#Carol MacReady

[mariocki]

Six Plays by Alan Bennett: Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1.1, LWT, 1978)

"She's not one of these lesbians, is she?"

"What do you know about lesbians?"

"You'd be surprised at what I know. There's more in my head than nits. Oh, there was a talk about them on Woman's Hour. Cos I can't see what folks make all the fuss about. It's only women and other women. Like me and Mrs. Goodall."

"You and Mrs. Goodall?"

"Friends! Doing things together."

"Doing what together?"

"Having tea at Marshall and Snelgrove's."

"Having tea at Marshall and Snelgrove's isn't lesbianism."

"It's only liking being with other women."

"Not in Marshall and Snelgrove's."

"Well, where, then?"

"Bed. You brought the subject up."

"Well. So. Anyway, I've been in bed with other women."

"Who?"

"Your Aunty Phyllis, for a start."

"Aunty Phyllis isn't women!"

[kwebtv]

The Flame Trees of Thika  -  ITV  -  September 1, 1981  -   October 13, 1981

Historical Drama (7 episodes)

Running Time: 50 minutes

Stars:

David Robb as Robin Grant

Hayley Mills as Tilly Grant

Holly Aird as Elspeth Grant

Nicholas Jones as Hereward Palmer

Sharon Maughan as Lettice Palmer

Morgan Sheppard as Piet Roos

Ben Cross as Ian Crawford

Mick Chege as Njombo

John Nettleton as Major

Carol MacReady as Mrs. Nimmo

Steve Mwenesi as Sammy

David Bradley as Alex Wilson

[letterboxd-loggd]

I Love a Mystery (1945) Henry Levin

July 25th 2023

[alexlacquemanne]

Septembre MMXXIV

Films

L'Homme au pistolet d'or (The Man with the Golden Gun) (1974) de Guy Hamilton avec Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, Clifton James, Richard Loo et Soon-Tek Oh

La Panthère rose (The Pink Panther) (1963) de Blake Edwards avec Claudia Cardinale, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, Brenda De Banzie et Fran Jeffries

Le Masque de Zorro (The Mask of Zorro) (1998) de Martin Campbell avec Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson, Matt Letscher, Victor Rivers et Tony Amendola

La Classe américaine : Le Grand Détournement (1993) de Michel Hazanavicius et Dominique Mézerette avec Christine Delaroche, Evelyne Grandjean, Marc Cassot, Patrick Guillemin, Raymond Loyer, Joël Martineau, Jean-Claude Montalban et Roger Rudel

Les Sept Mercenaires (The Magnificent Seven) (1960) de John Sturges avec Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, Horst Buchholz, Eli Wallach, Jorge Martínez Hoyos, Vladimir Sokoloff et Rosenda Monteros

Un homme est mort (1972) de Jacques Deray avec Jean-Louis Trintignant, Ann-Margret, Roy Scheider, Angie Dickinson, Umberto Orsini, Ted de Corsia, Alex Rocco, Felice Orlandi et Michel Constantin

Le Grand Pardon (1982) d'Alexandre Arcady avec Roger Hanin, Richard Berry, Bernard Giraudeau, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Gérard Darmon, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Clio Goldsmith, Richard Bohringer, Lucien Layani et Anny Duperey

Luke la main froide (Cool Hand Luke) (1967) de Stuart Rosenberg avec Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J. D. Cannon, Lou Antonio, Jo Van Fleet, Clifton James et Morgan Woodward

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) de Daniel Kwan et Daniel Scheinert avec Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate et Harry Shum Jr

Le Tonnerre de Dieu (1965) de Denys de La Patellière avec Jean Gabin, Michèle Mercier, Lilli Palmer, Robert Hossein, Georges Géret, Paul Frankeur, Ellen Schwiers, Nino Vingelli, Louis Arbessier et Daniel Ceccaldi

