stevengraphs are pictures woven from silk , originally created by thomas stevens in the 19th century .

they were popular collectable items during the revival of interest in victoriana in the 1960s and 1970s .

stevengraph

a stevengraph , the lady godiva procession , original mount . 2ins x 6ins .
a stevengraph , the struggle , original mount . 2ins x 1 . 5ins .
a stevengraph , the crystal palace , original mount , reframed . 2ins x 6ins .
stevengraph ' the good old days ' 23 . 5 cm x 18 . 5 cm
a victorian stevengraph of ' the death of nelson ' , 6 . 5 x 18cm .
stevengraph of the late earl of beaconsfield , together with oil painting , beaded tray , etc .
a stevengraph , the first point , original mount . 2ins x 6ins . ( stained ) .
a thomas stevens of coventry , woven silk picture , ' the good old days ' , framed , stevengraph .
a silk stevengraph of king edward vii and another of queen alexandra , by thomas stevens , 21 x 16cm .
thomas stevens 19thc framed stevengraph , titled the good old days , depicting a drawn horse carriage . 2 x 6 inches
an early 20th stevengraph , hrh the prince of wales , 12 . 5 x 9cm , in ebonised and gilded frame
a stevengraph , wellington & blucher , meeting after the battle of waterloo , original mount , reframed . 2ins x 7ins .
a stevengraph , dick turpin ' s last ride on his bonnie black bess , original mount . 2ins x 5 . 5ins .
antique thomas stevens / stevengraph
for life or death
heroism on land .
. great antique collectible in original condition .
this is an original stevengraph woven in silk picture of king edward vii . it is a little soiled but is in good condition .
we welcome your application to join the association . as our founder , lew smith , used to say “stevengraph collectors are the nicest people” .
two framed stevengraph portraits ; rt hon w e gladstone m . p and the earl of beaconsfield ( benjamin disraeli ) , framed and glazed , 10 x 6cm
a framed stevengraph of ' the london & york ' royal mail coach from the black swan , holbam . london to the black swan coney street , york , 12cm x 20cm
a cash ' s stevengraph of shire horses , kay calcutt picture ' the shires ' , carol pontin watercolour of shire horses , others prints of shire horses . ( 6 )
rare 1847 stevengraph by thomas stevens of coventry england child’s silk embroidered twinkle twinkle little star book mark . this is signed and an extremely rare thomas coventry child’s nursery rhymes . . .
assorted ephemera relating to st andrews ambulance association , photographs from the gramophone co . , hayes and r . a . lister , dursley , fox hunting stevengraph and other novelty prints etc
a stevengraph
are you ready ?
, 19th century , depicting the oxford and cambridge boat race . 4 . 7 cm x 14 . 5 cm ( see illustration ) .
stevengraph embroidery is a splendid choice to build up any linen and textiles collection . search for the correct era , material , and style from the listed items to find exactly what you need . pick from various materials like silk . ebay listings include many leading brand names that include thomas stevens and j and j cash . you can view previously owned stevengraph embroidery and lower the cost .
stevengraph
as a title was invented by thomas stevens and first appears on the backing paper for his bookmarks in 1876 . he called his factory
the stevengraph works
, and later referred to his woven silk pictures in the same way when they first appeared in 1879 . it is evident stevens intended this title to include all his bookmarks , pictures , portraits and silk postcards too .
rare 1880 souvenir of the eighth cincinnati industrial exposition silk stevengraph bookmark woven ribbon ~ . may 30 , to be exact . actually , that was the first exposition ever held in the united states . . .
the purpose of this site is to provide a place where stevengraph collectors , or antiques collectors in general , can view a wide variety of thomas stevens products and similar products by other manufacturers . there are about
although stevens book markers were introduced around 1862 , matted stevengraph pictures and portraits were first shown to the general public at the york exhibition on 7th . may 1879 . by the year 1902 , t . . .
stevengraph of elderly tailor and young girl . beautifully woven subject of an elderly tailor and a young girl . the weaving of fancy silk ribbons began in coventry around 1700 , and was a main industry . . .
the word ' stevengraph ' originally referred to the woven bookmarks but now it applies to the woven silk pictures mounted in cardboard mounts . the pieces were most often sold as wall pictures . many of t . . .
this is a lovely antique woven silk bookmark that was made at the 1893 chicago worlds fair columbian exposition . it is in the style of a stevengraph . surprisingly it is from the my bookmark collection . . . .
collection of three framed stevengraph silk pictures : ' the first over ' ( cricket ) , ' the start ' ( horse racing ) , ' called to the rescue ' ( lifeboat / shipwreck ) . ( 3 )
a framed stevengraph silk picture ,
for life or death , heroism on land
, 9 x 16 . 5cm , rev . j c atkinson , british birds eggs and nests , other books and miscellaneous items .
( thomas stevens ) ( 1828 - 1888 ) , was a 19th century weaver from coventry , famous for his invention of the stevengraph , a woven silk picture . thomas stevens was born in foleshill , england just to the no . . .
a stevengraph of ' the late fred archer ' , woven in silk by t . stevens , coventry ; framed and glazed with wood frame , overall dimensions , 21 x 19cmcompare a similar stevengraph in bonhams ( lot 399 / the racing sale / 20 - 7 - 2006 ) where archer is wearing the duke of westminster ' s colours . compare also the v & a example where archer is wearing lord falmouth ' s colours ( v & a . circ . 346 - 1976 ) .
stevengraph
postcard
depicting rms victorian . stevens’ cards are distinguishable from those by grant due to the embossed mount . when mounted it is interesting to display the back to allow viewing of the interesting comments of . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “rt hon lord r churchill mp” ( stg 59 ) . this is a 5 * rarity in the sprake / darby reference book , there being three variants . the others are stg 59 without spray of flowers ( ( more details )
stevengraph of “rt hon lord r churchill mp” ( stg 59 ) . . this is a 5 * rarity in the sprake / darby reference book , there being three variants . the others are stg 60 with spray of flowers ( ( more details )
( antique stevengraph woven silk bookmark . these are three ( 3 ) very old silk ribbon bookmarks . there is a tear / fraying along the top corner , toning and a dark area on the silk . 3 ) happy new year . howev . . .
stevengraph
postcard
depicting rms saxonia . stevens’ cards are distinguishable from those by grant due to the embossed mount . when framed it is lovely to allow access to the back of the card to allow viewing of the interesting . . . ( more details )
stevengraph
postcard
depicting rms carmania . stevens’ cards are distinguishable from those by grant due to the embossed mount . when framed it is lovely to allow access to the back of the card to allow viewing of the interesting . . . ( more details )
8 x 5 . 5 . stevengraph of “for life or death - heroism on land” ( stg 189 ) one of two fire engine scenes , this being the earlier of the two with the older fire appliance and the four horses . the mount is . . .
* stevengraph . the home stretch , published thomas stevens , coventry and london , [ 1880 or later ] , woven silk picture of an american trotting match , publisher ' s printed mount with some water staining , split at top margin of image , slight spotting affecting the silk , manufacturer ' s printed advertisement to verso , advertisement frayed , image size approximately 50 x 150 mm g . a . godden . stevengraphs and other victorian silk pictures . the scenic stevengraphs , no . 32 plate 112 . an uncommon stevengraph . ( 1 )
stevengraph of “roberts fm” ( stg 49a ) . includes small signature under the cart , and registration number woven in . some variations exist over the leaves and flag , and the registered number . excellent colours with details of & nbsp . . . ; ( more details )
a victorian stevengraph bookmark , woven in coloured silk threads , with birthday wishes , humming birds , sentimental verse and foliage , 24cm long , c . 1880 ; various others , victorian and later , including royal commemoratives , coventry memorial park 1921 , etc ( collection , 21 )
stevengraph
postcard
depicting rms virginian . stevens’ cards are distinguishable from those by grant due to the embossed mount . a lovely example of his work . when framed it is lovely to allow access to the back of the card to allow . . . ( more details )
there are stevengraph collectors all over the world . in 1954 . the stevengraph collectors association was founded by lewis smith in the usa to provide a forum for members to learn more about and exchange information regarding stevengraphs . over the year the association has compiled an informational archive regarding the history , origin , authenticity , availability , and value of stevengraphs . information on joining and a sample newsletter can be obtained by contacting us on this site ( just leave a message on the contact page ) . other information is available on websites run by sca members as follows :
stevengraph of “kitchener of khartoum” ( stg 45 ) . probably taken from a photograph by bassano for
the sphere
in january 1900 . includes the registered number woven in ( 355800 ) . it is on an e1 type mount of leather tex . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “buller” ( stg 41 ) , one of the eight military portraits produced by thomas stevens . excellent condition , including his name and the registration number woven in ( sometimes not so ) . it is reckoned the image came from a p . . . ( more details )
in more modern times , the stevengraph title started to be applied to all woven silk items no matter when produced , by other victorian silk weavers such as grant , welch & lenton , bollans , etc . , and by 20th century weavers such as brocklehurst - whiston ( bwa ) .
