Author: DOuG pRATt

Drag Night

Here’s another simulated evening’s viewing of TCM Noir Alley. He Walked By Night has everything going for it — a tense story based on actual events, outstanding cinematography, and Jack Webb’s inspiration in creating his Dragnet radio and TV series. There’s no mistaking the voice of Reed Hadley, who narrated many crime movies, and appeared in a few of them. Take it away, Eddie…

Beantown at Its Worst

Last night I watched the devastating 3-part HBO series, “Murder in Boston”. The documentary shows how, during the worst of the “crack wars” in 1989, Boston’s cops and politicians were blinded by racial prejudice, making them utterly incompetent in their handling of the Chuck Stuart case.

The “Murder in Boston” videos can’t be embedded, but there is this 9-part podcast that goes into even more detail about the crime and its aftermath. Episode 8 examines the media’s role in the debacle, including some well-deserved criticism of Boston Globe columnist Mike “Southie” Barnicle.

After baseball became integrated, racial prejudice was a factor in why the Red Sox failed to win the World Series until twenty years ago, when the team had new owners.

The notorious Whitey Bulger conducted his criminal activities with impunity in Boston, while his brother Billy was president of the Massachusetts Senate. Whitey got the death he deserved, and Billy turned 90 five days ago.

The ultimate example of Boston’s failed leadership was the favoritism that was shown to the Catholic Church. A blind eye was turned to the child sex abuse done by some priests over many decades.