Willl The Episcopal Church Survive? God Knows.

Will the Episcopal Church survive? God knows.<br /><br />The allusion is to Ezekiel: “’Son of Man, can these bones live?’ ‘O Lord, thou knowest.” Ezekiel 37: 1-14. Life and death are God’s business. So is the future.<br /><br />But some of our folks have been reading that if the Episcopal Church continues to lose members at the same rate we did in the past 7 years, we won’t last past 2060. Numbers and trends can be made to say all sorts of things, especially if you skip the facts of the story.<br /><br />We have not been losing members randomly or through being boring or spiritually irrelevant. In fact, up until 2003, we were the only mainline denomination that was growing. In the past 7 years or so we have gone through a major controversy over gay inclusion. We did the right thing, in my view. We were true to an honest reading of Scripture and we acted faithfully on our theology. We were true to our beliefs. But it cost us the attempted secession of the Dioceses of San Joaquin, Ft. Worth, Pittsburgh, and Quincy. It led to the loss of congregations in dioceses that remained in the church, and the loss of members from congregations that stayed in their dioceses. Statistically, it was not a tsunami but it did make a notable dent in our membership for the past 7 years.<br /><br />That controversy may not be completely over. But it has certainly lost a lot of steam. Much of American culture seems to have gone our way, and other mainline denominations are reaching similar conclusions to the ones we have reached. Even internationally, more and more of us are agreeing to disagree and get on with serving Christ.<br /><br />As for the future and the doomsday predictions based on “current trends,” we would have to come up with a series of new controversies as divisive as the one of the past 7 years to keep up that rate of schism and chaos. I’m not sure we are that creative. Besides, new controversies don’t seem to be what we are doing these days. We are more interested in moving on beyond the old liberal-conservative point and counterpoint. We are settling down to the business of being the Church in the 21st Century. Everyone from Alban Institute to the Evangelism and Congregational Development folks are teaching how to close the door on old fights and live into a newly invigorated mission. See for example “Changing the Conversation” in Alban Weekly for May 16, 20111, <a href="mailto:weekly@alban.org">weekly@alban.org</a>. The controversies of this decade have been hard, but they have brought us to a deeper understanding of the faith and a deeper appreciation of each other – those of us who are still together in this battle scarred old Church.<br /><br />So what does the future hold for the Episcopal Church? God knows. I only know what I see here today in Nevada. I see children’s Sunday Schools in Ely, Elko, and Nixon where there were no children just three years ago. I see young adults at numerous congregations where there were no young adults three years ago. I see active campus ministries in Reno and Elko. We had churches packed for Easter this year that had not been full for years. Epiphany, one of our newest and demographically youngest congregations, is looking for a larger building because they are regularly over crowded. The Grace in the Desert juggernaut of growth goes on.<br /><br />I see more and better parish web sites and Face Book pages. I hear our ministries recognized on NPR. Billboards are going up outside Ely and Fallon. Our Latino ministries happen in existing churches so we don’t count them as new parishes. But if you consider a worshiping community as a congregation, then we have seven brand new congregations all growing rapidly. We are offering small church music workshops and initiating a program of emergent ministries for miners and energy workers to rebuild our rural ministries. A plan for evangelism in Asian ministries is on the drawing board.<br /><br />It isn’t all rosy. One of our well loved small congregations in Reno closed last year. But I see its former members now actively engaged and strengthening the other 3 congregations in Reno, one of which is a fairly new parish. Another of our small congregations went from about 24 to around 12 this year over a local fight. But some of those dozen folks have found their way to another Episcopal congregation in the area that was on the ropes a few years ago but now is coming back strong.<br /><br />What does the future hold for the Episcopal Church? “O Lord our times are in your hands.” God knows. I don’t. No, I don’t know our future. But I know our mission and it is not perpetually checking our pulse. Our mission is being faithfully present in a culture where people are lost, alienated, lonely, and despairing. Our mission is shining the Christ light of hope into the dark corners of society – corners darkened by poverty, sometimes economic, more often spiritual. I believe people need the Episcopal Church and I believe God loves it. If God did not love it, it would have surely died long ago from all the things we’ve done to it in our human frailty and ineptitude.<br /><br />What is God doing in the Episcopal Church? We have a lot of wind out here in the High Desert. Jesus said “God is wind.” John 4:24 “The wind bloweth wherever it listeth and you hear the sound of it; but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goest. So it is with every word that is born of the Spirit.” John 3: 8. The Church is God’s word born of the Spirit on Pentecost, reborn of the same Spirit with each and every baptism. Where is the Church going? Wherever God wills.

