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fibula-rasa · 8 months ago

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Cosplay the Classics: Natacha Rambova

My closet cosplay of Natacha Rambova’s signature look from the 1920s

It’s unbearably common for people who have written about Natacha Rambova to emphasize that her “real” name was “Winifred Hudnut.” In reality, Rambova had about a half dozen names she went by (or could have gone by). Natacha Rambova was the name she took when she began her working life as a teenager with Theodore Kosloff’s ballet company—hence the Russophone name. And, as Rambova was a person who first and foremost lived to work, sticking with her professional name seems true to her character, Slav or not. You see, the primary reason Rambova was (and is) subjected to this passive-aggressiveness is part of a lingering effort to delegitimize her and her work. Sometimes that takes the form of calling her Winifred Hudnut and sometimes “Mrs. Valentino.” While there are valid reasons to criticize Rambova and her work, the aspersions typically lobbed at her fully miss their mark because they’re motivated by the desire to belittle a woman who knew the value of her work and her art and had the necessary privilege to fight for it.

"Natacha Rambova seems to belong most to me, the individual I think I am, but of course, I wasn’t born that way."

—“Wedded and Parted” by Ruth Waterbury, Photoplay, December 1922

Collage of portraits of Rambova from the 1920s

READ ON below the JUMP!

To begin at the beginning, Rambova was born as Winifred “Wink” Shaughnessy in Utah in 1897. Her father, who was significantly older than her mother, was found lacking as a parent and a spouse, and the Shaughnessy’s divorced when Rambova was young. Her youth was spent bouncing between her mother’s home in San Francisco, boarding school in England, and her aunt’s villa in France. Early on Rambova discovered two of the great passions of her life, ballet and mythology. The latter became an enduring fascination that guided Rambova’s varied pursuits throughout her life.

At first, her family encouraged Rambova’s interest in ballet. However, around 1914, when Rambova was 17, the shady nature of Rambova’s relationship with Kosloff was discovered by her mother, who tried to have Kosloff deported. At the time, Kosloff was supporting a wife and child back in England while keeping house with Rambova and another of his dancers, Vera Fredova (who was also legally named Winifred and also a teenager btw). Mom called off the lawsuit, and for years Kosloff, Rambova, and Fredova ran the ballet company together.

The company relocated to Los Angeles where Kosloff entered into a contract with Cecil B. DeMille. The company would provide art and costume designs for DeMille’s films and Kosloff himself would appear in the films. While Kosloff’s name is found in the credits for most of these films, it’s now widely accepted that Rambova was doing most, if not all, of the research and design work.

Theodore Kosloff in his costume from The Woman God Forgot (1917) on the left with Rambova (who does not appear in the film)

In this creatively productive period, Rambova shifted her focus away from dance toward historical research and costume and set design as her primary endeavor. For DeMille, Rambova contributed designs for The Woman God Forgot (1917), Why Change Your Wife? (1920), Something to Think About (1920), and also designed the Cinderella fantasy sequence of Forbidden Fruit (1921).

from the Cinderella sequence of Forbidden Fruit [more gifs here]

The work caught the eye of Nazimova, who was still working at Metro at the time. Once Nazimova realized that Rambova was the one doing the work, she engaged her directly to work on her now lost film Billions (1920). Rambova would receive on-screen credit for her art direction on Nazimova’s final film for Metro, the deco-bonanza Camille (1921).

from Camille [more gifs here]

Camille features designs verging on the bizarre, using circles and half-circles as a consistent symbolic motif throughout the film. One of my personal favorite touches however, is the sequence taking place at Armand’s country cottage. Where the Paris sets are oversized and characterized by rounded edges, the cottage is excessively square and feels almost claustrophobic. At this point in the story, Marguerite is conflicted, she feels happier and freer than ever before in her love with Armand, but is also haunted by the notion that she’s dooming him given her past and her illness. The interior of the cottage feels more artificial because of its realism, almost like a doll house, in comparison to the more heavily designed Paris settings. This highlights the feeling in Marguerite that she’s just playing pretend at a happy, heteronormative fantasy.

country house setting from Camille

Influenced by the highly stylized visuals of ballet but also preoccupied with historical research and symbology, Rambova’s designs stand out from anything else produced in this period, especially in the US. The more I study her designs and think about how young she was when she created them, the more impressed I am by them. Faced with challenging assignments, Rambova balanced accuracy and perceived authenticity with her penchant for larger-than-life symbolism. On top of all that, they photograph beautifully! Being able to create interesting and appropriate costume and set designs with a demonstrated understanding of how they would register on film is a sophisticated skill set which Rambova deserves significant credit for.

When Nazimova went independent following Camille, she brought Rambova with her. The first two projects Rambova would work on for Nazimova’s company were A Doll’s House (now a lost film, which I profiled on my Lost, but Not Forgotten series) and Salomé (1922). The latter has become regarded as Nazimova’s magnum opus on film and often referred to as America’s first art film. For Salomé, Rambova translated illustrations made by Aubrey Beardsley into three-dimensional sets and costumes and character designs for film. If you’ve seen Beardsley’s illustrations and you’ve seen the film, you know this was no simple task and that Rambova did a phenomenal job of re-working the illustrations into wearable costumes and weaving elements of Beardsley’s illustrations into the set design.

from Salomé [more gifs here]

Taking a second to emphasize Rambova’s range, her work on Why Change Your Wife?, Something to Think About, and A Doll’s House (which we can only judge by surviving stills) are contemporary settings with more realistic, grounded set and costume designs. Rambova executes the designs for these films with just as much skill, although as she admitted herself, with less gusto because they didn’t scratch the historical-research/symbology itch.

production still from A Doll’s House

It was in this same period of creative growth that Rambova split from Kosloff (and he shot her in the leg on the way out) and she started seeing her future husband, Rudolph Valentino. Valentino, however, was still legally married to another woman. This would lead to significant trouble for the couple in the first few years of their relationship.

