The document summarizes the events that led to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the Romanov dynasty. It explains that Nicholas was a weak ruler who was heavily influenced by his wife Alexandra and her cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Wilhelm's advice to engage in war with Japan resulted in a devastating defeat for Russia. During World War I, Russia did poorly and Nicholas left governance to his wife Alexandra, who made poor decisions with her advisor Rasputin. This caused widespread famine and unrest, leading to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the overthrow of Nicholas's rule. While the deaths of Nicholas and Alexandra may have been justified due to their failures, the deaths of their children were unjustified
The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for 300 years as a constitutional monarchy until the last Tsar, Nicholas II, was overthrown in the 1917 revolutions. Nicholas and his wife Alexandra and their five children were placed under house arrest for over a year. In July 1918, Nicholas, Alexandra, their four daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, and son Alexei were awakened in the night, led to the basement of the house and executed. Their bodies were buried in a forest, ending over 300 years of Romanov rule in Russia.
The story of the three phenomena that are associated with the term "Dracula". The Prince Vlad Tepes III., who led the country with an iron hand; the fictional character of Bram Stoker, who was always in search of blood and the finally mysticism. The superstition is still rooted in the people. The eBook is referring to numerous documents that deal with the topic of vampires also from the public.
The document summarizes major events in Russia between the late 1800s and 1920s, including the fall of the Russian Empire and rise of communism. It discusses how the Russian Empire faced modernization challenges under the last czars and experienced unrest. The 1917 revolutions overthrew the czarist regime and established a provisional government, which Lenin then took control of through the Bolshevik revolution. Lenin established a communist government and repressive policies through the Red Terror, before his death led to Stalin consolidating power and instituting harsh industrialization and collectivization policies through the 1930s.
Timeline of events - The decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty.Matt White
The Russian Revolution began with the February Revolution in 1917 which overthrew the Tsar. This was caused by public discontent with World War I and the monarchy. In October 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power in the October Revolution. The new Bolshevik government withdrew Russia from WWI and established the world's first socialist state, setting the stage for the rise of the Soviet Union.
The Romanov family, the last imperial rulers of Russia, were assassinated in 1918. Nicholas II ruled as Tsar until the February Revolution forced his abdication. He and his immediate family including his wife Alexandra and their five children were placed under house arrest. In July 1918, the Bolshevik secret police executed the entire family in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg where they were being held. Their remains were discovered in 1979 and identified through DNA testing in the 1990s, confirming their tragic fate.
When a group of peaceful village protestors are killed by tsarist soldiers, Pavel dedicates his life to overthrowing the Romanov dynasty. He assassinates the Grand Duke, profoundly impacting the life of Grand Duchess Elisavyeta. Grief-stricken, Elisavyeta becomes a nun dedicated to helping the poor of Russia. When the revolution occurs, she is the last Romanov captured and taken to Siberia, where Pavel must decide her fate on a moonlit night.
The document outlines the agenda for an ELIT 17 Class 9. It includes recitations, team activities, a lecture on Shakespeare's history plays, and a discussion of Richard III. The lecture section provides context on Shakespeare's history plays, including that they were divided into the first and second tetralogies. It discusses characteristics of Renaissance historiography and Shakespeare's approach. It also provides context on Richard III as a play, including its plot and major characters like Richard and Lady Anne. There is then a discussion of Richard III's opening speech and an activity where students will practice performing it in groups.
The document summarizes the events that led to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and the Romanov dynasty. It explains that Nicholas was a weak ruler who was heavily influenced by his wife Alexandra and her cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Wilhelm's advice to engage in war with Japan resulted in a devastating defeat for Russia. During World War I, Russia did poorly and Nicholas left governance to his wife Alexandra, who made poor decisions with her advisor Rasputin. This caused widespread famine and unrest, leading to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the overthrow of Nicholas's rule. While the deaths of Nicholas and Alexandra may have been justified due to their failures, the deaths of their children were unjustified
The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for 300 years as a constitutional monarchy until the last Tsar, Nicholas II, was overthrown in the 1917 revolutions. Nicholas and his wife Alexandra and their five children were placed under house arrest for over a year. In July 1918, Nicholas, Alexandra, their four daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, and son Alexei were awakened in the night, led to the basement of the house and executed. Their bodies were buried in a forest, ending over 300 years of Romanov rule in Russia.
The story of the three phenomena that are associated with the term "Dracula". The Prince Vlad Tepes III., who led the country with an iron hand; the fictional character of Bram Stoker, who was always in search of blood and the finally mysticism. The superstition is still rooted in the people. The eBook is referring to numerous documents that deal with the topic of vampires also from the public.
The document summarizes major events in Russia between the late 1800s and 1920s, including the fall of the Russian Empire and rise of communism. It discusses how the Russian Empire faced modernization challenges under the last czars and experienced unrest. The 1917 revolutions overthrew the czarist regime and established a provisional government, which Lenin then took control of through the Bolshevik revolution. Lenin established a communist government and repressive policies through the Red Terror, before his death led to Stalin consolidating power and instituting harsh industrialization and collectivization policies through the 1930s.
Timeline of events - The decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty.Matt White
The Russian Revolution began with the February Revolution in 1917 which overthrew the Tsar. This was caused by public discontent with World War I and the monarchy. In October 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power in the October Revolution. The new Bolshevik government withdrew Russia from WWI and established the world's first socialist state, setting the stage for the rise of the Soviet Union.
The Romanov family, the last imperial rulers of Russia, were assassinated in 1918. Nicholas II ruled as Tsar until the February Revolution forced his abdication. He and his immediate family including his wife Alexandra and their five children were placed under house arrest. In July 1918, the Bolshevik secret police executed the entire family in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg where they were being held. Their remains were discovered in 1979 and identified through DNA testing in the 1990s, confirming their tragic fate.
When a group of peaceful village protestors are killed by tsarist soldiers, Pavel dedicates his life to overthrowing the Romanov dynasty. He assassinates the Grand Duke, profoundly impacting the life of Grand Duchess Elisavyeta. Grief-stricken, Elisavyeta becomes a nun dedicated to helping the poor of Russia. When the revolution occurs, she is the last Romanov captured and taken to Siberia, where Pavel must decide her fate on a moonlit night.
The document outlines the agenda for an ELIT 17 Class 9. It includes recitations, team activities, a lecture on Shakespeare's history plays, and a discussion of Richard III. The lecture section provides context on Shakespeare's history plays, including that they were divided into the first and second tetralogies. It discusses characteristics of Renaissance historiography and Shakespeare's approach. It also provides context on Richard III as a play, including its plot and major characters like Richard and Lady Anne. There is then a discussion of Richard III's opening speech and an activity where students will practice performing it in groups.
Wagner was a controversial figure who was both a musical genius and anti-Semitic. While he resented the success of Jewish composers like Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn, he also had many Jewish friends and supporters who admired his talents. His works, especially Tristan und Isolde, had an immense influence on later composers across Europe and represented a radical shift in musical style, though his anti-Semitic views became embraced and promoted by the Nazis despite having little direct influence from Wagner's own writings. Many Jewish composers were nonetheless heavily influenced by Wagner's music and considered him a towering genius, showing the complex relationships between his works and views.
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez was a Spanish journalist, politician, and novelist born in 1867 in Valencia, Spain. He wrote numerous novels across genres including regional, psychological, historical, and cosmopolitan works. His most successful novels dealt with contemporary European themes and tackled important issues of his time. Blasco Ibáñez lived in exile in France for many years, devoting himself fully to his writing career, before passing away in 1928.
This document summarizes notable 19th century English novelists and their works. It discusses novelists such as Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, Anthony Trollope, Joseph Conrad, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Hardy. For each author, it lists several of their novels and provides brief descriptions or context about their styles and stories. The document aims to provide an overview of the major English novelists and their significant literary contributions during the 19th century.
The document provides an agenda and background information for an ELIT 17 Class discussing Shakespeare's history plays, specifically Richard III. The agenda includes a recitation, team activities, a lecture on history plays with a focus on Richard III, and discussion questions. Background information covers Shakespeare's history plays, conventions of Renaissance historiography, key characters and plots of Richard III, and adaptations of Richard III in film.
Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century. It emphasized emotion, individualism, and nature over reason. Key characteristics included glorification of nature, interest in the exotic, and the idea of the artist as a rebel against society. Romantic artists and writers explored themes like the power of the individual, the destructiveness of industrialization, and the supremacy of emotion over logic. The movement influenced literature, art, music, and politics in the 19th century.
This document provides an overview of the Tsars (supreme rulers) of Russia from Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century to Nicholas II in the early 20th century. It discusses how each Tsar expanded the autocratic power of their role and instituted policies that oppressed the peasant class. Key events mentioned include Ivan the Terrible strengthening the Tsar's power above nobles, serfdom beginning under Mikhail I, and reforms under Alexander II including the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The document aims to show patterns in Russian history under its autocratic rulers that continued into the 20th century.
1. The document summarizes Russian history from the Vikings through Catherine the Great and Nicholas II, including the Mongol invasion and reforms under Peter the Great and Alexander II.
2. It introduces several influential Russian authors like Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoyevsky and describes some of their major works.
3. The last part discusses Tsar Nicholas II and his family, noting his poor decisions contributed to the Bolshevik Revolution where he and his family were arrested.
The document provides summaries of 14 books across different genres and settings related to war and conflict. The books cover topics like the Iraq War, life as a soldier in Vietnam, the Bosnian War, 9/11 and its aftermath, and more. The summaries describe the plots and experiences depicted in the works of fiction and nonfiction.
Victor Hugo was a famous 19th century French author, considered one of the greatest poets in French history. He wrote several famous novels including Les Misérables, as well as plays and poems. Hugo had a politically active life, coming from a family divided on politics, and was exiled from France for a time due to his opposition to Napoleon III's regime. His works were hugely popular and influential both in his lifetime and after.
This lengthy document discusses a network of individuals involved in kidnapping the author's father in the late 20th century and continued harassment of the author. It mentions various individuals like Peeter Leppik, Paul Finlay Robinson, and Alla Elstein who may have been involved in the scheme through intelligence agencies and other organizations. The author expresses a desire to see this network disbanded and its participants punished for their criminal actions.
The Romantic movement began in the late 18th century as a reaction against Enlightenment ideals. Romantics valued emotion and individualism over reason, and found inspiration in nature, the supernatural, and the exotic. They expressed these themes through poetry, novels, and paintings that depicted subjects like lonely wanderers in the wilderness, ruins from the past, and scenes of terror. The Romantic movement had a profound influence on literature, art, and political thought in the 19th century.
Periodistic article: Granada - the last frontiermartaa_____1901
The conquest of Granada by Ferdinand and Isabella marked the end of the Reconquista and the completion of Christian control of the Iberian Peninsula. Granada had been an independent Muslim kingdom for over 250 years but faced conquest due to rising religious tensions and a crusading spirit in Europe after the fall of Constantinople. The war was a collaborative effort between various Christian forces that began in 1482 and culminated in the surrender of Granada and the handing over of its keys to Ferdinand and Isabella on January 2, 1492. The fall of the last Muslim kingdom in Iberia had significant political and religious implications for a unified Spain.
The Phenomenon of Folklore Fairy Tales as a Reflection of a Russian National ...Viktoria Fandei
The document summarizes the phenomenon of Russian folklore fairy tales and how they reflect aspects of Russian national character. It discusses different types of fairy tales including existential tales about everyday life, magic tales, and tales featuring characters like Baba Yaga, Vasilisa the Beautiful, and various Ivans. The document concludes that fairy tales are important for passing down Russian wisdom and values between generations and providing historical insights into the lives of ordinary people.
This documentary examines the life and influential slave autobiography of Olaudah Equiano. It uses dramatic reconstruction, archival footage, and interviews to provide historical context about Equiano's kidnapping into slavery in 1756 in West Africa, the horrors of the Middle Passage he endured, and his time as a slave in Virginia where he witnessed torture of other slaves. Equiano's narrative was the first influential slave autobiography and helped fuel the growing abolitionist movement when published in 1789. The documentary explores how Equiano's account vividly depicted the brutalizing effects of slavery on all parties involved.
Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler, was a 15th century ruler of Wallachia who gained notoriety for his brutal methods of torture and execution. He impaled his enemies on stakes, sometimes leaving thousands of corpses on display. While not a supernatural vampire, Vlad's cruel acts and association with the Order of the Dragon inspired Bram Stoker's fictional character Dracula. Stoker incorporated details of Vlad's history, such as his Transylvanian origins and methods of torture, into the vampire of his novel. Though accounts of Vlad's brutality may be exaggerated, he established a reputation as an extremely violent and feared leader who helped shape the vampire mythology that Stoker drew upon.
Princess Mary of Edinburgh married Ferdinand, the heir to the Romanian throne, in 1893. As Queen of Romania from 1914 to 1927, she actively supported Romania's involvement in World War 1 and lobbied for territorial gains at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Queen Mary was hugely popular in Romania for her charitable work and was known as the "Mother Queen". After Ferdinand's death, their son Carol II removed Queen Mary from political life and forced her into exile until her death in 1938.
Isabella II was Queen of Spain from age 3 until she was deposed in a revolution at age 40 in 1868. She spent the second half of her life in exile in France. As queen, she faced constant turmoil including two Carlist civil wars between supporters of her rule and those of her uncle. Her first marriage failed quickly and she took several lovers while rumors spread of her frivolity and incompetence as queen. When she refused to allow progressives to form a government, it triggered a revolution that sent her into exile where she died of influenza at age 73.
Victor Hugo's 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame follows Quasimodo, a deformed hunchback who lives in the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in 15th century Paris. Quasimodo is taken in as an infant by the cathedral's archdeacon Claude Frollo, who treats him cruelly. Quasimodo develops feelings for the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda, while Frollo lusts after her as well. Their fates intertwine amid the religious and social tensions of medieval Paris.
Great themes during the 18th and 19th Century in Russia, list of Tsars. Time line of major events in World History. Examination of ties between the United States and Russia that are not well known.
This document provides an agenda and discussion notes for an ELIT 17 Class focusing on Shakespeare's history plays, specifically Richard III. The agenda includes a recitation, team activities, a lecture on history plays with a focus on Richard III, and discussion questions. Key points from the lecture and discussion include:
- Shakespeare categorized his plays as comedies, histories, and tragedies in the First Folio. The histories follow a chronological order.
- The Henry VI plays and Richard III are known as the "first tetralogy" and treat English history from the late 14th century through 1485.
- Shakespeare drew from historical sources but took some dramatic liberties, as was common practice in Renaissance hist
This document discusses a class project involving a statistics chart. It contains 3 data points but only lists the first data point numerically. The other two data points are missing their numeric values. The document provides high-level information about a class project, a statistics chart, and 3 data points, but is missing details for 2 of the data points.
The document summarizes key facts about giraffes, including their evolution, habitat, anatomy, behavior, and threats. It discusses how giraffes evolved longer necks for accessing food. It notes that while once widespread in Africa, their populations have declined and several subspecies are now endangered. Their unique circulatory system allows blood to reach their head despite their great height. Predation and poaching are major threats, with lions, hyenas and humans killing calves and weaker animals.
Wagner was a controversial figure who was both a musical genius and anti-Semitic. While he resented the success of Jewish composers like Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn, he also had many Jewish friends and supporters who admired his talents. His works, especially Tristan und Isolde, had an immense influence on later composers across Europe and represented a radical shift in musical style, though his anti-Semitic views became embraced and promoted by the Nazis despite having little direct influence from Wagner's own writings. Many Jewish composers were nonetheless heavily influenced by Wagner's music and considered him a towering genius, showing the complex relationships between his works and views.
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez was a Spanish journalist, politician, and novelist born in 1867 in Valencia, Spain. He wrote numerous novels across genres including regional, psychological, historical, and cosmopolitan works. His most successful novels dealt with contemporary European themes and tackled important issues of his time. Blasco Ibáñez lived in exile in France for many years, devoting himself fully to his writing career, before passing away in 1928.