stevengraph entitled
the good old days
. numbered stg 188 this version is a later one , having a pleasant rural scene behind , whereas the earlier version has nothing . excellent colouring of the silk . one of the most popular stevengraphs , th . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “the present time” ( stg 198 ) . this
express train
exists in two variations , this being the lnwr prince of wales class engine ( 1911 ) , with no driver leaning out of the cab . there are 6 carriages . it . . . ( more details )
a “stevengraph” silk picture by wh grant ( no 1011 ) called “swallow falls , bettws - y - coed” , in postcard form . grant produced many more postcard designs than stevens , dating from about 1902 , and , like all grants , is often ra . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “hms majestic” ( stg 182 ) , a 4 / 8 * rarity from the warship set of steven’s pictures . it is thought that they were issued and then sold at the naval dockyards , and therefore their popularity would have been focused and of lim . . . ( more details )
stevengraph called
the finish
( stg160 ) . the image is the same as
the struggle
( stg159 ) and superceded it soon after 1879 when the new title was considered more appropriate . although not particularly hard to find , as ever the condit . . . ( more details )
1880s charles stewart parnell , a stevengraph portrait . a portrait of parnell with a spray of shamrock and a maid - of - erin harp , titled ' the late - charles stewart parnell ' to the mount . frame size 8 by 5 . 75in . ( 20 . 3 by 14 . 6cm )
stevengraph of “the present time” ( stg 194 ) . this exists in a number of variations , this being the 2 carriage version with the words “ . . . . 60 miles an hour” omitted . it is excellently coloured , framed in a walnut moulding , with . . . ( more details )
stevengraph
the final spurt
( stg 170 ) . the second of the oxford & cambridge boat race pair , a landscape view of the river thames paired with “are you ready” ( stg 169 ) . three star rarity value ( out of seven ) in th . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “for life or death - heroism on land” ( stg 189 ) one of two fire engine scenes , this being the earlier of the two with the older fire appliance and the four horses . note the outrider on the fifth horse and the burning building on . . . ( more details )
stevengraph picture of “kenilworth castle” ( stg 125 ) . one of the larger stevens’ pictures at 19 1 / 2
x 12 1 / 2
. made from 1918 onwards , so later than many other stevens’ products . only six castle views were completed , and . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “ecce homo” ( stg 85 ) . this example of the religious aspect of stevens’ work is extremely rare , being a 6 * rarity in the sprake reference book . the picture , of christ with crown of thorns and a red cloak over his shoulders , . . . ( more details )
stevengraph entitled
the good old days
. numbered stg 187 this version has no rural scene behind that the later ( stg188 ) version exhibits . excellent colouring of the silk , and the mount is clean . one of the most popular stevengraphs , being a ro . . . ( more details )
stevengraph entitled
dick turpin ' s last ride on his bonnie black bess
. numbered stg 149 this version is a later one , the earlier having a poem by eliza cook below the title . excellent colouring of the silk , b mount , and the remains o . . . ( more details )
stevengraph “are you ready” ( stg 169 ) . the first of the oxford & cambridge boat race pair , this landscape view of the river thames is paired with
the final spurt
( stg 170 ) . two star rarity value ( out of seven ) in the s . . . ( more details )
stevengraph entitled
declaration of independence july 4th 1776
( stg 147 ) . the title is woven into the silk bottom left . this comes in a number of forms , with and without the additional information on the mount - woven in pure silk at world ' s c . . . ( more details )
stevengraph entitled
landing of columbus october 12th 1492
( stg 146 ) . the title is woven into the silk bottom left . this comes in a number of forms , with and without the additional information on the mount - woven in pure silk at world ' s colum . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “mrs cleveland” ( stg 96 ) . she was called the
queen of 60 millions of free people
. born frances folsom , married in 1886 , and husband president of the usa 1885 - 1889 . the portrait shows a spray of violets beneath . it is . . . ( more details )
stevengraph entitled
dick turpin ' s last ride on his bonnie black bess
. numbered stg 149 this version is a later one , the earlier having a poem by eliza cook below the title . excellent colouring of the silk , on a b mount . dated c1879 . fram . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of
the lady godiva procession
, ( stg 150 ) . it rates a one ( out of 7 ) star rarity value within the sprake reference . it is , however , one of the unusual stevengraphs that sometimes omits the trade label on the reverse , instead i . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of
hm stanley
( stg 78 ) . this very rare silk is of the famous explorer who , having been born in wales , went to america in 1859 , serving in the confederate army and then the us navy . he became a writer and traveled the world being be . . . ( more details )
you can choose what you call this unique stevengraph ! the silk is of
the death
( stg 167 ) , but the german title is of
the meet
( stg 164 ) , sammeln . underneath the erroneous title is
in seide gewebt
( woven in silk ) . . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of “marquis of salisbury kg” ( stg 72 ) . one of the series of portraits of politicians , there are three variants , one with no flowers ( stg 71 ) , this one with a spray of red roses ( stg 72 ) , and one with roses that are bright yellow an . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of
rt hon we gladstone mp
( stg 63 ) . this comes in four variants , all according to portrayal of flowers and direction of look . this is stg 63 in the sprake / darby reference . it has a 1 star rarity out of 7 . one of the
politicia . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of
ye lady godiva
, ( stg 151 ) . it rates a 3 ( out of 7 ) star rarity value in the sprake darby reference book . below the title we have the extract from tennyson ' s poem . the silk is in excellent condition , the mount has a slight discol . . . ( more details )
stevengraph of
the late earl of beaconsfield
( stg 52 ) . this title was granted to benjamin disraeli in 1876 . he was prime minister in 1868 and 1874 - 1880 . he died 19 april 1881 . this comes in three variants . stg 52 has a 1 star rarity out of 7 i . . . ( more details )
circa 1888 thomas steven stevengraph silk boxing cabinets complete set of 4 . all stars of the day , charles mitchell , jake kilrain , jem smith and of course john l . sullivan . wear and toning to the mounts from display as intended 125 years ago . the backs fully intact and readable , most importantly , the fragile silks themselves are unblemished and display bold fresh colors . an important early boxing collectible .
a stevengraph ,
the present time
, in original mount with later frame ; together with a brass postal balance with impressed mark
john heath , birmingham
, the pan marked with the contemporary charges of a penny for letters , on walnut stand with complete set of balance weights in fitted recesses , and a van cort
dragonfly
dioptric in dyed laminated birch in protective case . ( 3 ) all in very good condition .
wwi & wwii photos , postcards & other ephemera , inc 2 stevensgraphs . to include wwi battle of the somme postcard set , cover tatty , and other wwi images ; 3 wwii photo sets of belgium & france , including liberation of paris with general de gaulle , parades & battle remains etc . also a book of pictures from the world ' s columbian exposition ( world ' s fair ) , chicago , 1893 , and 2 stevengraph silk pictures ,
peeping tom
&
lady godiva
. { cabinet 8 }
no reserve rugby . - stevengraph pure silk woven picture . - stevens ( thomas ) the first touch , woven silk , in original mount with printed title , 50 x 150 mm . ( 2 x 5 7 / 8 in ) , with lithographed advertisement listing other silk woven pictures from the series mounted on the back , under glass , some surface dirt and browning , [ circa 1880 - 1900 ] ; together with a copy of austin sprake and michael darby ' s ' stevengraphs ' , number 966 of 1000 , the chaucer press , 1968 ( 2 ) .
measuring 5 3 / 8
x 7 1 / 8
, the cabinet pictures a stevengraph image of bare knuckle boxer jem smith . the cabinet itself is worn at the edges and corners , with a large chip of paper missing from the lower left corner of the
mount ,
and yet the silk image of smith is stunning , depicting the boxer in black and white save for a red , white and blue belt and green socks . the reverse of the cabinet , which appears to have sustained some damage over the years , contains extensive biographical information on smith .
measuring 5 3 / 8
x 7 1 / 8
, the cabinet pictures a stevengraph image of bare knuckle boxer jake kilrain . kilrain lost to john l . sullivan in 75 rounds ( ! ) in the last bare knuckle boxing championship in 1889 . the cabinet itself is worn at the edges and corners , with a mark at the lower right , and the silk image of kilrain has what appears to be a fold across the top , and yet the silk image of kilrain is stunning , depicting the boxer in black and white save for a red , white and blue belt . the reverse of the cabinet , which appears to have sustained some water damage over the years , contains extensive biographical information on kilrain .
this is a magnificent piece from france , made in the 1800 ' s and the detail is haunting ~ the faces filled with pain and agony ! the condition is amazing , with one tiny area at the bottom edge that is sl . . .
normal wear is expected . i try very hard to point out any problems .
auctiva ' s free counter . estate find . good condition , considering age . possible fading of silk .
silk tapestry of iridescent white and greys with no fading . fyi : back of silk tapestry has seal
picture dept . joseph horne co . artistic framing
. characteristic marking :
nf
at lower left corner as . . .
