text:
Windsor Hills District
Mr. Jason B. Moretz
562-3772 (Office)
Email: jmoretz@rcps.us
Jason Moretz was appointed to the Roanoke County School Board in Sept. 2015 to serve a portion of the unexpired term for the Windsor Hills District. He was elected to serve the remaining unexpired portion in November 2016 and was re-elected to a full term in 2017. He served as vice-chairman in 2017 and chairman in 2018.
Mr. Moretz is a 1992 graduate of Northside High School. He holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from National Business College. Mr. Moretz has almost 20 years' experience in the financial industry and is currently employed by BB&T Wealth as a Private Advisor.
Mr. Moretz has close ties with Roanoke County Public Schools. He has two children, Noah and Lilly, attending Roanoke County Public Schools and his wife, Catey is a middle school teacher. In addition, he has served on the Roanoke County Capital Improvement Committee and the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission. In his spare time, Mr. Moretz enjoys playing golf and relaxing with his family. Mr. Moretz says he is passionate about continuing the success of Roanoke County Public Schools.
Last Modified on July 25, 2019

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Losing hair can be a difficult experience for anyone. Society associates hair with youth and beauty and the realization that your hair is thinning can often be stressful and have a big effect on self-confidence. Society also tends to think of hair loss as a condition that affects men, which can make it more difficult for women to get the help they need. Research has shown that women can have a particularly difficult time coping with the self-esteem issues that are associated with hair loss. According to Medical News Today, women account for more than 40 percent of all hair loss sufferers and like men, women also look for a permanent solution to hair loss. At RHRLI we feel we have that solution with the ARTAS® Robotic Hair Transplant System. We're hair loss experts and we understand the difficulties our patients encounter. So we want to give you information on how thinning hair affects a woman's self-confidence.
Rachel Rocero is a San Francisco-based marketing expert who has suffered from both alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and androgenic alopecia, also known as female pattern hair loss. Writing on the Hello Giggles website, Rocero described how devastated she felt.
Rocero's experience isn't unusual for women with thinning hair. According to the British Psychological Society, 40 percent of women with alopecia have had marital problems, while around 63 percent said they had career-related problems. Alopecia also leads to depression, anxiety, and social phobia, according to researchers.
Another difficulty for women who are dealing with hair loss is that they're often reluctant to talk about it. According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, women who have hair loss often believe their problem will not be taken seriously by family and friends. As a result, they have less of a support system available to them than men have.
If you believe you have a high level of anxiety or depression related to hair loss, you should consult a mental health professional immediately. If you're looking for answers about your hair loss, you should consult with RHRLI. Our doctor, Baiju Gohil, MD, meets with all of the patients that schedule consultations with us and also takes part in all of the hair restoration procedures done in our office.
For those seeking a permanent solution to hair loss or thinning hair, RHRLI is the only hair loss treatment center on Long Island that features the ARTAS® system. It's a minimally invasive procedure that uses robotic technology to give you a healthy, natural head of hair. To get started, contact RHRLI today.
Please note that the author of this piece is not a doctor and the information in this material is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your doctor or medical professional for specific information regarding your individual situation.


The New Normal Pardon Me – The episode starts out with some dreadful turkey-day flashbacks, provided by Rocky and Goldie. After reminicing horrible Thanksgivings spent with families ("Vegetables are for poor people!"), it becomes a unanimous decision for the gang to have their own small Thanksgiving.
Bryan and Shania go to pick out a turkey, and they find themselves at a "choose and kill your own turkey" farm. Horrified at the thought of all the turkeys being killed, Bryan buys all of the turkeys and takes them home— alive. This is where Shania decides that she wants to have a meatless Thanksgiving, and everyone else agrees.
After Shania gives a spiel on how Thanksgiving is actually about forgiving the people you love, David decides to invite both his parents to Thanksgiving (including his Dad who cheated on his Mom), Goldie invites Nana and Clay, and Rocky invites her brother Clint. So much for a small Thanksgiving.
Bryan and David film everyone on their iPad for the baby, introducing themselves and saying what they brought to the dinner. Later, we find out that Clint and Goldie have been seeing each other in secret. They've only been on two dates, but they seem to be hitting it off. Goldie wants to keep it on the DL so Clay doesn't find out (she doesn't want to upset him). Unfortunately, Rocky overhears this conversation and confronts Clint about it, and Nana overhears Rocky confronting Clint, so eventually the entire thing spreads to Clay anyway.
Whilst Nana is turkey hunting, she spots David's parents hooking up in the window. Pretty ironic, considering two seconds ago they seemed like they wanted to rip each others heads off.
Remember how I said Clay found out about Clint and Goldie? Yeah, well he gets upset and starts shoving Clint. They nearly break out into a fight when Goldie stops them. They both end up leaving.
David finds his parents hooking up and he seems to have had enough. He asks them both to leave. Bryan also asks Nana to leave. So after all that, they actually got the Thanksgiving they wanted: all together with no crazies. The gang makes an executive decision that they will leave Thanksgiving for family (the people they choose) and Christmas can be for crazy relatives.


Colin Temple – Software, philosophy, analytics and other things.
1. Writing misleading clickbait titles for articles.
Diagnoses of mental disorders are on the way up. The DSM-IV task force, led by Allen Frances, sought to limit this inflation. The DSM-5 is expected by many (including Frances) to make it worse. If it does come to pass that nearly everyone can be diagnosed of a mental disorder of some sort, how should we think about what it means to have such a disorder?
Well, there are two attitudes that we shouldn't have: we shouldn't be afraid of apparent epidemics in mental health, nor should we take the other extreme and shrug off mental disorder entirely.
For one, we can see the rise in diagnoses of certain disorders as a sign that all of the chemicals/"toxins"/technologies/radiation/whatever in our food/air/society or that the stresses and immoralities of our lives in the modern era are making us, well, crazy.
We can, alternatively, reduce our thinking about mental health to "everybody's got something", meaning that we all fit on a spectrum of mental health somewhere and let's not make a big deal about it.
The first position is a little big ignorant. I'm not saying that it can't be that all the dangers of our world aren't impacting our physical and mental health. They certainly are. But there are other social and psychological issues that are inflating our perception that things are going badly. One of them is the inflation caused by awareness of disorders and the diagnostic criteria of the DSM, in its various incarnations. If you become aware of these facts, you start to see that so-called epidemics are a product of our evolving classifications and not a change in the actual prevalence of certain conditions.
The second position is equally ignorant. Occasionally, people with severe mental health conditions are shrugged off by an individual because that individual knows someone else with a milder form of the same diagnosis. Mental disorders tend to exist on a variety of spectra, to be certain. But the fact that so many people can or are being diagnosed with mental disorders should not trivialize the experience of those who struggle through daily life because of them. To approach these people with a "so, what?" attitude isn't helpful.


Our medical practitioners are ready to assist you with any concerns or issues you may have with your sexual health. We respect your privacy and individuality.
Please call us on (03) 95571912 to make your appointment today.


• Calendar of parent activities and sign in sheet of participation. • Schedule of staff development.
Utilize the school/parent compact 1. Develop 2.
Assist parents in understanding 1. State academic contents (TEKS) 2. State academic achievement standards (STAAR) 3.
The mission of West Birdville Elementary is to ensure that all students maximize their individual goals, educational strengths and social competence in a safe, nurturing learning environment.
Remember to send in your Box Tops for Education.
Use this link to sign up under our school and help us get even more Box Top money.
We use our Box Top earnings to host our annual author visit.


