Rotarian saved hundreds of children at risk of being killed by the Nazis in the lead up to World War II

By Dave King

 

SHARE:

SHARE ON FACEBOOK

TWEET THIS PAGE

EMAIL THIS PAGE

 

“If something is not impossible, there must be a way to do it,” Rotarian Sir Nicholas Winton once said. Known to his friends as “Nicky,” the British stockbroker rescued hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from the Holocaust in the months leading up to World War II. Winton, who died in 2015 at the age of 106, is now the subject of a new film, “One Life,” starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. It was released in January 2024 in the United Kingdom.

 

The film tells the true story of how Winton rescued 669 children from the Nazi advance and found homes for them in the United Kingdom. During a visit to Prague, Czechoslovakia, in December 1938, Winton saw numerous families who had fled the spread of Nazism in Germany and Austria. The refugees were living in desperate conditions, with little or no shelter or food, as the German invasion of Czechoslovakia loomed. Winton immediately realized it was a race against time: How many children could he rescue before the borders closed?

 

Producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning first contemplated telling Winton’s story when they co-founded See-Saw Films more than 15 years ago.

 

“We were very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Nicholas Winton before he passed away,” Canning says. “He was the most modest, generous human being. [He] felt the film should not glorify him, but celebrate how the most ordinary of people can make a huge impact.”

 

With the blessing of Winton’s daughter, Barbara Winton, See-Saw approached screenwriter Lucinda Coxon to adapt Barbara’s 2014 book “If It’s Not Impossible.” Collaborating with Barbara, the screenwriting team gained access to Nicholas’ archives and letters. Barbara was a familiar face at Rotary district conferences. She passed away in 2022, during the making of the film.

 

Barbara’s book was an essential resource for the cast. Explaining how she got a sense of Nicholas Winton’s mother, Babi, Bonham Carter said, “Barbara was named after Babi. I was very lucky to speak to Barbara, to have her perspective as a granddaughter.”

 

It was Barbara’s wish that Sir Anthony Hopkins should play her father.

  

“When Barbara read the first draft of the script, she called us to say that Anthony Hopkins would be perfect for the role, which we of course agreed with,” Canning says. “But [that] left us with a challenge because it was beyond our wildest dreams that Hopkins would read the script and want to play Nicky. Incredibly, he did, and it was magical for all of us to know we had an extraordinary actor playing a man who was such an inspirational humanitarian.”

 

Hopkins got to meet some descendants of the people Winton saved, who were featured in one scene of the film.

 

“It was like a kick in the chest when all the descendants came in,” Hopkins says. “It was hard to try not to be sentimental, but it was very moving.”

 

The screenplay addressed Winton’s family history and how it informed his choices.

 

“Nicky’s Jewish ancestry meant he was alert to what it meant to be an émigré from the rise of Nazism in Europe,” says Nick Drake, who wrote the screenplay with Coxon. “He was ashamed by the Allies’ betrayal of the Czech people in the Munich Agreement. [He] saw the consequences of that agreement in human terms, [in] these appalling camps where refugees from Germany [and] Austria… were living in intolerable conditions. He was motivated by the reality he saw in front of him and decided to do something about it.”

 

The film was shot in Prague and England, working with two crews in two languages. It used authentic Prague locations, even filming on the same station platform where the children said goodbye to their families and departed for the UK more than 80 years ago. A bronze statue of Winton marks the historic spot.

 

Winton faced many challenges in bringing the children to the UK.

 

“There was a belief in the UK [that] they weren’t at risk; a lot of people saying, ‘It’s fine, there’s no issue… they’re not in Austria or Germany,’” says James Hawes, the film’s director. “Another challenge was British bureaucracy and xenophobia: the newspapers and politicians saying, ‘We’re a small, crowded island. There’s no place for more people here.’ Nicky had to fight that prejudice – raising the public consciousness, writing articles – way before the Internet or broadcast news.”

 

Hopkins adds that he hopes the film will keep the memory of Winton’s effort alive.

 

“I only hope this will send a message, lest we forget,” he says. “Because we forget so quickly.”

Lucier Henri Calida was born into an already influential Oleander noble family, and soon saw the potential the Faith offered him for his political ambitions. He rose to power as a clergyman, but his organizational talents were soon discovered by the Royal Court. He was appointed Adviser to the King, and excelled in various tasks, foremost the introduction of a naval focus to Oleon, and the consequent buildup of La Royale prior to the Juniper War.

 

Today he is not only Chancelier d'Oleon – the highest administrative position in Oleon – he is also Supreme High Priest of the Clerics of Zeus, making him de facto leader of the Order of the Faith, which has blossomed under his regime. Under King Stéphan II he controlled the High Council and was First Adviser to the King, answering only to him. And as the King shared his beliefs, his authority was unchallenged. Some even say Stéphan II was a mere puppet, and that Calida was Oleon's true regent.

 

Now, with Philip I as King, his universal authority might be challenged for the first time. Nobody can tell how Calida is likely to react to this, since his agenda remains unclear to everyone. He is feared by many, and often described as a devious schemer who will do anything to tighten the Order's grasp on Oleon. Others see in him a savior and believe him to be the only guarantor for upholding the Empire's domestic order.

One thing is for sure, though, he is more likely to prepare for a war with Corrington than to read mass in a temple.

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy. The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

✰ This photo was featured on The Epic Global Showcase here: bit.ly/24OCtWP

-------------

》Featuring The Amazing: @the_last_drawbender ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄

I drew the tree, everything else was an edit, actually, my first time using Photoshop for a project in college. It is supposed to be a visual metaphor. Theme: false hopes What do you think? Did you understand the concept? Let me know 😉 #digitalart #artistic_share #artist_4_shoutout #Art_spotlight #postsamazing #sharingart #art_empire #artistshouts #artist_sharing #arts_gallery #king_sharing #skrien #WorldOfArtists #arts_help #dailyartistiq #draw #drawing #portrait #otaku #blackandwhite #imaginationarts

✰Follow @the_last_drawbender on Instagram for more awesomeness like this!

 

Biggum and The King share a hairy pillow

Snow at MLK Embrace Monument, Boston Common, Boston, MA - The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

Rotarian saved hundreds of children at risk of being killed by the Nazis in the lead up to World War II

By Dave King

 

SHARE:

SHARE ON FACEBOOK

TWEET THIS PAGE

EMAIL THIS PAGE

 

“If something is not impossible, there must be a way to do it,” Rotarian Sir Nicholas Winton once said. Known to his friends as “Nicky,” the British stockbroker rescued hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from the Holocaust in the months leading up to World War II. Winton, who died in 2015 at the age of 106, is now the subject of a new film, “One Life,” starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. It was released in January 2024 in the United Kingdom.

 

The film tells the true story of how Winton rescued 669 children from the Nazi advance and found homes for them in the United Kingdom. During a visit to Prague, Czechoslovakia, in December 1938, Winton saw numerous families who had fled the spread of Nazism in Germany and Austria. The refugees were living in desperate conditions, with little or no shelter or food, as the German invasion of Czechoslovakia loomed. Winton immediately realized it was a race against time: How many children could he rescue before the borders closed?

