1.
Hal B. Wallis
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Harold Brent Hal Wallis was an American film producer. He is best remembered for producing Casablanca and True Grit, along many other major films for Warner Bros. featuring such film stars as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis. Later on, for a period, he was connected with Paramount Pictures and oversaw films featuring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Elvis Presley. Aaron Blum Wolowicz was born October 19,1898 in Chicago, Illinois and his family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros. in 1923. Within a few years, Wallis became involved in the end of the business. In a career spanned more than 50 years, he was involved with the production of more than 400 feature-length movies. Among the more significant movies he produced were Casablanca, Dark Victory, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York and he left Warner Bros. in 1944, after a clash with Jack L. Warner over Warners acceptance of the Best Picture Oscar for Casablanca, to work as an independent producer, the first screenwriters he hired for his new enterprise were Ayn Rand and Lillian Hellman. Among his financial hits were the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies and he produced True Grit, for which John Wayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor of 1969, and its sequel. After moving to Universal Pictures, he produced Mary, Queen of Scots and he received 16 Academy Award producer nominations for Best Picture, winning for Casablanca in 1943. For his consistently high quality of motion picture production, he was honored with the Academy Awards Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. He was also nominated for seven Golden Globe awards, twice winning awards for Best Picture, in 1975, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures, in 1980, he published his autobiography, Starmaker, cowritten with Charles Higham. In the 1930s Mr. Wallis used his investment dollars to develop real estate in Sherman Oaks. He named one of the streets after himself using his nickname Hal, halbrent Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA is the street and most of the original homes are still standing today. Its very close to Ventura and Sepulveda Boulevards near the infamous Sherman Oaks Galleria used extensively in the 1982 movie romp Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Wallis was married twice, to actress Louise Fazenda from 1927 until her death in 1962 and he had one son with Fazenda, Brent Harris. Wallis died in 1986 of complications of diabetes in Rancho Mirage, California, news of his passing was not released until after his private memorial service was completed
2.
Maxwell Anderson
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James Maxwell Anderson was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist and lyricist. Anderson was born in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to William Lincoln Link Anderson, a Baptist minister, and Charlotte Perrimela Stephenson, both of Scots and Irish descent. His family initially lived on his maternal grandmother Sheperds farm in Atlantic, then moved to Andover, Ohio and they moved often, to follow their fathers ministerial posts, and Maxwell was frequently sick, missing a great deal of school. He used his time sick in bed to read voraciously, during a visit to his grandmothers house in Atlantic, at age 11, he met the first love of his life, Hallie Loomis, a slightly older girl from a wealthier family. His autobiographical tale, Morning, Winter and Night told of rape, incest and it was published under a pseudonym, John Nairne Michealson, to prevent offending family. The Andersons bounced between Andover, Ohio, Richmond Center, Ohio, Townville, Pa, harrisburg, Pa. to Jamestown, North Dakota in 1907, where Anderson attended Jamestown High School, graduating in 1908. As an undergraduate, he waited tables and worked at the copy desk of the Grand Forks Herald. He obtained a BA in English Literature from the University of North Dakota in 1911 and he became the principal of a high school in Minnewaukan, North Dakota, also teaching English there, but was fired in 1913 for making pacifist statements to his students. He then entered Stanford University, obtaining an M. A. in English Literature in 1914 and he became a high school English teacher in San Francisco, after three years he became chairman of the English department at Whittier College in 1917. He was fired after a year for public statements supporting Arthur Camp, Anderson moved to Palo Alto to write for the San Francisco Evening Bulletin, but was fired for writing an editorial stating that it would be impossible for Germany to pay off its war debt. So he moved to San Francisco to write for the San Francisco Chronicle, alvin Johnson hired Anderson to move to New York City and write about politics for The New Republic in 1918, but he was fired after an argument with Editor-in-Chief Herbert David Croly. Anderson found work at The New York Globe, and the New York World, in 1921, he founded The Measure, A Journal of Poetry, a magazine devoted to verse. Which was successfully produced in 1924 in New York City, afterwards he resigned from the World, launching his career as a dramatist. His plays are in varying styles, and Anderson was one of the few modern playwrights to make extensive use of blank verse. His first Broadway hit was the gritty 1924 World War I comedy-drama, What Price Glory, the play was notable for its use of profanity, which caused censors to protest. But when the chief censor was found to have far more obscene letters to General Chamberlaine, he was discredited. The only one of his plays that he adapted to the screen was Joan of Lorraine. When Bergman and her director changed much of his dialogue to make Joan a plaster saint he called her a big, dumb, goddamn Swede
3.
Richard Burton
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Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor who was noted for his mellifluous baritone voice. Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and he was called the natural successor to Olivier by critic and dramaturge Kenneth Tynan. An alcoholic, Burtons failure to live up to those expectations disappointed critics and colleagues, Burton was nominated for an Academy Award seven times, but never won an Oscar. He was a recipient of BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Tony Awards for Best Actor, Burton remains closely associated in the public consciousness with his second wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. The couples turbulent relationship was rarely out of the news, Burton was born Richard Walter Jenkins, Jr. on 10 November 1925 in a house at 2 Dan-y-bont in Pontrhydyfen, Neath Port Talbot. He was the twelfth of thirteen born to Richard Walter Jenkins Sr. Jenkins Sr. called Daddy Ni by the family, was a miner, while his mother worked as a bartender at a pub called the Miners Arms. He remembered his mother to be a strong woman and a religious soul with fair hair. Richard was barely two years old when his mother died on 31 October, six days after the birth of Graham, Ediths death was a result of postpartum infections, Richard believed it occurred due to hygiene neglect. According to biographer Michael Munn, Edith was fastidiously clean, following Ediths death, Richards elder sister Cecilia, whom he affectionately addressed as Cis, and her husband Elfed James, also a miner, took him under their care. I was immensely proud of her and she felt all tragedies except her own. Daddy Ni would occasionally visit the homes of his daughters but was otherwise absent. Another important figure in Richards early life was Ifor, his brother,19 years his senior, a miner and rugby union player, Ifor ruled the household with the proverbial firm hand. He was also responsible for nurturing a passion for Rugby in young Richard, although Richard also played cricket, tennis, and table tennis, biographer Bragg notes rugby union football to be his greatest interest. On rugby, Richard said he would rather have played for Wales at Cardiff Arms Park than Hamlet at The Old Vic, the Welsh rugby union centre, Bleddyn Williams believed Richard had distinct possibilities as a player. From the age of five to eight, Richard was educated at the Eastern Primary School while he attended the Boys segment of the school from eight to twelve years old. He took an exam for admission into Port Talbot Secondary School in March 1937. Biographer Hollis Alpert notes that both Daddy Ni and Ifor considered Richards education to be of paramount importance and planned to send him to the University of Oxford, Richard became the first member of his family to go to secondary school
4.
Anthony Quayle
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Sir John Anthony Quayle, CBE was an English actor, film star and director. Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, to a Manx family and he was educated at the private Abberley Hall School and Rugby School and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. After appearing in music hall, he joined the Old Vic in 1932, during World War II, he was a British Army officer and was made one of the area commanders of the Auxiliary Units in Northumberland. Later he joined the Special Operations Executive and served as an officer with the partisans in Albania. He described his experiences in a form in Eight Hours from England. He was an aide to the Governor of Gibraltar at the time of the air crash of General Władysław Sikorskis aircraft on 4 July 1943 and he fictionalised his Gibraltar experience in his second novel On Such a Night, published by Heinemann. From 1948 to 1956 Quayle directed at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and he played the role of Moses in Christopher Frys play The Firstborn, in a production starring opposite Katharine Cornell. He also made an LP with Cornell, in which he played the role of poet Robert Browning in The Barretts of Wimpole Street. M. S, defiant, David Leans Lawrence of Arabia and The Fall of the Roman Empire. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1969 for his role as Cardinal Wolsey in Anne of the Thousand Days. Often cast as the decent British officer, he drew upon his own wartime experiences, one of his best friends from his days at the Old Vic was fellow actor Alec Guinness, who appeared in several films with him. He was also friends with Jack Hawkins and Jack Gwillim. Quayle made his Broadway debut in The Country Wife in 1936, thirty-four years later, he won critical acclaim for his starring role in the highly successful Anthony Shaffer play Sleuth, which earned him a Drama Desk Award. He starred in the 1981 miniseries Masada as Rubrius Gallius, also he narrated the miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII in 1970, and the acclaimed aviation documentary series Reaching for the Skies. In 1984 he founded Compass Theatre Company, which he inaugurated with a tour of The Clandestine Marriage and this production had a run at the Albery Theatre, London. With the same company subsequently toured with a number of plays, including Saint Joan, Dandy Dick. Quayle was awarded the CBE in 1952 and knighted in 1985 and he died at his home in Chelsea from liver cancer on 20 October 1989. His first wife was actress Hermione Hannen, his wife and widow was Dorothy Hyson, known as Dot to family. He and Dorothy had two daughters, Jenny and Rosanna, and a son, Christopher, information on Quayles war experience taken from Howarth, Patrick
5.
John Colicos
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John Colicos was a Canadian actor. He was a stage actor in the United Kingdom, the United States. Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father, in 1957 he appeared in Mary Stuart at the Phoenix Theatre in New York City and in 1963 he appeared in Troilus and Cressida at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. His other New York theatre credits are King Lear, The Devils, Serjeant Musgraves Dance, mr. Colicos skill in acting resulted in his being chosen to play the title role in a memorable and first-ever production of King Lear at the Stratford Festival. He appeared as Monks in a version of Oliver Twist for the DuPont Show of the Month series in 1959. In 1982 he ventured into educational TV with TVOntarios award-winning production of Prophecy with John Colicos, the writer/director, Dr. Robert Gardner, recalled his initial meeting with the actor. I had seen him scores of times in movies and television, in truth, though, he was a joy to work with. Once he sensed that you were prepared he was thoroughly professional and his presence in the ninety-minute production was the main reason it went on to win the prestigious Gold Medal at the Atlanta International Film Festival. Aside from his roles, Colicos appeared in seven episodes of Mannix. He also appeared numerous times in television throughout the 1960s. He appeared in four episodes of the eight-episode CBC docu-drama The National Dream, several years after his Battlestar Galactica tenure, Colicos again ventured into science fiction. He portrayed power-mad Mikkos Cassadine, a demented scientist bent on freezing the world on the ABC soap opera General Hospital during the height of the Luke and he also appeared in TV commercials during the 1990s for Americas Best Contacts & Eyeglasses. Colicos final acting appearance was his reprise of Count Baltar in the concept demonstration trailer Battlestar Galactica, The Second Coming, the last person shot and killed in the television series Gunsmoke was Judge Flood, played by Colicos in episode 631, Hard Labor. He married Mona McHenry in 1956 and they divorced in 1981, Colicos died on March 6,2000, at the age of 71, after a series of heart attacks in Toronto, Ontario. His son, Nicholas Colicos, is also an actor, John Colicos at the Internet Movie Database John Colicos at the Internet Broadway Database John Colicos at Memory Alpha
6.
