How Barry Keenan Kidnapped Frank Sinatra, Jr.

Almost fifty years ago, on December 8, 1963, 19-year-old Frank Sinatra, Jr. was kidnapped at Harrah's casino resort at Lake Tahoe, along the border of California and Nevada.  His ordeal lasted until December 11th, when his famous father arranged to pay a ransom that was reported to be $240,000 U.S. It was the most sensational kidnapping case in the United States since the abduction and murder of aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby son in 1932.

Franklin Wayne Sinatra, known as Frank Sinatra, Jr. or Frankie, was born on January 10, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey.  He is the only son of the legendary singer Frank Sinatra (Francis Albert) and his first wife, Nancy Barbato Sinatra.  Named after Franklin D. Roosevelt who was President of the United States at the time of his birth, Frank, Jr. has an older sister, singer/actress Nancy Sinatra (born June 8, 1940), and a younger sister, television producer Tina Sinatra (born June 20, 1948)

By 1948, Frank Sr. had ended his association with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and was determined to become a respected film actor.  In  order  for him to actively pursue a Hollywood career, the Sinatra family moved from  their New Jersey abode to Los Angeles.  After the move to L.A., Frank began a tempestuous affair with movie actress Ava Gardner.  The family was torn apart when he left Nancy for the sultry starlet.  After much scandal, Sinatra and the 29-year-old Ava wed on November 7, 1951, just ten days after his divorce had become final.  Frank Jr, was only seven years old at the time of his father's remarriage.

The three Sinatra children remained with their mother in their Bel Air mansion and only saw their father sporadically.  As Frank Jr. confided to the Washington Post in 2006, "He was unreachable.  He was travelling,or off making some movie . . it was only on rare occasions when we saw each other."  In 2012, he  told Nick Duerden of the British newspaper The Guardian that Frank Sr. was a good father as much as it was within his power."

In 1963, Frank Sinatra, Jr. was a music major at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).  Although a talented pianist with a fine singing voice, he found himself living in the shadow of his legendary dad.  It was difficult to escape the comparisons.  He bore the Sinatra name and his resemblance to his father was unmistakable.  In addition, he had chosen to be a crooner, not a rock and roll singer.

When offered a job as a vocalist with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the young Sinatra jumped at the chance.  He saw it as a golden opportunity to emerge  from his father's shadow and achieve something on his own.  Thus,  he dropped out of UCLA to embark on a 36-week nostalgia tour with the revamped Dorsey's band (Tommy Dorsey himself had died in 1956).  The band was scheduled to perform at various hotels and resorts around the world.

Frank Sinatra, Jr.

The kidnapping of young Sinatra was planned perpetrated by three rather inept and inexperienced criminals - Barry Keenan and Joseph Clyde Amsler, a pair of 23-year-old former high school classmates, and John Irwin, a 42-year-old house painter.  Keenan and Joe Amsler, an aspiring boxer, had grown up in Los Angeles together and had attended University High School (The school's alumni includes an impressive who's who of celebrities - Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Jeff Bridges and Elizabeth Taylor for example).  Keenan, a UCLA dropout, was clearly the mastermind of the operation.  He recruited Irwin, his mother's former boyfriend, as a third partner.

Barry Keenan is the son of alcoholic parents who divorced when he was a toddler.  His father, John Keenan, was a stockbroker and Barry was also keenly interested in the world of finance.  In fact, he was a financial whiz kid.  In 1959, at the age of 21, Barry became the youngest member of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange and was able to accumulate a significant fortune.  A streak of bad luck, however, exhausted his financial resources.  After a short-lived marriage, he went through a bitter and costly divorce.  An injury from a 1961 car accident left him with chronic back pain and an addiction to Percodan, a prescription painkiller.

Keenan's finances took another hit when the New York stock market crashed on May 28, 1962.  It was dubbed "the Flash Crash" and the Dow Jones Industrial Index fell 7.5 per cent that day. Unemployed and desperate for cash, Barry devised a scheme to obtain some ransom money form a big name celebrity.  The celebrity he chose was Frank Sinatra, one of the most famous entertainers in the world and a friend of then-President John F. Kennedy.

Young Barry Keenan

Barry Keenan now

The kidnappers had originally intended to capture Sinatra Jr, while he was performing at Arizona State Fair.  The fist plan was never carried out because the group felt too unprepared to go through with it.  They then decided to abduct Frank Jr. while the Dorsey Orchestra were booked at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on November 22, 1963.  Their second plan fell awry, however, due to the shocking assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on that fateful day.  The Dorsey band's show at the Ambassador was cancelled and there was heightened security across America. Ironically, JFK's brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated at that same Ambassador Hotel during his 1968 campaign for the presidency.

After their scheme to kidnap Sinatra Jr. in Los Angeles had been thwarted, the amateur abductors set their sights on a new time and place.  Harrahs casino resort in Lake Tahoe.became their next target.  It was their last opportunity to kidnap the singer before he and the  band headed for Europe.  The plan was put into motion on the evening of December 8, 1963 as Frank Jr. supped on a room service meal in his hotel room.  The singer's dinner companion was John Foss, 26, a trumpet player in the Dorsey band.. The two musicians were relaxing prior to their scheduled 10 p.m. performance.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door of Room 417.  It was Barry Keenan, claiming to have package.  He was invited into the hotel room and Sinatra Jr. instructed him to place the box on a nearby table. Amsler, who had been hiding outside the hotel room, quickly entered.  Dressed in parkas (there was a blizzard outside), the two men abducted Sinatra Jr. at gunpoint and blindfolded him.  The singer was then forced into a rented white Chevrolet Impala and driven to Canoga Park, an area of Southern California's San Fernando Valley.  As for John Foss, the trumpeter was bound and gagged and left in the hotel room.  He escaped from his bindings and called the police.

At the time of his son's kidnapping, Frank Sr. was filming Robin and the 7 Hoods with his "Rat Pack" buddies, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.  He was, however, at home in Palm Springs when informed of his son's abduction.  Stunned by the news, Sinatra immediately called a press conference and offered one million dollars for the safe return of his son.  The abductors actually demanded $240,000 and they insisted that Frank Sr. communicate with them via payphone.  During the abduction, Sinatra stationed himself at the Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada.  He also contacted Attorney General Robert Kennedy and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.

