I happened to catch an old movie, "Christopher Columbus" released in 1949, on TCM. Columbus was impeccably played by the wonderful Fredric March. I missed the first part where Columbus had wheedled three ships out of Queen Isabella. When I tuned in, Columbus was already at sea heading for what he thought was a short cut to India, and of course his aim was also to spread Christianity to any heathens they encountered.

Those three moth eaten pitiable little toy ships, The Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria wallowed along in the Atlantic, with crews of superstitious sailors who were frightened of sea monsters they were sure lurked below, and fears that they were going to sail off the edge of the world.

After weeks at sea without sight of land the crew was ready to mutiny. Columbus told them if in three days if land wasn't sighted, they would turn around and go home--but he had no intentions of doing so. He was a crusty old fellow, with white hair below his collar, stubborn and ambitious. At the last minute on the third day, in October 1492, land was sighted. When landing was made Columbus waded ashore, got on his knees to offer thanks and proclaimed the place was to be named San Salvadore--The Savior.

Native Carib Indians watched from the jungle, and seeing the man with long white hair wearing a metal breastplate wade ashore, they came forward and fell at Columbus' feet--thinking perhaps the strange ships bearing these peculiar strangers were gods. They were very friendly to Columbus and his men, not knowing their end had come. They had welcomed the men who would destroy them. The crew was very interested by the bits of gold the natives wore in their ornaments.

The natives introduced the crew to hammocks and tobacco. Columbus watched a native inhaling tobacco and exhaling smoke and said to a crewman "I could never imagine a civilized man doing that." The Santa Maria broke on a reef, and Columbus limped back to Europe in the toy ships to Queen Isabella's court. Due to manipulation and backstabbing by underlings, he arrived in chains. He proclaimed he had given Spain a great new empire, but Spain was involved in a war and couldn't spare more ships.

Columbus' property was returned to him, but he aged into a bitter old man.
This is the kind of movie I like, no lip locking and sex, just history told like it is preserved in history books, though Direct TV guide gave it only 2 1/2 stars. Wrong. It was a 4 star.

susil