George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( -LSB- ˈkjuːkər -RSB- July 7 , 1899 -- January 24 , 1983 ) was an American film director . He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations . His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick , the studio 's Head of Production , assigned Cukor to direct several of RKO 's major films , including What Price Hollywood ? ( 1932 ) , A Bill of Divorcement ( 1932 ) , Our Betters ( 1933 ) , and Little Women ( 1933 ) . When Selznick moved to MGM in 1933 , Cukor followed and directed Dinner at Eight ( 1933 ) and David Copperfield ( 1935 ) for Selznick and Romeo and Juliet ( 1936 ) and Camille ( 1936 ) for Irving Thalberg .   He was replaced as the director of Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ) , but he went on to direct The Philadelphia Story ( 1940 ) , Gaslight ( 1944 ) , Adam 's Rib ( 1949 ) , Born Yesterday ( 1950 ) , A Star Is Born ( 1954 ) , Bhowani Junction ( 1956 ) , and My Fair Lady ( 1964 ) . He continued to work into the 1980s .


Jackie Robinson was an All-Star for six consecutive decades.

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson ( January 31 , 1919 -- October 24 , 1972 ) was an American professional baseball second baseman who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) in the modern era . Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15 , 1947 . The Dodgers , by signing Robinson , heralded the end of racial segregation in professional baseball that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s . Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 .   Robinson had an exceptional 10-year baseball career . He was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947 , was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954 , and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949 -- the first black player so honored . Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers ' 1955 World Series championship .   In 1997 , MLB `` universally '' retired his uniform number , 42 , across all major league teams ; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored . MLB also adopted a new annual tradition , `` Jackie Robinson Day '' , for the first time on April 15 , 2004 , on which every player on every team wears No. 42 .   Robinson 's character , his use of nonviolence , and his unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation which then marked many other aspects of American life . He influenced the culture of and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement . Robinson also was the first black television analyst in MLB , and the first black vice president of a major American corporation , Chock full o'Nuts . In the 1960s , he helped establish the Freedom National Bank , an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem , New York . After his death in 1972 , in recognition of his achievements on and off the field , Robinson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom .


Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock ( 13 August 1899 -- 29 April 1980 ) was an English film director and producer , at times referred to as `` The Master of Suspense '' . He pioneered many elements of the suspense and psychological thriller genres . He had a successful career in British cinema with both silent films and early talkies and became renowned as England 's best director . Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1939 , and became a U.S. citizen in 1955 .   Hitchcock became a highly visible public figure through interviews , movie trailers , cameo appearances in his own films , and the ten years in which he hosted the television programme Alfred Hitchcock Presents ( 1955 -- 1965 ) . He also fashioned for himself a recognisable directorial style . Hitchcock 's stylistic trademarks include the use of camera movement that mimics a person 's gaze , forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism . In addition , he framed shots to maximise anxiety , fear , or empathy , and used innovative forms of film editing . His work often features fugitives on the run alongside `` icy blonde '' female characters . In 1978 , film critic John Russell Taylor described Hitchcock as `` the most universally recognizable person in the world '' , and `` a straightforward middle-class Englishman who just happened to be an artistic genius '' .   Prior to 1980 , there had long been talk of Hitchcock being knighted for his contribution to film . Critic Roger Ebert wrote : `` Other British directors like Sir Carol Reed and Sir Charlie Chaplin were knighted years ago , while Hitchcock , universally considered by film students to be one of the greatest filmmakers of all time , was passed over '' . Hitchcock later received his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in the 1980 New Year Honours .   Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades and is often regarded as one of the most influential directors in cinematic history . Following a 2007 critics ' poll by Britain 's Daily Telegraph in which he was ranked Britain 's greatest filmmaker , one scholar wrote : `` Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema , which would be utterly different without him . His flair was for narrative , cruelly withholding crucial information ( from his characters and from the audience ) and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else . '' Hitchcock 's first thriller , The Lodger : A Story of the London Fog ( 1926 ) , helped shape the thriller genre in film . His 1929 film , Blackmail , is often cited as the first British sound feature film , while Rear Window ( 1954 ) , Vertigo ( 1958 ) , North by Northwest ( 1959 ) , and Psycho ( 1960 ) are regularly ranked among the greatest films of all time .


John Mayer appeared at the 2001 Democratic National Convention.

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( -LSB- ˈmeɪ.ɚ -RSB- born October 16 , 1977 ) is an American singer-songwriter , guitarist , and producer . He was born in Bridgeport , Connecticut , and raised in nearby Fairfield . He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston , but disenrolled and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with Clay Cook . Together , they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters . After their split , Mayer continued to play local clubs -- refining his skills and gaining a following . After his appearance at the 2001 South by Southwest Festival , he was signed to Aware Records , and then Columbia Records , which released his first EP , Inside Wants Out . His following two full-length albums -- Room for Squares ( 2001 ) and Heavier Things ( 2003 ) -- did well commercially , achieving multi-platinum status . In 2003 , he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single `` Your Body Is a Wonderland '' .   Though Mayer started his career mainly performing acoustic rock , he began moving towards the blues genre that had originally influenced him as a musician . By 2005 , he was collaborating with blues artists such as B. B. King , Buddy Guy , and Eric Clapton . Forming the John Mayer Trio , he released a live album in 2005 called Try ! , and his third studio album Continuum in 2006 . Both albums received wide critical acclaim , and Continuum earned Mayer a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album . He also won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for `` Waiting on the World to Change '' . That album was followed by Battle Studies in 2009 , a return to pop , with a number-one grossing tour .   After having several controversial incidents with the media , Mayer withdrew from public life in 2010 and began work on a follow-up album , called Born and Raised , that would draw inspiration from the 1970s pop music of Laurel Canyon . However , the discovery of a granuloma on his vocal cords delayed the release of the album until May 2012 , and ultimately forced him to cancel the planned tour . Even so , the album enjoyed a generally favorable reception , though was less commercially successful than his previous work . After extensive treatments for his vocal problems -- and a two-year hiatus -- Mayer began performing as a singer again in January 2013 , and that year released the album , Paradise Valley . The album is named for where he lives in Montana and features country music influences . By 2014 , he had sold a total of over 20 million albums worldwide . After developing an interest in the Grateful Dead and connecting with Bob Weir , Mayer formed Dead & Company with three former Grateful Dead musicians . After two well-received tours in the fall of 2015 and summer of 2016 , the band has already committed to another tour for the summer of 2017 .   Mayer 's secondary career pursuits extend to television hosting , comedy , and writing ; he has authored columns for magazines such as Esquire . He supports various causes and has performed at charity benefits . He is a watch aficionado ( with a collection he values in the `` tens of millions '' of dollars ) , and has been on the jury at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève . He currently lives in Montana . His latest song is `` Love on the Weekend '' .


Hayden Panettiere starred as Sheryl Yoast in Heroes.

Hayden Panettiere Hayden Leslie Panettiere ( born August 21 , 1989 ) is an American actress , model , singer , and activist . She is known for her roles as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes ( 2006 -- 10 ) , Juliette Barnes in the ABC/CMT musical-drama series Nashville ( 2012 -- present ) and Kairi in the video game series Kingdom Hearts .   A native of New York City , she first appeared in a commercial at the age of 11 months . She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live ( 1994 -- 97 ) , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light ( 1996 -- 2000 ) , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in the Disney feature film Remember the Titans . Other notable roles include her portrayal of the title character in the true crime drama Amanda Knox : Murder on Trial in Italy and Kirby Reed in the slasher film Scream 4 . She received two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress -- Series , Miniseries or Television Film , for her work on Nashville in 2012 and 2013 .


Werner Herzog Werner Herzog ( -LSB- ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈhɛɐ̯tsoːk -RSB- ; born 5 September 1942 ) is a German screenwriter , film director , author , actor , and opera director .   Herzog is considered one of the greatest figures of the New German Cinema , along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Margarethe von Trotta , Volker Schlöndorff , Werner Schröter , and Wim Wenders . Herzog 's films often feature heroes with impossible dreams , people with unique talents in obscure fields , or individuals who are in conflict with nature .   French filmmaker François Truffaut once called Herzog `` the most important film director alive . '' American film critic Roger Ebert said that Herzog `` has never created a single film that is compromised , shameful , made for pragmatic reasons , or uninteresting . Even his failures are spectacular . ''  He was named one of the 100 most influential people on the planet by Time magazine in 2009 .


Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


Mauritius Mauritius ( -LSB- məˈrɪʃəs -RSB- or -LSB- məˈrɪʃiːəs -RSB- Maurice ) , officially the Republic of Mauritius ( République de Maurice ) , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2000 km off the southeast coast of the African continent . The country includes the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues -LSB- 560 km east of Mauritius -RSB- , and the outer islands ( Agaléga , St. Brandon and two disputed territories ) . The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands , along with nearby Réunion , a French overseas department . The area of the country is 2,040 km2 . The capital and largest city is Port Louis . Formerly a Dutch colony ( 1638 -- 1710 ) and a French colony ( 1715 -- 1810 ) , Mauritius became a British colonial possession in 1810 and remained so until 1968 , the year in which it attained independence . The government uses English as its main language .   The sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom ( UK ) . The UK excised the archipelago from Mauritian territory in 1965 , three years prior to Mauritian independence . The UK gradually depopulated the archipelago 's indigenous population and leased its biggest island , Diego Garcia , to the United States . Access to the archipelago is prohibited to casual tourists , the media , and its former inhabitants . Mauritius also claims sovereignty over Tromelin Island from France .   The people of Mauritius are multiethnic , multi-religious , multicultural and multilingual . The island 's government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system , and Mauritius is highly ranked for democracy and for economic and political freedom . Along with the other Mascarene Islands , Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna , with many species endemic to the island . The island is widely known as the only known home of the dodo , which , along with several other avian species , was made extinct by human activities relatively shortly after the island 's settlement . Mauritius is the only country in Africa where Hinduism is the largest religion .


Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is capable of different types of warfare.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation , single-seat , twin-engine , all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force ( USAF ) . The result of the USAF 's Advanced Tactical Fighter program , the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter , but also has ground attack , electronic warfare , and signal intelligence capabilities . The prime contractor , Lockheed Martin , built most of the F-22 's airframe and weapons systems and did its final assembly , while Boeing provided the wings , aft fuselage , avionics integration , and training systems .   The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A -22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A . After a protracted development and despite operational issues , the USAF considers the F-22 critical to its tactical air power , and says that the aircraft is unmatched by any known or projected fighter . The Raptor 's combination of stealth , aerodynamic performance , and situational awareness gives the aircraft unprecedented air combat capabilities .   The high cost of the aircraft , a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs , a ban on exports , and development of the more versatile F-35 led to the end of F-22 production . A final procurement tally of 187 operational production aircraft was established in 2009 , and the last F-22 was delivered to the USAF in 2012 .


Rod Laver contributed to five Davis Cup titles as of 2012.

Rod Laver Rodney George `` Rod '' Laver ( born 9 August 1938 ) is an Australian former tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest in tennis history . He was the No. 1 ranked professional from 1964 to 1970 , spanning four years before and three years after the start of the Open Era . He also was the No. 1 amateur in 1961 -- 62 according to Lance Tingay .   Laver 's 200 singles titles are the most in tennis history , and he holds the all-time male singles records of 22 titles in a single season ( 1962 ) and seven consecutive years ( 1964 -- 70 ) winning at least 10 titles per season . He excelled on all of the court surfaces of his time : grass , clay , hard , carpet , and wood/parquet .   Despite being banned from playing the Grand Slam tournaments for the five years prior to the Open Era , he still won 11 singles titles . He is the only player to twice achieve the calendar-year Grand Slam , in 1962 ( pre-open era ) and 1969 ( open era ) , and remains the only man to do so during the Open Era . He also won eight Pro Slam titles , including the calendar year Pro `` Grand Slam '' in 1967 , and contributed to five Davis Cup titles for Australia during an age when Davis Cup was deemed as significant as the Grand Slams .


Charlie Rubin has written for the variety sketch comedy show The Carol Burnett Show.

Charlie Rubin Charlie Rubin is an American television comedy writer , producer , and humorist .   He has written for National Lampoon , The Carol Burnett Show , In Living Color , The Jon Stewart Show , Saturday Night Live , Seinfeld , and Law & Order : Criminal Intent .   Charlie attended Horace Mann School in Riverdale , New York and then Williams College , from which he graduated in 1972 . While at Williams , Charlie , along with his friend , Mitchell Rapoport , founded The Williams Advocate . He also produced an original musical called `` Sizzle '' with William Finn at the Adams Memorial Theater . It was the first original musical to be mounted at Williams College since Stephen Sondheim attended over 20 years earlier .   Charlie is currently working on a screen adaptation of Veeck -- As In Wreck : The Autobiography of Bill Veeck . He is also a professor at NYU 's Tisch School of the Arts in the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing , where he teaches writing for television .   He married writer Susan Shapiro on July 27 , 1996 .


The Carol Burnett Show The Carol Burnett Show ( also Carol Burnett and Friends in syndication ) is an American variety/sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett , Harvey Korman , Vicki Lawrence , and Lyle Waggoner . In 1975 , frequent guest star Tim Conway became a regular after Waggoner left due to his doubts about the show 's success in reruns . In 1977 , Dick Van Dyke replaced Korman for much of its final season . The show originally ran on CBS from September 11 , 1967 , to March 29 , 1978 , for 279 episodes , and again with nine episodes in the fall of 1991 . The series originated in CBS Television City 's Studio 33 , and won 25 primetime Emmy Awards , was ranked number 16 on TV Guide '' 's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002 , and in 2007 was listed as one of Time magazine 's 100 Best TV Shows of All Time .   In 2013 , TV Guide ranked The Carol Burnett Show '' number 17 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time .


Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick ( -LSB- ˈkuːbrɪk -RSB- July 26 , 1928 -- March 7 , 1999 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , producer , cinematographer , editor , and photographer . He is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinematic history . His films , which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories , cover a wide range of genres , and are noted for their realism , dark humor , unique cinematography , extensive set designs , and evocative use of music .   Kubrick was born and raised in the Bronx , New York City , and attended William Howard Taft High School from 1941 to 1945 . Although he only received average grades , Kubrick displayed a keen interest in literature , photography , and film from a young age , and taught himself all aspects of film production and directing after graduating from high school . After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s , he began making short films on a shoestring budget , and made his first major Hollywood film , The Killing , for United Artists in 1956 . This was followed by two collaborations with Kirk Douglas , the war picture Paths of Glory ( 1957 ) and the historical epic Spartacus ( 1960 ) . His reputation as a filmmaker in Hollywood grew , and he was approached by Marlon Brando to film what would become One-Eyed Jacks ( 1961 ) , though Brando eventually decided to direct it himself .   Creative differences arising from his work with Douglas and the film studios , a dislike of Hollywood , and a growing concern about crime in America prompted Kubrick to move to the United Kingdom in 1961 , where he spent most of the remainder of his life and career . His home at Childwickbury Manor in Hertfordshire , which he shared with his wife Christiane , became his workplace , where he did his writing , research , editing , and management of production details . This allowed him to have almost complete artistic control over his films , but with the rare advantage of having financial support from major Hollywood studios . His first British productions were two films with Peter Sellers , Lolita ( 1962 ) and Dr. Strangelove ( 1964 ) .   A demanding perfectionist , Kubrick assumed control over most aspects of the filmmaking process , from direction and writing to editing , and took painstaking care with researching his films and staging scenes , working in close coordination with his actors and other collaborators . He often asked for several dozen retakes of the same scene in a movie , which resulted in many conflicts with his casts . Despite the resulting notoriety among actors , many of Kubrick 's films broke new ground in cinematography . The scientific realism and innovative special effects of 2001 : A Space Odyssey ( 1968 ) were without precedent in the history of cinema , and the film earned him his only personal Oscar , for Best Visual Effects . Steven Spielberg has referred to the film as his generation 's `` big bang '' , and it is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made . For the 18th-century period film Barry Lyndon ( 1975 ) , Kubrick obtained lenses developed by Zeiss for NASA , to film scenes under natural candlelight . With The Shining ( 1980 ) , he became one of the first directors to make use of a Steadicam for stabilized and fluid tracking shots . While many of Kubrick 's films were controversial and initially received mixed reviews upon release -- particularly A Clockwork Orange ( 1971 ) , which Kubrick pulled from circulation in the UK following a mass media frenzy -- most were nominated for Oscars , Golden Globes , or BAFTA Awards , and underwent critical reevaluations . His last film , Eyes Wide Shut , was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70 .


In Great Britain, Fahrenheit 451 was written.

Fahrenheit 451 (film) Fahrenheit 451 is a 1966 British Dystopian science fiction drama film directed by François Truffaut and starring Oskar Werner , Julie Christie , and Cyril Cusack . Based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury , the film takes place in a controlled society in an oppressive future in which a fireman , whose duty it is to burn all literature , becomes a fugitive for reading . This was Truffaut 's first colour film as well as his only English-language film . At the 1966 Venice Film Festival , Fahrenheit 451 was nominated for the Golden Lion .


Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez ( born July 27 , 1975 ) , nicknamed `` A-Rod '' , is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman . He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) for the Seattle Mariners , Texas Rangers , and New York Yankees . Rodriguez was one of the sport 's most highly touted prospects and is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time . During his 22-year career , Rodriguez has amassed a .297 batting average , 696 home runs , over 2,000 runs batted in ( RBI ) , over 2,000 runs scored , and over 3,000 hits . He is a 14-time All-Star and has won three American League ( AL ) Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) Awards , ten Silver Slugger Awards , and two Gold Glove Awards . Rodríguez is the career record holder for grand slams with 25 . However , he has led a highly controversial career due to signing two of the most lucrative sports contracts in history while incurring criticism from the media for his behavior and use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs .   The Mariners selected Rodriguez first overall in the 1993 MLB draft , and he debuted in the major leagues the following year at the age of 18 . In 1996 , he became the Mariners ' starting shortstop and finished second in voting for the AL MVP Award . Rodriguez 's combination of power , speed , and defense made him a cornerstone of the franchise , but he left the team via free agency after the 2000 season to join the Rangers . The 10-year , $ 252 million contract he signed was the richest in baseball history . He played at a high level in his three years with Texas , highlighted by his first AL MVP Award win in 2003 , but the team failed to make the playoffs during his tenure . Prior to the 2004 season , Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees , for whom he converted to a third baseman due to incumbent shortstop Derek Jeter . In his first four seasons with New York , he was twice more named AL MVP . After opting out of his contract following the 2007 season , Rodriguez signed a new 10-year , $ 275 million deal with the Yankees , extending his record for the sport 's most lucrative contract . He became the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs , reaching the milestone in 2007 . He won his first World Series in 2009 , which was the first year of the new Yankee Stadium . The following year , he became the career leader in home runs by a player of Hispanic descent . In recent years , Rodriguez has been hampered by hip and knee injuries , which have caused him to exclusively become a designated hitter . He played his final game as a Yankee on August 12 , 2016 .   In February 2009 , after previously denying use of performance-enhancing drugs , including during a 2007 interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes , Rodriguez admitted to using steroids , saying he used them from 2001 to 2003 when playing for Rangers due to `` an enormous amount of pressure '' to perform . While recovering from a hip injury in 2013 , Rodriguez made headlines by feuding with team management over his rehabilitation and for having allegedly obtained performance-enhancing drugs as part of the Biogenesis baseball scandal . In August 2013 , MLB suspended him 211 games for his involvement in the scandal , but he was allowed to play while appealing the punishment . Had the original suspension been upheld , it would have been the longest non-lifetime suspension in Major League Baseball history . After an arbitration hearing , the suspension was reduced to 162 games , keeping him off the field for the entire 2014 season .


Vince Vaughn appeared in a biographical sports movie.

Rudy (film) Rudy is a 1993 American biographical sports film directed by David Anspaugh . It is an account of the life of Daniel `` Rudy '' Ruettiger , who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles . It was the first movie that the Notre Dame administration allowed to be shot on campus since Knute Rockne , All American in 1940 .   In 2005 , Rudy was named one of the best 25 sports movies of the previous 25 years in two polls by ESPN ( # 24 by a panel of sports experts , and # 4 by ESPN.com users ) . It was ranked the 54th-most inspiring film of all time in the `` AFI 100 Years '' series .   The film was released on October 15 , 1993 , by TriStar Pictures . It stars Sean Astin as the title character , along with Ned Beatty , Jason Miller and Charles S. Dutton . The script was written by Angelo Pizzo , who created Hoosiers ( 1986 ) , which was also directed by Anspaugh . The film was shot in Illinois and Indiana .


Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn ( born March 28 , 1970 ) is an American actor , producer , screenwriter , activist , and comedian .   Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s , appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film Swingers . He has appeared in a number of films in the 1990s , including the sports film Rudy ( 1993 ) , the sci-fi adventure dinosaur film The Lost World : Jurassic Park ( 1997 ) , and the drama-thriller Return to Paradise ( 1998 ) .   In the 2000s , he acted in several comedies , including Old School ( 2003 ) , Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story ( 2004 ) , Wedding Crashers ( 2005 ) , The Break-Up ( 2006 ) , and Fred Claus ( 2007 ) . He continued his comedic roles in the 2010s with The Dilemma ( 2011 ) , The Watch ( 2012 ) , and The Internship ( 2013 ) . In 2015 , he starred as Frank Semyon in the second season of the HBO anthology crime drama television series True Detective alongside Colin Farrell , Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams .


Maynard James Keenan is not a partner in Cobras & Matadors.

Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan ( born James Herbert Keenan ; April 17 , 1964 ) , often referred to by his initials MJK , is an American musician , record producer , winemaker , and actor , best known as the vocalist for Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool . He is originally from Ohio , but spent his high school and college years in Michigan . After serving in the United States Army in the early 1980s , he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids . He moved to Los Angeles , California in 1988 to pursue a career in interior design and set construction . Shortly thereafter , he formed the band Tool with Adam Jones .   Keenan is also the lead singer of A Perfect Circle . In 2003 , he created Puscifer as a side project and has subsequently released three studio albums . Since rising to fame , Keenan has been noted as being a recluse ; however , he does emerge to support charitable causes .   In addition to his music career , he has performed improvisational sketch comedy and ventured into acting . He currently owns Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery , Caduceus Cellars , which are located in Arizona , where he lives . Among other business ventures , he is a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors , and also owns an organic produce market in Cornville , Arizona , which features a food court and a tasting room for his wines .


Opera Opera ( -LSB- ˈɔːpera -RSB- ; English plural : operas ; Italian plural : opere -LSB- ˈɔːpere -RSB- ) is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text ( libretto ) and musical score , usually in a theatrical setting . In traditional opera , singers do two types of singing : recitative , a speech-inflected style and arias , a more melodic style , in which notes are sung in a sustained fashion . Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre , such as acting , scenery , and costumes and sometimes includes dance . The performance is typically given in an opera house , accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble , which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor .   Opera is a key part of the Western classical music tradition . It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century ( with Jacopo Peri 's mostly lost Dafne , produced in Florence in 1598 ) and soon spread through the rest of Europe : Heinrich Schütz in Germany , Jean-Baptiste Lully in France , and Henry Purcell in England all helped to establish their national traditions in the 17th century . In the 18th century , Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe ( except France ) , attracting foreign composers such as George Frideric Handel . Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera , until Christoph Willibald Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his `` reform '' operas in the 1760s . In the 2000s , the most renowned figure of late 18th-century opera is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , who began with opera seria but is most famous for his Italian comic operas , especially The Marriage of Figaro ( Le nozze di Figaro ) , Don Giovanni , and Così fan tutte , as well as The Magic Flute ( Die Zauberflöte ) , a landmark in the German tradition .   The first third of the 19th century saw the high point of the bel canto style , with Gioachino Rossini , Gaetano Donizetti and Vincenzo Bellini all creating works that are still performed . It also saw the advent of Grand Opera typified by the works of Auber and Meyerbeer . The mid-to-late 19th century was a `` golden age '' of opera , led and dominated by Richard Wagner in Germany and Giuseppe Verdi in Italy . The popularity of opera continued through the verismo era in Italy and contemporary French opera through to Giacomo Puccini and Richard Strauss in the early 20th century . During the 19th century , parallel operatic traditions emerged in central and eastern Europe , particularly in Russia and Bohemia . The 20th century saw many experiments with modern styles , such as atonality and serialism ( Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg ) , Neoclassicism ( Igor Stravinsky ) , and Minimalism ( Philip Glass and John Adams ) . With the rise of recording technology , singers such as Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas became known to much wider audiences that went beyond the circle of opera fans . Since the invention of radio and television , operas were also performed on ( and written for ) these mediums . Beginning in 2006 , a number of major opera houses began to present live high-definition video transmissions of their performances in cinemas all over the world . In 2009 , an opera company offered an online download of a complete performance .


Francois de Belleforest translated the works of Cicero into a language.

French language French ( le français -LSB- lə fʁɑ̃sɛ -RSB- or la langue française -LSB- la lɑ̃ɡ fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family . It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire , as did all Romance languages . French has evolved from Gallo-Romance , the spoken Latin in Gaul , and more specifically in Northern Gaul . Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl -- languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium , which French ( Francien ) has largely supplanted . French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the ( Germanic ) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders . Today , owing to France 's past overseas expansion , there are numerous French-based creole languages , most notably Haitian Creole . A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as `` Francophone '' in both English and French .   French is an official language in 29 countries , most of which are members of la francophonie , the community of French-speaking countries . It is spoken as a first language ( in descending order of the highest number ) in France , the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick , the region of Wallonia in Belgium , western Switzerland , Monaco , certain other regions of Canada and the United States , and by various communities elsewhere . In 2015 , approximately 40 % of the francophone population ( including L2 and partial speakers ) lived in Europe , 35 % in sub-Saharan Africa , 15 % in North Africa and the Middle East , 8 % in the Americas , and 1 % in Asia and Oceania .   French is the fourth-most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union . Of Europeans who speak other languages natively , approximately one-fifth are able to speak French as a second language . As a result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 17th and 18th century onward , French was introduced to new territories in the Americas , Africa and Asia . Most second-language speakers reside in Francophone Africa , in particular Gabon , Algeria , Mauritius , Senegal and Ivory Coast . In 2015 , French was estimated to have 77 to 110 million native speakers , and 190 million secondary speakers . Approximately 274 million people are able to speak the language . According to a demographic projection led by the Université Laval and the Réseau Démographie de l'Agence universitaire de la francophonie , total French speakers will number approximately 500 million people in 2025 and 650 million people by 2050 . The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie estimates 700 million by 2050 , 80 % of whom will be in Africa .   French has a long history as an international language of literature , and scientific some standards and is a second language of many international organisations including the United Nations , the European Union , NATO , the WTO , the International Olympic Committee , and the ICRC . In 2011 , Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business , after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese .


The Girl on the Train was directed by Tate Taylor.

