Browsing Through More Reference Books

1) What does the term “Pre-Raphaelite” Mean?
“Pre-Raphaelite” (often used to describe paintings) was actually a Brotherhood, or Society, “founded by young, enthusiastic, and inexperienced students who were dissatisfied with the Royal Academy and the state of British painting in general.” This brotherhood wanted to return the world of art back to the time before Raphael (hence the name) because they thought the art back then was more realistic and true to life.

2) What influence did Shakespeare have on the Romantic Era?
It would be better to say, “What influence did the Romantic Era have on Shakespeare?” This period rediscovered him, and many poets of the day spoke loudly of the influence Shakespeare had on them (Keats, Byron, Shelley). It was also at this time that some of Shakespeare’s personal history was circulated, and the facts that came out fit the standard of the Romantic Hero. On Continental Europe, Shakespeare’s works were being translated and adapted for other art forms (mainly opera).

Source : Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850. Christopher John Muray, ed. New York, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2004.

3) Why would anyone ban Hamlet?
Hamlet has been banned in performance since it was first performed. Over the years, and depending on the locale, lines were stricken or re-written because of the way suicide/death was mentioned; Ophelia admonished her older brother; incest was mentioned; gravediggers were disrespectful; the clergy was criticized; Denmark was insulted; Danes were insulted; Ophelia’s bawdy songs; and more.

4) Of the plays listed, were there any that were banned not for their content, but because of the author?
The Importance of Being Earnest is one such play. Even though it opened on 14 February 1895 to wonderful reviews, Wilde was soon on trial for Sodomy. Within weeks of the opening, publicity was changed to strike the author’s name from anything connected with that play, or his others that were running at the time. After its initial run of about three months, no one had the courage to revive it on the London Stage (because of the Sodomite connections) until 1909, when it had another successful run.

Source : Sova, Dawn B. Banned Plays : Censorship Histories of 125 Stage Dramas. New York, Facts on File, 2004.

5) Where did Sarah Bernhardt study theatre?
Bernhardt, with the assistance of her mother’s lover, studied first at Conservatoire de Musique et Declamation, then the Comédie-Française.

6) Was Marion Davies as untalented as her fictional film alter ego, Susan Kane, in Citizen Kane?
By most accounts, no. Davies started in Broadway chorus lines when she was 16, and soon progressed to the Ziegfeld Follies. She was widely thought to be a talented comedienne, but was not often allowed to show that talent. Her lover, William Randolph Hearst, thought that she should be taken seriously, and he thought that only period pieces and melodramas were considered serious work.

Source : Lowe, Denise. An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films 1895-1930. Binghamton, N.Y., Hawthorn Press, 2005.

7) The movie The Cat’s Meow suggests that Thomas Ince died on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht from a gunshot wound in the head. Is this true?
As far as anyone can guess, gossip, and conjecture, yes. There was a very small police investigation into the matter, and it is widely believed that Hearst’s power was enough to squash any further rumors or investigations. The movie The Cat’s Meow is likely the most accurate depiction of the rumor.

8) Where was Marilyn Monroe first discovered?
Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson, began her career as a model. Some of her photographs ended up in Yank magazine, and she was eventually signed to a contract with 20^th Century Fox.

Source : Siegel, Scott, and Barbara Siegel. The Encyclopedia of Hollywood. 2d ed. New York, Fact on File, 2004.