March 2009 Archives
9th Jameson Belfast Film Festival
Have I Got News for You TV star and movie buff Paul Merton is launching his 'Silent Clowns' Spring Tour as part of the 9th Jameson Belfast Film Festival on 3rd April 2009 at Movie House, Yorkgate, Belfast.
Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd and many others are presented by Paul, whose infectious enthusiasm and knowledge of these films means a splendid time is guaranteed for all. And then, Buster Keaton’s uproariously funny Steamboat Bill Junior is shown in its entirety with fantastic live accompaniment by world renowned pianist Neil Brand.
Sadly, there will be no dirve-in movies at the paint hall in the old Harland and Wolff shipyard this year. The huge building is in use as the studio setting for a new movie to be released next year.
The Belfast Film Festival has something for everyone. as well as the special events, there’s new Irish cinema, world cinema, documentaries, ‘same-sex’ cinema, sound and vision, Nick and Joe’s ‘Bad Film Club’ and classic movies. There are also two Ireland premieres; Little Ashes, the early life of artist Salvador Dali in the presence of members of the cast opens the festival on March 26th. Fifty Dead Men Walking, the story of RUC Special Branch informer Martin McGartland closes the festival on April 4th.
Festival Director, Michele Devlin, explains: “As the Belfast Film Festival grows each year, we are so proud of the fact that, as well as a strong selection of international and European films, we are able to showcase a burgeoning wealth of local film-making and acting talent.
“We have the eagerly awaited premieres of first features, the locally-made Cherrybomb and Ditching.. We are also proud to be screening ‘Pumpgirl’ starring local talent Samantha Healey and Geraldine Hughes.”
New additions to the programme this year, will include the ‘Jameson Sound and Vision’ strand, which will celebrate the role that music plays in film. These events will include renditions of the soundtrack to O, Brother, Where Art Thou? by local bands and a screening of the Lon Chaney silent classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame to a live score in St. Anne’s Cathedral.Local singer Brigid O’Neill will bring live renditions of Doris Day’s best loved songs to the Black Box accompained by clips from some of her best-remembered films.
There will also be the ‘Spotlight on India’ which will welcome Indian film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who will host a panel discussion and present some of his films.
A highlight for me will be the screening of three Ealing classic comediies at the Strand Cinema in East Belfast staring the incomparable Alec Guinness. In Kind Hearts and Coronets, Alec Guinness plays eight members of the D’Ascoyne family alongside Denis Price. In The Man in the White Suit, Guinness plays the inventor of a new fabric that never gets dirty or wears out. In The Ladykillers, Guinness, Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom play a gang of crooks who live with an elderly landlady who believes they are muscicians.
Copies of the packed 88-page festival programme can be had at most libraries, the Belfast Welcome Centre and the Festival offices at 25 Donegall Street, Belfast. You can buy tickets at the Welcome Centre, online at www.belfastfilmfestival.org or by phone on 028 9024 6609. Beware though, that there will be a surcharge of £1.25 on all credit and debit card bookings. .
Have I Got News for You TV star and movie buff Paul Merton is launching his 'Silent Clowns' Spring Tour as part of the 9th Jameson Belfast Film Festival on 3rd April 2009 at Movie House, Yorkgate, Belfast.
Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd and many others are presented by Paul, whose infectious enthusiasm and knowledge of these films means a splendid time is guaranteed for all. And then, Buster Keaton’s uproariously funny Steamboat Bill Junior is shown in its entirety with fantastic live accompaniment by world renowned pianist Neil Brand.
Sadly, there will be no dirve-in movies at the paint hall in the old Harland and Wolff shipyard this year. The huge building is in use as the studio setting for a new movie to be released next year.
The Belfast Film Festival has something for everyone. as well as the special events, there’s new Irish cinema, world cinema, documentaries, ‘same-sex’ cinema, sound and vision, Nick and Joe’s ‘Bad Film Club’ and classic movies. There are also two Ireland premieres; Little Ashes, the early life of artist Salvador Dali in the presence of members of the cast opens the festival on March 26th. Fifty Dead Men Walking, the story of RUC Special Branch informer Martin McGartland closes the festival on April 4th.
Festival Director, Michele Devlin, explains: “As the Belfast Film Festival grows each year, we are so proud of the fact that, as well as a strong selection of international and European films, we are able to showcase a burgeoning wealth of local film-making and acting talent.
“We have the eagerly awaited premieres of first features, the locally-made Cherrybomb and Ditching.. We are also proud to be screening ‘Pumpgirl’ starring local talent Samantha Healey and Geraldine Hughes.”