Willl The Episcopal Church Survive? God Knows.

Will the Episcopal Church survive? God knows. The allusion is to Ezekiel: “’Son of Man, can these bones live?’ ‘O Lord, thou knowest.” Ezeki...

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Get over it! (cheesecake) / 185.4

<b>Cheesecake </b><br />Yes, I had a piece of that Costco cheesecake last night. It disappeared from the refrigerator, and I thought my husband had put it in the garbage (he purchased it while I was in Fairbanks). Actually, he froze it. I found it last night and not accidentally, but on purpose. I went searching for it. <br /><br />After a great day of eating and no exercise (never made it to the gym last night), I had a 12-Point piece of cheesecake, (the nutritional information is on CalorieKing.com). I only had one slice (1/16th of the cake) because that's all that I could find. <br /><br />The verdict: Get over it Diana! It didn't lead to some big, crazy all-night eating binge. I ate some extra salmon later in the evening (leftover from dinner), five tiny Clementines, and a bag of SmartPop popcorn. None of this was planned. I put everything into eTools, and yes, I had a 53-Point day yesterday (I'm allowed 29).<br /><br />It's not the end of the world. I'm not mad at myself for not being perfect. It was just a piece of cheesecake. I'm pretty sure I would have eaten more if there was more available, but it wasn't and I didn't.<br /><br />I still feel in control in spite of the 53 Points. Okay, maybe I was a little bit out of control, but it's not a big deal. I'm okay with it. I'm not going to Costco today and buying a cheesecake, hiding it, and eating the whole thing within a day or two. I've done that before. Fortunately, it's been a few years (about three plus years).<br /><br />Ironically I had one of my best ever workouts at the gym this morning. I seemed to have extra power and stamina. I did the elliptical again for thirty minutes (still hate it and the StairMasters are still broken), and a full hour of lower body/abs exercises. I'm not sure if it was the salmon or the cheesecake that gave me the extra energy (maybe both?).<br /><br /><b>Sunshine!</b><br />Yes, we have sunshine today in the Pacific Northwest. It was 38 degrees at 5:30am when I went to the gym, so it's a bit chilly, but it's gorgeous. If I could take today off from work I'd do it in a heartbeat (a bike ride would be really fun). Unfortunately I have two meetings that I can't miss today. At least I can walk at lunch, so that will be some extra calorie burning (hopefully burn off some cheesecake).<br /><br /><b>Torchlight parade</b><br />I'm going to walk in the Torchlight parade this year in Seattle (July 30), and wave at people. My husband has wanted to go to it for the last twenty years. I'm not really fond of parades so I found an excuse every year to not go (I know, bad wife). This year my company is asking for volunteers to walk the route behind the float (or in front of it, I'm not sure). You can only ride on the float if you wear a uniform (flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents). I haven't worn a uniform in over 20 years. I'd really rather walk it anyway. My husband is actually excited about it. <br /><br />Now it's off to work!

Get over it! (cheesecake) / 185.4

Cheesecake Yes, I had a piece of that Costco cheesecake last night. It disappeared from the refrigerator, and I thought my husband had put i...