Perhaps too much time has been spent picking apart the nature of the Valentino-Rambova pairing—most of it spent trying to characterize her as a Svengali type and Valentino as too immature or unintelligent to have any opinions of his own. Now, having read most of what Rambova has written about Valentino, both before and after their divorce, she often takes a paternalistic attitude toward Valentino, but one tempered by real affection. And, given how close Valentino became with her family (and remained close after the divorce, even leaving a significant part of his estate to her aunt), to doubt the legitimacy of their partnership feels willfully disingenuous. Valentino shared Rambova’s desires to elevate the artistic qualities of film, oftentimes beyond their means. Together they crafted the romantic idol of Valentino. Together they challenged the studios for underpaying him.

“Some producers find an unusual personality. They use up thousands of dollars to exploit it. They put that personality into a picture and the picture goes over and makes a million. Then, instead of letting the actor who does fine work go on doing it, they give him cheap material, cheap sets, cheap casts, cheap everything. The idea then is to make just as much money from that personality as possible with the least outlay. “Isn’t it short-sighted? Isn’t it unwise? Yet they do it again and again. But they can’t keep it up forever. The fans are beginning to wake up. They refuse to take second rate products even when a big personality is exploited. They are doing the one thing that will affect the producer—when poor pictures are offered them, they are staying home.”

—from “Wedded and Parted” by Ruth Waterbury, Photoplay, December 1922

Something I mentioned in the last installment of “Lost, but Not Forgotten” was that in this period, a number of film artists in Hollywood were recognizing the true value of their work and going independent of the emergent studio system. Studio heads saw no problem in curtailing the creative freedom of their artists to further pad their overflowing wallets. For the founders of United Artists, the system was usually able to be bent in their favor, with their films getting wide releases with decent promotion budgets. For a number of other independent artists, the road was rockier as distributors and exhibitors were reluctant to offend the increasingly powerful studios. Nazimova was one of those who eventually ran out of funds to produce their own work. Valentino’s star rose precipitously after The Sheik (1921) and Blood and Sand (1922) was a massive box-office hit, but Valentino’s salary did not match that bankability. This financial dispute, complicated by negative press around his relationship with Rambova, left Valentino out of work in film for a year. In turn, Valentino and Rambova went on a dancing tour of the country, which raised her profile as a public figure while bolstering his star image despite not appearing in any new films.

Valentino and Rambova in a promotional photo for their dance tour

Unfortunately, crossing the studio system as they did resulted in a coordinated campaign to take them down a notch. Reading film magazines from the period will give you whiplash. Many of these magazines had established relationships with studios and ran news items in keeping with whatever narratives the studios wished to push. However, the stars and their managers (if they had them) had their own relationships with the magazines. So, occasionally, you’ll find items deriding Rambova as some kind of artsy-fartsy manipulative phony and then a profile piece of her or Valentino that’s sympathetic to their business woes. This is the period where the narrative emerges of Rambova as a calculating climber, using Valentino to build her own career. This talking point is often repeated today, despite the fact that Rambova had already been working on big productions for DeMille and Nazimova for years before meeting Valentino. While Rambova was certainly a key figure in developing Valentino’s star image, the plain facts make it apparent that they were working as a team—hardly abnormal. Unfortunately, neither member of said team had much in the way of business sense.

As I mentioned earlier, Rambova fashioned her life around her work. Something I didn’t mention earlier is that she was an heiress. At this point in her life, Rambova was determined to live off her own labour and not touch her inheritance. When they were battling the studios, the couple continued to not touch Rambova’s inheritance. And, both desperate to return to filmmaking, they were subject to the studio’s will. While their split is often framed as Rambova abandoning Valentino when she was denied the ability to control his career, a slightly different scenario emerges upon closer inspection. Both Valentino and Rambova were highly dedicated to their work and their work was intertwined with their relationship, a similar dynamic to Rambova’s relationship with Kosloff and later with her second husband Álvaro de Urzáiz, with whom she restored villas. With Urzáiz, their relationship degraded when they no longer had a shared project to work on. (In this case due to the Spanish Civil War.) It’s neither sensational nor romantic, but following Valentino’s reconciliation with Hollywood, after a few films, the pair was intentionally separated creatively. (This was at least partly due to the machinations of their new business manager, George Ullman, who we now know was manipulating Valentino’s finances after litigation regarding the disposition of Valentino’s estate.)

“What I desire personally is simply to be known for the work which I have always done, and that has brought me a reputation entirely independent of my marriage.”

—“Natacha Rambova Emerges” by Edwin Schallert, Picture Play Magazine, August 1925

Rambova worked on one film independently from Valentino before their divorce, What Price Beauty? (1925), starring mutual friend (for the moment) Nita Naldi. The film is now lost and its production and release seems awfully sus, so I hope to cover that for “Lost, but Not Forgotten” soon. Regardless of the film’s success or failure, the whole endeavor soured Rambova on Hollywood.

Nita Naldi in a promotional photo from What Price Beauty?

In her book about her life with Valentino, Rambova opined:

“Hollywood—all the joys of the petty community life of ‘Main Street’ with an additional coating of gold dust thrown in for good measure!… it is merely an imitation gilded hell of a make-believe realm. Nothing but sham—sham—and more sham. “Hollywood—one continuous struggle of nobodies to become somebodies, all pretending to be what they are not.”

Through their divorce and Valentino’s untimely death the year following, Rambova never stopped working. Rambova operated boutiques selling her original designs in New York and then in France. Around this same time Rambova also got more deeply involved in spiritualism. In an odd move, she published Rudy with the final third of the book “dictated” by Valentino’s spirit. I won’t say that I don’t find that pretty distasteful, but having read the book, it reveals two key things: Rambova’s genuine affection for Valentino, patronizing as it may be, and a sincere belief in the spiritualism movement that she and her mother had been drawn into. There have been critics who have framed the book as some sort of cash-in or vengeful act against Valentino for excluding her from his will, but the facts do not support that. Rambova, to reiterate, was an heiress who did not need to work for a living. She also states directly that it is Rambova’s spiritual leader who encouraged her to publish the book as a way to promote spiritualism. That’s not necessarily any better than the false narrative, but the truth has value (and is more interesting in this case!)

