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stillshehauntsme · 4 months ago

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Alice in Wonderland - Movie archive

(This has sat in my drafts since 2018 but *somebody* wanted to see it and I can't link to unpublished drafts so here we are)

I think there is a list out there somewhere but when I last saw it it was rather outdated so I thought I’ll make my own.

I tried to gather all the movie adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland here.

1903 - Alice in Wonderland

First ever movie adaptation, directed by Cecil Hepworth. Alice is played by Mary Clark. About 9 minutes survived out of original 12, sadly.

Language: silent

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeIXfdogJbA

1910 - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

This one is often said to be lost but it’s on youtube... Made by the Edison Manufacturing Company, stars Gladys Hulette as Alice. The character designs are Tenniel-based, they are live-action versions of the original illustrations.

Language: silent

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxPDs8Q--Y

1915 - Alice in Wonderland

First American adaptation. Viola Savoy as Alice, director W.W. Young. The animal costumes are pretty amazing in this one.

Language: silent

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSQ2w9WeNDQ

1931 - Alice in Wonderland

Small budget film. Stars Ruth Gilbert as Alice, who is really sweet and stares at the camera a scary lot. Never got popular but it’s great...

Language: English

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH24yRuHfEU

1933 - Alice in Wonderland

A Paramount Pictures production, it was the ,,official live action version”. It was big really when it came out. Charlotte Henry as Alice.

Language: English

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY7M42Fk9Qo

1934 - Betty in Blunderland

A Betty Boop film. Betty falls asleep while doing an Alice in Wonderland jigsaw puzzle, end up in Wonderland and sings and dances with the classic characters.

Watch here (original): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf6RohRVKBY

Watch here (colorized): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRhBtRaIKc4

1949 - Alice au Pays des Merveilles

This might be the first colorful Alice movie. Really interesting animation. Was banned in Britain for a while because they thought the Queen of Hearts was a mockery of Queen Victoria. Carol Marsh as Alice.

Language: French / English

Watch here (Fr): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jPbelf_-XM

Watch here (En): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA-WJFK3DgU

1951 - Alice in Wonderland

The good old Disney classic. Not much to say here. I was horrified to death by this movie as a child, fun fact.

Language: Originally English

Watch here: https://kisscartoon.ac/Cartoon/Alice-in-Wonderland/Movie?id=1967 (warning, site is full of ads, don’t click anything - most of them will be very NSFW)

1954 - Kraft Television Theatre’s Alice in Wonderland

A recording of a live performance, but still technically a film. The Kraft Television Theatre was a TV series that presented different plays each week. Robin Morgan as Alice.

Language: English

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ka4honG5s

1955 - Alice in Wonderland

A TV adaptation of the 1932 Broadway version. A shame that most of it is lost, it looked lovely based on the couple of minutes of it I could find.

Watch here (first three minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1dkSEULhkU

1966 - Alice in Wonderland (or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?)

I could find the audio but not the animation of this one, apparently it has never been released on video or dvd or anything. The usual story, characters singing and stuff.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY1y36Eks6Q

1966 - Alice in Wonderland

Jonathan Miller’s Alice is something else. It’s surreal and creepy and confusing and beautiful, all that without any costumes. Now I might be a tiny bit biased because I love the heck out of this movie, haha.

Watch here: https://vimeo.com/84173613

1972 - Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

This one is very fairytale-like, and instead of fictional Alice, Alice Liddell herself is the one dreaming the dream. We even get to see Carroll as a character. It won a whole bunch of awards.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz6YdGgGoYA

1973 - Alice in Wonderland (Festival of Family Classics episode)

A little animated thing that used to air on children’s TV channels.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVxw4MFSQWQ

1976 - Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Comedy

Exactly what it says on the tin. It’s porn but it’s Alice in Wonderland and they sing. Goes without saying, don’t watch if you are underage.

Watch here: https://www7.fmovies.se/film/alice-in-wonderland-an-x-rated-musical-fantasy.7798/m (don’t click on ads or anything if you don’t want your computer dead)

1981 - Alisa v Strane Chudes

An animated film from the USSR. Really pretty art, surreal colors.

Watch here (Russian with English subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oym9aw-Iso

1982 - Alisa v Zazerkale

Second part of the previous on the list, based on the second Alice book, with the same peculiar animation.

Watch here (Russian): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEP4vX0ISHI

1982 - Alice at the Palace

A TV recording of Elizabeth Swados’s musical. Stars Meryl Streep as Alice.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Y15Crljk4

1982 - Alicja

A very odd live action musical adaptation of the original story. It only took the symbolism of Wonderland, not the plot. Alice is all grown up, and falls for a man named Rabbit. The plot is difficult to follow, oftentimes makes no sense. TW: suicide attempt.

Watch here (English with Polish subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgZYzG96RKQ

1983 - Alice in Wonderland

The old Broadway version. Very true to the original book. Young Kate Burton as a lovely Alice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69BootOOHLk

1983 - Fushigi no Kuni no Arisu

An anime series based on both Alice books. Was very popular in Asia.

Watch all episodes here (English): https://kissanime.ac/Anime/Alice-in-Wonderland-Dub/

1985 - Alice in Wonderland

Anglia TV’s miniseries. Live action meets puppets. Uses the original dialogue and word from the books.

Watch here:

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwugRCVjBIo

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs7GgvU-15g

Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-erJ-2TYJn0

Episode 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkvpTLnCv7s

Episode 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKG4EJc653A&t=2s

1985 - Alice in Wonderland

This one was made for television, colorful and lovely sets and costumes.

Watch here (English with Portugese subtitles):

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKkv3pAJ0x0&t=5s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OThIhfsUnHI

1985 - Dreamchild

This movie is from the point of view of old Alice Liddell (now Mrs Haregraves), and how she begins to remember her childhood, Lewis Carroll, and Wonderland. TW: pedophilia - nothing explicit, but it made me very uncomfortable so thought I’d mention.

Watch here: https://www7.fmovies.se/film/dreamchild.jv1q2/1zyv4p (again, don’t click on ads or anything if you don’t want your computer dead)

1986 - Alice in Wonderland

A BBC miniseries in four parts by Barry Letts.

I could not find it online.

