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Which was the first non-capital city after the second World War to stage the Summer Olympic Games? | Olympic Summer Games - The Canadian Encyclopedia
Sports
Olympic Summer Games
Olympic Games are an international sports competition, held every four years. Until 1992 the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games were held in the same year, but beginning in 1994 they were rescheduled so that they are held in alternate even-numbered years.
Olympic Games are an international sports competition, held every four years. Until 1992 the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games were held in the same year, but beginning in 1994 they were rescheduled so that they are held in alternate even-numbered years. For example, the Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan, were held in 1998 and the Summer Olympics were held in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
Original Games
The original Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece between 776 BC and 393 AD, as a celebration of the god Zeus. The Games exemplified the ancient Greek pursuit of excellence and reverence for physical beauty. The festival was held every four years at Olympia, in the eastern Peloponnese, and included chariot and horse races, foot races, boxing, wrestling, and pentathlon. Tales of the glory of the Games persisted and were revived when 19th century archaeologists proved that they existed as an actual event rather than just in mythology.
Modern Games
The revival of the Olympian Games in modern times was the obsession of French educator and thinker Pierre de Coubertin, who saw them as a means to promote peace. The first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896. They were on a modest scale, with about 250 athletes from 14 countries. There were 43 events in 9 different sports. In contrast, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, included more than 10,000 athletes from more than 190 countries competing in 271 events in 29 different sports.
In many countries, athletes qualify for the Olympics by winning or finishing well in selection trials. An athlete must be a citizen of a country in order to represent that country. For many years, only amateur athletes competed in the Games, but professional athletes are now eligible to compete in most Olympic sports. In most Olympic sports, a nation may enter as many as three competitors in each event as long as the athletes meet a minimum standard set by the international governing body of that sport. National teams must win or place high in qualifying tournaments to make the final competition. The host country is allowed to enter a team in every team event.
Each first-place winner receives a gold medal, which is actually made of silver and coated with gold. The second-place medal is silver, and the third-place medal is bronze. The design for the medal changes for each Olympics. All members of a winning relay team get a medal, including those who participated only in qualifying rounds. In team sports, all the members of a winning team who have played in at least one of the games during the competition receive a medal.
Athens 1896
The 1896 games included events in cycling , fencing , gymnastics , target shooting , swimming , tennis , track and field , weightlifting and wrestling . James B. Connolly of the United States became the first modern Olympic champion, winning the triple jump (then known as the hop, step, and jump). Appropriately, a Greek athlete, Spyridon Louis, won the first marathon race. Canadians did not compete.
Paris 1900
The games of 1900 and 1904 attracted little attention. The 1900 Olympics were held as a sideshow to a world's fair in Paris. They included the first competitions involving women — in lawn tennis and golf . The first women gold medalists were British tennis player Charlotte Cooper and American golfer Margaret Abbott. Canada did not send an official team to the Olympic Games, but George Orton , a Canadian studying in the United States, travelled to Paris with the American team and won a gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase, a bronze in the 400 m hurdles and finished fifth in the 4000 m steeplechase.
St Louis 1904
Poor attendance also plagued the 1904 Olympics, which were held as part of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Canada sent its first official team, which won four gold medals (in weight toss, golf , lacrosse and soccer ) as well as a silver medal in rowing . One of Canada's gold medallists that year was Étienne Desmarteau , a police officer from Montréal , who was fired from the force for taking a leave of absence to go to the Games. He won gold for the 56-pound weight throw. He died the following year at the age of 28 from typhoid. The Winnipeg Shamrocks captured the gold in lacrosse. George Lyon won the gold medal in golf, and a team from Galt , Ontario , won the gold in soccer.
Two years after the 1904 Games, Intermediary Games were held in Athens to try to preserve the historic ties between Greece and the Games. William Sherring, one of only three Canadian athletes at the Games, won the gold medal in the marathon . No further Intermediary Games were held and the results of 1904 are not officially recognized.
London 1908
Canadians returned from the 1908 Games with three gold, three silver and nine bronze medals. Robert Kerr won gold in the 200-m race, Walter Ewing won gold in shooting and the national team won gold in lacrosse . The 1908 Games were the first to include a winter sport, figure skating .
Canada was expected to win gold in the marathon , with Tom Longboat from the Six Nations Reserve the heavy favourite. Instead, the event turned into one of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history. The marathon began on the lawns of Windsor Castle, meaning the runners would cover a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards. Longboat, who had won the 1906 Toronto marathon and the 1907 Boston marathon in record time, grabbed the lead at the start. After a slow start Longboat moved into second place at the 14-mile mark. But only five miles later, he suddenly pulled up lame and was put into a car. Rumours quickly spread that Longboat had been drugged by his handlers so that they could collect on huge gambling sums. Back at the stadium, Italian Dorando Pietri stumbled to the finish line. But the heat got to him as well, as he fell five times while trying to finish the race. When American John Hayes appeared in the stadium, it appeared that he would take the gold over the disoriented Pietri. Chief marathon official Jack Andrew, who did not want to see an American cross the line first, bolted from the stands and dragged the Italian runner across the line. The illegal victory was short lived as the Americans protested and Hayes was awarded the gold medal.
Stockholm 1912
Canada sent a small team of 36 athletes to Stockholm. George Goulding won gold in the 10,000 m walk while George Hodgson was a double gold medalist in swimming (400 m and 1500 m) — Canada's first double gold medalist at the Olympics. Hodgson would go on to break three world records in the pool. Calvin Bricker and Duncan Gillis won silver in athletics while William Happeny, Frank Lukeman and Everard Butler brought home bronze medals in athletics and rowing , respectively.
The Stockholm games are best remembered for the feats of the young Native American Jim Thorpe. He won the pentathlon and the very next day, while most of his competitors were recovering, Thorpe went out and competed in the decathlon, easily winning the gold medal. A year after his accomplishments, it was revealed that Thorpe had received $60 a month playing baseball . This went against the Olympic amateur code and Thorpe was asked to return his gold medals. The IOC belatedly returned the medals 30 years after his death.
Antwerp 1920
The First World War forced the cancellation of the 1916 Games, planned for Berlin, Germany. Four years later, sympathy for Belgium, which had been devastated by the German invasion during the war, persuaded the IOC to award the 1920 Games to Antwerp. Since many of the Olympic participants were Allied soldiers, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey were not invited to participate in order to prevent conflict.
At the 1920 Games, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, nicknamed the Flying Finn, won three of his nine career Olympic gold medals, with victories in the 10,000 m race, the individual cross-country race, and the team cross-country race.
Saskatchewan 's Earl Thompson won the gold medal for Canada in the 110 m hurdles in world-record time. Canada's other gold medal was collected by boxer Albert Schneider. Ice hockey made its debut at the 1920 Games. The Winnipeg Falcons represented Canada and defeated Sweden 12–1 to win the title. The Games also featured figure skating .
Paris 1924
In 1924, two separate competitions were held: the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games. At the 1924 Summer Games in Paris, Finnish runner Nurmi and American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller were the outstanding athletes. Nurmi's major victories included wins in the 1500 m and 5000 m races. Weissmuller won the 100 m and 400 m freestyle races and was a member of the winning 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team. The 1924 Olympics provided the story behind the movie Chariots of Fire, based on the feats of British sprint champions Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell.
Canadian rowers won two silver medals at the 1924 Games (men’s coxless four and men’s eight). Another Canadian team earned silver in shooting , in the men’s team clay pigeons. Canadian boxer Daniel Lewis won the bronze medal in boxing (welterweight division).
Canada did not win a gold medal at these games. However, the Edmonton Grads won an "unofficial" championship in women's basketball , which was an auxiliary event at the Games (they repeated this feat in 1928, 1932 and 1936).
Amsterdam 1928
The 1928 Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands, were notable for the debut of women's track-and-field events. Seven Canadian women (six sprinters and one swimmer) medalled at the competition, winning two gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Ethel Catherwood , Fanny Rosenfeld , Ethel Smith, Florence Bell and Myrtle Cook became the first Canadian women to win Olympic gold, in the relay. Catherwood also won gold in the high jump. Phil Edwards captured bronze in the 4 × 400 m relay. It would be the first of five Olympic medals won by Edwards throughout his Olympic career, a record for Canadian athletes that was not met until 2002 ( Marc Gagnon ) and not exceeded until 2006 ( Cindy Klassen ). The men's relay team also broke a previous record with their third place finish, behind the victorious American squad and the Germans. Vancouver 's Percy Williams stunned everyone by becoming the first non-American to sweep the 100 m and 200 m sprints.
Los Angeles 1932
The IOC decided in 1930 to continue its experiment with women's sports in the Olympics. Because of this decision, Babe Didrikson of the United States became the most celebrated athlete of the 1932 games in Los Angeles. She won the 80-meter hurdles race and the javelin event, establishing new world records in both events, and finished second in the high jump event.
Despite the problems Canadian athletes had getting to the games, owing to a lack of funds, Canada won 15 medals. Phil Edwards won three bronze medals in track . Alex Wilson won a silver and two bronze in track. Duncan McNaughton won gold in the high-jump competition and Horace Gwynne a gold in boxing .
Berlin 1936
These games were supposed to be a showcase for Hitler's Third Reich but the most dramatic story of the Berlin games was Black American athlete Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. Canadian Philip Edwards captured a bronze medal in the 800-m race — his fifth medal in Olympic competition for Canada. Canada's lone gold came from canoeist Frank Amyot , who had to pay his own way to Berlin in order to compete after Canadian Olympic officials refused to support him. With Canadian James Naismith , the inventor of basketball , in attendance, Canada lost only one basketball game on their way to a silver medal.
London 1948
The 1940 and 1944 Olympics, scheduled for Tokyo and London, respectively, were cancelled because of the Second World War (1939–45). The 1948 games were supposed to have been held in Helsinki but Finland had not yet recovered from the war and the Games were moved to London.
Germany and Japan were not invited to take part in the games and Russia declined. Canadian athletes won three medals, led by Douglas Bennett , who won silver in canoeing while the women's 4 × 100 m relay won bronze and Norman Lane took bronze in canoeing. The 1948 games are remembered worldwide for Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands, the only woman to win four track-and-field gold medals in one Olympics.
Helsinki 1952
The Finnish capital finally played host to the Games in 1952 after having to decline them in 1948. The most significant addition to the competing nations was the Soviet Union, which in previous years had disdained the Games as a capitalist showcase. The Soviet team achieved great success, and Americans were shocked that until the last day of competition, Soviet athletes had won more medals than American athletes.
Despite sending its largest delegation to date to the Olympics, Canadian athletes only won three medals. George Genereux , a 17-year-old high school student, captured gold in shooting . Gérald Gratton won silver in weightlifting while Don Hawgood and Ken Lane won silvers in canoeing . Canada's rowing shells were severely damaged in a ship's storeroom on the way over to Finland. Rowers eventually had to borrow boats from Sweden, but failed to win medals.
Melbourne 1956
Soviet and American teams continued their success at the 1956 Games, finishing first and second in the unofficial tally of national medals. The Australian team, led by swimmers Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser, and runners Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland, won a total of 13 gold medals to finish third in the national medal standings.
The Melbourne Games were also responsible for setting another precedent, when all athletes marched freely in the closing ceremonies. The suggestion had been made by a young Australian schoolboy of Chinese descent and was adopted by the International Olympic Committee in 1956.
Frank Reid's University of British Columbia rowers highlighted the games for Canada. The men's fours swept through their preliminary heats. They found themselves in last place to start the Olympic final but at the halfway mark, pulled even with their competitors, eventually winning by five lengths. The Canadian eights crew finished second to the Americans. Canadian Gerald Ouellett , who won gold in sharp- shooting , appeared at first to have set a world record with a perfect score of 600 in the final. But it was later discovered that the distance at which he shot was set at imperial, not metric, distance.
Rome 1960
In the 1960s African runners, such as Wilson Kiprigut of Kenya and Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, achieved Olympic prominence, while athletes from Eastern Europe dominated gymnastics and weightlifting events.
For the first time ever, television rights were granted and millions of people were able to watch the Olympic Games on 100 television networks around the world. Unfortunately, Canada suffered its poorest medal performance at the Olympics, winning only a silver medal in rowing courtesy of the men's eight with cox. The closest Canada came to winning a second medal was in the men's 4 × 100 medley swim relay, in which the Canadians finished fourth.
Tokyo 1964
Following an aborted attempt to stage the Olympics in 1940, Tokyo became the first Asian city to stage the Games in 1964. The Japanese used the occasion to display their latest technology, using computers for the first time. Records were set in all 18 swimming events with the Americans collecting 16 of 22 gold medals awarded in swimming and diving .
The Canadian team came away with four medals, including an 800 m silver medal by Bill Crothers and Harry Jerome's bronze medal performance in the 100 m sprint event. Rowers Roger Jackson and George Hungerford emerged with Canada's only gold of the 1964 games. The medal ceremonies for Jackson and Hungerford were accompanied by " O Canada " for the first time, though the flag raised was still the Red Ensign.
Mexico 1968
The 1968 Summer Games were held in Mexico City during a period of political turmoil throughout the world. The most controversial episode took place during the medal ceremony for the men's 200-m dash. The gold and bronze medals were won by African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. To protest racism in the United States, both athletes raised clenched fists in a "black power" salute during the playing of the US national anthem.
Mexico City's high altitude was disastrous for athletes in long-distance races and other endurance events, but it contributed to world records in many other contests. The most famous record was 29 feet 21/2 inches (8.90 meters) in the long jump, set by Bob Beamon of the United States. That world record lasted a remarkable 23 years.
Swimmer Elaine Tanner captured three medals for Canada — two silver in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke and a bronze as part of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Canada's sole gold medal came from Jim Elder , Jim Day and Tom Gayford in the equestrian event.
Munich 1972
Tragedy struck the Munich Olympics when Palestinian terrorists murdered nine Israeli athletes. Five terrorists and one policeman also died. The athletic stars were Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut with three gold medals and American swimmer Mark Spitz with seven. Canadian athletes won two silver and five bronze medals in swimming and yachting .
Montréal 1976
The 1976 Summer Games, held in Montréal , were hit by a boycott led by Tanzania. More than 20 African nations and two other countries refused to compete. The boycotting nations demanded that New Zealand be banned from competition because a New Zealand rugby team had toured South Africa. The IOC refused, saying that it had no control over rugby, which was not an Olympic sport. Nadia Comaneci of Romania won the women's all-around gymnastics title, and in the uneven-bars event she earned the first perfect score of 10.00 in Olympic gymnastics competition. The most outstanding performance at the 1976 games came from the East German women's swimming team, now known to have taken performance drugs, which won 11 of 13 races.
Though Canada failed to win gold on its home ground, the 11 medals, including five silvers, won by Canadian athletes more than doubled the total of the previous two Olympic Games. Swimmer Nancy Garapick became the only double medallist for Canada, winning bronze in the 100-m and 200-m backstroke.
Moscow 1980
The United States government boycotted the 1980 Games to protest the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Canada joined the boycott to the disappointment of 211 Canadian athletes. With 62 nations boycotting, the Soviet team collected 80 gold medals, 69 silver medals, and 46 bronze medals. The great Cuban boxer Teófilo Stevenson won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the heavyweight class.
Los Angeles 1984
The Soviet Union, in retaliation for the American boycott four years before, elected not to send a team to the United States. Thirteen Soviet bloc nations also joined in the boycott. The American team claimed 83 gold medals, 61 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals. American Carl Lewis, who won four events (100-m, 200-m, 4 × 100-m relay, and long jump), emerged as the greatest track-and-field athlete of his time.
Canada was also a beneficiary of the boycott, winning an unprecedented 44 medals, including a record 10 gold. The water produced six medals in canoeing , six in rowing , three in yachting , a gold in diving and ten in swimming , including four gold. Alex Baumann set two world records on his way to winning gold medals in the 200-m individual medley and the 400-m individual medley. Victor Davis also set a world record in winning gold in the 200-m breaststroke. Anne Ottenbrite took gold in the women's 200-m breaststroke while Sylvie Bernier won gold in the springboard diving event. Lori Fung won the first gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics while Larry Cain and the team of Alwyn Morris and Hugh Fisher won gold medals in canoeing. The men's rowing eights took gold and Linda Thom won gold for match pistols.
Seoul 1988
The 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea, were dominated by the scandal of Ben Johnson , who tested positive for steroids after winning the 100-m sprint in record time. The issue of drugs hung over the Games as East German swimmers, led by Kristin Otto, won 10 of the 15 events for women and American track-and-field athlete Florence Griffith Joyner dramatically improved her performance to win the 100-m and 200-m races.
Synchronized swimmer Carolyn Waldo won two gold medals in the solo and duet (with Michelle Cameron) events. Lennox Lewis won a gold medal in boxing . Egerton Marcus took home silver and Ray Downey bronze, also in boxing. The men's relay swimming team led by Victor Davis won silver while the women's team took bronze. Decathlete Dave Steen earned a bronze medal with a brave performance in the final event.
Barcelona 1992
At the 1992 games in Barcelona, no single nation dominated competition, with athletes from many countries winning events. The publicity around the Games focussed on the United States national basketball team, the so-called "Dream Team" which completely dominated its competition.
Canada tallied 18 medals, of which six were gold. Four of the gold medals came in rowing : women's pairs, women's fours, women's eights and men's eights. Silken Laumann won a bronze in the single sculls only 10 weeks after suffering a terrible accident during training. Synchronized swimmer Sylvie Frechette lost a gold medal on a scoring error but was awarded one after an inquiry was held. Mark Tewksbury set an Olympic record in the 100-m backstroke and Mark McKoy won gold in the 110-m hurdles — his last for Canada before taking up Austrian citizenship.
Atlanta 1996
In 1996 the centennial anniversary of the modern Olympic Games was celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia. The games were marred by a bombing in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park which left one person dead and more than 100 wounded. In track and field , American Michael Johnson won gold medals in the 200-m and 400-m dashes. However, it was Canadian Donovan Bailey who triumphed in the 100-m dash, the glory event of track and field. He and teammates Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin won gold in the 4 × 100-m relay, beating a favoured American team. Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle won gold in the women's double sculls .
Sydney 2000
Doping scandals resurfaced at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Seven athletes tested positive during competition and dozens were disqualified prior to competing. There was little else that disrupted the games, and with unprecedented ticket sales and television coverage, the XXVIIth Olympics were hailed as the greatest Olympic Games ever held.
Canadian athletes returned home with 14 medals, eight less than Atlanta in 1996. Still, it was the fourth-best Canadian Olympic performance ever. Canada did remarkably well in inaugural events: Simon Whitfield won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for triathlon ; Karen Cockburn and Mathieu Turgeon won bronze medals in the first Olympic trampoline competition; Dominique Bosshart won a bronze in tae kwon do. Canada's only double medal winner was three-time Olympian Anne Montminy, who won silver in the 10m synchro diving (another first-time event) and bronze in the women's 10m platform. Nigerian-born freestyle wrestler Daniel Igali won Canada's first-ever gold medal in wrestling . Men's tennis doubles Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau upset the number one seed Australians Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge to claim Canada's third gold medal of the games.
Athens 2004
Canada's performance at Athens was consistent with previous years, and concerns were voiced again by athletes, coaches and some of the Canadian public that public and private funding sources for athletes was dismal in comparison to other countries, particularly those in the Commonwealth such as Australia. Poor medal performances in 2000 prompted controversial changes in Canadian Olympic Committee policy prior to 2004, whereby Canada would send fewer athletes to future Games and focus financial resources on those athletes who have the best chance at a medal. As a result, only 200 athletes from Canada competed in Athens, the lowest since the 1980 boycott.
Still, as in other years, Canadian athletes achieved many significant "firsts." Canada won a total of 12 medals: three gold, six silver, and three bronze. Kyle Shewfelt won Canada's men's floor exercises in gymnastics ; Lori-Ann Muenzer won the women's track cycling sprint, the first gold medal in cycling for Canada; and Adam van Koeverden won Canada's first gold in kayaking in the men's K1 500 m kayak. The silver medallists were: Karen Cockburn in women's trampoline gymnastics; men's four rowing team Cameron Baerg, Jake Wetzel, Thomas Herschmiller and Barney Williams; Tonya Verbeek in women's 55 kg freestyle wrestling ; Alexandre Despatie in the men's 3 m springboard diving ; Marie-Hélène Prémont in the women's cross country mountain bike; and Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs in men's Star sailing. Bronze medal winners include: Blythe Hartley and Emilie Heymans in women's synchronized 10 m platform diving; Koeverden in men's K1 1000 m kayak; and Caroline Brunet in the women's K1 500 m. Wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc won gold in the women's 800 m wheelchair, a demonstration event that year.
Beijing 2008
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games were marked as much by politics as by sports. The IOC came under fire by the media immediately upon announcing its decision to allow China to host the Games, due to the country's highly criticized lack of human rights policies and poor environmental record.
In all, 205 countries were represented in 28 sports. There were some stunning moments; American swimmer Michael Phelps set a record for the most gold medals (8) won in any Olympics and the Jamaican track team, led by sprinter Usain Bolt, won six gold medals in the sprint and hurdles events.
Canadians enjoyed considerable success at Beijing, garnering 18 medals, fulfilling the COC's predicted medal count. Canada's first medals came relatively late in the Games, on day eight, when David Calder and Scott Frandsen won silver in men's pairs rowing and wrestler Carol Huynh won gold. They were followed by another six silvers (David Calder and Scott Frandsen in men's pairs rowing; Simon Whitfield in triathlon ; Adam van Koeverden in kayaking; Emilie Heymans and Alexandre Despatie in diving ; the equestrian team in show jumping; Karen Cockburn and Jason Burnett in trampoline), and seven bronzes (Priscilla Lopes-Schliep in hurdles; Thomas Hall in canoeing; the men's fours rowing team; Tonya Verbeek in wrestling; Ryan Cochrane in swimming; and Dylan Armstrong in shotput, who was awarded the bronze in August 2014 after third-place Andrei Mikhnevich’s results were annulled because of doping). The surprise winners in 2008 were from the equestrian team, where longtime Olympian Ian Millar and his team of Eric Lamaze , Mac Cone and Jill Henselwood won silver, Canada's first medal in the sport since 1976. Later, Lamaze won the country's first individual equestrian medal (gold) and the second individual show jumping medal in Olympic history.
London 2012
The London games offered its share of history-making moments, as well as a few controversies. With approximately 10,500 athletes from 204 countries vying for medals, the biggest newsmaker was again Michael Phelps, who won four golds and two silvers, bringing his career total to 22 medals, 18 of them gold. Runner Usain Bolt from Jamaica also wowed Olympic spectators, finishing with a record-breaking performance in the 4x100-meter relay and becoming the first man to win gold in the 100 and 200 meters at two Olympic competitions.
In addition to impressive athletic performances, London also will be remembered for the growing involvement of female athletes with — for the first time — women`s athletic representation from every participating country, including Saudi Arabia, which boasted a 16-year-old judo competitor who became the first female from that country to compete in the Olympics.
Canada repeated its score from Bejing, taking home 18 medals, including one gold won by Rosie MacLenna in women’s gymnastics (trampoline). Canada’s athletes also took home five silver medals ( rowing , men’s eight; rowing, women’s eight; Ryan Cochrane , swimming , 1500m men’s freestyle; Adam van Koeverden , canoeing , K-1 1000 m; Tonya Verbeek, wrestling , women's freestyle 55 kg) and twelve bronze medals (women's team in synchronized 3 m springboard diving ; women's team in synchronized 10 m platform diving; Antoine Valois-Fortier in judo, men's 81 kg; Christine Girard , in weightlifting , women’s 63 kg; Brent Hayden in swimming, men's 100 m freestyle; cycling , women's team pursuit; Derek Drouin in high jump; Mark Oldershaw in canoeing, C-1 1000 m; Carol Huynh in wrestling, women's freestyle 48 kg; women’s tournament soccer ; Richard Weinberger in swimming , 10 km open water; Mark de Jonge in canoeing, K-1 200 m).
Buried in these bare statistics were several stories that made headlines and inspired pride in Canadians. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these stories involved Canada’s women’s soccer team and its quest for victory over the top-rated American team. In their semi-final match, Canada dominated the field, with team captain Christine Sinclair scoring three goals before a sequence of controversial penalties against Canada allowed the American team to tie up the match in the final minutes of play. The United States went on to win the game in overtime and Canada had to be satisfied with a bronze medal, beating the French team in a 1–0 win three days later. The drama captured the imagination of Canadians and soccer followers world-wide, drawing attention to Canada’s excellent women’s team and their talented captain, Sinclair, who was recognized for her contribution by being chosen Canada`s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.
Rio 2016
The 2016 Games in Rio, Brazil (5–21 August), were the first to be hosted by a South American country. In total, 11,303 athletes competed at the Games, representing 205 countries as well as a Refugee Olympic Team. Golf returned to the Games after an absence of 112 years, while rugby sevens made its debut. As in 2012, American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt dominated the news. Phelps won six medals (five gold), bringing his career total to 28 (23 golds) and making him the most decorated Olympic athlete ever. Bolt again won the 100m, 200m and 4X100m relay — for the third consecutive Games.
It was a particularly successful Games for Canadian women athletes. The first Canadian gold medal of the 2016 Games was won by swimmer Penny Oleksiak. The 16-year-old became Canada’s youngest Olympic champion ever when she won the 100m freestyle event. By the end of the Games, she had won another three medals: a silver medal in the 100m butterfly, and two bronze medals in the 4X100m and 4X200m freestyle relays. With four medals in total, Oleksiak became the most successful Canadian athlete at a single Olympic Summer Games and tied Victor Davis as Canada’s most successful Olympic swimmer.
Overall, Canadian swimmers took home six medals, with Kylie Masse winning bronze in the 100m backstroke and Hilary Caldwell winning bronze in the 200m backstroke. Canadian women also medalled in diving : Meaghan Benfeito took bronze in the 10m individual event and in the 10m synchronized event, with teammate Roseline Filion. On the water, Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee won silver in the lightweight double sculls ( rowing ).
Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan defended her Olympic title, winning her second gold medal in the sport. Wrestler Erica Wiebe took gold in the 75kg event, making her Canada’s third Olympic wrestling champion after Daniel Igali and Carol Huynh . In cycling , Canada again won bronze in the women’s team pursuit, while mountain biker Catharine Pendrel took bronze in the cross-country event. In team sports, Canada won its second consecutive bronze in women’s soccer , and its first bronze in women’s rugby sevens (which was making its Olympic debut).
In track and field (athletics), Brianne Theisen-Eaton won bronze in the heptathlon, while teammate Damian Warner took bronze in the decathlon (the decathlon was won by American athlete Ashton Eaton, Brianne Theisen-Eaton’s husband). Derek Drouin won gold in high jump, the first Canadian champion in a field event since Duncan McNaughton won the high jump title at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Sprinter Andre De Grasse lived up to his promise at the Games, taking silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m and 4X100m relay. Finally, Eric Lamaze won bronze in individual jumping, becoming Canada’s most decorated Olympian equestrian .
In total, Canada came home with 22 medals (four gold, three silver and 15 bronze) and finished in 10th place overall.
| 1956 Summer Olympics |
The first decade of which century witnessed the succession to the throne of Edward II? | Olympic Summer Games - The Canadian Encyclopedia
Sports
Olympic Summer Games
Olympic Games are an international sports competition, held every four years. Until 1992 the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games were held in the same year, but beginning in 1994 they were rescheduled so that they are held in alternate even-numbered years.
Olympic Games are an international sports competition, held every four years. Until 1992 the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games were held in the same year, but beginning in 1994 they were rescheduled so that they are held in alternate even-numbered years. For example, the Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan, were held in 1998 and the Summer Olympics were held in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
Original Games
The original Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece between 776 BC and 393 AD, as a celebration of the god Zeus. The Games exemplified the ancient Greek pursuit of excellence and reverence for physical beauty. The festival was held every four years at Olympia, in the eastern Peloponnese, and included chariot and horse races, foot races, boxing, wrestling, and pentathlon. Tales of the glory of the Games persisted and were revived when 19th century archaeologists proved that they existed as an actual event rather than just in mythology.
Modern Games
The revival of the Olympian Games in modern times was the obsession of French educator and thinker Pierre de Coubertin, who saw them as a means to promote peace. The first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896. They were on a modest scale, with about 250 athletes from 14 countries. There were 43 events in 9 different sports. In contrast, the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, included more than 10,000 athletes from more than 190 countries competing in 271 events in 29 different sports.
In many countries, athletes qualify for the Olympics by winning or finishing well in selection trials. An athlete must be a citizen of a country in order to represent that country. For many years, only amateur athletes competed in the Games, but professional athletes are now eligible to compete in most Olympic sports. In most Olympic sports, a nation may enter as many as three competitors in each event as long as the athletes meet a minimum standard set by the international governing body of that sport. National teams must win or place high in qualifying tournaments to make the final competition. The host country is allowed to enter a team in every team event.
Each first-place winner receives a gold medal, which is actually made of silver and coated with gold. The second-place medal is silver, and the third-place medal is bronze. The design for the medal changes for each Olympics. All members of a winning relay team get a medal, including those who participated only in qualifying rounds. In team sports, all the members of a winning team who have played in at least one of the games during the competition receive a medal.
Athens 1896
The 1896 games included events in cycling , fencing , gymnastics , target shooting , swimming , tennis , track and field , weightlifting and wrestling . James B. Connolly of the United States became the first modern Olympic champion, winning the triple jump (then known as the hop, step, and jump). Appropriately, a Greek athlete, Spyridon Louis, won the first marathon race. Canadians did not compete.
Paris 1900
The games of 1900 and 1904 attracted little attention. The 1900 Olympics were held as a sideshow to a world's fair in Paris. They included the first competitions involving women — in lawn tennis and golf . The first women gold medalists were British tennis player Charlotte Cooper and American golfer Margaret Abbott. Canada did not send an official team to the Olympic Games, but George Orton , a Canadian studying in the United States, travelled to Paris with the American team and won a gold medal in the 3000 m steeplechase, a bronze in the 400 m hurdles and finished fifth in the 4000 m steeplechase.
St Louis 1904
Poor attendance also plagued the 1904 Olympics, which were held as part of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri. Canada sent its first official team, which won four gold medals (in weight toss, golf , lacrosse and soccer ) as well as a silver medal in rowing . One of Canada's gold medallists that year was Étienne Desmarteau , a police officer from Montréal , who was fired from the force for taking a leave of absence to go to the Games. He won gold for the 56-pound weight throw. He died the following year at the age of 28 from typhoid. The Winnipeg Shamrocks captured the gold in lacrosse. George Lyon won the gold medal in golf, and a team from Galt , Ontario , won the gold in soccer.
Two years after the 1904 Games, Intermediary Games were held in Athens to try to preserve the historic ties between Greece and the Games. William Sherring, one of only three Canadian athletes at the Games, won the gold medal in the marathon . No further Intermediary Games were held and the results of 1904 are not officially recognized.
London 1908
Canadians returned from the 1908 Games with three gold, three silver and nine bronze medals. Robert Kerr won gold in the 200-m race, Walter Ewing won gold in shooting and the national team won gold in lacrosse . The 1908 Games were the first to include a winter sport, figure skating .
Canada was expected to win gold in the marathon , with Tom Longboat from the Six Nations Reserve the heavy favourite. Instead, the event turned into one of the most dramatic moments in Olympic history. The marathon began on the lawns of Windsor Castle, meaning the runners would cover a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards. Longboat, who had won the 1906 Toronto marathon and the 1907 Boston marathon in record time, grabbed the lead at the start. After a slow start Longboat moved into second place at the 14-mile mark. But only five miles later, he suddenly pulled up lame and was put into a car. Rumours quickly spread that Longboat had been drugged by his handlers so that they could collect on huge gambling sums. Back at the stadium, Italian Dorando Pietri stumbled to the finish line. But the heat got to him as well, as he fell five times while trying to finish the race. When American John Hayes appeared in the stadium, it appeared that he would take the gold over the disoriented Pietri. Chief marathon official Jack Andrew, who did not want to see an American cross the line first, bolted from the stands and dragged the Italian runner across the line. The illegal victory was short lived as the Americans protested and Hayes was awarded the gold medal.
Stockholm 1912
Canada sent a small team of 36 athletes to Stockholm. George Goulding won gold in the 10,000 m walk while George Hodgson was a double gold medalist in swimming (400 m and 1500 m) — Canada's first double gold medalist at the Olympics. Hodgson would go on to break three world records in the pool. Calvin Bricker and Duncan Gillis won silver in athletics while William Happeny, Frank Lukeman and Everard Butler brought home bronze medals in athletics and rowing , respectively.
The Stockholm games are best remembered for the feats of the young Native American Jim Thorpe. He won the pentathlon and the very next day, while most of his competitors were recovering, Thorpe went out and competed in the decathlon, easily winning the gold medal. A year after his accomplishments, it was revealed that Thorpe had received $60 a month playing baseball . This went against the Olympic amateur code and Thorpe was asked to return his gold medals. The IOC belatedly returned the medals 30 years after his death.
Antwerp 1920
The First World War forced the cancellation of the 1916 Games, planned for Berlin, Germany. Four years later, sympathy for Belgium, which had been devastated by the German invasion during the war, persuaded the IOC to award the 1920 Games to Antwerp. Since many of the Olympic participants were Allied soldiers, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey were not invited to participate in order to prevent conflict.
At the 1920 Games, Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, nicknamed the Flying Finn, won three of his nine career Olympic gold medals, with victories in the 10,000 m race, the individual cross-country race, and the team cross-country race.
Saskatchewan 's Earl Thompson won the gold medal for Canada in the 110 m hurdles in world-record time. Canada's other gold medal was collected by boxer Albert Schneider. Ice hockey made its debut at the 1920 Games. The Winnipeg Falcons represented Canada and defeated Sweden 12–1 to win the title. The Games also featured figure skating .
Paris 1924
In 1924, two separate competitions were held: the Olympic Summer Games and the Olympic Winter Games. At the 1924 Summer Games in Paris, Finnish runner Nurmi and American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller were the outstanding athletes. Nurmi's major victories included wins in the 1500 m and 5000 m races. Weissmuller won the 100 m and 400 m freestyle races and was a member of the winning 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team. The 1924 Olympics provided the story behind the movie Chariots of Fire, based on the feats of British sprint champions Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell.
Canadian rowers won two silver medals at the 1924 Games (men’s coxless four and men’s eight). Another Canadian team earned silver in shooting , in the men’s team clay pigeons. Canadian boxer Daniel Lewis won the bronze medal in boxing (welterweight division).
Canada did not win a gold medal at these games. However, the Edmonton Grads won an "unofficial" championship in women's basketball , which was an auxiliary event at the Games (they repeated this feat in 1928, 1932 and 1936).
Amsterdam 1928
The 1928 Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands, were notable for the debut of women's track-and-field events. Seven Canadian women (six sprinters and one swimmer) medalled at the competition, winning two gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Ethel Catherwood , Fanny Rosenfeld , Ethel Smith, Florence Bell and Myrtle Cook became the first Canadian women to win Olympic gold, in the relay. Catherwood also won gold in the high jump. Phil Edwards captured bronze in the 4 × 400 m relay. It would be the first of five Olympic medals won by Edwards throughout his Olympic career, a record for Canadian athletes that was not met until 2002 ( Marc Gagnon ) and not exceeded until 2006 ( Cindy Klassen ). The men's relay team also broke a previous record with their third place finish, behind the victorious American squad and the Germans. Vancouver 's Percy Williams stunned everyone by becoming the first non-American to sweep the 100 m and 200 m sprints.
Los Angeles 1932
The IOC decided in 1930 to continue its experiment with women's sports in the Olympics. Because of this decision, Babe Didrikson of the United States became the most celebrated athlete of the 1932 games in Los Angeles. She won the 80-meter hurdles race and the javelin event, establishing new world records in both events, and finished second in the high jump event.
Despite the problems Canadian athletes had getting to the games, owing to a lack of funds, Canada won 15 medals. Phil Edwards won three bronze medals in track . Alex Wilson won a silver and two bronze in track. Duncan McNaughton won gold in the high-jump competition and Horace Gwynne a gold in boxing .
Berlin 1936
These games were supposed to be a showcase for Hitler's Third Reich but the most dramatic story of the Berlin games was Black American athlete Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. Canadian Philip Edwards captured a bronze medal in the 800-m race — his fifth medal in Olympic competition for Canada. Canada's lone gold came from canoeist Frank Amyot , who had to pay his own way to Berlin in order to compete after Canadian Olympic officials refused to support him. With Canadian James Naismith , the inventor of basketball , in attendance, Canada lost only one basketball game on their way to a silver medal.
London 1948
The 1940 and 1944 Olympics, scheduled for Tokyo and London, respectively, were cancelled because of the Second World War (1939–45). The 1948 games were supposed to have been held in Helsinki but Finland had not yet recovered from the war and the Games were moved to London.
Germany and Japan were not invited to take part in the games and Russia declined. Canadian athletes won three medals, led by Douglas Bennett , who won silver in canoeing while the women's 4 × 100 m relay won bronze and Norman Lane took bronze in canoeing. The 1948 games are remembered worldwide for Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands, the only woman to win four track-and-field gold medals in one Olympics.
Helsinki 1952
The Finnish capital finally played host to the Games in 1952 after having to decline them in 1948. The most significant addition to the competing nations was the Soviet Union, which in previous years had disdained the Games as a capitalist showcase. The Soviet team achieved great success, and Americans were shocked that until the last day of competition, Soviet athletes had won more medals than American athletes.
Despite sending its largest delegation to date to the Olympics, Canadian athletes only won three medals. George Genereux , a 17-year-old high school student, captured gold in shooting . Gérald Gratton won silver in weightlifting while Don Hawgood and Ken Lane won silvers in canoeing . Canada's rowing shells were severely damaged in a ship's storeroom on the way over to Finland. Rowers eventually had to borrow boats from Sweden, but failed to win medals.
Melbourne 1956
Soviet and American teams continued their success at the 1956 Games, finishing first and second in the unofficial tally of national medals. The Australian team, led by swimmers Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser, and runners Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland, won a total of 13 gold medals to finish third in the national medal standings.
The Melbourne Games were also responsible for setting another precedent, when all athletes marched freely in the closing ceremonies. The suggestion had been made by a young Australian schoolboy of Chinese descent and was adopted by the International Olympic Committee in 1956.
Frank Reid's University of British Columbia rowers highlighted the games for Canada. The men's fours swept through their preliminary heats. They found themselves in last place to start the Olympic final but at the halfway mark, pulled even with their competitors, eventually winning by five lengths. The Canadian eights crew finished second to the Americans. Canadian Gerald Ouellett , who won gold in sharp- shooting , appeared at first to have set a world record with a perfect score of 600 in the final. But it was later discovered that the distance at which he shot was set at imperial, not metric, distance.
Rome 1960
In the 1960s African runners, such as Wilson Kiprigut of Kenya and Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, achieved Olympic prominence, while athletes from Eastern Europe dominated gymnastics and weightlifting events.
For the first time ever, television rights were granted and millions of people were able to watch the Olympic Games on 100 television networks around the world. Unfortunately, Canada suffered its poorest medal performance at the Olympics, winning only a silver medal in rowing courtesy of the men's eight with cox. The closest Canada came to winning a second medal was in the men's 4 × 100 medley swim relay, in which the Canadians finished fourth.
Tokyo 1964
Following an aborted attempt to stage the Olympics in 1940, Tokyo became the first Asian city to stage the Games in 1964. The Japanese used the occasion to display their latest technology, using computers for the first time. Records were set in all 18 swimming events with the Americans collecting 16 of 22 gold medals awarded in swimming and diving .
The Canadian team came away with four medals, including an 800 m silver medal by Bill Crothers and Harry Jerome's bronze medal performance in the 100 m sprint event. Rowers Roger Jackson and George Hungerford emerged with Canada's only gold of the 1964 games. The medal ceremonies for Jackson and Hungerford were accompanied by " O Canada " for the first time, though the flag raised was still the Red Ensign.
Mexico 1968
The 1968 Summer Games were held in Mexico City during a period of political turmoil throughout the world. The most controversial episode took place during the medal ceremony for the men's 200-m dash. The gold and bronze medals were won by African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos. To protest racism in the United States, both athletes raised clenched fists in a "black power" salute during the playing of the US national anthem.
Mexico City's high altitude was disastrous for athletes in long-distance races and other endurance events, but it contributed to world records in many other contests. The most famous record was 29 feet 21/2 inches (8.90 meters) in the long jump, set by Bob Beamon of the United States. That world record lasted a remarkable 23 years.
Swimmer Elaine Tanner captured three medals for Canada — two silver in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke and a bronze as part of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Canada's sole gold medal came from Jim Elder , Jim Day and Tom Gayford in the equestrian event.
Munich 1972
Tragedy struck the Munich Olympics when Palestinian terrorists murdered nine Israeli athletes. Five terrorists and one policeman also died. The athletic stars were Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut with three gold medals and American swimmer Mark Spitz with seven. Canadian athletes won two silver and five bronze medals in swimming and yachting .
Montréal 1976
The 1976 Summer Games, held in Montréal , were hit by a boycott led by Tanzania. More than 20 African nations and two other countries refused to compete. The boycotting nations demanded that New Zealand be banned from competition because a New Zealand rugby team had toured South Africa. The IOC refused, saying that it had no control over rugby, which was not an Olympic sport. Nadia Comaneci of Romania won the women's all-around gymnastics title, and in the uneven-bars event she earned the first perfect score of 10.00 in Olympic gymnastics competition. The most outstanding performance at the 1976 games came from the East German women's swimming team, now known to have taken performance drugs, which won 11 of 13 races.
Though Canada failed to win gold on its home ground, the 11 medals, including five silvers, won by Canadian athletes more than doubled the total of the previous two Olympic Games. Swimmer Nancy Garapick became the only double medallist for Canada, winning bronze in the 100-m and 200-m backstroke.
Moscow 1980
The United States government boycotted the 1980 Games to protest the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Canada joined the boycott to the disappointment of 211 Canadian athletes. With 62 nations boycotting, the Soviet team collected 80 gold medals, 69 silver medals, and 46 bronze medals. The great Cuban boxer Teófilo Stevenson won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the heavyweight class.
Los Angeles 1984
The Soviet Union, in retaliation for the American boycott four years before, elected not to send a team to the United States. Thirteen Soviet bloc nations also joined in the boycott. The American team claimed 83 gold medals, 61 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals. American Carl Lewis, who won four events (100-m, 200-m, 4 × 100-m relay, and long jump), emerged as the greatest track-and-field athlete of his time.
Canada was also a beneficiary of the boycott, winning an unprecedented 44 medals, including a record 10 gold. The water produced six medals in canoeing , six in rowing , three in yachting , a gold in diving and ten in swimming , including four gold. Alex Baumann set two world records on his way to winning gold medals in the 200-m individual medley and the 400-m individual medley. Victor Davis also set a world record in winning gold in the 200-m breaststroke. Anne Ottenbrite took gold in the women's 200-m breaststroke while Sylvie Bernier won gold in the springboard diving event. Lori Fung won the first gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics while Larry Cain and the team of Alwyn Morris and Hugh Fisher won gold medals in canoeing. The men's rowing eights took gold and Linda Thom won gold for match pistols.
Seoul 1988
The 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea, were dominated by the scandal of Ben Johnson , who tested positive for steroids after winning the 100-m sprint in record time. The issue of drugs hung over the Games as East German swimmers, led by Kristin Otto, won 10 of the 15 events for women and American track-and-field athlete Florence Griffith Joyner dramatically improved her performance to win the 100-m and 200-m races.
Synchronized swimmer Carolyn Waldo won two gold medals in the solo and duet (with Michelle Cameron) events. Lennox Lewis won a gold medal in boxing . Egerton Marcus took home silver and Ray Downey bronze, also in boxing. The men's relay swimming team led by Victor Davis won silver while the women's team took bronze. Decathlete Dave Steen earned a bronze medal with a brave performance in the final event.
Barcelona 1992
At the 1992 games in Barcelona, no single nation dominated competition, with athletes from many countries winning events. The publicity around the Games focussed on the United States national basketball team, the so-called "Dream Team" which completely dominated its competition.
Canada tallied 18 medals, of which six were gold. Four of the gold medals came in rowing : women's pairs, women's fours, women's eights and men's eights. Silken Laumann won a bronze in the single sculls only 10 weeks after suffering a terrible accident during training. Synchronized swimmer Sylvie Frechette lost a gold medal on a scoring error but was awarded one after an inquiry was held. Mark Tewksbury set an Olympic record in the 100-m backstroke and Mark McKoy won gold in the 110-m hurdles — his last for Canada before taking up Austrian citizenship.
Atlanta 1996
In 1996 the centennial anniversary of the modern Olympic Games was celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia. The games were marred by a bombing in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park which left one person dead and more than 100 wounded. In track and field , American Michael Johnson won gold medals in the 200-m and 400-m dashes. However, it was Canadian Donovan Bailey who triumphed in the 100-m dash, the glory event of track and field. He and teammates Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin won gold in the 4 × 100-m relay, beating a favoured American team. Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle won gold in the women's double sculls .
Sydney 2000
Doping scandals resurfaced at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Seven athletes tested positive during competition and dozens were disqualified prior to competing. There was little else that disrupted the games, and with unprecedented ticket sales and television coverage, the XXVIIth Olympics were hailed as the greatest Olympic Games ever held.
Canadian athletes returned home with 14 medals, eight less than Atlanta in 1996. Still, it was the fourth-best Canadian Olympic performance ever. Canada did remarkably well in inaugural events: Simon Whitfield won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for triathlon ; Karen Cockburn and Mathieu Turgeon won bronze medals in the first Olympic trampoline competition; Dominique Bosshart won a bronze in tae kwon do. Canada's only double medal winner was three-time Olympian Anne Montminy, who won silver in the 10m synchro diving (another first-time event) and bronze in the women's 10m platform. Nigerian-born freestyle wrestler Daniel Igali won Canada's first-ever gold medal in wrestling . Men's tennis doubles Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau upset the number one seed Australians Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge to claim Canada's third gold medal of the games.
Athens 2004
Canada's performance at Athens was consistent with previous years, and concerns were voiced again by athletes, coaches and some of the Canadian public that public and private funding sources for athletes was dismal in comparison to other countries, particularly those in the Commonwealth such as Australia. Poor medal performances in 2000 prompted controversial changes in Canadian Olympic Committee policy prior to 2004, whereby Canada would send fewer athletes to future Games and focus financial resources on those athletes who have the best chance at a medal. As a result, only 200 athletes from Canada competed in Athens, the lowest since the 1980 boycott.
Still, as in other years, Canadian athletes achieved many significant "firsts." Canada won a total of 12 medals: three gold, six silver, and three bronze. Kyle Shewfelt won Canada's men's floor exercises in gymnastics ; Lori-Ann Muenzer won the women's track cycling sprint, the first gold medal in cycling for Canada; and Adam van Koeverden won Canada's first gold in kayaking in the men's K1 500 m kayak. The silver medallists were: Karen Cockburn in women's trampoline gymnastics; men's four rowing team Cameron Baerg, Jake Wetzel, Thomas Herschmiller and Barney Williams; Tonya Verbeek in women's 55 kg freestyle wrestling ; Alexandre Despatie in the men's 3 m springboard diving ; Marie-Hélène Prémont in the women's cross country mountain bike; and Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs in men's Star sailing. Bronze medal winners include: Blythe Hartley and Emilie Heymans in women's synchronized 10 m platform diving; Koeverden in men's K1 1000 m kayak; and Caroline Brunet in the women's K1 500 m. Wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc won gold in the women's 800 m wheelchair, a demonstration event that year.
Beijing 2008
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games were marked as much by politics as by sports. The IOC came under fire by the media immediately upon announcing its decision to allow China to host the Games, due to the country's highly criticized lack of human rights policies and poor environmental record.
In all, 205 countries were represented in 28 sports. There were some stunning moments; American swimmer Michael Phelps set a record for the most gold medals (8) won in any Olympics and the Jamaican track team, led by sprinter Usain Bolt, won six gold medals in the sprint and hurdles events.
Canadians enjoyed considerable success at Beijing, garnering 18 medals, fulfilling the COC's predicted medal count. Canada's first medals came relatively late in the Games, on day eight, when David Calder and Scott Frandsen won silver in men's pairs rowing and wrestler Carol Huynh won gold. They were followed by another six silvers (David Calder and Scott Frandsen in men's pairs rowing; Simon Whitfield in triathlon ; Adam van Koeverden in kayaking; Emilie Heymans and Alexandre Despatie in diving ; the equestrian team in show jumping; Karen Cockburn and Jason Burnett in trampoline), and seven bronzes (Priscilla Lopes-Schliep in hurdles; Thomas Hall in canoeing; the men's fours rowing team; Tonya Verbeek in wrestling; Ryan Cochrane in swimming; and Dylan Armstrong in shotput, who was awarded the bronze in August 2014 after third-place Andrei Mikhnevich’s results were annulled because of doping). The surprise winners in 2008 were from the equestrian team, where longtime Olympian Ian Millar and his team of Eric Lamaze , Mac Cone and Jill Henselwood won silver, Canada's first medal in the sport since 1976. Later, Lamaze won the country's first individual equestrian medal (gold) and the second individual show jumping medal in Olympic history.
London 2012
The London games offered its share of history-making moments, as well as a few controversies. With approximately 10,500 athletes from 204 countries vying for medals, the biggest newsmaker was again Michael Phelps, who won four golds and two silvers, bringing his career total to 22 medals, 18 of them gold. Runner Usain Bolt from Jamaica also wowed Olympic spectators, finishing with a record-breaking performance in the 4x100-meter relay and becoming the first man to win gold in the 100 and 200 meters at two Olympic competitions.
In addition to impressive athletic performances, London also will be remembered for the growing involvement of female athletes with — for the first time — women`s athletic representation from every participating country, including Saudi Arabia, which boasted a 16-year-old judo competitor who became the first female from that country to compete in the Olympics.
Canada repeated its score from Bejing, taking home 18 medals, including one gold won by Rosie MacLenna in women’s gymnastics (trampoline). Canada’s athletes also took home five silver medals ( rowing , men’s eight; rowing, women’s eight; Ryan Cochrane , swimming , 1500m men’s freestyle; Adam van Koeverden , canoeing , K-1 1000 m; Tonya Verbeek, wrestling , women's freestyle 55 kg) and twelve bronze medals (women's team in synchronized 3 m springboard diving ; women's team in synchronized 10 m platform diving; Antoine Valois-Fortier in judo, men's 81 kg; Christine Girard , in weightlifting , women’s 63 kg; Brent Hayden in swimming, men's 100 m freestyle; cycling , women's team pursuit; Derek Drouin in high jump; Mark Oldershaw in canoeing, C-1 1000 m; Carol Huynh in wrestling, women's freestyle 48 kg; women’s tournament soccer ; Richard Weinberger in swimming , 10 km open water; Mark de Jonge in canoeing, K-1 200 m).
Buried in these bare statistics were several stories that made headlines and inspired pride in Canadians. Perhaps the most noteworthy of these stories involved Canada’s women’s soccer team and its quest for victory over the top-rated American team. In their semi-final match, Canada dominated the field, with team captain Christine Sinclair scoring three goals before a sequence of controversial penalties against Canada allowed the American team to tie up the match in the final minutes of play. The United States went on to win the game in overtime and Canada had to be satisfied with a bronze medal, beating the French team in a 1–0 win three days later. The drama captured the imagination of Canadians and soccer followers world-wide, drawing attention to Canada’s excellent women’s team and their talented captain, Sinclair, who was recognized for her contribution by being chosen Canada`s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies.
Rio 2016
The 2016 Games in Rio, Brazil (5–21 August), were the first to be hosted by a South American country. In total, 11,303 athletes competed at the Games, representing 205 countries as well as a Refugee Olympic Team. Golf returned to the Games after an absence of 112 years, while rugby sevens made its debut. As in 2012, American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt dominated the news. Phelps won six medals (five gold), bringing his career total to 28 (23 golds) and making him the most decorated Olympic athlete ever. Bolt again won the 100m, 200m and 4X100m relay — for the third consecutive Games.
It was a particularly successful Games for Canadian women athletes. The first Canadian gold medal of the 2016 Games was won by swimmer Penny Oleksiak. The 16-year-old became Canada’s youngest Olympic champion ever when she won the 100m freestyle event. By the end of the Games, she had won another three medals: a silver medal in the 100m butterfly, and two bronze medals in the 4X100m and 4X200m freestyle relays. With four medals in total, Oleksiak became the most successful Canadian athlete at a single Olympic Summer Games and tied Victor Davis as Canada’s most successful Olympic swimmer.
Overall, Canadian swimmers took home six medals, with Kylie Masse winning bronze in the 100m backstroke and Hilary Caldwell winning bronze in the 200m backstroke. Canadian women also medalled in diving : Meaghan Benfeito took bronze in the 10m individual event and in the 10m synchronized event, with teammate Roseline Filion. On the water, Lindsay Jennerich and Patricia Obee won silver in the lightweight double sculls ( rowing ).
Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan defended her Olympic title, winning her second gold medal in the sport. Wrestler Erica Wiebe took gold in the 75kg event, making her Canada’s third Olympic wrestling champion after Daniel Igali and Carol Huynh . In cycling , Canada again won bronze in the women’s team pursuit, while mountain biker Catharine Pendrel took bronze in the cross-country event. In team sports, Canada won its second consecutive bronze in women’s soccer , and its first bronze in women’s rugby sevens (which was making its Olympic debut).
In track and field (athletics), Brianne Theisen-Eaton won bronze in the heptathlon, while teammate Damian Warner took bronze in the decathlon (the decathlon was won by American athlete Ashton Eaton, Brianne Theisen-Eaton’s husband). Derek Drouin won gold in high jump, the first Canadian champion in a field event since Duncan McNaughton won the high jump title at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Sprinter Andre De Grasse lived up to his promise at the Games, taking silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m and 4X100m relay. Finally, Eric Lamaze won bronze in individual jumping, becoming Canada’s most decorated Olympian equestrian .
In total, Canada came home with 22 medals (four gold, three silver and 15 bronze) and finished in 10th place overall.
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Who wrote an autobiography entitled 'An Accidental MP'? | An Accidental MP book by Martin Bell | 3 available editions | Alibris Books
United Kingdom, Great Britain
After the most unusual and quixotic campaign of recent memory, Martin Bell was elected to Parliament by a landslide as an Independent - a species thought to have been extinct since 1950. This book is an account of that campaign and the fascinating years in Parliament that followed -constituency work, committee work and trying to find an independent place in the traditional structures of the House of Commons. It is a perspective on democracy, the role of an individual within Parliament and a fresh account of an entirely ... Read More
After the most unusual and quixotic campaign of recent memory, Martin Bell was elected to Parliament by a landslide as an Independent - a species thought to have been extinct since 1950. This book is an account of that campaign and the fascinating years in Parliament that followed -constituency work, committee work and trying to find an independent place in the traditional structures of the House of Commons. It is a perspective on democracy, the role of an individual within Parliament and a fresh account of an entirely unexpected career. Read Less
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| Martin Bell |
Who played the mentally unstable, 'Chief Inspector Dreyfuss', in the 'Pink Panther' films? | An Accidental MP book by Martin Bell | 3 available editions | Alibris Books
United Kingdom, Great Britain
After the most unusual and quixotic campaign of recent memory, Martin Bell was elected to Parliament by a landslide as an Independent - a species thought to have been extinct since 1950. This book is an account of that campaign and the fascinating years in Parliament that followed -constituency work, committee work and trying to find an independent place in the traditional structures of the House of Commons. It is a perspective on democracy, the role of an individual within Parliament and a fresh account of an entirely ... Read More
After the most unusual and quixotic campaign of recent memory, Martin Bell was elected to Parliament by a landslide as an Independent - a species thought to have been extinct since 1950. This book is an account of that campaign and the fascinating years in Parliament that followed -constituency work, committee work and trying to find an independent place in the traditional structures of the House of Commons. It is a perspective on democracy, the role of an individual within Parliament and a fresh account of an entirely unexpected career. Read Less
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PO BOX 318, OXON, UNITED KINGDOM
$10.99 $14.95
Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
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'The Fellowship Of The Ring' opens with the news that someone in the Shire is planning a birthday party. Who? | Mark Reads ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’: Chapter 1 |
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It’s weird that I’m starting two HUGE fandom-heavy properties (LotR here, and Buffy over on Mark Watches) and I can’t seem to recall learning anything about either of them. I’ve tried to think about why that is. Why don’t I know jack shit about The Lord of the Rings? The book was already huge in the group of friends I hung out with in junior high and high school, but I think that’s one of the reasons why I avoided it. I was already a nerd; teachers loved me, I was a straight-A student (except for one damn semester in AP Physics GODDAMN IT), I was in nerdy-as-hell clubs, and that’s just what I was known as. Did I want to get into high fantasy and make myself look like more than the nerd I already was? I had to struggle with this bizarre identity of mine, because I was a hardcore kid who was also a gigantic loser to the social population of my school. And I had to straddle those two worlds, as someone who grew up listening to hardcore, punk, and metal and wanting to be accepted by those people, and desiring to be a good student and succeed.
It involved me making conscious decisions to avoid certain things because I was so concerned about how I was perceived by others. Which is what a lot of people do in high school, isn’t it? Hell, lots of us (myself included) do care how we portray ourselves to the world in different ways, but I cared in ways back then to avoid getting beat up between classes. I think that’s a pretty reasonable justification. Plus, if I’d read this before, I COULDN’T DO THIS NOW I WIN IN THE END.
But I’m glad to take the chance to read The Lord of the Rings in one go. There will be no breaks between “books.” (Yes, I know this is one single book, but I won’t do anything but this until it’s done.) I’m committing to doing this for at least a third of 2012. On top of that, I will hold liveblogs on the weekend after each of the “books” that we finish so that I can finally see those monstrosities. AREN’T THEY LIKE 324 HOURS EACH. oh god i am so excited.
Shall we? SHALL WE GET ON WITH THIS???
BOOK ONE
CHAPTER ONE: A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY
The first thing I picked up after reading this chapter is that the writing has improved; it’s leagues above The Hobbit, though I’ll miss the weird first-person interjections from Tolkien. (Don’t you dare expect me not to find a way to force one of those father-son reviews in again, though. I’LL DO IT AND YOU CAN’T STOP ME.) But I was completely impressed by the improved pacing, a lot of fantastically-written passes, and the immediate change in the tone.
But what I liked the most was that we start things off with a familiar character.
When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.
I swear to you, I had no idea he was going to be in this book! THIS IS SO TERRIBLY EXCITING TO ME. I just expected to be thrust into a brand new situation with new characters. I don’t know why I thought The Lord of the Rings took place hundreds of years after the events in The Hobbit, but I must admit to smiling every time there was a reference to that book. The idea that Bilbo has just been this weird, odd character in the Shire for sixty years straight just fills me with so much joy. It’s easy to think back to his characterization at the beginning of The Hobbit and see all the changes since then, but I mostly latch on to the fact that he’s happy. He is perfectly joyous to be different, to have gone on that adventure with Bilbo and the dwarves, and to have lived a life full of discovery and thrills.
Honestly, though, it’s Bilbo’s eccentricities that make me feel so wonderful. I get the sense that hobbit society has a very well-defined rules; some of those are spelled out in The Hobbit, and even more are given to us in this first chapter. But Tolkien is a lot more subtle than he was before, and we’re left to figure out how hobbits react to one another and what we can expect from them. They enjoy extravagance, that’s for sure. They have an entire culture built around the concept of wealth, but it’s not at all similar to what we have in our world. (On that note, are there poor hobbits? Can hobbits be homeless? THESE ARE PRESSING QUESTIONS I MUST HAVE ANSWERED.) They love gifts; they love fireworks more than fans of Larry the Cable Guy. (Which is not an insult to fireworks, for the record, because sweet summer child do I love fireworks, but they were the only social group who might base a fanaticism around them that I could think of.) And they love eating.
Oh, how they love eating. And now I’m hungry again.
But let’s back up a bit. Very quickly, we’re introduced to Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit that Bilbo adopted as his heir, which made me shriek with delight because that meant the Sackville-Bagginses were forever doomed to never inherit anything that belonged to Bilbo. And look, I don’t care if I’m falling right into where Tolkien wants me: they are gross hobbits because THEY WANTED TO KEEP BILBO’S STUFF AFTER HE WAS CLEARLY NOT DEAD. Oh, no joy over his non-death? Then no inheritance for you. That’s how it works!
Anyway, even right from the very start, Tolkien introduces a small plot that is fascinating and entertaining, even if there are only hints towards what The Fellowship of the Ring is actually about. This epic get-together and birthday party that Bilbo plans on holding suddenly grasps me as well, and I start wanting to know if the rumors associated with it are true. Is he going to throw a spectacle of a party for himself and for Frodo’s coming-of-age? (OMG you are not an adult until you’re thirty-three in hobbit society? THAT IS BRILLIANT.) How is it going to affect the other hobbits? Tolkien gives us bits and pieces of the reaction from other citizens of this part of town, and I love how it manifests in the form of gossip. Plus, then I get introduced to Ham Gamgee, who is rather lovely in his own way. Of course, I’m biased because he defends Bilbo against the ridiculous notions others try to put forth, making sure it’s clear that he doesn’t care how queer the hobbit is: he’s a fantastic friend and neighbor to have. Do you know how much I enjoyed reading that? Because it’s true! Who cares how strange a person is? If they’re a good friend, that’s all that should matter.
The Day (I adore that it’s capitalized by Tolkien, as if it’s some sort of national holiday) approaches rapidly, and it only gets stranger. I felt a burst of happiness when a wagon rolls up and it’s clearly the dwarves who survived the adventures of The Hobbit. (Possibly more?) AND THEN GANDALF IS WITH THEM oh god THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.
And we finally get a hint at what’s going on, and it is not at all what I expected.
‘You mean to go on with your plan then?’
‘I do. I made up my mind months ago, and I haven’t changed it.’
‘Very well. It is no good saying any more. Stick to your plan–your whole plan, mind–and I hope it will turn out for the best, for you, and for all of us.’
‘I hope so. Anyway I mean to enjoy myself on Thursday, and have my little joke.’
‘Who will laugh, I wonder?’ said Gandalf, shaking his head.
‘We shall see,’ said Bilbo.
He’s holding the party as a joke??? Or at least some aspect of it will be a joke??? Oh, Bilbo, you lovable troll. Now I’m obsessed and it’s only like page six. THIS IS SO AWESOME.
And so the spectacle continues. I really adore the pace at which this unfolds. So many people have told me that The Lord of the Rings is fairly dense for a novel, and I certainly am anticipating it to be. But if this is the way in which he describes things, I’m kind of okay with it. I mean, Tolkien isn’t even addressing the main plot yet, and I’m entirely stricken by this story, eager to know how this is going to unfold. The man’s narration here is a bit coy, as if he’s holding back a huge smile because he know Bilbo’s grand secret. When the party arrives, the tension becomes unbearable. (That’s a compliment.) And what a party it is! The writing is incredibly energetic at this point as Tolkien jumps from one event to another. There’s gift-giving for the children in the neighborhood. There are songs. (I mean this wouldn’t be a story involving hobbits if there weren’t any songs, right?) There’s food for lunch, then there’s tea, then there are FIREWORKS. Also can we discuss how Gandalf is the best friend ever:
The lights went out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance, and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew a red-golden dragon–not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws, his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed three times over the heads of the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion.
This is just so touching to me, okay? It’s a celebration of the wonderful life of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit from Bag End who may have lived a life of mediocrity if he’d not gone on that adventure with Gandalf. (Well….he was tricked/manipulated to go on that adventure, to be fair. STILL.) It’s beautiful, okay? WILL SOMEONE DO THIS FOR ME ONE DAY. Wait, what would that entail? Fireworks that explode into….me discovering Hagrid? Or maybe falling onto the stage at LeakyCon. That’s a wonderful way to commemorate someone’s life, isn’t it?
So, the time arrives when Bilbo’s private party of just one hundred forty-four guests gets to hear his post-dinner speech. Of course, I just wanted to know whyBilbo was doing this and what his little “joke” was that he’d been planning for quite some time.
Why was it important that a Gross of hobbits be present? What did Gandalf have to do with this? As Bilbo got into the meat of his speech, he says the best thing ever:
I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came to a compliment.
HAHAHAHAHA HOLY SHIT, THAT IS SPECTACULAR. Insult people by confusing them about whether they just were insulted or not. But it continues! He states that inviting a Gross of hobbits was merely a number, offending guests who think it’s rude just to meet some sort of bizarre quota. So at this point, he’s pretty much loss the entire crowd, and it certainly doesn’t help that he makes references to Esgaroth and a barrel and the Long Lake and all these things most hobbits have never seen or experienced. But it was becoming clear to me that this entire affair wasn’t for any of the hobbits at all. This was Bilbo’s day, and he was going to end it exactly as he desired.
He spoke this last word so loudly and suddenly that everyone sat up who still could. I regret to announce that–though, as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you–this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE!
He stepped down and vanished. There was a blinding flash of light, and the guests all blinked. When they opened their eyes Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. One hundred and forty-four flabbergasted hobbits sat back speechless.
WHAT THE HOLY HELL IS GOING ON. His joke was to DISAPPEAR. First of all, HOW CAN HE EVEN DO THAT. Where did he go? WHAT THE. Predictably, it sends the hobbits into a furor; most of them are upset and think whatever “joke” Bilbo just pulled is in bad taste. Some believe he’s gone out of his mind, and others believe it’s just Bilbo being weird for the sake of it. Tolkien briefly switches over to the perspective of Frodo Baggins, who’s left behind and faced with an endless stream of questions about his uncle, all of which he either ignores or defers.
Of course, I somehow forgot that Bilbo had a ring that made him invisible. WOOPS. That was an easy one. IT’S RIGHT THERE. But there’s still a joke here, and one that does have a purpose beyond simply doing it for the hell of it: he really is leaving forever. Gandalf arrives to see him off, and their entire conversation is one of the more confusing things I’ve read. I feel like there’s something unspoken or assumed here that I’m missing out on, as if this is a continuation of a conversation I wasn’t around to have. Plus, both of them just say weird shit. I’m not surprised that Bilbo wants a long holiday, and who could blame him? The chance to escape life in the Shire and the hope of finding some new (albeit not that dangerous) adventure to have is intriguing, especially for someone like Bilbo.
But why does Bilbo frame this as if he feels something wrong about his life? Does he regret staying in the Shire the last sixty years? What does he mean by saying he feels “all thin, sort of stretched“? He hadn’t been doing much of anything in his home. I mean, I understand his desire to see the mountains again. It makes a whole lot of sense.
And then comes the issue of the ring. Lord, Bilbo really doesn’t want to give it up, and Gandalf really insists that he should give it to Frodo. Um….why are mom and dad fighting again? Look, maybe I’m reading too much into this (LOL WHEN HAVE I NOT DONE THAT), but I seriously feel like I’m not being told something about this argument they have. I get that the ring is amazing and anyone would be reluctant to give it up, but Bilbo at one point calls it MY PRECIOUS. um what are you doing Bilbo. Also, I call bullshit on Gandalf’s “professionally interested” line. lol dude you cannot bluff worth anything. But seriously, this situation escalates extremely fast, doesn’t it? Suddenly Gandalf is threatening to uncloak himself, which frankly sounds like he’s going to flash Bilbo, but that makes no sense. And as Gandalf gets more persistent and serious, Bilbo becomes more and more defensive. WHAT IS GOING ON EVERYONE? (That’s rhetorical, obviously.) It takes some well-placed guilt-tripping from Gandalf for Bilbo to leave the ring behind:
‘I am not trying to rob you, but to help you. I wish you would trust me, as you used.’ He turned away, and the shadow passed. He seemed to dwindle again to an old grey man, bent and troubled.
WELL PLAYED, GANDALF. WELL PLAYED. Though that only partially works, as Gandalf eventually has to snatch it off the ground after Biblo drops it. There’s a weird sense of sadness when Bilbo does finally leave, and now I sort of think we won’t ever see him again. But why was Gandalf so upset about the ring? AHHH I KNOW NOTHING NOTHING AT ALL.
Frodo concerns himself in the days that follow with handling Bilbo’s inheritance, doling out the proper items to the right hobbits. Again, Bilbo is a trolling genius, since he gives Lobelia Sackville-Baggins the very silver spoon set she was stealing from while he was on his journey. GOD I LOVE HIM FOREVER. Especially since just a few pages later, the Sackville-Bagginses prove to be some of the worst, unthankful hobbits in the entirety of existence, insisting that Frodo is now to blame for their poor inheritance. You know, it might be because you stole from a man you thought was dead but he was alive and you still stole from him. And I bet y’all smell, too. HOW’S THAT. Seriously, they are so rude!
‘Why didn’t you go too? You don’t belong here; you’re no Baggins–you–you’re a Brandybuck!’
‘Did you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like,’ said Frodo as he shut the door on her.
‘It was a compliment,’ said Merry Brandybuck, ‘and so, of course, not true.’
Oh, bless. I already love Merry Brandybuck and I know nothing about him.
Before this chapter ends (as does this exhausting day), Gandalf shows up once again being all *~mysterious~* about the ring that Frodo has now inherited. Not only does he warn him to be careful, but he cuts his stay a week short to go…well, I imagine he’s off to find out more about where it came from. And the ending doesn’t make me feel too great about whatever it is that’s happening either:
He gave a final wave of his hand, and walked off at a surprising pace; but Frodo thought the old wizard looked unusually bent, almost as if he was carrying a great weight. The evening was closing in, and his cloaked figure quickly vanished into the twilight. Frodo did not see him again for a long time.
Okay, I’m hooked. What the hell is going on?
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Home » Subject Articles » Film Scripts » The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
(Many thanks to Shirehobbit who took the time to convert this into the same format used for the RotK script!) Please Note: You may NOT duplicate this script on your own website. Read here for more information.
Prologue by Galadriel:
I feel it in the water.
han mathon ne chae…
I feel it in the Earth.
a han noston ned gwilith.
I smell it in the air.
Much that once was is lost. For none now live who remember it.
TEXT: THE LORD OF THE RINGS
It began with the forging of the great rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made.
In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master ring, to control all others. And into this Ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life.
(Sauron stands inside Mount Doom)
“One Ring to rule them all.”
(Wild men attack villages)
One by one, the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. (An army of Elves and Men are seen on the field of Dagorlad) A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the slopes of Mount Doom they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth.
(Armies of orcs attack the Elves and Men, who fight back bravely.)
Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone.
(Sauron steps onto the battlefield, carrying a mace and the Ring of Power on his finger. Everyone turns and looks at him with fear in their eyes. He swings his mace, sending a group of Elves flying through the air. Elendil raises his sword to strike, but Sauron flings him against a rock, crushing him to death. Shocked, Isildur runs over to his fallen father. Suddenly, he is aware of someone behind him, he rolls over, seeing Sauron towering above him)
It was in this moment when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the King, took up his father’s sword.
(Isildur grabs the hilt of Narsil, but Sauron stomps on it, shattering the blade. Sauron reaches down towards Isildur with the hand carrying the Ring. With a desperate attempt, Isildur lets out a cry and strikes Sauron’s hand with the shards of Narsil, slicing off the finger bearing the One Ring. Sauron let’s out a cry. He implodes, sending a shockwave throughout the battlefield, knocking the warriors off their feet. His armour falls to the ground, his body gone. Smoke emerges from within the armour)
Sauron, the enemy of the free-peoples of Middle-Earth was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever.
(Isildur slowly reaches for the remains of Sauron’s finger bearing the Ring. The finger turns to ash in his hands, but the Ring shimmers faintly)
But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of Power has a will of its own.
(Isildur is riding trough the forest with a group of warriors, when ambushed by orcs.)
It betrayed Isildur to his death…
(Isildur floats down Anduin face down in the water, dead, with three arrows in his back. The Ring sinks into the depths of the river)
And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost.
History became legend, legend became myth and for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer.
Gollum: My Precioussssssss
The Ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there, it consumed him.
(The Misty Mountains are shown, Gollum sits on a stone above a little pool inside the mountains)
Gollum: It came to me, my own, my love, my own, my prrrecioussssss!
The Ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom of Gollum’s cave, it waited. Darkness crept back into the forest of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the east, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived. Its time had now come.
It abandoned Gollum.
(the Ring falls down on the rocks, landing in a pile of sand)
But something happened then the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable.
(A young Bilbo appears, picking up the Ring from the sand)
Bilbo: What’s this?
A Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.
Bilbo: A ring.
Gollum: (from far away) Lossssst! My precious is lost!
(Bilbo, alarmed, puts the Ring in his pocket)
For the time will soon come when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.
Text: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Text: The Shire…60 years later
(Frodo sits beneath a tree, reading a book. Suddenly, he hears someone singing and looks up. He smiles as he understands who it is. Gandalf drives his carriage through the fields while he sings)
Gandalf: The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow if I can…
(Frodo runs towards the grassy road)
Frodo: You’re late!
(Gandalf stops the carriage)
Gandalf: A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.
(He looks at Frodo with a strict look that softens until they both laugh. Frodo jumps onto the carriage and into Gandalf’s arms)
Frodo: Its wonderful to see you Gandalf!
Gandalf: Ooh! You didn’t think I’d miss your Uncle Bilbo’s birthday?
(Frodo sits besides Gandalf in the carriage as they drive through Hobbiton)
Frodo: What news of the outside world? Tell me everything.
Gandalf: Everything? Far too eager and curious for a hobbit, most unnatural. Well what can I tell you? Life in the wide world goes on much as it has this past age, full of its own comings and goings. Scarcely aware of the existence of hobbits… which I am very thankful.
Hobbit folk: Look it’s Gandalf! It’s Gandalf!
(Gandalf drives the carriage past the party field, where Hobbits are getting the banner up)
Gandalf: Ohh! The long expected party!
(he starts smoking his pipe)
Gandalf: So how is the old rascal? I hear it’s going to be a party of special magnificence.
Frodo: You know Bilbo, he’s got the whole place in an uproar.
Gandalf: Hmmm, well now that should please him, hmmm.
Frodo: Half the Shire’s been invited.
Gandalf: Good gracious me!
Frodo: He is up to something.
Gandalf: Oh really..
Frodo: All right then keep your secrets. Before you came along we Bagginses were very well thought of.
Gandalf: Indeed?
Frodo: Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.
Gandalf: If you’re referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.
Frodo: Whatever you did, you’ve been officially labeled a disturber of the peace.
Gandalf: Oh really?
(They drive past a hobbit hole with a grumpy hobbit working in the garden. He looks at Gandalf, turning even more grumpy)
Hobbit children: Gandalf! Gandalf!
(Some hobbit children run down the grassy hills towards the carriage)
Hobbit children: Fireworks?!? Gandalf?!?
(They look at him in disappointment as he drives along, pretending not to notice them)
Hobbit children: Awwwww.
(Suddenly, a blast of fireworks goes off from the carriage. The hobbit children clap their hands and cheer. The grumpy hobbit man laughs, a grumpy hobbit woman comes out and gives him a disapproving look and he gets the sour look on his face again. Gandalf chuckles)
Frodo: Gandalf, I’m glad you’re back.
Gandalf: So am I, dear boy! So am I.
(Frodo jumps of the carriage and waves at Gandalf. Gandalf drives up to Bag End and stops in front of the gate. He walks up to the door and knocks it with his staff. A voice is heard from inside)
Bilbo: No thank you! We don’t want any more visitors, well-wishers or distant relations!
Gandalf: And what about very old friends?
(Door opens and Bilbo stares at Gandalf in disbelief)
Bilbo: Gandalf?
Bilbo: My dear Gandalf!
(They give each other a big hug)
Gandalf: Good to see you! One hundred and eleven years old –who would believe it? You haven’t aged a day.
(Bilbo runs inside, holding the door open for Gandalf)
Bilbo: Come on, come in! Welcome, welcome!
(He takes Gandalf’s hat and staff)
Bilbo: Tea? Or maybe something a little stronger? I’ve got a few bottles of the Old Winyard left. 1296 –very good year. Almost as old as I am! Hahaha! It was laid down by my father. What say we open one, eh?
Gandalf: Just tea, thank you.
(Bilbo runs around the hobbit hole, Gandalf backs into a the chandelier, then turns and bumps his head onto the beam. He rubs his forehead and walks into Bilbo’s study. He looks at the papers on the desk, a map of The Lonely Mountain among them)
Bilbo: I was expecting you here last week! Not that it matters, you come and go as you please. Always have done and always will. You caught me a bit unprepared, I’m afraid. We have some cold chicken and pickles… Here’s some cheese here- oh no it won’t do. There we got raspberry jam and apple tart… Not much for afterlunch – oh no! We’re all right. I have some cake. (enters the study, looking for Gandalf, who has left) I can make you some eggs if you like- oh. Gandalf?
(Gandalf peers into the study from the kitchen)
Gandalf: Just tea, thank you.
Bilbo: Ah right. You don’t mind if I eat, do you?
Gandalf: Oh no, not at all.
(A sharp knock on the door and a woman’s voice is heard)
Lobelia: “Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins!”
(Bilbo throws himself towards the wall, hiding. Then he turns to Gandalf, whispering)
Bilbo: I’m not at home!
(He walks into the kitchen, looking out the little round window)
Bilbo: I’ve got to get away from these confounded relatives hanging on the bell–they never give me a moment’s peace! I want to see mountains again, mountains Gandalf! And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book. Oh, tea!
(Bilbo takes the tea off the fire with a towel.)
Gandalf: So, you mean to go through with your plan, then.
Bilbo: Yes, yes. It’s all in hand. All the arrangements are made. (Gandalf opens the lid on the pot) Oh, thank you.
Gandalf: Frodo suspects something.
Bilbo: ‘Course he does. He’s a Baggins! Not some block-headed Bracegirdle from Hardbottle.
Gandalf: You will tell him, won’t you?
Bilbo: Yes, yes.
Gandalf: He’s very fond of you.
Bilbo: I know. He’d probably come with me if I asked him. I think in his heart Frodo is still in love with the Shire: the woods, the fields…little rivers. I’m old Gandalf. I know I don’t look it, but I’m beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel thin…sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday, a very long holiday, and I don’t expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to.
(Gandalf and Bilbo sit outside Bag End, each with a pipe in his mouth)
Bilbo: Old Toby. The finest weed in the Southfarthing.
(Bilbo blows a ring of smoke. Gandalf smiles and blows a ship of smoke, sailing trough the smoke ring that Bilbo made)
Bilbo: Gandalf, my old friend. This will be a night to remember!
(A huge firework explodes onto the party field below. A lot of hobbits dance, eat, drink and talk with each other)
Bilbo: Hello, hello, Fatty Bolger, lovely to see you! Welcome, welcome!
(Frodo is dancing, and so is Rosie. Sam is watching from his seat. Frodo sits down beside him)
Frodo: Go on Sam! Ask Rosie for a dance.
Sam: I think I’ll just have another ale.
Frodo: Oh no you don’t. Go on.
(Frodo pushes Sam onto the dancefloor and into Rosie’s arms. He laughs at Sam’s attempt on dancing. Gandalf lets another set of fireworks off)
Gandalf: Whoa!
(Bilbo is sitting in front of a group of hobbit children, telling a story)
Bilbo: So there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls! And they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us, whether it be turned on a spit or whether they should sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly.
(Gandalf is dancing together with the hobbits)
Bilbo: They spent so much time arguing the wither-tos and why-fors, that when the sun’s first light cracked over the top of the trees and poof!
Hobbit Children: (gasps)
Bilbo: And turned them all to stone!
(Gandalf gets some more fireworks from his carriage. Merry and Pippin come forth from behind a tent. They stop beside the carriage)
Merry: Quickly!
(Merry helps Pippin onto the carriage. He starts searching for fireworks)
Gandalf: Whoa! Up they go.
(Pippin shows a firework to Merry)
Merry: No, no the big one, big one
(Pippin finds one shaped as a large dragon. Merry gasps and nods. Pippin jumps down from the carriage, and into the tent beside it. Merry follows. Inside the tent, they light up the firework)
Pippin: Done.
Merry: You’re supposed to stick it in the ground!
(Merry pushes the firework onto Pippin)
Pippin: It is in the ground.
(Pippin pushes it to Merry)
Merry: Outside!
(Merry pushes it back to Pippin)
Pippin: It was your idea!
(The firework flies off, everyone around turn towards it)
Hobbit: Look at that!
(The firework turns into a dragon, and it flies down towards the party field. The hobbits run away in fright, screaming)
Frodo: Bilbo? Bilbo, look out for the dragon!
Bilbo: Dragon? Nonsense! There hasn’t been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years…
(Frodo pulls Bilbo to the ground, the dragon flies over them, barely making it over the field, before exploding into a mass of colors. The hobbits cheer and clap, Merry and Pippin are stunned)
Merry: That was good!
Pippin: Let’s get another one!
(Gandalf grabs them each by their ear)
Merry and Pippin: Aah!
Gandalf: Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might’ve known.
(Gandalf sits with his pipe, watching Merry and Pippin doing the dishes)
Hobbits: Speech, Bilbo! Speech!
Frodo: Speech!
(Bilbo steps up on a barrel under the great tree)
Bilbo: My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots.
Proudfoot Hobbit: Proudfeet!
(Bilbo shakes him off, everyone laughs)
Bilbo: Proudfoots.
Bilbo: Today is my 111th birthday!
Hobbits: Happy birthday!
Hobbit: Happy birthday!
Bilbo: Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and
I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
(The hobbits seem to not know how to take what Bilbo just said. He pulls the ring out of his pocket and fingers it behind his back. Gandalf watches closely, suspecting something)
Bilbo: I, uh, I h-have things to do. (whispers to himself) I’ve put this off for far too long. (To the crowd) I regret to announce this is the end. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye.
(He puts on the Ring and disappears)
Hobbits: Ohh!
(There is a big commotion among the hobbits as they look around and whisper to each other. The door at Bag End is opened, and once inside, Bilbo takes off the Ring, becoming visible. He walks into his study, laughing)
Bilbo: Hahahahaha!
(Flips the Ring in the air, then puts it back in his pocket. Walks over and grabs his walking stick. Suddenly, Gandalf is seen in a corner)
Gandalf: I suppose you think that was terribly clever.
Bilbo: Come on Gandalf! Did you see their faces?
Gandalf: There are many magic rings in this world Bilbo Baggins and none of them should be used lightly.
Bilbo: It was just a bit of fun! Oh you’re probably right, as usual. You will keep an eye on Frodo, won’t you?
(Bilbo packs his stuff for the journey)
Gandalf: Two eyes, as often as I can spare them.
Bilbo: I’m leaving everything to him.
Gandalf: What about this Ring of yours, is that staying too?
Bilbo: Yes, yes. It’s in an envelope over there on the mantelpiece.
Bilbo: No, wait, it’s… here in my pocket. Heh, isn’t that, isn’t that odd though? Yet, after all, why not? Why shouldn’t I keep it?
Gandalf: I think you should leave the Ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?
Bilbo: Well no… And yes! Now it comes to it, I don’t feel like parting with it, its mine, I found it, it came to me!
Gandalf: There’s no need to get angry.
(Bilbo turns towards Gandalf with a furious look on his face)
Bilbo: Well if I’m angry, it’s your fault! It’s mine! My own, my precious.
Gandalf: Precious? Its been called that before, but not by you.
Bilbo: Argh! What business is it of yours what I do with my own things!
Gandalf: I think you’ve had that Ring quite long enough.
Bilbo: You want it for yourself!
(Gandalf takes a step forward, and talks to Bilbo with a dark, scary voice)
Gandalf: Bilbo Baggins! (Bilbo flings himself towards the wall behind him) Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks. I am not trying to rob you. I’m trying to help you.
(Bilbo runs into Gandalf’s arms, weeping)
Gandalf: All your long years we’ve been friends. Trust me as you once did, hmm? Let it go.
Bilbo: You’re right Gandalf, the Ring must go to Frodo. It’s late, the road is long. Yes it is time.
(He walks towards the door, opens it and starts to walk out)
Gandalf: Bilbo…
(Bilbo stops, looking at Gandalf)
Bilbo: Hmm?
Gandalf: …the Ring is still in your pocket.
Bilbo: Oh, yes…
(He takes the Ring out of his pocket and looks at it with a stern face. Slowly, he turns his hand, letting the Ring fall to the floor. It hits the floor with a heavy thud. Quickly, Bilbo walks out, stopping a few strides from the door. Gandalf comes out after him)
Bilbo: I’ve thought of an ending for my book. “And he lived happily ever after…to the end of his days”.
Gandalf: And I’m sure you will my dear friend.
Bilbo: Good bye, Gandalf.
Gandalf: Good bye, dear Bilbo.
(He walks out of the gate, down the road going east, singing)
Bilbo: The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began…
Gandalf: Until our next meeting.
(Gandalf goes back inside, he stares that the Ring on the floor, bends down and puts his hand over it as if to pick it up. Before he can even touch it, he sees a flash of the Eye of Sauron, surprised he leaves it. Gandalf sits in the study inside Bag End, smoking. He seems to be in deep thought)
(Voice over of Bilbo:) It’s mine, my own, my precious!
Gandalf: (mutters) Riddles in the Dark.
(the door is flung open and Frodo arrives)
Frodo: Bilbo! Bilbo!
(Frodo sees the Ring on the floor and bends down to pick it up. He then notices Gandalf sitting by the fireplace)
Gandalf: My precious… Precious…
(Frodo walks over to Gandalf)
Frodo: He’s gone hasn’t he? He talked for so long about leaving. I didn’t think he’d really do it.
(he stops besides Gandalf, the Ring in his hand)
Frodo: Gandalf?
Gandalf: Hmm. (he sees the Ring in Frodo’s hand) Bilbo’s Ring. He’s gone to stay with the Elves. He’s left you Bag End…
(he gets out an envelope, holding it up to Frodo who puts the Ring in it. He seals it and gives the envelope to Frodo)
…along with all his possessions. The Ring is yours now. Put it somewhere out of sight.
(Gandalf gets his hat and staff and makes for the door)
Frodo: Where are you going?
Gandalf: There are some things that I must see to.
Frodo: What things?
Gandalf: Questions. Questions that need answering!
Frodo: But you’ve only just arrived! I don’t understand.
(Gandalf turns and looks at Frodo)
Gandalf: Neither do I. Keep it secret. Keep it safe.
(Gollum’s voice is heard from within the dungeouns of Barad Dûr)
Gollum: Shire!!! Baggins!!!
(Gates of Minas Morgul open and the Ringwraiths ride out.
Gandalf has ridden through Rohan. He stops his horse, seeing the mountains of Ephel Dûath, the borders of Mordor, looming in the distance, lightning flashes behind and above. He understands that something is happening. He then heads for Minas Tirith. In the library there, he finds what he is seeking)
Gandalf: (voice over)Year 3434 of the Second Age. Here follows the account of Isildur, High King of Gondor and the finding of the Ring of Power. It has come to me, the One Ring. It shall be an heirloom of my kingdom. All that should follow in my bloodline shall be bound to its fate for I will risk no hurt to the Ring. It is precious to me, though I buy it with a great pain. The markings upon the band begin to fade. The writing, which at first was as clear as red flame, has all but disappeared. A secret now that only fire can tell.
(Back in the Shire, a farmer is chopping wood outside his hole. His dog begins to bark as something draws near. The dog starts yelping and backs into the hobbit-hole. The farmer looks onto the road in fright, seeing a Ringwraith)
Ringwraith: Shire. Baggins.
Hobbit: Baggins. There are no Baggins ‘round here. They’re up in Hobbiton, that way.
(He points towards Hobbiton, and the Ringwraith rides off. In Hobbiton, Sam and Frodo are leaving The Green Dragon pub)
Rosie: Goodnight.
Sam: Goodnight.
Frodo: Goodnight Sam.
(Inside the hobbit-hole, it looks like someone has broken in. Suddenly, Gandalf grabs Frodo’s shoulder from behind)
Frodo: Huh?!
Gandalf: Is it secret?! Is it safe?!
(Frodo opens a chest and searches through it)
Frodo: Ah!
(He hands the envelope to Gandalf who throws it into the fireplace)
Frodo: What are you doing?
(Gandalf get’s out the Ring from the fire with a pair of tongs and hands it to Frodo)
Gandalf: Hold out your hand Frodo, it’s quite cool. What can you see? Can you see anything?
Frodo: Nothing. There’s nothing…(Gandalf takes a sigh of relief.) Wait. There are markings. It’s some form of elvish. I can’t read it.
Gandalf: There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here.
Frodo: Mordor..?
Gandalf: In the common tongue it says, “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”
(They sit in the kitchen with a cup of tea each. The Ring is placed on the end of the table)
Gandalf: This is the One Ring. Forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom. Taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself.
Frodo: Bilbo found it. In Gollum’s cave.
Gandalf: Yes. For sixty years the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo’s keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It’s heard its master’s call.
Frodo: But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed.
Ring: (whispers) Isildur…
(both Gandalf and Frodo stare at the Ring)
Gandalf: No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned. His orcs have multiplied. His fortress of Barad-Dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands of a second darkness. He is seeking it. Seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. Frodo, he must never find it.
(Frodo jumps up and grabs the Ring. He enteres the study)
Frodo: Alright, we put it away. We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it’s here, do they? Do they, Gandalf?
(he turns to Gandalf)
Gandalf: There is one other who knew that Bilbo had the Ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But the enemy found him first. I don’t know how long they tortured him. Amidst the endless screams and inane babble, they discerned two words:
(scene from Barad Dûr and the torturing of Gollum)
Gollum: Shire!!! Aah!!! Baggins!!!
Frodo: Shire. Baggins. But that would lead them here!