In the 1930s, Rambova relocated to Spain where she finally began using that inheritance to develop rental properties on Mallorca with her aristocrat husband. If you know anything about 20th century European history, you may know what happened next. Urzáiz joined the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, and despite her abiding fear of Communists, Rambova stuck around in Spain for as long as she could before fleeing to France. Of course, it wasn’t long before the Nazi Germany invaded France, so Rambova relocated back to the United States.

During her time abroad, Rambova’s preoccupation with symbology was reignited by a trip to Egypt. This sparked the next big passion of her life, which she would pursue for over two decades: Egyptology.

Rambova in Egypt

Rambova became a writer, researcher, and lecturer on symbolism and cosmology in Ancient Egypt (as well as spiritualism). Much of Rambova’s work was done in collaboration with Alexandre Piankoff and the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo (IFAO). With various grants, Rambova travelled to Egypt to document important sites, via photography and illustration. Rambova also used much of her inheritance to source objects from Egypt, which she donated to museums and universities in the US. (There’s a huge discussion about that to be had, which, as an archivist myself, I am drawn to explore. But, it falls outside the purview of this blog, so it’ll have to stay a discussion for another time and place.) These collections are still accessible to researchers and the public today. Rambova continued this work until her death in the 1960s.

Without doubt there are meaningful reasons to criticise Rambova and her work. Some of her design work is appropriative at best, overtly racist at worst. She had ignorant and arrogant attitudes toward class politics bred from her uber-privileged upbringing, which occasionally bled into her work and interfered with her ability to collaborate with other artists. She definitely lacked the social skills and business sense that were very necessary for artists working in a mass-media format like film. It’s typical, but disappointing still, that so much effort has been put into demonizing Rambova for reasons that were either completely fabricated, or rooted solely in the fact that she was a woman who knew her value, but by society’s standards, didn’t know her place. All that said, maybe we are due to spend a bit more time as film enthusiasts genuinely engaging with the art Rambova created and recognizing how much of a force she was in standing up for artistry in the American film industry.

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

Postscript: This piece was a monster, so excuse me for not diving into rumours about Rambova’s potential queerness, as it eventually fell out of the scope of the essay. But, for those in the know: my personal take is that she likely was queer, though probably not romantically entwined with Nazimova, but maybe with Fredova. I also think her marriage with Valentino was not lavender. And, even if Rambova wasn’t queer, I appreciate what a keen collaborator she was with queer colleagues and what a good friend she apparently was to queer people in her social circles and her family, despite how often her detractors would try to use accusations of lesbianism as a weapon against her. IMO if someone were of weaker character, those types of aspersions would have driven a wedge between the object and their friends and colleagues.

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Madam Valentino: The Many Lives of Natacha Rambova by Michael Morris

Rudy: An Intimate Portrait of Rudolph Valentino by His Wife Natacha Rambova

Valentino As I Knew Him by George Ullman

Picture Play Magazine, August 1925

Photoplay Magazine, December 1922

Mythological Papyri – Texts by Alexandre Piankoff & Natacha Rambova

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peterlorrefanpage · 9 months ago

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Peter Lorre in musical/noir "Casbah" (1948)

"It gave him a new dimension to expand his own acting career."

Peter Lorre as Detective Slimane with Tony Martin as Pépé le Moko (also, wouldn't this be great as a paper doll set?)

Peter looking devilishly divine with that little whippy stick of his that I am 100% normal about...

Such a dear face:

LOTS more under the cut!

Believing Lorre a “dyed-in-the-wool good actor,” Tony Martin, who independently produced Casbah with Nat C. Goldstone, gave the actor room to rework his dialogue: “The night before, when he would get the script, he’d say, ‘I’d like to make this or that change.’ And he’d do it.” Director John Berry likewise, in Martin’s words, “let Lorre have the strength” to carry out his own ideas. The actor welcomed the freedom as well as the opportunity to assume a more contemporary role. “I like the role I’m playing now,” [Lorre] told Martin, “because all I’m doing is being a pursuer.” Martin added that the role was also a challenge: “He loved it, being the great actor that he was. It gave him a new dimension to expand his own acting career and to get out of that Sydney Greenstreet thing he was in. . . . It caught him with a sense of humor and a tenderness. - From "The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre" by Stephen D. Youngkin

"Singing his way through a string of minor musical-comedies had not prepared Martin for a dramatic debut. He knew he needed help. Lorre cast a spell over the actor and then snapped his fingers: “In those days, the black and white pictures, the close-ups, he could hypnotize you, and he could lull you into a deep inner peace. "We'd do a take and I'd be rotten. He’d say, ‘You know, you’re the worst fucking actor I’ve ever seen.’ I’d say, ‘Really?’ He’d say, ‘Yes, nobody worse.’ And we’d start to laugh and the director would say, ‘Alright, let’s go,’ and I’d do a good scene. He had a way of putting me down. He had a psychological way. And we had dinner every night." - From "The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre" by Stephen D. Youngkin

With Thomas Gomez as Louvain:

With Yvonne De Carlo as Inez:

Joined by Märta Torén as Gaby:

With Märta Torén again (and guh, those eyes of his):

Alas, poor Pépé! (But oh, the beautiful brow of our Peter.)

From Ruth Waterbury’s review in the Los Angeles Examiner:

“Lorre as the Inspector who knows he is going to get his man Pepe is utterly wonderful. He’s lazy. He’s catlike. And smart out of this world. Lorre is so consistently good in every picture that they will probably forget his work in ‘Casbah’ when next year’s Academy nominations for ‘best supporting performance’ come around. But I hope they don’t. This smooth job belongs right up among the best.” -From "The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre" by Stephen D. Youngkin

Want to see it?

youtube

#peter lorre #the man is gorgeous #casbah #tony martin #peter lorre movies #peter lorre pictures

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oddvolumebookstore · 1 year ago

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Elizabeth Taylor (mass Market paperback) Ruth Waterbury (1982).

