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Felix Bressart
Felix Bressart (March 2, 1892 – March 17, 1949) was a German-American actor of stage and screen. Life and career Bressart (pronounced "BRESS-ert") was born in East Prussia, Germany (now part of Russia). His acting debut came in 1914 as Malvolio in "Twelfth Night," and he went on to act in Austria, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. He was an experienced stage actor when he had his film debut in 1927. He began as a supporting actor, for example as the Bailiff in the box-office hit '' Die Drei von der Tankstelle'' (1930), but soon established himself in leading roles of minor movies. After the Nazis seized power in 1933, the Jewish Bressart left Germany and continued his career in German-speaking movies in Austria, where Jewish artists were still relatively safe. After acting in forty German films, he emigrated to the United States in 1936. One of Bressart's former European colleagues was Joe Pasternak, who had become a Hollywood producer. Bressart's fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality he portrayed both on and off the screen, he epitomized the "American ideal" in the mid-twentieth century. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked him third on its list of the greatest American male actors. Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Stewart started acting while at Princeton University. After graduating in 1932, he began a career as a stage actor, appearing on Broadway and in summer stock productions. In 1935, he landed his first supporting role in a movie and in 1938 he had his breakthrough in Frank Capra's ensemble comedy '' You Can't Take It with You''. The following year, Stewart garnered his first of five Academy Award nominations for his portrayal of an idealized and virtuous man who becomes a senator in Cap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Koster
Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cinema about 1910 when his uncle opened a movie theater in Berlin. Koster's mother played the piano to accompany the films, leaving the young boy to occupy himself by watching the films. After working initially as a short story writer, Kosterlitz was hired by a Berlin movie company as scenarist, becoming an assistant to director Curtis Bernhardt. Bernhardt became sick one day and asked Kosterlitz to take over as director. Career In 1932, Koster directed his first film in Berlin, the comedy ''Thea Roland''. Koster, who was in the midst of directing his second film ''Das häßliche Mädchen'', had been the subject of antisemitism, and knew he had to leave. He lost his temper at an SA officer at his bank during lunch hour and knocked the office ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Seventh Cross (1944 Film)
''The Seventh Cross'' is a 1944 American drama film, set in Nazi Germany, starring Spencer Tracy as a prisoner who escaped from a Nazi concentration camps, concentration camp. The story chronicles how he interacts with ordinary Germans, and gradually sheds his cynical view of humanity. The film co-starred Hume Cronyn, who was nominated for the Academy Awards, Oscar for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor. It was the first film in which Cronyn appeared with his wife Jessica Tandy, and was among the first feature films directed by Fred Zinnemann; it was his first hit movie. The movie was adapted from the 1942 The Seventh Cross, novel of the same name by the German refugee writer Anna Seghers. Produced in the midst of the Second World War, it was one of the few films made during the war to deal with the existence of Nazi concentration camps. Plot In 1936 in Germany, seven prisoners escape from the fictitious Westhofen concentration camp (partly based on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three Hearts For Julia
''Three Hearts for Julia'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Ann Sothern and Melvyn Douglas. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Foreign correspondent Jeff Seabrook's prolonged absences are frustrating his musician wife Julia so much, she is planning a divorce. Jeff hasn't told her he is on his way home. Julia hasn't told him she is leaving him, with orchestra manager David Torrance and music critic Philip Barrows both already wooing her. Jeff's newspaper editor John Girard advises him to act as if he accepts her decision. Julia tries to concentrate on her music, playing in an all-female band (due to the war), which new conductor Anton Ottaway resents, feeling the music is too low-brow. Although temporarily off-duty from his job, Jeff is suddenly called up for active military duty. He takes Julia against her will to a remote cabin, forcing her to think about her decision to get a divorce, angering her suitors, who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blossoms In The Dust
''Blossoms in the Dust'' is a 1941 American biographical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, Fay Holden and Samuel S. Hinds. It tells the true story of Edna Gladney, who helped orphaned children find homes and began a campaign to remove the word "illegitimate" from Texas birth certificates, despite the opposition of "good" citizens. The screenplay was by Anita Loos, with a story by Ralph Wheelwright. The film was one of the biggest hits of 1941 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and began the rise of Greer Garson as one of the largest stars of the decade. ''Blossoms in the Dust'' won an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color, and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Garson), Best Cinematography, Color, and Best Picture. Plot The film is a fictionalized telling of the story of Edna Gladney, an early advocate for the rights of "illegitimate" children in Texas. Edna Kahly (Greer Garson) and he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Merchant Of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for the character Shylock and his famous demand for a " pound of flesh" in retribution. The play contains two famous speeches, that of Shylock, "Hath not a Jew eyes?" on the subject of humanity, and that of Portia on " the quality of mercy". Debate exists on whether the play is anti-Semitic, with Shylock's insistence on his legal right to the pound of flesh being in opposition to Shylock's seemingly universal plea for the rights of all people suffering discrimination. Characters * Antonio – a prominent merchant of Venice in a melancholic mood. * Bassanio � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shylock
Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of the story. Shylock's characterisation is composed of stereotypes, for instance greediness and vengefulness, although there were no practising Jews who lived in England during Shakespearean England. Jews were expelled from the country in 1290 by Edward I in the Edict of Expulsion; this was not reversed until the Cromwell Era. Name Shylock is not a Jewish name. However, some scholars believe it probably derives from the biblical name Shalah, which is (''Šélaḥ'') in Hebrew. Shalah is the grandson of Shem and the father of Eber, biblical progenitor of Hebrew peoples. All the names of Jewish characters in the play derive from minor figures listed in genealogies in the Book of Genesis. It is possible that Shakespeare originally intended t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
To Be Or Not To Be (1942 Film)
To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced by Mel Brooks * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (TV series), starring Maggie Cheung Ho-yee and Prudence Liew * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (play), by Nick Whitby * '' To Be or Not to Be: That Is the Adventure'', an adventure book by Ryan North * "To Be or Not to Be", television series episode, see List of seaQuest DSV episodes Music Albums * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (album), a 2013 album by Nightmare *''To Be or Not to Be'', album by Cliffhanger (band) *''To Be or Not to Be'', album by Crash (South Korean band) Songs *"To Be or Not to Be", 1980 song by BA Robertson *"To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)", 1983 song by Mel Brooks *"To Be or Not to Be", Otis Leavill, composed by Billy Butler 1965 *"To Be or Not to Be", 1965 song by the Bee Gees, from ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edison The Man Lobby Card
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory. Edison was raised in the American Midwest. Early in his career he worked as a telegraph operator, which inspired some of his earliest inventions. In 1876, he established his first laboratory facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where many of his early inventions were developed. He later established a botanical laboratory in Fort Myers, Florida, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comrade X
''Comrade X'' is a 1940 American comedy film, comedy spy film directed by King Vidor and starring Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr. The supporting cast features Oskar Homolka, Eve Arden and Sig Rumann. In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career. Plot In the Soviet Union, American reporter McKinley "Mac" Thompson (Clark Gable) secretly writes unflattering stories about the Soviet Union, attributed to "Comrade X", for his newspaper. His identity is discovered by his valet, Vanya (Felix Bressart), who blackmails Mac into promising to get his daughter, a streetcar conductor named Theodore (Hedy Lamarr), out of the country. Theodore agrees to a sham marriage so she can spread the message of the benefits of Communism to the rest of the world. However, Commissar Vasiliev (Oscar Homolka) is determined to unmask and arrest Comrade X. Eventually Theodore sees the "wicked hypocrisy of Communism" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edison, The Man
''Edison, the Man'' is a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was played by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for their work on this film. However, much of the film's script fictionalizes or exaggerates the real events of Edison's life. The film was the second of a complementary pair of Edison biopics released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1940. ''Young Tom Edison'', starring Mickey Rooney, was released two months earlier and told the story of Edison's youth. Plot In 1869, anxious to be more than a tramp telegraph operator, Edison travels to New York at the prompting of an old friend, Bunt Cavatt. He goes to work for Mr. Els. He tries to persuade financier Mr. Taggart to fund the development of his inventions, but Taggart has no interest in financing “green electrical workers”. However, General Powell, the president of Western Union, does. Edison eventually sells ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 and based in Beverly Hills, California. MGM was formed by Marcus Loew by combining Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Productions, Louis B. Mayer Pictures into one company. It hired a number of well known actors as contract players—its slogan was "more stars than there are in heaven"—and soon became Hollywood's most prestigious film studio, producing popular musical films and winning many Academy Awards. MGM also owned film studios, movie lots, movie theaters and technical production facilities. Its most prosperous era, from 1926 to 1959, was bracketed by two productions of ''Ben-Hur (1959 film), Ben Hur''. After that, it divested itself of the Loews movie theater chain, and, in the 1960s, diversified ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
