ricardo suddenly invents ten children, to dissuade an amorous butcher (Edward Everett Horton) and push him toward an elderly spinster (Bea Benadaret) who is sweet on him! Coincidentally, Bea Benadaret played the spinster, and plays Iris Atterbury in this radio episode. Liz says her ten were borrowed from Mr. Wood who was usually played by Hans Conried. In other episodes he had 11 children, so one is either too young or otherwise engaged!

Katie reminds Liz to cancel her sky-writing order. Liz gets an idea. Instead of writing out “George Cooper Needs A Raise” she will send a new message. She phones the skywriter:

LIZ: “Hello. This is Mrs. George Cooper. What? No, I didn’t order ‘She’s lovely. She’s engaged. She uses Pond’s’.”

As the skin-care business became more competitive in the 1920s, Pond’s tried to boost sales through an extensive advertising campaign based on testimonials. The new campaign, which began in 1924, attempted to give Pond’s cold and vanishing creams more cachet by having them endorsed by socialites and members of aristocracy. Pond’s continued to use testimonials through the ‘She’s Engaged, She’s Lovely, She Uses Pond’s’ campaign of the 1940s and beyond. [For plot purposes only apparent at the very end, the writers reverse the order of the slogan, putting “she’s lovely” before “she’s engaged.”]

Liz tells the skywriter to spell out “MR. ATTERBURY IS A STINKER” in letters a mile high! Liz goes down to the bank to assure Mr. Atterbury sees it.

At the same time, Mr. Atterbury tells George that instead of being fired, he’s being promoted; from third vice president to executive third vice president. Liz arrives and at first refuses to acknowledge Mr. Atterbury.

LIZ: “Come on, George. Get your things and let’s leave this marble sweatshop!”

George breaks the good news to Liz of his promotion and all three go off for a celebratory drink. Outside on the street, Mr. Atterbury sees some skywriting starting and stops to see what it will spell out. A shocked Liz let’s out an “Aye-yia-yai-yai-yai!”

Coincidentally, this a Spanish exclamation of surprise often let out by Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy,” so it is odd to hear patrician Elizabeth Elliott Cooper use it. In real-life, Lucille Ball had been married to Desi Arnaz for nearly nine years, so she was quite used to it!

The skywriting starts with “MR”...

LIZ: “It’s probably just an ad for that show, ‘Mr. Roberts’. Come on, let’s go.”

The show Liz is referring to is the Broadway adaption of the 1946 book Mr. Roberts by Thomas Heggen. The play opened in February 1948 and went on to win a Tony Award for Best Play (the first ever) and closed in August 1950. Henry Fonda, who dated Lucille Ball briefly when she first got to Hollywood, played the lead and got a Tony as well. The play opened at the Alvin Theatre, where Lucille Ball would star in Wildcat a dozen years later. Fonda repeated his role in the 1955 film. There was also a radio adaptation in 1953, and a short-lived NBC television series in 1965.

The skywriting continues: “MR. ATT...” Liz asks Mr. Atterbury to tie her shoelaces. George points out that she is wearing pumps.

More skywriting: “ATTERB...

LIZ: “It’s probably an ad for that piano player, José Atterby.”

Liz is referring to José Iturbi (1895-1980), who was a Spanish conductor, pianist and harpsichordist. He appeared in several Hollywood films of the 1940s, notably playing himself in the musicals Thousands Cheer (1943) with Lucille Ball, his first big role.

The final letters of the name are spelled out: “ATTERBURY”. Liz still tries to convince him the skywriting has nothing to do with him.

LIZ: “It’s that soft drink. (Liz sings) ‘Atterbury hits the spot! Five full ounces, that’s a lot!”

Liz is paraphrasing the Pepsi-Cola jingle written for radio in the 1930s by Austen Croom-Johnson and Aland Kent. Liz says “Five full ounces” instead of “12 full ounces”. Most soft drinks sold a 6 ounce bottle for a nickel. Pepsi sold 12 ounce bottles for the same price. It was recorded in 55 languages, played in Symphony Hall, and more than one million records were released to jukeboxes.

Finally, the full message appears in the sky: “MR. ATTERBURY IS LOVELY!” Mr. Atterbury is touched and Liz is (to say the least) surprised. They all go off happily for a drink! End of episode.

[Although it isn’t overtly stated, we must assume that the skywriters got the Pond’s ad mixed up with the Cooper ad, explaining the sudden message change!]

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snffbeebee · 5 years

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Blood Red ( Part 3 )

{ Catch up with Part 2 }

Warnings - Language, Violence, Smut NSFW!!! Think that’s about it..

Word Count - 8,607 ( Yes it’s a long one )

A/N - I wanna give full credit of this chapter to my amazing wifey and partner in crime @ezilyamuzed for doing this, because my sick ass couldn’t even look at a computer let alone write anything! I don’t know why I don’t so this more often, because I love what comes from that crazy sick brain of yours!!!

“Hey Ro, where you at?” You called as you entered the hotel room.

“Just tidying up a bit,” she smiled as she walked in from the bedroom suite, wiping her hands on a little white towel.

A drop of blood trickled from the ceiling to the floor in front of you. Rising your eyes to the source you saw two men pinned up with horror in their dead eyes.

“Well I’ve see you’ve been busy,” you chuckled with a smirk.

“I told them I didn’t want housekeeping. Men just don’t listen,” she grinned. “I see you have come back a little more chipper than earlier. I take it you followed my advice?”

“Definitely did the trick, but there’s another problem now.”

“There is never a problem, just only minor inconvenience to address.”

“Yeah well, if you call the king of hell’s goonies finding you while your getting dressed after aving some fun just a minor inconvenience, then I don’t know what you would call a problem then,” you rolled your eyes.

“It doesn’t seem like that was anything you couldn’t handle.”

“It was a snap,” you grinned while sitting down sideways on the puffy armchair. “It’s just I don’t really like dogs on my scent if you catch my drift.”

“Well I can ward you all you want, but as for keeping the dogs at bay, well I think it’s about time we preoccupy this supposed King and give him a little taste of what it feels like to be hunted.”

“What do you have in mind,” you grinned devilishly matching Rowena’s own smirk.

“I think it’s about time we cut off his manhood. He’s nothing without souls to gobble, so we go right for the deal makers.”

“The crossroad demons?”

“Exactly.”

“Just the two of us huh? Taking on the whole operation?” You raised your brow.

“Some recruitment may be necessary,” she stated as she poured herself a glass of wine. “It’s about time I leave this place anyways. The smell is bound to set in soon and I do hate what the stench of rotting corpses does to my hair.”

“So where to next?”

“You my dear, have another job to do. The dagger was at the location I had given you, just not in the last few days. It seems that some artifacts were sold to museum in Chicago by the unknowing spawn. Children, pfft, useless things.”

“Okay, so I’ll just snap in and get it,” you hopped to your feet.

“That would be the easier way, but I suggest a more graceful approach to lessen the attention from certain people. We don’t want the wrong people knowing what you are after.”

“Well you’re fun,” you rolled your eyes while moving to snap your fingers out. “See ya around Ro. Tah tah.”

“Dammit Crowley pick up,” Dean growled into the phone after hearing Crowley’s voicemail for the 6th time in a row.

Dean kept his eyes on the road as he went to hit the redial button again. Crowley had been lying to him when he said he had no idea where Y/N had been, that he knew for sure. Seeing her eyes flash black last night and the way she growled when he said his name only gave him the proof he needed. Dean’s thumb went to hit the button again when a distinct voice all of the sudden spoke from the passenger's seat.

“You really shouldn’t be using your phone and driving. We don’t want a repeat of your other side-“

Dean slugged Crowley’s chin hard with his right fist as he kept his grip on the wheel of baby with his left.

“You son of a bitch,” he growled.

“Ow!” Crowley grimaced as he rubbed his chin gingerly.

“What the bloody hell was that for?”

“A demon Crowley,” Dean snapped. “You turned her into a freaking demon!”

“Do we not approve the new and improved miss Y/N.”

