A Submarine Pirate (1915) / Willful Ambrose (1915) / Bombs! (1916) / The Feathered Nest (1916) / Her Torpedoed Love (1917) / Hearts and Flowers (1919) / Down on the Farm (1920)

From her Keystone debut in 1915 to her last First National comedy in 1922, Fazenda was one of Sennett's top comedy stars—appearing in nearly 60 Sennett shorts and features during that time.

Fazenda became familiar audiences as the hayseed girl who was forever falling prey to the shifty city slicker or evil mortgage holder, with her spit curl, ribbon-tied pigtails and calico dress. Just as often, she was the hard-working blue-collar girl who would leave her dreary job as a waitress or maid to collect a healthy inheritance—pursued by the usual assortment of Sennett fortune hunters. With hazel eyes and light brown hair, Fazenda could just as easily put on a blonde wig and play attractive, vampish roles.

Born in Lafayette, Indiana, the daughter of a Mexican-born grocer and American-born mother, Fazenda's family moved to LA by 1900—where she attended Los Angeles High School and St. Mary's Convent. She debuted in dramatic stock with Miss Del Valle in LA and later appeared with Virginia Brissac. Louise got her start in films at Universal in 1912 under the direction of Wilfred Lucas, but by 1913 was appearing alongside Max Asher, Harry McCoy, Bobby Vernon, Gale Henry, Lee Morris, Billy Franey, Heinie Conklin and the other featured players in Universal's Joker Comedies.

When her Sennett contract ended in Sep 1920, Fazenda joined Special Pictures Corp. briefly in late 1920; then she appeared in a trio of California Producers Corp.'s Punch Comedies (1921) co-starring Chester Conklin and John Henry Jr. That came before a brief return to Sennett for a couple of appearances during 1921-22. Fazenda starred in some of Jack White's Mermaid Comedies (1923-24) before settling into roles in features. With the coming of sound, Louise returned to shorts for Christie (1929) and Darmour (1930). She continued with feature support in films. Fazenda found a second home at Warner Brothers, becoming a familiar character face in musicals.

On March 7, 1919, Fazenda married Sennett director Noel M. Smith, to whom she'd been engaged since 1917; they separated on August 14, 1923, and divorced on August 1, 1926. On November 24, 1927 she married Warner Bros. publicity director Hal B. Wallis, soon to became Warners' studio manager and then a long-time film producer. Fazenda retired from the screen in 1939, and remained married to Wallis until her death at 66 in Beverly Hills of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Wallis and son Brent. She is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.

-Walker, B.E., 2010, Mack Sennett's Fun Factory, McFarland&Company, Inc., Publishers, pp. 502~504

German Submarine Drowns Prisoners

The Torrington and Capt. Starkey.

April 8 1917, The Atlantic--Wilson’s attempt to keep the United States out of the war by arming her merchant vessels had not succeeded.  An incident two days after the American declaration of war shows why this was likely doomed to have been a failure.  On April 8, the British armed cargo ship Torrington, attempting to rescue a lifeboat from another ship, was torpedoed by the submarine U-55. The damage would be fatal, but the German submarine surfaced and started firing on her with her deck gun.  The Torrington’s gun was not in a good position to fire on the submarine, and the captain of the Torrington, Anthony Starkey, ordered an evacuation.  The submarine, however, ordered the two lifeboats to stop, and placed the crew of at least one of them on board the deck of the submarine, then using it to loot the sinking Torrington.

Starkey was taken below and was interrogated by the captain of the U-55, Wilhelm Werner.  Werner took issue with the arming of the Torrington (even though she had never fired a shot), and especially with the fact that none of the men on the Torrington were in uniform--so that if the gun had been used, it would have been used by civilians.  Starkey replied that the swift and overwhelming nature of the German attack meant that the gun crew (who had never been able to use the gun anyway) had not been able to change.

Werner told Starkey that he considered him a pirate, and would most likely shoot him later, and as for the rest of the crew: “let them swim.”  The submarine then rapidly submerged while at least 20 crew from the Torrington were still on the deck.  It is unknown whether any of them reached the lifeboats that may still have been in the area, but Starkey would be the only survivor of the Torrington.

Today in 1916: British Capture First Fokker with Synchronization Gear Today in 1915:  Mass Deportations of Armenians Begin

Sources include: National Museum Wales (includes image credit), Maritime Quest.

