New Perspectives in Storytelling
I watched a lot of television when I was a child.
Many in my generation did. We were fixed to the tube during a time when programming moved further away from the Golden Age of Television to the likes of The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Three’s Company, Welcome Back, Kotter.
In hindsight, these were terrible shows (though we all have a sweet spot for Alice).
I remember reading Barry Williams’ memoir, Growing up Brady about his days on the set as a teen. His tales were striking because we were there. The stories to strike the biggest chord were those when Robert Reed, a prominent stage actor in his day, would march into the office of Sherwood Schwartz (creator of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island) to complain about the lack of depth and richness in the scripts. Reed was Shakespeare-trained and I related to his petulance.
At a young age, I preferred better stories. While I was entertained by the Professor and Mary Ann, I was more passionate about throwback programming from the 1940’s, such as The Bowery Boys or Shirley Temple films.
One day, I was probably 10-years-old, I stumbled upon the James Cagney movie, Angels with Dirty Faces, starring Cagney with the cast of The Bowery Boys, also known as the Dead End Kids; a cross-over experience that immersed me into a world I never knew, but would eventually feed my soul: The streets of New York.
Angles had a giant impact on me as storyteller. The twist at the end exposed me to how a story could trigger emotions by twisting perspective. 20 years later, I begged my future wife to watch the movie start to finish. Luckily, I found a copy on something called VHS at a place we used to call Blockbuster.
BE KIND, REWIND
If you have the opportunity this holiday season, watch Angels with Dirty Faces. The storytelling, especially the noir shadows of the ending sequence will leave you stunned and inspired.
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If you’re curious about how storytelling can elevate your company’s aspirations with great confidence, please reach out for information about our workshops.
joe@storylines.co / 917.846.8697 text