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Ordeal By Innocence
''Ordeal by Innocence'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 3 November 1958 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at twelve shillings and sixpence (12/6) and the US edition at $2.95. A crucial witness is unaware of his role as such until two years after a man is found guilty of a murder. When he realizes the information he holds, he re-opens the pain of loss in a family, and re-opens the question of who was the murderer two years ago. This novel received mixed reviews at the time of publication, as reviewers were not generally comfortable with the psychological aspects of the story. The plot had her "customary ingenuity" but lacked "blitheness" and was "much too like an attempt at psychological fiction". Sympathy is evoked for too many characters, "but the unravelling is sound and the story well told." Another said there is ingenuity and a good end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery ''The Mousetrap'', which has been performed in the West End since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. ''Guinness World Records'' lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies. Christie was born into a wealthy upper middle class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award nomination―making him the only Canadian recipient of the "Triple Crown of Acting" to also acquire a Grammy nomination. He made his Broadway debut in 1954 and continued to act in leading roles on stage, playing Cyrano de Bergerac in ''Cyrano'' (1974), Iago in ''Othello'', as well as playing the titular roles in ''Hamlet at Elsinore'' (1964), ''Macbeth'', ''King Lear'', and '' Barrymore''. Plummer performed in stage productions, including '' J.B.'', ''No Man's Land'', and '' Inherit the Wind''. Plummer was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Senneville, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal. After appearing on stage, he made his film debut in '' Stage Struc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour (born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg; 15 February 1951) is an English actress. After making her screen debut as an uncredited extra in the 1969 musical comedy ''Oh! What a Lovely War'', Seymour transitioned to leading roles in film and television, including a leading role in the television series ''The Onedin Line'' (1972–1973) and the role of psychic Bond girl Solitaire in the James Bond film '' Live and Let Die'' (1973). Critical acclaim followed with a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for '' Captains and the Kings'' (1976). In 1982, Seymour won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for the miniseries '' East of Eden'' (1981). She received additional Golden Globe nominations in the same category for the television film ''The Woman He Loved'' (1988), in which she portrayed Wallis Simpson, and the miniseries ''War and Remembrance'' (1988-1989), for wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first singles, Stansfield, along with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, formed Blue Zone in 1986. The band released several singles and one album, but after the success of Coldcut's "People Hold On" in 1989, on which Stansfield was featured, the focus was placed on her solo career. Stansfield's first solo album '' Affection'' (1989) and its worldwide chart-topping lead single " All Around the World" were major breakthroughs in her career. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and ''Affection'' is her best-selling album to date. In the following years, Stansfield released '' Real Love'' (1991), '' So Natural'' (1993), and ''Lisa Stansfield'' (1997). In 1999 she appeared in her first film, '' Swing'', and also recorded the soundtrack for it. Her ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephanie Leonidas
Stephanie Leonidas (born 14 February 1984) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the fantasy film ''MirrorMask'' (2005), the Syfy series ''Defiance (TV series), Defiance'' (2013–2015), and the Crackle (service), Crackle crime series ''Snatch (TV series), Snatch'' (2017–2018). Early life Leonidas was born in Westminster, London, the daughter of a Greek Cypriots, Greek Cypriot father and an English people, English mother. She also has Welsh people, Welsh ancestry through her mother. Her younger brother Dimitri Leonidas, Dimitri and younger sister Georgina Leonidas, Georgina are also actors. Career Leonidas started acting in community theatre when she was eight; at nine she acquired an agent and began to work in television. Notable credits include the television film, television drama ''Daddy's Girl'', the soap opera ''Night and Day (TV series), Night and Day'' and a 2004 episode of ''Doc Martin'' (entitled 'Of All the Harbours in All the Towns') in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Denis Lawson
Denis Stamper Lawson (born 27 September 1947) is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of ''Bleak House (2005 TV serial), Bleak House'', as Gordon Urquhart in the film ''Local Hero (film), Local Hero'', as Retired DI Steve McAndrew in BBC One's ''New Tricks'', as Kit Curran in ''The Kit Curran Radio Show'', and as Wedge Antilles in the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Early life Lawson was born in Glasgow but grew up in Crieff, Perthshire, after his family moved there when he was three years old. He is the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), a merchant, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker. Lawson was educated at Crieff Primary School (then called Crieff Public School). After the 11-plus examination, he attended Morrison's Academy as a day pupil before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, having first unsuccessfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He then sold carpets and did ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miss Marple
