1.
William Dieterle
–
William Dieterle was a German actor and film director, who worked in Hollywood for much of his career. His best known films include The Devil and Daniel Webster, The Story of Louis Pasteur and his 1937 film The Life of Emile Zola won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He was born Wilhelm Dieterle in Ludwigshafen, the youngest child of nine, to Jacob, as a child, he lived in considerable poverty and earned money by various means including carpentry and as a scrap dealer. He became interested in early and would stage productions in the family barn for friends. At the age of sixteen he had joined a theater company as a handy-man, scene shifter. His striking good looks and ambition soon paved the way as a romantic actor in theater productions. In 1919, he attracted the attention of Max Reinhardt in Berlin who hired him as an actor for his productions until 1924 and he started acting in German films in 1921 to make more money and quickly became a popular character actor. He usually portrayed country yokels or simpletons with great gusto and popularity, in 1921 Dieterle married Charlotte Hagenbruch, an actress and later screenwriter. In 1923 Dieterle used his own money to make his first film, based on a Leo Tolstoy short story, the film co-starred a young Marlene Dietrich. Years later Dieterle said of the film we were just four or five young, enthusiastic. We brought it out, it didnt make any money, but was shown, in 1924 Dieterle left Reinhardts company and formed his own theater company in Berlin, although it was unsuccessful and short lived. He also returned to acting for several years and appeared in such notable German films as Das Wachsfigurenkabinett. In 1927, Dieterle and his wife formed their own company, Charrha-Film. In 1930, the political and economic situations in Germany worsened and, like many from the German film industry, Dieterle had said It was a running joke in Berlin. if the phone rang at a restaurant they said it must be Hollywood. Well, one night my wife and I were dining out, Dieterle was offered a job at First National to make dubbed versions of Hollywood films in German, as the studios were afraid of losing foreign business with the advent of sound films. After the four films were completed, Warner Brothers Vice President of Production Hal B, wallis was so impressed that he invited Dieterle to stay in Hollywood. He became a US citizen in 1937 and he adapted quickly to Hollywood filmmaking with his first film, The Last Flight. The film depicts four American fighter pilots who roam around Paris after World War I trying to put their lives back together and it starred Richard Barthelmess and Helen Chandler and was compared to the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald
2.
Jack L. Warner
–
Jack Leonard J. L. Warner, born Jacob Warner, in London, Ontario, was a Canadian-American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Warners career spanned some forty-five years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the seminal Hollywood studio moguls, as co-head of production at Warner Bros. Studios, he worked with his brother, Sam Warner, to procure the technology for the industrys first talking picture. After Sams death, Jack clashed with his older brothers, Harry. Although Warner was feared by many of his employees and inspired ridicule with his attempts at humor, he earned respect for his shrewd instincts. He recruited many of Warner Bros. top stars and promoted the social dramas for which the studio became known. Given to decisiveness, Warner once commented, If Im right fifty-one percent of the time, Throughout his career, he was viewed as a contradictory and enigmatic figure. Although he was a staunch Republican, Warner encouraged film projects that promoted the agenda of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal and he opposed European fascism and criticized Nazi Germany well before Americas involvement in World War II. Despite his controversial image, Warner remained a force in the motion picture industry until his retirement in the early 1970s. Jack Warner was born in London, Ontario, in 1892 and his parents were Jewish immigrants from Poland who spoke mainly Yiddish. Jack was the surviving son of Benjamin Warner a cobbler from Krasnosielc, Poland, and his wife. Following their marriage in 1876, the couple had three children in Poland, one of whom died at a young age, one of the surviving children was Jacks eldest brother, Hirsch. The Warner family had occupied a hostile world, where the night-riding of cossacks, the burning of houses, and the raping of women were part of lifes burden for the Jews of the shtetl. In 1888, in search of a future for his family and himself, Benjamin made his way to Hamburg, Germany. Pearl Warner and the two children joined him in Baltimore, Maryland, less than a year later. In Baltimore, the couple had five children, including Abraham and Sam Warner. Benjamin Warners decision to move to Canada in the early 1890s was inspired by a friends advice that he could make an excellent living bartering tin wares with trappers in exchange for furs and their sons Jack and David were born in Ontario. After two arduous years in Canada, Benjamin and Pearl Warner returned to Baltimore, bringing along their growing family, two more children, Sadie and Milton, were added to the household there
3.
Hal B. Wallis
–
Harold Brent Hal Wallis was an American film producer. He is best remembered for producing Casablanca and True Grit, along many other major films for Warner Bros. featuring such film stars as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis. Later on, for a period, he was connected with Paramount Pictures and oversaw films featuring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Elvis Presley. Aaron Blum Wolowicz was born October 19,1898 in Chicago, Illinois and his family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros. in 1923. Within a few years, Wallis became involved in the end of the business. In a career spanned more than 50 years, he was involved with the production of more than 400 feature-length movies. Among the more significant movies he produced were Casablanca, Dark Victory, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Maltese Falcon, Sergeant York and he left Warner Bros. in 1944, after a clash with Jack L. Warner over Warners acceptance of the Best Picture Oscar for Casablanca, to work as an independent producer, the first screenwriters he hired for his new enterprise were Ayn Rand and Lillian Hellman. Among his financial hits were the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies and he produced True Grit, for which John Wayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor of 1969, and its sequel. After moving to Universal Pictures, he produced Mary, Queen of Scots and he received 16 Academy Award producer nominations for Best Picture, winning for Casablanca in 1943. For his consistently high quality of motion picture production, he was honored with the Academy Awards Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. He was also nominated for seven Golden Globe awards, twice winning awards for Best Picture, in 1975, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures, in 1980, he published his autobiography, Starmaker, cowritten with Charles Higham. In the 1930s Mr. Wallis used his investment dollars to develop real estate in Sherman Oaks. He named one of the streets after himself using his nickname Hal, halbrent Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA is the street and most of the original homes are still standing today. Its very close to Ventura and Sepulveda Boulevards near the infamous Sherman Oaks Galleria used extensively in the 1982 movie romp Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Wallis was married twice, to actress Louise Fazenda from 1927 until her death in 1962 and he had one son with Fazenda, Brent Harris. Wallis died in 1986 of complications of diabetes in Rancho Mirage, California, news of his passing was not released until after his private memorial service was completed
4.
