The rest of the story
Mark Price, in his article about Duke Ellington performing in Akron
in 1945 with saxophonist Johnny Hodges, trumpeter Ray Nance, cornetist Rex
Stewart, trombonist Lawrence Brown, trombonist Sam Nanton and drummer Sonny
Greer, identified Beacon Journal theater writer Betty French as the mother of
movie director Jim
Jarmusch.
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| Jim Jarmusch |
That fired up my curiosity.
It turns out that Jarmusch grew up in Cuyahoga Falls with an
Irish/German mother and a Czech/German Goodrich businessman.
Mama dropped Jarmusch off at the local movie house for a double
feature while she ran errands. That did it.
His “Stranger in Paradise” is credited with kick-starting American
independent films. Johny Depp, Robert Mitchum and Bill Murray were in Jarmusch
movies.
Betty French was succeeded as BJ theater critic by Beatrice Margaret
Offineer, whose byline was a more dazzling sounding "Peggy Starr." She
died at the age of 34.
To read Mark Price’s article on Duke Ellington’s visit to Akron,
click on
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