Einar Gerhardsen

Einar Henry Gerhardsen was a Norwegian politician who served as the prime minister of Norway from 1945 to 1951, 1955 to 1963 and 1963 to 1965. With a total of 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism. He was the leader of the Labour Party from 1945 to 1965.

Einar Gerhardsen was born in the municipality of Asker, in the county of Akershus. His parents were Gerhard Olsen (1867–1949) and Emma Hansen (1872–1949). His father was rodemester' roadworker in Public Roads Administration and was foreman of a trade union committee, fanekomiteen for Veivesenets arbeiderforening, and during Gerhardsen's childhood the trade union's leader, Carl Jørgensen, frequently visited their home, and sometimes they would sing The Internationale and Seieren følger våre faner ("Victory Follows Our Banners").

In 1932, he married Werna Julie Koren Christie (1912–1970), daughter of agent Johan Werner Koren Christie and Klara Rønning.[2] The couple had two sons, Truls and Rune and a daughter Torgunn. His brother was Rolf Gerhardsen and the pair also had a lifelong working relationship. From the age of seventeen, Gerhardsen attended meetings with the Labour Party's youth movement. In 1918, during the Finnish Civil War, Gerhardsen resigned his membership of the Church of Norway after the church sided with the "Whites" against the "Reds".

Originally a road worker, Gerhardsen became politically active in the socialist labour movement during the 1920s. He was convicted several times of taking part in subversive activities until he, along with the rest of the Labour Party, gradually moved from communism to democratic socialism. He participated in the Left Communist Youth League's military strike action of 1924. He was convicted for assisting in this crime and sentenced to 75 days in prison.

By the mid-1930s, Labour was a major force on the national political scene, becoming the party of government under Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold from 1935 until the Nazi invasion in 1940. Gerhardsen was elected to Oslo city council in 1932 and became deputy mayor in 1938. He was deputy leader of the Labour Party from 1939.

After the German occupation of Norway in 1940, Gerhardsen became acting Chairman of the Labour Party, as the chairman, Oscar Torp had gone into exile. Gerhardsen became Mayor of Oslo on 15 August 1940, but was forced to resign by the Germans on 26 August the same year. In September, the Nazi occupation government banned all parliamentary political parties, including the Labour Party.

During World War II, Gerhardsen took part in the organised resistance against the German occupation of Norway, and was arrested on 11 September 1941. Having already been under suspicion for a long time, Gerhardsen had been detained and subjected to interrogations on 31 previous occasions since the summer of 1940. Initially he was sent to Grini concentration camp in Norway. In February 1942, he was accused of leading resistance work from his imprisonment, and removed from the camp for interrogation. Initially interrogated at the police station at Møllergata 19, he was soon transferred to the Gestapo headquarters at Victoria Terrasse. At Victoria Terrasse, he was tortured to reveal information on the resistance, but did not give in. In April 1942, he was sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany. In September 1944, he was transferred back to Grini, where he spent the rest of the war.

After the war, Gerhardsen formed the interim government which sat from the end of the occupation in May 1945 until the general election held in October the same year. The election gave Labour an absolute majority in Parliament, the Storting, which it retained until 1961. Gerhardsen served as President of the Storting from 10 January 1954 to 22 January 1955.

During and after his periods in office, he was greatly respected by the people; even those not sharing his social democratic views. The administrations he led forged an eclectic economic policy in which government regulation of commerce, industry and banking. Abject poverty and unemployment were sharply reduced by his government's policies of industrialisation and redistribution of wealth through progressive taxation, together with the creation of a comprehensive social security system.

The Norwegian State Housing Bank Law of March 1946 introduced relatively cheap loans for co-operative housing societies and individual private builders. The Child Allowances Law of October 1946 introduced allowances for second and subsequent children under the age of sixteen years, while also providing allowances for single-parent families for the birth of their first child. Under a July 1947 law, unemployment insurance coverage was extended to agricultural workers and certain other groups. In 1947, a loan fund for students was introduced. That same year, housing allowances were introduced for families with two or more children below the age of sixteen years, “who live in dwellings financed through Housing Bank and in municipalities which pay one-third of the allowance.” The Comprehensive Schooling Law of July 1954 established nine-year comprehensive schooling on a trial basis, while the Sickness Insurance Law of March 1956 introduced compulsory insurance for all residents. A law in January 1960 introduced an invalidity pension scheme and a law of June 1961 extended accident coverage to military personnel and conscripts. In 1957, universal basic pensions were introduced. In 1957 an orphans’ pension scheme was established, and in 1958 university occupational injury insurance was introduced. In 1957, housing allowances were made available for single-parent families with children, and that same year, and income and property means test was introduced while the Housing Allowances Law was made compulsory for all municipalities. In 1964, a national widow’s benefit was introduced.

