And the Wheel of Life Keeps Turning...
2006-08-12 by Cynthia
In the heydays of broadcast televison, before there was cable TV DVD and VHS, when there was only ABC, CBS, and NBC... An entire Nation of Americans were completely stunned watching my Father's sensitive and passionate portrail of the the plight of, and prejudice towards African Americans in 1961. His documentary "WALK IN MY SHOES" was a total eye-opener for millions and millions of people, and helped to set the stage for Dr. Martin Lurther King's famous "I have a Dream" speech, and for the Civil Rights Movement in America itself. It was the very first time that a documentary crew picked the camera up off of it's tripod and leaped right into the middle of Harlem to show the stark truth of the black condition in America as told by real people and not actors, living their own real lives hoping for the faintest hint of respect or dignity, and struggling so incredibly hard at the time simply to survive. This in my mind is his single greatest achievement, however he did the same bringing understanding and deep compassion to a variety of subjects including to the mentally handicapped in his, "The Long Childhood of Timmy" a documentary for which he was asked by President Kennedy to join him personally for a private dinner and screening at the White House. Later he made "Who Serves?" the very first documentary questioning the Draft during the Vietnam War to appear on network television. Unlike today, he made documentaries that were not affraid to empower ordinary people to really *think* and to take action in solving the real and important issues of the day. He also directed everything from episodic shows like "Bonanza", "The Waltons", and "Get Smart" to televison commercials, and features including "Gone are the Days" Purlie Victorious and even the cult classic "Santa Clause Conquors the Martians". He interviewed everyone from Indira Ghandi Prime Minister of India, to Peter Sellers, and Sophia Loren, from the Maharishi meditating in Big Sur - to the Pope himself praying in the Vatican, and he traveled eight times around the world doing it. Words can barely say how very proud I am of my Father, and how much we will all miss him since his passing away at 6:28 AM this morning... He is finally resting in peace. Nicholas Webster 1912 ~ 2006 Friends have started a website dedicated to him http://www.nicholaswebster.com/bio.html While ensuring that he has been at peace, this has been a totally stressful time around here for me, and I thank all of our customers for being so patient and understanding, (while perhaps privately wondering, what was taking so long with their orders?) For the past three-months Dad lingered-on, fading slowly while I visited him in the hospital three-times a day, driving back and forth between the hospital, the office here at Cyndustries, and to my Parent's house to take care of my aging Mother. Now 94 years old, the doctors never expected him to last so long, and because of this I apologize for recent delays as I have had my hands and my heart quite full... While work here has never stopped, (we continue shipping orders daily) we are reorganizing here at the company to get production back into ~full~ swing and tighten-up delivery times once again. I guess the timing is perfect as most people are on holiday this time of year, so please give us a little time to get it together (a week or two) so we can move onward and upward towards more great things! Dad was very proud of us all here as well, and took great pleasure in seeing our ZOs on the front cover of a magaine! I just hope that I can someday be a ~fraction~ as successful in making the world a better place, as he was. If you are by any chance moved to honor my Father, perhaps do something unexpected and extra kind for someone today, anyone. Peace on Earth, Cynthia Webster cyndustries.com http://www.parentswish.com/site03/big.html