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#Melvyn Hayes
devilspenguins · 3 months
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Melvyn Hayes was all of us during Victoria's story
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scarecrowdrugs · 4 months
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Watching The Curse of Frankenstein for the first time and currently filled with the violent desire to give teenage Victor Frankenstein a swirlie and then steal his lunch money
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panelshowsource · 4 months
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so many fun things coming up!
qi (series u/christmas special) — dec 18th with alan davies, eshaan akbar, jo brand, jimmy carr
never mind the buzzcocks (christmas special) — dec 19th with daisy may cooper, jamali maddix, noel fielding, harry hill, leigh-anne pinnock (little mix), ricky wilson (kaiser chiefs) + special guests dj luck and mc neat, 5ive, the wurzels, blaxin' squad
cats does countdown (christmas special) — dec 21st with jon richardson, joe lycett, roisin conaty, danny dyer, joe wilkinson
i literally just told you (celebrity special) — dec 22nd with aj odudu, ben shephard, bill bailey, sarah millican
would i lie to you (christmas special) — dec 22nd with victoria coren mitchell, alex brooker, naga munchetty, melvyn hayes
big fat quiz of the year 2023 — dec 26th with richard ayoade, mo gilligan, katherine ryan, rosie joes, kevin bridges, mel giedroyc
would i lie to you (series 17) — dec 29th
taskmaster (new year treat) — jan 2nd with deborah meaden, kojey radical, lenny rush, steve backshall, zoe ball
qi (series u) — jan 5th with alan davies, aisling bea, urzila carlson, romesh ranganathan
big fat quiz of telly 2023 — tba with russell howard, babatunde aléshé, jamie demetriou, natasia demetriou, judi love, daisy may cooper
plus a league of their own, rob & romesh vs, late night lycett, a lot!!
what are you excited for this holiday season? :)
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maaradag · 3 months
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massive, rambly spoilers for the new WILTY christmas episode underneath
First thoughts after finishing: oboy, both Lee and David going THROUGH it. Bet Rob was feeling all good safe in his host chair.
The guests were Victoria Coren Mitchell (whee!), Naga Munchetty, Alex Brooker and Melvyn Hayes. I'll admit I had to look everybody's names up except VCM.
Alex Brooker's lie has been available as a clip on the BBC website for a couple of days now, so nothing new there. Delighted by the fact that Victoria's (unbroken?) streak of guessing correctly on this show continues
So for me the show proper started with Victoria's card, which oh my god, holy shit, this was worth the wait.
David looks like he wants to sink into the floor, but for me, as Lee says: "If it helps in any way, I'm absolutely loving it."
I mean this is golden. Victoria starts trying to explain David's underwear philosophy, before turning to David and checking if she's not you know, revealing too much information on national television. David who has already spent the last few minutes looking like this is his worst nightmare, reassures her that no worries, "this is dreadful". All the while Lee is clapping his hands delightedly.
(BONUS Sweet moment!. Naga patting David on the shoulder, in an attempt at reassurement, cringing too hard to be very reassuring)
I don't know who Melvyn Hayes is (I'm not British, so my bad I guess) but his small comments here and there really brought it up a notch. Could have been annoying but it was really funny.
Other nice quotes from this round:
Victoria (to David, having revealed much about his underwear habits): I'm so sorry. (Then she laughs a bit more)
David: thE biBLe AnD fifTy SHadEs oF grAy
Melvin Hayes: I'm excited! (everybody cracks up)
This was FINALLY the resolution of Lee's quest to find out what David wears underneath his clothes.
(If only I still wrote fanfiction, and if only I could ever manage to write RPF this would segment would surely inspire me. Just putting that out into the universe before going back to hiding beneath the covers)
Have some pictures of David going through it:
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BONUS: Lee being a smug bastard
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The Melvin Hayes story did very little for me, as previously mentioned, no clue who he was before this, and the people he mentions are people I've heard about before but also know very little. Glad everyone seems so delighted by it though.
To contrast the previous picture have a happy picture of David and Victoria being pleased by Melvin Hayes story
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THIS IS MY (Feat. a Celebrity Guest whoohooo)
Yet another person I don't know who is, but Patti seemed famous and Lee was all over her which turned out to be quite funny.
Victoria's sounded familiar by any rate, like I heard it before. Delightful story anyhow, her delivery of "better still, you can be in it." killed me.
Naga with the slow reveal of it being Lee that they hadn't recognized. Wonderful! Lovely! No notes. It's great that the story wasn't true because then the digs at Lee, and the Jimmy whatshiface of it all just became the marks of a good liar
(looked it up, the guy's Jimmy Nail. An English singer-songwriter apperenly, according to google).
David used his versatile tool to make decent stomach growls. Colour me impresssed.
Last round is a classic Lee round, in which he gets an herculean task and we watch him try to reel it in. (Alex B turns out to be quite the generous laughter which is great.)
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Tag yourself I'm Alex, losing it.
