On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 3075. Photo: Atelier Oertel, Berlin-Wilm.

 

Wilhelm Dieterle (later: William Dieterle) (1893-1972) was a German actor and director who started in Weimar cinema, before becoming a well-known Hollywood director.

 

Wilhelm Dieterle was born in 1893 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein and of humble descendants, took acting lessons at a young age, and began his career as a stage actor in 1911 at the theatre in Arnsberg, which also included work as an extra, singer, dancer and stagehand; hence his white gloves, which he continued to wear in Hollywood. In 1912-1914, he worked at theatres in Heilbronn, Plauen and Bad Dürkheim, and in 1914-1917 in Mainz (under the direction of future film director Ludwig Berger). In 1917-1918, he played in Zürich, in 1918-1919 in Berlin and 1919-1920 in Munich. He had his breakthrough in 1920-1923 with Max Reinhardt’s Deutschen Theater in Berlin. In this era, he mainly worked there, next to sidesteps with the companies of Leopold Jessner, Viktor Barnowsky and Karlheinz Martin. In 1924 Dieterle had his own theatre company, but it was short-lived. After an incidental film performance in the Schiller adaptation Fiesko (Phil Jutzi, 1913), Dieterle’s acting became numerous from 1919 on, all through the 1920s. Dieterle appeared in major films of the Weimar era. He was Henny Porten’s ill-fated fiancé and Fritz Kortner’s rival in love in Leopold Jessner’s classic Kammerspiel Hintertreppe/ Backstairs (1921). Actually, in those years Dieterle was often paired with Porten, before Hintertreppe in Die Geier-Wally (E.A. Dupont, 1921), and afterwards in Frauenopfer (Karl Grune, 1921). Dieterle also was the poet, the Persian baker and the Russian prince in the Harun al Raschid and Iwan the Terrible sequences, in Paul Leni’s Wachsfigurenkabinett/Waxworks (1923/1924). He was Henny Porten’s young husband in the internationally popular Mutter und Kind (Carl Froehlich, 1924). And he was Gretchen’s brother Valentin in F.W. Murnau’s Faust (1926), killed by Mephisto.

 

From 1923 on, Wilhelm Dieterle directed his first films, in which he always had the lead; starting with the Heimat-film Der Mensch am Wege (1923), in which Marlene Dietrich had one of her first roles. The major example of his output was Geschlecht in Fesseln/Sex in Chains (1928), one of the films produced by his own company Charha (1927), which he ran with his wife, scriptwriter and actress Charlotte Hagenbruch. A man (Dieterle) accidentally kills another who tried to harass his wife (Mary Johnson) and ends up in jail, where he is seduced by an inmate, while his wife gives in to another man as well. After his liberation, the couple feels guilty and commits suicide. In particular, between 1928 and 1930, Dieterle directed many films for his own company, in which he starred and for which his wife signed the script, such as the melodrama Die Heilige und ihr Narr (1928), with Lien Deyers and Gina Manès, and the mountain film Das Schweigen im Walde (1929). Dieterle’s work in Germany was internationally so successful, that he was offered a contract by Warner Bros. in 1930 to make German versions of American sound films for the German department of Warner’s subsidiary First National, Deutsche First National Pictures GmbH (Defina). An example is Die heilige Flamme (1930/31), co-directed with Berthold Viertel and starring Salka Viertel. In the States, Dieterle stopped acting and focused on directing. As Dieterle was Jewish, he was lucky to get away from the slowly worsening situation in Germany; three years later, Hitler would take over and ban all Jews from the film industry.

 

In the US, William Dieterle quickly adapted and was permitted to start directing his films. With Michael Curtiz, Dieterle soon became the regular Warner film director, working in every possible genre, such as comedies with Kay Francis and the melodrama The Crash with Ruth Chatterton. Together with Max Reinhardt, with whom Dieterle had played in Germany, he adapted Midsummer Night’s Dream for cinema, but the result failed to convince the critics. In the early 1930s, Dieterle was highly productive with Warner, turning out 6 films per year in 1933 and 1934. He probably had to: in 1933 he had received a seven-year contract from Warner. From the mid-1930s on Dieterle became well-known for his bio-pics. The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) won him an Oscar nomination while The Life of Emile Zola (1937) got him the Oscar; in both films, Paul Muni played the lead. Other memorable titles were the Mark Twain adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper (1937) with Errol Flynn, Juarez (1939) with Bette Davis as the empress Carlotta, and The Hunchback of the Notre Dame (1939) with Charles Laughton as Quasimodo. In 1937 Warner offered Dieterle, by now an American citizen, the opportunity to study Russian production methods for four months at Lenfilm in Moscow. In 1938-1940 he taught theatre lessons at the Max Reinhardt Workshop of Stage, Screen, and Radio, and in 1939 he co-founded the antifascist cultural magazine The Hollywood Tribune and the English-spoken exile theatre company The Continental Players, directed by Jessner. After his contract with Warner expired, Dieterle broke with them and tried his own film company at RKO. When that failed, he mainly made films with MGM, Selznick, and Paramount.

 

During the 1940s, William Dieterle focused on romantic, lush melodramas such as the Technicolor exotic tale Kismet (1944) with Ronald Colman and Marlene Dietrich, and Love Letters (1945) and Portrait of Jennie (1948), both with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones. Love Letters became an enormous success and earned Jones an Oscar. In the 1950s, Dieterle’s career declined because of McCarthyism. In 1950 he went to Italy to shoot Vulcano, the rival to Rossellini’s Stromboli. When Anna Magnani knew that her former lover planned to make a film with his new girlfriend Ingrid Bergman on an Italian island near Sicily, Magnani pushed a Sicilian producer to make a rivalling film that had to come out before Rossellini’s. The affair was known as ‘la Guerra dei vulcani’, also referring to Magnani’s tempestuous character. Around the same time, Dieterle also shot in Italy the highly romantic September Affair (1950), with Joseph Cotten and Joan Fontaine, about a married man and a woman who start an affair in Naples and Capri. After they decide to split, they are believed to have been killed in a plane crash and start a second life, but responsibility calls. Returned to Hollywood, Dieterle made crime films like Dark City (1950) with Charlton Heston, Boots Malone (1952) and The Turning Point (1952), both with William Holden. but also epic melodramas such as Salome (1953), starring Rita Hayworth and partly shot in Jerusalem, and Omar Khayyam (1956), starring Cornel Wilde and shot in the Bronson Canyon. In 1958 Dieterle returned to Germany and worked till his death as a stage director for various companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; he also worked for German (Sender Freies Berlin) and Austrian television and (co-)directed two features: a remake of Joe May’s classic Herrin der Welt (1959/60) and Die Fastnachtsbeichte (1960). From 1961 to 1965, he was the manager of the theatre at Bad Hersfeld. After his failed attempt to make a comeback in Hollywood with The Confession (1964), Dieterle’s last film direction, he remained in Germany, working on the stage. Wilhelm Dieterle died in 1972 and was buried in Munich. From 1921 on, Dieterle was married to Charlotte Hagenbruch; after she died in 1968, his second wife was Elisabeth Daum.

 

Sources: Wikipedia (English and German), Filmportal.de, Cinegraph, and IMDb.

 

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

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

The Postcard

 

A postally unused postcard produced by the Empire Studios. There are no imdications as to the identity of the man.

 

The back of the card has been date-stamped with the date:

 

12th. July 1940.

 

'Let George Do It!'

 

So what else happened on Friday the 12th. July 1940?

 

Well, on that day the film 'Let George Do It!' premiered at the Empire, Leicester Square in London, taking over from 'Gone With the Wind', which had run in that cinema for 12 weeks.

 

The film (titled in the US: 'To Hell With Hitler') is a British black-and-white comedy musical war film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring George Formby.

 

It was produced by Michael Balcon for Associated Talking Pictures and its successor, Ealing Studios, and distributed in the UK by ABFD. This was the first comedy from this studio to deal directly with the Second World War.

 

George Formby

 

George Formby OBE (born George Hoy Booth; 1904 – 1961) was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930's and 1940's.

 

On stage, screen and record he sang light, comic songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the UK's highest-paid entertainer.

 

Born in Wigan, Lancashire, he was the son of George Formby Senior. After an early career as a stable boy and jockey, Formby took to the music hall stage after the early death of his father in 1921.

 

His early performances were taken exclusively from his father's act, including the same songs, jokes and characters. In 1923 he made two career-changing decisions – he purchased a ukulele, and married Beryl Ingham, a fellow performer who became his manager and who transformed his act.

 

Beryl insisted that he appear on stage formally dressed, and introduced the ukulele to his performance.

 

He started his recording career in 1926 and, from 1934, he increasingly worked in film to develop into a major star by the late 1930's and 1940's, and became the UK's most popular entertainer during those decades.

 

Media historian Brian McFarlane writes that on film, Formby portrayed gormless Lancastrian innocents who would win through against some form of villainy, gaining the affection of an attractive middle-class girl in the process.

 

During the Second World War Formby worked extensively for the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), and entertained civilians and troops. By 1946 it was estimated that George had performed in front of three million service personnel.

 

After the war his career declined, although he toured the Commonwealth, and continued to appear in variety and pantomime.

 

George's last television appearance was in December 1960, two weeks before the death of Beryl.

 

He surprised people by announcing his engagement to a school teacher, Pat Howson, seven weeks after Beryl's funeral, but died in Preston three weeks later, at the age of 56; he was buried in Warrington, alongside his father.

 

Formby's biographer, Jeffrey Richards, considers that:

 

"The actor had been able to embody

simultaneously Lancashire, the working

classes, the people, and the nation".