Reginald Owen
–
John Reginald Owen was a British character actor. He was known for his roles in British and American films. The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert Trees Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, in 1911, he starred in the original production of Where the Rainbow Ends as Saint George which opened to very good reviews on 21 December 1911. He went to the United States in 1920 and worked originally on Broadway in New York, but later moved to Hollywood and he was always a familiar face in many Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions. Owen was the first of five actors to play both Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson. Howard Marion Crawford played Holmes in an adaptation of The Speckled Band. Owen first played Watson in the film Sherlock Holmes, and then Holmes himself in A Study in Scarlet, having played Ebenezer Scrooge, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. He was featured in the Walt Disney films Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and he had a small role in the 1962 Irwin Allen production of the Jules Verne novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. In August 1964, his Bel-Air mansion was rented out to the Beatles, who were performing at the Hollywood Bowl and he died from a heart attack at age 85 in Boise, Idaho. Owen was buried at the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise, Reginald Owen at the Internet Broadway Database Reginald Owen at the Internet Movie Database
5.
Victor Jory
–
Victor Jory was a Canadian-born American actor of stage, film, and television. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, like Jonas Wilkerson in Gone with the Wind, later he had a lead role in the 78-episode television police drama Manhunt. Born in Dawson City, Yukon, of American parents, he was the boxing and wrestling champion of the United States Coast Guard during his military service and he toured with theater troupes and appeared on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1930. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast as the villain and he made over 150 films and dozens of TV episodes, as well as writing two plays. His long career in radio included starring in the series Dangerously Yours and he also portrayed Oberon in Max Reinhardts 1935 film adaptation of Shakespeares play A Midsummer Nights Dream. In 1946 he narrated Tubby the Tuba for children, which was inducted in 2005 in the National Recording Registry, the story tells of a tuba who doesnt fit in. He also narrated Bumpo the Ballerina, whose character is an elephant. From 1959 to 1961, he appeared with Patrick McVey in the 78-episode syndicated television police drama, Jory played the lead role of Detective Lieutenant Howard Finucane. McVey was cast as police reporter Ben Andrews, in 1962, Jory was cast as Deacon Lee in the two-part episode, Policemen Die Alone of Leslie Nielsens ABC crime drama, The New Breed. That same year, Jory guest starred as Mike Dahlback in the episode Ride to a Fall in the NBC modern western series, Empire and he also played Helen Kellers father in The Miracle Worker, for which his costars Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke won Academy Awards. In 1977, near the end of his career, Jory guest starred as an aging Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in James Garners The Rockford Files episode, Jory died on February 12,1982 at the age of 79 from a heart attack in Santa Monica, California. For his contribution to the picture industry, Victor Jory was honored in 1960 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6605 Hollywood Blvd, Jory had two children, Jon and Jean. Jon Jory headed the Actors Theater of Louisville, Kentucky, for thirty-one years and he left the job in 2000 to become professor of drama at the University of Washington in Seattle. Victor Jory at the Internet Movie Database Victor Jory at AllMovie Victor Jory at the Internet Broadway Database Victor Jory at Find a Grave
6.
Warner Bros.
–
Entertainment Inc. – colloquially known as Warner Bros. or Warner Bros. It is one of the Big Six major American film studios, Warner Bros. is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America. The companys name originated from the four founding Warner brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, Jack, the youngest, was born in London, Ontario. The three elder brothers began in the theater business, having acquired a movie projector with which they showed films in the mining towns of Pennsylvania. In the beginning, Sam and Albert Warner invested $150 to present Life of an American Fireman and they opened their first theater, the Cascade, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1903. When the original building was in danger of being demolished, the modern Warner Bros. called the current building owners, the owners noted people across the country had asked them to protect it for its historical significance. In 1904, the Warners founded the Pittsburgh-based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company, in 1912, Harry Warner hired an auditor named Paul Ashley Chase. By the time of World War I they had begun producing films, in 1918 they opened the first Warner Bros. studio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sam and Jack produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert, along with their auditor and now controller Chase, handled finance and distribution in New York City. During World War I their first nationally syndicated film, My Four Years in Germany, on April 4,1923, with help from money loaned to Harry by his banker Motley Flint, they formally incorporated as Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated. The first important deal was the acquisition of the rights to Avery Hopwoods 1919 Broadway play, The Gold Diggers, however, Rin Tin Tin, a dog brought from France after World War I by an American soldier, established their reputation. Rin Tin Tin debuted in the feature Where the North Begins, the movie was so successful that Jack signed the dog to star in more films for $1,000 per week. Rin Tin Tin became the top star. Jack nicknamed him The Mortgage Lifter and the success boosted Darryl F. Zanucks career, Zanuck eventually became a top producer and between 1928 and 1933 served as Jacks right-hand man and executive producer, with responsibilities including day-to-day film production. More success came after Ernst Lubitsch was hired as head director, lubitschs film The Marriage Circle was the studios most successful film of 1924, and was on The New York Times best list for that year. Despite the success of Rin Tin Tin and Lubitsch, Warners remained a lesser studio, Sam and Jack decided to offer Broadway actor John Barrymore the lead role in Beau Brummel. The film was so successful that Harry signed Barrymore to a contract, like The Marriage Circle. By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was arguably Hollywoods most successful independent studio, as the studio prospered, it gained backing from Wall Street, and in 1924 Goldman Sachs arranged a major loan
7.