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twistedtummies2 · 3 months
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Top 12 Portrayals of Bob Cratchit
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In past Decembers, I’ve talked about my favorite adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, “A Christmas Carol,” as well as my favorite portrayals of its central character, the miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge. I felt the most appropriate way to continue things this year was to cover some of the side characters from the story; after all, many of them are just as iconic as Scrooge himself, and each plays an important role in the wicked old screw’s redemptive arc. So, throughout this week, leading up to Christmas Eve, I’ll be talking about seven of the most prominent characters in the story. First up is arguably the most important role besides Scrooge himself: the moneylender’s overworked, underpaid employee, Bob Cratchit. Cratchit is an interesting character because he is, in many ways, the exact polar opposite from Scrooge. He is a foil to the nasty curmudgeon, and his side of the story is easily the most noteworthy part of the tale aside from Scrooge himself. Whereas Scrooge is rich and bitter, jaded by his own tribulations, Bob is poor, but also mild-mannered and tender-hearted, not complaining about his situation but simply trying to make the best of it. He has faced just as much hardship, if not more, compared to Ebenezer, but he comes through it all trying to keep a level head and an optimistic outlook. It’s a bold contrast to Scrooge, who has closed off his heart to all emotion and compassion, and obsesses over his profits. Cratchit doesn’t really change, mentally or emotionally, by the end of the story, but what makes him interesting is his steadfast morality, and the unorthodox obstacle he presents. Bob is the largest hurdle Scrooge has to overcome in his redemption; not because he’s openly antagonistic, but simply because he’s the one Scrooge has arguably wronged the most, and is the one who presents the greatest challenge to gain forgiveness from as a result. Through seeing Cratchit and his family’s plight, above all others, Scrooge realizes just how directly his actions and inactions can affect the world around him: that the people he has power over don’t just disappear when they walk out his door. They have their own lives, their own struggles, and he should consider what he can do to help his fellow people. I’ve played Cratchit three times onstage - one of my most frequent roles - and as a result I’ve become rather protective of this character, and I have a respect for him I probably didn’t have before I ever got to take him on. Choosing my favorite versions of him from other interpretations wasn’t easy. These lists are going to be “description-less” ones; just pictures, names, and credits. Hopefully this won’t be too disappointing. With that said…here are My Top 12 Portrayals of Bob Cratchit!
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12. Jack Cassidy, from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.
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11. Michael York, from A Christmas Carol (1997).
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10. Edward Gower, from A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004).
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9. Mervyn Johns, from Scrooge (1951).
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8. Frank Readick, Jr., from the Campbell Playhouse Radio Production (1939). (The Shadow as Cratchit. I never would have expected that one, by that credit.)
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7. Gary Oldman, from A Christmas Carol (2009).
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6. Mickey Mouse, from Mickey’s Christmas Carol. (Because it's Mickey Mouse. How can you NOT love him?)
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5. Melvyn Hayes, from A Christmas Carol (1971).
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4. Kermit the Frog, from The Muppet Christmas Carol. (I refer you to what I said about Mickey Mouse.)
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3. David Collings, from Scrooge (1970).
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2. David Warner, from A Christmas Carol (1984).
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1. Richard E. Grant, from A Christmas Carol (1999).
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behold…… every actor and va, according to the Tardis wiki etc., to portray the Doctor
technically there are spoilers here
1. Daniel Anthony
2. Rowan Atkinson
3. Christopher Baker
4. Colin Baker
5. Tom Baker
6. John Banks
7. Christopher Barry
8. Joe Bassett
9. Geoffrey Bayldon
10. Tim Bentinck
11. David Bradley
12. Nicholas Briggs
13. Jim Broadbent
14. Ian Brooker
15. Nicola Bryant
16. Bill Burridge
17. Douglas Camfield
18. Peter Capaldi
19. Jonathon Carley
20. Gail Clayton
21. David Coker
22. David Collings
23. Gordon Craig
24. Elliot Crossley
25. Jon Culshaw
26. Peter Davison
27. Jesse Deyi
28. Sacha Dhawan
29. Peter Diamond
30. Jacob Dudman
31. Christopher Eccleston
32. India Fisher
33. George Gallaccio
34. Ncuti Gatwa
35. Adrian Gibbs
36. John Guilor
37. Hugh Grant
38. Richard E Grant
39. Melvyn Hayes
40. Graeme Harper
41. William Hartnell
42. Philip Hinchcliffe
43. Frazer Hines
44. Kieran Hodgson
45. Robert Holmes
46. Anthony Howell
47. Geoffrey Hughes
48. Richard Hurndall
49. John Hurt
50. Derek Jacobi
51. Michael Jayston
52. Andy Jones
53. Jac Jones
54. Paul Kasey
55. Jack Kine
56. Tom Laird
57. Chris Laurens
58. Joanna Lumley
59. Damian Lynch
60. Katy Manning
61. Jo Martin
62. Trevor Martin
63. Sylvester McCoy
64. Paul McGann
65. Terry Molloy
66. Grace Nettle
67. Stephen Noonan
68. Jon Pertwee
69. Michael Pinder
70. Brian Proudfoot
71. Peter Puves
72. Colum Regan
73. Pat Ruins
74. William Russel
75. Matt Smith
76. Debra Stephenson
77. Robert Banks Stewart
78. Matthew Sweet
79. Leo Tang
80. Wink Taylor
81. David Tennant
82. Tim Treolar
83. Michael Troughton
84. Patrick Troughton
85. Unknown
86. Unknown
87. Unknown