This document summarizes notable 19th century English novelists and their works. It discusses novelists such as Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, Anthony Trollope, Joseph Conrad, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, and Thomas Hardy. For each author, it lists several of their novels and provides brief descriptions or context about their styles and stories. The document aims to provide an overview of the major English novelists and their significant literary contributions during the 19th century.
The document provides an agenda and background information for an ELIT 17 Class discussing Shakespeare's history plays, specifically Richard III. The agenda includes a recitation, team activities, a lecture on history plays with a focus on Richard III, and discussion questions. Background information covers Shakespeare's history plays, conventions of Renaissance historiography, key characters and plots of Richard III, and adaptations of Richard III in film.
Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century. It emphasized emotion, individualism, and nature over reason. Key characteristics included glorification of nature, interest in the exotic, and the idea of the artist as a rebel against society. Romantic artists and writers explored themes like the power of the individual, the destructiveness of industrialization, and the supremacy of emotion over logic. The movement influenced literature, art, music, and politics in the 19th century.
This document provides an overview of the Tsars (supreme rulers) of Russia from Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century to Nicholas II in the early 20th century. It discusses how each Tsar expanded the autocratic power of their role and instituted policies that oppressed the peasant class. Key events mentioned include Ivan the Terrible strengthening the Tsar's power above nobles, serfdom beginning under Mikhail I, and reforms under Alexander II including the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The document aims to show patterns in Russian history under its autocratic rulers that continued into the 20th century.
1. The document summarizes Russian history from the Vikings through Catherine the Great and Nicholas II, including the Mongol invasion and reforms under Peter the Great and Alexander II.
2. It introduces several influential Russian authors like Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoyevsky and describes some of their major works.
3. The last part discusses Tsar Nicholas II and his family, noting his poor decisions contributed to the Bolshevik Revolution where he and his family were arrested.
The document provides summaries of 14 books across different genres and settings related to war and conflict. The books cover topics like the Iraq War, life as a soldier in Vietnam, the Bosnian War, 9/11 and its aftermath, and more. The summaries describe the plots and experiences depicted in the works of fiction and nonfiction.
Victor Hugo was a famous 19th century French author, considered one of the greatest poets in French history. He wrote several famous novels including Les Misérables, as well as plays and poems. Hugo had a politically active life, coming from a family divided on politics, and was exiled from France for a time due to his opposition to Napoleon III's regime. His works were hugely popular and influential both in his lifetime and after.
This lengthy document discusses a network of individuals involved in kidnapping the author's father in the late 20th century and continued harassment of the author. It mentions various individuals like Peeter Leppik, Paul Finlay Robinson, and Alla Elstein who may have been involved in the scheme through intelligence agencies and other organizations. The author expresses a desire to see this network disbanded and its participants punished for their criminal actions.
The Romantic movement began in the late 18th century as a reaction against Enlightenment ideals. Romantics valued emotion and individualism over reason, and found inspiration in nature, the supernatural, and the exotic. They expressed these themes through poetry, novels, and paintings that depicted subjects like lonely wanderers in the wilderness, ruins from the past, and scenes of terror. The Romantic movement had a profound influence on literature, art, and political thought in the 19th century.
Periodistic article: Granada - the last frontiermartaa_____1901
The conquest of Granada by Ferdinand and Isabella marked the end of the Reconquista and the completion of Christian control of the Iberian Peninsula. Granada had been an independent Muslim kingdom for over 250 years but faced conquest due to rising religious tensions and a crusading spirit in Europe after the fall of Constantinople. The war was a collaborative effort between various Christian forces that began in 1482 and culminated in the surrender of Granada and the handing over of its keys to Ferdinand and Isabella on January 2, 1492. The fall of the last Muslim kingdom in Iberia had significant political and religious implications for a unified Spain.
The Phenomenon of Folklore Fairy Tales as a Reflection of a Russian National ...Viktoria Fandei
The document summarizes the phenomenon of Russian folklore fairy tales and how they reflect aspects of Russian national character. It discusses different types of fairy tales including existential tales about everyday life, magic tales, and tales featuring characters like Baba Yaga, Vasilisa the Beautiful, and various Ivans. The document concludes that fairy tales are important for passing down Russian wisdom and values between generations and providing historical insights into the lives of ordinary people.
This documentary examines the life and influential slave autobiography of Olaudah Equiano. It uses dramatic reconstruction, archival footage, and interviews to provide historical context about Equiano's kidnapping into slavery in 1756 in West Africa, the horrors of the Middle Passage he endured, and his time as a slave in Virginia where he witnessed torture of other slaves. Equiano's narrative was the first influential slave autobiography and helped fuel the growing abolitionist movement when published in 1789. The documentary explores how Equiano's account vividly depicted the brutalizing effects of slavery on all parties involved.
Vlad III, known as Vlad the Impaler, was a 15th century ruler of Wallachia who gained notoriety for his brutal methods of torture and execution. He impaled his enemies on stakes, sometimes leaving thousands of corpses on display. While not a supernatural vampire, Vlad's cruel acts and association with the Order of the Dragon inspired Bram Stoker's fictional character Dracula. Stoker incorporated details of Vlad's history, such as his Transylvanian origins and methods of torture, into the vampire of his novel. Though accounts of Vlad's brutality may be exaggerated, he established a reputation as an extremely violent and feared leader who helped shape the vampire mythology that Stoker drew upon.
Princess Mary of Edinburgh married Ferdinand, the heir to the Romanian throne, in 1893. As Queen of Romania from 1914 to 1927, she actively supported Romania's involvement in World War 1 and lobbied for territorial gains at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Queen Mary was hugely popular in Romania for her charitable work and was known as the "Mother Queen". After Ferdinand's death, their son Carol II removed Queen Mary from political life and forced her into exile until her death in 1938.
Isabella II was Queen of Spain from age 3 until she was deposed in a revolution at age 40 in 1868. She spent the second half of her life in exile in France. As queen, she faced constant turmoil including two Carlist civil wars between supporters of her rule and those of her uncle. Her first marriage failed quickly and she took several lovers while rumors spread of her frivolity and incompetence as queen. When she refused to allow progressives to form a government, it triggered a revolution that sent her into exile where she died of influenza at age 73.
Victor Hugo's 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame follows Quasimodo, a deformed hunchback who lives in the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in 15th century Paris. Quasimodo is taken in as an infant by the cathedral's archdeacon Claude Frollo, who treats him cruelly. Quasimodo develops feelings for the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda, while Frollo lusts after her as well. Their fates intertwine amid the religious and social tensions of medieval Paris.
Great themes during the 18th and 19th Century in Russia, list of Tsars. Time line of major events in World History. Examination of ties between the United States and Russia that are not well known.
This document provides an agenda and discussion notes for an ELIT 17 Class focusing on Shakespeare's history plays, specifically Richard III. The agenda includes a recitation, team activities, a lecture on history plays with a focus on Richard III, and discussion questions. Key points from the lecture and discussion include:
- Shakespeare categorized his plays as comedies, histories, and tragedies in the First Folio. The histories follow a chronological order.
- The Henry VI plays and Richard III are known as the "first tetralogy" and treat English history from the late 14th century through 1485.
- Shakespeare drew from historical sources but took some dramatic liberties, as was common practice in Renaissance hist
This document discusses a class project involving a statistics chart. It contains 3 data points but only lists the first data point numerically. The other two data points are missing their numeric values. The document provides high-level information about a class project, a statistics chart, and 3 data points, but is missing details for 2 of the data points.
The document summarizes key facts about giraffes, including their evolution, habitat, anatomy, behavior, and threats. It discusses how giraffes evolved longer necks for accessing food. It notes that while once widespread in Africa, their populations have declined and several subspecies are now endangered. Their unique circulatory system allows blood to reach their head despite their great height. Predation and poaching are major threats, with lions, hyenas and humans killing calves and weaker animals.