1987 - Alice Through the Looking Glass

Only slightly based on the book, an Australian animated film.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS24PF182V0

1988 - Alice in Wonderland

Another Australian animation. The same company produced it as the 1987 Through The Looking Glass.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86p1eC6IPCE

1988 - Něco z Alenky / Alice

A Czech movie. Not a sweet fairytale, but something actually out of a dream. Surreal, creepy, strange. Personal favorite. :)

Watch here (Czech with English subtitles): https://www7.fmovies.se/film/alice.n1zk/pw23xj (again, don’t click on anything)

1995 - Alice in Wonderland

Another animated version, by Jetlag Producions. Alice wears pink. The animation style is exactly the same as in the old My Little Pony movies, or at least that’s what it remind me of...

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfRAL0AgzGs&t=68s

1998 - Alice Through The Looking Glass

Family fantasy movie, very true to it’s genre, colorful, a bit tacky. This time Alice is a mother who falls asleep while reading a bedtime story.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGM7aiQkAAI

1999 - Alice in Wonderland

The special effects are slowly starting to catch up to Carroll’s imagination. They tried and they succeeded but I feel like they tried too hard... Oh also it’s nearly three hours long.

Watch here: https://www7.fmovies.se/film/alice-in-wonderland.xjpo3/my13jz (don’t click the ads)

2010 - Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton’s version. ,,Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny.”

Watch here: https://watchcartoonsonline.la/watch-alice-in-wonderland-2010-full-movie/ (don’t click ads and close pop-up windows quickly)

2015 - CBeebies Alice in Wonderland

A TV recording of an Alice in Wonderland children’s show.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq6FO0Q3D6w

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citizenscreen · 6 months ago

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Anthology drama series “Kraft Television Theatre” debuted on NBC on May 7, 1947 and ran until 1958.

#kraft theatre #classic tv

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camisoledadparis · 28 days ago

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … October 17

976 – Cordoba, Spain: Hisham II becomes Caliph at age 11. He is the openly homosexual son of the openly homosexual Al-Hakam II. Both kept male harems.

1535 – Rome: Pope Paul III wrote a letter to his son Duke Pier Luigi Farnese on this day and scolded him for having male lovers with him on an official mission to the court of the Emperor. Born in Rome, Pier Luigi was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese who later became Pope Paul III.

1917 – Sumner Locke Elliott (d.1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist.

Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Helena Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsia one day after his birth. Elliott was raised by his aunts, who had a fierce custody battle over him, fictionalized in Elliott's autobiographical novel, Careful, He Might Hear You.

Elliott became an actor and writer with the Doris Fitton's Independent Theatre. He was drafted into the Australian Army in 1942, but instead of being posted overseas, he worked as a clerk in Australia. He used these experiences as the inspiration for his controversial play, Rusty Bugles. The play toured extensively throughout Australia and achieved the notoriety of being closed down for obscenity by the Chief Secretary's Office.

However, Rusty Bugles' place in the history of Australian theatre rests on more than notoriety. Mac is a memorable character in the play, and in the first production, Frank O'Donnell transformed audiences' understanding of the typical Australian 'bludger' or 'scrounger'. To the men in his unit, he appeared a winner even when he was losing, but with the discovery of his wife's infidelity, his fragility becomes apparent.

Elliott moved to the United States in 1948, where he ranked in the pantheon of leading playwrights during the Golden Age of live television dramas, writing more than 30 original plays and numerous adaptations for such shows as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One and Playhouse 90. He also wrote a play Buy Me Blue Ribbons, which had a short run on Broadway. In 1955, he obtained United States citizenship and did not return to Australia until 1974.

Elliott's best known novel, Careful, He Might Hear You, won the 1963 Miles Franklin Award and was turned into a film in 1983.

As a gay man during a time when this was socially problematic, Elliott was uncomfortable with his sexuality. He kept it secret until nearly the end of his life before coming out in his book Fairyland. Because of these fears, Elliott had affairs but never had any stable relationships.

1920 – Born: Brooding and intense, Montgomery Clift (d.1966) was one of a group of young actors in the 1950s who personified the emotionally repressed loss of innocence of the post-World War II generation. A dedicated actor who exhausted himself both emotionally and physically with the depth of his characterizations, Clift was also an isolated and tortured, closeted gay man who used drugs and alcohol to escape his pain.

Although he was both friend and inspiration to the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean, Clift felt his own acting achievements were undervalued, and he died as bitter and broken as the characters he played in many of his films.

Clift was born into privilege in Omaha, Nebraska on October 17, 1920, the son of a wealthy stockbroker. His father spent most of his time working in New York, leaving Clift, his twin sister Roberta, and his older brother Brooks in the care of their high-strung mother. An upper-class childhood filled with lengthy trips to Europe and the Bahamas ended suddenly with the stock market crash of 1929, and the family moved to a small house in Sarasota, Florida. There Clift discovered the theater in a local teen acting club.

Clift's mother encouraged her son's acting ambitions, and when the family moved back to New York in 1935, he auditioned and was cast in a Broadway production, Fly Away Home. His 1938 performance in the lead in Dame Nature established Clift's acting career. He was seventeen years old.

Clift's success on Broadway continued, and he soon found himself courted by Hollywood film executives. He rejected a number of scripts before finally making a memorable film debut in Howard Hawks' 1948 film Red River opposite John Wayne. Repotedly, both Wayne and Walter Brennan were offended by Clift's homosexuality, and stayed away from him while filming Red River. For his part, Clift was offended by the pro-USA political beliefs of those two older actors.

He followed that with a critical success in Fred Zinneman's The Search (1948), which earned him the first of four academy award nominations. Clift continued to make successful films and developed friendships in Hollywood, the closest of which was with actress Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor and Clift were both passionate and vulnerable people who felt a bond immediately. They worked together on several films, beginning with George Stevens' A Place in the Sun in 1951, and remained friends until the end of his life.

Clift had always had relationships with men, but he dated Taylor and other women to conceal his homosexuality. In the early 1950s, he turned down a role in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, based on the infamous Leopold and Loeb gay murder case, probably because it might have led to speculation about Clift's own life.

Though at the beginning of his career, he drank only moderately and conducted his private life discreetly, by the mid 1950s he was using alcohol and drugs excessively and spending wild nights cruising. In 1954, Clift rented a house in the gay resort of Ogunquit, Maine, and spent the summer picking up men on the beach for S&M parties. The studios did their best to keep Clift's exploits out of the press, but rumors about his lifestyle abounded.

