Joan Fontaine was “loathsome”. Merle Oberon was a “silly little amateur”. Olivier’s hatred for Marilyn Monroe was “one of the strongest emotions I had ever felt”.
Author: Matthew Westphal
China Settles With Hollywood Studios Over Film Distribution Fees
“Hollywood studios will soon begin receiving overdue payments for the distribution of their films in China … About $200 million in payments had been withheld by the China Film Group, which oversees the importation of foreign films into China, while the group disputed its responsibility for the payment of a new value-added tax on theater tickets.”
New York Judge Upholds Artist’s Right To Photograph Unsuspecting Neighbors
“New York’s Supreme Court decided last week that the photographer Arne Svenson was within his rights to display and advertise a series of photographs he took of his neighbours without their permission. In May, a local couple sued Svenson for violating their privacy after recognizing their young children in two of the images.”
15th-Century Icons Ripped Out Of Rural English Church
“Two of the most perfectly preserved panels, depicting St Victor of Marseille and St Margaret of Antioch, were hacked out of the screen and a third image, of a female saint, was damaged before the thieves abandoned the attempt to remove it.”
Wounded Bolshoi Ballet Chief Reunites With Company In London
Sergei Filin, who has been at a clinic in Germany for months recovering from the acid attack he suffered in Moscow in January, made a surprise visit to London to watch his dancers perform at the Royal Opera House.
Sit In (Virtually) On The Bolshoi Ballet’s Daily Class
A video visit backstage at Covent Garden to watch Russia’s flagship ballet company do its daily training.
Getty Makes Thousands Of Images Available For Public Use
“As a result of the new policy, there are now more than 4,600 images from the Getty Museum available in high-resolution format on the Getty’s website for use without restriction. The images depict art objects including paintings, sculptures, photographs and various antiquities.”
Meet The Oprah Of Africa
“In 2006, Mo Abudu experienced what Oprah Winfrey would call an ‘aha moment’, ditching a 20-year career in human resources to try her hand at television. Seven years later, Abudu’s show – Moments with Mo – …is the first TV talkshow to have been syndicated across Africa.” And she’s just launched her own Africa-wide TV network, Ebony Life.
Edinburgh Int’l Festival Will Stay Away From Scottish Independence Issue, Decrees Director
“Jonathan Mills [revealed] that he had decided to sidestep politics and would not be commissioning any work about the independence debate for the 2014 festival, which takes place in the final weeks of campaigning before Scots go to the polls on 18 September.”
Eduardo Falú, 90, Worldwide Ambassador For Argentine Folk Music
“[He] was widely regarded as a master of … in particular the peppery chacareras and romantic zambas from the northwestern part of the country where he grew up. He also studied harmony and music theory and said it was his life’s work to ‘give another dimension to folklore’ by bridging indigenous and classic sounds. Starting in the late 1950s, he appeared on stages from Paris to Washington to Tokyo.”