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CMBA Movies of 1939 Blogathon - The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGBYYaTT1CRE9TsYvka5ikTm7KxLkDdEYtcmUmIJIQpSBdCzBUVwZm3LIqBhHslng9CcpYCDUDrDbwCUPajCC8wE3CTjMzTrWVRTNhc1TTG9OTs2t84cmlSeqF6rrLBZ1wyHbH7Xx9NMS/s1600/bette+as+eliz+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGBYYaTT1CRE9TsYvka5ikTm7KxLkDdEYtcmUmIJIQpSBdCzBUVwZm3LIqBhHslng9CcpYCDUDrDbwCUPajCC8wE3CTjMzTrWVRTNhc1TTG9OTs2t84cmlSeqF6rrLBZ1wyHbH7Xx9NMS/s400/bette+as+eliz+i.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“In 1939, I secured my career and my stardom forever. I made five pictures in twelve months and every one of them was successful.” Bette Davis was referring to the string of movies she made in rapid succession, beginning with <i>The Sisters </i>in 1938 and followed by four more the next year – <i>Dark Victory</i>, <i>Juarez</i>, <i>The Old Maid </i>and <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i>. If 1939 was a watershed year for Hollywood, it was, too, for the actress who was about to begin her reign as America’s top film actress.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><a name="more"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Of6MJeEASW17UARIlA9Vz8TUukkQulfrs2F2c6GHrmjoM0bD8MWlcIpNC1iVhV6glLeegZ9WBA4BGAu784WhXQF2g8ZQdbvkQMjavYTkigo21CBV-w7DPySmKHzRT9OKoLWVs8MvXJxi/s1600/bondage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Of6MJeEASW17UARIlA9Vz8TUukkQulfrs2F2c6GHrmjoM0bD8MWlcIpNC1iVhV6glLeegZ9WBA4BGAu784WhXQF2g8ZQdbvkQMjavYTkigo21CBV-w7DPySmKHzRT9OKoLWVs8MvXJxi/s200/bondage.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Of Human Bondage </i>(1934)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bette Davis spent most of the first half of the 1930s making her way through a series of mostly dreary film assignments, first for Universal and then for Warner Bros. Her startling performance in RKO's <i>Of Human Bondage </i>(1934) changed the course of her career. She won her first Best Actress Oscar for a downbeat role in <i>Dangerous </i>(1935), and her second for her turn as a headstrong Southern belle in <i>Jezebel </i>(1938).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Maxwell Anderson’s <i>Elizabeth, the Queen</i>, a historical drama written in blank verse a la Shakespeare, opened on Broadway in 1930. It starred Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt and ran for 147 performances. The production and Fontanne’s portrayal of Elizabeth I were legendary. Eight years after the play closed, an adaptation would make its way to the screen.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Based on events of Elizabeth’s late years, the story follows her relationship with the much younger Earl of Essex. After a victory against Spain at Cadiz, Essex returns to England a hero. Ambitious and overconfident, he is a favorite of the queen. However, the two are often at odds; she favors measured statesmanship and he is for bold action; both have a taste for power. Not surprisingly, the Earl is unpopular with the queen’s advisors who maneuver him into leading an ill-fated intervention in Ireland. Essex fails and returns to England in disgrace. Unable to bear ignominy, he attempts to raise a rebellion against the queen. This ends badly for Essex. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17cwyXLxnTZf8u_Z5ZNoBB6m8pPtMjLWkvM7QV__pZLBUFpof8cFzsZ0iMJGWQBC_hZlYJhUBRFeLt8zJLRwfDn310BEJmCyc0O3v88jUXKKRj1S2D0SWydgisgkNgFIvIWuSlZGU5eWC/s1600/picture%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17cwyXLxnTZf8u_Z5ZNoBB6m8pPtMjLWkvM7QV__pZLBUFpof8cFzsZ0iMJGWQBC_hZlYJhUBRFeLt8zJLRwfDn310BEJmCyc0O3v88jUXKKRj1S2D0SWydgisgkNgFIvIWuSlZGU5eWC/s320/picture%255B1%255D.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth I by Hans Holbein</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When Bette Davis learned that producer Hal Wallis bought Anderson’s play for her, she was elated. “Elizabeth was my tankard of tea,” she later recalled. Familiar with the Broadway production and Fontanne’s performance, she saw in the part an exciting opportunity as well as a real challenge. Davis was only 31 at the time and she would be portraying Elizabeth in her 60s. Additionally, the script primarily consisted of complex blank verse dialogue. As was typical of her, Davis threw herself into the project completely. She began extensive research on the Elizabethan period and monarchy, and she was happily surprised when she saw in Holbein's portraits of Elizabeth a resemblance between herself and the queen.