(Scene goes to a road in the Shire, and a Ringwraith rides towards a Hobbit)
Hobbit: Who goes there?
(the Ringwraith chops off the Hobbit’s head. Back in Bag End, Frodo tries to hand the Ring to Gandalf, who refuses)
Frodo: Take it Gandalf! Take it!
Gandalf: No Frodo no!
Frodo: You must take it!
Gandalf: You cannot offer me this Ring!
Frodo: I’m giving it to you!
Gandalf: Don’t tempt me Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand Frodo, I would use this Ring from the desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.
Frodo: But it cannot stay in the Shire!
Gandalf: No! No it can’t.
Frodo: What must I do?
(Frodo is rushing around, packing for the journey)
Gandalf: You must leave and leave quickly.
Frodo: Where? Where do I go?
Gandalf: Get out of the Shire. Make for the village of Bree.
Frodo: Bree. What about you?
Gandalf: I’ll be waiting for you, at the Inn of the Prancing Pony.
Frodo: And the Ring will be safe there?
Gandalf: I don’t know Frodo. I don’t have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me Frodo, he’ll know what to do. You’ll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for that name is not safe outside the Shire. Travel only by day. And stay off the road.
Frodo: I can cut across country easily enough.
Gandalf: My dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures! You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you. (hears a sound from outside) Get down!
(Frodo drops down, and Gandalf walks over to the window, then grabs Sam, who has been hiding in the bushes, and throws him onto the table)
Sam: Oooff!!
Gandalf: Confound it all Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?!
Sam: I have been droppin’ no eaves sir, honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me.
Gandalf: A little late for trimming the verge don’t you think?
Sam: I heard raised voices.
Gandalf: What did you hear?! Speak!!!!
Sam: N-n-n-nothing important. That is I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world but… Please, Mister Gandalf sir, don’t hurt me. Don’t turn me into anythin’…. unnatural.
Gandalf: No, perhaps not. I have thought of a better use for you…
(next morning, at sunrise)
Gandalf: Come along Samwise, keep up! Be careful both of you. The enemy has many spies in his service: birds, beasts. Is it safe? Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found.
(Gandalf rides off. The Hobbits walk through forests, over hills and in a field far off from Hobbiton, Sam stops.)
Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.
Frodo: Come on Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: “It’s a dangerous business… (voice over of Bilbo)…Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
(A Black Rider is seen looking down onto Hobbiton. Gandalf rides to Isengard. He gallops past the gates, and towards Orthanc. Saruman walks down the stairs from the door)
Saruman: Smoke rises from the mountain of Doom. The hour grows late and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard seeking my counsel. For that is why you have come, is it not?..my old friend.
Gandalf: Saruman.
(In the gardens outside Orthanc)
Saruman: You are sure of this?
Gandalf: Beyond any doubt.
Saruman: The Ring of Power has been found.
Gandalf: All these long years it was in the Shire, under my very nose.
Saruman: Yet you did not have the wit to see it. Your love of the halfling’s leaf has clearly slowed your mind.
Gandalf: But we still have time. Time enough to counter Sauron if we act quickly.
Saruman: Time?! What time do you think we have?
(In Saruman’s chamber inside Orthanc)
Saruman: Sauron has regained much of his former strength. He cannot yet take physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within his fortress, the Lord of Mordor sees all. His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh. You know of what I speak, Gandalf; a great Eye… lidless… wreathed in flame.
Gandalf: The Eye of Sauron.
Saruman: He is gathering all evil to him. Very soon he will summon an army great enough to launch an assault upon Middle Earth.
Gandalf: You know this? How?
Saruman: I have seen it.
(they enter the chamber of the Palantír)
Gandalf: A Palantír is a dangerous tool, Saruman.
Saruman: Why? Why should we fear to use it?
(Saruman uncovers the Palantír)
Gandalf: They are not all accounted for, the lost Seeing Stones. We do not know who else may be watching!
(Gandalf throws the cloth over the Palantír again. The Eye of Sauron flashes through his mind)
Saruman: The hour is later than you think. Sauron’s forces are already moving. The Nine have left Minas Morgul.
Gandalf: The Nine!
Saruman: They crossed the River Isen on Midsummer’s Eve, disguised as riders in black.
Gandalf: They’ve reached the Shire?!
Saruman: They will find the Ring… and kill the one who carries it.
Gandalf: Frodo!
(Gandalf heads towards the door, but Saruman closes it with his mind, and then the other doors in turn.)
Saruman: You did not seriously think that a hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron. There are none who can. Against the power of Mordor there can be no victory. We must join with him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron. It would be wise, my friend.
Gandalf: Tell me, “friend”, when did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?!
(Wizard fight begins)
Saruman: I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly. But you…have elected…the way of pain!
(Saruman sends Gandalf flying to the very pinnacle of Orthanc) In the Shire, Sam is in the middle of a field of corn, and seems lost)
Sam: Mr. Frodo? Frodo! Frodo!
(Frodo emerges from around a bend)
Sam: I thought I’d lost you.
Frodo: What are you talking about?
Sam: It’s just something Gandalf said.
Frodo: What did he say?
Sam: “Don’t you lose him Samwise Gamgee!” And I don’t mean to.
Frodo: Sam, we’re still in the Shire. What could possibly happen?
(Suddenly, Pippin comes out from the cornfield, and knocks over Frodo. Merry comes running too, knocking over Sam. Each carries a heavy load of vegetables)
Pippin: Frodo? Merry! It’s Frodo Baggins.
Merry: Hello Frodo!
Sam: Get off him! (grabs Pippin and throws him off Frodo) Frodo? Are you all right?
Pippin: What’s the meaning of this?
Merry: Hold this. (hands a bunch of vegetables to Sam)
Sam: You’ve been into Farmer Maggot’s crop!
(a dog is barking and a yelling voice. Pippin grabs Frodo and runs, followed by Merry. Sam looks after them, before suddenly realizing that he should follow, drops the vegetables, and runs)
Farmer Maggot: Wait till I get this through you! Stay out of my fields! You ruffians, I’ll catch up with you!
Merry: ‘Dunno why he is so upset. It’s only a couple of carrots!
Pippin: And some cabbages. And those few bags of potatoes that we lifted last week and, and the mushrooms the week before!
Merry: Yes Pippin! My point is, he is clearly overreacting. Run!
(Pippin, Frodo and Merry stop just before the edge of a hill. Sam, not paying attention, runs into them, sending them all tumbling down the hill.)
Pippin: Ohh! That was close
Merry: Oww! I think I’ve broken something. (pulls out a broken carrot)
Sam: Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!
Merry: What? That was just a detour, a shortcut.
Sam: A shortcut to what?
Pippin: Mushrooms!
(Sam, Merry and Pippin run over to the mushrooms)
Pippin: That’s mine!
Merry: Here is a nice one Sam.
Frodo: I think we should get off the road.
(The screeching sound of the Nazgûl can be heard from somewhere down the road)
Frodo: Get off the road! Quick!
(they all hide under a big root beside the road)
Sam: Shhh! Stop it! Be quiet!
(The Nazgûl appears on a great, black horse, and the hobbits try to hide themselves as well as possible under the tree. The Nazgûl dismounts and bends over to look for the hobbits. It starts to sniff around. Frodo falls into a trance, and slowly grabs the Ring, intending to put it on. Sam hits him, and he wakes up from the trance. Merry throws a bag of vegetables in another direction to distract the Nazgûl, who whirls around. The hobbits take the chance and run off down a hill.)
Merry: What was that?
(Frodo stares at the Ring, but says nothing. Later, at nightfall, a Ringwraith is riding trough the forest. The hobbits hide behind a tree)
Pippin: Anything?
Pippin: What is going on?
Merry: That Black Rider was looking for something… or someone. Frodo?
Pippin: Get down!
(They see a Nazgûl on top of a hill, leaving)
Frodo: I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I must get to Bree.
Merry: Right. Buckleberry Ferry. Follow me.
(They start to run for the Ferry, when a Nazgûl suddenly appears from behind some bushes. The hobbits are parted, Sam, Merry and Pippin run for the Ferry, with Frodo left behind. He manages to trick the Nazgûl and heads for the Ferry)
Pippin: Run! This way, follow me! Run!
Merry: Get the rope Sam!
Sam: Frodo!
Sam: Frodo!
Hobbits: Jump Frodo! Go on faster! Jump!
(Frodo jumps onto the ferry, and the Nazgûl’s horse slides just on the edge, nearly falling into the water. The hobbits sit on the ferry, watching the Nazgûl turn around and ride off)
Frodo: How far to the nearest crossing?
Merry: Brandywine Bridge: Twenty miles.
(The Nazgûl rides towards Bree, and they see two other Nazgûl joining him)
Frodo: Come on.
Gatekeeper: What do you want?
Frodo: We’re heading for the Prancing Pony.
Gatekeeper: Hobbits! Four hobbits! What business brings you to Bree?
Frodo: We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own.
Gatekeeper: Alright young sir, I meant no offense. It’s my job to ask questions after nightfall. There’s talk of strange folk abroad. Can’t be too careful.
(they walk up the road towards the Prancing Pony)
Men of Bree: Out of the Way! Watch where you’re going!
(They see the sign of the Prancing Pony and enter)
Frodo: Excuse me?
Butterbur: Good evening little masters! If you’re seeking accommodation we’ve got some nice, cozy, hobbit-sized rooms available. Mr. Uh….
Frodo: …Underhill, my name’s Underhill.
Butterbur: Underhill. Yes.
Frodo: We’re friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we’ve arrived?
Butterbur: Gandalf? Gandalf? Ohh yes! I remember, elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat. (Frodo nods) Not seen him for 6 months.
Sam: What do we do now?
(the hobbits are sitting in the pub, each with his ale.)
Frodo: Sam. He’ll be here. He’ll come.
Man: (to Merry coming back from the bar) Get out of my way.
(Merry sits down, staring at his pint)
Pippin: What’s that?
Merry: This my friend, is a pint.
Pippin: It comes in pints? I’m getting one.
(Pippin gets up and heads for the bar)
Sam: You had a whole half already!
(Sam nudges Frodo in the side and nods towards the corner of the room)
Sam: That fellow’s done nothin’ but stare at you since we arrived.
Frodo: (stops Butterbur as he walks by) Excuse me, that man in the corner, who is he?
Butterbur: He’s one of them rangers. Dangerous folk they are.. wandering in the wild. What his right name is I’ve never heard but around here, he’s known as Strider.
Frodo: Strider…
(Frodo starts playing with the Ring, slowly falling into a trance again)
The Ring: Baggins. Baggins. Baggins. Baggins! Baggins!
Pippin: Baggins!
(Frodo snaps out of his reverie)
Pippin: (sitting by the bar) Sure I know a Baggins. He’s over there, Frodo Baggins. He’s my second cousin once removed on his mother’s side and my third cousin twice removed on his father’s side, if you follow me.
(Frodo panics and runs towards Pippin)
Frodo: Pippin!
Pippin: Steady on!
(Frodo slips on the wet floor, the Ring flies trough the air, but when he grabs it, it accidentally slips onto his finger, and Frodo disappears. He is in a whirling world of fire and darkness, and suddenly the eye of Sauron appear. The Nazgûl are seen as they suddenly hear the call of the Ring.)
Voice of Sauron: You cannot hide! I see you! There is no life in the void…only death…
(Frodo tries to back away, taking off the Ring at the same time. He appears back in the Prancing Pony)
Frodo: Ah!
(Strider grabs him)
Strider: You draw far too much attention to yourself Mr. “Underhill”!
(Strider opens the door to the hobbit’s bedroom and throws Frodo on the floor. Then he walks around the room, putting out the lights)
Frodo: What do you want?
Strider: A little more caution from you. That is no trinket you carry.
Frodo: I carry nothing.
Strider: Indeed.
Strider: I can avoid being seen if I wish. But to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift.
Frodo: Who are you?
Frodo: Yes.
Strider: Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.
(Door opens suddenly, Strider draws his sword, and in come Merry, Pippin and Sam, armed with a candelabra and a three-legged stool)
Sam: Let him go! Or I’ll have you, Longshanks!
Strider: You have a stout heart little hobbit, but that will not save you. You are no longer with the wizard Frodo. They’re coming.
(The Nazgûl enter Bree, running down the gate. They walk into the Prancing Pony, and then into the hobbits bedroom. Standing beside each bed, they stab at the same time. When feathers start flying from the beds, they understand that they have been tricked. Their screeches are heard from the streets)
Frodo: What are they?
Strider: They were once men. Great Kings of Men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness. (voiceover) Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring. Drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you.
(Next morning, Strider leads them into the forest. The Nine are seen leaving)
Frodo: Where are you taking us?
Strider: Into the wild.
Merry: How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?
Frodo: We have no choice but to trust him.
Sam: But where is he leading us?
Strider: To Rivendell Master Gamgee, The House of Elrond.
Sam: Did you hear that? Rivendell! We’re going to see the elves!
(the hobbits pause some place in the wild)
Strider: Gentlemen, we do not stop till nightfall.
Pippin: What about breakfast?
Strider: We’ve already had it.
Pippin: We’ve had one yes. What about second breakfast?
(Strider walks away)
Merry: Don’t think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.
Pippin: What about elevensees? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn’t he?
Merry: I wouldn’t count on it.
(Suddenly, an apple comes flying trough the air, tossed by Strider. Merry grabs it and hands it to Pippin, before walking off. Another apple hits Pippin in the forehead)
Merry: Pippin!
(In Isengard, Saruman is in the Chamber of the Palantír, standing over the Palantír. Being in a trance, he is getting contact with Sauron)
Saruman: (telepathically) The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, Lord of the Earth.
Voice of Sauron: Build me an army worthy of Mordor!
(Saruman sits in another chamber, when two orcs appear)
Orc: What orders from Mordor my Lord? What does the Eye command?
Saruman: We have work to do!
(The pinnacle of Orthanc. Gandalf wakes up, and realizes where he is. The scene then moves to the gardens of Isengard)
Orcs: The trees are strong, my Lord. Their roots go deep.
Saruman: Rip them all down.
(The Hobbits and Strider stand below Amon Sûl)
Strider: This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We shall rest here tonight.
(The hobbits sit down, weary, when Strider gives them each a sword)
Strider: These are for you. Keep them close. I’m going to have a look around. Stay here.
(Frodo is asleep, then he wakes up at the sound of Merry, Pippin and Sam cooking food)
Pippin: Can I have some meat?
Merry: Ok. Want some tomatoes Sam?
Merry: Great tomatoes
Frodo: What are you doing?!
Merry: Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon.
Sam: We saved some for you Mr. Frodo.
Frodo: Put it out you fools! Put it out!
Pippin: Oh that’s nice! Ash on my tomatoes!
(A Nazgûl screech is heard trough the darkness, and the hobbits are alarmed)
All: Uh?!
(Frodo signals to the others to run up the steps to the top of Amon Sûl)
Frodo: Go!
(At the top, they whirl around, waiting, when 5 Nazgûl appear and surround them.)
Sam: Back you devils!
(A Nazgûl hits Sam’s sword, then throws him aside. He hits a stone hard, and lies in a huddle on the ground. Merry and Pippin realize that the Nazgûl are after Frodo and the Ring, and stand in front of him, trying to guard him. Two Nazgûl grab them and throw them in each direction. Frodo backs off, drops his sword, and then falls backwards. He hears the Ring whisper, and takes it out of his pocket. The Witch King “sees” this, draws his dagger and walks towards him. Frodo tries to crawl backwards, but the wall stops him. Trapped in a corner, the Witch King comes closer, and almost stabs him, when Frodo puts on the Ring.
His world changes to a whirling mist, and he sees the Nazgûl for what they are. The Witch King reaches for Frodo’s hand, but Frodo draws it back, and so the Witch King stabs him in his left shoulder with his dagger. Frodo screams, then the Witch King draws out the dagger and reaches for the Ring again. Suddenly, a shadow from the left is seen and the Witch King backs off. Frodo manages to take of the Ring and appears back in the “real” world)
Frodo: Aaaahhhh!
Sam: Frodo! (runs over to Frodo)
Frodo: Oh Sam!
(Strider fights the Nazgûl, with sword and fire, and at last, he manages to chase them off)
Sam: Strider! Help him Strider.
Strider: He’s been stabbed by a Morgul blade. (the blade vanishes as they look at it) This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine.
(Strider carries Frodo, on the way away from Weathertop)
Strider: Hurry!
Sam: We are six days from Rivendell. He’ll never make it!
Frodo: Gandalf…
Strider: Hold on Frodo.
Frodo: (Yells)…Gandalf!
(The camera flies over Isengard, and up to the Pinnacle of Orthanc, where Gandalf sits. A moth flies into view. Gandalf catches it, and whispers to it)
Gandalf: (whispering) Gwaihir. Go, Gwaihir.
(Gandalf lifts his hand and the moth flies away. Camera flies down into the Caverns of Isengard as forging of weapons and armor is done. Saruman walks around, observing all the activity with pride and witnesses the birth of Lurtz and the Uruk Hai.
Strider and the Hobbits are in the Trollshaws)
Sam: Mr. Frodo? (to Strider) He’s going cold!
Pippin: Is he going to die?
Strider: He’s passing into the shadow world. He will soon become a wraith like them.
(Frodo gasps and the Nazgûl cry is heard from a distance)
Merry: They’re close.
Strider: Sam, do you know Athelas plant?
Sam: Athelas?
Sam: Kingsfoil? Ah, that’s a weed.
Strider: It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!
(They both search for the plant. Strider finds a small patch and cuts it off with a knife. Suddenly a sword is at his throat)
Arwen: What’s this? A ranger caught off his guard?
(Frodo is lying on the ground, when he sees a white light approaching. He turns towards it, and like a vision, and sees Arwen)
Arwen: Frodo… Im Arwen. Telin le thaed *I am Arwen. I have come to help you*
Arwen: Lasto beth nin. Tolo dan na galad *Hear my voice. Come back to the light*
Merry: Who is she?
Sam: She’s an Elf.
Arwen: He’s fading!
(Frodo gasps as Strider places the Kingsfoil on the wound)
Arwen: (to Strider) He’s not going to last. We must get him to my father. I’ve been looking for you for two days.
Merry: Where are you taking him?
(ignoring Merry)
Arwen: There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know.
(Strider lifts Frodo onto Arwen’s horse, Asfaloth)
Strider: Dartho guin perian. Rych le ad tolthathon. *Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses again for you*
Arwen: Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im. *I’m the faster rider. I’ll take him*
Strider: Andelu i ven. *The road is too dangerous*
Pippin: What are they saying?
Arwen: Frodo fir. Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon. *Frodo dies. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him.*
Arwen: I do not fear them.
Strider: Beyest lin. *According to your wish*
(Arwen mounts Asfaloth with Frodo seated in front of her)
Strider: Arwen! Ride hard. Don’t look back!
Arwen: Noro lim, Asfaloth, noro lim! *Ride fast Asfaloth, ride fast!*
(Asfaloth gallops away)
Sam: (angrily to Strider) What are you doing?! Those wraiths are still out there!
(Arwen rides through a forest when the Nazgûl appear, one by one. Amongst the trees and over open spaces they ride. One rides close to Arwen, reaches for Frodo, but is too far away to get him)
Arwen: Noro lim Asfaloth! *Ride faster Asfaloth!*
(Arwen reaches the Ford, and stops on the other side. The Nazgûl’s steeds stop before touching the water, clearly not wanting to enter the River. Some prance around, and cry out in fear. One of the Nazgûl turns towards Arwen)
Nazgûl: Give up the halfling, she-elf!
Arwen: (draws her sword) If you want him, come and claim him!
(The Nazgûl raise their swords and ride into the water. Arwen begins to chant)
Arwen: Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer, Rimmo nin Bruinen dan in Ulair! Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer, Rimmo nin Bruinen dan in Ulair! *Waters of the Misty Mountains listen to the great word; flow waters of Loudwater against the Ringwraiths!*
(Slowly, the water level rises. A great sound is heard, and everyone turns towards it. A great flood comes around a bend, with peaks like horses galopping. The Nazgûl try to get away, some try to get back to the bank and some flee down the river, but in vain. The flood gets them all and washes them away.
Arwen looks after them, when Frodo starts to fall from Asfaloth. Arwen lays him on the ground)
Arwen: No! Frodo.. No! Frodo, don’t give in! Not now!
(Arwen cries and embraces Frodo)
Arwen: (voiceover) What grace is given me, let it pass to him… Let him be spared… Save him.
(Scene whites out, Elrond appears)
Elrond: Lasto beth nin. Tolo dan nan galad. *Hear my voice, come back to the light*
(Frodo is lying in a bed at The House of Elrond in Rivendell)
Frodo: (half-asleep) Where am I?
Gandalf: You are in the house of Elrond. And it is 10 o’clock in the morning, on October the 24th if you want to know.
(Frodo wakes up)
Frodo: Gandalf!
Gandalf: Yes. I’m here. And you’re lucky to be here too. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit!
Frodo: What happened Gandalf? Why didn’t you meet us?
Gandalf: Oh, I am sorry Frodo…. I was delayed.
(Flashback to Isengard. Saruman using his powers, flips Gandalf around, then dangles him dangerously over the edge of Orthanc)
Saruman: Friendship with Saruman is not lightly thrown aside.
Saruman: One ill turn deserves another. It is over! Embrace the power of the Ring…or embrace your own destruction!
(flips Gandalf back towards the platform)
Gandalf: (slowly raises himself, and it looks like he’s staring at Saruman, but what he realy sees is Gwaihir appearing in the distance) There is only one Lord of the Ring! Only one can bend it to his will. And he does not share power!
(Gandalf jumps off the Tower of Orthanc and onto Gwaihir’s back)
Saruman: So you have chosen…death.
(Gwaihir flies over the mountains, bearing Gandalf to safety)
(Back to Rivendell)
Frodo: Gandalf? What is it?
Gandalf: Nothing Frodo.
Sam: Bless you, you’re awake!
(Frodo laughs)
Gandalf: Sam has hardly left your side.
Sam: We were that worried about you, weren’t we Mr. Gandalf?
Gandalf: By the skills of Lord Elrond, you’re beginning to mend.
(Elrond appears behind Gandalf)
Elrond: Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins.
(Frodo walks in the gardens with Sam, then he sees Merry and Pippin and runs over to them, hugging them one by one. Then he turns and sees Bilbo sitting on a bench)
Frodo: Bilbo!
Bilbo: Hello Frodo my lad!
Frodo: Bilbo! (hugs)
(Frodo and Bilbo are in Bilbo’s room and Frodo reads Bilbo’s book)
Frodo: “There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Tale by Bilbo Baggins”. (leafs through the book) This is wonderful!
Bilbo: I meant to go back…wander the powers of Mirkwood… visit Laketown…see the Lonely Mountain again. But age it seems have finally caught up with me.
(Frodo stops leafing through the book to look at a map of the Shire)
Frodo: I miss the Shire. I spent all my childhood, pretending I was off somewhere else.. Off with you on one of your adventures! My own adventure turned out to be quite different.
Frodo: I’m not like you, Bilbo.
Bilbo: My dear boy.
(Sam is packing his bag on one of the balconies)
Sam: (to himself) Now what have I forgotten?
(Frodo appears behind him)
Sam: No harm in being prepared.
Frodo: I thought you wanted to see the Elves Sam.
Sam: I do!
Frodo: More than anything.
Sam: I did! It’s just…we did what Gandalf wanted didn’t we? We got the Ring this far to Rivendell, and I thought, seeing as how you’re on the mend, we’d be off soon. Off home.
Frodo: You’re right Sam. We did what we set out to do. (shows the Ring on his palm) The Ring will be safe in Rivendell. I am ready to go home.
(Gandalf and Elrond watches Frodo and Sam from the balcony in Elrond’s study)
Elrond: His strength returns.
Gandalf: That wound will never fully heal. He will carry it the rest of his life.
Elrond: And yet to have come so far, still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to it’s evil.
Gandalf: It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo.
Elrond: Gandalf, the Enemy is moving. Sauron’s forces are massing in the east– his eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman you tell me has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin.
Gandalf: His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft Saruman has crossed orcs with goblinmen, he’s breeding an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army that can move in sunlight and cover great distance at speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring.
Elrond: This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard!
(Gandalf walks slowly away, in deep thought. Stopping on another balcony, he gazes out over Rivendell)
Elrond: Gandalf, the Ring cannot stay here.
(Gandalf sees Boromir, Legolas and Gimli arrive)
Elrond: This peril belongs to all Middle Earth. They must decide now how to end it. The time of the Elves is over- my people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we’ve gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches. They care nothing for the troubles of others.
(turns to Elrond)
Gandalf: It is in Men that we must place our hope.
Elrond: Men? Men are weak. (they walk into Elrond’s library as he speaks) The race of men is failing. The blood of Númenor is all but spent. Its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the Ring survives. I was there Gandalf. I was there three thousand years ago…
(Flashback to Isildur slicing the Ring off Sauron’s hand)
Elrond: Isildur took the Ring. I was there the day the strength of men failed.
(Flashback. Isildur lies on the ground after destroying Sauron, and looks at the Ring, when Elrond comes over.)
Elrond: Isildur hurry. Follow me.
(they head for the heart of Mount Doom)
Elrond: (voiceover) I led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged, the one place it could be destroyed.
(At Sammath Naur, Elrond stands near the edge)
Elrond: Cast it into the fire!
(Isildur looks at the Ring in his hand. The Ring whispers to him)
Elrond: Destroy it!
(Isildur turns and walks away)
Elrond: Isildur!!!
Elrond: (voiceover) It should’ve ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure.
(Scene returns to Rivendell)
Elrond: Isildur kept the Ring. The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of men. They’re scattered, divided, leaderless.
Gandalf: There is one who could unite them, one who could reclaim the throne of Gondor.
Elrond: He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile.
(Aragorn is reading a book. Boromir enters and pauses to look at the painting of Isildur and Sauron. Then he turns and sees the broken sword. He picks up the hilt and stares at the blade)
Boromir: The shards of Narsil! The blade that cut the ring from Sauron’s hand!
(Boromir runs his finger up the blade and cuts himself)
Boromir: (surprised) It’s still sharp!
(He sees Aragorn, who is watching him)
Boromir: But no more than a broken heirloom!
(He puts back the sword carelessly and it falls to the ground. Boromir stops for a second, but then walks away. Aragorn gets up and picks up the dropped hilt and carefully sets it in place with the other shards. He takes a step back, looking at shards. Arwen walks up behind him)
Arwen: Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur’s heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate.
Aragorn: The same blood flows in my veins. (he turns to Arwen) Same weakness.
Arwen: Your time will come. You will face the same evil, and you will defeat it. A si i-Dhúath ú-orthor. Ú or le a ú or nin. *The Shadow does not hold sway yet, not over you and not over me.*
(Arwen and Aragorn are standing atop of a bridge in the Garden of Twilight)
Arwen: Renech i lu i erui govannen? *Do you remember when we first met?*
Aragorn: Nauthannem i ned ol reniannen. *I thought I had strayed into a dream.*
Arwen: (tenderly touches Aragorn’s cheek) Gwenwin in enninath…U-arnech in naeth i si celich. Renech i beth i pennen? *Long years have passed…You did not have the cares you carry now. Do you remember what I told you?*
Aragorn: (his fingers run across the Evenstar pendant) You said you’d bind yourself to me. Forsaking the immortal life of your people.
Arwen: And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
(she gives him the Evenstar)
Arwen: I choose a mortal life.
Aragorn: You cannot give me this!
Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will… like my heart.
(They kiss)
(Following morning, the Council of Elrond. Gandalf and Frodo along with a group of Men, Elves and Dwarves sit in a circle around a stone pedestal)
Elrond: Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate–this one doom. (gestures to the pedestal) Bring forth the Ring, Frodo.
(Frodo rises slowly and places the Ring on the pedestal. He returns to his seat with a sigh. The council members start to whisper among themselves)
Boromir: So it is true…
Someone whispers: The Doom of Man
Boromir: It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? (paces) Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!
Aragorn: You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.
Boromir: And what would a ranger know of this matter?
(Suddenly, Legolas stands up with an angry look on his face)
Legolas: This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.
Boromir: Aragorn? (turns towards Aragorn with disbelief in his eyes) This… is Isildur’s heir?
Legolas: And heir to the throne of Gondor.
(Frodo looks wide-eyed at Aragorn)
Aragorn: Havo dad Legolas *Sit down Legolas*
Boromir: Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king. (he returns to his seat with a sigh)
Gandalf: Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.
Elrond: You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed.
Gimli: What are we waiting for?
(Gimli grabs his axe and approaches the pedestal)
Gimli: ARGH!!
(Gimli strikes the Ring as hard as he can, but is thrown back, falling to the ground. Concurrently, Frodo sees the Eye of Sauron in his mind and winces in pain. The Ring remains intact on the pedestal with the shards of the axe around it, whispers in the Black tongue is heard)
Elrond: The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.
Ring: (whispers) Ash Nazg
Elrond: One of you must do this.
(Dead silence)
Boromir: One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!
Legolas: (stands up) Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!
Gimli: (leaps to his feet) And I suppose you think you’re the one to do it?!
Boromir: (rises) And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!
Gimli: I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!
(the other Elves rises and starts shouting at Gimli and the other Dwarves. Legolas holds out his hand to stop them from starting a fight)
Gimli: Never trust an Elf!
Gandalf: (rises) Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron’s power grows?! None can escape it!
Man: You’ll all be destroyed!
(Frodo watches the Ring, the angry figures of the council reflected on its surface. Suddenly, flames flare up, engulfing the surface of the Ring)
Ring: Ash Nazg Durbatulûk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!
(The intensity of the arguments increases. Slowly, Frodo understands what he must do. He rises and takes a step toward the arguing council, trying to make his voice heard above theirs)
Frodo: I will take it! I will take it!
(Everyone stops arguing. Gandalf closes is eyes as he hears Frodo’s statement. Everyone slowly turns toward Frodo, surprised)
Frodo: I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though.. I do not know the way.
Gandalf: (walks towards Frodo) I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear. (puts his hand on Frodo’s shoulder)
Aragorn: (rises) If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will.
(kneels before Frodo)
Aragorn: You have my sword.
Legolas: And you have my bow. (walks over and stands beside Frodo)
Gimli: And my axe! (he and Legolas exchange dark looks)
Boromir: (approaches slowly) You carry the fates of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done.
Sam: Heh! (suddenly emerges from behind some bushes and stands beside Frodo) Mr. Frodo is not goin’ anywhere without me!
Elrond: (slightly amused) No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.
Pippin and Merry: (see Sam in the middle of all the important people. They emerge from behind the pillars and runs down) Wait! We are coming too!
Merry: You’d have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!
Pippin: Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing.
Merry: Well that rules you out Pip.
Elrond: Nine companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!
Pippin: Great! Where are we going?
(Merry and Frodo look at Pippin)
(Later that evening, in Bilbo’s Room)
Bilbo: My old sword, Sting! Here! Take it, take it!
(Frodo unsheathes the sword and looks at it)
Frodo: It’s so light!
Bilbo: Yes…yes.. made by the Elves you know. The blade glows blue when orcs are close. And it’s times like that my lad, when you’ll have to be extra careful!
(Bilbo holds up a mail shirt)
Bilbo: Here’s a pretty thing… Mithril! As light as a feather! And as hard as dragon scales! Let me see you put it on. Go on.
(Frodo starts to unbutton his shirt, when Bilbo sees the Ring hanging on a chain around Frodo’s neck)
Bilbo: Oh… M..my old Ring! I sh-sh-should very much like… to hold it again, one last time.
(Frodo starts to button up the shirt again to cover the Ring. Bilbo lashes out for it. Frodo startles and backs away. Bilbo turns back to his old self and sits down on the bed, weeping)
Bilbo: Oh…I’m sorry I brought this upon you my boy…I’m sorry that you must carry this burden. I’m sorry for everything!
(The Fellowship is leaving Rivendell. After traveling over open plains, up and down hillsides, they take a rest on a hill)
Gandalf: We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for 40 days. If our luck holds the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor.
(Boromir is training Merry and Pippin how to sword fight, with Aragorn watching)
Boromir: Two, Three, Four, Five. Good, very good.
Aragorn: Move your feet.
Merry: That’s good, Pippin.
Pippin: Thanks.
Boromir: Faster
Gimli: If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they’re not, I’d say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome.
Gandalf: No Gimli, I would not take the roads through Moria unless I had no other choice.
(Legolas jumps from one stone to another, noticing something far away in the South)
Boromir: Come on. Good.
(Boromir accidentally hurts Pippin’s hand)
Pippin: Aaah!
(Pippin kicks Boromir’s leg)
Boromir: Ah!
(Boromir battles with the two hobbits and Boromir and Aragorn laugh)
Pippin: For the Shire!
Pippin: Hold him! Hold him Merry!
Merry: He got my arm! He got my arm!
(Sam notices that Legolas has seen something)
Sam: What is that?
Gimli: Nothing, it’s just a whisp of cloud.
Boromir: It’s moving fast… Against the wind.
Legolas: Crebain from Dunland!
Boromir: Merry! Frodo!
Aragorn: Come on, come on! Take cover!
(The Fellowship hurries to get their stuff and get into hiding. Sam puts out the fire. They hide behind rocks and in bushes. A huge number of black birds flies over them, cawing loudly. They circle the hill twice, then turn and fly back towards Isengard. The Fellowship comes out from their hidingplaces)
Gandalf: Spies of Saruman! The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras.
(The Fellowship walks in the deep snow on Caradhras. Frodo stumbles and falls, rolling down the slope towards Aragorn)
Frodo: Ahh!
Aragorn: Frodo!
(Aragorn helps him to his feet, and Frodo searches around his neck for the Ring. Finding that it’s gone, he looks back up to where he fell and sees it lying in the snow. Boromir sees it too and picks it up by its chain)
Aragorn: Boromir.
Boromir: It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing… Such a little thing.
Aragorn: Boromir! Give the Ring to Frodo.
Boromir: (startles out of his thoughts, but walks down and hands it to Frodo) As you wish. I care not.
(Quickly, Frodo grabs the Ring from him. Boromir turns and resumes climbing. Aragorn releases the grip he had on his sword. The Crebain return to the Caverns of Isengard. Saruman gets their message)
Saruman: So, Gandalf, you try to lead them over Caradhras. And if that fails, where then will you go? If the mountain defeats you will you risk a more dangerous road?
(The Fellowship (with the exception of Legolas) struggles through the deep snow. The voice of Saruman is heard)
Saruman: Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya! *Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!*
Legolas: There is a fell voice on the air.
Gandalf: It’s Saruman!
(The first avalanche falls. The Fellowship barely manages to throw themselves towards the mountainside, avoiding it)
Aragorn: He’s trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!
Gandalf: No!
(Gandalf takes a step forward, out of the snow, and chants out a spell)
Gandalf: Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i ‘ruith! *Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!*
(Saruman stands on the Pinnacle of Orthanc and continues to cast spells)
Saruman: Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar! *Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads!*
(Lightning strikes the top of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche onto the Fellowship. Legolas pulls Gandalf away from the edge, and against the cliff just before the snow buries them completely. After a moment, they emerge from the snow)
Boromir: We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!
Aragorn: The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!
Gimli: If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria.
(Gandalf looks at Gimli with a worried face. Flashback to Saruman in his chamber in Orthanc, reading in the book of lore)
Saruman: Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm… Shadow and Flame!
(Flashback ends)
Gandalf: Let the Ring-bearer decide.
Gandalf: Frodo?
Frodo: We will go through the mines.
Gandalf: So be it.
(The Fellowship arrives at the West Gate of Moria)
Gimli: (in awe) The walls of Moria!
(The Fellowship walks by the side of the lake. Frodo’s foot slips into the water)
Frodo: (gasps)
(Gandalf stops in front of the doors and makes out an outline of them)
Gandalf: Now, let’s see. Ithildin.. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight.
(The Moon appears from behind the clouds and the doors illuminate)
Gandalf: It reads “The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.”
Merry: What do you suppose that means?
Gandalf: Oh it’s quite simple. If you are a friend you speak the password and the doors will open.
Gandalf: Annon edhellen edro hi ammen! *Gate of the Elves open now for me!*
(Doors remain closed. Gandalf begins to push it. Time goes. The rest of the Fellowship sits around the doors, waiting for Gandalf to open it)
Gandalf: Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa! *Gate of Elves listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!*
(Aragorn takes hold of Bill’s bridle as Sam pets Bill goodbye)
Aragorn: The mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill.
Sam: Buh-bye Bill
Aragorn: Go on, Bill, go on. Don’t worry Sam, he knows the way home.
(Merry throws a stone into the water. Pippin is about to as well, but Aragorn stops him)
Aragorn: Do not disturb the water.
(In the meantime, Gandalf gives up and throws his staff on the ground)
Gandalf: Oh, it’s useless!
(Frodo looks at the doors, and then as if something popped into his head, he gets up)
Frodo: It’s a riddle. Speak “friend” and enter. What’s the Elvish word for friend?
Gandalf: Mellon
(The stone doors opens slowly. Everyone turns in surprise and they enter Moria)
Gimli: Soon Master Elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!
Boromir: This is no mine, it’s a tomb!
(Dead Dwarves lie everywhere on the floor)
Gimli: Oh! No! Nooo!!!
(Legolas picks up an arrow from the body of a fallen dwarf, looks at it carefully and throws it away in disgust)
Legolas: Goblins!
(Legolas puts an arrow to his bow, Aragorn and Boromir draw out their swords)
Boromir: We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here.
(The panic starts to grow, the hobbits back towards the door. What they don’t notice is that something is stirring in the water outside)
Boromir: Now get out, get out!
(Everyone heads for the exit. Suddenly Frodo is grabbed from behind and pulled out of the cave by the Watcher in the water)
Sam, Merry, and Pippin: Frodo!
Sam: Strider! Get off him!
(Sam cuts off a tentacle. The Watcher releases Frodo for a second, and moves back under the water. Suddenly many tentacles comes out of the water, it hits the other hobbits aside and grabs Frodo again. He is pulled into the air)
Frodo: Aah!
Merry: Aragorn!
(Legolas shoots the tentacle holding Frodo. Boromir and Aragorn rush to the water with their swords, and attack the Watcher. It flings Frodo around in the air. Boromir slices the tentacle holding Frodo, who falls, and Boromir catches him. Aragorn and Boromir retreat towards the cave)
Gandalf: Into the Mines!
Boromir: Legolas! Aim for his eye! Come on!
(Legolas shoots an arrow into the Watcher’s eye. It pulls back and as the Fellowship race into Moria, it reaches out and slams the gates shut. Rocks drop and the roof of the passage collapses. Total darkness falls. Then a faint beam of light emits from Gandalf’s staff, showing the startled faces of the Fellowship)
Gandalf: We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world.
(The Fellowship carefully makes its way over the floor and up the steps)
Gandalf: Quietly now. It’s a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed.
(The Fellowship enters a great cavern with a walkway down through the middle. They then climb slowly up steep steps on the side of a cavern. For a second, Pippin loses his footing and slips onto Merry)
Merry: Pippin!
(On the fourth day of their journey, the Fellowship climbs another flight of stairs to a crossroad in the mine: three portals loom before them)
Gandalf: I have no memory of this place
(The Fellowship sits around the portals, resting while Gandalf tries to decide which portal to enter)
Pippin: Are we lost?
Pippin: I think we are.
Sam: Shhh! Gandalf’s thinking.
Pippin: Merry?
Merry: What?
Pippin: I’m hungry.
(Frodo looks over his shoulder, back the way they came, and sees a small figure leaping from one stone to another. Scared, he walks over Gandalf)
Frodo: There’s something down there.
Gandalf: It’s Gollum.
(Frodo looks even more scared)
Frodo: Gollum?
Gandalf: He’s been following us for three days.
Frodo: He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?!
Gandalf: Escaped…Or was set loose?
(From the distance below, Gollum looks up, his large eyes observe the company)
Gandalf: He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. He will never be rid of his need for it.
(Frodo looks at Gollum in disgust)
Frodo: It’s a pity Bilbo didn’t kill him when he had the chance!
Gandalf: Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo’s hand. Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo?
Gandalf: Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise can not see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.
(Gollum backs off. Frodo sits down next to Gandalf with a sigh)
Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.
(Gandalf looks towards one of the portals)
Gandalf: Ah! It’s that way.
Merry: He’s remembered!
Gandalf: No, but the air doesn’t smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.
(The Fellowship heads down the left-hand passage, and soon they come to an open space)
Gandalf: Let me risk a little more light.
(His staff illuminates a huge hall of stone lined with tall pillars and arched ceilings as far as the eye can see. All members of the Fellowship, including Gimli, look around in awe)
Gandalf: Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf.
Sam: Now there’s an eye opener, and no mistake.
(The Fellowship walks through the hall. Gimli sees a ray of sunlight shining through the Chamber of Mazarbul.)
Gimli: Oh!
Gandalf: Gimli!
(Gimli pays no heed to Gandalf, but runs into the chamber. He stops and kneels by a crypt and starts to sob)
Gimli: No! No! Noooo!
(Boromir moves forward and places his hand on Gimli’s shoulder. Gandalf stops next to Gimli and translates the runes on the tomb)
Gandalf: “Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.” He is dead then. It’s as I feared.
(Gandalf hands his staff and hat to Pippin, bends down, and takes from the grasp of a dead dwarf a large, battered and very old book. He opens it and clears the dirt from its pages. Legolas looks around the chamber and turns to Aragorn)
Legolas: We must move on, we cannot linger!
(Gandalf starts to read)
Gandalf: “They have taken the bridge, and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. (turns the page slowly and with caution) We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out…They are coming.”
(Pippin sees a corpse sitting by a stone well. Curiously, he reaches out and carefully touches the arrow. The arrowhead breaks off from the rest, causing first the skull to fall. Gandalf turns to see what happens and so do the others. Then the body, the chain and bucket go over the side of the well and fall down into it, causing a loud noise that echoes from hall to hall. Pippin winces at each new wave of noise. Then silence. The Fellowship begins to relax. Gandalf slams the book shut)
Gandalf: Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!
(He grabs the staff and hat from Pippin, but just then, drums echo up from deep below. Terror creeps into their faces. Sam sees Sting glowing blue)
Sam: Frodo!
(Foul sounds are heard from the distance outside the chamber)
Legolas: Orcs!
(Boromir runs to lock the door. Arrows are shot and he is almost hit in the face. Aragorn drops his torch and yells to the Hobbits)
Aragorn: Get back! Stay close to Gandalf!
(Aragorn runs to Boromir and closes the doors. A troll can be heard from outside)
Boromir: They have a cave-troll.
(Legolas tosses spears and axes to Boromir and Aragorn to help blockade the door. The Fellowship draws out their weapons and Gimli leaps atop Balin’s tomb and brandishes his axe)
Gimli: Aarghhh!! Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!
(Orcs begin breaking the door down. Legolas and Aragorn shoot at them through the holes in the door. The orcs finally manage through the doors and the battle begins. Suddenly, a cave troll smashes trough the rest of the doors. Legolas shoots an arrow at him, but he just growls. Sam looks up just to see the troll swinging his mace down at him and he throws himself under the troll’s legs just in time. The battle goes on and Sam hits an orc with his frying pan)
Sam: I think I’m getting the hang of this.
Aragorn: Frodo!
(Legolas kills orcs on a ledge on one wall. The troll swings his chain at Legolas, who avoids it several times until the troll wraps it around a pillar by accident. Legolas stamps the chain tight and then runs along it onto the troll’s head. He shoots the troll in the back of its head and then jumps off. The troll continues to seek Frodo who tries to hide behind a pillar. After some hide-and-seek, the troll finds him and grabs him. Frodo falls on his back into a corner. The troll lifts him, and he hangs dangling from the troll’s hand.)
Frodo: Aragorn! Aragorn!
(Frodo cuts the troll’s hand with Sting. The troll drops Frodo to the ground and growls)
Aragorn: Frodo!
(Aragorn grabs a spear from the floor and stabs the troll in the chest. The troll hits Aragorn and sends him flying across the room. He collapses onto the floor. Frodo crawls after him and tries to rouse him, but Aragorn is too stunned to move. Merry and Pippin throw rocks at the troll to no avail. Frodo begins to run, but the troll blocks his way with a spear, throwing him back into the corner. The troll stabs Frodo in the chest)
Frodo: Agh!
(Frodo falls to the floor)
Merry and Pippin: Yaahh!
(They leap onto the troll’s head and start stabbing him. The troll finally grabs Merry, swinging him around and throws him to the ground. The Fellowship redoubles its efforts against Orcs and troll in furry. Gandalf and Gimli take turns stabbing at the troll and dodging out of range. Legolas takes aim. With Pippin stabbing the troll one more time on the head, the troll opens its mouth. Legolas shoots an arrow into its neck. The troll moans then collapses to the ground. Pippin is thrown against the floor and is knocked out. There is a moment of silence. All Orcs are dead or have fled. Aragorn awakens and crawls over to Frodo.)
Aragorn: Oh no!
(He turns Frodo over. Frodo gasps for breath. Sam startles and runs over to them)
Sam: He’s alive!
Frodo: I’m all right, I’m not hurt.
Aragorn: You should be dead! That spear would have skewered a wild boar.
Gandalf: I think there’s more to this hobbit than meets the eye.
(Frodo reveals his Mithril shirt. Sam touches it in wonder)
Gimli: Mithril! You are full of surprises Master Baggins.
(Orcs are once again heard down the hall)
Gandalf: To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!
(The Fellowship runs out the back door of the chamber, pursued by a large army of orcs. Other orcs spring out from the floor or crawl down from the ceiling and down the pillars like spiders. They surround the Fellowship, who have drawn their weapons. Just then a fiery light appears at the end of a hall followed by a thunderous growl. The orcs, scared, flee panicking in all directions. The Fellowship stares towards the light.)
Boromir: What is this new devilry?
Gandalf: A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. Run! Quickly!
(The Fellowship runs trough the Hall, and enters a passageway, then down a flight of steps. Parts of the steps end into a chasm and Boromir nearly falls into it. Legolas pulls him back just before he is about to fall in. The hobbits too stop short of falling in. They take another flight of stairs down. Aragorn and Gandalf bring up the rear)
Aragorn: Gandalf.
Gandalf: Lead them on Aragorn. The bridge is near. (Aragorn resists, but Gandalf pushes him away) Do as I say! Swords are no more use here.
(The Fellowship runs down the steep staircase. Halfway down, they encounter a gap on the stairs. Legolas leaps forward and lands on the other side. He waves to Gandalf)
Legolas: Gandalf.
(Gandalf looks back up towards the Hall as they hear a loud growl and stones fall around them. Then he leaps after Legolas. Suddenly, arrows whistle in the air, striking the steps they stand on. Legolas and Aragorn shoot back, killing many orcs)
Boromir: Merry! Pippin! Hoo-aah!
(He takes Merry and Pippin, one on each side, and leaps forward, landing on the other side)
Aragorn: Sam.
(He throws Sam to the other side and is caught by Boromir. Aragorn reaches to pick up Gimli, but he holds up his hand)
Gimli: Nobody tosses a Dwarf.
(Before Aragorn manages to do anything, Gimli leaps forward but nearly falls back into the chasm. Legolas grabs his beard)
Gimli: Not the beard!
(Some of the stone steps crumble and fall into the fires below. Aragorn pushes Frodo back up the steps and climbs after him. They struggle to their feet and look at the widened gap that separates them from the rest of the Fellowship. The Balrog is heard from the other hall, its fiery light is seen. Stone structures around the mine collapse as it draws near. A huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes down the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them and weakening the stairs’ foundation. The stairs begin to wobble)
Aragorn: Stay there. Hold on. Hang on! Lean forward!
Legolas: Come on!
(Frodo and Aragorn shift their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming onto the steps where their companions are. They leap across to safety, caught by Legolas and Boromir. They continue to run down the stairs as the stone structures collapse behind them)
Gandalf: Over the bridge! Fly!
(The Fellowship crosses the bridge. Gandalf stops halfway over and turns to face the Balrog, who appears out of the fires, growling)
Gandalf: You cannot pass!
Frodo: Gandalf!
(A blazing light radiates from Gandalf’s staff, illuminating the entire bridge and its surroundings)
Gandalf: I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! flame of Udûn!
(The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf with a flaming sword. Gandalf parries the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog’s sword)
Gandalf: Go back to the Shadow!
(The Balrog brandishes a flaming whip, lashing it about menacingly)
Gandalf: YOU…SHALL NOT…PASS!!
(Gandalf strikes his staff and sword onto the bridge. The Balrog stops, not knowing what to do. As it steps forward, the bridge collapses under it and the demon falls backward into the chasm, growling. Gandalf, exhausted, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog fall then turns to follow the others. At the last minute, the flaming whip lashes up from the depths and winds about Gandalf’s ankle, dragging him over the edge. He clings onto the bridge but is straining to keep his grip. Frodo rushes forward, but Boromir restrains him)
Boromir: No, Frodo!
(Gandalf loses his grip and falls into the abyss)
Frodo: Nooooooo!!!
(Boromir grabs Frodo and runs, heading for the stairs leading to the East Gate)
Boromir: Aragorn!
Frodo: Nooooooo!!!
(Aragorn is shocked. He stares at the bridge in disbelief, unable to move for a few moments. But then orc arrows start whistling by once again. Dodging, he turns and follows the others up the stairs and out in the light.
The Fellowship comes running out of the East Gate of Moria. Everyone is distraught. Sam sits on the ground, bows his head onto his hands and begins to weep. Merry consoles Pippin, who lies on the ground crying. Boromir tries to restrain Gimli as the dwarf vents out his rage and sorrow. Legolas wears a look of shock and disbelief.
Aragorn stands on a distance from the others, cleaning his sword and re-sheathing it. Then he turns to the others)
Aragorn: Legolas, get them up.
Boromir: Give them a moment for pity’s sake.
Aragorn: By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the Woods of Lothlórien. Come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up.
(Aragorn reaches down to pick up Sam.)
Aragorn: On your feet, Sam. (Aragorn looks around for Frodo) Frodo? Frodo!
(Frodo, several paces away, grieves alone. Weeping silently, he turns towards Aragorn. They continue the journey, Aragorn running in front of them. They cross Dimrill Dale and enter the Woods of Lothlórien. Slowly, they walk under the huge trees)
Gimli: Stay close young hobbits! They say there’s a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell…
Galadriel’s Voice: (whisper) Frodo…
(Frodo, startled, looks around)
Gimli: …and are never seen again.
Galadriel’s Voice: Your coming to us… (Frodo stops)..is as the footsteps of Doom. You bring great evil here Ring-bearer!
Sam: Mr. Frodo?
(Frodo starts walking again)
Gimli: Well, here’s one Dwarf she won’t ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!
(Suddenly, Gimli has an arrow pointed towards him. Lórien Elves appear from behind the trees, aiming at the others as well. The Fellowship stops and looks around, alarmed)
Gimli: Oh..
Haldir: The Dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark.
Gimli: (mumbles)
Aragorn: Haldir o Lórien. Henion aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn. *Haldir of Lorien, we come here for help. We need your protection.*
(Gimli looks at the arrows pointing at him without moving)
Gimli: Aragorn, these woods are perilous! We should go back.
Haldir: You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. (he looks at Frodo) Come, she is waiting.
(The Fellowship arrives at Caras Galadhon. They walk up a winding stairway amongst the trees, towards the grand court of Galadriel and Celeborn. With a glow issuing forth from them, the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien descend to meet the Fellowship, hand in hand. Aragorn touches his head reverently in greeting. The rest of the Fellowship stares in awe)
Celeborn: Eight there are here yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him.
(Galadriel looks at Aragorn, reading the answer in his eyes)
Galadriel: He has fallen into shadow. (she looks around at the Fellowship) The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all.
(Galadriel looks at Boromir with a piercing gaze which he can’t stand. He starts shaking and casts his eyes downwards)
Galadriel: Yet hope remains while the Company is true.
(She looks at Sam and smiles. Sam continues to gaze at her)
Galadriel: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace… (whispers to Frodo in his mind) Welcome Frodo of the Shire. One who has seen the Eye!
(Later, back on the ground, an area has been provided for them to rest in. The hobbits are settling down. In the trees, the Elves’ singing can be heard)
A Olorin i yaresse *Olorin, who once was…* Mentaner i Numeherui…*sent by the Lords of the West…*
Legolas: A lament for Gandalf.
(Merry looks up towards the trees)
Merry: What do they say about him?
Legolas: I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near.
Tirien i Romenori *to guard the lands of the East…*
Maiarion i Oiosaila… *wisest of all Maiar…*
Mana elye etevanne… *what drove you to leave…*
Norie i melanelye? *that which you loved?*
(Aragorn walks over to Boromir, who is seated alone on a great tree root)
Aragorn: Take some rest. These borders are well protected.
Boromir: I will find no rest here. I heard her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor. She said to me even now there is hope left. But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope.
Boromir: My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing. And now our…our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right and I would do it. I would see the glory of Gondor restored.
Have you ever seen it Aragorn? White tower of Ecthelion, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets? (he turns towards Aragorn)
Aragorn: I have seen the White City, long ago.
Boromir: One day, our paths will lead us there. And the tower guards shall take up the call: The Lords of Gondor have returned!
(The Fellowship is asleep. Galadriel walks by in silence. Frodo wakes up with a start and proceeds to follow her. Galadriel walks down to her garden and fills the ewer with water. She turns towards Frodo, not surprised to see him there)
Galadriel: Will you look into the mirror?
Frodo: What will I see?
Galadriel: Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things.
(She begins to pour the water into the silver basin)
Galadriel: Things that were, things that are and some things… (empties the ewer) that have not yet come to pass.
(Frodo steps up to the mirror to take a look. He peers down and sees nothing but his reflection. Then suddenly the mirror clears and shows a vision of Legolas, Merry and Pippin, then Sam. He sees Bag End, then the burning of Hobbiton, the enslavement of the Hobbits and the destruction of the Shire. Then suddenly the Eye of Sauron fills the entire mirror. The Ring hanging from Frodo’s neck pulls him closer to the water. Steam begins to curl up from the basin as Sauron speaks to Frodo in Black Speech. Terrified, he grabs the Ring and jerks back, throwing himself off the step and landing on his back on the grass)
Galadriel: I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. (speaks to Frodo telepathically) It is what will come to pass if you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the Ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one it will destroy them all.
Frodo: (telepathically) If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.
(Opening his palm, he offers the Ring to her)
Galadriel: You offer it to me freely. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this.
(She approaches Frodo, her hand open. Her image begins to change)
Galadriel: In place of a DARK LORD, YOU WILL HAVE A QUEEN! NOT DARK BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA! STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH! ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR!
(She returns to normal with a scared look on her face)
Galadriel: I pass the test! I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.
Frodo: I cannot do this alone.
(she turns to him)
Galadriel: You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you and if you do not find a way, no one will.
Frodo: Then I know what I must do. It’s just… I’m afraid to do it.
(Galadriel bends down to meet him at eye level)
Galadriel: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
(In Orthanc in Isengard, Saruman and Lurtz are standing in the central chamber)
Saruman: Do you know how the Orcs first came into being? (he begins to walk in circle around Lurtz) They were Elves once, taken by the Dark Powers. Tortured and mutilated.. A ruined and terrible form of life. Now…perfected.. my fighting Uruk-Hai. Whom do you serve?
Lurtz: Saruman!
(The Uruk-Hai wear their armor and are given their weapons. They receive a white handprint on their heads and faces, signifying Saruman’s army. They then assemble before him)
Saruman: (to the troops) Hunt them down. Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain. You do not know fear. You will taste man flesh!
(The troops growl. Saruman turns to Lurtz)
Saruman: One of the halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unspoiled. Kill the others!
(The Uruk-Hai leave Isengard and the scene returns to Lothlórien. Frodo sits in one of the boats they have been given, together with Sam and Aragorn)
Galadriel: (voiceover) Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star.
(Galadriel hands Frodo a crystal phial)
Galadriel: Namárië.
(she kisses his hair)
Galadriel: (voiceover) May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out.
(Galadriel raises her hand in farewell as the Fellowship canoes down the river. They reach the great river. The Uruk-Hai are seen marching along through the forest as the three boats carrying the Fellowship float along the Anduin. The boats pass through a canyon. Aragorn lifts his head, half-smiles and taps Frodo on the shoulder)
Aragorn: Frodo, the Argonath! Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kin.
(The Fellowship looks up in awe at the towering splendor of the Argonath. Two majestic statues, carved out of the mountain, proudly stand on each side of the Anduin. Their left arms are held aloft, their palms facing outwards in gesture of warning. Stern are their faces.)
(The Fellowship reaches the foot of Amon Hen, the Hill of Sight. As they reach the beach of Parth Galen, Boromir looks troubled and appears to be fighting a conflict within him. The Fellowship starts to make camp)
Aragorn: We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north.
Gimli: Oh, yes?! It’s just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better! (Pippin looks up, alarmed) Festering, stinking marshlands far as the eye can see!
Aragorn: That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength Master Dwarf.
Gimli: Recover my…?! Grrrrrr.
(Legolas looks into the forest around them, then turns to Aragorn)
Legolas: We should leave now.
Aragorn: No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness.
Legolas: It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near… I can feel it!
Gimli: No dwarf need recover strength! (turns to Pippin) Pay no heed to that, young hobbit.
(Merry, returning with some wood for the campfire, looks around, alarmed)
Merry: Where’s Frodo?
(Sam, who was half-dozing, rouses with a start. Aragorn looks over the camp. His gaze stops on Boromir’s shield, lying with the baggage and he understands that Boromir is also gone.
In the forest, Frodo wanders around. He stands by an immense stone head, lying with its side on the ground. Boromir, gathering wood, sees Frodo and approaches him)
(Frodo starts backing away, Boromir continutes to follow him)
Boromir: I know why you seek solitude. You suffer, I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take.
(Frodo starts backing away from Boromir, who continues to walk towards him)
Frodo: I know what you would say. And it would seem like wisdom but for the warning in my heart.
Boromir: Warning? Against what? We’re all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have. Don’t you see that is madness?
Frodo: There is no other way!
Boromir: I ask only for the strength to defend my people! (in anger, he throws the gathered wood to the ground) If you would but lend me the Ring…
Frodo: No! (steps back)
Boromir: Why do you recoil? I am no thief.
Frodo: You are not yourself.
Boromir: What chance do you think you have? They will find you! They will take the Ring and you will beg for death before the end!
(Frodo turns and begins to run from Boromir)
Boromir: You fool!
(Boromir gives chase)
Boromir: It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It could’ve been mine! (he catches Frodo and tackles him) It should be mine! Give it to me!
(Frodo struggles to keep him away from the Ring)
Boromir: Give it to me!
Frodo: No!
Boromir: Give me… Give me the Ring!
Frodo: Noo…ugh!
(Frodo slips the Ring on and disappears. He kicks Boromir and runs away. Boromir looks around desperately)
Boromir: I see your mind. You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You go to your death and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!
(Boromir slips and falls to the ground. The madness of the Ring leaves him and he comes to his senses)
Boromir: Frodo? Frodo?…what have I done?…please…Frodo!
Boromir: (from far away) Frodo, I’m sorry!
(Frodo is in the “shadow world,” climbing up onto the Seat of Seeing atop Amon Hen. He looks over the stone seat and sees the Dark Tower from afar. The image rushes towards him and his vision rise to its pinnacle where the burning Eye of Sauron stares back menacingly, the Dark Lord speaking to him in black speech. Frodo, rushing to remove the Ring, falls off the Seat of Seeing and lands on his back beneath it. He sits up, trying to catch his breath. Aragorn approaches)
Aragorn: Frodo?
(Frodo starts and turns around)
Frodo: It has taken Boromir.
(Aragorn takes a step towards Frodo)
Aragorn: Where is the Ring?
Frodo: Stay away!
(he scrambles up and retreats from Aragorn, and in under the Seat of Seeing. Aragorn comes after him)
Aragorn: Frodo!
Aragorn: I swore to protect you!
Frodo: Can you protect me from yourself?!
(Aragorn suddenly understands why Frodo reacted like he did. Frodo shows the Ring on his palm)
Frodo: Would you destroy it?
(Aragorn, looking at the Ring, slowly approaches Frodo. The Ring begins to whisper)
The Ring: Aragorn…Aragorn…Elessar…
(He reaches out, with both hands, Aragorn closes Frodo’s hand over the Ring and pushes it to the hobbit’s chest)
Aragorn: I would have gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor.
Frodo: I know. Look after the others, especially Sam. He will not understand.
(Aragorn nods with tears in his eyes, but then sees Sting glowing blue. He stands suddenly)
Aragorn: Go Frodo. (he draws out his sword) Run. (Frodo hesitates) Run!
(Frodo turns around and leaves. Aragorn walks out from beneath the Seat of Seeing and finds a troop of Uruk-Hai advancing towards him. He gives a half-smile, holding his sword up to his face as an acceptance to the challenge. They attack. He cuts several down, but they force him up the stairs of the Seat. Further down in the forest, everyone is around looking for Frodo. Sam searches frantically)
Sam: Mr.Frodo!!
(Suddenly, he hears the clash of sword on sword. His eyes widen)
Lurtz: (to his troops) Find the Halfling! Find the Halfling!
(Aragorn jumps from the top of the Seat of Seeing and onto the Uruk-Hai)
Aragorn: Elendil!!!
(Legolas and Gimli run forward from behind the Seat. Legolas shoots three Uruk-Hai; Gimli lands blow after blow with his axe)
Legolas: Aragorn! Go!
(Frodo runs and hides behind a tree. Some of the Uruk-Hai run past, not seeing him. Across the way, Merry and Pippin hide in a space under some fallen tree trunks and bushes)
Merry: Frodo!
Pippin: Hide here quick! Come on!
(Frodo looks at them, anguished, then shakes his head.)
Pippin: (to Merry) What’s he doin’?
(Merry suddenly understands what’s going on)
Merry: He’s leavin’.
(Pippin runs out from the hiding place, towards Frodo)
Merry: Pippin!
(Merry comes after him, and they are out in the open. Several Uruk-Hai are coming down the hill, towards where they stand. They stare at them, then Merry turns to Frodo.)
Merry: (in a low voice) Run Frodo! Go!
(Merry cups his hands and calls out to the Uruk-Hai)
Merry: Hey! Hey you! Over here!
(Pippin and Frodo look at him in surprise, then Pippin understands the deal)
Pippin: Hey!
Merry: Over here!
Pippin: (waving his arms hysterically) This way!
(Both hobbits run away from Frodo. The Uruk-Hai troop follows them. Frodo stares after them, unsure of what to do, then he makes a decision and runs in the opposite direction)
Pippin: It’s working!
Merry: I know it’s working! Run!
(Merry and Pippin run across an old stone bridge. At its far end, they stop and see Uruk-hai running towards them from another direction. The Uruks are closing in, both in front and behind. An Uruk runs up to them, raising his axe. But Boromir comes charging in, knocks the Uruk back, and kills him with his sword. He throws a knife at another.
Back at the Seat of Seeing, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli continue to fight the Uruk-Hai. In one smooth move, Legolas stabs one Uruk with an arrow then shoots it out at another. Aragorn stabs one behind his back.
Legolas shoots first 3 Uruks in a row, then one who has closed in on Aragorn. Three loud ox-horn blasts are heard)
Legolas: The Horn of Gondor!
(Aragorn runs forward)
Aragorn: Boromir!
(They run down the hills of Amon Hen towards the sound, but Uruks are between them and Boromir. A visual sweep shows some running towards Boromir, down the stone steps; the others attack Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they struggle to follow.
Boromir sounds the horn of Gondor again)
Boromir: (to the hobbits) Run! Run!
(The Uruks attack Boromir. He kills two more. Lurtz walks slowly into view, lifts his bow, aims a big black arrow, and shoots it into Boromir’s left shoulder. He gasps for breath and the hobbits look at him in shock. Boromir drops to his knees, begins to breathe hard, and looks at the hobbits. Uruks come closer, but he gives a battle cry, rises, and swings his sword at one, who falls. Lurtz growls, lifts his bow, and shoots again. A black arrow flies into Boromir’s stomach. He drops to his knees again, gasping. But he swings his sword at another Uruk and gets back up. Lurtz shoots him one more time, in the chest. Boromir falls on his knees and stays there, swaying a little and blinking.
Merry and Pippin look at him in shock. With all the courage they can find, they take up their swords and attack the Uruk-Hai with a cry)
Merry and Pippin: Shire!!!!
(They never have the chance to strike. The Uruk-Hai lift them up and carry them off. Merry and Pippin wave their arms frantically. The Uruk-Hai troop walks past Boromir. Boromir stares after the hobbits, helpless.
Lurtz, now left alone, stops ten feet from Boromir and takes aim with his bow again. Boromir swallows and stares back at him. Just as Lurtz is about to let go of the arrow, Aragorn crashes into him, and the arrow flies off harmlessly.
They start a fight. Aragorn loses his sword and is thrown to the ground. When he gets up, Lurtz throws his shield at Aragorn and pins him by the neck against a tree. Lurtz raises his sword and strikes, but Aragorn slips beneath the shield and dodges. Aragorn pulls out a knife and stabs Lurtz in the leg. Lurtz roars and knocks Aragorn to the ground, making him roll a few feet away. Lurtz then pulls the knife out of his leg and throws it at Aragorn, who has found his sword and uses it to bat the knife away. Aragorn closes in on Lurtz and in a flurry of swordplay, slices his arm off and then stabs him in the chest. Lurtz grabs Aragorns sword and pulls himself up onto it, closer to Aragorn, snarling. Aragorn grimaces, pulls his sword out of Lurtz, swings it wide, and hacks off the Uruk’s head. The rest of Lurtz’s body falls to the ground.
Aragorn pauses a moment, panting. He then notices Boromir. Boromir, pale and bloodied, is now lying on his back, his head close to a tree)
Aragorn: No!
(he runs up and kneels near Boromir)
Boromir: They took the little ones.
Aragorn: Be still.
Boromir: Frodo, where is Frodo?
Aragorn: I let Frodo go.
Boromir: Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him.
Aragorn: The Ring is beyond our reach now.
Boromir: Forgive me, I did not see it. I have failed you all.
Aragorn: No, Boromir, you fought bravely! You have kept your honor.
(he reaches out to pull the arrows from Boromir, but Boromir grabs his arm to stop him)
Boromir: Leave it! It is over. The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness… And my city to ruin.
Aragorn: I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail!
Boromir: Our people? Our people.
(He reaches for his sword, but can’t get it. Aragorn places the hilt in his hand, and Boromir clasps it to his chest)
Boromir: I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king!
(Boromir passes away. Aragorn touches his hand to his forehead, then to his lips in respect)
Aragorn: Be at peace, son of Gondor.
(He bends and kisses Boromir on the brow. Legolas and Gimli arrive at the scene. Legolas looks sadly at Aragorn and Boromir, seeing what is going on. Gimli bows his head and turns away.
Aragorn stands up, looking into the forest with a tear running down his face.)
(Sam is running through the woods, towards the beach where they left the boats)
Sam: Frodo!
(Frodo stands upon Parth Galen, staring towards the opposite shore, with the Ring on his palm. Weeping silently, he recalls his conversation with Gandalf.)
Frodo: (voiceover) I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
(as he hears Gandalf’s voice, Frodo’s expression changes)
Gandalf: (voiceover) So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.
(Frodo decides to leave. Determined to proceed with the quest alone, he closes his hand over the Ring, and puts it into his vest pocket. He pushes the boat into the river and jumps in. Just then, Sam emerges from the woods. He sees Frodo paddling away and runs after him)
Sam: Frodo, no! Frodo! Mr. Frodo!
(Sam stops on the edge of the shore, the water reaching his ankles)
Frodo: (in a low voice to himself) No Sam.
(Frodo continues to paddle away. Sam runs into the river after Frodo. Frodo, hearing the splashes, looks back)
Frodo: Go back Sam! I’m going to Mordor alone.
Sam: Of course you are, and I’m coming with you!
Frodo: You can’t swim! Sam!
(Sam struggles to swim then sinks into the water.)
Frodo: Sam!!!
(Sam sinks deeper and deeper. He sees the sun shimmering up on the surface. His arm floats lifelessly in the water. Suddenly Frodo’s hand reaches down and grabs Sam’s wrist. Sam tightens his hand around Frodo’s and is pulled out of the water and up into the boat. Sam tumbles in. Frodo looks at him with tears in his eyes. Sam, dripping wet, looks back)
Sam: I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise! “Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee.” And I don’t mean to! I don’t mean to.
(Sam begins to weep)
(He embraces Sam and they give each other a great hug)
Frodo: Come on.
(Sam grabs an oar and they paddle towards the eastern shore.)
(Boromir is laid to rest in one of the other boats. His sword rests with him, his shield is above his head and his cloven horn at his side. The boat slips over the falls of Rauros and then drops into the mists below. Gimli watches the boat disappear. Aragorn wears Boromir’s vambraces in his honor. Legolas shoves the third boat into the water)
Legolas: Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore.
(Aragorn stands still, looking towards the shore on the other side, seeing the two Hobbits running into the forest. He says nothing but sighs. Legolas stares at him, suddenly understanding)
Legolas: You mean not to follow them.
Aragorn: Frodo’s fate is no longer in our hands.
Gimli: Then it has all been in vain! The Fellowship has failed.
(Legolas and Gimli walks up to Aragorn, who puts his hands on their shoulders)
Aragorn: Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let’s hunt some orc!
(Aragorn turns and picks up a dagger from the ground. Then he runs of into the forest. Legolas and Gimli look at each other, grinning)
Gimli: Yes!! Haha!
(They run after Aragorn.)
(Frodo and Sam stand upon Emyn Muil, seeing the Dead Marshes and Mordor in the distance)
Frodo: Mordor. I hope the others find a safer route.
Sam: Strider will look after them.
Frodo: I don’t suppose we’ll ever see them again.
Sam: We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may.
(Frodo turns to Sam, smiling)
Frodo: Sam, I’m glad you’re with me.
(Frodo and Sam descend the rocky slope. Scene fades out)
END CREDITS
| i don't know |
Who played 'Sir Charles Lytton's' American-born nephew, 'George', in the original 'Pink Panther' movie? | h2g2 - 'The Pink Panther' (1964) - The Film - Edited Entry
Trail of the Pink Panther | Curse of the Pink Panther | Son of the Pink Panther
The Pink Panther is the first film in a series of nine films (plus two recent remakes) starring either the character of Inspector Clouseau or the fabulous jewel known as the Pink Panther. The film's title refers to the jewel – the character of Clouseau was intended to be purely a minor role – but the words 'Pink Panther' soon became synonymous with the character of Clouseau as a result of the comic genius of Peter Sellers .
Plot
Once Upon A Time 1 as a child, Princess Dala was given a priceless diamond, the Pink Panther, named after a panther-shaped flaw in the centre of the pink jewel. She retains this jewel as an adult despite being deposed from her kingdom of Lugash; however she is targeted by suave womaniser Sir Charles Lytton, whose secret alter ego is a jewel thief known as the Phantom. Sir Charles and Princess Dala meet at a ski resort.
Meanwhile, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is hot on the Phantom's tail, aided by Tucker from Lloyd's of London , who have insured the jewel. What Clouseau does not know is that his wife, Simone, is secretly having an affair with Sir Charles. Extra chaos occurs when Sir Charles' young American nephew George arrives.
Who will steal the jewel and who will be blamed for its theft?
Cast
Characters and actors in bold returned to appear in other films in the series.
Character
Angela Dunning
Brenda de Banzie
A talented cast was assembled for The Pink Panther. One minor role was played by John Le Mesurier, who had previously appeared opposite Peter Sellers in I'm All Right, Jack. He would later find fame as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in Dad's Army and perform as the The Wise Old Bird in the radio series of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy .
Italian actress Claudia Cardinale was cast as Princess Dala but as English was not her first language, Princess Dala's dialogue was dubbed by twenty-year-old Gale Garnett. Claudia Cardinale would later return as Maria Gambrelli in Son of the Pink Panther.
Capucine would reunite with Peter Sellers in 1965's What's New Pussy Cat, Woody Allen's first film. She would reprise her role as Simone in Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther.
David Niven
Academy Award winning actor David Niven was born in London in 1910 and was appointed a Lieutenant after graduating from Sandhurst Royal Military College. After a Hollywood career, including 1939's Raffles, a film about a gentleman thief based on the 1890s character invented by EW Hornung 3 , he returned to England to enlist during the Second World War, although he did make films during the war including The First of the Few, the story of how RJ Mitchell's designed the Spitfire . He returned to acting after the war, notably 1946's A Matter Of Life And Death. In 1958 he won the Best Actor Oscar for Separate Tables, however it was his 1939 appearance in Raffles that led to his casting as gentleman-thief The Phantom in The Pink Panther. David Niven returned to play Sir Charles Lytton twice more, in Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther. The character would next be seen in The Return of the Pink Panther, played by Christopher Plummer.
Peter Sellers CBE
Peter Seller found fame with Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan in The Goon Show , playing several characters including Bluebottle, Major Bloodnok, Henry Crun, Hercules Grytpype-Thynne and Willium 'Mate' Cobblers. He was desperate to be an actor, inspired by Stan Laurel. He had previously made The Running, Jumping & Standing Still Film, an Oscar-nominated 11-minute long short film.
Peter Sellers appeared in The Pink Panther as a last-minute replacement for Sir Peter Ustinov. This was intended to be a minor role, billed fifth after Sir Charles Lytton, Simone Clouseau, George Lytton and Princess Dala. With director Blake Edwards' support he transformed the role he had been given into effectively the starring lead, without changing the screenplay, through his physical presence and talent.
When he was asked how he had developed the character, Peter Sellers replied.
'I had always been somewhat amused at the way certain Frenchmen tried to show their virility with a bit of chest-puffing, rolling their shoulders, trying to look imposing and always with a big moustache. I decided the moustache was very important. The raincoat was my own, not the buckled and bangled types one saw on the Italian men but quite serviceable Bogart-style raincoat. The hat was a logical extension of the look and I knew where to find one in London.'
Blake Edwards had named Clouseau after French director Henri-Georges Clouzot. Peter Sellers was inspired by Stan Laurel , which fitted perfectly with Blake Edwards' fascination with early silent comedy. Sellers was also inspired by a box of Bryant and May matches on the flight to Paris, whose logo was a heroic image of Captain Matthew Webb, who in 1875 became the first person to swim the channel. Captain Webb is notable for his prominent moustache, which Peter Sellers immediately used as the starting inspiration for his performance. However, unlike later films, Sellers plays Clouseau with a normal French accent.
The Making of The Pink Panther
The genesis of The Pink Panther came from Blake Edwards' writing partner Maurice Richlin 4 . Richlin had proposed a film about a suave jewel thief who was having a relationship with the wife of the police inspector trying to catch him. At the time Blake Edwards' career was at a high-point, and the independent Mirisch Corporation had offered to fund his next project and allow Blake complete freedom to direct. Although the Mirisch Corporation were not keen on the script, they reluctantly stuck to their deal and financed The Pink Panther.
The Mirisch Corporation's reluctance initially seemed to be justified as Blake Edwards had severe difficulty in finding a cast. Blake Edwards had wanted Audrey Hepburn to be the Princess, having worked with her on Breakfast at Tiffany's, but she was unavailable. Ava Gardner was the first choice to be Simone Clouseau; however, she demanded her own villa, car with chauffeur and personal hairdresser and even demanded that the production should be moved from Cinecittà Studios in Rome to Madrid. This was considered too much, and so she was fired. Second choice was Psycho's Janet Leigh, but she turned down the offer because she would have to take her children, Kelly and Jamie-Lee Curtis 5 , out of school and be apart from her recently-married fourth husband, Robert Brandt. In the end French actress and model Capucine was cast, on Audrey Hepburn's recommendation.
The minor role of Inspector Clouseau was originally offered to Sir Peter Ustinov . As Ava Gardner was no longer involved, Peter Ustinov pulled out shortly before filming began 6 . A desperate Blake Edwards cast Peter Sellers, whom he did not know, as Sellers had a short break before he had to film Dr Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb with Stanley Kubrick.
There were other problems. In the bath scene between Capucine and Robert Wagner, an industrial-strength foaming agent was used. This burned both the stars' skin and temporarily blinded Robert Wagner, who was submerged beneath the bubbles, hiding from Sellers' Clouseau.
During the film's development, it gradually became more and more of a slapstick and silent-era inspired comedy. Sequences particularly near the end of the film involved scenes which would not have been out of place in a silent-comedy, such as an old man attempting to cross the road while chaos ensues around him, and two gorillas attempting to break into a safe unaware of each others' presence. Blake Edwards described this process with the words:
'We [Peter Sellers and I] discovered that we were soul-mates as far as certain kinds of comedy. Our favourite people in the comedy world. I had seen I think I'm All Right Jack. In a matter of a day, in a matter of a few hours we were together in our quest for that character and Peter said "Could we employ some of those things in this? I'd like to make it a little more mine."
'We decided to try and make Clouseau a real clumsy, accident-prone, well-intentioned but idiotic character. We decided that the one thing about Clouseau that could make him succeed was that he embodied what I considered to be the eleventh commandment, which is "Thou shalt not give up". He figured he could lose, never figured that he could fail.'
The script had been written with Peter Ustinov in mind, and with no time to re-write it, Edwards allowed Sellers to improvise. This gave Sellers the creative freedom to transform the role beyond all recognition, effectively stealing the film from David Niven.
Filming had been due to begin on 12 November 1962, although the film was made in late 1963 and finally released in February 1964 in the UK and one month later in America. The sequel, A Shot in the Dark, was released only three months later. Both proved highly successful.
Music
Enrico 'Henry' Mancini was a highly experienced composer, having worked for Universal Pictures in the early 1950s 7 . Mancini met Blake Edwards when he scored the Grammy-winning theme for Edwards' Peter Gunn television series, and his highly successful professional relationship with Edwards meant he would compose the score for many of Edwards' films. His score for Breakfast at Tiffany's had won two Oscars in 1962 for Best Music and Best Song, for which he had written the music for 'Moon River' with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. In 1963 he and Johnny Mercer co-won the Best Song Oscar for Days of Wine and Roses. In 1964 the two were nominated for an Oscar for Charade.
Blake Edwards naturally asked Henry Mancini to do the theme for The Pink Panther. His work created one of the most famous film themes of all time. For this, Mancini held auditions to find the perfect saxophonist, choosing Plas Johnson. His work for The Pink Panther was, in 1965, Oscar nominated for a Best Music Oscar. Sadly Mary Poppins won, although The Pink Panther theme won three much-deserved Grammy awards and was a top-ten hit in 1964. In 2005 the American Film Institute would list this as the 20th greatest film score of all time.
The Pink Panther's theme would be used in every Blake Edwards directed Pink Panther film except A Shot In The Dark and would also be used in the Pink Panther cartoon series.
Another Mancini song used frequently in this film is 'It Had Better Be Tonight' also known as 'Meglio Stasera', a song with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. This song is sung at one point by Fran Jeffries in a scene made to introduce this song and Fran Jeffries herself. This song later appears in a scene in the Blake Edwards directed film The Party, which starred Peter Sellers.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album was released for this film. It contained the songs:
The Pink Panther Theme
It Had Better Be Tonight (Instrumental)
Royal Blue
It Had Better Be Tonight
Cortina
Shades of Sennett
Review
In contrast to later films, The Pink Panther is primarily a crime caper, with the character of Clouseau acting as comic relief in an otherwise played-straight drama.
The other unexpected star of the series is the cartoon Pink Panther. The animation itself is beautifully orchestrated, and within seconds a character originally intended to just be on posters advertising the film comes to life to decorate the film's credits.
The film itself begins in a whirlwind, taking place in the first few minutes in Lugash, Rome, Hollywood, Paris and Cortina d'Ampezzo. These first few scenes cut quick and fast; however as soon as the audience is beginning to feel breathless the pace slows down. In many key scenes Edwards allows the actors to entertain the audience without moving the camera, rather than dazzle the audience with cuts and close-ups. Although the camera is often static, the film never is.
The film is full of a mixture of small, exciting moments. For instance, Inspector Clouseau plays the violin, badly, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, a small scene which sets up a rewarding moment later. Despite the opening few minutes being set all around the world, the film feels smaller and more intimate than its sequels, with most of it set within one ski resort's hotel in Cortina, especially two adjoining hotel rooms, that of the Clouseaus and the neighbouring Lyttons. This ensures that the five main characters in the film, the Clouseaus, the Lyttons and the Princess, are each allowed to develop as well as have a backstory, and the audience is invited to relate to them all.
The odd mix keeps the film fresh, including moments of music and dancing, comedy, romance and drama, slapstick and suspense. In many ways the film is so unconventional it should not work – its genius is that it does.
Animated Credit Sequence
For the opening sequence we are informed that inside the Pink Panther jewel is a flawed discoloration in the shape of a leaping panther. The camera zooms into the diamond, showing the pink panther itself, although it is sitting, smoking and wearing a monocle. The Panther drops the monocle and is chased by the Phantom glove, which is hunted by an Inspector-like character who also chases the Panther. Like Inspector Clouseau, the Panther is clumsy and often falls over.
The Panther spins credits, changing a name into a propeller to make an aeroplane. When the title 'The Pink Pant Her' is on screen he moves the 'Her' to the end of 'pant' to form 'Panther', and gestures that that is him. He adds 'And the Pink Panther' to the lists of starring actors and 'screenplay by' credits, which are typed on a typewriter by the Phantom glove. The Panther wolf whistles Claudia Cardinale, conducts when Mancini's 'Music by' credit appears onscreen, is exploded by a camera during the photography credits and punts and falls off a Gondola. The Panther writes 'Directed By Elabk Sdrawed' before the Phantom glove forces him to change it to 'Blake Edwards' at gunpoint. The Panther grabs the gun from the glove, but the Phantom glove puts a finger in the end when the Panther pulls the trigger and so Pink Panther is exploded as the film begins, opening in Rome.
At the end of the film Pink Panther directs Rome's traffic, but 'The End' is spelt 'Thend', causing a crash.
Connections with later films
Disguises – all films in the series feature disguises:
Simone Clouseau is the first to use a disguise, changing her clothes to change her appearance in a lift.
Sir Charles Lytton has a Phantom kit including a Cat Burglar disguise. He also affects a limp to disguise the fact that he is not hurt.
There is a fancy dress party, with several guests dressed up.
Inspector Clouseau's first ever disguise is a man in a suit of armour at a party.
Sir Charles and George Lytton both are disguised as gorillas.
Clouseau Clumsiness:
Inspector Clouseau has difficulty when spinning a globe in his office. A similar problem would befall him in A Shot In The Dark.
Inspector Clouseau destroys his first musical instrument, by standing on his own violin.
Inspector Clouseau has difficulty opening his hotel room door. He would have problems with doors in A Shot In The Dark.
During the party near the end of the film, all the lights go out. A similar sequence would occur near the end of A Shot In The Dark.
Inspector Clouseau fails to consummate his passion in bed, something he would frequently experience.
Clouseau plays his violin in bed. This would be mentioned in Son of the Pink Panther.
The Pink Panther jewel would return in The Return of the Pink Panther as well as Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther. So, too would the Phantom, Sir Charles Lytton. It is described to Princess Dala as 'a gift for your father from his grateful people' and no religious significance attached to it is mentioned in this film.
At the end of the film Inspector Clouseau is arrested. He would frequently be arrested in A Shot In The Dark.
George Lytton hides from Clouseau in a bath. Clouseau would later be attacked in a bath in A Shot In The Dark and flood a bath in The Return of the Pink Panther.
George Lytton hides from Clouseau in a bathroom cabinet. Cato would hide in a cabinet in The Return of the Pink Panther.
Clouseau faints when he discovers the Pink Panther in his pocket. He would faint in a similar fashion when discovering Dudu's body, saying 'Dead Dudu', in A Shot in the Dark.
Novelisation
A novelisation was published in April 1964, written by Marvin Albert based on the screenplay by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. As it is based on the original screenplay, it is extremely noticeable how the character of Inspector Clouseau is rarely mentioned, and on the occasion that he is, he is usually referred to simply as 'the Inspector', in contrast to the four main characters who are always discussed by name. In fact, the blurb on back of the book mentions:
'The Pink Panther... a priceless pink diamond. It belongs to Princess Dala (what a beauty!), who is also known as the Virgin Queen... Sir Charles Lytton (a very debonair type!) is a jewel thief... George is Sir Charles' nephew. He doesn't care about diamonds, all he likes is girls... including Simone (a really ravishing creature!) who just naturally turns out to be the police inspector's wife.'
Inspector Clouseau, as you can see, is not mentioned. The plot follows that of the film very closely, with some scenes identical to that of the film, with the strange exception that Clouseau has little influence or impact. It adds more background information regarding Princess Dala and the military coup which overthrew her rule, changes the dog-kidnapping scene slightly, turning it into a skiing race, and gives the guests at Angela Dunning's parties more of a role.
The biggest change is at the end of the story. In the book Inspector Clouseau and Tucker are in a pantomime horse, rather than disguised as a knight and jester with two police sergeants in a zebra costume as in the film. The two costumed gorillas circling the safe does not appear, nor does the old man trying to cross the road while the police, gorillas and pantomime zebra drive by.
The novelisation is a wonderful device for measuring exactly how the casting of Peter Sellers transformed the story from a crime caper to a slapstick comedy. It is also the only novelisation not to show the Pink Panther or Inspector cartoon character on the cover, instead featuring a giant pink diamond surrounded by a jewel thief, well-dressed men and scantily-clad ladies in high heels.
| Robert Wagner |
How is American actor, Issur Danielovitch, better known? | The Pink Panther DVD with David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner (Unrated) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap
Robert I. Hedges | 07/01/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This, the first of the exquisite Pink Panther series, is an amazing film. To know that originally Peter Ustinov was cast to play Jacques Clouseau as a straight, inept French detective is a sobering thought. After Ustinov dropped out, of course, Peter Sellers got the role and after consultation with Blake Edwards, decided to make him not only inept, but also bumbling and accident prone, a characterization that defines how we think of Clouseau today. This film is interesting in that since it is the first of the series it is interesting to see the origins of the character, and how different he is here than in later 'Panther' films. Here is clumsy and prone to pratfalls, but is less flamboyantly slapstick than in the later films. The film also stars the wonderful David Niven, who plays the perfect suave English thief, and a very young Robert Wagner as his equally debonair nephew. Female stars are the beautiful Claudia Cardinale and Capucine, two of the top European actresses and models from the era.The movie is a bit more sedate than the later films in the series, but still is one of the funniest movies of the sixties. 'A Shot In The Dark', also released in 1964, as the first sequel, began the transformation to the later formulas with additions such as the wonderful Herbert Lom. 'The Pink Panther' does introduce the animated 'Pink Panther' short for the first time, as well as the often imitated, never duplicated title theme. Other viewers will have their own favorite scenes, and the costume party is surely one of the highlights of the film, but for my money the best scenes in the film revolve around Clouseau trying to woo his wife by playing his Stradivarius violin, over many protestations. The look of pain on David Niven's face during his playing is worth the price of the film alone If I were doing it today, I would buy this DVD as part of the multi DVD 'Pink Panther' set, where it also includes a few interesting bonuses such as a 'trivia track', which adds great tidbits about the film.Peter Sellers was a comic genius, and the world still waits for another genius of his stature. I think we will be waiting a long, long time."
Deliciously funny
[email protected] | 12/17/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This first Pink Panther movie is as good as the next "A Shot in the Dark." Both are excellent films, with a sound story, a creatively hilarious and smart screenplay, a well-developed set of characters, and a unique style of filming that elevates "slapstick comedy" to the highest level of sophistication. there are so many quotable lines that are well-worth to write them down as you watch the movie. The soundtrack song "Meglio Stasera(It had better be tonight)"is excellent and written to fit perfectly into the theme and mood of the film. Fran Jeffries sings it very well to a crowd of people by a fireplace, and she is as delightful as this scene itself. Claudia Cardinale and Capucine show style and charm in their roles. The title sequence runs over 7 minutes and it is as good as the movie itself. The 60's represent, in my opinion, the highest point in fashion and general pop culture which truly reflects the highest level of sophistication and taste; in this context, this movie is one of the movies that best represent the 60's. I agree with the other viewer that this movie should figure in the 100 Best movies of any list. The DVD is great with the finest picture quality; check the trailer because it is hysterically comical and very original, not the case of modern movie trailers. This movie is ideal for a cozy evening with friends and your favorite martinis. I just wish there were a special DVD edition with Director Blake Edwards' commentary on separate track, and of others involved in the making of this masterpiece."