 

Formby was considered Britain's first properly home-grown screen comedian. He was an influence on future comedians—particularly Charlie Drake and Norman Wisdom—and, culturally, on entertainers such as the Beatles, who referred to him in their music.

 

Since his death, Formby has been the subject of five biographies, two television specials and two works of public sculpture.

 

-- George Formby - The Early Years 1904 - 1921

 

George Formby was born in Wigan, Lancashire, on the 26th. May 1904. He was the eldest of seven surviving children born to James Lawler Booth and his wife Eliza, née Hoy. The marriage was in fact bigamous because Booth was still married to his first wife, Martha Maria Salter, a twenty-year-old music hall performer.

 

Booth was a successful music hall comedian and singer who performed under the name George Formby (he is now known as George Formby Senior).

 

Formby Senior suffered from a chest ailment, identified variously as bronchitis, asthma or tuberculosis, and would use the cough as part of the humour in his act, saying to the audience:

 

"Bronchitis, I'm a bit tight tonight."

 

Alternatively:

 

"Coughing better tonight."

 

One of his main characters was that of John Willie, an "archetypal Lancashire lad". In 1906 Formby Sr was earning £35 a week in the music halls, which rose to £325 a week by 1920. This meant that George Formby grew up in an affluent home.

 

Formby Senior was so popular that Marie Lloyd, the influential music hall singer and actress, would only watch two acts: his and that of Dan Leno.

 

George Formby was born blind owing to an obstructive caul, although his sight was restored during a violent coughing fit or sneeze when he was a few months old.

 

After briefly attending school—at which he did not prosper, and did not learn to read or write—Formby was removed from formal education at the age of seven and sent to become a stable boy, briefly in Wiltshire and then in Middleham, Yorkshire.

 

Formby Senior sent his son away to work as he was worried that he would watch him on stage; he was against Formby following in his footsteps, saying:

 

"One fool in the family is enough."

 

After a year working at Middleham, young George was apprenticed to Thomas Scholfield in Epsom, where he ran his first professional races at the age of 10, when he weighed less than 56 lb (25 kg).

 

In 1915 Formby Senior allowed his son to appear on screen, taking the lead in By the Shortest of Heads, a thriller directed by Bert Haldane in which Formby played a stable boy who outwits a gang of villains and wins a £10,000 prize when he comes first in a horse race.

 

The film is now considered lost, with the last-known copy having been destroyed in 1940.

 

Later in 1915, and with the closure of the English racing season because of the Great War, Formby moved to Ireland where he continued as a jockey until November 1918.

 

Later that month he returned to England and raced for Lord Derby at his Newmarket stables. Formby continued as a jockey until 1921, although he never won a race.

 

-- Beginning a Stage Career: 1921–1934

 

On the 8th. February 1921, Formby Senior succumbed to his bronchial condition and died at the young age of 45; he was laid to rest in the Catholic section of Warrington Cemetery.

 

After his father's funeral Eliza took the young Formby to London to help him cope with his grief. While there, they visited the Victoria Palace Theatre—where Formby Senior had previously been so successful—and saw a performance by the Tyneside comedian Tommy Dixon.

 

Dixon was performing a copy of Formby Senior's act, using the same songs, jokes, costumes and mannerisms, and billed himself as "The New George Formby", a name which angered Eliza and Formby even more.

 

The performance prompted Formby to follow in his father's profession, a decision which was supported by Eliza. As he had never seen his father perform live, Formby found the imitation difficult, and he had to learn his father's songs from records, and the rest of his act and jokes from his mother.

 

On the 21st. March 1921 Formby gave his first professional appearance in a two-week run at the Hippodrome in Earlestown, Lancashire, where he received a fee of £5 a week.

 

In the show he was billed as George Hoy, using his mother's maiden name—he explained later that he did not want the Formby name to appear in small print. His father's name was used in the posters and advertising, George Hoy being described as:

 

"Comedian (Son of George Formby)."

 

While still appearing in Earlestown, Formby was hired to appear at the Moss Empire chain of theatres for £17 10s a week. His first night was unsuccessful, and he later said of it:

 

"I was the first turn, three minutes,

and died the death of a dog."

 

George toured venues in Northern England, although he was not well received, and was booed and hissed while performing in Blyth, Northumberland. As a result he experienced frequent periods of unemployment—up to three months at one point.

 

Formby spent two years as a support act touring round the northern halls, and although he was poorly paid, his mother supported him financially.

 

In 1923 Formby started to play the ukulele, although the exact circumstances of how he came to play the instrument are unknown. He introduced it into his act during a run at the Alhambra Theatre in Barnsley.

 

When the songs—still his father's material—were well received, he changed his stage name to George Formby, and stopped using the John Willie character.

 

Another significant event was his appearance in Castleford, West Yorkshire, where appearing on the same bill was Beryl Ingham, an Accrington-born champion clogdancer and actress who had won the All England Step Dancing title at the age of 11.

 

Beryl, who had formed a dancing act with her sister, May, called "The Two Violets", had a low opinion of Formby's act. She later said that:

 

"If I'd had a bag of rotten tomatoes

with me I'd have thrown them at him".

 

Nevertheless Formby and Beryl entered into a relationship and married two years later, on the 13th. September 1924, at a register office in Wigan, with Formby's aunt and uncle as witnesses.

 

Upon hearing the news, George's mother Eliza insisted on the couple having a church wedding, which followed two months later.

 

Beryl took over as George's manager, and changed aspects of his act, including the songs and jokes. She instructed him on how to use his hands, and how to work his audience.

 

She also persuaded him to change his stage dress to black tie—although he appeared in a range of other costumes too—and to take lessons in how to play the ukulele properly.

 

By June 1926 George was proficient enough to earn a one-off record deal—negotiated by Beryl—to sing six of his father's songs for the Edison Bell/Winner label.

 

Formby spent the next few years touring, largely in the north, but also appearing at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, his official London debut.

 

George had a further recording session in October 1929, performing two songs for Dominion Records. However according to David Bret, Formby's biographer:

 

"Beryl's avaricious demands would

prevent any serious contract from

coming George's way."

 

That changed in 1932, when Formby signed a three-year deal with Decca Records. One of the songs he recorded in July 1932 was "Chinese Laundry Blues", telling the story of Mr Wu, which became one of his standard songs, and part of a long-running series of songs about the character.

 

Over the course of his career Formby went on to record over 200 songs, around 90 of which were written by Fred Cliffe and Harry Gifford.

 

In the 1932 winter season Formby appeared in his first pantomime, Babes in the Wood, in Bolton, after which he toured with the George Formby Road Show around the north of England, with Beryl acting as the commère; the show also toured in 1934.

 

-- George Formby's Burgeoning Film Career: 1934–1940

 

With Formby's growing success on stage, Beryl decided that it was time for him to move into films. In 1934 she approached the producer Basil Dean, the head of Associated Talking Pictures (ATP). Although he expressed an interest in Formby, he did not like the associated demands from Beryl.

 

She also met the representative of Warner Brothers in the UK, Irving Asher, who was dismissive, saying that Formby was:

 

"Too stupid to play the bad guy

and too ugly to play the hero."

 

Three weeks later Formby was approached by John E. Blakeley of Blakeley's Productions, who offered him a one-film deal.

 

The film, Boots! Boots!, was shot on a budget of £3,000 in a one-room studio in Albany Street, London. Formby played the John Willie character, while Beryl also appeared, and the couple were paid £100 for the two weeks' work, plus 10 per cent of the profits.

 

The film followed a revue format, and Jo Botting, writing for the British Film Institute, described it as having:

 

"A wafer-thin plot that

is "almost incidental."

 

Botting also considered the film to have:

 

"Poor sound quality, static

scene set-ups and a lack

of sets."

 

However while it did not impress the critics, audience figures were high.

 

Formby followed this up with Off the Dole in 1935, again for Blakeley, who had re-named his company Mancunian Films. The film cost £3,000 to make, and earned £80,000 at the box office.

 

As with Boots! Boots!, the film was in a revue format, and Formby again played John Willie, with Beryl as his co-star. According to Formby's biographer, Jeffrey Richards:

 

"The two films for Blakeley are

an invaluable record of the

pre-cinematic Formby at work".

 

The success of the pictures led Basil Dean to offer Formby a seven-year contract with ATP, which resulted in the production of 11 films, although Dean's fellow producer, Michael Balcon, considered Formby to be:

 

"... an odd and not particularly

loveable character".

 

The first film from the deal was released in 1935. No Limit features Formby as an entrant in the Isle of Man annual Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcycle race. Monty Banks directed, and Florence Desmond took the female lead.

 

According to Richards, Dean did not try to play down Formby's Lancashire character in the film, and in fact employed Walter Greenwood, the Salford-born author of the 1933 novel Love on the Dole, as the scriptwriter.

 

Filming was troubled, with Beryl being difficult to everyone present. The writer Matthew Sweet described the set as "a battleground" because of her actions, and Monty Banks unsuccessfully requested that Dean bar Beryl from the studio.

 

The Observer thought that:

 

"Parts of No Limit are pretty dull

stuff, but the race footage was

shot and cut to a maximum of

excitement."

 

Regarding the star of the film, the reviewer thought that:

 

"Our Lancashire George is a grand

lad; he can gag and clown, play the

banjo and sing with authority ...

Still and all, he doesn't do too bad."

 

The film was so popular that it was reissued in 1938, 1946 and 1957.

 

The formula used for No Limit was repeated in George's following works: Formby played the 'urban little man' -- defeated, but refusing to admit it.