On May 12, 1956, after leaving a party at Taylor's, Clift drove his car into a telephone pole. The crash caused scarring and partial paralysis of his face, which would affect his appearance for the rest of his life. Although he continued to act, and gave some of his most memorable performances after the accident (in, for example, Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg and John Huston's The Misfits in 1961), both his expressive acting and his personal life were never the same. His post-accident career has been referred to as the 'longest suicide in Hollywood' because of his continued substance abuse.

In his final years, Clift plunged more deeply into drug and alcohol abuse and wild sexual behavior. He began to be considered unreliable by studio bosses. Sadly, by the time his companion Lorenzo James found him dead of a heart attack at their home, on July 23, 1966, he was virtually unemployable.

1933 – On this date the Singing Nun was born (d.1985). Sœur Sourire a.k.a. Sister Smile was a Belgian nun, who had a world hit in and around 1963 with 'Dominique'. Her real name was Jeanine Decker and her name in the convent was Sister Luc-Gabrielle. She was born in Waver. In 1966 a film was released based on her life, under the title of 'The Singing Nun', with Debbie Reynolds in the title role.

Deckers became increasingly critical of Catholic doctrines and eventually became a public advocate for contraception. She also agreed with John Lennon's statements about Jesus in 1966. In 1967, she recorded a song entitled "Glory Be to God for the Golden Pill" — a paean to artificial birth control — under the name Luc Dominique. It was a commercial failure.

Her musical career over, Deckers opened a school for autistic children in Belgium. In the late 1970s, the Belgian government claimed she owed approximately $63,000 USD in back taxes. Deckers countered that the royalties from her recording were given to the convent and therefore she was not liable for payment of any personal income taxes. Lacking any receipts to prove her donations to the convent and her religious order, Deckers ran into heavy financial problems. In 1982, she tried, once again as Sœur Sourire, to score a hit with a disco synthesizer version of "Dominique", but this last attempt to resume her singing career failed.

Citing their financial difficulties in a note, she and her companion of ten years, Annie Pécher, both committed suicide by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol in March 1985. She was 51.

London Mardi Gras, the precurser to Pride, which Barry Jackson helped to organize in 1999

1946 – Barry Jackson, British gay activist and corporate and public affairs manager was born on this date (d.1999).

Born in south London, Barry read mathematics at the University of Sussex from 1966-69. There he was active in the student union, quickly learning to defuse arguments, and in student journalism.

In 1975, he went to work for North West Arts in Manchester, and then became development director of the Arts Council of Great Britain. He joined the University of Westminster in this role in 1990, before moving to the committee of vice-chancellors and principals as director of corporate affairs. There he ran campaigns to increase public funding for university research, to stop planned cuts in other areas of funding and to enhance recognition of the contribution universities make to regional and international competitiveness.

In 1994 he joined the board of the Actors Touring Company, and toured Greece when it presented simultaneous productions of Euripides's Ion in English and Greek.

While in Manchester, Barry became involved with the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, the first of a number of lesbian and gay groups which would benefit from his campaigning, communications and fundraising skills. His understanding and good humour in the often difficult circumstances created by prejudice and intolerance were later evident in his work at London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard. Between 1980-98, Barry spoke to many thousands of lesbians and gay men, their families and friends who had phoned, often in fear and confusion.

He also helped organise the first national conference on Aids in 1983, encouraged and supported the development of the Terrence Higgins Trust, and went on to be involved in a number of Aids organisations.Most of this he did with his closest friend, Mike Rhodes, who died suddenly in 1991. Barry helped set up the Mike Rhodes Trust, which makes an annual award to an individual who has "contributed most to promoting understanding of lesbian and gay life".

Shortly before his death from leukaemia aged 53, he was centrally involved in the staging of 1999's London Mardi Gras. The lesbian and gay festival brought together many strands in his life: activism with business acumen, politics with fun and style, an arts programme with a cutting edge and London with Sydney, two cities he loved.

1960 – Rob Marshall is an American theater director, film director and choreographer. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe nominee and four-time Emmy winner whose most noted work is the 2002 Academy Award Best Picture winner Chicago.

He debuted in the film industry with the Emmy Award-wining TV adaptation of the musical Annie by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. After that he went on to direct the much anticipated adaptation of the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago in 2002 for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. His next feature film was the drama Memoirs of a Geisha based on the best-selling book of the same name by Arthur Golden starring Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh and Ken Watanabe. The film went on to win three Academy Awards and gross $162,242,962 at the worldwide box office.

In 2009, Marshall directed Nine, an adaptation of the hit Broadway production with the same name starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Penélope Cruz, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Marshall then went on to direct Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth chapter of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film series starring Johnny Depp, Ian McShane, Penélope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush, which opened on May 20, 2011.

Marshall lives in New York City with his life partner John DeLuca.

1969 – Rick Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger. He was born in St. John's, Newfoundland. He dropped out of Prince of Wales High School in St. John's before completing his diploma requirements. However, in 2002 he was presented with an honorary doctor of letters by Laurentian University and in 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets when he was in his teen years.

Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. A pointed, satirical political commentary on Canadian life after Meech Lake, Show Me the Button made Mercer a national star as he toured the show across Canada. Mercer came to greater attention for his role in the satirical news show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and his spinoff special Talking To Americans was the highest-rated comedy special in the history of CBC Television, with 2.7 million viewers. He is currently seen regularly in The Rick Mercer Report.

In December 2004 Mercer appeared on the commercials advertising the One-Tonne Challenge for the Government of Canada. All of Mercer's fees for the campaign went to Casey House, a hospice in Toronto for people living with AIDS. Casey House was founded by June Callwood, who appeared as a celebrity guest on Monday Report.

In September 2005, Mercer became the national spokesperson for the 2005 Walk For Life, a series of 132 fund-raising walks across Canada that raise money for people living with HIV and AIDS. The Walk for Life is a project of the Canadian AIDS Society.

In November 2010, Mercer joined the It Gets Better, Canada campaign, a series of videos that aim to help gay and lesbian youth to overcome bullying.

Mercer's partner is television producer Gerald Lunz. Although the romantic relationship came first, Lunz is also Mercer's long-time partner in business, who discovered him, fostered his career, and is currently the executive producer of The Rick Mercer Report. He regards his personal life as private, and says little about it in public.

