Angela Lansbury  (English Biopic)
Subtitle: A topic for ESL Students to learn about one of the best actresses of the 20th century
Publisher: EnglishRepublic.ru
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Russia
Table of contents: title: Angela Lansbury; title: Angela Lansbury was born on October 16,; title: 1925 in London, England. She would later become; title: a successful actress and singer in theater, on; title: television, and in movies. Her career has spanned 7; title: decades, and her next movie, entitled 'Mr. Popper's; title: Penguins' is set to be released in the summer of; title: 2011.; title: Angela's mother was an Irish-born actress,; title: and her father was the former mayor of London and; title: a Communist party member. Just before the; title: German bombing campaign on London in 1940,; title: Angela's mother took the children to the United; title: States to live. It was at a house party that Angela; title: was seen by a director and was offered a major role; title: in a motion picture (Gaslight, 1944), despite not; title: having any training or acting experience. She was; title: even nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting; title: Actress for her role in this film!; title: Angela Lansbury first appeared on Broadway; title: in 1957. However, she had her first huge success in; title: the 1966 show Mame, which is about the life of a wealthy New York family and how their; title: life changed during the Great Depression and World War II. Angela Lansbury won the; title: Tony award for Best Actress for her work in this play. Her most famous role on Broadway; title: was probably in Sweeney Todd, which was later made into a movie. She also had major; title: roles in the hugely successful shows Dear World and Gypsy. Angela Lansbury has won; title: more Tony awards than any other performer (5), with her first coming in 1966 and her most; title: recent in 2009. She was also nominated for her role in A Little Night Music in 2010.; title: On television, she is most known for playing the crime-fighting novelist Jessica; title: Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote. Lansbury was nominated for a total of ten Golden Globes; title: and twelve Emmy Awards for her work on Murder, She Wrote. She holds the record for; title: the most Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a television drama series and the; title: most Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for Murder, She; title: Wrote, with those nominations netting her four Golden Globe awards. The series received; title: three nominations but no wins in the Outstanding Drama Series category at the Emmys. It; title: was nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category six times and won twice. Since; title: the series ended in 1996, a series of four TV movies were released between 1997 and; title: 2003, a game was released for the PC platform in 2009. In total, Angela Lansbury has; title: been nominated for 18 Emmy awards, but she has never won. She holds the record for; title: 'most Emmy losses' amongst actors/actresses.; title: Copyright©2011 English Republic .ru All rights reserved; title: Although she has been in over 50 movies, she is best known for her theater and; title: television work. Her successful leading roles on the silver screen came mostly in the; title: 1950's, although Bedknobs and Broomsticks is considered a children's classic, and her; title: role as the voice of the teapot in Disney's Beauty and the Beast is legendary.; title: (She is also the voice of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in Anastasia, by the; title: way); title: In 1945, Lansbury married American actor; title: Richard Cromwell when he was 35 and she was 19.; title: Unbeknownst to her, Cromwell was bisexual, and the; title: marriage dissolved after a year, but the two remained; title: friends. In 1949, Lansbury married British-born actor and; title: businessman Peter Shaw. Shaw was instrumental in; title: guiding and managing Lansbury's career. They were; title: married for 54 years until his death in January 2003.; title: Lansbury became a naturalized American citizen in 1951.; title: She is the mother of two, stepmother of one, and a; title: grandmother. A fire destroyed the family's Malibu home in; title: September 1970, prompting a move to a rural area of; title: Ireland. She later moved to Brentwood, California. She; title: had knee-replacement surgery on July 14th, 2005. She; title: also had two hip replacement surgeries. In 2006, she; title: moved to New York City, purchasing a condominium at a; title: reported cost of $2 million. This allows her to live close to; title: Broadway, where she regularly still performs.; title: Angela Lansbury is a rare actress who has maintained a positive, wholesome image; title: throughout her life and career. Are you familiar with Angela Lansbury's work? Which is; title: your favorite?; title: The silver screen = [NOUN] The motion picture realm; “the movies”. [Success on the silver screen does; title: not always translate to success on television – Goldie Hawn's sitcom was a huge bomb!]; title: Dowager = [ADJECTIVE/NOUN] A widow who holds a title or property (a “dower”) derived from her; title: deceased husband. As an adjective 'dowager' usually appears in association with monarchical and; title: aristocratic titles. (China and the UK use this term more than any other country, although historically this was; title: used during the time of the Russian Empire) [No one felt sorry for the dowager – her husband was a tyrant to; title: the people of this country, and he left her with millions of dollars and several enormous properties.]; title: Unbeknownst = [ADJECTIVE] Happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified. [NOTE:; title: Almost always used in the construction “Unbeknownst to (person), …...”] [Unbeknownst to Jack, while he; title: was at lunch with his friends having a great time, his dog got into his closet and