This evening my best friend and I made a thirty mile trek to Columbia to see The Prestige (it wasn't showing here in Randolph County), through pouring rain and fighting the traffic from Mizzou's homecoming game (we won). And it was worth it.
The Prestige centres around two stage magicians, Rupert Angier (aka "The Great Danton," played by Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (aka "The Professor"), who are locked in an increasingly dangerous rivalry over a number of years in late Victorian England. The movie unfolds like a good novel, taking its time to reveal its secrets. It also unfolds much like its subject matter, a good magic trick. As Cutter (the engineer who builds devices for magicians, played by Michael Caine) explains in the opening of the movie, every great magic trick has three acts: the Pledge (in which the magician shows the audience something utterly ordinary), the Turn (in which the magician makes that something ordinary do something extraordinary), and the Prestige (which is the part with twists and turns, in which lives hang in the balance, and the magician shows the audience something shocking). The Prestige begins much like any ordinary movie, but director Christopher Nolan swiftly turns it into something extraordinary, and in the end lives do hang in the balance in The Prestige. This is a complex film with several twist and turns and several surprises. Like any good magician, Nolan is a master of misdirection.
Besides Nolan's direction, much of the responsibility for the quality of The Prestige rests with the film's script (written by the director's brother Jonathan and himself). The screenplay is wonderfully complex. Beyond the aforementioned twists and turns, it jumps backward and forward in time with ease. Yet, at the same time, I don't think the average viewer would find the movie the least bit confusing (although he or she will find himself or herself pondering what is real and what is illusion, as in any good magic trick).
The movie is aided greatly by perfect casting. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are well cast as the two illusionists obsessed with oneupmanship. Michael Caine is perfect as Cutter, the older engineer who knows more about magic than most magicians. One of the best performances is given by David Bowie, virtually unrecognisable as inventor Nikola Tesla (yes, that Nikola Tesla). From what I have read of Tesla (which is a good deal, actually), Bowie's performance is dead on (even though he does not resemble the historic Tesla very much). Even Scarlett Johansson is convincing as Olivia, the woman who would serve as assistant to both men in succession.
The Prestige is a complex film with realistic, complicated characters. It has beautiful cinematography. And its theme of obsession and its impact on human lives is thought provoking. I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves good movies and loves quite a few twists and turns in their films.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Christopher Glenn R.I.P.
Veteran CBS News correspondent Christopher Glenn died Tuesday from liver cancer. He was 68 years old. He had been with CBS for 35 years before retiring this February.
Glenn was born in New York City, but raised in Irvington, NY. He graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a bachelor's degree in English. While he served in the Army he worked for the Armed Forces Network. Afterwards he worked for various radio stations before joining CBS in 1971.
Glenn is perhaps best known as the voice of In the News in the Seventies. In the News was a series of short news segments made for kids that aired on every half hour. Ultimately, it would air for 13 seasons. Glenn would also become the anchor of The World Tonight and later World News Roundup. Among the important events Glenn covered was the failed launch of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.
Glenn died only a few weeks before his induction into the Radio Hall of Fame on November 4 will take place.
Glenn was born in New York City, but raised in Irvington, NY. He graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a bachelor's degree in English. While he served in the Army he worked for the Armed Forces Network. Afterwards he worked for various radio stations before joining CBS in 1971.
Glenn is perhaps best known as the voice of In the News in the Seventies. In the News was a series of short news segments made for kids that aired on every half hour. Ultimately, it would air for 13 seasons. Glenn would also become the anchor of The World Tonight and later World News Roundup. Among the important events Glenn covered was the failed launch of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.
Glenn died only a few weeks before his induction into the Radio Hall of Fame on November 4 will take place.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The CW Cancels Its First Show
The CW, the network born out of the merger between the WB and UPN, has cancelled its first show. The show in question is the hour long drama Runaway. The show centred on a family who must go on the run after their father is falsely accused of murder. The CW had moved the show from Monday nights to Sunday nights, but apparently it did not help. Ratings did not improve and it became the first show ever to be cancelled by the new network.