“Our deal was off, and you knew it. I’ve been searching for her and you pretended like you had no idea what had happened.”

“Semantics Dean. Your deal was off. Now, this is no way to greet someone who is here to help you. After all that I’ve done for you?”

“What you have done for me?!?” Dean sneered as his piercing green eyes darted towards the pompous demon.

“If it wasn’t for me, you would be still chasing dead ends to find Y/N, which is why I assumed you called, but if you don’t want my help…” Crowley raised his fingers to snap while glaring at Dean.

“Where is she?” Dean snapped back.

“She’s managed to hide herself away from being able to be tracked precisely, but she does attract enough attention on her own for my demons to spot her. She has been mighty busy lately.”

“Where is she?” Dean repeated with venom in his voice.

“Chicago, the Windy City. As of late she was spotted poking her head around Ravenswood Ave at a lovely antique museum. Of course that was after a little light five finger shopping at some bourgeoisie stores. She does have rather interesting tastes, given she was attracted to your flannel.”

“What is she doing there?”

“That lies the million dollar question,” Crowley grinned. “The little minx is up to something, with someone’s help. I must say, she is not an ordinary demon anymore. Someone has made sure of that and I intend to find out who. They are bad for business.”

Dean groaned under his breath as his grip tightened on the wheel. No ordinary demon? Of course she wouldn’t be. She was no ordinary girl. Chicago was only about 6 hours away, 5 if he booked baby to the max give or take the busy city traffic. He had a lead and he was going to take it before she was lost again. He couldn’t lose her again.

“My demons will keep watch, but after their last run in with her, well let’s just say I’m keeping them at a distance.”

“Their last run in?” Dean coaxed up his brow.

“Oh you’ll find out soon enough. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of that our lovely little Y/N had left behind. Tah tah,” Crowley snapped away in a blink.

After so many years of tracking people and creatures, you knew when your were being followed. Was it one of Crowley’s goons or something else? Either way, you were sure it was something you probably pissed off at one point or another. It would have been easy to snap right into the museum and grab the dagger, but attention would have grown higher to what it was that you were after. The one thing that could kill you. The one thing that you were not chancing by being reckless.

The security cameras at the clothing store that sold shoes worth higher than a binge weekend with the Winchester’s in Las Vegas was easy enough to click off. The naive clerk was also easy enough to but into s trance as you filled bags up to your desire. It would probably be just regarded as a inventory miscalculation anyways, not enough to catch too much trouble for her in the long run. Although, she did remind you that your appearance was out of place for such an establishment. It was like that scene from pretty woman where you just grinned “Big mistake” before setting her into a trance to stay in a push-up up position in her fancy high heels and skirt until you were done. She would most definitely be sore later since you took your sweet time. The only thing that wasn’t easy, was when you stepped outside with the bags and noticed eyes following you down the street. Chicago sidewalks were busy enough full of peddlers that you were able to duck down an alley unnoticed. Invisibility in plain sight was always one of your skills, but the fact that there was something watching irked you making you a bit more cautious as you continued toward your destination.

After hailing a cab, you directed him to go to the most secluded hotel he could think of in the area. Old habits die hard, and privacy was just what you were looking for. The smell wasn’t terrible, it actually was a familiar scent like home. Well, home for an ex-hunter now turned demon. You dropped your bags down on the dusty bed and went right to work on changing your appearance to the next phase of your plan, getting the dagger.

The low cut black dress just hit above your knees, but raised a little higher as you slide your feet into the matching heels. Your makeup was flawless with red lips to match your fingernails. You went to pull up your hair, but a smirk rose on your face as you let it fall down your shoulders. You could hear Dean’s voice in your memory as he had instructed you to always have it down,l. It definitely did look better that way. Flashing a quick look into the mirror before moving the black petticoat, on you checked your appearance. Definitely wasn’t the usual look for you, but you could appreciate how hot you looked at the moment before you left the room to head to the museum.

Everything was displayed to perfection along the walls and the little glass cases. Pretending that you were there as just a patron of the arts was easy as you clenched the little guide book in your hands while searching every inch for the dagger. That was when you felt it again, eyes on you, following you. Great, just fucking great. You stood in front of a painting that was probably 16th century Germanic when you felt a presence coming nearer to you.

“It definitely tells a story, doesn’t it?” A man’s voice spoke.

“Yes, carnage and blood of a battle won over their demons. You can see the blood red fury in their eyes as they try to overcome them,” you stated while not moving your eyes away from it.

“One can never escape their demons though can they?” He spoke again.

A little chuckle rolled out of you as you smirked to the man next to you.

“You have no idea.”

“I’m Michael,” he stated while extending his hand. “One of the museum tour guides.”

“Jan Joplin,” you smiled back whole shaking his hand.

“Ah, like the singer?”

“I see you’re well educated in the classics,” you smiled before turning back to the painting. “This one is very interesting, but I'm in the markers for something a little more fascinating. Something that really has history radiating off of it.”

“Well all of our collections have history, and we don’t typically sell of our collection to our patrons, even our most elegant and beautiful ones.”

You turned to him again with a smirk, and ran your hand along his forearm over top of his suit jacket while letting the coat open a little more so he could see your cleavage under the skin tight dress. You could see his face becoming red with heat at your touch. You didn’t even need to put him a trance, the outfit was doing just fine without it.

“We do sometimes work with collectors with our newly required inventory that has yet to be examined by the curator.”

“Well, then I would so like to meet them.”

“Dr. Evans has unfortunately left for the day, but I can put you on his schedule first thing in the morning.”

“That would be lovely,” you smiled back you hand still running along his arm. “I guess I’ll just have to find myself something to do until then. I’m not from around here and the big city can be so lonely.”

“We close in about 15 minutes, I could, well if you would like,” he cleared out his throat. “Accompany you for the evening, show you around?”

“How sweet of you,” you smirked as you took your hand away. “I did see a little bar just around the corner. Meet you there?”

“Trust me, I’ll be there.”

“Don’t keep me waiting,” you purred to his ear as you walked away.

Walking into a posh executive type lounge bar to meet some guy you just met of course was not a part of any plan, but you had time to kill, so why not have a little fun? You didn’t expect to for Michael to be such a charmer the way his eyes lit up as you spoke. Genuine almost. You continued your facade as just a rich out-of-towner interested in the arts while his flirtatious remarks turned shameless with each drink he downed. Eventually you decided to suggest a more intimate setting which he quickly agreed upon and led you to the door to a cab to arrive at his small flat on the 5th story, just a few minutes away. It was subtle for a bachelor, not much around you but a few pieces of furniture strategically organized with few representations of any life beyond his work.

His lips met your neck as you stood in front of a simple painting mixed with reds and greys. How simple something could be that probably had so much meaning and emotions thrown in it plagued your mind. It probably cost more than your first car, well, if you had actually paid for it rather than stolen it.

You twisted your head for his lips to meet yours. They were soft but yet hungry. He wanted you, which you could only oblige since there wasn’t much else to do at the moment. You met his kiss with just as much force as he was pressing. It might have not been rough, but it was actually kind of nice. Sweet almost. Your tongues danced together in a rhythm only to break for him to take a breath.

“How did I get so lucky to meet a girl like you?”

“Oh darling,” you laughed. “I wouldn’t call it luck.”

You pressed your lips back to his, this time moving your hands to pull out his tucked in shirt to feel his soft skin underneath. His own hands moving to unzip your dress. There was no callousness to them which actually sent shivers down you. You pulled away from his lips to give him a lust filled look, not intending for him to see them turn black instead.

“What..what are you?” He backed away from you in a panic.

“Don’t go freaking out there Michael. You’re the one who goes hitting on any random girl and bringing her back to your place. I’m sure a demon isn’t the worse thing you’ve slept with.” You sneered.

“Get away from me,” he continued to shout as he backed away further.

“Calm down you’re going to hurt yourself;” you warned as you moved forward to him with his eyes wide in fear. He was heading right towards a window, where you tried to catch him before he went to far back and hurt himself. But it was too late, as he tripped on a little stand and lost his balance. His fear had kept him moving as you heard the sound of the glass shattering and the unmistaken sound of a body hitting concrete below.