The small island of the Certosa that hosts the residence where you will be accommodated during this stay has a long and fascinating history.
The island's hallmark is its incredible historical and environmental heritage. Its name derives from the Carthusian Fathers who lived there for many centuries until the church, cloisters and works of art of the ancient monastery were destroyed and plundered by the military who occupied Venice with the fall of the Serenissima Republic. The Certosa also suffered a long period of abandonment in the middle of the twentieth century. The restoration work on the island was the initiative of a group of young volunteers to create a park for the city.
The route offers the visitor an education on its fascinating history, the civic engagement involved in the restoration of a city park, and the various aspects of the island's natural environment, history, and agricultural and artisan produce.
Welcome dinner and cicheti tasting (traditional Venetian appetizers).
Follow us on our untrodden path, an alternative which is a world away from the mass of tourists, on routes that follow the rhythms of the city and its inhabitants, on a quest to explore the true essence and character of Venice.
An amazing way to visit the city and the lagoon is to navigate in close contact with the very element that gave rise to the city and which makes it unique: water.
Glide effortlessly over the briny water in a canoe. Water that surrounds the islands and laps at the 'barene' salt marshes, salty meadows that are home to a myriad of plants and animals, all perfectly adapted to this environment. By paddling very slowly, with the silence as your only companion, you will have time to behold a world that, seen from the canoe, is pure space and time.
You can choose from several canoeing itineraries. And with just a few practice paddles and some instruction from our expert guides, everyone quickly gains enough confidence to set off in their canoe.
Explore the city from an unusual perspective, following the inner canals in the district of Castello and Cannaregio, passing under the bridges and next to the fondamenta (pedestrian walkways by the side of the canals), almost within touching distance of the palaces and houses that seem to have arisen from the waters.
Burano is a very lively island famous for its colourful houses and for its lace craftsmanship offering real works of art made with needle and thread. It also provides glimpses of scenery which are a far cry from the usual 'classic', standard itineraries. The Lace Museum stands as a great testament to this tradition. Housed in an artisan school dating back to 1870, it traces the history of lace making since the sixteenth century.
The island of Sant'Erasmo is considered an oasis of peace and tranquility, far from the chaotic hordes of tourists in nearby Venice. This island, the largest in the northern lagoon, has since the Middle Ages been the place where the fruits and vegetables supplying the city have been grown. The bike route takes you along the perimeter of the island, among cultivated fields, canals and lagoon landscapes with good views of the typical horticultural crops and the natural environments of salt marsh and beach of the known island as "the vegetable garden of Venice".
Each season in Venice's vegetable garden yields its own particular produce and there's always plenty to see and try: 'castraure' (purple artichokes), early artichokes harvested to stimulate the growth of the main crop, or why not pick carletti and bruscandoli or campion and hop sprouts, which are used for flavouring omelettes and risotto.
The 13 km route is easy and all flat.
Bike tour between sea and lagoon along the coastal strip protecting Venice.
In 1900, the Lido was a meeting place for famous artists and writers from all over the world and is still the place of the Film Festival.
We cycle our way from the centre of the island to the beach, where you will find the famous Art Nouveau hotels, then along the coastal dam to the Alberoni nature reserve. Here you can take a short walk through the natural dunes of the oasis. After disembarking from the ferry on the island of Pellestrina, we continue to the charming fishing village where a fish lunch awaits us on the terrace overlooking the quiet waters of the Laguna at the island's renowned restaurant.
We continue by bike for a small stretch to the island's huge protection barriers, the Murazzi, which was the final construction project of the Republic of Venice in the eighteenth century.
To learn about one of Venice's most fascinating traditions, you have to experience Veneto rowing which will explain a technique born of the need to navigate between small canals and in very shallow water.
The lesson is conducted by the all-female team, made up of experienced rowers, rowing champions, or those who compete in the Venetian regattas. This is a group of truly tenacious women who have turned their passion for rowing into a complete lifestyle with the aim of keeping this ancient Venetian tradition alive.
The Venice Certosa Hotel is an exclusive resort located on the Certosa Island, just 15 minutes by waterbus from Piazza San Marco.
The hotel offers you the experience of remarkably special accommodation in Venice – the enchanting City on Water immersed in the tranquillity of a park in the lagoon – itself of priceless natural heritage and within easy walking distance of all the islands. The Hotel offers modern rooms with continental breakfast and bar, lounge, restaurant, meeting and conference rooms, shuttle and private transport.


text:
<?php
	///gets category infromation from the database.
    function getCategories($categoryId = "") {
        include("Data_Source.php");
        mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("Cannot connect to server " . mysql_error());
        mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("Cannot select DB " . mysql_error());

        $sql = "SELECT c.Id,
                       c.Name,
                       c.Description
                FROM categories AS c
                WHERE 1 = 1 ";
        if(!empty($categoryId) && $categoryId != NULL) {
            $sql .= " AND c.Id = $categoryId";
        }

        return mysql_query($sql);
    }

    ///Creates a category record in the database.
    function createCategory($categoryName, $description) {
        include("Data_Source.php");
        mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("Cannot connect to server " . mysql_error());
        mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("Cannot select DB " . mysql_error());

        $sql = "INSERT INTO categories (Name, Description)
                VALUES ('$categoryName','$description')";

        mysql_query($sql);
        return mysql_insert_id();
    }

    ///Associaties a keyword to a category
    function associateKeyword($categoryId, $keywordId) {
        include("Data_Source.php");
        mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("Cannot connect to server " . mysql_error());
        mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("Cannot select DB " . mysql_error());

        $sql = "INSERT INTO categoryKeywords  (category_id, keyword_id)
                VALUES ($categoryId,$keywordId)";

        mysql_query($sql);
    }

    ///Dis-associates all keywords from a category.
    function deleteCategoryKeywords ($categoryId) {
        include("Data_Source.php");
        mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("Cannot connect to server " . mysql_error());
        mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("Cannot select DB " . mysql_error());

        $sql = "DELETE FROM categoryKeywords WHERE category_id = $categoryId";

        mysql_query($sql);
    }

    ///Updates category records details.
    function updateCategory($categoryId, $categoryName, $description) {
        include("Data_Source.php");
        mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("Cannot connect to server " . mysql_error());
        mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("Cannot select DB " . mysql_error());

        $sql = "UPDATE categories
        SET Name = '$categoryName', Description = '$description'
        WHERE Id = $categoryId";

        mysql_query($sql);
    }
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Kasaragod is a town and a municipality in Kasaragod district in the Indian state. Kasaragod is the administrative headquarters of Kasaragod district. Also Kasaragod is the administrative headquarters of Kasaragod Taluk.
The major landmarks in the Kasaragod district includes the famous Madhur Temple, Ananthapura Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Theruvatthu Mosque, Malik Deenar Mosque, Chandragiri Fort and the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute. The Bekal Fort is a major tourist attraction near Kasargod.


text:
43 Eminem Insults to Use Against Your Worst Enemy
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
Eminem is one of the most popular, yet controversial rappers in the hip-hop world. Marshall Mathers made a name for himself rhyming about violence and sexually explicit content, which has made him a polarizing figure throughout his career -- those GLAAD activist groups had it out for him in 2001.
While he created plenty of songs with serious messages -- "Toy Soldiers" and "Rock Bottom," to name a few -- and many of his violent lines had a purpose, Em is just as remembered for the detailed, almost cartoonishly gruesome content in his lyrics. Killing his ex-wife in graphic detail was the norm on many of his albums.
The Detroit native celebrates his 43rd birthday this week (Oct. 17), so we decided to dig through some of his most hilarious, disgusting and twisted insults he's delivered on record. Slim Shady had plenty of lines aimed at specific celebrities and politicians, but these are directed at a more general audience -- one he despises. Here are 43 Eminem Insults to Use Against Your Worst Enemy.
Source: 43 Eminem Insults to Use Against Your Worst Enemy
Filed Under: Eminem