Miss Marple is a fictional character in Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories. Jane Marple lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Often characterized as an elderly spinster, she is one of Christie's best-known characters and has been portrayed numerous times on screen. Her first appearance was in a short story published in ''The Royal Magazine'' in December 1927, "The Tuesday Night Club", which later became the first chapter of ''The Thirteen Problems'' (1932). Her first appearance in a full-length novel was in ''The Murder at the Vicarage'' in 1930, and her last appearance was in ''Sleeping Murder'' in 1976. Origins The character of Miss Marple is based on friends of Christie's step grandmother/aunt (Margaret Miller, née West). Christie attributed the inspiration for the character to multiple sources, stating that Miss Marple was "the sort of old lady who would have been rather like some of my step grandmother's Ealing croni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geraldine McEwan
Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with a syrupy, seductive voice and a forthright, sparkling manner".Michael Covene"Geraldine McEwan was a great comic stylist" whatsonstage.com, 2 February 2015 McEwan was a five-time Olivier Award nominee, and twice won the Evening Standard Theatre Award, Evening Standard Award for Best Actress; for ''The Rivals'' (1983) and ''The Way of the World'' (1995). She was also nominated for the 1998 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for ''The Chairs''. She won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress, BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the 1990 television serial ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (TV serial), Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'', and from 2004 to 2009, she starred as the Agatha Christie sleuth Miss Marple, in the ITV series ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agatha Christie's Marple
''Agatha Christie's Marple'' (or simply ''Marple'') is a British ITV (TV network), ITV television programme loosely based on the books and short stories by British crime novelist Agatha Christie. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to the third series, until her retirement from the role, and by Julia McKenzie from the fourth series onwards. Unlike the counterpart TV series ''Agatha Christie’s Poirot'', the show took many liberties with Christie’s works, most notably adding Miss Marple’s character to the adaptations of novels in which she never appeared. Following the conclusion of the sixth series, BBC acquired the rights for the production of Agatha Christie adaptations, suggesting that ITV would be unable to make a seventh series of ''Marple''. Overview Each series consists of four feature-length episodes, except series six which only has three episodes. The first six episodes were all adaptations of ''Miss Marple'' novels by Christie. Subse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ITV Network
ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was for four decades a network of separate companies which provided regional television services and also shared programmes between each other to be shown on the entire network. Each franchise was originally owned by a different company. After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies: ITV plc, which runs the ITV1 channel, and STV Group, which runs the STV channel. The ITV network is a separate entity from ITV plc, the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004. ITV plc holds the Channel 3 b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pino Donaggio
Giuseppe "Pino" Donaggio (born 24 November 1941) is an Italian musician, singer, and composer of film and television scores. A classically-trained violinist, Donaggio is known for his collaborations with director Brian De Palma, and for his work in both European and American genre cinema. He has won two Italian Golden Globe Awards, and has been nominated for two David di Donatello, four Golden Ciak, two Nastro d'Argento, and a Saturn Award. Life and career Born in Burano (an island of Venice), into a family of musicians, Donaggio began studying violin at the age of ten, first at the Benedetto Marcello conservatory in Venice, followed by the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan. At the age of 14, he made his solo debut in a Vivaldi concert for Italian radio, then went on to play for both the I Solisti Veneti and the Solisti di Milano. The discovery of rock and roll during the summer of 1959 ended Donaggio's classical career when he made his singing debut with Paul Anka. He then be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Brubeck
David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasting rhythms, Metre (music), meters, and tonality, tonalities. Born in Concord, California, Brubeck was drafted into the US Army, but was spared from combat service when a International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Red Cross show he had played at became a hit. Within the US Army, Brubeck formed one of the first racial integration, racially diverse bands. In 1951, Brubeck formed the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which kept its name despite shifting personnel. The most successful—and prolific—lineup of the quartet was the one between 1958 and 1968. This lineup, in addition to Brubeck, featured saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Joe Morello. A U.S. Department of State-sponsored tour in 1958 featuring the band inspir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