In foreign policy, Gerhardsen aligned Norway with the Western powers at the end of the 1940s after some initial hesitation within the governing party. He denounced Norwegian communists in the Kråkerøy speech in 1948, and had Norway become a founding member of NATO in 1949. Documents from 1958 reveal that the Gerhardsen's government knew that Israel was going to use heavy water supplied by Noratom for plutonium production, making it possible for Israel to produce nuclear weapons.

In November 1962, an accident in which 21 miners died occurred in the Kings Bay coal mine on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. In the aftermath, the Gerhardsen government was accused of not complying with laws enacted by parliament. In the summer of 1963 a vote of no confidence passed with the support of the Socialist People's Party and a centre-right minority coalition government was formed, under John Lyng. Although this new government lasted only three weeks, until the Socialist People's Party realigned itself with Labour, it formed the basis for an opposition victory under the leadership of Per Borten at the 1965 general election. Gerhardsen retired from national politics in 1969 but continued to influence public opinion through writing and speeches.

Gerhardsen's political legacy is still an important force in Norwegian politics, especially within his own party, although some of the social policies of his government have been revised. 

Gerhardsen spent the last years of his life in Oslo, where he died on 19 September 1987, at the age of 90. He was buried in the Vestre Gravlund,

Per Hækkerup

Per Hækkerup was a Danish Social Democratic politician, who served as Foreign Minister of Denmark from 1962 to 1966.

Hækkerup, the son of Hans Kristian Hækkerup, a politician, was active in politics from the end of the Second World War to his death in 1979. He was the chairman of the youth organization of the Danish Social Democrats from 1946 to 1952 and the secretary general of International Union of Socialist Youth from 1946 to 1951.

Hækkerup is most widely known for the agreement he reached with the Norwegian Minister Jens Evensen that gave Norway the oil-rich Ekofisk oil field in the North Sea. According to an urban legend, Hækkerup was drunk when he signed the agreement, but Danish historians today agree that the agreement was most fair and that Hækkerup was not drunk.

He was married to Grethe Hækkerup and is the father of Hans Hækkerup and Klaus Hækkerup.

Whittaker Chambers

Whittaker Chambers was an American author, journalist, and spy. 

Chambers was born Jay Vivian Chambers on April 1, 1901 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Lynbrook, Long Island, New York State, in 1904, where he grew up and attended school. He was the elder of the two sons of Jay Chambers, an artist and member of the Decorative Designers, and Laha née Whittaker, a social worker. Early on, the young Chambers chose to go by "Whittaker", his mother's maiden name, instead of his given name "Jay Vivian". He would later describe his childhood as troubled by the distant relation between his parents, which led to a temporary separation, and by the presence in their household of his mentally ill grandmother. After withdrawing from college, Chambers's younger brother Richard descended into alcoholism and committed suicide at age 22. Chambers would later describe his brother's death as one of the circumstances that attracted him to communism, a doctrine that "offered me what nothing else in the dying world had power to offer at the same intensity, faith and a vision, something for which to live and something for which to die."

After graduating from South Side High School in neighboring Rockville Centre in 1919, Chambers worked itinerantly in Washington and New Orleans, briefly attended Williams College, and then enrolled as a day student at Columbia College. At Columbia, his undergraduate peers included Meyer Schapiro, Frank S. Hogan, Herbert Solow, Louis Zukofsky, Arthur F. Burns, Clifton Fadiman, Elliott V. Bell, John Gassner, Lionel Trilling (who later fictionalized him as a main character in his novel The Middle of the Journey), Guy Endore, and City College student poet Henry Zolinsky. Chambers's early writing attracted attention and praise from his fellow students and from faculty members, including the poet and critic Mark Van Doren.

In his sophomore year, Chambers joined the Boar's Head Society and wrote a play called A Play for Puppets for Columbia's literary magazine The Morningside, which he edited. The work was deemed blasphemous by many students and administrators, and the controversy spread to New York City newspapers. Later, the play would be used against Chambers during his testimony against Hiss. Disheartened over the controversy, Chambers left Columbia in 1925. From Columbia, Chambers also knew Isaiah Oggins, who had gone into the Soviet underground a few years earlier; Chambers's wife, Esther Shemitz Chambers, knew Oggins's wife, Nerma Berman Oggins, from the Rand School of Social Science, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and The World Tomorrow.

In 1924, Chambers read Vladimir Lenin's Soviets at Work and was deeply affected by it. He now saw the dysfunctional nature of his family, he would write, as "in miniature the whole crisis of the middle class", a malaise from which communism promised liberation. Chambers's biographer Sam Tanenhaus wrote that Lenin's authoritarianism was "precisely what attracts Chambers. Chambers became a Marxist and, in 1925, joined the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA), then known as the Workers Party of America.

