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What does his Holiness the Dalai Lama need to do with ethical panics over “marihuana,” a backwoodsman turning into an unlikely political hero, noir skulduggery in wartime San Francisco, Ronald Reagan, a resurrected Egyptian mummy, and an enormous reptile terrorizing Japan? Quite a bit, because it seems.
A number of years in the past, somebody instructed me a couple of reference to the Dalai Lama that had appeared in pretend (prop) newspapers in two outdated Hollywood films: “Reefer Insanity” and “Mr Smith Goes to Washington.” (Sadly it’s so way back I’ve forgotten who it was that instructed me about this, and even a search of my emails has failed to show up any clue.)
The newspaper story has the title, “New ‘Residing Buddha’ Reported Found.” This appears to be a reference to the invention of the Dalai Lama’s “tulku” — his new incarnation — in Tibet in 1936.
I’ve to say I used to be a little bit skeptical when this was dropped at my consideration. I’d assumed that the prop newspapers utilized in outdated films have been completely pretend. My understanding was that to keep away from incurring licensing charges, any prop newspaper utilized in a movie would include tales that have been completely invented. That seems to not have been the case within the early days of cinema, as a result of at the least a few of the tales have been real — together with the one in regards to the Dalai Lama.
You’ll be able to see this headline — simply, if you happen to screw up your eyes very arduous and look sideways at simply the best section of the moon — within the picture above, which is from “Reefer Insanity.” The primary story is “Harper Verdict Anticipated Tonight.” This can be a reference to the plot of the film. Beneath that’s the reasonably unbelievable, “Dick Tracy, G-Man, In Sensational Raid.” And tucked below that, you may nearly make out, within the blur of a low-resolution picture taken from a TV scan of an already low-resolution celluloid movie, “New ‘Residing Buddha’ Reported Found.”
You’ll be able to see the headline way more clearly within the picture beneath, which is from “Mr Smith Goes to Washington,” starring an improbably younger Jimmy Stewart. Right here I don’t even need to circle the headline. In truth you may nearly make out the subheading.
That is from the pivotal second within the movie when Governor Hubert “Pleased” Hopper tosses a coin to determine whether or not to interchange a deceased senator with both a political stooge or a naive native hero. The tossed coin finally ends up beside this newspaper, serving to him to make his resolution.
“New ‘Residing Buddha’ Reported Found” and “36 Mexican Rebels Killed by Troopers” are the filler tales.
I later found that His Holiness exhibits up in quite a lot of different movies as properly.
These embody “This Gun For Rent,” the place our “New ‘Residing Buddha’ Reported Found” seems beneath the principle story, “Chemist and Girl Murdered.”
Additionally (and due to the weblog, “And you call yourself a scientist!?” for this) it’s in “Gigantis, The Fireplace Monster.”
And likewise on “Ladies On Probation” (1938), which stars Ronald Reagan, and “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942).
The Dalai Lama will get round!
I can’t say for certain who originated these newspapers, however it’s prone to have been The Earl Hays Press, which has been supplying props to Hollywood for greater than 100 years.
However is that this “Residing Buddha” story actually in regards to the Dalai Lama? And is it primarily based on a narrative that truly appeared in actual newspapers.
The solutions are “sure” and “sure.”
On Wednesday, 27 Might 1936, an Related Press story with the title “New ‘Residing Buddha’ Reported Found” was printed on web page 25 of the St. Louis Submit-Dispatch. The identical story was additionally printed in different retailers below totally different headlines, resembling “New ‘Residing Buddha’ Found After Two- Yr Search in Tibet,” in The Atlanta Journal, on the identical date.
Right here for the sake of completeness is your entire article, in case you have been inquisitive about what was behind the blur:
NEW ‘LIVING BUDDHA’ REPORTED DISCOVERED
Two-Yr Quest Ends After Tibetan Monks Research Floor of Sacred Lake.By the Related Press.
SHANGHAI, Might 27. Dispatches from the forbidden kingdom of Tibet reported at present a brand new Dalai Lama, or “Residing Buddha,” was found within the Han Jen district, northeast of Lhasa, after a search of greater than two years.The brand new Buddha was believed, the Tibetan advices [sic] stated, to be a reincarnation of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, who died Dec. 17, 1933.
The Dalai Lama is the religious and temporal ruler of Tibet. Tibetans consider their “dwelling god” is immortal and that when he dies, his attributes are handed all the way down to a baby born in regards to the time of his loss of life.
Tibetan monks {and professional} “diviners” have been trying to find the reincarnated Dalai Lama ever for the reason that loss of life of the earlier ruler. Studies acquired earlier from Lhasa stated the omens have been favorable for an early discovering of the brand new “Residing Buddha.”
The Tibetan new 12 months started in February below auspicious circumstances, stories stated. Religious authorities despatched a deputation of excessive monks, sages, monks and philosophers to the sacred Chugkhorgyae Lake, east of Lhasa, close to which the primary Dalai Lama was born, to ponder photos mirrored on the floor.
The lake gazers have been reported profitable of their quest for indications which could result in discovery of a brand new Pontiff. Visions of a home sporting the mysterious phrases “a ka ma” appeared, thought to bear some relation to the identify of the mother and father of the longer term Dalai Lama.
The populace was instructed then to affix within the seek for the home and the kid.
The current religious chief of Tibet, the Panchen Lama, has been dwelling in exile in China for the final 12 years.
He can be unable to return. to imagine his duties as tutor to his reported new “reincarnated brother” as a result of no invitation has been prolonged to him.
Because the loss of life of the late Dalai Lama below mysterious circumstances at Lhasa, political affairs have been within the palms of the temporal regent, Jechen Hutukehtu.
A number of the different tales, resembling “36 Mexican Rebels Killed by Troopers” and “Fireplace Destroys State Arsenal,” have been additionally taken from actual newspapers.
Anyway, there we’ve got it: The Dalai Lama made appearances in quite a lot of movies, from the basic “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” to the risible — “Gigantis” and Reefer Insanity.” Little doubt he was in lots of extra as properly. When you discover any others, please let me know!
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