Best New Luxury Cruises 2020: Bahamas, Japan, Subantartic

(Bloomberg) –The Caribbean still reigns supreme when it comes to cruising, but there’s a whole new world to explore. Classic ports such as the Bahamas are recovering, new itineraries are opening up in Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics, and luxury options abound in the Seychelles. Here are eight places to prioritize in 2020.

Japan

Remember when Olympic organizers in Rio de Janeiro slept on cruise ships and called them “floating hotels”? Tokyo will do the same for its turn in the spotlight. From July 24 to Aug. 9, the city is chartering at least one large ship to serve as a floating hotel in response to a shortage of rooms on dry land. But you’d be better off going a more traditional route: Two of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Shanghai-based ships, Spectrum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas, will offer itineraries that overnight at Tokyo’s new terminal. Passengers with tickets can easily get to events and then sail on to other, less frenetic parts of the country.

Windstar Cruises LLC is betting that the summer’s television coverage will drum up tourism interest for Japan in general, so it’s skipping the marquee games and sending its 312-passenger, all-suite Star Breeze to the country for a series of temple- and garden-centric sailings this fall. But the most peaceful way to sail might be a three-night trip on Guntû, a 38-passenger design ship that’s like a floating ryokan on the Seto Inland Sea, complete with traditional open-air onsen baths in some of its suites.

The trip we’re most likely to book: Star Breeze 10-night sailing, from $3,599 per person.

The Bahamas

Typically cruise lines have relied heavily on the Bahamas. Not only is Nassau, the capital, a frequent port of call, but several companies have organized sailings throughout the commonwealth around islands that they own. In the last year, however, the roles have changed. After Hurricane Dorian devastated Grand Bahama (also a cruise port) and the less-visited Abaco islands, cruise companies helped deliver recovery supplies and made major donations. In the storm’s aftermath, they’re helping revitalize the entire Bahamian tourism economy.

Royal Caribbean is opening the second phase of its $250 million Perfect Day at CocoCay island in January. The Coco Beach Club includes the first overwater floating cabanas in the region. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. has boosted the offerings at its Great Stirrup Cay, a chic, South Beach-style beach oasis where you can shell out as much as $1,100 a day for a private, air-conditioned villa conveniently located near a Moet & Chandon bar. MSC Cruises’ recently opened, 95-acre Ocean Cay offers a more tranquil experience that focues on spa treatments and underwater activities in its protected marine reserve. And when adults-only Virgin Voyages debuts its first ship in March, every sailing will stop at a swanky private resort—think Ibiza or St-Tropez—developed by Resorts World Bimini.

The trip we’re most likely to book: A four-night itinerary on Virgin’s Scarlet Lady, from $2,750.

Kinsale, Ireland

Cruise lines are jumping on the DNA tourism trend, and harbor towns in West Cork, including the historic fishing town of Kinsale, are trying to get a piece of the pie. Promotional efforts have focused on attracting small expedition and boutique ships, and they’re paying off. Last year, French line Ponant sent one ship; this year it’s sending four. Ultraluxury line Seabourn has been sniffing around, too. Nearby attractions include a 3.7-mile trail around the ocean cliffs of the Old Head of Kinsale, where the Lusitania was sunk just offshore by a German U-boat in 1915. There’s also a star-shaped fort built by Charles II. And if you find through an ancestry search that you’re related to the notorious 18th-century pirate Captain Anne Bonny, Kinsale is said to be where she’s from.

The trip we’re most likely to book: A seven-night sailing from London to Portsmouth, from $3,830.

Read: Summer of Cruising

The Douro River, Portugal

Lisbon is a popular port, but attention has also shifted north to the quieter Portuguese city of Porto, famous for its sweet red fortified wine. It’s also becoming a popular starting point for cruises on the Douro River. Hillsides covered in terraced vineyards and historic quintas reflect 2,000 years of winemaking in the valley, with itineraries that include stops for tastings and time to cross the border toward the medieval city of Salamanca in northwestern Spain. Luxury tour operator Tauck Inc. and luxury brand Uniworld River Cruises are each debuting ships in the spring: Uniworld’s 100-passenger S.S. São Gabriel has butler-serviced suites, Douro-influenced decor, and locally sourced cuisine; Tauck’s 84-passenger MS Andorinha features an infinity-style pool, outdoor dining, and Balinese daybeds on the sun deck. Dinner at a family-owned wine estate near the sleepy village of Pinhão is included.

