1.
Z (TV channel)
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Z is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Z focuses on programming primarily from the fiction, fantasy, and technology genres consisting of dramas, films. Before the channel was launched, in June 1999, Astral Media announced its intention to purchase Radiomutuel, the channel launched on January 31,2000 as Canal Z. The channel was renamed Ztélé in 2005 and a new logo was introduced, Astral Media was acquired by Bell Media in 2013, making Ztélé a sister channel to the English-language science-fiction channel, Space. As of August 25,2014, the channel has been renamed Z, on October 30,2006, Astral Media launched Ztélé HD, a HD simulcast of Ztélés standard definition feed
2.
Westinghouse Broadcasting
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The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States, Westinghouse Broadcasting was formed in the 1920s as Westinghouse Radio Stations, Inc. It was renamed Westinghouse Broadcasting Company in 1954, and adopted the Group W moniker on May 20,1963 and it kept national sales offices in Chicago and Los Angeles. Group W stations are best known for using a distinctive corporate typeface, introduced in 1963, for their logos, similarly styled typefaces had been used on some non-Group W stations as well and several former Group W stations still use it today. The Group W corporate typeface is closely, but not accurately, the font is also used in the video game Damnation. Westinghouse Broadcasting was also known for two long-running television programs, the Mike Douglas Show and PM Magazine. The Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company entered broadcasting with the November 2,1920 sign-on of KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, WBZA in Boston, a station which shared WBZs frequency and simulcasted WBZs programming, signed on in November 1924. Westinghouse initially owned a 20 percent stake in NBC, and as an all of Westinghouses stations became affiliates of NBCs Blue Network when it was launched on January 1,1927. Most of the Blue Networks programming originated at WJZ, which in 1923 had its license moved to New York City, in 1931, Westinghouse switched the call letters of its two Massachusetts stations, with WBZA moving to Springfield and WBZ going to Boston. The two stations had suffered from problems, though the Boston facility was the more powerful of the two. In 1934, KYW was moved from Chicago to Philadelphia following a Federal Communications Commission-dictated frequency realignment, Westinghouses next station was its first purchase, WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana joined the group in August 1936. The North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement of 1941 saw all of Westinghouses original stations move to their current dial positions, with WOWOs power increase to 50,000 watts later that year, the Westinghouse stations were now also clear-channel stations. Among them, the four stations nighttime signals blanketed almost all of the half of North America. Despite the assignments which resulted from NARBA, WBZA became a 1, the Westinghouse group survived the government-dictated split of NBCs radio division in 1943. WBZ/WBZA, KDKA and KYW became affiliates of NBCs Red Network while WOWO, Westinghouse expanded to the West Coast in 1944 with its purchase of 5, 000-watt KEX in Portland, Oregon, a station which also shared a frequency with WOWO. Westinghouse would increase KEXs power to 50,000 watts in 1948, later in the 1940s, Westinghouse moved on to develop FM and television stations as the FCC began to issue permits for those services. Westinghouse built FM sister stations for WBZ/WBZA, KDKA, KYW, KEX and WOWO, FM radio was, initially, an unsuccessful venture for Westinghouse, and the company would silence most of its FM stations during the 1950s. Of the early Westinghouse FMs, only the original KDKA-FM and the second WBZ-FM facility proved to be worth keeping, moving back to AM radio, Westinghouse returned to Chicago with its 1956 purchase of WIND
3.
Comcast Spectacor
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Comcast Sports Ventures, doing business as Comcast Spectacor, is a Philadelphia-based American sports and entertainment company. It owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and formerly owned the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, the company was formed in 1974 by Flyers founder and chairman Ed Snider as Spectacor, the parent company of both the Flyers and the Spectrum. Snider had been instrumental in getting the Spectrum built in 1967 and he sold a 63% stake in Spectacor to Comcast in 1996, but remained as chairman of the renamed Comcast Spectacor. Shortly afterward, Comcast Spectacor bought the 76ers, as the Spectrums owner, Snider had been the Sixers landlord since 1971, Comcast Spectacor sold the 76ers to Joshua Harris in 2011. In April 2016 Ed Snider died at his home in California, on September 22,2016, Comcast announced that it will buy out the remaining 24% it does not own. Comcast Spectacor is the owner of Spectra. Watsco Center at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, the Wells Fargo Centers predecessor, The Spectrum, is the namesake of the company. XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut Spectra is composed of three divisions, Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Ticketing & Fan Engagement. Comcast Spectacor owns Ovations Food Services, which food and beverage services to arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, fairgrounds
4.
Cablevision
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Altice USA is the successor to Cablevision Systems Corporation, founded by Charles Dolan. On September 17,2015, Netherlands-based Altice NV announced its intention to acquire Cablevision from the Dolan family for $17.7 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Altice paid $34.90 in cash for each share in Cablevision, the Cablevision name has been retired, and the company is now known as Altice USA, with Optimum remaining the customer facing brand of the company. Static IP is also available for business customers, Optimum Voice is a Voice over IP telephone service provided by Cablevision for its Optimum Online customers. New customers must have Optimum Online first before using Optimum Voice, Optimum Voice is not currently available in the Pennsylvania portion of Cablevisions footprint. SIP trunking is also available for business customers, Optimum TV, formerly iO digital cable, is a digital cable service offered by Altice USA, available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and parts of Pennsylvania. It includes 130 HDTV channels, interactive channels, such as games, and channels that allow viewers to browse listings of autos and homes for sale in the area, HD channels are free with Optimum TV to customers who subscribe to the service package that includes the SD channel. Additionally, Optimum TV comes with 46 channels of Music Choice music channels, Optimum TV also offers single-room DVR and multi-room cloud DVR for an additional cost. It was the first American company to offer BBC World News, for years, Cablevision was one of the few providers not carrying BBC America until they finally added the channel on August 25,2011. On July 29,2008, Cablevision acquired Newsday and amNewYork in a deal worth $650m and he ended up selling both the cable system and HBO to Time Life Inc. He used the money to start a new system in suburban Long Island called Cablevision. Cablevision quickly expanded and built throughout the New York metro area, the other boroughs of New York City, New Jersey, Westchester County. In the 1980s, Cablevision also expanded into the Chicago, Boston, by the mid-1990s Cablevision would offer service to 2.9 million subscribers in 19 states. Through a series of transactions in the late 1990s, Cablevision decided to consolidate their cable systems into three areas, New York, Cleveland, and Boston. Despite reducing the number of areas served they were able to bring the number of subscribers to 3.5 million through these transactions, one major transaction made at this time was with Tele-Communications Inc. Cablevision gained 10 New York area cable systems from TCI and in exchange TCI gained 33% ownership in the company, in 1999, AT&T Corporation took over TCI thus giving them the one-third ownership in Cablevision. In 2000, Cablevision sold-off its remaining systems outside of the New York area in Boston, Cleveland, and Kalamazoo, Michigan to MediaOne, Adelphia, AT&T sold its share of Cablevision in 2001. On June 13,2010, Cablevision announced that it would acquire Bresnan Communications for $1.37 billion, Bresnan provides service to about 308,000 cable subscribers in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming
5.
NBC
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The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcast television network that is the flagship property of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The network is part of the Big Three television networks, founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America, NBC is the oldest major broadcast network in the United States. Following the acquisition by GE, Bob Wright served as executive officer of NBC, remaining in that position until his retirement in 2007. In 2003, French media company Vivendi merged its entertainment assets with GE, Comcast purchased a controlling interest in the company in 2011, and acquired General Electrics remaining stake in 2013. Following the Comcast merger, Zucker left NBC Universal and was replaced as CEO by Comcast executive Steve Burke, during a period of early broadcast business consolidation, radio manufacturer Radio Corporation of America acquired New York City radio station WEAF from American Telephone & Telegraph. Westinghouse, a shareholder in RCA, had an outlet in Newark, New Jersey pioneer station WJZ. This station was transferred from Westinghouse to RCA in 1923, WEAF acted as a laboratory for AT&Ts manufacturing and supply outlet Western Electric, whose products included transmitters and antennas. The Bell System, AT&Ts telephone utility, was developing technologies to transmit voice- and music-grade audio over short and long distances, the 1922 creation of WEAF offered a research-and-development center for those activities. WEAF maintained a schedule of radio programs, including some of the first commercially sponsored programs. In an early example of chain or networking broadcasting, the station linked with Outlet Company-owned WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, AT&T refused outside companies access to its high-quality phone lines. The early effort fared poorly, since the telegraph lines were susceptible to atmospheric. In 1925, AT&T decided that WEAF and its network were incompatible with the companys primary goal of providing a telephone service. AT&T offered to sell the station to RCA in a deal that included the right to lease AT&Ts phone lines for network transmission, the divisions ownership was split among RCA, its founding corporate parent General Electric and Westinghouse. NBC officially started broadcasting on November 15,1926, WEAF and WJZ, the flagships of the two earlier networks, were operated side-by-side for about a year as part of the new NBC. On April 5,1927, NBC expanded to the West Coast with the launch of the NBC Orange Network and this was followed by the debut of the NBC Gold Network, also known as the Pacific Gold Network, on October 18,1931. The Orange Network carried Red Network programming, and the Gold Network carried programming from the Blue Network, initially, the Orange Network recreated Eastern Red Network programming for West Coast stations at KPO in San Francisco. The Orange Network name was removed from use in 1936, at the same time, the Gold Network became part of the Blue Network. In the 1930s, NBC also developed a network for shortwave radio stations, in 1927, NBC moved its operations to 711 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, occupying the upper floors of a building designed by architect Floyd Brown
6.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
7.
