1.
Leicester Square
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Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 and is named after the contemporary Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, the square was originally a gentrified residential area, with tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds. It became more down-market in the late 18th century as Leicester House was demolished and retail developments took place, several major theatres were established in the 19th century, which were converted to cinemas towards the middle of the next. The square remains a popular tourist attraction, including hosting events for the Chinese New Year, the square has always had a park in its centre, which was originally Lammas land. The parks fortunes have varied over the centuries, reaching near dilapidation in the century after changing ownership several times. It was restored under the direction of Albert Grant, which included the construction of four new statues, the square was extensively refurbished and remodelled for the 2012 London Olympics, costing more than £15m and taking over 17 months to complete. The square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north, Charing Cross Road, to the east, Orange Street, to the south, and Whitcomb Street, to the west. It is within the City of Westminster, north of Trafalgar Square, east of Piccadilly Circus, west of Covent Garden, the nearest tube station is Leicester Square tube station, which opened in 1906. London bus routes 24,29 and 176 run on nearby Charing Cross Road, the land where Leicester Square now lies once belonged to the Abbot and Convent of Westminster Abbey and the Beaumont family. In 1536, Henry VIII took control of 3 acres of land around the square, the square is named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, who purchased this land in 1630. By 1635, he had himself a large house, Leicester House. The area in front of the house was enclosed, depriving inhabitants of St Martin in the Fields parish of their right to use the previously common land. The parishioners appealed to King Charles I, and he appointed three members of the council to arbitrate. Lord Leicester was ordered to keep part of his land open for the parishioners, the square was laid out to the south of Leicester House and developed in the 1670s. The area was originally residential, with properties laid out in a similar style to nearby Pall Mall. In 1687, the part of the square became part of the new parish of St Anne. The Jocelyn Sidney, 7th Earl of Leicester took ownership of the property in 1728 and it was briefly the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales from 1742 until Leicesters death the following year. The poet Matthew Prior lived at what is now No.21 around 1700, the magistrate Thomas de Veil, later to found Bow Street Magistrates Court, lived at No 40 between 1729 and 1737, this location is now the Odeon West End
2.
WC postcode area
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The WC postcode area, also known as the London WC postcode area, is a group of postcode districts in central London, England. It includes parts of the London Borough of Camden, City of Westminster, London Borough of Islington, the area covered is of very high density development. The current postcode districts are relatively recent, divisions WC1 and WC2 districts established only in 1917. Where the districts are used for other than the sorting of mail, such as use as a geographic reference and on street signs. Both the WC1 and WC2 postcode districts are part of the London post town, there are no dependent localities used in the postcode districts. The numbered districts were created in 1917, before then they had been included in the WC postal district. There has been no significant recoding of the area from 1990 to 2007. There are Post Office branches in the WC1 postcode district at Grays Inn, High Holborn, Marchmont Street and Russell Square, the Western Central District Office was located on New Oxford Street, which was a stop on the London Post Office Railway. Deliveries for WC1 and WC2 now come from Mount Pleasant Mail Centre in Farringdon Road
3.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
4.
London Underground
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The London Underground is a public rapid transit system serving London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. The network has expanded to 11 lines, and in 2015–16 carried 1.34 billion passengers, the 11 lines collectively handle approximately 4.8 million passengers a day. The system has 270 stations and 250 miles of track, despite its name, only 45% of the system is actually underground in tunnels, with much of the network in the outer environs of London being on the surface. In addition, the Underground does not cover most southern parts of Greater London, the current operator, London Underground Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London, the statutory corporation responsible for the transport network in Greater London. As of 2015, 92% of operational expenditure is covered by passenger fares, the Travelcard ticket was introduced in 1983 and Oyster, a contactless ticketing system, in 2003. Contactless card payments were introduced in 2014, the LPTB was a prominent patron of art and design, commissioning many new station buildings, posters and public artworks in a modernist style. Other famous London Underground branding includes the roundel and Johnston typeface, to prepare construction, a short test tunnel was built in 1855 in Kibblesworth, a small town with geological properties similar to London. This test tunnel was used for two years in the development of the first underground train, and was later, in 1861, the worlds first underground railway, it opened in January 1863 between Paddington and Farringdon using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. It was hailed as a success, carrying 38,000 passengers on the opening day, the Metropolitan District Railway opened in December 1868 from South Kensington to Westminster as part of a plan for an underground inner circle connecting Londons main-line termini. The Metropolitan and District railways completed the Circle line in 1884, built using the cut and this opened in 1890 with electric locomotives that hauled carriages with small opaque windows, nicknamed padded cells. The Waterloo and City Railway opened in 1898, followed by the Central London Railway in 1900, the Metropolitan Railway protested about the change of plan, but after arbitration by the Board of Trade, the DC system was adopted. When the Bakerloo was so named in July 1906, The Railway Magazine called it an undignified gutter title, by 1907 the District and Metropolitan Railways had electrified the underground sections of their lines. In January 1913, the UERL acquired the Central London Railway, the Bakerloo line was extended north to Queens Park to join a new electric line from Euston to Watford, but World War I delayed construction and trains reached Watford Junction in 1917. During air raids in 1915 people used the stations as shelters. An extension of the Central line west to Ealing was also delayed by the war, the Metropolitan promoted housing estates near the railway with the Metro-land brand and nine housing estates were built near stations on the line. Electrification was extended north from Harrow to Rickmansworth, and branches opened from Rickmansworth to Watford in 1925, the Piccadilly line was extended north to Cockfosters and took over District line branches to Harrow and Hounslow. In 1933, most of Londons underground railways, tramway and bus services were merged to form the London Passenger Transport Board, the Waterloo & City Railway, which was by then in the ownership of the main line Southern Railway, remained with its existing owners. In the same year that the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, in the following years, the outlying lines of the former Metropolitan Railway closed, the Brill Tramway in 1935, and the line from Quainton Road to Verney Junction in 1936
5.
Leicester Square tube station
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Leicester Square is a station on the London Underground, located on Charing Cross Road, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square itself. The station is on the Northern line between Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road, and the Piccadilly line between Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden and it is in Travelcard Zone 1. Like other stations on the sections of the Piccadilly and Northern lines. New station entrances were constructed to a new ticket hall. As with the similar sub-surface ticket hall previously built at Piccadilly Circus this was excavated partially under the roadway, from there banks of escalators were provided down to both sets of platforms. The redundant lifts were removed but the lift shaft remains in use as a ventilation shaft hidden behind a door on the first landing of the Cranbourn street entrance stairs. The redeveloped station opened in 1935, the building, known as Transad House, was in its early years, occupied by the publishers of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack and an image of cricket stumps appears above a door way. On all four platforms, film sprockets are painted down the length and on the top and bottom of the display area. The station is featured briefly during the video sequence of the 2009 film Harry Potter. London Buses routes 14,19,24,29,38 and 176 and night routes N5, N20, N29, N38, N47, leslie Green – architect of original station building Charles Holden – architect of new ticket hall and entrances Photographic Archive. Archived from the original on 2008-03-18, archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Underground Journeys, Leicester Square, Design drawing and history, archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07
6.
Cineworld
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Cineworld Group plc is the second largest cinema operator in Europe with 2,049 screens across 221 sites in 9 countries. The UK operations consist of arthouse chain Picturehouse Cinemas and multiplex chain Cineworld Cinemas with 24 and 82 cinemas respectively, all but two Cineworld sites are located in the UK, with one each in Ireland and Jersey. Cineworld is the second-largest cinema operator in the UK with over 800 screens, Cineworld Glasgow Renfrew Street is the tallest cinema in the world and the busiest, by customer base, in the UK. The Cineworld site with the greatest number of screens is that located at Valley Centertainment in Sheffield and it is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE250 Index. Additional sites were opened at a steady rate throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, in 2005, Cineworld also took over the UK and Ireland operations of French cinema company UGC. Post-merger, Cineworld have continued to new locations, as of 2015, Cineworld have 82 locations in the UK, Ireland. In August 2013, The Guardian revealed that Cineworld employs 80% of its 4,300 staff on zero hour contracts, in October 2013, The Chester location was closed due to the landowner wanting to develop the land into a supermarket. This has been the first Cineworld to close without being sold and was the first cinema to leave the chain in 8 years, in 2014 Cineworlds Picturehouse chain was subject to industrial action owing to its refusal to pay the London Living Wage to its staff. The workforce attracted the support of Eric Cantona, on 27 February 2014 Cineworld completed the takeover of Cinema City International N. V. In what can be seen to be a reverse takeover. Each Cineworld cinema has between 1 and 20 screens, which typically show mainstream general-release films, some Cineworlds also show broadcasts of opera, theatre, live music and sports. All Cineworlds also have an area, where food and drink such as popcorn, nachos or hotdogs can be purchased, Candyking pick. Various cinemas sell Ben and Jerrys ice cream but many were switched to Baskin Robbins in late 2013-early 2014 as part of that brands UK expansion, CafeBars and small amusement arcades can also be found at some cinemas. In October 2012, Cineworld began to some of its CafeBars with Starbucks Coffee outlets after agreeing a deal with the coffee chain. As of September 2013, nine Cineworld cinemas have IMAX screens, as new sites open contracts have been signed for installs of both along with further installs of IMAX screens at older sites. Following a recent refit, the Milton Keynes cinema has acquired both a Superscreen and a 4DX screen, the first in the UK, Cineworld intends to roll out further Superscreen and 4DX screens to other sites in the future. In June 2011, Cineworld began a trial of a premium cinema brand, located next to the Cheltenham cinema, The Screening Rooms offers considerably larger, leather seating, premium food, and table service. In early 2014 Cineworld introduced a seating system, starting as a trial in selected sites including Wembley
7.
