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Limehouse Nights
''Limehouse Nights'' is a 1916 short story collection by the British writer Thomas Burke. The stories are set in and around the Chinatown that was then centred on Limehouse in the East End of London. The book was a popular success and features several of Burke's best-known stories such as "The Chink and the Child" and " Beryl and the Croucher". Film adaptations Four films have been based upon stories collected in ''Limehouse Nights''. The story "The Chink and the Child" was turned into the 1919 film '' Broken Blossoms'' directed by D.W. Griffith and its 1936 remake. The story "Twelve Golden Curls" became the film '' Curlytop'' in 1924. "Beryl and the Croucher" was filmed in 1949 as '' No Way Back'' and set in the contemporary East End as part of the Spiv cycle of films made in the years following the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Short Story Collection
A short story collection is a book of short stories and/or novellas by a single author. A short story collection is distinguished from an anthology of fiction, which would contain work by several authors (e.g., ''Les Soirées de Médan''). The stories in a collection may or may not share a tone, theme, setting, or characters with one another. Composition of a collection Short story collections are made up of smaller texts—the individual short stories—in order to form a superior whole.Santi, Mara (2014). "Performative Perspectives on Short Story Collections". ''Interférences littéraires/Literaire interferenties'' (12): 143–154. ISSN 2031-2970. In spite of this, each short story does not lose any of its meaning or narrative independence by being included in a collection. This does not mean that short stories do not gain any new meaning from being included in a collection, though. Because each story's context has changed, surrounded by other stories with their own me ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Burke (author)
Thomas Burke (29 November 1886 – 22 September 1945) was a British author. He was born in Clapham Junction, London. His first successful publication was ''Limehouse Nights'' (1916), a collection of stories centred on life in the poverty-stricken Limehouse district of London. Many of Burke's books feature the Chinese character Quong Lee as narrator. "The Lamplit Hour", an incidental poem from ''Limehouse Nights'', was set to music in the United States by Arthur Penn in 1919. That same year, American film director D. W. Griffith used another tale from the collection, "The Chink and the Child" as the basis of his screenplay for the movie ''Broken Blossoms''. Griffith based his film ''Dream Street'' (1921) on Burke's "Gina of Chinatown" and "Song of the Lamp". Life Burke was born Sydney Thomas Burke on 29 November 1886 in Clapham Junction. Burke's father died when he was barely a few months old and he was eventually sent to live with his uncle in Poplar. At the age of ten he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinatown
A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia. The development of most Chinatowns typically resulted from mass migration to an area without any or with very few Chinese residents. Binondo in Manila, established in 1594, is recognized as the world's oldest Chinatown. Notable early examples outside Asia include San Francisco's Chinatown, San Francisco, Chinatown in the United States and Melbourne's Chinatown, Melbourne, Chinatown in Australia, which were founded in the mid-19th century during the California Gold Rush, California and Victorian gold rush, Victoria gold rushes, respectively. A more modern example, in Montville, Connecticut, was caused by the displacement of Chinese workers in the Chinatown, Manhattan, Manhattan Chinatown following the September 11th attacks in 2001. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Limehouse
Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, such as The Grapes and Limehouse Stairs. It is part of the traditional county of Middlesex. It became part of the ceremonial County of London following the passing of the Local Government Act 1888, and then part of Greater London in 1965. It is located between Stepney to the west and north, Mile End and Bow to the northwest, Poplar to the east, and Canary Wharf and Millwall to the south, and stretches from the end of Cable Street and Butcher Row in the west to Stainsby Road near Bartlett Park in the east, and from West India Dock (South Dock) and the River Thames in the south to Salmon Lane and Rhodeswell Road in the north. The area gives its name to Limehouse Reach, a section of the Thames wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East End Of London
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have universally accepted boundaries to the north and east, though the River Lea is sometimes seen as the eastern boundary. Parts of it may be regarded as lying within Central London (though that term too has no precise definition). The term "East of Aldgate Pump" is sometimes used as a synonym for the area. The East End began to emerge in the Middle Ages with initially slow urban growth outside the eastern walls, which later accelerated, especially in the 19th century, to absorb pre-existing settlements. The first known written record of the East End as a distinct entity, as opposed to its component parts, comes from John Strype's 1720 ''Survey of London'', which describes London as consisting of four parts: the City of London, Westminster, So ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beryl And The Croucher
