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Alvin Theatre

Alvin Theatre

The Neil Simon Theater, formerly known as the Alvin Theater, is a Broadway theatre located at 250 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York City which has produced many notable musicals and plays. As of 2005, it seats about 1,328 people and is currently owned by the Nederlander Organization. The building was completed in 1927, having been designed by noted theater architecht Herbert J. Krapp. The theater was built for theater producers Alex Aarons and Vinton Freedly, hence its original name ("Al-Vin"). Its first production was George and Ira Gershwin's Funny Face starring Fred and Adele Astaire, which opened on November 22, 1927. Aarons and Freedly lost control of their venue in 1932 due to the Great Depression, but it continued to be used by CBS as a radio studio when there was no running production. In 1975, the Shubert Organization purchased the theater and on June 29, 1983 renamed it the Neil Simon Theater in honor of Neil Simon, the celebrated American playwright. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1985.

Notable world premieres

Among shows that have opened at the Neil Simon over the years are:
- Girl Crazy, 1930 starring Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers
- Anything Goes, 1934 starring Ethel Merman
- Porgy and Bess, 1935
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 1962
- Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead, 1967
- Company, 1970
- Annie, 1977

External links


- [http://www.jimsdeli.com/landmarks/51-59_w/neil-simon-theater.htm Brief history of the Neil Simon Theater] from JimsDeli.com
- [http://www.nytix.com/Links/Broadway/Theaters/neilsimon.html Information] from NYTix.com
- [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/69730.html Article about an expansion of the Neil Simon] from Playbill Category:Broadway theatres

Broadway theatre

::Note on spelling: While most Americans use "er" (as per American spelling conventions), the majority of venues, performers and trade groups for live theatre use "re." ---- Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. Broadway theatre, or a Broadway show, refers to a performance (usually a play or musical) staged in one of the thirty-nine larger professional theatres located in New York City, with 500 seats or more, that appeal to the mass audience. Along with London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is usually considered of the highest quality. West End theatre, 2003]] While the term "Broadway" comes from the street, Broadway, it is best described as a theatre district as not all Broadway theatres are located on this street. With roots in 1882, and expansions and new construction, by the turn of the century Broadway was the center of American theater and fast becoming the most important commercially in the world, enticing European stars such as Sarah Bernhardt. Some of the important early investors and developers of the Broadway theater district include Henry Abbey, A.L. Erlanger, Marcus Klaw, Florenz Ziegfeld, Rudolf Aronson, David Belasco, Charles Frohman, Daniel Frohman, Oscar Hammerstein, and the Shubert family. Today, the majority of Broadway theatres are located in the area called Midtown, in and around Times Square. Broadway theatres are usually run by a producing organization (e.g., Nederlander Organization, The Walt Disney Company, The Shubert Organization, etc.), or another theatre group (e.g., Manhattan Theatre Club, Lincoln Center Theater, et cetera). All Broadway shows are professionally produced and adhere to strict contracts for all artists involved (e.g., performers, directors, musicians, playwrights, stage managers, et cetera). Artistic trade unions such as Actors' Equity, commonly known simply as "Equity," and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers bargain for contracts guaranteeing minimum wages and other rights involved with the rehearsal and production process. On rare occasions, disputes over contracts can result in a group of artists' going on strike. In March 2003, musicians in the orchestra pit of Broadway musicals went on strike because producers wanted to reduce the minimum number of orchestra members required. More than a dozen Broadway musicals went dark for four days after the musicians' union walked out, and theaters lost millions of dollars in revenue. Broadway shows may run for a varying number of weeks, depending on ticket sales. Musicals tend to have longer runs than do stage plays. The longest running show in Broadway history was Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, which closed in 2000 after running for 7,485 performances at the Winter Garden Theater. In addition to long runs in Broadway theatres, producers often copy the production with a new cast and crew for the Broadway Tour, which travels to theatres across the country. Both musicals and stage plays on Broadway and in their respective tours often rely on casting well-known performers in leading roles to draw larger audiences or bring in new audience members to the theatre. Actors from movies and television are frequently cast for the premieres of Broadway shows or are used to replace actors leaving a cast. Many performers, however, are still primarily "stage" actors, who spend more time on the stages of New York and will appear in television and screen roles as a secondary venue. Broadway shows and artists are honored every June when the Antoinette Perry Awards (Tony Awards) are given by the American Theatre Wing. The Tony is Broadway's highest theatre award. The importance of these awards has increased since their annual broadcast on television began. Celebrities are often chosen to host the show, like Hugh Jackman and Rosie O'Donnell, in addition to celebrity presenters. While some critics have felt that the show should focus on celebrating the stage, many others recognize the positive impact that famous faces lend to selling more tickets and bringing more people to the theatre. The performances from Broadway musicals on the telecast have also been cited as vital to the survival of many Broadway shows. Many theatre people, notably critic Frank Rich, dismiss the Tony awards as little more than a commercial for the limited world of Broadway, which after all can only support a maximum of two dozen shows a season, and constantly call for the awards to embrace off-Broadway theatre as well. Seeing a Broadway show is a common tourist activity in New York and a business that generates billions of dollars annually. The Tkts booth in Duffy Square, at Broadway and 47th Street, sells same-day tickets for many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows at half price. This service helps sell empty seats and makes seeing a show in New York more affordable. Many Broadway theatres also offer special student rates, same-day "rush" tickets, or standing-room tickets to help ensure that more people have the opportunity to see Broadways shows. Some theatregoers prefer the more experimental, challenging, and intimate performances possible in smaller theatres, which are referred to as Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway (though some may be physically located on or near Broadway). The classification of theatres is governed by language in Actors' Equity contracts. To be eligible for a Tony, a production must be in a house with 500 seats or more, which pretty much defines the Broadway Theatre. Some theatres (by adding or subtracting seats) can convert from Off-Broadway to Broadway and vice versa.

List of Broadway theaters


- If no show is currently running, the play listed is the next show planned (marked with a
- ).
- If the next show planned is not announced, the play listed is the last one that closed (marked with a #).

