- published: 18 Jul 2011
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The banjo is a four, five or six stringed instrument with a piece of plastic or animal skin stretched over a circular frame. Simpler forms of the instrument were fashioned by Africans in Colonial America, adapted from several African instruments of similar design.
The banjo is usually associated with country, folk, Irish traditional music and bluegrass music. Historically, the banjo occupied a central place in African American traditional music, before becoming popular in the minstrel shows of the 19th century. In fact, slaves influenced early development of the music that became country and bluegrass, through the introduction of the banjo and through the innovation of musical techniques for both the banjo and fiddle. The banjo, with the fiddle, is a mainstay of American old-time music.
There are several theories concerning the origin of the name banjo. It may derive from the Kimbundu term mbanza. Some etymologists believe it comes from a dialectal pronunciation of the Portuguese "bandore" or from an early anglicisation of the Spanish word "bandurria", though other research suggests that it may come from a Senegambian term for a bamboo stick formerly used for the instrument's neck.
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States of America.
Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was Everybody Loves Raymond, currently in syndication.
In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, author, playwright, producer, musician and composer. Martin came to public notice as a writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show. In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines before packed houses on national tours. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics.
Since the 1980s, having branched away from stand-up comedy, Martin has become a successful actor in both comedic and dramatic roles, as well as an author, playwright, pianist, and banjo player, eventually earning Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards, among other honors.
Actors: Walton Goggins (actor), Samuel L. Jackson (actor), J.D. Evermore (actor), Jamie Foxx (actor), Jonah Hill (actor), Gary Grubbs (actor), Bruce Dern (actor), Ned Bellamy (actor), Robert Carradine (actor), Leonardo DiCaprio (actor), Michael Bowen (actor), Edrick Browne (actor), M.C. Gainey (actor), Don Johnson (actor), John Jarratt (actor),
Plot: Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner.
Keywords: 1850s, 19th-century, actor-playing-multiple-roles, actor-plays-multiple-roles, alias, ambush, animal-attack, australian, bag-over-head, ball-peen-hammerActors: Johnny Ray Kirch (editor), Johnny Ray Kirch (writer), Johnny Ray Kirch (director), Stephen C. Foster (composer), Julia Roberson (actress), Chuck Krepley (actor), Lindsey Horner (actor), Dave Crawley (actor), David Michael King (actor), William Lockard (actor), Mike Murphy (actor), Greg Adams (actor), Alena Roberson (actor), Dan Simkins (actor), Keith Swan (actor),
Genres: Biography, Documentary, History, Music,Actors: Kevin Clash (director), Martin P. Robinson (actor), Joey Mazzarino (writer), Alison Krauss (actress), Matt Vogel (actor), Kevin Clash (producer), Faith Hill (actress), Martin P. Robinson (actor), Johnny Cash (actor), Garth Brooks (actor), Kevin Clash (actor), Tim McGraw (actor), Pam Arciero (actress), Lee Ann Womack (actress), Sugarland (actor),
Genres: Family, Music,Actors: Irma Adlawan (actress), Iza Calzado (actress), Ian Veneracion (actor), Raymond Bagatsing (actor), Pinky Amador (actress), John Regala (actor), Al Tantay (actor), Bobby Andrews (actor), Dingdong Dantes (actor), Richard Gomez (actor), Romnick Sarmenta (actor), Mark Herras (actor), Pen Medina (actor), Sunshine Dizon (actress), Allan Paule (actor),
