|
Silkwood
''Silkwood'' is a 1983 American biographical drama film directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher. The screenplay by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen was adapted from the book ''Who Killed Karen Silkwood?'' by ''Rolling Stone'' writer and activist Howard Kohn, which detailed the life of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear whistle-blower and a labor union activist who investigated alleged wrongdoing at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant where she worked. In real life, her inconclusive death in a car crash gave rise to a 1979 lawsuit, ''Silkwood v. Kerr-McGee'', led by attorney Gerry Spence. The jury rendered its verdict of $10 million in damages to be paid to the Silkwood estate (her children), the largest amount in damages ever awarded for that kind of case at the time. The Silkwood estate eventually settled for $1.3 million. The development of ''Silkwood'' spanned nine years, with the project originating with Warner Bros., who intended to cast Jane Fonda as Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karen Silkwood
Karen Gay Silkwood (February 19, 1946 – November 13, 1974) was an American laboratory technician and labor union activist known for reporting concerns about corporate practices related to health and safety in a nuclear facility. She worked at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site in Crescent, Oklahoma, making plutonium pellets. She was the first woman ever elected to the union's negotiating team at Kerr-McGee. After testifying to the Atomic Energy Commission about her safety concerns, she was found to have plutonium contamination in her body and her home. While driving to meet with a ''New York Times'' journalist and an official of her union's national office, she died in a car crash, the circumstances of which were never explained entirely. Her family sued Kerr-McGee for the plutonium contamination that Silkwood suffered from. The company settled out of court for US$1.38 million, while not admitting liability. Her story was chronicled in Mike Nichols's 198 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kerr-McGee
The Kerr-McGee Corporation, founded in 1929, was an American energy company involved in oil exploration, production of crude oil, natural gas, perchlorate and uranium mining and milling in various countries. On June 23, 2006, Anadarko Petroleum acquired Kerr-McGee in an all-cash transaction totalling $16.5 billion plus $2.6 billion in debt and all operations moved from their base in Oklahoma, United States. As a result of further acquisitions, most of the former Kerr-McGee is now part of Occidental Petroleum. History The company later known as Kerr-McGee was founded in 1929 as Anderson & Kerr Drilling Company by Oklahoma businessman-politician Robert S. Kerr (1896-1963) and oil driller James L. Anderson. When Dean A. McGee (1904-1989), a former chief geologist for Phillips Petroleum, joined the firm in 1946, it changed its name to Kerr-McGee Oil Industries, Incorporated. The company initially focused mostly on off-shore oil exploration and production, being one of the first com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerry Spence
Gerald Leonard Spence (born January 8, 1929) is a semi-retired American trial lawyer and author. He is a member of the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame and is the founder of the Trial Lawyers College. Spence has never lost a criminal trial before a jury, either as a prosecutor or a defense attorney, and did not lose a civil case between 1969 and 2010. He is considered one of the greatest lawyers of the 20th century, and among the best trial lawyers ever. He has been described by legal scholar Richard A. Falk, Richard Falk as a "lawyer par excellence". Spence is recognized for winning nearly every case he has ever handled, including a number of high-profile cases, such as Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, the Ed Cantrell murder case, the Karen Silkwood case, and the defense of Geoffrey Fieger. He also defended Brandon Mayfield, and served as special prosecutor in the successful prosecution of Mark Hopkinson as a Special counsel, special prosecutor. One of his most significant cases was the def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Nuclear Whistleblowers
There have been a number of nuclear whistleblowers, often nuclear engineers, who have identified safety concerns about nuclear power and nuclear weapons production. That list is partial and non-exhaustive. List Other nuclear whistleblowers * Chuck Atkinson * Dale G. Bridenbaugh * Joe Carson * Larry Criscione * Mark Gillespie * Lars-Olov Höglund * Carl HocevarFalk, Jim (1982). ''Global Fission:The Battle Over Nuclear Power'', p. 95. * David Hoffman * Avon Hudson * M Shafiqul Islam * Carl Patrickson * Richard H. Perkins * Robert Pollard * John P. Shannon * Don Ranft * Zhores Medvedev * Ronald A. Sorri * Grigoris Lambrakis See also * Nuclear accidents in the United States * Nuclear safety * Anti-nuclear movement in the United States References External links * Watching the Watchdogs* ttp://www.whistleblower.org/ Government Accountability Project Whistleblower protection Org.* National Whistleblowers Center - Nuclear Whistleblowers {{DEFAULTSORT:Nuclear whistleblower ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of their experience. He is one of 21 people to have won all four of the major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). His other honors included three BAFTA Awards, the Lincoln Center Gala Tribute in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2010. His films received a total of 42 Academy Award nominations, and seven wins. Nichols began his career in the 1950s with the comedy improvisational troupe The Compass Players, predecessor of The Second City, in Chicago. He then teamed up with his improv partner, Elaine May, to form the comedy duo Nichols and May. Their live improv act was a hit on Broadway, and each of their three albums was no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, four Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for seven Grammy Awards and a Tony Award. Streep made her feature