On the morning of December 11th,  Keena and Amseler set out to retrieve the ransom money which was dropped off by an FBI agent.  During their absence, John Irwin was left in charge of Frank Jr.  Irwin panicked and released his  hostage unharmed on the Mulholland Drive overpass of Interstate 405 in Los Angeles.  Sinatra Jr. kept walking until he was able to flag down a police officer.  He  was driven to his mother's Bel Air home where he was greeted by his relieved family and a large contingent of reporters.

The FBI quickly apprehended the three kidnappers.and they were brought to trial just three weeks after the abduction.  Keenan, Amsler and Irwin were represented by renowned Los Angeles defence attorney,  Gladys Towles Root.  Although the flamboyant Root dressed in outrageously large hats, tight garments and furs, she was one of the most skilled female criminal defence attorneys of the 20th century.  She specialized in sexual assault and murder cases and was known for her razor-sharp cross-examinations.  At the trial, the defence portrayed Sinatra Jr. as a co-conspirator in his own abduction and tried to create the impression that he had willingly participated in a hoax to further his career.  Root asked rhetorically, "Was this the publicity he had been looking for to make ladies swoon over him like poppa?"

Gladys Root

The three defendants were convicted and received lengthy prison sentences for the kidnapping - although they were only incarcerated for a small portion of the time.  Barry Keenan and Joe Amsler were sentenced to life plus 75 years imprisonment while John Irwin received 16 years.  Amsler and Irvin were released in 1967 after serving three years.  Keenan was released in 1968 after just under five years at the maximum security prison at Lompoc, California.  Barry Keenan was deemed to be legally insane because he suffered from a mental illness and heard voices.  He apparently believed that his kidnapping plan had received God's blessing and that it was not immoral because he intended to eventually return the ransom money.  In 1998, Barry told People magazine that he had thought he would "borrow" Frank Jr., invest the ransom money and pay back Frank Sr. with interest.  He claimed that in his "demented state," he viewed the abduction as a "business deal."

The kidnapping story made headlines worldwide and the Sinatras had to deal with rumours that Frank Sr. had staged his own son's abduction as a publicity stunt in order to jump start Junior's fledgling career.  The rumours proved false but the innuendo was hard to take and hurt deeply.  "The criminals invented a story that the whole thing was phony, Sinatra Jr. told the Guardian last year.  "That was the stigma put on me," he added.  So, although Frankie was not harmed physically, he was hurt psychologically.  He was subjected to constant ridicule on late-night talk shows and was made to feel as if he were the one being accused of a crime.

Frank Jr. performing

Despite the terrifying kidnapping ordeal, Frank Jr. and his father remained distant.  They did not really bond until 1988, when 44-year-old Frank Jr. was performing in Atlantic City.  Frank Sr. phoned him and unexpectedly asked him to conduct his band for him.  The surprised younger Sinatra, accepted the job.  He joined the elder Sinatra's staff as musical director and concert conductor and spent the last seven years of his father's career touring with him.

After suffering a heat attack in February 1997, Frank Sinatra, Sr. discontinued his public appearances. He died of a second heart attack at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, California on May 14, 1998.  Ol' Blue Eyes was 82 years old at the time of his passing. About two months after his death, his son's kidnappers finally admitted that Frank Jr. had nothing to do with the kidnapping and that they were sorry for their actions.  They reportedly attempted to sell the movie rights to the kidnapping saga to Columbia Pictures for more than a million dollars  Meanwhile, Frank Jr.'s attorneys filed suit against Barry Keenan, Joseph Amsler, John Irwin and Columbia Pictures in a Los Angeles Superior Court to prevent the kidnappers from receiving any financial game from the sale of the movie rights.

Frank Sinatra, Jr. remained a bachelor until the age of 54.  On October 18, 1998, just months after his father's death, he married Cynthia McMurry.  The union was short-lived and the couple divorced in January of 2000.without having any children. Frank Jr. does have a son, Michael Francis Sinatra (born March 1, 1987), from an previous relationship. Michael is a 26-year old college professor who resides in Japan.  His mother is  Patricia Ward Fisher, a former employee of the Sinatra family.  Although Sinatra, Jr. is rumoured to have fathered three other children, Michael is the only one he has publicly acknowledged as his child.

Frank Jr. is now 69 years old.  He continues to perform with his band in a show called "Sinatra Sings Sinatra."

Frank Jr. in 2008

END NOTES

* Are you wondering whatever happened to Barry Kernan, the young man who dreamed up the idea of abducting Frank Sinatra, Jr.?  Keenan, born in 1940, is still living.  He is 72 or 73 years old.  After his release, he became a wealthy real estate developer.  His book about the abduction of Frank Sinatra, Jr. is due to be published this year.  All proceeds are to be donated to charity.

* What happened to the $240,00 in ransom money?  J. Edgar Hoover stated that $168,927 of the ransom money was recovered at Joe Amsler's apartment.

* Joe Amsler, Keenan's accomplice in the Sinatra kidnapping scheme, died on May 6, 2006 in Roanoke, Virginia due to complications from liver disease,  Amsler was 65 years old at the time of his death.

Joe Amsler

* The story of the kidnapping was made into a 2003 television movie on Showtime.  It is titled Stealing Sinatra and stars David Arquette and Willam  H. Macy.  The film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

* One of Barry Keenan's closest friends was Dean Torrence of the pop duo Jan and Dean. Needing cash to fund his kidnapping scheme, Keenan approached Torrence, then riding high with the hit single "Surf City,"  He revealed his plan to his friend and requested money.  Torrence gave Barry $500 and dismissed his story as a fantasy.  When Keenan was released from prison in 1968, Torrence held a fundraiser for him.  The two later became partners in a chain of burger restaurants.

* In 1980, Keenan married Sasha White whom he had met in the late 1970s while developing White Bluff Ranch, a resort community in Lake Whitney, Texas.  Sasha and her parents, developers Bob and Marce White, were instrumental in helping Barry fight his addiction to alcohol and painkillers.  The marriage, however, ended in divorce after only three years.  In 1998, Sasha told People magazine that she did not know that Keenan abducted Frank Sinatra, Jr.  "I just thought he was this handsome, charismatic go-getter," she stated.

- Joanne


Editor's Update (March 17, 2016):  Frank Sinatra, Jr. passed away yesterday, March 16, 2016.  In a statement to the Associated Press, his family announced that the singer had died suddenly of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.  He was 72 years old.