Chambers wrote and edited for the magazine New Masses and was an editor for the Daily Worker newspaper from 1927 to 1929.

Combining his literary talents with his devotion to communism, Chambers wrote four short stories for New Masses in 1931 about proletarian hardship and revolt, including Can You Make Out Their Voices?, which was considered by critics as one of the best pieces of fiction of American communism. Hallie Flanagan co-adapted and produced it as a play entitled Can You Hear Their Voices? (see Bibliography of Whittaker Chambers), staged across America and in many other countries. Chambers also worked as a translator, his works including the English version of Felix Salten's 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods.

Chambers was recruited to join the "communist underground" and began his career as a spy, working for a GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate) spy ring headed by Alexander Ulanovsky, also known as Ulrich. Later, his main handler was Josef Peters, who was replaced by CPUSA General Secretary Earl Browder with Rudy Baker. Chambers claimed that Peters introduced him to Harold Ware (although he later denied Peters had ever been introduced to Ware, and also testified to HUAC that he, Chambers, never knew Ware). Chambers claimed that Ware was head of a communist underground cell in Washington that reportedly included the following:

Using the codename "Karl" or "Carl", Chambers served during the mid-1930s as a courier between various covert sources and Soviet intelligence. In addition to the Ware group mentioned above, other sources that Chambers alleged to have dealt with included the following:

Chambers carried on his espionage activities from 1932 until 1937 or 1938 even while his faith in communism was waning. He became increasingly disturbed by Joseph Stalin's Great Purge, which began in 1936. He was also fearful for his own life since he had noted the murder in Switzerland of Ignace Reiss, a high-ranking Soviet spy who had broken with Stalin, and the disappearance of Chambers's friend and fellow spy Juliet Stuart Poyntz in the United States. Poyntz had vanished in 1937, shortly after she had visited Moscow and returned disillusioned with the communist cause because of the Stalinist Purges.

Chambers ignored several orders that he travel to Moscow since he worried that he might be "purged". He also started concealing some of the documents he collected from his sources. He planned to use them, along with several rolls of microfilm photographs of documents, as a "life preserver" to prevent the Soviets from killing him and his family.

In 1938, Chambers broke with communism and took his family into hiding. He stored the "life preserver" at the home of his wife's sister, whose son Nathan Levine was Chambers's lawyer. Initially, he had no plans to give information on his espionage activities to the U.S. government. His espionage contacts were his friends, and he had no desire to inform on them.

In his examination of Chambers's conversion from the left to the right, author Daniel Oppenheimer noted that Chambers substituted his passion for communism with a passion for God and saw the world in black-and-white terms both before and after his defection. In his autobiography, Chambers presented his devotion to communism as a reason for living, but after his defection, he saw his actions as being part of an "absolute evil".

The August 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact drove Chambers to take action against the Soviet Union. In September 1939, at the urging of the anticommunist Russian-born journalist Isaac Don Levine, Chambers and Levine met with Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle. Levine had introduced Chambers to Walter Krivitsky, who was already informing American and British authorities about Soviet agents who held posts in both governments. Krivitsky told Chambers that it was their duty to inform. Chambers agreed to reveal what he knew on the condition of immunity from prosecution.

During the meeting at Berle's home, Woodley Mansion, in Washington, Chambers named several current and former government employees as spies or communist sympathizers. Many names mentioned held relatively minor posts or were already under suspicion. Some names were more significant and surprising: Alger Hiss, his brother Donald Hiss, and Laurence Duggan, who were all respected, mid-level officials in the State Department, and Lauchlin Currie, a special assistant to Franklin Roosevelt. Another person named Vincent Reno had worked on a top-secret bombsight project at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

Berle found Chambers's information tentative, unclear, and uncorroborated. He took the information to the White House, but President Franklin Roosevelt dismissed it. Berle made little if any objection, but he kept his notes, which were later used as evidence during Hiss's perjury trials.

Berle notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Chambers's information in March 1940. In February 1941, Krivitsky was found dead in his hotel room. Police ruled the death a suicide, but it was widely speculated that Krivitsky had been killed by Soviet intelligence. Worried that the Soviets might try to kill Chambers too, Berle again told the FBI about his interview with Chambers. The FBI interviewed Chambers in May 1942 and June 1945 but took no immediate action in line with the political orientation of the United States, which viewed the potential threat from the Soviet Union as minor compared to that of Nazi Germany. Only in November 1945, when Elizabeth Bentley defected and corroborated much of Chambers's story, the FBI began to take Chambers seriously.

