Episode 53: Stroke of Luck
An unlucky filmmaker’s Viking voyage finds disaster at sea, while the luck of the Irish brings better news for a tennis star.
Young filmmaker Varick Frissell ventures to the frozen Newfoundland and shoot more scenes of a seal hunt for his film White Thunder. Only tragedy strikes. Meanwhile, tennis sensation and non-heir Frank Shields learns he will represent the United States at Davis Cup freeing him from the drudgery of his job as a bank loan officer.
Archival music provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, www.pastperfect.com.
Publish Date: March 17, 2022
Length: 23:21
Opening Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 1 Music: The Eyes Of The World by Louis Levy, Album The Great British Dance Bands
Section 2 Music: A Reckless Night On Board An Ocean by Sydney Lipton, Album The Great Dance Bands Play Hits of the 30s
Section 3 Music: Got To Dance My Way To Heaven by Henry Hall, Albums The Great British Dance Bands & Tea Dance 2
End Music: My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands
AS THE MONEY BURNS
Podcast by Nicki Woodard
Episode 053 – Stroke of Luck
00:00
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast by Nicki Woodard. Based on historical research, this is a deep exploration into what happened to a set of actual heirs and heiresses to some of America’s most famous fortunes when the Great Depression hits.
Each episode has three primary sections. Section 1 is a narrative story. Section 2 goes deeper into the historical facts. Section 3 focuses on contemporary, emotional, and personal connections.
00:28
Story Recap
While new debutantes Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke seek potential husbands in Palm Beach, the male heirs engage in several acts involving more manly pursuits.
Now back to AS THE MONEY BURNS
Title
00:46
Stroke of Luck / Luck of the Irish
[Music Fade Out]
Episode Tag
An unlucky filmmaker’s Viking voyage finds disaster at sea, while the luck of the Irish brings better news for a tennis star.
01:00
[Music – The Eyes Of The World by Louis Levy, Album The Great British Dance Bands ]
Section 1 – Story
[Music Fade Out]
01:17
Early March 1931
In a darkened room, images flicker onto a screen of cold frigid temperatures as men struggle hunting for seals. Watching the film, a young man slightly rugged from harsh exposure to Arctic exploration screens intensely his first feature film White Thunder. He shakes his head no. When the lights in the room come on, the assembled movie executives applaud the effort.
The young man stands up. His overbearing 6’ 7” frame towers over everyone else. He claims he must go back and shoot more footage. Coming from a well-funded banking family, Varick Frissell is determined to make this picture one of the best.
02:00
Over in sunny Palm Beach, Irish meat packing heir James Donahue keeps himself busy gambling at Colonel Bradley’s Beach Club. James is fighting off his depression as he hasn’t done so well on the stock market unlike his brother-in-law Franklyn Hutton. James’s wife Jessie Woolworth Donahue funds his lifestyle, even though James comes from a well-to-do family he is one of the youngest siblings in the line of many.
02:24
Elsewhere at the dullest place on earth, the bright and cheery movie star handsome tennis sensation and non-heir Frank Shields stifles at a desk job. Needing to remain in the competitive athlete market, he must fund his life when not on the courts. In 1930, Frank ranks number 2 in the United States and plays the Davis Cup. Frank also begins and ends his education at the University of Pittsburgh. At most of the tournaments Frank does not perform all too well until Southhampton when he finally beats Tilden, the first time in two years the long reigning champ is defeated by another American.
03:00
Win or lose, Frank always enjoys the rounds of parties and befriends Bud Tenney from the junior circuit. Before nationals, Bud introduces Frank to his beautiful sister Rebecca Tenney, aka Billie, herself curious about the handsome tennis star after seeing his picture in the newspapers. Billie and Frank are immediately smitten with each other.
Now 6 months later, Frank is dressed smartly in a suit and tie while sitting at the loan desk at Marine Midland Bank in Greenwich, Connecticut. The bank run by Bud and Billie’s father. Frank dreads every day and waits to learn news about the upcoming tennis season so he will finally be able to escape this routine.
