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paralleljulieverse · 2 years ago

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70th anniversary of Jack and the Beanstalk Coventry Hippodrome, 164 performances (23 December 1952 - 28 March 1953)

This week marks the 70th anniversary of a milestone event in the juvenile career of Julie Andrews: the opening of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Coventry Hippodrome on 23 December 1952. It would be Julie’s fourth annual pantomime, following Humpty Dumpty (1948), Red Riding Hood (1950) and Aladdin (1951).

That Jack and the Beanstalk was a provincial production -- rather than a West End show -- could be misconstrued as a career comedown for the young star. After all, twelve months earlier she was principal girl in Aladdin at the London Casino and the following year she would headline the 1953 production of Cinderella at the London Palladium. But an appearance at the Coventry Hippodrome was no small affair.

The Showplace of the Midlands

Dubbed “The Showplace of the Midlands”, the Hippodrome was an ultra-modern Art Deco entertainment palace lovingly built and managed by automobile industry baron cum entertainment impresario, Sam Newsome. With a massive 2000-seat auditorium, multi-levelled foyers and bars, twelve dressing rooms and its own broadcasting studio, the Hippodrome occupied over one and a quarter acres in the heart of Coventry. It was the biggest and most up-to-date theatre in the country -- and it quickly established itself as the foremost Midlands venue for touring dates, attracting a stream of headline acts and hosting regular seasons from major companies including The D'Oyly Carte Opera and Sadler’s Wells Opera (Newman 1995).

The Coventry Hippodrome was especially celebrated for its spectacular Christmas pantomimes. Newsome took “personal pride and delight in his pantomimes” and ensured they “possessed a thoroughly exclusive quality” that distinguished them from run-of-the-mill seasonal fare (Stephens 1965, 6). Planning for each year’s panto would start months in advance with generous budgets, top-notch creative talent, high production values, and big star names.

It was a calculated business strategy on Newsome’s part. Not only would each Christmas panto be an assured money-earner for his theatre, but, once it had debuted in Coventry, it would subsequently be re-mounted -- using the same scripts, sets, costumes and, sometimes, cast members -- in other theatres. It was not uncommon for a different Newsome pantomime to be playing simultaneously in five or six theatres around the country (Auty, 20; Newman, 77). In the case of Jack and the Beanstalk, for example, Newsome would re-stage the show repeatedly over ensuing years including runs at the Dudley Hippodrome in 1953/54; the Derby Hippodrome in 55/56; the Swansea Empire in 56/57; the Brighton Hippodrome in 57/58 and the Bradford Alhambra in 59/60 (The Stage).

Launching Jack and the Beanstalk

In early 1952, Newsome announced that his next Christmas pantomime at the Coventry Hippodrome would be an “entirely new and magnificent production” of Jack and the Beanstalk, a popular source for pantos since the early-19th century and a sure-fire crowd pleaser. A “firm believer in maintaining the well-loved traditional features of Pantomime”, Newsome’s production of Jack adhered faithfully to the plot of the well-known fairy tale about the adventurous village lad turned Giantslayer, but with lashings of pantomime essentials of music, spectacle, comedy and dance. (Newsome: 1).

Overseeing the production and taking on directorial duties was Laurence Green, something of a right-hand man for Newsome throughout this era. The book was developed by the celebrated lyricist team, Barbara Gordon and Basil Thomas, who were also Newsome panto regulars. Other key members of the production team included costume designer, Michael Bronze, and set designers, Josef Carl and Tod Kingman, who created a series of impressive backdrops and props including a giant hand that in one scene whisked Julie aloft into the theatre fly tower (Foxon: 6; Whetsone: 3). In terms of music and dance, there were seventeen full musical numbers with a mix of classics, pop standards, and bespoke compositions, all arranged and orchestrated by the Hippodrome’s longtime music director, W.E. Pethers. Celebrated choreographer, Pauline Grant was commissioned to develop several dance routines including an Act 1 closing ballet sequence and a grand finale parade.*

As always, one of the most important elements in the show was its roster of on-stage talent. And for Jack and the Beanstalk, Newsome assembled a star-studded line-up from the fields of theatre, variety, film, and dance. To optimise marketing potential, the principal cast was announced in June, a full six months before the show was set to open. Julie was cast in the principal girl role of Princess Bettina, alongside Joan Mann as Jack; Eddie Henderson as Dame Durden; and, the undoubted comic star of the show, Norman Wisdom as Simple Simon (‘Norman Wisdom to star’: 6).

Stories and profiles about the stars were fed in regular instalments to the local and regional press, ensuring continued exposure and boosting public anticipation (’Pantomime Star’: 4; ‘Julie is so determined’: 6). Julie even made a ‘surprise’ PR visit to Coventry in the first week of November to join the theatre’s special Birthday Show (‘Behind the footlights’: 9). The star-driven marketing paid off handsomely with brisk ticket sales. By early-December, a quarter of a millions seats had been booked -- a theatre record -- and the run was extended from 12 to 14 weeks (’Quarter of a million...”: 4).

The Singing Princess

Though she would be second fiddle to the show’s top billed player, Norman Wisdom, Julie was an important drawcard for Jack and the Beanstalk. Much was made of her youth and the fact that, at just seventeen, she was the youngest principal girl ever to appear in a Newsome pantomime (’Pantomime Star’: 4; ‘Julie is so determined’: 6).

And, as John Cottrell (1968) notes, “[f]or the first time in her life she was treated like a star” (62). She was given one of the theatre’s best dressing rooms with its own private bathroom -- and Newsome made sure that it was decked out with fresh flowers each week, even during rehearsals (Andrews: 146; Cottrell: 61).

Julie also commanded a star-like fee, securing a contract for a whopping £250 per week, reported to be an era record for a pantomime principal girl (Cottrell: 61). It was a burst of newfound wealth that allowed the young star to buy her first car -- which she dubbed ‘Bettina” in honour of the character she played in the show -- and assume control from her parents of the mortgage on ‘The Old Meuse’, the family home in Walton (Andrews: 147).

As Princess Bettina, the object of Jack’s affection who is rescued by the young hero and united with him in the mandatory happily-ever-after finale, Julie had one of her biggest stage roles to date. Combining moments of royal pageantry, abduction and imprisonment, thrilling rescue, and budding romance, the script afforded an opportunity for the young actress to flex her growing dramatic talents.

Needless to say, Jack and the Beanstalk also showcased Julie’s most famous asset: her voice. She was given six full musical numbers in the show -- four solos and two duets -- comprised of:

‘If You Feel Like Singing’: This popular Warren-Gordon song had only recently been introduced in the 1950 MGM film, Summer Stock, where it was performed by Judy Garland (Larkin 1992). In the show, Julie sings the number in Scene 1 as her character is wandering alone in the forest and is spied by Jack who instantly falls in love wth her. With its lyrical ode to expressive singing and repetitive tra-la-las, the song would have provided a perfect showcase for Julie’s brand of light coloratura trilling.

‘Am I in Love’: Another newly-minted Hollywood number, this Oscar-nominated song by Jack Brooks was first performed by Bob Hope and Jane Russell in the 1952 Paramount release, Son of Paleface (Benjamin and Rosenblatt 1993). In the show, Julie sings it in Act 1 as a duet with Jack (Joan Mann) and reprises it again a few scenes later as a solo.

‘You Made Me Love You’: This well-known pop standard by Monaco and McCarthy was first performed by Al Jolson in 1913. It quickly became an international hit and part of the Great American Songbook, covered by a wide variety of famous vocalists including Jeanette MacDonald, Bing Crosby, Doris Day and, in a slightly revised version, Judy Garland in The Broadway Melody of 1938 (Whitburn 1986). In the show, Julie sings it in Act 1 as a duet with Norman Wisdom in the comic star role of Jack’s bumbling younger brother.

‘Yesterdays’: This classic ode to lost loves from the 1933 Kern and Harbach musical Roberta has been performed by many singers over the years including Irene Dunne, Mario Lanza, Barbra Streisand and Kiri Te Kanawa (Larkin 1992). One can only imagine how lovely Julie’s version would have been, sung as the imprisoned Princess pines for her home at the start of Act 2.

‘The Belle of the Ball’: Written in traditional Viennese style, this bouncy LeRoy Anderson waltz was introduced in 1951 and quickly became a light classical standard that has been played over the years by countless pop orchestras and school bands. It also has a lesser known sung version with lyrics by Mitchell Parish (Whorf 2012). It is that version that Julie performed in the show as her final solo. Hippodrome music director W.E. Pethers clearly liked LeRoy Anderson because Jack and the Beanstalk featured another of the composer’s orchestral works, ‘The Syncopated Clock’, used for the opening dance in Act 2.

‘You Belong to Me’: This romantic ballad was another newly-minted hit in 1952. First recorded by Joni James, it was made famous by Jo Stafford in a chart-topping single that became an international sensation. With its lilting melody and evocative opening lyric -- “See the pyramids along the Nile...” -- it became one the era’s most popular love songs and was recorded by many of the biggest vocalists of the 1950s such as Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Page, Dean Martin and, in the UK, Alma Cogan (Larkin 1992). The song was used in Jack and the Beanstalk as the final love duet between Jack and Princess Bettina.

A Who’s Who of Jack and the Beanstalk

Alongside our Julie, other key talents involved in the cast of Jack and the Beanstalk included:

Norman Wisdom as Simple Simon: The beloved 'sentimental clown’ of British theatre, film and television, Wisdom shot to meteoric fame in the late-40s and early-50s with an appealing brand of character-based physical comedy. Sporting a trademark crumpled suit and upturned tweed flatcap, he crafted an endearing persona nicknamed "The Gump," a well-meaning, bumbling Everyman who failed at everything but won hearts in the process. A talented musician and vocalist, Wisdom included songs as a central part of his act which he would use to great effect in accentuating the warm-hearted pathos of his comedy (Bullar and Evans: 186). As with many stage performers of the era, Wisdom made frequent forays into pantomime, starting with a well-received debut in Robinson Crusoe at the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham in in 1948/49. By the time of Jack and the Beanstalk, Wisdom was a major star and the show gave him free rein in several set pieces including five songs, three of which he wrote himself. In his memoirs, Wisdom (2002) fondly recalled his time in the show, making special mention of Julie who, he writes, “had a freshness about her that was totally captivating” (181). Following Jack, Wisdom went on to an even bigger career in film with a string of hit comedies for Rank that saw him become one of the most popular stars of British cinema of the 50s and early-60s. Though his style of sentimental slapstick would fall out of fashion, Wisdom remained a much-loved national icon. In recognition of his contributions to British cultural life, he was knighted by the Queen in 2000. He passed away in 2010 at the grand age of 95 (’Sir Norman Wisdom’: 29).

Eddie Henderson as Dame Durden: Though he is little remembered today, Scots-born Henderson was a popular figure of mid-century British theatre and variety. A self-taught dancer and comic actor, Henderson had a diverse career that stretched across music hall, cabaret and ‘legitimate theatre’. In the inter-war years, he toured widely in revues and productions around the UK and abroad. He played opposite a young Ronald Colman and even co-wrote a play with Reginald Furdell (Ashley: 2). Henderson was especially renowned as an accomplished panto Dame. He played a long line of comic Dames from the 1930s into the early-60s, earning him the soubriquet “Queen of Dames” (Durbridge: 5). Jack and the Beanstalk would be the first of several pantomimes that Henderson would do for Newsome during the 1950s, before retiring in the early-60s.

Joan Mann as Jack: Welsh-born Mann trained as a dancer and started touring the variety circuit in her teens where she appeared on bills with stars including Max Miller and Tommy Trinder. A tall attractive brunette with a pleasant voice and shapely dancer’s legs, Mann was a perfect pantomime boy. She played in top pantos in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Liverpool, before making her Coventry debut in Jack and the Beanstalk. Julie relates in her memoirs that she and Mann roomed together during the run of Jack and, despite a 15-year age difference, they became firm friends. Mann would re-team with Julie in 1953 as part of the musical revue, ‘Cap and Belles’ (Andrews: 146). Mann’s greatest fame came as part of the celebrated Fols-de-Rols variety troupe with whom she performed for almost two decades. She also starred opposite Dame Anna Neagle in the hit West End musical, Charlie Girl in the late-1960s. Mann died in 2007 aged 87 (P.N.: 53).

Finlay Brothers as Rack and Ruin (The Broker’s Men): One of the many novelty acts popular in mid-century variety, the Finlay Brothers started as a comic musical trio in the late-30s. Billed as “the English replies to the American Marx Brothers”, they blended song, dance, slapstick, sketch comedy and vocal impressions into a fast-paced routine (’What’s On’: 10). When one of the brothers called it quits following the war, Jack and Herbie Finlay continued as a duo, using a classic straight man/clown pairing. One brother would try to sing and act dramatically but the other would forever interrupt with ludicrous gestures and facial expressions, setting the scene for a manic spectacle of physical comedy. It played well in the era and, come Christmastime, the Finlay Brothers would be in demand as comic supports for panto. In Jack and the Beanstalk, they played the comic duo part of the Chancellor’s bumbling officials with much opportunity for audience-pleasing slapstick. The Finlay Brothers continued variety touring and Christmas pantos into the late-50s before retiring (’Pantos last’: 4).

The Four Fredianis as the Giant’s Acrobats: Part of a multigenerational lineage of Italian circus performers dating back to the 17th century, the Four Fredianis was a family group of acrobats comprised of father, Giovanni, and his three sons, Rolando, Guglielmo, and Bruno (Cochran: 38). Giovanni had grown up performing in his own father’s circus troupe in Europe before branching out on his own. He settled in the UK where the Four Fredianis moved from circus work into the more stable and lucrative field of variety and theatre. In fact, the Fredianis shared an earlier variety bill with Julie as part of the Look In revue which toured through the spring of 1952 (‘At the Theatre: 4). In Jack and the Beanstalk, they were cast as ‘The Giant’s Acrobats’ encountered by Jack on his way to the Giant’s castle, but their role was essentially to bring increased spectacle and physical excitement to the show’s proceedings.

Gerald Cuff as King Hal: Playing the part of Princess Bettina’s ‘merry monarch’ father, Gerald Cuff started his career in repertory where he performed for many years as part of the celebrated Derek Salberg Company in Wolverhampton (’Personality’: 13). During out-of-season spells he would appear frequently in pantos, many of them for Sam Newsome. In fact, he would reprise his role as King Hal in the Dudley Hippodrome season of Jack and the Beanstalk the following year (B.M.: 6). Cuff’s lasting claim to fame came in 1958 when he was cast as ‘The Bosun’ in the popular British TV series of Popeye (Ashley, R.: 20). In his spare time, Cuff was a publican in his hometown of Wolverhampton. He died in 1963 at the sadly young age of 58 (’Obituary’: 7).

Carole Greer as Fairy Goodheart: Trained as a ballet dancer from childhood, Scottish-born Greer started her theatrical career at age 16 when she first appeared in pantomime during school holidays. She then toured the variety circuit for a few years as part of a dance duo with Barrie Manning. Greer was subsequently championed by choreographer, Pauline Grant, who cast her as principal dancer is several shows, including Jack and the Beanstalk (Thespis: 9). She appeared for two seasons with the Gyndebourne Opera Company, including a tour of Germany (’Flying opera’: 5). She also performed in a few London shows, notably Fun and the Fair at the Palladium in 1953. Like others in the cast, Greer would reprise her role as Fairy Goodheart in the Dudley Hippodrome season of Jack and the Beanstalk the following year (B.M.: 6). Thereafter, the public trail for Greer grows cold. Like many women of that era, she may have married and changed her name and/or possibly retired from the stage.

Humphrey Kent as Giant Blunderbore: Born in Hertfordshire, Kent was a regular in regional theatre throughout the 40s and 50s. He had an early success as part of the cast of the touring production of Lesley Storm’s Great Day in the mid-40s. Thereafter he seemed to settle in to a steady stream of local productions with the occasional brief appearance in film and TV. He did some film voicework including working with Julie on the British dubbed version of the Italian animated feature, The Rose of Barghdad (1952) where he voiced the part of Tonko (’Rose’:43). A tall, well-built man with a booming voice, Humphrey was ideal for the part of the Giant, a role he would reprise several times over the years (’Panto Giant’: 9).