First Pink Panther sets the stage, but pales besides others
Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 01/02/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Inspector Jacques Clouseau is hot on the trail of the Phantom, a jewel thief whom he describes as "the shrewdest, cleverest, most ingenious criminal in all the world." And he's never seen him. Clouseau thinks that his next target is the Pink Panther diamond belonging to Princess Dalla, ruler of an unspecified country near India. Yet at very extraverted socialite Angela Dunning's party in the snowswept mountainside in Cortina D'Ampezzo in Northern Italy, he believes that one of her guests is the Phantom.He is totally devoted to his wife Simone, but that isn't reciprocated. Behind his back, she is having an affair with the famed middle-aged debonair playboy, Sir Charles Lytton, and due to a misunderstanding, manipulating his nephew George, a college graduate from America.However, Sir Charles is up to some machinations, as he has an accomplice steal Princess Dalla's dog, only to get into a skiing accident, and he's very keen on gaining the Princess's confidence, who has the reputation of being the "virgin queen." However, some bubbly loosens her up, and the pretty Claudia Cardinale does a good job in portraying her in that state.Other funny scenes involve Simone trying to hide both Lyttons in her hotel room while Jacques is in the bathroom. Both Lyttons' attempts to escape are foiled by room service or Jacques emerging from the bathroom. And the bewildered old man trying to cross the street, only to have cars zipping past him every other step, including two driven by men dressed in gorilla costumes, Clouseau shouting instructions, and even a pantomime zebra (don't ask!), has got to be a classic.As a pilot movie for the character of Inspector Clouseau, it's not bad, but compared to the later entries, where the slapstick, silly French mispronunciations of English words, pain and destruction gags, and unexpected comical kung-fu fighting made the series a laugh riot, this pales considerably. Yes, Clouseau is a bumbler, clumsily stepping on feet, tripping over objects, getting his hand caught in something, etc. but the scenes with David Niven (Sir Charles), Robert Wagner (George), Capucine (Simone), and the princess outweighs Peter Sellers presence in this movie. Hence a change in formula and cast, with Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk, Andre Maranne, and Graham Stark in A Shot In The Dark, also shot and released the same year, where Peter Sellers and his antics took center stage, resulting in a marked improvement and a classic comedy.The animated opening titles are amusing, featuring the famed cartoon character and Henry Mancini's immortal theme. And Fran Jeffries singing an Italian version of "It Had Better Be Right" is a musical highlight in the movie. As for where they got the name the Pink Panther, it's because of a flaw in the diamond, a tiny discolouration that resembled a leaping pink panther--hence the name."
Deliciously funny
| i don't know |
Stephen Hendry won his first World Snooker title in 1990 when beating which Englishman in the final? | best snooker world championship finals
Ten Great Crucible Finals
Friday 15 Apr 2016 07:02PM
With the world’s greatest players descending on Sheffield for the Betfred World Snooker Championship, we take a look back at ten of the all-time great Crucible finals!
1977 saw the World Championship held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield for the very first time – a venue which would go on to establish itself at the very heart of snooker for the next 39 years. John Spencer became the first ever player to lift the trophy in the legendary arena after beating Cliff Thorburn 25-21 in the final, claiming his third world title and the £6,000 winner’s cheque.
1977 was the World Championship since the world ranking system was introduced
Spencer became the first player to win a world title with a two-piece cue
John Virgo, Willie Thorne Patsy Fagan and Doug Mountjoy made their World Championship debut that year
Steve Davis won his first of six world titles in 1981, taking home the silverware in Sheffield on his third attempt. Having already claimed the scalps of Jimmy White, Alex Higgins, Terry Griffiths and defending champion Cliff Thorburn in the earlier rounds, Davis went on to beat Doug Mountjoy 18-12 in the final to become champion of the world.
There were 13 century breaks in the tournament, equalling the all-time record set at in 1979
Mountjoy made a 145 break to set a new World Championship high break record, beating the 142 of Rex Williams in 1965 and Bill Werbeniuk in 1979.
Making their world championship debuts were Jimmy White, Tony Knowles and Dave Martin
Ten years on from his first World Championship title, Alex Higgins made an emotional return to the top after beating Ray Reardon 18-15 in a spectacular 1982 final. At 15-15 in the final session, Higgins went on to win the next three frames, sealing the victory with a 135 break to claim his second world title. A tearful Higgins then summoned his wife and baby daughter from the crowd after the victory.
The previous three world champions – also the top three seeds – were all defeated in the opening round: defending champion Steve Davis, 1979 champion Terry Griffiths and 1980 champion Cliff Thorburn
Jim Donnelly became the first Scottish player to play at the Crucible
We couldn’t possibly leave this out, could we?
Finals don’t come better than this – Dennis Taylor won his only World Championship in 1985 after beating Steve Davis 18-17 on the last black in a final that would become one of the most famous sporting moments in history. Davis led 62–44 in the decider, with only the last four colours on the table… We’ll let the video tell the rest!
The final attracted 18.5 million viewers on the BBC, finishing at 12:25am
The 35th and final frame lasted 68 minutes
Stephen Hendry became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship in 1990, winning the first of seven titles at at the Crucible at just 21 years and 106 days. Hendry beat Jimmy White in the final, with the Scotsman holding just a two frame lead after the first day’s play at 9-7 up. Hendry then pulled away into a 13-7 lead, with White closing the gap to within four frames during the final session. At 16-12 up, Hendry then sunk 81 and a final 71 to seal his maiden world title and make his mark in the history books.
Another notable World Championship triumph for Stephen Hendry came in 1994 when he won his fourth world title, beating Jimmy White 18-17 in the deciding frame. This was White’s fifth consecutive world championship final – his fourth against Hendry – and he had first chance in the decider only to miss the black off the spot. Hendry then cleared to take home his fourth world title in five years.
Losing 14–16 to Jimmy White in the semis, Steve Davis Davis failed to reach the final for the first time since 1982
After losing in the opening round, Alex Higgins punched an official in the stomach at the post-match press conference. This, along with a threat to have Dennis Taylor shot at the 1980 World Cup, led to Higgins being banned for the 90/91 season.
It was John Higgins’ time to shine in 1998 as he won his first of four World Championship titles, beating the then-defending champion Ken Doherty in the final 18-12. In doing so, Stephen Hendry’s eight-year reign as world number one was ended, Higgins rising to the top after a first round exit for his fellow Scotsman.
1998 saw Hendry lose in the first round for the first time since his Crucible debut in 1986
Ken Doherty came closer than any other player bar Joe Johnson to breaking the ‘Crucible Curse’
2001 was the year that Ronnie O’Sullivan won the first of five world titles in Sheffield, overcoming John Higgins 18-14 in a spectacular final to take home the £250,000 top prize. Having already won the UK Championship twice and the Masters, O’Sullivan completed the Triple Crown.
Both Steve Davis and Jimmy White failed to qualify for World Championship for the first time in their careers since 1979 and 1981 respectively
Widely regarded as one of the greatest World Championship finals in recent history, 2013 saw Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Barry Hawkins 18-12 in the final to clinch his fifth world title. Despite having only played a single competitive match all season, O’Sullivan did not lose a session throughout the World Championship. The victory also meant O’Sullivan joined Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry as the only players to successfully defend their titles at the Crucible.
O’Sullivan became the first player to make six centuries in a World Championship final
O’Sullivan’s 103 break in frame 15 was his 128th century at the Crucible, breaking Stephen Hendry’s record of 127
Last year’s Betfred World Championship undoubtedly goes down as one of the most exciting in recent years. Stuart Bingham – a 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament – rattled through a tough field including Graeme Dott, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and eventually Shaun Murphy to win his first world title in his 20-year career as a professional.
The tournament itself set a new record for the most century breaks at the Crucible – 86 beating the record set in 2009 of 83. The final was a strong reflection of this high standard, with six century breaks and 24 more over 50 in 33 frames.
In the opening session Murphy led 3-0, only for Bingham to fight back at 4-4. In the second, Murphy pulled away to move 8-4 up, but again Bingham came back to win four of the next five frames and reduce his lead to 9-8 overnight.
In the third session, Bingham led by 14-11 only for Murphy to level at 15-15 into the concluding session. Bingham eventually added three frames to seal the victory, making him the oldest player to win the world title since Ray Reardon in 1978, and take him to a career-high second in the world rankings.
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What is the capital of Cambodia? | Hendry confirms retirement after defeat - Yahoo Sport
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Hendry confirms retirement after defeat
Stephen Hendry has announced his retirement from tournament snooker after being knocked out by Stephen Maguire at the World Championship.
By Liam Happe - on Twitter @liamhappe / Eurosport 1 May 2012 21:49
Eurosport
Hendry, 43, was beaten 13-2 by Maguire at the Crucible and subsequently said he would be stepping away from the sport.
"I am officially retired now from tournament snooker," he said. "I made the decision about three months ago.
"I didn't tell many people. I only told two or three people, but this is me finished from tournament snooker.
"It was quite an easy decision. There's a few reasons. The schedule didn't help. The fact that I'm not playing the snooker I want to play didn't help. The fact I'm not enjoying practice doesn't help.
"I want to do other things. I've got a lot of commitments now in China, which I've signed up for and I can't do that and play snooker because I would never be at home."
Hendry, who turned professional as a 16-year-old in 1985, won his first world title in 1990, beating popular Londoner Jimmy White, to begin a period of dominance that kept him at No.1 in the rankings until 1998.
His attacking style and pure potting ability made him one of the most attractive players to watch and he bounced back in 1999 to win his seventh and final world crown.
During the past decade Hendry's star began to fade and he was overtaken by a new generation of players including Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins.
He made his 11th maximum break in this year's tournament but felt the time was right to call time on his glorious career.
"The time is right for me," he added.
"If I'd have won the title it would have been an even better way to go out.
"I'm delighted I made a maximum here, that's why I was more animated than normal when making it. I was delighted to do it on my last appearance here."
Jimmy White reacted to the news of his former rival's retirement on Twitter.
White wrote: "He was and is an unbelievable snooker player & has nothing to prove I hope he enjoys his retirement he really deserves it!
"He's always put snooker first, been a model professional, credit to the game and I'll see him in the legends tour this year for more battles.
"I thank him sincerely for some of the best matches and memories of my own career I'm not sure his records will ever be equalled!"
| i don't know |
Which Welshman did Steve Davis defeat in the final to win his first Snooker World Championship? | How Steve Davis won his sixth and final World Snooker Championship in 1989 | Sport | The Guardian
That 1980s sports blog
How Steve Davis won his sixth and final World Snooker Championship in 1989
The reigning champion had not enjoyed a great season in 1988-89 but he showed his true class at the Crucible, where he beat Stephen Hendry and John Parrott on his way to winning snooker’s greatest prize for the sixth time
Friday 17 April 2015 05.00 EDT
Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 09.19 EDT
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The state of the game in the late 1980s
As the last World Snooker Championships of the 1980s neared, a debate was raging as to whether the sport had lost its appeal with the viewing public. There were arguments to be heard from both sides. On the one hand, the BBC had just paid £11m to secure television coverage until May 1996, but on the other the number of hours devoted to the sport on our screens was steadily declining. In the 1985-86 season, 400 hours of snooker had been shown, dropping to 350 in 1987 and 300 in 1988, giving the impression that over saturation in the peak days of the mid-1980s had led to apathy among TV executives.
News that a couple of tournaments were losing their sponsors added fuel to the fire that snooker was struggling, with Anglian Windows no longer backing the British Open and Tennents withdrawing from the UK Championship. Yet, when it came to the World Championship, the impression remained that the enthusiasm would still exist within both the snooker fanatics and casual observers alike; after all, the fortnight at the Crucible in Sheffield was always special. Snooker needed an exciting 1989 World Championship, but come the end of the tournament, the ruthless displays of one of the greatest players to have held a cue left many wondering if things were becoming too predictable.
Perhaps the sport needed normality on the green baize after controversy upon controversy during the season. From the cocaine-related stories involving Kirk Stevens and Cliff Thorburn to the beta-blocker tales of Bill Werbeniuk, via match fixing allegations involving Peter Francisco, the sport was rarely off the front and back pages. Naturally Alex Higgins was often in the tabloids, suffering a broken foot when trying to escape out of a flat window after a row with his girlfriend Siobhan Kidd, but he also highlighted his undoubted talent when he defeated Stephen Hendry in the final of the Irish Masters just two weeks before Sheffield.
Higgins would not make it to Yorkshire, however, after his 10-8 defeat to Welshman Darren Morgan in the qualifiers. The Hurricane was not the only notable absentee. Werbeniuk had been stripped of professional status after failing to pay a £2,000 fine for his use of beta-blockers; six-time champion Ray Reardon was again not present; Kirk Stevens’ troubles meant he also failed to qualify; former champion John Spencer exited at the last qualifying stage, as did Rex Williams. In all there were seven debutants at the Crucible – Steve Newbury, Joe O’Boye, Steve Duggan, David Roe, Darren Morgan, Gary Wilkinson and Paddy Browne – indicating that times were changing as the end of the decade approached.
Davis begins an open championship as the favourite
The journalists previewing the tournament may have been casting doubts over the chances of Steve Davis winning a record-equalling sixth title but this was definitely not reflected with the bookmakers. Davis was installed as the 5-4 favourite, with Hendry at 5-1, John Parrott 7-1 and Jimmy White 8-1.
The reason for the question marks hanging over Davis was his unusually mediocre showing in the 1988-89 season. After winning the International Open and Grand Prix at the start of the campaign, Davis had uncharacteristically failed to build on this, being beaten three times out of four by Hendry, losing the Canadian Masters final to White, being defeated by Parrott in the European Open, and suffering the humiliation of losing to world No51 Tony Chappel in the first round of the Mercantile Credit Classic.
Even so, Davis’ earnings were still approaching the £500,000 mark for the year, and the mere sight of the Crucible was always an inspiration to the world No1. “The World Championship is different, a mini-season within a season,” said Davis on arriving in Sheffield. “I’ve not gone soft. This is an exciting time for me. You know what’s coming, what to expect, how hard it is and how you’ve got to prove yourself.”
Davis’ main threat was undoubtedly the 20-year-old starlet Hendry. The Masters champion had not enjoyed as successful a season as he had 12 months before, but the victories over Davis were an indication that he could cut it at the very top level of the sport. Many observers were already talking up the prospect of the Scot becoming the youngest ever world champion. With the pair due to meet in the semi-finals, all eyes were set on the possible Davis-Hendry clash, although Hendry would be involved in a tense opening-round match that nearly scuppered this straight away.
John Parrott was seen as another possible contender. The Mirror’s Tony Stenson offered the opinion that “The Nearly Man is about to come of age”, with commentator Jack Karnehm also saying that Parrot had “come of age” and that “this could be his year”. The European Open champion was set to shoot up the world rankings after a fine season and was sounding understandably confident on the eve of the tournament: “I wasn’t ready before. Now I feel I’ve served my apprenticeship.”
Of the rest of the field, White had endured a slump in form since his Canadian Masters win and was not expected to end his World Championship pain. Conversely, Doug Mountjoy had won the Welsh Championship, Mercantile Credit Classic, and UK Championship in a stirring season that saw the 46-year-old move from 24th to 10th in the world, with the Welshman tipped to do well at Sheffield. Former world champions Dennis Taylor and Joe Johnson were not considered realistic prospects for another title, although 1979 winner and 1988 finalist Terry Griffiths was a consistent performer who could not be completely ruled out.
Steve Davis competing at the 1989 World Snooker Championship. Photograph: Bob Thomas/Getty Images
The early rounds prove simple enough for the champion
As the tournament progressed, it appeared that rumours of Davis’ demise had been greatly exaggerated. A comfortable 10-5 win over Steve Newbury in the first round was a mere warm-up for his next victim. Steve Duggan may have thumped Cliff Wilson 10-1 in the opening round, a defeat that meant the Welshman exited the top 16 in the world, yet Davis was a different prospect completely. Davis won the match with a session to spare, his 13-3 win spelling out a warning to the rest that he was on top form.
Another 13-3 win over Mike Hallett in the quarter-final gave Davis more time to practice, not that his performances suggested he needed it. “I was expecting a harder game, but Mike gave me bundles of opportunities,” said Davis, the loser at least improving on his 13-1 loss to the same man in the second round of the 1988 tournament.
Hallett would move up to world No6 after his Crucible showing, his first-round win over a rejuvenated Mountjoy a personal highlight, especially after the Welshman had dismissed Hallett’s chances before their match. “It spurred me on,” said Hallett after his 10-8 win. “I had the hump because he dismissed me.” In defeat, Mountjoy stood by his original views, saying: “I didn’t rate him before the game, and I still don’t now. I lost rather than he won.” Not the most dignified way for Mountjoy to end a season to remember.
Stephen Hendry is nearly knocked out in the first round
Davis may have moved serenely through to the semi-finals, but it was not so simple for Hendry. Playing Gary Wilkinson in the first round, Hendry looked to have started his campaign in emphatic style, moving into an early 4-0 lead, and although Wilkinson pulled back to 6-3 down, the bookies odds of 14-1 on the English debutant gave a fair indication of his perceived chances.
The odds were soon slashed to 5-1 though when Wilkinson narrowed the gap to 7-6, and when Hendry missed a couple of chances in the 16th frame and the match went to 8-8, it appeared as if the Scot was struggling. Hendry won the next with an 88 break but back came Wilkinson to set up a deciding frame. In a lively atmosphere, Hendry was booed both before the break and at the conclusion, yet he composed himself enough to put in a break of 67 to seal the narrowest of victories.
“It was strange, hearing the boos,” Hendry admitted. “It hasn’t happened to me before. It didn’t affect me, in fact quite the opposite. It geed me on.” Hendry had survived his scare, openly declaring that he was unnerved when Wilkinson began his comeback. The fourth seed would go from strength to strength as he cranked through the gears in his next couple of matches, but his 1989 World Championship adventure could very well have been over before it had even started.
The seeds drift out to clear the way for a Hendry v Davis semi-final
Hendry may have sneaked through but for four other seeds there would be no such luck. Joe Johnson never recovered from an 8-0 deficit in his match with Tony Meo, eventually losing 10-5 to put the victor into the second round for the first time since 1985. Peter Francisco suffered in a different way to Johnson, leading Dean Reynolds 7-4 before losing six frames in a row and also dropping out of the top 16 to complete his misery.
Tony Knowles did not exit the tournament quietly, his 10-6 loss to David Roe overshadowed by a row between Knowles and referee John Williams. The contentious incident occurred in the 15th frame, as Williams twice called Knowles for a miss, the Bolton man furious that his escape, involving four cushions, was punished. “It wasn’t a miss. If it had been I would have called it myself,” said an irate Knowles at his press conference. “The crowd knew it was a bad decision.”
Trailing 8-6, Knowles lost the crucial frame and was soon on his way out, completing a poor season for the eighth seed. “It’s nothing to do with my ability,” said Knowles. “It’s my confidence as a person that is the reason.” His time at the top end of the world rankings was becoming a distant memory.
Seven of sport's biggest thrashings: from Stirling Albion to Steve Davis
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A war of attrition between Cliff Thorburn and Eddie Charlton
The fourth seed to fall at the first hurdle did so in a match of such length that it deserves a section on its own. Cliff Thorburn’s 10-9 defeat to Australian Eddie Charlton was not a major surprise, giving the Canadian’s year and the determination of his opponent. But the reaction of Charlton afterwards left a lot to be desired.
There could be many adjectives used to describe Charlton’s 10-9 win: wearing is one, maybe methodical, tactical or technical. But many of those present during the match may have plumped for plain old boring, the marathon between the pair not finishing until 2.39 on the morning of Thursday April 20 (it was scheduled to finish on the Tuesday) with roughly 50 spectators present and many reports suggesting that at least a dozen of those were asleep.
The match lasted 10 hours and 24 minutes, Thorburn calling it the “survival of the fittest” and “a bit of a grind”. Those were kind words. John David described the encounter as “the most tedious first round match in Crucible history” in the Express, while Frank Malley declared in the same paper that Charlton “couldn’t pot a tomato plant without lining it up a dozen times.”
You might have thought that Charlton would have shown some sympathy with the people who had endured the drudgery, but not a bit of it. “I’m a professional snooker player and I play to win. If the fans don’t like it, they can lump it.” In some ways you had to admire his honesty, but it wasn’t very pretty and Charlton perhaps should have shown a little more respect to those paying spectators and fans of the sport.
“In 1956, Eddie Charlton carried the torch at the Olympic Games in Melbourne,” wrote The Times’ Steve Acteson. “In the early hours of yesterday morning he conspicuously failed to do the same for snooker.” Charlton’s reaction was strongly lambasted throughout the British press and when he lost 13-8 to Tony Meo in the second round, not a lot of tears were shed.
How Nick Faldo made the most of Scott Hoch's miss to win the Masters in 1989
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A sporting gesture from John Virgo
One man who did his very best to show snooker in a better light was John Virgo, the chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Virgo had defeated Higgins’ conqueror Darren Morgan in his opening match, ending his Crucible jinx that had seen him knocked out in the first round every year since 1983, which set up a second round date with Jimmy White.
The match was nip and tuck throughout and inevitably entered a final frame decider. A break of 26 saw Virgo move 33-31 up as White watched on helplessly, the balls sitting in an ideal position for a match-winning visit to the table. And then Virgo made a sporting gesture that still lives long in my fading memory.
Brushing a red with his cue, Virgo could have easily got away with his crime, his contact so thin that nobody noticed apart from him. But the honesty of both the sport and Virgo meant that this was not a viable option. Virgo immediately stood up from the shot to admit to his foul, an action that brought praise from one and all, even more so when you consider that White cleared up to book his place in the last eight. Sometimes an individual reaffirms your faith in top level sport and Saturday was one such example.
Tony Meo’s Indian Summer
Snooker had not been kind to Tony Meo in the past couple of years. Steadily dropping down the rankings since 1986, the extremely talented Meo had departed the 1987 championship in tears, his loss meaning that he had slipped outside the top 16 and would need to qualify in 1988. When he failed to do so, Meo openly admitted that he considered quitting the game, but with the support of Matchroom manager Barry Hearn, gradually the Englishman started to get his act together.
Ranked 31 at the start of 1988-89, Meo finally broke his tournament duck, defeating Dean Reynolds in the final of the British Open to bury the ghosts of his 1984 Lada Classic nightmare, when a well-intentioned shout of support disrupted Meo in his deciding-frame shootout with Davis. Despite his good year Meo still needed a good showing at the Crucible to get back into the top 16 for the next season. He got that and some more.
After his wins over Johnson and Charlton, Meo then defeated Reynolds 13-9 in the quarter-final in a match that contained plenty of talking points both before and after. In the lead-up to the quarter-final, the press happily dug up Reynolds’ comments made after the British Open final in which he had criticised Meo for being “slow and negative”, even though Reynolds had subsequently apologised for being “totally out of order”. Ironically though it would be Reynolds who would be punished for slow play during the World Championships, with referee John Williams issuing a warning to him to “buck his ideas up” during a pivotal 18th frame.
Reynolds broke down in tears during his press conference, labelling Williams as “incompetent” and arguing that the referee had cost him dearly. “I was in the middle of a break. I was really gutted and after that every time I was down on a shot I was conscious of the time I was taking instead of giving thought to the shot.” Reynolds’ opinion was backed up by Virgo, who had been commentating on the match at the time, but that was probably very little consolation.
Davis the king holds off Hendry’s charge in the semi-final
After his first-round scare, Hendry soon got back on track. Willie Thorne did not provide much opposition in the second round, his numerous mistakes leading to a crushing 13-4 defeat (although television viewers missed quite a lot of the match due to a 24-hour BBC strike), but it would be Hendry’s quarter-final display against Griffiths that truly got tongues wagging. Winning nine frames in a row, including one with the highest break of the tournament, a 141, Hendry’s 13-5 win set up the match every snooker fan wanted to see: Davis v Hendry.
Initially Davis tangled up Hendry in his carefully planned safety game, taking a 5-2 lead overnight and increasing this to 10-4 after the morning session on the second day. However, we were then provided with a sign (if we needed one) that Hendry was truly made of the right stuff, as he began to chip away at Davis’ advantage.
At one point Hendry narrowed the gap to 12-9, and although Davis then rattled off four frames in a row for a place in the final, Hendry had announced himself at the Crucible. The King would reign for a little longer, but it was becoming apparent that he would find it difficult to keep the heir off his throne. The baton of world dominance was about to be passed on.
The best and worst things about watching sport on TV in the 1980s
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John Parrott on a mission for the people of Liverpool
Saturday April 15: the opening day of the World Snooker championships was not the only big sporting event to be taking place in Sheffield. The FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest was being played at Hillsborough, just a few miles away from the Crucible, yet on a day of indescribable tragedy as football supporters lost their lives in a stadium disaster that is still difficult to comprehend. Snooker paid its respects. On the following Saturday play began at 3.07pm after a minute’s silence, and one man made it his goal to try and win the World Championship for his grieving city.
John Parrott had worn a black armband throughout his first round match over Steve James, and after a nail biting 10-9 win, he openly spoke of the pain he was feeling. “I stood on the terraces at both Anfield and Goodison. The people who died were my people, special people, a different class.”
As momentum built, Parrott continued on his quest, knocking out Dennis Taylor and an out of sorts Jimmy White to seal a semi-final berth with Meo. Pledging “to do my damnedest to take the trophy back home for the people of Liverpool,” Parrott was riding on an emotional rollercoaster, but still managed to put in high quality displays that had been prominent throughout his season.
Meo was simply no match in their semi-final, with Parrott surging from 8-5 to a comfortable 16-7 win. Disappointment for Meo, even if he did jump up 17 places in the world rankings, yet Parrott was now only one step from his first world title. The only problem was that the obstacle in the way of what would be a poignant victory was a certain Steve Davis.
Davis is presented with the trophy and a cheque. Photograph: Gray Mortimore/Getty Images
Awesome Davis crushes Parrott 18-3 in the final
The final would prove to be one step too far for Parrott, although it is debatable as to whether anyone could have lived with Davis in that form. “I’ve played the best snooker of my career,” said Davis after he had secured his sixth world title. No one disagreed. “The best I’ve seen him play in the 13 years I’ve been with him,” said Hearn. “One of the most remorseless sessions ever witnessed in a World Championship match,” wrote Acteson after Sunday’s evening session, with Stenson adding to the praise, calling Davis’ display “a performance of sheer perfection”.
The 18-3 thrashing was a chilling inevitability from the very first frame, Davis simply relentless and capitalising on any Parrott error to open up a 13-3 lead overnight. Parrott, who later stated that he played “like a slow puncture”, was helpless to prevent the biggest final defeat in Crucible history, as Davis once again wrapped up a victory with a session to spare (Parrott was then put through the torture of an exhibition match with Davis in the evening, which was less than welcome).
As the dust settled on the tournament, many considered the ease with which Davis won the title and the possible consequences for the sport if he continued to dominate. On paper his three successive world titles and the fact that he only lost 23 frames during the 1989 championship hinted that his time at the top was not yet up. But amazingly 1989 would be his last ever World Championship final. As the decade of Davis ended, so the Hendry years commenced. 1989 proved to be one final demonstration of Steve Davis at his very best.
| Doug Mountjoy |
What do Americans call the Guard's Van at the rear of a train? | How Steve Davis won his second World Snooker Championship in 1983 | Sport | The Guardian
Guardian Sport Network
How Steve Davis won his second World Snooker Championship in 1983
Nearly 10m viewers tuned in to watch Davis beat finalist Cliff Thorburn, who had entertained the public with his 147 break
Steve Davis and Cliff Thorburn pose for the cameras before the 1983 World Snooker championship, which Davis won 18-6. Photograph: Bob Thomas/Bob Thomas/Getty Images
Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog, part of the Guardian Sport Network
Wednesday 30 April 2014 09.29 EDT
First published on Wednesday 30 April 2014 09.29 EDT
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Snooker was still very much on the ascendancy as the 1983 World Championships approached. TV viewing figures were healthy and Riley Leisure, who had 51 clubs open in the UK at the time, posted a profit of £1.4m for the 17 months up to December 1982. According to newspaper reports, Steve Davis had recently become the first man to earn £1m from playing the sport, which was all well and good, but Davis really wanted to add a second world title to his CV.
After winning the 1981 championship, Davis had experienced an inconsistent season in 1982. He won the UK Championship and the Masters, but the dreaded Crucible Curse saw him humiliated 10-1 by Tony Knowles in the first round and, as the 1983 season progressed, Davis was starting to show signs that he was in fact human.
Defeat in the quarter-finals at both the UK Championship and the Masters left many of the press to wonder whether the world No4 had lost his mojo, although the bookies – who, let's face it, normally know a thing or two – had installed him as pre-tournament favourite at a best price of 11/8.
After sitting down and sorting out his mind and his game with his dad, Bill, manager Barry Hearn, and coach Frank Callan, Davis sent out a warning to the rest of the field by winning the Irish Masters the week before the World Championships.
His main threat in the top half of the draw was undoubtedly defending champion Alex Higgins, the two scheduled for a mouthwatering clash in the semi-finals. Naturally Higgins was filling column inches before the start of the tournament, and would fill more throughout the course of the 17 days of competition, his form a concern to him as he looked to defend the title he had won so thrillingly in 1982 .
Higgins' wife Lyn had been in hospital for three weeks before the championship due to complications during the birth of their second child, Jordan, and although mother and child were now fine, Higgins' preparations had been disturbed. That his trusted cue had been broken in the build-up to the tournament did not help either. A lack of practice time, coupled with the early Crucible starts that Higgins disliked, led him to dismiss his own chances. Many observers pointed out that his form had stuttered during the run-up to the 1982 tournament and a player with his natural gifts was always a threat on the biggest stage.
The bottom half of the draw looked a lot more open. Ray Reardon had his backers, the world No2 tipped to win by the Mirror's Terry Smith and labelled as "an outstanding challenger in the bottom half of the draw" by Sydney Friskin of the Times. Reardon's compatriot Terry Griffiths had won the UK Championship in November, beating Davis and Higgins in the process, and was one of the many contenders for a final berth in a half of the draw that also included 1982 semi-finalist Jimmy White , Canada's Kirk Stevens, 1981 finalist Doug Mountjoy, Tony Knowles and 1980 winner Cliff Thorburn.
For Thorburn the 1983 World Championship would be a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences, ranging from elation to utter despair, taking in huge quantities of fatigue along the way. In all, he would play over 50 hours of snooker, face three final-frame deciders – all of which ended at an ungodly hour – and would compete in 120 of the 589 frames that were played at the Crucible, just over 20% of the total. And, of course, along the way he would become the first man to score a maximum 147 break at the Crucible , before he eventually hit a wall in the final, and was hit by personal tragedy that put everything else into perspective.
The first round was a mere appetiser for what was to follow. Of the 16 seeds, only Jimmy White went out, losing 10-8 to qualifier and old south London schoolmate Tony Meo, before both players promptly burst into tears over the emotion of the occasion. Terry Griffiths was pushed close by Mark Wildman, coming back from 8-7 down to win 10-8, in a painstaking finale (the crucial 16th frame lasting 49 minutes and including a period of play where the pair took 17 minutes to pot the brown). John Spencer admitted he was lucky to beat Mike Hallett 10-7, with Ray Reardon also unhappy regarding his form, labelling himself "a beginner" during his 10-7 win over Eugene Hughes.
Davis and Higgins had fewer concerns. After taking an early 6-0 lead, Davis thrashed Rex Williams 10-4, sending out an ominous sign to the rest of the field. Higgins managed to brush off the dangerous Dean Reynolds, a player that he had only just scraped past at the UK Championships earlier on in the season. The Canadians enjoyed a comfortable cruise into the second round, a flu-ridden Thorburn defeating Australia's John Campbell 10-5, with pin-up boy Kirk Stevens, who had recently produced his first pop record, hammering Mick Fisher 10-2.
If the tournament was warming up in the early matches, then it truly came to life in a dramatic second round. Higgins was at the centre of attention, but not necessarily for the right reasons. In the second frame of his match with Willie Thorne – who had beaten John Virgo 10-3 in the previous round – Higgins accused his opponent of deliberately missing a red, although referee John Williams disagreed. Thorne alleged that Higgins called him a cheat, an accusation Higgins refuted: "I didn't call him a cheat, but I told him I don't like people who would sell their own grandmother for two bob." The uneasy tension was not helped when Thorne levelled the same accusation at Higgins in the seventh frame. There was not much love lost between the pair.
Ultimately Higgins won 13-8 and both players kissed and made up, but the controversy that seemed to dog the reigning champion showed no signs of disappearing. "Willie and I are the best of pals again. It's just because I'm Alex Higgins that it is blown up into a nuclear explosion," said Higgins. But this would not be the last time he would have to plead his innocence during the tournament. His behaviour was becoming so irritating to some that Tony Knowles would later say that Higgins needed "a good thump between the eyes", although the young Englishman later apologised for his rather frank comments.
In what would be his biggest test of the tournament, Davis sneaked through 13-11 against a rejuvenated Dennis Taylor. Taylor's improved form had seen him gain revenge for his first-round defeat to Silvino Francisco the year before, when he beat the same player 10-9. Taylor attributed his change in fortunes to a new pair of £67 glasses that made him look like "a cross between Elton John and Joe 90" and "the front end of a Ford Cortina" according to onlookers.
Davis felt the full force of Taylor's new confidence, admitting that he was relieved to stay in the match at certain points. Although Taylor led 4-3, 8-7 and 9-8, Davis looked to have shrugged off his opponent when he won four frames on the bounce to take a 12-9 lead, and despite a fightback from Taylor, Davis finished the job. Taylor must have been sick of the sight of Davis when he lost to the Englishman in the 1984 semi-final too, yet as we all know, he would certainly have his share of glory in their 1985 epic.
Two other matches went to the penultimate frame; Eddie Charlton beating John Spencer, with Tony Meo winning four of the last five frames to end Mountjoy's hopes. After winning the world doubles championship with Davis , Meo was beginning to find some success on his own, still using the trusty cue he had bought from a friend for £3 six years previously. Meo met Knowles in the quarter-finals, the latter having come through a final-frame decider against Ray Reardon. "I threw it away and did not do myself justice," bemoaned a gutted Reardon, who had high hopes on arriving in Sheffield after his wins in the Professional Players' Tournament, Welsh Professional Championship and the Yamaha Organs International in the 1982-83 season.
David Taylor's path to the quarter-finals was blocked by the large figure of Canada's Bill Werbeniuk. A feature in the Mirror detailed Big Bill's drinking regime, a necessity for Werbeniuk in order to combat an hereditary nervous tremor. Breakfast would be washed down with a pint of lager, followed by another six or seven before the match. "I don't usually start that early but I've got to with the match kicking off at 11am," Werbeniuk said. Despite the fuss surrounding his preparations, Werbeniuk was enjoying a fine season, reaching two finals and helping Canada win the State Express World Team Classic.
Taylor's comfortable first-round win over Jim Meadowcroft had been overshadowed slightly when Taylor moved to the opposite end of the arena due to excessive cigarette smoke (created by Meadowcroft) getting in the eyes of his opponent. "By the end of the second frame I couldn't see the end of the table," complained Taylor, who would have to endure Werbeniuk's chain-smoking during their second-round match. Werbeniuk won 13-10 after trailing 10-6, but along the way both players would take a unscheduled break to witness a slice of sporting history.
Cliff Thorburn's 147 is probably worthy of a blog on its own. And to think it all started with a fluke . Leading 2-1 against Terry Griffiths, Thorburn luckily got his break underway when a red rattled in one pocket and rolled along the top cushion to knock another in. It was a lucky break that started an historic break, as the balls sat perfectly on the table for what was to follow.
As the break progressed, there were a few squeaky bum moments, and some fine shots were required with the rest, as Thorburn managed to keep the chances of a 147 alive. It was after the eighth black had disappeared that Rex Williams began to mention the chance of a big break for Thorburn, with fellow commentator Jack Karnehm declaring that he did not even want to bring up the subject of a maximum for superstitious reasons. But it soon became apparent just what was happening, as all eyes began to focus on Thorburn, including those of Werbeniuk and Taylor playing on the other table.
The tension was filling the arena as Thorburn opted to take a small rest after 14 reds and 13 blacks had been potted. "I had this terrible vision of making history with a runny nose," Thorburn admitted later, his ability to think logically under such pressure so admirable. After sinking a very missable yellow, everything was in place for his moment of glory. "Good luck mate," uttered Karnehm famously – one of my favourite commentary moments of the 1980s – as Thorburn finished the break that would earn him £13,000.
"I'm still in shock. It's simply mindboggling," said Thorburn, although after a couple of glasses of champagne he was back at the table, trying somehow to come down from that enormous high, and continue with the remaining frames of the match.
And what a match it turned out to be. Griffiths fought back from 12-9 down to take the match into a final frame, as a seven hour final session spilled into Monday morning. Approximately 200 hardy souls remained in the Crucible at 3.51am, as Thorburn finally edged out his opponent after 13 hours and three minutes of mentally draining snooker. "I have certainly been through the mill and if I have to go through this all over again I shall end up insane," said Thorburn. Oh dear.
Thorburn's opponent in the quarter-finals would be fellow countryman Stevens, who had experienced his own health concerns during his 13-3 destruction of South Africa's Perrie Mans. Suffering from glandular fever, Stevens was given a separate dressing room and allowed to play his second-round match without a tie. Both Canadians would be tested physically and mentally as Thorburn was again involved in a gruelling match that went the distance. Initially all seemed to be going well for Thorburn, as he took an early 4-0 lead, but at the 1983 championship, he rarely did things the easy way.
Stevens hit back to lead 12-10, with Thorburn looking beaten. But the next frame was Thorburn's and, when he levelled the match after a 53-minute 24th frame, Thorburn was back in familiar territory. The final frame was just as nervewracking, stretching on for 61 minutes as Thorburn took it to win a match that has lasted 12 hours and 32 minutes and did not finish until 2.12am. "It's nice to finish so early," joked Thorburn, who must have wanted to sleep for a week.
Thorburn may well have been centre of attention for a few days, but soon Higgins was making headlines once more. After being called for a foul in the third frame of his quarter-final with Werbeniuk, Higgins appeared to flick a V-sign towards referee John Williams, something Higgins vehemently denied. What was clear, however, was that Higgins was adamant that Williams should be removed from refereeing duties, storming out of the arena muttering: "I want the referee changed – he's not doing a good job."
Play was held up for five minutes as Higgins argued his case with tournament promoter Mike Watterson – two days later Watterson discovered that his services were no longer needed as the WPBSA were taking over from 1984 onwards – before Higgins' request was turned down and play resumed.
Trailing 9-7, Higgins looked in trouble, but he recovered to move into a 10-9 lead. Frame 20 was peculiar to say the least: Werbeniuk established a huge lead, leaving Higgins requiring 10 snookers but the Hurricane refused to concede, prompting the Canadian to play three shots one-handed. At 11-11 the match was up for grabs, but Higgins won the next two frames to keep his title defence rolling on. Afterwards a tearful Higgins broke down as wife Lyn and daughter Lauren arrived in Sheffield, although the ongoing drama surrounding all of his matches seemed to be getting on top of him too.
The other two quarter-finals were less eventful. Meo never recovered from a poor start against Knowles, falling 5-0 behind and eventually losing 13-9. And the Steve Davis bandwagon continued, a 13-5 thrashing of Eddie Charlton notable only for an excellent serving of sour grapes from the Australian, who declared: "Nobody ever appreciates the luck Steve gets until you play him. He's a great player and beat me fair and square but, by God, nothing ever goes bad for him."
"No disrespect to the other semi-finalists, but this is like the final," said Higgins regarding his eagerly awaited clash with Davis. Unfortunately for Higgins, he would suffer the same fate as eventual finalist Thorburn, Davis reeling off seven frames in a row to lead 9-2. Not even a telephoned death threat could slow the Davis charge, with the Crucible sealed off by the police and play delayed for 35 minutes as spectators were body-searched and the venue checked – someone had called to say that Davis would be shot if he won 10 frames.
Luckily Davis was not made aware of this threat until after the match but it probably would not have blocked his progress anyhow, such were the new heights his game was reaching. Higgins may have had a stomach upset – throughout the match he survived on a diet of lager and honey – but he would have had to be at his very best to even compete against Davis in this form. Five frames in a row put Davis into the final, his 16-5 victory meaning that he could put his feet up for a bit – or more likely practice for a few hours - while Thorburn would once again slug it out to the bitter end in his semi-final with Knowles.
At least Thorburn's matches were gradually finishing earlier, his deciding frame win over Knowles concluding at a far more reasonable 1.06am. For a while it looked as if Thorburn's marathon run was over, Knowles leading 15-13 and just needing the pink for a place in his first world final. But a nervy miss let Thorburn in, leaving a tearful Knowles distraught: "I'll keep seeing that pink over and over again. I was so tensed up. If only I'd stepped back for a second".
Sadly Thorburn would leave the Crucible in tears too, but for vastly more tragic reasons. During the semi-final, he discovered that his wife Barbara had suffered a miscarriage on the day of his 147, news that had been kept from him by his family, but told to him accidentally by a visiting friend from Canada. It was a heartbreaking episode for a man already exhausted by his experiences during the championships.
Unsurprisingly Thorburn had nothing left in the tank for the final, his body and mind simply not able to respond anymore, especially against the relentless pressure exerted by Davis. At 2-2 the match was a contest for the last time, as Davis won seven frames in a row, before taking a 12-5 lead into the Monday.
Any hope of a staggering comeback was put to bed the next day after another Davis surge, this time five frames on the bounce including a break of 131 in the last of the sequence, putting him one frame away from his second world title. Thorburn would win one more frame before Davis became the first man to win two world championships at the Crucible, celebrating with a back-breaking leap as he potted the re-spotted black at the end of the 24th frame.
"This is more important than the first title," remarked Davis, who admitted to shedding a tear or two in his dressing room afterwards. Not only did Davis have £30,000 to go with his world title, but he also returned to the number one spot in the world rankings. Davis' period of world domination had truly begun.
"I'm bitterly disappointed. Now I know what it's like to go through purgatory," said Thorburn about his last few days. "I tried like hell but when I woke up after my semi-final win over Tony Knowles the final was anti-climatic. I just felt numb". Certainly the Canadian could be excused for his lacklustre performance in the final, the energy-sapping slog he had been through, coupled with his devastating news, finally catching up with him.
The final had been watched by 9.9 million viewers on BBC2, proof that the sport was still popular in the UK, and showing no signs of reaching saturation point as yet ( compilations like this highlight the great names involved in snooker at the time ). Through these peak years, Davis would remain at the top of the tree, his 1983 win a microcosm of his legendary career of greatness, which saw him claim six world championships, and set the standards upon which future players were measured against.
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Which Central American country boasts the active volcanoes, 'Santa Maria' and 'Pacaya'? | List of Central America Volcanoes by Country
By Kirsten Hubbard
Updated March 22, 2016.
There are many things that travelers love about Central America. It is paradise for nature lovers because of all of its lakes, forests, beaches and rivers. However one of the main reasons why people come to this part of the world are its volcanoes.
The isthmus's location along the Ring of Fire has resulted in tons of volcanic activity. This has been happening for thousands and thousands of years and continues to this day. Most of those volcanoes are dormant, but there is still a good number of them that are still active and provide amazing shows from a safe distance.
All nature lovers will love taking a hike on them. The mos adventurous ones can even climb up a few of the active ones. Each of the volcanoes is also a unique opportunity to run into local wildlife and to enjoy the amazing views of the surrounding mountain ranges and towns. That's why volcano tours are so popular in the region.
If you keep scrolling down you will find the names of all of all of the Central American volcanoes and discover which ones are active.
List of Volcanoes in Central America by Country:
Central America Volcanoes. Guate 360, www.guate360.com
Guatemala has the highest amount of volcanoes in the region with thirty seven spread along its territory.
Acatenango
Tajumulco - The highest in Centra America
Tecuamburro
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There are fifteen volcanoes spread all over Costa Rica for you to explore.
Arenal - Active
You will find twenty one volcanoes scattered along Nicaragua.
Apoyeque
El Salvador might be one of the tiniest countries of the region but it is home to twenty volcanoes.
Apaneca Range
There are three volcanoes in Panama.
Baru
There are only four volcanoes in Honduras.
Yojoa
| Guatemala |
What cat-like African mammal has spotted fur and is noted for the powerful-smelling fluid from its anal glands, from which it bears its name? | Central America Volcanic Arc
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Central America Volcanic Arc
Map of the Central American volcanic arc, with captions showing the location of several volcanoes – in the Mexico/Guatemala border: Tacaná ; in Guatemala: Tajumulco , Santa Maria , Chicabal , Tolimán , Atitlán , Volcán de Fuego , Volcán de Agua , Pacaya , Chingo ; in El Salvador: Apaneca Range , Chinchontepec or San Vicente , Chaparrastique or San Miguel , Chinameca and Conchagua ; in Nicaragua: Cosiguina , Telica , Cerro Negro , Momotombo , Chiltepe , Mombacho and Concepción ; in Costa Rica: Orosí , Rincón de la Vieja , Miravalles , Arenal , Barva , Turrialba and Irazú ; in Panama: Barú and La Yeguada .
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Latin America
The Central American Volcanic Arc (often abbreviated to CAVA) is a chain of volcanoes which extends parallel to the Pacific coast line of the Central American Isthmus , from Guatemala , El Salvador , Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica , and down to northern Panama . This volcanic arc , which has a length of 1,500 kilometres (930 mi), [1] [2] is formed by an active subduction zone along the western boundary of the Caribbean Plate .
The Central American Volcanic Arc includes hundreds of volcanic formations, ranging from major stratovolcanoes , to lava domes and cinder cones . Some of these have produced large explosive eruptions, like the colossal VEI 6 eruption of the Santa Maria volcano in 1902. Central America’s highest volcanoes are found in Guatemala and include the Tajumulco and Volcán Tacaná , both above 4,000 meters. Several volcanoes in Central America are currently active, including Arenal , Turrialba , Irazú , Poás in Costa Rica; Cerro Negro , San Cristóbal , Concepción in Nicaragua; Chaparrastique or San Miguel , Ilamatepec or Santa Ana , Izalco in El Salvador; Santa Maria / Santiaguito , Pacaya , Fuego in Guatemala.
graphical representation of a subduction zone
Volcanic front of the Sierra Madre
Notes
^ Rose et al. (1999:2) mention an arc length of 1,100 km.
References
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What family of South American, forest-dwelling mammals has an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs and four- toed forelegs? | Tapirus | Article about Tapirus by The Free Dictionary
Tapirus | Article about Tapirus by The Free Dictionary
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Tapirus
Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Medical , Wikipedia .
tapir
(tā`pər), nocturnal, herbivorous mammal, genus Tapirus, of the jungles of Central and South America and SE Asia. The tapir is somewhat piglike in appearance; however, it is not related to the pig, but to the horse horse,
hoofed, herbivorous mammal now represented by a single extant genus, Equus. The term horse commonly refers only to the domestic Equus caballus and to the wild Przewalski's horse.
..... Click the link for more information. and the rhinoceros rhinoceros,
massive hoofed mammal of Africa, India, and SE Asia, characterized by a snout with one or two horns. The rhinoceros family, along with the horse and tapir families, forms the order of odd-toed hoofed mammals.
..... Click the link for more information. , with which it forms the order of odd-toed hoofed mammals. The body of the tapir is rounded and covered with sparse fur. Its snout is long and flexible. The legs are short and end in broad feet with hoofed toes; there are four toes on the front feet and five on the hind feet. Tapirs live in dense forest, browsing by night on leaves and twigs. Usually found near water, they swim well and drink a great deal. They often take to water when threatened and can crash through thick underbrush with great speed.
The Asian, or Malayan, tapir, T. indicus, of Malaya and Sumatra, is black with a white saddle extending over the rump. The adult is about 3 ft (90 cm) high at the shoulder and 6 to 8 ft (180–240 cm) long; it weighs about 650 lb (300 kg). The Malayan tapir is considered endangered. There are three New World species. The South American, or Brazilian, tapir, T. terrestris, inhabits marshy lowlands from Colombia to N Argentina. The adult, a little smaller than the Asian species, is a uniform dark brown, but the young is conspicuously striped and spotted. The Central American, or Baird's, tapir, T. bairdi, is similarly colored but almost as large as a donkey. It is found in undisturbed rain forests from S Mexico to NW South America; because of the continuous elimination of this habitat the existence of this species is threatened. The mountain tapir, T. pinchaque, is found at high altitudes in the Andes Mts. and has thick, black fur.
Tapirs were widely distributed in tropical regions until the Pleistocene epoch, when most species became extinct. They are classified in the phylum Chordata Chordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Tapiridae.
tapir
| Tapir |
Bobby Darin and The Four Tops had top ten hits with which song? | Tapirs - definition of Tapirs by The Free Dictionary
Tapirs - definition of Tapirs by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Tapirs
(tā′pər, tə-pîr′, tā′pîr′)
n.
Any of several large, chiefly nocturnal, odd-toed ungulates of the genus Tapirus of tropical America and Southeast Asia, having a stocky body, short legs, and a fleshy, trunklike proboscis.
[Perhaps French, ultimately from Tupí tapiira, tapir.]
tapir
(ˈteɪpə)
n, pl -pirs or -pir
(Animals) any perissodactyl mammal of the genus Tapirus, such as T. indicus (Malayan tapir), of South and Central America and SE Asia, having an elongated snout, three-toed hind legs, and four-toed forelegs: family Tapiridae
[C18: from Tupi tapiira]
(ˈteɪ pər, təˈpɪər)
n., pl. -pirs, (esp. collectively) -pir.
any stout, hoofed mammal of the genus Tapirus of tropical America and SE Asia, having a short, fleshy proboscis.
[1745–55; « Tupi tapira]
Noun
1.
tapir - large inoffensive chiefly nocturnal ungulate of tropical America and southeast Asia having a heavy body and fleshy snout
odd-toed ungulate , perissodactyl , perissodactyl mammal - placental mammals having hooves with an odd number of toes on each foot
Indian tapir , Malayan tapir , Tapirus indicus - a tapir found in Malaya and Sumatra
Translations
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Paleotherium
References in classic literature ?
Near the lower end of the valley I passed a number of tapirs, and across the river saw a great sadok, the enormous double-horned progenitor of the modern rhinoceros.
View in context
If we take on the one side, the elephant, [7] hippopotamus, giraffe, bos caffer, elan, certainly three, and probably five species of rhinoceros; and on the American side, two tapirs, the guanaco, three deer, the vicuna, peccari, capybara (after which we must choose from the monkeys to complete the number), and then place these two groups alongside each other, it is not easy to conceive ranks more disproportionate in size.
View in context
Well, I interrupted, "any large South American animal--a tapir, for example.
This is not a conceivable bone either of a tapir or of any other creature known to zoology.
View in context
All the more did the affairs of the great world interest her, when communicated in the letters of high-born relations: the way in which fascinating younger sons had gone to the dogs by marrying their mistresses; the fine old-blooded idiocy of young Lord Tapir, and the furious gouty humors of old Lord Megatherium; the exact crossing of genealogies which had brought a coronet into a new branch and widened the relations of scandal,--these were topics of which she retained details with the utmost accuracy, and reproduced them in an excellent pickle of epigrams, which she herself enjoyed the more because she believed as unquestionably in birth and no-birth as she did in game and vermin.
View in context
The common parent will have had in its whole organisation much general resemblance to the tapir and to the horse; but in some points of structure may have differed considerably from both, even perhaps more than they differ from each other.
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If something is described as stellate, what shape is it? | Flower Shapes
Flower Shapes
Example
Campanulate
(Bell-shaped) A flower with a wide tube and flared lobes (petal tips), typical of the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae). The length of the tube is variable, and the open-ness of the flower, but campanulate is generally shorter and fatter than tubular, and more closed than stellate.
The example is Campanula cochlearifolia.
Funnelform
(Funnel-shaped) A flower that widens gradually from the base, ending in an open or flared shape.
The example is Cyrtanthus elatus.
Trumpet-shaped
A flower that starts as a narrow tube, but widens into a flared mouth, where the petals often turn back.
The example is Petunia grandiflora.
Salverform
A flower with a long, thin tube, that widens suddenly into a flat-faced flower.
The example is Plumbago auriculata.
Tubular
A flower with a long, thin, straight-sided tube formed of united petals, often separating at the mouth into a flared shape.
The example is a Kniphofia hybrid.
Urceolate
(Urn-shaped) A flower in which the petals are fused into an almost enclosed globe shape, separating at the mouth into individual flared petals.
The example is Erica tetralix.
Bowl-shaped
A flower with a deep dish shape, roughly hemispherical, with straight sides or with a very slight flare at the tips. Much the same as cup-shaped.
The example is Argemone mexicana.
Saucer-shaped
A flower that is almost flat, with slightly upturned petal tips.
The example is Geranium wallichianum.
Stellate
(Star-shaped) A flower with many narrow petals arising separately from a central point.
The example is Sisyrinchium bermudianum album.
Cruciform
(Cross-shaped) A flower with four petals at right angles to one another. Typical of members of the Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae).
The example is an unknown tropical species.
Labiate
(Lipped) A flower divided into an upper 'hood' and a lower flat or pouched lip, typical of members of the Deadnettle/Mint Family (Lamiaceae).
The example is Salvia texensis.
Papilionaceous
(Pea-shaped) The flower shape typical of members of the Papilionaceae, having a large upper petal called the standard, two large side petals called wings, and two lower petals, often fused together, called the keel, which encloses the stamens and stigma.
The example is Parochetus communis.
Ligulate
(Strap-shaped) A flower with one large, long, thin petal, typical of ray-florets of the Aster/Daisy Family (Asteraceae). These look like single petals but are all individual flowers, each one capable of producing its own seed.
The example is Cosmos bipinnatus.
As with leaf shapes and the arrangement of flowers, these descriptions can only give you a general idea of the shapes of flowers. Very often, flowers are not quite any of these shapes, but are something in between. Many flowers in the Campanula family are described as tubular bells, meaning they are rather longer than a bell shape, but still have flared tips. Often a flower will start off with a bowl shape, and will open wider even than a saucer and the tips of the petals will curl outwards and under. It is often difficult to tell whether any particular flower is a trumpet or a funnel - how much of a tube does it need to be a trumpet, or where exactly is the dividing line between a trumpet and a salver? Cups, saucers and bowls can seem very similar. I'd describe the buttercups in my garden as saucer-shaped. These are the main shapes most 'experts' recognise, but the flowers in our gardens may have different ideas!
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Which song by 'The Wurzels' was set top the music 'Paloma Blanca'? | Flower Shapes
Flower Shapes
Example
Campanulate
(Bell-shaped) A flower with a wide tube and flared lobes (petal tips), typical of the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae). The length of the tube is variable, and the open-ness of the flower, but campanulate is generally shorter and fatter than tubular, and more closed than stellate.
The example is Campanula cochlearifolia.
Funnelform
(Funnel-shaped) A flower that widens gradually from the base, ending in an open or flared shape.
The example is Cyrtanthus elatus.
Trumpet-shaped
A flower that starts as a narrow tube, but widens into a flared mouth, where the petals often turn back.
The example is Petunia grandiflora.
Salverform
A flower with a long, thin tube, that widens suddenly into a flat-faced flower.
The example is Plumbago auriculata.
Tubular
A flower with a long, thin, straight-sided tube formed of united petals, often separating at the mouth into a flared shape.
The example is a Kniphofia hybrid.
Urceolate
(Urn-shaped) A flower in which the petals are fused into an almost enclosed globe shape, separating at the mouth into individual flared petals.
The example is Erica tetralix.
Bowl-shaped
A flower with a deep dish shape, roughly hemispherical, with straight sides or with a very slight flare at the tips. Much the same as cup-shaped.
The example is Argemone mexicana.
Saucer-shaped
A flower that is almost flat, with slightly upturned petal tips.
The example is Geranium wallichianum.
Stellate
(Star-shaped) A flower with many narrow petals arising separately from a central point.
The example is Sisyrinchium bermudianum album.
Cruciform
(Cross-shaped) A flower with four petals at right angles to one another. Typical of members of the Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae).
The example is an unknown tropical species.
Labiate
(Lipped) A flower divided into an upper 'hood' and a lower flat or pouched lip, typical of members of the Deadnettle/Mint Family (Lamiaceae).
The example is Salvia texensis.
Papilionaceous
(Pea-shaped) The flower shape typical of members of the Papilionaceae, having a large upper petal called the standard, two large side petals called wings, and two lower petals, often fused together, called the keel, which encloses the stamens and stigma.
The example is Parochetus communis.
Ligulate
(Strap-shaped) A flower with one large, long, thin petal, typical of ray-florets of the Aster/Daisy Family (Asteraceae). These look like single petals but are all individual flowers, each one capable of producing its own seed.
The example is Cosmos bipinnatus.
As with leaf shapes and the arrangement of flowers, these descriptions can only give you a general idea of the shapes of flowers. Very often, flowers are not quite any of these shapes, but are something in between. Many flowers in the Campanula family are described as tubular bells, meaning they are rather longer than a bell shape, but still have flared tips. Often a flower will start off with a bowl shape, and will open wider even than a saucer and the tips of the petals will curl outwards and under. It is often difficult to tell whether any particular flower is a trumpet or a funnel - how much of a tube does it need to be a trumpet, or where exactly is the dividing line between a trumpet and a salver? Cups, saucers and bowls can seem very similar. I'd describe the buttercups in my garden as saucer-shaped. These are the main shapes most 'experts' recognise, but the flowers in our gardens may have different ideas!
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The electric starter for motor cars was introduced in 1911, by which great American manufacturer? | Car History 4U - History of American (US) Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers
History of American (US) Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers
8.15 United States
8.15.1. Cadillac
The Cadillac Automobile Company was formed in Detroit in August 1902 using the assets that remained when the short lived Henry Ford Company ceased trading earlier that year.
The first car, a 10 hp 2-seater, produced in October 1902, was almost identical to the Model A Ford.
Between 1903 and 1908 the company produced the Model A to T range of vehicles (the 1903 “A” models originally called “Runabout” and “Tonneau”).
In 1909 the company was purchased by General Motors and later that year produced the Model Thirty.
In 1910 Cadillac became the first manufacturer to produce a car with a fully enclosed cab.
The electric starter, developed in 1911 by Charles Kettering of Cadillac, was first fitted to Cadillac's “1912” models.
Between 1909 and 1930 the company produced some fifteen different models. A vast range of Cadillacs were also manufactured during the 1930s; some 42 different “Series”.
The model names between 1936 and 1942 used the year along with the series number; the Series 37-75 being a 1937 Series 75.
The “Sixty Special” name was used on many occasions between 1938 and 1993. The Sixty Special Fleetwood model produced in 1941-42 being a fine example; nearly 1,900 being made.
The Fleetwood name has also been used to indicate some of Cadillac’s finest cars since the mid 1920s, with greater use being made of the name on models produced between 1941 and 1996.
The Fleetwood Brougham produced between 1993 and 1996 was the largest car manufactured in the USA.
By late 1949 Cadillac had produced one million cars since its formation in 1902.
The first Cadillac to bear the DeVille name was the 1949 Coupe DeVille. From 1965 the name has indicated one of Cadillac's top two models.
The twelvth model to carry the DeVille name was produced between 2000 and 2005. It was one of the first cars fitted with thermal imaging night vision technology.
The “59 Caddie” was famous for its prominent tail fins, which were based on the fins of the P38 Lightning fighter plane. Over 140,000 of these cars were made.
The Eldorado models were produced from 1953, the 304 Eldorado Brougham cars produced in 1957 being fine examples.
The last Eldorado was produced in April 2003, replaced by the XLR roadster in 2004.
In 1998 Cadillac sold 182,570 cars.
Models produced since 2002 include the CTS, DTS, BLS, STS, SRX and the XLR.
8.15.2. Chevrolet
Chevrolet was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William Durant. The following year the company introduced the 4.9 litre, six-cylinder Classic Six model.
In 1912 the company sold nearly 3,000 cars.
In 1917 Chevrolet became a division of General Motors. See Part 2, Section 8.15.5 .
Models produced between 1911 and 1940 include the Baby Grand, Little Four, Little Six, Series H and Styleline.
The first cars to be produced in 1945 were pre-war models that had been renamed Stylemaster and Fleetmaster.
New models, the Special Series and the Deluxe were introduced in 1949, with over 100,000 produced in the first year.
A range of Corvette sports cars have been manufactured by Chevrolet since 1953, including the Roadster, C2-C6, ZO6, Callaway, ZR-1 and in 2006, the C6 convertible and ZO2 models.
Over 110,000 Corvette Stingray’s were produced between 1963 and 1967. The car had a 5,358 or 6,997 cc engine and was capable of 140 mph (222 kph).
Between 1955 and 1957 the company produced the “Tri Chevys”. Over 4.7 million of these cars were produced.
Fuel injection was an option on the ’57 Chevy”, the first American car to offer it. A station wagon version, the Normad, was also made.
The Impala was first produced in 1958 and during the 1960s it was the top selling car in America, with over one million sold in 1965. By 1996 over 13 million had been produced.
An Impala model was available between 1958-85, 1994-96 and 2000-07.
The Chevrolet Camaro was introduced in 1967 as a competitor to Ford’s Mustang model. Four generations of the car were produced up to 2002 when production ended.
The 1982 model was fitted with fuel injection. About 4.8 million were produced.
Other models produced between 1950 and 1980 include the BelAir, Chevy ll, Chevelle, Monte Carlo, Vega, Monxa and Nova.
The Cavalier was a compact Chevrolet produced from 1982 to 2005. By 1999 just over 5.2 million had been produced.
The company replaced the Cavalier in 2005 with the Cobalt and Astra models.
Models produced in 2007 include the Avero, Cobalt, Corvette, HHR, Impala, Malibu and the Monte Carlo.
8.15.3. Chrysler
The Chrysler Corporation was formed in 1925 by Walter P Chrysler from the assets of the Maxwell Motor Company that first produced cars in 1904.
Maxwell was the profitable part of the the United States Motor Company that existed briefly between 1910 and 1913 and comprised of eleven vehicle companies.
The name was changed to Maxwell Motor Corporation in 1921, with Walter Chrysler as Chairman, and then to the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.
The first car to bear the Chrysler name was the Chrysler 6 that was launched in 1924 (when the company was still called the Maxwell Corporation). Over 32,000 of these cars were sold in the first year.
The first car produced by the Chrysler Corporation was the Chrysler Four in 1925, followed by the Imperial 80 model in 1926.
The Plymouth and DeSoto brand names were introduced in 1928. Chrysler also acquired the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle Company in 1928, a company that had been formed by John and Horace Dodge in 1914.
Between 1934 and 1937 Chrysler produced the Airflow model, a car with a very streamlined body that the company had developed in their new wind tunnel.
They were the first car manufacturer to use this technology.
The first models introduced after World War 2 include the 5,229 cc Crown Imperial and New Yorker in 1946.
In 1950 the company produced nearly 170,000 cars, a figure that increased to over 224,000 in 1965.
By the late 1970s Chrysler encountered serious financial problems but soon recovered and in 1987 it acquired the American Motors Corporation (which was formed in 1954 by the merger of the Hudson Car Company and the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation).
Between 1954 and 1987 AMC brought together Hudson, Rambler, Nash, Overland Automotive Willys Motor Company, Kaiser Motors and Kaiser-Jeep.
In 1998 the Chrysler Corporation was purchased by Daimler-Benz of Germany and became the DaimlerChrysler Motors Company LLC.
In 2004 DaimlerChrysler introduced the 3.2 litre Crossfire sports car, producing over 76,000 by 2005.
The original 300 "letter series" were luxury cars built by Chrysler between 1955 and 1965, with a new letter used for each year's model.
In 1979 the 300 name made a brief reappearance when 3,811 limited special edition Cordoba cars were produced.
DaimlerChrysler re-introduced the “letter series” in 1999 for their 300M sporting sedans and a new generation 300 model entered production in 2004.
Five versions were produced, including a sedan and a station wagon.
Models available in 2007 include the PT Cruiser and Convertible, Town & Country, Sebring Sedan and Convertible, the 300, Pacifica, Crossfire and Aspen.
8.15.4. Ford
In 1896 Henry Ford built his first “horseless carriage” which he sold to fund work on an improved model. By mid 1898 he had built a total of three vehicles, including a large delivery truck.
In July 1898, backed by a group of investors, Henry Ford produced about 19-25 prototype vehicles for the Detroit Automobile Company. In February 1901, due to lack of funds, the company was dissolved.
Nine months later, in November 1901, he formed the Henry Ford Company but left this company in 1902.
Note: The Henry Ford Company reformed as the Cadillac Automotive Company in August 1902. See Part 2, Section 8.15.1 ).
The Ford Motor Company was founded in June 1903 by Henry Ford.
The first car produced by the Ford Motor Company was a two-cylinder Model A in July 1903.
For further information on Ford’s early history, including the “Model T”, see Part 1, The Early History, Sections 6.3 and Part 2, The Last 100 Years, Section 9.3 (Model T Ford).
In 1922 Ford acquired the Lincoln Motor Company (which had been formed five years earlier).
Production of the second generation Model A started in October 1927 and continued in the United States until December 1931.
The 3.3 litre car, which had a top speed of about 65 mph (104 kph), was available in several different body styles and four colours.
The “Tudor” version was the most popular, accounting for nearly one third of all sales.
By February 1929 one million Model A’s had been produced; production reaching its peak during 1929, with over 1.7 million manufactured.
A total of 4,849,340 Model A Fords were produced, of which nearly 10% were pickup trucks.
The Model A was also produced in Great Britain (from 1931), France (date required), Germany (from 1932) and Canada (date rquired).
The Model A was also produced in the USSR by the GAZ company as the “NAZ A” from 1932 to 1936. About 100,000 of these versions were made.
The Model A was replaced by the Model B and over four million of these cars were produced between 1932 and 1935.
Production of the more powerful, 3,612 cc, Model 18/Ford V-8 was also started in 1932, with over 230,000 being made that year. The 65 hp car had a top speed of 80 mph (128 kph).
The second generation, 1,172 cc, Model C was manufactured in Great Britain and Germany between 1934 and 1937. Just over 96,000 were made.
Note: The first generation Model C was produced in the United States in 1904-05. About 800 were made.
The 933 cc Model Y was produced in Great Britain (1932-37), where just over 157,000 were made, France (1932-34) and Germany (1933-36). It was not manufactured in the United States.
Models produced in Great Britain between 1940 and 1980 include the Anglia, Prefect, Consul, Zephyr, Zodiac, Granada, Capri, Escort and Cortina.
Over one millon of the Capri and Cortina models were made. Ford’s car production ended in Great Britain in 2001.
Models produced in Germany between 1940 and 1980 include the Taunas, Granada, Capri and Escort.
Over the years Ford also manufactured vehicles in a number of other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Holland, Mexico, and South Africa.
Models produced in America between 1946 and 1990 include the Crown Victoria, Custom, DeLuxe, Escort, EXP, Fairlane Skyliner, Falcon, Fiesta, Galaxy, Maverick, Mustang, Pinto, Tempo and the Thunderbird.
In 1955 Ford introduced the two-seater Thunderbird.
Between 1955 and 1957 a total of 53,166 of these first generation, 4,785 cc and 5,112 cc, models were made.
A second set of seats was fitted to the second generation model that was introduced in 1958.
Ford produced the Thunderbird model from 1955 to 1997 and 2002 to 2005, selling nearly 93,000 in 1960.
The largest models were produced between 1972 and 1976 and had either a 7 or 7.5 litre engine, achieving 8-12 mpg.
By 2005 eleven generations of Thunderbirds had been produced. How many in total?
The Mustang was first produced in 1964 when it became the world’s fastest selling car, with over 680,000 sold in the first sixteen months. By 2006 over eight million had been made.
The 1964 model had a 2,785 cc engine and a top speed of 118 mph (189 kph).
The engine was increased to 7,013 cc in 1968, giving the 335 hp (250 kW) car a top speed of 142 mph (227 kph).
By 2007 five generations of the Mustang had been produced: 1964-73, 1974-78, 1979-93, 1994-2004 and the fifth generation since 2005.
The Escort is one of Ford’s top selling cars. Between 1968, when production started, and 2003 nearly twenty million had been produced worldwide.
The Ford Fiesta entered production in 1976 and has been produced in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Mexico, South Africa and Venezuela. By 2006 over twelve million had been made.
In 1996 the company produced its 250 millionth vehicle and by 2006 a quarter of the top forty best selling cars in the world were produced by Ford.
In 2007 Ford also manufactured cars under the following names: Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover.
Models produced in the United States in 2007 include the Focus, Fusion, Five Hundred, Crown Victoria and the Mustang.
8.15.5. General Motors
General Motors was founded in 1908 as a holding company for the Buick Motor Company.
William C Durant, who controlled Buick in 1908, quickly expanded General Motors by acquiring other vehicle manufacturers.
Oldsmobile (1897) became part of GM in 1908. The following year, in 1909, General Motors acquired Cadillac (1902), Elmore (1893), Oakland (1907), plus some others. Note: The date in brackets indicating when the company was formed.
Durant left GM in 1910 and joined up with Louis Chevrolet, founding the Chevrolet company in 1911.
In 1916 Durant bought a majority share holding in GM and rejoined the company as its president in 1917. Chevrolet become part of GM that year.
Other companies that became part of GM in the 1920s include Vauxhall (1903) in 1925 and Opel (1902) in 1929.
To overcome competition by the various manufacturers that now made up General Motors, Durant designated each to produce a different class of car.
The Oakland name was dropped in 1931 and the Oldsmobile name in 2004.
In 1953 GM produced its fifty millionth car; a Chevrolet BelAir model.
In 2007 GM consisted of: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. It was also affiliated with GM Daewood, Suzuki and Wuling.
8.15.6. Lincoln
The Lincoln car company was founded in 1917 by Henry M Leland and his son. In 1902 he was one of the co-founders of Cadillac, which subsequently became one of Lincoln's main competitors.
In 1922 Lincoln was acquired by the Ford Motor Company.
Between 1920 and 1930 the company produced the Lincoln L-series. In 1931 the K-series was introduced, which had a 6.3 litre engine based on the V8 fitted to the L-series.
Whilst production ceased in 1939, a special Model K convertible was built in 1942 for President Franklin D Roosevelt.
The Zephyr model was introduced in November 1935, originally as a 2 or 4 door sedan. A convertible coupe was introduced in 1938.
In 1936 the company sold 22,000 cars of which 15,000 were the Zephyr. Production ceased in 1942.
In 1932 Lincoln started designing a car that became known as the Continental.
The first Continental car was produced in early 1939 as a one-off for Henry Ford’s son, Edsel (who was then President of the Ford Motor Company).
The car was such a hit with his friends that Edsel had more hand-built, both as sedans and convertibles. Twenty four were built that year, followed by four hundred in 1940.
The Continental’s design was based around the Zephyr, with important changes which included the model’s trademark - the externally-mounted covered spare tire.
The first post-war Continental that was produced from 1946 to 1948 was basically the same as the 1942 model, with an altered front grille and a heavier bumper; 3,334 were made.
In 1946 Lincoln sold 13,496 cars.
Between 1939 and 2002 there have been nine generations of the Continental.
The car President John Kennedy was travelling in when he was assassinated in 1963 was custom built from a 1961 4-door Continental and code named the SS-100-X.
Between 1949 and 1960 Lincoln introduced the Lincoln Sport (1949-51), the 5.5 litre Cosmopolitan (1949-54), Lido (1950-51), the Capri (1952-59), which was one of the first cars with an automatic headlight dimmer, Custom (1955) and the Premiere (1956-60).
The 2-door luxury coupe Lincoln Mark Series was produced from 1956 to 1998, with a 4-door sedan Mark Vl available from 1980 to 1983.
The Lincoln Town Car was introduced in 1981, although the name first appeared on a 1922 custom built Lincoln for Henry Ford.
The name was also used for the Continental sedan from 1959 to 1980, before becoming a model in its own right.
Measuring nearly 18 feet (5.49 meters), the Town Car was the largest American made car in 2006.
The Lincoln LS (Luxury Sport) was produced from 2002 to 2006 and nearly 263,000 were made. The first versions were referred to as LS6 and S8 depending on the V6 or V8 engine choice. Manual transmission was also offered as an option.
Between 2003 and 2005 the company also produced the mid-sized, luxury Lincoln Aviator SUV.
Models avalable in 2007 include the Town Car, Mark LT, MKX, MKZ and Navigator.
8.15.7. Other American Car Manufacturers
American Motor Company, Auburn, Buick, Cord, Crosley, De Soto, Dodge, Duesenberg, Edsel, Hudson, Mercury, Nash, Oldsmobile, Packard, Peerless, Plymouth, Pontiac, Rambler, Standard Motor Company, Studebaker, Stutz, Tucker, Willys and Kaiser-Frazer.
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| The Cadillac |
Which British manufacturer introduced the 'XK 120' sports car in 1948? | Car History Timeline | Preceden
The Start
1769 - 1784
Cugnot a French inventor makes thew 1st self-propelled road vehicle. He did it by employing a device for converting the reciprocating motion of a steam piston into rotary motion by means of a ratchet arrangement.
A Working Model
William Murdock, who was a scottish engenieer, built a working model for steam carriage.
Steam Road Carriage
1789 - 1801
Richard Trevithick was a Cornish inventor, mining engineer, and builder of the first working railway steam locomotive. Trevithick built a full-size steam road carriage in 1801.
Internal Combustion Engine
1832 - 1860
Francois Isaac de Rivaz of Switzerland invented an internal combustion engine that used a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Rivaz designed a car for his engine that was the first internal combustion powered automobile.
"Marcus Car"
1860 - 1879
Siegfried Samuel Marcus was a German inventor and automobile pioneer. At about 1870 he put an internal combustion engine on a simple handcart. This appliance was designed for liquid combustibles and made him the first man propelling a vehicle by means of gasoline.
Commercial Auto
1879 - 1885
Karl Friedrich Benz, was a German engine designer and automobile engineer, generally regarded as the inventor of the gasoline-powered automobile. In 1885, Karl Benz created the Motorwagen, the first commercial automobile. It was powered by a four-stroke gasoline engine, which was his own design.
1st Car Company
1885 - 1893
The first American firm to build gasoline automobiles was founded by Charles Duryea and his brother Frank, they built a one-cylinder "Ladies Phaeton", first demonstrated on September 21, 1893 at Springfield, Massachusetts. It was considered the 1st successful gas powered automotive in the U.S.
Racing
1893 - 1894
Car racing is organized for the first time. The first contest was organized by Paris magazine, Le Perit Journal, a reliability test to determine best performance.
Model "A"
1894 - 1903
Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His 1st car he released is a model "A".
More Racing
1903 - 1910
The transformation from high-priced road cars into pure racers, with Delage, Auto Union, Mercedes-Benz, Delahaye, and Bugatti constructing streamlined vehicles with engines producing up to 450 KW (612 hp), aided by multiple-stage supercharging.
Electric Starter
1910 - 1911
Charles Franklin Kettering was an American farmer, school teacher, mechanic, engineer, scientist, inventor and social philosopher. In 1912, Cadillac was the first manufacturer to incorporate an electric starter on their cars equipped with gasoline internal combustion engines, replacing the crank start.
Assembly line
1911 - 1913
In 1913, the company had developed all of the basic techniques of the assembly line and mass production. Ford introduced the world's first moving assembly line that year, which reduced chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes, and boosted annual output to 250,000 units.
Foot-Pedal
1913 - 1919
A French luxury car demonstrates the first single foot pedal to operate coupled four-wheel brakes. Previously drivers had to apply a hand brake and a foot brake simultaneously.
Luxury Cars Invented
1919 - 1920
A personal luxury car is a highly styled, luxurious automobile intended for the comfort and satisfaction of its driver.
Power Steering
1920 - 1926
Power steering is a system for reducing the steering effort on cars by using an external power source to assist in turning the wheels. It is said that Power steering was invented in the 1920s by Francis W. Davis and George Jessup.
Air Conditioning
The Nash Motor Company made the first air conditioning in cars.
Jeep
1939 - 1940
During the second world war the US Army recognized the need for a fast, lightweight all-terrain vehicle. So the Jeep was created.
Air Bag
1940 - 1951
The airbag was invented by John W. Hetrick in 1951 and he patented the device the following year. Hetrick came up with the idea to help protect his own family using expertise from his naval engineering days.
Hi-Tec
1951 - 1980
The modern era is normally defined as the 25 years preceding the current year. However, there are some technical and design aspects that differentiate modern cars from antiques. The spread of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the adoption of the V6 engine configuration, and fuel injection. While all of these advances were first attempted in earlier eras, they so dominate the market today that it is easy to overlook their significance.
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Which TV comedy series starred Richard Briers and Prunella Scales and ran from 1963 to 1966? | Richard Briers: TV Shows Starring Richard Briers
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Alias the Jester Richard Briers, Jimmy Hibbert, Brian Wilde Alias the Jester was a British animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Films, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on 13 November 1985. The show also aired during the Australian Broadcasting
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All in Good Faith Richard Briers, Barbara Ferris, John Woodvine All in Good Faith is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1985 to 1988. Starring Richard Briers, it was written by John Kane. All in Good Faith was made for the ITV network by Thames Television.
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Bird Bath Richard Briers
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Bob the Builder Chris Evans, Richard Briers, Greg Proops Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specializing in masonry in a stop motion animated
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Brothers In Law Richard Briers, Richard Waring Brothers in Law is a British television series inspired by the 1955 comedy novel Brothers in Law by Henry Cecil Leon. It first aired on the BBC in thirteen half-hour episodes between 17 April and 10
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Dad (2005) Richard Briers
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Down to Earth Kyle Richards, Dick Sargent, Rip Taylor Down to Earth is an American fantasy situation comedy series that ran on Superstation TBS from 1984 to 1987. The series was originally produced by The Arthur Company, and later, by Procter &
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Ever Decreasing Circles Richard Briers^! Penelope Wilton^! Peter Egan Ever Decreasing Circles is a British situation comedy which ran on BBC1 for four series from 1984 to 1989. It was written by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and it reunited them with Richard Briers, the
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Goodbye Mr Kent Richard Briers, Hannah Gordon
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If You See God, Tell Him Richard Briers, Adrian Edmondson, Imelda Staunton If You See God, Tell Him is a black comedy television series starring Richard Briers, Adrian Edmondson, and Imelda Staunton. Written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, it was first broadcast on
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Marriage Lines Richard Briers, Prunella Scales, Edward de Souza Marriage Lines is a British television sitcom first broadcast between 1961 and 1966. The series gave Richard Briers and Prunella Scales, its lead stars, a significant boost in their careers. At first
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Monarch of the Glen Richard Briers, Susan Hampshire, Dawn Steele Monarch of the Glen is a British drama television series produced by Ecosse Films for BBC Scotland and broadcast on BBC One for seven series between 2000 and 2005. The Monarch of the Glen television
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My Appalling School Report Richard Briers
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Noah and Nelly in the SkylArk Richard Briers, Peter Hawkins Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk is a children's cartoon series produced by Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium.
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One-Upmanship Richard Briers, Frederick Jaeger, Peter Jones One-Upmanship is a TV program.
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Roobarb Richard Briers Roobarb is a British animated children's television programme, originally shown on BBC1 just before the evening news. Each cartoon, written by Grange Calveley and animated by Bob Godfrey, was about
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Tall Stories Richard Briers, Michael Hordern
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The Good Life Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith The Good Life is a British sitcom, produced by BBC television. It ran from 1975 to 1978 and was written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde. Opening with the midlife crisis faced by Tom Good, a 40-year-old
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The Other One Michael Gambon, Richard Briers
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Watership Down John Hurt, Stephen Fry, Dawn French Watership Down is a British-Canadian animated television series, adapted from the novel of the same name by Richard Adams. It was a co-production of Alltime Entertainment of the United Kingdom and
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| Marriage Lines |
Which republic, part of the former Soviet Union, lies between Estonia and Lithuania? | Richard Briers battling chronic lung disease... as lifelong friend Prunella Scales has shocking confession of her own | Daily Mail Online
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The wondrously self-effacing Richard Briers takes a full 30 minutes to catch his breath after climbing the short flight of steps to Prunella Scales’s terrace home to join her for this interview — and a further half-an-hour to lob his hand grenade of a confession into the conversation.
‘I’ve got emphysema, you see, so I’m b*****d.’ This is said with such cheeriness it takes a moment for the penny to drop: this is a very serious lung disease.
‘I haven’t even got the strength to garden any more,’ he says, with a wry grin that’s so familiar from his days as the ebullient Tom Good in the BBC comedy classic The Good Life you can’t help but feel for him.
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Good friends: Richard Briers and Prunella Scales have remained close since Marriage Lines
‘Oh darling,’ Prunella reaches for his hand.
‘Five hundred thousand cigarettes, darling — that’s the trouble,’ he says.
‘It’s totally my fault. So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside. Trying to get upstairs, oh God, it’s ridiculous. Of course, when you’re bloody nearly 80 it’s depressing because you’ve had it anyway.’
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Richard is, in fact, 79 and from a generation that prefers not to make a fuss. He’s been bringing laughter into our lives for more than half a century in a host of TV classic comedies. Has his Good Life co-star Felicity Kendal been supportive during his illness?
‘Not much,’ he says. ‘She seems to have disappeared in a strange way. She’s an extraordinary girl. I don’t really know who she is. Never did. She was always an attractive girl and she’s still pretty young, but you know she’s very strange. Enchanting, but very strange.
‘She became enamoured with [playwright Tom] Stoppard. They were very much in love and I think she’d had enough of The Good Life. She quite liked the idea of very good acting — clever acting rather than just sitcom. Now she’s got this very nice American chap who’s been with her many years.
On-screen love: Richard and Prunella Scales were close since they played newlyweds George and Kate Starling in Sixties comedy Marriage Lines
‘I got a very nice card from her, but we’ve never really…’
Been friends? ‘No, it’s ridiculous. Strange.’ Which it is given that they are one of the best-loved telly couples in British comedy.
It turns out, though, that Richard never really had much time for his on-screen character Tom Good either.
‘I thought he was terribly selfish. It was about him all the time and he was terrible with the wife,’ he says.
‘There were no clothes for her, no babies — nothing at all. He was just sort of: “This is my patch.” I never particularly liked him at all. There are very few people I liked that I played. Most of them were irritating people.’
We’re in Prunella’s much-loved family home in South-West London to talk about the Sixties sitcom Marriage Lines in which they starred as newlyweds George and Kate Starling. The hugely popular comedy, which propelled both of their careers, is being released on DVD and remains enduringly funny.
It survives the test of time with a natural easiness that knocks many of today’s crass comedies into a cocked hat — an easiness that’s part of their friendship today.
But Richard’s revelation about his horrible illness has diverted us.
‘Yes,’ he tuts. ‘The ciggies got me. I stopped ten years ago, but too late. If you do it in your 30s, you’re OK, but after 30 it gets you. I was diagnosed five years ago and didn’t think it would go quite as badly as it has. It’s a b****r, but there it is. I used to love smoking.’
Prunella pats his arm. ‘Oh, I never really liked the actual thing,’ she says. ‘I don’t think I inhaled when I smoked tobacco because if someone gives me a joint I have to work at it.’
Household names: Richard Briers as Tom Good with Felicity Kendal as Barbara on BBCs The Good Life which ran from 1975-1978
Hang on! Prunella Scales smoking pot? ‘I don’t smoke tobacco at all now. But if someone gives me a joint I really have to work at it.’ She repeats herself. Not for the first time.
At 80, Prunella looks as fit as a flea in a pair of black trousers and smart green waistcoat, but sadly her short-term memory is fading. She goes to the kitchen twice to make herself a coffee, but forgets what she’s gone for.
She can’t remember the year either of her two sons, actor Sam and Joseph, were born, nor when she married her brilliant husband, actor/director Tim West, 78. Instead, she fetches a copy of Who’s Who from the study to look up the dates.
‘My day-to-day memory is ludicrous,’ she says. ‘I can’t remember things about life, so you find ways of remembering by writing them down. What was I looking up?’
She opens Who’s Who. ‘I don’t know my alphabet, that’s my problem. West. Ah! Here we are. West. Timothy Lancaster. Tim was born in 1934.
‘What did we want to know? When we got married. Oh yes. “Married 1963 to Prunella Scales.” That long ago. Inside I feel about 48.’ She actually doesn’t look a day older than 60. ‘It’s having a round fat face,’ she says. ‘I must say living in a tall, thin house and running up and down stairs all day, that keeps you fit.’
No cosmetic surgery?
‘Oh, I had a tuck way back sometime,’ she says, lifting her hair to try to find the scars.
‘But not a huge job. What I do is I go to bed with my make-up on because I’m lazy and Tim doesn’t like me without make-up.
‘In the morning I take it all off and scrub my face and so on. Whether that’s good for the skin instead of slapping stuff on at night I don’t know. But just go to bed with your make-up on, that’s my advice.’
You can see it’s impossible not to be enchanted by Prunella — who wanted to act ‘because it gave me the chance to play people infinitely more interesting than I am and to say things infinitely cleverer and more entertaining than anything I could ever think of myself,’ she says.
‘The thing is I’m utterly terrified of absolutely everything, but because I’ve played bossy parts everyone thinks I’m going to be like that.’
‘Oh, I never really liked the actual thing. I don’t think I inhaled when I smoked tobacco because if someone gives me a joint I have to work at it.’
- Prunella Scales
Most famously, of course, she starred as ghastly Sybil in Fawlty Towers with John Cleese. Do they remain close?
‘Oh no, he’s slightly out of our league really,’ she says. ‘He’s big-time and lives in . . . what’s the state there?’
California? ‘Yes, he lives in California. We see him when he’s over here, but it’s not a . . .’
Richard chips in: ‘Quite a grand fellow, isn’t he? Strange man.’
Strange, it seems, isn’t much of a compliment in Richard’s book. Prunella considers this: ‘Well, he’s got an awful lot of wives and ex-wives and has a very harassed life.’
Whereas Prunella has remained blissfully married to Tim for 50 years. He is, she says, a tower of strength. He’s also a gentle man and as affected as the rest of us by Richard’s ill health. They have been dear friends for more than half a century and Richard is godfather to their eldest son, Sam.
‘I got pregnant during the second series [of Marriage Lines] and they had to write in Sam,’ says Prunella.
‘Poor Richard had to work with him in utero. We lived quite near each other at one point, didn’t we?’
She turns to Richard. ‘You were right across the road from Queen Charlotte’s Hospital where I had Sam. I was in labour for 31 hours.
‘Tim was there for the birth, which was very unusual in those days, but went to get a cup of tea just before I went into hard labour.
‘I said: “Where’s my husband?” I rang home and he wasn’t there. Then, in between spasms, I said: “Try Richard Briers.”
‘And there was Tim, knocking back whatever. I said: “Get over here.” Tim got over and when Sam popped out he said: “Very good, no retakes.” I laughed so much I had to have stitches.’
‘Did you see your children born?’ she asks Richard.
‘Oh I was hopeless, hopeless. I was always in a show,’ he says. ‘I was quite relieved. I’m not terribly fond of that business.’ Prunella giggles: ‘Tim was good at it. He loves nurses. He’s got a thing about them. I think it was a bit of a turn on really being in hospital.’
‘How splendid,’ says Richard. Which it is really, to see a woman of 80 quite so besotted with her husband.
‘Tim’s a wonderful letter writer and he also loves touring, so I think that’s kept our relationship at fever pitch,’ she says.
‘We had a lot of separation. We met on a ghastly telly show called She Died Young, subtitled by the cast None Too Soon. It was one of these terrible costume dramas.
‘He was married to someone. I knew he was the son of Harry Lockwood West, the actor, which surprised me very much because I’d always thought Harry was gay. Tim was playing a Regency buck and I was playing the Bishop of Lichfield’s daughter — debauched by Boswell in a pub.
No fawlts: Prunella in one of her most famous roles, as Sybil Fawlty opposite John Cleese, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs in Fawlty Towers
‘We had a mild crossword flirtation and then there was an electrician’s strike. He said: “Oh, come to the pictures.” So we went and returned home our separate ways.
‘Then the ghastly telly was revived, but Tim was on tour by that time, so I wrote him a postcard saying: “You’re very much missed.”
‘He wrote back and we started writing letters to each other. That’s how it really started.
‘I shared a flat with three other girls and he turned up on my doorstep with a tray of morning tea service and said: “Jackie [Tim’s first wife] has turned me out — she’s having an affair with the lodger.”
‘I sort of, well, I adored him. I thought he was a lovely person, but I shared a flat with three other girls and we put him up in the sitting room. Then Jackie asked for a divorce. I can’t remember when that was . . . now, you’ve got coffee, you’ve got coffee — can I get myself a coffee?’
Which is when Richard drops his bombshell — to deflect, I suspect, from Prunella’s confusion.
Today, he says, he spends much of his time at home supported by his wife of 55 years, Ann, with whom he has two grown-up daughters Lucy, also an actress, and mother-of-two Katie. They met at the Liverpool Playhouse and married within six months.
‘We met at a party and sort of clicked and I suppose three months later we were in the same old digs,’ he says, with a sort of nudge-nudge-wink-wink spark of his younger self.
‘My marriage has been extraordinary because it got better and then much better than that. She keeps me going. She was always bloody good, but she’s extraordinary now. I rely on her terribly. She’s a colossus.
‘But it was really tough work early on because we were both hard-working actors. It’s very tricky to do play after play after play.
‘Annie was marvellous really. I was stuck there doing voiceovers, then straight into matinees.
‘I was a really narrow person. I get more fun as a real person than constantly doing performances of the same thing.
‘I don’t particularly enjoy it as much — the acting. I’ve had enough of it. I just like being at home, actually — talking to Ann a bit and reading.’
Prunella, who’s returned without a coffee, nods in agreement.
‘I’m a bit like that. I don’t like opening the front door to put the milk bottles out. Oh look,’ she says picking up a DVD of Marriage Lines. ‘They’ve brought out this.’
‘But long ago, isn’t it?’ says Richard. ‘Long ago.’
Which it is, many years, but years crammed full of friendship, laughter and, yes, the vagaries of long lives well lived.
Marriage Lines is available to buy from Monday, February 4 on DVD courtesy of Acorn Media (acornmediauk.com).
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Wendy Craig and Geoffrey Palmer were the stars of which TV sit-com, which ran from 1978 to 1982? | Butterflies (TV Series 1978–1983) - IMDb
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Ria, a happily married suburban housewife, reaches the age where she feels as if life is passing her by. Being taken for granted by her butterfly collecting dentist husband doesn't help. So... See full summary »
Stars:
The thought of cooking for Christmas frightens Ria though she is cheered to meet Leonard again, though they have a row. Back home this preys on her mind and she burns the pizza and freaks out at the ...
