question
stringlengths 18
1.2k
| facts
stringlengths 44
500k
| answer
stringlengths 1
147
|
|---|---|---|
Which Thomas was executed alongside Guy Fawkes in November 1605? | Torture, trial and execution - UK Parliament
Torture, trial and execution
Commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot
Torture, trial and execution
The conspirators were interrogated for three months in the Tower of London. Evidence suggests that Fawkes, who had given his name as John Johnson, was tortured.
The King sent an order to the Tower of London on 6 November 1605 authorising the use of torture on Fawkes, who had initially refused to divulge the names of his co-conspirators. The order is held by The National Archives.
‘If he will not other wayes confesse, the gentler tortours are to be the first usid unto him…God speed youre goode worke. James.’
Although it is not known whether any of the other main conspirators were tortured, it was authorised against some of the more minor figures involved.
Fawkes' signature appears on a confession of 8 November. This confession did not name all his accomplices. The effect of torture upon Fawkes is evident from a more detailed confession on 9 November where his signature is barely legible.
Francis Tresham died of natural causes in the Tower of London on 23 December 1605. The eight surviving conspirators were tried in Westminster Hall on 27 January 1606. All were condemned to death for treason.
Four men - Sir Everard Digby, Robert Winter, John Grant and Thomas Bates - were executed on 30 January 1606 in St Paul's Churchyard.
The other four - Guy Fawkes, Thomas Winter, Ambrose Rookwood and Robert Keyes - were executed just outside Westminster Hall, in Old Palace Yard, the following day.
The heads of the two ringleaders, Percy and Catesby, who had been killed earlier at Holbeach House in Staffordshire, were set up on the 'Parliament House'.
| Winter |
In which book would one find the trog like human species named Morlocks? | Gunpowder Plot - Guy Fawkes Day | World History Project
Nov 5 1605
Gunpowder Plot - Guy Fawkes Day
The Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, as it was then known, (also known as The Powder Treason or The Gunpowder Plot) was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics against King James I of England and VI of Scotland.
The plot intended to kill the King and most of the Protestant aristocracy by blowing up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening on 5 November 1605.
The conspirators also planned to abduct the royal children, and lead a popular revolt in the Midlands.
ORIGINS
The plot was overseen from May 1604 by Robert Catesby, with the conspirators coming from either wealthy Catholic or highly influential gentry families. Catesby may have decided on the plot when hopes of greater tolerance of Roman Catholicism under King James I faded, leaving many Catholics disappointed. However, it is likely that Catesby simply sought a future for Catholicism in England enabled by his drastic scheme: the plot was intended as the first step in a rebellion, during which James' nine-year-old daughter (Princess Elizabeth) could be installed as a Catholic head of state.
Other plotters included Thomas Winter (also spelled Wintour), Robert Winter, John Wright, Christopher Wright, Robert Keyes, Thomas Percy (also spelled Percye), John Grant, Ambrose Rokewood, Sir Everard Digby, Francis Tresham and Thomas Bates (Catesby's servant). The explosives were prepared by Guy "Guido" Fawkes, a man with 10 years' military experience gained by fighting with the Spanish against the Dutch in the Spanish Netherlands.
The details of the plot were reputedly well-known to the principal Jesuit of England, Father Henry Garnet, as he had learned of the plot from Oswald Tesimond, a fellow Jesuit who, with the permission of his penitent Robert Catesby, had discussed the plot with him. Although he was convicted, there has since been some debate over how much Garnet really knew. As the details of the plot were known through confession, Garnet was bound against revealing them to the authorities. Despite his admonitions and protestations, the plot went ahead; however, Garnet's opposition to it did not save him from being hanged, drawn and quartered for treason in 1606.
PLANNING
The Palace of Westminster in the early 17th century was a warren of buildings clustered around the medieval chambers, chapels, and halls of the former royal palace that housed both Parliament and the various law courts. Unlike the secure present-day building, the old palace was easily accessible; merchants, lawyers, and others, lived and worked in the lodgings, shops, and taverns within its precincts.
In May 1604 Thomas Percy, using his newly acquired status as a member of the King's Bodyguard, was able to lease lodgings adjacent to the House of Lords. The plotters' original idea was to mine their way under the foundations of the Lords chamber to lay the gunpowder there. The main idea was to kill James, but many other important targets were to be present, including the majority of the Protestant nobility and senior bishops of the Church of England. Guy Fawkes, as "John Johnson", was put in charge of this building, where he posed as Percy's servant, while Catesby's house in Lambeth was used to store the gunpowder with the picks and implements for mining.
However, when the Plague came back to London in the summer of 1604 and proved to be particularly severe, the opening of Parliament was suspended to 1605. By Christmas Eve, the miners had still not reached the buildings of Parliament, and just as they recommenced work early in 1605, they learned that the opening of Parliament had been further postponed to 3 October. The plotters then took the opportunity to row the gunpowder up the Thames from Catesby's house in Lambeth, to conceal it in their new rented house: they had learned (by chance) that a coal merchant named Ellen Bright had vacated a ground-floor undercroft directly beneath the House of Lords chamber. Presented with this golden opportunity, Percy immediately took pains to secure the lease. To deflect any suspicions he created the story that his wife was set to join him in London and thus he would require the extra storage space.
Fawkes assisted in filling the room with gunpowder, which was concealed beneath a wood store under the House of Lords building, in a cellar leased from John Whynniard. By March 1605, they had filled the undercroft underneath the House of Lords with 36 barrels of gunpowder, concealed under a store of winter fuel. Had all 36 barrels been successfully ignited, the explosion could easily have reduced many of the buildings in the Old Palace of Westminster complex to rubble, and would have blown out windows in the surrounding area of about a 1 kilometre radius.
The conspirators left London in May, and went to their homes or to different areas of the country, because being seen together would arouse suspicion. They arranged to meet again in September; however, the opening of Parliament was again postponed.
The weakest parts of the plot were the arrangements for the subsequent rebellion which would have swept the country and installed a Catholic monarch. Due to the requirements for money and arms, Sir Francis Tresham was eventually admitted to the plot, and it was probably he who betrayed the plot in writing to his brother-in-law Lord Monteagle. An anonymous letter revealed some of the details of the plot; it read: "I advise you to devise some excuse not to attend this parliament, for they shall receive a terrible blow, and yet shall not see who hurts them".
According to the confession made by Fawkes on Tuesday 5 November 1605, he had left Dover around Easter 1605, bound for Calais. He then travelled to Saint-Omer and on to Brussels, where he met with Hugh Owen and Sir William Stanley before making a pilgrimage to Brabant. He returned to England at the end of August or early September, again by way of Calais.
Guy Fawkes was left in charge of executing the plot, while the other conspirators fled to Dunchurch in Warwickshire to await news. Once Parliament had been destroyed, the other conspirators planned to incite a revolt in the Midlands.
DISCOVERY
During the preparation, several of the conspirators had been concerned about the safety of fellow Catholics who would be present in Parliament on the day of the planned explosion. On the evening of Friday, 26 October Lord Monteagle received an anonymous letter while at his house in Hoxton.
My Lord, out of the love I bear to some of your friends, I have a care of your preservation. Therefore I would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse, to shift your attendance at this parliament; for God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this advertisement but retire yourself into your country where you may expect the event in safety, for though there be no appearance of any stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be contemned, because it may do you good, and can do you no harm, for the danger is past as soon as you have burned the letter: and I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it, to whose holy protection I commend you.
Monteagle had the note read out loud, possibly to warn the plotters that the secret was out, and promptly handed it over to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, the Secretary of State. The conspirators learned of the letter the following day, but resolved to go ahead with their plan, especially after Fawkes inspected the undercroft and found that nothing had been touched.
Having been shown the letter, the King ordered Sir Thomas Knyvet to conduct a search of the cellars underneath Parliament, which he did in the early hours of 5 November. Shortly after midnight, Fawkes was found leaving the cellar the conspirators had rented and was arrested, giving his name as John Johnson. Inside, the barrels of gunpowder were discovered hidden under piles of firewood and coal. Far from denying his intentions during the arrest, Fawkes stated that it had been his purpose to destroy the King and the Parliament. Nevertheless, Fawkes maintained his false identity and continued to insist that he was acting alone. Later in the morning, before noon, he was again interrogated. He was questioned on the nature of his accomplices, the involvement of Thomas Percy, what letters he had received from overseas and whether or not he had spoken with Hugh Owen.
A letter written by Gentleman of the Bedchamber, Sir Edward Hoby gave details of all those that would have been caught in the explosion:
On the 5th of November we began a Parliament, to which the King should have cometh in person, but refrained through a practice but that morning discovered. The plot was to have blown up the King at such time as he should have been sat in his royal throne, Nobility and Commons and with all Bishops, Judges and Doctors at one instant, and the blast to have ruined the whole estate and kingdom of England.
Fawkes was taken to the Tower of London and interrogated there under torture. Torture was forbidden, except by the express instruction of the monarch or a body such as the Privy Council or the Star Chamber. In a letter of 6 November, King James I stated:
The gentler tortours [tortures] are to be first used unto him, et sic per gradus ad maiora tenditur [and thus by steps extended to greater ones], and so God speed your good work.
The discovery of the Gunpowder Plot aroused a wave of national relief at the delivery of the king and his sons, and inspired in the ensuing parliament a mood of loyalty and goodwill, which Salisbury astutely exploited to extract higher subsidies for the king than any (bar one) granted in Elizabeth's reign. In his speech to both Houses on 9 November, James expounded on two emerging preoccupations of his monarchy: the Divine Right of Kings and the Catholic question. He insisted that the plot had been the work of only a few Catholics, not of the English Catholics as a whole, and he reminded the assembly to rejoice at his survival, since kings were divinely appointed and he owed his escape to a miracle.
TRIAL AND EXECUTIONS
On hearing of the failure of the plot, the conspirators fled towards Huddington Court near Worcester, a family home of Thomas and Robert Wintour. Heavy rain, however, slowed their travels. Many of them were caught by Richard Walsh, the Sheriff of Worcestershire, when they arrived in Stourbridge.
The remaining men attempted a revolt in the Midlands. This failed, coming to a dramatic end at Holbeche House in Staffordshire, where there was a shoot-out resulting in the deaths of Catesby and Percy and capture of several other principal conspirators. Jesuits and others were then rounded up in other locations in Britain, with some being killed by torture during interrogation. Robert Wintour managed to remain on the run for two months before he was captured at Hagley Park.
Seventeenth-century print of the members of the Gunpowder Plot being hanged, drawn, and quartered
The conspirators were tried on 27 January 1606 in Westminster Hall. All of the plotters pleaded "Not Guilty" except for Sir Everard Digby, who attempted to defend himself on the grounds that the King had reneged on his promises of greater tolerance of Catholicism. Sir Edward Coke, the attorney general, prosecuted, and the Earl of Northampton made a speech refuting the charges laid by Sir Everard Digby. The trial lasted one day (English criminal trials generally did not exceed a single day's duration) and the verdict was never in doubt.
The trial ranked highly as a public spectacle, and there are records of up to 10 shillings being paid for entry. Four of the plotters were executed in St. Paul's Churchyard on 30 January. On 31 January, Fawkes, Winter and a number of others implicated in the conspiracy were taken to Old Palace Yard in Westminster, in front of the scene of the intended crime, where they were to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Fawkes, although weakened by torture, cheated the executioners: when he was to be hanged until almost dead, he jumped from the gallows, breaking his neck and killing himself, thus avoiding the gruesome latter part of his execution.[17]
Henry Garnet was executed on 3 May 1606 at St Paul's. His crime was of being the confessor of several members of the Gunpowder Plot, and as noted, he had opposed the plot. Many spectators thought that his punishment was too severe.
Antonia Fraser writes:
With a loud cry of "hold, hold" they stopped the hangman cutting down the body while Garnet was still alive. Others pulled the priest's legs ... which was traditionally done to ensure a speedy death.
| i don't know |
Gossima was the original name for which sport? | The Original Names of 10 Sports | Mental Floss
The Original Names of 10 Sports
The new game of badminton, circa 1874. Getty
Like us on Facebook
If history hadn't changed, we would be watching Gabrielle Reece dominate mintonette, Tony Hawk would be a leader in the world of sidewalk surfing, and Forrest Gump would have been an amazing wiff waff player. Check out the names of 10 sports before they became what we know them as today.
1. KITTEN BALL
The sport we know as softball today was named kitten ball when it came onto the scene in 1895. Between that time and 1926, it was also referred to as "diamond ball," "mush ball" and "pumpkin ball." The phrase "softball" was coined in 1926 by Walter Hakanson of the Denver YMCA.
2. BATTLEDORE AND SHUTTLECOCK
Circa 1871. Getty
It’s not exactly fair to say that this is what badminton was once called—it might be more appropriate to say this game evolved into badminton. Battledore and shuttlecock was an old game quite similar to badminton, minus the net. The players simply tried to keep the shuttlecock in the air as long as possible by batting it around with racquets (known as battledores).
3. MINTONETTE
Speaking of badminton, that game is the reason today's volleyball was originally called mintonette. Because much of the game play was similar to badminton (players keep an object bouncing back and forth across a net), its creator, William G. Morgan, the director of a Massachusetts YMCA, simply named it something similar to the existing sport. The name changed when a player suggested the ball volleyed over the net like cannon fire, and eventually the new term stuck.
4. SPHAIRISTIKE
quisnovis via Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0
Tennis has been around in some form or another for centuries, but in December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield invented "Sphairistike," or lawn tennis, to amuse his garden party guests. It’s more similar to the modern game of tennis than any of the older versions. Those older versions are sometimes called "real tennis" to differentiate them from the game the Williams sisters play—William Shakespeare mentioned real tennis in Henry V.
5. PADDLE RACKETS
When Joe Sobek invented racquetball in 1950, he didn’t call it that. He named his creation "paddle rackets," and even founded the National Paddle Rackets Association in 1952. As it gained popularity, professional tennis player Bob McInerney began calling it racquetball and the name slowly took over.
6. PAILLE MAILLE
The earliest published occurrence of the word "croquet" is 1856. Prior to that, the Queen of Hearts' favorite game was called "paille maille" (or any number of variations such as pall mall and pelemele). Some early descriptions of paille maille suggest that at one point, it was played over a large area of land (such as in golf) before it evolved to the short lawn version we know today.
7. SIDEWALK SURFING
You can probably figure out that skateboarding is just surfing on land. The sport is thought to have originated when California surfers were looking for a replacement for surfing when the waves were unfit to ride.
8. WHIFF-WAFF OR GOSSIMA
| Table tennis |
Which actor was a Prefab Sprout album? | A Brief History of Table Tennis/Ping-Pong
A Brief History of Table Tennis/Ping-Pong
The past ain't what it used to be...
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Thanks, You're in!
Health Tip of the Day
Recipe of the Day
There was an error. Please try again.
Please select a newsletter.
Please enter a valid email address.
Did you mean ?
Greg's Favorite Table Tennis/ Ping-Pong Blogs
Sami Sarkis/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images
The history of table tennis (or ping-pong as it is also commonly known) is a long and interesting sequence of events, which would require a book to do it justice. In this article I'm going to give a brief overview of the origins of the game, as well as what are generally acknowledged as many of the important highlights of the game's development.
There is often conflicting information available regarding the early days of table tennis, and since I am not a historian of merit I'll settle for simply mentioning the differing opinions for completeness.
Note: If you are a fan of older table tennis photographs, I've put together an Illustrated History of Table Tennis / Ping-Pong , with the same information and some nice historical photos.
Early Origins of Table Tennis/Ping-Pong
12th Century AD - The game of table tennis probably descended from the the game of "Royal Tennis" (also known as Real Tennis or Court Tennis), which was played in the medieval era.
continue reading below our video
How to Throw a Perfect Spiral in Football
1880's - Some sources claim that the sport was once known as indoor tennis, and was played in the early 1880's by British army officers stationed in India and South Africa. These officers are supposed to have used cigar box lids as paddles , rounded wine bottle corks as balls , and books for an improvised net .
1880's - The game had become fashionable among the upper classes in England.
1887 - According to the ITTF website, the first use of the name "Table Tennis" appeared on a board and dice game made by J.H.Singer of New York.
1890 - The earliest existing evidence of a table tennis game is a set made by David Foster, patented in England, which included table versions of Lawn Tennis, Cricket and Football.
1891 - John Jacques of London introduce their "Gossima" game, which used drum-type paddles, a 50mm web wrapped cork ball, and a 30cm high net.
1890's - By this time, several patents with basic rules had been registered.
1890's - Parker Brothers begin making an indoor tennis kit which included a portable net, a small ball covered in netting, and paddles.
1900 - Englishman James Gibb is credited with bringing hollow celluloid balls back to England from the USA, although some other sources claim they were plastic balls. Previously most balls were solid rubber or cork, often covered in material. Some sources also credit Gibb with inventing the name "ping pong", which was supposed to have been derived from the sound of the ball bouncing off the drum battledores (paddles), each of which had a different sound.
1901 - John Jacques register "Ping Pong" as a trade name in England. The American rights to the name are sold to Parker Brothers.
1901 - On the 12th December 1901, "The Table Tennis Association" is formed in England. Four days later, "The Ping Pong Association" is also formed in England.
1901 - Table tennis is first brought to China via western settlements. (Guide note - Thanks guys - now look what you've done!)
1902 - Englishman E.C.Goode is credited with putting pebbled rubber on his wooden blade , allowing him to put more spin on the ball. This is the forerunner of the ordinary pimpled rubber racket, which will dominate table tennis until 1952.
1903 - On the 1st May 1903, "The Table Tennis Association" and "The Ping Pong Association" amalgamate, forming "The United Table Tennis and Ping Pong Association". This association will later revert its name to "The Table Tennis Association", before becoming defunct in 1904.
1920's - 1950's - Classic Hard Bat Era - Europe Dominates the Sport
1920's - In the early 1920's the game began to revive in England and Europe.
1922 - "The Table Tennis Association" is reconstituted, with the name "English Table Tennis Association" being adopted in 1927.
1926 - The International Table Tennis Federation is formed.
1926-1931 - Maria Mednyanszky of Hungary wins the Women's Singles event at the World Championships five times in a row.
1930-1935 - Victor Barna of Hungary wins five of the six Men's Singles events at the World Championships (and was runner up in 1931).
1935 - The American Ping Pong Association, US Amateur Table Tennis Association, and National Table Tennis Association merge to form the US Table Tennis Association (which was renamed USA Table Tennis in 1994).
1936 - Repainted tables (which made the playing surface very slow) and a high net (6¾ inches high) combine to make attacking play very difficult at the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. This results in the longest rally ever in a World Championships taking place, lasting over two hours.
1938 - The ITTF lowers the net from 6¾ inches to 6 inches, and bans the fingerspin serves which had been used with devasting effect by American players.
1940-1946 - No World Championships held due to World War II.
1950-1955 Angelica Rozeanu-Adelstein of Romania wins six Women's Singles titles in a row at the World Championships. Since her last title win in 1955, every World Champion in Women's Singles has been an Asian player.
1950's - 1970's - Sponge Bat Era, Rise of Japan and China
1952 - Hiroji Satoh of Japan becomes notorious for his use of a wooden racket covered in thick foam sponge rubber , which produces much more speed and spin than conventional pimpled rubber rackets. He wins the 1952 World Championships over Jozsef Koczian of Hungary, and begins a period of Asian male domination in the sport which will last until Sweden rises to supremacy from 1989 into the early 1990's.
1957 - The World Championships changes to a biennial event (once every two years), due to the logistics of hosting an event of such size, and difficulty in finding suitable venues.
1958 - The first European Championships is conducted in Budapest, Hungary, and sees the USSR's debut in international table tennis.
1959-1960 - The ITTF standardizes the thickness of ordinary pimpled rubber and sponge rubber .
Prev
| i don't know |
Which English Monarch succeeded William III of Orange? | King William III and Queen Mary II | Britroyals
Name: King William III and Queen Mary II
Full Name: William Henry Stuart
Born: November 14, 1650 at William: The Hague, Netherlands; Mary: St James Palace, London
Parents: William: William II of Orange and Mary Stuart; Mary: James II and Anne Hyde
Relation to Elizabeth II: 2nd cousin 8 times removed
House of: Orange
Ascended to the throne: February 13, 1689 aged 38 years
Crowned: April 11, 1689 at Westminster Abbey, when William was 38 and Mary was 26
Married: William married Mary, daughter of James II
Children: Three stillborn
Died: March 8, 1702 at Kensington Palace (William), aged 51 years, 3 months, and 21 days
Buried at: Westminster
Reigned for: 13 years, and 21 days
Succeeded by: Mary's sister Anne
William was born in The Hague in the Netherlands. He was an only child and never knew his father William II who died of smallpox before his birth. His mother was Mary eldest daughter of Charles I of England. William was appointed Stadtholder (chief magistrate) and captain-general of the Dutch forces in 1672 to resist the French invasion of the Netherlands. He forced Louis XIV to make peace in 1678 and then concentrated on building up a European alliance against France. In 1677 he married his cousin Mary, eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, the future James II. The marriage was intended to repair relations between England and The Netherlands following the Anglo-Dutch wars. William was a successful soldier, but had several male favourites, was dour, asthmatic, 12 years older and several inches shorter than his English wife Mary who was a reluctant bride.
In 1688 they were invited by the parliamentary opposition to Mary�s father James II to take the crown on England and were assured of English support. William landed at Torbay on 5 November 1688, in 463 ships unopposed by the Royal Navy, and with an army of 14,000 troops which gathering local support grew to over 20,000 and advanced on London in what became known as �The Glorious Revolution�. James fled to France, and in February 1689 William and his wife were crowned King William III and Queen Mary II. Parliament passed the Bill of Rights which prevented Catholics for succeeding to the throne ensuring that Mary�s sister Anne would become the next queen, and after the autocratic rules of Kings Charles II and his brother James II limited the powers of monarchs so that they could neither pass laws nor levy taxes without parliamentary consent.
William and Mary were faced in 1689 with two Jacobite attempts to regain the throne. In Scotland government troops were defeated at Killiekrankie by Scottish Jacobites but won shortly afterwards at Dunkeld, and James II landed in Ireland with French troops and laid siege to Londonderrry. William�s navy relieved the siege and he led is army to victory at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. James fled back to France. William returned several times to the Netherlands but found the English parliament reluctant to support his continuing war with France. The Bank of England was founded in 1694 to control public expenditure. Williamsburg and the college of William and Mary in Virginia, were named after the King and Queen in 1693.
Mary died of smallpox in 1694 and had no surviving children. William now ruled alone. The Peace of Rijswijk in 1697 marked the end of the war with in Flanders with Louis XIV. William formed an alliance between England, Holland and Austria to prevent the union of the French and Spanish crowns. This became known as the �War of Spanish Succession�. In 1701 following death of Prince William, the only surviving son of Mary�s sister Anne, the Act of Settlement was passed ensuring succession of Protestant heirs of Sophie of Hanover instead of the Catholic heirs of James. William died on 1702 of pneumonia following a broken collar bone after a fall from his horse. Because his horse had reputedly stumbled on a mole�s burrow Jacobites toasted 'the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat.'
King William III's Signature
Quotes:
�The liberties of England and the Protestant religion I will maintain� � William III (on landing in England to take the crown from Catholic James II)
�Dutch Billy� � nickname for King William III
Timeline for King William III and Queen Mary II
Year
| Anne |
Which planet's day is longer than its year? | Royalty.nu - Royal History - The Stuarts - Queen Mary II and King William III
William and Mary: Heroes of the Glorious Revolution by John Van Der Kiste. A dual biography of William III and Mary II.
William III & Mary II: Partners in Revolution by Jonathan Keates. Britain's only ever joint monarchs, William and Mary changed the course of the country's history. From the Penguin Monarchs series.
William III, The Stadholder-King: A Political Biography by Wouter Troost, translated by J. C. Grayson. Biography of King William III.
Family, Culture and Society in the Diary of Constantijn Huygens Jr, Secretary to Stadholder-king William of Orange by Rudolf Dekker. Starting with the analysis of the diary kept by Constantijn Huygens Jr in the second half of the 17th century, this book sketches a view of life among Dutch regents and at the court of William and Mary, including an eyewitness account of England's Glorious Revolution.
Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown by Maureen Waller. In 1688, seven prominent men invited William of Orange to intervene in English affairs. But it was the women, Queen Mary Beatrice and her stepdaughters Mary and Anne, who played a key role in this drama.
Going Dutch: How England Plundered Holland's Glory by Lisa Jardine. In 1688, Dutch ruler William of Orange's Glorious Revolution forced Britain's James II to abdicate. Why wasn't this coup recognized as a conquest? According to this book, the Dutch had effectively conquered Britain long before William arrived.
Novels
The Queen's Devotion by Jean Plaidy. A novel about Britain's Queen Mary II, originally titled "William's Wife," from Plaidy's Queens of England series.
The Three Crowns: The Story of William and Mary by Jean Plaidy. Novel about British monarchs James II, William I and Mary II from Plaidy's Stuart Saga series.
Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughters of James II by Jean Plaidy. Novel about Britain's Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. Originally published in 1966 as "The Haunted Sisters." From Plaidy's series The Stuart Saga.
The Glorious Revolution by John Miller. An authoritative introduction.
The Glorious Revolution by Eveline Cruickshanks. A radical reassessment of the origins, circumstances, and impact of the Revolution.
Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy, 1685-1720 by Tim Harris. Everyone in Britain still lives under the shadow of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. It was a massive, brutal and terrifying event which completely changed the governments of England, Scotland and Ireland.
William III and the Godly Revolution by Tony Claydon. The first full account of William III's propaganda during his reign in England. The king solved his ideological problems by posing as a ruler sent by God to protect the Protestant religion.
The Final Crisis of the Stuart Monarchy edited by Tim Harris and Stephen Taylor. Essays about the Glorious Revolution that transformed Britain and its empire.
The Last Revolution: 1688 and the Creation of the Modern World by Patrick Dillon. A vivid portrait of Britain's last great political struggle, during which King James II was driven from his palace by night while King William III rode in at the head of a foreign army.
| i don't know |
What is the name of the closest star to Earth? | Closest Star to the Sun - Universe Today
Universe Today
Closest Star to the Sun
Article Updated: 18 Oct , 2016
by Fraser Cain
This is a classic trick question. Ask a friend, “what is the closest star?” and then watch as they try to recall some nearby stars. Sirius maybe? Alpha something or other? Betelgeuse?
The answer, obviously, is the Sun; that massive ball of plasma located a mere 150 million km from Earth.
Let’s be more precise; what’s the closest star to the Sun?
Closest Star
You might have heard that it’s Alpha Centauri, the third brightest star in the sky, just 4.37 light-years from Earth.
But Alpha Centauri isn’t one star, it’s a system of three stars. First, there’s a binary pair, orbiting a common center of gravity every 80 years. Alpha Centauri A is just a little more massive and brighter than the Sun, and Alpha Centauri B is slightly less massive than the Sun. Then there’s a third member of this system, the faint red dwarf star, Proxima Centauri.
It’s the closest star to our Sun, located just a short 4.24 light-years away.
Proxima Centauri
Alpha Centauri is located in the Centaurus constellation, which is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, even if you can see the system, you can’t see Proxima Centauri. It’s so dim, you need a need a reasonably powerful telescope to resolve it.
Let’s get sense of scale for just how far away Proxima Centauri really is. Think about the distance from the Earth to Pluto. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft travels at nearly 60,000 km/h, the fastest a spacecraft has ever traveled in the Solar System. It will have taken more than nine years to make this journey when it arrives in 2015. Travelling at this speed, to get to Proxima Centauri, it would take New Horizons 78,000 years.
Proxima Centauri has been the nearest star for about 32,000 years, and it will hold this record for another 33,000 years. It will make its closest approach to the Sun in about 26,700 years, getting to within 3.11 light-years of Earth. After 33,000 years from now, the nearest star will be Ross 248.
What About the Northern Hemisphere?
Bernard’s Star
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the closest visible star is Barnard’s Star, another red dwarf in the constellation Ophiuchus. Unfortunately, just like Proxima Centauri, it’s too dim to see with the unaided eye.
The closest star that you can see with the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere is Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius, has twice the mass and is almost twice the size of the Sun, and it’s the brightest star in the sky. Located 8.6 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major – it’s very familiar as the bright star chasing Orion across the night sky in Winter.
How do Astronomers Measure the Distance to Stars?
They use a technique called parallax. Do a little experiment here. Hold one of your arms out at length and put your thumb up so that it’s beside some distant reference object. Now take turns opening and closing each eye. Notice how your thumb seems to jump back and forth as you switch eyes? That’s the parallax method.
To measure the distance to stars, you measure the angle to a star when the Earth is one side of its orbit; say in the summer. Then you wait 6 month, until the Earth has moved to the opposite side of its orbit, and then measure the angle to the star compared to some distant reference object. If the star is close, the angle will be measurable, and the distance can be calculated.
You can only really measure the distance to the nearest stars this way, since it only works to about 100 light-years.
The 20 Closest Stars
Here is a list of the 20 closest star systems and their distance in light-years. Some of these have multiple stars, but they’re part of the same system.
Alpha Centauri – 4.2
| Sun |
Who, in 1960, became the first woman Prime Minister in the world? | The Cosmic Distance Scale
The Cosmic Distance Scale
The Nearest Star
About the Image
The image on the preceding page was created to demonstrate that Alpha Centauri is not a star , but really a star system. Of the three stars in the system, the dimmest - called Proxima Centauri - is actually the nearest star to the Earth. The two bright stars, called Alpha Centauri A and B form a close binary system; they are separated by only 23 times the Earth - Sun distance. This is slightly greater than the distance between Uranus and the Sun.
The Alpha Centauri system is not visible from much of the northern hemisphere. The below image shows this star system and other objects near it in the sky.
Image Credit for Alpha Centauri photo: Copyright Akira Fujii / David Malin Images.
Distance Information
Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our own, is still 40,208,000,000,000 km away. (Or about 268,770 AU .) When we talk about the distances to the stars, we no longer use the AU, or Astronomical Unit; commonly, the light year is used. A light year is the distance light travels in one year - it is equal to 9.461 x 1012 km. Alpha Centauri A & B are roughly 4.35 light years away from us. Proxima Centauri is slightly closer at 4.25 light years.
How Do We Calculate Distances of This Magnitude?
The methods astronomers use to measure distances to the stars are pieces of fundamental and active work in astronomy with important implications for how we understand the Universe around us.
One of the most accurate methods astronomers use to measure distances to stars is called parallax . If you hold your finger in front of your face and close one eye and look with the other, then switch eyes, you'll see your finger seem to "shift " with respect to more distant objects behind it. This is because your eyes are separated from each other by a few inches - so each eye sees the finger in front of you from a slightly different angle. The amount your finger seems to shift is called its "parallax".
Astronomers can measure parallax by measuring the position of a nearby star very carefully with respect to more distant stars behind it, then measuring those positions again six months later when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit . If the star is close enough to us, a measurable parallax will be seen: the position of the star relative to the more distant background stars will have shifted. The shift is tiny - less than an arcsecond even for the nearest star. (An arcsecond is 1/60 of an arcminute, which is 1/60 of a degree.) (Imagine the Universe has more information on calculating parallax.)
Image Credit: Imagine the Universe, NASA/GSFC
Why Are These Distances Important To Astronomers?
Stars are not actually stationary objects! The Galaxy is rotating, and the stars are in orbit around its center. Not every star moves at the same rate - how fast they orbit can depend on where the star is located within the Galaxy. Our Sun, being fairly far from the Galactic Center, takes over 200 million years to circle the Galaxy once. Some of the stars near us are moving faster than us, and some slower. As Phil Plaitt, from Bad Astronomy says, "...like cars on a highway, stars continually pass each other as they orbit the Galaxy. They change positions, slowly, but measurably."
Image Credit: Frog Rock Observatory,
public domain and copyright-free.
This animation by Frog Rock Observatory shows the movement of Barnard's Star across the sky from 1985 to 2005. Barnard's Star is approaching the Sun so rapidly that around 11,700 AD, it will be 3.8 light years from the Sun - and thus the closest star to our own! ( Garcia-Sanchez, et al, 2001 )
Travel Time
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is on an interstellar mission. It is traveling away from the Sun at a rate of 17.3 km/s. If Voyager were to travel to Proxima Centauri, at this rate, it would take over 73,000 years to arrive. If we could travel at the speed of light , an impossibility due to Special Relativity , it would still take 4.22 years to arrive!
Why Can't We Travel Faster Than the Speed Of Light?
According to Special Relativity the mass of an object increases as its speed increases, and approaches infinity as the object's speed approaches the speed of light. This means that it would take an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object to the speed of light.
There's no fundamental reason why we can't get as close to the speed of light as we like, provided we have enough energy. But this is probably far in the future.
| i don't know |
Which ancient thinker is said to have had a golden thigh? | Pythagoras (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Pythagoras
First published Wed Feb 23, 2005; substantive revision Wed May 28, 2014
Pythagoras, one of the most famous and controversial ancient Greek philosophers, lived from ca. 570 to ca. 490 BCE. He spent his early years on the island of Samos, off the coast of modern Turkey. At the age of forty, however, he emigrated to the city of Croton in southern Italy and most of his philosophical activity occurred there. Pythagoras wrote nothing, nor were there any detailed accounts of his thought written by contemporaries. By the first centuries BCE, moreover, it became fashionable to present Pythagoras in a largely unhistorical fashion as a semi-divine figure, who originated all that was true in the Greek philosophical tradition, including many of Plato's and Aristotle's mature ideas. A number of treatises were forged in the name of Pythagoras and other Pythagoreans in order to support this view.
The Pythagorean question, then, is how to get behind this false glorification of Pythagoras in order to determine what the historical Pythagoras actually thought and did. In order to obtain an accurate appreciation of Pythagoras' achievement, it is important to rely on the earliest evidence before the distortions of the later tradition arose. The popular modern image of Pythagoras is that of a master mathematician and scientist. The early evidence shows, however, that, while Pythagoras was famous in his own day and even 150 years later in the time of Plato and Aristotle, it was not mathematics or science upon which his fame rested. Pythagoras was famous (1) as an expert on the fate of the soul after death, who thought that the soul was immortal and went through a series of reincarnations; (2) as an expert on religious ritual; (3) as a wonder-worker who had a thigh of gold and who could be two places at the same time; (4) as the founder of a strict way of life that emphasized dietary restrictions, religious ritual and rigorous self discipline.
It remains controversial whether he also engaged in the rational cosmology that is typical of the Presocratic philosopher/scientists and whether he was in any sense a mathematician. The early evidence suggests, however, that Pythagoras presented a cosmos that was structured according to moral principles and significant numerical relationships and may have been akin to conceptions of the cosmos found in Platonic myths, such as those at the end of the Phaedo and Republic. In such a cosmos, the planets were seen as instruments of divine vengeance (“the hounds of Persephone”), the sun and moon are the isles of the blessed where we may go, if we live a good life, while thunder functioned to frighten the souls being punished in Tartarus. The heavenly bodies also appear to have moved in accordance with the mathematical ratios that govern the concordant musical intervals in order to produce a music of the heavens, which in the later tradition developed into “the harmony of the spheres.” It is doubtful that Pythagoras himself thought in terms of spheres, and the mathematics of the movements of the heavens was not worked out in detail. There is evidence that he valued relationships between numbers such as those embodied in the so-called Pythagorean theorem, though it is not likely that he proved the theorem. In recent scholarship this consensus view has received strong challenges, which will be discussed below.
Pythagoras' cosmos was developed in a more scientific and mathematical direction by his successors in the Pythagorean tradition, Philolaus and Archytas. Pythagoras succeeded in promulgating a new more optimistic view of the fate of the soul after death and in founding a way of life that was attractive for its rigor and discipline and that drew to him numerous devoted followers.
1. The Pythagorean Question
What were the beliefs and practices of the historical Pythagoras? This apparently simple question has become the daunting Pythagorean question for several reasons. First, Pythagoras himself wrote nothing, so our knowledge of Pythagoras' views is entirely derived from the reports of others. Second, there was no extensive or authoritative contemporary account of Pythagoras. No one did for Pythagoras what Plato and Xenophon did for Socrates. Third, only fragments of the first detailed accounts of Pythagoras, written about 150 years after his death, have survived. Fourth, it is clear that these accounts disagreed with one another on significant points. These four points would already make the problem of determining Pythagoras' philosophical beliefs more difficult than determining those of almost any other ancient philosopher, but a fifth factor complicates matters even more. By the third century CE, when the first detailed accounts of Pythagoras that survive intact were written, Pythagoras had come to be regarded, in some circles, as the master philosopher, from whom all that was true in the Greek philosophical tradition derived. By the end of the first century BCE, a large collection of books had been forged in the name of Pythagoras and other early Pythagoreans, which purported to be the original Pythagorean texts from which Plato and Aristotle derived their most important ideas. A treatise forged in the name of Timaeus of Locri was the supposed model for Plato's Timaeus, just as forged treatises assigned to Archytas were the supposed model for Aristotle's Categories. Pythagoras himself was widely presented as having anticipated Plato's later metaphysics, in which the one and the indefinite dyad are first principles. Thus, not only is the earliest evidence for Pythagoras' views meager and contradictory, it is overshadowed by the hagiographical presentation of Pythagoras, which became dominant in late antiquity. Given these circumstances, the only reliable approach to answering the Pythagorean question is to start with the earliest evidence, which is independent of the later attempts to glorify Pythagoras, and to use the picture of Pythagoras which emerges from this early evidence as the standard against which to evaluate what can be accepted and what must be rejected in the later tradition. Following such an approach, Walter Burkert, in his epoch-making book (1972a), revolutionized our understanding of the Pythagorean question, and all modern scholarship on Pythagoras, including this article, stands on his shoulders. For a detailed discussion of the source problems that generate the Pythagorean Question see 2. Sources, below.
On the Pythagorean Life (extant)
Porphyry
(summaries of Pythagoras' philosophy in Adversus Mathematicos [Against the Theoreticians], cited below as M.)
100 CE
Introduction to Arithmetic (extant), Life of Pythagoras (fragments quoted in Iamblichus etc.)
Apollonius of Tyana
(died ca. 97 CE)
Life of Pythagoras (fragments quoted in Iamblichus etc. It is possible that this work is by another otherwise unknown Apollonius.)
Moderatus of Gades
Lectures on Pythagoreanism (fragments quoted in Porphyry)
Aetius
(first century CE)
Opinions of the Philosophers (reconstructed by H. Diels from pseudo-Plutarch, Opinions of the Philosophers [2nd CE] and Stobaeus, Selections [5th CE])
Pseudo-Pythagorean texts
(starting as early as 300 BCE but most common in the first century BCE)
100 BCE
his excerpts of the Pythagorean Memoirs are quoted by Diogenes Laertius
200 BCE
a Pseudo-Pythagorean Text (sections quoted in Diogenes Laertius)
300 BCE
(427–347) 500 BCE Pythagoras
(570–490)
2.2 Post-Aristotelian Sources for Pythagoras
The problems regarding the sources for the life and philosophy of Pythagoras are quite complicated, but it is impossible to understand the Pythagorean Question without an accurate appreciation of at least the general nature of these problems. It is best to start with the extensive but problematic later evidence and work back to the earlier reliable evidence. The most detailed, extended and hence most influential accounts of Pythagoras' life and thought date to the third century CE, some 800 years after he died. Diogenes Laertius (ca. 200–250 CE) and Porphyry (ca. 234–305 CE) each wrote a Life of Pythagoras, while Iamblichus (ca. 245–325 CE) wrote On the Pythagorean Life, which includes some biography but focuses more on the way of life established by Pythagoras for his followers. All of these works were written at a time when Pythagoras' achievements had become considerably exaggerated. Diogenes may have some claim to objectivity, but both Iamblichus and Porphyry have strong agendas that have little to do with historical accuracy. Iamblichus presents Pythagoras as a soul sent from the gods to enlighten mankind (O'Meara 1989, 35–40). Iamblichus' work was just the first in a ten volume work, which in effect Pythagoreanized Neoplatonism, but the Pythagoreanism involved was Iamblichus' own conception of Pythagoras as particularly concerned with mathematics rather than an account of Pythagoreanism based on the earliest evidence. Porphyry also emphasizes Pythagoras' divine aspects and may be setting him up as a rival to Jesus (Iamblichus 1991, 14). These three third-century accounts of Pythagoras were in turn based on earlier sources, which are now lost. Some of these earlier sources were heavily contaminated by the Neopythagorean view of Pythagoras as the source of all true philosophy, whose ideas Plato, Aristotle and all later Greek philosophers plagiarized. Iamblichus cites biographies of Pythagoras by Nicomachus of Gerasa and a certain Apollonius (VP 251 and 254) and appears to have used them extensively even where they are not cited (Burkert 1972a, 98 ff.). Nicomachus (ca. 50 – ca. 150 CE) assigns Pythagoras a metaphysics that is patently Platonic and Aristotelian and that employs distinctive Platonic and Aristotelian terminology (Introduction to Arithmetic I.1). If the Apollonius cited by Iamblichus is Apollonius of Tyana (1st CE), his account will be influenced by his veneration of Pythagoras as the model for his ascetic life, but some scholars argue that Iamblichus is using an otherwise unknown Apollonius (Flinterman 2014, 357). Porphyry (VP 48–53) explicitly cites Moderatus of Gades as one of his sources. Moderatus was an “aggressive” Neopythagorean of the first century CE, who reports that Plato, Aristotle, and their pupils Speusippus, Aristoxenus and Xenocrates took for their own everything that was fruitful in Pythagoreanism, leaving only what was superficial and trivial to be ascribed to the school (Dillon 1977, 346). Diogenes Laertius, who appears to have less personal allegiance to the Pythagorean legend, bases his primary account of Pythagoras' philosophy (VIII. 24–33) on the Pythagorean Memoirs excerpted by Alexander Polyhistor, which are a forgery dating sometime around 200 BCE and which assign not just Platonic but also Stoic ideas to Pythagoras (Burkert 1972a, 53; Kahn 2001, 79–83).
In the Pythagorean Memoirs, Pythagoras is said to have adopted the Monad and the Indefinite Dyad as incorporeal principles, from which arise first the numbers, then plane and solid figures and finally the bodies of the sensible world (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 25). This is the philosophical system that is most commonly ascribed to Pythagoras in the post-Aristotelian tradition, and it is found in Sextus Empiricus' (2nd century CE) detailed accounts of Pythagoreanism (e.g., M. X. 261) and most significantly in the influential handbook of the differing opinions of the Greek philosophers, which was compiled by Aetius in the first century CE and is based on the Tenets of the Natural Philosophers of Aristotle's pupil Theophrastus (e.g., H. Diels, Doxographi Graeci I. 3.8). The testimony of Aristotle makes completely clear, however, that this was the philosophical system of Plato in his later years and not that of Pythagoras or even the later Pythagoreans. Aristotle is explicit that, although Plato's system has similarities to the earlier Pythagorean philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, the indefinite dyad is unique to Plato (Metaphysics 987b26 ff.) and the Pythagoreans recognized only the sensible world and hence did not derive it from immaterial principles. In the Philebus, Plato himself tells a story that is very much in agreement with Aristotle's report. While acknowledging a debt to the philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, which is found in Aristotle's accounts of Pythagoreanism and in the fragments of the fifth-century Pythagorean Philolaus, Plato makes clear that this is a considerably earlier philosophy, which he is completely reworking for his own purposes (16c ff.; see Huffman 1999a and 2001). How are we to explain the later tradition's divergence from this testimony of Aristotle and Plato? The most convincing suggestion points to evidence that, for reasons which are not entirely clear, Plato's successors in the Academy, Speusippus, Xenocrates and Heraclides, chose to present Pythagoreanism not just as a precursor of late Platonic metaphysics but as having anticipated its central theses. Thus the tradition which falsely ascribes Plato's late metaphysics to Pythagoras begins not with the Neopythagoreans in the first centuries BCE and CE but already in the fourth century BCE among Plato's own pupils (Burkert 1972a, 53–83; Dillon 2003, 61–62 and 153–154). This view of Pythagoreanism finds its way into the doxography of Aetius either because Theophrastus followed the early Academy rather than his teacher Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 66) or because the Theophrastan doxography on Pythagoras was rewritten in the first century BCE under the influence of Neopythagoreanism (Diels 1958, 181; Zhmud 2012a, 455). Aristotle's careful distinctions between Plato and fifth-century Pythagoreanism, which make excellent sense in terms of the general development of Greek philosophy, are largely ignored in the later tradition in favor of the more sensational ascription of mature Platonism to Pythagoras. The evidence for the early Academy is, however, very limited and some reject the thesis that its members assigned late Platonic metaphysics to Pythagoras (Zhmud 2012, 415-432). The key text is found in Proclus' Commentary on the Parmenides (pp. 38.32-40.7 Klibansky). Proclus quotes a passage in which Speusippus assigns to the ancients, who in this context are the Pythagoreans, the One and the Indefinite Dyad. Some scholars argue that this is not a genuine fragment of Speusippus but rather a later fabrication (see Zhmud 2012a, 424-425 and for a response Dillon 2014, 251). If the Academy did not assign the One and the Dyad to Pythagoras, however, it becomes less clear how these principles came to be assigned to him. Theophrastus assigns them to the Pythagoreans (Metaphysics 11a27), but since Aristotle distinguishes the Pythagoreans from Plato on this point, Zhmud's suggestion (2012a, 455) that he is following his teacher and just taking "the next step" does not work. Theophrastus' evidence makes best sense if we accept the traditional view and suppose that it is on the authority of Plato's successors in the Academy that he bases his departure from his teacher's, Aristotle's, view.
If we step back for a minute and compare the sources for Pythagoras with those available for other early Greek philosophers, the extent of the difficulties inherent in the Pythagorean Question becomes clear. When trying to reconstruct the philosophy of Heraclitus, for example, modern scholars rely above all on the actual quotations from Heraclitus' book preserved in later authors. Since Pythagoras wrote no books, this most fundamental of all sources is denied us. In dealing with Heraclitus, the modern scholar turns with reluctance next to the doxographical tradition, the tradition represented by Aetius in the first century CE, which preserves in handbook form a systematic account of the beliefs of the Greek philosophers on a series of topics having to do with the physical world and its first principles. Aetius' work has been reconstructed by Hermann Diels on the basis of two later works, which were derived from it, the Selections of Stobaeus (5th century CE) and the Opinions of Philosophers by pseudo-Plutarch (2nd century CE). Scholars' faith in this evidence is largely based on the assumption that most of it goes back to Aristotle's school and in particular to Theophrastus' Tenets of the Natural Philosophers. Here again the case of Pythagoras is exceptional. Pythagoras is represented in this tradition but, as we have seen, Theophrastus in this case either adopted the view that, against all historical plausibility, assigns Plato's later metaphysics to Pythagoras or Theophrastus' doxography on the Pythagoreans was rewritten in the first century BCE. Thus, the second standard source for evidence for early Greek philosophy is, in the case of Pythagoras, corrupted. Whatever views Pythagoras might have had are replaced by late Platonic metaphysics in the doxographical tradition.
A third source of evidence for early Greek philosophy is regarded with great skepticism by most scholars and, in the case of most early Greek philosophers, used only with great caution. This is the biographical tradition represented by the Lives of the Philosophers written by Diogenes Laertius. In this case we at first sight appear to be in luck, at least with regard to the amount of evidence for Pythagoras, since, as we have seen, two major accounts of the life of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean way of life survive in addition to Diogenes' life. Unfortunately, these two additional lives are written by authors (Iamblichus and Porphyry) whose goal is explicitly non-historical, and all three of the lives rely heavily on authors in the Neopythagorean tradition, whose goal was to show that all later Greek philosophy, insofar as it was true, had been stolen from Pythagoras. There are, however, some sections in these three lives that derive from sources that go back beyond the distorting influence of Neopythagoreanism, to sources in the fourth-century BCE, sources which are also independent of the early Academy's attempt to assign Platonic metaphysics to the Pythagoreans. The most important of these sources are the fragments of Aristotle's lost treatises on the Pythagoreans and the fragments of works on Pythagoreanism or of works which dealt in passing with Pythagoreanism written by Aristotle's pupils Dicaearchus and Aristoxenus, in the second half of the fourth century BCE. The historian Timaeus of Tauromenium (ca. 350–260 BCE), who wrote a history of Sicily, which included material on southern Italy where Pythagoras was active, is also important. In some cases, the fragments of these early works are clearly identified in the later lives, but in other cases we may suspect that they are the source of a given passage without being able to be certain. Large problems remain even in the case of these sources. They were all written 150–250 years after the death of Pythagoras; given the lack of written evidence for Pythagoras, they are based largely on oral traditions. Aristoxenus, who grew up in the southern Italian town of Tarentum, where the Pythagorean Archytas was the dominant political figure, and who was himself a Pythagorean before joining Aristotle's school, undoubtedly had a rich set of oral traditions upon which to draw. It is clear, nonetheless, that 150 years after his death conflicting traditions regarding Pythagoras' beliefs had arisen on even the most central issues. Thus, Aristoxenus is emphatic that Pythagoras was not a strict vegetarian and ate a number of types of meat (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 20), whereas Aristoxenus' contemporary, the mathematician Eudoxus, portrays him not only as avoiding all meat but as even refusing to associate with butchers (Porphyry, VP 7). Even among fourth-century authors that had at least some pretensions to historical accuracy and who had access to the best information available, there are widely divergent presentations, simply because such contradictions were endemic to the evidence available in the fourth century. What we can hope to obtain from the evidence presented by Aristotle, Aristoxenus, Dicaearchus, and Timaeus is thus not a picture of Pythagoras that is consistent in all respects but rather a picture that at least defines the main areas of his achievement. This picture can then be tested by the most fundamental evidence of all, the testimony of authors that precede even Aristotle, testimony in some cases that derives from Pythagoras' own contemporaries. This testimony is extremely limited, about twenty brief references, but this dearth of evidence is not unique to Pythagoras. The pre-Aristotelian testimony for Pythagoras is more extensive than for most other early Greek philosophers and is thus testimony to his fame.
2.3 Plato and Aristotle as Sources for Pythagoras
In reconstructing the thought of early Greek philosophers, scholars often turn to Aristotle's and Plato's accounts of their predecessors, although Plato's accounts are embedded in the literary structure of his dialogues and thus do not pretend to historical accuracy, while Aristotle's apparently more historical presentation masks a considerable amount of reinterpretation of his predecessors' views in terms of his own thought. In the case of Pythagoras, what is striking is the essential agreement of Plato and Aristotle in their presentation of his significance. Aristotle frequently discusses the philosophy of Pythagoreans, whom he dates to the middle and second half of the fifth century and who posited limiters and unlimiteds as first principles. He sometimes refers to these Pythagoreans as the “so-called Pythagoreans,” suggesting that he had some reservations about the application of the label “Pythagorean” to them. Aristotle strikingly may never refer to Pythagoras himself in his extant writings (Metaph. 986a29 is probably an interpolation; Rh. 1398b14 is a quotation from Alcidamas; MM 1182a11 may not be by Aristotle and, if it is, may well be a case where “Pythagoreans” have been turned into “Pythagoras” in the transmission). In the fragments of his now lost two-book treatise on the Pythagoreans, Aristotle does discuss Pythagoras himself, but the references are all to Pythagoras as a founder of a way of life, who forbade the eating of beans (Fr. 195), and to Pythagoras as a wonder-worker, who had a golden thigh and bit a snake to death (Fr. 191). Zhmud (2012a, 259-260) argues that in one place Aristotle also describes Pythagoras as a mathematician (Fr. 191) and in another as studying nature (Protrepticus Fr. 20) but in neither case are the words likely to belong to Aristotle (see Huffman 2014b, 281, n.7). If Aristotle only found evidence for Pythagoras as a wonder-worker and founder of a way of life, it becomes clear why he never mentions Pythagoras in his account of his philosophical predecessors and why he uses the expression “so-called Pythagoreans” to refer to the Pythagoreanism of the fifth-century. For Aristotle Pythagoras did not belong to the succession of thinkers starting with Thales, who were attempting to explain the basic principles of the natural world, and hence he could not see what sense it made to call a fifth-century thinker like Philolaus, who joined that succession by positing limiters and unlimiteds as first principles, a Pythagorean. Plato is often thought to be heavily indebted to the Pythagoreans, but he is almost as parsimonious in his references to Pythagoras as Aristotle and mentions him only once in his writings. Plato's one reference to Pythagoras (R. 600a) treats him as the founder of a way of life, just as Aristotle does, and, when Plato traces the history of philosophy prior to his time in the Sophist, (242c-e), there is no allusion to Pythagoras. In the Philebus, Plato does describe the philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds, which Aristotle assigns to the so-called Pythagoreans of the fifth century and which is found in the fragments of Philolaus, but like Aristotle he does not ascribe this philosophy to Pythagoras himself. Scholars, both ancient and modern, under the influence of the later glorification of Pythagoras, have supposed that the Prometheus, whom Plato describes as hurling the system down to men, was Pythagoras (e.g., Kahn 2002: 13–14), but careful reading of the passage shows that Prometheus is just Prometheus and that Plato, like Aristotle, assigns the philosophical system to a group of men (Huffman 1999a, 2001). The fragments of Philolaus show that he was the primary figure of this group. When Plato refers to Philolaus in the Phaedo (61d-e), he does not identify him as a Pythagorean, so that once again Plato agrees with Aristotle in distancing the “so-called Pythagoreans” of the fifth century from Pythagoras himself. For both Plato and Aristotle, then, Pythagoras is not a part of the cosmological and metaphysical tradition of Presocratic philosophy nor is he closely connected to the metaphysical system presented by fifth-century Pythagoreans like Philolaus; he is instead the founder of a way of life.
3. Life and Works
References to Pythagoras by Xenophanes (ca. 570–475 BCE) and Heraclitus (fl. ca. 500 BCE) show that he was a famous figure in the late sixth and early fifth centuries. For the details of his life we have to rely on fourth-century sources such as Aristoxenus, Dicaearchus and Timaeus of Tauromenium. There is a great deal of controversy about his origin and early life, but there is agreement that he grew up on the island of Samos, near the birthplace of Greek philosophy, Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor. There are a number of reports that he traveled widely in the Near East while living on Samos, e.g., to Babylonia, Phoenicia and Egypt. To some extent reports of these trips are an attempt to claim the ancient wisdom of the east for Pythagoras and some scholars totally reject them (Zhmud 2012, 83-91), but relatively early sources such as Herodotus (II. 81) and Isocrates (Busiris 28) associate Pythagoras with Egypt, so that a trip there seems quite plausible. Aristoxenus says that he left Samos at the age of forty, when the tyranny of Polycrates, who came to power ca. 535 BCE, became unbearable (Porphyry, VP 9). This chronology would suggest that he was born ca. 570 BCE. He then emigrated to the Greek city of Croton in southern Italy ca. 530 BCE; it is in Croton that he first seems to have attracted a large number of followers to his way of life. There are a variety of stories about his death, but the most reliable evidence (Aristoxenus and Dicaearchus) suggests that violence directed against Pythagoras and his followers in Croton ca. 510 BCE, perhaps because of the exclusive nature of the Pythagorean way of life, led him to flee to another Greek city in southern Italy, Metapontum, where he died around 490 BCE (Porphyry, VP 54–7; Iamblichus, VP 248 ff.; On the chronology, see Minar 1942, 133–5). There is little else about his life of which we can be confident.
The evidence suggests that Pythagoras did not write any books. No source contemporaneous with Pythagoras or in the first two hundred years after his death, including Plato, Aristotle and their immediate successors in the Academy and Lyceum, quotes from a work by Pythagoras or gives any indication that any works written by him were in existence. Several later sources explicitly assert that Pythagoras wrote nothing (e.g., Lucian [Slip of the Tongue, 5], Josephus, Plutarch and Posidonius in DK 14A18; see Burkert 1972, 218–9). Diogenes Laertius tried to dispute this tradition by quoting Heraclitus' assertion that “Pythagoras, the son of Mnesarchus, practiced inquiry most of all men and, by selecting these things which have been written up, made for himself a wisdom, a polymathy, an evil conspiracy” (Fr. 129). This fragment shows only that Pythagoras read the writings of others, however, and says nothing about him writing something of his own. The wisdom and evil conspiracy that Pythagoras constructs from these writings need not have been in writing, and Heraclitus' description of it as an “evil conspiracy” rather suggests that it was not (For the translation and interpretation of Fr. 129, see Huffman 2008b). In the later tradition several books came to be ascribed to Pythagoras, but such evidence as exists for these books indicates that they were forged in Pythagoras' name and belong with the large number of pseudo-Pythagorean treatises forged in the name of early Pythagoreans such as Philolaus and Archytas. In the third century BCE a group of three books were circulating in Pythagoras' name, On Education, On Statesmanship, and On Nature (Diogenes Laertius, VIII. 6). A letter from Plato to Dion asking him to purchase these three books from Philolaus was forged in order to “authenticate” them (Burkert 1972a, 223–225). Heraclides Lembus in the second century BCE gives a list of six books ascribed to Pythagoras (Diogenes Laertius, VIII. 7; Thesleff 1965, 155–186 provides a complete collection of the spurious writings assigned to Pythagoras). The second of these is a Sacred Discourse, which some have wanted to trace back to Pythagoras himself. The idea that Pythagoras wrote such a Sacred Discourse seems to arise from a misreading of the early evidence. Herodotus says that the Pythagoreans agreed with the Egyptians in not allowing the dead to be buried in wool and then asserts that there is a sacred discourse about this (II. 81). Herodotus' focus here is the Egyptians and not the Pythagoreans, who are introduced as a Greek parallel, so that the Sacred Discourse to which he refers is Egyptian and not Pythagorean, as similar passages elsewhere in Book II of Herodotus show (e.g., II. 62; see Burkert 1972a, 219).Various lines of hexameter verse were already circulating in Pythagoras' name in the third century BCE and were later combined into a compilation known as the Golden Verses, which marks the culmination of the tradition of a Sacred Discourse assgined to Pythagoras (Burkert 1972a, 219, Thesleff 1965, 158–163; and most recently Thom 1995, although his dating of the compilation before 300 BCE is questionable). The lack of any viable written text which could be reasonably ascribed to Pythagoras is shown most clearly by the tendency of later authors to quote either Empedocles or Plato, when they needed to quote “Pythagoras” (e.g., Sextus Empiricus, M. IX. 126–30; Nicomachus, Introduction to Arithmetic I. 2). For an interesting but ultimately unconvincing attempt to argue that the historical Pythagoras did write books, see Riedweg 2005, 42–43 and the response by Huffman 2008a, 205–207.
4. The Philosophy of Pythagoras
One of the manifestations of the attempt to glorify Pythagoras in the later tradition is the report that he, in fact, invented the word philosophy. This story goes back to the early Academy, since it is first found in Heraclides of Pontus (Cicero, Tusc. V 3.8; Diogenes Laertius, Proem). The historical accuracy of the story is called into question by its appearance not in a historical or biographical text but rather in a dialogue that recounted Empedocles' revival of a woman who had stopped breathing. Moreover, the story depends on a conception of a philosopher as having no knowledge but being situated between ignorance and knowledge and striving for knowledge. Such a conception is thoroughly Platonic, however (see, e.g., Symposium 204A), and Burkert demonstrated that it could not belong to the historical Pythagoras (1960). For a recent attempt to defend at least the partial accuracy of the story, see Riedweg 2005: 90–97 and the response by Huffman 2008a:207–208; see also Zhmud 2012a, 428-430.
Even if he did not invent the word, what can we say about the philosophy of Pythagoras? For the reasons given in 1. The Pythagorean Question and 2. Sources above, any responsible account of Pythagoras' philosophy must be based in the first place on the evidence prior to Aristotle and in the second place on evidence that our sources explicitly identify as deriving from Aristotle's books on the Pythagoreans as well as from the books of his pupils such as Aristoxenus and Dicaearchus. There is general agreement as to what the pre-Aristotelian evidence is, although there are differences in interpretation of it. There is less agreement as to what should be included in Aristotle's, Dicaearchus' and Aristoxenus' evidence. What one includes as evidence from these authors will have a significant effect on one's picture of Pythagoras. One particularly pressing question is whether both chapters 18 and 19 of Porphyry's Life of Pythagoras should be regarded as deriving from Dicaearchus, as the most recent editor proposes (Mirhady Fr. 40), or whether only chapter 18 should be included, as in the earlier edition of Wehrli (Fr.33). It is crucial to decide this question before developing a picture of the philosophy of Pythagoras since chapter 19, if it is by Dicaearchus, is our earliest summary of Pythagorean philosophy. Porphyry is very reliable about quoting his sources. He explicitly cites Dicaearchus at the beginning of Chapter 18 and names Nicomachus as his source at the beginning of chapter 20. The material in chapter 19 follows seamlessly on chapter 18: the description of the speeches that Pythagoras gave upon his arrival in Croton in chapter 18 is followed in chapter 19 by an account of the disciples that he gained as the result of those speeches and a discussion of what he taught these disciples. Thus, the onus is on anyone who would claim that Porphyry changes sources before the explicit change at the beginning of chapter 20. Chapter 19 provides a very restrained account of what can be reliably known about Pythagoras' teachings and that very restraint is one of the strongest supporting arguments for its being based on Dicaearchus, since Porphyry or anyone else in the luxuriant later tradition would be expected to give a much more expanisve presentation of Pythagoras in accordance with the Neopythagorean view of him (Burkert 1972a, 122-123). Wehrli gives no reason for not including chapter 19 and the great majority of scholars accept it as being based on Dicaearchus (see the references in Burkert 1972a, 122, n.7). Zhmud (2012a, 157) following Philip (1966, 139) argues that the passage cannot derive from Dicaearchus, since it presents immortality of the soul with approval, whereas Dicaearchus did not accept its immortality. However, the passage merely reports that Pythagoras introduced the notion of the immortality of the soul without expressing approval or disapproval. Zhmud lists other features of the chapter that he regards as unparalleled in fourth-century sources (2012a, 157) but, since the evidence is so fragmentary, such arguments from silence can carry little weight. Nothing in the chapter is demonstrably late or inconsistent with Dicaearchus' authorship so we must follow what is suggested by the context in Porphyry and regard it as derived from Dicaearchus.
In the face of the Pythagorean question and the problems that arise even regarding the early sources, it is reasonable to wonder if we can say anything about Pythagoras. A minimalist might argue that the early evidence only allows us to conclude that Pythagoras was a historical figure who achieved fame for his wisdom but that it is impossible to determine in what that wisdom consisted. We might say that he was interested in the fate of the soul and taught a way of life, but we can say nothing precise about the nature of that life or what he taught about the soul (Lloyd 2014). There is some reason to believe, however, that something more than this can be said.
4.1 The Fate of the Soul—Metempsychosis
The earliest evidence makes clear that above all Pythagoras was known as an expert on the fate of our soul after death. Herodotus tells the story of the Thracian Zalmoxis, who taught his countrymen that they would never die but instead go to a place where they would eternally possess all good things (IV. 95). Among the Greeks the tradition arose that this Zalmoxis was the slave of Pythagoras. Herodotus himself thinks that Zalmoxis lived long before Pythagoras, but the Greeks' willingness to portray Zalmoxis as Pythagoras' slave shows that they thought of Pythagoras as the expert from whom Zalmoxis derived his teaching. Ion of Chios (5th c. BCE) says of Phercydes of Syros that “although dead he has a pleasant life for his soul, if Pythagoras is truly wise, who knew and learned wisdom beyond all men.” Here Pythagoras is again the expert on the life of the soul after death. A famous fragment of Xenophanes, Pythagoras' contemporary, provides some more specific information on what happens to the soul after death. He reports that “once when he [Pythagoras] was present at the beating of a puppy, he pitied it and said ‘stop, don't keep hitting him, since it is the soul of a man who is dear to me, which I recognized, when I heard it yelping’” (Fr. 7). Although Xenophanes clearly finds the idea ridiculous, the fragment shows that Pythagoras believed in metempsychosis or reincarnation, according to which human souls were reborn into other animals after death. This early evidence is emphatically confirmed by Dicaearchus in the fourth century, who first comments on the difficulty of determining what Pythagoras taught and then asserts that his most recognized doctrines were “that the soul is immortal and that it transmigrates into other kinds of animals” (Porphyry, VP 19). Unfortunately we can say little more about the details of Pythagoras' conception of metempsychosis. According to Herodotus, the Egyptians believed that the soul was reborn as every sort of animal before returning to human form after 3,000 years. Without naming names, he reports that some Greeks both earlier and later adopted this doctrine; this seems very likely to be a reference to Pythagoras (earlier) and perhaps Empedocles (later). Many doubt that Herodotus is right to assign metempsychosis to the Egyptians, since none of the other evidence we have for Egyptian beliefs supports his claim, but it is nonetheless clear that we cannot assume that Pythagoras accepted the details of the view Herodotus ascribes to them. Similarly both Empedocles (see Inwood 2001, 55–68) and Plato (e.g., Republic X and Phaedrus) provide a more detailed account of transmigration of souls, but neither of them ascribes these details to Pythagoras nor should we. Did he think that we ever escape the cycle of reincarnations? We simply do not know. The fragment of Ion quoted above may suggest that the soul could have a pleasant existence after death between reincarnations or even escape the cycle of reincarnation altogether, but the evidence is too weak to be confident in such a conclusion. In the fourth century several authors report that Pythagoras remembered his previous human incarnations, but the accounts do not agree on the details. Dicaearchus (Aulus Gellius IV. 11.14) and Heraclides (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 4) agree that he was the Trojan hero Euphorbus in a previous life. Dicaearchus continues the tradition of savage satire begun by Xenophanes, when he suggests that Pythagoras was the beautiful prostitute, Alco, in another incarnation (Huffman 2014b, 281-285).
It is not clear how Pythagoras conceived of the nature of the transmigrating soul but a few tentative conjectures can be made (Huffman 2009). Transmigration does not require that the soul be immortal; it could go through several incarnations before perishing. Dicaearchus explicitly says that Pythagoras regarded the soul as immortal, however, and this agrees with Herodotus' description of Zalmoxis' view. It is likely that he used the Greek word psychê to refer to the transmigrating soul, since this is the word used by all sources reporting his views, unlike Empedocles, who used daimon. His successor, Philoalus, uses psychê to refer not to a comprehensive soul but rather to just one psychic faculty, the seat of emotions, which is located in the heart along with the faculty of sensation (Philolaus, Fr. 13). This psychê is explicitly said by Philolaus to be shared with animals. Herodotus uses psychê in a similar way to refer to the seat of emotions. Thus it seems likely that Pythagoras too thought of the transmigrating psychê in this way. If so, it is unlikely that Pythagoras thought that humans could be reincarnated as plants, since psychê is not assigned to plants by Philolaus. It has often been assumed that the transmigrating soul is immaterial, but Philolaus seems to have a materialistic conception of soul and he may be following Pythagoras. Similarly, it is doubtful that Pythagoras thought of the transmigrating soul as a comprehensive soul that includes all psychic faculties. His ability to recognize something distinctive of his friend in the puppy (if this is not pushing the evidence of a joke too far) and to remember his own previous incarnations show that personal identity was preserved through incarnations. This personal identity could well be contained in the pattern of emotions, that constitute a person's character and that is preserved in the psychê and need not presuppose all psychic faculties. In Philolaus this psychê explicitly does not include the nous (intellect), which is not shared with animals. Thus, it would appear that what is shared with animals and which led Pythagoras to suppose that they had special kinship with human beings (Dicaearchus in Porphyry, VP 19) is not intellect, as some have supposed (Sorabji 1993, 78 and 208) but rather the ability to feel emotions such as pleasure and pain.
There are significant points of contact between the Greek religious movement known as Orphism and Pythagoreanism, but the evidence for Orphism is at least as problematic as that for Pythagoras and often complicates rather than clarifies our understanding of Pythagoras (Betegh 2014; Burkert 1972a, 125 ff.; Kahn 2002, 19–22; Riedweg 2002). There is some evidence that the Orphics also believed in metempsychosis and considerable debate has arisen as to whether they borrowed the doctrine from Pythagoras (Burkert 1972a, 133; Bremmer 2002, 24) or he borrowed it from them (Zhmud 2012a, 221-238). Dicaearchus says that Pythagoras was the first to introduce metempsychosis into Greece (Porphyry VP 19). Moreover, while Orphism presents a heavily moralized version of metempsychosis in accordance with which we are born again for punishment in this life so that our body is the prison of the soul while it undergoes punishment, it is not clear that the same was true in Pythagoreanism. It may be that rebirths in a series of animals and people were seen as a natural cycle of the soul (Zhmud 2012a, 232-233). One would expect that the Pythagorean way of life was connected to metempsychosis, which would in turn suggest that a certain reincarnation is a reward or punishment for following or not following the principles set out in that way of life. However, there is no unambiguous evidence connecting the Pythagorean way of life with metempsychosis.
It is crucial to recognize that most Greeks followed Homer in believing that the soul was an insubstantial shade, which lived a shadowy existence in the underworld after death, an existence so bleak that Achilles famously asserts that he would rather be the lowest mortal on earth than king of the dead (Homer, Odyssey XI. 489). Pythagoras' teachings that the soul was immortal, would have other physical incarnations and might have a good existence after death were striking innovations that must have had considerable appeal in comparison to the Homeric view. According to Dicaearchus, in addition to the immortality of the soul and reincarnation, Pythagoras believed that “after certain periods of time the things that have happened once happen again and nothing is absolutely new” (Porphyry, VP 19). This doctrine of “eternal recurrence” is also attested by Aristotle's pupil Eudemus, although he ascribes it to the Pythagoreans rather than to Pythagoras himself. (Fr. 88 Wehrli). The doctrine of transmigration thus seems to have been extended to include the idea that we and indeed the whole world will be reborn into lives that are exactly the same as those we are living and have already lived.
4.2 Pythagoras as a Wonder-worker
Some have wanted to relegate the more miraculous features of Pythagoras' persona to the later tradition, but these characteristics figure prominently in the earliest evidence and are thus central to understanding Pythagoras. Aristotle emphasized his superhuman nature in the following ways: there was a story that Pythagoras had a golden thigh (a sign of divinity); the Pythagoreans taught that “of rational beings, one sort is divine, one is human, and another such as Pythagoras” (Iamblichus, VP 31); Pythagoras was seen on the same day at the same time in both Metapontum and Croton; he killed a deadly snake by biting it; as he was crossing a river it spoke to him (all citations are from Aristotle, Fr. 191, unless otherwise noted). Aristotle reports that the people of Croton called Pythagoras the "Hyperborean Apollo" and Iamblichus' report (VP 140) that a priest from the land of the Hyperboreans, Abaris, visited Pythagoras and presented him with his arrow, a token of power, may well also go back to Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 143). Kingsley argues that the visit of Abaris is the key to understanding the identity and significance of Pythagoras. Abaris was a shaman from Mongolia (part of what the Greeks called Hyperborea), who recognized Pythagoras as an incarnation of Apollo. The stillness of ecstacy practiced by Abaris and handed on to Pythagoras is the foundation of all civilization. Abaris' visit to Pythagoras thus beomces the central moment when civilizing power is passed from East to West (Kingsley 2010).
Whether or not one accepts this account of Pythagoras and his relation to Abaris, there is a clear parallel for some of the remarkable abilities of Pythagoras in the later figure of Empedocles, who promises to teach his pupils to control the winds and bring the dead back to life (Fr. 111). There are recognizable traces of this tradition about Pythagoras even in the pre-Aristotelian evidence, and his wonder-working clearly evoked diametrically opposed reactions. Heraclitus' description of Pythagoras as “the chief of the charlatans” (Fr. 81) and of his wisdom as “fraudulent art” (Fr. 129) is most easily understood as an unsympathetic reference to his miracles. Empedocles, on the other hand, is clearly sympathetic to Pythagoras, when he describes him as “ a man who knew remarkable things” and who “possessed the greatest wealth of intelligence” and again probably makes reference to his wonder-working by calling him “accomplished in all sorts of wise deeds”(Fr. 129). In Herodotus' report, Zalmoxis, whom some of the Greeks identified as the slave and pupil of Pythagoras, tried to gain authority for his teachings about the fate of the soul by claiming to have journeyed to the next world (IV. 95). The skeptical tradition represented in Herodotus' report treats this as a ruse on Zalmoxis' part; he had not journeyed to the next world but had in reality hidden in an underground dwelling for three years. Similarly Pythagoras may have claimed authority for his teachings concerning the fate of our soul on the basis of his remarkable abilities and experiences, and there is some evidence that he too claimed to have journeyed to the underworld and that this journey may have been transferred from Pythagoras to Zalmoxis (Burkert 1972a,154 ff.).
4.3 The Pythagorean Way of Life
The testimony of both Plato (R. 600a) and Isocrates (Busiris 28) shows that Pythagoras was above all famous for having left behind him a way of life, which still had adherents in the fourth century over 100 years after his death. It is plausible to assume that many features of this way of life were designed to insure the best possible future reincarnations, but it is important to remember that nothing in the early evidence connects the way of life to reincarnation in any specific fashion.
One of the clearest strands in the early evidence for Pythagoras is his expertise in religious ritual. Isocrates emphasizes that “he more conspicuously than others paid attention to sacrifices and rituals in temples” (Busiris 28). Herodotus gives an example: the Pythagoreans agree with the Egyptians in not allowing the dead to be buried in wool (II. 81). It is not surprising that Pythagoras, as an expert on the fate of the soul after death. should also be an expert on the religious rituals surrounding death. A significant part of the Pythagorean way of life thus consisted in the proper observance of religious ritual. One major piece of evidence for this emphasis on ritual is the symbola or acusmata (“things heard”), short maxims that were handed down orally. The earliest source to quote acusmata is Aristotle, in the fragments of his now lost treatise on the Pythagoreans. It is not always possible to be certain which of the acusmata quoted in the later tradition go back to Aristotle and which of the ones that do go back to Pythagoras. Most of Iamblichus' examples in sections 82–86 of On the Pythagorean Life, however, appear to derive from Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 166 ff.), and many are in accord with the early evidence we have for Pythagoras' interest in ritual. Thus the acusmata advise Pythagoreans to pour libations to the gods from the ear (i.e., the handle) of the cup, to refrain from wearing the images of the gods on their fingers, not to sacrifice a white cock, and to sacrifice and enter the temple barefoot. A number of these practices can be paralleled in Greek mystery religions of the day (Burkert 1972a, 177). Indeed, it is important to emphasize that Pythagoreanism was not a religion and there were no specific Pythagorean rites (Burkert 1985, 302). Pythagoras rather taught a way of life that emphasized certain aspects of traditional Greek religion.
A second characteristic of the Pythagorean way of life was the emphasis on dietary restrictions. There is no direct evidence for these restrictions in the pre-Aristotelian evidence, but both Aristotle and Aristoxenus discuss them extensively. Unfortunately the evidence is contradictory and it is difficult to establish any points with certainty. One might assume that Pythagoras advocated vegetarianism on the basis of his belief in metempsychosis, as did Empedocles after him (Fr. 137). Indeed, the fourth-century mathematician and philosopher Eudoxus says that “he not only abstained from animal food but would also not come near butchers and hunters” (Porphyry, VP 7). According to Dicaearchus, one of Pythagoras' most well-known doctrines was that “all animate beings are of the same family” (Porphyry, VP 19), which suggests that we should be as hesitant about eating other animals as other humans. Unfortunately, Aristotle reports that “the Pythagoreans refrain from eating the womb and the heart, the sea anemone and some other such things but use all other animal food” (Aulus Gellius IV. 11. 11–12). This makes it sound as if Pythagoras forbade the eating of just certain parts of animals and certain species of animals rather than all animals; such specific prohibitions are easy to parallel elsewhere in Greek ritual (Burkert 1972a, 177). Aristoxenus asserts that Pythagoras only refused to eat plough oxen and rams (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 20) and that he was fond of young kids and suckling pigs as food (Aulus Gellius IV. 11. 6). Some have tried to argue that Aristoxenus is refashioning Pythagoreanism in order to make it more rational (e.g., Kahn 2001, 70; Zhmud 2012b, 228), but Aristoxenus, in fact, recognizes the non-rational dimension of Pythagoreanism and Pythagoras' eating of kids and suckling pigs may itself have religious motivations (Huffman 2012b). Moreover, even if Aristoxenus' evidence were set aside Aristotle's testimony and many of the acusmata indicate that Pythagoras ate some meat. Certainly animal sacrifice was the central act of Greek religious worship and to abolish it completely would be a radical step. The acusma reported by Aristotle, in response to the question “what is most just?” has Pythagoras answer “to sacrifice” (Iamblichus, VP 82). Based on the direct evidence for Pythagoras' practice in Aristotle and Aristoxenus, it seems most prudent to conclude that he did not forbid the eating of all animal food. The later tradition proposes a number of ways to reconcile metempsychosis with the eating of some meat. Pythagoras may have adopted one of these positions, but no certainty is possible. For example, he may have argued that it was legitimate to kill and eat sacrificial animals, on the grounds that the souls of men do not enter into these animals (Iamblichus, VP 85). Perhaps the most famous of the Pythagorean dietary restrictions is the prohibition on eating beans, which is first attested by Aristotle and assigned to Pythagoras himself (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 34). Aristotle suggests a number of explanations including one that connects beans with Hades, hence suggesting a possible connection with the doctrine of metempsychosis. A number of later sources suggest that it was believed that souls returned to earth to be reincarnated through beans (Burkert 1972a, 183). There is also a physiological explanation. Beans, which are difficult to digest, disturb our abilities to concentrate. Moreover, the beans involved are a European vetch (Vicia faba) rather than the beans commonly eaten today. Certain people with an inherited blood abnormality develop a serious disorder called favism, if they eat these beans or even inhale their pollen. Aristoxenus interestingly denies that Pythagoras forbade the eating of beans and says that “he valued it most of all vegetables, since it was digestible and laxative” (Aulus Gellius IV. 11.5). The discrepancies between the various fourth-century accounts of the Pythagorean way of life suggest that there were disputes among fourth-century Pythagoreans as to the proper way of life and as to the teachings of Pythagoras himself.
The acusmata indicate that the Pythagorean way of life embodied a strict regimen not just regarding religious ritual and diet but also in almost every aspect of life. Some of the restrictions appear to be largely arbitrary taboos, e.g., “one must put the right shoe on first” or “one must not travel the public roads” (Iamblichus, VP 83, probably from Aristotle). On the other hand, some aspects of the Pythagorean life involved a moral discipline that was greatly admired, even by outsiders. Pythagorean silence is an important example. Isocrates reports that even in the fourth century people “marvel more at the silence of those who profess to be his pupils than at those who have the greatest reputation for speaking” (Busiris 28). The ability to remain silent was seen as important training in self-control, and the later tradition reports that those who wanted to become Pythagoreans had to observe a five-year silence (Iamblichus, VP 72). Isocrates is contrasting the marvelous self-control of Pythagorean silence with the emphasis on public speaking in traditional Greek education. Pythagoreans also displayed great loyalty to their friends as can be seen in Aristoxenus' story of Damon who is willing to stand surety for his friend Phintias, who has been sentenced to death (Iamblichus, VP 233 ff.). In addition to silence as a moral discipline, there is evidence that secrecy was kept about certain of the teachings of Pythagoras. Aristoxenus reports that the Pythagoreans thought that “not all things were to be spoken to all people” (Diogenes Laertius, VIII. 15), but this may only apply to teaching and mean that children should not be taught all things (Zhmud 2012a, 155). Clearer evidence is found in Dicaearchus' complaint that it is not easy to say what Pythagoras taught his pupils because they observed no ordinary silence about it (Porphyry, VP 19). Indeed, one would expect that an exclusive society such as that of the Pythagoreans would have secret doctrines and symbols. Aristotle says that the Pythagoreans “guarded among their very secret doctrines that one type of rational being is divine, one human, and one such as Pythagoras” (Iamblichus, VP 31). That there should be secret teachings about the special nature and authority of the master is not surprising. This does not mean, however, that all Pythagorean philosophy was secret. Aristotle discusses the fifth-century metaphysical system of Philolaus in some detail with no hint that there was anything secret about it, and Plato's discussion of Pythagorean harmonic theory in Book VII of the Republic gives no suggestion of any secrecy. Aristotle singles out the acusma quoted above (Iamblichus, VP 31) as secret, but this statement in itself implies that others were not. The idea that all of Pythagoras' teachings were secret was used in the later tradition to explain the lack of Pythagorean writings and to try to validate forged documents as recently discovered secret treatises. For a sceptical evaluation of Pythagorean secrecy see Zhmud 2012a, 150-158.
There is some controversy as to whether Pythagoras, in fact, taught a way of life governed in great detail by the acusmata as described above. Plato praises the Pythagorean way of life in the Republic (600b), but it is hard to imagine him admiring the set of taboos found in the acusmata (Lloyd 2014, 44; Zhmud 2012a). Although acusmata were collected already by Anaximander of Miletus the younger (ca. 400 BCE) and by Aristotle in the fourth century, Zhmud (2012a, 177-178 and 192-205) argues that very few of these embody specifically Pythagorean ideas and that it is difficult to imagine anyone following this bewildering set of rules literally as Burkert argues (1972a, 191). However, the early evidence suggests that Pythagoras largely constructed the acusmata out of ideas collected from others (Thom 2013; Huffman 2008b: Gemelli Marciano 2002), so it is no surprise that many of them are not uniquely Pythagorean. Moreover, Thom suggests a middle ground between Zhmud and Burkert whereby, contra Zhmud, most of the acusmata were followed by the Pythagoreans but contra Burkert, they were subject to interpretation from the beginning and not followed literally, so that it is possible to imagine people living according to them (Thom, 2013). It is true that there is little if any fifth- and fourth-century evidence for Pythagoreans living according to the acusmata and Zhmud argues that the undeniable political impact of the Pythagoreans would be inexplicable if they lived the heavily ritualized life of the acusmata, which would inevitably isolate them from society (Zhmud 2012a, 175-183). He suggests that the Pythagorean way of life differed little from standard aristocratic morality (Zhmud 2012a, 175). If, however, the Pythagorean way of life was little out of the ordinary, why do Plato and Isocrates specifically comment on how distinctive those who followed it were? The silence of fifth-century sources about people practicing acusmata is not terribly surprising given the very meager sources for the Greek cities in southern Italy in the period. Why not suppose that the vast majority of names in Aristoxenus' catalogue of Pythagoreans, who are not associated with any political, philosophical or scientific accomplishment, who are just names to us, are preceisely those who were Pythagoreans because they followed the Pythagorean way of life? We would then have lots of people who followed the acusmata (166 of the 222 name in the catalogue appear nowhere else). This suspicion is confirmed by the fact that one of the names from Arsitoxenus' catalogue (Hippomedon of Argos) is elsewhere (Iamblichus, On the Pythagorean Life, 87) explicitly said to belong the acusmatici. Moreover, other scholars argue that archaic Greek society in southern Italy was pervaded by religion and the presence of similar precepts in authors such as Hesiod show that adherence to taboos such as are found in the acusmata would not have caused a scandal and adherence to many of them would have gone unobserved by outsiders (Gemelli Marciano 2014, 133-134).
Once again a problem of source criticism raises its head. Zhmud argues that the split between acusmatici who blindly followed the acusmata and the mathematici who learned the reasons for them (see the fifth paragraph of section 5 below) is a creation of the later tradition, appearing first in Clement of Alexandria and disappearing after Iamblichus (Zhmud 2012a, 169-192). He also notes that the term acusmata appears first in Iamblichus (On the Pythagorean Life 82-86) and suggests that it is also a creation of the later tradition. The Pythagorean maxims did exist earlier, as the testimony of Aristotle shows, but they were known as symbola, were originally very few in number and were mainly a literary phenomena rather than being tied to people who actually practiced them (Zhmud 2012a, 192-205). However, several scholars have argued that the passages in which the split between the acusmatici and mathematici is described as well as the passage in which the term acusmata is used, in fact, go back to Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 196; see Burkert 1998, 315 where he comments that the Aristotelian provenance of the text is "as obvious as it is unprovable") and even Zhmud recognizes that a large part of the material in Iamblichus is derived from Aristotle (2012a, 170). Indeed, the description of the split in what is likely to be the original version (Iamblichus, On General Mathematical Science 76.16-77.18 Festa) uses language in describing the Pythagoreans that is almost an Aristotelian signature, “There are two forms of the Italian philosophy which is called Pythagorean” (76.16). Aristotle famously describes the Pythagoreans as “those called Pythagoreans” and also describes them as “the Italians” (e.g., Mete. 342b30, Cael. 293a20). So the question of whether Pythagoras taught a way of life tightly governed by the acusmata turns again on whether key passages in Iamblichus (On the Pythagorean Life 81-87, On General Mathematical Science 76.16-77.18 Festa) go back to Aristotle. If they do, we have very good reason to believe that Pythagoras taught such a life, if they do not the issue is less clear.
The testimony of fourth-century authors such as Aristoxenus and Dicaearchus indicates that the Pythagoreans also had an important impact on the politics and society of the Greek cities in southern Italy. Dicaearchus reports that, upon his arrival in Croton, Pythagoras gave a speech to the elders and that the leaders of the city then asked him to speak to the young men of the town, the boys and the women (Porphyry, VP 18). Women, indeed, may have played an unusually large role in Pythagoreanism (see Rowett 2014, 122-123), since both Timaeus and Dicaearchus report on the fame of Pythagorean women including Pythagoras' daughter (Porphyry, VP 4 and 19). The acusmata teach men to honor their wives and to beget children in order to insure worship for the gods (Iamblichus, VP 84–6). Dicaearchus reports that the teaching of Pythagoras was largely unknown, so that Dicaearchus cannot have known of the content of the speech to the women or of any of the other speeches; the speeches presented in Iamblichus (VP 37–57) are thus likely to be later forgeries (Burkert 1972a, 115), but there is early evidence that he gave different speeches to different groups (Antisthenes V A 187). The attacks on the Pythagoreans both in Pythagoras' own day and in the middle of the fifth century are presented by Dicaearchus and Aristoxenus as having a wide-reaching impact on Greek society in southern Italy; the historian Polybius (II. 39) reports that the deaths of the Pythagoreans meant that “the leading citizens of each city were destroyed,” which clearly indicates that many Pythagoreans had positions of political authority. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that Plato explicitly presents Pythagoras as a private rather than a public figure (R. 600a). It seems most likely that the Pythagorean societies were in essence private associations but that they also could function as political clubs (see Zhmud 2012a, 141-148), while not being a political party in the modern sense; their political impact should perhaps be better compared to modern fraternal organizations such as the Masons. Thus, the Pythagoreans did not rule as a group but had political impact through individual members who gained positions of authority in the Greek city-states in southern Italy. See further Burkert 1972a, 115 ff., von Fritz 1940, Minar 1942 and Rowett 2014.
5. Was Pythagoras a Mathematician or Cosmologist?
In the modern world Pythagoras is most of all famous as a mathematician, because of the theorem named after him, and secondarily as a cosmologist, because of the striking view of a universe ascribed to him in the later tradition, in which the heavenly bodies produce “the music of the spheres” by their movements. It should be clear from the discussion above that, while the early evidence shows that Pythagoras was indeed one of the most famous early Greek thinkers, there is no indication in that evidence that his fame was primarily based on mathematics or cosmology. Neither Plato nor Aristotle treats Pythagoras as having contributed to the development of Presocratic cosmology, although Aristotle in particular discusses the topic in some detail in the first book of the Metaphysics and elsewhere. Aristotle evidently knows of no cosmology of Pythagoras that antedates the cosmological system of the “so-called Pythagoreans,” which he dates to the middle of the fifth century, and which is found in the fragments of Philolaus. There is also no mention of Pythagoras' work in geometry or of the Pythagorean theorem in the early evidence. Dicaearchus comments that “what he said to his associates no one can say reliably,” but then identifies four doctrines that became well known: 1) that the soul is immortal; 2) that it transmigrates into other kinds of animals; 3) that after certain intervals the things that have happened once happen again, so that nothing is completely new; 4) that all animate beings belong to the same family (Porphyry, VP 19). Thus, for Dicaearchus too, it is not as a mathematician or Presocratic writer on nature that Pythagoras is famous. It might not be too surprising that Plato, Aristotle and Dicaearchus do not mention Pythagoras' work in mathematics, because they are not primarily dealing with the history of mathematics. On the other hand, Aristotle's pupil Eudemus did write a history of geometry in the fourth century and what we find in Eudemus is very significant. A substantial part of Eudemus' overview of the early history of Greek geometry is preserved in the prologue to Proclus' commentary on Book One of Euclid's Elements (p. 65, 12 ff.), which was written much later, in the fifth century CE. At first sight, it appears that Eudemus did assign Pythagoras a significant place in the history of geometry. Eudemus is reported as beginning with Thales and an obscure figure named Mamercus, but the third person mentioned by Proclus in this report is Pythagoras, immediately before Anaxagoras. There is no mention of the Pythagorean theorem, but Pythagoras is said to have transformed the philosophy of geometry into a form of liberal education, to have investigated its theorems in an immaterial and intellectual way and specifically to have discovered the study of irrational magnitudes and the construction of the five regular solids. Unfortunately close examination of the section on Pythagoras in Proclus' prologue reveals numerous difficulties and shows that it comes not from Eudemus but from Iamblichus with some additions by Proclus himself (Burkert 1972a, 409 ff.). The first clause is taken word for word from Iamblichus' On Common Mathematical Science (p. 70.1 Festa). Proclus elsewhere quotes long passages from Iamblichus and is doing the same here. As Burkert points out, however, as soon as we recognize that Proclus has inserted a passage from Iamblichus into Eudemus' history, we must also recognize that Proclus was driven to do so by the lack of any mention of Pythagoras in Eudemus. Even those who want to assign Pythagoras a larger role in early Greek mathematics recognize that most of what Proclus says here cannot go back to Eudemus (Zhmud 2012a, 263-266). Thus, not only is Pythagoras not commonly known as a geometer in the time of Plato and Aristotle, but also the most authoritative history of early Greek geometry assigns him no role in the history of geometry in the overview preserved in Proclus. According to Proclus, Eudemus did report that two propositions, which are later found in Euclid's Elements, were discoveries of the Pythagoreans (Proclus 379 and 419). Eudemus does not assign the discoveries to any specific Pythagorean, and they are hard to date. The discoveries might be as early as Hippasus in the middle of the fifth century, who is associated with a group of Pythagoreans known as the mathematici, who arose after Pythagoras' death (see below). The crucial point to note is that Eudemus does not assign these discoveries to Pythagoras himself. The first Pythagorean whom we can confidently identify as an accomplished mathematician is Archytas in the late fifth and the first half of the fourth century.
Are we to conclude, then, that Pythagoras had nothing to do with mathematics or cosmology? The evidence is not quite that simple. The tradition regarding Pythagoras' connection to the Pythagorean theorem reveals the complexity of the problem. None of the early sources, including Plato, Aristotle and their pupils shows any knowledge of Pythagoras' connection to the theorem. Almost a thousand years later, in the fifth century CE, Proclus, in his commentary on Euclid's proof of the theorem (Elements I. 47), gives the following report: “If we listen to those who wish to investigate ancient history, it is possible to find them referring this theorem back to Pythagoras and saying that he sacrificed an ox upon its discovery” (426.6). Proclus gives no indication of his source, but a number of other late reports (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 12; Athenaeus 418f; Plutarch, Moralia 1094b) show that it ultimately relied on two lines of verse whose context is unknown: “When Pythagoras found that famous diagram, in honor of which he offered a glorious sacrifice of oxen...” The author of these verses is variously identified as Apollodorus the calculator or Apollodorus the arithmetician. This Apollodorus probably dates before Cicero, who alludes to the story (On the Nature of the Gods III. 88), and, if he can be identified with Apollodorus of Cyzicus, the follower of Democritus, the story would go back to the fourth century BCE (Burkert 1972a, 428). Two lines of poetry of indeterminate date are obviously a very slender support upon which to base Pythagoras' reputation as a geometer, but they cannot be simply ignored. Several things need to be noted about this tradition, however, in order to understand its true significance. First, Proclus does not ascribe a proof of the theorem to Pythagoras but rather goes on to contrast Pythagoras as one of those “knowing the truth of the theorem” with Euclid who not only gave the proof found in Elements I.47 but also a more general proof in VI. 31. Although a number of modern scholars have speculated on what sort of proof Pythagoras might have used (e.g., Heath 1956, 352 ff.), it is important to note that there is not a jot of evidence for a proof by Pythagoras; what we know of the history of Greek geometry makes such a proof by Pythagoras improbable, since the first work on the elements of geometry, upon which a rigorous proof would be based, is not attested until Hippocrates of Chios, who was active after Pythagoras in the latter part of the fifth century (Proclus, A Commentary on the First Book of Euclid's Elements, 66). All that this tradition ascribes to Pythagoras, then, is discovery of the truth contained in the theorem. The truth may not have been in general form but rather focused on the simplest such triangle (with sides 3, 4 and 5), pointing out that such a triangle and all others like it will have a right angle. Modern scholarship has shown, moreover, that the truth of the theorem as an arithmetical technique, once again without proof, was known before Pythagoras among the Babylonians (Burkert 1972a, 429), so it is possible that Pythagoras just passed on to the Greeks a truth that he learned from the East. The emphasis in the two lines of verse is not just on Pythagoras' discovery of the truth of the theorem, it is as much or more on his sacrifice of oxen in honor of the discovery. We are probably supposed to imagine that the sacrifice was not of a single ox; Apollodorus describes it as “a famous sacrifice of oxen” and Diogenes Laertius paraphrases this as a hecatomb, which need not be, as it literally says, a hundred oxen, but still suggests a large number. Some have wanted to doubt the whole story, including the discovery of the theorem, because it conflicts with Pythagoras' supposed vegetarianism, but it is far from clear to what extent he was a vegetarian (see above). If the story is to have any force and if it dates to the fourth century, it shows that Pythagoras was famous for a connection to a certain piece of geometrical knowledge, but it also shows that he was famous for his enthusiastic response to that knowledge, as evidenced in his sacrifice of oxen, not for any geometric proof. What emerges from this evidence, then, is not Pythagoras as the master geometer, who provides rigorous proofs, but rather Pythagoras as someone who recognizes and celebrates certain geometrical relationships as of high importance.
It is striking that a very similar picture of Pythagoras emerges from the evidence for his cosmology. A famous discovery is attributed to Pythagoras in the later tradition, i.e., that the central musical concords (the octave, fifth and fourth) correspond to the whole number ratios 2 : 1, 3 : 2 and 4 : 3 respectively (e.g., Nicomachus, Handbook 6 = Iamblichus, On the Pythagorean Life 115). The only early source to associate Pythagoras with the whole number ratios that govern the concords is Xenocrates (Fr. 9) in the early Academy, but the early Academy is precisely one source of the later exaggerated tradition about Pythagoras (see above). One story has it that Pythagoras passed by a blacksmith's shop and heard the concords in the sounds of the hammers striking the anvil and then discovered that the sounds made by hammers whose weights are in the ratio 2 : 1 will be an octave apart, etc. Unfortunately, the stories of Pythagoras' discovery of these relationships are clearly false, since none of the techniques for the discovery ascribed to him would, in fact, work (e.g., the pitch of sounds produced by hammers is not directly proportional to their weight: see Burkert 1972a, 375). An experiment ascribed to Hippasus, who was active in the first half of the fifth century, after Pythagoras' death, would have worked, and thus we can trace the scientific verification of the discovery at least to Hippasus; knowledge of the relation between whole number ratios and the concords is clearly found in the fragments of Philolaus (Fr. 6a, Huffman), in the second half of the fifth century. There is some evidence that the truth of the relationship was already known to Pythagoras' contemporary, Lasus, who was not a Pythagorean (Burkert 1972a, 377). It may be once again that Pythagoras knew of the relationship without either having discovered it or having demonstrated it scientifically. The relationship was probably first discovered by instrument makers, and specifically makers of wind instruments rather than stringed instruments (Barker 2014, 202). The acusmata reported by Aristotle, which may go back to Pythagoras, report the following question and answer “What is the oracle at Delphi? The tetraktys, which is the harmony in which the Sirens sing” (Iamblichus, On the Pythagorean Life, 82, probably derived from Aristotle). The tetraktys, literally “the four,” refers to the first four numbers, which when added together equal the number ten, which was regarded as the perfect number in fifth-century Pythagoreanism. Here in the acusmata, these four numbers are identified with one of the primary sources of wisdom in the Greek world, the Delphic oracle. In the later tradition the tetraktys is treated as the summary of all Pythagorean wisdom, since the Pythagoreans swore oaths by Pythagoras as “the one who handed down the tetraktys to our generation.” The tetraktys can be connected to the music which the Sirens sing in that all of the ratios that correspond to the basic concords in music (octave, fifth and fourth) can be expressed as whole number ratios of the first four numbers. This acusma thus seems to be based on the knowledge of the relationship between the concords and the whole number ratios. The picture of Pythagoras that emerges from the evidence is thus not of a mathematician, who offered rigorous proofs, or of a scientist, who carried out experiments to discover the nature of the natural world, but rather of someone who sees special significance in and assigns special prominence to mathematical relationships that were in general circulation. This is the context in which to understand Aristoxenus' remark that “Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers” (Fr. 23, Wehrli). Some might suppose that this is a reference to a rigorous treatment of arithmetic, such as that hypothesized by Becker (1936), who argued that Euclid IX. 21–34 was a self-contained unit that represented a deductive theory of odd and even numbers developed by the Pythagoreans (see Mueller 1997, 296 ff. and Burkert 1972a, 434 ff.). It is crucial to recognize, however, that Becker's reconstruction is rejected in some recent scholarship (e.g., Netz 2014, 179) and no ancient source assigns it even to the Pythagoreans, let alone to Pythagoras himself. There is, moreover, no talk of mathematical proof or a deductive system in the passage from Aristoxenus just quoted. Pythagoras is known for the honor he gives to number and for removing it from the practical realm of trade and instead pointing to correspondences between the behavior of number and the behavior of things. Such correspondences were highlighted in Aristotle's book on the Pythagoreans, e.g., the female is likened to the number two and the male to the number three and their sum, five, is likened to marriage (Aristotle, Fr. 203).
What then was the nature of Pythagoras' cosmos? The doxographical tradition reports that Pythagoras discovered the sphericity of the earth, the five celestial zones and the identity of the evening and morning star (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 48, Aetius III.14.1, Diogenes Laertius IX. 23). In each case, however, Burkert has shown that these reports seem to be false and the result of the glorification of Pythagoras in the later tradition, since the earliest and most reliable evidence assigns these same discoveries to someone else (1972a, 303 ff.). Thus, Theophrastus, who is the primary basis of the doxographical tradition, says that it was Parmenides who discovered the sphericity of the earth (Diogenes Laertius VIII. 48). Parmenides is also identified as the discoverer of the identity of the morning and evening star (Diogenes Laertius IX. 23), and Pythagoras' claim appears to be based on a poem forged in his name, which was rejected already by Callimachus in the third century BCE (Burkert 1972a, 307). The identification of the five celestial zones depends on the discovery of the obliquity of the ecliptic, and some of the doxography duly assigns this discovery to Pythagoras as well and claims that Oenopides stole it from Pythagoras (Aetius II.12.2); the history of astronomy by Aristotle's pupil Eudemus, our most reliable source, seems to attribute the discovery to Oenopides (there are problems with the text), however (Eudemus, Fr. 145 Wehrli). It thus appears that the later tradition, finding no evidence for Pythagoras' cosmology in the early evidence, assigned the discoveries of Parmenides back to Pythagoras, encouraged by traditions which made Parmenides the pupil of Pythagoras. In the end, there is no evidence for Pythagoras' cosmology in the early evidence, beyond what can be reconstructed from acusmata. As was shown above, Pythagoras saw the cosmos as structured according to number insofar as the tetraktys is the source of all wisdom. His cosmos was also imbued with a moral significance, which is in accordance with his beliefs about reincarnation and the fate of the soul (West 1971, 215-216; Huffman 2013, 60-68). Thus, in answer to the question “What are the Isles of the Blest?” (where we might hope to go, if we lived a good life), the answer is “the sun and the moon.” Again “the planets are the hounds of Persephone,” i.e., the planets are agents of vengeance for wrong done (Aristotle in Porphyry VP 41). Aristotle similarly reports that for the Pythagoreans thunder “is a threat to those in Tartarus, so that they will be afraid” (Posterior Analytics 94b) and another acusma says that “an earthquake is nothing other than a meeting of the dead” (Aelian, Historical Miscellany, IV. 17). Zhmud calls these cosmological acusmata into question (2012a, 329-330), noting that some only appear in Porphyry, but Porphyry explicitly identifies Aristotle as his source and we have no reason to doubt him (VP 41). Pythagoras' cosmos embodied mathematical relationships that had a basis in fact and combined them with moral ideas tied to the fate of the soul. The best analogy for the type of account of the cosmos which Pythagoras gave might be some of the myths which appear at the end of Platonic dialogues such as the Phaedo, Gorgias or Republic, where cosmology has a primarily moral purpose. Should the doctrine of the harmony of the spheres be assigned to Pythagoras? Certainly the acusma which talks of the sirens singing in the harmony represented by the tetraktys suggests that there might have been a cosmic music and that Pythagoras may well have thought that the heavenly bodies, which we see move across the sky at night, made music by their motions. On the other hand, there is no evidence for “the spheres,” if we mean by that a cosmic model according to which each of the heavenly bodies is associated with a series of concentric circular orbits, a model which is at least in part designed to explain celestical phenomena. The first such cosmic model in the Pythagorean tradition is that of Philolaus in the second half of the fifth century, a model which still shows traces of the connection to the moral cosmos of Pythagoras in its account of the counter-earth and the central fire (see Philolaus).
If Pythagoras was primarily a figure of religious and ethical significance, who left behind an influential way of life and for whom number and cosmology primarily had significance in this religious and moral context, how are we to explain the prominence of rigorous mathematics and mathematical cosmology in later Pythagoreans such as Philolaus and Archytas? It is important to note that this is not just a question asked by modern scholars but was already a central question in the fourth century BCE. What is the connection between Pythagoras and fifth-century Pythagoreans? The question is implicit in Aristotle's description of the fifth-century Pythagoreans such as Philolaus as “the so-called Pythagoreans.” This expression is most easily understood as expressing Aristotle's recognition that these people were called Pythagoreans and at the same time his puzzlement as to what connection there could be between the wonder-worker who promulgated the acusmata, which his researches show Pythagoras to have been, and the philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds put forth in fifth-century Pythagoreanism. The tradition of a split between two groups of Pythagoreans in the fifth century, the mathematici and the acusmatici, points to the same puzzlement. The evidence for this split is quite confused in the later tradition, but Burkert (1972a, 192 ff.) has shown that the original and most objective account of the split is found in a passage of Aristotle's book on the Pythagoreans, which is preserved in Iamblichus (On Common Mathematical Science, 76.19 ff). The acusmatici, who are clearly connected by their name to the acusmata, are recognized by the other group, the mathematici, as genuine Pythagoreans, but the acusmatici do not regard the philosophy of the mathematici as deriving from Pythagoras but rather from Hippasus. The mathematici appear to have argued that, while the acusmatici were indeed Pythagoreans, it was the mathematici who were the true Pythagoreans; Pythagoras gave the acusmata to those who did not have the time to study the mathematical sciences, so that they would at least have moral guidance, while to those who had the time to fully devote themselves to Pythagoreanism he gave training in the mathematical sciences, which explained the reasons for this guidance. This tradition thus shows that all agreed that the acusmata represented the teaching of Pythagoras, but that some regarded the mathematical work associated with the mathematici as not deriving from Pythagoras himself, but rather from Hippasus (on the controversy about the evidence for this split into two groups of Pythagoreans see the fifth paragraph of section 4.3 above). For fourth-century Greeks as for modern scholars, the question is whether the mathematical and scientific side of later Pythagoreanism derived from Pythagoras or not. If there were no intelligible way to understand how later Pythagoreanism could have arisen out of the Pythagoreanism of the acusmata, the puzzle of Pythagoras' relation to the later tradition would be insoluble. The cosmos of the acusmata, however, clearly shows a belief in a world structured according to mathematics, and some of the evidence for this belief may have been drawn from genuine mathematical truths such as those embodied in the “Pythagorean” theorem and the relation of whole number ratios to musical concords. Even if Pythagoras' cosmos was of primarily moral and symbolic significance, these strands of mathematical truth, which were woven into it, would provide the seeds from which later Pythagoreanism grew. Philolaus' cosmos and his metaphysical system, in which all things arise from limiters and unlimiteds and are known through numbers, are not stolen from Pythagoras. They embody a conception of mathematics, which owes much to the more rigorous mathematics of Hippocrates of Chios in the middle of the fifth century; the contrast between limiter and unlimited makes most sense after Parmenides' emphasis on the role of limit in the first part of the fifth century. Philolaus' system is nonetheless an intelligible development of the reverence for mathematical truth found in Pythagoras' own cosmological scheme, which is embodied in the acusmata.
The picture of Pythagoras presented above is inevitably based on crucial decisions about sources and has been recently challenged in a searching critique (Zhmud 2012a). Zhmud argues that the consensus view of Pythagoras' cosmos as presented above is based on the faulty assumption that there was a progression from myth and religion to reason and science in Pythagoreanism. In many cases, he argues, the evidence suggests that early Pythagoreanism was more scientific and that religious and mythic elements only gained in importance in the later tradition. The consensus picture of Pythagoras' cosmos assigns number symbolism a central role and treats the tetraktys, the first four numbers, which total to the perfect number ten, as a central concept. Zhmud argues that the tetraktys and the importance of the number ten do not go back to Pythagoras but flourish in the Neopythagorean tradition, while having roots in number speculation in the Academy associated with such figures as Plato's successor Speusippus. One of the central pieces of evidence for this view is that the tetraktys does not first appear until late in the tradition, in Aetius in the first century CE (DK 1.3.8). However, the tetraktys does appear in one of the acusmata in a section (82) of Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life that is commonly regarded as deriving from Aristotle. Zhmud himself agrees that sections 82-86 of On the Pythagorean Life as a whole go back to Aristotle but suggests that the acusma about the tetraktys was a post-Aristotelian addition (2012a, 300-303). Once again source criticism is crucial. If the acusma in question goes back to Aristotle then there is good evidence for the tetraktys in early Pythagoreanism. If we regard it as a later insertion into Aristotelian material, the early Pythagorean credentials of the tetraktys are less clear.
Zhmud supports Pythagoras' position as genuine mathematician rather than someone interested only in number symbolism by pointing to gaps in the development of early Greek mathematics. Although there is no explicit evidence, Pythagoras is the most likely candidate to fill these gaps. Thus between Thales, whom Eudemus identifies as the first geometer, and Hippocrates of Chios, who produced the first Elements, someone turned geometry into a deductive science (Zhmud 2012a, 256). Similarly, Hippasus' experiment with bronze disks to show that the concordant intervals of the octave, fifth and fourth were governed by whole number ratios is too complex to be a first attempt so that once again someone must have discovered the ratios in a simpler way earlier (Zhmud 2012a, 291). In each case Zhmud suggests that Pythagoras is that someone. Finally, the study of proportion ties together airthmetic, geometry and harmonics and Zhmud argues that, although there is no explicit fourth-century evidence, later reports which assign Pythagoras the discovery of the first three proportions (Iamblichus, Commentary on Nicomachus' Introduction to Arithmetic 100.19–101.11) are likely to go back to Eudemus (2012a, 265-266). Such speculations have some plausibility but they highlight even more the puzzle as to why, if Pythagoras played this central role in early Greek mathematics, no early source explicitly ascribes it to him. Of course, some scholars argue that the majority have overlooked key passages that do assign mathematical achievements to Pythagoras. In order to gain a rounded view of the Pythagorean question it is thus appropriate to look at the most controversial of these passages.
Some scholars who regard Pythagoras as a mathematician and rational cosmologist, such as Guthrie, admit that the earliest evidence does not support this view (Lloyd 2014, 25), but maintain that the prominence of Pythagoras the mathematician in the late tradition must be based on something early. Others maintain that there is evidence in the sixth- and fifth-century BCE for Pythagoras as a mathematician and cosmologist. They argue that Herodotus' reference to Pythagoras as a wise man (sophistês) and Heraclitus' description of him as pursuing inquiry (historiê), show that he was regarded as practicing rational cosmology (Kahn 2002, 16–17; Zhmud 2012a, 33–43). The concept of a wise man in Herodotus' time was very broad, however, and includes poets and sages as well as Ionian cosmologists; the same is true of the concept of inquiry. Historiê peri physeos (inquiry concerning nature) is later used to refer specifically to the inquiry into nature practiced by the Presocratic cosmologists, but Herodotus' usage shows that at Heraclitus' time historiê referred to inquiry in a quite general sense and has no specific reference to the cosmological inquiry of the Presocratics (Huffman 2008b). In one instance in Herodotus it refers to inquiry into the stories of Menelaus' and Helen's adventures in Egypt (II. 118). Heraclitus may be thinking of Pythagoras' inquiry into and collection of the mythical and religious lore that is found in the acusmata (Huffman 2008b; see also Gemelli Marciano 2002, 96–103). Thus the description of Pythagoras as a wise man who practiced inquiry is simply too general to aid in deciding what sort of figure Herodotus and Heraclitus saw him as being. It is certainly true that Empedocles shows that the roles of rational cosmologist and wonder-working religious teacher could be combined in one figure, but this does not prove these roles were combined in Pythagoras' case. The only thing that could prove this in Pythagoras' case is reliable early evidence for a rational cosmology and that is precisely what is lacking.
There is more controversy about the fourth-century evidence. Zhmud argues that Isocrates regards Pythagoras as a philosopher and mathematician (2012a, 50). However, it is hard to see how the passage in question (Busiris 28-29) supports this view. Nowhere in it does Isocrates ascribe mathematical work or a rational cosmology to Pythagoras. He reports in general terms that Pythagoras brought “ other philosophy” to Greece from Egypt but what he emphasizes is that Pythagoras was “more clearly interested than others in sacrificial rites and temple rituals.” It is true that earlier, in a passage that does not mention Pythagoras (Busiris 22-23), Isocrates had said that some of the Egyptian priests studied mathematics but if Isocrates thought Pythagoras also brought mathematical learning from Egypt he has chosen not to say so explicitly. What Isocrates emphasizes about Pythagoras is what the rest of the early tradition emphasizes, his interest in religious rites. Fr. 191 from Aristotle's lost work on the Pythagoreans reports that Pythagoras “dedicated himself to the study of mathematical sciences, especially numbers” and Fragment 20 from Aristotle's Proptrepticus says that Pythagoras said that human beings were born to contemplate the heavens and described himself as an observor of nature (Zhmud 2012a, 56 and 259-260). Unfortunately, in neither case are the words in question likely to be Aristotle's. Fr. 191 comes from a book on marvels by Apollonius (2nd BCE?). The words in question come before Apollonius mentions Aristotle and, as Burkert pointed out (1972a, 412), are overwhelming likely to be by Apollonius himself, since they serve as the transition sentence between Apollonius' account of Pherecydes and his account of Pythagoras. In the face of the huge extant corpus of Aristotle's works in which he never ascribes any mathematical work to Pythagoras, a single sentence that is not ascribed directly to Aristotle and that, in terms of function, appears to be the work of Apollonius and not Aristotle cannot with any confidence be used as evidence that Aristotle regarded Pythagoras as a mathematician. The same situation arises with Fr. 20 of the Protrepticus. If the words in question were by Aristotle they would be his sole statement that Pythagoras was a natural philosopher. The case of Fr. 20 is even more tenuous than that of Fr. 191. Fr. 20 comes from Iamblichus' Protrepticus, large parts of which are likely to derive from Aristotle's lost Protrepticus but, as is his practice, Iamblichus does not make any explicit reference to Aristotle. The further problem with Fr. 20, as Burkert noted (1960, 166-168), is that the same story is told first about Pythagoras and then immediately afterwards about Anaxagoras: both are asked why human beings were born and both answer “to contemplate the heavens” (Iamblichus, Protrepticus 51.8-15). This awkward repetition of the same story about two different people immediately suggests that only one story was in the original and the other was added in the later tradition. This suggestion is strikingly confirmed by the fact that Aristotle does tell this story about Anaxagoras in his extant works (Eudemian Ethics 1216a11-16) but not about Pythagoras. Thus, if the passage in Iamblichus' Protrepticus is, in fact, from Aristotle, it is very likely that only Anaxagoras appeared in Aristotle's version and that Pythagoras was added in the later tradition, perhaps by Iamblichus himself. Since these two passages are unlikely to be from Aristotle, there are no references to Pythagoras as a mathematician or as a natural philosopher either in Aristotle's extant works or in the fragments of his works. Aristotle only knows Pythagoras as a wonder working sage and teacher of a way of life (Fr. 191). Aristotle's attitude is similar to his predecessors in the earlier fourth century: Plato's sole reference to Pythagoras is as the founder of a way of life and Isocrates emphasizes both the way of life and the interest in religious ritual.
What about the pupils of Plato and Aristotle? As discussed in the second paragraph of section 5 above, Eudemus, who wrote a series of histories of mathematics never mentions Pythagoras by name. Arguments from silence are perilous but, when the most well-informed source of the fourth-century fails to mention Pythagoras in works explicitly directed towards the history of mathematics, the silence means something. There are only two passages in which Pythagoras is explicitly associated with anything mathematical or scientific by pupils of Plato and Aristotle. First, Aristotle's pupil Aristoxenus reports that Pythagoras “most of all valued the pursuit (pragmateia) of number and brought it forward, taking it away from the use of traders, by likening all things to numbers” (Fr. 23). Zhmud translates pragmateia as “science” (2012a, 216) so that he has Aristoxenus attributing the invention of the science of number to Pythagoras but, while Aristoxenus does use pragmateia to mean science in some contexts, it more commonly simply means “pursuit” (Huffman 2014b, 292). Here surely it must mean “pursuit,” because Pythagoras is presented as taking it away from the traders and we can hardly suppose that the traders were engaged in the theoretical science of arithmetic. Moreover, Aristoxenus explains what he means in the final participial phrase. He is not ascribing rigorous mathematics with proofs to Pythagoras but rather says that Pythagoras was “likening all things to numbers”. This is consistent with the moralized cosmos of Pythagoras sketched above in which numbers have symbolic significance. The second important passage is Plato's pupil Xenocrates' assertion that Pythagoras “discovered that the intervals in music, too, do not arise in separation from number” (Fr. 9). Xenocrates is being quoted here in a fragment of a work by a Heraclides (Barker 1989, 235-236), perhaps Heraclides of Pontus. There is controversy whether the quotation of Xenocrates is limited just to what has been quoted in the previous sentence or whether the whole fragment of Heraclides is a quotation of Xenocrates. Burkert (1972a, 381) and Barker (1989, 235) argue that it is probably just the first sentence that Heraclides ascribes to Xenocrates, while Zhmud would include at least a second sentence in which Heraclides presents Pythagoras as pursuing a program of research into “the conditions under which concordant and discordant intervals arise” (Zhmud 2012a, 258). If the second sentence is accepted then Xenocrates clearly presents Pythagoras as an acoustic scientist. It seems most reasonable, however, to accept only the first sentence as belonging to Xenocrates. If the quotation from Xenocrates does not break off at that point, there is no other obvious breaking point in the fragment and the whole two pages of text must be ascribed to Xenocrates. The problem with ascribing it all to Xenocrates is that Porphyry introduces the passage as a quotation from Heraclides, which would be strange if everything quoted, in fact, belongs to Xenocrates. If just the first sentence comes from Xenocrates, then all he is ascribing to Pythagoras is the recognition that the concordant intervals are connected to numbers. It is easy to assume, as Zhmud does, that Xenocrates is saying that Pythagoras was the first to discover that the concordant intervals are governed by whole number ratios but Xenocrates' remarks need not mean this. Xenocrates' comments might well come from a context like that in the fragment of Aristoxenus, above, i.e., a context in which Pythagoras is presented as likening all things to numbers and arguing that numbers in some sense explain or control things. In such a context Xenocrates would not be making the point that Pythagoras discovered the whole number ratios but rather that he found out that concords arose in accordance with whole number ratios, perhaps from musicians (who discovered them first not being the issue), and used this fact as another illustration of how things are like numbers. Thus, the fragments of Aristoxenus and Xeoncrates show that Pythagoras likened things to numbers and took the concordant musical intervals as a central example, but do not suggest that he founded arithmetic as a rigorous mathematical discipline or carried out a program of scientific research in harmonics.
Controversy concerning Pythagoras' role as a scientist and mathematician will continue and it should now be clear that decisions about sources are crucial in addressing the question. However, the view of Pythagoras' cosmos sketched in the first five paragraphs of this section, according to which he was neither a mathematician nor a scientist, remains the consensus.
Aelian, 1997, Historical Miscellany, N. G. Wilson (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Antisthenes, 1990, Socratis et Socraticorum Reliquiae, Giannantoni, G. (ed.), Naples: Bibliopolis.
Aristotle, 1984, Fragments, Jonathan Barnes and Gavin Lawrence (trs.), in The Complete Works of Aristotle, Vol. 2, Jonathan Barnes (ed.), Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2384–2462.
Athenaeus, 1927, The Deipnosophists, 6 Vols., C. B. Gulick (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Barker, A., 1989, Greek Musical Writings II: Harmonic and Acoustic Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
–––, 2014, ‘Pythagorean harmonics’, in Huffman 2014a, 185-203.
Barnes, Jonathan, 1982, The Presocratic Philosophers, London: Routledge.
Becker, O., 1936, ‘Die Lehre von Geraden und Ungeraden im neunten Buch der euklidischen Elemente’, Quellen und Studien zur Geschichte der Mathematik, Astronomie und Physik, Abteilung B, 3: 533–53.
Betegh, Gábor, 2014, ‘Pythagoreans, Orphism and Greek Religion’, in Huffman 2014a, 149-166.
Bremmer, J. N., 2002, The Rise and Fall of the Afterlife, London: Routledge.
Burkert, W., 1960, “Platon oder Pythagoras? Zum Ursprung des Wortes ‘Philosophia’”, Hermes, 88: 159–77.
–––, 1961, ‘Hellenistische Pseudopythagorica’, Philologus, 105: 16–43, 226–246.
–––, 1972a, Lore and Science in Ancient Pythagoreanism, E. Minar (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1st German edn., 1962.
–––, 1972b, ‘Zur geistesgeschichtlichen Einordnung einiger Pseudopythagorica’, in Pseudepigrapha I, Fondation Hardt Entretiens XVIII, Vandoeuvres-Genève, 25–55.
–––, 1985, Greek Religion, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Cornelli, G., McKirahan, R. and Macris, C. (eds.), 2013, On Pythagoreanism, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
Delatte, A., 1915, Études sur la littérature pythagoricienne, Paris: Champion.
–––, 1922, La vie de Pythagore de Diogène Laërce, Brussels: M. Lamertin.
Diels, H., 1958, Doxographi Graeci, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
Dillon, John, 1977, The Middle Platonists, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
–––, 2003, The Heirs of Plato, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
–––, 2014, ‘Pythagoreanism in the Academic tradition: the Early Academy to Numenius’, in Huffman 2014a, 250-273.
Diogenes Laertius, 1925, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, R. D. Hicks (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (Referred to as D. L.).
Festugière, A.-J., 1945, ‘Les Mémoires Pythagoriques cités par Alexandre Polyhistor’, REG, 58: 1–65.
Flinterman, Jaap-Jan, 2014, ‘Pythagoreans in Rome and Asia Minor around the turn of the common era’, in Huffman 2014a, 341–359.
Fritz, Kurt von, 1940, Pythagorean Politics in Southern Italy, New York: Columbia University Press.
Gellius, Aulus, 1927, The Attic Nights, John C. Rolfe (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gemelli Marciano, L., 2002, ‘Le contexte culturel des Présocratiques: adversaires et destinaires’, in Qu'est–ce que la Philosophie Présocratique?, A. Laks and C. Louguet (eds.), Villeneuve d'Ascq: Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, 83–114.
–––, 2014, ‘The Pythagorean Way of Life and Pythagorean ethics’, in Huffman 2014a, 131-148.
Granger, H., 2004, ‘Heraclitus' Quarrel with Polymathy and Historiê’, Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, 134: 235–61.
Guthrie, W. K. C., 1962, A History of Greek Philosophy, Vol. 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Heath, T. L., 1921, A History of Greek Mathematics, 2 vols., Oxford: Clarendon Press.
–––, 1956, Euclid: The Thirteen Books of the Elements, Vol. 1, New York: Dover.
Heinze, R., 1892, Xenokrates, Leipzig: Teubner.
Huffman, C. A., 1993, Philolaus of Croton: Pythagorean and Presocratic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
–––, 1999a, ‘Limite et illimité chez les premiers philosophes grecs’, in La Fêlure du Plaisir : Études sur le Philèbe de Platon, Vol. II: Contextes, M. Dixsaut (ed.), Paris: Vrin, 11–31.
–––, 1999b, ‘The Pythagorean Tradition’, in The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy, A. A. Long (ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 66–87.
–––, 2001, ‘The Philolaic Method: The Pythagoreanism behind the Philebus’, in Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy VI: Before Plato, A. Preus (ed.), Albany: State University of New York Press, 67–85.
–––, 2008a, ‘Another Incarnation of Pythagoras’(Review of Riedweg 2005), Ancient Philosophy, 28: 201–25.
–––, 2008b, ‘Heraclitus' Critique of Pythagoras' Enquiry in Fragment 129’, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy, 35: 19–47.
–––, 2009, ‘The Pythagorean Conception of the Soul from Pythagoras to Philolaus’, in Body and Soul in Ancient Philosophy, D. Frede and B. Reis (eds.), Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 21–44.
––– (ed.), 2012a, Aristoxenus of Tarentum: Discussion, New Brunswick and London: Transaction.
–––, 2012b, ‘Aristoxenus' Account of Pythagoras’, in Presocratics and Plato, R. Patterson, V. Karasmanis, A. Hermann (eds.), Las Vegas: Parmenides Publishing, 125–143.
–––, 2013, ‘Reason and Myth in Early Pythagorean Cosmology’, in Early Greek Philosophy, Joe McCoy (ed.), 55–76.
––– (ed.), 2014a, A History of Pythagoreanism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
–––, 2014b, ‘The Peripatetics on the Pythagoreans’, in Huffman, 2014a, 274–295.
Iamblichus, 1991, On the Pythagorean Way of Life, John Dillon and Jackson Hershbell (tr.), Atlanta: Scholars Press (Referred to as VP).
–––, 1975, De Communi Mathematica Scientia, N. Festa (ed.), Stuttgart: Teubner.
Inwood, Brad, 2001, The Poem of Empedocles, Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Isocrates, 1945, ‘Busiris’, in Isocrates, Vol. 3, Larue van Hook (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Kahn, C., 2001, Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, Indianapolis: Hackett.
Kirk, G. S., Raven, J. E., and Schofield, M., 1983, The Presocratic Philosophers, 2nd ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kingsley, Peter, 1995, Ancient Philosophy, Mystery and Magic, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
–––, 2010, A Story Waiting to Pierce You, Point Reyes: The Golden Sufi Center.
Lloyd, Geoffrey, 2014, ‘Pythagoras’, in Huffman 2014a, 1-22.
Lucian, 1913, Lucian, 7 Vols., A. M. Harmon (tr.), Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Minar, Edwin L., 1942, Early Pythagorean Politics in Practice and Theory, Baltimore: Waverly Press.
Mirhady, David C., 2001, ‘Dicaearchus of Messana: The Sources, Text and Translation’, in Dicaearchus of Messana: Text, Translation and Discussion, William W. Fortenbaugh and Eckart Schütrumpf (eds.), New Brunswick and London: Transaction, 1–142.
Mueller, I., 1997, ‘Greek arithmetic, geometry and harmonics: Thales to Plato’, in Routledge History of Philosophy Vol. I: From the Beginning to Plato, C. C. W. Taylor (ed.), London: Routledge, 271–322.
Navia, L. E., 1990, Pythagoras: An Annotated Bibliography, New York: Garland.
Netz, R., 2014, ‘The Problem of Pythagorean mathematics’, in Huffman 2014a, 167-184.
Nicomachus, 1926, Introduction to Arithmetic, Martin Luther D’Ooge (tr.), Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
–––, 1989, Enchiridion (Handbook), Andrew Barker (tr.), in Greek Musical Writings, Vol. II: Harmonic and Acoustic Theory, Andrew Barker (ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 245–269.
O'Meara, D. J., 1989, Pythagoras Revived. Mathematics and Philosophy in Late Antiquity, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Philip, J. A., 1966, Pythagoras and Early Pythagoreanism, Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Plutarch, 1949, Moralia, 14 Vols., Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Porphyry, 1965, The Life of Pythagoras, in Heroes and Gods, Moses Hadas and Morton Smith (eds.), New York: Harper and Row, 105–128.
–––, 2003, Vie de Pythagore, Lettre à Marcella, E. des Places (ed.), Paris: Les Belles Lettres (Greek text with French Translation).
