The actress/civil rights activist represented Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards, where she declined the Best Actor award on behalf of The Godfather actor. She also gave a passionate speech drawing attention to stereotypes of Native Americans in Hollywood and the Wounded Knee protest i…
Marlon Brando, by his own account, was only ever really happy in two places. The first place was Omaha, where Brando’s family lived until he was 6. The second place was Tetiaroa (pronounced Teti-uh-ROH-uh), a 27-square-mile island about 30 miles north of Tahiti in the South Pacific Ocean. Brando bought Tetiaroa in 1966 and owned it until his death in 2004.
Marlon Brando Jr., born April 3, 1924, was a pudgy, mischievous boy who was called “Bud” to distinguish him from his father, Marlon Sr. His mother, Dorothy (Dodie) Brando, was the Omaha Community Playhouse’s first leading lady and worked with, among others, Henry Fonda.
Marlon Brando used to say, “The only thing an actor owes his public is not to bore them.” And he didn’t.
In a 50-plus-year career of classic movies, legendary stage performances, film bombs and an often chaotic and eccentric private life, Brando was never boring.
His impact on screen acting was demonstrated by his Academy Award nominations for best actor in four successive years: as Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951), as the Mexican revolutionary in “Viva Zapata!” (1952), as Mark Antony in “Julius Caesar” (1953) and as Terry Malloy in “On the Waterfront” (1954). The latter brought Brando his first Oscar.
Here’s an offer you can’t refuse: let’s reminisce on the “godfather” of screen legends, and one of Omaha’s own.
Reminisce columns by Sheritha Jones
Reminisce on good times at Peony Park
Anyone raised in Omaha up until the early 1990s more than likely spent some time at Peony Park and has some wonderful childhood memories of the place.
You may have swam at the beach-like pool, whirled and twirled on the rides, attended company picnics and award ceremonies, dressed in your best for proms and Beautillions in the Royal Terrace Ballroom, and danced the night away during “Sprite Night, previously known as “Disco Rondo.”
Peony Park actually started out as a “Manhattan Gas” station and small restaurant called the “Peony Inn,” which Joe Malec Sr. built across the road from Carl Rosenfield’s peony gardens in 1919.In 1926, the park added a swimming pool, developed from a natural spring-fed lake. Did you know that Peony Park pool was strictly segregated until 1963. During that summer, there were three protests in four days, and the park even shut down on July 16.
As the years went by, the park continued to grow and added several rides that appealed to teenagers and adults.
Peony Park closed March 31, 1994, the victim of financial problems that led to a bankruptcy filing.Let’s reminisce on the rides, the slides and the good times at Peony Park.
Photos: Peony Park through the years
Reminisce: Teen breaks brother and another out of jail
On a quiet Sunday afternoon in 1951, 16-year-old Clifford Battershaw strolled into the Douglas County Jail with a German Luger pistol and helped his brother Dewey Battershaw, 21, and another inmate, Victor Sweet, 24, escape.
The younger Battershaw bulled his way through four locked doors and sprang his brother and Sweet. The three took a deputy sheriff and an Omaha attorney hostage as they walked out of the jail.
The escapees and hostages headed east to 17th Street, where they caught an Ak-Sar-Ben bus. After a 20-block bus ride, they stole the first of three cars. They picked up two other hostages in their flight from Nebraska. All four hostages were freed unharmed the next day near Auburn, Nebraska.
The fugitives’ trail went cold for 11 days. Then four miles west of St. Johns, Arizona, local authorities began tailing the trio’s speeding 1949 Dodge. As a chase ensued, Clifford Battershaw broke out the rear window of the speeding car and put a bullet through the window of the patrol car.
Dewey Battershaw was mortally wounded in the two-hour running gun battle with the hard-riding Arizona peace officers; his brother and Sweet were captured.
Let’s reminisce on being your brother’s keeper and breaking him out of jail.
Reminisce on final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium
After 61 years, the College World Series was moving out of the only real home it had ever known, Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium.
The series and the stadium had grown together for generations, like a family and its house.
And South Carolina made sure that the final College World Series game at Rosenblatt Stadium was one to remember. On June 29, 2010, the Gamecocks won their first national baseball championship on the final collegiate pitch at the historic stadium.
It was a sellout crowd of nearly 25,000 sitting and wondering for three hours if they would see history.
It was all of those history-witnessing folks filing out slowly with smiles on their faces.
That’s how you close a great event at a great ballpark.
