Freedom Is Important

© Angela M. Lobefaro

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© RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA

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- on the morning of February 4th, during the external tour (or plebeian tour), near the arches of the marina, here the float with Saint Agatha changes route heading towards the historic centre of Catania, a very small devotee is held in the arms of a priest, to be able to receive the blessing from His Excellency the Archbishop;

- la mattina del 4 febbraio durante il giro esterno (o giro plebeo), vicino gli archi della marina, qui la vara con Sant'Agata cambia percorso dirigendosi verso il centro storico di Catania, un piccolissimo devoto viene tenuto in braccio da un sacerdote, per poter ricevere la benedizione da parte di S. E. Mons. Arcivescovo;

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Poster (Locandina):

www.warnerbros.it/scheda-film/genere-romantico/me-you/

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Qi Bo's photos on Fluidr

Qi Bo's photos on Flickriver

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Religious devotion, at times, in Sicily seems to take on the face of women, like that of the two Sicilian saints Agata and Lucia along the Ionian coast of Sicily, or the face of Rosalia, on the opposite side, in Palermo. The lives of Agata and Lucia are closely linked, even though they never met. Agata was martyred in 251, Lucia was not yet born, she was born 32 years later. On February 5, 301, she went to Catania to pray at Agata's tomb to invoke her intercession, hoping to obtain the healing of her mother, who was seriously ill. Agata appeared to her in a dream, confirmed her mother's healing (her mother was healed), but also confided in her that she would be martyred because of her faith in Christ: Lucia was martyred on December 13, 304, during the persecutions of Diocletian. What has been said as an incipit of the photographic story that I present here, created on the occasion of the celebration that Catania dedicates to its Patron Saint Agatha, described as the most important religious celebration in Catania, also considered the third Catholic religious celebration in the world (first are the “Semana Santa” in Seville, and the “Corpus Domini” in Cuzco in Peru), a ranking that takes into account the huge number of people who participate every year. The celebration of Saint Agatha takes place on several dates, from 3 to 6 February, on 12 February and on 17 August: the February celebration is linked to her martyrdom, the August celebration commemorates the return to Catania of her mortal remains, initially taken to Constantinople as spoils of war by the Byzantine general Maniaces, and remained there for 86 years. The young Agata lived in the 3rd century, she belonged to a rich patrician family of Catania, since she was young she had embraced the cult of the Christian religion, the governor Quinziano (or Quintiliano) fell in love with her, Agata to escape him hid in his house in Palermo, Quinziano managed to find out where she was hiding, so he had her taken to Catania, here his attempts to bend Agata's will and make her give in to his flattery were in vain, after her umpteenth refusal he changed his intentions, accused her of being of the Christian religion, condemned her to death, not without first having led her to martyrdom, he amputated her by tearing off both her breasts, in this way in addition to the torment of physical pain, the psychological one was added, humiliating the girl in her femininity, then he gave her death by dragging her on burning coals, Agata was 20 years old. After her death, the cult of her began to spread, even the pagans began to venerate her figure, there is news about her origins starting from 252, the year after her death: the inhabitants of Catania were proud of this young woman who rebelled against the will of the dictator. The feast of Saint Agatha begins on February 3, there is the procession "for the offering of wax", the two eighteenth-century carriages of the senate pulled by horses come out along the streets of the city, "the candelore" make their appearance; on February 4th the celebration begins with the “Mass of Dawn” which is celebrated in the cathedral, after the reliquary bust of the Saint and the silver casket, they are placed on the “vara” (or “fercolo”), to be carried in procession in its “external tour”, the procession begins by crossing the “Porta Uzeda” and thus reaching the arches of the marina, the procession then circumscribes the historic center of the city, going to the places where Agatha’s martyrdom took place; : On February 5th the “Pontifical Mass” is celebrated, on this occasion by lining up in the cathedral, you can go and see the reliquary bust of the Saint, as evening comes, the bust and the casket are placed back on the heavy float for the last procession, which goes along the “internal tour” (or “noble tour”), which crosses the historic center of Catania, a procession preceded by the passage of lit candles carried on the shoulders of devotees (of various weights and sizes, some reach exceptional dimensions and weight, historically these candles illuminated, when electricity did not exist, the passage of the Saint), then the “candelore” pass, they are gigantic and heavy wooden “candelabra”, in baroque style, painted in gold, each one represents an ancient corporation (butchers, fishmongers, bakers, pork butchers, greengrocers, etc.), finally the float with Saint Agatha passes, the long-awaited moment, with the reliquary bust that it contains inside some parts of her body, the other parts of her body are inside the casket, so, with both on the float, Agata's entire body can travel the streets of the city of Catania. The float is pulled by hand, by the many devotees who wish to participate spontaneously in this very particular rite, using two large cords more than 200 meters long, to the end of which are connected four handles. The photographs were taken on February 4 and 5, 2024 and 2025, they are not organized in series taking into account either the year or the days; I obtained a "bilocation effect" by using different shooting points in the two years, visible especially when the float passes through the Porta Uzeda; I made portraits of the devotees, posed and not, in particular the portrait of a devotee who seemed almost enraptured in ecstasy at the passage of Sant'Agata (and perhaps she really was), it represented for me the absolute, profound and concrete synthesis of the attachment of the "citizens" (synonym of "devotees") of Catania towards this young martyr, who has become a symbol of those who oppose violence against women, and protector of women suffering from breast cancer. I photographed two beautiful and sweet models who embodied the "two ages of Agata", with the aim of raising awareness among women in the prevention of breast cancer (the ceramic decorations corresponding to the breasts are the work of "Nenè sculptures of art by Nancy Coco); I captured in some images, the custom of some devotees, to carry with them images of loved ones who passed away too soon (photos placed on candles or printed on the characteristic white habit, called "sacco", which is part of the characteristic way of dressing of the devotees); finally I thank the owner of the Beniamin Art Gallery, in via Umberto, an artist himself, for giving me the opportunity to photograph the Pop icon exhibited in his gallery entitled "Aga Pop".