Anyhow, I must admit that I find this interesting. Already three hour long dramas are gone (Smith, Kidnapped, and Runaway). I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that usually sitcoms are the first to fall beneath the axe. And more often than not, it seems as if it is sitcoms that are on Fox...
Anyhow, I must admit that I find this interesting. Already three hour long dramas are gone (Smith, Kidnapped, and Runaway). I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that usually sitcoms are the first to fall beneath the axe. And more often than not, it seems as if it is sitcoms that are on Fox...
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The Strange New TV Season
The new fall TV season is only around a month old now, but it has already proven to be one of the more unusual ones in my opinion. Indeed, many of the developments during this season have caught me totally by surprise, and I don't think I am the only one.
Among the most unexpected things to have happened this season for me has been the success of Ugly Betty. The series is scheduled against Survivor on CBS and My Name is Earl and The Office on NBC. I really had no expectations as to how well or badly it might do in the ratings, but I fully expected it to come in third place to the shows on CBS and NBC. As it turns out, however, for the past few weeks it had been coming in a close second to Survivor and beating out both My Name is Earl and The Office. This only changed this week, when My Name is Earl managed to come in second place, although Ugly Betty still beat The Office. At any rate, it is the most watched new show on television. And I am still rather surprised by its success. Survivor has been a juggernaut in the ratings since the beginning, while both My Name is Earl and The Office are older, established, critically acclaimed shows. I didn't think a newcomer would do well against them.
Speaking of Thursday night, I am also surprised by the close race between CSI and Grey's Anatomy. I actually predicted that CSI would trounce Grey's Anatomy in the ratings. It appears I was wrong. Although it has been close--in Nielsen terms nearly a statistical tie--Grey's Anatomy has been beating CSI. This shocked me, as I thought most viewers would prefer the older, established CSI to the fresh, new, and, in my opinion, shallow Grey's Anatomy. I suppose I was wrong, although I still cannot see Grey's Anatomy lasting. Quite frankly, I think the show is pretty much a fad that will be gone in two or three more years.
While I have been surprised by the success of some shows, I have been surprised by the failure of another. Namely, the fact that Smith was the first new drama to be cancelled took me totally by surprise. While I did not expect it to be a roaring success, I certainly did not expect it to be cancelled after only two episodes. What shocks me so much about this cancellation is not so much how swiftly it occurred, but rather the fact that Smith was not doing that badly in the ratings. In fact, its ratings were pretty much average. Of course, perhaps CBS executives did not figure average ratings justified the high price tag of the show. Personally, as long as its ratings weren't bottom of the barrel, I would have kept on the air until it found an audience. Most shows that are decidedly different take a while before audiences discover them, and I think this would have been true of Smith
Not quite as puzzling as the cancellation of Smith is that the audience for Lost had declined from what it once was. The third season premiere was down 20 percent from the second season premiere. And this week's episode was down 10 percent from the third season premiere. I cannot quite explain why Lost is slipping, although it is possible that for some it was simply a novelty show and now they are tired of the novelty. At any rate, I thought the second season was as good as the first, and I don't see the show slipping in quality in its third season. Regardless of what others might do, I will continue watching Lost.
So far this season has had several surprises for me. And I can only wonder what will happen during sweeps next month. If sweeps is anything like the season so far, I am sure it will be something totally unexpected.
Among the most unexpected things to have happened this season for me has been the success of Ugly Betty. The series is scheduled against Survivor on CBS and My Name is Earl and The Office on NBC. I really had no expectations as to how well or badly it might do in the ratings, but I fully expected it to come in third place to the shows on CBS and NBC. As it turns out, however, for the past few weeks it had been coming in a close second to Survivor and beating out both My Name is Earl and The Office. This only changed this week, when My Name is Earl managed to come in second place, although Ugly Betty still beat The Office. At any rate, it is the most watched new show on television. And I am still rather surprised by its success. Survivor has been a juggernaut in the ratings since the beginning, while both My Name is Earl and The Office are older, established, critically acclaimed shows. I didn't think a newcomer would do well against them.
