1.
London
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London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
London
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Palace of Westminster,
Buckingham Palace and
Central London skyline
London
London
London
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The name London may derive from the
River Thames
2.
Pimlico
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Pimlico /ˈpɪmlᵻkoʊ/ is a small area within central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as an extension, Pimlico is known for its garden squares. At Pimlicos heart is a grid of streets laid down by the planner Thomas Cubitt beginning in 1825. The area has over 350 Grade II listed buildings and several Grade II* listed churches, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Manor of Ebury was divided up and leased by the Crown to servants or favourites. In 1623, James I sold the freehold of Ebury for £1,151 and 15 shillings, the land was sold on several more times, until it came into the hands of heiress Mary Davies in 1666. Marys dowry not only included The Five Fields of modern-day Pimlico and Belgravia, understandably, she was much pursued but in 1677, at the age of twelve, married Sir Thomas Grosvenor. The Grosvenors were a family of Norman descent long seated at Eaton Hall in Cheshire who until this auspicious marriage were, through the development and good management of this land the Grosvenors acquired enormous wealth. At some point in the seventeenth or early eighteenth century. While its origins are disputed, it is clearly of foreign derivation, supporting this etymology, Rev. Brewer describes the area as a district of public gardens much frequented on holidays. According to tradition, it received its name from Ben Pimlico and his tea-gardens, however, were near Hoxton, and the road to them was termed Pimlico Path, so that what is now called Pimlico was so named from the popularity of the Hoxton resort. In 1825, Thomas Cubitt was contracted by Lord Grosvenor to develop Pimlico, the land up to this time had been marshy but was reclaimed using soil excavated during the construction of St Katharine Docks. Cubitt developed Pimlico as a grid of white stucco terraces. The largest and most opulent houses were built along St Georges Drive and Belgrave Road, lupus Street contained similarly grand houses, as well as shops and, until the early twentieth century, a hospital for women and children. Smaller-scale properties, typically of three storeys, line the side streets, an 1877 newspaper article described Pimlico as genteel, sacred to professional men… not rich enough to luxuriate in Belgravia proper, but rich enough to live in private houses. Its inhabitants were more lively than in Kensington… and yet a cut above Chelsea, although the area was dominated by the well-to-do middle and upper-middle classes as late as Booths 1889 Map of London Poverty, parts of Pimlico are said to have declined significantly by the 1890s. Through the late century, Pimlico saw the construction of several Peabody Estates, charitable housing projects designed to provide affordable. Proximity to the Houses of Parliament made Pimlico a centre of political activity, prior to 1928, the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress shared offices on Eccleston Square, and it was here in 1926 that the general strike was organised. Completed in 1937, it became popular with MPs and public servants
Pimlico
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Belgrave Road from
St George's Square
Pimlico
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Greenwood's 1827 map showing parts of Pimlico and
Millbank prior to development
Pimlico
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Belgravia and Pimlico in 1903
Pimlico
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St Gabriel's Church in Warwick Square
3.
Harry Potter (film series)
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Harry Potter is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by author J. K. Rowling. A spin-off prequel series will consist of five films, starting with Fantastic Beasts, the Fantastic Beasts films mark the beginning of a shared media franchise known as J. K. Rowlings Wizarding World. The series was produced by David Heyman, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint. Four directors worked on the series, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, the screenplays were written by Steve Kloves, with the exception of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which was written by Michael Goldenberg. Production took over ten years to complete, with the story arc following Harry Potters quest to overcome his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel in the series, was adapted into two feature-length parts, Part 1 was released in November 2010, and Part 2 was released in July 2011. Without inflation adjustment, it is the second highest-grossing film series with $8.5 billion in worldwide receipts, late in 1997, film producer David Heymans London offices received a copy of the first book in what would become Rowlings series of seven Harry Potter novels. The book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, consequently, Heyman, who had originally disliked the rubbish title, read the book himself. Highly impressed by Rowlings work, he began the process led to one of the most successful cinematic franchises of all time. Heymans enthusiasm led to Rowlings 1999 sale of the rights for the first four Harry Potter books to Warner Bros. for a reported £1 million. Although Steven Spielberg initially negotiated to direct the first film, he declined the offer, Spielberg wanted the adaptation to be an animated film, with American actor Haley Joel Osment to provide Harry Potters voice. Spielberg contended that, in his opinion, there was every expectation of profit in making the film and he claims that making money would have been like shooting ducks in a barrel. Its just like withdrawing a billion dollars and putting it into your personal bank accounts, petersen and Reiner both pulled out of the running in March 2000. It was then narrowed down to Columbus, Gilliam, Parker, Rowlings first choice was Terry Gilliam. Harry Potter is the kind of literary achievement that comes around once in a lifetime. Since the books have generated such a following across the world. I cant think of anyone more ideally suited for this job than Chris, Steve Kloves was selected to write the screenplay for the first film. He described adapting the book as tough since it did not lend itself to adaptation as well as the two books
Harry Potter (film series)
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Daniel Radcliffe,
Emma Watson, and
Rupert Grint at the world premiere of
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in
Trafalgar Square,
London on 7 July 2011.
Harry Potter (film series)
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Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, where much of the film series was shot. Harry Potter was also filmed in other areas, including
Pinewood Studios.
Harry Potter (film series)
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David Yates directed four of the films in the series, including the two-part finale Deathly Hallows.
Harry Potter (film series)
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A studio model of
Hogwarts. It is the main setting in the series; the castle features in every novel and screen adaptation.
4.
Gravity (2013 film)
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Gravity is a 2013 British-American science fiction adventure film directed, produced, co-written and co-edited by Alfonso Cuarón. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts who are stranded in space after the destruction of their space shuttle. Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son Jonás and attempted to develop the film at Universal Pictures, the rights were sold to Warner Bros. Pictures, where the project eventually found traction, david Heyman, who previously worked with Cuarón on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, produced the film with him. Gravity opened the 70th Venice International Film Festival on August 28,2013 and had its North American premiere three days later at the Telluride Film Festival. Upon its release, Gravity was met with acclaim, and has been regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s. The film became the film of 2013 with a worldwide gross of over US$723 million against production budget of only $100 million. The film was awarded six BAFTA Awards, including Outstanding British Film and Best Director, the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, seven Critics Choice Movie Awards. Dr. Ryan Stone, an engineer from Lake Zurich, Illinois, is aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Explorer for her first space mission. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski is commanding his final mission, Mission Control orders that the mission be aborted and the crew begin re-entry immediately because the debris is speeding towards the Shuttle. Communication with Mission Control is lost shortly thereafter, high-speed debris from the Russian satellite strikes the Explorer and Hubble, detaching Stone from the shuttle and leaving her tumbling through space. Kowalski, using a Manned Maneuvering Unit, recovers Stone and they return to the Explorer and they discover that it has suffered catastrophic damage and the rest of the crew are dead. They decide to use the MMU to reach the International Space Station, Kowalski estimates they have 90 minutes before the debris field completes an orbit and threatens them again. On their way to the International Space Station, the two discuss Stones home life and her daughter, who died young in an accident, as they approach, they see that its crew has evacuated in one of its two Soyuz TMA capsules. The parachute of the remaining Soyuz TMA-14M has deployed, rendering the capsule useless for returning to Earth, Kowalski suggests using it to travel to the nearby Chinese space station Tiangong,100 km away, in order to board a Chinese module to return safely to Earth. Out of air and maneuvering power, the two try to grab onto the ISS as they fly by, Stones leg gets entangled in the Soyuzs parachute cords and she grabs a strap on Kowalskis suit, but it soon becomes clear that the cords will not support them both. Despite Stones protests, Kowalski detaches himself from the tether to save her from drifting away with him and he continues to support her until he is out of communications range. Stone enters the station via an airlock
Gravity (2013 film)
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Theatrical release poster
Gravity (2013 film)
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Sandra Bullock and
George Clooney star as Dr. Ryan Stone and Lieutenant Matt Kowalski respectively.
Gravity (2013 film)
Gravity (2013 film)
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The landing scene was filmed at
Lake Powell, Arizona.