La Pomme de son oeil (1970) de François Villiers avec Jean Pierre Aumont, Elisabeth Wiener, Sophie Desmarets, Carol Lixon, Jean Marc Thibault, Gabrielle Doulcet, Pierre Bertin, Gérard Depardieu et Edith Ker

Baiser mortel (A Kiss Before Dying) (1956) de Gerd Oswald avec Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith, Joanne Woodward, Mary Astor, George Macready et Robert Quarry

Arabesque (1966) de Stanley Donen avec Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, Kieron Moore, Carl Duering, John Merivale, Duncan Lamont et George Coulouris

Séries

Nestor Burma Saison 5, 6

Drôle d'épreuve pour Nestor Burma - La Plus noble conquête de Nestor - Poupée russe - Les Affaires reprennent - En garde, Burma ! - Mise à prix pour Nestor Burma - Burma et la Belle de Paris - N’appelez pas la police

Castle Saison 7, 8

Planète hostile - Le Flic de Hong Kong - Dans la ligne de mire - L'Attaque du pitbull - En sommeil - Y a-t-il un enquêteur dans l'avion - La mort n'est pas une blague - Dans les bois - Disparition - Conspiration - Cinquante Nuances de vengeance - De pieux mensonges - Le Nez - Une vieille connaissance - Un homme à femmes

Affaires sensibles

Le tortueux destin des Inconnus - Le Parrain, les recettes d'un chef-d'œuvre - Lolo Ferrari, la chute de l'icône de silicone - Rocky : l'Amérique les poings levés - La chute de la IVème République en mai 1958 - Landru et le chemin des dames - Les révoltés du France - The Golden State killer, le plus froid des cold case - Rue des Rosiers : le lent chemin vers la vérité ?

Maguy Saison 8

Les délinquants sont éternels - Ennuis et héros - Tx-trol de drame - Crocodile Maguy - Tous les kalaniens, toutes les kalaniennes - Funérailles aïe aïe - Nomade's land - Sauce grand vanneur - L'entremêleur - Maguy, Georges, Pierre, Rose et les autres - Traitement de chic - Allô Maguy ici bébé - Roman à l'eau de rose - Le fiscopathe - Olé beaux jours - Cet obscur objet de Désiré - Hoquet sur place - Fenêtre sans cour - La guerre des canulars - Désastres et des astres - Legs à deux têtes - Une souris et des homme - Coût de peau - La bourse ou Maguy - N'oubliez pas le service - C'est pas sorcier - Drôle de squatt - L'espion qui venait d'en face - Bébé éprouvant - Crises de mères

Le Coffre à Catch

#183 : Bataille Royale + Hommage à Sid - #184 : Santino Show + Dusty supporte Uva - #185 : Le futur s'appelle Ezekiel Jackson - #186 : La ECW : c'est annulé !! - #187 : Yoshi Tatsu et Goldust champions pour la dernière?

Les Nouvelles Brigades du Tigre Saison 5

S.O.S. tour Eiffel - Le Temps des garçonnes - Le Vampire des Carpates - Made in U.S.A. - Le Réseau Brutus - Le Complot

Nautilus Saison 1

Évasion - Tic Tac Boum - La force du peuple - Sur une pente glissante - Hallucinations - L'Atlantide - Guerre froide - Le Point de bascule - La Chevauchée des Walkyries - Bouquet final

The Grand Tour Saison 6

Un dernier pour la route

MacGyver Saison 1

Pris au piège - Le Casse du casino - Cauchemars - La Taupe - Mission Afghanistan

Brokenwood Saison 9

Brokenwood: Le Musical - On ne choisit pas sa famille - Les Petites Soeurs de Sainte-Monica