Who is the real Laureen Harper, wife of Canada's Prime Minister?

 

Stephen Harper has been Prime Minister of Canada since February 6, 2006.  Since that time, his wife Laureen has remained steadfastly out of the spotlight.  In many ways, she is similar to her two predecessors, the reluctant Sheila Martin and the very private Aline Chretien.  Canadians have never really gotten to know the spouse of their current prime minister.  U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has a much higher profile and greater recognition in this country than Laureen Harper. The U.S. First Lady only has to change her hairstyle to create a buzz here and in the United States.

It is not really fair, however, to match the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister with America's First Lady.  Last month, when Mrs. Harper granted a rare sit-down interview at 24 Sussex Dr. to Kathryn Blaze Carlson of the Globe and Mail, she he made it very clear that she does not wish to be compared with Michelle Obama.  "She's the First Lady of the United States, and it's a defined role," she told Carlson.  "I'm the wife of the Prime Minister - there's no First Lady in Canada . . . {The Prime Minister's wife) can have a big role, a small role, whatever."

So far, Laureen has done exactly that.  She has defined her own role and has chosen to play it safe.  It is a carefully crafted role and it has been shrewdly executed.  This prime minister's wife has not stirred things up or rocked the boat.  Nor has she uttered anything that has been deemed extremely candid or remotely controversial - unless you count the 2008 incident in which she informed the National Arts Centre in Ottawa that she would be unable to fulfill her role as honorary gala chair.  This occurred the day after Stephen Harper remarked that events such as fundraising galas don't resonate with "ordinary people."

More worldly and well-travelled than her husband, Laureen Harper has displayed a fondness for motorcycle riding and a penchant for rescuing stray cats.  Prior to becoming the wife of Canada's 22nd Prime Minister, she worked hard to establish herself as both a talented graphic artist and a successful businesswoman.  She is also an active volunteer with such charitable causes as the CIBC Run for the Cure and the Ottawa Humane Society.  In September of 2006, she participated in a fundraiser for the CanWest Raise-a-Reader Day literacy program just after the Harper government had cut $17.7 million from the human resources department's Adult Learning and Literacy Skills Program.

Laureen will talk about her hobbies such as photography or gardening.  She'll discuss her favourite charities. Any deeper insights into her beliefs and her personality have not been revealed.  Canadian have no idea what makes her tick. Whatever free spirit she possesses, she keeps well under control - at least publicly.  The slightest sign of any Margaret Trudeau-like behaviour would be quickly suppressed by her husband and the Conservative Party.  It would never be countenanced.  Her role is to enhance and soften the rather stiff image of her husband. This she has performed with great aplomb.        

Laureen Harper was born Laureen Ann Teskey on June 23, 1963 in Turner Valley, Alberta, a tiny rural town located south-west of Calgary.  The eldest of three siblings, she grew up on a ranch in the Rocky Mountain foothills surrounded by cattle, horses and numerous dogs and cats.  Her mother, Barbara was a housewife and her father, Dennis, was an electrician.  Being raised in such an environment, the youngster developed a deep affinity for animals.  Her parents sheltered many critters, preventing them from being destroyed.

With plans to become a journalist, Laureen attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary.  She ended up switching to photography and discovered that she had an aptitude for computer-generated graphics.  After graduation, she embarked on a journey to Africa with a youth group and travelled through 13 countries.  During the six-month excursion, she became romantically involved with a young New Zealander named Neil Fenton.  Upon returning to Canada, the couple married in April of 1985.  Laureen found employment as a graphic artist with GTO printing and Fenton aspired to be a restaurateur. The marriage collapsed, however, and the two separated in 1988.

Neil Fenton is now the chairman of 10Duke, a computer software development company based in the United Kingdom and Finland.  He is the founder of the cutting-edge company which creates new applications for online technology,

After the breakup of her first marriage. Laureen became heavily involved in a new Western-based political party called the Reform Party of Canada, a right-wing movement founded by Preston Manning, son of long-time Alberta Premier, Ernest Manning.  It was at a Reform Party assembly in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1990 that Laureen first became acquainted with Stephen Joseph Harper.

In 1991, as her relationship with Stephen Harper became more serious, Laureen completed the legal documents to finalize her divorce from Neil Fenton.   That same year, her parents also divorced after 29 years of wedlock.  According to a profile of Laureen Harper in Maclean's magazine (August 13, 2007) by Anne Kingston, religious differences contributed to the breakup of the marriage of Barbara and Dennis Teskey, causing their eldest child to take a dim view of organized religion.  She and Stephen Harper, an evangelical Christian, do not share the same religious beliefs.

In the federal election of October 25, 1993, Stephen Harper was elected to Parliament.  He represented the Reform Party as a member of the House of Commons for the riding for Calgary West.  Not long after, on December 11, 1993, he wed Laureen Teskey in a simple civil ceremony. They were married by a justice of the peace before a small group of family and friends in Calgary. Harper found an apartment in Ottawa while his new bride remained in Alberta to manage her graphic design and desktop publishing business.

In April of 1996, Laureen gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Benjamin.  A second child, their daughter Rachel, followed in 1999.  The Harpers insist that they are an ordinary family and that they are typical parents.  Ben Harper, who celebrates his 17th birthday this month, is reported to be a strapping 6 ft. 3 in. tall and plays competitive volleyball.  Last January, the teenager's Twitter messages were locked when a reporter informed the Prime Minister's Office about it.  The reporter, Laura Stone of iPolitics.ca, stated that she told the PMO for "security reasons."   She said she "wanted to show what the account was like - it's a teenager's voice."

Laureen did not move to Ottawa until 2002, when her husband became Leader of the Official Opposition and the Harper family moved into Stornoway, the official residence in the Rockcliffe Park area of our nation's capital.  In 2006, she became the chatelaine of the Prime Ministers's residence at 24 Sussex Dr.  Until that time, she had been referred to as  "Laureen Teskey." In January of 2006, however, a Canadian Press dispatch proclaimed that henceforth she would be known as "Laureen Harper." in her capacity as the wife of the Prime Minister.

Harper family 2012 Christmas card

The Harpers share an interest in conservative politics and a fondness for cats. Stephen Harper, however, suffers from asthma and can not share his wife's love of the outdoors.  Laureen will turn 50 years old in June and she and the Prime Minister will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in December.  Reflecting on her impending milestone birthday, she told the Globe and Mail that she doesn't feel old.  She then added, "What's 50 supposed to feel like, anyway?"


