Dreamers and Deceivers
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• Sinclair and Moore met in Denver in 1928, though exactly what was said is unknown. We do know from Sinclair’s letter that Moore clearly admitted to his belief that Sacco was not innocent of the murders.
Chapter 7: Alan Turing: How the Father of the Computer Saved the World for Democracy
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Copeland, Jack. Turing. Oxford University Press, 2013.
Duffus, Kevin. War Zone: World War II Off the North Carolina Coast. Looking Glass Productions, 2013.
Dyson, George. Turing’s Cathedral. Vintage, 2012.
Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing: The Enigma. Centenary ed. Princeton University Press, 2012.
Hold, Jim. Code-Breaker: The Life and Death of Alan Turing. The New Yorker, 2006.
Leavitt, David. The Man Who Knew Too Much. Norton, 2006.
Whitemore, Hugh. Breaking the Code. Fireside Theatre, 1987.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “White man’s burden.” (Hodges, 23)
• “From cover to cover, it made science approachable . . .” (Hodges, 12)
• “The life of any creature—man, animal, or plant—is . . .” (Hodges, 17)
• “The body is a machine.” (Hodges, 13)
• “Look at the skin: a symbol of what lies within . . .” (Leavitt, 140)
• “When she breaks the tender peel . . .” (Leavitt, 140)
• “The life of any creature, is one long fight” (Hodges, 17)
• “The victim of the sleeping death . . .” (Leavitt, 280)
• “Dip the apple in the brew. Let the sleeping death seep through.” (Leavitt, 140)
• “The British Ambassador in Berlin handed . . .” The transcript of Neville Chamberlain’s declaration of war is at http://bbc.in/1tjkRwn.
• “I have to tell you now that no such undertaking . . .” (Chamberlain)
• “You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to me . . .” (Chamberlain)
• “You may be taking your part in the fighting services . . .” (Chamberlain)
• “Now may God bless you all . . .” (Chamberlain)
• “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, A&C Black, 2012, 90.
• “There were 17,576 possible states of rotors.” (Hodges, 167)
• “There were 150,738,274,937,250 possible ways of connecting ten pairs of letters.” (Hodges, 178)
• “Hitler’s fate was sealed.” “Arsenal of Democracy—Chicago’s Industrial Might Quickly Mobilized for WWII,” Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2013, http://trib.in/1tjldTF.
• “Communications Supplementary Activities . . .” (Hodges, 243)
• “You are about to embark upon a great crusade . . .” Messages from General Dwight D. Eisenhower prior to Normandy invasion, http://bit.ly/1tjloy7.
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The scene that takes place on April 9, 1919, is imagined. It does, however, incorporate elements of Turing’s childhood that are in the historical record, including examining the flight paths of bees.
• Details included in the scene that takes place on December 25, 1924, are imagined. It does, however, incorporate documented elements from Turing’s childhood, like Brewster’s book and Turing’s receiving a chemistry set for Christmas.
• Details included in the scene that takes place on March 15, 1935, are all imagined.
• Details of the scene that takes place on October 28, 1938, are imagined, although Turing did see, and become a huge fan of, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
• Turing’s listening to Chamberlain’s speech in the scene on September 3, 1939, is imagined, although Chamberlain’s words are from the historical record.
• In the scene on September 4, 1939, the dialogue and some details are imagined.
• The scene that takes place on October 26, 1940, is imagined, including the dialogue. It is known that Turing and Denniston did not always see eye to eye, but it is unknown if they had the substantive disagreement described in this scene. Accounts conflict, but it is possible that Denniston’s beliefs do not perfectly align with the way we’ve described them.
• The scene on January 7, 1941, is imagined, including the dialogue. Many of the dates in this chapter are educated guesses. It is possible that, by this date, Turing would have already been using cribs, and it is also possible that Denniston would have been familiar with the concept of cribs.
• In the scene from November 13, 1942, to March 23, 1943, Alan’s first day at Bell Labs is imagined, including the dialogue. Frank Cohen is not a person from the historical record.
