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Androcles And The Lion (1952 Film)
''Androcles and the Lion'' is a 1952 RKO film produced by Gabriel Pascal from the 1912 George Bernard Shaw play of the same name. It was Pascal's last film, made two years after the death of Shaw, his long-standing friend and mentor, and two years before Pascal's own death. Plot Androcles, a gentle Christian tailor, is on the run from his Roman persecutors, accompanied by his nagging wife Megaera. While they are hiding in the forest, a wild lion approaches them. Megaera swoons, but tender-hearted Androcles sees that a large thorn is deeply embedded in the lion's paw; he draws it out while soothing the beast with baby-talk. While Androcles and the lion—whom he names Tommy—are becoming best buddies, his wife escapes, and when soldiers come upon Androcles and Tommy wrestling playfully, he is accused of sorcery. Androcles is next seen in a procession of Christian prisoners on their way to the Colosseum in Rome. They are joined by the fierce recent Christian convert Ferrovius, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chester Erskine
Chester Erskine (November 29, 1905 – April 7, 1986) was an American director, producer, and writer. Biography Chester Erskine was born in Hudson, New York and studied for a short time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first directing job was ''Harlem'', a 1929 all-black revue. He also directed Spencer Tracy in the Broadway production of ''The Last Mile'' in 1930. Erskine's likeness was drawn in caricature by Alex Gard for Sardi's, the New York City theater district restaurant. The picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library. In 1932, he began working in Hollywood, where his best-known work includes the direction of '' The Egg and I'' and the screenplay adaptation of '' All My Sons''. Other films directed by Erskine include the 1949 mystery ''Take One False Step'' starring William Powell and the 1952 comedy '' A Girl in Every Port'' featuring Groucho Marx. Erskine produced a number of films, notably ''The Wonderful Country'', a 1959 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lavinia
In Roman mythology, Lavinia ( ; ) is the daughter of Latinus and Amata, and the last wife of Aeneas. Creation It has been proposed that the character was in part intended to represent Servilia Isaurica, Emperor Augustus's first fiancée. Story Lavinia, the only child of the king and "ripe for marriage," had been courted by many men who hoped to become the king of Latium. Turnus, ruler of the Rutuli, was the most likely of the suitors, having the favor of Queen Amata. In Vergil's account, King Latinus is warned by his father Faunus in a dream oracle that his daughter is not to marry a Latin: "Propose no Latin alliance for your daughter Son of mine; distrust the bridal chamber Now prepared. Men from abroad will come And be your sons by marriage. Blood so mingled Lifts our name starward. Children of that stock Will see all earth turned Latin at their feet, Governed by them, as far as on his rounds The Sun looks down on Ocean, East or West." Lavinia has what is perhaps her most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strother Martin
Strother Douglas Martin Jr. (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah. Among Martin's memorable performances is his portrayal of the warden or "captain" of a state prison camp in the 1967 film '' Cool Hand Luke'', in which he utters the line, "What we've got here is failure to communicate." The line is number 11 on the American Film Institute list of '' 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes''. Early life Martin was born in Kokomo, Indiana to Ethel (née Dunlap) and Strother Douglas Martin. For a short time, the Martins lived in San Antonio, Texas, but soon returned to Indiana. As a child, he excelled at swimming and diving. He was nicknamed "T-Bone Martin" because of his diving expertise. At 17 he won the National Junior Springboard Diving Championship. He served as a swimming instructor in the United States Navy during World War II and was a m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woody Strode
Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. After football, he went on to become a film actor, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''Spartacus'' in 1960. Strode also served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Early life and athletic career Strode was born in Los Angeles. His parents were from New Orleans; his grandmother was African-American and " part Cherokee" and his grandfather was an African-American who claimed his own grandmother was Creek. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in South East Los Angeles and college at UCLA, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. His world-class decathlon capabilities were spearheaded by a plus shot put (when the world record was ) and a high jump (t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lowell Gilmore
Lowell Gilmore (20 December 1906 – 31 January 1960) was an American stage, film and television actor. Life and career Lowell Gilmore first worked as a stage manager on the 1929 Broadway play ''The First Mrs. Fraser'', but got his chance as an actor when he replaced actor Eric Elliott in the play. This was the start to a successful Broadway career in the 1930s with plays like ''The Wind and the Rain'' (1934), ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1935) and ''Leave Her to Heaven'' (1940). He made his film debut in Jacques Tourneur's war drama '' Days of Glory'' (1944) with Gregory Peck, where he was featured in an extensive role as Peck's second-in-command. His second film role was perhaps his most notable: As painter Basil Hallward in ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' (1945), the film adaption of Oscar Wilde's literature classic. Another notable role was the District Commissioner in the Oscar-winning adventure film ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1950) with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr. Alt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Backus
