The second Tracy

Hepburn flic Keeper of the Flame was released the same year as Pat and Mike. I had not seen it, and it’s not a very good film — despite it’s stars -- but it is a momentous one. We are offered a badly written bit of anti-Nazi propaganda that doesn’t get interesting until the last 20 minutes or so. Hepburn is an odd, dour — but of course beautiful — widow guarding the legacy of her late husband —who was a charismatic politician. Tracy is the reporter trying to dig up stuff. Nothing happens. Then there’s the mad scene with the mother (Margaret Wycherly) and Hepburn breaks down and confesses the truth (this scene is very well-lit, thank you, George Cukor); that her husband was an aspiring dictator. It says something about the failure of didactic art that no one remembers this movie — even today, when it is absolutely topical. Not only is 'Robert Forrest' Donald Trump’s twin — but in 1942 the screenwriter (Donald Ogden Stewart) was able to predict with uncanny acuity the tremendous appeal that a dictator might have for Americans. When Hepburn explains her dead husband’s strategy at the end of the film  it's straight from Trump's playbook: “Hates were played against hate -- all these poor little people who never knew what purpose they had been put to.” Forrest had a “frank contempt for democracy and incredible ambition.’” “He envied the dictators.” Probably the most shocking example of the film’s prescience is that it also predicts the part the media would play in all this. Hepburn speaks of the press manipulating people and promoting certain corrupt candidates (i.e. Fox news). The 'woke young' are tragically ignorant of movies like this (they don’t like history) and have no idea that they are being manipulated just as much as the Trump Brethren when they deem right-wingers too evil to live. It simply plays into a dictator's hand; as dictators urgently require the obliteration of civil discourse —the ability in a democracy to have open, persuasive discussions on issues that matter.  Such discussion necessarily goes hand in hand with an honest and earnest press; not with influencers and hacks. But when people settle themselves into armed camps — as the woke young have done against the conservative elite -- there is no hope. It’s interesting that it was Republicans who opposed the initial release of Keeper of the Flame, objecting to the idea that a rich man would be a likely dictator (the film was compared to Citizen Kane, and Robert Forrest to William Randolph Hearst). Like Trump, Robert Forrest wished to surround himself with other powerful rich men. So yes all this is eerily prescient, and it’s sad and frightening that not only does nobody care about Keeper of the Flame, nobody cares about history. There is a particularly preachy moment early on that caught my eye, when Tracy counsels the young Darryl Hickman (the go-to ‘earnest little boy’ in these 40s flicks). He explains fascism: ‘there are people who want to put  you in chains.’ The boy is incredulous, but Tracy articulates further: “the chains will be on your mind.” I think this concept is the most important one in the film, because I have experienced censorship personally and been told, in no uncertain terms, that ‘the only people who have the right to talk about freedom of speech are marginalised people.’ When I protest that I am marginalized (i.e. gay), I’m told that I'm not marginalised enough. Picking and choosing who is qualified for  freedom of speech is fascism -- plain and simple. Fascism has also found its way into COVID-19. We are only allowed certain information. In true '1984' fashion, information deemed dangerous to our health is removed from the web. Frankly I’d rather be free -- and get ill and die. So we are now in a dirty mess of a sticky wicket, all due to the fact that the approved COVID-19 information  is toxic; it’s driving us all crazy and will ultimately make us all sick. Have you heard the latest news? Those who were given the AstraZeneca vaccine in Ontario are now being given the ‘opportunity’ to take Pfizer for their second dose? The stated reason (and this is played down) is that the AstraZeneca vaccine is now less available than before, but there is also mention of the ‘risk factors for side effects.’ I  have listened very carefully to the news (you have to because they are fooling with you) and the statistics say that 3 people— out of millions — in Canada, have died of a blood clot from AstraZeneca. First of all, these three people were undoubtedly probably already ill and shouldn’t have been vaccinated at all. But even if this is not true, taking the vaccine is much better than not taking it, if you want to get the epidemic under control, but more importantly — for me — if you want to get back into a gay bar and cruise some weiner (and I don’t mean Anthony). But this tidbit of statistical misinformation about the AstraZeneca vaccine is typical of what is wrong with the  COVID-19 information generally; we are being told too much, we are privy to worries that should only be keeping public health officials up at night, not us — variants (‘These variants require vigilance’ is an idiotic CTV alliteration that makes me want to belch), wearing masks outdoors, fears about children, etc.... All of this is frankly bullshit. This does not mean we are being fed lies (God forbid!!)  just that the only information we are allowed to have is stuff we can’t process or fully understand — and we are being fed this crap for no other reason than it racks up anxiety, keeps people home, and improves the ratings of TV news. I’m pleased that Tracy and Hepburn thought it might be helpful to lecture us about fascism in Keeper of the Flame. But it didn’t work. No one cares; fascism will eat us, because division and hate is more fun than ‘the facts.’ The only fact is this: we love being ‘right,' and self-righteous, and we basically despise our fellow creatures. Hopefully it’s because we all had horrible mothers (I didn’t, no matter what I say) but sadly, I think it’s just the way we are.