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The Monitors (film)
''The Monitors'' is a 1969 U.S. satirical science fiction film. Shot in Chicago, it was the first film production of the city's Second City comedy troupe and was coproduced and financed by the Bell and Howell film-equipment manufacturing company (then based in nearby Skokie) in an effort to establish Chicago as a film production center. It is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Keith Laumer. Plot Earth has been taken over by a benign group of aliens known as the Monitors, gentlemanly figures clad in black overcoats and bowler hats. They are dedicated to suppressing humanity's propensities for violence, sex, war, and trouble, enforcing their ethos with spray cans of a pacifying gas and with television ads praising the Monitors' rule—the latter featuring cameos by a variety of comedic actors, as well as bandleader Xavier Cugat and Illinois senator Everett Dirksen (who died before the film's release). A conflict with the Monitors, inspired by the outrageous antics of a st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Shea (director)
Jack Shea (August 1, 1928 – April 28, 2013) was an American film and television director. He was the president of the Directors Guild of America from 1997 to 2002. Life and career Born John Francis Shea, Jr., Shea's father was a traveling salesman and his mother a bookkeeper. He received a parochial high school education, later attaining a degree in History from Fordham University. Shea broke into the entertainment industry in 1951, initially as a stage manager for the TV series Philco Playhouse, and, following two years of service with the United States Air Force, serving from 1952 to 1954, during the Korean War, making instructional films in Los Angeles, and later becoming an associate director. Among the TV shows he contributed to during this period include ''The Jerry Lewis Show'' and '' The Bob Hope Specials'', where he later shared a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for in 1961. By the late 1950s, Shea had become instrumental in forming the Radio and Television Director ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. A feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm —"in satire, irony is militant", according to literary critic Northrop Frye— but parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural) the very things the satirist wishes to question. Satire is found in many a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at the local, regional, national or international level. Grassroots movements are associated with bottom-up, rather than top-down decision making, and are sometimes considered more natural or spontaneous than more traditional power structures. Grassroots movements, using self-organization, encourage community members to contribute by taking responsibility and action for their community. Grassroots movements utilize a variety of strategies from fundraising and registering voters, to simply encouraging political conversation. Goals of specific movements vary and change, but the movements are consistent in their focus on increasing mass participation in politics. These political movements may begin as small and at the local level, but grassroots ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jackie Vernon (comedian)
Jackie Vernon (born Ralph Verrone; March 29, 1924 – November 10, 1987) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, who was best known for his role as the voice of Frosty the Snowman in the Rankin/Bass Productions Christmas special ''Frosty the Snowman (TV special), Frosty the Snowman'' and its sequel ''Frosty's Winter Wonderland''. Early life Jackie Vernon was born Ralph Verrone on March 29, 1924, in New York City. After attending and graduating from high school, he attended City College before enlisting and serving in the U.S. Air Force. He began his career in 1955 with performing stand-up comedy in various small nightclubs and hotel lounges around the country from New York, to Chicago, to Miami and Los Angeles. Career Vernon was known for his gentle, low-key delivery and self-deprecating humor. He has been hailed as "The King of Deadpan." His signature opening line was, "To look at me now, it's hard to believe I was once considered a dull guy." Early in the 1950s, accordin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stubby Kaye
Bernard Solomon Kotzin (November 11, 1918 – December 14, 1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals. Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in ''Guys and Dolls'' and Marryin' Sam in ''Li'l Abner'', introducing two show-stopping numbers of the era: "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" and "Jubilation T. Cornpone." He reprised these roles in the movie versions of the two shows. Other well-known roles include Herman in Bob Fosse's ''Sweet Charity'', Sam the Shade in ''Cat Ballou'', and Marvin Acme in ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. Biography Kaye was born Bernard Solomon (or Sholom) Kotzin on the last day of the First World War, at West 114th Street in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan. His parents were first generation Jewish-Americans originally from Russia and Austria-Hungary. His father, David Kotzin, was a dress salesman, and the former Harriet "Hattie" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Dana
Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as Barbara, Macedonian singer * Bárbara (footballer) (born 1988), Brazilian footballer Film and television * ''Barbara'' (1961 film), a West German film * ''Bárbara'' (film), a 1980 Argentine film * ''Barbara'' (1997 film), a Danish film directed by Nils Malmros, based on Jacobsen's novel * ''Barbara'' (2012 film), a German film * ''Barbara'' (2017 film), a French film * ''Barbara'' (TV series), a British sitcom Places * Barbara (Paris Métro), a metro station in Montrouge and Bagneux, France * Barbaria (region), or al-Barbara, an ancient region in Northeast Africa * Barbara, Arkansas, U.S. * Barbara, Gaza, a former Palestinian village near Gaza * Barbara, Marche, a town in Italy * Berbara, or al-Barbara, Lebanon * Berbara, Akkar D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. Arkin started his career on the Broadway stage acting in '' Enter Laughing'' in 1963 for which he received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, and the comedic play '' Luv'' (1964). He is also was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for ''The Sunshine Boys'' in 1973. He gained stardom acting in ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' (1966), ''Wait Until Dark'' (1967), ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1968), ''Popi'' (1969), ''Catch-22'' (1970), '' The In-Laws'' (1979), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1992), ''Grosse Point Blank'' (1997), ''Thirteen Conversati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adam Arkin
Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1956) is an American actor and director. He is known for playing the role of Aaron Shutt on '' Chicago Hope''. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony (Best Actor, 1991, ''I Hate Hamlet'') as well as three primetime Emmys, four SAG Awards (Ensemble, '' Chicago Hope''), and a DGA Award (''My Louisiana Sky''). In 2002, Arkin won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special for ''My Louisiana Sky''. He is also one of the three actors to portray Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck on ''Monk''. Between 2007 and 2009, he starred in ''Life''. Beginning in 1990, he had a guest role on '' Northern Exposure'' playing the angry, paranoid Adam, for which he received an Emmy nomination. In 2009, he portrayed villain Ethan Zobelle, a white separatist gang leader, in ''Sons of Anarchy'' and as Principal Ed Gibb in '' 8 Simple Rules'' (2003–2005). His father Alan Arkin and brother Matthew are also actors. Early life Arkin was born i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Everett Dirksen
Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician. A Republican, he represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As Senate Minority Leader from 1959 until his death in 1969, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s. He helped write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, both landmark pieces of legislation during the civil rights movement. He was also one of the Senate's strongest supporters of the Vietnam War. A talented orator with a florid style and a notably rich baritone voice, he delivered flamboyant speeches that caused his detractors to refer to him as "The Wizard of Ooze". Born in Pekin, Illinois, Dirksen served as an artillery officer during World War I and opened a bakery after the war. After serving on the Pekin City Council, he won election to the House of Representatives in 1932. In the House, he was considered a mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xavier Cugat
Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City he was the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf–Astoria before and after World War II. He was also a cartoonist and a restaurateur. The personal papers of Xavier Cugat are preserved in the Biblioteca de Catalunya. Life and career Cugat was born Francisco de Asís Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y DeulofeuXavier Cugat official webpage xaviercugat.com; accessed 8 November 2015. in , |
Bowler Hat
The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn with semi-formal and informal attire. The bowler, a protective and durable hat style, was popular with the British, Irish, and American working classes during the second half of the 19th century, and later with the middle and upper classes in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the east coast of the United States. Origins The bowler hat was designed in 1849 by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler to fulfill an order placed by the company of hatters James Lock & Co. of St James's, which had been commissioned by a customer to design a close-fitting, low-crowned hat to protect gamekeepers from low-hanging branches while on horseback at Holkham Hall, the estate of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester in Norfolk. The keepers had previ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ... TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporate history Prototype The prototype of what would become ''TV Guide Magazine'' was developed by Lee Wagner (1910–1993), who was the circulation director of Macfadden Communications Group#Macfadden Publications, MacFadden Publications in New York City in the 1930s – and later, by the time of the predecessor publication's creation, for Cowles Media Company – distributing magazines focusing on movie celebrities. In 1948, Wagner printed New York City area lis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
