The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case - The Film :: Film Movie Essays

The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case - The Film [1] It was August 26, 1974, when the first man to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic died of cancer in his home in Maui. He was 72 years old and had lived long enough to be worshipped and reviled by the American public. During the 18 months between the death of Lindbergh and the 1976 television production of The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case, the U.S. had endured some culture crises that were certain to challenge the self-image of â€Å"The American." Early in 1974 Patricia Hearst, publishing heiress, was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army only to resurface as Tanya, a gun-toting member of the gang of thugs. The public acknowledged the United State’s involvement in Vietnam at large as a debacle of unparalleled proportion. Following close on the heels of Vice-President Spiro Agnew’s ignoble encounter with the law, President Richard Milhouse Nixon was forced to resign from office. Even the unconquerable Babe Ruth suffered a defeat as his home run record fell to Hank Aaron. The fact that Aaron was one of the good guys is unprotested, but it still marked the passing of an era. It seemed that none of the titans were left standing. The nation was in a maelstrom of change, which left many with a sense of loss of direction and purpose. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that a cropped and bloodless version of Charles Lindbergh should appear on television, a medium that was swiftly becoming a changeling for reality. America had had enough of real people. She was casting about for an icon, an inspiration, and a hero. It was a time for artifice and selective historical memory. [2] So precisely where does the film enlighten and where does it mislead? The very opening segment gives us a glimpse of the excitement and unmitigated adulation heaped upon Charles Lindbergh with the completion of his successful transatlantic flight. That Lindbergh’s success was as much a matter of luck and favorable winds as it was planning and talent is well known among historians. While the crowds roared their approval, experienced navigators were astounded that the daring young man had crossed the Atlantic with little more than a compass and a favorable wind. The few-filmed moments of crowds and tickertape parades only suggest the magnitude of the celebrity that was incurred by Lindbergh and the enduring quality of hero worship that he experienced.