Movies And Books

Movies And Books

Many people compare an English literary work to different movies of their time. An example of this is Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. A story about a woman transformed into a spectacular beauty pushed into royalty, but never loses her identity, is very similar to a movie directed by Don Bluth called Anastasia. Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion and Don Bluth’s movie Anastasia, show that one can change a person’s appearance, but the person deep within has never left tthe surface. The two have a large array of similarities and differences. What is also fascinating is that the background of both the English writer and director are very similar in how they began. I will compare both movie work and literary work of two exceptional people. Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin on July 26, 1856. He was essentially shy, yet created the persona of G.B.S. The showman, controversialist, satirist, critic, pundit, wit, intellectual buffoon and dramatist (http://www.sites.netscape.net/bernardshawinfo) . SShaw grew up in a family with a drunken father, whom worked in a corn mill, a mother whom left home when he was fourteen. Bernard never went to school past the age of fourteen. After his mother left his ffather had gotten worse (http://www.spartacus.schoonet.co.uk/jshaw.htm) . So he embarked on a journey to London in 1876, where he would become an active Socialist and a brilliant platform speaker. His heart was in writing and seven years later he wrote five unsuccessful novels. He was successful with his journalism; he contributed Pall Mall Gazette (http://www.sites.netscape.net/bernardshawinfo). One of the many people that influenced him in his newspaper career was William Stead. Shaw attended a lecture on nationalization that was given by Henry George, which had a profound effect on his ideas of socialism. In the year of 1884 he joined the Fabian Society and in 1885 the Socialist League. Bernard gave a lecture on socialism on November 13th which would result in tthe Bloody Sunday Riot. Shaw was considered one of the best writers of his time. He wrote many plays such as Arms and the Man (1984), Satirizing romantic attitudes toward love and war. In 1897 The Devil’s Disciple, a play on the American Revolution, was produced with great success in New York City (http://www.sites.netscape.net/bernardshawinfo). He also wrote a play known as Pygmalion, which satirizes the English class system through the story of a cockney girl’s transformation into a lady at tthe hands of a speech professor. The movie My Fair Lady was produced to amplify what Pygmalion was all about. Of Shaw’s later plays, Saint Joan (1923) is the most memorable; it argues that Joan of Arc, had to be killed because the world was not yet ready for her. Among Shaw’s other plays are John Bull’s Other Island (1940), The Doctor’s Dilemma, Fanny’s First Play, Back to Methuselah, The Apple Cart, Too True to Be Good, and The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism (http://www.spartacus.schoonet.co.uk/jshaw.htm). Bernard conducted a strong attack on the London Theatre and was closely associated with the intellectual revival of British theatre. His many plays fall into several categories: Plays pleasant, Unpleasant Comedies, chronic- plays metabiological Pentateuch. Don Bluth was born into a family of seven children in El Paso, Texas. After watching Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs he found his calling. From the age of six he could always be found drawing (http://www.movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=180001539&cf=bios) . His family moved to Santa Monica, California, and upon graduation from high school he took his drawings to Walt Disney studios in Burbank. He accepted a position as an in betweener. He worked with Disney from 1955 through 1956 oon the classic motion picture “Sleeping Beauty”. He continued his education at Brigham Young University, studying English literature. In 1977, he returned to Disney Animation Department as an Animator. He was promoted within two years to Directing Animator and to Producer/ Director the following year. From 1971 to 1979 he worked on “ Robin Hood”, “ Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too”, “The Rescuers” and the “Small One” (http://www.movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=180001539&cf=bios) . He has created many prestigious animated films and laser disc video games. He was usually known for his animated movies that showed fun, laughter, togetherness, and teamwork. He is known to a lot of animators as an inspiration to their writing style and their joy for the job. Don was overly attached and dedicated to his work, and loved every bit of his day to day life (http://www.movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=180001539&cf=bios). Pygmalion, a play written by Bernard Shaw tells the story of rags to riches. It begins with a young flower girl that is poor and she sells flowers to get by. A man that thinks she is repulsive approaches her. He bets a general that he would be able to change this despiteful young flower girl into a beautiful duchess. She goes tto him to learn how to speak respectfully and etiquette. He decides not only will he help her but he will also change her into a duchess to fool the high society. She attends balls and parties to win over the rich that are present. Eliza doesn’t feel right about what she has done, but it is to late. She has fallen in ...