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2. Note: This article covers the origins of the trope, how it erroneously became associated with silent films and why the myth persists. For more details on the actors.
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I am here using the term "myth" in two senses. In one sense, a myth is an idea that, while widely believed, is false, failing to correspond with reality.

The Myth and the Reality. Although I am a philosopher of religion and theologian, I have spent most of my time during the past three years on 9/1. In this lecture, I will try to make clear why I believe this issue worthy of so much time and energy. I will do this in terms of the distinction between myth and reality. I am here using the term “myth” in two senses. In one sense, a myth is an idea that, while widely believed, is false, failing to correspond with reality.

In a deeper sense, which is employed by students of religion, a myth serves as an orienting and mobilizing story for a people, a story that reminds them who they are and why they do what they do. When a story is called as a myth in this sense—which we can call Myth with a capital M—the focus is not on the story’s relation to reality but on its function. This orienting and mobilizing function is possible, moreover, only because Myths with a capital M have religious overtones. Such a Myth is a Sacred Story. However, although to note that a story functions as a Myth in the religious sense is not necessarily to deny its truth, a story cannot function as a Sacred Myth within a community or nation unless it is believed to be true. In most cases, moreover, the truth of the Myth is taken on faith.

It is not a matter of debate. If some people have the bad taste to question the truth of the Sacred Story, the keepers of the faith do not enter into debate with them. Rather, they ignore them or denounce them as blasphemers. According to the official story about 9/1. America, because of its goodness, was attacked by fanatical Arab Muslims who hate our freedoms. This story has functioned as a Sacred Myth for the United States since that fateful day.

And this function appears to have been carefully orchestrated. The very next day, President Bush announced his intention to lead “a monumental struggle of Good versus Evil.” 1 Then on September 1.

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National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks. And on that next day, the president himself, surrounded by Billy Graham, a cardinal, a rabbi, and an imam, delivered a sermon in the national cathedral, saying: Our responsibility to history is already clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of Evil. War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked America, because we are freedom’s home and defender. And the commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time.

W]e ask almighty God to watch over our nation, and grant us patience and resolve in all that is to come. And may He always guide our country. God bless America. Through this unprecedented event, in which the president of the United States issued a declaration of war from a cathedral, French author Thierry Meyssan observed in 2. American government consecrated . From then on, any questioning of the official truth would be seen as sacrilege.” 3 That attitude has remained dominant in the public sphere until this day, as the official account has continued to serve as a Sacred Story. When people raise questions about this story, they are either ignored, ridiculed as conspiracy theorists, or—as Charlie Sheen has recently experienced—attacked personally.

When anyone asks what right the administration has to invade and occupy other countries, to imprison people indefinitely without due process, or even to ignore various laws, the answer is always the same: “9/1. Those who believe that US law and international law should be respected are dismissed as having “a pre- 9/1. Given the role the official account of 9/1.

Myth in the religious sense, is also a myth in the pejorative sense—that is, whether it is simply false. As a philosopher of religion, I would emphasize that the fact that a story has served as a Myth in the religious sense does not necessarily mean that it fails to correspond with reality. Many religious accounts contain at least a kernel of truth that can be defended in terms of a rational examination of the relevant evidence. In many cases, however, stories that have served as religious Myths cannot stand up to rational scrutiny.

When such a story is stripped of its halo and treated simply as a theory, rather than an unquestionable dogma, it cannot be defended as the best theory to account for the relevant facts. The official account of 9/1.

When challenges to it are not treated as blasphemy, it can easily be seen to be composed of a number of ideas that are myths in the sense of not corresponding with reality. Using the word “myth” from now on only in this pejorative sense, I will discuss nine of the major myths contained in the official story about 9/1. I will thereby show that the official account of 9/1. I will begin with a few myths that prevent many people from even looking at the evidence for this alternative account. Myth Number 1: Our political and military leaders simply would not do such a thing. This idea is widely believed.

But it is undermined by much evidence. The United States, like many other countries, has often used deceit to begin wars—for example, the Mexican- American war, with its false claim that Mexico had “shed American blood on the American soil,” 4 the Spanish- American war, with its “Remember the Maine” hoax, 5 the war in the Philippines, with its false claim that the Filipinos fired first, 6 and the Vietnam war, with its Tonkin Gulf hoax. The United States has also sometimes organized false flag terrorist attacks—killing innocent civilians, then blaming the attacks on an enemy country or group, often by planting evidence. We have even done this in allied countries. As Daniele Ganser has shown in his recent book NATO’s Secret Armies, NATO, guided by the CIA and the Pentagon, arranged many such attacks in Western European countries during the Cold War.

