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Valentine Pelka
Valentine Pelka (born 23 February 1956) is an English actor who has starred in film and on television. Biography Pelka was born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, to a Polish civil engineer father and an Irish actress mother, and attended St Michael's College, Leeds (now part of Mount St Mary's Catholic High School, Leeds). His sister, Kazia, is an actress who starred on ''Brookside'', among other television programmes. He has made guest appearances on '' Highlander: The Series'' as Kronos, an enemy of Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) and former acolyte of Methos (Peter Wingfield) in the episodes "Comes a Horseman", " Revelations 6:8", "Archangel" and " Not To Be". He starred in the 1986 TV series ''Crossbow'' (UK, William Tell) as Roland. He also guest starred in the 1990 TV series ''Zorro'' in the episode "All that Glitters" which preceded his starring role as the military governor, Colonel Montoya, in the 2000 syndicated TV series ''Queen of Swords''. Peter Wingfield als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. Dewsbury forms part of the Heavy Woollen District of which it is the largest town. According to the 2011 census, Dewsbury had a population of 62,945. History Toponymy The ''Domesday Book'' of 1086 records the name as ''Deusberie'', ''Deusberia'', ''Deusbereia'', or ''Deubire'', literally "Dewi's fort", Dewi being an old Welsh name (equivalent to David) and "bury" coming from the old English word "burh", meaning fort. Other, less supported, theories exist as to the name's origin. For example, that it means "dew hill", from Old English ''d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Pianist (2002 Film)
''The Pianist'' is a 2002 biographical war drama film produced and directed by Roman Polanski, with a script by Ronald Harwood, and starring Adrien Brody. It is based on the autobiographical book ''The Pianist'' (1946), a Holocaust memoir by the Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, a Holocaust survivor. The film was a co-production by France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland. ''The Pianist'' premiered at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival on 24 May 2002, where it won the Palme d'Or, and went into wide release that September; the film received widespread critical acclaim, with critics lauding Polanski's direction, Brody's performance and Harwood's screenplay. At the 75th Academy Awards, the film won for Best Director (Polanski), Best Adapted Screenplay (Harwood), and Best Actor (Brody), and was nominated for four others, including Best Picture (it would lose out to ''Chicago)''. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film and BAFTA Award for Best Direction in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hold The Dream
''Hold the Dream'' is a British two-part serial made in 1986, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Barbara Taylor Bradford. It is the second book in the Emma Harte series, following '' A Woman of Substance''. ''Hold the Dream'' continues the story of Emma Harte, played by Deborah Kerr, with Jenny Seagrove, who played the young Emma taking over the part of Paula Fairley. Plot Paula Fairley, now head of the Harte chain of department stores, has taken on the burden of preserving Emma's legacy. However, she suffers dissent within her extended family, in particular from her devious cousin Jonathan Ainsley. Her marriage to Jim Fairley is unhappy, leading her into the arms of her childhood sweetheart, Shane O'Neill (Stephen Collins), grandson of Blackie O'Neill (Liam Neeson). Struggling to prove herself in a male dominated world, just like her grandmother before her, Paula suffers heartache and loss that mirror the life of her grandmother. Emma's request that Paula hold her d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanou (film)
''Nanou'' is a 1986 Franco-British feature film directed by Conny Templeman. It stars Imogen Stubbs, Jean-Philippe Écoffey, Michel Robin and Daniel Day-Lewis. Plot In the 1970s, a blonde English student, Nanou, spends just a few months on the continent. She tours Switzerland, but prefers France. In Lorraine, she meets Luc, a handsome worker in the militant extreme left-wing, and trains with him in his activities outside the law. She gradually moves into the French village and lives out her activist life on the sidelines until England remembers her ... Cast * Imogen Stubbs: Nanou * Jean-Philippe Écoffey: Luc * Michel Robin: Mr. Henry * Daniel Day-Lewis: Max * Roger Ibáñez: Michel * Lou Castel: Italian activist * Christophe Lindon: Charles * Valentine Pelka: Jacques * Nathalie Bécue: Chantal * Dominique Rousseau: Rita * Anna Cropper: Nanou's mother * Patrick O'Connell: Nanou's father * Anne-Marie Jabraud: Ms. Giraud * Bérangère Jean * Jean-Marc Morel: Jean * Jean Amos: R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robin Of Sherwood
