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Beverley Cross
Alan Beverley Cross (13 April 1931 – 20 March 1998) was an English playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Early life Born in London into a theatrical family, and educated at the Nautical College Pangbourne, Cross started off by writing children's plays in the 1950s. He achieved instant success with his first play, ''One More River'', which dealt with a mutiny in which a crew puts its first officer on trial for manslaughter. The play premiered in 1958 at the New Shakespeare Theatre Liverpool, starring Robert Shaw, directed by Sam Wanamaker, and in 1959, still with Robert Shaw, directed by Guy Hamilton at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. Career Cross' second play, ''Strip the Willow'', was to make a star out of his future wife, Maggie Smith, though the play never received a London production. In 1962, he translated Marc Camoletti's French farce '' Boeing Boeing'', which had a lengthy run in the West End. In 1964, he directed the play in Sydney. Another su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as '' Londinium'' and retains its medieval boundaries.See also: Independent city § National capitals The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority.The Greater London Authority consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The London Mayor is distinguished fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains to the west, Hawkesbury to the north, the Royal National Park to the south and Macarthur to the south-west. Sydney is made up of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are known as "Sydneysiders". The 2021 census recorded the population of Greater Sydney as 5,231,150, meaning the city is home to approximately 66% of the state's population. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2017. Nicknames of the city include the 'Emerald City' and the 'Harbour City'. Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the Greater Sydney region for at least 30,000 years, and Aboriginal engravings and cultural sites are common throughout Greater Sydney. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Larkin
Chris Larkin (born Christopher Stephens, 19 June 1967) is an English actor. Early life Born Christopher Larkin Stephens on 19 June 1967 in London, Larkin is the elder son of actors Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Robert Stephens. His younger brother is actor Toby Stephens. Larkin revealed in an interview that he chose his stage name in order to distance himself from his famous parents, not wanting "to trade on the family connection", and selecting ''Larkin'' in honour of his favourite poet Philip Larkin. Career Larkin trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He is best known for playing Hermann Göring in the film '' Hitler: The Rise of Evil'', but also played Charles Darwin for the PBS series ''Evolution'' and the abolitionist William Wilberforce in the radio production of ''Grace Victorious''. Larkin also played Capt. Howard of the Marines in Peter Weir's '' Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World'' alongside Paul Bettany and Russell Crowe, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Of Arabia (film)
''Lawrence of Arabia'' is a 1962 British epic historical drama film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence and his 1926 book ''Seven Pillars of Wisdom''. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel, through his British company Horizon Pictures and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film stars Peter O'Toole as Lawrence with Alec Guinness playing Prince Faisal. The film also stars Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains and Arthur Kennedy. The screenplay was written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film depicts Lawrence's experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War, in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council. Its themes include Lawrence's emotional struggles with the violence inherent in war, his identity and his divided allegiance between his native Britain with its army and his new-found comrades within the Arabian deser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Half A Sixpence (film)
''Half a Sixpence'' is a 1967 British musical film directed by George Sidney and choreographed by Gillian Lynne. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his book for the 1963 stage musical of the same name, which was based on '' Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'', a 1905 novel by H. G. Wells. The music and lyrics are by David Heneker. This was the final film made by Sidney, director of such films as '' Annie Get Your Gun'', ''Kiss Me Kate'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' and ''Viva Las Vegas''. Plot In Victorian England, a young orphan, Arthur Kipps ("Artie"), finds a sixpence as he walks along a river with his young friend, Ann. Artie is then sent to a nearby town, where he is to serve as apprentice to a draper. Several years later he meets up with Ann once again, and with the coin cut into two he gives one half to Ann as a symbol of their love. Artie grows up into a young man. Work at the draper's store is difficult. He becomes friends with Harry Chitterlow, an actor-play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clash Of The Titans (1981 Film)
''Clash of the Titans'' is a 1981 fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross, loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Starring Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier, the film features the final work of stop-motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen. Co-produced between the United Kingdom and United States, it was theatrically released on June 12, 1981 and grossed $41 million at the North American box office, which made it the eleventh highest grossing film of the year. A novelization by Alan Dean Foster was also published in 1981. A 3D remake of the same name was released by Warner Bros. on April 2, 2010. Plot King Acrisius of Argos imprisons his daughter Danaë, trying to prevent a prophecy that her child will bring about his demise. When the god Zeus impregnates Danaë, Acrisius banishes her and her newborn son Perseus to sea in a wooden chest. In retribution, Zeus kills Acrisius and orde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genghis Khan (1965 Film)
