dirac

Well, Jefferson couldn't afford to free his slaves. That's what I meant when I said that even as slaveholders go he was not as responsible as he might have been. He spent his dough noodling endlessly with Monticello and after he died they had to be sold off to pay his debts. That wasn't meeting his responsibility to the slaves or his family. On the other hand, Washington's concern on this matter was exceptional - not only did he make arrangements to free his slaves but thought also about their future welfare as freemen -- and I wouldn't necessarily expect Jefferson to meet that standard. Had finances permitted Jefferson might very well have chosen to free them. But he wasn't the only Founding Father who wasn't too good at keeping his personal finances in order. As it was, it would have been irresponsible for him to manumit them, and possibly not legal?? - I believe he'd actually had to mortgage some of them. (Slaveholders who did decide to free their slaves posthumously could leave their families in a pickle if they didn't do it thoughtfully. George Washington Custis ordered the slaves of Arlington freed within a few years of his death, but his plantations and finances were in terrible shape, leaving his son in law, Robert E. Lee, with a big mess on his hands.) Maybe she would have made a better President than her hubby. Abigail would have known how to deal with Hamilton and Jefferson.

I like your sister's critical instincts, carbro.

It's Keira. They could have done worse, I guess.

Thanks for the report, Helene.

I guess Jefferson couldn't help where he was born, and into what times. He didn't do as well as he might have in some ways, even by slaveholder standards, but nobody's perfect.

George Furth, writer and actor, has died at age 75. Obituary by Bruce Weber in The New York Times.

Well, Abigail was really the hard working farmer.

Why does it have to be a choice? Plenty of time for both - the series didn't last that long. It would be fun to see that scene dramatized. I will have to check out the last half of the series.

Jefferson's delivery of his first inaugural address wasn't too impressive either - apparently hardly anyone heard him, with the possible exceptions of veep Burr and John Marshall, who were right next to him. When I read Washington's will I was very impressed with the care he took about the disposition of his slaves. He was obviously very concerned about them, and he didn't seem to trust his family too much on the matter.

Maybe if HBO shows it again I’ll tune in for some of the later episodes and try again, Neryssa. Like Mel, I’d given up on it well before that time. I completely missed David Morse as Washington and I admit I can’t imagine him in the role. (Morse has a good recurring role in Mad Men, BTW.) I have fond if vague memories of George Grizzard in the old Adams Chronicles series although I haven’t seen it for many moons. He had the right combination of strength and prickliness. Probably they were trying to avoid the stodginess that is often associated with historical costume epics of this type, but they went too far. No arguments there. Here's hoping he gets his own sequel. And on the Fourth of July, no less. One of those details a novelist wouldn't dare make up.

Neryssa, hello. There's no pre-existing thread but thanks for asking (and checking). I tuned into it occasionally but although I like Paul Giamatti well enough in certain roles, not many, he's not the actor to carry a miniseries. Physically he looks enough like Adams but that's not the point. I liked Stephen Dillane as Jefferson and got a kick out of Tom Wilkinson, who's on a roll these days, as Franklin. Laura Linney is always welcome. I didn't watch enough of it to have a well informed opinion of the series as a whole, though.

The Olympics are a little like the United Nations, which they sometimes resemble – not perfect, but better than nothing. I would suggest they have value in that they direct recognition (and money) for their achievements to athletes of distinction, some of whom would not receive a great deal of either otherwise. There’s not always rhyme or reason as to which sports are included, but what else is new. Regarding cricket, I suspect that the time required for play may be a factor, but I don’t know. At least they haven’t made ballroom dancing an event, which they were talking about at one time. As a spectacle the Olympics can be pretty awesome, and I for one always enjoy watching the parade of nations with the athletes proudly carrying their nations’ flags and waving giddily at the camera. I don’t see any necessary contradiction in appreciating this and also rooting for your country’s athletes. For viewers the Olympics often provide a powerful view of what the late Jim McKay used to call “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” on the largest stage in the world of sports, with the drama of seeing athletes succeed or fail under the most intense possible pressure. Personally, I got a kick out of watching the American swimmers whooping with glee (and surprise) when they won the relay last night. The look on the faces of the Frenchmen was a study. I like Project Runway sometimes, but to me some of the reality shows' propensity for jeering at their participants is their least attractive feature.

And they look like veritable Jayne Mansfields next to Eifman’s girls, who are really, really thin. Peter Martins made a similar comment in his book about a very small dancer who gave no help with lifts (“Dancing with this pint-size ballerina was like dancing with a truck”) and I always wondered if he meant Kirkland.

And the Harry Potter series has provided good acting opportunities for a bunch of great British actors. They get a nice paycheck, we enjoy them, everybody wins. (And I loved Alfred Molina in the second Spider-Man.) Thanks for telling us what you thought, lsu. I’ve always liked Streep’s singing, myself. The scheduling hasn’t worked out yet, but I’m really going to try to see it during this run and not on DVD. One of the nice things about the reception of the film is that it seems to demonstrate that seeing a movie in the theatre and not at home can add to the experience.

Interesting info, PeggyR. Margot Kidder as Eliza. Ahem.

Off topic, but I’d believe that even without independent confirmation from Jones. Sinatra became positively tyrannical about one-take-only when he was professionally secure enough to get away with it.

Andrews can certainly be pardoned for thinking she could have done better and for wishing her portrayal could have been preserved on film – anyone with a healthy performer’s ego would have felt the same way, I'm sure.

The original article I posted was ambiguous, but this item from Playbill does indeed make it clear it’s a musical. Cameron Mackintosh is involved, which pretty much seals it. A “My Fair Lady” done on location actually sounds quite promising. The older version certainly left some room for improvement. I wonder if Knightley can sing -- that is, really sing? Eliza demands a real voice.

It's going to be Day-Lewis - at least that's the current plan, which can always change.

Well, Higgins is a rather brutal man. It’s part of the reason Shaw felt so strongly against Eliza winding up with him romantically, although it’s the best ending for a movie or a musical. (It will be interesting to see what Emma Thompson does with this in the new version.) I happen to think Howard is likable, but I’ll allow it’s a matter of taste. As for Gone with the Wind – Howard took the role under duress, disliking both character and book and feeling also that he was too old for it, which was quite correct. I thought he did well given the circumstances. Very clever of Cecil Beaton to cover up those dicey upper arms, too. The new version of “My Fair Lady” isn’t going to be a musical, one gathers.

Nicola Rescigno has died at age 92. This obit has a photo of Rescigno with Callas, in costume for Norma, it looks like.

Nice to see both of us on the same page for once, Helene. It's not my all time favorite, because I can't choose, but it's great. It's an obvious choice, I guess, but I love Jane Eyre, too. 'Reader, I married him.' I will allow that C. Bronte's other novels didn't do much for me and although I finished Villette I had to skip around to do so.

Thanks for speaking up for Knightley, canbelto. I personally don't think Hepburn is underrrated - that's one performance where I think the conventional wisdom has it right. (Not that she's terrible by any means, just miscast. )

But Eliza’s main point was that Pickering treated her better from day one, which is perfectly true, and his manners a contrast (and reproach) to Higgins’ lack of concern. She’s not the sort to hold a momentary lapse against a man she knows to be kind at heart. Interesting idea, sidwich. (Although of course Deschanel is no slouch in the family connections department, either. There’s talk of her doing a Janis Joplin biopic, for which I think she’d be quite wrong – not necessarily on a vocal basis, but she’s far too pretty.)

Thanks for reporting, Gina.