Continued...
She met Ambrose — Bruce to family and friends — through a mutual friend. He was from Oregon and in the Army. She was from Ireland and a student nurse at a hospital.
Kathleen wanted to get a good look at Bruce before she agreed to go out with him. One night he came to the hospital, and she went to the front door. But there was a mandatory blackout during that time, and it was too dark to see. Someone shined a flashlight toward Bruce's face.
"All I saw is that he had such pretty teeth," she said with a chuckle. "How silly."
They dated and then corresponded by letter when military responsibilities took Bruce away. He proposed in one of those letters, and she said yes. He had his parents, who lived in Mount Angel at the time, purchase the rings at a Portland jewelry store and shipped them to him. His family also shipped a wedding dress for Kathleen.
The rings arrived in time for their wedding Feb. 3, 1945, at a small church near the hospital. But not the dress.
When the war ended, Bruce had to return to the States. By that time, Kathleen was pregnant with their first child. He didn't want her to be alone so he took her home to her family in Ireland to have the baby. Bruce didn't get to see his daughter until she was 1. That's when Kathleen and the baby finally were able to join him.
They raised three children and lived in Albany before settling in Salem, in the house where Kathleen still lives. Bruce worked for years at Teledyne Wah Chang. She spent some years working as a nursing aide.
After he died, she wore his ring with hers — until that day at Costco, when they vanished.
For Christmas that year, Schaecher opened a special gift that included an antique ring similar to hers and a gold band.Continued...
"My children bought me these rings to fill the void, and they have very much done so," she said.
Sort of. But not really.
And then came one of the happiest days of her life, Oct. 6, 2008. It was a Monday, and she was cleaning the freezer.
She noticed something round and shiny at the bottom of the chest, which is about 3 feet deep. Suddenly, she realized what it was. Her ring.
Her first thought was how sad it was not to see her husband's ring nearby. Then she glanced at the bucket on the floor and there, beside a rag she had been using, was his.
Schaecher cried, and she left the contents of her freezer on the garage floor. She called her daughter-in-law, Nancy Schaecher, who was with her that day five years ago.
"Her voice was all shaky," Nancy said. "I thought somebody must have died."
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Woman finds wedding rings five years later
You know that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you lose something you treasure, something irreplaceable? It never really goes away, unless by some miracle you find the item.
Kathleen Schaecher gives us all hope. She recently found her wedding ring and her husband's wedding band after losing them five years ago.
"I never, ever dreamed I would see my rings again," the 84-year-old Salem woman said. "It's hard for me to believe. I'm still shocked."
She found them in the bottom of the 16-cubic-foot Kenmore chest freezer in her garage. And all this time, she thought she'd lost them at Costco.
"I'm glad I found them," she said, "because I hated going to Costco."
She lost the rings Nov. 2, 2003. It was a Sunday, a day Schaecher will never forget.
She had just been to Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church and was shopping at Costco with her daughter-in-law. She remembers putting a ham in the cart, maybe even hearing a tinkling sound at one point and later discovering her rings were gone. She wore them together on her left ring finger, as she had since her husband died in 1998. The rings had been resized but still were loose on her finger.
Schaecher frantically retraced her steps in the warehouse and in the parking lot. Costco employees joined the search. She went home empty-handed and heartbroken, leaving her name and number in hopes that someone would find the rings and turn them in. But Schaecher just knew they were gone forever.
"It was a most horrible feeling," she said. "I was devastated."
The years passed, and Schaecher often thought about her rings and where they disappeared to. Now and then, her hopes of finding them were renewed, once after reading about a woman who accidentally tossed her wedding ring in the garbage but was able to find it at the dump. How lucky that woman was, Schaecher thought.
The rings weren't insured because they really weren't that valuable. His was a simple gold band. Hers was a modest solitaire diamond set in gold.
"It's tiny, but it's a good little diamond," she said, repeating what a jeweler once told her.
The four Cs (carat, clarity, color and cut) have never been important to Schaecher. The true value of their wedding rings was what they symbolized. The love she and her husband shared for 53 years. Their courtship and wedding in London, during World War II.Continued...
"How sweet is their love story. The value of a something is not measured on its price.It is the memory and the reason it was bought and used."
Kathleen Schaecher gives us all hope. She recently found her wedding ring and her husband's wedding band after losing them five years ago.
"I never, ever dreamed I would see my rings again," the 84-year-old Salem woman said. "It's hard for me to believe. I'm still shocked."
