MovieChat Forums > Murder by Decree (1979) Discussion > Masonic-Types Turn Beet Red---Actually D...

Masonic-Types Turn Beet Red---Actually DeMolay

posted 17 years ago by Garyinnes164
11 replies | jump to latest

Hello All,

I've witnessed this film drive a couple of hardcore Masons into
near-apoplexy, when Plummer goes into the "secret/mumbo-jumbo/hand-jive" routine.
Apparently, the screen-writer did his homework well, and this bit hits mighty close-to-home. However, a renegade from the group tells me that---strictly speaking---these signals belong to the "junior auxilliary"---the DeMolay's.

A superb production, thanks to Plummer, James Mason, and---showing more acting skill than I'd thought her capable of---Genevieve Bujold. She's radiant, vulnerable, pitiful, stoic, and---Madonna-like (those of you with brains know which one I'm referring to.)

Historical Trivia: We should all be grateful to Arthur Conan Doyle for
giving us the original character of Holmes. Didya know? . . . Doyle was a
Doctor of Ophthalmology.

Gary In Arizona

"But the dog did nothing in the night-time."
"THAT was the curious incident!"

[–] poofta1970 17 years ago

The whole Freemasons covering up Bertie's bunk ups theory is total bobbins (though the "From Hell" movie is even more wonky on that score).

But Plummer is wonderful.

[–] paul1314 17 years ago

The royal illegitmate child and Masonic murder spree is hokum but was popular 30 years ago. Joseph Sickert who told the story in the 1970s claimed to be royalty and the child of the one born out of wedlock. He later admitted it to be invention - the Ripper part - but honwst Injun is royalty and frequently having teas with the queen. Right.

Despite paranoid rants about attempts on his life since childhood, he died in 2003 peacefully in his 78th year. Probably not a Masonic plot then......

[–] puirt-a-beul 17 years ago

That's interesting about Sickert, paul1314, thank you for posting it.
It's a while since I've read Knight's book, so I'd forgotten some of the details.

But I was under the impression that the Sickert involved in the whole Ripper Diaries hoax was the son of Walter Sickert, the painter (the one Patricia Cornwell has tried so hard to "prove" was the real-life Jack the Ripper). So, was he actually claiming that Walter Sickert just took him in and raised him ?

You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

[–] GhostyFox 14 years ago

According to Joseph Sickert, his mother, Alice Crook, was the baby from the alleged union of Prince Albert Victor "Eddy" and Annie Crook. Walter Sickert raised her and eventually she became his mistress. Joseph was their son and therefore the grandson of Prince Eddy in this scenario. Knight speculates that Walter Sickert's extensive knowledge of the details of the Ripper murders which he passed on to his son, was the result of his own coerced participation in the killings.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 17 years ago

Not only that, but he always wore bicycle clips while mowing the lawn.

Nothing exists more beautifully than nothing.

[–] ktstandrew 17 years ago

First of all the "DeMolay's" are not a junior auxiliary of the Freemasons but rather a youth group that was founded by a member of the Scottish Rite (which is one of a number of appendent Masonic bodies) - Frank S. Land in Kansas City back in the late 20's. There are a number of different organizations that were founded by Freemason's that are not directly connected to them such as The Knights of Pythias.

Second of all in the Fun Stuff - Trivia: if what is explained in there about the signs & duegards is what is actually shown in the movie then that is correctly applied to Freemasons but the handshake is not, as that is similar to but not a true variation of the DeMolay sign.

Your renegade informer is mixing apples and oranges when it comes to explaining things to you and unless he is a member of the Freemason’s then I would seriously question his authority in answering questions about them to you.

Member of the "World's Largest Fraternity" - The Freemason's

[–] gotham23 14 years ago

I'm a Freemason and I can't think of a single reason to even care about this movie.

[–] james_oblivion 14 years ago

You care enough to post on its message board.

[–] bradjanet 13 years ago

Touche ... there is actually a very good reason to see this movie, even though the whole masonic conspiracy theory turned out to be a crock ... Genevieve Bujold's sublime, extremely touching performance as Annie Crook.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] gotham23 13 years ago

You care enough to post on its message board.

Ah, yes...the old "made you look" message board post. Very clever.

And guess what...I was even curious enough to come back 2 years later and see if anything interesting had been discussed. Does that mean anything?

[–] Thadd (339) 2 years ago

I knew one man who joined the Masons after seeing this film.