Historical period drama
–
The term, historical period drama refers to a work set in an earlier time period, usually used in the context of film and television. It is an informal term that can apply to several genres and is often heard in the context of historical fiction and romances, adventure films. A period piece may be as long and general as the ages or as limited as one decade, for example. Historical drama film stories are based upon events and famous people. A period film is a film that attempts to depict a specific time period. Examples include movies like Cinderella Man, Schindler’s List, Les Misérables or Lincoln, the most common type of period piece is the historical period piece, both on stage and in movies. This category includes Robin Hood, Barry Lyndon, Amadeus, The Young Victoria, films that are set in the 1930s and 1940s, such as Last Man Standing, can also be placed in this category. Other examples include Marie Antoinette, Middle march, and Pride, many highly successful television series have been known as period pieces. Notable examples include The Tudors, Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey, Deadwood, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Little House on the Prairie
8.
Osgood Perkins
–
Osgood Perkins was an American actor. James Ripley Osgood Perkins was born in West Newton, Massachusetts, son of Henry Phelps Perkins, Jr. and his wife and his maternal grandfather was wood engraver Andrew Varick Stout Anthony. He was a descendant of Mayflower passenger John Howland, Perkins made his Broadway debut in 1924 in the George S. Kaufman – Marc Connelly play Beggar on Horseback. In the next years he would appear in 24 Broadway productions, including The Front Page. Despite his success as a man in the theatre, Hollywood viewed him as a character actor. He appeared in 12 silent films, including Puritan Passions, before moving to such as Scarface. The best actor I ever worked with was Osgood Perkins, Louise Brooks told Kevin Brownlow and you know what makes an actor great to work with. You dont have to feel anything and its like dancing with a perfect dancing partner. Osgood Perkins would give you a line so that you would react perfectly and it was timing -- because emotion means nothing. Brooks and Perkins appeared together in Love Em and Leave Em. Perkins married Janet Esselstyn Rane in 1922 and they had one child, actor Anthony Perkins. Osgood died of an attack in Washington, D. C. at age 45. His son was five years old at the time and his grandson Oz Perkins is now a film writer-director. Osgood Perkins was inducted, posthumously, into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981
9.
Madame du Barry
–
Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry was the last Maîtresse-en-titre of Louis XV of France and one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. Jeanne Bécu was born at Vaucouleurs, in the present-day Meuse department in Lorraine, France, as the daughter of Anne Bécu. Jeannes father was possibly Jean Baptiste Gormand de Vaubernier, a known as frère Ange. Little Jeanette was well liked by Dumonceauxs mistress Francesca, who pampered her in all luxury, dumonceaux funded Jeanettes education at the Couvent de Saint-Aure. At the age of fifteen, Jeanne left the convent, for she had come of age, for some reason – possibly due either to La Frédériques jealousy of the formers beauty or because Dumonceauxs passion for Anne revived – both mother and daughter were thrown out. They then moved into the small household of Annes husband. Jeanne had to some sort of income to help herself live. Later, Jeanne worked as a assistant in a haberdashery shop named À la Toilette, owned by Madame Labille. Labilles daughter, the famed painter Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, became a good friend of Jeanne. As reflected in art from the time, Jeanne was an attractive blonde woman with thick golden ringlets. Her beauty came to the attention of Jean-Baptiste du Barry, a high-class pimp/procurer nicknamed le roué, Du Barry owned a casino, and Jeanne came to his attention in 1763 when she was entertaining in Madame Quisnoys brothel-casino. She introduced herself as Jeanne Vaubernier, Du Barry installed her in his household and made her his mistress. As Mademoiselle Lange, Jeanne immediately became a sensation in Paris and she had many lovers from the kings ministers to his courtiers. The dashing yet old Maréchal de Richelieu became one of her recurring lovers, because of this, Jean du Barry saw her as a means of influence over Louis XV, who became aware of her in 1768 while she was on an errand at Versailles. The errand involved the duc de Choiseul, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in any case, Jeanne could not qualify as a maîtresse-en-titre unless she had a title, this was solved by her marriage on 1 September 1768 to du Barrys brother, Comte Guillaume du Barry. The marriage ceremony included a false birth certificate created by Jean du Barry himself, Jeanne was now installed above the Kings quarters in Lebels former rooms. She lived a life, unable to be seen with the King since no formal presentation had taken place as yet. Comte du Barry constantly pestered Jeanne and urged her to speak of presentation with the king, Louis XV, in turn, asked her to find a proper sponsor to be able to have one
10.