During the Berle meeting, Chambers had come out of hiding after a year and joined the staff of Time (April 1939). He landed a cover story within a month on James Joyce's latest book, Finnegans Wake. He started at the back of the magazine, reviewing books and film with James Agee and then Calvin Fixx. When Fixx suffered a heart attack in October 1942, Wilder Hobson succeeded him as Chambers's assistant editor in Arts & Entertainment. Other writers working for Chambers in that section included novelist Nigel Dennis, future New York Times Book Review editor Harvey Breit, and poets Howard Moss and Weldon Kees.

A struggle had arisen between those, like Theodore H. White and Richard Lauterbach, who raised criticism of what they saw as the elitism, corruption and ineptitude of Chiang Kai-shek's regime in China and advocated greater co-operation with Mao's Red Army in the struggle against Japanese imperialism, and Chambers and others like Willi Schlamm who adhered to a perspective that was staunchly pro-Chiang, anticommunist, and both later joined the founding editorial board of William F. Buckley, Jr.'s National Review. Time founder Henry Luce, who grew up in China and was a personal friend of Chiang and his wife, Soong Mei-ling, came down squarely on the side of Chambers to the point that White complained that his stories were being censored and even suppressed in their entirety, and he left Time shortly after the war as a result.

In 1940, William Saroyan lists Fixx among "contributing editors" at Time in Saroyan's play, Love's Old Sweet Song. Luce promoted him senior editor in either summer 1942 (Weinstein[32]) or September 1943 (Tanenhaus) and became a member of Time's "Senior Group", which determined editorial policy, in December 1943.

Chambers, close colleagues, and many staff members in the 1930s helped elevate Time and have been called "interstitial intellectuals" by the historian Robert Vanderlan. His colleague John Hersey described them as follows:

Time was in an interesting phase; an editor named Tom Matthews had gathered a brilliant group of writers, including James Agee, Robert Fitzgerald, Whittaker Chambers, Robert Cantwell, Louis Kronenberger, and Calvin Fixx. ... They were dazzling. Time's style was still very hokey—"backward ran sentences till reeled the mind"—but I could tell, even as a neophyte, who had written each of the pieces in the magazine, because each of these writers had such a distinctive voice.

By early 1948, Chambers had become one of the best known writer-editors at Time. First had come his scathing commentary "The Ghosts on the Roof" (March 5, 1945) on the Yalta Conference in which Hiss partook. Subsequent cover-story essays profiled Marian Anderson, Arnold J. Toynbee, Rebecca West and Reinhold Niebuhr. The cover story on Marian Anderson ("Religion: In Egypt Land", December 30, 1946) proved so popular that the magazine broke its rule of non-attribution in response to readers' letters:

Most Time cover stories are written and edited by the regular staffs of the section in which they appear. Certain cover stories, that present special difficulties or call for a special literary skill, are written by Senior Editor Whittaker Chambers.

In a 1945 letter to Time colleague Charles Wertenbaker, Time-Life deputy editorial director John Shaw Billings said of Chambers, "Whit puts on the best show in words of any writer we've ever had ... a superb technician, particularly skilled in the mosaic art of putting a Time section together." Chambers was at the height of his career when the Hiss case broke later that year.

In 1952, Chambers's book Witness was published to widespread acclaim. It was a combination of autobiography and a warning about the dangers of communism. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. called it "a powerful book". Ronald Reagan credited the book as the inspiration behind his conversion from a New Deal Democrat to a conservative Republican. Witness was a bestseller for more than a year and helped to pay off Chambers's legal debts, but bills lingered ("as Odysseus was beset by a ghost").

In 1955, William F. Buckley Jr. started the magazine National Review, and Chambers worked there as senior editor, publishing articles there for a little over a year and a half (October 1957 – June 1959). The most widely cited article to date is a scathing review, "Big Sister is Watching You", of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

In 1959, Chambers resigned from National Review, although he continued correspondence with Buckley despite having suffered a series of heart attacks. In one letter, he noted, "I am a man of the Right because I mean to uphold capitalism in its American version. But I claim that capitalism is not, and by its essential nature cannot conceivably be, conservative."

In that same year, Chambers and his wife embarked on a visit to Europe, the highlight of which was a meeting with Arthur Koestler and Margarete Buber-Neumann at Koestler's home in Austria.That fall, he recommenced studies at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College) in Westminster, Maryland.

Chambers married the artist Esther Shemitz and the couple had two children, Ellen and John, during the 1930s. While some Communist leadership expected professional revolutionists to go childless, the couple refused, a choice Chambers cited as part of his gradual disillusionment with communism.