Commissaire Dupin

Les secrets de Brocéliande

Brocéliande

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6

Friends Saison 1

Celui qui déménage - Celui qui est perdu - Celui qui a un rôle - Celui avec George - Celui qui lave plus blanc - Celui qui est verni - Celui qui a du jus - Celui qui hallucine - Celui qui parle au ventre de sa femme - Celui qui singeait - Celui qui était comme les autres - Celui qui aimait les lasagnes - Celui qui fait des descentes dans les douches - Celui qui avait un cœur d'artichaut - Celui qui pète les plombs - Celui qui devient papa : première partie - Celui qui devient papa : deuxième partie - Celui qui gagnait au poker - Celui qui a perdu son singe - Celui qui a un dentiste carié

Spectacles

Gary Moore : Live at Montreux (2010)

Laurent Gerra flingue la télé (2006)

La Sainte famille (1976) de Georges Vitaly avec Dominique Paturel, Nelly Vignon, Frank Baugin, Erik Colin, Rodolphe Marin, Jose Luccioni, Jacques Balutin, Michèle Grellier, Max Desrau, Monique Delaroche, Madeleine Cheminat, Odile Mallet, Robert Party Frédérique Cernay, André Lambert, Xavier Renoult et Bertrand Gohaud

The Police : Certifiable: Live In Buenos Aires (2008)

The Doors : Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1968)

Livres

Zazie dans le métro de Raymond Queneau

Le boucher d'Alina Reyes

Effroyables jardins de Michel Quint

Kaamelott, tome 8 : L'antre du Basilic d'Alexandre Astier et Steven Dupré

Kaamelott, tome 9 : Les renforts maléfiques d'Alexandre Astier et Steven Dupré

Les secrets de Brocéliande de Jean-Luc Bannalec

Friends l'intégrale : Le livre officiel des dix ans ! de David Wild

Astérix, tome 16 : Astérix chez les Helvètes de René Goscinny et Albert Uderzo

[thecambriaone]

most wanted doctor who, fallout, and marvel?

hey there !

we'd love to see: the fifteenth doctor, donna noble, martha jones, amy pond, rory williams, rose tyler, clara oswald, bill potts, the mistress/missy, captain jack harkness, graham o'brien, ryan sinclair, yasmin khan (doctor who), norm maclean, maximus, dane, the vault dweller, the chosen one, the lone wanderer, the courier, veronica santangelo, raul tejada, the sole survivor, danse, curie, cait, nick valentine, macready, piper wright, john hancock (fallout), and steve rogers, tony stark, sam wilson, bucky barnes, thor odinson, loki laufeyson, carol danvers, bruce banner, miles morales, peter parker, pietro maximoff, lorna dane, erik lehnsherr, jessica jones, logan howlett, matt murdock (marvel)

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.10 (before 1900)

28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king. 1294 – Temür, Khagan of the Mongols, is enthroned as Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. 1497 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World. 1503 – Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there. 1534 – Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland. 1688 – King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. 1713 – Great Northern War: The Russian Navy led by Admiral Fyodor Apraksin land both at Katajanokka ja Hietalahti during the Battle of Helsinki. 1768 – Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III. 1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party. 1774 – Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia. 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men. 1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America. 1824 – The National Gallery in London opens to the public. 1833 – A revolt broke out in southern Vietnam against Emperor Minh Mang, who had desecrated the deceased mandarin Le Van Duyet. 1837 – Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression. 1849 – Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120. 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut. 1865 – American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6. 1869 – The First transcontinental railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory with the golden spike. 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. 1876 – The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia. 1881 – Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom. 1899 – Finnish farmworker Karl Emil Malmelin kills seven people with an axe at the Simola croft in the village of Klaukkala.

[eemamminy-art]

fallout 3 doodle page since we've been replaying it lately

[ardandil]

Crónicas del Grinch 8: Santa Claus is coming to town Parte II

Esta es la continuación de Santa Claus is coming to town I.

Lyman ha dejado a Frank en compañía de la misteriosa Claire, y ha marchado con el abuelo del chico para enfrentarse a la llegada de un peligro desconocido.