• In the scene on February 7, 1952, the dialogue is imagined.
• The scene on June 7, 1954, describes Turing’s suicide. There were no witnesses, so details and his internal monologue are imagined, as are his final words. In his play Breaking the Code, Hugh Whitemore imagines Turing saying the same words when he eats the poisonous apple. In the biography of Turing by David Leavitt, Leavitt also quotes this couplet from Snow White on the last page of the biography, which discusses what Turing was thinking when he bit into the poisoned apple. The historical record shows that these words were among Turing’s favorite from Snow White, and he frequently recited them after seeing the movie.
• There is plenty of debate about whether the Apple logo has anything to do with Alan Turing. Apple itself has never officially denied or confirmed it, but the man who drew the original logo says he was unfamiliar with Turing at the time. See, for example, http://cnn.it/1qxJ6mm.
Chapter 8: The Spy Who Turned to a Pumpkin: Alger Hiss and the Liberal Establishment That Defended a Traitor
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Ambrose, Stephen. Nixon. Simon & Schuster, 1988.
Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Shelton, Christina. Alger Hiss: Why He Chose Treason. Threshold Editions, 2012.
Tanenhaus, Sam. Whittaker Chambers: A Biography. Modern Library, 1998.
Weinstein, Allen. Perjury: The Hiss-Chambers Case. Random House, 1997.
White, Edward G. Alger Hiss’s Looking-Glass Wars: The Covert Life of a Soviet Spy. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “These are among the most important days that any of us shall live.” (Dallas, 408)
• “For the Russian people, the question of Poland is not a question of honor . . .” “Yalta Conference,” New World Encyclopedia, July 31, 2013, 13:48, http://bit.ly/1mN4ovj.
• “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” Douglas Linder, “The Alger Hiss Trial,” University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 2003. http://bit.ly/1ltUqnK.
• “So help me God.” (Weinstein, 10)
• “I am not and never have been a member of the Communist Party.” (Ambrose, 171)
• “We’re ruined.” Lance Morrow, The Best Year of Their Lives: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon in 1948, Basic Books, 2005, 242.
• “In view of the facts Chambers has testified to . . .” (Tanenhaus, 241–42)
• “On the Potomac” (Ambrose, 181)
• “. . . I challenge you to do it, and hope you will do it damned quickly.” Robert G. Whalen, “Hiss and Chambers: Strange Story of Two Men,” New York Times, December 12, 1948.
• “You knew this man . . .” (Weinstein, 44)
• “We are caught in the tragedy of history . . .” (Weinstein, 45)
• “I have other documents. Important ones . . .” (Ambrose)
• “Here is what you’re looking for.” (Tanenhaus, 302)
&nb
sp; • “Until the day I die, I shall wonder how Whittaker Chambers got into my house to use my typewriter.” (Ambrose, 195; Weinstein, 266)
• “When you get to Lewisburg, ask for Mike M.” (White and Minor, 84)
• “None of what went on was justified. It was all hyped up for political purposes . . .” Frederick N. Rasmussen, “Alger Hiss Spoke of His Innocence in Spy Case During 1974 Hopkins Talk.” Baltimore Sun, June 11, 2011, http://bit.ly/1nxX3Qz.
• “If Mr. Ford is so handy with pardons, I’d be glad to gone one . . .” “Nixon’s Watergate Resurrects Alger Hiss’ Image,” Pittsburgh Press, October 9, 1975, http://bit.ly/1tFG5o7.
• “Alger defended himself . . . with great intelligence. He had been trained as a lawyer . . .” Sam Tanenhaus, “Hiss Case ‘Smoking Gun’?” New York Times, October 14, 1993, http://nyti.ms/1BYPDiM.
• “Hiss considered vindication a declaration by a Russian General . . .” Wes Vernon, “AIM Report: Media Won’t Give Up on Red Spy Alger Hiss—July B,” Accuracy In Media, July 2007, http://bit.ly/1qeHd0G.