Southern California
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Southern California, often abbreviated as SoCal, is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises Californias 10 southernmost counties. The region is described as eight counties, based on demographics and economic ties, Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara. The more extensive 10-county definition, which includes Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, is used and is based on historical political divisions. Southern California is an economic center for the state of California. The 8-county and 10-county definitions are not used for the greater Southern California Megaregion, the megaregions area is more expansive, extending east into Las Vegas, Nevada and south across the Mexican border into Tijuana.5 million people. With over 22 million people, Southern California contains roughly 60 percent of Californias population, located east of Southern California is the Colorado Desert and the Colorado River at the border with Arizona. The Mojave Desert is located at the border with the state of Nevada while towards the south is the Mexico–United States border, within Southern California are two major cities, Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as three of the countrys largest metropolitan areas. With a population of 3,792,621, Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and the second most populous in the United States. South of Los Angeles and with a population of 1,307,402 is San Diego, the second most populous city in the state and the eighth most populous in the nation. The counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside are the five most populous in the state, the motion picture, television, and music industry are centered in the Los Angeles area in Southern California. Hollywood, a district within Los Angeles, gives its name to the American motion picture industry, headquartered in Southern California are The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures, Universal, MGM, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers. Universal, Warner Brothers, and Sony also run major record companies, Southern California is also home to a large homegrown surf and skateboard culture. Companies such as Vans, Volcom, Quiksilver, No Fear, RVCA, some of the worlds biggest action sports events, including the X Games, Boost Mobile Pro, and the U. S. Open of Surfing, are all held in Southern California. Southern California is also important to the world of yachting, the annual Transpacific Yacht Race, or Transpac, from Los Angeles to Hawaii, is one of yachtings premier events. The San Diego Yacht Club held the Americas Cup, the most prestigious prize in yachting, from 1988 to 1995, Southern California is home to many sports franchises and sports networks such as Fox Sports Net. Many locals and tourists frequent the Southern California coast for its popular beaches, the desert city of Palm Springs is popular for its resort feel and nearby open spaces. Southern California is not a geographic designation and definitions of what constitutes Southern California vary. Geographically, Californias North-South midway point lies at exactly 37°958.23 latitude, around 11 miles south of San Jose, however, when the state is divided into two areas, the term Southern California usually refers to the 10 southernmost counties of the state
8.
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L. A. is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. With a census-estimated 2015 population of 3,971,883, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The citys inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos, historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was founded on September 4,1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence, in 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, the discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, delivering water from Eastern California, nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, and sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles also has an economy in culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine. A global city, it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index, the city is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product of $831 billion, making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and thus become the second city after London to have hosted the Games three times. The Los Angeles area also hosted the 1994 FIFA mens World Cup final match as well as the 1999 FIFA womens World Cup final match, the mens event was watched on television by over 700 million people worldwide. The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva, a Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ, meaning poison oak place. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2,1769, in 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area. The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary, two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small town for decades, but by 1820. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, during Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta Californias regional capital
9.
Letterboxing (filming)
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Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the films original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it, these mattes are part of the image, LBX or LTBX are the identifying abbreviations for films and images so formatted. The term refers to the shape of a box, a slot in a wall or door through which mail is delivered, being rectangular. Letterboxing is used as an alternative to a full-screen, pan-and-scan transfer of a film image to videotape or videodisc. This was often done for letterbox widescreen anime on VHS, though the practice of hiding subtitles within the lower matte also is done with symmetrical mattes, albeit with less space available. The placing of soft subtitles within the picture or matte varies according to the DVD player being used, the first use of letterbox in consumer video appeared with the RCA Capacitance Electronic Disc videodisc format. Initially, letterboxing was limited to several key sequences of a such as opening and closing credits. The first fully letterboxed CED release was Amarcord in 1984, and several others followed including The Long Goodbye, Monty Python, each disc contains a label noting the use of RCAs innovative wide-screen mastering technique. In some continents such as North America, almost all VHS titles were released in pan-and-scan versions. However, most later Laserdiscs and some VHS releases were released in their original widescreen versions, some DVD releases of films are in full screen only, due to whatever existing master is available or basing on what format demographics prefer to see on a certain title. In other territories, such as Europe and Asia, widescreen versions of films on VHS and Laserdisc were much more common in those territories and this is more apparent in pan-and-scanned movies that remain entirely on the center area of the film image. The term SmileBox is a trademark used to describe a type of letterboxing for Cinerama films. The image is produced with 3D mapping technology to approximate a curved screen, some titles that were previously released in full screen only on VHS and DVD are now being issued in their original widescreen ratio on recent DVDs and Blu-rays. Digital broadcasting allows 1.78,1 widescreen format transmissions without losing resolution, most television programming in the United States, Britain and France is in standard-definition 16,9 and is transmitted in anamorphic format on digital platforms. When using a 4,3 television, it is possible to display such programming in either a letterbox format or in a 4,3 centre-cut format. A letterboxed 14,9 compromise ratio was often broadcast in analogue transmissions in European countries making the transition from 4,3 to 16,9. Current high-definition television systems use video displays with an aspect ratio than older television sets. In addition to films produced for the cinema, some programming is produced in high definition
10.
Heaven's Gate (film)
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Heavens Gate is a 1980 American epic Western film written and directed by Michael Cimino. Loosely based on the Johnson County War, it portrays a fictional dispute between land barons and European immigrants in Wyoming in the 1890s. It is generally considered one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, Cimino had an expensive and ambitious vision for the film, pushing it nearly four times over its planned budget. In the decades since the release however, general assessment of Heavens Gate has become more positive, the reception of the 1980 re-edit after poor test screenings has later been characterized as one of the greatest injustices of cinematic history. The BBC ranked Heavens Gate 98th on their 100 greatest American films of all-time list, in 1870, two young men, Jim Averill and Billy Irvine, graduate from Harvard College. The Reverend Doctor speaks to the graduates on the association of the mind with the uncultivated. Irvine, brilliant but obviously intoxicated, follows this with his opposing, a celebration is then held after which the male students serenade the women present, including Averills girlfriend. Twenty years later, Averill is passing through the town of Casper, Wyoming. Nate Champion – a friend of Averill and an enforcer for the stockmen – kills a settler for suspected rustling and dissuades another from stealing a cow. At a formal meeting, the head of the Association, Frank Canton, tells members, including a drunk Irvine, of plans to kill 125 named settlers, as thieves. Irvine leaves the meeting, encounters Averill, and tells him of the Associations plans, as Averill leaves, he exchanges bitter words with Canton. Canton slaps Averill across the face, which is immediately retaliated and that night, Canton recruits men to kill the named settlers. Ella Watson, a Johnson County bordello madam from Quebec who accepts stolen cattle as payment for use of her prostitutes, is infatuated with both Averill and Champion. Averill and Watson skate in a crowd, then alone, in an enormous roller skating rink called Heavens Gate. Averill gets a copy of the Associations death list from a baseball-playing U. S. Army captain and later reads the names aloud to the settlers, who are thrown into terrified turmoil. Cully, a master and friend of Averills, sees the train with Cantons posse heading north. Later, a group of men come to Watsons bordello and rape her, all but one are shot and killed by Averill. Champion, realizing that his landowner bosses seek to eliminate Watson, goes to Cantons camp and shoots the remaining rapist, Canton and his men encounter one of Champions friends leaving a cabin with Champion and his friend Nick inside, and a gunfight ensues
11.
Robert Altman
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Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in American cinema and his style of filmmaking was unique among directors, in that his subjects covered most genres, but with a subversive twist that typically relies on satire and humor to express his personal vision. Altman developed a reputation for being anti-Hollywood and non-conformist in both his themes and directing style, however, actors especially enjoyed working under his direction because he encouraged them to improvise, thereby inspiring their own creativity. He preferred large ensemble casts for his films, and developed a recording technique which produced overlapping dialogue from multiple actors. This produced a natural, more dynamic, and more complex experience for the viewer. He also used highly mobile camera work and zoom lenses to enhance the activity taking place on the screen, critic Pauline Kael, writing about his directing style, said that Altman could make film fireworks out of next to nothing. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized Altmans body of work with an Academy Honorary Award and he never won a competitive Oscar despite five nominations. His films MASH, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and Nashville have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Altman is one of the few filmmakers whose films have won the Golden Bear at Berlin, the Golden Lion at Venice, and the Golden Palm at Cannes. Altmans ancestry was German, English and Irish, his grandfather, Frank Altman. Altman had a Catholic upbringing, but he did not continue to follow or practice the religion as an adult, although he has referred to as a sort of Catholic. He was educated at Jesuit schools, including Rockhurst High School and he graduated from Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri in 1943. In 1943 Altman joined the United States Army Air Forces at the age of 18, during World War II, Altman flew more than 50 bombing missions as a crewman on a B-24 Liberator with the 307th Bomb Group in Borneo and the Dutch East Indies. Upon his discharge in 1946, Altman moved to California and he worked in publicity for a company that had invented a tattooing machine to identify dogs. He entered filmmaking on a whim, selling a script to RKO for the 1948 picture Bodyguard, Altmans immediate success encouraged him to move to New York City, where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. Having enjoyed little success, in 1949 he returned to Kansas City, in February 2012, an early Calvin film directed by Altman, Modern Football, was found by filmmaker Gary Huggins. Altman directed some 65 industrial films and documentaries before being hired by a businessman in 1956 to write. The film, titled The Delinquents, made for $60,000, was purchased by United Artists for $150,000, while primitive, this teen exploitation film contained the foundations of Altmans later work in its use of casual, naturalistic dialogue
12.
Quentin Tarantino
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Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American director, writer, and actor. His career began in the late 1980s, when he wrote and directed My Best Friends Birthday and its popularity was boosted by his second film, Pulp Fiction, a black comedy crime film that was a major success both among critics and audiences. Judged the greatest film from 1983–2008 by Entertainment Weekly, many critics, for his next effort, Tarantino paid homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s with Jackie Brown, an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch. Tarantino directed Death Proof as part of a feature with friend Robert Rodriguez. His long-postponed Inglourious Basterds, which tells the fictional alternate history story of two plots to assassinate Nazi Germanys political leadership, was released in 2009 to positive reviews, after that came 2012s critically acclaimed Django Unchained, a Western film set in the antebellum era of the Deep South. It became the film of his career so far, making over $425 million at the box office. Tarantinos films have garnered critical and commercial success. He has received industry awards, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and the Palme dOr, and has been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time in 2005, Filmmaker and historian Peter Bogdanovich has called him the single most influential director of his generation. In December 2015, Tarantino received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the film industry, Tarantino was born on March 27,1963 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of Connie McHugh and Tony Tarantino. His father is of Italian descent, and his mother has English and Irish ancestry, Quentin was named after Quint Asper, Burt Reynolds character in the CBS series Gunsmoke. Quentins mother met his father during a trip to Los Angeles and she married him soon after, to gain independence from her parents, but the marriage did not last. Connie Tarantino left Los Angeles, and moved to Knoxville, where her parents lived, in 1966, Tarantinos mother, after finishing her nursing studies, moved back to Los Angeles with her then three-year-old son. They lived in the South Bay, in the part of the city. Tarantinos mother married musician Curtis Zastoupil soon after coming to Los Angeles, and the moved to Torrance. Zastoupil encouraged his love of movies, and accompanied him to film screenings. Tarantinos mother allowed him to see movies with adult content, such as Carnal Knowledge, after his mother divorced Zastoupil in 1973, and received a misdiagnosis of Hodgkins lymphoma, Tarantino was sent to live with his grandparents in Tennessee. He remained there for six months to a year, before returning to California
13.