Proclus, 1992, A Commentary on the First Book of Euclid's Elements, Glenn R. Morrow (tr.), Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Riedweg, Christoph, 2005, Pythagoras: His Life, Teaching and Influence, Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
Rowett, C., 2014, ‘The Pythagorean Society and Politics’, in Huffman 2014a, 112–130.
Sorabji, Richard, 1993, Animal Minds and Human Morals, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Thesleff, H., 1961, An Introduction to the Pythagorean Writings of the Hellenistic Period, Âbo: Âbo Akademi.
–––, 1965, The Pythagorean Texts of the Hellenistic Period, Âbo: Âbo Akademi.
Thom, J. C., 1995, The Pythagorean ‘Golden Verses’”, Leiden: Brill.
–––, 2013, ‘The Pythagorean Akousmata and Early Pythagoreanism’, in Cornelli, McKirahan and Macris, 77-101.
Wehrli, Fritz, 1944, Dikaiarchos, Die Schule des Aristoteles, I, Basle: Schwabe.
–––, 1945, Aristoxenos, Die Schule des Aristoteles, II, Basle: Schwabe.
West, M. L., 1971, Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zhmud, L., 1997, Wissenschaft, Philosophie und Religion im frühen Pythagoreismus, Berlin: Akademie Verlag.
–––, 2003, Review of Riedweg (2002), Ancient Philosophy 23: 416–420.
–––, 2012a, Pythagoras and the Early Pythagoreans, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
–––, 2012b, ‘Aristoxenus and the Pythagoreans’, in Huffman 2012a, 223–249.
| Pythagoras |
Which English cricket county did W. G. Grace represent? | Pythagoreanism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
First published Wed Mar 29, 2006; substantive revision Fri Oct 31, 2014
Pythagoreanism can be defined in a number of ways.
(1) Pythagoreanism is the philosophy of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras (ca. 570 – ca. 490 BCE), which prescribed a highly structured way of life and espoused the doctrine of metempsychosis (transmigration of the soul after death into a new body, human or animal).
(2) Pythagoreanism is the philosophy of a group of philosophers active in the fifth and the first half of the fourth century BCE, whom Aristotle refers to as “the so-called Pythagoreans” and to whom Plato also refers. Aristotle's expression, “so-called Pythagoreans,” suggests both that at his time this group of thinkers was commonly called Pythagoreans and, at the same time, calls into question the actual connection between these thinkers and Pythagoras himself. Aristotle ascribes no specific names to these Pythagoreans, but the philosophy which he assigns to them is very similar to what is found in the fragments of Philolaus of Croton (ca. 470-ca. 390 BCE). Thus, Philolaus and his successor Eurytus are likely to have been the most prominent of these Pythagoreans. Philolaus posits limiters and unlimiteds as first principles and emphasizes the role of number in understanding the cosmos. Aristotle also identifies a distinct group of these so-called Pythagoreans who formulated a set of basic principles known as the table of opposites. Plato's sole reference to Pythagoreans cites their search for the numerical structure of contemporary music and is probably an allusion to Archytas (ca. 420-ca. 350 BCE), who is the first great mathematician in the Pythagorean tradition. Starting from the system of Philolaus he developed his own sophisticated account of the world in terms of mathematical proportion.
(3) Many other sixth-, fifth- and fourth-century thinkers are labeled Pythagoreans in the Greek tradition after the fourth century BCE. By the late fourth century CE many of the most prominent Greek philosophers including Parmenides, Plato and Aristotle come to be called Pythagoreans, with no historical justification. There are nonetheless a number of thinkers of the fifth and fourth century BCE, who can legitimately be called Pythagoreans, although often little is known about them except their names. The most important of these figures is Hippasus. What criterion should be used to identify an early figure as a Pythagorean is controversial and there is debate about individual cases. Fourth-century evidence shows that Pythagoreanism gave an unusually large role to women for an ancient philosophhical school. It is likely that the Pythagorean communities that practiced a way of life that they traced back to Pythagoras died out in the middle of the fourth century BCE.
(4) The last manifestation of Pythagoreanism, Neopythagoreanism, has been the most influential. Neopythagoreanism is not a unified school of thought but rather a tendency, stretching over many centuries, to view Pythagoras, with no historical justification, as the central and original figure in the whole Greek philosophical tradition. This Pythagoras is often thought to have received his philosophy as a divine revelation, which had been given even earlier to wise men of the ancient Near East such as the Persian Magi, the Hebrews (Moses in particular), and the Egyptian priests. All Greek philosophy after Pythagoras, insofar as it may be true, is seen as derived from this revelation. Thus, Plato's and Aristotle's ideas are viewed as derived from Pythagoras (with the mediation of other early Pythagoreans). Many pseudepigrapha are produced in later times in order to provide the Pythagorean “originals” on which Plato and Aristotle drew. Some strands of the Neopythagorean tradition emphasize Pythagoras as master metaphysician, who supposedly originated what are, in fact, the principles of Plato's later metaphysics, the one and the indefinite dyad. Other Neopythagoreans celebrate Pythagoras as the founder of the quadrivium of mathematical sciences (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music), while still others portray him as a magician or as a religious expert and sage, upon whom we should model our lives. Neopythagoreanism probably began already in the second half of the fourth century BCE among Plato's first successors in the Academy, but particularly flourished from the first century BCE until the end of antiquity. Neopythagoreanism has close connections to Middle and Neoplatonism and from the time of Iamblichus (4th c. CE) is largely absorbed into Neoplatonism. It was the Neopythagorean version of Pythagoreanism that dominated in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
2.2 Eurytus
In the ancient sources, Eurytus is most frequently mentioned in the same breath as Philolaus, and he is probably the student of Philolaus (Iamblichus, VP 148, 139). Aristoxenus (4th c. BCE) presents Philolaus and Eurytus as the teachers of the last generation of Pythagoreans (Diogenes Laertius VIII 46) and Diogenes Laertius reports that Plato came to Italy to meet Philolaus and Eurytus after the death of Socrates (III 46). In order to be the pupil of Philolaus, who was born around 470, and teach the last generation of Pythagoreans around 400, Eurytus would need to be born between 450 and 440. The sources are very confused as to which S. Italian city he was from, Croton (Iamblichus, VP 148), Tarentum (Iamblichus, VP 267; Diogenes Laertius VIII 46) or Metapontum (Iamblichus, VP 266 and 267). It may be that the Eurytus from Metapontum is a different Eurytus. It is possible that Archytas studied with Eurytus, since Theophrastus (Aristotle's successor in the Lyceum) cites Archytas as the source for the one testimony we have about the philosophy of Eurytus (Metaph. 6a 19–22). In the catalogue of Pythagoreans at the end of Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life (267), Eurytus appears between Philolaus and Archytas in the list of Pythagoreans from Tarentum, which may thus suggest that he was regarded as the pupil of Philolaus and a teacher of Archytas.
According to Theophrastus (Metaph. 6a 19–22), Eurytus arranged pebbles in a certain way in order to show the number which defined things in the world, such as a man or a horse. Aristotle refers to the same practice (Metaph. 1092b8 ff.), and Alexander provides commentary on the Aristotelian passage (CAG I. 827.9). Aristotle introduces Eurytus as someone who regarded numbers as causes of substances by being the points that bound spatial magnitudes. He says that Eurytus made likenesses of the shapes of things in the natural world with pebbles and thus determined the number which belongs to each thing by the number of pebbles required. Scholars often treat Eurytus' procedure as puerile and have sometimes not taken him seriously (Kahn 2001, 33), or suggested that Theophrastus is ironical in his presentation (e.g., Zhmud 2012, 410-411). There is, however, no obvious irony in Theophrastus' remarks. He, in fact, presents Eurytus very positively as someone who showed in detail how specific parts of the cosmos arose out of basic principles, in contrast to other thinkers, who posit basic principles but do not go very far in explaining how the world arises from those principles. This positive presentation may reflect Theophrastus' source, Archytas, who perhaps saw Eurytus as attempting to carry out Philolaus' project of determining the numbers that give us knowledge of things in the world (Huffman 2005, 55; see also Netz 2014, 173-178).
How are we, then, to understand Eurytus' procedure? It does not seem plausible to suppose that he simply drew a picture or an outline drawing of a man or a horse and then counted the number of pebbles required to make the outline (Riedweg 2005, 86) or fill in the picture, since the number would vary with the size of the drawing and the size of the pebbles. A large picture of a man would require many more pebbles than a small one, so that it would seem arbitrary which number to associate with man. This interpretation treats Eurytus as a mosaicist and is largely derived from Alexander's testimony. Aristotle's presentation supports another interpretation. He draws a parallel with those who arrange numbers of pebbles into shapes, such as a triangle or a square. This suggests that Eurytus had observed that, e.g., any three points in a plane determine a triangle and any four a quadrilateral. He may then have drawn the general conclusion that any shape or structure was determined by a unique number of points and tried to represent these by setting out the necessary number of pebbles. Thus, the complex structure of a three-dimensional object such as the human body would require a large number of points, but the number of points required to determine a human being could be expected to be unique and to differ from the number that determined any other object in the natural world, such as a horse (Kirk and Raven 1957, 313 ff.; Guthrie 1962, 273 ff.; Barnes 1982, 390–391; Cambiano 1998). It is important to note that nothing in these reports suggests that Eurytus thought that things were composed of numbers or that he regarded the points that defined a given thing as atoms of which things were made, as has sometimes been supposed (Cornford 1922–1923, 10–11). Instead, he is best understood as making a bold attempt to show that the structure of all things is determined by number and thus to provide specifics for Philolaus' general thesis that all things are known through number. Another approach is to argue that no reference is being made to creating a picture out of pebbles. The pebbles refer instead to counters on an abacus, which the Greeks used for calculations. In this case Eurytus can be supposed to have started by identifying certain basic numerical properties with features of the world and then deriving the number of man or horse through calculations using the abacus (Netz 2014, 173-178).
2.3 Aristotle's “So-called” Pythagoreans
Aristotle refers to the Pythagoreans frequently in his extant works, especially in the Metaphysics. There are several puzzles about these references. First, his usual practice is to refer to the Pythagoreans as a group rather than naming individuals. He mentions Philolaus and Eurytus by name only once each and Archytas four times. Yet, the basic Pythagorean system which he describes in most detail in Metaphysics 1.5 shows such strong similarities to the fragments of Philolaus that Philolaus must be the primary source (Huffman 1993, 28-94, Schofield 2012, 147), although some scholars emphasize that Aristotle clearly did use other sources (Primavesi 2012, 255) and even that Philolaus, while perhaps the acme of Pythagorean philosophy, might not have represented mainstream Pythagoreanism thus explaining why Aristotle refers to the Pythagoreans as a group rather than singling out Philolaus (McKirahan 2013). Second, he frequently refers to the Pythagoreans that he discusses as the “so-called” Pythagoreans. Why does he add the qualifying phrase “so-called?” This phrase indicates not that these are false Pythagoreans in contrast to some other true Pythagoreans but rather that this is the standard way of referring to these people, it is what people call them; but the phrase also indicates that Aristotle has reservations about the name. Aristotle is expressing his doubts about how or whether these figures are connected to Pythagoras himself, whom Aristotle regards as a wonder-working founder of a way of life rather than as participating in the tradition of Presocratic cosmology (Huffman 1993, 31-34). It could also be that it is the very variety of sources that Aristotle is using that leads him to recognize that there are quite different stages in the develpment of Pythagoreanism and hence to wonder in what sense a figure like Philolaus who is at the end of that development should still be called a Pythagorean (Primavesi 2014).
The biggest puzzle, however, concerns the philosophical system that Aristotle assigns to the Pythagoreans. For the purposes of his discussion in the Metaphysics, he treats most Pythagoreans as adopting a mainstream system in contrast to another group of Pythagoreans whose system is based on the table of opposites (see section 2.4). The central thesis of the mainstream system is stated in two basic ways: the Pythagoreans say that things are numbers or that they are made out of numbers. In his most extended account of the system in Metphysics 1.5, Aristotle says that the Pythagoreans were led to this view by noticing more similarities between things and numbers than between things and the elements, such as fire and water, adopted by earlier thinkers. The Pythagoreans thus concluded that things were or were made of numbers and that the principles of numbers, the odd and the even, are principles of all things. The odd is limited and the even unlimited. Aristotle criticizes the Pythagoreans for being so enamored of numerical order that they imposed it on the world even where it was not suggested by the phenomena. Thus appearances suggested that there were nine heavenly bodies orbiting in the heavens but, since they regarded ten as the perfect number, they supposed that there must be a tenth heavenly body, the counter-earth, which we cannot see. Later, Aristotle is also critical of the Pythagoreans for employing principles that do not derive from the sensible world, i.e., mathematical principles, even though all their efforts were directed at explaining the physical world (Metaphysics 989b29). How can they explain features of physical bodies such as weight or motion using principles which have no weight and do not move (990a8-990a16)? Indeed, it becomes clear that Aristotle interpreted the Pythagorean cosmogony as starting out by constructing the number one. The one then draws in the unlimited and produces the rest of the number series and evidently the cosmos at the same time. The number one and the other numbers from 1 to 10 are conceived of as physical entities (Metaphysics 1091a13-18). The puzzle is that Aristotle's description makes clear that he is basically describing Philolaus' system (e.g., the counter-earth, limit and unlimited, the generation of a one), yet a number of his central assertions are flatly contradicted by the surviving fragments of Philolaus. Most importantly, Philolaus never says that things are numbers or are made out of numbers. For Philolaus things are composed of limiters and unlimiteds held together by harmony (Frs. 1, 2 and 6) and unlimiteds appear to include physical things like fire and breath (Fr. 7, Aristotle Fr. 201). Numbers and the odd and the even do play a prominent role in Philolaus (Frs. 4-5), but there is no hint that they are understood as physical entites. Instead number has an epistemological role: all things are known through number (Fr. 4). How are we to explain this tension between what Aristotle reports and the fragments of Philolaus? One approach is to recognize that Aristotle is not giving a historical report of what the Pythagoreans said but an interpretation of what he found in Philolaus and others. He does not in fact know of any text in which the Pythagoreans said that things were numbers or were made of numbers. Instead this is a conclusion drawn by Aristotle; it is his summary statement of what the Pythagorean system amounts to. That this is what Aristotle is doing is suggested by another passage in the Metaphysics where he starts out by flatly stating that the Pythagoreans say that all things are numbers but then goes on to add “at least they apply mathematical theories to bodies as if they (the bodies) consisted of those numbers”(Metaphysics 1083b16). The “at least” and “as if” show that Aristotle is drawing an inference rather than referring to any explicit statement by the Pythagoreans that things are numbers (Huffman 1993, 57-64). Thus for Philolaus there are analogies between numbers and things and numbers give us knowledge of things but Aristotle mistakenly takes this to be equivalent to saying that things are numbers or are made of numbers. Another approach is to argue that Aristotle was right that Philolaus and other Pythagoreans thought of the number one and other numbers as physical entities. The one constructed in Philolaus Fr. 7 is not just the primal physical unity but also the number one (Schofield 2012). At the opposite extreme, Zhmud argues that Aristotle has essentially invented this Pythagorean system with little regard for what any actual Pythagoreans said in order to serve as background for his account of Plato's theory of principles (2012a, 438, 394-414). Another approach tries to mitigate the differences between Philolaus and Aristotle and suggests that Aristotle's emphasis on number was derived from Pythagorean numerology that was independent of Philolaus but that was combined with material from Philolaus as a result of Aristotle's decision to present one mainstream Pythagorean system (Primavesi 2012).
2.4 The Pythagoreans of the Table of Opposites
At Metaphysics 986a22, after presenting his account of the philosophy of “the so-called” Pythagoreans (985b23), which has strong connections to the philosophy of Philolaus, Aristotle turns to “others of this same group” and assigns to them what is commonly known as the table of opposites (the opposites arranged according to column [kata sustoichian]). These Pythagoreans presented the principles of reality as consisting of ten pairs of opposites:
limit
square
oblong
Aristotle then contrasts these Pythagoreans with Alcmaeon of Croton, who said that the majority of human things come in pairs, and praises the Pythagoreans for carefully defining the pairs of opposites both in number and character, whereas Alcmaeon seemed to present a randomly selected and ill-defined group of opposites. Aristotle suggests that either Alcmaeon was influenced by these Pythagoreans or they by him. Aristotle was thus not sure of the date of these Pythagoreans but seems to entertain the idea that they either lived a little before Alcmaeon or a little after, which would make them active anywhere from the late 6th to the mid 5th century. Aristotle's manner of introducing these Pythagoreans suggests that they are distinct from Philolaus and his pupil Eurytus and perhaps earlier (Schofield 2012: 156), but it is not possible to be more specific about their identity. It is possible that Aristotle only knows of the table through oral transmission and that there were no specific names attached to it.
The table shows a strong normative slant by including good in one column and bad in the other. In contrast, while Philolaus posits the first two opposites in the table, limit and unlimited, as first principles, there is no suggestion in the extant fragments of Philolaus that limit was good and unlimited bad. Opposites played a large role in most Presocratic philosophical systems. The Pythagoreans who posited the table of opposites differed from other early Greek philosophers not only in the normative view of the opposites but also by including strikingly abstract pairs such as straight and crooked and odd and even, in contrast to the more concrete opposites such as hot and cold, which are typical elsewhere in early Greek philosophy. Similar tables of opposites appear in the Academy (Aristotle, Metaph. 1093b11; EN 1106b29 referring to Speusippus; Simplicius in CAG IX. 247. 30ff.), and Aristotle himself seems at times to adopt such a table (Metaph. 1004b27 ff.; Phys. 201b25). Later Platonists and Neopythagoreans will continue to develop these tables (see Burkert 1972a, 52, n. 119 for a list). The table of opposites thus provides one of the clearest cases of continuity between early Pythagoreanism and Platonism. Zhmud argues that the table has little to do with early Pythagoreanism and is largely a product of the Academy (2012: 449-452), but Aristotle's discussion of it in connection with Alcmaeon clearly shows that he regarded it as belonging to the fifth-century and it is implausible to suppose that he confused the work of his contemporaries in the Academy with Pythagorean ideas that were developed over a century earlier. It may well be that the similarity between this Pythagorean table of opposites and later Academic versions led to the Neopythagorean habit, starting already in the early Academy, of mistakenly assigning the fundamental pair of opposites in Plato's late metaphysics, the one and the indefinite dyad, back to Pythagoras (see on Neopythagoreanism below).
3.1 The Catalogue of Pythagoreans in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life: Who Counts as a Pythagorean?
Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life (4th c. CE) ends with a catalogue of 218 Pythagorean men organized by city followed by a list of 17 of the most famous Pythagorean women. Of these 235 Pythagoreans, 145 appear nowhere else in the ancient tradition. This impressive list of names shows the wide impact of Pythagoreanism in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. To what extent is it reliable? A long line of scholars has argued that the catalogue has close connections to and is likely to be based on Aristoxenus in the fourth century BCE and is thus a reasonably accurate reflection of early Pythagoreanism rather than a creation of the later Neopythagorean tradition (Rohde 1871–1872, 171; Diels 1965, 23; Timpanaro-Cardini 1958-1964, III 38 ff.; Burkert 1972a, 105, n. 40; Zhmud 2012b, 235–244). This is up to a point a reasonable conclusion, since it is hard to see who would have been better placed than Aristoxenus to have such detailed information.
The arguments connecting Aristoxenus to the catalogue are not unassailable, however, and it is likely that the list has been altered in transmission, so that it cannot simply be accepted as the testimony of Aristoxenus (Huffman 2008a). No names on the list can be positively assigned to a date later than Aristoxenus, but this would be likely to be true, even if the list were compiled at a later date, since Pythagoreanism appears to have largely died out for the two centuries immediately following Aristoxenus' death. Thus, Iamblichus does not mention any Pythagorean who can be positively dated after the time of Aristoxenus anywhere else in On the Pythagorean Life either. Scholars have also argued that Iamblichus cannot have composed the catalogue, since he mentions some 18 names that do not appear in the catalogue. This argument would only work, if Iamblichus were a careful and systematic author, which the repetitions and inconsistencies in On the Pythagorean Life show that he was not. While it is unlikely that Iamblichus composed the catalogue from scratch, it is perfectly possible that he edited it in a number of ways, while not feeling compelled to make it consistent with everything he says elsewhere in the text. There are some peculiarities of the catalogue that suggest a connection to Aristoxenus. Philolaus and Eurytus are listed not under Croton but under Tarentum, just as they are in one of the Fragments of Aristoxenus (Fr. 19 Wehrli = Diogenes Laertius VIII 46). On the other hand, some features of the catalogue are inconsistent with what we know of Aristoxenus. Aristoxenus' teacher, Xenophilus, who is identified as from the Thracian Chalcidice in the Fragments of Aristoxenus (Frs. 18 and 19 Wehrli), is identified as from Cyzicus in the catalogue. Moreover, the legendary figure, Abaris, is included in the catalogue and even said to be from the mythical Hyperborea, whereas Aristoxenus is usually seen as resolutely trying to rationalize the Pythagorean tradition. Thus, while Aristoxenus is quite plausibly taken to be the author of the core of the catalogue, it is likely that additions, omissions, and various changes have been made to the original document and hence it is impossible to be sure, in most cases, whether a given name has the authority of Aristoxenus behind it or not.
The catalogue includes several problematic names, such as Alcmaeon, Empedocles, Parmenides and Melissus. Alcmaeon was active in Croton when the Pythagoreans flourished there, but Aristotle explicitly distinguishes Alcmaeon from the Pythagoreans and scholarly consensus is that he is not a Pythagorean (see the entry on Alcmaeon ). Most scholars would agree that Empedocles was heavily influenced by Pythagoreanism; in the later tradition fragments of Empedocles are routinely cited to support the Pythagorean doctrines of metempsychosis and vegetarianism (e.g., Sextus Empiricus, Adversus Mathematicos IX 126–30). On the other hand, both in the ancient and in the modern world, Empedocles is not usually labeled a Pythagorean, because, whatever the initial Pythagorean influences, he developed a philosophical system that was his own original contribution. Parmenides is again not usually identified as a Pythagorean in either the ancient or modern tradition and, although scholars have speculated on Pythagorean influences on Parmenides, there is little that can be identified as overtly Pythagorean in his philosophy. The reason for Parmenides' inclusion in the catalogue is pretty clearly the tradition that his alleged teacher Ameinias was a Pythagorean (Diogenes Laertius IX 21). There is no reason to doubt this story, but it gives us no more reason to call Parmenides a Pythagorean than to call Plato a Socratic or Aristotle a Platonist. It would appear that Melissus was included on the list because he was regarded in turn as the pupil of Parmenides. Inclusion in the catalogue thus need not indicate that a figure lived a Pythagorean way of life or that he adopted metaphysical principles that were distinctively Pythagorean; he need only have had contact with a Pythagorean teacher. It is possible that Aristoxenus included Parmenides and Melissus on the list for these reasons or that he had better reasons for including them (e.g., evidence that they lived a Pythagorean life), but it is precisely famous names such as these that would be likely to have been added to the list in later times, and they may well not have appeared in Aristoxenus' catalogue at all.
Zhmud (2012a, 109–134) has argued that it begs the question to use a doctrinal criterion to identify Pythagoreans. We need to first identify Pythagoreans and then see what their doctrines are. Aristoxenus' catalogue of Pythagoreans as preserved in Iamblichus is the crucial source. Zhmud takes the Pythagoreans on this list whom we can identify (the overwhelming majority are just names for us) and studies their interests and activities in order to arrive at a picture of early Pythagoreanism. Of the 235 names Zhmud finds only 15 about whom we know anything significant. Some of these are non-controversial (Hippasus, Philolaus, Eurytus and Archytas). However, Zhmud puts particular emphasis on a series of figures not typically regarded as Pythagoreans, e.g., Democedes, Alcmaeon, Iccus, Menestor,and Hippon. The range of interests of these figures leads him to conclude that there is no one characteristic that is shared by all Pythagoreans and that Wittgestein's concept of a family resemblance should be employed to describe Pythagoreanism. Moreover, his reliance on figures like Alcmaeon and Menestor leads him to the surprising conclusion that natural science and medicine were more important than mathematics for the philosophical views of early Pythagoreans (2012a, 23). The foundation for this view of early Pythagoreanism is problematic since the scholarly consensus is that Alcmaeon was not a Pythagorean and it is also far from certain that Menestor was a Pythagorean (see below). As argued above, Iamblichus' catalogue cannot be used mechanically as a guarantee that a given figure was a Pythagorean, because we cannot be sure that it always reflects Aristoxenus. What criteria should then be used (Huffman 2008a)?
First, anyone identified as a Pythagorean by an early source uncontaminated by the Neopythagorean glorification of Pythagoras (see below) can be regarded as a Pythagorean. This would include sources dating before the early Academy (ca. 350 BCE), where Neopythagoreanism has its origin, and Peripatetic sources contemporary with the early Academy (ca. 350–300 BCE, e.g., Aristotle, Aristoxenus and Eudemus), who, under the influence of Aristotle, defined themselves in opposition to the Academic view of Pythagoras.
Second, a doctrinal criterion is applicable. Anyone who espouses the philosophy assigned to the Pythagoreans by Aristotle can be regarded as a Pythagorean, although Aristotle presents that philosophy under an interpretation that must be taken into account. It is important that the use of such a doctrinal criterion be limited to quite specific doctrines such as limiters and unlimiteds as first principles and the cosmology that includes the counter-earth and central fire. Particularly to be avoided is the assumption that any early mathematician or any early figure who assigns mathematical ideas a role in the cosmos is a Pythagorean. Mathematicians such as Theodorus of Cyrene (who is included in Iamblichus' catalogue) and Hippocrates of Chios (who is not) are not treated as Pythagoreans in the early sources such as Plato, Aristotle and Eudemus, and there is accordingly no good reason to call them Pythagoreans. Similarly, the sculptor, Polyclitus of Argos, stated that “the good comes to be … through many numbers,” (Fr. 2 DK), but no ancient source calls him a Pythagorean (Huffman 2002). As Burkert has emphasized, mathematics is a Greek and not just a specifically Pythagorean passion (1972a, 427).
Third, anyone universally (or almost universally) called a Pythagorean by later sources, and whom early sources do not treat as independent of Pythagoreanism, explicitly or implicitly, can be regarded as a Pythagorean. This would include figures embedded in the biographical tradition about Pythagoras and the early Pythagoreans, such as the husband and wife, Myllias and Timycha.
This last criterion is more subjective than the first two and difficult cases arise. The fifth-century botanist Menestor (DK I 375) is discussed by Theophrastus and called one of “the old natural philosophers” (CP VI 3.5) with no mention of any Pythagoreanism. In this case, the inclusion of a Menestor in Iamblichus' catalogue is not enough reason to regard Theophrastus' Menestor as a Pythagorean. On the other hand, although Aristotle treats Hippasus separately from the Pythagoreans, as he does Archytas, the almost universal identification of Hippasus as a Pythagorean in the later tradition and his deep involvement in the biography of early Pythagoreanism, show that he should be regarded as a Pythagorean (on Hippasus, see section 3.4 below). The fifth-century figure Hippo (DK I 385), who is derided by Aristotle and paired with Thales as positing water as the first principle (Metaph. 984a3), is a particularly difficult case. An Hippo is listed in Iamblichus' catalogue under Samos and Censorinus tells us that Aristoxenus assigned Hippo to Samos rather than Metapontum (DK I 385.4–5). This makes it look as if Aristoxenus may be responsible for including Hippo in the catalogue. Burkert has also tried to demonstrate connections between Hippo's philosophy and that of the Pythagoreans (1972a, 290, n. 62). On the other hand, neither Aristotle nor Theophrastus nor any of the Aristotelian commentators call him a Pythagorean and the doxographers describe this Hippo as from Rhegium (e.g., Hippolytus in DK I 385.17). It is thus not clear whether we are dealing with one person or two people named Hippo and it is doubtful that the Hippo discussed by the Peripatetics was a Pythagorean (Zhmud regards Hippo as well as Menestor and Theodorus as Pythagoreans — 2012a, 126–128). Those figures of the sixth, fifth and fourth century who have the best claim to be considered Pythagoreans will be discussed in the following sections.
3.2 The Earliest Pythagoreans: Brontinus, Theano, etc.
In the standard collection of the fragments and testimonia of the Presocratics, Cercops, Petron, Brontinus, Hippasus, Calliphon, Democedes, and Parmeniscus are listed as older Pythagoreans (DK I 105–113). Hippasus, who is the most important of these figures, will be discussed separately below (sect. 3.4). Of the rest only Brontinus, Calliphon and Parmeniscus appear in Iamblichus' catalogue.
Brontinus is presented as either the husband or father of Theano (see section 3.3 below). Brontinus (DK I 106–107) is elsewhere said to have had a wife Deino and to be either from Metapontum or Croton. The elusive connection between Orphism and Pythagoreanism rears its head with Brontinus, since the fourth-century author, Epigenes, reports that Brontinus is supposed to be the real author of two works circulating in the name of Orpheus (West 1983, 9 ff.). Little else is known about him, but his existence appears to be confirmed by Alcmaeon, writing in the late sixth or early fifth century, who addresses his book to a Brontinus along with Leon and Bathyllus (Fr. 1 DK). The latter two may also be Pythagoreans, since a Leon is listed under Metapontum and a Bathylaus (sic) under Posidonia, in Iamblichus' catalogue.
Cercops (DK I 105–106) is an even more obscure figure who is, again according to Epigenes, the supposed Pythagorean author of Orphic texts (West 1983, 9, 248), although Burkert doubts that he was a Pythagorean (1972a, 130).
To Petron (DK I 106) is ascribed the startling doctrine that there are 183 worlds arranged in a triangle, but he is only known from a passage in Plutarch, is not called a Pythagorean there and is probably a literary fiction (Guthrie 1962, 322–323; Burkert 1972a, 114; Zhmud 2012a, 117).
A Parmeniscus (DK I 112–113) is called a Pythagorean by Diogenes Laertius (IX 20) and may be the same as the Parmiskos listed under Metapontum in Iamblichus' catalogue. Athenaeus reports that a Parmeniscus of Metapontum lost the ability to laugh after descending into the cave of Trophonius, only to recover it in a temple on Delos, where the surviving inventory of the temple of Artemis records a dedication of a cup by a Parmiskos (Burkert 1972a, 154).
There no good reason to think that Democedes (DK I 110–112), the physician from Croton, was himself a Pythagorean, although he had some Pythagorean connections. He is famous from Herodotus' account (III 125 ff.) of his service to the tyrant, Polycrates, and the Persian king, Darius. One late source names him a Pythagorean (DK I 112.21). Iamblichus mentions a Pythagorean named Democedes, who was involved in the political turmoil surrounding the conspiracy of Cylon against the Pythagoreans, but it is far from clear that this was the physician (VP 257–261). Herodotus never calls Democedes a Pythagorean nor do any other of the later sources (e.g., Aelian, Athenaeus, the Suda), nor does he appear in Iamblichus' catalogue. A Calliphon, who could be Democedes' father, is presented as an associate of Pythagoras by Hermippus (DK I 111.36 ff.) and appears in Iamblichus' catalogue, so it is reasonable to regard him as a Pythagorean, although we know nothing more of him. It is reported (Herodotus III 137) that Democedes married the daughter of the Olympic victor, Milon, who was the Pythagorean, whose house was used as a meeting place (Iamblichus, VP 249). It was undoubtedly because Democedes came from Croton at roughly the time when Pythagoras was prominent there and because of the Pythagorean connections of his father and father-in-law that late sources came to label Democedes himself a Pythagorean. For an argument that Democedes was a Pythagorean see Zhmud 2012a, 120.
3.3 Pythagorean Women
Women were probably more active in Pythagoreanism than any other ancient philosophical movement. The evidence is not extensive but is sufficient to give us a glimpse of their role. At the end of the catalogue of Pythagoreans in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life, after the list of 218 male Pythagoreans, the names of 17 Pythagorean women are given (VP 267). Since this list is likely to be based on the work of Aristoxenus, it probably represents what Aristoxenus learned from fourth-century Pythagoreans, although we cannot, of course, be certain that some names were not inserted into the list after the time of Aristoxenus (see section 3.1 above). Eleven are identified as the wife, daughter or sister of a man but seven are simply identified by their region or city-state of origin, although the Echecrateia of Phlius listed seems likely to be connected to the Echecrates of Phlius who appears in Plato's Phaedo. We know nothing else about most of the names on the list and thus cannot be sure in individual cases whether they belong to the sixth, fifth or fourth century. For a speculative reconstruction of the role of women in the Pythagorean society see Rowett (2014, 122–123), but this reconstruction partly depends on the speech that Iamblichus reports Pythagoras gave to the women of Croton upon his arrival (VP 54–57); however, while Pythagoras did give speeches to different groups, including women, the text of the speech in Iamblichus is probably a later fabrication (Burkert 1972a, 115; Zhmud 2012a, 70). The Pythagoreans put particular emphasis on marital fidelity on the part of both men and women (Gemelli Marciano 2014, 145). There is also no reliable evidence for any writings by these women, although in the later tradition works were forged in the names of some of them and of other Pythagorean women not on the list (see section 4.2 below).
The most famous name on the list is Theano who is here called the wife of Brontinus but who is elsewhere treated as either the wife, daughter or pupil of Pythagoras (Diogenes Laertius VIII 42; Burkert 1972a, 114). The role of women in early Pythagoreanism and the centrality of Theano is further attested by Aristoxenus' contemporary, Dicaearchus, who reports that Pythagoras had as followers not just men but also women and that one of these, Theano, became famous (Fr. 40 Mirhday = Porphyry, VP 19). It is striking that Dicaearchus does not identify her as the wife of either Brontius or Pythagoras but simply as a follower of Pythagoras. In the later tradition a number of works were forged in her name (see section 4.2 below), but we have little reliable evidence about her (see Thesleff 1965, 193[special character:ndash]201, for testimonia and texts; Delatte 1922, 246–249; and Montepaone 1993). The second most famous name on the list is Timycha who, when ten months pregnant, reportedly bit off her own tongue so that she could not, under torture, reveal Pythagorean secrets to the tyrant Dionysius (Iamblichus, VP 189–194). This story goes back to Neanthes, writing in the late fourth or early third century and may rely on local Pythagorean tradition (Schorn 2014, 310).
3.4 Hippasus and Other Fifth-century Pythagoreans: acusmatici and mathêmatici
Hippasus is a crucial figure in the history of Pythagoreanism, because the tradition about him suggests that even in the fifth century there was debate within the Pythagorean tradition itself as to whether Pythagoras was largely important as the founder of a set of rules to follow in living one's life or whether his teaching also had a mathematical and scientific dimension. Hippasus was probably from Metapontum (Aristotle, Metaph. 984a7; Diogenes Laertius VIII 84), although Iamblichus says there was controversy as to whether he was from Metapontum or Croton (VP 81), and he is listed under Sybaris in Iamblichus' catalogue (VP 267). He is consistently portrayed as a rebel in the Pythagorean tradition, in one case a democratic rebel who challenged the aristocratic Pythagorean leadership in Croton (Iamb. VP 257), but more commonly as the thinker who initiated Pythagorean study of mathematics and the natural world.
It is in this latter role that he is connected with the split between two groups in ancient Pythagoreanism, the acusmatici (who emphasized rules for living one's life, including various taboos) and the mathêmatici (who emphasized study of mathematics and the natural world). Each group claimed to be the true Pythagoreans. Our knowledge of this split comes from Iamblichus, who unfortunately presents two contradictory versions, with the result that Hippasus is sometimes said to be one of the mathêmatici and sometimes one of the acusmatici. Burkert has convincingly shown that the correct version is that reported by Iamblichus at De Communi Mathematica Scientia 76.19 ff. (1972a, 192 ff.). According to this account, the acusmatici denied that the mathêmatici were Pythagoreans at all, saying that their philosophy derived from Hippasus instead. The mathêmatici for their part, while recognizing that the acusmatici were Pythagoreans of a sort, argued that they themselves were Pythagoreans in a truer sense. Hippasus' supposed innovations, they said, were in fact plagiarisms from Pythagoras himself. The mathêmatici explained that, upon Pythagoras' arrival in Italy, the leading men in the cities did not have time to learn the sciences and the proofs of what Pythagoras said, so that Pythagoras just gave them instructions on how to act, without explaining the reasons. The younger men, who did have the leisure to devote to study, learned the mathematical sciences and the proofs. The former group were the first acusmatici, who learned the oral instructions of Pythagoras on how to live (the acusmata = “things heard”), while the latter group were the first mathêmatici. Hippasus was thus closely connected to the mathêmatici in this split in Pythagoreanism but ended up being disavowed by both sides. For an attempt to further characterize the mathêmatici see Horky 2013.
It is difficult to be sure of Hippasus' dates, but he is typically regarded as active in the first half of the fifth century and perhaps early in that period (Burkert 1972a, 206; Zhmud 2012a, 124-125). The split in Pythagoreanism may have occurred after the main period of his work and was perhaps connected to the attacks on the Pythagorean societies by outsiders around 450 BCE (Burkert 1972a, 207), but certainty is not possible. Zhmud (2012a, 169–192) has argued that the split is an invention of the later tradition, appearing first in Clement of Alexandria and disappearing after Iamblichus. He also notes that the term acusmata appears first in Iamblichus (On the Pythagorean Life 82–86) and suggests that it also is a creation of the later tradition. He admits that the Pythagorean maxims did exist earlier, as the testimony of Aristotle shows, but they were known as symbola, were originally very few in number and were mainly a literary phenomenon rather than being tied to people who actually practiced them (Zhmud 2012a, 192–195). The consensus view, which accepts the split, is based on Burkert's argument that Iamblichus'account of the split between the acusmatici and mathêmatici can be shown to be derived from Aristotle (1972a, 196). Burkert later reaffirmed this position, although with a little less confidence, asserting that the Aristotelian provenance of the text is “as obvious as it is unprovable” (1998, 315). Indeed the description of the split in what is likely to be the original version (Iamblichus, On General Mathematical Science 76.16–77.18) uses language in describing the Pythagoreans that is almost an Aristotelian signature, “There are two forms of the Italian philosophy which is called Pythagorean” (76.16). Aristotle famously describes the Pythagoreans as “those called Pythagoreans” and also as “the Italians” (e.g., Mete. 342b30, Cael. 293a20). Thus, Aristotle remains the most likely source. Zhmud also argues against the split on the grounds that there are no individuals in the historical record that can be confidently identified as acusmatici. Since the acusmatici were neither original nor full-time philosophers, however, and simply preserved the oral taboos handed down by Pythagoras, it is not surprising that they are not singled out for attention in the sources. Only a relatively small number of the names in Iamblichus' catalogue can certainly be identified as mathêmatici and most of the others, particularly the 145 individuals whose names are only known from the catalogue, are likely to be acusmatici, who to a greater or lesser degree followed the Pythagorean acusmata, but left no other trace of their activity. In addition, a number of other Pythagoreans of the fifth and fourth century, who figure in anecdotes about the Pythagorean life are likely to be acusmatici (see below).
Hippasus is the first figure in the Pythagorean tradition who can with some confidence be identified as a natural philosopher, mathematician and music theorist. His connections are as much with figures outside the Pythagorean tradition as those within it. This independence may explain why neither Aristotle nor the doxographical tradition label him a Pythagorean, but he is too deeply embedded in the traditions about early Pythagoreanism for there to be any doubt that he was in some sense a Pythagorean. Aristotle pairs Hippasus with Heraclitus as positing fire as the primary element (Metaph. 984a7) and this pairing is repeated in the doxography that descends from Theophrastus (DK I 109. 5–16), according to which Hippasus also said that the soul was made of fire. Philolaus, who was probably two generations later than Hippasus, might have been influenced by Hippasus in starting his cosmology with the central fire (Fr. 7 Huffman). For Philolaus, however, the central fire is a compound of limiter and unlimited, whereas Hippasus is presented as a monist and does not start from Philolaus' fundamental opposition between limiters and unlimiteds.
There are only a few other assertions about the cosmology of Hippasus and most of these seem to be the result of Peripatetic attempts to classify him, such as the assertions that he makes all things from fire by condensation and rarefaction and dissolves all things into fire, which is the one underlying nature and that he and Heraclitus regarded the universe as one, (always) moving and limited in extent (DK I 109.8–10). More intriguing is the claim that he thought there was “a fixed time for the change of the cosmos” (Diogenes Laertius VIII 84), which might be a reference to a doctrine of eternal recurrence, according to which events exactly repeat themselves at fixed periods of time. This doctrine is attested elsewhere for Pythagoras (Dicaearchus in Porphyry, VP 19). Our information about Hippasus is sketchy, because he evidently did not write a book. Demetrius of Magnesia (1st century BCE) reports that Hippasus left nothing behind in writing (Diogenes Laertius VIII 84) and this is in accord with the tradition that Philolaus was the first Pythagorean to write a book (Huffman 1993, 15).
Hippasus originates the early Pythagorean tradition of scientific and mathematical analysis of music, which reaches its culmination in Archytas a century later. The correspondence between the central musical concords of the octave, fifth, and fourth and the whole number ratios 2 : 1, 3 : 2 and 4 : 3 is reflected in the acusmata (Iamblichus, VP 82) and was thus probably already known by Pythagoras. This correspondence was central to Philolaus' conception of the cosmos (Fr. 6a Huffman). Although the later tradition tried to assign the discovery to Pythagoras himself (Iamblichus, VP 115), the method described in the story would not in fact have worked (Burkert 1972a, 375–376). Hippasus is the first person to whom is assigned an experiment demonstrating these correspondences that is scientifically possible. Aristoxenus (Fr. 90 Wehrli = DK I 109. 31 ff.) reports that Hippasus prepared four bronze disks of equal diameters, whose thicknesses were in the given ratios, and it is true that, if free hanging disks of equal diameter are struck, the sound produced by, e.g., a disk half as thick as another will be an octave apart from the sound produced by the other disk (Burkert 1972a, 377). Hippasus, thus, may be the first person to devise an experiment to show that a physical law can be expressed mathematically (Zhmud 2012a, 310).
Another text associates Hippasus with Lasus of Hermione in an attempt to demonstrate the correspondence by filling vessels with liquid in the appropriate ratios. It is less clear whether this experiment would have worked as described (Barker 1989, 31–32). Lasus was prominent in Athens in the second half of the sixth century at the time of the Pisistratid tyranny and was thus probably a generation older than Hippasus. There is no indication that Lasus was a Pythagorean and this testimony suggests that the discovery of and interest in the mathematical basis of the concordant musical intervals was not limited to the Pythagorean tradition. Lasus and Hippasus are sometimes said to have been the first to put forth the influential but mistaken thesis that the pitch of a sound depended on the speed with which it travels, but it is far more likely that Archytas originated this view (Huffman 2005, 138–139). In the later tradition Hippasus is reported to have ranked the musical intervals in terms of degrees of concordance, making the octave the most concordant, followed by the fifth, octave + fifth, fourth and double octave (Boethius, Mus. II 19; see Huffman 2005, 433).
Finally, Iamblichus associates Hippasus with the history of the development of the mathematics of means (DK I 110. 30–37), which are important in music theory, but Iamblichus' reports are confused. It is likely that Hippasus worked only with the three earliest means (the arithmetic, geometric and subcontrary/harmonic) and that the changing of the name of the subcontrary mean to the harmonic mean should be ascribed to Archytas rather than Hippasus (Huffman 2005, 170–173).
The most romantic aspect of the tradition concerning Hippasus is the report that he drowned at sea in punishment for the impiety of making public and giving a diagram of the dodecahedron, a figure with twelve surfaces each in the shape of a regular pentagon (Iamblichus, VP 88). This is best understood as reflecting some sort of mathematical analysis of the dodecahedron by Hippasus, but it is implausible in terms of the history of Greek mathematics to suppose that he carried out a strict construction of the dodecahedron, which along with the other four regular solids is most likely to have first received rigorous treatment by Theaetetus in the fourth century BCE (Mueller 1997, 277; Waterhouse 1972; Sachs1917, 82). Nor is it clear why public presentation of technical mathematical analysis should cause a scandal, since few people would understand it. The most likely explanation is that the dodecahedron was a cult object for the Pythagoreans (dodecahedra in stone and bronze have been found dating back to prehistoric times) and that it was because of these religious connections that Hippasus' public work on the mathematical aspects of the solid was seen as impious (Burkert 1972a, 460).
Another late story, which appears first in Plutarch, reports a scandal which arose when knowledge of irrational magnitudes was revealed, without specifying any punishment for the one who revealed it (Numa 22). In Pappus' later version of the story, the person who first spread knowledge of the existence of the irrational was punished by drowning (Junge and Thomson 1930, 63–64). Iamblichus knows two different versions of the story, one according to which the malefactor was banished and a tomb was erected for him, signifying his expulsion from the community (VP 246), but another according to which he was punished by drowning as was the person (not specifically said to be Hippasus here) who revealed the dodecahedron (VP 247). Modern scholars have tried to combine the two stories and suppose that Hippasus discovered the irrational through his work on the dodecahedron (von Fritz 1945). This is pure speculation, however, since neither does any ancient source connect Hippasus to the discovery of the irrational nor does any source relate the discovery of the irrational to the dodecahedron (Burkert 1972a, 459). Some scholars nonetheless credit Hippasus with the discovery of irrationality (Zhmud 2012a, 274-278).
Some have argued that Hippasus was an important figure for the early Academy to whom Academic doctrines were ascribed in order give them his authority and even that he might be the Prometheus mentioned by Plato as handing down the method from the gods in the Philebus (Horky 2013). However, there is no explicit mention of Hippasus by any member of the Academy and he is a minor figure in fourth-century accounts of early Greek philosophy (e.g., Aristotle) so it is hard to see what authority he could give to Academic views.
The other major Pythagoreans of the fifth century were Philolaus and Eurytus, who are discussed above.
The name, but not too much more, is known of a number of other fifth century figures, who with varying degrees of probability may be considered Pythagoreans. To the beginning of the fifth century belongs Ameinias the teacher of Parmenides (Diogenes Laertius VIII 21). The athlete and trainer, Iccus of Tarentum, is listed in Iamblichus' catalogue, but none of the other sources, including Plato, call him a Pythagorean. In the later tradition, he was famous for the simplicity of his life and “the dinner of Iccus” was proverbial for plain fare. Plato praises his self control and reports that he touched neither women nor boys while training. (Laws 839e; see Protagoras 316d and DK I 216. 11 ff.).
Some scholars have treated the Sicilian comic poet Epicharmus as a Pythagorean and argued that the growing argument which appears in a fragment of controversial authenticity ascribed to him in Diogenes Laertius (3.11) is thus Pythagorean in origin (Horky 2013, 131-140). However, no fifth- or fourth-century source identifies Epicharmus as a Pythagorean and he does not appear in the catalogue of Iamblichus. The earliest explicit mention of him as a Pythagorean is in Plutarch (Numa 9) in the first century CE. There is no compelling evidence that the reference to Epicharmus as a Pythagorean in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life 266 derives from the fourth-century historian Timaeus as Horky proposes (2013, 116). Burkert suggests that the information on Didorus in 266 might derive from Timaeus (1972, 203-204) but Iamblichus regularly combines material from a number of sources so that neither Burkert nor most scholars regard the passage as a whole as deriving from Timaeus (Schorn 2014 only mentions VP 254-264 as having material from Timaeus). Epicharmus has also been thought to be a Pythagorean because the growing argument which he uses for comic effect uses pebbles to represent numbers and refers to odd and even numbers. However, neither of the features is peculiarly Pythagorean; the concept of odd and even numbers belongs to Greek mathematics in general and not just to the Pythagoreans and the use of counters (pebbles) on an abacus is the standard way in which Greeks manipulated numbers (Netz 2014, 178; cf. Burkert's doubts that there is anything Pythagorean in the Epicharmus fragment 1972a, 438). Most scholars regard Epicharmus' Pythagoreanism as a creation of the later tradition (Zhmud 2012a, 118; Riedweg 2005, 115; Kahn 2001, 87).
There is no reason to regard the physician Acron of Acragas as a Pythagorean, as Zhmud does (1997, 73; he appears to have changed his mind in 2012a, 116). Acron is a contemporary of Empedocles and is connected to him in the doxographical tradition (DK I 283. 1–9; Diogenes Laertius VIII 65). No ancient source calls him a Pythagorean. His name appears in a very lacunose papyrus along with the name of Aristoxenus (Aristoxenus, Fr. 22 Wehrli), but it is pure speculation that Aristoxenus labeled him a Pythagorean; Euryphon the Cnidian doctor of the fifth century, who was not a Pythagorean, also appears in the papyrus. Acron's father's name was Xenon, and a Xenon appears in Iamblichus' catalogue, but he is listed as from Locri and not Acragas, so again this is not good evidence that Acron was a Pythagorean.
The Pythagorean Paron (DK I 217. 10–15) is probably a fiction resulting from a misreading of Aristotle (Burkert 1972a, 170). Aristotle reports the expression of a certain Xuthus, that “the universe would swell like the ocean,” if there were not void into which parts of the universe could withdraw, when compressed (Physics 216b25). Simplicius says, on unknown grounds, that this Xuthus was a Pythagorean, and scholars have speculated that he was responding to Parmenides (DK I. 376. 20–26; Kirk and Raven 1957, 301–302; Barnes 1982, 616).
Aristoxenus reports that two Tarentines, Lysis and Archippus, were the sole survivors when the house of Milo in Croton was burned, during a meeting of the Pythagoreans, by their enemies (Iamblichus, VP 250). A later romantic version in Plutarch (On the Sign of Socrates 583a) has it that Lysis and Philolaus were the two survivors, but it appears that the famous name of Philolaus has been substituted for Archippus, about whom nothing else is known. Aristoxenus goes on to say that Lysis left southern Italy and went first to Achaea in the Peloponnese before finally settling in Thebes, where the famous Theban general, Epaminondas, became his pupil and called him father. In order to be the teacher of Epaminondas in the early fourth century, Lysis must have been born no earlier than about 470. Thus the conflagration that he escaped as a young man must have been part of the attacks on the Pythagoreans around 450, rather than those that occurred around 500, when Pythagoras himself was still alive. The later sources often conflate these two attacks on the Pythagoreans (Minar 1942, 53). Nothing is known of the philosophy of Lysis, but it seems probable that he should be regarded as one of the acusmatici, since his training of Epaminondas appears to have emphasized a way of life rather than mathematical or scientific studies (Diodorus Siculus X 11.2) and Epaminondas' use of the name father for Lysis suggests a cult association (Burkert 1972a, 179). In the later tradition, Lysis became quite famous as the author of a spurious letter (Thesleff 1965, 111; cf. Iamblichus, VP 75–78) rebuking a certain Hipparchus for revealing Pythagorean teachings to the uninitiated (see on the Pythagorean pseudepigrapha below, sect. 4.2).
Zopyrus of Tarentum is mentioned twice, in a treatise on siege-engines by Biton (3rd or 2nd century BCE), as the inventor of an advanced form of the type of artillery known as the belly-bow (Marsden 1971, 74–77). Zopyrus' bow used a winch to pull back the string and hence could shoot a six-foot wooden missile 4.5 inches thick (Marsden 1969, 14). It is not implausible to suppose that this is the same Zopyrus as is listed in Iamblichus' catalogue of Pythagoreans under Tarentum (Diels 1965, 23), although Biton does not call him a Pythagorean. The traditional dating for Zopyrus puts him in the first half of the fourth century (Marsden 1971, 98, n. 52), but Kingsley has convincingly argued that he was in fact active in the last quarter of the fifth century, when he designed artillery for Cumae and Miletus (1995, 150 ff.). In a famous passage, Diodorus reports that in 399 BCE Dionysius I, the tyrant of Syracuse, gathered together skilled craftsmen from Italy, Greece and Carthage in order to construct artillery for his war with the Carthaginians (XIV 41.3). It seems not unlikely that Zopyrus was one of those who came from Italy. There is no reason to suppose, however, as Kingsley (1995, 146) and others do, that Zopyrus' interest in mechanics was connected to his Pythagoreanism or that there was a specifically Pythagorean school of mechanics in Tarentum (Huffman 2005, 14–17).
It is controversial whether this Zopyrus of Tarentum is the same as Zopyrus of Heraclea, who is not called a Pythagorean in the sources, but who is reported in late sources to have written three Orphic poems, The Net, The Robe and The Krater, which probably dealt with the structure of human beings and the earth (West 1983, 10 ff.). This Zopyrus could be from the Heraclea closely connected to Tarentum, but he might also be from the Heraclea on the Black Sea. A late source connects Zopyrus of Heraclea with Pisistratus in the 6th century (West 1983, 249), which would mean that he could not be the same as Zopyrus of Tarentum in the late 5th century. On the other hand, Orphic writings are assigned to a number of other Pythagoreans, and it is not impossible that the same person had interests both in Orphic mysticism and mechanics. Kingsley supposes that the myth at the end of Plato's Phaedo is based in minute detail on Zopyrus' Krater or an intermediary reworking of it (1995, 79–171), and tries to connect specific features of the myth to Zopyrus' interest in mechanics (1995, 147–148), but the parallel which he detects between the oscillation of the rivers in the mythic account of the underworld and the balance of opposing forces used in a bow is too general to be compelling. The connection between Zopyrus and the Phaedo is highly conjectural and must remain so, as long as there are no fragments of the Krater, with which to compare the Phaedo.
A harmonic theorist named Simus is accused of having plagiarized one of seven pieces of wisdom inscribed on a bronze votive offering, which was dedicated in the temple of Hera on Pythagoras' native island of Samos, by Pythagoras' supposed son Arimnestus (Duris of Samos in Porphyry, VP 3). There is a Simus listed under Posidonia (Paestum in S. Italy) in Iamblichus' catalogue of Pythagoreans, so that DK treated him as a Pythagorean (I 444–445) who, like Hippasus, stole some of the master's teaching for his own glory. There is, however, no obvious connection between the two individuals named Simus except the name. Most scholars have thus treated Simus as if he were a harmonic theorist in competition with and independent of the Pythagorean tradition (Burkert 1972a, 449–450; Zhmud 2012a, 118; West 1992, 79 and 240; Wilamowitz 1962, II 93–94).
What exactly he stole is very unclear. He is said to have removed seven pieces of wisdom from the monument and put forth one of them as his own. This is perhaps best understood as meaning that he took an inscribed piece of metal from the dedicated object, perhaps a cauldron (see Wilamowitz 1962, II 94). The inscription will have included all seven pieces of wisdom, but Simus chose to publish only one of them as his own, the other six being thus lost. The piece of wisdom he put forth as his own is called a kanôn (“rule”). West takes this as a reference to the monochord, which was called the kanôn, used to determine and illustrate the numerical ratios, which were related to the concordant intervals (1992, 240). Since, however, the kanôn seems to have been something inscribed on the dedication, along with six other pieces of wisdom, it is perhaps better to assume that the kanôn was a description of a set of ratios determining a scale (Burkert 1972a, 455; Wilamowitz 1962, 94). There must have been a scale in circulation associated with the name of Simus. The story that Duris reports is then an attempt by the Pythagoreans to claim this scale as, in fact, the work of Pythagoras or his son, which Simus plagiarized. Duris wrote in the first part of the third century BCE, so Simus has to be earlier than that. If the son of Pythagoras really made the dedication in the temple, this would have occurred in the fifth century, but it is unclear how much later than that Simus' kanôn became known. West dates him to the fifth century, whereas DK places him in the fourth. Zhmud suspects that he is an invention of the pseudo–Pythagorean tradition (2012a, 118).
Iamblichus describes an ‘arithmetical method’ known as the bloom of Thymaridas (In Nic. 62), and elsewhere discusses two points of terminology in Thymaridas, including his definition of the monad as “limiting quantity” (In Nic. 11 and 27). Some scholars have dated Thymaridas to the time of Plato or before, but others argue that the terminology assigned to him cannot be earlier than Plato and shows connections to Diophantus in the third century CE (see Burkert 1972a, 442, n. 92 for a summary of the scholarship). There is also a Thymaridas in the biographical tradition, who may or may not be the same individual. In a highly suspect passage in Iamblichus, Thymarides is listed as a pupil of Pythagoras himself (VP 104) and a Thymaridas of Paros appears in Iamblichus' catalogue and is mentioned in one anecdote (VP 239). There is also a worrisome connection to the pseudo-Pythagorean literature. A Thymaridas of Tarentum is presented in an anecdote (Iamblichus, VP 145) as arguing that people should wish for what the gods give them rather than praying that the gods give them what they want, a sentiment that is also found in a group of three treatises forged in Pythagoras' name (Diogenes Laertius VIII 9). The anecdote is drawn from Androcydes' work on the Pythagorean symbola or taboos. If this work could be dated to the fourth century, it would confirm an early date for Thymaridas, but all that is certain is that Androcydes' work was known in the first century BCE and thus that the anecdote originated before that date (Burkert 1972a, 167). It seems rash, given this confused evidence, to follow Zhmud and regard Thymaridas as a younger contemporary or pupil of Archytas (2012a, 131).
3.5 The Fourth Century: Aristoxenus, the Last of the Pythagoreans, and the Pythagorists
Aristoxenus (ca. 375- ca. 300 BCE) is most famous as a music theorist and as a member of the Lyceum, who was disappointed not be to named Aristotle's successor (Fr. 1 Wehrli). In his early years, however, he was a Pythagorean, and he is one of the most important sources for early Pythagoreanism. He wrote five works on Pythagoreanism, although it is possible that some of these titles are alternative names for the same work: The Life of Pythagoras, On Pythagoras and His Associates, On the Pythagorean Life, Pythagorean Precepts and a Life of Archytas. None of these works have survived intact, but portions of them were preserved by later authors (Wehrli 1945). Aristoxenus is a valuable source because, as a member of the Lyceum, he is free of the distorted image of Pythagoras propagated during his lifetime by Plato's successors in the Academy (see below, sect. 4.1) and because of his unique connections to Pythagoreanism.
He was born in Tarentum during the years when the most important Pythagorean of the fourth century, Archytas, was the leading public figure and his father, Spintharus, had connections to Archytas (Fr. 30 Wehrli). When Aristoxenus left Tarentum, as a young man, and eventually came to Athens (ca. 350), his first teacher was the Pythagorean, Xenophilus, before he went on to become the pupil of Aristotle (Fr. 1 Wehrli). Some modern scholars are skeptical of Aristoxenus' testimony, seeing his denial that there was a prohibition on eating beans and his assertion that Pythagoras was not a vegetarian and particularly enjoyed eating young pigs and tender kids (Fr. 25 = Gellius IV 11), as attempts to make Pythagoreanism more rational than it was (Burkert 1972a, 107, 180). On the other hand, his Life of Archytas is not a simple panegyric; Archytas' foibles are recognized and his opponents are given a fair hearing (Huffman 2005, 4–5, 289–290). On Aristoxenus as a source for Pythagoreanism see most recently Zhmud 2012b and Huffman 2014b, 285–295.
Perhaps Aristoxenus' most interesting work on Pythagoreanism is the Pythagorean Precepts, which is known primarily through substantial excerpts preserved by Stobaeus (Frs. 33–41 Wehrli). This work does not mention any Pythagoreans by name but presents a set of ethical precepts that “they” (i.e. the Pythagoreans) proposed concerning the various stages of human life, education, and the proper place of sexuality and reproduction in human life. There are also analyses of concepts important in ethics, such as desire and luck. Given Aristoxenus' background, the Precepts would appear to be invaluable evidence for Pythagorean ethics in the first half of the fourth century, when Aristoxenus was studying Pythagoreanism. They might be expected to partially embody the views of his teacher Xenophilus. The standard scholarly view of this work, however, is that Aristoxenus plundered Platonic and Aristotelian ideas for the glory of the Pythagoreans (Wehrli 1945, 58 ff.; Burkert 1972a, 107–108; Zhmud 2012a, 65). There are serious difficulties with the standard view, however (Huffman 2008b). The analysis of luck that was supposedly taken from Aristotle is, in fact, in sharp conflict with Aristotle's view (Mills 1982) and appears to be one of the views Aristotle was attacking. While the Precepts do have similarities to passages in Plato and Aristotle, they are at a very high level of generality and are shared with passages in other fifth and fourth century authors, such as Xenophon and Thucydides; it is the distinctively Platonic and Aristotelian features that are missing.
The Precepts are thus best regarded as what they appear on the surface to be, an account of Pythagorean ethics of the fourth century. This ethical system shows a similarity to a conservative strain of Greek ethics, which is also found in Plato's Republic, but has its own distinctive features (Huffman 2006). The central outlook of the Precepts is a distrust of basic human nature and an emphasis on the necessity for supervision of all aspects of human life (Fr. 35 Wehrli). The emphasis on order in life is so marked that the status quo is preferred to what is right (Fr. 34). The Pythagoreans were particularly suspicious of bodily desire and analyzed the ways in which it could lead people astray (Fr. 37). There are strict limitations on sexual desire and the propagation of children (Fr. 39). Despite the best efforts of humanity, however, many things are outside of human control, so the Pythagoreans examined the impact of luck on human life (Fr. 41).
Aristoxenus is a source for the famous story of the two Pythagorean friends Damon and Phintias, which was set during the tyranny of Dionysius II in Syracuse (367–357). As a test of their friendship Dionysius falsely accused Phintias of plotting against him and sentenced him to death. Phintias asked time to set his affairs in order, and Dionysius was amazed when Damon took his place, while he did so. Phintias showed his equal devotion to his friend by showing up on time for his execution. Dionysius cancelled the execution and asked to become a partner in their friendship but was refused (Iamblichus, VP 234; Porphyry, VP 59–60; Diodorus X 4.3).
In Diodorus' version, Phintias is presented as actually engaged in a plot against Dionysius and some argue that Aristoxenus' version is an attempt to whitewash the Pythagoreans (Riedweg 2005, 40). On the other hand, Dionysius' eagerness to join in their friendship, which occurs in both versions, is harder to understand if there really had been a plot (see Burkert 1972a, 104). There are two other considerations. First, Aristoxenus cites Dionysius II himself as his source, whereas it is unclear what source Diodorus used. Second, it is far from clear that Aristoxenus would object to the Pythagoreans plotting against a tyrant. Thus, there are good reasons for regarding Aristoxenus' version as more accurate.
Cleinias and Prorus are another pair of Pythagorean friends, whose story may have been told by Aristoxenus (Iamblichus, VP 127), although they were not friends in the usual sense. Cleinias, who was from Tarentum, knew nothing of Prorus of Cyrene other than that he was a Pythagorean, who had lost his fortune in political turmoil. On these grounds alone he went to Cyrene, taking the money to restore Prorus' fortunes (Iamblichus, VP 239; Diodorus X 4.1). Nothing else is known of Prorus, although some pseudepigrapha were forged in his name (Thesleff 1965, 154.13). It appears that Cleinias was a contemporary of Plato, since Aristoxenus reports that he and an otherwise unknown Pythagorean, Amyclas, persuaded Plato not to burn the books of Democritus, on the grounds that it would do no good, since they were already widely known (Diogenes Laertius IX 40). Cleinias was involved in several other anecdotes. Like Archytas he supposedly refused to punish when angry (VP 198) and, when angered, calmed himself by playing the lyre (Athenaeus XIV 624a). Asked when one should resort to a woman he said “when one happens to want especially to be harmed” (Plutarch, Moralia 654b). Several pseudepigrapha appear in Cleinias' name as well.
Myllias of Croton and his wife Timycha appear in Iamblichus' catalogue and are known from a famous anecdote of uncertain origin, which is preserved by Iamblichus (VP 189 ff.). They were persecuted by the tyrant Dionysius II of Syracuse, but Timycha showed her loyalty and courage by biting off her tongue and spitting it in the tyrant's face, rather than risk divulging Pythagorean secrets under torture.
None of the Pythagoreans mentioned in the previous four paragraphs appear to have to have anything to do with the sciences or natural philosophy. Since their Pythagoreanism consists exclusively in their way of life, they are best regarded as examples of the acusmatici. Many scholars have regarded Diodorus of Aspendus in Pamphylia (southern Asia Minor), as an important example of what the Pythagorean acusmatici were like in the first half of the fourth century (Burkert 1972a, 202–204). Diodorus is primarily known through a group of citations preserved by Athenaeus (IV 163c-f), which describe him as a vegetarian who was outfitted in an outlandish way, some features of which later became characteristic of the Cynics, e.g., long hair, long beard, a shabby cloak, a staff and beggar's rucksack (cf. Diogenes Laertius VI 13). The historian Timaeus (350–260), however, casts doubt on Diodorus' credentials as a Pythagorean saying that “he pretended to have associated with the Pythagoreans” and Sosicrates, another historian (2nd century BCE; fragments in Jacoby) says that his outlandish dress was his own innovation, since before this Pythagoreans had always worn white clothing, bathed and wore their hair according to fashion (Athenaeus IV 163e ff.). Iamblichus, the other major source for Diodorus outside Athenaeus, also treats Diodorus with reserve, saying that he was accepted by the leader of the Pythagorean school at the time, one Aresas, because there were so few members of the school. He continues, perhaps again with disapproval, to report that Diodorus returned to Greece and spread abroad the Pythagorean oral teachings.
These sources clearly suggest that Diodorus was anything but a typical Pythagorean, even of the acusmatic variety. Burkert has argued that this reflects a bias of sources such as Aristoxenus, who wanted to make Pythagoreanism appear reasonable and emphasized the version of Pythagoreanism practiced by the mathêmatici rather than the acusmatici. In support of this conclusion, he argues that the two earliest sources present Diodorus as a Pythagorean without any qualifications (1972a, 204). It is important to look carefully at those sources, however. First, neither is a philosopher or a historian, who might be expected to give a careful presentation of Diodorus. The oldest is a lyre player named Stratonicus (died 350 BCE), who was famous for his witticisms, and the other, Archestratus (fl. 330 BCE), wrote a book entitled The Life of Luxury, which focused on culinary delights. Such sources might be expected to accept typical stories that went around about Diodorus without any close analysis.
In the case of our earliest source, Stratonicus, there is, moreover, once again evidence suggesting that Diodorus was not regarded as a typical Pythagorean. In describing Diodorus' relationship to Pythagoras, Stratonicus does not use a typical word for student or disciple, but rather the same word (pelatês) that Plato used in the Euthyphro to describe the day-laborer who died at the hands of Euthyphro's father. Diodorus is thus being presented sarcastically as a hired hand in the Pythagorean tradition, which is very much in accord with the later presentations of him as a poor man's Pythagoras on the fringes of Pythagoreanism. Thus, rather than accusing the sources of bias against Diodorus, it seems better to accept their almost universal testimony that he was not a typical acusmatic but rather a marginal figure, who used Pythagoreanism in part to try to gain respectability for his own eccentric lifestyle.
Individuals known as “Pythagorists,” i.e. Pythagorizers, are ridiculed by writers of Greek comedy, such as Alexis, Antiphanes, Aristophon, and Cratinus the younger, in the middle and second half of the fourth century (see Burkert 1972a, 198, n. 25 for the evidence and 200, n. 41 for the dating). The most important of the fragments of these comedies that deal with the Pythagorists are collected by Athenaeus (IV 160f ff) and Diogenes Laertius (VIII 37–38). The term “Pythagorist” is usually negative in the comic writers (Arnott 1996, 581–582) and picks out people who share some of the same extreme ascetic lifestyle as Diodorus. A fragment of Antiphanes describes someone as eating “nothing animate, as if Pythagorizing” (Fr. 133 Kassel and Austin = Athenaeus IV 161a). In The Pythagorizing Woman, Alexis presents the vegetarian sacrificial feast that is customary for the Pythagoreans as including dried figs, cheese and olive cakes, and reports that the Pythagorean life entailed “scanty food, filth, cold, silence, sullenness, and no baths” as well as drinking water instead of wine (Frs. 201–202 = Athenaeus IV 161c and III 122f).
A number of these characteristics can be connected to the acusmata (Arnott 1996, 583), e.g., the lack of bathing may be a joke based on the acusma that forbids the Pythagoreans from using the public baths (Iamblichus, VP 83), Antiphanes (fr. 158) satirizes the acusmata's bizarre list of foods that can be eaten (D.L. 8.19) by describing his Pythagoreans as searching for sea orach, and the silence or sullenness ascribed to the Pythagoreans in comedy accords not just with the acusmata but with early testimony about the Pythagoreans in Isocrates (Busiris 29) and Dicaearchus (Fr. 40 Mirhady). A fragment of Aristophon's Pythagorist suggests that this ascetic life was based on poverty rather than philosophical scruple and that, if you put meat and fish in front of these Pythagorists, they would gobble them down (Fr. 9 = Athenaeus IV 161e). In a fragment of Alexis, after the speaker reports that the Pythagoreans eat nothing animate, he is interrupted by someone who objects that “Epicharides eats dogs, and he is a Pythagorean,” to which the response is, “yes, but he kills them first and so they are not still animate” (Fr. 223 + Athenaeus 161b). Epicharides and some other named figures may well be Athenians who are satirized by being assigned a Pythagorean life (Athenaeus 2006, 272). Another fragment of Aristophon's Pythagorist reports that the Pythagoreans have a far different existence in the underworld than others, in that they feast with Hades because of their piety, but this just occasions the remark that Hades is an unpleasant god to enjoy the company of such filthy wretches (Fr. 12 = Diogenes Laertius VIII 38).
Both Alexis (Fr. 223 = Athenaeus IV 161b) and Cratinus the younger (Fr. 7 = Diogenes Laertius VIII 37) wrote plays entitled The People of Tarentum, which, although they may not have been primarily about Pythagoreans, featured depictions of them (Arnott 1996, 625–626). In this case, the Pythagoreans are again satirized for their simple diet, bread and water (which is called “prison fare”), and for drinking no wine. In these plays, however, the Pythagoreans are also presented as feeding on “subtle arguments” and “finely honed thoughts” and as pestering others with them, in a way that is reminiscent of Aristophanes' treatment of Socrates in the Clouds.
Given the fragmentary nature of the evidence, it is unclear whether these ascetic Pythagoreans who engage in argument are the same as the Pythagorists in the other comedies, who are characterized by their filth and eccentric appearance. Certainly the latter are more reminiscent of Diodorus of Aspendus, while the former might be closer to what we know of someone like Cleinias. In the first half of the third century, the poet Theocritus still preserves a memory of these Pythagorists as “pale and without shoes” (XIV 5). The scholiast to the passage testifies to the continuing controversy about the Pythagorists by drawing a distinction between Pythagoreans who give every attention to their body and Pythagorists who are filthy (although another scholion reports that others say the opposite, see Arnott 1996, 581). A passage in Iamblichus (VP 80) similarly argues that the Pythagoreans were the true followers of Pythagoras, while the Pythagorists just emulated them.
In recent scholarship, the tendency has been to regard Diodorus and the Pythagorists as legitimate Pythagoreans of the acusmatic stamp, whose eccentricities are perhaps a little exaggerated in comedy. The extensive evidence from antiquity which argues that they were not true Pythagoreans is interpreted as bias on the part of conservative Pythagoreans of the hyper-mathêmatici sort, such as Aristoxenus, who wanted to disassociate themselves and Pythagoreanism in general from such strange people. This is a possible interpretation of the evidence, but, as the evidence for Diodorus shows, it is also quite possible that Diodorus and the more extreme Pythagorists depicted in comedy were in fact people with whom few Pythagoreans either of the mathêmatici or the acusmatici wanted to associate themselves. Many religious movements have a radical fringe, and there is little reason to think that Pythagoreanism should differ in this regard. In connection with his thesis that the acusmata were a literary phenomenon and that no one lived a life in accordance with them Zhmud argues that the Pythagorists of comedy are a creation of the comic stage and do not provide evidence for Pythagoreans living a life governed by acusmata (Zhmud 2012a, 175-183). It is true that many of the features of the Pythagorists are shared with Socrates as presented in the Clouds (subtle arguments, plain food, filthy clothes). Zhmud suggests that vegetarianism was added to this stock picture of the philosopher to give a Pythagorean color and that this vegetarianism was derived solely from the eccentric figure of Diodorus of Aspendus. However, as noted above there are more connections to the acusmata than just vegetarianism and it is hard to believe that the repeated jokes at the expense of those living a Pythagorean life had no correlate in reality other than Diodorus.
Perhaps the best way to evaluate the complicated evidence for fourth-century Pythagoreanism is to conclude that there were three main groups, each of which admitted some variation. There were mathêmatici such as Archytas who did serious research in the mathematical disciplines and natural philosophy but who also lived an ascetic life that emphasized self-control and avoidance of bodily pleasure. Other Pythagoreans such as Cleinias or Xenophilus may have done no work in the sciences but lived a Pythagorean life, which was similar to that of Archytas and followed principles similar to those set out in Aristoxenus' Pythagorean Precepts. They may have observed some mild dietary restrictions and may be similar to the figures satirized in The Men of Tarentum as eating a simple diet but still engaged in subtle arguments. There was probably a continuum of people in this category with some following more or different sets of the acusmata than others. Finally there are the Pythagorean hippies such as Diodorus and the Pythagorists, who ostentatiously live a life in accord with some of the acusmata, but who take such an extreme interpretation of them as to be regarded as eccentrics by most Pythagoreans.
Diogenes Laertius reports, evidently on the authority of Aristoxenus, that the last Pythagoreans were Xenophilus from the Thracian Chalcidice (Aristoxenus' teacher), and four Pythagoreans from Phlius: Phanton, Echecrates, Diocles and Polymnastus. These Pythagoreans are further identified as the pupils of Philolaus and Eurytus. Little more is known of Xenophilus beyond his living for more than 105 years (DK I 442–443). The Pythagoreans from Phlius are just names except Echecrates (DK I 443), to whom Phaedo narrates, evidently in Phlius, the events of Socrates' last day in Plato's Phaedo. Socrates' interlocutors in the Phaedo, Simmias and Cebes, are often regarded as Pythagoreans, because they are said to have been pupils of Philolaus when he was in Thebes. They are also shown to be pupils of Socrates, however, and it is unclear that their connection to Philolaus was any closer than their connection to Socrates. They are not listed in Iamblichus' catalogue as Pythagoreans; Diogenes Laertius includes them with other followers of Socrates (II 124–125). Echecrates might have been born around 420 and thus be a young man at the dramatic date of the Phaedo. Aristoxenus' assertion that these were the last of the Pythagoreans would then suggest that Pythagoreanism died out around 350, when Echecrates was an old man.
Riedweg says that this claim is “demonstrably untrue” pointing to a Pythagorean, Lycon, who criticized Aristotle's supposed extravagant way of life and to the Pythagorists discussed above (2005, 106). This seems slender evidence upon which to be so critical of Aristoxenus. Virtually nothing is known of Lycon, and Aristocles (1st-2nd c. CE), who recounts the criticism of Aristotle, says that Lycon “called himself a Pythagorean,” thus expressing some sort of reservation about his credentials (DK I 445–446). Aristoxenus' assertion is probably to be understood as a general claim that, with the deaths of the Pythagoreans from Phlius around the middle of the fourth century, Pythagoreanism as an active movement was dead. This would be compatible with a few individuals still claiming to be Pythagoreans after 350.
This is not inconsistent with the existence of a few isolated individuals, who still claim to be Pythagoreans. Certainly, from the evidence available to modern scholars, Aristoxenus' claim is largely true. From about 350 BCE until about 100 BCE, there is a radical drop in evidence for individuals who call themselves Pythagoreans. Iamblichus (In Nic. 116.1–7) appears to date the Pythagoreans Myonides and Euphranor, who worked on the mathematics of means, after the time of Eratosthenes (285–194 BCE) and hence to the second century BCE or later (Burkert 1972a, 442), but Iamblichus' history of the means is very confused and they might belong to the rise of Neopythagoreanism in the first centuries BCE and CE. Kahn (2001, 83) sees a hint of Pythagorean cult activity in the spurious Pythagorean Memoirs, which must date sometime before the first half of the first century BCE, when they are quoted by Alexander Polyhistor (see section 4.2 below). A few other Pythagorean pseudepigrapha appear in the period (see further below, sect. 4.2), although it is unclear what sort of Pythagorean community, if any, was associated with them. Pythagoreanism is not completely dead between 350 and 100 (see further below, sect. 3.5), but few individual Pythagoreans or organized groups of Pythagoreans can be identified in this period.
3.6 Timaeus, Ocellus, Hicetas and Ecphantus
The names Timaeus of Locri and Ocellus of Lucania are famous as the authors of the two most influential Pythagorean pseudepigrapha (see below, sect. 4.2). In his catalogue of Pythagoreans, Iamblichus lists an Ocellus under Lucania and two men named Timaeus, neither under Locri. The later forgery of works attributed to Timaeus and Ocellus does not of course mean that Pythagoreans of these names did not exist, and it is possible that the Timaeus of Locri who is the main speaker in Plato's Timaeus was an historical Timaeus (some have thought Plato uses him as a mask for Archytas, however). If they really did exist, however, nothing is known about them, since all other reports in the ancient tradition are likely to be based on Plato's Timaeus or the spurious works in their name.
Some scholars have argued that Hicetas and Ecphantus, both of Syracuse, were not historical figures at all but rather characters in dialogues written by Heraclides of Pontus, a fourth-century member of the Academy. By a misunderstanding, they came to be treated as historical Pythagoreans in the doxographical tradition (see Guthrie 1962, 323 ff. for references). This theory arose because both Hicetas and Ecphantus are said to have made the earth rotate on its axis, while the heavens remained fixed, in order to explain astronomical phenomena, and, in one report, Heraclides is paired with Ecphantus as having adopted this view (Aetius III 13.3 =DK I 442.23). In addition Ecphantus is assigned a form of atomism (DK I 442.7 ff.) similar to that assigned to Heraclides (Fr. 118–121 Wehrli). It is not uncommon in the doxographical tradition for a report of the form “x and y believe z” to mean that “y, as reported by x, believes z,” so it is suggested that in this case “Heraclides and Ecphantus” means “Ecphantus as presented by Heraclides.” There is a serious problem with this ingenious theory. The doxographical reports about Hicetas and Ecphantus ultimately rely on Theophrastus (Cicero mentions Theophrastus by name at DK I 441.27), and it is implausible that Theophrastus would treat characters invented by his older contemporary, Heraclides, as historical figures. Theophrastus did accept the Academic glorification of Pythagoras (see on Neopythagoreanism below, sect. 4.1), but this provides no grounds for supposing that he accepted a character in a dialogue as a historical person (pace Burkert 1972a, 341).
The testimonia for Hicetas are meager and contradictory (DK I 441–442). He appears to have argued that the celestial phenomena are best explained by assuming that all heavenly bodies are stationary and that the apparent movement of the stars and planets is the result of the earth's rotation around its own axis. He may also have followed Philolaus in positing a counter-earth, opposite the earth on the other side of a central fire, although, if he did, it is unclear how he would have explained why it and the central fire are not visible from the rotating earth. In Philolaus' system the central fire remains invisible because the earth orbits the central fire as it rotates on its axis, thus keeping one side of the earth always turned away from the central fire. A little more is known about Ecphantus (DK I 442). He too is said to have believed that the earth moved, not by changing its location (as Philolaus proposed, in making the earth and counter-earth revolve around the central fire: see Section 4.2 of the entry on Philolaus ), but by rotating on its axis.
Copernicus was inspired by these testimonia about Hicetas and Ecphantus, as well as those about Philolaus, to consider the motion of the earth (see below, sect. 5.2). Ecphantus developed his own original form of atomism. He is best understood as reacting to and developing the views of Democritus. He agreed with Democritus 1) “that human beings do not grasp true knowledge of the things that are, but define them as they believe them to be” (DK I 442.7–8; cf. Democritus Frs. 6–10) and 2) that all sensible things arise from indivisible first bodies and void. He differs from Democritus, however, in supposing that atoms are limited rather than unlimited in number and that there is just one cosmos rather than many. As in Democritus, atoms differ in shape and size, but Ecphantus adds power (dynamis) as a third distinguishing factor. He explains atomic motion not just in terms of weight and external blows, as the atomists did, but also by a divine power, which he called mind or soul, so that “the cosmos was composed of atoms but organized by providence” (DK I 442.21–22). It is because of this divine power that the cosmos is spherical in shape. This unique spherical cosmos is reminiscent of Plato's Timaeus, but the rest of Ecphantus' system differs enough from Plato that there is no question of its being a forgery based on the Timaeus. One testimony says that he was the first to make Pythagorean monads corporeal, thus differing from the fifth-century Pythagoreans described by Aristotle, who do not seem to have addressed the question of whether numbers were physical entities or not (Huffman 1993, 61 ff.).
It is difficult to be sure of the date of either Hicetas or Ecphantus. Since, however, both seem to be influenced by Philolaus' idea of a moving earth and since Ecphantus appears to be developing the atomism of Democritus, it is usually assumed that they belong to the first half of the fourth century (Guthrie 1962, 325–329; Zhmud 2012a, 130). Hicetas does not appear in Iamblichus' catalogue. There is an Ecphantus in the catalogue, but he is listed under Croton rather than Syracuse, so it cannot be certain whether he is the Ecphantus described in the doxography.
3.7 Plato and Pythagoreanism
There is currently a very wide range of opinions about the relationship of Plato to Pythagoreanism. Many scholars both ancient and modern have thought that Plato was very closely tied to Pythagoreanism. In the biography of Pythagoras read by Photius in the 9th century CE (Bibl. 249) Plato is presented as a member of the Pythagorean school. He is the pupil of Archytas and the ninth successor to Pythagoras himself. If this were true then Plato would certainly be the most illustrious early Pythagorean after Pythagoras himself. Some modern scholars, while not going this far, have seen the connections between Plato and the Pythagoreans to be very close indeed. Thus, A. E. Taylor in his great commentary on the Timaeus says that his main thesis is that “the teaching of Timaeus [in Plato's Timaeus] can be shown to be in detail exactly what we should expect from an fifth-century Italian Pythagorean” (1928, 11). Guthrie in his famous history of ancient philosophy commented that Pythagorean and Platonic philosophy were so close that it is difficult to separate them (1975, 35). Recently it has been argued that Plato was so steeped in Pythagoreanism that he structured his dialogues by counting numbers of lines and placing important passages at points in the dialogue that correspond to important ratios in Pythagorean harmonic theory (Kennedy, 2010 and 2011). Thus, the vision of the form of beauty appears 3/4 of the way through the Symposium by line count and the ratio 3 : 4 corresponds to the central musical interval of the fourth. There are, however, serious questions about the methodology used (Gregory 2012) and it is a serious problem both that no one in the ancient world reports that Plato used such a practice and that the middle of the dialogue, which corresponds to the most concordant musical interval, the octave (2:1), does not usually contain the most philosophically important content. Another approach sees Plato as engaged with and heavily influenced by Pythagorean ideas in passages where the Pythagoreans are not specifically mentioned in dialogues such as the Cratylus (401b11-d7) and Phaedo (101b10-104c9)(Horky 2013). The problem is that in contrast to the Philebus, where the connection to Philolaus is clear (see below), the connections to the Pythagoreans in these passages are too indirect or general (e.g., the concepts odd and even and the number 3 in the Phaedo passage are not unique to the Pythagoreans) to be very convincing and partly depend on the doubtful assumption that Epicharmus was a Pythagorean (see section 3.4 above). The central text for many of those who see Plato as closely tied to Pythagoreanism is Aristotle's comment in Metaphysics 1.6 that Plato “followed these men (i.e. the Pythagoreans according to these scholars) in most respects” (987a29-31). In contrast to these attempts to connect Plato closely to Pythagoreanism, most recent Platonic scholars seem to think Pythagoreanism of little importance for Plato. Thus two prominent handbooks to Plato's thought (Kraut 1992; Benson 2006) and another book of essays devoted specifically to the Timaeus, (Mohr and Sattler 2010) hardly mention the Pythagoreans at all.
In recent studies of the topic that lie somewhere between these extremes, one approach is to argue that there is clear Pythagorean influence on Plato but that its scope is much more limited than often assumed (Huffman 2013b). Plato explicitly mentions Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans only one time each in the dialogues and this provides prima facie evidence that Pythagorean influence was not extensive. Moreover, at Metaphysics 987a29-31 the “these men” that Aristole says Plato follows in most respects may not be the Pythagoreans but the Presocratics in general. Aristotle's presentation as a whole mainly attests to Pythagorean influence only on Plato's late theory of principles (Huffman 2008a). It is often assumed that Plato owes his mathematical conception of the cosmos and his belief in the immortality and transmigration of the soul to Pythagoreanism (Kahn 2001, 3-4). However, the role of Pythagoreanism in Greek mathematics has been overstated and while Plato had contacts with mathematicians who were Pythagoreans like Archytas, the most prominent mathematicians in the dialogues, Theodorus and Theaetetus, are not Pythagoreans. It is thus a serious mistake to assume that any mention of mathematics in Plato suggests Pythagorean influence. The same is true of the immortality and transmigration of the soul in Plato, which are often assumed to be derived from Pythagoreanism. Some have also thought that Platonic myths and especially the myth at the end of the Phaedo draw heavily on Pythagoreanism (Kingsley 1995, 79-171). However, most of the contexts in which Plato mentions the immortality of the soul including the Platonic myths, suggest that he is thinking of mystery cults and the Orphics rather than the Pythagoreans (Huffman 2013b, 243-254). On the other hand, in the Philebus (16c-17a) Plato gives clear acknowledgement of the debt he owes to men before his time who posit limit and unlimited as basic principles. The fragments of Philolaus and Aristotle's reports on Pythagoreanism make clear that this is a reference to Philolaus and the Pythagoreans. The principles of limit and unlimited are clearly connected to Plato's one and indefinite dyad and it is precisely these principles of Plato that Aristotle connects most closely to Pythagoreanism (Metaph. 987b25-32). Thus Plato's evidence coheres with Aristotle's to suggest that Pythagoreanism exerted considerable influence on Plato's late theory of principles. It is also true that specific aspects of Plato's mathematical view of the world are owed to the Pythagoreans, e.g., the world soul in the Timaeus is constructed according to the diatonic scale that is prominent in Philolaus (Fr. 6a). However, most of the Timaeus is not derived from Pythagoreanism and some of it in fact conflicits with Pythagoreanism (e.g., Archytas famously argued that the universe was unlimited while Plato's in limited). The same is true for Plato as a whole. Isolated ideas such as the one and the dyad and the structure of the world soul show heavy Pythagorean influence, but there is no evidence that Pythagoreanism played a central role in the development of the core of Plato's philosophy (e.g., the theory of forms).
A second approach is to argue that, while it is true that not all mentions of mathematics or all mentions of the transmigration of the soul derive from Pythagoreanism, nonetheless a central system of value that appears early in Plato's work and persists to the end is derived from Pythagoreanism (Palmer 2014). Already in the Gorgias Plato argues that principles of order and correctness which are found in the cosmos and explain its goodness also govern human relations. Socrates here puts forth a much more definite conception of the good than in earlier dialogues. His complaint that Callicles pays no attention to the role played by orderliness and self-control and neglects geometrical equality (507e6-508a8) mirrors the emphasis on organization and calculation in contemporary Pythagorean texts such as Archytas Fr. 3 and Aristoxenus' Pythagorean Precepts Fr. 35. It thus appears that “Socrates'” new insight into the good in Gorgias derives from Plato's contact with the Pythagoreans after the death of the historical Socrates. Plato never abandons this Pythagorean conception of value and it can be traced through the Phaedo and Republic to late dialogues such as the Timaeus, where the cosmos is embued with principles of mathematical order, and Philebus, where the highest value is assigned to measure (66a). The question is whether this emphasis on measure and order is uniquely Pythagorean in origin.
4. Neopythagoreanism
Neopythagoreanism is characterized by the tendency to see Pythagoras as the central and original figure in the development of Greek philosophy, to whom, according to some authors (e.g. Iamblichus, VP 1), a divine revelation had been given. This revelation was often seen as having close affinities to the wisdom of earlier non-Greeks such as the Hebrews, the Magi and the Egyptians. Because of the belief in the centrality of the philosophy of Pythagoras, later philosophy was regarded as simply an elaboration of the revelation expounded by Pythagoras; it thus became the fashion to father the views of later philosophers, particularly Plato, back onto Pythagoras. Neopythagoreans typically emphasize the role of number in the cosmos and treat the One and Indefinite Dyad as ultimate principles going back to Pythagoras, although these principles in fact originate with Plato. The origins of Neopythagoreanism are probably to be found already in Plato's school, the Academy, in the second half of the fourth century BCE. There is evidence that Plato's successors, Speusippus and Xenocrates, both presented Academic speculations arising in part from Plato's later metaphysics as the work of Pythagoras, who lived some 150 years earlier. After a decline in interest in Pythagoreanism for a couple of centuries, Neopythagoreanism emerged again and developed further starting in the first century BCE and extending throughout the rest of antiquity and into the middle ages and Renaissance. During this entire period, it is the Neopythagorean construct of Pythagoras that dominates, a construct that has only limited contact with early Pythagoreanism; there is little interest in an historically accurate presentation of Pythagoras and his philosophy. In reading the following account of Neopythagoreanism, it may be helpful to refer to the Chronological Chart of Sources for Pythagoras , in the entry on Pythagoras.
4.1 Origins in the Early Academy: Speusippus, Xenocrates and Heraclides in Contrast to Aristotle and the Peripatetics
The evidence for Speusippus, Plato's successor as head of the Academy, is fragmentary and second hand, so that certainty in interpretation is hardly possible. In one passage, however, he assigns not just Plato's principles, the one and the dyad, to “the ancients,” who in context seem likely to be the Pythagoreans, but also a development of the Platonic system according to which the one was regarded as beyond being (Fr. 48 Taran; see Burkert 1972a, 63–64; Dillon 2003, 56–57). Some scholars reject this widely held view on the grounds that this fragment of Speusippus is spurious (Zhmud 2012a, 424—425, who cites other scholars; Taran 1981, 350ff.; for a response see Dillon 2014, 251) and if this were true it would seriously weaken the case for supposing that Neopythagoreanism began already in the Academy. Speusippus also wrote a book On Pythagorean Numbers (Fr. 28 Taran), which builds on ideas attested for the early Pythagoreans (e.g., ten as the perfect number, although Zhmud regards the perfection of ten as a Platonic rather than a Pythagorean doctrine 2012a, 404–09). We cannot be sure, however, either that the title goes back to Speusippus or that he assigned all ideas in it to the Pythagoreans. Aristotle twice cites agreement between Speusippus and the Pythagoreans (Metaph. 1072b30 ff.; EN 1096b5–8), which might suggest that Speusippus himself had identified the Pythagoreans as his predecessors in these areas. Speusippus and Xenocrates denied that the creation of the universe in Plato's Timaeus should be understood literally; when the view that the cosmos was only created in thought and not in time is assigned to Pythagoras in the later doxography (Aëtius II 4.1 — Diels 1958, 330), it certainly looks as if an idea which had its origin in the interpretation of Plato's Timaeus in the Academy is being assigned back to Pythagoras (Burkert 1972a, 71). The evidence is not sufficient to conclude that Speusippus routinely assigned Platonic and Academic ideas to the Pythagoreans (Taran 1981, 109), but there is enough evidence to suggest that he did so in some cases.
Speusippus' successor as head of the Academy, Xenocrates, may actually have followed some version of the Pythagorean way of life, e.g., he was apparently a vegetarian, refused to give oaths, was protective of animals and followed a highly structured daily regimen, setting aside time for silence (Dillon 2003, 94–95 and 2014, 254–257; Burkert, however, argues that he rejected metempsychosis [1972a, 124]). He wrote a book entitled Things Pythagorean, the contents of which are unfortunately unknown (Diogenes Laertius IV 13). In the extant fragments of his writings, he refers to Pythagoras by name once, reporting that “he discovered that the musical intervals too did not arise apart from number” (Fr. 9 Heinze). Several doctrines of Xenocrates are also assigned to Pythagoras in the doxographical tradition, e.g., the definition of the soul as “a number moving itself,” which Xenocrates clearly developed on the basis of Plato's Timaeus (Plutarch, On the Generation of the Soul 1012d; Aëtius IV 2.3–4). This suggests that Xenocrates, like Speusippus, may have assigned his own teachings back to Pythagoras or at least treated Pythagoras as his precursor in such as way that it was easy for others to do so (Burkert 1972a, 64–65; Dillon 2003, 153–154; Zhmud [2012a, 55 and 426–427] disputes this interpretation).
Yet another member of the early Academy, Heraclides of Pontus (Gottschalk 1980), in a series of influential dialogues, further developed the presentation of Pythagoras as the founder of philosophy. In the dialogue, On the Woman Who Stopped Breathing, Pythagoras is presented as the inventor of the word “philosophy” (Frs. 87–88 Wehrli = Diogenes Laertius Proem 12 and Cicero, Tusc. V 3.8). Although some scholars have tried to find a kernel of truth in the story (e.g., Riedweg 2005, 90 ff., for a response see Huffman 2008c), its definition of the philosopher as one who seeks wisdom rather than possessing it is regarded by many scholars as a Socratic/Platonic formulation, which Heraclides, in his dialogue, is assigning to Pythagoras as part of a literary fiction (Burkert 1960 and 1972a, 65). Heraclides also assigns to Pythagoras a definition of happiness as “the knowledge of the perfection of the numbers of the soul” (Fr. 44 Wehrli), in which again the Platonic account of the numerical structure of the soul in the Timaeus appears to be fathered on Pythagoras. Other fragments show Heraclides' further fascination with the Pythagoreans. He developed what would become one of the canonical accounts of Pythagoras' previous incarnations (Fr. 89 Wehrli). Perhaps on the basis of the Pythagorean Philolaus' astronomical system, he developed the astronomical theory, later to be championed by Copernicus, according to which the apparent daily motion of the sun and stars was to be explained by the rotation of the earth (Frs. 104–108; see on Hicetas and Ecphantus above, sect. 3.6). For a different view of Heraclides' relation to the Pythagoreans see Zhmud 2012a, 427–432.
In contrast to the fascination with and glorification of Pythagoras in the Academy after Plato's death, Aristotle did not treat Pythagoras as part of the philosophical tradition at all. In the surveys of his predecessors in his extant works, Aristotle does not include Pythagoras himself and he evidently presented him in his lost special treatises on the Pythagoreans only as a wonder-worker and founder of a way of life. While Aristotle did acknowledge close connections between Plato's late theory of principles (One and Indefinite Dyad) and fifth-century Pythagoreans, he also sharply distinguished Plato from the Pythagoreans on a series of important points (Metaph. 987b23 ff.), perhaps in response to the Academy's tendency to assign Platonic doctrines to Pythagoras. Aristotle's students Eudemus, in his histories of arithmetic, geometry and astronomy and Meno, in his history of medicine, follow Aristotle's practice of not mentioning Pythagoras himself, referring to individual Pythagoreans such as Philolaus or to the Pythagoreans as a group. Eudemus assigns the Pythagoreans a number of important contributions to the sciences but does not give them the decisive or foundational role found in the Neopythagorean tradition. Aristotle's pupils Dicaearchus (Porphyry, VP 19) and Aristoxenus do mention Pythagoras but this is because they are focusing on the the Pythagorean way of life and the history of the Pythagorean communities. Neither assign to Pythagoras or the Pythagoreans the characteristics of Neopythagoreanism. Aristoxenus is one of the most important and extensive sources for Pythagoreanism (see 3.5 above). He presents Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans in a positive manner but avoids the hagiography and extravagant claims of the later Neopythagorean tradition (Huffman 2014b). The standard view is that he tries to emphasize the rational as opposed to the religious side of Pythagoras (e.g. Burkert 1972a, 200–205), but several fragments do highlight the religious aspect of Pythagoras' work (Huffman 2012b), assigning him the doctrine of metempsychosis (fr. 12) and associating him with the Chaldaean Zaratas (Fr. 13) and the Delphic oracle (Fr. 15). It is only by rejecting the authenticity of such fragments (as does Zhmud 2012a, 88–91) that Aristoxenus' account is purged of religious elements. Dicaearchus' account of Pythagoreas is also usually viewed as positive. He is supposed to have presented Pythagoras as the model of the practical life as opposed to the contemplative life (Jaeger 1948, 456; Kahn 2001, 68). However, Dicaearchus presents a very sarcastic account of Pythagoras' rebirths according to which he was reborn as the beautiful prostitute Alco (Fr. 42) and careful reading of his other accounts of Pythagoras suggests that he may have presented him as a charismatic charlatan who bewitched his hearers (Fr. 42) and was seen as a threat to the established laws of the state and hence was refused entrance by such city-states as Locri (Fr. 41a. Huffman 2014b). Thus, Aristoxenus and Dicaearchus were as divided in their interpretation of Pythagoras as were Heraclitus and Empedocles in earlier centuries. The Peripatetic tradition as a whole is in strong contrast, then, with the Academy insofar as it emphasizes Pythagoreans rather than Pythagoras himself. When Pythagoras is mentioned, it is mostly in connection with the way of life, and interpretations range from positive to strongly satirical but in either case avoid the hagiography of the Neopythagorean tradition.
It is then one of the great paradoxes of the ancient Pythagorean tradition that Aristotle's successor, Theophrastus, evidently accepted the Academic lionization of Pythagoras, and identifies Plato's one and the indefinite dyad as belonging to the Pythagoreans (Metaph. 11a27 ff.), although Aristotle is emphatic that this pair of principles in fact belong to Plato (Metaph. 987b25–27). Since Theophrastus' work, Tenets in Natural Philosophy, was the basis of the later doxographical tradition, it may be that Theophrastus is responsible for the Neopythagorean Pythagoras of the Academy dominating the later doxography, the Pythagoras who originated the one and the indefinite dyad (Aëtius I 3. 8), but it may also be that the Pythagorean sections of the doxography were rewritten in the first century BCE, under the influence of the Neopythagoreanism of that period (Burkert 1972a, 62; Zhmud 2012a, 455).
The standard view has thus been that the Academy was the origin of Neopythagoreanism with its glorification of Pythagoras and its tendency to assign mature Platonic views back to Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans. Aristotle and the Peripatetics on the other hand diminish the role of Pythagoras himself and, while noting connections between Plato and the Pythagoreans, carefully distinguish Pythagorean philosphy from Platonism. Zhmud has recently put forth a challenge to this view arguing the situation is almost the reverse: the Academy in general regards Pythagoras and Pythagoreans favorably but does not assign mature Platonic views to them, it is rather Aristotle who ties Plato closely to the Pythagoreans (2012a, 415–456).
4.2 The Pythagorean Pseudepigrapha
Although the origins of Neopythagoreanism are thus found in the fourth century BCE, the figures more typically labeled Neopythagoreans belong to the upsurge in interest in Pythagoreanism that begins in the first century BCE and continues through the rest of antiquity. Before turning to these Neopythagoreans, it is important to discuss another aspect of the later Pythagorean tradition, the Pythagorean pseudepigrapha. Many more writings forged in the name of Pythagoras and other Pythagoreans have survived than genuine writings. Most of the pseudepigrapha themselves only survive in excerpts quoted by anthologists such as John of Stobi, who created a collection of Greek texts for the edification of his son in early fifth century CE. The modern edition of these Pythagorean pseudepigrapha by Thesleff (1965) runs to some 245 pages.
There is much uncertainly as to when, where, why and by whom these works were created. No one answer to these questions will fit all of the treatises. Most scholars (e.g., Burkert 1972b, 40–44; Centrone 1990, 30–34, 41–44 and 1994) have chosen Rome or Alexandria between 150 BCE and 100 CE as the most likely time and place for these compositions, since there was a strong resurgence of interest in Pythagoreanism in these places at these times (see below). Thesleff's view that the majority were composed in the third century BCE in southern Italy (1961 and 1972, 59) has found less favor. Centrone argues convincingly that a central core of the pseudepigrapha were forged in the first centuries BCE and CE in Alexandria, because of their close connection to Eudorus and Philo, who worked in Alexandria in that period (Centrone 2014a). For an overview of the Pythagorean pseudepigrapha see Centrone 2014a and Moraux 1984, 605–683.
A number of motives probably led to the forgeries. The existence of avid collectors of Pythagorean books such as Juba, King of Mauretania (see below), and the scarcity of authentic Pythagorean texts will have led to forgeries to sell for profit to the collectors. Other short letters or treatises may have originated as exercises for students in the rhetorical schools (e.g., the assignment might have been to write the letter that Archytas wrote to Dionysius II of Syracuse asking that Plato be freed; see Diogenes Laertius III 21–22). The contents of the treatises suggest, however, that the primary motivation was to provide the Pythagorean texts to support the Neopythagorean position, first adumbrated in the early Academy, that Pythagoras was the source of all that is true in the Greek philosophical tradition. The pseudepigrapha show the Pythagoreans anticipating the most characteristic ideas of Plato and Aristotle. Most of the treatises are composed in the Doric dialect (spoken in Greek S. Italy) but, apart from that concession to verisimilitude, there is little other attempt to make them appear to be archaic documents that anticipated Plato and Aristotle. Instead, Plato's and Aristotle's philosophical positions are stated in a bald fashion using the exact Platonic and Aristotelian terminology. In many cases, however, this glorification of Pythagoras may not have been the final goal. The ancient authority of Pythagoras was sometimes used to argue for a specific interpretation of Plato, often an interpretation that showed Plato as having anticipated and having responded to criticisms of Aristotle. For example, in defense of the interpretation of Plato's Timaeus, which defends Plato against Aristotle's criticisms by claiming that the creation of the world in the Timaeus is metaphorical, a Platonist could point to the forged treatise of Timaeus of Locri which does present the generation as metaphorical but which can also be regarded as Plato's source. These pseudo-Pythagorean treatises are adopting the same strategy as Eudorus of Alexandria and thus may be more important for debates within later Platonism than for Pythagoreanism per se (Bonazzi 2013).
One plausible explanation of the sudden proliferation of Pythagorean pseudepigrapha in the first century BCE and first century CE is the reappearance of Aristotle's esoteric writings in the middle of the first century BCE (Kalligas 2004, 39–42). In those treatises Plato is presented as adopting a pair of principles, the one and the indefinite dyad, which are not obvious in the dialogues, but which Aristotle compares to the Pythagorean principles limit and unlimited (e.g., Metaph. 987b19–988a1). Aristotle can be read, although probably incorrectly (Huffman 2008a), as virtually identifying Platonism and Pythagoreanism in these passages. Thus, Pythagorean enthusiasts may have felt emboldened by this reading of Aristotle to create the supposed original texts upon which Plato drew. They may also have found support for this in Plato's making the south-Italian Timaeus his spokesman in the dialogue of the same name. It is thus not surprising that the most famous of the pseudepigrapha is the treatise supposedly written by this Timaeus of Locri (Marg 1972), which has survived complete and which is clearly intended to represent the original document on which Plato drew, although it, in fact, also responds to criticisms made of Plato's dialogue in the first couple of centuries after it was written (Ryle 1965, 176–178). The treatise of Timaeus of Locri is first mentioned by Nicomachus in the second century CE (Handbook 11) and is thus commonly dated to the first century CE. Another complete short treatise (13 pages in Thesleff) is On the Nature of the Universe supposedly by the Pythagorean Ocellus (Harder 1966), which has passages that are almost identical to passages in Aristotle's On Generation and Corruption. Since Ocellus' work is first mentioned by the Roman polymath, Varro, scholars have dated it to the first half of the first century BCE. Although Plato was in general more closely associated with the Pythagorean tradition than Aristotle, a significant number of Pythagorean pseudepigrapha follow ‘Ocellus’ in drawing on Aristotle (see Karamanolis 2006, 133–135).
It is likely that in some cases letters were forged in order to authenticate these forged treatises. Thus a correspondence between Plato and Archytas dealing with the acquisition of the writings of Ocellus (Diogenes Laertius VIII 80–81) may be intended to validate the forgery in Ocellus' name (Harder 1966, 39ff). A letter from Lysis to Hipparchus (Thesleff 1965, 111–114), which enjoyed considerable fame in the later tradition and is quoted by Copernicus, urges that the master's doctrines not be presented in public to the uninitiated and recounts Pythagoras' daughter's preservation of his “notebooks” (hypomnêmata) in secrecy, although she could have sold them for much money (see Riedweg 2005, 120–121). Burkert (1961, 17–28) has argued that this letter was forged to authenticate the “Pythagorean Notes” from which Alexander Polyhistor (1st century BCE) derived his influential account of Pythagoreanism (Diogenes Laertius VIII 24–36 — see the end of this section and for Alexander see section 4.5 below). While some of Pythagoras' teachings were undoubtedly secret, many were not, and the claim of secrecy in the letter of Lysis is used to explain both the previous lack of early Pythagorean documents and the recent “discovery” of what are in reality forged documents, such as the notebooks.
There are fewer forged treatises in Pythagoras' name than in the name of other Pythagoreans and they are a very varied group suggesting different origins. Callimachus, in the third century BCE, knew of a spurious astronomical work circulating in Pythagoras' name (Diogenes Laertius IX 23) and there may have been a similar work forged in the second century (Burkert 1961, 28–42). A group of three books, On Education, On Statesmanship and On Nature, were forged in Pythagoras' name sometime before the second century BCE (Diogenes Laertius VIII 6 and 9; Burkert 1972a, 225). Heraclides Lembus, in the second century BCE, knew of at least six other works in Pythagoras' name, all of which must have been spurious, including a Sacred Discourse (Diogenes Laertius VIII 7). The thesis that the historical Pythagoras wrote a Sacred Discourse should be rejected (Burkert 1972a, 219). There was also a spurious treatise on the magical properties of plants and the Golden Verses, which are discussed further below (sect. 4.5). On the spurious treatises assigned to Pythagoras see Centrone 2014a, 316–318.
Archytas appears to have been the most popular name in which to forge treatises. Some 45 pages are devoted to pseudo-Archytan treatises in Thesleff's collection as compared to 30 pages for Pythagoras (see Huffman 2005, 595 ff. for the pseudo-Archytan treatises). The most famous of the pseudo-Archytan texts is The Whole System of Categories, which, along with On Opposites, represents the attempt to claim Aristotle's system of categories for the Pythagoreans. The pseudo-Archytan works on categories are very frequently cited by the commentators on Aristotle's Categories (e.g., Simplicius and Syrianus) and were regarded as authentic by them, but in fact include modifications made to Aristotle's theory in the first century BCE and probably were composed in that century (Szlezak 1972). Another treatise, On Principles, is full of Aristotelian terminology such as “form,” “substance,” and “what underlies”; On Intelligence and Perception contains a paraphrase of the divided line passage in Plato's Republic. There are also a series of pseudepigrapha on ethics by Archytas and other authors (Centrone 1990). Philolaus, the third most famous Pythagorean after Pythagoras and Archytas, also turns up as the author of several spurious treatises (Huffman 1993, 341 ff.), but a number of the forgeries were in the names of obscure or otherwise unknown Pythagoreans. Thus, Callikratidas and Metopos are presented as anticipating Plato's doctrine of the tripartite soul and as using Plato's exact language to articulate it (Thesleff 1965, 103.5 and 118.1–4). Although there are indications that some ancient scholars had doubts about the authenticity of the pseudo-Pythagorean texts, for the most part they succeeded in their purpose all too well and were accepted as genuine texts on which Plato and Aristotle drew.
Although the pseudepigrapha are too varied to admit of one origin, Centrone has recently argued that a core group of pseudepigrapha do appear to be part of a single project (2014a). They are written in Doric Greek (the dialect used in southern Italy where the Pythagoreans flourished) in order to give them the appearance of authenticity and share a common style. There are some twenty-five treatises belonging to this group and they include some of the most famous pseudepigrapha, including the work by ps.-Timaeus that was supposed to be Plato's model, ps.-Archytas' works on categories and ps.-Ocellus On the Universe. These treatises espouse the same basic system and seem designed to cover all the basic fields of knowledge. The system is based on theory of principles in which God is the supreme entity above a pair of principles, one of which is limited and the other unlimited, and which are identified with Aristotelian form and matter. This system is very similar to what is found in Eudorus, a Platonist working in Alexandria in the fist cenutury BCE. Starting from these principles a common system is then developed which applies to theology, cosmology, ethics, and politics. The connections to Eudorus and to Philo who also worked in Alexandria, very much suggest that this group of treatises was developed as a coherent project in Alexandria sometime in the first century BCE or the first century CE.
One important group of Pythagorean pseudepigrapha are those forged in the names of Pythagorean women. Although some work has been done on them there is still a pressing need for a comprehensive collection of these texts and a study of them in light of the most recent scholarship on Pythagoreanism. Pomeroy 2013 provides some useful commentary but has serious drawbacks (see Centrone 2014b and Brodersen 2014). Many of the texts are collected in Thesleff 1965 under the names Theano, Periktione, Melissa, Myia and Phintys and taken together occupy about 15 pages of text. To Periktione are assigned two fragments from a treatise On the Harmony of a Woman. Periktione is the name of Plato's mother and it is probable that hers is the famous name in which these works were forged. Two further fragments from On Wisdom are also assigned to her. These fragments show a strong similarity to fragments from a treatise with identical title by Archytas and are likely to have been assigned to Periktione by mistake (Huffman 2005, 598). Two fragments from a work On the Temperance of a Woman are assigned to Phintys. For Theano, the most famous Pythagorean woman (see 3.3 above), one fragment of a work On Piety is preserved as well as the titles of several other works, numerous apophthegms and a number of letters. On Theano in the pseudepigraphal tradition see Huizenga 2013, 96–117. Melissa and Myia are represented by one letter each. With few exceptions the works focus on female virtue, proper marital conduct, and practical issues such as how to choose a wet nurse and how to deal with slaves. The advice is quite conservative, stressing obedience to one's husband, chastity and temperance. There is little that is specifically Pythagorean. Since the authors are pseudonymous it is impossible to be sure whether they were in fact written by women using female pseudonyms or men using female pseudonyms (Huizenga 2013, 116). In the case of the letters Städele's edition (1980) is to be preferred to Thesleff (1965). The letters of Melissa and Myia along with three letters of Theano are often found together in the manuscript tradition and may have come to be seen as offering a curriculum for the moral training of women (Huizenga 2013). Due to the dearth of preserved writings by women from the ancient world some have been tempted to suppose that the writings are genuine works by the named authors. However, as demonstrated above, Pythagorean pseudepigrapha were very widespread and more common than genuine Pythagorean works. In such a context the onus of proof is on someone who wants to show that a work is genuine. The content of the writings by Pythagorean women is simply too general to make a convincing case that a specific writing could only have been written by the supposed author rather than by a later forger. In fact, the writings by women fit the pattern of the rest of the pseudepigrapha very well. They are generally forged in the name of famous Pythagorean women, whose names give authority to the advice imparted (Huizenga 2013, 117). How better could one impart force to advice to women than to assign that advice to women who belonged to the philosophical school that gave most prominence to women? The pseudepigrapha written in the names of Pythagorean women probably mostly date to the first centuries BCE and CE like the other Pythagorean pseudepigrapha, but certainty is not possible.
One of the most discussed treatises among the pseudepigrapha are the Pythagorean Notes, which were excerpted by Alexander Polyhistor in the first century BCE, who was in turn quoted by Diogenes Laertius in his Life of Pythagoras (VIII 24–33). Thus the Notes date before the middle of the first century BCE (probably towards the end of the third century BCE [Burkert 1972a, 53]) and are earlier than most pseudepigrapha. In Diogenes' life the Pythagorean Notes serve as the main statement of Pythagoras' philosophical views. The treatise is wildly eclectic, drawing from Plato's Timaeus, the early Academy and Stocisim and the scholarly consensus is that the treatise is a forgery (Burkert 1961, 26ff., Long 2013, Laks 2014). It is tempting to suppose that some early material may be preserved amidst later material, but the text is such an amalgam that it is in practice impossible to identify securely any early material (Burkert 1961, 26; Laks 2014, 375). The Notes are well organized and present a complete if compressed philosophy organized around the concept of purity (Laks 2014). Starting from basic principles (the Platonic monad and dyad) they give an account of the world, living beings, and the soul ending with moral precepts (some of the Pythagorean acusmata). Kahn thought that the treatise reflected a Pythagorean community that was active in the Hellenistic period (2001, 83) but Long is more likely to be right that its learned eclecticism suggests that it is a scholarly creation (Long 2013, 158–159).
4.3 Neopythagorean Metaphysics: Eudorus, Moderatus, Numenius and Hippolytus
“Neopythagorean” is a modern label, which overlaps with two other modern labels, “Middle Platonist” and “Neoplatonist,” so that a given figure will be called a Neoplatonist or Middle Platonist by some scholars and a Neopythagorean by others. There are several different strands in Neopythagoreanism. One strand focuses on Pythagoras as a master metaphysician. In this guise he is presented as the author of a theory of principles, which went even beyond the principles of Plato's later metaphysics, the one and the indefinite dyad, and which shows similarities to the Neoplatonic system of Plotinus. The first Neopythagorean in this sense is Eudorus of Alexandria, who was active in the middle and later part of the first century BCE. He evidently presented his own innovations as the work of the Pythagoreans (Dillon 1977, 119). According to Eudorus, the Pythagoreans posited a single supreme principle, known as the one and the supreme god, which is the cause of all things. Below this first principle are a second one, which is also called the monad, and the indefinite dyad. These latter two are Plato's principles in the unwritten doctrines, but Eudorus says they are properly speaking elements rather than principles (Simplicius, in Phys., CAG IX 181. 10–30). The system of principles described by Eudorus also appears in the pseudo-Pythagorean writings (e.g., pseudo-Archytas, On Principles; Thesleff 1965, 19) and it is hard to be certain in which direction the influence went (Dillon 1977, 120–121). On Eudorus' connection to the pseudo-Pythagorean writings see also Bonazzi 2013 and Centrone 2014. A generation after Eudorus, another Alexandrian, the Jewish thinker Philo, used a Pythagorean theory of principles, which is similar to that found in Eudorus, and Pythagorean number symbolism in order to give a philosophical interpretation of the Old Testament (Kahn 2001, 99–104; Dillon 1977, 139–183). Philo's goal was to show that Moses was the first philosopher. For Philo Pythagoras and his travels to the east evidently played a crucial role in the transmission of philosophy to the Greeks (Dillon 2014). Philo like Eudorus has close connections to the Pythagorean pseudepigrapha (Centrone 2014).
Moderatus of Gades (modern Cadiz in Spain), who was active in the first century CE, shows similarities to Eudorus in his treatment of Pythagorean principles. Plutarch explicitly labels him a Pythagorean and presents his follower, Lucius, as living a life in accord with the Pythagorean taboos, known as symbola or acusmata (Table Talk 727b). It is thus tempting to assume that Moderatus too lived a Pythagorean life (Dillon 1977, 345). His philosophy is only preserved in reports of other thinkers, and it is often difficult to distinguish what belongs to Moderatus from what belongs to the source.
He wrote a comprehensive eleven volume work entitled Lectures on Pythagoreanism from which Porphyry quotes in sections 48–53 of his Life of Pythagoras. In this passage, Moderatus argues that the Pythagoreans used numbers as a way to provide clear teaching about bodiless forms and first principles, which cannot be expressed in words. In another excerpt, he describes a Pythagorean system of principles, which appears to be developed from the first two deductions of the second half of Plato's Parmenides. In this system there are three ones: the first one which is above being, a second one which is identified with the forms and which is accompanied by intelligible matter (i.e. the indefinite dyad) and a third one which is identified with soul. The first two ones show connections to Eudorus' account of Pythagorean first principles; the whole system anticipates central ideas of the most important Neoplatonist, Plotinus (Dillon 1977, 346–351; Kahn 2001, 105–110).
Moderatus was a militant Neopythagorean, who explicitly charges that Plato, Aristotle and members of the early academy claimed as their own the most fruitful aspects of Pythagorean philosophy with only small changes, leaving for the Pythagoreans only those doctrines that were superficial, trivial and such as to bring discredit on the school (Porphyry, VP 53). These trivial doctrines have been thought to be the various taboos preserved in the symbola, but, since his follower Lucius is explicitly said to follow the symbola, it seems unlikely that Moderatus was critical of them. The charge of plagiarism might suggest that Moderatus was familiar with the pseudo-Pythagorean treatises, which appear to have been forged in part to show that Pythagoras had anticipated the main ideas of Plato and Aristotle (see Kahn 2001, 105).
It is with Numenius (see Dillon 1977, 361–379 and Kahn 2001, 118–133, and the entry on Numenius , especially section 2), who flourished ca. 150 CE in Apamea in northern Syria (although he may have taught at Rome), that Neopythagoreanism has the clearest direct contact with the great Neoplatonist, Plotinus. Porphyry reports that Plotinus was, in fact, accused of having plagiarized from Numenius and that, in response, Amelius, a devotee of Numenius' writings and follower of Plotinus, wrote a treatise entitled Concerning the Difference Between the Doctrines of Plotinus and Numenius (Life of Plotinus 3 and 17). The third century Platonist, Longinus, to a degree describes Plotinus himself as a Neopythagorean, saying that Plotinus developed the exegesis of Pythagorean and Platonic first principles more clearly than his predecessors, who are identified as Numenius, his follower Cronius, Moderatus and Thrasyllus, all Neopythagoreans (Porphyry, Life of Plotinus 20). Numenius also had considerable influence on Porphyry (Macris 2014, 396), Iamblichus (O'Meara 2014, 404–405) and Calcidius (Hicks 2014, 429).
Numenius is regularly described as a Pythagorean by the sources that cite his fragments such as Eusebius (e.g. Fr. 1, 4b, 5 etc. Des Places). He presents himself as returning to the teaching of Plato and the early Academy. That teaching is in turn presented as deriving from Pythagoras. Plato is described as “not better than the great Pythagoras but perhaps not inferior to him either” (Fr. 24 Des Places). Strikingly, Numenius presents Socrates too as a Pythagorean, who worshipped the three Pythagorean gods recognized by Numenius (see below). Thus Plato derived his Pythagoreanism both from direct contact with Pythagoreans and also from Socrates (Karamanolis 2006, 129–132). For Numenius a true philosopher adheres to the teaching of his master, and he wrote a polemical treatise, directed particularly at the skeptical New Academy, with the title On the Revolution of the Academics against Plato (Fr. 24 Des Places). Numenius presents the Pythagorean philosophy to which Plato adhered as ultimately based on a still earlier philosophy, which can be found in Eastern thinkers such as the Magi, Brahmans, Egyptian priests and the Hebrews (Fr. 1 Des Places). Thus, Numenius was reported to have asked “What else is Plato than Moses speaking Greek?” (Fr. 8 Des Places).
Numenius presents his own doctrine of matter, which is clearly developed out of Plato's Timaeus, as the work of Pythagoras (Fr. 52 Des Places). Matter in its disorganized state is identified with the indefinite dyad. Numenius argues that for Pythagoras the dyad was a principle independent of the monad; later thinkers, who tried to derive the dyad from the monad (he does not name names but Eudorus, Moderatus and the Pythagorean system described by Alexander Polyhistor fit the description), were thus departing from the original teaching. In emphasizing that the monad and dyad are independent principles, Numenius is indeed closer to the Pythagorean table of opposites described by Aristotle and to Plato's unwritten doctrines. Since it is in motion, disorganized matter must have a soul, so that the world and the things in it have two souls, one evil derived from matter and one good derived from reason. Numenius avoids complete dualism in that reason does have ultimate dominion over matter, thus making the world as good as possible, given the existence of the recalcitrant matter.
The monad, which is opposed to the indefinite dyad, is just one of three gods for Numenius (Fr. 11 Des Places), who here follows Moderatus to a degree. The first god is equated with the good, is simple, at rest and associates only with itself. The second god is the demiurge, who by organizing matter divides himself so that a third god arises, who is either identified with the organized cosmos or its animating principle, the world soul (Dillon 1977, 366–372). Numenius is famous for the striking images by means of which he elucidated his philosophy, such as the comparison of the helmsman, who steers his ship by looking at the heavens, to the demiurge, who steers matter by looking to the first god (Fr. 18 Des Places). Numenius' argument that there is a first god above the demiurge is paralleled by a passage in another treatise, which shows connections to Neopythagorean metaphysics, The Chaldaean Oracles (Majercik 1989), which were published by Julian the Theurgist, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161–180 CE) and thus at about the same time as Numenius was active. It is hard to know which way the influence went (Dillon 1977, 363).
In The Refutation of all Heresies, the Christian bishop Hippolytus (died ca. 235 CE) adopts the strategy of showing that Christian heresies are in fact based on the mistaken views of pagan philosophers. Hippolytus spends considerable time describing Pythagoreanism, since he regards it as the primary source for gnostic heresy (see Mansfeld 1992 for this and what follows). Hippolytus' presentation of Pythagoreanism, which groups together Pythagoras, Plato, Empedocles and Heraclitus into a Pythagorean succession, belongs to a family of Neopythagorean interpretations of Pythagoreanism developed in the first century BCE and the first two centuries CE and which also appear in later commentators such as Syrianus and Philoponus. Hippolytus' interpretation shows similarities to material in Eudorus, Philo Judaeus, Plutarch and Numenius among others, although he adapts the material to fit his own purposes. He regards Platonism and Pythagoreanism as the same philosophy, which ultimately derives from Egypt. Empedocles is regarded as a Pythagorean and is quoted, sometimes without attribution, as evidence for Pythagorean views. According to Hippolytus the Monad and the Dyad are the two Pythagorean principles, although the Dyad is derived from the Monad. The Pythagoreans recognize two worlds, the intelligible, which has the Monad as its principle, and the sensible, whose principle is the tetraktys, the first four numbers, which correspond to the point, line, surface and solid. The tetraktys contains the decad, since the sum of 1, 2, 3 and 4 is 10, and this is embodied in the ten Aristotelian categories, which describe the sensible world. The pseudo-Archytan treatise, The Whole System of Categories, had already claimed this Aristotelian doctrine for the Pythagoreans (see 4.2 above). Finally, the intelligible world is equated with Empedocles' sphere controlled by the uniting power of Love in contrast to the world of sense perception in which the dividing power of Strife plays the role of the demiurge (Refutation of all Heresies 6, 23–25).
4.4 Neopythagorean Mathematical Sciences: Nicomachus, Porphyry and Iamblichus
A second strand of Neopythagoreanism, while maintaining connection to these metaphysical speculations, emphasizes Pythagoras' role in the mathematical sciences. Nicomachus of Gerasa (modern Jerash in Jordan) was probably active a little before Numenius, in the first half of the second century CE. Unlike Neopythagoreans such as Eudorus, Moderatus and Numenius, whose works only survive in fragments, two complete works of Nicomachus survive, Introduction to Arithmetic and Handbook of Music. More than anyone else in antiquity he was responsible for popularizing supposed Pythagorean achievements in mathematics and the sciences. The Handbook of Music gives the canonical but scientifically impossible story of Pythagoras' discovery of the whole number ratios, which correspond to the basic concordant intervals in music: the octave (2:1), fifth (3:2), and fourth (4:3); he supposedly heard the concords in the sounds produced by hammers of varying weights in a blacksmith's shop, which he happened to be passing (Chapter 6 — translation in Barker 1989, 256 ff.). In the next century, Iamblichus took this chapter over virtually verbatim and without acknowledgement in his On the Pythagorean Life (Chapter 26) and it was repeated in many later authors. The harmonic theory presented by Nicomachus in the Handbook is not original and is, in fact, somewhat retrograde. It is tied to the diatonic scale used by Plato in the Timaeus (35b-36b), which was previously used by the Pythagorean Philolaus in the fifth-century (Fr. 6a Huffman) and shows no awareness of or interest in the more sophisticated analysis of Archytas in the fourth century BCE. Nicomachus is not concerned with musical practice but with “what pure reasoning can reveal about the properties of a rationally impeccable and unalterable system of quantitative relations” (Barker 2007, 447). Nicomachus also relies heavily and without acknowledgement on a non-Pythagorean treatment of music, Aristoxenus' Elementa Harmonica, many of the ideas of which he assigns to the Pythagoreans (e.g., in Chapter 2; see Barker 1989, 245 ff.).
The Handbook was influential because it put forth an accessible version of Pythagorean harmonics (Barker 2014, 200–202). Nicomachus provided a more detailed treatment of Pythagorean harmonics in his lost Introduction to Music. Most scholars agree that Books I-III and perhaps Book IV of Boethius' De Institutione Musica are a close paraphrase, which is often essentially a translation, of Nicomachus' lost work (see Bower in Boethius 1989, xxviii and Barker 2007, 445). Even more influential than his work on harmonics was Nicomachus' Introduction to Arithmetic. Again Nicomachus was not an original or particularly talented mathematician, but this popularizing textbook was widely influential. There were a series of commentaries on it by Iamblichus (3rd CE), Asclepius of Tralles (6th CE), and Philoponus (6th CE) and it was translated into Latin already in the second half of the second century by Apuleius. Most importantly, Boethius (5th-6th CE) provides what is virtually a translation of it in his De Institutione Arithmetica, which became the standard work on arithmetic in the middle ages. On Boethius' use of Nicomachus see Hicks 2014, 422–424.
