A true story
"Heading home" by John Post. Honorable mention
The 1950s, just after the War and prior to the wild social changes of the ‘60s, nestled its innocent adolescents into a secure niche of American life. People still left their doors open, kids played in parks by themselves, and everybody knew everybody else on every block. Most small towns were just like Mayberry was to be portrayed just a few years later on TV.
Duke moved into a small home inInglewood, onHazel Street, in 1950. He was a precocious little boy of three, transplanted fromConnecticutbefore he knew what snow and humidity was. His parents had spent their entire lives on the East Coast, but now they were venturing beyond family and friends to seek the opportunity and independence of a well-publicizedCalifornialife style.Inglewoodwas not the large city it would later become with the expansion of LAX and the Lakers moving into town. It was a former goat farming area that had mostly small, single-storied residences, large parks, and trolley cars crossing through small commercial shopping centers. The climate was perfect, yet only 20 minutes from the beach, two hours from the desert, and maybe three hours from snowy mountain ranges. Crime was virtually non-existent, and schools dotted each community everywhere.
The biggest priority in little Duke’s life was the safe delivery by the moving van of his red tricycle. When it was loaded on the Mayflower Van inManchester, he cried as they shut the back doors. He could not believe his parents could be so cruel. For the next week and a half on the roads like Route 66, his redundant question every few hours was, “Daddy, when do we get toCalifornia?” Vince would reply, “See that mountain up ahead? It’s just over that next one.” And the next one. And the next. Duke wondered if he’d ever see his tricycle again.
This boy had a huge imagination. His view of a confusing, unfolding world always took on a positive tone that set his mind believing in the best things happening, but fearful of failure from things beyond his control. When the family arrived on their cross-country ride in their brand new 1950Pontiac, theCalifornianeighborhoods looked nothing like the small town inConnecticutthey just evacuated. Seeking the right home, in a good city, and on a nice block was the first order of business.
During the temporary living accommodations, the family hired a real estate agent to look for their new home. His name was Tru Hanline. A very tall, handsome man. Tru always wore suits, and had a distinguished manner beyond his years. Little Duke immediately became fascinated with this awesome Sequoia tree that walked into his small forest-of-a-world. He would walk straight up to Mr. Hanline, uncomfortably close, and stared upwards at the man towering over his frame.
With his jaw dropping, and floppy blonde hair nearly touching the lapel of Tru’s coat, Duke queried, “How tall are you?” The giant replied, “6’ 5” kid.” Without only a moment’s hesitation, out came “I am going to be as tall as you some day.” “Sure kid, look me up when you get there.”
Duke’s father was 5’11”, and his mom 5’4”. There was no height in the family, but somebody seems to remember “old Uncle Joe” being somewhat tall. Vince came from a family of eight children, and Estelle had four other siblings. Nobody topped six foot. Height was never an issue, so Duke’s obsession made little sense in the context of his environment. But every time Tru Hanline appeared at their door, the same question came, and the approach was the same. “I told you, kid, 6’5”. ”
Eventually the right house was found, the family moved in, and Mr. Hanline moved on. But he never left Duke’s consciousness. He wanted to be that tall. He wanted to be even taller.
When the moving van finally arrived with his tricycle, little Duke knew life was going to be good again. He was told that a little girl his age lived just one house away, so there were prospects of friendship along with goals of growing tall. He would stand at the corner of his yard, and with a vacant lot in between, he would stand for hours just saying, “Little girl, won’t you come out and play with me?” Nobody came. He kept calling out. His mom would try to call him in, but he persisted on his quest for someone to play with. Hour after hour, day upon day, he called out his chant.
Soon the boy was playing with Susie, and they became playmates, justifying his persistence. He continued to make friends on the block, and the vacant land next door soon became a home. A boy seven years older moved in, and Duke began another fascination with this creative neighbor. He knew he was not old enough to play with Bill, but he admired the things the-boy-next-door got into — model building, chess, car modification, and art. This guy seemed to have found the secret to youth.
With the passing of a few years, Duke went to school and made more friends. He now mixed the school-mates with his new neighborhood groups, to form bonds that would last a lifetime. He also never forgot Tru Hanline. In many ways, the boy began to grow. A girl named Joyce was taller than him in the 7th grade, but that was about his closest “challenger.” He always stood in the back of group photos, determined to stand taller than Mr. Hanline. He became the tallest in his class.