Chambers's conversion to Christianity was expressed by his baptism and confirmation in the Episcopal Church, but more permanently in his and his family's request for membership in the Pipe Creek Friends Meetinghouse of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) near their farm in Maryland on August 17, 1943. They remained a part of this meeting until long after his death. In 1952, Chambers wrote a memoir, Witness, that was serialized in The Saturday Evening Post. Historian H. Larry Ingle argues that Witness is a "twentieth-century addition to the classic Quaker journals", and that "it is impossible to understand him without taking his religious convictions into consideration".

Chambers died of a heart attack on July 9, 1961, at his farm in Westminster, Maryland.

Why Do I Smoke a Pipe?

Why do I smoke a pipe?

Let us begin from the beginning. I grew up in a very conservative Southern Baptist home, my dad was a Southern Baptist Pastor and in the late 1980s early 1990s there was an emphasis on the dangers of cartoons and popular tv shows in children television and their development. So, my mom being the Southern Baptist pastor’s wife she took everything she heard, read, and decided to have me watch old movies that she did not think would be harmful. I grew up watching old AMC and Turner Classic Movie’s and in most of the movies that were aired at that time had men in suits and business attire smoking pipes. Leslie Howard, Cary Grant, Edgar G. Robinson, and Bing Crosby just being a few that left an indelible impression on me. The classic look of a man in his suit and tie smoking a pipe looked sophisticated. When I got older, I decided that I was going to smoke a pipe. I was 18 years old working in Memphis for a travel agency that was around the corner from the great Tobacco Corner owned and operated by a gentleman by the name of Elliot Abel. Elliot was extremely helpful in finding me my first pipe a Savinelli 626 Tortuga, that I still own to this day. Every pay period for the next 9 years was spent buying a new pipe and trying new tobaccos. By the time that the Tobacco Corner closed in 2019 I had accumulated over 140 pipes. In 2008 I started a blog that was just for my own enjoyment collecting photos and biographies of famous pipe smokers. From 2008 until today in 2025 I have accumulated over 1830 biographies of famous pipe smokers from around the world from authors, doctors, actors, educators, and politicians. As a new pipe smoker in 2004 I started with aromatic tobaccos but after a few years of smoking aromatic I slowly moved to English blends and Virginia blends. I still smoke an aromatic tobacco occasionally, when I am feeling nostalgic.  I enjoy smoking a pipe because it causes me to slow down and contemplate everything that I am doing. The process of smoking a pipe causes me to slow down in my life as well, the process of packing the pipe with tobacco, the lighting, the tamping, and the slowness that is needed to keep the pipe lit. Smoking a cigarette is quick and quickly discarded, a cigar is a longer smoke but is also discarded, where my pipe is a longer smoke but stays with me. The comradery of smoking a pipe with other pipe smokers is always a pleasure for me. My pipes are eclectic, I do not smoke just on brand alone I have English, Danish, Italian, French, and American pipe brands. I also do not smoke one particular pipe shape.  I smoke what I like and feel comfortable to me. I smoke a pipe because it takes me back to a simpler time in our society when things were slower and not so rushed. 

Favorite Pipe Smoking YouTube Personalities

YouTube: 

1. The Spurgeon Piper: www.youtube.com/@TheSpurgeonPiper

Wilson created The Spurgeon Piper to discuss the art of pipe smoking, assist new beginners, review blends, and touch on all things related to the hobby, theology and reading are also discussed on occasion.

2. The Pipe Cottage: http://www.youtube.com/@thepipecottage

Alan is not your average pipe channel he has discussions about history, his faith, current culture, books, and all with a smooth southern drawl. 

3. The Vobes Show: http://www.youtube.com/@VobesShow

Richard discusses common themes of pipe smoking and is very informative and always a joy to watch.

4. Hobbiton Piper: youtube.com/@hobbitonpiper

Kevin shares his thoughts with you from the Arkansas River Valley. His videos are for adult pipe tobacco enthusiasts to explore the history, flavor, and culture of pipe smoking. . 

5. Malcolm Guite: http://www.youtube.com/@MalcolmGuitespell

Poet, priest and scholar Malcolm Guite discusses musings, readings, and all while smoking his pipe.

6. Smoking Pipes: http://www.youtube.com/@Smokingpipes

Smoking Pipes provides reviews of pipe tobaccos and cigar, interviews from master craftsmen, expert tips on pipe smoking techniques and maintenance. Interviews with industry insiders and artisans. Historical insights into pipe and cigar culture

None of the channels that I discuss are in no way affiliated with my Famous Pipe Smokers blog. 

I am just a fan.

Wilson, The Spurgeon Piper

Wilson is a Pastor, Elder, and Overseer at a Particular Baptist church in Wichita Falls, Texas and a YouTube personality.

Wilson grew up in south Texas.  He grew up in a Christian family and accepted Christ and was baptized at a young age.  He studied theology at Texas State University and met his future wife while there, they have four children.