“Well fuck,” you groaned. “There goes my night.”

You quickly looked around to see if there was anyone who might even miss him. From what it appeared to be, probably not, but you decided to cover your tracks anyways by leaving a sloppy note on the table for whoever cared to ask what happened. Then you gathered up your items and snapped yourself back to your hotel room.

After a little sleep, you had your breakfast of the remaining contents of what they called a mini bar before you prepared yourself to meet the curator. Another tight fitting dress, this time Red seemed more appropriate. You arrived to the museum and went toward the front desk where two gossiping women stood.

“Excuse me, I have a meeting with the curator Dr.Evans?”

“Oh yes, he will be with you shortly Ms.Joplin,” one of them smiled. “Your fiancé already stopped by and said he would right back.”

“Fiancé?”

“Sweetheart,” you heard behind you in that undeniable husky voice, which sent shivers down your spine. You didn’t even have to look, but you did. Dean fucking Winchester. Just fucking perfect.

“Darling,” you smiled trying to keep up the charade. “What are you doing here?”

“Just thought I would surprise my favorite girl,” he smiled before laying a sweet kiss on your forehead.

You glared at him with hate, but couldn’t deny that the sight of him in his slender grey suit made the thought of tearing it off of him enjoyable. You tried to shake away the thought and moved just a little away from him, impatiently tapping your heel on the floor. This was going to have to be a little harder than you had anticipated.

“Yeah, last night. Apparently suicide although no one really knows why. Poor Michael, I’m going to miss him here,” you heard one of the girls whispering to the other.

“That have something to do with you?” Dean whispered to your ear.

“A guy having a hard time dealing with reality? Now why would you think I had something to do with that?” You raised your brow.

He furrowed his eyes at you, trying to see the lie that you were covering up. Yeah, it was your fault he died, but you didn’t kill him. It was an accident, but then again most accidents don’t just happen accidentally.

“Ms. Joplin. Mr. Plant,” an old man's voice called out. “It’s nice to meet you. I hear you’re in the market for something unique?”

You both took turns shaking the old mans hand that was extended to both of you.

“Yes, I’m a bit of a collector when I travel. You do have some interesting pieces, but nothing so far that I’ve seen really speak to me.”

“And what line of business are you in Mr.Plant?” He moved his gaze to Dean, annoyance clearly becoming visible on your face.

“A family business, but I’m not the one shopping,” Dean smiled before wrapping his hand around your waist and squeezing you in. “She is the one with the fancy taste. I’m just here to support my girl in whatever she chooses.”

“Yes, well follow me this way,” Dr. Evans turned looking either embarrassed or agitated. Maybe both.

You followed behind close, memorizing the turns through the halls as Dean pulled you closer to him.

“What are you up to?” He whispered.

“Shopping,” you replied quietly back. “Now go away. I told you I wouldn’t play nice next time.”

“I’m not scared and I’m not going anywhere,” He whispered back.

“I take it Crowley told you where I was. I thought there may have been one of his dogs sniffing around. Do make sure to send him my regards.”

“You’re a hard woman to track down.”

And where is Sam? You two are typically attached at the one brain you share.”

“I came without him. I wanted to find you alone.”

“So that means he is on his way,” you smirked back.

“Ah, here we are,” Dr. Evans spoke up as he stood in front of a large door with a keypad next to it. You listened as he pressed in the code. 9-6-2-6-8 and green light. He held the door open and waved for you to both walk in.

“Now these are some of our most recent acquisitions that have not been thoroughly processed yet. We have many prominent families that bring us items the generations have collected.”

You look down at the table with items all neatly sprawled out. Jewels, a few little trinkets, paintings, and out of the corner of your eye you could see the handle of the blade glisten at you. It was neatly placed in a leather holder, just waiting for you to grab it. You walked along the table, trying not to noticeably stare at the dagger as you stood in front of a bunch of over sized diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. It was radiating so much power that you could feel its warmth course through your cold heart.

“A fine piece of jewelry is what the lovely lady is looking for?” You heard the doctor stating to Dean.

“Only she knows what she wants,” Dean replied still watching your every move.

“They are lovely, but not what I was looking for,” you smiled gracefully. “I was more or less interested in something with a story. Something more biblical.”

“ Well all of our pieces have a story, perhaps there is something more I could show you?”

“No, I’m done here,” you firmly stated as you moved towards the door. “Thank you for your time but I think we are done here.”

You kept moving past both men. You could hear Dean snickering as he shrugged at the confused curator.

“I told you only she knows what she wants. Thank you for your time.”

You kept up your pace with your heels clicking on the ceramic floor below you, ignoring Dean calling for it to you before you stepped outside out of sight and snapped back to your hotel room.

“Fuck!” You cried out loud .

You could have gotten it if he hadn’t been there. Damn Winchester. You had given him a chance to back off, but you were a fool to think he would actually take it. Stupid man. Now you were going to have to do things the hard way, and if he got in your way again, he’d be sorry.

After slipping into a more functional choice of clothing, black stretchy jeans with your tall black boots and a tight fitting black tank covered with an equally form fitting leather jacket, you snapped yourself to an alley close by the museum. It was near lunchtime and you saw one of those annoying preppy girls from the front desk walking down the street probably to get her lunch. You followed close by, leaving some distance between you until she entered a little coffee shop. She placed her large order and headed to the bathroom. Perfect.

You followed behind and went to the vacant stall next to her, opening your mouth to allow the black smoke to travel next to you, possessing her memories for just a moment before returning back to your body. Probably definitely the grossest way to be possessed, but at least you didn’t leave her mentally scarred for life.

The alarm code for the museum was 89670 after using a key to get in which was in her right jacket pocket and no night guards. Idiots. Maybe it wasn’t going to be that hard after all. You waited until you heard her wash her hands before leaving the bathroom behind her. You walked briskly past towards the outside, bumping into her right side to quickly retrieve her set of keys from her pocket. Easy.

Now the waiting game until they closed. What to do? That was when you noticed the unmistakable sight of Baby parked down the street from the museum. Smart boy. Dumb, but smart. He knew you’d be back. Now how to distract him away from your night time plans?

You made sure that you were in his direct line of view as you raised your hand to hail a cab.

“Where to miss?” The cabby asked as you slid into the torn leather seats that reeked of years of body odor and vomit.

“Take me to the darkest and roughest bar you know outside of the city,” you replied.

“You looking for trouble miss?”

“Always,” you smirked.

Dark and dingy could definitely describe McLoyyds’s that had its parking lot filled with motorcycles. Upon entering the eyes of all the big and built bikers followed you to the bartender.

“Two whiskey’s neat,” you ordered, waiting for the inevitable arrival of Dean right behind you.

“Well hello there sweetheart,” a gruff voice whistled behind you making you turn your head with a smile. “What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

“I’m meeting someone,” you replied. “But if you stick around, maybe it’ll be you I go home with.”

“Or you could just ditch him now,” he grinned.

“There’s some business to discuss first, but I’ll be right with you after.”

He let out a chuckle and walked back over to the pool table with his other grinning friends. That’s when you could feel it, Dean was walking right towards you even before you could smell that damn cheap cologne, you could sense him nearby. He took the seat right next to you, one hand on the counter, and another most likely holding that demon blade under his jacket.

“I’ve taken the liberty of ordering you a whiskey Dean,” you said while lifting your glass to your mouth. “And you won’t be needing that little knife anytime soon. I’d rather not make a scene.”

You could see out of the corner of your eye his hand releasing it and sliding out from his coat to grab the whiskey in front of him.

“Just being cautious sweetheart.”

“Why have I tried to hurt you yet?” You raised your eyebrow the him. “You are a persistent little shit, so I should after giving you fair warning, but why ruin such a pretty face?”

“So what exactly is your end goal here? You give me a couple of drinks and I’m supposed to forget your a freaking demon and just let you go?”

