#Richard Rush

[grindhousecellar]

[eyeronmaus]

[frenchcurious]

Affiche du film de Richard Rush, "Thunder Alley" (American International, 1967) - Source Heritage Auctions.

[gatutor]

Lance Henriksen-Lesley Ann Warren "El color de la noche" (Color of night) 1994, de Richard Rush.

[weirdlookindog]

Psych-Out (1968)

[cemyafilmarsiv]

Color of Night directed by Richard Rush

[lifeinasmalltowninjapan]

Hells Angels On Wheels (1967)

🎬 Richard Rush

[lonelydragon62]

POT as Eli Cross in The Stunt Man (1980)

"In 22 seconds, I could break your fucking spine. In 22 seconds, I could pinch your head off like a fucking insect and spin it all over the fucking pavement."

[rwpohl]

[pitt-able]

William Pitt's sleeping habits

I always found the private Pitt much more interesting than the political Pitt and probably one of the first aspects to really capture my attention about Pitt’s private life were his sleeping habits. I find sleep to be utterly fascinating, both from a medical/biological point of view but also from a personal point of view. And while Pitt’s sleep habits were nothing unheard of, there still were some peculiarities.

Pitt often was happy to get out of London, even if only for a short time, and to enjoy some peace and quiet in the country. Holwood House was a dearly beloved retreat of his. This desire to be out of the bustling city of London also extended to Pitt’s sleeping arrangements. William Wilberforce later wrote:

In the spring of one of these years Mr. Pitt, who was remarkably fond of sleeping in the country, and would often go out of town for that purpose as late as eleven or twelve o'clock at night, slept at Wimbledon for two or three months together. It was, I believe, rather at a later period that he often used to sleep also at Mr. Robert Smith’s house at Hamstead.

A. M. Wilberforce, editor, Private Papers of William Wilberforce, T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1897, p. 49.

Wimbledon was Wilberforce’s villa – he was one of the few of Pitt’s friends at the time to actually own a house.

But a country house was not the only place where Pitt could fall asleep, far from it. Although being Prime Minister is an important and dignified position, Pitt would often fall asleep in the House of Commons itself. Richard Rush, son of Benjamin Rush, American physician, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, was the American Minister to the court of St. James. In his papers he retells this story of a conversation he had once during a dinner:

He [William Wilberforce] spoke of Mr Pitt. They had been at school together. He was remarkable, he said, for excelling in mathematics; there was also this peculiarity in his constitution, that he required a great deal of sleep, seldom being able to do with less than ten or eleven hours; he would often drop asleep in the House of Commons; once he had known him do so at seven in the evening and sleep until day-light.

Richard Rush, Residence at the Court of London, third Edition, Hamilton, Adams & Co, London, 1872, p. 175

We can further read in the diaries of Charles Abbot:

March 17, 1796.—Dined at Butt’s with the Solicitor-General and Lord Muncaster. Lord Muncaster was an early political friend of Mr. Pitt, and our conversation turned much upon his habits of life. Pitt transacts the business of all departments except Lord Grenville’s and Dundas’s. He requires eight or ten hours’ sleep.

Earl Stanhope, The Life of the Right Honourable William Pitt, Vol. 3, John Murray, London, 1862, p. 4.

When you, for example read through Wilberforce’s diaries and journals, you will see many instances where he mentions that he either got no sleep at all or only slept very poorly. It was different with Pitt. When he was asleep, he normally could sleep on with neither internal nor external factors disturbing him. His ability to sleep on was apparently so outstanding that many of his contemporaries, Bishop Tomline and William Wilberforce for example, found it worthwhile to mention the few times that something disturbed Pitt’s sleep:

This was the only event of a public nature which I [Bishop Tomline] ever knew disturb Mr. Pitt’s rest while he continued in good health. Lord Temple’s resignation was determined upon at a late hour in the evening of the 21st, and when I went into Mr. Pitt’s bedroom the next morning he told me that he had not had a moment’s sleep.