New additions to the programme this year, will include the ‘Jameson Sound and Vision’ strand, which will celebrate the role that music plays in film. These events will include renditions of the soundtrack to O, Brother, Where Art Thou? by local bands and a screening of the Lon Chaney silent classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame to a live score in St. Anne’s Cathedral.Local singer Brigid O’Neill will bring live renditions of Doris Day’s best loved songs to the Black Box accompained by clips from some of her best-remembered films.
There will also be the ‘Spotlight on India’ which will welcome Indian film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who will host a panel discussion and present some of his films.
A highlight for me will be the screening of three Ealing classic comediies at the Strand Cinema in East Belfast staring the incomparable Alec Guinness. In Kind Hearts and Coronets, Alec Guinness plays eight members of the D’Ascoyne family alongside Denis Price. In The Man in the White Suit, Guinness plays the inventor of a new fabric that never gets dirty or wears out. In The Ladykillers, Guinness, Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom play a gang of crooks who live with an elderly landlady who believes they are muscicians.
Copies of the packed 88-page festival programme can be had at most libraries, the Belfast Welcome Centre and the Festival offices at 25 Donegall Street, Belfast. You can buy tickets at the Welcome Centre, online at www.belfastfilmfestival.org or by phone on 028 9024 6609. Beware though, that there will be a surcharge of £1.25 on all credit and debit card bookings. .
classic film review
THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
Director: Alexander McKendrick 85 mins
One of my all time favourite films is due to be shown on the big screen later this month as part of the Belfast Film Festival. The Man in the White Suit stars Alec Guiness as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric inventor who creates a wonderful new fabric. This material never gets dirty or wears out.
Stratton has been working on his idea without much success for quite some time causing quite a few alarming explosions and cracks on the ceiling. Guinness gives his all in his portrayal of the obsessive, idealistic, naïve, eccentric and slightly hysterical inventor.
To show the marvelous qualities of his new fabric, Sidney has a suit made up in it. He chooses white fabric to show just how indestructible the material is and to show how easily dirt falls off it. Naturally, he expects that he is going to make a fortune from his revolutionary new fabric. This is where thing start to go wrong as he is pursued by the forces of capital and labour – the bosses and the workers.
The reason is obvious to us, but not at first to Stratton; if you buy a suit made from his fabric you will never have to get it repaired or ever have to buy another one. As a result the clothing industry will collapse. Nevertheless, Sidney determines to put his fabric on the market, forcing the big mill owners to resort to more desperate measures. It’s not only the bosses who want to suppress Sidney’s invention. The textile workers also want to suppress it as it will mean the end of their jobs. However, the bosses and the unions distrust each other. This distrust drives the second half of the film.
Like most post-war Ealing comedies, The Man in the White Suit is delightfully engaging. However, its view of the big bosses and organised labour is sharply satirical without preaching too much. The film has aged well despite having been made almost sixty years ago. Its acerbic observations on industry remains fresh today. Many present-day viewers will recognise ways in which it rings even more “true” in the modern era.
The Man in the White Suit is available on DVD and can be seen at the Strand Cinema on Tuesday March 31st at 8:00pm.
THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
Director: Alexander McKendrick 85 mins
One of my all time favourite films is due to be shown on the big screen later this month as part of the Belfast Film Festival. The Man in the White Suit stars Alec Guiness as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric inventor who creates a wonderful new fabric. This material never gets dirty or wears out.
Stratton has been working on his idea without much success for quite some time causing quite a few alarming explosions and cracks on the ceiling. Guinness gives his all in his portrayal of the obsessive, idealistic, naïve, eccentric and slightly hysterical inventor.
To show the marvelous qualities of his new fabric, Sidney has a suit made up in it. He chooses white fabric to show just how indestructible the material is and to show how easily dirt falls off it. Naturally, he expects that he is going to make a fortune from his revolutionary new fabric. This is where thing start to go wrong as he is pursued by the forces of capital and labour – the bosses and the workers.
The reason is obvious to us, but not at first to Stratton; if you buy a suit made from his fabric you will never have to get it repaired or ever have to buy another one. As a result the clothing industry will collapse. Nevertheless, Sidney determines to put his fabric on the market, forcing the big mill owners to resort to more desperate measures. It’s not only the bosses who want to suppress Sidney’s invention. The textile workers also want to suppress it as it will mean the end of their jobs. However, the bosses and the unions distrust each other. This distrust drives the second half of the film.
Like most post-war Ealing comedies, The Man in the White Suit is delightfully engaging. However, its view of the big bosses and organised labour is sharply satirical without preaching too much. The film has aged well despite having been made almost sixty years ago. Its acerbic observations on industry remains fresh today. Many present-day viewers will recognise ways in which it rings even more “true” in the modern era.
The Man in the White Suit is available on DVD and can be seen at the Strand Cinema on Tuesday March 31st at 8:00pm.
