Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	Beetlejuice
director	Tim Burton
producer	David GeffenLarry WilsonMichael BenderRichard Hashimoto
screenplay	Michael McDowellWarren Skaaren
story	Michael McDowellLarry Wilson
starring	Michael KeatonAlec BaldwinGeena DavisWinona RyderCatherine O'HaraJeffrey JonesGlenn ShadixSylvia Sidney
music	Danny Elfman
cinematography	Thomas E. Ackerman
editing	Jane Kurson
studio	The Geffen Film Company
distributor	Warner Bros.
released
runtime	92 minutes
country
language	English
budget	$13 million
gross	$73,707,461 }}

''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American dark comedy film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros.

The plot revolves around a recently deceased young couple who become ghosts haunting their former home and an obnoxious, devious "bio-exorcist" named Betelgeuse from the underworld who tries to scare away the new inhabitants permanently.

''Beetlejuice'' stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Sylvia Sidney, and Michael Keaton as the titular Betelgeuse (the film's title being a phonetic spelling of the character's name).

After the success of ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'', Burton was sent several scripts and became disheartened by their lack of imagination and originality. When he was sent Michael McDowell's original script for ''Beetlejuice'', Burton agreed to direct, although Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren were hired to rewrite it.

''Beetlejuice'' was both a financial and critical success, grossing $73.33 million from a budget of $13 million. The film spawned an animated television series that Burton produced, and the unproduced ''Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian'' sequel.

Plot

Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) Maitland decide to spend their vacation decorating their idyllic New England country home. While the young couple is driving back from town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog wandering the roadway and crashes through a covered bridge, plunging into the river below. They return home and, based on such subtle clues as their lack of reflection in the mirror and their discovery of a ''Handbook for the Recently Deceased'', begin to suspect they just might be dead. Adam attempts to leave the house to retrace his steps but finds himself in a strange otherworldly dimension referred to as "Saturn," covered in sand and populated by enormous sand worms.

After fleeing back into their home, the Maitlands' peace is soon disrupted when their house is sold and obnoxious new residents, the Deetzes, arrive from New York City. The new family consists of Charles (Jeffrey Jones), a former real estate developer; his second wife Delia (Catherine O'Hara), an aspiring sculptor; and his goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) from his first marriage. Under the guidance of interior designer Otho (Glenn Shadix), the Deetzes transform the house into a gaudy piece of pastel-toned modern art. The Maitlands seek help from their afterlife case worker, Juno (Sylvia Sidney), who informs them that they must remain in the house for 125 years and that, if they want the Deetzes out of the house, it is up to them to scare them away. The Maitlands' attempts at scaring the family away prove utterly ineffective.

Although the Maitlands remain invisible to Charles and Delia, their daughter Lydia can see the ghost couple and befriends them. Against Juno's advice, the Maitlands contact the miscreant Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), a freelance "bio-exorcist" ghost, to scare away the Deetzes; but Betelgeuse becomes more interested in marrying Lydia so that he can re-enter the land of the living. It takes the combined efforts of the Maitlands and Lydia to defeat Betelgeuse. The Deetzes and the Maitlands decide to live together in harmony. At the film's conclusion, Betelgeuse is seen waiting in the afterlife reception waiting room, where he angers a witch doctor, who shrinks his head.

The opening credits are an hommage to Alfred Hitchcock using a very similar flyover used in the opening credits of The Trouble with Harry, also filmed in and around East Corinth, Vermont, 33 years earlier.

Cast

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as Adam and Barbara Maitland: A young, married couple who are killed in a car accident and become ghosts. Before death, they own a hardware store. Adam is a highly-skilled miniature model maker, while Barbara enjoys fixing items around their home.

Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz: Daughter of Charles Deetz (Delia is actually her stepmother), a goth adolescent. She is the only one of the family who can see the Maitlands and quickly befriends them — notably, she wishes she were a ghost like them. At the end of the film she was nearly forced to marry Betelgeuse.

Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz: Wife of Charles and stepmother to Lydia, as well as an aspiring (but pretentious) sculptor.

Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz: A previously cutthroat and successful contractor whose nerves went and now only wants "to relax and clip coupons." Charles moves his family to the countryside to recover.

Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse: Juno's former assistant, an obnoxious, perverted and chaotic "bio-exorcist" who carries a grotesque physical appearance. The character is a mystery; his age and even how he came to die remain unknown, but he refers to having lived through the Black Death and has seen ''The Exorcist'' 167 times, saying that it gets funnier every time he sees it.

Glenn Shadix as Otho: A friend of Delia. Otho is an interior designer and former paranormal expert.

Sylvia Sidney as Juno: The Maitlands' social worker in the afterlife. She recommends that the Maitlands do not accept the help of Betelgeuse.

Production

The financial success of ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' (1985) meant that Tim Burton was now considered a "bankable" director, and Burton began working on a script for ''Batman'' with Sam Hamm. While Warner Bros. was willing to pay for the script's development, they were less willing to greenlight ''Batman''. Meanwhile, Burton had begun reading the offered scripts that had been sent his way, and was becoming disheartened by their lack of imagination and originality, one of them being ''Hot to Trot''. David Geffen handed Burton the script for ''Beetlejuice'', written by Michael McDowell (who wrote the script of ''The Jar'', an episode of ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' directed by Burton).

Larry Wilson was brought on board to continue rewrite work with McDowell, though Burton replaced McDowell and Wilson with Warren Skaaren due to creative differences. Burton's original choice for Betelgeuse was Sammy Davis, Jr., but Geffen suggested Michael Keaton. Burton was unfamiliar with Keaton's work but was quickly convinced. Burton cast Winona Ryder upon seeing her in ''Lucas''. Catherine O'Hara quickly signed on while Burton claimed it took a lot of time to convince other cast members to sign as "they didn't know what to think of the weird script."

''Beetlejuice'''s budget was $13 million, with just one million given over to visual effects work. Considering the scale and scope of the effects, which included stop-motion, replacement animation, prosthetic makeup, puppetry and blue screen, it was always Burton's intention to make the style similar to the B movies he grew up with as a child. "I wanted to make them look cheap and purposely fake-looking," Burton remarked. Burton had wanted to hire Anton Furst as production designer after being impressed with his work on ''The Company of Wolves'' (1984) and ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987), though Furst was committed on ''High Spirits'' (a choice he later regretted). He hired Bo Welch, his future collaborator on ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990) and ''Batman Returns'' (1992). The test screenings were met with positive feedback and prompted Burton to film an epilogue featuring Betelgeuse foolishly angering a witch doctor. Warner Bros. disliked the title ''Beetlejuice'' and wanted to call the film ''House Ghosts''. As a joke, Burton suggested the name ''Scared Sheetless'' and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.

Story development

Michael McDowell's original script is far less comedic and much more violent; the Maitlands' car crash is depicted graphically, with Barbara's arm being crushed and the audience hearing their screams for help as they slowly drown in the river. A reference to this remained in all versions of the script, as Barbara remarks that her arm feels cold upon returning home as a ghost. Instead of possessing the Deetzes and forcing them to dance during dinner, the Maitlands cause a vine-patterned carpet to come to life and attack the Deetzes by tangling them to their chairs. The character of Betelgeuse — envisioned by McDowell as a winged demon who takes on the form of a short Middle Eastern man—is also intent on killing the Deetzes rather than scaring them, and wants to rape Lydia instead of marry her. This version of Betelgeuse only needs to be exhumed from his grave to be summoned, after which he is free to wreak havoc; he cannot be summoned or controlled by saying his name three times, and wanders the world freely, appearing to torment different characters in different manifestations, such as a punk rocker (to try to seduce Lydia) and an IRS agent (to subject Charles to a fake audit). McDowell's script also featured a second Deetz child, nine-year-old Cathy, the only person to see the Maitlands and the subject of Betelgeuse's homicidal wrath in the film's climax, during which he mutilates her while in the form of a rabid squirrel before revealing his true form. The film was to have concluded with the Maitlands, Deetzes, and Otho conducting an exorcism ritual that destroys Betelgeuse, and the Maitlands transforming into miniature versions of themselves and moving into Adam's model of their home, which they refurbish to look like their house before the Deetzes moved in.

Warren Skaaren's rewrite drastically shifted the film's tone, indicating the graphic nature of the Maitlands' deaths while depicting the afterlife as a complex bureaucracy. Skaaren's rewrite also altered McDowell's depiction of the limbo that keeps Barbara and Adam trapped inside of their home; in McDowell's script, it takes the form of a massive, empty void filled with giant clock gears that shred the fabric of time and space as they move. Skaaren had Barbara and Adam encounter different limbos every time they leave their home, including the "clock world", and the Sandworm's world, identified as Saturn's moon Titan. Skaaren also introduced the leitmotif of music accompanying Barbara and Adam's ghostly hijinks, although his script specified Motown tunes instead of Harry Belafonte, and was to have concluded with Lydia dancing to "When a Man Loves a Woman". Skaaren's first draft retained some of the more sinister characteristics of McDowell's Betelgeuse, but toned down the character to make him a troublesome pervert rather than blatantly murderous. Betelgeuse's true form was that of the Middle Eastern man, and much of his dialogue was written in African American Vernacular English. This version concluded with the Deetzes returning to New York and leaving Lydia in the care of the Maitlands, who with Lydia's help transform the exterior of their home into a stereotypical haunted house while returning the interior to its previous state. Retrospectively, McDowell was impressed at how many people made the connection between the film's title and the star Betelgeuse. He added they had received a suggestion the sequel be named ''Sanduleak-69 202'' after the former star of SN 1987A.

Soundtrack

name	Beetlejuice
type	Film score
artist	Danny Elfman and Harry Belafonte
released	1988
length	36:18
label	Geffen
chronology	Danny Elfman
last album	''Pee-wee's Big Adventure''(1985)
this album	''Beetlejuice''(1988)
next album	''Batman''(1989) }}

The ''Beetlejuice'' soundtrack, first released in 1988 (LP, CD & cassette tape), features most of the score (written and arranged by Danny Elfman) from the film. The soundtrack features two songs which appeared in the film, performed by Harry Belafonte; "Day-O" and "Jump In The Line (Shake, Shake Senora)". Two other Harry Belafonte songs that appeared in the film are absent from the soundtrack; "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" and "Sweetheart From Venezuela". The soundtrack entered the Billboard 200 albums chart the week ending June 25, 1988 at #145, peaking two weeks later at #118 and spending a total of six weeks on the chart. This was after the film had already fallen out of the top 10 and before the video release later in October. "Day-O" received a fair amount of airplay at the time in support of the soundtrack.