“Well that would be nice, but I don’t expect that that will be happening anytime soon,” you smirked.

“No,” he shook his head.

“I guess that was too much to wish for from a Winchester.”

“So what is it that you are doing?”

“I’m just enjoying life. Well death, technically. Traveling the country and living free with no responsibilities. Wasn’t that the plan all along Dean? I mean, granted you chickened out of it and became selfish with the power you had, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still have a little fun.”

“I didn’t want you to become like this,” he sighed as he swirled the drink in his hand. “The Y/N I knew before I did all those things to you would never have chosen this.”

“The Y/N you knew was broken Dean well before you even met her. My life was never going to end with a white picket fence. And as for choice? Well I made it for myself. You might have broken your deal with Crowley, but I sure as hell didn’t.”

“You made a deal with Crowley?” Dean asked with his voice trembling in guilt.

“Does that really surprise you Dean?” You smirked back. “Months of traveling around with you, desperate to numb all the bad stuff away while also being hopelessly in love with you? Why wouldn’t I?”

You watched as he swallowed hard the information you had just given him, the wheels turning vigorously in that perfect head of his before you continued.

“Of course I had expected that I wouldn’t be alone in this. Naive little girl I was. Should never trust a Winchester’s promise. If it hadn’t of been for my deal, I would have been rotting in the ground right now.”

“If I could take even if a second of it back I would have,” Dean breathed out with tears forming in his eyes. “After Sammy had found you passed out all alone from taking all those pills, I instantly regretted leaving you. I was supposed to be there.”

“Yes you were,” you snapped back. “And now here we are.”

“We can cure you. It worked for me. We can fix this just come back with me.”

“Did it really work Dean? Did the cure really release you from your demons? Or did it just make it easier to live with yourself? I can see it in your eyes, the mark hasn’t given up its hold on you and it won’t. Give it time and all that control you think you have will be gone again,” you smirked at the thought. “As for me, I like not having anyone or anything controlling me. I’m free and that is the way I will stay.”

You went to get up to leave after dropping a couple of bills down on the counter, when Dean grabbed your wrist to stop you.

“I can’t let you just walk away. I won’t be able to live with myself.”

“Then don’t,” you whispered to his ear. “Now let go of my hand. I trying to play nice, but you are starting to make it really hard.”

“No,” he growled.

“Let me go,” you cried out so the other bar patrons could hear you.

“We got a problem over here,” the biker from earlier barked out with a dozen of his friends following behind.

“Look man, I don’t have a problem. I’m just trying to talk to my friend here,” Dean tried to smile back while tightening his grasp on your wrist.

“He wants me to go back where he will torture and beat me! Help me! He’s a monster!” You cried out frantically as you pulled away from Dean’s grasp and hid behind your “savior” and his army.

Dean’s eyes blew open in terror as the men almost double his side crowded him as you made your way to the door. Before exiting you turned to give him a flashy smile with a wink, while blowing him a kiss with the palm of your hand. The sound of flesh hitting flesh hard behind you made a chuckle roll out of you. That will teach him a little lesson about messing with you, and hell, you didn’t even need to do anything demonic to do it. If he wasn’t a bruised corpse after, at least it would slow him down so you could do what you needed to. A part of you wanted to watch the outcome, but this was your chance to shake him off your tail, at least for a minute.

You found a spot on the roof of a building next to the museum to sit at as you watched the sunset over the city. It was actually kind of pretty the way all the shades of reds filled the sky before the darkness took over. You watched as the group of museum workers you had seen earlier all huddled up together to hide away from the cold as they walked to the parking lot down the street. For a October night, you should have been freezing sitting out there for so long, but you couldn’t feel it. It was actually kind of nice compared to the fiery heat you were used to now as you sat there patiently. You could hear church bells chiming midnight in the distance, time to go to work.

You went to the back door through the alley way, using the keys to gain access before punching in the code before the silent alarm went off. Easy. Making your way to the main entrance area, you snapped for the cameras to all power down before following the steps secured in your memory from earlier. This demon thing definitely had its perks when it came to breaking and entering.

You were still cautious of your steps, you eyes focusing on what was in front of you in the dark pathways. You had finally made your way down the steps to the securely locked door in front of you when you got that feeling again. Dean.

“9-6-2-6-8,” his deep voice stated.

“I know what it is,” you sneered while turning toward him. “What I don’t know is why you are here.”

“I know you better then what than you think there sweetheart,” he grinned with blood smeared from a cut on his forehead and a couple of bruises alongside his chin.

“I guess I’d hate to see the other guys, huh?” You smiled. “How’s that mark of yours doing? Did you give it a little taste?”

You could hear him growl as he furrowed his eyes to you. You just turned you head with a laugh and punched in the numbers giving you access to the room.

“Go back and stay out of my way Dean,” you said before entering. “Last warning.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Whatever it is that you are here for must mean something to you if you’ve gone through all of this trouble just to get rid of me.”

“Maybe I just don’t like to be bothered Dean,” you said as you picked up a heavy jeweled necklace from the table.

“You’re not really here for jewelry,” he stated as a matter of fact. “You were the girl who hated girly things like that because they would get in the way.”

“Says the man now getting in my way,” you sly smirked as you placed the jewels in your coat pocket. “I told you I was shopping Dean.”

He crept closer to you, his side a mere foot or so away from the dagger. You moved forward to him, reaching to wipe the blood away from his brow with your thumb.

“Everything is covered by insurance Dean, so why fret about a little stealing? After all, I’ve learned to really enjoy some of the finer things in life. Jewels, fancy clothes, luxury cars...sex. Mmm. I thought it was good with you before, but I can’t even imagine what it would be like now. Every touch…” you slid you hand down his face to his chest, making him unsubconsciously move his face along your palm where you could feel the brittle facial hairs scratch your skin. “Every taste, every kiss. Why, now I know why we spent more time in the bedroom than anywhere else. It is exhilarating isn’t it?”

You kept your hand slithering down as you spoke, resting just above where his belt buckle clasped before he swiftly grabbed your hand.

“Or maybe we’re a little broken now in that department?” You smirked.

“You’re trying to distract me,” he stated firmly.

“And why on earth would you ever think that?” Your smirk growing larger. “Maybe I miss this just a little and it was always fun to play around in places we shouldn’t be, wasn’t it Dean?”

That’s when you felt the metal of a handcuff hit your wrist which you quickly got out of before he could clasp it down shut. You pushed him down to the ground and sat on top of him, pinning his hands above his head.

“I see the time to play nice is ending. That was very stupid of you Dean, after I was going to give you the ride of your life,” you stated before leaning down to run your tongue alongside his cheek that made him wince away. “I said I don’t like to be controlled. Crowley already tried. Ask him how well that turns out.”

Dean pushed his head up with all his might, the mark fueling his anger from being subdued. His head knocking hard into yours, making your grasp lessen as you fell back.

“Son of a bitch,” you growled out. As you both jumped to your feet. “You’re going to pay for that.”

He pulled out the demon knife from the confines of his jacket ready to charge at you. As you cracked your head side to side with a look of fury in your black eyes.

“I don’t want to do this,” Dean yelled out. “But if you wont come peacefully, then bring it on you black eyed bitch.”

The words made you laugh at the terror and dread all in his eyes. You could easily kill him, but what he was feeling right now was much more satisfying to watch.

“What are you waiting for, sweetheart,” you grinned while taunting him with a wave of your hands. “Come and get me.”

He lunged at you with the blade pointed right for your stomach. You twisted yourself just in time to block his attack, but he managed to get his arm around your shoulders while holding the tip of the blade to your neck.

His grip was tight, but nothing you couldn’t get out of as you felt his heart pounding in your back.

“Aw Dean, did you want to dance? Like that night in the club?” You pushed your ass into him with a laugh. “We don’t have an audience now.”

“Give it up.”

“Never,” you said before slamming your head back into his, hearing the crunch of your skulls colliding.

