Latest news with #TheGraduate
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Monty Python's Eric Idle says he's had a 'reprieve' after cancer
Eric Idles was among the comedic geniuses behind the revolutionary sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus Actor and comedian Eric Idle has expressed gratitude for 'every single day' after overcoming pancreatic cancer. The Monty Python star, 82, received an early diagnosis in 2019 and was successfully treated for the illness. Now, in a heartfelt 'Letter To My Younger Self' for the Big Issue, he's once again reflected on the ordeal. "I miss a lot of people. Great people like Mike Nichols [director of The Graduate]," he wrote. "I will find myself thinking of a funny line and thinking, you must tell Mike that. Or Jonathan Miller [a British public thinker and former comedian]. So many of my heroes have gone, like Robin Williams. I still kind of occasionally speak to Billy Connolly, but I really miss him. "You've got to find other people, you know, because there are still other funny people you can have dinner with or play guitar with. I got lucky, because I had to, I survived pancreatic cancer. So I feel that since 2019 I've had a reprieve. So I don't know or care what people say about me, I'm lucky every single day." Eric also looked back on some of the challenges in financing Monty Python's Life Of Brian, a film whose creators received assistance from Beatles icon George Harrison. He said: "For a while we had no money. (Media impresario) Lew Grade read it and just went nuts. He said, 'We can't possibly make this'. I went to America to find money. "I had been talking to George Harrison, who was a huge fan, and he said, 'I'll phone you in the morning, don't worry'. And I thought, well, nobody's got four and a half million dollars. "But finally, when everybody turned us down, there was a call from him saying, 'I've got you the money'. He had mortgaged his house and his business and raised the cash and put it all on a Python film. The most extraordinary thing to do." Eric, alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Sir Michael Palin, were the comedic geniuses behind the revolutionary sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus. The series was a massive success, with 45 episodes produced from 1969 to 1974. It also gave rise to five films, including the 1975 classic 'The Holy Grail', which later inspired the hit musical 'Spamalot', penned by Eric himself. For more insights, catch the full interview with Eric Idle in the Big Issue, available now.
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: A brutal start seals Dodgers' loss to Brewers
From Jack Harris: Yoshinobu Yamamoto was one pitch away from a clean first inning Monday night. Instead, it devolved into a sudden, unstoppable nightmare. In the shortest start of his MLB career, and in an outing that somehow rivaled his disastrous debut in the majors last March in South Korea, Yamamoto missed one chance after the next to escape the bottom of the first against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field — an inning which poor defense, questionable pitch calling and bad batted ball luck all also contributed to his 41-pitch collapse. By the time it was all over, the Brewers were leading by five runs, manager Dave Roberts was summoning a reliever just two outs into the game, and the Dodgers were well on their way to a fourth consecutive defeat, never coming close to a comeback in a 9-1 loss to open a six-game road trip. 'This is a time,' Roberts said afterward, as the Dodgers matched their longest losing streak of the season, 'for us to kind of look at ourselves and be better.' Continue reading here Clayton Kershaw grateful for 'weird but cool' All-Star selection as 'Legend Pick' 'Really impressed.' Shohei Ohtani's return to two-way role going (mostly) well a month in Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings From Bill Shaikin: What would a baseball team in Los Angeles want from a retired artist and designer in New York? Janet Bennett wasn't sure. Generations of Angelenos are familiar with her signature project. You probably have walked right past it. Those colorful tile mosaics that decorate the long corridors toward baggage claim in five terminals at Los Angeles International Airport? She designed them. You might have seen them in the movies or on television: 'Airplane!,' 'Mad Men' and 'The Graduate,' just for starters. You might have memorized the trivia: When you passed the red tiles, you were halfway down the corridor. 'Red means halfway' was shorthand for locals in the know, just like 'E Ticket' or 'the #19 sandwich.' 'It just says L.A. in so many ways,' said Janet Marie Smith, the Dodgers' executive vice president of planning and development. The Dodgers wanted to get in touch with Bennett because they were about to install a similar tile wall at Dodger Stadium. Smith could not find Bennett, but she reached out to someone who had liked an article about Bennett that had been posted on LinkedIn. Same last name, same spelling. Smith crossed her fingers. Continue reading here From Benjamin Royer: Travis d'Arnaud knows Jacob deGrom better than any other catcher in baseball. He caught the hard-throwing right-hander 60 times when they played together with the New York Mets, the most frequent backstop the former Cy Young Award winner has thrown to in his career. That familiarity did d'Arnaud and the Angels well en route to their 6-5 victory over the Rangers (44-47) on Monday night, in which Nolan Schanuel walked off their American League West foes in the ninth inning by drawing a bases-loaded, RBI walk. The veteran catcher ambushed deGrom in the second inning for a two-run home run, just hitting the ball hard enough — 97.4 mph — over the left-field wall. D'Arnaud's home run broke deGrom's Rangers franchise-record streak of 14 consecutive starts with two or fewer runs given up — and provided the Angels (44-46) with an early 3-2 lead. 