''Genghis Khan'' is a 1965 adventure film directed by Henry Levin and starring Omar Sharif, depicting a fictionalized account of the life and conquests of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan. Distributed in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1965 by Columbia Pictures, the film also features James Mason, Stephen Boyd, Eli Wallach, Françoise Dorléac and Telly Savalas. A 70 mm version was released by CCC Film in West Germany. It was filmed in Yugoslavia with Technicolor and Panavision. Plot The young Temujin (Omar Sharif) sees his father tortured and killed by a rival tribe led by Jamuga (Stephen Boyd). Held prisoner, he is yoked into a large wooden wheel around his neck and tormented by the tribal children. He meets the young Bortai after an act of kindness to her, but is punished by Jamuga. Temujin then escapes and hides in the hills, followed by Geen and Sengal, who pledge their allegiance to the man vowing to unite all the Mongol tribes. Raids along caravan route ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Long Ships (film)
''The Long Ships'' is a 1964 Anglo– Yugoslav adventure film shot in Technirama directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn and Rosanna Schiaffino. Background The film was very loosely based on the Swedish novel ''The Long Ships'' by Frans G. Bengtsson (1941–1945), retaining little more than the title (of the English translation) and the Moorish settings of Orm's first voyage. Although the protagonist is named Rolfe, the film was released in Sweden with the title ''Röde Orm och de långa skeppen'' (Red Orm and the Long Ships), in a further attempt to exploit the popularity of the novel. It was also intended to capitalise on the success of recent Viking and Moorish dramas such as '' The Vikings'' (1958) and ''El Cid'' (1961) and was later followed by ''Alfred the Great'' (1969). Plot The story centres on an immense golden bell named the Mother of Voices, which may or may not exist. Moorish king Aly Mansuh (Sidney Poitier) is convinced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jason And The Argonauts (1963 Film)
''Jason and the Argonauts'' (working title: ''Jason and the Golden Fleece'') is a 1963 Anglo-American independent mythological fantasy adventure film distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Don Chaffey, and stars Todd Armstrong, while co-starring Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, and Gary Raymond. Shot in Eastman Color, the film was made in collaboration with stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen and is known for its various legendary creatures, notably the iconic fight scene featuring seven skeleton warriors. Although it was a box-office disappointment during its initial release, the film was critically acclaimed and later became a cult classic. The film score was composed by Bernard Herrmann, who had partnered with Harryhausen on ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' (1958), '' The 3 Worlds of Gulliver'' (1960) and '' Mysterious Island'' (1961). Plot Pelias usurps the throne of Thessaly, killing King Aristo. A prophecy states that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Rising Of The Moon (opera)
''The Rising of the Moon'' is an operatic comedy in three acts composed by Nicholas Maw to a libretto by Beverley Cross. It premiered on 19 July 1970 at the Glyndebourne Festival conducted by Raymond Leppard and directed by Colin Graham. The title comes from the Irish patriotic song of the same name. The opera was composed over a period from 1967 to 1970 while Maw was the artist-in-residence at Trinity College, Cambridge. It was Maw's second opera, and like his first, ''One Man Show'', is a comedy. However, while ''One Man Show'' was a farce, ''The Rising of the Moon'' is in the genre of romantic comedy with a plot about British soldiers stationed in 19th-century Ireland at the time of the Irish famines. Its premiere at Glyndebourne in 1970 during The Troubles, a period of intense ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland, was "felt to be tactless" by some critics, according to Maw's obituary in ''The Daily Telegraph''. Nevertheless, the opera ran at 90% capacity at Glyndebou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicholas Maw
John Nicholas Maw (5 November 1935 – 19 May 2009) was a British composer. Among his works are the operas '' The Rising of the Moon'' (1970) and ''Sophie's Choice'' (2002). Biography Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Maw was the son of Clarence Frederick Maw and Hilda Ellen Chambers. He attended the Wennington School, a boarding school, in Wetherby in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 14. He attended the Royal Academy of Music on Marylebone Road in London where his teachers were Paul Steinitz and Lennox Berkeley. He then studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and Max Deutsch. From 1998 until 2008, Maw served on the faculty of the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught music composition. He had previously served on the faculties of Yale University, Bard College, Boston University, the Royal Academy of Music, Cambridge University, and Exeter University. Personal life In 1960, Maw married Karen Graham, and they had a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Mines Of Sulphur
''The Mines of Sulphur'' is an opera in three acts by Richard Rodney Bennett, his first full-length opera, composed in 1963. Beverley Cross wrote the libretto, based on his play ''Scarlet Ribbons'', at the suggestion of Colin Graham, who eventually directed the first production in 1965. The opera is dedicated to Benjamin Britten, whose Aldeburgh Festival had originally commissioned the opera. ''The Mines of Sulphur'' was premièred on 24 February 1965 at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. It was also broadcast on BBC Radio Network Three on 5 March 1965, and produced in a version for BBC Television on 13 November 1966. It received numerous subsequent performances, including in Cologne, Marseille, Milan, Toronto, Los Angeles, and New York City (at the Juilliard School). Most productions were well received, except for one directed by John Huston at La Scala. After the mid-1970s, however, the work was mostly forgotten, until a popular revival by Glimmerglass Opera in 2004. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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