See also


- List of Broadway musicals
- Dramatists Guild
- List of notable musical theatre productions
- Musical theater
- West End theatre

External links


- [http://broadwayworld.com/broadwaytheatermap.cfm Map of Broadway shows]
- [http://www.ibdb.com/default.asp Internet Broadway Database (IBDB)]
- [http://www.americantheatrewing.org/ American Theatre Wing]
- [http://www.broadway.org/ The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.]
- [http://www.tcg.org/ Theatre Communications Group]
- [http://www.actorsequity.org Actor's Equity Association]
- [http://www.dramatistsguild.com The Dramatists Guild of America]
- [http://ssdc.org Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers]
- [http://www.afm.org American Federation of Musicians]
- [http://www.costumedesignersguild.com/ Costume Designers Guild]
- [http://www.broadwayarchive.com/ Broadway Theatre Archive]
- [http://webcdi.com/theater/theatre.php Theater or Theatre?]
- [http://www.encoretickets.com/app/Theater_Tickets.asp Broadway Tickets] Category:Broadway

52nd Street (Manhattan)

:For the jazz funk band, see 52nd Street (band). :For the Billy Joel album, see 52nd Street (album). 52nd Street, properly West 52nd Street, is a cross street in Manhattan in the Broadway district known as "the street of jazz", "the street that never sleeps" or, simply, "the street". The blocks of 52nd Street between 5th and 6th avenues were renowned in the mid 20th century for the abundance of jazz clubs and lively street life. The street was convenient to musicians playing on Broadway and the "legitimate" nightclubs and was also the site of a CBS studio. Musicians who played for others in the early evening played for themselves on 52nd Street. In its heyday from 1930 through 1960 52nd Street clubs hosted such jazz legends as Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk and many more. Although musicians from all schools performed there, 52nd Street was central in the development of bebop. Virtually every great jazz player and singer of the era performed at clubs such as Small's Paradise, the Downbeat, the Three Deuces, the Royal Roost, Bop City, and Birdland. Noted jazz disc jockey Symphony Sid frequently did live broadcasts from the street, making it famous across the country. By the late 1950s the jazz scene began moving elsewhere around the city and urban renewal took hold of the street. By the 1960s most of the legendary clubs were razed or fell into disrepair. The last club there closed its doors in 1968. Today, the street is full of banks, shops, and department stores and shows little trace of its jazz history. Category:Streets in Manhattan

Manhattan

:For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). Manhattan (disambiguation) Manhattan refers both to the Island of Manhattan which borders the lower Hudson River, and also to the Borough of Manhattan (one of the five boroughs of New York City), which includes the Island of Manhattan itself, as well as several other smaller islands and a small portion of the mainland (see geography). The borough is conterminous with New York County, and addresses within the borough of Manhattan are typically designated as New York, New York. As of 2000, the population comprised 1,537,195 people, but the county is geographically among the smallest in the United States with only 33 square miles (85 km²) of land. Thus, it is by far the most densely populated county in both the state and the entire United States.

History

United States United States United States The name Manhattan ("hilly island" or possibly "place of intoxication") is from the Algonquian languages of the earliest known inhabitants of the area. Legend has it that the island was purchased from the natives for $24 in beads and other such trinkets. Explorers, however, paid the wrong tribe, who were glad to accept money for an island that wasn't even theirs. The first European discovery of Manhattan is generally credited to English explorer Henry Hudson sailing for the Dutch, who first entered Upper New York Bay on September 11, 1609, and sailing up the lower Hudson River, anchored off the tip of northern Manhattan that night. However, the earlier Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano explored New York harbor in 1524, and a few months later so did the Portuguese Estevan Gomez; the latter also recognized the Hudson River (calling it the Rio de San Antonio), and both, in all likelihood, saw Manhattan island while in New York Harbor. The island was settled by the Dutch in 1613 as a fur trading post founded by Hendrick Christiansen; it must also be mentioned that Jan Rodrigues, the first African-American resident of New York, was among the first settlers. The original Dutch spelling of the island was Mannatthans. Later in 1623 it took the name of New Amsterdam. The Duke of York occupied it in 1664 and according to the Treaty of Breda ending the second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665 to 1667 it was offically recognised as English property (in exchange for the small island of Run in the East Indies). New York County is named in honor of the Duke of York, later to become the Catholic James II of England, after whom the City and State of New York were also named. New York County was an original county of New York State, one of twelve created in 1683. At the time of creation of New York County, its territory consisted of Manhattan Island, and occupied the same area which it occupies today. In 1873, the western portion of the present Bronx County was transferred to New York County, and in 1895 the remainder of the present Bronx County was transferred to New York County. In 1898, when New York City was constituted as five boroughs, the separate boroughs of Manhattan and of the Bronx were formed, though both remained within the single County of New York. In 1914, those parts of the then New York County which had been annexed from Westchester County were constituted the new Bronx County, and New York County was reduced again to its present boundaries. From the latter half of the 1960s through most of the 1970s, Manhattan suffered from urban flight as the middle-class fled to the outer boroughs and suburbs due to an increase in crime. However, as with many other American cities, there was an increase in population growth in the latter part of the century due to a renewed interest in the urban lifestyle, a trend which began in the late 1980s and has continued to present day. It was thought that the September 11, 2001 attacks would initiate a new exodus from the City due to a fear of terrorism, but this has not come to pass.

Geography

terrorism]] The terms "New York County" and the "Borough of Manhattan" refer to the same geographical area, although in former times New York County also included part of today's Borough of The Bronx. As a part of New York City, New York County contains no other political subdivisions. It occupies the whole of Manhattan Island, surrounded by the East River, the Harlem River, and the Hudson River. It also includes some smaller islands, including Roosevelt Island (formerly Welfare Island, and even earlier Blackwell's Island), U Thant Island (officially known as Belmont Island), and a small portion of the North American mainland (Marble Hill) contiguous with The Bronx. Marble Hill was originally part of Manhattan Island; but the Harlem River Ship Canal, dug in the late 19th century to improve navigation on the Harlem River, separated it from the remainder of Manhattan, and eventually the part of the original Harlem River channel separating Marble Hill from the Bronx was filled in. Manhattan Island is 21 km (13 miles) long and 3.7 km (2.3 miles) wide (at its widest point). According to the United States Census Bureau, New York County (the Borough of Manhattan) has a total area of 87.5 km² (33.8 mi²). 59.5 km² (23.0 mi²) of it is land and 28.0 km² (10.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 32.01% water. Manhattan is connected by bridges and tunnels to New Jersey to the west, and three New York City boroughs: the Bronx to the northeast and Brooklyn and Queens on Long Island to the east and south. Its only direct connection with the fifth New York City borough is the Staten Island Ferry, whose terminal is at Battery Park at its southern tip. On May 28 and July 12 the sunset is aligned with the street grid lines, so that the sun is visible at or near the horizon from street level.

