Ridley also zeroes in on the death of Karen Toshima, a twenty-seven-year-old graphic artist, in Westwood, in February, 1988. Green moved Denny away from his semi, and drove him to the Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California. We want you tell us about a conversation you had because of Rodney King, one you may never have had before - 800-989-8255; email is talk@npr.org. 2002 Reginald Denny Interview: Lasting Physical Effects of Beating. When it was all over, the chaos killed nearly 60 people and injured thousands of others. Reginald denny was pulled from his truck cab and beaten almost to death. And though he might have wanted nothing more than to live his life as he did before, history thrust him onto the world stage regardless. Plus: each Wednesday, exclusively for subscribers, the best books of the week. as a must own for fans of silent comedy. Korean Americans store owners, many who had never handled firearms before, quickly armed themselves with handguns and rifles. This The first of these, The Reckless Age (1926), Steady hands, determination saved Reginald Denny as L.A. burned Thevictim wasinside the truck, bleeding profusely. Korean American business owners took up arms and positioned theirselves on the roofs of their buildings at the height of the riots. Good Samaritan Remembers the LA Riots 20 Years Later: "I Had to Do she then goes on a spending spree that finds them living like the Actor: Rebecca. The video ofRodney Kingthe motorist whose beating by the Los Angeles Police Department, in 1991, would ultimately spark six days of violent unrestaskingCan we all get along? is still, twenty-five years later, astonishing to watch. - IMDb Mini Biography By: William McPeak (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous). It is heads-and-shoulders the funniest I'm thankful that Timothy captured the footage that he did during the LA Riots, but it's interesting to juxtapose Tim's actions to those ofsomeone like Donald Jones who placed his life in danger to save one of the men being beat in Tim's video. Getty ImagesKorean American business owners took up arms and positioned theirselves on the roofs of their buildings at the height of the riots. Rodney King cut a pathetic path through life for sure, but let us not forget the root of the word pathetic, pathos, which also has a less pejorative connotation of poignancy and tragedy. On April 29, 1992, Reginald Denny was nearly beaten to death at the intersection of Florence and Normandie. was then that Norma Jeane Mortensen was able to leave what she would later say was "the hardest work she ever had to do" to begin a Hollywood career. Ken with us from Pittsburgh. Sometime in the early 1930s, Denny was between scenes on a movie set when he met a neighborhood boy who was trying to fly a bulky gas-powered model plane. "Theres only one race and thats the human race," Murphy said. And it's frustrating to realize that it still goes on even after all of this. OKI: Yes. Skinners Dress Suit (1926) is the one film in this set CONAN: All right. stage debut at 6 years old, but his future was not yet set in that The Oversaturation of Photography: Is Social Media Killing the Photographer's Eye. I will never know what that feels like. wherein he was but a supporting player, and even then I couldnt have told you This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. But two of her videos the dragging and beating of truck driver Reginald Denny after the 1992 Rodney King verdict, and the 1994 O.J. They are a musical family -- his oldest son Keavin is an accomplished keyboardist and his only daughter Tatiana is quick to share a song. I'm sure it is less racist, but obviously, there's - like you were discussing earlier, the fact that the video age, these things are now visible to millions, hundreds of millions of people, and it's becoming commonplace. Let's see if we get a caller in on the conversation. (Reading) One of King's legacies is that he raised the curtain on the video age: If a man had not stepped outside of his home and videotaped the beating, King would have been lost to history. I think, you know, it was like, the anniversary of it, or something like that, when I saw the footage. We are ready to recognize the humanity of those who were victims of an unequal system; the films poise forces us to recognize, as well, the humanity of those who served as executioners. At a time when live news footage from a helicopter was still not commonplace, this video feed showing the disastrouseffects of violent rioters will no doubt be considered some of the best journalistic footage from Americain the early 1990s. All rights reserved. [POST-BROADCAST CORRECTION: Denny survived the brutal attack.] CONAN: And here's - this one from the News One staff. In a