8.1
The boys have the opportunity to buy a window cleaning business but Ria is still depressed and goes to church for guidance. When she comes out she finds Leonard has put his diary in her car. She ...
7.9
Six months have elapsed and Ria meets Leonard in the park. They hug, he says he loves her and wants to carry on with her. Meanwhile Ben is having lunch with a widowed friend Amanda. She seems to ...
7.5
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Storyline
Ria, a happily married suburban housewife, reaches the age where she feels as if life is passing her by. Being taken for granted by her butterfly collecting dentist husband doesn't help. So, when the opportunity for an affair comes up she tries to decide whether she loves her husband enough to be faithful to him. Written by Dave Smith <[email protected]>
10 November 1978 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
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Trivia
At the beginning of the first series, Ben is said to be 48 years old; Geoffrey Palmer was actually 51 at that time. Ria's age is not specifically mentioned, but she worries about having looked like 50 - ten years before she should; Wendy Craig was 44. Leonard has a birthday in the first series and turns 45; Bruce Montague was 39. See more »
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(Vancouver, Canada) – See all my reviews
Even 20-odd years after the fact (and with it's late-70s sexual revolutionism looking humorously dated these days), Carla Lane's 'Butterflies' remains one of the freshest and funniest sitcoms Britain ever produced. The story itself is relentlessly simple -- a stifled housewife's yearning for more in her life is complicated by a distantly ironic husband, two sex-crazed still-at-home sons, and the romantic attention of a wealthy playboy whose desire revs up the more undesirable she feels. But it's not the plot that makes 'Butterflies' great so much as it is the opportunity that that plot gives Lane to explore Ria Parkinson's world as it slowly collapses around her, and it's impossible not to see a little bit of oneself in the sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-sobering struggles of Lane's memorable characters as they attempt to survive the small anguishes of day-to-day life. Smart writing and great performances all around.
A few years back, 'Butterflies' would show up in late-night rotation on PBS in the states and Canada; if it does again, catch it.
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In 1999, who became King of Jordan following the death of King Hussein? | The Cotswolds on Film - TV
Home » The Cotswolds on Film - TV
The Cotswolds on Film - TV
The Cotswolds, with all its natural beauty and charm, has not just proved a rich location for dozens of feature films, but the area has also been used for a wide range of television programmes for years.
Theses have ranged from period costume dramas, sitcoms, soap operas and children's programmes. Even its animals have got in on the act!
So forget the Radio Times...enjoy our Cotswolds television guide instead.
Programme makers have found the Cotswolds and its surrounding towns the perfect place to film period dramas.
Cheltenham featured as a location for the award-winning television adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, which was first broadcast in 1995.
The six-episode, adapted by Andrew Davies, starred Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet, but it will be remembered by many a female viewer for the scene in which Colin Firth, as Mr Darcy, emerged from a swim in a lake.
Parts of the drama were filmed at Cheltenham Town Hall in Imperial Square and in Oxford Parade.
Another TV adaptation of a popular Jane Austen novel which hit the screens in 1995 was Persuasion, which was also partially filmed in the Cotswolds, at Barnsley Park, near Cirencester, which became Kellynch Hall. The TV-film starred Amanda Root as protagonist Anne Elliot and Ciarán Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth.
Jane Austen novels must be suited to the Cotswolds as both Sudeley Castle, situated just outside Winchcombe, and Stanway House, a few miles up the road, were used as locations for the 1996 TV adaptation of Emma, based on Austen's novel of the same name, starring Kate Beckinsale.
Sudeley was used for exterior shots of Donwell Abbey, while Stanway House was used for interior filming. Other locations in or near the Cotswolds were the picturesque village of Lacock in Wiltshire and Broughton Castle, near Banbury.
Sudeley Castle had previously been used for the filming of the 1994 TV mini series Martin Chuzzlewit, based on the novel by Charles Dickens. A top notch cast included Paul Scofield, John Mills, Pete Postlethwaite, Joan Sims and Julia Sawalha.
Sudeley was used as Martin Chuzzlewit's library at Temple, while other nearby locations included the historic Fleece Inn at Bretforton, near Evesham, which became the Blue Dragon Inn; Honington Hall, near Shipston-on-Stour; and Gloucester Docks.
Stanway House was one of several locations in the Cotswolds used for the filming of the 1999 TV drama The Wyvern Mysteries starring Derek Jacobi. Based on a novel by 19th Century writer J S Le Fanu, it is the story of a young girl brought up by the man responsible for her father's death. She falls in love with his eldest son. Filming also took place in Northleach and Guiting Power.
Stanway House also provided the setting for the 1994 TV drama serial The Buccaneers, based on Edith Wharton's unfinished novel about an anarchic group of adventuring, free-spirited young women who, snubbed by New York's elite, take aristocratic Victorian England by storm.
Owlpen Manor, the famous Tudor manor house near the lovely Cotswold village of Uley, has been used as the location for a number of feature films, game shows and documentaries in recent years.
Filming took place at the manor for The Other Boleyn Girl, also released in 2008, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson.
TV programmes filmed at Owlpen Manor over the years include Most Haunted (2004); What the Tudors did for us; Countryfile; Watercolour Challenge; and various antiques, cookery, gardening, travel, and art programmes.
Owlpen Manor also appears as Bramscote Court in the BBC's period drama adaptation of Tess of the d'Urbervilles (2008), starring Gemma Arterton, and it was by no means the only place in Gloucestershire to provide a location for the BBC's first-ever adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel. Other locations included Chavenage House, near Tetbury; Dyrham Park; Marshfield; Owlpen Manor, near Uley; Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe; and Newark Park, Ozleworth. The four-hour drama, which saw Arterton taking the lead as Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections, also featured Ruth Jones, of Gavin & Stacey fame.
Castle Combe, the pretty Wiltshire village that has proved a popular setting for several major movies, has also attracted television film crews. In 1989, a TV episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" was filmed in the village.
The Stirrup Cup pub in the Cotswold village of Bisley was used in the filming of a scene for a 1989 episode of the ITV series Forever Green, which starred Pauline Collins and John Alderton as a couple adapting to life in the country.
The House of Eliot, a TV series broadcast by the BBC between 1991 and 1994, was partly filmed in Cheltenham and in the Painswick and Tetbury areas.
The series starred Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard as two sisters in 1920s London who establish a dressmaking business and eventually their own haute couture fashion house. It was created by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, who had previously devised Upstairs, Downstairs.
Cheltenham locations used for filming included Pittville Pump Rooms, Pittville Park and Regent Street, while Painswick House and Chavenage House, near Tetbury were among the other locations used.
The Queen's Hotel in Cheltenham, was used for exterior and foyer shots in scenes for the Second World War serial Jenny's War (1985). The serial was about a mother who searches for her son Peter, who was shot down over Germany, and who she believes is still alive.
lt starred Nigel Hawthorne, Cheltenham-born Robert Hardy, Christopher Cazenove and Hugh Grant.
The hotel in Cheltenham's Promenade underwent a startling transformation, becoming the Hotel Das Konigen, Leipzig, circa 1941. When filming began and locals saw swastikas, Stormtroopers and Nazi vehicles around the hotel, it literally brought traffic to a standstill and created chaos in the town centre.
The Cotswolds will forever be associated with the author Laurie Lee and, in particular, his novel Cider with Rosie which described his childhood in the village of Slad, near Stroud, in the period soon after the First World War. In 1998, a television adaptation of Cider with Rosie, featuring Juliet Stevenson as Laurie Lee's mother Annie, used the Cotswold villages of Sapperton and Avening as locations, as well as Lee's home town of Stroud, along with film studios in Cheltenham.
In 1998, Cheltenham provided the setting for much of the action for a BBC drama series Vanity Fair.
Philip Glenister, Nathaniel Parker and Natasha Little were among the stars who could be seen filming at locations such as Cheltenham's Pittville Pump Room, Oxford Street, Priory Terrace (as London's fashionable Fulham) and Cheltenham Town Hall (for the grand ball in Brussels), as well as Gloucester Docks which became the Port of Madras.
In 1999, the beautiful scenery of the Cotswolds provided the backdrop to Forgotten, a TV adaptation of a modern psychological thriller about a woman's obsession in finding the man who killed her child 20 years earlier. The drama starred Amanda Burton and Paul McGann.
A number of pretty Cotswold villages featured as locations in the award-winning 1998 TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel Our Mutual Friend. The mini-series starred a number of household names including Stephen McGann, Keeley Hawes, Anna Friel and Timothy Spall. Among the period locations used were the neighbouring villages of Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, near Bourton-on-the-Water, and Eastleach, near Burford.
Woodchester Mansion, the unfinished 19th Century Gothic revival mansion house near Stroud, has featured in a number of TV productions.
Hidden in a secluded Cotswold valley, the Grade 1 listed mansion was mysteriously abandoned mid-construction in 1873.
In 1982 a programme in the BBC wildlife series Naturewatch, starring Julian Pettifer, was filmed in Woodchester Park.
Woodchester Mansion has also become a regular haunt for ghost hunters. The TV programme Most Haunted Live featured the house in 2003, and again in 2005. The building has also featured on the ghost hunting show Hauntings and in an episode of Ghost Hunters International.
In 2003, several scenes from an episode of ITV's Magick Eve concerning the Gothic subculture were filmed within the house along with a performance by the UK Goth band Cauda Pavonis.
The mansion played a starring role in the 2006 BBC production of Dracula, featuring David Suchet, when it was used as Dracula's dilapidated castle.
Another popular Gloucestershire location for TV and film crews is the 12th Century Berkeley Castle, on the southern edge of the Cotswolds.
Movies such as The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson have been filmed at the castle, along with TV dramas such as Robin of Sherwood and documentaries such as Princes in Waiting, Great Country Houses and Dead Famous.
In May 2014, camera crews were at Berkeley Castle to film a TV adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s historical novel Wolf Hall. Set in the 1500s, it is a fictionalised account of Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in the court of Henry VIII and is due to be screened on BBC Two in 2015. The six-part drama features Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Damian Lewis, star of the hit TV series Homeland, as Henry VIII.
Stanway House, Chastleton House, Gloucester Cathedral, Berkeley Castle and Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire were also used as period locations for Wolf Hall.
In 1998, the British TV series Berkeley Square was broadcast, having been filmed at various locations including two homes in the Cotswolds that have proved particularly popular with film-makers.
Set in 1902, the story focuses on three young women from very different backgrounds who are employed as nannies by wealthy families living on London's exclusive Berkeley Square.
Chavenage House, near Tetbury, and Stanway House, near Winchcombe, provided perfect locations for the 10-episode serial.
The following year, 1999, saw the release of another period TV drama serial featuring an all-star cast that had also been partially shot in the Cotswolds.
Wives and Daughters focuses on Molly Gibson, the only daughter of the town doctor living in a provincial English town in the 1830s, and the changes that occur in her life after her widowed father chooses to remarry.
The BBC's four-part serial featured Justine Waddell, Bill Paterson, Keeley Hawes, Rosamund Pike, Michael Gambon, Penelope Wilton and Ian Carmichael.
Two locations in South Gloucestershire were among those used for filming the drama - Dyrham Park, a baroque mansion in an ancient deer park, and the small market town of Marshfield.
The Bull Hotel in Fairford temporarily became the Griffin Hotel while shops in the pretty Cotswold town were converted with period displays for the filming of the 1987 TV period drama Wreath of Roses.
This adaptation of Elizabeth Taylor's disturbing novel saw Trevor Eve play a mentally unbalanced young poser, who draws the reluctant Joanna McCallum into a doomed relationship.
The Cotswold town of Tetbury provided the location for all external filming for the 1990s TV sitcom Grace and Favour, while primary filming was at nearby Chavenage House. The show was a spin-off from the hugely popular sitcom set in a department store Are You Being Served? which had ended in 1985.
Creators Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft reunited many of the staff of the defunct Grace Brothers - including Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, John Inman and Wendy Richard - to run a rural hotel. Twelve episodes of Grace and Favour were broadcast from January 1992 to February 1993.
Chavenage, the historic Elizabethan manor, is perhaps the Cotswolds location that has been used for filming more television and big screen productions than any other.
Pretty much unaltered for the last 400 years, Chavenage is probably best known as Candleford Manor in the popular TV series Larkrise to Candleford.
The manor house is also well known as being haunted and provided the setting for a host of spooky productions such as the Christmas TV ghost story The Ghost of Greville Lodge (2000) starring George Cole and Prunella Scales, and the 2006 TV film Dracula featuring Marc Warren and David Suchet.
Broadway Tower, the second highest point in the Cotswolds, has been featured in a number of television series including Interceptor, Sherlock Holmes and The Gemini Factor. Just a few miles from Broadway, the picturesque village of Stanton was another location used for filming a 1993 episode of the ITV series Sherlock Holmes series starring the late Jeremy Brett.
For a number of years in the 1980s, the motel used in the TV soap Crossroads was The Golden Valley Hotel in Cheltenham.
The popular soap, which ran on and off on ITV from 1964-2003, was set in a fictional motel in the Midlands, and became a byword for cheap production values. Despite this, the series regularly attracted huge audiences during this time, with ratings as high as 15 million viewers.
After the in-story destruction of the motel by fire, the revamped motel was filmed from 1982 for a few years at Cheltenham's Golden Valley Hotel (now the Thistle Hotel Cheltenham) which was felt to be the perfect location for the Crossroads Motel.
The hit TV sitcom Butterflies, written by Carla Lane and broadcast on BBC2 from 1978-83, was largely filmed in Cheltenham.
The show starred Wendy Craig as frustrated 'stay at home' housewife Ria Parkinson and Geoffrey Palmer as her reserved dentist husband, Ben.
Their youngest son, Adam, was played by a youthful Nicholas Lyndhurst.
Many of the exterior scenes were filmed in Cheltenham, including the High Street, Montpellier and Hatherley Park. Exterior shots for the Parkinson house were filmed at 30 Bournside Road in Up Hatherley, Cheltenham. Other Cheltenham locations featured included Pittville Park, Imperial Gardens, High Street, The Promenade and Montpellier.
Cheltenham was also chosen as the location to film many exterior shots for the classic 1970s sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.
The programme, which developed into a sitcom out of the novels by David Nobbs, starred Leonard Rossiter in the title role.
If followed the antics of Reggie Perrin, a middle-aged middle manager, who was driven to bizarre behaviour by the pointlessness of his job at Sunshine Desserts.
Cheltenham's historic clothing store The Famous featured in the BBC sitcom Next of Kin, starring Penelope Keith, William Gaunt and Ann Gosling, which ran from 1995-1997.
Several Cheltenham locations are used in the filming of the dark British comedy about a couple who become legal guardians of their three grandchildren whose parents are both killed in a car crash. The main house was in Tivoli Road, while St James' Primary School in Merestones Road, Cheltenham, and Beechwood Place in the High Street are also used.
The Famous store, which traded at 208 High Street for 126 years before relocating in 2013, also features in the show.
Three Up, Two Down, the British sitcom starring Michael Elphick and Angela Thorne as stubborn widows, included scenes filmed in Cheltenham. Elphick played Sam, a Cockney, while Thorne played Cheltenham-bred Daphne who had not forgiven her daughter for marrying Nick, a 'common' photographer. Both Sam and Daphne are widowed, and stubborn. The show ran for 25 episodes from 1985 to 1989, with the final episode simply entitled Cheltenham.
In 1988, Ronnie Barker's final TV series before he retired to Chipping Norton - the adventures of a short-sighted removal man - was filmed in Lansdown Crescent, Cheltenham.
Clarence, which was written by the legendary comedian under the pseudonym Bob Ferris, saw Barker play alongside Jane Travers (Josephine Tewson) in six half-hour episodes.
The Oxfordshire village of Bampton, a few miles south of Witney, is the location for the village scenes in Julian Fellowes' hugely popular TV drama Downton Abbey.
St Mary's Church in Bampton has hosted a number of dramatic 'Downton' events. Various cottages in the village have also been used as pubs, shops and the post office, while the old Grammar School building has served as 'Downton Hospital'.
Another of the most popular TV shows of recent years - the BBC series Sherlock - has been filmed at locations in Gloucestershire.
In 2014, the New Year's Day episode involved stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in a crucial scene that had been shot at The Daffodil restaurant in Cheltenham over two days the previous April. Staff at The Daffodil acted in the background as Sherlock (Cumberbatch) was reunited with Dr John Watson (Freeman) after the previous series had seen Sherlock seemingly plunge to his death from a London rooftop.
The final episode of the 2014 series of Sherlock featured the futuristic Swinhay House, near North Nibley, a couple of miles from Wotton-under-Edge. The spiral-designed house is the home of Sir David McMurtry, founder of the engineering firm Renishaw plc. The dramatic finale to the Sherlock episode saw the detective polish off fictional newspaper magnate Charles Magnussen at a stunning modern-day mansion.
Father Brown, the popular TV mystery drama set in the 1950s, is based in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford but uses a number of Cotswold locations for filming.
The show, which began airing on BBC One in 2013, stars Mark Williams as the eponymous crime-solving Roman Catholic priest. The parish church and vicarage of St Peter and St Paul in Blockley have been widely utilised, while filming has also taken place in Winchcombe, Upper Slaughter, Kemerton, Ilmington, Sudeley Castle and at Winchcombe railway station on the heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.
Brum, a little yellow car that was the star of a BBC children's TV programme, has his regular home at the Cotswold Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water.
In each episode of the show, Brum starts his day in the museum, then sneaks out to visit the "Big Town" (Birmingham) to find adventure, before returning home to the museum.
The TV programme, narrated by Toyah Wilcox and Tom Wright, ran for 78 10-minute episodes, which were broadcast between 1991 and 2002.
The 'super hero' model car used in the show is kept on display at the Cotswold Motoring Museum when not in use.
One of the Cotswolds' best known faces on television is that of Adam Henson who, when he is not running the Cotswold Farm Park, is helping to present the BBC's popular Sunday evening programme Countryfile.
Adam's father Joe Henson opened the farm park at Bemborough Farm, near Guiting Power, in 1971 when Adam was a small boy. In 1999, Henson junior took charge.
Adam, who was born in 1966, broke into television work in 2001 when he gained a presenting position on Countryfile. Since this time he has worked on programmes such as Countryfile Summer Diaries and Inside Out. Due to his extensive farming knowledge, he has also worked on BBC Radio 4’s On Your Farm and Farming Today, and co-presented Lambing Live with Kate Humble.
He now has a wider presenting portfolio, which has included BBC's Gardener's World Live in 2010 and in 2013 he starred alongside Nigel Slater on BBC's Nigel and Adam's Farm Kitchen.
The Henson family has a strong pedigree when it comes to appearing on TV. Adam's farmer father Joe Henson presented a countryside TV programme with Angela Rippon and Phil Drabble; while his actor uncle Nicky Henson has appeared in films and TV programmes including Fawlty Towers and Inspector Morse.
Adam's grandfather Leslie Henson was a music hall and musical comedy comedian and actor.
The Cotswold Farm Park has also provided animals for various productions, including the 1995 historical movie Braveheart starring Mel Gibson, Emma (1996) and TV shows including Time Team and David Attenborough's natural history programmes.
It seems that the beautiful Cotswolds will continue to be a popular place to film television programmes of all descriptions. February 2015 saw the UK premiere of The Casual Vacancy, a TV mini-series based on the novel of the same title by J. K. Rowling. The stellar cast includes Julia McKenzie, Rory Kinnear, Keeley Hawes and Michael Gambon. The plot centres on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village, but behind its pretty façade, is a town at war. Filming for the mini-series, which was also shown in the USA, took place in a number of Cotswold locations including Painswick, Northleach, Minchinhampton and Stroud.
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Which part of the former Soviet Union is sandwiched between the Ukraine and Romania? | Romania Is Starting to Freak Out About Russian Designs on Transnistria | VICE News
Romania Is Starting to Freak Out About Russian Designs on Transnistria
Photo via Flickr
By Torie Rose DeGhett
October 6, 2015 | 6:00 pm
Romania is taking dramatic steps to modernize its military. Driven by fears of Russian aggression, worries about older weaponry and equipment, and a not-completely-altruistic desire to protect neighboring Moldova, the government is committed to increasing its defense spending over the next decade.
A document recently obtained by the Romanian news site Profit.ro reveals that the government is planning to use a national emergency procedure that will allocate more state funds to domestic defense companies. The document argues that the country's lack of investment in its defense industry "could significantly injure the basic interests and security of the Romanian state." This is the same style of rhetoric used in spring 2014, when Romania canceled the debt of 15 defense companies to keep them out of bankruptcy.
In short, Romania wants to be ready should Russia attempt to repeat its shenanigans in Ukraine and Crimea on Romanian territory, in Moldova, or in Transnistria. Romania was former member of the Soviet bloc and now belongs to NATO. Moldova was formerly part of the USSR, but is not a NATO member. Separatists in Transnistria — an unrecognized breakaway republic that splintered from Moldova after the dissolution of the Soviet Union — are supported by Russia, and observers worry that the Kremlin might eventually annex the territory from Moldova as it did Crimea from Ukraine.
Russia "has resorted to force [in order] to redesign its borders and all these serious things are happening next to us that we can't ignore," Romanian President Klaus Iohannis declared earlier this year in Bucharest. "The respect we all have for our troops and the nice words we say at ceremonies can't compensate for the lack of equipment."
In order to safeguard itself against nearby political instabilities and the threat of Russian aggression, the country's parliamentary parties signed an agreement earlier this year to boost Romanian defense spending to two percent of its GDP by 2017 and maintain that percentage for the following decade. This was the first time since the fall of communism that Romanian parties came to an agreement on a defense issue.
Related: Could One of the World's Biggest Bank Scandals Be Good for Russia?
Because of rivalry and corruption, such consensus is rare in Romanian politics and quite tenuous, noted Dr. Aurel Braun, a professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto and research associate at Harvard's Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. Prime Minister Victor Ponta recently survived a no-confidence vote in parliament and, along with other members of both of Romania's major political parties, is in the middle of a corruption trial.
"If corruption erodes and corrodes military production and supply and associated activities, that can only weaken Romania's posture," said Braun. "So it is very essential for Romania to address issues of corruption to ensure that this very rare consensus on the need to increase military expenditure and make the military more effective is more operational. Rhetoric alone is not enough."
This surprising consensus signals just how worried Romania's government is.
"Romania is the [European Union] and NATO country which has the longest border with Ukraine, and it is also the country which is closest to Donbas and Crimea," said Paul Ivan, an analyst at the European Policy Center in Brussels. "So there are serious concerns regarding instability and insecurity in the region."
Romania's long northern border with Ukraine is interrupted by Moldova, a small country that is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. Moldova has been the site of several "soft power" moves on the part of Romania to counter Russian influence, such as establishing an ambulance service to serve the country and donating to the Moldovan educational system. This past August, on the 24th anniversary of Moldova's post-Soviet independence, Romania gifted its neighbor over $120 million in financial support.
Both countries speak Romanian and were briefly united from 1918 to 1940, until a Soviet ultimatum forced the Romanian administration and army to withdraw from Moldovan territory. Romania's overtures of support reflect its interest — at least rhetorically — in the possibility of reunification with Moldova.
"Cooperation between Romania and Moldova has increased, has improved, including in the military," said Ivan.
Moldova's contested Transnistria region is seen by some as a target of possible Russian annexation. The breakaway region — which ethnically is primarily Russian — has long asserted independence from Moldova, seceding in September 1990 as the Soviet Union crumbled and Moldovan nationalism rose. With Russian help, Transistrian separatists fought a war for independence that ended in June of 1992 with a ceasefire but not a resolution. The region has since been considered in a state of frozen conflict.
Related: What the Hell Is Transnistria, and Is Russia About to Invade It?
It may be that those living in Transnistria are engaging in wishful thinking in their hopes to be the second Crimea, but Moscow's bold international actions over the past two years have triggered a sense of fear and vulnerability within Moldova.
Moldova and Ukraine aren't the only regional areas of concern for Romania. The Black Sea is a site of possible tension as well. Since the annexation of Crimea, Russia now has control of a vastly larger portion of the Black Sea, gaining sovereignty over an estimated 36,000 square miles of maritime zone — more than double its previous holdings. This is thanks to the 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty, which grants coastal nations dominion over the watery territory (aka "exclusive economic zones") extending 200 nautical miles from their shores.
Russian and Romanian exclusive economic zones in the Black Sea, once separated by Ukrainian territorial claims, are now adjacent to one another. This, Braun observes, will put Russian and Romanian oil exploration excursions into close proximity with one another, creating yet another venue where things could get dicey between the two countries.
With all of this going on around them, small wonder that Romania is looking to up its defensive game. But unsurprisingly, Romania's recent actions have caused Russia to don cranky pants. NATO shows of force in Romania, such as the deployment of the Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system at the Deveselu base in southern Romania, have angered Moscow. In April, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman posted a statement accusing Romania of "being gradually turned into yet another US and NATO base near Russian borders."
Watch the VICE News documentary The Russians Are Coming: NATO's Frontier:
"If they like being targets because of the US rearmament system, that is their choice," threatened Yevgeny Lukyanov, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, in a statement to Interfax in June.
Regardless of such implied threats, Romania seems determined to modernize and boost its military capacity. For a country like Romania that has already struggled to come as far as it has, this will be a challenge. The country is one of Europe's poorest, and is only a quarter century on from the end of the oppressive dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu.
"We should never underestimate how tough it has been to make progress," Braun said.
The effects of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the separatist war in Ukraine's Donbas region continue to reverberate throughout the politics of Eastern Europe. Small wonder that Romania, which sees itself unnervingly close to regional instability, feels the need to generate a political consensus, amp up its defensive capabilities, and reestablish historical ties with Moldova. Insecurity and survival often make for strange bedfellows.
Follow Torie Rose DeGhett on Twitter: @trdeghett
| Moldova |
"Whom did 'Sherlock Holmes' describe as ""The Napoleon of crime""?" | Post-Soviet Transnistria’s Soccer Team Dominates Moldovan League - The New York Times
The New York Times
Soccer |In Sliver of Old U.S.S.R., Hot Soccer Team Is Virtual State Secret
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In Sliver of Old U.S.S.R., Hot Soccer Team Is Virtual State Secret
By JAMES MONTAGUE
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Marcel Metoua, center, a defender for F.C. Sheriff Tiraspol, before a match against Academia in Ghidighici, Moldova. F.C. Sheriff, of secretive Transnistria, dominates the Moldovan league. Credit James Montague for The New York Times
TIRASPOL, Moldova — It is a soccer club that few have heard of, from a corner of the former Soviet empire even fewer could easily locate: F.C. Sheriff Tiraspol, champions of Transnistria. The club was started by a former K.G.B. agent, and it plays in a place where smuggling is rampant and statues of Lenin still stand revered.
Its fans are a bawdy, often violent bunch. Its officials treat basic details of the club’s operations — even the recent successes that have brought it to the verge of joining Europe’s soccer elite — like classified material.
“With Transnistria, there is always secrets,” says Mihai Sitnic, a soccer journalist for Fotbal.md , a Web site in Moldova. “They don’t want anybody to know about this club. Everything is hidden.”
Back when the Soviet Union was collapsing, Transnistria, a tiny, secretive, 15-mile-wide self-declared republic, was fighting a war of independence with Moldova, a former part of the Soviet state between Ukraine to the east and Romania to the west. Transnistria, which leaned toward Russia, did not want to be part of the new Moldovan nation.
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That war ended in 1992 in a stalemate. Since then, Transnistria has followed its own Soviet-style path, leaving the enclave adrift from almost all of the rest of the world and firmly under the wing of the Russians, who maintain a military base here. It has its own border, currency (the Transnistrian ruble, virtually worthless outside the territory) and police. Its flag still bears the hammer and sickle.
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But somehow, soccer has managed to bridge these fault lines. Because Transnistria is recognized by virtually no one, including European soccer’s governing body, Sheriff begrudgingly plays in the Moldovan league, despite all the enmity. And maddeningly for Moldova, it keeps winning. Sheriff has won 11 of the last 12 Moldovan league titles.
When the Transnistrians show up at soccer games, it’s often not pretty. Sheriff fans scream “Russia! Russia!” and insult the Moldovans, who these days tend to look west toward Europe and away from Russia. But winning in the Moldovan league has given the team access to one of the biggest prizes in the soccer world — participation in the European Champions League.
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In recent weeks, Sheriff played a group of qualifying matches, hoping to reach the group stage of the Champions League, where it would be matched against European heavyweights like Barcelona and Chelsea. Sheriff fell short, losing to Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia. But is still competing in the Europa League, a second-tier but still prestigious competition, where it will play Thursday against the noted French team Olympique de Marseille.
Sheriff was formed in 1997 by Viktor Gushan, a former K.G.B. officer, and is embedded in the private economy in Transnistria. Its distinctive black-and-yellow sheriff’s badge can be found on everything from supermarkets to gas stations.
The money has helped Sheriff become the richest club in the Moldovan league, allowing it to scoop up talented young players in Africa and nearby Serbia. Its stadium is considered one of the best in Eastern Europe, a modern building with a training stadium next door and a hotel with accommodations that would not seem unfamiliar to the best teams in Europe.
“I don’t like the pitch here,” Aleksandar Pesic, an under-21 Serbian international who recently signed for Sheriff, said before a recent game on a decrepit soccer field in the village of Ghidighici, three miles outside the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. “But you should see the pitch at Sheriff in Tiraspol. It’s perfect.”
The disparity in wealth was clear as the game proceeded. Sheriff beat the home team, Academia, 4-1, after bringing on two big-money foreign signings, one of them Pesic, who scored.
“I enjoy living there,” Sheriff’s Serbian coach, Milan Milanovic, who has since been fired, said coyly after the match, referring to Transnistria. “The facilities are great.” He added, “I think, in Europe, I have never seen such good places like this.”
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Beyond that, though, nobody wanted to talk about the club, from a nation where even 20 years after the war of independence with Moldova, phone calls between the two capitals do not connect, no matter that the team regularly crosses the border to play Moldovan teams.
“Every club in Europe wants to promote his product to the world, but when we call Sheriff, they won’t tell us anything,” said Sitnic, the Moldovan journalist.
Photo
Soviet images near F.C. Sheriff Tiraspol’s field in Transnistria, a self-declared republic. Credit James Montague for The New York Times
The few home supporters for Academia had long gone when the 30 fans of Sheriff left the stadium grounds singing their Russian songs. They boarded a new yellow-and-black bus for the journey back home.
Ask for an interview with Gushan, Sheriff’s guiding force, and you will be told it will not happen.
“I am sorry, but no one from the club will speak to you,” said Vadim Kolchev, the club’s friendly press attaché.
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Soviet-era suspicion and paranoia persist in the Transnistrian capital, where no one — not fans, players, or the man on the street — will talk on the record. Even the woman playing accordion near Lenin’s statue did not want to talk about life. Instead, she squeaked her musical box shut and sat looking the other way.
Gushan’s reticence might be explained by the slightest hint of change in Transnistria. In presidential elections last December, the incumbent, Igor Smirnov, a strongman who had been president since Transnistria’s declaration of independence in 1990, was voted out of office and replaced by Yevgeni Shevchuk, a young lawyer and possible reformer.
Gushan’s Sheriff monopoly had flourished under Smirnov. According to a 2010 United States Department of State report, “The company also effectively controlled the Obnovlenie (Renewal) Party, which held a majority of seats in the region’s legislature.”
But Renewal is also Shevchuk’s former party. According to the Transnistrian government’s Web site, Shevchuk was also once deputy director of Sheriff. But don’t try to sort all this out.
“We are speaking about the football, not about the money, not about the revenue,” Kolchev told reporters after Sheriff advanced to play Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League qualifier by defeating the Armenian team Ulisses before almost 10,000 home fans, many of them flying Russian flags.
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“We do not talk about money, about Transnistria or putting Transnistria on the map,” Kolchev said.
Correction: September 10, 2012
An article on Aug. 20 about F.C. Sheriff Tiraspol, a soccer club in the self-declared republic of Transnistria, referred incorrectly to President Yevgeni Shevchuk’s association with the Renewal party. He is a former member, not a current one. (He now belongs to the Revival party.)
Alina Totti contributed reporting from Chisinau, Moldova.
A version of this article appears in print on August 20, 2012, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: In Sliver of Old U.S.S.R., Hot Soccer Team Is Virtual State Secret. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe
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The largest natural lake in Wales is known locally as Llyn Tegid. What is its English name? | Welcome to Bala
Welcome to Bala
Welcome
Bala is located at the head of Llyn Tegid, its famous lake. It is an ideal location for touring both North and Mid Wales. The town has a range of interesting shops, inns, restaurants and a historical Town Walk. Bala is a historic market town and resides within the boundaries of Snowdonia National Park (designated an area of outstanding natural beauty). It is also within a one hour drive of the coastal regions and attractions. The area is famous for water-sport activities which centre around the lake and nearby rivers. Visiting the lake and seeing the amazing range of water craft is well worth the effort. Fishing is plentiful as are walking, cycling and other activities. A miniature steam railway is well worth the ride and accommodation offers value for money all year round.
Street Layout
The street layout, set up by Roger de Mortimer from Chirk Castle in the 14th Century (See history below), is marked out in square courts. Stryt Fawr, the main street, is wide and has shops along its length - it is where the original markets were held.
Two side lanes, Arenig Street and Plase Street were attached to the old Tomen. This being 'Tomen y Bala' a typical large Norman castle mound or "motte" which was located at one end of the town and is now accessible as a public garden. This is worth visiting as from the summit you can see wonderful views of Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala) and the mountains beyond .
Bala Lake
© Crown copyright (2013) Visit Wales
The Lake
The 'lake of the five parishes' Llyn Tegid is over four miles long and a mile wide at its widest and is the largest natural lake in Wales. It is home to a unique fish called the Gwyniad, considered to be a form of Herring and apparently a relic of the ice-age. Arrangements have been made to ensure its survival should there be a crisis in Llyn Tegid incidentally!
The lake's name comes from 'Tegid Foel' a character in the 'Mabinogi', a series of Welsh stories and legends from around the 6th Century in King Arthur's time.
History
Bala, a town steeped in history, was founded by Royal Charter around 1310 by Roger de Mortimer in order to tame the rebellious locals in the Penllyn District - Penllyn means 'top' or 'head' of the lake. It is interesting to note how these rebellious 'Quakers' came to be in the area. It was during Cromwell's interregnum (an interval when normal Government is suspended) that a Puritan priest from Wrexham named Morgan Llwyd, (Better know as 'Morgan Llwyd o Wynedd') became famous as author of prose and verse in both Welsh and English. He lived in Cynfal Fawr near Ffestiniog and during his journeys between his home and Wrexham would travel through Penllyn. He began preaching at a place known as Bodwenni (a large house between Bala and Llandderfel) and built up . a following in Penllyn.
His sermons stressed the importance of listening to the " light within ", " conscience " and the " canals God had lighted in men's souls etc". His death at the at the early age of 40 in 1659 was untimely and his congregation at Bodwenni found the teaching of the Quakers, with their faith in the " inner light " to be the natural faith to turn to after his death. Morgan Llwyd o Wynedd had a number of disciples and one 'John ap John', a native of Penycae near Rhiwabon (Ruabon) near Wrexham became the apostle of the Quakers in Wales. He was often found succouring the Quakers in Penllyn. This history moves on to link with early American history when several of these oppressed Quakers left the area of Bala & Penllyn to make a new life in America.
A local story goes that in 1804 a lady by the name of Mary Jones walked bare foot from Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala to collect a Bible - a journey of over 50 miles there and back. A famous local, Thomas Charles, had none left and took pity on Mary and gave her his own. Thomas Charles had helped to start the 'British and Foreign Bible Society' > Indeed, his grandson, David Charles, founded Coleg Y Bala in 1837. Another local, Michael D Jones, in 1865 sent out groups of Welsh people to Patagonia in South America where they eventually settled the area and to this day it retains its Welsh culture, connections and , language.
It is quite fascinating to consider this small town in Wales has influenced life in such far off places.
Local Industry
Many people in Bala made their living as 'knitters'. Nearly everyone knitted socks and gained their income by selling them in the popular market. Indeed their 'knitters market' helped make the name of Bala become well known further afield.
Today, industry is more varied with a decline in traditional farming and craftwork being replaced with more modern occupations such as tourism.
| Bala Lake |
'Devil's Apron', 'Purple Laver' and 'Thong Weed' are all types of what? | Water sports (4)
Bala Holiday Cottages and Apartments: An Active Retreat in a Peaceful Location
The charming market town of Bala offers a surprising range of activities. Bala holiday cottages suit the most active and most laid-back of guests, allowing all visitors to enjoy adrenaline-pumping activities and experience true relaxation in our 4*-5* Bala holiday cottages.
Bala itself is located on the northern banks of Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake in English), the biggest natural lake in the whole of Wales. It is a truly beautiful location. The village has a number of popular pubs and restaurants, many of which serve locally sourced home-cooked food. Interestingly, Bala has one of the biggest Welsh-speaking populations in the country, with 81% of Balarians speaking fluent Welsh.
Luxurious Bala Holiday Cottages
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The bulk of Kansas City lies in which US state? | Kansas City Maps and Orientation: Kansas City, Missouri - MO, USA
Kansas City Maps and Orientation
(Kansas City, Missouri - MO, USA)
Although Jefferson City may be the capital of Missouri, it is actually Kansas City that serves as the state's biggest city - by far. Located on the western side of Missouri and close to the border with Kansas (KS), this city actually lies within a number of adjoining counties, namely those of Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte.
Various main highways carve up the city and its surrounding suburbs, such as the Interstates I-35, I-70, I-435 and I-670, and also Highway US-71. Notable districts based around central Kansas City include the historical River Market, the 18th and Vine District and the Westport District, as well as the area surrounding the enormous Country Club Plaza precinct, which is known for its high concentration of eateries and shops around Broadway.
Smaller neighborhoods, residential areas and suburbs of Kansas City include those of Armour Hills, Blue Hills, Brookside, Hickman Mills, Kensington, Mount Hope, Pendleton Heights, Quality Hill, Riverview, Ruskin Heights, Shawnee Heights, Southmoreland, Squier Park, Union Hill, Ward Parkway and Westport, amongst others.
Maps and Orientation of the City
If you are keen to obtain a map or maps of Kansas City, then reliable bookstores are to be found on West 39th Street (Prospero's Books), West 47th Street and Northwest Prairie View Road (Barnes and Noble).
Alternatively, head to the Greater Kansas City Visitors Center on Main Street, which is roughly a block away from the city's Public Library and the recently revamped Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park.
Basehor - 24 miles / 39 km (40 minutes, west)
Blue Springs - 20 miles / 32 km (30 minutes, east)
Bonner Springs - 22 miles / 35 km (35 minutes, west)
Edwardsville - 16 miles / 26 km (25 minutes, west)
Gladstone - 9 miles / 14 km (15 minutes, north)
Independence - 14 miles / 23 km (25 minutes, east)
Leavenworth - 33 miles / 53 km (55 minutes, northwest)
Leawood - 13 miles / 21 km (22 minutes, south)
Lee's Summit - 24 miles / 39 km (40 minutes, southeast)
Lenexa - 15 miles / 24 km (25 minutes, southwest)
Olathe - 22 miles / 35 km (35 minutes, southwest)
Overland Park - 12 miles / 19 km (20 minutes, south)
Parkville - 10 miles / 16 km (15 minutes, northwest)
Raytown - 12 miles / 19 km (20 minutes, southeast)
Riverside - 7 miles / 11 km (12 minutes, north)
Shawnee - 11 miles / 18 km (20 minutes, southwest)
Weatherby Lake - 16 miles / 26 km (25 minutes, northwest)
Map of the United States
Map of Missouri
| Missouri River |
UNITA was founded in 1966 by Joseph Savimbi, its original aim being the independence of which country? | Postal Service Offers Job Opportunities in Kansas City Area
Postal Service Offers Job Opportunities in Kansas City Area
Temporary Clerks, Mailhandlers, Carriers and Career Auto Mechanics Needed
October 10, 2013
KANSAS CITY, MO — Kansas City area mail-sorting centers again are gearing up for the busy holiday mailing season by offering temporary employment at the Network Distribution Center, located at 4900 Speaker Rd. in Kansas City KS, and the Kansas City, MO Processing and Distribution Center, located at 1700 Cleveland Ave.
Approximately 300 temporary (casual) mail handler and temporary Postal Support Employee (PSE) Mail Processing clerk positions are available in the Kansas City area. These temporary appointments are for the period November 16 through January 11, 2014. The hourly wage is $10.50 for casual mailhandlers and $14.89 for PSE Mail Processing clerks, with varying shifts and days off. Mailhandlers and PSE clerks are expected to perform various duties, such as unloading tractor trailers and handling the distribution of mail in the USPS processing facilities.
The Postal Service also has 10 PSE Tractor-Trailer Operators (TTO) positions available in the Kansas City area. Tractor-trailer applicants must have a valid CDL Class A license and two years of general driving experience with at least one year full-time or equivalent of driving 7-ton trucks or buses of 16 passengers or more. A minimum of six months of the required total driving experience must be in a tractor-trailer. The hourly wage is $19.
There are six auto mechanic technician positions in the Kansas City area with an annual salary starting at $36,000. These are full-time career positions and have a benefits package. Applicants will be required to pass a written examination and a hands-on bench test.
USPS also is seeking City Letter Carrier Assistants (CCA) throughout the Mid-America District, which includes most of Missouri and the 660, 661, 662 and 667 ZIP Code areas in Kansas. The appointments are for 360 days with the possibility of additional appointments. The hourly wage is $15 and CCAs earn one hour of vacation pay for every 20 hours worked. A valid driver’s license and a good driving record are required. For any TTO, PSE, CCA or auto mechanic technician position, there is a requirement of a written examination through the Postal Service. These positions include limited benefits.
These job opportunities with the Postal Service earn competitive wages with an additional premium for hours worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., with varying hours of work per week.
Applications are being accepted from Preference Eligible Veterans and Non-Preference Eligible throughout the Mid-America District. First consideration will be given to all Preference Eligible Veterans. Those interested in working for the Postal Service may apply at www.usps.com , select “Careers” at the bottom of the page, click on “Search Jobs Online”, select “Missouri” or “Kansas”, click “Start”, then click on the link for the appropriate job.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
# # #
Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm .
A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office™ Boxes. The Postal Service™ receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com®, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, Oxford Strategic Consulting ranked the U.S. Postal Service number one in overall service performance of the posts in the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.
Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPS and at www.facebook.com/USPS .
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Made in 1981, which was Jimmy Cagney's last film, in which heplayed the part of a police commissioner? | Ragtime (1981) - IMDb
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A young black pianist becomes embroiled in the lives of an upper-class white family set among the racial tensions, infidelity, violence, and other nostalgic events in early 1900s New York City.
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E.L. Doctorow (based on the novel by), Michael Weller (screenplay)
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Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 13 nominations. See more awards »
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Storyline
The story runs in the 1910's New York. Coalhouse Walker Jr. is a black piano player. He has won fame and fortune playing with a jazz band. Some white men do not like this situation, and one day they assault him and spoil his brand new car. Walker tries by all means to get justice, without an answer... Written by Michel Rudoy <[email protected]>
Good Time ... Bad Time ... Ragtime See more »
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25 December 1981 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Robert Altman was replaced by Milos Forman as director of this project. See more »
Goofs
When Mandy Patinkin's character chases his wife's lover outside, the naked lover is seen pulling up his pants and we see a tan line of bikini briefs, which were not worn in that era. See more »
Quotes
Sarah : [about Coalhouse] He say one thing, and then he say another thing. And he make it all sound so good. It ain't nuthin' but talk, Ma'am. It ain't nuthin' but talk!
User Reviews
A Wonderful Panel of Racism, Intolerance, Violence, Greed and Hypocrisy, Showing the Formation of the American Society
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – See all my reviews
In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, many dramas cross in a wonderful panel, showing the formation of the American society. Evelyn Nesbit Thaw (Elizabeth McGovern) is the wife of a millionaire, and pivot of a crime committed by her jealous husband. Her mother-in-law is a hypocrite old lady, who convinces Evelyn to lie in court for money, to avoid her son to go to the electric chair. Evelyn commits perjury, but the mother-in-law does not pay her the promised amount. Mary Steenburgen is a correct woman, having a very moralist husband. Her brother (Brad Dourif) is honest and idealist. The family hires Sarah, a black and single mother, with her baby. The father is the pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Howard E. Rollins Jr.), who progresses in his career and comes back to Sarah, proposing her to get married with him. An incident with a group of racists makes him fighting for justice in a racist society. Rheinlander Waldo (James Cagney) is the chief of police, who is involved in the incident. This movie is another wonderful film of Milos Forman. Amazing the quantity of marvelous movies made by this fantastic director. The reconstitution of the period is magnificent. The cast is stunning. Elizabeth McGovern looks like a doll wearing those costumes. Her nude scene is also great. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): `Na Época do Ragtime' (`In the Age of the Ragtime')
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| Ragtime |
Which gas, composed of carbon and hydrogen, burns with an intensely brilliant flame, and is used extensively in welding? | James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. July 17, 1899(1899-07-17)[1]New York City, New York, U.S.
Died
March 30, 1986(1986-03-30) (aged 86)Stanford, New York, U.S.
Occupation
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James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.In his first performing role, he danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of the 1919 revue Every Sailor. He spent several years in vaudeville as a hoofer and comedian until his first major acting role in 1925. He secured several other roles, receiving good reviews before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. After rave reviews for his acting, Warners signed him for an initial $500 a week, three-week contract to reprise his role; this was quickly extended to a seven year contract.Cagney's seventh film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for its famous grapefruit scene, the film thrust Cagney into the spotlight, making him one of Warners' and Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1938, he received his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for 20 years in 1961, spending time on his farm before returning for a part in Ragtime mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke.Cagney walked out on Warners several times over his career, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. In 1935, he sued Warners for breach of contract and won; this marked one of the first times an actor had beaten a studio over a contract issue. He worked for an independent film company for a year while the suit was settled, and also established his own production company, Cagney Productions, in 1942 before returning to Warners again four years later. Jack Warner called him "The Professional Againster", in reference to Cagney’s refusal to be pushed around. Cagney also made numerous morale-boosting troop tours before and during World War II, and was President of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.
Early life
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Cagney was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. His biographers disagree as to the actual location: either on the corner of Avenue D and 8th Street or in a top floor apartment at 391 East Eighth. His father, James Sr. was, by the time of James Jr.'s birth an Irish American bartender and amateur boxer, though on Cagney's birth certificate his father is listed as a telegraphist. His mother, Carolyn Nelson, was half Irish, half Norwegian; her father was a Norwegian ship captain while her mother was Irish American. The family moved twice when he was still young, first to East 79th Street, and then to East 96th Street. Cagney was the second of seven children, two of whom died within months of birth; he himself had been very sick as a young child, so much so that his mother feared he would die before being baptized. He later attributed his sickness to the level of poverty in which they grew up.
The red-haired, blue-eyed Cagney graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1918, and attended Columbia College of Columbia University where he intended to major in art. He also took German and joined the Student Army Training Corps, but dropped out after one semester, returning home upon the death of his father during the 1918 flu pandemic.
He had a range of jobs early in his life, and gave all his earnings to the family: junior architect, copy boy for the New York Sun, book custodian at the New York Public Library, bellhop, draughtsman and a night doorman. Cagney believed in hard work, later stating: "It was good for me. I feel sorry for the kid who has too cushy a time of it. Suddenly he has to come to face-to-face with the realities of life without any mama or papa to do his thinking for him."
He started tap dancing as a boy (a skill that would eventually contribute to his Academy Award) and was nicknamed "Cellar-Door Cagney" after his habit of dancing on slanted cellar doors. He was a good street fighter, defending his older brother Harry, a medical student, against all comers when it was required. He engaged in amateur boxing, and was a runner-up in the New York State lightweight title. His coaches encouraged him to turn professional, but his mother would not allow it. He also played semi-professional baseball for a local team, and entertained dreams of playing in the Major Leagues.
His introduction to films was unusual; when visiting an aunt in Brooklyn who lived opposite Vitagraph Studios, Cagney would climb over the fence to watch the filming of John Bunny films. He became involved in amateur dramatics, starting as a scenery boy for a Chinese pantomime at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, one of the first settlement houses in the nation, where his brother, Harry, performed. He was initially content working behind the scenes and had no interest in performing. One night, however, Harry became ill, and although James was not an understudy, his photographic memory of rehearsals allowed him to stand in for his brother without making a single mistake. Afterward, he joined a number of companies as a performer in a variety of roles.
Early career (1919–1930)
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Cagney and Gloria Stuart in 1934's Here Comes the Navy. The movie was filmed on the ill-fated USS Arizona. Cagney's long film career would see him in Naval uniform on more than one occasion.
While working at Wanamaker's Department Store in 1919, Cagney learned (from a colleague who had seen him dance) of a role in the upcoming production Every Sailor. A war-time play in which the chorus is made up of servicemen dressed as women, it was originally titled Every Woman. Cagney auditioned for the role of a chorus-girl, despite considering it a waste of time; he only knew one dance step, the complicated Peabody, which he knew perfectly. This skill, however, was enough to convince the producers that he could dance, and he copied the other dancers' moves while waiting to go on. He did not find it odd to play a woman, nor was he embarrassed. He later recalled how he was able to shed his own natural shy persona when he stepped onto the stage: "For there I am not myself. I am not that fellow, Jim Cagney, at all. I certainly lost all consciousness of him when I put on skirts, wig, paint, powder, feathers and spangles."
Had Cagney's mother had her way, his stage career would have ended when he quit Every Sailor after two months; proud as she was of his performance, she preferred that he get an education. Cagney appreciated the $35 a week that he received from performing, which he called "a mountain of money for me in those worrisome days." In deference to his mother's worries, he got employment as a brokerage house runner. This did not stop him looking for more stage work, however, and he went on to successfully audition for a chorus part in Pitter Patter, for which he earned $55 a week—he sent $40 a week back to his mother. So strong was his habit of working more than one job at a time, he also worked as a dresser for one of the leads, portered the casts' luggage, and understudied for the lead. Among the chorus line performers was 16 year-old Frances Willard "Billie" Vernon, whom he would marry in 1922. The show began Cagney's 10 year association with vaudeville and Broadway. Cagney and his wife were among the early resident of Free Acres, a social experiment established by Bolton Hall in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.
Pitter Patter was not hugely successful, but it did well enough to run for 32 weeks, allowing Cagney to join the vaudeville circuit. He and Vernon toured separately with a number of different troupes, reuniting as Vernon and Nye to do simple comedy routines and musical numbers. The Nye was a rearrangement of the last syllable of Cagney's surname. One of the troupes that Cagney joined was Parker, Rand and Leach, taking over the latter position when Archie Leach—who would later change his name to Cary Grant—left.
After years of touring, performing and struggling to make money, Cagney and Vernon moved to Hawthorne, California in 1924. They moved there partly for Cagney to meet his new mother-in-law who had just moved there from Chicago, and partly to investigate breaking into the movies. Their train fares were paid for by a friend, the press officer of Pitter Patter who was also desperate to act. They were not very successful at first; the dance studio Cagney set up had few clients and folded, and he and Vernon toured the studios but garnered no interest. Eventually they borrowed some money and headed back to New York via Chicago and Milwaukee, enduring failure along the way when they attempted to make money on the stage.
Cagney secured his first significant non-dancing role in 1925. He played a young tough guy in the three act play Outside Looking In by Maxwell Anderson, earning $200 a week. As with Pitter Patter, Cagney went to the audition with little confidence of getting the part; he had had no experience with drama until this point. Cagney felt that he only got the role because he was one of only two red-headed performers in New York, and assumed he got it because his hair was more red than Alan Bunce's. Both the play and Cagney received good reviews; Life magazine wrote, "Mr. Cagney, in a less spectacular role [than his co-star] makes a few minutes silence during his mock-trial scene something that many a more established actor might watch with profit". Burns Mantle wrote that it "contained the most honest acting now to be seen in New York".
Following the show's four month run, Cagney went back to vaudeville for the next couple of years. He achieved varied success, but after appearing in Outside Looking In, the Cagneys were more financially secure. During this period, he met George M. Cohan, whom he would go on to portray in Yankee Doodle Dandy, though they never spoke.
Cagney secured the lead role in the 1926–27 season West End production of Broadway by George Abbott. The show's management insisted that he copy Broadway lead Lee Tracy's performance, despite Cagney's discomfort in doing so but the day before the show sailed for England, the management decided that Cagney should be replaced. This was a devastating turn of events for Cagney; apart from the logistical difficulties this presented—their luggage was in the hold of the ship and the couple had given up their apartment—he almost quit show business. As Billie recalled, "Jimmy said that it was all over. He made up his mind that he would get a job doing something else."
The Cagneys had run-of-the-play contracts—their contracts lasted as long as the play did: Billie was in the chorus line of the show, and with help from the Actors’ Equity Association, Cagney took up the understudy role to Tracy on the Broadway show, providing them with a desperately needed steady income. Cagney also established a dance school for professionals, then picked up another role in the play Women Go On Forever, directed by John Cromwell, that ran for four months. By the end of the run, Cagney was exhausted after acting and running the dance school.
He had built a reputation as an innovative teacher, and so when he was cast as the lead in Grand Street Follies of 1928 he was also appointed the choreographer. The show received rave reviews and was followed by Grand Street Follies of 1929. These roles led to a part in George Kelly's Maggie the Magnificent, a play generally not liked by the critics, although Cagney's performance was. Cagney saw this role (and Women Go on Forever) as significant because of the talent that directed them; he learned "what a director was for and what a director could do. They were directors who could play all the parts in the play better than the actors cast for them."
Warner Bros. (1930–1935)
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Cagney and Joan Blondell in Footlight Parade (1933)
Playing opposite Cagney in Maggie the Magnificent was Joan Blondell, who would star again with him a few months later in Marie Baumer's new play Penny Arcade. While the critics panned Penny Arcade, Cagney and Blondell were both highly praised. Al Jolson, sensing a potential film success, bought the rights for $20,000. He then sold the play to Warner Brothers, with the stipulation that Cagney and Blondell be cast in the film version. Retitled Sinners' Holiday, the film was released in 1930. Cagney was given a $500-a-week, three-week contract. In the film, he portrays Harry Delano, a tough guy who becomes a killer but generates sympathy because of his unfortunate upbringing. This role of the sympathetic "bad" guy would be a recurring character-type for Cagney throughout his career. During filming of Sinners' Holiday, he also demonstrated the stubbornness that would characterize his work demeanor. He later recalled an argument he had with director John Adolfi about a line: "There was a line in the show where I was supposed to be crying on my mother's breast... [The line] was 'I'm your baby, ain't I?' I refused to say it. Adolfi said 'I'm going to tell Zanuck.' I said 'I don't give a shit what you tell him, I'm not going to say that line'". They took the line out.
Despite this outburst, the studio liked him, and before his three-week contract was up—while the film was still shooting—they gave Cagney a three-week extension, which was followed by a full seven-year contract at $400 a week. The contract, however, allowed Warners to drop him at the end of any 40-week period, effectively guaranteeing him 40 weeks income, after which there would be no further guarantees. As when he was growing up, Cagney shared his income with his family.
With the good reviews that Cagney received, he immediately starred in another gangster role in The Doorway to Hell. The film was a financial hit, helping cement Cagney's growing reputation. He made four more movies before his breakthrough role.
Warner Brothers? succession of gangster movie hits, in particular Little Caesar with Edward G. Robinson, culminated with the 1931 film The Public Enemy. Due to the strong reviews in his short film career, Cagney was cast as nice-guy Matt Doyle, opposite Edward Woods' role of Tom Powers. However, after the initial rushes, the two were swapped. The film cost only $151,000 to make, but it became one of the first low budget films to gross $1 million.
Cagney received widespread praise for his role. The New York Herald Tribune described his performance as "the most ruthless, unsentimental appraisal of the meanness of a petty killer the cinema has yet devised." He received top billing after the film, but while he acknowledged the importance of the role to his career, he always disputed that it changed the way heroes and leading men were portrayed; he cited Clark Gable's slapping of Barbara Stanwyck six months earlier (in Night Nurse) as more important. Nevertheless, the scene in which Cagney smashes a grapefruit into Mae Clarke's face is viewed by many critics as a one of the most famous moments in movie history.
The scene itself was a very late addition, and who originally thought of the idea is a matter of debate; producer Darryl Zanuck claimed he thought of it in a script conference, Director William Wellman claimed that the idea came to him when he saw the grapefruit on the table during the shoot, and writers Glasmon and Bright claimed the scene was based on the real life of gangster Hymie Weiss, who threw an omelet into his girlfriend's face. Cagney himself usually cited the writers' version, but the fruit's victim, Clarke, agreed that it was Wellman's idea, saying "I'm sorry I ever agreed to do the grapefruit bit. I never dreamed it would be shown in the movie. Director Bill Wellman thought of the idea suddenly. It wasn't even written into the script.". However, according to Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the grapefruit scene was a practical joke that Cagney and costar Mae Clark decided to play on the crew while the cameras were rolling. Wellman liked it so much that he left it in the final film. TCM also notes that the scene made Clarke's ex-husband, Lew Brice, very happy. "He saw the film repeatedly just to see that scene, and was often shushed by angry patrons when his delighted laughter got too loud."
The impact of the scene was such that filmmakers have mimicked it many times throughout cinema history; the scene from The Big Heat in which Lee Marvin's character throws scalding coffee into the face of Gloria Grahame, and Richard Widmark pushing an old lady down a flight of stairs in Kiss of Death, were influenced by Cagney's portrayal of Tom Powers. Cagney himself was offered grapefruit in almost every restaurant he visited for years after, and Clarke claimed it virtually ruined her career due to typecasting.
Cagney's stubbornness was starting to become well known behind the scenes, not least after his refusal to join in a 100 percent participation charity drive that was being pushed by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Cagney did not object to donating money to charity, but rather to being forced to. Already he had acquired the nickname "The Professional Againster".
Warners was quick to combine its two rising gangster stars — Cagney and Robinson — for the 1931 film Smart Money. So keen was the studio to follow up the success of Robinson's Little Caesar that Cagney actual shot Smart Money (for which he received second billing) at the same time as The Public Enemy. As in The Public Enemy, Cagney was required to be physically violent to a woman on screen, a signal that Warners was keen to keep Cagney in the public eye; this time he slapped co-star Evalyn Knapp.
With the introduction of the United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, and particularly its edicts concerning on-screen violence, Warners decided to allow Cagney a change of pace. They cast him in the comedy Blonde Crazy, again opposite Blondell. As he completed filming, The Public Enemy was filling cinemas with all-night showings. Cagney began to compare his pay with his peers, thinking his contract allowed for salary adjustments based on the success of his films. Warners disagreed, however, and refused to a pay raise. The studio heads also insisted that Cagney continue promoting their films, even the ones he was not in, something he was opposed to. Cagney moved back to New York, leaving his apartment to his brother Bill to look after.
While Cagney was in New York, his brother, who had effectively become his agent, angled for a substantial pay rise and more personal freedom for his brother. Warners' hand was forced by the success of The Public Enemy and of Blonde Crazy, and they eventually offered Cagney an improved contract of $1000 a week. Cagney's first film upon returning from New York was 1932's Taxi!. The film is notable for not only being the first time that Cagney danced on screen, but it was also the last time he would allow himself to be shot at with live ammunition (a relatively common occurrence at the time, as blank cartridges and squibs were considered too expensive and hard to find to be used in most motion picture filming). He had experienced being shot at in The Public Enemy, but during filming for Taxi!, he was almost hit. In his opening scene, Cagney spoke fluent Yiddish, a language he picked up during his boyhood in New York City. The film was again praised by critics, and it was swiftly followed by The Crowd Roars and Winner Takes All.
Taxi! was the source of one of Cagney's most misquoted lines; he never actually said, "MMMmmm, you dirty rat!", a line commonly used by impressionists. The closest he got to it in the film was: "Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!"
Despite his success, Cagney was not satisfied with his contract. He wanted more money for his successful films, but he also offered to take a smaller salary should his star wane in the future. Warners refused, and so Cagney once again walked out. He was holding out for $4000 a week, the same amount as Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Kay Francis. Warners refused to cave in this time, and suspended Cagney. Cagney announced that he would do his next three pictures for free if Warners canceled the remaining five years on his contract. He also threatened to quit Hollywood and go back to Columbia University to follow his brothers into medicine. After six months of suspension, a deal was brokered by Frank Capra that gave the actor an improved salary of around $3000 a week, a guarantee of no more than four films a year, and top billing.
Having learned about the block-booking studio system that almost guaranteed them huge profits, Cagney was determined to spread the wealth. He would send money and goods to old friends from his neighborhood, though he did not generally make this known. His insistence on no more than four films a year was based on his having witnessed actors—even teenagers—regularly working 100 hours a week in order to turn out more films. This experience would also be an integral part of his involvement in the formation of the Screen Actors Guild, which came into existence in 1933.
Cagney returned to the studio and made Hard to Handle in 1933. This was followed by a steady stream of films, including the highly regarded Footlight Parade, which gave Cagney the chance to return to his song-and-dance roots. The film includes show-stopping scenes in the Busby Berkeley choreographed routines. His next notable film was 1934's Here Comes the Navy which paired him with Pat O'Brien for the first time; the two would continue to have a long friendship.
In 1935, Cagney was listed as one of the Top Ten Moneymakers in Hollywood for the first time, and was cast more frequently outside of gangster roles; he played a lawyer who joins the FBI in G-Men, and he also took on his first, and only, Shakespearean role, as Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Cagney's last movie in 1935 was Ceiling Zero, his third film with Pat O'Brien. Significantly, O'Brien received top billing, which was a clear breach of Cagney's contract. This, combined with the fact that Cagney had made five movies in 1934, again against his contract terms, forced him to bring legal proceedings against Warners for breach of contract. The dispute dragged on for several months. Cagney received calls from David Selznick and Sam Goldwyn, but neither felt in a position to offer him work while the dispute went on. Meanwhile, while being represented by his brother William in court, Cagney went back to New York to search for a country property where he could indulge in his passion for farming.
Independent years (1936–1937)
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Humphrey Bogart with Cagney and Jeffrey Lynn in The Roaring Twenties (1939), the last film Bogart and Cagney made together.
Cagney spent most of the next year on his farm, and only went back to work when Edward L. Alperson from Grand National Films, a newly established, independent studio, approached him to make movies at $100,000 a film and 10% of the profits. Cagney made two films for Grand National: Great Guy and Something to Sing About. He received good reviews for both, but overall the production quality was not up to Warner standards and the films did not do well. A third film was planned (Dynamite) but Grand National ran out of money.
The timing was fortunate for Cagney, as the courts decided the Warners lawsuit in Cagney's favor. He had done what many thought unthinkable in that he had taken on the studios and won. Not only did he win the suit, but Warners knew that he was still a star, and invited him back for a five-year, $150,000 a film deal, with no more than two films a year. Cagney would also have full say over what films he did and did not make. Additionally, William Cagney was guaranteed a deal as an assistant producer for the films his brother would star in.
Cagney had established the power of the walkout as keeping the studios to their word. He later explained his reasons, saying: "I walked out because I depended on the studio heads to keep their word on this, that or other promise, and when the promise was not kept, my only recourse was to deprive them of my services." Cagney himself acknowledged the importance of the walkout for other actors in breaking the dominance of the studio system. Normally when stars walked out, the time they were absent was added on to the end of their already long contract, as happened with Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis. Cagney, however, walked out and came back with an improved contract. Many in Hollywood watched the case closely for hints of how future contracts might be handled.
Artistically, the Grand National experiment was a success for Cagney, who was able to move away from his traditional Warners tough guy roles to more sympathetic characters. How far he could have experimented and developed can never be known, but certainly back in the Warners fold he was back playing tough guys.
Return to Warner Bros. (1938–1942)
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Cagney as George M. Cohan performing "The Yankee Doodle Boy" from Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Cagney's two films of 1938, Boy Meets Girl and Angels with Dirty Faces, both co-starred Pat O'Brien. The former saw Cagney in a comedy role, and received mixed reviews. Warners had allowed Cagney his change of pace, but was keen to get him back to playing tough guys, which was more lucrative. Ironically, the script for Angels was one that Cagney had hoped to do while with Grand National, but the studio had been unable to secure funding.
Cagney starred as Rocky Sullivan, a gangster fresh out of jail and looking for his former associate, played by Humphrey Bogart, who owes him money. Whilst revisiting his old haunts, he runs into his old friend Jerry Connolly who is now a priest looking after the Dead End Kids. The kids idolize Rocky, much to Connolly's concern. After a messy shoot-out, Sullivan is eventually captured by the police and sentenced to death by electric chair. Connolly pleads with Rocky to "turn yellow" on his way to the chair so that the Kids lose their respect for him, and hopefully avoid a life of crime. Sullivan refuses, but on his way to the chair he begs for his life. The film is ambiguous as to whether this cowardice is real or just for the Kids' benefit. Cagney himself refused to say, insisting he liked the ambiguity. The film is regarded by many as one of Cagney's finest, and garnered him an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for 1938. He lost to Spencer Tracy in Boys Town, a role which Cagney had been considered for, but lost out on due to his typecasting. Cagney did, however, win that year's New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor.
His earlier insistence on not filming with live ammunition proved to be a good decision; having been told while filming Angels with Dirty Faces that he would do a scene with real machine gun bullets, Cagney refused and insisted the shots be superimposed afterwards. As it turned out, a ricocheting bullet passed through exactly where his head would have been.
During his first year back at Warners, Cagney became the studio's highest earner, earning $324,000. He completed his first decade of movie-making in 1939 with The Roaring Twenties, his first film with Raoul Walsh, and his last with Bogart. It was also his last gangster film for ten years. Cagney again received good reviews; Graham Greene stated that "Mr. Cagney, of the bull-calf brow, is as always a superb and witty actor".The Roaring Twenties was the last film in which a character's violence was explained by poor upbringing, or their environment, as was the case in The Public Enemy. From that point on, violence was attached to mania, as in White Heat. In 1939, Cagney was second to only Gary Cooper in the national wage stakes, earning $368,333.
His next notable career role was playing George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy, a film Cagney himself "took great pride in" and considered his best. Producer Hal Wallis said that having seen Cohan in I'd Rather Be Right, he never considered anyone other than Cagney for the role. Cagney himself, on the other hand, insisted that Fred Astaire had been the first choice and turned it down.
Filming began the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the cast and crew worked in a "patriotic frenzy" as the US' early involvement in World War II gave the cast and crew a feeling that "they might be sending the last message from the free world", according to actress Rosemary DeCamp. Cohan was given a private showing of the film shortly before his death, and thanked Cagney "for a wonderful job". A paid première, with seats ranging from $25 to $25,000, raised $5,750,000 in war bonds for the US treasury.
Many critics of the time and since have declared it to be Cagney's best film, drawing parallels between Cohan and Cagney; they both began their careers in vaudeville, had years of struggle before reaching the peak of their profession, were surrounded with family and married early, and both had a wife who was happy to sit back while he went on to stardom. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards (winning three) and Cagney won Best Actor. In his acceptance speech, Cagney said: "I've always maintained that in this business, you're only as good as the other fellow thinks you are. It's nice to know that you people thought I did a good job. And don't forget that it was a good part, too."
Cagney had lost out on Boys Town to Spencer Tracy, and also lost the role of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in Knute Rockne, All American to his friend Pat O'Brien, both because of the hard-man image that Warners had developed for him. Cagney announced in March 1942 that he and brother William were setting up Cagney Productions to release films though United Artists.
Independent again (1942–1948)
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Free of Warners again, Cagney spent some time relaxing on his farm in Martha's Vineyard before volunteering to join the USO. He spent several weeks touring the US, entertaining troops with vaudeville routines and scenes from Yankee Doodle Dandy. In September 1942 he was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Almost a year after the creation of his new production company, Cagney Productions produced its first film, Johnny Come Lately, in March 1943. While the main studios were producing patriotic war movies, Cagney was determined to continue dispelling his tough guy image, so he produced a movie that was a "complete and exhilarating exposition of the Cagney 'alter-ego' on film". According to Cagney, the film "made money but it was no great winner", and reviews varied from excellent (Time) to poor (New York's PM).
Following the film's completion, Cagney went back to the USO and toured US military bases in the UK. He refused to do any interviews with the UK press, preferring to concentrate on rehearsals and performances. He gave several shows a day for the Army Signal Corps; called The American Cavalcade of Dance, the show consisted of a history of American dance, from the earliest days to Fred Astaire, and culminated with dances from Yankee Doodle Dandy.
The second movie Cagney's company produced was Blood on the Sun. Insisting on doing his own stunts, Cagney required judo training from expert Ken Kuniyuki and Jack Halloran, a former policeman. The Cagneys had hoped that an action film would appeal more to more audiences, but it fared worse at the box office than Johnny Come Lately. At this time, Cagney heard of young war hero Audie Murphy, who appeared on the front of Life magazine. Cagney thought that Murphy had the looks to be a movie star, and suggested that he come to Hollywood. Cagney felt, however, that Murphy could not act, and his contract was loaned out and then sold.
While negotiating the rights for their third independent film, Cagney starred in 20th Century Fox's 13 Rue Madeleine at $300,000 for two months of work. The film was a success, and Cagney was keen to begin production of his new project, an adaptation of William Saroyan's Broadway play The Time of Your Life. Saroyan himself loved the film, but it was a commercial disaster, costing the company half a million dollars to make, and audiences again struggled to accept Cagney out of tough guy roles.
Cagney Productions was in serious trouble; poor returns from the produced films, and a legal dispute with Sam Goldwyn Studio over a rental agreement forced Cagney back to Warners. He signed a distribution-production deal with the studio for the film White Heat, effectively making Cagney Productions a unit of Warner Brothers.
Back to Warner (1949–1955)
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Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
Cagney's portrayal of Cody Jarrett in the 1949 film White Heat is one of his most memorable. Cinema had changed in the ten years since Walsh last directed Cagney (in The Roaring Twenties), and the actor's portrayal of gangsters had also changed. Unlike Tom Powers in The Public Enemy, Jarrett is portrayed as a raging lunatic with little or no sympathetic qualities. In the 18 intervening years, Cagney's hair had begun to gray, and he developed a paunch for the first time. He was no longer a romantic commodity, and this was reflected in his portrayal of Jarrett. Cagney himself had the idea of playing Jarrett as psychotic; he later stated that "it was essentially a cheapie one-two-three-four kind of thing, so I suggested we make him nuts. It was agreed so we put in all those fits and headaches."
Cagney's closing lines of the film — "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" — was voted the 18th greatest movie line by the American Film Institute. Likewise, Jarrett's explosion of rage in prison on being told his mother's death is widely hailed as one of Cagney's most memorable performances. Some of the extras on set actually became terrified of the actor because of his violent portrayal. Cagney attributed the performance to his father's alcoholic rages that he had seen as a child, as well as someone that he had seen on a visit to a mental hospital.
The film was a critical success, though some critics wondered about the social impact of a character that they saw as sympathetic. Cagney was still struggling against his gangster typecasting. He said to a journalist, "It's what the people want me to do. Some day, though, I'd like to make another movie that kids could go and see." However, Warners, perhaps searching for another Yankee Doodle Dandy gave Cagney a musical for his next picture, 1950's The West Point Story with Doris Day, an actress he admired.
His next film, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, was another gangster movie, which was the first by Cagney Productions since its being acquired by Warners. While compared unfavorably to White Heat by critics, it was fairly successful at the box office, with $500,000 going straight to Cagney Productions' bankers to pay off their losses. Cagney Productions was not a great success, however, and in 1953, after William Cagney produced his last film, A Lion Is in the Streets, the company ended.
Cagney's next notable role was the 1955 film Love Me or Leave Me, and his third with Day. Cagney played Martin "Moe the Gimp" Snyder, a lame Jewish-American gangster from Chicago, a role Spencer Tracy turned down. Cagney described the script as "that extremely rare thing, the perfect script". When the film was released, Snyder reportedly asked how Cagney had so accurately copied his limp, but Cagney himself insisted he had not, having made it up based on personal observation of other people when they limped: "What I did was very simple. I just slapped my foot down as I turned it out while walking. That's all".
His performance earned him another Best Actor Academy Award nomination, 17 years after his first. Reviews were strong, and the film is considered to be one of the best of his later career. In Day he had found a co-star he could build a rapport with such as he had had with Blondell at the start of his career. Day herself was full of praise for Cagney, stating that he was "the most professional actor I've ever known. He was always 'real'. I simply forgot we were making a picture. His eyes would actually fill up when we were working on a tender scene. And you never needed drops to make your eyes shine when Jimmy was on the set."
Cagney's next film was Mister Roberts, directed by John Ford and slated to star Spencer Tracy. It was Tracy's involvement that ensured that Cagney accepted the supporting role, although in the end Tracy did not take part. Cagney had worked with Ford before on What Price Glory?, and they had got on fairly well. However, as soon as Ford met Cagney at the airport, the director warned that they would "tangle asses", which caught Cagney by surprise. He later said: "I would have kicked his brains out. He was so goddamned mean to everybody. He was truly a nasty old man." The next day, Cagney was slightly late on set, and Ford became incensed. Cagney cut short the imminent tirade, saying "When I started this picture, you said that we would tangle asses before this was over. I'm ready now – are you?" Ford walked away and he and Cagney had no more problems, even if he never particularly liked Ford.
Cagney's skill at noticing tiny details in other actor's performances reappeared during the shooting of Mister Roberts. When watching the Kraft Music Hall anthology television show some months before, Cagney had noticed Jack Lemmon performing left-handed. The first thing that Cagney asked Lemmon when they met was if he was still using his left hand. Lemmon was shocked; he had done it on a whim, and thought no-one else had noticed. He said of his costar, "his powers of observation must be absolutely incredible, in addition to the fact that he remembered it. I was very flattered."
The film was a success, securing three Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Sound Recording and Best Supporting Actor for Lemmon, who won. While Cagney was not nominated, he had thoroughly enjoyed the production. Filming on Midway Island and in a more minor role meant that he had time to relax and engage in his hobby of painting. He also drew caricatures of the cast and crew.
Later career (1955–1961)
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Cagney worked with MGM on the Western film Tribute to a Bad Man, a role that had originally been written for Spencer Tracy. He received praise for his performance, and the studio liked his work enough to offer him These Wilder Years with Barbara Stanwyck. The two stars got on well; they had both previously worked in vaudeville, and they entertained the cast and crew off-screen by singing and dancing.
In 1956, Cagney undertook one of his very rare television roles, starring in Robert Montgomery's Soldiers From the War Returning. This was a favor to Montgomery, who needed a strong fall season opener to stop the network from dropping his series. Cagney's appearance ensured that it was a success. The actor made it clear to reporters afterwards that television was not his medium: "I do enough work in movies. This is a high-tension business. I have tremendous admiration for the people who go through this sort of thing every week, but it's not for me."
The following year Cagney appeared in Man of a Thousand Faces, in which he played Lon Chaney. His performance received excellent reviews, with the New York Journal American rating it one of his best performances, and the film, made for Universal, was a box office hit. Again, Cagney's skills of mimicry, combined with a physical similarity to Chaney, allowed him to generate empathy for his character.
Later In 1957, Cagney ventured behind the camera for the first (and only) time to direct Short Cut to Hell, a remake of the 1941 Alan Ladd film This Gun for Hire, which in turn was based on the Graham Greene novel A Gun for Sale. Cagney had long been told by friends that he would be an excellent director, so when he was approached by his friend producer A. C. Lyles, he instinctively said yes. He refused all offers of payment, saying he was an actor, not a director. The film was low budget, and shot quickly. As Cagney recalled: "We shot it in twenty days, and that was long enough for me. I find directing a bore, I have no desire to tell other people their business".
In 1959, Cagney played a labor leader in what proved to be his final musical, Never Steal Anything Small, which featured a comical song and dance duet with Cara Williams, who played his girlfriend.
Cagney's next film was over a year later, in 1959, when he traveled to Ireland to film Shake Hands with the Devil, directed by Michael Anderson. While in Ireland, Cagney had hoped to spend some time tracing his ancestry, but time constraints and poor weather meant that he was unable to fulfil this wish. The overriding message of violence inevitably leading to violence attracted Cagney to the role of an Irish Republican Army commander, and resulted in what some critics would regard as the finest performance of his final years.
Cagney's career began winding down, and he made only one film in 1960, the critically acclaimed The Gallant Hours in which he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. The film, although set during the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, was not a war film but instead focused on the effect of command. Cagney Productions, which shared the production credit with Robert Montgomery's company, made a brief return in name only. The film was a success, and The New York Times' Bosley Crowther singled its star out for praise: "It is Mr. Cagney's performance, controlled to the last detail, that gives life and strong, heroic stature to the principal figure in the film. There is no braggadocio in it, no straining for bold or sharp effects. It is one of the quietest, most reflective, subtlest jobs that Mr. Cagney has ever done."
Cagney's penultimate film was a comedy. He was hand-picked by Billy Wilder to play a Coca-Cola executive in the film One, Two, Three. Cagney had concerns with the script, remembering back 23 years to Boy Meets Girl where scenes were re-shot to make them funnier by speeding up the pacing with the opposite effect. Cagney received assurances from Wilder that the script was balanced. Filming did not go well, though, with one scene requiring 50 takes, something Cagney was unaccustomed to. In fact, the filming was one of the worst experiences of Cagney's long career. One of the few positive outcomes was his friendship with Pamela Tiffin, to whom he gave acting guidance, including the secret that he'd learned over his career: "You walk in, plant yourself squarely on both feet, look the other fella in the eye, and tell the truth."
During the filming of One, Two, Three, for the first time in his career, Cagney considered walking out of a film before completion. He felt he had worked too many years inside studios, and combined with a visit to Dachau concentration camp during filming, he decided that he'd had enough, and retired.
Retirement and death (1961–1986)
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Cagney remained in retirement for twenty years, conjuring up images of Jack Warner every time he was tempted to return, which soon dispelled the notion. After he had turned down the offer to play Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady, he found it easier to rebuff others, including a part in The Godfather Part II. He made few public appearances, preferring to spend the winters in Los Angeles, and the summers either at his Martha's Vineyard farm, or at Verney Farms in New York. When in New York, he and Billie held numerous parties at the Silver Horn restaurant, where they got to know Marge Zimmermann, the proprietress.
Cagney was diagnosed with glaucoma and began taking eye-drops, but he continued to have problems with his vision. On Zimmerman's recommendation, he visited a different doctor, who identified that the glaucoma was a misdiagnosis, and that Cagney was actually diabetic. Zimmerman then took it upon herself to look after Cagney, preparing his meals to reduce his blood triglyceride level which had reached alarming proportions. Such was her success, that by the time Cagney made a rare public appearance at his AFI Lifetime Achievement award ceremony in 1974 he had lost 20 pounds and his vision had drastically improved.
Opened by Charlton Heston and introduced by Frank Sinatra, the ceremony was attended by so many Hollywood stars—said to be more than for any event in history—that one columnist wrote at the time that a bomb in the dining room would have brought about the end of the movie industry. During his acceptance speech, Cagney lightly chastised impressionist Frank Gorshin, saying, "Oh, Frankie, I never said 'MMMMmmmm, you dirty rat!' What I actually said was 'Judy, Judy, Judy!'" which was itself one of Cary Grant's most famous misquotations.
Whilst at Coldwater Canyon in 1977, Cagney had a minor stroke. After two weeks in hospital, Zimmerman became his full-time caregiver, traveling with him and Billie wherever they went. After the stroke, Cagney was no longer able to undertake many of his favorite pastimes, including horse riding and dancing, and as he became more depressed, he even gave up his beloved hobby of painting. Encouraged by his wife and Zimmerman, Cagney accepted an offer from Miloš Forman to star in a small but pivotal role in the 1981 film Ragtime.
The film was shot mainly at Shepperton Studios in London, and on his arrival at Southampton after the trip on the Queen Elizabeth 2, Cagney was mobbed by hundreds of fans. Cunard officials, who were responsible for the security at the dock, said they had never seen anything like it, although they had experienced past visits by Marlon Brando and Robert Redford. Despite being his first film for twenty years, Cagney was immediately at ease. Flubbed lines and miscues were all done by his co-stars, many of whom were in awe of Cagney. Howard Rollins, who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance, said: "I was frightened to meet Mr. Cagney. I asked him how to die in front of camera. He said 'Just die!' It worked. Who would know more about dying than him?" Cagney also repeated the advice he had given to Pamela Tiffin, Joan Leslie and Lemmon.
As filming progressed, Cagney's sciatica worsened, but he continued the nine-week shoot, and reportedly stayed on the set after completing his scenes to help other actors with their dialogue. He and co-star Pat O'Brien appeared on the Parkinson talk show, and Cagney made a surprise appearance at the Queen Mother's command birthday performance at the London Palladium. His appearance on-stage prompted the Queen Mother to rise to her feet, the only time she did during the whole show, and she later broke protocol to go backstage to speak with Cagney directly. Cagney made a rare TV appearance in the lead role of the film Terrible Joe Moran in 1984 (where his dialogue had to be mostly overdubbed because of the effects of another stoke), before finally retiring completely.
Cagney died at his Dutchess County farm in Stanfordville, New York, on Easter Sunday 1986, of a heart attack. He is interred in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. His pallbearers included boxer Floyd Patterson, Mikhail Baryshnikov (who had hoped to play Cagney on Broadway), actor Ralph Bellamy and director Miloš Forman. His close friend President Ronald Reagan gave the eulogy at the funeral.
Personal life
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The crypt of James Cagney in Gate of Heaven Cemetery
On September 28, 1922, Cagney married dancer Frances Willard "Billie" Vernon with whom he remained for the rest of his life. They met on the chorus line of Pitter Patter. They adopted a son, James Cagney, Jr. in 1941, and then a daughter, Cathleen "Casey" Cagney. Cagney was a very private man, and while he was more than willing to give the press photographs when necessary, he generally spent his private time out of the public eye.
Cagney's son married Jill Lisbeth Inness in 1962. The couple had two children - James III and Cindy. Cagney Jr. died from a heart attack on January 27, 1984 in Washington D.C., two years before his adoptive father's death. He had become estranged from his father and had not seen or talked to him since 1982. Cagney's daughter Cathleen married Jack W. Thomas in 1962. She too was estranged from her father during the final years of his life. She died August 11, 2004.
As a young man, Cagney became interested in farming — an interest sparked by a soil conservation lecture he attended — and during his first walkout from Warners he found a 100-acre (0.40 km2) farm in Martha's Vineyard; owning a farm had long been a dream of his. Cagney loved that there were no concrete roads surrounding the property, only dirt tracks. The house was rather run-down and ramshackle, and Billie was initially reluctant to move in, but soon came to love the place as well. After being inundated by movie fans, Cagney sent out a rumor that he had hired a gunman for security. The ruse proved so successful that when Spencer Tracy came to visit his taxi driver refused to drive up to the house and said, "I hear they shoot!", which forced Tracy to walk.
In 1955, having shot three films, Cagney bought a 120-acre (0.49 km2) farm in Dutchess County, Stanfordville, New York, for $100,000. Cagney named the farm Verney Farm, taking the first syllable from Billie's maiden name and the second from his own surname. Cagney did not just live on the farm, but turned it into working order by selling some of the existing dairy cattle and replacing them with beef cattle. He expanded the farm over the years to a 750-acre (3.0 km2) site. Such was Cagney's enthusiasm for farming that when he was awarded an honorary degree from Rollins College. He surprised the staff by writing a paper on soil conservation, rather than just "turning up with Ava Gardner on my arm," as he put it.
Cagney loved horses since childhood, when he would sit on the horses of local delivery riders and ride horse-drawn streetcars with his mother. He raised horses on his farms, specializing in Morgans, a breed of which he was particularly fond.
Cagney was a keen sailor and owned boats on both the east and west coasts of the U.S., although he occasionally experienced seasickness—sometimes not being stricken in a heavy sea, but then being ill on a calm day. He also enjoyed painting, and claimed in his autobiography that he may have been happier as a painter than a movie star, if somewhat poorer. One of his teachers in later life was Sergei Bongart, who went on to own two of Cagney's paintings. Cagney refused to sell his paintings, considering himself an amateur. He signed and sold only one painting which Johnny Carson bought to benefit a charity.
Political views
In his autobiography, Cagney stated that as a young man he had no political views, since he was simply more concerned with where the next meal was coming from. Fanzines in the 1930s, however, described his politics as "radical". This somewhat exaggerated view was enhanced by his public contractual wranglings with Warners at the time, his joining of the Screen Actors Guild in 1933 and his involvement in the revolt against the so-called Merriam tax. During the 1934 Californian gubernatorial campaign this tax was levied by the studio heads automatically taking a day's pay of their biggest earning stars and would help raise half a million dollars for Frank Merriam. Cagney (and Jean Harlow) refused to pay.
He supported Thomas Mooney's defense fund, but was repelled by the behavior of some of Mooney's supporters at a rally. Around the same time, he gave money for a Spanish Republican Army ambulance during the Spanish Civil War, which he put down to being "a soft touch", and an action which enhanced his liberal reputation. He also became involved in a "liberal group...with a leftist slant", along with Ronald Reagan. However, when he and Reagan saw the direction the group was heading in, they resigned the same night.
Cagney was accused of being a Communist sympathizer in 1934 and again in 1940. The 1934 accusation stemmed from a letter from a local Communist official found by police alleging that Cagney would be bringing other Hollywood stars to meetings. Cagney denied this, and Lincoln Steffens, husband of the letter-writer, backed up this denial, asserting that the accusation stemmed solely from Cagney's donation to striking cotton workers in San Joaquin Valley. William Cagney claimed this donation to be the root of the 1940 charges. Cagney was cleared by U.S. Representative Martin Dies, Jr. on the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Cagney became President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1942 for a two year term. He took an active role in the Guild's work against the Mafia, which had taken an active interest in the movie industry. Having failed to scare Cagney and the Guild off — having on one occasion phoned Billie to tell her that Cagney was dead — Cagney alleged that they sent a hit man to kill him by dropping a heavy light onto his head. On hearing about the rumor of the hit, George Raft made a call, and the hit was canceled.
During World War II, he took part in racing exhibitions at the Roosevelt Raceway to raise war bonds. He also allowed the Army to practice maneuvers at his Martha's Vineyard farm, and sold seats for the premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy to raise money for war bonds. After the war, Cagney's politics started to change. Cagney had worked on Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential campaigns, including the 1940 presidential election against Wendell Willkie. However, by the time of the 1948 election, he had become disillusioned with Harry S. Truman, and voted for Thomas E. Dewey, his "first non-Democratic vote". By 1980, Cagney was contributing financially to the Republican Party, supporting his friend Reagan's bid for the Presidency in the Presidential election.
As he got older, he became more and more conservative, referring to himself in his autobiography as "arch-conservative". He regarded his move away from liberal politics as "a totally natural reaction once I began to see undisciplined elements in our country stimulating a breakdown of our system... Those functionless creatures, the hippies ... just didn't appear out of a vacuum."
Honors and legacy
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In 1974, Cagney received the Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute. Charlton Heston, in announcing that Cagney was to be awarded, called him "One of the most significant figures of a generation when American film was dominant, Cagney, that most American of actors, somehow communicated eloquently to audiences all over the world …and to actors as well."
He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1980, and in 1984 Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cagney was among Stanley Kubrick's favorite actors, and was declared by Orson Welles as "maybe the greatest actor to ever appear in front of a camera." Warner Brothers would arrange private screenings of Cagney films for Winston Churchill.
Filmography
| i don't know |
"Which bird, also known as the 'Mountain Cock', may be described as ""the largest of the grouse family"", and was extinct in Britain for most of the 19th century?" | Western Capercaillie - Tetrao urogallus - Details - Encyclopedia of Life
T. urogallus uralensis— Ural Mts. , western Siberia
The races show increasing amounts of white on the underparts of males from west to east, almost wholly black with only a few white spots underneath in western and central Europe to nearly pure white in Siberia, where the black-billed capercaillie occurs. Variation in females is much less. The native Scottish population, which became extinct between 1770 and 1785, was probably also a distinct race, though it was never formally described as such; the same is also likely of the extinct Irish population.
Hybrids[ edit ]
Western capercaillies are known to hybridise occasionally with black grouse (these hybrids being known by the German name Rackelhahn ) and the closely related black-billed capercaillie.
Cock singing during courting season, in Spanish Pyrenees
Male and female
Tetrao urogallus
Male and female western capercaillie—the cocks and the hens—can easily be differentiated by their size and colouration. The male bird (or cock) is much bigger than the female (or hen). It is one of the most sexual dimorphic in size of living bird species, dimorphism only exceed by the larger types of bustards and a select few members of the pheasant family. Cocks typically range from 74 to 85 cm (29 to 35 in) in length with wingspan of 90 to 125 cm (34–49 in) and an average weight of 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). [3] [4] [5] The largest wild cocks can attain a length of 100 cm (39 in) and weight of 6.7 kg (15 lb). [6] The largest specimen ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg. (15.9 lbs). The weight range of 75 wild cocks was found to range from 3.6 to 5.05 kg (7.9 to 11.1 lb). [5] The body feathers are coloured dark grey to dark brown, while the breast feathers are dark metallic green. The belly and undertail coverts vary from black to white depending on race (see below).
The hen is much smaller, weighing about half as much as the cock. The capercaillie hen's body from beak to tail is approximately 54–64 cm (21–25 in) long, the wingspan is 70 cm (28 in) and weighs 1.5–2.5 kg (3.3–5.5 lbs), with an average of 1.8 kg (4.0 lb). [5] Feathers on the upper parts are brown with black and silver barring, on the underside they are more light and buffish-yellow.