 

Producers Emile Sherman and Iain Canning first contemplated telling Winton’s story when they co-founded See-Saw Films more than 15 years ago.

 

“We were very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Nicholas Winton before he passed away,” Canning says. “He was the most modest, generous human being. [He] felt the film should not glorify him, but celebrate how the most ordinary of people can make a huge impact.”

 

With the blessing of Winton’s daughter, Barbara Winton, See-Saw approached screenwriter Lucinda Coxon to adapt Barbara’s 2014 book “If It’s Not Impossible.” Collaborating with Barbara, the screenwriting team gained access to Nicholas’ archives and letters. Barbara was a familiar face at Rotary district conferences. She passed away in 2022, during the making of the film.

 

Barbara’s book was an essential resource for the cast. Explaining how she got a sense of Nicholas Winton’s mother, Babi, Bonham Carter said, “Barbara was named after Babi. I was very lucky to speak to Barbara, to have her perspective as a granddaughter.”

 

It was Barbara’s wish that Sir Anthony Hopkins should play her father.

  

“When Barbara read the first draft of the script, she called us to say that Anthony Hopkins would be perfect for the role, which we of course agreed with,” Canning says. “But [that] left us with a challenge because it was beyond our wildest dreams that Hopkins would read the script and want to play Nicky. Incredibly, he did, and it was magical for all of us to know we had an extraordinary actor playing a man who was such an inspirational humanitarian.”

 

Hopkins got to meet some descendants of the people Winton saved, who were featured in one scene of the film.

 

“It was like a kick in the chest when all the descendants came in,” Hopkins says. “It was hard to try not to be sentimental, but it was very moving.”

 

The screenplay addressed Winton’s family history and how it informed his choices.

 

“Nicky’s Jewish ancestry meant he was alert to what it meant to be an émigré from the rise of Nazism in Europe,” says Nick Drake, who wrote the screenplay with Coxon. “He was ashamed by the Allies’ betrayal of the Czech people in the Munich Agreement. [He] saw the consequences of that agreement in human terms, [in] these appalling camps where refugees from Germany [and] Austria… were living in intolerable conditions. He was motivated by the reality he saw in front of him and decided to do something about it.”

 

The film was shot in Prague and England, working with two crews in two languages. It used authentic Prague locations, even filming on the same station platform where the children said goodbye to their families and departed for the UK more than 80 years ago. A bronze statue of Winton marks the historic spot.

 

Winton faced many challenges in bringing the children to the UK.

 

“There was a belief in the UK [that] they weren’t at risk; a lot of people saying, ‘It’s fine, there’s no issue… they’re not in Austria or Germany,’” says James Hawes, the film’s director. “Another challenge was British bureaucracy and xenophobia: the newspapers and politicians saying, ‘We’re a small, crowded island. There’s no place for more people here.’ Nicky had to fight that prejudice – raising the public consciousness, writing articles – way before the Internet or broadcast news.”

 

Hopkins adds that he hopes the film will keep the memory of Winton’s effort alive.

 

“I only hope this will send a message, lest we forget,” he says. “Because we forget so quickly.”

English postcard by Star-Graphics, no. S 140. Photo: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky.

 

Sylvester Stallone (1946) is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director. Film fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 30 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.

 

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen. His parents were Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, an Italian immigrant who worked as a beautician, and hairdresser. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and her new husband, a pizza manufacturer, Anthony 'Tony' Filiti, to Philadelphia. His siblings are actor Frank Stallone, half-sister Toni D'Alto, and Dante Stallone. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and the University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. He was 23 years old when he got his first starring role in the softcore sex film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (Morton M. Lewis, 1970) in which he played the role of Stud 'The Italian Stallion'. He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared nude. In 1976, the film was re-released as The Italian Stallion after Sly's success with Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976). In between, he first struggled in small parts in films such as the thriller Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971) starring Jane Fonda, and the comedy Bananas (Woody Allen, 1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actors Henry Winkler and Perry King, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona, 1974). He also wrote the screenplay for the modestly successful film. Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" opposite David Carradine in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognised as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976, and triggering one of the most financially successful film series in history. Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.

 

Sylvester Stallone followed Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) with F.I.S.T (Norman Jewison, 1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced a strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) with Rutger Hauer, and Escape to Victory (John Huston, 1981) with Michael Caine and Pelé failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard, Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor. The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The film was a surprise hit that polarised audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plotline about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money-spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. In between, he did his own singing in Did all of his own singing in Rhinestone (Bob Clark, 1984) with Dolly Parton. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".

 

Sylvester Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986) with his wife Brigitte Nielsen was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (Menahem Golan, 1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (Peter MacDonald, 1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell. Philadelphia's favourite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (John G. Avildsen, 1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (John Landis, 1991) with Ornella Muti, the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Roger Spottiswoode, 1992) with "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty, the futuristic action film Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (Danny Cannon, 1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997), also starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. He has been nominated a record 30 times for the Golden Raspberry Awards, usually in the "Worst Actor" category, and has won 10 times. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation awarded him a special "Worst Actor of the Century" award in 2000.

 

Sylvester Stallone lent his voice to the animated adventure story Antz (Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson, 1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (Renny Harlin, 2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (Robert Rodriguez, 2003). in 2005 he published his book 'Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live Your Dream'. Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Sylvester Stallone brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo reappeared after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand in Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008). Another success was The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010), abound a band of highly skilled mercenaries played by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other 'dinosaurs' from the 1980's action film teamed up with each other. The action film opened at number one at the U.S. box office with a first weekend gross of $35 million. This makes Sylvester Stallone the only person in Hollywood history to have starred in films that have opened atop the box office charts over five consecutive decades. Soon followed the less successful sequels The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 2012) and The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014). In between, he also appeared with Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (Mikael Håfström, 2013). Stallone got rave reviews, his first Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for his role in the sports film Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) opposite Michael B. Jordan. Once again he played Rocky Balboa who serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. Then followed Creed II (Steven Caple Jr., 2018) and Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019). The latter film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Sylvester Stallone married three times. His first wife was Sasha Czack (1974-1985) with whom he has two children: Sage and Seargeoh Stallone. Sage acted with Sylvester in Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996) and was found dead in 2012 in Los Angeles. From 1985 till 1987, Sly was married to Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen. Since 1997, he is married to Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three children: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Firehouse at IMDb: "Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters."

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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

English postcard by Superior, no. PC 92. Photo: Illuminations 3 + Ltd. Sylvester Stallone in Rambo - First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985).

 

Sylvester Stallone (1946) is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director. Film fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 30 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.

 

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen. His parents were Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, an Italian immigrant who worked as a beautician, and hairdresser. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and her new husband, a pizza manufacturer, Anthony 'Tony' Filiti, to Philadelphia. His siblings are actor Frank Stallone, half-sister Toni D'Alto, and Dante Stallone. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and the University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. He was 23 years old when he got his first starring role in the softcore sex film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (Morton M. Lewis, 1970) in which he played the role of Stud 'The Italian Stallion'. He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared nude. In 1976, the film was re-released as The Italian Stallion after Sly's success with Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976). In between, he first struggled in small parts in films such as the thriller Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971) starring Jane Fonda, and the comedy Bananas (Woody Allen, 1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actors Henry Winkler and Perry King, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona, 1974). He also wrote the screenplay for the modestly successful film. Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" opposite David Carradine in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognised as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976, and triggering one of the most financially successful film series in history. Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.