88. Angus Villiers-Stuart
89. Chris Walker-Thomson
90. Pete Walsh
91. Terry Walsh
92. Albert Ward
93. David Warner
94. Edmund Warwick
95. Arabella Weir
96. Liz White
97. Jodie Whittaker
98. Anneke Wills
99. Michael Wisher
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upwiththegood · 1 year
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8th February M.S.G. trip to Brick Lane Music Hall Pantomime
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Here we go again and it's so wrong for all those superior types to say that it's the same old, same old. Well, it was the same old coach causing distress and discomfort for some of our members, even causing some of our members not top bother and it was the same old road to the same old venue and the same old cheap drinks in the same old auditorium with the same old staff and the same old queue for he same old disabled toilet but it wasn't all the same, as it was a new rendition of Goldilocks and the three bares and once we had been seated, got settled, we were introduced by the theatres mainstay, one Vincent Hayes M.B.E. and then the food and it was the same old three course meal with some same old people complaining about the same old sauce. Just a little thought and a word in the waitress's ear might've resolved that, as i'm sure that there were alternative sauces on offer. Then it was the show with the same old jokes, the same old cast and the same old everything but no it wasn't as it was mainly a fresh cast with new stars and a different script with different plots, Oh yes it was and once again certain artistic liberties were taken with Melvyn doing his Susie the shoe shine girl skit appearing once again. Then the interval before the grand finale and the raffle plus Melvyn having a word about everything that they get upto during the year and then thanking all the groups on duty today plus a little gift for their organisers, including the same old bunch of flowers for our John. Then the queue to empty the tanks and then alight the coach for the trip home, arriving back at Tovil round about 19.00hrs. and so an excellent day for some came to an end but what an excellent birthday few days for someone.
So for some, it was the same old trip to the same old pantomime but for others it was a break from the normal mundane daily routine, which are the same old.
I for one would like to have something to look forward to and hope that this is carried forward
Happy daze
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doraemonmon · 2 years
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Peter Cushing and Melvyn Hayes, the old and young versions of Baron Victor Frankenstein, check out some Creature-making charts.
The Curse of Frankenstein 1957
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Films watched in 2021.
293: The Flesh and the Fiends (John Gilling, 1960)
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
“We are students of Hippocrates, but some of us are hypocrites.”
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abs0luteb4stard · 2 years
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W A T C H I N G
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fourorfivemovements · 3 years
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Films Watched in 2020:
85. The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) - Dir. John Gilling
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peterviney1 · 4 years
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Wonderful Life review Review in the 60s Retrospective series of WONDERFUL LIFE (1964). (follow the link) It’s the third Cliff Richard musical, and suffered from its release date, just days before ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ It’s much maligned, though the “In The Movies” series of pastiches gets praised.
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palaugranetes · 3 years
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FC Barcelona's INs and OUTs
Well, the summer transfer window has come to an end, and it practically ended us with it... But besides football, there was a lot of movement in the Club throughout the senior and reserve teams.
Let's see how the pieces moved this summer.
1. FOOTBALL
FC Barcelona First Team
INs
Luuk de Jong: Loaned from Sevilla until 30 June 2022 and the Club also has an option of taking the player on a permanent deal.
Yusuf Demir: Loaned from Rapid Vienna on a loan deal worth 500,000 euros until the end of the 2021/22 season with the option to make the deal permanent for 10 million euros.
Memphis Depay: Out of contract at Olympique Lyonnais, Memphis Depay has signed a contract with Barça until the end of the 2022/23 season.
Eric Garcia: Barça and Eric Garcia had reached an agreement for a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season once his time ran out at Manchester City. The defender's buy-out clause is set at 400 million euros.
Sergio Agüero: Sergio Agüero signed for Barça once his contract was up at Manchester City. The player has a contract until June 2023 and his buy-out clause is set at 100 million euros.
OUTs
Leo Messi: Something I never thought I would have to type in the OUTs section... Leo Messi was unable to continue at the Club. Despite having reached an agreement over a new contract it could not be signed due to structural and financial obstacles (Spanish Football League regulations).
Antoine Griezmann: Loaned out to Atletico Madrid, after what felt like an endless deadline day, for a season with the option of another. The Madrid club will play the player's wages and there is an obligation to make the deal permanent.
Rey Manaj: On the final day of the transfer window, he was loaned to Spezia Calcio for the fee of 300,000 euros. The Serie A club will pay the player's wages and have an option to make the deal permanent for 2.7 million euros.
Emerson Royal: After arriving this summer from Betis where he had been on loan for the last two seasons, FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur reached an agreement for the transfer of the Brazilian defender for 25 million euros.
Miralem Pjanic: Loaned out to Beşiktaş for one season.