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princessgracekelly1956 · 7 years ago

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A Prince... Catches a Star By Ruth Waterbury (Photoplay - April 1956)

#Grace Kelly #Prince Rainier #Photoplay #Ruth Waterbury #1956 #April 1956 #magazine #Photoplay April 1956

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adrian-paul-botta · 5 years ago

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He has stayed in California ever since he returned from the war. His wife goes to New York every few months, Norman never. He once loved Broadway. His people, whose name is Kaiser, are still there. But he never goes back. So many of the boys I knew there have died,” he explains. “That keeps me away. It’s the only thing I can’t face in life—the thought of death. It’s uncomfortable and I love life too well.” He has one ambition. He wants to do a story of the Vikings discovering America. “They were great people,” he declares, “people full of enthusiasm, daring, and they were beautiful two-handed drinkers. I’d enjoy doing such a characterization, particularly the latter part.”

#norman kerry #lillian gish #Annie Laurie (1927) Lillian Gish and Norman Kerry #Photoplay #1927

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havekiddoswilltravel · 3 years ago

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It's a wrap and what a 3 day dance competition weekend it was. Kid 3 had a blast this morning and her large group ballet brought home the 1st place overall for the Doll Shop choreographed by Naomi Ruth Smith and also rehearsed by Cecilia. The Doll Shop had beautiful costumes and choreography and was so fun to watch. @evjenacademy @naomi.ruth.smith @cecilia.daviss #ballet (at Palace Theater - Waterbury, CT) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaNXiLpuQug/?utm_medium=tumblr

#ballet

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mrinalkantimajumder · 4 years ago

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JACOB KAINEN

On this day of 7th December, Jacob Kainen (December 7, 1909 – March 19, 2001) was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA.

He was a painter and printmaker. He is also known as an art historian, writing books on John Baptist Jackson and the etchings of Canaletto. In addition, Kainen was a collector of German Expressionist art, and he and his second wife, Ruth donated a collection of this work to the National Gallery of Art.

He was the second of three sons born to Russian immigrants, Kainen grew up in a family that appreciated culture and talent. Even at age ten, Kainen was eager to study masterworks, including clippings of art reproductions from The Jewish Daily Forward in his scrapbooks. When the family shifted to New York, Kainen's budding passion advanced with trips to The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Public Library. Poetry and literature became major components of his artistic study during high school. When Kainen graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School at sixteen, he was too young to be admitted to the Pratt Institute.

Kainen was finally granted admittance to Pratt in the fall of 1927. Though Kainen had a deep interest and appreciation for the old masters during this period of his life, he quickly found the Pratt curriculum backward, too anti-modernist, and dogmatic. Upon entering school his portraits and color choices remained warm in tone, but as he progressed they became brighter and more reminiscent of Cézanne's palette. In Kainen's final year of school, Pratt instituted a curriculum that focused more on commercial art and commercialized drawing styles. This catalyzed Kainen into a rebellion that resulted in his expulsion from the institute three weeks before graduation.

After his expulsion, Kainen sought out other avant-garde artists in the city, especially those who shared his institutional disdain. It led him to begin to engage with the emotive palette and gestures of German Expressionism and the social awareness and ferocity of social realism. He became a part of the New York Group, "interested in those aspects of contemporary life which reflect the deepest feelings of the people; their poverty, their surroundings, their desire for peace, their fight for life.”. His expressionist and social leanings began to definitively merge in the mid-1930s in works such as Tenement Fire (1934) and The Flood (1936).

Kainen also frequented cafeterias that had become the places where urban artists met to debate and develop ideas, both social and aesthetic. Kainen and Arshile Gorky became acquainted during a particular exchange in which they both defended the importance of copying masterworks and admitted to lurking in museums. Kainen was an active participant in the WPA's graphic arts program during the second half of the decade, but he eventually parted with the aesthetics of social realism in favor of abstraction. Yet his work would never lose its humanism or its concern for history: "However abstract the forms and colors seem, they should somehow give off an aura of human experience.” When opportunities in New York for work with the WPA ran low, Kainen moved to Washington, DC, in 1942.

Jacob Kainen died in his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, at the age of 91 as he was preparing to go to his studio to paint. He was the father of mathematician Paul Kainen and inventor Daniel Kainen.

#jacob kainen #famous artists #master painter #art history #anniversary of artists #impressionism

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whereareroo · 4 years ago

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SAINTLY CONSIDERATIONS

WF THOUGHTS (10/31/20).

For reasons that I will explain below, today is a big deal. I'm not talking about Halloween, although my topic is coincidentally related to Halloween.

My topic today is sainthood. Do you understand sainthood? Do you want to be a saint? Can you be a saint? Let's dive in!

I'll be reviewing sainthood from a Catholic perspective. Other Christian religions hold similar views.

What does it mean to be a saint? That's a good place to start. The answer is simple. A saint, and here the lower case "s" is very important, is anyone who is in heaven. Yes, everyone who makes it to heaven is a saint.

Do you see the immediate problem? We don't know who is in heaven. Experts say that more than 100 billion people have lived over the course of human history. That means that there are billions and billions of saints. There is no list for us to look at. We each may have our own beliefs about deceased relatives or friends, but there is no way to prove or confirm their sainthood.

For good reason, centuries ago, the leaders of The Church decided that it would be good to officially designate certain deceased holy people as "Saints." Note the upper case "S." Saints with an upper case "S" have been officially designated as Saints by The Church. In essence, The Church is declaring that these people are certainly in heaven. Thus, the list of Saints is a partial list of the population of heaven. Are you with me so far?

The Church is two thousand years old. Over that long history, the accepted methods for declaring a Saint have varied. Over significant portions of that long history, record keeping was poor or nonexistent. Thus, we don't know how many Saints there are. I've seen estimates as low as 2,500 and as high as 10,000. If you'd like to undertake a big research project, feel free to compile a comprehensive list of the Saints.

We're fairly certain about the identity of Saints declared after the year 1170. Up until 1170, Saints could be declared by Bishops. That created chaos. In 1170, the Pope (Alexander III) decreed that only a Pope can designate a Saint. That stopped the chaos and streamlined the record keeping.

How do Popes decide who to designate as a Saint? That's easy. This is The Church. There are rules. Strict rules. Although they have been tweaked a few times, the rules have generally remained unchanged since the year 1200. The latest "tweaking" occurred in 1983.