Seating capacity
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Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats hundreds of thousands of people. The International Fire Code, portions of which have adopted by many jurisdictions, is directed more towards the use of a facility than the construction. It specifies, For areas having fixed seating without dividing arms and it also requires that every public venue submit a detailed site plan to the local fire code official, including details of the means of egress, seating capacity, arrangement of the seating. Once safety considerations have been satisfied, determinations of seating capacity turn on the size of the venue. For sports venues, the decision on maximum seating capacity is determined by several factors, chief among these are the primary sports program and the size of the market area. Seating capacity of venues also plays a role in what media they are able to provide, in contracting to permit performers to use a theatre or other performing space, the seating capacity of the performance facility must be disclosed. Seating capacity may influence the kind of contract to be used, the seating capacity must also be disclosed to the copyright owner in seeking a license for the copyrighted work to be performed in that venue. Venues that may be leased for private functions such as ballrooms and auditoriums generally advertise their seating capacity, seating capacity is also an important consideration in the construction and use of sports venues such as stadiums and arenas. The seating capacity for restaurants is reported as covers, a restaurant that can seat 99 is said to have 99 covers, seating capacity differs from total capacity, which describes the total number of people who can fit in a venue or in a vehicle either sitting or standing. Use of the term public capacity indicates that a venue is allowed to more people than it can actually seat. Again, the total number of people can refer to either the physical space available or limitations set by law
8.
Frank Verity
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Francis Thomas Verity was an English cinema architect during the cinema building boom of the years following World War I. Verity was born in London, educated at Cranleigh and joined Thomas Verity, his father, in his architectural practice, both Veritys bought an interest in ornate Second Empire-style architecture to their early buildings, developing this into grand Beaux Arts in their later works. Many of the buildings have achieved recognition in the late 20th century. Frank Verity continued the practice, on his fathers death, and Sam Beverley, his son-in-law, joined the practice in the 1920s, the company designed over 25 cinemas, achieving a Royal Institute of British Architects bronze medal for the Shepherds Bush Pavilion cinema in 1930. In 1915, he was the architect of a block of flats on the site of the former Somerset House on Park Lane, the first such building in that important street
9.
Movie theater
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A movie theater or movie theatre is a venue, usually a building, that contains an auditorium for viewing films, for entertainment. Most, but not all, movie theaters are commercial operations catering to the general public, Some movie theaters, however, are operated by non-profit organizations or societies which charge members a membership fee to view films. The film is projected with a projector onto a large projection screen at the front of the auditorium while the dialogue, sounds. Since the 1970s, subwoofers have used for low-pitched sounds. In the 2010s, most movie theaters are equipped for digital cinema projection, removing the need to create, a great variety of films are shown at cinemas, ranging from animated films for children, blockbusters for general audiences and documentaries for patrons who are interested in non-fiction topics. The smallest movie theaters have a viewing room with a single screen. In the 2010s, most movie theaters have multiple screens, the largest theater complexes, which are called multiplexes—a design developed in the U. S. in the 1960s—have up to 25 screens. The audience members sit on padded seats which in most theaters are set up on a sloped floor. Movie theaters typically sell soft drinks, popcorn and candy and some theaters also sell hot fast food, in some jurisdictions, movie theaters are licensed to sell alcoholic drinks. A movie theater may also be referred to as a theatre, movie house, film house. In the US, theater has long been the preferred spelling, while in the UK, Canada, the latter terms, as well as their derivative adjectives cinematic and kinematic, ultimately derive from Greek κινῆμα, κινήματος —movement, motion. In the countries where those terms are used, the theatre is usually reserved for live performance venues. Colloquial expressions, mostly applied to motion pictures and motion picture theaters collectively, include the silver screen, specific to North American term is the movies, while specific terms in the UK are the pictures, the flicks and for the facility itself the flea pit. A screening room is a theater, often a private one. Open air place in ancient times for viewing spectacles and plays, the term theater comes from the Old French word theatre, from the 12th century and. The use of the theatre to mean a building where plays are shown dates from the 1570s in the English language. The earliest precursors to movies were magic lantern shows, magic lanterns used a glass lens, a shutter and a powerful lamp to project images from glass slides onto a white wall or screen. The invention of the Argand lamp in the 1790s, limelight in the 1820s, the magic lantern could project rudimentary moving images, which was achieved by the use of various types of mechanical slides
10.
IMAX
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IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards developed in Canada by Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William C. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size, since 2002, some feature films have been converted into IMAX format for displaying in IMAX theatres and some have also been partially shot in IMAX. IMAX is the most widely used system for special-venue film presentations, as of June 2016, there were 1,102 IMAX theatres in 69 countries. The desire to increase the impact of film has a long history. In 1929, Fox introduced Fox Grandeur, the first 70 mm film format, in the 1950s, the potential of 35 mm film to provide wider projected images was explored in the processes of CinemaScope and VistaVision, following multi-projector systems such as Cinerama. While impressive, Cinerama was difficult to install, during Expo 67 in Montreal, the National Film Board of Canadas In the Labyrinth and Fergusons Man and the Polar Regions both used multi-projector, multi-screen systems. Each encountered technical difficulties led them to found a company called Multiscreen. As it became clear that a single, large-screen image had more impact than multiple smaller ones and was a viable product direction. An IMAX 3D theatre also is in operation near the former Expo 67 site at the Montreal Science Centre in the Port of Old Montreal, tiger Child, the first IMAX film, was demonstrated at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. The first permanent IMAX installation was built at the Cinesphere theatre at Ontario Place in Toronto and it debuted in May 1971, showing the film North of Superior. The installation is still in place, however, Ontario Place is on hiatus for redevelopment, during Expo 74 in Spokane, Washington, an IMAX screen that measured 27 m ×20 m was featured in the US Pavilion. It became the first IMAX Theatre to not be partnered with any brand of movie theaters. About five million visitors viewed the screen, which covered the total visual field when looking directly forward. This created a sensation of motion in most viewers, and motion sickness in some, much to the dismay of the majority of Spokane and the disapproval of the IMAX Corporation itself, it will be demolished to make way for a parking lot. Another IMAX 3D theater was built in Spokane, not too far from where the original was. However, its screen-size is less than half that of the original, due to protests, the IMAX Corporation has been able to remodel the area with the city, and turn the U. S. Pavilion itself into the first permanent outdoor IMAX screen, the first permanent IMAX Dome installation, the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Dome Theatre at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, opened in San Diegos Balboa Park in 1973, the first permanent IMAX 3D theatre was built in Vancouver, British Columbia for Transitions at Expo 86, and was in use until September 30,2009
11.
Dolby Atmos
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Dolby Atmos is the name of a surround sound technology announced by Dolby Laboratories in April 2012 and released in June of the same year, first utilized in Pixars Brave. The first installation was in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, throughout 2012, it saw a limited release of about 25 installations worldwide, with an increase to 300 locations in 2013. There were over 2,100 locations as of February 2015, Dolby Atmos has also been adapted to a home theater format and is the audio component of Dolby Cinema. Each audio track can be assigned to a channel, the traditional format for distribution. For Dolby Atmos, the nomenclature differs slightly, a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system is a traditional 7.1 layout with four overhead or Dolby Atmos enabled speakers. By way of contrast, traditional multichannel technology essentially burns all the audio tracks into a fixed number of channels during post-production. This has traditionally forced the re-recording mixer to make assumptions about the environment that may not apply very well to a particular theater. The addition of audio objects allow the mixer to be creative, to bring more sounds off the screen. The first generation cinema hardware, the Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor supports up to 128 discrete audio tracks, the technology was initially created for commercial cinema applications, and was later adapted to home cinema. In addition to playing back a standard 5.1 or 7, at the end of June 2014, Dolby Labs hardware partners announced that Dolby Atmos would soon be coming to home theaters. Among them were several established manufacturers of home entertainment devices announcing new products that have now brought Dolby Atmos into home theaters across the globe. The first movie to be released on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos was Transformers, the first video game to use Dolby Atmos was Star Wars, Battlefront. It remains to be seen if consumers are willing to embrace more speakers in a market that may demand less than believed by some of the authorities in the audio industry. Because of limited bandwidth and lack of processing power, Atmos in home theaters is not rendered the same way as in cinemas, a spatially-coded substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus. This substream only represents an abbreviated representation of the object-based mix and this substream does not include all 128 discrete objects separated. This is not a matrix-encoded channel, but a digital channel. Atmos in home theaters can support 24.1.10 channels, the spatial audio coding tool is applied to the cinematic object audio mix when filmmakers remix and render the TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks with Dolby Media Producer
12.
4DX
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4DX is a motion picture technology owned and developed by South Korean company CJ 4DPLEX, a part of the CJ Group. 4DX allows a motion picture presentation to be augmented with environmental effects such as motion, wind, rain, fog, lights. As such, theaters must be designed for and equipped with 4DX technology. The experience was introduced commercially in 2009 with the release of Journey to the Center of the Earth in Seoul, 4DX was launched by South Korean theater chain, CJ CGV with the release of New Line Cinemas Journey to the Center of the Earth in Seoul in 2009. In 2010, after the success with the 4DX screening of Avatar. On 2 June 2011, Mexican cineplex company, Cinépolis, have invested $25 million, the company opened its first room in Guatemala on 17 December 2013, with the release of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug, as the first 4DX theater in Central America. The company opened its first 4DX theater in India in 2014, in Costa Rica, the company is set to open its first 4DX theater on 14 September 2014 with the release of The Maze Runner. In 2012, CNN Travel named the CGV Gangbyeon 4DX theater as one of the worlds best movie theatres. The Paramount Pictures film, Transformers, Dark of the Moon, has opened new 4DX rooms at Major Cineplex on 19 June 2011 in Thailand and Cinema Park on 22 December 2012 in Russia. Cinema City has opened its first 4DX room in Israel on 19 July 2012 at the Yes Planet Rishon Lezion theater, the company later opened new 4DX theaters throughout Europe. On 26 April 2013, Japanese cineplex chain, Korona World, opened its first room in Nagoya, on 6 May 2013, CGV released a new 4DX trailer, starring Lee Byung-hun. On 12 June 2013, Taiwanese cineplex chain, Vieshow Cinemas, has opened its first room with the release of Man of Steel, on 19 July 2013, Cine Hoyts opened its first 4DX room in La Reina, Chile, with the release of Turbo. As of August 2013, the 4DX technology has achieved over 10,000 seats in 16 countries and 58 cities, on 23 August 2013, Indonesias Blitzmegaplex opened its first 4DX theater with the release of Percy Jackson, Sea of Monsters. Venezuelas Cinex opened its first room on 21 December 2013 with the release of Frozen, on 28 September 2013, UME International Cineplex opened a new 4DX theater in Chongqing, with the release of Jurassic Park 3D. On 12 December 2013, Croatian cinema chain, Blitz-CineStar, opened its first 4DX room with the releases of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug and Frozen. Ukrainian theater chain, Planeta Kino, opened its first 4DX room with the premiere of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug on 18 December 2013, VOX Cinemas has opened their first 4DX theater in the United Arab Emirates on 22 December 2013. On 24 March 2014, CJ 4DPlex has signed a deal with AEG to bring the technology to the United States and it opened at the Regal Cinemas L. A. Live Stadium 14 theater in Los Angeles, operated by the Regal Entertainment Group, on 26 June 2014 with Transformers and it was screened with Marvel Studios Captain America, The Winter Soldier, and later premiered with Paramounts Transformers, Age of Extinction
13.