Earl Stanhope, The Life of the Right Honourable William Pitt, Vol. 1, John Murray, London, 1861, p. 158.

The context of this scene was the resignation of Lord Temple as Secretary of State shortly after accepting the office. Pitt had really wanted Temple to be Secretary of State and was rather dismayed that he had resigned so quickly.

There were indeed but two events in the public life of Mr. Pitt, which were able to disturb his sleep—the mutiny at the Nore, and the first open opposition of Mr. Wilberforce; and he himself shared largely in these painful feelings.

R. I. Wilberforce, S. Wilberforce, The Life of William Wilberforce, Vol. 2, John Murray, London, 1833, p. 71.

Pitt himself told Lord Fitzharris that there was only one event that had kept him awake at night:

Lord Fitzharris says in his note-book:—‘‘One day in November, 1805, I happened to dine with Pitt, and Trafalgar was naturally the engrossing subject of our conversation. I shall never forget the eloquent manner in which he described his conflicting feelings when roused A the night to read Collingwood’s despatches. He observed that he had been called up at various hours in his eventful life by the arrival of news of various hues; but whether good or bad, he could always lay his head on his pillow and sink into sound, sleep again. On this occasion, however, the great event announced brought with it so much to weep over as well as to rejoice at, that he could not calm his thoughts; but at length got up, though it was three in the morning.”

Earl Stanhope, The Life of the Right Honourable William Pitt, Vol. 4, John Murray, London, 1862, p. 334.

The more you read about Pitt, especially in the private papers of his contemporaries and intimate friends, the more you see accounts of how often somebody mentions that he either roused him from his sleep him or found him to be still asleep/in bed. When Addington told Pitt that the Kings health was steadily mending – he was asleep. When the news of Trafalgar reached him – he was asleep. There is one letter from Admiral Nelson to Emma Hamilton. In it he describes that he had wanted to meet with William Pitt but when he arrived at his accommodation, he was told that Pitt was still asleep.

The older he got, the more sleep Pitt seemed to require and during his last illness, his ability to sleep was greatly impaired. Still, at the end of the day, his sleeping habits can be summed up by this quote from his niece Lady Hester Stanhope:

(���) for he was a good sleeper

Charles Lewis Meryon, Memoirs of the Lady Hester Stanhope, As related by Herself in Conversations with her Physician, Volume 2, Second Edition, London, 1845, p.58.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

okay so i never fully remembered what my question was but!! i did remember that it had to do with philip’s social life or hobbies and so my new question is do we have any information on that? like if he had hobbies besides going to bars and not paying his bills or like who his friends were (besides price yk). i imagine there’s not much on this but anything helps!!! love you bestie <33

Philip seems to have taken notable interest in theater and literature. Both of his friends, Thomas Rathbone and Stephen Price had a considerable relation to theater. As Rathbone, one of Philip's old classmates, writes to his sister about his death;

At the theatre I was informed of it about 9 O'clock Monday evening - I immediately ran to the House near the State Prison from whence I was told they dare not remove him - Picture yourself my dear Girl my emotions which must have assailed me on my arrival at his room to which I was admitted as his old College classmate.

Source — Historical Magazine: And Notes and Queries Concerning the Antiquities, History, and Biography of America, Volume 1

Additionally, both Price and Philip were going to see the play, The West Indian by Cumberland, when they happened to encounter Eacker. [x] Stephen Price would also go on to be very influential to America's theater business, and became the founder of theater management.

Philip also enjoyed reading. At the young age of eight, he was already requesting books about geography;

I enclose for my little friend Philip a copy of the elements of Geography, which I mentioned.

Source — Tench Coxe to Alexander Hamilton, [10 July 1790]

He also seemed to have dabbled in poetry with Hamilton mentioning that Eliza would give him an Ovid, referring to the Roman poet, Publius Ovidius Naso, who is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin;

Your Mama has got an Ovid for you and is looking up your Mairs introduction.