She found them in the bottom of the 16-cubic-foot Kenmore chest freezer in her garage. And all this time, she thought she'd lost them at Costco.
"I'm glad I found them," she said, "because I hated going to Costco."
She lost the rings Nov. 2, 2003. It was a Sunday, a day Schaecher will never forget.
She had just been to Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church and was shopping at Costco with her daughter-in-law. She remembers putting a ham in the cart, maybe even hearing a tinkling sound at one point and later discovering her rings were gone. She wore them together on her left ring finger, as she had since her husband died in 1998. The rings had been resized but still were loose on her finger.
Schaecher frantically retraced her steps in the warehouse and in the parking lot. Costco employees joined the search. She went home empty-handed and heartbroken, leaving her name and number in hopes that someone would find the rings and turn them in. But Schaecher just knew they were gone forever.
"It was a most horrible feeling," she said. "I was devastated."
The years passed, and Schaecher often thought about her rings and where they disappeared to. Now and then, her hopes of finding them were renewed, once after reading about a woman who accidentally tossed her wedding ring in the garbage but was able to find it at the dump. How lucky that woman was, Schaecher thought.
The rings weren't insured because they really weren't that valuable. His was a simple gold band. Hers was a modest solitaire diamond set in gold.
"It's tiny, but it's a good little diamond," she said, repeating what a jeweler once told her.
The four Cs (carat, clarity, color and cut) have never been important to Schaecher. The true value of their wedding rings was what they symbolized. The love she and her husband shared for 53 years. Their courtship and wedding in London, during World War II.Continued...
"How sweet is their love story. The value of a something is not measured on its price.It is the memory and the reason it was bought and used."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I'd given up hope of finding my mother'
Continued...One day, only a couple of months ago now, Rodney phoned me sounding excited and said he had good news. He had discovered that my mother, Margaret, had married again in 1935 and what's more, she'd had three children.
I was flabbergasted to think there was someone out there who was a living connection to my mother.
A couple of days later, Rodney phoned again. He said, "Guess what George, I've been talking to your nephew, Timothy." I nearly fell out of my chair. "He was a bit aghast when he heard that he had an uncle, but he has agreed to talk to his father," Rodney continued. "His name is David and he lives in Rutland." Obviously finding out that your mother had an illegitimate child when she was a teenager can come as a bit of a surprise, so when Timothy told David about me he was a little sceptical at first. But he rang round his relatives and an aunt admitted to him that Margaret had revealed the existence of her long-lost son before she died.
David agreed he would come down from Rutland the following weekend and before I knew it, my long lost half-brother was standing at my door. We both have a bit of our mother's Greek looks about us so it was obvious we were related. He dived in and clasped me and we both got emotional.
We shared our histories and David told me a great deal about what sort of person my mother was. She was apparently very caring. After her second marriage in 1935 she had retrained as a psychiatric nurse. All the time we were talking, sitting side by side, he would not let go of my hand.
We also discovered that we had the same sense of humour, and before the day was out he not only gave me a photo of my mother but a lock of her hair too. To never know what your mother looks like and then, at the age of 90, to be given a photo of her is a feeling I cannot put into words. Before he left I asked him, "David, this is not just going to be a one-off is it?" To my relief he assured me it wasn't.
Finding my family has lifted me up. When you live in a small retirement flat on your own it makes all the difference in the world to know you have family outside the four walls around you. I have something to think about and plans to make. If I want to talk to someone, I can phone them. I've got a laptop now and have learned to email, which is useful because I have relations all over the place to catch up with, including another half-brother in Australia called Peter. His son has just had a boy so there's another family member to think of.
Some people say it's a shame we were not reunited all those years ago, that it's such a waste. I say better late than never. End.
Source
I was flabbergasted to think there was someone out there who was a living connection to my mother.
A couple of days later, Rodney phoned again. He said, "Guess what George, I've been talking to your nephew, Timothy." I nearly fell out of my chair. "He was a bit aghast when he heard that he had an uncle, but he has agreed to talk to his father," Rodney continued. "His name is David and he lives in Rutland." Obviously finding out that your mother had an illegitimate child when she was a teenager can come as a bit of a surprise, so when Timothy told David about me he was a little sceptical at first. But he rang round his relatives and an aunt admitted to him that Margaret had revealed the existence of her long-lost son before she died.
David agreed he would come down from Rutland the following weekend and before I knew it, my long lost half-brother was standing at my door. We both have a bit of our mother's Greek looks about us so it was obvious we were related. He dived in and clasped me and we both got emotional.