A CALL FOR HELP
During the past month I received a letter from Lynn Duff who runs the Pregnancy Resource Centre in Carrickfergus.
Most people who become pregnant are absolutely delighted with the news and have all their family and friends to rally round to help and support them.
However, this is not true for everyone, hence the need for the Pregancy Resource Centre. The centre offers such free and confidential services as...
Lynn writes, “All our services are provided by trained volunteers from the locality and are open to women and their partners or families affected by the circumstance.”
Until recently, the organisation operated under the name “Source” Since the change of name the centre has more prominent building beside Thomas Cook’s travel agency in High Street.
Lyn explains, “We undertook the move and name change so that we could promote our services to the borough in a more upfront manner. Previously we were located in a shared building to help take away any stigma for women wishing to use our services but after much research we decided that being too discreet wasn’t offering women the chance to visit us”
The Pregnancy Resource Centre’s experience confirms that women from all walks of life suffer due to pregnancy related issues. The need for the centre’s work shows its trained volunteers that there is great need in the Carrick area for its services.
This presents a problem as money has bcome tighter as the recession bites.
Lynn explains the problem, “As a lot of local charities, we are feeling the pinch financially and are struggling to meet our monthly financial commitments. We are simply asking the readers of The Carrick Biz and residents of Carrickfergus to consider helping us out with either a one off donation or a regular donation.”
Any reader who would like any more information can contact Lynn Duff at the High Street address, by emal at talk@thepregnancyresourcecentre.co.uk, or by phone at 028 9332 9997.
During the past month I received a letter from Lynn Duff who runs the Pregnancy Resource Centre in Carrickfergus.
Most people who become pregnant are absolutely delighted with the news and have all their family and friends to rally round to help and support them.
However, this is not true for everyone, hence the need for the Pregancy Resource Centre. The centre offers such free and confidential services as...
- pregnancy testing
- crisis pregnancy support
- miscarriage and stillbirth support
- post abortion support programmes
- sexual health education for schools and youth groups
Lynn writes, “All our services are provided by trained volunteers from the locality and are open to women and their partners or families affected by the circumstance.”
Until recently, the organisation operated under the name “Source” Since the change of name the centre has more prominent building beside Thomas Cook’s travel agency in High Street.
Lyn explains, “We undertook the move and name change so that we could promote our services to the borough in a more upfront manner. Previously we were located in a shared building to help take away any stigma for women wishing to use our services but after much research we decided that being too discreet wasn’t offering women the chance to visit us”
The Pregnancy Resource Centre’s experience confirms that women from all walks of life suffer due to pregnancy related issues. The need for the centre’s work shows its trained volunteers that there is great need in the Carrick area for its services.
This presents a problem as money has bcome tighter as the recession bites.
Lynn explains the problem, “As a lot of local charities, we are feeling the pinch financially and are struggling to meet our monthly financial commitments. We are simply asking the readers of The Carrick Biz and residents of Carrickfergus to consider helping us out with either a one off donation or a regular donation.”
Any reader who would like any more information can contact Lynn Duff at the High Street address, by emal at talk@thepregnancyresourcecentre.co.uk, or by phone at 028 9332 9997.
NORTH GATE SHALL STAND:
UNTIL A WISE MAN BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE CORPORATION
In 1913 Mary Lowry wrote her illustrated book The Story of Belfast for children. Most previous books had been aimed at grown-ups. “The author is one filled with a great love for her native land, and she wants all the young people to love it too, and to learn its story” so she wrote her book to redress the balance.
However, she didn’t just stick to the city of Belfast but many of the surrounding towns including Carrickfergus. This has some interesting stuff with some fine engravings and old photographs of Carrick.
She writes, “until a hundred years ago, Carrickfergus suffered almost constant invasion, plunder, bloodshed and burning.
The Castle, the Church and remains of the walls bear silent witness to the oft-told story.
The first wall was built round the city inside a month. It was built of sods and the inhabitants all joined with alacrity to defend the place from their enemies. This wall was afterwards replaced by stone, part of which is still to be seen. It was eighteen feet high, six feet thick and had seven bastions. The corners were of cut yellow stone, freestone, not found in any place in the neighbourhood. A moat safeguarded the landward side, a deep trench and drawbridge the outer side. There were four gates--The Glenarm or Spittal Gate--now the North Gate, the Woodburn or West Gate, the Water Gate and the Finey Gate which had battlements on the top. James I. entered the town by a drawbridge.
The North Gate is still a picturesque memorial of the old days, but we hope the ancient structure may not fulfil the tradition which says: "The North Gate will stand until a wise man becomes a member of the Corporation." A recent resolution was passed which proves that wise men have now a majority on the Corporation, for they have decided to restore the North Gate. Long may it remain as a most interesting object.”