03:38
Along the winter coast of White Bay in Newfoundland, Canada, a wooden ship makes it way up into the ice pack for a seal hunt. The vessel The Viking isn’t an ordinary ship, but one specially designed in 1881 Norway for seal hunting in icy waters. 154 feet long with a 31 foot beam and 17 foot depth.
Here 27 year old Varick Frissell rushes to join the year’s last big seal hunt to gain more necessary footage for his feature film. Already a member of the American Geographical Society, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club, the young Yale graduate Varick has shot two documentaries The Lure of the Labrador and The Swilin’ Racket in this harsh familiar terrain. He now embarks on a more ambitious feature length film White Thunder, the first film to shoot sound and dialogue on location and not on stages. After the earlier film screening, Varick has decided to add a couple more scenes involving a seal hunt and more shots of the ship at sea.
04:38
While boarding the ship, some are concerned for the need to carry so much blasting powder in case they get trapped in the ice, which actually happened last year during principal photography. Some loose powder has already spilled on the deck with people carelessly smoking near it. While others attended a church service below deck, Varick fills cannisters with powder in preparation with two other crew members. One smokes a pipe. Over the door where the explosives are stored, Varick places a danger sign. On board the sealer vessel are 138 men and two stowaways. Most of the men come from surrounding villages.
Everything is routine as the cold conditions increase the icy dangers.
05:19
Late Saturday night, Captain Abraham Kean walks across the bridge.
A blast hurls him 12 feet to the ice, seriously injurying him in the fall. He looks up dazed to see the ship’s top half blown off and what remains on fire.
Inside the ship, other men are thrown from their sleeping berths. Some thrown on deck. In the front, the men escape serious injury. However those in the back stern are likely not so lucky getting the full impact of the explosion. It’s hard to determine who is safe or in danger. Men jump out of the jagged holes onto the ice and aid those possible.
The fire rages so intensely they are unable to salvage or retrieve any supplies.
05:59
The explosion rings across the bay and is heard by nearby villagers over 30 miles away. The ship can be seen burning in the distance. Distress signals light the sky as snow flurries fall. From afar, no one can immediately attempt a rescue but watch in horror.
First mate Alfred Kean lays on the ice with a broken leg and must wait for outside rescuers. Many suffer injuries ranging from mere scratches to severe mutilations.
The Viking burns down to the waterline then sinks. A dory with 7 men, of which five are badly injured, drifts out to the sea about five miles off the island shore until another ship rescues them.
06:41
Sunday, March 15th, a day goes by in agony. Two dogsled teams assemble for an effort to reach the men.
In the water, body parts and bodies of the non survivors float to the surface. The deep survival instinct kicks in, or their fate is doom. In small groups, men head out across the ice towards Horse Island.
A radio distress call goes out. A young 18 year old operator Miss O Bartlett announces the tragedy and requests aid. “No particulars at hand yet, ice in bad condition. Heavy sea, wind blowing off shore. First crowd of men may reach island. Others have very little chance. Making very slow progress.”
She forewarns, “It is doubtless if they will succeed.”
07:32
On the morning of Monday, March 16th after fighting ice floes for over 24 hours, the first set of 5 survivors appear on the frozen horizon. Throughout the day more will appear in sets of 2 or 3 at a time embraced by those who reach them.
Exhausted, bewildered, and depleted, most are incoherent or catatonic.
From the first 7 men who reached Horse Island, they speak of many too injured to be able to make it, and the other men who stayed behind to help them.
Some are trapped on ice floes until eventually rescued by other boats.
Horse Island’s 20 inhabitants immediately become caregivers for the wounded and stranded. Limited food and supplies are tight and dwindling, only enough for the three families who remained during the harsh winter at the northernmost outpost. Doctors and medical help will have to find a way in.
08:28
By Tuesday, March 17th, two ships The Foundation Franklin and SS Sagona arrive to lead the rescue efforts. As both are fitted with steel bottoms in order to cut and break through the ice, they will pick up those still marooned deep inside the ice and try to salvage whatever possible. The Foundation Franklin is first to reach the scene, with Sagona arriving several hours later. Sagona has 3 doctors, 3 nurses, medical equipment, and clothing badly needed for the survivors. Its crew is related to many of those aboard the Viking.