 

George portrayed a good-natured, but accident-prone and incompetent Lancastrian, who was often in a skilled trade, or the services.

 

The plots were geared to Formby trying to achieve success in a field unfamiliar to him (in horse racing, the TT Races, as a spy or a policeman), and by winning the affections of a middle-class girl in the process.

 

Interspersed throughout each film is a series of songs by Formby, in which he plays the banjo, banjolele or ukulele. The films are, in the words of the academic Brian McFarlane:

 

"... unpretentiously skilful in their

balance between broad comedy

and action, laced with Formby's

shy ordinariness".

 

No Limit was followed by Keep Your Seats, Please in 1936, which was again directed by Banks with Desmond returning as the co-star.

 

Tensions arose in pre-production with Banks and some of the cast requesting to Dean that Beryl be banned from the set. Tempers had also become strained between Formby and Florence Desmond, who were not on speaking terms except to film scenes.

 

The situation became so bad that Dean avoided visiting his studios for the month of filming. The film contained the song "The Window Cleaner" (popularly known as "When I'm Cleaning Windows"), which was soon banned by the BBC.

 

The corporation's director John Reith stated that:

 

"If the public wants to listen to Formby

singing his disgusting little ditty, they'll

have to be content to hear it in the

cinemas, not over the nation's airwaves."

 

Reith particularly objected to two of the verses:

 

"To overcrowded flats I've been,

Sixteen in one bed I've seen,

With the lodger tucked up in between,

When I'm cleaning windows!

 

Now lots of girls I've had to jilt,

For they admire the way I'm built,

It's a good job I don't wear a kilt,

When I'm cleaning windows!"

 

31 years later, in 1967, the BBC banned the Beatles' 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds' because of the song's alleged references to drugs. However writer of the song John Lennon claimed in a 1971 interview that Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds has no connection to LSD. He explained that he was inspired to write the song after his son brought him a drawing that he made in nursery school:

 

“It never was about LSD, and nobody

believes me. This is the truth: My son

came home with a drawing and showed

me this strange-looking woman flying

around. I said, ‘What is it?’ and he said,

‘It’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds,’ and

I thought, ‘That’s beautiful.’

I immediately wrote a song about it.

The song had gone out, the whole

album had been published and

somebody noticed that the letters

spelled out LSD, and I had no idea

about it. … It wasn’t about LSD at all.”

 

Formby and Beryl were furious that their song was blocked. In May 1941 Beryl informed the BBC that the song was a favourite of the royal family, particularly Queen Mary, while a statement by Formby pointed out that:

 

"I sang it before the King and

Queen at the Royal Variety

Performance."

 

The BBC relented and started to broadcast the song.

 

When production finished on Keep Your Seats, Please, Beryl insisted that for the next film there should be:

 

"No Eye-Ties and stuck-up

little trollops involved."

 

Beryl was referring to Banks and Desmond, respectively.

 

By then Dean had tired of the on-set squabbles, and for the third ATP film, Feather Your Nest, he appointed William Beaudine as the director, and Polly Ward, the niece of the music hall star Marie Lloyd, as the female lead.

 

Bret noted:

 

"The songs in the film are comparatively

bland, with the exception of the one

which would become immortal: 'Leaning

on a Lamp-post'."

 

By the time of the next production, Keep Fit in 1937, Dean had begun to assemble a special team at Ealing Studios to help develop and produce the Formby films; key among the members were the director Anthony Kimmins, who went on to direct five of Formby's films.

 

Kay Walsh was cast as the leading lady and, in the absence of Beryl from the set, Formby and Walsh had an affair, after she fell for his flirtatious behaviour off-camera.

 

Although Beryl was furious with Walsh, and tried to have her removed from the film, a showdown with Dean proved fruitless. Dean informed her that Walsh was to remain the lead in both Keep Fit, and in Formby's next film (I See Ice, 1938). In order to mollify Beryl, Dean raised Formby's fee for the latter film to £25,000.

 

When filming concluded on I See Ice, Formby spent the 1937 summer season performing in the revue King Cheer at the Opera House Theatre, Blackpool, before appearing in a 12-minute slot at the Royal Variety Performance in November.

 

The popularity of George's performances meant that in 1937 he was the top British male star in box office takings, a position he held every subsequent year until 1943.

 

Additionally, between 1938 and 1942 he was also the highest-paid entertainer in Great Britain, and by the end of the 1930's was earning £100,000 a year.

 

In early 1938 Dean informed the Formbys that in the next film, It's in the Air, Banks would return to direct and Walsh would again be the leading lady. Beryl objected strongly, and Kimmins continued his directorial duties, while Ward was brought in for the female lead.

 

Beryl, as she did with all Formby's female co-stars, read the 'keep-your-hands-off-my-husband' riot act to the actress.

 

In May 1938, while filming It's in the Air, Formby purchased a Rolls-Royce, with the personalised number plate GF 1. Every year afterwards he would purchase either a new Rolls-Royce or Bentley, buying 26 over the course of his life.

 

In the autumn of 1938 Formby began work on Trouble Brewing, released the following year with 19-year-old Googie Withers as the female lead; Kimmins again directed.

 

Withers later recounted that Formby did not speak to her until, during a break in filming when Beryl was not present, he whispered out of the corner of his mouth:

 

"I'm sorry, love, but you know,

I'm not allowed to speak to you."

 

Googie thought that this was "very sweet."

 

George's second release of 1939—shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War—was Come On George!, which cast Pat Kirkwood in the female lead.

 

Formby and Kirkwood disliked each other intensely, and neither of the Formbys liked several of the other senior cast members. Come On George! was screened for troops serving in France before being released in Great Britain.

 

-- George Formby and the Second World War

 

At the outbreak of the Second World War Dean left ATP and became the head of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), the organisation that provided entertainment to the British Armed Forces.

 

Over the course of five months Formby requested to sign up for ENSA, but was denied; Dean however relented in February 1940, and Formby was signed on a fixed salary of £10 per week, although he still remained under contract to ATP.

 

George undertook his first tour in France in March, where he performed for members of the British Expeditionary Force.

 

Basil Dean commented on Formby's work for the organisation:

 

"Standing with his back to a tree or a wall

of sandbags, with men squatting on the

ground in front of him, he sang song after

song, screwing up his face into comical

expressions of fright whenever shells

exploded in the near distance, and

making little cracks when the firing

drowned the point lines in his songs".

 

The social research organisation Mass-Observation recorded that Formby's first film of 1940, Let George Do It!, gave a particularly strong boost to early-war British civilian morale.

 

In a dream sequence after being drugged, Formby's character punches Hitler during a Nuremberg Rally. According to Richards:

 

"The scene provides the visual

encapsulation of the people's

war, with the English Everyman

flooring the Nazi Superman."

 

The scene was so striking that the film became Formby's first international release, in the US, under the title To Hell With Hitler.

 

Let George Do It! was also shown in Moscow, where it was released in 1943 under the title Dinky Doo. The film attracted packed houses, and received record box-office takings for over ten months.

 

The critics also praised the film, and the Kinematograph Weekly called it Formby's "best performance to date", and the film, "a box office certainty".

 

Formby's ENSA commitments were heavy, touring factories, theatres and concert halls around Great Britain. He also gave free concerts for charities and worthy causes, and raised £10,000 for the Fleetwood Fund on behalf of the families of missing trawlermen.

 

George and Beryl also set up their own charities, such as the OK Club for Kids, whose aim was to provide cigarettes for Yorkshire soldiers, and the Jump Fund, to provide home-knitted balaclavas, scarves and socks to servicemen.

 

Formby also joined the Home Guard as a dispatch rider, where he took his duties seriously, and fitted them around his other work whenever he could.

 

Formby continued filming with ATP, and his second film of 1940, Spare a Copper, was again focused on an aspect of the war, this time combating fifth columnists and saboteurs in a Merseyside dockyard.

 

However cinema-goers had begun to tire of war films, and so his next venture, Turned Out Nice Again returned to less contentious issues, with Formby's character caught in a domestic battle between his new wife and mother.

 

Early in the filming schedule, he took time to perform in an ENSA show that was broadcast on the BBC from Aldwych tube station as Let the People Sing. George sang four songs, and told the audience:

 

"Don't forget, it's wonderful

to be British!"

 

Towards the end of 1940 Formby tried to enlist for active military service, despite Beryl informing him that by being a member of ENSA he was already signed up. However the examining board rejected him as being unfit, because he had sinusitis and arthritic toes.

 

George spent the winter season in pantomime at the Opera House Theatre, Blackpool, portraying Idle Jack in Dick Whittington. When the season came to an end, the Formbys moved to London and, in May 1941, performed for the royal family at Windsor Castle.

 

George had commissioned a new set of inoffensive lyrics for "When I'm Cleaning Windows", but was informed that he should sing the original, uncensored version, which was enjoyed by the royal party, particularly Queen Mary, who asked for a repeat of the song.

 

King George VI presented Formby with a set of gold cuff links, and advised him to "wear them, not put them away".

 

With the ATP contract at an end, Formby decided not to renew or push for an extension. Robert Murphy, in his study of wartime British cinema, points out that:

 

"Balcon, Formby's producer at the

time, seems to have made little

effort to persuade him not to transfer

his allegiance."

 

This was despite the box office success enjoyed by Let George Do It! and Spare a Copper. Numerous offers came in, and Formby selected the American company Columbia Pictures, in a deal worth in excess of £500,000. The contract was to make a minimum of six films—seven were eventually made.

 

Formby set up his own company, Hillcrest Productions, to distribute the films, and had the final decision on the choice of director, scriptwriter and theme, while Columbia would have the choice of leading lady.