Louis XV of France
–
Louis XV, known as Louis the Beloved, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five, Cardinal Fleury was his chief minister from 1726 until the Cardinals death in 1743, at which time the young king took sole control of the kingdom. During his reign, Louis returned the Austrian Netherlands, territory won at the Battle of Fontenoy of 1745, Louis also ceded New France in North America to Spain and Great Britain at the conclusion of the Seven Years War in 1763. He incorporated the territories of Lorraine and Corsica into the kingdom of France and he was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI in 1774. French culture and influence were at their height in the first half of the eighteenth century, however, many scholars believe that Louis XVs decisions damaged the power of France, weakened the treasury, discredited the absolute monarchy, and made it more vulnerable to distrust and destruction. Evidence for this view is provided by the French Revolution, which broke out 15 years after his death, norman Davies characterized Louis XVs reign as one of debilitating stagnation, characterized by lost wars, endless clashes between the Court and Parliament, and religious feuds. A few scholars defend Louis, arguing that his negative reputation was based on propaganda meant to justify the French Revolution. Jerome Blum described him as a perpetual adolescent called to do a mans job, Louis XV was born in the Palace of Versailles on 15 February 1710 during the reign of Louis XIV. His grandfather, Louis Le Grand Dauphin, had three sons with his wife Marie Anne Victoire of Bavaria, Louis, Duke of Burgundy, Philippe, Duke of Anjou, and Charles, Duke of Berry. Louis XV was the son of the Duke of Burgundy and his wife Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy. At birth, Louis XV received a title for younger sons of the French royal family. In April 1711, Louis Le Grand Dauphin suddenly died, making Louis XVs father, the Duke of Burgundy, at that time, Burgundy had two living sons, Louis, Duke of Brittany and his youngest son, the future Louis XV. A year later, Marie Adélaïde, Duchess of Burgundy, contracted smallpox and her husband, said to be heartbroken by her death, died the same week, also having contracted smallpox. Within a week of his death, it was clear that the two children had also been infected. The elder son was treated by bloodletting in an unsuccessful effort to save him. Fearing that the Dauphin would die, the Court had both the Dauphin and the Duke of Anjou baptised, the Dauphin died the same day,8 March 1712. His younger brother, the Duke of Anjou, was treated by his governess, Madame de Ventadour. The two year old Dauphin survived the smallpox, on 1 September 1715, Louis XIV died of gangrene, having reigned for 72 years
11.
Motion Picture Production Code
–
The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral guidelines that was applied to most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also known as the Hays Code, after Will H. Hays. Under Hays leadership, the MPPDA, later known as the Motion Picture Association of America, adopted the Production Code in 1930, the Production Code spelled out what was acceptable and what was unacceptable content for motion pictures produced for a public audience in the United States. From 1934 to 1954, the code was identified with Joseph Breen. In 1968, after years of minimal enforcement, the Production Code was replaced by the MPAA film rating system. In 1922, after several films and a series of off-screen scandals involving Hollywood stars. Many felt the industry had always been morally questionable. Political pressure was increasing, with legislators in 37 states introducing almost one hundred movie censorship bills in 1921, Hays was paid the then-lavish sum of $100,000 a year. Hays, Postmaster General under Warren G, Virginia followed suit the following year, with eight individual states having a board by the advent of sound film, but many of these were ineffectual. By the 1920s, the New York stage—a frequent source of subsequent screen material—had topless shows, performances filled with words, mature subject matters. Early in the sound system conversion process, it became apparent that what might be acceptable in New York would not be so in Kansas. Moviemakers were looking at the possibility that many states and cities would adopt their own codes of censorship, in 1927, Hays suggested to studio executives that they form a committee to discuss film censorship. This list consisted of eleven subjects best avoided and twenty-six to be handled very carefully, the list was approved by the Federal Trade Commission, and Hays created the Studio Relations Committee to oversee its implementation, however, there was still no way to enforce tenets. The controversy surrounding film standards came to a head in 1929, the Code enumerated a number of key points known as the Donts and Be Carefuls, In 1929, a Catholic layman, Martin Quigley and the Jesuit priest Father Daniel A. Lord created a code of standards and submitted it to the studios, Lord was particularly concerned with the effects of sound film on children, whom he considered especially susceptible to their allure. In February 1930, several studio heads—including Irving Thalberg of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer —met with Lord, after some revisions, they agreed to the stipulations of the Code. One of the motivating factors in adopting the Code was to avoid direct government intervention. It was the responsibility of the SRC to supervise film production, on March 31, the MPPDA agreed it would abide by the Code
12.
Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
–
Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis-Richelieu, duc dAiguillon, was a French soldier and statesman, and a nephew of Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd Duke of Richelieu. He served as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under King Louis XV and he was the son of Armand-Louis de Vignerot du Plessis, duc dAiguillon, and until the death of his father, he was known at court as the duc dAgénois. He entered the army at the age of seventeen, and at the age of nineteen was made colonel of the regiment of Brie. His marriage in 1740 with Louise Félicité de Brehan, daughter of the Comte de Plélo, coupled with his connection with the Richelieu family, gave him an important place at court. He eventually decided upon the sister of both Madame de Mailly and Madame de Vintimille, Marie Anne, the widow of the marquis de La Tournelle. At a masked ball on Shrove Tuesday,1742, Richelieu led Marie Anne up to the king, the beautiful marquise, however, at first rejected the royal advances. She already had a lover, the young duc dAgénois, and was not inclined to him up even for the kings sake. As a result, the king conspired with Richelieu, who was the duc dAgénois uncle, to rid himself of the young suitor. Richelieu was quite anxious to do anything to bring about a liaison between the king and Madame de La Tournelle, because he knew that Madame de Mailly did not view him in a kindly light. The result of their deliberations was that the king, in imitation of the biblical David, the young duke was seriously wounded at the siege of Château-Dauphin. Unlike the husband of Bathsheba, however, the duc dAgénois recovered from his injuries, the king was in despair, but Richelieu, who was a resourceful man, was not one to accept defeat lightly. He sent his nephew to Languedoc, where a young lady had been instructed to seduce him. The duke was taken prisoner in 1746 and was made a maréchal de camp in 1748. Upon the death of his father in 1750, he became the duc dAiguillon, in 1753, he was appointed commandant of Brittany and soon became unpopular in that province, which had retained a large number of privileges called liberties. He first came into collision with the estates on the question of the royal imposts. In 1759, the duc dAiguillon was hand-picked by the French foreign minister Choiseul to take part in an invasion of Great Britain. He was to command a force that would land in Scotland to support a Jacobite rising against the crown and he would then lead his troops southwards, trapping the British defenders in a pincer between themselves and another French force that would land in southern England. The plan was abandoned following the French naval defeat at Quiberon Bay
13.