His grip let go and you turned yourself away, but not before you felt the knife hit your side just enough to pierce the skin. You kicked up your boot to meet his face, knocking him back once more before you grabbed the dagger in an instant, placing it beneath your jacket and rushing to the doorway.

“It’s been a real blast catching up,” you slammed your hand down on the alarm. “But I gotta go. You have about 20 seconds before the police arrive. Have fun with that.”

You snapped yourself out in in a blink right before his dizzy eyes. He quickly looked around before running out. What did she take? What was she here for? His eyes caught the sight of an empty spot of where an old knife sat.

“Son of a bitch,” he yelled while swiftly getting out of the building, just barely before two cop cars showed up outside. He had gotten lucky. His head still throbbed with pain from a day of taking blows to it between the chivalrous biker gang and a demonic Y/N when he got inside the safety of baby’s doors. He felt his anger rising as he pulled the sleeve up from his shirt to look at the mark on his skin burning bright. It was screaming at him for blood. It was demanding it. He could have sworn he had gotten her with the demon knife as he looked at the small trace of blood still lingering on it, shimmering with the light of the lamppost. He had forgotten how good Y/N was at getting out of tight situations. Hell, he had taught her some of those moves himself. But she was going too far, and if he couldn’t get her to come with him willingly or not, he was going to give the mark the blood it demanded. Her blood.

____

When you snapped yourself back to the hotel room was when you looked at the mark Dean had left on your stomach. The asshole was really going trying to kill you. So much for wanting to save you. Perfect. Just where you wanted him, feeling the same anger you had inside of you.

You pulled off your jacket examining the tiny hole in it before grabbing the dagger that was inside. At least with all things considered, you got it. It felt warm in your hand, giving you an electrifying shiver as you ran your fingers alongside it. You pushed your finger to the tip and watched blood trickle slowly as it pierced your skin. You were holding the one thing that could kill you, at least according to Rowena. An angel blade didn’t work and the demon knife made a scratch, but there was still another weapon in play that you weren’t sure if Dean had or not. The first blade.

Your tore off your clothes and went to the shower. The water was scalading your skin below, but it felt good on your muscles. Tangoing with Dean was always a strenuous workout. You finished up your shower and wrapped the towel around you before placing the dagger underneath your pillow. You then quickly threw on a pair of underwear and a tank to lay your worn body down on the bed. For being dead, you were fucking exhausted after the day where you laid down your head and fell into a deep sleep instantly.

“Come on Y/N! Don’t you trust me?” Dean chuckled while holding his hands over your eyes after he had driven you blindfolded to only he knew where.

“Never,” you laughed back. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see in about three seconds,” he replied. “Ready? One-two-three.”

Dean removed his hands to allow you to look at the sight in front of you. Baby was parked on a hill, just over top of a little worn down drive in theater that had previews already starting.

“We have popcorn, beer, and twizzlers,” he stated as he moved to place a blanket on baby’s hood.

“Dean...you did this for me?”

“Of course not,” he smirked. “I did this so I could see that smile on your face when your eyes light up.”

“You’re such a helpless romantic aren’t you Winchester?”

“Always.”

“Forever.”

The dream of your memories allowed you to slip away for a moment when everything seemed likely would have a fairytale ending, but the sound of a gun hammer being clicked back make your head shoot up from the pillow to see Dean standing in front of you with the gun aimed right for you.

“You are just going to shoot a girl in her sleep? Bullets can’t kill me numbskull.”

“Devil’s traps sweetheart,” he said still aiming it for you. “I’m done taking chances.”

“Can I at least get dressed?”

He stayed silent, keeping his eyes on you while holding his stance firm to the ground.

“So you’re just going to shoot me in the head while I’m practically naked? Real mature there.”

“No,” he replied firmly. “Leg.”

He pointed the gun down and shot right down to your leg, barely missing it when you jumped out of its path. You used your forearm to knock the gun out of his hands to catch in your own and high kicked him back into a chair behind him. You straddled his lap and pressed the barrel the gun under his chin.

“You see Dean,” your eyes turned black as you pushed it harder into him. “You’ve always been, let’s just say, predictable. I’m growing tired of playing these little games, aren’t you? You can’t win.”

“Yeah, well ahead and shoot me and let’s see who wins.” He growled.

“Ah, you know I really should, but I like seeing you this way...hating yourself.” You purred into his ear while yanking back his head with a fistful of his hair that made him moan in return. “Oh, I forgot, you like that don’t you?”

You could feel his heart racing beneath his clothing as his jaw tightened and eyes stared into yours.

“How’s that mark doing? Is it calling for blood yet?” You smirked devishly, sitting yourself up just a little more while clicking the hammer back off and releasing the clip to fall to the floor below you. “No need for this.”

Dean swiftly grabbed your waist and pinned you down to the floor, moving one hand around your throat. His eyes dark and red with fury as he pushed his grip tighter.

“Aw there’s my boy,” you giggled. “It’s about time.”

You wrapped your legs around his waist and put all the force you had into twisting the two of you around where you were now on top of him.

“Mmm, go ahead and squeeze as hard as you want Dean,” you smiled with his hands still on your throat, taunting him. “You can’t kill me twice.”

Dean’s fist met your jawline, catching you off guard. As he jumped to his feet, Dean pulled out the demon knife once more and held it in his hands as you pushed up on the chair beside you to stand.

“You know Dean, I’m starting to think this is a rather unhealthy relationship,” you stated as you dodged his lunge at you where you kicked his backside hard, making him crash into the dresser in front of him. “I think we should see other people.”

“Keep talking sweetheart. I’m going to shut that mouth of yours up,” he seethed before lunging again, this time you twisted yourself to catch hold of the knife, taking it away from him.

“Promise?” You smiled while tossing it away from him. “Getting tired yet?”

“I’m just getting started,” he sneered and held up his fists in a fighting stance.

“Oh Dean,” you cooed. “I think you kinda like this.”

Dean’s growls echoed the room as he went to strike once more. No matter how hard he tried to grab you, you found a way to block him, knocking him back just a little in return. It became a fun game with every twist and turn of your bodies. You felt alive again for once in a really long time. The room was beyond destroyed now as the glass from the broken TV on the floor was digging into your bare feet. It didn’t stop you, no. The rush you were getting...hell you could do this all night.

Dean’s foot hit you just hard enough that you skidded right along the side of the bed, doing a backwards somersault to stand at the other side. That’s when he saw it. The dagger hidden underneath the pillow. Your eyes focused on what he was looking at, but he was too close and too quick as you went to retrieve it. The dagger, you life was now truly in his hands.

His enraged blown wide eyes watched as you backed up a little at your spot, your eyes met his as he pushed himself closer. Your back up against the wall now with Dean holding the dagger to you throat. This was it, he was going to kill you. A form of poetic justice with Dean being the reason for your death once more.

“Do it,” you taunted while keeping your stare to his.

His eyes narrowed in to yours, his face red with fury with his jaw clenching so tight that you could see the blood pumping through the veins in his forehead.

“Isn’t that what you want? To rid yourself of your demons?” You eyes instantly turning black. “Well go ahead Dean. Rid yourself of what you’ve created. Keep fighting what you really want.”

Dean blinked and looked into your eyes raising his hand with the dagger. This was it. You were going to die. But instead of feeling the metal push its way through your heart you heard it pierce the wall behind you. Your eyes shot open to look at what had happened next to and to look at Dean, but you were met with his lips now pushing themselves down on yours rough and hungry.

A part of you screamed at yourself to stop, that you hated him, but as his lips pressed with yours you couldn’t stop it even if you tried. His tongue moved with yours, backing off just a little to bit your lip between his teeth. He firmly grasped your hips and you in turn hopped up to wrap your legs around his waist, pulling his hair between your fingers. He pushed your back up harder against the wall, as his lips and tongue ran down your jawline to your neck. Sucking, licking and biting every inch of your flesh along the way.