'Getting lucky to hit a homer against any Cy Young winner is really special,' said d'Arnaud, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Broderick Turner: The Clippers got size and youth when they acquired John Collins from the Utah Jazz on Monday, but the team lost quality shooting and veteran leadership when it sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat as part of a three-team, four-player trade. The Clippers also will send a 2027 second-round pick to the Jazz and the Heat will send Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to the Jazz as part of the deal for L.A. to get Collins. 'Sad to trade Norm and extremely excited to add John,' Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said during a videoconference with reporters. 'Norm has been a huge part of our basketball team for the past three-and-a-half years. … But this was an opportunity for us to address a different position, different skill set where we felt we needed reinforcement. John is someone we targeted the past couple of years and we feel really, really fortunate that we were able to obtain him at this time.' Continue reading here 1889 — John L. Sullivan defeats Jake Kilrain in the 75th round in Richburg, Miss., for the U.S. heavyweight championship. It's the last bare-knuckle boxing match before the Marquis of Queensbury rules are introduced. 1922 — Suzanne Lenglen beats Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, 6-2, 6-0 for her fourth straight singles title at Wimbledon. 1939 — Bobby Riggs beats Elwood Cooke in five sets to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon. 1941 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hits a three-run, two-out homer in the ninth inning to give the American League a dramatic 7-5 victory in the All-Star game at Detroit's Briggs Stadium. 1955 — Peter Thomson wins his second consecutive British Open finishing two strokes ahead of John Fallon. Thomson shoots a 7-under 281 at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. 1967 — Billie Jean King sweeps three titles at Wimbledon. King beats Ann Hayden Jones 6-3, 6-4, for the singles title; teams with Rosie Casals for the women's doubles title, and pairs with Owen Davidson for the mixed doubles title. 1978 — Bjorn Borg beats Jimmy Connors, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to win his third straight men's title at Wimbledon. 1984 — John McEnroe whips Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in 100-degree temperatures to take the men's singles title at Wimbledon. 1990 — West Germany wins the World Cup as Andreas Brehme scores with 6 minutes to go for a 1-0 victory over defending champion Argentina in a foul-marred final. 1991 — Michael Stich upsets three-time champion Boris Becker to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-4. 1994 — Preliminary trial rules there is enough evidence to try O.J. Simpson. 1995 — Top-ranked Steffi Graf wins her sixth Wimbledon singles title, beating Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. 1995 — NHL Draft: Detroit Jr. Red Wings (OHL) defenceman Bryan Berard first pick by Ottawa Senators. 1996 — Switzerland's Martina Hingis becomes the youngest champion in Wimbledon history at 15 years, 282 days, teaming with Helena Sukova to beat Meredith McGrath and Larisa Neiland 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 in women's doubles. 2000 — Venus Williams beats Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 7-6 (3) for her first Grand Slam title. Williams is the first black women's champion at Wimbledon since Althea Gibson in 1957-58. 2007 — Roger Federer wins his fifth straight Wimbledon championship, beating Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2. I's also Federer's 11th Grand Slam title overall. 2010 — Paul Goydos becomes the fourth golfer in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59. Goydos puts together his 12-under, bogey-free round on the opening day of the John Deere Classic. Goydos makes the turn at 4-under, then birdies all but one hole on the back nine at the 7,257-yard TPC Deere Run course. 2012 — Roger Federer equals Pete Sampras' record of seven men's singles titles at the All England Club, and wins his 17th Grand Slam title overall, by beating Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. 2014 — Germany hands Brazil its heaviest World Cup loss ever with an astounding 7-1 rout in the semifinals that stuns the host nation. Miroslav Klose scores a record-setting 16th career World Cup goal in a five-goal spurt in the first half and Germany goes on to score the most goals in a World Cup semifinal. 2016 — Roger Federer loses in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in his career, falling to Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-7 (3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Centre Court. The 34-year-old Federer had been 10-0 in Wimbledon semifinals, winning seven of his finals. 2018 — South Korean golfer Sei Young Ki breaks the LPGA 72-hole scoring record with a 31-under par 257 in winning the Thornberry Creek Classic. 2021 — San Diego Padres relief pitcher Daniel Camarena records his first MLB hit, a Grand Slam, in his second at bat against the Washington Nationals' Max Sherzer. 2022 — Gymnast Simone Biles aged 25, becomes the youngest person to receive the US Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email Houston Mitchell at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
LAX won't say who designed its iconic murals, but the Dodgers will. Why?