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majestic
class of battleships . this stevens silk picture shows one of nine in this class that were built around 1894 . they had twin funnels . hms caeser hms hannibal hms illustrious hms jupiter hms magnificent hms majestic
if you are searching for a particular item , try hitting the ' index ' button for an alphabetical list of all items . all information is both welcome and requested .
please consider selling your collections or single items to us so that we can offer the most complete history of thomas stevens . i was born in coventry and was there when the stevens factory was bombed during the second world war . consequently i have a great personal interest in this bit of history . thanks .
the site is under construction as we go . thanks for visiting . . . . . malcolm
- south kensington exhibition . . .
mr stevens evidently possesses a restless spirit not easily subdued and if the tide threatens to leave him for a time , he digs out a new channel for himself and thus he has created a trade peculiarly his own . i have taken unusual interest in his productions , not only in the goods but in the looms producing them and i find that to make a ' forester ' s scarf ' as exhibited , 2 1 / 2 yards long and 6 1 / 4 inches wide , requires the use of 16 , 000 perforated cards to make the figure which is 15 inches long and for the plain part 14 , 000 cards , making a total of 30 , 000 cards . the number of threads in the warp of each scarf is 1 , 800 and there are 15 different colours in the shutes : the numbers are multiplied by the number of pieces being made at once ; so that if 10 pieces were making , 18 , 000 threads of warp would be in the loom . hence the involved and to the untrained eye , the inextricable confusion of threads , as shown in the harness of the loom
. - aug 8th 1873
- ribbon weaving . - with the decline of the woollen - cloth trade coventry textile workers naturally turned to the nascent silk - ribbon industry . the city silkweavers of the 18th century were ready to receive new ideas from france and to provide the ribbons which fashion dictated , and for a century , between about 1765 and 1857 , silk was the dominant industry in the city .
their complacent belief in the rightness of their methods had , moreover , been fostered for some 60 years by the protection of their main industry against the import of french ribbons . whenever there was a possibility that the prohibition might be lifted or the tariff on imported ribbons reduced there was a protest from coventry , but as long as the prohibition remained there was no incentive to developments in design or the improvement of machinery . by this time coventry was the centre of a weaving area of 13 , 000 looms supporting 30 , 000 people . in 1826 the import prohibition had been lifted and a tariff substituted , and in 1830 the latter stood at 25 per cent .
the introduction of the dutch engine loom , which was not power - driven but on which several plain ribbons could be woven at one time , and its supercession by the jacquard loom , on which several fancy ribbons could be woven , had opened the way for the factory system in coventry . such a change would have increased efficiency and reduced costs , for supervision would have done much to prevent the embezzlement of silk and the leisurely attitude to work which was inherent in the cottage system . but the unwavering opposition of the weavers protracted the struggle between factory and home industry for 30 years and culminated in the near extinction of ribbon weaving in the city .
the crux of the matter was the determination of the small master or the journeyman weaver to work his own loom in his own top - shop , with the help of his family , receiving payment according to an agreed list of prices . it was unpractical for him to buy or lease an engine loom or a jacquard loom , for by a weavers ' agreement neither his wife nor his daughters could work anything but a single - hand loom , and in any case only single - hand looms could be used for certain types of work . the factory , on the other hand , could speed up production by using engine looms or jacquard looms as required , by the division of labour , by the introduction of definite hours of work , and by the supervision of employees . under such conditions a weekly wage could be paid to all weavers .
a vital development was that of the power - run loom , which was to add greater strength to the factory and was to turn the cottage industry in a new direction . by 1836 there were 53 power looms at work in the city , all run by two of the largest manufacturers . it was only in the city that such innovations could be made , and country weavers , like the city top - shop weavers , stuck to the single - hand loom . smaller manufacturers had , however , been increasing in number for the previous 20 years . in 1838 , although there were still twelve manufacturers running over 100 looms each , one with as many as 400 , there were 70 manufacturers running fewer than 10 looms each and 35 with between 10 and 100 each .
if there had been a steady development of factories there is every reason to suppose that the ribbon trade in coventry would have progressed in spite of , or perhaps because of , foreign competition , but the tradition of home working died hard and new enterprises were begun to support the cottage industry . in the new weaving area of hillfields , built up from 1828 onwards , most of the houses had top - shops or workrooms on their upper floors , some with space enough for three looms .
the new suburbs were thus calculated to uphold opposition to the factory system , whose workers were the slum dwellers of the courts recently abandoned by families moving out to the new estates . this attitude was further encouraged by the individuality of the watchmakers , who of necessity had their own workshops , were more highly skilled , and commanded larger incomes . indeed , there is evidence of migration by young weavers and by weavers ' sons to the trade with the better prospects .
while the growth of steam power was speeding up the development of factories , a way was being found to perpetuate the small workshop by means of power - run looms . at first it was a make - do arrangement by which a shafting system was run through a row of existing top - shops , with one engine supplying power to them all . after 1847 this system was extensively used , and by 1859 there were 300 cottage factories running from two to six power looms each , compared with fifteen large factories with 1 , 250 power looms .
workers in cottage factories , however , even with power laid on , could not compete with the larger factories , and they consequently resorted to demands for the reimposition of the list of prices instead of the payment of weekly wages ; so heavy was the pressure brought to bear that five of the six outstanding factory owners gave in after extensive strikes had nearly crippled them , and the building of large factories ceased . instead an attempt was made to give the coventry weaver what he wanted - a properly - developed cottage factory system . two schemes were initiated : cash ' s model cottage factory , built at kingfield in 1857 ; and eli green ' s 67 houses with top - shops , served by power shafting , built to form a triangle in brook street , vernon street , and berry street in 1858 - 9 .
the out - door worker had some justification for supporting the list , but the factory employee , by joining in the strike , was sacrificing his own wage - earning organization for an out - moded system which was impeding efficient development . it was of course the home workers who were worst hit when work was short , because the large manufacturers handed out work to them only when their own employees could not handle it ; moreover , the shafting system for topshops had proved uneconomic when only some of the looms were working . but it was a case of the weavers standing together , however unjustified their cause , against the employers . and because their cause was wrong - headed , because they were striking for the list of prices which some of them had previously struck to destroy , they forfeited local sympathy and little help was forthcoming even from outside the city ; the position became desperate and early in 1861 the strikers had to give in . the list of prices was abandoned , but the damage was done and there was no work to return to .
during the franco - prussian war there was some revival , and it was later alleged that ' every loom in coventry and district was well employed . more business was done then than at any time before or since ' . nevertheless ribbon weaving in coventry had suffered a heavy blow from the attempts of its workers to maintain an outdated system , and the revival did not last .
the industry did not , however , die out . cash ' s survived at the price of converting the model cottage factory into a conventional factory . moreover a bid to bring about a revival in the industry was made by
, the pictorial bookmark , and the illuminated ribbon . he worked quickly , for in january 1862 he patented his invention for ' manufacturing book markers by machinery for weaving ribbons , and . . . producing figures , designs , and mottoes thereon of various descriptions and colours , according to the nature of books for which the markers are intended ' .
the pictures became very popular and they , as well as the looms on which they were made , were exhibited at the crystal palace in 1868 , at the london international exhibition in 1870 , at york in 1879 , and on the continent and in the united states . from 1862 to 1867 stevens ' s catalogues contained from 500 to 900 varieties of bookmarks , pictures , fans , badges , embroidered neckties , and sashes .
partly as a result of the general development in the city of high - class fancy and figured ribbons and scarves , and partly following the introduction of new methods of manufacturing chenille the trade survived . indeed in 1884 london was said to be largely supplied with chenille and other trimmings by coventry which was successfully rivalling continental producers . the number of power looms in 1884 was , however , only about a third of that in 1860 , while the number of operatives employed was even smaller in proportion , though somewhat larger than in 1883 .
in 1890 it was reported that the silk ribbon trade in the town ' fluctuates as fashion dictates , and has been in a depressed condition all the year ' . in the mid 20th century , however , there still existed in the city a flourishing trade in the more specialized aspects of ribbon production . in 1927 there were still some 30 manufacturers with about 7 , 000 employees engaged in the textile industry in coventry , not including the production of artificial fabrics . by 1935 the number of firms had fallen to thirteen and of employees to 5 , 000 .
in 1950 the number of firms had risen slightly . five firms were making woven labels , the best known of these being j . and j . cash , and seven were making regalia and medal ribbons , hat bands , embroidered badges , trimmings , braids and elastic braids , pompoms , tassels , and fringes . they were without exception long - established firms , dating from as far back as 1835 , when william franklin started business in the ribbon trade , or as late as 1919 when oakey and cox began weaving ribbons and hatbands of a specialized kind . in 1964 cash ' s was employing 900 people .
from : ' the city of coventry : crafts and industries : modern industry and trade ' , a history of the county of warwick : volume 8 : the city of coventry and borough of warwick ( 1969 ) , pp . 162 - 89 . url : urltoken date accessed : 04 february 2007 .
we wish to buy stevengraphs . one at a time or collections . we also seek photos , brochures or any item of related history .
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urltoken
in the late 1800 ' s , the silk ribbon weavers of coventry , england , were experiencing very difficult trading conditions due to changing fashions and cheap imports from abroad . several weavers had already diversified into related activities , and thomas stevens was one of these , with his stevengraphs .
the objective of this web site is to be an educational resource where collectors and anyone interested generally in stevengraphs can identify them , and gain an awareness and understanding of all the silks woven in england from victorian times up to the early 1990 ' s .
this site has 3 , 215 quality images , arranged in alphabetical catalogues for each weaver , and recording 3 , 174 individual titles . from the links below , you will find that more than 83 % of the stevens bookmark titles now have images and more than 92 % of his picture titles . similarly , two - thirds of the grant bookmark titles now have images , and nearly 83 % of his postcard titles .
the purpose of this site . . . . apart from recent self published single topic picture books , the only information relating to stevengraphs and other silk weavings was in books published between the late 1950 ' s and 1978 , and these have long ceased to be available , other than as collectors items .
the most comprehensive of these books was geoffrey godden ' s stevengraphs and other victorian silk pictures , published in 1971 , although the book itself is now very scarce .
our knowledge of all the victorian silks though has increased significantly since godden ' s book was published . . . .
in 1999 , the website urltoken was created to replace the books as a definitive record of all the known titles . in 2014 , that web site was completely restructed , and the name changed to this , urltoken site . this web site now contains a comprehensive list and catalogue of all the woven portraits , pictures , bookmarks and silk postcards .
godden recorded approximately 1 , 285 individual titles . by contrast , this web site catalogues a total of 3 , 174 titles across all british weavers , and features quality images for 76 . 8 % of those titles .
this comprehensive catalogue of stevens silks , together with those made by other manufacturers such as bollans , grant and caldicott , is fully supported with scanned images . whilst some areas , such as brocklehurst whiston , are recorded with images of every known woven picture , there are nevertheless previously unrecorded silks yet to be catalogued successfully . this site will hence inherently grow , both as new titles are discovered , and with contributions of images from you , the viewer and user of this site .
