IT WAS AN ERA of tommy guns I and bathtub gin, speakeasies and scantily
clad flappers, political corruption and powerful mobsters.
It was the Roaring Twenties.
But it wasn't supposed to be that way, as "Prohibition: Thirteen Years
That Changed America" vividly illustrates. The threehour documentary which
looks at the effects of the 18th Amendment that turned the country dry,
premieres Sunday on cable's A&E.
On Jan.16, 1920, the amendment became law; forbidding Americans to make or
sell alcoholic beverages. Those who supported it envisioned a sober society
that would become much more productive without the influence of demon rum.
It didn't quite work that way. The new law made criminals out of ordinary
citizens and paved the way for mobsters to gain a stranglehold on local,
state and even federal government.
Narrated by Ed Asner; "Prohibition" offers some surprising stories for
those who have only a casual knowledge of the period. It should also be a
sobering viewing experience for the folks who believe outlawing smoking and
other perceived "evils" will make today's America a better and safer place.
Part One traces the beginning of the temperance movement to the heartland
of America and the state of Kansas. And if you think women had little or no
power before they acquired the right to vote, this special will change your
mind. It was a number of women's groups that led the lobby against alcohol.
Carrie Nation, an imposing figure especially with ax in hand
gained national fame by leading women into saloons, where they proceeded
to smash liquor bottles and tear the joints apart.
Her arrests served only to focus more attention on the movement to ban
drink, and as more women joined the crusade, they became more and more
effective, and the Anti Saloon League organization became one of the first
to show what could be done by relentlessly lobbying Washington.
By the late 19lOs, the movement had become so effective there was little
resistance. More than 80 percent of Congress voted the nation "dry" and 90
percent of the states ratified the amendment.
Part Two, "The Roaring Twenties," shows the effects of Prohibition.
Thousands of illegal speakeasies sprang up to cater to the thirst of
Americans while, more often than not, lawenforcement officers looked ihe
other way
One of the first "heroes" of the era was Bill McCoy, who became an
adventurous rumrunner, smuggling spirits by sea into the United States. His
highquality brands coined the phrase "the real McCoy."
In Nebraska, Richard "Two Gun" Hart became famous as a lawman who
successfully hunted and captured moonshiners.
What those who admired him and even his family didn't know was that Two Gun
was actually Vincenzio Capone, the brother of Al Capone, who at the same
time was ruling Chicago with his mob.
Part Three, "The Road to Repeal," shows a growing realization that
Prohibition hadn't accomplished what its zealous backers thought it would
do. Even many of those who originally favored Amendment 18 began to urge
its repeal.
Still, Prohibition might have lasted longer had it not been for the stock
market crash in 1929. With the country reeling, someone figured out that
the government had lost $40 billion in taxes on the sale of illegal liquor.
After being elected president in 1932, FDR promised that one of his first
acts would be to make sure that Amendment 18 would fall. [Thereby the
Kennedy Fortune was born. Aside provided by G.Sutliff.]
In 1933, the "great experiment" came to an end and bands everywhere
struck up "Happy Days Are Here Again."