 

Part of Formby's reasoning behind the decision was a desire for parts with more character, something that would not have happened at ATP.

 

At the end of August 1941 production began on Formby's first film for Columbia, South American George, which took six weeks to complete.

 

Formby's move to an American company was controversial, and although his popular appeal seemed unaffected, John Mundy noted in 2007 that:

 

"His films were treated with

increasing critical hostility."

 

The reviewer for The Times wrote that the story was "confused," and considered that "there is not sufficient comic invention in the telling" of it.

 

Murphy commented that:

 

"The criticism had more to do with

the inadequate vehicles which he

subsequently appeared in than in

any diminution of his personal

popularity."

 

In early 1942 Formby undertook a three-week, 72-show tour of Northern Ireland, largely playing to troops, but also undertaking fund-raising shows for charity—one at the Belfast Hippodrome raised £500.

 

He described his time in Ulster as:

 

"The pleasantest tour

I've ever undertaken".

 

George returned to the mainland by way of the Isle of Man, where he entertained the troops guarding the internment camps. After further charity shows—raising £8,000 for a tank fund—Formby was the associate producer for the Vera Lynn film We'll Meet Again (1943).

 

In March he also filmed Much Too Shy which was released in October that year. Although the film was poorly received by the critics, the public still attended in large numbers, and the film was profitable.

 

In the summer of 1942 Formby was involved in a controversy with the Lord's Day Observance Society, who had filed law suits against the BBC for playing secular music on Sunday.

 

The society began a campaign against the entertainment industry, claiming that all theatrical activity on a Sunday was unethical, and cited a 1667 law which made it illegal.

 

With 60 leading entertainers already avoiding Sunday working, Dean informed Formby that his stance would be crucial in avoiding a spread of the problem. Formby issued a statement:

 

"I'll hang up my uke on Sundays only

when our lads stop fighting and getting

killed on Sundays ... as far as the Lord's

Day Observance Society are concerned,

they can mind their own bloody business.

And in any case, what have they done for

the war effort except get on everyone's

nerves?"

 

The following day it was announced that the pressure from the society was to be lifted.

 

At the end of 1942 Formby started filming Get Cracking, a story about the Home Guard, which was completed in under a month, the tight schedule brought about by an impending ENSA tour of the Mediterranean.

 

Between the end of filming Get Cracking and the release of the film in May 1943, Formby undertook a tour of Northern Scotland and the Orkney Islands, and had nearly completed shooting on his next film, Bell-Bottom George.

 

The reviewer for The Times opined that:

 

"Get Cracking, although a distinct

improvement on other films in which

Mr. Formby has appeared, is cut too

closely to fit the demands of an

individual technique to achieve any

real life of its own."

 

Bell-Bottom George was described 60 years later by the academic Baz Kershaw as being:

 

"Unashamedly gay and peppered

with homoerotic scenes."

 

Bret concurs, and notes that:

 

"The majority of the cast and almost

every one of the male extras was

unashamedly gay."

 

The film was a hit with what Bret describes as Formby's "surprisingly large, closeted gay following".

 

The reviewer for The Manchester Guardian was impressed with the film, and wrote that:

 

"There is a new neatness of execution

and lightness of touch about this

production ... while George himself

can no longer be accused of trailing

clouds of vaudevillian glory."

 

The reviewer also considered Formby:

 

"... our first authentic and strictly

indigenous film comedian."

 

After completing filming, the Formbys undertook a further ENSA tour. Although Dean personally disliked the Formbys, he greatly admired the tireless work they did for the organisation.

 

In August 1943 Formby undertook a 53-day tour of a significant portion of the Mediterranean, including Italy, Sicily, Malta, Gibraltar, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine.

 

He entertained 750,000 troops in thirteen countries, touring 25,000 miles (40,000 km) in the process and returning to England in October.

 

The couple travelled around the countryside in a Ford Mercury that Formby had purchased from the racing driver Sir Malcolm Campbell, which had been converted to sleep two in the back.

 

In January 1944 Formby described his experiences touring for ENSA in Europe and the Middle East in a BBC radio broadcast. He said that:

 

"The troops are worrying quite a lot

about you folks at home, but we soon

put them right about that.

We told them that after four and a half

years, Britain was still the best country

to live in."

 

Shortly after he began filming He Snoops to Conquer—his fifth picture for Columbia—he was visited on set by the Dance Music Policy Committee (DMPC).

 

The DMPC was responsible for vetting music for broadcast, and for checking if music was sympathetic towards the enemy during the war.

 

The DMPC interviewed Formby about three songs that had been included in Bell-Bottom George: "Swim Little Fish", "If I Had a Girl Like You" and "Bell-Bottom George".

 

Formby was summoned to the BBC's offices to perform his three songs in front of the committee, with his song checked against the available sheet music. A week later, on the 1st. February, the committee met and decided that the songs were innocuous, although Formby was told that he would have to get further clearance if the lyrics were changed.

 

Bret concluded that George had been the victim of a plot by a member of the Variety Artists' Federation, following Formby's scathing comments on entertainers who were too scared to leave London to entertain the troops.

 

The comments, which appeared in the forces magazine Union Jack, were then widely reported in the press in Britain. The Variety Artists' Federation demanded that Formby release names, and threatened him with action if he did not do so, but he refused to give in to their pressure.

 

Formby went to Normandy in July 1944 in the vanguard of a wave of ENSA performers. He and Beryl travelled over on a rough crossing to Arromanches giving a series of impromptu concerts to troops in improvised conditions, including on the backs of farm carts and army lorries, or in bomb-cratered fields.

 

In one location the German front line was too close for him to perform, so he crawled into the trenches and told jokes with the troops there. He then boarded HMS Ambitious for his first scheduled concert before returning to France to continue his tour.

 

During dinner with General Bernard Montgomery, whom he had met in North Africa, Formby was invited to visit the glider crews of 6th. Airborne Division, who had been holding a series of bridges without relief for 56 days.

 

He did so on the 17th. August in a one-day visit to the front line bridges, where he gave nine shows, all standing beside a sandbag wall, ready to jump into a slit trench in case of problems; much of the time his audience were in foxholes.

 

After the four-week tour of France, Formby returned home to start work on I Didn't Do It (released in 1945), although he continued to work on ENSA concerts and tours in Britain.

 

Between January and March 1945, shortly after the release of He Snoops to Conquer, he left on an ENSA tour that took in Burma, India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

 

The concerts in the Far East were his last for ENSA, and by the end of the war it was estimated that he had performed in front of three million service personnel.

 

-- George Formby's Post-War Career: 1946–1952

 

In 1946 the song "With My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock", which Formby had recorded in 1937, began to cause problems at the BBC for broadcasts of Formby or his music.

 

The producer of one of Formby's live television programmes received a letter from a BBC manager that stated:

 

"We have no record that "With My Little

Stick of Blackpool Rock" is banned. We

do however know, and so does Formby,

that certain lines in the lyric must not be

broadcast."

 

Between July and October 1946, Formby filmed George in Civvy Street, which would be his final film. The story concerns the rivalry between two pubs: the Unicorn, bequeathed to Formby's character, and the Lion, owned by his childhood sweetheart—played by Rosalyn Boulter—but run by an unscrupulous manager.

 

Richards wrote:

 

"The film has symbolic significance;

at the end, with the marriage between

the two pub owners, Formby bowed

out of films, unifying the nation mythically,

communally, and matrimonially".

 

The film was less successful at the box office than George's previous works, as audience tastes had changed in the post-war world. Fisher opines that because of his tireless war work, Formby had become too synonymous with the war, causing the public to turn away from him, much as they had from the wartime British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

 

Bret believes that post-war audiences wanted intrigue, suspense and romance, through the films of James Mason, Stewart Granger, David Niven and Laurence Olivier.

 

Bret also indicates that Formby's cinematic decline was shared by similar performers, including Gracie Fields, Tommy Trinder and Will Hay.

 

Formby's biographers, Alan Randall and Ray Seaton, write that in his late 40s, Formby "was greying and thickening out", and was too old to play the innocent young Lancashire lad.

 

The slump in his screen popularity hit Formby hard, and he became depressed. In early 1946 Beryl checked him into a psychiatric hospital under her maiden name, Ingham. He came out after five weeks, in time for a tour of Scandinavia in May.

 

On his return from Scandinavia, Formby went into pantomime in Blackpool; while there, he learned of his appointment as Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1946 King's Birthday Honours. Although delighted, he was upset that Beryl went without official recognition, and said:

 

"If somethin' was comin' our way,

ah'd like it to be somethin' Beryl

could have shared."

 

Later that year the Formbys toured South Africa shortly before formal racial apartheid was introduced. While there they refused to play racially-segregated venues. When Formby was cheered by a black audience after embracing a small black girl who had presented his wife with a box of chocolates, National Party leader Daniel François Malan (who later introduced apartheid) telephoned to complain; Beryl replied:

 

"Why don't you piss off,

you horrible little man?"

 

Formby returned to Great Britain at Christmas and appeared in Dick Whittington at the Grand Theatre, Leeds for nine weeks, and then, in February 1947, he appeared in variety for two weeks at the London Palladium. Reviewing the show, The Times thought:

 

"Formby was more than ever the

mechanized perfection of naive

jollity. His smile, though fixed, is

winning, and his songs are catchy."

 

In September 1947 he went on a 12-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. On his return he was offered more film roles, but turned them down, saying:

 

"When I look back on some of the films

I've done in the past it makes me want

to cringe. I'm afraid the days of being a

clown are gone. From now on I'm only

going to do variety."