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La devozione religiosa, a volte, in Sicilia sembra assumere il volto delle donne, come quello delle due sante siciliane Agata e Lucia lungo la fascia Ionica della costa sicula, od il volto di Rosalia, sul versante opposto, in quel di Palermo. Le vite di Agata e Lucia sono tra loro legate in maniera strettamente indissolubile, pur non essendosi mai conosciute, Agata morì martirizzata nel 251, Lucia non era ancora nata, nascerà 32 anni dopo, il 5 febbraio del 301 si recherà a Catania a pregare sul sepolcro di Agata per invocare la sua intercessione sperando così di ottenere la guarigione di sua madre, gravemente malata, Agata le appare in sogno, le conferma la guarigione di sua madre (sua madre ebbe la guarigione), ma anche, le confida, che per lei ci sarà il martirio a causa della sua fede in Cristo: Lucia fu martirizzata il 13 dicembre del 304, durante le persecuzioni di Diocleziano. Quanto detto come incipit del racconto fotografico che qui presento, realizzato in occasione della festa che Catania dedica alla sua Santa Patrona Agata, descritta come la più importante festa religiosa di Catania, considerata anche la terza festa religiosa cattolica al mondo (prime la “Semana Santa” di Siviglia, ed il “Corpus Domini” di Cuzco in Perù), graduatoria che tiene conto del grandissimo numero di persone ogni anno vi partecipano. La festa di Santa’Agata si svolge in più date, dal 3 al 6 febbraio, il 12 febbraio ed il 17 agosto: la ricorrenza di febbraio è legata al suo martirio, quella di Agosto rievoca il ritorno a Catania delle sue spoglie mortali, portate inizialmente a Costantinopoli come bottino di guerra dal generale bizantino Maniace, e li rimaste per 86 anni. La giovane Agata visse nel 3° secolo, apparteneva ad una ricca famiglia patrizia di Catania, sin dalla giovane età aveva abbracciato il culto per la religione cristiana, di lei si invaghì il governatore Quinziano (o Quintiliano), Agata per sfuggirgli si nascose in una sua casa a Palermo, Quinziano riuscì a sapere dove si nascondeva, quindi la fece condurre a Catania, qui i suoi tentativi di piegare la volontà di Agata e farla cedere alle sue lusinghe furono vani, all’ennesimo suo rifiuto egli mutò i suoi propositi, la accusò di essere di religione cristiana, la condannò a morte, non senza averla prima condotta al martirio, le amputò strappandole entrambi i seni, in tal modo oltre allo strazio del dolore fisico, si aggiungeva quello psicologico, umiliando la ragazza nella sua femminilità, poi le diede la morte trascinandola sui carboni ardenti, Agata aveva 20 anni. Dopo la sua morte si iniziò a diffondere il culto verso di lei, anche i pagani iniziarono a venerare la sua figura, si hanno notizie sulle sue origini già a partire dal 252, anno successivo alla sua morte: gli abitanti di Catania erano orgogliosi di questa giovane donna che si ribellò al volere del dittatore. La festa per Sant’Agata inizia il 3 febbraio, si ha la processione “per l’offerta della cera”, escono lungo le vie della città le due settecentesche carrozze del senato trainate da cavalli, fanno la loro comparsa “le candelore”; il 4 febbraio la festa inizia con la “Messa dell’Aurora” che si celebra nella cattedrale, dopo il busto reliquiario della Santa e lo scrigno d’argento, vengono messi sulla “vara” (o “fercolo”), per essere portati in processione nel suo “giro esterno”, la processione inizia attraversando la "Porta Uzeda" e giungendo così agli archi della marina, la processione quindi circoscrive il centro storico della città, recandosi nei luoghi ove avvenne il martirio di Agata; il 5 febbraio si celebra la “Messa Pontificale”, in questa occasione mettendosi in fila nella cattedrale, si può andare a vedere il busto reliquiario della Santa, col sopraggiungere della sera, busto e scrigno, vengono nuovamente messi sulla pesante vara per l’ultima processione, che percorre il “giro interno” (o “giro nobile”), che attraversa il centro storico di Catania, processione preceduta dal passaggio dei ceri accesi portati in spalla dai devoti (di vario peso e dimensioni, alcuni raggiungono dimensioni e peso eccezionali, storicamente questi ceri illuminavano, quando non esisteva l’energia elettrica, il passaggio della Santa), poi passano le “candelore”, sono dei giganteschi e pesanti "candelabri" in legno, in stile barocco, dipinti in oro, ognuna rappresenta una antica corporazione (macellai, pescivendoli, panettieri, pizzicagnoli, fruttivendoli, ecc.), infine passa la vara con Sant’Agata, il momento tanto atteso, col busto reliquiario che racchiude al suo interno alcune parti del suo corpo, le altre parti del corpo si trovano all’interno dello scrigno, in tal modo, con entrambi sulla vara, tutto il corpo di Agata può percorrere le strade della città di Catania. La vara è trainata a mano, dai tantissimi devoti che desiderano partecipare spontaneamente a questo rito così particolare, tramite due grossi cordoni lunghi più di 200 metri, al cui capo sono collegate quattro maniglie. Le fotografie sono state realizzate il 4 ed il 5 febbraio del 2024 e del 2025, esse non sono organizzate in serie tenendo conto né dell’anno, nè delle giornate; ho ottenuto un “effetto di bilocazione” sfruttando differenti punti di ripresa nei due anni, visibile soprattutto quando la vara passa attraverso la Porta Uzeda; ho realizzato ritratti dei devoti, posati e non, in particolare il ritratto di una devota che sembrava quasi rapita in estasi al passaggio di Sant’Agata (e forse lo era veramente), ha rappresentato per me la sintesi assoluta, profonda e concreta dell’attaccamento dei “cittadini” (sinonimo di “devoti”) catanesi nei confronti di questa giovane martire, diventata simbolo di chi si oppone alla violenza sulle donne, e protettrice delle donne ammalate di cancro al seno. Ho fotografato due belle e dolci modelle che impersonavano le “due età di Agata”, con lo scopo di sensibilizzare le donne nella prevenzione delle neoplasie alla mammella (i decori in ceramica in corrispondenza dei seni, sono opera di “Nenè sculture d’arte di Nancy Coco); ho colto in alcune immagini, l’usanza di alcuni devoti, di recare con se immagini di persone care scomparse troppo presto (foto messe sui ceri o stampate sul caratteristico saio bianco, chiamato “sacco”, che fa parte del modo caratteristico di vestire dei devoti); infine ringrazio il proprietario della Beniamin Art Gallery, in via Umberto, artista egli stesso, per avermi dato la possibilità di fotografare l’icona Pop esposta nella sua galleria dal titolo “Aga Pop”.

Dictators called themselves great leaders. Communists are in collaboration with the capitalists.The politicians who serve their sponsors claimed they are serving the people and the voters.

Poverty, corporate dominance, social polarization, inequality are escalated by the court system or so called rule of law.

Is this world more like a black comedy playing everyday? Shall we laugh or shall we cry when seeing these?

This is shop window seen in Granville Island.

Have a great Monday and week coming!

During the reign of Soviet Dictator Hoxja, anywhere from 175,000 to 500,000 bunkers were built all over Albania. Such a program was a drain on an already stressed economy, but what the dictator wanted, the dictator got. Most have long since been abandoned. Some are used for storage. Some of the more famous are museums, and some are cafes.

HANDS Off: April 5th Mobilization, Alaska Capitol Building, 4th Street, Juneau, Alaska.

".......whelp. It's here. My lovely bunch'a pupils, it's descending on us. The International Amateur Aeronautics Competition for some godforsaken reason is coming to Gotham this year. Flyboys and girls from all over the entire goddamn WORLD are gonna land at this very airfield, on our home! Well I'll tell you what, I ain't havin' that shit! Sure, they can stay here, so long as they like the feeling of our afterburners in their smug, stupid faces! They'll all be dead before they even taxi out to the runway! You know why? Because that's how we fucking roll! This is OUR town, OUR airfield, and OUR competition! AM I RIGHT!?"

SB: "....didn't your mom ever tell you it's rude to point?"

"....you ruined it. You ruined it and I'm leaving."

TD: "Some leader right there."

"You guys suck."

This photo is of an actor of a play in the park of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Caesar contemplates how to bolster his power as dictator and diminish the power of his worst enemies in the Senate. (Quote by Caesar in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar)

The people loved the wildly popular dictator, Julius Caesar, who ended the supremacy of the Senate and the reign of the Roman Republic. In its place would rise an emperor who could dictate at will without the old checks and balances. An empire. Ah, there's that royal Tyrian purple in that stripe. All can see from that color that this is Caesar. (It should be a bit more magenta, not just our modern purple.)

Marco Braun

Explore, aug. 22, 2014

The Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest

Het Paleis van het Volk, tegenwoordig het parlementsgebouw, ligt op een heuvel in Boekarest. Met een oppervlakte van 350.000 m² is het het grootste gebouw van Europa, en het op één na grootste gebouw van de wereld. De dictator Ceaușescu liet het bouwen, voor zichzelf, maar het is hem nooit gelukt om er in te wonen. Het gebouw is 270 bij 240 meter, 86 meter hoog en 92 meter diep en heeft 12 verdiepingen en vier ondergrondse niveaus. Binnen bevinden zich 2000 zalen en kamers. Sinds 1994 zetelt het Roemeense parlement in dit gebouw en wordt het deels verhuurd voor congressen. Ook zijn er twee musea in het gebouw, het ene van het parlement zelf, en het andere voor traditionele Roemeense kostuums.

nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boekarest

Bucharest has landmark buildings and monuments. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the Palace of the Parliament, built in the 1980s during the reign of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. The largest Parliament building in the world, the Palace houses the Romanian Parliament (the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate), as well as the National Museum of Contemporary Art. The building boasts one of the largest convention centres in the world.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucharest

terrorist, dictator , fascist , invader , murderer

the Armenian Genocide and condemning Turkey's "campaign of genocide against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans,kurd. Maronites, and other Christians..."🔞

سوڵتانی تیرۆر ھەڕەشە لە ئەوروپا دەکات و دەڵێت: ھەموو داعشەکانتان بۆ دەنێرمەوە، واتا پێشووتر ئەو داعشەکانی ھێناوە!!!!!