Reception

''Beetlejuice'' opened theatrically in the United States on April 1, 1988, earning $8,030,897 in its opening weekend. The film eventually grossed $73,707,461 in North America. ''Beetlejuice'' was a financial success, recouping its $13 million budget five times, and was the tenth-highest grossing film of 1988. Based on 42 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, ''Beetlejuice'' received an average 81% overall approval rating. By comparison, Metacritic received an average score of 67 from the 13 reviews collected.

Pauline Kael referred to the film as a "comedy classic", while Jonathan Rosenbaum of the ''Chicago Reader'' gave a highly positive review. Rosenbaum felt ''Beetlejuice'' carried originality and creativity that did not exist in other films. Roger Ebert called it anti-climactic, explaining "the story, which seemed so original, turns into a sitcom fueled by lots of special effects and weird sets and props, and the inspiration is gone." Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'' called it "a farce for our time" and wished Keaton could have received more screen time. MaryAnn Johanson was impressed with the casting, production design and jokes. Desson Howe of the ''Washington Post'' felt ''Beetlejuice'' had "the perfect balance of bizarreness, comedy and horror".

Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' gave the film a negative review, citing that the film "...tries anything and everything for effect, and only occasionally manages something marginally funny..." and "is about as funny as a shrunken head". Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, writing that he "...would have been more interested if the screenplay had preserved their [Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis] sweet romanticism and cut back on the slapstick." For Keaton's character, Ebert called him "...unrecognizable behind pounds of makeup..." and stated that "...his scenes don't seem to fit with the other action..."

Accolades

At the 61st Academy Awards, ''Beetlejuice'' won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, while the British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominated the film with Best Visual Effects and Makeup at the 42nd British Academy Film Awards. ''Beetlejuice'' won Best Horror Film and Best Make-up at The Saturn Awards. Sylvia Sidney also won the Saturn for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Juno, and the film received more nominations with Direction, Writing, Music, Special Effects and Best Supporting Actor(Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse). ''Beetlejuice'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. ''Beetlejuice'' was 88th in the American Film Institute's list of Best Comedies.

;American Film Institute Lists

AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs - #88

AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:

Day-O - Nominated

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:

"I'm the ghost with the most, babe." - Nominated

AFI's 10 Top 10 - Nominated Fantasy Film

Animated series

Due to the film's financial success, an animated television series of the same name was created for ABC. The show ran for four seasons, lasting from September 9, 1989 to December 6, 1991. Tim Burton himself served as executive producer.

Unproduced sequel

In 1990, Burton hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel titled ''Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian''. "Tim thought it would be funny to match the surfing backdrop of a beach movie with some sort of German Expressionism, because they're totally wrong together", Gems reflected. The story followed the Deetz family moving to Hawaii, where Charles is developing a resort. They soon discover that his company is building on the burial ground of an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit comes back from the afterlife to cause trouble, and Betelgeuse becomes a hero by winning a surf contest with magic. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder agreed to do the film, on the condition that Burton directed, but he became distracted with ''Batman Returns''.

Burton was still interested with ''Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian'' in early 1991. Impressed with Daniel Waters' work on ''Heathers'', Burton approached him for a rewrite. However, he eventually signed Waters to write the script for ''Batman Returns''. By August 1993, producer David Geffen hired Pamella Norris (''Troop Beverly Hills'', ''Saturday Night Live'') to rewrite. Warner Bros. approached Kevin Smith in 1996 to rewrite the script, though Smith turned down the offer in favor of ''Superman Lives''. Smith responded with, "Didn't we say all we needed to say in the first ''Beetlejuice''? Must we go tropical?" In March 1997, Gems released a statement saying "The ''Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian'' script is still owned by The Geffen Film Company and it will likely never get made. You really couldn't do it now anyway. Winona is too old for the role, and the only way they could make it would be to totally recast it."

See also

Beetlejuice (video game)

References

External links

Category:1988 films Category:1980s comedy films Category:American black comedy films Category:American comedy horror films Category:American fantasy-comedy films Category:Danny Elfman albums Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Tim Burton Category:Films set in Connecticut Category:Films shot in Vermont Category:Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup Category:Geffen Records albums Category:Harry Belafonte albums Category:Haunted house films Category:The Geffen Film Company films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:1988 soundtracks

ar:بيتلجوس (فيلم) bg:Бийтълджус ca:Beetlejuice cs:Beetlejuice cy:Beetlejuice de:Beetlejuice el:Ο Σκαθαροζούμης es:Beetlejuice fa:بیتل جویس fr:Beetlejuice gl:Beetlejuice id:Beetlejuice it:Beetlejuice - Spiritello porcello he:ביטלג'וס mk:Битлџус nl:Beetlejuice ja:ビートルジュース no:Beetlejuice pl:Sok z Żuka pt:Beetlejuice ru:Битлджус simple:Beetlejuice (TV series) sk:Beetlejuice fi:Beetlejuice sv:Beetlejuice tr:Beterböcek uk:Бітлджус

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	Banana Boat
background	group_or_band
origin	Poland
genre	A Cappella, Folk music, Sea Shanties
years active	1994 to present
label	Independent
best known for	Arktyka (originally written and performed by Banana Boat)
website	Official Site
current members	Tomasz Czarny, Maciej Jędrzejko, Paweł Jędrzejko, Paweł Konieczny, Michał Maniara, Piotr Wiśniewski
past members	Aleksander Kleszcz, Karol Wierzbicki'''}}

Banana Boat is a Polish a cappella sextet, authoring and performing original songs representing the genre of neo-shanties. Being one of the pioneers of the new genre, the group retains its simultaneous focus on contemporary interpretations of traditional sea shanties and maritime music. Owing to its characteristic six-part, jazzy harmony, departing from the traditional sound of the music of the sea, the group has become one of the emblems of what the international artists of the maritime stage have informally come to dub as the ''Polish style'' maritime song. With maritime music constantly in the focus of its activity, since 2004, Banana Boat has also been experimenting with other musical genres, including popular and jazz compositions, inviting other artists to participate in individual projects. The group is a Member of International Seasong and Shanty Association (ISSA).

Biography

Banana Boat evolved from a multi-member formation Jack Steward, founded by Maciej Jędrzejko and functioning in the years 1993-1994. The line-up of the formation was composed of maritime culture aficionados - high-school students from the city of Sosnowiec, mainly representing the Stanisław Staszic Grammar School in Sosnowiec, the Emilia Plater Grammar School in Sosnowiec, and the Technical High School of Mechanical and Steel Industry in Sosnowiec. The central idea behind the singing youth's efforts was to organize a sailing expedition, whose objective was to circumnavigate Iceland. The musical project itself was intended to encourage teachers to take interest in the richness of maritime culture as a vast educational resource and - with their help - to gain the support of the municipal and (then still budding) corporate sponsorship for the idea of the expedition. Even though the Iceland project never came to pass, and Jack Steward eventually ceased to exist in 1994, Maciej Jędrzejko invited Paweł Konieczny, Aleksander Kleszcz and Karol Wierzbicki of the ex-Jack Steward's line-up to help form a new group, which, since 1994, already as an a cappella quartet, adopted the name of Banana Boat. Thus formed, Banana Boat made its debut on the stage of the 1994 Tratwa Festival in Katowice and, subsequently, it gained its early recognition by winning (among others) the Commander Zbyszek Sowiński Award (Tratwa'94), the Main Prize of the 1994 edition of the Prosiak Festival and, importantly, an honorary mention of the jury of the 1996 edition of the prestigious Shanties Festival in Cracow, Poland.

In the years 1996-1998, the group - whose members, by then, had commenced their university education - suspended its activity, only to return to the maritime stages of Poland by the end of 1998. At this stage, Banana Boat made its name as an a cappella quintet, which - reinforced by the former bass singer of the famous Polish group North Cape, Piotr "Qdyś" Wiśniewski - transformed into the present-day sextet at the turn of 2008 and 2009.

Today, Banana Boat consists of the following musicians:

Maciej "YenJCo." Jędrzejko, the group's founder, frontman and leader;

Paweł "Konik" Konieczny, the formation's co-founder, composer and high tenor;

Paweł "Synchro" Jędrzejko, the author of the majority of the band's original lyrics and performer of bari-tenor parts;

Tomasz "Mundry" Czarny, the Banana Boat's arranger, composer and bari-tenor;

Michał "Ociec" Maniara, the manager of the Art Agency BananaArt.Pl Art and performer of baritone parts;

Piotr "Qdyś" Wiśniewski, the group's bass singer.

The present-day Banana Boat members are active yachtsmen: Paweł Jędrzejko (formerly a professional navigator), holds an ocean-going yachtmaster's licence; his younger brother Maciej, the group's founder, is an ocean skipper, while other Banana Boat members all hold offshore licenses, which largely contributes to the positive reception of the Banana Boat songs. Professionally, the Banana Boat musicians represent such disciplines as medicine and dentistry, banking and law, trade and academic literary and culture studies. Since 1998, the group has been awarded the most important prizes of the Polish festivals of maritime music, recorded two albums and participated in numerous collective projects. Currently, Banana Boat gives concerts and recitals in Europe and outside of it, performing both for the audiences of small-audience clubs and those of large international festivals.

Organizatonal, propagatory and charitable activity

In the years 2002-2007 Banana Boat, working in collaboration with the Municipal Cultural Center in Łaziska Górne (Poland), acted as the organizer of the International Festival of Seasong and Shanty "Zęza";

In 2006, the groups participated in an all-Polish charity project ''To See the Sea,'' the proceeds from which supported the medical treatment of Polish shantymen in need;

In 2008, Maciej Jędrzejko, the group's leader, was appointed as the artistic director of the International Festival World Music Fusion - Euroszanty & Folk in Sosnowiec (Poland);

Every year, Banana Boat participates in the charity events of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity;

Maciej Jędrzejko is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the "Free Sea-Shanty Portal Szantymaniak.Pl" and Editor-in-Chief of the "Szantymaniak Magazine" (in Polish);

Each year, individual members of the group are appointed as jurors of sea-song festivals; they reqularly offer workshops to other musicians of the Polish maritime stage and sea-song fans.