The Rottweiler is a large breed of domestic dog that originated in Germany. They were traditionally used as working dogs to herd livestock and pull carts. Rottweilers are powerful, muscular dogs that require early socialization and training to ensure they are well-behaved companions.
Rottweiler presentation sponsored by DogHQ http://doghq.co is focused on the Rottweiler breed facts and trivia. It features:
- Rottweiler breed highlights,
- history,
- personality,
- health and care,
- training,
- pros and cons.
Rottweiler infographic can be found here:
http://doghq.co/question/363/rottweiler-infographic/
1. Interactive science notebooks are used by students to organize their learning, record data from hands-on experiments, and allow creative expression of understanding.
2. Setting up the science notebook with designated areas for student work and teacher notes helps students learn and assess their progress.
3. Using graphic organizers and reflection questions in the notebook supports students' critical thinking skills and improves their understanding of science concepts.
The document lists 20 reasons why the authors think they need a dog. Some of the key points are that a dog could provide protection for the home, keep them busy and active by playing together, and teach them responsibility. It also notes that if they don't do their chores the parents can take away privileges like phones and toys. The document is signed by four children advocating to get a dog.
Dogs make good companions and help people become more responsible. Owning a dog encourages daily exercise through walks, and over 60% of Americans own dogs already. Adopting an abandoned dog can provide it with a caring home, as many dogs are surrendered and need homes. Dogs also function as guards and sentinels. Overall, the document presents companionship, exercise, responsibility, and opportunity to rescue abandoned dogs as key reasons for owning a canine.
The Health Benefits of Dogs. A presentation about the mental and physical health benefits owning a dog can bring you.
This is my special way of saying thank you to my lovely dog for all those 'walkies' we've had together.
The document discusses the history and modern state of the animal rights movement. It notes that ancient philosophers like Pythagoras and Aristotle debated the moral status of animals. Modern animal rights philosophy emerged in the 1970s led by thinkers like Peter Singer, Tom Regan, and Gary Francione. While laws now prevent cruelty, animals are still considered property without full rights under the law. Major advocacy groups like PETA argue animals should not be used for food, clothing, experiments or entertainment.
The document discusses identifying the main idea in passages. It explains that the main idea is the most important point that the author wants to communicate. It may be explicitly stated in a topic sentence or implied based on the details. Supporting details in a paragraph should all relate back to the main idea. Identifying the main idea is important for comprehending what a passage is about.
Nicholas II was the last Czar of Russia who abdicated in 1917. He and his immediate family, including his wife Alexandra and their five children, were executed by Bolsheviks in 1918. Nicholas II is considered a tragic figure whose leadership contributed to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty and centuries of imperial rule in Russia. Alexandra, a German princess, wielded significant influence over Nicholas II and their marriage and her favoring of Rasputin undermined Nicholas II's popularity. The mysterious fates of the royal family, particularly their daughter Anastasia, continued to captivate the public imagination for decades after their deaths.
The document summarizes the brutal murder of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his wife, and their five children by Bolsheviks in July 1918. It describes how the family was held in harsh conditions, isolated, and eventually taken to the basement of a house in Yekaterinburg where they were shot and bayonetted. Their bodies were then mutilated, burned, and buried in an effort to cover up the crime, which was ordered by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik leadership. The document argues the event was a massacre and not an "execution" as some accounts describe it.
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the youngest child of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. She was executed along with her family by Bolsheviks in 1918. Rumors persisted that she survived, and Anna Anderson famously claimed to be Anastasia, but DNA tests later proved she was not the Grand Duchess.
The last days_of_the_romanovs-robert_wilton_and_depositions_of_eye_witnesses-...RareBooksnRecords
The document summarizes the last days and fate of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family. It describes how their bodies were discovered in 1918 near Yekaterinburg in a mine shaft, where they had been murdered in July 1918 on the orders of the Bolshevik government. Parts of their remains and belongings were collected and brought to Europe by a Russian investigator. The fate of the Romanov dynasty and what happened to their bodies remained a mystery for many years.
This document discusses the history and appeal of horror as an art form. It notes that horror taps into mankind's deepest fears and oldest emotions. The document then outlines several common elements of horror stories and provides a timeline of important dates and works in the history of horror, ranging from ancient texts to modern films. It discusses how horror has evolved over centuries to both entertain and explore humanity's dark side.
Elvis Presley was born in 1935 in Mississippi and moved to Memphis as a child. He was influenced by gospel, country, and R&B music. His recording career began in 1954 and he soon became a global star, known for blending different music styles. He acted in films and had successful concert tours. Considered one of the most important pop culture figures of the 20th century, Elvis died in 1977 at his home in Memphis.
The film Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino, consists of several nonlinear storylines involving criminals in Los Angeles. It follows two hitmen, Vincent and Jules, who are hired muscle for a crime boss. Vincent is assigned to take the boss's wife Mia out for the evening but she overdoses on heroin after mistaking it for cocaine. Vincent and drug dealer Lance revive her with an adrenaline shot. The film cuts between this storyline and others involving a boxer who agrees to take a dive for the crime boss. Tarantino's signature style features graphic violence, pop culture references, and unconventional narrative structures.
Similar to 18) The Hollywood Art Anastasia (1956 1997) (7)
John Frankenheimer's 1966 masterpiece of racing remains a touchstone in both its artistry and execution. Follow the film's incredible journey in this updated article by Nick Zegarac.
The document discusses the 1963 film Cleopatra and the challenges faced by its director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz reluctantly took on directing Cleopatra and found the massive production challenging. The film had a troubled production beset by delays and budget issues. Cleopatra ended up being a financial disappointment for the studio despite being an epic production and starring Elizabeth Taylor. The document provides historical context on Hollywood epics of the time period and the challenges the film industry faced with the rise of television.
THE HOLLYWOOD ART - AMERICAN HITCHCOCK Volume IINick Zegarac
Volume Two covers Alfred Hitchcock's American movie career from 1953, the year he moved over to Paramount Pictures, to his penultimate movie, Family Plot in 1976.
THE HOLLYWOOD ART - AMERICAN HITCHCOCK Volume INick Zegarac
The undisputed master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock's early American film career is covered, from 1940's Oscar-winning Rebecca to 1952's Dial M For Murder.
Enter the kaleidoscopic fantasy world of Hollywood's chief architect of the American movie musical - Busby Berkeley. An extensive look at his Warner Brothers career.
Hollywood's resident bad girl, Lana Turner was tagged 'queen of the nightclubs' at the age of 21. She found movie making a thrill and men exciting, but never found true love despite her intimate passion for both. Here is the truth behind the legend. Here is the woman behind the star.
MGM's Louis B. Mayer ruled the grandest motion picture studio the world has ever known. Discover his life and legacy in this intriguing piece chocked full of movie memories.
26) The Hollywood Art State Of The ArtNick Zegarac
Gregory Peck was a legendary Hollywood actor known for his integrity and intelligence on screen. Over his 40+ year career, he portrayed heroes and complex characters in films like Roman Holiday, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Gentleman's Agreement. Peck was admired by audiences who found him to be just as upstanding in real life. Today, few actors achieve such long, distinguished careers in film. The modern movie industry prioritizes short-term profits over artistic vision and cultural impact.
23) The Hollywood Art In Glorious TechnicolorNick Zegarac
Technicolor has a long history in the film industry, starting as an invention of Herbert Kalmus in the early 20th century to develop a process for filming and projecting motion pictures in color. After many experiments and technological advances over decades, Technicolor became synonymous with Hollywood filmmaking in the 1930s-1950s. However, the early years of Technicolor were difficult, with production challenges, financial struggles, and skepticism from movie studios. It was not until Walt Disney used Technicolor in the 1930s that its potential was fully realized and it began to be widely adopted in the industry.