I never heard of this traditional saying. I wonder if we can tranfer it to today’s Borough Council.
Mary Lowry may wCarrkc ell have been a Suffragette given her comments on the early treatment of women in Carrick. She reports, “Some of the old laws were very severe, and we find, in the year 1614, before the judges in the Castle, that a man who stole three cows, worth twenty shillings each, was sentenced to be executed, but one, who struck a woman on the head with a "cudgill" so that she died, was only branded on the left arm and delivered to the Ordinary. They must have been poor specimens of men if they were not worth more than three cows or five shillings worth of a bridle. The sinner who used the "cudgill" was lightly punished, but then it was only a woman--not three cows. A man in Belfast stole a piece of iron worth two shillings, a mantle worth six shillings, and a "chizell" worth eightpence, and he was executed. A woman stole a purse with fifty shillings and she was executed, but a man who beat a woman with a stick until she died, was found "not guilty." Even in those ancient times law does not appear to have been always justice, and it was decidedly in need of being improved, especially from a woman's point of view.”
I will return to this fascinating book in a future column as there’s a lot it it I’ve never seen anywhere els
UNTIL A WISE MAN BECOMES A MEMBER OF THE CORPORATION
In 1913 Mary Lowry wrote her illustrated book The Story of Belfast for children. Most previous books had been aimed at grown-ups. “The author is one filled with a great love for her native land, and she wants all the young people to love it too, and to learn its story” so she wrote her book to redress the balance.
However, she didn’t just stick to the city of Belfast but many of the surrounding towns including Carrickfergus. This has some interesting stuff with some fine engravings and old photographs of Carrick.
She writes, “until a hundred years ago, Carrickfergus suffered almost constant invasion, plunder, bloodshed and burning.
The Castle, the Church and remains of the walls bear silent witness to the oft-told story.
The first wall was built round the city inside a month. It was built of sods and the inhabitants all joined with alacrity to defend the place from their enemies. This wall was afterwards replaced by stone, part of which is still to be seen. It was eighteen feet high, six feet thick and had seven bastions. The corners were of cut yellow stone, freestone, not found in any place in the neighbourhood. A moat safeguarded the landward side, a deep trench and drawbridge the outer side. There were four gates--The Glenarm or Spittal Gate--now the North Gate, the Woodburn or West Gate, the Water Gate and the Finey Gate which had battlements on the top. James I. entered the town by a drawbridge.
The North Gate is still a picturesque memorial of the old days, but we hope the ancient structure may not fulfil the tradition which says: "The North Gate will stand until a wise man becomes a member of the Corporation." A recent resolution was passed which proves that wise men have now a majority on the Corporation, for they have decided to restore the North Gate. Long may it remain as a most interesting object.”
I never heard of this traditional saying. I wonder if we can tranfer it to today’s Borough Council.
Mary Lowry may wCarrkc ell have been a Suffragette given her comments on the early treatment of women in Carrick. She reports, “Some of the old laws were very severe, and we find, in the year 1614, before the judges in the Castle, that a man who stole three cows, worth twenty shillings each, was sentenced to be executed, but one, who struck a woman on the head with a "cudgill" so that she died, was only branded on the left arm and delivered to the Ordinary. They must have been poor specimens of men if they were not worth more than three cows or five shillings worth of a bridle. The sinner who used the "cudgill" was lightly punished, but then it was only a woman--not three cows. A man in Belfast stole a piece of iron worth two shillings, a mantle worth six shillings, and a "chizell" worth eightpence, and he was executed. A woman stole a purse with fifty shillings and she was executed, but a man who beat a woman with a stick until she died, was found "not guilty." Even in those ancient times law does not appear to have been always justice, and it was decidedly in need of being improved, especially from a woman's point of view.”
I will return to this fascinating book in a future column as there’s a lot it it I’ve never seen anywhere els
The Day the Music Died
Fifty years ago this month three travelling entertainers boarded a small single -engined aeroplane outside Clear Lake in the state of Iowa. The plane was bound for Fargo in North Dakota. It was never to complete its journey. The 21-year old pilot Roger Peterson and his three passengers did not survive the crash. The three musicians were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the "Big Bopper", Jiles P Richardson.
Charles Hardin Holley – Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets had a number one hit with That’ll be the Day in 1957. Holly was slightly built and wore thick glasses. He didn’t have the smouldering looks of Elvis Presley or the wild man reputation of Jerry Lee Lewis but he still took America and the world by storm to carve out his own place in the rock’n’roll hall of fame. This success was reinforced by two more great hits; Peggy Sue and Peggy Sue got Married. Half a century later, Holly’s music is still played and appreciated by millions.