Carles Aleñá: FC Barcelona and Getafe reached an agreement for the transfer of Carles Aleñá. Barça reserves the right to 50% of any future sale of the player plus a buy-back clause and the right of first refusal.
Junior Firpo: Moved to Leeds United for a fee of 15 million euros. Barça reserves the right to 20% of any future sale of the player.
Francisco Trincão: Loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers until 30 June 2022. The Premier League club will pay the player's wages and have an option to make the deal permanent.
Jean-Clair Todibo: OGC Nice took up the option to make Jean-Clair Todibo for 8.5 million euros plus 7 in variables. Barça retains a percentage of any future sale of the player.
Matheus Fernandes: Contract termination
Barça B
INs
Sergi Barjuan: Signed as the team's first coach until June 30, 2023.
Guillem Jaime: He returned to the club after a year away to reinforce the squad at right-back. The player arrives on a free transfer and signs a one-year deal until 30 June 2022.
Antonio Aranda: Signed from Recreativo Granada, the Andalusian's B team, on a two-year deal until 30 June 2023 with the option of another season and a buy-out clause set at 50 million euros, rising to 100 million should he become a first-team player.
Jordi Escobar: Loaned from UD Almeria for the 2021/22 season, with Barça getting an option to buy the player at the end of the campaign.
Kays Ruiz: Returned to the Club on a free transfer and signed for three seasons with an option for another two and his buy-out clause is set at 50 million euros, rising to 100 million should he become a member of the first team.
OUTs
Ferran Jutglà: Signed as a free agent for one season through to 30 June 2022, with the option of an additional season. His buyout clause has been set at 50 million euros, and 100 million should be be promoted to the first team.
Abdeassmad Ezzalzouli: Signed from Hercules for 3 seasons + 2 optional.
Francisco Javier García Pimienta: Contract termination
Ilaix Moriba: Moved to RB Leipzig for 16 million euros plus 6 more in variables. Furthermore, the Club reserves the right to 10% of any future sale of the player.
Monchu Rodriguez: After a season on loan at Girona, the player left for Granada. Barça retains the right to 50% of any future sale of the player, a buyback option, and the right of first refusal.
Konrad de la Fuente: Moved to Olympique Marseille for 3 million euros. Barça retains a percentage of any future sale of the player.
Sergio Akieme: Almería took up the option to buy Sergio Akieme for 3.5 million euros. Barça reserves the right to 10% of any profit from a future sale of the player and the right of first refusal. 
Juan Miranda: FC Barcelona decided not to take up the option to extend his contract, and he stayed at Real Betis where he played last season on loan. Barça retains the right to 40% of any future sale of the player and the right of first refusal.
FCB FEMENI
Ludovit Reis: Moved to Hamburger Sport-Verein. The operation ensures that Barça, in addition to a series of variables, takes 25% of any future sales.
Gustavo Maia: Loaned out to Porto Alegre till December 2022
INs
Jonathan Giraldez: Promoted to Head Coach for the season, with an optional season extension.
Ingrid Engen: Signed for FC Barcelona from Wolfsburg, until 30 June 2023
Fridolina Rolfö: Signed for FC Barcelona from Wolfsburg, until 30 June 2023.
Irene Paredes: Signed for FC Barcelona from París Saint Germain, until 30 June 2023.
Claudia Pina: Back from a successful loan spell at Sevilla.
OUTs
Lluis Cortes: Stepped down as head coach after two and a half seasons at the helm.
Vicky Losada: After a life at FC Barcelona, Vicky Losada moved to Manchester City.
Kheira Hamraoui: Contract Expiration
Carla Armengoa: Contract Expiration.
Laia Codina: Season Loan to AC Milan.
Candela Andujar: Loan spell extended to Valencia.
Emma Ramirez: Season Loan to Real Sociedad.
Gio Quieroz: Season Loan to Levante.
2. Basketball
INs
Sertac Sanli: Signed from Anadolu Efes for the next two seasons until 30 June 2023
Rokas Jokubaitis: Signed from Zalgiris until 30 June 2025.
Nigel Hayes-Davis: Signed from Zalgiris until 30 June 2022.
Nicolás Laprovittola: Signed from Real Madrid for the next two seasons until 30 June 2023.
OUTs
Leandro Bolmaro: Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA.
Victor Claver: Signed for Valencia Basket.
Artem Pustovyi: Contract Expiration
Léo Westermann: Signed for AS Monaco
Adam Hanga: Moved to Real Madrid
3. Handball
INs
Carlos Ortega: Will be FC Barcelona's handball coach for the next three seasons.
Ángel Fernández: Signed from Kielce for the coming season.
Leo Maciel: Signed from Ciudad Encantada for the coming season.
Ali Zein: Signed from Al Sharjah on a one-year deal with the option of a second.
Melvyn Richardson: Signed from Marseille for the next four seasons.
OUTs
Xavi Pascual: After 12 years at Barça, the coach will take charge of Dinamo Bucharest.
Raul Entrerrios: Retired after 11 years at FC Barcelona.