 

Sylvester Stallone followed Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) with F.I.S.T (Norman Jewison, 1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced a strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) with Rutger Hauer, and Escape to Victory (John Huston, 1981) with Michael Caine and Pelé failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard, Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor. The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The film was a surprise hit that polarised audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plotline about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money-spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. In between, he did his own singing in Did all of his own singing in Rhinestone (Bob Clark, 1984) with Dolly Parton. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".

 

Sylvester Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986) with his wife Brigitte Nielsen was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (Menahem Golan, 1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (Peter MacDonald, 1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell. Philadelphia's favourite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (John G. Avildsen, 1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (John Landis, 1991) with Ornella Muti, the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Roger Spottiswoode, 1992) with "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty, the futuristic action film Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (Danny Cannon, 1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997), also starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. He has been nominated a record 30 times for the Golden Raspberry Awards, usually in the "Worst Actor" category, and has won 10 times. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation awarded him a special "Worst Actor of the Century" award in 2000.

 

Sylvester Stallone lent his voice to the animated adventure story Antz (Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson, 1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (Renny Harlin, 2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (Robert Rodriguez, 2003). in 2005 he published his book 'Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live Your Dream'. Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Sylvester Stallone brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo reappeared after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand in Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008). Another success was The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010), abound a band of highly skilled mercenaries played by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other 'dinosaurs' from the 1980's action film teamed up with each other. The action film opened at number one at the U.S. box office with a first weekend gross of $35 million. This makes Sylvester Stallone the only person in Hollywood history to have starred in films that have opened atop the box office charts over five consecutive decades. Soon followed the less successful sequels The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 2012) and The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014). In between, he also appeared with Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (Mikael Håfström, 2013). Stallone got rave reviews, his first Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for his role in the sports film Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) opposite Michael B. Jordan. Once again he played Rocky Balboa who serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. Then followed Creed II (Steven Caple Jr., 2018) and Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019). The latter film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Sylvester Stallone married three times. His first wife was Sasha Czack (1974-1985) with whom he has two children: Sage and Seargeoh Stallone. Sage acted with Sylvester in Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996) and was found dead in 2012 in Los Angeles. From 1985 till 1987, Sly was married to Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen. Since 1997, he is married to Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three children: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Firehouse at IMDb: "Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters."

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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

English postcard.

 

Sylvester Stallone (1946) is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director. Film fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 30 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.

 

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen. His parents were Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, an Italian immigrant who worked as a beautician, and hairdresser. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and her new husband, a pizza manufacturer, Anthony 'Tony' Filiti, to Philadelphia. His siblings are actor Frank Stallone, half-sister Toni D'Alto, and Dante Stallone. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and the University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. He was 23 years old when he got his first starring role in the softcore sex film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (Morton M. Lewis, 1970) in which he played the role of Stud 'The Italian Stallion'. He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared nude. In 1976, the film was re-released as The Italian Stallion after Sly's success with Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976). In between, he first struggled in small parts in films such as the thriller Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971) starring Jane Fonda, and the comedy Bananas (Woody Allen, 1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actors Henry Winkler and Perry King, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona, 1974). He also wrote the screenplay for the modestly successful film. Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" opposite David Carradine in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognised as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976, and triggering one of the most financially successful film series in history. Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.

 

Sylvester Stallone followed Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) with F.I.S.T (Norman Jewison, 1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced a strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) with Rutger Hauer, and Escape to Victory (John Huston, 1981) with Michael Caine and Pelé failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard, Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor. The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The film was a surprise hit that polarised audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plotline about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money-spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. In between, he did his own singing in Did all of his own singing in Rhinestone (Bob Clark, 1984) with Dolly Parton. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".

 

Sylvester Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986) with his wife Brigitte Nielsen was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (Menahem Golan, 1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (Peter MacDonald, 1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell. Philadelphia's favourite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (John G. Avildsen, 1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (John Landis, 1991) with Ornella Muti, the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Roger Spottiswoode, 1992) with "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty, the futuristic action film Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (Danny Cannon, 1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997), also starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. He has been nominated a record 30 times for the Golden Raspberry Awards, usually in the "Worst Actor" category, and has won 10 times. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation awarded him a special "Worst Actor of the Century" award in 2000.

 

Sylvester Stallone lent his voice to the animated adventure story Antz (Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson, 1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (Renny Harlin, 2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (Robert Rodriguez, 2003). in 2005 he published his book 'Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live Your Dream'. Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Sylvester Stallone brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo reappeared after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand in Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008). Another success was The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010), abound a band of highly skilled mercenaries played by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other 'dinosaurs' from the 1980's action film teamed up with each other. The action film opened at number one at the U.S. box office with a first weekend gross of $35 million. This makes Sylvester Stallone the only person in Hollywood history to have starred in films that have opened atop the box office charts over five consecutive decades. Soon followed the less successful sequels The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 2012) and The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014). In between, he also appeared with Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (Mikael Håfström, 2013). Stallone got rave reviews, his first Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for his role in the sports film Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) opposite Michael B. Jordan. Once again he played Rocky Balboa who serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. Then followed Creed II (Steven Caple Jr., 2018) and Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019). The latter film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Sylvester Stallone married three times. His first wife was Sasha Czack (1974-1985) with whom he has two children: Sage and Seargeoh Stallone. Sage acted with Sylvester in Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996) and was found dead in 2012 in Los Angeles. From 1985 till 1987, Sly was married to Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen. Since 1997, he is married to Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three children: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Firehouse at IMDb: "Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters."

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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

English postcard, no. FA 220. Sent by mail in 1991. Sylvester Stallone in Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986).

 

Sylvester Stallone (1946) is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director. Film fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 30 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.

 

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen. His parents were Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, an Italian immigrant who worked as a beautician, and hairdresser. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and her new husband, a pizza manufacturer, Anthony 'Tony' Filiti, to Philadelphia. His siblings are actor Frank Stallone, half-sister Toni D'Alto, and Dante Stallone. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and the University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. He was 23 years old when he got his first starring role in the softcore sex film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (Morton M. Lewis, 1970) in which he played the role of Stud 'The Italian Stallion'. He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared nude. In 1976, the film was re-released as The Italian Stallion after Sly's success with Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976). In between, he first struggled in small parts in films such as the thriller Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971) starring Jane Fonda, and the comedy Bananas (Woody Allen, 1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actors Henry Winkler and Perry King, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona, 1974). He also wrote the screenplay for the modestly successful film. Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" opposite David Carradine in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognised as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976, and triggering one of the most financially successful film series in history. Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.

 

Sylvester Stallone followed Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) with F.I.S.T (Norman Jewison, 1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced a strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) with Rutger Hauer, and Escape to Victory (John Huston, 1981) with Michael Caine and Pelé failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard, Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor. The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The film was a surprise hit that polarised audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plotline about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money-spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. In between, he did his own singing in Did all of his own singing in Rhinestone (Bob Clark, 1984) with Dolly Parton. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".