West End theatre
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West End theatre is a common term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of Theatreland in and near the West End of London. Along with New York Citys Broadway theatre, West End theatre is considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. Seeing a West End show is a common tourist activity in London, in 2013, ticket sales reached a record 14.4 million, making West End the largest English speaking audience in the world. Famous screen actors frequently appear on the London stage, helen Mirren received an award for her performance as the Queen on the West End stage, and then stated, theatre is such an important part of British history and British culture. Theatre in London flourished after the English Reformation, the first permanent public playhouse, known simply as The Theatre, was constructed in 1576 in Shoreditch by James Burbage. It was soon joined by The Curtain, both are known to have been used by William Shakespeares company. In 1599, the timber from The Theatre was moved to Southwark and these theatres were closed in 1642 due to the Puritans who would later influence the interregnum of 1649. After the Restoration, two companies were licensed to perform, the Dukes Company and the Kings Company, performances were held in converted buildings, such as Lisles Tennis Court. The first West End theatre, known as Theatre Royal in Bridges Street, was designed by Thomas Killigrew and built on the site of the present Theatre Royal and it opened on 7 May 1663 and was destroyed by a fire nine years later. It was replaced by a new designed by Christopher Wren and renamed the Theatre Royal. Outside the West End, Sadlers Wells Theatre opened in Islington on 3 June 1683. Taking its name from founder Richard Sadler and monastic springs that were discovered on the property, it operated as a Musick House, with performances of opera, as it was not licensed for plays. In the West End, the Theatre Royal Haymarket opened on 29 December 1720 on a site north of its current location. The Patent theatre companies retained their duopoly on drama well into the 19th century, by the early 19th century, however, music hall entertainments became popular, and presenters found a loophole in the restrictions on non-patent theatres in the genre of melodrama. Melodrama did not break the Patent Acts, as it was accompanied by music, initially, these entertainments were presented in large halls, attached to public houses, but purpose-built theatres began to appear in the East End at Shoreditch and Whitechapel. The West End theatre district became established with the opening of small theatres and halls. South of the River Thames, the Old Vic, Waterloo Road, the next few decades saw the opening of many new theatres in the West End. It abbreviated its name three years later, the theatre building boom continued until about World War I
14.
Henry Brougham Farnie
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Henry Brougham Farnie, often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas, after attending Cambridge University, Farnie returned to his native Scotland, where he was appointed editor of the Cupar Gazette. In 1857, he wrote The Golfers Manual, the first book on golf instruction, in 1860, he wrote books on the flora of St. Andrews and on The City of St. Rule. His journalism career brought him to London in 1863 as editor of a new musical journal and he began to write the lyrics to popular songs, and, in 1867, he began to write plays. During the 1870s and 1880s, Farnie turned out translations and adaptations of dozens of French operas and operettas, many of the latter had long and successful runs. Among his few enduring lyrics is the Gendarmes Duet, adapted from Offenbachs Geneviève de Brabant, Farnie was born in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland, one of seven children of James Farnie and the former Margaret Paterson Cairns. He was named after the Whig statesman Lord Brougham, to whom the family claimed to be related, Farnie was educated at St. Andrews University, where he won a prize that took him to Cambridge University. After leaving Cambridge, he returned to Scotland, where he was appointed editor of the Cupar Gazette. In 1857, Farnie wrote the first book on golf instruction, The Golfers Manual, being an historical and descriptive account of the game of Scotland, under the pseudonym. He also wrote the Handy book of St. Andrews about the flora of that area of Scotland, in 1863 Farnie moved to London, as editor of a new musical journal, The Orchestra. In the first edition of the magazine, he printed one of his own verses, The Last Stirrup Cup, the song was taken up by Charles Santley and became immensely popular. The Morning Post stated that it was familiar to millions of people, the Era later wrote, the success of this casual attempt at song writing determined Farnies future career. The proprietors of The Orchestra, the musical publishers Cramer and Co, engaged Farnie as their adviser, with a brief to adapt. Simultaneously, Farnie found himself in demand as the lyricist for popular songs. Among the songs for which he wrote lyrics were, The Guards Song, Land Ho, The Message from the Battlefield, The Dove and the Maiden, The Fall of the Leaf, in 1867, Farnies two-act drama Reverses was staged at the Strand Theatre. The Observer, in a review, said of Farnie, if he has not before this tried his hand at dramatic writing. His principal work for the stage, however, was as a librettist and he wrote or adapted libretti for dozens of operettas in the 1870s and 1880s. Although many of Farnies adaptations were popular and enjoyed long and profitable runs in West End theatres
15.
Edward Solomon
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Edward Solomon was a prolific English composer, as well as a conductor, orchestrator and pianist. He died at age 39 by which time he had dozens of works produced for the stage, including several for the DOyly Carte Opera Company. Early in his career, he was a frequent collaborator of Henry Pottinger Stephens and he had a bigamous marriage with Lillian Russell in the 1880s. Edward Solomon was born in Lambeth, London, to a Jewish family and his parents were Charles Solomon, a music hall pianist, conductor and composer, and his wife, Cesira Sarah Marinina, née Mirandoli. He picked up music by working with his father, isaacs later sang under the stage name Lily Grey. His first comic opera was A Will With a Vengeance, a work with a libretto by Frederick Hay. This was produced at the Globe Theatre, in 1879, he met Henry Pottinger Pot Stephens while he was the musical director at the Royalty Theatre conducting, among other works, Arthur Sullivans The Zoo. With Stephens, he produced his first successes, Billee Taylor, other Solomon and Stephens pieces were Lord Bateman, or Picotees Pledge, Virginia and Paul, or Ringing the Changes and later The Red Hussar, a comedy opera in three acts. Together, they would also write Popsy Wopsy, a musical absurdity and he also wrote ballads like I Should Like To and Over the Way, and numerous salon piano solos and arrangements. For instance, he arranged George Grossmiths See Me Dance the Polka for piano, burnand, Solomon wrote Pickwick, which also had a run in 1894, Domestic Economy, and The Tiger. Burnands contribution to the last of these was so unacceptable that the work was hissed off the stage on its opening night and it initially ran for 200 performances at the Savoy Theatre and then toured. The company also toured The Vicar of Bray, Solomon was described as a diminutive clean-shaven young man. Whimsical, flamboyant, superstitious, hardly to be trusted with money or women and he met the American actress Lillian Russell, in 1882 at Tony Pastors New York Casino Theatre where he was the seasons musical director and she became the star. Unaware of his first marriage she became his mistress, subsequently, they sailed together to London, where she starred in several of his works, written specifically for her, including Virginia, Billee Taylor, Polly and Pocahontas. These were not highly successful in Britain, so returned to America. They had a daughter together, Dorothy, in 1884, the relationship soured, mostly due to Solomons poor finances, and their last show, The Maid and the Moonshiner was a flop. When creditors sued Solomon, he fled the country, Solomon was arrested in London in 1886 for bigamy, but the case against him collapsed, as no American witnesses came forward. When she learned of his previous marriage, Russell sued for divorce, meanwhile, Solomons first wife divorced him in 1887
16.
Sydney Grundy
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Sydney Grundy was an English dramatist. Most of his works were adaptations of European plays, and many became successful enough to tour throughout the English-speaking world and he is, however, perhaps best remembered today as the librettist of several comic operas, notably Haddon Hall. Grundy was born in Manchester, England, the son of Alderman Charles Sydney Grundy and he was educated at Owens College, Manchester, and studied law at the Middle Temple. He was called to the bar in 1869 and practised law until 1876 and his early one-act farce, A Little Change, was produced at the Haymarket Theatre in 1872 by the Kendals. This was followed by All at Sea in 1873, also starring the Kendals, in 1876, Grundy published The Days of His Vanity. He wrote Mammon for W. H. Vernon at the Strand Theatre in 1877, early comedies included The Glass of Fashion, The Silver Shield, and the blank verse Clito for Wilson Barrett. Grundy became well known as an adapter of French and German plays, cleaning them up for British audiences, as the protagonist in his 1900 play, A Debt of Honour, explains, It all takes place in Paris, nobody pretends that such things happen here. The Bells of Haslemere, written with H. Pettitt, was a success at the Adelphi Theatre in 1887. He also created a farce in three acts, The Arabian Nights, an adaptation of von Mosers Haroun al Raschid, Pompadour, written with W. G. Wilts, and Mamma, an adaptation of Les surprises du Divorce. Grundys original libretti included the one-act musical absurdity Popsy Wopsy, the full-length The Vicar of Bray and Pocahontas and these Solomon and Grundy comic operas toured extensively in both Britain and the US. His Haddon Hall, with Sir Arthur Sullivan, dramatised the legend of Dorothy Vernons elopement from Haddon Hall with John Manners, later successful adaptations included A Pair of Spectacles at the Garrick Theatre, from Les Petits Oiseaux of Labiche and Delacour. In 1890, Lilly Langtry presented Grundys Esther Sandraz at the St. Jamess Theatre, many of Grundys plays also had runs in Australia. Grundy died in London at the age of 66, Sydney Grundy at the Internet Broadway Database Sydney Grundy at the Internet Movie Database
17.
