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Lee Zavitz
Leland "Lee" Zavitz (August 20, 1904– June 2, 1977) was a special effects technician. He was born in Mount Vernon, Washington. His first major impact was for his work on John Ford's 1937 film, '' The Hurricane''. Zavitz's work on the 1950 space fantasy film '' Destination Moon'' won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. He also worked on films such as ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (1956), ''The Alamo'' (1960), ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' (1963), '' The Pink Panther'' (1963) and John Frankenheimer's '' The Train'' (1964). His last film was Sydney Pollack's wartime chiller ''Castle Keep'' in 1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to .... Zavitz held patents on several devices used in his film work, including fog machines, rain bombs, an exploding wagon and "a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Special Effects
Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual world. Special effects are traditionally divided into the categories of mechanical effects and optical effects. With the emergence of digital film-making a distinction between special effects and visual effects has grown, with the latter referring to digital post-production and optical effects, while "special effects" refers to mechanical effects. Mechanical effects (also called practical or physical effects) are usually accomplished during the live-action shooting. This includes the use of mechanized props, scenery, scale models, animatronics, pyrotechnics and atmospheric effects: creating physical wind, rain, fog, snow, clouds, making a car appear to drive by itself and blowing up a building, etc. Mechanical effects are also often inco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Pink Panther (1963 Film)
''The Pink Panther'' is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and distributed by United Artists. It was written by Maurice Richlin and Blake Edwards. It is the first installment in ''The Pink Panther'' franchise. Its story follows inspector Jacques Clouseau as he travels from Rome to Cortina d'Ampezzo to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" before he is able to steal a priceless diamond known as "The Pink Panther". The film stars David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale. The film was produced by Martin Jurow and was initially released on December 18, 1963 in Italy followed by the United States release on March 18, 1964. It grossed $10.9 million in the United States and Canada. It was positively reviewed and has an 89% approval rating based on 34 votes on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2010, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, as being "culturally, hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1977 Deaths
Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). * January 17 ** 49 marines from the and are killed as a result of a collision in Barcelona harbour, Spain. * January 18 ** Scientists identify a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious Legionnaires' disease. ** Australia's worst railway disaster at Granville, a suburb of Sydney, leaves 83 people dead. ** SFR Yugoslavia Prime minister Džemal Bijedić, his wife and 6 others are killed in a plane crash in Bosnia and Herzegovina. * January 19 – An Ejército del Aire CASA C-207C Azor (registration T.7-15) plane crashes into the side of a mountain near Chiva, on approach to Valencia Airport in Spain, killing all 11 people on board. * January 20 – Jimmy Carter is sworn in as the 39th Preside ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1904 Births
Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music * 19 (band), a Japanese pop music duo Albums * ''19'' (Adele album), 2008 * ''19'', a 2003 album by Alsou * ''19'', a 2006 album by Evan Yo * ''19'', a 2018 album by MHD * ''19'', one half of the double album ''63/19'' by Kool A.D. * ''Number Nineteen'', a 1971 album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron * ''XIX'' (EP), a 2019 EP by 1the9 Songs * "19" (song), a 1985 song by British musician Paul Hardcastle. * "Nineteen", a song by Bad4Good from the 1992 album '' Refugee'' * "Nineteen", a song by Karma to Burn from the 2001 album ''Almost Heathen''. * "Nineteen" (song), a 2007 song by American singer Billy Ray Cyrus. * "Nineteen", a song by Tegan and Sara from the 2007 album '' The Con''. * "XIX" (song), a 2014 song by Slipk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1969 In Film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events, with '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' dominating the U.S. box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time and ''Midnight Cowboy'', a film rated X, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1969 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * January 14 - Louis F. Polk Jr. becomes president and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer * February 23 - Madhubala dies due to a congenital heart disease, at age 36. * June 22 - American singer and actress Judy Garland dies at age 47 of an accidental barbiturate overdose in London. * July 8 - Kinney National Services Inc. acquire substantially all of the assets of Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. * July 13 - Al Pacino's film debut (''Me, Natalie''). * Summer - Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980. From 1969 to 1979, the festival is non-competitive. * A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castle Keep