One cannot be the ruler of the unfree world without a throne of bones.

Photographed May 24, 2016 at Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton in Michigan's Irish Hills. These are the botanical gardens of Michigan State University and the location chosen by the owner for a photo session with his Studebaker, one of only four 1927 right hand drive Studebakers known to still exist. The model was marketed for postal delivery use.

All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections

Press "L" for a larger image on black.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Iranian officials do not allow information of repression by breaking the internet.

Amnesty International has expressed concern about the killing of dozens of people as well as the arrest of more than a thousand people in Iran.

Amnesty International says, we are afraid to hear reports about how many people have been killed since Friday, thousands of people were injured and also more than one thousand people have been arrested. We are worried that the Iranian authorities are willing to keep the information on their brutal repression. We are investigating.

The Price of the free gas in Iran according to the decision of the high economic council of the chief leaders of the chief of the chief of the chief of the chief. Official reports of six killed and unofficial reports of dozens of killed have a story during these protests.الله ينصر كل مظلوم يدافع عن ابسط حقوقه

Kafe Antzokia (Bilbao), Tom Hagen Rock Photography 2017

Photography by Jakub Pyrdek

www.s999.co.uk

Manitoba NYC – formerly Dictators

ukraine war awfulness needs to be handled by a competent humanitarian strike force to take out their artillery esp around kiev

Borstal, Second Life

This may look like a rather poor railway photo but this view tells the tale of a horrendous recent historical period.

Step back in time to 1973 when Augusto Pinochet a Chilean Army general seized power and became the countries dictator and later president for the period right up to 1990.

After his rise to power, Pinochet persecuted leftists, socialists, political critics and in general communists resulting in the executions of thousands of people. the internment of as many as 80,000 people, and the torture of tens of thousands. His country headquarters was in the small town of San Jose de Maipo where this photo was taken. Our guide for the day advised that the ranch he lived on doubled as a torture centre. When those unfortunate to be taken there had been tortured, the survivors were put on this narrow gauge train, taken five miles up the railway line to a tunnel when they had to disembark before being gunned down. This process went on for many years and our guide mentioned that of the likely tens of thousands of dead his cousin was one.

Of course the official government records only detail much smaller number but it remains true that over the period tens of thousands of people with opposing political views disappeared never to be traced agin.

As for Pinochet, his popularity dwindles, he stepped down in 1990 but continued as commander in chief of the Chilean military until 1998. He was arrested in London that year as a result of the mounting humanitarian accusations and retuned to Chile where he was placed under house arrest. Despite being eventually deemed for to stand trial he passed away at home through natural causes in 2006 aged 89. As a result he never received any sentence for these atrocities. Maybe some of the reason for this leniency was due to American involvement when they backed the coup and supported the Pinochet regime.

For the record the locomotives here are designated J-3 and J-5 of the Puente Alto-El Volcan railway and were photographed at the small museum in San Jose de Maipo.

October 23, 2024: No Dictators in the USA. Rise and Resist.

Rudy barking commands for us to throw acorns for him!

"الموت للديكتاتور"

‏إيران تحترق بسبب ما اقترفت ايديها من نهب وجرائم وسرقة خيرات العراق ولبنان وسورية واليمن.

الله ينصر كل مظلوم يدافع عن ابسط حقوقه

La Cabana, Havana, Cuba.

Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña was much more than just a wall- it was a key piece to Havana’s complex fortification system, guarding the narrow entrance to the Bay of Havana.

Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña, or simply La Cabaña, sprawls for over 700 metres along the canal leading into the Bay of Havana. Built in the shape of a crown, this fortress covers 10 hectares and is reinforced by a deep dry moat on the east, and high wall panels facing the channel.

La Cabaña was so imposing and impenetrable, that no invader ever attacked it. The fortress may not have seen any battles, but it was used as a military prison by dictators Batista and Machado. Soon after the revolution, Che Guevara set up his headquarters here.

La Cabaña is included in the system of fortresses that, along with Old Havana, were declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

For video, please visit youtu.be/EVZPWTZtVUk

Original by Warhol. Photoshop modification by me.

The September 16, 2018 Orphan Car show at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections

Press "L" for a larger image on black.

SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS

AND THE

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

Nation shall rise against nation,

kingdom against kingdom Matt. 24:7

Earthquakes, Famines and Pestilence Matt. 24:7

Men shall run to and fro Dan. 12:4

Knowledge shall be increased Dan. 12:4

Wars and rumers of wars Matt. 24:6

Evil men shall wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3:13

As in the days of Noah Matt. 24:37

Restaurants and Taverns Matt. 24:49

False Christs Matt. 24:5, 11:24; Mark 13:22

Falling away from faith I Tim. 4:1,2

Will not endure sound doctrine 2 Tim. 4:2-4

Scoffers who don't care to hear of

the Second Coming of Christ 2 Peter 3:3-14

They shall say peace and safety 1 Thess. 5:1-3

Men walking after their own lusts Jude 16,17,18

Heaping treasures for last days James 5:3-6

False Preachers Matt. 24:11

Men and horses out of work Zech. 8:10

Automobiles Nahum 2:3-4

Air Ships Isaiah 31:5; 60:8

Perilous times 2 Tim. 3:1

Disobedient to Parents 2 Tim. 3:2

Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,

having a form of Godliness, but denying the

power thereof 2 Tim. 3:4-5

Jews returning to Palestine Jer. 32:36-42

Coming World Dictator 2 Thess. 2:1-4; Rev.13

Length of his rule Rev. 13:5

Some will worship him Rev. 13:8

Doom to those that worship him Rev. 14:9-11

Picture of last war Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21, 27 Jer.25:29-33

Gospel preached among all nations Mark 13:10

Signs in the sun,moon,stars... distress of nations....

Mens hearts failing them for fear Luke 21:25-27

"All these are the beginning of sorrows. the end

of all things is at hand. Watch ye, therefore, and

pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to

escape all these things that shall come to pass and

to stand before the Son of man. Matt. 24:8; 1 Peter 4:7;

Luke 21:36

Only one way to escape John 3:16-20

Without the shedding of blood is no remission.

For this is My blood of the New Testamment

which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

When I see the blood, I will pass over you....

Ex. 12:13; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13:5

Except ye be converted, and become as little

children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of

heaven. Except a man be born again, he cannot

see the kingdom of God Matt. 18:3; John 3:3

Jesus said: I am the Way, the Truth, and the

Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me John 14:6

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to

forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness 1 John 1:9

The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Therefore,

be ye ready; for in such an hour as ye think not,

the Son of man cometh Matt.24:44

Model : Gabriela

Fidel Castro Is Dead!

Fidel Castro is dead at the age of 90. The brutal communist dictator established a repressive police state in Cuba, reneging on his promise of free elections for a democratic nation. He executed thousands of Cubans who opposed his totalitarian regime and imprisoned tens of thousands, beating and torturing many of them. He divided tens of thousands of families, destroyed the economy and the culture and established a communist regime, becoming a satellite of the Soviet Union. He put the world on the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

During almost six decades, millions of Cubans have fled the communist island in search of freedom and prosperity because all freedoms were suspended by the tyrant who would lecture the nation via radio and TV saying: “Dentro de la revolución todo, contra la revolución nada.” (With the revolution, everything, against the revolution, nothing.) He made sure all his opponents were silenced by incarceration and often by torture and death.

Fidel Castro and his communist regime exported and supported terrorism, guerrilla warfare, as well as drug trafficking throughout Latin America and the world.