2003 – On this date Hijra eunuchs in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh float the political party Jiti Jitayi. In the culture of the Indian subcontinent a hijra (also known by a number of different names and romanized spellings) is usually considered a member of "the third sex" — neither man nor woman. Most are physically male or intersex, but some are female. Hijras usually refer to themselves as female at the language level, and usually dress as women.

Census data does not exist, but estimates range from 50,000 to 5,000,000 in India alone. Although they are usually referred to in English as "eunuchs", relatively few have any genital modifications. A third gender has existed in the subcontinent from the earliest records, and was clearly acknowledged in Vedic culture, throughout the history of Hinduism, as well as in the royal courts of Islamic rulers.

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lboogie1906 · 9 months ago

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Elisabeth Williams-Omilami (born February 18, 1951) is a human rights activist and actress.

Born in Atlanta, she is the daughter of activist Hosea Williams and Georgia State Representative Juanita T. Williams. Her young life was spent with the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She created the People’s Survival Theatre, producing a season of five shows per year. In New York, she worked as an arts administrator and executive assistant. She directed and acted as much as she could, supporting her family as her husband’s career grew. She returned to Atlanta. She continued to perform on stage and in film and television. She graduated from Hampton University with a BA in Theatre.

She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. A Georgia State Senate Resolution in recognition of her community service, Atlanta Business League 100 Women of Influence, For Sisters Only, Women In Film Humanitarian Award, Secretary of State of Georgia Outstanding Citizen, State of Georgia Goodwill Ambassador, YWCA Women of Achievement Academy, Burger King Urban Everyday Heroes, Kraft Community Service; Southern Christian Leadership Conference Women Drum Major for Justice, T. D. Jakes Phenomenal Woman, Daughters of Isis Community Service Award, the Emory University M.L.K. Community Service Award and The National Conference of Black Mayors Fannie Lou Hamer Unsung Heroine Award.

She is a playwright who has written several plays, one of which is There Is A River In My Soul. She is a past member of both the Georgia Council For The Arts and the Fulton County Arts Council and is a passionate advocate for the arts to be instituted as a permanent part of society. She is an actress and has performed at the Alliance Theatre in A Christmas Carol and early 2002 in Left Hand Singing at the Jewish Theatre of The South. She can be seen in Boycott, In the Heat of the Night, and the award-winning I’ll Fly Away. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #zetaphibeta

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outoftowninac · 3 years ago

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BEST YEARS

1932

Best Years is a three-act play by Raymond Van Sickle. The original production was produced by Elizabeth Meile and staged by Priestly Morrison. It starred Katherine Alexander and Harvey Stephens.

The cast also included Canadian character actress Jean Adair. In 1942 she created the role of Martha Brewster in the long-running hit Arsenic and Old Lace. She reprised her role in the 1943 film adaptation.

The play takes place in a small town in Ohio, where Madge is caregiver to her hypochondriac mother. Madge sacrifices her dreams and goals but when her mother passes away, she gives in to a romantic suitor.

The play was workshopped n Meile’s theatre in Sharon NY.

The play had its world premiere production at Nixon’s Apollo Theatre in Atlantic City on August 22, 1932. On the way to the Great White Way, it stopped in Asbury Park...

‘Best Years’ is not a sophisticated play. It will probably not appeal to jaded tastes accustomed to risqué plays, ‘modern’ comedies and ‘frank’ dramas.” ~ LONG BRANCH DAILY RECORD

The reviewer might well have been describing Manhattan theatre-goers.

Best Years opened on Broadway at the Bijou Theatre on September 7, 1932. It lasted just 45 performances before moving onto the Subway circuit, starting in Brooklyn.

The play was chosen to be part of a the American Theatre Society’s subscription series.

In January 1951, NBC TV aired an adaptation of the play as part of “Kraft Theatre”. It starred Leslie Nielsen.

#Best Years #1932 #Atlantic City #Asbury Park #Kraft Television Theatre #Bijou Theatre #Broadway play #Nixon's Apollo Theatre #Theatre #Play #Stage

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still-she-haunts-me-phantomwise · 8 years ago

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Arthur Treacher getting his Cheshire Cat make-up done from Kraft's Television Theatre's Alice in Wonderland This is my negative; please do not repost

#Alice in Wonderland #carrollian #Arthur Treacher #Kraft Television Theatre #1954 #my scans #my edits #my negatives #my collection

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redhoodisms · 3 years ago

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Could u do some Damian head cannons 🥰

RANDOM ASS DAMIAN WAYNE HEADCANONS !

𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬: i'm so happy that i'm finally catching up on my asks because it feels like AGES since i've actually done this. anyways send in more asks pretty please! i need something to write!

walks around wearing his brother’s sweaters that are two times too big for him but too small for them to wear. regardless of what you think, bruce isn’t going to buy a new wardrobe of clothes when there are perfectly good hand-me-downs lying around. so to make his brother’s clothes suited to his liking, damian picked up learning how to embroider so that he could design his sweaters to have mini graphic designs based on his favourite shows. it’s now become a side business in the family

he doesn’t like the crust on his bread. there’s something about the crust that damian absolutely LOATHES so jason is always the one he gives his crust to. it’s become such a bad habit of damian that if jason isn’t at the manor to eat his crust, he’ll steal the keys to any of his father’s cars and drive to jason’s apartment and just hand him a bag of crusts for his brother to eat

his favourite movie is little women

his power anthem playlist is any score from a movie. you’ll see him lifting weights like he’s listening to the most hardcore song on the planet when really, he’s probably blasting the lord of the rings score in his ear or mumbling the lyrics of “we don’t talk about bruno” under his breath. damian lives and breathes for soundtracks and scores about movies

claims that televisions shows are “a way for your braincells to rot,” but every saturday he’s in the theatre room with piles of blankets and pillows, eating chips and a massive banana split sundae with tim as they convert the theatre room into a pillow paradise when tim shows him classic tv shows like spongebob, that’s so raven and the looney tunes

dressed up like l from death note for halloween

much to being grown up trained as an assassin, the guy has never cooked a meal by himself in his life. damain almost burned the kitchen down trying to make kraft dinner mac & cheese

owns seven pairs of comfy’s (the hoodie blanket sweaters)

the first pair of “non loafer” shoes he got were a pair of hightop white converse. damain was one braincell away from throwing them into the garbage just because it took them more than five minutes for him to put them on

got a permanent ban from playing video games because he was “harassing” and “bullying” online players. even though he was just bragging about his imposter rights in among us (he’s the reason why the chats are censored)

wears those ugly camouflage print crocs around the manor while almost bursting a blood vessel because tim keeps yelling “WHAT ARE THOSE?”

