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| Samuel Hoffman's RCA Theremin |
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Dr. Samuel Hoffman took his 1929 RCA theremin with
him when he moved from New York City to Los
Angeles, California, in 1941. He eventually became
world famous as "The Hollywood Thereminist" and
the distinctive sound of his instrument can be
heard on the soundtracks of over 40 major motion
pictures of the 1940's and 50's. Alfred
Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND (music by Miklos Rosza),
the SciFi classic THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
(music by Bernard Herrmann) and Cecile B.
deMille's perennial THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, are just
a few of the movies in which this theremin can be
heard. I acquired this unique vintage instrument
from the Hoffman family in 1998 and have carefully
maintained it and enjoyed playing it ever since.
It sounds today just the way it sounded when the
late Dr. Hoffman played it at the "Casino In The
Air" on top of mid-town Manhattan's Hotel
Montclair in the 1930's.
In order to give the camera a better view of the
inside, for the purpose of this video, I removed
the two cabinet doors (which normally remain
closed). I am playing French chanteuse Edith
Piaf's hit from the 1940's, LA VIE EN ROSE.
Tags : theremin rca samuel hoffman la vie en rose peter pringle edith piaf spellbound day earth stood still bernard herrmann |
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Affichage : 10650
Durée : 208 s |
| The Tragic Case of Rachel Hoffman |
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After being caught twice with a "baggie" of
marijuana, 23-year old Rachel Hoffman was
reportedly told by police in Tallahassee, Florida
that she would go to prison for four years unless
she became an undercover informant.
Parents say police used their daughter as bait to
catch drug dealers.
The young woman, a recent graduate of Florida
State University, was murdered during a botched
sting operation two months ago.
Her case will be profiled Friday on 20/20.
"The idea of waging a war on drugs is to protect
people and here it seems like we're putting people
in harm's way," said Lance Block, a lawyer hired
by Rachel's parents.
The Florida Attorney General's office says it is
reviewing the procedures and protocol of the
Tallahassee police.
Rachel's case also has raised new questions about
state and federal laws related to marijuana
possession.
"I'm calling her a criminal," Tallahassee police
chief Dennis Jones told 20/20, who maintains that
both drug dealers and drug users are considered
criminals to his department.
Related
Grand Jury to Investigate Death of Informant
Cops Pressed to Explain Dead Informant
Pot Potency Has Doubled Since 1983
Under Florida law, possession of more than 20
grams of marijuana is a felony.
Rachel was also found in possession of two ecstasy
pills, a felony under Florida law no matter the
quantity because it "has a high potential for
abuse and has no currently accepted medical use in
treatment in the United States."
The Tallahassee police chief says Rachel was
suspected of selling drugs and she was rightly
treated as a criminal.
"That's my job as a police chief to find these
criminals in our community and take them off the
street, to make the proper arrests," Jones told
20/20.
Rachel's case also is raising questions about how
police recruit and use informants in undercover
operations.
"There need to be some safeguards here," said
Block, the Hoffman family lawyer.
The young woman received no training before being
sent to an undercover meeting to buy a large
amount of drugs and a handgun from two suspects.
Police says Rachel was killed by the very handgun
she was supposed to buy.
"I don't think she understood the risk or danger
that she was in," said Block.
Tags : cops florida drug war illegal marijuana pot rachel hoffman |
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Affichage : 10737
Durée : 242 s |
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