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Davis campaigned for Laurence Olivier to be cast in the role of Essex. “He was perfect for the part…he <i>was </i>arrogant, beautiful, virile and talented,” she remembered years afterward. Olivier was in between <i>Wuthering Heights</i> (1939) and <i>Rebecca </i>(1940) at the time, but Jack Warner wasn’t enthusiastic. Olivier was not yet a star in the U.S. (though he was on the very brink) and Warner felt the film required a box office powerhouse equal to Davis. The adaptation of Anderson’s play was a big picture for Warners in 1939 and Jack Warner wanted Errol Flynn, the studio’s hottest leading man, for Essex. Flynn had completed <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i>, <i>The Dawn Patrol</i> and <i>Dodge City</i> all within the past year and was at the height of his popularity. Davis was not convinced. She did not think Flynn had the experience to cope with blank verse or the professionalism to work at it. But Warner prevailed; Flynn it would be. Davis was deeply disappointed. Perhaps the fact that Flynn was being paid twice as much as she amplified her disappointment…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPbgyo0KMcIZs3nVRiaVesajV7gzhNvPRFE-F33_KyyQ3tlTt_jPx9omcjXSERvme6sxlq7EJYoSSVTrUP15fd_218bc0SIYPU6iX2QUe5CNApFVQfsRBClxEdjWAWYz-zVgUtsk8vywT/s1600/curtiz+and+queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPbgyo0KMcIZs3nVRiaVesajV7gzhNvPRFE-F33_KyyQ3tlTt_jPx9omcjXSERvme6sxlq7EJYoSSVTrUP15fd_218bc0SIYPU6iX2QUe5CNApFVQfsRBClxEdjWAWYz-zVgUtsk8vywT/s320/curtiz+and+queen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bette Davis and Michael Curtiz on the set</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Warner Bros. veteran Michael Curtiz was tapped to direct. Though Curtiz and Flynn collaborated on several popular films, the dynamic between them was not ideal. Curtiz viewed  Flynn as little more than a blank slate, referring to the actor as “my beautiful puppet.” </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On the other hand, Davis put up with nothing from Curtiz on this set, she would not  forgive or forget his dismissive treatment of her before she was a star.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The supporting cast was steeped in solid character actors: Donald Crisp, Henry Daniell, Vincent Price, Henry Stephenson, Leo G. Carroll, Alan Hale and James Stephenson. Olivia de Havilland appeared intermittently and young Nanette Fabray (Fabares) made an affecting screen debut as ladies in waiting. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Though Davis anticipated the film and her role as “a dream come true,” the production did not go smoothly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It might seem logical that in making a film of a famed stage drama, the name of the play would remain intact. But Flynn did not like it that his character was not mentioned in the title and insisted on a change. <i>The Knight and the Lady </i>was proposed. For Davis, whose character was the centerpiece of the drama, that was unacceptable. <i>The Lady and the Knight</i> was offered as an option. No one liked this, including Davis. The success of Alexander Korda’s <i>The Private Life of Henry VIII </i>(1933), an Oscar-winner for Charles Laughton, inspired the film’s eventual title.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTm6KRxNik69VbaP79gJEHuOy3WETwMXhblpCTjWALq_k-eN7CRDlY5OEUga8ymk-tumpHCevxYY6iTP9SVY2vZHDCuoufe-gibySidWCoJECzy65dQ6fk5537ynD11YqENx53Yy5CBRB/s1600/eliz+and+essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTm6KRxNik69VbaP79gJEHuOy3WETwMXhblpCTjWALq_k-eN7CRDlY5OEUga8ymk-tumpHCevxYY6iTP9SVY2vZHDCuoufe-gibySidWCoJECzy65dQ6fk5537ynD11YqENx53Yy5CBRB/s320/eliz+and+essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bette Davis and Errol Flynn</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When Olivia de Havilland arrived to begin work, she was still doing retakes for <i>Gone With the Wind</i>. She claimed that she wasn’t ready to start, she couldn’t play two characters at the same time. Jack Warner convinced her, at least to some extent, that she could.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Davis insisted on authentic costume design, but Curtiz thought that authentic costumes would be “too much for the camera” and wanted them scaled down. According to Davis, designer Orry-Kelly made two complete sets of Elizabeth’s costumes – the first conforming to Curtiz’s edict, the second historically accurate. Davis tested in the first set and played her role in the second. “Tricky is the determined female,” she later mused.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Makeup artist Perc Westmore worked closely with Bette Davis to achieve Elizabeth’s age and appearance. He remarked on her dedication to the part but said that he had to walk a fine line to create what Davis wanted while not exceeding what Jack Warner would tolerate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As it turned out, Davis’s concerns about Errol Flynn were well-founded. Notes in the film’s production reports mention the actor’s difficulty with the dialogue. Flynn apparently protested, “I can’t remember lines like that,” and screenwriters Aeneas MacKenzie and Norman Reilly Raine simplified his lines by rewriting them out of verse.