In the Introduction to Arithmetic, Nicomachus assigns to Pythagoras the Platonic division between the intelligible and sensible world, quoting the Timaeus as if it were a Pythagorean text (I 2). He also assigns Aristotelian ideas to Pythagoras, in particular a doctrine of immaterial attributes with similarities to the Aristotelian categories (I 1). Nicomachus divides reality into two forms, magnitude and multitude. Wisdom is then knowledge of these two forms, which are studied by the four sciences, which will later be known as the quadrivium: arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. He quotes a genuine fragment of Archytas (Fr. 1 Huffman) in support of the special position of these four sciences. Nicomachus presents arithmetic as the most important of the four, because it existed in the mind of the creating god (the demiurge) as the plan which he followed in ordering the cosmos (I 4), so that numbers thus appear to have replaced the Platonic forms as the model of creation (on forms and numbers in Nicomachus see Helmig 2007). It is striking that, along with this Platonization of Pythagoreanism, Nicomachus does give an accurate presentation of Philolaus' basic metaphysical principles, limiters and unlimiteds, before attempting to equate them with the Platonic monad and dyad (II 18).
Another work by Nicomachus, The Theology of Arithmetic, which can be reconstructed from a summary by Photius and an anonymous work sometimes ascribed to Iamblichus and known as the Theologoumena Arithmeticae (Dillon 1977, 352–353), suggests that he largely returned to the system of principles found in Plato's unwritten doctrines and did not follow Eudorus and Moderatus in attempts to place a supreme god above the demiurge. Nicomachus apparently presents the monad as the first principle and demiurge, which then generates the dyad, but much is unclear (Dillon 1977, 353–358). The Theology of Arithmetic may have been most influential in its attempt to set up an equivalence between the pagan gods and the numbers in the decad, which was picked up later by Iamblichus and Proclus (Kahn 2001, 116). Nicomachus also wrote a Life of Pythagoras, which has not survived but which Porphyry (e.g., VP 59) and Iamblichus used (Rohde 1871–1872; O'Meara 2014, 412–413).
After Plotinus (205–270 CE), Neopythagoreanism becomes absorbed into Neoplatonism. Although Plotinus was clearly influenced by Neopythagorean speculation on first principles (see above), he was not a Neopythagorean himself, in that he did not assign Pythagoras a privileged place in the history of Greek philosophy. Plotinus treats Pythagoras as just one among many predecessors, complains of the obscurities of his thought and labels Plato and not Pythagoras as divine (Enneads IV 8.11 ff.).
The earliest extant Life of Pythagoras is that of Diogenes Laertius, who was active ca. 200 CE. The most recent treatment of Diogenes' life is Laks 2014, on which much of what follows depends. Unlike his successors Porphyry and Iamblichus (see below) Diogenes had no philosophical affiliation and hence no philosophical axe to grind in presenting the life of Pythagoras. Indeed, it is striking that his life shows little influence from the Neopythagorean authors discussed above. Diogenes draws on a wide variety of important sources, some going back to the fourth century and others deriving from the Hellenistic period. This material is put together in a very loose, sometimes undetectable, organizational structure. There is a notable section on Pythagoras' supposed writings (VIII, 6–7). He shows particular interest in the Pythagorean way of life and quotes a large number of Pythagorean symbola for some of which his source was Aristotle (VIII 34–35). The main section on Pythagoras' philosophical doctrines is a long quotation from the first-century polymath Alexander Polyhistor who claims to be in turn drawing on a treatise called Pythagorean Notes (VIII 24–33). For more on this treatise see the section on Pythagorean pseudepigrapha above (4.2). Diogenes quotes a number of passages satirizing Pythagoras, including Xenophanes' famous puppy fragment, and presents some of his own epigrams making fun of the Pythagorean way of life (VIII, 36). However, other parts of his life present Pythagoras in a quite postive light so that it is hard to determine precisely what attitude Diogenes took towards Pythagoras (Laks 2014, 377–380).
The Life of Pythagoras by Plotinus' pupil and editor, Porphyry (234-ca. 305) is one of our most important sources for Pythagoreanism (For what follows see Macris 2014). It was originally part of his now lost Philosophical History. Continuing interest in Pythagoras in later centuries led the Life of Pythagoras to be preserved separately and it is the only large section of the Philosophical History to survive. The Philosophical History ended with Plato and clearly regarded Platonic philosophy as the true philosophy so that Pythagoras seems to have been highlighted as a key figure in the development of Plato's philosophy. Porphyry's Life of Pythagoras is particularly valuable, because he often clearly identifies his sources. This same penchant for identifying and seeking out important Pythagorean sources can be seen in his commentary on Ptolemy's Harmonics (2nd CE), in which he preserves several genuine fragments of the early Pythagorean Archytas, along with some pseudo-Pythagorean material. In the Life of Pythagoras Porphyry does not structure his information according to any overarching theme but instead sets out the information derived from other sources in a simple and orderly way with the minimum of editorial intervention. Although he cites some fifteen sources, some going back to the fourth century BCE, it is likely that he did not use most of these sources but rather found them quoted in the four main sources, which he used directly: 1) Nicomachus' Life of Pythagoras, 2) Moderatus' Lectures on Pythagoreanism, 3) Antonius Diogenes' novel Unbelievable Things Beyond Thule, and 4) a handbook of some sort. Since these sources come from the first and second centuries CE, Porphyry basically provides us with the picture of Pythagoras common in Middle Platonism. This Pythagoras is the prototype of the sage of old who was active as a teacher and tied to religious mystery. However, he is not yet Iamblichus' priviliged soul sent to save humanity (Macris, 2014, 390). Porphyry provides little criticism of his sources and, although his life has a neutral factual tone, in contrast to Diogenes Laertius in his Life of Pythagoras, he includes no negative reports about Pythagoras.
It would appear, however, that Pythagoras was not made the source of all Greek philosophy, but was rather presented as one of a number of sages both Greek and non-Greek (e.g., Indians, Egyptians and Hebrews), who promulgated a divinely revealed philosophy. This philosophy is, in fact, Platonic in origin as it relies on the Platonic distinction between the intelligible and sensible realms; Porphyry unhistorically assigns it back to these earlier thinkers, including Pythagoras. Pythagoras' philosophy is thus said to aim at freeing the mind from the fetters of the body so that it can attain a vision of the intelligible and eternal beings (Life of Pythagoras 46–47). O'Meara thus seems correct to conclude that Porphyry was “…not a Pythagoreanizing Platonist … but rather a universalizing Platonist: he finds his Platonism both in Pythagoras and in very many other quarters” (1989, 25–29). Porphyry himself lived an ascetic life that was probably largely inspired by Pythagoreanism (Macris 2014, 393–394).
Porphyry's pupil, Iamblichus (ca. 245- ca. 325 CE), from Chalcis in Syria, opposed his teacher on many issues in Neoplatonic philosophy and was responsible for a systematic Pythagoreanization of Neoplatonism (see O' Meara 1989 and 2014), particularly under the influence of Nicomachus' earlier treatment of Pythagorean work in the quadrivium. Iamblichus wrote a work in ten books entitled On Pythagoreanism. The first four books have survived intact and excerpts of Books V-VII are preserved by the Byzantine scholar Michael Psellus. Book One, On the Pythagorean Life, has biographical aspects but is primarily a detailed description of and a protreptic for the Pythagorean way of life. It might be that Iamblichus' Pythagoras is intended in part as a pagan rival to Christ and to Christianity, which was gaining strength at this time. Porphyry, indeed, had written a treatise Against the Christians, now lost. In Iamblichus, Pythagoras' miraculous deeds include a meeting at the beginning of his career with fishermen hauling in a catch (VP 36; cf. Matthew 1. 16–20; see Iamblichus, On the Pythagorean Life, Dillon and Hershbell (eds.) 1991, 25–26). O'Meara, on the other hand, doubts this connection to Christ (2014, 405 n. 21) and suggests that Iamblichus may have constructed Pythagoras as a rival to Porphyry's presentation of Plotinus as the model philosopher (1989, 214–215). In the end we cannot be certain whether Iamblichus is responding to Porphyry or Porphyry to Iamblichus, but they can be seen as battling over Plato's legacy (O'Meara 2014, 403). Porphyry in his Life of Plotinus and edition of his works is promoting Plotinus' interpretation of Plato. Iamblichus, on the other hand, advocates a return to the philosophy that inspired Plato, Pythagoreanism. Pythagorean philosophy is portrayed by Iamblichus as a gift of the gods, which cannot be comprehended without their aid; Pythagoras himself was sent down to men to provide that aid (VP 1).
Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life is largely a compilation of earlier sources but, unlike Porphyry, he does not usually identify them. Rohde (1871-1872) argued influentially that On the Pythagorean Life was largely a compilation from two sources: Nicomachus' Life of Pythagoras and a life of Pythagoras by Apollonius of Tyana. O'Meara argues that this underestimates both the extent to which Iamblichus reworked his sources for his own philosophical purposes and the variety of sources that he used (O'Meara 2014, 412–415). A particularly clear example of Iamblichus' distintive development of ideas found in earlier sources can be seen in his treatment of the doctrine of the harmony of the spheres (O'Meara 2007). It is also true that the remaining books of On Pythgoreanism use a variety of sources. Book Two, Protreptic to Philosophy, is an exhortation to philosophy in general and to Pythagorean philosophy in particular and relies heavily on Aristotle's lost Protrepticus. Book Three, On General Mathematical Science, deals with the general value of mathematics in aiding our comprehension of the intelligible realm and is followed by a series of books on the specific sciences. The treatment of arithmetic in Book IV takes the form of a commentary on Nicomachus' Introduction to Arithmetic. Books V-VII then dealt with arithmetic in physics, ethics and theology respectively and were followed by treatments of the other three sciences in the quadrivium: On Pythagorean Geometry, On Pythagorean Music and On Pythagorean Astronomy. Iamblichus was particularly interested in Pythagorean numerology and his section on arithmetic in theology is probably reflected in the anonymous treatise which has survived under the title Theologoumena Arithmeticae and which has sometimes been ascribed to Iamblichus himself. It appears that here again Iamblichus relied heavily on Nicomachus, this time on his Theology of Arithmetic.
It is possible that Iamblichus used the ten Books of On Pythagoreanism as the basic text in his school, but we know that he went beyond these books to the study of Aristotelian logic and the Platonic dialogues, particularly the Timaeus and Parmenides (Kahn 2001, 136–137). Nonetheless, it was because of Iamblichus that Pythagoreanism in the form of numerology and mathematics in general was emphasized by later Neoplatonists such as Syrianus (fl. 430 CE) and Proclus (410/412–485 CE). Proclus is reported to have dreamed that he was the reincarnation of Nicomachus (Marinus, Life of Proclus 28). Proclus did treat Plato's writings as clearer than the somewhat obscure writings of the Pythagoreans but his Platonism is still heavily Pythagorean (O' Meara 2014, 415). The successors of Proclus appear to follow his and Iamblichus' interpretation of Pythagoras (O'Meara 2013).
4.5 Pythagoreans as Relgious Experts, Magicians and Moral Exemplars: Pythagoreanism in Rome, The Golden Verses and Apollonius of Tyana
A third strand in Neopythagoreanism emphasizes Pythagoras' practices rather than his supposed metaphysical system. This Pythagoras is an expert in religious and magical practices and/or a sage who lived the ideal moral life, upon whom we should model our lives. This strand is closely connected to the striking interest in and prominence of Pythagoreanism in Roman literature during the first century BCE and first century CE. Cicero (106–43 BCE) in particular refers to Pythagoras and other Pythagoreans with some frequency. In De Finibus (V 2), he presents himself as the excited tourist, who, upon his arrival in Metapontum in S. Italy and even before going to his lodgings, sought out the site where Pythagoras was supposed to have died. At the beginning of Book IV (1–2) of the Tusculan Disputations, Cicero notes that Pythagoras gained his fame in southern Italy at just the same time that L. Brutus freed Rome from the tyranny of the kings and founded the Republic; there is a clear implication that Pythagorean ideas, which reached Rome from southern Italy, had an influence on the early Roman Republic. Cicero goes on to assert explicitly that many Roman usages were derived from the Pythagoreans, although he does not give specifics. According to Cicero, it was admiration for Pythagoras that led Romans to suppose, without noticing the chronological impossibility, that the wisest of the early Roman kings, Numa, who was supposed to have ruled from 715–673 BCE, had been a pupil of Pythagoras.
In addition to references to Pythagoras himself, Cicero refers to the Pythagorean Archytas some eleven times, in particular emphasizing his high moral character, as revealed in his refusal to punish in anger and his suspicion of bodily pleasure (Rep. I 38. 59; Sen. XII 39–41; Huffman 2005, 21–24, 283 ff. and 323 ff.). Cicero's own philosophy is not much influenced by the Pythagoreans except in The Dream of Scipio (Rep. VI 9), which owes even more to Plato.
The interest in Pythagoras and Pythagoreans in the first century BCE is not limited to Cicero, however. Both a famous ode of Horace (I 28 – see Huffman 2005, 19–21) and a brief reference in Propertius (IV 1) present Archytas as a master astronomer. Most striking of all is the speech assigned to Pythagoras that constitutes half of Book XV of Ovid's Metamorphoses (early years of the first century CE) and that calls for strict vegetarianism in the context of the doctrine of transmigration of souls. These latter themes are true to the earliest evidence for Pythagoras, but the rest of Ovid's presentation assigns to Pythagoras a doctrine that is derived from a number of early Greek philosophers and in particular the doctrine of flux associated with Heraclitus (Kahn 2001, 146–149).
This flourishing of Pythagoreanism in Roman literature of the golden age has its roots in one of the earliest Roman literary figures, Ennius (239–169 BCE), who, in his poem Annales, adopts the Pythagorean doctrine of metempsychosis, in presenting himself as the reincarnation of Homer, although he does not mention Pythagoras by name in the surviving fragments. Roman nationalism also played a role in the emphasis on Pythagoreanism at Rome. Since Pythagoras did his work in Italy and Aristotle even referred to Pythagoreanism in some places as the philosophy of the Italians (e.g., Metaph. 987a10), it is not surprising that the Romans wanted to emphasize their connections to Pythagoras. This is particularly clear in Cicero's references to Pythagoreanism but once again finds its roots even earlier. In 343 BCE during the war with the Samnites, Apollo ordered the Romans to erect one statue of the wisest and another of the bravest of the Greeks; their choice for the former was Pythagoras and for the latter Alcibiades. Pliny, who reports the story (Nat. XXXIV 26), expresses surprise that Socrates was not chosen for the former, given that, according to Plato's Apology, Apollo himself had labeled Socrates the wisest; it is surely the Italian connection that explains the Romans' choice of Pythagoras. Cicero (not Aristoxenus as suggested by Horky 2011) connects the great wisdom assigned to the Samnite Herrenius Pontius to his contact with the Pythagorean Archytas (On Old Age 41; Huffman 2005, 329). This Roman attempt to forge a connection with Pythagoras can also be seen in the report of Plutarch (Aem. Paul. 1) that some writers traced the descent of the Aemelii, one of Rome's leading families, to Pythagoras, by claiming Pythagoras' son Mamercus as the founder of the house.
Although Rome's special connection to Pythagoras thus had earlier roots, those roots alone do not explain the efflorescence of Pythagoreanism in golden age Latin literature; some stimulus probably came from the rebirth of what were seen as Pythagorean practices in the way certain people lived. The two most learned figures in Rome of the first century BCE, Nigidius Figulus and Varro, both have connections to Pythagorean ritual practices. Thus we are told that Varro (116–27 BCE) was buried according to the Pythagorean fashion in myrtle, olive and black poplar leaves (Pliny, Nat. XXXV 160). Amongst Varro's voluminous works was the Hebdomadês (“Sevens”), a collection of 700 portraits of famous men, in the introduction to which Varro engaged in praise for the number 7, which is similar to the numerology of later Neopythagorean works such as Nicomachus' Theology of Arithmetic; in another work Varro presents a theory of gestation, which has Pythagorean connections, in that it is based on the whole number ratios that correspond to the concordant intervals in music (Rawson 1985, 161).
It is Nigidius Figulus, praetor in 58, who died in exile in 45, however, who is usually identified as the figure who was responsible for reviving Pythagorean practices. In the preface to his translation of Plato's Timaeus, which is often treated as virtually a Pythagorean treatise by the Neopythagoreans, Cicero asserts of Nigidius that “following on those noble Pythagoreans, whose school of philosophy had to a certain degree died out, … this man arose to revive it.” Some scholars are dubious about this claim of Cicero. They point to the evidence cited above for the importance of Pythagoreanism in Rome in the two centuries before Nigidius and suggest that Cicero may be illegitimately following Aristoxenus' claim that Pythagoreanism died out in the first half of the fourth century (Riedweg 2005, 123–124). While there may be some evidence that there were practicing Pythagoreans in the second half of the fourth century (see above section 3.5), it is hard to find anyone to whom to apply that label in the third and second centuries, so that, from the perspective of the evidence available to us at present, Cicero may well be right that Nigidius was the first person in several centuries to claim to follow Pythagorean practices. However, the sources for Nigidius are meager and there is no evidence that he was the leader of a large and powerful group. If there was an organized group at all, it is more likely to have been a smaller circle (Flinterman 2014, 344).
It is difficult to be sure in what Nigidius' Pythagoreanism consisted. There is no mention of Pythagoras or Pythagoreans in the surviving fragments of his work nor do they show him engaging in Pythagorean style numerology as Varro did (Rawson 1985, 291 ff.). In Jerome's chronicle, Nigidius is labeled as Pythagorean and magus; the most likely suggestion, thus, is that his Pythagoreanism consisted in occult and magical practices. Pliny treats Nigidius alongside the Magi and also presents Pythagoras and Democritus as having learned magical practices from the Magi. Cicero describes Nigidius as investgating matters that nature had hidden and this may be a reference to such magical lore (Flinterman 2014, 345). Nigidius' expertise as an astrologer (he is reported to have used astrology to predict Augustus' future greatness on the day of his birth [Suetonius, Aug. 94.5]) may be another Pythagorean connection; Propertius' reference (IV 1) to Archytas shows that Pythagorean work in astronomy was typically connected to astrology in first century Rome.
What led Nigidius and Varro to resurrect purported Pythagorean cult practices? One important influence may have been the Greek scholar Alexander Polyhistor, who was born in Miletus but was captured by the Romans during the Mithridatic wars and brought to Rome as a slave and freed by Sulla in 80 BCE. He taught in Rome in the 70s. It is an intriguing suggestion that Nigidius learned his Pythagoreanism from Alexander (Dillon 1977, 117; For critiques of this suggestion see Flinterman 2014, 349–350 and Long 2013, 145). There is no evidence that Alexander himself followed Pythagorean practices, but he wrote a book On Pythagorean Symbols, which was presumably an account of the Pythagorean acusmata (or symbola), which set out the taboos that governed many aspects of the Pythagorean way of life. In addition, in his Successions of the Philosophers, he gave a summary of Pythagorean philosophy, which he supposedly found in the Pythagorean Notes (See section 4.2 above) and which has been preserved by Diogenes Laertius (VIII 25–35). The basic principles assigned to Pythagoras are those of the Neopythagorean tradition that begins in the early Academy, i.e., the monad and the indefinite dyad. Since Alexander also assigns to the Pythagoreans the doctrine that the elements change into one another, we might suppose that Ovid also used Alexander directly or indirectly, since he assigns a similar doctrine to Pythagoras in the Metamorphoses (XV 75 ff., Rawson 1985, 294).
It is necessary to look in a slightly different direction, in order to see how magical practices came to be particularly associated with Pythagoras and thus why Nigidius was called Pythagorean and magus. In the first century, it was widely believed that Pythagoras had studied with the Magi (Cicero, Fin. V 87), i.e. Persian priests/wise men. What Pythagoras was thought to have learned from the Magi most of all were the magical properties of plants. Pliny the elder (23–79 CE) identifies Pythagoras and Democritus as the experts on such magic and the Magi as their teachers (Nat. XXIV 156–160). Pliny goes on to give a number of specific examples from a book on plants ascribed to Pythagoras. This book is universally regarded as spurious by modern scholars, and even Pliny, who accepts its authenticity, reports that some people ascribe it to Cleemporus. We can date this treatise on plants to the first half of the second century or earlier, since Cato the elder (234–149 BCE) appears to make use of it in his On Agriculture (157), when he discusses the medicinal virtues of a kind of cabbage, which was named after Pythagoras (brassica Pythagorea).
A clearer understanding of this pseudo-Pythagorean treatise on plants and a further indication of its date can be obtained by looking at the work of Bolus of Mendes, an Egyptian educated in Greek (see Dickie 2001, 117–122, to whom the following treatment of Bolus is indebted). Bolus composed a work entitled Cheiromecta, which means “things worked by hand” and may thus refer to potions made by grinding plants and other substances (Dickie 2001, 119). Bolus discussed not just the magical properties of plants but also those of stones and animals. Pliny regarded the Cheiromecta as composed by Democritus on the basis of his studies with the Magi (Nat. 24. 160) and normally cites its contents as what Democritus or the Magi said. Columella, however, tells us what was really going on (On Agriculture VII 5.17). The work was in fact composed by Bolus, who published it under the name of Democritus. Bolus thus appears to have made a collection of magical recipes, some of which do seem to have connections to the Magi, since they are similar to recipes found in 8th century cuneiform texts (Dickie 2001, 121). In order to gain authority for this collection, he assigned it to the famous Democritus.
Since Democritus was sometimes regarded as the pupil of Pythagoreans (Diogenes Laertius IX 38), Bolus' choice of Democritus to give authority to his work may suggest that someone else (the Cleemporus mentioned by Pliny?) had already used Pythagoras for this purpose and that the pseudo-Pythagorean treatise on the magical properties of plants was thus already in existence when Bolus wrote, in the first half of the second century BCE. An example of the type of recipe involved is Pliny's ascription to Democritus of the idea that the tongue of a frog, cut out while the frog was still alive, if placed above the heart of a sleeping woman, will cause her to give true answers (Nat. XXXII 49). Thus, the picture of Pythagoras the magician, which may lie behind a number of the supposed Pythagorean practices of Nigidius Figulus, is based on little more than the tradition that Pythagoras had traveled to Egypt and the east, so that he became the authority figure, to whom the real collectors of magical recipes in the third and second century BCE ascribed their collections.
Nigidius' revival of supposed Pythagorean practices spread to other figures in first century Rome. Cicero attacked Vatinius, consul in 48 and a supporter of Caesar, for calling himself a Pythagorean and trying to shield his scandalous practices under the name of Pythagoras (Vat. 6). The scandalous practices involved necromancy, invoking the dead, by murdering young boys. Presumably this method of necromancy would not be ascribed to Pythagoras, but the suggestion is that some methods of consulting the dead were regarded as Pythagorean. Cicero later ended up defending this same Vatinius in a speech which has not survived but some of the contents of which we know from the ancient scholia on the speech against Vatinius. In this speech Cicero defended Vatinius' habit of wearing a black toga, which he attacked in the earlier speech (Vat. 12), as a harmless affectation of Pythagoreanism (Dickie 2001, 170). Thus, the title of Pythagorean in first century Rome carried with it associations with magical practices, not all of which would have been widely approved.
Another example of the connection between Pythagoreanism and magic and its possible negative connotations is Anaxilaus of Larissa (Rawson 1985, 293; Dickie 2001, 172–173). In his chronicle, Jerome describes him with the same words as he used for Nigidius, Pythagorean and magus, and reports that he was exiled from Rome in 28 BCE. We know that Anaxilaus wrote a work entitled Paignia (“tricks”), which seems to have consisted of some rather bizarre conjuring tricks for parties. Pliny reports one of Anaxilaus' tricks as calling for burning the discharge from a mare in heat in a flame, in order to cause the guests to see images of horses' heads (Nat. XXVIII 181). The passion for things Pythagorean can also be seen in the figure of king Juba of Mauretania (ca. 46 BCE – 23 CE), a learned and cultured man, educated at Rome and author of many books. Olympiodorus describes him as “a lover of Pythagorean compositions” and suggests that Pythagorean books were forged to satisfy the passion of collectors such as Juba (Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca 12.1, p. 13).
The connection between Pythagoreanism and astrology visible in Nigidius can perhaps also be seen in Thrasyllus of Alexandria (d. 36 CE), the court astrologer and philosopher, whom the Roman emperor Tiberius met in Rhodes and brought to Rome. Thrasyllus is famous for his edition of Plato's dialogues arranged into tetralogies, but he was a Platonist with strong Pythagorean leanings. Porphyry in his Life of Plotinus (20) quotes Longinus as saying that Thrasyllus wrote on Platonic and Pythagorean first principles (Dillon 1977, 184–185). Most suggestive of all is the quotation from Thrasyllus preserved by Diogenes Laertius (Diogenes Laertius IX 38), in which Thrasyllus calls Democritus a zealous follower of the Pythagoreans and asserts that Democritus drew all his philosophy from Pythagoras and would have been thought to have been his pupil, if chronology did not prevent it. It is impossible to be sure what Thrasyllus had in mind here, but one very plausible suggestion is that he is thinking of Democritus as a sage, who practiced magic, the Democritus created by Bolus, who was the successor to the arch mage Pythagoras, the supposed author of the treatise on the magical uses of plants (Dickie 2001, 195). Some have argued that the subterranean basilica discovered near the Porta Maggiore and dating to the first century CE was the meeting place of a Pythagorean community but the evidence for this suggestion is very weak (Flinterman 2014).
We cannot be sure whether the Pythagoreanism of Nigidius, Varro and their successors was limited to such things as burial ritual, magical practices and black togas or whether it extended to less spectacular features of a “Pythagorean” life. Q. Sextius, however, founded a philosophical movement in the time of Augustus, which prescribed a vegetarian diet and taught the doctrine of transmigration of souls, although Sextius presented himself as using different arguments than Pythagoras for vegetarianism (Seneca, Ep. 108. 17 ff.). One of these Sextians, as they were known, was Sotion, the teacher of Seneca, and it is Seneca who gives us most of the information we have about them. It is also noteworthy that Sextius is also reported to have asked himself at the end of each day “What bad habit have you cured today? What vice have you resisted? In what way are you better” (Seneca, De Ira III 36). Cicero tells us that it was “the Pythagorean custom” to call to mind in the evening everything said, heard or done during the day (Sen. 38, cf. Iamblichus, VP 164). The practice described by Cicero is directed at training the memory in contrast to Sextius' questions, which call for moral self-examination. On Pythagoreanism in Rome see further Flinterman 2014.
Something similar to the Sextian version of the practice is found in lines 40–44 of the Golden Verses, a pseudepigraphical treatise consisting of 71 Greek hexameter verses, which were ascribed to Pythagoras or the Pythagoreans. The poem is a combination of materials from different dates, and it is uncertain when it took the form preserved in manuscripts and called the Golden Verses; dates ranging from 350 BCE to 400 CE have been suggested (see Thom 1995). It is not referred to by name until 200 CE. The Golden Verses are frequently quoted in the first centuries CE and thus constitute one model of the Pythagorean life in Neopythagoreanism, one that is free from magical practices. Much of the advice is common to all of Greek ethical thought (e.g., honoring the gods and parents; mastering lust and anger; deliberating before acting, following measure in all things), but there are also mentions of dietary restrictions typical of early Pythagoreanism and the promise of leaving the body behind to join the aither as an immortal.
Our most detailed account of a Neopythagorean living a life inspired by Pythagoras is Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Apollonius was active in the second half of the first century CE and died in 97; Philostratus' life, which was written over a century later at the request of the empress Julia Domna and completed after her death in 217 CE, is more novel than sober biography. According to Philostratus, Apollonius identified his wisdom as that of Pythagoras, who taught him the proper way to worship the gods, to wear linen rather than wool, to wear his hair long, and to eat no animal food (I 32). Some have wondered if Apollonius' Pythagoreanism is largely the creation of Philostratus, but the standard view has been that Apollonius wrote a life of Pythagoras used by Iamblichus (VP 254) and Porphyry (Burkert 1972, 100), and the fragment of his treatise On Sacrifices has clear connections to Neopythagorean philosophy (Kahn 2001, 143–145). Rohde thought that large parts of Apollonius's Life of Pythagoras could be found in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life, but recently more and more doubt has arisen as to whether the Apollonius who wrote the Life of Pythagoras used by Iamblichus is really Apollonius of Tyana (Flinterman 2014, 357).
Like Pythagoras, Apollonius journeys to consult the wise men of the east and learns from the Brahmins in India that the doctrine of transmigration, which Apollonius inherited from Pythagoras, originated in India and was handed on to the Egyptians from whom Pythagoras derived it (III 19). Philostratus (I 2) emphasizes that Apollonius was not a magician, thus trying to free him from the more disreputable connotations of Pythagorean practices associated with figures such as Anaxilaus and Vatinius (see above). Nonetheless, Philostratus' life does recount a number of Apollonius' miracles, such as the raising of a girl from the dead (IV 45). On Apollonius as a Pythagorean see further Flinterman 2014.
These miracles made Apollonius into a pagan counterpart to Christ. The emperor Alexander Severus (222–235 CE) worshipped Apollonius alongside Christ, Abraham and Orpheus (Hist. Aug., Vita Alex. Sev. 29.2). Hierocles, the Roman governor of Bithynia, who was rigorous in his persecution of Christians, championed Apollonius at the expense of Christ, in The Lover of Truth, and drew as a response Eusebius' Against Hierocles. As mentioned above, there is some probability that Iamblichus intends to elevate Pythagoras himself as a pagan counterpart to Christ in his On the Pythagorean Life (Dillon and Hershbell 1991, 25–26).
The satirist Lucian (2nd CE) provides us with a hostile portrayal of another holy man with Pythagorean connections, Alexander of Abnoteichus in Paphlagonia, who was active in the middle of the second century CE. In Alexander the False Prophet, Lucian reports that Alexander compared himself to Pythagoras (4), could remember his previous incarnations (34) and had a golden thigh like Pythagoras (40). Lucian shows the not often seen negative side to both Pythagoras' and Alexander's reputations when he reports that, if one took even the worst things said about Pythagoras, Alexander would far outdo him in wickedness (4). Some have seen Alexander as largely a literary construction by Lucian with little historical basis but other evidence confirms that there were traveling Pythagorean wonder-workers in the early imperial period (Flinterman 2014, 359).
Despite these attacks on figures such as Apollonius and Alexander who modeled themselves on Pythagoras, the Pythagorean way of life was in general praised; the Neopythagorean tradition which portrays Pythagoras as living the ideal life on which we should model our own reaches its culmination in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life and Porphyry's Life of Pythagoras
5. Pythagoreanism in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
The influence of Pythagoreanism in the Middle Ages and Renaissance was extensive and was found in most disciplines, in literature and art as well as in philosophy and science. Here only the highlights of that influence can be given (see further Heninger 1974, Celenza 1999, Celenza 2001, Kahn 2001, Riedweg 2005, Hicks 2014 and Allen 2014, to all of whom the following account is indebted). It is crucial to recognize from the beginning that the Pythagoras of the Middle Ages and Renaissance is the Pythagoras of the Neopythagorean tradition, in which he is regarded as either the most important or one of the most important philosophers in the Greek philosophical tradition. Thus, Ralph Cudworth, in The True Intellectual System of the Universe asserted that “Pythagoras was the most eminent of all the ancient Philosophers” (1845, II 4). This is a far cry from the Pythagoras that can be reconstructed by responsible scholarship. Riedweg has put it well: “Had Pythagoras and his teachings not been since the early Academy overwritten with Plato's philosophy, and had this ‘palimpsest' not in the course of the Roman empire achieved unchallenged authority among Platonists, it would be scarcely conceivable that scholars from the Middle Ages and modernity down to the present would have found the pre-Socratic charismatic from Samos so fascinating” (2005, 128).
5.1 Boethius/Nicomachus, Calcidius, Macrobius and the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages Pythagoras and Pythagorean philosophy were regarded as the height of Greek philosophical achievement, although, somewhat paradoxically Pythagoreanism was not still an active philosophy as were Platonism and Aristotelianism but instead belonged to an “imagined history” of philosophy (Hicks 2014, 420). The view of Pythagoreanism in the Middle Ages was heavily determined by three late ancient Latin writers: Calcidius, Macrobius and Boethius. It was in particular the mathematical Pythagoreanism of Nicomachus as transmitted by Boethius that determined the medieval picture of Pythagoras. In ethics, Christians were able to embrace some Pythagorean maxims such as the principle labeled Pythagorean by Boethius: “Follow God” (Consolation of Philosophy 1.4). Some attention was also paid to other Pythagorean symbola (see section 5.2 below). On the other hand the doctrine of metempsychosis with its idea that human beings were born again as animals was repugnant to Christian doctrine (John of Salisbury, Policraticus 7.10). When it comes to Pythagoras' life it is crucial to recognize that Iamblichus' and Porphyry's lives of Pythagoras were not known in the Middle Ages so that Pythagoras' activities were mostly known through passages from classical authors and church fathers (Hicks 2014, 421). Pythagoras was included in medieval encyclopedic works and was given particularly thorough treatment by Vincent of Beauvais (before 1200–1264) in his Speculum historiale (3.24–26), by John of Wales (fl. 1260–1283) in Compendiloquium (3.6.2) and in The Lives and Habits of the Philosophers ascribed to, but probably not actually composed by, Walter Burley (1275–1344; see Riedweg 2005, 129; Heninger 1974, 47; Hicks 2014, 421).
The most influential texts for the conception of Pythagoras in the Latin Middle Ages and early Renaissance were Boethius' (480–524 CE) De Institutione Arithmetica and De Institutione Musica, which are virtually translations of the Neopythagorean Nicomachus' (second century CE) Introduction to Arithmetic and Introduction to Music (this larger work is now lost, but a smaller Handbook of Harmonics survives). Boethius followed Nicomachus' classification of four mathematical sciences depending on the nature of their objects (arithmetic deals with multitude in itself, music with relative multitude, geometry with unmoving magnitudes and astronomy with magnitude in motion). Boethius introduced the term quadrivium, “fourfold road” to understanding, to refer to these four sciences. In music theory, Boethius presents the Pythagoreans as taking a middle position, which gives a role in harmonics to both reason and perception. His presentation of the Pythagorean position was central to music theory for over a thousand years (Hicks 2014, 424). Boethius recounts the apocryphal story of Pythagoras' discovery in a blacksmith's shop of the ratios that govern the concordant intervals (Mus. I 10).
The medieval picture of Pythagoras as a natural philosopher and the medieval understanding of his theory of the nature of the soul were heavily influenced by the Latin commentary on Plato's Timaeus by Calcidius (4th century CE) and the Commentary on the Dream of Scipio by Macrobius (5th century CE). Calcidius regarded Plato's Timaeus as a heavily Pythagorean document. Under the influence of the Neopythagorean Numenius, Calcidius assigned to Pythagoras the view that god was unity and matter duality (Hicks 2014, 429). Calcidius describes Plato's World-Soul in a way that highlights its harmonic structure and Macrobius explicitly ascribes to Pythagoras the view that the soul is a harmony (Commentary on the Dream of Scipio 1.14.19). The doctrine of the harmony of the spheres, which portrays the cosmos as a harmony that is expressed in the music made by the revolutions of the planets, follows from the numerical structure of the World-Soul and was also assigned to Pythagoras by Calcidius. Most medieval Neoplatonic cosmoligies adopted the doctrine, but the reintroduction of Aristotle's criticism of it in the thirteenth century caused many to abandon the theory until it was revived in the Renaissance by Ficino (Hicks 2014, 434). Later, Shakespeare refers to the doctrine memorably in The Merchant of Venice (V i. 54–65). Cicero's presentation of it in the Dream of Scipio was also influential in the Renaissance (Heninger 1974, 3).
Pythagorean influence also appeared at less elevated levels of medieval culture. A fourteenth-century manual for preachers, which contained lore about the natural world and is known as The Light of the Soul, ascribes a series of odd observations about nature to Archita Tharentinus, who is presumably intended to be the fourth century BCE Pythagorean, Archytas of Tarentum. These are mostly cited from a book, which was evidently forged in Archytas' name and known as On Events in Nature. Some of the observations are plausible enough, e.g., that a person at the bottom of a well sees stars in the middle of the day, others more puzzling, e.g., that a dying man emits fiery rays from his eyes at death, while still others may have connections to magic, e.g., “if someone looks at a mirror, before which a white flower has been placed, he cries.” Some magical lore ascribed to an Architas is also found in the thirteenth-century Marvels of the World (ps.-Albertus Magnus), e.g., “if the wax of the left ear of a dog be taken and hung on people with periodic fever, it is beneficial…” (see Huffman 2005, 610–615). These texts seem to continue the connection between Pythagoreanism and magic, which developed in the third and second centuries BCE, and is prominent in Rome during the first-century BCE (see above section 4.5).
5.2 The Renaissance: Ficino, Pico, Reuchlin, Copernicus and Kepler
In the Renaissance, Pythagoreanism played an important role in the thought of fifteenth- and sixteenth century Italian and German humanists. The Florentine Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) is most properly described as a Neoplatonist. He made the philosophy of Plato available to the Latin-speaking west through his translation of all of Plato into Latin. In addition he translated important works of writers in the Neoplatonic and Neopythagorean tradition, such as Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus and Proclus. From that tradition he accepted and developed the view that Plato was heir to an ancient theology/philosophy (prisca theologia) that was derived from earlier sages including Pythagoras, who immediately preceded Plato in the succession (Allen 2014, 435–436). Ficino like the Neopythagoreans had no conception of an early and a late Pythagoreanism, for him Pythagoreanism was a unity as indeed was the entire tradition of ancient theology (Celenza, 1999, 675–681). Ficino regarded works ascribed to the Chaldaean Zoroaster, the Egyptian Hermes Trismegistus, Orpheus and Pythagoras, which modern scholarship has shown to be forgeries of late antiquity, as genuine works on which Plato drew (Kristeller 1979, 131). Ficino provided a complete translation of the writings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus into Latin as well as translations of 39 of the short Pythagorean sayings known as symbola, many of which are ancient, and Hierocles' commentary on the pseudo-Pythagorean Golden Verses (Heninger 1974, 63 and 66). The Golden Verses (see Thom 1995) were, in fact, one of the most popular Greek texts in the Renaissance and were commonly used in textbooks for learning Greek; other pseudo-Pythagorean texts, such as the treatises ascribed to Timaeus of Locri and Ocellus, were translated early and regarded as genuine texts on which Plato drew (Heninger 1974, 49, 55–56). Ficino thought, moreover, that this whole pagan tradition could be reconciled with Christian and Jewish religion and accepted the view that Pythagoras was born of a Jewish father (Heninger 1974, 201). For Ficino and the Renaissance as a whole, Pythagoras was the most important of the Presocratic philosophers but he never overshadowed Plato, who was the highest authority, in part because there was no extensive body of texts by Pythagoras himself to compete with the Platonic dialogues (Allen 2014, 453).
Ficino translated Iamblichus' four works on Pythagoreanism for his own use and Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life had particular influence on him. Ficino felt that in his time there was a need for a divinely inspired guide on earth and fashioned himself as such a prophet under the influence of Iamblichus' presentation of Pythagoras as a divine guide sent by the gods to save mankind (Celenza 1999, 667–674). The Pythagorean musical practice that he found in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life , with its emphasis on the impact of music on the soul, shaped his own music making and his presentation of himself as a Pythagorean and Orphic holy man (Allen 2014, 436–440). Ficino and other Renaissance thinkers grappled with the challenge that the Pythagorean notion of metempsychosis presented to Christiantiy and how it might be reconciled with Christian views (Allen 2014, 440–446). Ficino was eager to absolve Plato from such a heresy. He does this in part by treating metempsychosis metaphorically as referring to the soul's ability to remake itself, but he also emphasized that metempsychosis was not present in Plato's latest work, Laws, and made the Pythagoreans scapegoats by suggesting that other passages in Plato refer not to Plato's own doctrines but the Pythagoreans (Celenza 1999, 681–691). Ficino saw his own arithmology as Pythgorean and study of Neopythagorean mathematical treatises by Nicomachus and Theon led Ficino to conclude that Plato's nuptial number in Book 8 of the Republic was 12 (Allen 2014, 446–450). He also mistakenly and paradoxically followed the Neopythagoreans in thinking that the Pythagoreans occupied the crucial position in the history of philosophy of the first philosophers to distinguish between the corporeal and incorporeal and to assert the superiority of the latter, an achievement that is more reasonably assigned to Ficino's hero Plato (Celenza 1999, 699–706).
The Pythagorean symbola were important to Ficino and the Renaissance. They had already been interpreted as moral maxims by the early church fathers (e.g., Clement, Origen and Ambrose). Ambrose, for example, interpreted the Pythagorean "do not take the public path" to mean that priests should live lives of exceptional purity (Ep. 81). Jerome discussed 13 symbola in his Epistle Against Rufinus and this list became the basis for medieval discussions of the symbola in texts such as the Speculum historiale of Vincent of Beauvais and the Lives and Habits of the Philosophers of Walter Burley (Celenza 2001, 11–12). Ficino particularly encountered them in Iamblichus' On the Pythagorean Life and Protrepticus. For Ficino, their brevity was appropriate to revealing the supreme reality, since he argued that the closer the mind approaches to the One the fewer words it needs (Allen 2014, 450–451). In addition, he found them relevant to the preparation and purification of the soul (Celenza, 1999, 693). They were widely discussed by Ficino's contemporaries and successors (Celenza 2001, 52–81). Some figures wrote treatises devoted to their interpretation (Ficino's mentor Antonio degli Agli, his follower Giovanni Nesi [for an edition of Nesi's work see Celenza 2001], Filippo Beroaldo the Elder and Lilio Gregorio Giraldi), while others discussed them as part of larger works (Erasmus and Reuchlin). Not everyone took the symbola seriously; Angelo Poliziano, the great Florentine philologist and professor, presents a satire on them in the fashion of Lucian, joking about Pythagoras' ability to talk to animals and ridiculing the prohibition on beans (Celenza 2001, 33).
Ficino's friend and younger contemporary, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–1494), advanced an even more radical doctrine of universal truth, according to which all philosophies had a share of truth and could be reconciled in a comprehensive philosophy (Kristeller 1979, 205). His Oration on the Dignity of Man shows the variety of ways in which he was influenced by the Pythagorean tradition. He equates the friendship that the Pythagoreans saw as the goal of philosophy (see, e.g., Iamblichus, VP 229) with the peace that the angels announced to men of good will (1965, 11–12); the Pythagorean symbola forbidding urinating towards the sun or cutting the nails during sacrifice are interpreted allegorically as calling on us to relieve ourselves of excessive appetite for sensual pleasures and to trim the pricks of anger (1965, 15); the practice of philosophizing through numbers is assigned to Pythagoras along with Philolaus, Plato and the early Platonists (1965, 25–26); Pythagoras is said to have modeled his philosophy on the Orphic theology (1965, 33). Finally, on the basis of the pseudo-Pythagorean letter of Lysis to Hipparchus, Pythagoras is said to have kept silent about his doctrine and left just a few things in writing to his daughter at his death. In observing such silence, Pythagoras is portrayed as following an earlier practice symbolized by the sphinx in Egypt and most of all by Moses, who indeed published the law to men but supposedly kept the interpretation of that law a secret. Pico equates this secret interpretation of the law with the Cabala, an esoteric doctrine in which the words and numbers of Hebrew scripture are interpreted according to a mystical system (1965, 30; see also Heptaplus 1965, 68).
Pico's interest in reconciling the Cabala with Christianity and the pagan philosophical tradition, including Pythagoreanism, was further developed by the German humanist, Johannes Reuchlin (1445–1522). In the dedicatory letter for his Three Books On the Art of the Cabala (1517), which was addressed to Pope Leo X, Reuchlin says that as Ficino has restored Plato for Italy so he will “offer to the Germans Pythagoras reborn,” although he cannot “do this without the cabala of the Hebrews, because the philosophy of Pythagoras took its beginning from the precepts of the cabalists” (tr. Heninger 1974, 245). Thus, in an earlier work (De verbo mirifico) he had equated the four consonants in the Hebrew name for God, JHVH, with the Pythagorean tetraktys, and gave to each of the letters, which are equated with numbers as in Greek practice, a mystical meaning. The first H, which also stands for the number five that the Pythagoreans equated with marriage, is thus taken to symbolize the marriage of the trinity with material nature, which was equated with the dyad by the Neopythagoreans (Riedweg 2005, 130).
At the level of popular culture, several fortune-telling devices were tied to Pythagoras, the most famous of which went under the name of the Wheel of Pythagoras (Heninger 1974, 237). Pythagoras was probably most widely known, however, through Ovid's presentation of him at the beginning of Book XV of the Metamorphoses, which was immensely popular in the Renaissance (Heninger 1974, 50). Ovid recounts the story, which had already been recognized as apocryphal by Cicero (Tusc. IV 1), that the second Roman king, Numa, studied with Pythagoras. Pythagoras is presented inaccurately by Ovid as a great natural philosopher, who discovered the secrets of the universe and who believed in a doctrine of the flux of four elements. On the other hand, Ovid's emphasis on the prohibition on eating animal flesh and on the immortality of the soul have some connection to the historical Pythagoras. In the Renaissance, Pythagoras was not primarily known for the “Pythagorean Theorem,” as he is today. Better known was the doubtful anecdote (Burkert 1960, Riedweg 2005, 90–97), going back ultimately to Heraclides of Pontus but known to the Renaissance mainly through Cicero (Tusc. V 3–4), that he was the first to coin the word “philosopher” (Heninger 1974, 29).
In the sixteenth century, Pythagorean influence was particularly important in the development of astronomy. The Polish astronomer Copernicus (1473–1543), in the Preface and Dedication to Pope Paul III attached to his epoch making work, On the Revolution of the Heavenly Spheres, reports that, in his dissatisfaction with the commonly accepted geocentric astronomical system of Ptolemy (2nd century CE), he laboriously reread the works of all the philosophers to see if any had ever proposed a different system. This labor led him to find inspiration not from Pythagoras himself but rather from later Pythagoreans and in particular from Philolaus. Copernicus found in Cicero (Ac. II 39. 123) that the Pythagorean Hicetas (4th century BCE — Copernicus mistakenly calls him Nicetas) had proposed that the earth revolved around its axis at the center of the universe and in pseudo-Plutarch (Diels 1958, 378) that another Pythagorean, Ecphantus, and Heraclides of Pontus (both 4th century BCE), whom Copernicus regarded as a Pythagorean, had proposed a similar view. More importantly, he also found in pseudo-Plutarch that the Pythagorean, Philolaus of Croton (5th century BCE), “held that the earth moved in a circle … and was one of the planets” (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres 1. 5, tr. Wallis).
Copernicus reports to the Pope that he was led by these earlier thinkers “to meditate on the mobility of the earth.” Pythagorean influence on Copernicus was not limited to the notion of a moving earth. In the same preface he explains his hesitation to publish his book in light of the pseudo-Pythagorean letter of Lysis to Hipparchus, which recounts the supposed reluctance of the Pythagoreans to divulge their views to the common run of people, who had not devoted themselves to study (for further Pythagorean influences on Copernicus see Kahn 2001, 159–161). A number of the followers of Copernicus saw him as primarily reviving the ancient Pythagorean system rather than presenting anything new (Heninger 1974, 130 and 144, n. 131); Edward Sherburne reflects the common view of the late 17th century in referring to the heliocentric system as “the system of Philolaus and Copernicus” (Heninger 1974, 129–130), although in the Philolaic system it is, in fact, a central fire and not the sun that is at the center of the universe.
The last great Pythagorean was Johannes Kepler (1571–1630 — see Kahn 2001, 161–172 for a good brief account of Kepler's Pythagoreanism). Kepler began by developing the Copernican system in light of the five regular solids (tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron), to which Plato appealed in his construction of matter in the Timaeus (see especially 53B-55C). He followed the Renaissance practice illustrated above of regarding Greek philosophy as closely connected to the wisdom of the Near East, when he asserted that the Timaeus was a commentary on the first chapter of Genesis (Kahn 2001, 162). In the preface to his early work, Mysterium Cosmographicum (1596), Kepler says that his purpose is to show that God used the five regular bodies, “which have been most celebrated from the time of Pythagoras and Plato,” as his model in constructing the universe and that “he accommodated the number of heavenly spheres, their proportions, and the system of their motions” to these five regular solids (tr. Heninger 1974, 110–111).
In ascribing geometrical knowledge of the five regular solids to Pythagoras, Kepler is following an erroneous Neopythagorean tradition, although the dodecahedron may have served as an early Pythagorean symbol (see on Hippasus in section 3.4 above and Burkert 1972, 70–71, 404, 460). Thus, this aspect of Kepler's work is more Platonic than Pythagorean. The five solids were conceived of as circumscribing and inscribed in the spheres of the orbits of the planets, so that the five solids corresponded to the six planets known to Kepler (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury). There were six planets, because there were precisely five regular bodies to be used in constructing the universe, corresponding to the five intervals between the planets. This view was overthrown by the later discovery of Uranus as a seventh planet. Kepler's cosmology was, however, far from a purely a priori exercise. Whereas his contemporary, Robert Fludd, developed a cosmology structured by musical numbers, which could in no way be confirmed by observation, Kepler strove to make his system consistent with precise observations. Kahn suggests that we here see again the split “between a rational and an obscurantist version of Pythagorean thought,” which is similar to the ancient split in the school between mathematici and acusmatici (2001, 163).
Close work with observational data collected by Tycho Brahe led Kepler to abandon the universal ancient view that the orbits of the planets were circular and to recognize their elliptical nature. More clearly Pythagorean is Kepler's consistent belief that the data show that the motions of the planets correspond in various ways to the ratios governing the musical concords (see Dreyer 1953, 405–410), so that there is a heavenly music, a doctrine attested for Philolaus and Archytas, which probably goes back to Pythagoras as well (Huffman 1993, 279 ff.; Huffman 2005, 137 ff.). For Kepler, however, the music produced by the heavenly motions was “perceived by reason, and not expressed in sound” (Harmonice Mundi V 7). In his attempt to make the numbers of the heavenly music work, he joked that he would appeal to the shade of Pythagoras for aid, “unless the soul of Pythagoras has migrated into mine” (Koestler 1959, 277).
Kepler has been described “as the last exponent of a form of mathematical cosmology that can be traced back to the shadowy figure of Pythagoras” (Field 1988, 170). It is true that Kepler's work led the way to Newton's mechanics, which cannot be described in terms of ancient geometry and number theory but relies on the calculus and which relies on a theory of physical forces that is alien to ancient thought. On the other hand, many modern scientists accept the basic tenet that knowledge of the natural world is to be expressed in mathematical formulae, which is rightly regarded as a central Pythagorean thesis, since it was first rigorously formulated by the Pythagoreans Philolaus ( Fr. 4 — see Huffman 1993) and Archytas (Huffman 2005, 65 ff.) and may, in a rudimentary form, go back to Pythagoras himself.
| i don't know |
In Japanese what word means they who serve? | What does Samurai mean?
GCIDE(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai(n. pl. & sing.)
In the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with the fall of feudalism in 1871. They were referred to as
Origin: [Jap.]
Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:
samurai(Noun)
In feudal Japan, a samurai was a soldier of noble birth who followed the code of bushido and served a daimyo.
Origin: From 侍 (さむらい, samurai).
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai
Samurai, usually referred to in Japanese as bushi or buke, were the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany persons in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility," the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, an early reference to the word "samurai" appears in the Kokin Wakashū, the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as bushidō. While the samurai numbered less than 10% of Japan's population, their teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in modern Japanese martial arts.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai
sam′ōō-rī, n. sing. (also pl.) a member of the military class in the old feudal system of Japan, including both daimios, or territorial nobles, and their military retainers: a military retainer, a two-sworded man. [Jap.]
The New Hacker's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
samurai
A hacker who hires out for legal cracking jobs, snooping for factions in corporate political fights, lawyers pursuing privacy-rights and First Amendment cases, and other parties with legitimate reasons to need an electronic locksmith. In 1991, mainstream media reported the existence of a loose-knit culture of samurai that meets electronically on BBS systems, mostly bright teenagers with personal micros; they have modeled themselves explicitly on the historical samurai of Japan and on the “net cowboys” of William Gibson's cyberpunk novels. Those interviewed claim to adhere to a rigid ethic of loyalty to their employers and to disdain the vandalism and theft practiced by criminal crackers as beneath them and contrary to the hacker ethic; some quote Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings, a classic of historical samurai doctrine, in support of these principles. See also sneaker, Stupids, social engineering, cracker, hacker ethic, and dark-side hacker.
The numerical value of Samurai in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
| Samurai |
Which singing and dancing actor was born Frederick Austerlitz in 1899? | What does Samurai mean?
GCIDE(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai(n. pl. & sing.)
In the former feudal system of Japan, the class or a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with the fall of feudalism in 1871. They were referred to as
Origin: [Jap.]
Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:
samurai(Noun)
In feudal Japan, a samurai was a soldier of noble birth who followed the code of bushido and served a daimyo.
Origin: From 侍 (さむらい, samurai).
Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai
Samurai, usually referred to in Japanese as bushi or buke, were the military nobility of medieval and early-modern Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany persons in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility," the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, an early reference to the word "samurai" appears in the Kokin Wakashū, the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as bushidō. While the samurai numbered less than 10% of Japan's population, their teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in modern Japanese martial arts.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
Samurai
sam′ōō-rī, n. sing. (also pl.) a member of the military class in the old feudal system of Japan, including both daimios, or territorial nobles, and their military retainers: a military retainer, a two-sworded man. [Jap.]
The New Hacker's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:
samurai
A hacker who hires out for legal cracking jobs, snooping for factions in corporate political fights, lawyers pursuing privacy-rights and First Amendment cases, and other parties with legitimate reasons to need an electronic locksmith. In 1991, mainstream media reported the existence of a loose-knit culture of samurai that meets electronically on BBS systems, mostly bright teenagers with personal micros; they have modeled themselves explicitly on the historical samurai of Japan and on the “net cowboys” of William Gibson's cyberpunk novels. Those interviewed claim to adhere to a rigid ethic of loyalty to their employers and to disdain the vandalism and theft practiced by criminal crackers as beneath them and contrary to the hacker ethic; some quote Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings, a classic of historical samurai doctrine, in support of these principles. See also sneaker, Stupids, social engineering, cracker, hacker ethic, and dark-side hacker.
The numerical value of Samurai in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
| i don't know |
Who wrote the play Under Milk Wood? | Why Under Milk Wood is the greatest radio play ever - Telegraph
Theatre
Why Under Milk Wood is the greatest radio play ever
Under Milk Wood took Dylan Thomas nearly 20 tortured years to bring to life. On his centenary, three theatrical productions pay homage to the greatest ever radio drama
Dylan Thomas in 1948 Photo: National Portrait Gallery
By Jasper Rees
7:00AM GMT 27 Mar 2014
“I’ve finished that infernally eternally unfinished ‘PLAY’ & have done it in New York with actors.” Thus wrote Dylan Thomas to his wife Caitlin of the birth of Under Milk Wood. There seems little room for argument: his “play for voices” is the greatest drama ever written for radio.
“It is all about religion, sex and death,” said Richard Burton, the actor whose voice in the famous BBC recording begins at the beginning of Thomas’s rich portrait of a poor community. “And,” he added, “it is a comic masterpiece.”
The characters who populate the fictional village of Llareggub have become household names: the blind old seadog Captain Cat forever mourning his dead love Rosie Probert, the Rev Eli Jenkins greeting each morning in verse, Polly Garter with her list of lost paramours, Mr Pugh who dreams of poisoning Mrs Pugh, Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard and her two dead husbands, Dai Bread and his two live wives.
So it seems odd that there were no drum rolls when Thomas wrote from America to Caitlin after the cast took their inaugural bow in May 1953. Instead, Thomas devoted much of his letter to sweet nothings: his ever-tempestuous wife was feeding small mouths back in the real Laugharne rather than the romanticised one known as Llareggub, while the playwright-poet had embarked on another love affair in New York.
In the same letter he implored Caitlin to set aside a month to travel with him to Los Angeles, where he was to work on a libretto for Stravinsky. Then, just before the play is mentioned in passing, there is a sentence of chilling brevity: “Is my sister dead?” Thomas’s older sister Nancy had indeed died of cancer in Bombay the previous month.
Related Articles
Dylan Thomas and Igor Stravinsky: an unlikely partnership
10 Feb 2014
So there was much on Thomas’s mind aside from a play which had resisted completion for years. The truth is that Caitlin, never eager to massage her husband’s ego, must have grown impatient with Under Milk Wood’s snail-like progress and the much postponed pay cheque.
Under Milk Wood brewed in the cauldron of Thomas’s imagination for more than 20 years. Before he was 20 some of the characters had sprung into being and populated a play – never published – about a Welsh seaside community.
By the mid-1930s the word Llareggub, the name Thomas invented by reversing the letters of “bugger all”, was cropping up in short stories. He applied it variously to a village (in “The Holy Six” and “The Orchards”) and to a “sowfaced woman” in “The Burning Baby”, in which a preacher has sexual relations with his daughter and incinerates the fruit of her womb. So it was already associated in Thomas’s mind with the chapel, transgression and sexuality.
As early as 1939 Thomas was heard suggesting that “what Laugharne really needs is a play about well-known Laugharne characters – and get them all to play themselves”. And yet the radio piece “Quite Early One Morning”, clearly a precursor, was inspired by his time living in New Quay in Cardiganshire towards the end of the war, thus seeding the fishing port’s claim to be the real Llareggub. It introduced an antecedent to Polly Garter, serially impregnated by a variety of lovers, and a Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard who, obsessed with cleanliness, will not let the sun in her house until he’s wiped his shoes.
In 1948 Thomas’s correspondence alluded (in parenthesis) to what would become Under Milk Wood. Pitching an article to Picture Post about his sometime home – “I know the little town intimately, and everyone in it” – he added: “(A radio play I am writing has Laugharne, though not by name, as its setting)”. Later that year he reported that he was “getting on with my awful script”.
For several years the play was known as "The Town that Was Mad", in which the inhabitants are certified insane and fail to overturn the diagnosis in court, where they are cross-examined by a blind Captain Cat. But the title was negotiable – later Thomas would say the only working title he had was unprintable. That autumn the BBC producer Douglas Cleverdon advised Thomas that the Third Programme had accepted “The Town that Was Mad (or whatever title you prefer)”. Thomas duly submitted 39 pages, adding that he was “very enthusiastic to finish the thing. And quickly.”
The pace of composition remained sluggish. An explanation was laid out in a long letter Thomas wrote to his American publisher in Rome in May 1951 (in which he also enclosed a freshly composed poem about his dying father called “Do not go gentle into that good night”). After a sprightly and lyrical description of a “gay & sad and sentimental and a bit barmy” piece he was working on in verse and prose, he concluded by asking for an advance to allow him to complete it. Four months later he made the same plea to Cleverdon.
A Freudian would infer that Thomas’s unconscious sought to impede the play’s progress, because he twice lost the original manuscript before flying to America – once in a Cardiff hotel, then in a Fitzrovia pub. When Thomas arrived in New York in April 1953 his tour manager John Brinnin assigned a minder to ensure Under Milk Wood was ready. Liz Reitell, twice married by her early 30s, soon became Thomas’s lover – and jailer, locking him in a room to ensure its completion – the last lines were finished only minutes before its first multi-cast reading, at the Poetry Centre in New York.
The actors were of course American. Thomas had expressed concern that “some kind of approximation to a Welsh accent is required throughout”, but any such anxiety was overruled by pragmatism. It was in America that he could make money, which is why he returned in the autumn for another tour including further well-received readings of Under Milk Wood.
Even though almost all of it was written in England and America, it was a Welsh cast that Thomas had his eye on for his play set in what he called “a never-never Wales”. “When I return some time in December,” Thomas anticipated before that last trip, “I hope that it can be given one or more reading performances… in London; with any luck, I’ll be able to get firstrate [sic] Welsh actors to read it.”
It was not to be, of course. Perhaps the most famous thing about Dylan Thomas is the squalor of his passing – in St Vincent’s Hospital in New York on November 9, 1953 at the age of only 39. He spent more than four days in a coma suffering from what was termed “a severe insult to the brain” – alcohol poisoning. There was time enough for Caitlin to fly to his bedside and be promptly removed to a psychiatric clinic.
So the melancholy coda to Under Milk Wood’s 20-year gestation is that Thomas would never hear a Welsh cast perform his final work, and would never be aware of the impact his play would make on the radio.
Under Milk Wood was recorded in January 1954, led by the rising West End star Richard Burton. He and Thomas became drinking pals in 1946 when, as Burton awaited demobilisation from the RAF, they both acted in a radio adaptation of David Jones’s In Parenthesis.
Burton’s beautiful orotund voice was ideal for the role of First Voice hitherto taken by Thomas, the listener’s guide into the “moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black”. And Under Milk Wood would span his life much as it had Thomas’s. He recorded the role for radio again 10 years later, then starred in the film in 1972 and posthumously appeared on an animation for S4C in 1992.
But it is that first BBC recording, created at a time of bible-black mourning, which established the reputation of Under Milk Wood. The “manic riot” of the poet’s prose was soon hailed by Kenneth Tynan: “He conscripts metaphors, rapes the dictionary and builds a verbal bawdy-house where words mate and couple on the wing, like swifts. Nouns dress up, quite unself-consciously, as verbs, sometimes balancing three-tiered epithets on their heads and often alliterating to boot.”
This dizzying chorus of village voices was to be Thomas’s last recorded word. Poignantly, Under Milk Wood was also in the final entry of his collected correspondence, a telegram sent in upper case to a contact in Chicago who wanted to book a reading of the play. “I SHALL BE DELIGHTED TO DO SO WITH OR WITHOUT CAST BUT NOT WITHOUT CASH SOME TIME BETWEEN NOVEMBER 12TH AND NOVEMBER 15TH ON MY WAY TO HOLLYWOOD.” He never made it to Stravinsky’s house.
| Dylan Thomas |
Which actress, who died in 1962, starred in the films Some Like It Hot and Bus Stop? | Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, First Edition, Signed - AbeBooks
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, First Edition, Signed
You Searched For:
Results (1 - 8) of 8
Sort By
Published by New Directions, New York (1954)
Used Hardcover First Edition Signed
Quantity Available: 1
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: New Directions, New York, 1954. Hardcover. First edition. presumed first printing. xiv, [2], 98 p. 21 cm. Frontis Illustration (reproducing photograph of Dylan Thomas by Rollie McKenna). "The first half of this play was published in an earlier form as Llareggub in Botteghe oscure, IX." First American edition [Rolph B22]. Contains a preface by Welsh composer Daniel Jones, notes on the pronunciation of Welsh names, and the composer's music for the songs. From Wikipedia: "Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include, the "Play for Voices", Under Milk Wood. He became popular in his lifetime and remained so after his premature death in New York City. Thomas wrote exclusively in the English language. He has been acknowledged as one of the most important Welsh poets of the 20th century and noted for his original, rhythmic and ingenious use of words and imagery. He remains popular with the public, who find his work accessible." Good. No dust jacket. Signed by previous owner. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some page foxing and discoloration, especially near frontis. Bookseller Inventory # 70611
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: Queen's University,, Kingston, Ontario, Canada:, 1971. THOMAS, Dylan. UNDER MILK WOOD (En El Joven Bosque). A Play for Voices by Dylan Thomas. Traduccion (con la colaboracion de Elwyn L. Thomas), estudio preliminar y notas de Tomas Ramos Orea. Octavo, grey printed wrappers, 74 pages. Inscribed by the translator, Tomas Ramos Orea, on title page, in year of publication: "Para Prof. S- L- cordialmente Tomas Ramos Orea, Alcala de Henares, 1971." Front cover and few pages of text have faint crease at tip of one corner, else a fine copy; business card of Tomas Ramos Orea laid into the book. First edition thus, bilingual edition (with text in English and Spanish), with introduction and notes by Tomas Ramos Orea. Bookseller Inventory # 57538
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: Enitharmon Editions/Queen Anne Press, London, 2013. Softcover. Book Condition: Fine. Sir Peter Blake (illustrator). First printing. Enitharmon Editions/Queen Anne Press, London, 2013. First Printing of this softcover edition limited to 2,500 copies. This copy is also signed by Peter Blake. Published to mark the centenary of Dylan Thomas's birth (October 27th 1914). Book condition: fine. Slight scuff marks to front cover. No dust jacket issued. Internationally acclaimed for its eccentricity and lovelorn lyricism, Dylan Thomas's 1954 play for voices, Under Milk Wood, has long echoed in the imagination of the founding father of British Pop Art, Sir Peter Blake. An obsession that has spanned almost thirty years, this 'greenleaved sermon on the innocence of men' has filled the spaces of Blake's studio, played and replayed on broadcast recordings, and has prompted several pilgrimages to Thomas's creative refuge at Laugharne in Carmarthenshire. Revealed here for the very first time alongside Thomas's play text, are the 'dismays and rainbows' of this great artist's richly detailed sequences of 110 watercolours, pencil portraits and collages, comprising one of his most distinctive and significant bodies of work. A wonderful edition for Thomas's centenary year. Signed by the artist. Softcover. Bookseller Inventory # 1302996
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: London: Queen Anne Press, Enitharmon Editions, 2013. Soft cover. Book Condition: Fine. No Jacket. 1st Edition. A First UK printing thus published by London: Queen Anne Press,Enitharmon Editions in 2013.The BOOK is in FINE unread condition.Publisher's softcover self-wraps:Quarto,pp.175;[1],blank. Printed in colour. One of only 2500 copies published.This classic work in a brand new letterpress edition,illustrated and introduced by Sir Peter Blake.Published to mark the centenary of Dylan Thomas' birth and to celebrate a body of work by Peter Blake.Blake's richly detailed sequence of 110 watercolours, pencil portraits and collages, comprising one of his most distinctive and significant bodies of work.The book has been SIGNED by Sir Peter Blake on the title-page at a literary event in Bath in 2013.Very few copies of this title have been signed.Also accompanied by a set of four postcards published by The National Museum Wales which were printed to accompany the exhibition in Wales.A wonderful item with such attributes.ashtonrarebooks welcomes direct contact.More images available on request.This is a large and heavy book and extra postage costs may be necessary for overseas buyers. Signed by Illustrator(s). Bookseller Inventory # ABE-12987670525
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: Dent, UK, 1956. Cloth. Book Condition: Very Good ++. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Very Good. Reprint. Reprint 1956. Signed by the cast of the 1956 production of the play performed at the New Theatre Haymarket, London. The book is signed to A Teifion Griffiths, who used to own a book shop just around the corner from the New Theatre in Haymarket and a number of the cast used to pop into his shop between rehearsals etc. Having built up a bit of a relationship with Cliff Gordon he asked him to obtain the signatures of the cast in the book. Book is very good++ and bright. Contents good. The complete wrapper is near very good and quite bright. Edges rubbed and nicked. A few small closed tears to edges. Light soiling and age toning to wrapper. More images can be taken upon request. Ref11680 Size: 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Signed. Bookseller Inventory # 013914
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: n.p. n.d., [1954]., [London], 1954. First Edition Manuscript. [Jones, Daniel Jenkyn, OBE]. Dylan Thomas. [Under Milk Wood] / JOHNNIE CRACK AND FLOSSIE SNAIL. [Words by Dylan Thomas, Music by Daniel Jones]. Quarto, [4to.], n.p. n.d., [1954] 4 pages. On standard music paper. The original hand-written, working music manuscript from Dylan Thomas' 'Under Milk Wood', A Play for Voices. Preface and musical settings by Daniel Jones [1912-1993], the most celebrated Welsh composer. [published by Dent, 1954 in book form]. Daniel Jones, Dylan's oldest friend, wrote the preface and all of the original music for 'Under Milk Wood'. The piece [No 6] is in excellent near fine condition, and is written entirely in Daniel Jones' hand. Originally a radio play, later a stage play, Under Milk Wood was adapted into film with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Dan Jones edited Dylan Thomas's POEMS and published: " My Friend Dylan Thomas". Signed by Author. Bookseller Inventory # 30855
Destination, Rates & Speeds
Item Description: Enitharmon Editions & Queen Anne Press, UK, 2013. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: None issued. Peter Blake (illustrator). 1st Edition. Large format illustrated edition - signed by Sir Peter Blake - accompanied by a signed print by the artist. One of only 100 such copies, this is number 21/100. Published to mark the centenary of Dylan Thomas' birth and to celebrate a body of work by Peter Blake.'From where you are, you can hear their dreams'. Internationally acclaimed for its eccentricity and lovelorn lyricism, Dylan Thomas' 1954 'play for voices' has long echoed in the imagination of the founding father of British Pop Art, Sir Peter Blake. An obsession that has spanned almost thirty years, this 'greenleaved sermon on the innocence of men' has filled the spaces of Blake's studio, played and replayed on broadcast recordings, and has prompted numerous pilgrimages to Thomas¿ creative refuge at Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. All is ¿strangely simple and simply strange¿ in the sleepy Welsh seaside town of Llareggub, as the dreams, fantasies and realities of its inhabitants unfold across the cycle of one spring day. At once a lively and humorous account of butchers, bakers, preachers and children, of Captain Cat, Nogood Boyo and Polly Garter ¿ depicted with a ribaldry i'n which Blake delights' it is also a modern pastoral tale on a Chaucerian scale, a quest for purity in a ¿darkest-before-dawn¿ world. Revealed here for the first time alongside Thomas¿ text, are the ¿dismays and rainbows¿ of Blake's richly detailed sequence of 110 watercolours, pencil portraits and collages, comprising one of his most distinctive and significant bodies of work. Signed by Illustrator(s). Bookseller Inventory # 001618
| i don't know |
Which author's works include The History Of Mr Polly, The Time Machine and The War Of The Worlds? | The 100 best novels: No 39 – The History of Mr Polly by HG Wells (1910) | Books | The Guardian
The 100 best novels
The 100 best novels: No 39 – The History of Mr Polly by HG Wells (1910)
The choice is great, but Wells's ironic portrait of a man very like himself is the novel that stands out
Share on Messenger
Close
HG Wells is often catalogued as a pioneer of science fiction (which he was) with bestselling books like The Invisible Man and The First Men in the Moon. But he was also a great Edwardian writer of immense fame and influence who deserves to be remembered as a major literary figure, now somewhat eclipsed in the posterity stakes.
But which of his 50 novels to choose? The Sleeper Awakes (a far-sighted portrait of a world enslaved by money and machines)? Love and Mr Lewisham (the tale of a schoolteacher who becomes a socialist but subordinates politics to family life)? Tono-Bungay (a brilliant satire on advertising and the popular press)? Kipps (a Dickensian comedy about one ordinary man's struggle for self-improvement)?
Wells's fans will have their favourites. But I have chosen The History of Mr Polly, a novel from Wells's early middle age (he wrote it when he was 44), a delightful comedy of everyday Edwardian England that draws inspiration from its author's own life. Moreover, as Wells put it in the preface to "the Atlantic Edition" of 1924, "a small but influential group of critics maintain that The History of Mr Polly is the writer's best book". If he could not quite accept that, he said, he would still concede that "certainly it is his happiest book, and the one he cares for most".
I've always liked it (I've never been much of a sci-fi enthusiast) because it is, in many ways, so un-Wellsian. The story – still strikingly modern – is a comedy about a midlife crisis. Alfred Polly has a routine job as a gentlemen's outfitter in the small, provincial town of Fishbourne, a location widely agreed to be modelled on Sandgate in Kent, where Wells himself lived for several years. The tone is established at the outset: "He hated Fishbourne, he hated his shop and his wife and his neighbours. But most of all Mr Polly "hated himself".
When he becomes threatened with bankruptcy, Mr Polly decides that the only way to liberate himself from his hateful predicament is to burn down his shop and commit suicide. But he makes a hash of his "bit of arson" and cannot find the courage to cut his throat with a razor. So then, acknowledging that "Fishbourne wasn't the world", Mr Polly takes off "on the tramp" and walks himself into a better future through what he calls his "exploratious menanderings".
For me, there are three elements to The History of Mr Polly that unite to give the book an enduring appeal, and to place it at the top of Wells's extraordinary output. First, Wells's picture of Mr Polly – an ironic self-portrait – is deliciously appealing. In the literary tradition of Mrs Malaprop, and many minor Dickens characters, Mr Polly has an "innate sense of epithet" that inspires a teeming vocabulary: "intrudacious", "jawbacious" and "retrospectatiousness".
Second, Mr Polly (who could have stepped from the pages of Dickens) is a "little man" of a kind typical of late Victorian and Edwardian England, a man painfully, even doggedly, liberating himself from an oppressive class-ridden society. The debt to Dickens is unequivocal. Alfred Polly is descended from Joe Gargery, Bob Cratchit and Mr Wemmick. He's also related, as it were, to Mr Pooter, is contemporary with EM Forster's Leonard Bast, and will subsequently inspire many Kingsley Amis protagonists, as well as Billy Liar.
Finally, The History of Mr Polly is a comedy of ordinary, provincial life, rooted in the everyday, with countless brilliantly observed details. In part of the long flashback that composes the middle part of Mr Polly's "history", there's a hilarious wedding which commits him to Miriam, an event that inspires one of Wells's best lines: "He had a curious feeling that it would be very satisfying to marry and have a wife – only somehow he wished it wasn't Miriam."
In later life, Wells became one of Britain's most famous writers, courted by US presidents, and rarely out of one political scrape or another. His meeting with Lenin (1920) and his interview with Stalin (1934) made world news. By the end of his long life, Wells had published 150 books and pamphlets, including 50 works of fiction. In this bibliography The History of Mr Polly has a special charm as a novel in which, for once, Wells became carefree and relaxed, and described the thing he could never find for himself – peace of mind.
A note on the text
HG Wells wrote The History of Mr Polly in 1909, simultaneously with the completion and publication of his novel Ann Veronica, and published it, with Thomas Nelson, in 1910, while an American edition was published by Duffield & Co. In both these first editions there were some small, but significant, errors which were subsequently corrected. Mr Polly's age, on first mention, is given as 35 but later as 37. In the US edition chapter 5, "Mr Polly takes a Vacation", replaces the original "Romance". And so on. Today, the MS for The History of Mr Polly is held in the HG Wells archive at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Three more from HG Wells
The Time Machine (1895); The Invisible Man (1897); The War of the Worlds (1898).
| H. G. Wells |
Who wrote the poem The Hunting Of The Snark? | H. G. Wells | Scholastic
H. G. Wells
COUNTRY OF BIRTH
United Kingdom
Herbert George Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, England, on Sept. 21, 1866. His father was a shopkeeper in a small way and a professional cricketer; his mother served from time to time as housekeeper at the nearby estate of Uppark ("Bladesover" in Tono-Bungay). Though Wells attended Morley's School in Bromley, his real education came from omnivorous reading, a habit formed in 1874 while he was laid up for some months with a broken leg. Between 1880 and 1883 he spent most of his time as a draper's apprentice in Windsor and Southsea, a way of life for which he later recorded his profound detestation in Kipps. After a year as a teacher in a private school, he won a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in South Kensington in 1884. There he made a promising start as a student under Thomas Henry Huxley, but his interest faltered in the following year, and he left without a degree in 1887. He then taught in private schools for four years, not taking his B.S. degree until 1890.
The year 1891 saw Wells established in London, teaching in a correspondence college, married to his cousin Isabel, and the author of a remarkable article on "The Rediscovery of the Unique" in the Fortnightly Review. After much writing on educational subjects, he began his sensational literary career with The Time Machine in 1895. Meanwhile, he had given up teaching and had left Isabel for one of his brightest students, Amy Catherine ("Jane") Robbins, whom he married in 1895. There followed a series of scientific romances (most notably The Island of Dr. Moreau, 1896; The Invisible Man, 1897; The War of the Worlds, 1898; The First Men in the Moon, 1901; and The War in the Air, 1908), which form the most familiar part of his work to modern readers. But he grew dissatisfied with the limitations imposed by this kind of writing, and in 1900 he moved into the novel proper with Love and Mr. Lewisham, a story of his student days at South Kensington. On this and particularly on Kipps (1905), Tono-Bungay (1909), and The History of Mr. Polly (1910), his serious literary reputation primarily depends.
Biography written by Gordon N. Ray in the Encyclopedia Americana. For more information on this online reference, visit Grolier.Online .
Though these books are novels, they are informed by a spirit of profound hostility to the Victorian social order and to the body of orthodox opinion that supported it. Desiring to make explicit his criticism of the past and his hopes for the future, Wells embarked on his career as a "prophet" with Anticipations (1901), Mankind in the Making (1903), and A Modern Utopia (1905). He thereby came to know George Bernard Shaw, who claimed that he and Wells between them had "changed the mind of Europe," and the other leaders of the Fabian Society. Joining this organization in 1903, he tried in 1906 and 1907 to turn it into a large-scale operation devoted to mass propaganda and political action. He was defeated in this effort by the "Old Gang" under Shaw's leadership, however, and he resigned in 1908. This experience inspired his last novel of literary importance, The New Machiavelli (1911), into which he introduced brilliant portraits of noted Fabians. In 1912 Wells began a ten-year relationship with the writer Rebecca West, who became the mother of their son, Anthony West, in 1914.
Beginning in 1898, Henry James, who saw in Wells the most gifted writer of the age, had sought to make him a disciplined artist in fiction. For a time Wells tried to learn the lesson of the master, but after The New Machiavelli he turned frankly to the "dialogue novel" in which he could freely and rapidly give expression to his current preoccupations. He sealed his repudiation of James by a devastating parody in Boon (1915). During World War I, Wells proved himself to be an expert propagandist, particularly in Mr. Britling Sees It Through (1916).
Having coined the hopeful phrase "the war that will end war" in 1914, Wells was thoroughly disillusioned by the peace settlement at which the Allies actually arrived. In the conviction that the future would be "a race between education and catastrophe," he endeavored to make the essentials of knowledge available to the great public through three massive works: the best-selling Outline of History (1920); The Science of Life (1931), in which he collaborated with his oldest son, George Philip Wells, and Sir Julian Huxley; and The Work, Wealth, and Happiness (1932). Meanwhile he had emerged as a popular celebrity, living the life of "telegrams and anger" in the great world, with each new shift in his opinions announced through syndicated articles. His key work of this period is The Open Conspiracy: Blue Prints for a World Revolution (1928), in which he urged the case for an integrated global civilization.
Wells's last book of enduring value was his Experiment in Autobiography (1934). But he continued to average two titles a year: some widely influential, such as The Shape of Things to Come (1933), which did much to awaken a large audience to the dangers threatening the West; and some vastly entertaining, such as Apropos of Dolores (1938), his hilarious tribute to an ex-mistress. He lived through World War II in his house on Regent's Park, abusing the current objects of his disfavor, large and small. In his last book, a brief essay entitled Mind at the End of Its Tether (1945), he expressed the blankest pessimism about humankind's future prospects. Wells died in London on Aug. 13, 1946.
Load More
| i don't know |
Who played Vito Corleone in The Godfather? | Don Vito Corleone (Character)
Don Vito Corleone (Character)
from The Godfather (1972)
The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff.
There may be more photos available for this character. To select more photos to be displayed in this character's gallery, click the Edit Photos link.
Overview
Biography In the first film, Don Vito Corleone was portrayed by Marlon Brando... See more »
Alternate Names:
Godfather / The Godfather / Vito Corleone / Young Vito Corleone
Filmography
... aka "Mario Puzo's The Godfather: A Novel for Television" - USA (complete title)
... aka "The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic" - USA (video title)
... aka "The Godfather Novella" - USA (alternative title)
... aka "The Godfather Saga" - USA (alternative title)
... aka "The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television" - USA (alternative title)
... aka "NBC's Saturday Night" - USA (complete title)
... aka "SNL" - USA (informal title)
... aka "SNL 25" - USA (alternative title)
... aka "Saturday Night" - USA (first season title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live '80" - USA (sixth season title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live 15" - USA (fifteenth season title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live 20" - USA (twentieth season title)
... aka "Saturday Night Live 25" - USA (twentyfifth season title)
| Marlon Brando |
Who wrote The Communist Manifesto? | Vito Corleone | Villains Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
„
~ Don Vito Corleone's most famous line and one of the most famous movie quotes of all time.
Don Vito Corleone is a major character and the titular character from The Godfather novel and films although he appears more prominently in the first installment and in some reccuring flashbacks in the second. Vito was the first head of the Corleone Family and he was a senior Mafia don and a wealthy Olive oil business owner.
In the 1972 film adaptaion, He was portrayed by the late legendary Marlon Brando, who later won the Oscar for his performance, and would later go on to play Walter E. Kurtz .
In The Godfather: Part II ,He was portrayed by the legendary Robert De Niro who also portrayed Travis Bickle and Jimmy Conway .
Biography
The novel explains that Vito was born in the small town of Corleone in 1891. According to The Godfather Part II, he was born on December 7. His father, Antonio Andolini, is murdered by the local Mafia boss, Don Ciccio, because he refused to pay tribute to him. His older brother, Paolo, swears revenge, but is himself murdered soon after. Eventually, Ciccio's henchmen come to the residence of the Andolinis to take Vito away and have him killed. Desperate, Signora Andolini takes her son to see the mafia chieftain herself. When Vito's mother goes to see Don Ciccio, she begs him to spare Vito. However, Ciccio refuses, reasoning that Vito would also seek revenge as an adult. Upon Ciccio's refusal, Signora Andolini puts a knife to his throat, allowing her son to escape, but is then shot dead by Ciccio's guards. (In the novel, she survives being shot and later reunites with her son in Sicily many years later.) Later that night, he is smuggled away, fleeing Sicily to seek refuge in America on a cargo ship full of immigrants. In the novel, he deliberately changes his name to Corleone, after his home town. The film, however, plays that he is renamed "Vito Corleone" because the immigration workers at Ellis Island mistake "Andolini" for his middle name and the name of his town for his last name. According to The Godfather Part II, he later adopts the middle name "Andolini" to acknowledge his heritage.
Vito is later adopted by the Abbandando family in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and he befriends their son, Genco, who becomes like a brother to him. Vito begins making an honest living at Abbandando's grocery store on Ninth Avenue, but loses the job, as an intimidated Abbandando is forced to fire Vito to make room for the nephew of Don Fanucci, a blackhander and the local neighborhood padrone. A young Vito (played by Robert De Niro) kills Don Fanucci
He soon learns to survive and prosper through petty crime and performing favors in return for loyalty. During this time, he also befriends two other low-level hoods, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio . In 1920, he commits his first murder, killing Fanucci, who had tried to extort money from him. Vito chooses the day of a major Italian festival to spy on Fanucci from the rooftops as Fanucci goes home, and surprises him at the door to his apartment. He shoots Fanucci three times, as the din from the festival and the towel he had wrapped around the gun as a makeshift silencer drowns out the noise from the gunshots.
As a young man, Vito starts an olive oil business, Genco Pura (known as simply Genco Olive Oil in the films) with his friend Genco Abbandando. The company eventually becomes the biggest olive oil importer in the nation. Over the years he uses it as a legal front for his organized crime syndicate, while amassing a fortune with his illegal operations. In 1925, he returns to Sicily for the first time since leaving 24 years earlier. He and his partner, Don Tommasino, then set up a meeting with the aging Don Ciccio, where he kills him by carving his stomach open, thus avenging his murdered father, mother and brother.
By the early 1930s, Vito Corleone has organized his illegal operations as the Corleone crime family. Genco Abbandando becomes his consigliere, or advisor, with Clemenza and Tessio as caporegimes. Later, his oldest son Santino (nicknamed "Sonny") becomes a capo as well, and eventually his underboss. Around 1939, he moves his base of operations to Long Beach, on Long Island. While he oversees a business founded on gambling, bootlegging, and union corruption, he is known as a kind, generous man who lives by a strict moral code of loyalty to friends and, above all, family. He is a staunch believer in family values, rebuking his eldest son for conducting an affair, speaking contemptuously of his rival Don Tattaglia as "a pimp" and (in a deleted scene) expressing disgust ("infamia") at Jack Woltz's abuse of underage girls. At the same time, he is known as a traditionalist who demands respect commensurate with his status. By the time of the novel and film, even his three closest friends — Abbadando, Clemenza and Tessio — never call him "Vito", but either "Godfather" or "Don Corleone." In both the book and the first scene of the first Godfather, he chastises his old friend, undertaker Amerigo Bonasera, for not coming to him first after his daughter is beaten up instead of going to the police. Although he has a reputation for ruthlessness, he disapproves of many of the vicious crimes carried out by gangs, and so seeks to control crime in New York by either consuming or eliminating rival gangs.
In 1945, Vito is nearly assassinated when he refuses the request of Virgil Sollozzo to invest in a heroin operation and use his political contacts for the operation's protection. At the meeting for the request, Sonny intimates that he is interested in the offer; after the meeting, Vito warns his son that he should never let anyone but the family in on his thinking. Vito is supposed to be driven home by his bodyguard, Paulie Gatto (a soldier in the Clemenza regime), along with his son Fredo . When the Don finds that Paulie is not there, Fredo tells him that Paulie has called in sick that day due to a cold. The Don crosses the street to buy oranges from a street vendor, when two of Sollozzo's hitmen come out from the shadows with guns drawn. Realizing the situation, Vito tries to sprint back to his Cadillac but he is shot five times. Drawing his weapon, Fredo tries to help his father, but is overcome with uncontrollable fear, fumbles with his gun—and can't get to his defense in time.
Certain that the Don is dead, Sollozzo kidnaps Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen and tells him to get Sonny to accept the drug deal. Hagen agrees, but warns Sollozzo that the Don's fanatically loyal hitman, Luca Brasi , will likely come after Sollozzo. Sollozzo merely tells him to "let me worry about Luca", not telling him that he already killed him hours earlier.
Just as Hagen is released, Sollozzo finds out the Don survived. Enraged, he makes a second attempt two days later. The Don is at the French Hospital being guarded by men from Tessio's regime. However, Sollozzo has police Captain Mark McCluskey — who has been on the take for many years — throw Tessio's men in jail, leaving the Don unguarded. Unfortunately for Sollozzo and McCluskey, Vito's youngest son Michael comes to visit his father just minutes before the attack is due. Realizing that his father is in danger, Michael has a nurse help him move the Don to another room and pretends to stand guard outside the hospital with Enzo the baker, a man who had come to visit the Don in gratitude for his earlier assistance in allowing him to stay in America.
Injuries from the attack put Vito out of action for the next three years, during which Sonny serves as acting head of the family. Sonny determines that Paulie took money from Sollozzo in return for betraying the Don, and orders him killed. He also gets word the Tattaglias had killed Luca Brasi, and orders Tessio's men to kill the family's underboss, Bruno Tattaglia, when the Tattaglias refused to turn him over. Michael persuades Sonny to allow him to avenge their father by killing Sollozzo and McCluskey himself, noting that as a longtime non-combatant he would be little suspected and that the otherwise off-limits action of killing a police captain was justified by the fact that McCluskey is serving as Sollozzo's bodyguard. Also, Michael points out, the family's media contacts can spread word of McCluskey's corruption.
A year later, Sonny himself is assassinated in a plot instigated by his sister, Connie's abusive husband Carlo Rizzi, in revenge for beating up after first learning of his abuse. This forces Vito to resume command. He ordered that no inquiries be made, and also ordered that no vengeance should be sought. With the Don incapacitated, the other families had moved in on his business interests, as well as his labor rackets. With the Don's return, rival families now started reconsidering their moves.
Corleone making peace with Tattaglia
After Sonny's funeral and other formalities, Vito orders Hagen to contact Emilio Barzini, the second most powerful Mafia chieftain in the country, in order to arrange a meeting of heads of all the families in America except the Chicago Outfit (considered the "black sheep" of the underworld). The meeting takes place in the board room of a Manhattan bank whose president was a close friend of the Corleones.
In that meeting, Vito renounces all vengeance regarding his son's death, and reluctantly agrees to the drug operations. However, he says he only accepts this for "selfish reasons" in order to bring Michael back from exile in Sicily. He then says that, should anything happen to Michael or his other remaining children, he will exact indiscriminate vengeance upon all of the Dons. Though it pains him to do this, he gains the knowledge that both Tattaglia and Sollozzo were merely pawns in a bigger plot to destroy the family started by Barzini himself, aided and abetted by the other dons.
After Michael's return from Sicily, Vito installs him in the family business. After Michael's marriage to long-time girlfriend Kay Adams, Vito goes into semi-retirement. Michael becomes operating head of the family, with Vito as an informal consigliere. Michael sends Hagen to Las Vegas to act as the family's lawyer there and lay the groundwork for a planned move of most operations there after Vito's death. Clemenza and Tessio request permission to break off and form their own families after the move to Las Vegas. Michael's bodyguards Al Neri and Rocco Lampone are chosen to be the future caporegimes of the family.
At the end of the novel, Vito dies of a heart attack while playing with his grandson Anthony in his garden. His last words in the novel are, "Life is so beautiful." Vito's funeral is a grand affair, with all the other dons, capos and consiglieres in New York attending.
Vito tells Michael some days before his death that Barzini would set Michael up to be killed under cover of a meeting "to fix up things." Barzini would use a trusted member of the Corleone family as an intermediary. At the funeral, Tessio tells Michael that he had set up a meeting on his territory in Brooklyn, where Michael would presumably be safe. However, Michael had anticipated this and has Tessio killed, as well as Dons Barzini and Tattaglia (and in the film, Dons Cuneo and Stracci as well) and Carlo Rizzi as well after getting him to confess to his part in Sonny's death, thus avenging his father and brother.
The Godfather: The Game
Vito Corleone also appeares in the 2005 video game adaptation of the first film where he sends the player on some missions.
| i don't know |
Which famous singer songwriter was the inspiration for the 2007 movie I'm Not There? | 'I'm Not There' (2007) | 30 Best Music Biopics of All Time | Rolling Stone
30 Best Music Biopics of All Time
30 Best Music Biopics of All Time
From 18th-century composers to hip-hop legends, the greatest musician stories to ever grace big and small screens
All Stories
1. 'I'm Not There' (2007)
How do you possibly try to encapsulate the life of Bob Dylan — one of the rock era's greatest shape-shifters — in a single film? If you're Carol director Todd Haynes, by splitting that life into different eras and influences, casting everyone from Cate Blanchett to Richard Gere to Heath Ledger to Christian Bale to portray separate shards in Dylan's rich, confounding mosaic. I'm Not There is both thrilling and inquisitive, staying away from chronology and straight biography to grasp, in a larger sense, how Dylan remade the world while constantly reinventing himself over the years. On one level, the film is merely a joyride through cinematic styles — aping the look and feel of Godard, A Hard Day's Night, 8 1/2 and 1970s revisionist Westerns — but, more profoundly, it pays the singer-songwriter the highest compliment by crafting a fractured, often brilliant exploration that's as vibrant as the man it honors. TG
| Bob Dylan |
What is the name of Ron Weasley's pet rat in the Harry Potter movies? | Heath Ledger - I’m Not There - - The New York Times
The New York Times
Movies |In Stetson or Wig, He’s Hard to Pin Down
Search
Continue reading the main story
Photo
Heath Ledger is one of six actors portraying incarnations of Bob Dylan in Todd Hayness Im Not There. Credit Jonathan Wenk/Weinstein Company
LONDON
THE neighborhood was nothing special, just another anonymous street in North London, and the corrugated-metal front door suggested the entrance to an auto-repair shop or maybe some kind of studio. But it opened into another world: a lush courtyard nestled inside a striking modern house with acres of white walls, exotic works of art and a roof garden, complete with burbling fountain.
Behind the door too was Heath Ledger , the current tenant of the house, making coffee in the glass-walled kitchen and presenting his own deceptive exterior. What you see is a strapping 28-year-old with sleepy eyes, an amused crinkly grin and out-of-control blondish hair, dressed on this particular occasion in a hooded sweatshirt and ripped jeans hanging low to reveal the waistband of a pair of light blue flannel underpants. What you get is a lot less obvious: a serious but hard-to-pin-down actor disguised as a California stoner. (He played one once, in “Lords of Dogtown.” )
Mr. Ledger has resisted typecasting since his first Hollywood film, the perfectly decent teenage-romance comedy “10 Things I Hate About You,” filled him with such foreboding about his possible future as a fluffy heartthrob that he turned down work for a year because all he was being offered were similar parts. Although he has since appeared in light, romantic-hero roles in films like “A Knight’s Tale” and “Casanova,” Mr. Ledger has also played a sensitive prison guard, a heroin addict spiraling out of control and, in a revelation of a part, a reluctantly gay cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain” : a hodgepodge of characters that are deliberately unlike one another.
“I feel like I’m wasting time if I repeat myself,” he explained. Nor is he ever happy with his performance, exactly. “I can’t say I was proud of my work,” Mr. Ledger declared of his latest role, in “I’m Not There” (Nov. 21), Todd Haynes ’s strange, audacious new film, which attempts to get to the heart of Bob Dylan by dancing around him. “I feel the same way about everything I do. The day I say, ‘It’s good’ is the day I should start doing something else.”
Continue reading the main story
In a film that uses multiple actors to portray multiple aspects of Dylan, Mr. Ledger plays Dylan the media superstar, a charismatic, swaggering figure who parties with celebrities, wears look-at-me-but-leave-me-alone sunglasses and watches his personal life collapse under the pressures of his public persona. Yes, but what does the film mean?
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Mr. Ledger laughed and compared “I’m Not There” to a Rubik’s Cube, insoluble by mere mortals.
“I think it’s one of those films that you have to kind of accept and invite instead of trying to challenge and solve,” he said. “Bob Dylan himself defies description, and I think Todd was aiming to represent him. He was not trying to sum him up or define him.”
In a telephone interview from Berlin, where he was promoting “I’m Not There,” Mr. Haynes said that Mr. Ledger’s character was inspired by “photographs of Dylan taken in the mid-’60s when he was hanging out in New York locations with dark-rimmed eyeglasses and shooting pool or reading the newspapers in the classic Godardian striped crew-necked shirt.”
James Dean too. “Dylan was completely inspired by James Dean, and Heath has a little bit of James Dean in him, even physically, a kind of precocious seriousness,” Mr. Haynes went on. “As adult actors seem more and more infantile and refusing to grow up, middle-aged guys with their baseball caps, Heath is one of those young people who have a real intuition, a maturity beyond their years.”
Making the role all the more complicated was that Mr. Ledger’s character is meant, in a way, to be a Dylan twice removed. In the movie Mr. Ledger is not playing Dylan per se, but an actor famous, in the fictional world of “I’m Not There,” for portraying Dylan in his early years as a singer-songwriter of protest music.
But because Christian Bale, the actor who plays this early Dylan in the film, was scheduled to film his scenes after Mr. Ledger, Mr. Ledger said he was faced with “playing an actor portraying Christian portraying a Dylanesque character, and not being sure what Christian was going to do.” Or, to put it another way, “Who was I playing when I was acting?”
It all tied him in knots. “I stressed out a little too much,” Mr. Ledger said.
He tends to do that. He is here in London filming the latest episode of the “Batman” franchise, “The Dark Knight.” (Mr. Bale, as it happens, plays Batman; Mr. Ledger plays the Joker.) It is a physically and mentally draining role — his Joker is a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy” he said cheerfully — and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.
Photo
Heath Ledger, right, and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain. Credit Kimberly French/Focus Features
“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” he said. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
Even as he spoke, Mr. Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat, put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette. Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. “It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself,” is how he put it, a little apologetically.
Conducting a tour of the house, which he is renting for a few months, he made wry remarks about the art. One painting depicts a crowd of creatures who appear to be in hell, but who seem determined to extract as much sexual pleasure as they can from their eternity of free time; Mr. Ledger has turned another one around and hung it upside down, to no apparent ill advantage.
Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box.
Invalid email address. Please re-enter.
You must select a newsletter to subscribe to.
Sign Up
Privacy Policy
An open bag with clothes spilling out lay on the floor of the master bedroom. “I’m kind of addicted to moving,” Mr. Ledger said, perhaps on account of having had to shuttle back and forth after his parents’ divorce, when he was 11. He carries his interests around with him, and his kitchen table was awash in objects: a chess set, assorted books, various empty glasses, items of clothing. Here too was his Joker diary, which he began compiling four months before filming began. It is filled with images and thoughts helpful to the Joker back story, like a list of things the Joker would find funny. (AIDS is one of them.) Mr. Ledger seemed almost embarrassed that the book had been spotted, as if he had been caught trying to get extra credit in school.
“He’s very disciplined and takes it very seriously,” said Marc Forster, who directed Mr. Ledger in “Monster’s Ball,” in which he played a troubled prison guard. Mr. Ledger came to the part at the last minute, but caught on quickly. “Heath at the time was something like 22, and I thought: ‘He’s incredible. He’s so smart and so intuitive and so observant, and he really understood the part and the character.’”
Also on the table is a winsome photograph of Mr. Ledger’s daughter, Matilda, now a toddler. (Mr. Ledger met Matilda’s mother, the actress Michelle Williams, while filming “Brokeback Mountain” and fell into a very public whirlwind romance and then into loved-up domestication in Brooklyn; they both appear together in “I’m Not There” but have recently separated. He is leery of talking about their relationship, but heaps spontaneous praise on Ms. Williams’s performance.)
Mr. Ledger now lives in Manhattan, and, when he’s home, likes to play chess with the chess sharks who hang out in Washington Square Park; sometimes he beats them. But mostly he likes to hang out with Matilda— “it’s kind of like your whole body has a lump in its throat,” he said, of having to be away — and goes back as often as he can to see her.
Mr. Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, a place so far away, he said, that “sometimes when you’re there, it feels like the earth really is flat, and you’re sitting right on the edge.” He acted in some Australian soap operas before moving to Hollywood in pursuit of a girlfriend. (The relationship did not last.) He was cast in “10 Things” opposite Julia Stiles, starred in a brief-lived television series and began appearing in movies like “A Knight’s Tale,” playing a swashbuckling medieval lover-jouster.
“I was more concerned with having a good time than with focusing on work,” he said.
But suddenly he realized that he cared. “I started to look at the work and think, ‘Oh, God, maybe I should be taking this seriously, because people are going to see this,’” he said. “All I saw were mistakes — a lack of care, lack of attention to detail.”
Among other things, he began working with Gerry Grennell, his dialect coach, who has seen him through a dizzying spectrum of dialects and intonations. (“It’s rare that there’s a role that requires an Australian accent,” Mr. Ledger said.) Among his next projects are a film directed by Terry Gilliam, and another by Terrence Malick. Mr. Ledger is learning to play the piano and to sing. He also directs music videos, has a small independent record label called Masses Music in Los Angeles and is planning to direct a film at the end of next year.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story
One of the things that struck him most about the Dylan who emerges in “I’m Not There,” he said, was Dylan’s continual effort to resist easy categorization and his willingness to “recreate himself and not conform to people’s ambitions to put him in a box.”
That is how Mr. Ledger feels too, and he likes to keep an element of surprise, for the world at large and for himself.
“Some people find their shtick,” he said. “I’ve never figured out who ‘Heath Ledger’ is on film: ‘This is what you expect when you hire me, and it will be recognizable.’”
He continued: “People always feel compelled to sum you up, to presume that they have you and can describe you. That’s fine. But there are many stories inside of me and a lot I want to achieve outside of one flat note.”
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page 24 of the New York edition with the headline: In Stetson or Wig, He’s Hard to Pin Down. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
| i don't know |
Of Mice And Men is a novel by which American novelist? | John Steinbeck - The Greatest Literature of All Time
East of Eden [SHOW] [HIDE]
Is it all timshel? Steinbeck has his main character drop the word at the end of the novel. Earlier it had been explained that the Hebrew word from the Bible meant that humankind.... more
The highs and lows of a great author
John Steinbeck's art and career follow a typically American arc of the mid-twentieth century. The early hard-scrabble years of unadulterated talent giving creative and dignified voice to the downtrodden. The rise to iconic status as the conscience of a new mainstream. And an alcohol-facilitated decline into alienating self-indulgence and general crankiness.
But one thing remained constant: he wrote like no one else and he never repeated himself, always trying something new.
While he was always at least interesting, nowadays however we choose to focus on the highlights of Steinbeck's writing career, especially the accomplished vision of his middle period. This is the period from the depths of the Great Depression to the booming post-war—from the mid-1930s to early 1950s—encompassing the twin peaks of The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden , as well as two or three comparable heights of modern lit.
It's surprising then to discover Steinbeck produced over forty books in his lifetime. Before that golden middle period was launched with Tortilla Flat in 1935, Steinbeck had published three novels and two short story collections—largely based on his background as a native of the Monterey Bay area of California, his experience in marine biology, and various other odd jobs he held across the United States—all of which works drew little attention.
His first publishing success, Tortilla Flat, is a somewhat fanciful account of a small gang of charming ne'er-do-wells in an impoverished settlement above Monterey. The drinking, womanizing, thievery and more drinking of the paisanos (Spanish, Mexican, Indian and Caucasian bloods mixed together) is presented by Steinbeck as a take-off on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, though most readers would be hard-pressed to see the connection. It's as Danny, Pilon, Pablo that the lumpen characters won the hearts of readers, thanks to Steinbeck's clever, philosophical and warm-spirited writing. They appeared as such also in the 1942 movie of Tortilla Flat.
Tortilla Flat was followed by In Dubious Battle (1936), the story of a strike by migratory workers. And then by The Red Pony stories, published separately beginning in 1933. Collected in 1937, they became a Steinbeck favourite, telling the simple story of a young boy coming of age on a farm in Salinas Valley, California.
Also in 1937 he published the equally enduring Of Mice and Men , about the relationship of two itinerant ranch workers, the ambitious George and the strong but simple-minded Lenny, whose dreams are crushed by events beyond their control. Steinbeck produced both novel and play forms of the pathetic story and it became his biggest success to date.
His style was set now. Ignoring the postmodern, stream-of-consciousness experiments of many more "literary" figures Steinbeck was a straightforward, natural writer in the Hemingway mould of "less is more"—though slightly looser, more playful, and seemingly less cynical than his great contemporary. More sentimentally folksy.
His best work was still to come. The monumental novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939) relates the trek of the dispossessed Joad family from Oklahoma to California during the Depression. It's Steinbeck's most political novel, taking the side of the Okies as they come up against oppressive labour conditions, corrupt police, and vicious vigilantes. But, despite its near advocacy of socialist revolution, which many pundits attacked as anti-American, The Grapes of Wrath has stood the test of time as a modern classic, one of the top dozen novels of the twentieth century.
The popular 1940 movie version of The Grapes of Wrath, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, further sharpened the polemics surrounding the novel, and Steinbeck fled briefly to Mexico to get away from it all and to film a documentary. Through the 1940s and into the 1950s he worked as a war correspondent in Europe, wrote a novel about anti-Nazi resistance (The Moon is Down, 1942), produced several notable scripts for Hollywood movies (including Lifeboat, 1944, and Viva Zapata!, 1952), and recounted a tour of the Soviet Union (A Russian Journal, 1948).
His most outstanding publication of this period though was probably Cannery Row (1945), returning to two of of his earliest loves, marine biology and Monterey. Offbeat biologist Doc Burton moves among the other eccentric and warmly drawn characters of the seaport. In some ways the novel is a reworking of Tortilla Flat, with a new group of lovable bums, Mack and his gang, providing the humour that Danny's friends offered earlier, including the organization of a party of almost mythical status. But the tone is more mature and the characterization more realistic, and the story offering surprising twists of genuine pathos. Some of Steinbeck's best writing is found in this minor masterpiece. The two-page prologue describing a a typical day in the neighbourhood is itself worth the price of admission, as witness the work's first lines:
Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.... Its inhabitants are, as the man once said, "whores, pimps, gamblers and sons of bitches," by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, "Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men," and he would have meant the same thing.
Another classic Steinbeck from this period is The Pearl (1947), the semi-mythical story of a poor Mexican diver who discovers a great prize he hopes will ensure his family's wellbeing but instead reaps only tragedy. More than one commentator has noted the story's similarity to Hemingway's great novella The Old Man and the Sea a few years later.
East of Eden (1952) marks the end of Steinbeck's prime period. The sprawling novel is partly a three-generation history of settlers in the Salinas Valley and partly a modern retelling of the biblical Cain and Abel story. Some critics consider East of Eden Steinbeck's best work, although others see it as flawed, a rambling account with some incredibly well-drawn segments that never quite coalesce as a novel. A movie adaptation of East of Eden, focusing on the Cain-Abel theme and with James Dean as Cal (the Cain character), raised the book's profile higher yet in 1955.
The following decade saw Steinbeck's usual diverse and prolific output continue, although with diminishing returns. Among his publications were Sweet Thursday (1954), a sequel to Cannery Row; the light satire The Short Reign of Pippin IV (1957); a collection of his wartime reporting, Once There Was a War (1958); the disappointing novel of middle-aged angst, The Winter of Our Discontent (1962); and Travels With Charley (1962), retailing a trip across America with his dog.
The critics were unkind to Steinbeck in his latter years, though his writing remained popular with the public—if not eliciting he excitement of his earlier works, which were still revered. In the swinging 1960s, the increasingly conservative current Steinbeck appeared somewhat of an anachronism to the rebelling youth of the boomer generation.
As if to emphasize this, when he died in 1968, Steinbeck was at work on a story of King Arthur and his knights—undisguised this time.
Still his best works, and even his second-best, remain among the most beloved of American classics.
— Eric
| John Steinbeck |
Glenis the Guinea Pig is which rodent superstar's girlfriend? | Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men: Character Study comparison compare contrast essays
Free Essays brought to you by 123HelpMe.com
Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men: Character Study
The American Novelist, John Steinbeck was a powerful writer of dramatic
stories about good versus bad. His own views on writing were that not only
should a writer make the story sound good but also the story written should
teach a lesson. In fact, Steinbeck focused many of his novels, not on average
literary themes rather he tended to relay messages about the many hard truths of
life in The United States. Upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 the
Swedish academy introduced him by saying "He had no mind to be an unoffending
comforter and entertainer. Instead, the topics he chose were serious and
denunciatory�" This serious focus was not exempt from his two works "The Grapes
of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men". "The Grapes of Wrath" has been recognized by
many as "the greatest novel in American History" and it remains among the
archetypes of American culture. Although "Of Mice and Men" may not have
received as much fanfare as the other it is still a great classic that was
recently made into a motion picture.
The focus of "The Grapes of Wrath" Is one family, the Joads, who has
been kicked off their Oklahoma farm and forced to move to California to look for
work. The story has historical significance as it is true that many families
were forced, in the same way as the Joads, to leave their homes to look for
work during the depression. It is in this fact that one can see how Steinbeck's
intention in "The grapes of Wrath" was to depict the hardships people went
through during an actual event in American history. Perhaps the most solemn
message in this novel was the poor treatment of the dispossessed families as
they reached California. In "Of Mice and Men" the reader is presented with a
story that takes place in the same setting of "The Grapes of Wrath" This story
details the hardships of two traveling companions while they are working at a
ranch in California.
The common thread between these two novels is not necessarily the plot
or the setting rather, it is the way in which Steinbeck relays his message.
That is to say that, although both novels carry different story lines they both
portray hard truths about human suffering. Steinbeck reveals these truths
through his depiction of characters. In each story it seems that the characters
were crafted by Steinbeck in a bias manner so as to emphasize the overall
message of the book. It is quite obvious that all of Steinbeck's characters are
either good or bad. Steinbeck himself said "as with all retold tales that are
in people's heart's there are only good and bad things and black and white
things and no in-between anywhere" In both novels the dispossessed characters
are good and well intentioned and the wealthy people are brutal and mean. This
of course is done to make the situation seem all that more hard on the
dispossessed characters.
In "The Grapes of Wrath" the character of young Tom Joad is a prime
example of how bias Steinbeck's portrayal was. With a quick glance at the
history of Tom's life one would say that he is not really the good guy. Yet
after reading "The Grapes of Wrath" the reader feels sorry for Tom and all of
his faults are justified because of his situation. Likewise, the characters of
Ma and the preacher, Jim Casey do not fit their traditional roles but, again,
their actions are justified by Steinbeck. In the same way, the book "Of Mice
and Men" portrays two men (Lennie and George) running from the law, looking for
work. Lennie is a mentally handicap person who brings most of the trouble to
the pair. Yet, despite all of his downsides the reader is made to feel sorry
for him. George is portrayed in a good way until the end of the book where he
kills Lennie, and even then the reader feels for George because of the
predicament he is in. The rest of the characters in both novels are the rich
and powerful. In "The grapes of Wrath" these rich people were not even given
names and Steinbeck's dislike for them is obvious. This fact truly illustrates
the message he is trying to get across . In "Of mice and Men" the boss and his
son Curley are portrayed as the bad guys.
| i don't know |
Spike the bulldog from the Tom And Jerry cartoons has a son called what? | Spike Bulldog | Tom and Jerry Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Tom and Jerry Wiki
For other uses, see the disambiguation page for Spike .
Spike Bulldog is a grey, rough bulldog that appears in many of Tom and Jerry cartoons. He has a somewhat minor friendship with Jerry and is a formidable enemy to Tom , though he is occasionally is a rival to both protagonists, as he was in the cartoon Dog Trouble .
Spike has a grudge against Tom, not just because he's a cat, but because whenever they cross paths, Tom is interrupting quality time with his son, Tyke because he's too busy chasing Jerry to watch where he's going. Obviously, whenever Spike tells Tom not to do a certain thing (ex. dirty Tyke), Jerry overhears this and does his best to get Tom in trouble (in the example, Jerry would get Tyke as dirty as possible). Spike proceeds to beat Tom up thinking he was responsible for it. After Spike beats Tom, he is shown having a good time or resting peacefully with his son tyke and they are joined by Jerry their real saboteur, disturber and culprit who was really the one that Spike should beat up. Spike also appeared in some of the recent cartoons featuring a basset hound called Droopy , another popular MGM cartoon character.
Spike (and his son, Tyke) is most likely a secondary or even major character, as he has appeared in almost all renditions of Tom and Jerry's cartoons.
Contents
[ show ]
Appearance
Spike has brownish-grey fur with a light brown marking that spans up the front of his torso. In many cartoons, his fur is light grey, while his marking is white. His ears are pointed with pink insides and his tail is slender, small, and pointed as well. His only consistent article of clothing is a red, spiked dog collar. He has a anchored tattoo on his left upper arm as seen in " Quiet Please! ".
| Tyke |
In the 1997 comedy movie MouseHunt which two comic actors play the parts of the Smuntz brothers Ernie and Lars? | List of Tom & Jerry Kids episodes | Tom and Jerry Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Tom and Jerry Wiki
List of Tom & Jerry Kids episodes
1,339pages on
This is a list of episodes from the animated television series Tom & Jerry Kids .
Contents
Airdate
1
Flippin' Fido : Tom chases Jerry in a department store, but a watchdog is pursuing Tom, so Tom distracts him with frisbees. Note: Tom and Jerry re-appear (as kids.)
Dakota Droopy & the Lost Dutch Boy Mine : Dakota Droopy and his son Dripple sets out to find gold while claim-jumper McWolf follows them to get the gold for himself. Notes: Droopy and The Wolf (who is now called McWolf) re-appear. Dripple's first appearance.
Dog Daze Afternoon : Tom relieves all the neighborhood dogs of their leashes, so the dog catcher can capture them, but Jerry springs them from the dog catcher's truck. Tom wakes up from a nap and sees all of the dogs in the house and they chase him. Note: Spike re-appears in this episode, but has no spoken dialogue.
September 8, 1990
2
Toys Will Be Toys : In a toy store at night, Tom pursues Jerry.
Droopy Delivers : McWolf tries to ruin Droopy and Dripple's pizza business by getting rid of them and taking over their pizza business.
My Pal : Tom accidentally frees Clyde's head from a flower pot and soon regrets his actions, when Clyde tries to help the kitten. Note: First appearance of Clyde.
September 15, 1990
3
Prehistoric Pals : In the Stone Age, Jerry becomes friends with a baby dinosaur as cave cat Tom chases him.
Super Droop & Dripple Boy Meet the Yolker : Superheroes Droopy and Dripple are pursuing the Yolker.
Marvelous Marvin : Tom tries to capture Jerry so he can be a spokesperson for a cat food company when a cat actor named Marvin gets replaced by Tom.
September 22, 1990
4
Bat Mouse : Jerry uses his Bat belt to call Bat-Mouse to teach Tom lessons in pain.
Puss'n Pups : Spike teaches Tyke how to chase cats and forces Kyle to be Tyke's target. Notes: Tyke re-appears in this episode as an older pup. First appearance of Kyle.
Outer Space Rover : A space dog named Urfo gets left behind and befriends Jerry. Note: One of four appearances of Urfo.
September 29, 1990
5
The Vermin : After an all-night birthday party, Tom tries to sleep, but Jerry's electric guitar playing keeps him awake. Jerry joins his favorite music trio: The Vermin .
Aerobic Droopy : Droopy and Dripple opens up a new aerobic studio next door to McWolf's who tries to get Miss Vavoom over next to his. Note: First appearance of Miss Vavoom.
Mouse Scouts : Tom thinks that Jerry's mouse scouts incessantly stole his food, but a bear makes things worse.
October 6, 1990
6
Sugar Belle Loves Tom, Sometimes : Tom tries to juggle between being allured by Sugar Belle (voiced by Kath Soucie ) and guarding the banquet table from Jerry.
Mall Mouse : At night, Tom is told to guard the cheese in a cheese shop from Jerry, who's superhero identity is the Mall Mouse.
Super Duper Spike : Tyke's favorite T.V. superhero is sick, So his dad masquerades as the superhero.
October 13, 1990
7
Cosmic Chaos : In a futuristic time, Tom is told to eliminate Jerry in the futuristic halls. There is a good ending for Tom and Jerry in the end.
Droopy of the Opera : Droopy appears as a tenor of the opera while former opera star Pepperoni McWolf plans to destroy his performance.
Beach Bummers : At the beach, as Jerry is chased by Tom, he rescues a dolphin from fishermen.
October 20, 1990
8
Gator Baiter : A wrestling gator (voiced by Jim Cummings ) is fed up with being humiliated by other wrestlers that break the rules. He leaves his career and then he encounters Tom and Jerry. Guest Star, Sorrell Booke as the Wrestling Announcer.
Hoodwinked Cat : In a homage to Little Red Riding Hood , Spike sends Tyke out to deliver a canary to his grandmother as Kyle has other plans for the bird.
Medieval Mouse : Squire Tom is told to clean a knight's castle and get rid of Jerry.
October 27, 1990
9
Clyde to the Rescue : Clyde gets his head stuck again and helps golfer Tom to catch Jerry. Jerry keeps running away from them and does not get captured by them.
Droopio & Juliet : Droopy writes a story about him making a competition with McWolf for a woman named Juliet.
Maze Monster Zap Men : Tom and Jerry are in an arcade, and are being chased by video monsters.
November 3, 1990
10
Crash Condor : Tom tries to turn a baby condor who dropped on him into the main course while Jerry befriends the condor and helps him fly back up in the air.
Yo Ho Ho...Bub : Droopy, Dripple and McWolf are pirates and compete for gold and for beautiful female pirate Vavoom.
Scrub-a-Dub Tom : A little blonde girl (voiced by Kath Soucie ) bathes and dresses Tom to be in a pet show, despite Tom's objections. Tom then dresses as a baby and gets pushed away in a pram to escape from the girl. Then Tom comes back and the girl dresses him once again for the pet show, then she takes him into the show and Tom receives a gold trophy, then Tom later proves she has humiliated him, forcing the girl to break trust in him. Then the girl finally decides to dress Jerry for a pet show, much to Tom's joy.
November 10, 1990
11
No Biz Like Snow Biz : Jerry and his mouse scouts are on a hike at a ski resort, while at the same time, Tom tries to enjoy skiing.
The Maltese Poodle : Detectives Droopy and Dripple are searching The Maltese Poodle.
Cast Away Tom : Desperate for food, Tom sees an island and tries to find food.
November 17, 1990
12
The Little Urfulls : Fearing that his planet is doomed, Urfo entrusts Jerry to take care of 6 space pups.
Droopo: First Bloodhound : McWolf escapes out of prison and masks as a sheriff and he seeks revenge on movie star hero Droopy who is spoofing John Rambo .
Indy Mouse 500 : A cross-country road race between Tom and Jerry, and Jerry ends up winning.
November 24, 1990
13
Exterminator Cometh : Calaboose Cal is hired by Tom's owner who will replace him if Cal captures Jerry. Note: Calaboose Cal's first appearance.
Foreign Legion Frenzy : Out in a desert, McWolf attacks Droopy and Dripple's castle.
Urfo Returns : Urfo runs away from home as he escapes a robotic Urfo catcher.
December 1, 1990
Airdate
1
Circus Antics : Jerry tries to enjoy a day at the circus, but Tom is determined to capture him; an elephant helps protect Jerry from Tom.
Tres Sheik Poodles : Droopy, Dripple and McWolf compete in the competition to win the Princess.
Head Banger Buddy : Tom accidentally hits a very large dog on his head while going after Jerry and the dog starts to act like a cat. Later, the dog gets hit several times and changes from dog to cat behavior, and vice versa.
September 14, 1991
2
Pump 'Em up Pals : Tom and Jerry are increasing their aerobics and fitness level to use against each other.
DroopyLand : Droopy and Dripple builds an amusement park that is called "Droopyland" and McWolf tries to destroy it.
The Exterminator Cometh...Again : Calaboose Cal takes Tom and Jerry to his television studio and Tom chases Jerry during the show while Calaboose Cal is talking to the camera.
September 21, 1991
Jerry's Mother : Jerry's visiting mother (voiced by Sally Struthers ) helps Jerry to deal with Tom.
Stage Fright : Droopy and Dripple rescues the singing Miss Lolly Vavoom from a runaway stage coach and she organizes a race between Droopy and McWolf.
Tom's Terror : Tom moves away to a witch's house and eventually regrets his decision.
September 28, 1991
4
Who Are You Kitten : A orphaned kitten takes residence in Tom's home, and is becoming a nuisance, to not only to Tom, but to Jerry as well, until the "orphan's" mother drags him away.
Broadway Droopy : Droopy and McWolf are candidates for a musical role on Broadway. Droopy wins the role and McWolf attempts to crash his performance.
Pussycat Pirate : Tom and Jerry are pirates. The ship captain (voiced by Jim Cummings ) hires Tom to catch Jerry after his previous cats walk the plank for failing to catch Jerry.
October 5, 1991
5
Father's Day : Tom's grandfather comes to visit and takes him out to the desert to teach him surviving skills.
Scourge of the Sky : Droopy and Dripple are pilots during a war they fight in the air against McWolf.
Lightning Bolt the Super Squirrel : Lightning Bolt the Super Squirrel helps the weak against the strong, so he decides to help Jerry against Tom and help Tom against the dog. In the end, he gives them the power of lightning, but they use it to fight each other.
October 12, 1991
6
Amademouse : Tom and Jerry are musicians and play for a king.
Muscle Beach Droopy : Droopy and Dripple drives down to the beach, and the women are attracted to Droopy; Hunk Hardbody gets angry over this.
"Perky" the Fish Pinching Penguin : An underfed penguin escapes show business to find fish to eat. Tom is down by the docks in a fishing boat using Jerry as bait.
October 19, 1991
7
Slowpoke Antonio : Jerry's cowboy cousin, Slowpoke Antonio, comes to the neighborhood to practice for the rodeo. Note: First appearance of Slowpoke Antonio.
Haunted Droopy : Droopy and Dripple goes to the home of Droopy's late twin brother, Drippert for his will. McWolf tries to scare them out of Droopy's brother's home.
Wildmouse : Wildmouse is a mouse raised by wolves that eats everything very quickly. Tom's owner Pierre tells him to catch the mouse.
October 26, 1991
8
Catch That Mouse : Calaboose Cal runs a show where cats are each given the objective to catch a mouse. From the day before, a brown cat named Ferdie Furball attempts once again to catch Jerry, but loses. Then Tom appears on the show and is given multiple ways to catch Jerry, but with only four chances. In Tom's fourth and final attempt, he chases Jerry (who was willing to take a dive) finally captured by Tom right before they reach the finish line. Then the Mystery Lady takes Tom and Jerry out with her, while Calaboose starts chasing her claiming a foul.
Good Knight Droopy : Knight Droopy and another knight (voiced by Brad Garrett ) battle each other in order to kiss a princess who is Miss Vavoom.
Birthday Surprise : Tom brings birthday presents to his neighbor Cindy Lou, who is celebrating a birthday, and he apparently has a crush on her. As he comes to bring in the final present (Jerry dressed up as a ballerina in a fake music box) Tom finally finds out that Cindy Lou is already in love with another cat and she starts going out with him instead, to which Tom feels she dumped him.
November 2, 1991
9
Cleocatra : Cleocatra (voiced by Tress Macneille ) orders Tothentamon (Tom) to catch The Desert Shadow (Jerry).
McWolfenstein : Mad scientist McWolf creates Frankenstein, a complaining monster and when Dr. Droopy wins an award for "World's Greatest Scientist," McWolf gets steamed up and he sends his monster to go after Dr. Droopy.
Chase School : At Cat and Mouse Chase School, the teacher explains to the two teams of cats and mice on how Tom chases after Jerry and how Jerry attempts to evade or backfire Tom's plans. However, both sides debate over which species are the best, and when Jerry triumphs over Tom, the cats attempt to get revenge of the mice. In the end, both sides start battling each other, and then hurl each other around, and then throw pans of pies along with other projectiles around the autitorium, and when Tom and Jerry attempt to escape, a pan of pie hits Tom's face.
November 9, 1991
10
Zorrito : Zorrito (Jerry) pests a rich, fat cat that took all the money from the mouses in a village.
Deep Sleep Droopy : Droopy with his son are bodyguards for Miss Vavoom and they protect her from The Chubby Man (McWolf.)
Hard to Swallow : When swallow bird falls from the sky, and one of his wings is damaged, Tom wants to eat him, but Jerry saves the bird.
November 16, 1991
11
The Little Thinker : A little boy finds a space dog named Urfo. Urfo is hiding from another space adventure.
Rap Rat Is Where It's At : A thief rat is always singing in a rap style until Droopy and his son sends him to jail.
My Pet : Tyke wants to have a cat for a pet, but he finds a Bengalese tiger that has run away from the circus. In the end, Tyke and Spike helps him to go back to his homeland.
Trivia: This is the only episode that did not have Tom and Jerry Kids cartoons.(Only various cartoons.) And also, "The Little Thinker" appeared in Storybook Weaver and Storybook Weaver Deluxe .
November 23, 1991
12
The Calabose Cal 495 : Tom and Jerry are in the racing competition for the prize of a million dollars. In the end, they both finish at the same time and they both win the prize.
Return of the Chubby Man : The Chubby Man(McWolf) is after Miss Wooey Vavoom's poodle again and detectives Droopy and Dripple are on the job.
Chumpy Chums : Spike tries to reform Tom to become a good friend to Jerry to show Tyke brotherly love. The tables turn when Tyke says if dogs and cats can be friends, he wants his father to be friends with a cat—Tom, actually.
November 30, 1991
13
Jerry Hood and His Merry Meeces : The Sheriff wants to catch Jerry Hood (Jerry). He sends Tom to catch him, but in the end, Tom becomes Jerry Hood's ally.
Eradicator Droopy : Private detectives Droopy and Dripple are after Mad scientist McWolf and his invention, The Eradicator.
Tyke on a Hike : Tyke goes to the jungle with Spike to make photos for animals. A lion takes from Tyke too much food. Spike dislikes this. In the end, Spike and Tyke finds him in their home, but Tyke wants the lion to be his friend, even though Spike dislikes this idea.
December 7, 1991
Airdate
1
The Planet Dogmania : After eating pizza, Tom has a nightmare where scary cats tell him that if he will not catch Jerry in the next hour, he will be sent to the Planet Dogmania.
McWolfula : McWolf appears as a Dracula Vampire and tries to eat Droopy and Dripple who sleeps in his castle.
Catawumpus Cat : Tom is sent by native American cats to catch Wildmouse. In the end, the Native Americans sent Tom to live with Wild Animals including Wildmouse.
September 19, 1992
Pest in the West : Jerry's cousin annoys Tom by eating his food.
Double 'O' Droopy : Droopy is a spy agent and his mission is to stop McWolf's plans.
Tom, the Babysitter : A teenage girl (voiced by Kath Soucie ) is instructed to babysit the baby while his mother (also voiced by Kath Soucie ) is out. Tom and Jerry are given a promise to not bother the baby. However, the babysitter relies on the phone than doing her actual babysitting and Tom points to her that the baby has crawled out of his crib and is crawling everywhere around the house. Then the babysitter accuses Tom for "taking the baby out of the crib" and kicks Tom out of the house. Tom then gets back inside and then puts the baby back into his crib shortly before the baby's mother returns home.
September 20, 1992
3
Gas Blaster Puss : Jerry builds a special motorcycle for mouses and Tom uses various heavy shooting weapons to attack Jerry.
Fear of Flying : Droopy and Dripple teaches McWolf how to face his fear of flying.
Mess Hall Mouser : Tom and Jerry are serving in the U.S. army. The army chef orders Tom to catch Jerry, but every time Tom catches Jerry, a female soldier cat comes to help Jerry.