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance,Actors: Frank Chico (miscellaneous crew), Marya Ignacio (editor), Charo Santos-Concio (producer), Elmer Buencamino (miscellaneous crew), Tammy Bejerano (miscellaneous crew), William Cabahit (miscellaneous crew), Sandy Andolong (actress), Jaime Cuales (actor), Jessie Lasaten (composer), Emmanuel Dela Cruz (actor), Tess V. Fuentes (producer), Jaime Fabregas (actor), Malou N. Santos (producer), Vanessa De Leon (miscellaneous crew), Jennifer D. Ching (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Drama, Romance,Actors: Jonathan Sehring (producer), Caroline Kaplan (producer), John Wells (producer), Christine Vachon (producer), Danny DeVito (producer), Michael Shamberg (producer), Anthony Pettine (miscellaneous crew), Stacey Sher (producer), Anna Kendrick (actress), Pamela Koffler (producer), Michael K. Reynolds (miscellaneous crew), Todd Graff (director), Todd Graff (writer), Al Valentine (miscellaneous crew), Stephen Sondheim (actor),
Plot: Misfits in their lives back home, a group of young people live it up at musical-theater camp. While the sports counselor is completely ignored, the kids' spend all their time in rehearsal for a grueling schedule that involves a new show every two weeks. Several personal stories come to the fore. Is talented golden-boy Vlad honest in his feelings about Ellen? Can cross-dressing Michael have a relationship with his parents? Will one-hit-wonder musical playwrite and now camp counselor Bert Hanley remain mired in drink and cynicism? Fireworks are in store when Fritzi, who slavishly serves glamour girl Jill, is finally told to get a life, and the parents of Jenna, whose jaw has been wired shut in a compromise to avoid being sent to "fat camp", learn a valuable lesson at the summer's big end-of-season benefit.
Keywords: acting, acting-class, actor, actress, alcoholism, aspiring-actor, aspiring-actress, audition, backstage, bandActors: Ian Veneracion (actor), Vicente G. del Rosario III (producer), Noel Trinidad (actor), Niño Muhlach (actor), Erik Matti (actor), Mel Kimura (actress), Edu Manzano (actor), Peque Gallaga (actor), Mark Gil (actor), Ramon Christopher (actor), Danny Gloria (actor), Michael De Mesa (actor), Johnny Delgado (actor), Erik Matti (producer), Hermie Go (producer),
Genres: Action, Drama,Actors: Nova Villa (actress), Tony Fajardo (producer), Pong Pong (actor), Manilyn Reynes (actress), Dennis Padilla (actor), Vangie Labalan (actress), Ai-Ai de las Alas (actress), Ogie Alcasid (actor), Cris Daluz (actor), Paquito Diaz (actor), Ruben Rustia (actor), Joe Jardy (actor), Perry de Guzman (actor), Tony Cruz (writer), Lily Y. Monteverde (producer),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: John Meillon (actor), Harry Secombe (actor), Anthony Buckley (editor), Donald Houston (actor), Derek Nimmo (actor), Barry Peters (editor), Tommy Mack (actor), James Gilbert (writer), James Gilbert (director), Stuart Wagstaff (actor), Jimmy Grafton (writer), Benita Collings (actress), Jimmy Grafton (producer), Jeff Ashby (actor), Gilda Baracchi (miscellaneous crew),
Plot: Stanley Evans is a Welsh teacher who heads to Austalia after an unsuccessful romance. Yearning for the good old days when he was a choral director in Wales, Secombe organizes his Aussie students into a children's choir. Along the way, Secombe finds lasting happiness with down-to-earth local woman.
Keywords: australia, australian-outback, children, choir, independent-film, love, naivety, pupil, school, small-townActors: Alberto Grimaldi (producer), Lee Van Cleef (actor), Franco Ukmar (actor), Franco Ressel (actor), Gianni Rizzo (actor), Fortunato Arena (actor), Carlo Tamberlani (actor), Gilberto Galimberti (actor), John Bartha (actor), Mimmo Poli (actor), William Berger (actor), Romano Puppo (actor), Andrea Aureli (actor), Luciano Pigozzi (actor), Gianfranco Parolini (writer),
Plot: Several pillars of society have robbed an Army safe containing $100,000 so they can buy the land upon which the coming railroad will be built. But they haven't reckoned on the presence of the master gunslinger, Sabata.
Keywords: 19th-century, acrobat, acrobatics, ambush, anti-hero, banjo, bank, bank-robbery, bar-fight, bar-shootout