EDITOR'S UPDATE (April 25, 2013) - On April 23, The Canadian Press reported that Laureen Harper had no advice on raising children in the public eye for new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie.  In fact, she said she could probably take lessons from Sophie.  "I wouldn't give her any advice." Laureen was quoted as saying.  "She would walk down the street and people know her.  I walk down the street and nobody would know me."


EDITOR'S UPDATE (January 26, 2016) - Since I posted this article in 2013, I have noticed that many people have performed Google searches to determine whether Stephen Harper and his wife, Laureen, are separated or divorced.  Perhaps they have been trying to find out if there is any basis to rumours they have heard about the couple.  At any rate, I have seen many key word searches on the subject of the Harper union.  

Although I cannot comment on the health of the Harper's 22-year marriage, I can say that Stephen and Laureen are not officially separated or divorced as of this writing.  It says a great deal about Canada that people would even have to do a Google check to find out if their prime minister (now former prime minister) is separated or divorced.  That certainly wouldn't be the case if an American president divorced or separated while in office.

Since the defeat of Stephen Harper's government in the October 19, 2015 election, Harper and his family have returned to Calgary, Alberta.  For the time being, the ex-PM remains a Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Heritage and commutes to Ottawa.



-  Joanne

Pancake time! Elmira Maple Syrup Festival and Photos

Yesterday I visited Elmira, Ontario for the town's annual maple syrup festival.  It is the largest one-day maple syrup festival in the world.  Elmira has hosted the event since 1965 and it seems to be attracting larger crowds every year.

I arrived with family members at about 11.30 p.m. and we enjoyed some tasty pancakes just after the noon hour.  They were so good  . . . but very filling.   For those who don't like pancakes, there is plenty of other food.available at the festival.  The main street, Arthur St., is filled with booth after booth  of delicious chow and other goodies.

There is an antique show at the arena where one can purchase some interesting collectibles and retro items.  There are also bus rides to the sugar shack. I did not go the the sugar shack but I hope to do so next year.
By the way, next year will be the 50th anniversary of the festival.

Elmira is located southwestern Ontario.  It is situated in the Township of Woolwich, in the the Municipal Region of  Waterloo.  It is 15 km. north (9.3 miles) north of the city of Waterloo, Ontario.  According  Statistics Canada census data, the population of Elmira was 9,931 in the year 2011, making it the largest community within Woolwich township.  Elmira is Mennonite country.  It was settled mainly by Mennonites who still make up a significant portion of the town's population today.


Here are some photos I took at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

- Joanne

Thoughts of Renewal and Rebirth on Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday. Have you ever wondered how it is determined which Sunday this joyous celebration occurs?  Here's the answer.  Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 21st.  This year, Easter takes places at the same time as the Jewish Passover which began on Monday March 25th  and ends on Tuesday, April 2nd.  This is quite fitting because Judaism and Christianity are forever linked. It should always be remembered that the Last Supper was a celebration of the Passover.

During Easter and Passover, the two greatest feasts of two of the world's great faiths, renewal and freedom are celebrated by Christians and Jews around the globe..  That is why Number 16 presents to you some thoughts and reflections on the themes of renewal, rebirth, freedom and triumph.


And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American author
From The Great Gatsby


There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of desires.

- Nelson Mandela (1918- ), South African leader and statesman

Mandela is saying that we have to go through the wilderness before reaching the promised land.  There can be no Easter Sunday without a Good Friday.


Every single cell in the human body replaces itself over a period of seven years,  That means there's not even the smallest part of  you know that was part of you seven years ago.

- Steven Hall (1975- ), British author
From The Rare Shark Texts


The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.

Dave Weinbalm, American business owner and talk show host


I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth: the first heaven and first earth had disappeared now, and there was not longer any sea.  I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem . . .

- Revelation 21


Then from those profound slumbers we awake in a dawn, not knowing who we are, being nobody, newly born, ready for anything, the brain emptied of that past which was life until then.  And perhaps it is more wonderful still when our landing at the waking point is abrupt and the thoughts of our sleep, hidden by a cloak of oblivion, have no time to return to us gradually, before sleep ceases. Then, from the black storm through which we seem to have passed (but we do not even say "we"), we emerge prostrate, without a thought a "we" that is void of content.

- Marcel Proust (1871-1922), French novelist, critic and essayist
From Sodom and Gommorrah


All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renenwed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king.

- J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), English writer, poet
From The Lord of the Rings


If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company.

- Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), English clergyman, author


I love people.  I love my family, my children . . . but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up.

Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), American writer, activist
As quoted in The New York Post (April 26, 1959)


- Joanne

Toronto and Chicago: A Tale of Two Cities

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

This is a tale of two magnificent cities, Toronto, Ontario and Chicago, Illinois, which recently engaged in some friendly and not-so-friendly rivalry over their respective populations.  This all came about because Toronto proclaimed itself as the fourth largest city in North America (after Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles), relegating Chicago to fifth place.

Full disclosure: I was born and raised in Toronto and I have never lived anywhere else.  So yes, I'm biased and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.  I will, nevertheless, attempt to be as fair and factual as possible.  I refuse to disparage the Windy City because although Chicago can never have the same place in my heart as my beloved T.O., it really is my kind of town.

Earlier this month, Statistics Canada released census data showing that as of July 1, 2012, Toronto's population was 2,791,140 compared to Chicago's 2,707,120, a difference of about 84,000. This prompted Toronto economic development staffers to declare that the largest city in Canada is now the fourth largest metropolis in North America.  It may not seem like a big deal, but it seams to be a point of civic pride between the two sprawling urban centres.

Chicago's mayor, Ralm Emmanuel did not comment on the Statistics Canada findings.  Neither did the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.  A Chicago Sun-Times columnist, however, come out swinging.  Columnist Neil Steinberg. remarked, perhaps somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that the mere comparison of Toronto to Chicago is "an insult to our city," meaning his city, not T.O.  He sarcastically congratulated Toronto on its extra 84,000 who will be able to sit in the slush.  He then proceeded to further denigrate the Canadian city by listings its prominent features as Tim Hortons outlets, the monument to multiculturalism and the “nondescript skyline whose only noteworthy element is a TV antenna.”  Nasty! Nasty! Nasty!