Irene Papas
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Irene Papas or Irene Pappas is a retired Greek actress and occasional singer, who has starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She became famous in Greece, and then a star of feature films such as The Guns of Navarone. She was a presence as a Greek heroine in films including The Trojan Women, Iphigenia. Papas was born as Irini Lelekou in Chiliomodi, outside Corinth and her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father taught classical drama. She was educated at the Royal School of Dramatic Art in Athens, taking classes in dance and she serves on the board of directors of the Anna-Marie Foundation. She stated in an interview that her father was of Albanian descent, Papas began her film career in Greece, being discovered by Elia Kazan, and achieved widespread fame there. She then starred in internationally renowned films such as The Guns of Navarone and Zorba the Greek and she appeared as Catherine of Aragon in Anne of the Thousand Days, opposite Richard Burton and Geneviève Bujold in 1969. In 1976, she starred in Mohammad, Messenger of God about the origin of Islam, in 1982, she appeared in Lion of the Desert, together with Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, and John Gielgud. One of her last film appearances was in Captain Corellis Mandolin in 2001, the Treccani Enciclopedia Italiana describes Papas as a typical Mediterranean beauty, with a lovely voice both in singing and acting, greatly talented and with an adventurous spirit. In the view of film critic Philip Kemp, Papas was an awe-inspiring presence, the film critic Roger Ebert observed that there were many pretty girls in cinema but not many women, and called Papas a great actress. Ordinary actors, he suggested, had trouble sharing the screen with Papas, all the same, her presence in many well-known movies, wrote Ebert, inspired something of a cult. Papas began her career in variety and traditional theatre, in plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare. Later in her career, she took the role of Medea in a 1973 production of Euripidess play. Reviewing the production in The New York Times, Clive Barnes described her as a fine, controlled Medea, smouldering with a carefully dampened passion. In 1969, the RCA label released Papas vinyl LP, Songs of Theodorakis and this has 11 folk songs sung in Greek, with sleeve notes in English by Michael Cacoyannis. A later CD of Greek folk songs, Irene Pappas Sings Mikis Theodorakis, was released in 2006. Papas knew Mikis Theodorakis from working with him on Zorba the Greek as early as 1964, in 1972, she appeared on the album 666 by the Greek rock group Aphrodites Child on the track ∞. She chants I was, I am, I am to come repeatedly and wildly over a backing, causing controversy with her graphic orgasm
7.
Georges Delerue
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Georges Delerue was a French composer who composed over 350 scores for cinema and television. Delerue won numerous important film awards, including an Academy Award for A Little Romance. The French newspaper Le Figaro named him the Mozart of cinema, Delerue was the first composer to win three consecutive César Awards for Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, Love on the Run, and The Last Metro. Georges Delerue was named Commander of Arts and Letters, one of Frances highest honours, Georges Delerue was born 12 March 1925 in Roubaix, France to Georges Delerue and Marie Lhoest. He was raised in a household, his grandfather led an amateur chorale group and his mother sang. By the age of fourteen he was playing clarinet at the music conservatory. In 1940 he was forced to abandon his studies at the Turgot Institute in order to work at a factory to support his family. He continued playing clarinet with bands, eventually transitioning to piano under the instruction of Madame Picavet-Bacquart. He studied Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Grieg, following a long convalescence after being diagnosed with scoliosis, Georges decided to become a composer. In 1945, following his studies at the Roubaix conservatory, Delerue was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, to help support himself, he took jobs playing at dances, baptisms, marriages, and funerals—even performing jazz in the piano bars near the Paris Opera. In 1947 he received a mention for the Rome Prize. That year at the Theater Festival of Avignon, Delerue conducted a performance of Scheherazade, in the 1949 Rome Prize competition, he won the First Second Grand Prize, and the First Prize for Composition. He began writing music during the late 1940s, including for the Théâtre National Populaire, Comédie-Française. He also became friends with Maurice Jarre and Pierre Boulez, by the early 1950s Delerue was composing music for short films and writing theatrical music for the Théâtre Babylone and the Opéra Comique. In 1952 he began directing the orchestra of the Club dEssai for French National Radio and Television, in 1954 he wrote his first compositions for historical spectacles of light and sound, Lisieux and The Liberation of Paris. In 1955 he composed his Concert Symphony for Piano and Orchestra, in 1959 he composed his first score for a feature film, Le bel âge. He composed the music for Flemming Flindts ballet, Enetime, based on Ionescos play, during his 42 years career he put his talent to the service of nearly 200 feature movies,125 short ones,70 TV films and 35 TV serials. The soundtrack for war docudrama by Pierre Schoendoerffer, Diên Biên Phu, was one of the notable works
8.
Universal Pictures
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Universal Pictures is an American film studio owned by Comcast through the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. The company was founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley and its studios are located in Universal City, California, and its corporate offices are located in New York City. Universal Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America and is one of Hollywoods Big Six studios. Universal Studios was founded by Carl Laemmle, Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane, one story has Laemmle watching a box office for hours, counting patrons and calculating the days takings. Within weeks of his Chicago trip, Laemmle gave up dry goods to buy the first several nickelodeons, for Laemmle and other such entrepreneurs, the creation in 1908 of the Edison-backed Motion Picture Trust meant that exhibitors were expected to pay fees for Trust-produced films they showed. Soon, Laemmle and other disgruntled nickelodeon owners decided to avoid paying Edison by producing their own pictures, in June 1909, Laemmle started the Yankee Film Company with partners Abe Stern and Julius Stern. Laemmle broke with Edisons custom of refusing to give billing and screen credits to performers, by naming the movie stars, he attracted many of the leading players of the time, contributing to the creation of the star system. In 1910, he promoted Florence Lawrence, formerly known as The Biograph Girl, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company was incorporated in New York on April 30,1912. Laemmle, who emerged as president in July 1912, was the figure in the partnership with Dintenfass, Baumann, Kessel, Powers, Swanson, Horsley. Eventually all would be out by Laemmle. Following the westward trend of the industry, by the end of 1912 the company was focusing its efforts in the Hollywood area. On March 15,1915, Laemmle opened the worlds largest motion picture production facility, Universal City Studios, studio management became the third facet of Universals operations, with the studio incorporated as a distinct subsidiary organization. Unlike other movie moguls, Laemmle opened his studio to tourists, Universal became the largest studio in Hollywood, and remained so for a decade. However, it sought an audience mostly in towns, producing mostly inexpensive melodramas, westerns. In its early years Universal released three brands of feature films — Red Feather, low-budget programmers, Bluebird, more ambitious productions, and Jewel, their prestige motion pictures. Directors included Jack Conway, John Ford, Rex Ingram, Robert Z. Leonard, George Marshall and Lois Weber, despite Laemmles role as an innovator, he was an extremely cautious studio chief. Unlike rivals Adolph Zukor, William Fox, and Marcus Loew and he also financed all of his own films, refusing to take on debt. Character actor Lon Chaney became a card for Universal in the 1920s
9.
Historical period drama
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The term, historical period drama refers to a work set in an earlier time period, usually used in the context of film and television. It is an informal term that can apply to several genres and is often heard in the context of historical fiction and romances, adventure films. A period piece may be as long and general as the ages or as limited as one decade, for example. Historical drama film stories are based upon events and famous people. A period film is a film that attempts to depict a specific time period. Examples include movies like Cinderella Man, Schindler’s List, Les Misérables or Lincoln, the most common type of period piece is the historical period piece, both on stage and in movies. This category includes Robin Hood, Barry Lyndon, Amadeus, The Young Victoria, films that are set in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Last Man Standing, can also be placed in this category. Other examples include Marie Antoinette, Middle march, and Pride, many highly successful television series have been known as period pieces. Notable examples include The Tudors, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey, Deadwood, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Little House on the Prairie
10.
Anne Boleyn
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Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII, and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henrys marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution by beheading, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation. Anne was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, in February/March 1526, Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne. She resisted his attempts to seduce her, refusing to become his mistress – which her sister Mary had been and it soon became the one absorbing object of Henrys desires to annul his marriage to Queen Catherine so he would be free to marry Anne. When it became clear that Pope Clement VII would not annul the marriage, in 1532, Henry granted Anne the Marquessate of Pembroke. Henry and Anne married on 25 January 1533, after a marriage on 14 November 1532. On 23 May 1533, newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer declared Henry and Catherines marriage null and void, five days later, he declared Henry, shortly afterwards, the Pope decreed sentences of excommunication against Henry and Cranmer. As a result of marriage and these excommunications, the first break between the Church of England and Rome took place and the Church of England was brought under the Kings control. Anne was crowned Queen of England on 1 June 1533, on 7 September, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. Henry was disappointed to have a rather than a son but hoped a son would follow. Anne subsequently had three miscarriages, and by March 1536, Henry was courting Jane Seymour, in order to marry Jane Seymour, Henry had to find reasons for his marriage with Anne to end. Henry had Anne investigated for treason in April 1536. She was beheaded four days later, modern historians view the charges against her, which included adultery, incest, and plotting to kill the king, as unconvincing. Some say that Anne was accused of witchcraft but the indictments make no mention of this charge, after the coronation of her daughter, Elizabeth, as queen, Anne was venerated as a martyr and heroine of the English Reformation, particularly through the works of John Foxe. Over the centuries, she has inspired, or been mentioned, in artistic and cultural works. Anne was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, later Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond, Thomas Boleyn was a well respected diplomat with a gift for languages, he was also a favourite of King Henry VII, who sent him on many diplomatic missions abroad. Anne and her siblings grew up at Hever Castle in Kent, however, the siblings were born in Norfolk at the Boleyn home at Blickling. A lack of records from the period has made it impossible to establish Annes date of birth
11.