We shared our histories and David told me a great deal about what sort of person my mother was. She was apparently very caring. After her second marriage in 1935 she had retrained as a psychiatric nurse. All the time we were talking, sitting side by side, he would not let go of my hand.
We also discovered that we had the same sense of humour, and before the day was out he not only gave me a photo of my mother but a lock of her hair too. To never know what your mother looks like and then, at the age of 90, to be given a photo of her is a feeling I cannot put into words. Before he left I asked him, "David, this is not just going to be a one-off is it?" To my relief he assured me it wasn't.
Finding my family has lifted me up. When you live in a small retirement flat on your own it makes all the difference in the world to know you have family outside the four walls around you. I have something to think about and plans to make. If I want to talk to someone, I can phone them. I've got a laptop now and have learned to email, which is useful because I have relations all over the place to catch up with, including another half-brother in Australia called Peter. His son has just had a boy so there's another family member to think of.
Some people say it's a shame we were not reunited all those years ago, that it's such a waste. I say better late than never. End.
Source
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I'd given up hope of finding my mother'
George Hall was adopted in 1922, aged four. He had always hoped to track down his biological family, but at 90 was living alone with no relatives left. Then a letter arrived ...
I was put up for adoption in 1922 at the age of four, before official adoption records began. My mother, Margaret Allen, had been 19 when she'd had me, outside of marriage, and she was forced to give me up when she met and married a first world war veteran. All I ever knew about my father was that he and my mother met and courted during the war. I always assumed that he returned to the front and got killed but whether that's true or not I will never know.
My adoptive parents were strict, but they looked after me well and treated me as their own. They sent me to a Catholic school in Stratford, east London, fed me, clothed me and gave me toys. Eventually, I found out that they'd had their own son. He had been sent out to get a bottle of lemonade and was run over and killed by a horse and cart. In some ways I think I was a replacement for him.
As much as my adoptive parents wanted me to love them, I knew they were not my real mother and father, and I resented them for it. Occasionally, one of them would ask me to sit on their lap and read a comic but I would want to run a mile. When I was 13, I rummaged through my adoptive father's papers and found my adoption certificate, which only made me feel more unwanted.
My adoptive parents seemed to have few friends, but this was partly due to the number of times we moved house around east London. I later found out that this was to stop my mother from finding me when her husband died in 1928 of his old war wounds.
After I left school at 14, I went through a series of jobs before joining up as a Royal Marine in 1940 to fight in the second world war, the same year that I met my wife Joan. I was one of the lucky ones - I came back from the war, and when I was demobbed in 1944, Joan and I went to live in Rainham, east London. I went back to my job as a machinist at a paper company, and in 1945 we had our first and only child, Barbara. It was an emotional moment for me when she was born, and around that time I started thinking about trying to trace my own mother. I'd always spoken to my wife about it, but in those days it was not advisable to go around talking to people about illegitimate children - it was the sort of thing that could easily have broken up marriages. To have had a child out of wedlock was a sin and a disgrace.
The problem was that I had very little to go on. All I had was a lasting memory of going to a wedding as a young boy in Limehouse, where my mother had lived. For some reason I had it set in my mind that the person who got married that day was my mother. So I went up to Limehouse and tracked down the house where the wedding had been held.
By an extraordinary stroke of luck the woman who answered the door remembered the wedding. She said the person who got married had been a twin and a teacher, but she had no idea where she now lived. I went to the local newsagent and asked if there was anyone by the name of Snell (my mother's married name) living nearby. And indeed, after knocking on a couple of doors, I was eventually directed down the road to some prefabs.
By the time I arrived to find a woman putting washing out on a line, I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to find my mother. But when I explained who I was looking for she said, "Oh, no, that's not me. I have had no children like that." I even asked her if she was certain, I was that disappointed. I had no one to turn to and, as far as I was concerned, that was the end of it. I gave up hope of finding my mother, but the desire to find out about her has remained with me for the rest of my life.
Years later, in 1992, my wife contracted cancer. She was a fighter and I am proud to say that I looked after her until her last day in 1994. She had always said she wanted to live until she was 70 - or three score years and ten as she said - and she got her wish. My life became very difficult for a period, but eventually I made an effort to get out of the house, and that was when I met Rita. Although you never stop grieving for someone, you have to move on. Rita helped me to do that and we enjoyed a lot of good times together. But casting a shadow over those years was the fact that only two years after my wife's death, my daughter Barbara was also diagnosed with cancer. In a cruel twist of fate Rita was also diagnosed with the disease and died in October 2004. After battling for 10 years, Barbara passed away in January the following year.