I'm a living witness that his legacy is one of repression, family separation, suffering, death, and destruction of a once prosperous nation.

Free Cubans all over the world are celebrating the death of a monster who enslaved an entire nation and made the Island of Cuba his private plantation. Donald Trump's statements about the legacy of Fidel Castro are spot on and historically accurate. I should know, I lived under that repressive regime for more than ten years and experienced firsthand the havoc this brutal dictator has reeked during his more than five decades in power, turning Cuba into a maximum security prison. Trump said:

"Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights. While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve."

The President-elect added, "Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty." May our people be free at last!

Artist: Khuc Dinh Duong, Vietnam

"I aim to create satirical paintings and sculptures of controversial political characters throughout history. I like to portray the eminent faces in the backdrop of cheap stuff like plastic food containers normally reserved for pre-packed fish or meat, a world apart from these famous faces representing whole remarkable eras in history.

I present those highly esteemed figures in the centre of a plastic tray, wrapped in layers of cling film. I use cling film, a cheap disposable material,

to draw attention to the transience of commercial merchandise all over the world.

My aim is not to be offensive to historical figures. I want to bring them closer tothe public so that everybody can learn about them and their legacy. But, I also hope to change the opinions surrounding these figures, make them more objective. My artworks are created in a humorous style with a splash of solemnity to

better aid our understanding of the world that we live in."

Photographed May 24, 2016 at Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton in Michigan's Irish Hills. These are the botanical gardens of Michigan State University and the location chosen by the owner for a photo session with his Studebaker, one of only four 1927 right hand drive Studebakers known to still exist. The model was marketed for postal delivery use.

All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections

Press "L" for a larger image on black.

Best viewed in LARGE (Contacts only, sorry).

Usage

All my images are copyrighted.

If you intend to use any of my pictures, for any usage, you need to contact me first.

Thank you.

.

Where ?

Almost all my photos are geotagged !!!

About

This is my 34th upload from our weekend in Paris, October 2008, more to come.

Part of the Jeff Koons exhibition in the Versailles Castle, the big blue chrome balloon

relects the complete room behind us or does it reflect the crazyness and decadence of the dictators of the time?

The shot

Single shot at 0EV in RAW/ISO800 at f/5,6 using the Sigma 10mm fisheye lens, handheld.

Photomatix

Tonemapped using the detail enhancer.

Photoshop

° Shadows & Highlights

° Extra brightness with mask.

° Curves on red channel.

° Desaturation of the reds

° High pass sharpening ( See here for description )

with a mask to not sharpen the noisy sky.

° Noise reduction with mask.

Music

Blue in Green by. Miles Davis

You

All comments, criticism and tips for improvements are ( as always ) welcome.

The despoiler or Art and urinals, that apostle of equality, the jester.

(With inappropriately high Gloryhole, and urinals come to think of it.).

Hollywood Reporter Russian edition #2.

Review for the comedy film 'The Dictator'

Mussolini, fascist dictator of Italy during the Second World War always had the desire to rebuild the Roman Empire. However, both France and the United Kingdom controlled the Mediterranean Sea.

So Italy started the construction of a new class of large fast battleships to replace the older (but recently modernized) Conte di Cavour and Andrea Doria battleships.

Four new ships were ordered (Vittorio Veneto, Littorio, Roma and Impero) but only the first three were completed.

A few months after Italy entered the war, the Navy had 6 operational battleships, more than 21 cruisers (7 of them Heavy) and hundreds of destroyers and submarines. France was no longer a threat due to the German Invasion and the construction of Bismarck and Tirpitz in Germany kept the Royal Navy Admirals in great stress with few battleships and aircraft carriers to patrol both regions at the same time and the Atlantic.

However, the Italian Admirals were extremely cautious during the war. Perhaps too much...

Not wanting to be considered responsible for the loss of a battleship, they usually retreated even if facing sometimes much weaker foes. The English Admirals on the other hand were extremely aggressive.

The Italian ships also suffered from other problems; poor quality of the shells resulted in very inaccurate salvos, the lack of radar and an effective fire-control system, weaker armour protection (especially against torpedoes) significantly reduced the efficiency of these battleships. During the Battle of Matapan, 11 shells got stuck on the gun barrels of Vittorio Veneto, which reduced the rate of fire and precision.

The lack of an Aircraft Carrier to protect the ships against enemy planes was another considerable problem since they were always at the mercy of the British Fleet Air Arm.

Two torpedoes hit Littorio during the Taranto Harbour attack, sinking it in shallow waters and requiring more than 3 months in repairs. A few months after the attack, the Italian navy (pressured by Germany) launched a large operation (Battleship Vittorio Veneto, eight cruisers and many destroyers) to attack a British convoy to Greece. Unfortunately, Vittorio Veneto got hit by a torpedo launched by an Albacore torpedo-bomber and was forced to retreat. Later, the operation became known as Battle of Matapan and resulted in the total loss of 3 heavy cruisers and two destroyers for the Italian Navy. The British only lost one plane and it´s crew of 3.

After this, and a series of failed attacks against Malta convoys, the Italian Navy failed to control the Mediterranean Sea. When Italy surrendered and joined the allies, Vittorio Veneto, Littorio (then renamed Italia) and Roma departed from Italy to be interned in British ports. The German Luftwaffe immediately received orders to stop the ships at all cost.

Italia was attacked and damaged by Fritz-X guided bombs dropped by German bombers and survived.

Then, two Fritz-X bombs struck Roma; one of them exploded on the second shell magazine, throwing the second turret to the sky, rolled over and sank with heavy loss of life.

After the war, Vittorio Veneto, Littorio and Impero were dismantled in Italy.

I posted this photo in a few Military Blogs asking for opinions and suggestions. Most of them only said "nice work" or "where can I buy this" or "finally LEGO sells Military stuff".

I can only receive good opinions on Flickr. :D

The ship will receive some improvements in the near future, new camouflage, 100% studless, a slightly lower hull and armament improvements.

My next big project for 2016 is a Military Harbour Display with at least 20 different ships (so far I only have 14).

Any new suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Don´t forget to visit my Flickr page and subscribe:

www.flickr.com/photos/einon/

Eínon

Photographed May 24, 2016 at Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton in Michigan's Irish Hills. These are the botanical gardens of Michigan State University and the location chosen by the owner for a photo session with his Studebaker, one of only four 1927 right hand drive Studebakers known to still exist. The model was marketed for postal delivery use.

All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections

Press "L" for a larger image on black.

After Montefalco's first democratic election in 900 years, Benito Mustachioni was elected as prime minister and Il Duce. As one of his first actions as PM, Mustachioni has announced a new treaty with the Germanikan Reich. In celebration, Montefalco is hosting the three fuhrers at the Royal Palace. From left: Il Duce Benito Mustachioni, Fuhrer Adolf Ganon, Grand Marshal Rohan, and Governor Rudolph Guttenberg.

Many people are aware of the Kurdish crisis in Syria but many do not know the Kurds.

The people have demonstrated all around the world, Stop Turkey's invasion of ROJAVA!!!

نرجو من جميع الوطنيين الكرد وكل من يهمهم ٲمر الشمال السوري وجميع الشرفاء ٲصحاب الضمير الحي ٲن ينشروا هذا المنشور على صفحاتهم وكل المواقع حتى يصل صوتنا ومطلبنا ٳلى الأمم المتحدة وكل المنظمات الدولية لحقوق الإنسان.

Appeal to the United Nations We, the people of Rojava, call for international troops on the border line between us and the Turkish occupation instead of mercenaries and terrorists.

نداء إلى الأمم المتحدة نحن أهالي روج آڤا نطالب بقوات دولية في الخط الحدودي ‏بيننا و بين الاحتلال التركي بدلاً عن المرتزقة والإرهابين.

We demand international protection

نحن نطالب بالحماية الدولية.

🔞

the Armenian Genocide and condemning Turkey's "campaign of genocide against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans,kurd. Maronites, and other Christians..."🔞

كاتێك بەهاكان بێ بەها دەبن ، بێ بەهاكان بەهادار دەبن .