The trip we’re most likely to book: One-week Tauck Villages and Vintages itinerary, from $4,190.

Raja Ampat Islands

Far from the fancy resorts in Bali—in miles, scenery, and style—this Indonesian archipelago occupies an enviable position in the center of the Coral Triangle. Cruises here lead to fascinating cultural encounters, but the big attraction is the warm sea, home to about 75% of known coral species and about half of all the world’s marine tropical fish. Typically the best way to see it all has been on small dive boats, but upscale expedition cruise ships from Ponant and Australian line Coral Expeditions have recently moved in. Joining them is Aqua Expeditions, best known for its top-notch Amazon River sailings. It transformed a naval vessel into its first ocean ship, the 15-suite yacht Aqua Blu, on which it offers a culinary program designed by Aussie superstar chef Benjamin Cross and sailings that stretch through the winter.

The trip we’re most likely to book: One week on Aqua Blu, from $7,525.

Subantarctic Islands

These islands in the Southern Ocean, which are on the way to Antarctica from Australia and New Zealand, are protected nature preserves, where only researchers live among birds and marine mammals. On Macquarie Island, beaches may be covered with royal penguins and fur seals. The island also has a weird geologic feature: Some of its shores are piled up with exposed green rocks from the Earth’s mantle that look eerily like they’re covered in snakeskin. And the Snares, one of several chains of New Zealand islands, feature crested penguins endemic to the islands. Cruise passengers visit on zodiacs that hug the shoreline or make a landing for guided walks, all in places where the number of visitors is tightly controlled. Get here on expedition ships from Silversea Cruise Holding Ltd. or Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, which have new itineraries traversing the region.

The trip we’re most likely to book: A two-week cruise round trip from Dunedin (on New Zealand’s South Island) on Silver Explorer, from $13,950.

The Seychelles

Luxurious options abound in this Indian Ocean paradise off of East Africa. Crystal Cruises’ 62-passenger superyacht, Crystal Esprit, has suites with butler service and a private submarine. Ponant’s 184-passenger Le Bougainville has a snazzy, underwater Blue Eye Lounge, somewhat like a submarine with a panoramic view and where you can get a martini. But the real beauty of sailing here is taking tiny zodiacs to islands with uninhabited beaches, where you may snorkel among coral reefs or wander past tortoises in lush forests. Keep an eye out for the Seychelles warbler and other native birds, as well as Vallée de Mai, a rare palm forest little changed since prehistoric times.

The trip we’re most likely to book: A seven-night trip on Crystal Esprit, from $5,599.

Nile River

In January, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises launches the new 84-passenger, all-suite S.S. Sphinx, and because it will only sail in Egypt, its look will have an authentic sense of place. (Think Egyptian fabrics and artworks.) Similarly, Viking River Cruises in September adds the 82-passenger Viking Osiris, done up in Scandinavian design despite her Nubian name. Standard 12-day sailings on both ships start and end in Aswan, usually after a hotel stay in Cairo and a flight to Luxor. For DIY types, there are also four-night sailings to Aswan on Sanctuary Retreats’ elegant, recently upgraded, 64-passenger Sanctuary Nile Adventurer. Its shorter sailings aren’t packaged with pre- and post-cruise land experiences and are a little more flexible. This year, especially, a must-do is drinks on the terrace of Aswan’s Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote parts of her 1937 novel Death on the Nile. Kenneth Branagh’s film based on the book will debut in theaters in the fall.

The trip we’re most likely to book: Four nights on the Sanctuary Nile Adventurer, from $1,410.