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In one famous scene (and infamous incident), Davis gave Flynn a hearty slap across the face with her heavily jeweled hand. Flynn called it a “right hook” and reportedly never forgave her for it. Davis did not seem to think she’d done anything out of character…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lgo-7Wu2llM" width="425"></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Orry-Kelly, Perc Westmore, art director Anton Grot and cinematographer/d.p. Sol Polito, all masters of their respective cinematic arts, worked inspired magic. Polito was especially valuable on the production for his wizardry with Technicolor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anton Grot’s lavish sets are an eyeful. At times Elizabeth seems to exist as if within an enormous chest of jewels, so surrounded is she by plush shades of amethyst, turquoise, ruby, emerald and gold. And Grot creates an evocative mood...in vaulted candle-lit chambers, a massive fireplace blazes and flickering shadows leap across dim walls.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkgpGYUwbopIboiLg4uigqwmaM1V5jw2kz9rbtKcYma_mjjPji79XwCFRLus4QaLunVxV5O9AxeM-By2QqCeZJ0XVwteiLd2qtspu1bOh7Hmxe2NcEVuc-LUpLLuK1Bp4HFW5NAdGiZge/s1600/anton+grot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkgpGYUwbopIboiLg4uigqwmaM1V5jw2kz9rbtKcYma_mjjPji79XwCFRLus4QaLunVxV5O9AxeM-By2QqCeZJ0XVwteiLd2qtspu1bOh7Hmxe2NcEVuc-LUpLLuK1Bp4HFW5NAdGiZge/s200/anton+grot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Director Anton Grot</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Anton Grot dominated art direction at Warner Bros. from the late '20s through the 1940s and is often credited for the realism of "the Warner Bros. look" of the 1930s. He was known for his interest in the expressive qualities of light on film, and his work was influenced by European modernism. Nominated for five competitive Oscars, Grot was given a special technical achievement award in 1940 for his design of a "water ripple and wave illusion machine." His films include <i>Little Caesar</i>, <i>Anthony Adverse</i>, <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, <i>Captain Blood</i>, and <i>Mildred Pierce</i>. The UCLA Library houses a collection of Grot's original sketches (see below and <a href="http://potulentpalaver.blogspot.com/2007/01/anton-grot.html"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>click here</b></span></a> to see more).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWVhrIZ2OKpcG1YMp2DEJQBN62lpb0Tq5u07hyS89OEJw2oVRtZRrhvE5JTM1dYjQ4bLwuHFr62O0R_Qo9JiE60bY1EfNmjA9eACQiag3tl2WuomjEZZwadwGjaXjI3T7gxZg0u9xPQV6/s1600/Anton+Grot+sketch++Eliz+and+Essex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWVhrIZ2OKpcG1YMp2DEJQBN62lpb0Tq5u07hyS89OEJw2oVRtZRrhvE5JTM1dYjQ4bLwuHFr62O0R_Qo9JiE60bY1EfNmjA9eACQiag3tl2WuomjEZZwadwGjaXjI3T7gxZg0u9xPQV6/s320/Anton+Grot+sketch++Eliz+and+Essex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anton Grot's sketch of the court of Elizabeth I</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bette Davis in an intriguing performance is the finest of the film's<i> </i>fine qualities. In his <i>Great Stars</i> monograph on the actress, David Thomson wrote of Davis that she "often moves like a beast fearful of being leashed." As Elizabeth, her erratic gestures and movements, her voice and her eyes are alive with frustration and exasperation, insecurity and rage. At times she seems to prowl the queen's quarters like a caged cat. Davis captures the spirit of a weary but wily and indomitable monarch, a woman trapped in the power she has fought hard to hold.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">While I don't think Flynn was up to this script, it isn't hard to imagine an aging queen (or any woman) falling victim to his many obvious charms. It's true that Olivier's brooding charisma along with his mastery of Shakespeare might've made for a compelling Essex - and I'm very sure he would have held his own with Bette Davis. But many among the film's cast and technical crew were veterans of Curtiz/Flynn action adventures and that may have something to do with why, overall, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><i>Elizabeth and Essex</i> plays as a slightly off-balance marriage between historical drama and swashbuckling epic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i> was a moneymaker for Warner Bros. <i>Variety</i> reported, “Bette Davis dominates the production at every