September 26, 1992
4
Toliver's Twist : A poor and hungry mouse comes to Tom and Jerry's house to tell them about him and his fellow mouses that are suffering and Tom and Jerry welcomes them in their house.
Boomer Beaver : A beaver discovers that Spike has build a home for him and Tyke with his abundant-tree filled forest so he can build his own home.
Pony Express Droopy : Droopy and McWolf are in a pony race. Droopy wins in the end.
September 27, 1992
5
Krazy Klaws : Tom want to be a part of a motorcycle cat riders gang. They sent him to catch Jerry.
Tyke on a Bike : Tyke wins a bike from a lottery and asks his father Spike to teach him how to ride, but Spike can't ride himself.
Tarmutt of the Apes : McWolf is searching a gorilla for a high money reward, but Droopy saves the gorilla from McWolf.
October 3, 1992
6
Tom's Mermouse Mess-Up : During fishing, Tom finds a mermaid mouse. He gives the mouse to the museum, but Jerry helps the mouse escape.
Here's Sand in Your Face : Tyke has a conflict with a man on a beach and Spike want to teach him to get tough with him. In the end, Spike teaches him ballet dancing.
Deep Space Droopy : In space, Droopy is protecting Miss Vavoom's medallion from McWolf.
October 4, 1992
7
Termi-Maid : A robot comes to Tom and Jerry's house to clean the house, but the robot becomes a threat to Tom and Jerry.
The Fish That Shoulda Got Away : Spike and Tyke go fishing. They tries to catch various kinds of fish, but with trouble. In the end, Tyke tells Spike he found a fish: a mermaid.
Droopy's Rhino : McWolf tries to catch a rare white Rhino for a huge money reward but Droopy saves the rhino from McWolf. In the end, Droopy gets the money reward for catching McWolf because he is a rare Wolf.
October 10, 1992
8
The Break 'n' Entry Boyz : Two dog bandits come to Tom and Jerry's house to steal things, but they tie Tom up. Jerry unties him and they team up to get them. Jerry phones the police and the bandits soon end up in prison.
Love Me, Love My Zebra : Tyke is hiding a zebra in his house and when someone from the zoo comes to take the zebra back, the zebra runs with the horses and wins the race with Tyke. Tyke gets the money prize for winning the competition and the zebra lives with Tyke and Spike.
Dakota Droopy Returns : Droopy and Dripple travel through the Amazon jungle to find a lost beautiful young princess. McWolf is also trying to find the lost princess but becomes side tracked by a local tribe. When they find her, they discover she has already been rescued by Droopy's grandfather as well as has been married to him. Droopy and Dripple are happy for him and let him to be alone with his beautiful new bride.
October 11, 1992
9
Doom Manor : Tom and Jerry winds up at a creepy manor and meets a witch (voiced by June Foray ) who truly loves cats and uses Jerry as an experiment.
Barbeque Bust-Up : Tyrone the cat disrupts Spike and Tyke's barbecue.
The Fabulous Droopy & Dripple: The title is a pun of The Fabulous Baker Boys . Droopy and Dripple hire a new singer: Miss Vavoom at their club while McWolf attempts to prove he's a star too.
October 17, 1992
The Pink Powder Puff Racer : Spike prepares Tyke for a soapbox race.
Car Wash Droopy : Droopy and Dripple make their own car wash. Meanwhile, Mcwolf tries to get people to come to his car wash.
October 18, 1992
11
Go-Pher Help : At a golf course, a gopher sees Tom mistreating Jerry, so he pulls out tricks to protect him from Tom.
Downhill Droopy : At a ski resort, Famous French skiers Droopy and Dripple teach skiing lessons to movie star Vavoom. Matterhorn McWolf gets furious when they give ski lessons instead of him.
Down in the Dumps : Tyke assumes his sleepy father's assignment to protect the city dump from scavengers, one of which is Kyle.
October 24, 1992
Catastrophe Cat : Tom's unlucky, singing country cousin visits him and helps him get Jerry.
Droopy & the Dragon : After a magic show, Droopy and Dripple take McWolf's dragon.
Wildmouse II : Sheriff Potgut hires the Gator Brothers to get rid of Wildmouse.
October 25, 1992
13
Tom's Double Trouble : Tom's owner gets a white mouse (voiced by Dana Hill ) and he disappears. Tom paints Jerry white to take his place.
High Seas Hijinks : The queen tells Droopy Columbus and Dripple and their rival Admiral McWolf to set sail to find the new world and whoever gets there first will be rewarded.
Just Rambling Along : Slowpoke Antonio performs bullfighting.
October 31, 1992
14
The Watchcat : Tom is employed at the Museum of Natural History , under the title of "watchcat", and working under a human manager. During his job as a watchcat, objects come to life at night and walk out of their exhibits, and with Jerry's help, they manage to put the objects back into their exhibits before the clock reaches 6:00 AM for when the manager returns. In the end, the museum manager is revealed to be a brown wolf in disguise, scaring away Tom and forcing him to resign the job.
Pooches in Peril : 38th appearances of Droopy and Dripple.
November 1, 1992
15
Catch as Cat Can : Tom and Jerry are chased by a game hunter on an island after floating in a hot-air balloon from a circus.
I Dream of Cheezy : Tom goes to Sergeant Boffo's ferocious feline mouse-bashing school to toughen up his attitude for catching mice. Meanwhile, Jerry finds a mysterious bottle in the dump and releases a mouse genie named Cheezy and befriends him. When Tom attempts to catch or attack Jerry, Cheezy prevents Tom from doing so. This is similar to I Dream of Jeannie .
Fraidy Cat : A cat named Tim (voiced by Dana Hill ) arrives at the front door, and Tom welcomes him in. Tim tells Tom (whom he refers to as a "twin brother" due to their similar appearances) his memories of when he was a timid cat, and states he is not anymore. During Tim's stay, he turns out to be still frightened of mice and pilfers food from the refrigerator. Tom finally evicts Tim by disguising himself as a gigantic robot mouse by tricking him into believing Jerry has actually turned into a monster, and then scares Jerry away. Trivia: These were the only 3 episodes with the Tom & Jerry Kids.
November 7, 1992
16
Sing Along with Slowpoke : Jerry's cousin, Slowpoke Antonio visits him again and his terrible singing drives Tom bonkers.
Dakota Droopy & the Great Train Robbery : Dakota Droopy and Dripple are on a mission to guard a train from Gold Wolf which is carrying a billion dollars in gold bullion.
Droopy Law : Judge Droopy holds McWolf and Dripple in court over McWolf taking cookies from Dripple to deliver to his grandmother.
November 8, 1992
17
Stunt Cat : Movie stunt cat Tom stars in a movie called "Dancing with Dingbats" a take-off on Dances with Wolves , alongside Kevin Castner, a take-off on Kevin Costner and Wildmouse.
See No Evil : Jerry uses invisible ink to mess with Tom, and soon, Tom does the same to get back at Jerry.
This Is No Picnic : Spike and Tyke have a picnic, but an army of ants gets in on their father/son outing.
November 14, 1992
18
Scrapheap Symphony : The Tom and Jerry Kids cast play "The William Tell Overture" with McWolf as the conductor.
Circus Cat : While chasing Jerry around at a circus, Tom runs into a lion. The lion befriends and protects Jerry from Tom.
Cajun Gumbo : Swampy the Fox escapes a circus train and comes back to the swamp to locate a treasure, but Sheriff Potgut (with the Gator Brothers) wants the treasure as well.
November 15, 1992
19
Hunter Pierre : A wealthy animal collector wants Hunter Pierre to go after and hunt Wildmouse in a ghost town.
Battered Up : Molasses Droopy and Thunderbolt McWolf are baseball players with Miss Vavoom as umpire and Dripple as pitcher.
Conquest of the Planet Irwin : In the year 2500 A.D., Commandeer Droopy, Lieutenant Dripple and crew member Rocket-Breath McWolf crash-lands on planet "Irwin" and Queen Vavoom tells them to get a rare, zupp creature.
November 21, 1992
20
Big Top Droopy : Droopy and Dripple are new star attractions at a circus, but Bromo the Fearless Bear attempts to outperform them.
Jerry & the Beanstalk : Tom and Jerry go up a beanstalk and has to escape a giant with a golden egg.
High Speed Hounds : Droopy and McWolf race against each other in a footrace in The Big Apple marathon. The winner will have a dinner date with Miss High-Rise Vavoom.
November 22, 1992
21
Penthouse Mouse : Calaboose Cal and Tom are hired by a penthouse owner to get rid of Jerry.
Twelve Angry Sheep : The title is a pun of Twelve Angry Men . Judge Droopy holds a case against Scoundrel McWolf who is accused of taking sheep from loyal sheepdog Dripple and Little Miss Bo Peep Vavoom.
The Ant Attack : A woman bakes a cake for Tom and celebrates his 7th birthday. Meanwhile, an army of red ants crash Tom's birthday celebration and cut the cake into various pieces. In the end, the ants finally give him the pieces of the cake and carry the letters and sing "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow", and Tom finally enjoys his cake. The seven candles on the cake confirm that Tom is revealed to be around 6–7 years old in the cartoon show.
November 28, 1992
22
Mouse with a Message : In the WWI Era, The Currier (Jerry) is sent by a general to deliver a letter to H.Q., but Thomas Von Klobberhafen (who is, in fact, Tom) is determined to acquire the letter.
It's the Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Dr. McWolf : Mad scientist Dr. McWolf tries to make himself handsome after he sees a commercial of Dr. Droopy's that has a product just as good in the instant beauty market.
Wild World of Bowling : Wildmouse escapes from a museum truck from a safe and enters an urban bowling alley, where Tom is working at.
November 29, 1992
Star Wrek : Tom and Jerry star in a spoof of Star Trek .
Droop & Deliver : In Colonial times, Droopy and Dripple are on a hazardous mission to drive an armored coach full of The King's currency to dangeorus country. In their path, they encounter The Ungentlemanly Bandit: Uncouth McWolf.
Swallow the Swallow : Hungry cats Kyle and Clyde attempt to get Bernie Bird at a farm.
December 5, 1992
24
Lightning Bolt-The Super Squirrel-Strikes Again : When Tom is playing tennis using Jerry as a tennis ball, Lightning bolt seeks Tom playing tennis and starts to get serious on him. Soon, Fido starts chasing Tom.
Surely You Joust : A unemployed Droopy and Dripple looks for a job. The King hires them to go out and slay Dwayne The Dragon (voiced by Jim Cummings ) who's causing problems.
Rootin' Tootin' Slowpoke : Slowpoke Antonio goes to "Gower Gulch" and has a showdown with Flashipus, a desperado cat.
December 6, 1992
25
Firehouse Mouse : A firehouse dog wants to be a firefighter with the help of Tom and Jerry.
The Wrath of Dark Wolf : While taking a day off, Galactic cosmic heroes Captain Droopy and Junior Captain Dripple finds out that Dark Wolf is planning to take over their planet and builds his own empire.
Pound Hound : Kyle absconds a hot dog and (unknowingly) enters a dog pound truck, and is cuffed to a dog named Bazooka. Therefore, he and Bazooka try to escape the law.
December 12, 1992
26
The Ghost of Castle McLochjaw : On a dark and stormy night, Tom and Jerry winds up in a castle where they encounter a ghost dog.
A Thousand Clones : In 2029 A.D. in Los Angeles, Detectives Droopy and Dripple helps Dr. Vavoom (who is blue and has a different hairstyle) with Dr. Dupo McWolf who has taken her duplicate machine and duplicates himself.
Roughing It : The three Mouse Scouts have plans to rough it with their leader, and he teaches them a lesson to make men out of them.
December 13, 1992
Airdates
1
As the Cheese Turns : Tom is watching his favorite daytime soap opera Nine Lives to Live in which it's alike the daytime soap opera One Life to Live on ABC and Jerry turns to his favorite As the Cheese Turns in which it's similar to the daytime soap opera As the World Turns on CBS .
McWerewolf of London : McWerewolf(McWolf)is going around London causing havoc and Inspector Droople and Sergeant Dripple are on the case about him.
Grab That Bird : Castaways Kyle and Clyde are desperate for food and they land on an island and comes across Bernie Bird.
September 11, 1993
2
Cave Mouse : Told in prehistoric times, cave cat Tom chases cave mouse Jerry.
McWolfenstein Returns : Mad scientist McWolfenstein puts his monster out of the castle and Droopy who is spoofing Alfred Hitchcock makes him star in his new movie.
Destructive Construction : Blast–off Buzzard chases Crazy Legs Snake at a construction site.
September 18, 1993
3
Alien Mouse : Wildmouse is swallowing up the spaceship so the ship's Captain entrusts Tom to get rid of him.
Droopy Man : In a city of darkness, Millionaires/Superheroes Droopy Man and Dripple Boy teams up with Cheetah Vavoom to bust up a greedy pig stealing goodies of food around the city.
Abusement Park : Blast-off Buzzard and his gang of buzzards goes after Crazy Legs Snake and they ride to an amusement park where Crazy Legs happens to be there, fooling with them.
September 25, 1993
4
Martian Mouse : Martian Mouse crash-lands on Earth and meets Jerry. While he makes a call back to his planet, Jerry flies around in his spaceship, and Tom accidentally swallows it.
Dark Wolf Strikes Back : After they capture Dark Wolf and teleport him to Planet "Hoodnik," Captain Droopy and Junior Captain Dripple are sent out to get a priceless, sparkling, energy ball, yet Dark Wolf wants to get in on the action, too.
Knockout Pig : A boxing pig escapes the barn when he thinks he's going to be shipped of to a meat market and heads to the suburbs where he meets Jerry, and every time he hears bells, he hits Tom.
October 2, 1993
5
Musketeer Jr. : Musketeer Jerry shows Tuffy how to be a musketeer and has sword fights with musketeer Tom in the process.
Galaxy Droopy : The third episode about Dark Wolf. He's at it again, this time with the universe conquering and he uses a Super Sucksaforsarurus to inhale the universe and it's up to Droopy and Dripple to stop him.
Return of the Ants : Spike and Tyke go out on the beach for fun. When it appears that their basket of food is left behind, the red ants from The Ant Attack arrive and locate the basket of food until Spike and Tyke attempt to hide it in another section. Despite Spike and Tyke's attempts, the ants are still able to reach the basket, and Spike and Tyke continue to hide it in another place, and the ants continue to reach the basket wherever it gets hidden. In the end, Spike and Tyke lose the basket and the ants take claim of the basket over the two dogs.
October 9, 1993
6
Droopyman Returns : Droopy Man and Dripple Boy are back again-this time to go after Dr. Reginald Riff Rat (guest voice Mark Hamill ) who plans to turn the city into rats just like him and has kidnap Cheetah Vavoom.
Tom Thumped : The police go out in search of Wildmouse and try to arrest him for chewing up on stuff. Meanwhile, Tom meets a white tabby next door, and first believes she could become his lover, until then he learns that she is more interested in a mouse like Jerry, which she often refers to "Fuzzy Wuzzy". Despite the polices' attempts to arrest Wildmouse, Jerry manages to get Wildmouse to board onto a ship and waves goodbye. Later, Tom brings Jerry to the tabby, and the tabby then cuddles Jerry, and then the tabby and Jerry both go out in the limousine, leaving Tom behind and then a steamroller runs over Tom, causing all his fur to be shaved off, except on his face.
Droopnet : A spoof of Dragnet . On Friday night in the city, Detectives Droopnet and rookie Dripple are after a mad car thief called Dr. Scofflaw.
October 16, 1993
7
Right-Brother Droopy : A spoof of The Wright Brothers where Droopy and Dripple are the Right Brothers without the W (like Dripple says, they are father and son portraying The Wright Brothers which makes no sense, but it's historical) compete in a contest when Reporter Miss Scoops Vavoom comes by for them to be in a contest and win $20,000 dollars. Flip Flop McWolf (who is also a paperboy) wants in as well to fly against them in the contest.
Cheap Skates : Jerry mail-orders roller skates to mess with Tom, but Tom buys the same skates and has trouble trying to skate.
Hollywood Droopy : Out in Hollywood, washed-up producer Flops McWolf sees Droopy and Dripple and they star in a new movie of his. They sign a contract (which is really an accident insurance policy) naming him benefactor so he can receive all the money if they have accidents, but all the accidents he tries to do to them, only happens to him.
October 23, 1993
8
Fallen Archers : In medieval times, Droopy and Dripple compete in a Father/Son archery contest with McWolf and his son Stinky.
When Knights Were Cold : Since the knights are too cowardly to face the fire-breathing Wildmouse, Tom is sent to deal with the fire-breathing fiend. Guest Voice: Tony Jay.
The Mouth Is Quicker Than the Eye : Calaboose Cal becomes a magician for a bratty child's birthday party.
October 30, 1993
9
Mutton for Punishment : In the settling of the old west, Sheepherders Droopy and Dripple protects a sheep from cattle barren Sidewinder McWolf and his henchman, Cowboy Irwin with the help of bad guys.
Cat Counselor Cal : Calaboose Cal shows Tom a few modern ways with his inventions to capture Jerry.
Termite Terminator : Pest exterminator Calaboose Cal is hired by a wealthy lady to get rid of a pesky termite in her home.
November 6, 1993
10
Bride of McWolfenstein : Droopy and Dripple's car breaks down in front of a castle. Inside the castle, mad scientist McWolfenstein is creating a bride for himself, but when she spots Droopy coming, she falls madly in love with him and takes off with him to an amusement park, but McWolfenstein follows them there and feels sad since he thinks nobody cares for him, but he is wrong about that when four beautiful women come and carry him off. Dripple takes the bride off to ride on bumper cars as Droopy says, "Now there goes a chip off the old poodle" to close the episode.
Hillbilly Hootenanny : Tom's hillbilly cousins unexpectedly drop in for a visit and they attempt to help him get Jerry.
El Smoocho : When Droopy and Dripple are driving a coach full of gold and Miss Vavoom to Dodge City, they cross paths with El Smoocho(McWolf) who attempts to take Miss Vavoom and the gold off with him.
November 13, 1993
11
Droopy Hockey : Slap-shot Droopy and Ice-pick McWolf play hockey. Miss Vavoom is the ice queen and Dripple is the hockey referee.
Hawkeye Tom : Jerry has to deal with Tom and a hawkeye bird both pursuing him.
No Tom Like The Present : After an anvil drops on Tom, an angel cat tells him that he is on his 8th live, so he has one more chance to stay alive and tries to avoid any injuries.
November 20, 1993
12
Dirty Droopy : Public enemy 123456 and 7 Mangler McWolf get Detective Dirty Droopy fired when he says that Droopy tortured him and says that he innocent. Mangler McWolf plans to go on a crime scene, but Detective Droopy follows him everywhere. In the end when McWolf is in prison, it turns out Droopy has some doubles that has been appearing with McWolf. Dripple has a small part in this cartoon.
Two Stepping Tom : An elephant named Tundo (voiced by Jim Cummings ) is performing in a concert on the stage at Sheboygan Records, Inc., but gets frightened and jumps to the ceiling every time Jerry appears. Meanwhile, Tom arrives at studio manager Mr. Sheboygan's office and is requested to get rid of Jerry and make Tundo's concert more enjoyable. However, Tundo's concert gets spoiled by Tom and Jerry's chasing, and when Tundo aims for Jerry to land on, Jerry escapes causing Tundo to land on Tom instead. After the concert, Mr. Sheboygan gives the dollar bills to Tom, then Jerry teases Tundo, then Tundo jumps up in the air and lands on Tom, and Jerry takes the bills out of Tom's hand and walks off with them.
Disc Temper : The watchdog from Flippin' Fido has a job on the beach and the lifeguard tells him no pets are allowed on the beach and has to keep Tom and Jerry off. Tom again distracts the dog with frisbees.
November 27, 1993
13
Order in Volleyball Court : It is the Volleyball Championship between challengers Droopy and Dripple against McWolf and his son, Stinky. In addition, the winner will receive $100,000 and a date with Volley Vavoom. 66th and final appearances of Droopy and Dripple.
King Wildmouse : – 10th Wonder of the World: Tom and a hunter (voiced by Jim Cummings ) go to Mouse-co Island to locate Wildmouse, but the hunter is too lazy to get it himself. Wildmouse is caught, but after the hunter refused to share the Credit with him, Tom frees Wildmouse and takes him back home.
Space Chase : Tom and Jerry are selected to go into a space shuttle and a scientist is testing to see if they can live in harmony in outer space, but it fails. Series Finale
December 4, 1993
| i don't know |
What is the first name of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple? | Characters from Agatha Christie stories - Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot
One of the most famous fictional characters of all time, the inimitable Belgian private detective is synonymous with waxed moustaches, perfectionism and little grey cells. Poirot would be the first to call himself a great man - he has never been known for his modesty - but with such success in his career, it is difficult to argue with him.
Miss Marple
Miss Jane Marple doesn’t look like your average detective. Quite frankly, she doesn’t look like a detective at all. But looks can be deceiving... For a woman who has spent her life in the small village of St Mary Mead, Miss Marple is surprisingly worldly. But as she often points out, she has had every opportunity to observe human nature.
Tommy & Tuppence
International spies, two world wars, murders, thefts and not to mention marriage, Tommy and Tuppence seek out excitement wherever it may lie. Tuppence leads the way with her charismatic nature, while Tommy’s slow, considered manner provides the perfect foil. Together they form the 'Young Adventurers Ltd' and the adventures begin.
| Jane |
What was the name of the number one hit single by Spitting Image in 1986? | Jane Marple | Agatha Christie Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
Miss Jane Marple is an elderly lady who lives in the little English village of St. Mary Mead. She looks like an ordinary old lady, dressed neatly in tweed and is frequently seen knitting or pulling weeds in her garden. Miss Marple sometimes comes across as confused or "fluffy", but when it comes to solving mysteries, she has a sharp logical mind, and an almost unmatched understanding of human nature with all its weaknesses, strengths, quirks and foibles. In the detective story tradition, she often embarrasses the local "professional" police by solving mysteries that have them stumped.
The name Miss Marple was derived from the name of the railway station in Marple, on the Manchester to Sheffield Hope Valley line, at which Agatha Christie was once delayed long enough to have actually noticed the sign.
The character of Jane Marple in the first Miss Marple book, The Murder at the Vicarage , is markedly different from how she appears in later books. This early version of Miss Marple is a gleeful gossip and not an especially nice woman. The citizens of St. Mary Mead like her but are often tired by her nosy nature and how she seems to expect the worst of everyone. In later books she becomes more modern and a kinder person.
Miss Marple never married and has no close living relatives. Vicarage introduced Miss Marple's nephew, the "well-known author" Raymond West . His wife Joan (initially called Joyce), a modern artist, was introduced in 1933 in The Thirteen Problems. Raymond tends to be overconfident in himself and underestimates Miss Marple's mental powers. In her later years, Miss Marple has a live-in companion named Cherry Baker , who was first introduced in The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side.
Miss Marple is able to solve difficult crimes not only because of her shrewd intelligence, but because St. Mary Mead, over her lifetime, has given her seemingly infinite examples of the negative side of human nature. No crime can arise without reminding Miss Marple of some parallel incident in the history of her time. Miss Marple's acquaintances are sometimes bored by her frequent analogies to people and events from St. Mary Mead, but these analogies often lead Miss Marple to a deeper realization about the true nature of a crime.
Miss Marple also had a remarkably thorough education, including some art courses that involved study of human anatomy through the study of human cadavers. Although she looks like a sweet, frail old woman, Miss Marple is not afraid of dead bodies and is not easily intimidated. She also has a remarkable ability to latch onto a casual comment and connect it to the case at hand.
This education, history, and experience are hinted at in the Margaret Rutherford films, in which Miss Marple mentions her awards at marksmanship and fencing (although these hints are played for comedic value).
Christie wrote a concluding novel to her Marple series, Sleeping Murder , in 1940. She locked it away in a bank vault so it would be safe should she be killed in The Blitz. The novel was not published until shortly after Christie's death in 1976, some thirty-six years after it was originally written.
While Miss Marple is described as 'an old lady' in many of the stories, her age is never mentioned. Excluding "Sleeping Murder", forty-one years passed between the first and last-written novels, and many characters grow and age. An example would be the Vicar's son. At the end of The Murder at the Vicarage, the Vicar's wife is pregnant. In The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, it is mentioned that the son is now grown, successful and has a career. The effects of aging are seen on Miss Marple, such as needing vacation after illness in A Caribbean Mystery or finding she can no longer knit due to poor eyesight in The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.
Novels featuring Miss Marple
Edit
Although popular from her first appearance in 1930, Jane Marple had to wait thirty-two years for her first big-screen appearance. When she made it, the results were found disappointing to Christie purists and Christie herself. Murder, She Said (1962, directed by George Pollock) was the first of four British MGM productions starring Dame Margaret Rutherford , a magnificent comic actress but too boisterous and loud to fit the prim and birdlike character Christie created in her novels. This first film was based on the 1957 novel 4:50 from Paddington (U.S. title, What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw!), and the changes made in the plot were typical of the series. In the film, Mrs. McGillicuddy does not see anything because there is no Mrs. McGillicuddy. Miss Marple herself sees an apparent murder committed on a train running alongside hers. Likewise, it is Miss Marple herself who poses as a maid to find out the facts of the case, not a young friend of hers who has made a business of it.It is interesting that Joan Hickson played the part of the home help in this film so can claim to have appeared in two Miss Marple series.
The other Rutherford films (all directed by George Pollock) were Murder at the Gallop (1963), based on the 1953 Hercule Poirot novel After the Funeral (In this film, she is identified as Miss JTV Marple, though there were no indication as to what the extra initials might stand for); Murder Most Foul (1964), based on the 1952 Poirot novel Mrs McGinty's Dead ; and Murder Ahoy! (1964). The last film is not based on any Christie work but displays a few plot elements from They Do It With Mirrors (viz., the ship is used as a reform school for wayward boys and one of the teachers uses them as a crime force), and there is a kind of salute to The Mousetrap. Rutherford also appeared briefly as Miss Marple in the spoof Hercule Poirot adventure The Alphabet Murders (1965).
Rutherford, who was 70 years-old when the first film was made, insisted that she wore her own clothes during the filming of the movie, as well as having her real-life husband, Stringer Davis appear alongside her as the character 'Mr Stringer'. The Rutherford films are frequently repeated on television in Germany, and in that country Miss Marple is generally identified with Rutherford's quirky portrayal. Each of the Margaret Rutherford "Marples" is wonderfully entertaining, but they simply aren't Christie.
Edit
In 1980, Angela Lansbury played Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd (EMI, directed by Guy Hamilton), based on Christie's 1962 novel. However, Lansbury is only on screen for a short time, the bulk of the film being taken up with the machinations of an all-star cast that included Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Curtis, and Kim Novak. Edward Fox appeared as Inspector Craddock, who did Miss Marple's legwork. Lansbury's Marple was a crisp, intelligent woman who moved stiffly and spoke in clipped tones. Unlike most incarnations of Miss Marple, this one smoked cigarettes.
Edit
In 1983, Estonian stage and film actress Ita Ever starred in the Russian language film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel A Pocket Full of Rye (using the Russian edition's translated title, The Secret of the Blackbirds) as the character of Miss Marple.
Edit
American stage and screen legend Helen Hayes portrayed Miss Marple in two American made-for-TV movies, both for CBS: A Caribbean Mystery (1983) and Murder with Mirrors (1984). Sue Grafton contributed to the screenplay of the former. Hayes's Marple was benign and chirpy.
Rakhee
The Bengali actress Rakhee played Miss Marple in the 2003 film Shubho Mahurat , the Indian film adaption of The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side directed by Rituparno Ghosh.
Television, stage and radio adaptations
Edit
American TV was the setting for the first dramatic portrayal of Miss Marple. Gracie Fields , a legendary British actress, played her in a 1956 episode of Goodyear TV Playhouse based on A Murder Is Announced, the 1950 Christie novel.
In 1970, the character of Miss Marple was portrayed by Inge Langen in a West German television adaptation of The Murder at the Vicarage (Mord im Pfarrhaus).
In September 1977, veteran actress and authoress Dulcie Gray played the Miss Marple character in a stage adaptation of A Murder Is Announced at the Vaudeville Theatre in London, England.
From 1984 to 1992, the BBC adapted all of the original Miss Marple novels as a series titled Miss Marple . Joan Hickson played the lead role. (Coincidentally, Hickson had played a cook in the first film in which Margaret Rutherford played Miss Marple.) These programs, which are actually a set of 12 feature-length TV movies rather than a TV series in the usual sense, followed the plots of the original novels more closely than previous film and television adaptations had, and Joan Hickson has come to be regarded by many as the definitive Miss Marple (indeed Agatha Christie herself once remarked years earlier that she would like Joan Hickson to play Miss Marple).
Angela Lansbury , after playing Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd, went on to star in the TV series Murder, She Wrote as Jessica Fletcher, a mystery novelist who also solves crimes. The character was based in part on Miss Marple and another Christie character, Ariadne Oliver .
Starting in 2004, ITV broadcast a new series of adaptations of Agatha Christie's books under the title Agatha Christie's Marple , usually referred to as Marple, with Geraldine McEwan in the lead role until her retirement after the third series. She will be replaced with actress Julia McKenzie . The adaptions are notable for changing the plots and characters of the original books (e.g. incorporating lesbian affairs, changing killer identities, re-naming or removing significant characters, and even using stories from other books where Miss Marple didn't originally feature). Two series have so far aired, with a third yet to finish airing in the UK.
From 2004 to 2005, Japanese TV network NHK produced a 39 episode anime series titled Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple , which features both Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot . Miss Marple's voice is provided by Kaoru Yachigusa.
Radio
BBC Radio 4 dramatised all of the novels from 1993-2001 with June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Gallery
| i don't know |
Who rode Kris Kin to success in the Epsom Derby in 2003? | Epsom Derby 2003 Result | Derby Winner Kris Kin 6/1
Toggle navigation
Epsom Derby 2003 Result
The Epsom Derby in 2003 was all about one of the biggest and sustained gambles in a major race seen in quite a few years. Kris Kin was backed at all prices in the morning of the race. Those you lumped on could only thank one person for collecting and that was the brilliant jockeyship of Kieran Fallon for getting Kris Kin up in the dying strides.
In the end Kris Kin proved strong enough to fend off The Great Gatsby, ridden by Pat Eddery , who had led from the off but faded over the last two furlongs. In a year which was going to see Pat Eddery ride in his last Epsom Derby, it would have been a wonderful climax to his magnificent career if he had got the Great Gatsby to hang on, but in the end he had to settle for second place. One of the pre-race favourite Alamshar also finished strongly to take third place.
\"Everything went his way and he travelled well in his race. They went a good gallop and he was able to quicken,\" Fallon told BBC Sport after the race. \"It got a bit tight at the top of the hill as it always does when they cross over. I worried there but I let him find himself and he was OK.\"
The Great Gatsby made the early running under Eddery, along with Dutch Gold. Refuse To Bend, the 11-4 favourite, was racing in touch with Brian Boru close up on the inside and Kris Kin in mid-division. As the field turned for home Eddery kicked on and had most of the runners in trouble, but Fallon had the move covered and went in pursuit of the leader. His mount answered all his calls to lead inside the final furlong and hold his rivals at bay in a stirring finish to land a massive public gamble. Alamshar threatened briefly a furlong out and was only a short head behind the second, while Norse Dancer had been last at the top of the hill on the Epsom Racecourse and made up an amazing amount of ground to claim fourth place.
Kris Kin and Norse Dancer had been supplemented for the race at a cost of £90,000 on Monday.
Winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute landed his third Derby following the victories of Shergar in 1981 and Shahrastani five years later. It was Fallon\'s second blue riband after Oath\'s success in 1999. Stoute said: \"It\'s always a great thrill. You can\'t win it too many times and 1986 was a long time ago. \"We\'ve had a little bit of misfortune over the years since that period so I am delighted that it has come good. \"I am delighted for Saeed Suhail (owner) who was tough enough to supplement him. You\'ve got one of the great rides round Epsom on Derby day from Kieren Fallon - and that helped.\"
Some £20m was gambled on the race, and bookmakers were pleased none of the three market leaders won, but the support for Kris Kin left them with mixed feelings.
Pos.
| Kieren Fallon |
Who wrote the classic thriller novel The Thirty-Nine Steps? | The Derby: Six stories to look out for at Epsom - BBC Sport
BBC Sport
The Derby: Six stories to look out for at Epsom
By Cornelius Lysaght
From the section Horse Racing
Share this page
Frankie Dettori won the 2015 Derby on Golden Horn - his second triumph in the race
Investec Derby
Race: The Derby, Epsom Date: Saturday, 4 June Time: 16:30 BST
Coverage: Podcast - How to breed a Derby winner; Live radio commentaries: Oaks 16:30 Friday; Derby 16:30 Saturday
Sixteen runners are set to line up for the 237th running of the Derby at Epsom on Saturday.
Here's a look at some of the potential story lines which could be making the headlines.
'I won the Derby, I won the Derby' - could Dettori do it again?
The unbridled joy of Frankie Dettori after silencing the harbingers of gloom about his career by steering home the John Gosden-trained Golden Horn to victory in 2015 will live long in the memory.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Golden Horn: The 2015 Derby winner has started a breeding career
That day, after a striking success in the Dante Stakes at York, the pressure was massive for the Dettori/Gosden axis to deliver; 12 months on however, as the pair team-up with Wings Of Desire, expectations are somewhat different.
The improving colt, owned by his breeder Lady Bamford, also won the Dante, but only narrowly, and this time there's a long list of plausible alternative fancies.
But, for the sport, a third victory in the race for such a highly-recognisable figure as 45-year-old Dettori - riding in his 21st Derby - would be priceless in terms of exposure during an action-packed summer of sport when the struggle for coverage is intense.
WATCH: BBC Radio 5 live's 60-second Derby preview
A famous five runners for Aidan O'Brien
As he looks for a fourth Derby success in five years - and sixth overall - Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien saddles practically a third of the field, all owned by the Coolmore racing and breeding empire, although this isn't actually his biggest challenge.
In 2009, O'Brien's prolific Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary provided six runners, and two years earlier no fewer than eight of his horses lined up - but he didn't win the prize either time (it was Sea The Stars and Authorized, respectively).
Trainer Aidan O'Brien is looking to make it four winners in five years in the Derby
What the size of the squad - four of them sons of Coolmore's champion stallion Galileo - indicates is the open nature of the 237th Derby, in which you could support anyone of about 10, and not look entirely ridiculous.
Unbeaten US Army Ranger, very narrow winner of the Chester Vase on only his second start, has long looked like the team's figurehead, and is the choice of Coolmore's number one jockey Ryan Moore, a tip in itself for many.
But Port Douglas, second at Chester when conceding a small amount of weight, and Deauville, runner-up to Wings Of Desire at York, also have solid credentials.
And it's another significant 'family' day for the O'Briens. While the trainer's jockey-son Joseph, rider of Derby winners Camelot (2012) and Australia (2014) has retired, his younger brother Donnacha, 17, makes his Epsom Derby debut on outsider Shogun.
Stoute double-handed as he looks to hit rivals for six
An eight-length win in a maiden race at Newbury started the Ulysses bandwagon rolling towards Epsom, although it was six uncharacteristically bullish words from his five-time Derby-winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute that sent it into something approaching overdrive.
The trainer of winners Shergar (1981), Sharastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003), North Light (2004) and Workforce (2010) said he was "certainly very hopeful of his [Ulysses'] chances".
Sir Michael Stoute, seen here with Kieren Fallon, is looking for his sixth Derby winner
That was interpreted as a big shout-out for the offspring of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Light Shift, successful in the Oaks of 2007.
While Stoute's apparent enthusiasm has made Ulysses a major Derby fancy, it's his booking of jockey Kieren Fallon to partner Across The Stars, the stable's other big-race contender, that has caught the eye.
The six-time champion, rider of Kris Kin and North Light, has found himself with a lower profile in recent seasons, but his aptitude for navigating the notoriously tricky twists and turns of Epsom is legendary, and is why for fans he remains 'King Kieren'.
The Sheikh looking to play the Godolphin Blues
Sheikh Mohammed's vast Godolphin racing and thoroughbred breeding network has won the Derby twice, but never yet with the jockey wearing the distinctive silks that have seen the global, Dubai-based operation dubbed 'The Boys in Blue'.
Both Lammtarra (1995) and New Approach (2008) ran in the colours of other members of the Sheikh's family, and how he'd relish the opportunity to remedy that situation. This is perhaps the year for it to be done as two live chances are aimed at the Classic, historically known as the 'Blue Riband'.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the founder of the Godolphin racing stable
Although neither is part of Godolphin's in-house training set-up, both Cloth Of Stars, the Prix Greffulhe winner from French-based Andre Fabre's string, and Moonlight Magic, part of the Jim Bolger team in Ireland, boast admirable credentials, particularly maybe the latter.
With his upward trajectory and being a nephew of Derby winners Galileo and See The Stars, this beautifully-bred colt, ridden by a blue-clad Kevin Manning, could easily fulfil Sheikh Mohammed's dream.
Were that to occur, it would certainly be a most significant step in - and perhaps the completion of - Godolphin's rehabilitation following the infamous doping scandal of 2013 - at about the time actually that these two horses were being born.
Whatever happens, it's in the record books
With a total purse of £1.55m, the 2016 Investec Derby will go down in history as the most valuable race ever staged in Britain, because of an unprecedented four supplementary - late - entries, each costing £75,000.
The Derby is one of the biggest days of the racing calendar, attracting more than 100,000 spectators
Cloth Of Stars is one late-comer to the party, along with Wings Of Desire - who'd been entered but then removed, having demonstrated little promise until as recently as mid-March - while the other two are Humphrey Bogart and Red Verdon.
Humphrey Bogart, named by his owners at Chelsea Thoroughbreds after the star of the iconic film Casablanca, and a first runner in the race for both trainer Richard Hannon junior and jockey Sean Levey, put his name in bright lights with success in the Derby Trial race at Lingfield.
Meanwhile, the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon, the latest in a long line of horses owned by Hong Kong businessman Ronnie Arculli to have the colour red in their names, has earned his place with impressive wins at Chester and Haydock. Champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa will take only his second Derby mount on the colt.
Under the radar…
Considering he was runner-up in the 2000 Guineas, Massaat makes a relatively unheralded appearance in the Epsom line-up.
A field of 16 horses are expected to run in the 2016 Epsom Derby
But the Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum-owned colt, in the care of rookie trainer Owen Burrows, a former jump jockey and, more recently, right-hand man to Stoute, seems to tick plenty of boxes, with the possible exception of his stamina over the mile-and-a-half-long course.
The Massaat team will be hoping for more luck than that enjoyed by Barry Hills, Burrows' predecessor at his stables in Lambourn, Berkshire: not only did Hills never win the Epsom Derby, but to make matters worse he was second four times.
Not much has been said or written about Harzand, trained for the Aga Khan by Dermot Weld in Ireland, and the winner of both of his races in 2016, one the prestigious Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in good style.
Recent rain at Epsom, which has affected the going quite considerably, will favour this colt, one of three in the field sired by Sea The Stars.
Ground conditions are also encouraging those around the David Simcock-trained Algometer, whose second place behind one-time Derby favourite Midterm at Sandown in April, would seem to put him right in the mix.
Share this page
| i don't know |
Who was the last of the seven Roman kings? | The Kings
715-674 Reign of Numa Pompilius
Your browser does not support the IFRAME tag.
673-642 Reign of Tullus Hostilius. Destruction of Alba Longa.
642-617 Reign of Ancus Marcius. Extension of Rome's power to the coast.
616-579 Reign of L. Tarquinius Priscus. Forum drained.
578-535 Reign of Servius Tullius. Treaty with Latins.
535-510 Reign of L. Tarquinius Superbus. Erection of the Capitoline Temple. Treaty with Gabii. Roman territory extended to ca. 350 square miles.
510 Downfall of the last Tarquinian king, Tarquinius Superbus. Brutus liberates Rome. Establishment of a republic headed by two magistrates (later called consuls) elected annually.
The Roman Kings
Historical details are still too obscure for any definite records of Rome under the kings, All remains half mythical.
But it was under the Roman Kings that the Roman ability to create an empire of sorts first came to the fore, even though any original intentions will hardly have been of an imperial nature.
In all there was said to have been seven kings of Rome covering a period of over two hundred years.
Romulus
The first recognized king of Rome was its mythical founder, Romulus.
To him is attributed the foundation of the senate.
He is also said to have ruthlessly pursued a policy of expanding the population, granting refuge and acceptance to criminals on the run at the asylum on the Capitoline Hill. He expanded the city�s boundaries to encompass four hills; Capitoline, Aventine, Caelian and Quirinal.
If Romulus� reign was infamous, this impression is only further reinforced with an episode widely known as the �Rape of the Sabine women�.
With Rome�s populace enlarged with runaway slaves and criminals, king Romulus found himself ruling a nation with too few women. The story goes that he staged extravagant celebrations for the festival of Consus (the god of the granary and the storehouse), inviting the neighbouring tribes to attend.
For large image click on picture
Italian warrior of the late 8th, early 7th century BC
Museo della Civilta, Rome
Many of the neighbouring Sabines were invited. But in mid-celebration the festival was brought to a sudden end, when Romulus and his Romans revealed their true intentions, taking possession of the unmarried Sabine women by force and claiming them as brides. Romulus himself came by his wife Hersilia by this very method.
The Sabine town of Cures, ruled by king Titus Tatius, quite understandably declared war.
In the resulting fight the Sabines managed to capture the Capitoline Hill, due to the treachery of Tarpeia who opened a gate (and who gave name to the Tarpeian Rock on the Capitoline). Further legend has it that it was the Sabine women who intervened to stop the fighting between their Sabine relatives and their new found Roman husbands.
A peace was agreed and the Sabines of Cures and the Romans united and henceforth became one people. The two kings thereafter ruled jointly, Titus Tatius from the Capitoline and Romulus from the Palatine. Once the Sabine king died, sole rule fell to Romulus until his death at the age of 54.
If all this sounds very much like a string of fairy tales and legends, there are hints to underlying truths. For example, Quirinus was the Sabine equivalent of the Roman god Mars and we found his name reflected in the Quirinal Hill. So too in the rarely used alternative name the Romans would use for themselves, the quirites.
Naturally Romulus death is also wrapped up in legend. While he was performing a ritual sacrifice to the gods at the river a thunderstorm struck. The people ran for cover from the rain, leaving Romulus and the senators behind. When they returned Romulus had vanished. If the official version suggested he had been swept up to the heavens by his father Mars in a chariot, this sounded just a little too far fetched, even to the Romans. Especially as in his later life Romulus was said to have grown unpopular. So it was indeed suspected that the senators had ceased him and stabbed the tyrant to death.
Given later Roman history the legend of Romulus proved indeed ominously prophetic.
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius came to power following the controversy surrounding the death of Romulus.
Immediately after Romulus� death the leading senator Julius Proculus then claimed that Romulus had appeared to him in a vision and was now the god Quirinus. This elegantly absolved the senators of any suspected wrongdoing and cleared the way for Julius Proculus to become the next king, no doubt with Romulus� supposed blessing.
The Roman people, however, were not willing to accept this seamless transition to one of their king�s possible murderers. Clearly it was not going to be the wily Julius Proculus.
Instead the Sabines in Rome demanded that, since the death of Titus Tatius had seen them ruled by a Roman without complaint, it was now for one of their number to become ruler. The Romans agreed, as long as it would be for them to choose who among the Sabines should be king.
The choice fell upon Numa Pompilius, a man who apparently didn�t even want the job. Unlike Romulus, Numa was not a warrior king, but a religious, cultural figure.
Traditionally, Numa is seen as the man who moved the order of the Vestal Virgins from Alba Longa to Rome, founded the temple of Janus, established the various priestly colleges, including the order of the fetiales who held the power to declare war and make peace. In order to allow for all the religious rites to be performed at the appropriate time, Numa is said to have reformed the calendar, adding the months January and February and bringing the days to a total of 360 for each year.
During the 43 years of Numa�s reign Rome enjoyed uninterrupted peace.
Much of his wisdom was said to be due to his receiving divine guidance from the gods.
He was said to have received their advice from the nymph and prophetess Egeria who became his lover after the death of his wife.
To the Romans King Numa Pompilius was the father of their culture; the man who turned the semi-barbarian peasants, criminals and bride-robbers of Romulus into something resembling a civilization.
Modern historians are not sure what to make of this figure. Some priesthoods he is said to have created are believed to predate his reign. Meanwhile his supposed reform of the calendar was possibly the achievement of a later generation.
Nonetheless, the high esteem in which the Romans held this figure, suggests that he was of great significance in the creation of their identity as a people.
For large image click on picture
Italian warrior of the late 8th, early 7th century BC
Museo della Civilta, Rome
Tullus Hostilius
With the death of the peaceable Numa Pompilius rule next fell to the warlike Tullus Hostilius. In these primitive days of early Roman history many of the disputes arose from mundane issues such as cattle rustling along territorial borders.
Numa Pompilius had been a diplomatic man who would seek to achieve reconciliation. However, his successor Tullus Hostilius was a man who would seek to solve problems by the sword.
When another such dispute arose between Rome and its neighbour Alba Longa, Tullus Hostilius declared war. Given the very close ties between the two cities, this was a virtual civil war. Therefore, in order to avoid slaughter between armies related to each other, the two leaders Tullus Hostilius and Mettius Fufetius agreed instead on a contest of champions. Three brothers from each side would fight in place of the armies.
For the Romans the brothers Horatius took the field and for the Albans the brothers Curiatius. The fight ended with all Curiatii dead and only one of the Horatians alive.
The Roman victory meant that Alba Longa conceded defeat and swore allegiance to Rome.
King Mettius however had no intention of accepting Roman supremacy and succeeded in provoking another Roman neighour, the Fidenates, into war.
When the Romans met the Fidenates in battle their supposed Alban allies abandoned them. Mettius Fufenius� though proved plans were in vain. Rome defeated the Fidenates on her own. The Albans were soon crushed, their leader torn apart by two chariots and the city of Alba Longa was destroyed. The Albans were thereafter moved to Rome where they were given the Caelian Hill to settle on.
This increase in population made the senate�s meeting place too small to contain the enlarged senate. Tullus Hostilius therefore decided a new senate house was needed. It was constructed at the western end of the Forum at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. It remained there throughout Roman history and continued to bear its builder�s name, the Curia Hostilia.
Tullus Hostilius is said to have thereafter campaigned successfully against the neighbouring Sabine tribes, until a plague befell him as well as the people of Rome, forcing them to make peace.
In seeking to avert the wrath of the gods, Hostilius now sought to emulate his predecessor and took greater interest in his religious duties.
Yet his new found religious devotion fell well short of having the desired effect. King Tullus Hostilius was struck lighting and died.
As with other kings of Rome we are not sure if Tullus Hostilius ever existed at all. The family of the Hostilii did however appear in the records some one or two centuries later. So it is well possible that their half-mythical ancestor existed.
As the destroyer of Alba Longa it may indeed have been Hostilius, not Numa Pompilius, who brought the religious orders, including the Vestal Virgins, to Rome. Either way, the fall of Alba Longa and Rome�s assumption of all her religious festivals greatly increased the victorious city�s prestige throughout the region.
Ancus Marcius
Rome�s fourth king was Numa Pompilius�grandson and therefore another Sabine. Ancus Marcius was chosen as a ruler to restore the peace and quite the Romans had enjoyed under the rule of his grandfather.
This in turn gave Rome�s neighbours the impression that the city�s new leader was a pushover, eager for peace at any price and therefore unlikely to retaliate.
The first to test this premise were the so-called Old Latins (prisci latini), an ancient tribe who even predated Aeneas.
Yet king Ancus Marcius, perhaps to everyone�s surprise, proved to be as much of a warrior as he was an administrator, priest and diplomat.
The prisci latini were defeated, their city destroyed and their people absorbed into Rome.
Ancus Marcius is also said to have settled the Aventine Hill. Given this new influx of people, this may indeed
Tradition has it that Ancus Marcius founded the city of Ostia. Archaeology appears to say otherwise, suggesting the founding of Ostia to be of a later era.
Rome�s interest in the mouth of the river Tiber will most likely have been due to the presence of salt-pan. Occupying the later site of Ostia granted Rome control over the pans on the southern bank of the river Tiber. Those to the north remained in Etruscan hands.
Building the first bridge over the Tiber, the wooden Sublician Bridge, Ancus established a bridgehead to the Janiculan Hill, which he fortified, though most likely did not as part of the city. This may well have been to help protect the salt route from Ostia and to deny the growing threat of Etruscans the strategic strongpoint on the western side of the river.
Ancus Marcius died widely respected and was deemed a truly good king by later Roman historians.
As with Tullus Hostilius, King Ancus Marcius does have much later descendants make an entrance into the Roman records. By 357 BC the Marcii reached the consulship.
Again this suggests the existence of this ruler of Rome�s semi-mythical history may indeed have existed.
Tarquinius Priscus
Tarquin the Elder
The fifth king of Rome was one Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (Priscus in this case simply signifies him as Tarquin �the Elder� and it was a title attributed to him much later by Roman historians). The stories surrounding this monarch show us that we are still deeply reliant on legend and myth to paint any sort of picture of his rule. Tarquin the Elder, as Tarquinius is generally called, moved to Rome from the Etruscan town of Tarquinii. His father, Demaratus, was a nobleman from Corinth who was forced to leave his city (655 BC) when the tyrant Cypselus assumed power there.
The link to Greece is indeed possible as there is evidence of Greek traders in Tarquinii. But it nonetheless sounds like a somewhat strained effort by later Romans to avoid admitting that Rome had in fact been ruled by Etruscans.
Legend has it that on his entering the city of Rome an eagle swooped down and snatched Tarquin�s cap with his talons, only to place on his head again before flying away. Evidently Tarquin was a man favoured by fate.
Nontheless he deemed it wise to change his forename from the Etruscan Lucumo to the Latin Lucius in order to smooth his transition from Etruscan to Roman nobility. Tarquin�s wife Tanaquil was of aristocratic Etruscan blood.
If by his own right, or by that of his wife�s connections, Tarquin soon rose to be a figure of significant influence in Rome.
He further assumed an influential position with the reigning king, Ancus Marcius. So much so in fact, he was made guardian of King Ancus� two sons.
This proved a position of vital importance when Ancus Marcius died. Tarquin persuaded the two sons to go hunting while he made arrangements for their father�s funeral ceremony. When they returned it was to find Tarquin on the throne. He�d used their absence to win over the Romans to grant him their votes. The Roman monarchy was not hereditary. Ancus Marcius� sons had been in a prime position to win the favour of the Roman people, but Tarquin had outmanoeuvered them.
Tarquin�s means of accession to the throne may have been underhand, but his record as monarch seems to have been impressive.
First he was to see off the military challenges by neighbouring tribes which seemed always to flare up at the accession of anew monarch.
Though in battle Tarquin seems to have achieved much more than merely holding his ground. Tarquin�s many campaigns led to victories over the Sabines, Latins and Etruscans. According to Dionysius, it was a deputation of Etruscan cities defeated in battle which brought him the symbols of sovereignty: A gold crown, an ivory chain, an eagle headed scepter, a purple tunic and robe and twelve fasces (axes enclosed in bundles of rods).
Tarquin the Elder may have begun the construction of the great Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, but this is uncertain. The introduction of the Circus Games to Rome is ascribed King Tarquin the Elder. He is traditionally believed to have been the ruler who laid out the Circus Maximus. Tarquin is also credited with the initial drainage of the forum and the creation of the Cloaca Maxima. Though it must be added that what was eventually to become the main sewer of Rome, was at this early stage merely a large drainage ditch to make usable the marshy ground in the shallow between the hills of Rome. Later further drainage was added by his successors.
He also added 100 members of the lesser nobility (minores gentes) to the senate. These were most likely lesser Etruscan nobles whom he�d encouraged to settled in the city. Their promotion will no doubt have helped to strengthen his grip on power.
Tarquin�s end, when it came, was a violent one. The scorned sons of King Ancus finally sought revenge and hired two assassins. As one approached from the front posing as a party in a legal dispute, the other came up behind and struck at his head with an axe. Tarquin died instantly. Yet that was not what the Romans were told. Tarquin�s wife Tanaquil informed the people that she was tending to his wounds and that the king meanwhile wished to see the little known Servius Tullius, a prot�g� of Tanaquil�s and Tarquin's son-in-law, act on his behalf until he had recovered.
Naturally Tarquin the Elder never recovered. But by the time the Romans became aware of their king�s demise, the new man was already firmly on the throne.
Servius Tullius
The sixth king, Servius Tullius, was a monarch celebrated for particularly high achievement by the Romans. Yet to modern eyes, it appears as though several achievements of early Roman history have somehow been attributed to him as a means of attributing them to someone. For it seems doubtful that Servius was really responsible for all ascribed to him.
Servius Tullius� origins are uncertain. His name may in fact be a corruption of the word servus (slave). The name itself was later only used by plebeians.
One story tells of him being the son of a household slave. (Though Livy writes he was a prince from the Sabine city of Corniculum held captive by the Romans.)
Interestingly, there was also an Etruscan tradition, which claimed that Servius was in fact an Etruscan named Mastarna.
Legend also states that, when Servius was still a boy, his parents discovered him asleep in bed with his head covered by flames. Yet the sleeping child suffered no harm. Word of this momentous portent eventually reached Tanaquil, the wife of King Tarquin the Elder, who deemed it a sign that the boy was marked out for great things. Thenceforth Servius was a prot�g� of Rome�s powerful queen.
At the death of King Tarquin the Elder it was Tanaquil who assured Servius� ascent to the throne. The sons of Ancus Marcius being implicated in Tarquin�s murder made it impossible for them to now contest the throne. They retired into exile.
Tarquin the Elder however had three sons; Tarquin, Lucius and Arruns. To win their support, Servius shrewdly married them to his own daughters.
His position though was soon secured, when a war against the Etruscan city of Veii proved him to be an able military commander. In fact so impressive was his victory that in his 44 years in power he had no need to take to the field again.
The Romans believed Servius� reign to have seen the first use of coinage in the city.
Unlike the Greeks, early Roman society did not use money. Far more they bartered - salt for pottery, grain for wood, etc...
Where the system proved inadequate the Romans expressed value in for of 'heads of cattle'. One such head of cattle was worth ten sheep.
The head of cattle (pecus) became the first Roman monetary unit. From this came the first Latin word for money - pecunia. A primitive monetary system evolved based on ingots of raw copper of the Roman pound (libra) of 327 g.
Such an ingot could then be broken up into yet different sizes and values.
King Servius was the first to have a stamp put onto the copper, until then it was just the raw metal. The design to have been used supposedly was either an ox or sheep.
King Servius Tullius is said to have enlarged the city. Romans also attributed the �Servian Wall� to him, though it is most likely that he was this city wall was a product of the 4th century BC.
It is widely believed though that the agger, a set of defensive earthworks on the Quirinal, Viminal and Esquiline Hills were a legacy of his. It is therefore possible that, although not the Servian Wall, some lesser defensive cordon may have been set up around the city by King Servius Tullius. After all, archaic Rome is believed to have possessed defences, albeit that we know very little about them. A major achievement of his reign appears to have been the transfer of the regional festival of Diana from Aricia to the Aventine Hill of Rome. A temple was dedicated to the goddess on the Aventine Hill, not merely by the Romans but by the people of Latium. Archaeology seems to grant this story some support. The moving of a regional festival and the prestigious Temple of Diana to Rome seems to show that the city was of rising importance to the wider region.
Perhaps the most impressive idea ascribed to Servius Tullius is the census, which counted the people and ranked them in five classes, according to wealth.
(This division of the people by wealth is often referred to as a �timocratic� system, after the Greek timo (worth) and kratia (rule); so literally �rule by worth�.)
The classes were divisions created to decide the voting rights of the people (with the rich enjoying most votes) and to help administer the levying of troops, as the higher a citizen�s class, the better armour and weaponry he was able to afford.
Servius is further said to have made the division of the people into three tribes for tax purposes: the ramnes, the luceres and the tities. (Hence the relation of the words �tribe� and �tribute�.) These tribal divisions may have been ethnic in nature, though very little is known about them.
A further change of constitutional importance credited to Servius Tullius is his reform of the army, in particular his granting the army a political assembly in its own right, the comitia centuriata.
His reign is also closely associated with the construction of the great Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (185 ft wide and 65 ft high). If it is believed that Tarquin the Elder begun the temple, most of its construction must have been completed under Servius Tullius. Especially bearing in mind the length of Servius� reign, it is perhaps doubtful that Tarquin the Proud was the king to complete this great work, as tradition holds.
Legend tells of an outrageous coup that overthrew King Servius Tullius in old age. It was the ambitions of Servius� daughter Tullia and her husband Lucius Tarquin which should prove disastrous to the old king.
Servius Tullius� policies had made him unpopular with the senators and Lucius Tarquin was quick to exploit that. If the tale of the king�s slave origins is true, this also will not have helped.
At some point a conspiracy was hatched to overthrow the king.
For large image click on picture
Model of the archaic Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus
Museo della Civilta, Rome
One day Tarquin simply arrived at the senate in royal robes and summoned the senators to acknowledge him in his position. Servius rushed to the senate, but was bodily thrown from the hall. In the chaos that followed King Servius was stabbed to death by hired assassins. Roman legend adds a gruesome note, describing how Tullia later returned from the senate, where she had seen her husband confirmed as the new ruler. When her carriage drove down the street in which her father Servius had fallen it ran across his dead body.
The street in which King Servius Tullius was assassinated and run over was henceforth known as the vicus sceleratus, the �street of guilt�.
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
Tarquin the Proud
The seventh and final king of Rome was one Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (Superbus in this case simply signifies him as Tarquin �the Proud� and it was a title attributed to him much later by Roman historians).
Tradition holds that Tarquin �the Proud� was the son of Tarquin �the Elder�, though logic suggests that he more likely was a grandson. (Tarquin the Elder died in old age, his successor, Servius Tullius ruled for 44 years and Tarquin himself ruled for another 24/25 years.)
Having come to power by means of a violent conspiracy, Tarquin the Proud lacked any kind of legitimacy. He therefore governed Rome by much the same methods than those he�d used to win the throne. Tarquin was a tyrant similar to those which had seized power in many other Hellenistic kingdoms. His only means of sustaining his position were violence and oppression.
He pronounced himself the supreme judge of Rome, granting himself complete authority over capital cases without the accused having any recourse of appeal.
This privilege Tarquin now exploited to rid himself of any potential rivals. More so, the possessions of the convicted were then seized by the monarch.
One of the victims of these seizures was the father of one Lucius Iunius Brutus, the very man who should come to eventually overthrow him.
If Tarquin governed Rome as a petty, sometimes vindictive tyrant, his performance as a military commander and diplomat was more impressive.
He harassed and cajoled the Latin League into accepting Rome as its official head (the so-called �Treaty of Ferentia�), thereby tying the Latins into the Roman military machine, effectively doubling Rome�s military power in a single stroke.
This new military power was then put to use against the neighbouring tribe of the Volcians. Two cities were conquered; one by storm, the other, the city of Gabii, by deceit.
The spoils of this successful campaign were put to use in public works. Roman tradition ascribes the completion of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus to Tarquin �the Proud�, although today it is widely believed to have been completed by Servius Tullius.
But Tarquin is further thought to have continued the process of draining the forum, built and improved roads and strengthened the city�s defences.
Such public construction was, however, also the product of Tarquin�s oppression. Much of the labour was forcibly obtained from the plebeians.
A legend of considerable importance which attached itself to Tarquin was that of the Sibylline Books. The story goes that the famous Sibyl, a mythical prophetess known throughout the Hellenistic world, appeared before King Tarquin and offered him nine books, containing great wisdom. The price she demanded was astronomical. Tarquin declined. Unflustered, the Sibyl then threw three of the book sin the fire, only to demand the same price for the remaining six books. Unnerved, Tarquin though again declined only to see another three of the books tossed into the flames. Once more the Sibyl demanded the price. Tarquin relented, if only to save what knowledge was left.
If the Sibyl was legend, the Sibylline Books are indeed thought to have existed, though their origin is unknown. The books were repeatedly consulted for divine guidance in the republican era during times of crisis and were eventually destroyed when fire consumed the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in 83 BC.
With the wealthy living in fear of prosecution, should Tarquin deem them a threat or take a fancy to their possessions, and the poor being used to labour in public construction, all Rome have been seething with resentment towards her ruler.
When finally revolution occurred, Tarquin was not in the city, but engaged in another military campaign.
The final straw had been the rape of the noblewoman Lucretia by Tarquin�s son Sextus set the city alight. The nobles made their move, led by Lucius Iunius Brutus, declared themselves against Tarquin and instead announced Rome to be a republic (510/509 BC).
The army quickly came over to the rebels and Tarquin the Proud was forced into exile.
The early days of the Roman republic saw a bitter struggle for independence against Tarquin�s attempts to regain his throne. Nonetheless Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the tyrant of Rome, would never achieve control again. The Roman monarchy had fallen.
Epilogue
It goes without saying that we have to take much of the history of the Roman kings with a pinch of salt. Much of this is mere myth and legend, though it evidently contains kernels of truth.
Some of the myths, may indeed be of considerable significance to the very nature of Rome and its future achievement.
The very seed that created the Roman mentality which was to create the republic may indeed have lain in that heartfelt belief that they were a breed of refugees, criminals and runaway slaves who sought shelter at the asylum on the Capitoline Hill under king Romulus. Such an identity may have fostered the communal feeling of equality which we find reflected again and again in Roman history. Rome was divided by wealth and privilege, yet she believed in the essential equality of men. Albeit that some later claimed nobility or divine descent, the Romans were not pretentious about their origins. The ambiguities surrounding the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, the refuge on the Capitoline Hill and the legend regarding the �Rape of the Sabine Women� demonstrate that very aptly.
Believing themselves at least spiritual descendents of the uprooted, the fleeing and criminals in search of a second chance, it is perhaps not surprising that they should form a society which should eventually rid itself of its king and forge ahead with a government by the people for the people.
As with so much of Roman history changes to the constitution tended to be gradual. We find aspects republican constitution emerged under the kings.
Not least the fact that monarchy was never deemed to be hereditary in Rome most have had a important part to play in the development of republican ideals.
Far more the king was elected by the people, formerly appointed by the senate, an advisory body of patricians.
However, the Roman monarch's rule was a total one. He possessed the right of capital punishment, was responsibility for foreign relations and war, for public security, public works, justice and proper maintenance of religion.
The very symbol of this total power were the fasces; the rods to scourge and the axe with which to behead the condemned.
But this royal power was tempered by the principle of consultation with the senate. This was the tradition that Tarquin the Proud ignored to his peril. Early Rome would simply not bear the arbitrary use of power by a tyrant.
Nonetheless it remains questionable how much longer a monarchy could have lasted were Tarquin to have been a wise and benign ruler. Most likely its time was up. Rome had evolved. Rome�s growing power and influence meant that her elite were growing richer and more powerful. The total rule of one could simply no longer be sustained with the patricians demanding a role for themselves in the running of affairs.
In all this we should perhaps also not underestimate the influence of the Greeks. Greek traders living in Rome may have introduced democratic ideas which the Romans, ever pragmatic, shaped into something of their own.
Perhaps the very notion of Rome�s growth to a substantial town of rising regional power and prestige meant that it became subject to the influence of �dangerous foreign ideas�, such as democracy. These would weaken the monarchy, sapping its support from the nobles and the people alike. So with a egalitarian spirit at the heart of Roman mentality, an ever more confident and ambitious elite seeking to have a share of power and Greek ideas undermining its standing among the people, the Roman monarchy may indeed have been doomed at the end of the sixth century. Rome�s future was to be a republic.
-
For the next chapter please select �The Early Republic�
This page was last updated on 7th April 2012.
Author: F. Cavazzi
| Lucius Tarquinius Superbus |
Who did Rocky fight for the title in the original film? | Who Are These Seven Kings?
"And There Are Seven Kings"
Who Are These Seven Kings?
by Bob Pickle
Questions and Answers
Introduction
In Revelation 17, John sees a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast. This beast has seven heads and ten horns. Who is the woman and what are the heads?
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Rev. 17:18)
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Rev. 17:9)
The city that reigned over the kings of the earth for so long and which sits on seven hills is unquestionably Rome. Somehow connected with this scene are seven kings:
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Rev. 17:10)
It is these seven kings that we want to deal with in this paper. Basically, there are three different interpretations that could be considered about who these seven kings are:
Seven Individual Kings: This interpretation has a couple variations. Some try to identify seven individual emperors (a typical preterist view), and others seven individual popes.
Seven Kingdoms: This interpretation typically identifies the first five kings either as being Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome; or as being Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
Seven Forms of Roman Government: This interpretation typically identifies the first five kings as being five of the following forms of government: a) kings, b) consuls, c) dictators, d) decemvirate, e) military tribunes with consular power, and f) triumvirate.
When Are Five Fallen?
One of the most important questions that needs to be answered is: When is it true that five kings have fallen? Is this something that is true in John's day or at the end of time?
Revelation 17 is much like Daniel 11. While most of the prophecies of these books are dreams and visions of pictorial scenes, these two chapters are largely conversations between an angel and the prophet.
We do have another example on a smaller scale of this kind of thing in Revelation 11:
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. . . .
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Rev. 11:3, 7)
Notice the future tenses. The one speaking to John places both the preaching and the slaying of the two witnesses into the future. Thus the time context of the conversation with John is prior to those events. And yet:
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (Rev. 11:11, 12)
Notice the past tenses. Now John is describing what he actually saw in the vision, not a conversation with some heavenly being. He describes scenes he saw of the future as if they were already past.
When John describes scenes of the future that he saw, he describes them as being past. When John records a conversation explaining future events, he describes those events as if they are yet future. We may safely conclude that the time context of such a conversation is John's day. Thus, when the angel speaks to John in Revelation 17 about the five kings being already fallen, he is speaking of them already being fallen in John's day, not at the end of time.
We could have looked at other passages in Revelation to arrive at the same conclusion, but it may be significant that we used Revelation 11, for it is only in Revelation 11 and in Revelation 17 that we find an explicit statement about a beast arising out of a bottomless pit.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Rev. 11:7)
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. . . .
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit . . . . (Rev. 17:3, 8)
One last thought on this matter:
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Rev. 17:3, 8, 12)
John saw scenes of a beast and horns as if they already existed. After this, he is told that the beast doesn't yet exist again, and that the horns have no kingdom yet. So he saw them as if they already existed, but he is told they don't exist yet. This would be true if the time context of the angel's conversation was in John's day.
Several Possibilities Ruled Out
If five kings were already fallen in John's day, we can narrow down the possibilities for the identification of the seven kings. The idea that they are seven popes is out, as well as the idea that they are seven kingdoms beginning with Babylon. If they are indeed seven kingdoms, the sequence would have to start with Egypt, for if we start the sequence with Babylon, only the three kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece would be fallen in John's day.
In considering the idea of the seven heads representing seven individual emperors, those holding this view have differing opinions about which seven are intended, depending on when it is believed that John wrote his book. Here are three different lists that have been given:
Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, and Galba.
Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, and Titus.
Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, and Nerva.
The problem with the last two lists is that there doesn't seem to be any logical reason to exclude the emperors prior to Claudius and Galba. Why not include Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula? But that would then give us too many kings.
The first list necessitates that John be exiled to Patmos during the reign of Nero, which seems unlikely. Julius Caesar was never really an emperor. And what would be the point of ending with Galba? What would be the point of the prophecy?
The Ten Kings
Daniel 7:24 also speaks of ten horns representing ten kings, which parallels Daniel 2's ten toes. Of those toes we are told:
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Dan. 2:44)
These ten kings arise out of the fourth kingdom in both Daniel 2 and 7. (The four kingdoms are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.) When Rome broke up in the fifth century, ten nations arose in western Europe, most of which still exist today. What Daniel 2:44 is telling us is that these kingdoms will still be around when Jesus returns at His second coming. Clearly, the ten kings of Daniel 2 and 7 are still around at the end of time.
If the ten horns of Revelation 17 are also ten kings at the end of time, they must be the same ten kings as those in Daniel 2 and 7. Otherwise we would have to have twenty kings, two sets of ten, at the end of time.
The Seven Kings
Where should we look to find the seven kings? We'll glean some possible answers by looking at Rome's seven hills and her history.
The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Rev. 17:9)
The names of these seven hills are:
Aventine
Servius Tullius
Lucius Tarquinius Superbus
To this list we can add an eighth. Titus Tatius ruled jointly with Romulus after the Sabines, of whom he was king, united with the Romans.
The history or legend of Rome's founding tells us this about the kings and the hills:
Romulus first built on the Palatine
and the Capitoline.
When Tullus defeated the Albans, the Caelian was included in the city.
Ancus annexed the Aventine to the city limits.
Servius added to the city the Quirinal,
the Viminal,
and later the Esquiline.
While the Emperor Aurelian during his reign from 270-275 AD extended Rome's walls further than these hills, the old "Wall of Servius" included just these seven (most of the Caelian and the Esquiline, and all of the other five) within Rome's limits. This Wall of Servius was named after the sixth king who had supposedly extended the walls that far, but modern authorities feel it was built after the Gauls destroyed Rome in 390 BC. Regardless of which is true, in John's day there were just seven hills enclosed by the walls of Rome.
One Possibility Left
Since all of the seven original kings of Rome were kings of Rome, and since all the seven hills of Rome were within the walls of Rome, it would make sense for the seven kings of Revelation 17 to also all be in some way a part of Rome. This suggests that we should consider the idea that the seven kings of Revelation 17 are seven forms of government within Rome.
Significance of the Crowns
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (Rev. 12:3)
The crowns are upon the heads. Why?
While the dragon is primarily Satan, it is also secondarily pagan Rome, since it was through pagan Rome that Satan persecuted the church after Christ's ascension (Rev. 12:5, 6, 12, 13). Since pagan Rome had a strong central government, having crowns upon the seven heads of the dragon makes sense.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Rev. 13:1)
No crowns are upon the heads. Instead, they are upon the horns. Why?
Papal Rome was not the strong central government that pagan Rome had been. Papal Rome consisted of independent, sovereign nations held together by a common religion headed by the pope. Crowns upon the horns instead of upon the heads symbolized this fact. It was the horns that were sovereign, not the beast itself.
A similar picture is found in Daniel 2. Clay holds together iron fragments, somewhat, in the feet and toes. Likewise, the beast holds together, somewhat, the ten horns with their crowns. During the Middle Ages what unity there was between the nations of Europe was only somewhat. It was the papacy that provided a unifying force, but whatever unity was achieved was never complete. Constantly there was political intrigue, political differences, and outright war.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Rev. 17:3)
The beast of Revelation 17 has no crowns at all, suggesting that the form of government being represented by this beast is one that has no king. Indeed, this thought is not new.
"The beast that was," denotes the ROMAN REPUBLIC, that was 1900 years ago. "And is not." That is, it was not when John was having his vision in A. D. 96, because Imperial Rome was then the form of government, and continued to be until A. D. 538, when the seventh form of government came, viz: Papal Rome. "Even he is the eighth." The eighth undoubtedly is, as we have shown, the two-horned beast with its image, a symbol of the people of Republican America, as they are and will be. "And is of the seven." The eighth will cause all under his influence to worship the one that is called the seventh. (Joseph Bates, Advent Review, 8/5/1851, p.4)
The present author would differ a little with the above, but the point is that Bates identified the beast of Revelation 17, the one without crowns, as being a republic, a revival of the republicanism of old Rome, a republicanism that was dead at the time John wrote the book of Revelation. This coincides with the idea that the absence of crowns indicates a government that has no king.
Search for a Common Tie
Four passages are linguistically tied together in Revelation, while their typical interpretations have been totally unrelated.
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Rev. 9:11)
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Rev. 11:7)
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: (Rev. 17:8)
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (Rev. 13:11)
Typically, historicists have identified the beast from the bottomless pit in chapter 11 as being France during its Revolution, while the beast from the bottomless pit of chapter 17 has been identified as a revived papacy. The king, the angel of the bottomless pit of chapter 9, has been identified in some way with Islam (see "The Seven Trumpets of Revelation, Were the Later Reformers Right?" ). The beast of Revelation 13 that has no crowns on either his head or his horns, just like the beast of Revelation 17, has been identified with the United States. Four very different interpretations. Is there nothing that ties these symbols together?
There indeed is something, and that something is republicanism. An atheistic brand of republicanism or democracy wrecked havoc during the French Revolution. A Protestant brand of republicanism gave birth to the freedoms found in the United States. And the Moslems?
In Mecca despotism was impossible. The fierce, free-born Arabs of the desert would tolerate no master, and their innate democracy had been sanctioned by the Prophet, who had explicitly declared that all Believers were Brothers. The Meccan caliphate was a theocratic democracy. Abu Bekr and Omar were elected by the people, and held themselves responsible to public opinion . . . . (Lothrop Stoddard, The New World of Islam 6, 7)
So when we read, "And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition" (Rev. 17:11), we are reading about a confederacy of republics, a revival of the republican form of government of old Rome. Republicanism and democracy is the only conceivable tie between the four passages.
This Beast, That Beast, Which Beast?
Revelation talks about the dragon and several beasts. How do we keep from confusing one beast with another?
Revelation 13 gives us a clue. The first beast of Revelation 13:1-10 seems to be consistently called throughout the book "the beast." The second beast of 13:11 is identified as "another beast," and then is never called a "beast" again. Instead, to prevent confusion, he is called the "false prophet" in Revelation 16:13; 19:20; and 20:10. In all three of these passages he appears along side "the beast." Both are pictured together. One is called "the beast," and the other is called "the false prophet."
What this suggests is that whenever we read about "the beast," we must be reading about the first beast of Revelation 13.
If John sees things that he has already seen before, he prefaces his words with "the." If he is seeing something new, he omits the "the."
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast . . . . (Rev. 17:3)
Apparently John is indicating that he is seeing something new, something different than "the beast" he saw in Revelation 16:13. We would then expect that in every place afterwards where the first beast of Revelation 13 is intended, he will be identified as "the beast." In every place where the beast of Revelation 17 is intended, some sort of qualifier will be added to enable us to distinguish him from the first beast of Revelation 13.
What makes this more apparent is the fact that Revelation 16:13 pictures the dragon, beast, and false prophet all involved in getting people to the Battle of Armageddon. Then we have the scarlet beast of Revelation 17. Then we have an actual picture of the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19:19 ff., in which the dragon, beast, and false prophet are all seen. Clearly, the beast of 16:13 must be the same as the beast of 19:20. In as much as the scarlet beast of chapter 17 is "a beast" instead of "the beast," he must be a totally different beast set apart by some sort of qualifiers wherever he is mentioned.
Verse-by-Verse Analysis
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (Rev. 17:7)
Which beast? Clearly the qualifier identifies this beast as the one John just saw, the scarlet beast.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Rev. 17:8)
Which beast? The scarlet beast. Republicanism was the order of the day before Augustus Caesar. It was not in John's day. It would ascend and be a dominant force in the end.
Interestingly, not until World War I did this even begin to come true (though it almost did during the revolutions of 1848). During World War I, the monarchies of Turkey, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia all met their demise, and the world has been marching on toward a confederacy of republics and democracies ever since. Not that communist Russia fit the bill, but that's where the world has been heading ever since World War I.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Rev. 17:9, 10)
As mentioned before, the interpretation being suggested here typically identifies the first five kings as being five of the following forms of government: a) kings, b) consuls, c) dictators, d) decemvirate, e) military tribunes with consular power, and f) triumvirate. Some expositors have left out military tribunes, and others have left out the triumvirate, but both of these were legitimate heads of the government at one time or another. Perhaps the simplest solution to needing to choose five of the six is to start with the founding of the Republic in 509 BC. This then leaves out the monarchial from of government from the list. Would this be permissible?
The records of the seven monarchs who reigned before the Republic start with Romulus. His father was said to be the god Mars, and he was suckled as an infant by a she-wolf. Obviously, there are aspects of the story that are fictitious. For such reasons, the list of seven kings is often called "legendary."
The last three of the seven monarchs were Etruscans, not Romans. After the founding of the Republic in 509 BC, we have Rome being ruled by Romans. This suggests that perhaps we should start the five at that time.
Daniel 7:7 said that Rome was diverse from all other beasts before it, and it was. Babylon, Persia, and the Grecian Empire founded by Alexander did not repeatedly change their form of government like Rome did. They also were monarchies, not republics. Rome indeed was diverse.
. . . and one is . . . . (Rev. 17:10)
The imperial form of government was the one that existed in John's day. This would be the sixth head.
. . . and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Rev. 17:10)
Some have suggested that the seventh head was the Exarch of Ravenna. Since he didn't rule from Rome, this does not seem likely. Each of the seven heads should be a form of government that ruled from the seven hilled city of Rome.
It therefore seems more probable that this seventh head is the medieval papacy. Yet how could his 1260-year-long reign be considered a short space?
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (Rev. 12:12)
This is spoken probably soon after Christ's ascension (Rev. 12:5). The "short time" the devil has would then last from Christ's ascension to the end of time. If the last 2000 years can be called a "short time," surely 1260 years can be called a "short space."
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. (Rev. 17:11)
Which beast? The qualifier points back to verse 8, which in turn pointed us to the scarlet beast. So the scarlet beast of Revelation 17 must be the "eighth king."
Interestingly, there is an eighth hill of great significance over at Rome. It sits across on the other side of the Tiber River from the original seven. It is the Vatican. Aurelian's walls never surrounded it. Until around 850 AD, it sat outside of Rome. After the papacy returned from Avignon, France, in the 1370's, the Vatican Hill became the headquarters for the papacy.
Thus we have a prophecy that the world in the end of time will become a conglomeration of republics and democracies under the spiritual leadership of the a papacy, the grand headquarters of which will be upon the eighth hill.
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Rev. 17:12)
A popular rendering of the phrase "one hour" has been "at the same time." Thus these ten kings, already identified with the ten toes and horns of Daniel 2 and 7, receive their kingdom at the same time as the beast.
Which beast? Since there are no qualifiers here, the beast referred to would be the first beast of chapter 13, not the scarlet beast of chapter 17. That being so, we have a picture here of the ten nations of western Europe coming to power at the same time as the papacy did, and that is precisely what happened during the fifth century.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. (Rev. 17:13)
This indeed happened during the Middle Ages, but it would appear that the prophet is speaking more specifically of end-time events. Thus we have a prediction that the ten horns, now republics and democracies instead of monarchies, will again surrender their sovereignty in some way to the papal power.
Similar wording is used in verse 17:
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. (Rev. 17:17)
The woman who sits upon the scarlet beast must certainly be a representation of at least the papacy. Thus when the ten kings give their kingdom to the beast, this is the same as saying that they are giving their kingdom to the woman. For this reason she was pictured riding upon the scarlet beast, whom she had under her control. Yet a predicted change is to come:
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Rev. 17:15)
The very ones who gave her her power would be the instruments of taking it away. Thus it was in 1798. The French nation was to a large extent responsible for the papacy's initial power. That very same nation took that power away.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Rev. 17:14)
We are thus given a view of the political landscape of the world at the time of the battle of Armageddon. Under the spiritual leadership of the papacy, a conglomeration of republics and democracies unite in rebellion against the mild and beneficient rule of Christ.
Opinions of Other Writers
In all fairness I should acknowledge those who have expressed similar opinions before me.
W. B. Godbey in his Commentary on the New Testament says regarding Revelation 12:3:
The seven heads and seven diadems emblematize the seven governments of Rome, the mighty empire of Satan; i.e., the kings, consuls, dictators, triumvirs, tribunes, emperors, and popes, who ruled the world two thousand years. The ten horns are the ten great political powers into which the Roman world was disintegrated when the barbarians dethroned the Csars.
Regarding Revelation 17:11, he states:
The kings, consuls, dictators, triumvirs, tribunes, emperors, and popes constitute the seven heads of the Roman beast.
Godbey specifies the reign of the seventh, the popes, as being 1260 years. He identifies the beast who is an eighth as being the papacy in the end of time.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible states regarding Revelation 17:7-14:
This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills on which Rome stands; and seven kings, seven sorts of government. Five were gone by when this prophecy was written; one was then in being; the other was yet to come. This beast, directed by the papacy, makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again.
Family New Testament Notes on Revelation 17:10:
This is understood by many as representing the seven forms of civil government which prevailed in Rome�kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, military tribunes, emperors, and the exarchate of Ravenna; for here, as in verse 12, a king denotes not an individual, but a succession of rulers.
The learned Baptist commentator John Gill on Revelation 17:10:
... but by the seven heads are meant so many forms of government which took place successively in the Roman empire, and were all of them idolatrous heads, as kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, tribunes, emperors, and popes; it being usual for any sort of governors, or governments and monarchies, to be called kings, ...
Adam Clarke, the prominent Wesleyan commentator, states on 6B:1167 of his work:
The seven heads of the beast are therefore the following: The regal power, the dictatorship, the power of the praetors, the consulate, the triumvirate, the imperial power, and the patriciate.
Uriah Smith wrote an entire tract on the subject. Regarding Osiander he writes:
And one of the earliest Protestant commentators, Osiander, as early as 1511, names the whole seven as we have them; namely, Kings, Consuls, Decemvirs, Dictators, Triumvirs, Emperors, and Popes, as the forms of Roman government represented by the seven heads of the dragon of Revelation 12, and the seven-headed beasts of Revelation 13 and Revelation 17. (The Seven Heads 2)
He also writes concerning Elliot, and in the process refers to the views of Mede, Newton, Daubuz, King James, Pareus, Aretius, Napier, Brightman, and Fulco:
Elliott, in his Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. 3, page 102, introduces an argument to show that "all the mutations of the seven-headed beast, from its earliest beginning to the end, must be confined to the seven-hilled locality;" that is, to Rome. As to the application of the seven heads themselves, he further says on page 106: "In explanation, then, of the first six heads, I adopt, with the most entire satisfaction, that generally received Protestant interpretation, which, following the authoritative statements of Livy and Tacitus (the latter great historian John's own contemporary), enumerates Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, and Military Tribunes, and the five first constitutional heads of the Roman city and commonwealth; then, as the sixth, the Imperial head, commencing with Octavian, better known as Augustus Caesar." He then refers to the view of Mede and Bishop Newton, that the seventh head was the dukedom of Rome, under the Exarchate of Ravenna, about sixty years. Page 110. Further, on pages 119-121, he presents evidence to show that the papacy is the last, or eighth, head. ... A footnote on the words, "generally received Protestant interpretation," page 106, as quoted above, presents these facts: "Daubuz, page 514, attributes its discovery to King James. But I find it noticed in the early Protestant commentator, Pareus, page 422, as the solution of Aretius, Napier, and Brightman; each of whom probably - some of them certainly - preceded King James. ...
Again he quotes a work by Fulco on the Apocalypse, London, 1573, who, writing in Latin, gives the Latin name of the seven heads, as follows: "Reges, Consules, Decemviri, Triumviri, Dectatores, Caesares, Pontifex" (the pope). (The Seven Heads 38,39)
William Miller expressed two different opinions on the matter:
Republican Rome had five different offices under that particular form of government--her senatorial, tribunate, consular, decemvir, and tirumvirate. These are fallen. One is, (that was when John wrote his prophecy,) Imperial, and the other had not yet come, Kingly, which is the same as the ten horns. ( Miller's Works 2:80)
IN this verse we are taught that John had a vision, and saw himself standing among the tumultuous nations of the earth; and he saw the Roman kingdom rise up out of the nations, having seven forms, or all kinds of governments, seven being a perfect number in this prophecy. Heads denote governments, or supreme power: 1, Republican; 2, Consular; 3, Decemvir; 4, Dictatorial; 5, Triumvirate; 6, Imperial; 7, Kingly. (Remarks on Revelation Thirteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth 5)
Questions and Answers
Q. Can the word "fallen" refer to governments? Should it not be applied to the death of individuals instead?
A. In Acts 15:16, it is most definitely used to refer to a form of government which has lost its power. As far as individuals go, it may be doubtful that the word "fallen" can refer to a natural death. If we interpret the seven kings as either seven emperors or seven popes, we would have to have at least some of the first five dying natural deaths, and then how could it be said that they had "fallen"?
Q. I've heard that we should start the sequence of seven kings in 1929. What about this?
A. A simple problem with this idea is that the seven popes identified as coming after 1929 never ruled the seven hills. The papacy lost control of the seven hills of Rome in 1870 for the last time. It seems more appropriate to start the sequence while the woman still controlled the seven hills.
Another problem is that we would then have the horns coming before the heads. Unquestionably the ten horns must be the same as the ten toes and horns of Daniel 2 and 7. If the heads don't come until 1929, then the horns predate the heads by over 1400 years, for the horns all arose in the fifth century.
Q. Are you sure that we are talking about two different beasts in Revelation 17, "the beast" and the scarlet beast?
A. We have two possibilities: Either this one or the possibility that the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit in chapter 11 is not the same as the one that ascends from the bottomless pit in chapter 17. Though both possibilities seem a bit awkward, which is the more plausible of the two?
If the scarlet beast of chapter 17 is the papacy, it cannot also be the beast that slays the witnesses in chapter 11 (cf. Great Controversy 268, 269). Yet in chapter 17 we definitely have the papacy brought to view (SDA Bible Commentary 7:983). It appears that it is the woman that is the papacy, not the beast she is riding upon (Ibid.). Thus we have the woman of Revelation 17 representing the same power as the first beast of Revelation 13, while the scarlet beast represents something that is supporting her at some point in time.
| i don't know |
What was the rank Steve McQueen's character in The Great Escape? | Hilts in The Great Escape | BAMF Style
Hilts in The Great Escape
Steve McQueen as the unflappable Capt. Hilts in The Great Escape (1963).
This weekend marked the 69th anniversary of “The Great Escape”, the mass escape of allied airmen from the German-controlled Stalag Luft III in Lower Silesia. The escape, which involved the efforts of 600 men, achieved the goal of RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell to “make life hell for the Hun.”
In 1963, the story was filmed by the Mirisch Company as The Great Escape.
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Capt. Virgil Hilts, U.S. Army Air Force pilot and escape artist
Silesia, Spring 1944
Release Date: July 4, 1963
Director: John Sturges
Wardrobe Credit: Bert Henrikson
Background
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’ve heard of The Great Escape and have hopefully seen it roughly a hundred times in your life. Since there’s not much more for me to say about it, here’s a great bit from British comedian Eddie Izzard from Dress to Kill, about the film and McQueen’s attire in particular.
The Great Escape, now there’s a film. A lot of British actors, I’m British, so link up there. Steve McQueen, action hero; action transvestite, linkup there. The story is based on a true story about 76 British prisoners, I think, who escaped from the prisoner of war camp in Silesia, in Poland. They’re all experts at escaping; they’ve escaped from lots of other prisons, and they’re all put together, so they say, “Hey, let’s work together.”
Steve McQueen plays the American guy who is dropped into British films in order to make them sell… in America, that is, because you’d go, “Oh, I’m not gonna see it, it’s full of British guys, and what the fuck do I know about British things?”…
In The Great Escape, they say, “Look, we’re gonna do the biggest escape in the history of people escaping from things they shouldn’t. Fantastic.”
And Steve isn’t really a part of this, he’s just hanging out, playing baseball, runs with the van, does an escape, gets caught, covered in mud, and stuff like that; but the British are working away, they’re digging three tunnels – Charley, Barley and Farley. No, four tunnels, Charley, Barley, Farley and Wally; no, five tunnels, Charley, Barley, Farley and Wally… Nobody expects the Spanish tunnel king!
And they’re digging away, and there’s people in charge of shoveling it up, people putting breathing apparatus in, putting things on trolleys, lighting apparatus; people disguising the entrance of the tunnel so it looks like a kibbutz or something; people saying, “I’ve turned my uniform inside out, turned up my collar, I’ve turned my buttocks into a hat, and I now look like a German officer… but I have no buttocks.”
“Jawol, mein Herr. So habe ich linge wenige. Locherbekommen.”
“Well done, Simpkins. That’s a line from Monty Python, isn’t it?”
Donald Pleasance is doing forgeries on bits of tin can with a bit of jam. Clang! And on the day of the escape, they’re all there, and Steve McQueen has joined up in the escape, and the British have trilby hats on, overcoats, canoe, a bit of a rabbit… And Steve’s just there in jeans and a T-shirt, disguised as an American man! He romps out, jumps in a motorbike, knocks a guy off, and within 15 minutes, he’s in the borders of Switzerland. This is from Poland! And if you don’t know the geography, it goes Poland, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Venezuela, Africa, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon… and then Switzerland, where the Nazi gold comes from. I love the way you do that! Whenever I say something slightly weird, you all mutter. “I’m catching the ferry right now!”
Anyway, so yes, so Steve’s just damn cool, he jumps on the motorbike, and as soon as he gets on, the music cuts to (sings action film theme). The British are all down at the train station. “Can’t we do a motorbike? Damn!”
“Yes, a train ticket to… Ich möchte einen ticket to nach… London. No, not London! Calais! That’s nice and Nazi, isn’t it?”
“Ihre Pässe, bitte.”
“It’s a bit clangy and a bit jammy…”
“Yes, I’m from the steel and jam area of Stuttgart.”
The British are getting hassled, and Steve is away, and he gets to Switzerland. Remember, Jim Rockford nicks an airplane in that film, and he flies to Switzerland, and he gets about 20 miles away from it in an airplane! Steve is on a fucking motorbike and he gets there! Before him! What’s he got in the fucking motorbike, jet wings? I dunno!
So yeah, all the British are getting hassled, the Gestapo are after them, people are on rowing boats, some on bicycles, one on a rabbit, in a kangaroo, you know, in pogo stick. Steve’s motor biking away… Steve’s over the first line of bared wire, “Go, Steve, go!” Into the second line of barbed wire… Nearly makes it, doesn’t quite, but lives to tell the tale.
Meanwhile, the British are all rounded up and shot in the head! Now what signals is this giving to kids from the different countries, Britain and America? American kids watching Steve, saying, “Steve, you’re damn cool! Yeah, I’m fucking with you, man, all the way! Absolutely! Lived to tell the tale, good on you!” You know? I don’t know why he’s Australian, but anyway… “Absolutely. G’day.” But we’re just watching it and thinking, “We’re fucked! All that planning, the logistics, everything, and we get fucking blown away.”
What’d He Wear?
The A-2 Bomber Jacket Ensemble
While Eddie may have been a bit off in his “jeans and a T-shirt” disguise, his point remains. The only difference in McQueen’s wardrobe from the first part of the film to the escape is the addition of a black military-style peacoat, which we don’t see for long anyway.
Upon his arrival to Stalag Luft III, Hilts is immediately differentiated from the rest of the POWs by his wardrobe. All of the others, primarily Englishmen, are in variations of a dress uniform or at least attire more typical of military airmen. Captain Hilts, on the other hand, has on his airman’s leather jacket over a sweatshirt and chinos. It’s believable enough that a downed U.S. airman would have these items of clothing, but it launches Hilts to the forefront, giving American audiences an anti-hero protagonist to identify with and cheer for.
Plus he likes baseball so take THAT, Hitler!
McQueen’s jacket is a classic Type A-2 leather flight jacket in dark seal brown. This was the standard jacket for U.S. Army Air Force pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. Although he is the cheeky sort who would wear whatever jacket he wants whenever he wants, the jacket’s designation of “Jacket, Pilot’s (Summer)” indicates that he was shot down during the summer of 1942.
The jacket follows standard A-2 design: shirt-style snap-down collars, shoulder straps (or epaulettes), and knit cuffs and waistband. V-shaped flapped pockets on each hip fasten with a single snap. The lining is a dark red lightweight silk. The leather is likely horsehide, although some were also made from goatskin and cowhide. On his left shoulder is the blue “Hap Arnold Emblem” shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
The Cooler King looks pretty “cool” in his bomber jacket, ha ha.
Okay, I’ll stop.
Interestingly, the A-2 jacket was one of the first articles of clothing to feature a zipper, which had slowly been developed through the early years of the century before the deciding “Battle of the Fly” in 1937, which boosted zipper sales from 139 million to over 500 million in 1941. Most of the wartime A-2 jackets featured zippers made by Talon.
Apparently, the reproduction jacket made for the film was a Rough Wear 22752. Rough Wear, a company based out of Middletown, PA, was indeed a manufacturer of A-2s during the war.
Underneath, Hilts wears an interesting shirt that explains even more of his personality. At first, it appears to be a standard T-shirt, appropriately colored in “Air Force blue”. When he removes his jacket, we see that it is more like a short-sleeve sweatshirt based on the medium weight fabric, seams, piping, and raglan sleeves. While I’ve never worn an item like this myself, it looks as though it would be very comfortable. Hilts is the sort of person who, given the amount of time he spends in solitary confinement, would probably embrace comfort.
Look how comfy he looks compared to those stodgy Brits!
Hilts wears his silver Captain rank bars on the inside of his shirt collar, concealed but easily displayed when he needs to prove to a group of MP40-wielding Nazis that he is not a spy.
Well, shit.
Hilts’ trousershave received some unfair attention for being historically inaccurate. Apparently, the people who make these complaints either don’t realize or don’t care that his entire character is made up and no Americans were involved in the escape at all. Perhaps they should stop complaining about a pair of pants in a movie. But I digress…
“OMG this movie has lost all credibility because of the era his pants were likely made in,” according to legions of idiots.
The controversial trousersare a pair of khaki flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms. The controversy stems from the rather slim fit of the pants, also known as “drainpipe trousers”, which don’t jibe with the wider-fitting pants of the era. Hilts’ trousers have two slanted pockets on the front and two rear pockets: jetted on the left, flapped on the right. There are seven widely-spaced belt loops around the waistband, but no belt is worn.
When watching Steve McQueen in a film, expect to see lots of pairs of brown boots. In this case, he has a good reason. Hilts sports a pair of brown M-43 Type III service boots in roughout leather. (Roughout leather is the flesh side of skin. You may think this looks like suede, but suede is thinner and likely wouldn’t be found on a pair of military boots.)
These are the best shots you get of Steve’s shoes.
On the right, even Mac and Bartlett are awed by his footwear.
These are not boondockers, the USMC name for their boots, although they look similar enough. The roughout leather is a medium brown and brown laces are tied through the eight eyelets on the ankle.
Hilts wears a thin gold necklace around his neck with a round gold-colored pendant. So far as I know, this is not explained in the film and is likely just Steve McQueen being Steve McQueen, as we see a similar necklace in Bullitt and other films. On his left ring finger is a wide silver ring, not clearly a wedding band, but in the traditional place of one. The Hilts character takes on a whole new level for me if it turns out that the hot shot engineering student who joined the war to show off his skills with planes and motorcycles was also married. Thoughts?
Not the best of Steve’s faces.
Hilts’ wristwatch, worn on his right wrist, has been identified as a Rolex Speedking, the watch offered to British POWs in German camps by Hans Wildorf, the Swiss director of Rolex at the time. The story behind this, with its fascinating ties to the real life escape, can be found here .
Seriously, for being one of his greatest movies, Steve sure makes an awful lot of silly faces.
The watch itself has a round steel case, black dial, and brown strap.
Odds and Ends
Just prior to the 4th of July segment, Hilts is seen wearing a variant of a brown A1 engineer’s jumper, a U.S. Army Air Force garment that it is not surprising to see in his possession. However, it is strange that we only see him wearing it on a date that we know to be the middle of summer. I guess in Poland, summer would be cold.
The only difference between McQueen’s garment and the standard A1 are the buttons on his V-neck collar.
For the 4th of July itself, Hilts sports a light red henley (hey, that’s James Garner’s character ‘s name) underneath a black vest. Were these possibly made as part of the Tom, Dick, and Harry operation? If so, it was ballsy of him to wear it so blatantly in front of the Germans. However, everyone was probably too hopped up on moonshine in these scenes to care. The pendant is best seen during these scenes.
A regular Paul Revere, ain’t he?
As mentioned above, Hilts also opts for a black military peacoat while pulling guys out through the tunnel and escaping the following morning. The coat is a pretty typical 10-button double-breasted peacoat with open slash chest pockets on each side and flapped hip pockets below them. The rear of the peacoat has a decorative belt attached to two buttons. Hilts wears his buttoned up to the neck.
The many sides of Captain Hilts.
Finally, during his escape, Hilts commandeers a Nazi uniform from a sloppy Heer infantryman. He takes the soldier’s tunic, trousers, and helmet. After making it near the Swiss border, Hilts ditches the uniform and – luckily for him – still has his own pants on underneath. Those Polish summers must be really cold!
Thankfully for America, Steve McQueen was not actually a Nazi.
Go Big or Go Home
We’ve had some American-emphasized lifestyles covered here at BAMF Style before (see: Dirty Harry ), but The Great Escape has reason to do so; its hero is an American airman in a German POW camp surrounded by Brits. Of course he will want to embrace his Americanism! How does he do this? The three great American pasttimes: baseball, whiskey, and pissing people off.
Hilts is hardly ever seen without his baseball and accompanying glove. There are few things more American than baseball and a good ol’ American boy like Hilts sticks to his roots. Also, it provides him some opportunities to test the camp’s security…
At least Hilts’ fascination with baseball has purpose, unlike the football-tossing cronies in The Room. Which please tell me you’ve seen.
“Busted again, huh? Well at least it gives me to time to catch up on activity I’ve been doing for the entire film.”
Secondly, Hilts, Henley, and Other American Guy honor their country’s history by making up a batch of “Wow!”-worthy moonshine on the 4th of July. Then they serve it to the British to celebrate over 160 years of not being under their rule. BAMF move, isn’t it?
The third is easy to figure out; Hilts’ attitude is very devil-may-care and he even gets under the skin of some of his own confederates before he decides to help them out.
How to Get the Look
Before any of you hop into your time machines and go back in time to join the Army Air Force, you should know that it’s pretty easy to put a great Hilts-based look together today!
Dark seal brown Type A-2 leather zip-up aviator’s jacket with flapped hip pockets and military insignia
Black military-style peacoat with open side chest pockets and flapped hip pockets
Blue heavy duty sweatshirt with cut-off raglan sleeves
Light khaki flat front “drainpipe trousers” with belt loops, slanted side pockets, flapped right rear pocket, jetted left rear pocket, and plain-hemmed bottoms
Brown M-43 service roughout leather 8-eyelet combat boots
Rolex Speedking wristwatch with a steel case, black dial, and brown strap
Off-white ribbed socks
Wide silver ring, worn on left ring finger
Thin gold necklace with round medallion
The Gun
After stealing the German infantryman’s uniform and motorcycle, a British-made Triumph (but we’re not getting into that), Hilts is lucky enough to find a loaded Luger P08 in the holster. Now, wouldn’t this be a welcome gift for a POW on the run?
The Luger has been ubiquitous in films since the 1930s due to its distinctive and somewhat villainous (because it’s GERMAN) appearance. Even Jerry Seinfeld referred to the Luger on his show … although he was misidentifying a Walther P38, a similar-looking German WWII weapon.
The Luger itself has been around since 1900, initially developed by the Germans with the proprietary 7.65×21 mm Parabellum cartridge, also sold as .30 Luger. Eight years after the introduction of this Luger, the Germans said, “Ach! Let us make it better with a larger bullet!” and the Luger P08 (for 1908) was developed alongside the 9×19 mm Parabellum cartridge. The 9×19 mm today is probably the most common semi-automatic pistol cartridge, but I don’t have any evidence on hand to back that up so just assume I’m right.
The Luger P08 was the standard sidearm of the German military in both World Wars and was gradually phased out over the course of the second by the similar Walther P38. Both pistols were chambered in 9 mm Luger and carried eight rounds, but the difference was primarily in the operating system. Whereas the P38 was traditional double action, the Luger had a distinctive toggle-locked short-recoil action, using a jointed arm rather than the slides seen in most modern semi-automatics.
The Luger was produced from 1900 until 1945, at a price ranging from 13 to 32 Deutschmarks. Now, in 2013, it’s difficult to even find a Luger for sale, let alone one for less than $2,000.
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Buy the movie .
I feel compelled to comment, as this is a sartorial blog, that the cover of the 2-disc “Collector’s Set” DVD strangely has Hilts sporting a blue button-up shirt. I guess they felt a button-up shirt is more heroic than a T-shirt. Whatever.
The Quote
Hilts engages in a verbal duel with the camp commandant, Von Luger (no relation to the gun), after his first escape attempt. While the exchange leads to Hilts being locked away for nearly three weeks, he still manages to come out ahead.
Von Luger: Are all American officers so ill-mannered?
Hilts: Yeah, about 99 percent.
Von Luger: Then perhaps while you are with us you will have a chance to learn some. Ten days isolation, Hilts.
Hilts: Captain Hilts.
| captain hilts |
In which two James Bond films did Jaws appear? | Hilts in The Great Escape | BAMF Style
Hilts in The Great Escape
Steve McQueen as the unflappable Capt. Hilts in The Great Escape (1963).
This weekend marked the 69th anniversary of “The Great Escape”, the mass escape of allied airmen from the German-controlled Stalag Luft III in Lower Silesia. The escape, which involved the efforts of 600 men, achieved the goal of RAF Squadron Leader Roger Bushell to “make life hell for the Hun.”
In 1963, the story was filmed by the Mirisch Company as The Great Escape.
Vitals
Steve McQueen as Capt. Virgil Hilts, U.S. Army Air Force pilot and escape artist
Silesia, Spring 1944
Release Date: July 4, 1963
Director: John Sturges
Wardrobe Credit: Bert Henrikson
Background
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’ve heard of The Great Escape and have hopefully seen it roughly a hundred times in your life. Since there’s not much more for me to say about it, here’s a great bit from British comedian Eddie Izzard from Dress to Kill, about the film and McQueen’s attire in particular.
The Great Escape, now there’s a film. A lot of British actors, I’m British, so link up there. Steve McQueen, action hero; action transvestite, linkup there. The story is based on a true story about 76 British prisoners, I think, who escaped from the prisoner of war camp in Silesia, in Poland. They’re all experts at escaping; they’ve escaped from lots of other prisons, and they’re all put together, so they say, “Hey, let’s work together.”
Steve McQueen plays the American guy who is dropped into British films in order to make them sell… in America, that is, because you’d go, “Oh, I’m not gonna see it, it’s full of British guys, and what the fuck do I know about British things?”…
In The Great Escape, they say, “Look, we’re gonna do the biggest escape in the history of people escaping from things they shouldn’t. Fantastic.”
And Steve isn’t really a part of this, he’s just hanging out, playing baseball, runs with the van, does an escape, gets caught, covered in mud, and stuff like that; but the British are working away, they’re digging three tunnels – Charley, Barley and Farley. No, four tunnels, Charley, Barley, Farley and Wally; no, five tunnels, Charley, Barley, Farley and Wally… Nobody expects the Spanish tunnel king!
And they’re digging away, and there’s people in charge of shoveling it up, people putting breathing apparatus in, putting things on trolleys, lighting apparatus; people disguising the entrance of the tunnel so it looks like a kibbutz or something; people saying, “I’ve turned my uniform inside out, turned up my collar, I’ve turned my buttocks into a hat, and I now look like a German officer… but I have no buttocks.”
“Jawol, mein Herr. So habe ich linge wenige. Locherbekommen.”
“Well done, Simpkins. That’s a line from Monty Python, isn’t it?”
Donald Pleasance is doing forgeries on bits of tin can with a bit of jam. Clang! And on the day of the escape, they’re all there, and Steve McQueen has joined up in the escape, and the British have trilby hats on, overcoats, canoe, a bit of a rabbit… And Steve’s just there in jeans and a T-shirt, disguised as an American man! He romps out, jumps in a motorbike, knocks a guy off, and within 15 minutes, he’s in the borders of Switzerland. This is from Poland! And if you don’t know the geography, it goes Poland, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Venezuela, Africa, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon… and then Switzerland, where the Nazi gold comes from. I love the way you do that! Whenever I say something slightly weird, you all mutter. “I’m catching the ferry right now!”
Anyway, so yes, so Steve’s just damn cool, he jumps on the motorbike, and as soon as he gets on, the music cuts to (sings action film theme). The British are all down at the train station. “Can’t we do a motorbike? Damn!”
“Yes, a train ticket to… Ich möchte einen ticket to nach… London. No, not London! Calais! That’s nice and Nazi, isn’t it?”
“Ihre Pässe, bitte.”
“It’s a bit clangy and a bit jammy…”
“Yes, I’m from the steel and jam area of Stuttgart.”
The British are getting hassled, and Steve is away, and he gets to Switzerland. Remember, Jim Rockford nicks an airplane in that film, and he flies to Switzerland, and he gets about 20 miles away from it in an airplane! Steve is on a fucking motorbike and he gets there! Before him! What’s he got in the fucking motorbike, jet wings? I dunno!
So yeah, all the British are getting hassled, the Gestapo are after them, people are on rowing boats, some on bicycles, one on a rabbit, in a kangaroo, you know, in pogo stick. Steve’s motor biking away… Steve’s over the first line of bared wire, “Go, Steve, go!” Into the second line of barbed wire… Nearly makes it, doesn’t quite, but lives to tell the tale.
Meanwhile, the British are all rounded up and shot in the head! Now what signals is this giving to kids from the different countries, Britain and America? American kids watching Steve, saying, “Steve, you’re damn cool! Yeah, I’m fucking with you, man, all the way! Absolutely! Lived to tell the tale, good on you!” You know? I don’t know why he’s Australian, but anyway… “Absolutely. G’day.” But we’re just watching it and thinking, “We’re fucked! All that planning, the logistics, everything, and we get fucking blown away.”
What’d He Wear?
The A-2 Bomber Jacket Ensemble
While Eddie may have been a bit off in his “jeans and a T-shirt” disguise, his point remains. The only difference in McQueen’s wardrobe from the first part of the film to the escape is the addition of a black military-style peacoat, which we don’t see for long anyway.
Upon his arrival to Stalag Luft III, Hilts is immediately differentiated from the rest of the POWs by his wardrobe. All of the others, primarily Englishmen, are in variations of a dress uniform or at least attire more typical of military airmen. Captain Hilts, on the other hand, has on his airman’s leather jacket over a sweatshirt and chinos. It’s believable enough that a downed U.S. airman would have these items of clothing, but it launches Hilts to the forefront, giving American audiences an anti-hero protagonist to identify with and cheer for.
Plus he likes baseball so take THAT, Hitler!
McQueen’s jacket is a classic Type A-2 leather flight jacket in dark seal brown. This was the standard jacket for U.S. Army Air Force pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. Although he is the cheeky sort who would wear whatever jacket he wants whenever he wants, the jacket’s designation of “Jacket, Pilot’s (Summer)” indicates that he was shot down during the summer of 1942.
The jacket follows standard A-2 design: shirt-style snap-down collars, shoulder straps (or epaulettes), and knit cuffs and waistband. V-shaped flapped pockets on each hip fasten with a single snap. The lining is a dark red lightweight silk. The leather is likely horsehide, although some were also made from goatskin and cowhide. On his left shoulder is the blue “Hap Arnold Emblem” shoulder sleeve insignia of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
The Cooler King looks pretty “cool” in his bomber jacket, ha ha.
Okay, I’ll stop.
Interestingly, the A-2 jacket was one of the first articles of clothing to feature a zipper, which had slowly been developed through the early years of the century before the deciding “Battle of the Fly” in 1937, which boosted zipper sales from 139 million to over 500 million in 1941. Most of the wartime A-2 jackets featured zippers made by Talon.
Apparently, the reproduction jacket made for the film was a Rough Wear 22752. Rough Wear, a company based out of Middletown, PA, was indeed a manufacturer of A-2s during the war.
Underneath, Hilts wears an interesting shirt that explains even more of his personality. At first, it appears to be a standard T-shirt, appropriately colored in “Air Force blue”. When he removes his jacket, we see that it is more like a short-sleeve sweatshirt based on the medium weight fabric, seams, piping, and raglan sleeves. While I’ve never worn an item like this myself, it looks as though it would be very comfortable. Hilts is the sort of person who, given the amount of time he spends in solitary confinement, would probably embrace comfort.
Look how comfy he looks compared to those stodgy Brits!
Hilts wears his silver Captain rank bars on the inside of his shirt collar, concealed but easily displayed when he needs to prove to a group of MP40-wielding Nazis that he is not a spy.
Well, shit.
Hilts’ trousershave received some unfair attention for being historically inaccurate. Apparently, the people who make these complaints either don’t realize or don’t care that his entire character is made up and no Americans were involved in the escape at all. Perhaps they should stop complaining about a pair of pants in a movie. But I digress…
“OMG this movie has lost all credibility because of the era his pants were likely made in,” according to legions of idiots.
The controversial trousersare a pair of khaki flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms. The controversy stems from the rather slim fit of the pants, also known as “drainpipe trousers”, which don’t jibe with the wider-fitting pants of the era. Hilts’ trousers have two slanted pockets on the front and two rear pockets: jetted on the left, flapped on the right. There are seven widely-spaced belt loops around the waistband, but no belt is worn.
When watching Steve McQueen in a film, expect to see lots of pairs of brown boots. In this case, he has a good reason. Hilts sports a pair of brown M-43 Type III service boots in roughout leather. (Roughout leather is the flesh side of skin. You may think this looks like suede, but suede is thinner and likely wouldn’t be found on a pair of military boots.)
These are the best shots you get of Steve’s shoes.
On the right, even Mac and Bartlett are awed by his footwear.
These are not boondockers, the USMC name for their boots, although they look similar enough. The roughout leather is a medium brown and brown laces are tied through the eight eyelets on the ankle.
Hilts wears a thin gold necklace around his neck with a round gold-colored pendant. So far as I know, this is not explained in the film and is likely just Steve McQueen being Steve McQueen, as we see a similar necklace in Bullitt and other films. On his left ring finger is a wide silver ring, not clearly a wedding band, but in the traditional place of one. The Hilts character takes on a whole new level for me if it turns out that the hot shot engineering student who joined the war to show off his skills with planes and motorcycles was also married. Thoughts?
Not the best of Steve’s faces.
Hilts’ wristwatch, worn on his right wrist, has been identified as a Rolex Speedking, the watch offered to British POWs in German camps by Hans Wildorf, the Swiss director of Rolex at the time. The story behind this, with its fascinating ties to the real life escape, can be found here .
Seriously, for being one of his greatest movies, Steve sure makes an awful lot of silly faces.
The watch itself has a round steel case, black dial, and brown strap.
Odds and Ends
Just prior to the 4th of July segment, Hilts is seen wearing a variant of a brown A1 engineer’s jumper, a U.S. Army Air Force garment that it is not surprising to see in his possession. However, it is strange that we only see him wearing it on a date that we know to be the middle of summer. I guess in Poland, summer would be cold.
The only difference between McQueen’s garment and the standard A1 are the buttons on his V-neck collar.
For the 4th of July itself, Hilts sports a light red henley (hey, that’s James Garner’s character ‘s name) underneath a black vest. Were these possibly made as part of the Tom, Dick, and Harry operation? If so, it was ballsy of him to wear it so blatantly in front of the Germans. However, everyone was probably too hopped up on moonshine in these scenes to care. The pendant is best seen during these scenes.
A regular Paul Revere, ain’t he?
As mentioned above, Hilts also opts for a black military peacoat while pulling guys out through the tunnel and escaping the following morning. The coat is a pretty typical 10-button double-breasted peacoat with open slash chest pockets on each side and flapped hip pockets below them. The rear of the peacoat has a decorative belt attached to two buttons. Hilts wears his buttoned up to the neck.
The many sides of Captain Hilts.
Finally, during his escape, Hilts commandeers a Nazi uniform from a sloppy Heer infantryman. He takes the soldier’s tunic, trousers, and helmet. After making it near the Swiss border, Hilts ditches the uniform and – luckily for him – still has his own pants on underneath. Those Polish summers must be really cold!
Thankfully for America, Steve McQueen was not actually a Nazi.
Go Big or Go Home
We’ve had some American-emphasized lifestyles covered here at BAMF Style before (see: Dirty Harry ), but The Great Escape has reason to do so; its hero is an American airman in a German POW camp surrounded by Brits. Of course he will want to embrace his Americanism! How does he do this? The three great American pasttimes: baseball, whiskey, and pissing people off.
Hilts is hardly ever seen without his baseball and accompanying glove. There are few things more American than baseball and a good ol’ American boy like Hilts sticks to his roots. Also, it provides him some opportunities to test the camp’s security…
At least Hilts’ fascination with baseball has purpose, unlike the football-tossing cronies in The Room. Which please tell me you’ve seen.
“Busted again, huh? Well at least it gives me to time to catch up on activity I’ve been doing for the entire film.”
Secondly, Hilts, Henley, and Other American Guy honor their country’s history by making up a batch of “Wow!”-worthy moonshine on the 4th of July. Then they serve it to the British to celebrate over 160 years of not being under their rule. BAMF move, isn’t it?
The third is easy to figure out; Hilts’ attitude is very devil-may-care and he even gets under the skin of some of his own confederates before he decides to help them out.
How to Get the Look
Before any of you hop into your time machines and go back in time to join the Army Air Force, you should know that it’s pretty easy to put a great Hilts-based look together today!
Dark seal brown Type A-2 leather zip-up aviator’s jacket with flapped hip pockets and military insignia
Black military-style peacoat with open side chest pockets and flapped hip pockets
Blue heavy duty sweatshirt with cut-off raglan sleeves
Light khaki flat front “drainpipe trousers” with belt loops, slanted side pockets, flapped right rear pocket, jetted left rear pocket, and plain-hemmed bottoms
Brown M-43 service roughout leather 8-eyelet combat boots
Rolex Speedking wristwatch with a steel case, black dial, and brown strap
Off-white ribbed socks
Wide silver ring, worn on left ring finger
Thin gold necklace with round medallion
The Gun
After stealing the German infantryman’s uniform and motorcycle, a British-made Triumph (but we’re not getting into that), Hilts is lucky enough to find a loaded Luger P08 in the holster. Now, wouldn’t this be a welcome gift for a POW on the run?
The Luger has been ubiquitous in films since the 1930s due to its distinctive and somewhat villainous (because it’s GERMAN) appearance. Even Jerry Seinfeld referred to the Luger on his show … although he was misidentifying a Walther P38, a similar-looking German WWII weapon.
The Luger itself has been around since 1900, initially developed by the Germans with the proprietary 7.65×21 mm Parabellum cartridge, also sold as .30 Luger. Eight years after the introduction of this Luger, the Germans said, “Ach! Let us make it better with a larger bullet!” and the Luger P08 (for 1908) was developed alongside the 9×19 mm Parabellum cartridge. The 9×19 mm today is probably the most common semi-automatic pistol cartridge, but I don’t have any evidence on hand to back that up so just assume I’m right.
The Luger P08 was the standard sidearm of the German military in both World Wars and was gradually phased out over the course of the second by the similar Walther P38. Both pistols were chambered in 9 mm Luger and carried eight rounds, but the difference was primarily in the operating system. Whereas the P38 was traditional double action, the Luger had a distinctive toggle-locked short-recoil action, using a jointed arm rather than the slides seen in most modern semi-automatics.
The Luger was produced from 1900 until 1945, at a price ranging from 13 to 32 Deutschmarks. Now, in 2013, it’s difficult to even find a Luger for sale, let alone one for less than $2,000.
Do Yourself a Favor and…
Buy the movie .
I feel compelled to comment, as this is a sartorial blog, that the cover of the 2-disc “Collector’s Set” DVD strangely has Hilts sporting a blue button-up shirt. I guess they felt a button-up shirt is more heroic than a T-shirt. Whatever.
The Quote
Hilts engages in a verbal duel with the camp commandant, Von Luger (no relation to the gun), after his first escape attempt. While the exchange leads to Hilts being locked away for nearly three weeks, he still manages to come out ahead.
Von Luger: Are all American officers so ill-mannered?
Hilts: Yeah, about 99 percent.
Von Luger: Then perhaps while you are with us you will have a chance to learn some. Ten days isolation, Hilts.
Hilts: Captain Hilts.
| i don't know |
What was Major Roy Franklin's nickname in The Guns of Navarone? | The Guns of Navarone Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
106 out of 129 people found the following review useful:
Affectionately crafted piece of art that is sadly under-appreciated by the typical modern "soundbite" moviegoer.
from Gilbert, AZ
15 August 2004
Wow - I used to think "Guns Of Navarone" was a try-hard, almost-there type of near-classic war film that had muffled sound, used a bad coloring process, was poorly lit, was limited by budget and the technology of the time. Boy, was I WRONG - I had seen this film several times, all on conventional/cable TV, VHS and even Laserdisc prior to the recent UCLA restoration now out on DVD. I never completely engaged in the reality/experience of this movie. It was as if I was listening to Beethoven's Ninth on an AM clock radio in an adjacent room. The newly-restored DVD in its original widescreen format showcased on a big screen TV in surround sound is the ONLY way to fully take in this piece of art, unless you perchance get lucky enough to see it in a cine complex.
Unless you have viewed this film in its original condition in a theater or restored, letterboxed with proper-sized screen and sound, your previous/future comments have ZERO merit, as far as I'm concerned. So many people here have commented on this film "lacking action" and being a "bore" - I could not disagree more. Although I have not read the book (something I rarely do anymore due to an unfortunate accident years ago), this movie resembled a well-written novel. It was FULL of REAL character development, bringing you mixed emotions - at times you love, feel for, loathe or despise them - even the German army officer, during the interrogation/capture scene (which I will not spoil), had a warm, admirable quality about him. I will purchase/rent/borrow an audiobook of this, if at all possible, because Alistair MacLean has some of the best written adventure material ever brought to film. The action in this film was aplenty - maybe not a Schwarzeneger thrillride, but that would have made it completely unbelievable. The character development, internal conflict and subplots more than adequately fill the non-action lulls, if you want to call them that. One reviewer here commented on a shipwreck scene of 15 minutes that seemed like forever - the entire realistic shipwreck sequence was barely five minutes long, FYI. Without going into too much "spoiling" detail, there was constant suspense while the Germans were nipping at their heels all film long. It contained espionage, several hand-to-hand combat sequences, several shootings, knifings, cars/trucks being blown up, carjackings, explosions, dive bombings, mortar bombardments, strafings, assassinations, etc. With six men and two women against several dozen Germans, you can't justifiably get much more action packed into a script unless you would unnecessarily/unrealistically insert more just to intensify the film. The film did not really need intensifying as the plot was strong enough on its own merits - as were all the characters and the subplots surrounding them.
The editing is top-notch. This film is lovingly woven into a tapestry with nice artistic dissolves/fades/graphics transitioning scenes (chapters) and furthering character development and story lines - the accompanying music only enhances those transitions like adding melted butter and/or salt to cooked vegetables enhancing their flavor. To me, this film is very warm and comfortable when it needs to be, but also cold and abrasive at times to make its social commentary. Carl Foreman scripted another great masterpiece with his usual pro/anti-war statements wrapped neatly in an entertaining adventure that makes one think. The end retrospective sequence with the Dimitri Tiomkin score is indelibly touching and unforgettable - a rather unorthodox approach for a "war movie."
The sweeping landscape photography and several cultural touches truly captured the beauty and flavor of Greece and its proud people. Ironically, when at Blockbuster, I coincidentally chose this film to view with my son - on the Opening Day of the XXVIII Olympiad, being held of course in Athens, Greece. I read somewhere that the people of Greece still hold this film in high esteem and were/are very proud of the way their nation was portrayed - they should be. Unlike many other movies made abroad, Guns Of Navarone affectionately honored its host country and its people. My 7 year-old film-making-wannabe son absolutely LOVED this movie, even better than his most recent film classic viewings... The Magnificent Seven and Bullitt. When I told him many here at IMDb said this film was boring and over-rated, he commented "are they nuts?" This coming from a kid who loves James Bond, Superman, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Star Trek, Power Rangers, Lost In Space and Jonny Quest as well as Classic Rock, film scores, Legos, Hot Wheels, plastic model kits, gymnastics and PS2. Guess there is hope for the future generation after all.
Some of the very best action/adventure films ever made have very little "constant action," FYI. I recently overheard a teen boy in a video store who said "Raiders was a slow, boring film" - of all things. No wonder the cumulative votes of classic films on IMDb do not entirely mirror or reflect what critics have historically said when they initially rated and/or reviewed them. I try to overlook the current technological advancements of today when compared with films of yesteryear in order to objectively critique a film. GUNS OF NAVARONE is no exception - made before traveling matte (blue screen) technology and CGI effects. Sure, the rear-screen projection photography and miniature work was not perfect, but no other film of its era was, either. Those factors aside, this film is EXTREMELY under-rated - this film is a stand-alone classic of its genre and amongst other all-time great films... a genuine piece of art.
Ranking just under the ten-star rated Bridge On The River Kwai, Guns Of Navarone is an instant-classic and will always be so (on a LARGE SCREEN in its original widescreen format); due to its solid foundation of high production values, endearing score, good writing, strong plot/character development, the fine actors to play those characters and loving direction. Kudos to all who worked on this film. (9.5/10)
Was the above review useful to you?
83 out of 95 people found the following review useful:
Every bit as good as you remembered...
Author: Bill Slocum ([email protected])
5 August 2002
For any boy growing up when I did, back in the late 1970s, it was well understood that "Guns of Navarone" was the sine qua non of adventure films, a movie you called friends about when you saw it listed in next week's TV Guide. It's hard to believe so much time has gone by, both since my boyhood and since the film was made, but "Navarone" still holds up very well, a character-driven film alive with nuance and subtlety. It moves at an assured clip, not rushed or forced, making the viewer follow its story through every agonizing twist and turn.
What makes the film especially good is the crisp dialogue, lines that point up the moral and philosophical argument at the heart of the film and which resonate today as much as then:
Mallory: The only way to win a war is to be just as nasty as the enemy. The one thing that worries me is we're liable to wake up one morning, and find we're even nastier than they are.
Franklin: I can't say that worries me!
Mallory: Well, you're lucky.
Good performances abound, but the best by far is David Niven's Cpl. Miller, a complex character whose smooth front and witty banter conceals much of the conflict of the film. It's he who tangles most often with Gregory Peck's Mallory, and has at least three scenes in the film that are top-rate. We may like Miller because he keeps things humming and provides welcome comic relief, but he's no less the center of the film than Peck or Anthony Quinn, the two well-cast leads whose relationship is enriched, at least from our remove, by the unique vow Stavros has made to Mallory about the unsettled business between them.
The plot is a thing of beauty, moving with all the synchronicity and clever precision of a diabolical cuckoo clock. The special effects have suffered more than a bit from the march of time (though one should remember that was the only part of the film that won an Oscar in 1962). Some process shots are cringe-inducing now. But the pace is still gripping and the payoff spectacular. Here's the film that was the template to every popcorn actioner that came after, its imprint recognizable on everything from the James Bond movies to "Star Wars" to Indiana Jones. That's impressive, but more so is that "Guns" remains as entertaining as any one of them, and more thrilling than most.
Was the above review useful to you?
50 out of 59 people found the following review useful:
Outstanding war drama
Author: perfectbond
2 April 2003
Being a big Gregory Peck fan, I was expecting great things from The Guns of Navarone, and in one of those rare instances, I was not disappointed. Mr. Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn et al. are in top form, each of them bringing their respective characters to life and the story likewise. The action scenes are impressive even by today's standards but in my opinion they are only a secondary pleasure. The main pleasure is watching the divergent and forceful personalities cooperate, conflict, confound and finally triumph. Suspense is maintained throughout. I also liked the way complex moral issues were addressed. Another bonus is the portrayal of the Germans. Here they are not all depicted as impersonal inhuman cruel monsters. The full mosaic of human personalities is shown on their side too. But don't get me wrong, they are still a formidable enemy who keep the outcome in doubt. Strongly recommended, 8/10.
Was the above review useful to you?
36 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
This has everything that I'm looking for in a classic war movie...
from Tessenderlo, Belgium
11 August 2005
Ever since I was a little boy, I've watched several classic war movies with my father. He was an absolute fan of this kind of movies and I guess I've inherited that passion from him, because since then I try to watch and buy as many (classic) war movies as I can find. So far I already have several of them in my private DVD collection, but until now, "The Guns of Navarone" wasn't a part of it. The main reason for that is because I hadn't seen it before and therefor didn't know what to expect of it. But now that it was finally shown on television, I was able to tape it and to watch it.
When in 1943 the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis, 2,000 British troops are trapped on the small and strategically unimportant Greek island Kiros. Something has to be done to save them and there is only one way to get there: by boat. But it's impossible to come near to the island because the only sea route is defended by two gigantic German anti-ship batteries, deployed in a massive cliff side bunker on the island of Navarone. An air attack has been attempted before and proved to be useless and the only option that is left is sending a team of six Greek and English mountaineers to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The team does not only face the almost impossible task to conquer the difficult terrain, they also have to try to get past a German garrison and to make things worse, there also appears to be a traitor among them...
About one thing I'm already certain: I'll buy this movie on DVD as soon as I can find it. This is one of the better classic war movies that I've seen lately and I really had a good time watching it. Not only does it give a more realistic view on the war, the characters are also a lot more realistic. They aren't as invincible as you sometimes see in other classic war movies (think for instance of "Where Eagles Dare (1968)"), in which the Americans or other allies seem to carry some kind of magic shield around them that can't be penetrated by German bullets, while they can kill hundreds of the enemy with only one bullet. In this movie they have to deal with all kinds of difficulties like difficult terrain, a traitor,... and yes, even the good guys can get killed or wounded.