Certainly the greatness of a city can not only be measured by its population.  Culture, art, architecture, the environment, transportation, poverty, crime and other factors must be taken into consideration when assessing the quality of urban.life  It's true that there aren't many well known films set in Toronto, although even if there were, most American would be unaware of them because they don't watch Canadian movies or television.  Nevertheless, there is an outstanding array of Canuck talent as evidenced by the large number of Candian entertainers working south of the border.  It's no secret that they move there for economic reasons and greater exposure.  The U.S. is a huge market and there are obviously more opportunities there.  Unfortunately, only Canadian patriots such as the late Stompin' Tom Connors, are willing to stay in Canada and are prepared to pay an economic price for their patriotism.

Speaking of Stompin' Tom, who passed away very recently, he sang scores of songs about people and places in Canada.but, aside from "The Hockey Song,," his music is largely unknown in the United States.  The fact is that the vast majority of Americans are not interested in Canadian themes. That is why Canadian authors usie American settings in their books.  If they want to attract the gigantic American market, they often have no choice but to play down any Canadian elements in their stories.

Take for example the film that won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, Ben Affleck's Argo.  It's really a Hollywood version of the Canadian Ambassador to Iran's rescue of six American diplomats in late 1979.  Back then, it was dubbed "The Canadian Caper" and Ambassador Ken Taylor was the real hero.  Although Affleck and Co. have attempted to credit Taylor and the Canadians, the CIA still comes across as the hero of the rescue.  It doesn't matter if history is distorted.  American audiences want to see American heroism, not Canadian.  That's the way Americans are and they will never change. In terms of representation in popular culture and music, therefore, it is almost pointless to compare an American city with a Canadian one.

Toronto and Chicago are sister cities.  In September of 2012, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, accompanied by a large contingent of Toronto business leaders, travelled to the Windy City. During his thee-day visit, Ford resigned the 1991 Sister City Agreement between the two cities along with his Chicago counterpart, Rahm Emmanuel.  The agreement now includes a promise to form "a more business-oriented partnership.  According to Mayor Emmanuel, he and and Ford discussed opportunities to learn from each other regarding such matters as city management and municipal infrastructure.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Chicago twice in my life, my most recent visit having been last summer.  I truly hope to return in the future, especially if the Toronto Blue Jays play the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.  Now wouldn't that be something!  For the record, on October 14, 2003, the Chicago Cubs were leading the Florida Marlins by a score of 3-0 in the eighth inning, only five outs away from winning their first World Series since 1945.  Disaster struck when a fan at Wrigley Field tried to catch a ball about to be caught by Cubs' outfielder, Moises Alou.  The Cubbies argued fan interference but the umpire ruled against them.  They never recovered from the incident and lost the Series to the Marlins in the seventh and final game.  The Lovable Losers have not won a World Series championship since their back-to-back victories in 1907 and 1908. The Blue Jays have only been in existence since 1977 and they won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.  They have not made post-season play since then, but are expected to be much improved this season.  U.S. President's Barack Obama's favourite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox of the National League, won the World Series in 2005.  It was the franchise's first World Series championship since 1917.

Both cities have great museums, great restaurants and a lively cultural life.  There is some excellent theatre in Toronto.  It attracts the third-largest theatre-going audience in the English-speaking world, after New York City and London.  Toronto is also home to the Royal Ontario Museum and the redesigned Art Gallery of Ontario.  The redesign is the work of Frank Geary, the Toronto-born world-renowned architect who created the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.  Chicago has the Field Museum of Natural History and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Toronto doesn't have a planetarium while Chicago boasts the impressive Adler Planetarium.  A new aquarium is scheduled to open by the Roger's Centre in Toronto this year and it will be called Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.  Chicago is already home to the beautiful Shedd Aquarium.

Although Toronto is on the shores of Lake Ontario, one barely notices with all the ugly condos blocking the lake.  What a mistake!  What a sell out to developers!  It's irreversible too.  All that concrete is not coming down any time soon.  The Chicago waterfront, on the shores of Lake Michigan, is marvellous to behold.  This is where Toronto really falls short of Toronto.

Both cities are very cosmopolitan but multiculturalism is one of Toronto's greatest assets.  It is among the most diverse cities in the world and half its population was born outside Canada.  "Diversity is Our Strength" is the city's motto. Over 140 different languages and dialects are spoken here and 30% of Toronto residents speak a language other than English or French at home.

The biggest difference between Toronto and Chicago can be seen in the homicide statistics.  The City of Toronto recorded  54 homicides in 2012 while Chicago recorded an appalling 506 murders last year.  Mayor Emmanuel has expressed deep concern about the proliferation of automatic weapons and wants to strengthen gun control laws.  Poverty and unemployment are definitely root causes that must be dealt with.  Chicago's South Side  is where Barack Obama worked as a community organizer and it is the birthplace of First Lady Michelle Obama.  They are keenly aware of the difficulties there. Toronto has had its own problems with guns and gangs but the city has never had anywhere near the number of murders that Chicago has had.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Carl Sandburg, who worked as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News,  immortalized the city of Chicago in his poetry, describing it as "City of the Big Shoulders." and "Hog Butcher for the World, " a reference to the fact that Chicago used to be the centre of  America's meat-packing industry.  Companies such as Swift and Oscar Meyer opened plants in the city.  In 1865, after acquiring acres of swampland in southwest Chicago, a consortium of railroad companies opened a centralized processing area known as the Union Stock Yards.  The Yards, which closed on July 30, 1971, was the meat processing district in Chicago for over a century.

Ironically, one of Toronto's nicknames is Hogtown.  According to Toronto historian Mike Filey, the reason for the nickname could be that the William Davies Company once operated the second largest pork processing plant in North America in Toronto back in the 1860s.  It was located on Front St. East near the mouth of the Don River.  In 1927, the William Davies Co. was absorbed by Canada Packers, which is now known as Maple Leaf Foods.