 

Sylvester Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986) with his wife Brigitte Nielsen was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (Menahem Golan, 1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (Peter MacDonald, 1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell. Philadelphia's favourite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (John G. Avildsen, 1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (John Landis, 1991) with Ornella Muti, the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Roger Spottiswoode, 1992) with "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty, the futuristic action film Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (Danny Cannon, 1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997), also starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. He has been nominated a record 30 times for the Golden Raspberry Awards, usually in the "Worst Actor" category, and has won 10 times. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation awarded him a special "Worst Actor of the Century" award in 2000.

 

Sylvester Stallone lent his voice to the animated adventure story Antz (Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson, 1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (Renny Harlin, 2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (Robert Rodriguez, 2003). in 2005 he published his book 'Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live Your Dream'. Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Sylvester Stallone brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo reappeared after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand in Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008). Another success was The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010), abound a band of highly skilled mercenaries played by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other 'dinosaurs' from the 1980's action film teamed up with each other. The action film opened at number one at the U.S. box office with a first weekend gross of $35 million. This makes Sylvester Stallone the only person in Hollywood history to have starred in films that have opened atop the box office charts over five consecutive decades. Soon followed the less successful sequels The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 2012) and The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014). In between, he also appeared with Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (Mikael Håfström, 2013). Stallone got rave reviews, his first Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for his role in the sports film Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) opposite Michael B. Jordan. Once again he played Rocky Balboa who serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. Then followed Creed II (Steven Caple Jr., 2018) and Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019). The latter film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Sylvester Stallone married three times. His first wife was Sasha Czack (1974-1985) with whom he has two children: Sage and Seargeoh Stallone. Sage acted with Sylvester in Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996) and was found dead in 2012 in Los Angeles. From 1985 till 1987, Sly was married to Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen. Since 1997, he is married to Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three children: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Firehouse at IMDb: "Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters."

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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

Crowd at the opening of "The Embrace" on Boston Common, Boston, MA - ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy. The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

French postcard, no. C 451. Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger (Renny Harlin, 1993).

 

Sylvester Stallone (1946) is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director. Film fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 30 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.

 

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born in 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen. His parents were Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, an Italian immigrant who worked as a beautician, and hairdresser. After his parents divorced, he moved with his mother and her new husband, a pizza manufacturer, Anthony 'Tony' Filiti, to Philadelphia. His siblings are actor Frank Stallone, half-sister Toni D'Alto, and Dante Stallone. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and the University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. He was 23 years old when he got his first starring role in the softcore sex film The Party at Kitty and Stud's (Morton M. Lewis, 1970) in which he played the role of Stud 'The Italian Stallion'. He was paid $200 to play the sex-craved gigolo and appeared nude. In 1976, the film was re-released as The Italian Stallion after Sly's success with Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976). In between, he first struggled in small parts in films such as the thriller Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971) starring Jane Fonda, and the comedy Bananas (Woody Allen, 1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actors Henry Winkler and Perry King, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (Martin Davidson, Stephen Verona, 1974). He also wrote the screenplay for the modestly successful film. Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" opposite David Carradine in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognised as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976, and triggering one of the most financially successful film series in history. Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.

 

Sylvester Stallone followed Rocky (John G. Avildsen, 1976) with F.I.S.T (Norman Jewison, 1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (Sylvester Stallone, 1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (Sylvester Stallone, 1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced a strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (Bruce Malmuth, 1981) with Rutger Hauer, and Escape to Victory (John Huston, 1981) with Michael Caine and Pelé failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (Sylvester Stallone, 1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard, Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor. The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The film was a surprise hit that polarised audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plotline about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money-spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. In between, he did his own singing in Did all of his own singing in Rhinestone (Bob Clark, 1984) with Dolly Parton. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (Sylvester Stallone, 1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".

 

Sylvester Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (George P. Cosmatos, 1986) with his wife Brigitte Nielsen was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (Menahem Golan, 1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (Peter MacDonald, 1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell. Philadelphia's favourite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (John G. Avildsen, 1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (John Landis, 1991) with Ornella Muti, the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (Roger Spottiswoode, 1992) with "Golden Girl" Estelle Getty, the futuristic action film Demolition Man (Marco Brambilla, 1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sandra Bullock, and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (Danny Cannon, 1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (James Mangold, 1997), also starring Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. He has been nominated a record 30 times for the Golden Raspberry Awards, usually in the "Worst Actor" category, and has won 10 times. The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation awarded him a special "Worst Actor of the Century" award in 2000.

 

Sylvester Stallone lent his voice to the animated adventure story Antz (Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson, 1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (Stephen Kay, 2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (Renny Harlin, 2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (Robert Rodriguez, 2003). in 2005 he published his book 'Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power, and Live Your Dream'. Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Sylvester Stallone brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, 2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo reappeared after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand in Rambo (Sylvester Stallone, 2008). Another success was The Expendables (Sylvester Stallone, 2010), abound a band of highly skilled mercenaries played by Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and other 'dinosaurs' from the 1980's action film teamed up with each other. The action film opened at number one at the U.S. box office with a first weekend gross of $35 million. This makes Sylvester Stallone the only person in Hollywood history to have starred in films that have opened atop the box office charts over five consecutive decades. Soon followed the less successful sequels The Expendables 2 (Simon West, 2012) and The Expendables 3 (Patrick Hughes, 2014). In between, he also appeared with Schwarzenegger in Escape Plan (Mikael Håfström, 2013). Stallone got rave reviews, his first Golden Globe, and an Oscar nomination for his role in the sports film Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) opposite Michael B. Jordan. Once again he played Rocky Balboa who serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. In 2017, Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) as Stakar Ogord / Starhawk, the leader of a Ravagers faction. Then followed Creed II (Steven Caple Jr., 2018) and Rambo: Last Blood (Adrian Grunberg, 2019). The latter film grossed $91 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million. Sylvester Stallone married three times. His first wife was Sasha Czack (1974-1985) with whom he has two children: Sage and Seargeoh Stallone. Sage acted with Sylvester in Rocky V (1990) and Daylight (1996) and was found dead in 2012 in Los Angeles. From 1985 till 1987, Sly was married to Danish actress Brigitte Nielsen. Since 1997, he is married to Jennifer Flavin, with whom he has three children: Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlet Rose Stallone. Firehouse at IMDb: "Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters."

 

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

 

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

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy. The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy. The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Embrace on Boston Common at Nightfall - Boston, MA

 

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

This is the same 1916 Mack Model AC as the one from the previous post, except look what happened to it? That's right, it got the job as a geebeege truck! Here it is on route collecting ashes. Speaking of ashes, that reminds the King of a time when he fell under peer pressure.

 

So back to the college days where the King was studying to become Geebeege Truck King. And if you've been to college, you know how easy it is to get high off the grass. Like SoCalGarbageTrucks told the King on YouTube, someone did have fun with the grass. Or at least tried to.

 

The King shared his dorm room with three guys, Bobby, Paco, and Rancho. Bobby was Paco's cousin, and was the creeper in the dorm who made money by sending out viruses to unsuspecting people on the Interweb and stealing from their bank accounts. Sometimes when people were too smart to click on those, Bobby sent out fake travel agency information, and Bobby was drowning in unsuspecting people's money while they were on a plane halfway to Paco's village in Mexico. Man that village is scary! The King once went to the village and it was teeming with cockroaches that were high on fumes from the Meth lab on the outskirts of the village. The place is kept under control by people Paco called the village gangsters, who do marijuana trade with people in America. But Paco did not have to worry about getting jumped by those guys. Rancho, who was a little older than Bobby, Paco, and the King, was so loaded off of his own marijuana trading company that he supplied anything Paco requested. The King heard that Paco is still the only one in his village with Wi-fi and car. Yup, Paco worked for Rancho in the Mexican division while Rancho took care of things in the good old USA. Smart guys, these three.