We all think our children should survive us, and all I could think was that I was the one who should have died. I suffered from panic attacks and used to kick up such a stink that the neighbours would have to call the doctor round to give me tablets to quieten me down.
Soon after, what my doctor had thought was arthritis turned out to be a burst appendix. At the age of 87, it was more than I could take. I wanted to die and - in my more delirious moments - I said exactly that. Without some friends who helped me through that period, I am sure I would not be here today.
Then, out of the blue in early 2006, I received a letter. It was from a cousin called Rodney on my adoptive parents' side who was researching his family tree and wanted to meet me. We ended up becoming good friends and Rodney agreed to help me try to trace my mother using my adoption certificate. He'd had so many difficulties tracing his own family, though, that I did not get my hopes up.Continued...
I was put up for adoption in 1922 at the age of four, before official adoption records began. My mother, Margaret Allen, had been 19 when she'd had me, outside of marriage, and she was forced to give me up when she met and married a first world war veteran. All I ever knew about my father was that he and my mother met and courted during the war. I always assumed that he returned to the front and got killed but whether that's true or not I will never know.
My adoptive parents were strict, but they looked after me well and treated me as their own. They sent me to a Catholic school in Stratford, east London, fed me, clothed me and gave me toys. Eventually, I found out that they'd had their own son. He had been sent out to get a bottle of lemonade and was run over and killed by a horse and cart. In some ways I think I was a replacement for him.
As much as my adoptive parents wanted me to love them, I knew they were not my real mother and father, and I resented them for it. Occasionally, one of them would ask me to sit on their lap and read a comic but I would want to run a mile. When I was 13, I rummaged through my adoptive father's papers and found my adoption certificate, which only made me feel more unwanted.
My adoptive parents seemed to have few friends, but this was partly due to the number of times we moved house around east London. I later found out that this was to stop my mother from finding me when her husband died in 1928 of his old war wounds.
After I left school at 14, I went through a series of jobs before joining up as a Royal Marine in 1940 to fight in the second world war, the same year that I met my wife Joan. I was one of the lucky ones - I came back from the war, and when I was demobbed in 1944, Joan and I went to live in Rainham, east London. I went back to my job as a machinist at a paper company, and in 1945 we had our first and only child, Barbara. It was an emotional moment for me when she was born, and around that time I started thinking about trying to trace my own mother. I'd always spoken to my wife about it, but in those days it was not advisable to go around talking to people about illegitimate children - it was the sort of thing that could easily have broken up marriages. To have had a child out of wedlock was a sin and a disgrace.
The problem was that I had very little to go on. All I had was a lasting memory of going to a wedding as a young boy in Limehouse, where my mother had lived. For some reason I had it set in my mind that the person who got married that day was my mother. So I went up to Limehouse and tracked down the house where the wedding had been held.
By an extraordinary stroke of luck the woman who answered the door remembered the wedding. She said the person who got married had been a twin and a teacher, but she had no idea where she now lived. I went to the local newsagent and asked if there was anyone by the name of Snell (my mother's married name) living nearby. And indeed, after knocking on a couple of doors, I was eventually directed down the road to some prefabs.
By the time I arrived to find a woman putting washing out on a line, I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to find my mother. But when I explained who I was looking for she said, "Oh, no, that's not me. I have had no children like that." I even asked her if she was certain, I was that disappointed. I had no one to turn to and, as far as I was concerned, that was the end of it. I gave up hope of finding my mother, but the desire to find out about her has remained with me for the rest of my life.
Years later, in 1992, my wife contracted cancer. She was a fighter and I am proud to say that I looked after her until her last day in 1994. She had always said she wanted to live until she was 70 - or three score years and ten as she said - and she got her wish. My life became very difficult for a period, but eventually I made an effort to get out of the house, and that was when I met Rita. Although you never stop grieving for someone, you have to move on. Rita helped me to do that and we enjoyed a lot of good times together. But casting a shadow over those years was the fact that only two years after my wife's death, my daughter Barbara was also diagnosed with cancer. In a cruel twist of fate Rita was also diagnosed with the disease and died in October 2004. After battling for 10 years, Barbara passed away in January the following year.
We all think our children should survive us, and all I could think was that I was the one who should have died. I suffered from panic attacks and used to kick up such a stink that the neighbours would have to call the doctor round to give me tablets to quieten me down.