Notes on sourcing for specific scenes, facts, and characters:
• Alger sold spring water from a little wagon to earn money when he was a boy. (Tanenhaus, 237)
• Hiss had been introduced to Professor Frankfurter. (Shelton, 24–25)
• Holmes soon relented and Hiss read to him every day. (White, 419–26)
• Roosevelt attended Yalta on the Crimean Sea. (Kennedy, 799)
• Hiss wasn’t concerned about the Soviet Union. (Weinstein, 313)
• Hiss had been tasked with preparing all of the background material to be used at the Yalta Conference. (Weinstein, 315)
• Richard Nixon’s appearance. (Ambrose, 119)
• Elizabeth Bentley’s testimony put Harry S. Truman on the defense. (Weinstein, 13)
• Chambers explained how Hiss became a part of Ware’s Communist Party. (White, 703)
• Hiss’s request to sit before a committee was granted. (Weinstein, 9)
• Hiss was dressed in a gray suit and dark tie. Digital image, http://bit.ly/1rxqc5I.
• Hiss’s credentials walking into the courtroom. CIA, Center for the Study of Intelligence, The Alger Hiss Case, n.p., n.d. Studies of Archives Indexes, http://1.usa.gov/OUIxrd.
• Hiss could be a future candidate for secretary of state. (White, 179)
• Hiss’s voice was assured, confident, and resolute. (Linder)
• Truman’s White House counsel already had a bill in his desk drawer to abolish the committee. (White, 926)
• Theories stated that communist advisors manipulated the sickly president. (Kennedy, 800–806)
• Nixon knew that no one cared about throwing him to the wolves. (Tanenhaus, 241–42)
• How the Commodore Hotel was stocked: “The Hotel Commodore, New York,” Architectural Review, January 1919, http://bit.ly/1qeIy7E.
• Hiss acknowledged that he knew Chambers, but only as George Crosley. (Tanenhaus, 259)
• Hiss could not hide his disdain. (Tanenhaus, 266)
• Hiss’s defense rested chiefly on the opinions of others. (Tanenhaus, 271–72)
• The photo had been staged. (Ambrose, 193)
• He showed little emotion as federal marshals placed handcuffs on him. (Weinstein, 446)
• Hiss planned to maintain his complete and total innocence. (White, 1359)
• After prison Hiss knew his wife wanted them to move away. (White, 1873)
• All materials from the scene at Princeton University, April 26, 1956, come from Edward White’s book.
• As the Wall Street Journal noted, after Verona, the only people still proclaiming Hiss’s innocence . . . (White, 3520)
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The scene involving Hiss’s arrival at Lavadia Palace is imagined.
• Hiss’s graduation scene at Harvard is imagined, based on details of his family life in a number of biographical accounts.
• Hiss’s conversation with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes is imagined, but is based on historical accounts.
• Hiss’s trip aboard the Ferdinand Magellan with FDR and the American delegation was re-created and imagined based on the historical record.
• Alger Hiss’s scene in his office responding to accusations from Whittaker Chambers was imagined based on a variety of sources. The defense of Hiss by Eleanor Roosevelt, Felix Frankfurter, Dean Acheson, and others is attested to in a number of articles. See, for example, Sam Tanenhaus, “The Hiss Case Isn’t Over Yet,” New York Times, October 31, 1992, http://nyti.ms/1wtvFN5.
• The scene with Richard Nixon and HUAC behind the scenes is imagined based on a variety of historical sources.
• The scene with Nixon and Dulles has been re-created with quotes taken from cited sources.
• Nixon’s interrogation of Hiss was imagined based on sources.
• The scenes involving Nixon, Stripling, and the confrontations with Chambers and his lawyer were imagined based on various sources. Some of the details came from Ambrose’s Nixon.
Chapter 9: The City of Tomorrow: Walt Disney’s Last and Lost Dream
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Broggie, Michael. Walt Disney’s Railroad Story. Pentrex, 1997.
Gabler, Neal. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. Knopf, 2006.
Thomas, Bob. Walt Disney: An American Original. Simon & Schuster, 1976.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or in part from the historical record.