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there are 653 lots that match your search criteria . subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service .
we sell stevengraphs – also grants , neyret , brocklehurst whiston and silk weavings by other manufacturers – including silk woven postcards and bookmarks . browsers are most welcome .
this website only contains a small selection of silk weavings for sale – we have many many more – please contact us if you want a full list or have any special requests .
published in october 2011 , this is the first new book about stevengraphs for 40 years and lists all the known portrait and scenic stevengraphs including many previously unrecorded items . it contains a short biography of thomas stevens written by his great niece in 1960 . 160 pages with 366 colour images . 8×10 inches . available in soft or hard cover versions .
published in 2012 , the first ever book to list all the known weavings made by the grant company . profusely illustrated in colour , it features portraits , scenes , postcards , exhibition weavings , personal family cards , calendars and much more . . 94 pages
published in 2015 – the definitive colour illustrated catalogue of all recorded bookmarks produced by the stevens company . 160 pages with text and index . an invaluable research book . 160 pages
for more details , availability and prices , please send a request via the contact page .
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urltoken
gainst wind & steam
by wh grant & co . godden has much detail relating to grant in his reference book , and this item is referred to on page 447 . this and number 939 are companion silks . 939 is a two funnelled river paddle steamer p . . . ( more details )
the present time - 60 miles an hour
( stg 194 ) . trains were a popular image for stevens as they clearly sold well . these were produced after the york exhibition from mid - august 1879 , a lord howe engine with 2 carriages . this early example is on . . . ( more details )
the present time - 60 miles an hour
( stg 194a ) . trains were a popular image for stevens as they clearly sold well . these were produced after the york exhibition from mid - august 1879 , a lord howe engine with 2 carriages . this early example is o . . . ( more details )
the good old days
( stg187 ) and
the present time
( stg 194 ) with the additional words
. . . . . . of rattling wheels and gallant greys
after the first title . carter had a special relationship with stevens , and was permitt . . . ( more details )
“the first train” ( stg 192 ) . this shows a “rocket” type locomotive drawing a coal car with two and a half open wagons . it is locomotion no 1 . two variants were produced , one with black and bright green wagons , and this one wi . . . ( more details )
the bicentenary of the act of uniformity
. this item is referenced in the godden book on page 335 , and is classified as
. . . objects which are quite rare and little known . . . .
. this design includes the initials
rb
which att . . . ( more details )
full cry
( stg 166 ) is one of the set of three fox hunting stevengraphs . it is quite common , being a 1 * rarity in the sprake darby reference . it was first registered on 24 november 1879 and this one is on a type c3 mount dating it to 1895 - . . . ( more details )
the meet
( stg 165 ) is one of the set of three fox hunting stevengraphs . it is quite common , being a 1 * rarity in the sprake darby reference . it was first registered on 26 january 1880 and this one is on a type c3 mount dating it to 1875 - 1 . . . ( more details )
stg 162
iroquois
owned by p lorrillard esq , and ridden by fred archer , and this detail is on the original mount . as stated in the sprake reference this is a fine picture , and is extremely rare . it is not credited to stevens on the mount and th . . . ( more details )
the start
( stg 157 ) , by thomas stevens . it is one of the
set
of three , the others being
the finish
( stg 160 ) and
the struggle
( stg159 ) although there is
the water jump
( stg 158 ) which is a . . . ( more details )
the first point
( stg 164 ) by thomas stevens , a coursing scene and being the pair to “the slip” ( stg 163 ) . there are two versions of this picture , stg 164a not showing the slipper in red . this , with the slipper , is the later of the . . . ( more details )
the first set
( stg 172 ) . this is a 4 * rarity in the sprake reference . it shows a victorian tennis scene in fashionable attire , full of colour - players through to spectators . the 19 title trade label version is sub - sectioned by . . . ( more details )
the first touch
stg 173 dated 1881 . this is a popular image with the rugby game in the foreground and the spires of coventry in the background . it is a 3 * rarity in the sprake reference , but this does not take account of the popularity which m . . . ( more details )
the late fred archer
( stg 22 ) in the all scarlet colours of mr manton ( pseudonym for the duchess of montrose , women not being permitted to run horses ) . not only is this a 3 * rarity within the sprake / darby reference , but due to the colours it i . . . ( more details )
god speed the plough
stg 168 ( a ) by thomas stevens . this comes in two variants , with and without a flock of birds . it is a 4 * rarity in the sprake / darby reference being the later version without the birds . this is a fine copy , the silk being we . . . ( more details )
the old tyne bridge
( stg 144 ) . this is a 7 * rarity in the sprake darby reference book , and this copy is in immaculate condition . both the mount and the silk are perfect . stevens pictured only three bridges - this , the forth road bridge ( 3 vari . . . ( more details )
silk picture of
ye olde tyne bridge
( godden 1049 ) by wh grant of foleshill . this is an extremely rare picture woven at the newcastle exhibition between 11 may - 29 october 1887 . like stevens , grant took his loom to the exhibitions , selling items . . . ( more details )
“called to the rescue” sub - titled “heroism at sea” ( stg 179 ) , a lifeboat rescue scene . it forms a pair with
for life or death - heroism on land
( fire engine scenes ) . the colour of the crew’s clothing changes . . . ( more details )
ye old crown house
( stg135 ) is a black and white picture of the old tudor building in birmingham . it is quite a rare item being a 4 * rarity in the sprake darby reference . the title is woven into the picture and the mount is a b type ( pre 1888 ) . . . ( more details )
columbus leaving spain
( stg 145 ) dated from 1893 . this very fine silk is mounted in a later mount printed to the same specification as the original c4 mount with the additional credit under the image relating to the columbian exposition . inter . . . ( more details )
“the death of nelson” ( stg 152 ) , a rather busy scene that goes well with “wellington & blucher” ( stg 155 ) . this displays beautiful colours , showing the deck of the victory in 1805 . it is one of the slightly larger stevengraphs , . . . ( more details )
all the stevens combinations ( two or more pictures in the same mount ) are high up the rarity rating in all the reference books . the three now available on the site are triple combinations . they carry no identification for stevens , no printed title and no t . . . ( more details )
all the stevens combinations ( two or more pictures in the same mount ) are high up the rarity rating in all the reference books . the three now available on the site are triple combinations . they carry no identification for stevens , no printed title and no . . . ( more details )
hm queen victoria , jubilee 1837 to 1187
( stg3 ) dated 1837 . this is one of a series of portraits of queen victoria which is testament to their popularity . this one however was probably only available during the jubilee year of 1887 . a more orna . . . ( more details )
her majesty queen victoria
( stg2 ) dated 1837 . this is the second in the series of portraits of queen victoria . within the silk is the sub - title
queen of an empire on which the sun never sets
and on the mount is displayed the crown . . . ( more details )
“charles stewart parnell mp” ( stg no 69 ) dated 1887 . born in ireland in 1846 , he became an mp in 1875 . he was elected chairman of the home rule party in the house of commons , and was given the freedom of dublin . he died in 1891 . this is a very . . . ( more details )
robert burns” ( stg 74 ) . this was the first small portrait stevens produced of a non - political nature . both the sprake / darby and godden references agree that there are two main versions of this image . this has the credit and title below the sil . . . ( more details )
robert burns” ( stg 73 ) . this was the first small portrait stevens produced of a non - political nature . both the sprake / darby and godden references agree that there are two main versions of this image . this has the poem above the portrait with n . . . ( more details )
a present from the international exhibition - edinburgh 1886
woven in the exhibition by wh grant & co . this is similar in detail to the other multiple grants on the site . in godden , page 421 , he refers to this item as having . . . ( more details )
edinburgh international exhibition
( stg - ) shows an aerial view of the exhibition buildings . it was woven at the exhibition which opened on 6 may 1886 when in excess of 40 , 000 people attended . the stevens stand sold these items during the exhib . . . ( more details )
edinburgh exhibition - souvenir
of holyrood palace , woven in the exhibition by wh grant & co . godden has much detail relating to grant in his reference book . this , and the accompanying image of
edinburgh castle
also avail . . . ( more details )
a present from the international exhibition - edinburgh 1886
woven in the exhibition by wh grant & co . this is similar in detail to the other multiple grants on the site , combining some of the silks already detailed . although & nbs . . . ; ( more details )


the road to wellville is a 1994 american comedy-drama film adaptation of t. coraghessan boyle 's novel of the same name , which tells the story of the doctor and clean-living advocate john harvey kellogg and his methods employed at the battle creek sanitarium at the beginning of the 20th century .

