Lady in the Dark
July 1944Dearest Reader,
The film my grandmother saw in 1944 was Lady in the Dark, starring Ginger Rogers. Although she remembered it as Woman in the Dark. Released in 1944, Lady in the Dark tells the story of Liza Elliott, a successful magazine editor suffering from anxiety, mood swings and troubling dreams. The movie explores her struggle with what was then called psychoneurosis, following her through a series of psychoanalytic sessions in which a doctor helps her uncover childhood trauma buried beneath her polished exterior. The film was one of Hollywood’s early attempts to portray mental and emotional conflict on screen. For 1944, the film’s frank depiction of inner turmoil and psychoanalysis made it both unusual and modern.
Dr. Nancy Watson
Washington
Read More From Nancy
Ernie Pyle’s Final Column
Among my parents’ papers was this newspaper clipping titled “Ernie Pyle V-E Column Is Found,“ with the handwritten date of May 11, 1945. I do not know why they chose to save it, but its preservation suggests that it held some significance for them during the closing days of World War II. The article reports the publication […]
An Editorial for John Gilbert Winant
Among the papers my mother saved was this editorial from the Concord Monitor, published on November 4, 1947, the day after John Gilbert Winant died. Unlike a news story reporting the events of the previous day, this editorial served as the newspaper’s reflection on the life of one of New Hampshire’s most respected public servants. The editors chose not […]
Fireside Industries
Another company that reached out to my father was Fireside Industries of Adrian, Michigan. They offered him a free rug hooking course, an invitation to learn a craft that could be done at home and perhaps turn into a source of income. But the offer did not stand alone. With membership, he would also receive […]