What I also liked was the fact that this movie was shot in Greece and therefor gave a realistic feeling to the setting, without feeling like a brochure for a romantic holiday (like Captain Corelli's Mandolin). I know, we all expect that and believe that it is normal when we see it, but I've already seen otherwise and it's something you didn't always get at the time. Think for instance of the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" (1965), which was supposed to be situated in the Belgian Ardennes, but which was shot with olive trees in the background and in a desert-like terrain. And trust me, I'm Belgian myself and I know the region all too well, so I know that there really isn't such a type of terrain to be found there.
Next to the good story and the correct decor, this movie also offers some fine acting from a great classical cast. With Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle,... you get some of the most famous actors at the time and they all did a very nice job in this movie. Add to this the fact that story was very good, that the action still looked nice, that everything was shot in the right country and that everybody spoke the correct language. Then you know that there is absolutely nothing more I could ask for in this movie. I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.
Was the above review useful to you?
37 out of 47 people found the following review useful:
Solid, Man's WWII Movie
from United States
12 March 2006
For a long (157 minutes) classic movie, this is paced well with a decent amount of action to keep things going. There are lulls, but just a few, and the cast is always worth watching with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Richard Attenborough, Stanley Baker and Anthony Quale all quality actors. There are no irritating, annoying people, either, which is very refreshing. Everyone in this group is pretty much on the same page.
It's just a straight World War II adventure, with no sappy romance subplots to take away from the story, either. In other words, this is man's movie, pure and simple, and a good one that still holds up today.
Despite the good cast, the story takes center stage. The visuals or sound aren't anything to write home about, even with the latest super-duper DVD edition. I found this surprisingly interesting even on multiple viewings when I knew what was going to happen, so that's a testimony to how well this story was told on screen.
Was the above review useful to you?
38 out of 51 people found the following review useful:
A great WWII film
from Long Island, New York
24 November 2001
The Guns of Navarone is a classic WWII film. The movie is about a group of Allied soldiers (Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, James Darren, and Anthony Quayle) whose mission is to destroy the Nazis most powerful weapon which is the guns on Navarone. Will they be able to make it without being caught? This movie is great. The acting by Peck, Niven, and Quinn is A+. The special effects were great and they still amazed me. I recommend this movie to all.
10/10
from Buffalo, New York
27 January 2007
The Greek part of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II was strictly a British show. They fought a pitched seesaw battle with the Germans until almost the end of the war. A great deal of debate about the feasibility of the whole operation has raged with military historians. The reason that the British Army and forces from their Commonwealth countries was to keep Turkey in the position of benevolent neutrality. At least this was one of Winston Churchill's stated aims and The Guns of Navarone makes the case for it.
But specifically this film deals with a pair of menacing looking naval guns embedded in a cliff with a big rock overhang. The RAF can't get at the thing to destroy from air, so a commando team is put together under the charge of Anthony Quayle. A couple of native Greeks are along, Anthony Quinn and James Darren, an explosives man, David Niven, a tough anti-fascist resistance man whose service dates back to the Spanish Civil War, Stanley Baker, and a mountain climber, Gregory Peck.
Peck has to get the team to climb a forbidding cliff which is the only area of the beach the Nazis don't guard because they think nobody can land over there. Peck gets the job done, but Quayle becomes injured and Peck gets the responsibility for the whole mission.
The Guns of Navarone is filled with tension as the men keep getting into and out of one situation after another. The film crackles with excitement and really should be seen on the big screen, it's the only way you can appreciate the special effects which got The Guns of Navarone its Oscar.
The film marked a screen partnership of Gregory Peck and director J. Lee Thompson, they did four films together. Thompson specialized in these action adventure films. Later on Thompson partnered with Charles Bronson in some of his best films of the seventies and eighties.
To get the young into the theater, current teenage heart throb James Darren is in the cast. We even gets to hear him sing in Greek which is in fact Darren's own ancestry. Irene Papas is also in the cast as his older sister and Gia Scala is her silent friend.
Despite setback and betrayal our team continues on. The climax of The Guns of Navarone is exciting and unforgettable and should not be missed.
Was the above review useful to you?
27 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
"You may find me factitious at times, but if I didn't crack some very bad jokes now and then I'd go out of my mind."
from Chicago, IL
14 September 2004
Corporal Miller's exclamation sums up what kind of mood this WWII action thriller is trying to set. "Guns of Navarone" is not full of flag-waving or patriotism, but wearied veterans who just want to get this job done. Spielberg's soldiers in "Saving Private Ryan" also conveyed this outlook. When we first see Captain Mallory, he is grim faced and upset that his leave has been canceled (as we later find out, he had a good reason for seeking leave!). There is not a lot of emotion expressed at seeing Major "Lucky" Roy Franklin, but the two men are glad to greet each other as comrades. But the movie's first emotional tailspin is when Squadron Leader Barnsby gives a report on his group's failure to attack Navarone. You can see the fatigue on Richard Harris' face as he tells the "bloody truth" about what is being asked of him and his men. A fine cameo by this late, great actor. The characters don't smile or joke too much, and when they do the viewer can plainly see that there's more to tell underneath the surface. This was a great job of acting by all concerned, and they are given wonderful dialog to accompany the stress and tension of the time. The top scenes are when insubordination looms among the characters, not because the person in charge is being sadistic or unfair, but because of the fatigue of everyone. The action and stunts are great, and this is the first movie I've seen that has both cliff climbing AND cliff diving!
Was the above review useful to you?
17 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Excellent
8 January 2005
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Judging by the overall score, this film is rated very highly and I must agree. This was one of the most innovative films of it's time. I recall that the theater had to be shut down for a couple of weeks prior to the film opening so that a totally new type of sound system (called Stereo) could be installed in order to properly enjoy this film (remember, this is the early 60's). When we saw it, I remember being simply awestruck by the sound of the German shells whistling overhead and landing behind me. It was probably quite primitive by todays standard, but very impressive for it's day and everyone loved it! The story was also quite good, although fictional, and the acting is top shelf. The film stars David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn, so how can you go wrong there? This is a top notch film with an award winning, innovative soundtrack. What's not to like?
Was the above review useful to you?
16 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Most effective use of silence.
from United States
2 January 2006
I won't repeat what others have said. My short take: It's one of the best action films and one of the best ensemble films ever made.
What I noticed on first viewing was how quiet it is. Many scenes take place without dialog or score, merely background noises like wind, feet crunching gravel, and the like. Some of the tensest scenes are made more so by our hearing only what the characters would hear. For example, early on in the film, the lead characters undergo a storm at sea and approach a dangerous narrows, and until the scene's climax, all we hear are howling wind, driving rain, and slamming waves.
A musical score tells viewers how they are supposed to feel and often telegraphs shifts in plot or mood. As used in this film, the absence of music heightens the drama and makes the action more immediate. What score there is is thus more effective, earning its composer an Academy Award.
Was the above review useful to you?
Page 1 of 14:
| Lucky |
What was the angel's name in It's a Wonderful Life? | The Guns of Navarone Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
106 out of 129 people found the following review useful:
Affectionately crafted piece of art that is sadly under-appreciated by the typical modern "soundbite" moviegoer.
from Gilbert, AZ
15 August 2004
Wow - I used to think "Guns Of Navarone" was a try-hard, almost-there type of near-classic war film that had muffled sound, used a bad coloring process, was poorly lit, was limited by budget and the technology of the time. Boy, was I WRONG - I had seen this film several times, all on conventional/cable TV, VHS and even Laserdisc prior to the recent UCLA restoration now out on DVD. I never completely engaged in the reality/experience of this movie. It was as if I was listening to Beethoven's Ninth on an AM clock radio in an adjacent room. The newly-restored DVD in its original widescreen format showcased on a big screen TV in surround sound is the ONLY way to fully take in this piece of art, unless you perchance get lucky enough to see it in a cine complex.
Unless you have viewed this film in its original condition in a theater or restored, letterboxed with proper-sized screen and sound, your previous/future comments have ZERO merit, as far as I'm concerned. So many people here have commented on this film "lacking action" and being a "bore" - I could not disagree more. Although I have not read the book (something I rarely do anymore due to an unfortunate accident years ago), this movie resembled a well-written novel. It was FULL of REAL character development, bringing you mixed emotions - at times you love, feel for, loathe or despise them - even the German army officer, during the interrogation/capture scene (which I will not spoil), had a warm, admirable quality about him. I will purchase/rent/borrow an audiobook of this, if at all possible, because Alistair MacLean has some of the best written adventure material ever brought to film. The action in this film was aplenty - maybe not a Schwarzeneger thrillride, but that would have made it completely unbelievable. The character development, internal conflict and subplots more than adequately fill the non-action lulls, if you want to call them that. One reviewer here commented on a shipwreck scene of 15 minutes that seemed like forever - the entire realistic shipwreck sequence was barely five minutes long, FYI. Without going into too much "spoiling" detail, there was constant suspense while the Germans were nipping at their heels all film long. It contained espionage, several hand-to-hand combat sequences, several shootings, knifings, cars/trucks being blown up, carjackings, explosions, dive bombings, mortar bombardments, strafings, assassinations, etc. With six men and two women against several dozen Germans, you can't justifiably get much more action packed into a script unless you would unnecessarily/unrealistically insert more just to intensify the film. The film did not really need intensifying as the plot was strong enough on its own merits - as were all the characters and the subplots surrounding them.
The editing is top-notch. This film is lovingly woven into a tapestry with nice artistic dissolves/fades/graphics transitioning scenes (chapters) and furthering character development and story lines - the accompanying music only enhances those transitions like adding melted butter and/or salt to cooked vegetables enhancing their flavor. To me, this film is very warm and comfortable when it needs to be, but also cold and abrasive at times to make its social commentary. Carl Foreman scripted another great masterpiece with his usual pro/anti-war statements wrapped neatly in an entertaining adventure that makes one think. The end retrospective sequence with the Dimitri Tiomkin score is indelibly touching and unforgettable - a rather unorthodox approach for a "war movie."
The sweeping landscape photography and several cultural touches truly captured the beauty and flavor of Greece and its proud people. Ironically, when at Blockbuster, I coincidentally chose this film to view with my son - on the Opening Day of the XXVIII Olympiad, being held of course in Athens, Greece. I read somewhere that the people of Greece still hold this film in high esteem and were/are very proud of the way their nation was portrayed - they should be. Unlike many other movies made abroad, Guns Of Navarone affectionately honored its host country and its people. My 7 year-old film-making-wannabe son absolutely LOVED this movie, even better than his most recent film classic viewings... The Magnificent Seven and Bullitt. When I told him many here at IMDb said this film was boring and over-rated, he commented "are they nuts?" This coming from a kid who loves James Bond, Superman, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Star Trek, Power Rangers, Lost In Space and Jonny Quest as well as Classic Rock, film scores, Legos, Hot Wheels, plastic model kits, gymnastics and PS2. Guess there is hope for the future generation after all.
Some of the very best action/adventure films ever made have very little "constant action," FYI. I recently overheard a teen boy in a video store who said "Raiders was a slow, boring film" - of all things. No wonder the cumulative votes of classic films on IMDb do not entirely mirror or reflect what critics have historically said when they initially rated and/or reviewed them. I try to overlook the current technological advancements of today when compared with films of yesteryear in order to objectively critique a film. GUNS OF NAVARONE is no exception - made before traveling matte (blue screen) technology and CGI effects. Sure, the rear-screen projection photography and miniature work was not perfect, but no other film of its era was, either. Those factors aside, this film is EXTREMELY under-rated - this film is a stand-alone classic of its genre and amongst other all-time great films... a genuine piece of art.
Ranking just under the ten-star rated Bridge On The River Kwai, Guns Of Navarone is an instant-classic and will always be so (on a LARGE SCREEN in its original widescreen format); due to its solid foundation of high production values, endearing score, good writing, strong plot/character development, the fine actors to play those characters and loving direction. Kudos to all who worked on this film. (9.5/10)
Was the above review useful to you?
83 out of 95 people found the following review useful:
Every bit as good as you remembered...
Author: Bill Slocum ([email protected])
5 August 2002
For any boy growing up when I did, back in the late 1970s, it was well understood that "Guns of Navarone" was the sine qua non of adventure films, a movie you called friends about when you saw it listed in next week's TV Guide. It's hard to believe so much time has gone by, both since my boyhood and since the film was made, but "Navarone" still holds up very well, a character-driven film alive with nuance and subtlety. It moves at an assured clip, not rushed or forced, making the viewer follow its story through every agonizing twist and turn.
What makes the film especially good is the crisp dialogue, lines that point up the moral and philosophical argument at the heart of the film and which resonate today as much as then:
Mallory: The only way to win a war is to be just as nasty as the enemy. The one thing that worries me is we're liable to wake up one morning, and find we're even nastier than they are.
Franklin: I can't say that worries me!
Mallory: Well, you're lucky.
Good performances abound, but the best by far is David Niven's Cpl. Miller, a complex character whose smooth front and witty banter conceals much of the conflict of the film. It's he who tangles most often with Gregory Peck's Mallory, and has at least three scenes in the film that are top-rate. We may like Miller because he keeps things humming and provides welcome comic relief, but he's no less the center of the film than Peck or Anthony Quinn, the two well-cast leads whose relationship is enriched, at least from our remove, by the unique vow Stavros has made to Mallory about the unsettled business between them.
The plot is a thing of beauty, moving with all the synchronicity and clever precision of a diabolical cuckoo clock. The special effects have suffered more than a bit from the march of time (though one should remember that was the only part of the film that won an Oscar in 1962). Some process shots are cringe-inducing now. But the pace is still gripping and the payoff spectacular. Here's the film that was the template to every popcorn actioner that came after, its imprint recognizable on everything from the James Bond movies to "Star Wars" to Indiana Jones. That's impressive, but more so is that "Guns" remains as entertaining as any one of them, and more thrilling than most.
Was the above review useful to you?
50 out of 59 people found the following review useful:
Outstanding war drama
Author: perfectbond
2 April 2003
Being a big Gregory Peck fan, I was expecting great things from The Guns of Navarone, and in one of those rare instances, I was not disappointed. Mr. Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn et al. are in top form, each of them bringing their respective characters to life and the story likewise. The action scenes are impressive even by today's standards but in my opinion they are only a secondary pleasure. The main pleasure is watching the divergent and forceful personalities cooperate, conflict, confound and finally triumph. Suspense is maintained throughout. I also liked the way complex moral issues were addressed. Another bonus is the portrayal of the Germans. Here they are not all depicted as impersonal inhuman cruel monsters. The full mosaic of human personalities is shown on their side too. But don't get me wrong, they are still a formidable enemy who keep the outcome in doubt. Strongly recommended, 8/10.
Was the above review useful to you?
36 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
This has everything that I'm looking for in a classic war movie...
from Tessenderlo, Belgium
11 August 2005
Ever since I was a little boy, I've watched several classic war movies with my father. He was an absolute fan of this kind of movies and I guess I've inherited that passion from him, because since then I try to watch and buy as many (classic) war movies as I can find. So far I already have several of them in my private DVD collection, but until now, "The Guns of Navarone" wasn't a part of it. The main reason for that is because I hadn't seen it before and therefor didn't know what to expect of it. But now that it was finally shown on television, I was able to tape it and to watch it.
When in 1943 the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis, 2,000 British troops are trapped on the small and strategically unimportant Greek island Kiros. Something has to be done to save them and there is only one way to get there: by boat. But it's impossible to come near to the island because the only sea route is defended by two gigantic German anti-ship batteries, deployed in a massive cliff side bunker on the island of Navarone. An air attack has been attempted before and proved to be useless and the only option that is left is sending a team of six Greek and English mountaineers to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The team does not only face the almost impossible task to conquer the difficult terrain, they also have to try to get past a German garrison and to make things worse, there also appears to be a traitor among them...
About one thing I'm already certain: I'll buy this movie on DVD as soon as I can find it. This is one of the better classic war movies that I've seen lately and I really had a good time watching it. Not only does it give a more realistic view on the war, the characters are also a lot more realistic. They aren't as invincible as you sometimes see in other classic war movies (think for instance of "Where Eagles Dare (1968)"), in which the Americans or other allies seem to carry some kind of magic shield around them that can't be penetrated by German bullets, while they can kill hundreds of the enemy with only one bullet. In this movie they have to deal with all kinds of difficulties like difficult terrain, a traitor,... and yes, even the good guys can get killed or wounded.
What I also liked was the fact that this movie was shot in Greece and therefor gave a realistic feeling to the setting, without feeling like a brochure for a romantic holiday (like Captain Corelli's Mandolin). I know, we all expect that and believe that it is normal when we see it, but I've already seen otherwise and it's something you didn't always get at the time. Think for instance of the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" (1965), which was supposed to be situated in the Belgian Ardennes, but which was shot with olive trees in the background and in a desert-like terrain. And trust me, I'm Belgian myself and I know the region all too well, so I know that there really isn't such a type of terrain to be found there.
Next to the good story and the correct decor, this movie also offers some fine acting from a great classical cast. With Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle,... you get some of the most famous actors at the time and they all did a very nice job in this movie. Add to this the fact that story was very good, that the action still looked nice, that everything was shot in the right country and that everybody spoke the correct language. Then you know that there is absolutely nothing more I could ask for in this movie. I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.
Was the above review useful to you?
37 out of 47 people found the following review useful:
Solid, Man's WWII Movie
from United States
12 March 2006
For a long (157 minutes) classic movie, this is paced well with a decent amount of action to keep things going. There are lulls, but just a few, and the cast is always worth watching with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Richard Attenborough, Stanley Baker and Anthony Quale all quality actors. There are no irritating, annoying people, either, which is very refreshing. Everyone in this group is pretty much on the same page.
It's just a straight World War II adventure, with no sappy romance subplots to take away from the story, either. In other words, this is man's movie, pure and simple, and a good one that still holds up today.
Despite the good cast, the story takes center stage. The visuals or sound aren't anything to write home about, even with the latest super-duper DVD edition. I found this surprisingly interesting even on multiple viewings when I knew what was going to happen, so that's a testimony to how well this story was told on screen.
Was the above review useful to you?
38 out of 51 people found the following review useful:
A great WWII film
from Long Island, New York
24 November 2001
The Guns of Navarone is a classic WWII film. The movie is about a group of Allied soldiers (Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, James Darren, and Anthony Quayle) whose mission is to destroy the Nazis most powerful weapon which is the guns on Navarone. Will they be able to make it without being caught? This movie is great. The acting by Peck, Niven, and Quinn is A+. The special effects were great and they still amazed me. I recommend this movie to all.
10/10
from Buffalo, New York
27 January 2007
The Greek part of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II was strictly a British show. They fought a pitched seesaw battle with the Germans until almost the end of the war. A great deal of debate about the feasibility of the whole operation has raged with military historians. The reason that the British Army and forces from their Commonwealth countries was to keep Turkey in the position of benevolent neutrality. At least this was one of Winston Churchill's stated aims and The Guns of Navarone makes the case for it.
But specifically this film deals with a pair of menacing looking naval guns embedded in a cliff with a big rock overhang. The RAF can't get at the thing to destroy from air, so a commando team is put together under the charge of Anthony Quayle. A couple of native Greeks are along, Anthony Quinn and James Darren, an explosives man, David Niven, a tough anti-fascist resistance man whose service dates back to the Spanish Civil War, Stanley Baker, and a mountain climber, Gregory Peck.
Peck has to get the team to climb a forbidding cliff which is the only area of the beach the Nazis don't guard because they think nobody can land over there. Peck gets the job done, but Quayle becomes injured and Peck gets the responsibility for the whole mission.
The Guns of Navarone is filled with tension as the men keep getting into and out of one situation after another. The film crackles with excitement and really should be seen on the big screen, it's the only way you can appreciate the special effects which got The Guns of Navarone its Oscar.
The film marked a screen partnership of Gregory Peck and director J. Lee Thompson, they did four films together. Thompson specialized in these action adventure films. Later on Thompson partnered with Charles Bronson in some of his best films of the seventies and eighties.
To get the young into the theater, current teenage heart throb James Darren is in the cast. We even gets to hear him sing in Greek which is in fact Darren's own ancestry. Irene Papas is also in the cast as his older sister and Gia Scala is her silent friend.
Despite setback and betrayal our team continues on. The climax of The Guns of Navarone is exciting and unforgettable and should not be missed.
Was the above review useful to you?
27 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
"You may find me factitious at times, but if I didn't crack some very bad jokes now and then I'd go out of my mind."
from Chicago, IL
14 September 2004
Corporal Miller's exclamation sums up what kind of mood this WWII action thriller is trying to set. "Guns of Navarone" is not full of flag-waving or patriotism, but wearied veterans who just want to get this job done. Spielberg's soldiers in "Saving Private Ryan" also conveyed this outlook. When we first see Captain Mallory, he is grim faced and upset that his leave has been canceled (as we later find out, he had a good reason for seeking leave!). There is not a lot of emotion expressed at seeing Major "Lucky" Roy Franklin, but the two men are glad to greet each other as comrades. But the movie's first emotional tailspin is when Squadron Leader Barnsby gives a report on his group's failure to attack Navarone. You can see the fatigue on Richard Harris' face as he tells the "bloody truth" about what is being asked of him and his men. A fine cameo by this late, great actor. The characters don't smile or joke too much, and when they do the viewer can plainly see that there's more to tell underneath the surface. This was a great job of acting by all concerned, and they are given wonderful dialog to accompany the stress and tension of the time. The top scenes are when insubordination looms among the characters, not because the person in charge is being sadistic or unfair, but because of the fatigue of everyone. The action and stunts are great, and this is the first movie I've seen that has both cliff climbing AND cliff diving!
Was the above review useful to you?
17 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Excellent
8 January 2005
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Judging by the overall score, this film is rated very highly and I must agree. This was one of the most innovative films of it's time. I recall that the theater had to be shut down for a couple of weeks prior to the film opening so that a totally new type of sound system (called Stereo) could be installed in order to properly enjoy this film (remember, this is the early 60's). When we saw it, I remember being simply awestruck by the sound of the German shells whistling overhead and landing behind me. It was probably quite primitive by todays standard, but very impressive for it's day and everyone loved it! The story was also quite good, although fictional, and the acting is top shelf. The film stars David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn, so how can you go wrong there? This is a top notch film with an award winning, innovative soundtrack. What's not to like?
Was the above review useful to you?
16 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Most effective use of silence.
from United States
2 January 2006
I won't repeat what others have said. My short take: It's one of the best action films and one of the best ensemble films ever made.
What I noticed on first viewing was how quiet it is. Many scenes take place without dialog or score, merely background noises like wind, feet crunching gravel, and the like. Some of the tensest scenes are made more so by our hearing only what the characters would hear. For example, early on in the film, the lead characters undergo a storm at sea and approach a dangerous narrows, and until the scene's climax, all we hear are howling wind, driving rain, and slamming waves.
A musical score tells viewers how they are supposed to feel and often telegraphs shifts in plot or mood. As used in this film, the absence of music heightens the drama and makes the action more immediate. What score there is is thus more effective, earning its composer an Academy Award.
Was the above review useful to you?
Page 1 of 14:
| i don't know |
What were the names of the gay couple in Four Weddings and a funeral? | Four Weddings and a Funeral Reviews & Ratings - IMDb
IMDb
61 out of 70 people found the following review useful:
Droll romantic comedy showcases Hugh Grant in his best role.
from North Hemis
28 February 2002
Richard Curtis, author of Rowan Atkinson's sublime Blackadder TV series, here contributes a romantic comedy screenplay which is actually romantic AND actually funny. American hacks should take note: it's possible to write comedy based on the battle of the sexes that doesn't rely on misogyny and gross-out humor.
Hugh Grant at his most charming leads a talented ensemble cast in this warm-hearted tale of unrequited and requited love that so impressed stodgy Academy voters it actually got a Best Picture nomination. I won't quibble with those who say it was undeserving -- although some of the other user comments are ridiculously hostile to such a lightweight romp -- but I will defend its makers for crafting a genuine crowd-pleaser that relies on story, character and witty dialogue for its appeal.
The essence of good romantic comedy is what Curtis and director Mike Newell capture particularly well in this film (more effectively than Curtis' other Grant hit, NOTTING HILL) and it's this: love makes us do stupid things. We err in choice, we blunder in execution, we make utter fools of ourselves, and yet we don't give up. We still strive. We still search for that perfect someone. And the glory is -- sometimes we get lucky.
Going along on this quest with Grant and friends is as enjoyable an entertainment as you're lucky to find in your local DVD section.
Was the above review useful to you?
66 out of 80 people found the following review useful:
A British Romantic Comedy as Good as Hollywood at its Best
from Tunbridge Wells, England
15 July 2005
Richard Curtis's films have sometimes been criticised for giving a too cosy, conservative view of British society. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" seems to take place in an England of eternal summer, a land which consists almost entirely of green and pleasant countryside and the more exclusive districts of London and which is populated solely by members of the upper and upper-middle classes. The script does cross the border into an equally idealised Scotland of mists, tartans and Highland flings, but even these scenes were actually shot in Surrey. Such criticism contains an element of truth, but is largely irrelevant when it comes to assessing the merits of the film because it ignores the fact that most romantic comedies (in other media as well as in the cinema) are set against a relatively narrow background in terms of social class, often enabling the writer to satirise the manners of that class. Jane Austin, for example, the most successful writer of romantic comedy in nineteenth-century England, set all her works among the wealthy landed gentry or prosperous bourgeoisie of the day.
Most of the action of the film takes place either at, or immediately before or after, one of the four church services mentioned in the title. The main character, Charles, is a well-to-do young man, probably educated at public school, and clearly a member of the professional classes, although we never actually discover what his job is. The film starts with a wedding at which Charles is best man to Angus, one of his old friends, and at which he meets Carrie, an attractive young American woman. The film then traces the ups and downs of the relationship of Charles and Carrie, via two more weddings (the second of which is Carrie's own, after she and Charles have split up), the funeral of Gareth, another friend of Charles who suffers a heart attack while dancing at Carrie's wedding, and one final marriage ceremony.
Hugh Grant, as Charles, gives a very good performance. Grant has a relatively narrow range as an actor, but he is capable of some excellent work within that range. There are some subtle differences between Charles and William, the character Grant played in "Notting Hill", another romantic comedy written by Curtis. William is a shy young man who uses ironic, self-deprecating humour as a cover for his shyness and lack of self-confidence. He is very much in love with Anna, that film's heroine, but is afraid to declare his love because he cannot believe that a beautiful and successful film star would take any interest in the owner of a small bookshop. Charles, by contrast, is less shy than William and enjoys more success with women. His humour is also ironic, but for a different reason. He is afraid of his emotions and of commitment and uses irony as a means of distancing himself from life and of avoiding having to commit himself.
The film can be seen as the story of Charles's journey to emotional maturity. He has had a number of brief affairs, all of which have petered out precisely because he is afraid of his emotions. His relationship with Carrie initially goes the same way and she marries a richer and older man. The change in Charles's character is partly due to the fact that he sees his carefree bachelor world disappearing as most of his friends get married, but the event which seems to have the greatest effect on him is Gareth's funeral, at which a moving eulogy is read by Matthew, Gareth's gay partner, touchingly played by John Hannah. Charles realises the strength of the love that Gareth and Matthew shared for one another and comes to appreciate that such a relationship is something to be valued.
Grant does well to make Charles a sympathetic figure, despite his having many failings quite apart from his ironic distancing of himself from the world. He is clumsy, accident-prone (he manages to lose the ring at Angus's wedding), much given to profane language and can be appallingly tactless, especially about his former girlfriends. The other main character, Carrie, can perhaps be seen as a female Charles, someone who is on the same journey as him but who has travelled slightly further. (It is significant that her name is short for Caroline, the feminine equivalent of the name Charles). She freely admits to having had over thirty previous lovers, but she is the first to want to bring emotional commitment to their relationship. Am I, incidentally, the only one to have liked Andie MacDowell's performance?- she has come in for a lot of criticism, in my view undeserved, on this board.
The film is, however, more than simply a study of relationships- it is also very funny with some superb lines. Hugh Grant can be very amusing, and there was a great cameo from Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling, nervous trainee priest who keeps fluffing his lines during one of the weddings. ("Awful wedded wife", or "Holy Goat" for "Holy Ghost"). I also liked David Bower as Charles's deaf brother David, the late Charlotte Coleman as his impudent younger sister Scarlett and Anna Chancellor as his ex-girlfriend Henrietta (also known as Duckface), whose embarrassing emotional incontinence perhaps explains why Charles is so keen to distance himself from his feelings. I was less impressed by Simon Callow as Gareth, loud, extrovert and excessively hearty (like most characters Callow plays).
To sum up, this was a very good film indeed; proof that the British cinema can produce romantic comedies as good as Hollywood at its best. 8/10
Was the above review useful to you?
66 out of 82 people found the following review useful:
Romantic Comedy Done Right
from United States
8 November 2004
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a wonderful movie. Romantic comedies often throw people off because they tend to be cheesy or depressingly sugar-coated. However, this is a truly wonderful movie.
First off, the cast is terrific. They play off of each other wonderfully and it makes for a delightful atmosphere. Just take the lead, Hugh Grant, whose character doesn't appear fit the stereotypical lead at all. The humor is very witty, and the jokes are guaranteed to make you laugh even after you've seen the movie a dozen times.
Situations in the movie are set up to be played out perfectly. In one scene Hugh Grant is at a wedding and is seated with all of his ex-girlfriends. The scene is set up for utter humiliation.
Even with the quick-witted characters, and all the weddings, it wouldn't be a movie without that touch of drama that for many might just get a tear out of them.
Hands down all around great movie to fit most every occasion.
Was the above review useful to you?
41 out of 46 people found the following review useful:
Rich In Story and Characters
from Salem, Oregon
29 December 2001
The effects of personal want, need, love and desire on the friendships of a circle of eclectic individuals is examined with a spot of humor in the witty, clever and oh-so-British comedy of love, romance and finding that special someone, `Four Weddings and a Funeral,' directed by Mike Newell. Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell head a delightful ensemble cast in this story of a group of long-time friends, all single, who watch and participate over a period of months as one by one those amongst them step up at last to the altar. Of them all, Charles (Grant) seems the most likely-- and at the same time the least likely-- to be next. Young, handsome and charismatic, Charles has no problem developing a relationship (he's had a number, in fact, as we learn in one particularly hilarious scene), but sustaining one is seemingly beyond his grasp. Until, at the wedding of one of his friends, he meets Carrie (MacDowell), an American, and she quickly enchants him. It is not the end of the story, however; for Charles, Carrie and the audience, it's only-- as they say-- the beginning.
Set in contemporary England, one of the aspects of this film that makes it so engaging is the propriety with which the humor is presented. Refreshingly subtle, there's more of Noel Coward than Tom Green or Rob Schneider to it; a matter of manners, mores and innuendo taking precedence over gross-out, in-your-face, shock schlock humor. And though Grant and MacDowell are at the forefront of the piece, Newell does an excellent job of developing all of the characters, succinctly supplying enough detail to each individual to give the film some depth and dimension, without having to actually go too deep. He never lets you forget that first and foremost, this is a comedy. There's some insight provided, but this is not an in-depth commentary on human nature, though there are some overtones and implications in that direction (Charles is always late to the weddings, for example; perhaps a subconscious denial of the impending nuptials?). Most importantly, the characterizations are rich, and the story is involving and presented with an even flow that allows you to effortlessly be swept away with it.
Certain actors make a career out of playing a variation of the same character in film after film, striving for that definitive portrayal. W.C. Fields played the hen-pecked husband in a number of films, finally perfecting that particular character in the person of Harold Bissonette in `It's A Gift.' For Hugh Grant, it's the retiring, somewhat self-conscious and stammering, eyelid fluttering charmer, of which he's done a variation in such films as `Sense and Sensibility,' `The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Came Down A Mountain,' Notting Hill' and `Mickey Blue Eyes.' But Charles is his definitive portrayal of that character, the one in which he achieves the balance and honesty that makes the character so believable. It's a good bit of work by Grant, and definitely one of his most memorable performances.
Andie MacDowell, meanwhile, gives a rather composed performance as Carrie, the quiet American with a reserved bluntness who captivates Charles. MacDowell brings a sense of quietude to the role that is sensuously seductive, which lends credibility to Charles' infatuation with her. It's a role for which MacDowell is perfectly suited, as it allows her to play effectively to her naturally calm demeanor and exquisite beauty and femininity.
In a part that has to be an actor's dream, Simon Callow is absolutely exuberant as Gareth, one of the fixtures of Charles' circle of friends. More than just an effervescent character, Gareth is something of the conscience of the film, laughing away and laying bare any and all pretense or hypocrisy like a modern day flesh-and-blood Spirit of Christmas Present. It's a character that gives needed balance and perspective to the film, and he's wonderfully played by Callow.
Also turning in especially noteworthy performances are John Hannah as Matthew; Kristin Scott Thomas, who is quite alluring as Fiona; James Fleet as Tom, a character very reminiscent of his Hugo in the TV series `The Vicar of Dibley,' (and very effective here); Charlotte Coleman, memorable in the role of Scarlett; and Rowan Atkinson as the hapless Father Gerald.
Rounding out the supporting cast are David Bower (David), Timothy Walker (Angus), Sara Crowe (Laura), Anna Chancellor (Henrietta), Simon Kunz (John), David Haig (Bernard), Sophie Thompson (Lydia Jane) and Corin Redgrave (Hamish). There's enough twists and turns along the way to keep this film unpredictable, including one scene near the end that initially seems so mean-spirited that it may have you biting your fist and crying, `Oh, NO!' But, not to worry, Newell provides an instant resolution consistent with the rest of the film, and it not only works but gets a good laugh to boot. Entertaining, pleasant and funny, `Four Weddings and a Funeral' makes for a satisfying, feel-good cinematic experience that just seems so wonderfully civilized amid the seemingly endless rancor abounding in our world today. It's what's known as the magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.
Was the above review useful to you?
42 out of 54 people found the following review useful:
A note to the anti-Andie brigade
from Canberra, Australia
12 November 1999
I'm blind to the alleged charm of Andie MacDowell myself. That's why I think that casting her in this film was a stroke of genius, for so far as my senses tell me she perfectly fits the character she plays: a dull beauty who casts a spell over one out of every twenty men she meets, leaving the remaining nineteen cold and completely baffled. Charlie (Hugh Grant) is surrounded by MUCH more desirable female friends - even Duckface has something going for her - but instead of so much as noticing them he falls head over heels for an unattainable woman who is, on top of everything else, boring. Would have been as good as it is if Charlie's passion had made SENSE? Of course not.
Anyway, everyone I know with a low opinion of this film begins the case for the prosecution with an attack on Andie MacDowell. Is there anything else to dislike? I can't see it myself. This is one of the world's few perfect comedies, devoid of longeurs - perhaps the funeral didn't have quite the desired effect - with true comedy and a nice selection of characters. One has no difficulty keeping the dozen or so members of the main set mentally separate. How many romantic comedies can you say THAT about?
Was the above review useful to you?
31 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Quirky Characters Shine in Touching, Funny, Romantic Comedy
from Alexandria, VA
27 March 2006
The lead character in this film, Charles, says at one point that, while his friends were busily obsessed with marriage, two members of their group were, for all intents and purposes, married to each other. In those days before Britain had a civil partnership law, he was referring to Gareth and Matthew, played by Simon Callow and John Hannah. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was among the first major films to feature a gay couple without any comment, moralizing, or stereotyping. Considering all of the absurd controversy generated by "Brokeback Mountain," this English comedy may be considered subversive in some quarters, because it portrays the union between the two men to be as loving and enduring as any between the men and a women in the same film. The two gay men are among a circle of idiosyncratic friends that orbit around Charles, who suffers from relationship avoidance. Played engagingly by Hugh Grant, Charles attends the weddings of others, but manages to avoid any commitment of his own. One of the film's funniest scenes involves Charles at a wedding reception where he has been seated at a table with several of his ex-girlfriends. With that one scene, screenwriter Richard Curtis wittily fleshes out Charles's character as each woman remarks on her past experience. The episodic comedy is broken down literally into the five events of the title, and the core characters attend these events as spectators who each hope for a wedding of their own. Many of the lines and situations are extremely funny. Rowan Atkinson steals his brief time as a novice preacher who blesses a couple "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy goat." Although Hugh Grant plays Charles as, well, Hugh Grant, several other actors create some fine comic turns. The ravishing Kristin Scott Thomas is touching as the lonely Fiona, and her timing is impeccable when she recovers from an indelicate question with a snappy comeback. Of course, why anyone as beautiful as Kristin Scott Thomas should be unwillingly single is a minor casting flaw in the film. Unfortunately, Andie MacDowell plays the American, Carrie, and, although she looks great in a hat, she fails to generate the necessary charisma to convincingly be Charles's object of desire. However, the low wattage generated by the two leads does little to dampen the hilarity or the pathos of this excellent film. While, at nearly two hours, the movie is long for a comedy, the structure and quirky characters easily sustain interest throughout. With "Four Weddings and a Funeral," director Mike Newell has made one of the best romantic comedies, and the film holds up to repeated viewings.
Was the above review useful to you?
29 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
A Nice Little Film That Charmed Its Way to a Best Picture Nod in 1994
from United States
28 June 2000
"Four Weddings and a Funeral" is a nice little film from 1994. It did fair at the box office and did fair with critics. The Academy was charmed enough to award the film with a Best Picture nomination. The film deals with a British bachelor (Hugh Grant) who continues to run into a beautiful young American (Andie McDowell) at various weddings in England. As the film progresses their lust for each other turns into love and the finale is a real triumph. This film is a comedy for the most part, but its elements of drama put it above most films that go primarily for laughs. The screenplay is smart and the supporting cast is excellent. Kristin Scott Thomas and Rowan Atkinson (albeit in a very small role) are memorable. 4 out of 5 stars.
Was the above review useful to you?
20 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
wonderfully funny movie
from Louisville, Kentucky, USA
12 June 2006
I am viewing the movie for my fifth time since its release. I just love this movie and laugh almost endless throughout the movie. My favorite parts of this movie are not the "Hollywood A List" actors but the not so well known actors. They are incredibly funny and give wonderful performances. I could easily write a bit about each actor in this movie but time does not permit. These are some very talented people. As a fan of British humor, I am especially pleased with the incredible writing along with the acting. Not to mention some of the scenery. If someone is feeling low, this is a great movie to watch to lift the spirits. I highly recommend this movie to anyone wanting or needing a good laugh.
Was the above review useful to you?
22 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Delightful Diversion
from Pa.
8 November 2001
"Four Weddings And A Funeral" is indeed a delightful little comedy with some wondeful writing and polished performances.Hugh Grant shines in a role that unfortunately left Him typecast to this day (for a different side of Grant see his brilliant Fredrich Chopin in "Impromptu".) and Kristen Scott Thomas is perfect as the enigmatic Fiona...witty,beautiful and touching. Simon Callow nearly steals the film as Gareth..He is one of the world's finest stage actors and its nice to see him get a film role he can really sink his teeth into. Andie McDowall is very convincing as the object of Grant's affection and Corin Redgrave has a well acted cameo as McDowall's fiancee Hamish. over all a jolly good film,funny,touching and sharp.
Was the above review useful to you?
45 out of 80 people found the following review useful:
The movie? Not bad. McDowell? Disastrous.
from Washington DC
5 June 2000
The movie was funny, easy to watch. Hugh Grant's character - the same one he plays in every film - is sufficiently charming that it can pull you through any number of storybook plots without all that much trouble.
But Andie McDowell - and I was so seized by this that I registered on this site just to make this comment, marking the first time I've posted anything on one of these - acts so badly I was squirming in my chair with vicarious embarassment every time she stood in front of the camera. At first, I thought her character was simply being sarcastic and thus speaking with an exaggerated indifference. Then I realized that the story called for nothing of the sort, and it was just her. Each sentence was blurted in the same vacant monotone, like she was the voicemail lady sitting in a room reading off disjointed phrases to be pieced together later by a computer. Out of the hundreds of engaging, beautiful, talented actresses who would be champing at the bit to appear with Grant in a sure-fire feelgood movie such as this, how, I ask, how could they have selected her? And after all the film was in the can, available for objective review, what callous laziness prevented the studio from employing the best CGI talent available to excise her visage and droning voice from every frame and replace it with something more lifelike, such as perhaps a Dalek from an old Dr. Who episode?
Was the above review useful to you?
Page 1 of 20:
| gareth and matthew |
Which 1964 movie saw Peter Sellars utter the words "You can't fight in here Gentlemen
this is a War Room"? | Wedding Week: ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’: 20 Years Later And Still So Far To Go | Bitch Flicks
Wedding Week: ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’: 20 Years Later And Still So Far To Go
Written by Myrna Waldron .
I was 7 years old the first time I watched this film. My family is ethnically British, and I was raised on British-style comedy like Monty Python. My parents shrugged off the R rating–sex and swear words, what’s the big deal? Admittedly, there are few films I’ve seen that have quite as many f-bombs…so maybe we can blame this one for my terrible pottymouth. But there is something to be said for the “It’ll go right over their heads!” argument. I knew Charles and Carrie were having sex. I knew what the f-word meant. But what I didn’t realize until I was quite a bit older…was that two members of the main cast were a gay couple. And their relationship was the strongest one in the entire film.
Although there are no people of colour in the cast (disappointing, but not surprising for a British film seeing as 90% of the population is white), Four Weddings & A Funeral is very progressive for a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies have a sordid reputation as the bastions of white heteronormativity, with only gorgeous people allowed to be seen on film. Lack of racial minorities aside (and don’t think I’m dismissing it; the all-white cast is an issue) we have LGBT representation in Matthew and Gareth, representation of people with disabilities in David (who is deaf-mute and played by a deaf actor), and Gareth is also a portly gentleman with a fuzzy greying beard–the film remembers old and fat people exist!
The traditional romantic comedy relationship is flipped, also. Stereotypically, the frazzled beautiful white woman just can’t find a man! And she’s got contrived flaws, and she has to chase the men in her life, etc. In Four Weddings’ case, it’s Hugh Grant’s character Charles who is lovelorn. He is surrounded by celebrations of heteronormativity–he has to attend weddings practically every weekend. And he feels that there is something wrong with him for not wanting to get married like almost everyone else does, that maybe he’s a commitmentphobe. He doesn’t realize until the end of the film that it’s not a lifelong commitment he’s avoiding, it’s the institution of marriage and the wedding hoopla that he hates. Upon meeting Carrie, he almost instantly realizes she’s the girl for him. Carrie is an American who worked for Vogue, and her approach to relationships is distinctly American and meant to contrast with the rather reserved British approach. Refreshingly, she’s got a very healthy sex life (in one memorable scene, she recounts all 33 of her lovers) and Charles does not judge her at all for it (though he’s somewhat embarrassed his own “number” is much smaller). Neither does the film condemn her from sleeping with Charles again while engaged to another man. It’s just a sign that she’s marrying the wrong man for her.
People tend to make fun of Hugh Grant’s stuttering style of delivering his lines, but I find it adds to his character and makes the dialogue more realistic. Charles seems to be known not only for being perpetually tardy but for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Who hasn’t stuttered and verbally fumbled while trying to talk to a person you’re strongly attracted to? Both Charles and Carrie have realistic flaws but are still sympathetic protagonists. Carrie’s fatal flaw is her indecisiveness when it comes to relationships. It perhaps factors into why she’s had so many lovers, but her flaw is NOT that she’s had a lot of lovers. That’s a progressive and feminist way to approach relationships and has a touch of sex positivity as well.
Speaking of progressiveness, let’s turn back to the minority characters in the main cast. Other than Gareth & Matthew’s relationship, I find the story of David and Serena’s relationship one of the most touching. Serena spots David at one wedding and is instantly attracted to him. She asks Matthew to tell her about him, admitting she thinks he’s “a bit of a dish.” (Matthew agrees, one of many signals that he’s gay.) You can tell that it’s true love because she learns sign language just so she can communicate with him. During the fourth wedding when David gives Charles an “out” from marrying Henrietta, a subtle indicator of the strength of their relationship is that she is able to follow along with David’s signing and reacts to it accordingly. Seeing deaf-mute characters (or even disabled characters in general) is rare enough in a movie, let alone watching a love story for one of them.
The main cast of Four Weddings and a Funeral
When it comes to Gareth & Matthew, even the main characters admit that their relationship was stronger and had a deeper commitment than anyone else’s. After Gareth’s funeral, Charles says to Tom that, in retrospect, Gareth & Matthew were married all along. And oh god, how that pained me. I don’t really know how I didn’t realize that they were romantically involved until I grew up, but that might just be because no one explicitly says, “Gareth and Matthew are in a relationship.” It’s all implied–strongly implied, I’ll grant you, but never explicitly stated.
Twenty years later, LGBTQ couples are able to enter civil partnerships in England…but they’re not allowed to call it marriage (yet?). These two men, who clearly loved each other completely, had to attend wedding after wedding but could never celebrate their love for each other legally. Instead of a wedding, they’re separated by death. Gareth appeared to be a hard-living man–poor diet, smoking, drinking, overly exuberant dancing, and clearly in late middle age. But it seems to add a further twist to the knife that their love is denied in two separate ways. It is at least uplifting that in the sequence of photographs at the end of the film, we see that Matthew has found love again, and it even looks like they’re holding a commitment ceremony.
As a good friend of mine has pointed out, a lot of people (mostly straight allies) seem to think the SCOTUS’ striking down of Prop. 8 and DOMA is not only a major celebration, but the be-all and end-all of queer rights. I mean, it’s good that legal discrimination against same-sex couples has been struck down, but it doesn’t mean that every state is suddenly going to legalize same-sex marriage, nor does it do anything to solve other LGBTQ issues, such as hate crimes. It’s also not exactly thrilling that DOMA was written into law by a supposedly liberal politician in the first place. (Bill Clinton, for those who don’t know.)
There’s still so much left to change. We still have so far to go. The situation of queer rights in the UK isn’t great–not only are they allowed only civil partnerships instead of marriage, the rights of trans* people, for example, are not only being ignored but outright trampled upon. A recent judgement on a “sex-by-deception” case cited gender as a legitimate reason for pressing charges, but age, marital status, wealth or HIV status are not. UK Law also allows a spouse to annul their marriage if their partner possesses a Gender Recognition Certificate and doesn’t tell them beforehand. Comparatively, other people do not have to disclose other parts of their history (criminal status, previous marriages, etc) the way that trans* people are legally forced to. And cis “LGB” individuals seem to be willing to throw the “T” under a bus, just so they can climb up the ladder a little higher. I’m hopefully preaching to the choir when I say this, but that’s BULLSHIT. I’m proud of how comparatively progressive my native Canada is in comparison, but we still have a very long way to go in terms of trans* rights.
Twenty years after Four Weddings and a Funeral, it strikes me that very little has changed. If this film were made today, Gareth and Matthew could enter into a formal civil partnership, but regardless, Charles may not have realized just how deep and committed their relationship had been all along. It’s still very bitter and chilling that it was the committed gay couple that was separated by death. The real theme of this film isn’t weddings and marriage, it’s commitment. Twenty years later, there’s still so little representation of disabled people in films. I honestly can’t think of another film I’ve seen with a deaf-mute character. There should have been more racial minorities in the cast, even in minor roles, instead of just one 5-second shot of a black extra at the funeral. And as comparatively progressive as this film is, all it does is make me think how ridiculous American films look. A film made in a country with a fraction of the US population is more representative of minorities than most films made in a country with 316 million goddamn people. I can’t help thinking that maybe romantic comedies would not nearly have as bad a reputation as they do if they branched out even a little bit and stopped being frivolous celebrations of solely cis white able-bodied heteronormativity.
I also can’t help thinking that although we’ve come so far…we still have so very far to go.
P.S. I was unable to make animated gifs this time around as my only copy of the film is in Blu-Ray, and my laptop can’t read it.
Myrna Waldron is a feminist writer/blogger with a particular emphasis on all things nerdy. She lives in Toronto and has studied English and Film at York University. Myrna has a particular interest in the animation medium, having written extensively on American, Canadian and Japanese animation. She also has a passion for Sci-Fi & Fantasy literature, pop culture literature such as cartoons/comics, and the gaming subculture. She maintains a personal collection of blog posts, rants, essays and musings at The Soapboxing Geek , and tweets with reckless pottymouthed abandon at @SoapboxingGeek .
| i don't know |
Two different doctors appear in Diagnosis Murder, and Grey's Anatomy, but have the same name. What is it? | 10 Cases of TV Shows Having Characters With the Same Name - CraveOnline
CraveOnline
10 Cases of TV Shows Having Characters With the Same Name
There are an infinite number of names out there. Why did these shows choose the same ones?
Aug 19th, 2014
same name tv characters, eric forman that '70s show, eric foreman house
For laughs, TV shows occasionally introduce two characters with the same name to stir things up. Examples include "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," Sean and Shawn on "Rescue Me," and Homer Simpson and Det. Homer Simpson on "The Simpsons." But less intentional and more hilarious is when two entirely separate shows pull the same stunt.
Eric Forman/Eric Foreman from "That '70s Show"/"House M.D."
These two shows couldn't have less to do with each other when it comes to their subject matter, but like many examples on this list, they appeared on the same network. In this case, it was FOX. While that might not seem like the biggest deal in the world, keep in mind the shows were also on during the same time period. Even though the character of Eric Forman from "That '70s Show" left the series at the end of the seventh season, there were 18 episodes where he was still on the show as "House M.D." began its first season, and that's not even including his appearance in the Season 8 finale.
same name tv characters, dr. shephard lost, dr. shepherd grey's anatomy
Dr. Shephard/Dr. Shepherd from "Lost"/"Grey's Anatomy"
It may be a little soon in the list to be making exceptions, but bear with us, as this one comes a bit more full circle in the next slide for you sticklers out there. Yes, we are aware that the Dr. Shephard we are referring to from "Lost" went by Jack more often than not, and the "Grey's Anatomy" Dr. Shepherd even spelled his name a little differently, but again, these were two show on the same network (ABC) running at the same time. You'd think they'd be on the lookout for stuff like this considering both were immensely popular, too.
same name tv characters, dr. mark sloan, diagnosis murder, grey's anatomy
Dr. Mark Sloan from "Diagnosis Murder/"Grey's Anatomy"
Boom. Full circle. It turns out Dr. Shepherd wasn't the only repeat name on "Grey's Anatomy." This time, there isn't even a spelling difference, and the characters are both legitimate medical doctors. Sure, their audiences were of two completely different demographics and the shows themselves weren't even on the same network, nor did they air at the same time, but come on. "Diagnosis Murder" was on the air for eight seasons and Dr. Sloan was THE main character. Couldn't the other Dr. Sloan have easily been given at least a different first name?
same name tv characters, sarah walker, brothers & sisters, chuck
Sarah Walker from "Brothers & Sisters"/"Chuck"
Again, here are two shows that didn't necessarily appeal to the same crowd or appear on the same network, but had lead characters by the same name, regardless. In this example's defense, however, Sarah Walker is a very common name. Still, how hard is it to look around your writer's room and ask "Hey, do any shows currently have a character named Sarah Walker on them?" You'd think that SOMEBODY would speak up at that point, but maybe they simply didn't care.
same name tv characters, lyla garrity, wonderland, friday night lights
Lyla Garrity from "Wonderland"/"Friday Night Lights"
Considering that only a whopping two episodes of "Wonderland" even aired before ABC pulled the plug on this series based around the day to day lives of doctors and patients in a mental institution, you probably don't even remember that the show had a character named Lyla Garrity on it. But creator Peter Berg certainly does. In fact, he later gave Minka Kelly's character on another TV show he created, "Friday Night Lights," the same name because it just so happened to be the name of his first crush. Talk about throwing yourself into your work.
same name tv characters, pamela barnes ewing dallas, pamela barnes supernatural, pamela rebecca barnes dallas 2012
Pamela Barnes Ewing/Pamela Barnes/Pamela Rebecca Barnes from "Dallas"/"Supernatural"/"Dallas" (2012)
Pamela Barnes of "Supernatural" fame may have only appeared in a handful of episodes throughout the series, but on a show where even death doesn't necessarily mean you won't be back, we'd consider her a big enough character that perhaps they should have thought of a different name for her. This goes tenfold when you figure not only is "Dallas" a show that was itself brought back from the dead in 2012, but now stars a separate character from the '80s series' Pamela Barnes Ewing named Pamela Rebecca Barnes , as well. That's confusing enough as it is.
same name tv characters, rachel greene er, rachel green friends
Rachel Greene/Rachel Green from "ER"/"Friends"
If you want to talk true confusion, look no further than this example. "ER" and "Friends" both aired on NBC at the same time. And by same time, we mean "ER" premiered literally three days before "Friends" did. Of course, the Rachel Greene from the medical drama wasn't nearly as prominent a character as the Rachel Green of the sitcom, so again, why didn't the network realize this and simply change one of their first names?
same name tv characters, uncle jesse dukes of hazzard, uncle jesse full house
Uncle Jesse/Uncle Jesse from "The Dukes of Hazzard"/"Full House"
We're sure the perfectionist in you would like to strangle us right now since you know darn well these two characters first names weren't "Uncle," but both were referred to on their respective series as "Uncle Jesse" more than their full names, so we decided to make an exception. Sure, that can be a slippery slope, but what's the worst that could come of it, right?
same name tv characters, the tanners, alf, full house
The Tanners from "ALF"/"Full House"
Okay, go ahead and strangle us now if you must. Of course neither of these shows had characters with the same FULL names, but we think it's a pretty big oversight for "Full House" to have given their main family the last name of Tanner when only one year prior, "ALF" premiered starring an alien life form living with a Tanner family. The funny thing is, if you were to ask most people which popular sitcom starred the Tanners, their knee-jerk reaction would likely be "Full House."
same name tv characters, lois griffin family guy, lois malcolm in the middle
Lois Griffin/Lois (Griffin?) from "Family Guy"/"Malcolm in the Middle"
We know that since this is the last example on our list, you probably think we are grasping at straws at this point, but we think we're actually being pretty legitimate in our reasoning here. Any fan of "Malcolm in the Middle" knows the main family was never given a last name. Technically , at least. So why couldn't it have been Griffin? After all, the two series already aired on the same night and starred mothers by the first name of Lois. If the last name was truly up to the audience's interpretation, then we interpret this to be the perfect ending to our list.
| Mark Sloan |
What was the name of the doctor played by Harrison Ford in the movie The Fugitive? | Dick Van Dyke - IMDb
IMDb
17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC
NEWS
Actor | Producer | Soundtrack
Dick Van Dyke was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke in West Plains, Missouri, to Hazel Victoria (McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne Van Dyke, a salesman. His younger brother is entertainer Jerry Van Dyke . His ancestry includes English, Scottish, German, Swiss-German, and Dutch. Although he'd had small roles beforehand, Van Dyke was launched to ... See full bio »
Born:
a list of 35 people
created 11 May 2011
a list of 30 people
created 26 Feb 2013
a list of 42 people
created 02 Mar 2014
a list of 32 people
created 15 Aug 2014
a list of 43 people
created 6 months ago
Do you have a demo reel?
Add it to your IMDbPage
How much of Dick Van Dyke's work have you seen?
User Polls
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 17 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards »
Known For
Diagnosis Murder Dr. Mark Sloan / Gangster John 'Mr. G' Gotti / J. Edison Nash / Jonathan Nash / Judith Nash / Julian Nash
(1993-2001)
The Dick Van Dyke Show Rob Petrie / Hezekiah Petrie
(1961-1966)
Mary Poppins Bert / Mr. Dawes Senior
(1964)
2015 The Middle (TV Series)
Dutch Spence
2014 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (TV Series)
Captain Goof Beard / Grandpappy Goof
- Mickey's Pirate Adventure (2014) ... Captain Goof Beard / Grandpappy Goof (voice)
2003 The Gin Game (TV Movie)
Weller Martin
- Becker the Elder (1999) ... Fred Becker
1993 Coach (TV Series)
1993 Chairman's Choice (TV Movie)
Chairman
1991 Daughters of Privilege (TV Movie)
Buddy Keys
1989 The Golden Girls (TV Series)
Ken
1987 Highway to Heaven (TV Series)
Wally Dunn
1986 Strong Medicine (TV Movie)
Sam Hawthorne
1985 American Playhouse (TV Series)
Les Dischinger
1983 Found Money (TV Movie)
Max Sheppard
1983 CBS Library (TV Series)
Father
1981 Harry's Battles (TV Movie)
Harry Fitzsimmons
1974 The Morning After (TV Movie)
Charlie Lester
1960 New Comedy Showcase (TV Series)
Richard Alexander
Pvt. Swiftington 'Swifty' Bilko / Pvt. Hank Lumpkin
- Bilko's Cousin (1958) ... Pvt. Swiftington 'Swifty' Bilko
- Hillbilly Whiz (1957) ... Pvt. Hank Lumpkin
Hide
2002 Diagnosis Murder: Town Without Pity (TV Movie) (executive producer)
1995-2001 Diagnosis Murder (TV Series) (executive producer - 137 episodes)
1971 Cold Turkey (executive producer - uncredited)
Hide
- Dick Van Dyke/Bill Burr/The Brian Setzer Orchestra (2015) ... (performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang")
2013 Saving Mr. Banks (performer: "Jolly Holiday", "Step In Time", "Let's Go Fly a Kite")
2011 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode #19.144 (2011) ... (performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" - uncredited)
2010 20 to 1 (TV Series documentary) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode dated 30 October 2009 (2009) ... (performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang")
2009 The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (Documentary) (performer: "Chim Chim Cher-ee", "Let's Go Fly a Kite", "Jolly Holiday", "A Man Has Dreams", "I Love To Laugh", "Hushabye Mountain")
1997 MGM Sing-Alongs: Having Fun (Video short) (performer: "Toot Sweets")
1997 MGM Sing-Alongs: Searching for Your Dreams (Video short) (performer: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Doll on a Music Box" and "Truly Scrumptious", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Reprise")
1985 The 39th Annual Tony Awards (TV Special) (performer: "I Still Get Jealous", "Gus: The Theatre Cat")
1974 The Morning After (TV Movie) (performer: "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" - uncredited)
1968 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (performer: "You Two", "Toot Sweets", "Hushabye Mountain", "Me Ol' Bamboo", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Doll On a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious" - uncredited)
1961-1965 The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV Series) (performer - 15 episodes)
- The Great Petrie Fortune (1965) ... (performer: "Me and My Shadow", "Dixie" (I Wish I Was in Dixie) - uncredited)
- Bupkis (1965) ... (performer: "It's a Funny War", "The Only Girl I Ever Loved" - uncredited)
Show all 15 episodes
1964 Mary Poppins ("Chim-Chim-Cheree", uncredited) / (performer: "Jolly Holiday", "Pavement Artist (Chim Chim Cheree)", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", "I Love to Laugh", "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank", "Chim-Chim-Cheree", "Step in Time", "A Man Has Dreams", "Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves)", "Let's Go Fly a Kite" - uncredited)
1963 The Danny Kaye Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode #1.13 (1963) ... (performer: "Puttin' on the Ritz")
1963 Bye Bye Birdie (performer: "Put On a Happy Face", "Kids", "(Everything Is) Rosie/(Everything Is) Hugo")
1960 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) (performer - 1 episode)
- Episode #14.6 (1960) ... (performer: "We Love You, Conrad!", "Put On a Happy Face")
| i don't know |
What was the nickname of Dr Leonard McCoy in the original Star Trek series? | Star Trek McCoy, Leonard H.
STARFLEET HISTORICAL FILE: McCoy, Leonard H.
Mid-level Biography Brief Mode
Full Name: Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.
Year of birth: 2227
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. David McCoy
Education: University of Mississippi, 2245-49; medical school, 2249-53
Marital status: Divorced
Quarters: Original Enterprise : 3F 127
Starfleet Career Summary
2266 – As lieutenant commander, named chief medical officer under Capt. James T. Kirk
2270 – Retires to private medical practice
2271 – Returns to duty under Starfleet reactivation clause, promoted to commander as chief medical officer on refit U.S.S. Enterprise for V'Ger mission
2285 – As Academy medical faculty and training instructor, forced into Genesis mission; detained over leaks regarding secret Genesis Project
2286 – Charged but cleared with shipmates in theft of U.S.S. Enterprise
2287 – Returns to active Enterprise service under Kirk
2293 – Participated in Khitomer peace mission after liberation from Klingon Rura Penthe prison
2364 – As retired admiral, gave inspection tour of Galaxy-class U.S.S. Enterprise upon departure
Nicknamed 'Bones' by his longtime friend and commander, Captain James T. Kirk, McCoy replaced Mark Piper as chief medical officer in 2266 on one of the ship's five-year missions but clearly became the most renowned of its CMOs. By that first year he had already won the commendations of the Legion of Honor, awards of valor, and was decorated by Starfleet Surgeons.
His temperament was sometimes argumentative, a cynic's outer crustiness masking deep caring beneath the surface. His "old South" roots led to the old-time physician manner of doctoring, with a Southern accent that was most apparent when under stress. He distrusts transporter technology and travels by shuttlecraft whenever possible.
McCoy was married once and later divorced, a relationship never discussed except for his one daughter, Joanna, who later graduated from nursing school. In the era before ship's counselors, McCoy played his role as psychologist expertly to the hilt — especially for the ship's two senior officers. As such an emotional watchdog he was not afraid to take on his captain, but it was his running battle of wits with Spock which became legendary. Spock showed his true feelings, though, as when inviting McCoy down to Vulcan for his "wedding" and in storing his katra with him before a known suicidal saving of their ship before the Genesis detonation.
McCoy contracted the always-fatal xenopolycythemia and retired from Starfleet in 2369 to spend his remaining days on the asteroid ship, Yonada , and that world's high priestess, Natira — whom he soon married. By exploring Yonada's computers, Spock found a cure for xenopolycythemia and McCoy left Natira to return to the service. Earlier, McCoy had been infected with the strange 'aging' virus that infected the Gamma Hydra IV landing party.
After the U.S.S. Enterprise's triumphant return from its five-year mission, McCoy retired from Starfleet, grew a beard and went into virtual seclusion with a rural practice, only to be forced back to duty by Kirk and Admiral Nogura when V'Ger threatened Earth in 2271. After that he continued through the years of renewed Enterprise service with Kirk until at least the Khitomer peace talks of 2293, having survived imprisonment with him on trumped-up charges at the Rura Penthe mining prison when he could not revive assassinated Klingon Chancellor Gorkon . Spock's deposit of his katra in 2285 had nearly driven McCoy crazy and landed him in Starfleet detention until the refusion took place, whereupon he delighted in the Vulcan's re-education process.
As a retired admiral he remained active in his later years, serving at the age of 137 and shuttling aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in 2364 in his role of inspecting medical facilities on new starships.
McCoy was an active practitioner well before his Starfleet days, of course. In 2253, some 12 years before he signed aboard with Kirk, he had developed a neural grafting procedure employing the creation of axonal pathways between the graft and a subject basal ganglia that was still the practice over a century later. He had also been stationed on Capella for a few months and knew the intricate customs of the Ten Tribes there.
| Bone |
Who played the lead part of Dr Malcolm Crowe in the movie Sixth Sense? | I'm a doctor, not a... | Memory Alpha | Fandom powered by Wikia
I'm a doctor, not a...
42,141pages on
(written from a Production point of view )
I'm a doctor, not a... is a famous catch phrase and snowclone used in Star Trek . Originally used by Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek: The Original Series , the phrase lived on in various other incarnations of Star Trek and was used by both Julian Bashir and The Doctor , among others. Dr. McCoy's original delivery of the phrase varied with emotional intensity, from extreme frustration to light-hearted sarcasm. Subsequent uses in later series also mirrored this performance. This iconic phrase has also appeared in other media as both a parody and homage to the show. Very often, it was just the way of Dr. McCoy and subsequent characters to prevent criticism in case of failure, but also often, the "not a..." ability is successful, especially in dire needs.
Contents
"What am I, a doctor or a moon -shuttle conductor?" ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")
"My dear girl, I'm a doctor. When I peek, it is in the line of duty." ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")
"I don't know, Jim. This is a big ship. I'm just a country doctor." ( TOS : " The Alternative Factor ")
"Me, I'm a doctor. If I were an officer of the line..." ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ")
"What do you mean what sort of work? I'm a doctor." ( TOS : " This Side of Paradise ")
"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer." ( TOS : " The Devil in the Dark ")
...to which Kirk replies, "You're a healer, there's a patient. That's an order."
"I'm a doctor, not an engineer ." ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")
...to which Montgomery Scott immediately replied, "Now, you're an engineer."
"I'm not a mechanic, Spock..." ( TOS : " The Empath ")
"I'm a doctor, Spock ... a doctor! Get us beamed aboard!" ( TAS : " Albatross ")
During one episode of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In , DeForest Kelley spoke the line "I'm not a doctor, I'm a convicted murderer."
"I don't need a doctor, damn it, I am a doctor!" ( Star Trek )
"I'm a doctor, Jim, I'm busy!" ( Star Trek )
"Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" ( Star Trek )
"Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a torpedo technician!" ( Star Trek Into Darkness )
"Damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a-- (beamed out)" ( Star Trek Beyond )
According to screenwriter Roberto Orci , the line "I'm a doctor, not a physicist," was one of several "nods" to the original series that the writers tried to make seem natural, rather than shoe-horned-in efforts to win goodwill from the fans . "That sort of line and that sort of coupling," said Orci, "is good in any context whether it's the first time or the tenth time you've heard Bones say something like that, because it was specific to the situation and it was elucidating to his character." ( SFX , issue #200, p. 60)
"I'm a doctor, not an engineer." ( VOY : " Flesh and Blood ")
According to the official Robert Picardo website
wbm
, during Picardo 's audition, the final scripted line for the reading was, "I believe someone has failed to terminate my program," and he finished his audition with the ad libbed "I'm a doctor, not a nightlight." However, when encountering the example in "Phage", Picardo was apparently unfamiliar with the tradition at first. He later recalled, "When I read that script I just thought it was a joke. Then I was told on the set this is a Bones line. I guess I remember him saying lines like that." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 40)
The example from "Parturition" was invented by Picardo himself. He remembered, "I suggested the 'I'm a doctor, not a voyeur' line, which also made it into [an] episode." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 97)
By the end of the second season of Voyager, Robert Picardo had become aware of the audience's appreciation for these lines and had invented a version that ultimately never made it into an episode. The actor commented, "The audience seems to get a kick out of whenever I invoke the spirit of Dr. McCoy." Laughing, Picardo added, "I hope someday to have a scene with Harry Kim , where I say, 'Damn it, Kim, I'm a doctor not a blank [whatever task the script demands.]' That would really be tweaking them one step further." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 28, No. 4/5, p. 97)
"Well, what did you expect? He's a doctor, not a security officer." ( Star Trek: Borg ) referring to Dr. Thaddeus Quint
Prior Art
Edit
While the character of Dr. McCoy arguably made the phrase "I'm a doctor ..." part of the common lexicon, he was not the first fictional doctor, or even the first character on the big screen, to use the phrase. In the 1933 American film The Kennel Murder Case, Dr. Doremus, the coroner at the scene of the titular crime, states "I'm a doctor, not a magician," and "I'm a doctor, not a detective," within five minutes of his first appearance. The latter line was also uttered by Dr. Fortescue, played by George Zucco , in the 1949 version of The Secret Garden . It is unclear whether these particular dialogue artifacts were progenitors of McCoy's famous phrase.
"I'm a [whatever] not a [whatever]" is also a Yiddish idiom, most commonly "I'm a [whatever,] not a rabbi."
| i don't know |
What is the first name of Dr House, played by Hugh Lawrie? | Hugh Laurie | House Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Episode
All Episodes
"All heroic deeds require a cost otherwise they’re not really heroic. There has to be a dragon, there has to be risk, there has to be pain…and he endures that pain, and fights that dragon. And he pays that price in lots of different ways. And he pays it for the sake of seeking out this bigger truth."
―Hugh Laurie about House
James Hugh Calum Laurie OBE (born June 11, 1959) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Laurie is best known in the United Kingdom, Australia and parts of Europe for his roles in Blackadder and for his long-running comedy collaboration with Stephen Fry which has included A Bit of Fry and Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster . In the United States, he is best known for playing Dr. Gregory House on House, M.D. .
In 2006 and 2007, Laurie won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama and won the 2007 SAG Award in the same category, all for his work in House, MD. In 2005 and 2007-2011, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for the role.
Contents
Edit
Laurie was born in Oxford in 1959. His father, William George Ranald Mundell "Ran" Laurie , was a doctor and also won an Olympic gold medal in the coxless pairs at the 1948 London Games.
Laurie was brought up in Oxford and attended the Dragon School, a prestigious preparatory school. He later went on to Eton and then to Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he achieved a Third-Class Honors degree (roughly the equivalent of a "C" average for a four-year program in the United States) in archaeology and anthropology. Laurie later admitted that the only reason he chose Cambridge was that it gave him a chance to keep rowing (he was a world class junior rower at Eton) and he read archeology because it gave him plenty of time to row.
Like his father, Laurie was a rower at school and university; in 1977, he was half of the junior coxed pair that won the English national title before representing England's Youth Team at the 1977 World Championships. Later, he also achieved a Blue taking part in the 1980 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. Cambridge lost that year by five feet (1.5 m). Laurie is a member of the Leander Club, one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world.
Forced to abandon rowing during a bout of glandular fever (mononucleosis), he joined the Cambridge Footlights, which has been the starting point for many successful British comedians. There he met Emma Thompson , with whom he had a romantic relationship and is still good friends. She introduced him to his future comedy partner, Stephen Fry . Laurie, Fry and Thompson later parodied themselves as the University Challenge representatives of "Footlights College, Oxbridge" in "Bambi", an episode of The Young Ones, with the series' co-writer Ben Elton completing their team. In 1980–81, his final year at university, Laurie managed to find time alongside his rowing to be president of the Footlights, with Thompson as vice-president. They took their annual revue, The Cellar Tapes, written principally by Laurie and Fry, the cast also including Thompson, Tony Slattery, Paul Shearer and Penny Dwyer, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and won the first Perrier Comedy Award for comedy.
Career
Hugh Laurie - Inside the Actor's Studio (Part 1)
Hugh Laurie on Inside The Actor's Studio
It was recently announced that Hugh Laurie's comedy partner, Stephen Fry, would make a cameo appearance in House, but due to commitments in England, Fry is unable to do so for now. [3]
On October 28, 2006, Laurie hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live where he famously, mostly to internet fans, dressed in drag in a sketch about a black man (Kenan Thompson) with a broken leg who accuses his doctor of being dishonest. Laurie played the black man's wife.
On January 28, 2007 Hugh Laurie received the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama.
In August 2007, Laurie appeared on BBC Four's documentary Stephen Fry: 50 Not Out, filmed in celebration of Fry’s 50th birthday. In 2008, Laurie appeared as Captain James Biggs in Street Kings, opposite Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker, and then in 2009 as the eccentric Dr. Cockroach, PhD in DreamWorks' Monsters vs. Aliens. He also hosted Saturday Night Live for the second time on the Christmas show in which he sang a medley of three-second Christmas songs to close his monologue.
In 2009, Laurie returned to guest star in another Family Guy episode, "Business Guy", parodying Gregory House and himself assuming an American accent. In 2010, Laurie filmed an independent feature called The Oranges with Leighton Meester . In 2010, Laurie guest starred in The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror XXI" as Roger, a castaway who is planning a murder scheme on a ship during Homer and Marge's second honeymoon.
Laurie began taking a role behind the House camera in 2009. He is credited with an executive producer title for several episodes of the last few seasons, starting with " Broken ". He also directed the Season 6 episode " Lockdown ". He will again direct the upcoming Season 8 episode, " The C Word ".
Personal life
Edit
Hugh Laurie married Jo Green, a theater administrator, in June 1989. They live in north London with their daughter, Rebecca (born 1993), and two sons, Bill (born 1991) and Charlie (born 1988). Rebecca had a role in the film Wit as five-year-old Vivian Bearing. The starring role of the adult Vivian was played by Emma Thompson, a close friend of Laurie since their years at Cambridge.
His friend Stephen Fry is his children's godfather. However, like his character, Laurie is an atheist.
He stated on BBC Radio 2 in an interview with Steve Wright in January 2006 that he is currently living in an apartment in West Hollywood while he is in the United States working on House.
Laurie is a skilled musician. He can play the piano, guitar, harmonica and saxophone. He has displayed his musical talents in episodes of several series, most notably A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster, House and when he hosted Saturday Night Live on October 28, 2006. In 2011, he released his first album, Let Them Talk, which was followed by Didn't It Rain in 2013.
Laurie was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2007 New Year Honors List for his services to drama. [4]
Awards
2005 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
2007 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
2008 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
2009 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
2010 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
2011 - Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Golden Globe Awards
2006 - Winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
2007 - Winner - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
2008 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
2009 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
2010 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
2011 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Satellite Awards
2005 - Winner - Outstanding Actor in a Series, Drama
2006 - Winner - Outstanding Actor in a Series, Drama
2007 - Nominated - Outstanding Actor in a Series, Drama
Screen Actors Guild Awards
2006 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
2007 - Winner - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
2008 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
2009 - Winner - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
2009 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2010 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
2011 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Television Critics Association
2005 - Winner - Individual Achievement in Drama
2006 - Winner - Individual Achievement in Drama
2007 - Nominated - Individual Achievement in Drama
2009 - Nominated - Individual Achievement in Drama
Annie Awards
2010 - Nominated - Voice Acting in a Feature Production for Monsters vs. Aliens
People's Choice Awards
2009 - Won - Favorite Male TV Star
2011 - Won - Favorite TV Drama Actor
2011 - Won - Favorite TV Doctor
2012 - Nominated - Favorite TV Drama Actor
Prism Awards
2006 - Nominated - Performance in a Drama Series Episode
2007 - Nominated - Performance in a Drama Series - Multi-Episode Storyline
2010 - Nominated - Performance in a Drama Series Episode
Teen Choice Awards
2006 - Nominated - TV Choice Actor
2007 - Won - Choice TV Actor: Drama
2011 - Nominated - Choice TV Actor: Drama
Young Artist Awards
1999 - Nominated - Best Performance in a Featured Film - Young Ensemble for The Borrowers
Quotes
Edit
Emma Thompson on Laurie: "He is very very lovable. He is one of those rare people who manages to be lugubriously sexy, like a well-hung eel." [5]
On the birth of his second son during filming for Jeeves and Wooster: "We were halfway through a scene and the phone call came from the hospital — I didn't even know she was pregnant, it was such a shock — and I had to, we'd done all my bit, with the camera pointing my way, so I ran off to the hospital in my costume, which was very exciting, well, vaguely exciting, and poor old Stephen was left to do the rest of the scene just to thin air. Which was probably preferable, I dunno." Stephen: "Yes, thin air's a better actor." Hugh: "Yeah, not so wooden." [6]
Christopher Buckley, The New York Times Book Review, on Laurie's book The Gun Seller: "As a writer, Mr. Laurie is smart, charming, warm, cool (if need be) and high-spirited [...] This is a genuinely witty and sophisticated entertainment."
On winning his second Golden Globe for House: "I'm speechless. I am, literally, without a speech."
Trivia
Edit
Admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone and during a guest appearance on The Tonight Show that he once tried Vicodin as part of his preparation for the role of Dr House.
Has struggled with severe clinical depression off and on over the course of his life, and continues to receive regular treatment from a psychotherapist. He stated in an interview that he first concluded he had a problem while on a movie set in 1996, when he realized that the car chase he was filming neither excited nor frightened him (he said that he felt, in fact, bored). [7] "Boredom," he commented in an interview on Inside the Actors Studio, "is not an appropriate response to exploding cars."
Was cast as Daily Planet editor Perry White in the film Superman Returns but had to bow out of the project due to his involvement in House (incidentally, the series is produced by Bad Hat Harry Productions, which is owned by Superman Returns director Bryan Singer ).
Laurie admires the writings of P.G. Wodehouse : he explained in a 27 May 1999 article in The Daily Telegraph how reading Wodehouse novels had saved his life. [8]
Is close friends with his House co-star Robert Sean Leonard .
Is a "Port" side sweep rower, rowing in 4 seat for the 1980 Boat Race
When executive producer Bryan Singer cast him as Greg House, Singer was unaware Laurie was British.
Was on record predicting the Giants to beat the Patriots just before Super Boxl XLII.
Selected filmography
| Gregory |
What was the name of the monkey in The Lion King? | Hugh Laurie | Biography & History | AllMusic
google+
Artist Biography by Jon O'Brien
A household name in both the U.K. and U.S. thanks to his long-standing 30-year comedy career and more recent starring role in medical drama House, multi-talented Hugh Laurie is also lesser-known as a versatile and accomplished self-taught musician. Born James Hugh Calum Laurie, in Oxford, 1959, he was raised in the Scottish Presbyterian Church before attending prestigious Eton College and later Cambridge University, where he graduated with a degree in archaeology and social anthropology. During his studies, he became the President of the famous amateur theatrical society, Footlights, where he was introduced to future comedy partner Stephen Fry . The duo first found success when they wrote the Perrier Award-winning revue, The Cellar Tapes, and after appearing together on The Young Ones, sketch show Alfresco, and most famously, Blackadder, they formed a working relationship which spanned almost a decade on shows including A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. In the mid-'90s, Laurie embarked on a Hollywood career, starring in 101 Dalmations, three Stuart Little movies, and the remake of Flight of the Phoenix, but it wasn't until 2004, when he landed the lead role of grumpy physician Dr. Gregory House, in Fox series House, that he began to receive world-wide recognition, earning several Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards and the accolade of the highest-paid actor in a TV drama. But throughout his career, Laurie had also regularly displayed his musical talents, which included playing the guitar, drums, harmonica, piano, and saxophone. As well as showcasing his skills in House and his guest host slots on Saturday Night Live, he played the keyboards in Los Angeles charity rock group Band from TV and performed piano duties on "If I Can't Have You," a track from Meat Loaf 's 2010 album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear . In the same year, he signed a deal with Warner Bros, where he recorded a New Orleans blues-influenced album featuring guest collaborations with Tom Jones , Irma Thomas , and Dr. John . Produced by Joe Henry ( Elvis Costello ), Let Them Talk was released in 2011 and it performed remarkably well, topping the Billboard blues charts in the US, going gold in the UK and making its mark in various European and South American countries. Two years later, Laurie reteamed with producer Henry for a second album called Didn't It Rain.
| i don't know |
In which country is The Aristocats set? | The Aristocats | Disney Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Plot
Title Card for The Aristocats
In Paris, France , in 1910, a mother cat named Duchess and her three kittens -- Marie , Berlioz and Toulouse -- live in the mansion of retired opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille , along with her English butler, Edgar Balthazar . She early on settles her will with her lawyer, Georges Hautcourt - an aged, eccentric old friend of hers - stating that she wishes the "faithful" Edgar to look after her beloved cats until they die. Only then will he inherit the fortune himself. Edgar hears this from his own room and believes he will be dead before he inherits Madame Adelaide's fortune, and so plots to remove the cats from a position of inheritance (clearly not thinking about how he would be essentially in control of the fortune, despite having to take good care of them).
Edgar sedates the cats by putting an entire bottle of sleeping pills into their food and then heads out into the country side to dispose of them. However, two hound dogs named Napoleon and Lafayette attack him. After the conflict, Edgar escapes, leaving behind his umbrella, hat, the cats' bed-basket and the sidecar of his motorcycle in the process. The cats are left alone and afraid in the countryside, while Madame Adelaide, Roquefort the Mouse and Frou Frou the horse discover their absence. In the morning, Duchess meets an alley cat named Thomas O'Malley , who offers to guide her and the kittens to Paris.
They have a struggle returning to the city, briefly hitchhiking on the back of a milk cart before being unfortunately chased off by the driver. Marie subsequently falls into a river and is saved by O'Malley. They then meet a pair of British white geese, Amelia and Abigail Gabble, who are travelling to Paris. The group head off, marching like geese, until they reach Paris and come across the girls' drunken Uncle Waldo. Abigail and Amelia then depart to take Waldo home. Travelling across the rooftops of the city, the cats meet Scat Cat and his band, close friends to O'Malley, who perform the song Everybody Wants to Be a Cat . After the band have departed and the kittens lie in bed, O'Malley and Duchess spend the evening on a nearby rooftop and talk, while the kittens listen at a windowsill. The subject of their conversation is the question of whether Duchess can stay and be with Thomas.
Reluctantly, Duchess sadly turns him down, largely out of loyalty to Madame Adelaide, pointing out that Madame really does love her and her kittens - some cuts to Madame Adelaide show that she truly is very unhappy without her cats, and feeling very much alone. The listening kittens are disappointed, although they too wish to go home. Edgar, meanwhile, retrieves his sidecar, umbrella, and hat from Napoleon and Layafette with some difficulty.
The cats make it back to the mansion, whereupon O'Malley departs sadly after he and Duchess have heartfelt farewell moment. Edgar sees Duchess and Kittens coming and suddenly captures them, places them in a sack and briefly hides them in an oven. The cats tell Roquefort to pursue O'Malley and get help. He does so, whereupon O'Malley races back to the mansion, ordering Roquefort to find Scat Cat and his gang. Edgar places the cats in a trunk which he plans to send to Timbuktu, Africa so they can never come back. O'Malley, Scat Cat and his gang, and Frou-Frou all fight Edgar, while Roquefort frees Duchess and kittens. In the end, Edgar is tipped into the trunk, locked inside, and sent to Timbuktu himself. Madame Adelaide's will is rewritten to exclude Edgar and include O'Malley. She starts a charity foundation providing a home for all of Paris' stray cats. The grand opening thereof, to which most of the major characters come, features Scat Cat's band, who perform a reprise of Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat.
Production
Story development
On December 9, 1961, Walt Disney suggested that Harry Tytle and Tom McGowan find some animal stories to adapt as a two-part live-action episode for the Wonderful World of Color television program. By New Year's 1962, McGowan had found several stories including a children's book about a mother cat and her kittens set in New York City. However, Tytle felt that a London location had added a significant element to One Hundred and One Dalmatians and suggested setting the story of the cats in Paris. Following a rough storyline, the story became about two servants—a butler and a maid—who were in line to inherit a fortune of an eccentric mistress after the pet cats died and focused on their feeble and foolish attempts to eliminate the felines. Boris Karloff and Francoise Rosay were in mind to portray the butler and the distressed Madame. A subplot centered around a mother cat hiding her kittens to keep them out of danger in a variety of different homes and locales around Paris, France. During the filming of Escapade in Florence , McGowan brought him the story that had been written by Tom Rowe, an American writer who was living in Paris.
By August 1962, they sent the completed script to Burbank, where it was returned as "rejected" by an unknown executive at the Disney studios. Nevertheless, Tytle brought the script to Walt staying at the Connaught in London. Disney approved for the draft, but recommended additional cuts which were made by February 1963. Before filming was to commence Paris, Rowe wrote a letter to Disney addressing his displeasure of the script revisions, in which Tytle responded to Rowe that the changes Walt approved of would be kept. However, by summer 1963, the project was shelved, where Tytle, in a discussion with Walt, recommended to produce The Aristocats as an animated feature. For that reason, Walt temporarily shelved the project as the animation department was occupied with The Jungle Book . Meanwhile, director Wolfgang Reitherman learned of the project and suggested it as a follow-up project to Jungle Book. Because of the production delays, Tytle was advised to centralize his efforts on live action projects and was replaced by Winston Hibler.[3]
In 1966, Disney assigned Ken Anderson to determine whether Aristocats would be suitable for an animated feature. With occasional guidance from Reitherman, Anderson worked from scratch and simplified the two stories into a story that focused more on the cats. Walt saw the preliminary sketches and approved the project shortly before his death. After The Jungle Book was completed, Walt and his team began work on Aristocats, which was still on after Walt's death. Hibler was eventually replaced by Reitherman, who would abandon the more emotional story of Duchess's obsession to find adopters befitting of her kittens' talents initially favored by Walt suggesting instead the film be conceived as an adventure comedy in the vein of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Furthermore, the character Elvira , the maid, who was intended to be voiced by Elsa Lanchester , was removed from the story placing Edgar as the central antagonist in order to better simplify the storyline.
Casting
As with The Jungle Book, the characters were patterned on the personalities of the voice actors. In 1966, Walt Disney contacted Phil Harris to improvise the script, and shortly after, he was cast to voice Thomas O'Malley. To differentiate the character from Baloo , Reitherman noted O'Malley was "more based on Clark Gable than Wallace Beery, who was partly the model for Baloo." Reitherman furthermore cast Eva Gabor as Duchess, remarking she had "the freshest femme voice we've ever had", and Sterling Holloway as Roquefort. Louis Armstrong was initially reported to voice Scat Cat, but he backed out of the project in 1969 for unknown reasons. Out of desperation, Scatman Crothers was hired to voice the character under the direction to imitate Armstrong. Pat Buttram and George Lindsey were cast as the farm dogs, which proved so popular with the filmmakers that another scene was included to have the dogs when Edgar returns to the farm to retrieve his displaced hat and umbrella.
Animation
Ken Anderson spent eighteen months developing the design of the characters. Five of Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men" worked on it, including the Disney crew that had been working 25 years on average.
Cast
Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley (full name: Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat) - the male protagonist. He is a friendly alley cat who finds Duchess and her kittens stranded in the woods and befriends them, becoming a father figure to the kittens and falling in love with Duchess.
Eva Gabor as Duchess the White Cat - the female protagonist. She is Madame Adelaide's cat and mother of three kittens. She falls in love with Thomas and is forced to choose her life at home or a life with Thomas. Robie Lester provided her singing voice.
Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar Balthazar - Madame Adelaide's butler and the main antagonist of the film. He hopes to get rid of the cats in order to inherit Adelaide's fortune.
Gary Dubin as Toulouse - the oldest kitten, he aspires to meet a tough alley cat and adores Thomas as a father figure. He acts very tough at times and often gets into Marie's and Berlioz's nerves.
Liz English as Marie - the middle and only female kitten. Not only is she very bossy at times, but she also believes that by being female, she is the best of the three kittens. She, like Toulouse, grows to love Thomas like a father.
Dean Clark as Berlioz - the youngest kitten. He is somewhat timid and shy. Like Toulouse and Marie, he grows to love Thomas like a father.
Sterling Holloway as Roquefort the Mouse - a friend of the cats. He attempts to find them after they are catnapped, but is unsuccessful.
Scatman Crothers as Scat Cat - Thomas's best friend and leader of a group of music-loving alley cats. Plays the trumpet.
Paul Winchell as Shun Gon the Chinese (Siamese) Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays the piano and drums that are made out of pots.
Lord Tim Hudson as Hit Cat the English Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays acoustic guitar.
Vito Scotti as Peppo the Italian Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays the accordion.
Thurl Ravenscroft as Billy Boss the Russian Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays cello bass guitar.
Pat Buttram as Napoleon the Bloodhound - a farm dog who attacks Edgar when he intrudes in the farm, unknowingly saving the lives of Duchess and her kittens. Napoleon insists, whenever cohort Lafayette makes a suggestion, that he is in charge – then proceeds to adopt Lafayette's suggestion as his own.
George Lindsey as Lafayette the Basset Hound - a farm dog and Napoleon's companion. He sometimes proves to be smarter than Napoleon, despite Napoleon staunchly insisting that he is the leader of the farm dogs.
Hermione Baddeley as Madame Adelaide Bonfamille - a former opera singer and owner of Duchess and her kittens.
Charles Lane as Georges Hautcourt the Lawyer - a senile old man who denies his old age and even refuses to accept Edgar's offer of using the elevator instead of the long staircase, resulting in a brief chaos.
Nancy Kulp as Frou Frou the Horse - Roquefort's companion and who plays a part in subduing Edgar. Ruth Buzzi provided her singing voice.
Mel Blanc as The Frog
Trivia
This is the last movie to end with "A Walt Disney Production," and the first of the Walt Disney Animated Classics to open with "Walt Disney Productions Presents." This would continue up until The Fox and the Hound in 1981.
Robie Lester, who had done Duchess's singing voice in the film, would later narrate the Read-Along version of the film.
The Aristocats, more specifically "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat", was later referenced in the live-action remake of 101 Dalmations, which the puppies ended up watching before switching to Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey.
A deleted scene shows that when the train comes on the brige the train derails. And Marie drowning.
Goofs
When the Alley Cats fight Edgar, Roquefort orders everyone to be quiet while he works on cracking the padlock. Even Edgar stops. This is strange, since Madame Adelaide Bonfamille and the other humans can't understand animals. It's especially strange since Edgar can't understand his horse.
After Edgar is kicked into the box that he was planning to use to send the cats to Timbuktu, it is shown with the padlock once again locked and sealed on the front, despite the fact that Roquefort had removed the padlock and there had been no time for anyone to put it back on before it was kicked outside.
In the scene where Edgar is ironing his clothes, he is seen wearing a pair of red-and-white striped boxer shorts. However, since this movie is set in 1910, boxer shorts weren't really invented until 1925 (15 years later).
While Roquefort reports to Scat Cat and the gang that O'Malley, Duchess, and the kittens are in trouble, Peppo (the Italian Cat) changes two different locations too quickly.
Edgar refers to the money that he would inherit as "dollars" and the American dollar sign flashes in his eyes; however the film takes place France.
Release and Reception
Main article: The Aristocats (video)
1987 Re-Release Poster
The Aristocats premiered on December 11th, 1970 and released in theaters on December 24th that same year. The film was then re-released to theaters on December 19, 1981 and April 10, 1987. Overall, The Aristocats made over $55 million on a budget of $4 million, making it a box office success.
Based on 29 reviews, the film has a 66% rating at Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 6/10 "fresh", relatively low for a Disney animated feature, with a consensus of "Though The Aristocats is mostly a middling effort for Disney, it is redeemed by terrific work from its voice cast and some jazzy tunes." Of the reviews, 19 gave it "fresh" and 10 gave it "rotten". [9 ]
The film was nominated for AFI's 10 Top 10 in the "Animation" genre. [10 ]
It was released on VHS in Europe on January 1, 1990. It was first released on VHS in North America in the Masterpiece Collection series on April 24, 1996 and DVD on April 4, 2000 in the Gold Classic Collection line. The Aristocats had its Gold Collection disc quietly discontinued in 2006. A new single-disc Special Edition DVD (previously announced as a 2-Disc set) was released on February 5, 2008 with the original matted aspect ratio of 1.75:1. The film debuted on Blu-ray August 7, 2012, this time with a 1.66:1 transfer.
Trivia
Scat Cat was originally written with Louie Armstrong in mind, with his original name being Satchmo Cat. Unfortunately, illness kept Louie from being able to play the character and the character was recast with Scatman Crothers and given the " Everybody Wants to Be a Cat " song replacing the one the Sherman Brothers wrote for Armstrong, "Le Jazz Hot".
The car that Georges drives resembles a 1913 Mercer 35J Raceabout .
Soundtrack
"The Aristocats" - Maurice Chevalier "The Aristocats" is the title song from the film. It was written by Robert and Richard Sherman at the end of the eight year tenure working for Walt Disney Productions . Actor and singer Maurice Chevalier came out of retirement to sing this song for the motion picture's soundtrack. He recorded it in English as well as in French translation ("Naturellement - les Aristocats!"). It would be his last work before his death in 1972.
" Scales and Arpeggios " - Liz English, Gary Dubin, Dean Clark, Robie Lester
" Thomas O'Malley Cat (song) " - Phil Harris
" Everybody Wants to Be a Cat " - Phil Harris , Scatman Crothers, Thurl Ravenscroft , Vito Scotti, Paul Winchell This song is sung by Scatman Crothers as Scat Cat, Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley Cat, and Thurl Ravenscroft as Billy Boss the Russian Cat. It was also released as a now rare 45 rpm single, in a version sung only by Phil Harris, which lacks the cartoon voices of the common release. The soundtrack CD released in 1996 contains an edited version of the song. The lines sung by "Chinese Cat" voiced by Paul Winchell, now seen as politically incorrect, are removed.
"She Never Felt Alone" - Robie Lester
"Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat (reprise)" - Phil Harris, Scatman Crothers, Thurl Ravenscroft, Vito Scotti, Paul Winchell, Ruth Buzzi, Bill Thompson
On Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic , this includes "Thomas O'Malley Cat" on the purple disc and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" on the orange disc. On Disney's Greatest Hits, this includes "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" on the red disc.
Cancelled sequel
The Aristocats II was supposed to be a direct-to-video sequel to this film. It was scheduled to be released in 2007, but the production was canceled in early 2006 after Disney acquired Pixar and canceled all other planned direct-to-video sequels.
Gallery
| France |
What is the name of the main ant from A Bug's Life? | The Aristocats | Disney Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Plot
Title Card for The Aristocats
In Paris, France , in 1910, a mother cat named Duchess and her three kittens -- Marie , Berlioz and Toulouse -- live in the mansion of retired opera singer Madame Adelaide Bonfamille , along with her English butler, Edgar Balthazar . She early on settles her will with her lawyer, Georges Hautcourt - an aged, eccentric old friend of hers - stating that she wishes the "faithful" Edgar to look after her beloved cats until they die. Only then will he inherit the fortune himself. Edgar hears this from his own room and believes he will be dead before he inherits Madame Adelaide's fortune, and so plots to remove the cats from a position of inheritance (clearly not thinking about how he would be essentially in control of the fortune, despite having to take good care of them).
Edgar sedates the cats by putting an entire bottle of sleeping pills into their food and then heads out into the country side to dispose of them. However, two hound dogs named Napoleon and Lafayette attack him. After the conflict, Edgar escapes, leaving behind his umbrella, hat, the cats' bed-basket and the sidecar of his motorcycle in the process. The cats are left alone and afraid in the countryside, while Madame Adelaide, Roquefort the Mouse and Frou Frou the horse discover their absence. In the morning, Duchess meets an alley cat named Thomas O'Malley , who offers to guide her and the kittens to Paris.
They have a struggle returning to the city, briefly hitchhiking on the back of a milk cart before being unfortunately chased off by the driver. Marie subsequently falls into a river and is saved by O'Malley. They then meet a pair of British white geese, Amelia and Abigail Gabble, who are travelling to Paris. The group head off, marching like geese, until they reach Paris and come across the girls' drunken Uncle Waldo. Abigail and Amelia then depart to take Waldo home. Travelling across the rooftops of the city, the cats meet Scat Cat and his band, close friends to O'Malley, who perform the song Everybody Wants to Be a Cat . After the band have departed and the kittens lie in bed, O'Malley and Duchess spend the evening on a nearby rooftop and talk, while the kittens listen at a windowsill. The subject of their conversation is the question of whether Duchess can stay and be with Thomas.
Reluctantly, Duchess sadly turns him down, largely out of loyalty to Madame Adelaide, pointing out that Madame really does love her and her kittens - some cuts to Madame Adelaide show that she truly is very unhappy without her cats, and feeling very much alone. The listening kittens are disappointed, although they too wish to go home. Edgar, meanwhile, retrieves his sidecar, umbrella, and hat from Napoleon and Layafette with some difficulty.
The cats make it back to the mansion, whereupon O'Malley departs sadly after he and Duchess have heartfelt farewell moment. Edgar sees Duchess and Kittens coming and suddenly captures them, places them in a sack and briefly hides them in an oven. The cats tell Roquefort to pursue O'Malley and get help. He does so, whereupon O'Malley races back to the mansion, ordering Roquefort to find Scat Cat and his gang. Edgar places the cats in a trunk which he plans to send to Timbuktu, Africa so they can never come back. O'Malley, Scat Cat and his gang, and Frou-Frou all fight Edgar, while Roquefort frees Duchess and kittens. In the end, Edgar is tipped into the trunk, locked inside, and sent to Timbuktu himself. Madame Adelaide's will is rewritten to exclude Edgar and include O'Malley. She starts a charity foundation providing a home for all of Paris' stray cats. The grand opening thereof, to which most of the major characters come, features Scat Cat's band, who perform a reprise of Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat.
Production
Story development
On December 9, 1961, Walt Disney suggested that Harry Tytle and Tom McGowan find some animal stories to adapt as a two-part live-action episode for the Wonderful World of Color television program. By New Year's 1962, McGowan had found several stories including a children's book about a mother cat and her kittens set in New York City. However, Tytle felt that a London location had added a significant element to One Hundred and One Dalmatians and suggested setting the story of the cats in Paris. Following a rough storyline, the story became about two servants—a butler and a maid—who were in line to inherit a fortune of an eccentric mistress after the pet cats died and focused on their feeble and foolish attempts to eliminate the felines. Boris Karloff and Francoise Rosay were in mind to portray the butler and the distressed Madame. A subplot centered around a mother cat hiding her kittens to keep them out of danger in a variety of different homes and locales around Paris, France. During the filming of Escapade in Florence , McGowan brought him the story that had been written by Tom Rowe, an American writer who was living in Paris.
By August 1962, they sent the completed script to Burbank, where it was returned as "rejected" by an unknown executive at the Disney studios. Nevertheless, Tytle brought the script to Walt staying at the Connaught in London. Disney approved for the draft, but recommended additional cuts which were made by February 1963. Before filming was to commence Paris, Rowe wrote a letter to Disney addressing his displeasure of the script revisions, in which Tytle responded to Rowe that the changes Walt approved of would be kept. However, by summer 1963, the project was shelved, where Tytle, in a discussion with Walt, recommended to produce The Aristocats as an animated feature. For that reason, Walt temporarily shelved the project as the animation department was occupied with The Jungle Book . Meanwhile, director Wolfgang Reitherman learned of the project and suggested it as a follow-up project to Jungle Book. Because of the production delays, Tytle was advised to centralize his efforts on live action projects and was replaced by Winston Hibler.[3]
In 1966, Disney assigned Ken Anderson to determine whether Aristocats would be suitable for an animated feature. With occasional guidance from Reitherman, Anderson worked from scratch and simplified the two stories into a story that focused more on the cats. Walt saw the preliminary sketches and approved the project shortly before his death. After The Jungle Book was completed, Walt and his team began work on Aristocats, which was still on after Walt's death. Hibler was eventually replaced by Reitherman, who would abandon the more emotional story of Duchess's obsession to find adopters befitting of her kittens' talents initially favored by Walt suggesting instead the film be conceived as an adventure comedy in the vein of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Furthermore, the character Elvira , the maid, who was intended to be voiced by Elsa Lanchester , was removed from the story placing Edgar as the central antagonist in order to better simplify the storyline.
Casting
As with The Jungle Book, the characters were patterned on the personalities of the voice actors. In 1966, Walt Disney contacted Phil Harris to improvise the script, and shortly after, he was cast to voice Thomas O'Malley. To differentiate the character from Baloo , Reitherman noted O'Malley was "more based on Clark Gable than Wallace Beery, who was partly the model for Baloo." Reitherman furthermore cast Eva Gabor as Duchess, remarking she had "the freshest femme voice we've ever had", and Sterling Holloway as Roquefort. Louis Armstrong was initially reported to voice Scat Cat, but he backed out of the project in 1969 for unknown reasons. Out of desperation, Scatman Crothers was hired to voice the character under the direction to imitate Armstrong. Pat Buttram and George Lindsey were cast as the farm dogs, which proved so popular with the filmmakers that another scene was included to have the dogs when Edgar returns to the farm to retrieve his displaced hat and umbrella.
Animation
Ken Anderson spent eighteen months developing the design of the characters. Five of Disney's legendary "Nine Old Men" worked on it, including the Disney crew that had been working 25 years on average.
Cast
Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley (full name: Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat) - the male protagonist. He is a friendly alley cat who finds Duchess and her kittens stranded in the woods and befriends them, becoming a father figure to the kittens and falling in love with Duchess.
Eva Gabor as Duchess the White Cat - the female protagonist. She is Madame Adelaide's cat and mother of three kittens. She falls in love with Thomas and is forced to choose her life at home or a life with Thomas. Robie Lester provided her singing voice.
Roddy Maude-Roxby as Edgar Balthazar - Madame Adelaide's butler and the main antagonist of the film. He hopes to get rid of the cats in order to inherit Adelaide's fortune.
Gary Dubin as Toulouse - the oldest kitten, he aspires to meet a tough alley cat and adores Thomas as a father figure. He acts very tough at times and often gets into Marie's and Berlioz's nerves.
Liz English as Marie - the middle and only female kitten. Not only is she very bossy at times, but she also believes that by being female, she is the best of the three kittens. She, like Toulouse, grows to love Thomas like a father.
Dean Clark as Berlioz - the youngest kitten. He is somewhat timid and shy. Like Toulouse and Marie, he grows to love Thomas like a father.
Sterling Holloway as Roquefort the Mouse - a friend of the cats. He attempts to find them after they are catnapped, but is unsuccessful.
Scatman Crothers as Scat Cat - Thomas's best friend and leader of a group of music-loving alley cats. Plays the trumpet.
Paul Winchell as Shun Gon the Chinese (Siamese) Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays the piano and drums that are made out of pots.
Lord Tim Hudson as Hit Cat the English Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays acoustic guitar.
Vito Scotti as Peppo the Italian Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays the accordion.
Thurl Ravenscroft as Billy Boss the Russian Cat - a member of Scat Cat's gang. Plays cello bass guitar.
Pat Buttram as Napoleon the Bloodhound - a farm dog who attacks Edgar when he intrudes in the farm, unknowingly saving the lives of Duchess and her kittens. Napoleon insists, whenever cohort Lafayette makes a suggestion, that he is in charge – then proceeds to adopt Lafayette's suggestion as his own.
George Lindsey as Lafayette the Basset Hound - a farm dog and Napoleon's companion. He sometimes proves to be smarter than Napoleon, despite Napoleon staunchly insisting that he is the leader of the farm dogs.
Hermione Baddeley as Madame Adelaide Bonfamille - a former opera singer and owner of Duchess and her kittens.
Charles Lane as Georges Hautcourt the Lawyer - a senile old man who denies his old age and even refuses to accept Edgar's offer of using the elevator instead of the long staircase, resulting in a brief chaos.
Nancy Kulp as Frou Frou the Horse - Roquefort's companion and who plays a part in subduing Edgar. Ruth Buzzi provided her singing voice.
Mel Blanc as The Frog
Trivia
This is the last movie to end with "A Walt Disney Production," and the first of the Walt Disney Animated Classics to open with "Walt Disney Productions Presents." This would continue up until The Fox and the Hound in 1981.
Robie Lester, who had done Duchess's singing voice in the film, would later narrate the Read-Along version of the film.
The Aristocats, more specifically "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat", was later referenced in the live-action remake of 101 Dalmations, which the puppies ended up watching before switching to Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey.
A deleted scene shows that when the train comes on the brige the train derails. And Marie drowning.
Goofs
When the Alley Cats fight Edgar, Roquefort orders everyone to be quiet while he works on cracking the padlock. Even Edgar stops. This is strange, since Madame Adelaide Bonfamille and the other humans can't understand animals. It's especially strange since Edgar can't understand his horse.
After Edgar is kicked into the box that he was planning to use to send the cats to Timbuktu, it is shown with the padlock once again locked and sealed on the front, despite the fact that Roquefort had removed the padlock and there had been no time for anyone to put it back on before it was kicked outside.
In the scene where Edgar is ironing his clothes, he is seen wearing a pair of red-and-white striped boxer shorts. However, since this movie is set in 1910, boxer shorts weren't really invented until 1925 (15 years later).
While Roquefort reports to Scat Cat and the gang that O'Malley, Duchess, and the kittens are in trouble, Peppo (the Italian Cat) changes two different locations too quickly.
Edgar refers to the money that he would inherit as "dollars" and the American dollar sign flashes in his eyes; however the film takes place France.
Release and Reception
Main article: The Aristocats (video)
1987 Re-Release Poster
The Aristocats premiered on December 11th, 1970 and released in theaters on December 24th that same year. The film was then re-released to theaters on December 19, 1981 and April 10, 1987. Overall, The Aristocats made over $55 million on a budget of $4 million, making it a box office success.
Based on 29 reviews, the film has a 66% rating at Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 6/10 "fresh", relatively low for a Disney animated feature, with a consensus of "Though The Aristocats is mostly a middling effort for Disney, it is redeemed by terrific work from its voice cast and some jazzy tunes." Of the reviews, 19 gave it "fresh" and 10 gave it "rotten". [9 ]
The film was nominated for AFI's 10 Top 10 in the "Animation" genre. [10 ]
It was released on VHS in Europe on January 1, 1990. It was first released on VHS in North America in the Masterpiece Collection series on April 24, 1996 and DVD on April 4, 2000 in the Gold Classic Collection line. The Aristocats had its Gold Collection disc quietly discontinued in 2006. A new single-disc Special Edition DVD (previously announced as a 2-Disc set) was released on February 5, 2008 with the original matted aspect ratio of 1.75:1. The film debuted on Blu-ray August 7, 2012, this time with a 1.66:1 transfer.
Trivia
Scat Cat was originally written with Louie Armstrong in mind, with his original name being Satchmo Cat. Unfortunately, illness kept Louie from being able to play the character and the character was recast with Scatman Crothers and given the " Everybody Wants to Be a Cat " song replacing the one the Sherman Brothers wrote for Armstrong, "Le Jazz Hot".
The car that Georges drives resembles a 1913 Mercer 35J Raceabout .
Soundtrack
"The Aristocats" - Maurice Chevalier "The Aristocats" is the title song from the film. It was written by Robert and Richard Sherman at the end of the eight year tenure working for Walt Disney Productions . Actor and singer Maurice Chevalier came out of retirement to sing this song for the motion picture's soundtrack. He recorded it in English as well as in French translation ("Naturellement - les Aristocats!"). It would be his last work before his death in 1972.
" Scales and Arpeggios " - Liz English, Gary Dubin, Dean Clark, Robie Lester
" Thomas O'Malley Cat (song) " - Phil Harris
" Everybody Wants to Be a Cat " - Phil Harris , Scatman Crothers, Thurl Ravenscroft , Vito Scotti, Paul Winchell This song is sung by Scatman Crothers as Scat Cat, Phil Harris as Thomas O'Malley Cat, and Thurl Ravenscroft as Billy Boss the Russian Cat. It was also released as a now rare 45 rpm single, in a version sung only by Phil Harris, which lacks the cartoon voices of the common release. The soundtrack CD released in 1996 contains an edited version of the song. The lines sung by "Chinese Cat" voiced by Paul Winchell, now seen as politically incorrect, are removed.
"She Never Felt Alone" - Robie Lester
"Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat (reprise)" - Phil Harris, Scatman Crothers, Thurl Ravenscroft, Vito Scotti, Paul Winchell, Ruth Buzzi, Bill Thompson
On Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic , this includes "Thomas O'Malley Cat" on the purple disc and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" on the orange disc. On Disney's Greatest Hits, this includes "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" on the red disc.
Cancelled sequel
The Aristocats II was supposed to be a direct-to-video sequel to this film. It was scheduled to be released in 2007, but the production was canceled in early 2006 after Disney acquired Pixar and canceled all other planned direct-to-video sequels.
Gallery
| i don't know |
What was the first full length animated feature to be produced by Walt Disney? | List of Disney theatrical animated features | Disney Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
List of Disney theatrical animated features
40,858pages on
Share
The following is a list of animated feature films produced and/or released by The Walt Disney Company or its predecessor, Walt Disney Productions. The lists have been broken down categorically by sub-studio, etc.
Walt Disney Studios began work on animated short films in 1923. Then, in 1938, the studio released its first feature-length animated film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , and has hence continued to produce shorts, featurettes, and feature films to this day. Throughout the years, the studio has expanded its reach. Between collaborating with other studios to co-produce films to The Walt Disney Company distributing animated features produced by other companies, Walt Disney Studios no longer produces all their animated content under the Disney banner. Their most recent film, Moana , released in 2016, marks the studio's 56th feature-length animated film.
Contents
[ show ]
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Please do not move these films from one portion of this list to another. In particular, do not add other films to the Walt Disney Animation Studio (WDAS) films portion of the list UNLESS Disney has announced a new WDAS production. What is and what isn't in the official canon has already been fixed; as the official WDAS can be found here.
Any of the following are *not* part of the official WDAS canon:
Pixar films, whether made before or after Disney acquired Pixar . (Pixar remains a separate production unit within Disney. There have been no WDAS/Pixar co-productions as of 9/28/2011; if there is one, its inclusion in the list will have to be determined then.)
Marvel films, whether made before or after Disney acquired Marvel. The only exception to this is Big Hero 6 , which has already been added to the list, and was produced by WDAS.
Muppets or Bear in the Big Blue House films, whether made before or after Disney acquired those properties from The Jim Henson Company. (WDAS has not made any Muppet or Bear films as of 9/28/2011; if WDAS produces a fully-animated Muppet or Bear film in the future, it may be added to the list.)
Any other puppet films, even if produced by Disney.
Any animated films that have often been mistaken to have been made by Disney, but are not: Anastasia (produced by Fox Animation Studios & distributed by 20th Century Fox), Quest for Camelot or The Iron Giant (both produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation & distributed by Warner Bros.), etc.
Live action Disney films that include animated bits or sequences (even if produced by WDAS), such as Song of the South , Mary Poppins , Bedknobs and Broomsticks , Pete's Dragon , Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Enchanted . Those are listed below in another section. However, Fantasia , Saludos Amigos , The Three Caballeros , Make Mine Music , Fun and Fancy Free , Melody Time , The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad , The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh , Fantasia 2000 , Chicken Little , Winnie the Pooh , and Dinosaur all have live-action settings, characters, and animated characters that are (sometimes) officially included in the canon.
Films distributed, but not produced by Disney, such as The Wild . Those are listed below in other sections.
The following is a list of the animated films that were either entirely produced in-house by Walt Disney Productions prior to 1986, or were produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios , formerly known as Walt Disney Feature Animation, after 1986.
For advertising purposes, The Walt Disney Company began to affix numbers to each of the films in the late 1980s. Through this method, they could proclaim the film to be "Disney's X full-length animated film". When the numbering system was introduced, the group of films included became collectively known as the "Disney Animation Canon." Many film historians and animation fans refer to them as Disney "classics" or Disney "features". The numbering system remains today, as recent press releases for such products as the 20th anniversary edition of Oliver & Company , as well as the opening and closing logos and marketing materials for Tangled , still refer to the film's number. Some foreign numbering systems of Disney Animated Classics exclude Dinosaur and include The Wild . However, The Wild was not produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios nor Disney in that matter, let alone owning the films' distribution rights. In some countries, Winnie the Pooh does not count in these lists as a classic, leaving Wreck-It Ralph in 51st place.
Disney Animated Canon
The following list shows all the fully animated films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and most recently [Moana]
#
| Snow White (disambiguation) |
Which famous Welsh singer sings the title song in The Emperor's New Groove? | Walt Disney A Short Biography - Just Disney
Just Disney
Walt Disney A Short Biography
(a condensed version of the Long Biography)
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois, to his father Elias Disney, and mother Flora Call Disney. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.
After Walt’s birth, the Disney family moved to Marceline Missouri, Walt lived most of his childhood here.
Walt had very early interests in art, he would often sell drawings to neighbors to make extra money. He pursued his art career, by studying art and photography by going to McKinley High School in Chicago.
Walt began to love, and appreciate nature and wildlife, and family and community, which were a large part of agrarian living. Though his father could be quite stern, and often there was little money, Walt was encouraged by his mother, and older brother, Roy to pursue his talents.
During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enlist for military service. Rejected because he was under age, only sixteen years old at the time. Instead, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas to France, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered from stem to stern, not with stock camouflage, but with Disney cartoons.
Once Walt returned from France, he began to pursue a career in commercial art. He started a small company called Laugh-O-Grams, which eventually fell bankrupt. With his suitcase, and twenty dollars, Walt headed to Hollywood to start anew.
After making a success of his “Alice Comedies,” Walt became a recognized Hollywood figure. On July 13, 1925, Walt married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, in Lewiston, Idaho. Later on they would be blessed with two daughters, Diane and Sharon .
Walt Disney in his office
In 1932, the production entitled Flowers and Trees(the first color cartoon) won Walt the first of his studio’s Academy Awards. In 1937, he released The Old Mill, the first short subject to utilize the multi-plane camera technique.
On December 21, 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay Theater in Los Angeles. The film produced at the unheard cost of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Depression, the film is still considered one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt Disney Studios completed other full-length animated classics such as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi.
Walt Disney, on his daily rounds through Disneyland
Walt Disney’s dream of a clean, and organized amusement park, came true, as Disneyland Park opened in 1955. Walt also became a television pioneer, Disney began television production in 1954, and was among the first to present full-color programming with his Wonderful World of Color in 1961.
Walt Disney is a legend; a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based upon the ideals which his name represents: imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in the American tradition. He brought us closer to the future, while telling us of the past, it is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney.
| i don't know |
What name does Woody have carved on the bottom of his foot in Toy Story? | Toy Story "Andy" bottom of the foot tattoo - YouTube
Toy Story "Andy" bottom of the foot tattoo
Want to watch this again later?
Sign in to add this video to a playlist.
Need to report the video?
Sign in to report inappropriate content.
Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.
Published on Feb 3, 2015
Tattooed "ANDY" on the bottom of my foot like Woody and the rest of the toys have in the Toy Story movies.
Because I like Toy Story.
And because I like to think that I'm funny.
Listen to Brothers:
| Andy |
Lotus made an open top sports car called the Seven, but who makes it now? | Toy Story Symbols True Or False
Toy Story: Symbols True or False
1.
What squadron is Buzz a member of as a space ranger? -> The Gamma Quadrant
True
False
2.
What does Woody say about Buzz's first attempt at flying? -> "That wasn't flying! That was falling with style!"
True
False
3.
Who does Buzz show Andy's name to once the boy writes it on the bottom of his foot? -> Rex and Slinky
True
False
4.
What does Woody say to Sid when he's sitting on the barbeque? -> "There's a snake in my boots!"
True
| i don't know |
Who was the only non-American to star as one of the Magnificent Seven? | The Magnificent Seven (1960) - IMDb
IMDb
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
An oppressed Mexican peasant village hires seven gunfighters to help defend their homes.
Director:
From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video
ON DISC
new and ongoing cinema releases, Us/Can, from Jan 13
13 January 2017 2:39 PM, -08:00 | www.flickfilosopher.com
a list of 40 titles
created 01 Jun 2011
a list of 30 titles
created 20 Jun 2012
a list of 28 titles
created 29 Oct 2012
a list of 34 titles
created 09 May 2015
a list of 36 titles
created 4 weeks ago
Title: The Magnificent Seven (1960)
7.8/10
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations. See more awards »
Videos
Seven gunmen in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Three survivors of the initial Magnificent Seven outfit, Chico, Chris and Vin, recruit four new members in order to re-form the outfit and defend a few Mexican villages from attacks by vicious bandits.
Director: Burt Kennedy
A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
During World War II, a rebellious U.S. Army Major is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train and lead them into a mass assassination mission of German officers.
Director: Robert Aldrich
Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.
Director: John Sturges
A wandering gunfighter plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
Director: Sergio Leone
An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Marshal Chris Adams turns down a friend's request to help stop the depredations of a gang of Mexican bandits. When his wife is killed by bank robbers and his friend is killed capturing the ... See full summary »
Director: George McCowan
A Civil War veteran embarks on a journey to rescue his niece from an Indian tribe.
Director: John Ford
A small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a cripple, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy.
Director: Howard Hawks
An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection.
Director: Peter Yates
A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend and tells the truth about his deed.
Director: John Ford
Edit
Storyline
A bandit terrorizes a small Mexican farming village each year. Several of the village elders send three of the farmers into the United States to search for gunmen to defend them. They end up with seven, each of whom comes for a different reason. They must prepare the town to repulse an army of thirty bandits who will arrive wanting food. Written by John Vogel <[email protected]>
Once You've Met Them...You'll Never Forget Them. See more »
Genres:
23 November 1960 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Die glorreichen Sieben See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Steve McQueen , James Coburn and Charles Bronson all appeared together again in John Sturges next film The Great Escape (1963). This film had just been released in Germany while the next film was filming, and it was a big hit, so they were all besieged on set by autograph hunters. See more »
Goofs
When Chris and Vin begin driving the hearse up to Boot Hill, they pass the Belmar Hotel sign twice - once silently at the very start, and then again as they briefly discuss the towns they've come from a few moments later. See more »
Quotes
Calvera : [dying - to Chris] You came back - for a place like this. Why? A man like you. Why?
And Introducing Horst Buchholz See more »
Connections
(Cincinnati, OH) – See all my reviews
What could have been a fairly routine western is lifted into the realm of classic thanks to some smart casting, sturdy direction and a rousing music score. A reworking of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", the story concerns a Mexican village which is constantly pillaged by bandit Wallach and his small army of followers. Three of the villagers hire a mix of gunslingers to come back to protect and defend the town and rid it of the oppressors. Brynner leads the group (seven in total, hence the title) as they teach the farmers how to use a gun and prepare the town for the eventual onslaught from Wallach. The already tough odds are lengthened when some of the villagers begin to lose faith in the power of the seven. Brynner is solid in the lead role (though, unfortunately, his later role in "Westworld" adds an odd shading to his character here.) He, McQueen and Coburn define the word cool as they go about their various exploits before and after they join forces. McQueen and Coburn are men of few words, but of fierce actions when necessary. Bronson (rather young and handsome, though still a little craggy looking) does his best with a pretty mushy storyline involving the youth of the village. Buchholz overacts feverishly as a determined, but inexperienced youth. Vaughn seems a tad out of place and has one major ham moment during a nightmare. Dexter (easily the most often forgotten member of the group) has a few moments, but his character is not particularly defined. Wallach excels in the showy role of the chief bandit. His brash performance is a great counterpoint to the more steely and solemn title gunmen. The villagers come off as hapless and pitiful, for the most part. Along the way, there are several memorable vignettes that showcase the charm of the actors involved. The casting director did an almost miraculous job of using known stars and picking supporting actors who would soon be just as big so that the film now has virtually an all-star cast. The biggest shot in the arm of all is the monumental score by Elmer Bernstein. The instantly recognizable title music is just one of the many great pieces he created for the film. The sometimes laconic story is carried a long way by his score. The concept of disparate characters being brought together for a common cause has been done many times, but rarely with this level of quality. It's sometimes hard to believe that the film was made in 1960 as its look, content and cast make it seem like a later film. It was definitely a touchstone in the development of the western film.
86 of 110 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| Horst Buchholz |
One of the Seven Wonders of the World was at Alexandria. What type of structure was it? | View All Critic Reviews (40)
Audience Reviews for The Magnificent Seven
Whether or not a film is remade or just simply takes place within the same genre, people come to expect certain things when seeing a familiar storyline. Nowadays, people complain that there are far too many remakes of classic films, but what they don't realize is that there are quite a few remakes from the past as well. Today for example, the Swedish horror film Let the Right One In is released, only to be remade a year or so later as an American film, retitled Let Me In. This has been done since the very beginning of cinema. With that on the table, 1960's The Magnificent Seven followed directly in the footsteps of the 1954 Japanese samurai film, Seven Samurai. Did it improve on anything that the Akira Kurosawa version failed to achieve? Lets talk The Magnificent Seven (1960). Following the events from Akira Kurosawa's 1954 masterpiece, it was already clear there was a high bar to match. Although I did not try to see the differences throughout this version, it was very hard to ignore the fact that there are some lines of dialogue literally delivered verbatim. The film begins with a group of bandits who threaten to return to terrorize the town if they do not have their food handed over to them upon their return. Therein lying the issue, a group of seven horsemen/gunmen are recruited to take down these bandits upon their return. It is a very simple story with great characters. That is almost exactly what my description was for Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, which is both a good and bad thing in my opinion. This film utilizes everything that made the original Japanese film a masterpiece, but also trims off about 80 minutes of story. Although I had no complaints about the original telling of this story, The Magnificent Seven was able to trim off about 80 minutes from the original story, making for a much smoother film experience. That being said, the character development in Seven Samurai was much deeper, so for every positive, I also found a negative. On the bright side, watching men laugh over drinks, fire guns, and ride horses for the majority of the film is much more exciting then watching a ten minute scene of two samurai warriors talking about the future battle. That being said, Seven Samurai also utilized those scenes in a way that sucked its audience into every line of dialogue being spoken. While The Magnificent Seven does have a lot of great character moments, it tries to introduce new characters as the film progresses and you really only find yourself latching onto two of the main characters. Worth every minute of waiting through set-ups and promises, The Magnificent Seven delivers, without a doubt, one of the most exciting shootouts in any western that I have seen. No, it doesn't live up to classic moments like that of The Good he Bad and the Ugly, but I am not trying to compare classics here. Sitting through every great character arc and moment of redemption, you feel a sense of fulfillment once the final battle occurs. There is so much excitement to be had while watching this picture, and for any western fan, there really is not much more you could have asked for at the time. In the end, 1960's The Magnificent Seven is a well-made western picture, that without the original Japanese version, would not have been made. For that reason alone, I have to dock a few points. Does this film deliver fantastic and loveable characters? Absolutely. Does it deliver on awesome shootout sequences? You bet it does. Does it feel far too similar with not enough differences to Seven Samurai? Sadly, that is also a glaring yes. Still, being a fan of the western genre, I can say that much care and time was put into the making of this film and it shows in the final product. There are a few cheesy lines and performances throughout, making it hold up even less than its Japanese version, but it is still a great watch after all these years nonetheless. The 1960 version of The Magnificent Seven is pure western entertainment. Recommended to any fans of this genre.
KJ Proulx
Super Reviewer
Yul Brynner leads an all star cast as seven gunman are hired to defend a tiny farming villages from los banditos locos. There's no money to be had while facing impossible odds, so why do it? Why risk your life? The film gives us reason to care about the answer in what many consider one of the great Westerns.
Kevin M. Williams
Super Reviewer
An entertaining Western remake of Kurosawa's samurai classic and, like that film, more concerned with developing its characters and letting them grown on us instead of just focusing on the battle, while the great cast and Bernstein's score make it epic and unforgettable.
Carlos Magalhães
Super Reviewer
Based on a story by Akira Kurosawa, starring Yul Brinner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn and Eli Wallach, directed by John (The Gunfight At The OK Corral/The Great Escape) Sturges and accompanied by one of the best musical scores ever written, and you have the ingredients for possibly the perfect old school western. Poor old Horst Buchholz didn't stand much of a chance up against an ensemble cast of this quality, but he makes a decent fist of a character who is essentially an amalgam of two characters from Seven Samurai, which makes way for Vaughn's gunslinger who has lost his nerve and slots seamlessly into the action. It does take a more popular culture slant on the original's more arthouse sensibilities, but it works perfectly. Brinner and McQueen make a brilliant double act and it even adds a more upbeat ending without failing to retain the spirit of the source material. One of the very few examples of a remake that is almost as worthwhile as the original.
xGary Xx
| i don't know |
New Zealand has won every IRB Sevens tournament since 1999 except one. Who won in 2005-2006? | Waisale Serevi - Achievements - Rugby Sevens - IRB Sevens World Series
Waisale Serevi - Achievements - Rugby Sevens - IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The following is a list of IRB Sevens tournaments Serevi has participated in as a player. He is the series' second highest points scorer overall with 1310 points (79 tries, 457 goals). The list excludes Hong Kong legs, these are listed separately below. Those years in bold indicate Fiji won the tournament.
Adelaide : 2007
London : 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Paris : 2006
Wellington : 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007
USA : 2006, 2007
Read more about this topic: Waisale Serevi , Achievements , Rugby Sevens
Other articles related to "irb sevens world series, series, sevens, world, irb sevens, irb":
Rugby Union In New Zealand - International Competition - IRB Sevens World Series
... The IRB Sevens World Series, held annually since 1999-2000, is a series of several international tournaments, currently nine, featuring full international sevens teams ... have been the dominant team throughout the series' history, winning the first six editions (2000–2005), and again in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 ... New Zealand hosts one leg, the New Zealand International Sevens, at Westpac Stadium in Wellington ...
Waisale Serevi - Sevens Career - 2005–2007: Player-coach
... that year in an attempt to play for Fiji in the 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens ... On returning to Fiji, Serevi said "My goal is to go to the World Cup" ... Led by Serevi, Fiji qualified for the quarter-finals of the Sevens World Cup at Hong Kong, with pool victories over Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and Portugal ...
IRB Sevens World Series - Points Schedule
... The IRB introduced a new scoring system for the 2011–12 series, in which all teams participating in a tournament are guaranteed points ... Initially, the IRB announced the new points schedule only for the standard 16-team events the allocations for the Hong Kong Sevens were announced later ... Starting with the 2012–13 series, all events except the London Sevens will have 16 teams competing for series points ...
Latvia National Rugby Union Team - Rugby World Cup Record
... United States Wales Non-high performance teams that have appeared at the Rugby World Cup Georgia Ivory Coast Namibia Portugal Russia Spain Uruguay Zimbabwe Non-high performance teams with no Rugby World Cup ... Germany Yugoslavia International rugby union competitions Governing bodies IRB ARFU CAR CONSUR FIRA–AER FORU NACRA Worldwide Men World Cup World Cup Sevens Junior World Championship Junior ...
