Eloyce & James Gist and the Hellbound Train

So in September I am presenting at the ASALH Conference and talking about Truxton Circle resident and filmmaker Eloyce Gist. The IMDb has credited her with the feature length Hell-bound Train (1930). The Library of Congress has the film on their website and if you want to download about 5 gigs of a QuickTime file, you can see it.

I’ve made notes about Hell-bound Train, I’m just going to throw them here because I know they won’t fit in the presentation:

“the hell-bound train is always on duty, and the devil is engineer.”
-No Round Trip Tickets. One Way Only. Satan Lucifer. Manager. Eng.
– Free admission to all. Just Give Your life and soul. Your Best Friend, Satan.
“Well, we’ll take a chance.” (1:30)
“How my heart does rejoice” (1:58)
“DANCING IS THE FIRST COACH” (2:07)
“Because the dance of today is indecent” (2:15)
“There’s room in hell for BOOTLEGGERS and their followers” (3:07)
“Bootleggers are the honored guests. Women must learn to drink” (3:34)
“Girls are mislead by the whispers of a man.” (4:06)
“Many a girl followed the dance until —-“ (4:18) scene of woman with baby in bed.
“Women deceive their husbands at the dance.” (4:33)
“The dance dismisses with drunkness, jealousy and evil”
“The Devil Rejoices” (5:34)
“This happens at the dance.” (5:40)
“Again the devil rejoices.” (5:54)
“POLICE! POLICE!” (6:09)
“And this makes the Devil rejoice.” (6:49)
“SECOND COACH DRUNKENESS Wife and children of a drunken man must suffer.” (7:03)
“Papa, please wake up – Mamma’s crying about something.” (7:26)
-Madame, Your Rent is due tomorrow or out you go. A.J. Gaudy, Landlord (7:33)
“Drunkards are robbed by their best friends.” (7:54)
“Women and girls are mistreated while drunk” (8:30)
“She’s drunk, please take her home” (8:59)
“Some mother’s daughter she is – “ (9:19)
“One Hour Later” (9:32)
“Thousands have been poisioned by intoxicating liquors” (9:46)
“THIRD COACH IS JAZZ MUSIC. It started to fame in Cabarette life.” Scene featuring a White passing woman gambling in a room with other Black women.
“It destroys the mind of little children.” (10:23)
“It may bring happiness to you through life” (10:31)
“But at the point of death.” (10:39)
“Mary, Emma, Come quick, stop those blues, BRING HYMN BOOK.” (10:48)
-Rock of Ages (out of focus most of the time) (11:00)
“Too late then.” (11:07)
“And now it has weaved its way into CHRISTIAN homes.” (11:27)
-[picture by artist Leo-Augustin Lhermitte] Christ Among the Lowly 1930 Home and Church (11:32)
“How my heart does rejoice – “ (11:59) Devil engineering train scene
“NEXT THIEVES, CROOKS AND GRAFTERS. Many women will steal from their friends –“ (12:07)”
“Pick Pockets” (13:07)
“This coach also carries cheating business men.” (13:38)
“The POOL ROOM is such an UNGODLY PLACE that detectives go there to round up criminals and crooks.” (14:31)
15:40 White man (Jewish?) in room with hat and glasses to be the robbery victim.
“Often its the latest joiner who gets caught.” (15:52)
“Stick ‘em up! Big Boy!” (16:09)
“Don’t move or we’ll knock your heart out –“ (16:42)
“The fate of Thieves, Bootleggers, and law-breakers.” (17:23)
17:33 White cop with rifle pacing/guarding. As striped uniformed prisoners shovel coal in snowy train yard.
“How my heart does rejoice – “ (17:42) Devil dancing in train yard
“Thou shall not steal.” (17:50)
18:01 White grocer comes out of store after young men steal apples from outside barrel
“Yes, they ran that way –“ (18:08)
“That’s them, they are always stealing” (18:20)
“I’ll put ‘em, where they can’t steal.” (18:24)
“Here’s two more to add to your crew.” (18:38)
18:43 White cop from 17:33 and the two join the striped guys
“The Devil Rejoices.” (19:08)
“Next Coach MURDERERS AND GAMBLERS A low-browed and dishonest game.” (19:20)
“Trim every guy you can – We need the money – “ (20:02)
“Good work, Bo Jack. Keep it up. Don’t let anybody win” (21:28)
21:48 – Suited white man exits building. Also 24:43;
“Working men, why be such fools?” (22:24)
“They’ve robbed me of my week’s pay – What about my wife and children?” (22:39)
“Here’s three dollars, get out of here – “ (22:47)
“I’m going to win enough to pay my bills.” (23:07) Man loses and trades in clothes for money.
“Put them old overalls on in there.” (23:41)
“Many will rob a working man and mislead his daughter” (24:27)
“Now, go home to the wife, Sam. Don’t waste your money.” (24:54)
“How can I help but be crazy about you?” (25:39)
– 25:50 White rental agent appears
“No money to-day, until my husband gets home.” (25:58)
“The collector just left – and the grocery bill is due today.” (26:16)
“Can’t help that, I ain’t got no money. Get away.”(26:25)
“Many a crooked father drives his daughter to this – “ (26:43)
“The same bootlegger who broke the father.” (26:54)
“My father came home without any money.” (27:05)
“Follow me. I’ll give you some money.” (27:14)
“And how this makes the Devil rejoice.” (27:21)
“Girls shouldn’t be impudent to mother,” (27:36)
“I’m old enough to know and I am going where I please.” (27:53)
“For as months pass, you may be brought to sorrow.” (28:35)
“Disobedient children are on the road to downfall” (29:15)
“I’ve told you all not to play in the street” (29:34)
“A few days later” (29:45)
“Boys who mistreat dumb animals” (30:06) boys later tie string & tin can to dog’s tail.
“A Coach represents IMMORALITY Women and men with no care and respect.” (30:44)
“Women don’t care what happens before children.” (31:12)
“Children practice just what they see.” (32:30)
“Old men flirting after young girls.” (33:17)
“She has taken medicine to avoid becoming a mother. SHE’D better get right with GOD, for it’s murder in COLD BLOOD” (33:31)
“Critical condition. She’ll hardly make it.” (34:10)
“Oh, Is he your husband.” (34:39) White passing woman
“Oh no, just one of my boarders. STAR BOARDERS.” (34:45)
“But yet they live as man and wife –“ (35:18) The White passing woman and Black man sit down for breakfast/lunch/coffee.
“The Devil loves a man who lets another woman get his money, while his wife suffers.” (35:32)
“I want some money, sweetie, got to get a dress – “ (36:25)
“Look out Baby, got to have something for the wife.” (36:36)
“Here, two dollars is enough for her.” (36:46)
“The wife works hard to make home comfortable.” (36:58)
“After working a whole week. – Oh what a man.” (37:12)
“Be careful wives, how you treat your husbands “ (37:36)
“Her sweetheart” (37:43)
“No wonder this guy never works – “ (38:13)
“Dinner time at both ends.” (38:31)
“This is what I call life, Baby. I’m getting sleepy.” (38:50)
“Not much work today, comes home earlier –“ (39:07)
“The wages of sin is death Rom. 6:23.” (39:31)
“I knew I’d catch you sooner or later.” (39:36)
“The last coach is reserved for BACKSLIDERS, HYPOCRITES, and USED TO BE CHURCH MEMBERS, “ (40:06)
““Oh, It’s too hot to sit up in a church on a day like this”.” (40:32)
“As Sunday speeds away – – “(40:45)
“Some people serve GOD when in trouble” (41:39)
“And as soon as they are on their feet they go back to the DEVIL” (41:54)
“And the Goodhearted Sinners who treat friends right but mistreat GOD above” (42:09)
“I don’t drink, gamble or steal, I treat everybody right, I pay my debts, even if I haven’t repented been baptized, or joined Church.” (42:23)
“I am as good as some of those in the Church.” (42:39)
“Poor Boy, you’ll regret it some day.” (42:46)
“The Devil Rejoices.”(43:24)
“COACH NO. SEVEN IS OVERCROWDED WITH LIARS.” (43:48)