Una luz roja tenue, como del interior de un submarino, sustituyó la iluminación del cuarto. El rostro de Claire resplandecía de forma inquietante. Frank oscilaba con el latido de su corazón.

—Claire.

«Dime, Frank», contestó Claire con la vista fija en la pantalla. Un sinfín de puntitos verdes se agolpaba en la periferia del círculo del radar.

—No era mi madre la que me hablaba en sueños, eras tú ¿verdad?

«Eres muy inteligente. Sí, era yo. De esa forma MacReady estaba al tanto de cómo te iba. Lo ha pasado muy mal».

Frank sólo pensaba en una cosa.

—¿Podrías ser como ella? Quiero decir, tener el aspecto de mi madre. Sólo una vez, por favor.

Claire tardó en contestar. Por encima de sus cabezas sonaron explosiones lejanas, como fuegos artificiales.

«Sí, podría. Pero ahora tengo que ayudar a MacReady y a Lyman. El ataque ha comenzado».

Los puntitos verdes de la pantalla aumentaban de intensidad y desaparecían.

—«Los antiaéreos hacen su trabajo —bramaron los altavoces con la voz de Lyman—. Esos malditos renos del general Rudolph están recibiendo una buena».

A Frank ya no le sorprendía nada. Las explosiones arreciaron y parecían acercarse. El techo del refugio temblaba.

—«Atención, los elfos[1] han penetrado la alambrada —se oyó decir a MacReady—. Las minas los contienen de momento».

El estruendo aumentó de intensidad, había explosiones, zumbidos que amenazaban con reventar los oídos y r��fagas de disparos que no acababan nunca. Frank se hizo un ovillo en un rincón y se cubrió la cabeza; parecía el fin del mundo. Claire se mantenía imperturbable ante el caos que se había adueñado de la pantalla. Frank no estaba seguro, pero bajo aquella iluminación de sala de revelado le parecía que la mujer que no era su abuela cambiaba de aspecto, incluso de forma. A veces unos brazos de longitud imposible se extendían por la mesa. De repente la pantalla se vació de puntitos y las explosiones acabaron. El silencio que sobrevino le pareció aun más aterrador.

—«Se han retirado. Lyman, ¿qué opinas?», dijo el abuelo por los altavoces.

Lyman tardó en responder treinta angustiosos segundos.

—«No me gusta —dijo Lyman como si le costara respirar—. Traman algo».

—«Claire, ¿ves algo en el radar?».

«No MacReady, pero a mí tampoco me gusta».

Frank sabía que no soñaba, por sorprendente y disparatado que pareciera todo. Lo sabía igual que había sabido que era Claire la que le hablaba por las noches y que era capaz de cambiar de aspecto a voluntad. Había sido mucho más difícil aceptar que sus padres nunca volverían cuando tenía diez años. En la pantalla apareció un puntito verde que aumentaba de tamaño y se acercaba a gran velocidad.

—«Claire, ¿ves lo mismo que yo?», dijo su abuelo con desaliento.

«Sí», fue su única respuesta.

—«El maldito bastardo ha decidido venir en persona —dijo Lyman—. Estamos jodidos».

—«Claire, saca a mi nieto de aquí —dijo su abuelo con un tono de voz que helaba la sangre—. Intentaremos daros todo el tiempo que podamos. Frank, puede que me equivocara, pero no puedo cambiar el pasado. Te quiero, y quería a tu madre. A tu abuela la adoraba. Claire, te agradezco lo que me has dado todos estos años, y quiero que sepas que volvería a hacer lo que hice. Cuida de mi nieto».

«No. No tenéis ninguna posibilidad frente a Santa. Dejádmelo a mí», fue la respuesta de la mujer de la larga cabellera.

—«Te prohibo que lo hagas, no sobrevivirás», suplicó el abuelo de Frank.

«Os lo debo, a ti y a Lyman, por todos estos años. Y a tu nieto. Gracias y buena suerte MacReady».