The Girl on the Train (2016 film) The Girl on the Train is a 2016 American mystery thriller drama film directed by Tate Taylor and written by Erin Cressida Wilson , based on Paula Hawkins ' 2015 debut novel of the same name . The film stars Emily Blunt , Rebecca Ferguson , Haley Bennett , Justin Theroux , Luke Evans , Allison Janney , Édgar Ramírez , and Lisa Kudrow , and follows an alcoholic divorcée who becomes involved in a missing persons investigation .   Principal photography began on November 4 , 2015 in New York City . Produced by Marc Platt and DreamWorks Pictures , The Girl on the Train was the first DreamWorks Pictures film to be distributed by Universal Pictures , as part of DreamWorks ' new distribution deal via Amblin Partners . It premiered in London on September 20 , 2016 and was theatrically released in the United States on October 7 , 2016 . The film grossed $ 173 million worldwide , and received mixed reviews , although Blunt 's performance received praise and gained a nomination at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards , as well as a nomination for BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 70th British Academy Film Awards .


Jensen Ackles Jensen Ross Ackles ( born March 1 , 1978 ) is an American actor and director . He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of Our Lives , which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations , as well as Alec/X5 -494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville . He also starred as the lead in the box office success My Bloody Valentine 3D and portrayed Jason Todd in the popular animated film Batman : Under the Red Hood .   Ackles currently stars as Dean Winchester on the CW series Supernatural .


Justin Bieber won an American Music Award in 2010.

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( -LSB- ˈbiːbər -RSB- born March 1 , 1994 ) is a Canadian singer and songwriter . After a talent manager discovered him through his YouTube videos covering songs in 2008 and signed to RBMG , Bieber released his debut EP , My World , in late 2009 . It was certified Platinum in the U.S. . He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100 . Bieber released his first full-length studio album , My World 2.0 , in 2010 . It debuted at or near number one in several countries , was certified triple Platinum in the U.S. , and contained his single `` Baby '' .   Following his debut album , he had his first headlining tour , the My World Tour , released the remix albums My Worlds Acoustic and Never Say Never -- The Remixes -- and the 3D biopic-concert film Justin Bieber : Never Say Never . He released his second studio album , Under the Mistletoe , in November 2011 , when it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . Bieber released his third studio album , Believe , in 2012 . His fourth studio album Purpose was released in November 2015 , spawning three number one singles : `` What Do You Mean ? '' , `` Sorry '' , and `` Love Yourself '' . His U.S. album and singles sales total 44.7 million . He has sold an estimated 100 million records , making him one of the world 's best-selling music artists .   Bieber has won numerous awards , including the American Music Award for Artist of the Year in 2010 and 2012 . In his career , he has won one Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the song `` Where Are Ü Now '' at the 2016 ceremony . He has been listed four times by Forbes magazine among the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world in 2011 , 2012 , and 2013 . Bieber also became the first artist to surpass 10 billion total video views on Vevo .


Channel Orange Channel Orange ( stylized as channel ORANGE ) is the 2012 debut studio album by American R&B singer and songwriter Frank Ocean . After releasing his mixtape Nostalgia , Ultra in 2011 , Ocean began writing new songs with Malay , a producer and songwriter who assisted him with recording the album at EastWest Studios in Hollywood . Rather than rely on samples as he had with his mixtape , Ocean wanted to approach sound and song structure differently on Channel Orange . He titled the album as a reference to the neurological phenomenon grapheme-color synesthesia and the color he claimed to have perceived during the summer he first fell in love .   Channel Orange has an unconventional musical style , film-inspired segue tracks , and songs that draw on electro-funk , pop-soul , jazz-funk , and psychedelic music . Ocean 's songwriting touches on themes such as unrequited love , decadence , class , and drugs through the use of surrealistic imagery , conversational devices , and descriptive narratives depicting dark characters . His singing on the album exhibits free-form flow and alternating falsetto and tenor registers .   To prevent Channel Orange from leaking onto the Internet , Ocean and Def Jam Recordings released the album digitally on July 10 , 2012 , one week earlier than its publicly announced date . It was promoted with five singles , including Ocean 's highest charting single `` Thinkin Bout You '' -- number 32 on the Hot 100 -- and a supporting concert tour in July 2012 . Channel Orange debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold 131,000 copies in its first week . It received widespread critical acclaim and was named the best album of 2012 by numerous publications . By September 2014 , the album had sold 621,000 copies , according to Nielsen SoundScan .


Endless (Frank Ocean album) Endless is a video album by American singer Frank Ocean . It was released exclusively through Apple Music on August 19 , 2016 . It was his last release with his record label Def Jam Recordings to fulfill his recording contract . It was followed by the August 20 release of Ocean 's second studio album , Blonde .


Blonde (Frank Ocean album) Blonde ( stylized as blond ) is the second studio album by American singer Frank Ocean . It was released on August 20 , 2016 , as a timed exclusive on the iTunes Store and Apple Music , and followed the August 19 release of Ocean 's visual album Endless . Initially known as Boys Do n't Cry and teased for a July 2015 release , the album suffered several delays and was the subject of widespread media anticipation leading up to its release .   The album features an abstract and experimental sound in comparison to Ocean 's previous releases , and includes guest vocals from André 3000 , Beyoncé , Yung Lean , and Kim Burrell , among others . Production is handled by Ocean himself , alongside a variety of high-profile record producers , including Malay and Om ` Mas Keith , who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange , as well as James Blake , Jon Brion , Buddy Ross , Pharrell Williams and Rostam Batmanglij , among others .   Blonde debuted at number one in several countries , including the United States and the United Kingdom , and in its first week recorded sales of 232,000 copies ( 275,000 with album-equivalent units ) . Its physical release was accompanied by a magazine entitled Boys Do n't Cry . The album was supported by lead single `` Nikes '' . It received widespread acclaim from critics and appeared on the year-end lists of 2016 of many publications .


Frank Ocean Christopher Francis `` Frank '' Ocean ( born Christopher Edwin Breaux ; October 28 , 1987 ) , is an American singer , songwriter , and rapper . Known for his idiosyncratic musical style , Ocean first embarked on a career as a ghostwriter , and in 2010 he became a member of hip hop collective Odd Future . He released his breakout mixtape , Nostalgia , Ultra , to critical acclaim in 2011 . It generated his first charting single `` Novacane '' . In 2012 , Ocean finished in second place in BBC 's Sound of 2012 poll .   His debut studio album , Channel Orange , was released in July 2012 to critical acclaim and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 . It was promoted with three singles : `` Thinkin Bout You '' , `` Pyramids '' and `` Sweet Life '' . In 2016 , Ocean released the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde , following several years of delays . Blonde was acclaimed by critics , and debuted at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom .


Michael Giacchino is musically illiterate.

Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino ( -LSB- dʒakˈkiːno -RSB- ; born October 10 , 1967 ) is an American composer of music for films , television and video games . He composed the scores to the television series Lost , Alias and Fringe , the video ' game series Medal of Honor and Call of Duty and many films such as The Incredibles , Ratatouille , Up , Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol , Dawn of the Planet of the Apes , Jurassic World , Inside Out , Star Trek Beyond , Doctor Strange , Rogue One and Spider-Man : Homecoming .   Giacchino has received an Emmy Award and multiple Grammy Awards , as well as a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for his work on Up .


Horrible Bosses was created in the 21st century.

Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon , written by Michael Markowitz , John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein , based on a story by Markowitz . It stars Jason Bateman , Charlie Day , Jason Sudeikis , Jennifer Aniston , Colin Farrell , Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx . The plot follows three friends , played by Bateman , Day and Sudeikis , who decide to murder their respective overbearing , abusive bosses , portrayed by Spacey , Aniston and Farrell .   Markowitz 's script was bought by New Line Cinema in 2005 and the film spent six years in various states of pre-production , with a variety of actors attached to different roles . By 2010 , Goldstein and Daley had rewritten the script , and the film finally went into production .   The film premiered in Los Angeles on June 30 , 2011 , and was released on July 8 , 2011 . The film exceeded financial expectations , accruing over $ 28 million in the first three days , making it the number two film in the United States during its opening weekend , and going on to become the highest-grossing black comedy film of all-time in unadjusted dollars , breaking the record previously set by The War of the Roses in 1990 . The film grossed over $ 209 million worldwide by the end of its theatrical run .   The film received generally positive reviews , with critics praising the ensemble cast , and each lead being singled out for their performances across reviews . The plot received a more mixed response ; some reviewers felt that its dark , humorous premise was explored well , while others felt the jokes were racist , homophobic and misogynistic . A sequel , Horrible Bosses 2 , was released on November 26 , 2014 .


Babe Ruth's contributions to baseball have never been officially acknowledged.