21) The Hollywood Art Marie Antoinette (1938)Nick Zegarac
This document provides background information on the making of the 1938 film Marie Antoinette, directed by W.S. Van Dyke for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It describes how MGM studio head Irving Thalberg pushed for the lavish and expensive production, hoping it would be immortalized as a screen spectacle. The film starred Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette and became just as turbulent an undertaking for MGM as the French queen's last days. It details the accurate costumes, wigs and makeup used to transform Shearer into Antoinette's image and explains how the film took artistic liberties to portray Antoinette in a more saintly, misunderstood light compared to historical accounts
Orson Welles' career is summarized as a man with immense talent but an inability to navigate Hollywood politics. After early success with Citizen Kane, which was publicly attacked by William Randolph Hearst, Welles struggled to find backing for subsequent projects. While hugely influential as a filmmaker, Welles spent much of his career "hustling" to obtain funding rather than focusing on filmmaking. His legacy was "systematically dismantled" in Hollywood despite his talents as a director, actor, and producer.
16) The Hollywood Art Read The Movie Part INick Zegarac
1) The document discusses the challenges of adapting great works of literature into films. While some literary adaptations were very successful during Hollywood's Golden Age, like those produced by MGM, Shakespeare and other authors have often proven difficult to bring to the screen.
2) In the 1970s and 1980s, Hollywood largely abandoned literary adaptations and focused on cheaper genres like horror films and comedies. Some exceptions included Forman's Amadeus in 1984, which helped revive the costume drama genre.
3) Other films in the mid-1980s like Merchant/Ivory's A Room with a View and Lean's A Passage to India also helped audiences warm up to literary adaptations again. This paved the way
15) The Hollywood Art Hello Dolly! 1969Nick Zegarac
The document discusses the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Hello Dolly! starring Barbra Streisand in the title role originally played by Carol Channing. It provides context on the musical's origins as well as the extensive production undertaken by 20th Century Fox to make the film a lavish spectacle. However, Streisand was a controversial casting choice as a young singer instead of one of the established stars who had previously played Dolly on stage like Channing.
14) The Hollywood Art John Wayne, AmericanNick Zegarac
1) John Wayne had a long career in Hollywood spanning from the 1920s-1970s. He became famous for starring in Western films but had an up and down relationship with director John Ford who helped make him a star but also relentlessly bullied him.
2) Wayne's film reputation declined in the 1960s-70s as his conservative political views became more public and controversial, especially his support for the Vietnam War.
3) One of Wayne's most famous and complex roles was in John Ford's 1956 film The Searchers, where he played a racist and violent character, showing a darker side of the American West than typically seen in Western films previously.
2. the vanishing history of a fairytale princess
The legend of Anastasia has very little to do with her perishable truth,
perhaps because historians remain divided as to what actually became of the
grand duchess after the bloody assassination of the entire Russian Royal
family one night in 1917. Since then, the rumor, the legend and the mystery
surrounding Anastasia has been immortalized as a Broadway smash, an
Oscar-winning film, and, a musical cartoon; all cardboard cut out variations
on the fairytale princess model: an irony that has all but eclipsed the sad
unromantic, and as yet, unsolved Imperial puzzle.
If any fabled correlation can be drawn from the story of Anastasia it is as the
antithesis of the fairytale - the epitome of a tragic and brutal nightmare, so
heinous and haunting that the immensity of its atrocity continues to stagger
our hearts and confound the mind to this day.
In re-conceptualizing Anastasia’s life as high art, director Anatole Litvak’s
1956 melodrama eschewed fact in favor of total fabrication modeled on the
Cinderella-like transformation of Anja from discarded waif to classy aristocrat.
It is this rich tapestry cinematically woven by Litvak and spun from the
romanticized yarns penned by playwright Arthur Laurents (on whose stage
work the film is based) that continue to generate much of the grand
duchess’s timeless mythology.
In the film, Anastasia (1956) the princess, who may or may not have died
along with the rest of her family during the slaughter of 1917 is no longer
her own person. Rather, she has become a symbol; an icon for the fading
Russian gentry who dream in vane for the return of an Imperial Russia in
the graceless post revolutionary period of exile. Anja’s story is transformed
from tragedy to wish fulfillment; a tale that we would rather believe.
It was this fervent desire for daydream that was well in tune with Litvak’s
own Russian Jewish heritage. A man of impeccable manners,
graciousness and meticulous attention to detail, Litvak had been a
premiere director at Germany’s UFA Studios prior to the rise of Adolph
Hitler. His 1936 film, Mayerling (shot in France) brought him to the attention
of Hollywood.
(Top, behind logo: the Russian Imperial crest of the Romanov family, a two headed
eagle clutching the scepter of authority in its left talon and the ball with its Orthodox
cross – symbolizing the church – affixed firmly in the other. Top right: the real Grand
Duchess Anastasia was a precocious child, devilishly playful yet seemingly unspoiled
by her pampered surroundings. Bottom right: Anna Anderson in a photo probably
taken shortly after her release from the asylum in the early 1920s. For years nothing
shook Anderson’s claim that she was in fact Anastasia. Despite an innate knowledge of
the inner workings of the Imperial Romanov house, DNA testing conducted after her
death conclusively proved she was not the Grand Duchess.)
1
3. (Above: a colorized 1913 photograph taken of the royals at their summer retreat in Livadia by the
Levitsky Company. Alexandra (center) is flanked by her daughters – from left: Olga, Tatiana, Maria and
Anastasia. Right top: the inaugural portraits of Nicholas Romanov and (below) Alexandra painted by
Valentin Serov. The Dowager Empress, Nicholas’ mother did not approve of his choice of bride, a note
of dissention she managed to disseminate amongst aristocratic circles in Imperial Russia. With
Alexandra’s increasing reliance on Grigory Rasputin in Nicholas’ absence, Alexandra’s general favor
and popularity with the peasant class was eventually eroded as well.)
While in France, Litvak had been privy to that collective longing for a return of the Royal
Family by some of the exiled Russian aristocrats living out their glorious golden days in
remnant enclaves within Berlin and Paris. So desperate were these refugees for a return
to their homeland – and reinstatement of their titles and lands that had been stripped
after the rise of the Communist Party – that they eagerly embraced a litany of would-be
princesses; pretenders to the throne masquerading for their own share of a whispered
inheritance hidden in the Bank of England by the Dowager Empress during those
formative years immediately following the revolution.
The real Anastasia Nikolayevna was born to a life of wealth and privilege on June 18th,
1901. She was the youngest daughter of the first (and last) 20th century King of Russia;
Czar Nicholas Romanov II and his wife Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna. A bit of a tomboy
and something of a prankster, Anastasia’s sublime youth was spent being educated in
languages and the arts, and, indulging in lavish vacations at home and abroad. It was a
fragile existence that was not to last.
Despite being a formidable intellectual with an extensive military background, Anastasia’s
father, the Czar was both something of a recluse and an autocrat. This distancing from
his people – who regarded their Czar as a ruler ordained by God - helped to perpetuate
the mystique of the monarchy that, at the start of Nicholas’s reign, had enjoyed
unprecedented popularity.
Indeed, the Romanovs were celebrating 300 years of their family bloodline on the throne.
However, at a time when other countries (most notable, Britain) were adopting
2
4. (Above left and middle: two opposing images of Grigori Rasputin capturing two extremely
different variations on ‘who’ and ‘what’ the man represented. Left: a rather holy stance and
stare captured by an unidentified portraiture. Middle: caught with a surly and accusatory
glare at whoever is holding the camera. Two attempts were made on Rasputin’s life; the
first, by Khionia Guseva, a prostitute who stabbed Rasputin in the abdomen until his
entrails emerged, loudly declaring “I have killed the antichrist.” An operation saved the
monk.
On Dec. 16, 1916 loyalists to the throne fronted by Prince Felix Yusupov invited Rasputin to
dine with them, feeding him large quantities of cyanide concealed in cakes and wine. The
poison had no effect. Yusupov then fired a single bullet through Rasputin’s back. The monk
fell and the conspirators left the house to wait for him to expire. Several hours later,
however, Rasputin was still alive. Yusupov fired three more rounds into the monk who, after
still attempting to get up, was further clubbed into submission by the conspirators, bound
and tossed into a nearby icy river. When the body was eventually discovered during the
thaw, the cause of death was determined to by hypothermia even though an autopsy
revealed that Rasputin had consumed enough cyanide to kill at least 5 men.
