The Blue Flame is a four-act play written by George V. Hobart and John
Willard, who revised an earlier version by Leta Vance Nicholson. In
1920, producer Albert H. Woods staged the play on Broadway and on tour
across the United States. Ruth Gordon, the main character, is a
religious young woman who dies and is revived by her scientist fiancé
as a soulless femme fatale. She seduces several men and involves them in
crimes, including drug use and murder. In the final act, her death and
resurrection are revealed to be a dream. The production starred Theda
Bara (pictured), a popular silent film actress who was known for playing
similar roles in movies. Critics panned the play, ridiculing the plot,
the dialog, and Bara's acting. Theater historian Ward Morehouse called
it "one of the worst plays ever written". Bara's movie fame drew large
crowds to theaters, and the play was a commercial success, breaking
attendance records at some venues. Ruth Gordon was Bara's only Broadway
role, and The Blue Flame was one of her last professional acting
projects.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Flame_(play)>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1170:
Combined English and Irish forces seized Dublin, forcing Ascall
mac Ragnaill, King of Dublin, into exile.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascall_mac_Ragnaill>
1897:
In response to a letter written by eight-year-old Virginia
O'Hanlon, The New York Sun published an editorial by Francis Pharcellus
Church stating, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_Virginia,_there_is_a_Santa_Claus>
1937:
J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy children's novel The Hobbit, which
later served as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, was first published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit>
1993:
Nirvana released their third and final studio album, In Utero,
which went on to sell 15 million copies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Utero_(album)>
2001:
With racial tensions high after the September 11 attacks, a
gang of British Muslim youths in Peterborough, England, murdered 17
-year-old Ross Parker.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Ross_Parker>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
olive branch:
1. A branch of an olive tree offered as an emblem of peace.
2. (figuratively) Any symbol of peace, or a peace offering to an adversary
to show goodwill and in the hope of securing peace. […]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/olive_branch>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Maybe… there aren't any such things as good friends or bad
friends — maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when
you're hurt and who help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they're always
worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for. Maybe worth
dying for, too, if that's what has to be. No good friends. No bad
friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their
houses in your heart.
--Stephen King
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_King>