Jure Dolenec: Signed for Limoges Handball for the next three seasons.
Casper Mortensen: Contract Expiration.
Kevin Möller: Moved to SG Flensburg after his contract expired on 30 June.
4. Futsal
INs
Jesús Velasco: New FC Barcelona coach until 2023.
Carlos Ortiz: Signed from ACCS Paris until 30 June de 2022.
Jean Pierre Guisel Costa, 'Pito': Signed from Movistar until 2024
OUTs
Andreu Plaza: Contract Termination after 5 seasons as the first-team coach.
Jesús Aicardo: Contract Expiration, after 9 seasons at Barça.
Daniel: Contract Expiration
Ximbinha: Contract Expiration
5. Roller Hockey
OUTs
Pablo Álvarez: Contract Expiration after a decade in blaugrana.
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starlightinkwell · 4 years
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Fred Astaire's 121st birthday was this past Sunday, 10 May 2020. Astaire died 43 days after his 88th birthday on 22 June 1987. So much ink has been dedicated to Astaire's dapper elegance, his style, but this quote from Astaire says far more about his quest as an artist:
“This search for what you want is like tracking something that doesn’t want to be tracked. It takes time to get a dance right, to create something memorable.”
Thinking critically about Astaire, he has become somewhat a victim of the very style for which he is so admired. He came to fame during a time when want and hunger created a longing in the public to escape into some fantasy world that was completely set apart from the realities of the Great Depression, where characters wanted for nothing more than a calm sea, a polished dance floor, a witty rejoinder, and a well-turned out romantic interest. One could make an argument that he has, to some extent, become entangled and trapped by his top hat, white tie, and tails. A contemporary coming across the bulk of work for which he is remembered could easily find it "of a time": dated, charming, quaint, often cute, always dazzling, but somewhat irrelevant.  
Although Astaire did create the choreography for his dances with his sister Adele, and is said to have done most of the choreography for his own dances, he did always work with a choreographer, most notably with Hermes Pan. Perhaps he felt he needed the input of someone else in his pursuit of what was so elusive.
His early success as a dancer did not rely on storytelling; it was all tap and ballroom, joy, grace, and elegance. The characters he played in his films from the 1930s had snark and style, but the biggest challenge they faced was really never anything more than trying to get the girl.
Astaire was an innovator as a dancer, but even in his Broadway career with Adele, the two "performed dances". But the dances were not created to reveal character or further the story. During the entire first half of Astaire's life, storytelling in dance had been the purview of classical ballet, and Astaire never trained as a classical dancer. He and Adele had spent their childhoods saving their family by performing as an act in Vaudeville; fanciful things such as ballet training was simply out of the question.
It is has been written that Astaire had wanted to dance to the song, Limehouse Blues, since it was first presented in the 1921 West End production, A to Z, in London. What his thoughts were about creating such a dance seem to be unknown, but it was not until 1943 when he became sole choreographer for the film, The Sky's the Limit, for which he created the dark and troubled "One for My Baby", that he began a deeper exploration into storytelling and character revelation through dance. One can only speculate that Astaire might have seen a young Gene Kelly's Broadway performance as Harry the Hoofer in Wm Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize and NY Drama Critics Circle Award winning, The Time of Your Life in 1939, How that might have influenced Astaire is a curiosity worth pondering. Kelly created something of a revolution by "dancing the character of Harry" instead of just being a guy in the bar who danced.
Astaire finally got his chance with Limehouse Blues in the 1946 film, Ziegfeld Follies. He dances the tragic character of a Chinese peasant, a "coolie" trying to obtain a fan to give to a glamorous woman, danced by Lucille Bremer, with whom he has fallen in love. But by this time, Gene Kelly had burst upon the world playing the amoral Pal Joey on Broadway, created the alter ego dance in Cover Girl, danced with Jerry the Mouse in Anchors Aweigh, and also received a Best Actor nomination for the character he played in that film. This explosively charismatic young dancer/choreographer from Pittsburgh who had become a Hollywood sensation could not have failed to have a big impact on an artist of Astaire's sensibilities and talent.
As Astaire was well into his 40s and fearing his career was in the descent, he announced his retirement in 1946 while filming Blue Skies. But it was a very short-lived one because he received a call from Gene Kelly in 1947 asking Astaire to please reconsider retirement. Kelly had broken his ankle while he was in pre-production for the film he was working on with Judy Garland, Easter Parade. It took some convincing by Kelly, but Astaire finally agreed to step into the part. The film was one of the biggest hits of 1948, and Astaire's career was off and running again.
In 1954, his adored wife, Phyllis, died suddenly at the age of 48 of lung cancer. Astaire, who was working at the time on the film, Daddy Long Legs, felt as if his life was over. He asked for the production to be shut down and offered to pay the studio out of his own pocket for its lost production costs. But Johnny Mercer and several others, including Gene Kelly, who himself had despaired his career was over when he broke his ankle and had to back out of Easter Parade and who had received great support, reassurance, and encouragement from Astaire, came to Fred and convinced him once again to not withdraw from the thing that was his life--dance. Astaire finished Daddy Long Legs, made Funny Face and Silk Stockings (both of which did not do well at the box office because musicals were declining in popularity at the time), then went on to great acclaim with his television specials with Barrie Chase, and won a Best Actor Emmy in 1978 for his performance with Helen Hayes in A Family Upside Down, a drama about an aging couple dealing with failing health.