Famous quotes containing the words series, world and/or sevens:
“Galileo, with an operaglass, discovered a more splendid series of celestial phenomena than anyone since.”
| Fiji |
What was the name of the dog in Enid Blighton's Secret Seven books? | USA National Rugby | Rugby Union | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
Rugby was introduced into the United States by British immigrants in the mid-19th century. In 1872, there were rugby clubs flourishing in the San Francisco Bay Area, composed mainly of British expatriates.
On 2 December 1882, the first Californian representative rugby team to play an outside opponent, took on a group of rugby-playing ex-Britons, who called themselves the Phoenix Rugby Club of San Francisco. California lost to the Phoenix club 7-4. This was the start of the Californian rugby tradition.
The sport of rugby union in the United States has always had a close relationship with the sport of American football. Games of rugby, soccer and hybrid games had always been played between American universities, the first recorded game took place in May 1874 between Harvard University and McGill University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Though McGill won the match, the game sparked an interest on college campuses nationwide.
In 1876 Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, which used the rugby code, except for a slight difference in scoring. The modern sport of American football is a descendant of these rules. In 1886 Harvard's Oscar Shafter Howard introduced these rules to the Berkeley campus.
American football was fierce, and as time went on and injuries mounted, the public became alarmed at its brutalities. President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to outlaw the sport unless the national rules committee made changes that satisfied the Eastern schools. Beginning with the season of 1906, rugby union became the game of choice at Stanford University, the University of California and several other colleges in California but the sport had died out by the outbreak of World War I.
The first USA international was played on November 16, 1912 at Berkeley against the Wallabies. The visitors won the match 12-8. A year later the USA hosted New Zealand at the same venue, but the score was not nearly as close, and the New Zealanders ran away with the contest 51-3.
USA at the Olympics
Edit
Rugby union hadn't been played competitively in most of the USA for more than a decade prior to the 1920 Olympics , the US Olympic committee replied, "due to the fact that California is the only state playing Rugby in the US, the Committee will give sanction but no financial aid".
The Olympic Games Committee of the Amateur Athletic Union paid the expenses to transport the team from California to the games in Antwerp [3] . By the time the US Rugby team arrived in Europe, Czechoslovakia and Romania had withdrawn from the competition, France and USA were the only teams left to compete. The USA won a shocking 8-0 victory and the gold medal. The stunned French suggested that the US team tour France, which they did; winning three out of the four matches they played.
Between 1920 and 1924, Rugby union virtually disappeared once again as American-style football soared in popularity. But the 1924 Paris Olympics caused France to challenge the US to defend its title. Once again, the US Olympic Committee granted permission but no funds. Nonetheless, seven players of the 1920 team dusted off their boots, raised $20,000, and found some American football players who had never even seen a rugby union match, and headed for England-where they were trounced four times in practice sessions.
The French Olympic Committee (FOC) had scheduled the rugby event to kick off the 1924 Paris Games, and lowly Romania and the USA were expected to provide only token opposition for the European Champions. On Sunday, May 11th , the US pounded Romania 39 to 0, including nine tries, at Colombes Stadium. The final was played at Colombes Stadium, Paris, on May 18, 1924 before a crowd of more than 30,000 [4] . Paris bookmakers set the odds at twenty to one: The French team was one of the strongest ever assembled. To everybody's surprise the Americans were victorious again by 17 to 3.
Shortly after the 1924 Olympics, however, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed rugby union as an Olympic sport. Without the Olympic incentive, the sport’s growth in America collapsed and the game remained dormant.
The 1970s
Edit
The sport then enjoyed a renaissance, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s. This created the need for a national governing body to represent the USA in the International rugby community. Four territorial organizations formed the United States of America Rugby Football Union (now known as USA Rugby) in 1975. The first Eagles match was played in Anaheim in 1976 against Australia, the Wallabies won 24-12.
The USA also performed well against France in Chicago, losing the game 33-14. The next season the Eagles played two internationals, one against England (XV-not capped) at London-Twickenham, which they lost 37-11, and the other against Canada, which they also lost, 17-6. The USA played the Canadians again in 1978, and defeated them 12-7 in Baltimore. They then travelled to Canada in 1979 and lost to the national team 19-12 in Toronto.
The 1980s
Edit
The national team came to further prominence during the 1980s, and from the start of the decade, were playing a notably larger number of games every season. They did however lose all three of their games in 1980, all at home. They could not muster up a win in 1981 either, losing 3-6 to Canada, and 7-38 to the South African Springboks. The USA then drew Canada 3-all in 1982. The next year they travelled to Australia to play the Wallabies, and lost 49-3 in Sydney. Wins followed against Japan and Canada.
In 1987, the USA were invited by the IRB to participate in the first ever Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and Australia. The USA were in pool 1, alongside co-hosts Australia, England and Japan. In their first ever World Cup game, the USA got off to a winning start, defeating Japan 21-18 at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane. The USA lost both subsequent matches; 47-12 against the Wallabies and 34-6 against the English. The USA finished 3rd in the pool, but out of contention of the finals. The Eagles first met Wales at Cardiff in November 1987. Wales, fresh from finishing third in the inaugural World Cup, enjoyed a 46-0 win.
The 1990s
Edit
The USA qualified for the 1991 Rugby World Cup in the United Kingdom, making their way through a qualifying tournament, and pooled with World Champions New Zealand, hosts England and Italy in a very tough group. In their first match of the tournament at Otley, Italy defeated them 30-9. At Gloucester, New Zealand defeated them 46-6 but still USA's captain Mark Sawicki had some knock out hits as usual removing 3 of the All Blacks's players during the match. New Zealand hosts England won 37-9 at Twickenham. The USA finished fourth in the pool.
The USA defeated Bermuda 60-3 in round one of the Americas qualifying tournament for the 1995 Rugby World Cup to advance to round two. Although close games, Argentina defeated the Eagles twice in the series to qualify and leave the USA behind. The Eagles went close to beating a major nation at rugby union match against Australia at Riverside in 1994 when USA lost 22-26.
The Eagles, having missed out on South Africa 1995, set out to qualify for the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales. In round four of the Americas tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the United States did not get off to an ideal start, losing 52-24 to Argentina and 31-14 to Canada. They defeated Uruguay 21-16 in their last game to qualify for the 1999 tournament.
The Eagles were in pool E, alongside Australia, Ireland and Romania. In their first game of the tournament, the USA went down 53-8 in Dublin to Ireland. They were unlucky not to win the Romania encounter, with Romania winning 27-25. Australia defeated the Eagles 55-19 in their final game of the tournament, seeing the Eagles finish fourth in the pool. The Eagles, however, had the distinguished honour of being the only side to manage to score a try against the eventual champions, Australia, during the entire tournamnet.
The 2000s
Edit
The Eagles qualified for the 2003 Rugby World Cup by beating Spain twice in April followed by victories over Japan and Canada. This was the first time the Eagles had won four consecutive tests since making their international debut in 1976. The Eagles finished fourth of five in their pool. In the first match against Fiji, an upset was brewing. The Americans were leading 6-3 at the half, then 13-3 minutes into the second half. Fiji eventually regained the lead, but with a try at the death, the Americans trailed by a point at 19-18 with the conversion kick to come. Unfortunately Mike Hercus was unable to convert and the Eagles suffered their ninth consecutive World Cup loss. The streak ended however after the Americans defeated the Japanese, as they did in their only other World Cup victory in 1987.
The Super Powers Cup was first contested in 2003 between Japan, Russia and the United States. For the 2004 Super Powers Cup with the addition of Canada. The USA beat Russia in the third-place play-off. The 2005 Super Cup took part between the USA, Canada, Japan and Romania. The USA lost 30-26 to Canada but beat a Romanian team stripped of their France-based players 23-16 in the third place play-off.
The USA began their campaign to qualify for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France during July 2006, in Round 3b of the Americas tournaments , pooled with Canada and Barbados. The USA defeated Barbados 91-0 in their first game, but lost 56-7 to the Canadians in the last pool game, sending Canada through, and relegating the USA to a home/away play-off with Uruguay. The USA came from behind to defeat Uruguay 42-13 in Montevideo in the first match. Winning the second 26-7 sent them through to the World Cup. They qualified as Americas 3, joining England, Samoa, South Africa and Tonga in Pool A.
In the 4th round, the Eagles, ranked 13th in the world standings, lost all 4 games in Pool A , scoring 1 pool point in the game against Samoa. Coached by Peter Thorburn (a New Zealander who recently was the coach for the New Zealand provincial team North Harbour ), the Eagles started off with tough match against the defending world champions England, losing 28-10. Following this loss, the US was beaten by Tonga 25-15, losing to Samoa 25 - 21 and finally to highly favored South Africa 64 - 15. The Eagles, however, had one major highlight in the South Africa match. After an interception and a pair of passes, Takudzwa Ngwenya sped down the sideline and outran Bryan Habana , arguably the fastest man in world rugby, to score a try that received Try of the Year honors at the 2007 IRB Awards . On March 5 2009 Eddie O'Sullivan was named the new national coach. [5]
Players
1987 - One win, third in pool.
1991 - Zero wins, fourth in pool.
1995 - Did not qualify.
1999 - Zero wins, fourth in pool.
2003 - One win, fourth in pool.
2007 - Zero wins, one bonus point, fifth in Pool A .
Women's National Team
Edit
The U.S. Women's National Team, officially formed in 1987, has been an international powerhouse since its inception. The Eagles won the first official World Cup in 1991, and finished second in the two following World Cups (1994, 1998). The Eagles have set the standard for international competition, leading an ensuing wave of women's rugby growth and game development worldwide.
The last Women's Rugby World Cup was in August/September 2006 in Edmonton, Canada. Despite finishing 7th in the 2002 tournament, the USA was actually seeded 6th. They were bumped up ahead of Australia, who beat the USA in the 2002 tournament 17-5, because Australia hadn't played any international matches since the last World Cup.
The USA Rugby Women’s National Team had its first test matches in over a year when the Women Eagles traveled to the United Kingdom in January 2006 to play Scotland (Jan. 21), Ireland (Jan. 25) and England (Jan. 29). The team won all three games. The Eagles’ travel squad includes 30 players, including 19-capped veterans.
See also
| i don't know |
Who wrote the Seven Dials Mystery? | Seven Dials Mystery (TV Movie 1981) - IMDb
IMDb
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent a pert, aggressive young aristocrat insinuates herself into a series of murders, stolen state secrets, and a mysterious secret society.
Director:
Agatha Christie (novel), Pat Sandys (adapted from the novel by)
Stars:
From $9.99 (SD) on Amazon Video
ON DISC
a list of 40 titles
created 09 Sep 2012
a list of 45 titles
created 22 Sep 2014
a list of 216 titles
created 15 Oct 2014
a list of 416 titles
created 01 Jan 2015
a list of 1303 titles
created 23 Jul 2015
Title: Seven Dials Mystery (TV Movie 1981)
6.8/10
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
While golfing on the Welsh coast, Bobby Jones apparently hits a stranger who falls off the the sea cliff. His enigmatic last words are "Why didn't they ask Evans?"
Directors: John Davies, Tony Wharmby
Stars: Francesca Annis, John Gielgud, Bernard Miles
Partners in Crime (TV Series 1983)
Crime | Drama | Mystery
Agatha Christie's husband-and-wife sleuthing team take on a series of short whodunit mysteries.
Stars: Francesca Annis, James Warwick, Reece Dinsdale
Thirteen at Dinner (TV Movie 1985)
Crime | Mystery | Thriller
An American movie actress, best known for playing dumb blondes, is Scotland Yard's prime suspect when her husband, Lord Edgware, is murdered. The great detective, Hercule Poirot, digs deeper into the case.
Director: Lou Antonio
At a reception for a fading film star making a screen comeback, a gushing, pushy fan is poisoned by a drink apparently meant for the actress.
Director: Norman Stone
Murder with Mirrors (TV Movie 1985)
Crime | Mystery | Romance
When Carrie Louise Serrocold suspects that someone is trying to poison her, she sends for the one person who might be able to help - her old friend Miss Marple.
Director: Dick Lowry
Faced with two false confessions and numerous suspects after a despised civil magistrate is found shot in the local vicarage, Detective Inspector Slack reluctantly accepts help from Miss Marple.
Director: Julian Amyes
When a handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman, Miss Marple seeks a murderer with a penchant for nursery rhymes.
Director: Guy Slater
The Secret Adversary (TV Movie 1983)
Adventure | Crime | Drama
After two old friends accidentally meet and resolve to become investigators for hire, they quickly become embroiled in a missing treaty and a Bolshevik conspiracy.
Director: Tony Wharmby
An unusual announcement in the newspaper leads the curious villagers to Miss Blacklock's home, where they become witnesses to a murder.
Stars: Joan Hickson, Ursula Howells, Samantha Bond
Amateur detective Miss Jane Marple investigates the murder of a young woman whose body is found in the library at Gossington Hall, home of Colonel and Mrs. Arthur Bantry.
Stars: Joan Hickson, Debbie Arnold, John Bardon
When Miss Marple is invited to the manor house of an old friend, it is not long before a puzzling murder puts her mind to work.
Director: Norman Stone
Dead Man's Folly (TV Movie 1986)
Crime | Mystery | Drama
During a murder hunt game at a country house, to which Hercule Poirot is invited as an "expert", a real murder occurs.
Director: Clive Donner
Edit
Storyline
When Gerry Wade sleeps in and is late for breakfast, his friends find that he has a very good reason - he's been murdered. Lady Eileen Brent, known to her friends as Bundle and in whose bed Wade died, returns home and decides to investigate. When a second man is killed, he mentions something about " ...seven dials...tell Jimmy Thesiger..." but Thesiger has no idea what he was talking about. What they learn is of the existence of a secret society and of a hugely valuable formula for making a specialized form of steel. But who exactly is behind the two murders and why were they killed? Written by garykmcd
April 1981 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery See more »
Company Credits
Did You Know?
Goofs
The roman numeral for the "eleven" o'clock position on the hoods is reversed reading 'IX' instead of 'XI'. Later in the movie it is corrected but they didn't make new hoods; instead they inked over the leading 'I' and added an 'I' after the 'X'. See more »
Quotes
Supt. Battle : Gentlemen that have no sense of humor take themselves too seriously, and that leads to mischief.
A little long, but quite enjoyable
29 September 1999 | by Rosabel
(Ottawa, Canada) – See all my reviews
I found this movie to be quite an enjoyable mystery, and very true to the early Agatha Christie style in its plot device of British state secrets being stolen and sold to foreign enemies. Although some of the interior scenes, especially right at the beginning of the film, have that slightly claustrophobic "soundstage" feel, this is quickly forgotten as the characters become more familiar and the mystery gets underway. The acting is very good, and Cheryl Campbell brings a lot of energy to the part of the flapper-heroine, Lady Eileen Brent, and James Warwick, as Jimmy The singer, joins her in playing upper-class amateur sleuth with a great deal of humour. Sir John Gielgud, as usual, steals every scene he appears in, and Harry Andrews is terrific as the stolid, slow-spoken Inspector Battle. The story follows the usual pattern of complicated twists and red herrings, but the conclusion came as a complete surprise to me, which I take as the mark of a good mystery.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| Agatha Christie |
Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt starred in Seven, but who played the killer? | The Seven Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie - Google Books
The Seven Dials Mystery
0 Reviews https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Seven_Dials_Mystery.html?id=0ffSwuzETSoC
A healthy young man dies in his sleep, despite the ringing of eight separate alarm clocks...
Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences.
For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance...
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
View all »
About the author (2010)
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 100 foreign languages. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.
| i don't know |
What was the name of the computer in Blake's Seven? | Orac (Computer) | Blakes 7 Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
Physically Orac took the form of a transparent box, easily portable, within which the components of the device were visible. Ensor used a reinforced carrying case to transport it, but later owners were not so careful. Orac was not especially robust and was damaged in the explosions inside Servalan 's base on Terminal , and again later when Xenon Base was similarly sabotaged. A key needed to be inserted in order for Orac to operate.
Orac had a number of unusual abilities. It was capable of many other feats in conjunction with the systems of a starship; the ones listed are those it appeared to achieve using only its own resources.
Remote Computer Access
Edit
Orac's abilities mainly revolved around its abilities to instantaneously access the tarial cells of other computers and either access information or control them remotely. It could take control of and reprogram Zen and other computers of the System in addition to Federation computer systems.
The full extent of this ability seemed to fluctuate drastically - at no time did the crew attempt to use Orac to shut down or interfere with the systems of attacking Federation vessels, which theoretically would have been possible for it.
This signals used in this ability passed through the same dimension as that of some telepathy - as Orac did not consciously use this dimension it was at risk of telepathic takeover. Orac's own personality was suppressed by the more powerful signals of Muller's android , which had an identical ability.
Communications
Edit
Orac's signals were the fastest means of communication in the Federation and were used as such by Jenna to warn Space Command of the threat posed by the Andromedan invasion.
On other occasions Orac was used to simulate or decode various different signals, although the decoding ability also seemed to come and go with the passage of time.
Predictive Ability
Edit
Orac's name seems to be derived from Oracle, and Orac claimed to be able to predict the future with great accuracy. While its initial prediction (the apparent destruction of the Liberator at a particular point in space) did indeed come to pass, Orac itself manipulated events to bring this about, and at least one other prediction (concerning the reinstitution of the Federation's shipbuilding programme) was proven wrong. If Orac really could predict the future with consistent accuracy, the crew made remarkably little use of this power.
Self-Miniaturisation
Edit
In order to help Avon and Vila defraud the casinos of Freedom City , Orac revealed the rather unexpected ability to shrink itself through 'stabilised atomic implosion'. It could remain at one-eighth of its normal size for a little over two hours.
Value
Edit
Ensor 's asking price for Orac was 100 million credits, but in Servalan 's opinion (and Ensor's own) it was worth ten times as much. Both Belkov and Egrorian seemed well aware of Orac's value and were willing to take it as payment in a deal (equally aware of its utility, Avon planned to supply Egrorian with a replica!).
History
Edit
Orac was built by Ensor on the planet Aristo . Ensor planned to exchange it for 100 million credits and a new power supply for his bionic heart, but he died after Servalan reneged on the deal. Afterwards it came into the possession of Blake and his crew, where it proved invaluable in saving their lives on numerous occasions.
Orac briefly fell under the control of a hostile alien telepathic intelligence, and was rigged with an explosive charge by Avon as a safeguard should this recur. It was smuggled off the Liberator immediately prior to its destruction by Vila , who claimed it was a sculpture.
Orac was damaged in the destruction of Servalan's base on Terminal but repaired. Not long afterwards it recognised the dangerous nature of Muller's android but was still taken over by it. It was damaged again when Xenon Base was sabotaged. Avon kept Orac with him when the Scorpio was shot down over Gauda Prime . Orac was not with the rest of the crew when they had their final encounter with Blake ; its fate is unknown.
Personality
Edit
Orac had absorbed many of its creator's mannerisms and initially spoke with his voice. It was generally irascible and condescending towards the rest of the crew. It did not enjoy the tasks it was given and on at least one occasion farmed them out to other computers nearby, with unfortunate results. Orac did however display a deep curiosity about the universe, at one point taking control of Zen to study a black hole it believed the ship had been pulled into.
| Zen |
In what year did the first Red Nose Day take place? | Liberator | Blakes 7 Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
The Liberator was found drifting parallel to the London after a battle between unknown protagonists. Leylan reckoned that the battle involved "two fleets, maybe more", but the exact circumstances of the conflict were never revealed.
An initial boarding was made by Wallace and Teague , who broke contact without explanation, as did a third man, Krell , sent afterwards to investigate. Blake , Avon and Jenna were then sent across, as they were condemned prisoners and were thus expendable. They discovered the ship was apparently abandoned but protected by a sphere which used the intruders' memories to lure them into making (fatal) contact with them. Blake's knowledge of his altered memories made him less susceptible to the sphere and he destroyed it. He at once decided to take the ship and disconnected it from the London, although not after a struggle in which he was wounded and Raiker killed.
The Liberator followed the London to Cygnus Alpha before travelling to Saurian Major , the two planets where Blake recruited the rest of his initial crew.
Redemption
Edit
It was some time before the origins of the vessel became known. Shortly after leaving the planet Aristo the Liberator came under attack from unknown alien vessels, its own systems shutting down or becoming actively hostile towards the crew. It became apparent that the original owners of the craft were reclaiming their property. The ship was taken to the home of the System , a giant space station, where Blake was interrogated. However, with the help of Orac 's interference in the System's programming, Blake and the others were able to escape. The System launched another DSV-class ship to pursue them but it was destroyed by Orac.
Further Use
Edit
Blake and later Avon commanded the Liberator, firstly in search of Star One and later for a permanent base of operations. It was also the first ship to engage the invading forces during the Intergalactic War . The Federation persisted in attempting to capture the vessel intact.
Destruction
Edit
Avon was eventually lured to the artificial planet Terminal by a cryptic signal, but the flightpath of the ship took it through a cloud of fluidic particles in space. The particles coated the hull, disabling the sensors there, and spread through the systems of the Liberator like a disease, apparently feeding on the material of the ship and appearing as a thick green-brown slime. The slime caused initially superficial but widespread damage, beyond the ability of the self-repair systems to neutralise. Shortly afterwards Servalan finally captured the ship but was unaware of its compromised state. Upon commanding her crew to go to maximum power she found the vessel disintegrating around her, to the point where one of the nacelles detached. The Liberator exploded immediately afterwards.
Ship Technology and Systems
Zen was the main computer of the ship.
Power Systems
Edit
The Liberator drew its power from seven self-regenerating energy banks. One of the ship's few weaknesses was the occasional need to cease energy expenditure to allow the banks to replenish themselves. Running at full power the banks would be exhausted in two hours.
Drive System
Edit
The maximum speed of the Liberator was Standard by Twelve. The exact nature of the drive system was never revealed, but only a ship with photonic stardrive could go faster. Avon speculated the ship might use 'negative hyperspace' while Blake suggested it might cross the 'antimatter interface' - neither suggestion was ever elaborated upon.
Weapon Systems
Edit
The main weapons were neutron blasters , which required a flare shield to be engaged in order to protect the crew. The ship's planetary attack weapons utilised plasma bolts. On one occasion Vila attempted to launch 'seekers', the exact nature of which remains unknown.
Defence Systems
Edit
The Liberator could project a force wall, although doing so for extended periods was a considerable drain on the energy banks. As mentioned above all systems were self-regenerating and when discovered the flight deck was protected by a robotic guard system.
Teleport System
The ship had the first working teleport system encountered by humans, based on the use of the element aquitar . The crew usually teleported down wearing a teleport bracelet which allowed communication with the ship and teleport retrieval.
Other Features
Edit
The ship's hull was composed of herculanium and incorporated multiple holds. The ship also contained a surgical and medical unit, a strongroom holding vast wealth (roughly '300 million credits' according to Jenna ), a very extensive wardrobe section, and multiple escape pods. It had a recycling system and also sufficient food supplies to last one man 1000 years.
| i don't know |
The Stonk was the Red Nose Day single of 1991. Which comedy duo performed it? | 14 year-by-year Red Nose Day highlights
Home > Latest News > 14 year-by-year Red Nose Day highlights
14 year-by-year Red Nose Day highlights
February 17, 2015
comments (0) | Add your comment
This year, Toyota is an official partner to Red Nose Day , the day, every two years, when people across the country get together and do something funny for money at home, school and work.
We take a look back at some of the highlights from the 14 Red Nose Days that have gone before this year’s event.
1988
The first Red Nose Day took place in 1988 and raised £15 million.
Mel and Kim sang the official Red Nose Day song – Rockin’ around the Christmas tree – sales from which totalled £76,610.
1989
Red Nose Day 2 took place in 1989. It was the first and last year that the event did not occur biennially. The second Red Nose Day was a much larger affair than the first, with 20 million people partaking in 70,000 activities across the UK.
On the night, Rowan Atkinson stole the show by appearing in a satirical mash-up of Newsnight and Mastermind entitled ‘Nosenight Mastermember’, which has become infamous for placing ‘The Belgians’ at the centre of a number of historical events.
1991
Nicknamed ‘The Stonker’ because the supporting single by Hale and Pace was entitled ‘The Stonk’, Red Nose Day 1991 raised £20 million and is notable for gifting us the legendary French and Saunders ABBA sketch, called ‘C’est La Vie’.
1993
Unquestionably the ‘year of the nose’, Red Nose Day 1993 saw sales of the nasal adornment sore to 3,307,000. According to Comic Relief, 72% of people in the UK took part in Red Nose Day 1993 in some capacity!
Interactivity shaped the entertainment output of Red Nose Day for the first time in 1993. A live studio audience was invited to vote on each consecutive scene of a special edition of perennially po-faced BBC 1 hospital drama Casualty. The results were predictably chaotic and rib-tickling.
1995
One of the highlights of Red Nose Day 5 was Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer sinking 75 pints while singing the Harry Nilsson classic Without You. The pair’s efforts weren’t in vain though, contributing to a fundraising total of £22m.
1997
Girl power reigned supreme in 1997, so it was fitting that one of the highlights of Red Nose Day 6 was a terrific pastiche of Spice Girls hit Who do you think you are? featuring comedy titans Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke.
£27m was raised in 1997, at the time the largest amount from Red Nose Day.
1999
Referred to internally as ‘The Record Breaker’, Red Nose Day 1999 didn’t just beat 1997’s total – it absolutely eclipsed it. An astonishing £35m was raised and hundreds of Guinness World Records were both broken and set, including the record for the most naked people on stage at one time, 101.
2001
‘Say pants to poverty’ was the message behind Red Nose Day 2001. Members of the Great British public were encouraged to don their undergarments and wear them with pride on top of their outerwear. 2001 was also the year in which Ali G conducted his famous interview with Posh and Becks. In all, £61m was raised.
2003
For Red Nose Day 2003, Comic Relief introduced perhaps one of the most iconic red noses of all – the big hairdo. Each one came with its own sachet of styling gel to encourage buyers to style their nose’s hair as outlandishly as possible.
Comedy duo French & Saunders stole the show with an outrageous parody of Harry Potter in which Harry was revealed to be a woman.
2005
Red Nose Day 2005 got the whole nation asking “Is this the way to Amarillo?” when comedian Peter Kay teamed-up with crooner Tony Christie for a star-studded music video set to Christie’s classic hit. The song sold over a million copies and held the number one spot in the UK singles charts for an incredible seven weeks! Red Nose Day 2005 raised £65m. See Christie performing it live on Top of the Pops above.
2007
Called ‘The Big One’, the red nose for Red Nose Day 2007 was huge! The nose was made of foam for the first time too and helped to raise £67.7m.
2009
Challenges were the order of the day for Red Nose Day 2009. Gary Barlow led a team of celebrities up Mount Kilimanjaro and the team raised £3.5m. Meanwhile, famous faces including Jonathan Ross, Gok Wan and Ruby Wax fought it out in the boardroom in a special edition of The Apprentice, while Peep Show star Robert Webb ripped up the dance floor in Let’s Dance For Comic Relief, performing Jennifer Beals’ famous routine from the 1983 movie Flashdance.
2011
History was made on Red Nose Day 2011. For the first time in the event’s 23-year history, the fundraising total passed £100m. In total, £108,436,277 was raised to help combat poverty and human suffering in the UK and across the world.
2013
We owe a debt of thanks to One Direction for the success of Red Nose Day 2013. The band’s official Red Nose Day single, One Way or Another, reached number one in 63 countries, contributing significantly to the £100m+ total raised.
related stories
| Hale and Pace |
Which Beatles song did Bananarama featuring La Na Nee Nee Noo Noo cover for Red Nose Day in 1989? | Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Related subjects Television
Comic Relief is a British charity organisation that was founded in the United Kingdom in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis in response to famine in Ethiopia . It was launched live on Noel Edmonds's Late, Late Breakfast Show on BBC1, on Christmas Day 1985 from a refugee camp in Sudan . The idea for Comic Relief came from the noted charity worker Jane Tewson, who became head of a British NGO Charity Projects and was inspired by the success of the first four Secret Policeman's Ball comedy benefit shows for Amnesty International (1976-1981). Initially funds were raised from live events and the best known is a comedy revue at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London which was finally broadcast on television on the 25 April 1986 .
One of the fundamental principles behind working at Comic Relief is the 'Golden Pound Principle' where every single donated pound is spent on charitable projects. All operating costs, such as staff salaries, are covered by corporate sponsors or interest which is earned while money raised is waiting to be spent (granted) to charitable projects.
Currently, its two main supporters are the BBC and Sainsbury's . The BBC is responsible for the live television extravaganza on Red Nose Day and Sainsbury's sells merchandise on behalf of the charity.
Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is the main way in which Comic Relief raises money. It is held in the spring every second year and is often treated as a semi-holiday, with, for example, schools having non-uniform days. The day culminates in a live telethon event on BBC One starting in the evening and going through into the early hours of the morning, but other money-raising events take place. As the name suggests, the day involves the wearing of plastic/foam red noses which are available, in exchange for a donation, from many shops.
The first "Red Nose Day" was on 5 February 1988 , and raised £15 million. The TV show was hosted by Lenny Henry, Griff Rhys Jones and Jonathan Ross. More than £300 million has so far been distributed to projects by Comic Relief.
Red Nose Day was also copied in other countries. One of note was New Zealand , which actually introduced a brief fad in 1990 of selling over-sized red-noses for car grilles for charity.
Call Centres
Comic Relief rely on several hundred call centres around the United Kingdom to process calls from the public. The call centres are connected through the BT network and each centre has a certain number of fixed lines, all running off the main 0845 number. The centres, which are owned by various companies, provide support in the form of volunteers who usually work there.
On television
The television programming begins in the afternoon, with CBBC having various related reports, money-raising events and a celebrity gungeing. This is all in-between the regular programmes, but after the six o'clock news, the normal BBC One schedule is suspended at 7pm in favour of a live show, with a break at 10 O'Clock for the News. While the News is on BBC One, Comic Relief continues on BBC Two and then resumes on BBC One at 10:35pm with each hour overseen by a different celebrity team. These celebrities do the work for free, as do the crew, with studio space and production facilities donated by the BBC.
Regular themes throughout the shows include parodies of recent popular shows, films and events and specially-filmed versions of comedy shows. Smith & Jones and a parody sketch starring Rowan Atkinson are both regularly featured – the first being Blackadder: The Cavalier Years ( 1988 ).
1999 event
The 1999 "Red Nose Day" was held on March 12, 1999 . A parody of the Doctor Who series, Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death, starring Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor , was featured during the show.
2001 event
The 2001 "Red Nose Day" was was held on March 16, 2001 . In 2001 the total raised on Red Nose Day was £61,000,140. As well as donations on the night of the TV show money is raised from countrywide sponsored events and from merchandising, particularly of the red noses themselves. In 2001 5.8 million red noses were sold, approximately one each for 10% of the UK population.
Jack Dee won Celebrity Big Brother. This is the only day on record nobody committed suicide in the UK between 1993 and 2002.
2003 event
The 2003 "Red Nose Day" was held on March 14, 2003 . The fund raising activities included Lenny Henry providing the voice of the speaking clock between March 10 and March 23 with the cost of the call going to Comic Relief. On the night of the live show itself, £35m was raised, an on-the-night record. A total of £61,477,539 was raised that year, setting a new record.
Jack Dee stood outside at the top of a pole for the duration of the show, parodying the acts of David Blaine. Celebrity Driving School led up to the event, with the test results announced during the telethon: they all failed.
The hosts of "Red Nose Day" 2003 were:
Jonathan Ross
Raised by March 2006: £65m
2007 event
2007's Red Nose Day was held on March 16, 2007. Its tagline is "The Big One" which is also representative of the novelty nose. As well as Sainsburys; Walkers, Kleenex and Andrex are promoting the charity. Some of the sketches shown were: The Vicar of Dibley. Also intended to be shown was A Question of Comedy, a comedy quiz utilizing the format (and set) of A Question of Sport, and hosted by Jack Dee, with team captains Frank Skinner, Dara O'Briain,and Mr. Bean and guests including Jade Goody. However, in light of Big Brother events involving Jade and racism, the pre-recorded segment has been scrapped by BBC producers.
In the lead up to Red Nose Day many different fund raising events occurred:
Beginning Friday 9 March 2007, The Radio 1 breakfast team staged a tour around the UK entitled The Chris Moyles Rallyoke. The tour involved seven Karaoke nights held in a well known UK location featuring members of the public and well known celebrities and music artists. Most Radio 1 shows report on their progress and hold competitions to win tickets to be at the final on Red Nose Day and also to win the contents of a truck donated by various celebrities. As well as raising money at each event the profit of the phone in competitions go to Comic Relief making a total of £ 600,000
Televised events included a third series of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy and a celebrity version of the Apprentice entitled Comic Relief Does The Apprentice has also been screened. Also a special hybrid of Top of the Pops and Top Gear titled Top Gear of the Pops was made for Red Nose Day. It featured its presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May singing with Justin Hawkins, as well as Top Gear segments such as The Cool Wall.
Fund raising merchendise sold during the 2007 campaign includes the Big One (Red Nose) itself, ' Walkears' an Andrex Puppy with a red nose, a special Little Britain Live DVD and the official single which is a cover of Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' sung by Girls Aloud and Sugababes.
The last episode of the Vicar of Dibley was aired in the show, all the usual actors and actresses were in it. It featured Sting, in which he is taking part with a celebrity and non-entity television show, swapping wives with the vicar's husband Harry.
The special Little Britain Live featured famous people such as: Dennis Waterman, Chris Moyles, Jonathan Ross, Kate Moss and Russell Brand. Kate Moss played a chav, Russell Brand played a transvestite and both Chris Moyles and Jonathan Ross were brought on as either small parts or people who came up to the audience to be embarrassed.
There were several sketches from Catherine Tate, in which David Tennant became a school teacher, mouthy teenager Lauren was given work experience at 10 Downing Street , and lead to Tony Blair using her catchphrase "Am I bovvered?" and foul-mouthed "Nan" appearing with Noel Edmonds on Deal or No Deal.
To gain additional money, Peter Kay and Matt Lucas released a cover of The Proclaimers hit, I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), and released it as a single 'I would roll five hundred miles' (because both were playing wheelchair bound characters from Little Britain and Phoenix Nights. It also featured numerous celebrity guests.
There was also a live show from The Mighty Boosh. By 16th November 2007, a record-breaking £67,250,099 had been raised.
Donation progress
03.03am - £40,236,142
Merchandise
Various items of merchandise have been sold to promote and raise money for Comic Relief. In 1991 , The Totally Stonking, Surprisingly Educational And Utterly Mindboggling Comic Relief Comic was published by Fleetway. Conceived, plotted and edited by Neil Gaiman, Richard Curtis , Grant Morrison and Peter K. Hogan, it featured contributions from a vast array of British comics talent including Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons, Mark Millar, Simon Bisley, Mark Buckingham, Steve Dillon, D'Israeli, Jamie Hewlett and Bryan Talbot (arguably Britain's most famous comics writer, Alan Moore, was not credited as working on the book having sworn never to work for Fleetway again, but was said to have worked with partner Melinda Gebbie on her pages). The comic was unique in that it featured appearances by characters from across the spectrum of comics publishers, including Marvel and DC superheroes, Beano , Dandy , Eagle and Viz characters, Doctor Who , the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in addition to a cavalcade of British comedy figures (both real and fictional). These were all linked by the twin framing narratives of the Comic Relief night itself, and the tale of "Britain's meanest man" Sir Edmund Blackadder being persuaded to donate money to the event. The comic "sold out in minutes", raising over £40,000 for the charity, and is now a highly prized collectors' item.
In 1993 , a computer platform game was released called Sleepwalker. The game featured voice overs from Lenny Henry and Harry Enfield and several other references to Comic Relief and tomatoes; the theme for the 1993 campaign.
In 2007 Walkers complemented the usual merchandise by adding their own take on the red nose promoting red ears instead. The large ears, dubbed 'Walk-ears' are based on a very old joke involving the actual ears of ex-footballer Gary Lineker who has fronted their ad campaign since the early 1990s. Walkers previously promoted the charity in 2005 making four limited edition unusual crisp flavours.
The 2007 game for Red Nose Day can be played here www.rednoseday.com/letitflow . This game has been developed by worldwide viral marketeers - Matmi. The game is called “Let it Flow” and it’s set in the African wilderness. Mischievous hyenas have messed up the water irrigation system that feeds the crops. Using your brain you have to help re-arrange the pipes to let the water flow to the crops to keep them alive. Once the pipes are arranged, you need to operate the elephant’s trunk to pump the water through the water pipes.
For the 2007 campaign Andrex, known for their ad campaign fronted by a Labrador puppy, are giving away toy puppies with red noses.
The Red Nose
The most prominent symbol of Comic Relief is a rubber/foam red nose which is given in various supermarkets in exchange for a donation to the charity. People are encouraged to wear the noses on Red Nose Day to help raise awareness of the charity. The design of the nose has been changed each year, beginning with a fairly plain one, which later grew arms, turned into a tomato and even changed colour. In 2007, the red nose was made of foam; this was to facilitate the "growing" of the nose (by rolling it in the user's hands) to keep in line with that year's tagline, The Big One. See the table below. Larger noses are also available and are designed to be attached to the fronts of cars and even buildings. However, the nose's material used was classed as a fire hazard and were banned from the Comic Relief Does Fame Academy shows.
Chronology of noses
The Whoopee Nose - red head with inflated cheeks, when squeezed the tongue inflates
2003
The Big Hair Do - with gooey eyes that squeeze out and a tuft of red hairs came with gel for the hair
2005
Big Hair & Beyond - with smiley face (known as Chad) and colourful elastic hair came with red and yellow face paint and stickers for the nose
2007
The Big One (The Nose That Grows) - Made of foam which makes it more comfortable; comes with Chocpix and stickers to decorate the nose with.
Comic Relief charity singles
In April 1986 the first Comic Relief charity single was released. It featured Cliff Richard and the cast of The Young Ones in a rendition of "Living Doll".
Some of the money raised from the sale of each single is donated to Comic Relief. Normally a song is released just before the official Red Nose Day . There have been exceptions, such as "(I want to be) Elected" which was released to coincide with the 1992 UK general election. Before 1995's song, they were all more-or-less comedy records, mostly involving an actual band or singer and a comedy group. From 1995 on they have been generally more serious, although the videos still feature comical moments.
Release Date
" I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"
The Proclaimers & Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin
No. 1
Note 1:
"Is This the Way to Amarillo", though released expressly with the intent of proceeds going to Comic Relief, was not an official Comic Relief single. The song was originally performed by Peter Kay (lipsynching to Tony Christie's voice) during the evening, and was later released as a single. It was the number one single for seven weeks, and in its first week it outsold the rest of the top 20 combined.
Note 2:
In 2007, a version of The Proclaimers song "500 Miles" released on March 19, featured Peter Kay and Matt Lucas as their wheelchair-user characters Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin. Before its official release the song reached number 3 based on downloads alone. The single reached number one on March 25, knocking official Comic Relief single "Walk This Way" off the top spot.
In addition, the first Red Nose Day Schools' song ('Make Someone Happy') was published in 2007. A CD of the song together with backing tracks and fundraising ideas was sent free of charge to all primary schools in the UK in February by the education music publisher 'Out of the Ark Music'. Schools will be free to use the song in assemblies, singathons or other fundraising activities
Criticism
On 5 October 2004 , the Burma Campaign UK criticised Comic Relief for its association with the multinational DHL, a partner of Myanmar Post and Telecom. John Jackson, head of Burma Campaign UK, noted that they were aiding war victims in Rwanda while funding the military regime in Myanmar .
In March 2005, several Catholic schools in the UK were banned from supporting Red Nose Day by church leaders because of claims that money raised would fund abortions in Africa . Reports of this were denied by other church leaders.
Some have questioned whether the celebrities who appear donate themselves, arguing that many benefit financially from the exposure these charitable shows give. The counter argument to this point is that without the talents of the performers the show would lose its unique appeal. It's something of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.
On 18 July 2007, it was discovered the Comic Relief breached editorial standards. During Red Nose Day 2007, viewers were told that by phoning in and donating, they would enter a prize draw. According to reports, "The first two callers taken on air gave incorrect answers. The other waiting callers were lost and a third caller was heard on air successfully answering the question. This caller was in fact not a viewer but a member of the production team." However, this was something beyond the charity's control and was a decision made by the BBC and its production team on the night.
Similar events outside the United Kingdom
In the United States
Inspired by the British charity, a United States Comic Relief charity was founded in 1986 by Bob Zmuda.
Comic Relief is an irregularly held event, televised on HBO, that has raised and distributed nearly $50 million toward providing health care services to homeless men, women, and children throughout the United States . Comedians Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg are hosts of the event.
The 1989 HBO Comic Relief show debuted the song, "Mr. President," written by Joe Sterling, Ray Reach and Mike Loveless. The song was sung by Al Jarreau and Natalie Cole.
On November 18, 2006 the event was revived as a fundraiser for those affected by Hurricane Katrina and was simulcast on TBS.
Richard Curtis also created the Idol Gives Back special for American Idol, which follows the same basic premise as Comic Relief, with specially filmed shorts, performances and footage of the stars of the show visiting empoverished countries.
In Australia
In 1988, the Red Nose Day concept was adopted by the SIDS and Kids organisation to help raise funds for research into sudden infant death syndrome. Since then, Red Nose Day in Australia is held annually on the last Friday of June.
An Australian version of Comic Relief, Comic Relief Australia, has also been set up. ( ). It plans to divide the money raised between Australian causes (at least 40%) and overseas charities largely in Asia Pacific (at least 40%)
Following a campaign encouraging people to buy articles such as red wristbands, the first telethon-style event was held on November 6, 2005 on the Seven Network. It followed the established format, with comedy interspersed with examples of the sorts of charities to benefit. According to its website, this raised over AUS $800,000. Another telethon was broadcast on November 27, 2006 on Seven Network. The 2006 Comic Relief Show was held under the title '50 Years of Laughs' celebrating 50 years of Television in Australia. It was hosted by Colin Lane and featured presenters such as Amanda Keller, Mikey Robbins, Ugly Dave Grey and Derryn Hinch interviewing Kylie Mole.
In Germany
The German TV station Pro 7 initiated a similar event in 2003. By selling red noses money is collected for the charity foundations PowerChild, Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (lit., German Child and Youth Foundation), and Comic Relief. The event is called 'Red Nose Day' and took place annually in March or April from 2003 to 2006. However ratings and the collected donations fell way short of expectations in 2006. The Red Nose Day Germany 2007 is confirmed to take place on the 22nd of December at PRO7.
In Russia
A similar charity campaign, entitled "Red Nose, Kind Heart", was launched in Russia on April 1, 2007. The main goal of the drive, held between April 1 and May 19, 2007 by the Liniya Zhizni (Life Line) foundation, is raising money to help children afflicted with serious diseases (such as heart diseases).
Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Relief"
Techsciencenews.com™
encyclopedia provides reference and information from quality news sites and Wikipedia. Text is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . Techsciencenews is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.
| i don't know |
Who played Harry Potter in a sketch for Red Nose Day in 2003? | French and Saunders - Red Nose Day 2003 - Comic Relief's The Big Hair Do
Wednesday, 19 February 2003, 9.16 PM
Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan
To those who say, "It's about darn tootin' time they did a Harry Potter sketch," French and Saunders give Harry Potter And The Secret Chamberpot Of Azerbaijan.
It's the big sketch that's making waves well ahead of Red Nose Day on March 14th, in which Dawn French is the magical Harry Potter and Jennifer Saunders becomes gurning comic foil Ron.
Jeremy Irons slips into the black robes of Professor Snape, who is played by Alan Rickman in the Warner Bros. movies. The two actors played baddie brothers across the Die Hard series of films.
Ronnie Corbett limbers up to play giant Hagrid, Basil Brush plays Dobby the house elf and the whole caboodle was directed by Adrian Edmondson.
| Dawn French |
In a Little Britain sketch for Red Nose Day in 2007, who played Vicky Pollard's sister? | Dawn French to vie for Bishop of Dibley in new Comic Relief sketch | Tellyspotting
Dawn French to vie for Bishop of Dibley in new Comic Relief sketch
On: January 12, 2015, By: Bill Young , In: Actors/Actresses , Comedy , No Comment
It’s been said that ‘good things come to those that wait’. In the case of fans of Vicar of Dibley, it’s taken a little over 8 years for good things to finally get here. It was 2007 when we last visited Dibley as millions of viewers watched as Geraldine Granger married Harry, played by Richard Armitage. The Dibley Town Council reconvened in 2013 for a brief one-off Comic Relief special with Homeland star, Damian Lewis. Now, comes word from the BBC that Dawn French will, once again, put on the clerical collar for Comic Relief 2015 in a sketch, according to the Daily Mail, centered around the local vicar vying to become the next Bishop of Dibley with Geraldine facing stiff competition from other female comedians in the race to be named Bishop of Dibley.
While a BBC spokesman was a tad bit cryptic in saying, “I can confirm there’s going to be a Dibley sketch for Red Nose Day on Friday, March 13, but I can’t confirm anything further or provide any more detail at this stage”, all signs point to the rumor where art will indeed imitate life and follow a recent decision by the Church of England to allow women bishops with the theme of the episode centering around the election of a ‘Bishop of Dibley’
Interestingly, there was a brief discussion of this back in 2010 when we interviewed Roger Lloyd Pack for the PBS documentary, Behind the Britcom: From Script to Screen. Pack, who starred as Owen in Vicar of Dibley, he shared a local Kentish Town newspaper editorial cartoon perhaps laying the groundwork for the forthcoming 2015 Comic Relief special. It’s a shame the former Harry Potter, Only Fools and Horses and Vicar of Dibley star won’t be around to appear as he sadly passed away in January 2014.
FYI, the caption read “Oh, forget all that village hall stuff for a minute, Roger — the Beeb wants you to star as daft Owen in a new, follow-up series called The Bishop of Dibley.
This years Red Nose Day will air on BBC One, 13 March 2015.
| i don't know |
What was the title of the 1995 Red Nose Day single featuring Eric Clapton? | Comic Relief: Behind the Nose (1995) - IMDb
IMDb
17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC
NEWS
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
Comic Relief: Behind the Nose ( 1995 )
7h 5min
a list of 56 titles
created 7 months ago
Title: Comic Relief: Behind the Nose (1995– )
7.7/10
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
Add Image Add an image
Do you have any images for this title?
17 March 1995 (UK) See more »
Company Credits
Comedy can build a bridge
16 March 2007 | by Chip_douglas
(Rijswijk, ZH, Netherlands) – See all my reviews
As usual comic relief started early in the afternoon during Children's BBC, with a special new 'Flashing Blade' spoof by the team behind the 1988 Saturday Morning Show "On the Waterfront". Russel T. Davies, now known as the man behind the Doctor Who revival wrote 'em and Andrew O'Connor, Terry Randall, Kate Copstick and Bernadette Nolan dubbed all the voices over footage of the 1967 series "Le Chevalier Tempête". This stuff had been quite popular in 1988, but unfortunately, 7 years later, nobody in the youthful audience remembered back that far, meaning the Flashing Blade fell flat. Of course the actual festivities did not begin until seven O' clock and this night the Red noses turned orange and a whopping 22 million pounds were raised to be spend on various good causes within and without Great Brittain.
Instead of the usual comic single, a serious ballad version of "Love Can Build A Bridge" was released, performed by the unlikely trio of Chrissie Hynde, Cher and Neneh Cherry. To a nation of novelty song lovers, this must have come as a bit of a shock, but the song did play especially well during the films outlining the various causes, like Billy Connolly in Mozambique and Victoria Wood in Zimbabwe. On the less serious side, the Slobs (Harrie Enfield and Kathy Burke) appeared on Masterchef. Reeves and Mortimer seemed to take up an hour by drinking 75 pints while trying to sing "I Cant Live If Living Is Without You". French and Saunders did some more time at the big Red Nose table, during which Dawn French got to live out her fantasy by giving Hugh Grant an enormous smacker, while wearing some sort of copy of the dress Liz Hurley wore to the premiere of "Four Weddings and a Funeral", earning her a place in celebrity land forever. Hugh did not do bad out of it either, and neither did Comic Relief leader Richard Curtis.
Other highlights included Zoë Ball getting splatted with gunge (she deserved it). The Comic Relief Special was Charles Dickin's long lost sequel "Oliver II - Let's Twist Again' (shown in three parts) and there was a funny 'spot the famous faces' music video shown throughout the night featuring all sorts of famous people performing 'Old Macdonald'. To fill in during the nine O' Clock news, BBC 2 showed a rather lackluster compilation of the Best of BBC comedy featuring all the usual clips that are always shown in these sort of things. Even Ben Elton was repeating himself live in Dublin, but since this particular Red Nose day happened to coincide with St. Patrick's day, an inclusion of The River Dance (just before it became a world wide sensation and thankfully without Michael Flatley in this case) still managed to make it all worthwhile, especially since Lenny, Ben and that poof Jullian Clary all joined in for a bit of dancing. Finally BBC viewers got to choose the funniest comedy ever to be shown after the festivities ended, and wisely picked Blazing Saddles.
6 orange noses
0 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| Love Can Build a Bridge |
What was the name of Roy Rogers' horse? | Comic Relief hits from ukcharts.20m.com
ukcharts.20m.com
Comic Relief singles 1986-2001
Comic Relief, a charity set up by comedy writer Richard Curtis, has been raising funds for projects in Britain and the Third World since 1985. Using the talents of Britain's top comedians and writers, the charity has enjoyed great success with its books, videos, live events and, since 1988, regular "Red Nose Day" BBC telethons. It has also had great success with its tie-in singles, all of which have made the top ten.
At a glance
Entry date / position / Title & artist
22.03.86 01 (3 wks) Livin' Doll - Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank B Marvin
05.12.87 03 Rockin' Around The Chrstmas Tree - "Mel and Kim" performed by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde
25.02.89 03 Help! - Bananarama / LaNaNeeNeeNooNoo
09.03.91 01 (1 wk) The Stonk - Hale & Pace and The Stonkers / The Smile Song Victoria Wood
04.04.92 09 (I Wanna Be) Elected - Mr Bean and Smear Campaign ft Bruce Dickinson
27.02.93 04 Stick It Out - Right Said Fred and Friends
11.04.94 06 Absolutely Fabulous - Absolutely Fabulous
18.03.95 01 (1 wk) Love Can Build A Bridge - Cher, Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton
15.03.97 01 (3 wks) Who Do You Think You Are? / Mama - Spice Girls
13.03.99 01 (2 wks) When The Going Gets Tough - Boyzone
17.03.01 01 (1 wk) Uptown Girl - Westlife
22.03.03 01 (? wks) Spirit In The Sky - Gareth Gates and the Kumars
More details
Livin' Doll - Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank B Marvin
Entered 22.03.86. Reached number 1 for 3 weeks.
Cliff Richard's eleventh #1 hit - a remake of his first (1959, 6 wks at #1), backed by a group named after his fifth. The Young Ones TV show had already ended by this point, though the characters remained popular. Neil (Nigel Planer) had already had a hit the previous year with a cover of Hole In My Shoe, which equalled the #2 peak of Traffic's 1967 original and earned him a unique BPI award for Best Comedy Record of 1985. Livin' Doll was written by Lionel Bart and originally featured in the film Serious Charge.
Rockin' Around The Chrstmas Tree - "Mel and Kim" performed by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde
Entered 05.12.87. Peaked at number 3.
Another revival, this time of a song first recorded by 13-year-old Brenda Lee in 1958 (though it wasn't a hit until 1962, when it reached #6). Kim Wilde was right in the middle of a 2-year run of hits at this point, beginning with a cover of The Supremes' 1966 #6 You Keep Me Hangin' On, which like the original was a US #1. Comedian Mel Smith, whom Richard Curtis had worked with on the 1979-82 TV series Not The Nine O'Clock News, made up the unlikely partnership. Incidentally, although Kim took her stage name from her father Marty Wilde, their family name is also Smith.
Help! - Bananarama / LaNaNeeNeeNooNoo
Entered 25.02.89. Peak number 3.
A cover of The Beatles' 8th #1, the title song from their 1965 film and album. With the pop star + comedian formula now well-established, Bananarama appeared alongside a parody version of themselves, portrayed by comediennes Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke. Stock Aitken Waterman produced the single, which was backed with a straight version by Banarama alone, though 12" and CD purchasers also got a sketch which included Burke's parody of the earlier Bananarama/SAW collaboration Love In The First Degree.
The Stonk - Hale & Pace and The Stonkers / The Smile Song Victoria Wood
Entered 09.03.91 Peak number 1 for 1 week.
The theme for 1991's Red Nose Day was "The Stonker", British slang for something really good or of immense porportions. Comedians Gareth Hale and Norman Pace, who had appeared with the Comic Strip in the 1980s and now had their own ITV show, interpreted the title as a parody of all those ridiculous dance crazes of years gone by. Although not usually recognised as such, the single was actually a double A side, the other track being written and performed by Victoria Wood, a British comedienne well-known for her comedy songs. This one expounded on the benefits of smiling in a range of musical styles and was accompanied by a video which spoofed many different artists.
(I Wanna Be) Elected - Mr Bean and Smear Campaign ft Bruce Dickinson
Entered 04.04.92 Peak number 9.
Rowan Atkinson was another Not The Nine O'Clock News alumnus, and had a long and successful writing partnership with Richard Curtis. So it was only to be expected that he would turn up on a Comic Relief single sooner or later. This track featured a group of session musicians led by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson doing a passable cover of Alice Cooper's 1972 #4 Elected, over which Atkinson's normally reticent ("unaccustomed as I am to speaking...") Mr Bean character delivered his election address to the British people. Despite its non-partisan nature and its timing shortly before the real general election, the single wasn't as popular as previous Comic Relief efforts and spent just 5 weeks on the Top 75.
Stick It Out - Right Said Fred and Friends
Entered 27.02.93 Peak number 4.
The fourth and final top ten hit for Right Said Fred, and one of the funnier entries in the Comic Relief cannon. Like The Stonk this was specially written around the theme for that year's Red Nose Day, in this case "Stick It Out". The "friends" who provided vocal support included Peter Cook, Steve Coogan, Clive Anderson, Hugh Laurie, Pauline Robson and Linda Quirke (from Birds Of A Feather), Basil Brush and, popping up toward the end, Bernard Cribbins, whose 1962 #10 "Right, Said Fred" had provided the group with their name.
Absolutely Fabulous - Absolutely Fabulous
Entered 11.04.94 Peak number 6.
A dance track with samples from the eponymous TV show, produced by Pet Shop Boys. Jennifer Saunders, who was on Help! in 1989, turns up again (she wrote and starred in the show) alongside co-star Joanna Lumley. The single was originally meant to feature the show's theme (Bob Dylan's song This Wheel's On Fire, performed by Ade Edmonson and Julie Driscoll) as a bonus track, but Driscoll refused permission for its release.
Love Can Build A Bridge - Cher, Chrissie Hynde and Neneh Cherry with Eric Clapton
Entered 18.03.95 Peaked at number 1 for 1 week.
A real supergroup featuring four top acts who'd all made some great pop singles in the past, not that you'd guess it from this dreary offering, a cover of family country group The Judds' uncharted 1990 track. Without any real comedy tie-in, it seems this single probably sold to an older audience than usual. Oddly, Clapton is the only Brit among the four.
Who Do You Think You Are? / Mama - Spice Girls
Entered 15.03.97 Peaked at number 1 for 3 weeks.
Fourth #1 from four singles for the girl quintet. Although it wasn't a comedy record in itself, this was promoted with a video featuring Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke (alias LaNaNeeNeeNooNoo, you remember) as a spoof girl group called The Sugar Lumps.
When The Going Gets Tough - Boyzone
Entered 13.03.99 Peaked at number 1 for 2 weeks.
Those sweet Boyzone lads cover a song about being tough! A rather weak joke, but the record itself was popular enough to spend a fortnight at #1. When The Going Gets Tough was originally sung by Billy Ocean on the movie soundtrack Jewel Of The Nile, and was number one in 1986, just a month before Cliff and the Young Ones. Boyzone's connection to Comic Relief came through their contribution to the soundtrack for the previous year's Bean: The Movie, starring Rowan Atkinson, who also appeared as Mr Bean in the video for their soundtrack single Picture Of You (#3).
Uptown Girl - Westlife
Entered 17.03.01 Peaked at number 1 for 1 week.
A cover of Billy Joel's 1983 #1, originally written as a tribute to The Four Seasons and as a love song for his then-girlfriend (and later wife) Christine Brinkley. Though still very "safe", this was Westlife's first upbeat single and had an appeal beyond their substantial fanbase.
Spirit In The Sky - Gareth Gates and The Kumars
Entered 22.03.03 Peaked at number 1.
The charity's first proper comedy single release for nine years teamed spiky-haired teen idol Gareth Gates with the stars of the BBC2 comedy chat-show The Kumars At Number 42. The song became the third to reach the top for three different acts (its writer Norman Greenbaum had the first hit version in 1970, followed by Doctor And The Medics in 1986).
More Info: There's a fuller overview of Comic Relief's contribution to musical culture at the Off The Telly website.
| i don't know |
What was the name of Tex Ritter's horse? | Tex Ritter - Biography - IMDb
Tex Ritter
Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (19) | Salary (3)
Overview (5)
5' 11" (1.8 m)
Mini Bio (1)
Tex Ritter was born on January 12, 1905 in Murvaul, Texas, USA as Woodward Maurice Ritter. He was married to Dorothy Fay . He died on January 2, 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Spouse (1)
( 14 June 1941 - 2 January 1974) (his death) (2 children)
Trivia (19)
Singer, father of John Ritter .
His spouse, Dorothy Fay , was his leading lady in many of his western features.
In his later years, he was a disk jockey on Nashville radio.
In 1970, he ran unsuccessfully in Tennessee for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1964.
Grandfather of Jason Ritter .
Had a long string of hit singles on Billboard's country charts -- including the No. 1 hits "I'm Wasting My Tears on You" (1944); "You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often" (1945); and "You Will Have to Pay" (1946). Other famous hits included "Deck of Cards" (1948) and "I Dreamed of a Hillbilly Heaven" (1961).
"You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often" was Billboard's No. 1 country hit of the year in 1945.
Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1980.
Veteran character actor Morgan Woodward 's uncle, Dr. S. A. Woodward, lived in the San Angelo, Texas area. One day, he was called to help in the birth of a male child. The family, not knowing what gender was expected, had not chosen a name, so in honor of the good doctor's service, they named him Woodward Ritter. Later, he would be known more widely as "Tex" Ritter.
Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998).
His horse in his earlier movies was called White Flash .
Grandfather of Stella Ritter .
Buried in Port Neches, Texas.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter came from a long line of Texas horsemen. His grandfather Benjamin Franklin Ritter (1834-1902) was a Confederate officer (2nd lieutenant) in Company F the 37th Texas Cavalry (Terrel's) during the War between the States. Benjamin saw action in the saddle in Texas and Louisiana.
Singing-cowboy star of "B" westerns during the 30's and 40's and later country-music recording star.
Salary (3)
| white flash |
What ws the name of Tonto's horse? | Tex Ritter Biography | OLDIES.com
Tex Ritter Biography
Overview Biography Songs Similar Artists DVDs VHS CDs Vinyl
Maurice Woodward Ritter, 12 January 1905, near Murvaul, Panola County, Texas, USA, d. 2 January 1974, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The youngest of six children, he grew up on the farm that the Ritter family had worked for over 70 years. He attended High School in Beaumont and then entered the University of Texas in Austin. Here he began his studies for a law degree in Government and Political Science. Ritter was active in the debating societies and sang with the University Glee Club. During this period, he developed a lasting interest in cowboy songs, being greatly influenced by the research of such authorities as John A. Lomax and J. Frank Dobie. He financed himself during his time at the university by working menial jobs but finally left in 1928, having completed only the first year of his Law School course.
He sang cowboy and folk songs on KPCR Houston and struggled to make a living selling insurance. After meeting members of a touring operetta company in Austin, he joined them, finally arriving with the company in a Depression-gripped New York. He possibly sang on Broadway In The New Moon in September 1928, although some accounts place his arrival in the city a year later. After visiting Chicago, Ritter decided to continue his studies for his Law degree and entered Northwestern University Law School in Evanston, Illinois, in September 1929. Without financial backing, he soon found himself unable to continue with the course and left to join a touring production of The New Moon in 1930. Late in 1930, he successfully auditioned for the part of Cord Elam in Green Grow The Lilacs. The producer said he wanted real cowboys who could sing, but farm boy Woodward reckoned he qualified (it was around this time that he acquired his nickname Tex). After a test run in Boston, the company opened on Broadway on 26 January 1931, with Tex not only singing four songs as Elam but also understudying leading actor Franchot Tone. The play was very successful (it was later converted into the musical Oklahoma!) and Tex stayed with it until it finally closed in Detroit. He sang on NBC radio and in 1932, he played the part of Sagebrush Charlie in a Broadway production of The Roundup and later appeared in Mother Lode.
In the early 30s, Ritter also worked on various radio programmes. He sang songs and told tales of the Old West in Lone Star Rangers and appeared in several radio dramas, including Death Valley Days and CBS networked Bobby Bensons Adventures (later appearing in the music version Songs Of The B-Bar-B). In 1933, he starred in a daily childrens cowboy radio show on WINS New York called Cowboy Toms Roundup. His popularity also saw him appear on WHN radio with Tex Ritters Campfire and The WHN Barn Dance. He made four recordings for ARC (American Record Corporation) in March 1933 but only Rye Whiskey was released and he subsequently moved to Decca Records, where he made his first recordings, Sam Hall and Get Along Little Dogie, on 21 January 1935. He went on to record a further 28 songs for the label, the last being in January 1939, in a session in Los Angeles, billed as Tex Ritter And His Texans, which produced four recordings including his version of the Vagabonds hit When Its Lamp Lighting Time In The Valley. Actually his Texans were the Sons Of The Pioneers, a group more usually associated with Roy Rogers than Ritter. Many of the songs recorded were featured in his films, plus one or two popular numbers such as Nobodys Darlin But Mine.
In 1936, Grand National Pictures decided that they, like other companies, should make some singing cowboy westerns. Unfortunately they had no singing cowboy under contract, but Edward Finney, a producer working with the company, promised he would find one. Ritter was drawn to his attention and Finney signed him to a personal contract, thus becoming his producer-agent. Ritter soon accepted a contract that promised to pay him, as the star, $2, 400 per picture. The challenge of Hollywood was too good to refuse; Ritter found himself a horse, White Flash, and although more than competent with the singing aspect of his new career, he was coached by one-time outlaw Al Jennings on how to look equally convincing with a gun and his fists. The first of his 12 Grand National B-westerns, Song Of The Gringo, was shot in five days and was released in November 1936. Headin For The Rio Grande followed shortly afterwards, and he co-starred with one Rita Cansino (later Rita Hayworth) in his fourth film, Trouble In Texas (1937). In 1938, after Utah Trail, Grand Nationals financial problems saw Finney move Ritter to Monogram, where by 1941, he had made 20 films, most of which received critical lashings. When his contract with Finney expired, Ritter decided to look after his own affairs and signed with Columbia Pictures.
Financially, things improved, and in 1941, he co-starred with Bill Elliott in eight more films. When Elliott left for Republic, Ritter assumed that he would become the studios only cowboy star and was shocked when Columbia released him. He and White Flash moved to Universal, where he starred in seven films with Johnny Mack Brown and once again suffered by the double billing. In 1943, Brown moved on, leaving Ritter to star alone in his next three films, the last being Oklahoma Raiders. Financial problems then forced Universal to drop the series but many rate these as three of Ritters best pictures. In 1944, he joined PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation), where he made a series of eight films that were later described as being little better than the low-budget Grand National series. On 15 October 1945, Tex Ritters last singing cowboy film, Flaming Bullets, was released. Ritter married Dorothy Fay Southworth (b. 4 April 1915, Prescott, Arizona, USA, d. 5 November 2003, Woodland Hills, California, USA) on 14 June 1941, a promising actress (known as Dorothy Fay) who had been his leading lady four times and also appeared in The Philadelphia Story. After their marriage, she gave up her career and subsequently raised their two sons, Thomas (Tom) and John (b. Jonathan Southworth Ritter, 17 September 1948, Burbank, California, USA, d. 11 September 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA). During his singing cowboy years, Ritter made countless personal appearances to promote his films and his stage shows with White Flash were very popular. A number of songbooks were issued, such as the Tex Ritter Cowboy Song Folio (1937) and Tex Ritter: Mountain Ballads And Cowboy Songs (1941).
When he realized that his film career was over, Ritter concentrated on his touring show, which he combined with his recording work. After his Decca contract ended, he did not resume his recording career until 1942, when he became the first C&W singer signed to the newly formed Capitol Records, with whom he stayed until his death. He achieved considerable success with Jingle, Jangle, Jingle, which topped the Hit Parade chart for several weeks in July and August 1942. In 1944, Capitol 174 proved a smash hit for him with Im Wastin My Tears On You (a country number 1/pop number 11) and Theres A New Moon Over My Shoulder (number 2 in the country chart and number 21 in the pop chart). Between 1945 and 1946, he registered seven successive Top 5 hits, including You Two Timed Me One Time Too Often, a country number 1 for 11 weeks. In 1948, Rye Whiskey and his version of Deck Of Cards both made the Top 10, while Pecos Bill from the Walt Disney movie Melody Time also reached number 15. In 1950, Daddys Last Letter (Private First Class John H McCormick), based on an actual letter from a soldier killed in Korea, became a surprise hit for him.
In the early 50s, the chart hits had dried up and it seemed that Ritters career was nearing an end. He maintained his touring but was unable to gain television exposure other than guest appearances. The situation suddenly changed when he was asked to record the soundtrack song for the Fred Zinnemann film High Noon (which starred Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly). Ritters US recording was made on 14 May 1952 without the drum beat so prominent in the film; it was dubbed on in August. In September or October, while touring the UK, he recorded a version in Deccas London studios (with an orchestra directed by Johnny Douglas) that contained the drumbeat and which is probably Ritters best recording of the song. This version was not released in the USA but was included on a Bear Family Records album in 1992. The resultant success of the film and the popularity of Ritters recording relaunched his career. Surprisingly, he did not particularly like the song and had to be persuaded to sing it at the Academy Awards ceremony where it won an Oscar for Best Title Song. (Perhaps surprisingly, Ritters recording of the song never actually made the country charts and in the UK it was Frankie Laines version that became a Top 10 pop hit.)
Following the success of High Noon, Ritter became the star of the Los Angeles television show Town Hall Party, which ran until 1961. He also guested on various western adventure programmes such as Zane Grey Theatre but one writer has been unkind enough to comment that none of the roles were memorable and his extra heft and advancing age, unfortunately, took away somewhat from the memory of his movie singing roles of previous years. He also sang other movie and television themes, including The Marshals Daughter, Trooper Hook, Gunsmoke and The Searchers. In 1963, Ritter was a founder member of the Country Music Association and in 1964, he became only the fifth person and first singing cowboy to be elected to the Country Music Hall Of Fame. The plaque stated: One of Americas most versatile stars of radio, television, records, motion pictures and Broadway stage. Untiring champion of the country and western music industry. The following year when the Grand Ole Opry granted him life membership, he finally moved his home from California to Nashville. He played himself in What Am I Bid? (1967), in which he sang I Never Got To Kiss The Girl - an amusing number based on fact, since he never did in any of his westerns.
In 1970, Ritter was persuaded to run for election to the Senate but as a writer later reported, maybe the electorate did not want to lose him to Washington, they wanted him to stay at the Opry, and he was not elected. Suggestions that he should slow down had little effect and he was still in great demand for personal appearance tours. He toured the UK in May 1973 and played three concerts in Scotland and 28 in England on successive days (he had first toured the UK and Europe in 1952). On 2 January 1974, at a time when he was working on arrangements for a further tour, he was told that one of his band members was in Nashvilles jail over a matter of unpaid child support. He immediately went to the jail to arrange bail and while there, he suffered a heart attack from which he died within minutes. His final chart hit, The Americans, entered the charts a few days after his death. Although he starred in 58 B-westerns and appeared in over 20 other films, to a great many people Ritter was much more than merely a one-time singing cowboy. He was a very respected statesman and his vast knowledge of the history of folk, country and cowboy music made him a popular figure wherever he went.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
Filter Results
| i don't know |
What was the name of Hopalong Cassidy's horse? | What was the name of Hopalong Cassidy's horse? | Reference.com
What was the name of Hopalong Cassidy's horse?
A:
Quick Answer
Hopalong Cassidy's horse was named Topper. The horse was discovered on a ranch in 1937 and named Topper by the wife of the actor who played Hopalong Cassidy on film and television. The horse was named after the "Topper" book series by Thorne Smith.
Full Answer
There were a total of 66 films depicting the adventures of fictional cowboy Hopalong Cassidy. Topper did not appear in the first film, which came out in 1935, but after Hopalong's actor William Boyd bought him in 1937, he was used in subsequent films, television episodes, and even parades and other public appearances. Boyd rode Topper until his retirement in 1953. Topper died in 1961 and is buried in Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park.
| Topper |
What was the name of The Cisco Kid's horse? | An American Legend
Sworn Enemy of Crime and Cruelty
Epitome of Gallantry and Fair Play
Strong Sense of Justice
Highly Regarded Family Values
HOPALONG CASSIDY was the hero of twenty-eight western novels written by Clarence E. Mulford in the twenties, thirties, and forties. Giving testimony to the lasting popularity of this fictional cowboy hero is the very real fact that a dozen of the novels are still in print.
WILLIAM (BILL) BOYD, a star of the silent movies under contract to Cecil B. DeMille, brought HOPALONG to the screen in a feature produced by Paramount Pictures. Paramount made 34 more pictures with Bill Boyd as Hoppy and United Artists produced 31 others, also with Bill Boyd. Never in Hollywood history has one man played the same character in as many features. When audiences the world over saw the films, Bill Boyd and Hopalong Cassidy became synonymous.
Time Magazine in 1950 said, "Boyd made Hoppy a veritable Galahad of the range, a soft spoken paragon who did not smoke, drink or kiss girls, who tried to capture the rustlers instead of shooting them, and who always let the villain draw first if gunplay was inevitable." Boyd himself said, "I played down the violence, tried to make Hoppy an admirable character and I insisted on grammatical English."
Sixty-six motion picture features starring the same actor. An incredible feat! No wonder, then, that this large body of work led Bill Boyd to television in 1950. Boyd, with remarkable foresight, had purchased the television rights to all the Hoppy motion pictures and licensed 52 of them to the NBC Television Network to be telecast as one hour episodes.
From the moment that HOPALONG CASSIDY premiered on NBC, Bill Boyd became an international hero, for the films were telecast not only in America but all over the world as well.
Twelve of the remaining motion picture features that Boyd retained under the Company name, "North Vines," were edited by him into half hour episodes. Following this move, he formed a new television production company to shoot a series of 40 new half hour episodes. The company ended up creating a total of 52 half hours for the NBC network.
The public had clamored for more HOPALONG CASSIDY and Boyd complied with their demands.
His popularity was astounding. He received 15 thousand fan letters a week. He received endless and persistent requests from individuals and international organizations to make public appearances. He made two worldwide tours while NBC pressed him to continue production. The stress was tremendous. He was in his sixties by this time, and he personally felt that the Hoppy character could not be properly portrayed at this age. He was also feeling the pressure of being before the cameras month after month. The year before he retired, he made 40 Hoppy episodes in as many weeks and made one more tour around the world for the Newsboys' Association.
Completing that tour, he put his horse Topper out to pasture, hung up his guns, took off his boots, and said adios to HOPALONG CASSIDY, his alter ego. Boyd was reluctant to retire because of his loyal fans and the knowledge that his large production crew would be put out of work. Fortunately, CBS was about to start shooting the series, GUNSMOKE, and Boyd was able to turn over his company to that network, assuring employment for his entire crew.
Bill Boyd's television success has never been rivaled. During public appearances, as many as a million fans turned out to see him. These fans, believe it or not, included presidents, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, admirals, generals, ambassadors, prime ministers and of course John Q. Public.
Boyd didn't sing, dance, play football, baseball or basketball, nor did he box or play tennis or race cars. Boyd was merely HOPALONG CASSIDY. He smiled, waved, and shook hands. He was simply...Mr. Goodguy...everybody's favorite cowboy...everybody's FRIEND, BUDDY, PAL and IMMORTAL HERO.......................
| i don't know |
What was yhe name of Ken Maynard's horse? | The Horses
Ken Maynard and his "Wonder Horse, Tarzan"
Maynard acquired Tarzan around 1925 and the animal was half Arabian and half American Saddle horse. The horse was often listed on posters, title lobby cards, pressbook ads, et al just below Maynard's name as "his Wonder Horse Tarzan". The palomino was a frequent helper in the films and as such, the horse got a lot of screen time. The original Tarzan died in 1940, and the story goes that Maynard buried him somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. There's more photos, movie ad/artwork and information on Tarzan in the Old Corral section on Ken Maynard.
How to identify the real Tarzan: if you're standing behind Tarzan, look for a dark spot/birthmark about the size of silver dollar, located high on the right haunch close to the tail. A good example is STRAWBERRY ROAN (Universal, 1933) and you can see the spot on the real Tarzan in the early reels. Later, in the chase scene with Maynard ropin' the roan, he's riding one of the Tarzan impersonators, and as the animal turns, you can see that he's 'spotless'.
Right is a screen capture of Maynard and the real Tarzan (and his spot) from Chapter 1 of MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934).
Jim Tipton's Find A Grave website mentions that Tarzan was buried in a defunct stable in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California and the grave has been lost to development: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11572372
(Courtesy of Les Adams)
Above - Ken is training the original Tarzan ... and one of the Tarzan doubles is seen in the background of this lobby card from SENOR DAREDEVIL (First National, 1926).
(From Old Corral image collection)
Ken Maynard and Tarzan versus the 'Rattler' in the twelve chapter cliffhanger, MYSTERY MOUNTAIN (Mascot, 1934). Above is the title lobby card for Chapter Two. Note the "Wonder Horse, Tarzan" billing which was commonplace in Maynard's films.
(From Old Corral image collection)
Above is Ken Maynard in the early 1930s with Tarzan and Tarzan look-a-likes. He would use the Tarzan impersonators for stunts as well as 'chase doubles' in hard ridin' scenes rather than risk injury to the real Tarzan.
(From Old Corral image collection)
(From Old Corral image collection)
The story goes that Tarzan was originally trained by Ken to respond to voice commands (during their silent films) rather than hand signals. In their sound films, Ken was constantly chit-chattin' with Tarzan. Above are the original Tarzan and Ken in a scene from WHEELS OF DESTINY (Universal, 1933) --- while I didn't check the videotape of this scene, Ken's probably saying somethin' like: "c'mon ol' man ... untie the rope ... that's it old man ... pull the rope loose!"
(From Old Corral image collection)
Above, Ken Maynard on the original Tarzan with the Cole Bros. Circus in Texas, November, 1940.
(From Old Corral image collection)
Above, the Monogram Trail Blazers, circa 1943-44. From L-to-R are Ken Maynard (now riding the white Tarzan II), Bob Steele, and Hoot Gibson. Gibson is riding Rusty, the Wonder Horse which had been earlier used by Jack Randall and Tom Keene in their series at Monogram. When Maynard exited the Trail Blazers, Chief Thunder Cloud came in as the replacement --- Thunder Cloud rode Rusty and Gibson rode a different mount. The original Tarzan died about 1940.
(Courtesy of Minard Coons)
Above from L-to-R are Hoot Gibson riding Rusty, the Wonder Horse, Betty Miles atop her steed Sonny, and Ken Maynard on Tarzan II from one of the early entries in Monogram's Trail Blazers series (prior to Bob Steele joining the group). The story goes that Betty acquired Sonny from Bill Elliott. Betty's horse was easy to spot --- had two long white socks on the rightside, two short white socks on the left, and a small white spot on the forehead. Betty had this horse in the early 1940s, and rode it in Tom Keene's LONE STAR LAW MAN (Monogram, 1941). However, I've yet to spot Elliott riding this particular Sonny variation. You can see images of several of the hosses named Sonny that Bill Elliott used by clicking HERE .
| Tarzan |
What was the name of Tom Mix's horse? | Cowboys & Their Horses in Movies & Circuses
In Movies and Circuses:
Cowboys and Their Horses by James Searles
This is based on a article by Fred D. Pfening, Jr, former president of the Circus Historical Society.
I have expanded upon the original article, adding more information where I felt it was needed and tried to explain further what was not covered. Information about horses was added because of their importance in Western movies. The Pfening article was given to me by Duke Shumow. Duke had owned two movie theaters in Chicago. His dad was Jack Shumow, an MGM executive. I might have taken some advantage of Duke, who was then way up in years. I got a very old full page article on elephants that was frail. Duke had to drive it up to the Circus Museum at Baraboo, Wisconsin. Two weeks later I got a circus movie poster—too frail to mail. Duke again drove it up to Baraboo. We have some of the Joseph Brown photo collection going back to 1897. One of the glass sheet photos was of a circus coming into Milwaukee. I had some medium level at best shots taken off the glass plates that Duke used in Baraboo. We listed them under Duke’s name. I added in a bit more about the movies and the horses – can’t have a circus without horses. The horses that the cowboys loved got star billing both in posters and events. The article is for reference only. Donations to the Baraboo Circus Museum help to preserve a way of life fast disappearing. Better yet, head over to the Baraboo Circus Museum (Baraboo, WI) this summer and catch the circus act. —Author
At the end of the 1920s, “outdoor” under-canvas shows began hiring well known motion picture western stars as feature attractions. During the golden age of the Hollywood western films in the 1920s and 1930s, the five big stars were Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Hoot Gibson and Tim McCoy. All were featured with circuses. A number of them worked with circuses before their film careers started. Some started their own circus or wild west show. Other than Mix all their shows failed quickly.
Tom Mix (1890-1940) Mix was born into a relatively poor logging family in Mix Run, PA. He spent his childhood leaning to ride horses and working on the local farm. He had dreams
of being in the circus and was rumored to have been caught by his parents practicing knife-throwing tricks against a wall, using his sister as an assistant. After working a variety of odd jobs in the Oklahoma Territory, Mix found employment at the Miller Brothers 101 ranch, reportedly the largest ranching business in the United States and covering 101,000 acres, hence its name. He stood out as a skilled horseman and expert shot, winning the 1909 national Riding and Rodeo Championship.
Tom Mix at the Circus:
In 1909 Tom Mix was with W. S. Dickey’s Circle C Ranch Wild West show. Dickey had a connection with the Selig Polyscope Company, an early producer of western films. Mix made his first film for Selig in 1909. When the Selig Studios closed, Mix went to William Fox Productions. He made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine were silent features. He was Hollywood’s first Western mega-star and is noted as having helped define the genre for all cowboy stars who followed. Over half of the movies were made by Selig and Fox, but he also worked for Universal, Film Box Office and Mascot. In his early career he worked during the summers with the Kit Carson Buffalo Ranch Wild West and the Young Buffalo Wild West. He survived the change to talking pictures and made his last film in 1935 for the poverty row Mascot Pictures. In the 1920s he was one of the leading box office stars in Hollywood. In 1929 he went to work for the Sells-Floto Circus and remained there for three years. In 1934 he joined the Sam B. Dill motorized circus. In 1935 Mix bought the show and continued the Tom Mix Circus through 1938. At its height the show was the largest and most successful circus on the road. He made a number of successful tours of Europe before being killed in a car crash in 1940.
Charles Frederick Gebhard (Buck Jones 1981-1942) was with Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West in 1913 and Gollmar Brothers Circus in 1914. Adopting the name Charles Jones, he made his first film for Fox in 1918 later becoming “Buck Jones”. He produced and directed many of the films in which he appeared. During his career Jones appeared in nearly 200 movies
produced by Fox, Columbia, Universal, Paramount, Republic and Monogram. He last film was for Monogram Pictures in 1941.
Buck Jones at the Circus:
In 1929 he organized the Buck Jones Wild West and Round Up Days. Monty Montana, a radio and motion picture personality, was with the Jones show. It opened on May 16 and lasted until July, when his business partner absconded with all the show’s money, leaving Jones high and dry. Jones quickly joined the Robbins Brothers Circus to finish the season. He died in Boston in the 1942 Coconut Grove night club fire.
Ken Maynard (1891-1978) Working at carnivals and circuses starting at age 16, Maynard became an accomplished horseman. As a young man, he performed in rodeos and was a trick rider with the Kit Carson Buffalo Ranch Wild West in 1913 and Ringling Brothers in 1914. He first appeared in silent movies in 1923 (for William Fox) and in addition to acting, he also did stunt work. His horsemanship and rugged good looks made Maynard a cowboy star. His white stallion, "Tarzan", also became famous. He became one of the first singing cowboys with Columbia Records, recording two songs,
"The Lone Star Trail" and "The Cowboy's Lament". With his white cowboy hat, fancy shirt, and pair of six-shooters, from the 1920s to the mid-1940s, Maynard appeared in more than 90 films. However, his alcoholism severely impacted his life and his career ended in 1944. He made appearances at state fairs and rodeos. He then owned a small circus operation featuring rodeo riders but eventually lost it to creditors. The significant amount of money he had earned vanished, and he lived a desolate life in a rundown mobile home. During these years, Maynard was supported by an unknown benefactor, long thought to be Gene Autry. More than 25 years after his last starring role, Maynard returned to two small parts in films in 1970 and 1972, notably in The Marshal of Windy Hollow. His film career consisted of 109 films produced by Columbia, Universal, MGM, World Wide, Tiffany, Mascot, First National, Monogram and Astor.
Ken Maynard at the Circus:
In 1936 Maynard bought wagons and rail cars from George Christy and organized the Ken Maynard Diamond Wild West Circus and Indian Congress. The show opened in Van Nuys, California and lasted a coupled of weekends. The following year he was featured with the Cole Brothers, Beatty Circus. He remained there in 1938 and then came back to Cole Brothers in 1940. In 1950 he appeared with the Biller Brothers Circus.
Timothy McCoy (1891-1978) was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. He served as a Lt. Colonel in World War I. In 1926 he staged the "Winning of the West" at the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In 1942 he was the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, but was defeated. His first film The Covered Wagon was made for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in 1923. His film career consisted of 96 films produced by Universal, Columbia, MGM, Producers Releasing Corporation, Puritan, Victory Pictures Corp. and Embassy. McCoy’s best silent films were made for MGM as their top western actor. His last featured role was for Monogram in 1942. In 1965 at age 80 he was featured in Requiem for a Gun Fighter, prod
uced for Embassy Pictures. A better-than-average shoot-'em-up western has professional gunfighter Cameron mistaken for a judge in a small town plagued by McNally and his henchmen. Only a local couple know his true identity, and they talk him into keeping the peace and staging the trial for one of the bad guys” The movie received good reviews—not bad for 80 years old.
Tim McCoy at the Circus:
In 1935 Sam Gumpertz hired McCoy to produce and star in a wild west show for Ringling-Barnum. He returned in 1936 and 1937. McCoy was paid $10,000.00 a week and he in turn paid all the other show personnel. Assuming that he was responsible for the big show crowds, McCoy made plans to tour his own wild west show in 1938. And what a beautiful show it was. New from rail cars to wagons, it was one of the finest new outfits to be introduced in the 20th century. In competition with Cole Brothers and Hagenbeck-Wallace, it opened at the International Amphitheater in Chicago on April 14th. Three big shows in one city did not allow any of them to do outstanding business. After ten days in Chicago McCoy’s forty blue and white rail cars made a Sunday run of 315 miles to open under canvas in Columbus, Ohio. One week later the show closed in Washington, DC where it was sold at auction. The venture cost McCoy $300,000, just about wiping him out. McCoy went back to Hollywood and more poverty row pictures. In spite of his age he again went back to the circus, this time with the Al G. Kelly & Miller Brothers in 1957. The following season he joined the Carson & Barnes Circus where he remained through 1961. During the first two months of the 1962 season McCoy appeared with the Hoxie-Bardex Circus. Later he partnered with Tommy Scott’s medicine show and remained for thirteen years.
Edward Richard Gibson (Hoot Gibson 1892-1963 ) was the last of the big timers. He learned to ride a horse wh
ile still a very young boy. His family moved to California when he was seven years old and as a teenager he worked with horses on a ranch, which led to competition on bucking broncos. Given the nickname "Hoot Owl" by co-workers, the name evolved to just "Hoot". He was an accomplished rodeo performer by age sixteen. He too had outdoor show business experience prior to entering the movies.
In 1910, film director Francis Boggs (Selig Studios) was looking for experienced cowboys to appear in his silent film short, Pride of the Range. Gibson and another future star of western films, Tom Mix, were hired. After the director was killed by a deranged employee, Gibson was hired by director Jack Conway to appear in his 1912 Western, His Only Son. Acting for Gibson was then a minor sideline and he continued competing in rodeos to make a living. In 1912 he won the all-around championship at the famous Pendleton Round-Up and the steer roping World Championship at the Calgary Stampede. His film career lasted for 120 features. He worked for Selig, Universal RKO-Radio, Monogram and Screen Guild. In 1936 he was one of the top money western stars. His last film was made in 1947 by Screen Guild Pictures.
Hoot Gibson at the Circus:
Hoot Gibson was with Dick Stanley’s Congress of Rough Riders and Bud Atkinson’s Circus & Wild West in Australia. He competed in the Pendleton Round Up and the New York Stampede in 1916. Gibson was featured by Wallace Brothers Circus early in 1937 and then joined the Hagenbeck-Wallace show for the rest of the season. In 1938 he was with Robbins Brothers. In 1940 he organized the Hoot Gibson Rodeo and Thrill Circus. The show opened July 7 playing ball parks. It did not last long.
Jack Hoxie (John Hartford Hoxie 1885-1965) was born in Indian Territory. (later Oklahoma) After his father's death, his mother Matilda Hoxie (some reports list her as Cherokee) moved to Northern Idaho. At an early age, Jack became a working cowboy ranch hand. Matilda Hoxie married a rancher and horse trader named Calvin Scott Stone. The family then relocated to Boise w
here Jack worked as a packer for a U.S. Army Fort in the area, continuing to hone his skill as a horseback rider while competing in rodeos. In 1909 he met the performer Dick Stanley and joined his Wild West show. It was during this period that Jack met and married his first wife, Hazel Panting, who was a Western trick rider with the outfit. He won the National Riding Championship in 1914. His first movie job was as a stunt man. His first of 79 films was made in 1915. In 1926, Laemmle and Universal chose Jack to star as Buffalo Bill Cody in Metropolitan Pictures The last Frontier, co-starring William Boyd. The film would prove enormously commercially successful and Hoxie is often best recalled for his performance in the film. In 1927, however, Hoxie allegedly became dissatisfied with his contract at Universal and refused to renegotiate for another stint at the studio. Hoxie would continue throughout the later 1920s making films of lesser quality with lower budget film studios. He made his last silent film Forbidden Trail in 1929. His career faded quickly after sound, as even though he looked the part of a cowboy, his skills did not extend to sounding like one (He could barely read). He continued to appear, albeit in smaller roles, well into the 1930s finally quitting film in 1934 because he unable to memorize the dialogue required by the talkies.
Jack Hoxie at the Circus:
Hoxie spent more time with the circuses than any other western star and was with more shows. He began in 1929 with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West. In 1931 and 1934 he was with Schell Brothers. In 1933 and 1934 he was with Downie Bros. In 1935 he was with the Harley Stadler show and returned to Downie in 1936. In the spring of 1937 Cy Newton framed a new circus in Raymond, and induced Hoxie to invest in the show and be the feature. It was built new from the ground up. Titled Jack Hoxie’s Circus, it closed abruptly in July when Newton departed. Hoxie enlisted the help of R.M. Harvey and reopened the circus on July 31. Hoxie left the show in September and it quickly closed for the second time. Hoxie was back with Downie Brothers in 1938. In 1939 he was back with Lewis Brothers and with Bud Anderson in 1940. He ended his career with Mills Brothers in 1946 and 1947.
Buck Owens a champion rodeo performer, began his circus career with Sells-Floto Circus in 1927. He was with Robbins Brothers in 1930. He continued with Downie Brothers in 1932, then Hunts Circus in 1934. Owens came back to the sawdust arena with Si Rubens to tour with the Buck Owens Circus in 1946 and 1947. Although he was advertised as a famous western screen star, no mention has been found of him in motion picture references.
Buck Owens Show Different with Wild West Features; Horses Do Labor of Bulls.
Equine Motif Gives Program Spice – Personnel is Happy
By J. Edwards The Billboard, July 27, 1946
PERU, IND. July 20 – At first glance the Buck Owens Circus & Wild West appears to be like any other show of similar size. But start looking around this new outfit launched last spring by Buck Owens and Si Rubens and you find there are a number of things that are at least a little different. A couple of minor details catch the eye first on the midway. One is the side show banners somewhat arty in design and entirely devoid of lettering. The other is the office wagon which instead of being rear end out, is parked parallel with the midway, so the ticket windows are on the side.
Hoss Opry for True
Pass through the royal blue marquee and you find yourself in a hip-roof top, 60 by 100 feet that contains nothing but horses, horses, horses. Then it becomes apparent that this is perhaps the horsiest motorized show ever took to the road and that’s not overlooking the Tom Mix show of 10 years ago. Inside the big top the program gets under way when the opening number comes on with five horses and riders. Even a bigger surprise comes when the Liberty acts appear—three of them with six horses each. From a herd of “toy” horses in the side show, one is brought in for a track specialty and introduced as the world smallest Percheron (age 4 years, weight 40 pounds). And carrying the equine motif still further Buck Owens enters with his horse, Goldie, one of the horse rescue scenes which to the strains of soft music is altogether effective. Buck blows the whistle throughout and does a neat and concise job of announcing. At about the three quarter mark in the program he proclaims that this is a show that throws traditions to the winds, that whereas most shows save their cowboys and cowgirls for the end, this one presents them in the performance. Then the show really comes to life and finishes with life aplenty. Four couples in bright western togs do a quadrille on horseback with Buck doing the calling. Leon Snyder, son of Leo (Tiger Bill) Snyder next executes a series of horse catches. Then the three rings are given over to some really solid one-spinning by Snyder, Joe Shwika and Shorty Schenrer, each finishing with specialties. With them in the Wild West line-up are Alta (Mrs. Buck) Owens and Erma Niquette, Meulah Scherer, Novel Freeman and Harry (Junior) Rawls. The next turn out is for trick riding which brings the show to a fast finale.
The Spangled Section
Straight circus acts include the excellent trampoline work of the Morales family (four), Paul Walcott’s dogs featuring a wall-scaling Gordon settler, Paul and Ellen Knight on the high wire, Virginia Lynne’s chair balancing, the Kohl Trio’s juggling, and the usual assortment of swinging ladders, cloud swings and webs, the latter with special wardrobe. Acts throughout have a clean well-dressed appearance. The clowning of Joe, Sig and Charles allows the conventional bits of firecracker, hair-cutting, diaper, etc. Not once is the water gag used. John Dutch’s band of nine piece and calliope gives good old circus music. The big top is a 90 with three 40s (a popular size this season) and has nine-high blues all the way around. The canvas is white without colored trim, but bally cloths and seat ends of blue and red give a needed touch of color. Big show tickets are $1.20 for adults, 60 cents for kids and 60 cents for reserved. Concert and side show each gets 25 cents.
Concert and Side Show
Concert features are Stormy, a handsome white horse with a movie build-up, and H.S. (Professor) Gatchell, a grizzly old fugitive from the barber shop with a troupe of dogs, he cues entirely by voice over a mike. George Foster’s side show is houses under a push-up top that has a 35 foot round top with three 30s. Personnel includes Robert Reynolds, inside lecturer, Punch and Dwight, magic, Marjorie Marshall sword box, Thomas Whitehurst, human pincushion and fire, Professor Gatchell and Ray Garrison annex. There are also two cages of Monks, a baby buffalo, the “toy” horses, and a wild life exhibit supplied by Tommy Buchanan. Buchanan joined a month ago as a fixer, and his wife Patty, is handling press and kid marquee promotions ahead. Ethel Foster is on the tax box, while the Niquette girl’s mother Billie Grimes, lends her general personality to the front door. The show had an up and coming young lot superintendent in Charlie Grimes who was schooled by Ben and Eva Davenport. He was with the Davenport’s 10 years, from their Society Circus and Med Show days until he left Daily Bros. in 1943 to enter the navy.
Reconversion from the War
At one point in his announcements Buck Owens mentions the percentage of the show’s male personnel that served in the armed forces. Something that he omits is that he was a major in the Army Air force. Physically the show has several aspects of a war reconversion job under its red paint. The office, cook house, and two horse trucks were built from semi-trailer buses of the army. The sleepers were converted defense buses and the light paint is army surplus.
The management hopes that the impending imports of elephants will sooner or later take care of the show’s deficiency in that respect. Meanwhile, lack of bulls for work is done by horses. Owen, in breaking his Liberty acts, showed foresight by using light Percheon stock for two of the groups. Two teams of the sorrels raise the poles and peaks of the big top, and the six blacks make up a hook-rope team to snake stuff off muddy lots.
Downhearted! No!
The Owens-Reuben combination appears to be a congenial and effective one, with Buck handling the back yard and Si the office. As is always the case with new shows, there have been plenty of grapevine rumors about this one, most of them are inaccurate as they are dire. It’s true the outfit received an extraordinary tough hazing from the weather, and it’s no secret that business all season has been pretty spotty. But if the partners are discouraged, they certainly don’t show it. The organization appears to be shot through with optimism and loyalty. And Owens observes that one sure way of maintaining loyalty is meeting pay days regularly. The partners say that in framing their show they allowed for the traditional rainy day, that they piled a sweet piece of money at their Shrine sponsored premier at Springfield, MO April 23-28 and that they managed to hold their own despite lack of any real business since. And with the show geared to make money, they say they are content to await the final returns in the fall before losing heart. Meanwhile, they are talking plans for the next season for what they call the coming show.
Lafayette H. “Reb” Russell (1905-1978) was a former All-American fullback at Northwestern University. It was inevitable that a big, good-looking, famous football star would be courted by Hollywood, and Russell was eventually given small parts in a few films at Fox Pictures, but nothing really came of them. However, he did sign a contract with independent producer Willis Kent to star in a series of low-budget westerns (1934-1935); Range Warfare, Fighting Through, The Man from Hell, Fighting to Live, The Cheyenne Tornado, Border Vengeance, Outlaw Rule, Arizona Bad Man, Blazing Saddles, and Lighting Triggers. But low
budget is perhaps a charitable description of them. For all his athletic prowess, riding ability and good looks, Russell just wasn't much of an actor, but even if he had been he wouldn't have been able to overcome the threadbare production values, lame and trite scripts and overall shoddiness of the films themselves. They were distributed through the states-rights syndication system, which meant that basically not a whole lot of people saw them, and Russell never really made an impression on either fans or Hollywood itself. By 1935 he and Kent had parted ways.
Reb Russell at the Circus:
Reb Russell left Hollywood and toured with several traveling circuses. Russell Bros. Circus in 1936 and with Downie Brothers in 1937. In the 1940s he returned to Coffeyville, married and raised a family. He bought several ranches, becoming somewhat of an expert on livestock breeding.
Harry Carey (Henry DeWitt 1878-1947) “Grew up on City Island, New York. Carey's love of horses was inculcated in him at a young age, as he watched New York City's mounted policemen go through their paces in the 1880s, which prompted him to write a play, "Montana," about the Wes
tern frontier. He decided to star in his own creation, and the play proved a big success when mounted as a stock production in the middle of the decade. Audiences were thrilled by a bit of business where Carey brought his horse onto the stage.” “He began appearing in films for director D. W. Griffith, most memorably in The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1913), in which he played a hood in the 'hoods of New York. Carey's movie acting career was safely launched at Biograph's studios in the Bronx, and he would eventually appear in almost 250 motion pictures and became a big star in silent Westerns. Carey's cowboy persona with its taciturn expression has been linked to that of the dour William S. Hart, the first Western superstar. Hart's gritty Westerns, like Carey's, emphasized realism. Carey did not dress as flashily as Ken Maynard or the great Tom Mix, and his films were often true portrayals of the West instead of Mix's flashy horse operas. Good with physical business, particularly involving his hands, he developed signature gestures such as the way he sat a horse, a semi-slouch with his elbows resting on the saddle horn. His biggest film was with MGMs Trader Horn 1931. Carey was with the Barnett circus in 1944.
Lee Powell (1908-1944) After circus stock work he tried his luck in Hollywood making his first appearance (uncredited) in Under Two Flags. Powell gained fame for playing the suspect who turned out to be The Lone Ranger and one of “The Fighting Devil Dog”, a 19
38 serial”, a Western for the soon to be defunct National Pictures and made the six Western programmer films of the Frontier Marshals series. As a contract Republic player he received $150 a week. Powell wanted more money for a second Lone Ranger serial. Republic said no, hiring Robert Livingston for the part. Powell moved to National Pictures making B serials. (1939) With no more film work in the offering, he joined the Barnett Brothers circus being billed as the original Lone Ranger until litigation over the original copyright owners had him change his billing. The Lone Ranger name was owned by the Lone Ranger, Inc. It started on a Detroit radio station in the early 1930s. The company placed a Lone Ranger, played by an unidentified person, on the Olympia Circus, operated by the Chicago Stadium Corporation in Chicago and Detroit in 1941. There Powell met and married Norma Rogers, a circus bareback rider and the daughter of the circus owner. Returning to Hollywood he had a part in a Flash Gordon series at Universal. His final pictures were made by Producers Releasing Company in 1941 and 1942.
Bill Cody (William Joseph Jr. 1891-1948) Immediately out of college, he joined the
Metropolitan Stock Company, touring the U.S. and Canada. This eventually led him to Hollywood. In 1922 he began working as a stuntman after some stage and rodeo experience. Be a bit careful here as he was known as the real Bill Cody not to be confused with Buffalo Bill Cody. Independent Pictures signed him an eight series film deal for the 1924-1925 season. Jesse Goldburgs's company, Independent Pictures, although known for being made for as little money as possible, had gained a good reputation for having good casting and locations for their films. The first of the series starring Cody was Dangerous Days, followed by The Fighting Sheriff. Following the Independent Pictures series, Cody starred in two films, The Galloping Cowboy and King of the Saddle, both released in 1926. That same year
he starred in Arizona Whirlwind. He starred in Born to Battle, (1927), which gave him an opportunity to exhibit his horse riding skills and to use a bull whip on screen, and two more Bill Cody Productions boasting stories supposedly concocted by Cody himself: Gold From Weepah and Laddie, Be Good. Agile and pleasant in appearance, Cody ended his silent film career by starring in a group of action pictures released by Universal which temporarily removed him from the western milieu. His first talking feature was Under Texas Skies, starring Bob Custer in 1930. When the talkies started he survived the change despite his well-known difficulty with the memorization of dialogue. He spent most of his career working for the most impoverished poverty row studios, with hack scripts and starvation budgets. Aficionados of the genre have cited Cody's The Border Menace, (1934) as the worst B western ever made. By the late 1930s Cody's starring days were over and he was doing bits in "Stagecoach" (1939) and the Republic serial”
Bill Cody at the Circus:
James Heron’s 1932 Walter L. Main Circus featured Cody. The Cody Ranch Wild West name was added to the title in May. By late June it was Bill Cody Ranch Wild West. By August the title became Bostock’s Circus and Cody Wild West. By September it was back to Walter L. Main and Cody Ranch Wild West. Cody was the Downie Bros. western star in 1935.
Buzz Barton (1914-1980) also used the stage names: Billy Lamar, Billy Lamoreaux and Red Lennox. He was discovered at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1927. He made his first western movie at age ten and was known as the boy stunt rider for Film Booking Office studios. He has two uncredited stunts; Silver on the Sage in 1938 and The Mexicali Kid (stunt double) in 1938. He has 27 uncredited parts in films almost all of them after 1936 and 38 film credits. He also had a part as the h
orse wrangler (uncredited) in The Shootist. The Last Defender (1934) is still listed as active footage.
Red Ryder has become synonymous with Daisy, BB guns and American youth. It wasn't the first BB gun to be named for a personality. That distinction goes to Buzz Barton. In 1932, Daisy signed circus performer Buzz Barton to put his name on a special BB gun. A year later, Daisy got it exactly right. The second Buzz Barton was quite different from all other Daisy’s of the time. It was the first to feature a branded stock with Buzz Barton burned into the left side of the butt inside a star frame. The Buzz Barton had much of the early 20th century about it. The lever was cast iron and worked in the old-style short cocking stroke that made men out of small boys. It was harder to cock, but that was part of the passage to manhood!
Buzz Barton at the Circus:
In 1933 Buzz Barton was featured on Heron’s Walter L. Main Circus. The Main title was inactive during the 1929 season, but in 1930 William "Honest Bill" Newton used the title on a truck circus. This was interesting because it was one of th
e few times in circus history that a circus title had been used on a wagon show, a rail show and a truck show.
James Heron operated a truck show in 1931, and called it Walter L. Main. The famous Hanneford Family was featured with the Heron show that year. At the beginning of the 1932 season the Heron show was titled Walter L. Main featuring Bill Cody. Later in the season the show used the Bill Cody Ranch Wild West title, and still later in 1932 it was called Bostock's Wild Animal Circus and Cody Wild West. Main was anxious to make a deal with any circus operator and in 1933 he arranged for the use of his title on a truck show operated by Tom Gorman.
Lash LaRue (1917-1996) He looked so much like superstar Humphrey Bogart that character actress Sarah Padden asked if the two were related. LaRue said he didn't think so. After a long pause studying the young actor's face, she asked, "Did your mother ever meet Humphrey Bogart?" His debut Song of Old Wyoming (1945), headlined singing cowboy Eddie Dean and co-starred the beautiful Jennifer. LaRue, with his remarkable resemblance to Bogart, certainly looked the part and was cast after claiming he'd worked a bullwhip since childhood. In fact he
had never handled one, so after he was cast he ran out and borrowed a whip. He spent the next several days trying to learn to use it, but wound up beating himself senseless and bloody, and was finally forced to admit to Tansey that he didn't know what he was doing. Impressed by LaRue's sincerity and laughing at his injuries, Tansey arranged for personalized bullwhip instruction, a rather lavish expense for penny-pinching Producers Releasing Corporation. This picture was also unique in being PRC's first western to be shot in color, albeit in Cinecolor, a process favored by low-budget producers because it was much cheaper than the better known (and more garish) Technicolor, even though it was decidedly inferior and gave films shot in it an anemic, washed-out look. Although he wasn't the star, and billed as "The Cheyenne Kid," LaRue received a relatively large amount of fan mail and it dawned on the powers-that-be at PRC that they had a potential star on their hands. Not wanting to mess with a good thing, the studio paired the whip-cracking LaRue with the singing Dean two more times before splitting them off into their own pictures. LaRue quickly adopted an all-black wardrobe and rode a jet black horse to accentuate his image as a bad guy/good guy, sort of an early western anti-hero. He became "King of the Bullwhip" and a solid staple of Saturday-afternoon matinées. Despite having one of the more recognizable names in B-westerns, he never ranked among the top stars in popularity polls, probably attributable less to his screen persona or acting ability and more to his films' awful scripts and deplorable lack of production values due to PRC's legendary cheapness, a factor that hurt the careers of many of the studio's western stars. LaRue almost always performed his own stunts—mainly because PRC was loathe to spend money on professional stunt men, who in those days demanded higher pay than the stars they were doubling for—a fact he took pride in and made sure that he "conveniently" lost his hat during action scenes so his audience could see that it was actually him in the fray and not a stunt double. He is credited with 40 actor parts in film and 28 parts in his own TV series Lash of the West (1953). This 15-minute show consisted of cowboy actor Lash LaRue introducing clips from his old films and occasionally bringing on a guest, usually an actor who appeared in one of more of his pictures. And there were Lash LaRue comic books. The first issue was quarterly, then bimonthly, then monthly. Then came a comic called Six Gun Heroes which featured Lash LaRue on the cover more than fifty percent of the time. "I used to get royalties from the comics which bought me a new car every year-—a Cadillac. I grew up a poor boy—I had to find out what you could do with money."
Art Mix (1896-1972) starred in a few B western films as the hero for a brief time. His starring silent and talkies low budget productions such as the Ace of Cactus Range (1924), showed him as a young god-looking cowboy. He slipped into a henchman/gang member and town-drunk roles, often uncredited. He must have had some talent as he was usually higher on the bad-guy list. In his silents as well as later henchman roles in talkies, he wore a tall hat, probably to disguise his short height and give the impression that he was taller. His filmography lists 175 sound era
films, of which 157 are westerns and 17 are movie serials.
Art Mix With the Circus:
Art was featured with Kay Brothers Circus 1937. The Kay Brothers Circus had only a single elephant in its first season of 1932, but later acquired another and they were presented by Ketrow's daughter, Mary Ellen Buckles Woodcock. Tina Cuccia said that her father, Nick Cravat, and Burt Lancaster lived in the same neighborhood with Nick living with the Italians and Burt in the Irish section. Cravat was a stage name as Cuccia was too hard to pronounce. His two daughters preferred Cravat as kids since Cuccia was pronounced as coo-chi (on purpose naturally in grade school) and the embarrassment was more than two little girls could bear. Once Burt and Nick learned some tricks and developed and act and they joined the Kay Brothers Circus. Their act which began on a single bar, later evolved into a comic horizontal act (two bars situated about eight feet apart) in which they went from bar to bar performing summersaults, giant swings and of course a little comedy. Often the routine was performed in street clothes, other times in tights. Another spectacular feat that they mastered was Burt climbing up a pole that Nick balanced on his forehead. Art was also with the Cole Brothers in 1941 and the short lived Terrell Jacobs show in 1944. He was the star of the short lived Buffalo Wild West in 1947.
Bob Steele (1906-1988) began making films at age 14, co-starring with his brother in a series of "outdoors" short subjects produced and directed by his filmmaker father, Robert N. Bradbury. Gain
ing popularity in B western series of the silent movies and early talkie era. Steele was in With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo in 1926. Most of his films shared the same plot: Steele's character was forever searching for the murderer of his father, perhaps significantly, as many of Steele's starring vehicles were scripted by his real-life dad. His short stature and scrappy nature were things that many young western fans could identify with (and the fact that most of the villains he beat up were much bigger than he was didn't hurt, either). By the 1940s his career was on the decline, accepting supporting roles in many big movies such as John Wayne movies; Island in the Sky, Rio Bravo and Rio Lobo. He often ventured into other genres, and gave acclaimed performances such as Of Mice and Men (1939) (an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel), receiving some of the best reviews of his career as the sadistic Curley. He was in in the western TV comedy series F Troop (1965-1967) playing the part of Troop
er Duffy, who at the drop of a hat would began reminiscing about his fighting at the Alamo and fought "shoulder to shoulder” with Davy Crockett and was the self-styled sole survivor of the Alamo. He appeared in 150 films over his 50 year career and numerous TV productions.
Bob Steele at the Circus:
Clyde Beatty started the Clyde Beatty Circus (1944) a huge endeavor traveling by rails and featuring the best performers in the world of the circus. Bob Steele was featured with the circus during the early part of the 1950 season. Beatty became famous for his "fighting act," in which he entered the cage with wild animals with a whip and a pistol strapped to his side. The act was designed to showcase his courage and mastery of the wild beasts, which included lions, tigers, and hyenas, sometimes brought together all at once in a single cage in a potentially lethal combination.
Doug Autry, (1922-??) a brother of Gene Autry. Doug, was featured by Dailey Brothers Circus in 1949 and by Clyde Beatty Circus in 1955. They put up big signs with “Autry” on it. Most were disappointed when they saw it was Doug, not Gene. But the little kids asked for his autograph just because he was related to Gene. Although Autry was advertised as a movie cowboy no reference has been found of his appearing in a film. The circuses were well known for coming up with some unique exaggerations in their promotions.
Then again film is not much better. The old series shown in the movie theaters always had the hero just about to be killed at the end. The next week by some miracle the hero was in a much better predicament. Nearly all of the western stars, most born in the 1890s, were in the declining years of their motion picture careers when they were with the circus. Many found work at poverty row producers like Resolute, Majestic, Freuler, Argosy, Mascot, World Wide, Embassy and Screen Guild. Some of these cheap B westerns were made in as little as five days. The silent movies were shot on highly flammable 35mm nitrate film. As the film gets older it becomes explosive. To tell if the film is nitrate hold a short piece in a pliers and put a match to it. If nitrate flashes rather than burns it is nitrate. Anything like that should be turned over to the Margaret Herrick Library, division of the MPAA. The oxidized film can also go off by heat or shock. The film can be stabilized by “washing” it in nitrogen. At best a few are restored each year depending on who was in the film or who directed it. The process is very expensive. The posters for the B westerns were printed on pulp paper which lots of acid it in. They were folded and went with the film to the next stop. As the paper ages it turns dark brown and brittle. Someone like Studio C can restore them, but you are talking sincere money. The restoration of a Buck Jones 3 sheet poster ran $895. Restoring the old PR photos is also equally hard and expensive. If memory is still working, the restoration of a badly tattered water stained b/w photo ran about $1,200. I should have tossed it but there were no other known copies. If you are trying to figure out what really happened to the cowboys, that is very subject to the imagination of the PR department and most material is gone. —Author
William Boyd 1895-1972 grew up in Oklahoma. Following his father's death, he moved to California and worked as an orange picker, surveyor, tool dresser and auto salesman. He went to Hollywood in 1919, already gray-haired. His first role was as an extra in Cecil B DeMille’s Why Change Your Wife (1920), and other silent movies such as The Temple of Venus (1923), The Midshipman (1925), and The Volga Boatman (1926) where he had the leading romantic role, thus quick
ly becoming a matinée idol and earning upwards of $100,000 a year. In an early movie Hoppy kissed Evelyn Brent on the forehead as she was dying. His fans saw this as unmanly, so all future romance was left to his partners, and there was a different leading lady in each picture. With the end of silent movies, Boyd was without a contract, couldn't find work and was going broke. By mistake his picture was run in a newspaper story about the arrest of another actor with a similar name William “Stage” Boyd on gambling, liquor and morals charges, hurting his career. In 1935 he was offered the lead role in Hop-a-long Cassidy, named because of a limp caused by an earlier bullet wound. He changed the original pulp-fiction character to its opposite, made sure that "Hoppy" didn't smoke, drink, chew tobacco or swear, rarely kissed a girl and let the bad guy draw first. By 1943 he had made 54 Hopalong Cassidy movies. In 1948 Boyd, in a savvy and precedent-setting move, bought the rights to all his pictures. He had to sell his ranch to raise the money, just as TV was looking for Saturday-morning Western fare. By 1950 he was the hottest name in television. The last film that he was in was in a cameo role riding his white horse "Topper" during the circus parade inside the tent of the movie The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). His filmography consists of 140 titles which includes the TV series.
William Boyd at the Circus:
In 1950 Arthur Wirtz, owner of the Chicago Stadium, operated Cole Brothers Circus which featured Hopalong Cassidy.
The Cole Brothers Circus was started in 1906 and was named after W.W. “Chillie Billie” Cole, the first man to make one-million dollars in the circus business. On Feb, 20,, 1941, the winter quarters suffered one of the worst circus fires in history burning the winter quarters to the ground. There was no loss of human life but over 18 animals died; 2 elephants, 2 zebras, 2 llamas, 6 lions, leopards, 2 audads, a sacred Indian cow, a pigmy hippo and an unknown amount of monkeys. Circus tents were coated with paraffin wax dissolved in gasoline, a common waterproofing method of the time. If the tent caught
fire, the flames spread rapidly melting the paraffin, which rained down like napalm from the roof. The Hartford Circus fire in 1944, occurred during an afternoon performance of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus attended by approximately 7,000 people. People stampeded toward the exit they entered from. Unfortunately, this was the end the fire was on. Fire had not spread to the other end and employees tried directing them to that exit. In the panic, crowds still stampeded the end on fire. Three minutes later the tent poles started collapsing and the roof—what was left—caved in. In six minutes total, almost all of the tent was burned and the area nothing more than smoldering ashes.
Duncan Renaldo (1904-1980) as The Cicso Kid
Leo Carrillo (1880-1961) as Poncho
Duncan Renaldo said his first childhood memories were in Romania. He emigrated to America in the 1920s. Failing to support himself as a portrait painter, he tried producing short films. He eventually took up acting and signed with MGM in 1928 where he worked in at least two? major
films. In 1934, he was arrested for illegal entry into the United States, but eventually was pardoned by President Franklin Roosevelt a
nd returned to acting, in poverty row studios. In 1945 he began the Cisco Kid western film series and transferred the character successfully to TV in the early 1950s, a popular western half hour television series (filmed in color) that ran until 1956. The Cisco Kid roamed the old west with his “black-and-white horse named Diablo, accompanied by his constant companion, Pancho, played by Leo Carrillo who was 24 years Renaldo's senior. The Cisco Kid always helped where needed, and unlike most Western heroes, rarely killed anyone. In movies and telev
ision, the Cisco Kid was depicted as a heroic Mexican caballero even though he was originally a cruel outlaw in the comics.
The Cisco Kid at the Circus:
Renaldo and Carrillo appeared with the Cole Brothers Circus in Chicago in 1953. They were the Cicso Kid and Poncho, featured with the Tim Packs ball park in 1954. When the Clyde Beatty Circus opened in California in 1956 it featured Renaldo. He did not remain with the show for very long. For a short time Renaldo was with James Brothers Circus in the late 1950s.
The greatest circus bands dated about 100 years ago in the heyday of the circus. At that time the big top band could number about 25 or so, plus there were often sideshow musicians as well. In the "old days," being a circus musician was one of the most strenuous jobs a musician could have. In the days before musicians' unions, the musician would be expected to play for the circus parade, play a pre-show free concert for the townspeople before the big top show, play the show itself (nonstop for two or three hours), play post show concerts on the grounds or play sideshows. Then after everyone left, they helped take down the tents or did other chores around the grounds. The pay was not very good, but it was an exciting life with lots of great music and many musicians loved it! —Author
Kirby Grant (1911-1985), became a professional singer and bandleader. He had seven uncredited films between 1935 and 1938. In 1939 the "Gateway to Hollywood" talent-search contest awarded him a movie contract. These "Gateway" contracts were already prepared with fictitious screen names. Grant's contract was made out to Robert Stanton, the pseudonym he used in early films from 1939 thru 1941, three of which were uncredite
d. In 1941 he started to use the stage name of Kirby Grant appearing in 50 movies with quite a few of them starring roles. Grant is remembered for was the 72 episodes staring in the Sky King TV series starting with Operation Urgent (1952) and finishing with Mickey’s Birthday (1959). In the plot line Sky (played by Grant) was a cowboy style Arizona rancher who also was an airplane pilot. In each episode he would hop in his airplane (Songbird) and capture a bad guy, catch a spy or find a lost hiker. He and his niece Penny (and sometimes Clipper, his nephew) lived on the Flying Crown Ranch. While both were pilots too, they were not that experienced and always had to look to their uncle for guidance. Aerial footage on Sky King was handled by aviation instructor/stuntman Paul Mantz, a one time advisor to aviatrix Amelia Earhart. Grant once told me, “Some of that hairy flying he did made me look awfully good.”
Kirby Grant at the Circus:
In 1965 he bought and traveled with the Carson & Barnes Circus and was featured through 1969. In 1966 Carson & Barnes was going well with six bulls, 10 lions, 14 horses and ponies, and a hippo. It succeeded with 6 p.m. matinees while schools continued. Radio star Sky King was featured again. Grant was the last personality to be featured with a circus. By the early 1940s, the major studios were making big budget western films, most in color. The new wave singing cowboys were finding a home in Hollywood. None of the new western heroes had been with circuses, but some later did hit the rodeo circuit. Some were recruited by Col. Jim Eskew, the most successful producer of contest rodeos in the early 1940s.
Gene Autry 1907-1998. He was born in Texas and moved with his parents to Oklahoma in the 1920s. He worked on his father's ranch while at school. After leaving high school in 1925, he worked as a railroad telegrapher for the St. Louis-San Francisco. He would sing and play the guitar to pass the hours. One of the customers, Will Rogers, heard him singing. Will Rogers was a genuine American cowboy, vaudeville performer and movie star humorist who loved to make fun of politicians. In 1928, Autry was singing on Tulsa’s radio station KVOO as "Oklahom
a's Yodeling Cowboy. His first hit was in 1932 with That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine. He ended up gaining fame as “The Singing Cowboy” on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades. He had 47 uncredited parts in films between then and 1941, finally starring in Back in the Saddle in 1942. The rest is all history. He shot right up to the top; writer, actor, musician with 96 movies.
Gene Autry at the Circus:
In 1941 he was featured in the Jim Eskew World’s Championship Rodeo playing arenas across the country. Cleveland, Ohio, for example was played from April 18 to 27. In 1942 Gene Autry’s Flying A Ranch Stampede premiered on April 9 in Cleveland. Gene’s Flying Ranch A Stampede included a spectacular homage to the Wild West show, with actors cast from Rio Grande, masquerading as such heroic American horseman as Buffalo Bill, Teddy Roosevelt, Davy Crocket and Kit Carson. The Stampede featured such RAA-certified competitions as calf roping and bronc and bull riding, in which cowboys could win cash prizes. Millions of Wild West show fans, most of them in cities in the eastern United States and Europe, flocked to witness what one Wild West program touted as “the most completely-appointed delegation of frontiersman and Indians that ever visited the East.” On a typical afternoon, a Wild West show audience witnesses a program that included a Grand Processional Parade, rife shooting exhibitions by male and female alike, a stagecoach race, Indian dancing and horsemanship, a buffalo hunt and a dramatic reenactment of Planes Indian warfare.
Roy Rogers (Leonard Franklin Slye) 1911-1998. Life as a kid in that era was often hard. In 1919, the Slye’s purchased a farm in Ohio. There they built a six-room home. Leonard's father soon realized that the farm alone would provide insufficient income for his family, so he took a job at a shoe factory in Portsmouth. He lived there during the week and returned home on the weekends, bearing gifts for the family following paydays. One notable gift was a horse on which Leo
nard learned the basics of horsemanship. Finishing eighth grade, he began high school, and after being ridiculed for falling asleep in class, he quit school and never returned. He joined his dad at the shoe factor to help make ends meet. The economic hardship of the Great Depression had followed them west, and the Slye’s soon found themselves among the economic refugees traveling from job to job picking fruit and living in worker campsites. At night around the campfires he played the guitar and sang, finally heading off with his cousin to start a music career and heading out on tour as the Slye Brothers. In 1932 a palomino colt was foaled and later named Trigger after he was acquired by Roy. After four years with little success he formed the “Sons of the Pioneers” hitting it big with the song Cool Water. His first film appearance was in 1935, in a supporting role as a singing cowboy. When Gene Autry walked out of a contract Leonard Slye was renamed Roy Rogers in the hit Under Western Stars turning him into a AA matinee attraction, a movie idol in both film and TV, and the TV series. Some of his movies would segue into animal adventures in which Rogers's horse Trigger would go off on his own for awhile, with the camera following him. Trigger got star billing right along with Roy Rogers on the posters. One of the sheriff’s favorite stories is about Trigger’s horse race in Pioneertown. During productions stunt men always hounded Roy to race them on his famous palomino. “Come on Roy, let us race Trigger", the sheriff mimicked in his fake Texas drawl. Roy didn’t take up the challenge for a long time. Then one day, the sheriff claims, he finally relented. The race was to be from the Pioneer Bowl Saloon, a couple hundred yards up the street to the OK Corral, and back. The stunt man was mounted and waiting at the start line. Roy rode up, dismounted and asked “You ready?” “What do you mean? Aren’t you riding?” the cowboy was confused. “You said you wanted to race Trigger, not me. He’s ready.” Roy smiled. The stuntman thought about it for a minute. He was giving up over 150 pounds handicap, since Trigger had no rider; but, he figured there’d be no one spurring Trigger on or turning him around at the end of the street. He decided to give it a shot. As we all can guess, Trigger, one of the greatest, smartest, best trained ‘performing’ horses of all time won the race in a blow out. No one ever challenged him again.
Roy Rogers at the Circus:
Rogers joined with Eskew to tour the Roy Rogers’ Rodeo in 1946. He brought Bob Nolan and the “Sons of the Pioneers” with him to the show. In 1947 he joined Tom Packs for the Roy Rogers Thrill Circus. This show included the Statosphere Man, Victorio, the Antalek’s perch act, Mark Smith’s horses and Terrell Jacobs’ wild animal act. The Sons of the Pioneers rounded out the performance.
The Zacchinis were an Italian circus family. playing in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia and Rumania. We knew her when she was the merest youngster, and the show business was in her blood then. Instead of playing with dolls and toys, you find little Victoria walking a t
ight wire in the back yard, practicing on a high trapeze or else riding a bicycle on the tight wire that extended from one clothes post to the another. The cannon act started when Victoria’s father, Edmund, got the idea that shooting someone out of a cannon was a great idea. The first gun that he build shot a man only ten feet – then very daring. Each cannon that he built pushed the limit a bit further finally shooting the Zacchinis 100 feet and more. In 1929 the Ringling Brothers contracted to bring Hugh and Bruno to America. In 1931 Edmond made a cannon that shot Victoria over two Ferris wheels, a 175 foot stunt. The big gun “booms”, she hurtles out through a burst of flame and sails over an arc about 175 feet into a net some two and one-half seconds later.
William “Wild Bill” Elliott (Gordon Nance) 1903-1965. Nance grew up within twenty miles of his birthplace, most of his youth spent on a ranch. Riding and roping were part of Gordon Nance's upbringing. He won first place in a rodeo event in the 1920 American Royal livestock show.
He made his first (uncredited) role in The Plastic Age (1925) (silent b/w). His first film credit was in The Arizona Wildcat, (1927) starring Tom Mix and Tony the Wonder Horse (silent b/w). With film credits hard to come by, he finally got star billing in Overland with Kit Carson, (1939) (sound b/w). He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns particularly in the “Red Ryder” series. The Red Ryder serials was on film, TV and the radio, all westerns featuring his sidekick “Little Beaver” and the “Double RR Bar” ranch.
Bill Elliot at the Circus:
Elliott also was featured by Jim Eskew’s rodeo during the early 1940s.
James Eskew was born in Tennessee in 1888 to a horse and cattle dealer who gave the young lad a spi
rited pony early in life. As a youngster, Jim was sent to live with an uncle because of a defect in his eye, staying there until he was eighteen. He learned to work on ranches and became an accomplished horseman and cowboy that could use a lariat and handle cattle with the best. In 1908 he joined a wild west show, next joining the Mulhall Wild West Show. He moved from one wild west show to another and learning something new with each move, finally managing the wild west concert with the Sparks Circus from 1915 through 1917. By 1930 he also started staging small rodeos from time to time and by 1933 had abandoned the carnival wild west and formed his own organization, “The Jim Eskew Rodeo”. Rodeos generally comprise the following events: Tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. To get a good idea of what barrel racing (primarily an event for girls) is all about watch the movie Second Chances (2006). It gets into the training, competition and expenses of the horses. Quarter horses generally work best.
Art Accord (1890-1933) born in Oklahoma Territory. By nine years old he was a full time wrangler on a ranch, entering rodeo competition as his riding skills increased. He was picked up by the by The Dick Stanley-Bud Atkinson Wild West Show (1909) to perform the daring riding stunts for which he had become famous.
His first part in the movies was in The Two Brothers (1910 silent b/w) He was starred in Charles E. Van Loan's stories "Buck Parvin in the Movies", "The Mayor of Gopher Hall" and others. He was best known as
the "Cowpuncher King". He was in 110 silent films and in an uncredited part in Trailing Trouble (1930) (sound b/w) He got a star on the Walk of Fame (1960) at 1709 Vine Street. References in the book Art Acord and the Movies. His horse was named "Raven".
Art Acord at the Circus:
Art Acord worked with the Dick Stanley Wild West Show in 1919 and with William F. Cody in 1911. Acord held the World's Championship Steer Bulldogging title in 1912. In 1916, he won again, defeating challenger Hoot Gibson. He worked with the Dick Stanley Wild West Show in 1919.
