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Svengali
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book's publication in 1894, the word " svengali" has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the "Svengali defence" is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a stereotypical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazic (Eastern European) Jew, complete with "bold, black, beady Jew's eyes" and a "hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook's caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl". He is continually filthy and yet still "clean enough to suit (his own) kind". George Orwell wrote that Svengali, who while cleverer than the Englishmen, is evil ...
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Trilby (novel)
''Trilby'' is a sensation novel by George du Maurier and one of the most popular novels of its time. Published serially in ''Harper's Monthly, Harper's New Monthly Magazine'' from January to August 1894, it was published in book form on 8 September 1894 and sold 200,000 copies in the United States alone. ''Trilby'' is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemianism, bohemian Paris. Though ''Trilby'' features the stories of two English artists and a Scottish artist, one of the most memorable characters is Svengali, a rogue, masterful musician and hypnosis, hypnotist. Trilby O'Ferrall, the novel's heroine, is a half-Irish girl working in Paris as an artist's model and laundress; all the men in the novel are in love with her. The relationship between Trilby and Svengali forms only a small, though crucial, portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of a ''Social environment, milieu''. Lucy Sante wrote that the novel had a "decisive influence on the stereotypical notion of ...
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Svengali (1931 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Archie Mayo. The film stars John Barrymore and Marian Marsh. It is based on the 1894 George du Maurier novel '' Trilby'' and was among the many film adaptations of the book. The film was shot from January 12 to February 21, 1931. On its release in the United States, ''Svengali'' received some positive reviews but did not perform well at the box office. Plot When attractive but untalented Madame Honori confesses to her sinister singing teacher Svengali that she has left her husband, and refuses to accept her ex's settlement offer of money, he fixes her with an intense stare that drives her screaming from the room. A short time later, her body is found in the Seine. Untouched by her death, Svengali and his flatmate Gecko visit the studio of English artists the Laird, Taffy and Billee in search of a meal. On leaving, they meet a lovely young milkmaid and artist's model, Trilby O'Ferrall. Svengali is enchanted by h ...
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Svengali As A Spider In His Web
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby (novel), Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book's publication in 1894, the word "wikt:svengali, svengali" has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the "Svengali defence" is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a Stereotypes of Jews in literature, stereotypical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazic (Eastern European) Jew, complete with "bold, black, beady Jew's eyes" and a "hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook's caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl". He is continually filthy and yet still "clean enough to suit (his own) kind". Geo ...
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Svengali
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book's publication in 1894, the word " svengali" has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the "Svengali defence" is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a stereotypical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazic (Eastern European) Jew, complete with "bold, black, beady Jew's eyes" and a "hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook's caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl". He is continually filthy and yet still "clean enough to suit (his own) kind". George Orwell wrote that Svengali, who while cleverer than the Englishmen, is evil ...
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Svengali (1983 Film)
Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby (novel), Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Definition After the book's publication in 1894, the word "wikt:svengali, svengali" has come to refer to a person who, with evil intent, dominates, manipulates and controls another. In court, the "Svengali defence" is a legal tactic that portrays the defendant as a pawn in the scheme of a greater, and more influential, criminal mastermind. Novel Svengali is a Stereotypes of Jews in literature, stereotypical antisemitic portrayal of an Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazic (Eastern European) Jew, complete with "bold, black, beady Jew's eyes" and a "hoarse, rasping, nasal, throaty rook's caw, his big yellow teeth baring themselves in a mongrel canine snarl". He is continually filthy and yet still "clean enough to suit (his own) kind". Geo ...
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Trilby (play)
''Trilby'' is a stage play by Paul M. Potter based on the 1894 novel ''Trilby'' by George du Maurier. In the play, a young Irish woman, Trilby O'Ferrall, falls under the control of Svengali, who uses hypnosis to make her abandon her fiancé and become a singer. The play debuted in Boston, Massachusetts in March 1895, where the role of Svengali was created by American actor Wilton Lackaye at the Park Theatre. It was a success in England as directed, produced by and starring Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Svengali, with Dorothea Baird in the title role, opening at the Haymarket Theatre in October 1895. Background While touring the United States in the Spring of 1895 Tree heard of the success of an adaptation of du Maurier's novel by Paul M. Potter being performed by the company of theatrical manager Albert Marshall Palmer at the Boston Museum. He sent his half-brother and agent Max Beerbohm to see the play and report back on it. Max Beerbohm stated that the play was "absolute no ...