Banana Boat participates in the charity educational program "Tunes to Teens," sponsored by Contemporary A Cappella Society of America.

Concerts and international cooperation

Apart from numerous concerts in Poland, Banana Boat has performed in the Czech Republic (Fulnek 2002), in Italy (Ravenna 2003), in France (Paimpol 2005, 2009; Chateau-Thierry 2007, Essômes-sur-Marne 2009), in Ireland (Cork/Cobh 2005, 2006), in the United States (New York 2005), in the Netherlands (Appingedam 2006, 2009; Oudewater 2009) and in Germany (Bremen-Vegesack 2008). As a member of ISSA, the group collaborates with international artists associated within the organization. In 2008, songs by Banana Boat were published on albums of a collective charity project ''Lafitte's Return'' (USA). Banana Boat's music is has been broadcast by numerous radio stations in Europe and beyond. In the beginning of the year 2009 the group has finalized miniproject entitled ''A Little A Cappella - Polish-Irish Harmony'' in partnership with the Irish star of the musical stage, Eleanor McEvoy. The song "Little Look," (written and composed by Eleanor McEvoy and arranged by Tomasz Czarny) entered the most prestigious Polish hitlist, Lista Przebojów Programu Trzeciego, immediately after the single had been released.

Awards and prizes

Apart from numerous Grand Prix awards, First Prizes and Audience's Favorite's Prizes awarded by the jury panels and audiences of all of the most important maritime music festivals in Poland, Banana Boat has become a double first runner-up for the CARA Award of the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America in the categories of The Best World/Folk Album 2005 (for the album ''A morze tak, a może nie...'') and The Best World/Folk Song 2005 (for the song "Arktyka" of the mentioned album).

Discography

''A morze tak, a może nie'' (BananaArt.Pl 2004)

Minialbum: ''Banana Boat...Świątecznie'' (BananaArt.Pl 2004), (six Christmas carrols)

Songs in collection ''Szanty dla Pajacyka,'' the proceeds of which support Polish Humanitarian Organisation (2004).

Songs in charity collections ''Lafitte's Return'' (vols. 3 and 4), of which the total proceeds support the musical education of the post-Katrina New Orleans (2008)

''A Little A Cappella - Polish-Irish Harmony'' a single featuring Eleanor McEvoy (BananaArt.Pl 2009)

References

Literature of the subject

Jerzy S. Łątka, ''Rozfalowana ziemia. Dzieje ruchu szantowego w Polsce'' [''Wavy Earth: The History of the Sea-Shanty Movement in Poland''], Kraków: Towarzystwo Słowaków w Polsce, 2007

Pat Sheridan, "A New Musical Idiom. Poland: World leaders in the preservation and promotion of maritime music?" In: ''Ferment'', 2008

Assorted articles in the Szantymaniak Magazine

External links

the Official Website of the Banana Boat

Banana Boat in MySpace

Banana Boat in Acapedia

See also

A Cappella

Sea shanty

Category:Polish musical groups Category:A cappella musical groups Category:Professional a cappella groups Category:Maritime music

eo:Banana Boat fr:Banana Boat hr:Banana Boat nl:Banana Boat pl:Banana Boat sr:Banana Boat

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Harry Belafonte
Born	New York City, New York, U.S.
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Harold George Belafonete Jr.
Years active	1949–2003
Label	RCA Victor CBS EMI Island
Genre	Calypso, vocal, folk
Occupation	Actor, activist, singer }}

Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. (originally "Belafonete"; born March 1, 1927) is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" – a title which he was very reluctant to accept (according to the documentary ''Calypso Dreams'') – for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song," with its signature lyric "Day-O." Throughout his career he has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes and was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush Administration.

Early life

Born Harold George Belafonte, Jr., at Lying-in Hospital, New York City, New York, Belafonte was the son of Melvine (née Love) – a housekeeper (of Jamaican descent) – and Harold George Belafonete, Sr., a Martiniquan who worked as chef in the Royal Navy. From 1932 to 1940, he lived with his grandmother in her native country of Jamaica. When he returned to New York City he attended George Washington High School after which he joined the Navy and served during World War II. At the end of the 1940s he took classes in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the influential German director Erwin Piscator alongside Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur and Sidney Poitier, while performing with the American Negro Theatre. He subsequently received a Tony Award for his participation in the Broadway revue ''John Murray Anderson's Almanac.''

Music career

Belafonte started his career in music as a club singer in New York to pay for his acting classes. The first time he appeared in front of an audience he was backed by the Charlie Parker band, which included Charlie Parker himself, Max Roach and Miles Davis, among others. At first he was a pop singer, launching his recording career on the Roost label in 1949, but later he developed a keen interest in folk music, learning material through the Library of Congress' American folk songs archives. With guitarist and friend Millard Thomas, Belafonte soon made his debut at the legendary jazz club The Village Vanguard. In 1952 he received a contract with RCA Victor.

''Calypso''

His first widely–released single, which went on to become his "signature" song with audience participation in virtually all his live performances, was "Matilda," recorded April 27, 1953. His breakthrough album ''Calypso'' (1956) became the first LP to sell over 1 million copies (Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons," both singles, had previously surpassed that mark). The album is number four on ''Billboard's'' "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the U.S. charts. The album introduced American audiences to Calypso music (which had originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th century) and Belafonte was dubbed the "King of Calypso," a title he wore with reservations, since he had no claims to any Calypso Monarch titles.

One of the songs included in the album is the now famous "Banana Boat Song" (listed as "Day O" on the original release), which reached number five on the pop charts, and featured its signature lyric "Day–O." Belafonte based his version on a 1954 recording by Jamaican folk singer Louise Bennett. His other smash hit was "Jump in the Line."

Many of the compositions recorded for ''Calypso,'' including "Banana Boat Song" and "Jamaica Farewell," gave songwriting credit to Irving Burgie, Belafonte and his team but were really previously recorded Jamaican mento songs sold as calypso. The original Jamaican versions can now be heard on the "Jamaica—Mento1951–1958" CD released in 2010.

Middle career

While primarily known for Calypso, Belafonte has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. His second–most popular hit, which came immediately after "The Banana Boat Song," was the novelty tune "Mama Look at Bubu," also known as "Mama Look a Boo–Boo" (originally recorded by Lord Melody in 1956), in which he sings humorously about misbehaving and disrespectful children. It reached number eleven on the pop chart.

In 1959 he starred in ''Tonight With Belafonte,'' a nationally televised special that featured Odetta, who sang ''Water Boy'' and who performed a duet with Belafonte of ''There's a Hole in My Bucket'' that hit the national charts in 1961. Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s. Two live albums, both recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1959 and 1960, enjoyed critical and commercial success. From his 1959 album, Hava Nagila became part of his regular routine and one of his signature songs. He was one of many entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the inaugural gala of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. That same year he released his second calypso album, ''Jump Up Calypso,'' which went on to become another million seller. During the 1960s he introduced several artists to American audiences, most notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. His album ''Midnight Special'' (1962) featured the first–ever record appearance by a then young harmonica player named Bob Dylan.

As The Beatles and other stars from Britain began to dominate the U.S. pop charts, Belafonte's commercial success diminished; 1964's ''Belafonte at The Greek Theatre'' was his last album to appear in ''Billboard's'' Top 40. His last hit single, ''A Strange Song,'' was released in 1967 and peaked at number 5 on the Adult contemporary music charts. Belafonte has received Grammy Awards for the albums ''Swing Dat Hammer'' (1960) and ''An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba'' (1965). The latter album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under Apartheid. He earned six Gold Records.

Later recordings and other activities

Belafonte's recording activity slowed after leaving RCA in the 1970s. From the mid–1970s to early 1980s he spent the greater part of his time touring Japan, Europe, Cuba and elsewhere. His involvement in USA for Africa during the mid–1980s resulted in renewed interest in his music, culminating in a record deal with EMI. He subsequently released his first album of original material in over a decade, ''Paradise in Gazankulu,'' in 1988. The album contains ten protest songs against the South African former Apartheid policy and as of 2011 was his last studio album. In the same year Belafonte, as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, attended a symposium in Harare, Zimbabwe to focus attention on child survival and development in Southern African countries. As part of the symposium, he performed a concert for UNICEF. A Kodak video crew filmed the concert, which was released as a 60-minute concert video entitled "Global Carnival." It features many of the songs from the album ''Paradise in Gazankulu'' and some of his classic hits. Also in 1988, Tim Burton used "The Banana Boat Song" and "Jump in the Line" in his movie ''Beetlejuice."

Following a lengthy recording hiatus, ''An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends,'' a soundtrack and video of a televised concert were released in 1997 by Island Records. ''The Long Road to Freedom, An Anthology of Black Music,'' a huge multi–artist project recorded during the 1960s and 1970s with RCA, was finally released by the label in 2001. The album was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Boxed Recording Package, for Best Album Notes and for Best Historical Album.

Belafonte was the first African–American to win an Emmy, with his first solo TV special ''Tonight with Belafonte'' (1959). During the 1960s he appeared on TV specials alongside such artists as Julie Andrews, Petula Clark, Lena Horne and Nana Mouskouri. He was also a guest star on a memorable episode of ''The Muppet Show'' in 1978, in which he performed his signature song "Day–O" on television for the first time. The episode is best known for Belafonte's rendition of the spiritual song, "Turn the World Around," which he performed with Muppets that resembled African tribal masks. It became one of the series' most famous performances. It was reportedly Jim Henson's favorite episode, and Belafonte reprised the song at Henson's memorial in 1990. "Turn the World Around" was also included in the 2005 official hymnal supplement of the Unitarian Universalist Association, "Singing the Journey."

Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He performed sell–out concerts globally through the 1950s to the 2000s. Due to illness he was forced to cancel a reunion tour with Nana Mouskouri planned for the spring and summer of 2003 following a tour in Europe. His last concert was a benefit concert for the Atlanta Opera on October 25, 2003. In a 2007 interview he stated that he had since retired from performing.