Pen of hogs, William. Davies Co., Toronto. circa 1920

Union Stock Yards, Chicago, 1947

Chicago Nicknames: The Windy City, Second City
Toronto Nicknames: T.O., Hogtown, The Big Smoke

Some Chicago Historical Events

* Great Chicago Fire destroys the city - October 8-10, 1871
* The Jack Dempsey-Tunney "long count" heavyweight boxing championship fight takes place at Chicago's Soldier Field - September 22, 1927
* Shootout in a garage in North Chicago between Al Capone's gang and a rival gang led by Bugs Moran, known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre - February 14, 1929
* Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger shot dead by federal agents after attending a movie at Chicago's Biograph Theatre- July 22, 1934
* Richard Speck murders eight student nurses in a townhouse in Chicago's Southeast side - July 13, 1966
* Riots at the Democratic Convention and the trial of the Chicago Seven - August, 1968
* The Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) opens on the western edge of downtown Chicago.  At the time of its completion, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing New York City's ill-fated World Trade Centre towers - May 3, 1973   (Note: The Willis Tower is still the highest building in the United States).

Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago

Some Toronto Historical Events

* Mary Pickford, silent film star (known as America's Sweetheart), is born at 211 University Avenue, current site of the Hospital for Sick Children - April 9, 1892
* 19-year-old Babe Ruth hits his first professional home run at Hanlan's Point Stadium in the Toronto Islands while playing for the visiting Triple A Providence Grays - September 15, 1914
* Insulin discovered by Frederick Banting and a team of researchers at the University of Toronto - winter of 1921-1922
* Pablum becomes available in Canada after being developed by a team of doctors at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children - 1931
* Marilyn Bell becomes the first person to swim across Lake Ontario - September 8-9, 1954
* Hurricane Hazel wreaks havoc on Toronto, especially  with  heavy flooding in the  October 16, 1954
* The CN Tower, a concrete communications and observation tower, opens in downtown Toronto and becomes the city's most prominent landmark - October 1, 1976 (Note: At the time of its opening, the CN Tower was the largest tower and the largest free-standing structure in the world. (It remains the largest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere).

CN Towr  (Attribution: Vladyslaw)

Note to Readers:  I would especially like to here from Chicagoans - by the way, can we trade your mayor for our mayor?  Rob for Rahm?  (Just kidding, I think).

- Joanne

The Quiet Man on St. Patrick's Day

I have often said that The Quiet Man is my personal favourite of all the pictures I have made.  It is the one I am most proud of, and I tend to be very protective of it. I loved Mary Kate Danaher. I loved the hell and fire in her. As I readied to begin playing her, I believed that my most important scene in the picture was when Mary Kate is in the field herding the sheep and Sean Thornton sees her for the very first time. It's a moment captured in time, and it's love at first sight. I felt very strongly that if the audience believed it was love at first sight, then we would have lightning in a bottle. But if they didn't, we would have just another lovely romantic comedy on our hands. The scene comes off beautifully.

- Maureen O'Hara

On St. Patrick's Day, I have a tradition.  Every March 17th, I watch The Quiet Man, the 1952 film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Barry Fitzgerald.  Although I am not a big John Wayne fan, I like his performance in this romantic comedy/drama, perhaps because it's a departure from his usual cowboy role.  As for Maureen O'Hara, she is wonderful as his love interest, the feisty, red-headed Mary Kate Danagher.  Wayne and O'Hara made five movies together over the years, including Rio Grande (1950), and they had great on-screen chemistry.

The Quiet Man is an unabashedly sentimental and nostalgic tribute to the Emerald Isle, filled with almost every Irish stereotype imaginable.  It spoofs those stereotypes in a good-natured and comical manner.  It's a long movie, over two hours, with Wayne as Sean Thorntorn, the American from Pittsburgh, who returns to the land of his birth, and O'Hara's as the strong-willed and fiery Mary Kate.  Their romance and Sean's painful past, provide the background for the film.  As the story unfolds, the couple must face several bumps along the road to happiness.

Thornton, a former boxer, is captivated by the mercurial Irish lass but, unfamiliar with Irish customs, he doesn't understand Mary Kate's desire to have the dowry denied her due to her brother, bombastic landowner "Red: Will.Danagher (Victor McLagden). Will initially disapproves of Sean's involvement with his sister because Sean outbid him for the land adjacent to his property and he sneeringly refers to the Irish-born American as "Yank."  He finally approves of the marriage after being tricked by several of the locals into believing that the town's wealthy widow wants to wed him provided that Mary Kate leaves the house.  After learning the truth at Sean and Mary Kate's wedding, Will angrily refuses to give his sibling her full dowry.   Meanwhile, Mary Kate is unaware that Sean caused the death of an opponent in the boxing ring and that he is haunted by the tragedy.

The Quiet Man, is based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh entitled Green Rushes.  Directed by John Ford and distributed by Republic Pictures, the film takes place in the 1920s and is set in the fictional Irish village of Innisfree. The name of the village was inspired by the song "Isle of Innisfree" about an exile reflecting nostalgically on his Irish home.  The movie, however, was actually filmed in the village of Cong in County Mayo in the summer of 1951.  It was shot in technicolor and the lush Irish countryside is strikingly beautiful.  The pastoral greenery alone is worth viewing.

Cong is located on an island surrounded by streams.  One of Ireland's most renowned hotels, Ashford Castle, can be found in Cong.  Ashford Castle was built by the Guinness family and much of The Quiet Man was filmed on its grounds.

Quiet Man Cottage and Museum

Cong is also home to The Quiet Man Cottage and Museum.  The ground floor of the thatched-roof cottage is an exact replica of the "White-o-Mornin'" Cottage that Mary Kate cherished so much in the movie. In 2011, people from all over the world converged on the village for a festival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the filming of The Quiet Man.


END NOTES

* John Wayne died of stomach cancer on June 11, 1979 in Los Angeles.  He was 72 years old.

* Maureen O'Hara (birth name Maureen FitzSimons) was born on August 17, 1920 in the Dublin suburb of Ranelagh.  During an appearance on Larry King Live, she told host Larry King that she plans to live until the age of 102.  In 1999, O'Hara was selected to be the grand marshal of New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade.  She is now 92 years old.and resides in County Cork, Ireland. After the death of her third husband, Charles F. Blair, in a plane crash in 1978, Maureen decided to make Ireland, rather than Hollywood, her main base.  She settled in the picturesque village of Glengarriff on Bantry Bay in West Cork. O'Hara has one child, a daughter named Bronwyn, who is the mother of her only grandchild, Conor.  Both Bronwyn and her son live in the United States.