So what are the rules? How does the process work? Think about the verification process for the Guinness Book of World Records, and add massive amounts of steroids. Let me give you the basics.

You don't become a Saint quickly. The process can take decades or centuries. There are several steps. Along the way, different honorary titles are bestowed upon the candidate. The best way to understand the process is to focus on the titles.

The entire process is called "canonization." Successful candidates for Sainthood are added to the official "canon," or list, of Saints.

Canonization starts when a local Bishop decides that a deceased holy person from his jurisdiction might be eligible for Sainthood. That Bishop, assisted by a committee appointed by that Bishop, launches an exhaustive investigation into the candidate. It's very rare for a candidate to survive the investigation. Sainthood is reserved for extraordinary people who have a verifiable track record. If the local Bishop decides that he has found an extraordinary person with a verifiable track record, he closes the investigation and bestows the title "Servant of God" upon the candidate. That's the first title bestowed in the canonization process. The investigation materials on the "Servant of God" are sent to Rome.

In Rome, at The Vatican, there is an investigative body called the "Congregation for the Causes of the Saints." Its job is to start from scratch and do a ruthless investigation into the candidacy of the Servant of God. A team is appointed to argue in favor of the candidacy. A team is appointed to argue against the candidacy. It is very difficult to survive the investigation. If the Servant of God survives the scrutiny, they receive the new title of "Venerable." That means that the person has been found to be a holy person worthy of great respect and reverence within The Church. Becoming "Venerable" does not mean that the candidate will become a Saint. It simply means that the candidate has survived another step in the process. It's a big deal for a candidate to be declared Venerable. Word spreads throughout The Church. In prayer, people begin to ask the Venerable (sort of a semi-Saint) to intercede on their behalf with God.

The next step is normally very, very slow. The Church sits and waits for a sign from God. What kind of sign? A miracle! If a miracle attributable to the Venerable can be verified, The Church assumes that God wants the candidate to continue towards Sainthood. Most of these miracles involve a total cure of a terminal illness after people prayed to the Venerable for the cure. There is a team at The Vatican that rigorously investigates possible miracles, and that team includes dozens of the top doctors in the world. Miracles are rarely verified. The rules are very strict for a miracle to be verified as part of the canonization process. There must be verification that the patient had a condition with no known cure. There must be proof that prayers were directed to the Venerable. There must be a rapid and complete cure that lasts a number of years. A team of doctors must affirm that there was no natural explanation for the cure. The standards are very, very rigorous. If the candidate is one of the very few who survives these rigors, he or she is entitled to "Beatification." Beatification is an official statement from The Church that it is "worthy of belief" that the candidate is in heaven. The "proof" is the miracle, which is assumed to be a sign that the person is with God in heaven. Of course, Beatification comes with a new title. The potential Saint is now referred to as "Blessed," as in Blessed Antonio or Blessed Alexandra. Are you still with me? The person isn't a Saint yet.

This brings us to the final step. It's another difficult step.There must be proof of another miracle after the candidate becomes "Blessed." The same rigorous standards apply. The verification might take several decades or more. Sometimes, there is no second miracle. If a second miracle is verified, the Blessed is "canonized" and is given the precious title of "Saint." The granting of that title is the official announcement that the person is definitely in heaven with God. The ordeal is over. The new Saint is assigned a Feast Day that, every year, is celebrated on The Church calendar.

Let's do a quick review, in order, of the relevant titles on the path to Sainthood: Servant of God; Venerable; Blessed; Saint. Got it?

What does any of this have to do with October 31, 2020? I'll tell you. It's an interesting story.

In 1852, in a humble Connecticut town called Waterbury, the first child was born to Irish immigrant parents. His name was Michael Joseph McGivney. His parents would have 12 more children.

When he was 16, McGivney entered the seminary and began studies to become a priest. When he was 20, his father died and he had to leave the seminary to help raise his siblings. Without the wages of his father, his family was destitute. He ultimately returned to the seminary and became a priest, in 1877, when he was 25.

The young Father McGivney was assigned to St. Mary's parish in New Haven, Connecticut. From his own life experience, McGivney understood the suffering caused by the death of father in a large family. Determined to address that problem, at his church he formed a Catholic men's organization and named it the Knights of Columbus. The small group of men began meeting in 1882. With a portion of the dues paid by members, McGivney bought life insurance to protect the wives and children of the members. The $1,000 death benefit was a hugh boost to unfortunate families. The Knights also did charitable work in their community, particularly in the area of providing services to widows and children.

On an individual basis, in addition to his work with the Knights of Columbus, Father McGivney made extraordinary efforts to provide for the spiritual, emotional, and financial needs of folks in his community. He was a local hero.

Before long, the Knights of Columbus spread all over the world. Hundreds of churches started chapters, which are called "Councils." The growing size and wealth of the organization, which is still headquartered in New Haven, allowed for enhanced life insurance programs and wide reaching charitable work. Men were proud to be a member of the Knights of Columbus. My father was a Knight. At least three of my uncles were Knights. Babe Ruth was a Knight. Other Knights included: JFK and his brother Ted; Florida Governor and presidential candidate Jeb Bush; Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito; Speaker of the House John Boehner; and football coach Vince Lombardi.

The Knights of Columbus grew into a massive organization. Today, all over the world, there are 2 million members. It is the biggest Catholic organization in the world. It runs it's own life insurance company, and that company is one of the largest in the world. It supports Catholic causes all over the world, including assistance to poor families and immigrants, refugee support, school support, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, emergency relief at disaster locations, employment services, blood drives, and numerous other efforts. When The Church wants something done, she calls on the Knights of Columbus.

In addition to starting the Knights of Columbus, Father McGivney became a role model for other priests and for Catholic men. His priesthood was not contained by the walls of a church building. In his view, being a good Catholic meant working in the community. In his view, a good Catholic was required to attend to the needs of the less fortunate. He was an inspiration to many Catholics. Sadly, he died in 1890 at the age of 38. He was killed by the Russian flu, which was a form of Coronavirus that swept through Connecticut.

Father McGivney was not forgotten. He became a legend. In 1982, as the Knights of Columbus was celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Bishop in Connecticut started the long process towards Sainthood for Father McGiveny. Do you see where I'm going here?

