Madame Sousatzka

Madame Sousatzka is a gifted piano teacher who specializes in child prodigies and hosts her lessons in the dilapidated London home she shares with three other eccentrics: a 'countess' in retirement, a gay osteopath, and a 'woman-of-the-evening'. Madame Sousatzka's newest student is an astonishing talent, and in her hands, the new boy will blossom into musical genius. But the public cannot hear him yet: until his debut he belongs to Sousatzka and her bizarre hot- house tenants. One day he will be a great pianist - until that day he must play only for Sousatzka ... This moving and entertaining novel by Booker Prize-winning author Bernice Rubens was adapted into the 1988 film starring Shirley MacLaine. 'A story of delectable charm and wit. Passionate, comical, touchingly unaware of oddity, Madame Sousatzka is Ms Rubens' most engaging creation, inimitable and unforgettable.'-The Times

The city, with its manifold distractions and violence, its invitation to intoxication and dream, had long served to represent the experience of modernity in works of art at the time John Schlesinger made his acclaimed urban documentary ‘Terminus’ in 1961. To be a reader of the city was to be a reader of modern life, and Schlesinger was a discriminating, at times relentless, reader of the city throughout his career, especially in his three greatest films, ‘Midnight Cowboy’, ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘The Day of the Locust’, set in New York, London and Los Angeles, respectively. His character-driven stories, evocation of the significance of the everyday, and insistence on ambiguities of situation and motive – all qualities he was known for – point to literary influences that reach back to the nineteenth century and earlier. ‘The Films of John Schlesinger’ is not only the first book to fully acknowledge those influences, but also the first book to explicate the power of his art to capture the modern, urban experiences of becoming an adult in an atmosphere that relentlessly promotes fantasies of success and wealth; of coming to terms with one’s national identity in the context of international politics; and of attempting to transform the past, both personal and cultural, into a viable present.

Presents a collection of the critic's most positive film reviews of the last four decades, arranged alphabetically from "About Last Night" to "Zodiac."

At last Shirley MacLaine reveals the secrets of her intimate journey of transformation. In three international bestsellers, Out on a Limb, Dancing in the Light, and It's All in the Playing, multi-talented Shirley MacLaine described her own ongoing spiritual journey in search of inner harmony and self-transcendence. Now this celebrated actress, social activist, and outspoken thinker shares an enlightened program of spiritual techniques and mental exercises to become healthier, happier, and more attuned to the natural harmony of the world around-and within-ourselves. In Going Within Shirley MacLaine answers many of the most challenging and important questions she has been asked about her experiences in seminars and interviews she has conducted from coast to coast. Transformation is at heart of her profound and inspiring message-the power to shape our lives, to find inner peace and awareness, and to reach highest potential in relationships, at work, and at home. Candid, often controversial, and always courageous, Shirley MacLaine opens the doors to an irresistible journey of discovery and revelation. By going within, she shows us how to reach a new level of love and harmony, reduce stress, release fear, and discover the joys of a new-and better-way of living. Use light, sound, crystals, and visualizations to increase your personal energy. Explore the power of meditation to align body, mind, and spirit. Understand and communicate with your hidden self. Learn the secrets of sexual fulfillment in a new age of commitment. Experience the stunning mysteries of psychic surgery and much more!

Child prodigy Marcus Crominski finds himself caught in an emotional tug-of-war between his mother and Madame Sousatzka, his piano teacher

Looks at the life and career of the British motion picture director of such films as "Midnight Cowboy" and "Marathon Man."

Since the early days of silent film accompaniment, the piano has played an integral part in the history of cinema. Film's fascination with the piano, both in soundtracks and onscreen as a status symbol and icon of popular romanticism, offers a revealing opportunity to chart the changing perception of the instrument. From Mozart to Elton John, this book surveys the cultural history of the piano through the instrument's cinematic functions. Composer biopics, such as A Song to Remember, romantic melodramas like the Liberace vehicle Sincerely Yours, and horror films such as The Hands of Orlac, along with animated cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry demonstrate just how pervasive the cinematic image of the piano once was during a period when the piano itself began its noticeable decline in everyday life. By examining these depictions of the piano onscreen, readers will begin to understand not only the decline of the piano but also the decline of the idealistic culture to which it gave birth in the nineteenth century.

This volume contains detailed information about every musical that opened on Broadway from 2010 through the end of 2019. This book discusses the decade’s major successes, notorious failures, and musicals that closed during their pre-Broadway tryouts. In addition to including every hit and flop that debuted during the decade, this book highlights revivals and personal-appearance revues.