Moans were escaping your lips as you arched your back to his touch. He went back to your lips as he carried you to sit on the wobbly broken dresser. His eyes blown with lust he pulled away and stared into yours before using his hands to completely rip the front of your tank top to reveal your heaving chest. You grabbed him by the back of his head and pushed his lips to you again, this time dragged your teeth to bite down on the bottom one almost to the point where it would bleed. You pulled away again and reached up and ripped his shirt down the front. His hands gripped your breast roughly, twisting your nipples between his fingers as his lips met your once more. Your nails now clawing deep into the flesh of his back, making him go harder in return.

He reached down and swiftly undid the buckle and zipper to his pants with your assistance. You leaned back after pushing your panties to the side to feel his rock hard girth push deep inside of your dampness.

“Aw fuck! Dean!” You moaned as he thrusted himself further into you and pulled his grip on your hair hard.

He thrust himself deeper and harder into you, sweat pouring from his brow as it felt like every nerve in your body had come alive again once more.

“That’s it Dean,” you panted has his pace quickened,. “Give in. It’s okay. Let go of all your worries, all your fears.”

The sound of skin smacking was echoing the room as Dean’s hand reached around your throat once more. You could see it in his face he was close: falling off the edge of the cliff he had been tiptoeing.

“Give yourself over completely Dean,” you moaned again as you pulled him close for his chest to become flesh with yours. “Embrace the darkness inside...”

Dean’s thrusts quickly stopped as he rapidly backed away from you, eyes wide open, trying to search for something in his thoughts.

“You don’t need to fight it Dean,” you stated as you watched him tear himself apart as he realized what he had just been doing. “Take what you want…”

“I don’t want this,” he snapped back at you in anger while grasping the sides of his head in pain.

“You don’t want this?” You seethed and boomed firmly as you stood up. “You created this. You can’t take this back. Or was I just a little plaything to you? Hum...your little whore? You never cared about me before your eyes turned black. I was never perfect enough for you. I was too broken. Then you finally saw that the real me was just as broken as you. So what ever happened to forever Dean!”

“You died,” he cried out loud with tears forming in his eyes. “You died and it was all my fault.”

You watched as he feel back and sat on the bed, the tears rolling from his eyes as he looked up to you.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there,” he cried. “But we can fix this, I have to fix this.”

“Fix this? You’re the only thing I see here that’s broken. You sit there and play the self righteouhero, but I know what you really are Dean.” You sneered and turned your eyes black. “And sooner than later this is what your going to become.”

“Ahh!” Dean growled out in a rage, moving to his feet to pin you up to the wall by your throat once more.

“You’re a coward Dean Winchester,” you stated while holding your stare to his while gripping the heavy old rotary phone next to you in your hand. “And if you think this is painful, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

You smashed the phone hard against his head, where you could have sworn you heard the crunch of his skull. He fell down to the floor hard, passed out from the blow. He was still breathing.

You stared down at him, wanting to peel the flesh from his skin for making you feel again. For making you feel him again. He was going feel pain. He was going to wish you would kill him. He was going to beg for it.

_____

Dean’s head was pounding like drums and little alarms were blaring. He tried to focus his eyes but everything was still foggy. It took him a second before he realized he was now sitting in a chair with his arms and legs securely tied in a dark and cold warehouse.

“Morning sunshine. I’ve got a surprise for you,” you stated as you pushed a girl with her hands bonded together in front of him. “I’m sure you remember her, after all she was the perfect woman wasn’t she? The only one who made you feel whole.”

Dean’s eyes focused on the frightened girl in front of him. Her long raven hair unkempt around the porcelain skin of her face. Her brown eyes screaming at him for help.

“Lisa.”

@ezilyamuzed @redlipstickandthewinchesters @ain-t-bovvered @bamby0304 @bobasheebaby @curly-haired-disaster @dean-winchesters-bacon @imma-winchester-addict @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @ladywinchester1967 @julesthequirky @lovemesomecas94 @myinconnelly1 @mrsnazario1223 @missjenniferb @squirrel-moose-squad @supernaturalsammy01 @time-travel-bouqet @waywardbaby @waywardnerd67 @whimsicalrobots @thekatherinewinchester @supernatural-teamfreewillpage @jackles-jadalecki @nanie5 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @iwriteaboutdean @bitterstar88 @angelessquirrel @thebeautywithinme @speakinvain @spn-winchester-app @jaylarkson @horsegirly99 @biawol @mirandaaustin93 @death-unbecomes-you @deans-jiggly-pudding @destielhoneybee @spnmightkillme @meganywinchester @bitchy-ginger-1 @mscarrilv @hunterswearingplaid @mannls @perpetualabsurdity @adoptdontshoppets @ladystiltskin67 @sweet-things-4-life @deangetsme @sandlee44 @somilotopia @ilovefanfic86 @srsllydunnodoncare @bella-ca @donnaintx @sirod-30 @peridottea91 @thisismysecrethappyplace @mogarukes @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @deanwinchesterficsx @daughterofthenight117 @getnaildbyme @whereismykrustykrab @-lovepeacenhope- @thatsnotwhoifuckingam @faith901t-blog @4evrfandom @fanfictionjunkie1112 @my-proof-is-you @maddiepants @multi-fandom-wby @fangirl-forevers-world @thisgirllovespizza @leatherandapples @unabashedsoul97 @deanna-s-winchester @witch-of-letters @spnj2m2 @ruthiesconnells @my-fucking-noodles @holylulusworld @spn-impala @iamabeautifulperson18 @gracefultrenchcoat494 @stoneyggirl @squirrellybaby67

#supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural family #supernatural fandom #SPNFamily #spnfanfiction #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #rowena #crowley #Blood Red

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freenewstoday · 3 years

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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/12/06/warren-berlinger-film-and-television-character-actor-dies-at-83/

Warren Berlinger, Film and Television Character Actor, Dies at 83

Warren Berlinger, whose career as a character actor spanned more than six decades and featured myriad roles in film and television dramas and comedies, died on Wednesday at the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita, Calif. He was 83.

Mr. Berlinger’s daughter Elizabeth Berlinger Tarantini said the cause was cancer.

On television in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, his roles included appearances on “Operation Petticoat,” “Too Close for Comfort” and “Murder, She Wrote.” He also appeared on “Friends,” “Columbo” and “Charlie’s Angels.”

Mr. Berlinger appeared in several episodes of the sitcom “Happy Days” in the 1970s and ’80s, in roles including Dr. Logan, Mr. Vanburen and Army Sgt. Betchler. His most recent television credit was from 2016 on “Grace and Frankie.”

In film, Mr. Berlinger, acted in “I Will … I Will … For Now” (1976) with Diane Keaton, “The Cannonball Run” (1981) and “The World According to Garp” (1982).

Mr. Berlinger was born in Brooklyn on Aug. 31, 1937, to Elias and Frieda Berlinger. His father owned a glass store in Brooklyn, and his mother was a homemaker. Before his acting career took off, he took some classes at Columbia University.

He met the actress Betty Lou Keim when they were child actors in an industrial film that showed how globes were made. He yanked her pigtail braids, Mr. Berlinger’s granddaughter Katie Tarantini said on Saturday.

They were in the 1956 film “Teenage Rebel,” his first film, which was adapted from the play “A Roomful of Roses,” in which they had also appeared.

Mr. Berlinger married Ms. Keim in 1960; she died in 2010. Besides his daughter Elizabeth, Mr. Berlinger is survived by another daughter, Lisa Wooding; two sons, David and Edward; eight grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Of all the characters Mr. Berlinger played, his favorite was J. Pierrepont Finch in the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” He played the character for two years as part of the 1963 cast in London.

As part of a project in her senior year of high school, Ms. Tarantini described why she believed Finch was her grandfather’s favorite role: As a struggling actor working hard to succeed, Mr. Berlinger saw himself in the show’s character, who was a young window washer looking to move up the corporate ladder.

At a dinner at a hotel in London one night after the show, the orchestra at the restaurant struck up a song from the show, “I Believe in You,” Mr. Berlinger told an interviewer in November 2019.

“We were the talk of the town,” he said. “I get chills even talking about it.”