Here's how the process has unfolded thus far for Father McGivney:

▪In 1997, after 15 years of work, the Bishop in Connecticut completed his investigation and declared McGivney a "Servant of God." The case then moved to Rome for further investigation and study.

▪In 2008, The Church bestowed the title of "Venerable" upon McGivney. As you remember, that means that he was deemed a holy person worthy of special respect and reverence. His quest towards Sainthood was allowed to continue to the next step.

▪Today is October 31, 2020. It's a huge day. A few months ago, after reviewing the investigative materials from the rigorous examiners, the Pope confirmed a miracle attributable to McGivney. Today, at the Cathedral in Connecticut, McGivney was Beatified. He is now know as Blessed Michael J. McGivney. He's one step away from Sainthood. Wow!

Sainthood for McGivney would be a really, really big deal. He wasn't a Cardinal. He wasn't a Bishop. He was a lowly parish priest. He is the first American parish priest to get this close to Sainthood. I hope he is the first American parish priest to become a Saint. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I know that you're all asking: "What was the miracle?" I'll tell you in a minute. A quick diversion is necessary.

After McGivney was declared "Venerable" in 2008, The Church investigated two potential miracles that may have been attributable to him. The Church rejected both claims. The standards are very, very tough.

The third try was the charm. In 2014, a Tennessee couple became pregnant with their 13th child. Early tests revealed that the baby had Down Syndrome. A few weeks after that diagnosis, the couple was told that the baby also had an extremely severe case of a condition known as fetal hydrops. They were told that there was no chance that the baby would survive through the fourth month of the pregnancy.

The husband was a Knight, and when this terrible news arrived the couple was about to go on a tour of Shrines that was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. They decided to go on the tour to ask Father McGivney to facilitate a miracle. Other Knights on the trip, and their families, also prayed to McGivney for a miracle. Word spread, and Knights all over America were praying to Father McGivney.

When the couple returned from their pilgrimage, they went for additional tests. The fatal condition had totally disappeared. There was no medical explanation for the cure. No doctor had ever seen such a sudden, and complete, disappearance of extremely severe fetal hydrops.

The child, named Michael in honor of McGivney, is now 5. Except for his Down Syndrome, he is totally healthy.

Despite the circumstances, the investigative tribunal had doubts about the miracle. One of their concerns was that the baby was born with Down Syndrome. Why wasn't that cured too? When asked about that issue, the parents had an amazing answer. They said that they never prayed for a resolution of the Down Syndrome condition, and that they asked others to ignore that issue too. They focused exclusively on the fatal condition. If God wanted them to have a child with Down Syndrome, they were ready to accept that. They just wanted their baby to live! Ultimately, the tribunal verified the miracle and the Pope agreed.

Do you need further proof? Michael was born on May 15th, the same day that the first Knights of Columbus council was chartered in New Haven. The name of Michael's mother is Michelle, and she has the same birthday as Father McGivney. Michael has 12 siblings, and Father McGivney had 12 siblings. All coincidences, or Devine Intercession? You decide.

As of today, Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney is one miracle away from becoming a Saint. If you need a miracle, or are aware of anybody who needs a miracle, it couldn't hurt to send a few prayers his way. He's a proud Irishman. I'm sure he'd get a big kick out of making it to the big list.

Here's another interesting, and final, tidbit. On the calendar of The Church, tomorrow (November 1st.) is All Saints Day. In the old days, it was called All Hallows' Day. It is the Feast Day to honor officially recognized Saints as well as the billions of unknown saints. Halloween is related to All Saints Day. In the old days, Halloween was known as "All Hallows' Eve" or "All Saints Eve." Isn't it strange that Father Mcgivney's Beatification is taking place on Halloween?

Tonight, during trick-or-treating, be smart if you are visited by a person wearing a Knight costume. Be generous. It could be Father McGivney. If you can, give him a Tootsie Roll. The Knights of Columbus love Tootsie Rolls. (Every year they distribute Tootsie Rolls outside churches as part of their fundraiser to support mentally disabled children.) Happy Halloween.

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victoriajustice11 · 6 years ago

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Summer movie preview: List of summer movies - Waterbury Republican American http://bit.ly/2Vh78xy Summer movie preview: List of summer movies Waterbury Republican American

Here's a list of almost every movie coming out this summer, and the scheduled release date, which is subject to change. This weekend. Ask Dr. Ruth.

May 05, 2019 at 01:03AM

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vintagenames · 8 years ago

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Children’s Literature Names

Master List - Sorted by Name

(will continue to add)