Maybe it's their schools using GNU/Linux for exams. It's based on Debian GNU/Linux Jessie 8.0 Jessie coming soon!.
Maybe it's the Finnish desire to be their own people instead of slaves to Wintel.
antifanboy, ignoring that FI has spiked GNU/Linux page-views for weeks now and the average share of page-views for GNU/Linux has jumped, wrote what he wrote.
It's looking good to me, one who was told repeatedly that GNU/Linux would never have greater than ~1% utilization just because… I don't know what is causing those spikes but there is some serious activity involving GNU/Linux there.
This just in. The city of Helsinki has decided to prefer FLOSS from now on. It has mindshare in Finland. They're not thinking of going LibreOffice on GNU/Linux just yet but there's nothing to stop them once they've escaped lock-in every other way.
3% is probably closer to the norm but there may well be 13% PCs with GNU/Linux just not all working 24×7. See, StatCounter records page-views, not extant PCs/unique visitors etc. Assuming page-views and count of PCs are linearly related, I'd take the peak value of page-views to indicate count of PCs and the average to reflect just that, the average rate of page-views which for particular visitors like students may be highly biased by day of week, date, season, topic of the day etc. The average usage is probably unaffected much by that except that there are a lot of students around.
I've worked in schools and monitored traffic to the web. It's quite volatile and may be different from one day to the next. e.g. field-days, teachers' inservice and the like get almost no traffic. Several teachers assigning projects requiring search/research/reading/viewing from the web may cause heavy enough loads to reduce the usefulness of an Internet connection. That's why I recommend web-caches for schools. Even with the cache, a site may get a hit or two for things that change rapidly like news of the day, weather, discussion etc. and indeed, so many sites have scripts that the cache cannot anticipate the result of all requests or even the majority of them.
Indeed oiaohm is 100% correct, Robert, which is precisely why I keep asking you for your opinion on the norm in Finland. Is it 3% or 13%?
If it is 3%, then oiaohm's position on physical impossibility is laudably honest.
So, which one is it, Robert? Don't slither around like a slippery eel, man — make a commitment for once in your life.
Robert Pogson is evidently not a fan of Lewis Carroll or John Tenniel.
Who have M$ sued. What they are doing is playing the role of "non-practicing entity". FAT expires soon, and M$'s bottom line will crumble.
Fact: M$ for compensates its lack of innovation, by suing Android handset and ChromeOS devices.
DrLoser wrote, "oiaohm is 100% correct on this point".
No, he's not. Say, on Monday, every school is having a celebration of athletism with competitions out on the yard all day long and don't get to the lab or to clusters in classrooms. Zero page-views. On Tuesday, they all write reports, news letters, blog entries, look up physiological norms, or enter scores in a central database site monitored by StatCounter. Voila! A 10% swing.
Finland is a rather smallish country with only a few hundred K students. These things can happen. I don't know the school days in FI nor the curriculum, but I have been in many schools that had a cycle of activities like "assembly" Monday AM and half-time teachers running the lab. Such swings are certainly possible. Moreover, FI is having a makeover for the curriculum and a new system of computerized examinations for high school. Some combination of all that could induce such behaviour. Either that or StatCounter is hallucinating. I doubt that.
3% or 13%. Which is the Finland norm?
I presume you have a view on this. Share it with us, will you?
Of course MS Trolls have wanted to call my errors in Statscounter BS. Now that the numbers are not showing what they want to see they are upset about it. Sorry BS negative FUD has been speed using statscounter numbers about Linux is now fair that BS positive FUD about Linux market share is spread now. Yes using items like statscounter in correct in the past is causing the usage now.
I shall stop worshipping at the shrine of St Fifi of the Red Leather Thong forthwith.
May I be damned to perdition!
And I have just marked this day on my calendar. It should be a national holiday in Australia.
I'm divided between the observation that Halley's Comet will pass along soon enough and joint celebrations will be in order, and the alternative observation that there are plenty of shrines to St Fifi in the more remote areas of Australia, thr.
Either way, I'm always up for a celebration.
oiaohm is 100% correct on this point, Robert.
It's not impossible. School kids who might browse the web range from 10-18 years of age, about 10% of the population.
It depends what you wish to measure, Robert. If your only aim is to measure web access (through some presumably representative filter such as StatCounter), then do by all means go ahead.
If you want to measure the number of Linux desktops on the ground, then I am afraid schoolkids and rollouts and the rest are, at best, wild and very silly speculation.
Go on then, which is it? Linux desktops in Finland are pretty much obviously either 3% of the market or 13% of the market.
It's not impossible. School kids who might browse the web range from 10-18 years of age, about 10% of the population. Schools often take weekends off and may go days without browsing the web. It is hard to imagine every student being offline on some particular day, unless FI has a rigid curriculum like NL where every student is doing exactly the same thing the same day to accomodate mobility of "boat-people".
These massive spikes also suggest the numbers are also totally undependable. Like I don't exactly see how 10 percent+ of Finland population of computer could switch back and forwards in a single day.
Statscounter is really only good for trends not market percentages due to what is going. Of course I bet some idiots will be playing the card that the market has to be 3 or 13 percent so pick what one you like. Really wild number movements say the correct answer in all olds will not be either 3 or 13 heck may not even be in the middle. The physical impossibility of changing 10 percent in a day should be enough of a telling that the percentages displayed by Statscounter mean very little other than trend information.
Really this massive swings in statscounter is matching exactly what I kinda expected. School students do in fact make up a large percent of people detect on the Internet.
What it is suggesting is getting over 10 percent market share will not require getting individual agreements.
That graph is interesting, Robert, but not particularly for whatever fantasy you are currently pursuing. So let's first disabuse you of your massive statistical solecism before proceeding.
No it isn't, Robert. A percentage is a ratio. It is not an absolute number.
Outside the Amazon basin, most people would be able to recognise quite quickly that, if one percentage spikes, the complementary percentages are even less likely to spike.
But that point is trivial. On to a more interesting question: why do you somehow feel that these massive spikes are important?
We can assume "normative behaviour" in Finland at roughly 3% (the bottom end of the range). Or, we can assume "normative behaviour" in Finland at roughly 13% (which seems to be the median spike).
A simple question, then. Do you think that 13% of desktop computers in Finland run Gnu/Linux? Or do you think that 3% of desktop computers in Finland run Gnu/Linux?
One would presume either one or the other.
Governments are more diverse in their use of IT and probably spend much less time on the web. They tend to use specific applications a lot like office suite, databases etc.
Businesses might do test-drives but several of them? Perhaps a business with many branches, like banks, but they tend not to be browsing random sites… You'd think businesses might do a test followed by a rollout, either a ramp or switching on, not like this.
It's also possible something has changed in StatCounter's sample-space, like some popular magazine getting GNU/Linux hits only when certain FLOSS-related articles are produced. That might explain the peaks but not the valleys. Why aren't such articles of interest any day of the week? Further, no neighbouring country has any such peaks suggesting that it's a Finnish thing. I've looked, but it's hard to search in Finn, for me.
No, I think schools are the most likely cause, widespread use in schools combined with occasional feeding-frenzies on some StatCounter-monitored site(s). It's telling that a peak for GNU/Linux is not a peak for any other OS, so, it's not just some popular site getting GNU/Linux hits. It suggests GNU/Linux is widespread in schools. I think that's the way education should be.
Google Trends finds "linux" is at breakout levels in Sweden and Finland with northern Finland exploding.


text:
Shadd-Gentry throws four TD passes in Imperials' win
Julian Shadd-Gentry threw four touchdown passes as the Sarnia Imperials beat the Steel City Patriots 42-34 on Saturday in the Northern Football Conference.
Observer staff
More from Observer staff
Published on: July 1, 2019 | Last Updated: July 1, 2019 12:36 AM EDT
Julian Shadd-Gentry threw four touchdown passes – two apiece to Tyler Storie and Josh Wright – as the Sarnia Imperials beat the Steel City Patriots 42-34 on Saturday at Norm Perry Park in the Northern Football Conference.
Storie had 22- and 90-yard touchdown catches. He scored his third TD on a punt return.
Wright caught 88- and 21-yard touchdown passes.
Curtis Godfrey scored the Imperials' other touchdown on a one-yard run.
Josh Graham kicked six extra points.
Shadd-Gentry rushed for a team-high 90 yards and led the Imperials' 374-yard air attack. Storie had 227 receiving yards and Wright had 109.
Anthony Edwards made four tackles and forced a fumble, Isaiah Nganga had three tackles and Jason Kelly had a sack.
The Imperials (3-2) scored three consecutive touchdowns for a 21-7 lead. After the Patriots (3-2) drew even with two TDs, the Imperials replied with two of their own for a 35-21 halftime lead.
The Imperials will visit the Sault Steelers (3-3) this Saturday.
They'll battle the Tri-City Outlaws for the Cookie Cup on Saturday, July 13, at Norm Perry Park at 7 p.m. The trophy is named for Cookie Gilchrist, who played for the Imperials and the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen before becoming a CFL and AFL all-star.
Remembering Bea: An image of life in stained glass	 Hockey briefs: Galchenyuk, Legionnaires, Flags


"Everything I do is food."
Carol has been an in-demand foodstylist for more than 25 years. She styles a broad range of food and food products for packaging, print, editorial, film and TV. She calls Chicago home, but regularly travels wherever her clients need her.
She also creates innovative recipes for packaging and cookbooks, coordinates recipe contests, media and food promotions and styles food for satellite and media tours. She is a gifted instructor and an active member of Les Dames D'Escoffier and IACP. She counts Julia Child's drive and passion among her guiding influences.
Carol is well known for her effortless collaboration, innate talent, style intuition and the ability to understand what clients need - before they ask. When she's not in the studio, you can find her shopping and dining in any of Chicago's diverse culinary neighborhoods.