 

Anyway, Rancho was the craziest one of all of us, as you can see. His name was Elmigo del Rancho, but who the heck would call someone Elmigo? It's like calling me the Garbage Truck King. What is that first word, anyway? So many people call the King that, but that's probably a mispronunciation. It's GEEBEEGE Truck King, everyone. Anyway, Rancho's company was called Mari-Trade, and we had just completed final exams when they shipped a box to our dorm. So Rancho, being the owner of the company, opened it and holy crap, it was a box filled with joints imported from Paco's village! Now Bobby, Paco, and Rancho all knew that The King had never gotten high in his life, so they told him to go first. The King at first said no, but finally had to do it when Rancho said that the King couldn't become the Geebeege Truck King if he didn't do it. When Rancho tells you to do something, you gotta do it! Otherwise, Mari-Trade can really screw your life up. Just look at Rancho himself, that old druggie. So the King did it. The three guys cheered, then started to inhale the smoke from their joints. Rancho went first, but something was wrong. He started coughing, and dropped his joint on the floor. That joint lit up the entire dorm, and the dorm eventually burned to the ground. Turns out the village gangsters swapped out the Mary Jane with some ashes during the shipping process. And it also turns out Rancho and Paco didn't even go to that college. Paco just hung out with Bobby, getting high and using that Women, Master, and Mate technique on getting girls, and Rancho was just hiding from the cops. The King hears he's doing time in prison. Oh well, the King's heard he's escaped a handful of times. Always gets shot after every attempt. Man, the drug trade is such a dangerous thing to get involved in.

 

So yes, the King never got high. Just a breath full of ashes down his lung. Pretty dangerous. The King has still never, and will never get high. Drugs are trash. Period.

 

Ashes and joints and college aside, this particular refuse truck weighed in at 5.5 tons, and Philly liked the truck so much they ordered another 32 Model AC's to do the work previously done by the horses. See? Times they were a-changing for those horses. Back to the picture, the reason ashes were so commonly collected was because they were somehow sanitary and used as fill in walkways and driveways. Using their resources intelligently.

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

Presented by subscribers 1900, Tate Britain, Millbank, London

 

Oil on canvas

1880 - 1884

Dimensions: 290 cm x 136 cm

Signed and dated: EBJ 1884

 

"The subject of one of the artist's most famous paintings

comes from an Elizabethan ballad in Thomas Percy's

Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1765) and used by Tennyson

for a poem of sixteen lines, "The Beggar Maid," published in

1842. Burne-Jones made a first, unsatisfactory attempt at an oil

in 1861-62 (Tate Gallery, London) and seems to have taken up

the idea again with designs in a sketchbook datable to about

i875. I Two watercolors (one originally dated 1883) show further

resolution of the composition, but have the figures close

together, with the beggar maid looking away shyly; in both, the

choristers are singing lustily. 2 Work on the final canvas took up

most of the winter of 1883-84; as was his custom, Burne-Jones

made a cartoon (cat. no. 113), on which he could simultaneously

work out matters of detail and color. This shows some inter-

esting changes, such as the virtual elimination of the strong

sunlight streaming in from the left, Burne-Jones choosing in

the oil to darken the interior space and use the beggar maid's

pale skin as a focus of lightness.

 

According to the ballad, the king shared Pygmalion's view

of women — "He cared not for women-kinde, / But did them

all disdaine" — but fell in love at first sight with a beautiful

young beggar "all in gray / The which did cause his paine."

Tennyson simply describes their meeting, ending his poem

with Cophetua's oath, "This beggar maid shall be my queen!"

while Burne-Jones seems to illustrate a passage in the older

narrative, in which the beggar (identified as Penelephon) sits

speechless in awe within the royal palace:

 

The king with curteous comly talke

This beggar doth imbrace:

The beggar blusheth scarlet red,

And straight again as pale as leade,

But not a word at all she said,

She was in such amaze.

 

Even the young attendant singers, who provide a foil to the

immobility of the main figures, are engrossed and silent,

enhancing the impression of timelessness, of a moment frozen

within an atmosphere of unspoken romantic feeling.

 

The influence on the composition of Andrea Mantegna's

Madonna della Vittoria (1495-96; Musee du Louvre, Paris) has

been noted, as well as that of Carlo Crivelli's Annunciation of

1496 (which Burne-Jones would have seen at the National

Gallery), and here a similar use of heavily foreshortened

planes, gradually receding upward through a rather implausi-

ble architectural space, is cleverly disguised with a variety of

cloths, shadows, and exotic decorative details of a vaguely

Assyrian kind (in the ballad, Cophetua is called African, giv-

ing Burne-Jones the opportunity to offset his dark skin against

Penelephon's white limbs). The passage in the immediate fore-

ground, showing the near- abstract reflections of the sculpted

reliefs, may be compared to similar work in Pygmalion and the

Image (cat. no. 87a). A distant crepuscular landscape glimpsed

through the upper door not only affords an ingenious sec-

ondary light source but acts also as a reminder of the outside

world from which the beggar maid has come, both appearing

in simple, refreshing contrast to the king's opulent surround-

ings. The beggar maid holds a bunch of anemones, symbol of

unrequited (here, perhaps unsought) love, underlining the

emotional tension of the scene.

 

Burne-Jones encountered some difficulties during his long

winter of work on the painting. He worried especially over the

girl's dress; several drapery studies, including two in oil and

chalk of the full figure, 3 testify to his indecisiveness, described

in a letter of November 1883 about whether "to put on the

Beggar Maid a sufficiently beggarly coat, that will not look

unappetizing to King Cophetua, — that I hope has been

achieved, so that she shall look as if she deserved to have it

made of cloth of gold and set with pearls. I hope the king kept

the old one and looked at it now and then." 4 For the figure of

the king there is a superb large life study from the nude model,

now at Birmingham. 5 Cophetua's shield and crown (the latter

used also in the Briar Rose series [cat. nos. 55-58] and The Sleep

of Arthur inAvalon [fig. 107]) were painted from actual pieces

of metalwork, made to the artist's design by W. A. S. Benson. 6

Despite the demands of other work, as well as more welcome

interruption — Henry James took John Singer Sargent to see

its progress 7 — the painting was finally finished in the spring of

1884, Burne-Jones writing to his friend Madeleine Wyndham

on April 23: "This very hour I have ended my work on my pic-

ture. I am very tired of it — I can see nothing any more in it, I

have stared it out of all countenance and it has no word for me.

It is like a child that one watches without ceasing till it grows

up, and lo! It is a stranger." 8

 

All his effort was repaid, however, by the picture's success at

the Grosvenor Gallery exhibition in 1884, where, in Malcolm

Bell's words, it "assured finally the painter's claim to the high-

est place in English art, and convinced even the most obstinate

carpers of his unequalled powers." 9 The Art Journal praised the

"glowing eastern colour" of the undoubted "picture of the year."