Watching movies with his parents always tended to plant thoughts in the young man’s mind. The two most profound influences on his early maturation process occurred with the films “Shane” and “Giant.” Probably not in a way anyone would have predicted. He became so infatuated with the name “Shane,” that he promised to name his first-born son that name. In “Giant” he asked his mother why somebody acted so strange in a particular scene, and she said “it was because he had too much alcohol to drink.” When Duke processed this thought, he exclaimed “if that’s what happens when you drink too much alcohol, I will never drink.”
His first job was mowing lawns onHazel Street. Then, Bill next door, hired him to assist in various entrepreneurial endeavors. Duke designed logos for Bill, did sculptures, and generally worked as an assistant on the many creative projects. This was an exhilarating adventure for a boy still in high school–a growing boy approaching 6’5”.
Bill saw the potential in young Duke, and tried to inspire him by giving him some of the books and philosophies that had motivated him. The boy welcomed such attention, and soaked up the information. Bill quickly realized that Duke was already motivated, already inspired, and was frequently exceeding expectations of his family and friends.
This background provided the seeds of a growing personality that was seeking success in many ways. It first came with jobs helping young people, coaching sports, and supervising talent. The evolution then grew not only into business ventures that established the credibility of a young man versed in the social skills of communication, but also with some of the complex contracts and partnerships needed to run businesses. The negotiation techniques needed to succeed in that environment taught lessons the best universities in the country could not teach.
Soon business opportunities blended into creative projects that could fulfill multiple goals and the foundation to support a family. Duke had spent the bulk of his 20s in some of the nicest beach cities inSouthern California. He had a penthouse apartment a few steps from the sand, and his lifestyle was free and easy. With his social base there, he then donned a business suit and spent his afternoons and evenings inHollywoodpursuing his “other” dreams.
One of those dreams was producing movies. Using a base derived from the creation of a theater group and some short films and scripts, he planned to expand his field of production into a feature film that would be budgeted for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although his resume was sufficient to secure some funding and creative backing from key people in the industry, his overall experience in the motion picture business was surely not credible enough to warrant full confidence and/or the financial support needed to fully develop the film he had in mind.
Duke pondered the dilemma for many weeks, and tried to secure the needed cast, crew, and financing that would get his ultimate project off the ground. He knew enough people to help him get to the brink of green-lighting his idea, but one last key meeting was planned for his final push to fund production. The right people had been assembled, but the final decision would rest on his presentation.
A few days before the fateful meeting was scheduled, Duke happened to notice a strange name on the mailboxes in his building inManhattan Beach. The name on the box read “Hanline.” “Hmm,” he thought. “It has been a long time since I have seen that name.” Later that evening, he knocked on the door matching the number on the mail box. A young man answered the knock.
“I noticed your name on the mailbox. My name is Duke, and I used to know a man by the name of Hanline when I was a little kid. Any relation to you?” After a few initial introductory words, the man said, “My Uncle’s name is Tru Hanline.” Duke, in astonishment, replied gesturing his hand upward, “A big guy, right?” “Oh yeah, Uncle Tru is at least 6’5”.”
The next day, Duke called the bank where Ron Hanline told Duke his uncle was the President. Duke spoke to the secretary, and related briefly the context of his request for an appointment with Tru Hanline. He asked for confidentiality regarding his name. The meeting was set.
The day before his film-pitch meeting was scheduled, Duke set up the appointment at the bank. Although his crucial presentation needed most of his attention, he knew the potential of a motivational encounter with a figure from his past could very well deliver a much-needed boost to his confidence.
He was admitted to Mr. Hanline’s office without introduction. When Duke approached the desk of the President, Tru arose from his chair to offer a handshake. When Duke pronounced his full name by way of introduction, the other man searched for recognition. “I have heard that name before.” The two tall men stood almost eye-to-eye. “You met me 30 years ago. I told you I would be as tall as you some day. The day has come.” Duke actually measured an exact 78 inches, or an inch taller than Tru Hanline. Both men smiled broadly.
“Oh my, I remember you now, and your parents.” The men shared a nostalgic conversation, and filled in the gaps that interim decades tend to open. It was a powerful, inspiring confirmation for Duke that goals and promises made so long ago could be fulfilled without regard for genetic probability. He truly believed at an extremely young age that he could be as tall as Tru Hanline, and here he surpassed anyone’s expectations and exceeded his own unrealistic goal. His first son was also named Shane, and he never took a drink of alcohol in his entire life.
The next day as he stood before a group of film-making professionals with far more experience and resources than he possessed, his confidence and demeanor swelled to optimum levels. His justification and practical arguments for financing his dream-script all resonated with the key decision-makers there. The film was made, and he was named the executive producer. It had a happy ending, and Duke stood tall as the credits rolled. B