Christine Chubbuck, a 29-year-old television presenter, arrived at Channel 40, the local Florida TV station where she worked, on July 15, 1974. Sally Quinn wrote in a Washington Post editorial the following month, “She was in unusual good spirits.”
None of Chubbuck’s coworkers (a technical director, a male co-anchor, and two camerawomen) questioned her choice to change the running order of her show, Suncoast Digest, which would now begin with a story on a local shooting instead of an interview.
The show began at 9.30 a.m., as normal, but the team quickly ran into a technical hitch when the prerecorded VT failed to roll. Chubbuck then returned to her script, saying, “In keeping with Channel 40’s goal of bringing you the newest in blood and guts and in living color,” she stated, “you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide.”
Chubbuck then took a.38 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol from her bag of puppets, which she used to perform shows at a local hospital for mentally handicapped children, and shot herself in the right ear. Thousands of people watched her commit suicide live on television.
A coworker discovered a blood-soaked news piece on her desk as she was brought to the hospital (where she was later confirmed dead). Christine Chubbuck had written a longhand description of her own demise.
The Unfortunate footage
The news made headlines all across the world within hours. It was forgotten within months, save for those morbid detectives who would obsess over discovering the tragic footage once the internet age took hold. It remained a minor footnote in history until last year, when two films about Christine Chubbuck premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Indeed, Hall’s first instinct was to hide the screenplay from herself, believing that no one would want to witness such a macabre production.
“My immediate instinct was terror,” Hall adds. “I was perplexed as to why you would make this picture. The things she did have an infinite circular irony to them. Of course, she was afflicted with a terrible, terrible mental disease, and this is the result. However, the things she did had to be seen as a primal scream against a world that was growing increasingly predatory. In front of the world, she was practically abusing her own agony. This necessitates a delicate balancing act.
“You’re truly onto something if you can make a film about sensationalism without becoming sensational.” But I’m pleased to say that I believe we succeeded.”
The second of these, simply titled Christine, has received positive reviews for actress Rebecca Hall, who portrays Chubbuck in his dying weeks. When Hall initially met with filmmaker Antonio Campos (who also directed Simon Killer) and writers Craig Shilowich, she had never heard of Chubbuck.
Hall made her cinematic debut in 1992, at the age of ten, in the miniseries The Camomile Lawn, as the daughter of opera singer Maria Ewing and theatre director Sir Peter Hall. She has since demonstrated her acting prowess in a number of dramas (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon, The Town), blockbusters (Iron Man 3, The BFG), comedies (Everything Must Go), and award-winning theater productions.
senseless suicide
Chubbuck’s image by Hall is a stunning item, serving as a counterpoint to contemptuous statements like “senseless suicide.” Christine’s depressive episode is depicted as a nuanced account of depression in which she can giddily anticipate a date with her handsome co-anchor (Michael C Hall), engage in girl-talk with a colleague, Jean, and end up in screaming matches with both her mother (J Smith-Cameron) and her station boss (the indomitable Tracy Letts).
“I feel accountable that if I feel something for a character, I should probably strive to make other people feel something,” Hall adds. “I felt a tremendous sense of obligation to the real person.”
Screenwriter Shane Black claimed last summer that Hall’s initial villain part in Iron Man 3 was cut due to “merchandising problems.” The actor isn’t immune to or unaffected by misogyny. Chubbuck, on the other hand, was subjected to a far more uniform form of misogyny. When the journalist expresses concern about the news getting more graphic, her boss’s response is shocking, but not out of the ordinary for a 1970s workplace: “What’s your problem, Ms Chubbuck?” You’re a feminist, right? You believe that the best method to get ahead is to speak louder than the other person. In a nutshell, that’s the whole movement.”
“I believe this is a crucial exercise in human understanding,” Hall says. “There’s a comparison with the movie’s character Jean, who is a woman working in a similar high-pressure situation. In the video, she tells Christine, ‘When I’m unhappy, I eat some ice cream and sing a song.’ In other words, she’s saying, ‘I have the skills to keep surviving.’ I may not like it, but I can handle it.’
“With Christine, we’re asking her to spend two hours with someone who doesn’t have those tools.” Then, ideally, you’ll have a better grasp of how bad the situation is. Nobody should have to cope with that situation in the first place.”
Essentially unknowable
But why was Chubbuck the one who did it? There are no easy answers in the film. Did Hall come up with a working hypothesis to help her get through the show?
“An important part of the film’s balancing act is that it asks you to get close to someone who is fundamentally unknowable. It accomplishes it in a courteous manner, as it gives suggestions rather than generating false certainty. You’re dealing with a professional journalist. That was something we had to respect.
“I believe I came to the conclusion that if you have a strong desire to kill yourself for whatever reason, every day is a battle to stay alive.” She wakes up every day thinking to herself, “If I just succeed at this, if I just make friends with X, I won’t kill myself.” I’ll make it through the day’s challenges. She realizes that if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to tell more juicy ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ stories. And he realizes, “If that’s what you want, I’m not going to be able to provide it to you.”
Last year, an experimental documentary on Chubbuck, Kate Plays Christine, was released. Why did these two films on a forgotten historical event come out so soon after one another? What’s more, why now?
“Her tale is incredibly indicative of so many things that we as a culture are wrestling with right now,” Hall speculates. “The idea of living your entire life in front of a camera.” The idea that it couldn’t have happened unless it was caught on video. False information. The fact that she continues to be subjected to gender prejudices. We still don’t know how to talk about or ask for help when it comes to mental health difficulties. The stigma associated with suicide.