5.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 British-American fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and distributed by Warner Bros. It is based on the novel of the name by J. K. Rowling. The film, which is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, was written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman, and Mark Radcliffe. The story follows Harry Potters third year at Hogwarts as he is informed that a prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban intending to kill him. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, alongside Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harrys best friends Ron Weasley and it also features well-known actors in supporting roles, including Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson and Timothy Spall. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and is followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The film was released on 31 May 2004 in the United Kingdom and on 4 June 2004 in North America, as the first Harry Potter film released into IMAX theatres and it is also the last Harry Potter film to be released on VHS. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Music Score and Best Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. It marked a change in the film series tone and direction and is widely considered to be the best Harry Potter film by many critics. Harry Potter, now aged 13, has been spending another dissatisfying summer at Privet Drive, when Uncle Vernons sister, Marge, insults Harrys parents, he becomes angry and accidentally causes her to inflate and float away. Harry flees with his luggage, fed up with his life with the Dursleys, the Knight Bus delivers Harry to the Leaky Cauldron, where he is forgiven by Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge for using magic outside of Hogwarts. The trio are returning to Hogwarts for the year on the Hogwarts Express when dementors suddenly board the train. One enters the compartment, causing Harry to pass out. New Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Lupin repels the dementor with a Patronus Charm, at Hogwarts, headmaster Albus Dumbledore announces that dementors will be guarding the school while Sirius is at large. Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid is announced as the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, his first class goes awry when Draco Malfoy deliberately provokes a hippogriff, Buckbeak, dracos father Lucius Malfoy later has Buckbeak sentenced to death. The Fat Ladys portrait, which guards the Gryffindor quarters, is found ruined, terrified and hiding in another painting, the Fat Lady tells Dumbledore that Sirius Black has entered the castle. During a stormy Quidditch match, dementors attack Harry, causing him to fall off his broomstick, at Hogsmeade, Harry is shocked to learn that not only had Sirius Black been his parents best friend and betrayed them to Voldemort, but that Sirius is also his godfather. Lupin privately teaches Harry to defend himself against dementors, using the Patronus Charm, after Harry, Ron and Hermione witness Buckbeaks execution, Rons pet rat Scabbers bites him and escapes
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
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British release poster
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
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Loch Shiel, where scenes from Prisoner of Azkaban were filmed.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
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John Williams
6.
Jesus (1979 film)
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Jesus is a 1979 Biblical drama film that depicts the life of Jesus Christ. It primarily uses the Gospel of Luke as the basis for the story and it was co-directed by Peter Sykes, John Krish, and an uncredited John Heyman, who was also the films producer. It was filmed on location in Israel, the film was financed primarily by Campus Crusade for Christ with a budget of $6 million. The cast consists of many people, the project would eventually be scaled back to just one book of the Bible, Luke. The film would be financed primarily by Campus Crusade for Christ supporters Bunker, filming took place throughout the Middle East and Israel over the course of several months. Jesus was produced by John Heyman, because Deacon developed pneumonia during principal photography, doubles were used in certain scenes. At the end of the film it states that the Good News Bible was used for the filming, most of the films dialogue comes from Luke, which was chosen after Heyman sought advice from clergy and scholars. Many responded that the screenplay should be based on just one gospel, Heyman was not pleased with the high-pitched accents of the Israeli cast members and decided to have all of the voices dubbed over. The only person who was not dubbed over was Brian Deacons, Jesus was released by Warner Bros. in the United States. It was not a success, losing approximately $2 million. The currently holds an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7. 1/10 on IMDb, the Los Angeles Times called it a. dull Sunday-School treatment of the life of Christ, meticulously but unimaginatively culled from Luke 3-24. In 1981, Bill Bright created the Jesus Film Project organization with the goal of accurately translating Jesus into other languages, the first translation was done for the Tagalog-speaking people of the Philippines. The organization works with thousands of missionaries around the world to show the film, the Mandarin Chinese version of the film is widely distributed in China by the government-linked China Christian Councils Amity Foundation in Nanjing, both on VCDs and DVD. Distribution in the United States has included direct mail campaigns sponsored by churches to deliver a copy of the film to address in select ZIP codes across the country. In 2004, the made the film available for viewing on its website in over 300 languages. Both Jesus and The Story of Jesus for Children are available in DVD, audio dramatizations in a number of languages are also available. It is the film that has been dubbed into more than 1000 languages of the world. As of now, more than 1400 languages spoken all over the world have the Jesus film, to make the film more relevant for younger viewers, new footage for The Story of Jesus for Children was filmed in 1999
Jesus (1979 film)
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JESUS
7.
Academy Award
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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
Academy Award
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Academy Awards
Academy Award
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31st Academy Awards Presentations,
Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, 1959
Academy Award
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81st Academy Awards Presentations,
Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, 2009
Academy Award
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Pantages Theatre, 2008
8.
Dangerous Liaisons
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The film was directed by Stephen Frears. Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick and Peter Capaldi appeared in supporting roles, as did the young, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it won those for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction. In 1781 pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil plots revenge against her ex-lover, the Comte de Gercourt, Merteuil calls on the similarly unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont to do the deed, offering him her own sexual favors as a reward. Merteuil is amused and incredulous, how can Valmont ever hope to bed the virtuous Madame Tourvel, never one to refuse a challenge, Valmont modifies the proposal, If he succeeds in sleeping with Tourvel, Merteuil must sleep with him as well. Merteuil accepts, on the condition that he furnish written proof of the liaison, Tourvel rebuffs all of Valmonts advances. Searching for leverage, he instructs his page Azolan to seduce Tourvels maid Julie to gain access to Tourvels private correspondence, one of the letters he intercepts is from Madame de Volanges, Céciles mother and Merteuils cousin, warning Tourvel that Valmont is a nefarious and untrustworthy individual. On reading this, Valmont resolves to seduce Cécile after all, meanwhile in Paris, Cécile meets the charming Chevalier Raphael Danceny. Danceny becomes Céciles music teacher and slowly, with a little coaxing from Merteuil, after gaining access to Céciles bedchamber on a false pretense, Valmont forces himself upon her as she pleads with him to leave. On the pretext of illness Cécile remains locked in her chambers, a concerned Madame de Volanges calls upon Merteuil to speak to her. Cécile, naively assuming that Merteuil has her best interests at heart, Merteuil advises Cécile to welcome Valmonts advances, young women should take advantage of all the lovers they can acquire, she says, in a society so repressive and contemptuous of women. The result is a perverse relationship, by day, Cécile is courted by Danceny. In the meantime, Merteuil begins an affair with Danceny, meanwhile, Valmont somehow manages to win Tourvels heart — but at a cost, the lifelong bachelor playboy falls in love. In a fit of jealousy, Merteuil mocks Valmont and threatens to trash his reputation as a carefree gigolo and she also refuses to honor her end of their agreement, since Valmont has no written proof that the relationship has been consummated. Valmont abruptly dismisses Tourvel with an excuse, It is beyond my control. Cécile, meanwhile, after a rough night in Valmonts bed. Tourvel, overwhelmed with grief and shame, retreats to a monastery where her health deteriorates rapidly, Valmont warns Danceny of Merteuil’s ulterior motives in seducing him, Merteuil retaliates by informing Danceny that Valmont has been sleeping with Cécile. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel with swords, and mortally wounds him, with his dying breath, Valmont asks Danceny to communicate to Tourvel—by now at deaths door—his genuine love for her. He then gives Danceny his collection of letters from Merteuil, all of Paris learns the entire, grisly range of her schemes
Dangerous Liaisons
–
Theatrical release poster
9.