"It is the idea," its critic concluded, "the inspiration of this pic-

ture which makes it so fine, and raises it to the level of the work

of the great masters of a bye-gone age." 10 F. G. Stephens, writ-

ing in the Athenaeum, also admired the artist s command of

color: "The whole of this magnificent picture is glorious in the

fulness of its dark rich tints of gold, azure, black, bronze, crim-

son, olive, brown, and grey, each colour of which comprises a

thousand tints and tones exquisitely fused and subtly graded.

Technically speaking, this picture is far more complete, better

 

Edward Burne-Jones,

King Cophetua and the

Beggar Maid, ca. 1883.

Watercolor,

2872 x 14V2 in.

(72.4 x 36.8 cm).

Private collection

 

drawn, more solidly painted, more searchingly

finished, and more impressively designed

than any we have had from the painter

before." 11 The Times declared that it was "not

only the finest work that Mr Burne-Jones has

ever painted, but one of the finest ever painted

by an Englishman." 12

 

This view would be shared by a European audience five years later, when the painting was sent to the Exposition Universelle in

Paris. Whereas The Beguiling of Merlin (cat.no. 64) had appealed in 1878 largely to a group of informed critics, King Cophetua proved so

universally popular in France that Burne-Jones was awarded the cross of the Legion d'honneur, and a vogue for his painting began

that was to last well into the new century.

Writing soon after the artist's death, the Anglophile critic Robert de la Sizeranne recalled visitors leaving the "machine" section of the Exposition, and how "we found our-selves in the silent and beautiful English Art section, and we felt as though everywhere else in the Exhibition we had seen nothing but

matter, and here we had come on the exhibition of the soul." Discovering King Cophetua, "it seemed as though we had come forth from the Universal Exhibition of Wealth to see the

symbolical expression of the Scorn of Wealth.

All round this room were others, where emblems and signs of strength and luxury were collected from all the nations of the

world — pyramids, silvered or gilt, representing the amount of precious metal dug year by year out of the earth; palaces and booths containing the most sumptuous products of the

remotest isles — and here behold a king laying his crown at the feet of a beggar- maid for her beauty's sake! ... It was a dream — but a noble dream — and every young man who passed that way, even though resolved never to sacrifice strength to right, or riches to beauty, was glad, nevertheless, that an artist should have depicted the Apotheosis of Poverty. It was the revenge of art on life." 13 The Belgian Symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff (1858- 1921) also remarked on the influence of the painting, which left its viewers "enwrapped by this living atmosphere of dream -love and of

spiritualised fire." 14 The painting was eventually bought for the nation in 1900, by public subscription, from the executors of the Earl of Wharncliffe. This greatly pleased Georgiana Burne-Jones, who had "always thought this picture contained more of Edward s own qualities than any other he did." 15 It remains in its original frame, one of the most spectacular of the Venetian Renaissance aedicular type favored by the artist. 16 1. For the oil of 1861-62, see Taylor 1973, fig. 3; the compositional studies are described in Robinson 1973. 2. Taylor 1973, fig. 4, and Sotheby's, June 19, 1990, lot 65. A simpler design in pencil, placing the atten-

dants on either side above, is in the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, Cardiff (Harrison and Waters 1973, fig. 201). There is also a half-size version in oils of the final design (6o 5 /s x 28 in. [154 x 71 cm]; sold at Sotheby's, June 20, 1989, lot 84).

3. Both in the Tate Gallery, London, reproduced in Taylor 1973, figs. 5, 7. 4. Memorials, vol. 2, pp. 134-35.

5. Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (black chalk on brown paper, 230*04), where there are also three pencil studies for the king holding the crown (P73"75'7 2 )- A study for the head of one of the young singers, in the same medium, is also at Birmingham (22i'o4); a similar study of the other boy's head

(dated 1882, and modeled from Philip Comyns Carr, son of one of the directors of the Grosvenor Gallery) was sold at Christie's, November 6, 1995, lot 69. 6. Illustrated, along with other items, in Vallance 1900, figs. 42, 52.

7. Henry James to Elizabeth Boott, June 2, 1884, in Henry James; Letters, edited by Leon Edel, vol. 3, 1883-1895 (Cambridge, Mass., 1980), p. 43. "Sargent enjoys and appreciates [Burne-Jones's] things in the highest degree," James noted, "but slightly narrow B.J. suffers from a constitutional incapacity to enjoy

Sargent's — finding in them 'such a want of finish.'"

To James's mind, King Cophetua was "his finest thing, and very beautiful and interesting."

8. Memorials, vol. 2, p. 139. Previously Burne-Jones had written, "I torment myself every day - I never learn a bit how to paint . . . but I will kill myself or else Cophetua shall look like a King and the beggar like a Queen, such as Kings and Queens ought to be"

(quoted in Hartnoll 1988, p. 36).

9. Bell 1892 (1898), p. 57.

10. Art Journal, June 1884, p. 189.

11. Athenaeum, May 3, 1884, p. 573.

12. Times (London), May 1, 1884, p. 4. Punch magazine issued a typically deflationary cartoon, in whose caption the Mediaeval Royal Personage complains to the Pallid Maiden: "Oh I say, look here, you've been sitting on my crown," with the comment "Yes; and she looks as if she had, too, poor thing!" (May 24, 1884, p. 244).

13. Robert de la Sizeranne, "In Memoriam, Sir Edward

Burne-Jones: A Tribute from France," Magazine of

Art, 1898, p. 515; quoted in De Lisle 1904, pp. 1-2.

14. Fernand KhnopfT, "In Memoriam, Sir Edward

Burne-Jones: A Tribute from Belgium," Magazine of

Art, 1898, p. 520.

15. Memorials, vol. 2, p. 139. The painting hangs in the Tate Gallery, although Georgie's hope was that "it should be hung in the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, to which his mind and soul constantly turned as a hallowed place while he was alive"; letter of August 7, 1899, to George Howard, quoted in Lago 1981, p. 120.

16. See Paul Mitchell and Lynn Roberts, A History of European Picture Frames (London, 1996), p. 19, fig. 7a, for an original frame of exactly this kind, including winged cherubs' heads (used for Girolamo da Santacroce's Virgin and Child with Saints Augustine and Peter, ca. 1512, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art).

 

Stephen Wildman

22/12/2018

Fitzwilliam work list: 1880 ... designed Cophetua

1881... Worked on the big picture of Cophetua

1883... made studies for Cophetua - also a finished cartoon of the same and began a small panel of it

1883 -1884... painted Cophetua from October of this year until the end of April next when it was finished.

 

For the composition of the painting Burne-Jones relied heavily on Mantegna's painting The Madonna della Vittoria (Musée du Louvre), particularly in the profile of the King and his relationship with the maid.

Also interesting to note that Burne-Jones also drew from the painting for Quia Multum Amavit from the architectural frame work and he used the Temptation relief as a basis for a few stained glass designs.

 

A watercolour study for the picture ( private collection) has the beggar maid holding a spray of flowers which contains wheat - emblematic of riches ( Phillips: Floral Emblems 1825) which in the final painting are converted to anemones.