Both sexes have a white spot on the wing bow. They have feathered legs, especially in the cold season for protection against cold. Their toe rows of small, elongated horn tacks provide a snowshoe effect that led to the German family name "Rauhfußhühner", literally translated as "rough feet chickens".
These so-called "courting tacks" make a clear track in the snow in winter. Both sexes can be distinguished very easily by the size of their footprints.
There is a bright red spot of naked skin above each eye. In German hunters' language, these are the so-called "roses".
The small chicks resemble the hen in their cryptic colouration, which is a passive protection against predators. Additionally, they wear black crown feathers. At an age of about three months, in late summer, they moult gradually towards the adult plumage of cocks and hens. The eggs are about the same size and form as chicken eggs, but are more speckled with brown spots.
Distribution and habitat[ edit ]
Male capercaillie displaying
It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern parts of Europe and western and central Asia in mature conifer forests with diverse species composition and a relatively open canopy structure.
At one time it could be found in all the taiga forests of northern and northeastern Eurasia within the cold temperate latitudes and the coniferous forest belt in the mountain ranges of warm temperate Europe. The Scottish population became extinct , but has been reintroduced from the Swedish population; in Germany it is on the "Red list" as a species threatened by extinction, and is no longer found in the lower mountainous areas of Bavaria ; in the Bavarian Forest , the Black Forest and the Harz mountains numbers of surviving western capercaillie decline even under massive efforts to breed them in captivity and release them into the wild; in Switzerland , in the Swiss Alps , in the Jura , in the Austrian and Italian Alps . The species is extinct in Belgium . In Ireland it was common until the seventeenth century, but died out in the eighteenth. In Norway , Sweden , Finland , Russia and Romania populations are quite big, and it is quite a common bird to see in the forested regions of these countries.
The most serious threats to the species are habitat degradation, particularly conversion of diverse native forest into often single-species timber plantations , and to birds colliding with fences erected to keep deer out of young plantations. Increased numbers of small predators that prey on capercaillies (e.g. red fox ) due to the loss of large predators who control smaller carnivores (e.g. gray wolf , brown bear ) also cause problems in some areas.
Status and conservation[ edit ]
Foot prints of western capercaillie in Czech national nature reserve Kladské rašeliny
This species has an estimated range of 1–10 million square kilometers (0.38–3.8 million sq mi.) and a population of between 1.5 and 2 million individuals in Europe alone. There is some evidence of a population decline, but the species is not believed to approach the IUCN Red List thresholds of a population decline of more than 30% in ten years or three generations, and is therefore is evaluated as Least Concern. [1]
As reported by the Spanish researcher Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente in his "Fauna" series, the NW Spanish subspecies Tetrao urogallus cantabricus —an Ice Age remnant—was threatened in the 1960s by commercial gathering of holly fruit-bearing branches for sale as Christmas ornaments—a practice imported from Anglo-Saxon or Germanic countries.
In Scotland , the population has declined greatly since the 1960s because of deer fencing, predation and lack of suitable habitat ( Caledonian Forest ). The population plummeted from a high of 10,000 pairs in the 1960s to less than 1000 birds in 1999. It was even named as the bird most likely to become extinct in the UK by 2015. However, due to the hard work of the RSPB and other organisations it may now be making a modest recovery.
In mountainous skiing areas, poorly marked cables for ski-lifts have also contributed to mortality. Their effects can be mitigated by proper coloring, sighting and height alterations.
Behaviour and ecology[ edit ]
The western capercaillie is adapted to its original habitats—old coniferous forests with a rich interior structure and dense ground vegetation of Vaccinium species under a light canopy. They mainly feed on Vaccinium species, especially blueberry , find cover in young tree growth, and use the open spaces when flying. As habitat specialists, they hardly use any other forest types. Mammalian predators known to take capercaillie include Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and gray wolf (Canis lupus), although both prefer slightly larger prey. Meanwhile, pine martens (Martes martes), stone martens (Martes foina), brown bears (Ursus arctos), wild boars (Sus scrofa) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) take mostly eggs and chicks but can attack some adults if they manage to ambush the often weary birds. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] In Sweden , Western capercaillies are the primary prey of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). [12] Large numbers are also taken by northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis), including adults but usually young ones, and Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) will occasionally pick off a capercaillie of any age or size, but normally prefer mammalian foods. [13] [14] White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) are more likely to take water birds than upland-type birds, but have also been recorded preying on capercaillie around the White Sea . [15] In some areas, declines are due to excessive hunting, though game laws in many areas have stopped this. It has not been hunted in Scotland or Germany for over 30 years. Western capercaillies are not elegant fliers due to their body weight and short, rounded wings. While taking off they produce a sudden thundering noise that deters predators. Because of their body size and wing span they avoid young and dense forests when flying. While flying they rest in short gliding phases. Their feathers produce a whistling sound.
Western capercaillie, especially the hens with young chicks, require a set of particular resources which should occur as parts of a small-scaled patchy mosaic: these are food plants, small insects for the chicks, cover in dense young trees or high ground vegetation, old trees with horizontal branches for sleeping. These criteria are met best in old forest stands with spruce and pine, dense ground vegetation and local tree regrowth on dry slopes in southern to western expositions. These open stands allow flights downslope and the tree regrowth offers cover.
In the lowlands such forest structures developed over centuries by heavy exploitation, especially by the use of litter and grazing livestock . In the highlands and along the ridges of mountain areas in temperate Europe as well as in the taiga region from Fennoscandia to Siberia the boreal forests show this open structure due to the harsh climate, hence offering optimal habitats for capercaillie without human influence. Dense and young forests are avoided as there is neither cover nor food and flight of these large birds is greatly impaired.
Diet[ edit ]
The western capercaillie lives on a variety of food types, including buds, leaves, berries , insects , grasses and in the winter mostly conifer needles; you can see the food remains in their droppings, which are about 1 cm in diameter and 5–6 cm in length. Most of the year the droppings are of solid consistency, but with the ripening of blueberries , these dominate the diet and the faeces become formless and bluish-black.
The western capercaillie is a highly specialized herbivore , which feeds almost exclusively on blueberry leaves and berries along with some grass seeds and fresh shoots of sedges in summertime. The young chicks are dependent on protein -rich food in their first weeks and thus mainly prey on insects. Available insect supply is strongly influenced by weather—dry and warm conditions allow a fast growth of the chicks, cold and rainy weather leads to a high mortality among them.
During winter, when a high snow cover prevents access to ground vegetation, the western capercaillie spends almost day and night on trees, feeding now on coniferous needles of spruce , pine and fir as well as on buds from beech and rowan .
In order to digest this coarse winter food the birds need grit, small stones or gastroliths which they actively search for and devour. Together with their very muscular stomach , these gizzard stones function like a mill and break needles and buds into small particles. Additionally western capercaillie have two appendixes which grow very long in winter. With the aid of symbiotic bacteria , the plant material is digested there. During the short winter days the western capercaillie feeds almost constantly and produces a pellet nearly every 10 minutes.
The abundance of western capercaillie depends—like in most other species—on habitat quality, it is highest in sun-flooded open, old mixed forests with spruce, pine, fir and some beech with a rich ground cover of Vaccinium species.
Spring territories are about 25 hectares per bird. Comparable abundances are found in taiga forests. Thus, the western capercaillie never had particularly high densities, despite the legends that hunters like to speculate about. Adult cocks are strongly territorial and occupy a range of 50 to 60 hectares optimal habitat. Hen territories are about 40 hectares. The annual range can be several square kilometers (hundreds of hectares) when storms and heavy snowfall force the birds to winter at lower altitudes. Territories of cocks and hens may overlap.
Western capercaillie are diurnal game, i.e. their activity is limited to the daylight hours. They spend the night time in old trees with horizontal branches. These sleeping trees are used for several nights, they can be mapped easily as the ground under them is covered by pellets.
The hens are ground breeders and spend the night on the nest. As long as the young chicks cannot fly the hen spends the night with them in dense cover on the ground. During winter the hens rarely go down to the ground and most tracks in the snow are from cocks.
Courting and reproduction[ edit ]
Female in Bavarian Forest , Germany
Tetrao urogallus urogallus—eggs
The courting season of the western capercaillie starts according to spring weather progress, vegetation development and altitude between March and April and lasts until May or June. Three-quarters of this long courting season is mere territorial competition between neighbouring cocks or cocks on the same courting ground.
At the very beginning of dawn, the tree courting begins on a thick branch of a lookout tree. The cock postures himself with raised and fanned tail feathers, erect neck, beak pointed skywards, wings held out and drooped and starts his typical aria to impress the females. The typical song given in this display is a series of double-clicks like a dropping ping-pong ball, which gradually accelerate into a popping sound like a cork coming of a champagne bottle, which is followed by scraping sounds.
It is only towards the end of the courting season that the hens arrive on the courting grounds, also called leks , meaning play in Norwegian . Now the cocks continue courting on the ground, this is the main courting season.
The cock flies from his courting tree to an open space nearby and continues his display. The hens, ready to get mounted, crouch and utter a begging sound. If there is more than one cock on the lek, it is mainly the alpha-cock who copulates with the hens present. In this phase western capercaillies are most sensitive against disturbances and even single human observers may cause the hens to fly off and prevent copulation in this very short time span where they are ready for conception.
As traditionally known by hunters, on the other hand, cocks are particularly refractory to otherwise alarming signs during their courting display. This originated a well-known reference to the species in popular culture: in one of the famous films starring Romy Schneider , young Empress Sissi goes hunting with her father. When he pauses to shoot a male western capercaillie taking advantage of his apparent numbness, she manages to scare away the bird. This is used as a metaphor for the changes brought about by her womanhood: being herself in love, her newfound awareness of the associated sense of rapture enables her to empathize with the hapless bird (as a younger girl she would have been simply excited by the prospect of a fine hunting trophy).
There is a smaller courting peak in autumn, which serves to delineate the territories for the winter months and the next season.
About three days after copulation the hen starts laying eggs. Within 10 days the clutch is full, the average clutch size is eight eggs but may amount up to 12, rarely only four or five eggs. The subsequent breeding lasts about 26–28 days according to weather and altitude.
At the beginning of the breeding season the hens are very sensitive towards disturbances and leave the nest quickly. Towards the end they tolerate disturbances to a certain degree, crouch on their nest which is usually hidden under low branches of a young tree or a broken tree crown . As hatching nears hens sit tighter on the nest and will only flush from the nest if disturbed in very close proximity. Nesting hens rarely spend more than an hour a day off of the nest feeding and as such become somewhat constipated. The presence of a nest nearby is often indicated by distinctively enlarged and malformed droppings known as "clocker droppings". All eggs hatch in close proximity after which the hen and clutch abandon the nest where they are at their most vulnerable. Abandoned nests often contain "caeacal" droppings'; the discharge from the hens appendixes built up over the incubation period.
After hatching the chicks are dependent on getting warmed by the hen. Like all precocial birds the young are fully covered by down feathers at hatching but are not yet able to maintain their body temperature which is 41°C in birds. In cold and rainy weather the chicks need to get warmed by the hen every few minutes and all the night.
They seek food independently and prey mainly on insects, like butterfly caterpillars and pupae (there is a specialised butterfly species whose caterpillars develop only on Vaccinium myrtillus), ants , myriapodae , ground beetles and the like.
They grow rapidly and most of the energy intake is transformed into the protein of the flight musculature (the white flesh around the breast in chickens). At an age of 3–4 weeks they are able to perform their first short flights, from this time on they start to sleep in trees in warm nights. At an age of about 6 weeks they are fully able to maintain their body temperature. The down feathers have been moulted into the immature plumage and at an age of 3 months another moult brings them in their subadult plumage and now the two sexes can be easily distinguished.
From the beginning of September the families start to dissolve. First the young cocks disperse, then the young hens, both sexes may form loose foraging groups over the winter.
Etymology[ edit ]
The word capercaillie is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic capull coille, meaning "horse of the woods". The Scots spelling is capercailzie (the "z" letter representing a yogh ). [16] The current spelling was standardised by William Yarrell in 1843. [16] The species name, urogallus, comes from Modern Latin meaning mountain cock. [17]
Feathers as decoration[ edit ]
The Italian Bersaglieri light infantry regiments wear a distinctive wide brimmed hat decorated with black capercaillie feathers. Today they only wear the hat when in parade dress.
| Western capercaillie |
How many guns are fired in salute for the Queen's birthday? | Birds | Highland Strathearn
Highland Strathearn
BIRDS
In the beginning of our known world the hand of the creator gifted us with many varieties of birds. It is not known where, or when, live species actually evolved, but they must have come soon after the chaos created by the ice melt and tectonic plate activity. Ever since, birds have been an integral part of our lives. Their beauty, colour, plumage, dazzle, flying ability, flying patterns, and speed, make us feel insignificant. In our area of Scotland there was a plethora and today, as since time began, they appear at different times of the year.
We do not have room in this book to enumerate them. In these photographs I have described some with a thumbnail sketch. Readers may wish to add to this collection. It is a paucity compared to the vast number of different types. There are probably 300 to 400 different types of birds in our region. All of the following photographs were taken from the Wikipedia collection.
Golden Eagle–Aquila chrysaetos - this magnificent master of the skies nests high in Glen Lednock and over Loch Boltachan and to see one takes patience and no mean skill as a hill walker. My friend, Jim, once came across thirteen of them on the ground and regretted all his life that that was the one day he did not have his camera. They hunt over a wide swath of land looking for small rodents, snakes, rabbits and hares, and maybe even a young deer. Their eeries are always high up in the mountain side and very difficult to approach. They have huge talons. To see an eagle soaring on thermals is truly a gift. Sadly the only enemy they have is mankind who sometimes lays out poison for them.
Golden Eagle–Aquila chrysaetos
Hawks–there is a vast variety of birds called Hawks. Many are in several sub families. In our area they consist mainly of Kites and Kestrels–Falco tinninculus.
Kites and Kestrels–Falco tinninculus
Common Buzzards–Buteo Buteo
Peregrine Falcons–Falco Perigrinus – they can travel at 200 miles per hour!
Peregrine Falcons–Falco Perigrinus
Goshawks–Accippeter gentitlis – they became extinct in the 19th century but are being re-introduced. Hawking used to be the sport of kings and the nobility, and no self respecting scion of the day, would be seen without one on his or her arm. Originally they were used for hunting small game such as rabbits and hares, moles and voles.
Goshawks–Accippeter gentitlis
There are various types of owls in Strathearn
Tawny Owls–Strix Aluco
There are also Barn Owls–Tyto Alba. Like all owls they only come out at night. They are very short sighted and use sound to locate their prey. They are fast moving and deadly accurate.
Barn Owls–Tyto Alba.
Bats–They are a protected species. Human kind often thought they were associated with evil because they came out at night. In the late 19th century they were viewed as having Dracula-type characteristics. Human beings were very superstitious and many believed Bram Stoker’s book about them. My father read this book by the light of a flickering candle at his home in the Ross. Most people do not know that bats feed at dawn and dusk on small insects, with midges being a high target insect. Bats eat them by the thousands and anything that knocks off a midge is fine by me! Songs have been written about this flying insect.
Bat
Amongst the gang are the ever pleasant song birds of which the following are a few.
Skylark–Alanda arvensis–they hover about fifty feet of the ground and sing their glorious song to all below. They demand attention when in full throat and sometimes are so high up that one can only see a little speck in the sky.
Skylark–Alanda arvensis
Mavis–Turdus philomelos – sometimes known as a song thrush it is a member of the thrush family. In Burn’s beautiful song “Mary of Argyll” his opening lines are “I have heard the mavis singing, its love song in the morn” That really sums it up. Sadly Burn’s love, Highland Mary, died young. It is sometimes called a Song Thrush. The mavis winters in Ireland, and some go to Portugal. So do a lot of Scots!
Mavis–Turdus philomelos
House Sparrow–Passer domesticus. Thousands of them provide the Dawn Chorus, and to awaken to their sound, as the sparrows greet the new summer’s day, is to be transported to a different place. It was an overwhelming noise letting all know a new day had dawned. The cacophony is now sadly reduced due to the use of chemicals of one sort or another but still, when heard, allows one to stop and realize one’s smallness. The sparrow was immortalized by that late classic man, Duncan MacRae, when he sang at New Year “A wee cock sparra sat on a tree, a wee cock sparra sat on a tree, a wee cock sparra sat on a tree, chirpin awa’ as blithe as could be”. They are also known as “Speugs”, pronounced “Sp uugs).
Female Male
House Sparrows–Passer domesticus
Curlew–Numenius arquata – they nest on the ground and are waders in streams and at the side of rivers. They are also called “Whaups” and they have a wailing, bleating sound which is very distinct.
Curlew–Numenius arquata
Finches–Fringilla coelebs – this is Britain’s second most populous bird. There are numerous types of finch such as Bull Finch–Pyrrhula pyrrhula,
Finch–Fringilla coelebs
Gold Finch–Carduelis carduelis
Green Finch–Carduelis chloris
Capercaillie–Tetrao urogallus – sometimes known as the Wood Grouse the Capercaillie became extinct in the late 18th century. They were re-introduced from bird stocks in Sweden. They have a very distinctive Caw-Caw sound - the sound is much shriller than a Crow. One of my friends whilst trying to photograph one was bitten by it between the thumb and the fore finger and it took months to heal, so beware a close encounter. The capercaillie is the largest of the grouse family.
Capercaillie–Tetrao urogallus
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Which city in Uzbekistan was formerly Tamurlane's capital? | Uzbekistan Cities Map, Major Cities in Uzbekistan
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Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited,its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same.
The Central Asian Empire's education and trade have left behind their mark on the cities of Uzbekistan. These Uzbekistan Cities are beautiful places, steeped in history and royal grandeur.
The major cities in Uzbekistan are Samarkand, Bukhara, Tash kent, Khiva and Shakhrisabz.
Samarkand is one of the oldest Uzbek cities. This city was founded during the middle of the first century BC , formerly named as Marakanda and later known as Afrosiab. It was the capital of the powerful 'State God' - Emir Timur. Most of the monuments of Samarkand was build by Timur and his grandson Ulugbek.
Bukhara was established in the 8th century. Originally it was center of an expanding Islamic kingdom and gradually became the core region for trade and education center well known in Central Asia. Bukhara is replete with fine Islamic architecture.
Khiva is best known as a museum city. The age of this city is approximately 900 years. It developed as a modern city in the 19th century. This city has many scientific centers of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine since decades. The narrow streets with small courtyards through the wooden carved doors alongside are the unique features of the city.
Tashkent is probably the oldest city of Uzbekistan founded during the 1st century BC. First the Mongols and then the Timurids ruled Tashkent until the late 15th century. Today, Tashkent is the capital city of Uzbekistan.
Baysun is the historical city of Uzbekistan, which reflect the cultures of Greeks, Baktrians and Kushans. Armies of Chengiz Khan, Alexander the Great and Tamerlan passed through this city.
Other than these important cities, there are some regions in Uzbekistan that cannot be unnoticed for its beauty and splendor. Andijan, Baisun, Chirchiq, Denau, Fergana Valley, Karshi, Karakalpakistan and many more are also considered as Uzbekistan Cities.
| Samarkand |
Which parkland overlooking London lies at the southern end of Hampstead Heath? | Uzbekistan Time Line Chronological Timetable of Events - Worldatlas.com
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BC
(1st Century BC) Overland trade routes formed, including Great Silk Road, linking China with Middle East and Imperial Rome
600s AD - 1800s
(600 - 700) Arabs conquered area, converted inhabitants to Islam
(800 - 900) Persian Samanid Dynasty became dominant, Bukhara developed as important center for Islamic cultures
(1200 – 1300) Central Asia conquered by Genghis Khan, became part of Mongol empire
(1300's) Tamerlane, the Mongol-Turkic ruler, established empire, Samarkand became capital
(1865 - 1876) Russians took over Tashkent, incorporated vast areas of Central Asia
1900s
(1917) After Bolshevik revolution in Russia, Tashkent Soviet was established
(1918 - 1922) Communist rulers closed mosques, persecuted Muslim clergy
(1920) Emir of Bukhara and other khans were ousted by Tashkent Soviet
(1921 - 1924) Reorganization of regional states resulted in creation of Uzbekistan and other countries
(1944) Joseph Stalin deported over 160,000 Meskhetian Turks from Georgia to Uzbekistan
(1950's – 1980's) Major irrigation projects for cotton production aided the drying up of Aral Sea
(1954) Soviet Union established biological weapons test site on Vozrozhdeniye Island
(1966) Most of Tashkent was destroyed by earthquake, 10 killed, 1,000 injured, 100,000 left homeless
(1989) Islam Karimov became leader of Uzbek Communist Party
(1989) Attacks against Meskhetian Turks in Fergana Valley occurred
(1990) Communist Party of Uzbekistan declared sovereignty, Islam Karimov became president
(1991) Uzbekistan declared independence. After collapse of USSR, joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
(1991) Islam Karimov won presidential election
(1992) Birlik and Erk parties banned by President Karimov
(1992) Opposition members arrested for alleged anti-state activities
(1992) Uzbekistan adopted first constitution
(1994) Economic integration treaty signed with Russia
(1994) Economic, military and social cooperation treaties are signed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
(1995) Erk activists jailed for conspiring to overthrow the government
(1995) Ruling People's Democratic Party (formerly Communist Party of Uzbekistan) won general election, President Karimov's term extended for five years
(1996) Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan agreed to single economic market
(1999) More than a dozen people killed by bombs in Tashkent
(1999) Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) declared "jihad", demanded resignation of Uzbek leadership
(1999) IMU fighters began series of skirmishes with government forces from mountain hideouts
2000s
(2000) Karimov re-elected president
(2000) Uzbekistan accused of widespread use of torture by Human Rights Watch
(2001) Over 70 people jailed for terrorism after border incursions in the south by Islamic militants
(2001) IMU attacked government troops and TV transmitter in southern Uzbekistan,
2000s continued
(2001) Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) formed by Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China and Russia to promote trade, investments
(2001) U.S. granted permission by Uzbekistan to use air bases for action in Afghanistan
(2002) President Karimov won referendum to extend presidential term from five to seven years
(2002) Long-standing border dispute settled by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
(2003) Open congress held by banned Birlik party
(2003) Formal meeting held by Erk opposition party
(2003) Prime minister Otkir Sultanov ousted by President Karimov, Shavkay Mirziyayev replaced him
(2004) Nearly 50 people killed in shootings and bombings
(2004) Uzbekistan's aid was cut by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development due to poor record of economic development and human rights
(2004) U.S. and Israeli Embassies in Tashkent struck by suicide bombers
(2004) Thousands of people protested in Kokand due to restrictions on market traders
(2004) Agreement to share water resources signed by Uzbek and Turkmen presidents
(2005) Gunmen stormed prison, released inmates in Andijan
(2005) Troops opened fire on demonstrators in Andijan, over 190 killed
(2005) Upper house of Parliament voted to evict US forces from air base at Khanabad
(2005) Thousands of Uzbeks, waiting to flee across the border into Kyrgyzstan, stormed government buildings, torched police cars, attacked border guards
(2005) European Union imposed sanctions on Uzbekistan for punishment for refusing to allow international investigation into uprising in Andijon
(2007) Islam Karimov won another term in presidential elections
(2007) Kyrgyz journalist killed in Osh
(2008) US allowed limited access to southern Termez air base for operations in Afghanistan
(2009) U.S. troops allowed to transport supplies through Uzbekistan to troops in Afghanistan
(2009) European Union lifted sanctions imposed in 2005 despite concerns over human rights abuses
(2009) Uzbekistan set up new power lines, announced withdrawal from Soviet-era power grid
(2010) Uzbek refugees from Kyrgyzstan allowed brief stay in Uzbekistan
(2011) Uzbekistan government expelled Human Rights Watch employees from country
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After independence, who was the first Prime Minister of Uganda? | Uganda gains independence | South African History Online
South African History Online
Uganda gains independence
Tuesday, 9 October 1962
The East African country Uganda gained independence from Great Britain as a parliamentary democratic monarchy with traditional kingdoms Ankole, Buganda, Bunyoro and Toro receiving federal status and a degree of autonomy. Buganda, under the leadership of Sir Edward Mutesa, was the most powerful kingdom. Milton Obote the leader of the socialist Uganda People's Congress (UPC) became the first prime minister of the newly independent Uganda. In 1963 Uganda became the Republic of Uganda, with Mutesa II as first (largely ceremonial) president.
References:
| Milton Obote |
Who founded the retailer 'Habitat'? | Milton Obote - Prime Minister, President (non-U.S.) - Biography.com
Famous People Born in Uganda
Synopsis
Apollo Milton Obote was born December 28, 1925 in Lango, Uganda. He was elected to the Legislative Council, founded the Uganda People's Congress, and became leader of the opposition. At independence in 1962, he became the new nation's first prime minister. In 1966 he mounted a coup and made himself executive president.
Profile
Ugandan statesman, prime minister (1962–71), and president (1967–71, 1981–5), born in Lango, Uganda. He studied at Makerere College, Kampala, was elected to the Legislative Council (1957), founded the Uganda People's Congress (1960), and became leader of the opposition (1961–2). At independence in 1962 he became the new nation's first prime minister. In 1966 he mounted a coup, deposed King Mutesa II, declared a republic, and made himself executive president. In 1971 he was, in turn, deposed by Idi Amin, and took refuge in Tanzania. After Amin's removal in 1979, he was re-elected president in 1981. Ousted by Brigadier Basilio Okello in 1985, he was granted political asylum in Zambia.
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Which volcanic French island in the Indian Ocean has Saint Denis as its capital? | Volcanic eruptions diminish on Indian Ocean island | Reuters
Sun Apr 8, 2007 | 12:47 PM EDT
Volcanic eruptions diminish on Indian Ocean island
(Corrects to "much lower" from "much higher" in last paragraph)
SAINT-DENIS DE LA REUNION, France, April 8 A volcano on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion which has been spewing out lava and ash for nearly a week appeared to be calming down on Sunday, the local government said.
The Piton de la Fournaise volcano on the French island first erupted on Monday, sending lava 500 metres (more than 1,500 feet) into the air and creating spectacular clouds of steam from the sea.
The island's prefecture said the intensity of the eruptions had decreased over the last 48 hours and continued to do so on Sunday.
The lava flows cut off a road that passes the foot of the volcano and 200 families living in the village of Tremblet, 3 km (2 miles) from the lava flow, were on high alert after a brief evacuation on Friday.
The prefecture said a large part of the southeast of Reunion was covered with a thin layer of ash but tests showed that the level of sulphur dioxide in the air was much lower than the tolerable amount for people in fragile health.
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What is Cockney slang for a car? | Beaches of Réunion Island | Indian Ocean
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Reunion Island, a small country of the south east of the Indian Ocean, is an ideal choice for people who wish to spend their holidays far away from the towns of the northern hemisphere. The temperature there is warm and comfortable and the island has about thirty kilometers of beach. Here is a small description of the most popular beaches of Réunion Island .
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains
Saint-Gilles-les-Bains is the most popular beach resort of the island. There, you will find very beautiful white sandy beaches next to very high-quality hotels and comfortable apartments that are great for holidays with family and friends.
Roches-Noires Beach
Roches-Noires Beach, Réunion Island
Roches-Noires Beach is a white sandy beach that’s located at just a few meters from the center of Saint- Gilles. It’s also a well-known surfing spot of the region. Every year the citizens of the town burn Le Roi Dodo, the mascot of the local carnival called le Grand Boucan.
Hermitage Beach
Hermitage Beach, Saint-Gilles les Bains, Réunion Island.
Hermitage Beach is the only beach of the island to be protected by a coral reef. It’s a white sand beach that’s lined with casuarina trees under which the locals organize great picnics.
La Plage des Brisants.
A well-known surfing spot, la Plage des Brisants extends from the Port of Saint-Gilles up to Hermitage Beach. It is highly prized by athletic people: several Beach volley, tennis volley, beach football and beach rugby competitions are held there regularly. Each November, a film festival is also organized there. Movies are projected on a big screen in front of a large crowd.
The beach of Boucan Canot
Beach of Boucan Canot, réunion Island.
Another beach of the region is that of Boucan Canot. It extends from the town center of the commune of Saint-Paul up to Saint-Gilles-les Bains. It’s also a prized surfing spot among surfers.
The Beach of L’Etang-Salé
Beach of L’Etang Salé, Réunion Island
In the South-East of the island, you will find the beach of l’Etang-Salé. Its sand is of volcanic origin, so it will be black and tends to become very hot under the sun. Beachgoers are advised to protect their feet from the heat in summer.
The Beach of Saint-Pierre
Beach of Saint-Pierre, Réunion Island
The Beach of Saint-Pierre is located right in front of the commune of the same name. There, you will find green spaces, “Les Jardins de la Plage”, water games for children and walkways.
The beach of Grande Anse
Beach of Grande Anse, Réunion Island
The beach of Grande Anse is located in the region of Petite-Île. It’s a magnificent white sandy beach lined by coconut trees. It is quite popular with the locals and you will also find parking spaces, walkways, a French bowling alley and a picnic area.
Tremblet beach
Tremblet beach, Réunion Island
Finally, in the region of Saint-Philippe, you will find the Tremblet beach. It is a black sand beach that stretches over a distance of 280 meters. It is mostly known to be the youngest beach of the entire planet! As a matter of fact it only appeared in 2007 after a volcanic eruption, when the lava from Piton de la Fournaise poured into the ocean. Its beach has a green hue due to its olivine content. From time to time a lonely sea elephant, named Alan by the locals, can be seen there.
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In musical terminology, what is a 'Burletta'? | Music term: Burletta
Music Term: Burletta
Burletta
Definition and background:
an old-fashioned term for a light operatic comedy, or musical farce. it was popular in the late 18th and early 19th-centuries
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Name the detective in'The Mousetrap'? | Opera Terminology Glossary
Opera Terminology Glossary
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Use the search bar to look for terms in all glossaries, dictionaries, articles and other resources simultaneously
A
Acoustic enhancement
Acoustic enhancement is a subtle type of sound reinforcement system used to augment direct, reflected, or reverberant sound. While sound reinforcement systems are usually used to increase the sound level of the sound source (like a person speaking into a microphone, or musical instruments in a pop ensemble), acoustic enhancement systems are typically used to increase the acoustic energy in the venue. These systems are often associated with acoustic sound sources like a chamber orchestra, symphony orchestra, or opera, but have also found acceptance in a variety of applications and venues that include rehearsal rooms, recording facilities conference rooms, sound stages, sports arenas, and outdoor venues.
Aria
An aria (Italian for air; plural: arie or arias in common usage) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment. Perhaps the most common context for arias is opera, although there are many arias that form movements of oratorios and cantatas. Composers also wrote concert arias, which are not part of any larger work, such as "Ah perfido" by Beethoven, and a number of concert arias by Mozart, such as "Conservati fedele".
The aria first appeared in the 14th century when it signified a manner or style of singing or playing. Aria could also mean a melodic scheme (motif) or pattern for singing a poetic pattern, such as a sonnet. It was also attached to instrumental music, though this is no longer the case. Over time, arias evolved from simple melodies into a structured form. In the 17th century, the aria was written in ternary form (A–B–A); these arias were known as da capo arias. The aria later "invaded" the opera repertoire with its many sub-species (Aria cantabile, Aria agitata, Aria di bravura, and so on). By the mid-19th century, many operas became a sequence of arias, reducing the space left for recitative, while other operas (for instance those by Wagner) were entirely through-composed, with no section being readily identifiable as a self-contained aria.
Aria di sorbetto
The Aria di sorbetto, or "sherbet aria", was a convention of Italian opera in the early nineteenth century.
Arioso
In classical music, arioso is a style of solo opera singing between recitative and aria. Literally, arioso means airy. The term arose in the 16th century along with the aforementioned styles and monody. It is commonly confused with recitativo accompagnato.
Arioso is similar to recitative due to its unrestrained structure and inflexions, close to those of speech. It differs however in its rhythm. Arioso is similar to aria in its melodic form, both being closer to singing than recitative; however they differ in form, arioso generally not resorting to the process of repetition.
Azione teatrale
Azione teatrale (English theatrical action, plural azioni teatrali) is a genre of opera, popular in Italy in the late 17th and 18th centuries. It is also sometimes referred to as azione scenica, componimento dramatico or componimento da camera.
An azione teatrale was typically a one-act opera, or musical play, presented in a small, usually private or aristocratic theatre. As such it was an early form of chamber opera. The work was often historical or mythological in character. A similar, but larger scale work was called a festa teatrale.
B
Baritenor
Baritenor (also rendered in English language sources as bari-tenor or baritenore) is a musical term formed by a blend of the words "baritone" and "tenor". It is used to describe both baritone and tenor voices. In Webster's Third New International Dictionary it is defined as "a baritone singing voice with virtually a tenor range". However, the term was defined in several late 19th century and early 20th century music dictionaries, such as The American History and Encyclopedia of Music, as "a low tenor voice, almost barytone" .
Baritone
Baritone (or barytone) is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning 'deep (or heavy) sounding', music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second G below middle C to the G above middle C (G2 to G4) in operatic music, but can be extended at either end.
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E2–E4). Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef.
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice type. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer, Wotan/Der Wanderer in the Ring Cycle and Hans Sachs in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Wagner labelled these roles as Hoher Bass ("high bass") — see fach for more details.
The bass-baritone voice is distinguished by two attributes. First, it must be capable of singing comfortably in a baritonal tessitura. Secondly, however, it needs to have the ripely resonant lower range typically associated with the bass voice. For example, the role of Wotan in Die Walküre covers the range from F at the bottom of the bass clef to F# above middle C, but only infrequently descends beyond the C below middle C. Bass-baritones are typically divided into two separate categories: lyric bass-baritone and dramatic bass-baritone.
Bel canto
Bel canto (Bel-Canto) (Italian, "beautiful singing"), along with a number of similar constructions ("bellezze del canto"/"bell’arte del canto"), is an Italian opera term. It has several different meanings and is subject to a wide array of interpretations.
The earliest use of the term "bel canto" occurred in late 17th-century Italy, when it was applied to a sophisticated model of singing that was evolving there among practitioners of operatic and sacred music. The term did not become fairly widely used, however, until the middle of the next century, which was the heyday of opera seria, the static but technically challenging da capo aria, and the now-extinct castrato voice.
Breeches role
A breeches role (also pants role or trouser role, travesti or "hosenrolle") is a role in which an actress appears in male clothing (breeches being tight-fitting knee-length pants, the standard male garment at the time breeches roles were introduced). In opera it can also refer to any male character that is sung and acted by a female singer. Most often the character is an adolescent or a very young man, sung by a mezzo soprano or contralto, or, occasionally, a male countertenor.
Brindisi (music)
A brindisi is a song in which a company is exhorted to drink.
Burletta
A burletta (Italian, meaning little joke), also sometimes burla or burlettina, is a musical term generally denoting a brief comic Italian (or, later, English) opera. The term was used in the 18th century to denote the comic intermezzos between the acts of an opera seria, but was sometimes given to more extended works; Pergolesi's La serva padrona was designated a 'burletta' at its London premiere in 1750.
In England the term began to be used, in contrast to burlesque, for works that satirized opera but without using musical parody. Burlettas in English began to appear in the 1760s, the earliest identified being Midas by Kane O'Hara, first performed privately in 1760 near Belfast, and produced at Covent Garden in 1764. The form became debased when the term 'burletta' began to be used for English comic or ballad operas, as a way of evading the monopoly on opera in London belonging to Covent Garden and Drury Lane. After repeal of the 1737 Licensing Act in 1843, use of the term declined.
C
CNN opera
CNN opera is a somewhat deprecatory description of contemporary operas taking as themes news events; or of classical opera transposed to a contemporary setting. The name alludes to Cable News Network, CNN.
Cabaletta
Cabaletta describes the two-part musical form particularly favored for arias in 19th century Italian opera, and is more properly the name of the more animated section following the songlike cantabile. As its name ("cabal") implies, it often introduces a complication or intensification of emotion and/or plot, although the word itself derives from the Italian "cobola" (couplet).
The cabaletta formed as part of an evolution from early 19th century arias containing two contrasting sections at different tempi within a single structure into more elaborate arias with musically distinct movements. The term itself was first defined in 1826. It has a repetitive structure consisting of two stanzas followed by embellished variations. The cabaletta typically ends with a coda, often a very virtuosic one.
Cadenza
In music, a cadenza (from Italian: cadenza, meaning cadence) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display.
Cadenza often refers to a portion of a concerto in which the orchestra stops playing, leaving the soloist to play alone in free time (without a strict, regular pulse) and can be written or improvised, depending on what the composer specifies. This normally occurs near the end of the first movement, though it can be at any point in a concerto. An example is Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, where in the first five minutes a cadenza is used. It usually is the most elaborate and virtuosic part that the solo instrument plays during the whole piece. At the end of the cadenza, the orchestra re-enters, and generally finishes off the movement on their own, or, less often, with the solo instrument.
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" (Italian). It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with "cantando" (singing), and indicates a measured tempo and flexible, legato playing. For later composers, particularly in piano music, cantabile indicates the drawing out of one particular musical line against the accompaniment (compare counterpoint).
Castrato
A castrato (Italian, plural: castrati) is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.
Castration before puberty (or in its early stages) prevents a boy's larynx from being transformed by the normal physiological events of puberty. As a result, the vocal range of prepubescence (shared by both sexes) is largely retained, and the voice develops into adulthood in a unique way. Prepubescent castration for this purpose diminished greatly in the late 18th century and was made illegal in Italy in 1870.
Cavatina
Cavatina (Italian diminutive of cavata, the producing of tone from an instrument, plural cavatine) is a musical term, originally a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of the air. It is now frequently applied to a simple melodious air, as distinguished from a brilliant aria, recitative, et cetera, and often forms part of a large movement or scena in oratorio or opera.
One famous cavatina is Beethoven's 5th movement of his String Quartet No. 13. Another cavatina that became famous recently is "Cavatina" composed by Stanley Myers, used as the theme music in Michael Cimino's 1978 movie, The Deer Hunter. "Largo al factotum", from Gioachino Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia and "Se vuol ballare" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro are also cavatinas.
Chest voice
Chest voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regards to this term. Chest voice can be used in relation to the following:
A particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register
A vocal resonance area
A specific vocal timbre
Claque
Claque (French for "slap") is an organized body of professional applauders in French theatres and opera houses. Members of a claque are called claqueurs.
Hiring people to applaud dramatic performances was common in classical times. For example, when the emperor Nero acted, he had his performance greeted by an encomium chanted by five thousand of his soldiers.
Coloratura
Coloratura has several meanings. The word is originally from Italian, literally meaning "coloring", and derives from the Latin word colorare ("to color"). When used in English, the term specifically refers to elaborate melody, particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and 19th centuries, with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material. It is also now widely used to refer to passages of such music, operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, and singers of these roles.
Coloratura soprano
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano who specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice. Within the coloratura category, there are roles written specifically for lighter voices known as lyric coloraturas and others for larger voices known as dramatic coloraturas. Some roles may be sung by either voice. For example, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor was famously done at the Metropolitan Opera for many years by Lyric Coloratura Lily Pons, whose voice was quite small and light, but more recently the same role was sung by Ruth Ann Swenson whose voice is larger. Likewise, dramatic coloraturas have been extremely successful in singing the lighter roles. Categories within a certain voice range are determined by the size, weight and color of the voice.
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.
Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria. It quickly made its way to France, where it became opéra bouffon, and eventually, in the following century, French operetta, with Jacques Offenbach as its most accomplished practitioner.
The influence of the Italian and French forms spread to other parts of Europe. Many countries developed their own genres of comic opera, incorporating the Italian and French models along with their own musical traditions. Examples include Viennese operetta, German singspiel, Spanish zarzuela, Russian comic opera, English ballad opera, and Savoy Opera.
Comprimario
A Comprimario is a supporting role in an opera. Derived from the Italian "con primario", or "with the primary", the term refers to a performer who sings small role pieces.
Many singers began their careers as comprimario singers; some have made a career out of singing such parts. Among these latter are singers such as Anthony Laciura, Jean Kraft, Nico Castel and Charles Anthony of the Metropolitan Opera.
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes
Comédie mêlée d'ariettes (comedy mixed with brief arias) is a form of French opéra comique that developed in the mid 18th century following the Querelle des Bouffons dispute over the respective merits of the French and Italian styles, between serious drama and comedy in opera.
The best-known ones are Christoph Willibald Gluck's La rencontre imprévue, André Ernest Modeste Grétry's Zémire et Azor, Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny's Le déserteur and François-André Danican Philidor's Tom Jones. The form is particularly associated with the work of the librettist Louis Anseaume.
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C (F3 in scientific pitch notation) to the second G above middle C (G5), although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C (E3) or the second B♭ above middle C (B♭5).
Convenienze
Convenienze (Italian literally conveniences) were the rules relating to the ranking of singers (primo, secondo, comprimario) in 19th-century Italian opera, and the number of scenes, arias etc. that they were entitled to expect.
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or (less frequently) a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely the normal or modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble. This term is used exclusively in the context of the classical vocal tradition, although numerous popular music artists also prefer employing falsetto.
Coup de glotte
Coup de glotte or 'shock of the glottis' is a term used in the theory of singing technique to describe a particular method of emitting or opening a note by an abrupt physical mechanism of the glottis (the space between the vocal folds). During the 19th century there was disagreement among teachers and performers as to whether the technique should be taught as a normal part of vocal method or not. The technique is still sometimes used to achieve particular effects, dramatic or ornamental, but is usually avoided in the teaching of fundamental vocal method.
D
Da capo aria
The da capo aria was a musical form prevalent in the Baroque era. It was sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria was very common in the musical genres of opera and oratorio. According to Rendel, a number of Baroque composers (he lists Hasse, Handel, Porpora, Leo, and Vinci) composed more than a thousand da capo arias during their careers.
Diva
A diva (English pronunciation: /ˈdiːvə/, Italian: [ˈdiːva]) is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna".
The word entered the English language in the late 19th century. It is derived from the Italian noun diva, a female deity. The plural of the word in English is "divas"; in Italian, dive [ˈdiːve]. The basic sense of the term is "goddess", the feminine of the Latin word divus (Italian divo), a male deity. The word is thus distantly related to the Hindu term deva and the Zoroastrian concept of the daevas.
The male divo does exist in Italian and it is usually reserved for the most prominent leading tenors, like Enrico Caruso or Beniamino Gigli. The Italian term divismo describes the star making system in the film industry.
Divertissement
Divertissement (from the French 'diversion' or 'amusement') is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings.
During the 17th and 18th century, the term implied incidental aspects of an entertainment (usually involving singing and dancing) that might be inserted in an opera or ballet or other stage performance. In the operas of Lully these 'divertissements' were sometimes linked to the main plot, or performed at the close of the performance. (Similar examples during the 19th century include Charles Gounod's opera Faust and Delibes's ballet Coppélia.)
Dramatic soprano
A dramatic soprano or soprano robusto is an operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually (but not always) mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than other sopranos, and a darker timbre. They are often used for heroic, often long-suffering, tragic women of opera. Dramatic sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6). Some dramatic sopranos, sometimes known as 'Wagnerian sopranos', have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (of more than 80 or even 100 pieces). These voices are substantial, often denser in tone, extremely powerful and, ideally, evenly balanced throughout the vocal registers. 'Wagnerian sopranos' usually play mythic heroines. Such sopranos are rare and sometimes Wagnerian roles are performed by Italianate dramatic sopranos.
Dramma per musica
Dramma per musica (Italian, literally: play for music, plural: drammi per musica) is a term which was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the late-17th and mid-19th centuries. It was sometimes abbreviated to dramma.
A dramma per musica was thus originally (in Italy in the 17th century) a play specifically written for the purpose of being set to music, in other words a libretto for an opera, usually a serious opera. By extension, the term came to be used also for the opera or operas which were composed to the libretto, and a variation, dramma in musica, which emphasised the musical element, was sometimes preferred by composers.
Dramma giocoso
Dramma giocoso (Italian, literally: jocular drama; plural: drammi giocosi) is the name of a genre of opera common in the mid-18th century. The term is a contraction of "dramma giocoso per musica" and is essentially a description of the text rather than the opera as a whole. The genre developed in the Neapolitan opera tradition, mainly through the work of the playwright Carlo Goldoni in Venice. Characteristic of drammi giocosi is the technique of a grand buffo scene as a dramatic climax at the end of an act. Carlo Goldoni's texts always consisted of two long acts with extended finales, followed by a short third act.
Duodrama
A duodrama is a theatrical melodrama for two actors or singers, in which the spoken voice is used with a musical accompaniment for heightened dramatic effect. It was popular at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century.
Closely related to opera, the most famous example were the 1775 works Ariadne auf Naxos and Medea by Georg Benda. Mozart admired Benda's work and used similar techniques in Zaide (1780) and Thamos, König in Ägypten (c. 1773-1780). He considered writing a duodrama himself, to be called Semiramis. Beethoven's Fidelio (1805-1814) and Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz (1821) also contain duodramas. The style is also used in lieder and song.
E
Electronic libretto
The Electronic libretto system is used primarily in opera houses and is a device which presents translations of lyrics into an audience's language or transcribes lyrics that may be difficult to understand in the sung form.
Since 1983, projected Supertitles or surtitles have been commonly used in opera or other theatrical and musical performances and they have proven to be a commercial success in art forms such as opera which are generally performed in their original language.
En travesti
Travesti (literally "disguised") is a theatrical term referring to the portrayal of a character in an opera, play, or ballet by a performer of the opposite sex. Some sources regard 'travesti' as an Italian term, some as French. Depending on sources, the term may be given as travesty, travesti, or en travesti. The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English explains the origin of the latter term as "pseudo-French", although French sources from the mid-19th century have used the term, e.g. Bibliothèque musicale du Théâtre de l'opéra (1876), La revue des deux mondes (1868), and have continued the practice into the 21st century.
For social reasons, female roles were played by boys or men in many early forms of theatre, and travesti roles continued to be used in several types of context even after actresses became accepted on the stage. The popular British theatrical form of the pantomime traditionally contains a role for a "principal boy", a breeches role played by a young woman, and also one or more pantomime dames, female comic roles played by men. Similarly, in the formerly popular genre of Victorian burlesque, there were usually one or more breeches roles.
Entr'acte
Entr'acte is French for "between the acts" (German: Zwischenspiel, Italian: Intermezzo, Spanish: Intermedio). It can mean a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonymous to an intermission, but it more often indicates a piece of music (interlude) performed between acts of a theatrical production. In the case of stage musicals, the entr'acte serves as the overture of Act Two (and sometimes Acts Three and Four, as in the case of The Student Prince). In roadshow theatrical releases, films that were meant to be shown with an intermission, there was frequently a specially recorded entr'acte on the soundtrack between the first and second half of the film.
F
Fach
The German Fach (pl. Fächer, literally "compartment" or also "subject (of study)", here in the sense of "(vocal) specialization") system is a method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, according to the range, weight, and color of their voices. It is used world wide, but primarily in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries and by repertory opera houses.
The Fach system is a convenience for singers and opera houses. A singer who is identified as being of a certain Fach or voice type will usually be asked to sing only roles that belong to that Fach. This prevents a singer from being asked to sing roles which he or she is incapable of performing. Opera companies keep lists of available singers by Fach so that when they are casting roles for an upcoming production, they do not inadvertently contact performers who would be inappropriate for the part.
Below is a list of Fächer, their ranges as written on sheet music, and roles generally considered to appropriate to each. When two names for the Fach are given, the first is in more common use today. Where possible, an English equivalent of each Fach is listed; however, not all Fächer have ready English equivalents. Note that some roles can be sung by more than one Fach and that many singers do not easily fit into a Fach: for instance some sopranos may sing both Koloratursopran and Dramatischer Koloratursopran roles. In addition, roles traditionally more difficult to cast may be given to a voice other than the traditional Fach. For instance, the "Queen of the Night" is more traditionally a dramatic coloratura role, but it is difficult to find a dramatic coloratura to sing it (particularly given the extreme range). Therefore, the role is often sung by a lyric coloratura.
Falsetto
Falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part. Commonly cited in the context of singing, falsetto, a characteristic of phonation by both men and women, is also on speech pathology.
The falsetto voice—with its characteristic breathy, flute-like sound relatively free of overtones—is more limited than its modal counterpart in both dynamic variation and tone quality. The term falsetto is most often used in the context of singing to refer to a type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the vocal range of the normal or modal voice.
Falsettone
Falsettone is a term used in modern Italian musicology to describe an ancient vocal technique consisting of strengthening and amplifying falsetto’s white sounds, so as to utter the highest and brightest notes, which still sound rather piercing and quivering. The term falsettone is also used for the mixed vocal register which can be achieved using this technique.
Farsa
Farsa (Italian, literally: farce, plural: farse) is a genre of opera, associated with Venice in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is also sometimes called farsetta.
Farse were normally one-act operas, sometimes performed together with short ballets. Many of the recorded productions were at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice, often during Carnival. Musically they may have derived from the two-act dramma giocoso, although there were other influences, including the French comédie mêlée d'ariettes.
Few of the original 18th-century farse are now performed. The German composer Johann Simon Mayr, who lived in Northern Italy, wrote about 30 farse. Rossini wrote five examples: La cambiale di matrimonio (1810), L'inganno felice (1812), La scala di seta (1812), Il Signor Bruschino (1813), and Adina (1818). In addition, his L'occasione fa il ladro (1812), though called a Burletta per musica, is a farsa in all but name.
Fioritura
"Fioritura" is the name given to the flowery, embellished vocal line found in many arias from nineteenth-century opera. It is derived from the Italian fiore, meaning "flower".
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Género chico
Género chico (literally, "little genre") is a Spanish genre of short light musical plays. It is a subgenre of zarzuela, the Spanish operetta. It differs from zarzuela grande and most other opera forms both by being short and by aiming at a proletarian audience.
Gesamtkunstwerk
A Gesamtkunstwerk (translated as total work of art, ideal work of art, universal artwork, synthesis of the arts, comprehensive artwork, all-embracing art form, or total artwork) is a work of art that makes use of all or many art forms or strives to do so. The term is a German word which has come to be accepted in English as a term in aesthetics.
The term was first used by the German writer and philosopher K. F. E. Trahndorff in an essay in 1827. The German opera composer Richard Wagner used the term in an 1849 essay. It is unclear whether Wagner knew of Trahndorff's essay. The word has become particularly associated with Wagner's aesthetic ideals.
Grand Opera
Grand Opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events. The term is particularly applied to certain productions of the Paris Opéra from the late 1820s to around 1850, and has sometimes been used to designate the Paris Opéra itself, but is also used in a broader application in respect of contemporary or later works of similar monumental proportions from France, Germany, Italy and other European countries.
H
Haute-contre
The haute-contre is a rare type of high tenor voice, predominant in French Baroque and Classical opera until the latter part of the eighteenth century.
Head voice
Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regards to this term. Head voice can be used in relation to the following:
A particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register
A vocal resonance area
Heldentenor
A rich, dark, powerful and dramatic voice. As its name implies, the Heldentenor (English: heroic tenor) vocal fach features in the German romantic operatic repertoire. The Heldentenor is the German equivalent of the tenore drammatico, however with a more baritonal quality: the typical Wagnerian protagonist. The keystone of the heldentenor's repertoire is arguably Wagner's Siegfried, an extremely demanding role requiring a wide vocal range and great power, plus tremendous stamina and acting ability. Often the heldentenor is a baritone who has transitioned to this fach or tenors who have been misidentified as baritones. Therefore the heldentenor voice might or might not have facility up to high B or C. The repertoire, however, rarely calls for such high notes. A Heldentenor is sometimes less a true tenor than a baritone with an unusually strong top register. Lauritz Melchior epitomises the Heldentenor sound in this regard.
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Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo (Italian, plural: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term has had several different usages, which fit into two general categories: the opera intermezzo and the instrumental intermezzo.
Intermède
Intermède is a French term for a musical or theatrical performance involving song and dance, also an 18th-century opera genre.
The context in which the 'intermède' was performed has changed over time. During the 16th century they were court entertainments in which ballet was an important element. The intermède was sometimes given between the acts of spoken plays, especially in the 17th century when they were performed with the works of Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine.
During the 18th century, the term was used for the Italian genre of opera called intermezzo as performed in 18th-century France, either in the original language or in French translation (such as La servante maîtresse, the French version of Pergolesi's La serva padrona), but also for original French works of similar style in one or two acts, with or without spoken dialogue. During the course of the century, the intermède gradually disappeared as it was developed and transformed into the opéra comique.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, the term was occasionally used, usually anachronistically, by opera composers, but also as a term in relation to instrumental music.
K
Kammersänger
Kammersänger (or Kammersängerin for female singers), abbreviation: "Ks.", literally means "Chamber singer." It is a German honorific title for distinguished singers. Historically, the title was bestowed by princes or kings, when it was styled Hofkammersänger(in).
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Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato (literally meaning "tied together") indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence. Legato technique is required for slurred performance, but unlike slurring (as that term is interpreted for some instruments), legato does not forbid rearticulation. In standard notation legato is indicated either with the word legato itself, or by a slur (a curved line) under the notes that are to be joined in one legato group. Legato, like staccato, is a kind of articulation. There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non-legato.
Leitmotif
A leitmotif, sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term (though occasionally used in theatre or literature), referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe. The term itself comes from the German Leitmotiv, literally meaning "leading motif", or, perhaps more accurately, "guiding motif."
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata.
Libretto (pl. libretti), from Italian, is the diminutive of the word "libro" (book). A libretto is distinct from a synopsis or scenario of the plot, in that the libretto contains all the words and stage directions, while a synopsis summarizes the plot.
The relationship of the librettist (that is, the writer of a libretto) to the composer in the creation of a musical work has varied over the centuries, as have the sources and the writing techniques employed.
Literaturoper
Literaturoper (literature opera, plural Literaturopern) is opera with music composed for a pre-existing text, as opposed to an opera with a libretto written specifically for the work.
Although the term is German, the term can be used for any kind of opera, irrespective of style or language. (In that sense it can be regarded as a term rather than a genre as such.)
Lyric soprano
A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have a range from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6). There is a tendency to divide lyric sopranos into two groups, light & full.
M
Mad scene
In opera, a mad scene is an enactment of insanity in an opera or play. It was a popular convention of Italian and French opera in the early decades of the nineteenth century.
Mad scenes were often created as a way to offer star singers a chance to show off their abilities, though many of them are also very dramatic. The vocal writing is often exciting and highly demanding, requiring immense skill. Most mad scenes were composed for the soprano voice, but there are examples for the baritone and the tenor.
They are most popularly associated with works of the bel canto period, though examples may also be found in earlier works, such as George Frederick Handel's Orlando and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Idomeneo. Almost all mad scenes were composed for either opere serie or opere semiserie; Gaetano Donizetti was probably the most famous exponent of the form.
Maestro
Maestro (from the Italian maestro, meaning "master" or "teacher") is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms. Composers, performers, impresarios, music directors, conductors and music teachers are all frequently given this title.
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in sixteenth and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). Masque involved music and dancing, singing and acting, within an elaborate stage design, in which the architectural framing and costumes might be designed by a renowned architect, to present a deferential allegory flattering to the patron. Professional actors and musicians were hired for the speaking and singing parts. Often, the masquers who did not speak or sing were courtiers: James I's Queen Consort, Anne of Denmark, frequently danced with her ladies in masques between 1603 and 1611, and Henry VIII and Charles I performed in the masques at their courts. In the tradition of masque, Louis XIV danced in ballets at Versailles with music by Lully.
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work which exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them. It is also used in scholarly and historical musical contexts to refer to dramas of the 18th and 19th centuries in which orchestral music or song was used to accompany the action. The term originated from the early 19th-century French word mélodrame, which in turn is derived from Greek melos (music) and French drame (drama).
Melodramma
Melodramma is an Italian term for opera, used in a much narrower sense by English writers to discuss developments in the early 19th century Italian libretto. Characteristic are the influence of French bourgeois drama, female instead of male protagonists, and the practice of opening the action with a chorus.
It should not be confused with Victorian stage melodrama (drama of exaggerated intensity), to which it seems to be, however, related, or with melodrama (spoken declamation accompanied by background music) (in Italian, melologo), both of which are spelled without a double m.
Messa di voce
Messa di voce (Italian, placing the voice) is a musical technique that involves a gradual crescendo and decrescendo while sustaining a single pitch. That is, a note is sung at a very quiet volume, gradually and smoothly made louder until it reaches a high volume, then similarly made quiet again. The technique can be used on many instruments, but is perhaps best known for its use among singers.
Messa di voce should not be confused with mezza voce (Italian, half voice) which means to sing at half strength.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano (meaning "medium" or "middle" "soprano" in Italian) is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3-A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the G below middle C (G3) and as high as "high C" (C6).
While mezzo-sopranos generally have a heavier, darker tone than sopranos, the mezzo-soprano voice resonates in a higher range than that of a contralto. The terms Dugazon and Galli-Marié are sometimes used to refer to light mezzo-sopranos, after the names of famous singers. A castrato with a vocal range equivalent to a mezzo-soprano's range is referred to as a mezzo-soprano castrato or mezzista. Today, however, only women should be referred to as mezzo-sopranos; men singing within the female range are called countertenors. In current operatic practice, female singers with very low tessituras are often included among mezzo-sopranos, because singers in both ranges are able to cover the other, and true operatic contraltos are very rare. For information regarding non-classical mezzo-sopranos see Voice classification in non-classical music.
Money note
A money note is a music industry slang term which refers to a part of a live or recorded singing performance which is subjectively judged to be very dramatic or emotionally stirring. This is usually at a climactic point of a song or aria, in which the singer's melody makes a large interval jump to the song's highest note (especially for female soprano singers or male tenor or countertenor singers) or falls to its lowest note (especially for male bass or baritone singers). In some cases, a section or phrase of a vocal melody may captivate the listener's interest because of the tone quality of the singing-either because of the strident emotionalism, or due to the quiet sensitivity of the voice. As well, a "money note" might be an impressive vocal display or a note which is held for a long time with clear pitch and expressive vibrato.
Monodrama
A monodrama (also Solospiel in German; "solo play") is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character.
Musico
The Italian term musico (plural musici) has a number of meanings:
Originally, the term referred to any trained, as opposed to amateur, musician.
In the 18th century, the term (generally regarded as derogatory) was used for the voice-type known today as castrato.
In the 19th century, after the disappearance of castrati from opera, the term referred to a female singer, usually a mezzo-soprano, but sometimes a contralto, in a breeches role, often referred to as a primo musico. A diminutive form (musichetto) was also occasionally used.
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Number opera
A number in music is a self-contained piece that is combined with other such pieces in a performance. In a concert of popular music, for example, the individual songs or pieces performed are often referred to as "numbers." The term is applied also to sections of large vocal works (such as opera, oratorio, or musical) when the written or printed score for such a work designates the titles of the pieces with sequential numbers, hence the aptness of the term. The use of numerical designations in extended vocal musical works has the practical advantage of facilitating rehearsal plans, especially when their designations include assignment of characters.
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Offstage brass and percussion
An offstage brass and percussion part is a sound effect used in Classical music, which is created by having one or more trumpet players (also called an offstage trumpet call), french horn players, or percussionists from a symphony orchestra or opera orchestra play a note, melody, or rhythm from behind the stage. This creates a distant, muted effect which composers use to suggest "celestial voices", melancholy, or nostalgia, or to create a haunting effect.
Opéra bouffe
Opéra bouffe is a genre of late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens that gave its name to the form.
Opéras bouffes are known for elements of comedy, satire, parody and farce. The most famous examples are La belle Hélène, Barbe-bleue (Bluebeard), La vie parisienne, La Périchole and La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein.
Opéra bouffon
Opéra bouffon is the French term for the Italian genre of opera called opera buffa performed in 18th-century France, either in the original language or in French translation. The term was also used by Offenbach for three of his works: Orphée aux enfers, Le roman comique and Le voyage de MM Dunanan père et fils.
The term is sometimes confused with the French opéra comique.
Opéra comique
Opéra comique (plural: opéras comiques) is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a lesser extent the Comédie-Italienne), which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections. Associated with the Paris theatre of the same name, the Opéra-Comique, opéra comique is not always comic or light in nature — indeed, Carmen, probably the most famous opéra comique, is a tragedy.
Opéra féerie
Opéra féerie (plural, opéras féeries) is a French genre of opera or opéra-ballet based on fairy tales, often with elements of magic in their stories. Popular in the 18th century, from the time of Jean-Philippe Rameau onwards, the form reached its culmination with works such as La belle au bois dormant by Michele Carafa and Cendrillon by Nicolas Isouard at the beginning of the 19th century.
The distantly related English genre of "fairy opera" includes Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe. Earlier in the 19th century, James Planché had popularised the "fairy comedy".
The German genre of Märchenoper (fairy-tale opera), though similar in subject matter, has its roots in Italian opera.
Opera seria
Opera seria (usually called dramma per musica or melodramma serio) is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770. The term itself was rarely used at the time and only became common usage once opera seria became unfashionable, and was viewed as a historical genre. The popular rival to opera seria was opera buffa, the 'comic' opera that took its cue from the improvisatory commedia dell'arte.
Italian opera seria (invariably to Italian librettos) was produced not only in Italy but also in Habsburg Austria, England, Saxony and other German states, even in Spain, and other countries. Opera seria was less popular in France, where the national genre of French opera was preferred. Popular composers of opera seria included Alessandro Scarlatti, Johann Adolf Hasse, Leonardo Vinci, Nicola Porpora, George Frideric Handel, and in the second half of the 18th century Tommaso Traetta, Gluck, and Mozart.
Opera buffa
Opera buffa (Italian, plural: opere buffe) is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc. It is especially associated with developments in Naples in the first half of the 18th century, whence its popularity spread to Rome and northern Italy. It was at first characterized by everyday settings, local dialects, and simple vocal writing (the basso buffo is the associated voice type), the main requirement being clear diction and facility with patter.
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building. While some venues are constructed specifically for operas, other opera houses are part of larger performing arts centers.
Opera semiseria
Opera semiseria ('semi-serious opera') is an Italian genre of opera, popular in the early and middle 19th century.
Related to the opera buffa, opera semiseria contains elements of comedy but also of pathos, sometimes with a pastoral setting. It can usually be distinguished from tragic operas or melodramas by the presence of a basso buffo. One of the better known examples is Gaetano Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix. Another example is Gioacchino Rossini's La gazza ladra. Vincenzo Bellini's La sonnambula has all the characteristics of the genre except the presence of the required basso buffo, hence it fails to qualify.
Opéra-ballet
Opéra-ballet was a popular genre of French Baroque opera, "that grew out of the ballets à entrées of the early seventeeth century". It differed from the more elevated tragédie en musique as practised by Jean-Baptiste Lully in several ways. It contained more dance music than the tragédie and the plots were not necessarily derived from Classical mythology and even allowed for the comic elements which Lully had excluded from the tragédie en musique after Thésée (1675). The opéra-ballet consisted of a prologue followed by a number of self-contained acts (also known as entrées), often loosely grouped round a single theme. The individual acts could also be performed independently, in which case they were known as actes de ballet.
Operetta
Operetta (Italian, plural: operette) is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.
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Parsifal bell
A Parsifal bell (German: Parsifal Klavier Instrument) is a stringed musical instrument designed as a substitute for the church bells that are called for in the score of Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal.
The instrument was designed by Felix Mottl, a conductor of Wagner's works, and constructed by Schweisgut, of Karlsruhe, Germany.
Passaggio
Passaggio is a term used in classical singing to describe the pitch ranges in which vocal registration events occur. Beneath passaggio is the chest voice where any singer can produce a powerful sound, and above it lies the head voice, where a powerful and resonant sound is accessible, but usually only through training. The historic Italian school of singing describes a primo passaggio and a secondo passaggio connected through a zona di passaggio in both the male and female voice. A major goal of classical voice training in classical styles is to maintain an even timbre throughout the passaggio. Through proper training, it is possible to produce a resonant and powerful sound.
Pasticcio
In music, a pasticcio or pastiche is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, or inauthentic.
Pastorale héroïque
Pastorale héroïque was a type of ballet héroïque, a form of the opéra-ballet genre of French Baroque opera. The first work to bear the name was Jean-Baptiste Lully's final completed opera Acis et Galatée (1686), although musical works on pastoral themes had already appeared on the French stage. The pastorale héroique usually drew on Classical subject matter associated with pastoral poetry. Like the tragédie en musique, it had an allegorical prologue; however, its structure consisted of three acts, rather than the five of the tragédie en musique. Later examples were written by Jean-Philippe Rameau; these include Zaïs (1748) and Naïs (1749).
Portamento
Portamento (plural: portamenti, a noun meaning literally "carriage" or "carrying") is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" (carriage of the voice), denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used interchangeably with anticipation. It is also applied to one type of glissando as well as to the "glide" function of synthesizers. (see main article glissando).
Posse mit Gesang
Posse mit Gesang ("farce with singing", plural: Possen) is a form of popular German-language music drama, that developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Early examples are sometimes called 'Possenspil' or 'Possenspiel'. It is also sometimes referred to simply as 'Posse' (farce).
Associated with Vienna, and also Berlin and Hamburg, the Posse mit Gesang was similar to the Singspiel, but generally had more action and less music than the more operatic form. Viennese examples included Ferdinand Raimund's Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind of 1828. Composers who contributed music for Posse included Wenzel Müller, Conradin Kreutzer, and Philip Jakob Riotte.
Prima donna
Originally used in opera or Commedia dell'arte companies, "prima donna" is Italian for "first lady". The term was used to designate the leading female singer in the opera company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano. The corresponding term for the male lead (almost always a tenor) is "primo uomo".
Famous opera prima donnas have often caused opera enthusiasts to divide into opposing "clubs" supporting one singer over another. The rivalry between the respective fans of Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, for example, was one of the most famous of all opera, despite the friendship of the two singers.
The designation prima donna assoluta (absolute first lady) is occasionally applied to a prima donna of outstanding excellence. This is applied by popular consensus, to those whose achievements place them in a category above all others.
Prompter
The prompter in an opera house gives the singers the opening words of each phrase a few seconds early. Prompts are mouthed silently or hurled lyrically in a half-voice, audible (hopefully) only on stage. (This is in contrast to the prompt in a spoken-drama theater who aids actors who have forgotten their words or lines.)
Opera prompters are traditionally housed in a stuffy wooden box at the center-front edge of the stage, above the orchestra pit. They are visible to the performers and no one else. Technology has brought cool air and small display screens, among other advances, to support their work.
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Recitative
Recitative is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech. The mostly syllabic recitativo secco ("dry", accompanied only by continuo) is at one end of a spectrum through recitativo accompagnato (using orchestra), the more melismatic arioso, and finally the full-blown aria or ensemble, where the pulse is entirely governed by the music.
Regietheater
Regietheater (German for director's theater or producer's theater) is a term that refers to the modern (mainly post-World War II) practice of allowing a director (or producer) freedom in devising the way a given opera (or play) is staged so that the composer's original, specific stage directions (where supplied) can be changed, together with major elements of geographical location, chronological situation, casting and plot.
Register (music)
In music, a register is the relative "height" or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments. A higher register indicates higher pitch.
* Example 1: Violins are in a higher register than cellos.
In woodwind and brass instruments, the word register usually distinguishes pitch ranges produced using different normal modes of the air column, with higher registers produced by overblowing. Often the timbres of different woodwind instrument registers tend to be markedly different.
* Example 2: The Western concert flute plays approximately three and a half octaves and generally has three complete registers and one partial register. The musical note C4 (corresponding to middle C on the piano) would be in that instrument's first register, whereas C5 (one octave higher) would be in its second register.
However, on the clarinet the notes from (written) G4 or A4 to B♭4 sometimes are regarded as a separate "throat register", even though both they and the notes from F♯4 down are produced using the instrument's lowest normal mode; the timbre of the throat notes differs, and the throat register's fingerings also are distinctive, using special keys and not the standard tone holes used for other notes.
The register in which an instrument plays, or in which a part is written, affects the quality of sound or timbre. Register is also used structurally in musical form, with the climax of a piece usually being in the highest register of that piece. Often, serial and other pieces will use fixed register, allowing a pitch class to be expressed through only one pitch.
Répétiteur
Répétiteur (Fr.), repetitore (It.), or Korrepetitor / Repetitor (Ger.), originally from the French verb répéter meaning "to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse".
In opera, répétiteur is the name given to the person responsible for coaching singers and playing the piano for music and production rehearsals. When coaching solo singers or choir members, the répétiteur will take on a number of the roles of a vocal coach: advising singers on how to improve their pitch and prononciation, and correcting note or phrasing errors.
Repetiteurs are skilled musicians who have strong sight-reading and score reading skills. In addition to being able to sight read piano parts, a répétiteur can "fake" an orchestral reduction by reading from a large open score of all of the instruments and voice parts. Répétiteurs are also skilled in following the directions of a conductor, in terms of changing the tempo, pausing, or adding other nuances.
In ballet, a répétiteur teaches the steps and interpretation of the roles to some or all of the company performing a dance.
Rescue opera
Rescue opera is a modern term used to describe a popular genre of opera in the late 18th and early 19th century. Generally, rescue operas deal with the rescue of a main character from danger and end with a happy dramatic resolution in which lofty humanistic ideals triumph over base motives. Operas with this kind of subject matter became popular in France at around the time of the French Revolution, and a number of such operas dealt with the rescue of a political prisoner. Stylistically and thematically, they were influenced by the French opéra comique, and in turn influenced German Romantic opera and French grand opera. The most famous rescue opera is Ludwig van Beethoven's Fidelio.
Ritornello
A ritornello (Italian; "little return") is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. The first or final movement of a solo concerto or aria may be in "ritornello form", in which the ritornello is the opening theme, always played by tutti, which returns in whole or in part and in different keys throughout the movement, in which particulars the form differs from the rondo.
Ritornello form was favoured by Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Handel in chamber works, vocal pieces and, most prominently, in the solo concerto in a ‘tutti-solo-tutti-solo-tutti’ pattern in which the ritornello, the ‘tutti’ section, functions as a refrain or chorus while the solo sections may expand upon the short melodic lines of the tutti. At the end of the movement the entire ritornello returns in the home key. J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos offer excellent examples. In opera seria, the ritornello functioned as the main structural support for the da capo aria, in which it was successively repeated.
Romantische Oper
Romantische Oper (literally German romantic opera) was a genre of early nineteenth-century German opera, developed not from the German Singspiel of the eighteenth-century but from the opéras comiques of the French Revolution. It offered opportunities for an increasingly important role for the orchestra, and greater dramatic possibilities for reminiscence motifs - phrases that are identified with a place, person or idea and which, when re-used in a work, remind the listener of the place, person or idea in question.
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Semi-opera
The terms Semi-opera, dramatic[k] opera and English opera were all applied to Restoration entertainments that combined spoken plays with masque-like episodes employing singing and dancing characters. They usually included machines in the manner of the restoration spectacular. The first examples were the Shakespeare adaptations produced by Thomas Betterton with music by Matthew Locke. After Locke's death a second flowering produced the semi-operas of Henry Purcell, notably King Arthur and The Fairy-Queen. Semi-opera received a deathblow when the Lord Chamberlain separately licensed plays without music and the new Italian opera.
Serenade
In music, a serenade (or sometimes serenata) is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.
The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm.
Singspiel
A Singspiel (German literally meaning "song-play") (plural: Singspiele) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias (which were often lyrical, strophic, or folk-like), rather like an operetta.
Sitzprobe
Sitzprobe (German) is a term used in opera and musical theatre to describe a seated rehearsal where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra and singers rehearse together. The equivalent Italian term is prova all'italiana.
Sopranist
A sopranist (also, sopranista or male soprano) is a male singer who is able to sing in the vocal tessitura of a soprano usually through the use of falsetto vocal production. This voice type is a specific kind of countertenor. In rare cases an adult man may be able to sing in the soprano range using his normal or modal voice and not falsetto due to endocrinological reasons, like Radu Marian, and Jorge Cano or as a result of a larynx that has not completely developed as in the case of Michael Maniaci.
Soprano
A soprano is a singing voice with a vocal range (using scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4) from approximately middle C (C4) to "high A" (A5) in choral music, or to "soprano C" (C6, two octaves above middle C) or higher in operatic music. In four part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part which usually encompasses the melody. For other styles of singing see Voice classification in non-classical music.
Typically, the term "soprano" refers to female singers but at times the term male soprano has been used by men who sing in the soprano vocal range using falsetto vocal production instead of the modal voice. This practice is most commonly found in the context of choral music in England. However, these men are more commonly referred to as countertenors or sopranists. The practice of referring to countertenors as "male sopranos" is somewhat controversial within vocal pedagogical circles as these men do not produce sound in the same physiological way that female sopranos do. The singer Michael Maniaci is the only known man who can refer to himself as a true male soprano because he is able to sing in the soprano vocal range using the modal voice as a woman would. He is able to do this because his larynx never fully developed during puberty.
Soprano sfogato
In the art of singing, the term "soprano sfogato" (unlimited soprano) designates a singer (contralto or mezzo soprano) capable of by sheer industry or natural talent to extend her upper range and be able to encompass the coloratura soprano tessitura. An alternative concept is that of the "Assoluta".
Soubrette
Soubrette is a term referring to a type of female role—specifically, a stock character—in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".
Spinto
Spinto (from Italian, "pushed") is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals. (Sometimes the terms lirico-spinto or jugendlich-dramatisch are used to denote this category of voice.)
The spinto voice type is recognisable by its tonal "slice" or squillo. This enables the singer to cut through the wall of sound produced by a full Romantic orchestra in a wide variety of roles, excluding only the most taxing ones written by the likes of Richard Wagner (such as Brünhilde, Isolde, Tristan and Siegfried), Giacomo Meyerbeer (John of Leyden), Verdi (Otello), Puccini (Turandot, Calaf) and Richard Strauss (Elektra).
* Spinto soprano: a fundamentally lyric soprano with a fair amount of extra "pulp" in her tone and a distinct thrust in her vocal attack. As they possess both a lyric and a dramatic quality, spinto sopranos are suitable for a broad spectrum of roles, ranging from genuine lyric parts such as Micaela in Carmen and Mimì in La Bohème through to histrionically demanding Verdi heroines such as Leonora (in Il trovatore and La forza del destino) and Aida, not to mention Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Tosca. Lighter Wagnerian roles such as Elsa in Lohengrin or Elisabeth in Tannhäuser also fall within their domain. Elisabeth Rethberg is a famous example of a soprano who sang exactly this kind of mixed Italian and German repertoire.
* Tenore spinto: the tenor equivalent of the above. They can convincingly sing roles as lyrical as Rodolfo in La Bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto and Alfredo in La traviata, yet still excel in parts as heavy as Cavaradossi in "Tosca", Don Jose in "Carmen" and Radames in Aïda. Canio, the tenor lead in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, and Lohengrin in Wagner's opera of the same name, are other well-known examples of spinto tenor parts.
Spinto soprano
A spinto soprano (also lirico-spinto or "pushed lyric") is a category of operatic soprano voice that has the limpidity and easy high notes of a lyric soprano, yet can be "pushed" on to achieve dramatic climaxes without strain. This type of voice may possess a somewhat darker timbre, too, than the average lyric soprano. It generally uses squillo to "slice" through the sound of a full orchestra, rather than singing over the orchestra like a true dramatic soprano.
Spinto sopranos are also expected to handle dynamic changes in the music that they are performing with skill and poise. They command a vocal range extending from approximately middle C (C4) to "high D" (D6).
The spinto repertoire includes many roles written by Verdi, by the various verismo composers, and by Puccini. Some of these roles are extremely popular with opera audiences. Certain Wagnerian heroines such as Elsa, Elisabeth and Sieglinde are also sung by spinto sopranos. The fact that spinto sopranos are uncommon means that parts that are ideal for their voices are often performed by singers from other classifications, and more than a few lyric sopranos have damaged their voices singing heavier spinto roles.
Sprechgesang
Sprechgesang and Sprechstimme (German for spoken-song and spoken-voice) are musical terms used to refer to an expressionist vocal technique between singing and speaking. Though sometimes used interchangeably, sprechgesang is a term directly related to the operatic recitative manner of singing (in which pitches are sung, but the articulation is rapid and loose like speech), whereas sprechstimme is closer to speech itself (because it does not emphasise any particular pitches).
Squillo
Squillo is a technical term attached to the resonant, trumpet-like sound in the voice of opera singers. The purpose of the squillo is to enable an essentially lyric tone to be heard over thick orchestrations, e.g. in late Verdi, Puccini and Strauss operas. Achieving a proper amount of squillo is imperative: too much and the tone veers towards the sharp; too little and the purpose of the squillo cannot be achieved.
Training the squillo involves increasing the intensity of the higher formants of the voice without altering the fundamental i.e. without altering the pitch of the note. This is done mainly by using the head resonance, which provides very little volume but ample opportunity for projection. Among methods employable to achieve this include messa di voce. Voices with naturally acquired squillo, i.e. having naturally strong higher formants, are especially prized in opera because they maintain certain lyric qualities e.g. limpid high notes, homogenous registers etc even in dramatic singing. Voices which have properly trained squillo are also easier to record.
Stagione
Stagione (Italian 'season') is an organizational system for presenting opera, often used by large companies. Typically each production is cast separately and has a brief but intensive run of performances. By contrast, companies that use a repertory system maintain a permanent company and rotate productions over many months or even years. Historically the stagione system has been preferred in Britain, the United States. and most large international houses.
Surtitles
Surtitles, also known as supertitles, are translated or transcribed lyrics/dialogue projected above a stage or displayed on a screen, commonly used in opera or other musical performances. The word "surtitle" comes from the French language "sur", meaning "over" or "on", and the English language word "title", formed in a similar way to the related subtitle. The word Surtitle is a trademark of the Canadian Opera Company.
Surtitles are used either to translate the meaning of the lyrics into the audience's language, or to transcribe lyrics that may be difficult to understand in the sung form. The two possible types of presentation of surtitles are as projected text, or as the electronic libretto system. Titles in the theatre have proven a commercial success in areas such as opera, and are finding increased use for allowing hearing impaired patrons to enjoy theatre productions more fully. Surtitles are used in live productions in the same way as subtitles are used in movie and television productions.
T
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C (A4) in choral music, and up to high C (C5) in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B♭2 (two B♭s below middle C). At the highest extreme, some tenors can sing up to two Fs above middle C (F5).
The term tenor is also applied to instruments, such as the tenor saxophone, to indicate their range in relation to other instruments of the same group.
Tenore contraltino
The tenore contraltino is a specialized form of the tenor voice found in Italian opera around the beginning of the 19th century, mainly in the Rossini repertoire, which rapidly evolved into the modern 'Romantic' tenor. It is sometimes referred to as tenor altino (or contraltino) in English books.
Tenore di grazia
Leggiero Tenor, also called tenor leggiero or tenore di grazia, is a lightweight, flexible tenor type of voice. The tenor roles written in the early 19th century Italian operas are invariably leggiero tenor roles, especially those by Rossini such as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola, and Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Bellini; Gualtiero in Il pirata, Elvino in La sonnambula and Arturo in I Puritani are classic examples of the voice. Many Donizetti roles, such as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore and Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Tonio in La fille du régiment, are also tenore di grazia roles.
Tessitura
In music, the term tessitura (plural tessiture; Italian, meaning "texture", and from the same Latin word: textura) generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre. This broad definition is often interpreted to refer specifically to the pitch range that most frequently occurs within a given piece, or part, of music. For example, throughout the entirety of Wagner's Ring, the music written for the role of Siegfried ranges from C♯3 to C5, but the tessitura is described as high because the tenor phrases are most often in the range of C4 to A4.
In musical notation, tessitura is used to refer to the compass in which a piece of music lies—whether high or low, etc.—for a particular vocal (or less often instrumental) part. The tessitura of a piece is not decided by the extremes of its range, but rather by which part of the range is most used. The tessitura of a part will often influence what clef a particular piece of music is written in. Melodic contour may also be considered to be an important aspect of vocal tessitura.
Timbre
In music, timbre the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that mediate the perception of timbre include spectrum and envelope. Timbre is also known in psychoacoustics as tone quality or tone color.
Tragédie en musique
Tragédie en musique (French lyric tragedy), also known as tragédie lyrique, is a genre of French opera introduced by Jean-Baptiste Lully and used by his followers until the second half of the eighteenth century. Operas in this genre are usually based on stories from Classical mythology or the Italian romantic epics of Tasso and Ariosto. The stories may not have a tragic ending - in fact, they generally don't - but the atmosphere must be noble and elevated. The standard tragédie en musique has five acts. Earlier works in the genre were preceded by an allegorical prologue and, during the lifetime of Louis XIV, these generally celebrated the king's noble qualities and his prowess in war. Each of the five acts usually follows a basic pattern, opening with an aria in which one of the main characters expresses their feelings, followed by dialogue in recitative interspersed with short arias (petits airs), in which the main business of the plot occurs. Each act traditionally ends with a divertissement, offering great opportunities for the chorus and the ballet troupe. Composers sometimes changed the order of these features in an act for dramatic reasons.
Trill (music)
The trill (or shake, as it was known from the 16th till the 19th century) is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill. (compare mordent and tremolo). It is sometimes referred to by the German triller, the Italian trillo, the French trille or the Spanish trino.
Sometimes it is expected that the trill will end with a turn (by sounding the note below rather than the note above the principal note, immediately before the last sounding of the principal note), or some other variation. Such variations are often marked with a few Appoggiaturas following the note that bears the trill indication.
Tristan chord
The Tristan chord is a chord made up of the notes F, B, D♯ and G♯. More generally, it can be any chord that consists of these same intervals: augmented fourth, augmented sixth, and augmented ninth above a root. It is so named as it is heard in the opening phrase of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde as part of the leitmotif relating to Tristan.
V
Verismo
Verismo (meaning "realism", from Italian vero, meaning "true") was an Italian literary movement which peaked between approximately 1875 and the early 1900s. Giovanni Verga and Luigi Capuana were its main exponents and the authors of a verismo manifesto. Capuana published the novel Giacinta, generally regarded as the "manifesto" of Italian verismo. Unlike French naturalism, which was based on positivistic ideals, Verga and Capuana rejected claims of the scientific nature and social usefulness of the movement.
Verismo is also employed by musicologists to refer to a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggiero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano and Giacomo Puccini. They sought to bring the naturalism of influential late 19th-century writers such as Emile Zola and Henrik Ibsen into opera.
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation ("extent of vibrato") and speed with which the pitch is varied ("rate of vibrato").
Vocal resonation
Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. Various terms related to the resonation process include amplification, enrichment, enlargement, improvement, intensification, and prolongation, although in strictly scientific usage acoustic authorities would question most of them. The main point to be drawn from these terms by a singer or speaker is that the end result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound.
Vocal weight
Vocal weight refers to the perceived "lightness" or "heaviness" of a singing voice. This quality of the voice is one of the major determining factors in voice classification within classical music. Lighter voices are often associated with the term lyric and are usually brighter and more agile; heavier voices are often associated with the term dramatic and are usually powerful, rich, and darker. Other voice types like the spinto soprano have a more medium vocal weight. Vocal weight can also affect overall vocal agility; heavier voices often have more difficulty maneuvering through florid coloratura passages than their lighter counterparts, as their weight and power compromises agility. Likewise, dramatic roles are often written with larger orchestras in mind as dramatic voices can carry more easily over larger ensembles.
Vocal folds
The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation.
Open during inhalation, closed when holding one's breath, and vibrating for speech or singing (oscillating 440 times per second when singing A above middle C), the folds are controlled via the vagus nerve. They are white because of scant blood circulation.
Vocal pedagogy
Vocal pedagogy is the study of the art and science of voice instruction. It is utilized in the teaching of singing and assists in defining what singing is, how singing works, and how proper singing technique is accomplished.
Vocal pedagogy covers a broad range of aspects of singing, ranging from the physiological process of vocal production to the artistic aspects of interpretation of songs from different genres or historical eras.
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study of tonal languages and certain types of vocal disorders. However, the most common application of the term "vocal range" is within the context of singing, where it is used as one of the major defining characteristics for classifying singing voices into groups known as voice types.
Vocal register
A vocal register is a particular series of tones in the human voice that are produced by one particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds and therefore possess a common quality. Registers originate in laryngeal function. They occur because the vocal folds are capable of producing several different vibratory patterns. Each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds.
In speech pathology, the vocal register has three components: a certain vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, a certain series of pitches, and a certain type of sound. Although this view is also adopted by many vocal pedagogists, others define vocal registration more loosely than in the sciences, using the term to denote various theories of how the human voice changes, both subjectively and objectively, as it moves through its pitch range. There are many divergent theories on vocal registers within vocal pedagogy, making the term somewhat confusing and at times controversial within the field of singing .
Voice type
A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types. These qualities include but are not limited to: vocal range, vocal weight, vocal tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points such as breaks and lifts within the voice. Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. The science behind voice classification developed within European classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. There are currently several different systems in use including: the German Fach system and the choral music system among many others. No system is universally applied or accepted. This article focuses on voice classification within classical music. For other contemporary styles of singing see: Voice classification in non-classical music.
Voice classification is a tool for singers, composers, venues, and listeners to categorize vocal properties, and to associate possible roles with potential voices. There have been times when voice classification systems have been used too rigidly, i.e. a house assigning a singer to a specific type, and only casting him or her in roles they consider belonging to this category.
W
Wagner tuba
The Wagner tuba is a comparatively rare brass instrument that combines elements of both the French horn and the tuba. Also referred to as the "Bayreuth Tuba", it was originally created for Richard Wagner's operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Since then, other composers have written for it, most notably Anton Bruckner, in whose Symphony No. 7 a quartet of them is first heard in the slow movement in memory of Wagner. The euphonium is sometimes used as a substitute when a Wagner tuba cannot be obtained.
Wagner was inspired to invent this instrument after a brief visit to Paris in 1853, when he visited the shop of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Wagner wanted an instrument that could intone the Valhalla motif somberly like a trombone but with a less incisive tone like that of a horn. That effect was obtained by a conical bore (like a horn) and the use of the horn mouthpiece (tapered as opposed to a cup mouthpiece such as on a trombone). The instrument is built with rotary valves which, like those on the horn, are played with the left hand.
The Wagner tuba nominally exists in two sizes, tenor in B-flat and bass in F, with ranges comparable to those of horns in the same pitches while being less adept at the highest notes. Several 20th-century and later manufacturers have, however, combined the two instruments into a double Wagner tuba in B-flat and F. Wagner tuben are normally written as transposing instruments, but the notation used varies considerably and is a common source of confusion—Wagner himself used three different and incompatible notations in the course of the Ring, and all three of these systems (plus some others) have been used by subsequent composers. An additional source of confusion is the fact that the instruments are invariably designated in orchestral scores simply as "tubas", leaving it sometimes unclear as to whether true tubas or Wagner tuben are intended (for example, the two tenor tubas in Janáček's Sinfonietta are sometimes wrongly assumed to be Wagner tuben).
The sound of the Wagner tuba is mellower than that of the horn and sounds more distant, yet also more focused. Bruckner generally uses them for pensive melodic passages at piano to pianissimo dynamics. They can hold their own in a forte tutti but Bruckner generally gives them sustained tones rather than melodic motifs in such passages. In Bruckner's Eighth and Ninth Symphonies, the four Wagner tuben are played by four players who alternate between playing horn and Wagner tuba, which is the same procedure Wagner used in the Ring. This change is simplified by the fact that the horn and Wagner tuba use the same mouthpiece.
Z
Zarzuela
Zarzuela (Spanish pronunciation: [θarˈθwela]) is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. The name derives from a Royal hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela near Madrid, where this type of entertainment was first presented to the court.
There are two main forms of zarzuela: Baroque zarzuela (c.1630–1750), the earliest style, and Romantic zarzuela (c.1850–1950), which can be further divided into two. Main sub-genres are género grande and género chico, although other sub-divisions exist.
Zarzuela spread to the Spanish colonies, and many Hispanic countries – notably Cuba – developed their own traditions. There is also a strong tradition in the Philippines where it is also known as zarzuelta. Other regional and linguistic variants in Spain includes the Basque zartzuela and the Catalan sarsuela.
A masque-like musical theatre had existed in Spain since the time of Juan del Encina. The zarzuela genre was innovative in giving a dramatic function to the musical numbers, which were integrated into the argument of the work. Dances and choruses were incorporated as well as solo and ensemble numbers, all to orchestral accompaniment.
Zeitoper
Zeitoper (German: "opera of the time") was a short-lived genre of opera associated with Weimar Germany. It is not known when or by whom the term was coined, but by 1928 Kurt Weill ("Zeitoper" in Melos) was able to complain that it was more a slogan than a description. Like opera buffa it used contemporary settings and characters, comic or at least satiric plots (Max Brand’s Maschinist Hopkins is a sole tragic example) and aimed at musical accessibility. Two distinguishing characteristics are a tendency to incorporate modern technology (Jonny spielt auf: trains, Der Lindberghflug: airplanes, Von Heute auf Morgen: telephones, and even elevators) and frequent allusions to popular music, especially jazz. This last, more than any social satire, earned the suspicion of the political right and ensured that it would not survive into the Nazi era.
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In mythology, who was theGreek youth who drowned at night while swimming to meet 'Hero'? | Hero (Greek mythology) - Credo Reference
Topic Page: Hero (Greek mythology)
Definition: Hero, in Greek mythology from The Columbia Encyclopedia
in Greek mythology, priestess of Aphrodite in Sestos. Her lover, Leander, swam the Hellespont nightly from Abydos to see her. During a storm the light by which she guided him blew out, and he drowned. Hero, in despair, then threw herself into the sea. Christopher Marlowe's poem Hero and Leander is based on the story.