Mrs Henderson Presents
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Mrs Henderson Presents is a 2005 British biographical film written by American playwright Martin Sherman and directed by Stephen Frears. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, the film tells the true story of Laura Henderson, an eccentric British socialite who invested her money to create the Windmill Theatre in London during World War II. The film is based on the story of the Windmill Theatre in London. Eccentric 70-year-old widow Mrs Laura Henderson purchases it as a post-widowhood hobby, in 1937, they start a continuous variety revue called Revudeville, but after other theatres in London copy this innovation, they begin losing money. Mrs Henderson suggests they add female nudity, similar to the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the Lord Chamberlain reluctantly allows this under the condition that the nude performers remain immobile, so the performances can be considered art, the equivalent of nude statues in museums. Because the theatres auditorium is below street level it is safe during the bombing of London. Maureen, one of the cast, becomes involved at Mrs Hendersons instigation with a young soldier, Maureen becomes pregnant, is very upset about how it will affect her life, and hands in her notice. However, before the issue can be resolved, she is killed by a bomb while leaving the theatre, other scenes depict life in the theatre during the period. Mrs Henderson and Mr Van Damm frequently clash and squabble, eventually, the authorities want the theatre to close because of the danger of crowds gathering in the street outside the theatre. However, Mrs Henderson successfully argues, for going to die in the war this is their last chance. She reflects on the death of her son in the First World War, the films closing credits explain that, on her death in 1944, Mrs Henderson bequeathed the theatre to Mr Van Damm. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of the critics gave the film a positive review out of 138 reviews, the Web site Future Movies described the film as very funny, sweet and charming. Roger Ebert reacted fairly positively to the film, saying Mrs Henderson Presents is not great cinema, and neither was the Windmill great theater, but they both put on a good show. In June 2014, it was first revealed by producer John Reid that an adaption of the film was in the works. On 16 October 2014, the musical was officially confirmed and it was announced that the show would receive its premiere in summer 2015. Music by George Fenton and Simon Chamberlain and lyrics by Don Black, the shows premiere production began previews at the Theatre Royal in Bath, on 15 August 2015, with its official opening night coming on 26 August, for a limited run until 25 September 2015. Rehearsals began on 7 July 2015, on 6 March 2015, initial casting was announced with the news that Janie Dee would play the role of Laura Henderson with Emma Williams playing Maureen. Further notable casting included Ian Bartholomew as Vivian Van Damm and Mark Hadfield as Arthur
Mrs Henderson Presents
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Film poster
10.
Germans
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Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe, who share a common German ancestry, culture and history. German is the mother tongue of a substantial majority of ethnic Germans. The English term Germans has historically referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages, before the collapse of communism and the reunification of Germany in 1990, Germans constituted the largest divided nation in Europe by far. Ever since the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation within the Holy Roman Empire, of approximately 100 million native speakers of German in the world, roughly 80 million consider themselves Germans. Thus, the number of Germans lies somewhere between 100 and more than 150 million, depending on the criteria applied. Today, people from countries with German-speaking majorities most often subscribe to their own national identities, the German term Deutsche originates from the Old High German word diutisc, referring to the Germanic language of the people. It is not clear how commonly, if at all, the word was used as an ethnonym in Old High German, used as a noun, ein diutscher in the sense of a German emerges in Middle High German, attested from the second half of the 12th century. The Old French term alemans is taken from the name of the Alamanni and it was loaned into Middle English as almains in the early 14th century. The word Dutch is attested in English from the 14th century, denoting continental West Germanic dialects, while in most Romance languages the Germans have been named from the Alamanni, the Old Norse, Finnish and Estonian names for the Germans were taken from that of the Saxons. In Slavic languages, the Germans were given the name of němьci, originally with a meaning foreigner, the English term Germans is only attested from the mid-16th century, based on the classical Latin term Germani used by Julius Caesar and later Tacitus. It gradually replaced Dutch and Almains, the latter becoming mostly obsolete by the early 18th century, the Germans are a Germanic people, who as an ethnicity emerged during the Middle Ages. Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire, around 300 independent German states emerged during its decline after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 ending the Thirty Years War and these states eventually formed into modern Germany in the 19th century. The concept of a German ethnicity is linked to Germanic tribes of antiquity in central Europe, the early Germans originated on the North German Plain as well as southern Scandinavia. By the 2nd century BC, the number of Germans was significantly increasing and they began expanding into eastern Europe, during antiquity these Germanic tribes remained separate from each other and did not have writing systems at that time. In the European Iron Age the area that is now Germany was divided into the La Tène horizon in Southern Germany and the Jastorf culture in Northern Germany. By 55 BC, the Germans had reached the Danube river and had either assimilated or otherwise driven out the Celts who had lived there, and had spread west into what is now Belgium and France. Conflict between the Germanic tribes and the forces of Rome under Julius Caesar forced major Germanic tribes to retreat to the east bank of the Rhine, in Roman-held territories with Germanic populations, the Germanic and Roman peoples intermarried, and Roman, Germanic, and Christian traditions intermingled. The adoption of Christianity would later become an influence in the development of a common German identity
Germans
Germans
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Germanic Kingdoms in Europe c. 500 AD
Germans
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Extent of
Holy Roman Empire in 972 (red line) and 1035 (red dots) with
Kingdom of Germany marked in blue
Germans
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18 January 1871: The proclamation of the
German Empire in the
Hall of Mirrors of the
Palace of Versailles.
Bismarck appears in white. The Grand Duke of Baden stands beside Wilhelm, leading the cheers. Crown Prince Friedrich, later
Friedrich III, stands on his father's right.
11.
Jews
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The Jews, also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating from the Israelites, or Hebrews, of the Ancient Near East. Jews originated as a national and religious group in the Middle East during the second millennium BCE, the Merneptah Stele appears to confirm the existence of a people of Israel, associated with the god El, somewhere in Canaan as far back as the 13th century BCE. The Israelites, as an outgrowth of the Canaanite population, consolidated their hold with the emergence of the Kingdom of Israel, some consider that these Canaanite sedentary Israelites melded with incoming nomadic groups known as Hebrews. The worldwide Jewish population reached a peak of 16.7 million prior to World War II, but approximately 6 million Jews were systematically murdered during the Holocaust. Since then the population has risen again, and as of 2015 was estimated at 14.3 million by the Berman Jewish DataBank. According to the report, about 43% of all Jews reside in Israel and these numbers include all those who self-identified as Jews in a socio-demographic study or were identified as such by a respondent in the same household. The exact world Jewish population, however, is difficult to measure, Israel is the only country where Jews form a majority of the population. The modern State of Israel was established as a Jewish state and defines itself as such in its Declaration of Independence and its Law of Return grants the right of citizenship to any Jew who requests it. The English word Jew continues Middle English Gyw, Iewe, according to the Hebrew Bible, the name of both the tribe and kingdom derive from Judah, the fourth son of Jacob. The Hebrew word for Jew, יְהוּדִי ISO 259-3 Yhudi, is pronounced, with the stress on the syllable, in Israeli Hebrew. The Ladino name is ג׳ודיו, Djudio, ג׳ודיוס, Djudios, Yiddish, ייִד Yid, ייִדן, Yidn. The etymological equivalent is in use in languages, e. g. but derivations of the word Hebrew are also in use to describe a Jew, e. g. in Italian. The German word Jude is pronounced, the corresponding adjective jüdisch is the origin of the word Yiddish, in such contexts Jewish is the only acceptable possibility. Some people, however, have become so wary of this construction that they have extended the stigma to any use of Jew as a noun, a factual reconstruction for the origin of the Jews is a difficult and complex endeavor. It requires examining at least 3,000 years of ancient human history using documents in vast quantities, as archaeological discovery relies upon researchers and scholars from diverse disciplines, the goal is to interpret all of the factual data, focusing on the most consistent theory. In this case, it is complicated by long standing politics and religious, Jacob and his family migrated to Ancient Egypt after being invited to live with Jacobs son Joseph by the Pharaoh himself. The patriarchs descendants were later enslaved until the Exodus led by Moses, traditionally dated to the 13th century BCE, Modern archaeology has largely discarded the historicity of the Patriarchs and of the Exodus story, with it being reframed as constituting the Israelites inspiring national myth narrative. The growth of Yahweh-centric belief, along with a number of practices, gradually gave rise to a distinct Israelite ethnic group
Jews
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Baruch Spinoza
Jews
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Map of
Canaan
Jews
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David Ben-Gurion
Jews
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George Gershwin
12.