Sadly, Maureen was terribly shaken last year by a dispute with her trusted personal assistant, Carolyn Murphy, over control of the film star's foundation.  In July of 2012, accompanied by her lawyer and her grrandson, Conor, she announced that Murphy no longer had power of attorney over her affairs.  She stated that she was "heartbroken" over the matter.

Maureen O'Hara

*  Barry Fitzgerald, who played Michaeleen Oge Flynn, the local taxi driver, bookmaker and matchmaker in The Quiet Man, died in Dublin, Ireland on January 14, 1961.  The leprechaun-faced actor was 72 years old at the time of his death.  Fitzgerald (born William Joseph Shields) won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as "Father Fitzgibbon" in Going My Way (1944).

* Victor McLaglen, who portrayed Mary Kate's brother, "Red" Will Danagher, was an English boxer and World War I veteran who became a successful actor.  McLagden died of a heart attack in California on November 7, 1959.  He was 72 at the time of his passing.

* The great Irish-American director John Ford died on August 31, 1973 in Palm Desert, California at the age of 79.  He and John Wayne were good friends and Wayne appeared in over 20 Ford films including Stage Coach (1939), They Were Expendable (1945), Fort Apache (1948). 3 Godfathers (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Searchers (1956), The Wings of Eagles.(1957), The Horse Solders (1959), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), How the West Was Won (1962) and Donovan's Reef (1963).

* The five films John Wayne made with Maureen O'Hara are Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock (1963) and Big Jake.(1971). Three of the films, Rio Grande, The Quiet Man and The Wings of Eagles, were directed by John Ford.  It is also interesting to note that
Big Jake, a comedy Western, was directed by Andrew V. McLagden, son of Victor McLagden.

* The Quiet Man was nominated for a total of seven Academy Awards and won two.  John Ford, at age 57, won his fourth and final Best Director Oscar.  Winton Hoch and Archie Stout won Oscars for Best Cinematography.


-  Joanne

An Evening with Diane Dupuy and The Famous People Players

Diane Dupuy 

On Saturday night, I had supper at the Famous People Players Dine and Dream Theatre and enjoyed a circus-themed  show called "Under the Big Top."  The black light dinner theatre is located in the west end of Toronto at 343 Evans Avenue in the Sherwood Industrial Mall.  I've been a fan of the Famous People Players since I first watched them perform around 1989.

The Famous People Players is a non-profit charitable organization and can be described as a unique Canadian treasure.  FPP employs people with intellectual and physical disabilities.  The internationally-acclaimed black light theatre company was founded by Diane Dupuy in June of 1974. Diane was born in Hamilton, Ontario and raised in Toronto.  As a youth, she was labelled a slow learner and she was bullied.  Her mother encouraged her to work with puppets.  She founded the Famous People Players because she believes that the disabled should be blended into society.

The original group consisted of Diane, an assistant, 11 performers and Diane's mother, Mary Thornton, who designed and built the life-sized puppets and props.  The great entertainer and showman, Liberace, discovered the Famous People Players back in 1975.  He invited them to perform with him in Las Vegas as his opening act.  For a decade, they toured with the flamboyant pianist.  In 1982, FPP was invited to perform in the People's Republic of China

Paul Newman was also an avid supporter of the troupe.  When FPP opened its first restaurant in 1984, the late actor underwrote the payment with sales of his Newman's Own Salad Dressing. That is why the salad at the Famous People Players Dream Theatre is always served with Newman's dressing.

Another strong supporter of the Famous People Players is British singer Phil Collins who saw the troupe perform in Toronto.  The sound system of the FPP theatre, called the Phil Collins Performance Workshop, was funded through Collins' generosity and proceeds from the sales of Newman's Own products.

Diane Dupuy has travelled throughout the world as a motivational speaker and is the author of three best-selling books: Dare to Dream, Your Heart Over the Fence and Daring to Dream.  She has also written a children's book entitled The Little Girl Who Did . . .What?!!!.  On December 20, 1982, Diane became a Member of the Order of Canada for her contribution to theatre arts in this country.

On Saturday evening, I spoke to Diane and her wonderful 97-year-old mother.  Al I can say is that if I reach that age, I hope to be as energetic and look as healthy as Mary Thornton.  She chatted briefly with my husband and me and another couple while we were having dessert (after dinner and the show, customers return to the restaurant for coffee and dessert).

Below are some photos of the restaurant that I took.  I could not photograph the stage show as photography is prohibited during performances.

I hope that I have made more people aware of this special theatrical troupe.  For more information on the Famous People Players go to its website at http://www.fpp.org/.

- Joanne


EDITOR'S UPDATE (November 5, 2015):  Diane's mother, Mary (Gioberti) Thornton, will be turning 100 years old in the New Year.  There will be a birthday bash for her on February 3, 2016.

EDITOR'S UPDATE (January 4, 2020):  Mary (Gioberti) Thornton passed away on December 10, 2019 at the age of 103.  Mary was born on February 3, 1916.  She died just short of her !04th birthday.  

Mary's life was an inspiration and she was the head of the Visual Arts Department of Famous People Players.  It was she who designed the company's brightly-coloured props.

Oscars Quiz 2013

The 85th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 24, 2013.  As you prepare for the big show, why don't you try Number 16's third annual Oscar quiz.  There are 10 questions for you.  Ready?  Good luck!


NUMBER 16 OSCARS QUIZ 2013

1.  The classic 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz was nominated for six Academy Awards.  It won in two categories.  In which categories did The Wizard of Oz win its two Oscars?

A.  Judy Garland won for Best Actress for her role as Dorothy Gale and The Wizard of Oz was chosen Best Motion Picture.

B.  The Wizard of Oz won Oscars in the categories of Best Visual Effects and Best Costumes.

C.  The Wizard of Oz won Academy Awards in the categories of Best Musical Score and Best Song -"Over the Rainbow."

D.  Ray Bolger won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the Scarecrow and The Wizard of Oz was chosen Best Motion Picture.

E.  Margaret Hamilton won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West and "Over the Rainbow" won an Oscar in the Best Song category.



2.  Why is the Academy Award statuette nicknamed Oscar?

A.  It was nicknamed Oscar in honour of Oscar W. Reed, the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

B.  Although the origins of the nickname remain unclear, there is a popular story that the Academy librarian said that the statuette reminded her of her "Uncle Oscar."

