Mondo Lizzie Borden

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Actor Craig Boldman’s blog contains a nice collection of behind the scenes photos of a play he had a small part in in Fairfield, Ohio. The play is Lisbeth of Maplecroft [sic], and was written and directed by Pat Davis. The photos are worth looking at. I especially like their Judge Dewey and Nance O’Neil.

Performance dates were April 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2006, at the Fairfield Community Arts Center in Fairfield, Ohio.

‘Lisbeth of Maplecroft’ picks up on Lizzie Borden and her sister Emma, twelve years after Lizzie whacked her Mom and Dad.

An “intrepid reporter” sent me this hot-of-the-press newsflash info: A brand new film, titled The Curse of Lizzie Borden is due for release August 29, 2006. The 82 minute horror film is being released as a “Director’s Cut.” The Internet Movie Database has no listing of this film, so it looks like one of those movies that went straight to DVD and missed a theatre release. The distribution company is selling the DVD $14.99, but Amazon.com has it available for preorder at $10.99. Ooof! Amazon says the runtime is 121 minutes and is spelling it Lizzy Borden. Tsk tsk.

The set up has to do with a Lizzie Borden museum in Caifornia — I wonder if the Fall River Historical Society knows they have competition?

Says the website for the distributor, Razor Digital Entertainment:

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. Nestled within a quiet California town, a museum dedicated to the legend of Lizzie Borden has been opened. Cassy, a beautiful college student is drawn to the museum, taking a summer job as a tour guide. Cassy is quickly propelled into the mystery of the Folklore surrounding the legend of Lizzie Borden. It begins to consume her every waking moment. She begins dressing, acting and talking as if she were Lizzie Borden. And there are the dreams. Dreams of blood and death! One by one her friends are found murdered and her boyfriend, Andrew begins to fear the worst. Cassy may be next! Is some madman killing off all off their friends, or has the ghost of Lizzie Borden come back for a bloody rampage? Will Cassy and Andrew be able to stop the killer, or will they fall victim to the same fate that Lizzie’s parents did so many years ago? Until the final bloody axe falls, no one is safe from the CURSE OF LIZZIE BORDEN.

Twice now I have made edits to the Wikipedia listing to Lizzie Borden, and twice someone has come in and changed what was written to add their more dramatic, and misleading, take on the case. Since anyone can update this entry, you must be wary of anything Wikipedia has to offer. I don’t allow my students to use this source in research papers. I like the idea of Wikipedia, but my gosh, the horrors of letting just anybody edit history!
1. Why have Dr. Bowen in quotes? Is that not his real name? Or is the writer questioning his medical license?
2. “A turning point in the trial was the dramatic unveiling of the victims’ rotting skull”? Oh my, I must have missed that fact in my 25 years of stuying this case.
3. “The anonymous rhyme was made up by a writer as an alluring little tune to sell newspapers even though in reality her stepmother suffered 18 blows, her father 10.” Uh, how about 19 and 10?
4. “She called to the family’s maid Bridget Sullivan (who had been resting in her third floor room) to ‘come downstairs…father is dead…somebody got in and murdered him.’” Pshaw! According to Bridget’s Preliminary Hearing testimony, she said, “I asked her what was the matter. She said “come down quick”, that her father was dead.” And at the Trial, Bridget said this: “Miss Lizzie hollered, ‘Maggie, come down!’ I said, ‘What is the matter?’ She says, ‘Come down quick; father’s dead, somebody come in and killed him.’”

Makes you wonder what else is wrong on that site, doesn’t it?

A few interesting eBay sales caught my eye:

1. Church pew from Unitarian Church in Fall River, MA , congregation originated circa 1832 in previous building pastored by the late Samuel Longfellow, brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The church burnt down in 1983 and moved to it’s new location on Rock street. 12′ long sturdy pew in good condition, measures approx 3′ in height & 2′ 1/2′ deep. Bible pocket on back of pew in tact. Original finish, solid wood. Pickup only, $99 reserve.

2. Great Trials in History (1990) by Betty Lou Kratoville. Covers the Borden case. Starting bid only a buck so how can you lose? Cheap shipping too.