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Svengali (1954 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1954 British drama film directed and written by Noel Langley and starring Hildegard Knef, Donald Wolfit and Terence Morgan. It was based on the 1894 novel ''Trilby'' by George du Maurier. Svengali hypnotises an artist's model into becoming a great opera singer, but she struggles to escape from his powers. It was distributed in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Donald Wolfit was a last-minute replacement for actor Robert Newton, who left three weeks into filming and can still be seen in some long shots. Plot After being fired from working as a barmaid in Paris bar, Trilby O'Ferrall is hired by the sculptor Durian as a model. She encounters three British painters living next door, including the sensitive Billy Bagot with whom she gradually falls in love. She also encounters the street musician Svengali, but does not much like him. Billy wants to marry Trilby, but his wealthy family do not approve. He is also distressed when he discovers her posing nude f ...
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Svengali (1927 Film)
''Svengali'' is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Paul Wegener, Anita Dorris and André Mattoni. It was produced and written by Max Glass, an adaptation of the 1894 George du Maurier novel ''Trilby''. This is one of the adaptations of the novel that shifts the focus of the story more to Svengali, since at this time anti-Semitism was on the rise in Germany, and Svengali was portrayed as an evil Jew in the film. German actress Anita Dorris appeared in very few other silent films, none of which are well known today. Italian director Righelli on the other hand directed numerous films during his career, although his main claim to fame today is that he was the grandfather of Italian horror film director Sergio Martino. ''Svengali'' was remade in 1931 as a sound film starring John Barrymore. Plot A pretty young artist's model named Trilby falls under the spell of a mesmerist named Svengali who turns her into a leading opera singer with n ...
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George Du Maurier
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a Franco-British cartoonist and writer known for work in ''Punch (magazine), Punch'' and a Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Trilby (novel), Trilby'', featuring the character Svengali. His son was the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier. The writers Angela du Maurier and Daphne du Maurier and the artist Jeanne du Maurier were all granddaughters of George. He was also father of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and grandfather of the Llewelyn Davies boys, five boys who inspired J. M. Barrie's ''Peter Pan''. Early life George du Maurier was born in Paris, July Monarchy, France, son of Louis-Mathurin Busson du Maurier and wife Ellen Clarke, daughter of the Courtesan, Regency courtesan Mary Anne Clarke. He was brought up to believe his Aristocracy, aristocratic grandparents had fled from Kingdom of France, France during the French Revolution, Revolution, leaving vast estates behind, to live in England as émigrés. In fact, du ...
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Svengali Deck
A trick deck is a deck of playing cards that has been altered in some way to allow magicians to perform certain card tricks where sleight of hand would be too difficult or impractical. Trick decks Brainwave deck The Brainwave deck is a lesser-known deck which is gaining in popularity, it operates on a principle similar to that of the Invisible Deck, but has vastly improved on it. With the cards still in their box, the magician asks a spectator to name a card. The magician pulls the deck out and fans the cards face down, then spreads through the deck until a single face-up card is discovered, which turns out to be the spectator's card. For the grand finale the magician explains that he or she actually knew ahead of time which card the spectator would select, rather than having secretly turned it over during the performance. He or she then proceeds to prove this by turning the spectator's card over and revealing that the card in question features a different backing pattern than eve ...
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John Barrymore
John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly attempted a career as an artist, but appeared on stage together with his father Maurice in 1900, and then his sister Ethel the following year. He began his career in 1903 and first gained attention as a stage actor in light comedy, then high drama, culminating in productions of ''Justice'' (1916), ''Richard III'' (1920), and ''Hamlet'' (1922); his portrayal of Hamlet led to him being called the "greatest living American tragedian". After a success as ''Hamlet'' in London in 1925, Barrymore left the stage for 14 years and instead focused entirely on films. In the silent film era, he was well received in such pictures as ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1920), ''Sherlock Holmes'' (1922) and '' The Sea Beast'' (1926). During this period, he gain ...
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Donald Wolfit
Sir Donald Wolfit (born Donald Woolfitt; 20 April 1902 – 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, known for his touring productions of Shakespeare. He was especially renowned for his portrayal of King Lear. Born to a conventional middle-class family in Nottinghamshire, Wolfit was stage-struck from an early age. His debut was at the Robin Hood Opera House at Aveling to which he cycled from school to join the theatre rep company. After a brief spell as a teacher he joined the touring company of the actor-manager Charles Doran and later that of Fred Terry. He made his London début in 1924 and simplified the spelling of his surname from Woolfitt to Wolfit. In 1929 Wolfit joined Lilian Baylis's company at the Old Vic but developed a strong antipathy to the leading man, John Gielgud, and left the company after a season. He joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre companies for the festivals of 1936 and 1937, in thirteen major roles, winning excellent reviews for his perf ...
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