What would a baseball team in Los Angeles want from a retired artist and designer in New York? Janet Bennett wasn't sure. Generations of Angelenos are familiar with her signature project. You probably have walked right past it. Those colorful tile mosaics that decorate the long corridors toward baggage claim in five terminals at Los Angeles International Airport? She designed them. You might have seen them in the movies or on television: 'Airplane!,' 'Mad Men' and 'The Graduate,' just for starters. You might have memorized the trivia: When you passed the red tiles, you were halfway down the corridor. 'Red means halfway' was shorthand for locals in the know, just like 'E Ticket' or 'the #19 sandwich.' 'It just says L.A. in so many ways,' said Janet Marie Smith, the Dodgers' executive vice president of planning and development. The Dodgers wanted to get in touch with Bennett because they were about to install a similar tile wall at Dodger Stadium. Smith could not find Bennett, but she reached out to someone who had liked an article about Bennett that had been posted on LinkedIn. Same last name, same spelling. Smith crossed her fingers. Turned out to be a relative of Bennett. The Dodgers sent some sketches of their project and asked Bennett for her thoughts. 'I was a little disappointed I didn't work the project,' Bennett said over the telephone, chuckling, 'but I don't think I could have done it at this stage.' Bennett is 96, happily living one block from Central Park. The LAX project was completed in 1961 — the year before Dodger Stadium opened. What the Dodgers really were offering was the recognition denied to Bennett six decades ago. 'I realized they just wanted my blessing,' Bennett said. 'They wanted the connection. And that was very satisfying.' And, yes, she had some thoughts for the Dodgers. She wrote them a letter by hand, the old-fashioned way. The letter got lost in the old-fashioned mail, but Bennett's daughter had thought to take a picture of the letter, and she sent it to the Dodgers via email. Bennett's advice for the colors of the tiles? 'Don't limit it,' she wrote, 'to the Dodger blue.' On game days, Dodgers players take an elevator to the lowest level of Dodger Stadium. As they exit, they look to their right to see the Dodgers' World Series championship trophies and most valuable player awards, to their left to see the Gold Glove awards. When they turn toward the clubhouse, they see Cy Young and Silver Slugger and manager of the year awards on the right, rookie of the year awards and then the Dodgers' retired numbers on the left. 'It's meant to be uplifting and motivating, and a reminder to everyone — our players included, who take that path — of what a storied franchise this is,' Smith said. The fans in the fanciest seats, the ones you see on television right behind home plate, can take that path too — but only until they reach the double doors, the ones with 'DODGERS CLUBHOUSE' painted above them. Pass through those doors, and you used to see a gray wall decorated with signage pulled from storage — signs from events held at Dodger Stadium long ago, and others commemorating milestone seasons. As part of the clubhouse renovations last winter, Smith and her team imagined how to freshen up that walkway. 'We wanted to try to get it out of its funk of just being a concrete wall,' she said. 'And, once we got tile in our head, how could you not think of the LAX walls?' The Dodgers' clubhouse features a tile wall 'in the hydrotherapy area,' Smith said. The tiles there are all Dodger blue. For the clubhouse walkway, Smith and architect Brenda Levin opted for multiple shades of blue tiles, interspersed with white tiles — a decision reinforced when they received Bennett's suggestion to go beyond Dodger blue. The wall includes more than 714,000 individual tiles, Smith said. 'I think they did an excellent job,' Bennett said. 