Billee Taylor
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Billee Taylor, or The Reward of Virtue is a nautical comedy opera by Edward Solomon, with a libretto by Henry Pottinger Stephens. The piece was first produced at the Imperial Theatre in London on 30 October 1880, starring Arthur Williams as Sir Mincing Lane and it played at the Standard Theatre in New York later that year, starring J. H. Ryley and Alice Burville. Billee Taylor was a success on both sides of the Atlantic and enjoyed many revivals both in Britain and in the United States. Early revivals included The Gaiety Theatre, London and Tooles Theatre, the satiric, cynical risqué story is based on the nautical poem and song of the same title by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who is best known for A School for Scandal. Strangely, a version of this story was created for children. Billee Taylor – Frederic Rivers Sir Mincing Lane – Arthur Williams Christopher Crab – J. A, kindly old Sir Mincing Lane has arranged the feast and has invited his friend, Captain Flapper of the Royal Navy. His daughter, Arabella, has fallen in love with Billee and offers her hand and fortune, Just as Billee and Phoebe are about to wed, Captain Flapper sees Phoebe and falls in love with her at first sight, vowing to marry her himself. A tutor, Christopher Crab is also in love with Phoebe, a sailor, Ben Barnacle, has gone to sea to forget about Eliza, whom he loves but who does not love him. To stop the marriage, Captain Flapper orders Ben to abduct Billee and impress him as a seaman, Phoebe and her classmates at the charity school all decide to disguise themselves as men and join the Navy. Act II Two years later, at Portsmouth, Billee has rapidly risen through the ranks and is now a lieutenant, also back in port, still disguised as sailors, are Phoebe and the girls. Arabella has been persistent, and Billee is gradually warming to her attentions, Phoebe learns of this from Captain Flapper. She rushes off to see Billee and comes upon him agreeing to marry Arabella for her dowry, Phoebe confronts Billee who rejects her. Sir Mincing Lane who is gathering a company of volunteers, tries to enlist some of the sailors, Phoebe decides to join but is claimed by Barnacle as a messmate, and the soldiers and sailors quarrel. In desperation, and at the urging of Crab, she pulls out a pistol, the gun misfires, hitting Crab, and Billee calls for assistance from the crowd attracted by the noise. Phoebe is sentenced to be shot but declares that she is a woman in love with Billee, but, dressed as a man, she convinces no one. Just then Captain Flapper, still smitten, happens by, rescues Phoebe, and has Billee arrested as a coward, overture Act I No.1 - Opening Chorus of Peasants, with Solo - Crab - Today, today is holiday. No.2 - Ballad - Billee Taylor - Let others prate of grand estate, No.3 - Duett - Arabella and Billee - If you were a maiden, and I were a youth. Nos.4 &5 - Chorus of Charity Girls, and Song - Phoebe - Though were bred upon charity, 5a - Chant - Charity Girls - Always seem to be modest and bashful
18.
Kate Vaughan
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Kate Vaughan was the stage name of Catherine Alice Candelin, a British dancer and actress. She was best known for developing the skirt dance and has called the greatest dancer of her time. She was married, for a decade, to Colonel the Hon Frederick Arthur Wellesley and she retired from dancing in 1885 and soon began to tour in classic comedies with considerable success. From about 1896 her health began to deteriorate, but she continued to perform until her death, Vaughan was born in London, as a young girl she appeared on stage in the West End, where her father was an orchestral musician. She is associated with the development of the dance, which she performed as part of an 1873 production of Orpheus in the Underworld. She appeared with her sister Susie as the Vaughan Sisters, the skirt dance was a demure version of the can-can, and it was performed with long skirts made from large lengths of material. I invented the steps myself, and my full-length lace skirts were a novelty in those days, in 1876 her main work was at John Hollingsheads Gaiety Theatre in London, where she was employed for the next seven years. This was a time when Nellie Farren, Edward OConnor Terry and E. W. Royce were the stars at the theatre, particularly in Victorian burlesque. In June 1884 Vaughan married Colonel the Hon Frederick Arthur Wellesley, whose father was the 1st Earl of Cowley, after a break she reappeared on stage in the summer of 1885, where she did a short cameo appearance for just two well-received minutes each night. At the height of her career she was being paid £72 a week to appear as a dancer, after this she retired from dancing, the skirt dance had become so fashionable that it was said that every young lady needed to have it in her repertoire. Vaughan reinvented herself as a comedy actress. By 1889 she had, according to The Times, attained a position as an actress of classic comedy. Vaughan left her husband in 1892, and in 1897 he successfully sued for divorce, there were no children of the marriage. From about 1896 her health began to deteriorate, and on medical advice she spent some time in Australia in that year, Vaughan died in 1903 in Johannesburg, South Africa, during an unsuccessful tour starting in Cape Town. She was buried in Braamfontein cemetery in Johannesburg where one of her pall bearers was her colleague at the Gaiety. Her biographer, W. J. Lawrence, calls Vaughan the greatest dancer of her century so far as grace, magnetism, London, Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. London, Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton and Kent
19.
Music hall
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Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era circa 1850 and lasting until 1960. It involved a mixture of songs, comedy, speciality acts. The term is derived from a type of theatre or venue in which such entertainment took place and these theatres were designed chiefly so people could consume food and alcohol and smoke tobacco in the auditorium while the entertainment took place. This differed somewhat from the type of theatre, which until then seated the audience in stalls with a separate bar-room. By the mid-19th century, the halls cried out for many new, as a result, professional songwriters were enlisted to provide the music for a plethora of star performers, such as Marie Lloyd, Dan Leno, Little Tich, and George Leybourne. Music hall did not adopt its own unique style, the halls had recovered by the start of the First World War and were used to stage charity events in aid of the war effort. Music hall entertainment continued after the war, but became popular due to upcoming Jazz, Swing. Licensing restrictions had also changed, and drinking was banned from the auditorium, a new type of music hall entertainment had arrived, in the form of variety, and many music hall performers failed to make the transition. Deemed old fashioned and with the closure of many halls, music hall entertainment ceased, Music hall in London had its origins in entertainment provided in the new style saloon bars of public houses during the 1830s. These venues replaced earlier semi-rural amusements provided by fairs and suburban pleasure gardens such as Vauxhall Gardens and these latter became subject to urban development and became fewer and less popular. The saloon was a room where for a fee or a greater price at the bar, singing, dancing. The most famous London saloon of the days was the Grecian Saloon, established in 1825, at The Eagle,2 Shepherdess Walk. According to John Hollingshead, proprietor of the Gaiety Theatre, London, this establishment was the father and mother, later known as the Grecian Theatre, it was here that Marie Lloyd made her début at the age of 14 in 1884. It is still famous because of an English nursery rhyme, with the somewhat mysterious lyrics, Up and down the City Road In and out The Eagle Thats the way the money goesPop goes the weasel. Another famous song and supper room of this period was Evans Music-and-Supper Rooms,43 King Street, Covent Garden and this venue was also known as Evans Late Joys – Joy being the name of the previous owner. Other song and supper rooms included the Coal Hole in The Strand, the Cyder Cellars in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, the music hall as we know it developed from such establishments during the 1850s and were built in and on the grounds of public houses. In a theatre, by contrast, the audience was seated in stalls, an exception to this rule was the Britannia Theatre, Hoxton which somehow managed to evade this regulation and served drinks to its customers. Though a theatre rather than a hall, this establishment later hosted music hall variety acts
20.
William Charles John Pitcher
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William John Charles Pitcher, known as Wilhelm or C. Wilhelm, was an English artist, costume and scenery designer, best known for his designs for ballets, pantomimes, comic operas, Wilhelm was born at Northfleet, in Kent, England, the son of a shipbuilder. The young artist showed early promise, and J. R. Planché recommended him to design for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. There, Wilhelm created costumes, beginning in 1877, for works, including the famous pantomimes of Sir Augustus Harris and for others until 1897, including the spectacular drama. For Robert Courtneidge in Manchester, England, Wilhelm designed two Shakespeare plays, A Midsummer Nights Dream and As You Like It, Wilhelm also designed costumes for numerous pantomimes, including Cinderella, Dick Whittington, and Blue Beard. He also designed costumes for Jane Annie at the Savoy and for the Olympia, London spectacles Nero and his later costume designs included The New Aladdin, Edward Germans opera Tom Jones, Peter Pan, and The Arcadians and The Mousmé, among other musical comedies. Londons The Times wrote, Wilhelm excelled especially in rendering the spirit and detail of historical periods, to his imaginative gifts he added remarkable precision and firmness in execution and great ingenuity in the treatment of colour. Wilhelm also contributed a number of articles on the art of the theatre to The Magazine of Art and he died in London just short of his 67th birthday and is buried in Brompton cemetery
21.