weird twist of fate, Tim actually filmed his own brother committing crimes right in front of him. Riots documentary aptly said: This is no longer about Rodney KingThis is about the system against us, the minorities.. order), but then I watched What Happened to Jones? You cant! But the trial judge, Joyce Karlin, instead sentencedher to five years probation, four hundred hours of community service, and a five-hundred-dollar fine. Click here to hear Murphy expound on his thousands on race. "It was like we were meant to do that. This last weekend I saw the hashtag#LA92 trending on Twitter, and my curiosity led me down a long four hour YouTube binge of all things related to the Los Angeles Riots. I only hope Mr. King's words will get through to everyone. But King never asked to be a symbol. The community didn't like the jury verdict in a trial of 2 police officers, in Los Angelos.It took nearly 48 hours to get the national gaurd on the streets, and the police refused to show up to work, fearing their own lives.They looted the liquor stores, then went downhill from there. That panic he felt - being on parole, just days away from a job interview, an opportunity to keep his life on track and out of the annals of history - that panic is an unforgettable component of our lives. "He's a really nice guy, the kind of guy you meet and you always remember because he's just so nice," said his roommate . His left eye was so badly dislocated that it almost fell into his sinus cavity. these rags-to-riches, yay for The American Dream stories sickening. Denny Says He Didn't Provoke His Assailants : Riots: Truck driver, in a glad Kinos corrected that! As far as Im concerned,nobody is better than me, Im not better than anybody else. upper crust of their neighborhood. And, you know, in school we had learned about the civil rights movement and kind of seeing, you know, pictures of dogs biting people, and fire hoses and stuff. I think that Rodney King situation really reminds me of everything that is going on in the United States. King then posed the unanswerable question, can we all get along? He is overcome. CONAN: This is from Frank, an email: I spoke with nonwhite friends after Rodney King, and I told them I understood because, as a male with a Mohawk, leather jacket and combat boots, I've been followed by security guards and pulled over by police. When he tried to help by making an adjustment on the machine, Denny succeeded only in wrecking it. His schooling continued through attendance at St. Francis African American residents saved the victims and pulled them out of harm's way. This is not a time for revenge, Karlin said in her sentencing remarks. Then, two weeks later, a 15-year-old Black teenager named Latasha Harlins was shot dead by a Korean American store clerk. Am I ever To explore the question with any kind of earnestness demands a careful and human consideration of all that led to the riots. We may not have been able to respect him in life for that, but let us respect him at last in death. fortunes for love, etc. The leader of the mob that nearly murdered Reginald Denny was Damien Williams. The murder of 15 year old LatashaHarlinsby a Korean shop keeper was anotherfactor fueling theraciallycharged political climate of Los Angeles. "All this other stuff were doing, were just wasting our valuable time. that his wife has told everyone in the neighborhood that he got a raise. An estimated 2,000 Korean American-owned businesses and stores were destroyed during the LA riots. all-out brawl between most of the parties involved. To be beaten brutally for the body you live in is nothing compared to the glaring eye of a security guard because you look like you might steal something. [The police] were neither serving us or protecting us.. California Straight Ahead : Reginald Denny : Free Download, Borrow, and And though there were undoubtedly racial divides which stretch far back across the history of America that contributed to the violence, to paint the unrest as merely a clash between cultures would be a gross oversimplification. He was initially thrust into the spotlight not as hero, but as a flawed and helpless victim, his own weaknesses and mistakes and addiction bared to the world along with the horrible crimes against him. Its joke. The Big Bluff (1933) - IMDb Because of his footage, the citizens of America were able to see a different perspective, a more real and frightening perspective, than those captured by Bob Tur and his aerial footage. If Denny was Latino, Indian, or black,they wouldnt give a damnthey would not give a damn. Bandmann Opera Company. The beating was broadcast live on television. The Reginald Denny Collection brings together three of Denny's silent comedies as a leading man. Unequipped to contain the looting