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Wolf Mankowitz
Cyril Wolf Mankowitz (7 November 1924 – 20 May 1998) was an English writer, playwright and screenwriter. He is particularly known for four novels— '' Make Me an Offer'' (1952), '' A Kid for Two Farthings'' (1953), ''My Old Man's a Dustman'' and '' Expresso Bongo'' (1958) — and other plays, historical studies, and the screenplays for many successful films which have received awards, including the Oscar, Bafta and the Cannes Grand Prix. Early life Mankowitz was born in Fashion Street in Spitalfields in the East End of London, the heart of London's Jewish community until the 1940s, of Russian-Jewish descent. He was educated at East Ham Grammar School for Boys and Downing College, Cambridge. Career Mankowitz originally worked as an antiques dealer. He specialised in porcelain, and in 1953 published a book on the Portland Vase. His first book, ''Make Me an Offer'', was based on his experiences in the antiques trade. The area in which he grew up provided Mankowitz with th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spitalfields
Spitalfields () is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End of London, East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Street and Brick Lane. It has several markets, including New Spitalfields Market, Spitalfields Market, the historic Old Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market and Petticoat Lane Market. The area has a long attracted migrants from overseas, including many Jews, whose presence gained the area the 19th century nickname of ''Little Jerusalem''. It was a Hamlet (autonomous area) of the large ancient parish of Stepney (parish), Stepney in Middlesex, and became an independent parish in 1729. Just outside the City of London, it formed part of the County of London from 1889 and was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney from 1900. It was abolished as a civil parish in 1921. Origin and administration Toponymy The name Spitalfields appears in the f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russian-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest population of Jews in the world. Within these territories, the primarily Ashkenazi Jewish communities of many different areas flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of antisemitic discriminatory policies and persecution, including violent pogroms. Many analysts have noted a "renaissance" in the Jewish community inside Russia since the beginning of the 21st century;Renaissance of Jewish life in Russia November 23, 2001, By John Daniszewski, Chica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East End, West End
''East End, West End'' is a 1958 British sitcom which was first broadcast in a single series of six episodes by ITV. It was produced by Associated-Rediffusion Television as vehicle for Sid James, who had made his name as the sidekick in ''Hancock's Half Hour''. It was only with his starring roles in the Carry On films that he was able to move out of Hancock's shadow. James was poached from the BBC to make the show. A second series of thirteen episodes was announced but never produced.Goodwin p.121-22 The scripts were written by Wolf Mankowitz, best known for his depiction of East End life in '' A Kid for Two Farthings''. Synopsis Sid is a small-time Jewish businessman from London's East End always on the look out for a scheme that will make him rich. Cast * Sid James as Sid (6 episodes) * Miriam Karlin (2 episodes) * Alfie Bass (1 episode) * Bonar Colleano (1 episode) * Raymond Huntley (1 episode) * Walter Fitzgerald (1 episode) * Penny Morrell (1 episode) * April Olrich (1 ep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each Sketch comedy, skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships. History The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners. These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term ''sitcom'' emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ITV (TV Network)
ITV, legally known as Channel 3, is a British free-to-air public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television network. It is branded as ITV1 in most of the UK except for central and northern Scotland, where it is branded as STV (TV channel), STV. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been Legal name, legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time: BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was, for decades, a network of separate companies that provided regional television services and also shared programmes among themselves to be shown on the entire network. Each franchise was originally owned by a different company. After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies: ITV plc, which runs ITV1, the ITV1 cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandwich Board
A sandwich board is a type of advertisement tool composed of two boards with a message or graphic on it and being either carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind in a triangle shape, hinged along the top, creating a " sandwich" effect; or set up next to a store advertising its goods. In this way, the advertising message can be read on both sides interchangeably. History The increased competition for poster space and the inconveniences of an advertising tax led the advertisers to generate a type of advertisement that moves a handy sales tool to promote sales. The term " sandwich man" was coined by Charles Dickens. He described these advertisers as "a piece of human flesh between two slices of paste board". Sandwich boards were most popular in the 19th century, and have largely been supplanted by billboards, which are more effective in advertising to passers-by who are now likely to be in automobiles, rather than traveling by foot. However, they are still fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Val Guest
Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer, for whom he directed 14 films, and for his science fiction films. He enjoyed a long career in the film industry from the early 1930s until the early 1980s. Reprinted from ''Reference Guide to British and Irish Film Directors'' Early life and career Guest was born to John Simon Grossman and Julia Ann Gladys Emanuel in Sutherland Avenue in Maida Vale, London. He later changed his name to Val Guest (officially in 1939). His father was a jute broker, and the family spent some of Guest's childhood in India before returning to England. His parents divorced when he was young, but this information was kept from him. Instead he was told that his mother had died. He was educated at Seaford College in Sussex, but left in 1927 and worked for a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to Union of South Africa, South Africa at an early age, before later settling in the United Kingdom after World War II. In a career that spanned a quarter of a century, Harvey appeared in stage, film and television productions primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States.Laurence Harvey, Stage, Film Actor By Jean R. Hailey. ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'' 27 November 1973: C10. Harvey was known for his clipped, refined accent and cool, debonair screen persona. His performance in ''Room at the Top (1959 film), Room at the Top'' (1959)Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 28 November 1973, p. 62. resulted in an Academy Award nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor, Best Actor. That success was followed by the roles of William Barret Travis in ''The Alamo (1960 film), The Alamo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart history, behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Richard was originally marketed as a rebellious rock and roll singer in the style of Presley and Little Richard. With his backing group, the Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the pre-Beatles period of the late 1950s to early 1960s. His 1958 hit single "Move It" is often described as Britain's first authentic rock and roll song. In the early 1960s, he had a successful screen career with films including ''The Young Ones (1961 film), The Young Ones'', ''Summer Holiday (1963 film), Summer Holiday'' and ''Wonderful Life (1964 film), Wonderful Life'' and his own television show at the BBC. Increased focus on his Christian faith and subsequent softening of his music led to a more M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Expresso Bongo (film)
''Expresso Bongo'' is a 1959 British drama musical film directed by Val Guest, shot in uncredited black & white Dyaliscope and starring Laurence Harvey, Cliff Richard, and Yolande Donlan. It was written by Wolf Mankowitz adapted from the stage musical of the same name by Julian More, which was first produced at the Saville Theatre, London, on 23 April 1958. Plot Sleazy hustler Johnny Jackson is always on the lookout for fresh talent to exploit, while managing his hectic life with his stripper girlfriend, Maisie King. Maisie is looking to find a better life in singing. Jackson discovers a teenage singer named Bert Rudge in an espresso coffee shop and sets about sending him along the rocky road to fame. He changes his name to Bongo Herbert and soon gets him a record deal and a relationship with an ageing American singing sensation Dixie Collins. Johnny gets a meeting with Mr Mayer of Garrick Records and gets Maisie to phone him there pretending to be representative from the His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carol Reed
Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Director. ''Odd Man Out'' was the first recipient of the BAFTA Award for Best British Film. ''The Fallen Idol'' won the second BAFTA Award for Best British Film. The British Film Institute voted ''The Third Man'' the greatest British film of the 20th century. Early life and career Carol Reed was born in Putney, southwest London.Philip Kem"Reed, Carol (1906–1976)" ''Reference Guide to British and Irish Film Director'', reprinted at BFI Screenonline. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography' has Wandsworth, London as Reed's place of birth. He was the son of actor-producer Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and his mistress, Beatrice May Pinney, who later adopted the surname of Reed. He was educated at The King's Sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Kid For Two Farthings (film)
''A Kid For Two Farthings'' is a 1955 British comedy-drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was adapted by Wolf Mankowitz from his 1953 novel of the same name. The title is a reference to the traditional Passover song, "Chad Gadya", which begins "One little goat which my father bought for two zuzim". At the end of the film, Mr. Kandinsky softly sings fragments of an English translation of the song. It was one of the last films produced by Alexander Korda before his death. Plot In the busy wholesale-retail world of London's East End everyone, it seems, has unattainable dreams. Then a small boy – Joe – buys a unicorn, in fact a sickly little goat, with just one twisted horn in the middle of its forehead. This, he has been led to believe by a local tailor, Kandinsky, will bring everyone good fortune. The film has a haunting last image, of Kandinsky carrying the tiny body of the "unicorn" to the graveyard, whilst passing in the opposite direction is a Torah-rea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
