I’m an amateur genealogist and my brother recently told me about a grand uncle who had immigrated from Germany and settled in the Boston area. As the story goes, the neighbors teased him about being a German national so he got a Kaiser’s battle banner from his brother, who had served under the Bismark, and flew it proudly from his 2nd story apartment balcony. My brother says he was nicknamed “The Lion In The Streets” and that there was a book by the same name which mentions my uncle. I know that there was a James Cagney movie by that name from the early 50’s and that there was a play written by a Canadian playwright by that name but I don’t think either of those is what I’m looking for. Does anyone out there know anything about what I’m talking about or can anyone offer any suggestions as to where to look for this information? I’d be grateful for any suggestions.
SgtPepr51:
The major bookseller on the web has: Lion in the Streets by Judith Thompson (Paperback - October 1, 1997)
That’s a start anyway. Try a large public library via the web.
Judith Thompson’s work is more recent. (It appears to be the play you mentioned.)
The Cagney movie was based on the novel by Adria Locke Langley, first published in 1945(?). However that is set in Louisiana, not Boston. (The title is variously reported as A Lion in the Streets and as A Lion is in the Streets.
IMDb: A Lion is in the Streets
found at the inventory of Old Scrolls Book Shop.
ADRIA LOCKE LANGLEY
American educator and author
(1899 - 1983)
Quoted (first line of the novel) at GIGA Quotes
Searches on Adria Locke Langley also turned up this amusing review. (The book made it to #1 bestseller status for a bit.)
If you’re looking for historical ties to Boston, I’ll leave this thread here. If you are interested in finding the correct book, I’ll move it to Cafe Society for you.