The next time that you are at a parade, a rodeo or an equestrian meet, try to “think like a horse”. THERE'S a pretty well-known rule about never walking behind a horse. There should be an addendum... don't slap it on the rump either, you'll lose. Man donning a cowboy hat with a smoke perched on his bottom lip casually leads a horse across an intersection during a poorly attended street parade. The somewhat hapless chap following along seems quite comfortable ambling behind the equine beast until he appears to have what could only be described as a moment of madness. He dashes up to the horse and gives it a good ol' whack on the rump. There are no surprises about what happens next... the only surprise is that he actually gets up. Don’t blame the horse. Camera flashes, umbrellas, noisy crowds, rain and thunder—not a good thing from the horses view. Sudden movements or sounds will scare nearly any horse. The band, the crowd noise, the action in the ring are all things that would spook a horse. That means that the horse is going in one direction and you another. Getting circus horses to work in the circus – incredible. For a list of cowboys and their horses see: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/horses.htm —Author
Morio DeMarco, Chuck Anderson and Donn Moyer provided material for this article. Other information came by way of files referenced from the Internet and various books about movie cowboys.
| i don't know |
What was the name of Dale Evans' horse? | Dale Evans - Biography - IMDb
Dale Evans
Biography
Showing all 31 items
Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (4) | Trade Mark (4) | Trivia (16) | Personal Quotes (1)
Overview (5)
5' 4" (1.63 m)
Mini Bio (1)
American leading lady of musical westerns of the 1940s. Born Frances Octavia Smith in Uvalde, Texas. She was raised in Texas and Arkansas. Married at 14 and a mother at 15, she was divorced at 17 (some sources say widowed). Intent on a singing career, she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and worked in an insurance company while taking occasional radio singing jobs. After another unhappy marriage, she went to Louisville, Kentucky, and became a popular singer on a local radio station. There she took the stage name Dale Evans (from her third husband, Robert Dale Butts, and actress Madge Evans ). Divorced in 1936, she moved to Dallas, Texas, and again found local success as a radio singer. She married Butts and they moved to Chicago, where she began to attract increasing attention from both radio audiences and film industry executives. She signed with Fox Pictures and made a few small film appearances, then was cast as leading lady to rising cowboy star Roy Rogers . She and Rogers clicked and she became his steady on-screen companion. In 1946, Rogers' wife died and Evans' marriage to Butts ended about the same time. Rogers and Evans had been close onscreen in a string of successful westerns, and now became close off-screen as well. A year later she married Rogers and the two become icons of American pop culture. Their marriage was dogged by tragedy, including the loss of three children before adulthood, but Evans was able not only to find inspiration in the midst of tragedy but to provide inspiration as well, authoring several books on her life and spiritual growth through difficulty. She and Rogers starred during the 1950s on the popular TV program bearing his name, and even after retirement continued to make occasional appearances and to run their Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Victorville, California. Following Dale's death, the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum moved to Branson, Missouri.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver <[email protected]>
Spouse (4)
Frequently played roles in Westerns.
Trivia (16)
On September 22 1996, Dale Evans was presented the Women in Film/Dallas' Legacy Award at the 10th Annual Topaz Awards in Dallas. The award was accepted by her step-daughter, Cheryl Rogers -Barnett.
Her horse's name was Buttermilk. She wrote the song, "Happy Trails", which became her and Roy Rogers ' theme song.
Underwent heart surgery on October 12, 1999 to replace a pacemaker battery.
Inducted (with her husband Roy Rogers ) into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1976.
When she sent for a copy of her birth certificate in 1954, which she needed to get a passport, it read that her birth name was Lucille Wood Smith and that her birthday was Oct 30, 1912. However, her mother swears that they made a mistake and that her name was Frances Octavia Smith, with a birthdate of October 31, 1912.
Wrote the spiritual, "The Bible Tells Me So".
She was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6638 Hollywood Boulevard and for Television at 1737 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
Stepmother of Cheryl Rogers , Roy Rogers Jr. and Linda Rogers .
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 15, a son Thomas Frederick Fox on November 28, 1927. Child's father is her now ex-1st husband, Thomas Fox. He died from congestive heart failure at the age of 83 on May 16, 2012.
Gave birth to her 4th child at age 37, a daughter Robin Elizabeth Rogers on August 26, 1950. Child's father is her now late 4th husband, Roy Rogers . She died at the age of 23 months in July 1952.
Her 2nd child, an adopted son John David Rogers, with her now late 4th husband Roy Rogers was born in 1946. He died at the age of 19 in 1965.
Her 3rd child, adopted daughter Marion Rogers, with her now late 4th husband Roy Rogers was born in 1948.
Gave birth to her 5th child, a daughter Mary Little Doe Rogers (aka Little Doe Rogers ) in October 1952. Child's father is her now late 4th husband, Roy Rogers .
Gave birth to her 6th child, a daughter Debbie Lee Rogers in 1955. Child's father is her now late 4th husband, Roy Rogers . She died at the age of 9.
| Buttermilk |
What are the five first names of the members of the pop group Girls Aloud? | SOLD ... Roy Rogers Trigger, Dale Evans Buttermilk Buckskin Look-alike Right Here!! - YouTube
SOLD ... Roy Rogers Trigger, Dale Evans Buttermilk Buckskin Look-alike Right Here!!
Want to watch this again later?
Sign in to add this video to a playlist.
Need to report the video?
Sign in to report inappropriate content.
Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.
Published on May 19, 2012
www.wickedstallion.com
SOLD ... 2012 ... This was my Sale Spree ... Hi ... My name is Rin Tin Trim ... I'm looking for a good home and will be worth the asking price of $3000.00, I would be an ideal Pony Club mount. I have a quiet temperament and would be happy to trot behind another horse ... or with further training I believe I have endurance for trail rides and will happily keep going. I am a 14 hh gelding. I love my cuddles, treats and attention. I would also be good at western pleasure. All I need is you to train me and bring the best out in me. My dad was Wicked One.
.... Bec now owns me and I love her ... thanks for buying me Bec.
Category
| i don't know |
In the Bible, what are the five books that make up the Pentateuch? | Books of the Bible: The Pentateuch
The Pentateuch
The first five books of the Bible.
The word Pentateuch comes from a Greek term meaning "the five (penta) books." The Pentateuch includes the first five books of the Bible Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers , and Deuteronomy . These books are often called the Law, but in addition to legal materials they include poems, songs, and epic narratives about the people of God. The Hebrew term used for these books is Torah, which means instruction. These books have sometimes been called the five books of Moses, although most modern scholars think that the Pentateuch includes materials that were written down by various people over a period of centuries. The Pentateuch tells a story that extends from the Creation (Genesis 1) to the time when the people of Israel are encamped on the edge of the promised land (Deuteronomy 34).
| genesis exodus leviticus numbers and deuteronomy |
What are the names of the four houses at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter novels? | Introduction to the Pentateuch
Introduction to the Pentateuch
A brief overview of the first five books of the Bible
Photo source: NASA.
Any good book needs to have a strong opening line, and the Bible is no exception:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Like any good opening sentence, this verse introduces both the major theme and major character of the Scriptures -- which is God. The Bible is the story of God's work in the world, beginning with creation and ending with our future redemption and glorification in heaven.
Speaking of openings, my purpose for this article is to offer a brief overview of the Pentateuch (pronounced pen-ta-took), which is the fancy name for the first five books of the Bible. (The word Pentateuch means "five vessels" or "five-volume book.") The Bible is organized by its different genres of literature : the books of the law (the Pentateuch), the histories, the wisdom literature, the prophets, the gospels, the epistles, and apocalyptic prophecy.
So, the Pentateuch serves as the opening segment, or chapter, of God's Word.
The Basics
The books that make up the Pentateuch are as follows: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That's almost 200 chapters of God's Word -- chapters that contain everything from the story of creation to establishment of the Israelites as a people group and their divinely orchestrated exodus from Egypt.
In addition, the stories and major themes contained in the Pentateuch set the stage for the major narrative arc of the Bible: creation, fall, redemption, restoration, and glorification. In other words, the Pentateuch is a vitally important division of God's Word.
One of the more interesting aspects of the Pentateuch is that it came directly from God's mouth. Now, all of the Bible was inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. However, the Pentateuch came about when God spoke His Word directly to Moses on Mount Sinai:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.
Exodus 24:1-4
So, Moses was the primary author of the entire Pentateuch -- all five books. In addition, most scholars believe that one or more editors adapted certain portions of the Pentateuch later in history, such as the description of Moses' death and burial in Deuteronomy 34 .
Overview
Okay, so the books of the Pentateuch are large and important. But what can we learn from them? Without further ado, here is a brief overview of each of the five books in the Pentateuch of Moses.
The Book of Genesis : The word genesis means "beginning," and so it's fitting that the Book of Genesis details the beginning of many primary themes carried throughout the Bible. In addition to the creation of the universe, Genesis records the origins of sin ( Genesis 3 ), the origins of the Jews as God's chosen people ( Genesis 12:1-5 ), the 10 Commandments ( Exodus 20 ), and the codification of God's Law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Not only that, but these important themes are connected with the stories of major Bible characters such as Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua.
The Book of Exodus : The Book of Exodus is an interesting mix of narrative story, history, and law. The narrative elements largely center on Moses' efforts as God's chosen leader of His people, including the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites' experiences while wandering in the wilderness. The law portion includes the 10 Commandments and other selected instructions God wanted Moses to emphasize to His people at the beginning of their life as a nation -- such as the dimensions and operating instructions for the Tabernacle.
The Book of Leviticus : From a narrative standpoint, Leviticus picks up where the Book of Exodus ended -- with the Israelites in the wilderness, having just completed construction of the tabernacle. However, Leviticus is a different book than Genesis and Exodus in that if offers very little stories or narrative arc. Instead, Leviticus features several components of the Law that were vital to the Israelites' spiritual lives, including specific instructions for sacrifices, clean and unclean foods, and annual feasts.
The Book of Numbers : Like Exodus, the Book of Numbers picks up the history of Israel after the exodus from Egypt, yet before the entrance into the promised land. Specifically, Numbers records the Israelites' experiences while wandering in the wilderness. This was not a pleasant time for God's people. The Israelites did a lot of complaining, experienced hardship, and fought battles with many different enemies. Through it all, however, God remained faithful to His promises -- which is why Numbers ends with God's plan for dividing up the geography of the promised land among His people.
The Book of Deuteronomy : Like Leviticus, the Book of Deuteronomy contains a lot of references to the Law, regulations for sacrifices, and instructions for annual feasts and other ceremonies. The circumstances of this book are important. At the end of his life, Moses wanted to reiterate and reinforce God's Law to the Israelites before they entered the promised land. Thus, Deuteronomy serves to review the history of God's faithfulness and prepare God's people for the future.
| i don't know |
Which TV show is centred around Al Bundy, his wife Peggy, and their children Kelly and Bud? | Married with Children (TV Series 1987–1997) - IMDb
IMDb
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.
Creators:
Al decides to open a shoe emergency hot-line with help from Steve in the form of a $50,000 loan. But typically, Al's get-rich-quick scheme backfires when nobody phones in. When Marcy gives Al a ...
8.6
After Kelly gets in trouble at school, the only way she can get out of punishment if she joins a tap dance class.
8.5
The Bundy's go out to a fancy restaurant to spend a great windfall, an inheritance check for $237 from a late uncle of Peggy's. But it becomes apparent that the fine dinning in public is not a part ...
8.5
a list of 38 images
created 30 Sep 2011
a list of 47 titles
created 13 Feb 2012
a list of 45 titles
created 24 Jun 2012
a list of 48 titles
created 10 Mar 2014
a list of 28 titles
created 11 May 2014
Title: Married with Children (1987–1997)
8.1/10
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 22 nominations. See more awards »
Photos
Delivery man Doug Heffernan has a good life: He's got a pretty wife (Carrie), a big TV and friends to watch it with. Then Carrie's goofy and annoying father Arthur moves in with them.
Stars: Kevin James, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller
The Banks family, a respectable Californian family, take in a relative - Will Smith, a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia. The idea is to make him respectable, responsible and mature, but Will has got other plans...
Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro
A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.
Stars: Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield
A ne'er do well wins $100,000 in the lottery and decides to right all the wrongs from his past with his newfound realization.
Stars: Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly
A TV show centered around macho everyman, his loving wife, and their three precocious children.
Stars: Jim Belushi, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Larry Joe Campbell
The regulars of the Boston bar Cheers share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.
Stars: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger
A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.
Stars: Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, Angus T. Jones
A comedy revolving around a group of teenage friends, their mishaps, and their coming of age, set in 1970s Wisconsin.
Stars: Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis
Dr. Frasier Crane moves back to his hometown of Seattle where he lives with his father and works as a radio psychiatrist.
Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce
In this sitcom, Charlie, who takes Mike Flaherty's place in later years, is the Deputy-Mayor of New York City, and his team of half-wits must constantly save the Mayor from embarrassment and the media.
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear
A young African American teen attempts to survive with his dysfunctional family and his all white school in the 1980s.
Stars: Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tequan Richmond
Light television comedy featuring Paul and Jaime Buchman as a recently married couple in New York City. They point out the gentle humor of domesticity and in the everyday situations of life.
Stars: Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, John Pankow
Edit
Storyline
Al Bundy is an unsuccessful middle aged shoe salesman with a miserable life and an equally dysfunctional family. He has a very attractive but lazy wife named Peggy who constantly nags him to death while throwing the little money he earns away on herself. He also has a very promiscuous teen aged daughter named Kelly who makes up in attractiveness what she lacks in IQ points, and a not so attractive but bright teen aged son named Bud who seems to think he is a ladies man. To add to Al's misery is his yuppie next door neighbors Marcy and Steve. Marcy and Steve eventually split up with Marcy keeping the house next door to the Bundys and Steve moving away to be a forest ranger. Later Marcy gets remarried to a gigolo named Jefferson who is the male version of Peggy. The sitcom revolves around Al's never ending attempts to better his life which always leads him right back to where he started. Written by Brandon Johns
Domestic bliss was never like this!
Genres:
5 April 1987 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Married... with Children See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Former 007 Roger Moore confessed that the series was a guilty pleasure of his. He had been a friend of the late director Boris Sagal , father of Katey Sagal , who played Peggy Bundy. See more »
Quotes
Peggy : And if you had what other men have, I wouldn't need BATTERIES ANYMORE.
Al : THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DIEHARD.
See more »
Crazy Credits
With rare exceptions, the end credits are played over a still of Peggy and Al (looking disgusted) sitting on the couch. See more »
Connections
(Adelaide, Australia) – See all my reviews
"Married... with Children" just has something about it that makes it hilarious, it takes the basic premise of the family and suburban life, and puts the family from the hell in there and just lets them constantly rip on each other. It's a testament to the basic formula of the show that it lasted so long, and was still actually funny right up until the last season (with an overweight, balding Ed O"Neil and kids old enough to have left the house by now). The casting was perfect (except for newcomer Jefferson in my opinion) and the character of Ed was what really made the show. The opening song fitted the show perfectly too. Anyone who has watched the show probably has "Married... with Children" moments to this day when they open a fridge with nothing but an empty milk carton in the door or have thoughts about installing an antenna on the roof.
"Married... with Children" is probably one of America's greatest TV exports, it was a privilege to be growing up when this was on every week and I wish all the castmembers continued success.
61 of 65 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| Married... with Children |
On which 1990s TV show would you find Captain Nathan Bridger? | Married With Children Reunion In the Works! :: TV WEEK
Married With Children Reunion In the Works!
29 Jul 2015 | 09:43
It’s the news Married With Children fans have been waiting to hear: the Bundy family are making a comeback!
David Faustino, who played Bud on the original sitcom, has just announced that a potential “spin-off” is currently in discussion. The actor unveiled the news to E! at the premiere of his former Married With Children co-star Christina Applegate's new movie, Vacation.
"Sony has it. They're excited about it," David reveals. "They're working out some legal issues that we hope they work out."
He also revealed that all of his former cast mates were on board with the new spin-off series idea.
"The whole cast, including Christina, is down to do little bits in it," David says.
"The idea would be a pilot for a spin-off. That's all I can say right now. It involves me and few other people.”
The original sitcom series about the dysfunctional Bundy family was hugely popular in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. The show ran for 11 seasons and centred around shoe salesman Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill) and his wife Peggy (Katey Sagal).
At the Vacation premiere Christina, who played daughter Kelly on the series, confirmed she was all in favour of the spin-off show.
“All of us have said we would all be there for David,” Christina said.
As for what she thinks her character Kelly would be doing nowadays? Christina has a fairly good idea.
“Kelly Bundy probably has like 10 kids. I’m sure of it,” the actress laughed.
Share on:
| i don't know |
On the TV show Blue Thunder, what type of vehicle was Blue Thunder? | Blue Thunder (TV Series 1984) - IMDb
IMDb
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
An advanced prototype police helicopter and their ground support crew battle crime.
Stars:
a list of 1525 titles
created 17 Jan 2014
a list of 26 titles
created 22 Nov 2014
a list of 25 titles
created 08 Apr 2015
a list of 42 titles
created 11 months ago
a list of 51 titles
created 4 months ago
Search for " Blue Thunder " on Amazon.com
Connect with IMDb
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
A desk bound cop secretly fights crime as the test pilot for a prototype combat motorcycle.
Stars: Rex Smith, Richard Venture, Joe Regalbuto
The cop test pilot for an experimental police helicopter learns the sinister implications of the new vehicle.
Director: John Badham
A computer generated superhero and his human creator fight crime in their city.
Stars: Desi Arnaz Jr., Chuck Wagner, Heather McNair
A man who can change himself into any animal fights crime.
Stars: Simon MacCorkindale, Melody Anderson, Reni Santoni
A scientist who has created a super helicopter has defected to Libya and taken the machine with him. A secretive government agency hires an ex-Vietnam War pilot to go to Libya, steal the chopper and bring it back.
Director: Donald P. Bellisario
As part of a deal with an intelligence agency to look for his missing brother, a renegade pilot goes on missions with an advanced battle helicopter.
Stars: Jan-Michael Vincent, Alex Cord, Ernest Borgnine
The series has been revamped with an all new cast. The brother that Stringfellow Hawke had been looking for during the original series has finally been found and is now the new pilot of the... See full summary »
Stars: Barry Van Dyke, Geraint Wyn Davies, Michele Scarabelli
The adventures of a team of misfit superheroes who fight crime for a scientific think tank.
Stars: Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall, Mark Thomas Miller
The weekly adventures of tough-as-nails veteran police officer Sgt. T.J. Hooker, who rides the beat with his rookie partner Vince Romano.
Stars: William Shatner, Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed
A lone crimefighter battles the forces of evil with the help of an indestructible and artificially intelligent supercar.
Stars: David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Richard Basehart
The adventures of a film stunt performer who moonlights as a bounty hunter when movie work is slow.
Stars: Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, Heather Thomas
Edit
Storyline
Lt. Frank Chaney of the LAPD is a maverick cop with unorthodox methods who is assigned to the Blue Thunder Team, which uses a very advanced gadget-filled helicopter in its fight against crime. "Blue Thunder" is capable of great speed and maneuverability, can run silently in "whisper mode", and is armed with the most powerful weapons in development. His partner is a fresh-faced rookie with the improbable name of Wonderlove, and ground support is supplied by ex-athletes Ski and Bubba, who drive a sophisticated van. Written by Marty McKee <[email protected]>
6 January 1984 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Das fliegende Auge See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
The camouflaged vehicle used in the series is a modified GMC S15 Jimmy 4 x 4 with the rear section and doors removed. See more »
Quotes
Was in grade 9 when this show was on
5 May 2003 | by mm-39
(Winnipeg) – See all my reviews
Was in Grade 9 when this show was on. It's ok but typical tv, did not watch to much, rather watch Air wolf. The part I hate it, and I watched it at my buddies place Tony & Wilfred, and we would all laughf at this, they would shoot the gun out of the hand of bad guy every time, with this super powerfull attack chopper. Dam where thoes guys good. The only other thing I can remember one of the cast made sure they would get cassarole after Bubba and Dick ate it for a week in sum prision. It would have been a better show if they made the guy eat it than the typical ending I mention earlier. One point to be taking this show with a chopper had a bigger set budget, and include the stunt than any of todays on the cheap shows. Friend's , Sienfield what kind of budget is that, 2 room, and now with reality TV shows with no director script, or even professional actor. Boy, TV budgets sure have gone down the toilet no wonder I only watch movies.
6 of 30 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| HElicopTEr |
What breed was Columbo's dog? | Blue Thunder: Toys & Hobbies | eBay
Toys & Hobbies
|
11 sold
Any cosmetic issues (cut barcode, dented case, etc.) may be shown and/or listed below. Where did my movie come from?. We get asked all the time how this movie was acquired for resale.
or Best Offer
Free Shipping
Available for your consideration is new in the original box Monogram Blue Thunder Helicopter 1/32 Model Kit #6036. The box remains factory sealed/wrapped, but the seal is partially torn and the box sh...
$75.00
0 bids
no broken parts at all wings gun and glass all complete...pilot joints tight and in excellent condition...compare other sales with broken parts at higher prices some sticker wear from display see phot...
Buy It Now
2 watching
Buy It Now
Free Shipping
New 1/43 scale release from Spark S2991.Blue Thunder March 83G GTP #57 IMSA Champions 1984 Randy Lanier and Bill Whittington.
$54.95
Buy It Now
THIS PURCHASE IS FOR THE BLUE THUNDER HOT WHEELS MONSTER JAM TRUCK IN THE PHOTOS. THE ITEM IS BRAND NEW IN THE FACTORY SEALED PACKAGING. THE CARD HAS SOME WEAR AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTOS. THERE IS S...
|
13 sold
The rousing 1983 action film BLUE THUNDER, starring Roy Schneider and Malcolm McDowell, found its way to the small screen in this series. SNL alum Dana Carvey stars as his sidekick, Wonderlove.
or Best Offer
Free Shipping
(1) Hot Wheels 2006 Monster Jam Series #25 Blue Thunder 1:64 scale Monster Jam Truck. This 1:64 scale blue with multi-colored deco/graphics diecast features a black colored chassis on a metal base wit...
Buy It Now
Free Shipping
Stealth/Blue Thunder. (picture may be different/or slash through barcode or/sticker residue covered with clear tape). Double Feature I will do everything I can to resolve an issue. Give me an opportun...
Buy It Now
or Best Offer
In Minit Sealed Box, never been removed or played before. Size ´8" (19 cm). If you are a Trully Blue Thunder Collector this is the chance you´ve been waiting for. Tks for looking.
$51.99
Buy It Now
HOT WHEELS SERIES 4 REAL RIDER 5/6 THUNDER ROLLER 1173/5000 SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION WIL BE SHIPPED IN PROCTOR PACK
| i don't know |
Which famous American actor played Rowdy Yates in the TV series Rawhide? | Rawhide (TV Series 1959–1965) - IMDb
IMDb
There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.
Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later.
X Beta I'm Watching This!
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
Error
Gil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive; he is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
Creator:
Favor and Rowdy looking for grazing and water in the Lost Mountains find their path blocked by Indians and an old white man. They hire a guide but he is killed after a lost woman joins them. She has ...
9.0
Gil visits his girls encountering an Indian on the train. Gil sees the Indian from the train in a wagon with handcuffs on. He discovers the man is a prisoner. With help they decide to break him out. ...
8.9
At a river the drovers are startled by a bugle and stopped by a group of Jayhawkers wanting $5 per head to cross the river. They are lead by a Judge who has conned his son-in-law into thinking they ...
8.9
a list of 42 titles
created 24 Aug 2011
a list of 48 titles
created 28 Feb 2012
a list of 26 titles
created 05 Feb 2013
a list of 46 titles
created 20 Apr 2014
a list of 43 titles
created 24 Nov 2014
Search for " Rawhide " on Amazon.com
Connect with IMDb
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »
Photos
Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts and Rocky Mountains. The first treks were led by gruff, ... See full summary »
Stars: Frank McGrath, Terry Wilson, Robert Horton
Bret and Bart Maverick (and in later seasons, their English cousin, Beau) are well dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game. Poker (5 card draw) is ... See full summary »
Stars: Jack Kelly, James Garner, Roger Moore
Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in the rough and tumble Dodge City.
Stars: James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake
Frontier hero Daniel Boone conducts surveys and expeditions around Boonesborough, running into both friendly and hostile Indians, just before and during the Revolutionary War.
Stars: Fess Parker, Patricia Blair, Darby Hinton
A Civil War veteran with a sawed-off rifle as a holstered weapon makes a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.
Stars: Steve McQueen, Wright King, Olan Soule
Dressed-up dandy (derby and cane), gambler and lawman roams the West charming women and defending the unjustly accused. His primary weapon was his wit (and cane) rather than his gun.
Stars: Gene Barry, Allison Hayes, Allen Jaffe
After the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the west looking for fights, women and bad guys to beat up. His job changed from episode to episode.
Stars: Clint Walker, Clyde Howdy, Chuck Hicks
The Wild West adventures of the residents and staff of Barkley Ranch in California's San Joaquin Valley.
Stars: Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors
The adventures of a gentlemanly gunfighter for hire.
Stars: Richard Boone, Kam Tong, Hal Needham
The adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Stars: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker
Marshal Earp keeps the law, first in Kansas and later in Arizona, using his over-sized pistols and a variety of sidekicks. Most of the saga is based loosely on fact, with historical badguys... See full summary »
Stars: Hugh O'Brian, Jimmy Noel, Ethan Laidlaw
The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Col. MacKenzie. It is the setting for a variety of stories, many more ... See full summary »
Stars: Doug McClure, James Drury, Lee J. Cobb
Edit
Storyline
Gil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive; he is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
9 January 1959 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Tausend Meilen Staub See more »
Filming Locations:
Did You Know?
Trivia
The full names for Wishbone and Mushy are George Washington Wishbone and Harkness Mushgrove III. See more »
Goofs
In some episodes Gil Favor is seen wearing Wrangler jeans - rivets and the trademark "W" on two pockets. The Wrangler brand wasn't sold until 1947. See more »
Connections
(Chicago, IL USA) – See all my reviews
Currently on METOO's new schedule at 4 pm on weekdays, right after "Maverick" and right before "Wild, Wild West" (followed by "Star Trek").
Don't know if I ever actually saw an episode of it when it was originally on, but I'm really captivated by it. Offbeat, unusual, surreal stories set in a mythical West. Kind of the "Naked City" of Westerns.
And the guest stars are there: Dan Duryea, Lyle Bettger, Brian Donlevy, MacDonald Carey, Rick Jason (as a treacherous Mexican), a young Dick Van Patten, Jack Lord, Noah Berry, Jr. (as a colorful Mexican), Martha Hyer, Marguerite Chapman, even Ann Robinson ("War of the Worlds"), Gloria Talbott ("I Married a Monster from Outer Space")
It ran for EIGHT SEASONS, over 200 episodes, from January, 1959, to December, 1965.
Eric Fleming is quite remarkable as trail boss Gil Favor, the most stolid man that's ever lived, with the code of honor of a Samurai, and just the right balance between toughness and open-handedness. I would vote for him for President any day. (P.S. He had a very interesting biography: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281661/ )
And a young Clint Eastwood is quite striking as his impulsive right hand, "Rowdy" Yates. Also, veteran Western actor and country music figure (the immortal "One-eyed, One-horned, Flying Purple People Eater") Sheb Wooley is there as seasoned scout Pete Nolan. And Paul Brinegar makes the most cantankerous character of a cook you could ask for as "Wishbone".
And then there's that great theme song, performed by the immortal Frankie Laine. (Between that and the "Maverick" theme, I've got Western theme songs running through my head all day.)
I look forward to every episode; I'm collecting the whole set. A good time (not to mention a moo-ving experience) is always guaranteed, as one waits to see if the boys will get their difficulties straightened out before the commercial.
"Rollin', rollin', rollin' . . . "
23 of 25 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
| Clint Eastwood |
Who was the first winner of ITV's Dancing On Ice? | Screen Junkies
Best TV Western Actors
something here
The best TV Western actors bring a whiff of nostalgia back to the glory days of the old West, where cowboys were kings and free to wander the open land with the cattle they herded. TV Westerns had their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s , and many actors became permanent icons in the American imagination.
James Arness. Best known for his role as Marshall Matt Dillon on “Gunsmoke,” Arness played the part of a benevolent sheriff from 1955 to 1975. Arness was voted number one Western TV Star by television critics for 1959 to 1960, a coveted award for best TV Western actors. His brother was well known actor Peter Graves, who played the spy leader Jim Phelps, in “Mission Impossible.”
Lorne Greene. Well known for his work as Pa (Ben) Cartwright on “Bonanza,” Greene played the family patriarch in this role. The American western television series ran on NBC from 1959 to 1973. The show ranks as the second longest running western series, with “Gunsmoke,” being the first. In 1964 Greene had a hit with the ballad, Ringo. During the 80s he became an active advocate of environmental and wildlife issues.
Michael Landon. Landon played Little Joe on “Bonanza,” youngest son of Ben Cartwright. Landon had a horse named Cochise on the show, which was later made into a toy model in 2009. Landon later appeared as Pa (Charles) Ingalls, in “Little House on the Prairie,” a pioneer TV series of the Laura Ingall’s Wilder book, which ran from 1974 to 1983.
Lee Majors. Best known for his role as Victoria Barkley’s (Barbara Stanwyck) illegitimate son, Heath Barkley, in “The Big Valley.” He beat out over 400 other young actors for this coveted part. The show ran from 1965 to 1969. Majors later played Colonel Steve Austin , in the “Six Million Dollar Man,” a TV series about a bionic man. He married actress Farah Fawcett in 1973, and they divorced in 1979.
Clint Eastwood Eastwood is one of the best TV Western actors. He successfully bridged the gap between TV and film in his long standing career. Eastwood started his career with the TV series “Rawhide,” in the role of Rowdy Yates, a benevolent, “white hat,” cowboy. The show ran from 1959 to 1965. Eastwood made his transition to film in 1964, when he went to Rome to star in the spaghetti Western, “A Fistful of Dollars,” where he played the role of Joe, or “The Man with no Name,” a foreigner who arrives in town during a bitter feud between two families.
| i don't know |
On the third series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, in what position did Jordan finish? | I'm a Celebrity 2014: All the past winners and what happened to them after jungle life - Mirror Online
I'm a Celebrity 2014: All the past winners and what happened to them after jungle life
If you're wondering what became of your favourite (or hated) I'm a Celeb stars, read on...
Share
Get celebs updates directly to your inbox
+ Subscribe
Thank you for subscribing!
Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email
Since the show started in 2002, even the low-profile names win us over - and give their celebrity status a much-needed boost in the process... Follow how the new batch get on in our I'm a Celebrity live blog .
2002 - Tony Blackburn
A huge bust-up between comedienne Rhona Cameron and bully boys Darren Day and Nigel Benn hogged most of our attention.
But all the veteran radio DJ had to do was stand patiently at the sidelines and wait to be crowned King of the Jungle.
Since winning, Tony, now 71, been regularly appeared on TV and returned to BBC Radio Two as a presenter.
2003 - Phil Tufnell
PHIL TUFNELL EATING AN INSECT 'I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE' (Photo: Rex)
Celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson, backed by singer Toyah Wilcox and EastEnders star Daniella Westbrook, led a rebellion over tiny food rations.
But it was mild-mannered ex-cricketer Tuffnell, now 48, who won the public’s backing. He went on to join The One Show team and is now team captain on A Question of Sport.
2004 - Kerry Katona
Kerry wins I'm A Celeb in 2004 (Photo: Rex)
Series three gave us Sex Pistol John Lydon and glamour model Katie Price who instigated a romance with future husband, Peter Andre.
But it was ex-Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona who endeared herself to viewers. After being crowned as the first Queen of the Jungle the multiple deals that followed included a £290,000 deal advertising for Iceland.
But in 2009 the supermarket released her from her contract as her life span out of control.
2004 - Joe Pasquale
Joe Pasquale wins I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here 2004 (Photo: Daily Mirror)
All eyes were on Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s controversial former butler, and audiences watched as he screamed and squirmed during multiple gory trials.
But comedian Pasquale embraced every trial thrown at him and beat off bigger names like Janet Street Porter and Natalie Appleton to emerge victorious.
Since then Joe, now 53, has landed increasing work on stage and screen, appearing on Dancing on Ice last year.
2005 - Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2005 (Photo: Daily Mirror)
EastEnders actor Sid Owen, was favourite to win and Margaret Thatcher’s daughter was an outsider. But the game-changer came when no-nonsense Carol, now 61, casually took a pee by her bedside.
A year later she became one of the main contributors to The One Show on the BBC but in 2009 was sacked after she referred to a black tennis player as looking like a golliwog.
2006 - Matt Willis
Matt Willis, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2006 (Photo: Rex Features)
The fifth series served up the stiffest celebrity competition yet with Myleene Klass, David Gest and Jason Donovan, not to mention EastEnders’ actor Dean Gaffney making some hilariously strange noises during his bushtucker trials.
But the former Busted star’s straight-forward approach to chewing kangaroo anus and crocodile penis turned him from outsider to winner.
Since then Matt, now 31, has landed jobs on EastEnders, in the West End and is now part of supergroup McBusted.
2007 - Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2007 (Photo: Rex Features)
His constantly happy state ensured he was crowned King of the Jungle, even though his camp-mates gained plenty of attention.
Singer Cerys Matthews had a fling with EastEnders actor Marc Bannerman and Janice Dickinson always made her presence felt.
But Biggins, now 65, saw his popularity soar when a rat scurried into his bed and he unwittingly cuddled up to the rodent before screaming with horror.
Over the past six years he’s mixed his stage work with increasing TV work including this year’s series of Celebrity Masterchef.
2008 - Joe Swash
Joe Swash, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2008 (Photo: Rex Features)
Nobody expected an actor playing a relatively minor part in EastEnders to triumph, but Swash, 32, won over viewers, partly due to his close relationship with gay actor George Takei, who played Sulu in the original Star Trek series.
Even tennis legend Martina Navratilova, controversial TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk and Esther Rantzen could detract from his loveliness.
The following year he became host of spin-off show I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, NOW! and is a regular celebrity guest on TV shows.
2009 - Gino D’Acampo
I'm A Celebrity 2009 winner Gino
From the start, the returning Katie Price was favourite to win. But that quickly changed when the fun-loving This Morning chef started to win over the public.
The glamour model eventually withdrew and a hungry Gino, now 38, caught everyone’s attention when he killed and cooked a rat in the camp.
After I’m A Celebrity... he started to host Let’s Do Lunch with Gino & Mel, Gino’s Italian Escape and is a stand-in captain on gameshow Celebrity Juice.
2010 - Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon wins the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity
The Essex girl was up against some seriously big stars in this series.
Singer Shaun Ryder, athlete Linford Christie and actress Britt Ekland all entered the camp and Gillian McKeith, who seemed to scream and faint at the drop of a hat, did her best to take centre-stage.
But former X-Factor singer Stacey, now 25, triumphed by maintained a cheery demeanor throughout. She went on to release her debut album, appear on a string of TV shows and in 2011 became the face of Iceland supermarkets.
2011 - Dougie Poynter
Dougie Poynter wins I'm a Celebrity (Pic: ITV)
By being a cheeky chappy, and keeping his nose clean throughout, the McFly star ensured he left the jungle as king.
His happy-go-lucky manner was refreshing in a camp which was made by bossy Fatima Whitbred rubbing a few of the other stars up the wrong way.
Even TOWIE star Mark Wright, who was favourite to win, couldn’t outshine Dougie, now 26.
Since 2011 he’s been a celebrity guest on numerous TV shows and is now a member of supergroup McBusted. He also dates singer Ellie Goulding.
2012 - Charlie Brooks
The EastEnders actor was initially overshadowed by some of the bigger names in the camp which included boxer David Haye, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan and MP Nadine Dorries.
But she was one of the most amenable stars of the jungle and seemed to endear herself to viewers after a certain sex chat with Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts.
Charlie, 33, later returned to Albert Square to feature in one of Walford’s most spectacular storylines.
2013 - Kian Egan
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Kian Egan is announced as winner. David Emanuel is runner up. Charlie Brooks hands over the crown to Kian (Photo: ITV)
Proving nice guys always tend to come first in the jungle, the former Westlife singer charmed his way to victory.
It came as a surprise given how many headlines nice-but-dim TOWIE star Joey Essex gained when he admitted he didn’t know a watch was used to tell the time.
But that wasn’t enough to stop him from being voted out. Kian, now 34, has since made multiple guest TV appearances and released his debut solo album.
Like this? Did you know we have a dedicated TV and film page on Facebook?
Most Read
Most Recent
| Fifth |
Who has starred in both Star Trek and Heroes? | I'm a Celebrity 2014: All the past winners and what happened to them after jungle life - Mirror Online
I'm a Celebrity 2014: All the past winners and what happened to them after jungle life
If you're wondering what became of your favourite (or hated) I'm a Celeb stars, read on...
Share
Get celebs updates directly to your inbox
+ Subscribe
Thank you for subscribing!
Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email
Since the show started in 2002, even the low-profile names win us over - and give their celebrity status a much-needed boost in the process... Follow how the new batch get on in our I'm a Celebrity live blog .
2002 - Tony Blackburn
A huge bust-up between comedienne Rhona Cameron and bully boys Darren Day and Nigel Benn hogged most of our attention.
But all the veteran radio DJ had to do was stand patiently at the sidelines and wait to be crowned King of the Jungle.
Since winning, Tony, now 71, been regularly appeared on TV and returned to BBC Radio Two as a presenter.
2003 - Phil Tufnell
PHIL TUFNELL EATING AN INSECT 'I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE' (Photo: Rex)
Celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson, backed by singer Toyah Wilcox and EastEnders star Daniella Westbrook, led a rebellion over tiny food rations.
But it was mild-mannered ex-cricketer Tuffnell, now 48, who won the public’s backing. He went on to join The One Show team and is now team captain on A Question of Sport.
2004 - Kerry Katona
Kerry wins I'm A Celeb in 2004 (Photo: Rex)
Series three gave us Sex Pistol John Lydon and glamour model Katie Price who instigated a romance with future husband, Peter Andre.
But it was ex-Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona who endeared herself to viewers. After being crowned as the first Queen of the Jungle the multiple deals that followed included a £290,000 deal advertising for Iceland.
But in 2009 the supermarket released her from her contract as her life span out of control.
2004 - Joe Pasquale
Joe Pasquale wins I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here 2004 (Photo: Daily Mirror)
All eyes were on Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s controversial former butler, and audiences watched as he screamed and squirmed during multiple gory trials.
But comedian Pasquale embraced every trial thrown at him and beat off bigger names like Janet Street Porter and Natalie Appleton to emerge victorious.
Since then Joe, now 53, has landed increasing work on stage and screen, appearing on Dancing on Ice last year.
2005 - Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2005 (Photo: Daily Mirror)
EastEnders actor Sid Owen, was favourite to win and Margaret Thatcher’s daughter was an outsider. But the game-changer came when no-nonsense Carol, now 61, casually took a pee by her bedside.
A year later she became one of the main contributors to The One Show on the BBC but in 2009 was sacked after she referred to a black tennis player as looking like a golliwog.
2006 - Matt Willis
Matt Willis, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2006 (Photo: Rex Features)
The fifth series served up the stiffest celebrity competition yet with Myleene Klass, David Gest and Jason Donovan, not to mention EastEnders’ actor Dean Gaffney making some hilariously strange noises during his bushtucker trials.
But the former Busted star’s straight-forward approach to chewing kangaroo anus and crocodile penis turned him from outsider to winner.
Since then Matt, now 31, has landed jobs on EastEnders, in the West End and is now part of supergroup McBusted.
2007 - Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2007 (Photo: Rex Features)
His constantly happy state ensured he was crowned King of the Jungle, even though his camp-mates gained plenty of attention.
Singer Cerys Matthews had a fling with EastEnders actor Marc Bannerman and Janice Dickinson always made her presence felt.
But Biggins, now 65, saw his popularity soar when a rat scurried into his bed and he unwittingly cuddled up to the rodent before screaming with horror.
Over the past six years he’s mixed his stage work with increasing TV work including this year’s series of Celebrity Masterchef.
2008 - Joe Swash
Joe Swash, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here 2008 (Photo: Rex Features)
Nobody expected an actor playing a relatively minor part in EastEnders to triumph, but Swash, 32, won over viewers, partly due to his close relationship with gay actor George Takei, who played Sulu in the original Star Trek series.
Even tennis legend Martina Navratilova, controversial TV presenter Robert Kilroy-Silk and Esther Rantzen could detract from his loveliness.
The following year he became host of spin-off show I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, NOW! and is a regular celebrity guest on TV shows.
2009 - Gino D’Acampo
I'm A Celebrity 2009 winner Gino
From the start, the returning Katie Price was favourite to win. But that quickly changed when the fun-loving This Morning chef started to win over the public.
The glamour model eventually withdrew and a hungry Gino, now 38, caught everyone’s attention when he killed and cooked a rat in the camp.
After I’m A Celebrity... he started to host Let’s Do Lunch with Gino & Mel, Gino’s Italian Escape and is a stand-in captain on gameshow Celebrity Juice.
2010 - Stacey Solomon
Stacey Solomon wins the tenth series of I'm a Celebrity
The Essex girl was up against some seriously big stars in this series.
Singer Shaun Ryder, athlete Linford Christie and actress Britt Ekland all entered the camp and Gillian McKeith, who seemed to scream and faint at the drop of a hat, did her best to take centre-stage.
But former X-Factor singer Stacey, now 25, triumphed by maintained a cheery demeanor throughout. She went on to release her debut album, appear on a string of TV shows and in 2011 became the face of Iceland supermarkets.
2011 - Dougie Poynter
Dougie Poynter wins I'm a Celebrity (Pic: ITV)
By being a cheeky chappy, and keeping his nose clean throughout, the McFly star ensured he left the jungle as king.
His happy-go-lucky manner was refreshing in a camp which was made by bossy Fatima Whitbred rubbing a few of the other stars up the wrong way.
Even TOWIE star Mark Wright, who was favourite to win, couldn’t outshine Dougie, now 26.
Since 2011 he’s been a celebrity guest on numerous TV shows and is now a member of supergroup McBusted. He also dates singer Ellie Goulding.
2012 - Charlie Brooks
The EastEnders actor was initially overshadowed by some of the bigger names in the camp which included boxer David Haye, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan and MP Nadine Dorries.
But she was one of the most amenable stars of the jungle and seemed to endear herself to viewers after a certain sex chat with Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts.
Charlie, 33, later returned to Albert Square to feature in one of Walford’s most spectacular storylines.
2013 - Kian Egan
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Kian Egan is announced as winner. David Emanuel is runner up. Charlie Brooks hands over the crown to Kian (Photo: ITV)
Proving nice guys always tend to come first in the jungle, the former Westlife singer charmed his way to victory.
It came as a surprise given how many headlines nice-but-dim TOWIE star Joey Essex gained when he admitted he didn’t know a watch was used to tell the time.
But that wasn’t enough to stop him from being voted out. Kian, now 34, has since made multiple guest TV appearances and released his debut solo album.
Like this? Did you know we have a dedicated TV and film page on Facebook?
Most Read
Most Recent
| i don't know |
As of 2009, who holds the record for winning more major golf championships than anyone else? | Oldest Golfers to Win a Major Championship
By Brent Kelley
In the history of men's major championships , no golfer older than 48 (and just one golfer older than 46) has won. As we'll see on the list below, nearly all of those golfers who are on the list of oldest major winners are Hall of Famers.
The Oldest Major Champion Is ...
Julius Boros holds the record as oldest major championship winner in golf history. Boros was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship . (Boros held off Arnold Palmer to do it, denying Palmer the only major Arnie never won.)
Boros bested the record that was previously held by Jerry Barber, who won the 1961 PGA Championship at age 45.
No question Boros was one of the greatest over-40 golfers ever. Half of Boros' 18 career PGA Tour wins came after turning 40, including, at age 43, the 1963 U.S. Open . (At the time, that made him the oldest U.S. Open winner.) When Boros was 53, he shared the lead in the 1973 U.S. Open with 10 holes to play before finishing seventh.
10 Oldest Major Championship Winners
Here are the 10 oldest winners of men's golf majors:
continue reading below our video
7 Best Soccer Players in the World Right Now
Julius Boros: 1968 PGA Championship, 48 years, 4 months, 18 days
Old Tom Morris : 1867 British Open, 46 years, 99 days
J ack Nicklaus : 1986 Masters, 46 years, 2 months, 23 days
Jerry Barber: 1961 PGA Championship, 45 Years, 3 months, 6 days
Hale Irwin : 1990 U.S. Open, 45 years, 15 days old
Lee Trevino : 1984 PGA Championship, 44 years, 8 months, 18 days
Roberto de Vicenzo : 1967 British Open, 44 years, 93 days
Harry Vardon : 1914 British Open, 44 years, 41 days
Raymond Floyd : 1986 U.S. Open, 43 years, 9 months, 11 days
Ted Ray: 1920 U.S. Open, 43 years, 4 months, 16 days old
They Were This Close
There have been a few golfers over the decades who came close to winning a major at an older age. The most famous is Tom Watson , who led much of the final round at the 2009 British Open when he was 59 years old. But Watson lost in a playoff.
A couple others of note: At age 49, Raymond Floyd was runner-up in the 1992 Masters ; and at 50, Harry Vardon finished second in the 1920 U.S. Open . Vardon was runner-up to 43-year-old Ted Ray, who is on the list above.
See also:
| Jack Nicklaus |
As of 2009, who is the only Scottish footballer to have been named European Footballer of the Year? | Henrik Stenson wins duel with Phil Mickelson to claim British Open
Sports
Henrik Stenson wins duel with Phil Mickelson to claim British Open
Henrik Stenson of Sweden holds up the trophy tom the crowd after winning the British Open Golf Championships at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, Sunday. Ben Curtis — The Associated Press
By Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
Posted:
# Comments
TROON, Scotland >> Henrik Stenson is the champion golfer of the year, thanks to a final round for the ages.
He kept hitting the best shots of his life, one after another, and he needed each one to stay ahead of Phil Mickelson in a British Open duel that ranked among the best in major championship history.
Stenson made 10 birdies, including a 50-foot putt across the 15th green that had him pumping his fist in a rare show of emotion Sunday.
The final stroke in this masterpiece was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that curled into the cup on the final turn. It gave him an 8-under 63, tying Johnny Miller at Oakmont for the greatest closing round by a major champion, and Stenson didn’t even realize it until he sat down to sign his card.
Advertisement
Records didn’t matter. This was about winning his first major.
“Right now I’m running on adrenaline. But there will be some point when I’ll struggle to make it up the stairs when I get back to the house,” Stenson said after four hours of an epic battle between two 40-somethings at Royal Troon.
Mickelson was a runner-up for the 11th time in a major, but never like this. He can’t look back at a mistake because he really didn’t make any. He opened with a 63, closed with a career-best 65, shot the second-best score in Open history and was 11 shots better than everyone in the field.
Except one.
“It’s probably the best I’ve played and not won,” Mickelson said. “I think that’s probably why it’s disappointing in that I don’t have a point where I can look back and say, ‘I should have done that or had I only done this.’ I played a bogey-free round of 65 on the final round of a major. Usually, that’s good enough to do it, and I got beat. I got beat by 10 birdies.”
He got beat by arguably the best final round in 156 years of major championships.
Miller also made 10 birdies in his final round of the 1973 U.S. Open, and then waited to see if anyone could catch him. Stenson started the final round with a one-shot lead over Mickelson, and knew it would be a two-man race from the opening hole when Mickelson nearly holed out from the fairway.
He answered great shot with one of his own, finally pulling away with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, and then a third in a row after Mickelson drilled a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 16th and came within a fraction of an inch of making an eagle.
The last birdie was for the record book.
Stenson finished at 264, breaking by one shot the 72-hole scoring record in the majors that David Toms set in the 2001 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. His 20-under par matched Jason Day’s record for lowest under par at last year’s PGA Championship.
His biggest challenge was 46-year-old Mickelson, who has won five majors.
“I knew he wasn’t going to back down at any point, and in a way that makes it easier for myself,” Stenson said. “I knew I had to keep on pushing, keep on giving myself birdie chances. He wasn’t going to give it to me, so I had to pull away. I’m just delighted I managed to do that with a couple of birdies at the right time.”
This was heavyweight material, reminiscent of the “Duel in the Sun” just down the Ayrshire coastline at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled to the final hole, and no one else was closer than 10 shots.
Stenson and Mickelson were never separated by more than two shots over 40 straight holes until the Swede’s final birdie. In the final round, they combined to make 14 birdies and an eagle. If this was a better-ball match, they would have shot 59.
“I’ve always thought that he is one of the best ball-strikers in the game and that major championships are perfectly suited for him,” Mickelson said. “I knew that he would ultimately come through and win. I’m happy that he did. I’m disappointed that it was at my expense.”
J.B. Holmes won the B-Flight. He finished third, 14 shots behind.
The Swede won his first major in his 42nd attempt, becoming only the ninth player to capture his first major after turning 40. Beyond the score, the measure of his performance was that he putted for a birdie on every hole Sunday in a mild wind off the Irish Sea. Stenson three-putted for bogey from just off the first green, and he three-putted on No. 11 to fall back into a tie for the lead.
They matched pars on only six of the 18 holes.
Stenson became only the fourth player to win the British Open with all four rounds in the 60s, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Greg Norman. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.
He gave Sweden a long-awaited major in men’s golf, 19 years after Jesper Parnevik lost a 54-hole lead at Royal Troon. Stenson said Parnevik send him a message that said, “Go out and finish what I didn’t manage to finish.”
“I’m really proud to have done that, and it’s going to be massive for golf in Sweden with this win,” Stenson said.
Maybe he can take that silver jug down to Rio in his search of Olympic gold.
Golf’s top four players have withdrawn from the Olympics , but the Rio Games will have at least two of this year’s major champions — Stenson and Masters winner Danny Willett of England.
There’s one more major to play before Rio. Take a breath, Henrik. The PGA Championship starts a week from Thursday.
| i don't know |
How many of Muhammad Ali's 61 professional boxing fights did he win? 50, 56 or 60? | Muhammad Ali - boxing Topics - ESPN
Personal
Muhammad Ali is a former heavyweight champion boxer. A three-time heavyweight champion, Ali is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. Before turning professional, Ali won a gold medal as a light heavyweight at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
Born Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964. Because of religious beliefs, Ali refused to serve for the U.S. military and was arrested and put on trial. Along with his legal woes, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight championship and had his boxing license suspended. The Supreme Court would eventually rule in Ali's favor in Clay v. United States in 1971.
During his prime, Ali was involved in two of the greatest fights in boxing history, taking part in "The Thrilla in Manila" against Joe Frazier and "The Rumble in the Jungle" against George Foreman.
After his retirement from boxing, Ali was diagnosed in 1984 with Parkinson's disease, which has severely affected his speech and mobility.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on Jan. 17, 1942, in Louisville, Ky. to Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. He was the younger of two children, as Clay had an older brother, Rahman, who was born as Rudolph Valentino Clay.
Clay started boxing at the age of 12 after his bike was stolen. Clay told Joe Martin, a police officer, that he wanted to beat up the thief. Along with being a police officer, Martin also trained boxers and persuaded Clay to work out at the local gym. His boxing career was born, and Clay had his first amateur fight in 1954, winning by split decision.
In 1956, Clay won the Golden Gloves Championship in the light heavyweight division. Three years later Clay won the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union light heavyweight national title.
After graduating high school, Clay competed for the United States Olympic boxing team in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Clay took home the gold medal in the light heavyweight division after defeating Zbigniew Pietryzkowski from Poland. Clay finished with an amateur record of 100-5 before turning professional after the Olympics.
Cassius Clay made his professional debut on Oct. 29, 1960, in a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker at the Freedom Hall State Fairground in Louisville, Ky. Clay steamrolled through the competition during the first three years of his professional career. He was so dominant that he was able to correctly predict in what round he would knock out his opponents. In June 1963, Clay traveled to London to take on British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper. In front of a pro-Cooper crowd at Wembley Stadium, Clay won by technical knockout in the fifth round.
Despite his victory over Cooper, Clay was the underdog before stepping in the ring against Sonny Liston in 1964. Of 46 writers, 43 picked Liston to defeat Clay. The two squared off on Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, Fla. Clay was a 7-to-1 underdog but scored the upset victory over Liston after he didn't come out for the seventh round thanks to a shoulder injury. Clay won the heavyweight championship for the first time in his young career. After the fight, Clay celebrated with a dance in the ring and yelled, "I'm the greatest" and "I shook up the world!" It would go down as one of the most historic moments in Clay's career.
The day after the fight, Clay changed his name from Cassius Clay to Cassius X after joining the Nation of Islam. Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad eventually settled on the name of Muhammad Ali for Clay. "Muhammad" means worthy of praise, and "Ali" was the name of a cousin of the prophets.
Ali and Liston would step in the ring a year later in a rematch. The fight didn't make it past the first round after a so-called "phantom punch" from Ali knocked out Liston before only 2,434 fans in Maine.
Ali also had little trouble with Floyd Patterson in 1965, going 12 rounds with the former champion before the fight was stopped.
On Mar. 22, 1967, Ali defeated Zora Folley at Madison Square Garden, in what turned out to be his last fight for quite some time.
Vietnam War
Ali's victory over Folley would be his last fight for more than three years. Since the country was in the middle of the Vietnam War, the United States Armed Forces drafted Ali to serve for his country. In 1964, Ali failed the qualifying test because of his subpar writing and spelling skills. However, Ali was later reclassified in 1966 as 1A, making him eligible for induction into the U.S. Army.
Ali was outspoken about serving in the war and publicly said he wouldn't go to Vietnam if he was drafted. He said that the war went against the teachings in the Quran and famously said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong ... they never called me n-----."
Ali appeared at his scheduled induction into the U.S. Army on Apr. 28, 1967, in Houston. An officer called Ali's name three times, and he refused to step forward. After an officer warned him of the consequences, Ali was arrested for committing a felony that was punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000.
As a result of his arrest and induction refusal, Ali was stripped of the heavyweight title and had his boxing license suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission. Other boxing commissions followed suit and did the same.
Ali's case went to trail on June 20, 1967. After just 21 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Ali guilty, and the judge imposed he maximum sentence. A court of appeals upheld Ali's conviction, and the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. While Ali was waiting for the Supreme Court to hear his case, he was gaining more public support for his views on the war.
Ali returned to the ring while waiting for the Supreme Court ruling, fighting in Georgia, which didn't have a boxing commission. On Oct. 26, 1970, Ali needed just three rounds to defeat Jerry Quarry.
On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court ruled in Ali's favor and reversed his conviction by unanimous decision in Clay v. United States.
Return to the ring
With his legal issues resolved, Muhammad Ali moved forward full-time with his boxing career. While waiting for the Supreme Court to rule, the New York State Supreme Court had denied Ali a boxing license unjustly. After he was granted a license to fight in New York, Ali defeated Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 7, 1970. Ali's victory over Bonavena paved the way for a showdown between the undefeated Joe Frazier.
The bout was dubbed "The Fight of the Century," and Ali and Frazier were undefeated headed into their March 8, 1971, fight at Madison Square Garden. Ali started off strong, holding the advantage over Frazier during the first three rounds. Frazier was able to keep things close before taking the advantage in the 11th round. Ali managed to escape from serious trouble until Round 15, when Frazier knocked him down for just the third time in his career. A shaken Ali got up and finished the final round, but the damage had been done. Ali had suffered his first professional loss as Frazier won by unanimous decision, retaining his heavyweight championship.
Ali rebounded with six victories in 1972, notching wins over Floyd Patterson and Jerry Quarry. He then defended the NABF heavyweight title against Ken Norton on March 31, 1973. Norton managed to break Ali's jaw in the fight and won by split decision. Ali was able to seek redemption against Norton by winning back his NABF championship in a split-decision rematch that didn't live up to the hype.
Ali got his rematch with Frazier in 1974 at Madison Square Garden. The winner of the fight would be in line to challenge George Foreman for the heavyweight title. Before the fight, Ali and Frazier got into a fight on the set of ABC's "Wide World of Sports" in New York. The fighters were reviewing their first fight when Ali called Frazier ignorant.
In the actual fight, Ali won a unanimous 12-round decision over Frazier.
"The Rumble in the Jungle"
With the win over Frazier, Ali finally had the opportunity to regain the heavyweight title he was stripped of in 1967. Rising star Foreman held the heavyweight championship after knocking down Frazier six times in a span of two rounds.
New boxing promoter Don King talked Ali and Foreman into signing separate contracts with the impression that he would be able to get $5 million for both fighters. Since King didn't have the money, he accepted an offer from Zaire president Mobutu Sese Seko to host the fight at Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa.
The fight was dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle," and Ali and Foreman spent the summer of 1974 training in Zaire. Originally scheduled for September, the fight was pushed back until Oct. 30 after Foreman was injured during training. The young Foreman was a 7-to-1 favorite over Ali heading into the bout, which was fought in the early morning in Zaire.
Ali had a secret plan for Foreman, and the boxing world got its first glance at the "rope-a-dope" in the second round. Ali leaned on the ropes while covering up his body as Foreman threw punches that were deflected and didn't land squarely.
After several rounds of this strategy, Foreman started to tire in the ring while Ali's trademark taunting was in full effect. In the eighth round, Ali knocked Foreman down after a series of combinations. Foreman just made it up before the standing 10 count, but referee Zack Clayton stopped the fight. Ali handed Foreman his first loss and became the second heavyweight to regain his championship.
Ali successfully defended his heavyweight championship against Chuck Wepner on March 24, 1975, despite getting knocked down in the ninth round.
A documentary titled "When We Were Kings" was released in 1996 that focused on the buildup to the fight. The documentary won the Academy Award for best documentary feature.
The Thrilla in Manila
Ali and Frazier met for the third and final time on Oct. 1, 1975 in the Philippines. Less than a year after King scheduled a fight in Zaire, Ali and Frazier traveled to Quezon City in Metro Manila. The rivalry between the two fighters reached a boiling point after Frazier felt Ali betrayed him after being such a vocal supporter for him during his three-plus years away from the ring. Ali stuck to what he knew best, trash-talking. He taunted Frazier by referring to him as a gorilla.
The two men slugged it out in what would go down as one of the greatest fights in the 20th century. With Frazier's eye swelling shut, Ali took advantage in Round 14. Frazier practically couldn't see out of one eye, and that forced trainer Eddie Futch to step in and throw in the towel before the start of the 15th and final round. After the win, Ali said that this was the closest to dying he had ever come, as both fighters battled 100-degree temperatures.
Back in the states, Ali easily defeated Jean-Pierre Coopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn. Ali scheduled an exhibition match with Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki in Tokyo. Inoki also studied mixed martial arts, and there were several stipulations and rules added in the match. Because of Inoki's strategy, Ali was able to land only six punches while suffering repeated kicks to his legs. The fight ended in a draw as Ali suffered an infection and two blood clots in his legs.
After Ali recovered from his injury, he successfully defended his heavyweight championship against Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 28, 1976, in a unanimous decision.
Ali lost his heavyweight title to 1976 Olympic gold medalist Leon Spinks on Feb. 15, 1978 in a split decision. After underestimating Spinks, Ali got revenge in a rematch seven months later.
Following the victory, Ali retired on June 27, 1979. He returned to the ring on Oct. 2, 1980, against Larry Holmes in an attempt to win the heavyweight championship for the fourth time. Holmes was too much for the 38-year-old Ali, and trainer Angelo Dundee refused to let him finish the fight. Ali was trailing on all three scorecards when the fight was stopped before the 11th round.
Ali's last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Trevor Berbick in 1981. Retiring for good, Ali finished his career with a 56-5 professional record.
The day after his loss to Trevor Berbick, Muhammad Ali announced his retirement from boxing in 1981. In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which was a result of the severe head trauma suffered during his time in the ring. The neurological syndrome affects his movement and speech to this day.
In 1996, Ali was given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics. A noticeably shaky Ali was the first boxer to light the cauldron. Later during the Olympics, Ali received a replacement medal for his 1960 gold medal, which he said he had thrown into the Ohio River after being refused service at a whites-only restaurant.
In 1997, Ali was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award as part of the ESPY Awards. The BBC voted Ali as its sports personality of the century in 1999.
In 2001, a biographical film on Ali's career was made. Entitled "Ali," the film starred Will Smith as Muhammad Ali and was directed by Michael Mann. Smith and Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations.
President George W. Bush awarded Ali the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
The Muhammad Ali Center opened on Nov. 19, 2005 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. The $80 million, six-story museum and cultural center was built as a tribute to Ali.
There have been a series of books released on Ali, but his autobiography, "The Greatest: My Own Story," was published in 1975 and written with Richard Durham. His autobiography was eventually adapted into a film, "The Greatest," released in 1977 and starring Ali as himself.
Nicknamed "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali is regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. During his 21-year professional career, Ali defeated every top heavyweight during the era. Ali was named Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine five times and was involved in its Fight of the Year five times as well. In 1998, Ali was named the greatest heavyweight in all eras by Ring Magazine. According to an ESPN.com poll, Ali was voted as the second greatest fighter of all time behind Sugar Ray Robinson.
Ali has appeared on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" 37 times, second among all athletes behind Michael Jordan.
Along with his skills in the ring, Ali was also known for his showmanship. Never shy, Ali often boasted as being the prettiest fighter along with being the best. Ali had so many memorable quotes that a book written by George Lois, "Ali Rap: Muhammad Ali, the first Heavyweight Champion of Rap," featured a collection of Ali's best lines during his career.
Muhammad Ali is currently married to Yolanda Ali. The two married in 1986 and have one adopted son, Asaad. Before his marriage to Yolanda, Ali was married three times. In 1964, Ali married Sonji Roi, and they were married for two years. In 1967, a 25-year-old Ali married 17-year-old Belinda Boyd. The couple had four children together (Maryum, Jamillah, Liban, Muhammad Ali Jr.). Ali and Boyd ended their marriage after he began an affair with Veronica Porsche. Ali and Porsche married in 1977 and had two daughters, Hana and Laila. The two divorced in 1986.
Laila followed in her father's footsteps and pursued a career as a professional boxer. She went 24-0 before retiring.
Ali resides in Scottsdale, Ariz.
VIDEO RESULTS FOR MUHAMMAD ALI
| 56 |
What was the nationality of former Olympic downhill skier Franz Klammer? | Muhammad Ali - 'The Greatest' Boxer
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
A Biography of the Famous Boxer
Muhammad Ali during training for his fight with Al "Blue" Lewis held in Dublin, Republic of Ireland in 1972. (Photo by Getty Images)
Updated June 04, 2016.
Who Is Muhammad Ali?
Muhammad Ali is one of the most famous boxers of all time. His conversion to Islam and draft evasion conviction surrounded him with controversy and even exile from boxing for three years. Despite the hiatus, his quick reflexes and strong punches helped Muhammad Ali become the first person in history to win the heavyweight champion title three times.
At the lighting ceremony at the 1996 Olympics, Muhammad Ali showed the world his strength and determination in dealing with the debilitating effects of Parkinson's syndrome.
Dates: January 17, 1942 -- June 3, 2016
Also Known As: (born as) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., "The Greatest," the Louisville Lip
Married:
Belinda Boyd (1967 - circa 1977)
Veronica Porche (1977 - 1996)
Yolanda "Lonnie" Williams (1996 - Until his death)
Childhood of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. at 6:35 p.m. on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Clay Sr.
continue reading below our video
4 Tips for Improving Test Performance
and Odessa Grady Clay.
Cassius Clay Sr. was a muralist, but painted signs for a living. Odessa Clay worked as a housecleaner and a cook. Two years after Muhammad Ali was born, the couple had another son, Rudolph ("Rudy").
A Stolen Bicycle Leads Muhammad Ali to Become a Boxer
When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, he and a friend went to the Columbia Auditorium to partake in the free hot dogs and popcorn available for visitors of the Louisville Home Show. When the boys were done eating, they went back to get their bicycles only to discover that Muhammad Ali's had been stolen.
Furious, Muhammad Ali went to the basement of the Columbia Auditorium to report the crime to police officer Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach at the Columbia Gym. When Muhammad Ali said he wanted to beat up the person who stole his bike, Martin told him that he should probably learn to fight first. A few days later, Muhammad Ali began boxing training at Martin's gym.
From the very beginning, Muhammad Ali took his training seriously. He trained six days a week. On schooldays, he woke early in the morning so that he could go running and then would go workout at the gym in the evening. When Martin's gym closed at 8 pm, Ali would then go train at another boxing gym.
Over time, Muhammad Ali also created his own eating regimen that included milk and raw eggs for breakfast. Concerned about what he put in his body, Ali stayed away from junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes so that he could be the best boxer in the world.
The 1960 Olympics
Even in his early training, Muhammad Ali boxed like no one else. He was fast. So fast that he didn't duck punches like most other boxers; instead, he just leaned back away from them. He also didn't put his hands up to protect his face; he kept them down by his hips.
In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in Rome . Muhammad Ali, then 18 years old, had already won national tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and so he felt ready to compete in the Olympics.
On September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) fought against Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski from Poland in the light-heavyweight championship bout. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared Ali the winner, which meant Ali had won the Olympic gold medal.
Having won the Olympic gold medal, Muhammad Ali had attained the top position in amateur boxing. It was time for him to turn professional.
Muhammad Ali Wins the Heavyweight Title
As Muhammad Ali started fighting in professional boxing bouts, he realized that there were things he could do to create attention for himself. For instance, before fights, Ali would say things to worry his opponents. He would also frequently declare, "I am the greatest of all time!"
Often before a fight, Ali would write poetry that either called the round his opponent would fall or boast of his own abilities. Muhammad Ali's most famous line was when he stated he was going to "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
His theatrics worked. Many people paid to see Muhammad Ali's fights just to see such a braggart lose. In 1964, even the heavyweight champion, Charles "Sonny" Liston got caught up in the hype and agreed to fight Muhammad Ali.
On February 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali fought Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami, Florida. Liston tried for a quick knockout, but Ali was too fast to catch. By the 7th round, Liston was too exhausted, had hurt his shoulder, and was worried about a cut under his eye.
Liston refused to continue the fight. Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
The Nation of Islam and Name Change
The day after the championship bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali publicly announced his conversion to Islam . The public was not happy.
Ali had joined the Nation of Islam , a group led by Elijah Muhammad that advocated for a separate black nation. Since many people found the Nation of Islam's beliefs to be racist, they were angry and disappointed that Ali had joined them.
Up to this point, Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay. When he joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, he shed his "slave name" (he had been named after a white abolitionist that had freed his slaves) and took on the new name of Muhammad Ali.
Banned From Boxing for Draft Evasion
During the three years after the Liston fight, Ali won every bout. He had become one of the most popular athletes of the 1960s . He had become a symbol of black pride. Then in 1967, Muhammad Ali received a draft notice.
The United States was calling up young men to fight in the Vietnam War . Since Muhammad Ali was a famous boxer, he could have requested special treatment and just entertained the troops. However, Ali's deep religious beliefs forbade killing, even in war, and so Ali refused to go.
In June 1967, Muhammad Ali was tried and found guilty of draft evasion. Although he was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in jail, he remained out on bail while he appealed. However, in response to public outrage, Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing and stripped of his heavyweight title.
For three and a half years, Muhammad Ali was "exiled" from professional boxing. While watching others claim the heavyweight title, Ali lectured around the country to earn some money.
Back in the Ring
By 1970, the general American public had become dissatisfied with the Vietnam War and was thus easing their anger against Muhammad Ali. This change in public opinion meant Muhammad Ali was able to rejoin boxing.
After participating in an exhibition match on September 2, 1970, Muhammad Ali fought in his first real comeback bout on October 26, 1970 against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia. During the fight, Muhammad Ali appeared slower than he used to be; yet before the start of the fourth round, Quarry's manager threw in the towel.
Ali was back and he wanted to reclaim his heavyweight title.
The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (1971)
On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali got his chance to win back the heavyweight title. Ali was to fight Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden .
This fight, billed as "the Fight of the Century," was viewed in 35 countries around the world and was the first fight Ali used his "rope-a-dope" technique. (Ali's rope-a-dope technique was when Ali leaned himself on the ropes and protected himself while he let his opponent hit him repeatedly. The intention was to quickly tire out his opponent.)
Although Muhammad Ali did well in a few of the rounds, in many others he was pounded by Frazier. The fight went the full 15 rounds, with both fighters still standing at the end. The fight was unanimously awarded to Frazier. Ali had lost his first professional fight and had officially lost the heavyweight title.
Shortly after Muhammad Ali had lost this fight with Frazier, Ali won a different kind of fight. Ali's appeals against his draft evasion conviction had gone all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, who unanimously reversed the lower court's decision on June 28, 1971. Ali had been exonerated.
The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman
On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali had another chance at the championship title. In the time since Ali lost to Frazier in 1971, Frazier himself had lost his championship title to George Foreman .
While Ali had won a rematch against Frazier in 1974, Ali was much slower and older than he used to be and was not expected to have a chance against Foreman. Many considered Foreman to be unbeatable.
The bout was held in Kinshasa, Zaire and was thus billed as "the Rumble in the Jungle." Once again, Ali used his rope-a-dope strategy - this time with much more success. Ali was able to tire out Foreman so much that by the eighth round, Muhammad Ali knocked Foreman out.
For the second time, Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight champion of the world.
Thrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier really did not like Muhammad Ali. As part of the antics before their fights, Ali had called Frazier an "Uncle Tom" and a gorilla, among other bad names. Ali's comments greatly angered Frazier.
Their third match against each other was held on October 1, 1975 and called "Thrilla in Manila" because it was held in Manila, Philippines. The fight was brutal. Both Ali and Frazier hit hard. Both were determined to win. By the time the bell for the 15th round was rung, Frazier's eyes were swollen nearly shut; his manager wouldn't let him continue. Ali won the fight, but he himself was badly hurt as well.
Both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought so hard and so well, that many consider this fight to be the greatest boxing fight in history.
Winning the Championship Title a Third Time
After the Frazier fight in 1975, Muhammad Ali announced his retirement. This, however, did not last long as it was just too easy to pick up a million dollars here or there by fighting one more bout. Ali did not take these fights very seriously and became lax on his training.
On February 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali was extremely surprised when novice boxer Leon Spinks beat him. The bout had gone all 15 rounds, but Spinks had dominated the match. The judges awarded the fight - and the championship title - to Spinks.
Ali was furious and wanted a rematch. Spinks obliged. While Ali worked diligently to train for their rematch, Spinks did not. The fight did go the full 15 rounds again, but this time, Ali was the obvious winner.
Not only did Ali win back the heavyweight champion title, he became the first person in history to win it three times.
Retirement and Parkinson's Syndrome
After the Spinks fight, Ali retired on June 26, 1979. He did fight Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981 but lost both fights. The fights were embarrassing; it was obvious that Ali should stop boxing.
Muhammad Ali had been the greatest heavyweight boxer in the world three times. In his professional career, Ali had won 56 bouts and lost only five. Of the 56 wins, 37 of them were by knockout. Unfortunately, all of these fights took a toll on Muhammad Ali's body.
After suffering increasingly slurred speech, shaking hands, and over-tiredness, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in September 1984 to determine the cause. His doctors diagnosed Ali with Parkinson's syndrome, a degenerative condition that results in decreased control over speech and motor skills.
After being out of the limelight for more than a decade, Muhammad Ali was asked to light the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali moved slowly and his hands shook; yet his performance brought tears to many who watched the Olympic lighting.
Since then, Ali worked tirelessly to helping charities around the world. He also spent a lot of time signing autographs.
On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali died at age 74 in Phoenix, Arizona after suffering from respiratory problems. He remains a hero and icon of the 20th century.
| i don't know |
On 6 May 1954 Roger Bannister was the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Who took the record from him 46 days later? | Roger Bannister breaks four-minutes mile - May 06, 1954 - HISTORY.com
Roger Bannister breaks four-minutes mile
Share this:
Roger Bannister breaks four-minutes mile
Author
Roger Bannister breaks four-minutes mile
URL
Publisher
A+E Networks
On this day in 1954, at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England, medical student Roger Bannister becomes the first person in recorded history to run the mile in under four minutes.
Roger Bannister was born in Middlesex on March 23, 1929. His parents couldn’t afford to send him to school, so he ran his way in: Bannister won a track scholarship to Oxford, where he studied medicine and was a running sensation. He caused a furor in England when he declined to run the 1500 meters in the 1948 London Olympics so he could concentrate on his medical studies. He did run in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, but finished fourth. Again, the British press scorned him. He then resolved to break track and field’s most famous barrier, the four-minute mile, a feat many believed to be impossible. Bannister had limited time to train, as he was enrolled at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School. He would run 30 minutes most days, focusing the rest of his time on his study of neurology.
On May 6, 1954, Bannister was running for the Amateur Athletic Association in Oxford against runners from the university in their annual match. He ran with two friends, who paced him, and then sprinted the last 200 yards, for a record time of 3:59.4. Later that month, Australian John Landy broke Bannister’s record by less than a second. The two were then made out to be rivals.
In August, Bannister and Landy met face-to-face at the British Empire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, where 35,000 spectators watched what was billed as the “mile of the century.” Landy led Bannister the entire race, but Bannister out-sprinted Landy down the straightaway to win by five yards and less than a second, 3:58.8 to 3:59.6. Their two times were the third and fourth recorded miles run in under four minutes in history.
Bannister finished his medical degree and became a practicing neurologist and neuroscience researcher. Knighted in 1975, Sir Roger Bannister served as director of the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London.
Long after his career as a runner had ended, in an interview with Bill Heine of BBC’s Radio Oxford, Bannister called running a “powerful source of self expression” and said of his talent on the track, “I believe that as I grew up through adolescence, this capacity to run without pain or discomfort became part of me, and it found its expression in running in cross country races, running with friends, for the sheer enjoyment running across the countryside. Running, not walking, and, eventually this became a track event with more and more people watching and people concerned with stopwatches.”
Related Videos
| John Landy |
How many gold medals did Mark Spitz win in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City? | Sports: Bannister stuns world with 4-minute mile
Bannister stuns world with 4-minute mile
By BRUCE LOWITT
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 17, 1999
For years, the 4-minute mile was considered not merely unreachable but, according to physiologists of the time, dangerous to the health of any athlete who attempted to reach it.
For Roger Bannister, it was vindication.
When he crossed the finish line with a time of 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds, he broke through a psychological barrier as well.
John Landy, considered one of the great milers of that era, never had gotten closer than within 1.5 seconds of the 4-minute barrier before. Within 46 days of Bannister's breakthrough, Landy surpassed the record with a 3:57.9 in Finland. Bannister and Landy raced later in the year in the "Mile of the Century" at Vancouver, a runoff to decide who was the faster miler. Bannister won in 3:58.8 to Landy's 3:59.6, the first time two men in one race had broken 4 minutes. By the end of 1957, 16 runners had logged sub-4-minute miles.
He is Sir Roger Bannister now, a neurosurgeon. On May 6, 1954, he was a 6-foot-1, 25-year-old medical student at Oxford, running on the university's track at Iffley Road before a meager crowd of 1,000, most of them students.
And he was running with the 2-year-old memory of disappointment still burning within him.
He had expected -- and had been expected -- to win the 1,500 meters, the metric mile, at the 1952 Olympics. Even the Duke of Edinburgh had timed his visit to Helsinki in order to be there when the final was run.
But Bannister was jostled during the race, never got into contention and finished fourth. Only a remarkable performance down the road could erase the disappointment. He achieved it at Iffley.
In the weeks leading up to that attempt, Bannister approached the task scientifically, setting a fierce training schedule for himself with workouts conducted each day for one-half hour during his lunch break.
Among the goals achieved: seven straight half miles at an average 2:03; 10 straight quarter miles at an average 58.9; three-quarters of a mile in 2:59.8, and a half mile in 1:54.
The world record of 4:01.4, set in 1945 by Sweden's Gunder Haegg, didn't fall in an actual race. Bannister wasn't running against anyone, only against the clock, although he was chasing someone. He was paced by a pair of "rabbits," fellow Oxonian Chris Chataway and former Cambridge University steeplechaser Chris Brasher.
The run was all the more remarkable considering he was running, the New York Times said, in a 15 mph crosswind that gusted to 25 mph. Bannister stayed close to Brasher for the first two laps around the quarter-mile track, clocking 1:58.2. When Chataway rushed to the lead for the third lap, Bannister was on his heels. His three-quarter mile time was 3:00.5.
Bannister "bided his time until about 300 yards from the tape," the AP reported, "when he urged himself to a supreme effort. With a machine-like, seemingly effortless stride he drew away steadily from Chataway and, head thrown back slightly, he breasted the cool, stiff wind on the last turn to come driving down the homestretch to climax his spectacular performance."
He crossed the finish line and began sagging to the ground, drained of all his energy. "It was only then that real pain overtook me," he said. "I felt like an exploded flashlight with no will to live; I just went on existing in the most passive physical state without being unconscious."
The crowd that had urged him on fell silent. Two track officials held him up while spectators converged on him.
The time was announced. "Three ... " The rest was drowned out by the cheers. Bannister, his energy restored, ran to Brasher and Chataway and embraced them, then the trio trotted in a victory lap.
-- Information from Times wires was used in this report.
© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.
Headlines
| i don't know |
As on 2009, which American Football team has won the most Superbowls? | Superbowl winners: Most wins by NFL teams | Statista
More Super Bowl statistics
Additional information on the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), pitting the champions of the NFL’s two conferences (AFC and NFC) against each other. The games were originally created as part of a merger agreement between the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League, with the first Super Bowl being played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 football season. To identify the games, successive Roman numerals are used leading up to the most recent Super Bowl in 2014 (Super Bowl XLVIII).
With six championships wins, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the most successful NFL franchise in terms of the number of championships, as shown in the graph above. The Seattle Seahawks are the most recent superbowl winner, defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII with a score of 43-8. Charles Haley, who played from 1986 to 1999, has won the most Super Bowls with five total. Notable players who have won four Super Bowl rings are Joe Montana, Bill Romanowski, Adam Vinatieri, Ronnie Lott, Matt Millen and Terry Bradshaw.
Show more
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
In which royal residence did both George V and George VI die? | What team has lost the most Super Bowls? | Reference.com
What team has lost the most Super Bowls?
A:
Quick Answer
As of 2014, the Denver Broncos have lost more Super Bowls than any other NFL team. In February 2014, the Broncos lost Super Bowl XLV to the Seattle Seahawks by 35 points for their fifth loss and the NFL record for the most losses.
Full Answer
The Denver Broncos have won two Super Bowl games. There are three NFL teams with four losses. The Washington Redskins have a Super Bowl record of four losses and three wins. The Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills have each lost four games and have no wins. The team with the most Super Bowl wins is the Pittsburgh Steelers with six wins. They have two losses.
| i don't know |
Which scientific instrument was invented by father and son Hans and Zacharias Jansen in the late 16th Century? | Hans and Zacharias Jansen - A complete microscope history
Hans and Zacharias Jansen
Hans and Zacharias Jansen:
A complete microscope history
Zacharias Jansen (c. 1580 - c. 1638) was a Dutch spectacle-maker from Middelburg credited with inventing the first microscope. Although Zacharias Jansen's life was previously documented, many of the archives were lost in the fires following the German bombardment of Middelburg during the Second World War on May 17th 1940.
Although Zacharias Jansen (often written as Zacharias Janssen, or Sacharias Jansen) is generally believed to be the first creator of a compound microscope, the accomplishment is dated around the 1590's, so many scholars believe that his father, Hans, must have played an important role in the creation of the instrument. The pair worked together as spectacle makers in Middleburg, the Netherlands, not far from Hans Lippershey, another optical scientist who is also sometimes credited with the invention of the microscope, but more often with the creation of the first telescope.
Similarly, Zacharias Jansen is also sometimes credited with the invention of the first telescope, however its origin, just like the origin of the first compound microscope, is a matter of debate.
During the 1590s, the two Dutch spectacle-makers began experimenting. They put several lenses in a tube and made a very important discovery - the object near the end of the tube appeared to be greatly enlarged, much larger than any simple magnifying glass could achieve by itself.
Zacharias Jansen wrote to William Boreel, a Dutch diplomat who was a long-time acquaintance of the Jansens, to tell him about the magnifying device, although Boreel did not see the microscope for himself until years later. During the 1650s when the physician of the French King publicly sought information regarding the origin of the microscope, Boreel recounted the instrument's design and his experience surrounding its use.
The first microscope
Jansen's microscope consisted of three draw tubes with lenses inserted into the ends of the flanking tubes. The eyepiece lens was bi-convex and the objective lens was plano-convex, a very advanced compound design for this time period. Focusing of this hand-held microscope was achieved by sliding the draw tube in or out while observing the sample. The Jansen microscope was capable of magnifying images approximately three times when fully closed and up to ten times when extended to the maximum. No early models of Janssen microscopes have survived, but there is a candidate housed in the Middleburg Museum in the Netherlands that some historians attribute to Jansen.
Though rudimentary when compared with modern microscopes, the Jansen microscope was an important advance from single lens magnification. By the end of the seventeenth century, further developments, notably by Anton van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke allowed the observation of organisms such as fossils, diatoms, as well as the first cells.
Since then, modern microscopes have been at the forefront of scientific development, capable of magnifications greater than 1000x.
| Microscope |
Who was the commander-in-chief of the Greeks in the Trojan Wars and was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra? | Microscope History
See also: Timeline - History of the Light Microscope
Timeline of simple and compound light microscopes.
During that historic period known as the Renaissance, after the "dark" Middle Ages , there occurred the inventions of printing , gunpowder and the mariner's compass , followed by the discovery of America. Equally remarkable was the invention of the light microscope : an instrument that enables the human eye, by means of a lens or combinations of lenses, to observe enlarged images of tiny objects. It made visible the fascinating details of worlds within worlds.
Invention of Glass Lenses
Long before, in the hazy unrecorded past, someone picked up a piece of transparent crystal thicker in the middle than at the edges, looked through it, and discovered that it made things look larger. Someone also found that such a crystal would focus the sun's rays and set fire to a piece of parchment or cloth.
continue reading below our video
How to Write a Business Plan
Magnifiers and "burning glasses" or "magnifying glasses" are mentioned in the writings of Seneca and Pliny the Elder, Roman philosophers during the first century A. D., but apparently they were not used much until the invention of spectacles , toward the end of the 13th century. They were named lenses because they are shaped like the seeds of a lentil.
The earliest simple microscope was merely a tube with a plate for the object at one end and, at the other, a lens which gave a magnification less than ten diameters -- ten times the actual size. These excited general wonder when used to view fleas or tiny creeping things and so were dubbed "flea glasses."
Birth of the Light Microscope
About 1590, two Dutch spectacle makers, Zaccharias Janssen and his son Hans, while experimenting with several lenses in a tube, discovered that nearby objects appeared greatly enlarged. That was the forerunner of the compound microscope and of the telescope . In 1609, Galileo , father of modern physics and astronomy, heard of these early experiments, worked out the principles of lenses, and made a much better instrument with a focusing device.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)
The father of microscopy, Anton van Leeuwenhoek of Holland, started as an apprentice in a dry goods store where magnifying glasses were used to count the threads in cloth.
He taught himself new methods for grinding and polishing tiny lenses of great curvature which gave magnifications up to 270 diameters, the finest known at that time. These led to the building of his microscopes and the biological discoveries for which he is famous. He was the first to see and describe bacteria, yeast plants, the teeming life in a drop of water, and the circulation of blood corpuscles in capillaries. During a long life he used his lenses to make pioneer studies on an extraordinary variety of things, both living and non living, and reported his findings in over a hundred letters to the Royal Society of England and the French Academy.
Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke , the English father of microscopy, re-confirmed Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discoveries of the existence of tiny living organisms in a drop of water. Hooke made a copy of Leeuwenhoek's light microscope and then improved upon his design.
Charles A. Spencer
Later, few major improvements were made until the middle of the 19th century. Then several European countries began to manufacture fine optical equipment but none finer than the marvelous instruments built by the American, Charles A. Spencer, and the industry he founded. Present day instruments, changed but little, give magnifications up to 1250 diameters with ordinary light and up to 5000 with blue light.
Beyond the Light Microscope
A light microscope, even one with perfect lenses and perfect illumination, simply cannot be used to distinguish objects that are smaller than half the wavelength of light. White light has an average wavelength of 0.55 micrometers, half of which is 0.275 micrometers. (One micrometer is a thousandth of a millimeter, and there are about 25,000 micrometers to an inch. Micrometers are also called microns.) Any two lines that are closer together than 0.275 micrometers will be seen as a single line, and any object with a diameter smaller than 0.275 micrometers will be invisible or, at best, show up as a blur. To see tiny particles under a microscope, scientists must bypass light altogether and use a different sort of "illumination," one with a shorter wavelength.
| i don't know |
Which Australian group started their career in 1977 as The Ferris Brothers? | INXS facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about INXS
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning
INXS
Rock group
Few rock bands have achieved the success and longevity that INXS has enjoyed. All six original members recorded and performed together for more than 20 years before the death of singer Michael Hutchence on November 22, 1997. And even that tragic event was not enough to stop the group's momentum; after auditioning a new lead vocalist on a reality show, INXS bounced back with a new release in 2005.
Beginning in Australia, INXS released several albums before making a splash in the United States in 1983. From then on, they shot up the charts with singles like "The One Thing," "Original Sin" and "What You Need," before launching into astounding worldwide sales and recognition with their 1988 release Kick. With this album they swept the charts, received many awards, and completed a 16-month worldwide tour.
"We seemed to be around the corner every month in America, it was hard to ignore us," singer Michael Hutchence told Glenn A. Baker in Billboard. Following Kick's success, rumors of a breakup began to circulate.
Although the band did experience some difficulties as a result of their overwhelming success, they relied on their relationship as friends to keep them together. INXS was one of the few bands to emerge into rock stardom in the 1980s and survive into the late 1990s. They attributed their stability to a competitive air of democracy and the ability to keep each other grounded in reality.
Keyboard player Andrew Farriss and singer Michael Hutchence met in high school in Sydney, Australia. Farriss broke up a fight between Hutchence and a school bully, and the two budding musicians became fast friends. Hutchence, whose father was an Australian importer, grew up in Sydney, as well as in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, California. His mother had taken him to L.A. when his parents split up. "I spent most of my time in the States by myself, writing prose, poems, and stories," Hutchence told Edwin Morris in Seventeen. "I came back home with a large collection of things."
Andrew Farriss had two brothers, Tim and Jon, who were also aspiring musicians. While the Farriss brothers were growing up in Perth, Australia, Tim Farriss began taking guitar lessons at the age of eight. When he was 13 years old the family moved to Sydney. Tim and guitarist/saxophone player Kirk Pengilly met and played in a band together. At the time, they attended Forest High School, where they met bassist Garry Gary Beers. Hutchence, Andrew, and drummer Jon Farriss attended Davidson High School.
Started as the Farriss Brothers
By 1977 Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly's band had broken up. They decided to form a band with Andrew and Jon, Beers, and Hutchence, called the Farriss Brothers. According to INXS legend, the band formed on the night Elvis Presley died. "The day I left school was the day I left home was the day I joined the band," Hutchence recalled to Nina Malkin in Mademoiselle.
The following year the Farriss Brothers moved to Perth, where they wrote songs, rehearsed, and performed in local hotels and mining towns. After ten months they returned to Sydney, where their performances grabbed the attention of Garry Morris, who managed the Australian band Midnight Oil. Morris began working with them and was the first to suggest that they change the name of the band.
Although Morris decided to devote the majority of his time to Midnight Oil, the Farriss Brothers had also met booking agent C.M. Murphy. At the time, Murphy was in the process of starting an independent record label called Deluxe Records, which had a distribution deal with RCA. Murphy agreed that the band's name needed to be changed. "Our record company suggested 'In Excess,'" Tim Farriss told Steve Dougherty in People. The group liked the idea, but shortened it to INXS.
Sparked Interest in Australia
On September 1, 1979, INXS made its performing debut at the Oceanview Hotel in Toukley, Australia. The following May the group released its first single, "Simple Simon/We Are the Vegetables" on Deluxe Records. In October of 1980 they released their self-titled debut album in Australia, which included the single "Just Keep Walking." The band embarked on a 300-show tour throughout Australia to promote the album. A year later they released their second album, Underneath the Colors, which climbed to the Top 15 on the Australian charts.
For the Record …
Members include Garry Gary Beers, bass; Andrew Farriss, keyboards; Jon Farriss, drums; Tim Farriss, guitar; Michael Hutchence (died on November 22, 1997), vocals; Kirk Pengilly, guitar, saxophone; J.D. Fortune (replaced Hutchence, 2005), vocals.
Band formed in Sydney, Australia, 1977; signed with Australian label Deluxe Records, 1979; released self-titled debut in Australia, 1980; signed with WEA Records in Australia, released Shabooh Shoobah, 1982; signed North American recording contract with Atlantic Records, 1983; released multi-platinum album Kick, 1988; released four more albums on Atlantic, 1990–93; signed with Mercury/Polygram Records, 1993; released two more albums, 1994–97; continued touring after death of lead singer Michael Hutchence in 1997; auditioned new singer on Rock Star: INXS and released album Switch with new vocalist J.D. Fortune, 2005.
Addresses: Record company—Sony/BMG, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Website—INXS Official Website: http://www.inxs.com.
In April of 1982 Andrew Farriss, Hutchence, and Pengilly went on a "pilgrimage" to England and the United States. Armed with a tape of their music, they set out to spread the word on INXS. They signed a new contract with WEA Records in Australia in July of the same year, and their next release, Shabooh Shoobah, reached the Top Five on the Australian charts. By the following January they had signed a North American record contract with Atlantic Records.
Reached Out to Global Audience
They debuted in the United States with the single "The One Thing," which quickly climbed to the Top 30 on the Billboard charts. The video went into high rotation on MTV, and INXS had begun to make their mark in America. Atlantic re-released Shabooh Shoobah in the United States to wide acclaim. David Fricke wrote in Rolling Stone, "Most of Shabooh Shoobah, the group's American debut, is both novel in approach and stirring in execution."
After the album's release, INXS began a marathon U.S. tour. They played their first New York City headlining show at The Ritz in May of 1983. From there they went to the Us Festival in California, where they received two encore calls from over 300,000 attendees. Atlantic released a mini-LP in August called Dekadance, with remixes of four songs from Shabooh Shoobah.
Meanwhile the band continued to receive attention in their homeland. Their "Original Sin" single reached number one on the Australian charts in January of 1984. The Swing was released in May of that year and included the singles "Burn for You" and "Melting in the Sun." It reached double-platinum sales in Australia and became one of the top five selling albums in Australian music history. INXS also received seven Countdown Awards (Australia's version of the Grammy Awards), more than any other group had ever received.
The band's success also began to spread to the rest of the world. They performed their debut show in London, England, at The Astoria. In the meantime, Atlantic re-released their earlier albums INXS and Underneath the Colors in the United States. In September of 1984 INXS became the first international rock band to play in Guam. In July of 1985 the band's Sydney performance for the Live Aid benefit concert was broadcast worldwide.
Despite the group's growing popularity, they continued their intense recording and touring schedules. In October of 1985 they released Listen Like Thieves, and its first single, "This Time." By the end of the year they had taken off on their first headlining tour in the United States. After the hit single "What You Need" was released the following January, Listen Like Thieves reached gold status in the America and eventually went platinum. In May of 1986 INXS performed their "If You Got It, Shake It" world tour.
Kicked into High Gear
They went on to headline the "Australian Made" tour of their home country with eight other Australian bands. Three days before the release of Kick, INXS returned to the United States for the "Calling All Nations" tour. In January of 1988 Kick was certified gold and platinum at the same time, and eventually sold ten million copies worldwide.
The single "Need You Tonight" became the band's first number one song on the U.S. charts. The home video Kick—The Video Flick also had platinum sales. All three of the subsequent singles from Kick—"Devil Inside," "New Sensation," and "Never Tear Us Apart"—reached Billboard's Top Ten. INXS swept the MTV Video Music Awards in September of 1988 with five awards for the "Need You Tonight/Mediate" video. In January the group received its first Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Group.
After 16 months of touring and overwhelming success, the members decided to take a break from each other to pursue their own projects, and rumors began to fly about the band's demise. But in November of 1989 INXS began rehearsals for their next album, X. Released in 1990, the LP was named for the band's tenth anniversary of recording. The single "Suicide Blonde" hit the Top Ten on charts around the world, and X went double-platinum in both the United States and Australia. "We've had this Three Musketeers, or Six Musketeers, attitude for so long, and it's still very strong," Hutchence said in Billboard. "There's never any talk or any question of ever replacing anybody or changing anything."
In 1991 INXS received another Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Performance by a Group." USA Today reported that the band tied for second place in the list of musical artists with the most videos played on MTV. At the time, they had 37 different clips. On tour, INXS became the first international rock band to play in Mexico since the Doors had performed there nearly 20 years before.
In March of 1991, INXS won BPI Awards in Britain for Best International Band, and Hutchence was awarded Best International Male Vocalist. They also received the award for Best International Band at the first Australian Music Awards. Before the end of the year, INXS released a live album and video titled Live Baby Live.
Subjected to Post-Peak Gravity
INXS's next release, Welcome to Wherever You Are, began to mark the group's downward slope from the success of Kick. Its sales fell just short of the platinum mark—a huge success for some bands, but nowhere near the popularity previously achieved by the band. Yet the group was not discouraged. They released Full Moon, Dirty Hearts in 1993, which included two duets for Hutchence: "Please (You've Got That …)" with veteran singer Ray Charles and "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts" with Chrissie Hynde of the rock band the Pretenders.
INXS also made a video album to accompany Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, and nine film directors contributed to the project for the 12 songs on the album. It was showcased on MTV, Australia's Channel Nine, and in selected movie theaters.
By 1994 INXS had switched record labels from Atlantic to Mercury/Polygram. They released a greatest hits album simply titled INXS: The Greatest Hits, with the addition of two new songs. The band took another long break before releasing their next effort, Elegantly Wasted, in 1997. The release received some criticism for continuing in the band's 1980s style. In the band's record company biography, Andrew Farriss admitted that their musical style had not progressed: "Some of it could be us 12, 13 years ago!" But he added that "to keep changing just because you think you have to is not necessarily a good thing."
Some critics commented that the group never fit into the musical fashion of their time. They called them "ahead of their time" and "dated" all in the same few paragraphs. "I don't think we've ever fit in," Hutchence said in the band's bio. "Maybe it's a generational thing. Or maybe it's because there's always been the six of us, pulling in six different directions."
A Tragic Ending
On November 22, 1997, INXS received an unexpected shock. Singer Hutchence had committed suicide in a hotel room in Sydney, Australia. The band had gathered in their hometown to begin rehearsals for their 20th anniversary tour. "Michael was the consummate rock star," Australian rock historian Glenn A. Baker told the Associated Press. "He floated above the pressures. Why he would choose this moment to throw in the towel I think will always remain a mystery."
INXS had plowed through records and tours for 20 years, cemented by the relationships of its six members. At the time of Hutchence's death, they weren't quite at the peak of popularity they had achieved in the late 1980s, but they were still one of the world's top live draws. INXS limped on, with vocalist Terence Trent D'Arby fronting the band for a 1999 tour and Jon Stephens filling Hutchence's spot for some appearances in the early 2000s before departing to go solo. In 2005 the band made the controversial decision to seek out a new frontman via auditions on a U.S. reality television show. Rock Star: INXS was broadcast on the CBS network in the summer of 2005.
"We figured our old fans would be pissed off, but, in the end, we finally had great rock and roll on television, and someone had to come along and knock that American Idol crap out of the way," Tim Farriss explained to Michael Molenda of Guitar Player. On September 20, 2005, INXS took on new lead vocalist, J.D. Fortune, formerly a radio operator in Canada's armed forces. The revitalized band signed with the Epic label and released the album Switch.
Critical and fan consensus held that Hutchence could never really be replaced, but Matt Collar of All Music Guide conceded that "vocally, Fortune does match some of Hutchence's deep soul leanings, although he's more leaden and doesn't have any of the higher-end, blue-eyed soul that was Hutchence's trademark." With Switch rising to number 17 on Billboard's album chart, the durable group that was INXS seemed not to have reached the end of its run.
Selected discography
| INXS |
Who is the mother of actress Vanessa Redgrave? | Australian rock music | australia.gov.au
Australian rock music
Baby Boomers
Australian rock music
Rennie Ellis (1940-2003), Angus Young, Los Angeles, 1978, colour photograph. Image courtesy of the Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive and the National Library of Australia: nla.pic-vn4103400.
Australian rock music has its roots in the 1950s and '60s when the style of music was growing in popularity around the world.
In the 1970s Australian rock bands became well known for classic hard rock. By the 1980s Australian music developed its own distinctive rock sound and became popular the world over.
First appearing in the United States of America, rock music was a fusion of white country and western music with black rhythm and blues music. These days, rock music is harder to define. Over the years it has influenced and been influenced by many other styles – elements of pop, funk, folk and world music can all be heard in many songs that are classified as rock songs.
The first Australian rock 'n rollers
In these early days, performers like Johnny O'Keefe and The Easybeats were easy to categorise as rockers, with songs such as Wild one, Shout and Friday on my mind mimicking the heavy-guitar sound and strong beat produced by rock performers in the USA and Britain.
Johnny O'Keefe went on to become the first Australian artist to appear in the Australian Top 40 (Wild one), the first to be signed and record for an international label (US Liberty) and was the first rock and roll artist to host his own radio program (Rockville Junction on ABC Radio).
The Easybeats, who met as immigrants at Sydney's Villawood Migrant Hostel in 1964, became famous worldwide. Other Australian rock bands to hit the big time during the 1960s and the 1970s included The Masters Apprentices, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Daddy Cool and Skyhooks.
Classic Australian rock
Jimmy Barnes onstage.
Image courtesy of Cold Chisel.
Cold Chisel formed in Adelaide in 1973 under the name of Orange. Their music was characterised by meaningful lyrics, catchy tune and the aggressive singing style of their lead singer, Jimmy Barnes. One of their classic songs, Khe Sanh, tells the story of a Vietnam veteran and his struggles after the war. Cold Chisel is also responsible for many other Australian rock anthems.
Perhaps the most internationally well known hard rock band Australia has produced is AC/DC. Formed in 1973, the band began with brothers Angus and Malcolm Young and Dave Evans. Although the band's lead singer Bon Scott died in 1980, AC/DC has lived on for over three decades, performing to packed halls and rapt fans around the world. They deliver no-nonsense, hard rock - the oddity being the school boy uniform worn by now legendary guitarist Angus Young.
Intriguing Australian rock and the 1980s
The 1980s was a decade when Australian rock gained confidence and world-wide attention. Nick Cave, Melbourne musician and lead singer of alternative rock band The Bad Seeds, said that before the 1980s 'Australia still needed America or England to tell them what was good.'
The 'Aussie Assault' on the world rock stage included bands such as Men At Work, Midnight Oil, INXS, Crowded House and New Zealand's Split Enz. Alternative Australian rock bands such as The Triffids, The Church, Hunters and Collectors, Celibate Rifles, The Saints and Laughing Clowns also contributed a great deal to the unique sound evolving in Australian music.
'The fickle European rock press devoured the unusual sounds and, intriguing lyrics that captured Australia's intimidating landscape' that belonged to The Triffids and other bands. The Triffids were big business in England, Holland, Germany, France and particularly Scandinavia, particularly with their album Born sandy devotional. In Belgium, they played to 70,000 fans. Midnight Oil, then one of the biggest names in Australia, was billed below the band. Bernard Zuel wrote (Sydney Morning Herald, 26 Jun 2006); 'the band that was seen internationally as capturing the Australian landscape and personality better than anyone else couldn't get past the myopic radio and mainstream media back home'. A remastered Born sandy devotional described by Uncut magazine as 'a desolate masterpiece from one of the great lost bands of the 80's' was released in July 2006.
In the 1980s, The Church, with their paisley shirts and catchy melodies, built a devoted fan base in both Europe and America. The commercial high point for The Church was in 1988 with the album Starfish and the single Under the Milky Way which was a hit in the USA, and sold more than a million copies. On the back of Starfish, The Church toured Europe and the US relentlessly.
Australian band Men At Work were part of the worldwide popularity of Australian rock in the early 1980s, with their anthem Down under introducing listeners around the world to Vegemite sandwiches. Their sound was an interesting mix of styles, with a slight reggae beat, very Australian lyrics and the shrill sounds of a flute. Other hits they produced included Who can it be now? and It's a mistake. Men At Work are still the only Australian artists with No.1 singles and albums in both America and England.
Midnight Oil performing at a concert at the Orange Town Hall, November 1985. Photo by Ant Healy. Image courtesy of Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Hunters and Collectors carved a path and place for themselves in Australian rock culture as 'the thinking man's pub band'. Many of their songs, such as Throw your arms around me are Australian rock classics.
Midnight Oil used rock music to tell a story and send a message. Songs such as Put down that weapon, Blue sky mining, Beds are burning and River runs red made popular music charts around the world.
The band's lead singer Peter Garrett said, 'Rock and Roll has traditionally been about cars and girls and now we were... trying to make it about something else as well.' The band used music to raise awareness of environmental and political issues, often performing with Aboriginal rock bands such as Warumpi.
INXS toured around the world, to huge crowds. Their lead singer Michael Hutchence had rock-star attitude, looks and a voice to match. In Australia alone, over a period of 25 years, INXS had 38 Top 40 hits. On top of this they received Grammy nominations and MTV music awards in the USA, six consecutive top ten UK and US albums, 17 Billboard hits and 23 UK Top 40 songs. In 2005 they launched a worldwide search for a permanent new lead singer, replacing Michael Hutchence who died in 1997.
Female led bands such as The Divinyls, The Baby Animals, Do-Re-Mi and more recently Spiderbait and Killing Heidi are also responsible for many Australian and international hits. Chrissie Amphlett, lead singer of The Divinyls said of the 1980s, 'You didn't have to be a really slick singer but you could develop your style. Everything was very possible again and it was raw... it was a really great period that bred a lot of creativity.'
The new generation
The lines where rock music ends and other styles begin is blurring today. Bands like Regurgitator use heavy guitar and electronic music to create their own unique sound, while Yothu Yindi, who had hits in the 1990s, use traditional Aboriginal music and language as the basis for their songs.
Janet from Spiderbait recording at Radio star studios in 2003. Image courtesy of Spiderbait.
The new generation band Spiderbait had their first Australian number one hit in 2004. Black Betty, an African American work song first recorded in 1933, was later recorded by various artists including Ram Jam (1977), Nick Cave (1986) and Tom Jones (2002). Spiderbait's version has a fast beat and heavy guitar rock sound. Other bands such as Jet, Bodyrockers, Magic Dirt, Powderfinger and Jebediah are just a few of the latest batch of Aussie rock bands that are charting hits in the new millennium, many of them, like Spiderbait, coming back to the heavy rock sound that was forged in the 1970s and '80s.
Useful links
| i don't know |
In which country did David Beckham marry Victoria Adams? | Biography And Marriage of Victoria And David Beckham
7/10/2011: The Beckhams announced the birth of their fourth child, a daughter.
Born:
David Robert Joseph Beckham: May 2, 1975 in Leytonstone, London, England.
Victoria Caroline Adams aka Posh Spice: April 17, 1974 in Hertfordshire, England.
How David and Victoria Met:
David on meeting Victoria in November 1996: "My wife picked me out of a soccer sticker book. And I chose her off the telly ... It felt straight away like we'd always been meant to be together."
Source: David Beckham, Tom Watt. Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography.
continue reading below our video
7 Tips for a Harmonious Divorce
2004. pg. 83.
Victoria and David started dating in 1997 by going on low-keyed dates -- driving around, talking, going to a pub, dinner out, going to the movies. They talked a lot on the telephone.
David proposed on one knee. They were engaged on January 25, 1998. The Beckham engagement party was held at Rookery Hall in Nantwich.
Victoria and David did not cut their engagement cake. Instead, they donated it to a fund raising event for Goostrey Community Primary School in Cheshire. The cake is "a replica of the hall with Victoria sitting at the top and David sitting behind her."
Source: BBC.co.uk
Wedding Date:
With 29 close friends and family members at the wedding ceremony, David and Victoria were married on July 4, 1999 at the 560-acre estate of the 1794, gothic Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland outside Dublin, Ireland. The wedding ceremony was presided over by the Bishop of Cork Paul Colton Victoria was 25 and David was 24 when they married.
Gary Neville was their best man and their 4-month old son Brooklyn was their ring bearer . Victoria and David sat on Golden thrones on a raised platform with Brooklyn's crib at their side.
The bridesmaid was Victoria's sister Louise. Louise's daughter Liberty and David's niece Georgia were dressed as angels and served as flower girls .
"As they became man and wife, a single dove was released as a symbol of their love. Posh Spice -- one of the architects of the 'girl-power' philosophy -- stuck to her principles and did not pledge to 'obey' the Manchester United player. The new Mr. and Mrs. Beckham both shed tears after exchanging vows."
Source: BBC.co.uk
Wedding Attire:
Victoria wore a crown and a tightly fitting ivory wedding dress designed by Vera Weng. Victoria's attire was matched by David's ivory and cream suit. He later changed into a purple suit because Brooklyn threw up on him. Their party outfits were designed by Antonio Berardi.
Brooklyn was wearing a purple cowboy hat.
Wedding Reception:
David and Victoria had an elaborate and expensive wedding reception with 437 staff serving. All guests at the reception were asked to dress in black or white. The menu included Laurent Perrier rose champagne and sticky toffee pudding.
Their wedding cake was topped with a nude (except for a few ivy leaves) sculpture of the newlyweds.
Guests at the reception numbered approximately 230 and included David and Debbie Seamon, the Spice Girls, and Sir Bobby Charlton. The wedding reception featured an 18-piece orchestra. Guests were able to disco later on in the evening. The reception ended with a fireworks display.
David and Victoria didn't want to receive any presents. They preferred to receive shopping vouchers.
Children:
Victoria and David have three sons and a daughter.
Brooklyn Joseph Beckham: Born in 1999 in London, England. His godfather is Elton John and his godmother is Elizabeth Hurley.
Romeo James Beckham: Born in 2002 in London, England. His godfather is Elton John and his godmother is Elizabeth Hurley.
Cruz David Beckham: Born in 2005 in Madrid, Spain.
Harper Seven Beckham: Born in 2011 in Los Angeles, California.
Occupations:
David: Professional soccer (footballer) player. He owns soccer academies in London and in Los Angeles. Has his own aftershave scent, David Beckham Instinct.
Victoria: As "Posh Spice", performed with the Spice Girls, dancer, composer.
The Matching Thing:
David and Victoria enjoy wearing matching clothes such as baseball caps, sarongs, and leathers. They have matching diamond rings, had matching haircuts at one time, and matching Rottweilers, Puffy and Snoop Doggy Dog.
Denise Knowles, a relationship counsellor and sex therapist, said of their need to be matching, "When couples get together they want to be of each other's lives. But this can lead to their stifling each other ... If they are too busy trying to create a mirror image and concentrating too much on what's on the surface, emotionally things could go wrong."
Source: BBC.co.uk
Residences:
In March 2012, The Mirror reported that Victoria and David decided to make Los Angeles, California their full-time residence.
David and Victoria are selling their mansion in Hertfordshire, England and their home in France. Once known as Rowneybury House and now called Beckingham Palace, the Beckhams added indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a petting zoo to the 22-acre estate they bought in 2003.
In April 2007, they spent $22 million on their Italian Villa home in Beverly Hills, California.
Quotes About the Marriage of David and Victoria Beckham:
David about giving gifts: "If you love someone, you want to treat them, surprise them, remind them how you feel, whether that means a weekend away somewhere, or a bowl of fruit in the morning laid out in the shape of a heart. I know Victoria thinks I'm romantic like that."
Source: David Beckham, Tom Watt. Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography. 2004. pg. 91.
David about their marriage: "People can say what they like. But me and Victoria will always stay together as husband and wife ... We'll always stick together."
| Ireland |
Which of the disciples of Jesus was the brother of Andrew? | Victoria Adams and David Beckham Wedding - Celebrity Bride Guide
Victoria Adams and David Beckham Wedding
July 4, 1999
“It Had To Be You”
Groom’s Attire
Bishop of Cork, Paul Colton
Planner
Luttrelstown Castle
Victoria Adams and David Beckham were married on July 4, 1999 at the 560-acre Luttrellstown Castle , just outside of Dublin, Ireland. Twenty-nine close friends and family witnessed the event, which was held in a private room of the castle decorated with rose petals and silver birch trees. Victoria arrived at the castle in a burgundy vintage Bentley, with her sister and maid of honor, Louise, and David’s two nieces who were flower girls.
The bride walked down a 60-foot walkway covered in flowers, as a harp and violin duo played Mozart, Bach and Handel. She made her grand entrance wearing a champagne colored strapless Vera Wang gown with a 20-foot train. In her hair, she wore an 18-carat gold crown encrusted with diamonds by jeweler Slim Barrett. The groom wore an ivory and cream suit. Brooklyn, the couple’s baby son, wore a white suit by Antonio Berardi and slept peacefully through the ceremony.
The wedding was officiated by the Bishop of Cork, Paul Colton, and at the conclusion of the tearful vows, a single white dove was released. In celebration, a purple heraldic flag was raised above the castle with the letters ‘V.B.D.’ — for Victoria, Brooklyn and David.
A reception was held for 230 guests, all of whom were asked to wear black and white, including Spice Girls Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown, and Sir Bobby Charlton. The affair itself employed 400 staff members and was coordinated by Bentley’s Entertainment and Sternberg Clarke. The reception room was filled with cushions the size of double beds, purple carpets and two golden thrones for the newlyweds. A crib for baby Brooklyn was set up at their side.
For the reception, the couple changed into party outfits by Antonio Berardi. David wore a purple suit, and his son wore a purple cowboy hat.
Dinner was catered by chef Jason Reynolds and included red pepper soup, turkey breast, grilled Mediterranean vegetables, and Beckham’s favorite — sticky toffee pudding with a terrine of summer berries. For dessert, a wedding cake was served with a nude sculpture of the couple on top.
The couple shared their first dance to “It Had To Be You,” performed by The Starlight Orchestra. At the end of the evening, hundreds of red balloons were released into the air, and a fireworks display lit up the sky.
The couple spent their wedding night in the castle’s Royal Suite before honeymooning in a villa in the South of France.
| i don't know |
What is Dr Doom's first name? | Doctor Doom (Character) - Comic Vine
Doctor Doom
Character » Doctor Doom appears in 2809 issues .
The very mention of his name makes lesser men tremble! The brilliant scientist with the iron mask and the twisted brain! Master of science and sorcery, Victor Von Doom is the monarch of Latveria, and the eternal nemesis of the Fantastic Four!
The Doctor Doom wiki last edited by dreadpool10 on 09/05/16 04:05PM View full history
Origin
Old friends, now enemies
Victor was the child of Gypsy travelers in Latveria , a small European country. Victor's mother, Cynthia, was killed soon after she called upon the demon Mephisto for power. She left Victor with his father, asking him to protect him from Mephisto. Victor's father, Werner, was a doctor who was called upon by King Vladimir of Latveria to treat his wife. Unable to do so, Werner fled with Victor and died soon afterward trying to protect his son. Victor was left with his father's best friend Boris. Victor later discovered his mother's mystical books and artifacts. With them he was able to teach himself sorcery. He made several unsuccessful attempts to free his mother's soul from Mephisto.
Victor excelled in science, developed several inventions, and was eventually given a scholarship to Empire State University . While attending this school Victor met Reed Richards, who would later become his enemy, Mr. Fantastic . In school, they were considered scholarly rivals. One day, Victor designed an invention to rescue his mother which would become his greatest downfall. Richards attempted to warn Victor of an error in his calculations. However, Von Doom's arrogance refused to let him listen. The machine then exploded, scarring his face, and led to his expulsion from the university.
Von Doom later went to Tibet and found an old order of monks. He practiced their ways enough for him to become their leader. Von Doom then asked them to make his first suit of armor. Eager to wear the suit, Doom placed the still-hot steel faceplate to his face, making him even more scarred than before. As Dr. Doom, he then killed Baron Vladimir and imprisoned his son Rudolfo , and gained control over Latveria. Rudolfo would escape and lead a rebellion and become a thorn in Doom's side for years till his death. Later, Rudolfo's younger brother Zorba would take over where his brother left off. Doom using his intellect and inventions, turned Latveria into a thriving nation.
Creation
Doctor Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #5 . The primary inspiration for Doctor Doom was Doc Savage's archenemy John Sunlight .
Character Evolution
Doctor Doom fought the Fantastic Four many times in this era.
Bronze Age
Doctor Doom starred with Namor the Sub-Mariner , and other characters, in Super-Villain Team Up , as well as a few graphic novels such as Emperor Doom and Triumph and Torment . The idea of the Doombot is expanded.
Modern Age
Doctor Doom's magical abilities are explored more and his plans take on a more global aspect with his membership in the Cabal and his attack on Wakanda .
Major Story Arcs
The Fantastic Four
Ruler of the Microverse
While on a quest to conquer the world, Doom had several run-ins with his former rival, Reed Richards and his super team, the Fantastic Four . He first tried to get the Fantastic Four to steal some gems which were originally Merlin's from the past and would bring him great power, but this plan ended in failure.
He teamed up with other superhero, Namor , to try to defeat the Four and almost succeeded. He was defeated and stranded in space where he was rescued by the Ovoids . He was able to learn much of their technology and used it upon his return to Earth to try to defeat the Fantastic Four again. He switched bodies with Reed Richards and impersonated him. He planned to shrink the rest of the team into nothingness, but the plan backfired and it was Doom who was shrunken.
After being shrunken, Doom had entered the Microverse , a land of peace ripe for the taking. After befriending the King and Princess Pearla he became the court magician (because of his advanced science that was unknown to them). He had their people build his weapons for him and soon turned on this royal friends and shrunk them further, taking control of their planet. He then built another machine to tamper with the lives of the Fantastic Four, which eventually brought them to his doorstep. Once captured, he planned to trade the Four to the Lizard Men of Tok, brutal conquerors of the Microverse, in exchange for allegiance. Of course the Fantastic Four were able to escape. Once Doom noticed they had, he returned to the normal world, not giving up on his plans of revenge. He began his plans immediately, kidnapping Alicia Masters to his Flying Fortress and warning the Fantastic Four to not interfere if they wish to see her again. He then sent a note to the President of the United States demanding a spot in the cabinet or else he would wage war against the country. After he received no response, Doom attacked the US mainframe, taking control of it's electricity and weapons. The Fantastic Four were helpless, Doom having used his 'followers' to map their atomic structures, making it impossible for them to attack him without being disintegrated.
Doom aids the FF against the Overmind
But Reed outsmarted Doom again, transforming the Thing back into Ben Grimm temporarily, enabling him to breach Doom's defenses and allow the rest of the team entrance. Doom still had booby traps for the team but they still were able to reach him. Doom went to grab Alicia, knowing they would never risk her safety, only to find the Invisible Woman had switched places with her. Doom was defeated again and rather than be captured and humiliated he jumped from the Fortress to escape.
The most unusual Fantastic Four-Doctor Doom tale occurred in Fantastic Four #116 . The Earth was in grave danger from the foe called Overmind . He was so powerful that he even took control of Mr. Fantastic's will and made him his lackey. However, Agatha Harkness appeared to the Invisible Girl and urged her to contact Doctor Doom, the one person who could help. Susan went to Doom and at first he refused her request for aid, but she was eventually able to convince him to change his mind. Doom led the Human Torch , the Thing and the Invisible Girl in battle against the Overmind.
Enemies with the Silver Surfer
One of his enemies was the Silver Surfer . He was able to steal the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic and become one of the most powerful beings on Earth, but again, his plan was stopped by the Fantastic Four. They managed to trick him into flying outside of Earth's boundaries, therefore meaning that since Galactus had placed boundaries to stop the Silver Surfer leaving, Doom's power was lost.
Dr. Doom became the runner-up at the Aged Genghis 's contest. As stated in the rules of the match, he was given one request from the winner, Doctor Strange . Dr. Doom's request was to free his mother's soul from Mephisto. Together, they were able to free the soul of his mother, but at the price of her undying hatred against her son.
Secret Wars
Doom sporting his short-lived Secret Wars look
During the events of Secret Wars , Doom was one of the villains kidnapped by the Beyonder and sent to Battleworld . He quickly began manipulating the events of the series to his own ends, and ended up briefly sporting a new look after his armor was damaged and hastily rebuilt. Doom soon encountered Klaw , and used the villain as part of a plot to steal the powers of both the Beyonder and Galactus. Doom was thwarted when the Beyonder stole Klaw's body and tricked Doom into giving up his new found Godhood.
Heroes Reborn
When the threat of Onslaught arrived on Earth, Doom saw this as an opportunity to steal the being's powers. When Earth's heroes learned they must sacrifice themselves to defeat Onslaught, Iron Man decided Doom should help with that sacrifice. Iron Man grabbed Doom and pulled him into Onslaught's essence, killing him.
Franklin Richards created a pocket universe for the heroes to live in. Doom remained much as he had before. Unlike most of the heroes, Doom seemed to remember the past events of Onslaught. When Galactus came to Earth to consume it, Doom was met by a future version of himself and given information and technology to help him. Doom first tried to steal the cosmic powers of Galactus' heralds. Soon realizing he was no match for Galactus and realizing the planet was doomed, he travelled back in time to try to prevent this. After two more attempts to stop Galactus and turn it towards his favor, Doom finally worked with the heroes and the Silver Surfer to defeat Galactus. Eventually, after the heroes returned back to their normal Earth, Doom remained behind. He took over the world and moved it from the pocket universe to his original universe with magic and technology, putting it in the same orbit as Earth, only on the opposite side, creating a Counter Earth . Eventually he was overthrown and returned to his rightful planet.
Valeria
Cosmic Doom
During his youth, he fell in love with a woman named Valeria , but she declined his advances. He made a pact with the Hazareth Three, which involved sacrificing her in order to gain more power. This act is generally considered to be the precursor to a new Dr. Doom who regretted the crime against Valeria. It is stated to be the reason for Doom naming Reed's daughter Valeria , after the woman he truly loved but killed. He considers himself to be the self-appointed guardian of young Valeria as he feels this is the way he can atone for the death of his love. However, Marvel has not mentioned exactly what triggered this emotional sentiment in Doom to bring back the memory of Valeria. He became trapped in Hell when he was tricked by the Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange.
When Mjolnir was floating and passing through all realities, it made a hole in hell for Doom to escape. When Mjolnir landed on Earth, Doom tried to claim it, but he was unworthy. He later returned to Latveria and rediscovered his magical heritage to defeat his enemies. He later welcomed Atlanteans to Latveria when their kingdom was destroyed and later aligned himself with Loki to plot against Thor and the release of Asgard 's enemies.
Doom then faced the Mighty Avengers after he released Symbiote from one of his satellites. When Iron Man , Sentry , and Doom were fighting, they were suddenly brought back to the past. The three had to work together to get back to the present by using Mr. Fantastic's time machine from that time line. But when they got back, Doom sent Iron Man to a time when his castle was only moments away from exploding. With Iron Man out of the way, he easily defeated the Avengers. Iron Man however, managed to escape in the nick of time. That, combined with Spider-Woman 's breakout from Doom's prison proved to be the start of his downfall and Doom was finally apprehended.
Civil War
During the Marvel Civil War, Dr. Doom had been abandoned in hell (Mobius Dimension) by the Fantastic Four. There, he conducted a valiant battle against innumerable demons. He escaped when Thor 's hammer passed through that plane of existence, on its journey to Earth. When back on Earth, he found that his Prime Minister had taken over his country, after two years of Doom being absent. The Minister was about to make serious changes in the government, when Doom intervened. He then set about the task of retrieving the Mjolnir . After fighting SHIELD and the Fantastic Four, he arrived at the hammer only to find he could not lift it. He returned to Latveria, frustrated.
In Latveria he was approached by Black Panther and his wife, Storm to form a united front against the registration act of the US. At the time Black Panther was seeking aide from countries such as the UK and Atlantis. Although Doom agreed with Black Panther, he did not involve himself in combat on US soil during the war.
Dark Reign
In the fallout of Secret Invasion we first see Dr. Doom attending the meeting of the Dark Illuminati . Victor is unimpressed with Norman Osborn's brave new world but plays ball anyways. Following the departure of the other Illuminati, Namor and Doom talk about their real plans. Doom says that if things do not go the way he thinks there will be a battle the likes the universe has never seen.
Upon his return to Latveria, Doom is attacked by Morgana Ley Fay after she had attempted to murder him in the past. The powerful witch blasts Doom and knocks him down for the count. As Morgana moves in for the kill Doom is saved by Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers . Dr. Doom has also been working with groups of B-Ranked super-villains since the Secret Invasion. He smashed up the Sinister Six , ( Kraven , Doc Ock ., Sandman , Chameleon , Vulture , and Mysterio ) before telling them he just had plans for them. Doom gives them instructions and helps them enhance their powers while he uses them to further his agenda.
After this we see Dr. Doom teamed up with the Circus of Crime searching for the secret of eternal life. They come into a clash with Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil . It is revealed that the battle between the two groups was a test set-up by Doom to see who he would recruit. Even though the Circus won (with a very great deal of help from Doom.) Doom recruits the Masters of Evil but also extends his hand to Python Princess . Doom had one last meeting with Norman and his Cabal, but still refused to side with Norman. To show off his power, Norman unleashed his 'secret weapon' on Doom and defeated him. But Doom was obviously prepared for this sort of attack, sending a Doombot in his place. The Doombot unleashed advanced technology to attack the Cabal and Norman's Dark Avengers. Doom had made it clear that no one controls Doctor Doom.
The Master of Doom
The Marquis of Death as the new Doom
After his initial capture and release for war crimes, Doom revealed that he had been taught everything by a master who would soon be returning. His master, he said, was far more powerful and evil than even himself. But when his master returned, known as the Marquis of Death , he was displeased with what Doom had been doing in the two decades since they parted. He expected Doom to be the vicious ruler of the Earth, no the ruler of a small country constantly defeated by heroes such as the Fantastic Four.
After mentally toying with him, he beat Doom and banished him to prehistoric times to die. With his new apprentice, the Marquis of Death began to torment the Fantastic Four as punishment. The Fantastic Four were able to defeat Doom's master, only to find that the new apprentice was Doom himself. After being banished to the past, he spent millions of years growing in power and sorcery, planning his deceptive move against his former master. Now weakened by his defeat at the hands of the Fantastic Four, Doom killed his master, who was finally pleased with his former student.
Fall of the Hulks
Doom
Long ago, Doom was approached by the Leader and his super villain group the Intelligencia . They planned to steal the lost information of the Library of Alexandria and needs a safe place to store it, which Doom could provide in Latveria. Doom did not participate on any of the missions to obtain the information. When the last piece of info was retrieved, Doom betrayed them. He took the information for himself and had his guards attack the other members. Recently, the group reformed and with their technology and expertise created the Red Hulk and the Red She-Hulk . They planned to 'lobotomize' the competition and capture eight of Earth's greatest minds, including Doom.
Doom was attacked by the Hulk , who turned out to be the Cosmic Hulk , controlled by MODOK and the Leader. Doom was able to absorb the robot's energy but at the same time took the bait and absorbed a 'neural anesthetizer' that diminished his mental abilities. Lacking the needed intelligence to operate his devices or remember his magical incantations, Doom was captured by the Cosmic Hulk and transported to the location of the Intelligencia. In his captivity, Doom's now diminished mind can only think of revenge against Bruce Banner , whom he mistakenly blames for his abduction.
Doom and the other geniuses were all attached to a device on the Intelligencia's Hellcarrier. Inside the device was a fantasy world to control them, but Doom was not convinced by the illusion. But the device slowly drained their intelligence. Doom knew the world was fake but did not have the intelligence left to make an escape plan. He convinced Bruce that he was the only one with the mental capacity to release them, since he had not been in the machine as long. Bruce finally did what was needed and allowed their escape. In classic Doom fashion, he attempted to use the machine to transfer all the other geniuses knowledge into his own mind. Doom had not realized that his mental abilities were still diminished from the earlier attack and hooked himself to the machine incorrectly, further frying his own brain. He once again swore revenge on Bruce Banner, this time the real one, before the Red She-Hulk punched Doom through the wall and sent him plummeting to Earth.
Doomwar
Doom's imagination, Doomworld
When Doom learned of a xenophobic group of Wakandans known as the Desturi, he began his plans for gaining access to the Vibranium supplies of Wakanda. Vibranium has the ability to be magically charged and has infinite power potential, something Doom has figured how to do and could be virtually unstoppable with the vast amounts of Vibranium located in Wakanda. Doom funded the Desturi to begin their revolt and takeover. Doom developed nanite cameras which were dispersed into all Wakandans which made them unknowing spies for Doom. With all the security information of Wakanda available to him, he was able to gain access to the vault that contains the country's Vibranium. Doom has no interest in ruling Wakanda. If all goes according to his plans, he will take the Vibranium and turn the country into a wasteland. Having captured Storm, Doom demands she open the last locks. But she cannot open it. Doom discovers that to enter the vault 'Only Through Purity Unencumbered by Pretense May You Pass,' something Doom could never enter.
