“...and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ABRAHAM LINCOLN TheThe VVolunteerolunteer JOURNAL OF THE VETERANS OF THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE Vol. XXIII, No.3 Sept 2001 An Event to Remember, New Hampshire State Senator Burt Cohen and Studs Terkel spoke at VALB’s 65th anniversary in NY, see page 4 ERMACK B ICHARD R HOTO BY P The Civil War in the Civil War, see page 6 Josep Perelló remembers Chicago VALB says goodbye Ebro’s cave hospital, see to Peter Glazer, Bay Area says page 12 hello, page 3 Robert Capa Documentary Seeks Vets AMERICAN MASTERS, the award-winning arts and culture biography series produced by WNET/- Letters THIRTEEN for national PBS broadcast, is in the research and development phase for a 90-minute docu- NEW BOOK ABOUT SPANISH CIVIL mentary film on the life of Robert Capa (1913-1954), the WAR AND CINEMA renowned war photographer who devoted his life to Dear friends, creating the visual legacy of five wars. I am enclosing the description of a new book about Robert Capa was committed to telling the true story films and the Spanish Civil War, titled La Guerra Civil of war and its effects on the men and women who española: cine y propaganda (Ariel Publications, 299 pages, served. With this film, the first biographical documen- ISBN 84-344-6626-0). Its author, Magi Crusells, is a research tary portrait of Capa, we have the unique opportunity fellow of the University of Barcelona and has been working to pay tribute to this extraordinary man. in the cinema related to the Spanish Civil War for many It is our sincere hope that by reaching out to veter- years now. His doctoral thesis was “The International ans who had personal connections with Robert Capa, or Brigaders in Film Documentaries.” Magi teaches history in direct knowledge about his life and/or work, we will be a college in the province of Barcelona and is secretary of able to enhance our film with exclusive stories and orig- the magazine Film-Historia, a publication of the inal materials. Department of Contemporary History of the University of If you knew Robert Capa and have any evocative sto- Barcelona. ries, photos, audio recordings or moving images, please let The book is very well researched, with a clear and us know so that we may share them with the audience of thorough style, and has the advantage that it is for every- this film. If you or anyone in your family was ever the body, not only academics. Professor Paul Preston very subject of one of Capa’s photographs, please tell us your recently said to me that La Guerra Civil española: cine y pro- tales of working with Capa or the anecdotes that have been paganda is a very interesting book. What a good told to you. recommendation! You can reach Joanna Rudnick and the American The book studies the relationship between the Spanish Masters: Robert Capa Project at 1-800-426-7027, ext. 2966 or Civil War and cinema, using films as testimony of society by email at [email protected]. and mentalities and as new ways to understand or teach We welcome your contributions to the film. history. The book has 8 chapters: (1) a chronology of the Civil War by Spanish documentary films between 1936 and 1939; (2) the Spanish production companies during the war; (3) the foreign production companies during the war; (4) two documentary films compared: Mourir á Madrid/To The Volunteer Die in Madrid (1963, dir. Eric Rossif) and Morir en España/To Journal of the Die in Spain (1965, dir. Mariano Ozores); (5) the oral history Veterans of the by Spanish documentary films after Franco (1975-1977), analyzing various films, especially La vieja memoria/The Old Abraham Lincoln Brigade Memory (1977, dir. Jaime Camino); (6) fiction films I, which an ALBA publication describes Spanish cinematography between 1939 and 1975, studying various films, especially Raza/Race (1941, dir. José 799 Broadway, Rm. 227 Luis Sáenz de Heredia), adaptation of the script written by New York, NY 10003 Franco; (7) fiction films II, which examines Spanish cine- (212) 674-5552 matography between 1976 and 1999, analyzing various films, especially Libertarias (1996, dir. Vicente Aranda); and (8) fiction films III, which explores foreign cinematography Editorial Board between 1939 and 1999, studying various films, especially Peter Carroll • Leonard Levenson Land and Freedom (1995, dir. Ken Loach). The book also has Fraser Ottanelli • Abe Smorodin a bibliography. Design Production Richard Bermack Lala Isla Editorial Assistance Nancy Van Zwalenburg Submission of Manuscripts Please send manuscripts by E-mail or on disk. More letters on page 22 