the film was written and directed by alan parker .

the film stars anthony hopkins as dr. kellogg , matthew broderick as william lightbody , bridget fonda as his spouse eleanor , john cusack as charles ossining , dana carvey as the doctor 's adopted son george , and colm meaney as dr. lionel badger .

it was filmed in new paltz , new york at the mohonk mountain house .

other locations were the north carolina towns of winnabow and wilmington .

the road to wellville ( film )

t . c . boyle , the road to wellville ( new york : viking , 1993 ) .
the road to wellville ( based on the novel by t . coraghessan boyle ) , columbia , 1994 .
denby , david ,
the road to wellville ,
in new york , november 14 , 1994 .
( and producer , with armyan bernstein and robert f . colesberry ) the road to wellville , columbia , 1994 .
the road to wellville makes john harvey kellogg even more smutty and ridiculous than he made himself . that ' s quite an achievement .
the road to wellville ( directed by alan parker . starring anthony hopkins , bridget fonda , matthew broderick , john cusack , dana carvey )
i was first sent the manuscript of t . coraghessan boyle’s novel , “the road to wellville” , in july of 1992 . i was immediately drawn to the three interwoven stories and the outrageous , eccentric world that tom boyle had parachuted us into with all of his usual anarchic and irreverent wickedness . and so by august , with the rights secured , i began the first steps on the road that led to the road to wellville
the road to wellville trailer 1994 director : alan parker starring : anthony hopkins , bridget fonda , dana carvey , john cusack , matthew broderick , official content from sony pictures home entertainment follows the exploits of dr . john kellog , fitness revolutionary , visionary , corn flake inventor , and founder of the world ' s most outrageous health spa . an all star cast dish out the laughs in this period comedy . movie , the road to wellville movie , the road to wellville trailer , the road to wellville 1994 , alan parker , anthony hopkins , bridget fonda , dana carvey , john cusack , matthew broderick ,
the assembly of talent for the road to wellville is impressive , but you know what they say about anthony hopkins . once he’s aboard , other actors beg to be involved .
and how do you like your protein shake ? … matthew broderick and anthony hopkins in the road to wellville . all photographs : allstar / cinetext / columbia
ultimately , the script for the road to wellville is at fault . on the whole , the actors do the best they can with this material , but there is not much to work with . without a good plot or interesting characters , the pretty location and the bathroom humor can ' t support the film on their own .
perhaps wellville should have just remained a book . as a turn - of - the - century period piece and social satire it connects , but the film won’t play in peoria . with too many scatological jokes to recommend and too little linear progress to engage , wellville is an acquired taste .
miss muntz to casanova’s overcoat…to…to charles goodyear , who made possible the vulcanized rubber condom .
it’s true to say that few novelists ever say nice things about the way their books are made into films . however , the ever gracious tom boyle did write this following piece about the road to wellville which first appeared in zoetrope : all story magazine . it’s only fitting that he should have the last word .
the phrase “road to wellville” was coined by c . w . post , originator of grape nuts , after undergoing an appendix operation at the san . he later used the expression as the title of a pamphlet he created to accompany his cereal . basically , the pamphlet urged consumers to “eat grape nuts , drink postum , and think positive thoughts . ” carson , 155 . [ ↩ ]
in 1991 parker released the commitments , a film based on a novel by irish writer roddy doyle . the film , which garnered mixed reviews , told the story of the efforts of a ragtag group of musicians with widely varied individual agendas and their efforts to launch a successful band . 1994 ' s the road to wellville , meanwhile , despite an impressive cast headed by anthony hopkins , was a decidedly unsuccessful adaptation of t . coraghessan boyle ' s novel .
like his american counterpart oliver stone , the british director alan parker has earned a unique reputation as being both a cultural instigator , and an insightful social commentator . through his films mississippi burning ( 1988 ) and evita ( 1996 ) , parker has brought to life the twentieth century’s struggle with race , class , and gender . in 1994 , parker continued this tradition of social commentary not through cinematic drama , but rather through his comedy road to wellville . 3 a perfectionist on every level , parker consulted t . coraghessan boyle , the author of the novel road to wellville , who , while writing his account , used the kellogg archives at the charles willard memorial library , in battle creek , michigan to ensure the social and historical accuracy of his portrayal . the library , which houses all of kellogg’s 220 articles and 81 books , helped boyle reconstruct kellogg’s eugenic theory of “race betterment , ” which , undoubtedly , influenced parker’s portrayal of race and class in road to wellville . 4
while parker’s use of parody , blackface , role - playing , and race / class - encoding might be perceived as a means of evading a realistic treatment of social issues , road to wellville is anything but a crude attempt to avoid the representation of enormously - difficult subject matter . rather , it is a sophisticated blend of humor and documented historical material that seeks to question the various forms that race and class have assumed in twentieth - century american society . consequently , the characters in road to wellville are not simply constructed for comedic purposes ; each has a specific role in the dialogue of the film , whether it be to illustrate the absurdity of turn - of - the - century racial ideology , or to criticize modern social trends . what parker accomplishes in this film is more than a sum of its parts ; one cannot merely look at an isolated scene to understand his anti - racist and anti - elitist commentary , for the fact that problematic social issues are often disguised is part of parker’s message . road to wellville is a statement to the world that in spite of our alleged social advances , not enough has changed with respect to race and class since the turn - of - the - century ; many of the racist and classist assumptions in the film are , like corn flakes , still thriving today . while these prejudices might be more subtly expressed in today’s world , they are still as ubiquitous as they were back at the battle creek sanitarium .
book upon which the film was based , disown the project and refuse to allow any film adaptations of his work for the next 20 years . he relaxed his mandate just in time for
on the road ( 2012 ) — budget , $ 25 million . box office , $ 8 , 784 , 318 . crashed the career of director walter salles .
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
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t he road to wellville is a film made for anyone whose sense of humor leans towards the scatological . set at doctor j . h . kellogg ' s battle creek sanitarium ( affectionately called
the san
by its residents ) , this film contains an endless supply of fecal jokes . there are slogans such as
clean bowels make for clean thoughts
posted around the main dining hall , and the prevalent routine at this
temple of health
is an enema a day .
it’s always a mistake to zip through the main casting of a film . frankly , it’s all the financiers or studios care about . in the case of wellville it was a hefty cast to assemble before we were given the green light on the film . it has to be said , of course , that films can live or die because of the main cast . certainly , if you get the casting wrong , then chances are you’re going to get the film wrong . the same can be said for the quality of the casting , down to the smallest role , that surrounds the principal actors . wellville is an ensemble cast , and arguably , that ensemble is twenty actors deep . in supporting roles i was fortunate enough to have camryn manheim ( virginia ) it was odd to see camryn daintily peddling her bicycle along the forest path , when i cast her she had arrived in full leathers on a 1000cc motorcycle .
. this film and the chain of critical or commercial disappointments led to jeffrey katzenberg selling the studio to comcast / universal and divesting his interests in the firm after 22 years .
the road to wellville ( 1994 ) — budget , $ 25 million . box office , $ 6 , 562 , 513 . based on a novel by t . coraghessan boyle about john harvey kellogg , the inventor of corn flakes , this comedy - drama was derided by critics for its servings of nausea fuel . matthew broderick considers it an old shame .
the insomniac : the novel and film both open with will lightbody suffering from severe insomnia due to his ulcer and opium withdrawal .
they should have begged for a coherent story . wellville threatens to be dazzlingly funny or at least amusingly manic , but it settles for tubefulls of enema jokes and a lame sex romp .
there can be found in the back pages of various health magazines a small advertisement for colonic irrigation . it is illustrated with a drawing of what looks like several tons of lava bursting forth from the earth ' s core . i have never mailed away for the booklet offered , and now that i ' ve seen
the road to wellville ,
i don ' t think i need to . the movie is like an expedition through the digestive tract with gun and camera .
in kellogg’s opinion , the best way to ensure white racial purity was to cultivate “good health , ” which he propagated through his articles , books , lectures , and treatments at the san . the key factor of his health doctrine was self - regulation and moderation , which involved avoiding the undesirable elements of society ( i . e . , immigrants , the working class , criminals , the mentally ill , prostitutes , the diseased , as well as anyone considered “non - white” ) . when anglo - americans did not follow these dictates , they could erode the civility that marked them as “superior , ” and , just like some of the characters in the road to wellville , become the degenerates that they feared . when such degeneration went completely unchecked , kellogg believed the result could be “an incurable and dirty criminal reminiscent of the dark races ; an uncivilized beast . ” 16 in short , kellogg’s adopted son , george , who is played by dana carvey in road to wellville .
beep beep , richie ! it ' s time to go back to derry .
contributor of articles and cartoons to periodicals , including american cinematographer , american film , cineaste , films and filming , literature / film quarterly , and sight and sound .
the promise ( 2016 ) — budget , $ 90 million . box office , $ 9 , 831 , 487 . this drama set before the armenian genocide was a passion project for casino maverick and former mgm owner kirk kerkorian , who didn ' t live to see the film released . the film was also overshadowed by controversy due to genocide deniers ' attempts to smear the film . critics thought the film was so okay its average while the niche subject matter may have killed it more than the controversy .
the rage : carrie 2 ( 1999 ) — budget , $ 21 million . box office , $ 17 , 762 , 705 . this was intended to be an original film called the curse before it became retrofitted into a sequel to carrie . the end result was criticized for not living up to the original film .