"Beryl and the Croucher" is a short story by the British writer Thomas Burke which was part of his 1916 collection ''Limehouse Nights''. A washed-up boxer, known as "the Croucher" for his distinctive fighting style, having fought his last fight sinks into dissipation and crime in the East End of London. His only hope to recover his former sense of self-worth is a former lover named Beryl. Adaptation In 1949 the story was turned into a film '' No Way Back'' directed by Stefan Osiecki and starring Terence de Marney, Eleanor Summerfield and Jack Raine. The plot was moved to a contemporary setting and was part of the Spiv cycle In the United Kingdom, the word spiv is slang for a type of petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically black market, goods. The word was particularly used during the Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were rationed d ... of films of the late 1940s.Chibnall & Murphy p.60 References Bibliography * Chibnall, Steve & Murphy, Rob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broken Blossoms
''Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl'', often referred to simply as ''Broken Blossoms'', is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was distributed by United Artists and premiered on May 13, 1919. It stars Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, and Donald Crisp, and tells the story of young girl, Lucy Burrows, who is abused by her alcoholic prizefighting father, Battling Burrows, and meets Cheng Huan, a kind-hearted Chinese man who falls in love with her. It was the first film distributed by United Artists. It is based on Thomas Burke's short story "The Chink and the Child" from the 1916 collection ''Limehouse Nights''. In 1996, ''Broken Blossoms'' was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures to be added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Plot Cheng Huan leaves his native China because he "dreams to spread the gentle message of Buddha to the Anglo-Saxon lands." His idealism fades as he is faced with the br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Broken Blossoms (1936 Film)
''Broken Blossoms'' is a 1936 British drama film directed by John Brahm and starring Emlyn Williams, Arthur Margetson, Basil Radford and Edith Sharpe. Director Bernard Vorhaus was technical supervisor. The film is based on the short story "The Chink and the Child" by Thomas Burke from his collection '' Limehouse Nights'' (1916), and was produced at Twickenham Studios in London. The story had previously been adapted by D. W. Griffith for his film '' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) starring Lillian Gish. Plot A Chinese missionary comes to London where he works in the slums and helps a young girl being ill-treated by her abusive father. Cast * Dolly Haas as Lucy Burrows * Emlyn Williams as Chen * Arthur Margetson as Battling Burrows * C. V. France as High Priest * Basil Radford as Mr. Reed * Edith Sharpe as Mrs. Reed * Ernest Jay as Alf * Bertha Belmore as Daisy * Gibb McLaughlin as Evil Eye * Ernest Sefton as Manager * Donald Calthrop as Old Chinaman * Kathleen Harrison as Mrs. Los ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curlytop
''Curlytop'' is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Shirley Mason, Wallace MacDonald, and Warner Oland. It is based on one of the short stories collected in ''Limehouse Nights'' by Thomas Burke. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, big Bill Branigan (MacDonald) leaves his sweetheart Bessie (Miller) for Curlytop (Mason), whose unconscious beauty naiveté enthrall him. Shanghai Dan (Oland), who dominates a gang of Chinese crooks in the Chinatown centered on Limehouse in the East End of London, also desires her. Determined to reform, Bill sets out in search of a job, so Bessie revenges herself by getting Curlytop drunk and cutting off her golden curls. Bill returns but cannot find Curlytop, and is persuaded to rekindle his relationship with Bessie. After he finds the golden curls among her belongings, Bill forces Bessie to reveal the whereabouts of Curlytop. Curlytop has been working for Shanghai Dan as a waitress on a fl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
No Way Back (1949 Film)
''No Way Back'' is a 1949 British crime film directed by Stefan Osiecki and starring Terence De Marney, Eleanor Summerfield and Jack Raine. The screenplay concerns an injured boxer who sinks into bad company when his fighting career comes to an end leading to a spiral of crime. It was made at Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames. Plot Johnnie Thompson, a veteran and popular boxer known as "The Croucher" for his distinctive fighting style, enters the ring against a much younger opponent Tommy McGovern. Despite his years of hard living, Thompson remains confident of winning but soon finds himself in trouble. Drawing on all his reserves he is able to knock his opponent down but not out. McGovern gets up and then knocks Thompson out for a ten count. Thompson still hopes to continue his career and regain his title, but a visit to the Doctor's informs him that the sight in one of his eyes has gone. He realises he will be unable to fight on and retires. His promoter explains that he s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiv Cycle
In the United Kingdom, the word spiv is slang for a type of petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically black market, goods. The word was particularly used during the Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were rationed due to shortages. According to Peter Wollen, "The crucial difference between the spiv and the classic Hollywood gangster was the degree of sympathy the spiv gained as an intermediary in the transfer of black market goods to ... a grateful mass of consumers."Peter Wollen (2002) ''Paris Hollywood - Writings on Film'' pp185–6 Origins The origin of the word is obscure. According to Eric Partridge the word was originally racecourse slang, but had become widely accepted by 1950. It appeared in a paperback crime novel in 1934.Axel Bracey (1934) ''School for Scoundrels'' (Rich and Cowan) The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that it may come from: *''spiffy'', meaning smartly dressed; *''spiff'', a bonus for salespeople (especially dra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
