Lights!
When filming the night scenes in the 1923 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, every available light in Hollywood was used.
Every afternoon, trucks would depart from Universal Studios and make the rounds of the other film studios and rental facilities to collect every light that wasn't being used. As the sun cam up the following morning, the trucks were loaded up again and the lights returned to their respective studios. This exercise was repeated for two months.
The scene in which the gypsies storm Notre Dame to save Esmerelda, even today, still holds the record for using the greatest number of electricians, lights and cable in any single scene in a production. They used 52 sunlight arcs, 21 GE spots, 30 120 Ampere spots, 47 overheads and 259 Winfields, whilst 230 electricians manned seven generators and five miles of cable.
Every afternoon, trucks would depart from Universal Studios and make the rounds of the other film studios and rental facilities to collect every light that wasn't being used. As the sun cam up the following morning, the trucks were loaded up again and the lights returned to their respective studios. This exercise was repeated for two months.
The scene in which the gypsies storm Notre Dame to save Esmerelda, even today, still holds the record for using the greatest number of electricians, lights and cable in any single scene in a production. They used 52 sunlight arcs, 21 GE spots, 30 120 Ampere spots, 47 overheads and 259 Winfields, whilst 230 electricians manned seven generators and five miles of cable.
Late-breaking News From Fairyland...
In the early hours of this morning, a possible drive-by incident took place in Fairyland, involving that jolly good egg, and bon viveur, H. Dumpty Esq. A witness at the scene said, "He was just sitting on the wall, you know, minding his own business, and he just fell off the wall. You know, he just fell to the ground and broke into millions of little pieces. Oh, it was brutal. I mean, there was yolk everywhere. It was sickening. I don't think it was an accident, if you know what I mean!"
By all accounts it was a terrible sight. All the King's Horses and All the King's Men emergency paramedics were on the scene immediately, but there was nothing they could do to put Humpty Dumpty together again. A spokesman for ATKHATKM said, "Ah, he was just totally scrambled by the time we got there. We tried to put him back together again and administered seasoning at the scene. We also gave him an albumen transplant, but it was too late. The sidewalk was so hot, he'd already started to cook. It was one of the worst scenes I've ever attended in all my years in this job."
By all accounts it was a terrible sight. All the King's Horses and All the King's Men emergency paramedics were on the scene immediately, but there was nothing they could do to put Humpty Dumpty together again. A spokesman for ATKHATKM said, "Ah, he was just totally scrambled by the time we got there. We tried to put him back together again and administered seasoning at the scene. We also gave him an albumen transplant, but it was too late. The sidewalk was so hot, he'd already started to cook. It was one of the worst scenes I've ever attended in all my years in this job."
Rhyming Slang
The nursery rhyme "Georgie Porgie" is actually about the rather rotund, and eminently stupid, son of George III, George IV. Neither he, nor his brother William were the sharpest knives in the box, in fact they probably weren't even in the box, they were most likely just left lying around on the side, waiting to be sharpened. It was, essentially, down to their lax behaviour and low moral fibre that, when their niece Victoria ascended to the throne she found herself in charge of a country that was in an extremely bad way and sorely in need of leadership.
Must Visit Website!
For movie buffs everywhere - even if you just want to while away a few minutes, but not while you're at work, obviously - here is the most useless pastime ever.
It is based on the theory that actor Kevin Bacon can be linked to any other actor in six steps or less. I tried some real obscure people in this and believe me, it is hideously difficult to find anyone who has a Bacon number of more than 3.
I tried the most obscure actor I could think of, Murdock MacQuarrie - a silent movie actor from the 'teens - and he had a Bacon factor of 3! There are some who have Bacon numbers of 7 or 8 but I have yet to find them.
Try it, it will drive you mad! Oracle of Bacon.
It is based on the theory that actor Kevin Bacon can be linked to any other actor in six steps or less. I tried some real obscure people in this and believe me, it is hideously difficult to find anyone who has a Bacon number of more than 3.
I tried the most obscure actor I could think of, Murdock MacQuarrie - a silent movie actor from the 'teens - and he had a Bacon factor of 3! There are some who have Bacon numbers of 7 or 8 but I have yet to find them.
Try it, it will drive you mad! Oracle of Bacon.
More Late-breaking News From Fairyland...