Speaking of Thursday night, I am also surprised by the close race between CSI and Grey's Anatomy. I actually predicted that CSI would trounce Grey's Anatomy in the ratings. It appears I was wrong. Although it has been close--in Nielsen terms nearly a statistical tie--Grey's Anatomy has been beating CSI. This shocked me, as I thought most viewers would prefer the older, established CSI to the fresh, new, and, in my opinion, shallow Grey's Anatomy. I suppose I was wrong, although I still cannot see Grey's Anatomy lasting. Quite frankly, I think the show is pretty much a fad that will be gone in two or three more years.
While I have been surprised by the success of some shows, I have been surprised by the failure of another. Namely, the fact that Smith was the first new drama to be cancelled took me totally by surprise. While I did not expect it to be a roaring success, I certainly did not expect it to be cancelled after only two episodes. What shocks me so much about this cancellation is not so much how swiftly it occurred, but rather the fact that Smith was not doing that badly in the ratings. In fact, its ratings were pretty much average. Of course, perhaps CBS executives did not figure average ratings justified the high price tag of the show. Personally, as long as its ratings weren't bottom of the barrel, I would have kept on the air until it found an audience. Most shows that are decidedly different take a while before audiences discover them, and I think this would have been true of Smith
Not quite as puzzling as the cancellation of Smith is that the audience for Lost had declined from what it once was. The third season premiere was down 20 percent from the second season premiere. And this week's episode was down 10 percent from the third season premiere. I cannot quite explain why Lost is slipping, although it is possible that for some it was simply a novelty show and now they are tired of the novelty. At any rate, I thought the second season was as good as the first, and I don't see the show slipping in quality in its third season. Regardless of what others might do, I will continue watching Lost.
So far this season has had several surprises for me. And I can only wonder what will happen during sweeps next month. If sweeps is anything like the season so far, I am sure it will be something totally unexpected.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Animator Ed Benedict Dies
Animator Ed Benedict died in his sleep August 28 at age 94. He is perhaps best known for his work with Hanna-Barbera, although he had worked with many studios over the years.
Benedict's career began at Disney in 1930, although he would not remain there. For much of the Thirties he would work at Universal on Walter Lantz's Oswald shorts, with brief interludes at the Charles Mintz Studio and his own Benedict-Brewer studio (formed with Jerry Brewer). He returned to Disney in the Forties, working as a layout artist on educational and industrial films. He was credited with layout on "Make Mine Music," the Disney short which won the 1946 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Animation Design.
Perhaps the most illustrious part of Benedict's career occurred when he moved to MGM in 1952. There worked with animation legend Tex Avery on several shorts featuring Droopy. He continued to work on the Droopy shorts even after Avery left MGM. When former MGM animators William Hanna and Joe Barbera formed their own studio, he joined them. He designed the first characters for Hanna-Barbera (Ruff and Reddy of The Ruff and Reddy Show, as well as such iconic characters as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, and the characters from The Flintstones.
Benedict was a talented animator who had a huge impact on American pop culture. Never mind Tom and Jerry, for me the best MGM cartoons were those featuring Droopy, many of which Benedict worked on. And while I don't think the quality of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons can quite compare with the work done at MGM and Disney, he did design many iconic characters in American animation. Indeed, he was the layout artists on one of my favourite animated series from the Seventies, Hong Kong Phooey. While I am saddened by his death, I think it can be said that he had a long and very successful life.
Benedict's career began at Disney in 1930, although he would not remain there. For much of the Thirties he would work at Universal on Walter Lantz's Oswald shorts, with brief interludes at the Charles Mintz Studio and his own Benedict-Brewer studio (formed with Jerry Brewer). He returned to Disney in the Forties, working as a layout artist on educational and industrial films. He was credited with layout on "Make Mine Music," the Disney short which won the 1946 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Animation Design.
Perhaps the most illustrious part of Benedict's career occurred when he moved to MGM in 1952. There worked with animation legend Tex Avery on several shorts featuring Droopy. He continued to work on the Droopy shorts even after Avery left MGM. When former MGM animators William Hanna and Joe Barbera formed their own studio, he joined them. He designed the first characters for Hanna-Barbera (Ruff and Reddy of The Ruff and Reddy Show, as well as such iconic characters as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, and the characters from The Flintstones.