Blank verse
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Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. The first documented use of verse in the English language was by Henry Howard. He was possibly inspired by the Latin original, as classical Latin verse did not use rhyme, or he may have inspired by the Italian verse form of versi sciolti. The play Arden of Faversham is an example of end-stopped blank verse. The 1561 play Gorboduc by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville was the first English play to use blank verse, christopher Marlowe was the first English author to make full use of the potential of blank verse. Miltonic blank verse was imitated in the 18th century by such poets as James Thomson. Romantic English poets such as William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, among American poets, Hart Crane and Wallace Stevens are notable for using blank verse in extended compositions at a time when many other poets were turning to free verse. Marlowe and then Shakespeare developed its potential greatly in the late 16th century, Shakespeare developed this feature, and also the potential of blank verse for abrupt and irregular speech. For example, in exchange from King John, one blank verse line is broken between two characters, My lord. Shakespeare also used enjambment increasingly often in his verse, and in his last plays was given to using feminine endings, all of this made his later blank verse extremely rich and varied. This very free treatment of blank verse was imitated by Shakespeares contemporaries, however, Shakespearean blank verse was used with some success by John Webster and Thomas Middleton in their plays. Ben Jonson, meanwhile, used a blank verse with less enjambment in his great comedies Volpone. Blank verse was not much used in the poetry of the 17th century until Paradise Lost, in which Milton used it with much license. What though the field be lost, All is not lost, the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield, Milton also wrote Paradise Regained and parts of Samson Agonistes in blank verse. The best examples of verse from this time are probably John Drydens tragedy All for Love. An example notable as much for its failure with the public as for its subsequent influence on the form is John Dyers The Fleece. At the close of the 18th century, William Cowper ushered in a renewal of blank verse with his volume of kaleidoscopic meditations, The Task, published in 1784. After Shakespeare and Milton, Cowper was the influence on the next major poets in blank verse
12.
Tower of London
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The Tower of London, officially Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, a grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, the general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history and it was besieged several times, and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a record office. From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II, in the absence of the monarch, the Constable of the Tower is in charge of the castle. This was a powerful and trusted position in the medieval period, in the late 15th century, the castle was the prison of the Princes in the Tower. Under the Tudors, the Tower became used less as a royal residence and this use has led to the phrase sent to the Tower. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, in the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. Anthony Salvin and John Taylor took the opportunity to restore the Tower to what was felt to be its medieval appearance, in the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the Second World War, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired, today, the Tower of London is one of the countrys most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site. The Tower was orientated with its strongest and most impressive defences overlooking Saxon London and it would have visually dominated the surrounding area and stood out to traffic on the River Thames. The castle is made up of three wards, or enclosures, the innermost ward contains the White Tower and is the earliest phase of the castle
13.
Thomas Cromwell
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Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex KG PC was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540. Cromwell was one of the strongest and most powerful advocates of the English Reformation and he helped to engineer an annulment of the kings marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon so that Henry could lawfully marry Anne Boleyn. Cromwell subsequently charted an evangelical and reformist course for the Church of England from the posts of vicegerent in spirituals. During his rise to power, Cromwell made many enemies, including his former ally Anne Boleyn and he played a prominent role in her downfall. He later fell from power, after arranging the marriage to German princess Anne of Cleves. Cromwell was arraigned under a bill of attainder and executed for treason, the king later expressed regret at the loss of his chief minister. Until the 1950s, historians discounted Cromwells role, calling him a doctrinaire hack who was more than the agent of the despotic King Henry VIII. Geoffrey Elton, however, featured him as the figure in the Tudor revolution in government in The Tudor Revolution. Elton portrayed Cromwell as the genius, much more so than the king, handling the break with Rome and creating the laws. Subsequent historians have agreed with Elton as to Cromwells importance, though not with his claims of revolution. Thomas Cromwell was born around 1485, in Putney, Surrey, as the son of Walter Cromwell, a blacksmith, fuller and cloth merchant, thomass mother, Katherine, was the aunt of Nicholas Glossop of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. She lived in Putney in the house of an attorney, John Welbeck. Cromwell had two sisters, the elder, Katherine, married Morgan Williams, a Welsh lawyer, the younger, Elizabeth, married a farmer, Katherine and Morgans son, Richard, was employed in his uncles service, and changed his name to Cromwell. Little is known about Cromwells early life and it is believed that he was born at the top of Putney Hill, on the edge of Putney Heath. The plot of ground here referred to is now covered by the Green Man public house, Cromwell declared to Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer that he had been a ruffian… in his young days. As a youth, he left his family in Putney, accounts of his activities in France, Italy and the Low Countries are sketchy and contradictory. It is alleged that he first became a mercenary, and marched with the French army to Italy, while in Italy, he entered service in the household of the Florentine banker Francesco Frescobaldi. Later, he visited leading mercantile centres in the Low Countries, living among the English merchants, at some point he returned to Italy
14.
Henry VIII of England
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Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second Tudor monarch, succeeding his father, Henry VII, Henry is best known for his six marriages and, in particular, his efforts to have his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, annulled. Despite his resulting excommunication, Henry remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, domestically, Henry is known for his radical changes to the English Constitution, ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings to England. Besides asserting the supremacy over the Church of England, he greatly expanded royal power during his reign. Charges of treason and heresy were commonly used to quash dissent, and he achieved many of his political aims through the work of his chief ministers, some of whom were banished or executed when they fell out of his favour. Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Richard Rich and his contemporaries considered Henry in his prime to be an attractive, educated, and accomplished king, and he has been described as one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne. He was an author and composer, as he aged, Henry became severely obese and his health suffered, contributing to his death in 1547. He is frequently characterised in his life as a lustful, egotistical, harsh. He was succeeded by his son Edward VI, born 28 June 1491 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London, Henry Tudor was the third child and second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Of the young Henrys six siblings, only three – Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, and Mary – survived infancy and he was baptised by Richard Fox, the Bishop of Exeter, at a church of the Observant Franciscans close to the palace. In 1493, at the age of two, Henry was appointed Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He was subsequently appointed Earl Marshal of England and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at age three, and was inducted into the Order of the Bath soon after. The day after the ceremony he was created Duke of York, in May 1495, he was appointed to the Order of the Garter. Henry was given an education from leading tutors, becoming fluent in Latin and French. Not much is known about his early life – save for his appointments – because he was not expected to become king, as Duke of York, Henry used the arms of his father as king, differenced by a label of three points ermine. In 1502, Arthur died at the age of 15 of sweating sickness, Arthurs death thrust all his duties upon his younger brother, the 10-year-old Henry. After a little debate, Henry became the new Duke of Cornwall in October 1502, Henry VII gave the boy few tasks. Young Henry was strictly supervised and did not appear in public, as a result, the young Henry would later ascend the throne untrained in the exacting art of kingship
15.
Catherine of Aragon
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The daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, but Arthur died five months later on 2 April 1502, in 1507, she held the position of ambassador of the Aragonese Crown in England, the first female ambassador in European history. Catherine subsequently married Arthurs younger brother, the recently ascended Henry VIII, for six months in 1513, she served as regent of England while Henry VIII was in France. During that time the English won the Battle of Flodden, an event in which Catherine played an important part with a speech about English courage. He sought to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion a chain of events led to Englands schism with the Catholic Church. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry defied him by assuming supremacy over religious matters, in 1533 their marriage was consequently declared invalid and Henry married Anne on the judgement of clergy in England, without reference to the Pope. Catherine refused to accept Henry as Supreme Head of the Church in England and considered herself the Kings rightful wife and queen, despite this, she was acknowledged only as Dowager Princess of Wales by Henry. After being banished from court, she lived out the remainder of her life at Kimbolton Castle, English people held Catherine in high esteem, and her death set off tremendous mourning. The controversial book The Education of a Christian Woman by Juan Luis Vives, such was Catherines impression on people that even her enemy, Thomas Cromwell, said of her, If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of History. She successfully appealed for the lives of the involved in the Evil May Day. Catherine also won widespread admiration by starting an extensive programme for the relief of the poor and she was a patron of Renaissance humanism, and a friend of the great scholars Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More. Catherine was born at the Archbishops Palace in Alcalá de Henares near Madrid and she was the youngest surviving child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Catherine was quite short in stature with red hair, wide blue eyes, a round face. Consequently, she was cousin of her father-in-law, Henry VII of England. Catherine was educated by a tutor, Alessandro Geraldini, who was a clerk in Holy Orders and she studied arithmetic, canon and civil law, classical literature, genealogy and heraldry, history, philosophy, religion, and theology. She had a religious upbringing and developed her Roman Catholic faith that would play a major role in later life. She learned to speak, read and write in Spanish and Latin and she was also taught domestic skills, such as cooking, dancing, drawing, embroidery, good manners, lace-making, music, needlepoint, sewing, spinning, and weaving. The great scholar Erasmus later said that Catherine loved good literature which she had studied with success since childhood
16.