 

George began suffering increasing health problems, including a gastric ulcer, and was treated for breathing problems resulting from his heavy smoking. He finished the year in pantomime, appearing as Buttons in Cinderella at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, with Beryl playing Dandini.

 

In September 1949 Formby went on a 19 city coast-to-coast Canadian tour, from which he returned unwell. While subsequently appearing in Cinderella in Leeds, he collapsed in his dressing room. The attending doctor administered morphine, to which Formby briefly became addicted.

 

Further poor health plagued George into 1950, with a bout of dysentery, followed by appendicitis, after which he recuperated in Norfolk, before giving another royal command performance that April.

 

He undertook two further international tours that year: one to Scandinavia, and a second to Canada. His earnings of Ca$200,000 were heavily taxed: Canadian taxes took up $68,000, and UK taxes took 90% of the balance.

 

Formby complained to reporters about the level of taxation, saying:

 

"That's it. So long as the government

keeps bleeding me dry, I shan't be in

much of a hurry to work again!"

 

He and Beryl spent the rest of the year resting in Norfolk, in temporary retirement.

 

Formby was tempted back to work by the theatrical impresario Emile Littler, who offered him the lead role of Percy Piggott in Zip Goes a Million, a play based on the 1902 novel Brewster's Millions by G. B. McCutcheon; Formby was offered £1,500, plus a share of the box-office takings.

 

The show premiered at the Coventry Hippodrome in September 1951 before opening at the Palace Theatre, London on the 20th. October. The Times commented unfavourably, saying that:

 

"Although the audience were appreciative

of the play, they could not conceivably

have detected a spark of wit in either the

lyrics or the dialogue."

 

The paper was equally dismissive of Formby, writing that:

 

"He has a deft way with a song or

a banjo, but little or no finesse in

his handling of a comic situation".

 

A month after the play opened in London, Formby was the guest star on Desert Island Discs, where one of his choices was his father's "Standing on the Corner of the Street".

 

In early 1952 Formby's health began to decline and, on the 28th. April, he decided to withdraw from Zip Goes a Million. On the way to the theatre to inform Littler, Formby suffered a heart attack, although it took the doctors five days to diagnose the coronary and admit him to hospital.

 

George was treated for both the attack, and his morphine addiction. He stayed in hospital for nine weeks before returning home to Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, where he announced his retirement.

 

-- George Formby's Health Problems and Intermittent Work: 1952–1960

 

During his recuperation, Formby contracted gastroenteritis and had a suspected blood clot on his lung, after which he underwent an operation to clear a fishbone that was stuck in his throat.

 

He had recovered sufficiently by April 1953 to undertake a 17-show tour of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), before a special appearance at the Southport Garrick Theatre. That September he turned on the Blackpool Illuminations.

 

From October to December 1953 Formby appeared at the London Palladium in 138 performances of the revue Fun and the Fair, with Terry-Thomas and the Billy Cotton band; Formby appeared in the penultimate act of the evening, with Terry-Thomas closing the show.

 

Although Formby's act was well-received, the show was not as successful as had been hoped, and Terry-Thomas later wrote that:

 

"Formby put the audience in a certain

mood which made them non-receptive

to whoever followed. Even though my

act was the star spot, I felt on this

occasion that my being there was an

anti-climax."

 

He requested that the order be changed to have Formby close the show, but this was turned down.

 

Formby suffered from stage fright during the show's run—the first time he had suffered from the condition since his earliest days on stage—and his bouts of depression returned, along with stomach problems.

 

Formby took a break from work until mid-1954, when he starred in the revue Turned Out Nice Again, in Blackpool. Although the show was initially scheduled to run for 13 weeks, it was cut short after six when Formby suffered again from dysentery and depression.

 

George again announced his retirement, but continued to work. After some television appearances on Ask Pickles and Top of the Town, in late 1954 and early 1955 respectively,

 

Formby then travelled to South Africa for a tour, where Beryl negotiated an agreement with the South African premier Johannes Strijdom to play in venues of Formby's choice.

 

They then sailed to Canada for a ten-day series of performances. On the return voyage George contracted bronchial pneumonia, but still joined the cast of the non-musical play Too Young to Marry on his arrival in Britain.

 

In August 1955 Beryl felt unwell and went for tests: she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and was given two years to live.

 

The couple reacted to the news in different ways, and while Beryl began to drink heavily—up to a bottle of whisky a day to dull the pain—George began to work harder, and began a close friendship with a school teacher, Pat Howson.

 

Too Young to Marry toured between September 1955 and November 1956, but still allowed Formby time to appear in the Christmas pantomime Babes in the Wood at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

 

The touring production was well received everywhere except in Scotland, where Formby's attempted Scottish accent is thought to have put people off.

 

For Christmas 1956 George appeared in his first London pantomime, playing Idle Jack in Dick Whittington and His Cat at the Palace Theatre, although he withdrew from the run in early February after suffering from laryngitis.

 

According to Bret, Formby spent the remainder of 1957 "doing virtually nothing", although he appeared in two television programmes, Val Parnell's Saturday Spectacular in July and Top of the Bill in October.

 

From March 1958 Formby appeared in the musical comedy Beside the Seaside, a Holiday Romp in Hull, Blackpool, Birmingham and Brighton. However by the time it reached Brighton the play was playing to increasingly smaller audiences, and the run was cut short as a result.

 

The play may not have been to southern audiences' tastes—the plot centres on a northern family's holiday in Blackpool—but those in the north, particularly Blackpool, thought highly of it and the show was a nightly sell-out. When the show closed Formby was disappointed, and vowed never to appear in another stage musical.

 

The year 1958 was professionally quiet for George; in addition to Beside the Seaside, he also worked in one-off appearances in three television shows.

 

He began 1959 by appearing in Val Parnell's Spectacular: The Atlantic Showboat in January, and in April hosted his own show, Steppin' Out With Formby.

 

During the summer season he appeared at the Windmill Theatre, Great Yarmouth, although he missed two weeks of performances when he was involved in a car crash on the August Bank Holiday.

 

When doctors examined him, they were concerned with his overall health, partly as a result of his forty cigarettes-a-day smoking habit. He also had high blood pressure, was overweight and had heart problems.

 

Formby's final year of work was 1960. That May he recorded his last session of songs, "Happy Go Lucky Me" and "Banjo Boy", the former of which peaked at number 40 in the UK Singles Chart.

 

He then spent the summer season at the Queen's Theatre in Blackpool in The Time of Your Life—a performance which was also broadcast by the BBC. One of the acts in the show was the singer Yana, with whom Formby had an affair, made easier because of Beryl's absence from the theatre through illness.

 

George's final televised performance, a 35-minute BBC programme, The Friday Show: George Formby, was aired on the 16th. December. Bret considered the programme to be:

 

"Formby's greatest performance—

it was certainly his most sincere."

 

However reviewing for The Guardian, Mary Crozier thought it "too slow". She went on to say:

 

"George Formby is really a music-hall

star, and it needs the warmth and

sociability of the theatre to bring out

his full appeal."

 

Beryl's illness was worsening. Worn down by the strain, and feeling the need to escape, Formby took the part of Mr Wu in Aladdin in Bristol, having turned down a more lucrative part in Blackpool.

 

-- George Formby's Final Months: a New Romance, Death, and a Family Dispute

 

Two hours before the premiere of Aladdin—on Christmas Eve 1960—Formby received a phone call from Beryl's doctor, saying that she was in a coma and was not expected to survive the night.

 

Formby went through with the performance, and was told early the next morning that Beryl had died. Her cremation took place on the 27th. December, and an hour after the service Formby returned to Bristol to appear in that day's matinee performance of Aladdin.

 

He continued in the show until the 14th. January when a cold forced him to rest, on doctors' advice. He returned to Lytham St. Annes and communicated with Pat Howson; she contacted his doctor and Formby was instructed to go to hospital, where he remained for the next two weeks.

 

On Valentine's Day 1961, seven weeks after Beryl's death, Formby and Howson announced their engagement. Eight days later he suffered a heart attack which was so severe that he was given the last rites of the Catholic Church on his arrival at hospital in Preston.

 

He was revived and, from his hospital bed, he and Howson planned their wedding, which was due to take place in May. He was still there when, on the 6th. March, he had a further heart attack and died at the age of 56.

 

The obituarist for The Times wrote that:

 

"He was the amateur of the old smoking

concert platform turned into a music-hall

professional of genius."

 

Donald Zec, writing in the Daily Mirror, called him:

 

"As great an entertainer as any

of the giants of the music-hall".

 

The Guardian considered that:

 

"With his ukulele, his songs, and his

grinning patter, the sum was greater

than any of those parts: a Lancashire

character."

 

In the eyes of the public, Formby's passing was genuinely and widely mourned.

 

Formby was laid to rest alongside his father in Warrington Cemetery with over 150,000 mourners lining the route. The undertaker was Bruce Williams who, as Eddie Latta, had written songs for Formby.

 

An hour after the ceremony the family read the will, which had been drawn up two weeks previously. Harry Scott—Formby's valet and factotum—was to receive £5,000, while the rest was to go to Howson; at probate Formby's estate was valued at £135,000.

 

Formby's mother and siblings were angered by the will, and contested it. In the words of Bret:

 

"Mourning Formby was marred by

a greedy family squabbling over

his not inconsiderable fortune."

 

Because the will was contested, Formby's solicitor insisted that a public auction was held for the contents of Formby's house, which took place over three days in June.

 

Howson offered to honour an earlier will by providing £5,000 for Eliza and £2,000 each for Formby's sisters, but the offer was rejected, and the matter went to the High Court in London.