These attacks were successfully blamed on Communists and other leftists to discredit them in the eyes of the voting public. Finally, in case it be thought that US military leaders would not orchestrate such attacks against US citizens, one needs only to read the plan known as Operations Northwoods, which the Joint Chiefs of Staff worked up in 1. Fidel Castro had overthrown the pro- American dictator Batista.

This plan contained various “pretexts which would provide justification for US military intervention in Cuba.” American citizens would have been killed in some of them, such as a “Remember the Maine” incident, in which: “We could blow up a U. S. ship in Guantánamo Bay and blame Cuba.” 9 At this point, some people, having seen evidence that US leaders would be morally capable of orchestrating 9/1. Myth Number 2: Our political and military leaders would have had no motive for orchestrating the 9/1. This myth was reinforced by The 9/1. Commission Report . While explaining why al- Qaeda had ample motives for carrying out the attacks, this report mentions no motives that US leaders might have had.

But the alleged motive of al- Qaeda—that it hated Americans and their freedoms—is dwarfed by a motive held by many members of the Bush- Cheney administration: the dream of establishing a global Pax Americana , the first all- inclusive empire in history. This dream had been articulated by many neoconservatives, or neocons, throughout the 1. Soviet Union made it seem possible. It was first officially articulated in the Defense Planning Guidance of 1.

Paul Wolfowitz on behalf of then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney—a document that has been called “a blueprint for permanent American global hegemony” 1. Cheney’s “Plan . . Achieving this goal would require four things. One of these was getting control of the world’s oil, especially in Central Asia and the Middle East, and the Bush- Cheney administration came to power with plans already made to attack Afghanistan and Iraq. A second requirement was a technological transformation of the military, in which fighting from space would become central.

Tied to the Railroad Tracks – Movies Silently. Note: This article covers the origins of the trope, how it erroneously became associated with silent films and why the myth persists. For more details on the actors involved, the Snidely Whiplash connection and examples of this trope subverted, check out my follow up article. You can also check out real footage and vintage images in my video response. Cut to the chase: This is a myth.

The cliche actually had its start in Victorian theater. It was neither common nor expected in silent films.“Oh yeah, silent movies. Those are the ones where the villain in a top hat ties a woman to the tracks, right?”Those words are sure to get a silent movie fan just a little irritated. Okay, a lot irritated.) You see, we know that silent movies are rich artistically and have an array of subject matter that is truly impressive. Yet the railroad tracks keep being brought up and the people asking are always curiously specific. The villain must wear a top hat and a mustache as he carries out his crime.

Know this: In all my years of watching silent films (and I have seen hundreds in every imaginable genre) I have never once seen this cliche in the wild, so to speak. Not once. It’s so rare that when I challenged a large group of silent film buffs to name one occurrence in a serious, mainstream silent feature, no one could do it. Think about that.

Thousands of silent films viewed between us and no one could name a single feature. I’m still waiting…Plus, even if one or two occurrences were to surface, there are still thousands of silent movies that do no such thing. So the cliche can hardly be called “iconic” which is how some critics have described it. But I am getting ahead of myself.

First thing’s first. How did this misconception get started? Was the cliche ever actually used?(I am making the foolish assumption that you are reading this in the spirit of movie scholarship, film trivia or simple curiosity.

If this is just a “thing” that you’re into, this article won’t help. Shoo.)Origins. The start of this trope is generally traced back to Augustin Daly’s 1. Under the Gaslight. It can be read online here.

Here is the pertinent passage, vintage stage direction intact. And please note, for those who notice these things, it is not a damsel but a gentleman in distress. What really happened…And yes, the imperiled gentleman’s name is Snorkey. Watch Online Watch Smart House Full Movie Online Film. I can’t help thinking that it sounds like a Muppet character…Snorkey You ain’t a going to shoot me ? Byke No ! Snorkey Well, I’m obliged to you for that. Byke {Leading him to platform.) Just sit down a minute will you.

Snorkey What for. Laura appears horror struck at window.

Byke You’ll see. Snorkey Well, I don’t mind if I do take a seat. Sits down. Byke coils the rope round, his legs.) Hollo !