Michael Hordern
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Sir Michael Murray Hordern, CBE was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 60 years. He is best known for his Shakespearean roles, especially that of King Lear and he then successfully assumed the role on television five years later. He often appeared in film, rising from a bit actor in the late 1930s to a member of the main cast. His later work was predominantly in television and radio, born in Hertfordshire into a family with no theatrical connections, Hordern was educated at Windlesham House School where he became interested in drama. He went on to Brighton College where his interest in the theatre developed, after leaving the college he joined an amateur dramatics company, and came to the notice of several influential Shakespearean directors who cast him in minor roles in Othello and Macbeth. During the Second World War he served on HMS Illustrious where he reached the rank of lieutenant commander, upon his demobilisation he resumed his acting career and made his television debut, becoming a reliable bit-part actor in many films, particularly in the war film genre. Hordern came to prominence in the early 1950s when he took part in a competition at the Arts Theatre in London. The following season Hordern joined Michael Benthalls company at the Old Vic where, among other parts, he played Polonius in Hamlet, and the title role in King John. In 1958 he won a best actor award at that years British Academy Television Awards for his role as the barrister in John Mortimers courtroom drama The Dock Brief. Along with his theatrical responsibilities Hordern had regular roles in various films including Cleopatra. In the late 1960s Hordern met the British theatre director Jonathan Miller, who cast him in Whistle and Ill Come to You, Horderns next major play was Jumpers which appeared at the Royal National Theatre at the start of 1972. His performance was praised by critics and he reprised the role four years later and his television commitments increased towards the end of his life. His credits include Paradise Postponed, the BAFTA award-winning Memento Mori, and he was appointed a CBE in 1972 and was knighted eleven years later. Hordern suffered from disease during the 1990s and died from it in 1995 at the age of 83. Horderns mother, Margaret Murray, was descended from James Murray, the invention earned him a knighthood and brought the family great wealth. Margaret grew up in England, and attended St Audries School for Girls in Somerset, Horderns father, Edward, was the son of a Lancastrian priest who was the rector at the Holy Trinity Church in Bury. As a young man Edward joined the Royal Indian Marines and gained the rank of lieutenant, during a short break on home-leave he fell in love with Margaret, after they were introduced by one of his brothers. The courtship was brief and the couple married in Burma on 28 November 1903
17.
Peter Jeffrey
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Peter Jeffrey was an English actor with many roles in television and film. Jeffrey was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the son of Florence Alice and he was educated at Harrow School and Pembroke College, Cambridge but had no formal training as an actor. After many years on stage with the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company, from 25 May 1966 he appeared in Tango, a play by Sławomir Mrożek at the Aldwych Theatre alongside Patience Collier, Mike Pratt, Ursula Mohan and Dudley Sutton under director Trevor Nunn. Numerous television roles include two guest appearances in Doctor Who, as the Colony Pilot in The Macra Terror and as Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara. It is reputed he had offered the role of the lead character in the show by Innes Lloyd in 1966. In 1971, he played Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and he played King Philip II of Spain in the BBC serial Elizabeth R and Oliver Cromwell in By the Sword Divided. He also appeared in Thriller, Porridge, Some Mothers Do Ave Em, Quiller, Rising Damp, Minder, Nanny, Yes Minister, in 1988, he played the villainous Sultan in the fantasy epic The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. In, Our Friends in the North, and many other series, Jeffrey died on 25 December 1999 from prostate cancer. Never Look Back – Court reporter Becket – Baron The Early Bird – Fire Chief That Riviera Touch – Mauron The Fighting Prince of Donegal – Sergeant The Fixer – Berezhinsky If, Phibes – Inspector Trout The Horsemen – Hayatal Kidnapped – Riach What Became of Jack and Jill. – Dr. Graham Dr. Phibes Rises Again – Inspecter Trout O Lucky Man
18.
Denis Quilley
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Denis Clifford Quilley, OBE was an English actor. From a family with no connections, Quilley was determined from an early age to become an actor. In the 1950s he appeared in revue, musicals, operetta and on television as well as in classic, during the 1960s Quilley established himself as a leading actor, making his first films and starring on Australian television. In the early 1970s he was a member of Laurence Oliviers National Theatre company and he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977 in the central role in Privates on Parade, which was later made into a feature film. His later parts in musicals included the role in Sweeney Todd. Quilley was born in Islington, North London, the son of Clifford Charles Quilley, a Post Office telegraphist, and his wife Ada Winifred, née Stanley. He won a scholarship to Bancrofts School in Woodford Green, London, and was expected to go there to a university. Quilleys early career was interrupted when he was conscripted for service in the army. The understudy to Claire Bloom in the play was Stella Chapman and they had a son and two daughters. Later in 1950 Quilley joined the Old Vic Company for a British Council tour of Italy, playing Fabian in Twelfth Night and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice. In 1953 he appeared in revue, with Max Adrian, Betty Marsden and Moyra Fraser in Airs on a Shoestring, in 1955 he had his first leading role in a West End production, playing Geoffrey Morris in the musical Wild Thyme, by Philip Guard and Donald Swann. In The Manchester Guardian, Philip Hope-Wallace wrote, Denis Quilley turns out a rare figure nowadays, a presentable singing English hero. In 1956 Quilley opened in another long-running show, Grab Me a Gondola which played for more than 600 performances, one of Quilleys other singing roles of the 1950s was the title character in Leonard Bernsteins operetta Candide. Quilley made no films in the 1950s, but appeared in several television productions. After playing in short runs of non-musical productions Quilley returned to a role in 1960. He made his first Broadway appearance the year, again taking over the part of Nestor. After returning to England, he appeared at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park in June,1963, in November of that year he played Antipholus of Ephesus in The Boys From Syracuse, with Bob Monkhouse as his twin brother, also recorded. At the Savoy in 1964 he played Charles Condomine in the musical High Spirits, in 1965, Quilley appeared in the science-fiction TV series Undermind playing Professor Val Randolph - a scientist who after four episodes is revealed to be an alien traitor
19.
Esmond Knight
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Esmond Penington Knight was an English actor. He had a stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half blind and he was an accomplished actor with a career spanning over half a century. He established himself in the 1920s on stage, in John Gielguds famous 1930 production of Hamlet he played Rosencrantz. In Romany Love he played a gypsy who never stopped singing. For The Private Life of Henry VIII, Knight and his uncle trained the falcons used in the hunting scenes, in Alfred Hitchcocks Waltzes from Vienna, he played the lead role as Johann Strauss. Following this, he landed a number of roles in Hollywood films and he travelled to Germany to star in Schwarze Rosen, a film about a Finnish anti-communist. The film was shot in three versions, in English, German and French, julius Streicher visited the set during filming. Thereafter Knight appeared in film and theatre productions in Britain. After war was declared, Knight continued to act, appearing in Powell and he sought a naval commission, but after the evacuation of Dunkirk he became involved in training Local Defence Volunteers. In late 1940 he was accepted for naval training and he did appear in This England, another propaganda film. After training, Knight was appointed as Gunnery Officer, at the rank of lieutenant, in 1941, the ship received orders to pursue the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. In the ensuing battle, Knight witnessed the sinking of HMS Hood, the Bismarck then attacked HMS Prince of Wales. Knight totally lost one eye, and the other was badly damaged, though blind, Knight insisted that he would continue his acting career. During this period, he dictated an autobiography to his secretary, Annabella Cloudsley. Knight continued to act in radio productions, though still totally blind, he also appeared on film, once more as a Nazi villain, in Powell and Pressburgers The Silver Fleet. During 1943, Knight received a series of treatments from Dr Vincent Nesfield designed to restore sight to his remaining eye, the treatment was a great success, restoring much of Knights sight. The partial return of his sight made a difference to his career
20.
T. P. McKenna
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Thomas Patrick McKenna was an Irish actor, born in Mullagh, County Cavan. After leaving school he joined the Ulster Bank in Grannard, Co. Longford and his employers were not impressed by his extra curricular activities and in 1953 he was posted to the remote town of Killeshandra in County Cavan. McKenna refused to go and resigned his position, McKenna made his stage debut at the tiny Pike Theatre in Dublin in 1953 as John Buchanan in Tennessee Williams Summer and Smoke. He played a season at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, with Anew McMasters Shakespearean company and was a member of The Gas Theatre Company directed by Godfrey Quigley, through family contacts he sought an interview with the managing director of the Abbey Theatre, Ernest Blythe. Despite Blythes concerns that his nose was too long and he would grow fat and he eventually become a permanent member of the company in 1954 and would remain there for the next eight years performing over seventy roles. McKenna stayed on when the London run ended, never returning to the Abbey company, then he went to the Royal Court Theatre in Lindsay Andersons revival of Julius Caesar, the next year he took over as the Burglar in Shaws Too Good to be True. He joined Stuart Burges company at the Nottingham Playhouse in 1968 playing Trigorin in The Seagull and Sir Joseph Surface in Sheridans School For Scandal, in 1969 he created the role of Fitzpatrick in David Storeys The Contractor directed by Lindsay Anderson at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The production later transferred to the Fortune Theatre and ran for over a year, in 1973 he took on the role of Andrew Wyke opposite his friend Donally Donnelly in the Irish premiere of Peter Shaffers Sleuth. The production played to acclaim at the Opera House, Cork, later that year he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and took over the role of Robert Hand in James Joyces only play, Exiles directed by Harold Pinter. In the same season he appeared in a rare staging of Jean Genets The Balcony directed by Terry Hands. He returned to the RSC in 1976 for Shaws The Devils Disciple, directed by Jack Gold in a production to mark the American bicentennial celebrations, as the revolutionary pastor Revd. It was there he created the role of Dr. Rice in Brian Friels drama, Molly Sweeney, other Friel productions he appeared in were The Communication Cord and Aristocrats at the RNT in his final stage appearance. During the 1960s and 1970s, McKenna appeared regularly in television dramas, including The Avengers, Danger Man, The Saint. Jason King, The Sweeney, Blakes 7, Minder and in the Doctor Who serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and he had prominent film roles in Ulysses, and A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man. He narrated the Emmy-winning documentary on the life of James Joyce Is There One Who Understands Me and his performance as Henry VIII in the film Monarch, with Jean Marsh, written and directed by John Walsh was re-released in cinemas in 2014. McKennas voice featured in over thirty original drama productions for the BBC and he took the role of Phonsie Doherty in Christopher FitzSimons Radio 4 comedy series, Ballylennon, and later appeared opposite David Threlfall in the radio drama Baldi. On CD he has recorded the poetry of W. B Yeats, Joyces short story collection Dubliners, McKenna died on 13 February 2011 at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, at the age of 81 following a long period of illness. He was buried alongside his wife at Teampall Cheallaigh Cemetery in his native County Cavan, in County Cavan, he is commemorated by the T. P. McKenna Drama Scholarships and the T. P. McKenna Perpetual Trophy presented as part of the Millrace Annual Drama Festival
21.