Middle: Olga and Maria pose in their Grand Duchess finery. This traditional costume would
later be recopied to the last detail for both the stage and screen versions of Anastasia.
Far right: the last known photograph of the Czar in the forest not far from the ‘House of
Special Purpose’ – still wearing his military uniform with communist guards in the
background guarding against his escape.
Right above: The House of Special Purpose. The Czar and his family remained under house
arrest here. The windows were painted out so that they could not look outside. The family
was put on soldier’s rations for the duration of their stay and were eventually shot to death
in its basement cellar on July 17 in the wee hours of the morning.
Right: a wily Gen. Bounine (Yul Brynner) and his protégé, Anja (Ingrid Bergman attempt to
con Prince Paul into believing that she is actually the real Anastasia in the 1956 film
adaptation. For the most part, audiences were expected to have a smattering of Russian
history in their own back pockets prior to seeing the movie which concentrated primarily on
the enduring question of “Is she…or isn’t she?”)
constitutional monarchies, the Czar continued to rule Russia with an iron fist
and, some would argue, obliviousness to the suffrage and growing poverty of
more than eighty percent of that populace over which he held dominion.
In 1914, Nicholas declared war on Germany – a move that proved his undoing.
For although the Czar placed his country’s pride and welfare at the forefront of
foreign affairs, he was ill equipped as either a visionary military strategist or
international diplomatist to see his plans through to fruition. Assuming
command of the armed forces, Nicholas and his army endured one defeat
upon the next against the German military machine.
At home, the Czarina’s growing dependency on a monk of spurious reputation, Grigory Rasputin had also begun to
erode the Royal Family’s popularity with the masses. In truth, Alexandra’s Germanic heritage had always been
something of a sticking point with the people; quietly tolerated though more than slightly resented at the start of the
3
5. Above left: Anna Anderson’s chosen profession in between institutionalizations
was as a not terribly successful actress. Despite the fact that she was a just
another pretender to the throne, Anderson possessed a rather stunning
knowledge of palace life and intrigues that managed to convince many during her
life time that she was, in fact, the Grand Duchess. Today, there is some
speculation that perhaps Anderson may have been a child of one of the ladies in
waiting.
Middle: the real Anastasia was precocious and talented, excelling at the arts and
sharing in her mother’s love of knitting.
Right: Anastasia (in back) and her sister Maria enjoy a pampered pull around the
park by one of the Royal guardsman.
Right: Director Anatole Litvak, an early portrait of a rising star. Born Mikhail
Anatole Livak in the Ukraine, his early career included such notable hits as
Tovarich (1937), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) and All This And Heaven Too
(1940) – the latter nominated for Best Picture.
Right: Brooklyn born, gifted screenwriter, novelist and playwright Arthur Laurents
whose credits included West Side Story (1960) and Gypsy created a lush
melodramatic tapestry for Anastasia (1956).
Bottom: Litvak (left) reads an apparently humorous telegram as independent
producer, David O. Selznick looks on.)
war. Despite his status as a man of God, Rasputin proved to be a self-
indulgent womanizer and a drunk. However, he also seemed to be in
possession of a strange mystical power that quelled the hemophilia
plaguing the future heir to the throne, Alexei Nikolaievich.
Little is known about the grand duchess Anastasia during this time,
except that at the age of twelve she had already become something of
a gifted photographer, indulging her craft in family snapshots. At the
outbreak of war, she and her sisters became dutiful war nurses who
tended to the wounded at the Army Hospital.
It was roughly at this juncture that the Bolshevik party headed by
Vladimir Lenin seized power of the Duma – Russia’s electorate body -
and demanded the abdication of the Czar. Exiled to the remote
Siberian village of Ekaterinburg and “the house of special purpose” (a euphemism for a place of execution), the Czar
and ten others were exterminated in a hailstorm of gunfire on the 16th of July 1918. To discourage any royalists from
recovering their remains as religious artifacts the bodies were bayoneted, stripped naked, doused in petrol and
sulfuric acid and lit afire before being buried in unmarked graves somewhere deep within the forest just beyond the
“house of special purpose.”
4
6. But were they really dead? Newspaper reports of the day
ran the gamut in wild speculations from everyone surviving
and being exiled in the Far East to total annihilation. In
retrospect, it seems that neither journalistic claim was true.
For although an extensive excavation recovered the Czar’s
bones from the earth in 1991, the dig only served to
highlight a mystery which had been ongoing almost from
the moment of assassination: that Anastasia had maybe
survived.
Indeed, while forensic experts were able to piece together
nine bodies neither Anastasia nor Alexei were among
these remains. It seems highly unlikely that in the
moments of haste immediately following the family’s
execution that any special attention would have been
placed on relocating the two youngest victims to an
alternative burial site. Hence, the speculation and the hope
of all royalists from 1918 onward has long since been that
both children had escaped their preordained fates.
As early as 1920, pretenders to the throne had begun
popping up all over Europe. Of the many imposters, one
struck an indelible impression: Anna Anderson.
Tuberculosis stricken, Anderson’s checkered past included
several suicide attempts and frequent institutionalization
for various mental disorders. It was during her stay at one
of these asylums in France that Anna confided to a fellow
patient that she was the daughter of Czar Nicholas II.
So compelling was Anderson’s ability to recall specifics
(that arguably no one other than the real Anastasia could
have possibly known) that many in the Russian émigré
communities peppered throughout the rest of Europe
believed Anna’s story and began launching law suits on
her behalf to reclaim her title as Grand Duchess.
It was Anderson’s life thus far that became the fodder for
skilled Parisian playwright, Marcelle Maurette’s
intercontinental smash play, eventually transcribed for
Broadway by scenarist Guy Bolton. Since no one knew the
whereabouts of the real Grand Duchess it became quite
feasible to assume that Anderson was the real McCoy.
However, in translating the play into a film, screen writer
Arthur Laurents made several key changes to the narrative
that – although entirely void of historical fact – generated
greater melodrama on the big screen.
These changes included a pivotal confrontation and
reconciliation between Anna and her grandmother, the
Dowager Empress Marie. In reality, although the real
Anastasia’s aunt Olga did travel to France to visit Anna
Anderson while she recovered from tuberculosis, no such
public approval or acceptance of Anna – either by Olga or
the Dowager Empress ever transpired. In fact, the
Empress and Anna never met in real life.
5
7. ANASTASIA (1956)
History for Art’s Sake
Blacklisted by HUAC during the Red Scare in Hollywood, Arthur Laurents
and Anastasia’s director, Anatole Litvak had collaborated on The Snake
Pit in 1948; a film whose premise was psychiatry. So Laurents came to
Anastasia’s pedigree well versed in mental disease. However, after an
initial meeting with Litvak in Paris, Laurents concurred that the story would
function best cinematically as a fairytale.
To some extent, Laurents’ claim that all of history is merely an opinion
written from a skewed perspective holds validity. “I did no (historical)
research” Laurents would later confess, “…and never felt I was
betraying history.” Hence, the screen’s Anastasia would not be quite as
haunted or disturbed as her ‘real life’ incarnation.
(Previous page: the film version of Anastasia benefited immensely from a strong cast
that included ‘first lady of the American theater, Helen Hayes (top) and the comeback
of one of filmdom’s all time greats – Ingrid Bergman (bottom, seen in a Warner
publicity still). One of the most luminous stars of early 1940s, Bergman’s career was
sidetracked by her blacklisting for having left her husband and daughter for an affair
with Italian director Roberto Rossellini.
This page, top: the Dowager Empress (Hayes) encourages her granddaughter
(Bergman) to follow her heart. Right: a studio portrait of Bergman in the gown and
cape she first wears to meet Prince Paul.
Bottom: Yul Brynner and Bergman on the Russian Orthodox church set built at
England’s Elstree Studios for the dramatic opening of the film. After Bounine confronts
the mystery woman with no past, she attempts to run away and commit suicide. By all
accounts Brynner and Bergman got on famously throughout the shoot after an initial
rocky start in which Brynner attempted a flirtation that turned sour.