Let’s reminisce on a perfect ending for a classic event in a classic stadium.
Photos: Last College World Series game at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium
Reminisce on the 'Night of the Twisters'
Seven tornadoes hammered Grand Island over the course of four hours on June 3, 1980, earning the deadly, destructive storm the nickname “The Night of the Twisters.”
A book and a movie were named after this night of fury, which still evokes strong memories from those who lived through it. The disaster killed five people, injured 266 and caused more than $285 million in damage.
The storm leveled houses and businesses, hurtled cars and livestock, and left a path of destruction that can still be traced today. One of the hardest-hit parts of the city was the South Locust Street area, which was devastated by an F-4 tornado that night.
The tornadoes that struck Grand Island in 1980 caused damage throughout the community, but did not damage the residents resilience.
Photos: 1980 Grand Island tornadoes
Reminisce on making waves at the Olympic Swim Trials
The Olympic Swim Trials were a prime example of Omaha's ability to make a splash and turn little-publicized sporting events into blockbuster occasions.
Since 2008, all swimming eyes have turned to Omaha as record numbers of spectators watched Olympic dreams unfold or be put on hold.
The Swim Trials in Omaha has produced major showdowns from the most dominant athletes in the world in any sport.
The world’s two best swimmers dueled in arguably the world’s most grueling race. Along with the old guard, the Trials have revealed brand new breakout stars, American records smashed, world records set and the first African American male to break a record in swimming.
Dive in and let's reminisce on last races, 1-2 finishes and the Olympic-like atmosphere of the Swim Trials in Omaha.
Photos: Construction of U.S. Swim Trials pools at CHI Heath Center
Reminisce on the life and times of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1924, at University Hospital in Omaha. The Little family lived at 3448 Pinkney St. until threats from the Ku Klux Klan drove them out of Nebraska.
You may not have known it but, in 1971 the Omaha School Board designated May 19 Malcolm X Day.
A cultural holiday is ever-evolving. It can start as one day with a rally and homemade signs, and turn into a weeklong festival complete with a mile-long parade.
Like Malcolm X himself, who went from criminal to thinker, from convict to advocate of human rights, his Omaha birth site has evolved as well. Once an overgrown lot, the site is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Let’s reminisce on the Omaha-born civil rights activist whose fiery oratory helped deliver a message of self-sufficiency and independence for African Americans.
Photos: Malcolm X through the years
Reminisce on fast times at the Nebraska state track meet
And they’re off!
Whether they were soaring above everyone in the pole vault or leaping the farthest in the long jump or triple jump, the Nebraska state track meet has historically had goose-bump moments complete with broken records and personal bests.
All of the dramatics can be found at Omaha’s Burke High School. You’ll get to see a parade of outstanding athletes hurdling into history. There’s nothing like winning state for your team. It says everything about your program.
Did you know that track was the first girls sport to be sanctioned by the NSAA? And once the girls were in … off they went, breaking records in long distances, short distances and field events.
On your mark, get set … let’s sprint through some past gold-medal performances at the Nebraska state track and field meet.
Photos: Reminisce on the ways we honor Mom
Mother’s Day is the day we celebrate good mothers everywhere. When we think of the many sacrifices that mothers have made over the years, they truly deserve that day of admiration.
Mother’s Day is a fun celebration of motherhood. Many of us get spoiled on that day with the breakfast in bed — or on the couch, brunches and luncheons and playtime with the kids.
There is no one else like a devoted mother.
As we look back through our lives, the people who loved us despite our failings, supported our dreams and gave the biggest hugs ever, were usually our mothers.
Sit back and let us serve you up past expressions of goodwill extended to all mothers on their special day.
Many Omahans of a certain age remember visiting Santa at Toyland in the Brandeis department store. The tradition dated to the 1900s when J.L. Brandeis and Sons were the proprietors of the Boston Store.
The Benson and the Hanscom are only two of the more than 70 theaters that sprung up outside downtown Omaha during the first half of the 20th century. The majority opened — and closed — during the era of silent films.
The New Tower’s front lobby had a Normandy castle motif with great stone walls, heraldic crests and wood-burning fireplace. The massive beams and lofty ceilings carried over into the Crest Dining Room.
A generation of Omahans — and newcomers to the city — likely are unaware that Peony Park, the major amusement spot from the 1930s through 1994, was at 78th and Cass Streets.
