Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'

Subject: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 07 Nov 09 - 10:22 AM

I recently saw Pete Seegers Movie - To Hear My Banjo Play - There was a short segment with Woody, Sonny Terry and Brownie playing "John Henry". Woody was playing his usual Gibson Southern Jumbo, but my eyes seemed to be seeing some tape or black paper covering the upper bout where he had "This Machine Kills Facists" printed... am I seeing Things??? Anybody know anything about this?
Thanks!

Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 07 Nov 09 - 11:06 AM

I have this on DVD. After reading your post, I just watched it again. It does look like tape, in the first of the indoors barn takes, where he's singing "I don't want your millions mister" (I think that's the title) with another guitarist. In the second indoors barn sequence, he's with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and no sign of a covering over the portion of the guitar, but no sign of "This guitar kills fascists" either! A different guitar by his choice, or was some sort of cold war censorship going on.....but he probably wouldn't have agreed to censorship, eh? So, I'm wondering now,too, about that.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 07 Nov 09 - 02:39 PM

Thanks - I Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!

Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Nov 09 - 07:38 PM

Were Fascists seen as good guys in the Cold War?

Subject: RE: Woody's Guitar in 'To Hear My Bjo Play'
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 08 Nov 09 - 11:59 AM

Sort of, McGrath: the Western Democracies and the Church were (and are) against Communism - really an economic system which included atheism - but not necessarily combined with the political system of dictatorship. They were not against dictatorship as such, never mind the lack of human rights and political murders, so quite happy with Fascists political systems of Spain and South America, which included dictatorship combined with religion. Phil Och's song 'William Worthy' notes this hypocrisy very well.