Summary Article: HERO from Gods, Goddesses, and Mythology
Image from: Hero and Leander: Leander Found by the Nereids, copy of a painting by Domenico Feti, 1650-56 (oil on panel) in The Bridgeman History of Science
The tale of Hero and Leander is one of Greek mythology's most tragic love stories. Although a relatively minor myth, it remains enduringly popular and has caught the imagination of writers and artists through the ages.
Geography plays an important part in the myth of Hero. An exceptionally beautiful young woman, Hero, lived in the city of Sestos in Thrace (modern Turkey). Sestos stood on the shore at the narrowest point of a strait called the Hellespont, now known as the Dardanelles. On the opposite shore stood another city, Abydos, in the western Asian region of Dardania. The Hellespont, which divides Europe from Asia, took its name from a young girl named Helle. She had fallen into the strait and drowned while flying over it on the back of a magical ram, whose golden fleece featured in the story of Jason and the Argonauts.
Hero was a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite. Her name comes from the ancient Greek word heros, meaning "hero," which was used to describe men or women who were honored after their death. Hero dedicated her life to serving the goddess Aphrodite, making sacrifices to her and worshiping her in a temple. Since Aphrodite was the deity of love, Hero might have been expected to celebrate the goddess by being in love herself. Instead, according to the wishes of her parents, she lived alone in a high stone tower, with only an old maidservant to look after her. She kept away from boys, and also from other girls her own age, fearing that they would be jealous of her beauty.
Hero's love for Leander
According to the myth, every year the people of Sestos held a festival to celebrate the beautiful youth Adonis and his lover, Aphrodite. The festival may well have been the Adonia, in which worshipers planted seeds in shallow soil that sprang up and quickly died. The seeds symbolized the brief nature of Adonis's life, which ended when he was killed by a wild boar. Although she normally avoided parties, Hero had to take part in the festival since she was a priestess of Aphrodite. Many people came to the festival, some traveling great distances. All the young men were amazed at Hero's beauty and talked about how they would love to marry her. One youth, Leander, approached Hero in silence, showing his feelings for her only in his face and his gestures, and in this way they fell in love.
When he did finally speak, Leander told Hero that he came from Abydos, the city on the opposite shore from Sestos. He said that if she lit a lamp in her tower late at night, he would swim across the Hellespont to visit her in secret, using the light to guide him. Leander assured her that Aphrodite would approve of their relationship, to which Hero agreed. Every evening Hero lit a lamp in the tower, and Leander, seeing it from Abydos, swam across the water to spend the night with her. He always swam back before dawn so as not to be discovered by Hero's parents.
This painting, Hero Holding the Beacon for Leander, is by English artist Evelyn De Morgan (c. 1850–1919).
A tragic end
For several months Leander visited Hero every night, relying on Aphrodite to protect him as he battled the strong currents of the Hellespont. Then winter came, and the sea grew rougher and more dangerous, but the young couple were so in love that they could not bear to be apart for long, so Leander continued to make his perilous journey. One stormy night, when the sky was pitch black with clouds, a gust of wind blew out Hero's lamp. Before she could light it again, Leander, with nothing to guide him, lost his way and drowned. The next morning his battered body washed ashore on the rocks at the foot of Hero's tower. Seeing him lying there, Hero was so overcome with grief that she threw herself from the top of the tower and fell to her death at his side. No one had ever known of their love except Hero's maidservant.
Star-crossed lovers
Mythology and folklore are littered with tales of young lovers thwarted by circumstance —usually because their parents or society condemns the relationship—but who refuse to be separated by death. Hero came from Thrace, which was part of the Greek empire, while Leander came from Dardania, part of the Persian empire. Between 492 and 449 BCE the Greeks were involved in a series of wars against the Persian Empire to keep their independence. This historical background suggests that neither the inhabitants of Sestos nor of Abydos—both of which stand as ruins today—would support a love affair between citizens from either city, and that Hero and Leander's love was in opposition to their societies' wishes.
Other stories with the theme of thwarted love include the Greek myth of Pyramus and Thisbe and the Indian tale of Khamba and Thoibi. Pyramus and Thisbe grew up as neighbors and fell in love, but both sets of parents forbade them from being together. Instead, they agreed to meet in secret, but Pyramus, finding Thisbe's bloody veil on the ground, believed she had been eaten by a lion and so killed himself. Thisbe, on finding Pyramus's body, decided to kill herself, too. In contrast, Khamba and Thoibi's love for each other promised to unite their clans, the Khumals and the Moirangs, but the Moirangs' chief rejected their marriage out of jealousy or spite. The lovers killed themselves and war broke out. The doomed lovers and warring families have parallels with the tale of Romeo and Juliet, which was used in a play by William Shakespeare (1564–1616).
The lovers in these stories are star-crossed, meaning that fate obstructs their love. Some writers have interpreted such myths as reminders that happiness is temporary and that death comes to everyone. Other people have observed that, by dying together when young, the lovers preserve their love for all eternity instead of letting it grow stale. They argue that the appeal of the stories lies in the universal recognition of the passion and power of young love.
Hero and Leander in literature and art
The story of Hero and Leander is mentioned in the work of Roman writers Ovid (43 BCE–c. 17 CE) and Virgil (70-19 BCE), while the fifth- or sixth-century-CE Greek poet Musaeus wrote a lengthy poem about the lovers. Scholars believe that all three writers copied the story from an earlier version that is now lost.
Hero and Leander have appeared in the work of many writers and artists since classical times. In the 16th century, English poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe wrote a long poem retelling the story, and the tale became especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it was retold by German poet Johann Schiller and English poets John Keats and Lord Byron.
Lord Byron and Leander
English romantic poet Lord Byron (1788-1824) was alive at a time when many artists and poets were especially interested in tales from Greek mythology. An adventurer who traveled a great deal, Byron decided to try to swim the Hellespont himself while on a tour of Europe in 1810. He undertook the challenge along with his friend Lieutenant William Ekenhead, who was a member of the British Navy and a good swimmer. It took the pair two attempts, but on May 3, 1810, they succeeded. Although at its narrowest point the Hellespont is less than a mile wide, because of strong currents the two men swam a total of 4 miles (6.5 km). Their swim took them just over one hour.
Byron was hugely proud of his achievement and recorded it in the poem "Written After Swimming From Sestos to Abydos." He also mentioned the feat in his long comic poem, Don Juan, in which he wrote:
A better swimmer you could scarce see ever,He could, perhaps, have pass'd the Hellespont,As once (a feat on which ourselves we prided)Leander, Mr. Ekenhead, and I did.
Meanwhile, many artists, including Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) and J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851), have depicted scenes from the story.
See also: ADONIS; APHRODITE; FATES; FESTIVALS; JASON.
Further reading
Ovid, and A. D. Melville, trans. Metamorphoses. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Virgil, and Robert Fagles, trans. The Aeneid. New York: Penguin, 2009.
Citation
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What is the name of the main South African naval base near Cape Town? | Greek and Roman Mythology
Greek and Roman Mythology
Arts and Entertainment > Mythology
Greek and Roman Mythology
Most of the Greek deities were adopted by the Romans, although in many cases there was a change of name. In the list below, information is given under the Greek name; the name in parentheses is the Roman equivalent. However, all Latin names are listed with cross-references to the Greek ones. In addition, there are several deities that are exclusively Roman. Bold words within entries indicate cross references.
Achelous: River god; son of Oceanus and Tethys and said to be the father of the Sirens .
Achilles: Greek warrior; slew Hector at Troy; slain by Paris, who wounded him in his vulnerable heel.
Actaeon: Hunter; surprised Artemis bathing; changed by her to stag; and killed by his dogs.
Admetus: King of Thessaly; his wife, Alcestis, offered to die in his place.
Adonis: Beautiful youth loved by Aphrodite.
Aeacus: One of three judges of dead in Hades; son of Zeus.
Aeëtes: King of Colchis; father of Medea; keeper of Golden Fleece.
Aegeus: Father of Theseus; believing Theseus killed in Crete, he drowned himself; Aegean Sea named for him.
Aegisthus: Son of Thyestes; slew Atreus; with Clytemnestra, his paramour, slew Agamemnon; slain by Orestes.
Aegyptus: Brother of Danaus; his sons, except Lynceus, slain by Danaides.
Aeneas: Trojan; son of Anchises and Aphrodite; after fall of Troy, led his followers eventually to Italy; loved and deserted Dido.
Aeolus: One of several Winds.
Aesculapius: See Asclepius .
Aeson: King of Ioclus; father of Jason; overthrown by his brother Pelias; restored to youth by Medea.
Aether: Personification of sky.
Aethra: Mother of Theseus.
Agamemnon: King of Mycenae; son of Atreus; brother of Menelaus; leader of Greeks against Troy; slain on his return home by Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
Aglaia: One of several Graces.
Ajax: Greek warrior; killed himself at Troy because Achilles's armor was awarded to Odysseus.
Alcestis: Wife of Admetus; offered to die in his place but saved from death by Hercules.
Alcmene: Wife of Amphitryon; mother by Zeus of Hercules.
Alcyone: One of several Pleiades.
Alecto: One of several Furies.
Alectryon: Youth changed by Ares into cock.
Althaea: Wife of Oeneus; mother of Meleager.
Amazons: Female warriors in Asia Minor; supported Troy against Greeks.
Ancile: Sacred shield that fell from heavens; palladium of Rome.
Andraemon: Husband of Dryope.
Andromeda: Daughter of Cepheus; chained to cliff for monster to devour; rescued by Perseus.
Anteia: Wife of Proetus; tried to induce Bellerophon to elope with her.
Anteros: God who avenged unrequited love.
Antigone: Daughter of Oedipus; accompanied him to Colonus; performed burial rite for Polynices and hanged herself.
Antinoüs: Leader of suitors of Penelope; slain by Odysseus.
Aphrodite (Venus): Goddess of love and beauty; daughter of Zeus and Dione; mother of Eros.
Apollo: God of beauty, poetry, music; later identified with Helios as Phoebus Apollo; son of Zeus and Leto.
Aquilo: One of several Winds.
Arachne: Maiden who challenged Athena to weaving contest; changed to spider.
Ares (Mars): God of war; son of Zeus and Hera.
Argo: Ship in which Jason and followers sailed to Colchis for Golden Fleece.
Argus: Monster with hundred eyes; slain by Hermes; his eyes placed by Hera into peacock's tail.
Ariadne: Daughter of Minos; aided Theseus in slaying Minotaur; deserted by him on island of Naxos and married to Dionysus.
Arion: Musician; thrown overboard by pirates but saved by dolphin.
Artemis (Diana): Goddess of moon; huntress; twin sister of Apollo.
Asclepius (Aesculapius): Mortal son of Apollo; slain by Zeus for raising dead; later deified as god of medicine. Also known as Asklepios.
Astarte: Phoenician goddess of love; variously identified with Aphrodite, Selene, and Artemis.
Asterope: See Sterope .
Astraea: Goddess of Justice; daughter of Zeus and Themis.
Atalanta: Princess who challenged her suitors to a foot race; Hippomenes won race and married her.
Athena (Minerva): Goddess of wisdom; known poetically as Pallas Athene; sprang fully armed from head of Zeus.
Atlas: Titan; held world on his shoulders as punishment for warring against Zeus; son of Iapetus.
Atreus: King of Mycenae; father of Menelaus and Agamemnon; brother of Thyestes, three of whose sons he slew and served to him at banquet; slain by Aegisthus.
Aurora: See Eos .
Auster: One of several Winds.
Avernus: Infernal regions; name derived from small vaporous lake near Vesuvius which was fabled to kill birds and vegetation.
Bacchus: See Dionysus .
Bellerophon: Corinthian hero; killed Chimera with aid of Pegasus; tried to reach Olympus on Pegasus and was thrown to his death.
Bellona: Roman goddess of war.
Boreas: One of several Winds.
Briareus: Monster of hundred hands; son of Uranus and Gaea.
Briseis: Captive maiden given to Achilles; taken by Agamemnon in exchange for loss of Chryseis, which caused Achilles to cease fighting, until death of Patroclus.
Cadmus: Brother of Europa; planter of dragon seeds from which first Thebans sprang.
Celaeno: One of several Pleiades.
Centaurs: Beings half man and half horse; lived in mountains of Thessaly.
Cephalus: Hunter; accidentally killed his wife Procris with his spear.
Cepheus: King of Ethiopia; father of Andromeda.
Cerberus: Three-headed dog guarding entrance to Hades.
Chaos: Formless void; personified as first of gods.
Charon: Boatman on Styx who carried souls of dead to Hades; son of Erebus.
Charybdis: Female monster; personification of whirlpool.
Chimera: Female monster with head of lion, body of goat, tail of serpent; killed by Bellerophon.
Chiron: Most famous of centaurs.
Chronos: Personification of time.
Chryseis: Captive maiden given to Agamemnon; his refusal to accept ransom from her father Chryses caused Apollo to send plague on Greeks besieging Troy.
Circe: Sorceress; daughter of Helios; changed Odysseus's men into swine.
Cocytus: One of several Rivers of Underworld.
Creon: Father of Jocasta; forbade burial of Polynices; ordered burial alive of Antigone.
Creüsa: Princess of Corinth, for whom Jason deserted Medea; slain by Medea, who sent her poisoned robe; also known as Glaüke.
Creusa: Wife of Aeneas; died fleeing Troy.
Cronus (Saturn): Titan; god of harvests; son of Uranus and Gaea; dethroned by his son Zeus.
Cybele: Anatolian nature goddess; adopted by Greeks and identified with Rhea.
Cyclopes: Race of one-eyed giants (singular: Cyclops).
Daedalus: Athenian artificer; father of Icarus; builder of Labyrinth in Crete; devised wings attached with wax for him and Icarus to escape Crete.
Danae: Princess of Argos; mother of Perseus by Zeus, who appeared to her in form of golden shower.
Danaïdes: Daughters of Danaüs; at his command, all except Hypermnestra slew their husbands, the sons of Aegyptus.
Danaüs: Brother of Aegyptus; father of Danaïdes; slain by Lynceus.
Daphne: Nymph; pursued by Apollo; changed to laurel tree.
Decuma: One of several Fates.
Deino: One of several Graeae.
Demeter (Ceres): Goddess of agriculture; mother of Persephone.
Dryope: Maiden changed to Hamadryad.
Echo: Nymph who fell hopelessly in love with Narcissus; faded away except for her voice.
Electra: Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra; sister of Orestes; urged Orestes to slay Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.
Electra: One of several Pleiades.
Elysium: Abode of blessed dead.
Endymion: Mortal loved by Selene.
Eos (Aurora): Goddess of dawn.
Epimetheus: Brother of Prometheus; husband of Pandora.
Erato: One of several Muses.
Erebus: Spirit of darkness; son of Chaos.
Erinyes: One of several Furies.
Eris: Goddess of discord.
Eros (Amor or Cupid): God of love; son of Aphrodite.
Eteocles: Son of Oedipus, whom he succeeded to rule alternately with Polynices; refused to give up throne at end of year; he and Polynices slew each other.
Eumenides: One of several Furies.
Euphrosyne: One of several Graces.
Europa: Mortal loved by Zeus, who, in form of white bull, carried her off to Crete.
Eurus: One of several Winds.
Euryale: One of several Gorgons.
Eurydice: Nymph; wife of Orpheus.
Eurystheus: King of Argos; imposed twelve labors on Hercules.
Favonius: One of several Winds.
Flora: Roman goddess of flowers.
Fortuna: Roman goddess of fortune.
Furies: Avenging spirits; Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone; known also as Erinyes or Eumenides.
Gaea: Goddess of earth; daughter of Chaos; mother of Titans; known also as Ge, Gea, Gaia, etc.
Galatea: Statue of maiden carved from ivory by Pygmalion; given life by Aphrodite.
Galatea: Sea nymph; loved by Polyphemus.
Ganymede: Beautiful boy; successor to Hebe as cupbearer of gods.
Glaucus: Mortal who became sea divinity by eating magic grass.
Golden Fleece: Fleece from ram that flew Phrixos to Colchis; Aeëtes placed it under guard of dragon; carried off by Jason.
Gorgons. Female monsters; Euryale, Medusa, and Stheno; had snakes for hair; their glances turned mortals to stone.
Graces: Beautiful goddesses: Aglaia (Brilliance), Euphrosyne (Joy), and Thalia (Bloom); daughters of Zeus.
Graeae. Sentinels for Gorgons. ; Deino, Enyo, and Pephredo; had one eye among them, which passed from one to another.
Hades (Dis): Name sometimes given Pluto; also, abode of dead, ruled by Pluto.
Haemon: Son of Creon; promised husband of Antigone; killed himself in her tomb.
Harpies: Monsters with heads of women and bodies of birds.
Hebe (Juventas): Goddess of youth; cupbearer of gods before Ganymede; daughter of Zeus and Hera.
Hecate: Goddess of sorcery and witchcraft.
Hector: Son of Priam; slayer of Patroclus; slain by Achilles.
Hecuba: Wife of Priam.
Helen: Fairest woman in world; daughter of Zeus and Leda; wife of Menelaus; carried to Troy by Paris, causing Trojan War.
Heliades: Daughters of Helios; mourned for Phaëthon and were changed to poplar trees.
Helios (Sol): God of sun; later identified with Apollo.
Helle: Sister of Phrixos; fell from ram of Golden Fleece; water where she fell named Hellespont.
Hephaestus (Vulcan): God of fire; celestial blacksmith; son of Zeus and Hera; husband of Aphrodite.
Hera (Juno): Queen of heaven; wife of Zeus.
Hercules: Hero and strong man; son of Zeus and Alcmene; performed twelve labors or deeds to be free from bondage under Eurystheus; after death, his mortal share was destroyed, and he became immortal. Also known as Herakles or Heracles. Labors: (1) killing Nemean lion; (2) killing Lernaean Hydra; (3) capturing Erymanthian boar; (4) capturing Cerynean hind; (5) killing man-eating Stymphalian birds; (6) procuring girdle of Hippolyte; (7) cleaning Augean stables; (8) capturing Cretan bull; (9) capturing man-eating horses of Diomedes; (10) capturing cattle of Geryon; (11) procuring golden apples of Hesperides; (12) bringing Cerberus up from Hades.
Hermes (Mercury): God of physicians and thieves; messenger of gods; son of Zeus and Maia.
Hero: Priestess of Aphrodite; Leander swam Hellespont nightly to see her; drowned herself at his death.
Hestia (Vesta): Goddess of hearth; sister of Zeus.
Hippolyte: Queen of Amazons ; wife of Theseus.
Hippolytus: Son of Theseus and Hippolyte; falsely accused by Phaedra of trying to kidnap her; slain by Poseidon at request of Theseus.
Hippomenes: Husband of Atalanta, whom he beat in race by dropping golden apples, which she stopped to pick up.
Hyacinthus: Beautiful youth accidentally killed by Apollo, who caused flower to spring up from his blood.
Hydra: Nine-headed monster in marsh of Lerna; slain by Hercules.
Hygeia: Personification of health.
Hyperion: Titan; early sun god; father of Helios.
Hypermnestra: Daughter of Danaüs; refused to kill her husband Lynceus.
Hypnos (Somnus): God of sleep.
Iapetus: Titan; father of Atlas, Epimetheus, and Prometheus.
Icarus: Son of Daedalus; flew too near sun with wax-attached wings and fell into sea and was drowned.
Io: Mortal maiden loved by Zeus; changed by Hera into heifer.
Iobates: King of Lycia; sent Bellerophon to slay Chimera.
Iphigenia: Daughter of Agamemnon; offered as sacrifice to Artemis at Aulis; carried by Artemis to Tauris where she became priestess; escaped from there with Orestes.
Iris: Goddess of rainbow; messenger of Zeus and Hera.
Ismene: Daughter of Oedipus; sister of Antigone.
Iulus: Son of Aeneas.
Ixion: King of Lapithae; for making love to Hera he was bound to endlessly revolving wheel in Tartarus.
Janus: Roman god of gates and doors; represented with two opposite faces.
Jason: Son of Aeson; to gain throne of Ioclus from Pelias, went to Colchis and brought back Golden Fleece; married Medea; deserted her for Creüsa.
Jocasta: Wife of Laius; mother of Oedipus; unwittingly became wife of Oedipus; hanged herself when relationship was discovered.
Lachesis: One of several Fates.
Laius: Father of Oedipus, by whom he was slain.
Laocoön: Priest of Apollo at Troy; warned against bringing wooden horse into Troy; destroyed with his two sons by serpents sent by Athena.
Lares: Roman ancestral spirits protecting descendants and homes.
Lavinia: Wife of Aeneas after defeat of Turnus.
Leander: Swam Hellespont nightly to see Hero; drowned in storm.
Leda: Mortal loved by Zeus in form of swan; mother of Helen, Clytemnestra, Dioscuri.
Leto (Latona): Mother by Zeus of Artemis and Apollo.
Lucina: Roman goddess of childbirth; identified with Juno.
Lynceus: Son of Aegyptus; husband of Hypermnestra; slew Danaüs.
Maia: Daughter of Atlas; mother of Hermes.
Mercury: See Hermes .
Merope: One of several Pleiades. Merope is said to have hidden in shame for loving a mortal.
Mezentius: Cruel Etruscan king; ally of Turnus against Aeneas; slain by Aeneas.
Midas: King of Phrygia; given gift of turning to gold all he touched.
Minerva: See Athena .
Minos: King of Crete; after death, one of three judges of dead in Hades; son of Zeus and Europa.
Minotaur: Monster, half man and half beast, kept in Labyrinth in Crete; slain by Theseus.
Mnemosyne: Goddess of memory; mother by Zeus of Muses .
Moirae: One of several Fates.
Momus: God of ridicule.
Mors: See Thanatos .
Morta: One of several Fates.
Muses: Goddesses presiding over arts and sciences: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric and love poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polymnia or Polyhymnia (sacred poetry), Terpsichore (choral dance and song), Thalia (comedy and bucolic poetry), Urania (astronomy); daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne.
Naiads: Nymphs of waters, streams, and fountains.
Penelope: Wife of Odysseus; waited faithfully for him for many years while putting off numerous suitors.
Pephredo: One of several Graeae.
Periphetes: Giant; son of Hephaestus; slain by Theseus.
Persephone (Proserpine): Queen of infernal regions; daughter of Zeus and Demeter; wife of Pluto.
Perseus: Son of Zeus and Danaë; slew Medusa; rescued Andromeda from monster and married her.
Phaedra: Daughter of Minos; wife of Theseus; caused the death of her stepson, Hippolytus.
Phaethon: Son of Helios; drove his father's sun chariot and was struck down by Zeus before he set world on fire.
Philoctetes: Greek warrior who possessed Hercules' bow and arrows; slew Paris at Troy with poisoned arrow.
Phineus: Betrothed of Andromeda; tried to slay Perseus but turned to stone by Medusa's head.
Phosphor: Morning star.
Phrixos: Brother of Helle; carried by ram of Golden Fleece to Colchis.
Pirithous: Son of Ixion; friend of Theseus; tried to carry off Persephone from Hades; bound to enchanted rock by Pluto.
Pleiades: Alcyone, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, Sterope or Asterope, Taygeta; seven daughters of Atlas; transformed into heavenly constellation, of which six stars are visible (Merope is said to have hidden in shame for loving a mortal).
Pluto (Dis): God of Hades; brother of Zeus.
Plutus: God of wealth.
Polymnia (Polyhymnia): One of several Muses.
Polynices: Son of Oedipus; he and his brother Eteocles killed each other; burial rite, forbidden by Creon, performed by his sister Antigone.
Polyphemus: Cyclops; devoured six of Odysseus's men; blinded by Odysseus.
Polyxena: Daughter of Priam; betrothed to Achilles, whom Paris slew at their betrothal; sacrificed to shade of Achilles.
Pomona: Roman goddess of fruits.
Pontus: Sea god; son of Gaea.
Poseidon (Neptune): God of sea; brother of Zeus.
Priam: King of Troy; husband of Hecuba; ransomed Hector's body from Achilles; slain by Neoptolemus.
Priapus: God of regeneration.
Procris: Wife of Cephalus, who accidentally slew her.
Procrustes: Giant; stretched or cut off legs of victims to make them fit iron bed; slain by Theseus.
Proetus: Husband of Anteia; sent Bellerophon to Iobates to be put to death.
Prometheus: Titan; stole fire from heaven for man. Zeus punished him by chaining him to rock in Caucasus where vultures devoured his liver daily.
Remus: Brother of Romulus; slain by him.
Rhadamanthus: One of three judges of dead in Hades; son of Zeus and Europa.
Rhea (Ops): Daughter of Uranus and Gaea; wife of Cronus; mother of Zeus; identified with Cybele.
Rivers of Underworld. Acheron (woe), Cocytus (wailing), Lethe (forgetfulness), Phlegethon (fire), Styx (across which souls of dead were ferried by Charon).
Romulus: Founder of Rome; he and Remus suckled in infancy by she-wolf; slew Remus; deified by Romans.
Sarpedon: King of Lycia; son of Zeus and Europa; slain by Patroclus at Troy.
Saturn: See Cronus .
Satyrs: Hoofed demigods of woods and fields; companions of Dionysus.
Sciron: Robber; forced strangers to wash his feet, then hurled them into sea where tortoise devoured them; slain by Theseus.
Scylla: Female monster inhabiting rock opposite Charybdis; menaced passing sailors.
Selene: Goddess of moon.
Semele: Daughter of Cadmus; mother by Zeus of Dionysus; demanded Zeus appear before her in all his splendor and was destroyed by his lightning bolts.
Sibyis: Various prophetesses; most famous, Cumaean sibyl, accompanied Aeneas into Hades.
Sileni: Minor woodland deities similar to satyrs (singular: silenus). Sometimes Silenus refers to eldest of satyrs, son of Hermes or of Pan.
Silvanus: Roman god of woods and fields.
Sinis: Giant; bent pines, with which he hurled victims against side of mountain; slain by Theseus.
Sirens: Minor deities who lured sailors to destruction with their singing.
Sisyphus: King of Corinth; condemned in Tartarus to roll huge stone to top of hill; it always rolled back down again.
Somnus: See Hypnos .
Sphinx: Monster of Thebes; killed those who could not answer her riddle; slain by Oedipus. Name also refers to other monsters having body of lion, wings, and head and bust of woman.
Sterope (Asterope): One of several Pleiades.
Stheno: One of several Gorgons.
Styx: One of several Rivers of Underworld. The souls of the dead were ferried across the Styx by Charon.
Symplegades: Clashing rocks at entrance to Black Sea; Argo passed through, causing them to become forever fixed.
Syrinx: Nymph pursued by Pan; changed to reeds, from which he made his pipes.
Tantalus: Cruel king; father of Pelops and Niobe; condemned in Tartarus to stand chin-deep in lake surrounded by fruit branches; as he tried to eat or drink, water or fruit always receded.
Tartarus: Underworld below Hades; often refers to Hades.
Taygeta: One of several Pleiades.
Telemachus: Son of Odysseus; made unsuccessful journey to find his father.
Tellus: Roman goddess of earth.
Terminus: Roman god of boundaries and landmarks.
Terpsichore: One of several Muses.
Terra: Roman earth goddess.
Thanatos (Mors): God of death.
Themis: Titan goddess of laws of physical phenomena; daughter of Uranus; mother of Prometheus.
Theseus: Son of Aegeus; slew Minotaur; married and deserted Ariadne; later married Phaedra.
Thisbe: Beloved of Pyramus; killed herself at his death.
Thyestes: Brother of Atreus; Atreus killed three of his sons and served them to him at banquet.
Tiresias: Blind soothsayer of Thebes.
Tisiphone: One of several Furies.
Titans: Early gods from which Olympian gods were derived; children of Uranus and Gaea.
Tithonus: Mortal loved by Eos; changed into grasshopper.
Triton: Demigod of sea; son of Poseidon.
Turnus: King of Rutuli in Italy; betrothed to Lavinia; slain by Aeneas.
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'Wild Bill' Hickock was the Marshall in which US town? | Wild Bill Hickok is murdered - Aug 02, 1876 - HISTORY.com
Wild Bill Hickok is murdered
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“Wild Bill” Hickok, one of the greatest gunfighters of the American West, is murdered in Deadwood, South Dakota.
Born in Illinois in 1837, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok first gained notoriety as a gunfighter in 1861 when he coolly shot three men who were trying to kill him. A highly sensationalized account of the gunfight appeared six years later in the popular periodical Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, sparking Hickok’s rise to national fame. Other articles and books followed, and though his prowess was often exaggerated, Hickok did earn his reputation with a string of impressive gunfights.
After accidentally killing his deputy during an 1871 shootout in Abilene, Texas, Hickok never fought another gun battle. For the next several years he lived off his famous reputation, appearing as himself in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show. Occasionally, he worked as guide for wealthy hunters. His renowned eyesight began to fail, and for a time he was reduced to wandering the West trying to make a living as a gambler. Several times he was arrested for vagrancy.
In the spring of 1876, Hickok arrived in the Black Hills mining town of Deadwood, South Dakota. There he became a regular at the poker tables of the No. 10 Saloon, eking out a meager existence as a card player. On this day in 1876, Hickok was playing cards with his back to the saloon door. At 4:15 in the afternoon, a young gunslinger named Jack McCall walked into the saloon, approached Hickok from behind, and shot him in the back of the head. Hickok died immediately. McCall tried to shoot others in the crowd, but amazingly, all of the remaining cartridges in his pistol were duds. McCall was later tried, convicted, and hanged.
Hickok was only 39 years old when he died. The most famous gunfighter in the history of the West died with his Smith & Wesson revolver in his holster, never having seen his murderer. According to legend, Hickok held a pair of black aces and black eights when he died, a combination that has since been known as the Dead Man’s Hand.
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James Butler Hickok’s reputation as the Old West’s premier gunfighter or ‘man-killer’ made him a legend in his own lifetime–a distinction shared by few of his gunfighting contemporaries. Thanks to an article in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in February 1867 and some other colorful accounts published in the mid-1860s, Hickok, or rather ‘Wild Bill,’ as he was generally called, was soon elevated from regional to national status. And since his death in 1876, he has achieved worldwide fame.
This woodcut of Hickok appeared in the February 1867 Harper’s New Monthly Magazine as the lead illustration for a George Nichols article that helped make Wild Bill famous.
But even without such publicity, Hickok would have made his mark, for he was a man whose personality, strength of character and single-mindedness set him apart. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer described him as a’strange character, just the one which a novelist might gloat over… a Plainsman in every sense of the word… whose skill in the use of the rifle and pistol was unerring.’ Many others besides Custer regarded Wild Bill as the best pistol shot on the Plains–a man whose quick-witted reaction to danger enabled him, according to one account, to draw and fire his Colt Navy revolvers ‘before the average man had time to think about it.’
Credited with the deaths of 100 or more badmen, Hickok emerged as perhaps the most prolific man-killer of his generation. But when some of his critics branded him a ‘red-handed murderer,’ his reaction was predictable. Hickok admitted his flaws and vices as do most people, but he reckoned that being called a red-handed murderer was going too far. In February 1873, it was widely reported that he had been shot dead by Texans at Fort Dodge in Kansas. Worse, it was suggested that, like all men of his kind, he had died with his boots on. Wild Bill broke his silence of some years and wrote angrily to several newspapers, declaring, ‘No Texan has, nor ever will `corral William.” He also demanded to know who it was who prophesied that he and others should die with their boots on. ‘I have never insulted man or woman in my life, but if you knew what a wholesome regard I have for damn liars and rascals they would be liable to keep out of my way.’ Two years later, in conversation with Annie Tallant, one of the first white women to enter the Black Hills, Hickok again denied that he was a red-handed murderer, but admitted that he had killed men in self-defense or in the line of duty, adding, ‘I never allowed a man to get the drop on me.’
Sadly, it is Hickok’s pistol prowess and his image as the slayer of innumerable badmen that is best remembered today. Indeed, many seem unaware of his deserved reputation as a great Civil War scout, detective and spy; Indian scout and courier; U.S. deputy marshal; county sheriff; and town marshal. Wild Bill himself hated his desperado reputation, and he may well have regretted his famous alias, though it had been fastened upon him during the Civil War and he had no reason to feel ashamed of it. Nevertheless, he must have realized too late that once he pulled the legs of the likes of Colonel George Ward Nichols of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine and Henry M. Stanley of the St. Louis Weekly Missouri Democrat, he became a target for the press, sensationalists and reputation seekers.
The real Hickok, however, was in complete contrast to his newspaper-inspired desperado image. Rather, he was gentlemanly, courteous, soft-spoken and graceful in manner, yet left no one in any doubt that he would not ‘be put upon,’ and if threatened would meet violence with violence. Wild Bill could be generous to a fault and, though slow to anger, would willingly defend a friend or the fearful if they were under threat. When angered, however, he became an implacable enemy and sought out and faced down those who insulted or challenged him. This man-to-man approach, rather than involving brothers or close friends in gunfights, feuds or disputes, earned him respect among his peers, especially when it was known that he only became ‘pistoliferous’ as a last resort, and on occasion was known to slug it out with antagonists fist to fist and toe to toe.
It could be argued that Wild Bill Hickok’s alleged exploits as a city marshal or as acting county sheriff inspired the image of the lone man who, thanks to novels and the movies, walked tall and tamed cow towns, mining camps and indeed any other Western habitat where law and order was in short supply. This is nonsense: In reality, it took more than one man to clean up, civilize, or enforce and uphold the law, and city councils hired deputies to assist the marshal.
Colonel Custer’s statement that Hickok was both courageous and able to control others by threatening to settle disputes personally if they refused to back off reflected contemporary opinion. Old-timers in such places as Hays City and Abilene recalled that his presence did much to keep the violence down. In the latter Kansas cow town, the cry ‘Wild Bill is on the street!’ is said to have curtailed many a drunken brawl–or aided a harassed mother anxious to persuade an unruly child to do as he was told! An announcement that appeared in the Coolidge, Kan., Border Ruffian of July 17, 1886, is worth repeating because the character sought sums up the legendary Wild Bill’s own alleged attitude toward so-called evil-doers:
WANTED.
A man for marshal, with the skin of a rhinoceros, a bullet proof head, who can see all around him, run faster than a horse, and is not afraid of anything in hades or Coolidge–a man who can shoot like [Captain Adam] Bogardus, and would rather kill four or five whisky-drinking, gambling hoodlums before breakfast than to eat without exercise. Such a man can get a job in this town at reasonable wages, and if he put off climbing the golden stair for a few years may get his name in a ten-cent novel.
Despite its humor, the foregoing opinion was shared by citizens in Kansas who were either the victims of, or feared, drunken desperadoes or the murderous Texas cowboys in their midst. For many knew that once Hickok assumed his position of authority, ordinary folk felt a sense of security. He never tried or succeeded in eradicating lawlessness, but he helped control it. Indeed, on November 25, 1871, the Topeka Daily Commonwealth, in a feature devoted to Wild Bill’s bloodless head-on clash with some roughs from a train (which was copied verbatim by the Abilene Chronicle on the 30th), stated that the citizens of the state should thank him for ‘the safety of life and property at Abilene, which has been secured, more through his daring than any other agency.’ A Leavenworth paper, following his death, added that his memory would be cherished by those whose peace and security he had sought to preserve.
Hickok did not wear a badge for long in Hays City (chosen Ellis County’s acting sheriff in a special August 23, 1869, election, he was defeated in the regular election that November) or in Abilene (city marshal from April 15 to December 13, 1871), but it was time enough for him to make his mark. Like most of his contemporaries, he was not a professional policeman but did what he was paid for. To suggest, as one recent writer has, that today Wild Bill would have difficulty getting a job as a dogcatcher is unfair to Hickok. There is no comparison between a 19th-century frontier marshal and one of today’s professionally trained law enforcers. Each must be judged by his own time. Hickok commanded respect and was vilified, based as much on hearsay as on fact. His legendary life has long been subject to eulogizing and deflation. But what of the real man?
In appearance at least, Hickok matched his myth. He was a broad-shouldered, deep-chested, narrow-waisted fellow, over 6 feet tall, with broad features, high cheekbones and forehead, firm chin and aquiline nose. His sensuous-looking mouth was surmounted by a straw-colored moustache, and his auburn hair was worn shoulder length, Plains style. But it was his blue-gray eyes that dominated his features. Normally friendly and expressive, his eyes, old-timers recalled, became hypnotically cold and bored into one when he was angry. Around his waist was a belt that held two ivory-handled Colt Navy revolvers, butts forward, in open-top holsters. Worn in this fashion, his six-shooters could be drawn underhand and spun forward for the Plains or reverse draw, or for a cross-body draw. Either way, the weapons were readily and easily available.
An anonymous admirer in the Chicago Tribune of August 25, 1876, wrote that in his rapid and accurate use of his Navy pistols, Wild Bill had no equal. He then said: ‘The secret of Bill’s success was his ability to draw and discharge his pistols, with a rapidity that was truly wonderful, and a peculiarity of his was that the two were presented and discharged simultaneously, being `out and off’ before the average man had time to think about it. He never seemed to take any aim, yet he never missed. Bill never did things by halves. When he drew his pistols it was always to shoot, and it was a theory of his that every man did the same.’ Charles Gross, who knew Wild Bill in Abilene, recalled years later that he watched Hickok shoot and was impressed both by his quickness and accuracy. He also said that Hickok told him one should aim for a man’s ‘guts’–it might not kill him, but it would put him out of action.
Hickok’s real and imaginary shooting skill had fascinated the public ever since Colonel Nichols in his Harper’s article described how Wild Bill pointed to a letter ‘O’ on a signboard some 50 yards away that was ‘no bigger than a man’s heart,’ and ‘without sighting the pistol with his eye,’ fired six times, and each ball hit the center of the ‘O.’ Others later upped the distance to 100 yards, and soon amazing stories of Hickok’s marksmanship circulated that had him hitting dimes at 50 feet, driving corks through whiskey bottle necks 20 feet away, and other near-miraculous feats that are now legion.
Some of those alleged feats have been duplicated by modern gun experts. Although tests carried out during the 1850s had proved that Colt’s Model 1851 Navy revolver was accurate in the hands of an expert at 200 yards, Wild Bill, like most of his contemporaries, was more concerned with its accuracy and reliability at 10 or 20 feet. As the anonymous writer for the Tribune and others have pointed out, Hickok’s ability to get a pistol or pistols into action ‘as quick as thought’ furthers the awe-inspiring image of a pistoleer who had no equal in the Wild West.
Besides Hickok’s obvious liking for Colt Navy revolvers, at various times he was armed with, or proficient in the use of, Colt’s Model 1848 Dragoon. By the early 1870s, however, the introduction of centerfire and rimfire revolvers to replace the still popular percussion, or cap-and-ball, arms was led in the United States by Smith & Wesson. That company’s No. 3 model in .44 rimfire, which broke open to load or eject its cartridges, was superseded by Colt’s New Model Army revolver, the ‘Peacemaker.’ Hickok did not get his hands on the latter, but when, in March 1874, he left Buffalo Bill’s theatrical Combination, William ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro presented him with a pair of Smith & Wesson No. 3 ‘American’ revolvers. Later that year it was reported from Colorado that Hickok carried them, but by the time he reached Deadwood in Dakota Territory, they had disappeared and he either had the old cap-and-ball Navy revolvers or perhaps a pair of Colt’s transitional rimfire or centerfire revolvers known as ‘conversions’ .
Although he never met or fought them, Hickok was well aware that there were better shots, and deadlier men, on the frontier. Nonetheless, he must have realized the potential of his awesome reputation and, understandably, when it suited him, turned it to his own advantage, ever conscious that while drunken bravado rarely matched action, there was always some gunman eager to prove himself superior to Wild Bill. But Hickok’s speedy reaction to danger was backed by the killer instinct. Without it, or the state of mind needed to react instinctively when threatened or under fire, even the best shots could hesitate and go down before a drunken desperado or someone coldbloodedly determined to kill or be killed.
Despite his awesome gunfighter reputation, Wild Bill did not draw his six-shooters in serious confrontations as often as one might think. Certainly his tally was considerably lower than the ‘hundreds’ of badmen he tongue-in-cheek claimed to have laid away. In fact, the authenticated killings number six known victims with a possible seventh–if one accepts that he also killed David C. McCanles at Rock Creek in 1861. However, those six victims do serve to pinpoint the difference between a newspaper reputation and reality.
As we have said, much of Hickok’s real and mythical reputation as a fighting man can be laid at the door of border scriveners who elevated Wild Bill into a kind of demigod. Some were genuine admirers, some tongue-in-cheek and others malicious, or they thought it was what the public wanted. Whatever the reason, Hickok typified the era of the man-killer or shootist, better known today as the gunfighter–a term in use as early as 1874 but not popularized until post-1900. Back in 1881, however, a Missouri editor was to write that the gentleman who had ‘killed his man’ was quite common, and if ‘his homicidal talents had been employed in the enforcement of law and order, he would be ranked as a `great Western civilizer.” Predictably, some writers have eagerly seized upon the word ‘civilizer’ to explain Hickok’s role in the control and eradication of the badmen who infested many frontier towns and habitats, ignoring the fact that when acting in an official capacity, every time he drew and fired his pistols and a man was killed, he was answerable to the coroner and not necessarily applauded for ridding them of such characters.
We will probably never know how Wild Bill really felt about gunfighting. Old-timers recalled his bravery under fire, or deadly purpose when he drew and fired at another man who was as intent on killing him. Buffalo Bill Cody, in one of his last interviews, said that Hickok cocked his pistols as he drew–which gave him a split-second advantage–and was always ‘cool, kinda cheerful, almost, about it. And he never killed a man unless that man was trying to kill him. That’s fair.’ The first recorded shootout involving Hickok was the so-called McCanles Massacre at the Rock Creek, Nebraska Territory, station on July 12, 1861, when, according to Harper’s, Wild Bill killed 10 ruffians in a desperate fight that left him with shot and stab wounds. In fact, only three men died, and the fracas has been a controversial issue ever since. The fight occurred following a row between former owner David C. McCanles and Russell, Majors & Waddell, the company that had bought the place from him for use as a Pony Express relay station. After making a down payment and promising to pay the remainder on a regular basis, Russell, Majors & Waddell went bankrupt. McCanles demanded his money or his property back or he would take it by force.
Hickok, who had turned up at the station in late April or early May 1861 and was employed as a stable hand or handyman, was not involved when the station keeper, Horace Wellman, who had failed to get money for McCanles or at least a promise to pay, returned empty-handed from the company office at Brownville, Nebraska Territory. McCanles and Wellman then had an argument, which ended with McCanles and two of his men dead and his young son William Monroe escaping to give the alarm. It has been alleged that Hickok shot McCanles, but it could well have been Wellman. However, Hickok, Wellman and one J.W. ‘Doc’ Brink were arrested and taken before a justice of the peace, who accepted their plea of defense of company property and released them. To date, despite the lurid account in Harper’s and a mass of published material, no one knows for sure who killed McCanles.
If we ignore Hickok’s Civil War service, during which he is reported to have killed a number of bushwhackers and guerrillas, it was 1865 before he was again involved in a face-to-face shootout. This was between himself and his friend Davis K. Tutt, an ex-Confederate turned Union man who, like Hickok, was an inveterate gambler. The pair played cards on the night of July 20 in Springfield, Mo., and Hickok lost. Tutt claimed he was owed $35, and Hickok said it was $25. Dave took Wild Bill’s Waltham watch pending payment. The pair then spent most of the 21st arguing over the amount. Hickok stated that Dave had loaned him money many times in the past, but he did not believe that he owed his friend $35 and they should compromise. But Tutt stormed off and reappeared on the public square at 6 p.m. sporting the watch. When Hickok told him to stop, Tutt drew his pistol, and Hickok did the same. Seventy-five yards apart, both men opened fire, the shots sounding as one. Tutt had turned sideways (in dueling fashion) and missed, but Hickok’s ball entered Dave’s right side and exited through his left, piercing his heart. Arrested and put on trial for manslaughter, Hickok was found not guilty by a jury influenced more by the judge’s remarks on one’s rights of self-defense than by the opinion of the prosecuting counsel. Tragically, neither man had wanted the fight, which is a far cry from the anti-Hickok statements made in the 1920s by men who claimed to have witnessed the shootout, some of whom had not even been born when it took place.
It was to be another four years before Hickok again killed another white man (Indians did not count in those days), during which time the press had been busy building up his reputation both as a man-killer and pistol dead shot. Following his election as acting sheriff of Ellis County in August 1869, Wild Bill shot dead Bill Mulvey, who when drunk had refused Hickok’s order to disarm and continued shooting at anyone who moved. A month later, Wild Bill was called to a saloon where Sam Strawhun and friends were raising a ruckus and threatening to shoot anyone who stopped them. Whether Strawhun threatened to shoot Wild Bill or thrust a broken glass into his face is hotly debated, but Sam was buried the next day, unmourned, and Hickok received congratulations for ridding Hays City of such a character. Wild Bill still lost the November election to his deputy, Peter ‘Rattlesnake Pete’ Lanahan.
Almost a year later, in July 1870, when Hickok paid a visit to Hays City, either on personal business or in his guise as a U.S. deputy marshal, he was set upon in a saloon by two troopers of the 7th Cavalry, Jeremiah Lonergan and John Kile. During the scuffle, Lonergan pinned Hickok down and Kile pushed his pistol into Wild Bill’s ear, but it misfired, by which time Hickok had his hands on a six-shooter. Lonergan received a ball in the knee and Kile, who was shot twice, died the next day. Hickok, meanwhile, hid out on boot hill, determined to sell his life dearly if other troopers fancied their chances.
It was more than a year later, on the evening of October 5, 1871, when a number of Texans were roaming the streets of Abilene, carousing and drinking, that City Marshal Hickok heard a shot and found himself facing more than 50 armed and drunken Texans led by gambler Phil Coe. Coe said that he had fired at a dog, and then fired twice at Hickok, one shot hitting the floor and the other passing through the marshal’s coat. Hickok’s first two shots thudded into Coe’s stomach, and he may have hit others in the crowd before he shot at another armed man rushing toward him out of the shadows. To his horror, Wild Bill later discovered that the man was a former jailer and now friend, Mike Williams, who, in trying to help Hickok, ran into the line of fire. Williams was the last known man to be killed by Wild Bill. Hickok paid for Mike’s funeral and later told his grief-stricken wife what had happened and why. That gunfight brought to an end Hickok’s career as a law officer. When the cattle season ended, the town officials decided to get rid of the cattle trade and had no further use for a highly paid marshal, so on December 13, Wild Bill was fired.
Wild Bill now left it to his reputation to deter most would-be rivals, while the legend builders eagerly spread the word. But it is doubtful even they realized how much Hickok’s murder at the hands of the back-shooting coward Jack McCall in a Deadwood saloon in August 1876 would immortalize Wild Bill Hickok as a Western legend.
This article was written by Joseph G. Rosa and originally appeared in Wild West. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Wild West magazine today!
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(Tigran) Petrosian was world champion at what from 1963 to 1969? | Tigran Petrosian
1929 - 1984
9th World Champion, 1963 - 1969
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was born in 1929 in Tbilisi, Georgia of Armenian parents. His parents died before he was 16 and he found consolation in chess. He was greatly influenced by Nimzovitch's theories and his play was deeply prophylactic, preventing any plans his opponents might come up with. He enjoyed slowly improving the position of his pieces and closed positions where he could quietly fight for the control of key squares. His style of play made his games less accessible to anyone other than masters and this made him one of the least popular of the World Champions. He defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in 1963 to become World Champion and lost his title to Boris Spassky in 1969.
Tigran Petrosian vs. Boris Spassky
World Championship match (game 10)
Moscow 1966
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Which Conservative Party Club in London was damaged by an IRA bomb in 1960? | Petrosian, Tigran Vartanovich - Chess.com
Chess.com
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Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian (1929-1984) was a Soviet Grandmaster (1952) and 9th world chess champion (1963-1969). Between 1968 and 1975 he never lost more than a single game in any tournament. He drew more than half his total games of chess, a higher fraction than any other World Champion. He received less than $2,000 for winning the world chess championship in 1966 against Spassky. When Petrosian defeated Spassky in 1966, it was the first time a World Champion defeated his challenger in 32 years (Alekhine defeated Bogoljubov in 1934). In 1972 at the Skopje Olympiad he lost a game on time to Hubner, his first loss on time in his whole career. When he was later told that the incident had been shown on TV, he said, "If I had known that, I would definitely have smashed the clock." His first official match that he played was for the World Championship, which he won when he defeated Botvinnik in 1963. When he lost his match with Fischer in 1971, Petrosian's wife, Rona, put the blame on his trainer, Alexey Suetin, and slapped him. Petrosian was unbeaten in 6 USSR championships. He only lost one game out of 129 in chess Olympiad play. Before Rona married Petrosian, she was flirting and dating both Efim Geller and Tigran Petrosian. In 1952, when both players went to Sweden for the Interzonal, she said she would marry whoever performed better in the Interzonal. Petrosian finished ½ point better than Geller, and Petrosian and Rona Avinezer were later married. In 1964, he won the championship of the Trade Unions in Moscow.
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What was the name of Julie Walter's character in 'Acorn Antiques'? | Acorn Antiques (Video 1987) - IMDb
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Title: Acorn Antiques (Video 1987)
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Comedy about the workers in a factory canteen.
Stars: Victoria Wood, Thelma Barlow, Andrew Dunn
Sketch based show starring 'Victoria Wood', 'Julie Walters' and many others. Included regular items such as "Acorn Antiques" with Julie as Mrs Overall and a regular advice slot from Agony ... See full summary »
Stars: Victoria Wood, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie
A sitcom about two dreamy roommates in London. Gay unemployed actor Tom Farrell, whose career is going nowhere, and Linda La Hughes, who is about as attractive as a centenary nun, yet has ... See full summary »
Stars: Kathy Burke, James Dreyfus, Beth Goddard
Victoria Wood (TV Series 1989)
Comedy
A series of six self-contained comedy playlets written by and starring Victoria Wood
Stars: Victoria Wood, Lill Roughley, Julie Walters
Victoria Wood giving her observations on life and songs that reflect what it's like to be a in a relationship.
Director: David G. Hillier
Housewife, 49 (TV Movie 2006)
Drama | War
In the late 1930s Nella Last,a housewife aged 49,living in Barrow-in-Furness on the North West English coast,agrees to send details of her routine to the Mass observation project,a ... See full summary »
Director: Gavin Millar
The comedienne stars in this festive sketch show, alongside a host of celebrity guests.
Director: John Birkin
French and Saunders (TV Series 1987)
Comedy
This BBC comedy skit show is the brainchild of longtime comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Each episode would feature satire on British life, television, and parodies on big box ... See full summary »
Stars: Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Simon Brint
John Lacey comes home one evening to discover a letter from his wife (starting with "Dear John" - hence the title) telling him that she is leaving him. Lonely and now divorced, the series ... See full summary »
Stars: Ralph Bates, Peter Blake, Peter Denyer
The perils of "escaping the rat race" and dropping out of society - to start a farm in Surbiton (and to drive Margo nuts).
Stars: Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith
Audrey fforbes-Hamilton is sad when her husband dies but is shocked when she realises that she has to leave Grantleigh Manor where her family has lived forever. The new owner is Richard De ... See full summary »
Stars: Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles, Angela Thorne
18 December 1987 (UK) See more »
Also Known As:
Victoria Woods' Acorn Antiques Omibus Edition See more »
Company Credits
Did You Know?
Trivia
Towards the end of the series an opening title sequence was used which included Miss Babs driving up to the shop in the Acorn Antiques van. See more »
Quotes
Babs : [on the phone] Well, that certainly *sounds* like a genuine Picasso. But I would have to see it to be sure.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Towards the end of one episode there is a spoof credit for an "Antiques Adviser Rosamund Crull"! See more »
Connections
(Canada NW) – See all my reviews
I always looked forward to an episode of "Acorn Antiques" in Victoria Wood's TV show. As a parody of the locally produced soap operas of the day it worked really well. Set in an antique store in the West Midlands, with "episodes" that were only a couple of minutes long, anything that could happen did happen: car crashes, sudden appearance of long-lost relatives, exposure of long-held secrets; and each episode ended with a cliff-hanger.
The plot lines were unique and not copycats of other established soap opera scripts of that era and the humour very wry. It's worth noting that Duncan Preston (Mr. Clifford) was a cast member of the original 'Crossroads' soap in the 60s. My favourite character was Mrs. Overall who made a pot of tea every 2 minutes and seemed to have a motto for every occasion - "That's God's way of telling you.....".
Apart from the wobbly sets the funniest parts were the "out-takes" when the characters thought the film was no longer rolling and reverted to normal speech ["Was that alright, darling?"]. The only minor flaw was that some of the characters spoke so fast or with such a thick accent that it took a few seconds to work out what they just said. I'm hoping this will be released on DVD (R1) with sub-titles and biographies of the main stars.
Victoria Wood seems to have remained a local UK celebrity but both Julie Walters and Celia Imrie have gone on to international fame thanks to productions that have been popular in North America - i.e. Julie in the Harry Potter movies (as Ron's mum) and Celia in "Nanny McPhee" and the 2nd Bridget Jones movie.
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What type of creature is a 'Rorqual'? | Theatre review: Acorn Antiques The Musical at Theatre Royal, Haymarket
Review by Philip Fisher
Acorn Antiques poster
The long-awaited and heavily advertised Acorn Antiques The Musical! has finally arrived. The good news for the British is that this is genuinely a celebration of home-grown talent. The actors are English (well, most of them: there is Welshman Gareth Bryn), so is the director, Sir Trevor Nunn. Even the subject matter, risqué comedy about the inhabitants of an English village that cannot have changed in the last fifty years, is quintessentially and rather dottily our very own.
Many people will know what to expect before they even buy their tickets. Victoria Wood's anti-soap opera has been successful on television to the extent that people chuckle at its name. The idea that Julie Walters' wonderful Mrs Overall, Celia Imrie's haughty Miss Babs and Duncan Preston's less than positive Mr Clifford are appearing on stage together will appeal.
The first note of warning is that those who are expecting to see Victoria Wood in her customary position as lovelorn Miss Berta will be disappointed. Indeed, if you turn up on a Monday night or Wednesday matinee, you will have the chance to see the writer but playing Mrs Overall, at the expense of Miss Walters.
Acorn Antiques The Musical! falls into three phases, the first of which struggles to provide anything original. It is a classic tale of a megalomaniacal but unsuccessful theatre director, played by Neil Morrissey looking like a cross between Sir Trevor and Jesus. He rants on about his desire to turn Acorn Antiques into a post apocalyptic holocaust of a play in which the whole street is demolished, together with its residents.
Things improve when our heroine rolls up and decides to rescue the show. Her goal is to provide some "old numbers lashed together with terrible bits of plot". From there until the end of the show, musical pastiche is the name of the game so that we get hordes of miserable Frenchmen dying on the barricades followed by romantic songs from the Cafe Continental.
The show really gets into its stride after the interval when we are welcomed into Manchesterford, quaint home to Acorn Antiques, the bumbling little shop run by a pair of spinsters and a man suffering from amnesia.
The plot is pure comic fantasy and none the worse for that. The developers are coming in to turn the High Street into a cornucopia of coffee shops with the odd offering of sexy underwear and a sinister loan shark dressed like John Travolta. In no time at all, our innocent antique dealers are faced with closure and conversion into a coffee shop.
Their only chance of rescue comes from the videotaped will of their late father, played by Ronnie Corbett. He sets them off on a trail that requires the discovery of their lost triplet sister, a coffee mini-tycoon played by Josie Lawrence, their equally lost mother, inevitably Mrs Overall, and at the last, a race against the clock in a TV style game show. In the last, they are assisted by a pair of Pitiful Adolescents, perhaps Miss Wood's finest creation for the stage show.
All of this is done with great charm and some routine song and dance, shown at its strongest in Tip Top Tap. The best of the musical offerings all feature Sally-Anne Triplett who takes over Miss Wood's part as Miss Berta. She is a regular musical star whose singing and dancing talents make her a good foil for Celia Imrie as Miss Babs. The latter is a fine comic character actress who is not at her best singing. Sir Trevor does well in juggling these two to the best effect.
The real star of the show without any doubt though is Julie Walters. She is helped by the fact that it takes no more than a stagger to get the audience chuckling madly. She has far more to offer in this comic role and brings the house down delivering a song about sex, scandal and cakes; to applause and cheering that delayed the opening of the following scene.
Acorn Antiques The Musical! might well be a West End success and if it is, it will enrich all concerned. You need to be a fan to spend up to £65 for each ticket and realistically, unless the running time can be cut even further from its current three hours (it started at three-and a-half), some more general viewers, for example tourists who do not know the TV show, may not think that it is worth the effort. However, with millions of TV viewers on tap to fill the theatre, this may not matter. The world loves "undemanding middlebrow entertainment" - obviously their words, not ours.
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"""To the red country and part of the grey country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth ""is the first line of which novel?" | John Steinbeck – Chapter 1 (The Grapes of Wrath) | Genius
TO THE RED COUNTRY and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. The plows crossed and recrossed the rivulet marks. The last rains lifted the corn quickly and scattered weed colonies and grass along the sides of the roads so that the gray country and the dark red country began to disappear under a green cover . In the last part of May the sky grew pale and the clouds that had hung in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated. The sun flared down on the growing corn day after day until a line of brown spread along the edge of each green bayonet. The clouds appeared, and went away, and in a while they did not try any more. The weeds grew darker green to protect themselves, and they did not spread any more. The surface of the earth crusted, a thin hard crust, and as the sky became pale, so the earth became pale, pink in the red country and white in the gray country .
In the water-cut gullies the earth dusted down in dry little streams. Gophers and ant lions started small avalanches . And as the sharp sun struck day after day, the leaves of the young corn became less stiff and erect; they bent in a curve at first, and then, as the central ribs of strength grew weak, each leaf tilted downward. Then it was June, and the sun shone more fiercely. The brown lines on the corn leaves widened and moved in on the central ribs. The weeds frayed and edged back toward their roots. The air was thin and the sky more pale; and every day the earth paled.
In the roads where the teams moved, where the wheels milled the ground and the hooves of the horses beat the ground, the dirt crust broke and the dust formed. Every moving thing lifted the dust into the air: a walking man lifted a thin layer as high as his waist, and a wagon lifted the dust as high as the fence tops, and an automobile boiled a cloud behind it. The dust was long in settling back again.
When June was half gone, the big clouds moved up out of Texas and the Gulf, high heavy clouds, rainheads. The men in the fields looked up at the clouds and sniffed at them and held wet fingers up to sense the wind. And the horses were nervous while the clouds were up. The rainheads dropped a little spattering and hurried on to some other country . Behind them the sky was pale again and the sun flared. In the dust there were drop craters where the rain had fallen, and there were clean splashes on the corn, and that was all.
A gentle wind followed the rain clouds, driving them on northward, a wind that softly clashed the drying corn. A day went by and the wind increased, steady, unbroken by gusts. The dust from the roads fluffed up and spread out and fell on the weeds beside the fields, and fell into the fields a little way. Now the wind grew strong and hard and it worked at the rain crust in the corn fields. Little by little the sky was darkened by the mixing dust, and the wind felt over the earth, loosened the dust, and carried it away. The wind grew stronger. The rain crust broke and the dust lifted up out of the fields and drove gray plumes into the air like sluggish smoke. The corn threshed the wind and made a dry, rushing sound. The finest dust did not settle back to earth now, but disappeared into the darkening sky.
Men and women huddled in their houses, and they tied handkerchiefs over their noses when they went out, and wore goggles to protect their eyes.
When the night came again it was black night, for the stars could not pierce the dust to get down, and the window lights could not even spread beyond their own yards now the dust was evenly mixed with the air, an emulsion of dust and air. Houses were shut tight, and cloth wedged around doors and windows, but the dust came in so thinly that it could not be seen in the air, and it settled like pollen on the chairs and tables, on the dishes. The people brushed it from their shoulders. Little lines of dust lay at the door sills.
In the middle of that night the wind passed on and left the land quiet. The dust-filled air muffled sound more completely than fog does. The people, lying in their beds heard the wind stop. They awakened when the rushing wind was gone. They lay quietly and listened deep into the stillness. Then the roosters crowed, and their voices were muffled, and the people stirred restlessly in their beds and wanted the morning they knew it would take a long time for the dust to settle out of the air. In the morning the dust hung like fog, and the sun was as red as ripe new blood. All day the dust sifted down from the sky, and the next day it sifted down. An even blanket covered the earth it settled on the corn, piled up on the tops of the fence posts, piled up on the wires; it settled on roofs, blanketed the weeds and trees.
The people came out of their houses and smelled the hot stinging air and covered their noses from it. And the children came out of the houses, but they did not run or shout as they would have done after a rain. Men stood by their fences and looked at the ruined corn, drying fast now, only a little green showing through the film of dust. The men were silent and they did not move often. And the women came out of the houses to stand beside their men—to feel whether this time the men would break. The women studied the men's faces secretly, for the corn could go, as long as something else remained. The children stood near by, drawing figures in the dust with bare toes, and the children sent exploring senses out to see whether men and women would break the children peeked at the faces of the men and women, and then drew careful lines in the dust with their toes. Horses came to the watering troughs and nuzzled the water to clear the surface dust. After a while the faces of the watching men lost their bemused perplexity and became hard and angry and resistant. Then the women knew that they were safe and that there was no break. Then they asked, What'll we do? And the men replied, I don't know. But it was all right. The women knew it was all right, and the Watching children knew it was all right. Women and children knew deep in themselves That no misfortune was too great to bear if their men were whole. The women went into the houses to their work, and the children began to play , but cautiously at first. As the Day went forward the sun became less red. It flared down on the dust-blanketed land The men sat in the doorways of their houses; their hands were busy with sticks and Little rocks. The men sat still—thinking—figuring.
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About “Chapter 1 (The Grapes of Wrath)”
The first chapter of Steinbeck’s beloved novel introduces the environment in which the story takes place—a formerly fertile land turned to dusty wasteland.
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What is the name given to an attack on a fort, castle etcusing ladders? | The 100 best novels: No 65 – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939) | Books | The Guardian
The 100 best novels
The 100 best novels: No 65 – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
One of the greatest of great American novels, this study of a family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression shocked US society
June 1938: A family in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma is forced to leave their home during the Great Depression, due to a serious drought in the region. Photograph: Dorothea Lange/Keystone/Getty Images
The 100 best novels
The 100 best novels: No 65 – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
One of the greatest of great American novels, this study of a family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression shocked US society
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I began this series with the suggestion that the enduring classics of English and American fiction were novels written either from a burning need for self-expression, often in extremis (Pilgrim’s Progress), or from a passionate desire to entertain an audience with bravura storytelling (Tom Jones). Of course, over time, as the idea of the novel matured, and its readership developed, these comparatively raw instincts would become more sophisticated, getting softened, deepened and tamed. More subtle considerations would come to dominate the genre. Yet this domesticated bourgeois pet would never, as it were, lose a capacity to bare its teeth and drag the reader back into the wild. The Grapes of Wrath, no 65 in this series, is a novel with blood on its teeth.
This is the “American book” Steinbeck always longed to write, a realist tour de force which exemplifies the quite primitive instincts that originally governed the Anglo-American novel, a cry of rage – mixing blue-collar bitterness, prairie folk wisdom and regular left-wing politics – from a best-selling writer inspired to pick up his pen by a deep sense of social injustice, in this case the dreadful conditions of immigrant farmhands in the American south-west. Steinbeck’s exposé of the social and economic horrors of farming life in the American dust bowl was a campaigning document by a writer with a conscience who had, as it happened, been born on a farm. The starkness of his narrative, and his sense of injustice, echoed the haunting photos of Dorothea Lange . Like her, he was not afraid to devote his art to the scandal of the Okies (Oklahoma migrants) who trekked to the fruit fields of the Golden State (California) in search of a better life, and suffered horribly in their search for a promised land.
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John Steinbeck at home in Sag Harbour in 1962, shortly after the announcement that he had won the Nobel prize award for literature. Photograph: Bettmann/CORBIS
“To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth....” In quasi-Biblical cadences, Steinbeck introduces to reader to the wretched of the earth, the Joad family, dispossessed farmers fleeing dust bowl conditions. Tom Joad has just been paroled from prison. Simultaneously, his family have lost their farm to the bank. The Joads are about to set out west in search of work, down Route 66 to California, the promised land. Nothing goes right. The Joads are exploited, bullied and torn apart. Their grandparents die en route, and have to be buried by the roadside. As the family begins to disintegrate, it is the women who are strong, like the pioneers of the 19th century. Old Ma Joad takes over. “Women can change better than a man,” she says. Tom gets implicated in another killing, and must flee into a landscape bereft of hope and opportunity. In the controversial conclusion to a bleak and pitiless narrative, Tom’s sister, Rose of Sharon Joad, loses her daughter and offers her breast to a fellow Okie who is dying of starvation. “She squirmed closer,” writes Steinbeck, “and pulled his head close. ‘There!’ she said. ‘There.’” The novel ends with Rose of Sharon’s mysterious smile at this shocking gesture of self-sacrifice.
A note on the text
The Grapes of Wrath grew out of a series of newspaper articles on the California migrant workers entitled The Harvest Gypsies that Steinbeck published in the San Francisco News (illustrated with photographs by Dorothea Lange) from 5 to 12 October, 1936. Writing at the height of the Depression, Steinbeck was on fire with his subject. Like some of the greatest novels in this series, the book was written in a white heat. He said, “I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible [for the Great Depression].” The novel – 200,000 words on 165 cramped, handwritten pages in a 12in x 18in lined ledger book – was completed in five months at the rate of 2,000 words a day. “Never worked so hard in my life nor so long before,” he told a friend. It was, said Steinbeck, his ambition to “rip a reader’s nerves to rags” from page to page. To achieve added drama and tempo, he borrowed the jump-cut technique of Dos Passos’ USA trilogy ( No 58 in this series ). At his wife Carol’s suggestion, he took his title from The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe: “Mine Eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord/ He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored…”
Steinbeck told his literary agent that he liked the title “because it is a march, and this book is a kind of march – because it is in our own revolutionary tradition.” On 26 October, 1938, Steinbeck reported he was “so dizzy” he could “hardly see the page.” He scrawled “END” in large letters on the manuscript, and then wrote in his journal “Finished this day, and I hope to God it’s good.”
The first reactions of Steinbeck’s agent and editor were excited. The Grapes of Wrath was rushed into print, going from typescript to page proof in four months, and published on 14 April 1939 by the Viking Press in New York. The novel at once became a national sensation, possibly the most reviewed and publicised, and even the most controversial, American novel of the 20th century – discussed on the radio, denounced by angry readers, and even banned in some libraries. The Associated Farmers of California were particularly incensed, complaining about “a pack of lies” and “Jewish propaganda”, though Steinbeck was not Jewish. A certain Ruth Comfort Mitchell attempted to refute the novel in a vindication of California’s treatment of its immigrant workers, in a now-forgotten book entitled Of Human Kindness . Joining battle from the other side, both Pearl Buck, author of The Good Earth, and the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who said she never thought the novel was exaggerated, supported Steinbeck. As did the US Senate, which judged that, if anything, the novelist had underestimated the violation of human rights on the west coast.
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Despite, or perhaps because of, this furore The Grapes of Wrath became the best-selling book of 1939, selling almost half a million copies (at $2.75 a copy) in the first year of publication alone. In 1940, the novel also won the Pulitzer prize for fiction, and would subsequently be taught in schools and colleges across the United States. In that year, John Ford directed a hastily put-together movie of the same name starring Henry Fonda, a rare case of an opportunistic movie equalling its fictional source. When Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1962, the prize committee identified this “great work” as a principal reason for awarding the prize. Not everyone was a Steinbeck fan. For example, F Scott Fitzgerald ( no 51 in this series ), writing to his friend the critic Edmund Wilson, described Steinbeck as “a rather cagey cribber”. Posterity has taken a different view. The Grapes of Wrath features on many “100 best” lists, including TIME , the Modern Library , Le Monde , and the BBC’s Big Read of 2003. Informal estimates suggest that it has sold about 15 million copies in the 75 years since its publication. There’s an American classic for you.
Three more from John Steinbeck
Tortilla Flat (1935); Of Mice and Men (1937); East of Eden (1952).
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'A white wading bird with a black patterned head and back, and an upturned beak', describes which bird? | WATER AND SHORE BIRDS
WATER AND SHORE BIRDS
These are birds found in or very near water in aquatic or wetland habitats such as marshes, ponds, lakes, bays, and streams. This group includes grebes, loons, cormorants, ducks, geese, herons, sandpipers, rails, gulls, and others.
Aix sponsa
L: 18.5"
The male duck has distinctive plumage and a crest of brilliant colors. The head and crest are green with white streaks, and the throat is white. The breast and neck are brown while the flank is a buffy color with black and white bands in front. The eye and upper bill are red. The female is light brown with white teardrop shaped eye patches. Locally found in ponds and creeks as well as adjacent woodlands.
Northern Pintail (Family Anatidae)
Anas americana
L: 19"
A common medium size duck. The male has a white cap and forehead with a green stripe running from the eye to the back of the neck. These markings are absent from the female. Both sexes have a buff colored breast and sides white auxiliaries and a green colored speculum.
Northern Shoveler (Family Anatidae)
Anas clypeata
L: 19"
A common marsh duck distinguished by its large spatula shaped bill. The male has a green head, yellow eye, white breast, and brown sides. The female has mainly brown coloring with green speculum on it's wings.
Mallard (Anatidae)
Anas platyrhynchos
L: 23"
This species is the most common dabbling duck found in this area. The male has a glossy green head, chestnut breast and a yellow bill. The female is varying shades of brown (and can be confused with other species) with blue speculum and orange bill. Juveniles are similar to the female but have a pale olive colored bill.
Gadwall (Anatidae)
Branta canadensis
L: 25-45"
This is the most common goose species in the area. A distinctive black head and neck with a white chin strap are markers for the species. Usually seen in flocks or pairs in or near larger bodies of water, also seen in open fields and vegetated clearings along creeks. This is where they feed on terrestrial plants.
Bufflehead (Anatidae)
Bucephala albeola
L: 13.5"
A fairly common small duck with a short bill, and large head. The male has a black underside with a large white patch towards the back of the head. The female is more subdued with a smaller white head patch.
Common Goldeneye (Anatidae)
Ardea herodias
L: 46" W: 72"
A large grey-blue wading bird with a black stripe above the eye extending into a tuft of feathers at back of the head. The long, pointed, yellow bill is used to spear fish and other prey. Commonly found in marsh, pond, and creek habitats.
Green backed Heron (Ardeidae)
Butorides striatus
L: 18" W: 26"
A small heron with blue-green top half and brown neck and cheeks. This bird has a long pointed bill; the feet and legs are yellow. Immature birds are brown on top and streaked on their underside. A solitary bird, found along streams, in ponds, and in marshes with vegetated cover.
Great Egret (Ardeidae)
Casmerodus albus
L:39" W: 51"
A large white wading bird with a yellow, pointed bill. This species has black legs and feet. Commonly found in marshes, ponds and creeks. Occasionally, it is found in open fields searching for insects, reptiles, and small mammals.
Snowy Egret (Ardeidae)
Egretta thula
L: 24" W: 41"
A white wading bird that is similar to Great Egret only smaller. The bill is black with yellow lores in front of the eyes. This egret has black legs with yellow feet. It usually feeds more actively than the Great Egret by wading along and stirring up the bottom with it's feet and capturing it's prey with it's bill.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Ardeidae)
Nycticorax nycticorax
L: 25" W: 44"
A stocky heron with a short neck. Adults have a black crown and a black and white neck. They have red eyes and both legs and feet are yellow. Juveniles are brown above and streaked on the breast.
Kildeer (Charadriidae)
Charadrius vociferus
L: 10.5"
A species of plover common to shorelines, riverbanks, and fields. This bird is identified by its distinctive double breast bands. The diagnostic call of the bird is a sound similar to "Kill-dee" and "dee-dee-dee" both calls are rather loud.
Common Loon (Gaviidae)
Larus delawarensis
L: 17.5" W: 48"
A common gull similar in coloring to the Herring and California gulls but smaller in size. It has a black ring near the tip of it's bill and yellow legs and feet. The juvenile birds are mottled with brown over the head, neck, back, and sides.
Western Gull (Laridae)
Forster�s Tern (Laridae)
Stera forsteri
L: 14..5"
A gull-like bird with pointed wings and bill, a pale grey back and white breast with a black cap on head and nape are the main colorings of this bird. This bird has an orange bill with a black tip, and its legs and feet are orange. It is the most common tern found in marshes and creeks in the area. They are often found diving to capture prey. The lesser seen Least Tern is smaller, with a yellow bill, legs and feet. The Caspian Tern is larger with a shorter tail, longer bill, and black legs and feet.
Caspian Tern (Laridae)
Phalacrocorax auritus
L: 32" W: 52"
A large black diving bird with a yellow to orange throat pouch. The tufts of feathers above the eyes (double crests) are not always visible. The feet are black and webbed. Commonly found in ponds, lakes, larger creeks, and rivers. Often observed diving from the water's surface for fish.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podicipedidae)
Podilymbus Podiceps
L: 13.5"
A small swimming and diving bird, with a dark brown top half and a lighter brown underside. This grebe has a diagnostic black ring around a whitish bill. It is found in ponds, sloughs and larger creek areas where it catches fish as its main source of nutrition.
American Coot (Rallidae)
Fulica americana
L: 15.5"
A black duck-like swimming bird with a white bill and red eyes. Its yellow feet are lobed rather than webbed. A very common species in marshes, wetlands, ponds and lakes.
Rallus logirostris
L: 16"
This endangered species has a short tail, strong legs, and short rounded wings. It has heavy white bars on its gray-brown sides. It feeds on rock louse, crabs, or snails.
Black-necked Stilt (Recurvirostridae)
Himantopus mexicanus
L: 14"
This is a very distinctive black and white shorebird. It has a long, thin black bill and either pink or red legs and feet. This bird is common in the marsh environment.
American Avocet (Recurvirostridae)
Recurvirostra americana
L: 18"
A tall slender shorebird with a black and white back and wings. The head and neck are a rusty color in the breeding season and they are grey in the winter. They have a long, thin upturned bill, and are commonly found in marsh ponds.
Spotted sandpiper (Scolopacidae)
Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
L: 17"
This large shorebird seems a drab gray color until it begins to show its wings. The wings are black and white on the underside. They feed on crabs, clams, and worms using their stout long bill. During the breeding season you can hear their call of "pill-will-willet" from which they are named.
Long-billed Dowitcher (Scolopacidae)
Limnodromus scolopaceus
L: 11.5"
A medium-small shorebird with a long, slowly tapering bill. The coloring is dark grey on the top half of the bird in the winter, in the summer the bird's top half is a brown to reddish brown color. This species is similar to the short billed dowitcher, but has a darker underside and tail that makes the white rump stand out in contrast. Common in marsh ponds and tidal flats.
Long-billed Curlew (Scolopacidae)
Numenius americanus
L: 23"
A medium-large wading bird that is brown above and buff below. This bird also has a long downward curved bill and long dark legs. A similar bird, the Whimbrel, has a stripped crown and a shorter bill. These birds are commonly seen in salt marshes.
Whimbrel (Scolopacidae)
| Avocet |
From shore to shore, which is the widest lake in the EnglishLake District? | WATER AND SHORE BIRDS
WATER AND SHORE BIRDS
These are birds found in or very near water in aquatic or wetland habitats such as marshes, ponds, lakes, bays, and streams. This group includes grebes, loons, cormorants, ducks, geese, herons, sandpipers, rails, gulls, and others.
Aix sponsa
L: 18.5"
The male duck has distinctive plumage and a crest of brilliant colors. The head and crest are green with white streaks, and the throat is white. The breast and neck are brown while the flank is a buffy color with black and white bands in front. The eye and upper bill are red. The female is light brown with white teardrop shaped eye patches. Locally found in ponds and creeks as well as adjacent woodlands.
Northern Pintail (Family Anatidae)
Anas americana
L: 19"
A common medium size duck. The male has a white cap and forehead with a green stripe running from the eye to the back of the neck. These markings are absent from the female. Both sexes have a buff colored breast and sides white auxiliaries and a green colored speculum.
Northern Shoveler (Family Anatidae)
Anas clypeata
L: 19"
A common marsh duck distinguished by its large spatula shaped bill. The male has a green head, yellow eye, white breast, and brown sides. The female has mainly brown coloring with green speculum on it's wings.
Mallard (Anatidae)
Anas platyrhynchos
L: 23"
This species is the most common dabbling duck found in this area. The male has a glossy green head, chestnut breast and a yellow bill. The female is varying shades of brown (and can be confused with other species) with blue speculum and orange bill. Juveniles are similar to the female but have a pale olive colored bill.
Gadwall (Anatidae)
Branta canadensis
L: 25-45"
This is the most common goose species in the area. A distinctive black head and neck with a white chin strap are markers for the species. Usually seen in flocks or pairs in or near larger bodies of water, also seen in open fields and vegetated clearings along creeks. This is where they feed on terrestrial plants.
Bufflehead (Anatidae)
Bucephala albeola
L: 13.5"
A fairly common small duck with a short bill, and large head. The male has a black underside with a large white patch towards the back of the head. The female is more subdued with a smaller white head patch.
Common Goldeneye (Anatidae)
Ardea herodias
L: 46" W: 72"
A large grey-blue wading bird with a black stripe above the eye extending into a tuft of feathers at back of the head. The long, pointed, yellow bill is used to spear fish and other prey. Commonly found in marsh, pond, and creek habitats.
Green backed Heron (Ardeidae)
Butorides striatus
L: 18" W: 26"
A small heron with blue-green top half and brown neck and cheeks. This bird has a long pointed bill; the feet and legs are yellow. Immature birds are brown on top and streaked on their underside. A solitary bird, found along streams, in ponds, and in marshes with vegetated cover.
Great Egret (Ardeidae)
Casmerodus albus
L:39" W: 51"
A large white wading bird with a yellow, pointed bill. This species has black legs and feet. Commonly found in marshes, ponds and creeks. Occasionally, it is found in open fields searching for insects, reptiles, and small mammals.
Snowy Egret (Ardeidae)
Egretta thula
L: 24" W: 41"
A white wading bird that is similar to Great Egret only smaller. The bill is black with yellow lores in front of the eyes. This egret has black legs with yellow feet. It usually feeds more actively than the Great Egret by wading along and stirring up the bottom with it's feet and capturing it's prey with it's bill.
Black-crowned Night Heron (Ardeidae)
Nycticorax nycticorax
L: 25" W: 44"
A stocky heron with a short neck. Adults have a black crown and a black and white neck. They have red eyes and both legs and feet are yellow. Juveniles are brown above and streaked on the breast.
Kildeer (Charadriidae)
Charadrius vociferus
L: 10.5"
A species of plover common to shorelines, riverbanks, and fields. This bird is identified by its distinctive double breast bands. The diagnostic call of the bird is a sound similar to "Kill-dee" and "dee-dee-dee" both calls are rather loud.
Common Loon (Gaviidae)
Larus delawarensis
L: 17.5" W: 48"
A common gull similar in coloring to the Herring and California gulls but smaller in size. It has a black ring near the tip of it's bill and yellow legs and feet. The juvenile birds are mottled with brown over the head, neck, back, and sides.
Western Gull (Laridae)
Forster�s Tern (Laridae)
Stera forsteri
L: 14..5"
A gull-like bird with pointed wings and bill, a pale grey back and white breast with a black cap on head and nape are the main colorings of this bird. This bird has an orange bill with a black tip, and its legs and feet are orange. It is the most common tern found in marshes and creeks in the area. They are often found diving to capture prey. The lesser seen Least Tern is smaller, with a yellow bill, legs and feet. The Caspian Tern is larger with a shorter tail, longer bill, and black legs and feet.
Caspian Tern (Laridae)
Phalacrocorax auritus
L: 32" W: 52"
A large black diving bird with a yellow to orange throat pouch. The tufts of feathers above the eyes (double crests) are not always visible. The feet are black and webbed. Commonly found in ponds, lakes, larger creeks, and rivers. Often observed diving from the water's surface for fish.
Pied-billed Grebe (Podicipedidae)
Podilymbus Podiceps
L: 13.5"
A small swimming and diving bird, with a dark brown top half and a lighter brown underside. This grebe has a diagnostic black ring around a whitish bill. It is found in ponds, sloughs and larger creek areas where it catches fish as its main source of nutrition.
American Coot (Rallidae)
Fulica americana
L: 15.5"
A black duck-like swimming bird with a white bill and red eyes. Its yellow feet are lobed rather than webbed. A very common species in marshes, wetlands, ponds and lakes.
Rallus logirostris
L: 16"
This endangered species has a short tail, strong legs, and short rounded wings. It has heavy white bars on its gray-brown sides. It feeds on rock louse, crabs, or snails.
Black-necked Stilt (Recurvirostridae)
Himantopus mexicanus
L: 14"
This is a very distinctive black and white shorebird. It has a long, thin black bill and either pink or red legs and feet. This bird is common in the marsh environment.
American Avocet (Recurvirostridae)
Recurvirostra americana
L: 18"
A tall slender shorebird with a black and white back and wings. The head and neck are a rusty color in the breeding season and they are grey in the winter. They have a long, thin upturned bill, and are commonly found in marsh ponds.
Spotted sandpiper (Scolopacidae)
Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
L: 17"
This large shorebird seems a drab gray color until it begins to show its wings. The wings are black and white on the underside. They feed on crabs, clams, and worms using their stout long bill. During the breeding season you can hear their call of "pill-will-willet" from which they are named.
Long-billed Dowitcher (Scolopacidae)
Limnodromus scolopaceus
L: 11.5"
A medium-small shorebird with a long, slowly tapering bill. The coloring is dark grey on the top half of the bird in the winter, in the summer the bird's top half is a brown to reddish brown color. This species is similar to the short billed dowitcher, but has a darker underside and tail that makes the white rump stand out in contrast. Common in marsh ponds and tidal flats.
Long-billed Curlew (Scolopacidae)
Numenius americanus
L: 23"
A medium-large wading bird that is brown above and buff below. This bird also has a long downward curved bill and long dark legs. A similar bird, the Whimbrel, has a stripped crown and a shorter bill. These birds are commonly seen in salt marshes.
Whimbrel (Scolopacidae)
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In Moh's Scale of Hardness, if Talc is number one, what is number two? | Hardness: Mineral Properties - The Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
6½
Hardness is almost always rounded off to the nearest half number.
There are various hardness testing kits. One type consists of 10 metal rods, each one containing a fragment of one of the minerals in the Moh's scale. Another type consists of large, low cost specimens of the Moh's minerals, labeled and stored in a wooden compartment box. The Diamond is either absent or a chip attached to a small metal rod. (The Diamond is really unnecessary, since no minerals are between hardness 9 and 10.)
A mineral is struck with a metal rod or "testing mineral" to test its hardness.
It is tested in the manner of the following example:
Action
Conclusion
Mineral struck with rod or mineral number 4 (Fluorite) from the testing kit. Mineral gets scratched.
Mineral must be less than or equal to 4.
Mineral struck with rod or mineral number 2 (Gypsum). Mineral does not get scratched.
Mineral must be between 2 and 4.
Mineral struck with rod or mineral number 3 (Calcite). Mineral gets scratched.
Mineral must be between 2 and 3.
Two minerals with equal hardness will scratch each other. This gives an advantage to the hardness testing kit that includes real minerals over rods. One can scratch the mineral from the kit instead of scratching a nice specimen. In addition, one can also get more exact results by seeing if both minerals scratch each other.
Minerals can be damaged and lose value if not scratched properly. If a mineral testing kit is composed of minerals (as opposed to rods), it is preferable for the testing kit mineral to be scratched over the specimen. If this cannot be done, than the specimen has to be scratched. This should be done in an area where a scratch will be less noticeable, since it will make a permanent mark.
Hardness can be easily detected without a "kit". All one needs to know is the hardness of certain items (including the ones mentioned above) and minerals in his collection. These can be used instead of purchasing a kit.
How to test using hardness
Hardness testing is done by "scratching" one mineral with the other. To get the most accurate results, a sharp edge should be scratched against a smooth surface, on a small an area as possible. The scratch should not be conducted on a surface that is coated, chipped, or weathered, for it will give inaccurate results.
When a mineral is scratched, a permanent indentation is created. Powder of the softer mineral will come off, and it will cover the scratch area. This powder needs to be brushed away to see if the mineral really got scratched, or if the powder of the softer mineral that was swiped across the specimen being tested created a scratch-like marking. When minerals of similar hardness are scratched together, it is difficult to tell which mineral (if not both of them) is really getting scratched because of this.
Most minerals are anisotropic to a minor extent, meaning their hardness varies in different directions. Kyanite is famous for this habit. When scratched in one direction, it exhibits a hardness of 4 to 5. When struck from the perpendicular direction, it exhibits a hardness of 6 to 7. Kyanite is the only mineral exhibiting such strong anisotropism. In virtually all minerals, the anisotropism is so weak that it cannot be determined.
Micromounts and small embedded crystals are very hard to determine in terms of hardness. One may not be able to test for hardness because of the small size.
| Gypsum |
Which Terrence Rattigan play is about boarders in a seaside guest house? | Mohs Scale of Hardness - Identify Rocks & Minerals
Mohs Scale of Hardness
Mohs Scale of Hardness
Identify Rocks & Minerals Using Hardness
Scientists use the Mohs scale to gauge the hardness of minerals to help identify them. Gary Ombler, Getty Images
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated February 03, 2016.
There are many systems used to measure hardness, which is defined several different ways. Gemstones and other minerals are ranked according to their Mohs hardness. Mohs hardness refers to a material's ability to resist abrasion or scratching. Note that a hard gem or mineral is not automatically tough or durable.
About the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
The Moh's (Mohs) scale of hardness is the most common method used to rank gemstones and minerals according to hardness. Devised by German mineralogist Friedrich Moh in 1812, this scale grades minerals on a scale from 1 (very soft) to 10 (very hard). Because the Mohs scale is a relative scale, the difference between the hardness of a diamond and that of a ruby is much greater than the difference in hardness between calcite and gypsum. As an example, diamond (10) is about 4-5 times harder than corundum (9), which is about 2 times harder than topaz (8). Individual samples of a mineral may have slightly different Mohs ratings, but they will be near the same value.
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Half-numbers are used for in-between hardness ratings.
How to Use the Mohs Scale
A mineral with a given hardness rating will scratch other minerals of the same hardness and all samples with lower hardness ratings. As an example, if you can scratch a sample with a fingernail, you know its hardness is less than 2.5. If you can scratch a sample with a steel file, but not with a fingernail, you know its hardness is between 2.5 and 7.5.
Gems are examples of minerals. Gold, silver, and platinum are all relatively soft, with Mohs ratings between 2.5-4. Since gems can scratch each other and their settings, each piece of gemstone jewelry should be wrapped separately in silk or paper. Also, be wary of commercial cleaners, as they may contain abrasives that could damage jewelry.
I've added a few common household items to the basic Mohs scale to give you an idea of how hard gems and minerals really are and for use in testing hardness yourself.
Mohs Scale of Hardness
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What is Cockney slang for a thief? | Cockney Rhyming Slang
Cockney Rhyming Slang
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Cockney rhyming slang is a form of English slang which originated in the East End of London . Many of its expressions have passed into common language, and the creation of new ones is no longer restricted to Cockneys. Up until the late 20th Century, rhyming slang was also common in Australian slang, probably due to the formative influence of cockney on Australian English.
It developed as a way of obscuring the meaning of sentences to those who did not understand the slang , though it remains a matter of speculation whether this was a linguistic accident, or whether it was developed intentionally to assist criminals or to maintain a particular community.
Rhyming slang works by replacing the word to be obscured with the first word of a phrase that rhymes with that word. For instance, "face" would be replaced by "boat," because face rhymes with "boat race." Similarly "feet" becomes "plates" ("plates of meat"), and "money" is "bread" (a very common usage, from "bread and honey"). Sometimes the full phrase is used, for example "Currant Bun" to mean "The Sun" (often referring to the British tabloid newspaper of that name). There is no hard and fast rule for this, and you just have to know whether a particular expression is always shortened, never shortened, or can be used either way.
Other examples of Cockney Rhyming Slang, or phrases inspired by it, are:
Adam and Eve = believe = as in "would you Adam and Eve it?"