text:
Michael Curtiz, One of the Great Film Directors
By TomJH,
October 6, 2012 in General Discussions
TomJH
Michael Curtiz was one of the great film directors. Period.
To those who remember him today he is largely a footnote, as the director of Casablanca. Some may also recall that he directed a number of Errol Flynn's costume adventure films. But Curtiz was much more than that. He brought a fast paced excitement and dramatic German expressionistic visual flair to much of the best of his work at Warner Brothers that for many people, whether they credit this director or not, has come to represent that studio for them. Curtiz's artistic contributions to Warner Brothers during the '30s and '40s cannot be underestimated.
Curtiz had as much of an influence upon the best that Warners had to offer during those two decades as did its great stars, producers like Hal Wallis and Jerry Wald, composers like Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, and the man on top of them all, Jack Warner.
There were, of course, many other fine directors at Warners, William Dieterle, Lloyd Bacon, Roy Del Ruth, and the great Raoul Walsh among them. But Curtiz was, in retrospect, Warners' major studio director, certainly during the 1935 to 1945 period.
While Hitchcock is remembered for his suspense thrillers, Ford primarily for his westerns, and Hawks for his screwball comedies and macho adventure films, Michael Curtiz was a studio director who had a career that encompassed and brought a greater depth of excitement to almost every film genre, ranging from film noir melodramas to musicals, westerns to horror films, costume adventures to film adaptions of literature or stage plays.
Curtiz was at the helm of the films that made major stars of Errol Flynn and John Garfield, as well as directing Doris Day in her film debut. He directed both James Cagney and Joan Crawford when they won the sole Oscars of their lengthy careers. He was also the "go to" guy for Jack Warner and Hal Wallis in 1937 when they felt that the most expensive film in their studio's history until that time needed more punch and excitement than it was receiving from the assigned director, and so replaced him with Curtiz.
Yes, there are certainly aspects to Curtiz's personality that did not endear him to many people. He was a tempermental, hard driving task master despised by many of the stars with whom he worked (though not all, Garfield and Day liked working with him). To many Curtiz carried the sharpest whip in a studio renowned for its factory atmosphere.
Curtiz, a Hungarian, also mangled the English language, prompting both laughter and frustration at times with those having to deal with him on the set. The manner of his request for some riderless horses on one film location would later be used as the title of a collection of Hollywood reminiscences by David Niven, Bring On the Empty Horses.
The one film genre in which Curtiz would have limited success would be comedy. The director, intense and preoccupied with filming a scene the way he wanted it done (often causing friction with his producers) was not known for possessing a sense of humour. But then Warner Brothers during the '30s and '40s will never be remembered for its comedies either.
It was a studio known for its melodramas and costume adventures, and that was Michael Curtiz. In fact, Curtiz in so many ways represents Warners during the Golden Era. That studio would not be the studio that we remember it for being today if it had not had the services of this Hungarian-born firebrand of a director.
The following is a selection of some of Curtiz's most noteworthy films:
*Noah's Ark (1928)*
The first big hit of Curtiz's career at Warners, a lavish silent epic, part Biblical tale and part WWI "modern" parable, with talkie sequences later added (those sequences reportedly directed by Roy Del Ruth). The film became notorious for a massive (and still extraordinarily impressive) flood sequence in which three extras may have been drowned (according to Hollywood legend, at least). Curtiz, when warned before the flood sequence that the extras lives could be at risk apparently responded, words to the effect "They'll have to look out for themselves."
*Doctor X (1932)*
*Mystery of the Wax Musuem (1933)*
Warner Brothers' two major attempts at entering into the '30s horror sweepstakes, which were such a success at Universal Studios, were both handed to Curtiz. Filmed with the intense on the set heat that accompanied the two-strip Technicolor process, these films, while flawed, still entertain. Doctor X, at times the grimmer of the two which also adopts a slightly comical air (primarily via Lee Tracy's fast talking newspaper reporter) has one genuinely ghoulish moment in which the villain, adopting a disguise, repeatedly proclaims, much to his own delight, "Synthetic flesh!"
Wax Museum, once considered to be a lost film, has the further benefit of Lionel Atwill's great performance as the wax sculptor mastermind, in a role recreated by Vincent Price two decades later in Warners' House of Wax remake. Fay Wray, the movies' most famous screamer during the '30s, fully demonstrates her ability to do just that in both films. In a later interview, while discussing Wax Museum, Wray would say, "Curtiz, you know, was the nastiest of directors, concerned with lighting and shadows, ignored me most of the time. But he once lit into Glenda (Farrell) and she shouted right back at him and the crew applauded."
*Captain Blood (1935)*
With the success of the previous year's Count of Monte Cristo and MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty in production, Warners put Curtiz in charge of their entry into costume adventure with a film that remains one of the most famous of the genre. Curtiz brought a vibrance and visual flourish to the sweep and role of ancient galleons, as well as a genuine sense of oppression to the slave sequences. Warners was always a studio more concerned with social injustices than the other studios, and that even applied to a film of escapism such as this one.
Curtiz may have brow beaten and intimidated Australian newcomer Errol Flynn on the set but he also helped to make him an overnight star. As a result, much as Flynn may have intensely disliked working with the autocratic director in numerous costume follow-ups, the world became his oyster for a few years, as well. Captain Blood was also an important film for young Olivia de Havilland, co-starred here with Flynn for the first time. With the success of this film, Curtiz's name rose to even greater heights on the Warners lot.
*Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)*
Every penny shows on screen for this, Warners' answer to Paramount's 1935 hit, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer. An extremely handsome, lavish adventure, set in India and the Crimea, and climaxing with a recreation of the 1854 battle at Balaclava, as immortalized by Tennyson's poem. The film's most famous sequence, the charge, was partially directed by second unit man, Breezy Eason, as well as Curtiz, and remains in every sense a classic of cannon exploding, man and horse falling thundering fury. Errol Flynn would later call it the toughest film that he ever made. It also resulted, by use of "the running W, " in the cruel death of many of the horses used in the charge sequence. Flynn would report the barbaric treatment of the horses to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
*Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)*
Regarded by many as the model Hollywood swashbuckler by which others are to be measured, a joyous costume fairy tale, with vibrant Technicolor brilliantly enhancing the lavish costumes and sets. A perfect cast of actors brought their roles to life, with Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Oscar-winning operatic musical score providing magnificent accompaniment.
Curtiz was brought into the production after two months of shooting by director William Keighley, who had filmed the forest scenes, as well as the archery tournament. Jack Warner and producer Hal Wallis were concerned, however, that their studio's most expensive production until then was missing a much needed dynamic sense of excitement.
Curtiz would film the castle sequences, and re-shoot some of Keighley's scenes, including the balcony love scene between Robin and Marian. The final duel is pure Curtiz, with looming shadows on the castle columns, as Robin and the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne duel down stone stairs and throughout a good portion of Nottingham Castle, it appears. Basil Rathbone, who had taken up foiling as a hobby, and Errol Flynn, an athlete who knew how to look good, did their own stunt work in this memorable sequence.
In spite of the fact that Robin Hood had two directors, their scenes blend seamlessly with one another to create one of the great motion picture adventure classics.
*Four Daughters (1938)*
Based on a Fannie Hurst short story, this sentimental soaper is distinguished by Curtiz's smooth direction of a solid cast of actors. Highlight of the film is John Garfield's supporting performance as the brooding outsider unable to fit into the cozy family circle of the Lemp family. Garfield worked well with the director, in a role that would bring him stardom as well as a supporting actor Oscar nomination. Most memorable is his scene at the piano in which he talks about "the fates." It's the realism of Garfield's brooding performance that compensates for the too-perfect-to-be-true wholesomeness of the Lemp family.
*Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)*
One of the most famous '30s gangster sagas, the familiar story line of two boyhood pals, one becoming a priest, the other a hood, is brought to life by Curtiz's direction and a high-powered cast.
The film opens with a truly magnificent crane shot of a New York City street, slowly scanning the tops of tenement housing, with laundry hanging on the various balconies, before the camera tracks down to street level where you see horse drawn carts and a multitude of people interacting. It's a glorious detail-crammed set (art director Robert Haas' work is breath taking) that they must have worked on for a week to get just right. It's a continuous 30 second shot, with no edits, and it's a perfect illustration of the kind of dynamics that Curtiz and cameraman Sol Polito could bring to a production.
James Cagney in one of his most charismatic performances has great screen rapport with the rambunctious Dead End Kids, even though he didn't get along well with them on the set. This remains the most famous of Cagney's frequent screen pairings with off screen friend Pat O'Brien, and the film proved to be the start of greater things to come for Ann Sheridan.
The film's most famous sequence, of course, comes when Cagney takes his legendary last mile walk to the electric chair. Curtiz is in full control of this sequence, with the slow tempo of the walk, the priest pleading with his gangster friend to fake cowardice for the sake of the delinquent kids idolizing him who he wants to be disillusioned, the look of pure defiance on Cagney's face in a memorable closeup as he faces the executioner, followed by his sudden change in character.
Cagney would receive the New York Film Critics award as the year's best actor, as well as an Oscar nomination. Curtiz would receive a best director nomination for this film, as well as Four Daughters this year, losing to Frank Capra in You Can't Take It With You.
*Dodge City (1939)*
Again, it was Curtiz that was put in charge of production when Warners decided to cash in upon the return of the western to the screen. If the story is simple minded, the director still brings a sweeping sense of large-than-life dramatics to the production. Along with the opening stagecoach and train race, Curtiz shows great enthusiasm with a cattle stampede, as well as one of the most lavish saloon brawls in screen history, a virtual stunt man's paradise, with bottle smashing and tables crumbling, to be used as partial stock footage in countless other westerns for years to come. This was a Curtiz tour de force action sequence. The first of Curtiz' three westerns with Errol Flynn, it would be a big hit at the 1939 box office.
*Sea Hawk (1940)*
Curtiz is at the peak of his powers in this Warners effort to provide Errol Flynn with an even more elaborate follow-up of a sea faring nature to the film in which the same director had guided him to stardom. Erich Wolfgang Korngold compliments the film with one of the great musical scores of his career, as Flynn plays Geoffrey Thorpe, an English privateer combating the Spanish, on the high seas as well as in Panamanian jungles.
While the film may suffer from the the cold and stiff Brenda Marshall as leading lady (Olivia de Havilland refused to appear) it benefits from the at-times stunning beauty of Sol Polito's black-and-white photography of Anton Grot's magnificent sets. Just looking at the composition of the shot in which an Indian watches from the Panamanian shore as Thorpe's ship, the Albatross, sails into view is just one of many visual delights to be found in this adventure film that is guaranteed to bring out the excitement of a child in many adult viewers.