Source

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rabbitcruiser · 4 years

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Flatiron District and Beyond, Manhattan (No. 5)

Victorian architects viewed themselves as the rightful heirs to all the historic styles that preceded them and late 19th Century buildings were sometimes referred to as “a happy combination of styles.” Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than in Robert Henry Robertson’s 1892 McIntire Building. The riotous combination of architectural elements prompted Norval White and Elliot Willensky in the AIA Guide to New York City to call it “Unspeakable eclectic: a murmuration of Byzantine columns, Romanesque arches, Gothic finials and crockets – the designer used the whole arsenal of history in one shot.” The seed for the building was planted in 1847 when Ewen McIntyre opened a small pharmacy at the corner of 18th Street and Broadway. At his parent’s 60th anniversary in 1911, McIntyre’s son told The New York Times that his father’s store “…was very much in the country. There was a cow yard on one corner of Broadway and pigs were kept on the other. There was no water and people carried pails to the pumps.” Despite the rustic surroundings, McIntyre’s business grew, as did the Broadway neighborhood. By 1890 he had grown wealthy and had a second large pharmacy at 992 6th Avenue. Realizing the potential of the burgeoning Broadway commercial area, McIntyre commissioned Robertson in 1890 to design a spectacular office building with rental space on the site of his 874 Broadway store. Two years later the McIntire Building was complete. The often-fearsome architectural critic Montgomery Schuyler at once loved it, calling it “unscrupulously picturesque.” The McIntyre Building, he said, was “one of the most effective bits of our street architecture. . . with the long colonnaded attic and the picturesque corner tower. . ." Robertson blended yellow brick, terra cotta, and carved stone, along with a clay tile roof to create the structure that so confuses architectural historians. Tagged variously as Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival and Victorian Eclectic it is a wonderful hodgepodge of visually pleasing elements. The architect kept stone carvers busy for months creating grotesque and whimsical faces, animals, Celtic knots, vines and gargoyles. In the entrance, mosaic tiles boldly announced the name of the building – with an unfortunate misspelling. In a mistake that has never been explained, a swirling mosaic ribbon on the floor reads “MAC INTYRE BUILDING” with an additional “A.” McIntyre’s real estate gamble paid off. A fantastic building in a prime location, it filled with diverse businesses. A bank opened on the street level and in 1895 the Raritan Hollow and Porous Brick Company was headquarters here. The firm provided "fireproof" building materials for such structures as the Schribner Building and the New York Stock Exchange. The National Gramophone Company had its headquarters here in 1898 and in 1905, S. Herzig & Company, manufacturers of petticoats and women’s underwear was here. In 1931 the Central Hanover Bank and Trust had taken over the ground floor while the rest of the building was mainly leased to china and fabrics wholesalers. In the 1970s the McIntyre was purchased by a cluster of artists who moved in, despite not having a certificate of residential occupancy. At some point an illegal nightclub called The Cobra Club operated out of the 7th floor. Not all of their snakes stayed in the glass terrariums. For several years afterwards live snakes were found slithering throughout the building. By 2000 the owners had legalized their co-op and a full-scale restoration was underway. In a surprising move, they contracted Restoration Management Services to restore the original wooden windows rather than replace them. Superstructures & Engineers Architects addressed the exterior walls and roofs, providing investigation and design input and earning the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

In its 2006 Annual Report, the Conservancy noted the “restoration work is ambitious and complex given the age and ornate character of the façades, which are composed of limestone,granite, marble, brick, terra cotta, and various metals.”

By 2008 the building was enveloped in scaffolding and netting as Skyline Restoration, Inc. managed a $2.5 million complete restoration. Today the scaffolding is gone and Ewen McIntyre’s spectacular building is a sensation again – even with a typo in the entryway (but no more snakes).

Source

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suffragettecity100 · 4 years

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1909: Woman Suffrage Party

51: Woman Suffrage Party

On October 30,1909, there was a “Convention for Disenfranchised Women” held in Carnegie Hall. It was the first ever official suffrage convention held within New York City and was quite the event to attend. It was well-planned, had vibrant speakers, and brought together many of the grassroots suffrage groups into one space. Maud Nathan (Mrs. Frederick P. Nathan) was a speaker and so was Carrie Chapman Catt but the main speaker who read the meetings’ main platform was newcomer, Katherine Duer MacKay (Mrs. Clarence MacKay) a wealthy socialite and founder of the Equal Enfranchise Society.

Three main resolutions came out of the meeting. First, that “women should be put upon terms of equality with men in the privilege of the ballot”. Second, that the state charter be amended so that one third of the Board of Education should be women, and that at least three women be on the Board of Bellevue and Allied Hospitals. Third, that women teachers be paid the same as male teachers. All resolutions were passed with resounding applause.

Whenever people asked Catt how long it would take before women got the vote, she squarely put it back on how hard women were willing to get out and work for it. At this meeting, Catt emphasized this sentiment with a decisive call to action by saying, “There are hundreds of thousands who believe in women’s suffrage but instead of getting out and working for it they want to let others work for them. What you want to do is tackle the politicians in your district.”

On October 31, 1909, Catt founded the Woman Suffrage Party (WSP) which became the core of the Empire State Campaign Committee that pushed for full suffrage in New York. Called a “petticoat boss” by the newspapers, Catt went to work tackling the politicians and teaching others how to do it too.

The WSP only existed from 1909-1915 and was disbanded after the New York state suffrage amendment failed, but during its operation, it was a vital galvanizing force for women in New York and set an example of what could be done by uniting smaller groups. Upon the disbanding of the WSP, Catt returned as president of NAWSA (episode 38) until it too was dissolved after the passage of the 19th Amendment.

This week’s song pick:

“Slow train/long walk to DC” by Yola https://youtu.be/3ax9cwv9wa4

#FightForThe19th #SuffragetteCity100

Episode 51 Sources

http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/biographies/carrie-chapman-catt

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904217/the_los_angeles_times/

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/10/30/101040578.html?pageNumber=1

https://www.loc.gov/item/rbcmiller002012

The entire Woman Suffrage Party mission statement pamphlet is available here

https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbcmil.scrp6011805/?st=gallery

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goldeagleprice · 6 years

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Bowers on collecting: Facts, fantasies, and opinions about the Bank of the United States

By Q. David Bowers

I love history, and over a period of time, I have immersed myself in many accounts published in early newspapers, books, and directories. These include Niles’ Weekly Register, launched in Baltimore in 1811, and continued for decades afterward. I skimmed every issue and read anything that had to do with finance or numismatics. The result was an “I was there” experience, such as in late summer 1814 when Hezekiah Niles, editor, was at his desk in Baltimore while British forces were approaching the city. Of course, we all know they didn’t make it, and the rockets fired from Fort McHenry forced the British ships to flee from the Chesapeake, with “The Star Spangled Banner” memorializing this event. I have looked through the Congressional Record, the National Intelligencer, and other early print matter—this in an era when it had to be done by hand. Today, most of these sources are on the Internet and are searchable. Probably, what took me a year to do a decade or two ago could be done in a month now!

1776 Continental Dollar. Newman 1-C. CURRENCY. Pewter. MS-62. Hover to zoom. Image courtesy of Stack’s Bowers.

As it is, there are still things I am seeking that I have not found on the Internet. The subject of the 1776 Continental dollar (most of which are struck in pewter and grade from Very Fine to About Uncirculated, indicating use in commerce) has come to the fore in recent years. Where were they made and by whom? Ever since the mid-1950s, I have studied the 1785–1788 coppers made for the Republic of Vermont (it did not become a state until 1791). Even with Internet searching, I have found very little new information to add to what I gathered earlier. And then there is the little town of Arcadia, New York, where some of my ancestors settled in the late 1850s after emigrating from Germany.