Most of the 118 survivors cross frozen ice to Horse Islands, where they are then rescued by fishermen. An early estimate of 20 or 25 men will be dead or missing. Feared missing – the entire engine staff, doctor, the wireless operator, navigator, steward, cook, boatswain…
09:19
Among the survivors, Americans Varick Frissell, cinematographer A.G. Penrod, and Harry Sargent are not found. One crew member mentions possibly seeing Varick trapped under a fallen mast, but most assume he has survived. Rumors of sightings on the ice and the likelihood of somewhere stuck aiding the wounded and battling the elements. Certainly, if anyone could survive it would be the resourceful and heroic Varick.
Determined and hopeful, Varick’s father Dr. Lewis Fox Frissell hires daredevil pilot Norwegian Bernt Balchen who has flown other Arctic expeditions to fly over the area in further rescue attempts. No favorable results. Dr. Frissell and his daughter Antoinette Frisell hide the news from Varick’s frail and sickly mother to keep her spirits up. Antoinette doesn’t go to work at the Manhattan debutante shop and stays near her family while waiting for news.
Newspapers cover the explosion and search for survivors. It makes the news for several days.
10:18
One paper lands at Cielito Lindo in Palm Beach into the hands of James Donahue. He glances over the news then flips back to the stock prices. His chosen stocks have failed to improve. He owes more in gambling debts. He had made another recent bet hoping to get a little more luck of the Irish to no avail. Alas he is on a severe losing streak.
On March 22nd, tennis sensation Frank Shields receives the notification he will be representing the U.S. at the Davis Cup again. Excitedly, he preps to get away from the drudgery of the loan officer life. With the luck of Irish following him, Frank announces his engagement with Billie.
Like many things, life always must go on while other hearts break.
Nine days after the accident, it is finally clear that Varick Frissell still missing is unlikely to have survived.
Not every stroke of luck is lucky after all.
11:18
[Music – A Reckless Night On Board An Ocean by Sydney Lipton, Album The Great Dance Bands Play Hits of the 30s]
Section 2 – History & Historiography
[Music Fade Out]
11:33
There should be warning labels attached to certain dreams. However it seems that danger is the lure of those wanting to achieve certain goals and a beacon for those willing to watch vicariously from a safer distance.
Varick Frissell’s film “White Thunder” is renamed “The Viking” to match the news coverage involving the fatal ship and released in June 1931. The studio Paramount promotes the film through the disaster associated with it, noting: “This is the picture that cost the lives of Varick Frissell and 25 others in the Sealer Viking Disaster.” Another heir and filmmaker, Howard Hughes announces the opening of his new chain of movie houses with “26 men died to open the Franklin Studio Theatres.”
12:16
As for the actual film, The New York Times praises the ice imagery and the action of the sealers but is critical of the poorly written dialogue and the barely audible sound due to the naturalness that the microphone technology was not advanced enough to capture well. For the most part in other reviews, the film receives accolades for its stunning and daring photography but is panned for its poorly constructed story.
12:39
The Viking however will make history and still holds the record for the deadliest Hollywood film with an estimated of 26 deaths. The next closest is 1956 The Conqueror starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan shot in Utah near a nuclear testing site, and this is debatable as 46 crew members died much later from effects similar to radiation poisoning. In 1928 Noah’s Ark, three people drowned during the flood scene involving 600,000 gallons of water. Later the 1982 Twilight Zone movie has 3 actors killed in a helicopter crash with 6 other crew members injured. 1981’s Roar with Melanie Griffth involves over 100 live wild animals resulting in 70 crew members being injured from maulings, bitings, scalpings, and gangrenous infections of gangrene though none died as a result.
13:28
As for The Viking, two alternating theories attempt to provide an explanation for what happened. 1) The nearby boiler blew up from excessive pressure of trying to power through the packed ice, and 2) the black powder magazine exploded. Due to the large sound explosion heard miles away, the black powder is the most likely factor compounded with the earlier observations of carelessness in its handling.