crowds, they pulled back and left South Central residents on their own, including business owners in the Koreatown neighborhood. Click here for more about what happened once they arrived at the hospital. This is the approach taken by the ABC documentary Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992, which screened in a few theatres last weekend and has its television premire on Friday night. But this launched his infatuation with model aviation, and his new hobby grew into Reginald Denny Industries . The streets of South Central L.A. quickly devolved into chaos following what many saw as an unjust outcome. Already suffering from systemic discrimination that kept them in poverty, it didnt take long before the initial sparks of discord turned into complete civil unrest. Denny tried to get back into his truck and drive away, but due to being severely injured after being hit in the head with a blunt object (as seen at 0:12), he wasn't able to get far because he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Even though they were separate incidents, the racism inherent in these acts of violence weighed on the neighborhoods Black residents. Just look at the cover for Kino Classics Blu-ray release of the Reginald Black men everywhere took the view, I am Rodney King. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Reginald Oliver Denny (born 1953) is a former construction truck driver who was pulled from his truck and severely beaten during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The man in the video is Timothy Goldman. Complete your free account to request a guide. destroys himself in the process. L.A. riots: Good Samaritan remembers his scary truck-driver rescue At the 16:07 mark on Tur's helicopter footage above I noticed a random man filming everything up close and personal with a massive 90's video camera. Taken place at the intersection of 71st and Normandie, semi-truck driver Reginald Denny is beaten without reason for an insufferable amount of time. Was he exploiting the badly beaten motorist or was he simply making the most out of the situation? In addition to property damage, plenty of physical violence ensued. Full Coverage: LA Riots, 20 Years. I felt that being judged by the way you look was the same as being judge by the color of your skin. You know, it wasn't really a hard-news program, or anything like that. KEN: That's truly how I - but and we got into a spirited discussion revolving around the fact that I think, you know, I view America as incredibly racist and just caustic, and the police get off their - they have immunity and we're seeing that today in the news over and over again. Tim's story as told by ABC's Primetime show is extremely fascinating. Tim and his brother found themselves in the flashpoint of the event and began filming as much of the scene as possible. Over the course of six days, 58 people died, 2,000 people were seriously injured, and over 11,000 citizens were arrested. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. He said they were looking at each other through the truck window. She shows Smith the video of the, that truck belonged in that area? Cooper thinks it was an intimidation move for, Cooper states that nobody is basin [their] life on, then it was suddenly a crime. Minceys death is recalled by his girlfriend. Almost no one who is interviewedfrom the men who attacked Reginald Denny to the parents of slain children to the officers who killed unarmed citizenslooks back with certainty that they would . Almost no one who is interviewedfrom the men who attacked Reginald Denny to the parents of slain children to the officers who killed unarmed citizenslooks back with certainty that they would have done anything differently. I mean, this guy has some chops! He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: What Shows Have Been Renewed or Canceled? Patrick Bettan, a 30-year-old Algerian-born Frenchman who worked as a security guard at one of the shopping centers, was accidentally killed by one of the armed business owners. Nearly 60 residents of varying backgrounds were killed in the violence. Oki with us from Springfield, Massachusetts. There's nothing to be judged for the way you look or the way you dress compared to being judged for the way you were born. I watched a gas station on fire, and I thought, boy, that place looks familiar, Lee recalled during one night of the unrest. Reginald Denny was attacked during 1992 LA riots. As does Kings question. to Jones?, not to mention my enjoyment of The Reckless Age,that The 1992 L.A. uprising lasted for five days. Now that I am older and the political climate in America seems to be more on edge than it ever has been in recent years, I find myself extremely intrigued about what exactly happened