Soon after, what my doctor had thought was arthritis turned out to be a burst appendix. At the age of 87, it was more than I could take. I wanted to die and - in my more delirious moments - I said exactly that. Without some friends who helped me through that period, I am sure I would not be here today.
Then, out of the blue in early 2006, I received a letter. It was from a cousin called Rodney on my adoptive parents' side who was researching his family tree and wanted to meet me. We ended up becoming good friends and Rodney agreed to help me try to trace my mother using my adoption certificate. He'd had so many difficulties tracing his own family, though, that I did not get my hopes up.Continued...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wendy Richard's wedding day dawns
Former EastEnders actress Wendy Richard is to marry her long term partner on Friday, before starting chemotherapy.
By Chris Irvine
Actress Ms Richard, 65, best known for playing Pauline Fowler in the BBC soap, is marrying her long term partner John Burns, 45, in a civil ceremony in London, after living together for 10 years.
The couple live together in Marylebone, London. They marry before Ms Richard starts chemotherapy treatment on October 13.
Ms Richard revealed earlier this week she had written her will and planned her funeral after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that has attacked her kidney and spread to her bones.
The star, awarded the MBE for her services to television in 2000, has twice before been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Around 60 family and friends are expected to attend her marriage, including former EastEnders co-stars Toddy Carty, James Alexandrou and Natalie Cassidy.
Speaking of the moment she found out the cancer had returned, she said: "I was absolutely raging, hopping mad to have to go through it all again. It has come as a terrible shock and you just get so fed up. You think, 'Oh, crikey, here we go again', but you just have to buck your ideas up and get on with these things."
The wedding will not be a celebrity affair but one star guest will be Wendy's beloved dog Lily, a two-year-old Cairn terrier, who is the niece of Betty, Pauline's dog on EastEnders.
Mr Burns, 45, who has two daughters, Jade, 18, and Shannon, 15, said: "It will be one day when we can hopefully put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time. All we have had recently is bad news."
"I am very sorry for this turn of events for Wendy. Marriage would be s start of a new life for her.I hope she can get over with the disease."
By Chris Irvine
Actress Ms Richard, 65, best known for playing Pauline Fowler in the BBC soap, is marrying her long term partner John Burns, 45, in a civil ceremony in London, after living together for 10 years.
The couple live together in Marylebone, London. They marry before Ms Richard starts chemotherapy treatment on October 13.
Ms Richard revealed earlier this week she had written her will and planned her funeral after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that has attacked her kidney and spread to her bones.
The star, awarded the MBE for her services to television in 2000, has twice before been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Around 60 family and friends are expected to attend her marriage, including former EastEnders co-stars Toddy Carty, James Alexandrou and Natalie Cassidy.
Speaking of the moment she found out the cancer had returned, she said: "I was absolutely raging, hopping mad to have to go through it all again. It has come as a terrible shock and you just get so fed up. You think, 'Oh, crikey, here we go again', but you just have to buck your ideas up and get on with these things."
The wedding will not be a celebrity affair but one star guest will be Wendy's beloved dog Lily, a two-year-old Cairn terrier, who is the niece of Betty, Pauline's dog on EastEnders.
Mr Burns, 45, who has two daughters, Jade, 18, and Shannon, 15, said: "It will be one day when we can hopefully put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time. All we have had recently is bad news."
"I am very sorry for this turn of events for Wendy. Marriage would be s start of a new life for her.I hope she can get over with the disease."
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wigs, corsets, hoops shape the career of Keira Knightley
By Mal Vincent
Let’s talk about those corsets.
“They are necessary, of course, for the women of these periods. Without them, they’d be naked, of course, which is all right if the script demands it. I’m too skinny to get anyone excited, but I did my first topless scene when I was 15. For legal reasons my mother had to be present and agree. Since I’ve been working since I was 8, I regarded it as just a part of working. If it’s in the script and there’s no way to get around it, it’s all right – but I’m not just stripping off at will.”
She describes herself as a “tomboy beanpole” but is regarded as one of the world’s great beauties. Recently she was named as the new face of Chanel in international ads for the fragrance “Mademoiselle.”
For “Pirates,” she decided to “do a Scarlett O’Hara thing” and get the corseted waist down to 18½ inches. “I lasted for five minutes. The cleavage was fantastic, but I needed oxygen more than cleavage.”
For “The Duchess,” though, the costumes were imperative. “I was literally sewn into those dresses. Because of that and the hoops, I couldn’t fit into the loo at all. I just had to hang on all day.”
As for the wigs: “When I’d walk by, members of the crew would yell, 'TIMBER!’ What was this woman thinking? I mean, you couldn’t nod your head.”
