A dedicated, growing
army of admirers flocks to the group's concerts and makes Merritt an odd sort of anti-celebrity, one who is happiest not being recognized, whiling away the hours in gay bars on either coast or spending a good part of the day soaking up obscure movie classics.
In 1937, when the occupying Japanese
Army carried out mass shootings, rapes and brutal killings, the German Siemens manager and glowing
admirer of the «Führer» John Rabe saved more than 200,000 Chinese by setting up a neutral zone in the center
of Nanjing to provide refuge to civilians.