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Svengali
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book’s publication in 1894, the word “ svengali” has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the ''Svengali Defence'' is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a typical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazic (eastern European) Jew, complete with “bold, black, beady Jew’s eyes” and a “hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook’s caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl”. He is continually filthy and yet still “clean enough to suit (his own) kind”. George Orwell wrote that Svengali, who while cleverer than the Englishme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trilby (novel)
''Trilby'' is a novel by George du Maurier and one of the most popular novels of its time. Published serially in '' Harper's Monthly'' from January to August 1894, it was published in book form on 8 September 1895 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States alone. ''Trilby'' is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian Paris. Though ''Trilby'' features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali, a rogue, masterful musician and hypnotist. Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artist's model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small, though crucial, portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a ''milieu''. Lucy Sante wrote that the novel had a "decisive influence on the stereotypical notion of bohemia" and that it "affected the habits of American youth, particularly young w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svengali (1931 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Archie Mayo. The film stars John Barrymore and Marian Marsh. It is based on the 1894 George du Maurier novel ''Trilby'' and was among the many film adaptations of the book. The film was shot from January 12 to February 21, 1931. On its release in the United States, ''Svengali'' received some positive reviews but did not perform well at the box office. Plot When attractive but untalented Madame Honori confesses to her sinister singing teacher Svengali that she has left her husband, yet refuses to accept Svengali's offer of money, he fixes her with an intense stare that drives her screaming from the room. A short time later, her body is found in the Seine. Untouched by her death, Svengali and his flatmate Gecko visit the studio of English artists the Laird, Taffy and Billee in search of a meal. On leaving, they meet a lovely young milkmaid and artist's model, Trilby O'Ferrall. Svengali is enchanted by her, but she fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svengali As A Spider In His Web
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book’s publication in 1894, the word “svengali” has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the ''Svengali Defence'' is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a typical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazic (eastern European) Jew, complete with “bold, black, beady Jew’s eyes” and a “hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook’s caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl”. He is continually filthy and yet still “clean enough to suit (his own) kind”. George Orwell wrote that Svengali, who while cleverer than the Englishmen, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svengali
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book’s publication in 1894, the word “ svengali” has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the ''Svengali Defence'' is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a typical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazic (eastern European) Jew, complete with “bold, black, beady Jew’s eyes” and a “hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook’s caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl”. He is continually filthy and yet still “clean enough to suit (his own) kind”. George Orwell wrote that Svengali, who while cleverer than the Englishme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Trilby (play)
''Trilby'' is a stage play by Paul M. Potter based on the 1894 novel '' Trilby'' by George du Maurier. In the play, a young Irish woman, Trilby O'Ferrall, falls under the control of Svengali, who uses hypnosis to make her abandon her fiancé and become a singer. The play debuted in Boston, Massachusetts in March 1895, where the role of Svengali was created by American actor Wilton Lackaye at the Park Theatre. It was a success in England as directed, produced by and starring Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Svengali, with Dorothea Baird in the title role, opening at the Haymarket Theatre in October 1895. Background While touring the United States in the Spring of 1895 Tree heard of the success of an adaptation of du Maurier's novel by Paul M. Potter being performed by the company of theatrical manager Albert Marshall Palmer at the Boston Museum. He sent his half-brother and agent Max Beerbohm to see the play and report back on it. Max Beerbohm stated that the play was "ab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svengali (1954 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1954 British drama film directed by Noel Langley and starring Hildegard Knef, Donald Wolfit and Terence Morgan. Svengali hypnotises an artist's model into becoming a great opera singer, but she struggles to escape from his powers. It was based on the 1894 novel ''Trilby'' by George du Maurier. The film was made at Walton Studios near London with sets designed by the art director Frederick Pusey and costumes by Beatrice Dawson. It was shot in Eastmancolor. It was picked up for distribution in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Donald Wolfit was a last-minute replacement for actor Robert Newton, who left three weeks into filming and can still be seen in some long shots. Amongst the end credits is the acknowledgement: "The producer expresses his grateful appreciation for