Claire se puso en pie. Parecía distinta, pero seguía teniendo el aspecto de su abuela. Extendió una mano blanquísima hacia Frank, y este acercó la suya. Cuando contactaron fue como sentir una descarga eléctrica. En una milésima de segundo Frank vio pasar millones de años. Una infinidad de mundos y civilizaciones nacieron y murieron ante sus ojos. Experimentó los miedos, esperanzas y alegrías de miles de millones de seres inimaginablemente lejanos en el tiempo y el espacio de la Tierra y los seres humanos. Al borde del colapso, soltó la mano de Claire y cayó al suelo. Ante él vio a su madre, tal como la recordaba.

—Mamá, os echo tanto de menos a ti y a papá.

«Lo sé cariño, y nosotros a ti, pero tienes una vida por vivir. Ahora debo irme».

Frank no estaba dispuesto a quedarse allí, y siguió a su madre hasta el exterior. El cielo estaba parcialmente cubierto y había dejado de nevar. Todo estaba arrasado alrededor y lleno de restos. Solo el granero permanecía en pie. El ser que había sido Claire y la madre de Frank no dejó de aumentar de tamaño y cambiar de forma hasta que no quedó en él ningún atisbo de humanidad. En medio de los campos calcinados separó los ocho brazos y osciló de un lado a otro; estaba bailando.  En el norte apareció una estrella de color rojo que se acercaba a gran velocidad.

De entre las ruinas de la casa surgió MacReady, con un brazo colgándole inerte al costado.

—Tenemos que regresar al refugio.

— ¿Y Lyman?

MacReady negó con la cabeza.

—No lo consiguió.

Frank miró hacia el norte antes de entrar en el refugio. Al principio le pareció un avión de pasajeros con mil luces de colores. Las cosas que había visto aquel día habían aniquilado su incredulidad y su capacidad de sorpresa, pero lo que se acercaba era más que increíble, era incomprensible. Un gigantesco trineo tirado por unos seres que recordaban a renos revoloteó sobre sus cabezas. El sonido de los cascabeles era espantoso. En el pescante del trineo, una masa amorfa de color rojo, llena de pústulas llameantes, agitaba sus ocho brazos y lanzaba aterradores alaridos que quebraban el tejido mismo de la realidad.

MacReady le gritó que bajara, pero Frank se resistía. El ser que había sido Claire resplandecía en colores rojos, blancos y verdes. A su alrededor el terreno ondulaba como en un terremoto. Piedras, montones de tierra calcinada y restos de renos y duendes, se elevaban hacia el cielo como atraídos por un imán. De repente, aquel espectáculo de pesadilla se detuvo como si alguien hubiera pulsado el botón de stop en el televisor. Un tentáculo salió disparado del ente-Claire hacia Frank, lo arrojó al interior del refugio y cerró las puertas.

El terror que había mantenido a raya mientras estuvo en la superficie se liberó de golpe, irresistible. MacReady abrazó a su nieto que lloraba y gritaba como si asistiera por segunda vez a la muerte de su madre. Todo temblaba alrededor de ellos, cada vez con más intensidad. Frank estaba seguro de cuál iba a ser el desenlace final: no volvería a ver a Claire.

—«Todavía sigo aquí compañeros —tronó Lyman por los altavoces—. Este niño está bien despierto y ha sido muy, pero que muy travieso[2]. Voy a darle al viejo Santa una patada en su gordo trasero que nunca olvidará. Yipi ka yei, voy  a joderte bien hijo de puta[3]».

El oído experto de MacReady identificó, por encima del ensordecedor ruido, el sonido del helicóptero a reacción que escondían en el granero.

—Lyman, no seas estúpido, tus armas no pueden dañarlo.