 

The case was heard in May 1963 before Mr Justice Ormrod. At the end, Eliza was granted £5,000, and the sisters received £2,000 each. Formby's solicitor, John Crowther, acted for Howson, and explained that the bequest to Formby's sisters from the older will was made "with reluctance" by Formby, who had described his family as "a set of scroungers".

 

The family appealed the decision, and the matter lasted until September 1965, when it was finally dismissed in Howson's favour.

 

-- George Formby's Screen Persona and Technique

 

George once said:

 

"I'm just a clown without the make-up,

the circus clown who magnifies the

reactions of ordinary people to the

things that happen around them".

 

Richards considered that:

 

"Formby had been able to embody

simultaneously Lancashire, the

working classes, the people, and

the nation."

 

Geoff King, in his examination of film comedy, also saw Formby as an icon, and wrote that:

 

"Gracie Fields and Formby gained the

status of national as well as regional

figures, without sacrificing their

distinctive regional personality traits."

 

While the national aspect was important for success outside the north, the Lancashire accent remained to enhance his homely comic appeal.

 

The media historian Brian McFarlane wrote that:

 

"On film, Formby portrayed essentially

gormless incompetents, aspiring to various

kinds of professional success ... and even

more improbably to a middle-class girlfriend,

usually in the clutches of some caddish type

with a moustache.

Invariably he scored on both counts".

 

In an edition of ITV's The South Bank Show in November 1992, Richards commented that:

 

"Formby embodied qualities that people

admired and found reassuring in the

depression ... and you thought that here's

a man whom whatever is thrown at him,

will come through and come out smiling—

and people wanted that."

 

H.J. Igoe, contributing to The Catholic Herald, wrote that:

 

"Formby has a common English touch.

We warm to the kindly turnip face, the

revolving eyes, the mouth like a slashed

coconut, the silly little songs ... the

melodiously tinny voice and twanging

banjo.

The comedian is the universal works—

platoon and bar-room simpleton—

mother's boy—the beloved henpeck—

the father who cannot hang a picture

and underlying his everyday folly there

is the sublime wisdom of the ordinary

fool who loves and trusts the world.

His comedy is earthy, but never

lascivious."

 

Formby himself said of his suggestive lyrics:

 

"You know, some of the songs are a bit

near. But they'll take them from me in

evening dress; they wouldn't take them

if I wore baggy pants and rednose".

 

Richards identified in Formby:

 

"An innocence that was essentially

childlike ... which explains why

George was as popular with children

as he was with adults."

 

Formby's screen and stage persona of innocence and simplicity was not seen as ignorance or stupidity, although Basil Dean disagreed, and claimed:

 

"Formby didn't act gormless as

many successful Lancashire

comedians have done - he was

gormless."

 

Much of the innocence in Formby's performance is connected to sex, and the use of double entendres within his songs. John Caughie and Kevin Rockett, in their examination of British film, see a connection between Formby's approach to sex and the saucy seaside postcards of Donald McGill.

 

Richards also sees the function of Formby's humour as being the same as McGill's:

 

"The harmless diffusion of a major

source of tension in a deeply

repressed and conventional

society."

 

Formby's delivery of the sexual content—what McFarlane identifies as being "sung with such a toothy grin and air of innocence"—negated any possible indignation, and this contrasts with the more overtly sexual delivery of other performers of the time, such as Max Miller and Frank Randle.

 

George's musical skills have also been praised; ukulele expert Steven Sproat considers that:

 

"Formby was incredible ... There hasn't

really been a uke player since Formby—

or even before Formby—who played

quite like him."

 

Much of Formby's virtuosity came from his right-hand technique, the split stroke, and he developed his own fast and complicated syncopated musical style with a very fast right-hand strum.

 

Joe Cooper, writing in New Society, considered that:

 

"Nobody has ever reproduced

the casual devastating right-hand

syncopation, which so delicately

synchronised with deft left-hand

chord fingering".

 

-- George Formby's Legacy

 

Formby's screen persona influenced Norman Wisdom in the 1950's and Charlie Drake in the following decade, although both these performers used pathos, which Formby avoided.

 

Shortly after Formby's death a small group of fans formed the George Formby Society, which had its inaugural meeting at the Imperial Hotel Blackpool. George Harrison was a fan of Formby, a member of the Society and an advocate of the ukulele.

 

The rest of the Beatles were also fans—they improvised with ukuleles during the recording breaks on Let It Be—and Formby's influence can be heard in the song "Her Majesty".

 

The Beatles' penultimate song, "Free as a Bird", ends with a slight coda including a strummed ukulele by Harrison and the voice of John Lennon played backwards, saying:

 

"Turned out nice again".

 

As of 2014 there are two public statues of Formby. The first, by the Manx artist Amanda Barton, is in Douglas, Isle of Man, and shows him leaning on a lamp-post and dressed in the motorcycle leathers of a TT racer.

 

Barton was also commissioned to provide a second statue for the Lancashire town of Wigan, which was unveiled in September 2007 in the town's Grand Arcade shopping centre.

 

Formby has been the subject of five biographies as of 2014.

 

In the late 1960's, Harry Scott published his reminiscences of Formby, The Fabulous Formby, in 14 issues of The Vellum, the magazine of the George Formby Society.

 

Alan Randall and Ray Seaton published their book on Formby in 1974, and John Fisher published George Formby in 1975.

 

David Bret produced George Formby: A Troubled Genius in 1999.

 

The last of the five to be published was by Sue Smart and Richard Bothway Howard in 2011, It's Turned Out Nice Again!.

 

There have also been two documentaries on British television, an edition of The South Bank Show in 1992, and Frank Skinner on George Formby in 2011.

 

In 2004 Formby was inducted into the Ukulele Hall of Fame, a non-profit organisation for the preservation of ukulele history. His citation reads, in part:

 

"He won such love and respect for his

charismatic stage presence, technical

skill and playful lyrics that he remains

popular forty years after his death."

 

In June 2012, a Blackpool Boat Car tram, number 604, was repainted and returned to service with sponsorship from the George Formby Society. The tram was named "George Formby OBE," and images of him are affixed within the trolley.

Friends comics UFO&CIA a partnership with the scriptwriter Di gomes comics edited by the site staff Quadrinize.

Final Project:

You will be required to work on a project that includes photographing (a minimum of) five different individuals in the style of your choice. Once you have selected the style, keep it consistent throughout the series.

 

You will also need:

 

1. an establishing shot (an image that tells us something about your idea. For example if you were to do a series of chefs the establishing shot could be a close-up of a measuring spoons.)

2. a self-portrait, with a brief artist statement

   

Side Note: A lot of thing didn't come through like I had wanted. Had flakey models, then scored on a really expressive friend of a friend, and I got these new to me models that showed up and kicked ass, then I got severely sick and ended up in urgent care Monday, etc. But hopefully I was able to get domestic abuse portrayed like I wanted to. I decided not to try for sexual abuse because no matter how I tried it, it could be construed as porn, and that isn't something I wish to ever touch upon.

 

Artist's Statement:

Emmy's work is influenced by elements in the world that most people consider to be imperfect, broken, or weak. She builds upon imperfection because it is the only true indicator of character and beauty. She captures imperfection as the summit of her art. She is inspired by things that surround her every day, and uses them as a creative base. As the proud divorced, single mother of five closely spaced children she has no shortage of material from which to draw.

 

With her work, it is difficult to ignore the obvious experience and background Emmy has in graphic design. In addition to photography and graphic design, she is an entrepreneur, business ideas person, CEO of a small assessment corporation, movie scriptwriter, mother, and friend to all, even those pesky telemarketers if they happen to catch her on the telephone at home.

 

The most important thing to Emmy is the opportunity to create art. To be an artist, even an unknown one, is more important to her than going forth and finding notoriety. She feels the only way for her to create is to continue growing as an artist whether by introducing new techniques, new mediums, or a combination of both. Her primary focus is on creating art that reaches across boundaries. She creates art that speaks figuratively and demands its own place within its world. She tries to create art that will link people to her, and with her.

 

Fast Facts on Domestic Violence

 

Battering on women is the most under reported crime in America.

 

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.

 

Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. "Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.

 

One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.

 

About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.

 

Approximately 95% of the victims of domestic violence are women. Statistics, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, Ruth Peachey, M.D. 1988.

 

Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.

 

Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.

 

Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.

 

A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.

 

Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.

 

Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.

 

25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.

 

Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.

 

Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

The topic question that was put to four indigenous was quite simple - "How do you react to the statement that You Were Here First". The answers from the well-know writers was not far simple.

 

It was all part of the International Festival of Authors, held annually in Toronto at Harbourfront. Friday night's discussion was sponsored by the RBC Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction.

 

"It is all about the land," explained author Thomas King.Thomas King is an award-winning novelist, short story writer, scriptwriter and photographer of Cherokee and Greek descent. For 50 years, he has worked as an activist for Native causes and has taught Native literature and history at universities across North America. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004. King presents both his RBC Taylor Prize-winning book, The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, and his first literary novel in 15 years, the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction finalist The Back of the Turtle at the IFOA Friday night in Toronto.

 

Ellen van Neerven is a writer of Aboriginal and Dutch descent whose work has appeared in many publications, including The Best of McSweeney’s, Voiceworks and Review of Australian Fiction.

She currently lives in Brisbane where she works as an editor for the black&write! project at the State Library of Queensland. Van Neerven presents her debut novel and the winner of the 2013 David Unaipon Award, Heat and Light. Divided into three sections, it is inspired by the intersection of familial history, location and identity, and takes readers on a journey that is mythical, mystical and still achingly real.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

Large.