Nazi Germany
–
Nazi Germany is the common English name for the period in German history from 1933 to 1945, when Germany was governed by a dictatorship under the control of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Under Hitlers rule, Germany was transformed into a fascist state in which the Nazi Party took totalitarian control over all aspects of life. The official name of the state was Deutsches Reich from 1933 to 1943, the period is also known under the names the Third Reich and the National Socialist Period. The Nazi regime came to an end after the Allied Powers defeated Germany in May 1945, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by the President of the Weimar Republic Paul von Hindenburg on 30 January 1933. The Nazi Party then began to eliminate all opposition and consolidate its power. Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, and Hitler became dictator of Germany by merging the powers and offices of the Chancellery, a national referendum held 19 August 1934 confirmed Hitler as sole Führer of Germany. All power was centralised in Hitlers person, and his word became above all laws, the government was not a coordinated, co-operating body, but a collection of factions struggling for power and Hitlers favour. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Nazis restored economic stability and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending, extensive public works were undertaken, including the construction of Autobahnen. The return to economic stability boosted the regimes popularity, racism, especially antisemitism, was a central feature of the regime. The Germanic peoples were considered by the Nazis to be the purest branch of the Aryan race, millions of Jews and other peoples deemed undesirable by the state were murdered in the Holocaust. Opposition to Hitlers rule was ruthlessly suppressed, members of the liberal, socialist, and communist opposition were killed, imprisoned, or exiled. The Christian churches were also oppressed, with many leaders imprisoned, education focused on racial biology, population policy, and fitness for military service. Career and educational opportunities for women were curtailed, recreation and tourism were organised via the Strength Through Joy program, and the 1936 Summer Olympics showcased the Third Reich on the international stage. Propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels made effective use of film, mass rallies, the government controlled artistic expression, promoting specific art forms and banning or discouraging others. Beginning in the late 1930s, Nazi Germany made increasingly aggressive territorial demands and it seized Austria and Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939. Hitler made a pact with Joseph Stalin and invaded Poland in September 1939. In alliance with Italy and smaller Axis powers, Germany conquered most of Europe by 1940, reichskommissariats took control of conquered areas, and a German administration was established in what was left of Poland. Jews and others deemed undesirable were imprisoned, murdered in Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps, following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the tide gradually turned against the Nazis, who suffered major military defeats in 1943
Nazi Germany
–
Hitler became Germany's head of state, with the title of
Führer und Reichskanzler, in 1934.
Nazi Germany
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Flag
Nazi Germany
–
Joseph Goebbels,
Reich Minister of Propaganda
Nazi Germany
–
Ethnic Germans in
Saaz, Czechoslovakia, greet German soldiers with the
Nazi salute, 1938
13.
World War II
–
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
World War II
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Clockwise from top left: Chinese forces in the
Battle of Wanjialing, Australian
25-pounder guns during the
First Battle of El Alamein, German
Stuka dive bombers on the
Eastern Front in December 1943, a U.S. naval force in the
Lingayen Gulf,
Wilhelm Keitel signing the
German Instrument of Surrender, Soviet troops in the
Battle of Stalingrad
World War II
–
The
League of Nations assembly, held in
Geneva,
Switzerland, 1930
World War II
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Adolf Hitler at a German
National Socialist political rally in
Weimar, October 1930
World War II
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Italian soldiers recruited in 1935, on their way to fight the
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
14.
English people
–
The English are a nation and an ethnic group native to England, who speak the English language. The English identity is of medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Angelcynn. Their ethnonym is derived from the Angles, one of the Germanic peoples who migrated to Great Britain around the 5th century AD, England is one of the countries of the United Kingdom. Collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons, they founded what was to become England along with the later Danes, Normans, in the Acts of Union 1707, the Kingdom of England was succeeded by the Kingdom of Great Britain. Over the years, English customs and identity have become closely aligned with British customs. The English people are the source of the English language, the Westminster system and these and other English cultural characteristics have spread worldwide, in part as a result of the former British Empire. The concept of an English nation is far older than that of the British nation, many recent immigrants to England have assumed a solely British identity, while others have developed dual or mixed identities. Use of the word English to describe Britons from ethnic minorities in England is complicated by most non-white people in England identifying as British rather than English. In their 2004 Annual Population Survey, the Office for National Statistics compared the ethnic identities of British people with their national identity. They found that while 58% of white people in England described their nationality as English and it is unclear how many British people consider themselves English. Following complaints about this, the 2011 census was changed to allow respondents to record their English, Welsh, Scottish, another complication in defining the English is a common tendency for the words English and British to be used interchangeably, especially overseas. In his study of English identity, Krishan Kumar describes a common slip of the tongue in which people say English, I mean British. He notes that this slip is made only by the English themselves and by foreigners. Kumar suggests that although this blurring is a sign of Englands dominant position with the UK and it tells of the difficulty that most English people have of distinguishing themselves, in a collective way, from the other inhabitants of the British Isles. In 1965, the historian A. J. P. Taylor wrote, When the Oxford History of England was launched a generation ago and it meant indiscriminately England and Wales, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and even the British Empire. Foreigners used it as the name of a Great Power and indeed continue to do so, bonar Law, by origin a Scotch Canadian, was not ashamed to describe himself as Prime Minister of England Now terms have become more rigorous. The use of England except for a geographic area brings protests and this version of history is now regarded by many historians as incorrect, on the basis of more recent genetic and archaeological research. The 2016 study authored by Stephan Schiffels et al, the remaining portion of English DNA is primarily French, introduced in a migration after the end of the Ice Age
English people
English people
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"The Arrival of the First Ancestors of Englishmen out of Germany into Britain": a fanciful image of the Anglo-Saxon migration, an event central to the English
national myth. From A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence by
Richard Verstegan (1605)
English people
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A reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon burial chamber at
Sutton Hoo,
East Anglia.
English people
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King Harold II of England (right) at the Norman court, from the
Bayeux Tapestry
15.
Westminster School
–
Westminster School is an English independent day and boarding school located within the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It has the highest Oxford and Cambridge university acceptance rates of any school or college in the world. With origins before the 12th century, the tradition of Westminster probably dates back as far as AD960. Boys are admitted to the Under School at age seven and to the school at age thirteen. The school has around 750 pupils, around a quarter are boarders, most of whom go home at weekends and it is one of the original seven public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868. Charging up to £7,800 per term for day pupils and £11,264 for boarders in 2014/15, Westminster is the 13th most expensive HMC day school and 10th most expensive HMC boarding school in the UK. In 1540, Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in England, including that of the powerful Abbots of Westminster, the Royal College of St. Peter carried on with forty Kings Scholars financed from the royal purse. By this point Westminster School had certainly become a public school, during Mary Is brief reign the Abbey was reinstated as a Roman Catholic monastery, but the school continued. Elizabeth I refounded the School in 1560, with new statutes to select 40 Queens Scholars from boys who had attended the school for a year. Queen Elizabeth frequently visited her scholars, although she never signed the statutes nor endowed her scholarships, Elizabeth I appointed William Camden as headmaster, and he is the only layman known to have held the position until 1937. Regardless of politics, he thrashed Royalist and Puritan boys alike without fear or favour, Busby also took part in Oliver Cromwells funeral procession in 1658, when Robert Uvedale, a Westminster schoolboy, succeeded in snatching the Majesty Scutcheon draped on the coffin. Busby remained in office throughout the Civil War and the Commonwealth, when the school was governed by Parliamentary Commissioners, and well into the Restoration. In 1679, a group of scholars killed a bailiff, ostensibly in defence of the Abbeys traditional right of sanctuary, dr Busby obtained a royal pardon for his scholars from Charles II and added the cost to the school bills. Until the 19th century, the curriculum was made up of Latin and Greek. After the Public Schools Act 1868, in response to the Clarendon Commission on the financial and other malpractices at nine pre-eminent public schools, the school began to approach its modern form. It was legally separated from the Abbey, although the organisations remain close, there followed a scandalous public and parliamentary dispute lasting a further 25 years, to settle the transfer of the properties from the Canons of the Abbey to the School. School statutes have been made by Order in Council of Queen Elizabeth II, the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford and the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge are ex officio members of the schools governing body. Westminster Under School was formed in 1943 in the school buildings in Westminster
Westminster School
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Westminster School
Westminster School
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Little Dean's Yard from Liddell's Arch
Westminster School
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The entrance to Dean's Yard and Westminster School war memorial viewed from the
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in August 2012.
Westminster School
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Liddell's arch, the main entrance to
Little Dean's Yard.
16.