turn…” and pointed out it was the first picture to be released using fast new Technicolor methods. The picture's "slow spots" were discounted as minor shortcomings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh99gq21O3db8RU_BwrN9YfrquFiBkqizXLru4rgxNxyyWHmPKtSYp8oRKH1IDSIRyqwr_C6a2Rs7FiTEdbdBHRGqUX8k2oOGRNJg1Mc_t2rk6tjyIMlNiJlivuE3m7bmogdc_PQu2Kgv0/s1600/Private_Lives_of_Elizabeth_and_Essex_%25281939%2529_4%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh99gq21O3db8RU_BwrN9YfrquFiBkqizXLru4rgxNxyyWHmPKtSYp8oRKH1IDSIRyqwr_C6a2Rs7FiTEdbdBHRGqUX8k2oOGRNJg1Mc_t2rk6tjyIMlNiJlivuE3m7bmogdc_PQu2Kgv0/s320/Private_Lives_of_Elizabeth_and_Essex_%25281939%2529_4%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bette Davis and Errol Flynn</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Frank S. Nugent of the New York Times, voicing a complaint common among critics that Flynn was a weak Essex, observed that Davis delivered “a strong, resolute, glamour-skimping characterization against which Mr. Flynn’s Essex has about as much chance as a beanshooter against a tank.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bette Davis needed a rest at this point. “I weighed 80 pounds when I discarded Bess’s ruff and hoop for the last time. I was really exhausted. I knew I must take a holiday and recharge the battery…” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i> received five Academy Award nominations - for art direction, color cinematography, special effects, music score and sound recording. Davis was nominated for <i>Dark Victory</i> instead.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKUJBJf4BJmvFJ6I_lfUpRj0iAyvFJRHqTNKBIwZFU8mpcreDn0JkmlJ8-4kSv4LqaORaGL3vZ3MgzBK1YCFha-EclXuWJ3Ecmn7QHroxyQDSB7PUxBz1_1DZ3nnr5XQWtkZpbTPOHKgc/s1600/essex1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKUJBJf4BJmvFJ6I_lfUpRj0iAyvFJRHqTNKBIwZFU8mpcreDn0JkmlJ8-4kSv4LqaORaGL3vZ3MgzBK1YCFha-EclXuWJ3Ecmn7QHroxyQDSB7PUxBz1_1DZ3nnr5XQWtkZpbTPOHKgc/s320/essex1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nominated for art direction, cinematography, effects, score and sound</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Forty years after the film’s release, the actress told a biographer, “I have very mixed emotions when I see it.” She questioned whether she had, young as she was at the time, enough life experience to draw upon for the role. And she admitted that she had “secretly” been a bit unsure about playing Elizabeth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In her 1962 autobiography, <u>A Lonely Life</u>, Bette Davis recalled a moment that stood out in her memory of the production. One day Charles Laughton visited the set. It was her first meeting with an actor she admired very much.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Hi, Pop,” she greeted him, playfully referring to his role as Henry VIII.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Ah, it’s my favorite daughter,” he replied.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As they talked, Bette mentioned that perhaps she had a lot of nerve to be trying to play Elizabeth. Laughton’s response was something she never forgot.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“Never stop daring to hang yourself, Bette,” he told her.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>~</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://clamba.blogspot.com/2011/04/classic-movies-of-1939-blogathon-may-15.html" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a></b><i> for a full list of links to blogs participating in CMBA's "Classic Movies of 1939" blogathon.</i></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjPkNY3g2YA_JM99NkIAA7a98sPn89HJnWEQ9C-rkGaONao6SKOyn846fiOriIn4yfBPCOLnGGmKhUy6XoaPbMhMOHedYGFgAtWdMoAyEzZJad5nHdKQRGDk0LRAU7PAVhRWAsI4XRx8/s1600/Cimba+Best+Film+Review+Drama+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjPkNY3g2YA_JM99NkIAA7a98sPn89HJnWEQ9C-rkGaONao6SKOyn846fiOriIn4yfBPCOLnGGmKhUy6XoaPbMhMOHedYGFgAtWdMoAyEzZJad5nHdKQRGDk0LRAU7PAVhRWAsI4XRx8/s320/Cimba+Best+Film+Review+Drama+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Classic Movie Blog Association honored this post with the 2011 CiMBA award for Best Film Review (Drama) </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Sources:</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>The Lonely Life</u> (1962) by Bette Davis, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, A Personal Biography</u> (2006) by Charlotte Chandler, </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Dark Victory : The Life of Bette Davis</u> (2007) by Ed Sikov, <u>B</u></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>ette Davis</u> (2009) by David Thomson (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Great Stars </i>series)</span></div>