the magnificent singing voice of Madame Elizabeth Schwarzkopf." Synopsis After being fired from working as a barmaid in Paris bar, Trilby O'Ferrall is hired by the sculptor Durian as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Svengali (1927 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Paul Wegener, Anita Dorris and André Mattoni. It was produced and written by Max Glass, an adaptation of the 1894 George du Maurier novel ''Trilby''. This is one of the adaptations of the novel that shifts the focus of the story more to Svengali, since at this time anti-Semitism was on the rise in Germany, and Svengali was portrayed as an evil Jew in the film. German actress Anita Dorris appeared in very few other silent films, none of which are well known today. Italian director Righelli on the other hand directed numerous films during his career, although his main claim to fame today is that he was the grandfather of Italian horror film director Sergio Martino. ''Svengali'' was remade in 1931 as a sound film starring John Barrymore. Plot A pretty young artist's model named Trilby falls under the spell of a mesmerist named Svengali who turns her into a leading opera singer with no wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Du Maurier
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a Franco-British cartoonist and writer known for work in ''Punch'' and a Gothic novel ''Trilby'', featuring the character Svengali. His son was the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier. The writers Angela du Maurier and Dame Daphne du Maurier and the artist Jeanne du Maurier were all granddaughters of George. He was also father of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and grandfather of the five boys who inspired J. M. Barrie's ''Peter Pan''. Early life George du Maurier was born in Paris, France, son of Louis-Mathurin Busson du Maurier and wife Ellen Clarke, daughter of the Regency courtesan Mary Anne Clarke. He was brought up to believe his aristocratic grandparents had fled from France during the Revolution, leaving vast estates behind, to live in England as émigrés. In fact, du Maurier's grandfather, Robert-Mathurin Busson, was a tradesman who left Paris, France, in 1789 to avoid charges of fraud and later change ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Derren Brown
Derren Brown (born 27 February 1971) is an English mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author. He began performing in 1992, making his television debut with ''Derren Brown: Mind Control'' in 2000, and has since produced several more shows for stage and television. His 2006 show ''Something Wicked This Way Comes'' and his 2012 show ''Svengali'' won him two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment. He made his Broadway debut with his 2019 stage show ''Secret''. He has also written books for both magicians and the general public. Brown does not claim to possess any supernatural powers; conversely, his acts are often designed to expose the methods of those who do assert such claims, such as faith healers and mediums. He often begins live performances by stating that his results are achieved through "magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection, and showmanship". Early life Derren Brown was born in the Croydon area of London on 27 February 1971, the son of Chris and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Barrymore
John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Barrymore family, Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly attempted a career as an artist, but appeared on stage together with his father Maurice Barrymore, Maurice in 1900, and then his sister Ethel Barrymore, Ethel the following year. He began his career in 1903 and first gained attention as a stage actor in light comedy, then high drama, culminating in productions of ''Justice (play), Justice'' (1916), ''Richard III (play), Richard III'' (1920) and ''Hamlet'' (1922); his portrayal of Hamlet led to him being called the "greatest living American tragedian". After a success as ''Hamlet'' in London in 1925, Barrymore left the stage for 14 years and instead focused entirely on films. In the silent film era, he was well received in such pictures as ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 film) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donald Wolfit
Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 – 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, known for his touring wartime productions of Shakespeare. He was especially renowned for his portrayal of King Lear. Personal life Wolfit was born at New Balderton, near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, and attended the Magnus Grammar School. He made his stage début in 1920 and first appeared in the West End in 1924, playing in ''The Wandering Jew.'' He was married three times. His first wife was the actress Chris Castor, and their daughter Margaret Wolfit (1929–2008) was also an actor. He had two children by his second marriage - Harriet Graham, actor and writer, and Adam Wolfit, a photographer. An active Freemason, he became Master of Green Room Lodge in 1965. Wolfit was made a C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous programming and lavish productions, and starring in many of its productions. In 1899, he helped fund the rebuilding, and became manager, of His Majesty's Theatre. Again, he promoted a mix of Shakespeare and classic plays with new works and adaptations of popular novels, giving them spectacular productions in this large house, and often playing leading roles. His wife, actress Helen Maud Holt, often played opposite him and assisted him with management of the theatres. Although Tree was regarded as a versatile and skilled actor, particularly in character roles, by his later years his technique was seen as mannered and old-fashioned. He founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1904 and was knighted for his contributions to theatre in 1909. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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