1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, We're rerunning two episodes today, which means you 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: might hear two hosts. Enjoy the show. Welcome to This 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Day in History Class from how Stuff Works dot com 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: and from the desk of Stuff You Missed in History Class. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: It's the show where we explore the past, one day 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: at a time with a quick look at what happened 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: today in history. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: Tracy V. Wilson. In it September, Billy Jene King and 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: Body Riggs faced off in a tennis match that was 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: described as the Battle of the sexes on This Day 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: in nine. At this point, and you could say this 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: is still true in some areas today, women's sports were 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: not treated particularly seriously. The recent passage of Title nine. 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: It opened up new opportunities for women's sports at the 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: college level, but women athletes were really being paid a 16 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: lot less than men. Billy Jene King had been an 17 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: outspoken advocate against a huge gap between how much men 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: and women were paid in athletics, especially in tennis. She 19 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: and eight other women known as the Original Nine, went 20 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: up against the United States Law Tennis Association now the 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: United States Tennis Association, and they formed their own tournament 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: that was sponsored by Virginia Slim Cigarettes, which in today's 23 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: point of view seems like an odd sponsor for an 24 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: athletic event, but was extremely common in the nineteen seventies. 25 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: This work led to the formation of the Women's Tennis 26 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: Association and to the US Open awarding equal prize money 27 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: to male and female players. Meanwhile, there was Bobby Riggs. 28 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: Bobby Riggs had been very boisterously challenging women to play 29 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: him for a one hundred thousand dollar prize. This was 30 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: really a publicity stunt on his part, and he was 31 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: hyping it up with a lot of sexist and crude comments, 32 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: basically running his mouth about the idea of women's live 33 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: to try to get attention in airtime. He was fifty 34 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: five years old, and while he had been one of 35 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: the top tennis players in the nation at this point, 36 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: he was regarded as past his prime and he also 37 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: had a gambling problem. Everyone knew that his challenge of 38 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: a woman to beat him was a stunt. Australian player 39 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: Margaret Court took him up on this hundred thousand dollar 40 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: challenge and he defeated her six two six one on 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: May nine, seventy three, which became known as the Mother's 42 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: Day Massacre. He had already been challenging Billy Jing King 43 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: and she had been turning him down, but after Court's defeat, 44 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: she changed her mind. The event itself between Billy Jin 45 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: King and Body Riggs was a huge and widely hyped spectacle. 46 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: I can't even describe it. At the Houston Astrodom, there 47 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: were about forty thousand people there to see it in person. 48 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: The Rice University men's track team carried in Billy Jin 49 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: King on a gold litter that was adorned with giant 50 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: pink and white ostrich plumes. Meanwhile, Bobby Riggs came in 51 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: with cheerleaders that he called Bobby's Bosom Buddies. He was 52 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: also sponsored by Sugar Daddy, that's a candy company, but 53 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: he left his Sugar Daddy warm up jacket, which was 54 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: gold with the words Sugar Daddy and bright red letters 55 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: on for the start of the match when normally you 56 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: would have taken it off because he was playing tennis 57 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: and it was hot. Tens of millions of people watched 58 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: all this at home on television, and the pre show 59 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: entertainment of this televised version included the song anything you 60 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: can do, I can do better from the musical and 61 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: to get your gun. During the game, though King was 62 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: very serious about it, she ran Riggs all over the court. 63 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: She kept hitting the ball in such a way that 64 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: he would have to run as far as possible to 65 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: get to it. She was basically trying to wear him down, 66 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: betting on the fact that as an older man, he 67 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: would just not have the endurance to keep up with this, 68 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: and that worked. She won six four six three, six three, 69 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: and even though Riggs had famously been working with the 70 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: nutritionist and taking a whole lot of vitamins leading up 71 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: to all of this, he later on said he had 72 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: underestimated her. The rumors started almost immediately though, that Riggs 73 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: had lost on purpose as part of some kind of 74 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: ploy to pay off of his gambling debts, something that 75 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: literally everyone involved in this has completely denied. In a 76 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: lot of ways, though this was a social moment more 77 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: than it was a sports moment. It brought tennis to 78 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: a wider audience, and it brought more women into tennis, 79 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: and in particular, a lot of girls and young women 80 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: who saw the match that day later talked about it 81 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: as inspiring them. The outfit that Billy jin King wore 82 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: that day is now in the Smithsonian Collection. Thanks very 83 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: much to Christopher Hasciotis for his research work on today's episode, 84 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: and thanks to Tara Harrison for her audio work on 85 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: this show. You can subscribe to This Day in History 86 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: Class on Apple podcast, Google Podcast, and we're real to 87 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 1: get your podcast and you can tune in tomorrow for 88 00:04:54,320 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: a Princess and a Strange Delusion. Welcome back to This 89 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,239 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, where we reveal a new piece 90 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: of history every day. The day was September ninety the 91 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: first ever Can Film Festival began in can France. The 92 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: festival is now an important showcase for films from all 93 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: over the world and is attended by tens of thousands 94 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: of people. The Can Film Festival was supposed to debut 95 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: in September of nineteen thirty nine. By that time, the 96 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: Venice Film Festival had been held annually for several years 97 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: and was giving out awards for films. But the Venice 98 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: Film Festival had also been tainted by fascists and Nazi propaganda. 99 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: So France, with the support of the US and Britain, 100 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: decided to establish its own international film FESTI dor Bole. 101 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: The press even reported on the opening of the film 102 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: festival in nineteen thirty nine. One article Time magazine published 103 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: in July of that year noted the influence of Mussolini 104 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: on the Venice Film Festival. It said, quote two years 105 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 1: ago be Mussolini began to take a personal political interest 106 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: in the cinema business, and last year cinema industries not 107 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: betted in the Rome Berlin axis began to fill its 108 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: centrifugal force. The number one prize, the Mussolini Cup, went 109 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: jointly to not See Lenny Reffin Stalls nineteen thirty six 110 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: Olympic Games film four hours running time, and to Vittorio 111 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: Mussolini's Luciano sera Plota, an ecstatic drama of Italian wings 112 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: over Ethiopia. The article went on to say that the 113 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: Canned Film Festival would be held that year from September 114 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: three to seventeen. A casino and can agreed to host 115 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 1: the festival. Films were selected to be showcased at the festival, 116 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,720 Speaker 1: and filmmakers began traveling to the city in August, but 117 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: World War two broke out in September, bringing plans for 118 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: an international film festival and Can to a halt. Once 119 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: World War two was over, France returned to the idea 120 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: of hosting a film festival and can to bring tourists 121 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: back to the area. On September, the Canned Film Festival 122 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: opened at a casino. Twenty one countries presented films at 123 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: the inaugural festival. Though there were awards given, there was 124 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 1: no Palmladore, which is the award given for the best 125 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: film at can Today. A New York Times article noted 126 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: that no prize was given for a single best film 127 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: for quote diplomatic reasons, but an international jury prize was 128 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: given to the Battle of the Rails by Renee Climent. 129 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: Nine films were given the Grand Prix, the highest prize 130 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: at the time. Some of the films shown were The 131 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: Lost Weekend by Billy Wilder, Wet Paint by Walt Disney, 132 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: Gaslight by George Kuker, and Beauty and the Beast by 133 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: Jean Cocteau. The festival struggled for the next several years. 134 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: In nineteen forty seven, the festival faced financial difficulties and inefficiency. 135 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: The building that was supposed to host the event, the 136 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: Palais de Festival, was not finished, and the film roles 137 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: for Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious were shown in reverse order. In 138 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: nineteen and nineteen fifty the Canned Film Festival was not 139 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: held at all because of budgetary issues, but by nineteen 140 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: fifty two the Palais de Festival was the permanent home 141 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: for the festival. The festival also moved to spring so 142 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: that it was not indirect competition with the Venice Film Festival. 143 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: Since then, the cann Film Festival has attracted more tourists 144 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: impressed attention, has dealt with more challenges of festival production, 145 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: and has been the subject of a number of controversies. 146 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: It is now considered one of the most prestigious film 147 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: festivals in the world. I'm each Jeff Code and hopefully 148 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: you know a little more about history today than you 149 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: did yesterday. And if you're so inclined, you can follow 150 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: us at t D i h C Podcasts on Instagram, Facebook, 151 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: and Twitter. We'll be back with more history tomorrow. For 152 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,439 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart 153 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 154 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: favorite shows.