Adam Ladd (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Agatha Trunchball (Matilda) Alec McGrath (The Penderwicks) Alexander (Babar) Alice (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) Alice (The Boxcar Children) Alice Beverly (The Children of the New Forest) Alicia Jones (Malory Towers) Alison O’Sullivan (St. Clare’s) Alma Pudden (St. Clare’s) Almanzo Wilder (Little House on the Prairie) Amelia Bedelia (Amelia Bedelia) Amy March (Little Women) Andy (The Boxcar Children) Angela Favorleigh (St. Clare’s) Angeline Fowl (Artemis Fowl) Anna (The Penderwicks) Anne (Madeline) Anne (The Famous Fave) Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) Anne-Marie (St. Clare’s) Annie Smith (The Magic Tree House) Anselmo (Inkheart Trilogy) Anthea (Five Children and It) Antoinette (St. Clare’s) Aranea (Charlotte's Web) Aravis (The Chronicles of Narnia, HaHB) Archibald Craven (The Secret Garden) Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl) Arthur (Babar) Arthur Slugworth (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Asher (The Giver) Aslan (The Chronicles of Narnia) Augustus Gloop (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Avery (Charlotte's Web) Babar (Babar) Badou (Babar) Barbara Banks (Mary Poppins) Basta (Inkheart Trilogy) Batty (Elizabeth) Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Beatrice Day-Kemp (Ramona) Becky (A Little Princess) Becky Thatcher (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Beezus (Beatrice) Ann Quimby (Ramona) Benjamin (The Tale of Peter Rabbit) Benjamin Cordyce/Alden (The Boxcar Children) Bert (Mary Poppins) Bess Farland (Swallows and Amazons) Bessie / Beth (The Faraway Tree) Beth March (Little Women) Betsey (Elizabeth) Warrington Ray (Betsey-Tacy) Betty (Malory Towers) Bill (Swallows and Amazons) Billy (Swallows and Amazons) Bo (Bonifazius) (The Thief Lord) Bob (Robert) Quimby (Ramona) Bob Ray (Betsey-Tacy) Boq (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Bree (The Chronicles of Narnia, HaHB) Brenda Tifton (The Penderwicks) Brianna (Inkheart Trilogy) Bridget “Vicky“ Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Bruce Bogtrotter (Matilda) Cagney (The Penderwicks) Calvin O’Keefe (A Wrinkle in Time) Capricorn (Inkheart Trilogy) Carlotta Brown (St. Clare’s) Caroline Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) Carrie Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, PC) Cedric Errol (Little Lord Fauntleroy) Celeste (Babar) Charles Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) Charles Wallace Murry (A Wrinkle in Time) Charlie Bucket (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Charlotte (Charlotte's Web) Chloe (Madeline) Christopher Robin (Winnie-the-Pooh) Claire Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Clara (Heidi) Clara (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King) Claudine (St. Clare’s) Colin Craven (The Secret Garden) Coraline Jones (Coraline) Cornelius (Babar) Cosimo (Inkheart Trilogy) Cyril (Five Children and It) Daisy (Swallows and Amazons) Daisy Kidd (Ramona) Danielle (Madeline) Danny (Ramona) Daphne (Malory Towers) Darius (Inkheart Trilogy) Darrell Rivers (f) (Malory Towers) Davy (Ramona) Dee (Swallows and Amazons) Dennys Murry (A Wrinkle in Time) Despina (Inkheart Trilogy) Dexter Dupree (The Penderwicks) Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables) Dick (The Famous Fave) Dick / Rick (The Faraway Tree) Dick Callum (Swallows and Amazons) Dickon Sowerby (The Secret Garden) Digory Kirke (The Chronicles of Narnia, MN) Don (Swallows and Amazons) Doria (Inkheart Trilogy) Doris Elward (St. Clare’s) Dorothea Callum (Swallows and Amazons) Dorothy Gale (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Dorothy Quimby (Ramona) Dum (Swallows and Amazons) Edith Beverly (The Children of the New Forest) Edith Zuckerman (Charlotte's Web) Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia, LWW) Edward Beverly (The Children of the New Forest) Elinor Loredan (Inkheart Trilogy) Elizabeth Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Ellie (Madeline) Eloise (Eloise) Elsie “Catty“ Fanshawe (St. Clare’s) Em (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Emily Montrose (The Swiss Family Robinson) Emma Jane Perkins (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Erica (St. Clare’s) Ermengarde (A Little Princess) Ernest Robinson (The Swiss Family Robinson) Ernesto “Barbarossa“ (The Thief Lord) Esther Hartlieb (The Thief Lord) Etienne (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Eustace Scrubb (The Chronicles of Narnia, VDT) Fanny / Frannie (The Faraway Tree) Farid (Inkheart Trilogy) Fenoglio (Inkheart Trilogy) Ferdinand (The Story of Ferdinand) Fern (Charlotte's Web) Fiona (The Giver) Flora (Babar) Francis Robinson (The Swiss Family Robinson) Franny Block (Because of Winn-Dixie) Fritz Robinson (The Swiss Family Robinson) Fulvio (Inkheart Trilogy) Gabriel (The Giver) Genevieve (Madeline) George (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) George (Curious George) George Banks (Mary Poppins) Georges Méliès (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Georgina (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Georgina “George“ (The Famous Fave) Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables) Gladys(St. Clare’s) Glinda (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Gloria Dump (Because of Winn-Dixie) Gwendoline “Gwen“ (Malory Towers) Gwin (Inkheart Trilogy) Harold (Harold and the Purple Crayon) Harry (The Penderwicks) Heidi (Heidi) Henry (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Henry Fussy (Charlotte's Web) Henry Huggins (Ramona) Henry James Cordyce/Alden (The Boxcar Children) Hilary Wentworth (St. Clare’s) Hilary “the Lamb“ (Five Children and It) Hobart Kemp (Ramona) Holly Short (Artemis Fowl) Homer Zuckerman (Charlotte's Web) Howie Kemp (Ramona) Huckleberry Finn (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Hugo Cabret (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Humphrey Beverly (The Children of the New Forest) Iantha Aaronson Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Ida Spavento (The Thief Lord) India Opal “Opal“ Buloni (Because of Winn-Dixie) Isabel O’Sullivan (St. Clare’s) Isabelle (Babar) Isabelle (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Ivo (Inkheart Trilogy) Jack Robinson (The Swiss Family Robinson) Jack Smith (The Magic Tree House) Jacky Warriner (Swallows and Amazons) Jacob (The Children of the New Forest) Jadis (The Chronicles of Narnia) James (James and the Giant Peach) James Henry Cordyce/Alden (The Boxcar Children) James Turner (Swallows and Amazons) Jane (Five Children and It) Jane (The Boxcar Children) Jane Andrews (Anne of Green Gables) Jane Banks (Mary Poppins) Jane Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Jane Sawyer (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Janet Robins (St. Clare’s) Janine (Madeline) Jeanne (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Jeffrey