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis
–
Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd Duke of Richelieu, was a French soldier, diplomat and statesman. Joining the army, he participated in three wars and eventually rose to the rank of Marshal of France. Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis was born in Paris, apart from his reputation as a man of exceptionally loose morals, he attained, in spite of a deplorably defective education, distinction as a diplomat and general. He was the French ambassador to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles VI, in 1733-1734, he served in a Rhine campaign during the War of the Polish Succession. In 1756 during the Siege of Minorca he expelled the British from Minorca by the capture of the stronghold of San Felipe, on his return to France he was hailed by Madame Pompadour who told him your star has risen and it shall never be dimmed. While waiting for employment, the Duc took command of the French forces on the southern coast around Toulon. In 1757 following Frederick the Greats sudden invasion of Bohemia, he was given command of a force that was to relieve the Siege of Prague. However this was cancelled when an Austrian army defeated Frederick at Kolin forcing him to break off the siege, the French ministers were deeply unhappy with dEstrees the commander of the Army of Westphalia which had orders to invade Hanover but was moving extremely slowly. It was decided to replace him with Richelieu, arriving shortly after the Battle of Hastenbeck with the Anglo-German Army of Observation retreating rapidly from him, the Duc lead his army in pursuit. His army now occupied most of Hanover, capturing the capital in the autumn and his orders were to smash the Army of Observation and occupy all of Hanover, before turning east and launching an attack on the Prussian fortress of Magdeburg. Instead Richelieu, fearing that his army was not in a condition to face battle and he was heavily criticised for this in Paris, where the terms were considered far too lenient. The Duc then led his army into winter quarters at Halberstadt postponing the attack on Magdeburg, early in the new year he suddenly resigned his command, and retired to France - handing over to the Comte dClermont. He was widely accused of corruption during his six months as commander in Hanover and he and his officers were suspected of having stolen three quarters of the money he was supposed to raise in taxes from the occupied territories, as well as stealing the pay of his soldiers. His pillaging campaigns in Hanover procured him the sobriquet of the petit père de la maraude and his real public career began ten years after his service in the Rhine campaign. After the wars, he plunged again into court intrigue, initially, he was the best friend of King Louis XV of France, whom he had known since the King was a child. The relationship later cooled a little, however, when he opposed Louiss mistress, after de Pompadours death in 1764, his position in court was restored and he developed an amiable friendship with the Kings last mistress, Madame du Barry. However, he was not welcome at court when Louis grandson, Louis XVI. This was because the new Queen, Marie Antoinette, disliked both Madame du Barry and Richelieus nephew, the overly ambitious Duke of Aiguillon, the duke was such a renowned womaniser that it is said Choderlos de Laclos based the character Valmont in Les Liaisons dangereuses on him
14.
Verree Teasdale
–
Verree Teasdale was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington. A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and she first appeared on Broadway in 1924 and performed there regularly until 1932. After co-starring in Somerset Maughams play The Constant Wife with Ethel Barrymore in 1926-27, she was offered a film contract, and her first film, Syncopation, was released in 1929. Teasdale appeared older than her age, which enabled her to play bored society wives, scheming other women. In 1935 she played Hippolyta in Max Rheinhardts A Midsummer Nights Dream and both her bored and sneering looks to Theseuss blandishments brought life and colour to this often bland, in 1935 she married actor Adolphe Menjou, and they remained together until his death in 1963. Teasdale retired after the program finished its run, keeping busy with her hobby of costume design. She died on 17 February 1987 in Culver City, California and she is interred next to her husband in Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, California. Verree Teasdale at the Internet Movie Database Verree Teasdale at the Internet Broadway Database Verree Teasdale at AllMovie Verree Teasdale at the TCM Movie Database Verree Teasdale at Find a Grave
15.
Ferdinand Gottschalk
–
Ferdinand Gottschalk was an English theatre and film actor. He appeared in 76 films between 1917 and 1938 and he was born and died in London, England. He made his first appearance on the stage in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1887 and he also wrote and produced plays. Ferdinand Gottschalk at the Internet Movie Database Ferdinand Gottschalk at AllMovie Ferdinand Gottschalk at the Internet Broadway Database
16.
Anita Louise
–
She was named as a WAMPAS Baby Star, and frequently described as one of the cinemas most fashionable and stylish women. Anita Louise was born Anita Louise Fremault on January 9,1915 in New York City and she made her acting debut on Broadway at the age of six, and within a year was appearing regularly in Hollywood films. By her late teens she was being cast in leading and supporting roles in major productions, as her stature in Hollywood grew, she was named as a WAMPAS Baby Star, and was frequently described as one of cinemas most fashionable and stylish women. By the 1940s, she was reduced to secondary roles. Some of her films during this time are Casanova Brown, Nine Girls, The Bandit of Sherwood Forest, Blondies Big Moment and her last appearance on big screen in the 1952 war film Retreat, Hell. Other shows Anita hosted include The United States Steel Hour and Playhouse 90 and her last television appearance was in 1970 was in an episode of the Mod Squad. Louise virtually retired after My Friend Flicka, which was rebroadcast thereafter for a generation and her husband of twenty years, the film producer Buddy Adler, died in 1960. She married Henry Berger in 1962, Louise died of a stroke on April 25,1970 in West Los Angeles, California. She was buried next to Berger at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Louise has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of her contribution to Motion Pictures at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard. Anita Louise at the Internet Movie Database Anita Louise at AllMovie Anita Louise at the TCM Movie Database Photographs and literature
17.