The youngest victim of the crash was only 17. Richie Valenzuela had been discovered by the well-known record producer Bob Keane the previous year. Under the name Ritchie Valens, the youngster recorded Come on, Let’s go and followed it up with a song he wrote for his girlfriend, Donna. On the B side, Valens recorded a very popular rock’n’roll version of the old Mexican standard La Bamba. After a successful appearance on the television programme American Bandstand, it looked as if Valens was going to go all the way to the top.
The Big Bopper, Jiles P Richardson was a Texas DJ who had found success in the music charts with the catchy Chantilly Lace.
The entertainers were only on the plane because the heater in their tour bus had broken down. They had been part of the way through a well-received winter dance party tour which had been intended to cover 24 cities in the space of three weeks.. On their way to the Surf Ballroom venue in Clear Lake they were cold, exhausted and disgusted. The headline act in the touring troupe was Buddy Holly. He decided that he had had enough of the freezing bus. He would charter an aeroplane to get some of the party to the next venue in time to get some laundry done.
According to the official accident report, the accident was the fault of the pilot.
"The aircraft was observed to take off toward the south in a normal manner, turn and climb to an estimated altitude of 800 feet, and then head in a northwesterly direction. When approximately 5 miles had been traversed, the tail light of the aircraft was seen to descend gradually until it disappeared from sight. Following this, many unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the aircraft by radio. The wreckage was found in a filed later that morning.
"This accident, like so many before it, was caused by the pilot's decision to undertake a flight in which the likelihood of encountering instrument conditions existed, in the mistaken belief that he could cope with en route instrument weather conditions, without having the necessary familiarization with the instruments in the aircraft and without being properly certificated to fly solely by instruments."
The Civil Aeronautics board concluded,
“At night, with an overcast sky, snow falling, no definite horizon, and a proposed flight over a sparsely settled area with an absence of ground lights, a requirement for control of the aircraft solely by reference to flight instruments can be predicated with virtual certainty.
“The Board concludes that pilot Peterson, when a short distance from the airport, was confronted with this situation. Because of fluctuation of the rate instruments caused by gusty winds he would have been forced to concentrate and rely greatly on the attitude gyro, an instrument with which he was not completely familiar. The pitch display of this instrument is the reverse of the instrument he was accustomed to; therefore, he could have become confused and thought that he was making a climbing turn when in reality he was making a descending turn. The fact that the aircraft struck the ground in a steep turn but with the nose lowered only slightly, indicates that some control was being effected at the time. The weather briefing supplied to the pilot was seriously inadequate in that it failed to even mention adverse flying conditions which should have been highlighted.
”The Board determines that he probably cause of this accident was the pilot's unwise decision to embark on a flight which would necessitate flying solely by instruments when he was not properly certificated or qualified to do so. Contributing factors were serious deficiencies in the weather briefing, and the pilot's unfamiliarity with the instrument which determines the attitude of the aircraft.
This tragic event was recalled by Don Maclean in his hit ballad American Pie as 'the day the music died'. No new songs would ever come from these fine talents. However, the songs they wrote and recorded are still played and covered today. These fine artiistes died tragically young but the music that they had already recorded will never die. In this respect, Don McClean got it wrong.
Fifty years ago this month three travelling entertainers boarded a small single -engined aeroplane outside Clear Lake in the state of Iowa. The plane was bound for Fargo in North Dakota. It was never to complete its journey. The 21-year old pilot Roger Peterson and his three passengers did not survive the crash. The three musicians were Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the "Big Bopper", Jiles P Richardson.
Charles Hardin Holley – Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets had a number one hit with That’ll be the Day in 1957. Holly was slightly built and wore thick glasses. He didn’t have the smouldering looks of Elvis Presley or the wild man reputation of Jerry Lee Lewis but he still took America and the world by storm to carve out his own place in the rock’n’roll hall of fame. This success was reinforced by two more great hits; Peggy Sue and Peggy Sue got Married. Half a century later, Holly’s music is still played and appreciated by millions.
The youngest victim of the crash was only 17. Richie Valenzuela had been discovered by the well-known record producer Bob Keane the previous year. Under the name Ritchie Valens, the youngster recorded Come on, Let’s go and followed it up with a song he wrote for his girlfriend, Donna. On the B side, Valens recorded a very popular rock’n’roll version of the old Mexican standard La Bamba. After a successful appearance on the television programme American Bandstand, it looked as if Valens was going to go all the way to the top.
The Big Bopper, Jiles P Richardson was a Texas DJ who had found success in the music charts with the catchy Chantilly Lace.