John C. Wright as Demon Discord: Born in Northampton, Wright studied at the Repertory Theatre where he appeared opposite Sonia Dresdel and Freda Jackson. A classically trained tenor, he performed widely in opera and musicals in the interwar years, including several seasons with the Carl Rosa and Sadler's Wells Opera Companies. After the war, Wright went on to become manager of the Sadler’s Wells Opera but continued to perform periodically in various theatre productions. He did some early TV work including an appearance in the the landmark serial, Quartermass Experiment (Foxon: 6). In Jack and the Beanstalk, he played the Giant’s malevolent henchman, the Demon Discord, a role he would recreate the following year at the Dudley Hippodrome (B.M.: 6). Wright died in 1963 at the age of 64 (’John Wright’: 21).

The Astaires as Ethel the Cow: No pantomime would be complete without a ‘skin’ role and in the case of Jack and the Beanstalk that is Dame Durden’s long-suffering cow. Variously named Daisy, Buttercup, Daffodil, Mabel or, as here, Ethel, the cow is an important part of the story and a source of competing comedy and pathos for the audience. Pulling it off while cloaked in a heavy costume and operating multiple parts is no mean feat. In the case of this production, the job fell to Jimmy and Ernie Astaire, two brothers from a family of entertainment troupers. Their father, George Astaire founded a stilt-walking puppet troupe, the Seven Gullivers, that toured the country and was especially popular as a novelty act in pantomime. After their father died, the sons continued the troupe while also branching out with their own novelty duo act whose showpiece would see them tap dance on stilts up and down a staircase. They even performed the act as part of the 1947 Royal Command Variety Show. The Astaires did double duties in Jack and The Beanstalk, playing both Ethel the Cow and also leading the Seven Gullivers troupe who played the part of the Giant’s Henchmen (’It’s Hard Work’: 5).

The Betty Fox Babes: One of many companies of dancing juveniles popular in the era, the Betty Fox Babes were products of the Betty Fox Stage School in Birmingham which was started in 1938 by -- you guessed -- Betty Fox (Norris: 29). The School grew to be one of the biggest in the Midlands and it would provide troupes of well-trained juvenile dancers for most of the area’s big theatres, especially for pantos (’The Babes’: 3). In 1988, on the occasion of the School’s 50th anniversary, it was claimed that the Betty Fox Babes had appeared in over 150 pantomimes (Norris: 29). In Jack and the Beanstalk, Fox provided a group of 12 ‘babes’ who performed in several of the show’s lavish dance sequences, both independently in the ‘Pantry Playtime’ sequence and alongside the show’s adult Corps de Ballet in the two big act-closing ballets choreographed by Pauline Grant.

Critical and Popular Reception

Jack and the Beanstalk was well received by audiences and critics alike. The following excerpts give a sense of the uniformly glowing notices earned by the show, with particular mention of Julie:

Coventry Evening Telegraph: “[T]he S.H. Newsome presentation, Jack and the Beanstalk, which began its run at Coventry Hippodrome last night, is...a huge parcel of enjoyment....There are jolly songs, lively dancing, and first-rate speciality acts. All this and Norman Wisdom, too...Then there is Julie Andrews, pretty, fine-voiced, 17 years old and already an experienced artist. A charming princess, she... never indulges in the tiresome tricks of some panto principals. She sings instead of cooing, smiles and looks straight instead of simpering. This is a pleasantly fresh interpretation of a role easily sugared into inanity" (Whetsone: 3).

Coventry Standard: "Jack and the Beanstalk...is the finest, most opulent and attractive spectacle in the series of “Newsome shows”...Norman Wisdom is a comedian of undoubted gifts and great personal charm [and] Julie Andrews sings most pleasingly and looks lovely” (J.T.: 7)

Birmingham Gazette: “It takes a true hero, too, to be worthy of Julie Andrews’s princess. Were she a classical ballerina, this pretty heroine could not set herself on such a pinnacle of remote and exquisite purity as she does in song. Her voice soars and sails, sweet or gay, into quite winning melody. She acts, too, with a clear-eyed simplicity” (Harvey: 5).

Evening Despatch: "Jack and the Beanstalk...is put on by Mr. S.H. Newsome with the customary lavishness. There are...a dashing Principal Boy in Joan Mann and a Principal Girl in Julie Andrews who has poise and assurance far beyond what might be expected in a 17-year-old” (Holbrook: 3).

The Stage: “Here is a pantomime to ‘bite’ on, and the traditional story line, without pantomime licence, is sufficient vehicle for a three-hour entertainment...Joan Mann’s principal boy is a tonic of gaiety and verve, and one is impressed by the sweet simplicity which Julie Andrews introduces into the part of Princess Bettina. Norman Wisdom...gain[s] the immediate sympathy and clamour of the audience” (’Christmas Shows’: 11).

Jack and the Beanstalk was equally popular with audiences. When the 14-week season ended on 28 March 1953 after 164 performances, Jack and the Beanstalk had broken every previous pantomime record at the Coventry Hippodrome. It had sold close to 300,000 tickets and attracted theatregoers from across the Midlands and as far afield as London. Taking to the stage on closing night, Sam Newsome thanked “this brilliant company who have given us a great deal of talent, enthusiasm, team-work and zest” (’Pantomime sets’: 3).

Notes:

* As an aside, Jack and the Beanstalk would be the start of two important relationships for Pauline Grant: with Julie -- who would become a frequent professional collaborator throughout the 50s and a lifelong friend -- and with Sam Newsome who Grant would end up marrying a few years later (Andrews: 146).

References:

Andrews, Julie (2008). Home: A memoir of my early years. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Ashley, Lewis (1939). ‘Lewis Ashley’s pageant.’ Sunday Sun. 24 December: 2.

Ashley, Robbie (1961). ‘Full steam ahead for The Bosun.’ Sunday Mercury. 11 June: 20.

‘At the theatre: Song and story’ (1952). Evening Despatch. 1 April: 4

Auty, Donald. (2003). ‘Pantomimę profiles of times past.’ The Stage. 4 December: 20.

‘The babes are ready.’ (1953). Birmingham Gazette. 15 December: 3.

‘Behind the footlights: The party was a big success.’ (1952). Coventry Standard. 7 November: 9.

Benjamin, Ruth and Rosenblatt, Arthur (1993). Movie Song Catalog: Performers and Supporting Crew for the Songs Sung in 1460 Musical and Nonmusical Films, 1928-1988. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland Press.

B.M. ‘This week’s shows: Dudley Hippodrome.’ (1954). Birmingham Weekly Post. 1 January: 6.

Bullar, Guy R. and Evans, Len (1950). Who’s Who in Variety. London: The Performer Ltd.

‘Christmas shows.’ (1953). The Stage. 1 January: 10-11.

Cochran, Charles B. (1945). Showman Looks On. London: J.M. Dent & Sons.

Cottrell, John (1968). Julie Andrews: The Story of a Star. London: Arthur Barker.

Derby and Joan (1958). ‘She faces Derby Panto challenge.’ Derby Evening Telegraph, 12 December: 3.

Durbridge, Frances (1958). ‘Derby’s pantomime is spectacular “Queen of Hearts”’. Derby Evening Telegraph. 20 November: 5.

‘Flying opera.’ (1954). The Yorkshire Observer. 23 September: 5.

Foxon, Ellen (1954). ‘Theatres and cinemas’. Birmingham Weekly Post. 29 January: 6.

Harvey, Brian. (1952). ‘Star comedians lead the “big three”.’ Birmingham Gazette. 27 December: 5.

Holbrook, Norman (1952). ‘Mr. Wisdom has punch and verve.’ Evening Despatch. 27 December: 3.

‘It’s hard work being Ethel the Cow.’ (1953). Coventry Evening Telegraph. 12 March: 5,

‘John Wright: obituary’. (1963). The Stage. 31 January: 21.

J.T. (1953). ‘A different basis in this year’s pantomime.’ Coventry Standard. 2 January: 7.

‘Julie is so determined.’ (1952). Daily Herald. 28 November: 6.

Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1992). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. London: Omnibus Press.

Newman, Michael J. (1995). The Golden Years: the Hippodrome Theatre Coventry. Whittlebury: Baron Birch.

Newsome, S.J. (1952). Pantomime Parade. Birmingham: Parkes & Mainwarings Ltd.

‘Norman Wisdom to star in next pantomime: Jack and the Beanstalk.’ (1952). Coventry Evening Telegraph. 27 June: 6.

Norris, Fred. (1988). ‘Birthday bash for Betty’s Babes.’ Birmingham Evening Mail. 18 March: 29.

‘Obituary: Mr. Gerald Cuff’ (1963). The Birmingham Post. 26 April: 7.

‘Panto giant will be a nice one.’ (1952). Coventry Standard. 12 December: 9.

‘Pantomime sets new record.’ (1953). Coventry Evening Telegraph. 30 March: 3.

‘Pantomime stars’ (1952) Coventry Evening Telegraph. 8 July: 4.

‘Pantos last week.’ (1957). Daily Mail. 1 February: 4.

‘Personality: Derek Cuff.’ (1954). Walsall Observer. 5 February: 13.

P.N. (2007). ‘Obituary: Joan Mann’. The Stage. 6 December: 53.

’Quarter of a million seats sold for pantomime’. Coventry Evening Telegraph. 19 December: 4.

‘Rose of Baghdad.’ (1953). Photoplay. January: 43.

‘Sir Norman Wisdom: Master of slapstick who became Britain’s most successful screen comic after Charlie Chaplin.’ (2010). Daily Telegraph. 6 October: 29.

Stephens, Frances (1965). ‘Panto in the provinces’, Theatre World. 65(491): 4-6.

Thespis (1956). ‘Behind the footlights: Not the stars but full of ambitious talent.’ Coventry Standard. 24 February: 9.

‘What’s on next week.’ (1947). The Somerset Guardian. 2 May: 10.

Whetstone, K. (1952). ‘”Jack and the Beanstalk” has the modern touch.’ Coventry Evening Telegraph. 24 December: 3.

Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Madison, WI: Record Research Inc.

Whorf, Michael (2012). American Popular Song Lyricists: Oral Histories, 1920s-1960s. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland Press.

Wisdom, Norman (2002). My Turn: An Autobiography. London: Century Books.

#julie andrews #jack and the beanstalk #pantomime #theatre #British #coventry #coventry hippodrome #1950s #variety #music hall

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tophindinews · 1 year ago

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shinanemone · 2 years ago

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Indian VFX Outfit Basilic Fly Studios Launches Lightrunner Studios In The U.K.

CEO Balakrishnan said, "Lightrunner Studio will explore and embrace the latest approaches of vfx workflows and processes laser-focused on AI and machine learning." from Cartoon Brew https://ift.tt/srxYkoH

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nicefoodfornicefoodies · 2 years ago

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Indian VFX Outfit Basilic Fly Studios Launches Lightrunner Studios In The U.K.

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klqrambles · 2 years ago

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You can’t give us deaf Basil and not give us the piano scene >:( I crave cute piano vibes w Dorian

Basil puttered around the studio nervously, wringing his hands as he went. He’d already had Parker clean the room twice and gone back through himself three times and the tuner had come by earlier to declare the grand piano in perfect working order. The finish of the piano was smooth under his fingers, the corners gently beveled. Opening the key cover, he pressed one of the keys at random and felt the vibrations run through the whole piano. Humming in satisfaction, he closed the cover again.

Wandering another two laps around the room, he signed to himself, “what am I doing? Why am I nervous? There’s no reason to be nervous. He’s just playing piano. That’s all.”

Basil took a deep breath, smoothing down his jacket and vest. He saw the light next to the door flick on. Parker’s light. He hurried over to the studio door and opened it to reveal his butler Parker standing before him.

“One Dorian Gray is here to see you, sir,” Parker signed, “should I let him in?”

Basil shook his head, “I’ll do it. Please get us some brandy and wine.”

Parker bowed in acknowledgment, heading to the kitchen to do as was asked of him. Basil strode to the front door and opened it. A blast of pleasantly cool air hit Basil and in it he thought he could smell the first notes of spring. In front of him stood Dorian, just as well put together that day as he had been at the crush. The soft glow of the streetlight behind him paired with the light from the house made him seem almost ethereal in his beauty and Basil wanted nothing more than to capture this moment on paper and preserve it forever.

“May I come in?” Dorian asked with a smile, “it is unfortunately still a bit chilly outside.”

Basil nodded vigorously, signing small apologies he knew Dorian couldn’t understand as he let the man inside and closing the door behind them. Quickly but gently, he lead Dorian to the studio, settling him down in a seat and grabbing his notebook.

“—are quite lovely,” Dorian was saying when Basil turned around, “everything is placed so well, this truly is the studio of an artist.”

“Could you repeat that?”

Dorian read the notebook, eyes widening before falling to the floor, “sorry, I forgot.”

Basil wrote something else down before tapping Dorian on the shoulder. He looked up.

“It’s alright. I like to think I am good at hiding it. Have you seen the piano?”

Dorian’s eyes brightened, “may I—?”

Basil nodded, grinning as Dorian scrambled over to the piano. He ran his hands over the sides and cover, gently opening it to reveal the keys. His lips moved in murmur as he pressed a few of the keys. Within moments, he was moving in rapture, fingers flying across the keys with eyes closed. He was beautiful. Basil could think nothing else. Say nothing else. Because there was nothing else he could see.

Almost in a trance, he made his way over and placed a hand on the piano. And he could feel it. The melodies in Dorian’s fingers. His passion in the ebb and flow of the music. A look to the man behind these sensations and everything fell away. All there was was them and the music connecting them.

And suddenly the music was gone.

Dorian flushed a light pink, “I’m sorry, I lost myself. I should have asked what you want to, uh, feel first.”

Basil found himself signing without meaning to.

“What is…” Dorian mimicked the sign Basil was making.

Basil blushed, running to grab his notebook. He could lie, but Dorian didn’t deserve that. Besides, it was innocent, was it not? And the truth. Basil scribbled the word a bit more messily than he normally would, and handed it to Dorian.

“Beautiful.”

#klq answers #i could have added more but i thought this was a cute place to end :]#the picture of dorian gray #deaf basil au #klq dorian gray

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sunnysviolin · 3 years ago

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May I please have some sunburn or burnt sunflower headcanons

-🍎

Hi apple nonnie! I'm in a mood for some good ol fashioned Sunburn. I probably won't be writing any burnt sunflower because I see Basil and Aubrey as siblings more than anything I can't see them in a romantic sense, but I love me some Sunny/Aubrey! Here take some cuteness from future them. I write a lot about the immediate future but this is adult them

Aubrey and Sunny are the couple who have been together forever. Most of their friends don't even know them before they were 'SunnyAndAubrey'. It's pretty much just the hooligans and Hero, Kel, and Basil. Other than that everyone around them just sees them as a pair. That's mostly because Sunny is always going to be ridiculously quiet, so Aubrey does the majority of talking for the couple.

They got together sometime in their late teens, and never separated. They never had that typical break/get back together relationship, it would have been painful given their pasts. Aubrey still has some issues around feeling abandoned, and Sunny's years of seclusion still leave scars. Besides, they're both fairly blunt people, so any arguments they have are quickly resolved.

Sunny has gotten a little more outspoken in the years since his childhood, but not by much. He works as an illustrator for children's books, so he spends most of his time working silently up in his studio. When Aubrey gets home from her job she likes to lie on the couch they set up in the corner of his studio and tell him about her day. To the outside world it might seem like he's not paying attention, given that Sunny doesn't look up from his work or comment on her stories, but Aubrey knows how to look for the signs in him. A slight smile, a shift in his posture, they'e miniscule to everyone else, but they mean the world to her.