chewed up his favorite pair; title: of shoes.]; title: LITTLE/FEW GRAMMAR REVIEW; title: Remember that “little” is used for non-countable nouns (such as water, bread, tea, etc.),; title: and “few” is used for countable nouns (coins, apples, pencils, etc.). But when do you use; title: “a few” or “a little”? Well, one rule of thumb is to use “few” or “little” when you are NOT; title: satisfied with the amount of something, and use “a few” or “a little” when there is a small; title: amount of something, but it is sufficient for you. For example:; title: “I know few people here.” - (you don't know many people here, and this upsets/annoys; title: you); title: Copyright©2011 English Republic .ru All rights reserved; title: “I know a few people here.” + (although you don't know a lot of people, you are satisfied); title: “There is little wine left.” - (there is not a lot of wine available, and you are not happy about; title: it!); title: “There is a little wine left.” + (although there is not a lot of wine, you only want a little bit; title: anyway, or you weren't expecting there to be any left); title: For questions, remember to only use “a few” (or 'some') or “a little” (or 'any'):; title: May I have a few cookies, please? = May I have some cookies, please?; title: Is there a little bread left? = Is there any bread left?; title: Make sentences using few/little/a few/a little with the following nouns:; title: bone – dollar – flour – Coca-Cola – tape – car – apartment – air; title: PHRASAL VERB OF THE WEEK; title: To grow on (somebody) = To begin to like or value something after time or after long; title: exposure to it; [When Viktor first listened to Banderos, he didn't really like the band, but he; title: kept listening to Europa Plus, and Banderos began to grow on him. Now he owns all their; title: CD's and travels to every one of their concerts within the CIS!!]; title: To grow out of (something) = To stop doing something after a long time or upon; title: maturing; To lose interest in something with time/maturity; [When Sarah was a child she; title: used to stutter, but she grew out of it. Varya used to play with Barbie dolls, but when she; title: turned 20, she finally grew out of it.]; title: IDIOM OF THE WEEK; title: A sweeping statement = A overly generalized statement which suggests that because; title: one thing is known to be true, all similar things should be classified the same way, despite; title: possible differences; [Aren't you making a rather sweeping statement when you claim that; title: all private doctors use the same methods as money-hungry businessmen?]; title: CONVERSATION; title: Viktor: I just watched the trailer; title: for 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' – I; title: can't wait to see Angela; title: Lansbury in this film. She is so; title: hot!; title: Varya: Oh my gosh,; title: Viktor....isn't she 85 now?; title: Some guys rob the cradle, but; title: I guess you're robbing the; title: grave!; title: Sergei: You just like her; title: because she was made a; title: 'Commander of the Order of; title: the British Empire' in 1994......; title: Natasha: What an Anglophile!; title: Viktor: Oh come on, guys.....just try to tell me that you all didn't want her to be your nanny; title: after watching Bedknobs and Broomsticks!; title: Copyright©2011 English Republic .ru All rights reserved; title: Natasha: Never heard of it.; title: Sergei: I must have missed that film.....; title: Varya: I turned off the TV after the first 5 minutes.....; title: Viktor: Blasphemy! What is wrong with you guys?; title: Natasha: Just because we don't listen to Banderos all day and stalk Angela Lansbury, it; title: doesn't mean that there is something wrong with us.; title: Sergei: Yes, in fact, most people would argue quite the opposite.; title: Viktor: Seryozha, don't you have a dam to assess somewhere?; title: Varya: Viktor, you're such a villain. Don't try to silence Seryozha.; title: Sergei: Thanks Varya, but I can stick up for myself.; title: Varya: Oh be quiet, Seryozha!; title: Natasha: Viktor, what sparked your interest in Angela Lansbury's career?; title: Sergei: Probably the fact that she was born in London.....; title: Viktor: You'll have to excuse Sergei – he's an Anglophobe. My favorite television show of; title: all time is Murder, She Wrote, and that's why I started following her career.; title: Natasha: Oh really? My favorite television program is Dom Dva.; title: Varya: Oh wow. Some things you should just keep to yourself, Natasha!; title: Viktor: You're so judgmental, Varya.; title: Varya: Whatever, Viktor. I'm just too generous – I have to share my talents and; title: knowledge.; title: Sergei: I prefer watching Animal Planet, especially when cats are featured.; title: Natasha: So boring! A true engineer.....; title: Varya: Nice one – you catch on fast, Natasha.; title: Natasha: Thanks.; title: Viktor: Okay philologists, go read a book......maybe an Angela Lansbury biography.....; title: To rob the cradle = [COLLOQUIALISM; VERB] When an older person tries to date/marry/have sex with a; title: much younger partner. [Sarah is a gold digger, and Arthur is a rich senior citizen who has always been fond; title: of robbing the cradle, so they're a match made in heaven!]; title: Judgmental = [ADJECTIVE] Characterized by a tendency to judge quickly and harshly. [No one enjoyed; title: hanging out with Julia because she was so close-minded and judgmental. She always had advice for; title: everyone and was very condescending when she gave it.]; title: To catch on = [PHRASAL VERB] To understand or figure something out (such as a procedure, process, or; title: way of life) and start applying it or adapting to it independently. [At first John didn't understand what to do at; title: work, because everything was so new and confusing to him. However, after a week he caught on and was; title: like an old pro.]; title: Just Speak!; title: Written by Bunny Designed by Vadim; title: Copyrigh