—«¿Y quién dijo que pensara dispararle? Jimmy, ha sido un honor compartir contigo todos estos años. Claire, si puedes oírme en la forma que tienes ahora te pido que cuides de esos dos; los MacReady se creen más listos de lo que en realidad son. Y tú, Frank, ten paciencia con tu abuelo. A mí sigue sacándome de quicio después de sesenta años. Cambio y corto.

—Creí que nunca acabaría de despedirse, viejo testarudo —dijo MacReady con lágrimas en los ojos.

Fin de la segunda parte de 

Santa Claus is coming to town

Si no leíste la primera parte: Santa Claus is coming to town I. 

¡Gracias por leerme! Si te apetece, pásate por mi blog:

Peregrinos de la Tierra en sombras

[1] Elfos de Santa Claus: También llamados duendes o gnomos, son los encargados de fabricar los regalos, básicamente juguetes, que Santa reparte a los niños buenos.

[2] En la cancion de Santa Claus is coming to town se dice que los niños deben haber sido buenos y estar dormidos en nochebuena para que Santa les deje regalos.

[3] Yipi ka yei(...):adaptación de la frase que le dice Bruce Willis al malo en La Jungla de Cristal III.

[hjellacott]

"Strike is back for a fifth BBC series, Troubled Blood, later this year. You were endorsed for the role by JK Rowling, which must have felt good? It was great but I think she, like many good writers, is excited to see their work reinterpreted for the screen. It’s reinvented and people come at it from different angles. Emma [Donoghue] was definitely like that with The Wonder. When Christopher Hampton adapted Les Liaisons Dangereuses for the stage and saw the finished production for the first time, he said: “I’m so excited because I didn’t know I’d written that.” There’s a real generosity to that.

Doesn’t your mother, Anna Calder-Marshall, appear in the new series? She does and she’s fantastic in it. The first scene we had was also with Carol MacReady, who’s a wonderful actor. Her and my mum go way back and it was a joy to be in a scene with both of them. I haven’t acted with my parents in a long while, since doing Victoria Wood sketches and silly stuff in local theatre in Kent."

Can't wait!

[princesssarisa]

A Christmas Carol Holiday Season: "A Christmas Carol" (1977 TV film)

Until 2019, as far as I know, this lesser-known hour-long Christmas Carol was the only version of Dickens's classic produced by the BBC. Besides this fact, its main draw is the actor who plays Scrooge: 66-year-old Sir Michael Hordern, who had previously featured in two other versions of A Christmas Carol as Marley's Ghost.

Like most of the BBC's literary adaptations from the '70s and '80s, this one is modest in budget and not very cinematic or visually striking, but it's very faithful to the book. About 80% to 90% of the dialogue comes straight from Dickens, and several scenes are included that rarely appear in other adaptations. We see Belle (Zoë Wanamaker) with her husband in Christmas Past, and later, we see the poor debtor couple saved from ruin by Scrooge's death in Christmas Yet to Come. Even the famous opening line of "Marley was dead: to begin with" gets a visual illustration, as the production opens with Marley (John Le Mesurier) lying in his coffin. The only real departures from Dickens are the scaling-down of certain scenes and reduction of the number of characters in them, probably due to the production's modest budget. Belle's happy Christmas Eve with her husband doesn't include any children; Fred (Paul Copely) and his wife spend their Christmas Day with just another couple (and ultimately Scrooge), not a houseful of party guests; and Old Joe's rag-and-bone shop is omitted, with Mrs. Dilber and the undertaker's man meeting in Scrooge's bedroom as they rob it instead. Yet these reductions don't detract from the story. They only enhance the production's intimacy, and the intimacy of this Carol is part of its charm.