) . the opening scene alone was enough to cause nearly ever us theater to pass on the film ( it was in a total of 21 theaters in the us ) . to make things even worse , it came out one day after
, mckenzie wark challenges theorists to invent new tools for criticism , tools adequate to the concrete problems of the anthropocene .
the final nail that sent itc to the bottom of the atlantic came a year later with the failure of the legend of the lone ranger .
. this remains the only film directed by editor and sound designer walter murch , who returned to those lines of work ever since . disney ' s next attempt at an oz film was the much more successful
75 . british screen advisory council , member , beginning 1985 ; head of film council , beginning 1999 ; lecturer at film schools .
revisited after listening to the dollop ' s episode
the cereal men
.
dialogue on film : alan parker ,
in american film ( washington , d . c . ) , january - february 1988 .
commencement speakers are right to not speak at the uc’s commencements , as pulling out sends a message to the university about the importance of employees’ livelihoods .
. it ' s fair to say there may be a long wait before the next big screen adaptation of a cussler novel . this is the only theatrically released film featuring the
movies from warner bros . , dumped this film in a very limited amount of theaters . as a result , this film did not make as much money as the
the veneer of social altruism perpetuated by kellogg in road to wellville is more or less a conscious metaphor for a nostalgic time when “coons were coons” and racial segregation allowed whites to live in glass houses , such as the san , oblivious to the real world around them . in this context , the business relationship between george kellogg and charles ossining ( john cusack ) , an upper class anglo - american who ventures into the cereal business for amusement and economic independence , complements the racial subtext of the film . during business negotiations , george is consistently aloof , more concerned with whiskey than with economics . constantly laughing , eating , and conning his father out of money , george mimics socially constructed “qualities of blackness , i . e . , brutality , crime , idleness , and licentious behavior . ” 23 thus , george clearly fits many of the racial stereotypes that exist in modern , as well as in antebellum , culture . a modern minstrel , george “mirrors the antebellum belief that slavery was good for the slave since it drew upon his natural inferiority and willingness to serve … slaves were content coons . the proof was offered in the happy images of sambo , a feebleminded slave who was content to laugh , eat , and drink . ” 24 in road to wellville , george is a modern - day “sambo . ”
given the racial subtext of the film , the medical diagnoses of the female characters in road to wellville are also very poignant social metaphors . ida is diagnosed with “green sickness , ” or chlorosis , as it was known in the nineteenth - century medical community . according to kellogg , chlorosis , or what twentieth - century physicians would call anemia , “is very often caused by menstrual irregularity and by the unholy practice in consideration [ i . e . , masturbation ] . ” 40 by associating chlorosis with masturbation and menstruation , kellogg simultaneously constructs the disease as both “perverse” and distinctly female in nature . in the film , ida is “sicker than anyone else , ” most likely because she suffers from “female” ailments as well as sexual vice . although will is her partner in adultery , as a woman , ida bears the symbolic burden of shame . in modern film , the consequence of such shame is always death , which finds ida just as she is beginning to gain the strength to act independently .
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pound puppies and the legend of big paw ( 1988 ) — budget , unknown . box office , $ 586 , 938 . this is the only feature film that director pierre decelles and writers jim carlson and terrence mcdonnell have been involved in ; the film ' s failure to leave a mark sent their careers back to television . this is also one of a handful of film adaptations of hanna barbera programs that was sent to the theatrical dog pound , and tristar pictures wouldn ' t distribute another animated film until 2001 .
the fact that george is in “blackface” throughout the entire film is an important aspect of the racial commentary in road to wellville . according to lester friedman , “the white actor in blackface allows a safe , cinematic , non - discussion of the place and origins of blacks in america . ” 19 blackface minstrelsy , which involves white entertainers donning black make - up to “perform” black stereotypes on stage or in film , essentially constructs the minstrel ( i . e . , george ) as the classical fool . set apart from society and believed to be mentally inferior and immature , blackface characters such as the “city dandy , ” the “plantation darky , ” and “sambo the coon , ” can express serious criticism without compelling the audience to take them seriously . through the antics and opinions of these “benign” characters , audiences can laugh away racial anxieties while being assured that racial categories have not been altered . while the material conditions of slavery and segregation embodied white racism in the real world , blackface minstrelsy created jim crow in the theatrical world , guaranteeing racial domination in the imaginary realm well into the twentieth century . 20
on the occasion of the first irish screening of nagisa oshima’s ai no corrida ( in the realm of the senses ) , banned for 18 years because of its explicit sex scenes involving lead actor tatsuya fujii’s hardcore hard - on’s , neil mccormick takes a ride through the history of the ’members’ of the film world’s penis colony and while he’s ‘at it’ , talks to film sexpert david sullivan about the ever narrowing gap between the porn film industry and mainstream cinema .
porgy and bess ( 1959 ) — budget , $ 7 million . box office , $ 3 . 5 million . this film version of george gershwin ' s opera was only shown in a roadshow release due to its controversial subject matter . this was the last film produced by samuel goldwyn . it didn ' t help that the gershwins disliked the film due to its adaptation decay and have kept it out of circulation to this day .
and parker has no doubt it is a joke . while it is certainly much healthier for anyone to eat no meat and take no alcohol , caffeine or tobacco ,
the road to wellville
uses those notions as mere stepping - stones to greater and goofier reforms . kellogg , played grandiloquently by anthony hopkins as a bucktoothed little drum - beater , condenses his beliefs into little sayings : the tongue is the billboard of the bowels . we are but lifeguards on the shores of the alimentary canal . an erection is a flagpole on your grave . as the movie opens , we see him demonstrating that under a microscope , pig droppings cannot be distinguished from a porterhouse .
trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
the making of evita , introduction by madonna , photographs from the film by david appleby , collins publishers , 1996 .
a rumor of angels ( 2002 ) — budget , unknown . box office , $ 38 , 610 . this film was dumped into limited release to fulfill a contractual obligation with mgm and the films producers that the studio inherited from orion pictures .
playtime ( 1967 ) — budget , 12 - 17 million francs . box office , $ 2 million . the massive budget is due to the film ' s equally massive set and director and star jacques tati filming it on 70mm film and using stereophonic sound . its low gross is due to not many theatres being able to screen the film properly . it ' s since been vindicated by history as tati ' s all - around masterpiece .
paparazzi ( 2004 ) — budget , $ 20 million . box office , $ 16 , 796 , 512 . the only theatrical film directed by paul abascal and the only film written by forrest smith .
paradise road ( 1997 ) — budget , $ 16 million . box office , $ 2 , 007 , 100 . this world war ii drama received mixed reviews and it topped out in 350 theaters .
i am not sure
the road to wellville
will be enjoyed by everybody . oddly enough , it may be the very people the satire is aimed at who will enjoy it the most . if you , like me , have wandered hypnotized down the aisles of health food stores , entranced by products like tvp , gardenburgers , soy milk , barbecued tofu and the ominous slimming tea - and if you , like me , have lingered over the shopping networks as they advertise gadgets that will give you a new body in three weeks of six minutes a day - you ' ll probably like this film . if not , then all i can say is , you are probably carrying around a bucket of toxic sludge , and welcome to it .
the film starts off amusingly enough with large groups of unattractive people romping around the san in their bloomers performing ridiculous exercises and singing cheerful songs about their health . the guests of the san are subjected to a hair - brained but very funny health regimen . however , this gimmick for laughs soon wears off and there is not much of a plot to carry the film once the humor gets old .
passion of mind ( 2000 ) — budget , $ 12 million . box office , $ 769 , 000 . the first english film from belgian director alain berliner . . . and considering the negative reactions to the script , it showed . he never did another theatrical american film .
this focus on the site and moods of the scientist’s hermitage owes a great deal to thoreau .
( a picaresque fictionalization of responses to the disastrous chemical spill in bhopal in the 1980s ) .
, to explore the limitations of masculinist nostalgia as a point of view , some authors of cli - fi have turned inward to dissect the protocol of the nerdy hero .