Sunny still gets nightmares. It's the price to pay for his wild imagination, sometimes it goes far off the tracks. Aubrey knows the truth about what happened to Mari, and she knows that Sunny isolated away from everyone for those four years, but he never told her about Headspace and Omori. Sometimes he will fly up in bed and be spouting nonsense about knives and darkness, and all she can do is rub his back and wait for his mind to stop racing long enough to remind him where he is.

She knows he's still hiding something from her, but she knows that whatever it is, he's talked to Kel about it. Aubrey tries not to be jealous, Kel is one of Sunny's best friends, but it's hard not to feel second rate when Kel knows this huge secret that she doesn't. It's cropped up in most of their fights, but Sunny still won't tell her.

I don't see Aubrey ever as the "marrying" type (She didn't exactly get any great examples of marriages around her) but I do think that it would be something both of their mothers pushed for. Aubrey hates that her mother pulls this hypocritical BS and acts like a parent when she's an adult, but she does care what Sunny's mother thinks of her, so it puts marriage back on the table. Sunny could go either way, he doesn't think it's necessary for them to be married, but if it will make Aubrey happy then they'll do it.

If they end up married they wouldn't have a wedding. It would be Aubrey's defiance of her mother and her meddling. They would get married at the court house by a justice of the peace, and (Because Hero begged for it) they would let him throw a modest party at his house for them. Just friends with a few gifts, nothing major. It's lowkey, which is perfect for both of them.

#so I always go back and look #And it turns out I haven't written any sunburn headcanons?#huh #Well here you go apple!#asks #anon #apple anon #🍎 anon #omori #omori headcanons #omori sunny #omori aubrey #sunburn #omori sunburn

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timeless-hollywood-classics · 4 years ago

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Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, and producer. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir with The Hitch-Hiker in 1953. Among her other directed films the best known are Not Wanted about unwed pregnancy (she took over for a sick director and refused directorial credit), Never Fear (1949) loosely based upon her own experiences battling paralyzing polio, Outrage (1950) one of the first films about rape, The Bigamist (1953) (which was named in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) and The Trouble with Angels (1966).

Throughout her 48-year career, she made acting appearances in 59 films and directed eight others, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. As an actress her best known films are The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) with Basil Rathbone, They Drive by Night (1940) with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart, High Sierra (1941) with Bogart, The Sea Wolf (1941) with Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield, Ladies in Retirement (1941) with Louis Hayward, Moontide (1942) with Jean Gabin, The Hard Way (1943), Deep Valley (1947) with Dane Clark, Road House (1948) with Cornel Wilde and Richard Widmark, While the City Sleeps (1956) with Dana Andrews and Vincent Price. and Junior Bonner (1972) with Steve McQueen.

She also directed more than 100 episodes of television productions in a variety of genres including westerns, supernatural tales, situation comedies, murder mysteries, and gangster stories. She was the only woman to direct an episode of the original The Twilight Zone series ("The Masks"), as well as the only director to have starred in an episode of the show ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine").

Lupino was born in Herne Hill, London, to actress Connie O'Shea (also known as Connie Emerald) and music hall comedian Stanley Lupino, a member of the theatrical Lupino family, which included Lupino Lane, a song-and-dance man. Her father, a top name in musical comedy in the UK and a member of a centuries-old theatrical dynasty dating back to Renaissance Italy, encouraged her to perform at an early age. He built a backyard theatre for Lupino and her sister Rita (1920–2016), who also became an actress and dancer. Lupino wrote her first play at age seven and toured with a travelling theatre company as a child. By the age of ten, Lupino had memorised the leading female roles in each of Shakespeare's plays. After her intense childhood training for stage plays, Ida's uncle Lupino Lane assisted her in moving towards film acting by getting her work as a background actress at British International Studios.

She wanted to be a writer, but in order to please her father, Lupino enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She excelled in a number of "bad girl" film roles, often playing prostitutes. Lupino did not enjoy being an actress and felt uncomfortable with many of the early roles she was given. She felt that she was pushed into the profession due to her family history.

Lupino worked as both a stage and screen actress. She first took to the stage in 1934 as the lead in The Pursuit of Happiness at the Paramount Studio Theatre.[10] Lupino made her first film appearance in The Love Race (1931) and the following year, aged 14, she worked under director Allan Dwan in Her First Affaire, in a role for which her mother had previously tested.[11] She played leading roles in five British films in 1933 at Warner Bros.' Teddington studios and for Julius Hagen at Twickenham, including The Ghost Camera with John Mills and I Lived with You with Ivor Novello.

Dubbed "the English Jean Harlow", she was discovered by Paramount in the 1933 film Money for Speed, playing a good girl/bad girl dual role. Lupino claimed the talent scouts saw her play only the sweet girl in the film and not the part of the prostitute, so she was asked to try out for the lead role in Alice in Wonderland (1933). When she arrived in Hollywood, the Paramount producers did not know what to make of their sultry potential leading lady, but she did get a five-year contract.

Lupino starred in over a dozen films in the mid-1930s, working with Columbia in a two-film deal, one of which, The Light That Failed (1939), was a role she acquired after running into the director's office unannounced, demanding an audition. After this breakthrough performance as a spiteful cockney model who torments Ronald Colman, she began to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. As a result, her parts improved during the 1940s, and she jokingly referred to herself as "the poor man's Bette Davis", taking the roles that Davis refused.

Mark Hellinger, associate producer at Warner Bros., was impressed by Lupino's performance in The Light That Failed, and hired her for the femme-fatale role in the Raoul Walsh-directed They Drive by Night (1940), opposite stars George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart. The film did well and the critical consensus was that Lupino stole the movie, particularly in her unhinged courtroom scene. Warner Bros. offered her a contract which she negotiated to include some freelance rights. She worked with Walsh and Bogart again in High Sierra (1941), where she impressed critic Bosley Crowther in her role as an "adoring moll".

Her performance in The Hard Way (1943) won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She starred in Pillow to Post (1945), which was her only comedic leading role. After the drama Deep Valley (1947) finished shooting, neither Warner Bros. nor Lupino moved to renew her contract and she left the studio in 1947. Although in demand throughout the 1940s, she arguably never became a major star although she often had top billing in her pictures, above actors such as Humphrey Bogart, and was repeatedly critically lauded for her realistic, direct acting style.

She often incurred the ire of studio boss Jack Warner by objecting to her casting, refusing poorly written roles that she felt were beneath her dignity as an actress, and making script revisions deemed unacceptable by the studio. As a result, she spent a great deal of her time at Warner Bros. suspended. In 1942, she rejected an offer to star with Ronald Reagan in Kings Row, and was immediately put on suspension at the studio. Eventually, a tentative rapprochement was brokered, but her relationship with the studio remained strained. In 1947, Lupino left Warner Brothers and appeared for 20th Century Fox as a nightclub singer in the film noir Road House, performing her musical numbers in the film. She starred in On Dangerous Ground in 1951, and may have taken on some of the directing tasks of the film while director Nicholas Ray was ill.

While on suspension, Lupino had ample time to observe filming and editing processes, and she became interested in directing. She described how bored she was on set while "someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work".

She and her husband Collier Young formed an independent company, The Filmakers, to produce, direct, and write low-budget, issue-oriented films. Her first directing job came unexpectedly in 1949 when director Elmer Clifton suffered a mild heart attack and was unable to finish Not Wanted, a film Lupino co-produced and co-wrote. Lupino stepped in to finish the film without taking directorial credit out of respect for Clifton. Although the film's subject of out-of-wedlock pregnancy was controversial, it received a vast amount of publicity, and she was invited to discuss the film with Eleanor Roosevelt on a national radio program.

Never Fear (1949), a film about polio (which she had personally experienced replete with paralysis at age 16), was her first director's credit. After producing four more films about social issues, including Outrage (1950), a film about rape (while this word is never used in the movie), Lupino directed her first hard-paced, all-male-cast film, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), making her the first woman to direct a film noir. The Filmakers went on to produce 12 feature films, six of which Lupino directed or co-directed, five of which she wrote or co-wrote, three of which she acted in, and one of which she co-produced.

Lupino once called herself a "bulldozer" to secure financing for her production company, but she referred to herself as "mother" while on set. On set, the back of her director's chair was labeled "Mother of Us All".[3] Her studio emphasized her femininity, often at the urging of Lupino herself. She credited her refusal to renew her contract with Warner Bros. under the pretenses of domesticity, claiming "I had decided that nothing lay ahead of me but the life of the neurotic star with no family and no home." She made a point to seem nonthreatening in a male-dominated environment, stating, "That's where being a man makes a great deal of difference. I don't suppose the men particularly care about leaving their wives and children. During the vacation period, the wife can always fly over and be with him. It's difficult for a wife to say to her husband, come sit on the set and watch."

Although directing became Lupino's passion, the drive for money kept her on camera, so she could acquire the funds to make her own productions. She became a wily low-budget filmmaker, reusing sets from other studio productions and talking her physician into appearing as a doctor in the delivery scene of Not Wanted. She used what is now called product placement, placing Coke, Cadillac, and other brands in her films, such as The Bigamist. She shot in public places to avoid set-rental costs and planned scenes in pre-production to avoid technical mistakes and retakes. She joked that if she had been the "poor man's Bette Davis" as an actress, she had now become the "poor man's Don Siegel" as a director.

The Filmakers production company closed shop in 1955, and Lupino turned almost immediately to television, directing episodes of more than thirty US TV series from 1956 through 1968. She also helmed a feature film in 1965 for the Catholic schoolgirl comedy The Trouble With Angels, starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell; this was Lupino's last theatrical film as a director. She continued acting as well, going on to a successful television career throughout the 1960s and '70s.

Lupino's career as a director continued through 1968. Her directing efforts during these years were almost exclusively for television productions such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun – Will Travel, Honey West, The Donna Reed Show, Gilligan's Island, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Sam Benedict, The Untouchables, Hong Kong, The Fugitive, and Bewitched.

After the demise of The Filmakers, Lupino continued working as an actress until the end of the 1970s, mainly in television. Lupino appeared in 19 episodes of Four Star Playhouse from 1952 to 1956, an endeavor involving partners Charles Boyer, Dick Powell and David Niven. From January 1957 to September 1958, Lupino starred with her then-husband Howard Duff in the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, in which the duo played husband-and-wife film stars named Howard Adams and Eve Drake, living in Beverly Hills, California.[22] Duff and Lupino also co-starred as themselves in 1959 in one of the 13 one-hour installments of The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and an episode of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show in 1960. Lupino guest-starred in numerous television shows, including The Ford Television Theatre (1954), Bonanza (1959), Burke's Law (1963–64), The Virginian (1963–65), Batman (1968), The Mod Squad (1969), Family Affair (1969–70), The Wild, Wild West (1969), Nanny and the Professor (1971), Columbo: Short Fuse (1972), Columbo: Swan Song (1974) in which she plays Johnny Cash's character's zealous wife, Barnaby Jones (1974), The Streets of San Francisco, Ellery Queen (1975), Police Woman (1975), and Charlie's Angels (1977). Her final acting appearance was in the 1979 film My Boys Are Good Boys.

Lupino has two distinctions with The Twilight Zone series, as the only woman to have directed an episode ("The Masks") and the only person to have worked as both actor for one episode ("The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine"), and director for another.

Lupino's Filmakers movies deal with unconventional and controversial subject matter that studio producers would not touch, including out-of-wedlock pregnancy, bigamy, and rape. She described her independent work as "films that had social significance and yet were entertainment ... base on true stories, things the public could understand because they had happened or been of news value." She focused on women's issues for many of her films and she liked strong characters, "[Not] women who have masculine qualities about them, but [a role] that has intestinal fortitude, some guts to it."

In the film The Bigamist, the two women characters represent the career woman and the homemaker. The title character is married to a woman (Joan Fontaine) who, unable to have children, has devoted her energy to her career. While on one of many business trips, he meets a waitress (Lupino) with whom he has a child, and then marries her.[25] Marsha Orgeron, in her book Hollywood Ambitions, describes these characters as "struggling to figure out their place in environments that mirror the social constraints that Lupino faced".[13] However, Donati, in his biography of Lupino, said "The solutions to the character's problems within the films were often conventional, even conservative, more reinforcing the 1950s' ideology than undercutting it."

Ahead of her time within the studio system, Lupino was intent on creating films that were rooted in reality. On Never Fear, Lupino said, "People are tired of having the wool pulled over their eyes. They pay out good money for their theatre tickets and they want something in return. They want realism. And you can't be realistic with the same glamorous mugs on the screen all the time."

Lupino's films are critical of many traditional social institutions, which reflect her contempt for the patriarchal structure that existed in Hollywood. Lupino rejected the commodification of female stars and as an actress, she resisted becoming an object of desire. She said in 1949, "Hollywood careers are perishable commodities", and sought to avoid such a fate for herself.

Ida Lupino was diagnosed with polio in 1934. The New York Times reported that the outbreak of polio within the Hollywood community was due to contaminated swimming pools. The disease severely affected her ability to work, and her contract with Paramount fell apart shortly after her diagnosis. Lupino recovered and eventually directed, produced, and wrote many films, including a film loosely based upon her travails with polio titled Never Fear in 1949, the first film that she was credited for directing (she had earlier stepped in for an ill director on Not Wanted and refused directorial credit out of respect for her colleague). Her experience with the disease gave Lupino the courage to focus on her intellectual abilities over simply her physical appearance. In an interview with Hollywood, Lupino said, "I realized that my life and my courage and my hopes did not lie in my body. If that body was paralyzed, my brain could still work industriously...If I weren't able to act, I would be able to write. Even if I weren't able to use a pencil or typewriter, I could dictate."[31] Film magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, such as The Hollywood Reporter and Motion Picture Daily, frequently published updates on her condition. Lupino worked for various non-profit organizations to help raise funds for polio research.

Lupino's interests outside the entertainment industry included writing short stories and children's books, and composing music. Her composition "Aladdin's Suite" was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937. She composed this piece while on bedrest due to polio in 1935.

She became an American citizen in June 1948 and a staunch Democrat who supported the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Lupino was Catholic.

Lupino died from a stroke while undergoing treatment for colon cancer in Los Angeles on 3 August 1995, at the age of 77. Her memoirs, Ida Lupino: Beyond the Camera, were edited after her death and published by Mary Ann Anderson.

Lupino learned filmmaking from everyone she observed on set, including William Ziegler, the cameraman for Not Wanted. When in preproduction on Never Fear, she conferred with Michael Gordon on directorial technique, organization, and plotting. Cinematographer Archie Stout said of Ms. Lupino, "Ida has more knowledge of camera angles and lenses than any director I've ever worked with, with the exception of Victor Fleming. She knows how a woman looks on the screen and what light that woman should have, probably better than I do." Lupino also worked with editor Stanford Tischler, who said of her, "She wasn't the kind of director who would shoot something, then hope any flaws could be fixed in the cutting room. The acting was always there, to her credit."

Author Ally Acker compares Lupino to pioneering silent-film director Lois Weber for their focus on controversial, socially relevant topics. With their ambiguous endings, Lupino's films never offered simple solutions for her troubled characters, and Acker finds parallels to her storytelling style in the work of the modern European "New Wave" directors, such as Margarethe von Trotta.

Ronnie Scheib, who issued a Kino release of three of Lupino's films, likens Lupino's themes and directorial style to directors Nicholas Ray, Sam Fuller, and Robert Aldrich, saying, "Lupino very much belongs to that generation of modernist filmmakers." On whether Lupino should be considered a feminist filmmaker, Scheib states, "I don't think Lupino was concerned with showing strong people, men or women. She often said that she was interested in lost, bewildered people, and I think she was talking about the postwar trauma of people who couldn't go home again."

Author Richard Koszarski noted Lupino's choice to play with gender roles regarding women's film stereotypes during the studio era: "Her films display the obsessions and consistencies of a true auteur... In her films The Bigamist and The Hitch-Hiker, Lupino was able to reduce the male to the same sort of dangerous, irrational force that women represented in most male-directed examples of Hollywood film noir."