The fame of Curo Springs was so far-reaching that in pioneer days — every fall and spring — people from 100 miles away (some crossing the Missouri in crude boats) would come to load up with the water.
The Omaha Chamber of Commerce was prepared to remove its $35,000 hangar — built in modular sections — until the city was ready to build a municipal airport. Then came back-to-back windstorms.
Research has turned up a juicy nugget — the whereabouts of the burial site of Omaha, the Triple Crown horse in 1935. Hint: there are people resting every night on top of it.
Keystone has become the name applied to the area bounded by 72nd and 90th Streets, Maple Street, Military Avenue and Fort Street. It has expanded since Keystone Park was platted in 1907.
Ezra Meeker’s crusade is credited for reawakening awareness of the Oregon Trail in the early 20th century. In the process, he erroneously linked Omaha to the trail and others took his word for it.
An Omaha real estate firm had the idea in the heyday of the '20s that it could sell 1,500 cottage lots platted away from the lakes and the Platte River. So what happened?
The Dan Parmelee-Tom Keeler feud, which included an Old West shootout on the outskirts of old Elkhorn in December 1874, left Keeler dead and made news nationwide.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Omahans had their pick of drive-in movie theaters. Cars with families and cars with teens -- some watching the film and others, well, you know -- side by side, wired speakers hanging inside a car door.
Clontarf never was incorporated as a village, but functioned like one and wielded political clout larger than its 47 acres. There was a lawless element, too.
'Mascotte was a big joke but it looked good while it lasted.' The village had a factory, railroad depot, hotel, general store, school and about 40 cottages. By 1915, it was all gone.
West Dodge Road has been rebuilt over and over. And along the way, the Old Mill area has lost its mill, its hazardous Dead Man’s Curve and the most beautiful bridge in the county.
Photos: Reminisce on the flowers that bloom in May
The May flowers that follow April showers are a colorful and fragrant reminder of nature’s rebirth.
The month of May typically wreaths itself in irises, tulips, daffodils and magnolias. Flowers can crop up anywhere, from a classroom to a May Day basket.
In the case of the “Amazing Stinko,” — also known as the corpse flower — flowers in the metro-area don’t just show up, they show out!
These flowers aren’t just proof of an old saying. They are proof that working with your hands to nurture and cultivate can produce rewarding blooms through the years.
Flowers have allowed us to look forward to spring, to fresh new growth and to colors washing over a dreary landscape.
Breathe deeply and stroll down this path of botanical bonanza.
Many Omahans of a certain age remember visiting Santa at Toyland in the Brandeis department store. The tradition dated to the 1900s when J.L. Brandeis and Sons were the proprietors of the Boston Store.
The Benson and the Hanscom are only two of the more than 70 theaters that sprung up outside downtown Omaha during the first half of the 20th century. The majority opened — and closed — during the era of silent films.
The New Tower’s front lobby had a Normandy castle motif with great stone walls, heraldic crests and wood-burning fireplace. The massive beams and lofty ceilings carried over into the Crest Dining Room.
A generation of Omahans — and newcomers to the city — likely are unaware that Peony Park, the major amusement spot from the 1930s through 1994, was at 78th and Cass Streets.
The fame of Curo Springs was so far-reaching that in pioneer days — every fall and spring — people from 100 miles away (some crossing the Missouri in crude boats) would come to load up with the water.
The Omaha Chamber of Commerce was prepared to remove its $35,000 hangar — built in modular sections — until the city was ready to build a municipal airport. Then came back-to-back windstorms.
Research has turned up a juicy nugget — the whereabouts of the burial site of Omaha, the Triple Crown horse in 1935. Hint: there are people resting every night on top of it.
Keystone has become the name applied to the area bounded by 72nd and 90th Streets, Maple Street, Military Avenue and Fort Street. It has expanded since Keystone Park was platted in 1907.
Ezra Meeker’s crusade is credited for reawakening awareness of the Oregon Trail in the early 20th century. In the process, he erroneously linked Omaha to the trail and others took his word for it.
An Omaha real estate firm had the idea in the heyday of the '20s that it could sell 1,500 cottage lots platted away from the lakes and the Platte River. So what happened?
The Dan Parmelee-Tom Keeler feud, which included an Old West shootout on the outskirts of old Elkhorn in December 1874, left Keeler dead and made news nationwide.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Omahans had their pick of drive-in movie theaters. Cars with families and cars with teens -- some watching the film and others, well, you know -- side by side, wired speakers hanging inside a car door.
