- published: 02 Sep 2013
- views: 565382
John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth (republic) of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost.
Milton's poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. Writing in English, Latin, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica, (written in condemnation of pre-publication censorship) is among history's most influential and impassioned defenses of free speech and freedom of the press.
William Hayley's 1796 biography called him the "greatest English author", and he remains generally regarded "as one of the preeminent writers in the English language"; though critical reception has oscillated in the centuries since his death (often on account of his republicanism). Samuel Johnson praised Paradise Lost as "a poem which...with respect to design may claim the first place, and with respect to performance, the second, among the productions of the human mind". Though Johnson (a Tory and recipient of royal patronage) described his politics as those of an "acrimonious and surly republican".
Actors: Bruce Altman (actor), Jim Gaffigan (actor), Chris Marquette (actor), John Cullum (actor), Brian Geraghty (actor), Gordon Bijelonic (producer), Datari Turner (producer), Abigail Spencer (actress), Adam James (actor), Diego Klattenhoff (actor), Jake Monaco (composer), Rachael Gillson (miscellaneous crew), Hugh Plantin (miscellaneous crew), Alexia Rasmussen (actress), Jason Michael Berman (producer),
Genres: Drama, Romance,Actors: Nathan Elliss (actor), Nathan Elliss (writer), Nathan Elliss (composer), Nathan Elliss (director), Catherine Elliss (actress), Caroline Bower (actress), Caroline Bower (actor), Ronald Bower (actor), Thomas Andrews (actor),
Genres: Animation, Short,Actors: Paul Ben-Victor (producer), Renée Taylor (actress), Lorna Scott (actress), Alanna Ubach (actress), Michael Rapaport (actor), Kelly Osbourne (actress), Carol Kane (actress), Howard Rosenman (actor), Matt Winston (actor), Natasha Henstridge (actress), Edward Asner (actor), Paul Ben-Victor (actor), Costas Mandylor (actor), Paul Ben-Victor (writer), Paul Ben-Victor (writer),
Genres: Comedy, Drama,Actors: Willy Semler (actor), Ariel Levy (actor), Iñigo Urrutia (actor), Antonia Zegers (actress), Nicolás Saavedra (actor), Diego Ruiz (actor), Erto Pantoja (actor), Roberto Farías (actor), Pablo Díaz (actor), Alex Bowen (director), Samuel González (actor), Mauricio Inzunza (actor), José Luis Bouchón (actor), Camila Hirane (actress), Pedro Campos (actor),
Genres: History,Actors: David Champion (actor), Chrissy Chambers (actress), Daq Ofori (producer), Daq Ofori (director), Daq Ofori (producer), Daq Ofori (editor), Daq Ofori (writer), Samantha Leigh (actress), Samantha Leigh (producer), Deon Adams (actor), Lawrence Rhem (actor), Deon Adams (producer), Lawrence Rhem (producer), Claudia Morris-Barclay (producer), Anthony Mongolas (producer),
Genres: Animation, Romance, Short,Actors: David Heavener (producer), David Avallone (editor), Mike Norris (actor), Bryan Michael Stoller (director), Giorgio Pasotti (actor), Robert Chapin (actor), Walter O'Neil (actor), Clay Donahue Fontenot (actor), Soly Bina (producer), Cole Anderson (actor), Kayla Murphy (actress), Cathleen Ann Gardner (actress), Parker Bostwick (writer), Walter O'Neill (actor),
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi,Actors: Joan Allen (actress), Amy Madigan (actress), Tibor Feldman (actor), Jeffrey Wolf (editor), Peter Linari (actor), Jay Natelle (actor), John MacKay (actor), Craig Barnett (actor), Howard Spiegel (actor), Josh Blake (actor), Joni Ruth White (actress), Mick Muldoon (actor), Emily Dillon Berry (producer), Leo Kottke (composer), Chris Liano (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Vladimir Medar (actor), Ilija Ivezic (actor), Arnold Marquis (actor), Terence Hill (actor), Götz George (actor), Claus Holm (actor), Dragomir 'Gidra' Bojanic (actor), Renato Baldini (actor), Pierre Brice (actor), Stole Arandjelovic (actor), Walter Barnes (actor), Boris Dvornik (actor), Heinz Engelmann (actor), Stewart Granger (actor), Voja Miric (actor),
Plot: Old Surehand and Winnetou investigate the murders of a mother and daughter. The surviving husband believes that his wife and daughter were murdered by Indians, but Old Surehand suspects that it is the work of a gang of robbers and bandits known as The Vultures, who disguise themselves as Indians while committing their crimes.
Keywords: animal-in-title, apache, based-on-novel, bird-in-title, equestrian, horse, local-blockbuster, native-american, spaghetti-westernActors: Myron Healey (actor), Fred Aldrich (actor), Joseph Forte (actor), Frank Gorshin (actor), Jack Albertson (actor), Neville Brand (actor), George DeNormand (actor), Wally Brown (actor), Chet Brandenburg (actor), Ray Danton (actor), George Cisar (actor), John Bleifer (actor), John Close (actor), John Damler (actor), Stuart Holmes (actor),
Plot: Dancer George Raft (Ray Danton) finds himself involved with the criminal underworld. After a conflict with gangster boss Frank Donatella (Joe de Santis), he is exiled to Hollywoood, where he wins a role in the film "Scarface" and becomes famous. He lives with actress Lisa Lang (Jayne Mansfield) in a huge villa, but when his mother dies, he deserts her. His career slides downhill until he is offered a part in "Some Like it Hot" and becomes famous again.
