American Experience The Massie Affair (1988– ) watch online HD

The year 1931 saw a controversial gang-rape trial in the United States, but the Scottsboro case was not the only such trial; on the island of Hawaii - which to this day is regarded by many people as a paradise in the Sun - a group of natives were accused of the rape of the wife of an American naval officer. Unlike the two alleged victims in the former, Thalia Massie was not a prostitute, neophyte or otherwise, but she was most definitely a head case, and by most accounts not the most likable of women, even by her husband!

This documentary tells the story of her false rape allegation and of the murder trial that followed which resulted from her mother's attempt to impose Southern justice on the alleged violators. If this documentary has one serious fault it is viewing this sad affair from a racial perspective. However, it is clear that in spite of the guilty verdicts, justice was not done, even though the prosecuting authorities - if not the police - did everything by the book.

It includes archive footage and commentary from the usual talking heads, one of them an accredited historian.

I have never heard of the Massie Affair and my bet is that you haven't either. It's a VERY sad part of American history--a part that is thankfully long past. Here is a brief summary: Thalia Massie was a headstrong and erratic wife of a US Navy officer stationed in Hawaii. She was well-known for her outbursts and unpredictable behaviors. One night she disappeared and when she returned the next day, she claimed that she'd been raped by a group of Hawaiian men. The problem was that her story was quite vague and often changed through the course of the investigation. A group of men were apprehended by the police and instead of a normal lineup, the police essentially told Massie that these were the men who raped her. However, the men had alibis and the case was pushed into court mostly because the Navy wanted something done and fast. The men, however, were found not guilty and you'd think that would be the end of it--justice was served. However, Thalia's society mother and her husband decided that they would take the law into their own hands. I'd say more--but don't want to ruin the rest of the story. Suffice to say, a great evil was done and the folks responsible got away with it--a horrible sign of the times and the prejudices that were acceptable back in the 'good old days'.

This is a very interesting and worthy installment of "The American Experience"--one of the best programs you'll find on television. Exquisitely made throughout, you should be forewarned--it is VERY depressing and a bit hard to watch. And, like me, you might find yourself getting very mad as you see what took place back in 1932.

By the way, it might surprise you but Public Television DVDs are rarely captioned. Deaf and hard of hearing folks will no doubt be happy that this particular episode of "The American Experience" is actually fully captioned--the first of perhaps 40 I have seen.

High Society dame brings violence & troubles to Paradise - One of the chapters in the PBS series "American Experience", the Massie Affair is a documentary told by various Hawaiian historians. It describes the events of 1931 that led up to the murder of a man accused of rape, and what happens (and does not happen) to the two groups accused of violent crimes. Another part of this story is the history of the Hawaiian islands, and the racial tension that had been present since the "haoles" had arrived, along with the early explorers and later, the U.S. soldiers. It is all told matter-of-factly, by the historians and by the relatives of the people who played a part in the actual events. Sometimes shown on PBS television, it is also available on DVD. A fascinating, frustrating story, which proves that fact is stranger than fiction. Written and directed by Mark Zwonitzer, who has done several documentaries for PBS.

For more information on Clarence Darrow, the renowned attorney who defended the cold-hearted, remorse-less killer, check out wikipedia.org. He had been a part of several history-making, high profile cases.