Benedict was a talented animator who had a huge impact on American pop culture. Never mind Tom and Jerry, for me the best MGM cartoons were those featuring Droopy, many of which Benedict worked on. And while I don't think the quality of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons can quite compare with the work done at MGM and Disney, he did design many iconic characters in American animation. Indeed, he was the layout artists on one of my favourite animated series from the Seventies, Hong Kong Phooey. While I am saddened by his death, I think it can be said that he had a long and very successful life.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Beowulf and Grendel
There have only been a few times I have been genuinely surprised at what I find at our local WalMart. Yesterday was one of those times. The last thing I expected to see on its DVD racks was Beowulf and Grendel, a Canadian/Icelandic co-production adapting the classic poem. Naturally, as someone with a keen interest in Old English literature and ancient Germanic culture, I had to buy it and watch it right away.
Beowulf and Grendel is loyal to the bare bones plot of the first part of the poem (in which Beowulf arrives to help King Hrothgar of Denmark with the monster Grendel), although it does depart from the poem in several respects. The movie strips away the Christian colouring of the poem, making the movie to a large degree more historically accurate than the poem itself (in 5th Century Denmark, Christianity was little heard of, save as a religion practised by such other peoples as the Franks and Romans). It also humanises both Grendel and Beowulf. Grendel is still monstrous, a hulking humanoid which the Danes and Geats call a "troll (as accurate a term as any, given the poem refers to Grendel as an "eoten," a term cognate to Old Norse jotunn, "giant")," but he has a motivation other than sheer blood thirst for killing Hrothgar's men. Beowulf (played by Gerard Butler, perhaps best known for Phantom of the Opera) is still suitably heroic, but a hero who sometimes doubts his own heroism and questions the rightness of his actions. The movie even has a good deal of humour (which is present in the original poem, at least if one can read the original Old English....). None of this robs the original story of its power, but rather makes it a different sort of story--one that is in some respects more human and which, I feel, the Angles and Saxons who heard the original could still identify with.
Indeed, what makes Beowulf and Grendel even more marvelous for aficianodos of the Dark Ages is that it could well be the most accurate portrayal of life among the Germanic peoples ever presented on film. Indeed, while other films (such as The Vikings and The 13th Warrior) only give lip service to the ancient Germanic religion (often getting things wrong in the process), Beowulf and Grendel not only gets it right, but makes it clear that religion played an important part in ancient Germanic life. Indeed, Beowulf and Grendel is the only film in which I have seen an accurate portrayal of an ancient Germanic blessing! For that matter, the clothing, the weapons, and the architecture are all authentic.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if not for strong performances. Gerard Butler is entirely convincing as Beowulf, the hero who sometimes doubts he is indeed a hero. Stellan Skarsgard does a great job as Hrothgar, the king who is at the end of his rope. The performances are greatly aided by the direction of Sturla Gunnarsson, who has a true gift for the camera. The landscape (Iceland standing in for Denmark) is truly stunning and Gunnarsson makes good use of it. It is hard to believe that most of Gunnarson's work was in television!
That is not to say that Beowulf and Grendel is not without its flaws. Given that it is an international production, there are at times a dizzying arrays of accents in the film. There is Gerard Butler and Rory McCann's slight Scottish brogues, Stellan Skargard's slight Swedish accent, and Sarah Polley's Canadian accent (she has come a long way since Avonlea). At times this can be a distracting, especially when one would expect the Geats and Danes to all speak with the same accent (at that time history those particular peoples would have spoken Old Norse)! I also think the confrontation between Beowulf and Unferth could have been handled better, although given that had they used the exact text in the poem they may have been accused of ripping off The 13th Warrior (which was based on Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead, which also drew upon Beowulf for inspiration), I suppose I can't blame them.
Regardless, Beowulf and Grendel is a fine picture, one that is moving, beautiful, and even authentic to the era in which it is set. Even if one does not love Old English literature, ancient Germanic culture, or ancient myths, I rather suspect any movie lover would enjoy this film.