Source — Alexander Hamilton to Philip Hamilton, [December 5, 1791]

Prior to his death he was also borrowing a book from the local library. [x] There is also the possibility of him being given his father's old books. [x]

When Philip was older, he was also part of a literature society. It was a Literature Society composed mainly of boys in their early twenties. It looks as though the members belonged to the same generational group, and were all rather acquainted with each other. A reappearing pattern being that; most of them were from New York, studied law, and graduated from Columbia in the 1790s.

About this time, Mr. Jones was a member of a literary society, (of which the late Peter A. Jay was president,) composed, among others, of Nathan Sandford, Charles Baldwin, John Ferguson, Jas. Alexander, Rudolph Bunner, Goveurneur Ogden, the first Philip Hamilton, William Bard, Wm. A. Duer, Philip Church, John Duer, and Beverley Robinson; of whom the last five are the only survivors.

Source — Memorial of the Late Honorable David S. Jones

Funny enough, there are a lot of familiar faces, and two of which would later assist Philip in his duel against George Eacker. David Samuel Jones, who was a 1796 graduate of Columbia College, would later help Philip convince his uncle John Barker Church to lend them his guns for the encounter and was one of his second's. Additionally, Philip's cousin also went there, Philip Church, who would also later be his second. Philip seems to have had a close relationship with his cousin Church, as Church was usually visiting the Hamiltons' and assisting his uncle Hamilton in Law or the Quasi-war.

Overall, Philip was quite “popular” and well-liked by many other boys his age, likely due to the importance of his surname. He was known for being very smart, gregarious, and handsome, with his charming rebellious side he appealed to plenty of adolescent men from his generation. The Evening Post considered him; “a young man of most amiable disposition and cultivated mind; much esteemed and affectionately beloved by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance.” [x]

He seemed to make friends easily, other than just the previously mentioned Price and Rathbone, but also Washington's step-grandson; George Washington Parke Custis (Also known as Wash or Washy), who he attended school with for a period of time [x], they were also childhood playmates — as the Hamilton children visited the Washingtons' often when the two families lived in Philadelphia. Wash even wrote Hamilton a condolence letter after Philip's death, and in it he said; “We were brought up as it were, together in our earlier years and that mutual friendship which then existed between us, would I have no doubt have at a future time ripened into esteem.” [x]

There was also the small portion of time when Lafayette's son, Georges Washington de Lafayette, stayed with the Hamiltons' in 1795 while they awaited for conflict to die down so he could stay with Washington. [x] (Which actually brings up a funny story about Hamilton losing Lafayette's son) Georges and Philip were only three years apart in age, so it's imaginable they may have found each other's company agreeable. The only opposition being that Georges seemed in a state of despondency during his time with the Hamiltons' - likely missing his home country and parents - he was described as losing weight and being depressed, if not absent from their home and off with his tutor. [x] And later on he never wrote about his stay with them at all. So, I can't affirm it was a pleasurable experience for him, and there isn't any considerable evidence to suggest a friendship between the boys.

Another apparent interest of Philip's was traveling, and he traveled to Providence, Rhode island, and Philadelphia on his own during his youth. In a condolence letter, Rush says Philip was a charming guest at their residence during the last trip and says he made great friends with his son, who was likely Richard Rush since there was only two years difference between the boys;

It may perhaps help to sooth your grief when I add to that united expression of Sympathy, that your Son had made himself very dear to my family during his late visit to Philadelphia, by the most engaging deportment. His visits to us were daily, and after each of them he left us with fresh impressions of the correctness of his understanding and manners, and of the goodness of his disposition. To One of my Children he has endeared himself by an Act of friendship & benevolence that did great honor to his heart, and will be rememb[e]red with gratitude by Mrs. Rush, and myself as long as we live. My Son has preserved a record of it in an elegant and friendly letter which he received from him After his return to New York.

Source — Benjamin Rush to Alexander Hamilton, [November 26, 1801]

For even more options, there is a catalog of graduates at Columbia College which show the names of Philip's classmates. [x]

Hope this helps!