لە دونیایی كە پیاوان نان لە ناپیاوان سوال دەكەن ، نانی لەشفروشان حەلالترە ، چونكە ئەوان خویان دەفروشن ، نیشتیمان نافروشن . مهاتما گاندی.

Photographed May 24, 2016 at Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton in Michigan's Irish Hills. These are the botanical gardens of Michigan State University and the location chosen by the owner for a photo session with his Studebaker, one of only four 1927 right hand drive Studebakers known to still exist. The model was marketed for postal delivery use.

All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections

Press "L" for a larger image on black.

Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died on November 20, 1975 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Franco)

Italian postcard by Rizzoli, Milano, 1939, for Orologi e Cinturini Delgia. Photo: Studio Chaplin.

American actress Paulette Goddard (1905-1990) started her career as a fashion model and as a Ziegfeld Girl in several Broadway shows. In the 1940s, she became a major star of Paramount Pictures. She was Charlie Chaplin's leading lady in Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator. Goddard was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for So Proudly We Hail! (1943). Her husbands included Chaplin, Burgess Meredith, and Erich Maria Remarque.

Paulette Goddard was born Pauline Marion Levy in Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York. Sources variously cite her year of birth as 1911 and 1914, and the place as Whitestone Landing, New York, USA. However, municipal employees in Ronco, Switzerland, where she died, gave her birth year of record as 1905. Goddard was the daughter of Joseph Russell Levy, the son of a prosperous Jewish cigar manufacturer from Salt Lake City, and Alta Mae Goddard, who was of Episcopalian English heritage. They married in 1908 and separated while their daughter was very young, although the divorce did not become final until 1926. According to Goddard, her father left them, but according to J. R. Levy, Alta absconded with the child. Goddard was raised by her mother, and did not meet her father again until the late 1930s, after she had become famous. To avoid a custody battle, she and her mother moved often during her childhood, even relocating to Canada at one point. Goddard began modeling at an early age to support her mother and herself, working for Saks Fifth Avenue, Hattie Carnegie, and others. An important figure in her childhood was her great uncle, Charles Goddard, the owner of the American Druggists Syndicate. He played a central role in Goddard's career, introducing her to Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld. She made her stage debut as a dancer in Ziegfeld's summer revue, 'No Foolin' (1926), which was also the first time that she used the stage name Paulette Goddard. Ziegfeld hired her for another musical, 'Rio Rita', which opened in February 1927, but she left the show after only three weeks to appear in the play 'The Unconquerable Male', produced by Archie Selwyn. It was, however, a flop and closed after only three days following its premiere in Atlantic City. Soon after the play closed, Goddard was introduced to the much older lumber tycoon Edgar James, president of the Southern Lumber Company, by Charles Goddard. She married him in June 1927 in Rye, New York, but the marriage was short. Goddard was granted a divorce in Reno, Nevada, in 1929, receiving a divorce settlement of $375,000. Tony Fontana at IMDb: "A stunning natural beauty, Paulette could mesmerize any man she met, a fact she was well aware of. "

Paulette Goddard first visited Hollywood in 1929, when she appeared as an uncredited extra in two films, the Laurel and Hardy short film Berth Marks (Lewis R. Foster, 1929), and George Fitzmaurice's drama The Locked Door (1929). Following her divorce, she briefly visited Europe before returning to Hollywood in late 1930 with her mother. Her second attempt at acting was no more successful than the first, as she landed work only as an extra. In 1930, she signed her first film contract with producer Samuel Goldwyn to appear as a Goldwyn Girl in Whoopee! (Thornton Freeland, 1930) with Eddie Cantor. She also appeared in City Streets (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931) with Gary Cooper, Ladies of the Big House (Marion Gering, 1931) starring Sylvia Sidney, and The Girl Habit (Edward F. Cline, 1931) for Paramount, and The Mouthpiece (James Flood, Elliott Nugent, 1932) for Warners. Goldwyn and she did not get along, and she began working for Hal Roach Studios, appearing in a string of uncredited supporting roles for the next four years, including Young Ironsides (James Parrott, 1932) with Charley Chase, and Pack Up Your Troubles (1932) with Laurel and Hardy. One of her bigger roles in that period was as a blond 'Goldwyn Girl' in the Eddie Cantor film The Kid from Spain (Leo McCarey, 1932). Goldwyn also used Goddard in The Bowery (Raoul Walsh, 1933) with Wallace Beery, Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933), and Kid Millions (Roy Del Ruth, 1934) with Eddie Cantor. The year she signed with Goldwyn, Goddard began dating Charlie Chaplin, a relationship that received substantial attention from the press. They were reportedly married in secret in Canton, China, in June 1936. It marked a turning point in Goddard's career when Chaplin cast her as his leading lady in his box office hit, Modern Times (1936). Her role as 'The Gamin', an orphan girl who runs away from the authorities and becomes The Tramp's companion, was her first credited film appearance and garnered her mainly positive reviews, Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times describing her as "the fitting recipient of the great Charlot's championship". Following the success of Modern Times, Chaplin planned other projects with Goddard in mind as a co-star, but he worked slowly, and Goddard worried that the public might forget about her if she did not continue to make regular film appearances. She signed a contract with David O. Selznick and appeared with Janet Gaynor in the comedy The Young in Heart (Richard Wallace, 1938) before Selznick lent her to MGM to appear in two films. The first of these, Dramatic School (Robert B. Sinclair, 1938), co-starred Luise Rainer, but the film received mediocre reviews and failed to attract an audience. Her next film, The Women (George Cukor, 1939), was a success. With an all-female cast headed by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell, the film's supporting role of Miriam Aarons was played by Goddard. Pauline Kael later wrote of Goddard, "she is a stand-out. fun."

David O' Selznick was pleased with Paulette Goddard's performances, particularly her work in The Young in Heart, and considered her for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939). Initial screen tests convinced Selznick and director George Cukor that Goddard would require coaching to be effective in the role, but that she showed promise, and she was the first actress given a Technicolor screen test. After he was introduced to Vivien Leigh, he wrote to his wife that Leigh was a "dark horse" and that his choice had "narrowed down to Paulette, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett, and Vivien Leigh". After a series of tests with Leigh that pleased both Selznick and Cukor, Selznick cancelled the further tests that had been scheduled for Goddard, and the part was given to Leigh. Goddard's next film, The Cat and the Canary (Elliott Nugent, 1939) with Bob Hope, was a turning point in the careers of both actors. The success of the film established her as a genuine star. Her performance won her a ten-year contract with Paramount Studios, which was one of the premier studios of the day. They promptly were re-teamed in The Ghost Breakers (George Marshall, 1940), again a huge hit. Goddard starred with Chaplin again in his film The Great Dictator (1940). In 1942, Goddard was granted a Mexican divorce from Chaplin. The couple split amicably, with Chaplin agreeing to a generous settlement. At Paramount, Goddard was used by Cecil B. De Mille in the action epic North West Mounted Police (1940), playing the second female lead. She was Fred Astaire's leading lady in the acclaimed musical Second Chorus/Swing it (H.C. Potter, 1940), where she met actor Burgess Meredith, her third husband. Goddard made Pot o' Gold (George Marshall, 1941), a comedy with James Stewart, then supported Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland in Hold Back the Dawn (Mitchell Leisen, 1941), from a script by Wilder and Brackett, directed by Mitchell Leisen. Goddard was teamed with Hope for a third time in Nothing But the Truth (Elliott Nugent, 1942), then made The Lady Has Plans (Sidney Lanfield, 1942), a comedy with Ray Milland. She co-starred with Milland and John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind (Cecil B. DeMille, 1942), playing the lead, a Scarlett O'Hara type character. The film was a huge hit. Goddard did The Forest Rangers (George Marshall, 1942) with Fred MacMurray. One of her better-remembered film appearances was in the variety musical Star Spangled Rhythm (George Marshall, 1943), in which she sang "A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peekaboo Bang" with Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake.