Marie Antoinette
–
Marie Antoinette (/ˈmæriˌæntwəˈnɛt/, /ˌɑ̃ːntwə-/, /ˌɑ̃ːtwə-/, US /məˈriː-/, French, born Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, was the last Queen of France and Navarre before the French Revolution. She was born an Archduchess of Austria, and was the fifteenth and second youngest child of Empress Maria Theresa and Francis I, in April 1770, upon her marriage to Louis-Auguste, heir apparent to the French throne, she became Dauphine of France. After eight years of marriage, Marie Antoinette gave birth to a daughter, Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the Diamond Necklace affair damaged her reputation further. On 10 August 1792, the attack on the Tuileries forced the family to take refuge at the Assembly. On 21 September 1792, the monarchy was abolished, after a two-day trial begun on 14 October 1793, Marie Antoinette was convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal of high treason, and executed by guillotine on Place de la Révolution on 16 October 1793. Maria Antonia was born on 2 November 1755, at the Hofburg Palace and she was the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg Empire, and her husband Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. Her godparents were Joseph I and Mariana Victoria, King and Queen of Portugal, Archduke Joseph, shortly after her birth, she was placed under the care of the Governess of the Imperial children, Countess von Brandeis. Maria Antonia was raised with her older sister Maria Carolina. As to her relationship with her mother, it was difficult, despite the private tutoring she received, results of her schooling were less than satisfactory. At the age of ten she could not write correctly in German or in any language used at court, such as French. Under the teaching of Christoph Willibald Gluck, Maria Antonia developed into a good musician and she learned to play the harp, the harpsichord and the flute. During the familys gatherings in the evenings, she would sing and she also excelled at dancing, had an exquisite poise, and loved dolls. Following the Seven Years War and the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756, Empress Maria Theresa decided to end hostilities with her longtime enemy, on 14 May she met her husband at the edge of the forest of Compiègne. Upon her arrival in France, she adopted the French version of her name, a further ceremonial wedding took place on 16 May 1770 in the Palace of Versailles and, after the festivities, the day ended with the ritual bedding. The lack of consummation of the marriage plagued the reputation of both Louis-Auguste and Marie Antoinette for the seven years. The initial reaction to the marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste was mixed, on the one hand, the Dauphine was beautiful, personable and well-liked by the common people. Her first official appearance in Paris on 8 June 1773 was a resounding success, on the other hand, those opposed to the alliance with Austria, and others, for personal reasons, had a difficult relationship with Marie Antoinette. Madame du Barry, for example, was Louis XVs mistress and had political influence over him
18.
Dauphin of France
–
The Dauphin of France —strictly The Dauphin of Viennois —was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791 and 1824 to 1830. The word is French for dolphin, as a reference to the depiction of the animal on their coat of arms, guigues IV, Count of Vienne, had a dolphin on his coat of arms and was nicknamed le Dauphin. The wife of the Dauphin was known as la Dauphine, the first French prince called le Dauphin was Charles the Wise, later to become Charles V of France. The title was equivalent to the English Prince of Wales, the Scottish Duke of Rothesay, the Portuguese Prince of Brazil. The official style of a Dauphin of France, prior to 1461, was par la grâce de Dieu, dauphin de Viennois, comte de Valentinois et de Diois. A Dauphin of France united the coat of arms of the Dauphiné, which featured Dolphins, with the French fleurs-de-lis, and might, where appropriate, further unite that with other arms. Because of this, the Dauphiné suffered from anarchy in the 14th and 15th centuries, for example, he married Charlotte of Savoy against his fathers wishes. Savoy was an ally of the Dauphiné, and Louis wished to reaffirm that alliance to stamp out rebels. Louis was driven out of the Dauphiné by Charles VIIs soldiers in 1456, after his succession as Louis XI of France in 1461, Louis united the Dauphiné with France, bringing it under royal control. The sons of the King of France hold the style and rank of Son of France, while male-line grandsons hold the style, the sons and grandsons of the Dauphin ranked higher than their cousins, being treated as the kings children and grandchildren respectively. The title was abolished by the Constitution of 1791, which made France a constitutional monarchy, under the constitution the heir to the throne was restyled Prince Royal, taking effect from the inception of the Legislative Assembly on 1 October 1791. The title was restored in potentia under the Bourbon Restoration of Louis XVIII, with the accession of his brother Charles X, Charles son and heir Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême automatically became Dauphin. With the removal of the Bourbons the title fell into disuse, in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck encounters two odd characters who turn out to be professional con men. One of them claims that he should be treated with deference, since he is really an impoverished English duke, in Baronness Emma Orczys Eldorado, the Scarlet Pimpernel rescues the Dauphin from prison and helps spirit him from France. Alphonse Daudet wrote a story called The Death of the Dauphin. It is also mentioned in Cormac McCarthys Blood Meridian
19.
Henry O'Neill
–
Henry ONeill was an American film actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles during the 1930s and 1940s. He was born in Orange, New Jersey, ONeill began his acting career on the stage, after dropping out of college to join a traveling theatre company. He served in the military in World War I, then returned to the stage and his last film was The Wings of Eagles, starring John Wayne. He was on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, ONeill died in Hollywood, California at the age of 69. Henry ONeill at the Internet Movie Database Henry ONeill at AllMovie Henry ONeill at the Internet Broadway Database Henry ONeill at Find a Grave
20.