Art history
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Art history is the study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i. e. genre, design, format, and style. This includes the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture as well as the minor arts of ceramics, furniture. As a term, art history encompasses several methods of studying the arts, in common usage referring to works of art. One branch of this area of study is aesthetics, which includes investigating the enigma of the sublime, technically, art history is not these things, because the art historian uses historical method to answer the questions, How did the artist come to create the work. Who were his or her teachers, who were his or her disciples. What historical forces shaped the artists oeuvre, and How did he or she and the creation, in turn, affect the course of artistic, political, and social events. It is, however, questionable whether many questions of this kind can be answered satisfactorily without also considering basic questions about the nature of art, unfortunately the current disciplinary gap between art history and the philosophy of art often hinders this inquiry. Art history is not only a biographical endeavor, Art historians often root their studies in the scrutiny of individual objects. They thus attempt to answer in historically specific ways, questions such as, what meaning did this object convey. Did the artist meet their goals well, the historical backbone of the discipline is a celebratory chronology of beautiful creations commissioned by public or religious bodies or wealthy individuals in western Europe. Such a canon remains prominent, as indicated by the selection of objects present in art history textbooks, nonetheless, since the 20th century there has been an effort to re-define the discipline to be more inclusive of non-Western art, art made by women, and vernacular creativity. Art history as we know it in the 21st century began in the 19th century but has precedents that date to the ancient world, advances in photographic reproduction and printing techniques after World War II increased the ability of reproductions of artworks. Such technologies have helped to advance the discipline in profound ways, the study of visual art thus described, can be a practice that involves understanding context, form, and social significance. Art historians employ a number of methods in their research into the ontology, Art historians often examine work in the context of its time. In short, this approach examines the work of art in the context of the world within which it was created, Art historians also often examine work through an analysis of form, that is, the creators use of line, shape, color, texture, and composition. This approach examines how the artist uses a picture plane or the three dimensions of sculptural or architectural space to create his or her art. The way these individual elements are employed results in representational or non-representational art, is the artist imitating an object or image found in nature. The closer the art hews to perfect imitation, the more the art is realistic, is the artist not imitating, but instead relying on symbolism, or in an important way striving to capture natures essence, rather than copy it directly
Art history
–
Venus de Milo on display at the
Louvre.
Art history
–
History of art
Art history
–
Giorgio Vasari,
Self-portrait c.1567
Art history
–
Anton von Maron, Portrait of
Johann Joachim Winckelmann, 1768
17.
Harvard University
–
Although never formally affiliated with any denomination, the early College primarily trained Congregationalist and Unitarian clergy. Its curriculum and student body were gradually secularized during the 18th century, james Bryant Conant led the university through the Great Depression and World War II and began to reform the curriculum and liberalize admissions after the war. The undergraduate college became coeducational after its 1977 merger with Radcliffe College, Harvards $34.5 billion financial endowment is the largest of any academic institution. Harvard is a large, highly residential research university, the nominal cost of attendance is high, but the Universitys large endowment allows it to offer generous financial aid packages. Harvards alumni include eight U. S. presidents, several heads of state,62 living billionaires,359 Rhodes Scholars. To date, some 130 Nobel laureates,18 Fields Medalists, Harvard was formed in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1638, it obtained British North Americas first known printing press, in 1639 it was named Harvard College after deceased clergyman John Harvard an alumnus of the University of Cambridge who had left the school £779 and his scholars library of some 400 volumes. The charter creating the Harvard Corporation was granted in 1650 and it offered a classic curriculum on the English university model—many leaders in the colony had attended the University of Cambridge—but conformed to the tenets of Puritanism. It was never affiliated with any denomination, but many of its earliest graduates went on to become clergymen in Congregational. The leading Boston divine Increase Mather served as president from 1685 to 1701, in 1708, John Leverett became the first president who was not also a clergyman, which marked a turning of the college toward intellectual independence from Puritanism. When the Hollis Professor of Divinity David Tappan died in 1803 and the president of Harvard Joseph Willard died a year later, in 1804, in 1846, the natural history lectures of Louis Agassiz were acclaimed both in New York and on the campus at Harvard College. Agassizs approach was distinctly idealist and posited Americans participation in the Divine Nature, agassizs perspective on science combined observation with intuition and the assumption that a person can grasp the divine plan in all phenomena. When it came to explaining life-forms, Agassiz resorted to matters of shape based on an archetype for his evidence. Charles W. Eliot, president 1869–1909, eliminated the position of Christianity from the curriculum while opening it to student self-direction. While Eliot was the most crucial figure in the secularization of American higher education, he was motivated not by a desire to secularize education, during the 20th century, Harvards international reputation grew as a burgeoning endowment and prominent professors expanded the universitys scope. Rapid enrollment growth continued as new schools were begun and the undergraduate College expanded. Radcliffe College, established in 1879 as sister school of Harvard College, Harvard became a founding member of the Association of American Universities in 1900. In the early 20th century, the student body was predominately old-stock, high-status Protestants, especially Episcopalians, Congregationalists, by the 1970s it was much more diversified
Harvard University
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Engraving of
Harvard College by
Paul Revere, 1767
Harvard University
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Harvard University
Harvard University
–
John Harvard statue,
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
–
Richard Rummell's 1906 watercolor landscape view, facing northeast.
18.
David Lean
–
Sir David Lean, CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor, responsible for large-scale epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. He also directed adaptations of Dickens novels Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, Lean was born in Croydon, Surrey, to Francis William le Blount Lean and the former Helena Tangye. His parents were Quakers and he was a pupil at the Quaker-founded Leighton Park School in Reading and his younger brother, Edward Tangye Lean, founded the original Inklings literary club when a student at Oxford University. Lean was a schoolboy with a dreamy nature who was labeled a dud of a student, he left in his mid-teens. A more formative event for his career than his formal education was an uncles gift and you usually didnt give a boy a camera until he was 16 or 17 in those days. It was a compliment and I succeeded at it. Lean printed and developed his films, and it was his great hobby, at age 16, his father deserted the family when he ran off with another woman, and Lean would later follow a similar path after his own first marriage and child. He was taken on as a teaboy, promoted to clapperboy, by 1930 he was working as an editor on newsreels, including those of Gaumont Pictures and Movietone, while his move to feature films began with Freedom of the Seas and Escape Me Never. He edited Gabriel Pascals film productions of two George Bernard Shaw plays, Pygmalion and Major Barbara and he edited Powell & Pressburgers 49th Parallel and One of Our Aircraft Is Missing. After this last film, Lean began his career, after editing more than two dozen features by 1942. As Tony Sloman wrote in 1999, As the varied likes of David Lean, Robert Wise, Terence Fisher and Dorothy Arzner have proved, David Lean was given honorary membership of the Guild of British Film Editors in 1968. His first work as a director was in collaboration with Noël Coward on In Which We Serve and it has since become a classic, one of the most highly regarded British films. Two celebrated Charles Dickens adaptations followed – Great Expectations and Oliver Twist and these two films were the first directed by Lean to star Alec Guinness, whom Lean considered his good luck charm. The actors portrayal of Fagin was controversial at the time, the first screening in Berlin during February 1949 offended the surviving Jewish community and led to a riot. It caused problems too in New York, and after private screenings, was condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, to our surprise it was accused of being anti-Semitic, Lean wrote. We made Fagin an outsize and, we hoped, an amusing Jewish villain, the terms of the production code meant that the films release in the United States was delayed until July 1951 after cuts amounting to eight minutes. The Passionate Friends was the first of three films to feature the actress Ann Todd, who became his third wife, madeleine, set in Victorian-era Glasgow is about an 1857 cause célèbre with Todds lead character accused of murdering a former lover. The last of the films with Todd, The Sound Barrier, has a screenplay by the playwright Terence Rattigan and was the first of his three films for Sir Alexander Kordas London Films
David Lean
–
Sir David Lean,
CBE
19.