Final Project:

You will be required to work on a project that includes photographing (a minimum of) five different individuals in the style of your choice. Once you have selected the style, keep it consistent throughout the series.

 

You will also need:

 

1. an establishing shot (an image that tells us something about your idea. For example if you were to do a series of chefs the establishing shot could be a close-up of a measuring spoons.)

2. a self-portrait, with a brief artist statement

   

Side Note: A lot of thing didn't come through like I had wanted. Had flakey models, then scored on a really expressive friend of a friend, and I got these new to me models that showed up and kicked ass, then I got severely sick and ended up in urgent care Monday, etc. But hopefully I was able to get domestic abuse portrayed like I wanted to. I decided not to try for sexual abuse because no matter how I tried it, it could be construed as porn, and that isn't something I wish to ever touch upon.

 

Artist's Statement:

Emmy's work is influenced by elements in the world that most people consider to be imperfect, broken, or weak. She builds upon imperfection because it is the only true indicator of character and beauty. She captures imperfection as the summit of her art. She is inspired by things that surround her every day, and uses them as a creative base. As the proud divorced, single mother of five closely spaced children she has no shortage of material from which to draw.

 

With her work, it is difficult to ignore the obvious experience and background Emmy has in graphic design. In addition to photography and graphic design, she is an entrepreneur, business ideas person, CEO of a small assessment corporation, movie scriptwriter, mother, and friend to all, even those pesky telemarketers if they happen to catch her on the telephone at home.

 

The most important thing to Emmy is the opportunity to create art. To be an artist, even an unknown one, is more important to her than going forth and finding notoriety. She feels the only way for her to create is to continue growing as an artist whether by introducing new techniques, new mediums, or a combination of both. Her primary focus is on creating art that reaches across boundaries. She creates art that speaks figuratively and demands its own place within its world. She tries to create art that will link people to her, and with her.

 

Fast Facts on Domestic Violence

 

Battering on women is the most under reported crime in America.

 

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.

 

Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. "Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.

 

One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.

 

About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.

 

Approximately 95% of the victims of domestic violence are women. Statistics, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, Ruth Peachey, M.D. 1988.

 

Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.

 

Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.

 

Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.

 

A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.

 

Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.

 

Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.

 

25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.

 

Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.

 

Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.

Meeting Doctor Who writer Victor Pemberton (who wrote the classic story Fury from the Deep in 1968) and actor Deborah Watling who played the Doctor's companion Victoria Waterfield in the 1960s, at Galaxy 4 in Sheffield, 22 May 2010.

 

2017 postscript: sadly this photo can never be repeated as Deborah died on 21st July 2017 and Victor died just three weeks later on the 13th August 2017.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

Vintage German postcard, 1910s. Photochemie, K.2484. Photo by Irene Guttmann, Berlin.

 

Emil Rameau (1878 - 1957) was a German actor with a rich career in German silent film.

 

Rameau was born 13 August 1878 in Berlin as Emil Pulvermacher. At the age of 20, he made his stage debut at the Stadttheater in Bromberg, followed by engagements in Zurich and Berlin. In Berlin, he appeared regularly under Max Reinhardt and became a well-known theatre great in Germany's capital. Emil Rameau came to film in the mid-1910s, where he quickly became an extremely busy actor. To his early movies belong Arthur Imhoff (1915), Das Leben in Traum (1916), Das wandernde Licht (1916), Stein unter Steinen (1916), Der chinesische Götze (1916), Das alte Bild (1918), Der Teufel (1918), Der lebende Leichnam (1918), Zwischen Tod und Leben (1919), De Profundis (1919), Lilli (1919) and Jettatore (1919). In the late 1910s he was also busy as co-scriptwriter, e.g. for Der Ring der drei Wünsche (1918) by Arthur Wellin and Die Augen der Mumie Ma (1918) by Ernst Lubitsch.

 

Emil Rameau also remained an often used actor in front of the camera in the 1920s. To his well-known silent movies of those years belong several films with Ellen Richter: e.g. Der rote Henker (1920), Die Fürstin Woronzoff (1920) and Lola Montez, die Tänzerin des Königs (1922), as well as the films Madame Récamier (1920) with Fern Andra, Monna Vanna (1922) with Lee Parry, Der Schatz der Gesine Jakobsen (1923) with Marija Leiko, Wilhelm Tell (1923) with Conrad Veidt, Kampf um die Scholle (1925) with Ferdinand von Alten, Die Mühle von Sanssouci (1926) with Otto Gebühr, Die Wiskottens (1926) with Karl Platen, and Möblierte Zimmer (1929) with Margot Landa. His last movies in Germany came at the beginning of the 1930s into being with Nur am Rhein... (1930) with Daisy D'Ora, Die Abenteurerin von Tunis (1931) with Ellen Richter and Manolescu, der Fürst der Diebe (1933) with Iván Petrovich.

 

With the rise of the National Socialists, he had to leave Germany. What followed was an odyssey through half of Europe before he emigrated to the USA. There he was able to continue his film career with small roles in the 1940s. Among others he took part in the productions Mission to Moscow (9143), Gaslight (1944) - playing Maestro Guardi, Ingrid Bergman singing teacher, The Conspirators (1944), Two Sisters from Boston (1946), The Return of Monte Cristo (1946), Arch of Triumph (1948), The Great Sinner (1949) and The Red Danube (1949). Finally he returned to Germany where he worked at the theatre again in the last years of his life, among others as deputy director of the Schiller Theatre. All in al, Rameau acted in 111 films.

 

Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, www.cyranos.ch/smrame-d.htm

It all started in 1994. TV scriptwriter Stefan Struik had an interview with a meditating hermit in Baarn (NL) who was complaining about gnomes who disturbed the power network in his house. A month later he ran into trolls in a Norwegian clothing store in the Dutch-Frisian village Dokkum. A year before he got surprised by the amount of one meter high garden gnomes just across the border between Germany and Poland. It all seemed to point into a new direction he would hit a few months later. In December 1994 he opened with his sister a small game and bookstore in Delft (NL), named Elf Fantasy Shop. The games were a golden opportunity. Three years later the duo could open an second store in The Hague.

 

In 1995 Stefan also started a new adventure with a free magazine called Elf Fantasy Magazine. In 2001 the magazine became professionalized and despite it never realised any profits it existed until 2009.

 

Stefan and his sister already organised lectures in the Elf Fantasy Shops about druidism, Tolkien and other fantasy related subjects. In 2001 Stefan decided to combine a few things into a totally new and unique festival concept that later would be copied many times: the Elf Fantasy fair. Starting in the historical theme parc Archeon (NL) it moved the year after to the largest castle in the Netherlands: castle de Haar. With the exception of 2004 (castle Keukenhof, Lisse) it remained in castle de Haar, Haarzuilens since then. In 2009 a second version of the Elf Fantasy Fair started 400 meters from the border with Germany in the small village Arcen in Northern Limburg. In January 2013 the name Elf Fantasy Fair™ was replaced by the name Elfia™. The spring edition of Elfia is also called the 'Light Edition', while the autumn edition is characterized as the 'dark edition'.

 

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: (L) Rhianna Pratchett, video-game scriptwriter and Keith Stuart, Games Editor at Guardian News & Media attend Rhianna Pratchett: The Art of Storytelling The Art of Storytelling during Advertising Week Europe 2016 at Picturehouse Central on April 20, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images for Advertising Week Europe)

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

In questo mondo di matti, che corre verso tutto - rovina compresa - con l'allegrezza dell'incoscienza, l'amica tartaruga - che ci accompagna da milioni di anni - ricorda ritmi diversi...

La frase del titolo è del poeta e sceneggiatore Tonino Guerra.

 

"There is who doesn't know the place where it has to go, but it races for immediately going there"

 

In this world of crazy person, that races toward all - inclusive downfall - with the joyfulness of the irresponsibility, the friend turtle - that it accompanies us from million of years - remembers different rhythms...

The sentence of the title is of the poet and scriptwriter Tonino Guerra.

Carlos ‘‘Botong’’ Francisco (1912-1969)

Manuel Conde in Vende Cristo Movie Poster

Ca.1952

mixed media

10 1/4” x 8 1/2” (26 cm x 22 cm)

 

Opening bid: P 360,000

 

Provenance:

Private Collection, Manila

 

Memorable images from filmdom’s past, vintage movie posters provide a colorful overview of the first century of motion pictures. Competing with Hollywood movies for patronage was a tough test for local movies – Hollywood movies enjoyed huge budgets and saturation advertising. Yet the local movie industry did not only survive the competition, it flourished with great vitality, even recognition abroad.

 

Carlos “Botong” Francisco was not just a mural painter but also a scriptwriter – of Genghis Khan, Putol na Kampilan, and Tatlong Labuyo, which he designed costumes for different films such as Romeo at Julieta, Prinsipe Tenoso, Ibong Adarna, Sietes Infantes de lara and Juan Tamad series. Botong Francisco also designed movie posters such as the film Vende Cristo. In 1952, “Vende Cristo” star Manuel Conde had earned celebrity status when the aforementioned “Genghis Khan”, from 1950, was accepted for screening at the Venice Film festival.

 

Lot 18 of the Leon Gallery auction on 2 December 2017. Please see www.leon-gallery.com for more information.

French postcard by SERP, Paris, no. 183. Photo: Studio Harcourt.

 

Ravishing French actress Jacqueline Laurent (1918 – 2009) made only eleven films, but among them is Marcel Carné’s masterpiece Le jour se lève/Daybreak (1939). She was the love of poet and scriptwriter Jacques Prévert.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

Final Project:

You will be required to work on a project that includes photographing (a minimum of) five different individuals in the style of your choice. Once you have selected the style, keep it consistent throughout the series.