Of course the main question is still "Is Michael Hordern's Scrooge as good as his Marley in 1951 and 1971?" Personally, I'd say no. Playing a hard, cold character just wasn't his strength; at the beginning, he comes across as a grumpy yet endearingly befuddled old gentleman, not the "tight-fisted hand at the grindstone" that the plot requires. That said, he becomes much more at home as Scrooge becomes a vulnerable and likable character, particularly bringing out the humor of his attempts to make casual conversation with his ghostly visitors. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is strong throughout. Besides those mentioned above, other standouts include Clive Merrison as Bob Cratchit, Carol MacReady as his wife, Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) as a Ghost of Christmas Past portrayed as a beautiful yet otherworldly and eerie young woman, Bernard Lee (the James Bond series) as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and a young Zelah Clarke (a.k.a. the title character in the BBC's beloved 1983 miniseries of Jane Eyre) as Martha Cratchit.

Is this a definitive Christmas Carol? No. But it's worth seeing!

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex. @reds-revenge, @faintingheroine, @thatscarletflycatcher

[fallout-drabbles-n-stuff]

Companions and their favorite Christmas carols:

Cait:

"Blue Christmas"

Curie:

"Silent night"

Danse:

"O holy night"

Deacon:

"Santa baby"

Gage:

"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas"

Hancock:

"All I want for Christmas"

Macready:

"All I want for Christmas"

Maxson:

"God rest ye merry gentlemen"

Nick:

"Good king wenceslas"

Piper:

"Let it snow"

Preston:

"Jingle bell rock"

X6-88:

"Jingle bells"

[mariocki]

Play for Today: The Mayor's Charity (BBC, 1977)

"Who were you talking to just?"

"I had some conversation with Mr. Major traversing the corridors."

"But no, I meant just now. I was fascinated, I don't know quite why."

"Ah. That is my technique for dealing with ceremonials where I have no particular function."

"Is it?"

"I call it my 'spare part drill'. In order not to be burdened and weighed down with the mind-destroying small chat of pinheads and numbskulls, I invent an interlocutor with whom I am partaking in intelligent conversation and the pinheads and numbskulls pass me by."

"My word, that's clever."

"Also I station myself on the route of waitresses, particularly those engaged in the transport of free liquor. Whiskey is a favourite, sherry accepted."

[danselot]

What do you think would be the Fo4 companions favorite holiday songs?

Cait - The Coventry Carol. She won’t listen to it around the other companions because it makes her sad, but she loves it.

Codsworth - The Boar’s Head Carol. And the accompanying tale of its origins. He’s also fond of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Curie - Carol of the Bells. She likes singing along with all the different parts. (She’s not *good* but she’s very enthusiastic and it’s very cute.)

Danse - O Holy Night. Something about it just hits him right in the chest.

Deacon - Dead tie between this weird minor key polka cover of Jingle Bells and… Silent Night. (Just…regular, acoustic guitar Silent Night. Daphne can’t tell if he’s kidding. He’s not.)

Hancock - Santa Baby 😏

Macready - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. With all the “like a lightbulb” interjections. (He WAS the mayor of an all-kid collective, remember?)

Nick - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Originally at face value: he was literally alone while everyone in Diamond City celebrated. But over the years he accumulates friends and it becomes a little reminder that he’s not alone — first eating power noodles with Ellie, then Piper joins in, then he starts getting invited to Daphne’s celebrations.

Piper - Sleigh Ride. She has a surprisingly nice alto voice and she likes to sing along.

Preston - Winter Wonderland 😊

Strong - Doesn’t really get music, but his ears perk up whenever he hears songs mention “human flesh”

X6-88 - We Three Kings. He likes the myrrh verse.

[xenopenthos]

He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. You know the mind; I thought of the Field of the Cloth of Gold and of Miss Macready. He sat in that chair like a king on a burnished throne. The look on his face was strange, wild, vain. I said, What in the name of God is going on? He started to laugh.

