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Dinner For One
''Dinner for One'', also known as ''The 90th Birthday'' (german: link=no, Der 90. Geburtstag), is a two-hander comedy sketch, written by British author Lauri Wylie for the theatre. After featuring on the stage, the German TV broadcaster, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) recorded the sketch in 1962 as an 18-minute black-and-white videotape recording, performed by British comedians Freddie Frinton and May Warden. It has become traditional viewing on New Year's Eve in European countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia, or on 23 December in Norway, and, as of 1995, was the most frequently repeated television programme in Germany ever. Despite starting on the British stage, the sketch has only recently started to gain recognition in the UK. It was broadcast on New Year's Eve in Britain on Sky Arts from 2018 to 2020. In other parts of the world, the sketch is broadcast in Australia and South Africa. Apart from a few satires, ''Dinner ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lauri Wylie
Lauri Wylie (25 May 1880 – 28 June 1951), originally Maurice Laurence Samuelson Metzenberg, was a British actor and author. He is primarily remembered as the author of the play "Dinner for One", the 1963 screen adaptation of which went on to become the most frequently repeated television programme ever, according to the ''Guinness Book of Records'', due in large part to its place as a New Year's viewing tradition in Germany and other places. Early life Born in Southport, Lancashire, Wylie was the son of Henschel and Bertha Samuelson, tobacconists originally from Prussia. By 1891, his mother was widowed and was carrying on the business. He began life as Morris Laurence Samuelson, recorded as ''Maurice Laurence Samuelson Metzenberg''. Wylie's older brother, Julian Wylie (or Samuelson), was a well-known producer in London, and Lauri Wylie's agent for plays produced as early as 1915. Lauri Wylie is also the brother of early film pioneer G.B. Samuelson and uncle of former British Fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mulligatawny
Mulligatawny () is a soup which originated from South Indian cuisine. The name originates from the Tamil words ( 'black pepper'), and (, 'water'); literally, "pepper-water". It is related to the dish . Main ingredients commonly include chicken, mutton, and lentils. History Mulligatawny was popular in India by the end of the 18th century, and by the 19th century it began to appear in cookbooks of the day, with each cook (or cookbook) featuring its own recipe. Recipes for mulligatawny varied greatly at that time and over the years (e.g., Maria Rundell's ''A New System of Domestic Cookery'' contained three versions), and later versions of the soup included British modifications that included meat, although the local Madras (modern Chennai) recipe on which it was based did not. Early references to it in English go back to 1784. In 1827, William Kitchiner wrote that it had become fashionable in Britain: By the mid 1800s, Wyvern, the pen-name of Arthur Robert Kenney-Herbert (1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy DeWolfe
William Andrew Jones (February 18, 1907 – March 5, 1974), better known as Billy De Wolfe, was an American character actor. He was active in films from the mid-1940s until his death in 1974. Early life and early stage career Born William Andrew Jones in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts, De Wolfe was the son of a Welsh bookbinder who encouraged him to become a Baptist minister. Instead, Billy developed an interest in the theatre. He found work as an usher before becoming a dancer with the Jimmy O'Connor Band.UPI. "Vet hoofer, actor Billy De Wolfe dies," ''Pacific Stars & Stripes'' (March 8, 1974), page 3. It was at this point that he changed his last name initially to "De Wolf" (the e was added later), which was the last name of the manager of the Massachusetts theatre where he worked. In 1925, De Wolfe landed chorus boy spots in the Broadway musicals '' Artists and Models'' and '' The Cocoanuts''. He then went on to tour Europe with a dance team for most of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hermione Gingold
Hermione Ferdinanda Gingold (; 9 December 189724 May 1987) was an English actress known for her sharp-tongued, eccentric character. Her signature drawling, deep voice was a result of nodules on her vocal cords she developed in the 1920s and early 1930s. After a successful career as a child actress, she established herself on the stage as an adult, playing in comedy, drama and experimental theatre, and radio broadcasting. She found her milieu in revue, which she played from the 1930s to the 1950s, co-starring several times with the English actress Hermione Baddeley. Later she played formidable elderly characters in such films and stage musicals as '' Gigi'' (1958), ''Bell, Book and Candle'' (1958), ''The Music Man'' (1962) and ''A Little Night Music'' (1973). From the early 1950s Gingold lived and made her career mostly in the U.S. Her American stage work ranged from ''John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' (1953) to ''Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial Theatre (Broadway)
The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed for the Shubert brothers. It has 1,457 seats across two levels and is operated by The Shubert Organization. The auditorium interior is a New York City designated landmark. The theater is largely situated on 46th Street. A narrow lobby extends to the main entrance on 45th Street, where there is a three-story facade of white terracotta. The 46th Street facade, which is made of buff-colored brick, was intended as the carriage entrance. The lobby, originally decorated in dark and white tiles, leads to the rear of the theater's orchestra level. The auditorium contains Adam-style detailing, a large balcony, and box seats with carved panels above them. The flat proscenium arch above the stage is topped by a curved sounding board. The Shubert Org ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Murray Anderson's Almanac