Monarch (film)
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Monarch is a British costume drama involving Henry VIII witten and directed by John Walsh. It was released in 2000 at the Mill Valley Film Festival and it was re-released in 2014 after the film negative was recovered after it was thought to have been lost. Monarch unfolds around one night when the injured Henry VIII arrives at a manor house closed for the season, Henry is without the power of his throne. He is vulnerable to those around him and to his own mental issues and he had left England financially and morally bankrupt, his collection of enemies became his only constant. The film is set in just one night, in an interview John Walsh said “Often you can find out more about someone in a small time frame rather than you can if the two-hour film spans their whole life. Most bio-pics become little more than a montage of facts, if you confine a character to that time frame you can find out more about them. ”T. P. McKenna plays Henry VIII, while Jean Marsh plays an amalgamation of his ex-wives. Monarch unfolds one night in the year of Henrys death,1547, in 2014 a remastered version of Monarch was released. The original negative for the film had been lost and was the subject of newspaper reports. This subsequently led to cinema showings starting at the Tricycle Theatre in London and he discussed the issues around finding the lost negatives for Monarch and other lost projects with BBC Radio 2 Janice Long. We didnt know if the camera negative would be amongst all of this haul. After a close examination we were delighted to find all of the camera negative was there. Every frame of film was scanned in high definition at Premier and had more than 10,000 particles removed by hand by the restoration team, a new sound mix was also created from the original elements in Premier’s in-house audio department. The film received strong reviews on its re-release in 2014 more so than on its initial one in 2000, in 2014 the BBC Radio Times film critic Jeremy Aspinall called it a fascinating, haunting little gem, with a richly nuanced performance from McKenna. The films realistic approach was noted by the BBFC who certified it a 15 on the basis that it contains strong bloody violence, DVD Compared said The film features an extraordinary British cast, is well written, and is perfectly paced. The film received positive reviews, with a score of 8.1 on IMDb, Monarch was issued for the first time on DVD7 April 2014 by FremantleMedia. It included extras on the making of the film and the restoration process, a high definition version is also available to view on iTunes Monarch at the Internet Movie Database Monarch film
22.
Elizabeth Taylor
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Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian. She began as an actress in the early 1940s, and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. She continued her career successfully into the 1960s, and remained a well known figure for the rest of her life. The American Film Institute named her the seventh-greatest female screen legend in 1999, Born in London to wealthy, socially prominent American parents, Taylor moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1939, and she soon was given a film contract by Universal Pictures. Her screen debut was in a role in Theres One Born Every Minute. Taylor was then signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and had her breakthrough role in National Velvet, becoming one of the studios most popular teenaged stars. She made the transition to adult roles in the early 1950s, despite being one of MGMs most bankable stars, Taylor wished to end her career in the early 1950s, as she resented the studios control and disliked many of the films to which she was assigned. She began receiving roles in the mid-1950s, beginning with the epic drama Giant. These included two film adaptations of plays by Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly, Last Summer, although she disliked her role in BUtterfield 8, her last film for MGM, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. She was next paid a record-breaking $1 million to play the role in the historical epic Cleopatra. During the filming, Taylor and co-star Richard Burton began having an affair which caused a scandal. Despite public disapproval, Burton and she continued their relationship and were married the first time in 1964. Dubbed Liz and Dick by the media, they starred in 11 films together, including The V. I. P. s, The Sandpiper, The Taming of the Shrew, and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Taylor received the best reviews of her career for Woolf, winning her second Academy Award, in the 1980s, she acted in her first substantial stage roles and in several television films and series, and became the first celebrity to launch a perfume brand. Taylor was also one of the first celebrities to take part in HIV/AIDS activism and she co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985 and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991. From the early 1990s until her death, she dedicated her time to philanthropy and she received several accolades for it, including the Presidential Citizens Medal. Taylors personal life was subject to constant media attention throughout her life and she was married eight times to seven men, endured serious illnesses, and led a jet set lifestyle, including amassing one of the most expensive private collections of jewelry. After many years of ill health, Taylor died from heart failure at the age of 79 in 2011
23.
Pauline Kael
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Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Kael was known for her witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused reviews and she is regarded as one of the most influential American film critics of her day. She left an impression on many other prominent film critics, including Armond White. You couldnt apply her approach to a film, with her it was all personal. Owen Gleiberman said she was more than a great critic and she re-invented the form, and pioneered an entire aesthetic of writing. Kael was born on a farm in Petaluma, California, to Isaac Paul Kael and Judith Kael. Her parents lost their farm when Kael was eight, and the moved to San Francisco. In 1936 she matriculated at the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied philosophy, literature, nevertheless, Kael intended to go on to law school but fell in with a group of artists and moved to New York City with the poet Robert Horan. Three years later, Kael returned to San Francisco and led a life, writing plays. In 1948, Kael and filmmaker James Broughton had a daughter, Gina, in 1953, the editor of City Lights magazine overheard Kael arguing about films in a coffeeshop with a friend and asked her to review Charlie Chaplins Limelight. Kael dubbed the film Slimelight and began publishing film criticism regularly in magazines, Kael later explained her writing style, I worked to loosen my style—to get away from the term-paper pomposity that we learn at college. I wanted the sentences to breathe, to have the sound of a human voice, Kael disparaged the supposed critics ideal of objectivity, referring to it as saphead objectivity, and incorporated aspects of autobiography into her criticism. I came out of the theater, tears streaming, and overheard the petulant voice of a college girl complaining to her boyfriend, for if people cannot feel Shoeshine, what can they feel. Later I learned that the man with whom I had quarreled had gone the same night and had emerged in tears. Yet our tears for each other, and for Shoeshine did not bring us together, Life, as Shoeshine demonstrates, is too complex for facile endings. Kael broadcast many of her early reviews on the public radio station KPFA, in Berkeley. As manager of a theater, Kael programmed the films that were shown. She also wrote pungent capsule reviews of the films, which her patrons began collecting, Kael continued to juggle writing with other work until she received an offer to publish a book of her criticism
24.
Academy Awards
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The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette, officially called the Academy Award of Merit, which has become commonly known by its nickname Oscar. The awards, first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are overseen by AMPAS, the awards ceremony was first broadcast on radio in 1930 and televised for the first time in 1953. It is now live in more than 200 countries and can be streamed live online. The Academy Awards ceremony is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony and its equivalents – the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theater, and the Grammy Awards for music and recording – are modeled after the Academy Awards. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best films of 2016, were held on February 26,2017, at the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, the ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and was broadcast on ABC. A total of 3,048 Oscars have been awarded from the inception of the award through the 88th, the first Academy Awards presentation was held on May 16,1929, at a private dinner function at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The post-awards party was held at the Mayfair Hotel, the cost of guest tickets for that nights ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other participants in the industry of the time. The ceremony ran for 15 minutes, winners were announced to media three months earlier, however, that was changed for the second ceremony in 1930. Since then, for the rest of the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11,00 pm on the night of the awards. The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performances in The Last Command and he had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy agreed to give him the prize earlier, this made him the first Academy Award winner in history. With the fourth ceremony, however, the system changed, for the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years. At the 29th ceremony, held on March 27,1957, until then, foreign-language films had been honored with the Special Achievement Award. The 74th Academy Awards, held in 2002, presented the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, since 1973, all Academy Awards ceremonies always end with the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Academy also awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, see also § Awards of Merit categories The best known award is the Academy Award of Merit, more popularly known as the Oscar statuette. The five spokes represent the branches of the Academy, Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers. The model for the statuette is said to be Mexican actor Emilio El Indio Fernández, sculptor George Stanley sculpted Cedric Gibbons design. The statuettes presented at the ceremonies were gold-plated solid bronze
25.
Time (magazine)
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Time is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It was founded in 1923 and for decades was dominated by Henry Luce, a European edition is published in London and also covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong, the South Pacific edition, which covers Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, is based in Sydney, Australia. In December 2008, Time discontinued publishing a Canadian advertiser edition, Time has the worlds largest circulation for a weekly news magazine, and has a readership of 26 million,20 million of which are based in the United States. As of 2012, it had a circulation of 3.3 million making it the eleventh most circulated magazine in the United States reception room circuit, as of 2015, its circulation was 3,036,602. Richard Stengel was the editor from May 2006 to October 2013. Nancy Gibbs has been the editor since October 2013. Time magazine was created in 1923 by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce, the two had previously worked together as chairman and managing editor respectively of the Yale Daily News. They first called the proposed magazine Facts and they wanted to emphasize brevity, so that a busy man could read it in an hour. They changed the name to Time and used the slogan Take Time–Its Brief and it set out to tell the news through people, and for many decades the magazines cover depicted a single person. More recently, Time has incorporated People of the Year issues which grew in popularity over the years, notable mentions of them were Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Matej Turk, etc. The first issue of Time was published on March 3,1923, featuring Joseph G. Cannon, the retired Speaker of the House of Representatives, on its cover, a facsimile reprint of Issue No. 1, including all of the articles and advertisements contained in the original, was included with copies of the February 28,1938 issue as a commemoration of the magazines 15th anniversary. The cover price was 15¢ On Haddens death in 1929, Luce became the dominant man at Time, the Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise 1923–1941. In 1929, Roy Larsen was also named a Time Inc. director, J. P. Morgan retained a certain control through two directorates and a share of stocks, both over Time and Fortune. Other shareholders were Brown Brothers W. A. Harriman & Co. the Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise 1957–1983. According to the September 10,1979 issue of The New York Times, after Time magazine began publishing its weekly issues in March 1923, Roy Larsen was able to increase its circulation by utilizing U. S. radio and movie theaters around the world. It often promoted both Time magazine and U. S. political and corporate interests, Larsen next arranged for a 30-minute radio program, The March of Time, to be broadcast over CBS, beginning on March 6,1931
26.