Lupino did not openly consider herself a feminist, saying, "I had to do something to fill up my time between contracts. Keeping a feminine approach is vital — men hate bossy females ... Often I pretended to a cameraman to know less than I did. That way I got more cooperation." Village Voice writer Carrie Rickey, though, holds Lupino up as a model of modern feminist filmmaking: "Not only did Lupino take control of production, direction, and screenplay, but [also] each of her movies addresses the brutal repercussions of sexuality, independence and dependence."

By 1972, Lupino said she wished more women were hired as directors and producers in Hollywood, noting that only very powerful actresses or writers had the chance to work in the field. She directed or costarred a number of times with young, fellow British actresses on a similar journey of developing their American film careers like Hayley Mills and Pamela Franklin.

Actress Bea Arthur, best remembered for her work in Maude and The Golden Girls, was motivated to escape her stifling hometown by following in Lupino's footsteps and becoming an actress, saying, "My dream was to become a very small blonde movie star like Ida Lupino and those other women I saw up there on the screen during the Depression."

Lupino has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for contributions to the fields of television and film — located at 1724 Vine Street and 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.

New York Film Critics Circle Award - Best Actress, The Hard Way, 1943

Inaugural Saturn Award - Best Supporting Actress, The Devil's Rain, 1975

A Commemorative Blue Plaque is dedicated to Lupino and her father Stanley Lupino by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America and the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America at the house where she was born in Herne Hill, London, 16 February 2016

Composer Carla Bley paid tribute to Lupino with her jazz composition "Ida Lupino" in 1964.

The Hitch-Hiker was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1998 while Outrage was inducted in 2020.

#ida lupino #classic hollywood #classic movie stars #golden age of hollywood #old hollywood #1930s hollywood #1940s hollywood #1950s hollywood #1960s hollywood #1970s hollywood #hollywood legend

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buzzdixonwriter · 3 years ago

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The Purple Monster Strikes

Recently in an online discussion of 1950s sci-fi films, the old Republic serial The Purple Monster Strikes came up.

Why is came up I’ll mention later, but first let’s note it:

was made in 1945

was the last 15 chapter Republic serial

is awful

Not eyeball gouging / brain melting / soul scorching awful the way The Lost City or Gene Autry And The Phantom Empire or Captain Video are awful, but awful enough…

…yet at the same time, worthy of comment (as we’ll soon note).

1945 is a crucial year. Despite the Nazis last ditch Battle of the Bulge, WWII is clearly winding down to an Allied victory in both Europe and the Pacific.

American audiences feel tired of the war wand want something else in their entertainment, even low brow / low rent entertainment like movie serials.

Republic produced three serials that year: Federal Operator 99 proved surprisingly good, Manhunt Of Mystery Island (their next to last 15 chapter serial) tried some new ideas that while interesting didn’t prove interesting enough to be tried again, and The Purple Monster Strikes brought interplanetary thrills back to the theaters, only this time instead of visiting Mars, Mars (at least two of ‘em) came to Earth.

As noted in my overview of Federal Operator 99, Republic serials of that year looked…inexpensive.*

This is especially true of The Purple Monster Strikes which really needed a bigger budget, a better script, and adequate production time for the type of story it was trying to tell.

That story?

In a nutshell: The Purple Monster is a one-Martian invasion come to steal the secret of the “jet plane” (the script uses the term interchangeably with “rocketship”) from Earth and take it to Mars where it can be mass produced and used to attack our world (Why? WTF knows or cares?). To achieve this The Purple Monster bumps off the scientist in charge of the project, physically possesses his corpse by turning into a ghost-like entity, and tries to kill a nosy investigator and the late scientist’s niece. In the end The Purple Monster tries to escape Earth only to get blowed up real good (Did I mention this is silly, stooped, and trite? I did? Good).

So why am I interested in The Purple Monster Strikes? Well, for two reasons, the second and more important one we’ll save for the end, the first is that when watched with fully informed eyes, it’s a testament to the single greatest contribution the serials made to filmmaking: The production board.

Lemme ‘splain what that is.

In the old days of movie making it was a folder with slots for narrow strips of colored cardboard to be slid in. The strips were color coded for interior or exterior scenes, night or day, specific locations, second unit or special effects, etc.

These strips were grouped together on the production board so all the exterior day shots at one location could be filmed back-to-back, followed by all the night shots there before moving on to a new location.

The colored carboard strips were further broken down to match production numbers in the shooting script (“Scene 37: The bandits take the town��), key props and costumes, stunt work, but most importantly actors / characters in the scene.

You want all your most important / expensive / difficult stuff grouped together…but you also need to figure out what you didn’t need so you could pare down your budget.

For example, if you need someone to play a policeman in Scene 1 and in Scene 12 but those scenes are shot two seeks apart, maybe it’s cheaper to have two different actors playing two different policemen for one day each than keep one actor on call for two weeks.

Likewise, if you’ve got an actor in a key supporting role, put all his scenes together.

This necessitates shooting out of sequence, but shooting out of sequence is now pretty much the industry norm for any filmed or taped production.

The serials invented the production board and the rest of the industry speedily glommed onto it.

Once you know what to look for in The Purple Monster Strikes, you can pretty much break down which scenes were shot when.

Case in point: Masked heroes and villains aside, serial characters rarely change costume except to match stock footage from earlier productions. It’s not especially notable for male characters but females typically wear The Same Damn Dress in Every Damn Scene.

So when heroine Linda Sterling gets dunked in a water tank midway through The Purple Monster Strikes, you can bet that was her last day of filming since they were no longer worried about ruining her costume.

Likewise when a female reinforcement from Mars arrives, the exact same location right down to the same car parked in the same spot are used even though the female Martian doesn’t arrive until 2/3rds of the way into the story.

You wouldn’t notice this week to week in a movie theater, but they’re painfully obvious when bingewatching.

Case in point: There are never more than four characters onscreen at any time; this was all the production could afford on any given day. If a fifth character showed up, one of the others needed to be knocked unconscious (if they were lucky) shot and fall off camera (if they were unlucky), or disintegrated (if they were really unlucky).

For example, the hero and heroine could be talking to a scientist (day 1 / shot 1) when three baddies show up at the door (day 2 / shot 1). The first baddie shoots the scientist, who falls off camera then enters the frame and knocks out the heroine, who conveniently falls behind a counter (day 1 / shot 2). The other two baddies enter and a huge brawl erupts (day 2 / shot 2). The heroine revives (day 1 / shot 3) and shouts a warning at the hero. The hero blasts a minor baddie who falls off camera as the other two baddies flee the scene (day 2 / shot 3), then the heroine rejoins the hero (day 1 / shot 4).

Binge watching also reveals a lot of sets and props reused again and again. The same footstool is used as a weapon more than once, a prop valve in one chapter serves an entirely different function in another, and while serials frequently reused stock special effects shots, The Purple Monster Strikes doesn’t just use the same exploding car shot twice in the same serial, not just twice in the same chapter, but twice in the same car chase!

(Speaking of which, whenever they get in Linda Sterling’s car you know the odds are 50-50 it’s going off a cliff in a big flaming fireball. The Purple Monster Strikes has her going through so many identical make automobiles you’d think she owned stock in a car dealership.)

Anybody familiar with Republic serials is going to find a lot of reused sets and props here. Having seen Manhunt Of Mystery Island recently, I immediately recognized their ubiquitous warehouse set, the Republic Studios loading dock doubles as two different factory exteriors, and having lived in Chatsworth several years I can practically name each and every rock in the exterior scenes.**

On the plus side, bonus points for some impressive looking props, including a rocket test engine that provides the explosive cliffhanger for the first chapter, a double-barrel disintegrator that looks like a giant set of binoculars (I wonder if it was originally a military surplus training aid), and a spaceship seen under construction for most of the serial that proves to be the most striking design the redoubtable Lydecker brothers ever created (a pity it’s glimpsed only briefly before being blown up in the last chapter; Republic should have reused it for their later sci-fi serials instead of the dull unimaginative designs they went with).

Fun factoid: Mi amigo Donald F. Glut, filmmaker / NYTimes bestselling author / film historian, knew The Purple Monster hizzownsef, Roy Barcroft, and reports Barcroft had the wardrobe department sew a secret pocket in his costume for his cigarettes!

Speaking of Barcroft, he’s the best thing in this serial and he ain’t that good. A perennial bad guy in serials and B-Westerns, he normally turned in a satisfying performance, but the script for The Purple Monster Strikes gives him nothing to work with.

I mentioned previously how Federal Operator 99’s script works more often than not and gives its characters something the actors can work with, but The Purple Monster Strikes? Nada.

Every line is a clunky flat declarative sentence exposition dump of the “I’ll take this strange medallion we discovered to Harvey the metallurgist to analyze” variety.

Even Linda Sterling can’t do anything with this though she tries to find an appropriate facial expression for whatever scene she’s thrown in.

As for nominal star Dennis Moore, I won’t say he’s wooden but in one of the innumerable fight scenes Barcroft hurls a coatrack at him and for that brief moment the coatrack delivers a far more memorable performance.

Sidebar on the fight scenes: They are choreographed expertly, among some of the best Republic ever staged, but directors Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon -- both serial veterans who could do much, much better -- really dropped the ball in shooting them. They’re shot almost entirely in wide angle longshots using slightly sped up photography instead of intercutting to keep the pacing fast.

The rest of the cast consists mostly of stuntmen carefully enunciating their one line before the fists start flying, or older male actors who deliver surprisingly good performances compared to everyone else.

But that script -- oh, lordie, that script! This was made in 1945 and they’ve got a damn organ grinder in it! Organ grinders vanished from the public sphere with the damn of movies; by the 1940s they were found only in comic books and animated cartoons; in other words, kid stuff.***

It’s clear the writers on The Purple Monster Strikes (Royal Cole, Albert DeMond, Basil Dickey, Lynn Perkins, Joseph Poland, and Barney Sarecky) considered this mere juvenile pablum, not worthy of even the smattering of sophistication they sprinkled on Federal Operator 99.

An adult can watch Federal Operator 99 and at least feel the story makes some kind of sense and the characters, however imperfectly enacted, at least offer adult motives and behaviors, but The Purple Monster Strikes is just insulting to the intelligence (I mean, they call the female Martian invader Marsha. Seriously?).

Okay, so why do I think this is worth writing about?

Because The Purple Monster Strikes is the bridge between WWII and the Cold War.

Most of the major tropes of 1950s sci-fi are reactions to Cold War anxieties, and those anxieties are transplanted WWII anxieties.

Before WWII, American moneyed interests waged a relentless PR campaign against communism, socialism, and labor unions (sound familiar?).

Forced to make peace with the Soviets during WWII, these moneyed interests -- now heavily invested in what Dwight D. Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex -- bit their lips as US pop culture portrayed the Russians as gallant allies against fascism (and they were; credit where credit is due).

As soon as the war ended, however, and in fact, even a little before the end (see The Best Years Of Our Lives; great movie), they were already recasting the Russians as treacherous authoritarian atheists out to conquer the world.

As noted earlier, American audiences felt weary of a relentless diet of war related entertainment and in the waning days of the war turned eagerly to non-war related stories.

Likewise studios, not wanting to get caught with rapidly dating WWII related material nobody wanted to see began actively developing different kinds of stories.

After four years of intense anxiety, the country needed to come down but couldn’t go cold turkey. Science fiction (and hardboiled mysteries and spy thrillers) provided safe decompression.

1945 marks a significant sea change in Republic serial production. Sci-fi would become a more predominant theme, infiltrating other genres such as the ever popular masked mastermind (viz. The Crimson Ghost).

Federal Operator 99 would be the last highwater mark for more plausible serial stories, but crime and undercover espionage remained serial staples to the bitter end.

Only Manhunt Of Mystery Island seemed a misfire and even in that case it only meant the masked mastermind returned to more traditional origins instead of the inventive backstory created for Captain Mephisto.

What The Purple Monster Strikes did was take a very familiar set of WWII cliches and stereotypes then recast them in a (relatively) safe science fictional context.

The closest prototype to The Purple Monster Strikes is Republic’s G-Men Vs. The Black Dragon, as racially offensive as you could hope to imagine, and turn the inscrutable “yellow” villains into malevolent purple ones (later green when colorization was added).

By making the literally other worldly alien the “other”, 1950s sci-fi sidestepped the worst implications of their own themes:

Invasion

Subversion

Fifth columns

Loss of soul / identity / individuality (personified in bodily possession by alien intellects)

Paranoia

The Purple Monster Strikes lacks the wit and wherewithal to fully exploit these ideas, but it sure could hold them up for everyone to get a quick glimpse.

As childish and as inane as the plot may be, by the end when hero and heroine realize there is literally no one they can trust, The Purple Monster Strikes dropped a depth charge into preteen psyches fated to go off six years later with the arrival of The Thing From Another World and countless other sci-fi films and TV episodes afterwards.

Did The Purple Monster Strikes create this trend? No, of course not – but as Stephen King pointed out in Danse Macabre regarding the incredibly inane The Horror Of Party Beach’s selection of nuclear waste dumping as their raison d'être for their monsters:

“I’m sure it was one of the least important points in their preproduction discussions and for that reason it becomes very important.”

King’s point is by not giving the matter much thought, The Horror Of Party Beach’s producers simply tapped into a subconscious gestalt already running through the culture and said, “Yeah, nuclear waste, wuddup widdat?”

Likewise, The Purple Monster Strikes’ producers / directors / writers didn’t sit themselves down to analyze Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four but rather picked up on the forever war current already moving through the American body politic.

War without end, war without ceasing.

And if we can’t define an enemy by name or place, so much the better! The war on crime, the war on poverty, the war on drugs…

The war on terror.

The forever war thrives on the faceless unknowable enemy with the unknown but clearly malevolent anti-American agenda.

“Them”…against…U.S.

As an artistic achievement, The Purple Monster Strikes is sadly lacking in nearly all aspects, but as a cultural artifact, it’s still a clear warning.

Only not about “them” but about…us.

* read “cheap”

** Republic’s low budget backed them into an overlapping series of sci-fi serials, loosely referred to as the Rocket Man / Martian invasion serials by fans. The Purple Monster Strikes’ costume was reused for Flying Disc Man From Mars (which featured a semi-circular flying wing already featured in Spy Smasher and King Of The Mounties) and again for Zombies Of The Stratosphere, but between those two serials the wholly unrelated King Of The Rocket Men was released. Zombies… is a sequel to both Flying Disc Man… and King Of The Rocket Men but Radar Men From The Moon introduces a new character -- Commando Cody -- who wears the same rocket pack as the heroes of King… and Zombies… but faces a lunar, not Martian menace then he spins off to become Commando Cody: Sky Marshall Of The Universe in a quasi-serial (i.e., no cliff-hangers, each chapter a complete adventure) fighting a third alien invasion!

*** Or the works of Bertolt Brecht, but that ain’t what Republic’s going for here.

#Roy Barcroft #The Purple Monster Strikes #serial #sci-fi movies #1950s science fiction movies #Cold War

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vfxexpress · 2 years ago

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Lightrunner Studio, the cutting-edge London company founded by Basilic Fly Studio, goes live.

Lightrunner Studio, the UK company of Basilic Fly Studio, went public. The new studio will convey excellent enhanced visualizations to narrators in highlight movies, TV, and promoting. It will concentrate on effects, animated heroes and creatures, and hero environments. Christina Graham, the studio’s managing director, previously held the position of global executive producer at MPC. She has…

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#basilic fly studio #lightrunner studio #lighttrunner studio #london #vfx studio

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kihaku-gato · 4 years ago

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Random Webcomic Reccomendations

This post is dedicated to bringing to the spotlight several webcomics

(some would be considered webmanga but I’m counting them too since they are primarily presented on webcomic websites) which I’ve been enjoying that I hope can get more traction/fandom with this post. Due to my personal tastes I can say many/most have a sci fi or fantasy theming as well as some (definitely not all) have wlw as well.

Since this post will be quite extensive, I’ll first start with a “table of contents” for those who don’t want synopsises or ramblings, but instead just want titles and want to just check them out themselves.