Clontarf never was incorporated as a village, but functioned like one and wielded political clout larger than its 47 acres. There was a lawless element, too.
'Mascotte was a big joke but it looked good while it lasted.' The village had a factory, railroad depot, hotel, general store, school and about 40 cottages. By 1915, it was all gone.
West Dodge Road has been rebuilt over and over. And along the way, the Old Mill area has lost its mill, its hazardous Dead Man’s Curve and the most beautiful bridge in the county.
Photos: Reminisce on Omaha Easter celebrations
The date we celebrate Easter may change from year to year, but the traditions surrounding it — both religious and secular — have become deep-rooted in our culture.
Various denominations hold church services — sometimes multiple — which may include Palm Sunday processions, dancers, choirs and an abundance of lilies. But there are plenty of nonreligious traditions, too.
For many, Easter has become a celebration of spring’s arrival and nature’s renewal, and it isn’t complete without decorated eggs, Easter egg hunts, and of course the Easter bunny.
Let’s hop back in time and you’ll see that while fashions may change, all things Easter remain pretty much the same.
Many Omahans of a certain age remember visiting Santa at Toyland in the Brandeis department store. The tradition dated to the 1900s when J.L. Brandeis and Sons were the proprietors of the Boston Store.
The Benson and the Hanscom are only two of the more than 70 theaters that sprung up outside downtown Omaha during the first half of the 20th century. The majority opened — and closed — during the era of silent films.
The New Tower’s front lobby had a Normandy castle motif with great stone walls, heraldic crests and wood-burning fireplace. The massive beams and lofty ceilings carried over into the Crest Dining Room.
A generation of Omahans — and newcomers to the city — likely are unaware that Peony Park, the major amusement spot from the 1930s through 1994, was at 78th and Cass Streets.
The fame of Curo Springs was so far-reaching that in pioneer days — every fall and spring — people from 100 miles away (some crossing the Missouri in crude boats) would come to load up with the water.
The Omaha Chamber of Commerce was prepared to remove its $35,000 hangar — built in modular sections — until the city was ready to build a municipal airport. Then came back-to-back windstorms.
Research has turned up a juicy nugget — the whereabouts of the burial site of Omaha, the Triple Crown horse in 1935. Hint: there are people resting every night on top of it.
Keystone has become the name applied to the area bounded by 72nd and 90th Streets, Maple Street, Military Avenue and Fort Street. It has expanded since Keystone Park was platted in 1907.
Ezra Meeker’s crusade is credited for reawakening awareness of the Oregon Trail in the early 20th century. In the process, he erroneously linked Omaha to the trail and others took his word for it.
An Omaha real estate firm had the idea in the heyday of the '20s that it could sell 1,500 cottage lots platted away from the lakes and the Platte River. So what happened?
The Dan Parmelee-Tom Keeler feud, which included an Old West shootout on the outskirts of old Elkhorn in December 1874, left Keeler dead and made news nationwide.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Omahans had their pick of drive-in movie theaters. Cars with families and cars with teens -- some watching the film and others, well, you know -- side by side, wired speakers hanging inside a car door.
Clontarf never was incorporated as a village, but functioned like one and wielded political clout larger than its 47 acres. There was a lawless element, too.
'Mascotte was a big joke but it looked good while it lasted.' The village had a factory, railroad depot, hotel, general store, school and about 40 cottages. By 1915, it was all gone.
West Dodge Road has been rebuilt over and over. And along the way, the Old Mill area has lost its mill, its hazardous Dead Man’s Curve and the most beautiful bridge in the county.
Reminisce on the showers that April can bring
April in Nebraska brings showers and it isn’t always rain.
This can be Nebraska’s cruelest month and, in the past, has brought showers of sleet, snow and hail. And have you ever seen a house showered in storm clouds?
Dodging raindrops is easy, but too many downpours can lead to flooding — and you can’t dodge a river, not even from your porch.
Let’s reminisce on the various showers that April has brought us.
UNDATED: Marlon Brando Jr., his mother, Dorothy, and father, Marlon Sr. A happier Brando is photographed at Broken Bow on a visit to his Nebraska ranch properties.
1973: Sacheen Littlefeather told the audience at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on March 27 that Marlon Brando declined to accept his Oscar as best actor for his role in “The Godfather.” Littlefeather said Brando was protesting “the treatment of Native Americans in motion pictures and on television, and because of the recent events at Wounded Knee.”