Anton Grot Bette Davis Donald Crisp Errol Flynn Jack Warner Michael Curtiz Orry-Kelly Sol Polito The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex CMBA Movies of 1939 Blogathon - The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

“In 1939, I secured my career and my stardom forever. I made five pictures in twelve months and every one of them was successful.” Bette Dav...

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Hungry Girl Cooking: Berry-licious Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes while at my sister's house celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday.  I'm pretty sure they were a hit since almost all of them were devoured rather quickly.  The icing tasted great too. You can find this recipe in Hungry Girl's first cookbook or on the <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeid=140951">Weight Watchers website</a>.  Enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0q5pSCw8ozyJugSrScRefrhqxv93mv-NO4fI3U9PustvCp0TrtooEbNP9C21ev9j5fDEXSw8cfBEqAoaOfkNsmrecbFGyWwZR2W_8g3yqyn04TPTmyDb-gWfFZo1cZnA_mWbLk94bFc/s1600/hungry-girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0q5pSCw8ozyJugSrScRefrhqxv93mv-NO4fI3U9PustvCp0TrtooEbNP9C21ev9j5fDEXSw8cfBEqAoaOfkNsmrecbFGyWwZR2W_8g3yqyn04TPTmyDb-gWfFZo1cZnA_mWbLk94bFc/s200/hungry-girl.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><br /><br /><b><u>Hungry Girl/Weight Watchers Berry-licious Cupcakes</u> - 3 Points+</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCKZEE0ISoRapuahWZDeyb_1IC684UyAt0ZA1U-U_ykWHSmFelbelX3BVqMMAsZ_zIkFji2KIUd99J85KoA_Dd3IRa4axpyYJ2mx9CTZVPiKcVQZs3nkOhxG1uZmJnuMlj2GRf6nR8Pk/s1600/HG+Strawberry+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCKZEE0ISoRapuahWZDeyb_1IC684UyAt0ZA1U-U_ykWHSmFelbelX3BVqMMAsZ_zIkFji2KIUd99J85KoA_Dd3IRa4axpyYJ2mx9CTZVPiKcVQZs3nkOhxG1uZmJnuMlj2GRf6nR8Pk/s320/HG+Strawberry+Cupcakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br /><ul><li>4 oz Cool Whip Whipped Topping Free Whipped Topping, half an 8 oz container   <br /></li><li>1/4 cup(s) fat-free cream cheese, softened   <br /></li><li> 2 Tbsp SPLENDA® SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener<i> (I used regular sugar)  </i><br /></li><li>1/8 tsp vanilla extract   <br /></li><li> 1/8 tsp food colouring, neon pink, divided (2 drops)   <br /></li><li> 1/2 Tbsp Hershey's Sugar free strawberry syrup, or raspberry variety   <br /></li><li> 9 1/8 oz regular white cake dry mix, 2 cups (half an 18.25 oz package)   <br /></li><li> 1 cup(s) diet cola, black cherry flavor <i>(I used Diet Dr. Pepper)</i><br /></li><li> 4 large egg white(s), about 1/2 cup   <br /></li><li> 6 medium strawberries, pureed    </li></ul><i><b>Instructions </b></i><br /><ul></ul><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350°F.<br /><br /></li><li>In a medium bowl, combine whipped topping, cream cheese, Splenda, vanilla extract, 1 drop of food coloring and syrup. Using an electric mixer at medium-low speed, blend until frosting is thoroughly mixed, about 1 minute. Chill frosting in freezer for 20 minutes and then transfer to refrigerator until ready to frost cupcakes.<br /><br /></li><li>In a large bowl, combine cake mix, soda and egg whites; add pureed strawberries and remaining drop of food coloring. Mix with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.<br /><br /></li><li>Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with cupcake wrappers. Evenly spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.<br /><br /></li><li>Bake until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. Once cool, remove cupcakes from pan and evenly spread with frosting. Yields 1 cupcake per serving. </li></ol>

Hungry Girl Weight Watcher Recipes Hungry Girl Cooking: Berry-licious Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes while at my sister's house celebrating my niece's 3rd birthday.  I'm pretty sure they were a hit since alm...

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