Keywords: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, assassination, bolero, bootlegging, casino, character-name-in-title, chorus-girlActors: Richard Alexander (actor), Irving Bacon (actor), Ralph Bellamy (actor), William 'Billy' Benedict (actor), Al Bridge (actor), Charles Cane (actor), Hobart Cavanaugh (actor), Eddy Chandler (actor), Frank Coghlan Jr. (actor), Charles Coleman (actor), Lester Dorr (actor), Eddie Dunn (actor), Eddie Fetherston (actor), Jack Gardner (actor), Hardie Albright (actor),
Plot: Jane Palmer is suspected of insanity after squandering her inheritance, and a young psychiatrist, Dr. Enright, is assigned to her case. Posing as her chauffeur, he drives her out west to her rich grandmother, from whom Jane hopes to recoup her fortune. The grandmother refuses her money, but allows her to work the family's played-out gold mine. As part of his treatment, Enright "salts" the mine with gold and, unintentionally, brings on a gold-rush and a group of government assayers. They find the mine rich in mercury ore and new riches for Hope, who is now more interested in her "chauffeur."
Keywords: 1940s, assayer, auctioneer, chauffeur, chewing-tobacco, cigarette-smoking, clinic, cowboy, deception, department-storeNow, I'll tell ya a tale that'll bust yer heart
That only a few people knew, ta start
It all took place when our concert tour was booked at the SeaTac Hilton?
I'll guarantee ev'ry word's the Gospel truth
Got witnesses ta prove it, too,
'Cause we all toured with a fella by the name a' Milton
Now Milton was o-fficial tour director,
Electrical piano-playin' plug connector
An' the slave-drivin'-est travel conductor
That we ever seen in our lives
He'd say "Whaddya mean, ya need more rest?
"The world don't care whether ya look yer best!
"Simply show up promptly at six A.M. with your instruments ...and your wives!"
[Choir; in sorta of "Bringing In The Sheaves" way]
Shall we gather at the airport?
He'd always arrive in the nick a' time
A good five minutes ahead a' flight time
A-lookin' like he'd been drug through a needle's eye
He'd stand there, stoned and about ta choke
On his Egg McMuffin an' his giant Coke
An' then he'd throw all the tickets on the counter and say
"Check the bags and let's fly!"
"Well, whaddya mean, this is too much weight?
"We only got forty-six pieces a' freight!
"And if it don't go, who's gonna explain it to our fan club in Tacoma?"
We'd all get embarassed an' head for the plane
While Milton stood there, bein' profane
But somehow he always managed ta get on board ...in sort of a coma
[Choir]
When the drinks were served up yonder...
Well, we deplaned at th' other end
All the trouble seemed to commence again
Though Milton had ordered three station wagons, a pickup truck and a limo
And though he'd phoned ahead to that Number Two
Cussin' an' fussin' an' turnin' blue
We'd always end up with two Datsoons and a Pinto
Now Milton took all a' that stuff in stride
Laid on the floor, an' kicked an' cried
But we always looked up to him for hope and salvation
But we'd sink to the bottom a' trav'lers hell
When he'd check us in a remote motel
And he'd grab the clerk by his shirt an' tie an' say
"Whaddya mean, ¿no reservaci¨®nes?"
[Choir]
Milton's getting bolder...
He'd shut himself in room one-oh-four
Let nobody in 'til he swept the floor
Adjusted the lampshade, aligned the TV, fixed the faucet, called the promoter
"Well, whaddya mean we're the warmup show?
"You're puttin' me on! We're stars, ya know!
"And this ain't the way we was treated last summer at Six Flags Over Dakota!
"Now we gotta have a hunnert percent top billing,
"Two-thirds in advance, a' course, you silly!
"I'm sure we prefer a chauffered limosine and two air-conditioned dressing rooms, please.
"I'm what? Well, so's your wife! She's not? Well, to each his own.
"Beg pardon, stick it in my what? Well, really, Merle who?"
[Choir]
William Morris, keep us working...
Now, Milton was a real good friend a' mine
An' we'd stuck together on down that line
But there was one or two points over which we just had to dee-bate
Like takin'-your-clothes-off-an'-hangin'-from-a-cross-in-front-a'-the-Tri-County-Fairgrounds
Is not necessarily an assurance that the crowd ain't gonna start throwin' tomatas
An' when ya arrive at four for a five o'clock show
An' the stage ain't built an' there's no electricity
About all ya could do is sit on yer butt an' cut bait
However, you give ol' Milton four strong bodies, a nine-foot grand, a beer and a cigarette
An' you just knew that show was gonna be ...outta state
[Choir]
Bringing in the bread
Bringing in the bread...
Now one night up there in Washington
We didn't get paid for a show we'd done
An' poor ol' Milton couldn't live with that; his brain just shorted out.
Well, he locked himself in the bathroom
An' then when he didn't come out for an hour an' a half
We figgered that somethin' was wrong, but we had to remove all doubt
We stood transfixed in shock and horror
When we busted down that there bathroom door
And I hope I never see a sight like that again; no, I don't
There was nothin' to do but close our eyes, an' bow our heads, an' vocalize
With a silent five-part acapella hymn, for him
[Choir]
What a friend we had in Milton...
Now we're gettin' ready, come next December
To put another concert tour together
And I'm sad to say ol' Milton ain't a-gonna be with us
No, it ain't gonna be exactly the same
When they introduce us without his name
So Milton, wherever you are, we hope you miss us!
See, Milton has moved on down the road
Over the rainbow, lookin' for gold
Yeah, he's up there where the stage lights is always on
But we can't forget that curly hair
When last we saw him a-settin' there