Jim Jarmusch
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James Robert Jim Jarmusch is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor, and composer. Stranger Than Paradise was added to the National Film Registry in December 2002, as a musician, Jarmusch has composed music for his films and released two albums with Jozef van Wissem. Jarmusch was born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the middle of three children of middle-class suburbanites. F, the first adult film he recalls seeing was the 1958 cult classic Thunder Road, the violence and darkness of which left an impression on the seven-year-old Jarmusch. Another B-movie influence from his childhood was Ghoulardi, an eccentric Cleveland television show which featured horror films, despite his enthusiasm for film, Jarmusch was an avid reader in his youth and had a greater interest in literature, which was encouraged by his grandmother. At one point, he took an apprenticeship with a commercial photographer and he later remarked, Growing up in Ohio was just planning to get out. After graduating from school in 1971, Jarmusch moved to Chicago. At Columbia, he studied English and American literature under professors including New York School avant garde poets Kenneth Koch, at Columbia, he began to write short semi-narrative abstract pieces and edited the undergraduate literary journal The Columbia Review. During his final year at Columbia, Jarmusch moved to Paris for what was initially a summer semester on an exchange program, there, he worked as a delivery driver for an art gallery, and spent most of his time at the Cinémathèque Française. Thats where I saw things I had only read about and heard about – films by many of the good Japanese directors, like Imamura, Ozu, Mizoguchi. When I came back from Paris, I was still writing, Jarmusch graduated from Columbia University in 1975. Broke and working as a musician in New York City after returning from Paris in 1976, despite his lack of experience in filmmaking, his submission of a collection of photographs and an essay about film secured his acceptance into the program. He studied there for four years, meeting fellow students and future collaborators Sara Driver, Tom DiCillo, Howard Brookner, during the late 1970s in New York City, Jarmusch and his contemporaries were part of an alternative culture scene centered on the CBGB music club. In his final year at New York University, Jarmusch worked as an assistant to the film noir director Nicholas Ray. On Jarmuschs return with the script, Ray reacted favourably to his students dissent. Jarmusch was the only person Ray brought to work – as his personal assistant – on Lightning Over Water, Ray died in 1979 after a long fight with cancer. The university, unimpressed with Jarmuschs use of his funding as well as the project itself, Jarmuschs final year university project was completed in 1980 as Permanent Vacation, his first feature film. It had its premiere at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg and won the Josef von Sternberg Award and it was made on a shoestring budget of around $12,000 in misdirected scholarship funds and shot by cinematographer Tom DiCillo on 16 mm film. The 75 minute quasi-autobiographical feature follows an adolescent drifter as he wanders around downtown Manhattan, the film was not released theatrically, and did not attract the sort of adulation from critics that greeted his later work
14.
Hughes Aircraft Company
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The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company. During World War II the company designed and built prototype aircraft at Hughes Airport. These included the famous Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known by the nickname for it, the Spruce Goose, the H-1 racer, D-2. At the start of the war Hughes Aircraft had only four full-time employees—by the end the number was 80,000. Hughes Aircraft was one of many aerospace and defense companies which flourished in Southern California during, by the summer of 1947 certain politicians had become concerned about Hughes alleged mismanagement of the Spruce Goose and the XF-11 photo reconnaissance plane project. They formed a committee to investigate Hughes which culminated in a much-followed Senate investigation. Despite a highly critical report, Hughes was cleared. In 1948 Hughes created a new division of the company, the Aerospace Group, two Hughes engineers, Simon Ramo and Dean Wooldridge, had new ideas on the packaging of electronics to make complete fire control systems. Their MA-1 system combined signals from the radar with a digital computer to automatically guide the interceptor aircraft into the proper position for firing missiles. At the same time other teams were working with the newly formed US Air Force on air-to-air missiles, delivering the AIM-4 Falcon, the MA-1/Falcon package, with several upgrades, was the primary interceptor weapon system of the USAF for many years, lasting into the 1980s. The company became TRW in 1965, another company and a major competitor to Hughes Aircraft. In 1951 Hughes Aircraft Co. built a plant in Tucson. By the end of year, the U. S. Air Force had purchased the property. This Tucson plant is still in operation under the ownership of Raytheon Co, Howard Hughes donated Hughes Aircraft to the newly formed Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1953 allegedly as a way of avoiding taxes on its huge income. Pat Hyland was hired as president and general manager of Hughes Aircraft, he would ultimately become company president. Under Hylands guidance, the Aerospace Group continued to diversify and become massively profitable, the company developed radar systems, electro-optical systems, the first working laser, aircraft computer systems, missile systems, ion-propulsion engines, and many other advanced technologies. The Electronic Properties Information Center of the United States was hosted at the Hughes Culver City library in the 1970s, EPIC published the multi-volume Handbook of Electronic Materials as public documents. Greg Jarvis and Ronald McNair, two of the astronauts on the last flight of the Space Shuttle Challenger, were Hughes alumni, Hughes Aircraft Ground Systems Group was located in Fullerton, California
15.
B movie
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A B movie is a low-budget commercial movie, but one that is not an arthouse film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, although the U. S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term B movie continues to be used in the broader sense it maintains today. In either usage, most B movies represent a particular genre—the Western was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget science-fiction, early B movies were often part of series in which the star repeatedly played the same character. Almost always shorter than the films they were paired with. The term connoted a general perception that B movies were inferior to the more handsomely budgeted headliners, latter-day B movies still sometimes inspire multiple sequels, but series are less common. As the average running time of top-of-the-line films increased, so did that of B pictures, the term is also now used loosely to refer to some higher-budgeted, mainstream films with exploitation-style content, usually in genres traditionally associated with the B movie. From their beginnings to the present day, B movies have provided both for those coming up in the profession and others whose careers are waning. Celebrated filmmakers such as Anthony Mann and Jonathan Demme learned their craft in B movies and they are where actors such as John Wayne and Jack Nicholson first became established, and they have provided work for former A movie actors, such as Vincent Price and Karen Black. Some actors, such as Bela Lugosi, Eddie Constantine and Pam Grier, the term B actor is sometimes used to refer to a performer who finds work primarily or exclusively in B pictures. In 1927–28, at the end of the silent era, the production cost of a feature from a major Hollywood studio ranged from $190,000 at Fox to $275,000 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. That average reflected both specials that might cost as much as $1 million and films made quickly for around $50,000. These cheaper films allowed the studios to derive value from facilities. Studios in the leagues of the industry, such as Columbia Pictures and Film Booking Offices of America. Their movies, with short running times, targeted theaters that had to economize on rental and operating costs, particularly small-town and urban neighborhood venues. A new programming scheme developed that would become standard practice, a newsreel, a short and/or serial. The second feature, which screened before the main event. The majors clearance rules favoring their affiliated theaters prevented the independents timely access to top-quality films, the low-budget picture of the 1920s thus evolved into the second feature, the B movie, of Hollywoods Golden Age. The major studios, at first resistant to the double feature, all established B units to provide films for the expanding second-feature market
16.
Los Angeles Angels
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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are an American professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the American League West division. The Angels have played games at Angel Stadium of Anaheim since 1966. Wrigley, the owner of the Chicago Cubs at the time, in 2009, the Angels won the AL West division championship for the third straight season. The team name started in 1892, in 1903, the name continued in L. A. through the PCL. After the Angels joined the Major Leagues, some players from the Angels PCL team joined the Major League Angels in 1961. The Angels were one of two teams established as a result of the 1961 Major League Baseball expansion, along with the second incarnation of the Washington Senators. The team then moved in 1962 to newly built Dodger Stadium, which the Angels referred to as Chavez Ravine, the teams founder, entertainer Gene Autry, owned the franchise for its first 36 years. During Autrys ownership, the made the playoffs three times, but never won the pennant. When The Walt Disney Company took control of the team in 1997, it extensively renovated Anaheim Stadium, the City of Anaheim contributed $30 million to the $118 million renovation with a renegotiated lease providing that the names of both the stadium and team contain the word Anaheim. The team was renamed the Anaheim Angels and became a subsidiary of Disney Sports, under Disneys ownership and the leadership of manager Mike Scioscia, the Angels won their first pennant and World Series championship in 2002. In 2005, new owner Arturo Moreno added Los Angeles to the name in order to better tap into the teams history. He also stated that as Los Angeles is the second largest market in the U. S. its addition would benefit the team greatly. In compliance with the terms of its lease with the city of Anaheim, which required Anaheim be a part of the teams name, local media in Southern California tend to omit a geographic identifier and refer to the team as the Angels or as the Halos. The Associated Press, the most prominent news service in the U. S. refers to the team as the Los Angeles Angels, the mantra Win One for the Cowboy is a staple that is deeply rooted in Angels history for fans. The saying refers to the Angels founder and previous owner, Gene Autry, years went by as the team experienced many losses just strikes away from American League pennants. Autrys #26 was retired as the 26th man on the field for the Angels, Angel Stadium of Anaheim is nicknamed The Big A. It has a section in center field nicknamed the California Spectacular, each game begins with the song Calling All Angels by Train being played on the P. A. with Norman Greenbaums Spirit in the Sky being played during the teams starting lineup announcement
17.
Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers, often abbreviated as the LA Clippers, are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. The franchise was founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, one of three teams to join the NBA that year. The Braves moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego in 1978, in 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles. Through much of its history, the failed to see significant regular season or playoff success. The Clippers fortunes turned in the early 2010s with the acquisition of core players Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Chris Paul. In 2013, the franchise won its first division title, as the made the playoffs for the ninth time in franchise history. They repeated as champions in 2014. They played their games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, along with another Buffalo team that would begin play that year. After two bad seasons, the Braves fortunes started to change under coach Jack Ramsay and star forward/center Bob McAdoo, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring three consecutive seasons and was named the leagues MVP in the 1974–75 season. The Braves qualified for the three times in a row, losing thrice to the eventual Eastern Conference champions. As a result, after an attempt to sell the team to an owner who intended to move it to South Florida. Brown, Jr. who decimated the roster, traded away all of its stars. Eventually in 1978, Brown dealt with Celtics owner Irv Levin so they would trade franchise ownerships, southern California resident Levin then decided to move the Braves to San Diego, something the league would have never allowed him to do with the Celtics. In 1978, San Diego welcomed the relocation of the Buffalo Braves franchise because the city had lost their Rockets to Houston seven years earlier, when the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984, they kept their nickname. Playing at the San Diego Sports Arena, the Clippers posted a record of 43–39 in their first season in California under new head coach Gene Shue and it would be the Clippers last winning season for 13 years. It was also in that first season in southern California that long-time announcer Ralph Lawler began his association with the club. The 1979–80 season saw the Clippers begin to struggle despite adding center Bill Walton, Walton missed 68 games due to foot injuries
18.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League West division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. They played for four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962, the Dodgers as a franchise have won six World Series titles and 21 National League pennants. 11 NL MVP award winners have played for the Dodgers, winning a total of 13 MVP Awards, Eight Cy Young Award winners have pitched for the Dodgers, winning a total of twelve Cy Young Awards. The team has also produced 17 Rookie of the Year Award winners, including four consecutive from 1979 to 1982 and five consecutive from 1992 to 1996. In the 20th century, the team, then known as the Robins, won pennants in 1916 and 1920. In the 1930s, the changed its name to the Dodgers. In 1941, the Dodgers captured their third National League pennant and this marked the onset of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry, as the Dodgers would face them in their next six World Series appearances. Following the 1957 season the team left Brooklyn, in just their second season in Los Angeles, the Dodgers won their second World Series title, beating the Chicago White Sox in six games in 1959. The 1963 sweep was their victory against the Yankees. The Dodgers won four pennants in 1966,1974,1977 and 1978. They went on to win the World Series again in 1981, the early 1980s were affectionately dubbed Fernandomania. The Dodgers share a rivalry with the San Francisco Giants. Both teams moved west for the 1958 season, the Giants have won two more World Series, the Dodgers have won 21 National League pennants, while the Giants hold the record with 23. When the two teams were based in New York, the Giants won five World Series championships, after the move to California, the Dodgers have won five in Los Angeles, the Giants have won three in San Francisco. The Dodgers were founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Atlantics, taking the name of a team that had played in Brooklyn before them. The team joined the American Association in 1884 and won the AA championship in 1889 before joining the National League in 1890 and they promptly won the NL Championship their first year in the League
19.
SportsChannel
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At its peak, SportsChannel operated nine networks serving several of the nations largest cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. SportsChannels origins date back to 1976, when Cablevision launched Cablevision Sports 3, the network originated the SportsChannel brand on March 1,1979, when it changed its name to SportsChannel New York. The network carried games from several New York area sports teams including the New York Yankees and New York Mets Major League Baseball franchises, rainbow later launched SportsChannel networks in Florida, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Philadelphia between 1987 and 1990. In December 1988, NBC and Cablevision announced that they would form a joint venture to operate their respective cable networks, in 1990, Rainbow/NBC acquired the San Francisco-based Pacific Sports Network, relaunching it as SportsChannel Bay Area. SportsChannel Los Angeles later ceased operations in 1993 due to financial issues, SportsChannel New York was the first to rebrand, as Fox Sports New York, on January 27,1998. Five of the seven other remaining SportsChannel networks relaunched as member networks of Fox Sports Net later that week, two of the SportsChannel networks would not become part of FSN, one of them not immediately. SportsChannel Florida was also unable to join Fox Sports Net at the time as its sisters as Wayne Huizenga, owner of the NHLs Florida Panthers. However, News Corporation and Cablevision retained joint ownership of Fox Sports Bay Area, Fox Sports Chicago ceased operations in June 2006, after losing the regional cable television rights to local professional teams two years earlier to the newly launched Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Cablevision later rebranded Fox Sports New York as MSG Plus on March 10,2008, SportsChannel America was a national version of SportsChannel that launched in 1988, which was distributed to select cable providers in areas that were not served by a regional SportsChannel network. The networks feature programming was coverage of various National Hockey League games, in 1993, SportsChannel America was replaced by NewSport, a 24-hour sports news channel. The network was also notable for providing live coverage of NASCAR Busch Grand National races beginning in 1990. Some regional SportsChannel networks – which carried NHL games in their local markets – were not affected by the national loss of league rights
20.
My Darling Clementine
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My Darling Clementine is a 1946 American western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral. The ensemble cast also features Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, the title of the movie is borrowed from the theme song Oh My Darling, Clementine, sung in parts over the opening and closing credits. The screenplay is based on the fictionalized biography Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal by Stuart Lake and my Darling Clementine is regarded by many film critics as one of the best Westerns ever made. In 1882, Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, and James Earp are driving cattle to California when they cross Old Man Clanton, when they learn about the nearby boom town of Tombstone, the older brothers ride in, leaving the youngest brother James to watch over the cattle. The Earps soon learn that Tombstone is a town without a marshal. Wyatt is the man in the town willing to face the drunk Indian shooting at the townspeople. When they return to their camp, they find the cattle rustled, seeking to avenge his brothers murder, Wyatt returns to Tombstone. To identify the perpetrator, he takes the position of town marshal and meets with Doc Holliday. Clementine Carter is not a person, and in this script appears to be an amalgam of Big Nose Kate. Unlike the movie characters, the Earps were never cowboys, drovers, important plot devices in the film and personal details about the main characters were all liberally adapted for the movie. Old Man Clanton actually died prior to the gunfight and probably never met any of the Earps, Doc was a dentist, not a surgeon, and survived the shootout. James Earp, who was the first to die in the story, the key women in Wyatts and Docs lives—Wyatts common law wife Josephine and Docs common-law wife Big Nose Kate—were not present in Lakes original story and were kept out of the movie as well. The film gives the date of the gunfight as 1882 when it occurred in 1881. In 1931, Stuart Lake published the first biography two years after Earps death, Lake retold the story in the 1946 book My Darling Clementine, for which Ford acquired the film rights. The gunfight was relatively unknown to the American public until Lake published the two books and after the movie was made. Director John Ford said that when he was a boy in the early days of silent pictures. I used to him a chair and a cup of coffee. So in My Darling Clementine, we did it exactly the way it had been, Ford was working on his last silent feature, Hangmans House, in 1928, which included the first credited screen appearance by John Wayne
21.
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
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It was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary is about Z Channel which was one of the first pay cable TV stations in the US and it gives insights into Harveys constant battle with personal demons which resulted in him ending his own life and the life of his wife in a murder-suicide. Throughout the film a variety of footage featuring some of the films shown on the Z Channel is used and this serves to underline the diversity offered on the channel in particular its attempts to expose its American viewers to undubbed foreign language films. The films ends with a montage of scenes of films with Irving Berlins Whatll I Do. Theme being played over the top of them as performed by the actor William Atherton from the film The Great Gatsby, Z Channel has an overall approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. At Metacritic, the movie scored 85/100 based on 4 critics The film was released to DVD in 2004 as a 2-disc special edition, a VHS release and standard 1-disc edition followed in 2005. Z Channel, A Magnificent Obsession at the Internet Movie Database Z Channel, A Magnificent Obsession at AllMovie
22.
John Cassavetes
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John Nicholas Cassavetes was a Greek-American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He also acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemarys Baby and he studied acting with Don Richardson, using an acting technique based on muscle memory. His income from acting made it possible for him to direct his own films independently and his children Nick Cassavetes, Zoe Cassavetes, and Xan Cassavetes are also filmmakers. His early years were spent with his family in Greece, when he returned at age seven and he was reared on Long Island, New York. He attended Port Washington High School from 1945 to 1947 and participated in Port Weekly, Red Domino, football, next to his photo on page 55 of his 1947 yearbook is written, Cassy is always ready with a wisecrack, but he does have a serious side. Cassavetes attended Blair Academy in New Jersey and spent a semester at Champlain College before being expelled due to his failing grades and he graduated in 1950 and met his future wife Gena Rowlands at her audition into the Academy in 1953 and they were married four months later in 1954. He continued acting in the theater, took parts in films and began working on television in anthology series. By 1956, Cassavetes had begun teaching an alternative to method acting in his own workshop in New York City, an improvisation exercise in his workshop inspired the idea for his writing and directorial debut, Shadows. Cassavetes raised the funds for the production from friends and family and his stated purpose was to make a film about little people, different from Hollywood studio productions. Cassavetes was unable to gain American distribution of Shadows, but it won the Critics Award at the Venice Film Festival, european distributors later released the movie in the United States as an import. Although the box-office of Shadows in the United States was slight, Cassavetes would repeat this performance in the 1956 film version. His first starring role in a film was Edge of the City. He was briefly under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and co-starred with Robert Taylor in the western Saddle the Wind, in the late 1950s, Cassavetes guest-starred in Beverly Garlands groundbreaking crime drama, Decoy, about a New York City woman police undercover detective. Thereafter, he played Johnny Staccato, the character in a television series about a jazz pianist who also worked as a private detective. In total he directed five episodes of the series, which features a guest appearance by his wife Gena Rowlands. It was broadcast on NBC between September 1959 and March 1960 when it was acquired by ABC and although critically acclaimed, Cassavetes would appear on the NBC interview program, Heres Hollywood. Cassavetes directed two movies for Hollywood in the early 1960s – Too Late Blues and A Child Is Waiting, a Child Is Waiting starred Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland. He also starred in the CBS western series Rawhide, in the episode, in the 1963–1964 season, Cassavetes appeared in Jason Everss ABC drama about college life, Channing
23.
WWE
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Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. was an American professional wrestling promotion and the sanctioning body for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Federation. Founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt in 1953, Capitol Wrestling Corporation is the precursor to todays WWE, run by Jess grandson, Jess McMahon was a successful boxing promoter who began working with Tex Rickard in 1926. With the help of Rickard, he began promoting boxing at the third Madison Square Garden, a few years prior, professional wrestler Toots Mondt had created a new challenge of professional wrestling that he called “Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling”. He convinced wrestler Ed Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow to implement this new solution, after much success, a disagreement over power caused the trio to dissolve and, with it, their promotion. Mondt later formed partnerships with other promoters, including Jack Curley in New York City. Mondt eventually took over the New York wrestling scene, due to the fact Curley was dying, with the aid of several bookers, together, McMahon and Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. which later joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1953. In November 1954, Jess McMahon died and Ray Fabiani, one of Mondts associates, both men left the company in protest following the incident and formed the WWWF in the process, awarding Rogers the new WWWF World Heavyweight Championship in April of that year. He lost the championship to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17,1963, after gaining a television program deal and turning preliminary wrestler Lou Albano as a manager for Sammartinos heel opponents, the WWWF was doing sell out business by 1970. Mondt left the company in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had withdrawn from the NWA, Vince McMahon, at the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and WWF employee Jim Barnett all withdrew from the organization. By March 1979, for marketing purposes, the World Wide Wrestling Federation was renamed the World Wrestling Federation and that same year, Vincent J. McMahons son, Vincent K. McMahon, founded Titan Sports, Inc. incorporated on February 21,1980, originally in Massachusetts. In 1982, Titan Sports Inc. acquired Capitols operations, effectively relocating its headquarters to Greenwich, in an attempt to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the world, McMahon began an expansion that fundamentally changed the industry. In the end, the elder McMahon would never live to see his company grow from a promotion to what is now a worldwide organization. He died from cancer at 69 years old on May 24,1984. By 1985, Titan moved to Stamford, Connecticut then establishing a new entity in 1987 in Delaware which later merged with the old company in 1988. Titan later changed its name to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. before finally becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, list of independent wrestling promotions in the United States
24.
