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CNN Saturday Morning News
Novak Zone
Aired February 14, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In 1920, women in the United States finally got the right to vote. The fight to gain the vote made for one of the most important chapters in American history.
Tomorrow night, HBO takes a special look at one of those stories in "Iron-Jawed Angels." Actress Julia Ormond, who stars in the movie, joins Robert Novak this week in The Novak Zone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to The Novak Zone.
We're at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with Julia Ormond, who is featured in a new HBO movie opening -- debuting Sunday night, "Iron-Jawed Angels."
Miss Ormond, what are iron-jawed angels?
JULIA ORMOND, ACTRESS: It's believed that they were called the iron-jawed angels because of the treatment that they were given in prison. They went on a hunger strike because they were denied their rights in prison. And so I think that was one of the reasons that they were called the iron-jawed angels, the suffragettes.
NOVAK: And they were, they were in prison because of what?
ORMOND: They were in prison because they picketed the White House in order to enable women to -- in their fight to get women the vote. And they were arrested and charged for obstructing traffic, which they denied was the appropriate reason for their arrest. And so that was one of the reasons they went on a hunger strike.
NOVAK: And you play one of these activists seeking the vote for women, Inez Milholland, and in real life, you led a procession of demonstrators in Washington, 5,000, wearing white robes, a famous event in the fight for the vote for women, wasn't it?
ORMOND: Yes. It was rather an extraordinary event that was organized by Alice Paul (ph). She rode a horse down Pennsylvania Avenue. And I think what was remarkable about it was the energy that the women put into making it a beautiful event. It was a very feminine march, and I think while we were filming it, that was a sort of very moving aspect of doing it.
NOVAK: Now, I understand that there was a struggle in the suffragette movement among some of the more of the conservative, older women, and the younger activists, such as Inez Milholland. Is that correct?
ORMOND: Yes. There was -- in the previous generation, there had been a state-by-state change of legislation, and the younger generation came in and said we should be asking for a constitutional amendment. And so that was what they were fighting for.
NOVAK: These women, I guess, in the movie, it's portrayed, they had physical abuse, as you say, they went to jail. There was a hunger strike. Do you think women today appreciate that, particularly when the women, like men, half of them in America, don't even bother to vote?
ORMOND: I think people thought it was a slam-dunk even at the time that women would get the vote. It was sort of obvious constitutionally. And I think there's a sort of slight parallel in terms of modern times, that the apathy, I think, sometimes just comes out of a presumption that, of course, things will go the right way.
And I think politically what the film shows is the struggle and the lengths and the sacrifices that were made by these women in order to ensure that women had the vote.
NOVAK: And Inez Milholland, who you depict, made the ultimate sacrifice. She was (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she'd been warned by her doctors, because she had anemia, not to demonstrate and speak, and it really cost her her life at the age of 30. Her last words were, "How long must women wait for liberty?" Why was that so precious, do you think?
ORMOND: I think this was something that was close to her heart, and I think she was so wrapped up in the issue. I don't want to be presumptuous about what she was thinking at the time, but one can only imagine that she knew that she was pushing herself. She'd had the warnings.
And I think she felt that if it was worth fighting for to that extent, it was worth dying for.
NOVAK: Today, it's hard to find even anybody in the Western world who says women shouldn't vote. Why was there so much opposition, do you think?
ORMOND: I think there was opposition from the viewpoint that women weren't up to voting. I think there was a social opinion about women and women's capabilities.
And I think also that there was -- it's less of a factor, because I think the focus of the film is more on the struggle within the women's battle, but there was also certain resistance from the liquor industry, because it was widely believed that when women got the vote, they would bring in prohibition, as indeed they did, because of domestic violence as a result of drunken men.
So even in those times, there was a certain amount of lobbying and influence that was coming from a powerful, wealthy industry on government.
NOVAK: Ms. Ormond, you have in previous movies played Catherine the Great and the second wife of Stalin, Got forbid. And now this very strong activist. Do you like to play those very strong women, really?
ORMOND: I'm clearly drawn to them. Somebody mentioned last night that, you know, women on a horse, women in sort of military uniform or some kind of uniform on a horse, is something that I seem to be drawn to.
I found it very moving. I have to say that it was an extraordinarily moving, much -- surprisingly so. I mean, I found the script moving, and it's also fun and hip. And I think young people really like it. The director's done a wonderful job at bringing a young energy to it.
But there was something extraordinarily moving about playing these women that we owe so much to.
NOVAK: And, now, the big question for Julia Ormond, who is featured in "Iron-Jawed Angels," opening on HBO on Sunday night.
Miss Ormond, what lesson do you think you learned from portraying this very unusual character?
ORMOND: Every voice counts. Every voice counts. Every vote counts.
There is no such thing as a wasted vote, and I'm not an American citizen, and I know that America went through a sort of painful time of the election, and a lot of deliberation as to which direction it should go in.
And I hope that this movie settles something in people's heart in terms of, My vote counts. I don't believe that politicians can do anything unless they have the public support. The public hold the power. The individual holds the power. And unless the individual steps up to the plate, registers, votes, maybe even then goes on and lobbies, but at least votes, the politicians can't do anything.
So if you care about anything in your society or your life, voting is a very important part of that.
MCINTYRE: Julia Ormond, thank you very much.
ORMOND: Thank you.