Shubert Theatre (New York City)
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The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert and it shares a Venetian Renaissance facade with the adjoining Booth Theatre, which was constructed at the same time, although the two have distinctly different interiors. The two theatres are connected by a private road/sidewalk, Shubert Alley and it opened on October 2,1913 with Hamlet, starring Sir John. Forbes-Robertson followed by the October 21,1913 opening of the George Bernard Shaw play, Caesar and Cleopatra, the theatres longest tenant was A Chorus Line, which ran for 6,137 performances from 1975 to 1990 and set the record for longest running show in Broadway history. Later long runs have included Crazy for You, Chicago, Spamalot, Memphis, the theatre has also been a recurring venue for the Tony Awards. The top floor of the houses the offices of the Shubert Organization. The theatres auditorium and murals were restored in 1996 and it has been designated a New York City landmark. The Pajama Game, Bells Are Ringing 1959 Take Me Along 1961, Bye Bye Birdie 1962, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Stop the World - I Want to Get Off 1963, Heres Love 1964, Oliver. The theatre is featured in the 1950 Academy Award winning film All About Eve. In the 2005 film version of Mel Brookss The Producers, the musicals Funny Boy, Springtime for Hitler, in the NBC show Smash, the show Heaven On Earth is playing at the Shubert Theater. In the Family Guy episode Brians Play, Stewie Griffins play, Shubert Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database The Shubert Organization Broadway Show Guide
27.
Rex Harrison
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Sir Reginald Carey Rex Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924 and he won his first Tony Award for his performance as Henry VIII in the play Anne of the Thousand Days in 1949. He won his second Tony for the role of Professor Henry Higgins in the production of My Fair Lady in 1957. He reprised the role for the 1964 film version, which earned him both a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for Best Actor. In addition to his career, Harrison also appeared in numerous films, including Anna and the King of Siam, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Cleopatra. In July 1989, Harrison was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, in 1975, Harrison released his first autobiography. His second, A Damned Serious Business, My Life in Comedy, was published posthumously in 1991, Harrison was married six times and had two sons, Noel and Carey Harrison. He continued working in stage productions until shortly before his death from cancer in June 1990 at the age of 82. Harrison was born at Derry House in Huyton, Lancashire, the son of Edith Mary and William Reginald Harrison and he was educated at Liverpool College. After a bout of measles, Harrison lost most of the sight in his left eye. He first appeared on the stage in 1924 in Liverpool, Harrisons acting career was interrupted during World War II while serving in the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He acted in stage productions until 11 May 1990. He acted in the West End of London when he was young, appearing in the Terence Rattigan play French Without Tears, which proved to be his breakthrough role. He alternated appearances in London and New York in such plays as Bell, Book and Candle, Venus Observed, The Cocktail Party, The Kingfisher and The Love of Four Colonels, which he also directed. He was best known for his portrayal of Professor Henry Higgins in the 1964 film version of My Fair Lady, based on the eponymous Broadway production and he also starred in 1967s Doctor Dolittle. Harrison was at one point temporarily replaced by Christopher Plummer, until he agreed to be more cooperative and he starred in the 1968 comedy The Honey Pot, a modern adaptation of Ben Jonsons play Volpone. Two of his co-stars, Maggie Smith and Cliff Robertson, were to become lifelong friends, both spoke at his New York City memorial at the Little Church Around the Corner when Harrison died in 1990. Harrison was not by any standards a singer, the music was usually written to allow for long periods of recitative
28.
Tony Award
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The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at a ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre, several discretionary non-competitive awards are also given, including a Special Tony Award, the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award. The awards are named after Antoinette Tony Perry, co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, the rules for the Tony Awards are set forth in the official document Rules and Regulations of The American Theatre Wings Tony Awards, which applies for that season only. It also forms the fourth spoke in the EGOT, that is someone who has won all four awards, the Tony Awards are also considered the equivalent of the Laurence Olivier Award in the United Kingdom and the Molière Award of France. From 1997 to 2010, the Tony Awards ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in June and broadcast live on CBS television, except in 1999, in 2011 and 2012, the ceremony was held at the Beacon Theatre. From 2013 to 2015, the 67th, 68th, and 69th ceremonies returned to Radio City Music Hall, the 70th Tony Awards were held on June 12,2016 at the Beacon Theatre. The 71st Tony Awards will be held on June 11,2017, as of 2014, there are 24 categories of awards, plus several special awards. Starting with 11 awards in 1947, the names and number of categories have changed over the years, some examples, the category Best Book of a Musical was originally called Best Author. The category of Best Costume Design was one of the original awards, for two years, in 1960 and 1961, this category was split into Best Costume Designer and Best Costume Designer. It then went to a category, but in 2005 it was divided again. For the category of Best Director of a Play, a category was for directors of plays. A newly established non-competitive award, The Isabelle Stevenson Award, was given for the first time at the ceremony in 2009. The award is for an individual who has made a contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian. The category of Best Special Theatrical Event was retired as of the 2009–2010 season, the categories of Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical were retired as of the 2014-2015 season. Performance categories Show and technical categories Special awards Retired awards The award was founded in 1947 by a committee of the American Theatre Wing headed by Brock Pemberton. The award is named after Antoinette Perry, nicknamed Tony, an actress, director, producer and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, who died in 1946. As her official biography at the Tony Awards website states, At Jacob Wilks suggestion, proposed an award in her honor for distinguished stage acting, at the initial event in 1947, as he handed out an award, he called it a Tony
29.
Motion Picture Production Code
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The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral guidelines that was applied to most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also known as the Hays Code, after Will H. Hays. Under Hays leadership, the MPPDA, later known as the Motion Picture Association of America, adopted the Production Code in 1930, the Production Code spelled out what was acceptable and what was unacceptable content for motion pictures produced for a public audience in the United States. From 1934 to 1954, the code was identified with Joseph Breen. In 1968, after years of minimal enforcement, the Production Code was replaced by the MPAA film rating system. In 1922, after several films and a series of off-screen scandals involving Hollywood stars. Many felt the industry had always been morally questionable. Political pressure was increasing, with legislators in 37 states introducing almost one hundred movie censorship bills in 1921, Hays was paid the then-lavish sum of $100,000 a year. Hays, Postmaster General under Warren G, Virginia followed suit the following year, with eight individual states having a board by the advent of sound film, but many of these were ineffectual. By the 1920s, the New York stage—a frequent source of subsequent screen material—had topless shows, performances filled with words, mature subject matters. Early in the sound system conversion process, it became apparent that what might be acceptable in New York would not be so in Kansas. Moviemakers were looking at the possibility that many states and cities would adopt their own codes of censorship, in 1927, Hays suggested to studio executives that they form a committee to discuss film censorship. This list consisted of eleven subjects best avoided and twenty-six to be handled very carefully, the list was approved by the Federal Trade Commission, and Hays created the Studio Relations Committee to oversee its implementation, however, there was still no way to enforce tenets. The controversy surrounding film standards came to a head in 1929, the Code enumerated a number of key points known as the Donts and Be Carefuls, In 1929, a Catholic layman, Martin Quigley and the Jesuit priest Father Daniel A. Lord created a code of standards and submitted it to the studios, Lord was particularly concerned with the effects of sound film on children, whom he considered especially susceptible to their allure. In February 1930, several studio heads—including Irving Thalberg of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer —met with Lord, after some revisions, they agreed to the stipulations of the Code. One of the motivating factors in adopting the Code was to avoid direct government intervention. It was the responsibility of the SRC to supervise film production, on March 31, the MPPDA agreed it would abide by the Code
30.
Penshurst Place
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Penshurst Place is a historic building near Tonbridge, Kent,32 miles south east of London, England. It is the home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier. The original medieval house is one of the most complete surviving examples of 14th-century domestic architecture in England, part of the house and its gardens are open for public viewing. The present manor house was built in 1341 for Sir John de Pulteney and this was at the time when such properties ceased to be castles, they were more dwellings that could be defended in an emergency. When Henry IVs third son, John, Duke of Bedford, occupied Penshurst, the hall, known as the Buckingham Building, was built, so called after the subsequent owners. Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham was executed in 1521 by King Henry VIII following a lavish feast held at Penshurst Place hosted by the Duke in honour of Henry. It then stayed in the estate for the rest of his reign, with documented evidence Henry used Penshurst Place as a hunting lodge. The property being only a few miles from Hever Castle, childhood home of Henrys second wife Anne Boleyn, see Michael Brennans books for further details. Penshurst Place was enlarged after 1552 when King Edward VI granted the house to Sir William Sidney, Sir Williams son Henry married Lady Mary Dudley, whose family became implicated in the Lady Jane Grey affair, although Henry himself escaped any such implications. During his lifetime he added apartments and the King’s Tower to Penshurst and he also created what is now one of Englands oldest private gardens, with records going back to 1346. Philip Sidney, Henry’s son, was born at Penshurst Place in 1554, philips brother, Robert Sidney, inherited Penshurst. His time there resulted in additions to the state rooms. He had also inherited the Earldom of Leicester, and his descendants for the seven generations continued to live at the mansion. By the 19th century, the building was falling into disrepair, but a new occupant in 1818, Sir John Shelley-Sidney, the latter was created 1st Baron De LIsle and Dudley in 1835. The 6th Baron, William Sidney, was one of two men who held both the Victoria Cross and membership of the Order of the Garter, he was created 1st Viscount De LIsle in 1956. To him and to his son, the 2nd Viscount, much of the restoration of Penshurst is due. Today, the house and gardens are open to the public, many members of the family are buried or commemorated in the Sidney Chapel at St John the Baptist, Penshurst. It is possible to see in the house the evidence of occupation over its 670-year history, The State Rooms, the West Solar, or State Dining Room, part of the medieval building, contains a collection of family portraits, furniture and porcelain
31.