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
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The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Demolition of the began in September 2016. The arena was opened in 1959 by Vice President Richard Nixon on July 4 and its first event followed four days later, a bantamweight title fight between José Becerra and Alphonse Halimi on July 8. It was the home for basketball for the USC Trojans from 1959 to 2006. The arena played host to the top indoor track meet on the West Coast, since the Trojans departure, the arena assumed a lower profile. The arena still continued to hold high school championships, as well as concerts. The UCLA mens basketball team played a majority of their games at the Sports Arena during the 2011–12 season while Pauley Pavilion underwent renovation. S. NBCs renewed version of American Gladiators and the 1999–2001 syndicated show Battle Dome were filmed from the arena, plans included a seating capacity of 18,000 for basketball,84 luxury suites, and an on-site practice facility for the Clippers. The seating capacity for basketball has changed over the years, The arena underwent major renovations to bring it up to 21st century seismic standards and was well maintained. There were four fully equipped team rooms, two rooms for officials, and two private dressing rooms for individual performers. There were two additional meeting rooms on site which could be used for administrative or hospitality functions, the floor area comprised a 144-by-262-foot space, affording the largest standing floor capacity of any arena in the area. There was a 75-foot vertical clearance, there was an enormous load-in ramp at the west side of the arena with a 40-foot wide entry. Print, radio and television media was serviced on each side of the arena by installation of any kind of portable facilities, five permanent TV locations were located on the concourse level. In addition, a 6-foot-wide catwalk was suspended from the ceiling, spectators could reach arena level seating area either by a circulatory ramp on the southwest side of the building or by a stairway located next to the north doors. There were also located at the southwest and northeast sides of the building. The Sports Arena was the first NBA arena to feature a rotating billboard at courtside, rotating billboards eventually became standard at all NBA arena until the mid-2000s, when LED billboard/scorers tables were introduced. Spectator amenities included a full-service main ticket office, a box office and 2 portable booths,6 permanent concession stands. A club and restaurant were located on the level of the facility
25.
Madison Square Garden
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Madison Square Garden, often called MSG or simply The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Located in Midtown Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues from 31st to 33rd Streets, it is situated atop Pennsylvania Station. The Garden is used for basketball and ice hockey, as well as boxing, concerts, ice shows, circuses, professional wrestling and other forms of sports. It is close to other midtown Manhattan landmarks, including the Empire State Building, Koreatown and it is home to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association, and residency to singer-songwriter Billy Joel. The Garden opened on February 11,1968, and is the oldest major sporting facility in the New York metropolitan area and it is the oldest arena in the National Hockey League and the second-oldest arena in the National Basketball Association. MSG is the fourth-busiest music arena in the world in terms of sales, behind The O2 Arena. At a total construction cost of approximately $1.1 billion and it is part of the Pennsylvania Plaza office and retail complex. Several other operating entities related to the Garden share its name, Madison Square is formed by the intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in Manhattan. It was named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States, two venues called Madison Square Garden were located just northeast of the square, the first from 1879 to 1890, and the second from 1890 to 1925. The first Garden, leased to P. T. Barnum, had no roof and was inconvenient to use during inclement weather, Madison Square Garden II was designed by noted architect Stanford White. The new building was built by a syndicate which included J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, P. T. Barnum, Darius Mills, James Stillman and W. W. Astor. It was 200 feet by 485 feet, and the main hall and it had a 1, 200-seat theatre, a concert hall with a capacity of 1,500, the largest restaurant in the city and a roof garden cabaret. A third Madison Square Garden opened in a new location, on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, from 1925 to 1968, groundbreaking on the third Madison Square Garden took place on January 9,1925. Designed by the theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was built at the cost of $4.75 million in 249 days by boxing promoter Tex Rickard. The arena was 200 feet by 375 feet, with seating on three levels, and a capacity of 18,496 spectators for boxing. Demolition commenced in 1968 after the opening of the current Garden and it finished up in early 1969, and the site is now where One Worldwide Plaza is located. The new structure was one of the first of its kind to be built above the platforms of a railroad station. It was an engineering feat constructed by Robert E. McKee of El Paso, public outcry over the demolition of the Pennsylvania Station structure—an outstanding example of Beaux-Arts architecture—led to the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
26.
MSG (TV network)
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MSG is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by MSG Networks, Inc. —a spin-off of The Madison Square Garden Company. Primarily serving the Mid-Atlantic United States, its focuses on events featuring. The channel is named after the Madison Square Garden sports and entertainment venue in Midtown Manhattan, what would become MSG debuted on October 15,1969, with an NHL hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Minnesota North Stars. As a result, it became the first regional network in North America. The channel, which at the time did not even have a name, was carried by Manhattan Cable Television under a one-year, 125-event deal that was signed in May 1969. At the time, the provider, which had televised New York Knickerbockers and Rangers post-season games the previous spring for a $25,000 rights fee, had only 13,000 subscribers. Madison Square Garden renewed the deal with what was now Sterling Manhattan Cable Television in the fall of 1970, charles Dolan, who later headed MSG and Cablevision, was the president of Sterling Manhattan at the time. Games held at Madison Square Garden later appeared on cable network Home Box Office during the networks early years. By 1978, the first mentions of the temporarily named Madison Square Garden Network appeared in print advertising, by the mid-1980s, the channel was using both the full name Madison Square Garden Network and its new abbreviated form MSG Network. By the early 1990s, the name became MSG full-time. On October 5,2006, MSG underwent a rebrand with the introduction of a new logo and graphics package. In February 2010, Cablevision spun off MSG Network, the Madison Square Garden venue, in September 2015, the MSG Networks division was spun out as a separate entity from the companys sports ownership and entertainment arms. MSG controlling owner James L. Dolan began exploring a sale of the network in April 2017, upon its launch in 2014, MSG also became the television home of the Westchester Knicks, the New York Knicks farm club in the NBA Development League. In 2010, MSG began broadcasting content from the NFLs New York Giants. MSG also operates a channel, MSG Plus, which is the primary home of the NHLs New Jersey Devils. MSG Network broadcasts soccer events from the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, the Pac-10, Big 12 and ACC telecasts are carried though Fox Sports Networks, while the other games are either produced by the conferences themselves or through ESPN Plus. Additionally, MSG offers locally produced games from Hofstra University and other area colleges, MSG formerly carried games from the Big East Conference, along with the coaches shows for Rutgers and St. Johns University. In July 2008, the Big East and SportsNet New York announced a deal which gave SNY exclusive regional rights to Big East coaches shows
27.
Boston Garden
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Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, United States. It was above North Station, a station which was originally a hub for the Boston and Maine Railroad and is now a hub for MBTA Commuter Rail. It was also used as a hall for political rallies such as the speech by John F. Kennedy in November 1960. Boston Garden was demolished in 1998, three years after the completion of its new arena, TD Garden. The Gardens first event was on November 17,1928, a card headlined by Boston Native Honey Boy Dick Finnegans defeat of Andre Routis. The first team sporting event was three days later, an ice hockey game between the Bruins and the archrival Montreal Canadiens, won by the Canadiens 1–0. The game was attended by 17,000 fans,2,000 over capacity, the game started 25 minutes late. Windows and doors were broken by the fans in the action, the first non-sporting event, a conclave featuring evangelist Rodney Gipsy Smith, was held on March 24,1929. During the Boston Gardens early years, the arena was owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation and controlled by Rickard, in 1934, the Madison Square Garden Corporation sold its interest in the Boston Garden to the Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham. This resulted in the creation of the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation, george V. Brown served as general manager of the Garden under the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation until his death in 1937, when he was succeeded by his son, Walter A. Brown. During the early years of the Boston Garden, the main draws were boxing, wrestling. Johnny Indrisano, Lou Brouillard, Ernie Schaaf, Al Mello, wrestling became big due to the popularity of Gus Sonnenberg. Sonnenberg defeated Ed Strangler Lewis at the Garden in 1929 in a fight that set a record for a wrestling match. Paul Bowser promoted wrestling in Boston at this time and when the sport began to lose popularity, OMahony became a popular draw at the Garden. The Garden suffered economically during the Great Depression, during this period Sonja Henies Hollywood Ice Revue and the Ice Follies were successful draws and kept the Garden afloat. In 1939, a dispute between Henie and her managers led Walter Brown and eight other arena managers to found the Ice Capades. It was famous as the hotel of choice for people attending Garden events, and by 1958 had been purchased by the Boston and Maine Railroad, and renamed the Hotel Madison. The permanently closed black-painted skyway doors on the Gardens west-facing exterior after the hotels closure, the Tip ONeill Federal Building now stands on the site of the former hotel
28.
