History tidbit from VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System To prepare for the role of a paralyzed war veteran in his first movie, “The Men, released in 1950, Marlon Brando checked into the Birmingham/Van Nuys VA hospital near Los Angeles, California, for some first-hand research. During his month-long stay, for character development purposes, he “learned how to live in a wheelchair, wear heavy leg braces, rely only on his arms for movement,” and he picked up from the patients there “a tough, ironic humor drained of lament and self-pity.” The movie was released in 1950 and, although the movie was not a box office sensation, Brando’s was deemed “magnetic” in the role and it helped establish his film career. He went on to become a major Hollywood star. Brando did not serve in World War II because he was rejected by the military due to bad knees from an old football injury. He died in 2004 at the age of 80. The former Birmingham Army hospital was transferred to VA in 1946 as a general hospital for returning World War II veterans and closed June 2, 1950. Historically, VA and its predecessors have played pivotal roles in the lives of millions of American families, spanning many generations, so VA—its buildings, grounds, landscapes, and often its people--are represented in various way in the arts and American popular culture. youtube/watch?v=szH2OMcWkuQ
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:00:01 +0000
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