Ever the professional, Bergman did not hold the incident against Brynner and the two
developed a platonic mutual respect for one another’s craft and work ethic.)
6
8. (Top left: Litvak, in foreground, rehearses Bergman through a waltz on the lavish hotel ballroom set built at Elstree Studios and that
serves as the dramatic setting for the film’s climax. Bergman dances with a plain clothes Yul Brynner in this rehearsal, who is taking the
place of actor Ivan Desny, cast as Prince Paul von Haraldberg. In the finished film, Bounine and Anastasia never share a dance. Top
right: a comfortable Brynner casually reclines on the throne while talking to cinematographer Jack Hildyard on the set. Anastasia’s
production was, by all accounts, a smooth and pleasurable undertaking in which everyone got along and no mishaps occurred.)
As originally scripted by Laurents, the film was to have opened with the Grand Duchess wandering alone at night
along the banks of the Seine river. In a state of depression, the woman who thinks she is Anastasia suddenly believes
she hears the tinkering of a piano playing a tune from her youth.
She is overcome with emotion and falls into the river, only to be rescued by passer’s by. Litvak, however, had another
idea. He wanted to open the film during Russian Easter at the Orthodox Church in Paris. Unfortunately, the church
would not give its permission to film there, forcing Litvak to actually build a mock up of the church on the back lot at
Britain’s Pinewood Studios to film his grand introduction.
Casting the film version of Anastasia proved an interesting initial setback, since both Litvak and Laurents wanted
Ingrid Bergman for the lead. In Hollywood, and indeed America, Bergman had been persona non grata for over a
decade, following her very public split from husband Peter Lindstrom and daughter Pia.
Despite the fact that Bergman did not abandon her daughter (as has long since been rumored) the actress, who only
a decade earlier had been hailed as one of the greatest of her generation, had since been exiled from her adopted
country after her affair with Italian director Roberto Rossellini. Pilloried from the pulpit and denounced in the tabloids
as unfit, the United States Senate took the cause for morality to new heights by banning Bergman from returning to
America as they had previously done with Charlie Chaplin. (*Chaplin’s exile was perpetrated on the grounds that he
was a communist.)
At 20th Century Fox, then President Spyros P. Skouras urged Litvak to reconsider Bergman as his star. Barring
acceptance of anyone else in the role, Skouras next suggested to Bergman that she return on a goodwill tour of the
United States by visiting women’s clubs to test her in the court of popular opinion. To her credit, Bergman refused to
be publicly paraded as a wanton outcast, saying, “I’m an actress…as for coming to the United States…I will
come when I want to and not to be tested.”
To help bolster Bergman’s reputation, at least in the minds of Fox executives, Litvak cast First Lady of the American
Theater, Helen Hayes, in the pivotal role of the Dowager Empress. Hayes had been a respected actress on Broadway
7
9. (Moments of truth in world of affection and performance. Top row: Anastasia meets exiled members of the Russian court she supposedly
grew up in. Unable to gain their favor, a breakthrough occurs when one of the former ladies in waiting to Alexandra, Irina Lissemskaia
(Natalie Schafer) comes forward. “What did my mother call you?” Anastasia rhetorically asks before blurting out the name ‘Nini’ – a
nickname not taught to Anna by Bounine but one she seems to genuinely recognize just the same. Top right: “Your highness!” Nini
declares in utter amazement and disbelief.
Center row, left: attempting to bait Prince Paul (Ivan Desny, far left), Bounine (Yul Brynner) introduces him to the Grand Duchess as co-
conspirator, Boris Chernov (Akim Tamaroff, far right) looks on with his own skeptic curiosity. Center right: to convince himself of Anna’s
legitimacy, Paul makes her acquaintance through a series of dates. Here, the two get properly drunk at Copenhagen’s famed Tivoli
Gardens – actually, another set at Elstree).
Bottom row, left: Anna begs the indulgence of her Grand mama, Maria (Helen Hayes) by reciting places and things taught to her by
Bounine. “Imposter!” Maria declares, all the years having to contend with various fakes and frauds having made her openly bitter and
hostile. Bottom right: however, when Anna suddenly develops a nervous cough, Maria asks if she is ill. Anna replies that when she is
upset she coughs, leading Maria to recall that when Anastasia was frightened as a child she used to cough in the same manner. The
revelation opens Maria’s heart to the possibility that Anna may indeed be her granddaughter. “Oh, but if it is not you,” she tells Anna
through tears of joy, “Don’t ever tell me.”)
before coming to Hollywood in the 1930s and winning an Oscar for her performance in The Sin of Madelon Claudet
(1931). However, shortly thereafter Hayes’ film career hit a snag with Louis B. Mayer, the undisputed monarch of
MGM. Hayes and her husband, Charles McArthur had been close personal friends of actress Norma Shearer and her
husband, MGM’s VP in Charge of Production, Irving Thalberg. Presumably, it is this friendship that worked against
Hayes with Mayer after Thalberg’s untimely death. For her part, Hayes would continue to hold Mayer personally
responsible for Thalberg’s death, saying of Mayer in an interview, “He wasn’t anything negative on the surface
8
10. (Top row, left: Anna and Bounine meet the press for a congenial Q&A that goes hopelessly awry after a man named Mikhail Vlados (Karel
Stepanek) confronts them with the knowledge that he first met Anna inside a mental asylum in Prague. Top right: a pensive Bounine
studies the ballroom and observes the courtship between Anna and Paul taking center stage on the dance floor. By now, the question of
‘is she or isn’t she’ is moot to the General who has fallen hopelessly in love with his protégé.
Center row left: Anna asks Paul if he would still want to marry her if she were not the Grand Duchess. He refuses to answer her, leaving
Anna to speculate, “The poor have only one advantage. They know that they are loved for themselves.” Right: Maria embraces Anna for
the last time, telling her that she must make her way as she sees fit, knowing in her own heart that Anna has already chosen to steal off
with Bounine rather than marry Prince Paul. Helen Hayes performance as Maria is multi-layered and intriguing. Does she in fact know
she has been taken in by another imposter, but cannot bring herself to hate the girl, or is she genuinely saddened by the fact that in
order to love her granddaughter she must give her back to the mysterious haunted autonomy of the world?
Bottom left: Baroness Elena Von Livenbaum (Martita Hunt) is instructed by Chernov on how to proceed with the ceremony about to take
place in the ballroom. Earlier, Elena’s playful attraction to Bounine is utterly frowned upon by Maria. “Livenbaum,” she tells her lady in
waiting, “At your age sex should mean nothing but gender!” Bottom right: having informed Prince Paul of Anna’s abandonment, the
astonished Paul declares Anna a fraud, inquiring to Maria, “But what will you say?” “I will tell them, ‘the play is over…go home!’” Maria
replies coolly. Screenwriter Arthur Laurents had wanted director Litvak to shoot this last line with Maria staring directly into the movie
audience, thus signaling the end in a sly direct address. Litvak instead chose the ‘safe’ ending. The line is said by Maria to Prince Paul as
they make their way into the grand ballroom.)
…but he was evil.” Whatever the reasons, Hayes film career was rather short lived and she returned to the stage
that had always been her first love anyway.
9
11. (Above: the grand ballroom set in all its finery and fanfare at the start of a perfect evening. Anna dances with Prince Paul as a select
group of invited guests look on.
Helen Hayes had long admired Ingrid Bergman as an actress that she had first befriended in 1949. The moniker, ‘first
lady of the American Theater’ had been bestowed upon Hayes in 1955 during a Broadway tribute. Reportedly, the
modest actress was quite embarrassed to be thought of in such high esteem (especially since she considered her
contemporary Katharine Cornell to be her superior). Nevertheless, Hayes graciously accepted the honor, never
believing that the title would endure. Ironically, it has.
Accolades aside, Helen Hayes had almost become a recluse by 1956. The tragedy of her only daughter’s death the
previous year, coupled with the sudden loss of her husband had left her emotionally drained at the time Litvak
proposed her triumphant return to motion pictures. Despite her personal apprehensions in accepting the part, Hayes
was welcomed into the fold on the set. She would later recall that the professional courtesies and personal
acquaintances developed while working on Anastasia made for one of the most satisfying movie experiences she
had ever had as a film actress.