Babe Ruth George Herman `` Babe '' Ruth Jr. ( February 6 , 1895 -- August 16 , 1948 ) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball ( MLB ) spanned 22 seasons , from 1914 through 1935 . Nicknamed `` The Bambino '' and `` The Sultan of Swat '' , he began his MLB career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox , but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees . Ruth established many MLB batting ( and some pitching ) records , including career home runs ( 714 ) , runs batted in ( RBIs ) ( 2,213 ) , bases on balls ( 2,062 ) , slugging percentage ( .6897 ) , and on-base plus slugging ( OPS ) ( 1.164 ) ; the latter two still stand today . Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time . In , Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its `` first five '' inaugural members .   At age seven , Ruth was sent to St. Mary 's Industrial School for Boys , a reformatory where he learned life lessons and baseball skills from Brother Matthias Boutlier of the Christian Brothers , the school 's disciplinarian and a capable baseball player . In 1914 , Ruth was signed to play minor-league baseball for the Baltimore Orioles but was soon sold to the Red Sox . By 1916 , he had built a reputation as an outstanding pitcher who sometimes hit long home runs , a feat unusual for any player in the pre-1920 dead-ball era . Although Ruth twice won 23 games in a season as a pitcher and was a member of three World Series championship teams with Boston , he wanted to play every day and was allowed to convert to an outfielder . With regular playing time , he broke the MLB single-season home run record in 1919 .   After that season , Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees amid controversy . The trade fueled Boston 's subsequent 86 year championship drought and popularized the `` Curse of the Bambino '' superstition . In his 15 years with New York , Ruth helped the Yankees win seven American League ( AL ) championships and four World Series championships . His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport 's popularity but also helped usher in the live-ball era of baseball , in which it evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor . As part of the Yankees ' vaunted `` Murderer 's Row '' lineup of 1927 , Ruth hit 60 home runs , extending his MLB single-season record . He retired in 1935 after a short stint with the Boston Braves . During his career , Ruth led the AL in home runs during a season twelve times .   Ruth 's legendary power and charismatic personality made him a larger-than-life figure in the Roaring Twenties . During his career , he was the target of intense press and public attention for his baseball exploits and off-field penchants for drinking and womanizing . His often reckless lifestyle was tempered by his willingness to do good by visiting children at hospitals and orphanages . After his retirement as a player , he was denied a managerial job in baseball , most likely due to poor behavior during parts of his playing career . In his final years , Ruth made many public appearances , especially in support of American efforts in World War II . In 1946 , he became ill with cancer , and died two years later .


The Man with the Iron Fists stars an actor.

The Man with the Iron Fists The Man with the Iron Fists is a 2012 American martial arts film directed by RZA and written by RZA and Eli Roth . The film stars RZA , Russell Crowe , Cung Le , Lucy Liu , Byron Mann , Rick Yune , Dave Bautista , and Jamie Chung . Set in 19th century China , the story follows a series of lone warriors who are forced to unite to defeat a common foe and save their home of Jungle Village .   Development began in 2005 when RZA shared his idea for the film with Roth . After nearly two years of development , Roth and RZA secured financial backing in May 2010 . Filming began in December 2010 on a $ 15 million budget and concluded by March 2011 . The film was shot in Shanghai and at other locations in China . RZA and Howard Drossin composed the film 's musical score , and RZA produced its soundtrack , which featured several new songs by various artists . A series of concerts featuring music from the soundtrack were held to promote the film .   The film was released in North America on November 2 , 2012 . Critics were divided over the film 's homage to martial arts films , considering it well-choreographed and representative of the genre , but offering nothing original , and the direction was criticized for a lack of refinement . The performances of Crowe and Mann were well received . The film earned $ 19 million at the box office .


Rick Yune Rick Yune ( born August 22 , 1971 ) is an American actor , screenwriter , producer , martial artist and former model . His most notable roles have been in the movies Snow Falling on Cedars , the first Fast and Furious film The Fast and the Furious , and in the James Bond movie Die Another Day . He was part of the main cast of the Netflix original series Marco Polo until the series was cancelled on December 12 , 2016 .


Byron Mann Byron Mann is a Chinese American actor who has made films in Hollywood , Hong Kong and Mainland China . He is perhaps best known for his performances as Mr. Chau in The Big Short , Chang in Hell on Wheels , Ryu in Street Fighter , Silver Lion in The Man with the Iron Fists and Yao Fei in the first season of Arrow .


Dave Bautista David Michael Bautista Jr. ( born January 18 , 1969 ) is an American actor , semi-retired professional wrestler , former mixed martial artist , and bodybuilder .   From 2000 to 2010 and 2013 to 2014 , he was signed to WWE under the ring name Batista , where he became a six-time world champion , winning WWE 's World Heavyweight Championship four times and the WWE Championship twice . He holds the record for the longest reign as World Heavyweight Champion at 282 days , and has also won the World Tag Team Championship three times ( twice with Ric Flair and once with John Cena ) and the WWE Tag Team Championship once ( with Rey Mysterio ) . He was the winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble match and went on to headline WrestleMania 21 , one of the top five highest-grossing pay-per-view events in professional wrestling history . When Bautista returned to WWE in 2014 , he won the 2014 Royal Rumble match , after which he headlined WrestleMania XXX .   In August 2012 , Bautista signed a contract with Classic Entertainment & Sports to fight in mixed martial arts . He won his MMA debut on October 6 , 2012 , defeating Vince Lucero via TKO in the first round . He was representing the Philippines during the fight . Bautista first entered the world of acting in 2006 . As an actor , Bautista has starred in The Man with the Iron Fists ( 2012 ) , Riddick ( 2013 ) , as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy ( 2014 ) , the 24th James Bond film , Spectre ( 2015 ) , L.A. Slasher ( 2015 ) , the 2016 Kickboxer reboot , Kickboxer : Vengeance , and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 ( 2017 ) . Bautista is set to reprise his character Drax in Avengers : Infinity War ( 2018 ) . He has also appeared in several direct-to-video films since 2009 .


RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs ( born July 5 , 1969 ) , better known by his stage name RZA ( -LSB- ˈrɪzə -RSB- ) , is an American rapper , record producer , musician , actor , filmmaker and author . A prominent figure in hip hop , RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan . He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan 's albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects . He is a cousin of the late group-mate Ol' Dirty Bastard and GZA ( who also formed the group with RZA ) . He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital , along with executive producing credits for side projects .   In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases , RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz where he used the name The RZArector . Furthermore , he has acted in several movies , including Coffee and Cigarettes , American Gangster , Gospel Hill , Life Is Hot in Cracktown , Ghost Dog , Funny People , Derailed , Due Date and Repo Men . He also appeared in the Showtime TV series Californication . His directorial debut is for the film he co-wrote and in which he plays the title role , The Man with the Iron Fists , also starring Russell Crowe .   The magazine The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine 's twenty-year history . He also made the `` Elite 8 '' in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe . NME placed him on their list of the 50 Greatest Producers Ever .


Cung Le Cung Le ( Lê Cung born May 25 , 1972 ) is a Vietnamese-American actor , retired mixed martial artist and Sanshou kickboxer . He competed as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) , holding a record of 2 -- 2 with the organization . In Sanshou , he is a former International Kickboxing Federation Light Heavyweight World Champion , having a professional Sanshou record of 16 -- 0 before moving to mixed martial arts ( Le also held a kickboxing record of 17 -- 0 ) . He defeated Frank Shamrock to become the second Strikeforce Middleweight Champion before vacating the title to further pursue his acting career . Le is perhaps best known in mixed martial arts for competing in Strikeforce , holding a record of 7 -- 1 with the organization before its demise .


Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe ( born 7 April 1964 ) is an actor , film producer and musician . Although a New Zealand citizen , he has lived most of his life in Australia . He came to international attention for his role as the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator , directed by Ridley Scott , for which Crowe won an Academy Award for Best Actor , a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor , an Empire Award for Best Actor and a London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and 10 further nominations for best actor .   Crowe appeared as the tobacco firm whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand in the 1999 film The Insider , for which he received five awards as best actor and seven nominations in the same category . In 2001 , Crowe 's portrayal of mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John F. Nash in the biopic A Beautiful Mind brought him numerous awards , including a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role .   Crowe 's other films include Romper Stomper ( 1992 ) , L.A. Confidential ( 1997 ) , Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World ( 2003 ) , Cinderella Man ( 2005 ) , American Gangster ( 2007 ) , State of Play ( 2009 ) , Robin Hood ( 2010 ) , Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , Man of Steel ( 2013 ) and Noah ( 2014 ) . Crowe 's work has earned him several accolades during his career and including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , three consecutive Academy Award nominations ( 1999 -- 2001 ) , one Golden Globe Award for Best Actor , one BAFTA , and an Academy Award . Crowe is also the co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs , an Australian National Rugby League team .


The Council on Foreign Relations is American.

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations ( CFR ) , founded in 1921 , is a United States nonprofit think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs . It is headquartered in New York City , with an additional office in Washington , D.C. Its membership , which numbers 4,900 , has included senior politicians , more than a dozen secretaries of state , CIA directors , bankers , lawyers , professors , and senior media figures . The CFR promotes globalization , free trade , reducing financial regulations on transnational corporations , and economic consolidation into regional blocs such as NAFTA or the European Union , and develops policy recommendations that reflect these goals .   The CFR meetings convene government officials , global business leaders and prominent members of the intelligence and foreign-policy community to discuss international issues . CFR publishes the bi-monthly journal Foreign Affairs , and runs the David Rockefeller Studies Program , which influences foreign policy by making recommendations to the presidential administration and diplomatic community , testifying before Congress , interacting with the media , and publishing on foreign policy issues .