If the final duel between Flynn and a spectacularly unathletic Henry Daniel seems too Robin Hood-derived and a little anti-climactic, it is a relatively minor flaw in a swashbuckling jewel of a film. At a time when Hitler was conquering nations in Europe, the film's dialogue references to fighting Spanish tyranny had unmistakable overtones to 1940 newspaper headlines. This was one of Winston Churchill's two favourite films, along with That Hamilton Woman.
*Sea Wolf (1941)*
Bristling adaption of Jack London's sea adventure, a tale of tyranny on board a ship run by the sadistic Wolf Larsen. Curtiz is again at the peak of his powers in presenting this highly stylized and dramatic adventure, further benefiting from outstanding performances from a superior cast. Edward G. Robinson has one of the highlight roles of his career as Larsen, a brute who enjoys inflicting pain on his shipmate subordinates. There is a complexity to the performance, however, as he is also a sadist clearly in possession of a strong intellect. The script turns his character a symbol of fascism. Curtiz and favourite cinematographer Sol Polito make sure that the camera never stopped swaying, always reminding the audience that the film is set aboard a ship.
*Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)*
Legendary wartime flag waver, an old fashioned tribute to song-and-dance man George M. Cohan. After off screen accusations of Communism were levelled against James Cagney, the actor decided to make a film to demonstrate his unbridled American patriotism. Allowing him the opportunity to fully demonstrate the joy he felt with his dancing abilities, this film represents the heart of Cagney far more than any of his tough guy roles ever did. Cagney would win an Academy Award for the one film in his career that, far above any other, he would have most liked placed in a time capsule.
*Casablanca (1943)*
The most famous black-and-white film ever made, an assembly line product from Warners in which all ingredients coalesce into one of the most satisfying film "entertainments" ever produced. Curtiz received his sole Oscar for his masterful orchestration, along with producer Hal Wallis, of this romance in an exotic setting, mixed with wartime propaganda. Great dialogue by the Epstein brothers ("You despise me, don't you, Rick?" Peter Lorre at one point asks, to which Bogart sardonically replies, "If I gave you any thought, I probably would") brings a sparkle to the cliche proceedings, and a never ending source of joy upon repeat viewings.
That Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman would work as well as they do as a screen team seems a small miracle, but this is also the film in which Curtiz helps Bogie soften his screen image and be viewed for the first time as a credible screen romantic. There is also the delicious joy of watching Claude Rains as the corrupt police official who has a special rapport with the cynical saloon keeper and anti-hero of this tale.
A film of many legends, not the least of which is its most famous line of dialogue which never actually occurred in the film - "Play it again, Sam."
*Mildred Pierce (1945)*
Curtiz at another dramatic peak. Melodrama, with a soap opera edge, in true Warners tradition, mixed with the darkness of film noir. This adaption of James M. Cain marked Joan Crawford's first film at Warners and, under Curtiz's guidance (initially the director did not want her in the production) she would win (deservedly so) her one Oscar.
Terrific supporting performances from Zachory Scott (probably the peak of his career as an effete smooth talking scoundrel), Jack Carson and Ann Blyth as Mildred's daughter, of whom Eve Arden memorably says, "Now I know why alligators eat their young." Beautifully, moodily photographed, this film holds up well upon repeat viewings. But then, can't that he said for all the Curtiz films previously listed? Somehow, though, with only a couple of exceptions worth mentioning, the best of Curtiz's career seemed to end with this film.
*Life With Father (1947)*
Handsome Warners adaption of the long running Broadway smash hit, and Curtiz's most successful film comedy. William Powell excels in an Oscar nominated performance as the domineering head of a turn-of-the-century household. Warners was a studio whose comedies were rarely originally written directly for the screen but were, instead, adaptions of stage properties. This is one of the most famous illustrations.
*Young Man With A Horn (1950)*
Curtiz returned to form with this insightful exploration into the soul of jazz, based on the tragic life of cornet player Bix Beiderbecke. Kirk Douglas, fresh from his stardom in Champion, has a perfect intensity in the lead role, faking his horn playing expertly to the off screen accompaniment of Harry James. Impressive on location photography in New York City adds to the authenticity of the film, along with the screen presences of former Beiderbecke friend Hoagy Carmichael, and Doris Day, with her rendition of the big band sound.
*Breaking Point (1950)*
Warner Brothers' second screen adaption of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not with superior character development to the earlier, more famous Hawks-Bogart version. Curtiz helps to explore relationships with a surprising depth that makes for a memorable film experience in the last great film of the director's career. John Garfield, perfectly cast in the role of a fishing boat skipper down on his luck who decides to do business with gangsters, delivers a heart-wrenching performance. Under Curtiz' surprisingly sensitive direction (perhaps the old task master was softening a little in his later years) Garfield brings an even greater vulnerability to his tough guy characterization than before.
Curtiz keeps things moving and when the film has action, at both a racetrack robbery and on board a boat, it is explosive. Above all, though, emotional involvement comes from the viewer's concern for the characters. A truly excellent supporting cast, with special mention going to Juano Hernandez as Garfield's boat mate, as well as the two actresses in the film, Patricia Neal and Phyllis Thaxter. Hemingway considered this the best screen adaption of any of his works.
Following the Breaking Point, the 1950s would, unfortunately, see a decline in the quality of Curtiz's work. He would leave Warners to freelance but his best years as a director were clearly behind him. He would, however, make one more film worth mentioning.
*Proud Rebel (1958)*
A sensitive, character-driven western about a Civil War veteran and his mute son travelling through the west, settling to help a ranch woman. Alan Ladd delivers one of his best performances but it's his real life son, David, that steals the film with a winning performance. The scene in which the father breaks the news to his son that he had to sell the boy's dog is an emotional highlight in the production. This film would be Olivia de Havilland's first with Curtiz in 18 years. Cancer would claim Michael Curtiz four years later.
Michael Curtiz (1886-1962)
Tom, thanks for another heartfelt and informative reprt on a great figure from classic Hollywood, on a par with others you did for Raoul Walsh and Errol Flynn. Like Walsh, Curtiz was one of the all-time great directors to have come out of Hollywood, with a long and varied career. But just one oversight....
*It was a studio known for its melodramas and costume adventures, and that was Michael Curtiz.*
You're forgetting their gangster films/crime melodramas that helped codify the studio's image and required the male stars they groomed.
Lori3
WOW Tom, again an extremely informative and very well written thread. I have said it before and I will say it again, you are a real blessing to these message boards. I am sure I am not the only one who appreciates that you that the time to write such great "articles" on the greats of the Golden Age of Hollywood. And you provide us also with such wonderful photos too, which further enhances our reading pleasure.
You wrote during the filming of "The Charge of the Light Brigade," the use of "the running W, " resulted in the cruel death of many of the horses used in the charge sequence. Flynn would report the barbaric treatment of the horses to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. My admiration for Mr.Flynn has increased even more. Anyone who takes action to prevent the cruelty of animals is a special person in my books. God Bless Flynn for reporting that cruel practice.
Thank you again Tom. I always look forward to reading your threads.
You're right, Arturo. In my mind I was lumping gangster films in with melodramas when I wrote that but I shouldn't have. I should have specifically mentioned crime films as a hallmark of Warners, as well. And Curtiz' films included a couple of those, including one of the best, Angels with Dirty Faces.
Thanks very much for your kind words, Lori. I really appreciate the fact that you enjoyed it.
I've long been an admirer of Curtiz' work, and have thought that he, like Raoul Walsh, has never been fully appreciated for his contributions to the movies that we love.
dpompper
Lovely work, Tom.
I suppose if one were to tally patterns among my DVD library, there'd be a preponderance of Curtiz films second only to Hitchcock. I think that means something.
princessananka
Wow, TomJH, what an absolutely stunning essay you've written on the marvelous and often overlooked director, Michael Curtiz!
I've certainly noted his credit as "Director" over the decades when I've watched a great movie. CASABLANCA is the main masterpiece I've enjoyed countless times but as a horror fan, his two Technicolor efforts, MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and DR. X, really made me appreciate his brilliant work. This man could do ANYTHING!
Nearly forgot, he also made another all-time classic, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY. The whole movie just brims with energy and freshness (especially in the stage numbers) and dynamic vitality.
Thanks again for providing us with a brilliantly lucid appraisal of this true movie legend.
Thank you, princessananka, for your very gracious comments.
Since you're a horror fan, I assuming that you're also familiar with another horror film that Curtiz directed for Warners, The Walking Dead. It occasionally turns up on TCM, and I feel is quite effective.
Thanks, Tom, for reminding me of THE WALKING DEAD, which I haven't seen for a long time. That's another Curtiz movie I've jotted down on my list of other films of his that I need to watch again--thanks to your marvelously detailed essay.
And, how could I forget MILDRED PIERCE, another bona fide classic. In pictures of Curtiz and star Joan Crawford, they appear to be smiling and friendly, which makes me wonder how much is true that he was a sadist to her and mocked her "big movie star" airs? If he could reportedly call Bette Davis a "No good-for-nothing, sonofabitching *****" on CABIN IN THE COTTON, it makes it possible to think he would do the same to Crawford. Do you have any info on the Curtiz-Crawford relationship?
Once more, your scholarship on Curtiz is amazing. When did you first notice his genius?
Tom, just to keep your wonderful thread on Curtiz going here I thought I would add a couple of pieces of trivia here regarding two of Curtiz's films. (Probably you and others know this already if so, sorry..)
First one has to do with the classic "Casablanca." You know right before Rick's band begins to play La Marseillairse, you see Rick (Bogie) nod yes in the direction of the band, and if to say yes go ahead and play it. Well, I guess Curtiz just needed a shot of Bogie nodding his head yes. So Curtiz said to Bogie, "Look over that way and just nod your head for a yes." Bogie asked, "Why am I nodding my head yes?" To which an angry Curtiz said "You actors you have to have a reason for everything you do. Just do it."
Another piece of trivia regarding Curtiz is in regards to the film "The Breaking Point." I guess there was a scene where Garfield took a rather long pause before he said his next lines. Curtiz getting frustrated yelled cut, then yelled at Garfield for not knowing his lines. Garfield replied, "I know my lines, I was just acting!"
Edited by: Lori3 on Oct 6, 2012 7:00 PM
LiamCasey
Last week: Raoul Walsh. This week: Michael Curtiz. TomJH, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
SansFin
His movies which are liked so much that we have them in our collection are:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
British Agent (1934)
Captain Blood (1935)
The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)
Doctor X (1932)
Female (1933)
Four's A Crowd (1938)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
The Key (1934)
The Lady Takes A Sailor (1949)
The Man In The Net (1959)
The Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933)
Trouble Along the Way (1953)
The Unsuspected (1947)
Dothery
I like his output. Paul Henreid, however, talks in his autobiography about how he and the other stars had to set him straight about appropriate behavior on the set of Casablanca. He was good with the stars, but was guilty of bullying lesser players who couldn't fight back, loudly and at length. They warned him once that they would walk off the picture if he kept it up. He did it again and they left, arm in arm, Bogart, Henreid, Lorre and Greenstreet. He apologized and didn't do it again.
They also played a very dirty trick on him later by wiring his office for sound. But that's another story.
princessananka, I'm afraid that I'm not the one to ask about the kind of relations that existed between Crawford and Curtiz. I found a reputed Crawford quote on one Crawford website about the director, though:
Mike Curtiz was a totally different director. Not subtle, not at all; he wanted scenes to come off like fireworks, and they did but he was smart enough to make the scenes believable. Confrontation was his big thing - not very subtle, but can you image Mildred Pierce without those very dramatic confrontations? No Oscar, baby.
http://www.joancrawfordbest.com/c.htm
I provided you with the link for that quote because we are all victims of a ton of misinformation on the internet. Still, the quote's description of Curtiz sure sounds like the man's personality, doesn't it?
One of the "facts" about Curtiz that seems to circulate throughout large parts of the internet was that he was briefly married to Lil Damita during the '20s, the French actress who later became Mrs. Errol Flynn. Even Robert Osborne repeated this "fact" a few months ago when introducing a Damita film on TCM.
Yet I have never seen any kind of documentary evidence to prove that the statement is true. Nor do I know of a single statement ever uttered by Curtiz, Damita or Flynn in even passing reference to the "marriage." Think about it. Flynn despised Curtiz as a man (even though they had a highly fruitful professional relationship). But when he wrote his autobiography he said nothing about the director he had worked with twelve times ever being married (ironically) to his first wife. Does that make sense to you?
Well, it certainly doesn't to me. The Curtiz-Damita "marriage" is a perfect illustration, I suspect, of how we can all fall victim to believing a tale as long we we don't really think to question the source of the story. And that applies our own Robert Osborne and the TCM researchers, it would appear.
Lili Damita was once . . . Mrs. Michael Curtiz?
I don't believe it for a nanosecond.
As for your question about noticing Curtiz's genius, I wouldn't know about that. It was a gradual thing over time for me, recognizing his directorial flourishes in various films and really coming to appreciate them. The first Curtiz film that I loved to watch as a kid was Captain Blood. I simply couldn't get enough of that film (in fact, I still love it) but my initial concentration regarding it was its larger-than-life swashbuckling star. It was later that I started to realize that the making of a star is a collaborative thing (as is everything else in the movies, of course) and that Curtiz as director had one heck of a lot to do with the fact that Errol Flynn came off as well as he did in that star making role.
I think that one of the legitimate criticisms of Curtiz as a director, though, was that he was far more interested in shot compositions and dramatic imagery (at which he truly excelled) than he was in characterizations. That doesn't mean that his films are not marked by some fine performances, including a number of actors who were Oscar nominated. It's just that I think that to Curtiz, who didn't have a particularly high regard for actors on the whole, it seemed to be a matter of secondary importance. (As opposed to, say, Raoul Walsh, with whom I rather suspect actors would have preferred to work).
Yet some of Curtiz's later films, such as the Breaking Point and The Proud Rebel, do have a certain sensitivity that may be lacking in the best of his early work. I sometimes wonder if Iron Mike became a little more human as the years rolled by (just a guess on my part; I've never read anything to indicate that actors later found him to be any kind of sweetheart).
I don't know if Curtiz was responsible for the final shot in The Breaking Point. Whoever it was (and I would give credit to the director until I hear otherwise), deserves credit for one of the more poignant endings that I've seen. And that's really not typical Curtiz, is it? Drama, excitement, yes, but not usually great sensitivity. That's why I wonder if by the time he directed that film in 1950 he might not have been mellowing a bit and turning, as I said, a little more human, rather than that screaming, hard driving drama king that he was previously.
By the way, if you haven't managed to see the Breaking Point yet, I can't recommend the film to you enough. Curtiz's last masterpiece, in my opinion.
Thanks very much, Lori, for sharing those anecdotes about Curtiz.
Somewhere (and I apologize here because I can't recall the source) I read that on one of the Curtiz film sets there was a girl who was known for giving her time and favours to just about anyone that wanted them. Apparently Errol Flynn knew that Curtiz was among those that had availed himself of this girl's generosity.
With that in mind Flynn then set up the director by telling him that one of the stage hands, or whoever, had caught a veneral disease from one of the girls in the studio. Apparently Curtiz's reaction to the news was, to the effect, "Serves him right, the bum!" When Flynn then mentioned the name of the girl, Curtiz apparently turned pale and rushed off the set.
And Michael Curtiz said that Errol Flynn was no actor!
With the various tales about Curtiz's mangling of the English language, my favourite comes from the set of The Charge of the Light Brigade. The following is from Bring on the Empty Horses, from one of the greatest raconteurs that Hollywood ever had, David Niven:
Mike Curtiz was the director of The Charge and his Hungarian-accented English was a joy to us all. High on a rostrum he decided that the right moment had come to order the arrival on the scene of a hundred head of riderless chargers. "Okay," he yelled into a megaphone, "Bring on the empty horses!"
Flynn and I doubled up with laughter. "You lousy bums," Curtiz shouted, "you and your stinking language . . . you think I know f--k nothing . . . well, let me tell you, I know F--K ALL!"
He and Robert Wise are the only directors which come to mind when I think of high quality and enjoyable movies in a wide variety of genres.
ValentineXavier
LocationAnn Arbor, MI
Whenever I see that a film was directed by Michael Curtiz, if I haven't seen it, I definitely want to see it. If I have seen it, I probably want to watch it again. *Captain Blood* is my very favorite.l
Tom wrote: "I think that one of the legitimate criticisms of Curtiz as a director, though, was that he was far more interested in shot compositions and dramatic imagery (at which he truly excelled) than he was in characterizations. That doesn't mean that his films are not marked by some fine performances, including a number of actors who were Oscar nominated."
Tom I think you are absolutely right in that with a lot of Curtiz's films it is not only the performance of the actors that is in important but, it was how Curtiz handled the "shots or set-ups" of his actors that brought a lot of emotion and believability to his films.
He uses beautiful close-ups of Bogie and Ingrid when they first see each other in "Rick's Place" in "Casablanca" showing the true their love they still had for each other.
He very wisely I believe, always keeps Garfield's character Mickey Borden in "Four Daughters" in the back-ground (e.g. not socializing with the group) at the birthday party and Christmas gathering scenes. This I believes helps the audience realize even more clearly that Mickey Borden really does not belong or fit in with this perfect WASP type of a family. And then the scene when Mickey finally faces the fact that he does not belong in this family and Felix should have married Ann, the close-up on Garfield's face is heartbreaking, to me at least.
At the end of "Angels With Dirty Faces" yes we do see a close up of Cagney's defiant face as he walks towards the chair, but soon all we see are hands holding on the objects, to prevent being put in the chair and he hear only Cagney's voice, "I don't want to die, please I don't want to die." The audience is left with trying to figure out is Cagney's character doing this as a favor to his priest friend or is he really a coward after all.
And of course the last scene in The Breaking Point where the audience is left seeing this little boy alone on he dock, looking for his father not knowing what happened to him is so heartbreaking.
I just find it very interesting that although Curtiz by all accounts was a very difficult and even at times a "mean" director to work with, he still must have had within him some type of caring or sensitivity to allow him to come up with such emotional "shots" or camera set-ups. He also was, when the scene called for it, able to get very moving and believable performances from the actors he worked with. So maybe he really wasn't't as tough as he let people believe he was.
Edited by: Lori3 on Oct 7, 2012 2:40 AM
Lori, you really have been studying your Curtiz films.
Thanks very much for your very perceptive analysis of how the director could convey the emotional feelings of his film characters by his own camera setups, rather than relying upon the actor's performance.
And I also agree with you, just looking at that final shot in The Breaking Point alone, that there must, indeed, have been some sensitivity in Curtiz that the tales of him on the set rampaging and screaming do not reflect. Jeffrey Lynn had an anecdote of how the tears ran down Curtiz's face when he told the cast of how he wanted a particular scene of warmth to play in Four Daughters.
I've also read that Curtiz's weeping can be heard in the background of the scene in Yankee Doodle Dandy in which Walter Huston (as Cohan's father) dies, because he was so moved by James Cagney's performance. I've never listened to the scene myself to see if that is true but that, at least, is the tale (assuming that the existing audio track is sensitive enough to pick up on it).
*The wonderful make believe of the movies*
Years ago (I can't recall the source) I read or heard that when they shot the airport scene for the ending of Casablanca that the plane seen in the background here is actually a very small one because of the limitations of the size of the Warners set on which it was shot. Those people that you see at the plane are actually midgets.
It's a great story that I love. It would be great, though, if someone else could confirm it with a source because I haven't come across any.
SonOfUniversalHorror
> {quote:title=princessananka wrote:}{quote}CASABLANCA is the main masterpiece I've enjoyed countless times but as a horror fan, his two Technicolor efforts, MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and DR. X, really made me appreciate his brilliant work. This man could do ANYTHING!
I agree...I hadn't realize how many of his films I've seen until I read through this thread. I have to say his horror films in the 30's are definitely underlooked and uderrated in favor of his later, more well-known films like *Casablanca* and *Yankee Doodle Dandy* . What I really like in the three horror films described here is the unrelenting atmosphere ...it's a grim mood of death and decay.
*Michael Curtiz and His Shadows*
Curtiz brought with him to Hollywood his German expressionistic influence. He was a director that loved shadows among his often complex visuals on screen. Cinemagoers came to appreciate his shadows, as well.
Here are a handful of examples:
*The Mad Genius (1931)*: a pre-code drug deal
*Captain Blood (1935):* a doctor working on a patient, with the soldiers coming that will alter his life
*Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)* with a sense of the exotic
*Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)* theatrical drama
*Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)* with accompanying cries of anguish
*Sea Hawk (1940)* world-conquering ambition
"One day this will no longer be a map of the world. It will be a map of Spain," proclaims King Philip at the film's beginning, the implication being that for 1940 movie goers there was now another shadow looming over the world.
clore
LocationSitting in front of the PC or TV
I forget which book I have that noted that, but it also claimed that the prop plane was actually made of cardboard.
Shadows...
There's a lot of them seen in his horror films. Great stuff.
Thanks, clore, for that bit of additional news regarding that Casablanca plane. Do you mean that Ilsa and Victor didn't even get away?