She is playing Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, a distant ancestor (great, great, great, great aunt) of Princess Diana. The two women had parallel lives in that they both were extremely popular with the masses and the press, and they both had trouble with their husbands. “We never thought of Diana in making this movie,” Knightley says. “It just wasn’t a thought. Any parallel is coincidental, but I would resent it if the movie company tried to sell this by using her name. That simply wasn’t our intent.”
The film is not without sexual overtones. Georgiana is bartered to the highly powerful and rich Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) at 17. She is raped on her wedding night in 1774. She gives highly successful parties and becomes the toast of London, but she is unsuccessful in providing a male heir. She takes a lover, a young Whig politician (Dominic Cooper) who later becomes the prime minister. But she gets something of a comeuppance when her best friend becomes her husband’s mistress.
“I refuse to think of her as a victim,” Knightley says, “because victims aren’t interesting.”
In a similar situation, would the actress allow her husband to keep her best friend as his mistress?
She thinks for a moment. She obviously has an answer but isn’t going to speak it.
“None of your business. I’m not answering that. Besides, I don’t see any relation between this woman and me. I don’t see playing a part as any form of self-expression. It’s, if anything, getting out of myself. That’s one reason why I like doing historical films. They provide a distance. Personally, I go to the movies to escape.”
The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald, she was born in Richmond (a suburb of London). At age 3, she had an agent and worked on commercials. She got her first role at age 9.
It really runs in the blood. Perfection comes from constant practice of one's craft.
Let’s talk about those corsets.
“They are necessary, of course, for the women of these periods. Without them, they’d be naked, of course, which is all right if the script demands it. I’m too skinny to get anyone excited, but I did my first topless scene when I was 15. For legal reasons my mother had to be present and agree. Since I’ve been working since I was 8, I regarded it as just a part of working. If it’s in the script and there’s no way to get around it, it’s all right – but I’m not just stripping off at will.”
She describes herself as a “tomboy beanpole” but is regarded as one of the world’s great beauties. Recently she was named as the new face of Chanel in international ads for the fragrance “Mademoiselle.”
For “Pirates,” she decided to “do a Scarlett O’Hara thing” and get the corseted waist down to 18½ inches. “I lasted for five minutes. The cleavage was fantastic, but I needed oxygen more than cleavage.”
For “The Duchess,” though, the costumes were imperative. “I was literally sewn into those dresses. Because of that and the hoops, I couldn’t fit into the loo at all. I just had to hang on all day.”
As for the wigs: “When I’d walk by, members of the crew would yell, 'TIMBER!’ What was this woman thinking? I mean, you couldn’t nod your head.”
She is playing Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, a distant ancestor (great, great, great, great aunt) of Princess Diana. The two women had parallel lives in that they both were extremely popular with the masses and the press, and they both had trouble with their husbands. “We never thought of Diana in making this movie,” Knightley says. “It just wasn’t a thought. Any parallel is coincidental, but I would resent it if the movie company tried to sell this by using her name. That simply wasn’t our intent.”
The film is not without sexual overtones. Georgiana is bartered to the highly powerful and rich Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) at 17. She is raped on her wedding night in 1774. She gives highly successful parties and becomes the toast of London, but she is unsuccessful in providing a male heir. She takes a lover, a young Whig politician (Dominic Cooper) who later becomes the prime minister. But she gets something of a comeuppance when her best friend becomes her husband’s mistress.
“I refuse to think of her as a victim,” Knightley says, “because victims aren’t interesting.”
In a similar situation, would the actress allow her husband to keep her best friend as his mistress?
She thinks for a moment. She obviously has an answer but isn’t going to speak it.
“None of your business. I’m not answering that. Besides, I don’t see any relation between this woman and me. I don’t see playing a part as any form of self-expression. It’s, if anything, getting out of myself. That’s one reason why I like doing historical films. They provide a distance. Personally, I go to the movies to escape.”
The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald, she was born in Richmond (a suburb of London). At age 3, she had an agent and worked on commercials. She got her first role at age 9.
It really runs in the blood. Perfection comes from constant practice of one's craft.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wigs, corsets, hoops shape the career of Keira Knightley
By Mal Vincent
There is no corset that can hold her.
And, apparently, no career boundaries.
We’re talking about Keira Knightley. She is the third-youngest actress ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, at age 20 for playing Elizabeth Bennet in the latest remake of “Pride & Prejudice.” She hit box office heaven as the feisty pirate girl who kisses Orlando Bloom in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy and was the tragic beauty of “Atonement.” Now the 23-year-old Briton is starring, again corseted, in the lavish, luscious, 18th century drama “The Duchess,” which opened in theaters this weekend.