A Passage to India
–
A Passage to India is a novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English literature by the Modern Library, Time magazine included the novel in its All Time 100 Novels list. The novel is based on Forsters experiences in India, deriving the title from Walt Whitmans 1870 poem Passage to India in Leaves of Grass. The story revolves around four characters, Dr. Aziz, his British friend Mr. Cyril Fielding, Mrs. Moore, and Miss Adela Quested. During a trip to the Marabar Caves, Adela thinks she finds herself alone with Dr. Aziz in one of the caves, Azizs trial, and its run-up and aftermath, bring to a boil the common racial tensions and prejudices between Indians and the British who rule India. A young British schoolmistress, Adela Quested, and her friend, Mrs. Moore, visit the fictional city of Chandrapore. Adela is to decide if she wants to marry Mrs. Moores son, Ronny Heaslop, meanwhile, Dr. Aziz, a young Indian Muslim physician, is dining with two of his Indian friends and conversing about whether it is possible to be a friend of an Englishman. During the meal, a summons arrives from Major Callendar, Azizs unpleasant superior at the hospital, Aziz hastens to Callendars bungalow as ordered but is delayed by a flat tyre and difficulty in finding a tonga and the major has already left in a huff. Disconsolate, Aziz walks down the road toward the railway station, when he sees his favourite mosque, he enters on impulse. He sees a strange Englishwoman there and yells at her not to profane this sacred place, the woman, Mrs Moore, has respect for native customs. This disarms Aziz, and the two chat and part as friends, Mrs. Moore returns to the British club down the road and relates her experience at the mosque. Ronny Heaslop, her son, initially thinks she is talking about an Englishman, because the newcomers had expressed a desire to see Indians, Mr. Turton, the city tax collector, invites numerous Indian gentlemen to a party at his house. The party turns out to be a business, thanks to the Indians timidity and the Britons bigotry. Fielding invites Adela and Mrs. Moore to a tea party with him, at Adelas request, he extends his invitation to Dr. Aziz. At Fieldings tea party, everyone has a good time conversing about India, Aziz promises to take Mrs. Moore and Adela to see the Marabar Caves, a distant cave complex. Ronny Heaslop arrives and rudely breaks up the party, Aziz mistakenly believes that the women are offended that he has not followed through on his promise and arranges an outing to the caves at great expense to himself. Fielding and Godbole were supposed to accompany the expedition, but they miss the train, Aziz and the women explore the caves. In the first cave, Mrs. Moore is overcome with claustrophobia, but worse than the claustrophobia is the echo
A Passage to India
–
First edition (UK)
20.
Warner Brothers
–
Entertainment Inc. – colloquially known as Warner Bros. or Warner Bros. It is one of the Big Six major American film studios, Warner Bros. is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America. The companys name originated from the four founding Warner brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, Jack, the youngest, was born in London, Ontario. The three elder brothers began in the theater business, having acquired a movie projector with which they showed films in the mining towns of Pennsylvania. In the beginning, Sam and Albert Warner invested $150 to present Life of an American Fireman and they opened their first theater, the Cascade, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1903. When the original building was in danger of being demolished, the modern Warner Bros. called the current building owners, the owners noted people across the country had asked them to protect it for its historical significance. In 1904, the Warners founded the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company, in 1912, Harry Warner hired an auditor named Paul Ashley Chase. By the time of World War I they had begun producing films, in 1918 they opened the first Warner Bros. studio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sam and Jack produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert, along with their auditor and now controller Chase, handled finance and distribution in New York City. During World War I their first nationally syndicated film, My Four Years in Germany, on April 4,1923, with help from money loaned to Harry by his banker Motley Flint, they formally incorporated as Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated. The first important deal was the acquisition of the rights to Avery Hopwoods 1919 Broadway play, The Gold Diggers, however, Rin Tin Tin, a dog brought from France after World War I by an American soldier, established their reputation. Rin Tin Tin debuted in the feature Where the North Begins, the movie was so successful that Jack signed the dog to star in more films for $1,000 per week. Rin Tin Tin became the top star. Jack nicknamed him The Mortgage Lifter and the success boosted Darryl F. Zanucks career, Zanuck eventually became a top producer and between 1928 and 1933 served as Jacks right-hand man and executive producer, with responsibilities including day-to-day film production. More success came after Ernst Lubitsch was hired as head director, lubitschs film The Marriage Circle was the studios most successful film of 1924, and was on The New York Times best list for that year. Despite the success of Rin Tin Tin and Lubitsch, Warners remained a lesser studio, Sam and Jack decided to offer Broadway actor John Barrymore the lead role in Beau Brummel. The film was so successful that Harry signed Barrymore to a contract, like The Marriage Circle. By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was arguably Hollywoods most successful independent studio, as the studio prospered, it gained backing from Wall Street, and in 1924 Goldman Sachs arranged a major loan
Warner Brothers
Warner Brothers
–
Warner Bros.
Warner Brothers
–
Lobby card from Open Your Eyes (1919)
Warner Brothers
–
Lobby card from
The Beautiful and Damned (1922)
21.
United Artists
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United Artists is an American film and television entertainment studio. The studio was bought, sold and restructured over the ensuing century. On December 14 of the year, however, MGM acquired the 48% stake of UAMG it did not own. UA was incorporated as a joint venture on February 5,1919, by Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks, each held a 20% stake, with the remaining 20% held by lawyer William Gibbs McAdoo. The idea for the venture originated with Fairbanks, Chaplin, Pickford, already Hollywood veterans, the four stars talked of forming their own company to better control their own work. They were spurred on by established Hollywood producers and distributors who were tightening their control over salaries and creative decisions. With the addition of Griffith, planning began, but Hart bowed out before anything was formalized, when he heard about their scheme, Richard A. Rowland, head of Metro Pictures, is said to have observed, The inmates are taking over the asylum. The four partners, with advice from McAdoo, formed their distribution company and its headquarters was established at 729 Seventh Avenue in New York City. The original terms called for each of the stars to produce five pictures each year, UAs first film was a success. Without selling stock to the public, following the other studios, as a result, production was slow and the company distributed an annual average of five films during its first five years. By 1924 Griffith had dropped out and the company was facing a crisis, veteran producer Joseph Schenck was hired as president. He had been producing pictures for a decade, and he brought commitments for films starring his wife, Norma Talmadge, his sister-in-law, Constance Talmadge, contracts were signed with independent producers, most notably Samuel Goldwyn, and Howard Hughes. In 1933, Schenck organized a new company with Darryl F. Zanuck, called Twentieth Century Pictures, Schenck formed a separate partnership with Pickford and Chaplin to buy and build theaters under the United Artists name. They began international operations, first in Canada and then in Mexico, by the end of the 1930s, United Artists was represented in over 40 countries. When he was denied a share in 1935, Schenck resigned. He set up 20th Century Pictures merger with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox, al Lichtman succeeded Schenck as company president. Other independent producers distributed through United Artists in the 1930s including, Walt Disney Productions, Alexander Korda, Hal Roach, David O. Selznick, as the years passed, and the dynamics of the business changed, these producing partners drifted away. Samuel Goldwyn Productions and Disney went to RKO, and Wanger to Universal Pictures, in the late 1930s, UA turned a profit
United Artists
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List of UA stockholders in 1920
United Artists
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United Artists Media Group
United Artists
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D.W. Griffith,
Mary Pickford,
Charlie Chaplin (seated) and Douglas Fairbanks at the signing of the contract establishing United Artists motion picture studio in 1919. Lawyers Albert Banzhaf (left) and Dennis F. O'Brien (right) stand in the background.
22.
Juice (film)
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Juice is a 1992 American crime drama thriller film directed by Ernest R. Dickerson and written by Ernest R. Dickerson and Gerard Brown. The film stars Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Huggy Hopkins, Khalil Kain and it has cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five Freddy, Yo-Yo, Donald Faison and Treach. Its the acting debut of Tupac Shakur, the film touches on the lives of four youths growing up in Harlem. It follows the activities in the young mens lives starting out as innocent mischief. It also focuses on the struggles that these men must go through everyday as well such as police harassment, rival neighborhood gangs. The film was shot in New York City, mainly in the Harlem area, Bishop, Q, Raheem, and Steel are four friends growing up together in Harlem. They regularly skip school, instead spending their days hanging out at Steels apartment, at a neighborhood arcade, generally, they are harassed daily by the police or a Puerto Rican gang led by Radames. Fed up with all of the disrespect and torment he and his friends have endured, Q, however, is unsure if he wants to become involved in a life of crime. One Saturday night, under Bishops persistence, the friends decide to rob a convenience store to teach the owner, Fernando Quiles. At first Q hesitates to go through with the robbery, unsure whether it will be successful and he also fears it will affect his chances of participating in a DJ competition in which he has yearned to compete for years. After being pressured by his crew members, he decides to join in. During the heist, Bishop shoots the owner in the head, after fleeing the scene, the four young men gather in an abandoned building where they argue over the evenings events. Q, Raheem and Steel become angry at Bishop for killing Mr. Quiles, Bishop resists, and a struggle ensues between the two, and Bishop shoots Raheem dead. Panicking, Bishop, Q and Steel flee to another abandoned building, Q and Steel realize that Bishop is beginning to break down and is becoming addicted to the thrill of killing. They agree to give Bishop as wide a berth as possible, however, while attending Raheems funeral, the two are surprised to see Bishop there. Bishop goes as far as to hug Raheems mother and promise to find his killer, Q and Steel are mostly generally able to avoid Bishop, but he finds them and confronts them one at a time, questioning their loyalty. After a scuffle, Bishop kills Radames, in order to cover his tracks, he begins planning to frame Q for the murders of Quiles, Raheem and Radames. Fearful of Bishop, Q resorts to buying a gun for his own protection, meanwhile, Bishop confronts Steel in an alley, accusing him of disloyalty, and shoots him
Juice (film)
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Theatrical release poster
23.