collects crystals —end of discussion

likes, comments & reblogs are appreciated <3

#batfam #damian wayne headcanon #damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x you #jason todd #dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne scenarios #damian wayne oneshot

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emmynominees · 17 days ago

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everett sloane as the president in kraft television theatre's "patterns"

primetime emmy award nominee for outstanding lead actor in a limited series or movie

#everett sloane #the president #kraft television theatre #patterns #lead actor in a limited series or movie #best actor in a single performance #1956

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newagesispage · 3 years ago

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OCTOBER 2021

THE RIB PAGE

*****

We miss U Charlie Watts!!

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The Stones performed at a private party for Patriots owner Robert Kraft of all people. The test run looked like just that. Shark jumped. I am becoming disillusioned.

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SNL is back with Owen Wilson as first host of season 47. Kacey Musgraves is the musical guest. Episode 2 will have a ridic choice for host. Halsey will sing. I suppose $ is power with the Kardashians. I could think of about 10 million other people to host but more and more Lorne goes for the shiny object , what he THINKS people want instead of taking risk. Beck Bennett is out.

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Is everybody watching the Amber Ruffin Show?? I loved her before but now… I learn so much from her show. Sometimes it takes a comic to get to the real serious shit. For example: Have you heard of drowning towns? Towns like Oscarville, Kowaliga, York hill, Seneca Village, Prentiss and countless other black towns that were drowned out to make lakes for the local whites. Central Park was also made after a black community was erased from history. Development displacement? Alleyway dwelling authority? Even those rabid for history can find out new things everyday. Thanks Amber!!

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Bob Woodward and Robert Costa are finally giving us Peril !!!!!! I’ve been waiting!!** I was in political nerd heaven on Sept. 24 when Yamiche hosted Robert, Bob and Weijia Jang on Washington Week. All of my favorite pundits all together at one table, my dream team!!

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Iman looked great at the Met Gala!! Other great looks belonged to AOC, Tessa Thompson, Maluma, Helen Lasichanb and Pharrell Williams. Gigi Hadid, Kiki Layne, Ashton Sanders, Hailee Steinfeld, Kehlani, Zoe Kravitz, Michaela Cole, Lili Reinhart, Kate Hudson and Shai Gilgeous- Alexander were great. Whoopi Goldberg seemed a bit off.

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Jason Isbell is back with his latest offering, Georgia Blue.

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I see a lot of Title Max type establishment are closing down. Are they a thing of the past? Let’s hope.

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Law and Order is coming back to NBC for season 21. Dick Wolf will own 2 entire nights of television. Some of the old cast is reported to be returning.

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Britney Spears Father was suspended as her conservator.

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Timothy Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins and Olivia Coleman will star in Wonka.

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The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show will bring us Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar.

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People are doing test runs for school board positions to see if their political ideas will play well for the big leagues. If they don’t seem to work, at least they can sometimes change the rules in their own area.

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Joe Rogan got Covid.

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Lake Michigan beaches were closed down thanks to a US Steel plant chemical leak.

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Is this country the master of endless administrative work? None of us should have been surprised at the red tape that the slowed down the end of the war in Afghanistan.** Uber donated 50k for rides and meals to the Afghans when they arrive.**And why do so many waste taxpayer $ on useless recounts and recalls when people need real help with food and healthcare? They must really hate humanity.

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R. Kelly was found guilty of 8 counts of sex trafficking and 1 count of racketeering.

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Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Texas has put a law into effect to allow most Texans to carry open without permit or training.

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Texas has banned abortion at about 6 weeks. Uber and Lyft will pay drivers legal fees if sued under Texas abortion law. Lyft donated $1mil to Planned Parenthood. ** Look for the ruling in the Mississippi law over Roe V. Wade in June 2022.**Hear us roar!** BTW.. Go Jen Psaki!!!!!!!

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They seriously banned plastic straws and abortion before assault rifles? – Eden Dranger

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Please stop banning abortions, the last thing the world needs is more Americans. –Sarah Beattie

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Women don’t inseminate themselves. Vasectomies are reversible. Should every man have one until he’s deemed financially and emotionally fit to be a Father? – Bradley Whitford

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90 year old William Shatner will go to space for Blue Origin.

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The Q Anon Shaman pled guilty to a felony for obstructing the Electoral College proceedings. I say 20 years and a $250K fine.** 600 others have been indicted.

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Days Alert: The Beyond Salem thing was ridic but it was so great to see some old characters. Days is so great at visiting old family. Who can resist Shane, Austin and Carrie, Billie and the old Kristen? I do wish that Peacock would get their kinks out!! Back to the real Days: Are we smelling an Emmy for Susan Seaforth Hayes and Bill?? ** Good to have Abigail back. It is always fun to wonder which actress and or personality it will be. ** Deidre Hall got her star on the walk of fame.**And just in time for Halloween, the Devil is making a comeback. The end of the year in Salem is always the best!! It is so brave to give the 96 year old man the old switcheroo into the Dark Lord. It was fun to see the grandkids discover Grandma Marlena’s story. Delicious!! Hail Satan!!** It is past time for Tate and Teresa to come back to town. Brady needs to be put in his place. And thanks for the Philip and Chloe flashbacks!!

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The breakdown of the vaccinated: 90% of Atheists, 86% Hispanic Catholic, 84% Agnostic, 79% White Catholic, 73% White mainline protestant, 70% Black mainline protestant, 57% white evangelical. 1 in 500 Americans have died of Covid.

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So Mike Lindell and Jim Baker have teamed up to sell children’s Bible pillows.** Piers Morgan has returned to the Murdoch organization by joining Fox. That sounds about right.

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Please stop saying the vaccine does not have severe side effects, I took my shots and now I’m alive and have to keep working. –Mohand Eishieky

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In theatres Oct. 22: The French Dispatch.** October also brings us a new season of Curb your enthusiasm and Oct. 17 will catch us up on Succession. Whew!!!