, and prompted financer lew grade to remark that
it would have been cheaper to lower the atlantic .
the movie running into its own killer iceberg in the box office helped bring about the
still on a high after his hobnob in the last issue with the greatest living film director , neil mccormick nears apoplexy as he gets to extract the closely - guarded secrets of being the finest actor in the world today from daniel day - lewis .
interview in american film ( washington , d . c . ) , september 1990 .
the right stuff ( 1983 ) — budget , estimated between $ 19 million to $ 27 million . box office , $ 21 , 192 , 102 . the triple - hit knockout of this film , twice upon a time , and once upon a time in america ( the third of which became the unfortunate victim of executive meddling ) led to the film ' s executive producer alan ladd , jr . to shut down his production company and leave warner bros . , and while he was appointed executive of mgm / ua just a year after the third aforementioned film ' s release , he would not personally produce another film until braveheart .
the other side of heaven ( 2001 ) — budget , $ 7 , 000 , 000 . box office , $ 4 , 760 , 014 . the film was the highest grossing lds movie at the time , but the take was unable to recoup its fairly high budget . director mitch davis would not direct another film for seven years .
before starting work on the screenplay , my first task was to immerse myself in the research behind the book and to dig deeper for the references needed to recreate the unique world of dr . kellogg’s battle creek sanitarium . visits to battle creek , in the southeast corner of michigan , yielded a mountain of faded photographs and memorabilia . the doctor’s penchant for documenting everything he did and his nose for publicity ( he was one of the first to master the “photo op” ) gave us over two thousand photographs and technical drawings to work from .
oldboy 2013 — budget , $ 30 million . box office , $ 4 , 861 , 022 . spike lee ' s remake of the 2003 park chan wook film was deemed a case of it ' s the same , now it sucks and it was the penultimate film for film district before it was absorbed into focus features .
wellville , based on a novel by t . c . boyle , occasionally attains the laughter it seeks . broderick , fonda , and no surprise , hopkins are comical and some of the dialogue is well - written . astute director alan parker should also emerge unscathed .
steam punk the medical gadgetry , theories & practices seem farfetched enough to count .
urltoken gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the modern language association ( mla ) , the chicago manual of style , and the american psychological association ( apa ) .
in the end , i felt this movie had no point to it and everyone is so weird , but it was still an entertaining watch . great character story film .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
dr . kellogg , dying of a heart attack while trying to prove how healthy he is . ( though only in the film . the real - life kellogg lived into his 90s , as the book notes . )
princess mononoke ( 1997 ; all box office totals are inflated to the film ' s original release date ) — budget , 2 . 1 billion japanese yen / $ 18 . 5 million . box office , $ 2 , 298 , 191 ( eight weeks in the united states ) , $ 11 million ( international ) , 14 . 5 billion japanese yen / $ 127 . 5 million ( japan ; inflated at the time of the film ' s release ) . an attempt by american distributor miramax ' s boss harvey weinstein to make edits to this film to get a pg rating in the states prompted studio ghibli producer toshio suzuki to send him a katana with a note saying ,
no cuts !
, on it to prevent the film from suffering the same fate as nausicaä of the valley of the wind and its cut - and - paste translation warriors of the wind . it was a great success in japan and is a critically acclaimed film , but miramax / disney chose to screen it only in arthouse theaters such as the landmark theatres chain ( which may have actually helped its reputation ) .
production designer brian morris and i had decided that almost all of the interiors of the san would have to be built , as nothing resembling kellogg’s eccentric world existed ( in north america at least ) . our film is set in 1907 , and we also had to recreate the town of battle creek , which now has little or no resemblance to the period of our film . and so we began work on building the interior sets and exterior streets at the studios in wilmington , north carolina .
( 22 . ) snowpiercer . dir . bong joon ho . cj entertainment , 2013 . film ; and interstellar . dir . christopher nolan . paramount pictures , 2014 . film .
personal best ( 1982 ) — budget , $ 16 million . box office , $ 5 , 672 , 311 . the film ' s budget went slightly up due to executive meddling . writer / director robert towne also felt that warner bros . did a poor job marketing the film .
the road to el dorado ( 2000 ) — budget , $ 95 million . box office , $ 76 , 432 , 727 . the first box - office bomb from dreamworks animation . plans for sequels were cancelled due to its lackluster take , and the series became a stillborn franchise as a result . this is one of several traditionally animated films at the turn of the millennium that sent the genre into the sunset until disney ' s the princess and the frog . after this and shark tale 4 years later , director eric
bibo
bergeron ' s american directing career sank like a stone ; his next theatrical film was french and didn ' t come until 2011 . el dorado is also the second and last time elton john and tim rice would work together , with their other teamup being on the music for dwa founder jeffrey katzenberg ' s final disney film , the lion king , and this film ' s failure ensured that the lion king would be more fondly remembered . the rush by katzenberg to get this film out ahead of disney ' s the emperor ' s new groove ( another buddy comedy in mesoamerica ) also led animator will finn to defect back to disney and turned the film into an old shame for him ( sadly , this move led him to direct home on the range at disney , which was a much bigger bust and derailed his career and 2d animation ) . el dorado did become a cult classic .
the nut job 2 nutty by nature ( 2017 ) — budget , $ 40 million . box office , $ 28 , 370 , 522 ( domestic ) , $ 43 , 421 , 149 ( worldwide ) . like its preceding film , it gained toxic reviews from critics , but while the last film did surprisingly well at the box office , this one performed very poorly . the second bomb in a row for animation studio toonbox entertainment , and part of a very bad year for distributor open road films .
the audience becomes aware of kellogg’s presence during the entire scene after george is chased out of the san . like a foucauldian panopticon , kellogg observes his son , and his patients , without being observed . while , as the observer , kellogg possesses power over his son , he also has a weakness for george that springs not from affection , but from a sense of failure . as he remembers george’s undisciplined childhood , kellogg realizes that george’s very existence undermines the doctor’s convictions by demonstrating the shortcomings of his theories . while kellogg promotes “biological living” and physical discipline at the san , he cannot help but think of his failure at home . for all his talk of racial , mental , and spiritual purity , he raises a son who embodies his worst nightmare . in road to wellville , this sense of failure is contrasted with the racist idealism that kellogg conveys to a group of reporters who visit the sanitarium : “as a child i had a dream , a marvelous dream , in which i saw a wild place in the country . dirty children were pouring down the road . the dream gave me the idea for my lifework … the sanitarium . everything here has behind it one ideal : biological living to improve the american race . ”
pollyanna ( 1960 ) — budget , $ 2 . 5 million . box office , unknown . it got strong reviews despite critics being initially pessimistic , but it failed to make it even halfway to a projected $ 6 million goal gross . walt disney blamed the film ' s box office performance on a failure to attract male audiences . no sequels to the movie were produced when it couldn ' t perform financially . disney did remake the film for tv as the musical polly in 1989 , which managed to get a sequel , polly : comin ' home ! a year later .
there are three different stories , with minimal connections to one another , followed throughout the film . will lightbody ( matthew broderick ) is ill so his wife eleanor ( bridget fonda ) brings him to the san to recover , and to solve their marital problems . anthony hopkins plays the spa ' s owner , dr . kellogg , who is plagued by the untimely reappearance of his crazed , adopted son george ( dana carvey ) .
early on , because of my peculiar brand of obstinacy and my own napoleonic delusions , i refused to have anything to do with the film industry – i wasn’t gong to carry anybody’s jockstrap , by god . also , i understood something intuitively that seems to escape many of my contemporaries : novelists write novels , and directors direct films . all well and good . as a novelist , you have two options : to sell the film rights of a given book , thereby relinquishing control over the film version , or retain the rights and have your widow toss the manuscript atop your coffin as they lower you into the earth . ( no fear : as soon as your seventy - eight years are up there’ll be competing film versions of all your books , early and late , and nobody to say different . look at wharton . austen , james . james , for christ’s sake ! )
remo williams the adventure begins ( 1985 ) — budget , unknown . box office , $ 15 million . this film of the destroyer novels is its only cinematic outing . the book series survives to this day with new authors .
“i come here to look at the nude ladies . i like nude ladies . ”
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
kellogg : take mister lightbody immediately to the yogurt room and give him fifteen gallons .
the rocketeer ( 1991 ) — budget , $ 40 million ( not counting marketing costs ) . box office , $ 46 . 7 million . this film was released in the shadow of terminator 2 : judgement day and it had the walt disney pictures tag attached to it but deemphasized the studio ' s involvement in advertising to avoid turning off older audiences ( international releases put it under touchstone pictures instead ) . it did do very well on video , gaining an additional $ 23 million , but it wasn ' t enough to prevent the intended film series from being grounded . the film ' s video performance and tv airings ultimately led to director joe johnson directing spiritual successor captain america : the first avenger for the rocketeer ' s 20th anniversary and ultimately led to the sequel getting greenlit at last in 2016 .
the racist associations between people of color and jungle animals that occur in the “red onion” scene are prevalent throughout kellogg’s writings and road to wellville . in plain facts , kellogg states that there is an inverse relationship between intelligence and savagery : “as the intellect is developed , the animal passions are brought into subjection … the animal passions seem to survive when all higher intelligence is lost . ” 33 he believed that those who lived like savages , i . e . , “non - white” peoples who had not been “christianized , ” were unintelligent , and therefore beastly in behavior . he cites various examples of savagery in his works , such as the infanticidal “jaggers of guinea , who devour their own children , ” and “the uncouth negro who haunts the jungles of southern africa . ” 34 in road to wellville , parker lampoons kellogg’s bizarre racist assumptions through george’s humorous animal - like expressions and behavior . not only does george eat like a pig , but he also inhabits a pig sty . at one point in the film , george fills his father’s cereal boxes with human excrement , and throws them at the guests , jumping up and down in an almost simian fashion . in another scene , george overhears a conversation about the origins of kellogg’s enema : “i heard the doctor got the idea for the enema in india … no , no , i believe africa … india , africa , what’s the difference , they are both the same … apes eat and defecate simultaneously . they don’t suffer from the same ailments as the civilized bowel … we are far too house - trained . ” the conflation of indians and africans not only illustrates the extent to which these individuals were interchangeable and expendable in american society , but it also conveys the extent to which many americans associated , and still associate , peoples of color with “incivility , ” savagery , sub - humanity , and bestial behavior .
night of the demons 2009 — budget , $ 10 million . box office , $ 64 , 040 . originally premiering at the london frightfest in 2009 , this film ultimately came direct - to - dvd .
in the lap of the gods and the hands of the beatles , st . louis , 1990 .
popeye ( 1980 ) — budget , $ 20 million . box office , $ 49 , 823 , 037 ( domestic ) , $ 60 million ( worldwide ) . even with this high gross , paramount and co - producer disney considered this movie to be a flop due to not reaching the expected gross target , plus it received mixed reviews from critics . subsequently , paramount bosses michael eisner and jeffrey katzenberg would jump to disney within 5 years . screenwriter jules feiffer did not have another screenwriting credit on a full - length film until the end of the decade ( and that movie is feiffer ' s last film ) , and it ' s the last film robert evans produced before a cocaine trafficking conviction sent his life and career downhill for the 1980 ' s . no other attempts to bring popeye to the big screen have materialized since this film .