At first sight Wildman is correct in quoting a verse from Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, which is a literal description, but on reading Johnson's "Crown Garden of Goulden Roses" 1612, the impression given is that Cophetua is the victim to Cupid and that autobiographically interpreted, the painting implies that the artist had been a victim to fate and that on reflection, he was absolving himself of responsibility for his affair with Maria. From his standpoint in 1880 he was able to look back and feel less guilty.

 

Penelophon's features are modelled upon those of Georgie. In comparison with the animation found in the paintings and drawings of Maria the stillness in this paintings is remarkable. Its structure based upon an "S" shape and the geometric forms contribute to an over-arching solemnity. At the age of 53, Burne-Jones was assessing his position and considering his relationships.

 

The framework of the steps and the throne are decorated with reliefs modelled upon Assyrian examples which he had admired from his youth through visits to the British Museum and Layard's The Monuments of Ninevah (1849)

In the Summer of 1850 a letter quoted in Memorials Vol 1 p 45 the young Burne-Jones describes a visit to the British Museum in which he noted an admiration for the "Nimroud or Assyrian room". "In most of the bas-reliefs the king forms the most prominent object. He is in some hunting the wild bull, in other pursuing his enemies, to whom he bears the most gigantic proportions, always accompanied by the 'feronher' or sacred bird, a kind of talisman."

  

William Graham Letters

22nd may 1884 "... I wonder if it would be possible to have the Cophetua Cartoon at Grosvr. Place (even if incomplete) by the time Frances comes to us the middle of June? And I wish you would send me a note of the height and width you mean it to be framed tht I might see where to hang or stand it, but don't let it bother or hurry you if you would rather defer it.

 

The above makes clear that the painting was intended to be stood on the floor to enable the viewer to be part of the scenario, the steps being an invitation to enter the painting. An intention confirmed by the inclusion of feet on the bottom of the frame still in existence."

 

William Waters

 

"Edward Montagu Stuart Granville Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 1st Earl Of Wharncliffe1899Bought from the Artist For £3000 (Stated In Pre-Raphaelites - Victorian Avant- Garde P 223) Letters and Collection of William Graham - Walpole Society 2000 P 169 and Letter From WG to EBJ May 1885 p. 269

Tate Britain - The Tate Gallery1900 - PresentPurchased from The Earl of Wharncliffe's Executors by Subscribers to The Burne-Jones Memorial Fund, 1900. Agnews purchased it on behalf of the Trustee's of the Burne-Jones Memorial Fund purchased for £6500 (Agnews' Account books)"

 

www.eb-j.org/browse-artwork-detail/ODkx

REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY BY ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

2012 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. COMMEMORATIVE OBSERVANCE PROGRAM

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.

 

Thank you, Tom [Perez], for your kind words – and for your outstanding leadership of the Civil Rights Division. I also want to thank Deputy Attorney General [James] Cole, and Associate Attorney General [Tom] Perrelli and their teams for the work they’ve done to bring us all together today. And I’m especially grateful to Richard Toscano and his colleagues in the Justice Management Division – who organized this program – for putting me before our keynote speaker. Trust me, you do not want to follow John Lewis. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.

 

Congressman, thank you for being with us this morning – and for helping to make this celebration so special. As we reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it is a privilege to be joined by a leader who not only worked closely with Dr. King, but has done so much to build upon the contributions that defined and distinguished his service to this nation.

 

Each January, as this country commemorates Dr. King’s birthday, we have an important opportunity to rededicate ourselves to his work – and to his dream of equal opportunity and equal justice.

 

On the unforgettable day that Dr. King shared this Dream with us – and led hundreds of thousands of Americans in a march on Washington – he was joined by John Lewis, who – though just 23-years old – had already proven to be an effective, tireless and fearless champion for civil rights. During that famous march, Congressman Lewis was among the speakers Dr. King called on to address the crowd. In the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, he offered, not just a challenge, but an enduring creed – declaring that, “Our minds, souls and hearts cannot rest until freedom and justice exist for all.”

 

Those words were true in 1963. And they remain true today.

 

Here in our nation’s Justice Department, we continue to keep these words before us. And this idea – that justice is the right of all – continues to guide our work.

 

Today, we have the privilege – and the solemn duty – of enforcing the civil rights laws and reforms that Dr. King, Congressman Lewis, and so many others fought to ensure. This work is among our highest priorities – a fact that’s evident in the historic progress that’s been made by this Administration and this Justice Department – especially when it comes to expanding access to legal services; to combating hate crimes, community violence and human trafficking; and to strengthening law enforcement efforts so that – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; in our immigrant communities and our voting booths – the rights of all Americans are protected.

 

But despite all that’s been achieved in recent years – and certainly in recent decades – our distinguished guest speaker would be the first to remind us that we have more to do and further to go. And that, today, the struggle for equal justice goes on.

 

Of course, his example also reminds us of the fact that – in advancing the cause of justice – a single person can make a difference. A single person – with nothing more than the courage to speak out to those in power, and the compassion to reach out to those in need – can help to build a more inclusive, more just and more perfect union.

 

That is precisely what – for more than half a century – John Lewis has been doing. He has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, to securing civil liberties and to building what he calls "The Beloved Community" in America. And his commitment to these ideals – and to the highest ethical standards and moral principles – has won him the admiration of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the United States Congress.

 

Although today he’s commonly known as "the conscience of Congress," and widely considered to be “one of the most courageous leaders of America’s civil rights movement” – John Lewis came from humble beginnings. He was born the son of sharecroppers – just outside of Troy, Alabama. As a young boy, he felt the effects of segregation firsthand. But he was inspired by the activism he witnessed around him – beginning with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. And he was enthralled by the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which he listened to on radio broadcasts. At an early age, John Lewis decided to answer Dr. King’s call to take part in the growing Civil Rights Movement – and, as a young man, he emerged as one of its key leaders.

 

As a college student in Nashville, he organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters and participated in the Freedom Rides. He also helped to form – and was named Chairman of – the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. And he helped to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer.

 

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in March of 1965, he helped to spearhead one of the most seminal moments of the struggle – leading more than 600 peaceful protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in an effort to demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state. He – and those who marched with him – were brutally attacked during a confrontation that became known as "Bloody Sunday." John Lewis nearly lost his life that day – but his efforts were instrumental in rallying support for the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year. And, to this day, Congressman Lewis continues to serve on the front lines of efforts to ensure equal access to the ballot box and combat discrimination in our voting systems.

 

Despite more than 40 arrests, and numerous physical attacks and serious injuries, he has remained a devoted advocate – and model – of nonviolence. And he has spread this philosophy in various leadership posts – at the Field Foundation, the Southern Regional Council, the Voter Education Project, the ACTION federal volunteer agency, the Atlanta City Council and – of course – as the United States Representative for Georgia's Fifth Congressional District.

 

During the course of his remarkable career, Congressman Lewis has been honored with more awards and honorary degrees than I could possibly list. And he’s inspired more people and public servants than any of us could count.

 

I am proud to be included in this group. And I am honored to turn our program over to my good friend – and one of my personal heroes – Congressman John Lewis.

 

The 1st 7 Social Democrats elected to the Prussian parliament 1908.