Paulette Goddard received one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for So Proudly We Hail! (Mark Sandrich, 1943) opposite Claudette Colbert and Veronica Lake. She didn't win, but it solidified her as a top draw. Goddard was teamed with Fred MacMurray in the delightful comedy Standing Room Only (Sidney Lanfield, 1944) and Sonny Tufts in I Love a Soldier (Mark Sandrich, 1944). In May 1944, she married Burgess Meredith at David O. Selznick's home in Beverly Hills. Goddard's most successful film was Kitty (Mitchell Leisen, 1945), in which she played the title role. Denny Jackson/Robert Sieger at IMDb: "The film was a hit with moviegoers, as she played an ordinary English woman transformed into a duchess. The film was filled with plenty of comedy, dramatic and romantic scenes that appealed to virtually everyone." In The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946), Goddard starred with husband Burgess Meredith under the direction of Jean Renoir. It was made for United Artists. At Paramount she did Suddenly It's Spring (Mitchell Leisen, 1947) with Fred MacMurray, and De Mille's 18th century romantic drama Unconquered (Cecil B. DeMille, 1947), with Cary Grant. During the Hollywood Blacklist, when she and blacklisted husband Meredith were mobbed by a baying crowd screaming "Communists!" on their way to a premiere, Goddard is said to have turned to her husband and said, "Shall I roll down the window and hit them with my diamonds, Bugsy?" In 1947, she made An Ideal Husband in Britain for Alexander Korda, and was accompanied on a publicity trip to Brussels by Clarissa Spencer-Churchill, niece of Sir Winston Churchill and future wife of future Prime Minister Anthony Eden. She divorced Meredith in June 1949, and also left Paramount. In 1949, she formed Monterey Pictures with John Steinbeck. Goddard starred in Anna Lucasta (Irving Rapper, 1949), then went to Mexico for The Torch (Emilio Fernández, 1950). In England, she was in Babes in Bagdad (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1952), then she went to Hollywood for Vice Squad (Arnold Laven, 1953) with Edward G. Robinson, and Charge of the Lancers (William Castle, 1954) with Jean-Pierre Aumont. Her last starring role was in the English production A Stranger Came Home/The Unholy Four (Terence Fisher, 1954).

Paulette Goddard began appearing in summer stock and on television, guest starring on episodes of Sherlock Holmes, an adaptation of The Women, this time playing the role of Sylvia Fowler, The Errol Flynn Theatre, The Joseph Cotten Show, and The Ford Television Theatre. She was in an episode of Adventures in Paradise and a TV version of The Phantom. After her marriage to Erich Maria Remarque in 1958, Goddard largely retired from acting and moved to Ronco sopra Ascona, Switzerland. In 1964, she attempted a comeback in films with a supporting role in the Italian film Gli indifferenti/Time of Indifference (Francesco Maselli, 1964), starring Claudia Cardinale and Rod Steiger, which was her last feature film. After Remarque's death in 1970, she made one last attempt at acting, when she accepted a small role in an episode of the TV series The Snoop Sisters, The Female Instinct (Leonards Stern, 1972) with Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick. Upon Remarque's death, Goddard inherited much of his money and several important properties across Europe, including a wealth of contemporary art, which augmented her own long-standing collection. During this period, her talent at accumulating wealth became a byword among the old Hollywood élite. During the 1980s, she became a fairly well known (and highly visible) socialite in New York City, appearing covered with jewels at many high-profile cultural functions with several well-known men, including Andy Warhol, with whom she sustained a friendship for many years until his death in 1987. Paulette Goddard underwent invasive treatment for breast cancer in 1975, successfully by all accounts. In 1990, she died at her home in Switzerland from heart failure while under respiratory support due to emphysema, She is buried in Ronco Village Cemetery, next to Remarque and her mother. Goddard had no children. She became a stepmother to Charles Chaplin's two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin, while she and Charlie were married. In his memoirs, 'My Father Charlie Chaplin' (1960), Charles Jr. describes her as a lovely, caring and intelligent woman throughout the book. In October 1944, she suffered the miscarriage of a son with Burgess Meredith. Goddard, whose own formal education did not go beyond high school, bequeathed US$20 million to New York University (NYU) in New York City.

Sources: Tony Fontana (IMDb), Denny Jackson / Robert Sieger (IMDb), Wikipedia and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Swiss-German-British postcard by News Productions, Baulmes / Filmwelt Berlin, Bakede / News Productions, Stroud, no. 56551. Paulette Goddard in Modern Times (Charles Chaplin, 1936), produced by United Artists.

American actress Paulette Goddard (1905-1990) started her career as a fashion model and as a Ziegfeld Girl in several Broadway shows. In the 1940s, she became a major star of Paramount Pictures. She was Charlie Chaplin's leading lady in Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator. Goddard was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for So Proudly We Hail! (1943). Her husbands included Chaplin, Burgess Meredith, and Erich Maria Remarque.

Paulette Goddard was born Pauline Marion Levy in Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York. Sources variously cite her year of birth as 1911 and 1914, and the place as Whitestone Landing, New York, USA. However, municipal employees in Ronco, Switzerland, where she died, gave her birth year of record as 1905. Goddard was the daughter of Joseph Russell Levy, the son of a prosperous Jewish cigar manufacturer from Salt Lake City, and Alta Mae Goddard, who was of Episcopalian English heritage. They married in 1908 and separated while their daughter was very young, although the divorce did not become final until 1926. According to Goddard, her father left them, but according to J. R. Levy, Alta absconded with the child. Goddard was raised by her mother and did not meet her father again until the late 1930s after she had become famous. To avoid a custody battle, she and her mother moved often during her childhood, even relocating to Canada at one point. Goddard began modeling at an early age to support her mother and herself, working for Saks Fifth Avenue, Hattie Carnegie, and others. An important figure in her childhood was her great uncle, Charles Goddard, the owner of the American Druggists Syndicate. He played a central role in Goddard's career, introducing her to Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld. She made her stage debut as a dancer in Ziegfeld's summer revue, 'No Foolin' (1926), which was also the first time that she used the stage name Paulette Goddard. Ziegfeld hired her for another musical, 'Rio Rita', which opened in February 1927, but she left the show after only three weeks to appear in the play 'The Unconquerable Male', produced by Archie Selwyn. It was, however, a flop and closed after only three days following its premiere in Atlantic City. Soon after the play closed, Goddard was introduced to the much older lumber tycoon Edgar James, president of the Southern Lumber Company, by Charles Goddard. She married him in June 1927 in Rye, New York, but the marriage was short. Goddard was granted a divorce in Reno, Nevada, in 1929, receiving a divorce settlement of $375,000. Tony Fontana at IMDb: "A stunning natural beauty, Paulette could mesmerize any man she met, a fact she was well aware of. "

