This article is published on 25 March 2023 to mark the 115th anniversary of David Lean’s birth. David Lean’s parents were Quakers: in Quaker belief, …
Beaujolais: Minimal Tannins, Full of Character
One often hears that a red wine has to mature for a long time in the barrel before it develops an intense aroma and becomes …
Joseph Schmidt: A Radio Tenor Finds His Way to the Stage
Continued from part one At the end of 1935, a radio broadcast with Joseph Schmidt was broadcast to the United States: sitting in front of …
Joseph Schmidt: The Microphone Was His Concert Hall
Part one Early in his career, Joseph Schmidt sang roles that pushed other tenors to the limits of their vocal abilities at the height of …
Charlton Heston: The Monumental Actor
No other Hollywood actor could portray biblical roles with such conviction as Charlton Heston: Heston’s role of Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956), directed by …
Ava Gardner: A Shop Window Discovery
Ava Gardner was the type of actress who could afford to not really act: it was enough for her to stand in front of the …
Feta cheese: The White Gold of Greece
When one thinks of cheese in Central Europe, the typical cheese classics from Switzerland such as Emmentaler or Gouda from Holland, which are mostly made …
Kirk Douglas: A Hollywood Titan
He embodied the genre of the Western like hardly any other actor: whether in the role of Doc Holliday or a sheriff, Douglas mastered a …
Jo Stafford: The Voice of an Era
When Grace Kelly was young, Jo Stafford reportedly was her favourite singer: Listening to You Belong To Me by Jo Stafford, one is immediately struck …
Jerry Goldsmith: The Sound of Science-Fiction
Jerry Goldsmith immortalised himself with his music for several Star Trek films: His career began in the early 1950s when Goldsmith took a job as …