''Robin of Sherwood'' is a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 28 April 1984 to 28 June 1986 on the ITV network. In the United States it was shown on the premium cable TV channel Showtime and, later, on PBS. The show starred Michael Praed and Jason Connery as two different incarnations of the title character. Unlike previous adaptations of the Robin Hood legend, ''Robin of Sherwood'' combined a gritty, authentic production design with elements of real-life history, 20th-century fiction, and pagan myth.Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, ''The Guinness Book of Classic British TV''. Enfield : Guinness Publishing, 1996. (pg. 352–4). ''Robin of Sherwood'' has been described by historian Stephen Knight as "the most innovative and influential version of the myth in recent times". The series is also notable for its musical score by Clannad, which won ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
If Tomorrow Comes (miniseries)
''Sidney Sheldon's If Tomorrow Comes'' is a 1986 American television miniseries based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Sidney Sheldon, starring Madolyn Smith, Tom Berenger and David Keith. It was directed by Jerry London and the screenplay was written by Carmen Culver. Plot summary Trying to get justice for her wronged mother, Tracy Whitney is instead framed by a gangster and sent to prison for 15 years. At first a victim, Tracy makes alliances and plots her escape. She abandons her plan in order to save the warden's young daughter from drowning, earning herself a pardon. Tracy avenges herself and her mother, and is soon recruited by the mysterious Gunther Hartog to be a master thief. She crosses paths with another con artist, Jeff Stevens, to whom she is attracted but is not sure she can trust. Trailing behind them is the unstable insurance investigator Daniel Cooper. Cast * Madolyn Smith as Tracy Whitney * Tom Berenger as Jeff Stevens * David Keith as Daniel Cooper * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monsignor Quixote
''Monsignor Quixote'' is a novel by Graham Greene, published in 1982. The book is a pastiche of the classic 1605 and 1615 Spanish novel ''Don Quixote'' by Miguel de Cervantes with many moments of comedy, but also offers reflection on matters such as life after a dictatorship, Communism, and the Catholic faith. Plot summary Father Quixote, a parish priest in the little town of El Toboso in Spain's La Mancha region, regards himself as a descendant of Cervantes' character of the same name, even if people point out to him that Don Quixote was a fictitious character. One day, he helps and gives food to a mysterious Italian bishop whose car has broken down. Shortly afterwards, he is given the title of ''Monsignor'' by the Pope, much to the surprise of his bishop who looks upon Father Quixote's activities rather with suspicion. He urges the priest to take a holiday, and so Quixote embarks upon a voyage through Spain with his old Seat 600 called "Rocinante" and in the company of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King David (film)
''King David'' is a 1985 American Biblical epic film about the life of David, the second King of the Kingdom of Israel, as recounted in the Hebrew Bible. The film is directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Andrew Birkin and James Costigan, and stars Richard Gere in the title role. The ensemble cast includes Edward Woodward, Alice Krige, Denis Quilley, Cherie Lunghi, Hurd Hatfield, John Castle, Jean-Marc Barr, Christopher Malcolm, and Gina Bellman. ''King David'' was released by Paramount in the United States on March 29, 1985, while in other countries it was released in 1986 and 1987. Upon release, the film received mostly negative reviews for its screenplay writing, pace, some of the acting and the action sequences. However, Gere's performance and the cinematography were praised. In addition to being a critical failure, the film was also a box-office failure, grossing $5.9 million worldwide against its $21 million production budget. Where to Watch the show * Prime Video Plo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sakharov (film)