'They got the rhythm of vertical stripes, which has a very athletic look.' To Smith, a fierce advocate of sports venues reflecting their host cities, the tile wall reflects home. 'In many ways, that is a symbol: not just of L.A., but of 'Welcome to L.A.' ' she said. 'That felt right to us. 'It's not screaming at you. But, if you know, you know. We've always wanted that area to feel like a 'Welcome to L.A.' to our players.' If you know, you know, but the players may not know. Dave Roberts, the Dodgers' manager, said he did not know the story behind the wall until Smith explained it to him. 'It's a great little touch,' Roberts said. Smith said players and team executives have asked about the wall. Many of them did not know about the LAX walls, but she understood why. 'They don't fly commercial,' she said. If you merit an obituary in the newspaper, the first sentence generally includes your claim to fame. In 2007, The Times published an obituary with this first sentence: 'Charles D. Kratka, an interior designer and graphic artist whose Modernist projects included the mosaic walls in tunnels at Los Angeles International Airport, has died.' Said Bennett: 'I just about freaked out.' After Bennett had finished the LAX mosaics, she left town. By the time the airport unveiled them, she said, she was in Latin America. Until she saw that Times obituary, it had not occurred to her that anyone else might have gotten the credit for the LAX project. In the obituary, the airport historian credited Kratka with the design, and so did the director of volunteers at the airport museum. In 2017, so did an official LAX document: 'Completed in 1961, Charles Kratka's mosaic murals have become iconic symbols of Los Angeles International Airport.' At the start of the Jet Age, when airplane travel was a glamorous affair and even passengers in the cheaper seats enjoyed in-flight meals served with silverware, Bennett said the murals were designed to evoke the wonder of a cross-country trip: blue for the ocean at each end of the corridor, and in between green for the forests, and yellows, oranges and browns for farmland, prairies and deserts. Bennett freely admits that Kratka was involved in the project. The city hired Pereira and Luckman as architects for the LAX expansion, and Kratka was the firm's head of interior design. 'He was my boss,' Bennett said. Bennett said the mosaic design was hers, although she said she did not recall whether she had chosen to use glass for the tiles. 'Everything from that point on was mine,' she said. Bennett and her family have pushed for LAX to recognize her as the designer. Airport officials acknowledge Bennett's participation in the project but, amid a search for records from six decades ago and without Kratka to provide his version of events, they believe a conclusive determination would be difficult. And, back in the day, credit was more commonly attributed to a firm rather than to an individual designer. When I asked for a statement saying whom LAX currently credits with the design, an airport spokeswoman said, 'LAX has no official comment.' In 2017, Design Observer investigated and ultimately supported Bennett's claims, citing two primary findings: one, an acclaimed designer of the same era 'vividly recalls Bennett doing the murals,' and, two, Bennett installed similar tile murals for two Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations in San Francisco. That was good enough for Smith and the Dodgers. At LAX, there is no sign crediting anyone — not Bennett, not Kratka, not Pereira and Luckman, not anyone else — for the murals. However, the Dodgers have given Bennett her due at Dodger Stadium, on a sign directly across from their tile wall. 'This mosaic wall draws inspiration from architect Janet Bennett's iconic mosaic murals at Los Angeles International Airport,' the text begins, 'that transformed a transit space into a work of art.'