Bybloemen

My Dragon Girlfriend

Sanguine

Straylight Tiger

Cariciphona

Amongst Us

Kiss It Goodbye

Mokepon

Seven Miles Down

UnDivine

Bybloemen

Hosted on its own website under hiveworkscomics

This is a historical semi-fantasy set during the infamous Tulip Mania period of Dutch/European history when people would pay an arm and a leg for even a single potentially valuable tulip bulb.

In this setting we follow two devils Basil and Ludwig and their avian familiars strut into the action, pretending to be foreign investors getting in on the tulip hype, probably to ensnare some desperate souls, all the while keeping man and beast alike from catching sus that they are not as human as they claim to be.

As of writing this the story is just starting up but is already making quite the unique statement. The distinct black and white artstyle is clearly holding homage to the historical “Woodcut” printmaking style in how it’s drawn, lined, and textured, which is a refreshing way to artistically state that the comic is “set in the past” w/o doing just grayscale or sepia tone that one is used to seeing for media set in historical times.

The interactions between the devils as well as the animals they can communicate with so far have been quite amusing.

If you don’t directly use hiveworkscomics for your usual webcomic browsing (so don’t get notified by it) they do have both a tumblr and twitter which frequently announce/link its updates. Bonus following their twitter/tumblr being you get to see occasionally “sketches” (I say that term very loosely) of the characters outside of the webcomic series if you’re into that.

My Dragon Girlfriend

Available on Webtoons and Twitter

Fantasy alongside modern era setting. It is primarily a wlw webcomic series about a human girl named Christy who is swept off her feet by a dragon girl named Dani, semi-magical/mythical wlw hijinks ensue. It’s hard for me to pin its identity entirely, cause while I wanna say it’s a “Slice of Life” the webcomic is at the point where Dani is fighting a werewolf tooth and nail so it’s hard to pin. It’s clearly romance genre, as even if Dani and Chirsty end up together lickity split (a blink of the eye compared to the slow-burn of most romance stories) there are other wlw subplots going on with secondary primary characters which you’ll be routing for.

It has its steamy moments and implies sex but not so far as to show full-on nudity of the main characters characters. Though there is some nudity of some of the monstergirls such as the fawn girls on the other hand it does not beat around the bush with, but luckily takes the nudity in a natural non-sexual way Correction as of writing this; only the Twitter version shows nudity, they had to censor with bras on Webtoons cause it got flagged.

If you want it hotter/steamier, sign up to the artist’s patreon. It’s definitely a nice softish wlw webomic if you’re craving a lil monstergirl flavour.

Sanguine

Available on Tapas and Webtoons

Full-on adventure fantasy setting set in a world where magic and mages have been persecuted to the point of going into secrecy.

It stars a cute red-riding-hood-like implied secret-royal (that was too much a mouthful) lady named Red, and a tall gorgeous beefy secretly mage lady named Morgan which Red has dragged into her shenanigans with.

It’s early to call this a wlw gem as of the current updates, but it is tagged as lgbt+ so take that with potential further wisdom.

This webcomic uses colour a fair bit to set its tone/mood, but otherwise has a very comfy/warm feeling about it somehow, like some of those old comics/webcomics/novels you would welcome to read while snuggled under blankets. Also the outfits are REALLY nicely designed, and I could definitely see some peeps having fun cosplaying many of these characters.

As the story slowly progresses I am holding with baited breath to how Red and Morgan’s interactions/relationship may or may not evolve, as I am totally an absolute sucker for “friendly/bubbly naïveish character dragging along the cool/grumpy don’t-get-involved character that has a hidden soft heart” trope.

Straylight Tiger

Available on Webtoons and Tapas

WARNING- while infrequent this one has some blood/gore that will shake you up, though it puts it where it would be most sensible to. Lucky for you most blood in this series is not the usual human-red blood which tones the edge down.

It may have lots of fantasy elements but this one definitely holds its identity as Sci Fi. Set in a futuristic cyberesque city full of both good and bad superhumans (one group being animal shapeshifters and the other being elemental casters), there is an extremist cult out to wreck havoc in the city, so a company responds by recruiting a handful of individuals from all 3 races to make a secret task force to eliminate the threat.

The main character in this story is a secretly-a-tiger shapeshifter named Angeline.

This is probably the most visually colourful of the webcomics in my list and is really using it to charge up its stylistic sci fi setting. Best way I could compare it to; you know those glow-in-the-dark cyber avatars you occasionally see in VRchat? Straylight Tiger matches that visual energy. Of listed so far this is also the most action-packed webcomic on the list. I could almost call it a Trigger-like comic but luckily unlike Studio Trigger it’s not into going nuts on fanservice.

If you’re craving your superhuman sci fi action, this one should at least be checked out. I want to say there’ll be wlw at some point, but it’s too early to call, and if it does I would not expect it to be a major arc when it has larger fish for plot points to deal with.

If you’re craving wlw of at least mc and her weapons-savvy human friend, I highly recommend you checking out the artist Flying Frappe’s twitter to get some sating for you wlw cravings for the two.

Caricophona

Available on webtoons as well as its own webcomic site

Tragic fantasy setting starring a supermagical woman named Veloice as she is hunted by an Assassin. I tag it as there is an undertone of death in some of the arcs, which give this colourfully magical world a more sombre tone. Among the webcomics on the list this one may be steepest when it comes to catching to speed of the world’s setting/rules/hierarchies but once you do you’ll hunger for this more.

I can’t entirely make a perfect comparison for it (Full Metal Alchemist is as close as I could compare and they are still as different to each other as apples and oranges) but it really has that rich nostalgic old manga style/world/tone to it, and its most welcome to as well.

The world building is rich, and Veloice is a mental/magical powerhouse even if at times she has a fragility about her. The fact she’s a Caricophona; magical beings which tend to either get persecuted or expire early at age from their own condition, definitely helps with giving her a almost “glass canon” energy about her.

While those points have definitely helped hook me in, the thing that tends to excite me the most in this webcomic is Veloice’s interactions with the assassin who’s been send to kill her, named Blackbird. The tension between them, the fact Blackbird both wants to toy with her, Blackbird’s somewhat flirtatious nature towards Veloice OMFG I EAT IT UP!!!! They have such a enemies to lovers feeling to them (though no, they are not lovers- we can dream though) which just gets you so excited.

I should also mention there are two other “primary characters” in the group. Two rich naïve kids ready to help Veloice however they can. You grow to like them (even if they hit tropes that may strike a nerve if you’re tired to their character type), but the mvp of this webcomic for character and interaction has to be Veloice and Blackbird.

Amongst Us

Available on webtoons and its own website

Say you like Veloice and Blackbird from the previous webcomic, but find the hefty fantasy setting a bit too much, and you’re more for the romance? What if I told you the artist was galaxy brained enough to make a chiller AU? That is what Amongst Us is; a music college-set slice of life with a slow burn romance between Veloice and Blackbird. They’re dorky, their cute, and seeing some of the characters you’re familiar with in Caricophona in a different setting is nice to see.

In some ways Veloice is less proactive in Amongst Us but still feels very in-character of her. The webcomic would end pretty quick if Veloice were to get-to-the-point with Blackbird after all (granted with how we see them in the future together at the start of the webcomic it’s not like they have to be in a hurry anyways).

Seeing a wlw / slice of life set in a college setting rather than a high school setting is extremely welcome. Please, more of this.

Kiss it Goodbye

Available on Webtoons

Slice of Life high-school beginnings of wlw romance. The artstyle is good, the characters are lovely. We know canonically that they end up together (as the webcomic starts with them in the future where they are a couple, as they begin to weave the story to their curious friends wanting to know how their romance came to be).

It’s not an unwelcome Slice of Life.

BONUS / HONORABLE MENTIONS

Mokepon

Available on h0lyhandgrenade’s website

I have honestly not read this one in a while and dropped it like, several years ago, but it was interesting and is still ongoing, so I had to mention it. Set in the Pokemon universe, it stars the main character who has been thrown into the pokemon trainer career while absolutely wanting nothing to do with it. Ends up becoming a rocket grunt which is an interesting change of perspective from many pokemon fancomics. It has old-nuzelocke energy though it is not a Nuzelocke. Be prepared for the brutality as you cry for the pokemon (especially his pikachu). The undying loyalty of his Charmander as he himself struggles with his position as a trainer/grunt is interesting. He is definitely not the usual pokemon trainer protag you’re used to.

Seven Miles Down

Available on Webtoons

A completed oneshot psychological horror where a girl takes her submarine to the deepest unventured oceanic trench in the world. Tragic end, but horrors can be like that. The psychological nature of the horror is an interesting angle. The rounded cute style may throw you off but it works.

UnDivine

Availabe on its own website via hiveworkscomics

This comic has since been cancelled from continuation, but is the webcomic to set me off in making this list, so it will still be mentioned in memory/tribute, and is the grand example of why you should interact with the webcomics you read as well as share them; there is a good chance they will not hold on their own without fan interaction and traction. Excuse me as I just use two full-on pages cause I’m wearing out on this list and browsing through tons and tons of pages for highlights wears a peep out.

Modern-set religious fantasy on an island where local their religion may be more than it seems. Stars a boy named Daniel, and Esther the Demon girl. From what can be gleaned the Demongirl knew the “god” of the island’s religion and was double crossed, so has a bone to pick with them and their “angelic” entourage now that she’s free when she got accidentally summoned by Daniel.

This webcomic loves its use of blood, but your grow used to it after a point. The setting is interesting, and its also cool to see how the “angels” are far from the usual “pretty human-like” in their true form and are instead more monstrous than you could say even the Demon Esther is.

A lot of what makes this comic interesting, outside of the “revenge against a god” main plot going on, is how messy the characters can be.

Daniel, Esther, and the one angel named Manual are all pretty interesting in how they interact with their roles that they’ve been put in and how they react to others, and are all very morally grey complex characters.

Daniel is an angst machine who tends to really wear himself out (though how he’s positioned/pressured by the world doesn’t help) and shoot himself in the foot a lot, and that’s even before Esther “turns” him into her lil monstrous pawn, not something you commonly see in main characters from the get-go.

Esther (the tall blondie) while being a Demon ready to get her vengeance on is in many ways naïve/childlike despite her powerful nature, and despite using Daniel as her pawn is shown to grow to have feelings/care for Daniel which is very interesting for “The Contracted Devil” position.

Manual…. We haven’t gotten to see a lot but it’s clear he’s meant to be the angelic hero position but its clear he does not like the position, and he also has a thing for a human woman named Rosamaria but we have not gotten to see why that’s the case.

This webcomic didn’t get the traction it needed to keep going, so was recently cancelled by the artist.

#webcomics #reccomendations #long post #wall of text #comics #manga #Bybloemen #Undivine #Straylight tiger #Cacicophona #Amongst Us #Mokepon #My Dragon girlfriend #Kiss It Goodbye #Sanguine #I probably missed a webcomic on the list to tag but I am very very tired atm

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tremble-in-the-hips · 5 years ago

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All right, you asked for it. A fucking Picture of Dorian Gray fanfiction I wrote in high school. Pine away, gays.

Dorian’s leg bobbed furiously. The cigarette between his fingers smoldered to an ashen stub. On his velvet purple couch, he stretched out, perplexed by the painting strung above the fireplace. He shuddered as his own oil-glazed eyes peered at him.

They weren’t really his eyes, he thought. The eyes belonged to Basil, whose skilled hands opened the window into Dorian’s soul, now sitting on the mantle. Dorian felt Basil’s presence in the canvas. His hands, cramping around a paint brush; his one eye open as he perfected his vision; his dark hair falling in clumps in front of his eyes. The concentration and adoration Basil put into creating the image was powerful. As he stubbed out his cigarette with a flick, Dorian felt the artist’s careful scrutiny staring back at him as he sat. He rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle as he thought of being in Basil’s studio just that afternoon.

“Don’t listen to Harry,” Basil had warned. They were standing, a breath apart in the waning sunlight. Anxiously, Basil dug beneath his fingernails with a pencil to dislodge layers of crusting paint.

Dorian had scoffed as he straightened his cuffs. “Basil, I’m beginning to see a pattern,” he chuckled. “For someone you trust, you condemn Harry rather harshly, don’t you think?”

Basil smiled politely. Dorian’s smile unraveled. “What,” he cried, “have I said something amiss?”

Basil met Dorian’s eye and laughed as he clasped his rough hands around one of Dorian’s. “No, never, my dearest,” Basil cooed, “I only wondered when I claimed to trust Harry.”

Dorian bent towards Basil. Concerned, he whispered, “You doubt his loyalty to you? Your friendship?”

Basil shook his head with a grin and laid a firm hand on Dorain’s shoulder. Head bowed, he turned back towards the painting on the opposite wall. “That, I don’t doubt,” Basil proclaimed, “ours is a friendship more like a commitment than marriage. We’ve seen too much together, know too much about each other. He will take my secrets to the grave with his cynicism and darkness which he so loves to spread,” he muttered. He rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

Dorian eyed Basil playfully. “So, your lack of trust stems purely from experience? One too many nights of debauchery spent face down in a ditch due to one nefarious Henry Wotton?” Dorian stepped forward and took up all of Basil’s view. “Too many secrets falling out of his pockets?”

Basil chuckled and pushed Dorian away. Dorian giggled and shoved him back. The two poked and pulled on one another until Basil brought his hands over Dorian’s cheeks and held him back, both of them laughing raucously. (Seated on his couch, Dorian grinned at the thought.) Basil sighed and the air was calm. “Maybe,” he replied simply.

Dorian clasped Basil’s shoulders and shook him once. “My God, Harry dares to decry marriage when he is married to you!”

Basil leaned heavily on Dorian’s shoulder, guffawing as his knees gave out. Wiping joyful tears from his eyes, Basil sighed, “Oh, but only Harry would believe a friendship akin to marriage worth cherishing and the only truly good purpose for marriage besides politics.” Basil stood up straight, eyeing Dorian from beneath his curtain of hair. “More than anything, the man is quick to decry romance.”

“Ironic, for a man with cynically romantic notions,” Dorian cried with a laugh. He looked adoringly at Basil. “What would he think of a friendship akin to romance?”

Basil bit his lip, eyes wandering absently to his left. He scoffed, “More than likely shaking his grim head at us.”

Dorian huffed, emerging from his revere startled and breathless. Friendship akin to romance, he thought, what a delightful delusion. He could hear Henry Wotton’s voice repeat such a sentiment in his head. He shuddered. He sometimes did find Harry outrageously grim, even when he followed Harry with a childlike curiosity and adoration. As embarrassed as he was, he found himself smitten with the lord; Wotton was handsome and charming and enticingly treacherous. Whatever Wotton said felt like honey, despite later burning like vinegar.

Basil’s warning had shaken him. Dorian paused, considering how the night was to proceed. His party, which was to include Basil and Dorian, were to head to the theater after the club and witness one of Sybil’s first performances after their proposal. He was torn, intrigued and terrified by Harry’s promise of disappointment from Sybil’s love. Part of him wanted to continue heedless, so infatuated was he with Sybil; yet he felt hesitant, and chanced leaving Sybil if he got scared.

It felt real, his love for Sybil. More real than even Harry’s cynicism could penetrate.

Could there be a potential for failure in a feeling so strong? If only he could explain it to Harry! He paced the living room, drawing up articulate analogies. His satisfaction with Sybil was as permanent as the spring bloom, as lingering as a smoke cloud from a pipe, as tender as Basil’s affectionate brush stroke.

Dorian skidded to a halt in the doorway, hand clutching his chest. Why do I still think of Basil? he thought. He flopped into a lounge chair, groaning. One of his servants came to him, mumbling about the arrival of Harry and Basil (did his heartbeat quicken?) to take him to the club, then the theater. His heart thumped as he plucked a flower from a vase on the counter and twisted the stem clean off. He pocketed the newly fashioned corsage. A beautiful tiger lily, muted orange with maroon spots.

. . .

