The ROUGH RIDERS portrayed Theordore Roosevelt as an excitable, highly flamboyant, oft eccentric personality that seemed to be afflicted with adult hyperactive attention deficit disorder and a touch of Tourette's Syndrome. Was Teddy Roosevelt really like that? And did he really speak in a high-pitched voice?
shareYes, and yes. I don't think a recording of his voice exists, since he died in 1920...however, it certainly matches all the descriptions I have read of his voice and mannerisms. His political foes really thought he WAS a mad man...and maybe he was, to an extent.
I am constantly amazed at Berringer's portrayal. I think it was spot-on. As one reviewer said, he maintains the thin veneer of upperclass manners, but not enough to keep the hyper cowboy from crashing through.
His hyperactivity was practically a trademark. It was said that an ambassador was scheduled to meet him in the Oval Office. Roosevelt, instead, invited him for a walk. Unlike our "walks" these days, Roosevelt's idea was to walk in a straight line & go thru or over whatever he encountered, and at a quick pace. So off they headed. At one point they came to a river. The ambassador was relieved as he'd dressed in his finest suit & tie to meet the President and had basically been doing cardio-work in it ever since they left the White House. Yet, when they reached the river, Roosevelt strips naked, carries his clothes into the river, and proceeds to swim across via side stroke while holding his clothes above the water with a free hand, all the while insisting the ambassador do the same (which he did). Only later was the ambassador informed "You must understand the President is, in reality, about 9 years old!"
Many years later, when Roosevelt ran for President as a 3rd Party candidate, he was shot by an assailant just as he was due to go on & deliver a speech. YET! in spite of the bullet lodged in his chest, he went on anyway and spoke for ONE HOUR before figuring he really oughta go get that bullet looked at!
Not surprisingly, when he died one person commented that it was best that Death came for him while sleeping, b/c if Roosevelt had been awake he surely would've thrown down with the Grim Reaper.
They just don't make 'em like they used to...
Remember, he is the only person ever to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize, for events only seven years apart albeit the awards were conferred almost a century apart.
I guess you can call that "off-the-wall".
You want to know how off the wall he was, he hired sumo wrestlers and boxers to exercise with him right in the white house, which before his administration was actually called the Executive's Palace! He also drank a whole pot of coffee every day just to keep up his constant energy up. He was definately a product of his time and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest, that's why he's next to Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington up on Mount Rushmore.
Dr. Peter Venkman: NOBODY steps on a church in my town.
Actually, several recordings of TR's voice exist from the 1912 Presidential campaign and afterwards. He had a high voice with a polished Knickerbocker accent. Must have been quite a queer sight as a cowboy/big game hunter/military commander.
Here's a good example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFqOANZqgBU&feature=channel_page
We can't have Arab desperadoes running around kidnapping American citizens!
Yep! He was an original.
Berringer "shall forever live in (his) shadow". He was that good.
Theodore Roosevelt was born with a list of illnesses like the asthma shown in the movie. They didn't think he'd survive childhood, but his solution was to become a superb athlete and outdoorsman and basically attack everything in life in front of him.
shareYes, he was one of the true American characters.
One of the classic one volume books on him that capture all of the different sides of Roosevelt has recently been reprinted 'The Seven Worlds of Theodore Roosevelt. by Edward Wagenknecht.
I recommend it highly.
Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.
They just don't make 'em like they used to...
Damn Right!
We got a job.
What kind?
...The Forever Kind.