13:52
Young ambitious Varick Frissell becomes enamored with idea of Arctic exploration while attending a lecture by explorer and British physician Sir Wilfred Grenfell at Yale. Grenfell has spent years studying, interacting, and improving the lives of Newfoundland residents near Labrador. Grenfell will provide an opening monologue on The Viking film.
Inspired, Varick delays his first academic year and heads North for his own adventure including dogsled trekking. Returning to Yale, Varick participates in water polo, rowing, Glee Club, and the collegiate a cappella group Whiffenpoofs before graduating in 1926. He repeatedly returns North and shoots two highly praised documentary films involving the natives and seal hunts as his subjects.
14:35
He follows in the tradition of a few before him. Even his father Dr. Lewis Fox Frissell hiked several peaks in the Canadian Rockies as a young man. Varick takes his blessings to fund his passions. His grandfather Algernon Frissell founded the Fifth Avenue Bank in New York, and his uncle is Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania. It is possible the family fell on some hard times during the Great Depression, though nothing seems outwardly noted.
15:00
His sister Antoinette Frissell is one of the shop girls in Episode 45: The Butterfly Effect. Their mother’s illness will worsen after learning of her son’s likely death and will pass away later in 1931, leaving his father and his sister in profound morning. That year Antoinette will also end her engagement with Count Serge Orloff-Davidoff. It is Varick who first introduces his sister to photography and possibly her interest in theater. During 1931, she pursues photography to cope with all the darkness engulfing her and will eventually become a Vogue photographer better known as Toni Frissell.
15:34
Varick’s frequent and continuous trips to Newfoundland made him familiar to the locals and well versed in surviving the harsh conditions. Varick is determined to accurately depict life in the Arctic region. Most of the crew behind and in front of the camera are locals, a mixture of native and Scottish heritage. Alas when the disaster occurs, the surrounding communities are devastated by the losses, and the rescue efforts are made for their actual neighbors, family members, and loved ones. The regional St. Patrick’s Day parade and activities are cancelled while people focus on rescue needs.
16:06
Varick Frissell is an ambitious filmmaker and serves as producer, writer, and occasionally director on The Viking. The screen credited and main director is George Melford, who also directed the 1921 sensation The Sheik with Rudolph Valentino. The five main actors and Melford are not onboard for this final fatal voyage.
16:25
Amongst the cast, the role of Captain Barker is played by the most famous local and actual Arctic explorer in his own right Captain Robert “Bob” Abram Bartlett. As a real life captain, Bartlett served on the USS Roosevelt as part the Robert Peary expedition to the North Pole in April 1909. Captain Bartlett was not allowed the final trek to the destination on that expedition – some believe due to territoriality by Peary.
16:49
Though Robert Peary is widely acclaimed to be the first explorer to reach the North Pole, his documentation and proof has been widely disputed. Likely another explorer Frederick Cook had reached the North Pole in April 1908 but had a long and perilous return trip. On a previous Peary Arctic expedition, Cook served as a doctor and even repaired Peary’s broken leg. Meanwhile Robert Peary on his 8th attempt also claimed he reached the North Pole on April 6-7th, 1909. He had only a few non distinctive photos of this event and a log.
17:20
Due to Peary’s rivalry, Cook’s records were hidden by Harry Whitney (though wealthy in his own right, this Whitney is not related nor should be confused with Harry Payne Whitney husband of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney). Peary had refused Harry Whitney passage on his ship USS Roosevelt to leave the Arctic region in 1909 if he carried evidence of Cook’s expedition. Whitney would secretly and safely stash the records that will be retrieved at a later date.
17:45
Both Cook and Peary’s claims underwent controversy and scrutiny in December 1909. The University of Copenhagen determined that Cook’s claims with limited records were unproven. Cook would later be discredited for his 1906 claims to reach the peak Denali now Mount McKinley in Alaska – his photographic proof is now referred as Fake Peak.
In time, Peary’s claim would win out for the North Pole. Later in 1989 scrutiny in an informal investigation determines that Peary was likely 60 miles away from the true North Pole citing Peary’s account lacked essential details to concretely prove his claim. Officially, Peary’s 1909 claim remains on the record.
18:22
Both Peary and Cook were members of the Explorers Club, which Varick Frissell too was a member.