His corsage lay crumbled in his hand. His entire body felt heavy, as if sinking into the earth. The theater box, already half empty since the second act, felt cold and bitter.

Henry put it best. “Terrible,” he stated factually, “just terrible. Ah well - flames burn out. Such is life, such is theater.”

“This isn’t right,” Dorian gasped, barely looking up from the flower in his hand. He studied the creases in the petals. He attempted to smooth them out with his thumb, growing annoyed when the petals curled around his fingers. He huffed, “she must be ill, or upset, or possibly inebriated, or-”

“Oh dear, sweet Dorian,” Henry sighed, laying a hand on Dorian’s shoulder. Dorian barely looked up. “We both know those possibilities aren’t true,” Henry crooned. With a sniff, he looked toward the stage exit. “You’ve got to hand it to her thought,” he sighed, “she loves you. It’s clear in her face, the way she looked out into the audience, the way she breathed. That’s love. But it’s normal love, average - and acted love will always be more potent. Or at least it will present better on stage -”

“Where’s Basil?” Dorian cut in, shrugging off Henry’s hand with an irked groan.

“Home by now,” Henry relayed in a monotone, “he left partway through the curtain call, had to attend to a friend or a casserole or his own melancholy or something.” Dorian heard the click of a pocket watch opening. “Well,” cried Harry conspicuously, “your Juliet has more than likely returned to her dressing room now. I suggest you have a chat with her.”

Dorian grit his teeth, prickling against his clothes and skin. His annoyance felt like bile rising in his throat and he felt like spitting. Suddenly he was up, throwing the corsage against the floor. Through the unsettled curls of his hair, Dorian saw Henry step back with wide eyes and a smile.

“Dorian, love, what’s got you flying like this?” he questioned playfully.

Dorian huffed and crossed his arms. He felt inflamed, like a deceived child. Was this the product of love? A loss of sense, a loss of purpose? Sybil was supposed to be Dorian’s greatest prize, the person for him to be proud of forever. When she flitted across the stage, he wanted nothing more than to claim the moment, claim her, with a fiery passion. She was something to behold (in her prime, Dorian thought bitterly, which seems to have ended) and she was something he wanted to behold constantly.

Dorian flew, a trail of orange tiger lily petals falling at his boots. He felt confident in his ability to tell her just how he felt and nervous of her reaction. But he was angry! Truly angry! To watch her perform on any other night was to watch the gods of grace and whimsy in flight. What would become of the world, his world, without her gift, his pride? For her to fail or give up performance would be like if Basil put down his brush.

Dorian hovered hesitantly in front of Sybil’s dressing room. He could feel his heart clattering against his breastplate. He reached for the doorknob and felt his ill intentions bubbling in his throat. She’s a charlatan, Dorian thought wickedly, and I am a willing sucker to her ruse. She embarrassed me in front of my friends! She doesn’t deserve my advances, my praise. What a failure! I’ll see to it she realizes the shame, the embarrassment. I mean, what would Basil think -

Dorian’s hand shook violently as he grasped the doorknob. His breath escaped in sharp gasps. His grip loosened. To his left, he peered through a window and a vision formed of his own living room through the darkness. In the projection, he saw Basil smoothing the ruffles in Dorian’s jacket. His face was splattered with paint and a playful smile pulled his lips.

“You really are a wonder, Dorian,” Basil’s voice echoed. Dorian’s mirror image blushed. “So youthful, yet so open; so beautiful, yet so kind.” The vision of Basil looked away from the vision of Dorian and stared, knowingly, at Dorian in real life. Terror gripped Dorian and shame overcame him as the vision smiled at him, concern in his eyes and a slight, adoring tilt in his head. The vision whispered, “I can always trust you to handle important things with care and thoughtfulness. It’s what I like best about you.”

Dorian let go of the doorknob and stared at it pointedly. His face twisted and released. What was my plan? he thought. What would I have accomplished with such anger?

The door creaked open and Sybil’s heart-shaped face appeared like a moon over the horizon. She beamed. “Oh, love!” she yelped and pushed the door open.

Dorian looked forward and straightened his back. He swept his hair back and gave Sybil a polite smile. “My dearest,” he muttered shyly.

“I was hoping I had seen you on the balcony,” Sybil squealed with delight. She stepped into the door frame and swept her hand over the room. “Will you join me, good prince?”

Dorian met her eyes and sighed, feeling light and giddy. Despite the embarrassment, his physical feelings for her were strong. Sybil held her hand out for Dorian to take. Before he reached out, he thought of Basil’s unruly dark hair and affectionate smile.

The right thing? Dorian questioned fearfully. He took Sybil’s hand delicately and kissed her fingers. “I would, darling,” Dorian chuckled, “but I must attend to personal matters.”

Sybil recoiled slightly, but soon returned a polite smile. “Oh, that’s fine. Before you go, I was wondering what you thought of my -”

“You were lovely,” Dorian cried, “and I will explain away my hastiness later!” He leaned forward and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. Once he was out the door, he began sprinting down the street.

. . .

Basil’s door flew open and he laughed with surprise and delight before pulling Dorian into his embrace. “I’m more than shocked,” Basil cried, “you came back for me! The night is alive with clubs and youthful spirit and you come to these unlit suburbs.” Basil sighed and leaned against the doorway to his living room with a jaunty grin. “Of course, the night’s youth allowed you to deduce that I had returned home.” Basil raised the wine glass he had been holding in respect. “You know me too well,” he chuckled.

Dorian giggled, “have you been drinking, Basil?”

Basil bit his lip against a smile and moved the glass behind his back. “Who’s to say,” he deflected, barely containing his laughter.

Dorian clasped Basil’s shoulder with a grin. “It’s no matter anyway. May I?” Dorian inquired, pointing lazily at Basil’s glass.

Basil shrugged and handed his glass to Dorian. “Why not? Here, have a head start.”

Dorian blushed, touched by the gesture. He took Basil’s glass, raised it to him, and took a sip. It felt like stinging, sweet ginger as it ran down his throat.

Basil poured another glass in the corner of the room. He eyed Dorian kindly. “I’m terribly ashamed of my behavior tonight,” he admitted, “I’m sorry for leaving the theater without so much as a goodbye. Sybil’s performance was important to you.”

“Whatever you are sorry for, you are forgiven, believe me,” Dorian assured, “I was only worried for your well being.”

Basil looked away, smiling to himself. “Thank you,” he whispered, “though, you could have called. You didn’t. You ran here. I’m curious as to what compelled you to do so.”

Dorian laughed. “I’m curious as to why you fled when you claimed you were eager to join us!”

Basil shrugged with an innocent smile, his lips touching his cup. Chuckling, he said, “I’m still not sure. I thought myself a bore on such a joyous night. Shakespeare often depresses me.”

Dorian nodded attentively, sipping at his drink. “I believe that is his point actually,” he wondered. “The dramas are meant to strike a chord with our humanity, to tell a story of unrequited or unfulfilled romance.”

Basil scoffed, staring into his swirling glass. He met Dorian’s eyes tenderly, sighing, “My dear, often it is the romance that depresses me.”

Dorian turned his head, brow furrowed, and Basil laughed, “it is nonsensical to anyone but me. I find myself incompatible with romance. I don’t hold onto relationships. I am quick to turn inward, quick to anger, and unable to respond to a lover’s cry for attention.” Basil huffed with eyes downcast. “Lovely, lovely Dorian, I am impossible to love.”

The room stood quiet. After a moment of discomfort in silence, Dorian sat on Basil’s dark green couch and beckoned to Basil. Basil shuffled over with tepid steps and flopped into the seat next to Dorian. Dorian turned his shoulders towards Basil and took his hands. He turned them over, lightly drawing on Basil’s palms with his thumbs. He whispered to Basil, “I left the theater tonight after the show because I was inspired by the idea of what you’d think of my actions.”

Basil leaned back against the arm of the sofa, surprise alight in his eyes. His lips drew taut as he tried to suppress a smile. “Go on,” he whispered.

Dorian cleared his throat. His palms were sweating and he cupped them lightly around Basil’s, trying not to dampen them. “I was inflamed,” he continued, “both by Henry’s words and the events at the theater. I felt mean like a snake, wanting to lash out.” Dorian chuckled darkly. “I thought myself deserving better. I thought of telling Sybil so, harshly if need be.”

Basil stared at Dorian with concern. He looked down, grasping at empty words. “I’m . . . sorry to hear you were in such a state, possessed by evil like that.” He clasped Dorian’s hands gently. “I am, however, proud and delighted that you thought of me and made a better choice.”

Dorian averted his gaze, beaming. “It seems I think of little but you lately, Basil.”

Basil blushed deep red and his face lit up with a delirious smile. Dorian hopped closer, encouraged by Basil’s response. He took a shaking breath, continuing, “Basil, whatever compels you to believe you are impossible to love, it is a false pretense; you create beauty out of nothing; you adore your friends with great and genuine enthusiasm; you corale me towards the right path,” Dorian declared. Running a hand through his flyaway hairs, he leant towards Basil with a serious look. “Despite my influences, you get me to see what is right and good with only the thought of your care, your kindness, and your love for me.”

Dorian let out a final breath. Basil’s eyes were locked with his, shining with earnest and insane happiness. His head rested relaxed to his left and he rubbed Dorian’s hands between his fingers. Dorian’s heart quickened and he looked away, clearing his throat again. Timid, he looked into Basil’s eyes. He whispered, “Who are you to say you are immune to romance? What about us? Fools in a friendship akin to romance?”

Breathless, Basil reached out, cupping Dorian’s face gingerly in his hands. Dorian lightly traced his fingers over the back of Basil’s hands. Basil shook his head in disbelief. He rubbed his thumb along Dorian’s cheekbone. “I,” he stuttered, “I, you, you’ve surprised, I’m . . .”

Dorian slid his hands down the length of Basil’s arms and dug his fingers into Basil’s shoulders. “Whatever you’re planning to do or say,” he breathed, “do it now. I despise suspense.”

Basil burst into laughter and Dorian joined. When both had caught their breath, Basil pulled Dorian towards him for a kiss. Dorian closed his eyes, sinking with relief as he wrapped his arms around Basil’s neck. Basil ran his fingers through Dorian’s hair and let his lips drag over Dorian’s sluggishly, intoxicated by the intimacy. Dorian pressed his forehead to Basil’s and Basil pulled back, gasping for breath. With a grin, Dorian nuzzled Basil’s nose, causing the two to giggle with childish giddiness.

“Do you believe you’re wrong now?” Dorian cooed. “About being incompatible with romance?”

“Possibly,” Basil retorted, playing with one of Dorian’s curls.

“I think you’ll do fine,” Dorian sighed, catching Basil’s eye and grinning. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a stem of lavender. Basil’s brows drew together in a question and Dorian explained, “I pulled it out of the vase at the theater..” Basil rolled his eyes and Dorian flicked his nose. “Enough,” he laughed, “I’m trying to perform an incredibly romantic gesture.”

Basil laughed heartily. “Okay,” he cried, “you’ve gotten me to believe in love again. Happy?”

Dorian beamed, “Always, with you.”

#the picture of dorian gray #oscar wilde #dorian x basil #how is there no ship tag for the original book?#oh well #fluff and angst #fanfiction

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crackspinewornpages · 5 years ago

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The Picture of Dorian Gray 4/21 -Oscar Wilde

Preface

“The artist is the creator of beautiful things.” p.3 Two pages waxing poetic about artists and critics and people finding meanings in things and beauty. “There is no such things as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” p.3 The nineteenth century disliked Realism and Romantics. No artist wants to prove things or has ethical sympathies or is morbid. (uh there’s a lot who would disagree) “The artist can express everything. Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.” p.3 Art at the surface is a symbol and you go beneath that at your own risk, that art reflects the spectator. Diversity reflects the art is new and complex, critics disagree with themselves. (the definition of compelling art can be summed up as it makes you look at it) “We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless.” p.4 By Oscar Wilde. (he wrote this letter in response to the critics of this book)

The studio smelled like flowers from the garden and Lord Henry Wotton was smoking looking around thinking it reminds him of the Tokyo painters capturing movement. In the studio was a full-length portrait of a beautiful man (gonna tell you now that this is Dorian Gray and if the picture on the cover of my book is supposed to be him…eh whatever floats your boat I guess) and the artist, Basil Hallward, whose disappearance a few years ago caused rumors to fly. Lord Henry says it’s his best work and he has to send it to Grosvenor as the Academy is too congested with either people or paintings, but Basil doesn’t want to send it anywhere. Lord Henry wants to know why, “What odd chaps you painters are! You do anything in the world to gain reputation. As soon as you have one, you seem to want to throw it away.” p.6 (because a lot of the times it can be overwhelming and not the reputation we want)Basil claims he’ll laugh but the reason is he’s put too much of himself into it. Henry does laugh as says he didn’t know Basil was so vain as the two of them are complete opposites in looks as beauty ends where intelligence begins. Too much thinking exaggerates the face look at how hideous the successful men are except the Church because they don’t think. (uh…) The subject of this portrait doesn’t think, “He is some brainless, beautiful creature, who should be always here in winter when we have no flowers to look at, and always here in summer when we want something to chill our intelligence.”p.7 Then he says Basil is nothing like him.

Basil says he doesn’t understand, he knows he’s not like him, there is historical fatality about physical and intellectual distinction, the ugly and stupid are in ignorant bliss not knowing victory or defeat. “They live as we all should live, undisturbed, indifferent, and without disquiet. They neither bring ruin upon others, nor receive it from alien hands.” p.7 (glances at the last few years of politics and the generation of discontents) Henry’s wealth, his brains and Dorian Gray’s looks, they will all suffer for it. (you’re not wrong) Basil didn’t intend to reveal his name since he loves secrecy and won’t give away names of people he likes since it’s like giving a part of them and he doesn’t even tell people where he’s going. (foreshadowing)

Henry understands since he’s married, and deception is necessary and when they meet tell extraordinary stories and she’s the best. Basil doesn’t like how he talks about marriage believing he is a good husband. “You never say a moral thing, and you never do a wrong thing. Your cynicism is simply a pose.” p.8 (so what you’re saying is he’s a hypocrite that doesn’t practice what he preaches) Harry says being married is a pose and an irritating one. (your poor wife) Before he leaves Henry wants the real reason why the picture won’t be displayed. Basil says every painter reveals himself on the canvas, “The reason I will not exhibit this picture is that I am afraid that I have shown it in the secret of my own soul.”p.9 (he’s gay) There’s little to tell but Henry wont believe it or understand.

Lord Henry picks a flower saying he’s sure he’ll understand, and it is incredible he’ll believe anything and he was sure he could hear Basil’s heart beating. Two months ago, Basil went to Lady Brandon’s for a party after ten minutes he felt someone watching him and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. When their eyes met, he went pale and felt afraid and met someone whose personality was so great it would absorb anything about him including art and soul. (foreshadowing) He felt Fate would give him great joys and sorrows (yes) and being afraid and a coward he left the room. Henry says conscience and cowardice are the same things, (no they are not) Basil doesn’t believe it. (good) When he got to the door he met Lady Brandon who paraded him around everybody like he was her friend despite having met only once and because of his pieces becoming famous. (so she wants fame and status by association) Then, he found himself in front of Dorian Gray it was inevitable and asked to be introduced and Dorian later told him he felt they were destined to know each other. (we wouldn’t have a book if you didn’t)

Henry asks how Lady Brandon described him since she’s not quiet or subtle and treats guests like she’s an auctioneer and tells everything about them. Basil gives him the rundown on what she said about Dorian, charming, she was friends with his mother, doesn’t do anything, couldn’t remember if he played the piano or violin and they became friends after laughing. Henry says that’s a good way to start one and a bad way to end one, (especially if the other is laughing manically) Basil says he doesn’t understand friendship or femininity since he’s different to everyone. (so two faced) Henry claims he does make a difference between people, friends and acquaintances, for looks and character and enemies for intellect. A man can’t be too careful in enemies and they all appreciate him, is that vain. (yes) Basil says according to that he is an acquaintance, less than a friend, maybe a brother. Henry says he doesn’t care for brothers the oldest won’t die and the young ones don’t do anything, he supposes his views come from the fact that people can’t stand others with the same faults. “The masses feel that drunkenness, stupidity, and immorality should be their own special property, and that if anyone of us makes an ass of himself he is poaching on their preserves.” p.12 (or they don’t like the mirror’s reflection)

Basil doesn’t believe it and doesn’t believe Henry does either and Henry says that’s the second time he’s made that observation. If one put an idea forward they don’t consider if it’s right or wrong only if they believe it, (or their voters) the value has nothing to do with the man, his wants, desires or prejudices. He likes people better than principles and rather than discussing politics or sociology wants to know more about Dorian Gray, like how often does Basil see him. Every day, and he wouldn’t be happy if he didn’t, he’s necessary to him and this surprises Henry since he thought Basil didn’t care for anything but his art. (I told you he’s gay) Basil says he’s all art to him, only two important moments in history, a new art medium and a new personality. (well in the art world that is true) He did all the mediums for him (really all the mediums because I doubt you did video neon or digital painting) but it won’t express him, but when meeting him suggested a new style and now sees things differently. He rambles on more, if only Henry knew what Dorian Gray is to him. He wouldn’t sell a painting to Agnew because Dorian was next to him while he did it and felt his presence pass into it.

