Your First Assignment:
Let's pretend. . . you are a research associate with Information, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in uncovering, digesting and reporting information. The firm has been hired by the Dribble Broadcasting System (DBS) to do some background work for a proposed television pilot about a 1960's crime reporter who (you guessed it) solves crimes. Hoover Dulles, Vice-President in charge of making money, has given this charge to the firm: "We want this show to be authentic. So you have to tell us what we have to do to do that. We also want to know if any of our ideas don't fit in- you know, anachronisms."
DBS has provided the following plot outline:
On December 14, 1941, in a Beverly Hills mansion, Howard Hughes, the 36 year-old motion-picture producer, aviator, and millionaire industrialist was found lying dead next to the grand piano in his music room by his butler who but ten minutes earlier had heard Hughes playing a popular tune on the piano. His body lies still and apparently unscarred. Over from the piano, a modern painting sits on the floor resting against the wall. A few feet above the painting, a wall safe is open, suggesting that if Hughes was murdered, the murderer was after something but not money, since the painting is worth a fortune. Present at the scene are a crime reporter (our hero), several police officers, and a coroner.
As our hero investigates, he uncovers these facts:
Hughes' interests were eclectic; he was involved in building airplanes and producing Academy Award winning movies in Hollywood, setting aviation records and buying real estate in Los Vegas. Hughes had quite a social life, apparently juggling some six amours: a financier, a political figure, a jazz singer, a movie star, a radical Hollywood writer, and a union organizer.
The financier had not been with Hughes for some time, for he found her unappealing once she lost her fortune speculating on the defense stocks.
The politician, powerful because of her position and wealthy because of her marriage, had only been rumored to be having an affair with Hughes.
The movie star, a popular public figure, had been the most visible of the Hughes's women.
The jazz singer, a popular public figure, had been for a long time suspected of having mob connections and had recently begun working in the movie industry.
The radical writer and the union organizer reflected the Hughes's left-wing sympathies.
Hughes had a cousin, who, unlike himself, never achieved any fame and ekes out a living as a English teacher.
Howard Hughes was going to be featured in the special Christmas issue of a Life magazine. With the Hughes's death, the magazine is now expecting to more than sell out its special issue.
The Investigation: Was Hughes murdered? If so, who did it, for what motive, and how?
I have tried to make the individual assignments for this project on the basis of your interests. Obviously, that is not an easy task, and whether or not I will be successful in all cases depends on you.
Keep in mind, however, that the documentation in this essay should follow the method outlined in Writers Inc., which means that there will be parenthetical references in your text, that footnotes will only be used for commentary, and that the essay will be followed by a "List of Works Cited." The bibliography should, of course, be in proper bibliographical form. Failure to do so will result in unwanted laughter.
There will be three major compositions required in this assignment: an abstract, an individual report, and a group composition-a completed plot of the pilot for the TV series.
The Compositions
ABSTRACT I, a one page summary of your paper including your thesis, will be placed in the Abstracts File for future reference.
The final essay should be 1000-1500 words long and should include at least ten sources.
INDIVIDUAL REPORTS: A discussion of some aspect of your topic and an application of that discussion to the needs of DBS at the end of the paper.
THE GROUP REPORT: A story, a completed version of the plot DBS has given us, with parenthetical references to credit the sources for your details and footnotes for discussion that obviously cannot appear in such a story. You will work in groups of six and receive a group grade.
Due Dates: Abstract and Individual Reports are due May 15.
Pilots are due May 23.
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS
1. The investigative reporter; Newspaper reporting of sensational events, 1930-1941 ****
2. The magazine that is about to have a special Christmas edition, Life Magazine; Photojournalism, 1930-1941 ****
3. The famous counter-culture; the world of the thirties counter-culture, 1930-1941***
4. Crime and criminals; the underworld of the thirties, 1930-1941***
5. The painting, very modern and very valuable; Private and public modern art collections, of the thirties.***
6. The painting, very modern and very valuable; major artists of the thirties.***
7. The stockbroker; the Economics of the Thirties with particular emphasis on the stock market 1930-1941 ***
8. Economics of the Thirties with particular emphasis on the rise of the defense industry 1930- 1941 ***
9. The jazz singer; American popular music, major artists; 1930-1941 ***
10. The popular tune the butler heard Hughes playing; American popular music, music memorabilia, 1930-1941 ***
11. The congresswoman; American politics, focusing on some particular right-wing movement, perhaps as personified by national political figures, 1930-1941***
12. The congresswoman; American politics, focusing on some particular left-wing movement, perhaps as personified by national political figures, 1930-1941***
13. Howard Hughes, a biographic summary of the real life of Howard Hughes***
14. Hughes's cousin; peculiar elements in Hughes' contested will, 1976-Present ***
15. The movie star; Movie industry, particularly Hughes' involvement; 1925-1941 ***
16. Los Vegas, the development of the desert gambling resort 1950-1960's
17. The radical Hollywood writer; Radical politics and the intellectual class, 1930-1953 ***
18. Joe McCarthy and the House un-American Activities committee 1950's ****
19. Communist threat in the United States (Red scare, Palmer raids) ***
20. Celebrity sports stars of the 1920's ****
21. Society gossip of the 1930's ****
22. Famous murder trials of the 1920's and 1930's ****
23. Prohibition and its failure; 1930's ***
24. Col. William (Billy) Mitchell (military aviation and national defense) ***
25. Classic movie murder mysteries of the 1930's; including the development of the hard-boiled detective story. (You will be required to view some of these movies.) ***
26. Roosevelt and the New Deal ***
27. Literature of the 1930's; major authors ***
28. Theater of the 1930's; authors and actors ***
29. Racism and Ethnic Persecution (Scottsboro Trials & Holocaust) ***