film debut in '' Julia'' (1977) and soon established herself as one of the most respected actresses of all time. She has received three Academy Awards, the first for Best Supporting Actress for playing a troubled wife in '' Kramer vs. Kramer'' (1979), followed by two Best Actress wins for playing a Holocaust survivor in '' Sophie's Choice'' (1982) and Margaret Thatcher in '' The Iron Lady'' (2011). Throughout her career she has continued to earn critical acclaim for her div ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards. Ephron started her career writing the screenplays for '' Silkwood'' (1983), ''Heartburn'' (1986), and '' When Harry Met Sally...'' (1989), the last of which earned the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, and was ranked by the Writers Guild of America as the 40th greatest screenplay of all-time. She made her directorial film debut with comedy drama '' This Is My Life'' (1992) followed by the romantic comedies '' Sleepless in Seattle'' (1993), ''Michael'' (1996), '' You've Got Mail'' (1998), '' Bewitched'' (2005), and the biographical film '' Julie & Julia'' (2009). Ephron's first produced play, '' Imaginary Fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cher
Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music and fashion, bold visual presentation and Multiple careers, multifaceted career, while cultivating a Persona, screen persona that mirrors her public image by often portraying strong-willed and outspoken women. An Cultural impact of Cher, influential figure in popular culture, her continual reinvention has fueled multiple Comeback (publicity), comebacks over a career spanning more than six decades. Cher rose to fame in 1965 as part of the folk rock duo Sonny & Cher, early exponents of 1960s counterculture, while also scoring solo top-ten singles such as "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". In the 1970s, she topped the Billboard Hot 100, US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with Storytelling, narrative Pop music, pop songs "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, comedic films and family dramas. He is known for collaborating with filmmakers such as John Carpenter and Quentin Tarantino and has received a Critics' Choice Super Award as well as various award nominations including for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. At the age of 12, he began acting in the Western TV series '' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963–1964). In the late 1960s, he signed a ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company starring in films such as '' The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes'' (1969), '' Now You See Him, Now You Don't'' (1972), and '' The Strongest Man in the World'' (1975). For his portrayal of rock and roll superstar Elvis Presley in the television film '' Elvis'' (1979), he was nominated for th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alice Arlen
Alice Arlen (November 6, 1940 – February 29, 2016) was an American screenwriter, best known for '' Silkwood'' (1983), which she wrote with Nora Ephron. Her other film credits include the scripts of '' Alamo Bay'' (1985), ''Cookie'' (1989), '' The Weight of Water'' (2000) and '' Then She Found Me'' (2007). Early life In 1940, Arlen was born as Alice Reeve. Arlen's father was Jay Frederick Reeve, a lawyer. Arlen's mother was Josephine Medill Patterson, a journalist. After Arlen's mother married Ivan Albright, Arlen and her brother Joseph took the surname of Albright. Education In 1962, Arlene graduated from Radcliffe College of Harvard University. In 1981, Arlene earned an MFA degree from the Columbia University School of the Arts. Career Arlen worked for CBS. Arlen met Nora Ephron, with whom she wrote the screenplay for '' Silkwood'' (1983), for which they were nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Arlen worked with director Louis Malle, writing the scrip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam O'Steen
Samuel Alexander O'Steen (November 6, 1923 – October 11, 2000) was an American film editor and director. He had an extended, notable collaboration with the director Mike Nichols, with whom he edited 12 films between 1966 and 1994. Among the films O'Steen edited are ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'' (directed by Nichols, 1966), ''Cool Hand Luke'' (directed by Stuart Rosenberg, 1967), ''The Graduate'' (directed by Nichols, 1967), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (directed by Roman Polanski, 1968), and ''Chinatown'' (directed by Polanski, 1974). Note that this article's statement that O'Steen edited nine of Nichols's films is incorrect. On a 2012 listing of the 75 best-edited films of all time compiled by the Motion Picture Editors Guild based on a survey of its members, both ''The Graduate'' and ''Chinatown'' appear, ''Chinatown'' listed 31st and ''The Graduate'' 52nd. Life and career O'Steen was born in Paragould, Arkansas but raised in California. As a child in Burbank, he would try to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Georges Delerue
Georges Delerue (12 March 1925 – 20 March 1992) was a French composer who composed over 350 scores for cinema and television. Delerue won numerous important film music awards, including an Academy Award for '' A Little Romance'' (1980), three César Awards (1979, 1980, 1981), two ASCAP Awards (1988, 1990), and one Gemini Award for '' Sword of Gideon'' (1987). He was also nominated for four additional Academy Awards for '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969), '' The Day of the Dolphin'' (1973), '' Julia'' (1977), and '' Agnes of God'' (1985), four additional César Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and one Genie Award for '' Black Robe'' (1991). The French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' named him "the Mozart of cinema." Delerue was the first composer to win three consecutive César Awards for '' Get Out Your Handkerchiefs'' (1979), '' Love on the Run'' (1980), and '' The Last Metro'' (1981). Georges Delerue was named Commander of Arts and Letters, one of France's highest honours. Ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