C.  The man who designed the statuette was named Oscar Olson.

D.  The designer of the statuette was a big fan of the works of playwright Oscar Wilde.

E.   The statuette's designer's father was named Oscar.



3.  In 1928,  Janet Gaynor won the Academy Award for Best Actress.  What was significant about her achievement?

A.  She received the first Oscar statuette ever presented.

B.  She delivered the first acceptance speech at the Academy Awards.

C.  She was the first to win a Oscar for a performance in a silent film.

D.  She was the first to win an Oscar for a performance in a sound film.

E.  She won the first Oscar in the Best Actress category and it was the only occasion when a actress won one Oscar for multiple film roles.

Janet Gaynor circa 1931

4.  Meryl Streep has the highest number of Oscar nominations for acting with an impressive 17 nominations (She has won 3 times - twice for Best Actress and once for Best Supporting Actress).  Who holds the record for the male with the most Oscar nominations in the acting category?

A.  Jack Nicholson

B.  Paul Newman

C.  Robert De Niro

D.  Marlon Brando

E.  Al Pacino




5.  Robert Redford has received two Oscars.  One was a Lifetime Achievement in 2002.  What was the other?

A.  He won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

B,  He won an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his performance in The Candidate.

C.  He won a Best Actor award for The Sting.

D.  Redford won an Academy Award for directing the film Ordinary People.

E.  He won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in The Way We Were.



6.  Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for this year's Best Actor Award for his work in Lincoln. Which of the following statements about Day-Lewis is false?

A.  Daniel Day-Lewis is Scottish.

B.  Daniel Day Lewis is the son of a well known poet.

C.  Daniel Day-Lewis is married to the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller.

D.  Daniel Day Lewis is 55 years old.

E.  Daniel Day Lewis has an older sister named Tamasin Day-Lewis.



7.  Which individual has garnered the most Academy Awards?

A.  Jack Warner

B.  Walt Disney

C.  Stephen Spielberg

D.  David O. Selznick

E.   Cecil B. DeMille



8.  How much does an Oscar statuette weigh?

A.  7 1/2 pounds (3.4 kilograms)

B   6 1/2 pounds (2.94 kilograms)

C.  7 pounds (3.17 kilograms)

D.  8 1/2 pounds (3.85 kilograms)

E.  8 pounds (3.62 kilograms)



9.  In 1939, Walt Disney received an honorary Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  Who presented him with the special Oscar?

A.  Judy Garland

B.  An actress dressed as Snow White

C.  Shirley Temple

D.  His daughter Diane (born December 18, 1933)

E.  Mickey Rooney




10.  Has Leonardo DiCaprio ever won an Oscar?

DiCaprio in 2010

A.  Yes, DiCaprio won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Titanic.

B.  Yes, Leo won an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?.

C.  Yes, he won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Blood Diamond.

D.  Yes, Leonard DiCaprio has won two Academy Awards.  His first Oscar was for Best Leading Actor for Titanic.  His received his second Oscar for Best Leading Actor for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in The Aviator.

E.  No, Leonardo DiCaprio has never won an Academy Award.

ANSWERS


1. C

Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow"

The Wizard of Oz received the Oscar in the categories of Best Musical Scoring - by Herbert Stothart and Best Song - "Over the Rainbow" - music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Edgar Yipsel Harburg.  Trivia Note: "Over the Rainbow" was almost cut from the film due to length.  Judy Garland was given a special Academy Juvenile Award in recognition of her performance.


2.  B

Although the source of the moniker is not clear, there is a well known story that Margaret Herrick, the Academy librarian who later became executive director, made a comment that the statuette resembled her "Uncle Oscar" (who was actually her cousin)..  Her cousin's full name was Oscar Pierce.  Trivia Note: "Oscar" was not officially adopted as a nickname by the Academy until 1939.despite the fact that the term was in use well before then.


3.  E.

In 1928, Janet Gaynor was the first to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Actress .  She  won for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven (1927), Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) and Street Angel (1928).  This was the only occasion that an actress won the award for multiple film roles.  The rules were changed three years later.  Janet Gaynor died on September 14, 1984 at the age of 77.  She had never fully recovered from the injuries she received in a traffic accident in San Francisco two years earlier.


4.  A.

Jack Nicholson has been nominated for 12 Academy Awards for acting.  He has won 3 times - twice for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor.  Nicholson's winning percentage is actually better than Streep's.


5.  D.

Robert Redford won an Academy Award for Best Director in 1981 for Ordinary People.



6.  A

Daniel Day-Lewis was born in London, England on April 29, 1957 (55 years old).   He.is of Anglo-Irish heritage on his father's side and currently holds both British and Irish citizenship.  His late father, Irish-born Cecil Day-Lewis, was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom.  His mother, London-born actress Jill Balcon, died of a bran-tumour in 2009.  Balcon, whose family was Jewish, had a Polish background on her mother's side and a Lithuanian background on her father's side. Cecil Day-Lewis and Jill Balcon also had a daughter, Tamasin Day-Lewis (born September 17, 1953), who became a documentary filmmaker and television chef.

Daniel Day-Lewis married Rebecca Miller, the daughter of American playwright Arthur Miller, in 1996.  They have two sons, Ronan Cal Day-Lewis (born June 14, 1998) and Cashel Blake Day-Lewis (born in May 2002).  Day-Lewis also has another son, Gabriel Day-Lewis (born in 1995) from his relationship with French actress Isabelle Adjani.



7.  B

To date, Walt Disney is the individual who has won the most Oscars.  Disney received a total of 26 Academy Awards, four of which were honorary.


8.  D

According to information on the website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Oscar statuette weighs 8 1/2 pounds (3.85 kilograms).



9.  C

Walt Disney with Shirley Temple

In 1939, Shirley Temple presented a special Academy Award to Walt Disney for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  He was given one full-sized Oscar and seven mini statuettes.  Critics called Snow White "Disney's folly" because they didn't movie audiences would want to see a full-length animated film.  Boy, were they proven wrong!  By the way, Walt really had a daughter named Diane.  Her full name was Diane Marie Disney and she was born on December 18, 1933.  Now known as Diane Disney-Miller (she married football player Ron Miller in 1954), she is 79 years old.


10.  E

No, Leonardo DiCaprio has never won an Academy Award although he has been nominated three times.  He was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role foe What's Eating Gilbert Grape? in 1994, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Aviator in 2005 and Blood Diamond in 2007.


- Joanne