''Sakharov'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by Jack Gold and written by David W. Rintels. The film stars Jason Robards, Glenda Jackson, Nicol Williamson, Frank Finlay, Michael Bryant and Paul Freeman. The film premiered on HBO on June 20, 1984. Plot Cast *Jason Robards as Andrei Sakharov *Glenda Jackson as Yelena Bonner *Nicol Williamson as Malyarov *Frank Finlay as Kravtsov * Michael Bryant as Syshchikov * Paul Freeman as Pavel Leontiev *Anna Massey as Klavdia *Joe Melia as Sergej Kovalov *Lee Montague as Slavsky * Jim Norton as Roy Medvedev *Valentine Pelka as Efrem Sakharov *Catherine Hall as Tanya Sakharov *John McAndrew as Alyosha Sakharov * Debbie Farrington as Lisa Sakharov *David Midwinter as Matvel Sakharov, age 10 *Craig Dickerson as Matvel Sakharov, age 5 *Toni Warwick as Anya Sakharov *Eileen Way as Ruf Grigorievna * Denyse Alexander as Dr. Lydia *Marion Bailey as Ludmilla Kovalov *Anton Lesser Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is an English acto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pope John Paul II (1984 Film)
''Pope John Paul II'' is a 1984 American biopic drama television film based on the life of Karol Wojtyła, from his early days as an activist in Poland to his installation as Pope John Paul II. Written by Christopher Knopf and directed by Herbert Wise, the film stars Albert Finney, Caroline Bliss, Brian Cox, and John Forgeham. The film marks both Albert Finney's American television debut and the first script Finney had ever turned down upon initial reading. Synopsis This film's timeline begins with the death of Pope John Paul I on September 28, 1978, and then flashes back to Karol Wojtyła as a young man growing up decades earlier in Wadowice, Poland. The storyline then returns to pre-October 16 dates in 1978 and flashes back to Wojtyła's early life, family relationships, his political involvements fighting against Nazism during World War II and against Communism afterwards in the Cold War, and his relationship and involvement in the Roman Catholic Church as he becomes a pri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivanhoe (1997 TV Series)
''Ivanhoe'' was a 1997 American/British television mini-series based on the 1819 novel ''Ivanhoe'' by Sir Walter Scott. It was produced by the BBC and A&E Network and consisted of six 50 minute episodes. Plot This adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's novel is set in 1192 AD and depicts a disinherited knight who is accused of treachery. He returns anonymously to his home in England, to clear his name and win his lady love. King Richard had been a prisoner in an Austrian dungeon, but is now returning to an England ruled by Prince John. The production claims realism, mainly through a depiction of a very rough and poverty stricken time; the producers claim this is in contrast to earlier, "sanitized" versions. People wear layers of often old, sometimes ragged clothing to keep the cold out, are sometimes dirty, and have long shaggy hair and beards. TV episodes Episode 1: The knight and crusader Ivanhoe is released from an Austrian prison after refusing to betray King Richard. He retur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amanda (Highlander)
Amanda is a fictional character in the television series '' Highlander: The Series'' and '' Highlander: The Raven,'' portrayed by actress Elizabeth Gracen. She is one of the Immortals, immune to old age and death except by taking the head off. Some Immortals play The Game, seeking each other out for a duel to the death, for which the survivor is rewarded with a Quickening. Amanda was created to be a former lover of fellow Immortal Duncan MacLeod, the protagonist of the ''Highlander: The Series'' television series. She originally appeared in the 1993 episode " The Lady and the Tiger" as a "villain of the week" type character. However, the writers and fans enjoyed her cunning, lying, immoral, selfish, and manipulative ways and she remained a part of the series. She then starred in a short-lived series of her own, ''Highlander: The Raven''. Biography Amanda was born in St. Anne in Normandy, France in 820 (though the exact date is unclear). She is poor, starving, and uneducated, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
