History Warp (2/06-2/12): Choose Your Entertainment

You want to see discomfort? You ever been to the ballet, and sitting next to you is a smiling woman, dressed for sophistication, and thoroughly enjoying herself? But next to her is hubby, a guy in an ill-fitting suit, short sleeved dress shirt and pre-knotted tie, looking like — and knowing in his heart — he’d rather be at home in his Barcolounger, brewski in hand, watching “Storage Wars.”

The miserable fellow who hates watching women in tutus and guys with codpieces dance is looking for somebody, other than his significant other, to blame.

Here’s the culprit: Madame Francesque Hutin.

She was a French classical dancer of note, who, on February 7, 1827, introduced ballet to the United States. The premier took place at the Bowery Theater in NYC.

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It’s not often that I herald the anniversary of the opening of a film. Few have such importance. But . . . D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” is one that does. The Civil War epic was like nothing ever shown before on the silver screen.

Twelve reels. 18,000 extras. 3,000 horses.

And a shooting schedule so arduous that eighteen people died during the film’s creation.

It is a film of many “firsts,” including the fact that it’s the first one ever screened at the White House.

“Birth of a Nation” premiered on February 8, 1915.