on April 29th, 1992. I assumed when I first saw this cover art that Dennys films would be Then, of course, everything goes wrong! Because Denny is white, thats the bottom line. As the title indicates, Ridley begins a decade before the world heard about Rodney King, chronicling the death of James Mincey, a black motorist who was maced and choked to death in his mothers driveway after failing to comply with a routine traffic stop for a cracked windshield. In the end, the true victims of the 1992 L.A. uprising were the people. anyway. As I watched the video unfold, I began to wonder who this guy was and what happened to his footage? I give Kinos Reginald Denny Collection a strong recommendation! LitCharts Teacher Editions. Thousands of new officers were quickly hired, shoddily trained, and sent forth with a singular mission to bring the hammer down. In one April weekend that year, one thousand four hundred and fifty-three people were arrested. The first of these, The Reckless Age (1926), stars Denny as an insurance man who's been assigned to ensure that the marriage between a wealthy heiress and a destitute Lord takes place after said Lord puts an insurance policy on his wedding. set by film historian Anthony Slide. Then, hell broke loose following the acquittal of white officers who had beaten Rodney King, an African American man, within an inch of his life on camera. But my concern is that we have to change most of our institutions, you know, the workplace. The Lessons We Learned From Rodney King : NPR He was a flawed man who, when faced with a choice few humans have ever faced, said he didn't want more blood to run in the streets. Hi. CONAN: This is from AP's - another AP story. The way the content is organized, Reginald Denny is a white truck driver who was racially targeted and attacked by Black protestors during the riots. never seen any of Dennys films as a leading man. a bit of comedy if it were to be viewed in a cultural vacuum (note: there is no Tomorrow, we'll talk with Ted Koppel and David Sanger about the growing tensions between covert wars and democracy. Attack on Reginald Denny - Wikipedia He claimed that the girl was trying to steal a bottle of orange juice. than setting her straight, he tells her he got an enormous raise just to make of blackface even in scenes where there are clearly black performer on set. This one by Linda Deutsch: The LAPD is famous and notorious and other departments key off of what they do, according to Lou Cannon, who researched every aspect of the King case for his book "Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the Riots Changed Los Angeles and the LAPD.". He goes, 'What are you going to do?' By the end of the attack, Dennys skull was busted into more than 90 pieces. What happened on that cool March night over two decades ago forever changed me and the organization I love, he said in a statement. Indeed, the L.A. uprising was a symptom of the systemic discrimination against minority communities in the U.S., which has left these communities at the margins and subsequently fighting for limited resources. As a photographer, which side would you have taken: capture footage used to bring justice to those who committed horrible crimes or set down your camera to physically save the life of someone in need? Read: Woman Who Pulled Son From Baltimore Riots is Homeless After He Accidentally Causes Fire: 'I Could . Acting career [ edit ] Born Reginald Leigh Dugmore on 20 November 1891 in Richmond , Surrey , England (part of Greater London since 1965), he came from a theatrical family; his father was actor and opera singer W.H. When Murphy and his girlfriend Terri Barnett arrived at Dennys truck, Lei Yuille was already in the cab comforting Denny. ' explained Bianca Mabute-Louie, an ethnic studies adjunct at Laney College, in an interview with Yahoo News. I'm sorry for my mistaken belief. A different kind of juryone made up of black cultural leadersweighs in on the Simpson verdict and the Million Man March. Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company. I mean, in the country, there's a lot of people looking for jobs. film, along with The Reckless Age, solidified this collection in my mind Images of the burned down stores dominated the news, but Korean American businesses received little help to rebuild in the aftermath. Simpson case, and it's an important one to note. If you were old enough to remember the horrible scenes of the Los Angeles riots of 1992, the memory probably most burned into your mind is the ruthless beating of truck driver Reginald Denny. The beloved mountain lion P-22 connected humans to feline mysteries. Murphy said the four never introduced themselves, never discussed a game plan. How can we get along when Reginald Denny, a white truck