The entertainers were only on the plane because the heater in their tour bus had broken down. They had been part of the way through a well-received winter dance party tour which had been intended to cover 24 cities in the space of three weeks.. On their way to the Surf Ballroom venue in Clear Lake they were cold, exhausted and disgusted. The headline act in the touring troupe was Buddy Holly. He decided that he had had enough of the freezing bus. He would charter an aeroplane to get some of the party to the next venue in time to get some laundry done.
According to the official accident report, the accident was the fault of the pilot.
"The aircraft was observed to take off toward the south in a normal manner, turn and climb to an estimated altitude of 800 feet, and then head in a northwesterly direction. When approximately 5 miles had been traversed, the tail light of the aircraft was seen to descend gradually until it disappeared from sight. Following this, many unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the aircraft by radio. The wreckage was found in a filed later that morning.
"This accident, like so many before it, was caused by the pilot's decision to undertake a flight in which the likelihood of encountering instrument conditions existed, in the mistaken belief that he could cope with en route instrument weather conditions, without having the necessary familiarization with the instruments in the aircraft and without being properly certificated to fly solely by instruments."
The Civil Aeronautics board concluded,
“At night, with an overcast sky, snow falling, no definite horizon, and a proposed flight over a sparsely settled area with an absence of ground lights, a requirement for control of the aircraft solely by reference to flight instruments can be predicated with virtual certainty.
“The Board concludes that pilot Peterson, when a short distance from the airport, was confronted with this situation. Because of fluctuation of the rate instruments caused by gusty winds he would have been forced to concentrate and rely greatly on the attitude gyro, an instrument with which he was not completely familiar. The pitch display of this instrument is the reverse of the instrument he was accustomed to; therefore, he could have become confused and thought that he was making a climbing turn when in reality he was making a descending turn. The fact that the aircraft struck the ground in a steep turn but with the nose lowered only slightly, indicates that some control was being effected at the time. The weather briefing supplied to the pilot was seriously inadequate in that it failed to even mention adverse flying conditions which should have been highlighted.
”The Board determines that he probably cause of this accident was the pilot's unwise decision to embark on a flight which would necessitate flying solely by instruments when he was not properly certificated or qualified to do so. Contributing factors were serious deficiencies in the weather briefing, and the pilot's unfamiliarity with the instrument which determines the attitude of the aircraft.
This tragic event was recalled by Don Maclean in his hit ballad American Pie as 'the day the music died'. No new songs would ever come from these fine talents. However, the songs they wrote and recorded are still played and covered today. These fine artiistes died tragically young but the music that they had already recorded will never die. In this respect, Don McClean got it wrong.
classic film review
INHERIT THE WIND
Certificate: U Runtime 127 minutes
Director: Stanley Kramer
I am more interested in the 'Rock of Ages' than I am in the age of rocks. Matthew Harrison Brady
As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origins of the Species this year it is time to look again at this film and its continuing relevance in the perceived battle between science and faith. Stanley Kramer’s Inherit the Wind is a lightly fictionalised account of the infamous 1925 Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’ in Dayton, Tennessee when two famous lawyers – one a former presidential candidate – volunteered to argue the case of the teaching evolution by natural selection in local schools. John T Scopes was arrested and accused of breaking the State law by teaching Darwin’s theories in a State-funded school. The title came from a passage in Proverbs 11:29: "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."
In fact Scopes lost his case despite a brilliant defence by Clarence Darrow. He was fined $100. On appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court the case was dismissed on the technicality that the fine ought to have been set by the jury, not the judge. The law remained on the books until 1968 when it was deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court as violation of the first amendment of the US Constitution that prohibits the establishment of any religion.
Kramer’s film changes some of the names and the facts of the actual case in order to heighten the drama, bring in a love interest and send a ‘message’ against repression and hidebound conformity to dead orthodoxy. Spencer Tracy plays famed defense lawyer, 68 year-old Clarence Darrow as Henry Drummond . Frederic March excels in his role as a former Presidential candidate, former Secretary of State, populist orator and firm believer in ‘that old time religion’, 65 year-old William Jennings Bryan as Matthew Harrison Brady. Dick York plays the 24 year old Tennessee high-school biology teacher John T Scopes as Bertram T. Cates. In an unusual role for him, Gene Kelly plays the Baltimore Evening Sun's acid-penned columnist H. L. Mencken as the fictitious Baltimore Herald's E. K. Hornbeck. Even the location was fictionalised, as Dayton became ‘heavenly’ Hillsboro in the film.
The stage for the sweltering courtroom battle is set to the opening strains of the gospel standard ‘Gimme that old time Religion’. Four stony-faced men – one wearing a clerical collar – walk determinedly past a statue of Blind Justice into a school room to arrest the young school teacher Bertram T Cates for breaking State law by teaching Darwin’s theories to his students. The cynical Baltimore Herald columnist E. K. Hornbeck (Gene Kelly) captures the moment of the arrest on camera. His paper has sponsored a defence attorney for Cates, so Hornbeck is the only one in the town to welcome the celebrated big city Chicago attorney Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy) to heavenly Hillsboro.