George Edwardes
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George Joseph Edwardes was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre management, soon working at a number of West End theatres, by the age of 20, he was managing theatres for Richard DOyly Carte. In 1885, Edwardes became a manager at the Gaiety Theatre with John Hollingshead, for the next three decades, Edwardes ruled a theatrical empire including the Gaiety, Dalys Theatre, the Adelphi Theatre and others, and sent touring companies around Britain and abroad. In the early 1890s, Edwardes recognised the changing tastes of theatre audiences and led the movement away from burlesque. Edwardes was born at Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England and he was the eldest of four sons and three daughters of James Edwards, comptroller of customs, and his wife, Eleanor Widdup. Edwardes parents were Roman Catholics from Wexford, Ireland and he attended St Jamess College, in Clee, after which he was sent to London to take the examination for the Royal Military Academy. However, his cousins were Irish theatre managers John and Michael Gunn, Michael Gunn met Richard DOyly Carte in 1875 and later became a partner in his production company. He and young Edwardes moved to London to work for Carte at the Opera Comique in the late 1870s, during this time, he added the e to his surname. While working at the Opera Comique, Edwardes met his wife, singer Julia Gwynne, whom he brought to the DOyly Carte Opera Company. The couple married in 1885 and produced three daughters, including one named Dorothy, and a son, DArcy, in 1885, Edwardes was hired to succeed John Hollingshead as manager at the Gaiety Theatre, producing the burlesques in which the Gaiety specialised. Together, they produced Little Jack Sheppard a burlesque in a format with an original score by Meyer Lutz. After this, in 1886, Hollingshead retired, and from then on the Guvnor was in charge, with the assistance of the star player. These included Monte Cristo, Junior, Miss Esmeralda, Frankenstein, or The Vampires Victim, Faust up to Date, Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué, Carmen up to Data, Cinder Ellen up too Late, John DAuban choreographed the Gaiety burlesques until 1891. These new burlesques were very successful and toured widely in Britain, however, Dorothys runaway success showed Edwardes and other producers that topical, light comedies could be enormously successful. At the same time, the death of Fred Leslie and retirement of Nellie Farren by 1892 helped bring to an end the era of Gaiety burlesque, Edwardes produced shows at other theatres as well. For instance, in 1892, he took over the Prince of Wales Theatre, in addition, after Gilbert and Sullivan stopped working together exclusively in the 1890s, Edwardes produced Gilberts His Excellency at the Lyric Theatre in 1894. The earliest of these shows, taking a cue from Dorothy, had a style similar to the Gilbert. Into this mix, he incorporated some of the elements of the form that Harrigan & Hart had established on Broadway a decade earlier, like Thomas German Reed and W. S. Gilbert before him, Edwardes wanted to produce musical plays that were more respectable than risqué burlesque
22.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of feature films and television programs. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California and it is one of the worlds oldest film studios. In 1971, it was announced that MGM would merge with 20th Century Fox, over the next thirty-nine years, the studio was bought and sold at various points in its history until, on November 3,2010, MGM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MGM Resorts International, a Las Vegas-based hotel and casino company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MGM, is not currently affiliated with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1966, MGM was sold to Canadian investor Edgar Bronfman Sr. whose son Edgar Jr. would later buy Universal Studios, the studio continued to produce five to six films a year that were released through other studios, mostly United Artists. Kerkorian did, however, commit to increased production and a film library when he bought United Artists in 1981. MGM ramped up production, as well as keeping production going at UA. It also incurred significant amounts of debt to increase production, the studio took on additional debt as a series of owners took charge in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1986, Ted Turner bought MGM, but a few later, sold the company back to Kerkorian to recoup massive debt. The series of deals left MGM even more heavily in debt, MGM was bought by Pathé Communications in 1990, but Parretti lost control of Pathé and defaulted on the loans used to purchase the studio. The French banking conglomerate Crédit Lyonnais, the major creditor. Even more deeply in debt, MGM was purchased by a joint venture between Kerkorian, producer Frank Mancuso, and Australias Seven Network in 1996, the debt load from these and subsequent business deals negatively affected MGMs ability to survive as an independent motion picture studio. In 1924, movie theater magnate Marcus Loew had a problem and he had bought Metro Pictures Corporation in 1919 for a steady supply of films for his large Loews Theatres chain. With Loews lackluster assortment of Metro films, Loew purchased Goldwyn Pictures in 1924 to improve the quality, however, these purchases created a need for someone to oversee his new Hollywood operations, since longtime assistant Nicholas Schenck was needed in New York headquarters to oversee the 150 theaters. Mayer, Loew addressed the situation by buying Louis B. Mayer Pictures on April 17,1924, Mayer became head of the renamed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with Irving Thalberg as head of production. MGM produced more than 100 feature films in its first two years, in 1925, MGM released the extravagant and successful Ben-Hur, taking a $4.7 million profit that year, its first full year. Marcus Loew died in 1927, and control of Loews passed to Nicholas Schenck, in 1929, William Fox of Fox Film Corporation bought the Loew familys holdings with Schencks assent. Mayer and Thalberg disagreed with the decision, Mayer was active in the California Republican Party and used his political connections to persuade the Justice Department to delay final approval of the deal on antitrust grounds
23.
Lady, Be Good (musical)
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Lady, Be Good. is a musical written by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson with music by George and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was first presented on Broadway in 1924, the West End production followed in 1926, the story of the musical is about a brother and sister who are out of money, both are eager to sacrifice themselves to help the other. This was the first Broadway collaboration of the Gershwin brothers, Lady, Be Good premiered on Broadway at the Liberty Theatre on December 1,1924 and closed on September 12,1925, after 330 performances. The musical was staged by Felix Edwardes with musical staging by Sammy Lee and it starred brother and sister performers Fred and Adele Astaire. The musical opened in the West End at the Empire Theatre on April 14,1926, again starring Fred and it played strongly there, running for 326 performances. The best-known songs from the score are Oh, Lady be Good. the Ohio Light Opera produced 11 performances of Lady, Be Good. As part of their 2013 Summer Festival Season, staged concert version of Lady, Be Good runs from February 4 to February 8,2015. Directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the cast features Tommy Tune and Douglas Sills, with Danny Gardner, act I The brother/sister dance team of Dick and Susie Trevor are so broke that they cant pay the rent and have been evicted from their childhood home. They crash the party of wealthy Jo Vanderwater for a free meal. Dick loves Shirley Vernon but is ashamed to pursue her because of his financial situation, Jo is interested in Dick, and it turns out that she was behind the eviction, as a ploy to get his attention. Meanwhile Susie tries to talk herself into liking the affluent Jeff White, but she finds herself falling for Jack, jacks uncle dies, and he is apparently a millionaire. Lawyer Watty Watkins is looking for Jack Robinson on behalf of his client, the flamboyant Manuel Estrada, Watty offers Susie $50,000 to help him, by pretending to be Robinsons widow, to get the money from the Robinson estate. Meanwhile Dick proposes to Jo, since he thinks he can never afford to court his true love Shirley, act 2 Dick finally tells Shirley that he loves her, while Watty and Susie execute their plan. Jack finally hears that he has inherited the fortune and returns and he is amazed to find Susie claiming the money as his widow. Susie does not know that her Jack is the now-wealthy Mr. Robinson, nor that she is being used by Estrada, in the end, Dick and Shirley are reunited, Jack saves Susie from disgrace by declaring his love, and Jo and Watty pair off happily. The former film is now considered a lost film, the latter film, starring Eleanor Powell, uses only the title number and the songs Oh, Lady Be Good. and Fascinating Rhythm from the musical. Lady, Be Good at the Internet Broadway Database
24.
Fred Astaire
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Fred Astaire was an American dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and television presenter. His stage and subsequent film and television careers spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films and several television specials, Astaire was ranked by the American Film Institute as the fifth greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema in 100 Years. Gene Kelly, another star in filmed dance, said that the history of dance on film begins with Astaire, later, he asserted that Astaire was the only one of todays dancers who will be remembered. Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Johanna Ann, Astaires mother was born in the United States to Lutheran German immigrants from East Prussia and Alsace. Astaires father was born in Linz, Austria, to Jewish parents who had converted to Roman Catholicism, Astaires mother dreamed of escaping Omaha by virtue of her childrens talents, after Astaires sister, Adele Astaire, early on revealed herself to be an instinctive dancer and singer. She planned a brother and sister act, which was common in vaudeville at the time, although Astaire refused dance lessons at first, he easily mimicked his older sisters steps and took up piano, accordion, and clarinet. Despite Adele and Freds teasing rivalry, they acknowledged their individual strengths, his durability. Fred and Adeles mother suggested they change their name to Astaire, Family legend attributes the name to an uncle surnamed LAstaire. They were taught dance, speaking, and singing in preparation for developing an act and their first act was called Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty. Fred wore a top hat and tails in the first half, in an interview, Astaires daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, observed that they often put Fred in a top hat to make him look taller. The goofy act debuted in Keyport, New Jersey, in a tryout theater, the local paper wrote, the Astaires are the greatest child act in vaudeville. As a result of their fathers salesmanship, Fred and Adele rapidly landed a contract and played the famed Orpheum Circuit in the Midwest, Western. Soon Adele grew to at least three inches taller than Fred and the pair began to look incongruous. The family decided to take a break from show business to let time take its course and to avoid trouble from the Gerry Society. In 1912, Fred became an Episcopalian, the career of the Astaire siblings resumed with mixed fortunes, though with increasing skill and polish, as they began to incorporate tap dancing into their routines. Astaires dancing was inspired by Bill Bojangles Robinson and John Bubbles Sublett, from vaudeville dancer Aurelio Coccia, they learned the tango, waltz, and other ballroom dances popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle. Some sources state that the Astaire siblings appeared in a 1915 film titled Fanchon, the Cricket, starring Mary Pickford, by age 14, Fred had taken on the musical responsibilities for their act. He first met George Gershwin, who was working as a song plugger for Jerome H. Remicks music publishing company, Fred had already been hunting for new music and dance ideas
25.
Thomas W. Lamb
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Thomas White Lamb was an American architect, born in Scotland. He is noted as one of the foremost designers of theaters, born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, Thomas W. Lamb came to the United States at the age of 12. He studied architecture at Cooper Union in New York and initially worked for the City of New York as an inspector and his architecture firm, Thomas W. Lamb, Inc. was located at 36 West 40th Street in Manhattan, New York. Lamb achieved recognition as one of the architects of the boom in movie theater construction of the 1910s and 1920s. His first theater design was the City Theatre, built in New York in 1909 for film mogul William Fox. His designs for the 1914 Mark Strand Theatre, the 1916 Rialto Theatre, among his most notable theaters are the 1929 Fox Theatre in San Francisco and the 1919 Capitol Theatre in New York, both now demolished. Among Lambs Canadian theaters that have been preserved are the Pantages Theatre in Toronto, and Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. The Cinema Treasures website, which documents the history of film theaters, aside from movie theaters, Lamb is noted for designing New Yorks Ziegfeld Theatre, a legitimate theater, as well as the third Madison Square Garden and the Paramount Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Lamb died in 1942 in New York City at the age of 71 and his architectural archive is held by the Drawings and Archives Department of Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. During the last ten years of his practice, Lambs associate was the architect John J. McNamara, after Lambs death, McNamara continued as an architect of theaters under his own name. Academy of Music, New York City,1927 B. F, in 1920, Lamb designed for himself a private summer home in the Adirondacks in the village of Elizabethtown, New York. The house, which is extant as a residence, is situated on the Boquet River. The eight-bedroom manor, referred to today as Cobble Mountain Lodge, is a shingle and cobble stone design marked by the inclusion of a stone turret, Cinema Treasures List of theatres designed by Thomas W. Lamb
26.