New England Sports Network
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NESN /nɛs. ɛn/ is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network that is owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group and Delaware North. Headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the network is carried on cable providers throughout New England. NESN is also distributed nationally on satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network, NESN is also on PlayStation Vue at the same areas it is broadcast on cable. NESN is the broadcaster of the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins – serving as the exclusive home for all games that are not televised by a national network. NESN also carries minor league games, regional college sports events, various outdoor and sports talk shows. NESN launched on March 21,1984, originally operating as a premium channel, NESN periodically sent guest color commentators to the booth, among which included Rico Petrocelli, Bill Monbouquette and Dick Radatz, the in-studio host was Sean McDonough. NESN reaffiliated with Fox Sports 15 years later in September 2013 after the now renamed and Comcast-owned CSN New England dropped FSN programming, afterwards, until early 2006, NESN carried simulcasts of ESPNews during the afternoon and overnight hours. NESN and NESN National also agreed to certain games from the inaugural season of the Fall Experimental Football League in October and November 2014. NESN has provided coverage of the Boston Red Soxs Major League Baseball games since the networks initial spring training game broadcast upon its March 21,1984 launch, NESN now carries full coverage of Red Sox games as well as in-depth pre-game and post-game shows. For its first two decades, NESN split coverage with broadcast television stations in the market territory, with an increasing number of games moving to NESN. Since 2006, NESN is the home of all Red Sox games that are not nationally televised, using the slogan One Nation. In 2006, NESN became the first regional network to broadcast all Major League Baseball games in high definition. For Red Sox game broadcasts, Dave OBrien serves as the announcer with Jerry Remy as his color commentator. In 2009, Remy took a leave of absence for most of the season due to health complications stemming from his November 2008 lung cancer surgery. During that season, several people filled in including Dennis Eckersley, Remy returned to the booth that August. Nick Cafardo and Peter Abraham make regular appearances on Game Day Live, in 2006, NESN introduced a segment on Fridays before the pre-game show called Friday Night Fenway, which showcases pre-game activities from inside Fenway Park before Red Sox home games that day. NESNs studio shows were originally broadcast from the networks Fenway Park studio, since 2003, NESN has broadcast its pre-game show from Yawkey Way during home games held at Fenway Park. For road games, the shows originate out of NESNs main studios in Watertown
29.
Spectrum (arena)
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The Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Spectrum was demolished between November 2010 and May 2011, a more than a year after the arenas final event took place on October 31,2009. Ground was broken on the arena on June 1,1966, by Jerry Wolman, the first event at the arena was the Quaker City Jazz Festival on September 30,1967, produced by Larry Magid. The NBA 76ers also moved there from Convention Hall as a major league sports tenant. Lou Scheinfeld, former President of the Spectrum, explained that the name Spectrum was selected to evoke the broad range of events to be held there. The SP for sports and South Philadelphia, E for entertainment, C for circuses, T for theatricals, R for recreation, and UM as um, what a nice building. Scheinfeld also said that a seat in the citys first superbox initially cost $1,000 a year, For every Flyers game, Sixers game, circus, you name it, the Flyers won their first ever home game in this arena by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0. Bill Sutherland scored the arenas first goal, the 76ers moved their home games to Convention Hall and to the Palestra, but neither of those arenas had ice rinks at the time, and there were no other NHL-quality sites in the Philadelphia area. Similarly, in 1993, the Flyers played a day game against the Los Angeles Kings during a blizzard, a piece of flying debris smashed out one of the concourse windows, cancelling the game just after the first period. In the 1970s, the location on Broad Street and the reputation for fisticuffs that the Flyers had developed led to the nickname Broad Street Bullies. A plaque inside The Spectrum stated that it held the record for the fastest conversion from Hockey to Basketball. The Spectrum, along with the Met Center and The Forum, was one of the first sports arenas to have a scoreboard with a messageboard. Furthermore, the messageboards on the Spectrum scoreboard were the first dot matrix screens in pro hockey or basketball, capable of photos, animation, and replays as well as messages. This was replaced in 1986 with ArenaVision, which consisted of six 9-by-12-foot rear-projection videoscreens at the top, inside the videoscreens were General Electric projectors located 15 feet away from each screen. Two games in the inaugural Canada Cup hockey tournament were held at the Spectrum in September of that year, as the U. S. took on Czechoslovakia. Ten NHL or NBA playoff championship series were hosted at the Spectrum, the Flyers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1974,1975,1976,1980,1985, and 1987. The 76ers played in the NBA Finals in 1977,1980,1982, the 1976 and 1992 NHL, and 1970 and 1976 NBA All-Star Games were also held here. The AHL Phantoms also won their first Calder Cup title on Spectrum ice before a crowd of 17,380 on June 10,1998, by defeating the Saint John Flames
30.
PRISM (TV network)
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PRISM is a defunct American regional premium cable television channel in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metropolitan area. Launched in September 1976, PRISM was primarily distributed through area cable systems, due to broadcasting restrictions imposed by the three major sports leagues, as a cable channel, the network limited its distribution to within 125 miles of Philadelphia proper. PRISM launched at 5,30 p. m. Eastern Time on September 1,1976, it debuted with a message by announcer Hugh Gannon, Good evening, PRISM, the pay-television network, is on the air. Following this was the first movie to be broadcast on PRISM, the 1975 film The Wind, ten days later on September 10, the channel aired its first sports telecast, a Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs. At its launch, PRISM only had six subscribers, all located in Upper Darby, the network was founded by Edward M. Its sports coverage extended to sports-based original programming, such as Broad & Pattison, The Great Sports Debate and the monthly sports anthology series Sports Scrapbook. 76ers telecasts on PRISM during the run of the channel featured several professional basketball coaches as analysts including Chuck Daly, Gene Shue, Hubie Brown, Matt Guokas and Jack Ramsey. The network acted as a leader in its early years of existence, consistently losing money throughout its first five years in operation. In 1982, Snider bought out Foxs 50% stake in PRISM and PRISM New England and this only lasted for two years, ending when WWSG was sold to the Grant Broadcasting System in 1985 and was converted into a general entertainment independent station as WGBS-TV. Although PRISM was a service, it eventually took on the unconventional model of operating as a part advertiser-supported/part commercial-free service. In 1985, CBS acquired a minority stake in PRISM, both CBS and The Washington Post Company sold their interests in the channel to Rainbow Media in 1987, giving the latter company full control of the channel. By the late 1980s, the full name, Philadelphia Regional In-Home Sports. By 1986, PRISM had about 370,000 subscribers, most of whom received the network through a cable provider. By that time, Cablevision began to sell PRISM to cable providers as part of a package with American Movie Classics, then a premium channel focusing on classic films from the 1930s through the 1970s. On January 1,1990, Rainbow Media launched a basic cable channel to PRISM, SportsChannel Philadelphia. Rainbow Media launched websites for all of its channels, including PRISM. Comcast indicated that a new network was the route it would take. PRISM/SportsChannels deal with the Flyers was set to end that fall, while the Phillies contract ended after the 1997 season, with uncertainty over its future, relations between PRISM/SportsChannel and Comcast Spectacor became somewhat strained
31.
Blazing Saddles
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Blazing Saddles is a 1974 American satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergmans story and draft. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences, was nominated for three Academy Awards, and is ranked No.6 on the American Film Institutes 100 Years.100 Laughs list. Brooks appears in two supporting roles, Governor William J. Le Petomane and a Yiddish-speaking Indian chief, he also dubs lines for one of Lili von Shtupps backing troupe. The supporting cast includes Slim Pickens, Alex Karras, and David Huddleston, as well as Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, bandleader Count Basie has a cameo as himself. The film satirizes the racism obscured by myth-making Hollywood accounts of the American West, in the American Old West of 1874, construction on a new railroad will soon be going through Rock Ridge, a frontier town inhabited exclusively by white people with the surname Johnson. The conniving State Attorney General Hedley Lamarr wants to force Rock Ridges residents to abandon their town, Lamarr persuades the dim-witted Le Petomane to appoint Bart, a black railroad worker who was about to be hanged. A black sheriff, he reasons, will offend the townspeople, create chaos, with his quick wits and the assistance of recovering alcoholic gunslinger Jim, the Waco Kid, Bart works to overcome the townspeoples hostile reception. He subdues Mongo, an strong, dim-witted, but philosophical henchman sent to kill him. Lamarr, furious that his schemes have backfired, hatches a plan involving a recruited army of thugs, including common criminals, Ku Klux Klansmen. They labor all night to build a replica of their town, as a diversion. Once through the tollbooth, the attack the fake town populated with dummies. After Jim detonates the bombs with his sharpshooting, launching bad guys and horses skyward, Film lot into the streets of Burbank. Lamarr, realizing he has been beaten again, hails a taxi and he ducks into Graumans Chinese Theatre, which is playing the premiere of Blazing Saddles. As he settles into his seat, he sees Bart arriving on horseback outside the theatre, Bart blocks Lamarrs escape, and then, in a spoof of a classic cinematic gunfight, shoots him in the groin. Bart and Jim then go into Graumans to watch the end of the film, in which Bart announces to the townspeople that he is moving on, riding out of town, he finds Jim, and invites him along to nowhere special. The two friends ride off into the sunset—in a chauffeured stretch limousine, cast notes Count Basie had a cameo appearance with his band, playing April in Paris in the middle of the desert as Bart rides toward Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff. The idea for the film came from an outline written by Andrew Bergman that he originally intended to develop
32.
Freebie and the Bean
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Freebie and the Bean is a 1974 American action-comedy film about two off-beat police detectives who wreak havoc in San Francisco attempting to bring down a local organized crime boss. The picture, a precursor to the buddy cop film genre popularized a decade later, stars James Caan, Alan Arkin, Loretta Swit, Harper was nominated for the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for playing the Hispanic wife of Alan Arkin. The film was directed by Richard Rush, an article in Rolling Stone magazine alleged that Stanley Kubrick called Freebie and the Bean the best film of 1974. Arkin and Caan would not appear in another movie together until the 2008 film adaptation of Get Smart, Freebie and Bean are a pair of maverick detectives with the SFPD Intelligence Squad. The volatile gratuity-seeking Freebie is trying to get promoted to the squad to garner perks for his retirement while the neurotic. After rejecting their pretext arrest of Meyers to protect him, the district attorney orders them to him alive until Monday. Tailing him, they receive word that their witness has been located, unbeknownst to them, the hooker he has picked up is actually a female impersonator and another hit man. During the arrest attempt Bean is shot by the hit man, Freebie corners the hit man in a womens restroom and despite being shot himself, rescues a hostage and kills the hit man. The D. A. arrives after the shootings and tells Freebie that the warrant is canceled because the witness was assassinated on the way to the station. Freebie goes nuts and demands to be allowed to arrest Meyers, Freebie is further demoralized to learn that the evidence they gathered was planted by Meyers wife in an extra-marital conspiracy with the lieutenant in command of their squad. Bean is not dead after all, however, and in the ambulance the two wounded partners engage in a free-for-all, blaming each other for their injuries, and causing yet another accident. James Caan as Freebie Alan Arkin as Bean Loretta Swit as Mildred Meyers, the plot involves the totaling of three unmarked police vehicles during chase-crash sequences. One was filmed on the since-demolished Embarcadero Freeway, ending with Caan, the couple retains their aplomb throughout. Plans to distribute the film in early 1974 were shelved due to concerns about competition with Peter Hyams similar Busting, Freebie and the Bean was finally issued as a Christmas release, and became a substantial box office success. It earned rentals in North America of $12.5 million, the film was released on DVD in 2009 through Warner Home Videos Warner Archive label
33.