Paulette Goddard first visited Hollywood in 1929, when she appeared as an uncredited extra in two films, the Laurel and Hardy short film Berth Marks (Lewis R. Foster, 1929), and George Fitzmaurice's drama The Locked Door (1929). Following her divorce, she briefly visited Europe before returning to Hollywood in late 1930 with her mother. Her second attempt at acting was no more successful than the first, as she landed work only as an extra. In 1930, she signed her first film contract with producer Samuel Goldwyn to appear as a Goldwyn Girl in Whoopee! (Thornton Freeland, 1930) with Eddie Cantor. She also appeared in City Streets (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931) with Gary Cooper, Ladies of the Big House (Marion Gering, 1931) starring Sylvia Sidney, and The Girl Habit (Edward F. Cline, 1931) for Paramount, and The Mouthpiece (James Flood, Elliott Nugent, 1932) for Warners. Goldwyn and she did not get along, and she began working for Hal Roach Studios, appearing in a string of uncredited supporting roles for the next four years, including Young Ironsides (James Parrott, 1932) with Charley Chase, and Pack Up Your Troubles (1932) with Laurel and Hardy. One of her bigger roles in that period was as a blond 'Goldwyn Girl' in the Eddie Cantor film The Kid from Spain (Leo McCarey, 1932). Goldwyn also used Goddard in The Bowery (Raoul Walsh, 1933) with Wallace Beery, Roman Scandals (Frank Tuttle, 1933), and Kid Millions (Roy Del Ruth, 1934) with Eddie Cantor. The year she signed with Goldwyn, Goddard began dating Charlie Chaplin, a relationship that received substantial attention from the press. They were reportedly married in secret in Canton, China, in June 1936. It marked a turning point in Goddard's career when Chaplin cast her as his leading lady in his box office hit, Modern Times (1936). Her role as 'The Gamin', an orphan girl who runs away from the authorities and becomes The Tramp's companion, was her first credited film appearance and garnered her mainly positive reviews, Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times describing her as "the fitting recipient of the great Charlot's championship". Following the success of Modern Times, Chaplin planned other projects with Goddard in mind as a co-star, but he worked slowly, and Goddard worried that the public might forget about her if she did not continue to make regular film appearances. She signed a contract with David O. Selznick and appeared with Janet Gaynor in the comedy The Young in Heart (Richard Wallace, 1938) before Selznick lent her to MGM to appear in two films. The first of these, Dramatic School (Robert B. Sinclair, 1938), co-starred Luise Rainer, but the film received mediocre reviews and failed to attract an audience. Her next film, The Women (George Cukor, 1939), was a success. With an all-female cast headed by Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell, the film's supporting role of Miriam Aarons was played by Goddard. Pauline Kael later wrote of Goddard, "she is a stand-out. fun."

David O' Selznick was pleased with Paulette Goddard's performances, particularly her work in The Young in Heart, and considered her for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind (Victor Fleming, 1939). Initial screen tests convinced Selznick and director George Cukor that Goddard would require coaching to be effective in the role, but that she showed promise, and she was the first actress given a Technicolor screen test. After he was introduced to Vivien Leigh, he wrote to his wife that Leigh was a "dark horse" and that his choice had "narrowed down to Paulette, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett, and Vivien Leigh". After a series of tests with Leigh that pleased both Selznick and Cukor, Selznick cancelled the further tests that had been scheduled for Goddard, and the part was given to Leigh. Goddard's next film, The Cat and the Canary (Elliott Nugent, 1939) with Bob Hope, was a turning point in the careers of both actors. The success of the film established her as a genuine star. Her performance won her a ten-year contract with Paramount Studios, which was one of the premier studios of the day. They promptly were re-teamed in The Ghost Breakers (George Marshall, 1940), again a huge hit. Goddard starred with Chaplin again in his film The Great Dictator (1940). In 1942, Goddard was granted a Mexican divorce from Chaplin. The couple split amicably, with Chaplin agreeing to a generous settlement. At Paramount, Goddard was used by Cecil B. De Mille in the action epic North West Mounted Police (1940), playing the second female lead. She was Fred Astaire's leading lady in the acclaimed musical Second Chorus/Swing it (H.C. Potter, 1940), where she met actor Burgess Meredith, her third husband. Goddard made Pot o' Gold (George Marshall, 1941), a comedy with James Stewart, then supported Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland in Hold Back the Dawn (Mitchell Leisen, 1941), from a script by Wilder and Brackett, directed by Mitchell Leisen. Goddard was teamed with Hope for a third time in Nothing But the Truth (Elliott Nugent, 1942), then made The Lady Has Plans (Sidney Lanfield, 1942), a comedy with Ray Milland. She co-starred with Milland and John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind (Cecil B. DeMille, 1942), playing the lead, a Scarlett O'Hara type character. The film was a huge hit. Goddard did The Forest Rangers (George Marshall, 1942) with Fred MacMurray. One of her better-remembered film appearances was in the variety musical Star Spangled Rhythm (George Marshall, 1943), in which she sang "A Sweater, a Sarong, and a Peekaboo Bang" with Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake.

Paulette Goddard received one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for So Proudly We Hail! (Mark Sandrich, 1943) opposite Claudette Colbert and Veronica Lake. She didn't win, but it solidified her as a top draw. Goddard was teamed with Fred MacMurray in the delightful comedy Standing Room Only (Sidney Lanfield, 1944) and Sonny Tufts in I Love a Soldier (Mark Sandrich, 1944). In May 1944, she married Burgess Meredith at David O. Selznick's home in Beverly Hills. Goddard's most successful film was Kitty (Mitchell Leisen, 1945), in which she played the title role. Denny Jackson/Robert Sieger at IMDb: "The film was a hit with moviegoers, as she played an ordinary English woman transformed into a duchess. The film was filled with plenty of comedy, dramatic and romantic scenes that appealed to virtually everyone." In The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946), Goddard starred with husband Burgess Meredith under the direction of Jean Renoir. It was made for United Artists. At Paramount she did Suddenly It's Spring (Mitchell Leisen, 1947) with Fred MacMurray, and De Mille's 18th-century romantic drama Unconquered (Cecil B. DeMille, 1947), with Cary Grant. During the Hollywood Blacklist, when she and blacklisted husband Meredith were mobbed by a baying crowd screaming "Communists!" on their way to a premiere, Goddard is said to have turned to her husband and said, "Shall I roll down the window and hit them with my diamonds, Bugsy?" In 1947, she made An Ideal Husband in Britain for Alexander Korda and was accompanied on a publicity trip to Brussels by Clarissa Spencer-Churchill, niece of Sir Winston Churchill and future wife of future Prime Minister Anthony Eden. She divorced Meredith in June 1949 and also left Paramount. In 1949, she formed Monterey Pictures with John Steinbeck. Goddard starred in Anna Lucasta (Irving Rapper, 1949), then went to Mexico for The Torch (Emilio Fernández, 1950). In England, she was in Babes in Bagdad (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1952), then she went to Hollywood for Vice Squad (Arnold Laven, 1953) with Edward G. Robinson, and Charge of the Lancers (William Castle, 1954) with Jean-Pierre Aumont. Her last starring role was in the English production A Stranger Came Home/The Unholy Four (Terence Fisher, 1954).

Paulette Goddard began appearing in summer stock and on television, guest-starring on episodes of Sherlock Holmes, an adaptation of The Women, this time playing the role of Sylvia Fowler, The Errol Flynn Theatre, The Joseph Cotten Show, and The Ford Television Theatre. She was in an episode of Adventures in Paradise and a TV version of The Phantom. After her marriage to Erich Maria Remarque in 1958, Goddard largely retired from acting and moved to Ronco sopra Ascona, Switzerland. In 1964, she attempted a comeback in films with a supporting role in the Italian film Gli indifferenti/Time of Indifference (Francesco Maselli, 1964), starring Claudia Cardinale and Rod Steiger, which was her last feature film. After Remarque's death in 1970, she made one last attempt at acting, when she accepted a small role in an episode of the TV series The Snoop Sisters, The Female Instinct (Leonards Stern, 1972) with Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick. Upon Remarque's death, Goddard inherited much of his money and several important properties across Europe, including a wealth of contemporary art, which augmented her own long-standing collection. During this period, her talent at accumulating wealth became a byword among the old Hollywood élite. During the 1980s, she became a fairly well known (and highly visible) socialite in New York City, appearing covered with jewels at many high-profile cultural functions with several well-known men, including Andy Warhol, with whom she sustained a friendship for many years until his death in 1987. Paulette Goddard underwent invasive treatment for breast cancer in 1975, successfully by all accounts. In 1990, she died at her home in Switzerland from heart failure while under respiratory support due to emphysema, She is buried in Ronco Village Cemetery, next to Remarque and her mother. Goddard had no children. She became a stepmother to Charles Chaplin's two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin, while she and Charlie were married. In his memoirs, 'My Father Charlie Chaplin' (1960), Charles Jr. describes her as a lovely, caring, and intelligent woman throughout the book. In October 1944, she suffered the miscarriage of a son with Burgess Meredith. Goddard, whose own formal education did not go beyond high school, bequeathed US$20 million to New York University (NYU) in New York City.

