What does the Dalai Lama have to do with panic over “marihuana,” a backwoodsman political hero, wartime San Francisco noir, Ronald Reagan, an Egyptian mummy, President Taft’s bathtub, and a giant reptile in Japan? Quite a lot, actually.
Years ago, I heard about a reference to the Dalai Lama in fake newspapers from old Hollywood movies: “Reefer Madness” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Sadly, I can’t remember who told me, and my emails don’t have any clues.
The newspaper headline reads, “New ‘Living Buddha’ Reported Discovered,” alluding to the discovery of the Dalai Lama’s new incarnation in Tibet in 1936. Initially, I was skeptical because I thought prop newspapers in old movies were entirely fictional. As it turns out, some stories in these props were real, including this one about the Dalai Lama.
In “Reefer Madness,” if you look closely, you can see the headline in a blurry, low-resolution TV scan. The primary story is “Harper Verdict Expected Tonight,” related to the movie’s plot. Below that, there’s “Dick Tracy, G-Man, In Sensational Raid” and faintly, “New ‘Living Buddha’ Reported Discovered.”
The headline is much clearer in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” starring a young Jimmy Stewart. In a pivotal scene, Governor Hubert Hopper flips a coin to decide on replacing a deceased senator, and it lands near this newspaper.
The Dalai Lama shows up in several other films too. For instance, in “This Gun For Hire,” the “New ‘Living Buddha’ Reported Discovered” appears below the main story, “Chemist and Woman Murdered.” Additionally, it’s in “Gigantis, The Fire Monster,” and an episode of “Backstairs at the Whitehouse,” a 1979 TV miniseries. It also appeared in “Girls On Probation” (1938) starring Ronald Reagan, and “The Mummy’s Tomb” (1942).
It’s likely these newspapers were created by The Earl Hays Press, a long-time supplier of props to Hollywood. Surprisingly, the “Living Buddha” storyline is based on a real event. On May 27, 1936, an Associated Press story titled “New ‘Living Buddha’ Reported Discovered” was published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Atlanta Journal, among others.
Here’s the gist of the story: After a two-year search, a new Dalai Lama, or “Living Buddha,” was found in Tibet’s Han Jen district. Tibetan priests believed him to be the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, who died December 17, 1933. The Dalai Lama is Tibet’s spiritual and temporal ruler, and Tibetans believe this figure is immortal, with attributes passed to a child born around the time of his death.
Monks and diviners had been searching for the reincarnated Lama since the previous one’s death. They found favorable omens this Tibetan New Year and sent high priests and monks to contemplate images on the Chugkhorgyae Lake. They saw visions of a house with the mysterious words “a ka ma,” possibly related to the parents of the future Dalai Lama. The populace was then instructed to find the house and child.
The Panchen Lama, who was exiled in China, couldn’t return to act as a tutor to the new Dalai Lama due to lack of an invitation. Since the previous Dalai Lama’s mysterious death, state affairs had been managed by the regent Jechen Hutukehtu.
Other stories from the prop newspaper, like “36 Mexican Rebels Killed by Soldiers” and “Fire Destroys State Arsenal,” were also based on real events. So, we’ve seen the Dalai Lama pop up in various films, from “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” to “Gigantis” and “Reefer Madness.” If you spot any more, let me know!
Interestingly, the “Living Buddha” story also appears in the TV miniseries “Backstairs at the Whitehouse,” just below a picture of President Taft’s large custom bathtub. I was so intrigued that I searched online to find its source. Thank you for providing the answer!
Thank you for the reference. I’ll add it to the article.