American Graffiti
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Suzanne Somers and Joe Spano have cameos. Set in Modesto, California in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and rock, the film is told in a series of vignettes, telling the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over a single evening. The genesis of American Graffiti was in Lucas own teenage years in early 1960s Modesto. filming was initially set to take place in San Rafael, California, but the production crew was denied permission to shoot beyond a second day. American Graffiti premiered on August 2,1973 at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland and was released on August 11,1973 in the United States, the film received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget, it has one of the most profitable films of all time. Since its initial release, American Graffiti has garnered an estimated return of well over $200 million in box office gross and home video sales, not including merchandising. In 1995, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, a sequel, More American Graffiti, was released in 1979. Curt and Steve are scheduled to travel the next morning to Northeastern United States to start college, despite receiving a $2,000 scholarship from the local Moose Lodge, Curt has second thoughts about leaving Modesto. Steve gives Toad his 1958 Chevrolet Impala to watch while hes away at college until he returns at Christmas, Steves girlfriend, Laurie, who is also Curts sister, arrives in her car. Steve suggests to Laurie, who is already glum about him going to college, though not openly upset, she is displeased with his proposal which affects their interactions the rest of the evening. Curt accompanies Steve, last years high school student class president, and Laurie, after leaving the hop, Curt is coerced by a group of greasers to participate in an initiation rite that involves hooking a chain to a police car and ripping out its back axle. The Pharaohs tell Curt that The Blonde is a wife or prostitute. Determined to get a message to the girl, Curt drives to the local radio station to ask DJ Wolfman Jack. Inside the radio station, Curt encounters a man who tells him that the voice of The Wolfman is pre-taped from afar. The man still accepts the message from Curt to see what he could do, as he is leaving the station, Curt sees the man talking into the microphone and hears the voice of The Wolfman, and realizes the man is the actual DJ himself. Sure enough, The Wolfman eventually reads the message on the radio for The Blonde to meet Curt or call him at a number which happens to be a telephone booth, Curt waits by the telephone booth and early the next morning, he is awakened by the phone ringing. It turns out to be The Blonde who says she knows him, Curt replies probably not, intimating that he decided to go to college and will be leaving that morning. Meanwhile The Toad, in Steves car, and John, in his yellow 1932 Deuce Coupé hot rod, Toad, who is normally socially inept with girls, successfully picks up a flirtatious, and somewhat rebellious, girl named Debbie
34.
MacArthur (film)
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MacArthur is a 1977 American biographical war film directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Gregory Peck in the eponymous role as American General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. I thought they shortchanged the production, in a meeting in Pearl Harbor between U. S. The Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Battle of Leyte, which included MacArthurs first return to Philippine soil on 20 October 1944, were in the Visayas, the archipelagic Central Philippines. The Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, with MacArthur making a similarly dramatic landing in the island of Luzon. Prior to the Inchon landing the shows a aircraft on bombing run. The footage used shows an F-4 Phantom II aircraft, the F-4 did not enter service with the United States until 1960. In the parade scene in the beginning, female cadets are shown marching in the formation and that speech was given in 1962. Female cadets were not admitted to West Point until 1976, the uniform of the Soviet Lieutenant General Kuzma N. Derevyanko in the movie erroneously presented with the shoulder boards of a Soviet Senior Lieutenant instead of a Lieutenant General. MacArthur received mixed reviews, it holds a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists,2003, AFIs 100 Years.100 Heroes & Villains, General Douglas MacArthur – Nominated Hero Inchon, MacArthur at the Internet Movie Database MacArthur at AllMovie MacArthur at Rotten Tomatoes
35.
Valentino (1977 film)
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Valentino is a 1977 American biographical film directed by Ken Russell and starring Rudolf Nureyev as Rudolph Valentino. The film is loosely based on the life of Valentino as recounted in the book Valentino. The film also stars Michelle Phillips, Leslie Caron, and Carol Kane, upon its release, Valentino was a critical and commercial failure. Russell later described his decision to make the film as the biggest mistake of his career, the film begins with a mock newsreel sequence showing the chaos around the death of 31-year-old film star Rudolph Valentino. Thousands of fans mob the funeral home until order is restored, the first of these women Bianca de Saulles who knew Valentino when he was a taxi dancer, and gigolo in New York City. He shares with her his dream of owning an orange grove in California, after mobsters rob him, he decides he must make the move west. Next is a movie executive and screenwriter named June Mathis. She first meets Valentino in California, where he upsets Mr. Fatty by grabbing the starlet next to Arbuckle and romancing her into becoming his first wife, ackers glamorous and luxurious life, made possible by acting in movies, motivates Valentino to try acting himself. Mathis recalls seeing him in a bit part in a movie and, based on that alone, recommending him for a role in her next project. The hugely successful 1921 film launches Valentino to superstardom, and she is proud to have discovered him, back at the funeral, Alla Nazimova makes a flamboyant entrance. She proceeds to make a scene and, when the photographers ask her to repeat it for the cameras, Nazimova claims a relationship with Valentino and recalls working on Camille with him. Next Natacha Rambova enters and tells reporters that, even though she and Valentino are physically separated, during the filming of The Sheik, she seduces Valentino with a seven veils dance. Despite knowing he is in the midst of divorcing Acker, she insists on going to Mexico so they can marry, once they return to the states, Valentino is arrested for bigamy. The result is his complete humiliation, on the set of Monsieur Beaucaire, Rambova and Sidney Olcott take over directing. Two stage hands, wondering if Rambova calls the shots in bed, too, Rambova demands that whoever did it come forward or she and Valentino will walk off the set for good. Valentino finishes the picture, but Rambova insists he refuse future work at Paramount until Lasky meets certain demands, Lasky suspends them and they end up broke. A man named George Melford approaches them, Melford is meant to be Valentinos real-life manager and he offers to help them book personal appearances for Mineralava, a beauty product company. The tour is a success, and, with Melfords help, Valentino, a dramatic moment comes when Valentino reads a newspaper article questioning his manhood
36.
Love and Death
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Love and Death is a 1975 comedy film by Woody Allen. It is a satire on Russian literature starring Allen and Diane Keaton as Boris and Sonja, Allen considered it the funniest film he had made by that time. When Napoleon invades Austria during the Napoleonic Wars, Boris Grushenko, desperate and disappointed after hearing the news that Sonja, his cousin twice removed, is to wed a herring merchant, he inadvertently becomes a war hero. To her surprise and disappointment, he survives the duel and their marriage is filled with philosophical debates, and no money. Their life together is interrupted when Napoleon invades the Russian Empire, Boris wants to flee but his wife, angered that the invasion will interfere with their plans to start a family that year, conceives a plot to assassinate Napoleon at his headquarters in Moscow. Boris and Sonja debate the matter with some degree of philosophical double-talk and they fail to kill Napoleon and Sonja escapes arrest while Boris is executed, despite being told by a vision that he will be pardoned. This made the director never to shoot a movie outside the US again. However, starting twenty-one years later, in 1996 with Everyone Says I Love You, coming between Allens Sleeper and Annie Hall, Love and Death is in many respects an artistic transition between the two. Allen pays tribute to the humor of The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, the dialogue and scenarios parody Russian novels, particularly those by Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, such as The Brothers Karamazov, Crime and Punishment, The Gambler, The Idiot, and War and Peace. This includes a dialogue between Boris and his father, with each line alluding to or being composed entirely of Dostoyevsky titles, the use of Prokofiev on the soundtrack adds to the Russian flavor of the film. Prokofievs Troika from the Lieutenant Kijé Suite is featured prominently, for the opening and closing credits. The battle scene is accompanied with the music from Sergei Eisenstein’s film Alexander Nevsky, Boris is marched to his execution to the March from Prokofievs The Love for Three Oranges. Some of the humor is straightforward, other jokes rely on the awareness of classic literature or contemporary European cinema. For example, the shot of Keaton is a reference to Ingmar Bergmans Persona. The sequence with the lions is a parody of Sergei Eisensteins Battleship Potemkin. Bergmans The Seventh Seal is parodied several times, including during the climax, the film grossed over $20 million in North America, making it the 18th highest grossing picture of 1975. At Rotten Tomatoes,18 out of 18 critics—including three of the sites top critics—consider the film fresh, with an average 8. 1/10 rating. In September 2008, in a poll held by Empire magazine, in October 2013, the film was voted by the Guardian readers as the seventh best film directed by Woody Allen
37.
Jesus Christ Superstar (film)
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The film, starring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, and Barry Dennen, centers on the conflict between Judas and Jesus during the week before the crucifixion of Jesus. Neeley and Anderson were nominated for two Golden Globe Awards in 1974 for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas, respectively, although it attracted criticism from some religious groups, reviews for the film were positive. The film is framed as a group of performers who travel to the desert to re-enact the Passion of Christ, the film begins with them arriving on a bus, assembling their props and getting into costume. One of the group is surrounded by the others, puts on a white robe, the other disciples badger Jesus for information about his plans for the future, but Jesus will not give them any. Judas arrival and subsequent declaration that Jesus should not associate with Mary dampens the mood, angrily, Jesus tells Judas that he should leave Mary alone, because his slate is not clean. He then accuses all the apostles of not caring about him and that night at the Temple, Caiaphas is worried that the people will crown Jesus as king, which the Romans will take for an uprising. Annas tries to allay his fears, but he finally sees Caiaphas point and suggests that he convene the council and explain his fears to them, Caiaphas agrees. As Jesus and his apostles settle for the night, Mary soothes him with some expensive ointment, Jesus rebukes him again, telling him that the poor will be there always but Jesus will not. The next day at the Temple of Jerusalem, the council of the priests discuss their fears about Jesus, Caiaphas tells them that there is only one solution, like John the Baptist, Jesus must be executed for the sake of the nation. Jesus and his followers arrive in Jerusalem, but Caiaphas orders Jesus to disband the crowd for fear of a riot. Jesus refuses and speaks to the crowd, later, the apostle Simon Zealotes and a crowd of followers voice their admiration for Jesus. Jesus appreciates this, but becomes worried when Simon suggests directing the crowd towards an uprising against their Roman occupiers, Jesus sadly dismisses this suggestion, saying that they do not understand His true purpose. Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, reveals that he has dreamed about a Galilean man, Jesus and his followers arrive at the temple, which has been taken over by money changers and prostitutes. To Judas horror and as the watch in the background. Jesus wanders alone outside the city, but is surrounded by a crowd of lepers, Jesus tries to heal as many of them as possible, but is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and eventually gives up, screaming at them to leave him alone. Mary comforts Jesus and Jesus goes to sleep, Mary loves Jesus, but is confused because he is so unlike any other man she has met. Judas goes to the priests and expresses his concerns, but he is worried about the consequences of betraying Jesus, the priests take advantage of his doubts and offer him money if he will lead them to Jesus. Judas initially refuses, but Caiaphas and Annas win him over by reminding him that he could use the money to help the poor, Judas reveals that Jesus will be at the Garden of Gethsemene on Thursday night
38.