The Explorers Club is founded in 1904 as a meeting point between explorers and scientists to promote scientific exploration and field study. Several charter members are involved in Artic and cold climate studies including founder Henry Collins Walsh (Central America & Greenland), surgeon and ethnologist Frederick Cook (Greenland & Antarctica), and US army lieutenant David Brainard (who in 1884 had reached the farthest North latitude 83 24 30).
Membership is by invitation-only. In 1913, the Explorers Club would merge with the Arctic Club. Women are admitted in 1981.
19:02
Famous “Firsts” of club members include:
North Pole 1909 (obviously referring to Peary’s date)
South Pole 1911
Summit Mt Everest 1953
Deepest point in ocean 1960
Surface of the Moon 1969
Both places space & deepest ocean 2021
To become a member, one must make a contribution (eh-hem financier) and/or discovery related to scientific exploration. Territories include land, sea, air, and space. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and James Cameron have all been members.
Adventure and exploration are just one of many dangerous pursuits that those with money cannot resist.
19:47
[Music – Got To Dance My Way To Heaven by Henry Hall, Albums The Great British Dance Bands & Tea Dance 2]
Section 3 – Contemporary & Personal Relevance
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20:00
Of course, any great achievement needs a celebration. And the wealthy love to celebrate with fascinating and extraordinary cuisine.
In 1909, Arctic Club members gather in the main ballroom of the original Waldorf-Astoria hotel to celebrate Dr. Frederick Cook’s recent polar expedition on April 21st, 1908. The order of events had to be rearranged. The reception occurred after the dinner as Dr. Cook’s suit arrived late and delayed his entrance.
In 1913 the Arctic Club merged with the Explorers Club. The Explorers Club hosts an annual dinner which up until recently is held at the second Waldorf-Astoria, which also opened in 1931 and is currently undergoing renovations.
20:41
The annual dinner features exotic foods brought from various lands. Each successive year pushes the limits of “tastefulness.” Over time the menu has received several complaints and criticisms. In 1984, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, resigns his membership after lion and hippo meat are served.
Today the items made available must not be endangered and preferably invasive species. Members have feasted on elk Polaris, fried termites, prehistoric ice, and a regular assortment of bugs and insects. After several members suffered allergic reactions to Chilean tarantula in 2002, the chefs now remove the hairs before cooking.
21:17
For the March 15th, 2014 dinner, the Waldorf-Astoria Chef Rurka prepares other delicacies of roasted ostrich, red velvet cupcakes topped with scorpions, chocolate dipped strawberries with larvae, two 7’ alligators, a lot of fungus and kelp, and 15,000 insects.
110th Explorers Club Annual Dinner special guest Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria was too squeamish for the more exotic foods including goat eyeballs, tarantulas, cockroaches, and earthworms.
“I’d have to be pretty hungry before I attempted eating some of those things — some of them look kind of gnarly,.. I ate some ants — they were pretty good,” adds the 55-year-old skywalker. “But noshing on a big tarantula is a little more than I’m ready to bite off.”
22:02
Tickets range from $375 to $1,200, and 1,400 people dive in with relish. Among the regulars, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been photographed feasting on Madagascar cockroaches and tarantulas.
While we might envy the opportunities for adventure and luxuries wealth might bring, not all activities and appetites of the wealthy will be so alluring.
But the hunt for a fortune? That’s one thing that never seems to change… More stories to come…
Hook
22:32
[Music – My Heart Belongs to Daddy by Billy Cotton, Album The Great British Dance Bands]
Next when we return to AS THE MONEY BURNS…
Millionaires, movie stars, and royalty have no guarantees on marital bliss. A royal prince trades his silver screen queen for a wealthier songbird.
Until then…
Credits
22:49
AS THE MONEY BURNS is an original podcast written, produced, and voiced by Nicki Woodard, based on historical research. Archival music has been provided by Past Perfect Vintage Music, check out their website at www.pastperfect.com.
Please come visit us at As The Money Burns via Goodpods,Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Transcripts, timeline, episode guide, and character bios are available at asthemoneyburns.com.
23:21
THE END.