In Chicago, The Memorial Day Massacre took place when ten union demonstrators were killed when police open fire on them.
U.S. Steel had signed a union contract but smaller steel manufacturers refused to do so and a strike was called.
On Memorial Day, some 1,500-2,500 unionists, their families and sympathizers gathered and had an outdoor picnic lunch with music and speakers.
The crowd began to march towards the Republic Steel mill to picket, but were met by a line of roughly 300 Chicago policemen.
The protesters argued their right to continue and the police opened fired. As the crowd fled, police murdered ten people, four dying that day and six others later. Nine people were permanently disabled and 28 had serious head injuries after they were beaten with clubs by the police. No police were ever prosecuted.
In San Francisco the Golden Gate Bridge officially opened in May. The Looney Tunes cartoon character Daffy Duck appeared in April. The duck was voiced by Mel Blanc who also voiced Porky Pig and later Bugs Bunny.
In 1937, 60-year-old Dr. Robert B. Griffith, a doctor for the Hollywood film industry was killed in a car crash. Dr. Griffith was the physician for, among many other Hollywood stars, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin.
He was the target of at least three malpractice lawsuits. In 1924, Minnie Chaplin, wife of film start Syd Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's half brother), in a lawsuit for $100,000, claimed her nose job performed by Dr. Griffith left her not only disfigured but permanently marred. Griffith countered that it was due to her refusal to follow instructions and not to his carelessness and negligence.
Curiously, Minnie was diagnosed with breast cancer and died in France in September 1936 following surgery for the illness.
I was unable to determine the outcome of that lawsuit, but in 1927, in another $100,000 suit for a nose job gone wrong, Dr. Griffith was sued by silent screen actor William H. Scott, who claimed his nose had been mangled so bad that he was no longer able to get film work. A judge ruled there was no evidence of negligence.
Then in 1929, Dorothy Higgins, a New York stage actress, filed suit for $5,000 against Dr. Griffith alleging an operation he performed on her nose to make it photograph well caused it to increase in size and made her voice sound like she had a cold. Again, the results of the lawsuit are unavailable.
The October 1921 issue of Caduceus, a publication of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, carried a lengthy article on the exploits of Dr. Griffith that was as glowing as anything that ever came out of Hollywood.
Under the title, Chess, Recreation of Film Star's Physician, it was said that, "For Brother Griffith it is who sustains in the actors and actresses of Los Angeles film colony the good health and pep required in screen productions. They bring all their troubles, from a broken heart to a broken limb, to the doctor for repairs."
The article pointed out that were were drawbacks though. For example, Dr. Griffith had to keep up his professional dignity while being photographed with his famous patients. The article observed that, "He treats them all; and well, evidently, for he has been
retained as the Pickford family physician for a number of years."
Described as being a genial, affable gentleman, hearty and frank person and one of the most popular men on the Coast, he was for a long time also the physician for the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
According to the article, whenever a chess expert visited Los Angeles, "Dr. Griffith is trotted to the front" and proceeded to show the newcomer who was the boss.
In his earlier days Dr. Griffith used to play considerable chess,
but that was before his medical work took up all of his time. Back in his college days he was intercollegiate champion.
The article informed readers that after college Griffith was "a billiard shark." Shortly after his graduation the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. hired him to travel for them as a salesman. The Chicago-based company was the largest billiard equipment operation in the world and later expanded their business to include bar equipment.
On May 30, 1937, Herman Steiner was on his way back to Hollywood from California's annual North-South chess match where he had played on board 1 and Dr. Griffith on board 2. Steiner hit another car head-on killing Dr. Griffith and the driver in the other car was critically injured.
In his book Reshevsky on Chess, Reshevsky (or the ghost writer who is believed to have been Fred Reinfeld) thought this game was one the best he played as a child. A short time after this game a single game was played between the two and it ended in a draw.
[Event "Exhibition game, Los Angeles"]
[Site "Los Angeles, CA USA"]
[Date "1921.07.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Samuel Reshevsky"]
[Black "Dr. Robert B Griffith"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15"]
[PlyCount "126"]
[EventDate "1921.??.??"]
{Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O d6 {This move
is too passive to give black any real counterplay and as a result he gets a
very passive position.} 6. Nxd4 Be7 7. Nc3 Bd7 8. h3 O-O {As a result of his
5th move black's position is unpleasantly passive.} 9. f4 {[%mdl 32]} (9. Be3
Re8 10. f4 Bf8 11. Nf3 h6 12. e5 {This is unsound.} (12. Bf2 a6 {White is
better.} (12... Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Rxe4 14. Bxf7+ Kxf7 15. Qd5+ {wins})) 12... dxe5
13. fxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Rxe5 15. Bd4 {White has nothing to show for the P.
Stavrev,N (2245)-Spasov,V (2540) Bulgaria 1994}) 9... b6 {Best was 9...Nxd4
followed by 10...Bc6} (9... Re8 10. Nf3 h6 11. e5 dxe5 12. Ng5 hxg5 13. fxg5
Be6 14. Bxe6 Bc5+ 15. Kh1 Rxe6 16. gxf6 Rxf6 {lead to a loss for black in
Kalashnikov,K (2399)-Grachev,J (2352) Novosibirsk 2001)}) 10. Be3 Re8 {Again
he should have exchanges on d4} 11. e5 {this impetuous advance allows black to
equalize. Best was the simple 11.Nf3} dxe5 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. fxe5 Bd6 {An
excellent move that results in complications that Reshevsky does not handle
well.} 14. exf6 {Or 14.exd6. Either move is satisfactory for equality.} (14.
Rxf6 {This is also playable. After} gxf6 15. exd6 Rxe3 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. Bxd5
Rc8 18. Qg4+ Kh8 19. d7 Rb8 20. Bxf7 Qe7 21. Be8 {the position is unclear.})
14... Rxe3 15. Qg4 {[%mdl 8192]} (15. Bd5 {is a loser...} Rxc3 16. Bxf7+ Kxf7
17. Qh5+ Kg8 18. bxc3 gxf6 {and black is winning as evidenced by scoring 5
wins in Shootouts.}) (15. fxg7 {is correct. Then after} Bc5 16. Kh2 Qh4 17. Qg4
{the position is equal.}) 15... g6 16. Qh4 (16. Bxf7+ {fails after} Kxf7 17.
Qc4+ Re6 18. Rae1 Qd7) 16... Bc5 17. Kh1 Qd7 (17... Qd2 {isn't as good as it
looks.} 18. Bd5 $1 Bxd5 19. Nxd5 Qxd5 20. Qh6 Rxh3+ 21. Qxh3) 18. Kh2 {White
is losing after this. A must was 18.Bd5} Qd6+ (18... Qd2 {was much better.} 19.
Nd5 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. Rad1 Qe5+ {and black's extra piece is a winning
advantage.}) 19. Kh1 {Better was 19.Rf4 and 20.Raf1} Qd7 20. Kh2 Qd6+ 21. Kh1
Qd7 {In a winning position this is a mistake because it allows white to draw
by threefold repetition with 22.Kh2} (21... Qe5 22. Nd5 Re4 23. Qh6 Bf8 24.
Ne7+ Qxe7 25. fxe7 Bxh6 {wins}) 22. Nd5 {[%mdl 8192] Unwisely disdaining the
draw.} Rae8 {Even better than taking the N!} 23. Rad1 {Avoiding a trap.} (23.
Nxe3 Rxe3 24. Kh2 (24. Qh6 Qxh3+ 25. Qxh3 Rxh3#) 24... Re4 25. Qh6 Bf8) 23...
R8e4 {[%emt 0:00:23] Wrong R! After this black remains with the superior game,
but it was not the best move. That said, after the better 23...R3e4 the
complications are enormous, so perhaps practically speaking this is the best
move after all!} (23... R3e4 {Right R!} 24. Nf4 Rxf4 25. Bxf7+ (25. Qxf4 Qxh3+
{mate next move.}) 25... Qxf7 26. Qxf4 h5 {black is better.}) (23... R3e4 24.