IMDb
–
In 1998 it became a subsidiary of Amazon Inc, who were then able to use it as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes. As of January 2017, IMDb has approximately 4.1 million titles and 7.7 million personalities in its database, the site enables registered users to submit new material and edits to existing entries. Although all data is checked before going live, the system has open to abuse. The site also featured message boards which stimulate regular debates and dialogue among authenticated users, IMDb shutdown the message boards permanently on February 20,2017. Anyone with a connection can read the movie and talent pages of IMDb. A registration process is however, to contribute info to the site. A registered user chooses a name for themselves, and is given a profile page. These badges range from total contributions made, to independent categories such as photos, trivia, bios, if a registered user or visitor happens to be in the entertainment industry, and has an IMDb page, that user/visitor can add photos to that page by enrolling in IMDbPRO. Actors, crew, and industry executives can post their own resume and this fee enrolls them in a membership called IMDbPro. PRO can be accessed by anyone willing to pay the fee, which is $19.99 USD per month, or if paid annually, $149.99, which comes to approximately $12.50 per month USD. Membership enables a user to access the rank order of each industry personality, as well as agent contact information for any actor, producer, director etc. that has an IMDb page. Enrolling in PRO for industry personnel, enables those members the ability to upload a head shot to open their page, as well as the ability to upload hundreds of photos to accompany their page. Anyone can register as a user, and contribute to the site as well as enjoy its content, however those users enrolled in PRO have greater access and privileges. IMDb originated with a Usenet posting by British film fan and computer programmer Col Needham entitled Those Eyes, others with similar interests soon responded with additions or different lists of their own. Needham subsequently started an Actors List, while Dave Knight began a Directors List, and Andy Krieg took over THE LIST from Hank Driskill, which would later be renamed the Actress List. Both lists had been restricted to people who were alive and working, the goal of the participants now was to make the lists as inclusive as possible. By late 1990, the lists included almost 10,000 movies and television series correlated with actors and actresses appearing therein. On October 17,1990, Needham developed and posted a collection of Unix shell scripts which could be used to search the four lists, at the time, it was known as the rec. arts. movies movie database
21.
Turner Classic Movies
–
Turner Classic Movies is an American movie-oriented basic cable and satellite television network owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner. TCM is headquartered at the Techwood Campus in Atlanta, Georgias Midtown business district, historically, the channels programming consisted mainly of featured classic theatrically released feature films from the Turner Entertainment film library – which comprises films from Warner Bros. However, TCM now has licensing deals with other Hollywood film studios as well as its Time Warner sister company, Warner Bros. and occasionally shows more recent films. The channel is available in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, France, Spain, Nordic countries, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. In 1986, eight years before the launch of Turner Classic Movies, concerns over Turner Entertainments corporate debt load resulted in Turner selling the studio that October back to Kirk Kerkorian, from whom Turner had purchased the studio less than a year before. As part of the deal, Turner Entertainment retained ownership of MGMs library of films released up to May 9,1986, Turner Broadcasting System was split into two companies, Turner Broadcasting System and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and reincorporated as MGM/UA Communications Co. The film library of Turner Entertainment would serve as the form of programming for TCM upon the networks launch. After the library was acquired, MGM/UA signed a deal with Turner to continue distributing the pre-May 1986 MGM and to begin distributing the pre-1950 Warner Bros. film libraries for video release. Turner Classic Movies debuted on April 14,1994, at 6,00 p. m. Eastern Time, the date and time were chosen for their historical significance as the exact centennial anniversary of the first public movie showing in New York City. The first movie broadcast on TCM was the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, at the time of its launch, TCM was available to approximately one million cable television subscribers. AMC had broadened its content to feature colorized and more recent films by 2002. In the early 90s AMC abandoned its format, leaving TCM as the only movie-oriented cable channel to devote its programming entirely to classic films without commercial interruption. In 1996, Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner, which besides placing Turner Classic Movies, in March 1999, MGM paid Warner Bros. and gave up the home video rights to the MGM/UA films owned by Turner to Warner Home Video. In 2008, TCM won a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting, in April 2010, Turner Classic Movies held the first TCM Classic Film Festival, an event – now held annually – at the Graumans Chinese Theater and the Graumans Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. In 2007, some of the films featured on TCM were made available for streaming on TCMs website. The networks programming season runs from February until the following March of each year when a retrospective of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated movies is shown, called 31 Days of Oscar. Turner Classic Movies presents many of its features in their original aspect ratio whenever possible – widescreen films broadcast on TCM are letterboxed on the standard definition feed. TCM also regularly presents widescreen presentations of films not available in the format on any video release
22.
AllMovie
–
AllMovie is an online guide service website with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. As of 2013, AllMovie. com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by All Media Network, AllMovie was founded by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine, who also founded AllMusic and AllGame. The AllMovie database was licensed to tens of thousands of distributors and retailers for point-of-sale systems, websites, the AllMovie database is comprehensive, including basic product information, cast and production credits, plot synopsis, professional reviews, biographies, relational links and more. AllMovie data was accessed on the web at the AllMovie. com website and it was also available via the AMG LASSO media recognition service, which can automatically recognize DVDs. In late 2007, Macrovision acquired AMG for a reported $72 million, the AMG consumer facing web properties AllMusic. com, AllMovie. com and AllGame. com were sold by Rovi in August 2013 to All Media Network, LLC. The buyers also include the founders of SideReel and Ackrell Capital investor Mike Ackrell. All Media Network offices are located in San Francisco, California, AllMusic AllGame SideReel All Media Network Official website
23.