Tifton (The Penderwicks) Jenny (Jennifer) Honey (Matilda) Jeremiah Cobb (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Jeremy Kidd (Ramona) Jessie (Jessica) Cordyce/Alden (The Boxcar Children) Jill Pole (The Chronicles of Narnia, SC) Jim Brading (Swallows and Amazons) Jim Hawkins (Treasure Island) Jim Woodall (Swallows and Amazons) Jo (Josephine) March (Little Women) Jo (m) / Joe (The Faraway Tree) Joan Terry (St. Clare’s) Joe (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Joe (Swallows and Amazons) Joe (The Boxcar Children) Joe Harper (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Joe Willard (Betsey-Tacy) John Banks (Mary Poppins) John Carter (The Boxcar Children) John Darling (Peter and Wendy) John Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Jonas (The Giver) Josephine (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Josephine (The Tale of Peter Rabbit) Joy (Charlotte's Web) Jule Ray (Betsey-Tacy) Julia Ray (Betsey-Tacy) Julian (The Famous Fave) Juliet Butler (Artemis Fowl) Julius Root (Artemis Fowl) Kathleen (The Magic Tree House) Kitty Flaherty (St. Clare’s) Klaus Beaudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) Larissa (The Giver) Laura Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) Laurie (Theodore) Laurence (Little Women) Lavender (Matilda) Lavinia (A Little Princess) Lazaro (Inkheart Trilogy) Leopold (Madeline) Lily (The Giver) Lottie (A Little Princess) Lucy Oriell (St. Clare’s) Lucy Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia, LWW) Lulu (Babar) Lulu (Madeline) Lurvy (Charlotte's Web) Madeline Fogg (Madeline) Margaret Ray (Betsey-Tacy) Margery Fenworthy (St. Clare’s) Marie (The Nutcracker and the Mouse King) Marilla Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables) Martha Sowerby (The Secret Garden) Martin Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Mary (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Mary Amelia Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) Mary Darling (Peter and Wendy) Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden) Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins) Mary Swainson (Swallows and Amazons) Mary Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Mary-Lou (Malory Towers) Massimo (The Thief Lord) Matilda (Nurse Matilda) Matilda Wormwood (Matilda) Matthew Cuthbert (Anne of Green Gables) Max (Where the Wild Things Are) Meg March (Little Women) Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time) Meggie Folchart (Inkheart Trilogy) Merlin (The Magic Tree House) Michael Banks (Mary Poppins) Michael Darling (Peter and Wendy) Mike (The Boxcar Children) Mike Teavee (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Minerva (Inkheart Trilogy) Mirabel (St. Clare’s) Miranda Sawyer (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Mo (Mortimer) Folchart (Inkheart Trilogy) Molly (Mary) Blackett (Swallows and Amazons) Monique (Madeline) Morgan Le Fay (The Magic Tree House) Mortola (Inkheart Trilogy) Mosca (The Thief Lord) Mowgli (The Jungle Book) Nancy (Oliver Twist) Nancy (Pollyanna) Nancy (Ruth) Blackett (Swallows and Amazons) Nell Farland (Swallows and Amazons) Nellie (Charlotte's Web) Nicole (Madeline) Nona (Madeline) Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events) Oliver Twist (Oliver Twist) Orpheus (Inkheart Trilogy) Otis (Because of Winn-Dixie) Pablo (The Children of the New Forest) Patience (The Children of the New Forest) Patricia “Pat“ O’Sullivan (St. Clare’s) Paula (Inkheart Trilogy) Peggy (Margaret) Blackett (Swallows and Amazons) Pepito (Madeline) Pete (Swallows and Amazons) Peter (Heidi) Peter (The Tale of Peter Rabbit) Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy) Peter Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia, LWW) Peter Waterbury (The Railway Children) Phyllis Waterbury (The Railway Children) Pippo (Inkheart Trilogy) Polly (Pollyanna) Polly (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Polly Plummer (The Chronicles of Narnia, MN) Pollyanna Whittier (Pollyanna) Pom (Babar) Pompadour (Babar) Priscilla Parsons (St. Clare’s) Prosper (The Thief Lord) Rachel Lynde (Anne of Green Gables) Ramona Geraldine Quimby (Ramona) Rebecca Rowena Randall (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Rene Tabard (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) Renzo (The Thief Lord) Resa (Teresa) Folchart (Inkheart Trilogy) Ribsy (Ramona) Riccio (The Thief Lord) Rico (Inkheart Trilogy) Rillian (The Chronicles of Narnia, SC) Robert (Five Children and It) Roberta Day Quimby (Ramona) Roberta Waterbury (The Railway Children) Roberta “Bobby“ Ellis (St. Clare’s) Robin Tyson (Swallows and Amazons) Roger Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Rosalind Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Rosanna (Inkheart Trilogy) Rose Maylie (Oliver Twist) Roxane (Inkheart Trilogy) Ruby Gillis (Anne of Green Gables) Sally Hope (Malory Towers) Sandy Murry (A Wrinkle in Time) Sara Crewe (A Little Princess) Sarah Cobb (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm) Scipio Massimo / Fortunato (The Thief Lord) Shasta / Cor (The Chronicles of Narnia, HaHB) Sid (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Silas (Swallows and Amazons) Skye Penderwick (The Penderwicks) Soo Lee (The Boxcar Children) Sophie (The BFG) Sunny Beaudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) Susan Kushner (Ramona) Susan Penvensie (The Chronicles of Narnia, LWW) Susan Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Sylvie (Madeline) Tacy (Anastacia) (Betsey-Tacy) Ted Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Teddy (The Magic Tree House) Tempelton (Charlotte’s Web) Tessie (St. Clare’s) Tib (Thelma) Miller (Betsey-Tacy) Tiger Lily (Peter and Wendy) Timmy (The Famous Fave) Timothy Stedding (Swallows and Amazons) Tirian (The Chronicles of Narnia, LB) Titty Walker (Swallows and Amazons) Tom Dudgeon (Swallows and Amazons) Tom Sawyer (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) Tommy Geiger (The Penderwicks) Tumnus (The Chronicles of Narnia, LWW) Turron Asabere (The Penderwicks) Veruca Salt (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Victor (Babar) Victor Getz (The Thief Lord) Violante (Inkheart Trilogy) Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events) Violet Beauregarde (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Violet Cordyce/Alden (The Boxcar Children) Wendy Moira Angela Darling (Peter and Wendy) Wespe (Caterina) Grimani (The Thief Lord) Wilbur (Charlotte's Web) Willa Jean Kemp (Ramona) Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Winifred Banks (Mary Poppins) Winifred James (St. Clare’s) Winn-Dixie (Because of Winn-Dixie) Winnie (Winnie-the-Pooh) Wybie Lovat (Coraline) Yvette (Madeline) Zephir (Babar) Zinnia Wormwood (Matilda)

#baby names #girls names #boys names #literature names #childrens literature names #lists #long list #master list

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