Henry says he has to meet him, and Basil says he might not get from him what he does he’s a motive in art. (just your art inspiration you sure about that Basil) Then Henry asks why he won’t part with the portrait, because he put his idolatry in it and Dorian doesn’t know but the world might and he doesn’t want his heart and soul scrutinized he put too much of himself into it. “Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. They know how useful passion is for publications. Nowadays a broken heart will run to many editions.” p.14 (true but poetry isn’t everyone’s favorite and people like different genres) Basil says an artist should create only beautiful things and put nothing of themselves in like an autobiography, loosing abstract (you are wrong sir) and that’s why he’ll never show the world Dorian Gray.

Henry says he won’t argue but asks if Dorian likes him as well after hesitating Basil says he does he flatters him and Dorian charms in return thoughtless to give pain and feels like he’s being treated like a decoration. (you are) Henry says summer days don’t last but genius lasts longer that’s why we educate ourselves. “In the wild struggle to existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we fill our minds with rubbish and facts, in the silly hope of keeping our place.”p.15 (everybody wants to be immortalized in history and memory) A well informed man is ideal and dreadful and thinks Basil will tire of Dorian first, what he told him was romantic and that leave people unromantic.

Basil tells him not to talk like that since he doesn’t feel what he does for Dorian, Henry says the faithful see the trivial side of love and faithless see the tragedies. (there’s those that see both) He smokes as the birds chirp and thinks of the trivial luncheon he missed talking to Basil instead of feeding the poor and housing, the classes preaching the importance of virtues that had no meaning on their own lives. “The rich would have spoken on the value of thrift, and the idle grown eloquent over the dignity of labour.”p.16 (the rich never changed have they) Henry remembers something he heard of Dorian Gray from his aunt he helped her in the East End and described him as earnest. Basil says he doesn’t want Henry to meet him but then the butler comes in and says Dorian Gray is there and Henry jokes he has to introduce him now. Basil warns him not to spoil his nature or influence him, not to take away his charm for his art, he trusts Henry but he calls it nonsense.

Dorian Gray was at the piano asking Basil to lend him some pieces, that depends on his sitting, Dorian says he doesn’t want a life size portrait then apologizes because he didn’t notice Henry. Basil introduces them and says he was just telling him what a wonderful sitter he was. Henry says his aunt talks about him and Dorian says he has to play three duets with her at Whitechapel and Henry says he’ll get him out of it, his aunt plays loudly enough for two people. (barely in the second chapter and it’s been established Henry’s character is asshole) Henry looks at him his purity and youth made one trust him, no wonder Basil worshipped him and says he’s too charming for philanthropy. (see asshole) Basil was getting ready and hearing that asks Henry to go away since he needs to finish. Henry asks Dorian if he should go and he says no since he can’t stand Basil when he sulks, and he wants to know why he shouldn’t go into philanthropy. Basil reluctantly says Henry can stay since what Dorian wishes are law.

Henry instead says he as to leave and Dorian says if he goes he will to since Basil never talks while painting. (well I’m not going to apologize for concentrating entirely on my art when I’m working) Basil says it’s true and begs Henry to stay and tells Dorian not to pay attention to what he says since he’s a bad influence. (tell a child not to do something it’s a guarantee they’ll do it) Dorian asks if he really is as bad as Basil says, he just tells him all influence is unmoral from a scientific view. “Because to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul.” p.20 (foreshadowing) His sins and virtues are borrowed, playing a part written for him, the goal of life is self-development and to find one’s self. People have forgotten that yes, they are charitable, but courage has gone, or we never had it, everyone is afraid, even at God. (this is just life) Basil interrupts his tangent to have Dorian turn because of the look on his face. Henry continues to say that if a man lives all life’s pleasures that the world would see such joy and turn back to a Hellenic period. But we are punished for refusals and self-control, only leaving regret and our souls get sick from it for desire deemed unlawful even Dorian must have had passions. (Dorian was the name of a region in ancient Greece were men were known for their e’hem ‘comradely love’)

Dorian yells at him to stop and let him think then he checks out staring for ten minutes letting what Henry said influence him. “Words! More Words! How terrible they were! How clear, and vivid, and cruel! One could not escape from them. And yet what a subtle magic there was in them!?’p.22 Unlike his childhood he understood things now. (you understand noting) Henry wondered of the impression he caused, and Basil was ignorant of it all painting away. Dorian said he has to go out, Basil apologizes but Dorian had sat still he got the perfect expression (yes the mouth agape vacant look is perfect) he doesn’t know what Henry has been saying but don’t listen to any of it. Dorian jokes that it’s compliments, so of course he doesn’t believe them. Henry says he’s not fooling anyone and will join Dorian in the garden and orders Basil to get them cold drinks. (you got two working arms and legs) Basil tells them to ring the butler he has to do the background and he’ll join them later.

In the garden Dorian is shoving is face in lilacs and Henry startles him. Henry tells him the way to cure the soul is through the senses and vice versa and Dorian knows more and less than he thinks he does. Dorian couldn’t help but like Lord Henry, but he was also afraid of him and ashamed of it. He had been friends with Basil for months, but this new person would solve the mystery of life why should he be afraid. Henry told him to come in the shade he’ll get sunburnt and Basil won’t paint him again and it should matter because he has youth, “and youth is the one thing worth having.”p.24 (food water shelter companionship air) Dorian says he doesn’t feel it and Henry says not now, but when he is old and beauty as a form of genius some people say it’s superficial, it might be, shallow people don’t judge, (hah) the gods give and take away he waxes on for a whole page on this. Dorian listened to it all until Basil made his appearance wanting them to come back in.

Dorian is glad he met Lord Henry and always will, Henry hates that word since it’s so overused loses all meaning (it’s actually I love you and I’m sorry that are overused) but caprice lasts a bit longer. So, Dorian says their friendship will be a caprice. (defined as: a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior hmm) Basil went back to painting with that as the only sound for fifteen minutes until he finished and signed it. Henry said it’s the best portrait in modern times and calls Dorian to look at it. Dorian was overcome by his own beauty Basil’s compliments were of friendship, but Henry’s talk had made him think and Basil worries that his silence meant he doesn’t like it. Henry says of course Dorian does, Basil says it’s Dorians and Henry calls him lucky.

Dorian mopes that he’ll get old, but this painting will stay the same. “For that-for that-I would give everything! I would give my soul for that!” p.28 (and I guess the Devil and Mephistopheles were just passing by) Henry says Basil wouldn’t care for that and Basil says he does strangely object and Dorian says he believes him since he likes art better than friends. This shocks Basil because he’s never heard him speak like that, Dorian laments that they’ll only like him till he starts aging (or starts acting like an ass) and Henry is right. when he starts to age, he’ll kill himself. (now you sound like an entitled child) Basil tells Dorian not to talk like that and he’s more important than objects. (if you think your life is worth this go ahead) Dorian says he’s jealous of everything that stays the same and wishes it were the other way and proceeds to cry and fling himself onto the couch. (don’t you dare tell me you really think this dramatic bitch is straight) Basil blames Henry but his defense is that this is the real Dorian, how is it his fault when he was asked to stay. Basil says he won’t argue with his friends and will destroy the painting before it destroys their relationship.

Dorian lifts his tear stained face as Basil walked to the supply table to find a knife to rip up the painting. He leaps up wrestling the knife away claiming it to be murder (funny considering the ending) and Basil says he never thought he’d appreciate his work. Dorian claims it’s a part of him and is in love with it, (so he’s a narcissist) Basil relents and it will be Dorians after it’s varnished and dried. Basil asks if they want tea and Henry says he loves simple pleasures but not scenes and calls both of them absurd and for them not to fight over a painting, if Dorian doesn’t want it, he’ll gladly take it. (why) Dorian cries that if Basil gives it to anyone but him, he’ll never forgive him, Basil says it’s always been his and Henry calls him silly. The argument stops when the servants came in with tea.

Henry offers them to go to the theater and he can make an excuse for a friend he was supposed to go with. Basil says he hates putting on dress clothes Henry agrees 19th century styles are depressing, (men in historical clothing kinda boring women though) “Sin is the only real colour-element left in modern life.”p.30 Basil says he should say these things in front of Dorian where he asks which, the one in the picture or the one pouring tea, neither. Dorian says he’ll like to go to the theatre, Basil says he’s got a lot of work to do. Basil walks up to the painting and says he’ll stay with the real Dorian, (I’m sorry to tell you this Basil but you’re in love with your ideal image of him) the real Dorian asks if he’s really like that, Basil says yes, but this one will never change. (uh I’m not going to tell him) Henry says love is based in physiology, nothing with will. (I’m just going to let Tumblr dissect that) Basil begs Dorian not to go, Dorian can’t because he already told Henry he would, Basil says Henry breaks his promises. Basil wishes them goodbye and to see them soon and for Henry to remember what they talked about in the garden he trusts him, (you shouldn’t) but Henry doesn’t trust himself.

Noon the next day Lord Henry called for his uncle, prattles on about his title history and his secretary’s son’s. (was Wilde padding his word count was this really important to the late 19th century readers) Henry’s uncle is surprised to see him so early since his kind don’t wake till two and aren’t seen till five (that’s just a college student) and guesses he wants money to young people it’s everything. (well we need it to live) It’s not money since only people who pay bills need it and he doesn’t pay bills (so he’s guilty of tax evasion) he wants information since Dorian Gray isn’t in the Blue-books (books about people and their information) and he wants to know about him.

His uncle knows Gray’s mother and her father got some brute to kill her husband a few months after marriage in a duel and after a year died leaving a son must be as good looking as she and hopes his grandfather did right by him. (considering what happens he didn’t) They prattle on about Americans and marrying them and why they can’t they stay in their own country. (hahaha) Henry says goodbye as he’s having lunch with Aunt Agatha with Dorian as his new protégé. His uncle tells him to tell her to stop pestering him to donate to charity and Henry comments that’s it’s the characteristic of philanthropic people to lose their sense of humanity. (no no it’s not)

Henry reflects on the story of tragedy like a modern romance, an interesting background and rambles about Dorian poetically for a page and how Basil is psychologically interesting and waxes on about his art too. (all this waxing I feel like I’m reading The Pearl again) Then he says he’ll work to dominate Dorian making the son of love and death spirit his own. (uh…ok then) He is so distracted he passes his aunt’s house and arrives late as usual and takes a seat at the table wit Dorian and other company and waxes about their backgrounds. Agatha asks what he thinks of the marriage of Dartmoor and everyone talks about it and Agatha wishes America was never discovered because now English girls can’t with the men marrying Americans.

The conversation turns to America, why the good ones die they go to Paris the bad ones America, (particularly Florida) only Sir Thomas vouges for the country.(I know we’re shit but thank you) Agatha tells Henry to convince Dorian to give up East End since they love his playing and Henry agrees that Whitechapel is depressing and he can’t sympathize with suffering only joy. (the 1% summarized in one sentence) Sir Thomas says the problem is slavery and they should amuse them, and Henry suggests they should appeal to science since it’s not emotional. (have you met a scientist) The Duchess says he’s comforting because she felt guilty thinking of the East End and Henry tells her to repeat her mistakes to repeat her youth. (no because your actions have consequences and you can’t blame ignorance and being a child as an excuse you’re older now you know better) Sir Thomas calls that a dangerous theory and everyone laughs.

Henry waxes on with the parody of folly to catch Dorian’s attention until the Duchess has to leave and invites Henry over on Tuesday. When the women leave Ershine tells Henry he should write a book Henry says he reads too much to write (I have the same problem) and all England reads are newspapers and encyclopedias (those are out of date the moment they’re published) the least sense of literature. Ershine gave up as we’ll and asks if he was serious, Henry forgot and asks if it was really that bad, (so you admit you talk out of your ass) yes and if anything were to happen to the Duchess he’s to blame. He still invites him to talk in Treadley as he leaves. When Henry also makes to go Dorian wants to come with him to hear more of what he has to say.

#the picture of dorian gray #oscar wilde #books #book summaries #poetry #gothic fiction #drama #philosophical fiction

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blapis-blazuli · 5 years ago

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It’s a bit late for me to do this, but since the Monster AU @animatedc9000 and I created turns two years old today, I thought I’d give some quick thoughts on some of the things we’ve seen that are either part of it or we watched because of it in... some sort of order.

(Please don’t comment with something like “well actually” or “to be fair” or “but that’s (technically) not really a monster”, I’m having none of that. Also not all of these were included for the sake of monsters, as one in particular should be obvious for that. It’s a long story and I’m not sure if I have the attention span to fully explain.)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920): Pretty interesting, honestly? Can’t think of many versions that include a dream/hallucination of a spider

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923): Not bad, but I found it kinda odd that for being the title character it doesn’t really have as much focus on Quasimodo as I expected?

The Phantom of the Opera (1925): I get why people like it as much as they do (read: enjoy it the normal amount and not glorify it like John Flynn), but I thought it dragged on for a little too long?

Dracula (1931): Not bad. Not my favorite, but not bad.

Frankenstein (1931): Lovely! I think there were a few pacing issues towards the beginning and I’m still kinda baffled by the ending they went with, but overall I like it a lot.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931): Amazing. The effects were really impressive and Fredric March deserved all the praise he got for his acting here.

The Mummy (1932): Honestly probably my least favorite of the ones that are considered to be the definitive Universal Monsters, but I do think Karloff’s acting was pretty good.

The Invisible Man (1933): By far my favorite. I could go on about this one for a while, but I won’t because I have lots of others to get to.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935): I liked this even more than the original, honestly?

Dracula’s Daughter (1936): Poor Marya...

Son of Frankenstein (1939): Not as good as Bride of Frankenstein but I still like it enough.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939): I wanna see more of this Sherlock and Holmes? (Yes, I know they’re not monsters, but they’re here for other reasons; it’s a long story)

The Invisible Man Returns (1940): This is a really underrated sequel?

The Invisible Woman (1940): It’s... eh. Kitty Carroll deserves a better movie.

Man Made Monster (1941): Not bad for a film that’s about an hour long, but what the fuck was with that romance subplot? What the fuck?

The Wolf Man (1941): Good, but it’s hilarious that it expects me to believe that Claude Rains was Lon Chaney Jr’s dad, lol

Ghost of Frankenstein (1942): I don’t think this one’s as bad as some people have said?

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943): It’s good, but poor Larry...

Son of Dracula (1943): Kinda the weaker one of the Dracula child movies, but it’s alright. That ending is still really dumb though.

The Phantom of the Opera (1943): Poor Erique... Also I think this suffered from some poorly-chosen studio-mandated editing choices.

House of Frankenstein (1944): Did not integrate Dracula into the three-monster film very well. More importantly though, let Larry be happy, damnit.