[grindhousecellar]

[nordleuchten]

24 Days of La Fayette: December 15 - William Langborn

(If you do research on this fellow, especially in papers related to La Fayette, look out for different spellings, such as Longborn, Lang Born, Langbourne, Langborne, Langhorn, etc.)

Curtis Carroll Davis, The Curious Colonel Langborn: Wanderer and Enigma from the Revolutionary Period in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Oct., 1956, Vol. 64, No. 4 (Oct., 1956), pp. 402-432.

If there is one thing to know about William Langborn than that he liked to walk – I will elaborate in a moment. Let us first lay the base.

William Langborn was born in 1756 in King William County in Virginia. He was a cousin of Martha Washington. Her father John Dandridge had an older sister, Mary Dandridge. Mary married Robert Langborn and together they had several children, among them a son named William Langborn. William in his turn had a son by the name of William as well. This William is “our” William.

Langborn was an Ensign in the 6th Virginia Regiment. Said Regiment was part of the division that La Fayette took command of after the Battle of Brandywine and after recovering from the wounds he had sustained during said battle. Langborn joined the staff of the Marquis in 1780 and stayed until (early) 1782. During his service he was promoted to Captain and later to Major and Colonel.

While Langborn at first seemed to the tasked with a lot of copying and writing. In particular, he copied/ wrote almost all the letters that La Fayette exchanged with William Phillips. But La Fayette also entrusted him with a few more delicate missions.

Firstly, he was sent to Timothy Pickering. La Fayette wrote from Philadelphia on February 27, 1781:

I Would Be truly Unhappy, My dear Sir, Should I think You Can in the Least Question My Confidence in Your Exertions, and the Gratitude I Feel for the Services You Have Already Rendered to the Expedition. I Had Requested Mr. Lang Born to tell You that I was Uneasy Least the Vessels Should Not Be Early Enough at Trenton and this Was occasioned By What You Said to me last Night that Perhaps they Could not get up Untill to morrow Night. (…) My desire of Seeing You Was Relating to the Embarkation of the troops to morrow. I Have proposed By Mr. Lang Born to walt on you at your quarters or that we would Meet at the Minister’s.  But I think it Better You Should devote your time to the forwarding of every article, and if You are at Home to morrow in the Morning Will do Myself the Honor of Calling upon You.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 3, April 27, 1780–March 29, 1781, Cornell University Press, 1980, p. 349-350.

In May of 1781, La Fayette had sent Langborn to meet with Thomas Jefferson but when the Major arrived at Tuckahoe on May 11, Thomas Jefferson hat already departed. Langborn wrote a letter the next day, detail the requests and questions that La Fayette had to Jefferson.

I arrived here last evening in hopes of having the honor of seeing your Excellency. The reinforcements that you expected we should receive from Fredericksburg, and the Counties adjacent, have not arrived, nor have we reason to expect but a very small part of them shortly, from Genl. Wedons letter, which I inclose. The Marquis requests that you would please inform him of the number called in, the rifle men, the deficiency of Arms, when you think they may arrive, what number of mounted militia, all the Reinforce[ment] the General requests may be immediately ordered by your Excellency to rendezvous at Richmond. I think it necessary to forward a letter which was yesterday received from Genl. Nelson. In consequence of it the Marquis would beg leave to suggest to your Excellency the propriety and necessity there is for having immediately brought in, all horses that can possibly fall into the Enemies hands, he is informed that the Country exposed to the Enemy on the south side of appamattox abounds in the best horses of this Country. Should all those fall into their hands they will have Cavalry almost equal to our little Army. I have directed Majr. Claiborne to hold in readiness four Quarter masters who will be furnished with a small force of Cavalry, and proceed on that business as soon as they can obtain your Excellencys Warrant.