Frank Matcham
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Frank Matcham was an English theatrical architect and designer. He was known for his designs of many British theatres including those of the Moss Empires group and in London the Hackney Empire, the London Coliseum, the London Palladium and he completed his first solo design of the Elephant and Castle theatre which opened in June 1879. Between 1890 and 1915, Matcham helped train, Bertie Crewe, sprague, and all three were responsible for the design and construction of over 200 theatres and variety palaces in the United Kingdom. Frank Matcham was born in Newton Abbot, Devon and his father was a brewery clerk, who was raised in Torquay, where he attended Babbacombe school. In 1868, Matcham was apprenticed to a surveyor and architect. In the mid-1870s, Matcham moved to London and joined the practice of Jethro Robinson. In 1877, Matcham married Robinsons youngest daughter, Effie, and, at the age of 24, Matcham received no formal training as an architect, but learnt the practicalities on the job. His first solo commission was to complete Robinsons designs for the Elephant, Matcham and two architects he helped to train, Bertie Crewe and W. G. R. He also designed several famous London theatres, the Hackney Empire, the London Coliseum, the London Palladium, Matcham is remembered in Northern Ireland for his design of the Grand Opera House on Great Victoria Street, Belfast. In Douglas, Isle of Man he designed the Gaiety Theatre, phipps, and was subject to alterations by Matcham in 1897, followed by a complete interior rebuild by him in 1909. Both theatres still survive in Aberdeen, although the Tivoli is disused after a spell as a bingo hall, in Edinburgh, he designed the Empire Palace Theatre, opened in 1892, and he also rebuilt it after a fire in 1911. It was subsequently demolished and rebuilt in 1927/8, this time to the designs of Sunderland architects Milburn and Milburn. The theatre still stands today, having been refurbished, after a time as a hall, as the Edinburgh Festival Theatre. Matcham also designed the Kings Theatre, Glasgow on Bath Street in 1904 which is still in use, in Portsmouth the Kings Theatre and the New Theatre Royal are still active. One unusual commission, built around 1900, is the three blocks in Briggate, Leeds, that are known as the Victoria Quarter. Matcham was among the pioneers in the use of steel cantilevers in his designs and this allowed balconies to be built out into the theatre without the use of pillars supporting each tier. These had characterised the work of the generation of theatre architects. Without pillars, there were improved sight lines and, popular with theatre owners, Matcham died on 18 May 1920 at 28 Westcliff Parade, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
27.
The Actress (1928 film)
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The Actress was a 1928 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film was directed by Sidney Franklin and starred Norma Shearer, the story is only distantly related to the 1953 Jean Simmons film The Actress which was updated by actress Ruth Gordon. The play was first brought to the screen as a British made silent film Trelawny of the Wells in 1916 and this film is one of many lost MGM films from the 1920s
28.
Arthur Wing Pinero
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Sir Arthur Wing Pinero was an English actor and later an important dramatist and stage director. Pinero was born in London, the son of Lucy and John Daniel Pinero and his paternal grandfather was from a Sephardic Jewish family, while his other grandparents were from a Christian English background. He studied law at Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution before going on the stage, in 1874 he joined R. H. Wyndhams company at the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh. He received good notice in Sheridans The Rivals, in 1884, Pinero began writing plays in the late 1870s while at the Lyceum, including Daisys Escape in 1879 and Bygones in 1880. He became a prolific and successful playwright, authoring fifty-nine plays and his 1923 romance The Enchanted Cottage was successfully filmed in 1924 and 1945. His House in Order was made into a 1928 silent film starring Tallulah Bankhead, both The Magistrate and Dandy Dick were made into films starring Will Hay. His opera in the style of a morality play, The Beauty Stone, has grown somewhat in popularity in recent years, having gained a recording. In Pineros 1888 play Sweet Lavender, which was so popular that it ran for an extraordinary,683 performances, Pinero was knighted in 1909, becoming the second man to be knighted for services to drama alone after W. S. Gilbert. While tremendously popular in his day, his plays are rarely revived, even in his final years he saw his work starting to go out of style. He died in London in 1934, aged 79, however, The Magistrate was newly produced by the Royal National Theatre and ran from November 2012 – January 2013, in the Olivier Theatre starting John Lithgow and Nancy Carroll among others. After much trial and error, he hit on a solution to this recurring problem. At rehearsal, he would explain loudly and clearly how he wanted the scene played, then he would take his place in the stalls, to watch the woman playing it her own way, not his. Immediately he would rush up and shout, Perfect, perfect, play it exactly like that on the night. And for some reason, on the night, they would play it his way, a word of warning, therefore, is neither gratuitous nor unfriendly. The temper of this country, slow to rouse, is becoming an ugly one, the gate may fall from its hinges. Pinero, A Theatrical Life, John Dawick
29.
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
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From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The Loews name is used by AMC in many markets. Its slogan was Thank you for coming to Loews, sit back and relax, which was used in the chains theater policy ads from the 1980s through the 1990s, when Sony rebranded the chain. The company was originally called Loews, after the founder, Marcus Loew, in 1969, when the Tisch brothers acquired the company, it became known as Loews. Loews Theatres Incorporated was founded in 1904 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Loew founded a chain of nickelodeon theaters which showed short silent films in storefront locations. Soon the successful enterprise grew to include deluxe vaudeville houses and finally lavish movie palaces, Loews theaters were found in cities from coast-to-coast, but primarily in East Coast and Midwest states. To provide quality films for his theaters, Loew founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures in 1924, by merging the earlier firms Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Productions. Loews Incorporated served as distribution arm and parent company for the studio until the two were forced to separate by the 1948 U. S. Supreme Court ruling United States v. Paramount Pictures, the two companies officially split in 1959. Loews Corporation by this time was a company owned by brothers Robert. CBS left Tri-Star in 1985, and HBO left the venture and Tri-Star merged with Columbia Pictures in 1987, upon the full acquisition of Tri-Star by Columbia Pictures, and when Columbia was bought from Coca-Cola by Sony in 1989, Sony inherited the theaters as well. For a while, Loews operated under the Sony Theaters banner, in 1994, Sony partnered with Magic Johnson to form Magic Johnson Theaters, a mini-chain of theaters specifically geared toward the inner cities, particularly in Los Angeles. A year before, Sony Dynamic Digital Sound was installed in theaters since the parent company used it to promote Sonys cinema sound division. In 1998, Cineplex Odeon Corporation merged with Loews Theaters to form Loews Cineplex Entertainment, the combined company was one of the largest movie exhibitors in the world, with theaters in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and Spain. In 2001, though, the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, in 2002, Onex Corporation and Oaktree Capital Management acquired Loews Cineplex. In 2004, they sold Loews to a group of investors which included the Carlyle Group. Onex retained the Canadian Loews Cineplex to form Cineplex Galaxy LP, in 2005, AMC Theatres announced that it would merge with Loews Cineplex Entertainment and that the merged company would adopt the AMC name. The Loews name is used in many markets. At the time of the merger, Loews operated 198 theaters with 2,235 screens, Loews Wonder Theaters United States v. Loews Inc
30.
Wurlitzer
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The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1853 by German immigrant Rudolph Wurlitzer. In 1880 the company began manufacturing pianos, over time, Wurlitzer acquired a number of other companies which made a variety of loosely related products including kitchen appliances, carnival rides, player piano rolls, and radios. Wurlitzer also operated a chain of stores where the companys products were sold. Wurlitzers jukebox operations were sold and moved to Germany in 1973, the Wurlitzer piano and organ brands and U. S. manufacturing facilities were acquired by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. in 1988 and most piano manufacturing was moved overseas. The Baldwin Co. including its Wurlitzer assets, was acquired by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in about 1996. Baldwin ceased making Wurlitzer-brand pianos in 2009, Vending machines are still manufactured in Germany using the Wurlitzer name under Gibson ownership. The company ceased manufacturing jukeboxes in 2013, but still sells replacement parts, Wurlitzers rare and historic stringed instrument department was independently directed by Rudolph Wurlitzers grandson, Rembert Wurlitzer, from 1948 until his death in 1963. Remberts shop on 42d Street in New York City was an international center for rare. Wurlitzer was founded in Cincinnati in 1853 by German Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer from Schöneck and it was directed successively by his sons Howard, Rudolph, and Farny. In 1880 Wurlitzer started manufacturing its own pianos which the company sold through its retail outlets in Chicago, in 1896 Wurlitzer manufactured its first coin-operated pianos. In the late 1800s, fairs were very popular and, as crowds grew and mechanical rides began to appear, Eugene DeKleist of North Tonawanda, NY was an early builder of such organs for use in carousels. Wurlitzer bought into DeKleists North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Factory in 1897, eventually Wurlitzer bought out the entire operation and moved all Wurlitzer manufacturing operations from Ohio to New York. In 1909 the company began making innovative harps that were far more durable than European prototypes, the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ was introduced in late 1910 and became Wurlitzers most famous product. Wurlitzer theatre organs are installed all over the world in a variety of theatres, museums, churches, Wurlitzer also took over production of Lyric brand radios from the All American Mohawk Radio Company in Chicago. Lyric radios were a very high-end console radio which retailed for as much as $425 in 1929, in addition to business acquisitions, Wurlitzer also entered into several joint ventures with James Armitage, George Herschell, and other businessmen from the area. Amusement rides, particularly carousels, were assembled at the facility. Starting in about 1933, the Wurlitzer name gradually became more and more associated with jukeboxes than with actual musical instruments. In 1942, organ production at the North Tonawanda factory ceased, after the war, normal production efforts resumed but with more focus on radios, jukeboxes, and small electronic organs for private homes
31.