The trial of Hansel and Gretel, jointly accused of Murder in the First Degree of The Old Witch, starts today in the Fairyland courthouse. The charges against them range from malicious damage of private property, to the alleged murder and subsequent disposal of the body of the Old Witch. The case was brought to the attention of The Queen of Hearts when neighbours raised the alarm after the Old Witch hadn't been seen for several days. When the White Knight investigated the scene of the alleged crime, no trace could be found of the owner of The Gingerbread House.
Their defence lawyer, S. Simon, in this morning's press conference, said, "Put your hands in the air." The council for the prosecution, L. Jack Horner, sat in a corner and refused to comment. Prosecution witnesses are believed to include Miss B Peep, B.B. Blacksheep, and the little boy who lived down the lane. Presiding over the case will be the Hookah-smoking Caterpillar. The case is expected to continue until the cow jumps over the moon.
Their defence lawyer, S. Simon, in this morning's press conference, said, "Put your hands in the air." The council for the prosecution, L. Jack Horner, sat in a corner and refused to comment. Prosecution witnesses are believed to include Miss B Peep, B.B. Blacksheep, and the little boy who lived down the lane. Presiding over the case will be the Hookah-smoking Caterpillar. The case is expected to continue until the cow jumps over the moon.
Imperialism
The imperial system of weights and measures is actually far more sensible than the metric system. Firstly, mathematically, the imperial system based on twelfths is much more easily broken down into halves, quarters or thirds whereas a metric system cannot.
Secondly, imperial measures were a natural evolution from measurements that were useful to man, the metric system was entirely artificial.
Napoleon decreed, in his rather finite wisdom, that the metre should be defined as one ten millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, on a line running through Paris. Unfortunately, the ffrenchies got the measurement wrong and didn't allow for the fact that the earth is egg-shaped and changing its size all of the time. So, basically, the metre, and everything based on it is, essentially meaningless. Screw you, Pierre!
Secondly, imperial measures were a natural evolution from measurements that were useful to man, the metric system was entirely artificial.
Napoleon decreed, in his rather finite wisdom, that the metre should be defined as one ten millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, on a line running through Paris. Unfortunately, the ffrenchies got the measurement wrong and didn't allow for the fact that the earth is egg-shaped and changing its size all of the time. So, basically, the metre, and everything based on it is, essentially meaningless. Screw you, Pierre!
And, Finally, From Fairyland...
PC Plod and his crack squad of elves, pixies and hobgoblins carried out a dawn raid at a cottage in Fairyland Forest this morning, following a tip-off from an unnamed Wicked Queen. The information presented to PC Plod had led him to believe that a house of ill-repute was being operated within the borders of Fairyland Forest and Operation Snow White was given the green light.
When the squad arrived at the premises, said an insider, "There were loads o' laughin' an' shoutin', all the lights was on and there were loud music an' singin'. It could only a bin some kinda devil-worshipin' thing goin' on, if y'ask me. They musta bin on drugs doin' that cokycola, ah reckon, or smokin' herons. I mean seven PORGs livin' in the same house an a perty young wench, t'aint natcherel! An they was singin 'i-o, i-o, i-o', it's obvious it were a song about doin' drugs an' gettin' igh, innit?"
Seven PORGs are helping PC Plod with his enquiries but they are likely to be released later today as long as they promise to be good and not be bad, ever, ever again. An, as yet, unnamed beautiful princess was arrested after a large pot of broth was found on the stove. It is understood that she is to be charged with running a brothel.
When the squad arrived at the premises, said an insider, "There were loads o' laughin' an' shoutin', all the lights was on and there were loud music an' singin'. It could only a bin some kinda devil-worshipin' thing goin' on, if y'ask me. They musta bin on drugs doin' that cokycola, ah reckon, or smokin' herons. I mean seven PORGs livin' in the same house an a perty young wench, t'aint natcherel! An they was singin 'i-o, i-o, i-o', it's obvious it were a song about doin' drugs an' gettin' igh, innit?"
Seven PORGs are helping PC Plod with his enquiries but they are likely to be released later today as long as they promise to be good and not be bad, ever, ever again. An, as yet, unnamed beautiful princess was arrested after a large pot of broth was found on the stove. It is understood that she is to be charged with running a brothel.