What does his Holiness the Dalai Lama need to do with ethical panics over “marihuana,” a backwoodsman turning into an unlikely political hero, noir skulduggery in wartime San Francisco, Ronald Reagan, a resurrected Egyptian mummy, and a large reptile terrorizing Japan? Rather a lot, because it seems.
A number of years in the past, somebody instructed me a few reference to the Dalai Lama that had appeared in faux (prop) newspapers in two previous Hollywood motion pictures: “Reefer Insanity” and “Mr Smith Goes to Washington.” (Sadly it’s so way back I’ve forgotten who it was that instructed me about this, and even a search of my emails has failed to show up any clue.)
The newspaper story has the title, “New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Reported Found.” This appears to be a reference to the invention of the Dalai Lama’s “tulku” — his new incarnation — in Tibet in 1936.
I’ve to say I used to be a bit skeptical when this was dropped at my consideration. I’d assumed that the prop newspapers utilized in previous motion pictures have been solely faux. My understanding was that to keep away from incurring licensing charges, any prop newspaper utilized in a movie would comprise tales that have been solely invented. That seems to not have been the case within the early days of cinema, as a result of not less than a number of the tales have been real — together with the one in regards to the Dalai Lama.
You may see this headline — simply, when you screw up your eyes very laborious and look sideways at simply the fitting part of the moon — within the picture above, which is from “Reefer Insanity.” The primary story is “Harper Verdict Anticipated Tonight.” This can be a reference to the plot of the film. Beneath that’s the quite unbelievable, “Dick Tracy, G-Man, In Sensational Raid.” And tucked beneath that, you possibly can nearly make out, within the blur of a low-resolution picture taken from a TV scan of an already low-resolution celluloid movie, “New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Reported Found.”
You may see the headline far more clearly within the picture beneath, which is from “Mr Smith Goes to Washington,” starring an improbably younger Jimmy Stewart. Right here I don’t even need to circle the headline. In actual fact you possibly can virtually make out the subheading.
That is from the pivotal second within the movie when Governor Hubert “Pleased” Hopper tosses a coin to determine whether or not to interchange a deceased senator with both a political stooge or a naive native hero. The tossed coin finally ends up beside this newspaper, serving to him to make his choice.
“New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Reported Found” and “36 Mexican Rebels Killed by Troopers” are the filler tales.
I later found that His Holiness exhibits up in quite a few different movies as properly.
These embrace “This Gun For Rent,” the place our “New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Reported Found” seems beneath the principle story, “Chemist and Girl Murdered.”
Additionally (and because of the weblog, “And also you name your self a scientist!?” for this) it’s in “Gigantis, The Fireplace Monster.”
And likewise on “Ladies On Probation” (1938), which stars Ronald Reagan, and “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942).
The Dalai Lama will get round!
I can’t say for certain who originated these newspapers, however it’s more likely to have been The Earl Hays Press, which has been supplying props to Hollywood for greater than 100 years.
However is that this “Dwelling Buddha” story actually in regards to the Dalai Lama? And is it based mostly on a narrative that really appeared in actual newspapers.
The solutions are “sure” and “sure.”
On Wednesday, 27 Could 1936, an Related Press story with the title “New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Reported Found” was revealed on web page 25 of the St. Louis Submit-Dispatch. The identical story was additionally revealed in different shops beneath totally different headlines, reminiscent of “New ‘Dwelling Buddha’ Found After Two- 12 months Search in Tibet,” in The Atlanta Journal, on the identical date.
Right here for the sake of completeness is your complete article, in case you have been interested in what was behind the blur:
NEW ‘LIVING BUDDHA’ REPORTED DISCOVERED
Two-12 months Quest Ends After Tibetan Monks Examine Floor of Sacred Lake.By the Related Press.
SHANGHAI, Could 27. Dispatches from the forbidden kingdom of Tibet reported right this moment a brand new Dalai Lama, or “Dwelling Buddha,” was found within the Han Jen district, northeast of Lhasa, after a search of greater than two years.The brand new Buddha was believed, the Tibetan advices [sic] mentioned, to be a reincarnation of the thirteenth Dalai Lama, who died Dec. 17, 1933.
The Dalai Lama is the religious and temporal ruler of Tibet. Tibetans imagine their “residing god” is immortal and that when he dies, his attributes are handed right down to a baby born in regards to the time of his dying.
Tibetan monks {and professional} “diviners” have been trying to find the reincarnated Dalai Lama ever because the dying of the earlier ruler. Studies acquired earlier from Lhasa mentioned the omens have been favorable for an early discovering of the brand new “Dwelling Buddha.”
The Tibetan new 12 months started in February beneath auspicious circumstances, studies mentioned. Religious authorities despatched a deputation of excessive clergymen, sages, monks and philosophers to the sacred Chugkhorgyae Lake, east of Lhasa, close to which the primary Dalai Lama was born, to ponder photographs mirrored on the floor.
The lake gazers have been reported profitable of their quest for indications which could result in discovery of a brand new Pontiff. Visions of a home sporting the mysterious phrases “a ka ma” appeared, thought to bear some relation to the title of the mother and father of the longer term Dalai Lama.
The populace was instructed then to affix within the seek for the home and the kid.
The current religious chief of Tibet, the Panchen Lama, has been residing in exile in China for the final 12 years.
He can be unable to return. to imagine his duties as tutor to his reported new “reincarnated brother” as a result of no invitation has been prolonged to him.
For the reason that dying of the late Dalai Lama beneath mysterious circumstances at Lhasa, political beliefs have been within the palms of the temporal regent, Jechen Hutukehtu.
Among the different tales, reminiscent of “36 Mexican Rebels Killed by Troopers” and “Fireplace Destroys State Arsenal,” have been additionally taken from actual newspapers.
Anyway, there we’ve it: The Dalai Lama made appearances in quite a few movies, from the basic “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” to the risible — “Gigantis” and Reefer Insanity.” Little question he was in lots of extra as properly. If you happen to discover any others, please let me know!