I Am Legend (film)
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I Am Legend is a 2007 American post-apocalyptic horror film based on the novel of the same name, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith, who plays US Army virologist Robert Neville. Neville is immune to the virus and he works to develop a cure while defending himself against the hostile mutants. Warner Bros. began developing I Am Legend in 1994, and various actors and directors were attached to the project, production began in 2006 in New York City, filming mainly on location in the city, including a $5 million scene at the Brooklyn Bridge. It is the third adaptation of Richard Mathesons 1954 I Am Legend novel, following 1964s The Last Man on Earth. I Am Legend was released on December 14,2007, in the United States and Canada, the film was the seventh-highest grossing film of 2007, earning $256 million domestically and $329 million internationally, for a total of $585 million. The effects of the virus vary in species, animals that coexist with humans, like rats and domestic dogs, are infected. The city has fallen into ruins and overgrown vegetation covers crumbling buildings, Nevilles daily routine includes experimentation on infected rats to find a cure for the virus and trips through Manhattan to hunt for food and supplies. He also waits each day for a response to his continuous recorded radio broadcasts, at night, he barricades himself and Sam inside his heavily fortified Washington Square Park home to hide from the Darkseekers. One day while waiting for survivors, Sam follows a deer into a dark building, Neville cautiously goes in after her and finds the deers corpse along with Sam, but the building is infested by a colony of Darkseekers. Both manage to escape unharmed and the attacking Darkseekers are killed by the sunlight, back in his laboratory in the basement of his house, Neville treats the female without success. The next day, he is ensnared in a similar to the one he used to capture the female, and by the time he manages to escape. Neville and Sam manage to kill them, but Sam is bitten in the fight, Neville brings Sam home and injects her with a strand of his serum, but when she shows signs of infection and tries to attack him, Neville is forced to strangle her to death. Heartbroken and driven over the edge by loneliness by his dogs death, he ventures out, Neville angrily argues that no such survivors camp exists. Neville, Anna, and Ethan retreat into the basement laboratory, discovering that the last treatment was successful, Neville tries to assess the situation as the alpha male deliberately rams himself against a glass door to break in. Neville draws a vial of blood from the woman he cured and gives it to Anna, before shutting her and he then takes a grenade and kills the Darkseekers at the cost of his own life, saving the cure. The next day, before dusk, Anna and Ethan discover that her theory is right as they arrive at the camp in Vermont. They are greeted by military officers and other survivors and Anna is shown handing the cure to a man. The alpha male suddenly ceases its attack after Neville asks him to out of panic
I Am Legend (film)
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Theatrical release poster
I Am Legend (film)
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Washington Square on October 31, 2006: The area is being set up for an evening shooting. In the background is the house where Will Smith's character lives.
I Am Legend (film)
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The
Brooklyn Bridge, where a $5-million scene was filmed
I Am Legend (film)
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Marcy Avenue Armory
24.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film)
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2008 British-American historical period drama based on the novel of the same name by Irish writer John Boyne. It was released on 12 September 2008 in the United Kingdom, the Holocaust drama explores the horror of a World War II Nazi extermination camp through the eyes of two 8-year-old boys, Bruno, the son of the camps Nazi commandant, and Shmuel, a Jewish inmate. An 8-year-old boy named Bruno lives with his family in Berlin, in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust and he learns that his father Ralf has been promoted, due to which their family, including Brunos mother Elsa and 12-year-old sister Gretel, relocate to the countryside. Bruno hates his new home as there is no one to play with, after commenting that he has spotted people working on what he thinks is a farm in the distance, he is also forbidden from playing in the back garden. Bruno and Gretel get a tutor, Herr Liszt, who pushes an agenda of antisemitism. As a result, Gretel becomes extremely fanatical in her support for the Third Reich, Bruno is confused as the Jews he has seen, in particular the familys Jewish servant Pavel, do not resemble the caricatures in Liszts teachings. One day, Bruno disobeys his parents and sneaks off into the woods and he befriends a boy his own age named Shmuel. Bruno starts meeting Shmuel regularly, sneaking him food and playing games with him. He eventually learns that Shmuel is a Jew and was brought to the camp with his father, one day, Elsa discovers the reality of Ralfs assignment after Lieutenant Kurt Kotler lets slip that the black smoke coming from the camps chimneys is due to the burning corpses of Jews. She confronts Ralf, disgusted and heartbroken, at dinner that night, Kotler admits that his father had left his family and moved to Switzerland. Upon hearing this, Ralf tells Kotler that he should have informed the authorities of his fathers disagreement with the current political regime as it was his duty. The embarrassed Kotler then gets infuriated with Pavel for accidentally spilling a glass of wine and violently beats him up, the next morning the maid, Maria, is seen scrubbing the blood stains. Later that day, Bruno sees Shmuel working in his home, Shmuel is there to clean wine glasses because they needed someone with small hands to do it. Bruno offers him some cake and willingly Shmuel accepts it, unfortunately, Kotler happens to walk into the room where Bruno and Shmuel are socialising. Kotler is furious and yells at Shmuel for talking to Bruno, in the midst of his scolding, Kotler notices Shmuel chewing the food Bruno gave him. When Kotler asks Shmuel where he got the food, he says Bruno offered the cake, believing Bruno, Kotler tells Shmuel that they will have a little chat later. Distraught, Bruno goes to apologise to Shmuel, but finds him gone, every day, Bruno returns to the same spot by the camp but does not see Shmuel. Eventually, Shmuel reappears behind the fence, sporting a black eye, Bruno apologises and Shmuel forgives him, renewing the friendship
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film)
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Theatrical release poster
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (film)
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Prisoner's clothing from
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
25.
Yes Man (film)
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Yes Man is a 2008 British–American comedy-drama film directed by Peyton Reed, written by Nicholas Stoller, Jarrad Paul, and Andrew Mogel and starring Jim Carrey and co-starring Zooey Deschanel. The film is based loosely on the 2005 book Yes Man by British humorist Danny Wallace, the film was a box office success, but received mixed reviews from critics. Production for the film began in October 2007 in Los Angeles, bank loan officer Carl Allen has become withdrawn since his divorce from his ex-wife Stephanie. He has a negative outlook on his life and routinely ignores his friends Pete. An old colleague, Nick Lane suggests that he goes to a motivational Yes, seminar with him, which encourages its attendants to seize the opportunity to say Yes. Carl attends and meets inspirational guru Terrence Bundley, Bundley publicly forces a reluctant Carl to promise to answer Yes. to every opportunity, request, or invitation that presents itself. Later, Carl says yes to a homeless mans request and is stranded in Elysian Park, disillusioned, he hikes to a gas station where he meets Allison, an unorthodox young woman. She gives him a back to his car on her scooter. After this positive experience, Carl feels more optimistic about saying yes, however, he refuses oral sex from his elderly neighbor Tillie, and then falls down the stairs and is nearly attacked by a dog. Seeing the repercussions of saying no, he back to Tillie. Carl starts to seize every opportunity that comes his way and he renews his friendships with Pete and Rooney, builds a bond with his boss, Norman, assists Petes fiancée, Lucy, with her bridal shower, attends Korean language classes, and much more. He earns a promotion at work and, making use of his guitar lessons. Accepting a band flyer outside of a shop, he sees an idiosyncratic band called Munchausen by Proxy. He is charmed by her quirkiness, she is charmed by his spontaneity, Carl and Allison meet at the airport for a spontaneous weekend excursion. Having decided to take the first plane out of town, regardless of its destination, they end up in Lincoln, Nebraska, Allison asks Carl to move in with her and he hesitantly agrees. Pete, his attorney, travels to Nebraska to explain Carls odd habits, lessons, as she finds out about Carls motivational covenant, Allison begins to doubt whether his commitment to her was ever sincere. Deciding that she can no longer trust him, Allison leaves Carl, Carls life takes a turn for the worse and he almost forgets about Lucys shower. He manages to arrange a major surprise shower, set his friend Norm up with Soo-Mi, a Korean girl, after the party, Carl receives a tearful phone call from Stephanie, whose new boyfriend has walked out on her
Yes Man (film)
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Theatrical release poster
26.