E-mail: [email protected] 2 THE VOLUNTEER, Sept 2001 Chicago Friends Celebrate Fourth Year The Chicago Friends of the that proclamation was his last official successful events, including a celebra- Lincoln Brigade gathered to celebrate act before his fatal heart attack a few tion of Paul Robeson’s centennial, their fourth year of organized activity days later). Incidentally, Nancy “The Artist Must Take Sides,” and on June 17 and also to say goodbye to Mikelsons, who is here today, read La two successful events around “Heart Peter Glazer, musical director and cre- Pasionara’s speech at that event, and of Spain,” as well as a symposium on ator of The Heart of Spain and We Must Peggy Lipschutz, also here, designed Northwestern’s campus around the Remember! who is leaving Chicago to the poster that was given to the sur- Spanish Civil War. He worked with a join the Theater and Performance viving vets (which was quite a few committee to help draft the first docu- Studies Department at the University more than we have today). ment on “Why A Monument” in of California at Berkeley. Chicago It was when we were planning Chicago. And to top it off he did his singer Jamie O’Reilly acted as emcee our first event that Jamie introduced dissertation research (which he’s for the affair, while veteran Chuck us to Peter, and it was he who orches- going to tell us about today) around Hall presented a farewell message. trated that very successful the topic of commemorative events The Chicago Friends have resolved to and wonderful affair at Roosevelt and the role of theater, using VALB enroll 100 new ALBA Associates to University in May 1997 at which we and ALBA events as his focus. He honor Glazer’s work. celebrated the 60th anniversary, with interviewed many Chicago vets as Chuck Hall’s remarks follow: Peter Carroll as our main speaker. A part of his work. “From the very beginning our own “connoisseur” like Fred Fine, former Words cannot convey how much Peter Glazer has been the ultimate Cultural Director for the City of we’re going to miss him—but we’re “friend” of the Friends. In my mind Chicago, called it “perfect,” and we going to keep in touch. Peter has just Jamie and Peter are linked—I first met know it couldn’t have been done with- become a member of the ALBA Board, Jamie at a Gala celebration of the out Peter. and we are determined to increase our Women and Labor History Project at I remember in the beginning we ties with ALBA. I think it would be a the UNITE Union Hall. She came up called ourselves “Chicago Friends of nice tribute to Peter if we were to and said she was working on songs of VALB and ALBA.” Peter said that was pledge to recruit 100 new members the Spanish Civil War and asked if she quite a mouthful, and we cut it in half, from the Chicago area in his honor, could come over to my house to talk. and that’s how CFLB was born. and so I’m going to propose that as a What she and Michael Smith were And so it has been for 4 years. goal for the next meeting of the working on eventually became Peter has participated in our meet- Chicago Friends. “Pasiones”—this tremendous perfor- ings and helped put on a series of mance piece that has been done from coast to coast and is available on CD. And it was Peter who directed that first performance at the Lunar Cabaret—and many more after that. The next thing that happened—in November, 1996—Bobby and I went to Spain for the 60th anniversary of the International Brigades, sponsored by that wonderful organization the “Amigos”—the Asociación des Amigos de las Brigadas ERMACK Internationale. On the way home from B Spain, talking on the plane with Joyce ICHARD and Aaron Hilkevitch, we decided to R have a Chicago celebration of the 60th anniversary. HOTO BY You should know that there P hadn’t been a public event in Chicago with the Lincolns for 10 years. There Spanish Consul General Lorenzo Gonzalez-Alonso and Milt Wolff was a big event for the 50th anniver- San Francisco Honors Milt Wolff and the Lincoln Brigade sary, at which time Mayor Harold Washington issued a proclamation in The San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared July 25 Milton Wolff day, in honor of Oliver Law and Veterans of honor of the Lincoln Brigade crossing the Ebro River in Spain, July 25, 1938. the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. (Sadly, The day culminated in a reception at the home of the Spanish Consul General. THE VOLUNTEER, Sept 2001 3 VALB Celebrates 65th Anniversary in New York ERMACK B ICHARD R HOTO BY P The vets take the stage, and Moe Fishman wins the audience’s hearts with a quick verbal riposte.