Tracy and March were both nominated for Oscars for their roles in this film but none were won. Both actors play their respective parts with deep conviction. March is terrific as the upright and outraged Bible believer determined to stand up for his faith and his view of truth and Tracy as the laid back tousle-haired libertarian equally determined to defend his client and his own conception of truth,
Inherit the wind is available on DVD and can be viewed for free online on http://www.theonlydevice.com/inherit-the-wind-1960/
INHERIT THE WIND
Certificate: U Runtime 127 minutes
Director: Stanley Kramer
I am more interested in the 'Rock of Ages' than I am in the age of rocks. Matthew Harrison Brady
As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origins of the Species this year it is time to look again at this film and its continuing relevance in the perceived battle between science and faith. Stanley Kramer’s Inherit the Wind is a lightly fictionalised account of the infamous 1925 Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’ in Dayton, Tennessee when two famous lawyers – one a former presidential candidate – volunteered to argue the case of the teaching evolution by natural selection in local schools. John T Scopes was arrested and accused of breaking the State law by teaching Darwin’s theories in a State-funded school. The title came from a passage in Proverbs 11:29: "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind."
In fact Scopes lost his case despite a brilliant defence by Clarence Darrow. He was fined $100. On appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court the case was dismissed on the technicality that the fine ought to have been set by the jury, not the judge. The law remained on the books until 1968 when it was deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court as violation of the first amendment of the US Constitution that prohibits the establishment of any religion.
Kramer’s film changes some of the names and the facts of the actual case in order to heighten the drama, bring in a love interest and send a ‘message’ against repression and hidebound conformity to dead orthodoxy. Spencer Tracy plays famed defense lawyer, 68 year-old Clarence Darrow as Henry Drummond . Frederic March excels in his role as a former Presidential candidate, former Secretary of State, populist orator and firm believer in ‘that old time religion’, 65 year-old William Jennings Bryan as Matthew Harrison Brady. Dick York plays the 24 year old Tennessee high-school biology teacher John T Scopes as Bertram T. Cates. In an unusual role for him, Gene Kelly plays the Baltimore Evening Sun's acid-penned columnist H. L. Mencken as the fictitious Baltimore Herald's E. K. Hornbeck. Even the location was fictionalised, as Dayton became ‘heavenly’ Hillsboro in the film.
The stage for the sweltering courtroom battle is set to the opening strains of the gospel standard ‘Gimme that old time Religion’. Four stony-faced men – one wearing a clerical collar – walk determinedly past a statue of Blind Justice into a school room to arrest the young school teacher Bertram T Cates for breaking State law by teaching Darwin’s theories to his students. The cynical Baltimore Herald columnist E. K. Hornbeck (Gene Kelly) captures the moment of the arrest on camera. His paper has sponsored a defence attorney for Cates, so Hornbeck is the only one in the town to welcome the celebrated big city Chicago attorney Henry Drummond (Spencer Tracy) to heavenly Hillsboro.
Tracy and March were both nominated for Oscars for their roles in this film but none were won. Both actors play their respective parts with deep conviction. March is terrific as the upright and outraged Bible believer determined to stand up for his faith and his view of truth and Tracy as the laid back tousle-haired libertarian equally determined to defend his client and his own conception of truth,
Inherit the wind is available on DVD and can be viewed for free online on http://www.theonlydevice.com/inherit-the-wind-1960/
FILM REVIEW
VALKYRIE
Run Time 120 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Bryan Singer
Tom Cruise is not a great actor. Sometimes his performances are cringeworthy to the point of embarrassment so I generally avoid his films. Accordingly, I entered the cinema to see Valkyrie with some trepidation. Would Cruise play the role of the disillusioned Nazi Claus von Stauffenberg with his usual over-the-top histrionics? I rather feared that he might. He certainly would not have been my choice to play the man who almost succeeded in his plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in July 1944. My fears were groundless. Director Bryan Singer seems to have kept a very tight rein on his bombastic self-obsessed leading man. Tom Cruise without ham? Yes. This is quite an achievement.
As the film opens, the rebellious Colonel von Stauffenberg is severely wounded in an Allied bombing in north Africa. He loses his left eye, as well as his right hand and three fingers from his left too. This finally turns Stauffenberg against Hitler so he discreetly joins up with the German Resistance — a bunch of top rank military and government bigwigs who meet in secret to discuss what can be done to save Germany and negotiate peace with the allies.
