Hollywoodland

On this date in 1923 a musical opened on Broadway titled “Runnin’ Wild”. This play introduced the world—or at least the Broadway-going public—to the dance that has become known to this day as the dance of the 1920s, the Charleston.

Last night’s Dancing with the Stars results show was fun. The ballroom kids were cute, as always. The Pussycat Dolls were their usual sexpot selves. *g* But I got the giggles because some of them were wearing what looked like corsets but there’s no way they could have danced that way if they were real. Trust me, I know. I once tried on a Victorian corset at a writers’ conference. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but there’s no way I’d be able to dance in any other position but with perfect posture. *g* Then Michael Flatley set the stage on fire (literally!) with an awesome exhibition of his dancing! [»]

On this date in 1919, the Volstead Act (aka Prohibition) went into effect. Now, I could have read it wrong, but when I was doing research for the 1920s murder mystery, I went to the Treasury Department’s website (they were in charge of enforcing Prohibition for some weird reason I’ve yet to figure out) or maybe it was the National Archives…. Anyway, I read the actual amendment. Everybody assumes and touts as gospel that the Volstead Act “prohibited the sale or consumption of alcohol”.

But unless I read it wrong, it actually prohibits the sale and distribution. Not consumption. It sounded to me like if you had a stash of liquor in your cellar when the law went into effect, you could drink all you wanted. Granted, only the most wealthy would be likely to have a stash in their cellars, but still. Oddly, however, I can no longer find that information. Weird. Maybe I dreamed it. Or I’m traveling between dimensions….