“False preachers join on plots against one another.” (44:17)
“”If we get rid of him we’ll be all right.”” (44:34)
“FALSE PREACHERS will get with the officers and steal the Church’s money.” (44:44)
“Often they walk hand in hand with the Devil.” (44:53)
“While righteous Preacher strives to carry the program of JESUS CHRIST” (45:01)
“While some serve God on the Sabbath Others worship Automobiles” (45:37)
“THE GOOD TIME MIDNIGHT LIFE CROWD will be lost in HELL. “Therefore come out from among them and be ye separate. 2 COR 6:17”” (46:16)
“SABBATH BREAKERS To Church in morning, With the Devil the rest of the day.” (46:38)
“As people continue to trample the word of God.” (47:04)
“The fast sinful life of the HELL-BOUND TRAIN MOVES ON until it’s too late.” (47:31)
“Death receives message – That sin is rushing too fast -” (47:51)
Sign waving cloaked figure “ENTRANCE TO HELL WELCOME ALL” (48:23)
“Flags the train down at –”(48:19)
[SIGN] ENTRANCE TO HELL WELCOME ALL (48:25)
view of poster THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL RUNNING WITH NO HEADLIGHT It’s a Hell-bound Excursion Train… Is the man James Gist?

Next time I should do the shorts.

Memory Lane: Dunbar HS Falling Apart

Going through my photo catalog and remembering in 2007 Dunbar High School was in bad shape. This may have been wind damage.

2nd Dunbar High School building. Taken around December 2007.
2nd Dunbar High School building. Taken around December 2007.
2nd Dunbar High School building. Taken around December 2007.

 

Memory Lane: 1200 Block of 4th Street NW- 2007

I looked on Google Street View to see what the difference a decade and a half, plus a lot of development and reinvestment makes.

Taken around December 2007. 1223 4th St NW.
1221 4th St NW, Washington, DC circa 2007.
1221 4th St NW. Taken around December 2007.
1221 4th St NW. Taken around December 2007.
1200 block of 4th St NW.
1200 block of 4th St NW. Taken around December 2007.