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So people under conservatorship are not free to marry who they want? What?

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46% of Americans believe in ghosts.

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Simone Biles, Mckayla Maroney and Aly Rasiman testified at the Senate judiciary hearing about the FBI’s handling of accusations against Larry Nassar and it was eye opening!

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We wanted a no -nonsense Dem who pushes on and does not puss out. I am a bit surprised to see we have it. There are so many pressing issues that I hope Biden works a bit more on Haiti though.

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The National Police Act was passed to celebrate cops. Still no police reform.

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John Mulaney and Olivia Munn are going to have a baby.

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The Emmy’s were a little different this year with more of a Golden Globe look. Cedric the Entertainer hosted with Reggie Watts as DJ. Lots of minority noms but barely a win. It was a white people night. Ted Lasso had a great night. Mare of Eastown took home a few with Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson and Kate Winslet. Now, Kate is great but how did Anya Taylor- Joy not walk away with that? Queens Gambit did win a couple and gave the longest speech with the seemingly arrogant director Scott Frank who opened up 2 page acceptance. Categories were tough but I was routing for Renee Elise Goldberry and Bowen Yang but perhaps next year. The people in England who had their own party for all the statues that the Crown won seemed to be having more fun! Hacks won for writing and directing and Jean Smart!! It was nice to see the Norm Macdonald love which was barely mentioned by Lorne but celebrated by John Oliver. Colbert ‘s election night special won as did JB Smoove. Hamilton won and Debbie Allen got the big one. I do not understand why real singers and or musicians have to be there for the in Memoriam. It takes me out of it a bit and concentrates the focus on them. Do they think that people will pay attention more? Do they want to keep the home audience or live audience from the bathroom? My best dressed were Anya Taylor-Joy, Michaela Cole who won for I may destroy you, Jean Smart, Josh O’Connor, Kathryn Hahn, Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez, Keenan Thonpson, Leslie Odom Jr., Catherine O’Hara, Trevor Noah, Eugene Levy, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, Bowen Yang, Anthony Anderson, Leslie Grossman, Amber Ruffin, Allyson Felix, Renee Elise Goldberry, Samira Wiley and Rege- Jean Page. My worst were Sarah Paulson, Gillian Anderson, Beanie Feldstein, Elizabeth Olsen and Aidy Bryant. To me the best part of the show was the enthusiasm of Conan and the way he injected himself into much of the evening .He was the show. Go Conan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Next year there must be some Emmys for Sarah Paulson and Cobie Smulders in Impeachment!!!!!

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Oh Boy!! The Eyes of Tammy Faye!!

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Looking forward to the Electric Life of Louis Wain with Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy.

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Abba has a new album!!

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Shang Chi is the biggest Labor Day opening with a $71.4 mil opening.

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Sen. Amy Klobuchar has announced she has breast cancer.

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Is it the 70’s? A streaker ran past the studio of the Today show.

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Rascal Flatts Joe Don Rooney was arrested for DUI.** Nicholas Cage was thrown out of a prime rib pace in Vegas after being drunk and disorderly.

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Jennifer Eckhart has filed a lawsuit against former Fox news anchor Ed Henry for rape and retaliation after allegedly being handcuffed and beaten.

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Scarlett Johansson has settled her Disney lawsuit.

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Pete Buttigieg and Chasten had twins they named Penelope Rose and Joseph August.

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I noticed a commercial for Dancing with the Stars. Are we onto the E list because I have heard of hardly any of these people. ‘Stars’is really stretching it. And as I post this I see there are some covid issues there as well.

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Virgin River was renewed for 2 more seasons.

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Trevor Noah is right? Why do they stop giving lollipops to adults at the doctor?

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Jon Stewart is back on Apple tv with ‘The problem with Jon Stewart.

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Brooklyn 99 had about the best finale (other than Newhart) that I can recall. I had my fingers crossed that Chelsea would be back. Will they honor us like they did in the show and come back for a special about once a year? That would be fucking awesome!!

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Don’t expect compliments from an insecure person.- Mr. Pickles

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Thousands and thousands of people are in need. Haitian refugees and other immigrants have seen nothing like this what with assassination, a hurricane and earthquake. The Southern border is a mess.** Why does Fox news keep telling refugees the border is open as they sit back and laugh at Biden’s predicament. Spreading false info to intentionally hurt poor, distressed people has no end for them.

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Do companies know how fucked up their employment websites are? It is true that some people do not want to work. It is true that people schedule interviews and don’t show up. It is also true that companies have made it so hard to apply that many can’t. I suppose it is easier for them but the poor who may really want to work have a hard time. Paper applications are almost completely gone. The old fashioned way of walking into low paying job sites and finding a connection with a manager rarely exist. Some places only accept texts or have long ridiculous psych tests that a working Mother may not have time for. A Father working many hours already, may not be able to go to the library to get online if they cannot afford a computer. Many websites tell you that there no positions available in your area while there is a huge sign in front of the establishment. Can’t find people to work.. Gee I wonder why?? And treat people with respect once you find them, how about that?

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Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success. –Jerry Seinfeld

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Hey.. There was a van air B’n B biz going that got busted. Hey.. The poor need vaca’s too. It is wrong but If they are willing to sleep in a van, why not. I truly think that many do not understand how much people are struggling.

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Free coffee day came and went but only a few places really gave you free coffee without rules to govern the promo. Some places wanted to sell you something else and some made you belong to their club. Starbucks held that customers had to come inside for the free cup of Joe, handicapped or not.

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One would think the Republicans would run out of $ for recounts but they have deep pockets. Just think how much good they could do for the huddled masses with that scratch.

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Sad to lose Mick Brigden, protégé of Bill Graham who managed The Stones and worked with Frampton, Dylan and Santana.** And the comics were very vocal about the loss of Norm Macdonald. He was one of a kind and he will be missed!

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R.I.P. Ruth Marx, Lee Scratch Perry, Willard Scott, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Isadore Bleckman, George Wein, Michael K. William,George Holliday, Anthony Johnson, Basil Hoffman, Al Harrington,Willie Garson, Mick Brigden, Tommy Kirk and Norm Macdonald.