Feels So Good (Mel B song) `` Feels So Good '' is a song by British recording artist Melanie B . It was written along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for her debut solo album Hot ( 2001 ) and released as the album 's second single on 19 February 2001 . In the United Kingdom , it peaked and debuted at number 5 , selling 55,000 copies in its first week and 140,331 altogether , thus becoming the 80th best seller of 2001 .


Arrested Development filmed partially in Los Angeles.

Marina del Rey, California Marina del Rey is an unincorporated seaside community and census-designated place ( CDP ) in Los Angeles County , California . A Westside locale , the population was 8,866 at the 2010 census . Fisherman 's Village offers a view of Marina del Rey 's dominant feature , the Marina , the world 's largest man-made small craft harbor with eight basins having a capacity for 5,300 boats and is home port to approximately 6,500 boats . The harbor , the Los Angeles Times said in 1997 , is `` perhaps the county 's most valuable resource '' .


Arrested Development (TV series) Arrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz , which originally aired on Fox for three seasons from November 2 , 2003 to February 10 , 2006 . A fourth season of 15 episodes was released on Netflix on May 26 , 2013 . The show follows the fictitious Bluth family , a formerly wealthy and habitually dysfunctional family . It is presented in a continuous format , incorporating handheld camera work and voice-over narration , as well as the use of occasional archival photos and historical footage . The show also utilizes several long-running `` Easter egg '' jokes throughout each season . Ron Howard serves as both an executive producer and the series ' uncredited narrator . Set in Newport Beach , California , Arrested Development was filmed primarily in Culver City and Marina del Rey .   After its debut in 2003 , the series received widespread critical acclaim , six Primetime Emmy Awards , and one Golden Globe Award , and has attracted a cult following , including several fan-based websites . In 2007 , Time listed the show among its `` All-TIME 100 TV Shows '' ; in 2008 , it was ranked 16th on Entertainment Weekly `` New TV Classics '' list . In 2011 , IGN named Arrested Development the `` funniest show of all time '' . Its humor has been cited as a key influence on later single-camera sitcoms such as 30 Rock and Community .   Despite critical acclaim , Arrested Development received low ratings and viewership on Fox , which canceled the series in 2006 . Rumors of an additional season and a feature film persisted until 2011 , when Netflix agreed to license new episodes and distribute them exclusively on its video streaming service . These episodes were later released in 2013 . Netflix has also commissioned a fifth season of Arrested Development which will premiere in 2018 .


Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County , California . The city was named after its founder , Harry Culver . As of the 2010 census , the city had a population of 38,883 . It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles , but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County . Over the years , it has annexed more than 40 pieces of adjoining land and now comprises about five square miles .   Since the 1920s , Culver City has been a center for motion picture and later television production , best known as the home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios . From 1932 to 1985 , it was the headquarters for the Hughes Aircraft Company . National Public Radio West and Sony Pictures Entertainment have headquarters in the city . The NFL Network studio is also based in Culver City .


John Hartford John Cowan Hartford ( December 30 , 1937 -- June 4 , 2001 ) was an American folk , country and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo , as well as for his witty lyrics , unique vocal style , and extensive knowledge of Mississippi River lore . His most successful song is `` Gentle on My Mind '' which won three Grammy Awards and was listed in `` BMI 's Top 100 Songs of the Century '' . Hartford performed with a variety of ensembles throughout his career , and is perhaps best known for his solo performances where he would interchange the guitar , banjo , and fiddle from song to song . He also invented his own shuffle tap dance move , and clogged on an amplified piece of plywood while he played and sang .


Gentle on My Mind (song) `` Gentle on My Mind '' is a song written by John Hartford , which won four 1968 Grammy Awards . Hartford himself won the award for Best Folk Performance and Best Country & Western Song ( Songwriter ) . The other two awards Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance , Male and Best Country & Western Recording , went to American country music singer Glen Campbell for his version of Hartford 's song . It was released in June 1967 as the only single from the album of the same name . It was re-released in July 1968 to more success . Glen Campbell 's version has received over 5 million plays on the radio . Campbell used `` Gentle on My Mind '' as the theme to his television variety show , The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour between 1969 and 1972 . Dean Martin 's version , recorded in 1968 , was a major hit in the United Kingdom ; three versions of the song , Campbell 's , Martin 's and Patti Page 's , all reached the top ten of the U.S. easy listening chart in 1968 . The song was ranked number 16 on BMI 's Top 100 Songs of the Century .


John Michael Higgins John Michael Higgins ( born February 12 , 1963 ) is an American actor and voice actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest 's mockumentaries , the role of David Letterman in HBO 's The Late Shift , and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim . He portrayed Peter Lovett in the TV Land original sitcom Happily Divorced , and provided the voice of Iknik Blackstone Varrick in The Legend of Korra . He currently stars in the NBC sitcom Great News as Chuck Pierce .


Pitch Perfect 3 Pitch Perfect 3 is an upcoming American musical comedy film directed by Trish Sie and written by Kay Cannon , Mike White , and Dana Fox . A sequel to 2015 's Pitch Perfect 2 and the third installment in the Pitch Perfect series , the film will star Anna Kendrick , Anna Camp , Rebel Wilson , Brittany Snow , Hailee Steinfeld , Alexis Knapp , Ester Dean , Hana Mae Lee , Chrissie Fit , Kelley Jakle , and Shelley Regner as the Bellas and Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins . The film is scheduled to be released on December 22 , 2017 .


X-Men: Days of Future Past is a film based on comics.

X-Men: Days of Future Past X-Men : Days of Future Past is a 2014 American superhero film based on the fictional X-Men characters that appear in Marvel Comics . Directed by Bryan Singer , it is the seventh installment of the X-Men film series and acts as a sequel to both 2006 's X-Men : The Last Stand and 2011 's X-Men : First Class . The story , inspired by the 1981 Uncanny X-Men storyline `` Days of Future Past '' by Chris Claremont and John Byrne , focuses on two time periods , with Wolverine traveling back in time to 1973 to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants . The film features an ensemble cast , including Hugh Jackman , James McAvoy , Michael Fassbender , Jennifer Lawrence , Halle Berry , Anna Paquin , Ellen Page , Peter Dinklage , Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart . Simon Kinberg wrote the screenplay from a story conceived by Jane Goldman , himself , and Matthew Vaughn .   Vaughn had directed First Class and was set to return in Days of Future Past before leaving for Kingsman : The Secret Service . Thus Singer , who had directed the first two X-Men films , made his return as a director , and brought along most of the crew from those productions . With a budget of $ 200 million , principal photography began in Montreal , Quebec in April 2013 and concluded in August the same year , with additional filming and pick-ups taking place in November 2013 and February 2014 . Twelve companies handled the visual effects .   X-Men : Days of Future Past premiered in New York City on May 10 , 2014 , and was theatrically released on May 23 . It became the best-reviewed film in the X-Men film series released thus far ( surpassed only by Logan in 2017 ) , being praised for its story , visual effects , action scenes , acting and thematic elements . During its theatrical run , the film earned over $ 747 million worldwide , making it the 6th highest grossing film of 2014 , as well as the second highest-grossing film in the series behind Deadpool . The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects , making it the first X-Men film to be nominated for an Oscar . A sequel , X-Men : Apocalypse , was released on May 27 , 2016 .


Ministate A ministate or microstate is a sovereign state having a very small population or very small land area , and usually both . As the meaning of neither `` state '' nor `` very small '' is well-defined in international law , 2010 's attempts to define microstates focus on identifying political entities with unique qualitative features linked to their geographic or demographic limitations . According to a qualitative definition , microstates are : `` modern protected states , i.e. sovereign states that have been able to unilaterally depute certain attributes of sovereignty to larger powers in exchange for benign protection of their political and economic viability against their geographic or demographic constraints . '' In line with this and most other definitions the examples of microstates include : Liechtenstein , Monaco , San Marino , Andorra , the Cook Islands , Niue and the Federated States of Micronesia .   The smallest political unit recognized as a sovereign state is Vatican City , with 842 citizens as of July 2013 and an area of only 44 ha . However , some scholars dispute qualifying the Vatican as a state arguing that it does not meet the `` traditional criteria of statehood '' and that the `` special status of the Vatican City is probably best regarded as a means of ensuring that the Pope can freely exercise his spiritual functions , and in this respect is loosely analogous to that of the headquarters of international organisations . ''   Microstates are distinct from micronations , which are not recognized as sovereign states . Special territories without full sovereignty , such as the British Crown Dependencies , the Chinese Special Administrative Regions and overseas territories of Denmark , France , the Netherlands , Australia , Norway and the United Kingdom , are also not considered microstates .


Ken Russell was only involved with a film based upon The Who's 1969 album Who's Next.