However, I am getting off-topic, so now to the history of the Bank of the United States—an interest of mine for a long time, and the entity, actually two entities, that I read about in the aforementioned Niles’ Weekly Register and other publications, including quite a few books written in the 19th century into the early 20th. Andrew Jackson is one of my favorite 19th-century personalities, and I have read a lot of source material about him. I have delved into Senator Thomas Hart Benton, his daughter and her connection in a way with the San Francisco branch mint, and more. Lots of fun. On the other hand, I haven’t paid much attention to Henry Clay (except for his 1844 presidential campaign) or New Hampshire native Daniel Webster (honored here, but did he have to move to Massachusetts?).

In writing this article I sent a draft to several people, including John Kleeberg and Joel Orosz. Both are rocket scientists, so to speak when it comes to history, and both have written extensively. Their feedback, including corrections, has resulted in a rewrite and expansion of my original narrative.

By any account the two Bank of the United States institutions were controversial: Were they essential to the health of the American economy in their time, or were they partially helpful but also an interference? Today, in my opinion, later accounts of them are often confusing and muddled. Congress chartered the first in 1791 with a 20-year life. This became standard with many state-chartered banks and, beginning in 1863, with federally chartered national banks. The idea was to allow two decades for a bank to go into business and, it was hoped, prosper. Near the end of the term, the officers of the bank could petition to have the charter renewed. The charter of the first Bank of the United States expired in 1811. Its operations were quite controversial, and the charter was not renewed. Fast-forward to 1816, and a new contingent in Congress, plus optimism following the War of 1812, furnished the basis for establishing the Second Bank of the United States, also with a 20-year charter.

Neither bank was a federal bank in the sense of being owned and managed by the government and the Treasury Department. Instead, they were what can be called public-private enterprises. Most of the stock was held by private individuals and interests.

Both were headquartered in Philadelphia, with branches in other cities. The second Bank of the United States, the main subject of this article, was headquartered in Philadelphia in a new grand building in the Greek Revival style. In time 26 branches were opened in various towns and cities, a very short list including Boston, Baltimore, Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Washington, and Charleston. The bank issued paper money in various denominations, printed by private engraving and printing companies, which circulated widely.

The Bank of the United States.

A Bank of the United States note, of, say, $20, could be cashed at face value in Portland, Maine, in Charleston, South Carolina, or in Chillicothe, Ohio. As such, they were a stable unit in commerce, accepted everywhere. In unfortunate contrast, in the same era, this was not true for money of the several thousand state-chartered banks that as a group issued a far greater number of notes. These state banks were owned by stockholders who formed to seek state charters, after which capital was raised by selling shares to the public. However, unlike the bills of the Bank of the United States, which could be cashed almost anywhere for full face value, the notes of state banks were mainly of regional interest. For example, a $20 note issued by a bank in Portland, Maine, could be redeemed at face value at that city or even in Boston, where there was a currency exchange, but someone taking the note to Savannah or Charlotte or Pittsburgh would find it would not be accepted at all, or, if it was, only at a deep discount. State-chartered banks had thousands of stockholders and their officers were often leaders of the various states (including governors and legislators), so the Bank of the United States was viewed as unfair competition. Great resentment developed concerning this. Most of the state-chartered banks were sound financially and well managed. However, as a further complication, there were many exceptions, and some notes of state-chartered banks were basically of questionable value, even in their places of issue. In contrast, there was no question about Bank of the United States notes, except for occasional counterfeits (which merchants and banks either were unaware of or simply passed along to the next customer).

President Andrew Jackson.

In 1824 Andrew Jackson ran for president against John Quincy Adams. Jackson, a rough-cut military hero, contrasted the New England gentility of Adams. Jackson won the popular vote, but Congress decided the outcome and named Adams. A great brouhaha was caused, and Jackson and his followers formed the Democratic Party. In 1828 the same two men faced each other, and Jackson won by a landslide, with the results uncontested. He took office on March 4, 1829. His term, while controversial (mostly arising from the threatened secession of South Carolina from the Union due to a tariff viewed as unfavorable), was quite successful in an era of growing prosperity in America. (Whether he was significant in this expansion is a matter of controversy among historians.) Members of the old-guard, the friends of Adams and others, were distressed. In 1832 Jackson was elected to a second term. This had its own “situations,” including the “Petticoat Affair” with the flirtatious (and more, according to some accounts) Peggy O’Neal causing the resignation of some Cabinet members.

With advice and counsel, Jackson, casting himself as a “common man,” formed a strong dislike of the Bank of the United States, thought to be controlled by the aristocracy, and stated that he was against having its charter renewed (scheduled to happen in 1836). Certain of his followers agreed. In Congress, an alarm was sounded and it was decided to advance the renewal of the charter to 1833, so that the Bank of the United States could operate with confidence after that point, during Jackson’s second term, continuing to the stated charter expiration in 1836, and possibly even have the charter renewed by Congress for another 20 years to 1856.

That did not happen, as after Congress approved in advance the 1836 renewal, Jackson vetoed the legislation. The death knell was sounded for the Bank of the United States. In the mid-1830s it wound down with the various branches being liquidated and buildings sold; by late 1835 there was not much left.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

In the meantime, in the 1830s there was great speculation and prosperity in the Prairie lands, these comprising territories west of Pennsylvania, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other districts. The federal government was selling millions of acres of land, and it could be purchased by giving promissory notes or notes of state-chartered banks, some of which uncertain value. The matter got out of hand, and in the summer of 1836, President Jackson issued the Specie Circular, which mandated that, henceforth, federal lands could only be purchased by paying in gold and silver coins. By that time the Bank of the United States was nearly completely defunct. Not all was well, and on the other side of the story, as John Kleeberg reminded me, there were many problems in the cotton market, the issuance of state bonds that defaulted, and more. Due to various causes, investment and speculation ceased, values fell, and the stage was set for an economic adjustment. Early in 1837, there were economic disturbances in New York and elsewhere and a chill was felt in commerce. In the meantime, Jackson had not run for reelection, and in March 1837 Martin Van Buren, his vice president, was elected to the position. Economic matters went from bad to worse, and beginning on May 10, 1837, nearly all the banks in the East stopped paying out silver and gold coins at face value in exchange for paper money. The Panic of 1837 ensued, an economic depression that lasted until early 1843 (which seems to have been the end of the “Hard Times” era), after which prosperity gradually returned, and continued into the late 1850s, later checked by the Panic of 1857.

That is my well-studied (in my opinion) view, taken from original sources, plus, as noted, some recent adjustments by John Kleeberg.

It is my opinion, not at all widely shared, that the idea that it was President Jackson’s veto of the Bank of the United States charter in 1833 that was the primary cause of the Panic of 1837 is not correct. However, excellent studies have been made on both sides of the question. Perhaps of related complexity: Who was the greatest president of the United States? Washington? Lincoln? FDR? Who was the worst? (I won’t go there!)

Portrait of Nicholas Biddle by William Inman.

Whatever the case, once the bank closed, Nicholas Biddle, who formerly had been a president of the Bank of the United States, formed a new institution, chartered by the Pennsylvania State Legislature, called the Bank of the United States of Pennsylvania. Cleverly enough, the words “of Pennsylvania” were not used on the bank’s currency including those of face value of $1,000 or more, which to all appearances seemed to be issued by the earlier Bank of the United States! However, they are nothing more than notes of a state-chartered bank. They are interesting to collect, but few numismatists know of their history. Biddle, a leading member of Philadelphia society, did not do well as his bank was charged with fraud and failed in 1841. He died on February 17, 1844, while still enveloped in civil suits alleging misdemeanors.

Today, original notes of the First Bank of the United States and the Second Bank of the United States are extremely rare. These bear the names of the different bank branches that issued them. Most denominations from various offices are completely unknown. Genuine bills sell for four-figure prices.

Image courtesy of the Eric P. Newman Collection.

In contrast, notes from the Bank of the United States (of Pennsylvania) are rather plentiful, including those in large denominations. In most instances, they are offered by sellers who are not aware that this is a different, unrelated enterprise. Some have even called this the Third Bank of the United States.

A display of the notes of Biddle’s 1836 to 1841 bank is interesting to view, as hardly any notes of denominations of $1000 or more survive from other state-chartered banks. In connection with these their history is interesting to contemplate.

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