Beowulf and Grendel is loyal to the bare bones plot of the first part of the poem (in which Beowulf arrives to help King Hrothgar of Denmark with the monster Grendel), although it does depart from the poem in several respects. The movie strips away the Christian colouring of the poem, making the movie to a large degree more historically accurate than the poem itself (in 5th Century Denmark, Christianity was little heard of, save as a religion practised by such other peoples as the Franks and Romans). It also humanises both Grendel and Beowulf. Grendel is still monstrous, a hulking humanoid which the Danes and Geats call a "troll (as accurate a term as any, given the poem refers to Grendel as an "eoten," a term cognate to Old Norse jotunn, "giant")," but he has a motivation other than sheer blood thirst for killing Hrothgar's men. Beowulf (played by Gerard Butler, perhaps best known for Phantom of the Opera) is still suitably heroic, but a hero who sometimes doubts his own heroism and questions the rightness of his actions. The movie even has a good deal of humour (which is present in the original poem, at least if one can read the original Old English....). None of this robs the original story of its power, but rather makes it a different sort of story--one that is in some respects more human and which, I feel, the Angles and Saxons who heard the original could still identify with.
Indeed, what makes Beowulf and Grendel even more marvelous for aficianodos of the Dark Ages is that it could well be the most accurate portrayal of life among the Germanic peoples ever presented on film. Indeed, while other films (such as The Vikings and The 13th Warrior) only give lip service to the ancient Germanic religion (often getting things wrong in the process), Beowulf and Grendel not only gets it right, but makes it clear that religion played an important part in ancient Germanic life. Indeed, Beowulf and Grendel is the only film in which I have seen an accurate portrayal of an ancient Germanic blessing! For that matter, the clothing, the weapons, and the architecture are all authentic.
Of course, all of this would be for naught if not for strong performances. Gerard Butler is entirely convincing as Beowulf, the hero who sometimes doubts he is indeed a hero. Stellan Skarsgard does a great job as Hrothgar, the king who is at the end of his rope. The performances are greatly aided by the direction of Sturla Gunnarsson, who has a true gift for the camera. The landscape (Iceland standing in for Denmark) is truly stunning and Gunnarsson makes good use of it. It is hard to believe that most of Gunnarson's work was in television!
That is not to say that Beowulf and Grendel is not without its flaws. Given that it is an international production, there are at times a dizzying arrays of accents in the film. There is Gerard Butler and Rory McCann's slight Scottish brogues, Stellan Skargard's slight Swedish accent, and Sarah Polley's Canadian accent (she has come a long way since Avonlea). At times this can be a distracting, especially when one would expect the Geats and Danes to all speak with the same accent (at that time history those particular peoples would have spoken Old Norse)! I also think the confrontation between Beowulf and Unferth could have been handled better, although given that had they used the exact text in the poem they may have been accused of ripping off The 13th Warrior (which was based on Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead, which also drew upon Beowulf for inspiration), I suppose I can't blame them.
Regardless, Beowulf and Grendel is a fine picture, one that is moving, beautiful, and even authentic to the era in which it is set. Even if one does not love Old English literature, ancient Germanic culture, or ancient myths, I rather suspect any movie lover would enjoy this film.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
The Late Great Buck O'Neil
I have never written about sports in A Shroud of Thoughts. This is not because I don't like sports. I am a Rams fan and a Cardinals fan, as any good Missourian is. Rather it is because A Shroud of Thoughts is a pop culture blog and I have never really thought of sports as being a part of pop culture. In this instance, however, I feel I need to write a sports figure, not just because he was a great player, but because he was also a truly good man.
Buck O'Neil was a legend of Negro League baseball and the first African American coach in major league baseball. He was central in seeing that Negro League players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died last night, October 6, 2006, at the age of 94 of congestive heart failure. He had been hospitalised since September 17 with extreme fatigue.