The Terms and Conditions govern your use of this website SimplySellBooks.co.uk. Please ensure you have read and fully understood these terms before completing a trade with us. Using this website implies you accept these terms.
We may from time to time update these terms depending on changes to our website so please refer back to them from time to time.
1.1 You will be able to access the majority of this Website without having to register any details with us. However, you will not be able to complete a trade without first registering.
4.2 When using this website you shall not post or send to or from this Website any material: a. for which you have not obtained all necessary consents; b. that is discriminatory, obscene, pornographic, defamatory, liable to incite racial hatred, in breach of confidentiality or privacy, which may cause annoyance or inconvenience to others, which encourages or constitutes conduct that would be deemed a criminal offence, give rise to a civil liability, or otherwise is contrary to the law in the United Kingdom; c. which is harmful in nature including, and without limitation, computer viruses, Trojan horses, corrupted data, or other potentially harmful software or data.
5.2 If you would like to link to this Website, you may only do so on the basis that you link to, but do not replicate, any page on this Website, and subject to the following conditions: a. you do not in any way imply that we are endorsing any services or products unless this has been specifically agreed with us; b. you do not misrepresent your relationship with us or present any false information about us; c. you do not link from a website that is not owned by you; and d. your website does not contain content that is offensive, controversial, infringes any intellectual property rights or other rights of any other person or does not comply in any way with the law in the United Kingdom.
•We only accept trades from the UK.
•A Barcode entered must be the barcode on the item itself.
•Books must be in Good condition, free from damp, tearing, or excessive notes or writing.
•Any books which originally included CDs, or DVDs or other accessories MUST include these extras otherwise they will be rejected upon receipt.
•All disc media must have the original cases, packaging and inserts and these must be in good condition.
•Any disc media may have light scratches, but NOT have any deep scratches, cracks or dents in them.
1. You must be based in the United Kingdom to trade with us.
2. You are at least 18 years of age. If you are younger than 18 years of age you must have the consent of your parent or guardian to sell your books to us.
4. You must be either the owner of the books submitted, or be acting as a permitted agent of the owner of the books.
5. If books are rejected due to not satisfying our condition guidelines, we will either return them to you by deducting the cost of postage from your final payment, or recycle them on your behalf. We will contact you in such cases and wait 3 working days for a response, if we do not receive a response you will not receive the book back, it will be recycled.
6. Once books have been dispatched to our warehouse you will be unable to cancel the transaction.
7. SimplySellBooks.co.uk is intended to be used by private individuals selling their personal collections of goods. SimplySellBooks.co.uk is NOT intended for, nor has it been developed for use by businesses, organisations, cooperatives or traders (whether sole, market or otherwise) who wish to sell single or multiple copies of the same book. However Businesses, charities, schools or other organisations should contact SimplySellBooks.co.uk 's for a more suitable service by emailing support@SimplySellBooks.co.uk or on our Contact Us page and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements. Any use of SimplySellBooks.co.uk by businesses, organisations, cooperatives or traders (whether sole, market or otherwise) or customers suspected to be selling books not from a personal collection, that are not authorised in writing by SimplySellBooks.co.uk may result in these accounts being blocked/barred. In such a case the customer can organize a collection at their own cost or collect directly from us on an appointed time to receive back their books. A business, organisation, co-operative, trader (whether sole, market or otherwise) or any other commercial or collective entity will be defined as such solely at the discretion of SimplySellBooks.co.uk ; and by processing your order, you are confirming that you are selling your books as an individual and not as part of any business/commercial activity.
8. Only one account is permitted per customer. We reserve the right to block/bar any/all accounts linked to a customer who we believe is responsible for holding multiple accounts with SimplySellBooks.co.uk . We also reserve the right to cancel/refuse any pending payments and revoke any offers of payment previously made to the accounts in question. Any goods that are received by SimplySellBooks.co.uk from one of multiple accounts held by the same customer may be automatically rejected and recycled without warning being given to any additional parties.
9. We reserve the right to reject repeat transactions made by the same customer which contain some/all of the same books that have been traded in previous transactions. In such cases the customer will be notified by email and have the opportunity to organize a collection from our warehouse at the customers own cost however only after the customer has paid the amount for the original postage cost incurred on our side to receive the books.
Once you have accepted your sale of books, the prices quoted are guaranteed for 10 working days. If your books are received after 10 working days of you sale completion, we may update the price. The prices offered at that point will be consistent with our search function so can be verified by the customer. In such cases you will be notified before payment.
Parcels may take between 3-5 working days to reach our warehouse. They may then take a further three working days to be processed. Although most customers will receive their payment within 7 days of us receiving your package(s), please allow up to 14 days to receive your payment from the day you despatch your books to us. You will be updated at every relevant stage of the process via email, and additionally you can log into your account to view status updates.
SimplySellBooks.co.uk takes no responsibility for damaged, or lost books sent via the courier. Your parcel will be insured for the value of upto £50.
*Unfortunately we cannot offer free postage to customers outside of mainland United Kingdom due to the higher courier costs.
Please see our Packaging Guidelines for clear information on how to package your books.
We recommend you use as few parcels as possible, as this will speed up the time it takes to receive and process your books at our warehouse, and ensure you get your payment as quickly as possible. All valuations include VAT (or other applicable tax) at the prevailing rate.
SimplySellBooks.co.uk is a service that has been created to serve the needs of the general public and not for individuals or businesses who would like to sell multiple copies of the same item. We have a limit of one copy of a given books per customer.
Only one account is permitted per customer/address.
Any businesses, schools or charities who wish to offer us books in bulk please contact us directly. In no event shall SimplySellBooks.co.uk 's liability, either jointly or severally, exceed £100. SimplySellBooks.co.uk however does not limit its liability for death and personal injury resulting from its negligence.
The user agrees to indemnify and hold SimplySellBooks.co.uk, its affiliates, officers, and employees harmless from any claim, demand, expense, or damage, (including reasonable legal fees) relating to your breach of these Trade Conditions and your posting of any material on this site.