“To Thomas Jefferson from William Langborn, 12 May 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, . [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 5, 25 February 1781 – 20 May 1781, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1952, pp. 637–638.] (12/15/2022)

Jefferson replied on May 14, 1781:

I was sorry that the Situation of my family had occasioned my absence from this place when you were pleased to send Captn. Langhorne to me. I inclose you a State of the Counties who have been called on to come into the Field, some of them to perform a full Tour of Duty and others to make a present Opposition to the Junction of the two hostile Armies (…) I have the pleasure to inclose to you the four Impress Warrants desired by Captn. Langborn.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 4, April 1, 1781–December 23, 1781, Cornell University Press, 1981, p. 98-101.

The warrant mentioned in the last two letters, refers to the wish of La Fayette’s that his four Quarter Masters may be enabled to press horses into service, least they would fall into the hands of the enemy. While we are at the topic of Quarter Masters, if you have read more than one entry so far, you might have realized that there was often a shortage of Quarter Masters and that nobody really liked to do the job. La Fayette had a tendency to make his aide-de-camp work as Quarter Masters in some capacity and Langborn was no exception. The Marquis wrote to the Baron von Steuben on May 17, 1781:

In order to Arrange Matters to the General Satisfaction I Have appointed Captain Lang Borne to Act as field Quarter Master. His Honesty and His Activity Have Been known to me these Many Years.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 4, April 1, 1781–December 23, 1781, Cornell University Press, 1981, p. 106-108.

La Fayette also wrote to Nathanael Greene on the matter on May 18, 1781 and this letter also gives us insight into William Langborn’s opinion on his new position:

Every departement in this State Was in Such a Confusion that it takes great deal of My time to Arrange them. Clayburne Was not SatisfiedWith Mr. Elliot whom the Baron Had Appointed. As there Cannot Be Any Good done where there is no Harmony I Have to the Great Satisfaction of Clayburne appointed as field Quarter Master Mjor. Langburne My aid de Camp and Captain Jones for His assistant. Langburn's disinterestness is as clear to me as Could Be My own, and I Have in Concert With Clayburne fixed the plan of Conduct in that departement.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 4, April 1, 1781–December 23, 1781, Cornell University Press, 1981, p. 110-114.

Langborn was not pleased at all and in case you were asking if La Fayette ever learned to spell is aides last name – he did not.

The position as Field Quarter Master was no smooth sailing for Major Langborn. He got into an, apparently very heated argument, with the Director Quarter Master, Richard Claiborne. Claiborne had promised wagons for La Fayette’s detachment and Langborn told Claiborne that he was to blame if these wagons would not appear on time. The issue was eventually resolved.

William Langborn also experienced imprisonment during the war. La Fayette wrote to Nathanael Greene on June 12, 1781:

Give me leave to observe, My dear Sir, that upon Every principle which Makes Mr. McHenry Useful to you, He Must in My Circumstances Be Still more useful to me. I May add that Clel. Nevill and Mr. Langhorne Being prisoners, I Have No aid de Camp But McHenry and Washington, But I am willing to give up My interest to your wishes, and McHenry's Remaining Some time with me is owing to an other Circumstance.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 4, April 1, 1781–December 23, 1781, Cornell University Press, 1981, p. 318-320.

La Fayette also wrote to Washington on June 28, 1781:

Lang Born’s zeal and activity during this Campaign Have unfortunately put Him in the ennemy’s Hands while he was Reconnoitring.

“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 28 June 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of George Washington. It is not an authoritative final version.] (12/15/2022)

La Fayette was facing quite an alarming shortage of aide-de-camps at that point.

I said at the start that William Langborn liked to walk, and I will now elaborate on that statement. Here is an excerpt from the diary of John Adams from July 16, 1786:

Mr. Langbourne of Virginia, who dined with Us on Fryday at Col. Smiths, dined here Yesterday. This Gentleman who is rich, has taken the Whim of walking all over Europe, after having walked over most of America. His Observations are sensible and judicious. He walks forty five or fifty miles a day. He says he has seen nothing superiour to the Country from N. York to Boston. He is in Love with N. England, admires the Country and its Inhabitants. He kept Company with the King of Frances Retinue, in his late Journey to Cherbourg. He says the Virginians have learned much in Agriculture as well as in Humanity to their Slaves, in the late War.