There seems to be a pattern. Knightley, one of the few current actresses who might actually be a movie star, specializes in historical period pieces, which feature women and girls in those costumes.
“I don’t know how they ever managed even to have sex,” she says. “I don’t know, in fact, how they breathed. It seems very impractical, but I snapped to right away when I was offered 'The Duchess,’ in spite of her blasted clothes. It’s a great part, even if I have become overly identified with period movies. It’s a risky part. She has to be the toast of all London, gorgeous and all that. How do you play that? But we all have to face failure. Might as well go for it.”
We’re at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, where “The Duchess” was unveiled to North America at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. Knightley is wearing a little black dress and heavily applied eye shadow that makes her look a little like a gorgeous raccoon. She tucks one foot beneath her and sits on it.
“Well, are you going to ask me something, or did I just stop by for tea?” she says.Continued...
I am an avid fan of Keira Knightley. She acts very well.
There is no corset that can hold her.
And, apparently, no career boundaries.
We’re talking about Keira Knightley. She is the third-youngest actress ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, at age 20 for playing Elizabeth Bennet in the latest remake of “Pride & Prejudice.” She hit box office heaven as the feisty pirate girl who kisses Orlando Bloom in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy and was the tragic beauty of “Atonement.” Now the 23-year-old Briton is starring, again corseted, in the lavish, luscious, 18th century drama “The Duchess,” which opened in theaters this weekend.
There seems to be a pattern. Knightley, one of the few current actresses who might actually be a movie star, specializes in historical period pieces, which feature women and girls in those costumes.
“I don’t know how they ever managed even to have sex,” she says. “I don’t know, in fact, how they breathed. It seems very impractical, but I snapped to right away when I was offered 'The Duchess,’ in spite of her blasted clothes. It’s a great part, even if I have become overly identified with period movies. It’s a risky part. She has to be the toast of all London, gorgeous and all that. How do you play that? But we all have to face failure. Might as well go for it.”
We’re at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, where “The Duchess” was unveiled to North America at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. Knightley is wearing a little black dress and heavily applied eye shadow that makes her look a little like a gorgeous raccoon. She tucks one foot beneath her and sits on it.
“Well, are you going to ask me something, or did I just stop by for tea?” she says.Continued...
I am an avid fan of Keira Knightley. She acts very well.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Sweet Wedding Dress Made from White Chocolate!
A wedding dress has been created that besides being an eyeful is good enough to eat - as it is made out of white chocolate.
The delicious creation, complete with boned corset, quilted skirt and funky top hat, is the work of award winning bridalwear designer Ian Stuart and London chocolatiers Rococo.
The edible created was modelled by Lianne Nagel, a contestant in hit talent search show 'Britain's Next Top Model', reports the Daily Express.
The scrumptious dress was created to promote National Chocolate Week, which starts on 13th October.
The wedding dress is yummy. Its a unique idea to promote a National Chocolate Week.
The delicious creation, complete with boned corset, quilted skirt and funky top hat, is the work of award winning bridalwear designer Ian Stuart and London chocolatiers Rococo.
The edible created was modelled by Lianne Nagel, a contestant in hit talent search show 'Britain's Next Top Model', reports the Daily Express.
The scrumptious dress was created to promote National Chocolate Week, which starts on 13th October.
The wedding dress is yummy. Its a unique idea to promote a National Chocolate Week.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A new lease of life for British film
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A new lease of life for British film
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Terminally ill Wendy's all smiles for her wedding day
By CLAIRE SMITH
PROFILE
WENDY Richard often spoke of the sacrifices her parents made to send her to stage school, saying it was the reason she was such a hard-working actress.
She performed in two Carry On films – Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls – which also starred EastEnders castmate Barbara Windsor.
From 1972 to 1985, Richard became well known as Miss Brahms, the mini-skirted shop assistant in the department store sitcom Are You Being Served?.
The actress starred in the first episode of EastEnders as Pauline Fowler and was a key character in Albert Square for the next 21 years. Her departure from the soap on Christmas Day 2006 was watched by 10.6 million viewers.
Richard was awarded an MBE in the millennium honours list.
I admire her very much. Her life's story is very dramatic.
PROFILE
WENDY Richard often spoke of the sacrifices her parents made to send her to stage school, saying it was the reason she was such a hard-working actress.