He started The Spurgeon Piper as a channel created to discuss the art of pipe smoking, assist new beginners, review blends, and touch on all things related to the hobby of pipe smoking.  He does occasionally discuss other topics, such as theology and reading. 

(As a fan and subscriber of  TheSpurgeonPiper I found Wilson's YouTube channel to be very informative and helpful.)

As a safety precaution I will not be including any family or personal information in this biography. 

Please check out Wilson's channel and subscribe and like https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpurgeonPiper.

Elmo Lincoln

Elmo Lincoln was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952, and was the first actor to portray on film novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs' fictional "jungle" character Tarzan, initially appearing in that role in the 1918 release Tarzan of the Apes.

Lincoln was born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt on February 6, 1889in Rochester, Indiana. He at 18 to begin a railroad career as a brakeman on a train. He went on to be a boxer, sailor, and stevedore before he became an actor.

Lincoln began acting for director D. W. Griffith, his first role was in The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1914), followed by Judith of Bethula (1914), The Birth of a Nation (1915), and Intolerance (1916).

Stellan Windrow, who initially portrayed the title character in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes, went into military service five weeks after filming began. Lincoln replaced Windrow, although author Edgar Rice Burroughs objected to the choice. Lincoln became best known for that role.  He portrayed the character twice more—in The Romance of Tarzan (also 1918) and in the 1921 serial The Adventures of Tarzan.

Following the end of the silent movie era, Elmo left Hollywood. He also had a salvage business in Salt Lake City. In the late 1930s, he returned to the film industry, most often employed as an extra. He appeared, uncredited, in two Tarzan films in the 1940s—as a circus roustabout in Tarzan's New York Adventure (1942), and as a fisherman repairing his net in Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949).

His final work saw him also playing a brief, uncredited role in the 1952 film Carrie, starring Laurence Olivier. According to Tarzan of the Movies, by Gabe Essoe, Lincoln was quite proud of his work in this film, as he was an admirer of Olivier.

Lincoln died of a heart attack on June 27, 1952, at age 63.

Rick Newcombe

Richard S. Newcombe is the founder and chairman of Creators Syndicate, which currently represents more than 200 writers and artists and has expanded to include Creators Publishing.

Newcombe was born on August 8, 1950, in Chicago. His father, Leo Newcombe, served as senior vice president for the newspaper division of Field Enterprises and as general manager of the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Sun-Times. Leo and Ann Newcombe had eight children, and they lived in Winnetka, Illinois.

In 1969, Newcombe was one of the first graduates of La Lumiere School, a small high school with boarding and day students that was founded in 1963 in La Porte, Indiana. Newcombe then attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he was one of the founding editors of The Georgetown Voice, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated magna cum laude.

After graduating from Georgetown University in three years, Newcombe worked as an advertising copywriter at Leo Burnett Worldwide and then as a sales manager in Chicago with Success Motivation Institute, based in Waco, Texas. While working, he attended the MBA program at the graduate business school at the University of Chicago. He also worked in sales at David H. Sandler & Associates, based in Baltimore. From 1974 to 1978, Newcombe worked as a reporter and editor at United Press International.

In 1978, Newcombe became vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. In 1984, he was named president of News America Syndicate, which then was the third-largest syndicate in the world and owned by Rupert Murdoch.

Three years later, Newcombe left News America Syndicate to form Creators Syndicate, an American independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns to daily newspapers and websites. Creators Syndicate was founded in Los Angeles, on February 13, 1987, and later moved to Hermosa Beach, California in 2012.

Creators Syndicate revolutionized the syndication industry by being the first to offer cartoonists ownership rights to their work. The industry standard before Creators’ founding was for the syndicate to own the rights to their cartoonists’ creations — the name, characters and likenesses. Rudolph Dirks created the hugely successful comic strip, The Katzenjammer Kids, which first appeared in print in 1897. In 1912, Dirks challenged William Randolph Hearst for ownership rights to his comic strip, and ultimately Hearst prevailed, which set the tone for the industry until Creators Syndicate’s founding.

Many cartoonists seethed at what they perceived to be the unfairness of this system. The most famous of them, Milton Caniff, walked away in 1946 from the enormously popular Terry and the Pirates comic strip because his syndicate insisted that they own his creation. In 1947 he created Steve Canyon because Marshall Field III, who owned the Chicago Sun and its syndicate, allowed him to own the rights to his comic strip, one of the very few exceptions at that time. After Creators Syndicate was founded, Caniff sent Newcombe a postcard saying, “To put it on the record: Hooray!!!"