The final bit of unresolved casting for the film also proved to be the least difficult to decide upon. Everyone wanted Yul
Brynner. The exotic leading man, famed for his bald pate, was in the middle of a stellar year of personal artistic
triumphs when Litvak contacted him for Anastasia. 1956 would prove to be Brynner’s seminal year as an actor. He
was cast in three of the filmdom’s most spectacular and showy productions; as the Pharoh Ramsey in Cecil B.
DeMille’s The Ten Commandments; a film reprise of his most celebrated Broadway triumph – as the king of Siam in
The King and I, and as General Sergei Pavlovich Bounine in Anastasia. Though he was Oscar nominated for his
role in Anastasia, Brynner lost to himself – taking home the Best Actor statuette for The King and I instead.
A delightfully rakish raconteur, Brynner shrouded much of his personal life in closely guarded mystery and myth. In
truth he was born in Vladivostok on 7 July 1915, and named Yul after his grandfather. Abandoned by his own father,
Brynner was a dropout at the age of 19. He became a Paris musician among the Russian gypsies, apprenticed for
Jean Cocteau at the Theatre des Mathurins and doubled as a trapeze artist with Cirque d'Hiver.
All of this background would serve him well as an aspiring actor during the next few years. In 1941, Brynner studied
with Chekhov in the U.S. and debuted on Broadway as a Chinese peasant opposite Mary Martin in Lute Song. It was
Martin who recommended Brynner to scenarists Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The rest…as they say, is
history.
10
12. The primary appeal of Anastasia, at least for screen
writer Arthur Laurents, had always been its Pygmalion
aspect – the hewing of a diamond in the rough that
proves herself to be a more genuine gem than even
her Svengali had initially hoped for. To be sure, the
chemistry between Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman
was instantly palpable. In fact, during rehearsals,
Brynner had developed a flirtatious crush on his
Swedish costar; an assignation quickly dismantled
when Bergman turned to Arthur Laurents during their
run-through of the script and coolly inquired, “He’s
supposed to be royalty?” Possibly Bergman’s
rebuke of Brynner’s advances had more to do with the
actress taking no chances that her return to American
movies would solicit even more rumors of salacious
romantic intrigues in the tabloids. Whatever the
reason, and despite this initial rebuke, the two costars
got on famously throughout the shoot.
To add an air of authenticity to the production, a
second film unit was sent to Copenhagen, London and
Paris to photograph establishing shots that would be
inserted into the final film. For all intensive purposes,
however, principle cast and crew never left the sound
stages, though at one point both Brynner and Berman
were featured sitting inside an authentic 1920s railway
car in Britain (with rear projection substituting as a
moving backdrop) to depict Anastasia’s journey from
France to Denmark.
For the final moment in the film, the Dowager prods
the woman she believes to be her granddaughter into
following her own heart right into the arms of Gen.
Bounine. Arthur Laurents had wanted Helen Hayes
(when asked what she shall say to the crowd of
spectators awaiting confirmation of Anastasia’s royal
acceptance) to look directly into the camera and
address the audience with, “I will say, the play is
over. Go home.”
th
(Right: in 1997 Don Bluth and 20 Century-Fox premiered a
lavishly appointed animated musical version of Anastasia that
took even more artistic liberties with the story, while retaining
all of the magical fairytale qualities of the original film. Top: the
Catherine the Great ballroom as drawn for the 300 year
celebration of the Romanov reign.
Middle: Anja (voiced by Meg Ryan) begins a journey to her past
with the aid of a playful mutt named Pooka.
Middle: Vlad (Kelsey Grammer) looks on as Dimitri (John
Cusack) and Anja begin to fall in love.
Second from bottom: Cousin Sophie (Bernadette Peters)
convinces the whole of Paris to come out and celebrate in one
of the film’s lavishly staged production numbers.
Bottom: “You have to talk to her!” a stubborn Dimitri tells the
equally stubborn Dowager Empress (Angela Lansbury).
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13. (Top row, left: Grand Duchesses don’t marry kitchen boys, so says Dimitri to Vlad. Unlike Bounine in the 1956 film, Dimitri knows that
Anna is actually the Grand Duchess without a memory of her past, but is still resigned to restore her to her rightful place despite his love
for her. Top row, right: one of the more fanciful elements of the 1997 revision included the resurrection of Rasputin (voiced by
Christopher Lloyd) from purgatory, restored to his former self through a magical reliquary and hell bent on destroying the last of the
Romanovs. Bottom left: The Dowager Empress and Sophie cry over a farewell letter Anja has left behind, declaring her love for Dimitri
while making a promise to return to visit her grandmother somewhere in the future. “It’s a perfect ending,” says Sophie. “No,” Maria
admits, “It’s a perfect beginning!” Bottom right: another fanciful inclusion, Bartok the Bat (Hank Azaria); Rasputin’s one time sidekick
who abandons his master’s plans to murder Anja in Paris in favor of l’amour with a female bat from the city of light. Below: original
poster art for the 1956 film.)
Though the line is retained in the film’s final cut, Litvak chose instead
to have Hayes speak it to her escort, Prince Paul. The conventional
finale disappointed Laurents, who thought that his version more fittingly
capped off his concept of the film; as a story not to be taken seriously
as fact.
Upon its premiere, Anastasia (1956) was an immediate blockbuster. It
marked the celebrated return of Ingrid Bergman to the big screen and
earned the actress her second Academy Award. The film also
cemented Yul Brynner’s popularity at the box office. Though members
of the Russian aristocracy were befuddled (and in some cases,
outraged) by the artistic liberties taken, most concurred with the
assessment that, as a work of pure fiction, the film held up remarkably
well under narrative scrutiny.
If the film had any negative publicity, it derived from a sudden
resurgence in the public’s interest for Anna Anderson – the woman
who had retreated from public life to a cottage deep in Germany’s
Black Forest. Endlessly besought by reporters hungry for a sound byte,
Anna eventually fled her home to the United States in 1968. It was her
second trip abroad.
In the late 1920s, Anderson had been the guest of Princess Xenia in
Manhattan – a short lived association that ended when Anna stripped
naked and danced about the roof top of Xenia’s fashionable penthouse
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14. apartment. Institutionalized once more and shipped back to Germany
in 1940, Anderson had been content to live her life in private until her
return visit to the U.S.
In 1968, Anderson met and married a Charlottesville Virginia
university professor. But her personal demons refused to perish.
Living in squalor and plagued by chronic bouts of depression,
Anderson was eventually institutionalized once more in 1983. She
died on February 12 1984.
Through advanced DNA sampling, taken before her death and
matched with a sample from England’s Prince Philip, scientists
conclusively determined that the woman who had so cleverly defied
any finite labeling of her own identity while she lived was actually
NOT the Grand Duchess Anastasia.
And so at the end of a journey that began with one of the most tragic
disappearing acts in all 20th century history, the whereabouts of the
real Anastasia (and that of her brother) are still unknown.
Henceforth, and with film fantasies cast aside, as time wears on
Anastasia remains an enigma for the ages. Did she survive? Well,
it’s the rumor…the legend…and the mystery.
(No happy endings. Right top: the real Anna Anderson’s life immediately
following the debut of the 1956 film became a nightmare of prying eyes and
press coverage that sent the already fragile and unstable woman into seclusion.
Right: the Czar poses proudly with his children and wife two years before his
entire world was to crumble. Bottom right: the would-be heir to the Russian
throne, Alexei. Born with hemophilia, the fragile child’s bones were also not
among those exhumed in 1991. While history has been kind in probing the
whereabouts of his sister Anastasia, it has all but forgotten about the boy who
ought to have been the next Imperial ruler of the largest country on earth.
Below: the Czar and his family in Livedia the summer before the start of the war.
While neither the 1956 nor 1997 films delve into the underlying arch of history,
these images remind us of how much was lost on that fateful night in 1917.)
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