Film career

Belafonte has starred in several films. His first film role was in ''Bright Road'' (1953), in which he appeared alongside Dorothy Dandridge. The two subsequently starred in Otto Preminger's hit musical ''Carmen Jones'' (1954). Ironically, Belafonte's singing in the film was dubbed by an opera singer, as Belafonte's own singing voice was seen as unsuitable for the role. Using his star clout, Belafonte was subsequently able to realize several then–controversial film roles. In 1957's ''Island in the Sun,'' there are hints of an affair between Belafonte's character and the character played by Joan Fontaine. The film also starred James Mason, Dandridge, Joan Collins, Michael Rennie and John Justin. In 1959, he starred in and produced Robert Wise's ''Odds Against Tomorrow,'' in which he plays a bank robber uncomfortably teamed with a racist partner (Robert Ryan). He also co–starred with Inger Stevens in ''The World, the Flesh and the Devil.'' Belafonte was offered the role of Porgy in Preminger's ''Porgy and Bess,'' where he would have once again starred opposite Dandridge, but he refused the role because he objected to its racial stereotyping.

Dissatisfied with the film roles available to him, he returned to music during the 1960s. In the early 1970s Belafonte appeared in more films among which are two with Poitier: ''Buck and the Preacher'' (1972) and ''Uptown Saturday Night'' (1974). In 1984 Belafonte produced and scored the musical film ''Beat Street,'' dealing with the rise of hip-hop culture. Together with Arthur Baker, he produced the gold-certified soundtrack of the same name. Belafonte next starred in a major film again in the mid-1990s, appearing with John Travolta in the race–reverse drama ''White Man's Burden'' (1995); and in Robert Altman's jazz age drama ''Kansas City'' (1996), the latter of which garnered him the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the TV drama ''Swing Vote'' (1999). In late 2006, Belafonte appeared in the role of Nelson, a friend of an employee of the Ambassador Hotel played by Anthony Hopkins, in ''Bobby,'' Emilio Estevez's ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

Personal life

Family

Belafonte and Marguerite Byrd were married from 1948 to 1957. They have two daughters: Adrienne and Shari. Shari Belafonte, married to Sam Behrens, is a photographer, model, singer and actor. In 1997 Adrienne Biesemeyer and her daughter Rachel Blue founded the Anir Foundation/Experience. Anir focuses on humanitarian work in southern Africa.

On March 8, 1957, Belafonte married second wife Julie Robinson (former dancer with the Katherine Dunham Company). They had two children, David and Gina Belafonte. David Belafonte (a former model and actor) is an Emmy-winning producer and the executive director of the family-held company Belafonte Enterprises Inc. A music producer, he has been involved in most of Belafonte's albums and tours. He married Danish model, singer and TV personality Malena Belafonte, born Mathiesen, who won silver in ''Dancing with the Stars'' in Denmark in 2009. Malena Belafonte founded Speyer Legacy School, an award winning private elementary school for gifted and talented children. David and Malena's daughter Sarafina attended this school. Gina Belafonte is a TV and film actress and worked with her father as coach and producer on more than six films. Gina helped found The Gathering For Justice, an intergenerational, intercultural non-profit organization working to reintroduce nonviolence to stop child incarceration. She is married to actor Scott McCray.

In April 2008, Belafonte married Pamela Frank. Belafonte lived in a 17-room apartment at 300 West End Avenue (corner of 74th Street) in New York City for 50 years. In 2007 he sold his fifth-floor apartment to Abigail Disney for ten million eight hundred thousand dollars. In October 1998 Belafonte contributed a letter to Liv Ullmann's book ''Letter to My Grandchild.''

Political and humanitarian activism

Belafonte's political beliefs were greatly inspired by the singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson, who mentored him. Robeson was a controversial figure who supported the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Robeson opposed not only racial prejudice in the United States, but also western colonialism in Africa. Belafonte's success did not protect him from racial discrimination, particularly in the American South. Belafonte refused to perform there from 1954 until 1961. In 1960 he appeared in a campaign commercial for Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. Kennedy later named Belafonte cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.

Belafonte gave the keynote address at the ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration In December 2007 and was awarded the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival featured the documentary film "Sing Your Song," a biographical film focusing on Belafonte's contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and his endeavours to promote social justice globally.

Civil rights activist

Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and was one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s confidants. He provided for King's family, since King made only $8,000 a year as a preacher. Like many other civil rights activists, Belafonte was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He bailed King out of the Birmingham City Jail and raised thousands of dollars to release other civil rights protesters. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.

During "Freedom Summer" in 1964 Belafonte bankrolled the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, flying to Mississippi that August with $60,000 in cash and entertaining crowds in Greenwood. In 1968 Belafonte appeared on a Petula Clark primetime television special on NBC. In the middle of a song, Clark smiled and briefly touched Belafonte's arm, which made the show's sponsor, Plymouth Motors, nervous. Plymouth wanted to cut the segment, but Clark, who had ownership of the special, told NBC that the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow the special to be aired at all. Newspapers reported the controversy, and when the special aired it grabbed high ratings. Belafonte appeared on ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' and performed a controversial "Mardi Gras" number with footage intercut from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. CBS censors deleted the segment.

Humanitarian activist

In 1985, he helped organize the Grammy Award winning song "We Are the World," a multi-artist effort to raise funds for Africa. He performed in the Live Aid concert that same year. In 1987 he received an appointment to UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador. Following his appointment Belafonte traveled to Dakar, Senegal, where he served as chairman of the International Symposium of Artists and Intellectuals for African Children. He also helped to raise funds—alongside more than 20 other artists—in the largest concert ever held in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1994 he went on a mission to Rwanda and launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Rwandan children.

In 2001 he went to South Africa to support the campaign against HIV/AIDS. In 2002 Africare awarded him the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for his efforts to assist Africa. In 2004 Belafonte went to Kenya to stress the importance of educating children in the region. Belafonte has been involved in prostate cancer advocacy since 1996, when he was diagnosed and successfully treated for the disease. On June 27, 2006, Belafonte was the recipient of the BET Humanitarian Award at the 2006 BET Awards. He was named one of nine 2006 Impact Award recipients by ''AARP The Magazine.''

On October 19, 2007, Belafonte represented UNICEF on Norwegian television to support the annual telethon (TV Aksjonen) in support of that charity and helped raise a world record of $10 per inhabitant of Norway. Belafonte was also an ambassador for the Bahamas. He is on the board of directors of the Advancement Project.

Political activist

Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy. He began making controversial political statements on this subject in the early 1980s. He has at various times made statements opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba; praising Soviet peace initiatives; attacking the U.S. invasion of Grenada; praising the Abraham Lincoln Brigade; honoring Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and praising Fidel Castro. Belafonte is additionally known for his visit to Cuba which helped ensure hip-hop’s place in Cuban society. According to Geoffrey Baker’s article “Hip hop, Revolucion! Nationalizing Rap in Cuba,” in 1999 Belafonte met with representatives of the rap community immediately before meeting with Fidel Castro. This meeting resulted in Castro’s personal approval of (and hence the government’s involvement in), the incorporation of rap into his country’s culture. In a 2003 interview Belafonte reflected upon this meeting’s influence:

“When I went back to Havana a couple years later, the people in the hip-hop community came to see me and we hung out for a bit. They thanked me profusely and I said, 'Why?' and they said, 'Because your little conversation with Fidel and the Minister of Culture on hip-hop led to there being a special division within the ministry and we've got our own studio'."

Belafonte was active in the anti–Apartheid movement. He was the Master of Ceremonies at a reception honoringAfrican National Congress President Oliver Tambo at Roosevelt House, Hunter College, in New York City. The reception was held by the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) and The Africa Fund. He is a current board member of the TransAfrica Forum and the Institute for Policy Studies.

In December 2007 he endorsed John Edwards for the 2008 Presidential Election.

Opposition to the George W. Bush Administration

Belafonte achieved widespread attention for his political views in 2002 when he began making a series of comments about President George W. Bush, his administration and the Iraq War. During an interview with Ted Leitner for San Diego's 760 KFMB, in October 2002 Belafonte referred to a quote made by Malcolm X. Belafonte said:

Belafonte used the quote to characterize former United States Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, both African-Americans. Powell and Rice both responded, with Powell calling the remarks "unfortunate" and Rice saying "I don't need Harry Belafonte to tell me what it means to be black."

thumb|Harry Belafonte at the 61st Berlin International Film FestivalThe comment was brought up again in an interview with Amy Goodman for ''Democracy Now!'' in 2006. In January 2006, Belafonte led a delegation of activists including actor Danny Glover and activist/professor Cornel West to meet with President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez. In 2005 Chávez, an outspoken Bush critic, initiated a program to provide cheaper heating oil for poor people in several areas of the United States. Belafonte supported this initiative. Belafonte was quoted as saying, during the meeting with Chávez, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people support your revolution." Belafonte and Glover met again with Chávez in 2006. The comment ignited a great deal of controversy. Hillary Clinton refused to acknowledge Belafonte's presence at an awards ceremony that featured both of them. AARP, which had just named him one of its 10 Impact Award honorees 2006, released this statement following the remarks: "AARP does not condone the manner and tone which he has chosen and finds his comments completely unacceptable." During a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at Duke University in 2006 Belafonte compared the American government to the 9/11 hijackers, saying, "What is the difference between that terrorist and other terrorists?" In response to criticism about his remarks Belafonte asked, "What do you call Bush when the war he put us in to date has killed almost as many Americans as died on 9/11 and the number of Americans wounded in war is almost triple? [...] By most definitions Bush can be considered a terrorist." When he was asked about his expectation of criticism for his remarks on the war in Iraq, Belafonte responded: "Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy."

In another interview Belafonte remarked that while his comments may have been "hasty," nevertheless he felt the Bush administration suffered from "arrogance wedded to ignorance" and its policies around the world were "morally bankrupt." In January 2006, in a speech to the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members Conference, Belafonte referred to "the new Gestapo of Homeland Security" saying, "You can be arrested and have no right to counsel!" During the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at the Duke University in January 2006 Belafonte said that if he could choose his epitaph it would be, "Harry Belafonte, Patriot."