Sources: Tony Fontana (IMDb), Denny Jackson / Robert Sieger (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Watch: Charlie Chaplin - Final Speech from The Great Dictator

I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor.

That's not my business.

I don't want to rule or conquer anyone.

I should like to help everyone if possible.

Jew - Gentile - Black Man, White.

We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.

We want to live by each other's happiness.

Not by each other's misery.

We don't want to hate and despise one another.

And this world has room for everyone, and the good Earth is rich can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has posioned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.

Machinery that gives us abundance has left us in want.

Our knowledge has made us cynincal.

Our cleverness, hard and unkind.

We think too much, and feel too little.

More than machinery, we need humanity.

More that cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.

Without these qualities life will be violent, and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together.

The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all.

Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair.

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.

The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.

And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. ...

Soldiers!

don't give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel!

Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder.

Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts!

You are not machines!

You are not cattle!

You are men!

You have the love of humanity in your hearts!

You don't hate!

Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural!

Soldiers!

Don't fight for slavery!

Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: "the Kingdom of God is within man" - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men!

In you!

You, the people have the power - the power to create machines.

The power to create happiness!

You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite.

Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security.

By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power.

But they lie!

They do not fulfil that promise.

They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people!

Now let us fight to fulfil that promise!

Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance.

Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.

Soldiers!

in the name of democracy, let us all unite

********************************************************************************

Λυπάμαι, αλλά δεν θέλω να είμαι αυτοκράτορας.

Αυτή δεν είναι η δουλειά μου.

Δεν θέλω να εξουσιάζω ή να κατακτήσω κανέναν.

Θα ήθελα να βοηθήσω τους πάντες - εάν είναι δυνατό

Εβραίους, μη Εβραίους, Μαύρους, Λευκούς..

Όλοι θέλουμε να βοηθήσουμε ο ένας τον άλλο, τα ανθρώπινα όντα είναι έτσι.

Θέλουμε να ζούμε δίπλα στην ευτυχία του άλλου. Όχι στη δυστυχία του.

Δεν θέλουμε να μισούμε ή να περιφρονούμε ο ένας τον άλλον.

Και αυτός ο κόσμος έχει χώρο για όλους, και η καλή Γη είναι πλούσια και μπορεί να μας εφοδιάσει όλους.

Ο τρόπος ζωής μπορεί να'ναι ελεύθερος κι όμορφος, αλλά έχουμε χάσει το δρόμο.

Η απληστία έχει δηλητηριάσει τις ψυχές των ανδρών, έχει γεμίσει τον κόσμο με μίσος,

μας έχει ρίξει μέσα στη μιζέρια και την αιματοχυσία με το βηματισμό της χήνας.

Έχουμε αναπτύξει ταχύτητα αλλά κλείσαμε τους εαυτούς μας μέσα της.

Μηχανήματα που μας δίνουν αφθονία μας έχουν αφήσει με την επιθυμία.

Η γνώση μάς έκανε κυνικούς. Η εξυπνάδα μας σκληρούς και αγενείς.

Σκεφτόμαστε πάρα πολύ και νιώθουμε πολύ λίγα.

Περισσότερο από τα μηχανήματα, χρειαζόμαστε ανθρωπιά.

Περισσότερο από την εξυπνάδα, χρειαζόμαστε καλοσύνη και πραότητα. Χωρίς αυτές τις ιδιότητες, η ζωή θα'ναι βίαιη και όλα θα χαθούν.

Το αεροπλάνο και το ράδιο μας φέρανε πιο κοντά μεταξύ μας.

Η ίδια η φύση αυτών των εφευρέσεων κραυγάζει για την καλοσύνη στον άνθρωπο. Κραυγάζει για παγκόσμια αδελφοσύνη.

Για την ενότητα όλων μας.

Ακόμη και τώρα η φωνή μου φτάνει σε εκατομμύρια στον κόσμο, εκατομμύρια απελπισμένων ανδρών, γυναικών και μικρών παιδιών,

θύματα ενός συστήματος που κάνει τους ανθρώπους να βασανίζουν και να φυλακίζουν αθώο κόσμο.

Σε όσους με ακούν, λέω ''Μην απελπίζεστε.''

Η μιζέρια που μας σκεπάζει τώρα δεν είναι παρά το πέρασμα της απληστίας-

η πικρία των ανθρώπων που φοβούνται τον τρόπο της ανθρώπινης προόδου.

Το μίσος των ανθρώπων θα περάσει, και οι δικτάτορες πεθαίνουν, και η δύναμη που πήραν από τον κόσμο θα επιστρέψει στον κόσμο.

Και όσο οι άνθρωποι πεθαίνουν, η ελευθερία ποτέ δεν θα χαθεί.

Στρατιώτες!

Μην παραδίνεστε στους βάρβαρους - ανθρώπους που σας απεχθάνονται - σας υποδουλώνουν- χειρίζονται τις ζωές σας - σας λένε τι να κάνετε, τι να σκέφτεστε και τι να νιώθετε.

Που σας εκπαιδεύουν - φροντίζουν για τη διατροφή σας - σας φέρονται σαν βοοειδή - σας χρησιμοποιούν σαν τροφή για τα κανόνια!

Μην αφήνετε τους εαυτούς σας σε αυτούς τους αφύσικους ανθρώπους- ανθρώπους των μηχανημάτων

με μυαλά μηχανές και καρδιές μηχανές!

Δεν είστε μηχανές! Δεν είστε βοοειδή!

Είστε άνθρωποι! Αγαπάτε την ανθρωπιά στην καρδιά σας!

Δεν μισείτε!

Μόνο αυτοί που δεν αγαπιούνται μισούν. Αυτοί που δεν αγαπιούνται και οι αφύσικοι.

Στο 17ο κεφάλιο του Αγίου Λουκά είναι γραμμένο

''Το βασίλειο του Θεού είναι μέσα στον άνθρωπο'',

όχι σε έναν άντρα ή σε μα ομάδα, αλλά σε όλους τους ανθρώπους!

Σε σένα! Εσύ, ο λαός, έχεις τη δύναμη, τη δύναμη να δημιουργήσεις μηχανές,

τη δύναμη να δημιουργήσεις την ευτυχία!

Εσύ, ο λαός, έχεις τη δύναμη να κάνεις αυτή τη ζωή ελεύθερη κι όμορφη,

να κάνεις αυτή τη ζωή μια καταπληκτική περιπέτεια.

Και τότε, στο όνομα της δημοκρατίας, άφησέ μας να χρησιμοποιήσουμε αυτή τη δύναμη.

Ας να ενωθούμε όλοι μας.

Ας πολεμήσουμε για ένα νέο κόσμο, έναν κόσμο καλό που θα δώσει στους ανθρώπους την ευκαιρία να δουλέψουν,

που θα δώσει στα νέα παιδιά ένα μέλλον και στους ηλικιωμένους μια ασφάλεια.

Με την υπόσχεση τέτοιων πραγμάτων, τα κτήνη έχουν πάρει την εξουσία.

Αλλά ψεύδονται! Δεν εκπληρώνουν την υπόσχεσή τους!

Ποτέ δεν θα το κάνουν!

Οι δικτάτορες ελευθερώνουν τους εαυτούς τους αλλά υποδουλώνουν το λαό!

Τώρα, ας εκπληρώσουμε αυτή την υπόσχεση!

Ας πολεμήσουμε για να ελευθερώσουμε τον κόσμο!

Να διώξουμε τα εθνικά σύνορα!

Να διώξουμε την απληστία, το μίσος και τη μισαλλοδοξία!

Ας πολεμήσουμε για ένα κόσμο λογικής,

ένα κόσμο όπου η επιστήμη

κι η πρόοδος θα οδηγήσουν στην ευτυχία όλων των ανθρώπων.

Στρατιώτες, στο όνομα της δημοκρατίας, ας ενωθούμε όλοι!