Mrs. Midas, by Carol Ann Duffy

[loveless422]

Poster for I Love a Mystery (1945), starring Jim Bannon, Nina Foch, George Macready, Barton Yarborough, Carole Matthews, and Lester Matthews.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.10

28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China. 1291 – Scottish nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England pending the selection of a king. 1294 – Temür, Khagan of the Mongols, is enthroned as Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. 1497 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World. 1503 – Christopher Columbus visits the Cayman Islands and names them Las Tortugas after the numerous turtles there. 1534 – Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland. 1688 – King Narai nominates Phetracha as regent, leading to the revolution of 1688 in which Phetracha becomes king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. 1768 – Rioting occurs in London after John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III. 1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by reducing taxes on its tea and granting it the right to sell tea directly to North America. The legislation leads to the Boston Tea Party. 1774 – Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: A small Colonial militia led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold captures Fort Ticonderoga. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Second Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia. 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon wins a victory against Austrian forces at Lodi bridge over the Adda River in Italy. The Austrians lose some 2,000 men. 1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America. 1824 – The National Gallery in London opens to the public. 1833 – A revolt broke out in southern Vietnam against Emperor Minh Mang, who had desecrated the deceased mandarin Le Van Duyet. 1837 – Panic of 1837: New York City banks suspend the payment of specie, triggering a national banking crisis and an economic depression whose severity was not surpassed until the Great Depression. 1849 – Astor Place Riot: A riot breaks out at the Astor Opera House in Manhattan, New York City over a dispute between actors Edwin Forrest and William Charles Macready, killing at least 22 and injuring over 120. 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut. 1865 – American Civil War: In Kentucky, Union soldiers ambush and mortally wound Confederate raider William Quantrill, who lingers until his death on June 6. 1869 – The First transcontinental railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory with the golden spike. 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. 1876 – The Centennial Exposition is opened in Philadelphia. 1881 – Carol I is crowned the King of the Romanian Kingdom. 1899 – Finnish farmworker Karl Emil Malmelin kills seven people with an axe at the Simola croft in the village of Klaukkala. 1904 – The Horch & Cir. Motorwagenwerke AG is founded. It would eventually become the Audi company. 1908 – Mother's Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia. 1916 – Sailing in the lifeboat James Caird, Ernest Shackleton arrives at South Georgia after a journey of 800 nautical miles from Elephant Island. 1922 – The United States annexes the Kingman Reef. 1924 – J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972. 1933 – Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings. 1940 – World War II: German fighters accidentally bomb the German city of Freiburg. 1940 – World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.[34] Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland. 1941 – World War II: The House of Commons in London is damaged by the Luftwaffe in an air raid. 1941 – World War II: Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland to try to negotiate a peace deal between the United Kingdom and Nazi Germany. 1942 – World War II: The Thai Phayap Army invades the Shan States during the Burma Campaign. 1946 – First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground. 1961 – Air France Flight 406 is destroyed by a bomb over the Sahara, killing 78. 1962 – Marvel Comics publishes the first issue of The Incredible Hulk. 1967 – The Northrop M2-F2 crashes on landing, becoming the inspiration for the novel Cyborg and TV series The Six Million Dollar Man. 1969 – Vietnam War: The Battle of Dong Ap Bia begins with an assault on Hill 937. It will ultimately become known as Hamburger Hill. 1975 – Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder. 1993 – In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills over 200 workers. 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president. 1996 – A blizzard strikes Mount Everest, killing eight climbers by the next day. 1997 – The 7.3 Mw Qayen earthquake strikes Iran's Khorasan Province killing 1,567 people. 2002 – FBI agent Robert Hanssen is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for selling United States secrets to Russia for $1.4 million in cash and diamonds. 2005 – A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 20 m from U.S. President George W. Bush while he is giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it malfunctions and does not detonate. 2012 – The Damascus bombings are carried out using a pair of car bombs detonated by suicide bombers outside a military intelligence complex in Damascus, Syria, killing 55 people. 2013 – One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. 2017 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture the last footholds of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Al-Tabqah, bringing the Battle of Tabqa to an end. 2022 – Queen Elizabeth II misses the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years. It was the first time that a new session of Parliament was opened jointly by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge acting as Counsellors of State.