Discography

Filmography

''Bright Road'' (1953)

''Carmen Jones'' (1954)

''Island in the Sun'' (1957)

''The Heart of Show Business'' (1957) (short subject)

''The World, the Flesh and the Devil'' (1959)

''Odds Against Tomorrow'' (1959)

''King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis'' (1970) (documentary) (narrator)

''The Angel Levine'' (1970)

''Buck and the Preacher'' (1972)

''Uptown Saturday Night'' (1974)

''A veces miro mi vida'' (1982)

''Drei Lieder'' (1983) (short subject)

''Sag nein'' (1983) (documentary)

''Der Schönste Traum'' (1984) (documentary)

''We Shall Overcome'' (1989) (documentary) (narrator)

''The Player'' (1992) (Cameo)

''Ready to Wear'' (1994) (Cameo)

''Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream'' (1995)

''White Man's Burden'' (1995)

''Jazz '34'' (1996)

''Kansas City'' (1996)

''Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist'' (1998) (documentary)

''Fidel'' (2001) (documentary)

''XXI Century'' (2003) (documentary)

''Conakry Kas'' (2003) (documentary)

''Ladders'' (2004) (documentary) (narrator)

''Mo & Me'' (2006) (documentary)

''Bobby'' (2006)

''Motherland'' (2009) (documentary)

''Sing Your Song'' (2011) (documentary)

Television work

''Sugar Hill Times'' (1949–1950)

''Tonight With Belafonte'' (1959)

''Petula'' (1968)

''A World in Music'' (1969)

''Harry & Lena, For The Love Of Life (1969)

''A World in Love'' (1970)

''Free to Be… You and Me'' (1974)

''The Muppet Show'' (1978)

''Grambling's White Tiger'' (1981)

''Don't Stop The Carnival'' (1985)

''An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends'' (1997)

''Swing Vote'' (1999)

''Tanner on Tanner'' (2004)

''That's What I'm Talking About'' (2006) (miniseries)

''When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts'' (2006) (miniseries)

Concert videos

''Don't Stop The Carnival'' (1985)

''Global Carnival'' (1988)

''An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends'' (1997)

Stage work

''John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' (December 10, 1953 – June 26, 1954)

''3 for Tonight'' (April 6 – June 18, 1955)

''Moonbirds'' (October 9–10, 1959) (producer)

''Belafonte at the Palace'' (December 15, 1959 – closing date unknown)

''Asinamali!'' (April 23 – May 17, 1987) (producer)

Quotation

References

External links

Harry Belafonte discography

English version of the text found at the bottom of the page.

2004 Global Exchange Human Rights Award – Belafonte's acceptance speech in San Francisco

Ubben Lecture at DePauw University

Democracy Now! transcript/MP3/video of interview by Amy Goodman, January 30, 2006

''The Bigotry of Belafonte'' – by Andrew Sullivan, Salon.com, Oct. 25, 2002

"The Man Behind Belafonte's Music – Irving Burgie" – by Ronald David Jackson, with video

Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks

The HistoryMakers Biography and video clips

Harry Belafonte: Belafonte At Carnegie Hall

Belafonte and Nat King Cole sing "Mama Look at Bubu"

Belafonte: "Iraq & Afghanistan Wars Are Immoral" – video report by ''Democracy Now!''

Category:American anti-war activists Category:American folk singers Category:People from Manhattan Category:American socialists Category:International opponents of apartheid in South Africa Category:Calypsonians Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:American musicians of Jamaican descent Category:People of Martiniquais descent Category:World music musicians Category:Jubilee Records artists Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Tony Award winners Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients Category:1927 births Category:Living people

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Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
birth name	Winona Laura Horowitz
birth date	October 29, 1971
birth place	Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States
occupation	Actress, producer
years active	1986–present }}

Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), better known under her professional name Winona Ryder, is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film ''Lucas''. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988) as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition. After making various appearances in film and television, Ryder continued her career with the cult film ''Heathers'' (1989), a controversial satire of teenage suicide and high school life, which drew Ryder further critical and commercial attention.

Having played diverse roles in many well-received films, Ryder won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her role in ''The Age of Innocence'' in 1993, as well as another Academy Award nomination for ''Little Women'' the following year for Best Actress. In 2000, Ryder received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.

Ryder's personal life has been widely reported by the media. Her relationship with actor Johnny Depp in the early 1990s was highly publicized and received much scrutiny by the media and tabloid press. A much talked about 2001 shoplifting incident led to a four-year hiatus from acting. She has also revealed her personal struggle with anxiety and depression, briefly checking into a clinic. In 2006, Ryder returned to the screen, and some media outlets called her performance "a remarkable comeback" to acting, having appeared in high-profile films such as ''Star Trek''. In 2010, she was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, as the lead actress of ''When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story'', and as part of the cast of ''Black Swan''.

Early life and education

Born Winona Laura Horowitz in Olmsted County, Minnesota, she was named after the nearby city of Winona. She was given her middle name, Laura, because of her parents' friendship with Aldous Huxley's wife, Laura Huxley. Her mother, Cynthia Palmer (née Istas), is an author, as well as a video producer and editor. Her father, Michael Horowitz, is an author, editor, publisher, and antiquarian bookseller. Ryder is Jewish on her father's side, and has described herself as Jewish. Her paternal grandparents were immigrants from Russia and Romania; her father's family was originally named "Tomchin", but was wrongly assigned the surname "Horowitz" by U.S. immigration officials at Ellis Island. Ryder's mother is a Buddhist and her father is an atheist. Ryder has one full sibling, a younger brother, Uri (named in honor of the first Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin), an older half-brother, Jubal, and an older half-sister, Sunyata. Ryder's family friends included her godfather, LSD guru Timothy Leary, as well as the beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and the science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick.

In 1978, when Ryder was seven years old, she and her family relocated to Rainbow, a commune near Elk, Mendocino County, California, where they lived with seven other families on a plot of land. As the remote property had no electricity or television sets, Ryder began to devote her time to reading, and became an avid fan of J. D. Salinger's ''The Catcher in the Rye''. She developed an interest in acting after her mother showed her a few movies on a screen in the family barn. At age 10, Ryder and her family moved on again, this time to Petaluma, California. During her first week at the Kenilworth Junior High, she was bullied by a group of her peers who mistook her for an effeminate, scrawny boy. As a result, she ended up being homeschooled that year. In 1983, when Ryder was 12, she enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater in nearby San Francisco, where she took her first acting lessons. Ryder graduated from Petaluma High School with a 4.0 GPA in 1989. She suffers from aquaphobia because of a traumatic near-drowning at age 12. This caused problems with the underwater scenes in ''Alien Resurrection'' (1997), some of which had to be reshot numerous times.

Career

Early works, 1985–1990

In 1985, Ryder sent a videotaped audition, where she recited a monologue from the novel ''Franny and Zooey'' by J. D. Salinger, to appear in the film ''Desert Bloom''. Although the part went to Annabeth Gish, writer/director David Seltzer noticed her talent and cast her in his 1986 film ''Lucas'', about a boy called Lucas (Corey Haim) and his life at high school. The film co-starred Charlie Sheen and Kerri Green with Winona playing Rina, one of Lucas’s friends at school. When asked how she wanted her name to appear in the credits, she suggested "Ryder" as her surname because a Mitch Ryder album that belonged to her father was playing in the background.

Her next movie was ''Square Dance'' (1987), where her teenage character creates a bridge between two different worlds — a traditional farm in the middle of nowhere and a large city. Ryder won acclaim for her role, and ''The Los Angeles Times'' called her performance in ''Square Dance'' "a remarkable debut." Both films, however, failed to gain Ryder any notice, and were only marginally successful commercially. Director Tim Burton decided to cast Ryder in his film ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), after being impressed with her performance in ''Lucas''. In the film, she plays goth teenager Lydia Deetz. Lydia's family moves to a haunted house populated by ghosts played by Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Michael Keaton. Lydia quickly finds herself the only human with a strong empathy toward the ghosts and their situation. The film was a success at the box office, and Ryder's performance and the overall film received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Ryder landed the role of Veronica Sawyer in the 1989 independent film ''Heathers''. The film, a satirical take on teenage life, revolves around Veronica, who is ultimately forced to choose between the will of society and her own heart after her boyfriend, played by Christian Slater, begins killing off popular high school students. Ryder's agent initially begged her to turn the role down, saying the film would "ruin her career." Reaction to the film was mostly lukewarm, but Ryder's performance was critically embraced, with ''The Washington Post'' stating Ryder is "Hollywood's most impressive inge'nue [sic] ... Ryder ... makes us love her teen-age murderess, a bright, funny girl with a little Bonnie Parker in her. She is the most likable, best-drawn young adult protagonist since the sexual innocent of ''Gregory's Girl''." The film was a box office flop, yet achieved status as a predominant cult film. Later that year, she starred in ''Great Balls of Fire!'', playing the 13-year-old bride (and cousin) of Jerry Lee Lewis. The film was a box office failure and received divided reviews from critics. In April 1989, she played the title role in the music video for Mojo Nixon's "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child".

In 1990, Ryder was selected for four film roles. She played the leading female role alongside her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp in the fantasy film ''Edward Scissorhands''. The film reunited Tim Burton and Ryder, who had previously worked together on ''Beetlejuice'' in 1988. ''Edward Scissorhands'' was a significant box office success, grossing US$56 million at the United States box office and receiving much critical devotion. Later that year, she withdrew from the role of Mary Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's ''The Godfather Part III'' (after traveling to Rome for filming) due to exhaustion. Eventually, Coppola's daughter Sofia Coppola was cast in the role. Ryder's third role was in the family comedy-drama ''Mermaids'' (1990), which co-starred Cher and Christina Ricci. ''Mermaids'' was a moderate box office success and was embraced critically. Ryder's performance was acclaimed; critic Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote: "Winona Ryder, in another of her alienated outsider roles, generates real charisma." For her performance, Ryder received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Ryder then performed alongside Cher and Christina Ricci in the video for "The Shoop Shoop Song", the theme from ''Mermaids''.

Following ''Mermaids'' she had the lead role in ''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael'', a film about an adopted child Dinky Bossetti played by Ryder. The film co-starred Jeff Daniels and was deemed a flop due to its poor showing at the box office.