 

Prussia was a hereditary monarchy in the male line of the house of Hohenzollern with two houses of parliament. The king alone exercised the executive power, had the supreme command of the army, and was head of the protestant church; however, the king shared the legislative power with the Prussian parliament. The legislative assembly or Landtag consisted of two chambers. The consent of both houses, as well as the king, was required before a measure could pass. The chambers had control of the finances and controlled taxes. The upper chamber, Herrenhaus, contained both hereditary and non-hereditary members. The hereditary members were the adult princes of the house of Hohenzollern, the important princes and counts of the old imperial nobility, and the heads of the great territorial nobility. The non-hereditary members were chosen for life by the king from the ranks of the rich landowners and manufacturers. The lower house, or Abgeordnetenhaus, consisted of 433 members, elected for periods of five years by indirect suffrage, by all male citizens who were at least 25. This used the Prussian three-tier system of elections. Based on the election of 1908, if all of the votes had been of equal value, the Social Democrats would have had 113 of 443 seats. With the three-tier system, the SPD won only seven.

 

It is essential to remember that the Kingdom of Prussia and the Imperial German Empire were separate. The King of Prussia was at the same time Imperial German Emperor, and the Prime Minister of Prussia was also the Imperial Chancellor. The ministries of war and foreign affairs were the same as those of the empire. It was sometimes difficult to determine which hat the individual was wearing. The imperial government administered the customs, postal, and telegraph services. Prussia had seventeen votes in the Bundesrat and sent more than half of the members to the Reichstag. Many individuals were deputies of both the imperial and Prussian parliaments. The Imperial Reichstag and Prussian Landtag were often in session at the same time, and legislation in the Kingdom often took a backseat.

 

www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=60521

Jackson, Wyoming - June 26, 2020: Bike rack of Start Bikes, a bike sharing service in downtown Jackson Hole

Megan Cui, Dori Nickell, Alex Davis and Maggie King share laughs and songs with their classmates during their team's March 4 AR rewards karaoke party.

 

Photo provided

Greg Montgomery, Lisa Versace & Derek King share a laugh while waiting for workshop to start.

More than 265 fourth-year Jefferson Medical College students gathered at the Hamilton Building’s Connelly Auditorium on March 19 to experience National Match Day. On this day across the country, graduating medical students from across the country open envelopes to discover which hospital they have been placed with to begin their careers. Pictured is Nancy King, sharing the happiness of the moment with others in attendance last Thursday. Photo: Medical Media

 

March 26, 2009

Indianapolis Star Religion Reporter Bobby King shared his experience covering Muslim communities since September 11th.

In Boston, ‘The Embrace’ Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy

The bronze sculpture, by the artist Hank Willis Thomas, symbolizes the hug Dr. King and Coretta Scott King shared after Dr. King won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

SHINGERDAR: PAKISTAN: 28-December-2010.

A heard of cows passing next to the Shingerdar Stupa near Barikot in Swat district of northern Pakistan. The plaque erected here tells that this stupa was identified by Colonel Deane and SA Stein with the famous Stupa built by King Uttarasena on the spot where the white elephant that carried the King share the Relics of the Buddha halted. When he had arrived at this spot the elephant suddenly dropped down and dying changed himself into a rock. By the side of this rock the King at once erected this Stupa. This definition of the Stupa is derived from a local who visited Swat in the 7th Century AD. The tradition is transmitted that the elephant reached this point with the relics of Buddha on its back. His body miraculously turned into stone after dying at this spot. Photo: Visual News Pakistan

SHINGERDAR: PAKISTAN: 28-December-2010.

A tourist is surrounded by local girls at Shingerdar Stupa near Barikot in Swat district of northern Pakistan. The plaque erected here tells that this stupa was identified by Colonel Deane and SA Stein with the famous Stupa built by King Uttarasena on the spot where the white elephant that carried the King share the Relics of the Buddha halted. When he had arrived at this spot the elephant suddenly dropped down and dying changed himself into a rock. By the side of this rock the King at once erected this Stupa. This definition of the Stupa is derived from a local who visited Swat in the 7th Century AD. The tradition is transmitted that the elephant reached this point with the relics of Buddha on its back. His body miraculously turned into stone after dying at this spot. Photo: Visual News Pakistan

SHINGERDAR: PAKISTAN: 28-December-2010.

A view from the roadside of Shingerdar Stupa near Barikot in Swat district of northern Pakistan. The plaque erected here tells that this stupa was identified by Colonel Deane and SA Stein with the famous Stupa built by King Uttarasena on the spot where the white elephant that carried the King share the Relics of the Buddha halted. When he had arrived at this spot the elephant suddenly dropped down and dying changed himself into a rock. By the side of this rock the King at once erected this Stupa. This definition of the Stupa is derived from a local who visited Swat in the 7th Century AD. The tradition is transmitted that the elephant reached this point with the relics of Buddha on its back. His body miraculously turned into stone after dying at this spot. Photo: Visual News Pakistan

a nice photo of the King sharing a joke with General Sikorski ... Poland ...

Drummer Darren King sharing a laugh with the crowd after he tossed a dead kick drum pedal onto the stage. This was the last show of the tour, and it was a rough night for his drum kit.

1971

HUEY P. LONG

LOUISIANA'S KINGFISH

'EVERY MAN A KING' ' SHARE THE WEALTH'

 

NEW ORLEANS MARDl GRAS

One of the best wildlife scapes for animals and birds , the Rajbagh Lake,

Darters, Herons, Ibis and the King share the same scape, Ranthambore, Rajasthan

www.thePartnersTrust.com

Dan Finfer adjust the microphone during a podcast recording session of Mike King sharing community news about Culver City.

Clare O'Connell and Stuart King share a joke at the Warehouse [photo: Claire Shovelton]

Best love Sayings & Quotes

 

QUOTATION – Image :

  

Short love quote – Description

 

#Quote from Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

 

Sharing is Sexy – Don’t forget to share this quote with those Who Matter !

- #Love

quotesdaily.net/love/quotes-about-love-quote-from-doctor-...

Alyssa and the little king share a moment on sunshine peak

Guests listening to former Chevening Fellow, Jamesina King sharing her chevening experience.

Mr. Dheeraj Gupta, Founder, Jumbo king shared his success mantra with everyone present at IndiaMART Emerging Business Forum reached Mumbai with discussion theme "Creating Winning Brands" on 5th Jan 2012.The Show got a great response from the Mumbai SME Cluster.

Around the World in Eight Tea Cups based on the Gong Fu Tea ceremony

Photography Quotes :

 

QUOTATION – Image :

  

Quotes Of the day – Description

 

Martin Luther King.

 

Sharing is Caring – Don’t forget to share this quote !

- #Photography

quotesdaily.net/lifestyle/photography/photography-quotes-...

#ThenAndNow: Our FP7 engines, the 1510 and the 1512, are iconic to #Arizona tourism now, but from the 1950s-80s they were important components of the Alaska Railroad. Built by General Motors in Illinois in 1953 for delivery to #AKRR, these handsome hotrods arrived in #ClarkdaleAZ in 1996. Top photo c.1973, Leo King, shared courtesy of Center for Railroad Photography & Art. #TBT Center for Railroad Photography & Art