She performed in two Carry On films – Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls – which also starred EastEnders castmate Barbara Windsor.
From 1972 to 1985, Richard became well known as Miss Brahms, the mini-skirted shop assistant in the department store sitcom Are You Being Served?.
The actress starred in the first episode of EastEnders as Pauline Fowler and was a key character in Albert Square for the next 21 years. Her departure from the soap on Christmas Day 2006 was watched by 10.6 million viewers.
Richard was awarded an MBE in the millennium honours list.
I admire her very much. Her life's story is very dramatic.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Terminally ill Wendy's all smiles for her wedding day
By CLAIRE SMITH
AS PAULINE Fowler, Wendy Richard faced 21 years of trials and tribulations in EastEnders.
Yesterday, however, she was all smiles as she married her long-term partner – just days after revealing that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Richard said her one wish was for a fun and "pain-free" day among her friends and family.
She smiled and waved to photographers as she arrived at London's Chesterfield Hotel for her wedding to John Burns, who is 20 years her junior, which was moved forward to fit in with her next bout of chemotherapy – which begins on Monday.
They are planning a honeymoon in the United States – but have postponed it until the actress is in better health.
Richard said her diagnosis had inspired the couple, who have been together for 13 years, to plan their wedding:
"We were going to get married anyway, but when we got the diagnosis we decided to push ahead and get married now. There was no rush before."
Among the 60 guests attending the ceremony were East- Enders stars Natalie Cassidy, Perry Fenwich and Emma Barton, as well as Todd Carty, who played Richard's on-screen son.
A glossy magazine is believed to have paid for exclusive access to the party. Mr Burns yesterday said that the couple, who live in Marylebone, were determined to enjoy their day, despite the circumstances.
"It will be one day when we can, hopefully, put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time.
"All we have had recently is bad news. It has just been one depressing phone call after another."
According to friends, the actress has been inundated with messages of love and support from fans and colleagues.
Richard, who is a heavy smoker, has fought off breast cancer twice, but in January was told the disease had spread to her right kidney and bones.
She said in a recent interview that she had been in pain for the past five years, adding: "Some nights I've just wanted to scream the place down."
The actress has already written her will and arranged her funeral, saying: "You've got to be practical about these things. I want all my affairs to be in order."
Richard played Pauline Fowler, the endlessly put-upon matriarch of Albert Square, for 21 years before leaving the soap in 2006.
She is also well-known as the sexy but slightly dippy assistant Miss Brahms in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served as well as for several roles in the Carry On films. Continued...
This is a sad love story. If I am on her shoes, I don't know what to do.
AS PAULINE Fowler, Wendy Richard faced 21 years of trials and tribulations in EastEnders.
Yesterday, however, she was all smiles as she married her long-term partner – just days after revealing that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Richard said her one wish was for a fun and "pain-free" day among her friends and family.
She smiled and waved to photographers as she arrived at London's Chesterfield Hotel for her wedding to John Burns, who is 20 years her junior, which was moved forward to fit in with her next bout of chemotherapy – which begins on Monday.
They are planning a honeymoon in the United States – but have postponed it until the actress is in better health.
Richard said her diagnosis had inspired the couple, who have been together for 13 years, to plan their wedding:
"We were going to get married anyway, but when we got the diagnosis we decided to push ahead and get married now. There was no rush before."
Among the 60 guests attending the ceremony were East- Enders stars Natalie Cassidy, Perry Fenwich and Emma Barton, as well as Todd Carty, who played Richard's on-screen son.
A glossy magazine is believed to have paid for exclusive access to the party. Mr Burns yesterday said that the couple, who live in Marylebone, were determined to enjoy their day, despite the circumstances.
"It will be one day when we can, hopefully, put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time.
"All we have had recently is bad news. It has just been one depressing phone call after another."
According to friends, the actress has been inundated with messages of love and support from fans and colleagues.
Richard, who is a heavy smoker, has fought off breast cancer twice, but in January was told the disease had spread to her right kidney and bones.
She said in a recent interview that she had been in pain for the past five years, adding: "Some nights I've just wanted to scream the place down."
The actress has already written her will and arranged her funeral, saying: "You've got to be practical about these things. I want all my affairs to be in order."
Richard played Pauline Fowler, the endlessly put-upon matriarch of Albert Square, for 21 years before leaving the soap in 2006.
She is also well-known as the sexy but slightly dippy assistant Miss Brahms in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served as well as for several roles in the Carry On films. Continued...
This is a sad love story. If I am on her shoes, I don't know what to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)