James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom '' Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in ''Rebel Without a Cause,'' the voice of the nearsighted cartoon character '' Mr. Magoo'', the rich Hubert Updike III on the radio version of '' The Alan Young Show'', and Joan Davis' character's husband (a domestic court judge) on TV's ''I Married Joan''. He also starred in his own show of one season, ''The Jim Backus Show'', also known as ''Hot Off the Wire''. An avid golfer, Backus made the 36-hole cut at the 1964 Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament. He was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Early life Backus was born February 25, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in Bratenahl, Ohio, an East Side suburb of Cleveland located on the Lake Erie shore, surrounded by the city on three sides. He was the son of Russell Gould Backus and Daisy Taylor (née ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Hoyt
John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was an American actor. He began his acting career on Broadway, later appearing in numerous films and television series. He is perhaps best known for his film and TV roles in ''The Lawless'' (1950), ''When Worlds Collide'' (1951), ''Julius Caesar'' (1953), ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), ''Spartacus'' (1960), ''Cleopatra'' (1963), ''Flesh Gordon'' (1974), and ''Gimme a Break!'' Early life Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt in Bronxville, New York, the son of Warren J. Hoysradt, an investment banker, and his wife, Ethel Hoysradt, née Wolf. He attended the Hotchkiss School and Yale University, where he served on the editorial board of campus humor magazine ''The Yale Record''. He received a bachelor's and a master's degree from Yale. He worked as a history instructor at the Groton School for two years. Stage Hoyt made his Broadway debut in 1931 in William Bolitho's play ''Overture''. Some of his ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noel Willman
Noel Willman (4 August 1918 – 24 December 1988) was an Irish actor and theatre director. Born in Derry, Ireland, Willman died aged 70 in New York City, United States. Willman's films included '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), '' Across the Bridge'' (1957), ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958), ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963), ''Doctor Zhivago'' (1965), ''The Reptile'' (1966), and ''The Odessa File'' (1974). He was also a theatre director and actor, and won a Tony Award in 1962 for his direction of the original Broadway production of Robert Bolt's '' A Man For All Seasons''. According to Bolt, he was instrumental in many aspects of the play's development, including the casting of Paul Scofield as Thomas More. In 1966 he was nominated in the same category for James Goldman's '' The Lion in Winter.'' He later directed Katharine Hepburn and Christopher Reeve in ''A Matter of Gravity'' in 1976. He frequently collaborated with Bolt, directing ''The Tiger and the Horse'' a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in World War I, being awarded the Military Medal and the French Croix de Guerre for bravery in action. He applied for transfer to the Royal Air Force, which was granted just six days before the war ended. This placed him in London on Armistice Day. His service came to an end when the Royal Air Force wanted another seven years from him. Career Mowbray began his stage career in London in 1922, as an actor and stage manager. In 1923 he arrived in the United States and was soon acting with New York stock companies. He debuted on Broadway in ''The Sport of Kings'' (1926); in 1929 he wrote, directed and starred in the unsuccessful ''Dinner Is Served''. Mowbray made his film debut in ''God's Gift to Women'' (1931) playing a butler, a role in which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gene Lockhart
Edwin Eugene Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957)"Gene Lockhart" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. was a Canadian-American , playwright, singer and lyricist. He became an American citizen in 1939. Early life Born in , he made his professional debut at the age of six when he appeared with the Kilties Band of Canada. He later appeared in sketches with Beatrice Lillie. Lockhart wa ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reginald Gardiner
William Reginald Gardiner (27 February 1903 – 7 July 1980) was an English actor on the stage, in films and on television. Early years Gardiner was born in Wimbledon, England, and he was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books. . pp. 465–466. His parents wanted him to be an architect, but he insisted on a career as an actor. Stage and radio Gardiner started as a ''super'' on stage and eventually became well known on the West End stage. "He appeared in British revues, plays and films before delighting Broadway audiences in 1935 with a wallpaper imitation act in ''At Home Abroad''." His other Broadway credits include ''Little Glass Clock'' and ''An Evening with Beatrice Lillie''. He was also well known to radio listeners, and was known on the air for his amusing train and car noises. Film Gardiner worked in almost 100 movies. He st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elsa Lanchester
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986) was a British-American actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.Obituary ''Variety'', 31 December 1986. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the First World War began performing in theatre and cabaret, where she established her career over the following decade. She met the actor Charles Laughton in 1927, and they were married two years later. She began playing small roles in British films, including the role of Anne of Cleves with Laughton in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). Her success in American films resulted in the couple moving to Hollywood, where Lanchester played small film roles. Her role as the title character in ''Bride of Frankenstein'' (1935) brought her recognition. She played supporting roles through the 1940s and 1950s. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for ''Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''Witness for the Prosecution'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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