 

You will also need:

 

1. an establishing shot (an image that tells us something about your idea. For example if you were to do a series of chefs the establishing shot could be a close-up of a measuring spoons.)

2. a self-portrait, with a brief artist statement

   

Side Note: A lot of thing didn't come through like I had wanted. Had flakey models, then scored on a really expressive friend of a friend, and I got these new to me models that showed up and kicked ass, then I got severely sick and ended up in urgent care Monday, etc. But hopefully I was able to get domestic abuse portrayed like I wanted to. I decided not to try for sexual abuse because no matter how I tried it, it could be construed as porn, and that isn't something I wish to ever touch upon.

 

Artist's Statement:

Emmy's work is influenced by elements in the world that most people consider to be imperfect, broken, or weak. She builds upon imperfection because it is the only true indicator of character and beauty. She captures imperfection as the summit of her art. She is inspired by things that surround her every day, and uses them as a creative base. As the proud divorced, single mother of five closely spaced children she has no shortage of material from which to draw.

 

With her work, it is difficult to ignore the obvious experience and background Emmy has in graphic design. In addition to photography and graphic design, she is an entrepreneur, business ideas person, CEO of a small assessment corporation, movie scriptwriter, mother, and friend to all, even those pesky telemarketers if they happen to catch her on the telephone at home.

 

The most important thing to Emmy is the opportunity to create art. To be an artist, even an unknown one, is more important to her than going forth and finding notoriety. She feels the only way for her to create is to continue growing as an artist whether by introducing new techniques, new mediums, or a combination of both. Her primary focus is on creating art that reaches across boundaries. She creates art that speaks figuratively and demands its own place within its world. She tries to create art that will link people to her, and with her.

 

Fast Facts on Domestic Violence

 

Battering on women is the most under reported crime in America.

 

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.

 

Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. "Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.

 

One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.

 

About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.

 

Approximately 95% of the victims of domestic violence are women. Statistics, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, Ruth Peachey, M.D. 1988.

 

Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.

 

Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.

 

Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.

 

A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.

 

Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.

 

Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.

 

25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.

 

Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.

 

Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

It all started in 1994. TV scriptwriter Stefan Struik had an interview with a meditating hermit in Baarn (NL) who was complaining about gnomes who disturbed the power network in his house. A month later he ran into trolls in a Norwegian clothing store in the Dutch-Frisian village Dokkum. A year before he got surprised by the amount of one meter high garden gnomes just across the border between Germany and Poland. It all seemed to point into a new direction he would hit a few months later. In December 1994 he opened with his sister a small game and bookstore in Delft (NL), named Elf Fantasy Shop. The games were a golden opportunity. Three years later the duo could open an second store in The Hague.

 

In 1995 Stefan also started a new adventure with a free magazine called Elf Fantasy Magazine. In 2001 the magazine became professionalized and despite it never realised any profits it existed until 2009.

 

Stefan and his sister already organised lectures in the Elf Fantasy Shops about druidism, Tolkien and other fantasy related subjects. In 2001 Stefan decided to combine a few things into a totally new and unique festival concept that later would be copied many times: the Elf Fantasy fair. Starting in the historical theme parc Archeon (NL) it moved the year after to the largest castle in the Netherlands: castle de Haar. With the exception of 2004 (castle Keukenhof, Lisse) it remained in castle de Haar, Haarzuilens since then. In 2009 a second version of the Elf Fantasy Fair started 400 meters from the border with Germany in the small village Arcen in Northern Limburg. In January 2013 the name Elf Fantasy Fair™ was replaced by the name Elfia™. The spring edition of Elfia is also called the 'Light Edition', while the autumn edition is characterized as the 'dark edition'.

 

BBC TV South Today news team on the Cathedral balcony 6.15pm on Thurs 20th March waiting to 'go live' for the news broadcast at 6.45pm. From the left: Trevor (cameraman), Pete Doherty (South Today), David Simpkin (Drama Director, Act 3), Dani Sinha (South Today Presenter), Philip Glassborow (Artistic Director, Scriptwriter) , Tim Daykin (BBC Radio Solent) and Israel Oyelumade (Jesus)

Vintage German postcard. Film-Sterne, No. 152/3. Photo by Becker & Maass, Berlin.

 

Viggo Larsen (1880-1957) was a Danish actor, director, scriptwriter and producer. He was one of the pioneers in film history. With Wanda Treumann he directed and produced many German films of the 1910s.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.

An Evening Honoring Jessye Norman

Final Project:

You will be required to work on a project that includes photographing (a minimum of) five different individuals in the style of your choice. Once you have selected the style, keep it consistent throughout the series.

 

You will also need:

 

1. an establishing shot (an image that tells us something about your idea. For example if you were to do a series of chefs the establishing shot could be a close-up of a measuring spoons.)

2. a self-portrait, with a brief artist statement

   

Side Note: A lot of thing didn't come through like I had wanted. Had flakey models, then scored on a really expressive friend of a friend, and I got these new to me models that showed up and kicked ass, then I got severely sick and ended up in urgent care Monday, etc. But hopefully I was able to get domestic abuse portrayed like I wanted to. I decided not to try for sexual abuse because no matter how I tried it, it could be construed as porn, and that isn't something I wish to ever touch upon.

 

Artist's Statement:

Emmy's work is influenced by elements in the world that most people consider to be imperfect, broken, or weak. She builds upon imperfection because it is the only true indicator of character and beauty. She captures imperfection as the summit of her art. She is inspired by things that surround her every day, and uses them as a creative base. As the proud divorced, single mother of five closely spaced children she has no shortage of material from which to draw.

 

With her work, it is difficult to ignore the obvious experience and background Emmy has in graphic design. In addition to photography and graphic design, she is an entrepreneur, business ideas person, CEO of a small assessment corporation, movie scriptwriter, mother, and friend to all, even those pesky telemarketers if they happen to catch her on the telephone at home.

 

The most important thing to Emmy is the opportunity to create art. To be an artist, even an unknown one, is more important to her than going forth and finding notoriety. She feels the only way for her to create is to continue growing as an artist whether by introducing new techniques, new mediums, or a combination of both. Her primary focus is on creating art that reaches across boundaries. She creates art that speaks figuratively and demands its own place within its world. She tries to create art that will link people to her, and with her.

 

Fast Facts on Domestic Violence

 

Battering on women is the most under reported crime in America.

 

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States; more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. "Violence Against Women, A Majority Staff Report," Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, 102nd Congress, October 1992, p.3.

 

Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers. "Women and Violence," Hearings before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, August 29 and December 11, 1990, Senate Hearing 101-939, pt. 1, p. 12.

 

One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991.

 

About 1 out of 4 women are likely to be abused by a partner in her lifetime. Sara Glazer, "Violence, Against Women" CO Researcher, Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Volume 3, Number 8, February, 1993, p. 171.

 

Approximately 95% of the victims of domestic violence are women. Statistics, National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women, Ruth Peachey, M.D. 1988.

 

Police report that between 40% and 60% of the calls they receive, especially on the night shift, are domestic violence disputes. Carrillo, Roxann "Violence Against Women: An Obstacle to Development," Human Development Report, 1990.

 

Battering occurs among people of all races, ages, socio-economic classes, religious affiliations, occupations, and educational backgrounds.

 

Fifty percent of all homeless women and children in this country are fleeing domestic violence. Senator Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Violence Against Women: Victims of the System, 1991.

 

A battering incident is rarely an isolated event.

 

Battering tends to increase and become more violent over time.

 

Many batterers learned violent behavior growing up in an abusive family.

 

25% - 45% of all women who are battered are battered during pregnancy.

 

Domestic violence does not end immediately with separation. Over 70% of the women injured in domestic violence cases are injured after separation.

 

Domestic violence is not only physical and sexual violence but also psychological. Psychological violence means intense and repetitive degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the spouse through intimidation or manipulation to the detriment of the individual. "Five Year State Master Plan for the Prevention of and Service for Domestic Violence." Utah State Department of Human Services, January 1994.

On 5th May 2011 Master Simon Wong's paintings were in the Dragons in the Lions Den show which exhibited Chinese Contemporary Art from Beijing to London, which was organised by YD Gallery www.ydgallery.co.uk Charlie Pycraft(Photographer) www.charliepycraft.co.uk and Ping Works(Creative network) www.pingworks.org a UK creative hub at Forman's Smokehouse Gallery.

 

"Finally a special thanks to Charlie for spotting the potential" Peng Seng Ong Executive Director MBS Limited

"Wow, what an amazing evening. Thanks to you all for your putting this even together, Ping is on the map!" Philip Mayer BSc (Econ) MIC NLPdip Director MBS Ltd

"Hi Peng…I second that. I thought it was an excellent evening and thanks so much to you and Charlie and all the artists for making it such a success." William Chamberlain Business Affairs Consultant

"Thank you so much to Charlie and Peng for organising the prestigious event, developing the concept, getting the artists together, the copy together, design etc, it all looked great, a lot of hard work and it showed." Kathryn McMann Holistic Marketing Consultancy Integrated Strategic Marketing : Social Media : Project Management : Trans-media : Creative Concepts

 

Master Simon Wong is originally from China and has been a British resident since 1978. Master Simon Wong is a spiritual Master, a Feng Shui Master, a professional Chinese Astrologer, an artist, musician, songwriter, scriptwriter and author. Master Simon Wong does not give names to his paintings. The Tao Te Ching states: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit. After perfecting his artistic style for the last 40 years, Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work.