''Castle Keep'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama war film combining surrealism with tragic realism. It was directed by Sydney Pollack and starred Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Bruce Dern, and Peter Falk. The film appeared in the summer of 1969, a few months before the premiere of Pollack's smash hit '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' The film is based on the novel of the same name by William Eastlake published in 1965, and has the dubious distinction of being one of the very few war films that is both pro and anti war at the same time. Eastlake enlisted in the United States Army in 1942. He served in the Infantry for four and a half years, and was wounded while leading a platoon during the Battle of the Bulge. Plot The film opens with long, beautiful shots of ancient European art and sculptures being blown to pieces amidst the sounds of war and dissonant screams while a lone narrator begins his tale of "eight American soldiers", when suddenly, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sydney Pollack
Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film ''Out of Africa'' (1985), Pollack won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture. He was also nominated for Best Director Oscars for '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1969) and ''Tootsie'' (1982). Some of his other best-known works include '' Jeremiah Johnson'' (1972), ''The Way We Were'' (1973), '' Three Days of the Condor'' (1975) and '' Absence of Malice'' (1981). His subsequent films included ''Havana'' (1990), '' The Firm'' (1993), ''The Interpreter'' (2005), and he produced and acted in ''Michael Clayton'' (2007). Pollack also made appearances in Robert Altman's Hollywood mystery '' The Player'' (1992), Woody Allen's relationship drama ''Husbands and Wives'' (1993), and Stanley Kubrick's erotic psychological drama ''Eyes Wid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1964 In Film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events, including three highly successful musical films, ''Mary Poppins,'' ''My Fair Lady,'' and ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.'' Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1964 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * January 29 – 50-year-old actor Alan Ladd is found dead in bed at his home in Palm Springs, California. An autopsy confirms the cause of death as cerebral edema caused by an acute overdose of "alcohol and three other drugs" His death is ruled accidental. Ladd's final film, ''The Carpetbaggers'', is released in April and, despite mostly negative reviews from critics, becomes a major commercial success. * March 6 – Elvis Presley's 14th motion picture, ''Kissin' Cousins'', is released to theaters. * March 15 - Elizabeth Taylor marries Richard Burton. * July 6 – '' A Hard Day's Night'', the first Beatles film, premieres. * August 27 – The film ''Mary Poppins'' is released. Not only ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Train (1964 Film)
''The Train'' is a 1964 war film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau. The picture's screenplay—written by Franklin Coen, Frank Davis, and Walter Bernstein—is loosely based on the non-fiction book ''Le front de l'art'' by Rose Valland, who documented the works of art placed in storage that had been looted by the Germans from museums and private art collections. Arthur Penn was ''The Train'' original director, but was replaced by Frankenheimer three days after filming had begun. Set in August 1944 during World War II, it pits French Resistance-member Paul Labiche (Lancaster) against German Colonel Franz von Waldheim (Scofield), who is attempting to move stolen art masterpieces by train to Germany. Inspiration for the scenes of the train's interception came from the real-life events surrounding train No. 40,044 as it was seized and examined by Lt. Alexandre Rosenberg of the Free French forces outside Paris. Plot In August 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Frankenheimer
John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), ''Seven Days in May'' (1964), '' The Train'' (1964), '' Seconds'' (1966), ''Grand Prix'' (1966), '' French Connection II'' (1975), '' Black Sunday'' (1977), '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'' (1996), and '' Ronin'' (1998). He won four Emmy Awards—three consecutive—in the 1990s for directing the television movies '' Against the Wall'', '' The Burning Season'', '' Andersonville'', and '' George Wallace'', the last of which also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film. Frankenheimer's 30 feature films and over 50 plays for television were notable for their influence on contemporary thought. He became a pioneer of the "modern-day political thriller", having begun his career at the height of the Cold War.Yor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1963 In Film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events, including the big-budget epic '' Cleopatra'' and two films with all-star casts, '' How the West Was Won'' and ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World''. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1963 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * January 9 – Joseph Vogel resigns as president of MGM and is replaced by Robert O'Brien. * February 20 – The classic epic western '' How the West Was Won'' premieres in the United States. It is an instant success with both audiences and critics and becomes the biggest moneymaker for MGM since '' Ben-Hur''. * June 12 – '' Cleopatra'', starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City. Its staggering production costs nearly bankrupted Twentieth Century Fox and the adulterous affair between Taylor and Burton made the publicity even worse. ''Cleopatra'' marked the only instance that a film would ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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