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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
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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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