Sandra Bullock
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Sandra Annette Bullock is a German-American actress, producer, and philanthropist. Her breakthrough role was in the film Demolition Man and she subsequently starred in several successful films including Speed, While You Were Sleeping, The Net, A Time to Kill, Hope Floats, and Practical Magic. Bullock achieved further success in the decades in Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, Crash, The Proposal. Bullocks greatest commercial success is the comedy film Minions, which grossed over US$1 billion at the box office. In 2007, she was one of Hollywoods highest-paid actresses and she was also named Most Beautiful Woman by People magazine in 2015. In addition to her career, Bullock is the founder of the production company Fortis Films. She has produced some of the films in which she starred, including Two Weeks Notice, Miss Congeniality 2, Armed and Fabulous and she was an executive producer of the ABC sitcom, George Lopez, and made several appearances during its run. Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia and her father, John W. Bullock, was a U. S. Army employee and part-time voice coach, her mother, Helga Mathilde Meyer, was an opera singer and voice teacher. Helga was German, while John is from Birmingham, Alabama and has English, French, German, Bullocks maternal grandfather was a German rocket scientist from Nuremberg. John, who was in charge of the U. S. Armys Military Postal Service in Europe, was stationed in Nuremberg when he met Helga. They married in Germany and moved to Arlington, where John worked with the Army Materiel Command before becoming a contractor for The Pentagon, Bullock has a younger sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, who went on to serve as vice president of Bullocks production company Fortis Films. Until the age of 18, Bullock held American-German dual citizenship and she then held only American citizenship until 2009, when she reapplied for German citizenship. Bullock was raised in Germany for 12 years, and grew up speaking German and she attended the humanistic Waldorf School in Nuremberg. As a child, while her mother went on European opera tours, Bullock usually stayed with her aunt Christl and cousin Susanne, Bullock studied ballet and vocal arts as a child and frequently accompanied her mother, taking small parts in her opera productions. She sang in the childrens choir at the Staatstheater Nürnberg. Bullock has a scar above her eye, caused by falling into a creek when she was a child. She attended Washington-Lee High School, where she was a cheerleader, after graduating in 1982, she attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she received a BFA in Drama in 1987. While at ECU, she performed in theater productions, including Peter Pan
Sandra Bullock
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Bullock at the Australian premiere of
The Heat in 2013
Sandra Bullock
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Bullock at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996
Sandra Bullock
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Bullock at the
Cannes Film Festival in 2002
Sandra Bullock
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Bullock at the
83rd Academy Awards in 2011
27.
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
Academy Awards
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Academy Awards
Academy Awards
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31st Academy Awards Presentations,
Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, 1959
Academy Awards
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81st Academy Awards Presentations,
Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, 2009
Academy Awards
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Pantages Theatre, 2008
28.
Paddington (film)
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Paddington is a 2014 British-French family comedy film directed by Paul King, written by King and Hamish McColl and produced by David Heyman. The film was co-produced by the French company StudioCanal and the British company Heyday Films and it was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2014 and grossed $265.3 million worldwide on a €38.5 million budget. Among several honours, King was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a sequel, Paddington 2, is scheduled to be released in 2017. In the deep jungles of darkest Peru, British geographer Montgomery Clyde happens upon an unknown species of bear. He is about to shoot it to back a specimen to England when another bear playfully takes his gun away. He learns that family of bears is intelligent and can learn English. He names them Lucy and Pastuzo, as he departs, he throws his hat to Pastuzo and tells the bears that they are always welcome should they wish to go to London. Several years later, the two bears are living in harmony with their nephew when an earthquake strikes their home, forcing them to shelter underground. Distracted and upset at the loss of his home, Pastuzo is unable to reach the shelter in time and he is presumed dead, with his hat being found the next day by his nephew. Aunt Lucy encourages her nephew to go and find solace in London, the young bear reaches London, but fails to find a home. He is taken in briefly by the Brown family, mary Brown, the mother and a story illustrator, names him Paddington, after the station where they found him. Henry Brown, the father and a risk analyst, who doesnt believe a word of why hes here, is adamant that Paddington stay only one night while they find a place for him to live permanently. Paddington causes a series of accidents across the house, further isolating himself from the Browns, Paddington thinks he can find a home with the explorer who found his aunt and uncle, but does not know his name. With the help of Mr. Brown, who refuses to let the family help him, Paddington infiltrates the Geographers Guild archives and he uses the citys phone books to track the addresses of all the M Clydes in London. Meanwhile, the sadistic museum taxidermist Director Millicent Clyde captures, kills, when she becomes aware of Paddington, she immediately sets out to hunt him down. The Brown family departs for the day, leaving Paddington home alone, disbelieving Paddingtons statement of Millicents capture attempt, the Browns, mainly Henry, state that he must move into a new home as soon as possible. Feeling unwanted at the Browns, Paddington leaves and attempts to track down Montgomery Clyde himself, Millicent is determined to succeed where her father failed and capture a Peruvian bear so she can become rich and famous herself. She tranquilizes Paddington and prepares to him, but when Mr. Curry discovers her true intentions, he informs the Brown family
Paddington (film)
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UK theatrical release poster
29.
J.K. Rowling
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Joanne Jo Rowling, OBE, FRSL, pen names J. K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, is a British novelist, screenwriter and film producer best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. The books have gained attention, won multiple awards. There were six sequels, the last, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling has lived a rags to riches life story, in which she progressed from living on state benefits to multi-millionaire status within five years. She is the United Kingdoms best-selling living author, with sales in excess of £238M, the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowlings fortune at £600 million, ranking her as the joint 197th richest person in the UK. Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, in October 2010, Rowling was named the Most Influential Woman in Britain by leading magazine editors. She has supported charities including Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, although she writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling, her name, before her remarriage, was simply Joanne Rowling. Anticipating that the audience of young boys might not want to read a book written by a woman. As she had no name, she chose K as the second initial of her pen name. Following her marriage, she has used the name Joanne Murray when conducting personal business. During the Leveson Inquiry she gave evidence under the name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling and her entry in Whos Who lists her name also as Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Rowling was born to Peter James Rowling, a Rolls-Royce aircraft engineer, and Anne Rowling and her parents first met on a train departing from Kings Cross Station bound for Arbroath in 1964. They married on 14 March 1965, One of her maternal great-grandfathers, Dugald Campbell, was Scottish, born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. Her mothers paternal grandfather, Louis Volant, was French, and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for exceptional bravery in defending the village of Courcelles-le-Comte during the First World War. Rowling originally believed he had won the Légion dhonneur during the war, as she said when she received it herself in 2009. She later discovered the truth when featured in an episode of the UK genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are. in which she found out it was a different Louis Volant who won the Legion of Honour. Rowlings sister Dianne was born at their home when Rowling was 23 months old, the family moved to the nearby village Winterbourne when Rowling was four. She attended St Michaels Primary School, a school founded by abolitionist William Wilberforce and her headmaster at St Michaels, Alfred Dunn, has been suggested as the inspiration for the Harry Potter headmaster Albus Dumbledore. As a child, Rowling often wrote stories which she frequently read to her sister
J.K. Rowling
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Rowling at the
White House Easter Egg Roll, 2010
J.K. Rowling
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Rowling's parents met on a train from
King's Cross Station. After Rowling used King's Cross as a gateway into the Wizarding World, it has since become a popular tourist spot.
J.K. Rowling
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Rowling's childhood home,
Church Cottage, Tutshill.
J.K. Rowling
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Rowling moved to Porto to teach. In 1993, she returned to the UK accompanied by her daughter and three completed chapters of Harry Potter after her marriage had deteriorated.