Women in Love (film) Women in Love is a 1969 British romantic drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Alan Bates , Oliver Reed , Glenda Jackson , and Jennie Linden . The film was adapted by Larry Kramer from D. H. Lawrence 's novel of the same name .   The plot follows the relationships between two sisters and two men in a mining town in post First World War England . The two couples take markedly different directions . The film explores the nature of commitment and love .   The film was nominated for four Academy Awards : Best Cinematography , Best Director and Best Writing , Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium . Jackson won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role , as well as a slew of critics ' honours .


Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred `` Ken '' Russell ( 3 July 1927 -- 27 November 2011 ) was an English film director , known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style . Critics have accused him of being obsessed with sexuality and the Roman Catholic Church . His films in the main were liberal adaptations of existing texts , or biographies , notably of composers of the Romantic era . Russell began directing for the BBC , where he made creative adaptations of composers ' lives which were unusual for the time . He also directed many feature films independently and for studios .   He is best known for his Oscar-winning films Women in Love ( 1969 ) , The Devils ( 1971 ) , The Who 's Tommy ( 1975 ) , and the science fiction film Altered States ( 1980 ) . Russell also directed several films based on the lives of classical music composers , such as Elgar , Delius , Tchaikovsky , Mahler , and Liszt .   Film critic Mark Kermode , speaking in 2006 , and attempting to sum up the director 's achievement , called Russell , `` somebody who proved that British cinema did n't have to be about kitchen-sink realism -- it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini . Later in his life he turned to making low-budget experimental films such as Lion 's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man , and they are as edgy and ` out there ' as ever '' .   Ken Russell died of natural causes on 27 November 2011 at the age of 84 .


The Economic Times was first published in 1970.

The Economic Times The Economic Times is an English-language , Indian daily newspaper published by the Bennett , Coleman & Co. Ltd. . First published in 1961 , it is the world 's second-most widely read English-language business newspaper , after the Wall Street Journal , with a readership of over 800,000 . The Economic Times is published simultaneously from 12 cities -- Mumbai , Bangalore , Delhi , Chennai , Kolkata , Lucknow , Hyderabad , Jaipur , Ahmedabad , Nagpur , Chandigarh , and Pune .   The Economic Times is headquartered in Mumbai at The Times of India building . Its main content is based on the Indian economy , international finance , share prices , prices of commodities as well as other matters related to finance . The founder - editor of the paper when it was launched in 1961 was P.S. Hariharan . The current editor of The Economic Times is Bodhisattva Ganguli .   Like the London-based Financial Times , The Economic Times is printed on salmon pink paper . It is sold in all major cities in India . In June 2009 , it launched a television channel called ET Now .


Abraham Lincoln promoted rapid economic modernization.

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .


Helen Mirren has performed on Broadway and in the West End.

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Lydia Mirren ( née Mironoff ; born 26 July 1945 ) is an English actor . Mirren began her acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967 , and is one of the few performers who have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting , having won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2007 , after two previous nominations , for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen . She received an Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2013 for her West End performance in The Audience , in which she also portrayed Elizabeth II , and in 2015 she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her Broadway performance in the play . The Audience was written by Peter Morgan , who also wrote The Queen . Mirren won three consecutive BAFTA Awards for Best Actress between 1992 and 1994 and her first of several Emmy Awards in 1996 for her performance as police detective Jane Tennison on the British television series Prime Suspect , which ran for seven seasons between 1991 and 2006 .   Some of her other notable film roles include Marcella in the 1984 film Cal , for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress , 2010 ( 1984 ) , The Cook , the Thief , His Wife & Her Lover ( 1989 ) , The Madness of King George ( 1994 ) , Teaching Mrs. Tingle ( 1999 ) , Gosford Park ( 2001 ) , Calendar Girls ( 2003 ) , The Last Station ( 2009 ) , Hitchcock ( 2012 ) , and The Hundred-Foot Journey ( 2014 ) . She played Victoria Winslow in the action-comedy films Red and Red 2 .   In 2003 , she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( DBE ) for Services to the Performing Arts . In 2013 , Mirren was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , and in 2014 , BAFTA announced that Mirren would be the recipient of the Academy Fellowship .


Three Days of the Condor stars Robert Redford.

Three Days of the Condor Three Days of the Condor ( stylized on the poster art as 3 Days of the Condor ) is a 1975 American political thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford , Faye Dunaway , Cliff Robertson , and Max von Sydow . The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel was adapted from the 1974 novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady . The main point of variance from novel to film lies in the presentation of the CIA . In Grady 's book , a rogue element within the Agency is motivated by drug-running greed . In the film , the same individuals act with equal ruthlessness to hide a project intended to protect long-term national interests .   Set mainly in New York City and Washington , D.C. , the film is about a bookish CIA researcher who comes back from lunch , discovers all his co-workers shot dead , and tries to outwit those responsible until he figures out whom he can really trust . The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing . Semple and Rayfiel received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay .


George Clooney George Timothy Clooney ( born May 6 , 1961 ) is an American actor , filmmaker , activist and philanthropist . He has received three Golden Globe Awards for his work as an actor and two Academy Awards , one for acting in Syriana ( 2006 ) and the other for co-producing Argo ( 2012 ) .   Clooney made his acting debut on television in 1978 , and later gained wide recognition in his role as Dr. Doug Ross on the long-running medical drama ER from 1994 to 1999 , for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations . While working on ER , he began attracting a variety of leading roles in films , including the superhero film Batman & Robin ( 1997 ) and the crime comedy Out of Sight ( 1998 ) , in which he first worked with director Steven Soderbergh , who would become a long-time collaborator . In 1999 , he took the lead role in Three Kings , a well-received war satire set during the Gulf War .   In 2001 , Clooney 's fame widened with the release of his biggest commercial success , the heist comedy remake Ocean 's Eleven , the first of what became a trilogy starring Clooney . He made his directorial debut a year later with the biographical spy comedy Confessions of a Dangerous Mind , and has since directed the historical drama Good Night , and Good Luck ( 2005 ) , the sports comedy Leatherheads ( 2008 ) , the political drama The Ides of March ( 2011 ) , and the war film The Monuments Men ( 2014 ) .   Clooney won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the Middle East thriller Syriana ( 2005 ) , and subsequently earned Best Actor nominations for the legal thriller Michael Clayton ( 2007 ) and the comedy-dramas Up in the Air ( 2009 ) and The Descendants ( 2011 ) . In 2013 , he received the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing the political thriller Argo . He is the only person who has been nominated for Academy Awards in six different categories .   In 2009 , Clooney was included in Time annual Time 100 as one of the `` Most Influential People in the World '' . He is also noted for his political and economic activism , and has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since January 31 , 2008 . His humanitarian work includes his advocacy of finding a resolution for the Darfur conflict , raising funds for the 2010 Haiti earthquake , Armenian Genocide recognition , 2004 tsunami , and 9/11 victims , and creating documentaries such as Sand and Sorrow to raise awareness about international crises . He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations .


Richard Gere starred in a film that was created in 1996.

Primal Fear (film) Primal Fear is a 1996 American neo-noir crime-thriller film , based on William Diehl 's 1993 novel of the same name and directed by Gregory Hoblit .   The film tells the story of a Chicago defense attorney who believes his altar boy client is not guilty of murdering an influential Catholic Archbishop .   Primal Fear was a box office success and earned mostly positive reviews , with Edward Norton making a strong showing in his film debut . He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture .


Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( -LSB- ˈɡɪər -RSB- ; born August 31 , 1949 ) is an American actor and humanitarian activist . He began acting in the 1970s , playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar and a starring role in Days of Heaven . He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo , which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol . He went on to star in several hit films , including An Officer and a Gentleman , Pretty Woman , Primal Fear , Runaway Bride , Arbitrage and Chicago , for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award for part of the Best Cast .


Sammy Cahn Sammy Cahn ( June 18 , 1913 -- January 15 , 1993 ) was an American lyricist , songwriter and musician . He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs , as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area . He and his collaborators had a series of hit recordings with Frank Sinatra during the singer 's tenure at Capitol Records , but also enjoyed hits with Dean Martin , Doris Day and many others . He played the piano and violin . He won the Academy Award four times for his songs , including the popular song `` Three Coins in the Fountain '' .   Among his most enduring songs is `` Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! '' , cowritten with Jule Styne in 1945 .


Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. ( December 24 , 1905 -- April 5 , 1976 ) was an American businessman , investor , pilot , film director , and philanthropist , known during his lifetime as one of the most financially successful individuals in the world . He first made a name for himself as a film producer , and then became an influential figure in the aviation industry . Later in life , he became known for his eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle -- oddities that were caused in part by a worsening obsessive -- compulsive disorder ( OCD ) and chronic pain from a plane crash .   As a maverick film tycoon , Hughes gained prominence in Hollywood beginning in the late 1920s , when he produced big-budget and often controversial films like The Racket ( 1928 ) , Hell 's Angels ( 1930 ) , and Scarface ( 1932 ) . Later he controlled the RKO film studio .   Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932 , hiring numerous engineers and designers . He spent the rest of the 1930s setting multiple world air speed records and building the Hughes H-1 Racer and H-4 Hercules ( the `` Spruce Goose '' ) . He acquired and expanded Trans World Airlines and later acquired Air West , renaming it Hughes Airwest . Hughes was included in Flying Magazine 's list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation , ranked at 25 . Today , his legacy is maintained through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute .


Scarface (1932 film) Scarface ( also known as Scarface : The Shame of the Nation and The Shame of a Nation ) is a 1932 American pre-Code gangster film starring Paul Muni as Antonio `` Tony '' Camonte . It was produced by Howard Hughes and Howard Hawks , directed by Hawks , and Richard Rosson . The story is based on Armitage Trail 's 1929 novel of the same name , which is loosely based on the rise and fall of Al Capone . The film features Ann Dvorak as Camonte 's sister , and also stars Karen Morley , Osgood Perkins , and Boris Karloff . The plot centers on gang warfare and police intervention when rival gangs fight over control of Chicago . A version of the Saint Valentine 's Day Massacre is also depicted .   The film was the basis for the Brian De Palma 1983 film of the same name starring Al Pacino .


ITV (TV network) ITV is a commercial TV network in the United Kingdom . Launched in 1955 as Independent Television under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority ( ITA , then after the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 , Independent Broadcasting Authority , now Ofcom ) to provide competition to the long established BBC , it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK . Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990 its legal name has been Channel 3 , to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time , namely BBC 1 , BBC 2 and Channel 4 . In part , the number 3 was assigned as television sets would usually be tuned so that the regional ITV station would be on the third button , with the other stations being allocated to the number within their name .   ITV is a network of television channels that operate regional television services as well as sharing programmes between each other to be displayed on the entire network . In recent years , several of these companies have merged so currently the fifteen franchises are in the hands of two companies .   The ITV network is to be distinguished from ITV plc , the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004 and which holds the Channel 3 broadcasting licences in England , Wales , southern Scotland , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland . With the exception of Northern Ireland , the ITV brand is the brand used by ITV plc for the Channel 3 service in these areas . In Northern Ireland , ITV plc uses the brand name UTV . STV Group plc , uses the STV brand for its two franchises of central and northern Scotland .


ITV HD ITV HD is a British free-to-air high-definition television channel operated by ITV plc , the company which is contracted to provide 11 ITV services across the UK . ITV HD is available to view in England , Wales and the Scottish Borders on Freesat via channel 111 , Freeview channel 103 , Sky channel 178 , Virgin Media channel 113 and in Switzerland on SwisscomTV .   From 2 April 2010 , ITV HD became a standard channel available on all digital platforms .


STV (TV channel) STV is a television channel serving the majority of Scotland . It operates the two Channel 3 Network licenses in northern and central Scotland , formerly known as Grampian Television ( now legally STV North ) and Scottish Television ( now legally STV Central ) . The brand was adopted on Tuesday 30 May 2006 replacing both franchises ' identities .   In 2013 , STV won licences to launch local TV channels in Glasgow and Edinburgh . STV Glasgow launched on 2 June 2014 , with STV Edinburgh following on 12 January 2015 . From 24 April 2017 , the city channels were rebranded as `` STV2 '' and are now operated in combination with new franchises centred on Aberdeen , Dundee and Ayr .


The X Factor (UK series 7) The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent . The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010 . The winner was Matt Cardle and his debut single `` When We Collide '' was released after the final . Cardle was mentored throughout by Dannii Minogue , who won as mentor for the second time . A total of 15,448,019 votes were cast throughout the series . It was presented by Dermot O'Leary , with spin-off show The Xtra Factor presented by Konnie Huq on ITV2 , who took over from Holly Willoughby .   The competition was split into several stages : auditions , bootcamp , judges ' houses and live shows . Auditions took place throughout June and July 2010 , with Simon Cowell , Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole returning as judges . Minogue missed the auditions and bootcamp due to being on maternity leave , so Geri Halliwell , Natalie Imbruglia , Katy Perry , Pixie Lott and Nicole Scherzinger were brought in as guest judges . Cole missed the auditions in Manchester and bootcamp because she had malaria . Following bootcamp , successful acts were split into four categories : Boys ( male soloists aged 16 to 28 ) , Girls ( female soloists aged 16 to 28 ) , Over 28s ( soloists aged 29 and over ) and Groups . Minogue and Cole returned for the judges ' houses stage , and each judge mentored eight acts through judges ' houses . The live shows started on 9 October 2010 . Four acts eliminated at judges ' houses were brought back as wildcards , making this the first series to have 16 acts perform in the live shows .   This was the first series of the show to be filmed in high definition , and was simulcast on ITV1 HD and STV HD . From October , The Xtra Factor was also shown in high definition , simulcast on the new channel ITV2 HD . It was sponsored by TalkTalk in the United Kingdom and Dominos Pizza in Ireland .   This series proved to be highly controversial , with many people complaining about the use of pitch correction software on the broadcast of contestants ' auditions , the decision to form two groups out of rejected soloists , the rejection of popular contestant Gamu Nhengu at judges ' houses and Cole 's failure to vote to eliminate an act in week 5 of the live shows . Controversy also surrounded contestants Shirlena Johnson , who was axed over fears for her mental health , and Treyc Cohen , who was reported to already have a record deal when the live shows started . There were also accusations of fixing , which were denied by the show 's producers . It was the most watched series to date , with an average of 14.13 million viewers per episode . The final was watched by 17.71 million people , making it the highest rated television episode of 2010 in the UK .


The X Factor (UK TV series) The X Factor is a British reality television music competition to find new singing talent . The contestants are aspiring singers drawn from public auditions . Created by Simon Cowell , the show began in 2004 and has since aired annually from August/September until December . The show is produced by FremantleMedia 's Thames ( previously Talkback Thames ) and Cowell 's production company Syco TV . It is broadcast on the ITV network in the UK and simulcast on TV3 in Ireland . `` X Factor '' refers to the undefinable `` something '' that makes for star quality . The series consists of auditions , bootcamp , judges ' houses , several weeks of live shows , semi-finals and the final . The series had a spin-off behind-the-scenes show called The Xtra Factor , which aired directly after the main show on ITV2 . This lasted from series 1 until series 13 when it was cancelled by ITV in January 2017 .   The original judging panel consisted of Louis Walsh , Sharon Osbourne and Cowell . In 2005 Paula Abdul joined the show as a guest judge whilst Osbourne was away then joined the panel in 2006 for three sets of auditions . Brian Friedman replaced Walsh in series 4 , which also saw Dannii Minogue join the panel . Friedman left during the auditions and Walsh replaced Friedman . Cheryl Cole replaced Osbourne in series 5 . Gary Barlow , Kelly Rowland and Tulisa joined the panel in series 8 as replacements for Cowell , Minogue , and Cole . Rowland left before series 9 and was replaced by Nicole Scherzinger . Osbourne returned to the panel in series 10 , replacing Tulisa . Cowell and Cole ( now Fernandez-Versini ) returned to replace Barlow and Osbourne in series 11 , while Mel B replaced Scherzinger . In series 12 , Mel B and Walsh were replaced by Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw . In series 13 , Walsh , Osbourne and Scherzinger returned , replacing Grimshaw , Fernandez-Versini and Ora . The first three series were presented by Kate Thornton , then from the fourth to 11th series , the show was presented by Dermot O'Leary , he then returned from the 13th series . In series 12 , the show was presented by Caroline Flack and Olly Murs . Also , in series 10 , Flack served as a backstage presenter during the Saturday night live shows . Roman Kemp will begin serving as the digital presenter of the show in series 13 . The show is split into different stages , following the contestants from auditions through to the final . In the original televised audition stage of the show , contestants sang in an audition room in front of just the judges , but from the sixth series onwards , auditionees sing on a stage in front of the judges and a live audience . In series 10 and 11 , both auditions formats were used . In series 12 , the room auditions were scrapped , leaving just the arena auditions . The room auditions were revived in series 13 , and no arena auditions followed . Successful auditionees go through to `` bootcamp '' and then to `` judges ' houses '' , where judges narrow down the acts in their category down to three or four acts to mentor for the live shows , where the public vote for their favourite acts following weekly live performances by the contestants .   There have been 13 winners of the show to date : Steve Brookstein , Shayne Ward , Leona Lewis , Leon Jackson , Alexandra Burke , Joe McElderry , Matt Cardle , Little Mix , James Arthur , Sam Bailey , Ben Haenow , Louisa Johnson and Matt Terry . Winners receive a recording contract with record label Syco Music with a stated value of # 1 million . This includes a cash payment to the winner , but the majority is allocated to marketing and recording costs . From 2004 to 2010 , and again in 2013 and 2014 , the winning contestant 's single was released in time for the end-of-year chart battle for the UK 's Christmas number one , with all of them ( bar McElderry in 2009 and Terry in 2016 ) reaching the top spot . As of November 2016 , 41 number-one singles have been achieved by artists who have appeared on the show , such as Lewis , Burke , JLS , Olly Murs , Cher Lloyd , One Direction and Little Mix .   The show is the originator of the international The X Factor franchise . A prominent show in British popular culture , The X Factor has proved hugely popular with the public . The sixth series attracted 200,000 auditionees and peaked at 19.7 million UK viewers ( a 63.2 % audience share ) . More than 10 million votes were cast in the sixth series final .