Manhattan landmarks

sun sun The Empire State Building, the theater district around Broadway, New York University, Columbia University, the financial center around Wall Street, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Harlem, the American Museum of Natural History, Chinatown, and Central Park are all located on this densely populated island. The phrase "a New York minute" refers to the extremely rapid pace of living in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue bisects Manhattan Island, dividing it into the East and West Sides. These east-west designations are used in latitudinal (east-west) streets (e.g. East 27th Street, West Houston Street). The Manhattan numbering system extends into the western Bronx, using Jerome Avenue as the east-west divider. In Manhattan, uptown means north and downtown means south, either in direction of motion or in relative location. For example, an uptown train means a subway train heading north, while a restaurant located three blocks downtown would be three city blocks south of the person who is speaking. Beginning north of Houston Street, and fully in place north of 14th Street, nearly all east-west streets use numeric designations - which increase from south to north (reflecting the city's original growth in that direction). The terms uptown and downtown are most often used in the relative sense of north and south; however, uptown can also refer to the northern part of Manhattan (generally speaking, above 59th Street) and downtown to the southern part (typically, below 23rd Street or 14th Street). Keep in mind that these terms are relative - a resident of the Bronx would probably consider anything in Manhattan below 96th Street to be "downtown". This usage differs from that of most American cities, where downtown refers to the central business district. Manhattan has two central business districts, namely the Financial District downtown and the newer business district in Midtown. Within "downtown" is Lower Manhattan, a neighborhood defined as everything approximately south of Barclay Street and the Brooklyn Bridge; it is perhaps one of the most well-known parts of the city, home to City Hall, Wall Street, the South Street Seaport, the site of the former World Trade Center (often referred to commonly as "Ground Zero"), as well as a number of other significant landmarks. The northernmost area of "uptown" is Upper Manhattan, encompassing the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood, and often Harlem. It is a less famous and hectic area. Upper Manhattan is often thought of as an outer borough, given the similarities the region has to the adjacent western section of the South Bronx and the distance from Midtown. In fact, Manhattan stretches so far northward from Midtown that some in the southern parts of Manhattan jokingly refer to the Inwood neighborhood as "Upstate Manhattan," "Arctic Manhattan," or "NoFair" (short for "North of Fairway," Fairway being a popular supermarket at 132nd St. and the Hudson River). Traditionally, many New Yorkers have used the phrase The City when referring only to Manhattan, while referring to the other four boroughs as "outer boroughs". These terms are becoming less common, however, as more transplants from Manhattan continue to move into the other boroughs.

Neighborhoods

Harlem :Main article: List of Manhattan neighborhoods Manhattan is politically divided in 12 Community Boards :
- 1 : Tribeca and Lower Manhattan
- 2 : Greenwich Village (aka West Village or simply "the Village"), NoHo, SoHo, Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy
- 3 : Tompkins Square, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown, Two Bridges
- 4 : Clinton, Chelsea
- 5 : Midtown
- 6 : Stuyvesant Town, Tudor City, Turtle Bay, Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill, Gramercy Park, Kips Bay, and Sutton Place
- 7 : Manhattan Valley, Upper West Side, and Lincoln Square
- 8 : Upper East Side, LenoxHill, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island
- 9 : Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville, and Morningside Heights
- 10 : Harlem and Polo Grounds
- 11 : East Harlem, El Barrio/Spanish Harlem, Ward's and Randall's Island
- 12 : Inwood and Washington Heights As with all large cities, Manhattan consists of many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character.

Law, government, and politics

:See also: Government of New York City Like the other counties which are contained within New York City, there is no county government, but county courts and some others such as the district attorney (public prosecutor) do exist. Each borough within New York City elects a borough president - Manhattan's borough president is currently Democrat C. Virginia Fields, who will be succeeded by Scott Stringer in January 2006 - but the office no longer carries any significant powers. Manhattan is officially designated as the county seat of New York County. This is meaningless for all practical purposes because there are no other towns or cities in New York County, which is wholly contained within the City of New York. However, the Borough President's office, City Hall, the District Attorney's office, and the Municipal Building all cluster, within a few blocks of each other, near Center Street and the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge - a downtown neighborhood. Manhattan is one of the main strongholds of the Democratic party, and has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1924. The GOP used to win more than 20% of the vote, but it hasn't won even that much since before the Clinton era. Moreover, Republican registered voters are a very tiny minority in the borough, making more than 20% of the electorate only in the Upper East Side and Financial District.

Demographics

Financial District.]] New York County is the most densely populated state county in the United States, with a density of 25,849.9/km². In 1910, it reached a peak to 46,428.9/km². As of the census of 2000, there are 1,537,195 people, 738,644 households, and 302,105 families residing in the county. The population density is 25,849.9/km² (66,940.1/mi²). There are 798,144 housing units at an average density of 13,421.8/km² (34,756.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 54.36% White, 27.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race, 17.39% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 9.40% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.14% other races, and 4.14% from two or more races. A partial list of the specific European ancestry claimed by Manhattan residents is as follows (2000):
- Irish : 7.48%
- Italian : 7.10%
- German : 6.63%
- English : 5.43% According to an estimation by the Census Bureau, the population of New York county increased to 1,562,723 in 2004. Lower Manhattan (ie Manhattan south of Houston street) has a sharply different population than the rest of the borough. Indeed, to the census of 2000, the neighborhood was 41 percent Asian, 32 percent non-Hispanic white, 19 percent Hispanic and 6 percent black, and 43 percent of the inhabitants were immigrants. This can be explained by the demographic weight of Chinatown, which counts for 55% of the population of Lower Manhattan. There are 738,644 households out of which 17.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% are married couples living together, 12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 59.1% are non-families. 48.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.00 and the average family size is 2.99. In the county the population is spread out with 16.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.9 males. The median income for a household in the county is $47,030, and the median income for a family is $50,229. Males have a median income of $51,856 versus $45,712 for females. The per capita income for the county is $42,922. 20.0% of the population and 17.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.8% of those under the age of 18 and 18.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. poverty line

See also


- Manhattan College
- Sawing off of Manhattan Island
- List of streets in Manhattan

External links


- [http://www.mountcarmelofeastharlem.com/ Our Lady of Mount Carmel Shrine]
- [http://www.lostnewyorkcity.com/ Randall's Lost New York City]
- [http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/00000002.htm Letter of 1626 stating that Manhattan Island had been purchased for the value of 60 guilders (PD)]
- [http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/00000006.htm Map of Mannados or Manhattan in 1661 (PD)]
- [http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/manbus.pdf NYC MTA Transit Bus Map of Manhattan] (PDF file)
- [http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/3/8/4/13842/13842-h/13842-h.htm The Story of Manhattan], by Charles Hemstreet. 1901 publication from Project Gutenberg
- [http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/usa/newyork/ Photographs of Manhattan]
- [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/ Forgotten New York]
- [http://www.newyorkcitywalk.com/ New York City Walk]