Killing Hitler was all very well, but this would not get around the fact that the likes of Goebbels, Himmler and Goering would be able to step into his shoes and the Nazis still had thousands of loyal soldiers in Berlin. The resistance knew this, so they were paralysed in ineffective bickering as they tried to discuss the way ahead before Germany was finally driven into destruction and defeat.
Enter Stauffenberg, the Man of Action. Ignore the American and English accents. This is dealt with at the start by Staufenberg reading his secret diary in German with subtitles before we suddenly realise we understand him as the dialect has switched to English. In effect, the whole audience seem to have become Germans and to understand the language. It really works.
This film was a great job creation exercise for the cream of the British acting establishment. Kenneth Brannagh, Eddie Izzard and Bill Nighy deliver solid understated performances as the bickering and dithering resistance leaders.
In contrast to these tired old ditherers, Stauffenberg devises a plan for the Resistance to seize power from the inside, through the use of Hitler’s own emergency contingency plan in the event of the Fuhrer's death: the Valkyrie plan. In such an event, the Reserve wing of the army is to take control of the situation.
Stauffenberg's plan was to assassinate Hitler, and then convince the military that the SS under Himmler did it in an attempted coup against the government. In this scenario Operation Valkyrie would take effect, and the Reserves would deploy to contain the apparent threat from the SS and many Nazi Party top brass. This would open the door for the Resistance to set up a new, non-Nazi government and draw up a truce with the Allies.
We all know that the July Plotters did not succeed, but this knowledge after the fact does not spoil the movie. Singer cranks up the suspense as supporters of the Resistance waver and vacillate while Stauffenberg puts his life on the line to plant the bomb that will kill Hitler. Who can be trusted? Who will crack? You forget this is history as you become involved in the tense narrative.
It just goes to show, with the right script and the right director, Tom Cruise really can act! Who would have thought it?
VALKYRIE
Run Time 120 minutes
Certificate: 12A
Director: Bryan Singer
Tom Cruise is not a great actor. Sometimes his performances are cringeworthy to the point of embarrassment so I generally avoid his films. Accordingly, I entered the cinema to see Valkyrie with some trepidation. Would Cruise play the role of the disillusioned Nazi Claus von Stauffenberg with his usual over-the-top histrionics? I rather feared that he might. He certainly would not have been my choice to play the man who almost succeeded in his plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in July 1944. My fears were groundless. Director Bryan Singer seems to have kept a very tight rein on his bombastic self-obsessed leading man. Tom Cruise without ham? Yes. This is quite an achievement.
As the film opens, the rebellious Colonel von Stauffenberg is severely wounded in an Allied bombing in north Africa. He loses his left eye, as well as his right hand and three fingers from his left too. This finally turns Stauffenberg against Hitler so he discreetly joins up with the German Resistance — a bunch of top rank military and government bigwigs who meet in secret to discuss what can be done to save Germany and negotiate peace with the allies.
Killing Hitler was all very well, but this would not get around the fact that the likes of Goebbels, Himmler and Goering would be able to step into his shoes and the Nazis still had thousands of loyal soldiers in Berlin. The resistance knew this, so they were paralysed in ineffective bickering as they tried to discuss the way ahead before Germany was finally driven into destruction and defeat.
Enter Stauffenberg, the Man of Action. Ignore the American and English accents. This is dealt with at the start by Staufenberg reading his secret diary in German with subtitles before we suddenly realise we understand him as the dialect has switched to English. In effect, the whole audience seem to have become Germans and to understand the language. It really works.
This film was a great job creation exercise for the cream of the British acting establishment. Kenneth Brannagh, Eddie Izzard and Bill Nighy deliver solid understated performances as the bickering and dithering resistance leaders.
In contrast to these tired old ditherers, Stauffenberg devises a plan for the Resistance to seize power from the inside, through the use of Hitler’s own emergency contingency plan in the event of the Fuhrer's death: the Valkyrie plan. In such an event, the Reserve wing of the army is to take control of the situation.
Stauffenberg's plan was to assassinate Hitler, and then convince the military that the SS under Himmler did it in an attempted coup against the government. In this scenario Operation Valkyrie would take effect, and the Reserves would deploy to contain the apparent threat from the SS and many Nazi Party top brass. This would open the door for the Resistance to set up a new, non-Nazi government and draw up a truce with the Allies.
We all know that the July Plotters did not succeed, but this knowledge after the fact does not spoil the movie. Singer cranks up the suspense as supporters of the Resistance waver and vacillate while Stauffenberg puts his life on the line to plant the bomb that will kill Hitler. Who can be trusted? Who will crack? You forget this is history as you become involved in the tense narrative.
It just goes to show, with the right script and the right director, Tom Cruise really can act! Who would have thought it?