Almond Rocks = socks
Aris = Aristotle = bottle & glass = arse (a two-stage rhyme) [see Plaster below]
Artful Dodger = lodger
Berk or Burk = Berkshire Hunt = cunt (used as an insult, never as an anatomical reference)
Boat = boat race = face
Bob Hope = soap
Boracic (freq. contracted to brassic) = boracic lint = skint (i.e. penniless)
Bottle = bottle and glass = arse (i. e. courage; Courage also happens to be the name of a brewery)
Brahms = Brahms and Liszt (classical composers) = pissed (i.e. drunk)
Brass Tacks = facts
Bristol = Bristol City = titty (i.e. breast)
Brown bread = dead
Chalfonts = Chalfont St Giles = piles (i.e. haemorrhoids)
Chalk Farm = arm
China = china plate = mate
Cobblers = cobblers' awls = balls or 'bollocks' (i.e. testicles , but usually meant in the sense of 'rubbish' as in "You're talking a load of cobblers")
Cock and Hen = ten
Creamed = cream crackered = knackered (i.e. exhausted or beaten)
Currant bun = sun or The Sun newspaper
Daisies = daisy roots = boots
Darby and Joan = moan
Dicky = dicky dirt = shirt
Dicky or Dickie = dickie bird = word = as in "not a dickie", or even "not a dickie bird"
Dog = dog and bone = phone
Duck and Dive = skive
Ducks and Geese = F--k-in' Police
Duke of Kent = rent
Dukes = Duke[s] of York = fork, i.e. hand, now chiefly when balled into a fist
Dustbin Lid = kid
Emmas = Emma Freud (English author and columnist) = haemorrhoids
Farmers = Farmer Giles = piles (slang for haemorrhoids )
Flowery Dell = ( prison ) cell
Gregory = Gregory Peck = neck, or cheque
Gypsy's = Gypsy's kiss = piss
Hampton Wick = prick (i.e. penis)
Half-inch = pinch (i.e. steal)
Jack = Jack Jones = alone ("On my Jack" = "On my own")
Jam jar = car
Jam tart = heart
J. Arthur = J. Arthur Rank (1930s UK flour magnate and film producer) = wank (i.e. masturbate)
Jimmy = Jimmy Riddle (unknown person, not the character killed during the Waco siege)= piddle or widdle (urinate)
Jugs = jugs of beer = ears
Khyber = Khyber Pass = arse
Lady Godiva = fiver (i.e. five- pound note)
Lionels = Lionel Blairs (English variety performer) = flares (as in flared trousers)
Loaf = loaf of bread = head ("use your loaf")
Lucy Lockett = pocket
Mickey Bliss = piss (as in "take the Mickey" = "take the piss" = satirise)
Minces (or mincers) = mince pies = eyes
Mutton = Mutt and Jeff = deaf = named after Mutt and Jeff , two early 20th century comic strip characters
Nobbies = Nobby Stiles (English footballer) = piles (haemorrhoids)
North and South = mouth
Oily rag = fag (i.e. cigarette)
Ones and twos = shoes
Orchestras = orchestra stalls = balls (Orchestra stalls = part of a concert or other hall. Example = "A kick in the orchestras.") [Coincidentally, "orchi-" is also the Greek root meaning "testicle."]
Peckham Rye = tie (i.e. necktie)
Pen and Ink = stink
Pigs ears = big beers (large glasses of Ale )
Plaster = Plaster of Paris = Aris = Aristotle = bottle = bottle and glass = arse (a three-stage rhyme)
Plates = plates of meat = feet
Porky = pork pie = lie, e.g. "He's telling porkies!"
Pony = pony and trap = crap (note: Cockneys also use "pony" to mean £25 - hopefully the meaning is clear from the context)
Rabbit = rabbit and pork = talk
Raspberry = raspberry tart = fart (as in "blowing raspberry/ies" = making rasping noises with your mouth)
Richard = Richard the Third = turd (lump of faeces)
Richard = Dicky Bird = bird (slang for girl) but also Dicky Bird = word
Rosie = Rosie Lee = tea e.g. "Have a cup of Rosie"
Round the houses = trousers
Ruby = Ruby Murray (popular singer in the 1950s born in Belfast ) = curry
Salmon and Trout = snout
Scarper = Scapa Flow = go (as in "run for it!")
Septic = septic tank = Yank (slang for an American)
Sexton Blake = cake
Skin = skin and blister = sister
Sky = sky rocket = pocket
sweaty = sweaty sock = jock = Scottish person
Syrup / sirrup = syrup of figs = wig(s)
Tea leaf = thief
The Sweeney = Sweeney Todd =Flying Squad , a special division of the Metropolitan Police ; used as the title of TV series The Sweeney
Taters = Potatoes in the mould = cold
Titfer = tit for tat = hat
Tod = Tod Sloane = own (as in "on your tod", meaning "alone")
Tom and Dick = sick
Treacle = treacle tart = sweetheart
Trouble = trouble and strife = wife
Vera = Vera Lynn (famous British wartime singer)= 'skin' or cigarette paper, eg, "got any Veras?", or chin, or gin
Whistle = whistle and flute = suit = as in "a nice whistle"
| Tea |
What is the name of the exercise technique in which opposing equal pressures are used? | Cockney Rhyming Slang Dictionary
Read more...
What makes this list of slang different from the many others that are available on the internet is the examples of usage that are included for each word (and in some cases the origin)—not much point in knowing that iron means bank if you can't work it into a sentence, now is there? These files are quite large but all the words are presented on just one page so you don't need to click around to find the information you want. Please be patient while the tables load.
Slang Dictionary
One day I'll figure out how to create a forum page so that visitors can ask and answer each other's questions. That day is, apparently, not today. Once it's in place, judging by the number of questions I'm asked, I suspect it will be wildly popular.
Rest assured that I am working on it with a team of top-notch professionals (thank you Google). As soon as it's ready I'll include it. In the meantime, please bear with me.
| i don't know |
Which element is signified by the letter 'K'? | What Element does the letter 'K' represent? | Poll Everywhere
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| Potassium |
What is the full name of Dawn French's character in 'The Vicar Of Dibley'? | Potassium - Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table
Chemistry in its element: potassium
(Promo)
You're listening to Chemistry in its element brought to you by Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
(End promo)
Chris Smith
Hello, this week the story of the first alkaline metal ever isolated, why it's an alkaline metal at all and why its symbol begins with the letter K. Here's Peter Wothers.
Peter Wothers
Potassium - the only element named after a cooking utensil. It was named in 1807 by Humphry Davy after the compound from which he isolated the metal, potash, or potassium hydroxide.
An extract from the 1730s by the Dutch chemist Herman Boerhaave describes how potash got its name:
"Potas or Pot-ashes is brought yearly by the Merchant's Ships in great abundance from Coerland (now part of Latvia and Lithuania), Russia, and Poland. It is prepared there from the Wood of green Fir, Pine, Oak, and the like, of which they make large piles in proper Trenches, and burn them till they are reduced to Ashes... These ashes are then dissolved in boiling Water, and when the Liquor at top, which contains the Salt, is depurated, i.e. freed from impurities, by standing quiet, it is poured off clear. This, then, is immediately put into large copper Pots, and is there boiled for the space of three days, by which means they procure the Salt they call Potas, (which signifies Pot-Ashes) on account of its being thus made in Pots.
Even earlier in the 16th Century, Conrad Gesner tells us that "Of the hearbe called Kali, doe certayne prepare a Salt"
He describes this plant, Kali whose Latin name is Salsola kali but is more commonly known as Saltwort:
"Kali is of two Cubites of heygth, hauing no prickles or thornes, & is sometymes very red, saltye in taste, with a certayne vngratefull smell, found & gathered in saltie places: out of which, the Salt of Alkali maye be purchased"
His method of production of this Salt of Alkali is pretty similar to that described by Boerhaave with both processes actually yielding an impure mixture of what we would now call potassium and sodium carbonate; the wood ash method yielding more potassium carbonate, potash, the salty herbs giving more sodium carbonate, soda. However, it is from the herb kali, that we owe the word that describes both - al-kali or alkali; the 'al' prefix simply being Arabic definite article 'the'.
The crude potash can be made more caustic or 'pure' by treating a solution of it with lime water, calcium hydroxide. The potassium carbonate and calcium hydroxide solutions react with a bit of chemical partner-swapping: insoluble calcium carbonate or chalk precipitates out, leaving a solution of potassium hydroxide. It was from this pure hydroxide that Davy first isolated the metal potassium. To do this he used the relatively new force of electricity.
After unsuccessfully trying to electrolyse aqueous solutions of potash, during which he only succeeded in breaking apart the water, he reasoned that he needed to do away with the water and try to electrolyse molten potassium hydroxide. This he did on the sixth of October, 1807 using the large Voltaic pile he had built at the Royal Institute in London. His younger cousin, Edmund Davy, was assisting Humphry at the time and he relates how when Humphry first saw "the minute globules of potassium burst through the crust of potash, and take fire as they entered the atmosphere, he could not contain his joy".
Davy had every right to be delighted with this amazing new metal: it looked just like other bright, shiny metals but its density was less than that of water. This meant the metal would float on water --at least, it would do if it didn't explode as soon as it came into contact with the water. Potassium is so reactive , it will even react and burn a hole through ice. This was the first alkali metal to be isolated, but Davy went on to isolate sodium, calcium, magnesium and barium.
Whilst Davy named his new metal potassium after the potash, Berzelius, the Swedish chemist who invented the international system of chemical symbols now used by chemists the world over, preferred the name kalium for the metal, better reflecting its true origins, he thought. Hence it is due a small salty herb that we now end up with the symbol K for the element pot-ash-ium, potassium.
Chris Smith
Cambridge chemist Peter Wothers. Next time beautiful but deadly is the name of the game.
Bea Perks
Arsenic gets its name from a Persian word for the yellow pigment now known as orpiment. For keen lexicographers apparently the Persian word in question Zarnikh was subsequently borrowed by the Greeks for their word arsenikon which means masculine or potent. On the pigment front, Napoleon's wallpaper just before his death is reported to have incorporated a so called Scheele's green which exuded an arsenic vapour when it got damp.
Chris Smith
So potent or not, licking the wallpaper in Napoleon's apartments is definitely off the menu. That's Bea Perks who will be with us next time to tell us the deadly tale of arsenic, I hope you can join us. I'm Chris Smith, thank you for listening and goodbye.
(Promo)
Chemistry in its element is brought to you by the Royal Society of Chemistry and produced by thenakedscientists.com . There's more information and other episodes of Chemistry in its element on our website at chemistryworld.org/elements .
(End promo)
| i don't know |
What was the name of the Swiss-born US racing driver who designed a make of car that was named after him? | Famous names in car history - CNN.com
Famous names in car history
Story Highlights
David Buick invented the overhead valve engine, founded Buick Motor Car Co.
Fearless race car driver Louis Chevrolet's name stuck for its musical lilt
The Henry Ford Company fired its namesake who later started Ford Motor Co.
Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan
Next Article in Living »
By Gary Hoffman
( AOL Autos ) -- With car companies going in into bankruptcy and shedding famous names left and right, it's important to remember that today's automotive titans started out as tiny startups, not unlike Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
General Motors was almost called International Motors Co.
Names like Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Porsche call to mind the huge corporate successes of the past and the great automotive families that survive today.
But behind every brand name, there is a flesh-and-blood inventor, entrepreneur or industrialist. Most of the time, they gave their name to the companies. And that fame was often about all they ended up with.
David Buick, who invented the overhead valve engine, founded the Buick Motor Car Co. in 1903. William C. Durant, the industrialist who would eventually found GM, took over the company in 1904, when it ran into financial trouble.
Buick stayed on as a director, but left in 1908, never making much money from the enterprise. He reportedly died in 1929, unable to afford one of his cars.
Durant kept the name for one of his company divisions and for the car, even though he worried that people might pronounce it "Boo-ick," according to one author. Strangely enough, the man who practically created General Motors single-handedly never really liked the idea of a 'Durant' car.
In another example, Robert Hupp invented the Hupmobile,'a two-seat runabout, in 1908. But he sold his stock in his Hupp Motor Car Company in 1911. He turned around and founded the Hupp Corp. that same year. Investors in his first firm took him to court to make him drop the "Hupp" from his new company's name and they won. His own automotive glory quickly faded, although the Hupmobile survived until the 1940s.
Don't Miss
AOL Autos: Six cars on death row
Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet's experience was similar. Durant brought him into a new car-building venture in 1911, hoping to trade on his fame as an absolutely fearless race car driver. Chevrolet left the company in 1913, apparently unable to make the adjustment from racing to building production vehicles. But its name stuck to the new Chevrolet vehicles; Durant reportedly liked its musical lilt.
It could also work the other way around. In 1925, Walter P. Chrysler got the naming rights to the Maxwell Motor Co. after he and another industrialist steadily bought up shares in the firm over a two-year period.
Things turned out a little differently for Henry Ford. He suffered the ignominy of being booted from an early auto company that bore his own name. But his revenge was sweet.
The Henry Ford Company, which traded freely on Ford's early fame as an inventor, fired him in 1902 "because he was spending all his time developing a race car, not a passenger car," according to the Encyclopedia of American Business and Biography. AOL Autos: Ford's 'Wonder Woman' engineers most important new car
After Ford was gone, the company was renamed Cadillac, after Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, the French nobleman who founded Detroit in 1703; his heraldry became the model's badge and the company became a part of General Motors in 1909.
After his firing, Ford quickly found investors to help him found his own firm, the Ford Motor Co., in 1903. He introduced the company's first new vehicle, the Model and followed it up with other low-cost vehicles, including his greatest achievement, the Model T, in 1908. Its price tag started at $850 and fell steadily as Ford introduced more production innovations. The young firm became phenomenally successful. AOL Autos: 10 classic American rides
In the 1920s, he got the chance to buy the five-year-old Lincoln Motor Co. out of bankruptcy. It was then owned by one of the very people, Henry Leland, who fired him in 1902. Then he used the former aircraft company to launch his own line of luxury cars bearing the Lincoln name.
For its part, General Motors almost didn't get the name it bears today. Durant actually incorporated his company under the name "International Motors Co.", in New Jersey in 1908. But his attorney advised him that it would be easier to raise capital under a new name.
"We might use 'United Motors Company' were it not for the fact that there is already a United Motor Car Company in that state," the attorney wrote. "We suggest the name General Motors Company, as we have ascertained it can be used."
A newly coined French word, auto-mobile, inspired many vehicle names of the early years. Inventor Ransom E. Olds filed a patent for an "auto-mobile" during the mid-1890s. Names like Bugmobile, Locomobile, Hupmobile, and of course, the Oldsmobile, could not have come along without it.
The origins of some names can be tricky to trace. The first use of Jeep, for instance. is shrouded in mist. Jim Allen, the author of a book called "Jeep," concludes that it's based on early World War II slang for "a new, unproven recruit or a new unproven vehicle."
It wasn't until 1950 that Toledo-based Willys-Overland, Inc., one of the producers of the early four-wheel-drive vehicle, trademarked the term.
Many of the names were not originally associated with the auto industry. The Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan; When it turned to car production, the Toyoda family changed the 'd' to a 't' to make it simpler and more elegant in Japanese script. AOL Autos: Top 10 best car names
There's little doubt about other brand names. Pontiac was an offshoot of the Pontiac Buggy Co., a horseless carriage manufacturer named after a renowned Indian chief. Mechanic Soichiro Honda started producing motorized bicycles after the devastation of World War II and eventually graduated to cars. AOL Autos: Pontiacs we'll never forget
Volkswagen, a response to Adolf Hitler's call for a car for the common folk, means 'people's car' in German, evidently beating out the prototype's name, 'Strength through Joy,' for the honors.
In 1917, the Rapp Engine Works became known as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, or Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) as the four-year-old airplane engine firm diversified into motorcycle engines, with a stylized white propeller against a blue sky as its logo, according to some authorities. The first BMW cars were produced 11 years later.
The legendary Jaguar name is considered one of the best sports car names of all time. It beat out a long list of lackluster animal names compiled by a British ad agency in 1935. In 1939, Ford struck gold with Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods. It tapped into Greek and Roman mythology for the name, just as it did for the similarly styled Lincoln Zephyr, the god of the wind, three years earlier.
Some other storied automotive brands are based on acronyms. Fiat stands for Fabbrica Italiani Automobili Torino, or Italian Automotive Works Turin. Similarly, Saab stands for Svenska Aeroplanaktiebolaget, or Swedish Aeroplane Ltd., hearkening back to the automaker's origins as an aircraft company.
Ford might have done better with an acronym in 1958. The Edsel was conceived as a new, distinct Ford Motor Co. brand, with its own models, badge and division. The mission was to take on GM's Oldsmobile.
After considering thousands of suggestions, Ford named the new brand after Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's only child. He had been a major styling influence within the company and was its president at his fathers death in 1943.
The name Edsel was an immediate letdown. Ford stock fell 10 points on the day it was announced. One disenchanted executive predicted that the name alone would cost the new vehicle 200,000 units in sales. AOL Autos: Best and worst automotive designs of all time
Its name wasn't the sole reason for its failure. It didn't help that the country was in recession or that the new car seemed based on Ford and Mercury models. But all that didn't stop Edsel from entering the vocabulary as an idea or project fated to failure.
| Louis Chevrolet |
Which is the most easterly state in mainland USA? | Famous names in car history - CNN.com
Famous names in car history
Story Highlights
David Buick invented the overhead valve engine, founded Buick Motor Car Co.
Fearless race car driver Louis Chevrolet's name stuck for its musical lilt
The Henry Ford Company fired its namesake who later started Ford Motor Co.
Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan
Next Article in Living »
By Gary Hoffman
( AOL Autos ) -- With car companies going in into bankruptcy and shedding famous names left and right, it's important to remember that today's automotive titans started out as tiny startups, not unlike Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
General Motors was almost called International Motors Co.
Names like Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Porsche call to mind the huge corporate successes of the past and the great automotive families that survive today.
But behind every brand name, there is a flesh-and-blood inventor, entrepreneur or industrialist. Most of the time, they gave their name to the companies. And that fame was often about all they ended up with.
David Buick, who invented the overhead valve engine, founded the Buick Motor Car Co. in 1903. William C. Durant, the industrialist who would eventually found GM, took over the company in 1904, when it ran into financial trouble.
Buick stayed on as a director, but left in 1908, never making much money from the enterprise. He reportedly died in 1929, unable to afford one of his cars.
Durant kept the name for one of his company divisions and for the car, even though he worried that people might pronounce it "Boo-ick," according to one author. Strangely enough, the man who practically created General Motors single-handedly never really liked the idea of a 'Durant' car.
In another example, Robert Hupp invented the Hupmobile,'a two-seat runabout, in 1908. But he sold his stock in his Hupp Motor Car Company in 1911. He turned around and founded the Hupp Corp. that same year. Investors in his first firm took him to court to make him drop the "Hupp" from his new company's name and they won. His own automotive glory quickly faded, although the Hupmobile survived until the 1940s.
Don't Miss
AOL Autos: Six cars on death row
Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet's experience was similar. Durant brought him into a new car-building venture in 1911, hoping to trade on his fame as an absolutely fearless race car driver. Chevrolet left the company in 1913, apparently unable to make the adjustment from racing to building production vehicles. But its name stuck to the new Chevrolet vehicles; Durant reportedly liked its musical lilt.
It could also work the other way around. In 1925, Walter P. Chrysler got the naming rights to the Maxwell Motor Co. after he and another industrialist steadily bought up shares in the firm over a two-year period.
Things turned out a little differently for Henry Ford. He suffered the ignominy of being booted from an early auto company that bore his own name. But his revenge was sweet.
The Henry Ford Company, which traded freely on Ford's early fame as an inventor, fired him in 1902 "because he was spending all his time developing a race car, not a passenger car," according to the Encyclopedia of American Business and Biography. AOL Autos: Ford's 'Wonder Woman' engineers most important new car
After Ford was gone, the company was renamed Cadillac, after Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, the French nobleman who founded Detroit in 1703; his heraldry became the model's badge and the company became a part of General Motors in 1909.
After his firing, Ford quickly found investors to help him found his own firm, the Ford Motor Co., in 1903. He introduced the company's first new vehicle, the Model and followed it up with other low-cost vehicles, including his greatest achievement, the Model T, in 1908. Its price tag started at $850 and fell steadily as Ford introduced more production innovations. The young firm became phenomenally successful. AOL Autos: 10 classic American rides
In the 1920s, he got the chance to buy the five-year-old Lincoln Motor Co. out of bankruptcy. It was then owned by one of the very people, Henry Leland, who fired him in 1902. Then he used the former aircraft company to launch his own line of luxury cars bearing the Lincoln name.
For its part, General Motors almost didn't get the name it bears today. Durant actually incorporated his company under the name "International Motors Co.", in New Jersey in 1908. But his attorney advised him that it would be easier to raise capital under a new name.
"We might use 'United Motors Company' were it not for the fact that there is already a United Motor Car Company in that state," the attorney wrote. "We suggest the name General Motors Company, as we have ascertained it can be used."
A newly coined French word, auto-mobile, inspired many vehicle names of the early years. Inventor Ransom E. Olds filed a patent for an "auto-mobile" during the mid-1890s. Names like Bugmobile, Locomobile, Hupmobile, and of course, the Oldsmobile, could not have come along without it.
The origins of some names can be tricky to trace. The first use of Jeep, for instance. is shrouded in mist. Jim Allen, the author of a book called "Jeep," concludes that it's based on early World War II slang for "a new, unproven recruit or a new unproven vehicle."
It wasn't until 1950 that Toledo-based Willys-Overland, Inc., one of the producers of the early four-wheel-drive vehicle, trademarked the term.
Many of the names were not originally associated with the auto industry. The Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan; When it turned to car production, the Toyoda family changed the 'd' to a 't' to make it simpler and more elegant in Japanese script. AOL Autos: Top 10 best car names
There's little doubt about other brand names. Pontiac was an offshoot of the Pontiac Buggy Co., a horseless carriage manufacturer named after a renowned Indian chief. Mechanic Soichiro Honda started producing motorized bicycles after the devastation of World War II and eventually graduated to cars. AOL Autos: Pontiacs we'll never forget
Volkswagen, a response to Adolf Hitler's call for a car for the common folk, means 'people's car' in German, evidently beating out the prototype's name, 'Strength through Joy,' for the honors.
In 1917, the Rapp Engine Works became known as the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, or Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) as the four-year-old airplane engine firm diversified into motorcycle engines, with a stylized white propeller against a blue sky as its logo, according to some authorities. The first BMW cars were produced 11 years later.
The legendary Jaguar name is considered one of the best sports car names of all time. It beat out a long list of lackluster animal names compiled by a British ad agency in 1935. In 1939, Ford struck gold with Mercury, the fleet-footed messenger of the gods. It tapped into Greek and Roman mythology for the name, just as it did for the similarly styled Lincoln Zephyr, the god of the wind, three years earlier.
Some other storied automotive brands are based on acronyms. Fiat stands for Fabbrica Italiani Automobili Torino, or Italian Automotive Works Turin. Similarly, Saab stands for Svenska Aeroplanaktiebolaget, or Swedish Aeroplane Ltd., hearkening back to the automaker's origins as an aircraft company.
Ford might have done better with an acronym in 1958. The Edsel was conceived as a new, distinct Ford Motor Co. brand, with its own models, badge and division. The mission was to take on GM's Oldsmobile.
After considering thousands of suggestions, Ford named the new brand after Edsel Ford, Henry Ford's only child. He had been a major styling influence within the company and was its president at his fathers death in 1943.
The name Edsel was an immediate letdown. Ford stock fell 10 points on the day it was announced. One disenchanted executive predicted that the name alone would cost the new vehicle 200,000 units in sales. AOL Autos: Best and worst automotive designs of all time
Its name wasn't the sole reason for its failure. It didn't help that the country was in recession or that the new car seemed based on Ford and Mercury models. But all that didn't stop Edsel from entering the vocabulary as an idea or project fated to failure.
| i don't know |
What was the name of Churchill's home in Kent? | Chartwell | National Trust
National Trust
Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill, in frost National Trust
Enjoy wintry views across the hillside at Chartwell National Trust
Visit the studio full of Churchill's paintings at Chartwell National Trust / Andreas Von Einsiedel
Discover Winston and Clemmie by the lake at Chartwell National Trust
Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill
Things to see and do
Explore inside and outside
A tale of two exhibitions at Chartwell
Here at Chartwell this winter we have not one, but two new exhibitions for you. Delve into the history of Churchill’s political career in our Child of the Commons exhibition, or see Churchill inspired artwork in our 50th anniversary exhibition. These exhibitions are a unique chance to see items that have never before been on public display, as well as remarkable historical photos of Churchill at Chartwell.
Winter house closure at Chartwell
The house is currently closed until 25 February 2017 whilst we conduct our winter deep clean and conservation work. The gardens, shop and café remain open daily from 10am. Click here for more information on our opening times, including for the studio and exhibition.
The studio at Chartwell
Churchill was an avid amateur painter, painting over 500 canvasses in total. A large collection are housed at Chartwell and hang from the walls in the studio. Please note that the studio is closed from 3 Jan and will reopen on 1 Feb by tour only. Click here for more info on studio opening times.
Chartwell has 80 acres of space for your little ones to run around in. With wild play areas and family trails there's plenty to keep them busy, so wrap up warm and visit us today.
Enjoy wintry views across the hillside at Chartwell National Trust
Chartwell Kent
New year, new you
Making a New Year's resolution? We're here to help you on your way. Whether it's to get fit, learn a new skill or simply get involved more we are here to help you start the new year off with a bang.
Churchill's life in objects
Learn how the items we hope to acquire with our appeal tell the life story of Churchill, and why it is vital we keep them at Chartwell for ever. Remember to check back in the coming weeks as we add more items.
Chartwell in Kent, the former home of Sir Winston Churchill National Trust Images / Robert Morris
The stories behind the objects revealed...
We need your help to keep over 1,000 personal belongings of Churchill here at Chartwell for future generations to learn from and enjoy. House and collections manager Katherine Barnett tells us her personal connection to the objects and why they are so important in portraying Churchill's life and achievements.
In profile: our curator's top five items
Each item in the collections at Chartwell tells us something different about Churchill. There's everything from his hairbrush to the House of Commons book. Curator Neil Walters highlights his pick of Churchill's personal belongings of Churchill's that we hope to keep at Chartwell.
Fundraise to keep Churchill at Chartwell
Help us to reinvigorate Churchill's legacy at Chartwell by raising money towards our £7.1m appeal. We've got a few Churchill-inspired fundraising ideas to get you started, so why not get the friends together for an evening of entertainment all in aid of a good cause?
Chartwell is embarking on a project to fix the damage caused by water
Conservation in action; making Chartwell watertight
Water ingress has been an issue at Chartwell since before the Churchill's even moved in. In 2016 the National Trust embarked on a huge project to restore the windows and walls to make Chartwell watertight for future generations to enjoy. Find out more about this conservation project here.
Volunteer at the home of Sir Winston Churchill
As a charity, Chartwell relies heavily on the work of its volunteers to keep its doors open forever, for everyone. We have a wide variety of volunteer positions for you to get stuck into, from gardeners to minibus drivers and even premise maintenance. Get in touch with us today to start your volunteer journey.
Join one of our local supporter groups
Want to help Chartwell but don't feel you can volunteer that much time? You can always join a local supporter groups that help fundraise for several properties. They also go out and about on visits and it's a great way to meet people and make friends.
Places nearby
More of a town than a house: six hundred years of history
Join
Accessibility
General
Car park open all year, roughly 250 yards from the main house. £3 all day parking for non-members
Large popular café with indoor and outdoor seating
Enjoy fresh produce from the Chartwell kitchen garden in the café's seasonal desserts
The café serves on the go sandwiches and rolls ideal for picnics
Picnics are permitted in the meadow (off the car park) and by the lake on the lower lawn
Dogs on short leads are permitted within the gardens and estate with water bowls at the café
Due to the sensitive nature of copyright we don't allow photography inside the house and studio but photography is permitted within the grounds and garden
Please do not bring tents, gazebos and BBQs as these are not permitted.
Please note we have speed humps in our car park which may make it difficult for low body cars.
Please note: the unauthorised flying of drones at our places isn’t permitted. You can find our drone policy here
Family
The playhouse Churchill built for Mary, his youngest daughter is still in the kitchen garden for children to explore
Baby-changing facilities can be found next to the visitor centre
Natural play area including balancing beams and Canadian camp available in woodland
Though we don't allow pushchairs and child backpack carriers inside the house we offer side slings and baby carriers to borrow at the front of the house
Scooters are welcome along the sloped visitor paths and on the lower lawn by the lake but bikes and trikes aren't suitable
Paths in the woodland area to the wild play area and swings aren't suitable for buggies
Please take care when near the black swans; wildfowl may peck if they become uncomfortable. Help us to look after the black swans by not feeding them.
Accessibility
The hillside location means the grounds are sloped in places with steps. Please refer to the welcome map for step-free routes
Whilst we endeavour to provide a mobility bus service to the front of the house, there will be occasions when it is not available. Please ask a member of staff at the visitor welcome centre to arrange a ‘drive and drop’ option in your car.
Due to narrow doorways and sharp turns the house is not suitable for motorised wheelchairs, but manual wheelchairs can be borrowed at the visitor centre
Wheelchair access only to the sitting room, hall and library.
There is designated disabled parking closest to the Visitor Centre
Access by wheelchair to the studio is across a grassy slope and there is one step to go inside.
Close
Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill
Chartwell was the much-loved Churchill family home from 1922 and the place from which Sir Winston drew inspiration until the end of his life.
The rooms remain much as they were when he lived here, with pictures, books and personal mementoes evoking the career and wide-ranging interests of a great statesman, writer, painter and family man. Additionally, every winter we put on a new temporary exhibition to explore Churchill in more detail and draw items out of storage.
The hillside gardens reflect Sir Winston’s love of the landscape and nature. They include the lakes he created, the kitchen garden and the Marycot, a playhouse designed for his youngest daughter Mary.
Beyond the gardens there is an expanse of woodland with looped trails and natural play areas. There's den building, a Canadian camp and opportunities to stretch your legs.
Telephone
| Chartwell |
Who is missing from this Greek mythology group of sisters;Stheno, Euryale and who else? | Chartwell House
Squerryes Court
The thumbnails below are linked to larger pictures
Chartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1922 until his death in 1965. The house is situated 2 miles south of Westerham in Kent off the B2026 road.
Churchill loved the house, especially the view over the Weald of Kent. He modernised the originally rather gloomy Victorian mansion, by adding a garden wing consisting of three large and attractive rooms. Churchills wife Clementine made her contribution by choosing the comfortable furniture and floral
chintz curtains. The estate consisting of 80 acres gave Winston the peace and tranquility that he loved, and he relaxed by painting in the garden or in his studio and by transforming the grounds with new lakes, and robust brick walls built with his own hands.The Chart Well which rises on the western boundary of the site fed the existing lake and gave the estate its name.
During Churchills first five years at Chartwell he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, this was followed by what has become known as his wilderness years in the 1930's when he was out of office and did much of his writing to keep the family finances afloat.
With the rise of Fascism in Europe Churchill passionately argued the case for rearmament, and his inspired leadership during the war years are a permanent part of our history. Chartwell was closed up during the war years, except for the occasional visit. Despite his election defeat in 1945, when the public craved change and a new beginning, he was still widely acknowledged as the greatest living Englishman and Chartwell
soon became a shrine to to his wartime achievements. In 1947 a group of Churchills friends purchased the house so that he could continue living there and in 1966 Chartwell was opened to the public for the first time.
Churchills beloved view of the weald of Kent from the terrace was spoilt when the great Storm of 16th October 1987 devastated the woodland landscape on the hillside directly opposite. It will be many years yet before it regains its original character.
Churchill was the greatest orator of his day, the greatest leader of the Second World War, the greatest statesman of his age, and the greatest Englishman of the twentieth century, perhaps of all time. The debt owed to Sir Winston Churchill by the free world remains immeasurable.
A visit to this house and gardens is a must for all fans of Churchill and if you are too young to remember him, then it is still a very pleasant place to visit and learn about the great man.
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The southern most town in mainland South America lies at the southern tip of Chile. What is it called? | Chile: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities
Bachelet Regains the Presidency
Geography
Situated south of Peru and west of Bolivia and Argentina, Chile fills a narrow 2,880-mi (4,506 km) strip between the Andes and the Pacific. One-third of Chile is covered by the towering ranges of the Andes. In the north is the driest place on Earth, the Atacama Desert, and in the center is a 700-mile-long (1,127 km) thickly populated valley with most of Chile's arable land. At the southern tip of Chile's mainland is Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world, and beyond that lies the Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego, an island divided between Chile and Argentina. The southernmost point of South America is Cape Horn, a 1,390-foot (424 m) rock on Horn Island in the Wollaston group, which belongs to Chile. Chile also claims sovereignty over 482,628 sq mi (1,250,000 sq km) of Antarctic territory; the Juan Fernández Islands, about 400 mi (644 km) west of the mainland; and Easter Island, about 2,000 mi (3,219 km) west.
Government
Republic.
History
Chile was originally under the control of the Incas in the north and the nomadic Araucanos in the south. In 1541, a Spaniard, Pedro de Valdivia, founded Santiago. Chile won its independence from Spain in 1818 under Bernardo O'Higgins and an Argentinian, José de San Martin. O'Higgins, dictator until 1823, laid the foundations of the modern state with a two-party system and a centralized government.
The dictator from 1830 to 1837, Diego Portales, fought a war with Peru from 1836—1839 that expanded Chilean territory. Chile fought the War of the Pacific with Peru and Bolivia from 1879 to 1883, winning Antofagasta, Bolivia's only outlet to the sea, and extensive areas from Peru. Pedro Montt led a revolt that overthrew José Balmaceda in 1891 and established a parliamentary dictatorship lasting until a new constitution was adopted in 1925. Industrialization began before World War I and led to the formation of Marxist groups. Juan Antonio Ríos, president during World War II, was originally pro-Nazi but in 1944 led his country into the war on the side of the Allies.
In 1970, Salvador Allende became the first president in a non-Communist country freely elected on a Marxist program. Allende quickly established relations with Cuba and the People's Republic of China, introduced Marxist economic and social reforms, and nationalized many private companies, including U.S.-owned ones. In Sept. 1973, Allende was overthrown and killed in a military coup covertly sponsored by the CIA, ending a 46-year era of constitutional government in Chile.
| Punta Arenas |
Who is Mel Gibson's partner in the 'Lethal Weapon' series? | Chile
Chile
Official name: Republic of Chile
Area: 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 square miles)
Highest point on mainland: Ojos del Salado (6,880 meters/22,573 feet)
Lowest point on land: Sea level
Hemispheres: Southern and Western
A.M.
= noon GMT
Longest distances: 356 kilometers (221 miles) from east to west; 4,270 kilometers (2,653 miles) from north to south
Land boundaries: 6,171 kilometers (3,835 miles) total boundary length; Argentina, 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles); Bolivia, 861 kilometers (535 miles); Peru, 160 kilometers (99 miles)
Coastline: 6,435 kilometers (3,999 miles)
Territorial sea limits: 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles)
1 LOCATION AND SIZE
Chile is a long, narrow country fringing the southwestern edge of South America, between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. It reaches to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of the continent, and it touches the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Magellan. It also extends beyond the Strait of Magellan to include part of Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago that it shares with Argentina. The Andes Mountains span almost the full length of the country, which has an area of 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 square miles), or slightly less than the state of Montana. Measuring 4,270 kilometers (2,653 miles) between its northern and southern extremities, Chile has an average width of not much more than 161 kilometers (100 miles), making it the world's longest and narrowest country. Its 38-degree latitude span gives it an extremely varied climate and vegetation.
2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES
Chile has several island dependencies in the Pacific Ocean, including Easter Island, which is situated more than 3,218 kilometers (2,000 miles) west of the mainland. The most remote possession of any Latin American country, Easter Island is volcanic land mass with an area of 117 kilometers (45 miles) and a subtropical climate. Chile's other island possessions are Sala y Gómez, San Felix, San Ambrosio, and the Juan Fernandez Islands. Like Easter Island, these islands are preserved as part of a national park. Chile is also one of several nations that claim land in Antarctica.
3 CLIMATE
Due to its great length, Chile covers a wide range of latitudes, so its climate varies considerably. Temperatures steadily cool as the country extends southward, away from the equator and toward Antarctica. The mean temperature at Arica, in the far north, is 18°C (64°F), while that of Santiago, in the center of the country, is 14°C (57°F), and Punta Arenas in the extreme south averages 6°C (43°F). Winter temperatures are moderated by winds off the Pacific Ocean, and sea winds also temper the heat in summer.
Central Chile, where most of the country's population is concentrated, has a pleasant Mediterranean climate, with well-differentiated seasons; its winters are mild, and its summers are warm and dry.
The southern part of the country is subject to frequent storms.
While average temperatures in Chile steadily drop with increasing southerly latitude, the amount of rainfall gradually rises. It ranges from virtually no precipitation north of 27°S latitude to around 406 centimeters (160 inches) annually at 48°S latitude (the heaviest precipitation in any region outside the tropics). Between these extremes are Copiapó at 3 centimeters (1 inch), Santiago at 33 centimeters (13 inches), and Puerto Montt at 185 centimeters (73 inches). In the far south, precipitation once again decreases, to 46 centimeters (18 inches) at Punta Arenas. Snow and sleet are common in the southern third of the country. The coastal archipelagos are among the world's rainiest regions.
4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS
Chile is commonly divided into regions by latitude from north to south. Major regions are: the Norte Grande (a desert); the Norte Chico (a semiarid region); the Central Valley (a temperate heartland); the south-central region (a dense rain forest and the picturesque Lake District); and the southern region (a cold and windswept landscape). The coastline of the southern region includes thousands of islands, extending down to Cape Horn.
5 OCEANS AND SEAS
Chile borders the South Pacific Ocean, and the curved southernmost portion of its coast reaches to the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Magellan. The Humboldt Current, an ocean current flowing northward from Antarctica, chills the waters of the Pacific off the Chilean coast.
Seacoast and Undersea Features
Chile's offshore islands consist of submerged mountaintops that are a continuation of the Andes Mountains.
Sea Inlets and Straits
At the southern tip of the country, the Strait of Magellan lies between Tierra del Fuego and the rest of Chile, providing Chile with an opening to the Atlantic Ocean. Numerous other inlets separate the islands of Chile's southern coast, including the Gulf of Corcovado, the Gulf of Penas, and the Nelson Strait.
Islands and Archipelagos
The southern third of the Chilean coast consists of an extensive series of islands and archipelagos stretching for some 1,130 kilometers (700 miles). Separated by thin channels and fjords, they form a long chain from Chiloé Island slightly south of Puerto Montt to Tierra del Fuego. Cape Horn, located on an island to the south of Tierra del Fuego, is the southernmost point in South America.
Coastal Features
There are few beaches and natural harbors along Chile's long, narrow coast. In the north, the coastal mountains rise close to the shoreline in steep cliffs; however, rocky outcroppings do provide good protection from the sea at the harbors of Valparaíso and Talcahuano. The Brunswick Peninsula, separated from Tierra del Fuego by the Strait of Magellan, is the southernmost point on mainland South America.
6 INLAND LAKES
There is a picturesque district of lakes, hills, and waterfalls at the eastern edge of the Central Valley, between Concepción and Puerto Montt. In the southern part of this district lies Lake Llanquihue, the country's largest lake, and the third-largest natural lake in South America. It has a maximum length of 35 kilometers (22 miles), a maximum width of 40 kilometers (25 miles), and maximum depths of 1,500 meters (5,000 feet).
7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS
Because most of Chile's rivers flow across the narrow country in a westward direction—down the Andes and into the Pacific—they are short. Nevertheless, their steep path down the mountainsides makes them a good source for hydroelectric power. There are around thirty rivers, including the Loa, Aconcagua, Huasco, Coquimbo, Limari, Mapocho, Maule, Maipo, Bío-Bío, Copiapó, and Toltén. The longest is the Loa River in the north.
8 DESERTS
The Atacama Desert, which extends from the northern border to the Aconcagua River, consists largely of dry river basins and salt flats, with a few rivers and oases. It is both the warmest and driest part of the country, and is said to be the world's driest desert. The region immediately to the south of the Atacama Desert is semiarid.
9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN
Chile has no notable flat or rolling terrain.
10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES
The Andes Mountains reach their greatest elevations in Chile, where they span nearly the entire length of the country, starting with the peaks of the Atacama Desert in the north. The Andes chain forms most of Chile's border with Argentina to the east. The crests of the Andean range are higher in the northern half of the country. In this northern sector is Ojos del Salado, Chile's loftiest peak, and—at more than 6,857 meters (22,500 feet)—the second-highest point in the Western Hemisphere. Chile's tallest volcano, Guallatiri (6,060 meters/19,882 feet) lies in the far north, near the borders with Bolivia and Peru. A little to the south, near the borders with Bolivia and Argentina, lies Lascar (5,990/19,652), another volcano.
South of Santiago, the peaks of the Andes become progressively lower. In the far south, the Andes continue to decline in elevation, merging into the lowlands of Chilean Patagonia on both sides of the Strait of Magellan. The mountain system makes a final appearance at Cape Horn, which is also the crest of a submerged mountain.
By contrast, the peaks and plateaus of the coastal mountain range in the west are lower than those of the Andes, with elevations ranging from 300 to 2,100 meters (1,000 to 7,000 feet) in the northern half of the country. The system declines in elevation south of Valparaíso and plunges into the sea in the far south. Its peaks reappear as the islands of the southern archipelagos.
11 CANYONS AND CAVES
The Cueva del Milodon (Cave of the Milodon) National Park features a 30-meter-deep (100-foot-deep) cave. The milodon is a mythical prehistoric animal believed to have been a plant-eating mammal that was twice the size of a human. The caves in the park also house remnants of human settlements. Archaeologists believe ancient humans lived in these caves thousands of years ago.
12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS
In northern Chile, there are dry, barren plateau basins at elevations of 610 to 1,219 meters (2,000 to 4,000 feet) between the eastern and western mountain ranges. In the north-central part of the country, much of this plateau land gives way to spurs of the Andes, with fertile valleys in between.
13 MAN-MADE FEATURES
Chile has no significant man-made features affecting its geography.
DID YOU KNOW?
Chile has experienced many earthquakes throughout history, including the worst earthquake ever to occur anywhere on Earth since 1960, as measured by the U.S. Geological Service. This earthquake, centered just off the Chilean coast on May 22, 1960, registered 8.6 on the Richter scale. On July 30, 1995, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck near the northern coast of Chile, causing three deaths and leaving hundreds of people homeless.
14 FURTHER READING
Books
Bernhardson, Wayne . Chile & Easter Island: A Lonely Planet Travel Atlas. Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
Hickman, John. News from the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile . New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
Wheeler, Sara. Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey Through Chile . New York: Modern Library, 1999.
Web Sites
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Which fictional character lives at '32 Windsor Gardens, London'? | Famous Fictitious London Residents
Home » Life In London » Famous Fictitious London Residents
Famous Fictitious London Residents
Posted by William Wallace on Oct 4, 2009 in Life In London | 1 comment
Famous fictitious London residents, I know with this article I’m going to shatter the dreams of many people, especially my American friends. It may come as a huge shock to some people that some of London’s most famous residents are nothing more than the imagination of a very talented writer.
It may be a good idea for some of you to stop reading now, because it may be better for you not to know the truth, about some of London’s best known and loved characters.
Famous Fictitious London Residents
Ebenezer Scrooge
Charles Dickens Classic tale, “A Christmas Carol”, which was written in 1843 and who’s main character is of course Ebenezer Scrooge. In the book it says Scrooge lives in London.
Even though I have known a few people that could have been related to Scrooge, he however was nothing more than a figment of the brilliant mind of Charles Dickens. Sorry everybody that also means the Ghost of Christmas past wasn’t real either.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes the super sleuth, is a fictional character created by Arthur Conan Doyle, who first appeared in print in 1887. What confuses many people is that Doyle actually used a real address for Sherlock Holmes address, 221b Baker street, London.
Sherlock Holmes gets thousands of letters every year from people trying to contact him. He would only be around 160 years old if he was ever a real person. So if you are still waiting to find out if Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are going to solve your case, try writing a another letter, he obviously never received your first one.
James Bond
Commander James Bond 007, MI6 secret service agent was born to a Scottish father and a Swiss mother, and is portrayed as an agent residing in London. The James Bond character was first created by the writer Ian Fleming in 1952.
I know it is a dark moment for many people to find out that James Bond is nothing more that a character in a book.
Sweeny Todd
Sweeny Tood the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, first appeared in 1846 as a secondary character in a short story called “The String of Pearls – A Romance” by Thomas Prest. A playwright called George Dibdin Pitt, who was renowned for filching other peoples stories, reworked the story for theatre and advertised it as founded on fact.
It is not knowing whether Sweeny Todd truly did or did not exist, but there is a possibility that there was a demon barber in London during the 19th century that killed his customers for there money. As was common in Victorian times, stories would end up becoming hugely embellished to satisfy the publics morbid fascination for such stories. But in all probability Sweeny Todd was created as a story to thrill audiences, much like the movies of today.
Paddington Bear
I know it is going to be heart breaking for many people out there, but Paddington Bear was never real, he never existed. Writer Michael Bond came about the idea for Paddington Bear, when he noticed a lone teddy bear sitting on a shelf in a London shop near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve 1956. He bought the teddy bear for his wife and the idea for the story of Paddington Bear was created.
Paddington Bear originally came from Darkest Peru, but after stowing away on a ship, he was found at Paddington Station by Mr & Mrs Brown who ended up taking him home to live with them at 32 Windsor Gardens in London, with their two children.
There we have it London’s most famous fictitious residents, I only wish I could add buffoon Mayor Boris Johnson to this list, but alas that joker is unfortunately for real.
Related posts:
| Paddington Bear |
Which medieval organisation had the 'skull and crossbones' as a flag on their ships in the Middle Ages? | Inside the Colorful House from the "Paddington" Movie
Are you hooked? Take my quiz to find out. If you love houses as much as I do, then I bet you can't click just one! - Julia
5.20.15
Inside the Colorful House from the “Paddington” Movie
Raise your hand if you saw the movie Paddington and thought the Brown family’s house in London was as charming as the bear himself! Let’s take a closer look at the colorful and creative sets they designed for the film and all the fun vintage details they decorated them with.
The Set Design in “Paddington”
After an earthquake destroyed his home in the Peruvian rainforest, a young bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) makes his way to England in search of a new life. The Brown family takes him into their home at Windsor Gardens and names him Paddington after the London train station where they found him.
According to Movie Locations , “It’s implied that the Browns live in Notting Hill, but their pleasant home, on ‘Windsor Gardens,’ is in an even posher area. It’s 30 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill, NW1, just north of Regent’s Park.”
They live at “32 Windsor Gardens,” and their nosy next-door neighbor is Peter Capaldi, also known as the current Doctor on “Dr. Who.” Set designers commissioned a stained-glass transom window with the #32 to go above the front door:
When Paddington walks into the house for the first time, he’s in awe of the two-story mural of a blossoming cherry tree that winds its way up the spiral staircase (and so are we!):
According to 3 Story Magazine : “The interior was built on a set at Elstree Studios. The aim was to create ‘a heightened reality,’ says production designer Gary Williamson — a place where a talking bear would feel right at home.”
The filmmakers wanted to be true to Paddington’s era. The first book by author Michael Bond was published in 1956, and you’ll notice some of the mid-century influences in the house, but they wanted it to be a modern-day story.
Mary Brown is an artist, and her creativity is evident throughout the house. According to 3 Story Magazine , “Much of the art used was borrowed from artist friends of the set designers, or created for the film. Some of it is hung at deliberately kooky angles to drive home the idea of family and fun.”
Production Designer Gary Williamson explains that each character was given a color motif for their rooms and wardrobe. For instance, Mary Brown (played by Sally Hawkins) wears red and has a red bedroom, which visually connects her to Paddington’s famous red hat.
The headboard is upholstered to match:
Daughter Judy’s color is blue. Her room has a wall covered in photos and magazine clippings:
Son Jonathan has an outer space theme in his, and his color is red like his mother’s:
The upstairs landing:
Paddington tries to wash up in the bathroom — unsupervised — and chaos ensues.
The scene ends with him taking what looks like a fun ride down the spiral staircase in the clawfoot tub.
Did you know Colin Firth was originally the voice of Paddington? He left late into the project and they had to scramble to find a replacement. You can read about it on Entertainment Weekly .
Paddington has a room in the attic, complete with a classic round window:
There’s a dollhouse in the attic that looks a lot like their house, round window included:
It opens to reveal what is going on in each room of the house at that moment. Loved that!
Looking down the spiral staircase from the third story:
Henry’s library looks fairly serious with blue walls and bookshelves, except for the carousel horse in the middle of the room. You get the feeling that was Mary’s idea!
Henry Brown (played by Hugh Bonneville) takes longer to warm to the bear, and his conservative nature is reflected in the blue of his office and wardrobe, Gary Williamson explains.
Some of the sets are so bright and fun, they look like cartoons or illustrations brought to life. The kitchen is colorful, too, with pale blue and white cabinets, yellow countertops and tile, and orange accents:
Julie Walters plays Mrs. Bird (I’ve loved her since seeing her in the movie Educating Rita years ago).
Toward the end of the movie, we get a quick glimpse of the opposite side of the kitchen:
The tree mural was originally supposed to be a beech tree as a nod to the jungles of Peru where Paddington came from, and it was going to be black and white. Williamson suggested they paint a cherry tree instead.
Director Paul King used CGI technology to have it reflect what was happening in the story, like when Paddington leaves and the family is sad:
According to West End Extra , “Instead of returning to Westbourne Grove, where his fictional home of Windsor Gardens was believed to be set, production company Marmalade Films opted for picturesque Primrose Hill in neighbouring Camden.”
I found this old photo taken of the Primrose Hill houses about 50 years ago:
And here’s a production photo that shows them shooting the snow scene in the street:
When we see it in the movie, the blue house has a round window and green door it doesn’t have in real life:
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What are rolled in bacon on toast to make 'Angels On Horseback'? | Easy Angels on Horseback Recipe
Salads
Angels on Horseback. Holly A. Heyser
Angels on horseback, or oysters wrapped in bacon, is a classic oyster dish that is very common on the East Coast and is often seen as a wedding appetizer on Long Island in New York. With only three ingredients in the prep list – bacon, oysters and a squirt of lemon juice – this dish couldn't be easier to prepare. Make as many as you can afford -- I once made 100 for a group of 15 people and they were all eaten in less than 10 minutes. For normal people, figure on 6-8 as an appetizer. Double it for a main course.
The derivation of this recipe’s name refers to the fact that, as oysters are cooked, their edges curl, resembling an angel’s wings. Marilyn Hansen, in her 1990 book, “Entertaining in the Victorian Style,” says, “These ingriguing morsels are indeed heaven-sent for oyster lovers.”
The counterpart to Angels on Horseback are Devils on Horseback, so named because there is a spicy element involved, like Tabasco sauce.
To further confuse the matter, Roger M. Grace of Metropolitan News Company contends that “Food authority James Beard (1903-85) insiste4d that angels on horseback required ham as a wrapper, and that if bacon were used, what you’d have would be devils on horseback.”
The British serve a dish they call devils on horseback made with prunes in place of oysters. And here is another variation of Devils on Horseback using figs in place of oysters.
3-5 dozen small oysters, shucked
12-30 strips of thinly cut bacon
2-3 lemons
Yield: 6 servings
Preparation
Slice the bacon strips in half. It is very important to get thin-cut bacon for this recipe, as thick bacon overwhelms the oysters. Likewise, it is important to get small oysters -- otherwise they become too large a mouthful.
Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each oyster and secure with a toothpick. Arrange on a broiling pan or get a grill ready.
Place the bacon-wrapped oysters under the broiler until they're crispy, about 5-6 minutes.
How long this will take on your grill depends on the heat; but I rarely do this on the grill, as the bacon fat falls through the grate and causes flare-ups. Then again, you do get a smoky flavor with real fire...
Take the oysters out and turn them over. Return to the broiler and crisp the other side. This should take about 2-4 minutes.
Serve family style in a big platter. Don't hit them with lemon juice until right before you serve them, otherwise it ruins the crispiness of the bacon.
Traditionally, this appetizer is served on buttered toast points, so if you’re a stickler for tradition, that’s the way to go.
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Who was the Tory Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1783 to 1801? | Apples on Horseback - Cooking On The Ranch
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I hope everyone had a satisfying stuffed Thanksgiving and that you’re ready to take the leap into the Christmas festivities. Holiday entertaining is on us and is all about family, friends and neighbors gathering around lots of food, drink and cheer. Besides the formal sit-down prim and proper dinners, fun and casual cocktail and appetizer parties are my favorite way to bring folks together. Small bites, dips, spreads, chips and crackers are about all you need. Something about the informality of eating with your hands, or from a skewer on a small plate alongside a glass of wine or cocktail is a great formula for comfortable conversation.
Today I’m posting a simple and delicious hors d’oeuvre that is made with sliced apples, cheese and prosciutto, Apples on Horseback. Spear them with a stalk of fresh rosemary and you’ve got an appealing presentation.
“On Horseback.” There are lots of variations to this simple appetizer. Angels on Horseback are oysters wrapped in bacon. Some recipes include dates wrapped in bacon and are baked . Some recipes stuff a prune with mango chutney, cheese, almonds or smoked oysters. But all are wrapped in some sort of bacon and are riding on the stick of your choice. I always associate them with the Christmas season.
Using an apple slicer, I sliced the apple into easy wedges. You can cut those wedges in half if you’d like them smaller. Just place an apple wedge and a stick of cheese on a piece of prosciutto.
Roll them up nice and snug, pulling the meat around the cheese and apple. Secure each by spearing it with the stick end of a cleaned stalk of rosemary, making sure it goes through the cheese and apple. Preheat a grill pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Saute the Apples on Horseback until the prosciutto is slightly browned and the cheese is melting. Delicious and ready in thirty minutes, I adapted this from Food and Wine Magazine . Their recipe is below.
So here’s a toast to the season :::clink. What’s your favorite quick appetizer to serve at parties?
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Who, often portrayed pulling the devil's nose with hot tongs, is the patron saint of blacksmiths? | temptation | Grace Is Everywhere
Grace Is Everywhere
from A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me
St. Dunstan, as the story goes,
Once pulled the devil by the nose
With red hot tongs, which made him roar,
That could be heard ten miles or more.
Today is the feast day of St. Dunstan. If you’re not familiar with the life and legends of St. Dunstan, they’re well-worth a bit of your time. Dunstan (909-988) was educated at Glastonbury Abbey as a child. He became a skilled musician, scribe, sculptor, and metalworker. At least one of his works survives. A devout and intellectual man, he served as abbot and bishop, and eventually became Archbishop of Canterbury.
Some of the most popular stories of Dunstan involve his encounters with the devil. The one illustrated above is said to have taken place in Glastonbury during the time the saint was living as a hermit.
While he was in his cell, Dunstan was visited by a shape-changing devil who appeared first as an old man asking him to make a chalice, then a young boy, and then a seductive woman.
As Eleanor Parker relates in her most excellent blog, A Clerk of Oxford :
Dunstan realised that his guest was a devil; but, pretending not to notice, he went on with his task. He took up the tongs from among his tools and laid them in the fire, waiting until they were red-hot. Then, pulling them out of the fire, he turned round and seized the devil by the nose with the tongs. The devil struggled and screamed, but Dunstan held on until at last he felt he had triumphed. Then he threw the devil out of his cell and it fled, running down the street and crying “Woe is me! What has that bald devil done to me? Look at me, a poor wretch, look how he has tortured me!”
Dunstan was one of the vigorous saints–going after the devil hammer and tongs. There’s even a story that he shod the devil’s cloven hoof; that tale is said to be the origin of the lucky horseshoe you see nailed over doorways. Because he was known for his metalwork at Glastonbury, Dunstan is the patron saint of goldsmiths, silversmiths, blacksmiths, armorers, and jewelers.
The Temptation of Christ, 1525-1530
“All the commandment which I command you this day you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”
Sometimes I pick up a book and worlds open.
My Jesus and I is another educational work from the Salesian order, written in 1949 by the Most Rev. Louis LaRavoire Morrow to help elementary age children prepare for their First Communion. It was originally intended for use in a classroom with an instructional poster set, both of which are still in print.
The book is gentle and directly emotional. Each page has a line of a prayer with a question or commentary underneath it, and a picture from either a Bible story or from a child’s daily life as he or she is accompanied by good and bad angels, Mary, and Jesus.
A letter printed inside the back cover explains:
My Dear Child:
I have made this little book for you, because I want you to know Jesus better and better each day. He is a good Friend, who loves little children like you….
Jesus wants little boys and girls to know how He lived, and what He taught. He wants us all to be good, loving one another, and obeying our teachers and parents.
My Jesus and I is both sweet and strange. I find I’ve grown quite fond of the helpful little angels in these illustrations. They are so busy! Sometimes they are happy, sometimes dismayed, but always present, even if they are just tending the garden while you play.
On another page, Mother Mary wakes a sleeping child while Jesus points the way to church. These are some of my favorite angels–one holding the ringing alarm clock (see the jagged sound lines!) and the other digging a shoe out from under the bed. Oh, that Sunday morning always brought such attendants!
If you look at a lot of Christian children’s books you’ll find that many of them are written by women, but My Jesus and I was written by a Catholic Bishop. Who was he? I wondered.
Born in Weatherford, Texas in 1892, Louis LaRavoire Morrow grew up in Mexico (his double surname follows Hispanic custom) and, after becoming a priest, lived in the Philippines and India. He became bishop of Krishnagar in West Bengal, India and his ministry spanned World War II, the Bengal famine of 1943 and the Partition of India . He was also a Council Father to the Second Vatican Council . The Sisters of Mary Immaculate (an order which he founded) describe him as a “staunch believer and supporter of the Human Rights Programme of the United Nations; and also an ardent advocate of women’s rights.” He was a prolific writer of educational materials.
As I mentioned, My Jesus and I is still in print, and there is some discussion surrounding its depiction of evil. The current edition has apparently replaced several of the images of Satan with something more modern and less-affecting, but judging from the comments on Amazon, not everyone is in favor of the change. They are wild images, but no scarier than the Ghost of Christmas Future, and always presented within an atmosphere of calm.
Sometimes temptation actually looks rather friendly. “Do you want candy?” The kindly devil has brought a chair to help the child reach that forbidden treat while the good angel gently pulls the child towards a picture book.
One final note: while she is not credited, many of the illustrations in My Jesus and I are signed by Anita Magsaysay (later Magsaysay-Ho), an important Philippine modernist painter. I imagine all the original images are her work.
In her biography (written by Alfredo Roces) Magsaysay-Ho said,
“In my works I always celebrate the women of the Philippines. I regard them with deep admiration and they continue to inspire me—their movements and gestures, their expressions of happiness and frustration; their diligence and shortcomings; their joy of living. I know very well the strength, hard work and quiet dignity of Philippine women, for I am one of them.”
February 25, 2013 / Awc / 2 comments
So what do you do when that quiet time you’ve set aside for introspection doesn’t make you peaceful and centered, but only seems to beat the grass and startle the snakes? In Bread for the Journey, Henri Nouwen writes:
…when we enter into silence we encounter a lot of inner noises, often so disturbing that a busy and distracting life seems preferable to a time of silence. Two disturbing “noises” present themselves quickly in our silence: the noise of lust and the noise of anger. Lust reveals our many unsatisfied needs, anger, o[u]r many unresolved relationships. But lust and anger are very hard to face. What are we to do? ….
Nouwen goes on to say that, rather than reacting in horror and immediately trying to quash our unruly impulses, we should instead turn these inner enemies into friends.
How do we befriend our inner enemies lust and anger? By listening to what they are saying. They say, “I have some unfulfilled needs” and “Who really loves me?” Instead of pushing our lust and anger away as unwelcome guests, we can recognize that our anxious, driven hearts need some healing. Our restlessness calls us to look for the true inner rest where lust and anger can be converted into a deeper way of loving.
We must be merciful–even to ourselves. If we are not, we risk being unable to bear looking at our fallen reality, or if we do look, we may fail to recognize in ourselves God’s beloved.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Each year as Lent begins we read the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. There are three versions found in Matthew , Mark , and Luke . Matthew and Luke are similar, but for some reason, Mark leaves out all the specifics of the temptation and condenses the account to two verses.
There’s a lot to think about in this story and in the way it’s told, but the one detail that stops me every year is this: in Matthew and Luke, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness, but Mark says that he was driven. Led or driven? Did he jump or was he pushed?
The Spirit in both these accounts is one I recognize. Sometimes the Spirit leads you gently: reassuring you, beckoning you to step forward. Other times, he drives you like Jonah to Nineveh. Don’t even try to ignore the prodding, the Holy Ghost is not going to let you be, and he won’t stand for dawdling either. It feels like the difference between “I want to” and “I can do no other.” Not that we always mind being compelled to action. There is a certain reassurance in feeling that God is actually telling you something specific, since he is more often vague in his communications.
But I wonder about Jesus’ time in the wilderness. Did he know what was out there before he arrived? And why is it that Luke doesn’t tell of angels ministering to Jesus (a nice, comforting detail), but says Jesus “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee” making it sound like the Spirit drove Jesus out of the wilderness?
I guess for me, this one troublesome detail isn’t so much about Jesus and his preparation for ministry as it is about the Holy Spirit and the way God moves in this world among us, preparing us for difficult tasks ahead. Sometimes he leads and sometimes he pushes. But if we respond to the Spirit’s direction, then perhaps he will take us to the place we need to be, to learn what we need to know. I hope so—even if it is a desert.
| Dunstan |
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Saint Dunstan
Eastern Orthodox Church , Roman Catholic Church , Anglican Communion
Attributes
man holding a pair of smith's tongs; with a dove hovering near him; with a troop of angels before him
Patronage
blacksmiths; Charlottetown, Canada; goldsmiths; locksmiths; musicians; silversmiths
Shrines
Canterbury Cathedral (but also claimed by Glastonbury Abbey ), both destroyed
Dunstan (c. 909 – 19 May 988) was an Abbot of Glastonbury , a Bishop of Worcester , a Bishop of London , and an Archbishop of Canterbury , later canonised as a saint . [1] His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church. His 11th-century biographer, Osbern , himself an artist and scribe, states that Dunstan was skilled in "making a picture and forming letters", as were other clergy of his age who reached senior rank. [2]
Dunstan served as an important minister of state to several English kings. He was the most popular saint in England for nearly two centuries, having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness. [3] Adding to Dunstan's myth was his legendary cunning in dealing with the Devil .
Contents
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Birth
Dunstan was born in Baltonsborough . [4] He was the son of Heorstan, a noble of Wessex . Heorstan was the brother of the bishops of Wells and of Winchester . [5] It is recorded that his mother, Cynethryth, was a pious woman. Osbern relates that a messenger miraculously told her of the saintly child she would give birth to:
She was in the church of St Mary on Candleday, when all the lights were suddenly extinguished. Then the candle held by Cynethryth was as suddenly relighted, and all present lit their candles at this miraculous flame, thus foreshadowing that the boy "would be the minister of eternal light" to the Church of England. [3]
The anonymous author of the earliest Life places Dunstan's birth during the reign of Athelstan , while Osbern fixed it at "the first year of the reign of King Æthelstan", 924 or 925. This date, however, cannot be reconciled with other known dates of Dunstan's life and creates many obvious anachronisms . Historians therefore assume that Dunstan was born c. 910 or earlier. [6]
School to the king's court
As a young boy, Dunstan studied under the Irish monks who then occupied the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey . [7] Accounts tell of his youthful optimism and of his vision of the abbey being restored. While still a boy, Dunstan was stricken with a near-fatal illness and effected a seemingly miraculous recovery. Even as a child, he was noted for his devotion to learning and for his mastery of many kinds of artistic craftsmanship. With his parent's consent he was tonsured , received minor orders and served in the ancient church of St Mary. He became so well known for his devotion to learning that he is said to have been summoned by his uncle Athelm , the Archbishop of Canterbury , to enter his service. [3] He was later appointed to the court of King Athelstan . [8]
Dunstan playing his harp as the Devil is paying a visit
Dunstan soon became a favourite of the king and was the envy of other members of the court. [3] A plot was hatched to disgrace him and Dunstan was accused of being involved with witchcraft and black magic . [1] The king ordered him to leave the court and as Dunstan was leaving the palace his enemies physically attacked him, beat him severely, bound him, and threw him into a cesspool . [9] He managed to crawl out and make his way to the house of a friend. From there, he journeyed to Winchester and entered the service of his uncle, Ælfheah , Bishop of Winchester. [3]
The bishop tried to persuade him to become a monk , but Dunstan was doubtful whether he had a vocation to a celibate life. The answer came in the form of an attack of swelling tumours all over Dunstan's body. This ailment was so severe that it was thought to be leprosy . [3] It was more probably some form of blood poisoning caused by being beaten and thrown in the cesspool. [9] Whatever the cause, it changed Dunstan's mind. He took Holy Orders in 943, in the presence of Ælfheah, and returned to live the life of a hermit at Glastonbury. [3] Against the old church of St Mary he built a small cell five feet long and two and a half feet deep. It was there that Dunstan studied, worked at his handicrafts, and played on his harp. [3] It is at this time, according to a late 11th-century legend, that the Devil is said to have tempted Dunstan and to have been held by the face with Dunstan's tongs. [9]
Monk, abbot, and bishop (943–60)
Life as a monk
Possible self-portrait of Dunstan. Detail from the Glastonbury Classbook.
Dunstan worked as a silversmith and in the scriptorium while he was living at Glastonbury. It is thought likely that he was the artist who drew the well-known image of Christ with a small kneeling monk beside him in the Glastonbury Classbook, "one of the first of a series of outline drawings which were to become a special feature of Anglo-Saxon art of this period." [2] Dunstan became famous as a musician, illuminator, and metalworker. [8] Lady Æthelflaed, King Æthelstan's niece, made Dunstan a trusted adviser and on her death she left a considerable fortune to him. [3] He used this money later in life to foster and encourage a monastic revival in England. About the same time, his father Heorstan died and Dunstan inherited his fortune as well. He became a person of great influence, and on the death of King Æthelstan in 940, the new King, Edmund , summoned him to his court at Cheddar and made him a minister. [1]
Again, royal favour fostered jealousy among other courtiers and again Dunstan's enemies succeeded in their plots. The king was prepared to send Dunstan away. [3] There were then at Cheddar certain envoys from the "Eastern Kingdom", which probably meant East Anglia . Dunstan implored the envoys to take him with them when they returned to their homes. They agreed to do so, but it never happened. The story is recorded:
... the king rode out to hunt the stag in Mendip Forest. He became separated from his attendants and followed a stag at great speed in the direction of the Cheddar cliffs. The stag rushed blindly over the precipice and was followed by the hounds. Eadmund endeavoured vainly to stop his horse; then, seeing death to be imminent, he remembered his harsh treatment of St Dunstan and promised to make amends if his life was spared. At that moment his horse was stopped on the very edge of the cliff. Giving thanks to God, he returned forthwith to his palace, called for St. Dunstan and bade him follow, then rode straight to Glastonbury. Entering the church, the king first knelt in prayer before the altar, then, taking St. Dunstan by the hand, he gave him the kiss of peace, led him to the abbot 's throne and, seating him thereon, promised him all assistance in restoring Divine worship and regular observance. [3]
Abbot of Glastonbury
Dunstan, now Abbot of Glastonbury, went to work at once on the task of reform. [1] He had to re-create monastic life and to rebuild the abbey. He began by establishing Benedictine monasticism at Glastonbury. [8] That the Rule of St. Benedict was the basis of his restoration is not only definitely stated by his first biographer, who knew Dunstan well, but it is also in accordance with the nature of his first measures as abbot, with the significance of his first buildings, and with the Benedictine leanings of his most prominent disciples. [3]
Remains of the choir of Glastonbury Abbey church
Dunstan's first care was to rebuild the Church of St. Peter, rebuild the cloister, and re-establish the monastic enclosure. The secular affairs of the house were committed to his brother, Wulfric, "so that neither himself nor any of the professed monks might break enclosure." [3] A school for the local youth was founded and soon became the most famous of its time in England. [8] A substantial extension of the irrigation system on the surrounding Somerset Levels was also completed.
Within two years of Dunstan's appointment, in 946, King Edmund was assassinated. His successor was Eadred . The policy of the new government was supported by the Queen Mother , Eadgifu of Kent , by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Oda , and by the East Anglian nobles, at whose head was the powerful ealdorman Æthelstan the "Half-king" . It was a policy of unification and conciliation with the Danish half of the kingdom. [7] The goal was a firm establishment of royal authority. In ecclesiastical matters it favoured the spread of Catholic observance, the rebuilding of churches, the moral reform of the clergy and laity, and the end of the religion of the Danes in England. [9] Against all these reforms were the nobles of Wessex, who included most of Dunstan's own relatives, and who had an interest in maintaining established customs. [3] For nine years Dunstan's influence was dominant, during which time he twice refused the office of bishop (that of Winchester in 951 and Crediton in 953), affirming that he would not leave the king's side so long as the king lived and needed him. [8]
Changes in fortune
In 955, Eadred died, and the situation was at once changed. Eadwig , the elder son of Edmund, who then came to the throne, was a headstrong youth wholly devoted to the reactionary nobles. According to one legend, the feud with Dunstan began on the day of Eadwig's coronation, when he failed to attend a meeting of nobles. When Dunstan eventually found the young monarch, he was cavorting with a noblewoman named Ælfgifu and her mother, and refused to return with the bishop. Infuriated by this, Dunstan dragged Eadwig back and forced him to renounce the girl as a "strumpet". Later realizing that he had provoked the king, Dunstan fled to the apparent sanctuary of his cloister, but Eadwig, incited by Ælfgifu, whom he married, followed him and plundered the monastery. [3]
King Eadwig's reign was marred by conflicts with his family and with Dunstan.
Although Dunstan managed to escape, he saw that his life was in danger. He fled England and crossed the channel to Flanders, where he found himself ignorant of the language and of the customs of the locals. [8] The count of Flanders , Arnulf I , received him with honour and lodged him in the Abbey of Mont Blandin, near Ghent . [3] This was one of the centres of the Benedictine revival in that country, and Dunstan was able for the first time to observe the strict observance that had seen its rebirth at Cluny at the beginning of the century. His exile was not of long duration. Before the end of 957, the Mercians and Northumbrians revolted and drove out Eadwig, choosing his brother Edgar as king of the country north of the Thames. [7] The south remained faithful to Eadwig. At once Edgar's advisers recalled Dunstan. [8] On his return, the archbishop consecrated Dunstan a bishop and, on the death of Coenwald of Worcester at the end of 957, Oda appointed Dunstan to that see. [10]
In the following year the See of London became vacant and was conferred on Dunstan, who held it in conjunction with Worcester. [1] [10] In October 959, Eadwig died and his brother Edgar was readily accepted as ruler of Wessex. One of Eadwig's final acts had been to appoint a successor to Archbishop Oda, who died on 2 June 958. First he appointed Ælfsige of Winchester, but he perished of cold in the Alps as he journeyed to Rome for the pallium . In his place Eadwig nominated Byrhthelm , the Bishop of Wells. As soon as Edgar became king he reversed this act on the ground that Brithelm had not been able to govern even his former diocese properly. [3] The archbishopric was then conferred on Dunstan. [8]
Archbishop of Canterbury (960–78)
Dunstan went to Rome in 960, and received the pallium from Pope John XII . [1] On his journey there, Dunstan's charities were so lavish as to leave nothing for himself and his attendants. His steward complained, but Dunstan seems to have suggested that they trust in Jesus Christ .
On his return from Rome, Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual prime minister of the kingdom. By his advice Ælfstan was appointed to the Bishopric of London, and Oswald to that of Worcester. In 963, Æthelwold , the Abbot of Abingdon , was appointed to the See of Winchester. With their aid and with the ready support of King Edgar, Dunstan pushed forward his reforms in the English Church. [1] The monks in his communities were taught to live in a spirit of self-sacrifice, and Dunstan actively enforced the law of celibacy whenever possible. [11] He forbade the practices of simony (selling ecclesiastical offices for money) and ended the custom of clerics appointing relatives to offices under their jurisdiction. Monasteries were built, and in some of the great cathedrals, monks took the place of the secular canons ; in the rest the canons were obliged to live according to rule. The parish priests were compelled to be qualified for their office; they were urged to teach parishioners not only the truths of the Christian faith, but also trades to improve their position. [9] The state saw reforms as well. [8] Good order was maintained throughout the realm and there was respect for the law. Trained bands policed the north, and a navy guarded the shores from Viking raids. There was a level of peace in the kingdom unknown in living memory. [3]
In 973, Dunstan's statesmanship reached its zenith when he officiated at the coronation of King Edgar. Edgar was crowned at Bath in an imperial ceremony planned not as the initiation, but as the culmination of his reign (a move that must have taken a great deal of preliminary diplomacy). [12] This service, devised by Dunstan himself and celebrated with a poem in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle forms the basis of the present-day British coronation ceremony . [12] There was a second symbolic coronation held later. This was an important step, as other kings of Britain came and gave their allegiance to Edgar at Chester . [13] Six kings in Britain, including the kings of Scotland and of Strathclyde , pledged their faith that they would be the king's liege-men on sea and land.
Edgar died two years after his coronation, and was succeeded by his eldest son Edward (II) "the Martyr" . [8] His accession was disputed by his stepmother, Ælfthryth , who wished her own son Æthelred to reign. Through the influence of Dunstan, Eadward was chosen and crowned at Winchester. [1] Edgar's death had encouraged the reactionary nobles, and at once there was a determined attack upon the monks, the protagonists of reform. Throughout Mercia they were persecuted and deprived of their possessions. Their cause, however, was supported by Æthelwine , the ealdorman of East Anglia, and the realm was in serious danger of civil war. Three meetings of the Witan were held to settle these disputes, at Kyrtlington , at Calne , and at Amesbury . At the second of them the floor of the hall where the Witan was sitting gave way, and all except Dunstan, who clung to a beam, fell into the room below, several men were killed. [3]
Final years (978–88)
In March 978, King Eadweard was assassinated at Corfe Castle , possibly at the instigation of his stepmother, and Æthelred the Unready became king. His coronation on Low Sunday 31 March, 978, was the last state event in which Dunstan took part. [3] When the young king took the usual oath to govern well, Dunstan addressed him in solemn warning. He criticised the violent act whereby he became king and prophesied the misfortunes that were shortly to fall on the kingdom, [12] but Dunstan's influence at court was ended. [8] Dunstan retired to Canterbury, to teach at the cathedral school. [1]
Theological manuscript from Glastonbury Abbey ( Bodleian Library ):Abbot Dunstan ordered the writing of this book.
Only three more public acts are known. In 980, Dunstan joined Ælfhere of Mercia in the solemn translation of the relics of King Eadward II, soon to be known as St Edward the Martyr , from their grave at Wareham to a shrine at Shaftesbury Abbey . In 984, in obedience to a vision of St Andrew , he persuaded King Æthelred to appoint Ælfheah as Bishop of Winchester in succession to Æthelwold. In 986, Dunstan induced the king, by a donation of 100 pounds of silver, to stop his persecution of the See of Rochester . [3]
Dunstan's retirement at Canterbury consisted of long hours, both day and night, spent in private prayer, as well as his regular attendance at Mass and the daily office . He visited the shrines of St Augustine and St Æthelberht , and there are reports of a vision of angels who sang to him heavenly canticles. [3] He worked to improve the spiritual and temporal well-being of his people, to build and restore churches, to establish schools, to judge suits, to defend widows and orphans, to promote peace, and to enforce respect for purity. [7] He practised his crafts, made bells and organs and corrected the books in the cathedral library. He encouraged and protected European scholars who came to England, and was active as a teacher of boys in the cathedral school. On the vigil of Ascension Day 988, it is recorded that a vision of angels warned he would die in three days. [3] On the feast day itself, Dunstan said Mass and preached three times to the people: at the Gospel , at the benediction , and after the Agnus Dei . In this last address, he announced his impending death and wished his congregation well. [14] That afternoon he chose the spot for his tomb, then went to his bed. His strength failed rapidly, and on Saturday morning, 19 May, he caused the clergy to assemble. Mass was celebrated in his presence, then he received Extreme Unction and the Viaticum , and died. Dunstan's final words are reported to have been, "He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food to them that fear Him." [3]
The English people accepted him as a saint shortly thereafter. He was formally canonised in 1029. That year at the Synod of Winchester, St Dunstan's feast was ordered to be kept solemnly throughout England. [3]
Legacy
Until St Thomas Becket ’s fame overshadowed Dunstan's, he was the favourite saint of the English people. Dunstan had been buried in his cathedral ; and when that building was destroyed by a fire in 1074, his relics were translated by Archbishop Lanfranc to a tomb on the south side of the high altar in the rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral . [3]
Dunstan shoeing the Devil's hoof, as illustrated by George Cruikshank
The monks of Glastonbury used to claim that during the sack of Canterbury by the Danes in 1012, Dunstan's body had been carried for safety to their abbey. This story was disproved by Archbishop William Warham , who opened the tomb at Canterbury in 1508. They found Dunstan's relics still to be there. Within a century, his shrine was destroyed during the English Reformation . [3]
He functions as the patron saint of goldsmiths and silversmiths, as he worked as a blacksmith , painter , and jeweller . His Feast Day is May 19th, which is why the date year on hallmarks runs from May 19th to May 18th, not the calendar year. St Dunstan's —the charity that provides support, rehabilitation, and respite care to blind ex-service personnel of the British Armed Forces —is named after him, as are many churches all over the world. St Dunstan's, Mayfield , St Dunstan's, Stepney , St Dunstan-in-the-East, London , and St Dunstan-in-the-West, London are four of the more well-known in England.
English literature contains many references to him, for example in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens , and in this folk rhyme:
St Dunstan, as the story goes,
Once pull'd the devil by the nose
With red-hot tongs, which made him roar,
That he was heard three miles or more. [15]
From this the tongs have become a symbol of St Dunstan and are featured in the arms of Tower Hamlets .
Another story relates how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to re-shoe the Devil's horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after he promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is claimed as the origin of the lucky horseshoe.
The Eastern Orthodox Church , the Roman Catholic Church , and the Anglican Communion mark his feast day on May 19. [1]
At various passages in " The Deptford Trilogy ", the character Dunstan Ramsay is compared with the saint of the same name, and in particular some stormy events in the character's love-life are rather humorously compared to Saint Dunstan famous struggle with Satan.
See also
List of bishops of Worcester
References
^ "Biography: St. Dunstan" . Mission St. Clare. http://www.missionstclare.com/english/people/may19.html . Retrieved 2007-08-02.
^ Hone, William; Kyle Grimes, editor. "The Every-Day Book" . The William Hone BioText,University of Alabama at Birmingham. http://www.uab.edu/english/hone/etexts/edb/day-pages/139-may19.html . Retrieved 2007-08-07.
Further reading
Primary sources
‘Author B’, Vita S. Dunstani, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 3–52. Portions of the text are translated by Dorothy Whitelock in English Historical Documents c. 500–1042. 2nd ed. London, 1979. A new edition and translation by Michael Lapidge is forthcoming.
Adelard of Ghent, Epistola Adelardi ad Elfegum Archiepiscopum de Vita Sancti Dunstani, Adelard's letter to Archbishop Ælfheah of Canterbury (1005–1012) on the Life of St Dunstan, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series 63. London, 1874. 53–68.
Wulfstan of Winchester , The Life of St Æthelwold, ed. and tr. M. Lapidge and M. Winterbottom, Wulfstan of Winchester. The Life of St Æthelwold. Oxford Medieval Texts. Oxford, 1991.
Reliquiae Dunstanianae, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 354–439.
Fragmenta ritualia de Dunstano, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 440-57.
Osbern of Canterbury , Vita sancti Dunstani and Liber Miraculorum Sancti Dunstani, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 69–161.
Eadmer , Vita S. Dunstani and Miracula S. Dunstani, ed. and tr. Bernard J. Muir and Andrew J. Turner, Eadmer of Canterbury. Lives and Miracles of Saints Oda, Dunstan, and Oswald. OMT. Oxford, 2006. 41–159 and 160–212; ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series 63. London, 1874. 162–249, 412–25.
William of Malmesbury , Vita sancti Dunstani, ed. and tr. Bernard J. Muir and Andrew J. Turner, William of Malmesbury. Lives of SS. Wulfstan, Dunstan, Patrick, Benignus and Indract. Oxford Medieval Texts. Oxford, 2002; ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 250–324.
John Capgrave , Vita sancti Dunstani, ed. W. Stubbs, Memorials of St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rolls Series. London, 1874. 325-53.
Secondary sources
Dales, Douglas, Dunstan: Saint and Statesman, Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 1988.
Duckett, Eleanor. Saint Dunstan of Canterbury (1955).
Dunstan, St. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 vols. Gale Research, 1998.
Knowles, David. The Monastic Orders in England (1940; 2d ed. 1963).
Ramsay, Nigel St Dunstan: his Life, Times, and Cult, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK; Rochester, NY: Boydell Press, 1992.
Sayles, G. O., The Medieval Foundations of England (1948; 2d ed. 1950).
External links
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With which branch of the arts would you associate Barbara Hepworth? | Dame Barbara Hepworth | British sculptor | Britannica.com
Dame Barbara Hepworth
Alternative Title: Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth
Dame Barbara Hepworth
Eric Gill
Dame Barbara Hepworth, in full Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (born Jan. 10, 1903, Wakefield , Yorkshire, Eng.—died May 20, 1975, St. Ives, Cornwall ), sculptor whose works were among the earliest abstract sculptures produced in England . Her lyrical forms and feeling for material made her one of the most influential sculptors of the mid-20th century.
Interview with British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and shots of her nine-work series …
Stock footage courtesy The WPA Film Library
Fascinated from early childhood with natural forms and textures, Hepworth decided at age 15 to become a sculptor. In 1919 she enrolled in the Leeds School of Art, where she befriended fellow student Henry Moore . Their lifelong friendship and reciprocal influence were important factors in the parallel development of their careers.
Hepworth’s earliest works were naturalistic with simplified features. Purely formal elements gradually gained greater importance for her until, by the early 1930s, her sculpture was entirely abstract. Works such as Reclining Figure (1932) resemble rounded biomorphic forms and natural stones; they seem to be the fruit of long weathering instead of the hard work with a chisel they actually represent. In 1933 Hepworth married (her second husband; the first was the sculptor John Skeaping) the English abstract painter Ben Nicholson , under whose influence she began to make severe, geometric pieces with straight edges and immaculate surfaces.
As Hepworth’s sculpture matured during the late 1930s and ’40s, she concentrated on the problem of the counterplay between mass and space. Pieces such as Wave (1943–44) became increasingly open, hollowed out, and perforated, so that the interior space is as important as the mass surrounding it. Her practice, increasingly frequent in her mature pieces, of painting the works’ concave interiors further heightened this effect, while she accented and defined the sculptural voids by stretching strings taut across their openings.
During the 1950s Hepworth produced an experimental series called Groups, clusters of small anthropomorphic forms in marble so thin that their translucence creates a magical sense of inner life. In the next decade she was commissioned to do a number of sculptures approximately 20 feet (6 metres) high. Among the more successful of her works in this gigantic format is the geometric Four-Square (Walk Through) (1966).
Hepworth was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1965. A Pictorial Autobiography was published in 1970 and reissued in 1993. She died in a fire in her home at St. Ives, Cornwall; her home was preserved as the Barbara Hepworth Home and Sculpture Garden and is run by the Tate St. Ives, a branch of the Tate galleries .
Learn More in these related articles:
| Sculpture |
Which porcelain manufacturer has two crossed swords as its mark? | Sotheby's Hosts British Art-Inspired Feast - artnet News
Chef Ollie Dabbous Gets Ambitious at Sotheby’s New Pop-Up Restaurant
Dessert will be a Barbara Hepworth-inspired rhubarb crumble.
Sarah Cascone ,
June 9, 2016
Canapes, prepared by Ollie Dabbous for Sotheby's London ahead of their February contemporary sale, in front of Andy Warhol's Flowers. Courtesy of Sotheby's London.
Does a great work of art ever whet your appetite? Sotheby’s London is hoping you’re hungry of ahead of its June 13 and 14 Modern and post-war British art sale , which it is celebrating by hosting a pop-up restaurant from Michelin star chef Oliver “Ollie” Dabbous June 10–12.
For three nights only , Dabbous, who was dubbed “the most wanted chef in Britain” in 2012, will serve a special meal celebrating British culture at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries. A select group of 70 diners, each paying £250 ($360), will enjoy wine, cocktails, and six courses by the master chef while sitting amid artworks from the upcoming sale, which features some of the Britain’s greatest artists.
Barbara Hepworth, Galliard. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
“I picked out a few of the works that were my favorite and also ones where there was a link to an ingredient,” Dabbous told artnet News in a phone conversation. To help him create, Sotheby’s set up a special viewing room with Dabbous’s chosen pieces, and the the chef got to sketching.
Ollie Dabbous’s sketch for a rhubarb crumble inspired by Barbara Hepworth. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
“When creating each of the dishes I was drawn to the different colors and textures, particularly with the more shape-driven abstract artworks that diners will be surrounded by,” Dabbous added in a statement. “I was also very interested in where the artists came from, and the regional stories behind the works, as I am passionate about the locations that I source ingredients from.”
For some dishes, there is a direct visual parallel between the dish and the art work, while others share a more conceptual connection. Dabbous has titled the dessert course, a rhubarb crumble with rose, geranium, poppy seed, and Cornish clotted cream, “The Beginning and the End.”
Patrick Heron, Sydney Garden Painting: February 1990: I, and Ollie Dabbous’s rhubarb crumble, which is also inspired by Barbara Hepworth. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
Visually, the dish pairs beautifully with Patrick Heron ‘s Sydney Garden Painting: February 1990: I , but it’s actually made from ingredients linked to Barbara Hepworth , who has four lots in the sale.
“Rhubarb only grows in the north of England where she was born and grew up,” explained Dabbous of the Yorkshire-born artist. Hepworth went on to spend most of her life and ultimately die in Cornwall, which is known for its thick clotted cream. “There will be literally a Barbara Hepworth sculpture closer to you than your waiter,” he added.
Graham Sutherland, Rock with Three Heads II (detail) and Ollie Dabbous pea and mint dish. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
Other dishes include the more straightforward first course, a dish of peas and mint based on Graham Sutherland ‘s green-hued Rock with Three Heads II . For Dabbous, the challenge is creating visually compelling food without compromising his flavors.
“Presentation is something that young chefs sometimes prioritize more than they should,” he admitted. “It’s ultimately taste you remember.”
It’s not the first time the chef has teamed up with Sotheby’s. In honor of the house’s February contemporary sale, Dabbous prepared a similarly art-inspired meal . Although he’s not an art collector himself, his eponymous restaurant, Dabbous, is just a few minute’s walk from the Sotheby’s office, so auction house staffers are among his regulars. “Working more with Sotheby’s has made me more inquisitive [about art],” the chef said.
“There’s something magical and charming about all these works surrounding the diners,” Dabbous concluded. “And then they’re all going to disappear.”
Coddled duck egg with smoked butter and mushrooms prepared by Ollie Dabbous for Sotheby’s London ahead of their February contemporary sale. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
Poached turbot with sea vegetables and cucumber prepared by Ollie Dabbous for Sotheby’s London ahead of their February contemporary sale. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
Ollie Dabbous admires John Piper’s Beach II. Courtesy of Sotheby’s London.
| i don't know |
Which car manufacturer produces models called 'Aveo' and 'Epica'? | Chevrolet | Hot Rod Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
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Chevrolet was co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. Louis Chevrolet was a race-car driver, and William Durant, founder of General Motors, had been forced out of GM in 1910; he wanted to use Chevrolet's designs to rebuild his own reputation as a force in the Automobile. As head of Buick, prior to founding GM, Durant had hired Chevrolet to drive Buicks in promotional races.
Chevrolet first used its "bowtie" logo in 1913. This logo is said to have been designed from wallpaper Durant once saw in a French hotel. Another theory of the design of the mark is that it is a stylized version of the shape of Switzerland, Louis Chevrolet's birthplace. It is not, as sometimes claimed, a "Swiss cross": the geometric shape on the Swiss flag is a Greek cross, and does not resemble the Chevrolet logo.
In 1915, Durant made a trip to Toronto, Ontario to determine the possibility of setting up production facilities in Canada. After meeting with "Colonel Sam" McLaughlin, whose McLaughlin Motor Car Company manufactured the McLaughlin-Buick, it was agreed the Chevrolet Motor Car Company of Canada, operated by McLaughlin, would be created to build Chevrolet cars in Canada. Three years later, the two Canadian operations (Chevrolet was by then a part of GM in the United States) were purchased by GM to become General Motors
By 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough to allow Durant to buy a majority of shares in GM. After the deal was completed in 1917, Durant was President of General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM, becoming a separate division. In the 1918 model year, Chevrolet introduced the Model D, a V8-powered model in 4-passenger Roadster and 5-passenger tourer models. These cars had 288in3 engines with Zenith carburetors and 3 speed transmissions.
Famous Chevy models include the large and luxurious Impala (1958) and the innovative air-cooled rear-engined Corvair. Chevrolet had a great influence on the American automobile market during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, one out of every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet.
The basic Chevrolet small-block V-8 design has remained in continuous production since its debut in 1955, longer than any other mass-produced engine design in the world auto industry, though current versions share few if any parts interchangeable directly with the original. Descendants of the basic small-block OHV V-8 design platform in production today have been much modified with advances such as aluminum block and heads, electronic engine management, and sequential port fuel injection, to name just a few improvements over the 54-model-year design life of the engine concept to date. The small block Chevrolet V-8 is used in current production model (2008) Impala sedans, a variety of light and medium duty Chevrolet trucks, and the current generation Corvette sports car. Depending on the vehicle type in which they're installed, they are built in diaplacements from 5.3 to 6.6 litres with outputs ranging from 180 to over as installed at the factory. It will also be used as a performance option in the forthcoming (2009 model year) revival of the Chevrolet Camaro. The engine design has also been used over the years in GM products built and sold under the Pontiac. Oldsmobile, Buick, Opel (Germany) and Holden (Australia) nameplates. Recently, 6-litre, versions of the small-block V-8 designed initially for the C-5 and C-6 Corvettes have been installed in factory-built high performance versions of the Cadillac CTS sedan known as the CTS-V.
Chevrolet outside the United States and Canada
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Historically, many Mexican and Latin American-market vehicles from GM were modified derivatives of older models from GM's North American and European operations. The current S10 and Blazer exemplify this strategy. However, more modern vehicles are now being marketed as market conditions change and competition increases. Besides those older models made in Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia and Mercosur countries, Korean sourced cars from former Daewoo factories some markets also get German Opel and US made Chevrolet on top of their local line-ups.