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timeless-hollywood-classics · 4 years ago

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John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and was nominated for an Academy Award. Chester Morris is best remembered today for portraying Boston Blackie, a criminal-turned-detective, in the modestly budgeted Boston Blackie film series of the 1940s.

Chester Morris was born John Chester Brooks Morris in New York City, and was one of five children of Broadway stage actor William Morris and stage comedian Etta Hawkins. His siblings who lived to adulthood were screenwriter-actor Gordon Morris, actor Adrian Morris, and actress Wilhelmina Morris. Another brother, Lloyd Morris, had died young.

Morris dropped out of school and began his Broadway career at 15 years old opposite Lionel Barrymore in The Copperhead. He made his film debut in the silent comedy-drama film An Amateur Orphan (1917).

After appearing in several more Broadway productions in the early 1920s, Morris joined his parents, sister, and two brothers, Gordon and Adrian, on the vaudeville circuit. From 1923, they performed William Morris' original sketch called All the Horrors of Home, which premiered at the Palace Theatre, New York, then on the Keith-Orpheum circuit for two years, including Proctor's Theatre, Mount Vernon, New York, and culminating in Los Angeles in 1925. Morris returned to Broadway with roles in The Home Towners (1926) and Yellow (1927). While appearing in the 1927 play Crime, he was spotted by a talent agent and was signed to a film contract.

Morris made his sound film debut in the 1929 film Alibi, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He followed with roles in Woman Trap (1929), The Case of Sergeant Grischa (1930) and The Divorcee, starring Norma Shearer in 1930. Later that year, Morris was cast as one of the leads (with Wallace Beery and Robert Montgomery) in the MGM prison drama The Big House. For the next two years, he worked steadily in films for United Artists and MGM and was cast opposite Jean Harlow in the 1932 comedy-drama Red-Headed Woman.

By the mid- to late 1930s, Morris' popularity had begun to wane and he was cast as the lead actor such B-movies as Smashing the Rackets (1938) and Five Came Back (1939). In 1941, Morris' career was revived when he was cast as criminal-turned-detective Boston Blackie. Morris appeared in a total of 14 Boston Blackie films for Columbia Pictures, beginning with Meet Boston Blackie. He reprised the role of Boston Blackie for the radio series in 1944. During World War II, Morris performed magic tricks in over 350 USO shows. He had been practicing magic since the age of 12 and was considered a top amateur magician.

While appearing in the Boston Blackie series, Morris continued to appear in roles in other films mostly for Pine-Thomas films for Paramount Pictures. After appearing in 1949's Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture, the final Boston Blackie film, Morris largely retired from films. During the 1950s, he focused mainly on television and theatre, returning to Broadway in 1954 in the comedy The Fifth Season. During this time, Morris also appeared in guest spots for the anthology series Cameo Theatre, Lights Out, Tales of Tomorrow, Alcoa Premiere, Suspense, Danger, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Web, Phillip Morris Playhouse, Studio One, and Kraft Television Theatre. He briefly returned to films in 1955 with a role in the prison drama Unchained, followed by a role in the 1956 science-fiction horror film The She-Creature. In 1960, he had recurring role as Detective Lieutenant Max Ritter in the CBS summer replacement series, Diagnosis: Unknown. The series lasted a year, after which Morris appeared in the NBC television film A String of Beads. In November 1960, he returned to Broadway as Senator Bob Munson in the stage adaptation of the 1959 novel Advise and Consent. Morris remained with the production until it closed in May 1961. In October, he reprised his role for the touring production.

In the early to mid-1960s, Morris appeared in guest spots for the dramas Route 66, The Defenders, and Dr. Kildare. In 1965, he replaced Jack Albertson in the Broadway production of The Subject Was Roses. He reprised his role in the play for the touring production in 1966.

In mid-1968, Morris starred opposite Barbara Britton in the touring production of Where Did We Go Wrong?. After the production wrapped, he returned to his home in Manhattan, where his health began to decline. Morris was later diagnosed with stomach cancer. Despite his declining health, Morris began work on what was his last film role, as Pop Weaver in the biographical drama The Great White Hope (1970). The film was released after his death. After filming wrapped, Morris joined the stage production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

On September 11, 1970, Lee R. Yopp, the producer and director of Caine, was scheduled to have lunch with Morris. After Yopp could not reach Morris by phone at his motel room, he went to Morris' room, where he found the actor's body lying on the floor. The county coroner attributed Morris' death to an overdose of barbiturates. His remains were cremated and scattered over a German river.

Morris was married twice. He first married Suzanne Kilbourne on November 8, 1926. They had two children, John Brooks and Cynthia. Kilbourne was granted an interlocutory divorce in November 1939 which was finalized on November 26, 1940.

On November 30, 1940, Morris married socialite Lillian Kenton Barker at the home of actor Frank Morgan. They had a son, Kenton, born in 1944. The couple remained married until Morris' death in 1970.

#chester morris #classic hollywood #classic movie stars #golden age of hollywood #old hollywood #1920s hollywood #1930s hollywood #1940s hollywood #1950s hollywood #1970s hollywood

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now-i-understand-that-reference · 4 years ago

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I just remembered having this stashed somewhere in my library... It’s a movie dossier for Swing Kids (1993), featuring info about the cast, the production, and some nice colour photos. It’s pretty nice :)

Thought I’d share and leave a link to the pdf scan if anyone’s curious, but since the text is in French, I’ll leave a translation for the parts related to the production under the cut hoping that my knowledge of French is still enough after decades of not speaking it. I’ll leave out the historical background and the cultural information as you can probably read that online whenever you want :)

You can find the pdf here

PRODUCTION NOTES

From the rebellion to the participation

Jonathan Marc Feldman (screenwriter):

«Can a youth rebellion lead to an authentic revolt? This is the question I asked myself when learning about the existence of this protest movement, which was born under the nazi regime, and which was called The Swing Kids. These young people appeared to me as the symbol of the strength of the human spirit: if a revolt was able to express itself in such an oppressive context, are not all hopes allowed?»

Jonathan Marc Feldman’s script evokes the friendship between two seventeen-year-old adolescents, Peter Muller and Thomas Berger, both firmly determined not to enlist in the Hitler Youth. When circumstances beyond their control eventually force them to join the “JH”, the two boys claim they will resist their hold: they will be “JH” by day and “Swing Kids” by night. But is it possible to belong to a totalitarian movement without submitting to it with body and soul?