Cooley High
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Cooley High, directed by Michael Schultz, is a comedic drama that follows the narrative of high school seniors and best-friends, Leroy “Preach” Jackson and Richard “Cochise” Morris. Written by Eric Monte, and produced by American International Pictures, set in 1964 Chicago, Preach and Cochise are best friends who are both celebrating the final weeks of their senior year with their classmates at Edwin G. Cooley Vocational High School. Mr. Mason, the history teacher, persuades the police to release Preach and Cochise because of their clean record. When Stone and Robert are released from jail a few days later, together, they find Cochise on a side street, corner him, and beat him straight to a bloody pulp, leaving him for dead. Having been notified of the attack on Cochise, Preach frantically searches the streets, Monte based the film on his experiences attending the real-life Cooley Vocational High School that served students from the Cabrini–Green public housing projects in Chicago. While the film was set in and around Cabrini–Green, it was filmed at another Chicago-area housing project. Actor Rick Stone, who played the character of Stone in the film, during this interview, screenwriter Eric Monte revealed that Cochises untimely death in the film was inspired by a childhood friend of his who had been killed in a similar manner. Unfortunately, not everyone from the film went on to live a life of success, nearly two years after the films release, Norman Gibson was gunned down outside of his neighborhood. The movie was filmed from October to November 1974, Cooley High was a critical and commercial success. Produced on a $750,000 budget, the film grossed $13 million at the box office. The film holds an 82% Fresh rating on the aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. Filmmaker Spike Lee included the film on his essential film list entitled List of Films All Aspiring Filmmakers Must See, the movie also ranked #23 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the 50 Best High School Movies. New writers were hired, cast changes made, and a switch from one-camera to three-camera filming delivered Whats Happening. to the network, the show and the production company were then purchased by Columbia Pictures Television in 1979 and ran in syndication for a number of years. Cooley High also inspired the CBS television show The White Shadow, in 2000, Cooley High was released on DVD. In 2010, it was digitized in High Definition and broadcast on MGM HD, List of American films of 1975 Whats Happening Now. Cooley High at the Internet Movie Database Cooley High at the TCM Movie Database Cooley High at AllMovie
39.
The Wind and the Lion
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The film was loosely based on the real-life Perdicaris incident of 1904. The film was distributed in the U. S. by United Artists, President Theodore Roosevelt to send an armed invasion force and rescue mission to Morocco. During 1904, Morocco is the source of conflict among the powers of Germany, France, and he kidnaps Eden Pedecaris and her children, William and Jennifer, in a raid on their home, during which Sir Joshua Smith, a British friend of Edens, is killed. Raisuli then issues a ransom demand, deliberately attempting to provoke an international incident in order to embarrass the Sultan. In the United States, President Theodore Roosevelt is seeking election to a full term, Roosevelt finds himself gaining more and more respect for Raisuli, thinking him an honorable man who just happens to be his enemy. The Pedecarises are kept as hostages by Raisuli in the Rif, though her children seem to admire Raisuli, Eden finds him a brigand and a lout. The Pedecarises attempt an escape, helped by one of Raisulis men, luckily, Raisuli has tracked them and kills the kidnappers with rifle and sword. He reveals that he not have any intention of harming the Pedecarises and is merely bluffing. Eden and Raisuli become enamored of each other as Raisuli reveals his story, that he was taken captive by his brother, the Bashaw. Under such coercion, the Bashaw finally agrees to accede to the Raisulis demands, a three-way battle results, in which the Berbers and Americans team up to defeat the Germans and their Moroccan allies, rescuing Raisuli in the process. In the United States, Roosevelt is cheered for this victory. Roosevelt reads a letter he received from Raisuli, comparing the two men, I, like the lion, must remain in my place, while you, like the wind, will never know yours. Milius stated both in interviews and the DVD commentary that he was consciously echoing a number of adventure films. He cites the famous British periodical Boys Own, as well as the stories of Rudyard Kipling, walter Harriss 1921 book Morocco That Was inspired the depiction of Sultan Abdelazizs court. Milius took similar care in researching the scenes with Theodore Roosevelt, Milius says he originally wanted Mrs. Pedicaris to be 55 or 60 and played by Katharine Hepburn with the children being her grandchildren, and the Berber would be a similar age. That was the purest form the movie ever had, Roosevelt was a very young, visceral presence, a vibrant man who represented a new world, who understood Raisulis world very well but was forced to change it. However he had to make the characters younger to get the film financed. No one wanted to make a movie about Arabs and Teddy Roosevelt, so we had to make concessions, a more romantic male, a beautiful woman, much more box office that way
40.
Airport 1975
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Airport 1975 is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film Airport. Airport 1975 is directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, the film stars Charlton Heston, Karen Black and George Kennedy, as well as, in her final screen appearance, Gloria Swanson. Airport 1975 was the seventh highest-grossing movie of 1974 at the U. S. A. Columbia Air Lines Flight 409 is a Boeing 747-100 on a red-eye route from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. Scott Freeman, meanwhile, is a New Mexican businessman flying his private Beechcraft Baron to an urgent sales meeting in Boise, however, an occluded front has the entire West Coast socked in, with Los Angeles reporting zero visibility. Columbia 409 and Freemans Beechcraft are both diverted to Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake air traffic control assigns Columbia 409 to land ahead of Freemans Beechcraft. As Columbia 409 is about to start its descent, First Officer Urias unlocks himself from his seat to check out a vibration, just then, Freeman suffers a massive heart attack and unknowingly descends into the approach of Columbia 409. Captain Stacy is struck in the face by debris and is blinded, Nancy Pryor, the First Stewardess, rushes to the flight deck, to find Flight Engineer Julio dead, First Officer Urias gone and Captain Stacy injured. Although severely injured and blinded, he is still alive, using the last of his strength, Captain Stacey is able to engage the autopilot and the altitude hold switch before losing consciousness. Pryor informs the Salt Lake control tower that the crew is dead or badly injured and she gives an assessment of the damage as a large hole on the right side of the flight deck that destroyed most of the instrument gauges over the engineer station. Joe Patroni, Columbias Vice President of Operations, is apprised of Columbia 409s situation and he seeks the advice of Captain Al Murdock, Columbias chief flight instructor, who also happens to be Nancy Pryors boyfriend, even though their relationship was on the rocks at that time. Patroni and Murdock take the executive jet to Salt Lake. En route, they communicate with Pryor, learning that the autopilot is keeping the aircraft in level flight, Pryor realizes that she must accelerate to be able to climb over the mountain and successfully does so. After Columbia 409 has leveled off, the replacement pilot is released towards the stricken airliner, just as Pryor is helping him in, the release cord from his harness becomes caught in the jagged metal surrounding the hole in the cockpit. As he climbs in, his harness is released from the tether, the only other person on the helicopter who can land a 747 is Captain Murdock. He is tethered to the helicopter, lowered to the jet, Airport 1975 used a Boeing 747-123 Freighter s/n 20390, leased from American Airlines. As Sister Ruth, Helen Reddy performs an acoustic version of her song Best Friend to an ailing Linda Blair. The song was written by Reddy and Ray Burton, who also co-wrote her hit single I Am Woman, critical reception was mainly unfavourable with The New Yorker magazines film critic Pauline Kael calling the picture cut-rate swill, produced on a TV-movie budget by mercenary businessmen. Kael also thought the audio problems gave Karen Blacks voice a metallic sound that was grating and that the main character, Airport 1975 was included in the book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time published in 1978
41.
The Yakuza
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The Yakuza is a 1974 neo-noir gangster film directed by Sydney Pollack, written by Leonard Schrader, Paul Schrader, and Robert Towne. The film is about a man who returns to Japan after several years away in order to rescue his friends kidnapped daughter, following a lackluster initial release, the film has since gained a cult following. Retired detective Harry Kilmer is called upon by an old friend, Tanner has been doing business with a yakuza gangster, Tono, who has kidnapped Tanners daughter to apply pressure in a business deal involving the sale of guns. Tanner hopes that Kilmer can rescue the girl using his Japanese connections, Tanner and Kilmer had been Marine MPs and friends in Tokyo during the post-war occupation. Kilmer became aware of a woman, Eiko, who was involved in the market so that she could procure penicillin for her sick daughter. Kilmer intervened on behalf of Eiko during a skirmish, saving her life, after theyd been living together, with Kilmer repeatedly asking Eiko to marry him, her brother Ken returned from an island where hed been stranded as an Imperial Japanese soldier. Eiko, cautious to do nothing to offend Ken further, broke off contact with Kilmer, before returning to the US, Kilmer bought Eiko a bar which she operates to this day, named Kilmer House in his honor. Kilmer has never stopped loving her, Kens debt to Kilmer, giri, is a lifelong obligation that traditionally can never be repaid. Tanner believes that Ken would therefore do anything for Kilmer, including rescuing Tanners daughter, traveling to Tokyo with Tanners bodyguard Dusty, they stay at the home of another old military buddy named Oliver Wheat. Kilmer visits Eiko at the closing time, seeking to find Ken. Eikos feelings for Kilmer are clearly as strong as ever and he also becomes reacquainted with Eikos daughter, Hanako, who is delighted to see Kilmer again. Eiko tells Kilmer that her brother can be found at his school in Kyoto. Kilmer travels by train to visit Ken at his kendo school, Ken is no longer a yakuza member, but will still help Kilmer. They find and free the girl, in so doing, Ken takes up the sword once again, using it on one of Tonos men. This is an intrusion by Ken in yakuza affairs. Contracts on both Kens and Kilmers lives are issued, Kilmer resists leaving until the danger to Ken can be resolved. Eiko suggests he see Kens brother, a legal counselor to the yakuza chiefs. Goro is unable to due to his impartial role in yakuza society