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Motography, 1915

Page 5: Harry Benham, the “John Storm” in Thanhouser’s production “Zudora,” recently won a Ford runabout in a popularity contest in Iowa. Page 364: The remaining episodes of the great George Randolph Chester photoplay serial, ‘Runaway Jane,’ will be laid in beautiful Bermuda and will include pirate plots, shipwrecks and submarine wonders. Watch for the details of the big Popularity Contest. 50 free trips to the Panama-Pacific Exposition and California. Serial Publication Corporation, 29 Union Square, New York City. Produced by Reliance. Page 534: Mary Pickford has been declared winner of the ‘Ladies’ World’ motion picture popularity contest, which has been conducted for the past few months. Page 668: Mildred Walker was the winner of the popularity contest held by manager Dollinger of the Claremont theater, New York City, ending April 1, in conjunction with the Edison Company. She will now enjoy the fruit of her victory—by posing in an Edison picture, this giving her the opportunity to become a motion picture player. Page 732: Selig Trip Popularity Contest. The Selig Polyscope Company reports unusual success with newspaper popularity contests in connection with the forthcoming trip of the Selig Movie special to California. Through the bright weekly newspaper now issued by the Selig Company, entitled “Paste-pot and Shears,’ a newspaper popularity campaign was mapped out and special literature was sent to over one thousand newspapers and other publications in the United States and Canada. Page 862: Winner of Popularity Contest. Miss Florence Frey, daughter of Mayor Frey, of Findlay, Ohio, has been declared winner of the popularity contest conducted by the Cleveland ‘Leader,’ and will be guest of the Selig Polyscope Company on its seventeen-day tour of the west, aboard the Motion Picture Flyer, leaving Chicago, Thursday, July 18. There will be four other young ladies from Ohio and they will be chaperoned by Mrs. Champ Clark.

A Submarine Pirate 1915 An inventor and his accomplice plan to rob a ship carrying gold bullion by using a submarine.

Wilson Asks Congress to Declare War on Germany

Wilson addressing Congress on April 2.

April 2 1917, Washington--After the sinking of American merchant ships and the loss of American lives on board, Wilson, with the unanimous backing of his Cabinet, called for an extraordinary session of Congress, to hear “a communication concerning grave matters of national policy.”  On April 2, addressing a joint session in a thirty-six minute speech, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany.  Selections from the speech follow.

The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind. It is a war against all nations. American ships have been sunk, American lives taken, in ways which it has stirred us very deeply to learn of, but the ships and people of other neutral and friendly nations have been sunk and overwhelmed in the waters in the same way....

I thought that it would suffice to assert our neutral rights with arms....But armed neutrality, it now appears, is impracticable. Because submarines are in effect outlaws when used as the German submarines have been used against merchant shipping, it is impossible to defend ships against their attacks....The intimation is conveyed that the armed guards which we have placed on our merchant ships will be treated as beyond the pale of law and subject to be dealt with as pirates would be....

I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the Government and people of the United States; that it formally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon it, and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the Government of the German Empire to terms and end the war.

What this will involve is clear.... It will involve the immediate full equipment of the Navy in all respects but particularly in supplying it with the best means of dealing with the enemy's submarines. It will involve the immediate addition to the armed forces of the United States already provided for by law in case of war at least 500,000 men, who should, in my opinion, be chosen upon the principle of universal liability to service...

We have no quarrel with the German people. We have no feeling towards them but one of sympathy and friendship. It was not upon their impulse that their Government acted in entering this war. It was not with their previous knowledge or approval. It was a war determined upon as wars used to be determined upon in the old, unhappy days when peoples were nowhere consulted by their rulers and wars were provoked and waged in the interest of dynasties or of little groups of ambitious men who were accustomed to use their fellow men as pawns and tools....

A steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. It must be a league of honor, a partnership of opinion.

One of the things that has served to convince us that the Prussian autocracy was not and could never be our friend is that from the very outset of the present war it has filled our unsuspecting communities and even our offices of government with spies and set criminal intrigues everywhere afoot against our national unity of counsel, our peace within and without our industries and our commerce.... That it means to stir up enemies against us at our very doors the intercepted Zimmermann note to the German Minister at Mexico City is eloquent evidence....

We are glad, now that we see the facts with no veil of false pretence about them, to fight thus for the ultimate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples, the German peoples included: for the rights of nations great and small and the privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience. The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind....

I have said nothing of the governments allied with the Imperial Government of Germany because they have not made war upon us or challenged us to defend our right and our honor.... I take the liberty, for the present at least, of postponing a discussion of our relations with the authorities at Vienna....

It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts -- for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.

The speech was greeted with widespread acclaim from both parties in Congress.  Chief Justice Edward White (a Taft appointee) leapt to his his feet in the middle of the speech, his eyes full of tears, as the room “cheer[ed] at the top of their lungs.”  Some were unconvinced; after the speech, Bob La Follette  had “his arms folded tight and high on his chest, so that nobody could have an excuse for mistaking his attitude; and there he stood, chewing gum with a sardonic smile.”

Today in 1916: Germans Start Forced Labor in Occupied France  Today in 1915: Riot in Cairo’s Red Light District

Sources include: Michael Kazin, War Against War.