The last time Astaire danced on screen was for a 1979 episode in the TV series, Battlestar Galactica. Astaire had asked his agent to get him a role on the series because it was a favorite of his grandchildren's. His last film role, along with Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., was in the 1981 adaptation of Peter Straub's horror novel, Ghost Story.
Astaire's impact on dance cannot be overstated. His sense of rhythm is legendary, as are his elegance and grace. His place in history is assured. But if what contemporary dancers find inspires them to become dancers, it would seem that they find timeless relevancy in the work of Gene Kelly. In Astaire they find excellence, but a style that now feels somewhat locked in time.
What do you think? Let the arguing and debating begin.
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britesparc · 4 years
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Weekend Top Ten #399
Top Ten Skeletons
It’s Halloween! Wooooooo! Spooky noises! Pretend cobwebs! Too many sweets! Bwahahahaha!
Anyway, now that’s out of the way, on with the list. Dead simple this weekend. Basically, coz it’s Halloween next week, I wanted to do something vaguely ghoulish. And what could be more ghoulish than a skeleton? It’s like a skinnier version of you without all the juices or wobbly bits.
Are skeletons scary? I guess if you saw one ambulating its way towards you then yes, yes they are. But they don’t quite hit the gory heights of zombies, ghosts, or demons when it comes to putting the willies up people (also, technically, none of them even have willies). You can cover them with blood, pus, and bits of rotten flesh, but the more you do then the blurrier the line becomes between zombie and skeleton. It’s for this reason that I’ve excluded the likes of the Cryptkeeper, or Iron Maiden’s Eddie; for me, they’re both too raggedy of skin to be classed as a straight-up skellington.
I take this stuff very seriously.
So, what we have here is a list of ten bone-bags, minus any soppy organs (okay, technically, a few of them appear to have eyes). They run the gamut from sublime to ridiculous, from scary to, well, children’s preschool picture books. They are my favourite set of stiffs, out and about without their wet bits.
Enjoy – if you dare!
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Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993): I mean, come on; if we’re talking about skeletons at Halloween we have to talk about the Pumpkin King. He’s literally royalty. Delightfully skinny and bony, he’s a tortured, poetic soul who loves to bring joy and also make you wee yourself a bit. Has a ghost dog. Can take off his head to recite Shakespearean quotation. And marks a disturbing trend of skeletons with faces that look, well, like a normal head with a skull painted on.
Big Skeleton, Little Skeleton, and Dog Skeleton (Funnybones, Janet & Allan Ahlberg, 1980): cheating a bit by including three characters – and already we’re onto our second dead dog mention – but these two dudes and their hound (are they father and son? Brothers? Lovers?) know how to party. They live (or, well – anyway…) to scare, and if they can’t find anyone down a dark, dark street or some dark, dark stairs, they’ll just straight up scare each other. No messing.
Manuel Calavera (Grim Fandango, 1998): our second dubious skull-face, but at least Manny has the excuse that he’s all Día de Muertos-ed up. A wonderfully multifaceted character – part hero, part patsy, sometime Grim Reaper – in a delightfully art deco vision of the afterlife, he’s a joy to inhabit and spend some time with.
Skeleton (SuperTed, 1982): I’m not sure if Skeleton was a fixture in the original SuperTed books, but regardless, he just couldn’t be the same without Melvyn Hayes’ voice work (apologies to the original Welsh actor). Partly it’s the delightfully bonkers premise that appeals – for some reason this teddy bear has, for his villains, a literal cowboy, a fat explorer, and, well, the campest skeleton in all of fiction – but, regardless, Skeleton (for that is he) is a delight, from his shiny round head to his bright pink slippers.
The Children of the Hydra’s Teeth (Jason and the Argonauts, 1963): long before dinosaurs broke from their paddocks, spaceships blew up the White House, or Marvel decided to cast middle-aged men as twenty-year-olds, the most impressive special effect was Ray Harryhausen’s sublime, wonderful, joyous depiction of an army of skeletons rising from the ground to fight real-life human actors. A simply stunning feat of stop-motion, the skeletons imbued with exquisite characterisation, and the choreography just spot-on. Really quite creepy when you’re a kid, too.
Murray the Invincible Demonic Skull (The Curse of Money Island, 1997): our second LucasArts adventure game character, and another one that I guess is technically a cheat. Because Murray is literally just a skull. Does that count as a skeleton? Well it’s certainly a bit of a skeleton, so I’m allowing it. Because Murray is very funny: one part vengeful demonic undead pirate, one part grumpy doorstop. You can pick him up and carry him about! He talks to you! He’s so cool.