Qh6 Bf8 25. Ne7+ R8xe7 26. Rxd7 Rxd7 27. Bxf7+ Rxf7 28. Qd2 {Here, too, black
is better.}) 24. Qh6 Rxh3+ {[%mdl 512]} 25. Qxh3 Qxh3+ 26. gxh3 Rxc4 {Black
has simplified, to an ending in which he has a P for the exchange and soon he
will win another P. It's going to take Reshevsky a great deal of ingenuity to
avoid the loss.} 27. c3 Re4 28. Rd2 Re5 $19 29. Rfd1 Rf5 30. b4 Bd6 31. Kg1 {
Threatening 32.Ne7+} Bxd5 32. Rxd5 Rxf6 {[%mdl 4096]} 33. a3 Kg7 34. c4 Rf3 35.
R1d3 Rxd3 36. Rxd3 {In the ending black will have two united passed Ps and
white's only chance is to get open files for his R, which he does. From this
point, barring a serious error, the position is a draw.} Kf6 37. Kg2 Ke6 38.
Re3+ Be5 39. a4 g5 40. Rd3 Ke7 41. Rd5 f6 42. Kf3 h5 43. a5 Bf4 44. axb6 axb6
45. b5 Be5 46. Ke4 Ke6 (46... g4 47. hxg4 hxg4 48. Kf5 g3 49. Rd2 {is a draw.})
47. Rd8 f5+ 48. Ke3 g4 49. hxg4 {This makes white's task much harder.} (49.
Re8+ Kd6 50. h4 f4+ 51. Ke4 Bf6 52. Kxf4 Bxh4 53. Rh8 Bf2 54. Rxh5 {is a draw})
49... hxg4 {The correct recapture.} (49... fxg4 50. Ke4 g3 51. Kf3 h4 52. Kg2 {
and black can make no progress.}) 50. Re8+ Kf6 51. Rg8 Bd6 52. Rh8 {[%mdl 8192]
As a result of his 49th mvoe white's defense was again very difficult, but
this should have lost.} (52. Kf2 {is a stouter defense.} Bf4 53. Rf8+ Ke5 54.
Re8+ Kd4 55. Rg8 Kxc4 56. Rf8 g3+ 57. Kf3 Bd6 58. Rxf5 Kb4 59. Kg2 {is a draw})
52... Bc5+ (52... Kg5 {was even better.} 53. Rg8+ Kh4 54. Kf2 f4 55. Rh8+ Kg5
56. Rg8+ Kf5 57. Rg7 f3 58. Rf7+ Ke5 {wins}) 53. Kf4 Bd6+ 54. Ke3 Kg5 55. Rh7 {
An interesting position. Whoever annotated this game for Reshevsky's book (him
or Reinfeld) completely misjudged the position. The note to this move claims
that white waits until his opponent decides to advance one of the Ps which is
less dangerous than it seems. Sooner or later, one of them will occupy a black
square and will not be able to advance. Stockfish puts black's advantage at an
overwhelming 12 Ps while Komodo 15 puts is at only two PS which is also
significant.} f4+ 56. Ke4 f3 57. Rh1 Bc5 58. Rh7 f2 {See the previous note.
After this black's K cannot enter play and so the game can now be considered a
draw. However, Stockfish quickly found the winning way.} (58... Bg1 {This is
the correct move, but considering the complexity of it all, it is not
difficult to understand why the annotators did not find the winning line.} 59.
Rg7+ Kh4 60. Kf5 Kh3 61. Rxg4 Bh2 62. Rd4 f2 63. Rd1 Kg2 64. Rd2 Kg1 65. Ke6
f1=Q 66. Kd7 Qxc4 67. Kc8 Qxb5 68. Kb8 Qc4 69. Kc8 Bd6 70. Rb2 Bf4 71. Kb7 Qe4+
72. Kb8 b5 73. Ra2 c5+ 74. Ka7 Qe7+ 75. Ka6 {[%eval -1512,27]} Qe6+ 76. Kxb5
Qxa2 77. Kxc5 Qd2 78. Kc4 Qd6 79. Kc3 Qd5 80. Kb4 Bd2+ 81. Ka3 Qb5 82. Ka2 Bc1
83. Ka1 Qb2#) 59. Rh1 Bd6 60. Rf1 Bg3 61. Ke3 Kf5 62. Rh1 Kg5 63. Rf1 Kf5 {
The game was drawn 9 moves later, but the moves are not known.} 1/2-1/2
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