Maps, streets, and neighborhoods


- [http://www.citidex.com/map/ CitiDex: New York Maps Index]
- [http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&prev=%2Flanguage_tools&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insecula.com%2Fmusee%2FM0100.html/ Avenues, streets of Manhattan]
- [http://www.hot-maps.de/north_america/usa/new_york/new_york/manhattan/homeen.html Interactive Manhattan Map]
- [http://bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Map/NY.1729.html 1729 map of Manhattan] Category:New York City Category:Islands of New York City New York County, New York ko:맨해튼 ja:マンハッタン



Plays

A play is a form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. However, many scholars study plays in this more academic manner, particularly classical plays such as those of Shakespeare (rare authors, notably George Bernard Shaw, have had little preference whether their plays were performed or read). The term play refers both to the written works of dramatists and to the complete theatrical performances of such. Plays are generally performed in a theatre by actors. To better communicate a unified interpretation of the text in question, productions are usually overseen by directors, who often put their own unique interpretation on the production. (See theatre and related topics for more detailed information on the process of producing plays for performance.) The interpretive nature of drama is what makes it so appealing to so many performers and audience members alike — because a playwright is incapable of presenting the play in its intended format (a performance) without the aid of the actors and a director (though he may choose to take any of these roles himself — Molière, for example, often acted in his own plays), a play is by definition undergoing constant rebirth and renewal as new experiences and interpretations are brought by new contributors. One kind of play, the closet drama, is written in a dramatic form but is not intended for performance. It consists of dialogue between characters, but it is meant to be read, either silently to oneself or aloud to a group in a "closet" (a private domestic room). Plays are written in a variety of genres. There are six basic genres of plays: #Tragedy - a play in which a hero comes to a sad end due to fate, a fatal flaw or the work of the gods #Comedy - a play in which, despite hindrances and problems along the way, everything works out happily at the end. This usually includes funny material, even jokes. #Domestic drama - a play that reflects the world of the domestic, the family and the relationships that emerge out of the ordinary happenings of life. #Tragicomedy - a play that contains elements of both tragedy and comedy. #Melodrama - a play of heightened emotion in which a hero and often a heroine overcome a villain to right wrong. Usually has a happy ending. #Symbolic - a play in which the characters and the actions have symbolic function and the main concern is the development of ideas

External links


- [http://www.playwriting101.com/ Playwriting 101] - A playwriting tutorial written by playwright and screenwriter Jon Dorf.
- [http://www.empirecontact.com/plays/ Classic Plays] compiled by Michael J. Farrand. Category:Literature Category:Drama ja:戯曲 simple:Play

Ira Gershwin

Ira Gershwin (6 December 1896 – 17 August 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. With George he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm," "Embraceable You," "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me", and the opera Porgy and Bess. The success the brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. However, his mastery of songwriting continued even after the early death of George, and he wrote further hit songs with composers Jerome Kern ("Long Ago (And Far Away)", Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen. His critically-acclaimed book Lyrics on Several Occasions of 1959, an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying the art of the lyricist in the golden age of American popular song.

Biography

Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershowitz) was reportedly very shy as a young boy and spent most of his time at home reading. However, from grammar school through college he played a prominent part in several school newspapers and magazines. While his younger brother began composing and “plugging” in Tin Pan Alley from the age of sixteen, Ira worked as a cashier in his father’s Turkish baths- still unsure of his calling. But in 1921 he found it. Alex Aarons signed Ira to write the music for his next show, Two Little Girls in Blue, with Vincent Youmans. His lyrics were well received and allowed him to successfully enter the theatre world with just one show. It wasn’t until 1924 that Ira and George teamed up to write the music for their first Broadway hit, Lady, Be Good! Once the brothers joined together, their talents exploded into what would become one of the most influential forces in the history of American Musical Theatre. Together, Ira and George wrote the music for over twelve shows and four films. Some of their more famous works include “The Man I Love”, “Fascinating Rhythm”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “I Got Rhythm” “Summertime” and “They Can't Take That Away from Me”. Their partnership continued up until George’s sudden and tragic death in 1937. Following his brother’s death, Ira waited nearly three years before writing again. After this interlude, he teamed up with such accomplished composers as Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and Harold Arlen. Over the next fourteen years, Ira continued to write the lyrics for many film scores and a few Broadway shows. Ira died on August 15, 1983, and is now interred in the Westchester Hills Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Together, the Gershwin brothers left behind a legacy that would help shape American Musical Theatre. Solely, Ira played a huge part in bringing about a new type of song lyric: a smart, witty style that even the common man could relate to and enjoy.