Archie the Skeleton (Scotch commercials, 1980s): This is the way it’s going to be, with Scotch’s lifetime guarantee… he’s a well-to-do skeleton with a collar and tie (and slippers again, if I remember rightly) who just wants to tell you about how long Scotch VHS tapes will last. A staple of ‘80s adverts, with a nice design and voice, and it was always good fun to watch stop-motion animation during an ad break. Re-record not fade away, re-record not fade away…
T-800 (The Terminator, 1984): whilst we all obviously think of the Terminator as Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’m raising a glass here to what’s on the inside. The moment when that mechanical endoskeleton emerges from the burning truck, striding through the fire, is simply terrifying, revealing for the first time the inhuman monstrosity that pursues our heroes. It’s vaguely human-shaped in its orientation, but also unquestionably mechanical, with servos and pistons and its glowing red eyes. All capped off, creepily enough, with human teeth. It’s a movie monster, and despite being made of metal, it still counts as a skeleton, so there.
Héctor Rivera (Coco, 2017): one of those characters who starts out like a scoundrel but reveals a heart of gold, Héctor is a great Pixar creation, lovingly brought to vocal life by Gael García Bernal, which is ironic coz he’s dead. Comic relief, guide to a strange new world, best friend-slash-big brother to main character Miguel, Héctor reveals tragic hidden depths as his backstory is uncovered, becoming a hero and inspiring one of the biggest tear-jerking moments in Pixar history (which, let’s face it, is really saying something).
Bones (Quake III Arena, 1999): sometimes in this list I’ve picked characters who generate a real emotional connection, like Manny or Héctor. Sometimes I’ve picked ones who cast visceral, terrifying imagery, like the Terminator or the Hydra’s Teeth. But sometimes you just want to look at a skeleton running round with a bloody big rocket launcher, leaping through the air and shooting dudes in the face. Bones was always a great character to see in Quake III because, well, he’s just a skeleton. Nowt fancy about him. I don’t remember his backstory, such as it was. I don’t remember if there was any tactical advantage to playing as him, if his hit box was smaller or anything. He’s just, well, a skeleton. Running around. Shooting people. And sometimes that’s all you want.
So. That’s it. Oh yeah – no Skeletor. That should be obvious; he’s not a skeleton. He’s got a skull face, but the rest of his body is totally ripped (and blue, natch). He’s just some dude who is alive but who’s got a skull for a face. I mean, yeah, sure, that’s pretty badass, but he’s most clearly not a skeleton.
Also: Death. I had Death on the list for a long time, but really the fact that he’s more of a metaphysical concept than a character dissuaded me (I’ve not read enough Discworld to specifically call out that iteration, for instance). But, for what it’s worth, as simple imagery goes, I do love a skeletal Grim Reaper, especially if he’s allowed some kind of characterisation that runs counter to his appearance.
Anyway, happy Halloween! Cue the music! “This is Halloween, this is Halloween…”
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evrylilthing · 5 years
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Irish names
GIRLS