1991–1995

In 1991, Ryder played a young taxicab driver who dreams of becoming a mechanic in Jim Jarmusch's ''Night on Earth''. The film was only given a limited release at the box office, but received critical praise. Ryder then starred in the dual roles of Count Dracula's reincarnated love interest Mina Murray and Dracula's past lover Princess Elisabeta, in ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' (1992), a project she brought to director Francis Ford Coppola's attention. In 1993, she starred in the melodrama ''The House of the Spirits'', based on Isabel Allende's novel. Ryder played the love interest of Antonio Banderas' character. Principal filming was done in Denmark and Portugal. The film was poorly reviewed and a box office flop, grossing just $6 million on its $40 million budget.

Ryder starred in ''The Age of Innocence'' with Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis, a film based on a novel by Edith Wharton and helmed by director Martin Scorsese, whom Ryder considers "the best director in the world." In the film, Ryder plays May Welland the fiancée of Newland Archer (Day-Lewis). The film, based in the 1870s, was principally filmed in New York and Paris. Her role in this movie won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an Academy Award nomination in the same category. Although not a commercial success, it received critical praise. Vincent Canby in the New York Times wrote; ‘Ms Ryder is wonderful as this sweet young thing who's hard as nails, as much out of ignorance as of self-interest.’

Ryder's next role was in the Generation X drama ''Reality Bites'' (1994), directed by Ben Stiller, playing a young woman searching for direction in her life. Her performance received acclaim and the studio hoped the film would gross a substantial amount of money, yet it flopped. Bruce Feldman, Universal Pictures' Vice-President of Marketing said: "The media labeled it as a Generation X picture, while we thought it was a comedy with broad appeal." The studio placed TV ads during programs chosen for their appeal to 12 to 34-year-olds and in interviews Stiller was careful not to mention the phrase "Generation X."

In 1994, Ryder was handpicked to play the lead role of Josephine March in ''Little Women'', an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel. The film received widespread praise; critic Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the film was the greatest adaptation of the novel, and remarked on Ryder's performance: "Ms. Ryder, whose banner year also includes a fine comic performance in 'Reality Bites,' plays Jo with spark and confidence. Her spirited presence gives the film an appealing linchpin, and she plays the self-proclaimed 'man of the family' with just the right staunchness." She received a Best Actress Oscar nomination the following year.

She made a guest appearance in ''The Simpsons'' episode "Lisa's Rival" as Allison Taylor, whose intelligence and over-achieving personality makes her a rival of Lisa's. Her next starring role was in ''How to Make an American Quilt'' (1995), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Whitney Otto, co-starring Anne Bancroft. Ryder plays a college graduate who spends her summer hiatus at her grandmother's property to ponder on her boyfriend's recent marriage proposal. The film was not a commercial success, nor was it popular with critics.

1996–2000

Ryder made several film appearances in 1996, the first in ''Boys''. The film failed to become a box office success and attracted mostly negative critical reaction. Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' stated that "''Boys'' is a low-rent, dumbed-down version of ''Before Sunrise'', with a rent-a-plot substituting for clever dialogue." Her next role was in ''Looking for Richard'', Al Pacino's documentary on a production of Shakespeare's ''Richard III'', which grossed only $1 million at the box office, but drew moderate critical acclaim. She starred in ''The Crucible'' with Daniel Day-Lewis and Joan Allen. The film, an adaptation of Arthur Miller's play, centered on the Salem witch trials. The film was expected to be a success, considering its budget, but became a large failure. Despite this, it received acclaim critically, and Ryder's performance was lauded, with Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' saying, "Ryder offers a transfixing portrait of warped innocence."

In December 1996, Ryder accepted a role as an android in ''Alien Resurrection'' (1997), alongside Sigourney Weaver, who had appeared in the entire ''Alien'' trilogy. Ryder's brother, Yuri, was a major fan of the film series, and when asked, she took the role. The film became one of the least successful entries in the ''Alien'' film series, but was considered a success as it grossed $161 million worldwide. Weaver's and Ryder's performances drew mostly positive reviews, and Ryder won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Actress. Ryder then starred in Woody Allen's ''Celebrity'' (1998), after Drew Barrymore turned down Ryder's role, in an ensemble cast. The film satirizes the lives of several celebrities.

In 1999, she performed in and served as an executive producer for ''Girl, Interrupted'', based on the 1993 autobiography of Susanna Kaysen. The film had been in project and post-production since late 1996, but it took time to surface. Ryder was deeply attached to the film, considering it her "child of the heart." Ryder starred as Kaysen, who has borderline personality disorder and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for recovery. Ryder starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Angelina Jolie. While Ryder was expected to make her comeback with her leading role, the film instead became the "welcome-to-Hollywood coronation" for Jolie, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Jolie thanked Ryder in her acceptance speech. The same year, Ryder was parodied in ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut''.

The following year, she starred in the romantic comedy ''Autumn in New York'', alongside Richard Gere. The film revolves around a relationship between an older man (Gere) and a younger woman (Ryder). ''Autumn in New York'' received mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, grossing $90 million at the worldwide box office. Ryder then played a nun of a secret society loosely connected to the Roman Catholic Church and determined to prevent Armageddon in ''Lost Souls'' (2000), which was a commercial failure. Ryder refused to do commercial promotion for the film. Later in 2000, she was one of several celebrities who made a small cameo appearance in ''Zoolander''. On October 6, 2000, Ryder received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located directly in front of the Johnny Grant building next to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard. She was the 2,165th recipient of this honor.

Hiatus, 2001–2005

Ryder had a hiatus after her shoplifting incident in 2001 (see below). The book ''Conversations with Woody Allen'' reports that in 2003 film director Woody Allen wanted to cast Robert Downey, Jr. and Ryder in his film ''Melinda and Melinda'', but was unable to do so because "I couldn't get insurance on them ... We couldn't get bonded. The completion bonding companies would not bond the picture unless we could insure them. [...] We were heartbroken because I had worked with Winona before [on ''Celebrity''] and thought she was perfect for this and wanted to work with her again."

In 2002, Ryder appeared in two movies, filmed before her arrest. The first was a romantic comedy titled ''Mr. Deeds'' with Adam Sandler. This was her most commercially successful movie to date, earning over $126 million in the United States alone. The film was not a critical success, however, film critic Philip French regards it a terrible film, saying that "remakes are often bad, but this one was particularly bad." The second film was the science fiction drama ''S1m0ne'' in which she portrayed a glamorous star who is replaced by a computer simulated actress due to the clandestine machinations of a director, portrayed by her ''Looking for Richard'' costar Al Pacino. In July 2003, she was number 183 on VH1's and People Magazine's "200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons" countdown list.

2006–present

In 2006, following her hiatus, Ryder appeared in Richard Linklater's ''A Scanner Darkly'', a film based on Philip K. Dick's well-received science fiction novel of the same name. Ryder starred alongside Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey, Jr., and Woody Harrelson. Live action scenes were transformed with rotoscope software and the film was entirely animated. ''A Scanner Darkly'' was screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival. Critics disagreed over the film's merits; Carina Chocano of the ''Los Angeles Times'' found the film "engrossing" and wrote that "the brilliance of [the film] is how it suggests, without bombast or fanfare, the ways in which the real world has come to resemble the dark world of comic books." Matthew Turner of View London, believing the film to be "engaging" and "beautifully animated," praised the film for its "superb performances" and original, thought-provoking screenplay." Ryder appeared in the comedy ''The Darwin Awards'' with Joseph Fiennes. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006.

Ryder reunited with ''Heathers'' screenwriter Daniel Waters for the surreal black comedy ''Sex and Death 101'' (2007). The story follows the sexual odysseys of successful businessman Roderick Blank, played by Simon Baker, who receives a mysterious e-mail on the eve of his wedding, listing all of his past and future sex partners. "We will be doing a sequel to ''Heathers'' next." Ryder stated. "There's ''Heathers'' in the real world! We have to keep going!" In a more recent interview Ryder was quoted as saying on the speculation of a ''Heathers'' sequel: "I don't know how much of the movie is official; it's a ways away. But it takes place in Washington and Christian Slater agreed to come back and make an Obi-Wan-type appearance. It's very funny."

Ryder appeared in David Wain's comedy ''The Ten''. The film centers around ten stories, each inspired by one of the Ten Commandments. The film debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival on January 10, 2007, with a theatrical release on August 3, 2007. Ryder played the female lead opposite Wes Bentley and Ray Romano in Geoffrey Haley's 2008 offbeat romantic drama ''The Last Word''. In 2009, she starred as a newscaster in the movie version of ''The Informers''.

Ryder appeared in a cameo role for director J. J. Abrams's ''Star Trek'', as Spock's human mother Amanda Grayson, a role originally played by Jane Wyatt. Several media outlets have noted her return to the box office and upcoming roles as a remarkable comeback. She starred alongside Robin Wright and Julianne Moore in Rebecca Miller's ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'', released on February 9, 2009 at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival, with a limited US release scheduled for November 2009. On June 2, 2009, ''Entertainment Weekly'' reported that in an interview with Ryder in ''Empire'' magazine, she revealed that she and Christian Slater will reprise their roles in a sequel to ''Heathers''. In 2010, Ryder plays Beth McIntyre, an aging ballet star in Darren Aronofsky's ''Black Swan''. She also was cast in an independent film, ''Stay Cool'', alongside Hilary Duff, Mark Polish and Chevy Chase. The same year, she also starred as Lois Wilson in the TV movie, ''When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story'' for which she has received leading female Screen Actors Guild Award and Satellite Award nominations.

Ryder appeared in a leading role in the Ron Howard-directed film, ''The Dilemma'', previously called ''Cheaters'' and ''What You Don't Know''. The film, which also starred Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, began filming in Chicago in May 2010 and was released in January 2011. It was recently announced that she will be reunited with Tim Burton for a role in his upcoming animated 3D feature film ''Frankenweenie''. It is scheduled for a March 9, 2012 release date.

Personal life

Relationships

Ryder was engaged to actor Johnny Depp for three years beginning in July 1990. She met Depp at the ''Great Balls of Fire!'' premiere in June 1989; two months later they began dating. During their relationship, Depp had a tattoo placed on his arm reading "Winona Forever", which he had altered to "Wino Forever" after their separation. She has also dated Soul Asylum lead singer Dave Pirner, Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst, and actor Matt Damon.