Comments on the Gershwin collection at the Library of Congress

From Library of Congress publication (presumably in the public domain, as are all US Govt. publications) http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9809/gershwin.html The music of George and Ira Gershwin runs deep in the American consciousness. The opening clarinet glissando from Rhapsody in Blue, the taxi horn theme from An American in Paris and the songs — "I Got Rhythm," "Embraceable You," "The Man I Love," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Fascinating Rhythm," and many others — are instantly recognizable. Mere mention of the name "Gershwin" brings to mind the sophisticated glamour of the '20s and '30s, personified by the brothers who helped to give those decades their musical voice. But if the Gershwins symbolize a time, their music and words transcend it. The proliferating performances and recordings of their music testify to its enduring popularity, and George and Ira continue to be the subjects of both popular and scholarly study. Ira Gershwin was a joyous listener to the sounds of the modern world. He noted in a diary: "Heard in a day: An elevator's purr, telephone's ring, telephone's buzz, a baby's moans, a shout of delight, a screech from a `flat wheel,' hoarse honks, a hoarse voice, a tinkle, a match scratch on sandpaper, a deep resounding boom of dynamiting in the impending subway, iron hooks on the gutter." The George and Ira Gershwin Collection in the Library of Congress is the world's preeminent body of primary source materials for the study of the life and work of the Gershwins. Chief in importance is the music — that written by George and Ira together, as well as songs composed by George and Ira with other collaborators, and George's concert pieces. There are orchestrations, piano-vocal scores, sketches, lyric sheets and librettos — much of it in the handwriting of the Gershwins. George's beautiful manuscript full score for Porgy and Bess conveys his care in creating the opera and the importance he attached to it. Song manuscripts with erasures and corrections present the youthful composer whom Edward Jablonski has called the "Jazz Age Meteor." Similarly, Ira's lyric sheets, with experimental rhymes, unused couplets and various corrections, show us Jablonski's "Contemplative Craftsman." No fewer than 17 pages of lyric drafts survive for the Ira Gershwin-Jerome Kern classic "Long Ago (And Far Away)." Also included are the so-called Secaucus manuscripts (scores and lyric sheets found in a Secaucus, N. J., Warner Bros. warehouse), George's harmony exercises, and eight of his musical sketchbooks. The cast of Porgy and Bess is pictured during the first week of the show's Boston tryout, prior to its Broadway opening, 10 October 1935 (photo by Richard Tucker); original cover art for Gershwin compositions reflected styles from Jazz to Art Deco. The expanding Gershwin Collection includes a wealth of correspondence that provides details of the brothers' lives and personalities. Twenty-four-year-old George (1898-1937) writes to Ira (1896-1983) from London on his first trip abroad: "When I reached shore, a woman reporter came up to me and asked for a few words. I felt like I was [composer Jerome] Kern or somebody." To longtime friend Mabel Schirmer in 1936, George reports: "Of course, there are depressing moments too, when talk of Hitler and his gang creep into the conversation. For some reason or other the feeling out here [in California] is even more acute than in the East." To Emily Paley, sister of Ira's wife, Leonore, George writes: "Stravinsky and Mother got on famously. Isn't Hollywood wonderful?" Ira's letters concentrate on his work: lyric writing and attending to matters Gershwin. Particularly informative is his correspondence with impresario and biographer Merle Armitage and composer Kurt Weill, with whom he worked on Lady in the Dark. Ira always shows literary finesse and meticulous attention to detail. He comments to Weill: "Naturally, I'm interested in anything you think might be the basis of a show that is at once novel and entertaining and yet commercial." He responded to an article by music critic Albert Goldberg: "I lived with my brother at the time he was composing Rhapsody and he was about as influenced by (Darius Milhaud's ballet) Creation of the World as by Frescobaldi's Chaconne and Passacaglia or Patagonian Bebop." Reserved as he was, Ira never hesitated to set the record straight regarding his brother's work. The pictorial material in the collection includes many photographs of George and Ira and other members of their family and circle of friends. The brothers' skill in the visual arts is generously represented in the collection. Among the photographs are some 20 images taken by George, including exceptional portraits of Irving Berlin and Leonore Gershwin. As well, there are paintings and drawings by both George and Ira, including George's portrait of Arnold Schoenberg and a self-portrait oil painting of each brother. The scrapbooks, which number 34 volumes, record the Gershwin story as it was chronicled by the contemporary press. Book 1 begins in 1913 with a number of poems and other short pieces that Ira wrote for and published in the Townsend Harris Hall high school Academic Herald, of which he was co-editor with lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg. The scrapbooks continue until early 1986, 2-1/2 years after Ira's death, and cover projects that Ira had worked on. Seven books are devoted solely to Porgy and Bess; another book, to Ira's memoirs, Lyrics on Several Occasions; and two others, to fellow composers and lyricists, performers and the music industry in general. There is also a scrapbook of obituaries and editorials assembled after George's death by his mother, Rose Gershwin, and two scrapbooks compiled by the adolescent George and Ira: George's deals chiefly with music and Ira's, with topics of general interest. The legal and financial papers comprise contracts, business correspondence, royalty statements and bank statements, including a large cache of papers received in 1997 from the estate of Emanuel Alexandre, Rose Gershwin's attorney. As well, there are programs, posters, scores from George's music library, the drafts and printer's galleys of Ira's Lyrics on Several Occasions, scripts for radio broadcasts, other biographical texts and the Congressional Gold Medals that were struck in honor of the brothers Gershwin and their contribution to American life and culture. On the set of Shall We Dance, 1936, are dance director Hermes Pan, Fred Astaire, director Mark Sandrich, Ginger Rogers, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and musical director Nathaniel Shilkret. That this collection should be housed in the Library of Congress is the result of the interest and efforts of several people, foremost Ira and Leonore Gershwin. After George's death in 1937, Ira worked hard to organize his brother's documentary legacy. Early on, he recognized the importance of preserving George's music for future generations. But, with characteristic modesty, he was slow to be convinced of the value of his own papers. Still, he organized and preserved his lyric sheets along with George's music manuscripts and the correspondence, photographs and other documents that became the core of the Gershwin Collection. The development of the collection at the Library traces its beginnings to a 1939 exchange of letters between Ira Gershwin and Harold Spivacke, then chief of the Music Division. The first item that Ira gave to the Library was George's sketch for "The Crap Shooter's Song" from Porgy and Bess, acknowledged on May 24 of that year. In 1953 came the manuscripts of the large-scale works, including Porgy and Bess, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and the Concerto in F from the estate of George and Ira's mother, Rose. These were followed by generous gifts from various other members of the Gershwin family and their friends, including the Gershwins' sister, Frances Gershwin Godowsky; their brother, Arthur Gershwin; sister-in-law, Judy Gershwin; nephews, Marc George Gershwin, Leopold Godowsky III and Michael Strunsky; cousins, Daniel Botkin and Dorothy Botkin Rosenthal; and friends Joseph Schillinger, Mabel Schirmer, Albert Sirmay, Kay Swift and Rosamond Walling Tirana. During the 1950s, '60s and '70s, Ira Gershwin made periodic donations to the Library of manuscripts and other materials — along with his detailed descriptions of many of the items. The importance of this commentary, virtually unknown in other archival collections, can scarcely be overstated. From time to time, Ira purchased items for the Gershwin Collection, and his interest in the collection continued until his death in 1983. In the course of the next eight years, Leonore Gershwin sustained and expanded her husband's efforts on behalf of the collection and the Library. In 1987 she donated the remainder of the music manuscripts and lyric sheets from their home; on a number of occasions she, too, purchased music manuscripts and correspondence for the collection. Since her death, her very generous bequest has enabled the Library to acquire additional materials, including the files relating to Porgy and Bess from the archives of the Theatre Guild. George and Ira Gershwin enriched millions of people with unforgettable music and lyrics. Those forward-looking and generous individuals who have supported the establishment and continuing growth of the Gershwin Collection in the Library of Congress have seen to it that generations to come will also enjoy the Gershwin legacy.

Further reading


- Ira Gerswhin - Lyrics on Several Occasions: a selection of stage and screen lyrics written for sundry situations and now arranged in arbitrary categories, to which have been added many informative annotations and disquistions on their why and wherefore, their whom-for, their how, and matters associative (1959)

References

External links


- [http://www.gershwinfan.com/ Gershwin fan site]
- [http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9809/gershwin.html Library of Congress Gershwin collection] Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Ira ja:アイラ・ガーシュウィン

Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. He is particularly associated with Ginger Rogers, with whom he made ten films. His unparalleled skill as a dancer leads many critics to cite him as the best dancer ever to come out of Hollywood.