Robert Sean Leonard (Peter Muller):

«SWING KIDS begins in 1939, before the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland. Peter, like many young people, does not have a sharp political conscience, although he guesses what is happening in the country. He is divided between the swing, which allows him to “have a blast”, and the pride of serving his homeland by submitting. These two temptations are equally powerful, and it is only after discovering the true nature of nazism that Peter will make the right choice.»

Christian Bale (Thomas Berger):

«SWING KIDS is also, and above all, a movie about friendship. Peter and Thomas make divergent choices that will gradually distance them from each other. Thomas does not resist the seduction of the Hitler Youth, he lets the Party’s ideology corrupt him and becomes a cog of the nazi machine. But in the end, the friendship that ties him to Peter will win.»

The origins of the project

After discovering the existence of the Swing Kids in an obscure historical review, Jonathan Marc Feldman undertook in-depth personal research and collected solid documentation about this movement. Passionate about the subject, he quickly communicated his enthusiasm to producers Mark Gordon and John Bard Manulis, who dedicated four years to the development of the script. «It was clear that it could have given rise to a great movie» Gordon points out, «it was a rare opportunity to make a historical movie that speaks to today’s young people» adds Manulis, who personally funded the development of the script. «The Swing Kids looked for their identity in music and dance, just like the following generations, and it was fascinating to observe the contrast between the social oppression they were experiencing and the - incredibly free - form of expression they had adopted».

Jonathan Marc Feldman:

«The young Germans were attracted by the swing because it represented a new, wild, radically original sound. The swing of the years 38-39 possessed a violence that we can clearly perceive in the famous “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Benny Goodman. Moreover, this music was strictly forbidden, for its Jewish and black origin. The mere fact of listening to it was a political challenge.

These young people were fervent anglophiles, who walked with an umbrella at any season, wore Anthony Eden hats, puffy trousers, Scottish coats. They dressed with great elegance and let their hair grow like Hollywood cowboys. Rejected and despised by the good Germanic society, they were the hippies and the punks of their generation».

To make SWING KIDS, Mark Gordon and John Bard Manulis chose Thomas Carter, prestigious television director, winner of several Emmies, who here signs his first movie.

Thomas Carter:

«I immediately liked the SWING KIDS script. It illuminates a reality that few people know. It is both the painting of a generation and the story of a teenager faced with a painful choice that will make him a man».

John Bard Manulis:

«Thomas Carter is very interested in history and how it repeats itself. He captured all the dimensions of the subject, its nuances, its emotional substrate, and staged it brilliantly».

Filming

Mark Gordon Carter, co-producer Harry Benn and chief decorator Allan Cameron visited five countries in ten days before picking Czechoslovakia. The movie was filmed in Prague and in the Barrandos Studios.

Allan Cameron (chief decorator):

«The centre of Prague, which dates back to the Middle Ages, is of great beauty. There are still cobbled streets, beautiful buildings spared from the bombings, remarkable textures and colors. Another advantage: the architectural diversity of the Old Town makes it possible to recreate almost any city in Central Europe».

The main sets of the movie were built at Barrandov Studios, which are among the largest in Europe. Founded in 1931, they offer technical means and financial conditions that seduce international producers: in parallel with the filming of SWING KIDS, Lucasfilm produced the series “Young Indiana Jones” and BBC produced a new version of “The Trial”.

Other big sets were built at Barrandov, and about sixty interiors and exteriors were made with the help of a small British team surrounded by many local technicians. An old 18th century riding school served as the setting for the scene of the Hitler Youth gathering; a residence in the embassy district became the apartment of Thomas’s rich parents; the Prague Library was converted into the SS headquarters and a vast theatre room was redecorated from the top to the bottom for the spectacular sequences of the Bismarck Café.

Casting

In parallel with the location hunting, Carter and his producers started the casting operations by selecting Robert Sean Leonard, one of the protagonists of DEAD POETS SOCIETY, for the role of Peter.

Thomas Carter:

«Robert is an outstanding actor, both for his gifts and for his modesty and availability. We couldn’t have made a better choice. I personally consider him one of the best actors I’ve ever worked with».

To prepare for the role of Peter, which required his daily presence on the set during the ten weeks of filming, Leonard began by reading several studies about Nazi Germany. «But soon I understood that my character had no knowledge of how the Third Reich operated. So I focused my research on the swing, by listening to countless recordings of the great artists of this era. This dance rediscovers the madness of the Twenties and anticipates the promiscuity of the Sixties. Very physical, it entails a huge expenditure of energy and demands great vitality».

For the role of Thomas Berger, the producers hired Christian Bale, revelation of EMPIRE OF THE SUN, and for that of Arvid, Frank Whaley, one of the main performers of Oliver Stone’s THE DOORS. Barbara Hershey (crowned in Cannes for SHY PEOPLE and A WORLD APART) was chosen to play Frau Muller, Peter’s mother.

The other performers were selected with special care, in Austria, The Netherlands, Wales and the United States. «The casting was hard and required a lot of work» concludes Thomas Carter, «I am particularly pleased with it, as it has allowed us to rediscover the emotional atmosphere of the time».

The swing

Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale devoted many hours to learning swing, under the guide of New York choreographer Otis Sallid, to whom we owe the dance sequences of MALCOLM X. Sallid recruited a group of Czech, English, American and French dancers, that he initiated with his assistants to the provocative rhythms of swing, jitterbug and lindy hop, and to the “degenerate” music of Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Django Reinhardt, censored by the Reich for reasons of “racial impurity”.

Jonathan Marc Feldman:

«We picked the most attractive compositions for a contemporary ear and those that the Swing Kids actually listened to, that I was able to find. Among the latter are forgotten numbers such as “Harlem”, which was very popular at the time. By working with Robert Kraft at the re-recordings, we attempted to capture the extraordinary power, vitality of this music. In its beginnings, the swing did not resemble any other form of music. Later, it became more civilized and disciplined, but in the late Thirties it was deeply subversive, captivating. Young people gave themselves to it completely, forgetting about everything else...»

#swing kids #swing kids 1993 #Robert Sean Leonard #rsl #christian bale #barbara hershey #peter muller #thomas berger #frau muller #swing kids dossier #hopefully my translation from French to English does not suck #I’m not a native speaker of either lol #love this movie

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