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Mahima Chaudhry gets emotional as her daughter Ariana Mukherjee graduates; Ariana says, 'You made me feel having one parent is enough'
is celebrating a proud parenting milestone. The actress took to Instagram to share an emotional video from her daughter Ariana's graduation ceremony. , offering fans a glimpse into their close-knit bond. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the heartwarming clip, Ariana is seen receiving her graduation honours with a radiant smile, and in a moment that melted hearts, she blew a flying kiss to her mother seated in the audience. Later, she walks up to and wraps her in a tight hug. Mahima Chaudhry on raising Ariana alone Sharing the video, Mahima penned an emotional note under the title 'The Graduate.' She reflected on her journey as a single mother, crediting Ariana for being her source of strength and motivation. 'Watching you graduate fills me with pride. Congratulations, my sweetheart,' she wrote. 'I started this journey alone, but I had you. I didn't know how it would all work out, but I just knew I wanted you to have the best education. I went back to work because of you.' She added, 'I thought I was doing this all for you, but my baby, you ended up doing so much more for me. You've grown into someone so kind, full of heart, and I feel lucky to be your mama. This moment is ours. You and I did this together. May you go far, may all your dreams come true. I love you so much my baby.' Ariana Mukherjee's emotional reply to Mahima Chaudhry's graduation post Ariana, clearly moved, responded with a heartfelt comment: 'Hey mama that's a lot of faith you have in me 😅 You've been mom and dad to me, and made me feel having one parent is enough. You gave me more love than most get from two. Soo I hope I turn out alright 😅😂 and make all your efforts worth it ❤️❤️' The post received love from fans and industry friends alike. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Celebrities like Sangeeta Bijlani, Archana Puran Singh, Hina Khan, and Anupam Kher sent in their congratulations. Fans also flooded the comments section, gushing over Ariana's striking resemblance to Mahima. 'She looks like a little Mahima Chaudhry,' one wrote. Another added, 'Looks like a Hollywood actress.' 'The cutest mother-daughter duo,' a fan commented. Mahima Chaudhry, who married businessman Bobby Mukherji in 2006 and parted ways in 2013, largely stepped away from films to raise Ariana. After battling and recovering from cancer, she returned to the screen last year with The Signature, co-starring Anupam Kher.
Perth Now
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Tom Cruise's sister helped him land Rain Man role
Tom Cruise's sister helped him land a role in 'Rain Man' because she forced him to introduce himself to Dustin Hoffman. The actor has revealed he was having dinner with his younger sister Cass at a restaurant in New York City when they spotted 'The Graduate' star ordering takeout - and Cass made her brother go over and speak to him. During an interview at the BFI in London on Sunday (11.05.25), Tom explained: "[Cass] goes: 'There's Dustin Hoffman.' I looked up and there he was, in a hat - he was doing 'Death of a Salesman' - and he was ordering takeout. "She goes: 'You go over there and say hello to him.' I was like: 'I'm not going to say hello.' She goes: 'You know him, you know his movies.' And she doesn't do stuff like that. And I don't walk up to people, but she was so pushy ... [She said] 'If you don't do it, I'm just going to go over there and tell him who you are' ... [I said]: 'He's not going to know who I am, that's going to be really humiliating!'" However, Tom admitted his sister "pestered me so much" that he gave in and went over to the actor, saying: "'Excuse me, Mr. Hoffman, I'm sorry …' And he went: 'Cruise!'" Hoffman invited the actor and his sister to come see him perform in 'Death of a Salesman' and it led to a role in 'Rain Main'. Tom added: "As I was leaving he said: 'I want to make a movie with you.' And I said: 'That would be nice, sir.'And that's what happened, and basically a year later he sent 'Rain Man'." The 1988 film went on to be a huge hit and won four Academy Awards including a Best Actor prize for Hoffman. Tom is due to be presented with the BFI Fellowship at a dinner on Monday (12.05.25) and he previously admitted he's thrilled to be awarded the organisation's highest honour. He said in a statement: "I am truly honored by this acknowledgement. I've been making films in the U.K. for over 40 years and have no plans to stop. "The U.K. is home to incredibly talented professionals - actors, directors, writers and crews, as well as some of the most stunning locations in the world. "I'm grateful for all the BFI has done to support U.K. filmmaking and this incredible art form we share." BFI Chair Jay Hunt added: "We are thrilled to be honouring Tom Cruise with a BFI Fellowship. Tom has brought so much to the UK as a producer through choosing to make many of his films on our shores, where he is welcomed by our crews who step up to help make his cinematic visions a reality. "In doing so, he also supports our studios and puts our locations on a world stage, in the process creating jobs and inspiring the next generation of film talent. "He is, of course, also simply one of the world's great actors and a true movie star, delighting audiences as the action hero and romantic lead and then surprising us with brave, leftfield roles where his versatility and talent shine through." Tom is also due to debut his new movie 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' at the Cannes Film Festival in France later this week. The film - the eighth installment in the action franchise - will screen out of competition on May 14 before it hits cinemas on May 21.