Latin America
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In Argentina (whose factory was opened in Rosario in 1995), the models are the same Opels made in Brazil, along with the S10 and Blazer. Chevrolet had a presence in Argentina since the 1960s where it locally produced the Chevy II (sold in Argentina as the Chevrolet 400 or Chevy), but it stopped its operations in 1978, due to high inflation.
In Brazil, the Chevrolet Opala was based on the German Opel from the late 1960s, continuing in production until the early 1990s, when it was replaced by a version of the Opel. Other smaller Chevrolets in Brazil, such as the Kadett and Monza, were based on the Opel and Opel respectively. Chevrolet's product line-up in Brazil now comprises some exclusive designs like the Corsa "B" based Celta sold in Argentina under the Suzuki brand, the General Motors, and a brand new, Brazilian designed Opel based on the current Opel, while the current Opel is built and the Omega name is now used on the Holden. Utility and Four wheel drive vehicles line-up includes the S10, the Blazer, and the Montana. The Montana is a compact pickup truck, based on the Corsa, that is also sold in other Latin American markets. From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, there was also a large station wagon, derived from the C10 truck (somewhat similar to the Suburban), called the Veraneio.
Chevrolet production in Chile began in 1962, although at first through local partners (in this case, Avayu with the Nova II). GM still assembles the Isuzu D-Max as LUV D-Max in Arica and Isuzu´ F and N series in Huechuraba, Santiago.
Chevrolet has been operating in Ecuador for 80 years. GM Ecuador sells US Chevrolets alongside GM Daewoo and Opel sourced models. It also sells the 1983 Suzuki under the Chevrolet namel, and the Isuzu Rodeo was sold as the Chevrolet Rodeo throughout the 1990s.
In Venezuela, Chevrolet has been operating since 1948, when truck production began in Car. In 1979 production moved to a plant in Valencia that was purchased from CHR. Chevrolet assembled more than 1,500,000 vehicles in it's first 50 years in Venezuela.
Mexico
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In Mexican, some of these Opel-sourced Chevrolet models are sold alongside US models. An example is regarding the Opel. While the Brazilian Vectra is based on Opel's current Opel Sedan, the Mexican Vectra is actually the current Opel sold in Europe. Mexico also has some cars of its own, such as the Opel, which is a reworked last-generation Corsa, the Sonora (which is a re-badged Tahoe), and the Cheyenne (which is similar to the Silverado but is as different as the Sonora is to the Suburban). The Chevrolet Optra, assembled in South Korea by GM Daewoo, is also sold in Mexico.
Europe
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Chevrolet Europe is a Swiss-based firm (in Zürich) that sells the rebranded products of GM Daewoo.
Until 2005, Chevrolet Europe sold a few models, mostly United States (USDM) models modified to suit European regulations. Among them were the Chevrolet Alero (which was a rebadged Oldsmobile) and the Chevrolet Trans Sport (which was a Chevrolet Venture with the front end of the Pontiac). Among other models sold by Chevrolet Europe were the Camaro, the Corvette, the Blazer, and the TrailBlazer. The current generation of North American-built Chevrolet Impala V-8 sedans has also been available in Europe in recent years, marketed as both large family sedans and more economically-priced alternatives to Jaguars and BMWs as high performance executive cars.
It was in 2005 that all the mainstream models from GM Daewoo were rebranded as Chevrolet in Europe (The ownership of the SUV models in the former Daewoo range had reverted back to ownership of Ssangyong by this time). However the Daewoo name was retained in South Korea and Vietnam. In the rest of the world, most Daewoo models have worn the Chevrolet badge since 2003. Exceptions include the use of the Suzuki badge in the United States and Canada, the Pontiac badge in Canada, the Holden badge in Australia and New Zealand, and the Buick badge in China for certain GM Daewoo models.
The Corvette is marketed in Europe through a separate distribution channel operated by Netherlands-based Kroymans Corporation Group. Because the Chevrolet brand now represents value-driven cars in Europe, the Corvette name was made into a separate marque for Europe and Japan.
Asia
The Holden is badged as the Chevrolet Lumina in Thailand and the Middle East, as well as South Africa. The longer wheelbase Holden is sold as the Holden in the Middle East.
Middle East
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In the Middle East, Chevrolet-badged cars, trucks, SUV's, and crossovers are sourced from GM Daewoo (in South Korea), GM in North America, and GM Holden (in Australia). The Middle East market has a separate division called Chevrolet Special Vehicles (CSV), which (as of December 2007) sources the high-performance CR8 sedan from Holden.
Pakistan
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In Pakistan, Chevrolet introduced its cars in collaboration with a local automobile manufacturer called Nexus Automotive. The current models available are the Chevrolet Optra and Chevrolet Joy. As of December 2005, the Chevrolet Joy is being assembled locally in Pakistan.By 2008 Chevrolet launched their own website and added the Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Colorado.
India
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Chevrolet is among the newest brands in India launched by GM's Indian operations. Until June 6, 2003 (the official birthday of Chevrolet), GM India (which was originally a joint venture with Hindustan Motors) sold the General Motors, General Motors, and the Opel. The Corsa and Astra were built at a plant in Halol, Gujarat.
Since then, Chevrolet currently sells the Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet SRV , Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Aveo U-VA. The Chevrolet Forester, a rebadged Chevrolet Forester, was imported directly from Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan until 2005. The Optra and Tavera are built at the Halol plant.
Indian Motorsports
Chevrolet also is the sole Engine supplier for the Formula Rolon single seater series in India.
Thailand
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The American-built Chevrolet Colorado pickup is also manufactured in Rayong, Thailand.
General Motors is currently exploring cost cutting options as part of its restructuring plan. One of these options involve expanding the Rayong, Thailand plant to add additional capacity to export Colorado's to the U.S. This would allow the Shreveport, Louisiana plant to be closed (where the Colorado is also produced). This scenario is plausible only if a free-trade agreement is signed between the U.S. and Thailand, as the American Tariff on imported pickup trucks from non-FTA countries is currently 25%. The United Auto Workers is the most vocal opponent to a change in the tariff structure.
Japan
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In the mid 2000s, Suzuki imported and marketed the TrailBlazer and the Chevrolet Optra wagon in Japan. General Motors Asia Pacific (Japan) currently distributes and markets the TrailBlazer in very limited numbers. Suzuki, a GM partner, also assembles and markets the Holden subcompact and the Chevrolet MW Kei car. The MW was originally a rebadged Suzuki. As of 2008, it is a rebadged Suzuki Solio. Mitsui currently distributes and markets the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Express, Chevrolet HHR, and Starcraft versions of the Chevrolet Express and TrailBlazer. General Motors Japan directly imports and distributes the Corvette, which is marketed under its own marque. Thus there are three distinct distribution channels for Chevrolet-branded vehicles, and a separate network for Corvette-branded cars.
South Korea
Chevrolet-branded vehicles are not sold in South Korea. However, many global-market Chevrolet vehicles are sourced from GM Daewoo of South Korea.
South Africa
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In South Africa, Chevrolet was GM's main brand name until 1982, with a number of Vauxhall Motors and Holden derivatives being built under the Chevy name from 1964. In the 1960s, the advertising jingle "braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet" (similar to Holden's 1970s "Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars" or the American "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pies and Chevrolet") came to epitomise the ideal lifestyle of white male South Africans. Originally, Chevrolets were CKD kits of American Chevys assembled in their plant in Port Elizabeth. However, since South Africa was right-hand drive and the US was left-hand drive, along with encouragement by the South African government to use local content, Chevrolets such as the Biscayne were eventually made entirely in South Africa, along with GM's "own car for South Africa": the Ranger (GM). By the 1970s, South African Chevrolets like the Kommando and Constantia were based on Australian Holden models like the Holden, while the Firenza was based on the Vauxhall Viva. The Chevrolet Nomad sold in South Africa was entirely different from the Nomad sold in America; whereas the American Nomad was originally conceived as a Station wagon version of the Corvette and eventually became the station wagon version of the Bel Air, the South African Nomad was an SUV of truck proportions before SUVs were popular.
However, these were replaced by Opel models like the Opel, Holden, and Opel, and in 1982 the Chevrolet brand name was dropped in favour of Opel. Because of the political climate at the time, GM decided to disinvest from South Africa in 1986, and a local group eventually bought out GM's South African operations (including the Port Elizabeth plant) and renamed the company as the Delta Motor Corporation, which concentrated on Opels, Isuzus, and Suzukis, built under licence.
However, thanks to an improved political climate in the 1990s, GM decided to reenter South Africa, eventually buying out the whole of Delta. In 2001, the Chevrolet name made a comeback, used on the Lumina, a rebadged Holden, and later on, on the Daewoo range of cars. Current Chevrolets include the Chevrolet Joy (a rebadged GM Daewoo Chevrolet Joy), Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, Chevrolet SRV, the Lumina (including the Holden model), and the Vivant, an MPV that is a rebadged version of the Daewoo Vivant.
Russia
In Russia, various Chevrolet models are available. Current Chevrolets include the Chevrolet Joy, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, Lanos, Chevrolet SRV, Vivant, Epica, Captiva, and TrailBlazer. All of these models (with the exception of the TrailBlazer) are rebadged Daewoo models.
Current models in the United States and Canada
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The Chevrolet brand is currently undergoing a product restructuring in North America along with all other GM brands in order to fit into the parent company's turnaround efforts. The Monte Carlo personal luxury coupe, although popular over much of its life cycle since its initial 1970 introduction, went on production hiatus at the end of the 2007 model year. although GM has not announced permanent retirement of the Monte Carlo brand. Meanwhile, entirely new versions of the Malibu sedan have just been introduced for 2008 as a result of these efforts. The upcoming designs are expected to have more intriguing features than current models. Chevrolet will also reintroduce its Camaro Concept Pony car on its new Zeta platform designed in alliance with GM Holden Australia. GM announced in August 2006 that it would be on sale for the 2009 model year. Three subcompact concepts debuted on April 4, 2007 at the New York International Auto Show. The Trax, the Beat, and the Groove was voted on to see which will be offered as a production model. This year, General Motors will be introducing the 2009 Corvette Sports car. It comes with a small block LS9 6.2 liter V8 and a Eaton TVS supercharger and intercooler which gives it more than 600 hp.
Chevrolet watches
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In 2007, Chevrolet launched its first Watch collection under the Louis Chevrolet watch brand. The watch collection pays tribute to Louis Chevrolet, co-founder of the brand, who was born in a family of a watchmaker and in his childhood helped his father at the workbench. The collection was called Frontenac, the name inherited from the race car company founded by Louis Chevrolet. The Chevrolet watch collection comprises automatic, manually-wound and quartz models, equipped with ETA and Ronda movements.
The Louis Chevrolet Frontenac watches, manufactured in Courgenay, the Swiss Jura region, feature the styling cues suggested by the Chevrolet cars. The collection was developed while applying the same materials as used in the car industry. Pearled appliques on the Chevrolet watches' dials remind the metal forms of the old dashboards. The number '8,' Chevrolet's racing number, is sported on the case back.
Buses
| Chevrolet |
Which brewer operates from the oldest brewery in Yorkshire? | Chevrolet Epica | Auto Express
Chevrolet Epica
Falling sales, disinterested buyers and increasing competition from trendy people carriers and off-roaders mean makers have to be either brave or misguided to enter the European family car market... so which is Chevrolet?
Verdict
There's no doubt the Epica means business, but as with the Kia Magentis, its Korean origins are likely to hold it back. Rivals such as the Ford Mondeo and Vaux-hall Vectra will be better options, both in terms of design and residuals. Still, the progress engineers have made with this car suggests future Chevrolets can only get better.
Falling sales, disinterested buyers and increasing competition from trendy people carriers and off-roaders mean makers have to be either brave or misguided to enter the European family car market... so which is Chevrolet?
As with Kia and its Magentis, the firm is launching a new Ford Mondeo rival, called the Epica. The big Korean-built saloon will debut this sum-mer, and Auto Express is first to drive this Daewoo-badged example, powered by a 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine.
Compared to previous four-door cars developed by Daewoo, the Epica looks extremely grown-up. The new bumper and grille layout is neat, while there's a low nose and high tailgate, similar to upmarket offerings from Saab and Volvo. Expensive-looking details include side mirrors with built-in traffic indicators.
Inside, the car has aluminium trim, soft-touch plastics and a chunky four-spoke steering wheel, which is adjustable for reach and rake. There's space for five adults, the front seats are electronically adjustable and passengers in the rear have generous legroom.
However, it's under the bonnet that some of the most interesting developments have been made. In Korea, the Epica has 2.5 and 2.0-litre straight-six engines. Our car, using the bigger unit, won't be coming here, but still gives a good glimpse of what UK buyers can expect. The 2,492cc twin-cam motor, which cost £140million and took seven years to develop, produces 155bhp at 5,800rpm. Yet it's not the most responsive engine; at low speeds, there's little torque on offer, although as the pace increases, acceleration grows stronger.
Refinement is better, and the unit is virtually silent when cruising. The ride is comfortable, too, with MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear. Our test car shared its set-up with the bigger, more upmarket Magnus, and it will be further refined ahead of the UK launch. This is good news, because despite the comfort on offer, body control isn't up to the standards required by buyers in Britain.
There's no doubting the effort made to enhance safety, though. Our Epica came with dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as traction control and electronic brake force distribution.
But is the newcomer a surefire hit in the tricky family car market? Frankly, we don't think so, although its £16,000 price tag, upmarket interior and modern exterior design are likely to stand it in better stead than some of the Korean models that have preceded it. We say Chevrolet's entry into this class is brave, but not neccesarily misguided.
Key specs
* Standard-fit sat-nav and bucket seats show Chevy is keen to up its game inside - but the same effort hasn't been put into the steering on the Epica, as it's really vague.
* Engine: 2.5 6cyl, 155bhp
| i don't know |
Which US sit-com featured the 'Cafe Nervosa'? | Cafe Nervosa
The aforementioned statistics and trends are the basis upon which management has chosen to establish Viscus Coffee as a specialized marketer of branded, fresh roasted, gourmet, whole bean and prepackaged coffees. Viscus Coffee has already launched into the market with a strong, nationally recognizable brand in the Café Nervosa With additional, quality, branded coffee products already being planned, Viscus Coffee is properly positioned to generate significant revenues and maximize profits.
The products that Viscus Coffee offers known as "gourmet and specialty beverage," are defined as distinctive beverages of high quality. As such, these include the Companys existing gourmet coffee blends, single origin roasts, and decafs (in whole bean or ground), and in the future will include an assortment of high quality teas.
Viscus Coffee's commitment to quality, consistency and fresh-ness is supported by a number of key factors, including the Companys insistence on selecting the finest coffee. Viscus Coffee believes that this combination of factors will help distinguish it from other specialty coffee companies and ultimately result in strong customer loyalty.
In addition, in order to facilitate customer convenience as well as to reinforce the Companys authenticity in coffee and tea, Viscus Coffee will offer other coffee-related items such as brewing equipment and accessories, and serve ware.
| Frasier |
Which British writer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907? | Legendary TV Hangouts Evaluated By Interior Designers - Central Perk, Monk's Cafe, Cafe Nervosa - Thrillist
Central Perk
Friends
First impression: I actually kind of love it! The mix of furniture styles, the different textures, the layering of patterns...these are all things I try to do in my designs. It gives a space dimension and makes it feel rich.
What would you change? I would definitely change the walls in the background. Because of all the wood, velvet, and brick in the space, it feels heavy. I think a fun, patterned wallpaper in lighter colors and maybe (dare I suggest it) painting the brick walls white would lighten things up.
What would you keep? So much! I love the mix of furniture, textures, and patterns. To me, it feels like a coffee shop. There's something nostalgic about it in that it is so different from our present-day coffee shops, which are designed more as co-working spaces. There's something about drinking coffee on an oversized velvet sofa that makes me long for the '90s.
Does it break any pillars of basic design? It's pretty good to me. It might be pushing a little bit towards being cluttered, but that's an easy fix...thinning out the knick-knacks on those bar shelves will make a huge difference. Remember people: we want a space to feel curated...not cluttered.
The verdict: Trash the clutter, lighten up the walls, and treat Gunther with a little respect, please.
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Will Saks
The Forman Basement
That '70s Show
First impression: It looks like a typical college/high school kid stoner hangout. Kind of dirty, old, hand-me-down furniture. Looks like a good time could be had here, but it's in desperate need of a makeover!
What would you change? I would probably go for the dirty sofa and rug. The space would still feel very '70s and kitschy but just a bit cleaner and comfier.
What would you keep? Some of the bones of the basement space make it work and feel like a retro basement should! I'd leave the green vintage washer/dryer and the orange pendant lamp in the background.
Does it break any pillars of basic design? This place has a very "found" feeling to it. As it's Eric's parents' basement, clearly everything in it is old stuff no one wanted anymore. In a way this works when it's all put together, but no one would ever choose to put these things together!
The verdict: If you're going for a retro feel, it's important to commit on every level, down to your washer and dryer.
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Felice Press
Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers
First impression: To die for. Literally think someone probably died here. The facade is cute with its antique victorian style, but that's where it ends. Inside leaves much to be desired.
What would you change? The yellow, what I assume to be laminate, counter tops.
What would you keep? The industrial barn lighting running along the counter is cool. And I actually love their blackboard with their ever-changing (and ever-entertaining) daily specials menu. Always good for a laugh, and practical to boot!
Does it break any pillars of basic design? It's hard to judge a cartoon in this category, but besides a lack of personality, the space seems to be pretty well thought out. No glaring red flags.
The verdict: Even underwhelming decor can be redeemed with a little humor. And butts.
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Justin DiPiero
Cafe Nervosa
Frasier
First impression: This space is definitely '90s cozy—sort of the design equivalent of those charming 3-piece suits Frasier is always wearing. The palette is very Pacific Northwest and while it has a mismatched vibe going on, overall it feels pretty cohesive. Makes me want to hunker down with a latte and a good book.
What would you change? The design is pretty dated because, well, it's old. They've nailed the neighborhood coffee spot for affluent, middle-aged intellectuals of the mid-'90s (read: Niles Crane), but cozy and dark isn't what's popular at the moment. To brighten up the space, I would highlight the rustic wood floors by picking contrasting chair colors, brightening the walls, and drawing attention to that amazing green painted trim. Freshen things up with some new upholstery and modern signage and voila!
What would you keep? I appreciate that this space is not taking itself too seriously. It is unpretentious and inviting, and feels like the kind of place where you would run into a neighbor and catch up on the local gossip or strike up a conversation with a stranger. Spaces that are too affected can be unwelcoming, which isn't what you want from a coffee shop.
Does it break any pillars of basic design? I don't think so. There are so many right ways to design a space. As long as the fundamentals are in check, your directions are limitless.
The verdict: It needs some serious color therapy, but at least it's not as pretentious as Niles and Frasier are.
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Sara Knowles
Dunder Mifflin's Conference Room
The Office
First impression: Oh. My. God! This is seriously my nightmare. It's cold, sterile, corporate, and extremely dated. There has been such a shift in office design in the past few years towards making workspaces feel inspiring and fun. This conference room does no such thing.
What would you change? Everything! New furniture, new lighting, new carpeting, new window treatments...all of it has to go. But let's start with the conference table and chairs. There are so many great options out there that could make this space feel so much more hip and inspiring. Buy a super cool live edge table and pair it with some simple Bertoia Wire Chairs or Eames Chairs. They are classics of design that would help make the space feel so much warmer and less corporate. For me, the less your office feels like an office, the better.
What would you keep? Seriously nothing. Sorry. Set this place on fire and start from scratch.
Does it break any pillars of basic design? Too many to sum up. It's boring, drab, dated, and uninspiring. A pretty good indicator of a well-designed space is the desire to want to stay in that space. I wouldn't be able to get out of here fast enough.
The verdict: A complete disaster. Sorry, Michael.
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Will Saks
Double R Diner
Twin Peaks
First impression: It looks like a classic '50s style kitschy diner. Definitely someplace I would want to eat!
What would you change? I would change the countertops to something fresher, still keeping the '50s vibe but making it more modern and less laminate.
What would you keep? I actually really like the square neon lighting above the countertop! I would definitely leave that part. So much character—it would still work as a modern light fixture today.
Does it break any pillars of basic design? There are many faux finishes in this space–laminate, veneer, plexiglass. As a designer, I always try to update anything made from those materials and definitely never put in any new ones!
The verdict: A few tweaks here and there, but leave a lot as is because after all, what's old is new again .
Assessed by Homepolish interior designer Felice Press
Joe McGauley is a senior editor at Supercompressor and would kill for a giant velvet Central Perk sofa of his own.
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From which club did Chelsea FC sign Didier Drogba? | Will latest Chelsea FC signing Batshuayi be the next Drogba? [Best Tweets]
English Premier League Gameweek 18: Best Bets feat. Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal
Chelsea FC have opened their books in this summer’s transfer market, as they confirmed the £33 million signing of Michy Batshuayi from Olympique Marseille.
The move was confirmd on Chelsea’s official website , and the club’s official Twitter account on Sunday, after the 22-year-old striker impressed with his performance in the 2016 European Championships with Belgium.
It’s official! Welcome to @ChelseaFC , Michy Batshuayi! https://t.co/wZIjQm5DSe
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 3, 2016
The Blues, who are looking to rebuild after a poor campaign in 2015/16, had to part with £33 million to sign the Belgium international on a five-year-contract, according to English newspaper Daily Mail .
As expected, Twitter was abuzz after the Blues announced their latest acquisition on Sunday. Here are a couple of reactions from football fans on Twitter.
Finally new signing for chelsea! Batshuayi!!
| Marseille |
Much in the news this year (2009) from which bank did Sir Fred Goodwin resign? | Chelsea transfers: Didier Drogba return wanted by Jose Mourinho after training ground visit - Mirror Online
I want Blue! Drogba had a private chat with Jose Mourinho earlier this week (Photo: Getty)
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Jose Mourinho wants Didier Drogba to make a sensational return to Chelsea.
Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal Drogba visited Chelsea’s Cobham training ground last Monday and spoke to Mourinho, although the nature of the discussion was private.
It is understood boss Mourinho is keen on signing 35-year-old Drogba for this season, but Chelsea would have to approach his current club Galatasaray.
If the Turkish giants will not let him go or Drogba wants to see out the final year of his contract then Mourinho will offer him a role at Chelsea in 12 months.
Whether this summer or next, it seems only a matter of time until Drogba returns to Chelsea .
Dream team: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho with Didier Drogba (Photo: Getty)
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich tried to re-sign Drogba in January and would welcome the former Marseille man back to the club in any capacity.
On a potential return to Chelsea, Drogba said earlier this year: “It would be nice, not just coaching but to help the club.
“For Chelsea I gave everything and, of course, they gave it back to me. I feel at home when I go to London.”
Given a lift: Drogba celebrates with Frank Lampard and others (Photo: Getty)
Last week, Mourinho spoke about the influence Drogba could have on his squad. He said: “I can use Didier as a profile to persuade youngsters to follow me because he followed me from day one.”
Mourinho signed Drogba for Chelsea and the Ivory Coast international scored 157 goals over eight years.
After visiting Cobham, Drogba linked up with the rest of the Galatasaray squad for the club’s training camp at St George’s Park.
Yesterday he played a part in his side’s 3-0 beating of Shrewsbury in a friendly at Greenhous Meadow.
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In which US state is the 'Mammoth Cave National Park' situated? | Mammoth Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
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A Grand, Gloomy and Peculiar Place
Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world's longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place," but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name - Mammoth.
| Kentucky River |
Which car manufacturer produces models called 'Cee'd' and 'Soul'? | UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory
General Description
Situated in Kentucky, the Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve represents a karst system characterized by complex underground water courses and a multilayered cave system with unique fauna and mineralization features. It is also of interest from a cultural point of view since prehistoric peoples explored and extracted minerals from the caves, used them for shelter, and cultivated the surface area. The biosphere reserve is a rural area where farming has been an economic mainstay since prehistory. In more recent times, also light industry, service industry and tourism become increasingly important for the about 67,600 people living in the biosphere reserve (1996).
The most significant issue for the biosphere reserve is to achieve sustainable development that improves the economic and social well-being of local people, and is compatible with conservation values. The biosphere reserve serves as a framework for supporting the local community�s needs for economic development within the context of ecosystem management. Of particular concern to the Mammoth Cave Area is the impact of agricultural, commercial, and residential land use on ecosystems - especially with respect to the effects of groundwater pollution on cave biota. A major emphasis of the biosphere reserve programme is to assist landowners to improve their land-use practices.
A Biosphere Reserve Cooperative coordinates the programme in the biosphere reserve that features monitoring for water pollution sources, establishing a regional geographic information system, and educational and cultural heritage projects.
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Which small lake lies between Grasmere and Windermere? | Grasmere, Langdale & Ambleside stay, walks and things to do
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The popular villages of Grasmere & Ambleside lie on the central spine of the Lake District between the towns of Keswick & Windermere/Bowness. Both villages (and neighbouring Rydal) have supreme access to many of the best walks in the area and have a famous history based on the life and works of William Wordsworth. The problem though is that they can become impossibly busy, Grasmere particularly becoming a bottleneck where being stuck in a queue is the normality rather than a rarity. It is a shame because it is lovely, as is Rydal whereas Ambleside is, to me, a little over commercialised and much less attractive. However for those venturing outside the villages and away from the main road the area is lovely – the real Lake District that Wordsworth and his fellow poets wrote about.
Easedale Tarn, Elterwater and Loughrigg Fell are pockets of real delight whilst any visit to the Lake District is not complete without a visit to Langdale, and in particular Great Langdale. A drink in the Dungeon Ghyll hotel, a walk up to Stickle Tarn under the famous Langdale Pikes or a simple climb of Lingmoor Fell from the top of the pass – all should be included in any Lakeland visit based at Ambleside or Grasmere. Parking is always the issue that rears its head in this area of the Lakes but there is usually sufficient up Langdale if a trifle expensive.
Grasmere is a very pretty village made famous by the poet William Wordsworth who lived in Dove Cottage for 10 years 200 years ago. Even without a visit to Dove Cottage (which I have never actually been in although I did spend every holiday in the excellent bookshop!) there is much is to do here. The graveyard at St Oswald’s Church is always busy as visitors scan the Wordsworth family graves, the ducks on the river are probably the most photographed ducks in the country, gingerbread was possibly invented here and there is a fine art gallery featuringa local family of artists Heaton Cooper. There is much else to enjoy in Grasmere, it is a very pretty village, but it is the walks that are most appealing whether up Easedale and the Lion & the Lamb to the north or Grasmere Lake and Loughrigg Fell to the south.
Ambleside is on the northern shore of Lake Windermere and is a real tourist centre which is very popular for much of the year. There is an excellent array of walking related shops – competition driving the prices to a more reasonable level than elsewhere. Plenty of places to eat and drink, a rather good museum of football with access to and facilities to enjoy on Windermere really sum up Ambleside. Access to the fells is good, in particular the Fairfield Horseshoe but really Ambleside marks the southern end of the hills, south of it the land flattens out and farmland starts to become dominant.
Between Grasmere and Ambleside lies the lovely area of Rydal Water and a beautiful stretch of the River Brathay. Rydal itself is small and almost impossible to stay in but a visit to another of the Wordsworth homes, Rydal Mount, is a very popular trip.
Away from the busy A591 there are two exceptionally pretty villages, Elterwater and Chapel Stile in Langdale. These are stunningly located within easy walking of some of the best scenery in the Lake District, each has at least one excellent pub and I cannot recommend either of them more for a perfect place to stay in the Lake District.
Walks
These are a few of my favourite walks in the Grasmere/Ambleside area, click on the link for further details.
Fairfield Horseshoe . A classic 10 mile round from Rydal or Ambleside taking in a number of high fells.
A Walk Round Grasmere . Follow the footsteps of William Wordsworth around one of the prettiest lakes in the Lake District.
Loughrigg Fell . The head of Grasmere lake features a beautiful little fell of exceptional character.
Easedale Tarn from Grasmere . A lovely tarn surrounded by some of the less popular fells of central Lakeland.
Lion & the Lamb . Iconic fell which is a firm favourite of young and old with a classic scramble to the summit
Ridges over Grasmere . A 10 mile walk over the undulating ridges enclosing Easedale Tarn and Grasmere
Langdale Pikes . Pass Stickle Tarn before climbing steeply on to the 3 famous Langdale Pikes.
Crinkle Crags & Bowfell . An undulating ridge is a fine walk and takes in the famous Climber’s Traverse.
Pike O Blisco . A rocky, steep fell dominating the view at the head of the Langdale road.
Loughrigg Tarn & Rydal Water A circuit of Loughrigg Fell includes Loughrigg Tarn, Grasmere & Rydal
Lands above Ambleside Easy to get to, Lily Tarn is supremely set in some typical Lakes scenery
Wansfell Pike & Windermere . A steep climb up Wansfell before a gradual descent and great views across Windermere
Exploring Elterwater . A very popular walk of 4 miles starting in the lovely village of Elterwater.
Lingmoor Fell . A personal favourite hill in Langdale with a long rocky ridge and an excellent panorama.
Other Things to do near Grasmere & Ambleside
Dove Cottage, Grasmere. William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived at the house for 10 years at the start of the 19th century.
Rydal Mount. Wordsworth was most content here and the house and gardens have plenty of memorabilia to enjoy.
Wray Castle . A gothic castle near Ambleside with entertainment for children inside and outside within the grounds
Allan Bank . Grasmere. A more traditional country estate with excellent grounds for children to explore and play
Gingerbread Shop. A pleasure to visit the shop where gingerbread of all descriptions and tastes can be tried (or bought). Grasmere.
Heaton Cooper Studio . The family have produced iconic watercolours throughout the 20th century of classic views of Lakeland. Grasmere.
Home of Football, Ambleside . Anywhere that shows a picture of Liam O’Brien’s classic free kick against Sunderland is worth a visit!
Cruises on Windermere. Many visitors to Ambleside will want to take a steamer down Lake Windermere.
Grasmere Sports . Features those politically incorrect sports of wrestling, fell running and bating for hounds this popular show is held at the end of August.
Updated Weather Forecast
Click here to go to the Met Office website for the 5 day weather forecast for the area around Grasmere & Ambleside.
| Rydal Water |
From which club did Arsenal FC sign Francesc Fabregas? | Accommodation – South Lakes – Visit Cumbria
South Lakes Quick Guide
The South Lakes area is the most popular part of Cumbria’s Lake District for visitors, due both to its beauty and to its easy access via the M6 motorway.
It contains 2 hugely popular towns, Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside , and the popular villages of Hawkshead , Windermere Village , Coniston and Grasmere as well as England’s largest lake, Windermere, and the smaller lakes of Grasmere , Coniston Water and Rydal Water . This area offers a wealth of water sports and outdoor activities and fantastic walking in the surrounding fells.
Bowness-on-Windermere is a bustling tourist town on the shore of Windermere , about halfway along the 12 mile length of the lake between Ambleside at the North end, and Lakeside at the South end. As well as the many hotels, guest houses, self catering places, and places to eat, its attractions include the World of Beatrix Potter and the Windermere Lake Cruises .
Beatrix Potter, in her later life, moved to Hill Top near Hawkshead . Also in the village is the Beatrix Potter Museum , and the school attended by the poet William Wordsworth . Near to Hawkshead is Wray Castle . Wordsworth’s various homes are nearly all open to the public – Dove Cottage and Allen Bank in Grasmere and Rydal Mount nearby at Rydal.
Ambleside is beautifully situated in the Rothay valley one mile north of the head of Lake Windermere. One of the major centres for climbing and walking, it is a good central point for the ordinary visitor and has routes to most parts of the Lake District. Attractions include the Hayes Garden Centre , well worth a visit. Ambleside has a pier at Waterhead – at the north end of Windermere – and from here you can get vintage steamers around the lake. Again there are plenty of places to stay and the accommodation is of an excellent standard. There are also 2 good hostels in and near Ambleside.
Between Ambleside and Windermere is Brockhole , the Lake District National Park visitor centre.
Grasmere village, best known for the famous Grasmere Gingerbread shop and Wordsworth’s grave in the grounds of Grasmere church, is a very pretty small village where nearly all the properties appear to be holiday accommodation. There’s excellent fell walking from here and the lake is only a short distance away.
Coniston village is where the writer John Ruskin spent the last 30 years of his life, and his home Brantwood is open to visitors. There is also the Ruskin Museum . Coniston Water is famous for Donald Campbell’s world water speed record, which cost him his life. It is also the setting of Arthur Ransome’s story ‘Swallows and Amazons’, currently being re-filmed here by the BBC. There are two motor launches – the Coniston Launch , and the steam yacht Gondola , both offering trips round the lake.
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What is the administrative centre for the Scottish Unitary Authority of Clackmannanshire? | Clackmannanshire | Define Clackmannanshire at Dictionary.com
Clackmannanshire
noun
1.
a council area and historical county of central Scotland; became part of the Central region in 1975 but reinstated as an independent unitary authority in 1996; mainly agricultural. Administrative centre: Alloa. Pop: 47 680 (2003 est). Area: 142 sq km (55 sq miles)
Clackmannan
| Alloa |
In which year was the breathalyser introduced into Britain? | Clackmannanshire - definition of Clackmannanshire by The Free Dictionary
Clackmannanshire - definition of Clackmannanshire by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Clackmannanshire
Also found in: Encyclopedia , Wikipedia .
Clackmannanshire
(klækˈmænənˌʃɪə; -ʃə)
n
(Placename) a council area and historical county of central Scotland; became part of the Central region in 1975 but reinstated as an independent unitary authority in 1996; mainly agricultural. Administrative centre: Alloa. Pop: 47 680 (2003 est). Area: 142 sq km (55 sq miles)
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References in periodicals archive ?
Walter died after a burning kettle set fire to his pyjamas in the unit in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, in June last year.
Alarming OAP rule
Contract Awards: Clackmannanshire Council invite tenders for Provision of a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) Service in the Muckhart area from taxi/private hire car or bus operators who are in possession of, or who have applied for, a Public Service Vehicle Operator s Licence (which may be a Special Restricted PSV Operator s Licence).
Provision of Demand Responsive Transport in the Muckhart Area
David Cameron, new leader of the Conservative Party, the Government's opposition, is meeting with Davies, at the House of Commons, to clarify the differences between the 'Artificial Synthesis' approach to Synthetic Phonics, as used in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, and the 'Natural Synthesis' approach of THRASS.
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Which romantic film comedy reunited 'Pretty Woman' co- stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts? | Julia Roberts, Richard Gere's Pretty Woman Reunion Is Everything - Us Weekly
By Allison Takeda
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere reunited with their Pretty Woman costars and director Garry Marshall for the Today show Credit: Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire
This is big. Huge, even. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Pretty Woman, Matt Lauer and the Today show reunited the cast of the now-classic 1990 rom-com for a special interview airing Tuesday, March 24.
PHOTOS: Most romantic movies of all time
Leading lady Julia Roberts (Vivian Ward) and her former on-screen Prince Charming Richard Gere (Edward Lewis) met up with costars Laura San Giacomo (Kit De Luca) and Hector Elizondo (Barney Thompson) for a sit-down with Lauer and director Garry Marshall. As teased in a preview of the exclusive reunion, there was a lot of hugging, kissing, and catching up.
Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire
"It was wild," Lauer told his Today co-hosts on Wednesday, March 18. "And we did the whole thing, just to keep in the mood of the movie, in a bathtub, with the bubbles. It was fantastic."
PHOTOS: Julia's best movie roles
Pretty Woman hit theaters in 1990, earning Roberts -- then just breaking out with movies including Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias -- her second Oscar nomination (and first for Best Actress in a Leading Role). Today it's considered one of the quintessential romantic comedies.
PHOTOS: Costars reunited
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in a scene from the film 'Pretty Woman', 1990. Buena Vista/Getty Images
The film starred a 22-year-old Roberts as a hooker with a heart of gold who falls in love with Gere's obscenely wealthy businessman after he hires her to be his escort at various social events for a week. It was their first film together; they also costarred in the 1999 romantic comedy Runaway Bride.
| Runaway bride |
On a piece of gold which city is designated by an anchor hallmark? | Julia Roberts greets Richard Gere with kiss as Pretty Woman cast reunite | Daily Mail Online
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The cast and director of Pretty Woman have reunited after 25 years, and spilled some of the secrets of the iconic 1990 movie.
Julia Roberts, now 47, greeted Richard Gere, 65, with a kiss on the lips on the Today show's special pre-taped chat that aired on Tuesday.
Joined by co-stars Hector Elizondo, 78, and Laura San Giacomo, 52, and 80-year-old director Garry Marshall, the group were clearly thrilled to be together again and laughed their way through the interview.
Scroll down for video
Great to see you: Julia Roberts and Richard Gere kissed as they reunited on the Today show in an interview that aired on Tuesday
Perhaps the most surprising thing they revealed is that the movie was supposed to be a dark tale about drug abuse and prostitution called 3,000.
Of the planned ending, Julia said: 'Richard's character threw my character out of the car, threw the money on top of her and drove away and the credits rolled.'
While the movie is unimaginable without her now, the actress said that after it became Pretty Woman, she had to audition for the role of Vivian Ward again.
How time flies: The cast of Pretty Woman had a reunion 25 years after the release of the 1990 movie
Good friends: Julia and Richard wasted no time greeting each other with a quick smooch on the lips
'Something you don't see all the time': The pair were joined by co-stars Hector Elizando and Laura San Giacomo, and director Garry Marshall. They posed for a photo with Today's Matt Lauer
'One of the producers, they liked her and said, "You should use her, Garry." I didn't know her from Adam or anybody. She was just 21 years old ... [but] she had that smile,' Garry recalled.
After Julia landed the part, Richard still had to be persuaded, and admitted he turned down the part of Edward Lewis 'a few times', and that it could have gone to Charles Grodin.
He explained: 'Well, there wasn't a part. There was just nothing. The joke was [it was just] a suit. You could put a suit on a goat and put it out there, and it would work.'
Reminiscing: The cast spilled secrets from the movie - including that it was originally a dark tale about drugs
Funny memories: Richard recalled how Julia convinced him to agree to take on the role of Edward
Vivacious: Julia laughed and smiled as she reminisced with her Pretty Woman leading man Richard and the film's director Garry during the taped interview
It was Julia who in fact persuaded Richard to join the cast after they were introduced.
'We loved each other immediately ... We're getting to know each other. We're flirty-flirty, nice-nice,' he recalled. 'And [Garry] calls up and is kind of like, "How's it going?"'
While Richard was on the phone, Julia apparently handed him a Post-it note which read, 'Please say yes!' He added: 'It was so sweet, and I said, "I've just said yes."'
Megawatt smile: The auburn-haired actress, now 47, couldn't stop giggling beside Richard, now 65
Golden ticket: Matt, right, conducted the interview, which will air more footage on Wednesday
Out of a job: Julia said she had to audition again when the movie changed from the dark 3,000 to the lighthearted Pretty Woman
So great was their chemistry that they went on to co-star in 1999's Runaway Bride, also directed by Garry.
As for their favourite scenes in Pretty Woman, Julia wasn't so sure, but enjoyed driving along Hollywood Boulevard after her character met Richard's.
Meanwhile, the veteran actor joked: 'Well, it was basically any scene where Julia was walking — which was fun for all of us. In that outfit. Yeah, it was all about legs.'
'It was so sweet': Richard agreed to take on the role when Julia handed him a Post-it note which read, 'Please say yes!'
Special greeting: The team were clearly thrilled to all be together again after such a long time
Favourite scenes: Julia enjoyed driving down Hollywood Boulevard, while Richard liked any scene in which she 'was walking'
'She had that smile': Director Garry was convinced to keep Julia on after getting to know her
The modern day fairy-tale plot of Pretty Woman tells the story of prostitute Vivian, who is hired by wealthy Edward to be his escort for a few social engagements.
What started off as a business arrangement soon turns to romance when Edward falls in love with Vivian.
Hector was Golden Globe-nominated for his turn as the hotel manager who helps Vivian how to dress and behave as a lady, while Laura San Giacomo played her wisecracking friend and fellow prostitute.
Julia's charming performance earned her both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations that year.
Iconic: Pretty Woman - and this poster - made Julia a big star and launched a comeback for Richard
Not all glamorous: Julia and Laura played friends who earn their rent as prostitutes
For the reunion, the star was wearing a classy all-black ensemble featuring black trousers and boots, an embellished top and blazer with satin lapels.
Julia is now a mother-of-three and wed to cameraman Danny Moder, while Richard is separated from wife Carey Lowell, with whom he shares a 15-year-old son, Homer.
Instead of his grey-streaked hair seen in the iconic film, Richard sported a full head of silvery-white hair while dressed casually chic in black trousers and black blazer with a white shirt.
More footage from the Pretty Woman reunion will air on Wednesday's episode of the Today show.
Escort service: Richard played a wealthy businessman named Edward who hires prostitute Vivian (Julia) to be his escort for a week and accompany him to a few social engagements
Which fork?: Hector's wise hotel manager taught the unworldly Vivian all about proper table manners
Read more:
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Near which Cumbrian lake is Aira Force? | Aira Force.
Aira Force
OS grid ref. NY 399 204
Aira Force, perhaps the most famous and one of the most frequently visited waterfalls in the Lake District, is situated in woodland near the northern shore of Ullswater , about 3 miles along the A592 from Patterdale and about 150 yards from the junction with the A5091.
Aira Beck plunges dramatically around 65 feet through an overhead bridge and over the rocks. The beck has its source high on the slopes of Stybarrow Dodd.
The term "force" is used in many parts of the Lake District as a synonym for "waterfall"; it has its origins in the Old Norse word fors . The force is a spectacular, roaring waterfall which falls over seventy feet of rock, sending dropets of spray high into the air. There are bridges above and below the force which afford superb views, the upper is an old pack horse bridge.
Aira Force can be accessed from a car Park near to Ullswater, via a charming half mile route taking the visitor through a pleasant Victorian arboretum which is managed by the National Trust. The car park provides a cafe, information and toilets. The path continues from the higher packhorse bridge, following the course of Aira Beck to the smaller waterfall of High Force.
In the 1780's the Howard family of nearby Greystoke Castle owned a hunting lodge near to Aira Force and landscaped the area below the waterfall, planting over two hundred specimens of cedars, firs, pines and spruces. Red squirrels inhabit the woodland.
The fall is mentioned in at least three of William Wordsworth's poems, who visited the area frequently. The force has attracted an interesting medieval legend, which Wordsworth relates in his poem, The Somnambulist. The hunting lodge at the site was reportedly the home to a girl named Emma who was engaged to a knight, Sir Eglamore. Sir Eglamore's long absences affected Emma badly and she consequently began to sleepwalk, apparently wandering along the path near the waterfall while so affected. Her returning fiance sighted and grabbed her, startling her into wakefulness, at which she fell into the water below and perished. The broken hearted Sir Eglamore lived out the remainder of his life as a recluse in a cave near the force.
| Ullswater |
Who, because he was roasted on a gridiron, is the patron saint of cooks? | Aira Force Waterfall | Nature Trail | Penrith|Cumbria
Aira Force Waterfall
Aira Force Waterfall
Details
Escape the ordinary at Aira Force. Let your imagination run wild as you weave your way through woodland glades from the waters edge to fell top. You'll find champion trees, cheeky red squirrels, waterfalls, perfect picnic spots, a café, pebble beaches, beautiful views and much more. Explore further on a relaxed lakeside stroll, head to Gowbarrow summit for stunning views of Ullswater or take to the water and launch your canoe from Glencoyne Bay.
New: Off-road footpath from Glencoyne Bay to Aira Force
You can now leave the car behind at Glencoyne Bay and stroll along Ullswater to Aira Force.
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'Blanket' and 'Honeycomb' are two main types of what? | Tripe: Animal Stomachs as Food. Types, Tips and History.
Tripe
Tripe
Tripe is the mysterious white, spongy stuff on grocery stores meat counters. It is animal stomach from a cow, a pig or a sheep.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) essentially only recognizes two types of tripe in its "Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications" (1993): honeycomb and other.
Item No. 726 - Beef Tripe, Scalded, Bleached (Denuded) - The paunch with or without the "honeycomb" reticulum shall be scalded and washed absolutely free of any foreign material and bleached with an FSIS approved bleaching solution. The color may range from white to a light pale yellow. The dark internal lining shall be removed.
Item No. 727 - Beef Tripe, Honeycomb, Bleached - The "honeycomb" reticulum shall be removed from the paunch by cutting along the seam connecting the two sections of the stomach. The dark internal lining shall be removed and the tripe shall be scalded and bleached to a creamy white color.
It is far more popular outside the English speaking world than it is within it, and so, outside the English-speaking world, in other languages, far more distinctions are made. The English-speaking world generally doesn't distinguish different tripes, aside from recognizing that the fourth stomach of the cow is important because rennet from cheese is extracted from it.
Special food-grade oxygen-based bleaches, approved by government meat inspection processes, are use to make tripe white, and to deodorize it. After bleaching, the meat is rinsed thoroughly with water.
In England, tripe sold is blander than it is in France because it has been blanched and bleached first before sale. "Green Tripe" in English-speaking markets means tripe that has not been blanched and bleached. Green Tripe smells strongly of shit, even when cooked and placed alluringly on your plate. The scent wafts up in your face.
Beef Tripe
In the English-speaking world, Beef Tripe can come from the first three of the animal's four stomachs. (In the southern US, tripe is just as likely to be from a hog.)
Europeans distinguish between four different types of beef tripe, and use all four.
Plain (aka smooth, blanket, flat) Tripe. Called "gras double" in French. Comes from the first stomach (called the "rumen" in English, "panse" in French.) This is considered the least desirable tripe amongst tripe fans. Thickness will vary. May have a layer of fat attached that needs to be removed;
Honeycomb Tripe (called "réseau" or "Le bonnet" in French) comes from the lower part of the second stomach (called the "reticulum" in English.) Honeycomb is the most tender and the meatiest, and holds it shape during cooking. The honeycomb texture helps sauces to adhere to it. Pocket Tripe also comes from the second stomach;
Book (aka bible, leaf, "Le feuillet" in French) Tripe comes from the third stomach (called the "omasum" in English.) The desirability is considered midway between the smooth and honeycomb tripe;
Reed Tripe. Called "caillette" or "franche-mule" in French, "Cuajo " in Spanish, "lampredotto " or "abomaso" in Italian. Also "fisarmonica" in Florentine. Comes from the fourth stomach, called the "abomasum" in English. This is the stomach that rennet is obtained from in calves (thus, the French word for curd, "caille.") Each whole piece of lampredotto will weigh between 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 pounds (700g to 1 kg.) In Florence, Italy, they even distinguish 2 separate parts of the fourth stomach:
the "spannocchia", which is denser, smoother, fattier, stronger tasting;
the "gala", milder taste, darker colour, rippled.
Tripe is sold as fast food from mobile food stalls called "tripperie" in Florence, Italy, at the Mercato Centrale. They sell you it in little plastic dishes with little plastic forks, or on a bread roll. In Italy, it was the custom to have tripe on Saturday -- "Giovedì gnocchi e Sabato trippa" ("Thursday gnocchi and Saturday Tripe.")
Even though tripe is eaten in Europe, by no means was it considered refined food or a delicacy -- it was mostly country people who ate it.
Cooking Tips
When cooked, tripe looks somewhat spongy and slimy. Honeycomb turns gelatinous as it cooks.
Tripe is a tough meat, so it needs to be cooked low and slow to tenderize it. (Some wags say boil it for ever, then give it to the dogs.)
If you are cooking with green tripe, it needs to be soaked in water for several hours first, and then cooked for a very long time.
In France, they braise tripe in wine. In England, they simmer it in milk.
Once cooked, you then use tripe in soups, or fry it up.
History Notes
Tripe was cheap and plentiful in the UK during the rationing of the Second World War, because no one wanted it at any price.
Bleached tripe was available to North American consumers at least by 1900: "TRIPE SALAD. Buy a pound of prepared tripe (the butcher now sells it ready for use)..." -- For Table and House Column. Frederick, Maryland: The News. 24 March 1900. Page 5.
Literature & Lore
Julia Child featured tripe on at least one of her episodes.
Language Notes
The Italian word for the fourth stomach, "lampredotto", is derived from the Italian word for lamprey eels, "lampreda", for the resemblance that the tripe was thought to have to cooked lamprey eel. Other words for the fourth stomach in Italian are "frasame", "riccia", "frangiata", "quaglio", "riccioletta" and "spannochia."
In Rome, the vendors were called "tripparoli." They went from house to house, selling it from trays. The word for the tray, "schifo", has now become a slang word throughout Italy for "disgusting", as in "che schifo" -- "how disgusting!" The tripparoli had their own shops separate from butchers.
Pork tripe is called "trippetta" in Italian; beef tripe "trippa". Pork tripe was considered to be cat food.
Sources
| Tripe |
Which fantasy novelist was knighted for his services to literature in 2009? | Beef Tripe
Beef Tripe
Book Tripe
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A cow has four stomachs. The stomach walls of the first three are commonly sold as "tripe" and the fourth less commonly so. Some Americans hold tripe to be disgusting, but there are many famous recipes for it and its popularity is world-wide.
The most famous American tripe dish is Philadelphia Pepper Pot, said to have saved the American Revolution when Washington's army was starving at Valley Forge. In keeping with other famous tripe soups and stews, it should be made with a calf's foot. Mexican Menudo is perhaps the tripe dish most familiar to Americans and is famed as a hangover cure (tripe and calf foot have this reputation in a number of countries).
More on Beef Innards .
Buying:
Tripe tends to be rather rare in chain supermarkets, but is very common in ethnic markets serving Asian, European, Mexican, South American, and Near and Middle Eastern communities. A specialty meat market should also be able to supply it.
Unlike the tripe described in older cookbooks, that sold in North America today is thoroughly cleaned, parboiled and bleached, so it's pretty much ready to go. As purchased it should have almost no odor.
Buy the type of tripe appropriate to your recipe. Generally rustic recipes are happy with Blanket Tripe, the more refined prefer Honeycomb Tripe. Book tripe is not so commonly used but has a unique texture and mingles well with sauces.
A cow has four stomachs, each providing a distinct form of tripe:
Blanket Tripe, also known as flat or smooth tripe, double tripe (obsolete) or gras double (French), comes from the first stomach, the rumen. This is the lowest cost tripe and is fine for most soups and stews.
Honeycomb Tripe comes from the second stomach, the reticulum. It is preferred for more delicate dishes or where holding sauces well is desired.
Book Tripe, also known as leaf or bible tripe, comes from the third stomach, the omasum. It is less common than the other two but provides a unique double texture, thick and thin.
Reed Tripe comes from the fourth stomach, the abomasum, but is is rarely seen in American markets due to its glandular nature. It is called for in some traditional Italian recipes.
Role Tripe is an 18th century term no longer used and nobody seems to know exactly what kind of tripe it designated.
Green Tripe is tripe fresh from the cow and may be olive green, gray or brown. In this condition it's ugly, crusty, smelly and unappetizing, though dogs like this form best. Cleaning green tripe is a real hassle and is described cookbooks from early times. The tripe sold in North American markets has already been thoroughly cleaned so you don't have to do that, unless you're disassembling your own cow.
Yield:
You will end up with less than half the weight you started with, as little as a third for honeycomb tripe. Recipes should give the starting weight unless explicitly stated otherwise. Unfortunately many cookbook writers are very sloppy about things like this - they presume the whole world does everything the exact same way they do (British cookbooks are particularly bad this way). If there are no instructions to cook the tripe in the recipe, its a good bet the weight is for already cooked tripe.
Cooking Procedure:
Rinse the tripe thoroughly and remove any fat that may be attached to it.
Place the tripe in a pot with cold water to cover. Add some Citric Acid or Lemon Juice to the water along with a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then drain and rinse the tripe.
With fresh water, acid and salt, repeat the above step.
Clean the pot. Return the tripe to the pot and add fresh cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and and simmer until tender but still "al dente", especially if it will be cooked much more in the recipe. This cooking will take at least an hour but probably less than 1-1/2 hours.
Cut the tripe to whatever size and shape the recipe calls for.
I've read complaints about the odor of cooking tripe on Internet discussion boards. I don't know where they got their tripe, but that we have in Southern California has almost no odor as purchased and only a light and not unpleasant odor when cooking.
ab_tripez* 070825 r 100509 - www.clovegarden.com
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Andrew Grygus
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In World War I, what did the Allies call the defence line that was known as the 'Siegfried Line' by the Germans? | Siegfried Line - The Full Wiki
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Map of the Siegfried line.
The original Siegfried line ( German : Siegfriedstellung) was a line of defensive forts and tank defenses built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I . However, in English, Siegfried line more commonly refers to the similar World War II defensive line, built during the 1930s, opposite the French Maginot Line , which served a corresponding purpose. The Germans themselves called this the Westwall, but the Allies renamed it after the First World War line. This article deals with this second Siegfried line.
The Siegfried Line was a defence system stretching more than 630 km (390 mi) with more than 18,000 bunkers , tunnels and tank traps . It went from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands , along the western border of the old German Empire as far as the town of Weil am Rhein on the border to Switzerland . More with propaganda in mind than for any strategic reason, Adolf Hitler planned the line from 1936 and had it built between 1938 and 1940. This was after the Nazis had broken the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties by remilitarizing the Rhineland in 1936.
Contents
Origin of the name Westwall
Dragon's teeth - tank traps in the Eifel.
Today we can no longer know for certain the exact origin of the German name Westwall (Western Rampart). It is most likely that the name simply came into popular use from the end of 1938. Nazi propaganda did not initially use the term very much, but the name was well-known from the middle of 1939, as Hitler sent an " Order of the Day to the soldiers and the workers at the Westwall" on May 20, 1939. The official name for the line until then had depended on the programmes described in the next section of this article. The name "Limes Programme" for example was a deliberately misleading cover name, chosen to make people think of the archaeological research that had just finished at the Limes Germanicus (Upper Germanic and Rhaetian Limes).
Construction programmes, 1938–1940
There were several distinct construction phases on the Siegfried Line:
Border Watch programme (pioneering programme) for the most advanced positions (1938)
Limes Programme (1938)
Geldern Emplacement between Brüggen and Kleve (1939–1940)
Western Air Defence Zone (1938)
These programmes were all pushed forward with the highest priority, using every resource available.
Typical basic construction types
At the start of each construction programme, basic construction prototypes were laid out on the drawing board and then built, sometimes by the thousands. This standardisation of the bunkers (popularly known as Pillboxes ) and tank traps was necessary because of the lack of raw materials, transport and workers.
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Pioneering Program
For the main part of the pioneering programme, small bunkers were set up with three embrasures towards the front. The walls were 50 cm (20 in) thick but provided no protection against poison gas . Soldiers stationed there did not have their own beds but had to make do with hammocks. In exposed positions, similar small bunkers were erected with small round armoured "lookout" sections on the roofs. All these constructions were already considered outdated when they were built[citation needed] and at best offered protection against small arms fire and shrapnel from bombs and grenades . The programme was carried out by the Border Watch (Grenzwacht), a small military troop activited in the Rhineland immediately after it was remilitarized. The bunkers were set up near the foreign borders.
Limes programme
Type 10 Limes programme bunker seen from the back.
The Limes Programme began as a result of an order by Hitler to strengthen fortifications on the western German border. Bunkers built in this phase starting in 1938 were more strongly constructed. The framework for each of this program's Type 10 bunkers probably took around 20 man hours to build and required around 287 m3 (375 cu yd ) of concrete , the equivalent of two floors of an average size office block.[citation needed]
The bunkers had a ceiling and walls 1.5 m (5 ft) thick, but this was proved completely insufficient even before construction was finished. A total of 3,471 Type 10 bunkers were built along the entire length of the Siegfried Line. The bunkers had a central room or shelter for 10 to 12 men with an entrance, stepped embrasures facing backwards and a combat section 50 cm (19 inches) higher. This section had embrasures at the front and sides for machine guns, and a separate entrance. More embrasures were provided for carbines and the entire structure was constructed so as to be safe against poison gas , based on experiences in the First World War.
The bunker was heated with a safety oven, and the chimney, which led to the outside, was covered with a thick grating. Every soldier was given a sleeping-place and a stool; the commanding officer had a chair. There was very little space: each soldier had about 1 m2 (11 sq ft ) of space, which meant that the rooms were packed full.
Inside the bunkers of this type still remaining today are the signs hung up to prepare the men for their task: "Walls have ears" or "Lights out when embrasures are open!"
Aachen-Saar Programme
The bunkers built under this programme were similar to those of the Limes programme: Type 107 double MG casemates with concrete walls up to 3.5 m (11 ft) thick. One difference was that in this case there were no embrasures at the front, only at the sides of the bunkers. Embrasures were only built at the front in special cases and were then protected with heavy metal doors. The programme included the towns of Aachen and Saarbrücken which were initially west of the Limes Programme defence line.
Western Air Defence Zone
The Western Air Defence Zone (Luftverteidigungszone West or LVZ West) continued parallel to the two other lines toward the east, and consisted mainly of concrete flak towers. Scattered MG42s and MG34s were also placed for additional defense, against both air and land targets. Flak turrets were designed to force enemy planes to fly higher, thus decreasing the accuracy of their bombing. These towers were protected at close range by bunkers from the Limes and Aachen-Saar programmes.
Geldern Emplacement
Geldern Emplacement bunker near Kleve.
The Geldern Emplacement lengthened the Siegfried Line northwards as far as Kleve on the Rhine, and was only built after the start of World War II. The Siegfried Line originally ended in the north near Brüggen in the Viersen district. The primary constructions were unarmed dugouts which were, however, extremely strongly built out of concrete. For camouflage they were often built near farms.
Tank traps
Aachen-Saar programme Type 39 tank barrier with 5 "teeth".
Tank traps were also built for miles along the Siegfried Line and were known as " dragon's teeth " or "pimples" (in German Höcker, "humps") because of their shape. These blocks of reinforced concrete stand in several rows on a single foundation. There are two typical sorts of barrier: Type 1938 with four teeth getting higher toward the back, and Type 1939 with five such teeth. Many other irregular lines of teeth were also built, however. Another design of tank obstacle was made by welding together several bars of steel in such a way that any tank rolling over it would be penetrated in its weak bottom armor. If the lie of the land allowed it, water-filled ditches were dug instead of tank traps. An example of this kind of defence are those north of Aachen near Geilenkirchen .
Water-filled trench near Geilenkirchen.
Working conditions during construction
The bunkers constructed during the pioneering programme were mostly built by private firms, but the private sector was not able to provide the number of workers needed for the programmes that followed. This gap was filled by the Todt Organisation named after its founder, Fritz Todt . With this organisation's help, huge numbers of workers - up to half a million at a time - were found to work on the Siegfried Line. Transport of materials and workers from all across Germany was managed by the Deutsche_Reichsbahn railway company, which took advantage of the well-developed strategic railway lines built on Germany's western border in World War I.
Working conditions on the building sites were highly dangerous; for example, the most primitive means had to be used to handle and assemble extremely heavy armour plating weighing up to 60 tonnes (66 short tons ). Life on the building site and after work was monotonous and many people gave up and left. Most workers received a medal depicting a bunker for their service in constructing the west wall. [1]
Armour plates and arms
German industry could not deliver as many steel armour plates as were needed for the mounting of weapons in the bunkers, meaning that the bunkers were not of great military value. The armour-plated sections included the embrasures and their shutters as well as armoured cupolas for 360-degree defence. Germany depended on other countries to provide the alloys required in producing armoured plates (mostly nickel and molybdenum ), so either the armour plates were left out or they were produced with low-quality replacement materials. This deficiency was visible even on official photographs.
The bunkers were still fitted with guns, which proved inadequate in the first war years and were therefore dismantled, but the high-calibre weapons necessary for efficient defence could not be built into the existing bunkers.
The role of the Siegfried Line at the beginning of the war
Despite France's declaration of war on Germany at the beginning of the Second World War, there was no major combat at the Siegfried Line at the start of the campaign in the west. Instead, both sides remained stuck in the so-called Phoney War , where neither side wanted to attack the other and both stayed in their safe positions. The Reich Ministry of Information and Propaganda drew foreign attention to the unfinished Westwall, in several instances showcasing incomplete or test positions to portray the project finished and ready for action [2] . During the Battle of France , French forces made minor attacks against some parts of the line but the majority of it and incomplete fortresses such as Istein were left untested. When the campaign finished, all transportable weapons were removed from the Siegfried Line and used in other places. The concrete sections were left in place in the countryside and soon became completely unfit for defence. The bunkers were instead used for storage, for example for farming equipment.
Reactivation of the Siegfried Line, 1944
With the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, war in the west broke out once more and a new situation arose. On August 24, 1944 Hitler gave a directive for the renewed construction of the Siegfried Line. 20,000 forced laborers and members of the Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labor Service) most of whom were 14 to 16-year-old boys, attempted to reequip the line for defence purposes. Local people were also called in to carry out this kind of work, mostly building anti-tank ditches. It all ended in failure as a result of Allied air superiority .
During construction it was already clear that the bunkers could no longer begin to withstand the newly developed armour-piercing weapons. At the same time as the actual Siegfried Line was reactivated, small concrete "Tobruk" bunkers (named after Tobruk , the seaport in eastern Libya ) were built along the border to the occupied area. These bunkers were mostly dugouts for single soldiers.
Clashes on the Siegfried Line
Main article: Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine
American soldiers cross the Siegfried Line and march into Germany.
In August 1944 the first clashes took place on the Siegfried Line: the section of the line where most fighting took place was the Hürtgenwald area in the Eifel , 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Aachen. An estimated 120,000 troops, plus reinforcements, were committed to Hürtgen. The battle in this confusing, heavily forested area claimed the lives of 24,000 troops plus 9,000 non-battle casualties. [3] The German death toll is not documented, but Hans von Luck estimates it at around 9,000.[citation needed]
After the Battle of Hürtgenwald , the Battle of the Bulge began, starting at the area south of the Hürtgenwald, between Monschau and the Luxembourgish town of Echternach . This offensive was a last-ditch attempt by the Germans to reverse the course of the war. It cost the lives of many without producing any lasting success.
There were serious clashes at other parts of the Siegfried Line and soldiers in many bunkers refused to surrender, often fighting to the death. By spring 1945, however, the last Siegfried Line bunkers had fallen at the Saar and Hunsrück .
The Siegfried Line as a propaganda tool
The Siegfried Line was much more valuable as a propaganda tool than as a military defence. German propaganda, both at home and abroad, repeatedly portrayed the line during its construction as an unbreachable bulwark.
For Germans the building of the line represented the regime's defensive intentions, whereas for neighbouring countries it appeared threatening and reassuring at the same time. This strategy proved very successful from the Nazi point of view both at the start and at the end of the World War II. At the start of the war, the opposing troops remained behind their own defence lines, allowing the Germans to attack Poland , and at the end of the war, the invading forces spent more time than necessary at the half-finished, now-gutted Siegfried Line, thus allowing military manoeuvres in the east. In this light, the Siegfried Line can be seen as the Nazis' greatest propaganda success, with wide-ranging consequences.
The Siegfried Line was the subject of a popular British song of 1939 which fitted the mood of the time for the troops marching off to France:
We're going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line.
Have you any dirty washing, mother dear?
We're gonna hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line
'Cause the washing day is here.
Whether the weather may be wet or fine
We'll just rub along without a care.
We're going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line
If the Siegfried Line's still there ...
((Kennedy/Carr) Peter Maurice Music Co Ltd 1939)
General George S. Patton , when asked about the Siegfried Line, reportedly said, "Fixed fortifications are monuments to man's stupidity." [4]
Post-war period
Bunker on the Siegfried line.
The Siegfried Line as a chain of biotopes .
During the post-war period, many sections of the Siegfried Line were removed using explosives. This work, as well as removal of land mines , once again cost the lives of many people.
"The unpleasant as a memorial"
In North Rhine Westphalia, about 30 bunkers still remain intact; most of the rest were either destroyed with explosives or covered with earth. Tank traps still exist in many areas; in the Eifel, for example, they run over several kilometres, giving an impression of what was probably the greatest Nazi propaganda success.
Since 1997, with the motto "The value of the unpleasant as a memorial" (Der Denkmalswert des Unerfreulichen), an effort has been made to preserve the remains of the Siegfried Line as a historical monument . This was intended to stop radical right-wing groups making propaganda out of the Siegfried Line. The idea was also to take away the myth of the line's impermeability: if it is a memorial everyone interested will be able to visit it and judge matters for themselves.
At the same time, state funding was still being provided to destroy the remains of the Siegfried Line. For this reason, emergency archaeological digs took place whenever any part of the line was removed, for example for road building. Archaeological activity was not able to stop the destruction of these sections but furthered scientific knowledge and revealed details of the line's construction.
Nature conservation at the Siegfried Line
Nature conservationists consider the remains of the Siegfried Line valuable as a chain of biotopes where, thanks to its size, rare animals and plants can take refuge and reproduce. This effect is magnified because the concrete ruins can not be used for farming or forestry purposes.
The Siegfried Line in popular culture
One of the missions in the first Medal of Honor computer game takes place in a Siegfried fort secretly manufacturing mustard gas .
The Siegfried Line is the last chapter of the computer game Call of Duty 2: Big Red One.
Billy Joel wrote a song called The Siegfried Line as a demo in the 1970s, which has only recently released as part of his "My Lives" album. The song describes the period during the so-called Phoney War , where neither side attacked the other, until May 1940.
The Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy wrote the song We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line whilst serving as a Captain in the British Expeditionary Force . The song was used particularly during the Battle of France as a morale-booster. Vera Lynn , known as the forces sweetheart would later sing the song.
Almost the entire 1962 movie Hell is for Heroes , starring Steve McQueen and introducing Bob Newhart , is spent during a battle fought on the Siegfried Line, in which a small American squad must hold off a German attack. [5]
See also
| Hindenburg Line |
Which Irish writer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923? | Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line - Sep 29, 1918 - HISTORY.com
Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line
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On this day in 1918, after a 56-hour-long bombardment, Allied forces breach the so-called Hindenburg Line, the last line of German defenses on the Western Front during World War I.
Built in late 1916, the Hindenburg Line—named by the British for the German commander in chief, Paul von Hindenburg; it was known to the Germans as the Siegfried Line—was a heavily fortified zone running several miles behind the active front between the north coast of France and Verdun, near the border of France and Belgium. By September 1918, the formidable system consisted of six defensive lines, forming a zone some 6,000 yards deep, ribbed with lengths of barbed wire and dotted with concrete emplacements, or firing positions. Though the entire line was heavily fortified, its southern part was most vulnerable to attack, as it included the St. Quentin Canal and was not out of sight from artillery observation by the enemy. Also, the whole system was laid out linearly, as opposed to newer constructions that had adapted to more recent developments in firepower and were built with scattered “strong points” laid out like a checkerboard to enhance the intensity of artillery fire.
The Allies would use these vulnerabilities to their advantage, concentrating all the force built up during their so-called “Hundred Days Offensive”—kicked off on August 8, 1918, with a decisive victory at Amiens, France—against the Hindenburg Line in late September. Australian, British, French and American forces participated in the attack on the line, which began with the marathon bombardment, using 1,637 guns along a 10,000-yard-long front. In the last 24 hours the British artillery fired a record 945,052 shells. After capturing the St. Quentin Canal with a creeping barrage of fire—126 shells for each 500 yards of German trench over an eight-hour period—the Allies were able to successfully breach the Hindenburg Line on September 29.
The offensive was driven ahead by Australian and U.S. troops, who attacked the heavily fortified town of Bellicourt with tank, aircraft and artillery support. After four days of battle, with heavy losses on both sides, the Germans were forced to retreat. With Kaiser Wilhelm II pressured by the military into accepting governmental reform and Germany’s ally, Bulgaria, suing for an armistice by the end of September, the Central Powers were in disarray on the battlefield as well as the home front. The Allies, meanwhile, pressed their advantage on the Western Front throughout the following month, which would, against their predictions, turn out to be the final month of World War I.
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"Who said of Liz Taylor: ""Her arms are too fat, her legs are too short, and she is too big in the bust""?" | Elizabeth Taylor: Eyes so liquid with life - Telegraph
Stars and Stories
Elizabeth Taylor: Eyes so liquid with life
Truman Capote met Elizabeth Taylor – who died this week – many times. In this dazzling portrait from 1974, he brings to life her wit, her honesty, her surprising love of literature – and the reality of her passion for Richard Burton.
'This beautiful child': Elizabeth Taylor with her third husband, Mike Todd
Elizabeth Taylor with Richard Burton in 1968
'This beautiful child': Elizabeth Taylor with her fourth husband Eddie Fisher
By Truman Capote
6:28PM GMT 25 Mar 2011
Some years ago, rather more than 15, a friend and I decided to install, among the New York social curriculum, a series of surprise-guest lunch parties; the idea seemed amusing enough for February, the dreariest month in New York, so my friend and I invited four other friends to join us for lunch at a private apartment. The idea was that the six of us would, individually, supply an additional guest, a “mystery” guest – preferably someone interesting and well-known and yet not known personally to any or at least all of us. My choice was Dr J Robert Oppenheimer, but he wasn’t available that day; now I can’t remember who I brought.
But I do remember the selection made by Lady Keith, who was then Mrs Leland Hayward. Lady Keith, whom her friends call Slim, is a tall, coltish, California-bred aristocrat (northern California, need one add) with the most beautiful legs, ankles and feet extant. Her “surprise”, Elizabeth Taylor, was rather a runt by comparison – like Mrs Onassis, her legs are too short for the torso, the head too bulky for the figure in toto; but the face, with those lilac eyes, is a prisoner’s dream, a secretary’s self-fantasy; unreal, non-obtainable, at the same time shy, overly vulnerable, very human, with the flicker of suspicion constantly flaring behind the lilac eyes.
We had met once before – one summer afternoon on the farm of a mutual friend in Connecticut. At the time, her third husband, the tough and short and sexy Mike Todd, still had his plane crash ahead of him, was still alive and married to this beautiful child who seemed besotted by him.
Often, when couples make oozing displays of themselves, always kissing, gripping, groping – well, often one imagines their romance must be in serious difficulties. Not so with these two. I remember them, that afternoon, sprawled in the sun in a field of grass and daisies holding hands and kissing while a litter of six or eight fat Newfoundland puppies tumbled over their stomachs, tangled in their hair.
But it was not until I encountered her as Slim Hayward’s guest that Elizabeth Taylor made an impression on me, at least as a person; as an actress I’d always liked her – from National Velvet straight on, but especially as the rich girl in A Place in the Sun.
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In the years since our first meeting, much had happened to her, but the two worst things were that Mike Todd had died and that she had married the “singer” Eddie Fisher – an event almost as unsuitable as Mrs Kennedy’s Grecian nuptials. Still, neither of these occurrences had dimmed the hectic allure Taylor radiates like a rather quivery light.
The lunch was long, we talked a lot. My first discovery about her was that despite an amusing abundance of four-lettered profanity, she was in various areas a moralist, quite a strict one, almost Calvinistic. For instance, she was agitated at the thought of playing the ill-starred, hedonistic heroine of John O’Hara’s Butterfield 8; she had an unbreakable legal obligation to do the role (for which she later won an Academy Award), but she wished she could get out of it because “I don’t like that girl. I don’t like what she stands for. The sleazy emptiness of her. The men. The sleeping around.”
At this point I recalled a conversation I’d once had with Marilyn Monroe (not that I’m making a comparison between Taylor and Monroe; they were different birds, the first being a take-or-leave-it professional, the other a morbidly uncertain, naturally gifted primitive). But Monroe’s moral attitude was similar: “I don’t believe in casual sex. Right or wrong, if I go for a guy, I feel I ought to marry him. I don’t know why. Stupid, maybe. But that’s just the way I feel. Or if not that, then it should have meaning. Other than something only physical. Funny, when you think of the reputation I have. And maybe deserve. Only I don’t think so. Deserve it, I mean. People just don’t understand what can happen to you. Without your real consent at all. Inside consent.”
The second surprise was how well-read Taylor seemed to be – not that she made anything of it, or posed as an intellectual, but clearly she cared about books and, in haphazard style, had absorbed a large number of them. And she discussed them with considerable understanding of the literary process; all in all, it made one wonder about the men in her life – with the exception of Mike Todd, who had had a certain flashbulb-brightness, a certain neon-savvy, her husbands thus far had not been a whiplash lot: Nicky Hilton, Michael Wilding, Mr Fisher – what on earth did this very alert and swift-minded young woman find to talk to them about? “Well, one doesn’t always fry the fish one wants to fry. Some of the men I’ve really liked really didn’t like women.”
And so we began to discuss a mutual friend, Montgomery Clift, the young actor with whom she had starred in A Place in the Sun, and toward whom she felt an affectionate protectiveness. She said: “You know, it happened at my house. Or rather, just after he’d left my house. He’d had a lot to drink, and lost control of his car. He was really all right before that – before the accident. Well, he always drank too much – but it was after the accident, getting hooked on all those pills and painkillers. Nobody beats that rap forever. I haven’t seen him for over a year. Have you?”
And I said yes, I had. He called a few days before Christmas, and he sounded fine. He wanted to know what I was doing for lunch, and I wasn’t doing anything, I was going Christmas shopping, so he said he’d buy me lunch at Le Pavillon if I’d take him shopping. He had a couple of martinis at lunch, but he was rational, very amusing; but on the way he stopped in the gents, and while he was in there he must have taken something, because about 20 minutes later he was flying.
We were in Gucci, and he had picked out and piled on the counter perhaps two dozen very expensive sweaters. Suddenly, he grabbed up all the sweaters and sauntered outside, where it was pouring rain. He threw the sweaters into the street and began kicking them around.
The Gucci personnel took it calmly. One of the attendants produced a pen and sales pad and asked me, “To whom shall I charge these sweaters?” The thing was he really didn’t know. He said he wanted some identification. So I went out into the street, where Monty was still kicking the sweaters around (observed by amassing voyeurs) and asked him if he had a charge card. He looked at me with the most manic, far-gone hauteur, and said, “My face is my charge card!”
Taylor, her eyes always so liquid with life, acquired an additional mistiness. “He can’t go on like that. It will kill him.” She was right; it did. But not before, greatly because of her sympathy and insistence at a time when producers were reluctant to use Clift, they worked together in Suddenly, Last Summer – which contained Clift’s last worthy performance, and one of Taylor’s best – except, many years later, the subtlety and shrewish, constrained hysteria with which she pigmented the role of the alcoholic wife in Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Some years went by before we met again, on this occasion in London, where she was biding time before heading for Rome and the start of the doomed Cleopatra production. She and “The Busboy”, as Mr Fisher was called by many of Mrs Fisher’s friends, were living in a penthouse at the Dorchester.
I’d visited that same penthouse often, as another friend had once lived there. Oliver Messel had tarted it up, and it was rather pretty, or had been: during the Taylor residency, the rooms were so crowded with shedding cats and unhousebroken dogs and general atmosphere of disorderly paraphernalia that one could not easily espy the Messel touch.
On the first evening I saw Taylor in this particular surrounding, she tried her best to give me a charming calico cat she had gathered up off some street. “No? That’s really very mean of you. I can’t cart all this…” she extended her arms, indicating the vastness of her burdens – enough animals to stock a pet shop, a male secretary serving drinks, a maid whisking in and out of the room displaying newly arrived dresses (“All from Paris. But I’ll have to send most of them back. I can’t afford it. I really haven’t any money. He doesn’t have any either. [First wife] Debbie Reynolds – if you’ll pardon the expression – got it all”), not to mention “The Busboy”, who sat on the couch rubbing his eyes as if trying to rouse himself from a nap.
She said to him, “What’s the matter? Why do you keep rubbing your eyes?”
“It’s all that reading!” he complained.
“All what reading?”
“That thing you tell me I gotta read. I’ve tried. I can’t get through it somehow.”
Her gaze disdainfully glided away from him. “He means To Kill a Mockingbird. Have you read it? It just came out. I think it’s a really lovely book.”
Yes, I’d read it; as a matter of fact, I told her, the author, Harper Lee, was a childhood friend. We’d grown up together in a small Alabama town, and her book was more or less autobiographical, a roman à clef; indeed, Dill, one of the principal characters, was supposed to be me.
“You see,” she told her husband, “I may not have had a particular education, but somehow I knew that book was true. I like the truth.”
“The Busboy” regarded her oddly. “Oh, yeah?”
A few mornings later I rang her up, and was informed by her secretary that she was in the hospital, a circumstance the London evening press confirmed: LIZ CRITICAL.
When I got Mr Fisher on the phone, he was already balanced on the precipice of mourning: “It looks like I’m going to lose my girl.” He was so destined, though not in the style he presumed.
Then I heard she hadn’t died after all, so I stopped by the hospital to leave her some books, and to my surprise, was ushered straightaway to her room. I was so impressed by the smallness of it; at least she wasn’t in a ward, but this claustrophobic closet, entirely stuffed by one narrow iron bed and one wooden chair, did not seem an appropriate arena for the life-death struggles of a Flick Queen.
She was very lively, though one could see she had undergone a massive ordeal. She was whiter by far than the hospital’s bedsheets; her eyes, without make-up, seemed bruised and swollen, like a weeping child’s. What she was recovering from was a form of pneumonia. “My chest and lungs were filled with a sort of thick black fire. They had to cut a hole in my throat to drain out the fire. You see,” she said, pointing at a wound in her throat that was stopped with a small rubber plug. “If I pull this out my voice disappears,” and she pulled it out, and indeed her voice did disappear, an effect which made me nervous, which made her merry.
She was laughing, but I didn’t hear her laughter until she had reinserted the plug. “This is the second time in my life that I felt – that I knew – I was dying. Or maybe the third. But this was the most real. It was like riding on a rough ocean. Then slipping over the edge of the horizon. With the roar of the ocean in my head. Which I suppose was really the noise of my trying to breathe. No,” she said, answering a question, “I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t have time to be. I was too busy fighting. I didn’t want to go over that horizon. And I never will. I’m not the type.”
Perhaps not; not like Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, both of whom had yearned to go over the horizon, some darker rainbow, and before succeeding, had attempted the voyage innumerable times. And yet there was some common thread between these three, Taylor, Monroe, Garland – I knew the last two fairly well, and yes, there was something. An emotional extremism, a dangerously greater need to be loved than to love, the hotheaded willingness of an incompetent gambler to throw good money after bad.
“Would you like some champagne?” she said, indicating a bottle of Dom Perignon cooling in a bucket beside the bed. “I’m not supposed to have any. But **** that. I mean when you’ve been through what I’ve been through…” She laughed, and once more uncorked the throat incision, sending her laughter into soundless oblivion.
I opened the champagne, and filled two ugly white plastic hospital glasses.
She signed. “Hmm, that’s good. I really like only champagne. The trouble is, it gives you permanently bad breath. Tell me, have you ever thought you were dying?”
“Yes. Once I had a burst appendix. And another time, when I was wading in a creek, I was bitten by a cottonmouth moccasin.”
“And were you afraid?”
“Well, I was only a child. Of course I was afraid. I don’t know whether I would be now.”
She pondered, then: “My problem is I can’t afford to die. Not that I have any great artistic commitments (before Mike, before what happened to him, I’d been planning to get the hell out of movies; I thought I’d had enough of the whole damn thing). Just financial commitments, emotional: what would become of my children? Or my dogs, for that matter?” She’d finished her champagne, I poured her another glass, and when she spoke again she seemed, essentially, to be addressing herself. “Everyone wants to live. Even when they don’t want to, think they don’t. But what I really believe is: Something is going to happen to me. That will change everything. What do you suppose it might be?”
“Love?”
“But what kid of love?”
“Well. Ah. The usual.”
| Richard Burton |
In which US state is the 'Carlsbad Caverns National Park'? | Eddie Fisher - the man who put a gun to Liz Taylor's head | Daily Mail Online
Eddie Fisher - the man who put a gun to Liz Taylor's head
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He wed Liz Taylor and Debbie Reynolds - and threatened to shoot Richard Burton. The extraordinary life of Eddie Fisher who has died, aged 82...
Only a couple of months ago, Elizabeth Taylor was reminiscing about her fraught relationship with Eddie Fisher, her fourth husband.
She recalled how, after news of her affair with Richard Burton broke, Fisher pointed a gun at her head, before conceding: ‘I’m not going to kill you. You’re too beautiful.’
Happy couple? Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher married in 1959. Mr Fisher was reluctant to admit that his wife was having an affair with Richard Burton
Five-times married Fisher, who has died aged 82 at his home in California of complications from hip surgery, was famous for the women in his life.
His first wife, Debbie Reynolds, was the much-loved star of Singing In The Rain (their daughter Carrie went on to make her name playing Princess Leia in Star Wars) and then there was Liz Taylor, who in 1959 stole Fisher from all-American sweetheart Debbie.
It caused a huge scandal in Hollywood and compounded Fisher’s reputation (he also seduced a string of stars including Joan Crawford, Edith Piaf and Zsa Zsa Gabor).
Born in Pennsylvania in 1928, the son of poor Russian-born Jewish immigrants, Fisher’s bell-like melodic voice was obvious in childhood. He won several talent contests and his father referred to him as ‘Sonny Boy’ after the Al Jolson hit record. He quickly became one of the earliest teen idols.
He claimed to have been initiated into sex by Marlene Dietrich in her mirrored bathroom - though she was 27 years older than him.
But in 1955, at the height of his career, Fisher settled down with Debbie Reynolds and they became Hollywood’s favourite couple - until Liz Taylor came along.
Taylor was married to Fisher’s best friend, producer Mike Todd, and the two couples spent much time together. When Todd was killed in a plane crash in 1958, Reynolds sent her husband to comfort the distraught Taylor. He never came home, and they married in 1959.
Teen idols: Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were Hollywood's dream couple before the divorce
Fisher threw himself into furthering Taylor’s career - putting his own on hold. When she was cast in Cleopatra, he travelled to Rome to be with her - setting himself up in a villa as her house-husband.
But he never counted on the effect her co-star Richard Burton would have and, when they met, dismissively said Burton’s head was too large for his body; his legs too short and his face pitted with acne scars. He was also an angry drunk.
Yet after rumours emerged of Taylor and Burton’s increasing friendship, Fisher told a press conference that the stories were ‘preposterous, ridiculous and absolutely false’.
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Even when he finally suspected they had slept together, he passed off the affair as an ‘on-set romance’.
Then came the night Taylor and Burton were snuggled up after dinner as Fisher knocked back glasses of the cocktail Ivan the Terrible - a mixture of vodka, grappa and ouzo.
That night in bed he asked Taylor: ‘Is something going on between you and Burton?’ and she whispered: ‘Yes.’
Yet Fisher still refused to see their marriage was doomed. When Taylor took an overdose, he helped her in hospital and gave her a ten-carat yellow diamond ring for her 30th birthday and a mirror set with emeralds.
He gave them to her in their bedroom, he said, because the sex was always better when he had given her a gift.
Soon after, however, Fisher packed his bags and left for New York. He didn’t see his wife again for two years, though he bought a gun and said he seriously considered killing Burton.
He was so heartbroken that he thought he would never fall in love again. That is, until he spotted singer-dancer Ann-Margret on television and invited her to perform alongside him. But he shared her affection with none other than President Kennedy and Fisher demanded she choose between them. She picked JFK.
Fisher also had romances with dancer Juliet Prowse, Kim Novak and Frank Sinatra’s future wife Mia Farrow. He claimed that being married to Liz Taylor had improved his sex life: everyone assumed he must have something special to have ensnared such a legendary beauty.
In time, he married singer Connie Stevens, with whom he had two children. This was followed, when he was 50, by a ten-month marriage to a 21-year-old beauty queen.
In his biography, he also confessed to a drug addiction that lasted nearly 40 years - blaming the use of cocaine for the decline in his career. Condemned to taking jobs in small venues to fund his habit, he found himself unable to remember the words of songs.
Carrie Fisher with her father Eddie. Carrie wrote a film for her mother Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor about two women who vilified a common ex-husband
Having earned upwards of £15million during his singing career, Fisher had spent it all. An attempted comeback in 1983 failed, as his old fans had been turned off by an endless series of scandals.
Fisher finally kicked the habit with the help of his fifth wife, a wealthy Chinese woman, who died in 2001 leaving him £15 million.
But his other ex-wives came back to haunt him. His first wife, Debbie Reynolds never forgave him for abandoning her and their children. She eventually became friends with Liz Taylor and her daughter Carrie wrote a film for the pair called ‘These Old Broads’ in which the characters vilified a common ex-husband.
Fisher considered this unforgivable and devoted his last years to setting the record straight. He released a searing version of his earlier book, in which he ungallantly called Reynolds ‘self-centred, totally driven, insecure, untruthful and phony’.
He claimed that he only went on to marry Liz Taylor as she had pursued him so relentlessly and was more of a nursemaid than husband.
He also added so much explicit sexual detail that is daughter Carrie famously said ‘That’s it, I’m having my DNA fumegated!’
Cruelly, she also threatened to change her name to Reynolds more than once and claimed that her father only re-entered her life when she won acclaim for writing the Oscar-winning film Postcards From The Edge.
Whether Eddie Fisher’s warring, extended families - including Elizabeth Taylor - will be reunited at his funeral remains to be seem.
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Who got to number three in 1968 with 'Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)'? | The Number One Hits Of 1968
The Number One Hits Of 1968
The Number One Hits Of 1968:
December 30, 1967 – January 19, 1968:
The Beatles – Hello, Goodbye
January 20, 1968 – February 2, 1968:
John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
February 3, 1968 – February 9, 1968:
The Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine
February 10, 1968 – March 15, 1968:
Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue
March 16, 1968 – April 12, 1968:
Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
April 13, 1968 – May 17, 1968:
Bobby Goldsboro – Honey
May 18, 1968 – May 3, 1968:
Archie Bell & the Drells – Tighten Up
June 1, 1968 – June 21, 1968:
Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
June 22, 1968 – July 19, 1968:
Herb Alpert – This Guy’s in Love with You
July 20, 1968 – August 2, 1968:
Hugh Masekela – Grazing in the Grass
August 3, 1968 – August 16, 1968:
The Doors – Hello, I Love You
August 17, 1968 – September 20, 1968:
Young Rascals – People Got to Be Free
September 21, 1968 – September 27, 1968:
Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A.
September 28, 1968 – November 29, 1968:
The Beatles – Hey Jude
November 30, 1968 – December 13, 1968:
Diana Ross & the Supremes – Love Child
December 14, 1968 – January 31, 1969:
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through the Grapevine
The biggest Pop Artists of 1968 include:
Archie Bell & the Drells, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Archie Bell & the Drells, Barbara Acklin, Bobby Goldsboro, Clarence Carter, The Delfonics, The Dells, Dionne Warwick, The Doors, Elvis Presley, Gary Pucket & the Union Gap, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, The Intruders, James Brown, Jerry Butler, Joe Tex, Johnny Taylor, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, The Impressions, The Intruders, Marvin Gaye, The Monkees, 1910 Fruitgum Company, O. C. Smith, Otis Redding, The Rascals, Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Tammi Terrell, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett
(Data is complied from various charts including: Billboard’s Pop, Rock, Airplay, R&B/Dance and Singles Charts. The Hot 100 is the primary chart used for this list.)
| John Fred |
'Somebody, Someday' is the autobiography of which British showbiz personality? | Lyrics for "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band
Judy in disguise, well that's what you are
Lemonade pies with a brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise, with glasses
Keep a-wearing your bracelets and your new rara
Cross your hear-yah-with your live in bra
Chimney sweep sparrow with guise
Judy in disguise, with glasses
Come to me tonight, come to me tonight
Taking everything in sight
Except for the strings on my kite
Judy in disguise, hey that's what you are
Lemonade pie, hey got your brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise, with glasses
Come to me tonight, come to me tonight
Taking everything in sight, except for the strings to my kite
(Oh, uh oh, uhhh)
Judy in disguise, what you aiming for
A circus of a-horrors, yea yea, well that's what you are
You made me a life of ashes
I guess I'll just take your glassesWriter/s: ANDREW BERNARD, JOHN FRED
Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
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Which 1962 musical film featured the song 'Coming Up Roses'? | Gypsy - Everything's Coming Up Roses - YouTube
Gypsy - Everything's Coming Up Roses
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Uploaded on Oct 15, 2007
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
Photos to the 1962 movie musical "Gypsy" to an instrumental version of its song "Everything's Coming Up Roses".
Category
| Romani people |
Who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1765 to 1766? | Gypsy | Film from RadioTimes
Our Score
by Tony Sloman
Rosalind Russell stars as Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne's fabulous Rose Hovick, the mother (and-a-half) of real-life stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, in this marvellous presentation of one of the greatest of all Broadway shows. Purists may argue that Russell isn't Ethel Merman (star of the stage show), that some songs are missing, or that Mervyn LeRoy's direction is too "theatrical", but, nevertheless, this is a bright, dazzling and above all entertaining movie. It contains a fabulous array of colourful showbiz characters and a performance by Russell that will knock your socks off. No, she isn't Merman, and she isn't Judy Garland (Sondheim's ideal) either, but she is (aided by Liza Kirk dubbing some of her songs) quite magnificent, especially in the finale, Rose's Turn. There are other great moments, too: Natalie Wood's tender, touching Little Lamb and her final triumphant striptease, plus Paul Wallace's All I Need Is the Girl. Bette Midler's TV-movie remake was shown theatrically in Britain, but is nowhere near as good.
Summary
Musical about striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and her relationship with her ambitious mother, who was determined to make stars of both her daughters. The only place Rose can find work is in a burlesque house, where the established strippers help her make it to the top. Starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood. Stephen Sondheim's songs include Everything's Coming Up Roses, Let Me Entertain You and Small World.
Cast & Crew
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