3. Rare 1879 Murders Horrible Crimes Disasters Scrapbook Says the ad: This is a copy of an old, handmade 1879 scrapbook, loaded with hundreds and hundreds of clippings about the darkside of life. There are all sorts of violent crimes, murders, lawlessness, outlaws and evil doers, determined suicides awful accidents and tragedies, death announcements, lynching’s, disastrous fires and just about anything bad that could happen. Some of the material is of the curious nature, and sometimes it’s unbelievable stuff. Seller is Charlie Crowel who is an expert on murders with an axe or hatchet. Really. Here’s a Lizzie tidbit for you: Charlie once told me that in all his years of studying this type of crime, he never encountered a case where there was a time delay in killing. Because killing someone with an axe or hatchet is considered a crime of passion, where the killer gets very close to the victim, the rage necessary to carry it out usually doesn’t get started again an hour and a half later. Sort of supports a two-killer theory, doesn’t it? Or a theory that the killing wasn’t one of passion, but that the murderer was used to working with this type of implement? Hmm. You learn something new every day!

4. 1992 Lizzie Borden Conference Proceedings 1st Ed NEW As of 4PM, the bid was $65. If you can get this hard to find title for less than $75 you are lucky. Original selling price was $25 I think. There are also six copies for sale over at Abebooks.com. They start at $95 and go up to $165.

5. Oops! The Lizzie Borden Evidence Bag from a previous post didn’t sell so the seller is trying again at a cheaper price. Yours for a starting bid of $9.99. Expenisve postage. Not very pretty.

6. Trial of Lizzie Borden by Pearson, Leather Bound. This one is very pretty — just look at all those pictures in the ad! Good starting bid. Nice addition to a Borden Collection. And seller offers lots of shipping choices. But don’t pay more than $20. There are a slew of them over at Abebooks.com that are in the $20-30 price range, and one seller there even offers free shipping! Ooh la la!

7. Lizzie Borden UK European Premiere 1985. For the serious collector of Theatre playbills and/or Lizzie Borden related items. This is the playbill from the UK premiere of Sharon Pollock’s great play Blood Relations, which opened on May 9, 1985. Starting bid is high and you have to pay shipping from UK, which is very pricey. At least go to the auction listing and snag that image!

8. They have been talking about this one over at the Lizzie Borden Society Forum, but I still wanted to mention it here because it is such a rare find and probably worth the auction estimate. Lizzie Borden Handwritten Letter, Signed. What I like is that it is from Lizzie after she changed her name. Too bad we don’t have the first page.

867. LIZBETH A. BORDEN (1860-1927). New England spinster tried for the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, MA, in 1893. Though acquitted, she was condemned by the press and was ostracized by the public in varying degree until her death. She has been the subject of books, films, operas and much public speculation ever since. Concluding page of ALS, 4¼”x4¾”, May 1, [n.y.] In full, “annual meeting, but shall hope to see you before long. Sincerely, Lizbeth A. Borden / Fall River, May first.” Single horizontal center fold; else a Fine example. Accompanied by LOA signed by the curator of The Fall River Historical Society. COA Mark Allen Baker. Est: $2500-3500

Presented by Signature House

9. TV GUIDE~2/8-14 1975~ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY~Lizzie Borden. Has a one page ad for Legend film. Looks like it is in good condition. You don’t often see these as a full TV Guide. Most often some numbskull has removed the ad to sell separately. Worth the opening bid I’d say. Plus it is a Bosten edition of TV Guide. That’s gotta add to the value a bit.

Buon Bidding!

On Laura James’ blog called CLEWS: The Historic True Crime Blog (linked to on the sidebar on the right) is a post about a private book sale. Appropriately, 92 items are for sale, all from the library of Ken Souza, former editor of the LBQ.

Hey fans, there is a first edition of Porter in this lot for $750. Not that bad a price for the condition of VG. Rebello is going for $125. The Proceedings, $165. Knowlton Papers, $350!

Definitely check this one out!

Here is a quote from her site:

Dunn and Powell Books is pleased to offer a short catalogue devoted to one of the most famous of all unsolved crimes: The Lizzie Borden Case. Most of the 92 items in the list are from the library of Ken Souza, former editor of THE LIZZIE BORDEN QUARTERLY. Highlights include a first edition of the rare THE FALL RIVER TRAGEDY by Edwin Porter (Lizzie Borden is reputed to have attempted to purchase and destroy all copies of this book) and a libretto of the opera “Lizzie Borden” signed by the composer Jack Beeson. Follow these links to view online or download our illustrated catalogue:

www.dpbooks.com/bordencat.pdf (pdf, best for printing - you need the free Adobe Acrobat software - see link at our website)

www.dpbooks.com/borden.htm (html, best for reading online)

Thank you and good hunting, Steve Powell and William Dunn

Kewl! I see a couple I want! Too bad my birthday has passed and Christmas is 6 months away. I guess I will have to do what I always do, treat myself.