Mystical Vibranium Armor
But Doom has not planned this for so long to be stopped now. He strips himself, leaving him totally vulnerable and enters the doorway. There he is met by the Panther God of Wakanda, Bast , who is able to probe Doom's mind and soul for his impurities and bad intentions. At first glance, Bast calls Doom a monster, having caused countless deaths and caused much harm to friends and enemies alike. But Doom convinces Bast to look further, opening himself totally to show that the ends justify the means. In countless futures viewed by Doom, humanity has destroyed itself - except one. The alternate future of Doomworld where Doom reigns supreme is the only chance to save the human race. Though Bast does not approve of Doom's methods, Doom truly believes he can be the savior of mankind, and has passed the test. The
Vibranium is now in the hands of Doom. Working with the Broker , Doom begins his ritual to magically enhance the Vibranium and begin his conquest of the world. The ritual was successful and soon Doom had the power to control every bit of Vibranium on the planet and make it come to life, simultaneously attacking every country and team on Earth. Doom described the power as being even greater than when he took the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic or when he possessed a Cosmic Cube.
The Black Panther and Shuri gathered their allies to the borders of Latveria in an attempt to draw Doom out since they dared not wage open war with Latveria. With all his power and might, Doom accepted the challenge and planned to remove his enemies once and for all. With the incredible power he possessed and an army of Doombots, Doom easily had his enemies on the edge of defeat. But the Black Panther did the unexpected. He used Doom's great power as his own power source to make all the processed Wakandan Vibranium on Earth useless, thus sacrificing the source of Wakanda's economy. Doom had been defeated and also had lost hundreds of billions of dollars in the process.
Reborn and joining the Future Foundation
The Agreement
The transfer overload to Doom damaged his brain and left him severely diminished in mental capacity. He called for Kristoff from exile to take his place until he could find a way to return his intelligence. Meanwhile, A future version of Franklin Richards had warned Valeria Richards that there was an upcoming problem and that 'All Hope Lies in Doom.' The Fantastic Four had disbanded after the seeming death of the Human Torch, and so it was of the essence to bring Doom in the fold. When Valeria arrived to ask for Doom's help, she noticed that he was struggling to follow her words and she learned that he was recently brain damaged. In exchange for his help to save her father, she offered to find a way to restore his intelligence.
With the help of Mr. Fantastic (and the convincing of Nathaniel Richards), they used Kristoff as a back up to restore Doom's intelligence. As part of his bargain, he joined the Future Foundation to assist Valeria in saving the world. The threat finally emerged in the last surviving members of the Council , an inter-dimesional gathering of all the Reed Richards' of the multiverse. Upon investigation, one Reed managed to fool Doom into allowing him to place a control collar on him, as he had done with many other alternate versions of Doom throughout the multiverse.
Infinity Gauntlet
Under the alternate Reed's control, they traveled to Latveria and were met by Nathaniel Richards, who helped assist them in returning to their own universe. Doom was finally released from the collar when they were all forced to stop the invasion of the Mad Celestials , enemies of the Council bent on destroying all versions of Reed Richards. Doom stayed behind to fight off the Celestials on his own while the others escaped and tried to close the portal behind them. While it was known that Doom must die to save the Earth, Valeria told him to find a way to survive, something Doom undoubtedly meant to do in the first place.
While all believed Doom sacrificed himself for the greater good, Doom did indeed survive. Not only did he find the Infinity Gauntlet of one of the expired Reed's, he also discovered their collection of lobotomized Dooms from alternate dimensions. Doom began his preparations for the future.
AXIS
Doom's Avengers
During the events of AXIS , Doom is temporarily transformed into a heroic figure after being exposed to the Inversion wave that was unleashed during the battle with Red Onslaught . To this end, he and Valeria partner with Phil Coulson to form a new team of Avengers after the originals are captured by the Inverted Sam Wilson . The Avengers are able to steal a portion of the Inverted Scarlet Witch 's power, which Doom uses to resurrect Cassie Lang , a young heroine he had killed during the Children's Crusade . He is also responsible for resurrecting Brother Voodoo , who plays a key role in defeating Scarlet Witch and bringing an end to the crisis. Doom ultimately helps undo the Inversion despite realizing that it will cause him to return to his own ways, and is last seen back in Latveria with the Red Skull as his prisoner.
Powers and Abilities
Sorcery: Doctor Doom's potential in the mystic arts comes from the Roma (i.e. Gypsies) heritage of his mother. He learned these abilities from his time with a secret order of monks in Tibet. He further developed his abilities by traveling through time and learning lost Dark Arts. Doctor Strange originally considered him magically proficient but only a mid-level mage, but now considers Doom one of the most powerful practitioners of sorcery and a potential Sorcerer Supreme. His knowledge and power is great enough to hold his own against the likes of Morgan le Fay and Doctor Voodoo , the current Sorcerer Supreme. His knowledge of spell-craft likely surpasses Doctor Strange's, former Sorcerer Supreme. However, he considers his scientific abilities to be more important and has devices that do many of the same things. In Marvel Avengers Alliance, Doctor Doom displayed some magical abilities such as Magic Bolt, Ring Imperial, and Steal Essence.
He has displayed sorcery in the following ways:
Mystical Blasts
Mystical Ensnaring
Mystical Portals
Mind Transference: By training with an alien race, Doom has gained the ability to switch his mind with that of another nearby human being with whom he's made eye contact, a process which he learned from the alien Ovoids . However, Doom prefers his own body and only uses this transference power as a last resort.
Doom has also displayed mind control abilities by hypnotizing his victim.
Genius-level Intellect: Doctor Doom's most dangerous weapon is his genius-level intellect. He is easily one of the top mortal minds on the planet. Doom has constructed hundreds of devices, including a working time machine (the first of its kind on Earth), devices which can imbue people with superpowers, and many types of robots. His most frequently used robots are his "Doombots," exact mechanical replicas of the real Doctor Doom. They look like him, talk like him, and even act like him. Individually, Doombots have an advanced AI (artificial intelligence) so that each one believes itself to be the real Doom. As a safety measure, each Doombot has a dampener program that is triggered whenever the real Doom (or another Doombot) is nearby. These "body doubles" appear when Doom cannot be present or is unwilling to risk his own life, and are often responsible for Doom's return from certain death. Another common type of robot used is the Servo-Guard, the police force of Latveria. Doom specializes in physics, robotics, cybernetics, genetics, weapons technology, biochemistry, and time travel. He also has natural talents for leadership, strategy, politics, and manipulation.
Superhuman Strength: While in his armor, Doom can lift up to 2 tons.
Cosmic powers: Doctor Doom has been known to be in possession of a vast number of different cosmic devices. Some of these devices are the Makluan rings, the cosmic cube, and two Infinity Gauntlets. He also seems to know a lot about these devices.
Physical Description
Armor
Doom Armor
Doom's armor contains many gadgets. His armor is on par with Iron Man Armor . Typically, his armor contains a strength augmentation apparatus, which allows him to bench up to nearly 100 tons, concealed waist-rockets, a concealed jet pack, twin nuclear power generators, a device to electrify the exterior of the suit, laser blasters in each gauntlet, a force field, protective visors, an air supply, and various kinds of sensors, such as infrared. However, Doom has also customized his armor at various times, to include such gadgets as boot-rockets, a gauntlet-concealed hypnosis device, etc. These are the various accessories and capabilities of his armor:
Enhanced Strength: Gives Dr. Doom the ability to lift (press) a couple of tons.
Durability: The armor is fashioned of a high-strength titanium alloy.
Video Communicator: Built into the right wrist is a video communicator, which he can use to stay in contact with his bases from any point on Earth.
Electric Shock: The outer surface of the armor can generate a massive electric shock on command. In Marvel Avengers Alliance, Dr. Doom is shown to generate an Arc Lightning ability similar to an electric shock.
Jet-packs: The typical suit of armor has twin jet-packs mounted at the waist, though other suits (or modifications of the original suit) contain a single jet-pack mounted on the back.
Concussive Blasts: Concussive bolts of force can be fired from the gauntlets and faceplate of the armor, though the mask only generates force blasts when it is not being worn.
Force-field: The suit's best defense is the force-field generated by the armor, which has a maximum radius of eight feet (and so can encompass others); Doom cannot attack without lowering his force-field.
Infrared Vision: Infrared scanners in the helmet allow the wearer to detect heat sources, permitting night vision and the ability to see invisible persons (unless they do not give off or can somehow mask their heat signature).
Recycling System: The armor is self-supporting, equipped with internal stores and recycling systems for air, food, water, and energy, allowing the wearer to survive lengthy periods of exposure underwater or in outer space.
Sensor Systems: Optical scanners in the helmet allow the helmet's eyepieces to be used as high-powered telescopes, and parabolic ear amplifiers fitted inside the helmet allow Doom to detect extremely faint sounds and unusual frequencies within the audible range for humans.
Solar Energy Absorption: A thermo-energizer allows the armor to absorb and store solar and heat energy, and use it to power the armor's other systems; this system can only be used while the force-field is deactivated.
Alternate Realities
Earth-295
Victor Von Doom in the Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse reality, Von Doom lived in Latveria in his castle until local mutants attacked and destroyed his home. His parents were slaughtered before him. He never forgot and finally inspired the human insurrection. Becoming the first target to Mikhail plans.
Doctor Doom is an agent of the Human High Council and Eurasian security director. He has facial scars as a result of the mutant uprising in his country, Latveria. With a bunch of humans (marvel heroes alternate versions) infiltrated Mikhail ´s Mothership and then defeated the horseman. Finally the humans fleets escape of Apocalypse´s final attack.
Earth-311
In the 311 reality Doctor Doom is known as Count Otto Von Doom. He kept the Four of the Fantastick (this universe's version of the Fantastic Four) until they escaped when other heroes attacked Otto's castle and this is when Doom got his facial scars. He is affiliated with the Four Who Are Frightful (this universe's version of the Frightful Four ).
Earth-691
Dr. Doom in Wolverine's Skeleton - Earth-691
After the Badoon invasion of Earth, Victor Von Doom had his brain transplanted in Wolverine `s Adamantium skeleton. Doom manipulated a series of events including orchestrating the Badoon and the Punishers to institute a mind control device called Realtiee-Vee, turning those who watched into addicts. After the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Commandeers destroyed one of the main broadcast facilities, Doom kidnapped Rancor and her fellow mutants to help him re-institute the machine.
After the deaths of hundreds of slaves and the continuing broadcast of RTV, Rancor turned on Doom. In the ensuing battle, Doom revealed that he was in possession of her ancestors skeleton, thus making him completely invulnerable. Rancor managed to destroy one of Doom's eyes and after the Guardians of the Galaxy (particularly Yellowjacket ) intervened, Doom escaped, fearing he could lose his other eye and be incapacitated.
Earth-928
Doom 2099
Doctor Doom of the year 2099. He nearly died in an accident but was saved, and toyed with, by a woman he once loved. She healed his injuries and facial scars and at the same time made him younger. However, she also fragmented his memory. After figuring everything out and battling a false Doctor Doom, Doom became president of the United States and made the abysmal year of 2099 a better place.
Earth-938
In this reality Doctor Doom became Sorcerer Supreme instead of Doctor Strange. Baron Mordo felt threatened by Doom and tried to kill him, however Doom placed a device in Mordo that would kill him if Doom ever died and he became Doom's servant. When Dr. Strange came to the Ancient One to fix his hands, he gave the task to Doom and said that his training would be complete. Doom removed Strange's hands and replaced them with mechanical ones, making Strange the greatest surgeon in the world. That wasn't what the Ancient One intended but Doom did the task never the less. Then the world was threatened by a demonic invasion, Doom died saving the world. However, he sent robots to place his memories in Strange's body.
Earth-982
Doctor Doom of the MC2 Universe has a similar history to the original. He was able to take the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer and also unleashed Terrax on the Fantastic Four, but was defeated. He was imprisoned by Namor deep in a trench in the Atlantic Ocean for a decade. Doom eventually escaped and immediately began his new plan of world domination, one he had thought of for ten years.
Upon his escape, he learned that the Fantastic Four were now the Fantastic Five . But this did not deter him and he made an army of Doombots, all with the Power Cosmic. He was able to defeat the Fantastic Five and capture them. He also left their children in space to die, a choice he made Mr. Fantastic make. But the children, led by Franklin Richards escaped. Soon, so did the members of the Fantastic Five.
Doom challenged Reed to use a device he created known as the Infinity Device. It would determine who had the greater intelligence and the losers mind would be transported to the Crossroads of Infinity. Reed accepted the challenge and through the machine, they were able to delve deep into each others thoughts. In the end, both Reed and Doom were comatose, bodies still alive but with no mind. It is unknown if they were too evenly matched or if Reed sacrificed himself to try and save Doom.
Earth-1016
The Exiles fought off an attack from Atlantis to aid Doctor Doom against Namor .
Earth-1298
In this reality, Doom is a superhero and leads his own superhero team.
Ultimate Doom
Earth-1610
In the Ultimate Universe Doctor Doom is known as Victor Van Damme and he is descended from Vlad Tepes Dracula . He was the one who sabotaged the teleporter going to The Negative Zone . The accident that gave the Fantastic Four also gave him powers. In Latveria, he turned it from a third world country into one of the richest countries of the world. Doom in this universe has actual powers: he can make porcupine-like needles and fling them at his enemies, and he can convert his innards into a toxic gas. The toxic gas is so deadly that victims break their backs in the final convulsions. His people revere him as a savior and as "The Good doctor". Briefly, Victor and Reed switch bodies, but Reed was able to return to his own body just in time to fight and defeat the Zombie Fantastic Four. The Zombie Fantastic Four were teleported back to their universe along with Victor, who sacrificed himself to get the zombies into the teleporter. He just wanted to be remembered as the one who saved the world, but Reed and the others did not acknowledge his request and they were subsequently recognized as the ones that saved the world. Although it was never explained Doom manages to return to the ultimate universe and makes a deal with Nick Fury to hot wire one of Reed Richard's probes that were being sent out across the N-zone to find a cure for The Things mutation. After the heroes travel to the Supreme Power universe to rescue Reed from the Squadron Supreme, Doom is shown to have traveled in secret with Nick Fury to the Supreme Power universe where he betrays Fury and begins to fight the heroes of both universes. After Iron Man is defeated Doom finds himself against the Thing who eventually defeats him reveling him to be a Doom Bot instead. Doom then appears at the end of "Ultimates 3", taking responsibility for Ultron's actions mainly the killing of Scarlet Witch. This would later cause Magneto to descend into a fit of madness after the death of both his children causes the the event that became known as Ultimatum. Doom leaves his castle to find the people of Latveria frozen to death, this forces him to recruit Reed and Zarda to bring Fury back from the supreme universe; but before doing so reveals his part in causing the event. After Magneto is killed and earths axis restored, Reed Richards sends the Thing to Latveria to make Doom pay for his crimes. When he arrives, Doom is holding Namor prisoner. Doom goes to confront the Thing but is killed easily when the Thing crushes Dooms head with his bare hands.
Marvel Zombies
Earth-2149
Marvel Zombies Doctor Doom is one of the last remaining survivors of the zombie plague. He barricaded his castle and had harbored human survivors in his plan to repopulate the earth once the zombies super-beings were gotten rid of. He allowed Ash Williams, Dazzler and Scarlet Witch refuge. Doom was forced to kill Dazzler when she got bitten by an infected Enchantress.
When the zombies begin to lay siege on his castle, he built a make-shift dimensional transporter for the human refugees to escape in and even offered to teleport Ash into any reality he wished, to allow him to get his ultimate revenge on Reed Richards. Doom himself didn't want to escape because he was already infected. He was even tempted to bite Ash, but resisted his urges. When Ash left, he destroyed the teleporter and was trapped with the other zombies. He was later seen as one of the other zombie super-beings attacking Galactus , ready to devour him. He was killed by the cosmic-powered zombies.
Earth-2301
Marvel Mangaverse - In this Reality, Doctor Doom is female and is Black Panther's sister T'Channa.
Earth-8311
In this reality, Doctor Doom is turned into an anthropomorphic duck named Ducktor Doom and is the arch nemesis of Spider-Ham .
Earth-8912
In this reality where King Arthur is ruler in the year 2093, Dr. Doom made himself into a cyborg to increase his lifespan. He was ultimately killed by his Earth-616 version.
Earth-9811
In this reality where the Secret War never ended, Victor Von Doom and Enchantress had a son called Malefactor . Malefactor attempted to kill his father and restart the Secret War with the children of all the heroes and villains, however he was defeated and Doctor Doom revealed what happens to those that threaten his life.
House of M Doom
Earth-58163
In the House of M reality Doctor Doom, who created a Liquid Metal he could use as a body armor, is leader of the Fearsome Four which consists of himself, Invincible Woman ( Valeria Von Doom ), Inhuman Torch ( Kristoff Vernard ) and The It ( Thing ). Doom aids Magneto as an ally in the Human-Mutant war. The Fearsome Four are used as a strike force by Magneto to control the other super humans. However, he did not help Magneto in the final battle because he disappeared in the middle of the battle to search for his mother, who was kidnapped by The It.
Earth 187319
A reality were Doom was the leader of the Four Fantastics ( Hulk , Sue, Johnny, and himself), and had altered the human race to make the world a Utopia. Reed Richards (who was that earths mole man) defeated Doom with the help of the Exiles , then destroyed the earth because he couldn't return humanity to the way they were supposed to be.
Challengers of Doom
In an alternate reality, Doom is the leader of a superhero group similar to the Fantastic Four known as the Challengers of Doom . As leader of the team, Doom defends the United States against Russia in a type of Cold War. This reality was destroyed by Galactus due to Doom's mistrust of the Russians.
Death Wish
Death Wish
When Deadpool was shunted into an alternate reality, he met and quickly befriended a green-clad version of himself, and they caused alot of mischief. They were attacked by Death Mask whom was angry at Death Wish for goofing off and not carrying out his assignment, prompting him to kill Death Wish to the great anger of Deadpool. It would be discovered that Death Wish was actually an insane Victor von Doom.
Other Media
Doom was an playable character in the arcade game
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Doom in Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Dr. Doom was the main villain in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance game. He formed the Masters of Evil team; he was the leader along with Loki, Ultron, Enchantress, and Baron Mordo. His first plan was to attack the SHIELD helicarrier so he can use that as an distraction to get to the Omega Base to steal the mutant amplifier and the super soldier serum. Next, he goes to Atlantis to make an deal with Attuma to get an item for aid to help Attuma to become King of Atlantis. His next part of his plan was to kidnap two X-men Nightcrawler and Jean Grey so that he can use Nightcrawler to use the mutant amplifier to create portals to Mephisto Realm so they can get the Twilight Sword from Mephisto so they can use all of the items he stolen to bring down Asgard and Doom can steal Odin's powers.
Then when Doom has his powers, the universe would be destroyed because of Doom's misuse of power. The heroes have to get the crystal from the Shi'ar empire and the ultimate Nullifier from Galactus so they can use the items to steal Doom's powers. When they succeeded, Doom becomes a prisoner of Odin and the universe is saved.
Doom in MUA
Doom was later made a playable character in the Xbox 360 version of the game through Downloadable Content, which was then added to a special Gold Edition. There is an achievement for Dr. Doom talking to himself during the final boss fight.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Doctor Doom is a playable character in the game for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Lego Marvel Superheroes
Dr. Doom appears as a playable character and one of the main villains in Lego Marvel Superheroes. The game starts off with Doom stealing cosmic bricks from the Silver Surfer in order to make a "Doom ray". He hires villains like Loki, Magneto, Sandman, Green Goblin and Venom to help him fight the heroes. When Dr. Doom is defeated, it is revealed that Loki is truly behind the plan.
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Doctor Doom was the main antagonist of Season 1 of the social media turn-based MMORPG, as of December 25th, 2013, he was added to the playable roster through "Impending Lockboxes" using Doctor Doom in the game does come at a price though, as no hero or ex-villain will team up with him.
Films
Fantastic Four
Live action Dr. Doom
Doctor Doom, played by Julian McMahon, is the central antagonist of the 2005 Fantastic Four film. Doom is portrayed as a scientific and romantic rival to Reed Richards, and is involved with Sue Storm. After the accident which douses the Fantastic 4 in cosmic rays, Doom; being on board the shuttle at the time, is also affected. Doom's skin mutates into a form of organic alloy, and he is also able to conduct and project electrical energy from his hands. After trying unsuccessfully to kill Reed Richards and the Fantastic 4, Doom is ultimately rendered immobile after a combination of super heating (via Johnny's supernova) and super-cooling through the use of a torrent of water.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Doom returns in the Rise Of The Surfer film. He was alive at Latveria, and wanted to team up with the Silver Surfer at first but he refused and ambushed Doom. He decided to team up with the Fantastic Four so the can get the powers of the Surfer which come from his board. When he got the board, he was flying around until the FF finally stopped him by using the Johnny's problem when he was confronted by the surfer which gave him the powers to switch the powers of others. Johnny got all of the powers of the FF and got Doom separated from the board, and then went sinking into the ocean.
The Fantastic Four
Toby Kebbell as Doom
British actor Toby Kebbell will portray Doctor Doom in the 2015 reboot The Fantastic Four . This version of the character is named Victor Domashev.
Animation
Various animated depictions of Doctor Doom
As one of the most iconic villains in the Marvel Universe, Doctor Doom has been depicted in numerous TV shows and voiced by a multitude of actors. These include:
| Victor |
Ben Grimm is better known by what name? | Heinz Doofenshmirtz | Phineas and Ferb Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
— Heinz Doofenshmirtz [source]
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, (Dr. D [5] [6] , Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Doofenshmirtz, Heinz or Doof [7] [8] [9] for short), nicknamed Slouchy by Rodney [10] , Heinz the Ocelot [11] is a 47 year old evil scientist hailing from the country of Drusselstein . He is the head of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated . He tends not to be evil in the traditional sense, but rather overly dramatic, eccentric and generally clueless. His imcompetence is showed particularly in " Bullseye! ", when he is seen with Rodney discussing Lawrence's awful performance, with Rodney stating "I didn't think anyone could be more incompetent at being evil than you", and Heinz replying, "Me neither". His usual lair is an office building that he apparently owns, though he's worked from other locations when necessary for his plans. He attempts to wreak generally "evil" havoc and assert his rule across the entire Tri-State Area . Despite true dedication to this mission, almost all of his plans have been thwarted by his nemesis Perry the Platypus , though a few turn out to be successful in nature. (Doofenshmirtz has become so used to this foiling that he tends to feel empty or upset on the few occasions where Perry does not stand in his way.) Dr. Doofenshmirtz seems to quite enjoy musical numbers, and has performed songs about "impressing his professor" and how he hates his brother among other subjects. Though most of his plans are frequently flawful at best and his doctorate was purchased off the internet, some of his inventions (almost always suffixed with "-inator") have been fairly impressive and successful. Online, Doofenshmirtz goes by the names of StrudelCutie4427, [12] and JohnnyRingoenshmirtz217 [13] .
Contents
[ show ]
Biography
Doofenshmirtz suffered through a comically exaggerated neglectful, even abusive, claimed terrible childhood that left him scarred for the rest of his life. His parents were mentally abusive and ignored him, briefly disowned him, forced him to wear dresses or act as a lawn gnome, and frequently restricted him from doing even the smallest things. He also had to deal with many bullies, had no real friends, except for a balloon with a face painted on it, had issues with his body (a high squeaky voice and inability to grow facial hair), and generally failed embarrassingly at nearly everything he attempted. (The exceptions being cup stacking and, for a short time, shadow puppetry). His record in romance was equally dismal and almost always ended up with him being broken-hearted. Because of this, he built a robot to destroy love, which landed in the hands of Phineas and Ferb (" What Do It Do? "). Somehow he managed to woo and win the hand of Charlene and had one daughter with her before it fell apart and they divorced. Due to the cumulative weight of all these hardships he turned to evil and constantly attempts to seek vaguely directed vengeance with odd items he purchased off the Internet.
Early life
Birth and childhood
Heinz, after being born.
Since the beginning of his life, Heinz never had a wonderful or even "normal" life. He had mentally abusive parents who never cared about him or even noted possible knowledge of his existence. When Doofenshmirtz was born, neither of his parents "bothered to show up". He celebrated every birthday after that alone, throwing himself surprise parties at places like Gunther Goat Cheese's . When he did have a birthday cake , it was always eaten by Doonkelberry Bats (" Raging Bully ", Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
At one time he was actually disowned by his parents, forcing him to live with ocelots . Needing money, he got a job at a carnival as the ball you throw at the target at the dunk tank. At the same time, for a reason that Heinz did not want to relate, he emanated a smell of pork so strong that no one would come near him. So he drew a face on a balloon and named it " Balloony ," spraying it with long-lasting spray (" The Chronicles of Meap ", Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
Balloony.
Eventually, he returned to his normal family. His father was so poor that his beloved lawn gnome was repossessed. While other people were allowed to relax, he was forced to be the family's lawn gnome all day and night without being allowed to move in the slightest for any reason even to eat or sleep. At night his only companions were the moon, Balloony, and his neighbor Kenny . During one night, Balloony flew off, and Heinz could not retrieve him (" Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror ," " The Chronicles of Meap ", Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
In his father's heart, he was replaced by a spitzenhound named Only Son that his father won in a contest of "Poke the Goozim with a Stick". Even though Only Son was an award-winning dog that brought his father fame and fortune, and the family should have been able to buy back the lawn gnome, Heinz was still forced to be the lawn gnome. This appears to be the source of Doofenshmirtz's fragile self-esteem (" Got Game? ").
Heinz as a lawn gnome.
While his parents awaited their new baby, who they believed to be a girl, they knitted dozens of dresses for their new baby. But their baby was born a boy and was named Roger . Doofenshmirtz was forced to wear the old dresses due to lack of cloth, causing him to be constantly made fun of by his schoolmates, and on top of that, Roger was now favored by Heinz's mother for being a "goody-two shoes" (" Gaming the System ," " Tree to Get Ready ", Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
Young Heinz and Roger Doofenshmirtz .
Roger as well was favored by his mother for his amazing abilities in kickball, a skill in which Heinz was sorely lacking in. Heinz felt even more shunned because of this. He tried to play several sports to impress his mother, but failed at all of them. In grade school, for example, he flunked jungle gym. Heinz was still not completely forgotten, however, it seemed like he was only ever acknowledged so he could be mentally abused more. His mother for example wouldn't let him into public pools, possibly stemming from Heinz's embarrassing failure to perform the high-dive as a rite of manhood (" Thaddeus and Thor ," " De Plane! De Plane! " " Split Personality " Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ). Then his parents wouldn't let him watch music videos as a child (" Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown ").
He has been bullied throughout his life by Boris , starting when they were both in Drusselstein. Boris constantly kicked sand in Doofenshmritz's face even in the most unexpected places, so much so that even on days where Boris didn't, Doofenshmirtz still found no peace because he was always expecting Boris to show up (" The Flying Fishmonger ").
He was also tormented by a local girl named Grulinda , who had a habit of dumping a bucket of water on Doofenshmirtz. Unknown to Heinz, this was rooted in Grulinda's feelings for him, so he assumed she was yet another bully and, similar to his relationship with Boris, held a grudge against her that lasted until adulthood. (" Imperfect Storm ")
Heinz was forced to wear dresses.
Growing up, he tried his hand at magic. He got a gig, but hadn't quite perfected his act yet. When he tried to pull Bobo the Rabbit out of his hat, there was a skunk instead. He was quite upset about this and gave up magic until well into his adulthood. But at that point he actually found Bobo (" Leave the Busting to Us! ").
Heinz entered in his first science fair with his first "Inator" (Doofenshmirtz wasn't very creative with names yet), a working laser cannon. He was about to win, but for some reason lost to a baking soda volcano. The next year, he made an "Even-Bigger-Inator" but lost again to a baking soda volcano (" Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story) ").
Throughout his youth, he was told he couldn't "make mountains out of molehills" even when the situation was serious, such as burning down his building, which led him to do so literally. He carried this on to his adulthood (" At the Car Wash "). He has also always had a high squeaky-sounding voice that he strongly dislikes even to this day (" Jerk De Soleil ").
Doofenshmirtz's childhood did not put particular emphasis on Christmas as he says that he "didn't love Christmas but he didn't hate it either" (" Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! ").
He once went to a camp and was attacked by bees. He received one sting and numerous injuries due to falling from a hill while running from said bees. The event also left a hydrant in his knee, which due to being to close to his arteries, cannot be surgically removed. This event would later make Heinz overprotective of his daughter when she camped with her friends as a teenager (" Skiddley Whiffers ").
Teenage years
When he was around 15, he realized he was unable to grow facial hair and began to think people who grow out their facial hair only do so to make fun of him. Also at this age, he was a big face in the "Shadow Puppet" business, so good that he began dating and had a "Fräulein." But, a new boy in the village with huge hands named Huge-Hands Hans showed up and, though his shadow puppets were garbage (literally), took his "Fräulein" away from him. This could be the cause of Heinz's fear of commitment and terror of dating girls, even into his adulthood (" Out to Launch ").
At around age 16, he went to America, due to his parents tricking him to go to the "Schtor", which turn out to be only a painting, leaving him on a boat to America. (" This Is Your Backstory ")
In high school, he filmed himself in a very embarrassing moment: in his underwear and a cape, he skated through a room and into a toilet while saying "I am a superstar!" The recording later became a viral video across the Internet and became so well known that he couldn't walk outside his apartment room without being made into a laughing stock (" Tip of the Day ").
After this before going into college he started to paint, but could never find a muse. One day he finally found one, and painted for three days straight, and made a "masterpiece" he than rushed off to show his brother, but Roger's food spilled onto his beloved masterpiece, sparking up a newer, more personal grudge against Roger than past grudges which were more parental (" Magic Carpet Ride ").
College years
Heinz reading a poem in his young adulthood.
After losing in the science fairs, he wanted to devote his life to poetry competitions instead. One of his poems was:
The movies are gray.
The horses are running.
Please bring me some food.
Curiously, he still somehow lost to a baking soda volcano, although it is seemingly impossible for a baking soda volcano to recite poetry that outclassed him; or rather, any poetry at all (" Unfair Science Fair ").
Doofenshmirtz Quality Bratwurst.
As a young man, he started his own bratwurst company, Doofenshmirtz's Quality Bratwurst , during a time which he described as him being less evil than in his current occupation. He even sold the bratwurst personally as a bratwurst street vendor, but without much, if any, success. Despite having "superior workmanship, finer meats and exotic spices", street vendors that sold hot dogs did much better than bratwurst vendors. At the present time, almost no one (other than Heinz himself) remembers that street vendors once sold bratwursts. Heinz attributes this to hot dog vendors "having it all": chrome-plated carts, endorsement deals and fancy blimps. After two young boys walked by him while he was doing his job as a street vendor and made a joke about selling bratwursts being a telling sign that a person is lame, Heinz vowed that he would get revenge against the hot dog vendors. (" Backyard Aquarium ")
In evil school, he was tormented by his Evil 101 teacher, Dr. Gevaarlijk , who flunked him out of evil school. To this day, Doofenshmirtz swears to get her to appreciate him for the evil he truly has. He also did a thesis based on an early ransom note of Dr. Lloyd Wexler (" Oil on Candace ," " A Hard Day's Knight ").
He dated Linda Flynn once before she became famous. She actually appears to be, at least in part, the reason why Doofenshmirtz is so focused on controlling and/or terrorizing only the Tri-State Area. At one point she discussed her desires to become a pop-star, but Doofenshmirtz, not believing she could do it replied sarcastically, "Yeah, right, and I'm going to rule the world". Linda replied thoughtfully that he could just start off small, like "with the Tri-State Area" (" What Do It Do? ").
In " Doof 101 ", it is mentioned that he took classes at community collega with Principal Lang , who was in love with Charlene at that time. However, Charlene fell in love with Doofenshmirtz more, leaving Lang to develop a grudge against Doofenshmirtz that he refuse to abanadon, even when after Doof and Charlene divorced.
Career
Perry first spies on Heinz after he got his official photo taken.
Since meeting him while getting his photo taken, Doofenshmirtz's nemesis has been Agent P , or Perry the Platypus. Agent P never attempts to lock Doofenshmirtz up, and after every mission he leaves the doctor in the rubble and runs away (" It's About Time! ").
His evil mentor was Professor Destructicon , also known as Kevin to his friends. Kevin's last request before being locked away was to have his protege set the sun on fire. Doofenshmirtz, in a rare moment of clarity, reasoned that the sun is a big ball of fire, so this wouldn't work. So Kevin asked him to just destroy the island hideout instead (" One Good Scare Ought to Do It! ").
In the summer of one year, Doofenshmirtz attempted to build his own evil nation in the bay of the Tri-State Area out of spite of his brother being elected mayor. The country, however, was on a giant inner tube which was popped and destroyed (" Hail Doofania! ").
Doofenshmirtz went into space in the same summer, and used this time to exact revenge on Huge Hands Hans. He was going to use a space station to create a giant shadow puppet on the moon, thus proving old Hans that he was better. He was thwarted, however, and even almost died by going out into space without a helmet (" Out to Launch ").
Perry vs. Doofenshmirtz.
Heinz tried again to win a science fair as the middle of the summer came, but ending up falling into a portal to mars. His score with Perry the Platypus also became smaller and smaller, Perry's reaching such a level that on his board his uses to keep track of it, he needed sticky notes to put them all on. His endeavors have as well grown and at one point desired global conquest and not an areal one (" Unfair Science Fair ," " Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story) ," " The Lake Nose Monster ").
Recently, Doofenshmirtz took up an internship with The Regurgitator , mostly because he offered maternity leave, but when he accidentally aided Perry in his capture as well as blowing up his lair, he seems to have returned to his normal evil career (" Oh, There You Are, Perry "). Doofenshmirtz also belongs to the L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. organization (" Nerdy Dancin' ").
It is been revealed that Doofenshmirtz is O.W.C.A.'s public enemy #3. (" Last Day of Summer ")
Personal life
Doofenshmirtz and his baby daughter, Vanessa.
In the 80's, Heinz went on a blind date with Linda Flynn , who would become the famous one-hit wonder Lindana. The date did not go well, however, and Heinz ended up not paying for the movie they barely watched ( 2009 Radio Disney premiere , " What Do It Do? ").
Presumably around about 1991, Doofenshmirtz married a woman named Charlene . In c. 1992, Charlene gave birth to a girl, Vanessa . As Vanessa grew up, he always tried to give her a special birthday party, likely to make up for his own rather terrible birthdays, but she never liked them. Because of a sock puppet named Mr. Tomato , Doofenshmirtz became divorced from Charlene, though they maintain a somewhat civil relationship and share custody of Vanessa, who is occasionally seen taking part (albeit unwillingly) in her father's plans (" Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together ", " Hail Doofania! ", " Bee Day ").
Even after this, he continued to try to throw large and extravagant birthday parties for his daughter; they were very childish and "girly" even though she was much older and more mature, which upsets her. These vigorous attempts to give her the perfect birthday party might be linked to his own childhood in which he had no birthdays at all (" Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together ," " Raging Bully ").
He eventually went looking for a new home within his budget range and was shown a "hodge-podge" house and a trailer, suggesting that he was house shopping during the divorce with Charlene since he would've had no alimony checks from Charlene to help him with his expenses. Finally he found his present home , which he immediately fell in love with and purchased it, being within his budget. Not until the first night did he discover why it was so cheap. He couldn't fall asleep that night due to ship horns and after further investigation discovered that there was a lighthouse nearby attracting all the ships (" That Sinking Feeling ," " Got Game? ").
Either before or after marrying Charlene, Heinz fell in love with a woman named Elizabeth . Elizabeth had a rather unhealthy obsession with whales, and so Heinz, attempting to impress her, built a whale-translator so they could understand the whales. But the whale they chose trash-talked about Doofenshmirtz, saying Elizabeth should dump Heinz and go out with him. She did so, and Heinz grew with envy (" Perry Lays an Egg ").
Since his divorce, he has recently started dating again, but hasn't had much luck. He planned on using a giant magnet to erase the tape of one girlfriend's answering machine because he left so many embarrassing, long and rambling messages on it. Also, he had a date that he met online which took place in his mountain hideout. She was more enamored with Perry the Platypus than with him. His next online date went far better and the two fell in love, but it fell apart once she was struck by a beam that made her feel no love at all (" I, Brobot ", " Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face! ," " Chez Platypus ").
While Doofenshmirtz hates all other holidays, even his own birthday, he has no hate or love for Christmas. Despite his tragic childhood, Doofenshmirtz claims that Christmas still wasn't that bad and is frustrated that he just can't find a reason to ruin Christmas. It fills him with an intense, burning indifference, so much so that his Christmas wish was to find a reason to hate Christmas. Regardless of his prevailing ambivalent feelings towards the holiday, when he was given the chance, he chose to "cancel" Christmas by using his Naughty-inator after he mistakes a group of carolers singing as a threat to not leave until they got figgy pudding. After Perry defeats him on Christmas, he has a reason to hate the holiday, though paradoxically he finds this to be a reason to celebrate the holiday anyway (" Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! ").
Doofenshmirtz has adept hand-eye-coordination, and for several years he held the title of best cup stacker in the world. However, Candace Flynn may have unofficially broken the record (" Thaddeus and Thor ").
Senior life
In the winter after the show, he leaves evil for working as a science teacher, albeit he returns to do evil things in Christmas (" Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! "), after that, he presumably left evil. 10 years into the future he has a midlife crisis (" Act Your Age ").
Sometime during his new job as a school teacher, Doofenshmirtz also starts leading a double-life as a secret agent, and becomes friends with Perry, Monogram, Carl, and other members of O.W.C.A. (" O.W.C.A. Files ") Also, he, Perry, Carl, and Monogram start a bowling team together. ("Act Your Age").
20 years into the future, Doofenshmirtz now uses a wheelchair and still "battles" Perry the Platypus (albeit at checkers) (" Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo ").
Alternate reality
When Future Candace went back to the future, it turned out her busting of Phineas and Ferb had resulted in a chain reaction, which caused Doofenshmirtz to take over the world (" Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo ").
Credentials
2000s - O.W.C.A. Agent (" O.W.C.A. Files ")
2020s- Becomes Emperor in an Alternate Future.
Successes
"Everything's gonna be hunky-dory 'cause I'm in CHARGE, BABY!!"
— Doofenshmirtz being successfully elected as Tri-Governor of the Tri-State Area, much to his delight
Though Doofenshmirtz usually fails on almost all of his schemes throughout the series (due to either his incompetence or Perry's intervention), there were a few times when he actually succeeded without Perry trying to stop him.
Doofenshmirtz is trying to put a good party for Vanessa's 16th birthday, since he always failed on giving her a good birthday party all her life. He even enlists Perry to help him out. Eventually, he also uses this as another attempt to kill Perry by launching him with a giant firecracker during the ceremonies. Though Doofenshmirtz fails to defeat Perry while getting himself tied up to the launching firecracker (though he survives), the launch left a great impression for all of Vanessa's arriving friends, who find the party to be extremely cool. Touched by this, Vanessa happily thanks her father of getting one party right for her, as well as thanking Perry for helping him out. (" Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together ").
In a flashback, Doofenshmirtz engaged into a fight with Perry on the rooftop, but by sheer luck, Doofenshmirtz uses an umbrella to make Perry lose of his footing, causing the platypus to fall into a sandpaper factory and lose several patches of his fur. This allowed Doofenshmirtz to escape victoriously while Perry is forced to wear a pet cone, which prevented him to go on his next mission, leaving Perry really upset. (" Hail Doofania! ")
Doofenshmirtz is being told all his life not to 'make a mountain out of a molehill'. Out of frustration, he builds the Mountain-Out-Of-A-Molehill-Inator, which utilizes seismic activity that will grow molehills into the sizes of mountains. As sworn, when he puts his plan into action, the molehills around the Tri-State Area start to grow to the sizes of mountains, much to Doofenshmirtz's delight. However, the power start to go overload after his scheme is done, and Doofenshmirtz is launched out with a giant boot into a beach. Later on, a giant mole arrives, accidentally sticking one of his feet into the boot as he heads towards the water, taking Doofenshmirtz with him. (" At the Car Wash ")
Doofenshmirtz struggles to create an -inator to beat his rival Rodney in the Second Annual L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. Inator Competition. After his chances are being threatened, Doofenshmirtz secretly releases the captured O.W.C.A agents, who then start destroying much of the other scienists' inators. After the agents leave, Doofenshmirtz finally presents his -inator, which destroys Rodney's -inator, allowing Doofenshmirtz to win by default. (" Robot Rodeo ")
Doofenshmirtz created the Look-Away-Inator as he attempts to overcome his fear of high-diving, in order to ensure no one watch or experience his shame. As stated, the -inator is to make everyone turn their heads away to a certain distance. Though he manages to activate it as he prepares to jump off the diving board, he too was affected by it along with everyone else, before he accidentally makes the plunge into the water. Despite having lost his fear of high-diving as sworn, Doofenshmirtz is unable to swim, but Perry manages to give him a life preserver before leaving. (" Split Personality ")
Doofenshmirtz gets a call from Charlene that since she's having knee surgery, he needs to pick up Vanessa from school. However, he doesn't want miss his favorite exercise show, so Doofenshmirtz builds a Pick-'Em Up-Inator and programs it to successfully transport Vanessa from her school to her home in a couple of seconds. Upon learning of this, Perry (after enjoying doing a workout with Doofenshmirtz) uses the Pick-'Em Up-Inator to rescue a lost Candace from Easter Island bring her home. Vanessa would later call her father to compliment on the -inator. (" Candace Disconnected ")
Doofenshmirtz managed to ruin Roger's public art veiling, all due to a backstory of when Roger accidentally destroyed Doofenshmirtz's greatest painting in an act of clumsiness. However, Doofenshmirtz soon regrets it when he found that the painting which Roger was unveiling was the exact same painting that Doofenshmirtz painted, and that Roger spent 20 years restoring it to make amends. (" Magic Carpet Ride ")
Doofenshmirtz created the Other-Dimension-inator to help him travel to alternate dimensions. This was easy for him, thanks to Phineas and Ferb, who help him rebuild it after they accidentally destroyed it, much to the horror of an arriving Perry. ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension )
Doofenshmirtz builts a Key-Find-Inator to help him steal all of the keys of the Tri-State Area until he gets the Key of the City. Though Perry manages to return all keys, Doofenshmirtz manages to get the Key to the City in the end, right before he is struck by lightning with it. (" Cranius Maximus ")
Doofenshmirtz is given the title role of the L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. Stock Festival Play. He and Perry accidentally got themselves lost in a desert after another fight, but they finally put their differences aside and they fly back to Danville before storming into the play, where Doofenshmirtz brings out his opening line "Pizza Delivery", earning the praise from the audience (including the other evil scientists). Doofenshmirtz thanks Perry for helping him out, though Perry selflessly pointed out that Doofenshmirtz is the one who should be thanked for his great opening. (" Road to Danville ")
Doofenshmirtz had used several of his technology to improve the ophthalmologist's chair for eye examinations, which has allowed him to earn royalty checks. However, this is only taken as a sign of good rather than evil, which seems to upset Doofenshmirtz a lot. (" Backyard Hodge Podge ")
The most famous example was when Doofenshmirtz revealed that he had bought the wrong sunscreen to help him cope with his skin problem. However, rather than returning it back to the store, Heinz instead creates an -inator that shoots out a tractor beam to Jupiter, using its mass as an anchor to move the Earth away from the Sun to an early autumn so that he can use the sunscreen. Despite beating up Doofenshmirtz with a mop, Perry was too late to foil Doof's scheme, so he miserably returns back to O.W.C.A. HQ in shame. Doofenshmirtz is delighted that he has finally succeeded in a grand evil scheme, even showing the blueprints of his -inator to his fellow villains of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. to prove that he was responsible for changing the weather. This also may be the first time he has succeeded in taking over the Tri-State Area, as the change in weather caused civil unrest in Danville City Hall, forcing a nervous Roger to evade from the angry citizens and allowing Doofenshmirtz and the other villains of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. to take over City Hall by force. However, Doofenshmirtz soon regrets it when he learns that Rodney sees this as an opportunity to take over the Earth by creating an -inizor (based on Doof's inator, but ten times the size and strength) that will send the Earth into a new Ice Age. Disgusted by this, Doofenshmirtz defeats Rodney and destroys the -inizor (with the help from Perry, Carl, Major Monogram, and Monogram's son Monty), thus saving the world. (" Phineas and Ferb Save Summer ")
Doofenshmirtz created the "Repulse-inator" during the unveiling of Danville's first water tower. He intends to shoot Roger with it to make him look ugly so that people won't stand him and that way Doofenshmirtz can take over City Hall for a second time. However, a power surge strikes the -inator when it fired at Roger, accidentally causing him to transform into a zombie-like version of Doofenshmirtz, something which Doofenshmirtz didn't really expected. This would later cause an unwanted epidemic in which anyone would be turned into a Doof zombie if they are touched. At first, Doofenshmirtz is delighted that he can take over City Hall again, but soon regrets this as he realized that his zombie counterparts have gone out of control. Doof later aids the kids into putting an end to the epidemic by helping them build a pulley system to the water tower, where the kids use the water and their sprinkler to douse all the Doof zombies around Danville, turning them back to normal. (" Night of the Living Pharmacists ")
Doofenshmirtz has created two -inators, the Do-Over-Inator (which repeats the current day through a time loop) and the Tri-Governor-inator (which involves building a Tri-Governor's Mansion on top of City Hall so that he can become the first Tri-Governor). After Candace learns about the Do-Over-Inator while paying a visit to Doofenshmirtz's to return some DVDs to Vanessa, she activates it, as she intends to exploit this to make one last attempt to bust Phineas and Ferb. This caused a series of time loops, which allowed Doofenshmirtz to lay out a perfect set of traps to defeat Perry and build the Tri-Governor's Mansion before obtaining the majority of the votes to run for Tri-Governor. This is the second time that he has succeeded in taking over the Tri-State Area. As the new Tri-Governor, Doofenshmirtz took the opportunity to file a legislation that prevents O.W.C.A. from thwarting any more of his schemes until his term is over, which left Perry very depressed. Despite being happy that he finally achieved his lifelong goal, Doofenshmirtz is upset to learn that Vanessa wants to have an internship at O.W.C.A. and that his aim in doing evil is preventing her from joining the internship, leaving her depressed. He and Candace are also horrifed to learn that the effects of the Do-Over-Inator are creating time rifts that can erase anything from existence, which may put the space-time continium at risk. Deciding to give up his evil ways, Doof creates another -inator to fix the time flow while Candace destroys the Do-Over-Inator by pressing its self-destruct button at the same time, causing the time flow to put everything back to normal, much to both Doof and Candace's relief. (" Last Day of Summer ")
Heroic Moments
In spite of Doofenshmirtz's reputation as a villain, he will tend to play as the hero whenever it either benefits him the most or if he doesn't have a choice. Such examples are included:
He finds a stray cat and decides to adopt him, naming him Mr. Fluffypants after his uncle Fluffypants Doofenshmirtz (who, oddly, doesn't wear pants). Despite the cat making a mess with several of Doof's -inators, he almost fell off the building, only to be saved by Doofenshmirtz. However, Doofenshmirtz falls from the building, but Perry manages to rescue him and the cat. Eventually, Doofenshmirtz learns that the cat belongs to a kid who's been looking for him, and decides to return him (presumably to spare his lab of the cat's antics). (" Spa Day ")
He bought a Mary McGuffin doll from the Flynn-Fletchers at a yard sale. He then gives it to Vanessa, exclaiming that he spent years scouring the Internet and garage sales trying to find the discontinued doll. At first, Vanessa is a little disappointed, but soon starts to appreciate it, finally seeing how much her father is trying to show his affection for her in spite of his reputation as a villain. (" Finding Mary McGuffin ")
Doofenshmirtz struggles to search for Vanessa after another of his botched schemes caused her to travel around the world by mistake during their vacation. To do so, Doofenshmirtz convinces Monogram and Perry to help him out, even having equipped Vanessa's earrings with a GPS tracking system that allows them to follow the track. Eventually, they reach Paris, where Doofenshmirtz finally spots Vanessa on the Eiffel Tower and complained that he had to travel halfway around the world to get her. Upon learning this, Vanessa is touched by her father's efforts and goes off with him to continue their vacation. (" Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! ")
Phineas, Ferb, and Perry were about to be killed by 2nd Dimension Doofenshmirtz , but Doofenshmirtz arrives to rescue them by ordering his evil counterpart to stop. He also presents out his childhood toy train and gives it to 2nd Doof, who is somewhat touched by this and decides to take back all of his evil schemes for good. ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension )
Doofenshmirtz spots a swarm of bees threatening Vanessa and her friends on a camping trip. Thinking wise on this, Doofenshmirtz selflessly douses himself with honey to lure the bees away from the teens. He gets stung before diving into the water, and Perry would later help him out from the water. (" Skiddley Whiffers ")
Doofenshmirtz feels uncomfortable that Monogram's intern Carl Karl is taking over the Tri-State Area after being hit by Doofenshmirtz's Ultimate-Evil-Inator ray. Deciding to set things right, Doofenshmirtz sets Monogram free and starts building a Re-Good-inator, using the parts from one of O.W.C.A.'s jet. He manages to fire the Re-Good-inator at Carl (with the help from Perry), turning Carl back to his good self. (" Where's Perry? (Part Two) ")
Doofenshmirtz and Perry get themselves lost in a desert and blame each other for what happened. Eventually, Doofenshmirtz manages to find a bus station and board on a bus to get back to Danville after Perry paid two tickets, but Perry is denied to get on board, since the bus don't allow animals inside. Later on, Doofenshmirtz starts to feel guilty of leaving Perry behind and decides to go back for him. He manages to find Perry's lost jetpack and uses to rescue Perry from the scorching heat before they fly to Danville. (" Road to Danville ")
Doofenshmirtz hired a platypus hunter named Liam McCracken to trap Perry in the Danville Botanical Gardens. However, Liam betrays Doofenshmirtz by trapping him as well, planning to turn both foes into trophies. As a result, Doofenshmirtz and Perry (who Doof thinks is a normal Platypus named Steven) are forced to work together to stop Liam, and in the end, when Liam is about to kill Perry, Doofenshmirtz manages to get the groundskeepers to the scene to stop Liam at his tracks, saving Perry from an awful fate. (" Primal Perry ")
Doofenshmirtz takes credit for accidentally stripping the powers of the Hulk , Spider-Man , Thor , and Iron Man with the usage of his Power Drain-inator. But it wasn't until the villains, Red Skull , Whiplash , Venom , and MODOK arrived and betrayed Doofenshmirtz by imprisoning him in a cage and taking his Power-Drain-inator in an attempt to destroy the Tri-State Area and rule the world. After being freed by Perry, Doofenshmirtz aids the heroes (who would later get their powers back) by shooting his Waffle-inator at the villains as revenge for their betrayal against him. (" Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel ")
In spite of his megalomania, Doofenshmirtz is shown to hate world domination in general, believing to be crazy. (" Minor Monogram ") He is even horrified when Rodney announces his intention of taking over the Earth by sending it to a new ice age with his new -inizor. Not wanting to let this happen, Doofenshmirtz angrily engages into a fight with Rodney and defeats him with a mop. He then destroys the -inizor by tilting it off the roof (with the help from Perry, Carl, Monogram, and Monty). After Rodney is arrested and taken into O.W.C.A. custody, Major Monogram thanks Doofenshmirtz for saving the Earth, though Doofenshmirtz states that he's still evil, to which Monogram agrees with. (" Phineas and Ferb: Save Summer ")
Doofenshmirtz learns that his father's lawn gnome is still in Drusselstein when it was repossessed during his childhood. Seeing this as an opportunity to heal old wounds, Doofenshmirtz enlists Perry to help him find the gnome. Though they manage to find it, the gnome accidentally broke into pieces after Doofenshmirtz slips into his father's home. Doofenshmirtz's father compliments him of bringing a rubble of broken shards as a nice gift, which leaves Doofenshmirtz very disappointed. However, Doofenshmirtz is soon by cheered up by Perry before they leave, and later on, Doofenshmirtz's father recognizes the gnome's code number on the floor, and fixes it up before putting it outside his house, finally appreciating of what Heinz is doing for him. (" Father's Day ")
After an accidental scheme that causes almost everyone around Danville to turn into zombie versions of himself, Doofenshmirtz decides to put an end to it. To that end, he aids Phineas, Ferb, and their friends into fixing up a pulley system to the local water tower, where the kids will spray all of the water around the city to turn everyone back to normal. To save them time, he aids Candace and Vanessa into warding off the rest of the zombies, but after Vanessa and Candace are turned into zombies, Doofenshmirtz offers himself as bait to the zombies (despite being immune to them), allowing Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella to finish up the job and turn everyone back to normal. (" Night of the Living Pharmacists ")
Doofenshmirtz is teaching at Danville High School and brings up a lecture on genetics to his class. Using a hair sample from one of Vanessa's friends Johnny , Doofenshmirtz explains about genetic coding inside the hair sample and tampers with it as an example to show how fragile it is. A couple of seconds later, several talking insects started a chain reaction that causes the hair sample to be slapped into Johnny's face, mixing its DNA with his and transforming him into a lizard-primate mutant. Fortunately, Doofenshmirtz manages to concoct a proper antidote (with the help from the class) and uses it to turn Johnny back to normal to avoid any more trouble. (" Doof 101 ")
Personality and traits
"Speaking of wishes, you know what I never understood? Genies! They tell you to wish for anything you want and then they add some terrible twist. Like you wish to jump high so he turns you into a frog. Why? Who gains from this? The genie? Where's the benefit? You should be fighting genies, man, not me. I'm not the problem; genies are the problem."
— Doofenshmirtz rambles on to Perry the Platypus [source]
Goofy, eccentric, and overly-dramatic, Doofenshmirtz tends to babble and be rather random. Acting somewhat cliche in classic villain form, he'll commonly burst out in grand maniacal laughs and drawn out, somewhat overdone, monologues (" The Lake Nose Monster ").
Doofenshmirtz's more megalomaniac side.
Normally, any of his plans will have a large and decisive flaw, though a slight obliviousness causes him to never catch it. For example, in a plan to dig a tunnel to China, he forgets that the Earth's core is filled with magma, thus imperiling himself and Perry the Platypus. Several plans are doomed by the mindless inclusion of a self-destruct button in various places (such as the feet of his robot army), or an overly-convenient off switch (" Candace Loses Her Head ", " It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World ", " The Fast and the Phineas ").
In contrast to his usually clumsy body, he has proven to have amazing hand coordination (" Thaddeus and Thor "). In spite of having a wide array of resources before him, Doofenshmirtz is very to either borrowing or stealing mundane objects and articles from other people, such as the salt that he used to neautralize Sergei the Snail.
Doofenshmirtz has a peculiar sense of humor. [14] Butchering words and phrases, he will often mess up sayings or mispronounce words. When saying goodbye to Perry, he once shouted "Dosvidaniya!" then immediately claimed that was Spanish for two vedanyas, despite having no idea what a "vedanya" is. Though he is unaware of it, "Dosvidaniya" actually means "good-bye" in Russian (" Bowl-R-Ama Drama ").
Often, at Perry's arrival, Doofenshmirtz sarcastically/jokingly acts shocked at his timing and appearance. He does this knowing Perry's "scheduled" entrance; which is usually when he is about to launch his evil plan involving his varying "-inators". For instance, "What an unexpected surprise, and by unexpected, I mean completely expected!" (" Rollercoaster ") And also, "Your timing is impeccable, and by impeccable, I mean completely peccable!" (" Candace Loses Her Head "). This is notably parodied, as once Doofenshmirtz says, "Ah, Perry the Platypus, how predictable. And by "predictable", I mean completely... um... dictable, I guess" ( Ain't No Kiddie Ride ). Also, he says, "How unexpected, and by unexpected, I mean... unexpected" when he is genuinely surprised ( Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face! ). Another time when he said something similar was when he was expecting Perry and a rhino agent showed up in his place ( What'd I miss? ).
While being goofy and random, Doofenshmirtz still has a dark and sinister side. An evil scientist at heart, his plans no matter how trivial or convoluted, are always meant to either cause misfortune to others, benefit only himself, or both, and he enjoys watching people suffer. All of his magazines are stolen from his Spanish neighbor, and while expressing concern over Agent P's absence from their daily routine, he still hopes it was because something horrible had happened to him. He hates many things and does not care about the property damage eliminating them will cause, and feels that children screaming is a birthday gift in its own (" I Scream, You Scream ", " It's About Time! ", " Hail Doofania! ", " Mom's Birthday ", " Tree to Get Ready ", " Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face! "). However, it should also be noted that he has a "good" side as well; he will not hit girls (" Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat? "), he willingly and readily gave the kitten Mr. Fluffypants back to his rightful owner (though perhaps only to spare his lab of the destruction the kitten was causing) (" Spa Day "). In addition, Doofenshmirtz seems to genuinely care for his daughter Vanessa.
Doofenshmirtz may not have a good singing voice, but that hasn't stopped him yet.
Doofenshmirtz, strangely, is a very big fan of music. A Love Händel enthusiast, Doofenshmirtz has followed their music likely since their nineties start up. He loves them so much that even after failing at a new scheme and being stuck in a fire cracker explosion, he still took the time to "rock out" to Music Makes Us Better . While not actually having the talent to do so (he has admitted it himself in " Bubble Boys "), he enjoys singing about his feelings whilst explaining his schemes to Agent P, and was extremely insulted when Peter the Panda tried to destroy his machine while he sang about missing Agent P (" Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together ", " Tree to Get Ready ", " Oil on Candace ", " It's About Time! "). Also, Doofenshmirtz has perfect pitch ; he is able to identify the Eb above high C in " My Fair Goalie ".
Underneath all of the goofiness and evil intentions lies the shell of a fragile child. Emotionally scarred by his unhappy childhood, mentally abused by his father, and shunned by his mother, he has never hit a break, striking out at every girlfriend he's had (except for his ex-wife ) and failing at his plans for regional dominance. Through all the strife, Doofenshmirtz's persistence and lighter attitude keeps him going, though he does occasionally express awareness of his life's redundancy (" Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror ", " Got Game? ", " Tree to Get Ready ", " Out to Launch ", " Journey to the Center of Candace ").
Also, Doofenshmirtz could be a little lazy in doing regular things. For example, he once planned to move Big Ben next to his building to read the time instead of buying a bigger watch to replace his small one (" Elementary My Dear Stacy ", " Candace Gets Busted ").
Physical appearance
He and his 2nd dimension self consider themselves handsome ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
When Doofenshmirtz drank the cutonium , his height dropped down to around 2 feet, with larger sparkling eyes, rounder face, normal nose, and shorter hair with a pair of smaller feety pajama-like pants with smaller black shirt and white lab coat with a pinkish-purple aura emitting from him, while also having a higher and slightly squeakier voice like a baby, as to looking much like a baby (" Meapless in Seattle "). Heinz resembles a monster called Der Kinderlumper , as they both have a broom-like nose and a crooked neck (" Der Kinderlumper ").
Skills and abilities
Much like Phineas and Ferb, Doofenshmirtz can make revolutionary technology, in less than a day. Some of his inventions are even stated to surpass theirs (" Ready for the Bettys "). He seems to be knowledgeable in all forms of science, such as engineering, chemistry (" Attack of the 50 Foot Sister ", " I Was a Middle Aged Robot "), biology (" Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation "), quantum physics (" She's the Mayor ", " Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension ") and even construction (" Hail Doofania! "). He was also able to make a working "re-good-inator" out of cannibalized parts from an O.W.C.A jet and some broken robots. (" Where's Perry? (Part Two) ") He was even able to formulate a proper antidote to turn one of Vanessa's friends ( Johnny , who has become a mutant) back to normal. (" Doof 101 ")
Doofenshmirtz physical skills are more lacking, he's constantly shown to be physically weak, but is incredibly durable, able to survive events that should kill a man, on a regular basis. One example was when he actually fell off his building in ("Last Day of Summer") and somehow survived as he made his way back up using the elevator. He also has incredible upperbody dexterity (" Thaddeus and Thor ").
Relationships
Norm
Norm is Doofenshmirtz's robot assistant. As stated, Norm would assist his master in his schemes, such as creating his own land, or holding up a motivational seiminar. (" Hail Doofania! ", " The Inator Method ") Doofenshmirtz would get very frustrated by Norm's incompetence and lack of common sense, at one time, when Doofenshmirtz sarcastically tells Norm to throw an inator off the balcony, Norm eventually does so without hesistation, much to Doof's anger (" Sleepwalk Surprise ") Conversely, Norm starts to become a little frustrating over his master's schemes that would invariably fail (" Norm Unleashed "); at one time while cooking for L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., Norm rudely tells Doofenshmirtz, "Next time, you can do all the cooking while I will stand around making evil schemes that always ultimately fail!", something which startles both Doofenshmirtz and Perry a lot. (" Nerdy Dancin' ")
In spite of this, Doofenshmirtz often does care for Norm, and would often be impressed of whatever efforts Norm has put up. At one time, Doofenshmirtz is impressed that Norm can transform into a car to help Doof steal an invention, that he even promises to help Norm finish up his 'popsicle wife'. (" Undercover Carl ") Doofenshmirtz also complimented Norm on his adequate assistance of helping him creating his own land. (" Hail Doofania! ") He also feels guilty for putting down Norm in favor for a more smaller yet reliable robot (who would later turn against him after a power surge), and thanks Norm for saving his life from the rebelling robot. (" Phineas and Ferb-Busters! ") Also, Norm looks up to Doofenshmirtz as his own father, and desires to be treated like a son, though Doofenshmirtz doesn't feel like doing so. (" A Real Boy ") Nevertheless, Doofenshmirtz do intend to act like a father to Norm, even offering useful advice to Norm to put up a successful date with a female robot named Chloe at the block party. (" Love at First Byte ") Also, at one time, when Perry asks to borrow Norm to help him pick up video surveillance footage, Doofenshmirtz tells Perry not to get one single scratch on Norm, to which Perry promises by giving a thumbs up. (" Traffic Cam Caper ")
It appears that Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram actually know each other fairly well with Doofenshmirtz knowing both his home phone and cell number (" Journey to the Center of Candace ," " Don't Even Blink ," " Hide and Seek ").
Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram have spoken to each other over Perry's video phone for a few brief seconds but it appears that this is not the first time the two have met (" Journey to the Center of Candace ").
Doofenshmirtz has nicknamed Major Monogram "Monobrow" because of his uni-brow (" Spa Day ", " Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! "). He also likes to call Monogram by his first name Francis (since everyone teases about it), something which Monogram doesn't like (" Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown ").
Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram hosted a cliptastic countdown together (" Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown "). It is shown that the two appear to be quite fond of teasing and making remarks at each other that range from playful banter to being snide in nature. On the first episode of the Phineas and Ferb Podcast on iTunes, Monogram and Doofenshmirtz appear together and speak about the Christmas special with Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh.
In spite of their rivalry, the two do seem to respect each other. At one time, Doofenshmirtz genuinely thanks Monogram (and Perry) for helping him rescue his daughter Vanessa . (" Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! ") Also, Monogram genuinely thanks Doofenshmirtz for saving the world from the threat of the maniacal Rodney . (" Phineas and Ferb Save Summer ")
The creators mentioned in a comic-con that Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram attended "The Academy" together, and it might be explored in a future episode.
Carl
Dr. Doofenshmirtz, as with Major Monogram , seems to know Carl well enough to give him a nickname. He probably doesn't like him because he states that he hates camera crews in My Goody Two-Shoes Brother . It has yet to be explained how two different organizations that are constantly fighting are on a nickname basis, or how Doofenshmirtz would know something as personal as Dr. Coconut , Carl's nickname because he does an odd coconut dance when he believes that no one is looking. He may have not known Carl because when he went to Carl's website, even though it had Carl's picture and name, he still called Carl "some kid" (" At the Car Wash "). He doesn't seem to recognize Carl when Carl's in a squirrel costume, but is aware that he does work for the Agency (" The Remains of the Platypus "). Doofenshmirtz seemed to want to partner up with Carl when he turned evil ("Where's Perry?, Part 1"). Then when Carl left Heinz indicating he was going solo, Doofenshmirtz was betrayed that Carl would not let him join his evil mission, ("Where's Perry?, Part 2"),
Main article: Heinz and Vanessa's relationship
Being Doofenshmirtz's daughter, the Doctor cares for her very much, tries to think of what's best for her, and is in fact a bit overprotective of her. This is quite possibly to make up for his own miserable childhood and uncaring parents. As Vanessa grew up, Doofenshmirtz always tried to throw her great birthdays, but Vanessa's personality led to her never enjoying Doofenshmirtz's "little girl" parties (" Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together "). Various other attempts by Doofenshmirtz to win Vanessa's affection, especially during her childhood and early teenage years, failed miserably, and instead caused her embarrassment, including stepping on the feet of the other team at Vanessa's first swim meet, clapping much too loudly at her dance recital, wearing fringe at a dance both of them attended, and deliberately catching a foul ball at a baseball game that he took her to (" Finding Mary McGuffin ").
Later, Doofenshmirtz bought Vanessa a Mary McGuffin doll (found at the Flynn-Fletcher's garage sale) that he had "never stopped searching for," since Vanessa had asked for one when she was a little girl, though it took him 10 years to find one. This helps her to see that while he constantly did things wrong, and embarrassed her constantly, he actually was trying and really does love her. He does try to be fatherly, teach responsibility (in an evil way), and taught her how to drive (" Finding Mary McGuffin "). He always encourages her to be evil, but she generally doesn't seem to show much enthusiasm for "the family business." When Vanessa admitted that she was a bit evil, he cried tears of joy (" Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! ") Doofenshmirtz is also overprotective over his daughter to the point of dressing up as a hippie to make sure his daughter and her friends are safe during their camping trip. He even sees her as a little kid even though she is 16. When Vanessa was in danger from bees, Heinz protected her by drenching himself in honey and getting the bees to sting him instead (" Skiddley Whiffers ").
Roger Doofenshmirtz
Doofenshmirtz despises his younger brother openly, a grudge that has existed since they were children. It was Roger's fault that Heinz was forced to wear dresses for an entire year. Roger was also the obvious favorite of their mother. While Roger would get everything from good clothes to praise and affection, Heinz would get virtually nothing. Heinz's hatred and jealousy for his brother getting everything he wanted has caused Heinz to both attempt to ruin his brother's ceremony the day he would receive the key to the city, and try to out do him by building a new country and calling him "my stupid brother" in the national anthem (" Tree to Get Ready ," " Gaming the System ," " Hail Doofania! "). Many of his plans involve either humiliating or disgracing Roger in public, all of which fail and usually backfire. The feeling may not be mutual as Roger did attempt to restore his brother's masterpiece, which somewhat touched Heinz, but the painting became ruined by Heinz's attempt for revenge, much to both Heinz and Roger's dismay (" Magic Carpet Ride "). He also made Heinz the temporary mayor and "fall guy" when Khaka Peü Peü attacked Danville (" The Beak ").
When Roger learned that Heinz has been unanimously elected as the new Tri-Governor after the Governor's Mansion is moved on top of City Hall, he is completely shocked by the fact that he now has to answer to his older brother. He is even more annoyed that Heinz has also stolen his secretary Melanie and confronted him for this through the intercom, only for Heinz to taunt him back. (" Last Day of Summer ")
Fireside Girls
Katie and Gretchen knocking at Dr. Doofenshmirtz's door.
He is totally obsessed with their cupcakes and can't resist buying because they're too cute. So far the only ones seen actually selling to him are Katie, Gretchen, Milly, and Candace. He says they have "those big pleading eyes making you feel guilty" (" Don't Even Blink ", " Fireside Girl Jamboree ").
Aloyse von Roddenstein
Doofenshmirtz expressing his disgust towards Rodney for planning to bring in a new Ice Age
Doofenshmirtz is rivals with Rodney because he's more evil than him and they openly despise each other. When Doofenshmirtz invited L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. to a gathering, Rodney appeared, but Doofenshmirtz never invited him (" Nerdy Dancin' "). In the second annual inator creator contest, Doofenshmirtz defeated Rodney by destroying his inator with the Eradicate Rodney's Inator-Inator, but the Belt of Victory was destroyed in the agent fight so he was rewarded by a balloon, which he named Balloony II, in memory of the first Balloony (" Robot Rodeo ") Rodney also boasted about how his son, Orville is a genius who can help him with inventions whereas Vanessa only goes shopping (" A Real Boy ").
Despite Rodney believing that Doofenshmirtz is always a failure, he is surprised to learn that Doofenshmirtz has actually succeeded in moving the Earth away from the Sun to an early autumn with his later -inator. Nevertheless, Rodney has no qualms of using Doofenshmirtz's newfound success to his own advantage of ruling the world by bringing in a new Ice Age with his -inizor (which is just based of Doof's -inator, but ten times bigger and stronger). Doofenshmirtz is very disgusted by Rodney's intentions, and when Rodney disables the reverse switch and self-destruct button on his -inizor to ensure that it won't be stopped, Doofenshmirtz loses his temper and defeats Rodney with a mop before proceeding to destroy the -inizor (with the help from Perry, Monogram, Carl, and Monty). As Rodney is taken into O.W.C.A. custody for his crimes, he swears revenge on Doofenshmirtz for foiling his plans. (" Phineas and Ferb Save Summer ")
Parents
Young Heinz with his two parents.
From Heinz's many stories, it's exceedingly obvious that his parents care very little for their oldest son. From making him stand still day and night as a lawn gnome, to naming the family pet 'Only Son', to disowning him for a short while, forcing him to live with ocelots, they effectively prevented him from doing things a normal kid should be able to do freely (" Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror ", " Got Game? ", " De Plane! De Plane! ", " The Chronicles of Meap ").
Gretel Doofenshmirtz
It is largely unknown what Heinz thought of his great-grandmother apart from his knowledge that he knew she had "issues" and his wanting to know the Doofenshmirtz Family Recipe that she wrote. It is hinted that he may have known her personally (" Meatloaf Surprise ").
José Doofenshmirtz
José was Heinz's grandfather. According to Heinz, José was a "Weird Story". José may have been Mexican judging by the way he dressed. Heinz probably knew him personally, since José was his grandfather. He passed the Doofenshmirtz Family Meatloaf recipe onto Heinz's mom, who passed it onto Roger (" Meatloaf Surprise ").
Flynn-Fletcher family and their acquaintances
Doofenshmirtz with some of the Flynn-Fletcher family and their acquaintances.
Phineas Flynn
Phineas caught a glimpse of Heinz while Phineas was managing their restaurant (" Chez Platypus "). He and Ferb almost ran at Doofenshmirtz when they used Perry's flying car to get into Heinz's hideout in the mountains (" Ready for the Bettys "). They were also on his track while pursuing the lost Mary McGuffin doll (" Finding Mary McGuffin "). Phineas was also one of the children Doofenshmirtz spotted while using his robot's video camera in the Flynn-Fletcher house (" Hide and Seek "). While looking for a monster truck he found Phineas and Ferb's on could see him on his inator. In "Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension", Phineas and Ferb crash into Heinz's inator and offer to rebuild it. During their rebuild, Phineas calls Heinz "Dr. D" while Heinz calls Phineas and Ferb "fellas" and is nice to them. Heinz is also quite taken back when his 2nd Dimension self orders Platyaborg to attack Phineas and Ferb. Heinz later saved Phineas, Ferb, and Perry when they are about to be smashed by the 2nd Dimension Heinz ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
In " Night of the Living Pharmacists ", Doofenshmirtz once again interacts with Phineas and the gang when he helps them build a vortex sprayer to put on top of the Danville water tower to turn everyone back to normal. At one point, Doof suggests adding a self-destruct button, as he is wont to do, but is shot down by Phineas.
Ferb Fletcher
He and Phineas almost ran at Doofenshmirtz when they used Perry's flying car to get into Heinz's hideout in the mountains (" Ready for the Bettys "). They were also on his track while pursuing the lost Mary McGuffin doll (" Finding Mary McGuffin "). Ferb was also one of the children Doofenshmirtz spotted while using his robot's video camera in the Flynn-Fletcher house (" Hide and Seek "). Ferb also caught a long glimpse of him when him and Vanessa were watching the doctor picking up the Pizzazium Infanionite (" Vanessassary Roughness "). He caught another glimpse of Heinz while he was watching Vanessa leave the Eiffel Tower with her father and Major Monogram (" Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! "). When Ferb showed Heinz the remote to the "Other Dimension-Inator" which allows for remotely opening portals to other dimensions, Dr.D responded by commenting, "Nice touch, kid". Heinz later saved Ferb, Phineas, and Perry when they were about to be smashed by the 2nd Dimension Heinz ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension ).
Heinz once said to Monogram that he does not trust Ferb as he believes Ferb is a "hoodlum" and does not like the idea of Vanessa dating him (" The Chronicles of Meap " character commentary ).
Candace Flynn
Candace meets Doofenshmirtz on several occasions. She once followed Perry into Heinz's hideout and considered the doctor a pharmacist as she thought she was suffering from the hallucinogenic effects of the local moss (" The Ballad of Badbeard "). Agent P was forced to use her body to fight Doofenshmirtz once (" Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat? "). When they were all in space, Heinz noticed Candace whose suit hands were fattened up by the air; so Doofenshmirtz thought she was his long-time rival, Hans (" Out to Launch "). She spotted Heinz bribing Buford so that he would be allowed to enter the restaurant and made a comment on this; yet she seemed not to recognize Heinz in any way (" Chez Platypus "). Candace finally managed to learn more about Doofenshmirtz when her older self got sent into the alternative version of the future in which Heinz was a dictator of the Tri-State Area (" Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo "). She also delivered Fireside Girl Cupcakes to him (" Fireside Girl Jamboree "). Once when hair flew off of Candace it landed on Doofensmhirtz and he was mistaken for an orangutan, Candace caught him when he fell. Doof was hauled away from animal control saying: "Mama, I'm Pretty" (" Bad Hair Day ").
Linda Flynn
Linda was one of Heinz's numerous dates back in the 1980s. It was she who convinced him to try taking over the Tri-State Area rather than the entire world. She did not meet him anymore after they split up (" What Do It Do? ").
Lawrence Fletcher
Heinz bought the Mary McGuffin doll from Lawrence, and later they communicated on the CB radio; which makes the latter the only member of the Flynn-Fletcher family to actually have a regular conversation with the modern-day Doofenshmirtz (" Finding Mary McGuffin " " Road Trip "). Lawrence also enjoyed Heinz's Telethon of Evil, naming it his new favorite TV show (" The Secret of Success "). Lawrence also saw Doofenshmirtz's face being pressed against his window, thinking it was a "truck driving pharmacist" (" Road Trip "). Later on, Lawrence inadvertently participated in L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N.'s Pageant of Evil, where he competed against Doofenshmirtz for the title of the supreme leader of L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. (" Bullseye! ").
Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
Isabella was the one who showed Doofenshmirtz and his date their table to which Heinz did not bother to respond (" Chez Platypus "). She was also one of the children Doofenshmirtz spotted while using his robot's video camera in the Flynn-Fletcher house, yet Heinz did not recognize her (" Hide and Seek "). It's possible that Isabella sells cupcakes to him offscreen like the other Fireside Girls do. Doofenshmirtz told Monogram that Isabella is full of herself, but still cute, due to her happy, positive personality and cute smile (" The Chronicles of Meap " character commentary ). Occasionally, Doofenshmirtz's plans end up interfering with Isabella's plans (" The Great Indoors " " Lotsa Latkes ").
Buford Van Stomm
Buford was a bouncer at Chez Platypus and he accepted Doofenshmirtz's bribe so that Heinz and his date would not need a reservation (" Chez Platypus "). Buford was also one of the children Doofenshmirtz spotted while using his robot's video camera in the Flynn-Fletcher house, yet Heinz did not recognize him (" Hide and Seek "). Buford became Dr. Doofenshmirtz's partner in crime, when Baljeet stopped being his nerd, although Buford quit the job after he and Baljeet realized they missed each other while singing a song from opposite sides of Danville. (" Bully Bromance Break-Up ")
Jeremy met Doofenshmirtz on one occasion, when he was giving Heinz guitar lessons. Jeremy did not bother listening to Doofenshmirtz's newest evil scheme's details as he would receive his payment anyway (" The Lizard Whisperer ").
Romances
Charlene Doofenshmirtz
Being Heinz's ex-wife, it appears that he dislikes her, as he always refers to her as his ex-wife, and seems agitated when she's around (" Hail Doofania! "). Despite this however, they still continue to amicably share custody of their daughter Vanessa, and Charlene pays him what seems to be a very substantial alimony. The alimony is largely used to finance his projects. Vanessa often tries to "bust" her father, telling Charlene he's evil; she replies that "just because we got divorced, that doesn't make him evil." He also puts many of his in-town purchases on Charlene's tab despite the quite obvious fact that she has no idea what he does with the things he buys (" Finding Mary McGuffin "). And although they are divorced, he still gropes her for money. He has been shown to have a picture of her in his home, so he may still have some feelings for her, or simply not dislike her as much as he claims (" Run, Candace, Run ", " Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama! ").
Despite her sarcasm towards Heinz's ineptitude, Charlene is aware that Heinz managed to built Norm to serve as his assistant, even complimenting Norm for his tuxedo design. (" This Is Your Backstory ") She was also briefly surprised to see that Heinz managed to pull off a good kick during the Doofenshmirtz family kickball game, as he created an -inator to help him with his poor kicking skills. (" Thaddeus and Thor ") She also briefly complimented Heinz for using bee pheromones to make himself look more attractive, to which he thanks her for. (" Bee Day ")
Other Romances
Main article: List of Doofenshmirtz's schemes and inventions
Doofenshmirtz is so bent on taking over the Tri-State Area, he concocts a scheme nearly every day. It is unknown how long the evil doctor has been trying this, but it may have only been since after his divorce, since Charlene doesn't know what he is up to. Vanessa, however, recalls that as a child, she would hear the noise Doofenshmirtz's schemes made coming from down the hall, so it is also likely that Charlene was merely oblivious to Doofenshmirtz's evil ways (" Rollercoaster ", " I Scream, You Scream ", " Hail Doofania! ", " Finding Mary McGuffin ").
Doofenshmirtz will usually purchase odd objects from the internet so he can construct his evil inventions. The price of all items never matters to him, due to the immense amount of alimony he gets from Charlene (" It's About Time! ", " Got Game? ").
Each scheme or invention he comes up with is rarely successful, due to poor planning skills or a fundamental flaw in design (" Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror ," et al).
Doofenshmirtz's clones
" Run Away Runway "
Doofenshmirtz's clones are copies of Heinz Doofenshmirtz that appeared in the episode " Run Away Runway ". All of them look and act exactly the same way as Dr. Doofenshmirtz except for the first three which were "printing errors." The first one was too light because there was not enough toner, the second was all crinkled because of a paper jam, and the last one was just gross (it is unknown as to why this is). They were meant to wait in line for Doofenshmirtz so he didn't have to. They unintentionally set a new fashion trend when people decided to buy clothes like theirs. (At least one of the clones bought a second coat to wear over the original.) Since the first three were failures, Doofenshmirtz decided to delete them. However, he pressed the delete all button by mistake, thus destroying all the clones.
Appearances
" Rollercoaster: The Musical! " (Failed copy only) (Cameo)
Gallery
The image gallery for Heinz Doofenshmirtz may be viewed here .
Background Information
In the original story pitch , the evil doctor's last name is Meddleshmirtz. While no reason has been given for the change, it may be due to resembling the medical term Mittelshmirtz, meaning "menstrual pain of the mid-cycle" (Literally, "middle pain"). He was also originally going to be a blonde.
The literal translation of his name is "home ruler" (Heinz) "stupid pain" (Doof (stupid) + en (conjunctive syllable) + shmirtz (pain).
He is lactose intolerant (" I Scream, You Scream ").
He has said himself that he gets motion sickness (" Not Phineas and Ferb ").
Like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, he seems to have a great deal of wealth, is physically weak, and had a difficult childhood.
He receives a large alimony check every month.
He wore braces as a teenager, perhaps to solve the grinding of his teeth (" Out to Launch ", " The Flying Fishmonger ", " At the Car Wash ", " What Do It Do? ").
He often mangles common phrases, such as "Dos vedanya! That's two vedanyas." or "As they say in China, Arrivederci!". Which means that he has a "peculiar humor sense" as seen in "Spot the Diff" when he said, "I changed it from cowabunga to cowaburger" (before changing " Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror ").
In " Swiss Family Phineas " one of his shoes is lost, and in the next episode, " Hide and Seek ", his shoes that he is wearing are slightly different with a small heel instead of being flat like his others, suggesting he had to purchase another pair to make up for the loss.
The reason he never got a doctorate is because his teacher failed him out of Evil 101, his major (" Oil on Candace ").
Heinz states that neither of his parents showed up at his birth (" Raging Bully "). However, he states that his family was a proud family, suggesting that he was always an outcast in his own family in spite of their pride (" Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror "). This is further evidenced when he claims his parents always liked his brother Roger better than him (" Thaddeus and Thor ", " Tree to Get Ready ").
Heinz may not be able to swim, as evidenced by the water wings that appeared when he removed his lab coat (" Are You My Mummy? "), and gets seasick (" Toy to the World "), possibly because his mother never let him swim in public pools (" De Plane! De Plane! "). Though when Perry toppled him in his giant washing machine he appeared to be swimming without water wings as he was in his undershirt and in boxers.(" Swiss Family Phineas ")
Heinz has an "Evil" tattoo on his left upper arm (" Chez Platypus ").
Doofenshmirtz's tattoo.
His computer password was "Doofalicious." However, he may have changed it due to the fact that Perry the Platypus was able to figure it out (" Comet Kermillian ").
He uses a retainer (" At the Car Wash ").
He holds/uses his mouse in his left hand, showing that he is most likely left handed (" Oh, There You Are, Perry ", " At the Car Wash "), but kicks right-footed as seen while playing kickball (" Thaddeus and Thor "). He also plays the guitar right-handed, as seen during numerous songs. Given his skill with his hands, it's likely that he's ambidextrous.
He was the "geek" of his class and marginalized because he liked magic (" Leave the Busting to Us! ").
He may have to use reading glasses (" Vanessassary Roughness ", " Druselsteinoween ").
He has been seen arrested once (" Vanessassary Roughness ").
Doof is the German word for "stupid" or "idiot". Major Monogram made fun of it (" It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World ").
He has often said "Dummkopf", a common German insult that literally translates to "stupid head". The actual meaning is "fool", thus he is scolding himself for acting foolish whenever he says that word. (" Finding Mary McGuffin ", " The Doof Side of the Moon ", " Mom's in the House ")
Schmerz (pronounced Shmertz) is a German word which means pain, ache, grief, or sorrow which basically describes Doofenshmirtz's childhood.
He built the Flat-a-Platinator to get rid of Perry the Platypus (" Phineas and Ferb ").
In " Crack That Whip ", he says that he is unable to grow facial hair, but he is shown with a goatee in " Unfair Science Fair " and beard in " Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation " and when he wanted to click a pop-up ad in " Tour de Ferb ", he had whiskers. It's possible the goatee was fake, and the beard and whiskers were after he said he couldn't grow facial hair, so therefore he was wrong.
Dr. Doofenshmirtz interacted with Phineas and Ferb for first time in a dream (" Wizard of Odd ").
Doofenshmirtz doesn't play and hates golf. Despite this, he has golf clubs (" One Good Scare Ought to Do It! ", " She's the Mayor ").
Doofenshmirtz plans what he's going to say to Perry before hand (" No More Bunny Business ").
He has been shown to own a variety of trucks for transporting Inators. (" Unfair Science Fair ", " Just Passing Through ", " Undercover Carl ", " Road Trip ")
If Doofenshmirtz were to be captured & arrested by the O.W.C.A. , he would serve 10 to 20 years in prison (" Phineas and Ferb Summer Belongs to You! ").
According to Dan, Doofenshmirtz has always called Perry "Perry the Platypus" and never just "Perry". However he has said only "Perry" a few times in the episode " The Bully Code ", where he wrote "SAVE FOR PERRY" on his cast so that Perry would have a spot to sign it. He also called Perry by the name "Perry" without the "the Platypus" suffix in " Are You My Mummy? ", twice in " Hide and Seek ", once in " At the Car Wash " and once in " Hip Hip Parade ".
It is hinted he takes arts and crafts classes. (" Just Passing Through ")
He once sent a humiliating video all around the Tri-State Area. But afterwards he finds out that, because of the video, he cannot go even into his kitchen (" Tip of the Day ").
Apparently, he has a Visigoth called Alaric working for him (" Brain Drain ").
He has been seen to create effigies resembling Perry the Platypus such as Bobblehead Perry the Platypus and Pretendy the Practicepus . (" Just Passing Through ", Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension )
He was born with an extra finger in his right foot so he moved it to his left one (Interview with Dan and Swampy )
When asking his neighbor to let him into the "D.E.I" building when he left his keys in the other dimension, he mentions he has been her neighbor for 12 years, implying that he got the building 12 years ago, therefore also suggesting that he also divorced Charlene around then, when Vanessa was 4. ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension )
He has a habit of singing in his bathroom (" Misperceived Monotreme ", " Phineas and Ferb Interrupted ")
Ever since he was a kid, there has been a fire hydrant stuck inside his leg. (" Skiddley Whiffers ")
He has been doomed by a puppet twice. Once by Dr. Doofenshmirtz (2nd dimension)'s Puppet. The other time was likely by Planty The Potted Plant. ( Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension , " No More Bunny Business ")
He mentioned that he was a boxing champion in middle school back in Gimmelshtump. (" The Curse of Candace ")
He seems to really like chicken soup. (" My Fair Goalie ")
In " Quietest Day Ever " it is revealed that Doofenshmirtz is 47 years old. That's almost the same age that his voice actor, Dan Povenmire , had when the episode was shown.
He runs faster than a panda, but slower then a platypus. (" Meapless in Seattle ")
Although he wants to take over the Tri-State Area , he thinks taking over the world is crazy. (" Minor Monogram ")
He has a pair of Peter the Panda slippers. (" When Worlds Collide , Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation! ")
He is good at making peach cobbler (" What'd I Miss? ").
He is a double amputee with two titanium arms, which may explain his amazing hand-eye coordination. (" Road to Danville ")
According to Major Monogram, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is technically considered an ocelot, as he was raised by ocelots in later childhood.
He has a sockpuppet whom he named Mr. Tomato . (" Bee Day ")
He is the character that breaks the Fourth wall the most.
In earlier episodes, Doofenshmirtz's voice was a little lower. This is especially noticeable in " This Is Your Backstory ", when he starts to retell the lawn gnome story, and then the original narration from the episode is used.
A running gag on the show is that because he wears a white lab coat, Doofenshmirtz is often mistaken for a pharmacist.
He quickly blogs something that what he sees. (" Agent Doof ", " Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel ")
He does not know who Dan Povenmire is according to one of the Doofenshmirtz's Daily Dirt episodes.
On some TV broadcasts, his "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" line is sometimes censored, omitting the "Curse You" line. Same is the cause for Esmeralda Poofenplotz .
In " Last Day of Summer " it is revealed that he is Public Enemy No. 3 according to O.W.C.A. list.
His favorite snack is almond brittle.
Doof was named number 6 on WatchMojo.com's Top 10 Funny Cartoon Villains .
He is frequently shown to be anywhere between a terrible driver to simply an absent-minded driver.
The same character is Hacker from Cyberchase
Appearances
Every episode except for " Isabella and the Temple of Sap " and " Ferb TV " (He is heard in the end credits however).
References
| i don't know |
Who plays Colonel Nick Fury in the film Iron Man? | Why is Nick Fury black?
Why is Nick Fury black?
Jan 2, 2011
Share
Why is Nick Fury black?
General Nicholas Joseph ‘Nick, Fury is a famous character in Marvel Comics. In the actual story, Nick Fury is depicted as a Caucasian American Colonel with grayish brown hair. The character of Nick Fury that is depicted in the action movie of the comic story was bald headed person who is African American general. This movie role was played by Samuel L. Jackson. The character Nick Fury was created by Stan lee and Jack Kirby. He is part of the S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate) working as general. He is portrayed as leader of an efficient U.S Army unit.
Jackson, who is a black, played the role of Fury in 2008 film Iron Man and played as a supporting character in Iron Man 2. Fury character appeared for the first time in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up which is a comic book series. Later his character was shown in Ultimate X-Men. Now, Fury character regularly appears in Ultimate Spider-Man. Then gradually he continued his appearances as general in S.H.I.E.L.D, Ultimates and in Avengers.
The Ultimate series made Jackson to enact for Fury. His role was accepted by the Marvel fans. Hence, the black Jackson is considered for Fury’s character and later found to be apt. This Marvel comic book spy has the goal of fighting terrorism. Nick Fury was introduced as a black man in the series Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5. Though original Nick Fury differ in his appearance to the Samuel L Jackson’s looks, with Jackson’s permission the character Fury’s appearance was changed exactly as Jackson’s. Jackson is a black American.
In the Iron Man film, Nick played by Jackson explains his role in Avengers which reveals the black version of Nick Fury. Marvel comics generally preferred Caucasian characters in most of its works in its history. As most of the roles of Fury in various movies like Thor, Avengers, Iron Man, Hulk were casted by Samuel L. Jackson, it is wise on the part of Marvel to continue with a black person to play the role of Fury.
Similar Posts:
| Samuel L. Jackson |
What is the name of the newspaper that Peter Parker works for? | A Comic Expert's Primer to ABC's 'Agents of SHIELD' | Hollywood Reporter
11:30am PT by Lesley Goldberg
A Comic Expert's Primer to ABC's 'Agents of SHIELD'
Marvel; ABC
Prepare for Joss Whedon's new drama series by getting the basics on the mythology that is featured on the new fall show.
ABC will put its fall fortunes in the hands of Marvel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer mastermind Joss Whedon when the network looks to Agents of SHIELD to launch an entirely new Tuesday lineup.
The drama, a follow-up to Marvel and Whedon's The Avengers, is based on Marvel Comics' secret intelligence organization that has appeared in countless titles including Iron Man, Captain America and The Ultimates since being introduced in the 1960s. The military law-enforcement agency's moniker stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, which has also evolved over time in the comics.
The Hollywood Reporter turned to Los Angeles comic book author/expert Siike Donnelly for a guide to the must-read comics that fully explain the origins of SHIELD in an effort to prepare the uninitiated for the comics world that awaits in Agents of SHIELD.
PHOTOS: Faces of Fall TV 2013
ABC's Agents of SHIELD marks the latest chapter in the Marvel universe -- and the first small-screen story to take characters previously featured in comics and films including The Avengers.
The series, in a way, picks up where Marvel and Joss Whedon's Avengers left off. It features Clark Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson's mysterious return -- dubbed the rare Level 7 clearance -- after having been killed off in the film. How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders reprises her Avengers role as Agent Maria Hill in the pilot.
The first nugget of Agents of SHIELD was planted in 2008, when Iron Man was released. In the film, a secret agent, a seemingly throwaway character, kept hounding Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) for a debriefing about the latter's kidnapping. That man was Gregg's Agent Phil Coulson, and he worked for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, with two goals: to get to the truth behind Stark's capture and to find an easier way to say the name of the agency.
Coulson quickly became a fan favorite and went on to appear in Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers as well as a series of short films that can be found on Marvel Blu-rays. The character transcended the screen after first debuting in Marvel comics (Battle Scars, Secret Avengers Now), video games (Marvel Heroes, Lego Marvel) and in Disney XD's Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.
STORY: Cobie Smulders' Comic-Con Reveal: Secret 'Agents of SHIELD' Role
Coulson has become the entry point to the organization known as SHIELD. But for the uninitiated, the SHIELD door was first opened by Col. Nicholas Joseph Fury, who first appeared as Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1 in May, 1963. In the comic, Fury led a military squad of the same name -- which some might recall as the men who fought alongside Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger.
As action heroes began to evolve in other media, Fury creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were inspired to evolve their character as well. In the pages of Strange Tales #135, the duo promoted Fury from sergeant to colonel and put him in charge of something much bigger than a few soldiers.
Originally, SHIELD stood for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division. The group constantly battled Hydra, a terrorist organization that also appeared in Captain America and was led by the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) in the film, but instead squared off against characters including Arnold Brown and Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker in the comics.
ABC has kept the pilot for the drama, which stars Ming Na, under lock and key outside of screenings at Comic-Con and at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour and is remaining mum on what role future guest stars will have with the series in a bid to create event viewing (or DVR-proof) as the network looks to reinvent its Tuesday lineup. For those who want to be better prepared for ABC's top-secret drama, here's a primer.
PHOTOS: ABC's 2013-14 Season: 'S.H.I.E.L.D.,' 'Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,' More
Clearance Level 5
Any issue of Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos is at the top of the required reading list, but might be the hardest title to locate. They feature great stories of Fury in WWII. Jim Steranko's Strange Tales has been reprinted in trade paperback format (SHIELD by Jim Steranko: The Complete Collection) and is currently on the shelves of your local comic book store. This collection re-tells the early missions of SHIELD, as well as the classic "Who is Scorpio" story, where Fury battles an enemy with a close connection to his past.
Marvel Spotlight #31 (out of print) offers the answer to why Nick Fury ages so slowly. Also good is Fury Max: My War Gone, Fury: Peacemaker and Wolverine & Nick Fury: Scorpio, if you want to read great war and revenge tales. The 1988 miniseries Nick Fury vs. SHIELD will also be reprinted in collected form in early October. Two key storylines from the 1989 series of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD are Operation: Cold War and The Deltite Affair, but might be hard to track down. Also helpful is Howard Chaykin's Fury of SHIELD miniseries that came out in the 1990s. All are great Fury stories, with a focus on how he runs his organization.
The second Ghost Rider, Danny Ketch, fought his girlfriend, who was SHIELD-trained in Ghost Rider: Betrayal, for those who want to see a bit of what SHIELD training entails. Around that time, the Punisher tried to assassinate Fury in Over the Edge, which offers a deeper look into the strategic mind of Nick Fury. For some mutant action, fans should track down Kitty Pryde: Agent of SHIELD to see how someone with unique, mutant abilities is trained by Fury’s group -- a key note as ABC's SHIELD will explore humans with incredible abilities. The still-in-print Wolverine: Enemy of the State features a brainwashed Wolverine, who gets sent to kill Marvel’s superheroes, with SHIELD and Elektra standing in his way. Lastly, the Amalgam Universe one-shot Bruce Wayne: Agent of SHIELD -- where Marvel and DC Comics characters were fused together for a very brief moment in time -- is also a difficult find but a fun read if you’re curious how someone like Bruce Wayne runs an organization like SHIELD.
STORY: 'Agents of SHIELD' Cast, Creators on Movie Synergy, Joss Whedon's Involvement
Clearance Level 6 (all still in print)
Marvel's big Civil War series was a precursor to Iron Man taking over as the new director of SHIELD, with Maria Hill (Smulders) by his side. Hill's first appearance is in the New Avengers graphic novel Breakout, which featured the rebuilding of the Avengers during a massive breakout by dozens of villains from their maximum security, Alcatraz-like prison, known as The Raft. The character plays a major role in the first nine volumes of New Avengers and leads up to a showdown between her and the Skrull aliens in Secret Invasion.
Following those events, Spider-Man's greatest villain, Norman Osborn (aka the Green Goblin) saves the world and becomes the Iron Patriot. Iron Patriot was also the identity Tony Stark's ally, Col. James Rhodes, took in Iron Man 3 and was loosely based off the Osborn design. Osborn then creates his own Dark Avengers and renames SHIELD to HAMMER, and leads his new army to battle Thor's home of Asgard in the comic Siege.
Secret Warriors features a great story called "Nick Fury, Agent of Nothing" that has Fury build a team made up of the children of super-villains. SHIELD: Architects of Forever is a story that reveals the organization has been around for generations, with its first members being Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Imhotep, Zhang Heng and Galileo.
For his part, Whedon -- who serves as an executive producer on ABC's series -- also contributed a piece to SHIELD history in the pages of Astonishing X-Men by creating a counterpart agency called SWORD, whose purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to Earth. They hang out in an orbiting space station called the Peak.
Secret War by Brian Michael Bendis and any of Ed Brubaker's Captain America run -- especially the books featuring the antagonist from the next Cap film, The Winter Soldier, are essential. Still, in all of these stories, readers will notice that Nick Fury looks more David Hasselhoff and less Samuel L. Jackson (who played Fury in Marvel's Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Avenges features). Luckily, for those who prefer Jackson, you're covered.
The Ultimates series features an alternate universe version of Fury (Gen. Fury) that inspired the Marvel feature take on the character. These comics also feature the Chitauri, the alien race from The Avengers film, who are an alternate universe take on the Skrulls. In the main Marvel universe, Battle Scars introduces Nick Fury's son, Marcus Johnson, as the new Fury, who also strikes a resemblance with Jackson. Also in the pages of Battle Scars, readers are introduced to an agent that fights alongside Marcus on his rise to the top as the new Nick Fury -- that agent is Phil Coulson (played by Gregg on ABC).
STORY: What ABC's 'Agents of SHIELD' Will Need to Do to Get an Audience -- and Save the Network
Clearance Level 7 (all monthly titles)
Secret Avengers Now features Coulson, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson in the features), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and the new Nick Fury, Marcus Johnson, in charge of a revolving door of teammates that get their memory erased after each mission. Captain America Now features Cap working with SHIELD -- in and out of his own dimension. Indestructible Hulk Now sees Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) going to SHIELD with a new concept on how to aim his big, green, dark side at things that need smashing. (Hulk is briefly seen in some of the teaser trailers for ABC's SHIELD, though there's no word on if the character will appear.)
For X-Men fans, Wolverine Now introduces readers to a far more vulnerable Logan as his journey brings him to SHIELD's doorstep after his healing factor vanishes. Also, Savage Wolverine: Kill Island sees Logan stranded in the Savage Land with Shanna the She-Devil and a few SHIELD agents on a survival mission with the Hulk.
Infinity, Marvel’s current big summer event, features SHIELD, SWORD and every version of the Avengers in a battle against Thanos, that giant purple creature at the end of The Avengers film that sent Loki and the Chitauri to Earth.
The Ultimate Spider-Man all-ages comic, based on the popular animated series, is also a place to see the web-slinger and SHIELD agents fight side by side.
Finally, Iron Man 3 is out on DVD and includes a bonus short film starring with information about Extremis. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as Agent Peggy Carter from Captain America and takes on an assignment that puts her on a new career path. This information cannot be missed by anyone wanting to learn more about ABC's SHIELD.
STORY: Inside Marvel's Secret 'Agents of SHIELD' Security
Ultimate background
For the quick way into SHIELD, Marvel in November will release Agents of SHIELD #1, which reprints Strange Tales #135 (the first appearance of SHIELD); Battle Scars #6 (the first appearance of Coulson and the new Nick Fury); Secret Avengers Now #1; and Avenging Spider-Man #20-21, where Spidey fans can see a Doctor Octopus-possessed wall-crawler interact with Fury, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Agent Coulson.
ABC's Agents of SHIELD premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m.
Siike Donnelly is a comic book expert, published author/artist who can be found on Twitter ( @explodingbullet ) or shopping and sharing his nerd knowledge at Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood.
| i don't know |
Who is Kal-El better known as? | Kal-El (Earth-One) | DC Database | Fandom powered by Wikia
[ show ]
History
Superman is Earth’s premiere superhero and the stalwart protector of Metropolis . Born Kal-El on the distant planet Krypton , he was sent to Earth as a child to survive Krypton's destruction. Raised with high moral ideals, he uses his extraordinary superpowers to fight evil and protect the innocent. In his civilian identity he is Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter working for the Daily Planet in Metropolis.
Last Son of Krypton
Kal-El was born to the highly decorated scientific genius Jor-El and his wife Lara , a former astronaut on their home planet of Krypton . Like all Kryptonians, Kal-El had no superhuman powers or abilities on Krypton, but was, like his father, a very astute and intelligent boy who learned to speak and read in his native language by the time he was three years old.
About the same time, Jor-El learned that Krypton was doomed to explode, and he brought this to the attention of Krypton's ruling leaders, "the Science Council." Fearing the worst for his planet, Jor-El advised the Council to build a fleet of space rockets to carry the population farther away from the dying planet.
Disbelieving Jor-El's prediction, the ruling council refused to warn their fellow Kryptonians and forbade Jor-El to do so. Lara pledged to remain with her husband when Jor-El tried to force her to leave along with her son so that the escape rocket would have a better chance of surviving the trip. Knowing that Krypton was soon to explode, Jor-El launched the ship to Earth, knowing that Earth's lower gravity and the yellow sun would give his son incredible powers.
Adopted by the Kents
The rocket crash-landed on Earth in an open field outside of Smallville, Kansas . It was there that the rocket and the young Kal-El were discovered by small land farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent . Upon finding the young boy, Martha became attached to Kal-El while Jonathan elected to have the child's true family found. Martha persuades Jonathan to keep the boy as their adopted child, naming him Clark. [2]
The Kents fashioned a set of clothes for their " Superbaby " from the now-virtually indestructible red, blue and yellow blankets in the rocket. This same material was later used to create the costume Kal-El would wear as Superboy and Superman.
Jonathan and Martha instill in him a good sense of right and wrong but also a good appreciation to try to fit into society as a positive being using his talents for good. The young Clark takes the advice to heart and starts helping out local people as the eight-year-old Superboy. It is as the heroic Superboy that Clark begins to find his true calling even trying to fit in as the normal "Clark Kent". But Superboy never forgets his Kryptonian heritage which at times leads to some frustrating moments between him and his foster parents such as when Krypto (Kal-El's now superpowered puppy from Krypton) first arrives in Smallville. Though there are several mishaps in Superboy's life on Earth, they never really lead to the troubles of teenage rebellion. Deciding to support his public actions, Martha unravels Clark's blankets and reweaves them into the familiar costume. Clark continues to use Martha's design throughout all of his costume career.
Superboy
As Clark grows up on Earth, he is mindful of obeying the laws of humanity working directly with Police Chief Parker and other law enforcement agencies which lead to Superboy direct acceptance as a hero which differs from the early vigilante status of the Earth-Two Superman . In fact by the time Clark is around 12 or so the town officially recognizes their most popular citizen with a billboard that publicly announces "Welcome to Smallville - the home of Superboy".
Luthor
It is this public notification of Smallville being Superboy's home that brings the young Lex Luthor into Superboy's life and will result in their life-long battle. Lex Luthor had a massive talent for scientific inventiveness which had asserted itself from Lex's earliest days. Lex became highly interested in the public exploits of Superboy to the point of almost obsessive behavior, forcing his parents to move to Smallville so he could be closer to his idol. It was Lex's hope that he could aid Superboy in his exploits. Some argue perhaps to become as famous as his hero, other argue merely for the sake of helping his hero. Lex focused on all of his considerable scientific skills to finding out some way to achieve his goal and found it when he discovered Superboy's weakness to Kryptonite . Deciding on a cure to the meteorite's effects on Superboy, Lex began to experiment with various exotic materials many of which were dangerous and explosive. The chemicals reacted badly and exploded in Lex's lab filling the room with various poisonous gasses. Superboy reacting to the explosion arrived to find Lex in threat of death but was unable to enter the room directly because of the Kryptonite. Superboy stood outside of the room and blew the Kryptonite and gasses out of the room saving Lex's life. But an unforeseen accident of the exhaust was that Superboy blew the chemicals over Lex, which resulted in permanently removing all the hair from Lex's uncovered head. Lex's face was spared the removal effect of the gasses. Lex was shocked and stunned to see his perfect idol do such a blunderous save. Superboy explained the situation needed an immediate reaction, but Lex was inconsolable upon his disfigurement which he decided was deliberate on Superboy's part. He took the partially completed Kryptonite cure and destroyed it in front of Superboy, pledging then and there that he would dedicate his life to proving that he was superior to Superboy, later Superman, by any and all means. [3] .
It would be this interpretation that would allow Lex to act between the extremes of trying to kill Kal-El and merely trying to humiliate Kal-El which Lex Luthor would later do in becoming a recognized hero of the planet renamed in his honor, Lexor unlike his Earth-Two counterpart Alexei Luthor who only wants to kill Superman.
While Lex would grow up to become Superboy's primary foe, many of Superboy's Smallville friends would become the support of his life, mostly focusing on his classmate Pete Ross who would independently discover Clark's secret identity and Lana Lang who would become his first love interest, to all of whom would provide a basis when Superboy faced his most troubling personal loss, his foster parents' death.
Death of the Kents
During Clark's teenage years on Earth, the Kents had sold their farm and became shopkeepers in Smallville and settled into a more modern lifestyle supporting Clark's day to day life as well as his superhero activities. But they grew elderly and eventually died of a tropical fever, when in a voyage. Even with all his abilities and science, Clark could not save them. Before dying, Johnathan Kent reminded Clark to continue doing good deeds and not lose sight of who he was.
Metropolis/Superman
With the death of his foster parents, Clark left Smallville and resettled in Metropolis deciding to continue his costume career as a public hero. It would be here that Clark would become a staff reporter of the Daily Planet and meet his core set of friends, Lois Lane , cub reporter Jimmy Olsen and editor Perry White . Clark would report on various criminal activities around the planet on his civilian identity, which he would foil as Superman for the Daily Planet until the paper was sold to Morgan Edge and Clark was transferred to newscasting. The major difference from most of the other interpretations of the Superman legend is that Lois Lane is usually considered to make the first public report on Superman's exploits where on Earth-One , Superman is very well-known and respected long before meeting Lois Lane or settling in Metropolis.
Superman was pivotal in inspiring many Earth-based heroes, resulting in the creation of the Justice League and teaming up with Batman whom he considered to be a close personal friend, as well as with his cousin Kara, who would become Supergirl . And as he gathered more and more allies and friends, he would gather more and more enemies as he became more and more extensive beyond the confines of Earth-One .
World's Finest
Batman and Superman switch identities
Early on in their careers, Batman and Superman met each other during a case when they would attempt to protect each other from the danger posed by a gang of Kryptonite smugglers. This would end with the Dynamic Duo and Superman working together for the first time to stop the gang. [4] Soon, Batman and Superman learned each other’s secret identities, but promised to keep them a secret and they subsequently started working on several cases together. [5] [6] When Superman rescued Batman and Robin from a mob attack, he would accidentally reveal his secret identity to Lois Lane, prompting Batman and Robin help stage an elaborate hoax in order to once more protect Superman's identity. [7] When Clark Kent and Lois Lane were captured by criminals who used heavy artillery in their crimes, Batman and Robin were led to their hideout thanks to Superman's secret aid and they captured the thugs. [8] Sometime later, Batman and Superman came up with an elaborate hoax wherein Batman poses as a swami and needs Superman’s assistance in order to capture a group of crooks. [9] When Batman was exposed to a lethal gas by the Purple Mask Mob that would've killed the Dark Knight should he be physically active, Superman and Robin made Batman believe that he had a broken leg to keep him out of action until the poison wore off. [10]
Batman and Superman started a competition to define in which of their cities would a science convention should be held, but the heroes were equal and the science convention took place on both cities. [11] Batman and Superman worked together to stop the evil Professor Pender, who used a machine to swap powers between them. Using their respective abilities, Super-Batman and Normal Superman managed to defeat Pender and return to their normal forms. [12] Next, Superman summons Batman and Robin to Metropolis to try and figure out who is trying to reveal Superman's secret identity. This all turns out to be a ruse to keep the Dynamic Duo preoccupied while Superman travels out to Gotham City to capture the Varrel Mob. [13] Superman and Batman stopped the Mole Gang, while also working on their civilian identities as temporarily reporters in order to report the epic gang battle and save the Gotham Gazette from bankruptcy. [14]
When Superman went missing, Batman and Robin were asked to track down the Man of Steel and help him expose yet another empty threat from a criminal attempting to expose Superman's secret identity. This case would bring the earliest meeting between Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent. [15] Sometime later, Batman and Superman investigated the mysterious case of the deaths of Robin and Jimmy Olsen, learned about a purposeful deception and captured an important gang in the process. [16] After this, they confronted the menace of the Composite Superman , who vanished away after creating serious havoc. [17] Next, the Batman and Superman team almost disappeared as a grudge grew between the heroes, but after working together to save Kandor , they moved past their disagreements. [18] Following this, the heroes stopped the double threat of Braniac and Clayface with help from their sidekicks Robin and Jimmy . [19] Batman and Superman later pulled a hoax on Doctor Zodiac , a notorious con-artist and captured him along with several other gangsters. [20] Eventually, the Composite Superman made a comeback, and he almost defeated the heroes. However, he sacrificed himself to prevent another alien from killing them and afterwards. Batman and Superman created a memorial in honor of Joseph Meach. [21] Some time later, Batman and Superman worked together to stop Dr. Light from killing Superman with a magical staff he created. [22]
Batman and Superman then worked with Metamorpho after he gained their powers and together they captured an international criminal. [23]
The End
Superman would continue to try to protect the universe directly from various forces throughout all of his career up until the time of the " Crisis on Infinite Earths ". It would be during this conflict that Kal-El would once again lose a member of his extended family. He would not recover from the loss of Supergirl to the multiverse domination schemes of the Anti-Monitor .
Like his Earth-Two counterpart, Superman would decide to sacrifice his life in order to stop the Anti-Monitor but was stopped by a somewhat underhanded sneak blow by the elder Kal-L who decided the younger and more powerful Kryptonian would have a better chance at stopping the Anti-Monitor later if Kal-L's direct attack against the Anti-Monitor failed.
Kal-L's attack, along with the assistance of Superboy-Prime , succeeded and the single surviving universe was saved. The Superman of Earth-One returned to the singular Earth and continued to be active as Superman until such time where he was recreated as a new individual with a restructured history. When he and those connected to him were recreated, the people of the new singular Earth lost all memories of Superman but would go on to know the new individual as "Superman".
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Kryptonian Physiology : Under the rays of a yellow sun, Superman, like all Kryptonians and some species of extraterrestrial lifeforms with similar physiology, gained enormous power to wield as he sees fit. The below covers his variegated power set.
Solar Energy Absorption : As a product of his Kryptonian physiology, Superman absorbs solar radiation and stores it within his cells to survive. [24] The rays of a white sun could amplify Superman's strength beyond normal limits, while the rays of an orange sun reduced Superman's strength and invulnerability to levels at which collisions with small meteoroids could stun him. According to some sources, the rays of an orange sun could also render Superman blind as well as at half-power. The rays of a red sun, while sufficient to sustain his life functions by providing his cells solar radiation, nonetheless negated all of his powers instantaneously and made him the equivalent of a human man with a well-trained, albeit vulnerable, body. It also seemed that red sun radiation could strip Superman of his abilities even in environments which existed primarily under a yellow sun.
Superhuman Strength : Superman possesses a truly extraordinary strength level, by no means capable of being precisely measured but certainly well within the range of being able to press or lift from millions to sextillions of tons. Although early Silver Age appearances portrayed Superman as being so strong he could yank several small planets through space by an absurdly large chain and throw white dwarf star matter light years away effortlessly, later appearances showed Superman's physical might, though still incredible to say the least, to possess veritable and somewhat tamer limits. In the Bronze Age , Superman could still move individual planets around the Earth's size and lift neutron star matter, though he would have to struggle and strain in the process, while these feats were presented at the time as if the uppermost bounds of his ability. This de-powering may have been the by-product of the Kryptonite Nevermore saga, in which Superman's power was reduced by 25-33% permanently by the Sand Superman . Afterwards, as Superman once lamented when tasked with shifting the tectonic plates of the Earth with brute strength, "Superman, who could once juggle planets with one hand, can't even manipulate one puny continent!" [25]
Invulnerability : Superman's body was virtually invulnerable to all forms of mundane and ordinary harm. Neither bullets nor bazookas could even faze the nigh-invincible Man of Steel. Superman could even withstand the explosion of an atomic bomb at ground zero unfazed, and even the force and heat of planetary-level explosions and supernovas only had the power to stun Superman momentarily. Superman even withstood the heat, light, and gravity of the Big Bang for a few moments before ultimately succumbing to it. However, while it might be said that it was next to impossible to defeat Superman in one-on-one combat, it was still just that: next to impossible. Indeed, there were a number of reliable ways to damage Superman's highly durable form. The one that springs to mind most quickly, and is most often employed, is Kryptonite , radioactive soil from Superman's home-planet. In addition to the radiation emitted by Krypton's crystalline remnants, magic and high-frequency red sun radiation could also negate Superman's invulnerability and potentially do him real harm. Superman was also vulnerable to psionic attack and could be incapacitated psychically, although the effect of the attack would have to be quick. Otherwise, Superman could use his super-concentration to fight off the mental intrusion. Lastly, the most difficult means of dealing harm to Superman physically was simply to apply a force or energy so potent and intense that it could rival force within Superman's own capacity to exert. This could be managed through a level of brute strength comparable to Superman's, or even exceeding it, or it could be accomplished through the utilization of an extremely powerful energy projection attack. Examples of those who could use attacks capable of harming Superman without exploitation of his weaknesses included the Superman of Earth-Two , Ultraman , the Phantom Zoners , Mon-El , Martian Manhunter , Darkseid , Mongul , Ultra Boy , Validus , Vartox , Bizarro , Gorilla Grodd , Atomic Skull , Galactic Golem , Karb-Brak , Blackrock , Amazo , Lex Luthor in his Lexorian warsuit , Composite Superman , Parasite , Amalak , the Earth-Two and Earth-One versions of Solomon Grundy , etc. It should also be noted that Superman was seemingly capable of increasing his base durability against an energy attack by simply preparing himself for it. Some villains have utilized energy attacks which affected Superman while he was unprepared for the attack's intensity yet used the same attack to no avail once Superman had sufficiently readied himself to withstand the force and discomfort.
Longevity : Superman can live almost indefinitely if he resides under continuous exposure to Earth's sunlight or that of another yellow star/sun.
Self-Sustenance : He does not need to eat or sleep (but is still capable of doing so) and doesn't require oxygen to breathe, enabling him to travel in space and underwater unprotected.
Superhuman Stamina : He has the ability to maintain continuous physical activity for an undefined period. Although not unlimited, Superman's stamina is indeed considerable. His resilience in the face of perils that could potentially annihilate planets, galaxies, universes, and even him is tremendous.
Flight : Superman is capable of defying gravity as a result of Krypton's greater atmospheric pressure and its demands on Kryptonian physiology. Combining his superspeed with this power, Superman can fly at unbelievable speeds, even exceeding the speed of light. Once Superman does break this seemingly impenetrable barrier, Superman can travel through time and traverse dimensions. In spite of pain from mounting physical strain, Superman can fly at speeds multiple times faster than light and, when motivated, has been shown to even be capable of shattering the bounds of infinity, requiring the Spectre to intervene to stop him from laying witness to reality's final secret. On another occasion, he used this ability to escape a black hole, although the gravity well dislocated his leg in the process.
Superhuman Speed : He is capable of moving, reacting, running, and flying at superhuman speeds. While not as fast as the Flash , Superman is considered one of the swiftest beings in the universe. He can use this power to disarm opponents, catch bullets or shrapnel, cross vast distances in seconds, and move himself and other objects at speeds exceeding the speed of light itself. Combining his flight with this power, Superman can fly at unbelievable speeds, even exceeding the speed of light. Once Superman does break this seemingly impenetrable barrier, Superman can travel through time and traverse dimensions. In spite of pain from mounting physical strain, Superman can fly at speeds multiple times faster than light and, when motivated, has been shown to even be capable of shattering the bounds of infinity, requiring the Spectre to intervene to stop him from laying witness to reality's final secret. On another occasion, he used this ability to escape a black hole, although the gravity well dislocated his leg in the process.
| Superman |
Who played Nick Fury in the made for TV movie of the same name? | Jor-El (Kryptonian) | Smallville Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Jor-El and J'onn trapped Aldar in the Phantom Zone .
Some years later, Jor-El became a member of the Science Council and was given a victory ring . He created the Phantom Zone , a plane of existence that served as a prison for malevolent criminals from the 28 known galaxies , and became good friends with the Martian Manhunter , who helped Jor-El hunt down alien criminals and send them to the Phantom Zone.
After years of trying to conceive a child, Jor-El and Lara finally had a son named Kal -El . Around this time, [6] Jor-El opposed Zod and his attempt to conquer Krypton, and created the Brain InterActive Construct using Dax-Ur 's designs to aid in the war against Zod and his army. He and the Council eventually managed to capture Zod and destroy his physical body, imprisoning his mind and spirit in the Phantom Zone.
Jor-El then contacted Zor-El to inform him of Zod's imprisonment and that, because of his (Zor-El's) association with Zod, Zor-El was under arrest. Knowing of Zor-El's trips to Earth, the Council destroyed all the portals off of Krypton and locked Zor-El in Kandor's mine control room. Zor-El, however, instructed Brainiac to override the lockdown and re-activated the ignition of Krypton's core. After Kara contacted Lara and told her about Zor-El's plans, Lara told Jor-El, who went and tried to stop the ignition.
Jor-El and Lara place their son Kal-El in a spaceship before Krypton's destruction.
Unfortunately, Jor-El was unable to prevent the end of his world. Before Krypton perished, he decided to send Kal-El to Earth to find the Stones of Power and keep them from falling into the hands of Brainiac, knowing that he would be able to free Zod from the Phantom Zone. To ensure Kal-El's safety, guidance and destiny in the Kryptonian way, Jor-El copied his brainwave patterns into his son's spaceship . Along with his care and love, Jor-El sent with Kal-El a cryptic message: "On this third planet from the star Sol, you will be a god among men. They are a flawed race. Rule them with strength, my son. That is where your greatness lies."
Jor-El made other preparations for Kal-El. He decided that he wanted his son to grow up with the Kents ; it was therefore no coincidence that Jonathan and Martha Kent found Clark when his spaceship crash-landed on Earth during the meteor shower of 1989 . Jor-El also asked the Martian Manhunter to watch Kal-El from a distance, intervening only when it was absolutely necessary, and programmed the Orb with another function: To show the user the way to the Fortress of Solitude so they could control Kal-El by taking away his powers if he ever turned against the human race and did not embrace his destiny.
Jor-El and Lara's final tender moment.
After sending Kal-El on his way to Earth, Jor-El placed his assistant Raya in the Phantom Zone while he and Lara tried once more to save Krypton from destruction, but they were unsuccessful. As Krypton entered its final moments, Jor-El and Lara recorded a holographic message for their son, telling Kal-El of their failures but assuring him they will love him all the days of his life. Jor-El also stated in the recording that, no matter what trials he'll give his son, he would never lose faith in him and was absolutely confident that Kal-El would fulfill his destiny as the savior of mankind. Once they finished recording the message, Jor-El and Lara died with the rest of their people.
In the Comics
Jor-El as he appears in the comics.
Due to continuity changes and revamps at least every ten years in the history of DC Comics, there have been many versions of Superman's origin, Krypton and Jor-El himself.
Jor-El was first referred to indirectly in Action Comics #1 in 1938, which only mentioned a scientist who sends his son to Earth. He made his first full-fledged appearance in the Superman newspaper comic strip in 1939. Jor-El's first appearance in an actual comic book was in More Fun Comics #101.
As it was summarized in the World of Krypton miniseries Jor-El was Krypton's leading scientist, having invented, among other devices, the "Jor-El," a hovercar, and having discovered a parallel plane of existence which he called the Phantom Zone, and having invented a device by which it could be entered, which he called the Phantom Zone Projector. This device got him a seat on the Science Council, Krypton's ruling body. He lived in Krypton's major city of Kryptonopolis. Even before Jor-El's birth, the El family was renowned across Krypton for its various contributions to Kryptonian society. Ancestors of Jor-El included Val-El, a famous explorer; Sul-El, the inventor of Krypton's first telescope; Tala-El, the author of Krypton's first planetary constitution; Hatu-El, the inventor of Krypton's first electromagnet and first electric motor; and Gam-El, the father of modern Kryptonian architecture. Jor-El had two brothers: Zor-El, who lived in Argo City and eventually became the father of Kara Zor-El, alias Supergirl, and an identical twin brother named Nim-El, who lived in Kandor. In several stories, Jor-El's father was established as Jor-El I, and his mother as Nimda (née An-Dor). Jor-El eventually met and married Lara, the daughter of Lor-Van and a young astronaut in Krypton's fledgling space program the two had an infant son, Kal-El.
When Krypton began experiencing a series of earthquakes, Jor-El investigated. He soon discovered, to his horror, that Krypton's core was extremely unstable and indeed radioactive, and worse, that it would eventually reach critical mass and explode, taking the entire planet and its populace with it. Jor-El tried to convince the members of the Science Council of this impending disaster and urged re-establishing Krypton's space program so giant spacecraft could be built to carry the populace to another habitable world. However, the Council was dismissive of Jor-El's findings and refused to comply with his plan. Some even accused him of treachery, trying to cause chaos so he could take over. There were supporters of Jor-El's theory, but when a ship was constructed to evacuate them, the city of Kandor was shrunken and stolen by Brainiac, removing the people who believed in Jor-El's work. Frustrated, Jor-El continued his work on space travel on his own, hoping to build a spacecraft to save his own family. This work included launching several smaller test rockets; one of these rockets included the family dog, who responded to the name of "Krypto". However, as time ran short, Jor-El soon found that he would only have enough time to build a spacecraft to save his son Kal-El. He decided to send Kal-El to Earth, realizing he would gain superhuman powers under Earth's more intense yellow sun and lower gravity. As Krypton finally went through its final destructive stages, Jor-El and Lara placed their son in the rocket and launched him toward Earth, before they themselves were killed along with almost all the rest of the planet's population. Lara could have fit inside the rocket as well, but she chose to stay behind to increase Kal-El's chances of reaching Earth.
After the 1985-1986 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths and the 1986 miniseries The Man of Steel rewrote Superman's origins, details about Jor-El's background and character were changed. Jor-El inhabited a cold and emotionally sterile Krypton where even bodily contact was forbidden. Indeed, Jor-El himself was considered a "throwback" for actually expressing emotions toward his mate Lara, and for his favoring the less-sterilized days of past Kryptonian eras. Another change in this version was Jor-El genetically altering his son's fetus to allow him to leave Krypton and merely attaching a warp engine to the matrix instead of constructing a ship wholesale. The result was that, when the birthing matrix opened on Earth, Kal-El was "born" on that planet.
Jor-El and Lara sent infant Kal-El to Earth.
In the miniseries Superman: Birthright, Jor-El, along with Krypton and Lara, was, more or less, reinstated to his Silver Age versions, though with such updated touches as Lara contributing equally to the effort of sending Kal-El, once again an infant while on Krypton, to Earth. In this version, Jor-El discovers Earth moments before launching his son's spacecraft. Also, the conclusion of the miniseries has the adult Superman, on Earth, seeing his parents through Lex Luthor's time-space communicator, and on Krypton, seconds before its destruction, Jor-El and Lara see their son alive and well on Earth and know that their efforts were successful. Following Infinite Crisis, they are no longer valid in comics canon.
In Infinite Crisis, a new version of Krypton along with another version of Jor-El are presented into mainstream continuity. Here, Jor-El is depicted for the first time with a beard and the design of Kryptonian society is distinct yet again from the last two reboots, incorporating elements of Donner's work on the first two Christopher Reeve films, in particular the notion of Krypton's Council threatening Jor-El with the harsh penalty of exile to the very Phantom Zone he himself had discovered if he were to make public his predictions of their planet's imminent doom or otherwise attempt to "create a climate of panic."
Jor-El and his wife Lara.
Jor-El and Lara with their son, Superman.
Jor-El is shown here to have been mentored by friend and noted scientist Non, who corroborated Jor-El's findings regarding Krypton's impending destruction when the two were arrested and brought to trial before the Council by Zod and Ursa. When Non defies the Council's dire prohibitions and elects to spread the word of the coming apocalypse, he is abducted by Council agents and apparently lobotomized, thus explaining the character's mute simple-mindedness. Appalled, Zod and Ursa propose to Jor-El that they band together and overthrow the Council, but Jor-El will have none of it. When their murderous insurrection fails, the Council forces Jor-El to exile them to the Phantom Zone and never speak of his findings again, lest he face the same fate. For this perceived betrayal, Zod declares that he will escape and conquer Krypton (confident that Jor-El will actually discover some way to save the planet) and force the scientist and his son to kneel before him one day.
Having been re-built via a Kryptonian crystal during the One Year Later story arc, the current version of the Fortress of Solitude, now contains an advanced interactive "recording" of Jor-El.
Jor-El in the New 52.
Batman discovered that, years ago, Jor-El sent a probe to Earth that made contact with Thomas Wayne while he was on a drive with a pregnant Martha Wayne, the probe holographically transmitting Thomas' consciousness to Krypton so that Jor-El could better learn what kind of world Earth was to help him decide which of many possible candidates he should send his son to. Thomas tells Jor-El that the people of Earth aren't perfect, but are essentially a good and kind race who would raise the child right, convincing Jor-El to send Kal-El there. Upon returning to his body, Thomas uses the technology in the Kryptonian probe to revitalize a failing Wayne Enterprises; years later, the alien technology would be the basis of much of Batman's technology. Thomas recorded his encounter in a diary, which was discovered by his son Bruce Wayne in the present day.
In the New 52 most of Jor-El's history is still intact. He is still the biological father of superman the creator of the Phantom zone projector and is still part of the Kryptonian Science council and still was one of few kryptonians who knew of Krypton's imminent destruction and wishes to voice his research to the Science Council. But, The core research center is Destroyed by the Eradicator's henchmen. It is later revealed that the Eradicator knows of Jor-El's findings and wishes to enlist him in his doomsday cult, but Jor-El manages to defeat the Eradicators henchmen.
Appearances
| i don't know |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.