driver who was hauling gravel past the corner of Florence and Normandie, was pulled from his cab and beat nearly to death by fists, boots, and a brick hurled with full force, from point-blank range, at his temple? This is Pittsburgh. Security footage showed that the altercation becoming heated, with Du grabbing Harlins, Harlins throwing blows at the fifty-one-year-old Du, and Du then throwing a stool at the child. Two days of intense rioting followed the verdict in the trial, shopkeepers defending their properties in wild gun battles as the police response failed. CONAN: All right. Instant downloads of all 1725 LitChart PDFs KEN: Hi. Attempts to make Rodney King a spokesman for black rights were thwarted by his own reluctance and his continued problems with alcohol, drugs and domestic abuse. That's at npr.org; click on TALK OF THE NATION. We Review. on the socioeconomic disparity of the modern era will have a hell of a good time Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images. When I Finally Got My Vision/Nightclothes. She went on to describe the LA Race Riots as, quote, "a rebellion, and in ways understandable." Including, apparently, the part about smashing people's brains in for being the wrong color. One of them was the shooting of Black teenager Latasha Harlins by a Korean American store owner. It was the first time many residents, like Chang Lee, had ever held a gun. etc. By the 1990s, Black residents were no longer the majority. Economic anxiety and culture clash soon bred racial resentment, particularly between Black and Korean Americans. I was 10 when the LA riots occurred. Business owners armed themselves and their relatives with rifles. And he just - he looked at it through potentially more rose hued grasses, and he was disappointed in my statement about burn this city to the ground. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. I guess this was a thing you could do back Getty ImagesOnce the uprising was in full-swing, residents calls to 911 were largely ignored. How would it be possible to get along in a city where the police operate above the law, where African-Americans suffer daily under the lash of a crooked justice system that echoes the brutality of slave catchers and overseers? Now that youve learned the tragic truth behind those roof Koreans memes, take a look at the shocking photographs of the Watts Rebellion of 1965. Less than six months later, most of the stores burned during the riots were Korean-owned. interfere with the proceedings. As I continued searching for more and more of Tim's video footage on YouTube, I eventuallyfound his own channel which contained the video I posted at the top of this article. may not be a Buster Keaton or a Charlie Chaplin, but hes a star whose films Denny The drama, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, is a study of male lonelinessa familiar theme in prestige TV that finds renewed urgency in an Asian American context. Jones gets roped into psalms illegal History will recall it was Rodney King's beating and his actions that made America deal with the excessive misconduct of law enforcement. It still hangs in the air, still taunts us. Suit, I do admit its a film that other silent film fans not so hyper-focused And King was then forced to live that tortured life publicly, which ended up amplifying his personal problems. Looters and arsonists, unfortunately, targeted many local businesses, including Korean-owned shops. Two thousand injuries will be reported, and fifty-five people, most of them African-American, will die. Steve Grayson/WireImageA Korean store owner is comforted by another resident after she discovered her business looted and burned in South Central Los Angeles during the uprising. For someone who wasn't necessarily trained in the arts of story telling and videography, Tim's footage goes to show that sometimes a story is so strong that simply capturing it can make it live forever. of events that transpire thereafter are hilariously convoluted and predictably film of the three, and an incredible showcase for Dennys talents as both Rodney King Dies In Swimming Pool At Age 47, Rodney King: 'What I Had To Do Was Make It Better', Rodney King On How He Wanted To Be Remembered, Washington Post Editorial Board, 'Rodney King, L.A. Police Beating Victim, Dies', Jesse Washington in the Associated Press: 'Rodney King's Plea Measures His Lasting Meaning', Paul Toohey in the Herald Sun: 'Rodney King's Legacy To Civil Rights In America', Reuters: '1991 L.A. Police Beating Victim Rodney King Found Dead', Paul Pringle and Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times: 'King Case Led To Major LAPD Reforms', James Braxton Pearson in The Daily Beast: 'What Rodney King's Death Symbolizes For The Black Community', David A.