• “It’s unique. I know, because I’ve looked everywhere for something like it . . .” (Thomas, 245)
• “Walt, if you are going to look at more zoos, I am not going with you!” (Thomas, 241)
• “I want you to work on Disneyland, and you’re going to like it!” (Gabler, 494)
• “You’re going to make it” (Thomas, 196)
• “You’re the only one who can do it. I’ll stay here with you and we’ll do it together.” (Broggie, 208)
• “Sometime in 1955 Walt Disney will present for the people of the world . . .” (Thomas, 247)
• “If we lose the detail, we lose it all.” (Gabler, 527)
• “the way it should have been.” (Gabler, 496)
• “Okay, let’s go after some land.” (Thomas, 335)
• “This is perfect. It’s going to be fine.” (Thomas, 336)
• “A showcase for American industry and research . . .” (Thomas, 349)
Notes on specific scenes, facts, and characters:
• Elias wasn’t interested in anything new or novel; this was the type of thing that set off his temper. (Thomas, 35)
• Elias Disney started to cry after hitting his son. (Gabler, 24)
• The neighbors’ judgment of his father embracing socialism was painful for Walt. (Gabler, 17)
• Roy managed to get ABC to agree with a deal in principle. (Thomas, 249)
• During the Disneyland show Walt introduced viewers to the park’s concept. (Gabler, 510)
• Walt was feuding with Orange County building inspectors over applying city ordinances and codes to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. (Thomas, 263)
• Walt knew what Hazel was hinting—we are all getting older. (Thomas, 299)
Some scenes in this chapter were imagined or expanded beyond the basic historical record, including:
• The scene involving Walt and the unlucky opening of Disneyland is invented, though many of the details are taken from various biographies. The story about heels of women sinking into the freshly laid pavement, for example, appears in a number of books.
• The scene with Walt, his brother Roy, and their father is invented, based on details in various sources, including Gabler’s Walt Disney.
• Roy Disney’s meeting with the Disney board of directors is
imagined.
• Roy’s encounter with employees exasperated with his brother is imagined, but is based on well-chronicled details about Walt Disney’s management style.
• The scene describing Roy’s clandestine arrival in Florida to survey the plans to buy land in Orlando was invented based on historical evidence.
• Walt’s viewing of the riots in Los Angeles is imagined, though it was well known that one of the primary motivations for EPCOT was his concern about the safety and quality of life of American cities for his grandchildren.
• Walt’s announcement of plans to build Disney World in Orlando can be seen here: http://bit.ly/1rqaadF.
• Walt Disney’s televised presentation on his plans for Disney World can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/1rqaglK.
• Walt’s conversation with his employees and his friend, Hazel, after his hospitalization is based on various biographies, including Gabler, 628.
• Roy’s hospital visits with his brother are partially invented. It is well chronicled that Walt talked to Roy about finishing EPCOT and sketched out the plans for it on a grid in the ceiling tile above his bed. See, for example, Gabler, 630–32.
• The scene of Roy Disney’s collapse is imagined.
Chapter 10: “Make It Great, John”: How Steve Jobs and John Lasseter Changed History at Pixar
Most of the facts used to create this story came from the following sources:
Isaacson, Walter. Steve Jobs. A&C Black, 2012.
The Pixar Story. Dir. Leslie Iwerks. Disney/Pixar, 2007. Documentary.
Price, David A. The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company. Knopf, 2008.
Most of the dialogue in this chapter was imagined, but the following quotations were taken in whole or part from the historical record.
• “That’s why they call them head hunters.” (See video of an interview with Lasseter: http://bit.ly/1uWRjYk)
• “It’s over.” (Isaacson, 206)
• “I can’t waste my time on this stuff . . .” (Price, 71)
• “All I ask of you, John, is to make it great.” (Isaacson, 247)
• “I can go to Disney and be a director, or I can stay here.” (Isaacson, 248)
• “If it wasn’t for me, Andy wouldn’t pay attention to you at all.” (Price, 131)