David Lean

If David Lean was alive today he would be celebrating 100!

He started his film career from the bottom as a clap board assistant, and work his way up. in the 1930 he was working on news reels and and his career in film began in 1935 with “Escape Me Never”

He edited countless films since then among others Pygmalian (Bernard Shaw play) in 1938 and “A Passage to India” (1984) which he chose to both direct and edit, and was nominated for Academy Awards for the directing editing and writing of the film.

Among the well known movies he directed are Dr Ziavago and Oliver Twist (He directed many more of course)

The public seemed to love his movies and “Dr Ziavago” “Lawrence of Arabia” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, which are among the largest grossing films ever seem to prove that  point.

This admiration was not all across the board and a lot of the critics had nothing good to say about his film making.(I guess you can’t win them all - and the longevity of his work speaks for itself.

His Centenial is being marked in numerous ways - to find out more details  From the Cheap Seats

Finally, to get a taste of what David Lean was about - here is the trailer for Oliver Twist.

Oliver Twist Trailer

April 16th was Chaplins Birthday. I am of course a Little late, but better late than never!

He would have been 115 years old if he was still alive.

At growabrain I found some really cool Chaplin links like this one: Charlie Chaplin lost a look-a-like contest

and others. It is worth going over to growabrain to check them out.