Byke You’ll see. (Picks the helpless Snorkey up.)Snorkey Byke what are you going to do ! Byke Put you to bed. Lays him across the R. R. track.)Snorkey Byke, you don’t mean to — My God, you are a villain !

Byke {Fastening him to rails.) I’m going to put you to bed. You won’t toss much. In less than ten minutes you’ll be sound asleep. There, how do you like it ? You’ll get down to the Branch before me, will you ? You dog me and play the eavesdropper, eh I Now do it if you can.

When you hear the thunder under your head and see the lights dancing in your eyes, and feel the iron wheels a foot from your neck, remember Byke! Exit l. h. e.)Laura, who has been locked in the station, breaks down the door with an ax and pulls Snorkey from the tracks in the Ta- Da! The play was a huge hit and soon people were being tied to tracks left and right. Not just tracks either.

The popular 1. 89. Blue Jeans by Joseph Arthur featured the hero being knocked out and placed on a moving conveyor belt with a buzz saw at the end.

It is worth noting that, once again, the heroine of the play breaks down a door and saves the distressed fellow just in time. The popularity of this trope is understandable.

It was an easy way of creating suspense on the stage and it could be cheaply done. The audience did not have to see the train, they just had to hear the whistle to feel suspense. As you can also see, this plot device was not aimed solely at women. This is where silent movies come into it…Silent movies of the so- called nickelodeon era (for the purpose of this article, we will say that it is 1. Then, as now, filmmakers knew that a recognizable title would provide box office insurance.

It was only natural that early silent movies would either adapt or imitate popular classic plays like Gaslight or Blue Jeans. Both plays, I must repeat, featured men in distress who were rescued by women.)What movies feature this cliche? Very, very few, as a matter of fact.

A commonly cited film is Edwin S. Porter’s 1. 90. 5 melodrama The Train Wreckers. Nope. As stated before, the “tied to the train tracks” thing has some weird rules attached to it. Mustache and top hat are a must and the victim must be tied.

In this case, the heroine is knocked out cold and simply left on the tracks. No soap. I have heard some people mention The Perils of Pauline as an example of this cliche. I have not seen it used in the extant footage or available printed material. I think perhaps there is some confusion between the original serial and the dreadful 1.

Betty Hutton. Trains were the most common form of mass transit for most of the silent era and they did often figure into movie plots, both for comedy and drama. However, silent film danger was coed and MEN WERE ENDANGERED TOO. Ahem…I repeat my challenge: Anyone who can find a single example of this cliche in a silent feature film from a major studio, come forward please and collect your prize.

I have never had any takers. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone but it there just are not that many uses of this cliche in silent films. Well, except…No one can take a joke…(Above: An amateur film from 1.

Because we all know that home videos are the same as studio releases.)People who have never seen a silent movie seem to have trouble recognizing the difference between a spoof and a serious film. At this point, I am going to introduce Mack Sennett and his merry band of anarchic comedians, who enjoyed skewering pop culture of the period. Name a movie that was released and it is a sure bet that the Sennett gang would have a send- up ready to go in the blink of an eye. Again, it was only natural the Sennett would take aim at the popular classic stage plays and the films that they inspired. And so, Sennett leading ladies like Mabel Normand and, later, Gloria Swanson each took a turn being tied to the tracks.

These films are funny. The problem is that people sometimes only see the “chained to the tracks” clip and assume that it is being played straight! Writers confidently assert that Barney Oldfield’s Race for Life was the start all of that tying- to- tracks business. It may have started a trend of poking fun at the trope but that is a totally different thing.

By the time Teddy at the Throttle rolled around in 1. Oh, stage plays were still revered and old melodramas were still being filmed. It’s just that filmmakers of this period were better able to create suspense without relying on the old stage tricks.(I should also note that in the 1. Gloria Swanson saves herself!)To bring things back to the misuse of these clips, it seems that this is a trap that snares all too many would- be silent film commentators: Need serious silent movie footage of a woman tied to the tracks. None available. Fine, use a comedy, it’s the same thing right? No, it is not. It’s like taking, say, Madagascar (2.

Saturday Night Fever and using it as proof that disco was the hottest trend of the early 2. That would be ridiculous and you would be called out on it. Come on, nobody really believes this! Actual comment somebody left.

Yes, really. I know. Yes, I did ban them. Yes, I’m afraid they do. And they don’t understand the nuances of silent film or the differences between comedies and serials and straight dramatic features.