. and that ' s not even counting the advertising budget . dreamworks animation had already been suffering from previous box office stings , but this film delivered the biggest blow to the studio . after the studio predicted it would make a $ 49 million loss at theaters
kellogg’s racial theory , and thus the racial theory in road to wellville , is based on the work of sir francis galton , who , in 1883 , invented the term eugenics to express the “science of improving stock , especially in the case of man , to give the more suitable [ i . e . , “white” ] races or strains of blood a better chance of prevailing , over the less suitable , than they otherwise would have had . ” 5 as net migration to the united states reached the twenty million mark in 1920 , many “progressive” americans , including john harvey kellogg and president theodore roosevelt , feared that the “great protestant - american race , ” which allegedly possessed superior genetic qualities , might be drowned by an “invasion” of inassimilable , and “uncivilized , ” immigrants from asia , eastern europe , and central america . 6 by invoking the eugenic specter of race suicide , the pre - existing fear of black - white miscegenation and class - mixing , and the takeover of modern society by defective degenerates and “foreigners” who would out - breed the established white anglo - saxon stock , popular authors were able to convince americans that the influx of these “new” immigrants would affect the national gene pool . 7
robocop 3 ( 1993 ) — budget , $ 22 million . box office , $ 10 , 696 , 210 . killed the film franchise for over 21 years before the 2014 continuity reboot , which also flopped ( at least domestically ) and again killed the film franchise .
in road to wellville , parker uses the comedic techniques of blackface and role - playing to create a “racial double” : that is , a “white” character ( george kellogg ) who , through class and race - oriented constructions , represents the token inclusion of a black character in the essentially white society depicted in the film . 17 george’s role as a “person of color” stems from his personal history . in the film , the kelloggs adopt forty - two children and raise them to be examples of “race betterment” by teaching them the proper rules of diet , exercise , and sexual abstinence . to prove his eugenic theories are valid , dr . kellogg adopts a prostitute’s son , names him george , and tries to “convert” him to a model of white racial superiority . as george attests : “my mother was a chicago whore … she died one night , and then weeks later the good doctor found me in the slum , cowering over her dead body . he cleaned me up and took me home , but i’m not that clean now am i ? ” the fact that george is the son of a prostitute from a working - class chicago neighborhood , where people of color mixed freely with “lower - class” whites , automatically renders him “black” in both race and class . moreover , his unsavory background opens up a space in the viewer’s imagination for racialized and sexualized encounters in the dark streets of chicago .
the other sister ( 1999 ) — budget , $ 35 million . box office , $ 27 , 807 , 627 ( domestic ) . this glurge - laden film ' s failure , along with mandeville films ' founder david hoberman temporarily going to work for hyde park entertainment for the next few years , led to mandeville not getting another film into theaters for 5 years .
building on a longstanding conversation in science fiction studies , the capitalocene question for cli - fi is why and whether it is easier to imagine the end of the world through climate - induced flooding than it is to ponder life after capitalism , to paraphrase fredric jameson .
reach the rock ( 1998 ) — budget , unknown . box office , $ 4 , 960 . the last film distributed by gramercy pictures without the aid of polygram pictures .
upon her arrival , will’s wife , eleanor , is diagnosed as having “an acute case of autointoxication and neurasthenia , brought on by the loss of a child . ” one year prior to their stay at the san , the lightbodies became the parents of a baby girl . while the film does not disclose the reason for the infant’s death , it does convey the fact that at the time of the baby’s birth , will was an alcoholic , who was also addicted to the “juice of the poppy” [ i . e . , opium ] . kellogg informs the couple that will’s vices led to degeneracy and the child’s health : “if sterility does not result from vice , the children of degenerates are liable to be delicate , puny , and decrepit … sometimes , the unfortunate result is the death of degenerate offspring . ” to save society from another george kellogg , maintain the “racial purity” of the san , and illustrate the vengefulness of kellogg’s ideology , the lightbody’s child must be killed in the film . as eleanor states , “by the time you sobered up will , our child was dead . now we have nothing left . ”
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all this by way of saying that i’m not a player . not then , not now . never have been , never will be . so when alan parker made his offer on my 1993 novel , the road to wellville , i was pleased to meet with him and his producers for a celebratory dinner , presided over by our mutual agents , jane sindell and sally willcox , of creative artists agency , because there was never any question of my participation . alan , at that point , already knew much ore more than i did about the subject ( turn of the century battle creek , michigan , and dr john harvey kellogg’s famed sanitarium ) . the subject lit alan up , and he is a brilliant and tireless researcher . he liked me because i’d written a book he loved and given him the story and setting for the film to follow the commitments , in his career , and i liked him because he’d made at least three of my all - time favourite movies .
paint your wagon ( 1969 ) : budget : $ 20 million . box office : $ 31 . 7 million . although it was the sixth highest - grossing film of the year , it came out when movie musicals were on the decline and it failed to make back its high budget . clint eastwood and lee marvin ' s singing abilities bared the brunt of the film ' s negative reviews , though the latter ' s rendition of the ballad
wandrin ' star
became a surprise hit in europe . this was the final film for director joshua logan and would be memorably parodied in the simpsons in 1998 . one bright side is that the film ' s troubled production gave eastwood valuable experience for his later directorial career .
tony was the darling of the british crew , sharing as they did , many an in - joke from past movies . much has been written about tony and his dedication to alcoholics anonymous . his easy bonhomie and friendly shenanigans with the crew—hamming it up , sharing their jokes and licorice all - sorts ( in a bag taped to the front of the camera dolly , ) hid a much darker side which , thankfully , we didn’t witness on wellville . tony’s own secret shadows of the soul are now kept in check with enormous discipline .
nothing but the truth ( 2008 ) — budget , $ 11 million . box office , $ 409 , 832 ( worldwide ) . its production company , yari film group , filed for bankruptcy the month it was supposed to open in the us . it went straight - to - dvd there and limped into theaters around the world .
the obama effect ( 2012 ) — budget , $ 10 million . box office , $ 110 , 000 . the last film directed by charles s . dutton to date ; it was also his only writing credit .
in an effort to distinguish what was said by the fictitious kellogg from what was said by the “real” kellogg , i will preface a quote from the “real” kellogg with the name of the work from which it comes , and follow the quote with a footnote . all quotes that are not followed by a footnote come from the film . [ ↩ ]
return to the blue lagoon ( 1991 ) — budget , $ 11 million . box office , $ 2 , 807 , 854 . an old shame for star milla jovovich . director william graham never worked on another theatrical film after this one crashed , writer leslie stevens only wrote one other cinematic film , gordy , before he died , and no further attempts to make a the blue lagoon feature film adaptation have surfaced since , though a quasi - remake was produced for tv in 2012 .
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pippi longstocking ( 1997 ) — budget , $ 11 . 5 million . box office , $ 505 , 335 . one of two attempts in north america to adapt the literary classic . however , hbo executives were impressed enough by the film to launch a television series based on it .
no good deed 2002 — budget , $ 12 million . box office , $ 181 , 600 ( faints ) . was unfortunate enough to have a very limited release ( 402 theaters ) . it was the last film that bob rafelson has directed to date .
rock a doodle ( 1991 ) — budget , $ 18 million . box office , $ 11 , 657 , 385 . this film sank don bluth ' s studio into bankruptcy , though it would survive to make three more critical and commercial busts ( thumbelina , a troll in central park , and the pebble and the penguin ) , and turned star glen campbell into a laughingstock ; campbell would never return to the big screen again . it also led to child actor toby scott granger , who played the lead child in this film , to fade out from the entertainment business within 5 years ; he only really appeared in a few disney sing along songs videos after this . finally , christopher plummer , who voiced the villain of the film , did not do another theatrically released animated film until 2009 ; one of his movies that year was as the villain of pixar ' s up .
once this historian dined with , among others , a five - year - old child . throughout three courses the child sat stern - faced , doggedly repeating the words
poo , bum , willy .
he seemed to take no pleasure in this act . he was merely playing out a grim compulsion to keep saying the words in front of a group of adults too liberal to give him a clip round the ear . were this five - year - old child to write a screenplay , it would come out just like the road to wellville . poo is flung at characters . bums are wobbled around full - screen . will lightbody obsesses about his willy . in one excruciating scene , during which he undergoes colonic irrigation , all three elements are combined . another scene is constructed solely so that fictional entrepreneur charles ossining ( john cusack ) can say :
with friends like you , who needs enemas ?
some scatological content is historically justified . still , the film ' s joyless repetition of
poo , bum , willy
soon becomes like chinese water torture . which , history fans may like to know , is not chinese at all . it was invented in italy during the early 16th century by the lawyer hippolytus de marsiliis .