House of Dracula (1945): Did not do Dracula or Frankenstein’s Monster enough justice, but at least Larry finally got to be happy.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945/1973/1976): Three different versions, and all of them have a lot of similarities. Namely that Basil deserved way better and I want to beat Wotton to death with a baseball bat.

The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946): The first two acts are pretty decent, but the ending is honestly terrible. Zenobia deserves a better movie. One that makes her a proper lesbian icon.

House of Horrors (1946): It’s not bad, but it’s sadly pretty ableist.

She-Wolf of London (1946): Spoilers: there’s no werewolves. That said, I actually enjoyed this more than I expected? The women aren’t written too badly and it kinda does a twist on the love triangle thing that I wasn’t expecting?

The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951): Not a bad concept, just poorly executed.

It Came from Outer Space (1953): This one’s really neat actually?

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1953): It’s alright, but I could’ve done with Gill-Man offing off more of the male cast. They suck.

Cult of the Cobra (1955): This has a lot in common with The Mummy, but I actually like this one more? There’s a seed of an idea here with Lisa, but it just doesn’t seem like it was fully realized.

The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957): This fucking sucked. It had no clue what the fuck it was doing.

The Fly (1958): The first time I saw it I thought it was pretty hokey, but after watching other monster movies from around this time and revisiting it, it’s better than I remember? Return of the Fly is still garbage though.

The Leech Woman (1960): Okay, this is cheating a bit since Cait and I “watched” it via MST3K, but I don’t think I would’ve been able to stand it by itself because... no. There’s an idea here, deep down there somewhere, but... no.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974): The first third was pretty... eh for me, but I was definitely more into it by the end. I also love how the villain is the guy who wrote Rainbow Connection and was The Penguin in BTAS.

[DATA REMOVED] ([DATA REMOVED]): ...No, just no. [DATA REMOVED], I’m sorry.

For those not in our AU but we watched anyway just because

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919/20): I can’ definitely see how this ended up influencing the styles of other films, it’s interesting.

Nosferatu (1922): I think this is the only one we’ve seen that’s actually given me the creeps? I dunno why, but it was an interesting watch.

The Man Who Laughs (1928): Spoilers: this is the rare film that gives the deformed person a happy ending, and he absolutely deserves it.

Son of Dracula (1974): I’ll be honest, I was only looking forward to this for the Keith Moon cameo.

Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula (1979): I... liked the ideas that were introduced here more than those in Son of Dracula. I don’t think I’d recommend it though.

The Mummy (1997): Not perfect, but still a lot of fun.

The Umm (2017): This is the opposite of fun. Don’t even watch it to try and get a laugh out of it, it’s not worth it.

Anyway, happy two years to our AU!

#long post #Monster AU

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minhoandthebabes · 6 years ago

Text

Fairy AU

It was a bright sunny day, sunny and boring for Taemin. He had spent the entire morning studying with his tutor in the small classroom at the back of the palace. The bay windows were open to the adjacent courtyard which only served as a perfect distraction from the prince’s studies. As his tutor droned on about the intricacies of their history, Taemin’s eyes followed the shapes of the cherry blossoms that hung in front of the open window, his hand tracing them over his notes absently.

After a moment his tutor snapped his fingers, pulling Taemin’s attention back to the tall thin man in front of him.

“Lee Taemin, what do you think you’re doing? This is the third time I’ve had to get your attention. Do you think your parents are paying me to waste my time?” The man crossed his arms and looked down his nose and through his spectacles at Taemin, “Now tell me, what was your great, great uncles policy on trade with the eastern clan?”

Taemin shifted in his seat, his hands playing with the hem of his tunic, “That.. that it’s bad?”

The tutor pressed his fingers to his brow, “The answer isn’t whether or not it’s “good” or “bad” the answer is his policy, Taemin.” He looked back up at the young prince expectantly, but when he didn’t respond the man rolled his eyes and gave in, “His policy was that for every item they produced we would enchant for them and, in turn, we would keep half of the enchanted items while sending the rest back. Now, why is this a bad policy?”

Taemin chewed his lip and looked down at his notes, hoping something there would help, but only found more doodles of plants. “Because..” he started, closing his notebook, “Because it takes more energy to enchant than it takes to produce?”

“Precisely,” his tutor grinned, straightening his back, “Now you’re starting to think properly.”

Taemin sighed, leaning back in his seat, “Can we be done now? I’m sick of this.”

His tutor nodded, “fine, I’m just impressed something got through that thick skull of yours.” He turned around to erase the chalkboard. “By the way, next week-” The tutor turned only to see Taemin’s purple wings slipping out the door in a flash.

It only took a few moments for Taemin to slip away deep into the woods. Ignoring his responsibilities was what he did best, and on a day like today, it was all he wanted to do. He slowly made his way into the heart of the woods, back to the tallest tree he had found a few weeks before. He had taken it upon himself to catalog every plant and creature living within the ancient tree.

Kicking off of a mossy rock he was airborne, flying to a branch he knew he could lounge on. Once he had made himself comfortable he pulled out his sketchbook and doodled the flower growing from the moss beside him.

Minutes turned into hours as Taemin continued to doodle and sketch on the lower branch of the tree. Over time the sun lowered in the sky enough to peak through the sparse branches and onto Taemin’s notebook. With the sun warming his skin, the prince was lulled to sleep, snoring gently as the branches above him swayed gently in the breeze.

Taemin suddenly awoke to the sound of a branch snapping below him and looked down to see what was causing the sound. It was dark, but he could see the luminous mushrooms guiding his path home below. He squinted in hopes to get a glimpse at the creature that was below him, leaning a little closer on the edge of the branch. Just as he had decided to go down there to inspect it, in a sudden flash and loud crack of lightning, Taemin lost his balance, falling off the branch and down into the mud and moss below.

Jinki closed the door behind him and tossed his backpack onto his cluttered kitchen counter. Empty ramen bowls clattered to the floor and flies escaped, reminding him of how long it had been since he had last returned to the tiny apartment. With a scrunch of his nose, he ignored the daunting mess and collapsed onto his couch. With a sigh of relief, he decided he could let himself nap for just a moment, the short power nap couldn’t to that much damage, especially considering it was the start of the weekend, a springy Friday afternoon whose sunset painted his apartment in various shades of orange, warming him enough to sleep.

He opened his eyes again when a buzzing tickled his ear. Jinki sat up with a big yawn and stretched, scrunching his face in the process. He remembered the flies that seemed to be enjoying his old mess and decided it was time to clean up. On his way to the kitchenette, he grabbed a garbage bag and started filling it with everything that smelled or had mold. He looked back at his slightly more clean apartment with a bright smile, but after a moment he heard a crack of lightning behind him, turning to see the beginning signs of rain start to drip down the large windowpane that covered one wall of the square apartment.

The rain only meant one thing for the college student, wet socks as he walked to the art studio the next day. Despite this, Jinki was still happy to see the rain. It had been dry for far too long and the planter box on his windowsill had been wilting in his absence.

Jinki walked over to find one of his plants that sat on his counter and brought it to the window to join the other plants as they soaked up the rejuvenating rain. He placed the potted plant beside the plantar before looking out on the dark wet world in front of him. Most of the lights from the businesses down below were turned off. He could see drunk students covering their heads as they ran from the sudden downpour.

He was about to close the window when something bright caught his eye. Jinki noticed purple dust shimmering on one of the basil leaves. He frowned and reached out to brush the dust from the leaf, feeling it’s fine texture between his fingers. It seemed to glow in the dim light, but the more he touched it, the less he could see it. He leaned out the window slightly to look for the source of the glitter in his planter. He assumed it must have been from something like a kids toy or perhaps a stray piece of trash had flown in with the strong winds that brought this storm. Jinki pushed around the leaves and was about to give up his search when he saw a wing in the mud.

He scoffed, it really was some kids toy, he was about to pinch the wing but realized he might break the toy seeing as most of it was buried under the mud. Instead, he scooped it up with the mud and was immediately surprised by the weight that filled his hand. It felt like he was holding dormouse, something living. The feet of the toy started at the base of his palm and its head was cradled on his thumb. The parts of the toy that touched his skin didn’t feel plastic, it felt soft and delicate, the most realistic toy he had ever felt.

Jinki brought it to the sink and decided to wash the mud from its face so he could get a better look at the toy. If it looked nice enough he would remove the wings and use it as a model for future school projects. He turned on the cold water and held the toy beneath it, watching as the mud started to wash away from its long hair and thick clothes.

Taemin jumped awake as soon as the water touched him, he pushed up against the soft material behind him and tried to scramble away from the water. He was covered in mud and now he was covered in cold water, but he didn’t care, he needed to get away from whatever was happening. He stood and tried to take flight, but the mud caked onto his wings only slowed him down in his escape, and before he knew it, he was grabbed out of the air. Whatever had grabbed him managed to grip his wing a little too tightly and Taemin cried out in pain, going limp in the giant hand.

The next time Taemin opened his eyes he was surrounded by glass that distorted his view of the world around him. In the distance, he could see the creature, a giant blob from his perspective that seemed to be pacing outside and talking loudly into a strange box. Taemin looked up to see the damage that had been done to his wing. The tip of the right wing had bent backward and snapped in one spot. Just looking at the injury made tears well up in Taemin’s eyes. He reached into his satchel to see if he had anything of use inside, but he hadn’t brought any potions with him.

He reached up to assess the damage, his hands running over the soft membranes, his wings had never experienced such damage, and just touching the fractured edge sent shooting pain down to his spine.

Jinki was running over the past few moments in his head. The toy had seemingly come to life within his hands and in just seconds he had managed to injure it. He needed to do something, he needed help and he knew just the person to help him. Jinki pulled out his cellphone and called Kibum.

Kibum was another student who lived just a few doors down and was studying to be a veterinarian. Despite their different studies, they had become friends over the years. He knew Kibum would have some sort of solution for him.

Jinki was greeted by a groggy voice on the other line when Kibum finally picked up.

“Do you know what time it is?”

Jinki looked down at his watch and ran a hand through his hair, “I- I actually wasn’t aware..”

Kibum groaned, “This better be an emergency then if you haven’t hung up by now.”

“I think.. I hurt something..” Jinki said softly, looking at the mythical creature as it checked over its wing.

“Hurt something? Like yourself? I knew you would eventually, old man, but I’m studying to be a vet, not a doctor..” Kibum’s voice was more clear now and he sounded a little concerned despite his snarky response.

“No, it’s not me, it’s- it’s a creature.. I found.” Jinki didn’t mean to be cryptic, but if he had said “fairy” he would have felt so childish.

Kibum huffed, “can’t this wait until morning Jinki? Are you really worried about this creature? Animals die all the time, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“First of all, how can you say that as a budding vet?? Second of all, this is completely different..” Jinki furrowed his brow and leaned down to look at the small creature. His face softened when he noticed it cowering in the glass, hugging its broken wing to its chest. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said softly, “It was an accident, I swear.”

Kibum sighed, “fine, and you know I didn’t mean that. I’m just exhausted.. Jonghyun and I went out drinking and you know how he gets.”

Jinki nodded, “yeah, just come quick, and with a first aid kit. I don’t have one here.”

He hung up with Kibum and unlocked his door for the other before sitting to get a closer look at the little creature, “this is a dream, right? There’s no way you could be real.”

Taemin held his broken wing close. This giant thing without wings was looking at him, even though he couldn’t see it through the warped glass, he could definitely feel it. He brought his legs to his chest as his heart pounded against his tunic, trying to escape through the thick fabric.

He tried to remember a spell that could help him in this situation, anything that could hide him away, or even heal him, but his mind was blank; only fear filled his thoughts.

With a bright flash, soon a rumble of thunder shook everything around him and he squeezed his eyes shut.

After the sound subsided he heard a soft warm voice speaking to him. He opened his eyes to see the odd thing’s mouth moving. It didn’t sound threatening, in fact, it seemed as if it was trying to calm him down.

Taemin let his muscles relax a little, letting go of his injured wing. He looked down at his hands which were now covered in a maroon liquid and reached into his bag to pull out his handkerchief, rubbing the blood from his hands. He was sure to give the other creature an angry scowl to show him he was displeased with what had happened and the man seemed to respond accordingly, stepping away from his glass prison.

Soon he heard a new sound, a door opening and the thought of seeing another one of these creatures made him curl up again, trying to hide himself away.

“This is a dream. Or, I’m still drunk,” Kibum said as he sat down at the table to look at the creature Jinki had caught. “Yeah, I’m still drunk.. I swear we just had wine tonight.” He mumbled under his breath, reaching out to touch the cup. The thing inside quivered as he grazed the glass making Kibum pull away.

“You have to help me put his wing back together..” Jinki almost demanded, “you have to, I swear to god if I killed it, I’ll never be able to live with myself.” Jinki’s eyes started to water, only putting Kibum more on the defensive.

“I- I’ve, never.. I meant I’ll try, but, I’ve never fixed a-” He bit his lip, “this wouldn’t be a bug, but.. it wouldn’t be a human either.” He shook his head, “I can try, but I can’t promise anything.”

Jinki smiled, “I knew you would be the one to help me!” He picked up the lid from the cup so they could have more access to the fairy within.

“First, we should give him some pain meds.” Kibum pulled out a bottle of aspirin and looked at the size of the pill compared to the size of the thing in the glass and sighed, “if we’re this big, and.. it’s that big, I’m guessing we’ll need a tenth of this?”

Jinki chewed his lip, “I- I don’t know.. that sounds right? Give him less just in case though. While you figure that out, I’ll make up a bed for him to lay on once we’re finished.”

Kibum nodded. He tentatively reached into the glass to guide the creature out but as soon as it started putting up a fight, Kibum got nervous.

“Just let me take care of you!” He argued as its small hands scratched at Kibum’s fingers. Kibum groaned and pulled away again, “fine, I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way.” He reached into his medical kit to pull out a small bottle of chloroform.

Jinki returned moments later with a tissue box he had cut up into a makeshift bed. “Hey! I think this will-” his voice cut off when he saw the bottle Kibum was messing with. “What do you think you’re doing?” He asked in an accusatory tone. “Isn’t that stuff dangerous? Why do you have it in the first place?!”

“Jinki, relax..” Kibum rolled his eyes, “I’m only using a tiny bit to knock him out, he won’t stop fighting me, and he’ll feel less pain this way anyway.”

“But why do you have that??”

Kibum shrugged, “my teacher’s old fashioned, he wanted us to learn how to make it just in case a situation like this arose and we didn’t have access to tranquilizers.”

Jinki shook his head, “of all the people to teach you such a thing..” he set down the bed and watched as Kibum held a cotton swab of the stuff at a length from the creature. It didn’t take long until he slumped over in the cup looking lifeless.

“You better be careful with him..” Jinki said softly.

Kibum transferred the fairy from the glass to the little bed they had made. “I’ll give him pain meds once we mend his wing and he’s awake again.”

He put on gloves next to protect the creature from any bacteria he might have before he touched the wing. “I saw this in my textbook once for butterflies. You can mend their wing with a splint of card stock. They suggested the use of glue, but that seems too severe here.” Kibum was gentle as he straightened the wing, “there’s also liquid coming out which there isn’t for butterflies.”

“Do you think we should just use a bandaid?” Jinki asked softly.

“No, I think we should make a cast, but I don’t think he’s is too strong, so let’s use cardstock for something solid and paper-maché around it with cotton surrounding the wing, can you make paper-maché?”

“Of course,” he smiled a little, “I’m an art major after all.. that should be a piece of cake.”

Jinki started to get to work. After ten strenuous minutes, Jinki and Kibum backed away from the fairy who now lay on his makeshift bed with a cast on the tip of his wing.

“I’m never drinking with Jonghyun after this..” Kibum mumbled, leaning back in his chair, exhausted.

“I’m never touching that fairy again..” Jinki added, staring at the steady rise and fall of the creature's chest against the towel blanket he had covered him with earlier.

#ontae #minkey #fairy au #shinee #i may be useless #but I still enjoy writing from time to time #even tho i suck and don't finish anything #fanfic #myfic

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