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Peters told Editor & Publisher magazine, "It's long overdue that syndicates realize a new day is here. Indentured servitude went out in the 1500s." Johnny Hart, creator of B.C. and The Wizard of Id, called Creators “a history-making venture in syndication.” Bil Keane, creator of The Family Circus, described Creators Syndicate as “the first breath of fresh air the syndicates have had in 100 years of existence.” The New York Times ran a story about Newcombe with the headline, “A Superhero for Cartoonists?” Today, largely as a result of Creators Syndicate, all syndicates grant cartoonists ownership rights to their work.

Within a few months of forming his media company, Newcombe had acquired the syndication rights to Ann Landers, then the world's most widely syndicated newspaper columnist, the comic strip B.C. by Johnny Hart, and the political cartoons of Herblock, The Washington Post’s legendary editorial cartoonist. In addition to Herblock, Newcombe has also worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists Bill Mauldin, Michael Ramirez, Paul Conrad, Mike Luckovich, Paul Szep, Doug Marlette and Steve Breen. Other award-winning political cartoonists include Chip Bok, Steve Kelley, Chuck Asay, Bob Gorrell, John Deering, A.F. Branco, Al Goodwyn, Steve Benson and Gary Varvel.

Over the years, Newcombe and Creators has syndicated some of the most important figures of our time, including Pope John Paul II, Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Erma Bombeck, Art Buchwald, Joyce Jillson, Jeane Dixon, Sydney Omarr, Carl Rowan, Robert Novak, Dan Quayle and Oliver North. Newcombe also has syndicated Bill O'Reilly, Molly Ivins, Tucker Carlson, Froma Harrop, Larry Kudlow, John Stossel, Hunter S. Thompson, Larry Elder, Arianna Huffington, Tony Kornheiser, Patrick Buchanan, Dennis Prager, Ben Shapiro, Thomas Sowell, Walter E. Williams, Michelle Malkin, Mona Charen, Ben Carson, Star Parker, Mark Shields and Susan Estrich. Other columnists include Alexander Cockburn, Robert Scheer, David Nyhan, Brent Bozell, Tony Snow, Tony Blankley, Eric Breindel, Chandra Bozelko, and Benazir Bhutto.

In addition to B.C., Creators comic strips include The Wizard of Id, One Big Happy, Speed Bump, Chuckle Brothers, Agnes, Ballard Street, Liberty Meadows, Rubes, The Other Coast, Archie, Long Story Short, Batman, Zorro, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He also syndicated The Far Side internationally.

In 2008, Creators Syndicate acquired the Copley News Service, a wire service that distributed news, political cartoons, and opinion columns. In 1991 Creators Syndicate took over Heritage Features Syndicate at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

In 2011, Jack Newcombe was appointed president of Creators Syndicate,[11] and together with Rick Newcombe established Creators Publishing and the imprint Sumner Books, which have published hundreds of titles, including the bestselling "Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings" by Ben Shapiro. Other bestsellers include What I Believe by Ben Carson, which includes an introduction by Rick Newcombe. One of Sumner Books most successful projects is the "Stories of Success" series by best-selling author Horatio Alger, which have particular appeal to homeschooling parents.[citation needed]

Newcombe is also an avid weightlifter, pipe collector, and writer. He contributed to the 1983 book The Businessman's Minutes-A-Day Guide to Shaping Up, by former champion bodybuilder and Italian actor Dr. Franco Columbu. He has been lifting weights for most of his life and entered a bodybuilding contest in 1986, placing third in the AAU Mr. Los Angeles Contest. He has been featured in Muscle & Fitness magazine.[14] He wrote the book In Search of Pipe Dreams (2003), which was translated into Mandarin and German, titled Der Traum vom Pfeifenrauchen in German (translation: The Dream of Pipe Smoking) (2007). He also wrote Still Searching for Pipe Dreams in 2010.

In 2012, Newcombe contributed to the books Scandinavian Pipemakers, by Jan Andersson, and Shoulder Pain? the Solution and Prevention, by Dr. John Kirsch.[15] He also contributed to the Chinese book, An Ivarsson Product: Three Generations of Ivarsson by Xu Hai, which was published in 2015.[16] His latest book, The Magic of Lifting Weights, was published in 2021 and is featured in a short documentary on YouTube, "A Bodybuilder for Life."

Pran

Pran Krishan Sikand, better known as Pran, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. He was one of the most successful and respected actors in the history of Indian cinema; in a career spanning over six decades he was also one of the highest-paid actors of his time.

Pran was born on February 12, 1920 in Lahore, into a wealthy Punjabi Hindu family but raised in Ballimaran of Old Delhi in Delhi. His father, Kewal Krishan Sikand Ahluwalia, was a civil engineer and a government civil contractor; his mother was Rameshwari. Pran was one of seven children; four sons and three daughters.