Early life and career

His father was an Austrian immigrant and a Catholic, though the family originally has Jewish roots; his mother was born in the U.S. to Lutheran German parents; Astaire became an Episcopalian during his youth. "Astaire" was a name taken by him and his sister Adele for their vaudeville act when they were about 5 years old. It is said to have come from an uncle surnamed "L'Astaire". Many sources state that the Astaires appeared in a 1915 film entitled Fanchon, the Cricket starring Mary Pickford, but this is a myth (although it is believed that they were present to watch the filming). During the 1920s, Fred and Adele appeared on Broadway and on the London stage in shows such as Lady Be Good, Funny Face and The Band Wagon, winning popular acclaim with the theater crowd on both sides of the Atlantic. They split in 1932 when she married her first husband, Lord Charles Cavendish, a son of the Duke of Devonshire. Fred went on to achieve success on his own on Broadway and in London with The Gay Divorce, while considering offers from Hollywood. Famously, a Paramount Pictures screen test report on Astaire read simply: "Can't sing. Can't act. Slightly balding. Also dances." He eventually ended up at RKO Studios, where he made the top musicals of that era, with Rogers as his costar.

Dancing and singing prowess

He was a virtuoso dancer, able to convey lighthearted adventuresomeness or deep emotion when called for. His technical control and sense of rhythm were astonishing; according to one anecdote, he was able, when called back to the studio to redo a dance number he had filmed several weeks earlier for a special effects number, to reproduce the routine with pinpoint accuracy, down to the last gesture. He drew from a variety of influences, including tap and other African-American styles, classical dance and the elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle. He choreographed all his own routines, often with the assistance of other choreographers, primarily Hermes Pan. His perfectionism was legendary as was his modesty and consideration towards his fellow artists, however his relentless insistence on rehearsals and retakes was a burden to some. Although he viewed himself as an entertainer first and foremost, his consummate artistry won him the adulation of such 20th century dance legends as George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Nureyev, and Bill Robinson. Always modest about his singing abilities, he is considered by some to have introduced more standards from the Great American Songbook than any other singer, and composers such as Cole Porter wrote a number of songs especially for him, and quite a few are among evergreen ballroom foxtrots: "Night and Day", "Cheek to Cheek", "The Way You Look Tonight", "A Fine Romance", "They Can't Take that Away from Me", and "Change Partners". Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and the Gershwins contributed classic songs for his musicals, in large part because of his sincere, unmannered delivery of their songs.

Rogers and Astaire

Irving Berlin His second film, Flying Down to Rio, paired him with Ginger Rogers for the first time. That partnership, and the choreography of Astaire and Hermes Pan, helped make dancing an important element of the Hollywood film musical. His films with Rogers included The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935) and Carefree (1938). Their partnership elevated them both to stardom: as Katharine Hepburn reportedly said, "He gives her class and she gives him sex appeal." Astaire is credited with two important innovations in early film musicals. First, his insistence that the (almost stationary) camera film a dance routine in a single shot, if possible, while holding the dancers in full view at all times. He famously quipped: "Either the camera dances or I do". Second, he was adamant that all song and dance routines be seamlessly integrated into the plotlines of the film. Typically, an Astaire picture would include a solo performance by Astaire - which he termed his "sock solo", a partnered comedy dance routine and a partnered romantic dance routine.

Other teamings

He also teamed up with other stars, notably with Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn (1942) and Blue Skies (1946). He was also nearly outdanced in Broadway Melody of 1940 by one of his first post-Rogers dance partners, Eleanor Powell. Other partners during this period included Rita Hayworth and Joan Leslie.

Later career

After announcing his retirement in 1946, he soon returned to the screen to replace the injured Gene Kelly in Easter Parade (1948) opposite Judy Garland and for The Band Wagon (1953) with Cyd Charisse. Astaire went on to make several more musicals in the 1950s, including Funny Face (1957) with Audrey Hepburn and Silk Stockings (1958) with Charisse. He made two musicals with Vera-Ellen : Three Little Words (1950) and The Belle of New York (1952). His legacy at this point was thirty musicals in a twenty-five year period. Afterwards, Astaire announced that he was retiring from dancing in film to concentrate on dramatic acting, scoring rave reviews for the nuclear war drama On the Beach (1959). Astaire did not give up dancing completely, and made a series of highly-rated specials for television into the early 1960s, each featuring Barrie Chase with whom Astaire enjoyed an Indian summer of dance creativity. One of these programs, 1958's An Evening with Fred Astaire, won nine Emmy Awards, including "Best Single Performance by an Actor" and "Most Outstanding Single Program of the Year." It was also noteworthy for being the first major broadcast to be prerecorded on color videotape. videotapeAstaire's final musical film was Finian's Rainbow (1968), in which he shed his white tie and tails to play an Irish rogue who believes if he buries a crock of gold in the shadows of Fort Knox it will multiply. His last on-screen dance partner was Petula Clark, who portrayed his skeptical daughter. He admitted to being as nervous about singing with her as she confessed to being apprehensive about dancing with him. Astaire continued to act into the 1970s, appearing in films such as The Towering Inferno (1974) for which he received his only Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actor. He appeared in the first two That's Entertainment! documentaries in the mid-1970s, in the second performing a song-and-dance routine with Gene Kelly. In 1976, he recorded a disco-styled rendition of Carly Simon's "Attitude Dancing". In 1978, Fred Astaire co-starred with Helen Hayes in a well-received television film, A Family Upside Down, in which they play an elderly couple coping with failing health. Astaire won an Emmy Award for his performance. He made a well-publicized guest appearance on the science fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica in 1979. His final film was the 1981 adaptation of Peter Straub's Ghost Story. He received an honorary Academy Award in 1950 "for his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures." He also won Emmys in 1961 and 1978. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, the first year they were awarded. The American Film Institute awarded him their "Lifetime Achievement Award" for 1981. Always immaculately turned out, he remained something of a male fashion icon even in his later years, eschewing his trademark top hat, white tie and tails (which he always despised) in favour of a breezy casual style of tailored sports jackets, coloured shirts, cravates and slacks - the latter usually held up by the idiosyncratic use of an old tie in place of a belt.

Personal life

Astaire married for the first time in 1933, to Phyllis Potter (née Phyllis Livingston Baker, 1908-1954), a Boston-born New York socialite and former wife of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906-1981). In addition to Phyllis's son, Eliphalet IV, known as Peter, the Astaires had two children, Fred Jr. (born 1936, he appeared with his father in the movie Midas Run but became a charter pilot and rancher instead of an actor), and Ava, Mrs. Richard McKenzie (born 1942). Astaire, a lifelong horse-racing enthusiast, married again in 1980, to Robyn Smith, an actress turned champion jockey. She was nearly 50 years his junior. It is uncertain whether the second Mrs. Astaire was born Robin Miller in 1944 or Melody Palm in 1942. Fred Astaire died in 1987 from pneumonia at the age of 88, and was interred in the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California.