'' John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' is a musical revue, featuring the music of the songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, as well as other composers. It was conceived by John Murray Anderson. Productions '' John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' opened on Broadway on December 10, 1953 at the Imperial Theatre, New York City and closed on June 26, 1954, after 229 performances. The revue was conceived and staged by John Murray Anderson, with sketches directed by Cyril Ritchard, and dances and musical numbers staged by Donald Saddler.The revue starred Harry Belafonte, Hermione Gingold, Polly Bergen, Orson Bean, Carleton Carpenter, Tina Louise, Monique van Vooren, and Billy DeWolfe. The songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross provided the majority of the songs for the show. The sketches were written by Jean Kerr, Sumner Lock-Elliot, Arthur Macrae, Herbert Farjeon, Lauri Wylie and Billy K. Wells. Songs ;Act 1 *Prologue: Harlequinade – Pierrette Ensemble, Jimm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fourth Wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th century onward, the rise of illusionism in staging practices, which culminated in the realism and naturalism of the theatre of the 19th century, led to the development of the fourth wall concept. The metaphor suggests a relationship to the mise-en-scène behind a proscenium arch. When a scene is set indoors and three of the walls of its room are presented onstage, in what is known as a box set, the fourth of them would run along the line (technically called the proscenium) dividing the room from the auditorium. The ''fourth wall'', though, is a theatrical convention, rather than of set design. The actors ignore the audience, focus their attention exclusively on the dramatic world, and remain absorbed in its fiction, in a state that th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Running Gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not considered to be running gags. Running gags can begin with an instance of unintentional humor that is repeated in variations as the joke grows familiar and audiences anticipate reappearances of the gag. The humor in a running gag may derive entirely from how often it is repeated, but the underlying statement or situation will always be some form of joke. A trivial statement will not become a running gag simply by being repeated. A running gag may also derive its humor from the (in)appropriateness of the situation in which it occurs, or by setting up the audience to expect another occurrence of the joke and then substituting something else (''bait and switch''). Running gags are found in everyday life, live theater, live comedy, televi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * Phyllis Jean McGuire (February 14, 1931 – December 29, 2020) Among their most popular songs are " Sincerely" and "Sugartime", both number-one hits. Early years The McGuire sisters were born to Asa and Lillie (Fultz) McGuire in Middletown, Ohio, and grew up in Miamisburg near Dayton. Their mother, Lillie, was a minister of the Miamisburg First Church of God, where, as children, they sang in church at weddings, funerals, and revivals. When they started singing in 1935, the youngest sister, Phyllis, was four years old. Eventually, they sang at occasions outside church, and by 1949 were singing at military bases and veterans' hospitals, performing a more diverse repertoire than they had in church. Career in show business The McGuire Sist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sugartime
"Sugartime" is a popular song written by Charlie Phillips and Odis Echols, and published in 1957. The biggest hit version was by the McGuire Sisters, whose recording of it topped the Most Played chart in February 1958. It was also the second number 1 ''Billboard'' single for the trio after 1954's "Sincerely". The song refers to the Jimmie Rodgers tune "Honeycomb", which had been recorded a few months earlier in 1957. A version by Johnny Cash, culled from his Sun Records catalogue, briefly returned to the ''Cashbox'' country chart in 1961. The chorus was sampled for the title song of the Bollywood movie ''Dil Deke Dekho''. The melody is remarkably similar to that of "I'm Daffy Over You", written by Chico Marx and Sol Violinsky, and performed by Marx in several films. The main melody is also reminiscent of Saint-Saens' Havanaise. Cover versions *A recording by British singer Alma Cogan was a hit later in 1958. *The McGuire Sisters themselves covered it in a twist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Port Wine
Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Other port-style fortified wines are produced outside Portugalin Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Spain, and the United Statesbut under the European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only wines from Portugal are allowed to be labelled "port". Region and production Port is produced from grapes grown and processed in the demarcated Douro region.Porter, Darwin & Danforth Price (2000) ''Frommer's Portugal'' 16th ed., p. 402. IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. The wine produced is then fortified by the addition of a neutral grape spirit known as aguardente to stop the fermentation, leaving residual sugar in the wine, and to boost the alcohol content. The fortification spirit i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, specific grape-pressing methods and secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to cause carbonation. The grapes Pinot noir, Pinot meunier, and Chardonnay are used to produce almost all Champagne, but small amounts of Pinot blanc, Pinot gris (called Fromenteau in Champagne), Arbane, and Petit Meslier are vinified as well. Champagne became associated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The leading manufacturers made efforts to associate their Champagnes with nobility and royalty through advertising and packaging, which led to its popularity among the emerging middle class. Origins Still wines from the Champagne region were known before medieval times. The Romans were the first to plant vineyards in this area ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