O'Neil was born John Jordan O'Neil on November 19, 1911 in rural Florida. With only four high schools for African Americans in Florida at the time, he was able to attend high school only by going to live with relatives elsewhere in the state. He began his baseball career in 1934 when he started playing semi-pro, "barnstorming" games. By 1937 he would signed to the Memphis Red Sox of the newly formed Negro American League. A year later he would find his home with the legendary Kansas City Monarchs (for whom Satchel Paige also played). During World War II he interrupted his baseball career for a stint in the U. S. Navy.
In 1948 O'Neil became the manager of the Monarchs. With O'Neil as manager they won two league championships. In 1956 O'Neil went to work for the major leagues, becoming a scout for the Chicago Cubs. He signed baseball legends Lou Brock and Joe Carter. In 1962 he became the African American coach in the major leagues, for the Chicago Cubs. In 1988 he became a scout for the Kansas City Royals
In 1990 O'Neil helped establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and was its honourary chairman until he died. He was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee for many years and was central in seeing to it that negro league players were admitted into the Hall of Fame.
O'Neil was the oldest man to ever appear at the plate in a professional baseball game. In July of this year he played for both the Kansas City T-Bones and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (in the same game, at that).
O'Neil missed being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by one vote. That having been said, he was long ago inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He also narrated the segments on the negro leagues of Ken Burns' baseball documentary.
O'Neil was not simply a great baseball player, but a remarkable man as well. Despite the discrimination he faced in his life, O'Neil chose to forgive those who oppressed him. He once said that he hated cancer and AIDs, but he could never hate a human being. This is not to say that O'Neil condoned the discrimination he had faced all of his life. In 1993, when the major leagues showed interest in licensing Negro League apparel, he stated that he thought the major leagues should have nothing to do with licensing such apparel as they were responsible for keeping African Americans out for many years. Regardless, O'Neil's positive attitude and happiness were contagious to anyone who saw him or heard him speak. If the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a success, it is largely due to O'Neil. O'Neil would not want others to mourn him, but I know that many will.
Buck O'Neil was a legend of Negro League baseball and the first African American coach in major league baseball. He was central in seeing that Negro League players were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died last night, October 6, 2006, at the age of 94 of congestive heart failure. He had been hospitalised since September 17 with extreme fatigue.
O'Neil was born John Jordan O'Neil on November 19, 1911 in rural Florida. With only four high schools for African Americans in Florida at the time, he was able to attend high school only by going to live with relatives elsewhere in the state. He began his baseball career in 1934 when he started playing semi-pro, "barnstorming" games. By 1937 he would signed to the Memphis Red Sox of the newly formed Negro American League. A year later he would find his home with the legendary Kansas City Monarchs (for whom Satchel Paige also played). During World War II he interrupted his baseball career for a stint in the U. S. Navy.
In 1948 O'Neil became the manager of the Monarchs. With O'Neil as manager they won two league championships. In 1956 O'Neil went to work for the major leagues, becoming a scout for the Chicago Cubs. He signed baseball legends Lou Brock and Joe Carter. In 1962 he became the African American coach in the major leagues, for the Chicago Cubs. In 1988 he became a scout for the Kansas City Royals
In 1990 O'Neil helped establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and was its honourary chairman until he died. He was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee for many years and was central in seeing to it that negro league players were admitted into the Hall of Fame.
O'Neil was the oldest man to ever appear at the plate in a professional baseball game. In July of this year he played for both the Kansas City T-Bones and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (in the same game, at that).
O'Neil missed being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by one vote. That having been said, he was long ago inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He also narrated the segments on the negro leagues of Ken Burns' baseball documentary.
O'Neil was not simply a great baseball player, but a remarkable man as well. Despite the discrimination he faced in his life, O'Neil chose to forgive those who oppressed him. He once said that he hated cancer and AIDs, but he could never hate a human being. This is not to say that O'Neil condoned the discrimination he had faced all of his life. In 1993, when the major leagues showed interest in licensing Negro League apparel, he stated that he thought the major leagues should have nothing to do with licensing such apparel as they were responsible for keeping African Americans out for many years. Regardless, O'Neil's positive attitude and happiness were contagious to anyone who saw him or heard him speak. If the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a success, it is largely due to O'Neil. O'Neil would not want others to mourn him, but I know that many will.
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