Filmography


- Dancing Lady (1933)
- Flying Down to Rio (1933) (
- )
- The Gay Divorcee (1934) (
- )
- Roberta (1935) (
- )
- Top Hat (1935) (
- )
- Follow the Fleet (1936) (
- )
- Swing Time (1936) (
- )
- Shall We Dance (1937) (
- )
- A Damsel in Distress (1937)
- Carefree (1938) (
- )
- The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) (
- )
- Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)
- Second Chorus (1940)
- You'll Never Get Rich (1941)
- Holiday Inn (1942)
- You Were Never Lovelier (1942)
- The Sky's the Limit (1943)
- Yolanda and the Thief (1945)
- Ziegfeld Follies (1946)
- Blue Skies (1946)
- Easter Parade (1948)
- The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) (
- )
- Three Little Words (1950)
- Let's Dance (1950)
- Royal Wedding (1951)
- The Belle of New York (1952)
- The Band Wagon (1953)
- Daddy Long Legs (1955)
- Funny Face (1957)
- Silk Stockings (1957)
- On the Beach (1959)
- The Pleasure of His Company (1961)
- The Notorious Landlady (1962)
- Paris - When it Sizzles (1964)
- Finian's Rainbow (1968)
- Midas Run (1969)
- Imagine (1973) (documentary)
- Just One More Time (1974) (short subject)
- That's Entertainment! (1974)
- The Towering Inferno (1974)
- The Lion Roars Again (1975) (short subject)
- That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
- The Amazing Dobermans (1976)
- The Purple Taxi (1977)
- Ghost Story (1981)
- George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1985) (documentary) Forty-seven films in total (
- ) w/ Ginger Rogers

External links


-
- [http://www.fredastaire.net/biography/ Fred Astaire biography at Fred Astaire.net]
- [http://www.adherents.com/people/pa/Fred_Astaire.html The religious affiliation of Fred Astaire]

References

Fred Astaire: Steps in Time, 1959, multiple reprints. Arlene Croce: The Fred and Ginger Book, Galahad Books 1974, ISBN 0883650991 John Mueller: Astaire Dancing - The Musical Films of Fred Astaire, Knopf 1985, ISBN 0394516540 Larry Billman: Fred Astaire - A Bio-bibliography, Greenwood Press 1997, ISBN 0313290105 G. Bruce Boyer: Fred Astaire Style, Assouline 2005, ISBN 2843236770 The Astaire Family Papers, The Howard Gotleib Archival Research Center, Boston University, MA, USA Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred Astaire, Fred ja:フレッド・アステア

November 22

November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 39 days remaining.

Events


- 498 - After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected pope in Santa Maria Maggiore.
- 1718 - Off the coast of Virginia, British pirate Edward Teach (best known as "Blackbeard") is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.
- 1830 - Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- 1864 - American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: Confederate Gen465eral John Bell Hood invades Tennessee in an unsuccessful attempt to draw Union General William T. Sherman from Georgia.
- 1880 - Vaudeville actress Lillian Ruell makes her debut at Tony Pastor's Theatre in New York City.
- 1917 - In Montreal, Canada, the National Hockey Association breaks up (on November 26 it was replaced with the National Hockey League).
- 1922 - Egyptology: Howard Carter, assisted by Lord Carnarvon, opens the tomb of Tutankhamun.
- 1935 - The China Clipper takes off from Alameda, California in an attempt to deliver the first airmail cargo across the[Pacific Ocean]] (the airplane later reached its destination, Manila, and delivered over 110,000 pieces of mail).
- 1942 - World War II: Battle of Stalingrad - General Friedrich von Paulus sends Adolf Hitler a telegram saying that the German 6th army is surrounded.
- 1943 - World War II: War in the Pacific - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek meet in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss ways to defeat Japan (see Cairo Conference)
- 1943 - Lebanon gains independence from France.
- 1963 - John F. Kennedy assassination: In Dallas, Texas, US President John F. Kennedy is assassinated and Texas Governor John B. Connally is seriously wounded. Later the same day, US Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.
- 1967 - UN Security Council Resolution 242 is adopted by the UN Security Council, establishing a set of the principles aimed at guiding negotiations for an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
- 1968 - The Beatles release the double-album The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: The United States loses its first B-52 Stratofortress of the war.
- 1974 - The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.
- 1975 - Juan Carlos is declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco.
- 1977 - British Airways inaugurates a regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.
- 1986 - Boxing: Mike Tyson knocks out Trevor Berbick in the second round, becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion at the age of 20 years and 4 months.
- 1988 - In Palmdale, California, the first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed.
- 1989 - In West Beirut, a bomb explodes near the motorcade of Lebanese President Rene Moawad, killing him.
- 1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigns as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- 2002 - In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
- 2003 - In Tbilisi, Georgia, opponents of President Eduard Shevardnadze seize the parliament building and demand the president's resignation.
- 2003 - The Heritage Classic, the first outdoor hockey game in the history of the National Hockey League, is played in Edmonton, Alberta
- 2003 - England defeat Australia to win England's first rugby union world cup.
- 2004 - The Orange Revolution begins in Ukraine, resulting from the presidential elections.
- 2005 - The Xbox 360 releases in North America. First of the "new next-gen" consoles.
- 2005 - Ted Koppel retires after hosting Nightline for over 26 years.
- 2005 - Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany

Births


- 1428 - Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, English politician (d. 1471)
- 1515 - Marie of Guise, Queen of James V of Scotland and regent of Scotland (d. 1560)
- 1564 - Henry Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham, English conspirator (d. 1610)
- 1602 - Elisabeth of France, Queen of Philip IV of Spain (d. 1644)
- 1635 - Francis Willughby, English biologist (d. 1672)
- 1643 - Robert Cavelier de La Salle, French explorer (d. 1687)
- 1710 - Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, German composer (d. 1784)
- 1721 - Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, Swiss-born cartographer and Canadian statesman (d. 1824)
- 1722 - Hryhori Skovoroda, Ukrainian poet, philosopher and composer (d. 1794)
- 1767 - Andreas Hofer, Tyrolian patriot (d. 1810)
- 1808 - Thomas Cook, British travel entrepreneur (d. 1892)
- 1819 - George Eliot, British novelist (d. 1880)
- 1849 - Christian Rohlfs, German artist (d. 1938)
- 1852 - Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
- 1856 - Heber J. Grant, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1945)
- 1868 - John Nance Garner, U.S. Vice President (d. 1967)
- 1869 - André Gide, French writer and Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
- 1877 - Endre Ady, Hungarian poet (d. 1919)
- 1890 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France (d. 1970)
- 1893 - Harley J. Earl, automobile designer (d. 1969)
- 1897 - Paul Oswald Ahnert, German astronomer (d. 1989)
- 1899 - Hoagy Carmichael, American composer (d. 1981)
- 1899 - Wiley Post, American pilot (d. 1935)
- 1901 - Joaquin Rodrigo, Spanish composer (d. 1999)
- 1904 - Louis Eugène Félix Néel, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
- 1913 - Benjamin Britten, British composer (d. 1976)
- 1917 - Andrew Fielding Huxley, British scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- 1918 - Claiborne Pell, U.S. Senator
- 1921 - Rodney Dangerfield, American comedian and actor (d. 2004)
- 1923 - Arthur Hiller, Canadian film director
- 1923 - Gunther Schuller, American composer and conductor
- 1924 - Geraldine Page, American actress (d. 1987)
- 1932 - Robert Vaughn, American actor
- 1940 - Terry Gilliam, American/British comedian and director
- 1941 - Tom Conti, British actor
- 1943 - Billie Jean King, American tennis player
- 1950 - Lyman Bostock, baseball player (d. 1978)
- 1950 - Steve Van Zandt, American musician
- 1950 - Tina Weymouth, American musician (Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club)
- 1958 - Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress
- 1961 - Mariel Hemingway, American actress
- 1961 - Randal L. Schwartz, American computer programmer
- 1962 - Victor Pelevin, Russian writer
- 1967 - Boris Becker, German tennis player
- 1967 - Bart Veldkamp, Dutch-born speed skater
- 1974 - David Pelletier, Canadian figure skater
- 1976 - Ville Valo Finnish singer (HIM)
- 1982 - Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Nigerian footballer
- 1984 - Scarlett Johansson, American actress

Deaths


- 1318 - Mikhail Yaroslavich, Russian prince (b. 1271)
- 1594 - Martin Frobisher, English explorer
- 1617 - Ahmed I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1590)
- 1694 - John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1630)
- 1697 - Liberal Bruant, French architect
- 1710 - Bernardo Pasquini, Italian composer (b. 1637)
- 1718 - Blackbeard (Edward Teach), British pirate
- 1758 - Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe, British politician (b. 1680)
- 1774 - Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, British general and statesman (b. 1725)
- 1783 - John Hanson, American Continental Congressman (b. 1715)
- 1794 - John Alsop, American Continental Congressman (b. 1724)
- 1875 - Henry Wilson, United States Vice President (b. 1812)
- 1900 - Arthur S. Sullivan, British composer (b. 1842)
- 1916 - Jack London, American writer (b. 1876)
- 1917 - Teoberto Maler, German-born explorer (b. 1842)
- 1943 - Lorenz Hart, American lyricist (b. 1895)
- 1955 - Shemp Howard, American actor and comedian (heart attack) (b. 1895)
- 1963 - John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (b. 1917)
- 1963 - C. S. Lewis, Irish author (b. 1898)
- 1963 - Aldous Huxley, British author (b. 1894)
- 1980 - Mae West, American actress and writer (b. 1893)
- 1981 - Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1900)
- 1986 - Scatman Crothers, American actor (b. 1910)
- 1986 - William Bradford Huie, American writer (b. 1910)
- 1988 - Luis Barragán, Mexican architect (b. 1908)
- 1989 - Rene Moawad, President of Lebanon (b. 1925)
- 1993 - Anthony Burgess, British author (b. 1917)
- 1996 - Mark Lenard, American actor (b. 1924)
- 1997 - Michael Hutchence, Australian singer and songwriter (b. 1960)
- 2005 - Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (b. 1920)

Holidays and observances


- R.C. Saints - Feast of Saint Cecilia
- Also see November 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Lebanon - Independence Day (from France, 1943)
- United States - If a Thursday, Thanksgiving is celebrated; Family Day begins in 2005
- Astrology: usually the first day of sun sign Sagittarius

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/22 BBC: On This Day] ---- November 21 - November 23 - October 22 - December 22 -- listing of all days ko:11월 22일 ms:22 November ja:11月22日 simple:November 22 th:22 พฤศจิกายน

1932

1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on Friday.

Events

January-February


- January 3 - British arrest and intern Mohandas Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel
- January 8 - In Britain the Archbishop of Canterbury forbids church remarriage of divorcees
- January 12 - Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate
- January 14 - Maurice Ravel's Concerto in G (Ravel) debuts with piano soloist Marguerite Long and Ravel conducting the Lamoureux Orchestra
- January 15 - Pierre Laval forms a new government in France
- January 15 - About 6 million unemployed in Germany
- January 26 - British submarine M-2 sinks with all 50 hands
- January 28 - Japan occupies Shanghai
- January 29 - Minority government of Karl Mureschi in Austria ends the governmental crisis
- January 31 - Japanese warships arrive in Nanking
- February 2 - General convention of disarmament begins in Geneva
- February 2 - League of Nations again recommends negotiations between the Republic of China and Japan
- February 4 - 1932 Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York. Japan occupies Harbin, China
- February 11 - Pope Pius XI meets Benito Mussolini in the Vatican City
- February 18 - Japan declares Manzhouguo (Japanese name for Manchuria) formally independent from China
- February 27 - Adolf Hitler gains German citizenship prior to elections
- February 27 - Mäntsälä Rebellion in Finland

March-April


- March 1 - Charles Augustus Lindbergh III, the baby son of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Charles Lindbergh is kidnapped
- March 9 - Eamon de Valera is elected President of the Executive Council. It is the first change of government in the Irish Free State in 10 years.
- March 18 - Peace negotiations between China and Japan begin.
- March 19 - Sydney Harbour Bridge opens
- March 20 - Graf Zeppelin begins a regular route to South America
- March 25 - Tarzan the Ape Man opens, with Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in the title role. Weismuller starred in a total of 12 Tarzan films.
- April 5 - Prohibition is lifted in Finland at 10 in the morning (local time), inventing a new mnemonic "543210".
- April 6 - U.S. president Herbert Hoover supports armament limitations
- April 6 - Trial against fraudulent art dealer Otto Wacker begins in Berlin
- April 10 - Paul von Hindenburg elected president of Germany. Adolf Hitler receives over 13 million votes.
- April 17 - Haile Selassie announces an anti-slavery law in Abyssinia
- April 19 - German art dealer Otto Wacker is sentenced for 19 months for selling fraudulent paintings of Vincent van Gogh

May-June


- May 2 - Comedian Jack Benny's radio show airs for the first time.
- May 6 - Paul Gorguloff assassinates French president Paul Doumer in Paris - Doumer dies the next day.
- May 10 - Albert Lebrun becomes the new president of France
- May 12 - Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey just a few miles from the Lindbergh's home.
- May 13 - The Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, is dismissed by the State Governor, Sir Phillip Game
- May 15 - Japanese troops leave Shanghai; May 15 Incident,