The ultimate bridge scorepad holders made from soft leather in either burgundy red or rich blue. The covers of these leather scorepad holders are embossed with the card suit symbols. This set of four scorepad holders makes a wonderful gift. Select the colour you prefer.


Taking business to apex of success we are engaged as manufacturer, supplier and exporter of a precision range of Hydraulic Car Jacks in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The offered hydraulic car jacks are made in sturdy and ergonomic design. Can lift the car safely. Available in best price.
15YR S.P. AIR TOOLS PVT. LTD.
1YR PRESSURE JET SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.
2YR PAVAN MACHINE TOOLS & SERVICES INDIA (P) LTD.
We are one of the leading manufacturer and supplier of superior quality Workshop Tools. These Workshop Tools are good demand in the market due to high quality and durability. These products are available in market at competitive rates.


It is a fact that money is often in our thoughts, but it doesn't have to become a nightmare, especially when you are studying abroad! Being away from parents and family can be financially challenging but you will learn many important lessons about managing your money and resources.
Hotcourses Abroad wants to show you that saving money whilst you are an international student can be FUN! With practical and effective ways you will be able to save a few bucks and enjoy your student experience to the max.
Electricity bills can be very costly and we often take access to it for granted. Get into the habit of wasting energy and your money will easily slip through your fingers like water. According to our sources, one New York student spent 8 months sleeping in the library because he couldn't afford housing! He used the library's bathrooms and showered at friends' places.
This could be an extreme case, but it is a great example of how you could save some energy at home: Spending more time in the library studying and using its electricity supplies will help you save on household electricity bills. You have access to all facilities, internet connection and other academic resources you need.
Just make sure you define a clear line between your study time and your relax time and leave the library for some leisure every now and again!
Food prices in popular study destinations can be higher than you think. That's why sharing a home-made meal with friends can save you money, whilst you practice some of your granny's most successful recipes. Remember to keep a balanced diet and help your friends to keep it too. Researchers have found that your mates can be very influential in your eating habits. For example, eating with mates with a huge appetite may persuade you to consume more than you need and vice versa.
Did you know that 1 minute of shower time equals to 150 gallons of water? This entails not only a great cost for your pocket but for the rest of the planet. Try new and efficient ways to keep nice and clean without a lengthy shower every morning. Establish your personal 'shower record time' and try to beat it every day. You will see how easily you will start to keep a few bucks in the pouch.
The fact that some people have chosen not to have a cell phone is almost unthinkable for some of us. But after our findings show that people spend more than $1,300 a year on phone bills, you start to understand why people refrain from it. Either as a pay-as-you-go option or monthly payments, make sure you choose the option that benefits you the most. Or, you might also consider borrowing your friend's phone for important calls and do something nice for them in exchange.
Working part-time in a restaurant or café is a popular option among international students. You will not only have access to cash to cover your basic needs, but you can also get some food at work! On average, students spend £2,000 a year on food costs. Working in a restaurant will help you save a few bucks, just remember to treat yourself to something different every now and again.
We are all young and want to have fun! However, be wise on how you spend your money. Sources revealed that we waste more than £445 a year on impulse buys, and about £335 a year on entertainment! To save money whilst you have the best time ever you should look out for good deals or discounts; always carry your student ID card, browse the internet for vouchers and refrain yourself from getting unnecessary stuff!
Welcome to the vintage era! Buying and/or selling second hand items at a cheaper price or to get rid of things you do not want in exchange of money are great ways to save money and have an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. In the UK, 1.2m tonnes of shoes and clothes are being thrown away every year, what a waste!
Try to visit shops or trustworthy websites were you can buy second hand items and make sure they are of good quality: second hand doesn't necessarily mean faulty.
Play it smart with scholarships! Being an A* student can also pay off. Students with excellent academic results and good performance in all areas of university life can have great advantage at scholarships applications. Some of the options available are full scholarships or you can apply for small bursaries to help you with your daily expenses.


EXCITEMENT is mounting after a fantastic week for the Help Toby Run With His Friends Campaign.
Parents Ian and Jess Booker hope to top the £10,000 mark by the end of the month, thanks to some big donations.
Cllr Mrs Warr, this year's Bognor Regis town mayor, has made the campaign her good cause, having read about it in the Observer.
Jess continued: "The BBC South Today programme contacted us last Friday wanting to do a story on Toby and came over on Saturday to film Toby in the garden and interview me and Ian.
Ian Booker added that after the programme aired last Sunday, one anonymous donor had donated £1,000, which had surprised and delighted the family.
Readers also continue to be generous, with several cheques arriving at the office at City Gates, 2-4 Southgate, Chichester.
The family, of Havelock Road, Bognor Regis, are raising money for a life-changing selective dorsal rhizotomy operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which will cost £40,000.
Six-year-old Toby, Ian and Jess's eldest son, has cerebral palsy and has to wear splints. The operation and the intensive physiotherapy aftercare will enable him to 'be one of the boys' and keep up with his friends better.
SDR is not a cure for cerebral palsy. Reduction in spasticity is immediately apparent after the procedure but it takes time for the strength in the legs to return. Through the physiotherapy programme, Toby will learn to use his body in a new way.
Jess, a teacher at Funtington Primary School, said one of her pupils was organising a jumble sale for the appeal.
It will be held at West Ashling Village Hall on Saturday, from 2pm to 4pm. There will be refreshments, a cake sale and a Me to You sale, plus lots more.
Also on Saturday is a Talent Show at Jubilee Hall, Elmer Road, Bognor Regis, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.
Tim Wagter is putting together an exciting night of entertainment.
The talent show is designed for those age eight to 16, who can go along perform a pre-prepared act for a £5 entry fee. Tickets to watch the talent show are £2 each.
Contact Sally Wagter on 07963 431405 for more information about performing or to buy tickets.
Support is also coming from the Worthing area, where Ian is a Scout leader at 2nd Worthing.
A fundraising coffee morning and toy sale, called Toby's Market, will be held at St John the Divine Church, on the corner of Elm Grove and Ripley Road, Worthing, on June 27, from 10.30am to 1pm.


text:
Q: Send wav files through socket I am trying to send a wav file through a socket.
I get the error:
TypeError: must be string or buffer, not instance

waveFile = wave.open(WAVE_OUTPUT_FILENAME, 'rb')
my_socket.sendall(waveFile)

A: The wave doesn't give you general file I/O. It is used for getting media properties.
You could use just normal open/close, read/write.
sender.py:
import socket

(HOST,PORT)=('localhost',19123)
s=socket.socket(socket.AF_INET,socket.SOCK_STREAM); s.connect((HOST,PORT))

with open('input', 'rb') as f:
  for l in f: s.sendall(l)
s.close()

receiver.py:
import socket

(HOST,PORT) = ('localhost',19123)
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.bind((HOST, PORT)); s.listen(1); conn, addr = s.accept()

with open('output','wb') as f:
  while True:
    l = conn.recv(1024)
    if not l: break
    f.write(l)
s.close()

A: Try socket.sendfile(file, offset=0, count=None).

Send a file until EOF is reached by using high-performance os.sendfile …

And you don't want to open the file with wave.open(...) as you are sending raw binary data.
So you would do:
with open(WAVE_OUTPUT_FILENAME, 'rb') as wave_file:
    my_socket.sendfile(wave_file)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Here is a new and very interesting Zeus presented to your attention.
Zeus is a cool and exciting slot game from the WMS (Williams Interactive) games provider. This game makes it possible to win a 500 with ease because of 30 paylines.
And if you are still wondering whether there is an autoplay option in Zeus, our answer is – yes.
The game can turn off and I felt it straight away. It did not pay out in 20 or 30 spins and I stopped playing it. I had such a great experience with it and I don't want to ruin it. My rating 9 out of 10.
Although the "Zeus" slot is quite simple and has an average look, I liked it more than many other average slots. And I will tell you why. Many slots advertise a 95-97 % return, but the player can get from them in the first few hundred spins at most an average of 75-80 % of all that he has invested. There are even disastrous cases when in the best scenario after the first 100 spins one sees that that the return was about 50 %. One needs to play too many spins to reach the announced return plus one cannot be sure that he will make up for the losses. I also know that the same slot played in different casinos lead to completely different results. Each casino has its way to tweak the results of the same slot. Maybe it is because of the casino where I played this slot (Maria casino), but to me this slot most of the time gave and only on few occasions took me money, and so after the first 300 spins (or about 100 Euro gambled) I arrived exactly the announced 97% return (that is, the loss was 3 Euro) and I always found myself here having something extra from the starting amount, up to a maximum of up to 17 Euro. When after the first 5 spins I had 3 Euro extra I was very surprised.Here the total bet is 30 cents/30 paylines and all minor symbols pay about as the bet (about 20 cents) for 3 pieces, while the major symbols bring significant wins. Although the symbols are not different and all are drawn from the ancient Greek legends, somehow you realize which are the minor symbols (the crown and the coins), because of their less significance in the ancient times. The only times when you are losing are several series of more than 5 unsuccessful spins because otherwise you will be pleasantly impressed by constant payouts of 40 cents -1.5 Euro. The slot is not spectacular, you will never get overly rich from here, but at least I prefer to have a small earning growing steadily over time, than scarce and unreliable big wins. In fact, the slot has become increasingly stingy only after it gave me a "Big Win" (10 Euro). Regarding how the game is played, the slot is quite simple, the spins are arising in a somehow linear way. The only thrill moments are when the reels fall the stacked Zeus symbols (the only ones that are stacked here) when you know you will win significantly. During Free spins also Wild symbols become stacked and thus the chances of winning increase.Like I said maybe I played this game in a casino that offers somewhat higher wins, but it seemed to me that this simple slot is somehow better than average.


Desmin-related myopathy (DRM) is an autosomally inherited skeletal and cardiac myopathy, mainly caused by dominant mutations in the desmin gene (DES). We describe new families carrying the p.S13F or p.N342D DES mutations, the cardiac phenotype of all carriers, and the founder effects.
We collected the clinical details of all carriers of p.S13F or p.N342D. The founder effects were studied using genealogy and haplotype analysis.
We identified three new index patients carrying the p.S13F mutation and two new families carrying the p.N342D mutation. In total, we summarised the clinical details of 39 p.S13F carriers (eight index patients) and of 21 p.N342D carriers (three index patients). The cardiac phenotype of p.S13F carriers is fully penetrant and severe, characterised by cardiac conduction disease and cardiomyopathy, often with right ventricular involvement. Although muscle weakness is a prominent and presenting symptom in p.N342D carriers, their cardiac phenotype is similar to that of p.S13F carriers. The founder effects of p.S13F and p.N342D were demonstrated by genealogy and haplotype analysis.
DRM may occur as an apparently isolated cardiological disorder. The cardiac phenotypes of the DES founder mutations p.S13F and p.N342D are characterised by cardiac conduction disease and cardiomyopathy, often with right ventricular involvement.