In Search of Anastasia (Old TV Show)

[jeremygaleaz]

BTW

Did anyone recognize the voice of the narrator from the "in search of" show?

It was Leonard Nemoy (Mr. Spock)

[helenazar]

BTW

Did anyone recognize the voice of the narrator from the "in search of" show?

It was Leonard Nemoy (Mr. Spock)

Yes, so it was! I think he was the host of all the "In Search Of..." shows, wasn't he? They used to show them in reruns a couple of years ago on some obscure cable channel, but stopped. I liked watching them!

[rskkiya]

I always imagined the poor man saying: "In search of...my career!"

lol
rskkiya

[rskkiya]

Somewhat unrelated, but it made me think of this.  I'm trying to remember (was it in the Nova special?) where AA says something about "living this dirt, dirt I was living."  To me, it seemed strange to use the word "dirt" to describe events in someone's life.  However, the other day I was reading something and there was a quote from Alexandra that made reference to the "dirt" of the way people lived.  The word was used to show disapproval of the way someone chose to live their life.  I had never heard the word used that way before, and when I saw that quote from Alexandra, it made me think of AA saying something similar.  Maybe some sort of slang from back in the day?  It seems especially strange that both woman would use that word in that fashion.

  That dirt remark was from the Nova "Anastasia Dead or Alive!"
   I am certain of that, as I remember that I thought it was the "oddest thing to say" when I heard it on the tape. I don't know if that comment was stated elsewhere. I should guess that it was AA's attempt to encapsulate all the tragedies of her life into a pithy little phrase, one that sounds vaguely cryptic!
  Alexandra's comment might have been refering to actual dirt, it's hard to tell without context. But as far as Anna's statement - it's not a Victorian English term and I doubt that it's an upperclass Russian term but it could be German...(my worst language alas!)

rskkiya

[helenazar]

   That dirt remark was from the Nova "Anastasia Dead or Alive!"
    I am certain of that, as I remember that I thought it was the "oddest thing to say" when I heard it on the tape.

Yes, this is where it's from.

... it could be German...(my worst language alas!)

Jeremy?

[jeremygaleaz]

Jeremy?

You got me here. I'm not so good with German either.

Certain words to place a person in proper culture context, but I don't think using "dirt" to describe filth is one of them.

And how a person aquired the vocabulary is subjective. An example being a maid who  may spend 8 hours a day with her mistress for 10 years or more. Would it be surprising if she learned a few "upper crust" words from them?
Or, an example I brought up in another thread regarding the Perm "AN" who used the term "Gusdorya" when describing her "father" the Tsar. Whether or not she said it, or the doctor  did in his report to the whites, is open to debate.

Still, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine a Polish country girl , trying to escape life on the farm,  viewing the dirt/soil of the earth as a bad thing...  

But I seem to recall a vague reference to "dirt" being  a continental  term used to describe a "lie". Does anyone have any information on that?

As in someone livng a lie?

[Penny_Wilson]

I speak German fairly fluently, but my experiences are mostly with "modern" speakers.  I have known maybe ten or twelve elderly Germans of a certain class through my education and research, and I don't recall that any of them used "der Schmutz"(dirt) or "schmutzig"(dirty) in any manner different to "modern" speakers of German -- or English for that matter.

I DO recall, however, visiting my great-aunt Maud (born 1892) at her house in Wellingborough, Northampton, and telling her about my pony -- I would have been about eight or nine and she would have been 84-85.  She said that she would have liked some "horse dirt" for her roses.  So there you are.  Maybe a bit of a polite euphemism -- one that I don't think took all that much of an imaginative stretch to produce, and therefore probably has been spoken by elderly ladies in all kinds of languages.

(edited to remove a superfluous "and"...)

[Mgmstl]

Perhaps the dirt she was living quote was not in reference to actual dirt, but was a veiled reference to the years of the case, the vicious rumours, the instability of her life (not mental).  After years of living this battle since 1926, which was almost 60 years, she could very well be referring to the case, in all it's various aspects and the notariety it brought to her.  Surely at that point after having the longest running court case in history, testimonies, affadavits, name calling, aspersions, threats, it ALL could have been dirt to her.

[helenazar]

Perhaps the dirt she was living quote was not in reference to actual dirt, but was a veiled reference to the years of the case, the vicious rumours, the instability of her life (not mental).  After years of living this battle since 1926, which was almost 60 years, she could very well be referring to the case, in all it's various aspects and the notariety it brought to her.  Surely at that point after having the longest running court case in history, testimonies, affadavits, name calling, aspersions, threats, it ALL could have been dirt to her.

Michael, of course it wasn't a reference to actual dirt but to her life (which part of it no one can be sure)!    

[Mgmstl]

I am sure it was the controversy over the case, which other part of her life/lives could it have been???  It ruled her existance since 1926.

[Mgmstl]

Also after watching AA again on that documentary I wonder how much dementia had set in at that point.

[helenazar]

I am sure it was the controversy over the case, which other part of her life/lives could it have been???  It ruled her existance since 1926.

I think that when she actually said those words, she already fully believed that she was Anastasia, so she  probably meant her "escape" and "persecution", etc.

[AGRBear]

For those who haven't taken a look at these clips, please do, you'll find them very informative.


Thanks, again, Malenkaya

AGRBear

[TimM]

Here is the episode on YouTube


Part One:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FESNMluGBL8


Part Two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2X1wDQREjw&feature=relmfu


Part Three:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTjb3tOvvhY&feature=relmfu