“What she does is, in some manner, summarize everything and toss it at you, asking you to think about it.”
Christine has been released.
The Bizarre (And Magical) Duel Between Chung Ling Soo And Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo were two magicians from the early 20th century who were bitter rivals. While Ching Ling Foo was genuinely Chinese, Chung Ling Soo was actually a New Yorker named William Robinson.
How a Total Lunar Eclipse Saved Christopher Columbus in 1504
In 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica with natives who refused to give him food. But he knew the date and time of an upcoming lunar eclipse. So he told the natives that his gods were angry at their treatment of him, and would provide a clear sign. Once the eclipse started, the natives raced to give him food and begged for mercy.
June and Jennifer Gibbons The silent twin who Only Spoke to Each Other
Identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons were born on 11 April 1963 at a military hospital in Aden, Yemen where their father worked as part of the Royal Air Force.
How 18th Century Women’s Rights Movements Shaped Modern Equality
The 18th century marked a turning point in the quest for women’s rights, as passionate voices challenged centuries of gender inequality and laid the groundwork for modern feminism. From pioneers like Mary Wollstonecraft to revolutionary declarations and early advocacy, this era sparked debates on education, political participation, and social justice that continue to resonate today. Journey through the origins of women’s rights movements and discover how their bold ideas shaped the fight for equality.
Blanche Monnier: Imprisoned For 25 Years For Falling in Love
Blanche Monnier, she was a French woman noted for her beauty, she wished to marry an old lawyer that her mother disapproved of, so she locked her in a small dark room in her attic for 25 years.
The incredible story of a plane that lost its roof in mid-flight and the light signal that saved 94 lives.
On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines flight 243 was on the way to Honolulu from Hilo when a huge portion of the upper part of the fuselage blew off the airplane.
The youngest person executed, George Stinney Jr was proven innocent
In 1944, George Stinney Jr. was 14 years old when he was executed in South Carolina. It took only ten minutes to convict him — and 70 years to exonerate him.
Story of Kathrine Switzer: the first woman to run in Boston Marathon
Before women were allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer participated. A race official attempted to forcefully remove her from the race in 1967, but her boyfriend pushed him down. She was the first female finisher who had a numbered entry in the race.
The story of a man who spent 72 hours with 72 venomous snakes to prove they only bite when provoked
In the 1980s, an Indian man spent 72 hours in a glass cabin with 72 snakes, some of which were extremely venomous. His aim was to prove that snakes only attack when provoked. Remarkably, he was not bitten once in those 72 hours and even set a Guinness World Record in the process.
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his own life
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his life in order to warn an incoming train of an imminent explosion. His telegraph said “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys.” He saved 300 lives.
The true story of Annie Oakley, legendary sharpshooter
Anne Oakley was such a good shooter that she could split a playing card help edge-on, hit dimes thrown into the air, shoot cigarette from her husband's lips, and pierce a playing card thrown into the air before it hit the ground.
Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery
On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.
The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.
During the 1996 Olympic bombing, Richard Jewell falsely accused of committing the crime after saving dozens of people
Richard Jewell, an American security guard, discovered a bomb during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and assisted in the evacuation, but was later wrongfully accused and faced public scrutiny. He was cleared, but it had a lasting impact on him until his death in 2007 at the age of 44.
Franz Ferdinand’s Assassination that sparked World War I
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the eruption of World War I by early August.
George Dantzig solved two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics mistakenly as assignment
In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics class. On the board were two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics written as an example by his professor. Dantzig mistook the examples for homework assignments. He solved the “unsolved” problems and submitted the homework to his professor a few days later. His solutions earned him a doctorate.
The History Behind the “No One Dies Alone” Program
In 1986, while doing a night shift at the hospital, Sandra Clarke, a registered nurse, was asked by an elderly patient to stay. She promised to be back after checking on her other patients, but by the time she returned, the gentleman had passed away. Clarke became one of the key figures in launching No One Dies Alone, a program that allows volunteers to sit with terminal patients who have no one else.
History of Treadmill, punishment for prisoners
Treadmills were originally a punishment used to harness human power on a giant wheel used to grind grains, hence the name "treadmill." The History of Treadmill
The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!
What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.
How Cleveland's Balloonfest in 1986 Turned Into a Public Tragedy
In Cleveland, Ohio, United Way broke the world record by deflating nearly 1.5 million balloons as part of a publicity stunt to raise money. The balloon obstructed a US Coast Guard search for two boaters who were subsequently discovered to have drowned, blocked airport runways, and blocked land and waterways.
Graves holding hands over wall, A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband grave
A protestant man and a Catholic woman who weren't allowed from being buried together in a graveyard in 19th-century Holland turned their graves into a monument showing them holding hands across the wall separating them.
Remembering the miracles of the 1985 Mexico earthquake (unbelievable stories)
In 1985, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City, nearly all newborn babies survived a collapsed hospital. They are known as “Miracle Babies” for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.
The Horrific story of Ariel Castro and the Cleveland abduction
Cleveland abduction victims Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, and Amanda Berry were forced to live in Ariel Castro's house of horrors for 10 years. He raped and beat them until they escaped in 2013.
The Mouth of Truth: Ancient Rome’s Legendary "Lie Detector" That Bit Off Hands
Discover the chilling legend of the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) in Ancient Rome—a massive carved stone face believed to bite off the hand of anyone who lied while inserting their hand into its gaping mouth. Uncover the truth behind its eerie reputation and how this ancient artifact became a symbol of honesty and fear.