Radio City Music Hall
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Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city and its interior was declared a city landmark in 1978. It is notable as being the headquarters for the dance company. The 12-acre complex in Midtown Manhattan known as Rockefeller Center was developed between 1929 and 1940 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. on land leased from Columbia University. The Radio City Music Hall was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and its originally planned name was International Music Hall. The names Radio City and Radio City Music Hall derive from one of the complexs first tenants, Radio City Music Hall was a project of Rockefeller, Samuel Roxy Rothafel, who previously opened the Roxy Theatre in 1927, and RCA chairman David Sarnoff. The Music Hall opened to the public on December 27,1932 with a stage show featuring Ray Bolger, Doc Rockwell. The opening was meant to be a return to high-class variety entertainment, the new format was not a success. The program was long, and individual acts were lost in the cavernous hall. On January 11,1933, the Music Hall converted to the format of a feature film. The film-plus-stage-spectacle format continued at the Music Hall until 1979, with four complete performances presented every day, plans for alternate uses for the structure included converting the theater into tennis courts, a shopping mall or the American Stock Exchange. Joining forces with the media and political allies, including New York Lt. Gov. Mary Anne Krupsak, they challenged the Rockefeller establishment, against all odds, to save The Showplace of the Nation. On March 28,1978 New York Citys Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the interior of Radio City Music Hall a landmark guaranteeing that the building would remain a theatre, on May 12,1978, Radio City Music Hall was placed on The National Register of Historic Places. Regular film showings at Radio City ended in 1979 and in 1980, after a renovation, Radio City Music Hall is currently leased to and managed by The Madison Square Garden Company. Movie premieres and feature runs have occasionally taken place such as the Harry Potter film series. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular continues to be an important annual event, starting in 2013, however, the Tony Awards will be the only major televised awards ceremony at Radio City, as the Video Music Awards relocated permanently to the Barclays Center that year. Radio City has 5,933 seats for spectators, and additional seating can be placed on the pit elevator during events that do not require that space bringing the capacity to over 6,000. Designed by Edward Durell Stone, the interior of the theater with its austere Art Deco lines represented a break with the ornate rococo ornament associated with movie palaces at the time
32.
Charlie Chaplin
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Sir Charles Spencer Charlie Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame during the era of silent film. Chaplin became an icon through his screen persona the Tramp and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, Chaplins childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine, when he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor. At 19 he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, Chaplin was scouted for the film industry, and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a fan base. Chaplin directed his own films from a stage, and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual. By 1918, he was one of the best known figures in the world, in 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-length was The Kid, followed by A Woman of Paris, The Gold Rush and he refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights and Modern Times without dialogue. Chaplin became increasingly political, and his film, The Great Dictator. The 1940s were a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin, and he was accused of communist sympathies, while his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women caused scandal. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the United States and he abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, A King in New York, and A Countess from Hong Kong. Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in and he was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramps struggles against adversity, many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. In 1972, as part of an appreciation for his work. He continues to be held in regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times. Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 to Hannah Chaplin, there is no official record of his birth, although Chaplin believed he was born at East Street, Walworth, in South London
33.
Limelight (1952 film)
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Limelight is a 1952 comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. Unlike his earlier films, the score was composed by Chaplin and arranged by Ray Rasch, in dance scenes, Bloom is doubled by Melissa Hayden. Upon the films release, critics reception was divided, it was boycotted in the United States. However, the film was re-released the United States in 1972 which included its first screening in Los Angeles and this allowed the decades-old film to be in contention for the 45th Academy Awards where Chaplin won his only competitive Academy Award. Today, the film is regarded as one of Chaplins best and most personal works. The movie is set in London in 1914, on the eve of World War I, Calvero, once a famous stage clown but now a washed-up drunk, saves a young dancer, Thereza Terry Ambrose, from suicide. Nursing her back to health, Calvero helps Terry regain her self-esteem, in doing so he regains his own self-confidence, but his attempts to make a comeback meet with failure. Terry says she wants to marry Calvero despite their age difference, although she has befriended Neville, in order to give them a chance, Calvero leaves home and becomes a street entertainer. Terry, now starring in her own show, eventually finds Calvero, reunited with an old partner, Calvero gives a triumphant comeback performance. He suffers an attack during a routine, however, and dies in the wings while watching Terry. Although the film is set in London, it was filmed in Hollywood. The street where Calvero lives was a set at Paramount Studios, the music hall scenes were filmed at RKO. Chaplin prominently featured members of his family in the film, including five of his children, Chaplin chose stage actress Claire Bloom for the role of Terry, her first major film role. Chaplin told his sons he expected Limelight to be his last film. By all accounts he was happy and energized during production. Chaplin biographers have assumed that his character in the film was based on his father Charles Chaplin, Sr. who had also lost his audience and became an alcoholic, which led to his death in 1901. In both his 1964 autobiography, and his 1974 book My Life in Pictures, however, Chaplin insists that Calvero is based on the life of stage actor Frank Tinney. Limelight was made during a time where Chaplin himself was starting to lose his audience, in many ways, the pairing of Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the final musical number is historic for being the only time the two performed together on film
34.
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
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Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic historical drama film, directed by William Wyler, produced by Sam Zimbalist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Charlton Heston as the title character. A remake of the 1925 silent film with the name, Ben-Hur was adapted from Lew Wallaces 1880 novel Ben-Hur. The screenplay is credited to Karl Tunberg but includes contributions from Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Gore Vidal, Ben-Hur had the largest budget as well as the largest sets built of any film produced at the time. Filming commenced on May 18,1958, and wrapped on January 7,1959, with shooting lasting for 12 to 14 hours a day, pre-production began in Italy at Cinecittà around October 1957, and post-production took six months. Under cinematographer Robert L. Surtees, MGM executives made the decision to film the picture in a widescreen format, more than 200 camels and 2,500 horses were used in the shooting of the film, with some 10,000 extras. The sea battle was filmed using miniatures in a tank on the back lot at the MGM Studios in Culver City. Following a $14.7 million marketing effort, Ben-Hur premiered at Loews State Theatre in New York City on November 18,1959. It was the fastest-grossing as well as the film of 1959. Ben-Hur also won three Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Stephen Boyd. In AD26, Judah Ben-Hur is a prince and merchant in Jerusalem. Esther loves Judah but is committed to another, Judahs childhood friend, the Roman citizen Messala, is now a tribune. After several years away from Jerusalem, Messala returns as the new commander of the Roman garrison, Messala believes in the glory of Rome and its imperial power, while Judah is devoted to his faith and the freedom of the Jewish people. This difference causes tension between the friends, and results in their split after Messala issues an ultimatum to Judah, during the parade for the new governor of Judea, Valerius Gratus, loose tiles fall from the roof of Judahs house. Gratus is thrown from his horse and nearly killed. Although Messala knows this was an accident, he condemns Judah to the galleys and imprisons Miriam, by punishing a known friend and prominent citizen, he hopes to intimidate the Jewish populace. After three years as a slave, Judah is assigned to the flagship of the Roman Consul Quintus Arrius. Arrius admires Judahs determination and self-discipline and offers to him as a gladiator or charioteer. Judah declines the offer, declaring that God will aid him in his quest for vengeance, when the Roman fleet encounters the Macedonians, Arrius orders all the rowers except Judah to be chained to their oars
35.
Mecca Leisure Group
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Mecca Leisure Group was a British business that ran nightclubs, hotels, theme parks, bingo parlors and Hard Rock Cafes. During the 1960s they were the centre of entertainment with numerous nightclubs throughout major UK towns, Mecca ballrooms were used for the BBC TV show Come Dancing. Eric Morley was a manager of dancing at Mecca Leisure Group and was involved in the Miss World competitions. Notable DJs performing at Mecca nightclubs include Jimmy Savile from 1960, the Coventry Locarno is the subject of The Specials song Friday Night, Saturday Morning, B-side to Ghost Town. Also, Chuck Berrys live version of My Ding-a-Ling was recorded there, in 1989, Mecca Leisure Group acquired Pleasurama Plc. In 1990, the Rank Organisation made an offer of £512m to acquire Mecca Leisure Group, which was initially rejected, and then accepted two months later
36.
George Coles (architect)
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George Coles was an English architect, known mostly as a designer of Art Deco cinema theatres in the 1920s and 1930s. Coles was brought up in Leyton, East London and trained at Leyton Technical Institute, from 1912 he was in partnership with Percy Adams. Coles most notable include the Gaumont State Cinema in Kilburn. Cole designed several other Odeon Cinemas for Oscar Deutsch, as well as the Carlton Cinema in Islington, the Troxy in Stepney and he designed the Kingsland Empire in his birthplace, Dalston, of which the ceiling and upper walls survive hidden above the Rio Cinema. Coles was also involved in the design of The Peoples Palace later subsumed into Queen Mary College and he designed the British Home Stores in Rye Lane, Peckham
37.