MCINTYRE: And thank you for being in The Novak Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 14, 2004 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: In 1920, women in the United States finally got the right to vote. The fight to gain the vote made for one of the most important chapters in American history.
Tomorrow night, HBO takes a special look at one of those stories in "Iron-Jawed Angels." Actress Julia Ormond, who stars in the movie, joins Robert Novak this week in The Novak Zone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to The Novak Zone.
We're at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with Julia Ormond, who is featured in a new HBO movie opening -- debuting Sunday night, "Iron-Jawed Angels."
Miss Ormond, what are iron-jawed angels?
JULIA ORMOND, ACTRESS: It's believed that they were called the iron-jawed angels because of the treatment that they were given in prison. They went on a hunger strike because they were denied their rights in prison. And so I think that was one of the reasons that they were called the iron-jawed angels, the suffragettes.
NOVAK: And they were, they were in prison because of what?
ORMOND: They were in prison because they picketed the White House in order to enable women to -- in their fight to get women the vote. And they were arrested and charged for obstructing traffic, which they denied was the appropriate reason for their arrest. And so that was one of the reasons they went on a hunger strike.
NOVAK: And you play one of these activists seeking the vote for women, Inez Milholland, and in real life, you led a procession of demonstrators in Washington, 5,000, wearing white robes, a famous event in the fight for the vote for women, wasn't it?
ORMOND: Yes. It was rather an extraordinary event that was organized by Alice Paul (ph). She rode a horse down Pennsylvania Avenue. And I think what was remarkable about it was the energy that the women put into making it a beautiful event. It was a very feminine march, and I think while we were filming it, that was a sort of very moving aspect of doing it.
NOVAK: Now, I understand that there was a struggle in the suffragette movement among some of the more of the conservative, older women, and the younger activists, such as Inez Milholland. Is that correct?
ORMOND: Yes. There was -- in the previous generation, there had been a state-by-state change of legislation, and the younger generation came in and said we should be asking for a constitutional amendment. And so that was what they were fighting for.
NOVAK: These women, I guess, in the movie, it's portrayed, they had physical abuse, as you say, they went to jail. There was a hunger strike. Do you think women today appreciate that, particularly when the women, like men, half of them in America, don't even bother to vote?
ORMOND: I think people thought it was a slam-dunk even at the time that women would get the vote. It was sort of obvious constitutionally. And I think there's a sort of slight parallel in terms of modern times, that the apathy, I think, sometimes just comes out of a presumption that, of course, things will go the right way.
And I think politically what the film shows is the struggle and the lengths and the sacrifices that were made by these women in order to ensure that women had the vote.
NOVAK: And Inez Milholland, who you depict, made the ultimate sacrifice. She was (UNINTELLIGIBLE), she'd been warned by her doctors, because she had anemia, not to demonstrate and speak, and it really cost her her life at the age of 30. Her last words were, "How long must women wait for liberty?" Why was that so precious, do you think?
ORMOND: I think this was something that was close to her heart, and I think she was so wrapped up in the issue. I don't want to be presumptuous about what she was thinking at the time, but one can only imagine that she knew that she was pushing herself. She'd had the warnings.
And I think she felt that if it was worth fighting for to that extent, it was worth dying for.
NOVAK: Today, it's hard to find even anybody in the Western world who says women shouldn't vote. Why was there so much opposition, do you think?
ORMOND: I think there was opposition from the viewpoint that women weren't up to voting. I think there was a social opinion about women and women's capabilities.
And I think also that there was -- it's less of a factor, because I think the focus of the film is more on the struggle within the women's battle, but there was also certain resistance from the liquor industry, because it was widely believed that when women got the vote, they would bring in prohibition, as indeed they did, because of domestic violence as a result of drunken men.
So even in those times, there was a certain amount of lobbying and influence that was coming from a powerful, wealthy industry on government.
NOVAK: Ms. Ormond, you have in previous movies played Catherine the Great and the second wife of Stalin, Got forbid. And now this very strong activist. Do you like to play those very strong women, really?
ORMOND: I'm clearly drawn to them. Somebody mentioned last night that, you know, women on a horse, women in sort of military uniform or some kind of uniform on a horse, is something that I seem to be drawn to.
I found it very moving. I have to say that it was an extraordinarily moving, much -- surprisingly so. I mean, I found the script moving, and it's also fun and hip. And I think young people really like it. The director's done a wonderful job at bringing a young energy to it.
But there was something extraordinarily moving about playing these women that we owe so much to.
NOVAK: And, now, the big question for Julia Ormond, who is featured in "Iron-Jawed Angels," opening on HBO on Sunday night.
Miss Ormond, what lesson do you think you learned from portraying this very unusual character?
ORMOND: Every voice counts. Every voice counts. Every vote counts.
There is no such thing as a wasted vote, and I'm not an American citizen, and I know that America went through a sort of painful time of the election, and a lot of deliberation as to which direction it should go in.
And I hope that this movie settles something in people's heart in terms of, My vote counts. I don't believe that politicians can do anything unless they have the public support. The public hold the power. The individual holds the power. And unless the individual steps up to the plate, registers, votes, maybe even then goes on and lobbies, but at least votes, the politicians can't do anything.
So if you care about anything in your society or your life, voting is a very important part of that.
MCINTYRE: Julia Ormond, thank you very much.
ORMOND: Thank you.
MCINTYRE: And thank you for being in The Novak Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