Man Wanted
–
Man Wanted is a pre-Code 1932 romance film starring Kay Francis as a married magazine editor who hires a handsome secretary, David Manners. The film features Una Merkel and Andy Devine in supporting roles, Lois Ames is the editor of 400 Magazine, whose wealthy husband, Fred, pays her little attention. His interests are polo and partying, Tom soon makes himself indispensable to Lois, and their long hours spent together leads them to fall in love with each other. Toms fiancée, Ruth Holman, senses something is going on, Toms roommate, Andy Doyle, uses Toms absences and Ruths distress to try to romance Ruth himself. Meanwhile, Loiss husband, Fred, is having an affair with Anna Le Maire. Lois finds out when she discovers a key to Annas room in Freds vest pocket, after things go too far between Tom and Lois, Tom quits and begins to plan a wedding with Ruth. Lois tries to smooth things over with Fred, but instead they agree on an amicable divorce, on Toms last day of work, Lois keeps him busy until very late, and he misses a dinner engagement with Ruth and Andy. Ruth storms into the office, with Andy in tow, Lois tells everyone about the divorce, Ruth breaks her engagement with Tom and threatens to marry Andy in revenge, and Tom asks Lois to marry him. Cast notes, Man Wanted was the first film that Kay Francis made for Warner Bros. beginning her contract run with the studio, Man Wanted had several working titles before it was released, A Dangerous Brunette, Working Wives and Pleasure First. The film was produced before the advent of the Production Code, Man Wanted at the Internet Movie Database Man Wanted at the TCM Movie Database Man Wanted at AllMovie
24.
Jewel Robbery
–
Jewel Robbery is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy-mystery film, directed by William Dieterle and starring William Powell and Kay Francis. It is based on the 1931 Hungarian play Ekszerrablás a Váci-uccában by Ladislas Fodor and its subsequent English adaptation, in Vienna, Baroness Teri von Horhenfels relieves the boredom of her marriage to her rich but dull husband with love affairs. One day, at an exclusive jewel shop to purchase a ring, her tedium is lifted by a suave, charming thief. In turn, he is entranced by her beauty and he locks her husband and her latest lover, Paul, in the vault, and forces shop owner Hollander to smoke a drugged cigarette that soon makes him forget his troubles. She however persuades him into leaving her free, however, he is not so carried away as to neglect his duties, he takes her ring, all 28 carats of it. Teri returns home, to be envied her adventure by her friend Marianne and they are frightened to discover that an intruder has broken in and opened her safe. However, they become puzzled and relieved when they find not only is nothing missing. Marianne departs hastily, anxious to avoid becoming entangled in a scandal, the thief then appears, Teri tries to return the ring, since keeping it would raise uncomfortable questions. When he refuses to take it back, she accuses him of using her to hide out from the police, then, Detective Fritz arrives, flushes out the robber, and takes the two into custody. However, all is not as it seems and it turns out that Fritz is a member of the gang. The thief had used the fake arrest to transport Teri to his house without protest for a night of romance, Vienna has become too dangerous for him, so he asks her to meet him in Nice, but she hesitates. Just then, the police surround the place. He and his escape, leaving Teri tied up so as to divert suspicion. After she is rescued, she decides she needs a vacation away from Vienna to recover from the excitement, Powell, who had recently married Carole Lombard, did not want to do the film initially, but gave in because he saw the role as an amusing one. The New York Times gave the film a review, calling it a nervous, brittle comedy. Jewel Robbery at the Internet Movie Database Jewel Robbery at the TCM Movie Database Jewel Robbery at AllMovie
25.
Scarlet Dawn
–
Scarlet Dawn is a 1932 American Pre-Code romantic drama starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Nancy Carroll as refugees from the Russian Revolution. It is based on the novel Revolt by Mary C, when Russian revolutionaries overrun his country estate, Baron Nikita Krasnoff barely escapes with his life by killing one of them and switching clothes. His story is suspicious, so the household servant Tanyusha is found, to his surprise, she does not betray him, and they are released. He is even allowed to loot one of his own possessions, Krasnoff sets off for Turkey, Tanyusha accompanies him, much to his puzzlement. To get past a checkpoint, they hide in a car, when they are discovered, Krasnoff offers to pay, exchanging a single strand of pearls at a time as their journey continues. When the couple falls asleep, the car owner and his driver rob them. However, when the try to run another checkpoint, they are killed by the guards. Krasnoff and Tanyusha continue on foot, the first night, Krasnoff tries to take advantage of his companion, but when she resists his advances, he desists. Eventually, they reach Constantinople, where Krasnoff gets a job as a dishwasher, one day, restaurant patron Vera Zimina is astonished to find her ex-lover Krasnoff working as a busboy. She enlists him for a moneymaking scheme, tired of his wretched existence, Krasnoff goes off with Vera, telling his wife that he will send her money. However, his letters are intercepted by the landlady, Vera has befriended the wealthy Mr. Murphy. Krasnoff is assigned to romance Murphys daughter Marjorie, Vera then gives Krasnoff an excellent imitation of the Krasnoff pearls to sell to the trusting Murphys. When he proves reluctant, she shows him a Turkish proclamation announcing that all unemployed Russians are to be deported back to the Soviet Union and it does not have the effect she intended though. Krasnoff, afraid that his wife will be sent back, confesses the truth to Marjorie and he cannot find her and is picked up by the Turkish police for deportation. He is reunited with Tanyusha, and together, they board the ship taking them to a grim future, Scarlet Dawn at the Internet Movie Database Scarlet Dawn at the TCM Movie Database Scarlet Dawn at AllMovie
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small}