Billy Rose's Jumbo
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Billy Roses Jumbo is a 1962 American musical film produced by MGM and starring Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante, and Martha Raye. An adaptation of the stage musical Jumbo produced by Billy Rose, the film was directed by Charles Walters, written by Sidney Sheldon and it was nominated for an Academy Award for the adaptation of its Rodgers and Hart score. The Broadway show Jumbo opened on November 16,1935, and was the last musical produced at the New York Hippodrome before it was torn down in 1939. Original producer Billy Rose stipulated that if a version was ever made, he must be credited in the title. Both play and film songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Despite featuring such Rodgers and Hart standards as My Romance and The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, the film was Doris Days last screen musical. Stephen Boyds singing voice was dubbed by James Joyce, on April 2,2007, Robert Osborne of TCM, introducing the MGM film Fearless Fagan directed by Stanley Donen, said that Donen was due to direct Jumbo right after Singin in the Rain in 1952. However, MGM decided the script was not ready, so Jumbo was not filmed until 1962 with a different director, both play and film feature Durante leading a live elephant and being stopped by a police officer, who asks him, What are you doing with that elephant. This comedy bit was reprised in his role in Billy Roses Jumbo and is likely to have contributed to the popularity of the idiom, the Wonder Circus comes to a town in the Midwest with its featured attraction, Jumbo the elephant. Pop Wonder owns the circus, but his gambling losses in crap games leaves him with an ever-growing number of IOUs. His daughter, Kitty Wonder, hires a newcomer, Sam Rawlins and she is unaware that Sam is the son of circus mogul John Noble, whose ambition is to buy the Wonder Circus for himself. Noble has been buying up the IOUs with Sams help and abruptly takes control of the familys business. Kitty, Pop and his longtime fiancee Lulu go off on their own, forming a traveling carnival, Sam, however, has fallen in love with Kitty and has a guilty conscience about what he has done. Sam splits from his father and rejoins the Wonders, bringing him an old friend of theirs. In 1947 Charles Waters requested he make the film of the musical as his first assignment, in 1950 it was announced Arthur Freed would produce and Howard Keel and Jimmy Durate would star. Production was held up due to litigation, years later MGM made the movie. A soundtrack album Billy Roses Jumbo of the film was issued by Columbia Records in 1962. According to MGM accounts, the film earned $2.5 million in the US and Canada and $1.5 million overseas and it was the last film producer Joe Pasternak made at MGM
38.
Nightclub
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A nightclub is an entertainment venue and bar which serves alcoholic beverages that usually operates late into the night. Another distinction is that whereas many pubs and sports bars aim at a market, nightclubs typically aim at a niche market of music and dancing enthusiasts. The upmarket nature of nightclubs can be seen in the inclusion of VIP areas in some nightclubs, for celebrities, nightclubs are much more likely than pubs or sports bars to use bouncers to screen prospective clubgoers for entry. Some nightclub bouncers do not admit people with ripped jeans or other clothing or gang apparel as part of a dress code. The busiest nights for a nightclub are Friday and Saturday night, most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres, such as house music or gothic rock. A nightclub may also be called a discothèque, disco, or dance club, from about 1900 to 1920, working class Americans would gather at honky tonks or juke joints to dance to music played on a piano or a jukebox. Webster Hall is credited as the first modern nightclub, being built in 1886 and starting off as a hall, originally functioning as a home for dance. During Prohibition in the United States, nightclubs went underground as illegal speakeasy bars, with Webster Hall staying open, with rumors circulating of Al Capones involvement and police bribery. With the repeal of Prohibition in February 1933, nightclubs were revived, such as New Yorks 21 Club, Copacabana, El Morocco, in Germany, possibly the first discothèque was Scotch-Club. These discothèques were also patronized by anti-Vichy youth called zazous, there were also underground discothèques in Nazi Germany patronized by anti-Nazi youth called the swing kids. In Harlem, Connies Inn and the Cotton Club were popular venues for white audiences, before 1953 and even some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands. The Whisky à Gogo set into place the elements of the modern post World War II discothèque-style nightclub. At the end of the 1950s, several of the bars in Soho introduced afternoon dancing. In the early 1960s, Mark Birley opened a members-only discothèque nightclub, Annabels, in Berkeley Square, in 1962, the Peppermint Lounge in New York City became popular and is the place where go-go dancing originated. However, the first rock and roll generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to nightclubs, disco has its roots in the underground club scene. It brought together people from all walks of life and backgrounds and these clubs acted as safe havens for homosexual partygoers to dance in peace and away from public scrutiny. Disco allowed patrons to explore sexuality and push the envelope on the dance floor, disco clubs acted as an escape from such depressing environments and acted as the fantasy marginalized peoples could escape to forget oppression and racism. Disco clubs originally functioned as liberated party spaces and were seen as places of political statement, a smooth mix of long single records to keep people dancing all night long
39.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation
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Caesars Entertainment Corporation, is an American gaming corporation based in Paradise, Nevada that owns and operates over 50 casinos and hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. It is the fourth-largest gaming company in the world, with revenues of $8.6 billion. Caesars is a company, majority-owned by a group of private equity firms led by Apollo Global Management. Caesarss largest operating unit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2015, the companys background can be traced to October 29,1937, when Bill Harrah opened a small bingo parlor in Reno, Nevada, a predecessor to Harrahs Reno. In 1955, he expanded to Stateline, Nevada, on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Harrahs Inc. made its public offering in 1971. Following that in 1972, it was listed on the American Stock Exchange and in 1973, Bill Harrah died on June 30,1978 of complications from aortic aneurysm and cardiac surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In February 1980, Holiday Inns acquired Harrahs, Inc. for $300 million, liquidation of Harrahs collection of almost 7,000 antique automobiles reportedly returned the full purchase price of the company to Holiday Inn. In July 1987, Bills Casino Lake Tahoe opened, Harrahs Laughlin opened in August 1988. The company now known as Caesars Entertainment was formed in 1990 as The Promus Companies, which retained only the Holiday Inn assets. The next year, the headquarters moved from Reno to Memphis, Tennessee In April 1992. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw an increase in gambling markets with the growth of Indian gaming. In 1993 and 1994, the company opened Harrahs Joliet, Harrahs Vicksburg, Harrahs Tunica, Harrahs Black Hawk, Harrahs Central City, Harrahs Shreveport, Harrahs North Kansas City, and Harrahs Ak-Chin. In 1995, Promus decided to spin off its non-gaming hotel businesses, Promus Hotel Corp. was established, holding Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites, while the parent company, holding 16 casinos, was renamed as Harrahs Entertainment. In 1997, Harrahs launched its Total Gold loyalty program, developed at a cost of $20 million. It was the first gaming company to offer a systemwide comps program, allowing points earned at one casino to be redeemed for goods, the system would be credited as a major driver of Harrahs growth over the coming years. Harvard Business School professor Gary Loveman joined Harrahs as chief operating officer in 1998, in 1999, the company moved its headquarters from Memphis to Las Vegas. Harrahs made its largest single expansion in 2005, when it acquired Caesars Entertainment, negotiations were spurred on by news of a merger agreement between MGM Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group
40.
Optical fiber
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An optical fiber or optical fibre is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Fibers are also used for illumination, and are wrapped in bundles so that they may be used to carry images, thus allowing viewing in confined spaces, as in the case of a fiberscope. Specially designed fibers are used for a variety of other applications, some of them being fiber optic sensors. Optical fibers typically include a transparent core surrounded by a transparent cladding material with an index of refraction. Light is kept in the core by the phenomenon of internal reflection which causes the fiber to act as a waveguide. Fibers that support many propagation paths or transverse modes are called multi-mode fibers, multi-mode fibers generally have a wider core diameter and are used for short-distance communication links and for applications where high power must be transmitted. Single-mode fibers are used for most communication links longer than 1,000 meters, being able to join optical fibers with low loss is important in fiber optic communication. This is more complex than joining electrical wire or cable and involves careful cleaving of the fibers, precise alignment of the cores. For applications that demand a permanent connection a fusion splice is common, in this technique, an electric arc is used to melt the ends of the fibers together. Another common technique is a splice, where the ends of the fibers are held in contact by mechanical force. Temporary or semi-permanent connections are made by means of specialized optical fiber connectors, the field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of optical fibers is known as fiber optics. The term was coined by Indian physicist Narinder Singh Kapany who is acknowledged as the father of fiber optics. Guiding of light by refraction, the principle that makes fiber optics possible, was first demonstrated by Daniel Colladon, John Tyndall included a demonstration of it in his public lectures in London,12 years later. When the ray passes from water to air it is bent from the perpendicular. If the angle which the ray in water encloses with the perpendicular to the surface be greater than 48 degrees, the angle which marks the limit where total reflection begins is called the limiting angle of the medium. For water this angle is 48°27′, for flint glass it is 38°41′, unpigmented human hairs have also been shown to act as an optical fiber. Practical applications, such as close internal illumination during dentistry, appeared early in the twentieth century, image transmission through tubes was demonstrated independently by the radio experimenter Clarence Hansell and the television pioneer John Logie Baird in the 1920s. The principle was first used for medical examinations by Heinrich Lamm in the following decade
41.
THX
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THX is an American company headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1983 by George Lucas. It develops the THX high fidelity audio/visual reproduction standards for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, car audio systems, the current THX was created in 2002 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd. THX was named after Holman, with the X standing for crossover or possibly experiment as well as in homage to Lucass first film, THX1138. The distinctive glissando up from a low pitch used in the THX trailers. The THX system is not a technology and it does not specify a sound recording format, all sound formats, whether digital or analog. THX is mainly a quality assurance system, THX also provides certified theaters with a special crossover circuit whose use is part of the standard. The company has had a history with Creative, which was responsible for the creation of the first THX-certified audio card for computers. In 2016, THX was acquired by videogame hardware company Razer Inc. with Razer owning all of THX, the first theater THX was used in was the University of Southern Californias Eileen L. Norris Cinema Theatre, a part of USCs film school. THX has created a process for additional products including home audio, home theater, video. THX certification extends to home receivers, speakers, desktop systems, soundbars, acoustic materials, microphones. THXs Ultra2 certification is given for home theater components said to be enough for a large home cinema of 3,000 cubic feet or more. THXs Select2 certification is given for home theater components said to be enough for medium-sized rooms, up to 2,000 cubic feet in size. THXs I/S Plus systems include an AV Receiver + Speaker Bundle and are certified to fill a home theater or dorm room where the viewing distance from the screen is 6–8 feet. These THX certified home theater in a box systems are so far exclusively made by Onkyo, THX Certified Multimedia Products are designed and engineered for PC gaming and multimedia on the desktop. THX-certified video displays include a THX mode which allows users to see a program or movie as the creator intended, THX first appeared in theaters, in which their logo would show before the start of a film. Since THX was originally created for motion picture quality, the very first film to show THX was Return of the Jedi, in its theatrical debut on May 25,1983. From there, THX began to appear before all movies from June 1,1983, until August 31,1996, at that point, THX had certified VHS/home video releases beginning in 1995. Also, in 2000, based on the long-lasting Broadway trailer, grampa Simpson shouts, Turn it up
Leicester Square