Polly Klaas

In 1993, Ryder offered a reward in the hopes that it would lead to the return of kidnapped child Polly Klaas. Klaas lived in Petaluma, the same town where Ryder grew up. Ryder offered a $200,000 reward for the 12-year-old kidnap victim's safe return. After the girl's death, Ryder starred in the 1994 film adaptation of ''Little Women'' by Louisa May Alcott and dedicated it to her memory. ''Little Women'' was one of Klaas's favorite novels. During a sentencing hearing related to the 2001 shoplifting incident (see below), Ryder's attorney, Mark Geragos, referred to her work with the Polly Klaas Foundation and other charitable causes. In response, Deputy District Attorney Ann Rundle said: "What's offensive to me is to trot out the body of a dead child." Ryder was visibly upset at the accusation and Rundle was admonished by the judge. Outside the courthouse, Polly's father Marc Klaas defended Ryder and expressed outrage at the prosecutor's comments.

2001 arrest

On December 12, 2001, Ryder was arrested on shoplifting charges in Beverly Hills, California. She was accused of stealing $5,500 worth of designer clothes and accessories at a Saks Fifth Avenue department store. Los Angeles District Attorney Stephen Cooley produced a team of eight prosecutors. Cooley filed four felony charges against her in what was described by British newspaper ''The Guardian'' as a "show-trial." Ryder hired noted celebrity defense attorney Mark Geragos. Negotiations for a plea bargain failed at the end of summer 2002. As noted by Joel Mowbray from ''National Review'', the prosecution was not ready to offer the actress what was given to 5,000 other defendants in similar cases, an open door to a no-contest plea on misdemeanor charges. Ryder agreed under signature to pay two Civil Demands, as permitted under California's Statute for Civil Recovery for Shoplifting, from Saks Fifth Avenue that completely reimbursed Saks Fifth Avenue for the stolen and surrendered merchandise while detained in the Security Offices of the Saks Fifth Avenue store, and before she was read her Miranda rights and arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department.

During the trial, she was accused of using drugs without valid prescriptions. Ryder was convicted of grand theft, shoplifting and vandalism, but was acquitted on the third felony charge, burglary. In December 2002, she was sentenced to three years' probation, 480 hours of community service, $3,700 in fines, $6,355 in restitution to the Saks Fifth Avenue store, and ordered to attend psychological and drug counseling. After reviewing Ryder's probation report, Superior Court Judge Elden Fox noted that Ryder served 480 hours of community service and on June 18, 2004, the felonies were reduced to misdemeanors. Ryder remained on probation until December 2005.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1986		Rina
1987		Gemma Dillard
1988	''Beetlejuice''	Lydia Deetz
1988		Beth Karr
1989	''Heathers''	Veronica Sawyer
1989
1990	''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael''	Dinky Bossetti
1990	''Edward Scissorhands''	Kim Boggs
1990		Charlotte Flax
1991		Corky
1992
1993		May Welland
1993		Blanca Trueba
1994	''Reality Bites''	Lelaina Pierce
1994		Josephine "Jo" March
1995	''How to Make an American Quilt''	Finn Dodd
1996		Patty Vare
1996	''Looking for Richard''		Documentary film
1996		Abigail Williams
1997	''Alien Resurrection''	Annalee Call
1998		Nola
1999		Susanna Kaysen	Also executive producer
2000		Charlotte Fielding
2000		Maya Larkin
2001	''Zoolander''	Herself	Uncredited cameo
2002	''Mr. Deeds''	Babe Bennett/Pam Dawson
2002	''S1m0ne''	Nicola Anders
2003	''The Day My God Died''	Narrator	Voice acting
2004	''[[The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things''	Psychologist	Uncredited
2006		Siri
2006		Donna Hawthorne
2007	''The Ten''	Kelly LaFonda
2007	''Sex and Death 101''	Gillian De Raisx/Death Nell
2007	''Welcome''	Cynthia	Short film
2008		Charlotte Morris
2009	''Water Pills''	Carrie	Short film
2009		Cheryl Laine
2009	''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee''	Sandra
2009	''Stay Cool''	Scarlet Smith
2009		Amanda Grayson
2010	''When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story''		TV film
2010		Beth MacIntyre
2011		Geneva Backman
2012		Elsa Van Helsing	Voice Role
2012	''The Stare''	Martine	''Post-production''

Television series

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1994	''The Simpsons''	Allison Taylor	Episode: "Lisa's Rival"
1996	''Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist''	Hayley Christie	Episode: "Monte Carlo"
1998	''The Larry Sanders Show''	Herself	Episode: "Another List"
2000	''Strangers with Candy''	Fran	Episode: "The Last Temptation of Blank"
2001	''Friends''	Melissa Warburton	Episode: "The One with Rachel's Big Kiss"

Awards and nominations

Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Actress Female Star of Tomorrow Best Young Artist Starring in a Motion Picture Golden GlobeSaturn AwardSaturn Award rowspan="2" Best Supporting Actress Academy Award Best Kiss Best Supporting Actress Academy Award rowspan="3" Screen Actors Guild Award ShoWest Award Saturn Award Favorite Actress - Drama - Motion Picture Razzie AwardTeen Choice AwardRazzie AwardScream AwardSatellite Award

		!Award	!Category	!Film	!Result
rowspan="5">1990	|	Best Female Lead	''Heathers''	<
Chicago Film Critics Association Award	Best Actress
NBR Award	|	Mermaids (film)>Mermaids''
ShoWest Award	|	-
Young Artist Award	| ''Great Balls of Fire!''
1991	|	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture	Mermaids (film)>Mermaids''
rowspan="2">1992	|	Best Actress	''Edward Scissorhands''	<
Sant Jordi Award	Best Foreign Actress (Mejor Actriz Extranjera)
rowspan="3">1993	|	Best Actress	Dracula (1992 film)	Bram Stoker's Dracula'' |><
MTV Movie Award	Best Kiss
NBR Award	|	''The Age of Innocence''
rowspan="5">1994	|		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	<
BAFTA Film Award
Golden Globe	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
MTV Movie Award	|	''Reality Bites''
SEFCA Award	|	''The Age of Innocence''
rowspan="3">1995	|	Best Actress in a Leading Role	Little Women (1994 film)	Little Women'' |><
Chlotrudis Award	Best Actress
KCFCC Award
rowspan="2">1996	|	Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast	''How to Make an American Quilt''	<
MTV Movie Award	Best Kiss
1997	|	Female Star of the Year	-
rowspan="2">1998	|	Best Supporting Actress	''Alien Resurrection''	<
rowspan=2	Blockbuster Entertainment Award	Favorite Supporting Actress - Sci-Fi
rowspan="3">2000	|	Girl, Interrupted (film)>Girl, Interrupted''	<
Peter J. Owens Award	|	-
Star on the Walk of Fame	|	-
2001	|	Worst Screen Couple	Autumn in New York (film)>Autumn in New York'' (with Richard Gere)
2002	|	Film - Choice Actress, Comedy	''Mr. Deeds''
2003	|	Worst Actress
2009	|	Best Cameo	Star Trek (film)>Star Trek''
rowspan="3">2010	|	Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Movie	''When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story''	<
rowspan="2">Screen Actors Guild Award
Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast	Black Swan (film)>Black Swan''

References

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from Minnesota Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American Jews Category:American people convicted of theft Category:American people of Romanian descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Jewish actors Category:Living people Category:People from Olmsted County, Minnesota Category:People from Sonoma County, California Category:American voice actors Category:American television actors

ar:وينونا رايدر an:Winona Ryder az:Vaynona Rayder bn:উইনোনা রাইডার bs:Winona Ryder bg:Уинона Райдър ca:Winona Ryder cs:Winona Ryder cy:Winona Ryder da:Winona Ryder de:Winona Ryder et:Winona Ryder el:Γουϊνόνα Ράιντερ es:Winona Ryder eo:Winona Ryder eu:Winona Ryder fa:وینونا رایدر fr:Winona Ryder gl:Winona Ryder ko:위노나 라이더 hr:Winona Ryder io:Winona Ryder id:Winona Ryder it:Winona Ryder he:וינונה ריידר jv:Winona Ryder la:Winona Ryder lv:Vinona Raidere lb:Winona Ryder lt:Winona Ryder hu:Winona Ryder mk:Винона Рајдер nl:Winona Ryder ne:विनोना राईडर ja:ウィノナ・ライダー no:Winona Ryder nn:Winona Ryder oc:Winona Ryder nds:Winona Ryder pl:Winona Ryder pt:Winona Ryder ro:Winona Ryder ru:Райдер, Вайнона simple:Winona Ryder sr:Винона Рајдер fi:Winona Ryder sv:Winona Ryder tl:Winona Ryder th:วิโนนา ไรเดอร์ tr:Winona Ryder uk:Вайнона Райдер zh:薇诺娜·瑞德

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
birth name	Michael John Douglas
birth date	September 05, 1951
birth place	Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, U.S.
nationality	American
education	Montour High School
alma mater	Kent State
occupation	Actor, comedian, singer, dancer
years active	1975–present
spouse	Caroline McWilliams (1982-1990)
partner	Courteney Cox (1989-1995) }}

Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his breakout performance as the title character of Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988). Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's ''Batman'' (1989) and ''Batman Returns'' (1992). He has since appeared in various other films, including Pixar's ''Cars'' (2006) and ''Toy Story 3'' (2010).

Early life

Keaton, the youngest of seven children, was born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, and lived in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. His father, George A. Douglas, worked as a civil engineer and surveyor, and his mother, Leona Elizabeth (née Loftus), a homemaker, came from a Scots-Irish community in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Keaton was raised in a large Catholic family and attended Montour High School in Pennsylvania. He studied speech for two years at Kent State before dropping out and moving to Pittsburgh.

Career

1970s and 1980s

An unsuccessful attempt at stand-up comedy led Keaton to working as a TV cameraman at public television station WQED (TV) in Pittsburgh. Keaton first appeared on TV in the Pittsburgh-based public television programs, including "Where the Heart Is" and ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (1975), as one of the "Flying Zucchini Brothers." He also served as a full-time production assistant on the show. (In 2004, following Fred Rogers' death, Keaton hosted the PBS memorial tribute program, ''Fred Rogers: Everybody's Favorite Neighbor''.) Keaton also worked as an actor in Pittsburgh theatre; he played the role of Rick in the Pittsburgh premiere of David Rabe's Sticks and Bones with the Pittsburgh Poor Players.