“London July 16, 1786. Sunday.,” Founders Online, National Archives, [Original source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 3, Diary, 1782–1804; Autobiography, Part One to October 1776, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, p. 194.] (12/15/2022)

Adams wrote again on June 21, 1786:

Maj. Langbourne dined with Us again. He was lamenting the difference of Character between Virginia and N. England. I offered to give him a Receipt for making a New England in Virginia. He desired it and I recommended to him Town meetings, Training Days, Town Schools, and Ministers, giving him a short Explanation of each Article. The Meeting house, and Schoolhouse and Training Field are the Scaenes where New England men were formed. Col. Trumbul, who was present agreed, that these are the Ingredients.

“London July 21. Fryday.,” Founders Online, National Archives, [Original source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 3, Diary, 1782–1804; Autobiography, Part One to October 1776, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 195–196.] (12/15/2022)

Founders Online has a transcript/summary of the passport that was issued to Langborn in Paris on June 15, 1786 by Thomas Jefferson. While in France, Langborn certainly did not miss the opportunity to visit La Fayette as well. The Marquis wrote to George Washington on February 6, 1786:

Humphreys is Now in England—LangBourne is Arrived in Paris these two weecks—But the same queer fellow you know Him to Be, and you will Hardly Believe that I could not as yet prevail on Him to Come and see me.

“To George Washington from Lafayette, 6 February 1786,” Founders Online, National Archives, [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Confederation Series, vol. 3, 19 May 1785 – 31 March 1786, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 538–547.] (12/15/2022)

Langborn had come from America to France (La Fayette and Jefferson) and from there to England (Adams). He proceeded to Copenhagen in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, from Lapland to Archangel and Jukasjeroi within the Arctic Circle. His Walking Tour took him twelve years and ended in 1796. In 1786 he was in his second years. He apparently kept a diary, but this diary had never been found. There are however two short passages that Richard Rush copied in a letter to John Adams from May 2, 1818:

An old Scotch woman, in North-Shields, signing herself Ann Hewison, has sent me a manuscript Quarto of what she calls extracts from the diary of William Langborn, an American officer, kept during his travels through several parts of Europe. I copy, word for word, the following passages.

London July 18. 1786.

“Saturday—Did myself the pleasure, agreeably to yesterdays invitation, of dining with Mr Adams and his family. We had but one stranger, he remarkable for his American attachments. Our dinner was plain, neat, and good. Mrs Adams’s accomplishments and agreeableness would have apologized for any thing otherwise; after dinner took an airing in the park.”

“Thursday the 23. Dined again with Mr Adams. Mr Trumbull, a student of Mr Wests was there. The English custom although bad still exists; we set to our bottle; I not for wine, but for the conversation of the Minister, which was very interesting, honest and instructive. He informed us that the Portuguese Minister had by order of his Queen a pleasing piece of intelligence, which was, that her fleet in the Mediterranean had her orders to give the same protection to all American vessels as to her own. I must not forget Mr Adams’s requisites to make citizens like those republicans of New England; they were, that we should form ourselves into townships, encourage instruction by establishing in each public schools, and thirdly to elevate as much the common people by example and advice to a principle of virtue and religion.”

These sentiments will bear reviewing after a lapse of thirty years. If they serve to excite one agreeable recollection, I shall be amply compensated for transcribing them.

“To John Adams from Richard Rush, 2 May 1818,” Founders Online, National Archives, [This is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.] (12/15/2022)

Major William Langborn died in 1814.

I highly recommend the paper The Curious Colonel Langborn: Wanderer and Enigma from the Revolutionary Period by Curtis Carroll Davis.

[hullahbaloo]

[gatutor]

Annette Funicello-Warren Berlinger "Curva peligrosa" (Thunder alley) 1967, de Richard Rush.

[eriksangel666]

Hey sorry but um. That director. The one who you think wants to kill you. Yeah. He wants you to drive off a bridge into a lake. And he might steal your girl. Yeah sorry about that.