Tiffany, Molly, Shannon, Shawn, Fiona, Casey, Caitlin, Kathleen, Aidan, Brielle, Kennedy, Reagan, Delaney, Corey, Cassidy, Sheila, Bridget, Ciana, Alaina, Colleen, Maureen, Ciara, Siobhan, Shea, Maeve, Teagan, Aileen, Alayna, Fallon/Fallyn/Falon, Alani, Ahana, Adara, Agate, Aghadreena, Aghamora, Aghavilla, Aghna, Aideen, Aileene, Ailey, Aili, Ailia, Ailin, Ailis, Ailisa, Ailise, Aine, Aislin, Aisling, Alaine/Alayne, Alana/Alanna/Allana, Alina, Alma, Alona, Alvy, Annabla, Aoife, Ardala, Arleen/Arlene/Arline, Assana, Athracht, Avonmora, Brea, Breanne, Breck, Bree, Breena, Brenda, Brendalynn, Brenna, Bria, Brianna/Briana/Bryanna, Bryna, Cacey, Cacia, Cadee, Cait, Caitie, Caitlan/Caitlyn, Callaghan/Callahan, Callee/Calli/Callie, Carlin, Catlee, Cattee, Chiara, Christi, Cleonie, Cody, Colene, Conchobara/Conchobarra/Conchobarre, Connelly, Corene, Cory, Crissy, Dana, Darcey/Darci/Darcy, Deidra/Diedre, Derval, Dervla, Dubhain, Dubheasa, Eavan, Eibhlhin, Eila, Eilena, Eithne, Elva, Elvinia, Eny, Erin, Etain, Etney, Farran/Farren, Fidelma, Fineena, Finola, Flanna, Flannery, Gliona, Gobinet/Gobnait, Grainne, Henley, Hiolair, Honor, Honoria, Ida, Inis, Irvette, Izett, Jana, Kady, Kaitlan/Kaitlin/Kaitlyn/Kaitlynn, Kallie, Keanna/Keana, Keara, Kearney, Keeley/Keely, Keiana, Keilah, Keira/Kera, Kelly/Kelley/Kellye, Kellsey/Kelsee/Kelsi, Kellyn, Keri/Kerri, Keriana/Kerianna, Kerianne, Kerilynn/Kerilyn, Kerra, Kiandra, Kiani/Kianni, Kianna, Kiona/Kionah, Laetitia, Lana, Lil, Luighseach, Mada, Maille, Maire, Mairead, Maiti, Margaret, Maude, Mayra, Meghan, Mide, Mollie, Monahan, Moncha, Mor, Moya, Muirgheal, Neala, Neve, Niamh, Noreen, Noreena, Oilbhe, Olive, Oma, Ona, Oona, Oonagh, Orna, Quinn, Renny, Riley, Rory, Sadbh, Seosaimhthin, Shaelan, Shanahan, Shanessa, Shauna, Sheridan, Sinead, Sineaid, Sunniva, Tara, Teagan, Tiryns, Torberta, Torrey/Torrie, Tosia, Trina, Trudie, Tyyne
BOYS
Ryan, Kevin, Sean, Connor, Riley, Quinn, Shannon, Haley, Nolan, Shawn, Declan, Shane, Keith, Aidan, Delaney, Griffin, Cassidy, Brody, Sun, Desmond, Keegan, Conner, Murphy, Shay/Shea, Rory, Tier, Cullen, Tag, Niall, Fallon, Flynn, Finnegan, Fay, Gael, Shayan, Agustin, Ahearn, Aiden, Aidrian, Ainmire, Amery, Amhlaoibh, Angus, Anlon, Ardal, Ardghal, Arlen, Artegal, Arthgallo, Auley, Baird, Barrington, Barry, Beamard, Beartlaidh, Berkeley, Blaine, Blair, Bohannon, Braddon, Braden, Bradon, Brady, Braeden, Bram, Brannan, Branson, Brayden, Breandan, Breen, Brenden, Brendan, Brennan, Brosnan, Cace, Cacey, Cain, Caley, Caly, Caolaidhe, Carey, Carlin, Carlus, Case, Cashel, Caspian, Cassian, Cavan, Cearnach, Channe, Cian, Cianan, Cillian, Cody, Coillcumhann, Colla, Collin, Colm, Conall, Conan, Conary, Conchobhar, Conn, Connell, Connelly, Conor, Conrad, Conroy, Corcoran, Corin, Cormac, Cory, Cowan, Cronan, Cuinn, Daegan, Dagen, Daire, Dallan, Darby, Darick, Darroch, Deegan, Dempsey, Dermod, Derry, Dilan, Dillon, Donahue, Donal, Donavan/Donavon/Donovan, Dorrin, Douglas, Doyle, Driscoll, Duane, Duante, Dylon, Eagan, Eamon, Egan/Egon, Evin, Ewan, Fachnan, Faiion, Farran, Farrell, Farren, Fiannon, Finian, Finn, Fionan, Fionn, Fionnbarr, Fiyn, Flainn, Flanagan, Flannagain, Flannery, Flinn, Floinn, Forba, Gairbith, Gallagher, Gannon, Garbhan, Garve, Gearoid, Geralt, Gil, Gofraidh, Gorman, Gothfraidh, Grady, Hagan, Harkin, Hayes, Henley, Hurley, Irving, Izod, Kagan, Kane, Kavan/Kaven, Keagan, Kealan, Keanan, Keandre, Keane, Keannen, Kearney, Keary, Keenan, Keene, Kegan, Keilah, Kier, Kieran, Kelan, Kelsey, Kenan, Kenny, Keon, Kerrigan, Kerry, Kevan, Kian, Kianni, Kienan, Kieran, Kierce, Kiernan, Kildare, Kiley, Killian, Kye, Kylan, Kylar, Kyler, Kyle, Kylen, Kyrell, Lacey, Lakeland, Laughlin, Lee, Lennon, Liam, Lochlann, Loughlin, Lughaidh, Lyam, Maher, Malone, Maloney, Malvin, Melvin, Melvyn, Mickey, Miles, Mitchell, Morgan, Morrisey, Murchadh, Murray, Murry, Myles, Naal, Nielan, Niell, Neven, Nevan, Noland, Nolen, Odell, Odhran, Oscar, Padraic, Paidi, Patrick, Payton/Peyton, Phelan, Pierce, Quaid, Quigley, Quinlan, Rayan, Regan, Reilley, Reilly, Rhyan, Rian, Rogan, Ronan, Rooney, Rourke, Rowan/Rowen/Rowin, Ruadhagan, Rye, Ryen, Rylan, Ryland, Ryleigh, Ryley, Ryon, Seanan, Shae, Shai, Shain, Shaine, Shamus, Shan, Shandon, Shanley, Shann, Shaughn, Shaun, Shaw, Shaylon, Shayne, Sheary, Sheridan, Shey, Suileabhan, Tait, Tate, Taveon, Tavin, Tavion, Tavis, Tavon, Teague, Teauge, Thacker, Thurstan, Torgeir, Torhte, Tormaigh, Torrey, Torsten, Tostig, Tuomo, Tyronne, Tyrus, Tyson, Tywysog, Ungus
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