Keaton left Pittsburgh and moved to Los Angeles to begin auditioning for various TV parts. He popped up in various popular TV shows including ''Maude'' and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Hour''. Around this time Keaton decided to use an alternative surname to avoid confusion with well-known actor Michael Douglas and daytime host Mike Douglas, as well as satisfying SAG rules, and after reading an article on actress Diane Keaton, he decided on "Michael Keaton."

His next key break was working alongside James Belushi in the short-lived comedy series ''Working Stiffs'', which showcased his comedic talent and led to a co-starring role in the comedy ''Night Shift'' directed by Ron Howard. His role as the hilariously fast-talking schemer Bill "Blaze" Blazejowski alongside Henry Winkler's nerdish morgue attendant earned Keaton some critical acclaim, and he scored leads in the subsequent comedy hits ''Mr. Mom'', ''Johnny Dangerously'', and ''Gung Ho''.

Keaton's role as the title character in Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy ''Beetlejuice'', which co-starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder, earned Keaton widespread acclaim and boosted him to movieland's A-list. He originally turned down the title role in ''Beetlejuice'' but later reconsidered. Keaton now considers ''Beetlejuice'' his favorite of his own films. That same year, Keaton also gave an acclaimed dramatic performance as a drug-addicted businessman in ''Clean and Sober''. ''Newsweek'' featured him in a story during this time.

Batman

Keaton's career was given another major boost when he was again cast by Tim Burton, this time as the title comic book superhero of the 1989 blockbuster ''Batman''. Burton cast him because he thought that Keaton was the only actor who could believably portray someone who has the kind of darkly obsessive personality that the character demands. Warner Bros. received thousands of letters of complaint by fans commenting that Keaton was the wrong choice to portray Batman, given his prior work in comedies and the fact that he lacked the suave, handsome features and tall, muscular physicality often attributed to the character in the comic books. However, Keaton's dramatic performance earned widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and ''Batman'' became one of the most successful films of the year.

According to Keaton, he wasn't surprised when he was first considered as Batman, as he initially believed the film would be similar to the campy 1960s ''Batman'' TV series starring Adam West. It was only after Burton introduced Keaton to Frank Miller's comic book mini-series ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' that Keaton really understood the dark and brooding side of Batman that he portrayed to much fan approval. Keaton later reprised his role in the sequel ''Batman Returns'' (1992), which was another critically acclaimed success, though also controversial for being darker than the previous film.

He was initially set to return again for Warner Bros.' third Batman film, even going as far as to show up for costume fitting. However, when Burton was dropped as director of the film, Keaton left the franchise. He was reportedly dissatisfied with the screenplay approved by the new director, Joel Schumacher, which Keaton considered to be lighter in tone than the previous Batman films. According to the A&E; ''Biography'' episode on Keaton, after he had refused the first time (after meetings with Schumacher), Warner Bros. offered him $15,000,000, but Keaton steadfastly refused. He was subsequently replaced by Val Kilmer in ''Batman Forever'' (1995) and by George Clooney in ''Batman & Robin'' (1997). While ''Batman Forever'' was more commercially successful than ''Batman Returns'', ''Batman & Robin'' was critically panned and failed to outgross any of the previous films. The franchise was then given a break until the release of ''Batman Begins'' (2005), a reboot directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, which returned Batman to the darker atmosphere that Burton and Keaton's films had similarly featured.

1990s and 2000s

Keaton remained in demand during the 1990s, appearing in a wide range of films including ''Pacific Heights'', ''One Good Cop'', ''My Life'', and the star-studded Shakespearian story ''Much Ado About Nothing''. He also starred in another Ron Howard film, ''The Paper'', as well as with Andie MacDowell in ''Multiplicity'' and twice in the same role, Elmore Leonard character Agent Ray Nicolette, in ''Jackie Brown'' and ''Out of Sight''. The actor also made the family holiday movie ''Jack Frost'' and the thriller ''Desperate Measures''.

Keaton starred as a political candidate's speechwriter in 1994's ''Speechless'' with Geena Davis (his co-star in ''Beetlejuice'') and Christopher Reeve (who, like Keaton, also portrayed a famous DC Comics superhero on film; Superman). Since 2000, Keaton has appeared in several films with mixed success including ''Live From Baghdad'' for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award, ''First Daughter'', ''White Noise'', and ''Herbie: Fully Loaded''. While he continued to receive good notices from the critics (particularly for ''Jackie Brown''), he was not able to approach the box-office success of ''Batman'' until the release of Disney/Pixar's ''Cars'' (2006), in which he voiced the character Chick Hicks. On New Years Day of 2004, he hosted the PBS TV special ''Mr. Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor''. It was released by Triumph Marketing LLC on DVD September 28 that year.

In 2006, Keaton starred in an independent film called ''Game 6'', a semi-thriller based around the infamous 1986 World Series bid by the Boston Red Sox. He had a cameo in the Tenacious D short film, ''Time Fixers'', an iTunes exclusive. The 9-minute film was released to coincide with ''Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny''. Keaton was announced to be the lead in Media 8 Entertainment's film ''Reaper'', a supernatural thriller. He reportedly agreed to star as John Target in the Matt Evans scripted ''No Rule To Make Target,'' and he has directed a drama, ''The Merry Gentleman''.

Keaton reportedly was cast as Dr. Jack Shephard in the series ''Lost'', with the understanding that the role of Jack would be a brief one. Once the role was retooled to be a long-running series regular, Keaton withdrew. The part was then given to actor Matthew Fox. The show ran for six seasons, with the Jack Shephard role continuing throughout.

Keaton starred in the 2007 TV mini-series ''The Company'', set during the Cold War, in which he portrayed the real-life CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton. The role garnered Keaton a 2008 SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. ''The Company'' also starred Chris O'Donnell, who portrayed Batman's crime fighting sidekick Robin (who was absent from the Batman films Keaton starred in) in ''Batman Forever'' and ''Batman & Robin''.

2010s

Keaton most recently provided the voice of Ken in ''Toy Story 3'' (2010). The movie received overwhelmingly positive acclaim and grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it one of the most financially successful films ever. He announced in June 2010 his interest in returning for a ''Beetlejuice'' sequel. He also played the minor role of Captain Gene Mauch in the comedy ''The Other Guys''.

An avid fisherman, Keaton can be seen on the saltwater fishing series Buccaneers & Bones on Outdoor Channel, along with Tom Brokaw, Zach Gilford, Thomas McGuane, and Yvon Chouinard. In February 2011, Keaton was the subject of a light-hearted spoof at The Onion, which jested that 87 percent of feature-length motion pictures would be significantly improved by the addition of the 59-year-old film and television actor.

Personal life

Keaton was married to actress Caroline McWilliams from 1982 until 1990. They have one son, Sean Maxwell (born May 27, 1983). He also had a six-year relationship with actress Courteney Cox from 1989 to 1995. Keaton was a contributor to John Kerry for his U.S. President campaign in 2004.

Keaton is a big Pittsburgh Pirates fan being a native from the area. He even went so far as to negotiate a break in his Batman movie contract in case the Pirates made the playoffs that year.

Filmography

Film

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1982		Bill Blazejowski	Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
1983	''Mr. Mom''	Jack Butler
1984	''Johnny Dangerously''	Jonathan "Johnny" Kelly (a.k.a. Johnny Dangerously)
		Hunt Stevenson
	Robert "Bobby" Barbato
1987		Harold "Harry" Berg
	''She's Having a Baby''	Himself	uncredited cameo
''Beetlejuice''	Betelgeuse (pronounced "Beetlejuice")	National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (also for ''Clean and Sober'')Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
''Clean and Sober''	Daryl Poynter	National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (also for ''Beetlejuice'')
		William "Billy" Caufield
1990		Carter Hayes
1991	''One Good Cop''	Arthur "Artie" Lewis
	''Batman Returns''	Bruce Wayne / Batman	Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with ''Michelle Pfeiffer'')
''Porco Rosso''	Porco Rosso	voice in 2003 English dubbed version
		Dogberry
	Robert "Bob" Jones
	''The Paper''	Henry Hackett
	Kevin Vallick
1996		Douglas "Doug" Kinney
	''Inventing the Abbotts''	Narrator / Older Doug	uncredited
	Raymond "Ray" Nicolette
		Peter McCabe
''Out of Sight''	Raymond "Ray" Nicolette	Cameo
	Jack Frost
2000	''A Shot at Glory''	Peter Cameron
2003		Martin Raikes
2004		President Mackenzie
		Jonathan Rivers
	Nicholas "Nicky" Rogan
''Herbie: Fully Loaded''	Raymond "Ray" Peyton, Sr.
		Chick Hicks/Security Guard	uncredited voice role
	Ted "Theodore"
	''The Merry Gentleman''	Franklin "Frank" Logan	director, actor
''Post Grad''	Walter Malby
''Noah's Ark: The New Beginning''	Noah
	''Toy Story 3''
''The Other Guys''	Captain Gene Mauch
	''Hawaiian Vacation''	Ken
		Ben Frankenstien

Television

! Year	! Production	! Role	! Other notes
1976	''All's Fair''	Lannie Wolf
	''Klein Time''	Various
	Chip Winston
		Skit characters
''The Tony Randall Show	Zeke
	''The Mary Tyler Moore Hour''	Kenneth Christy
''Working Stiffs''	Mike O'Rourke
1981	Kraft Walt Disney World 10th Anniversary	He played the bellboy, waiter, valet, store keeper.
1982	''Report To Murphy''	Murphy
	''Frasier''	Blaine Sternin
	Robert Wiener	Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
2001	''The Simpsons''
2002	''King of the Hill''	Trip Larsen
2004	''Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor''	Host	Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special
2007		James Angleton	Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2011	''30 Rock''	Tom	1 episode guest star

References

External links

Pittsburgh Pirates opening day controversy">Story on Michael Keaton and his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates opening day controversy

Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:American film actors Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent Category:American voice actors Category:Kent State University alumni Category:People from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania

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