Hever Castle
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Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge,30 miles south-east of London, England. It began as a house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn family, Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there after her father, Thomas Boleyn, inherited it in 1505. He had been there in 1477, and the castle passed to him upon the death of his father. It later came into the possession of King Henry VIIIs fourth wife, the castle is now open to the public as a tourist attraction. There have been three periods in the construction of this historic castle. The oldest part of the dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse. The second period was when the castle, then in need of repair, was converted into a manor in 1462 by Geoffrey Boleyn, younger brother of Thomas Boleyn, Master of Gonville Hall and he added a Tudor dwelling within the walls. The third period of repair and renovation was in the 20th century, Geoffrey Boleyns grandson, Thomas Boleyn, inherited the castle in 1505. He lived there with his wife Lady Elizabeth Howard and their children George, Mary and it is not known if Anne was born at Hever, but she lived there until she was sent to the Netherlands in 1513 to receive an education at the court of the Archduchess Margaret. Henry VIII often used the nearby Bolebroke Castle to conduct his courtship with Anne, the property came into the possession of Henry VIII after the death of Annes father, Thomas Boleyn, in 1539. He bestowed it upon Anne of Cleves in 1540 as part of the settlement following the annulment of their marriage, Hever Castle still has one of Henry VIIIs private locks, taken with him on his various visits to noblemens houses and fitted to every door for his security. The property subsequently passed through various owners, including the Waldegrave family from 1557 to 1715, during this latter period of ownership, the castle fell into a poor state of repair, during which time it was leased to various private tenants. In 1903, it was acquired and restored by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor and he added the Italian Garden to display his collection of statury and ornaments. In 1983, the Astor family sold the castle to Broadland Properties Limited, the estate is now used as a conference centre, but the castle and grounds are open to the public. Hever Castle is now a tourist attraction, drawing on its links to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, its mazes, gardens and lake. There is an events programme with assorted events, including jousting tournaments and archery displays in the summer months. The castle has become the venue for a triathlon
32.
Pinewood Studios
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Pinewood Studios is a British film studio and television studio located approximately 20 miles west of central London, and 7 miles from Windsor. It is run by Pinewood Group, the studios have been the base for many productions over the years from big-budget films to television shows, commercials, and pop promos. It is well known as the home of the James Bond franchise, Pinewood Studios was built on the estate of Heatherden Hall, which was a large Victorian house. It was purchased by Canadian financier and MP for Brentford and Chiswick Lt. Col. Grant Morden, who added such as a ballroom, a Turkish bath. Due to its seclusion, it was used as a meeting place for high-ranking politicians and diplomats. On Mordens death in 1934, building tycoon Charles Boot bought the land, the ballroom was converted into a restaurant and many of the bedrooms became furnished suites. In 1935, millionaire Methodist and flour magnate J. Arthur Rank created a partnership with Boot, Boot based designs for the studio complex upon the latest ideas being employed by film studios in Hollywood, California. Boot named the new studio Pinewood because of the number of trees grow there. In December of that construction began, with a new stage completed every three weeks. The studios were finished nine months later, having cost £1 million, five stages were initially completed and a provision for an enclosed water tank capable of holding 65,000 gallons, which is still in use. On 30 September 1936, the complex was officially opened by Dr Leslie Burgin. The first film to be entirely at Pinewood was Talk of the Devil. There followed a period of Pinewood and British film history, with Pinewood following the studios adopting the unit system. This enabled several pictures to be filmed simultaneously, and ultimately Pinewood achieved the highest output of any studio in the world, the Crown Film Unit completed many classic wartime documentaries including Roy Boultings Academy Award winning Desert Victory. Fires Were Started, Coastal Command and Western Approaches were all filmed there during this period, as well as the armed forces using Pinewood, The Royal Mint and Lloyds of London were installed onto sound stages and opened for business for the duration. The Company of Youth, the Rank Organisation acting school which launched several careers, was founded in 1945. The next year, Pinewood re-opened for business, Two landmarks in British film-making made at Pinewood were released in 1948, Oliver Twist, directed by David Lean, and Powell and Pressburgers The Red Shoes. In 1948, John Davis was appointed managing director, by the following year, Rank had run up an overdraft of £16 million, and announced a loss of £3.5 million, mainly due to big budget flops
33.
Shepperton Studios
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Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group, during its early existence the studio was branded as Sound City. Before Shepperton Studios was built, there was Littleton Park, which was built in the 17th century by local nobleman Thomas Wood, the old mansion still stands on the site. Scottish businessman Norman Loudon purchased Littleton Park in 1931 for use by his new company, Sound Film Producing & Recording Studios. The studios, which produced short and feature films, quickly became successful and expanded rapidly. The Ministry of Aircraft Production also took part of the studios for the production of Vickers Wellington bomber components early in the war. After re-opening in 1945, the studios changed hands, when Sir Alexander Korda purchased British Lion Films, he also acquired a controlling interest in Sound City and Shepperton Studios. In January 1955, a new company, British Lion Films Ltd, was formed and Roy and their comedies, such as Im All Right Jack, were produced there, as were dramas from other film-makers such as J. Lee Thompsons The Guns of Navarone. The studios other projects from the decade include Stanley Kubricks Dr Strangelove. Which won the Sound Departments Academy Award, despite the financial ups and downs of British Lion and the changing of hands, the studios remained active until the early 1970s. In 1969, the studios produced 27 films, by 1971 this number had fallen to seven, Production throughout the 1970s was erratic, reaching a low of two films by 1979. A compromise was proposed, and in 1973 the area of the studios was reduced from 60 acres to 20 acres. The studios 1970s credits include Kubricks A Clockwork Orange and Jimmy Perry and David Crofts Dads Army, Richard Attenboroughs Young Winston, in 1978, rock band The Who filmed live concert scenes at Shepperton especially for their documentary The Kids Are Alright. In 1995, the studios were purchased by a consortium headed by Ridley and Tony Scott, which led to an extensive renovation of the studios as well as the expansion and improvement of its grounds. Shepperton Studios has 15 stages, ranging in size from 3,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet, five of which are equipped with interior tanks for water and underwater filming. The childrens TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends was shot on the T Stage from 1984 to 2008, the nearby Little House and surrounding grounds have been used as a filming location for films such as The Omen and The Young Victoria. The studios also have two large backlots, which have recently used to create two castle compounds for the film 47 Ronin. Many films have used Shepperton Studios, including, Thomas & Friends TUGS Red Dwarf Rebecca Dancing on Ice The Crystal Maze Russell Howards Good News You Bet, official history Shepperton Studios Biography Shepperton Studios The Pinewood Studios Group
34.
Mary Boleyn
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Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, was the sister of English queen Anne Boleyn, whose family enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII. Mary was one of the mistresses of Henry VIII for a period of time. It has been rumoured that she bore two of the children, though Henry did not acknowledge either of them as he had acknowledged Henry FitzRoy, his son by another mistress. Mary was also rumoured to have been a mistress of Henry VIIIs rival, King Francis I of France, for some period between 1515 and 1519. Mary Boleyn was married twice, in 1520 to William Carey, and again, secretly, in 1534, to William Stafford, a soldier from a good family but with few prospects. This secret marriage to a man considered beneath her station angered both Henry VIII and her sister, Queen Anne, and resulted in Marys banishment from the royal court and she spent the remainder of her life in obscurity. She then died seven years later, Mary was probably born at Blickling Hall, the family seat in Norfolk, and grew up at Hever Castle, Kent. She was the daughter of a diplomat and courtier, Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, by his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Howard. There is no evidence of Marys exact date of birth, most historians suggest that she was the eldest of the three surviving Boleyn children. Evidence suggests that the Boleyn family treated Mary as the eldest child, in 1597, many ancient peerages can descend through female heirs, in the absence of an immediate male heir. If Anne had been the sister, the better claim to the title would have belonged to her daughter. However, it appears that Queen Elizabeth offered Marys son, Henry, if Mary had been the eldest Boleyn sister, Henry would have inherited the title upon his grandfathers death without a new grant from the queen. There is more evidence to suggest that Mary was older than Anne and she was married first, on 4 February 1520, an elder daughter was traditionally married before her younger sister. In 1532, when Anne was created Marchioness of Pembroke, she was referred to as one of the daughters of Thomas Boleyn, were she the eldest, that status would probably have been mentioned. Most historians now accept Mary as the eldest child, placing her birth some time in 1499, Mary was brought up with her brother George and her sister Anne by a French governess at Hever Castle in Kent. She was given a conventional education deemed essential for young ladies of her rank and status, which included the principles of arithmetic, grammar, history, reading, spelling. She was also taught archery, falconry, riding, and hunting, after a few weeks, many of the Queens English maids were sent away, but Mary was allowed to stay, probably due to the fact that her father was the new English ambassador to France. Even when Queen Mary left France after she was widowed on 1 January 1515, Mary remained behind at the court of Louis son-in-law and daughter, Francis I and Claude
35.
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
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Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, 1st Earl of Ormond, 1st Viscount Rochford KG KB was an English diplomat and politician in the Tudor era. He was born at the home, Hever Castle, Kent, which had been purchased by his grandfather Sir Geoffrey Boleyn. He was buried at St. Peters parish church in the village of Hever and his parents were Sir William Boleyn and Lady Margaret Butler. He was the father of Anne Boleyn, the wife of Henry VIII of England. As such, he was the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth I. Sometime before 1499, Boleyn married Lady Elizabeth Howard, eldest daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and he was created a Knight of the Garter at Henry VIIIs coronation in 1509. His appointment as ambassador to the Low Countries brought him contact with the regent Archduchess Margaret of Austria. Like Thomas, she spoke French and Latin and they got well enough for her to accept his daughter Anne as a maid of honour. Through his ability and the connections of his family, he became one of the kings leading diplomats. Known appointments and missions included,1511 and 1517, Sheriff of Kent 1512, 1518–1521, ambassador to France, where he was involved in arrangements for the Field of Cloth of Gold meeting between Henry and the new French King Francis I in 1520. This was followed by another envoy to France, Boleyn was invested as a Knight of the Garter in 1523. Boleyns claim to his other titles derived from his mother, Lady Margaret Butler who was the daughter and co-heir of Thomas Butler. Thomas Butler, as an Irish peer, should only have sat in the Parliament of Ireland, however, as a personal friend of Henry VII he was summoned to the English parliament in November 1488 as Thomas Ormond de Rochford, chevaler. At this time, he was already 8th Earl of Carrick, in English law, matrilineal descent is not considered valid for earldoms, and in Brehon law, then largely still in use in Ireland, new leaders were chosen by election. These customs were, in Boleyns case, outweighed by an important consideration – he was the father of two pretty daughters. Henry VIII dallied first with Boleyns elder daughter Mary, then with his younger daughter, when it was claimed that Henry had had an affair with both Annes sister and mother, the king replied to the rumours, Never with the mother. In 1525, Henry VIII became enamoured of Anne and began pursuing her and her father was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Rochford on 18 June 1525. The title referred to the barony of Rochford supposedly created in 1488 for his grandfather, the title had fallen into abeyance as Ormond had died without any male heir in 1515
36.
Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
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Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, KG was an English nobleman, active as a military officer in the north. He is now remembered as the betrothed of Anne Boleyn. Henry Percy was born about 1502, the eldest son of Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, by Catherine, through his mother he was a cousin of William Carey who was the brother-in-law to Anne Boleyn. Henry was sent, when young, to be a page in Thomas Wolseys household. The principal source for the passages of Percys life is the biography of Wolsey by George Cavendish. Though his father had destined him by 1516 for the daughter of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, he fell in love with Anne Boleyn, Percy became betrothed to Anne probably in the spring of 1523, when he was still page to Wolsey. While Cavendish claimed that the King already had a personal interest in Anne at this point, driving Wolseys angry reaction, the intrigue was soon discovered, and the Earl of Northumberland sent for young Lord Percy. Percys father refused permission for the match, as he considered Anne Boleyn a mere knights daughter, starkey dates it at August 1525 or August 1526. The old earl allowed the couple little in the way of comforts or income, Wolsey attempted to insinuate his own servants into the household as a means of controlling the young Henry. By 1528, only four years into their marriage, the relationship had broken down irretrievably. Northumberland suspected his wife of spying on him for Norfolk, while her father worried he was abusing her, Northumberland was outraged at Shrewsbury’s suspicions and refused to permit his father-in-law’s servants to see or speak to his wife. When the countesss brother-in-law, William, Lord Dacre, asked the duke of Norfolk to defend her, Northumberland told Norfolk that he, Northumberland, would never see her again as long as he lived. The couple may have separated shortly thereafter, at least temporarily, in 1532, Mary accused her husband of a precontract with Anne Boleyn. She confided her alleged grievance to her father, who mentioned the matter to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Anne Boleyn, consulted, ordered an inquiry, Northumberland denied the accusation on oath. In 1536 Shrewsbury noted his daughter had been living with him for two and half years. At about the time, Northumberland announced that he was bequeathing his entire inheritance to the King since he had no children and he. He was by then estranged from his brothers, and did not want them to inherit his property, Mary Talbot hated Henry heartily for the rest of his short life, and later sought a divorce
37.
Lord Chancellor
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The Lord Chancellor, formally the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. They are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking after only the Lord High Steward. Prior to the Union there were separate Lords Chancellor for England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts. In 2007 there were a number of changes to the legal system, the current Lord Chancellor is Elizabeth Truss, who is also Secretary of State for Justice. One of the Lord Chancellors responsibilities is to act as the custodian of the Great Seal of the Realm, a Lord Keeper of the Great Seal may be appointed instead of a Lord Chancellor. The two offices entail exactly the same duties, the distinction is in the mode of appointment. The seal is then said to be in commission, since the 19th century, however, only Lord Chancellors have been appointed, the other offices having fallen into disuse. The office of Lord Chancellor of England may trace its origins to the Carolingian monarchy, in England, the office dates at least as far back as the Norman Conquest, and possibly earlier. Some give the first Chancellor of England as Angmendus, in 605, other sources suggest that the first to appoint a Chancellor was Edward the Confessor, who is said to have adopted the practice of sealing documents instead of personally signing them. A clerk of Edwards, Regenbald, was named chancellor in some documents from Edwards reign, in any event, the office has been continuously occupied since the Norman Conquest. The chancellor headed the office or chancery. Formerly, the Lord Chancellor was almost always a churchman, as during the Middle Ages the clergy were amongst the few men of the realm. The Lord Chancellor performed multiple functions—he was the Keeper of the Great Seal, the royal chaplain. Thus, the position emerged as one of the most important ones in government and he was only outranked in government by the Justiciar. As one of the Kings ministers, the Lord Chancellor attended the curia regis or Royal Court, if a bishop, the Lord Chancellor received a writ of summons, if an ecclesiastic of a lower degree or, if a layman, he attended without any summons. The curia regis would later evolve into Parliament, the Lord Chancellor becoming the prolocutor of its upper house, as was confirmed by a statute passed during the reign of Henry VIII, a Lord Chancellor could preside over the House of Lords even if not a Lord himself. The Lord Chancellors judicial duties also evolved through his role in the curia regis, petitions for justice were normally addressed to the King and the curia, but in 1280, Edward I instructed his justices to examine and deal with petitions themselves as the Court of Kings Bench. Important petitions were to be sent to the Lord Chancellor for his decision, by the reign of Edward III, this chancellery function developed into a separate tribunal for the Lord Chancellor
38.
Thomas Wolsey
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Thomas Wolsey was an English churchman, statesman and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the Kings almoner, the 1515 appointment of Wolsey as a cardinal by Pope Leo X gave him precedence even over the Archbishop of Canterbury. The highest political position Wolsey attained was Lord Chancellor, the Kings chief adviser, in that position, he enjoyed great freedom and was often depicted as an alter rex. After failing to negotiate an annulment of Henrys marriage to Catherine of Aragon and he retreated to York to fulfill his ecclesiastical duties as Archbishop of York, a position he nominally held, but had neglected during his years in government. He was recalled to London to answer to charges of treason — a common charge used by Henry against ministers who fell out of favour —, Thomas Wolsey was born about 1473, the son of Robert Wolsey of Ipswich and his wife Joan Daundy. Widespread traditions identify his father as a butcher and a cattle dealer, Wolsey attended Ipswich School and Magdalen College School before studying theology at Magdalen College, Oxford. On 10 March 1498 he was ordained as a priest in Marlborough, Wiltshire and remained in Oxford, first as the Master of Magdalen College School, between 1500 and 1509 he held the living of Church of Saint Mary, Limington, in Somerset. In 1502 he left and became a chaplain to Henry Deane, archbishop of Canterbury and he was then taken into the household of Sir Richard Nanfan, who made Wolsey executor of his estate. After Nanfans death in 1507, Wolsey entered the service of King Henry VII, Wolsey benefitted from Henry VIIs introduction of measures to curb the power of the nobility - the king was willing to favour those from more humble backgrounds. Henry VII appointed Wolsey royal chaplain, in this position Wolsey served as secretary to Richard Foxe, who recognized Wolseys innate ability and dedication and appreciated his industry and willingness to take on tedious tasks. Thomas Wolseys remarkable rise to power from humble origins testifies to his intelligence, administrative ability, industriousness, ambition for power, in April 1508, Wolsey was sent to Scotland to discuss with King James IV rumours of the renewal of the auld alliance. Wolseys rise coincided with the accession of the new English monarch, Henry VIII, whose character, policies and diplomatic mindset differed significantly from those of his father. In 1509 Henry appointed Wolsey to the post of Almoner, a position that gave him a seat on the Privy Council, providing an opportunity to raise his profile and to establish a rapport with the King. A factor in Wolseys rise was the young Henry VIIIs relative lack of interest in the details of governing during his early years, Henry soon appointed to his Privy Council individuals more sympathetic to his own views and inclinations. Warham and Foxe, who failed to share the Kings enthusiasm for the French war which started in 1512, fell from power, in 1515, Warham resigned as Lord Chancellor, probably under pressure from the King and from Wolsey, and Henry appointed Wolsey in his place. Wolsey carefully tried to destroy or neutralise the influence of other courtiers, Wolseys rise to a position of great secular power paralleled his increased responsibilities in the Church. He became a Canon of Windsor in 1511, the year that he became a member of the Privy Council. In 1514 he was made Bishop of Lincoln, and then Archbishop of York in the same year, Pope Leo X made him a cardinal in 1515, with the titular church S. Cæciliæ trans Tiberim
39.
George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford
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George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford was an English courtier and nobleman, and the brother of queen consort Anne Boleyn. This made him the brother-in-law of King Henry VIII and the uncle of Queen Elizabeth I of England. A prominent figure in the politics of the early 1530s, he was accused of incest with his sister Anne during the period of her trial for high treason. They were both executed as a result, George was the only surviving son of the courtier and ambassador Sir Thomas Boleyn and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Thomas and Elizabeth had a number of children, including two sons named Thomas and Henry who failed to reach adulthood, three children survived, George, Mary and Anne. There has been debate over the centuries as to the age of the three Boleyn siblings, but there is general agreement that George was born c.1504. This stems from a number of different sources, George Cavendish says in a poem that George was about 27 when he gained a place on the Privy Council in 1529. Cavendish gives this as an age in order to make his tortuous verses more rhythmic. In addition to Cavendishs verses, foreign diplomats believed George was too young to be appointed as Ambassador to France in October 1529. Marys date of birth is generally accepted as being c.1500 but there is some disagreement as to Annes date of birth with arguments for 1501. However, following the executions of Anne and George in 1536 their father wrote to Cromwell and this is the current thinking of the vast majority of modern historians with only one notable exception. George and his sisters were born in Norfolk at his familys home of Blickling Hall. However, they spent most of their childhood at another of the homes, Hever Castle in Kent. Like his father, it was understood that George would have a career as a courtier, politician and diplomat. The monarchy was the font of all patronage and potential wealth and it was only through service to the Royal Family that a family could hope to achieve or protect their greatness and social position. With this in mind, George was introduced to Henry VIIIs court at the age of ten and he attended an indoor melee with his father and acted in a mummery with his father, and the much older Charles Brandon and Nicholas Carew. Thanks to his familys influence and the fact he obviously impressed Henry at an early age, since learning was highly praised at Court and essential for a career as a diplomat, George received an excellent education, speaking fluent French together with some Italian and Latin. Although his two sisters were educated abroad, George remained in England throughout his formative years, less is known about Georges personal life than about his celebrated court career, but what is known is that he married Jane Parker sometime during 1525