Pran was academically gifted, especially in mathematics. His father had a transferable job, and so Pran studied in various places, including Dehradun, Lahore, Kapurthala, Meerut and Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), finally completing his matriculation from Hamid School, in Rampur (U.P.). After that, he joined A. Das & Co., Delhi as an apprentice to become a professional photographer. He travelled to Shimla and played Sita in a local staging of "Ramlila". Madan Puri enacted the role of Rama in this play.

Pran got his first role in Dalsukh M. Pancholi's Punjabi film Yamla Jat (1940) because of an accidental meeting with writer Wali Mohammad Wali at a shop in Lahore. Directed by Moti B. Gidwani, the film featured Noor Jehan and Durga Khote. This was followed by small roles in the film Chaudhary and Khajanchi, both in 1941. Pancholi cast him again in Khandaan (1942), which was Pran's first Hindi-language film. It featured him as a romantic hero, opposite Noor Jehan, who had acted with him in Yamla Jat as a child artist. In Khandaan, she was under 15 years old and compensated for the difference in their heights in close-up shots by standing on top of bricks. In the pre-independence era, director Gidwani cast Pran in more films like Kaise Kahoon (1945) and Khamosh Nigahen (1946).

Pran had acted in 22 films from 1942 to 1946 in Lahore; 18 were released by 1947. Due to India's partition in 1947, his career had a brief break. His films from 1944 to 1947 were made in undivided India, but Taraash (1951) and Khanabadosh (1952) (both co-starring Manorama) were released only in Pakistan after Partition. He left Lahore and arrived in Bombay. For a few months, he looked for acting opportunities while doing other jobs. He worked in Delmar Hotel, Marine Drive for eight months, after which he got a chance to act in 1948.

Because of help from writer Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam, he got a role in the Bombay Talkies' film, Ziddi which starred Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal and was directed by Shaheed Latif. The movie launched Pran's career in Bombay. Incidentally, it proved to be Dev Anand's big break as a hero. By 1950 he had been gradually established as a premier villain in Hindi cinema. Within a week of Ziddi's success, he had signed three more films – S M Yusuf's Grihasti (1948), which became a diamond jubilee hit, Prabhat Films's Apradhi (1949) and Wali Mohammad's Putli (1949). By then, Wali Mohammad, who was responsible for Pran's first role, had come to Bombay and became a producer, setting up an office at Famous Studios, near Mahalaxmi Racecourse. In the 1940s, romantic duets featuring him, like the songs "Tere Naaz Uthane Ko Jee Chahta Hai" from Grihasti, opposite Shardha, and from Khandaan (1942), with Noor Jehan, became popular in the 1940s. The way he expressed his dialogues in films such as Sheesh Mahal (1950), a series of disguises he made in Adalat (1958), and the rapport he shared with vamps like Kuldip Kaur in Jashan (1955) showcased his versatility in the 1950s.

As a villain, Pran's initial successful films were Ziddi and Bari Behan (1949). Pran's trademark blowing of smoke rings first appeared in the latter film. He was regularly offered the role of the main villain or of a negative character in films with Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor as the lead hero in the 1950s and 60s. From the 1950s directors like M. V. Raman, Nanabhai Bhatt, Kalidas, Ravindra Dave, I. S. Johar and Bimal Roy repeatedly cast him. Similarly in the 1960s, he was frequently in the directorial ventures of A. Bhim Singh, Shakti Samanta, Bhappi Sonie, K. Amarnath, Nasir Hussain and others. In the 1970s, newer, younger directors and producers cast him in their films even though Pran asked for the highest price among supporting actors from 1968 to 1982.

Pran's performance as the negative character was appreciated especially in Dilip Kumar starrers such as Azaad (1955), Devdas (1955), Madhumati (1958), Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966), Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and Aadmi (1968); and films with Dev Anand as the lead man such as Ziddi (1948), Munimji (1955), Amar Deep (1958), Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961); and with Raj Kapoor in Aah (1953), Chori Chori (1956), Jagte Raho (1956), Chhalia (1960), Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) and Dil Hi Toh Hai (1963). Films with him as the lead hero, Pilpili Saheb (1954) and then Halaku in 1956, were big hits too. He had roles in several genres, like as a pirate in Sindbad the Sailor (1952) and Daughter of Sindbad (1958); in action-packed thrillers like Azad (1955); historicals like Aan (1952) and Raj Tilak (1958); social themes like Baradari (1955); and light romances like Munimji (1955) and Asha (1957). In the 1960s and early 1970s, despite being in his 40s, he continued to play pivotal roles as a character in the age range of 25 to 30 in films with Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Rajendra Kumar and Dharmendra as the lead heroes. From the early 1950s to the early 1970s, Pran gained particular notoriety due to his frequent roles as a villain. From 1964, with Pooja Ke Phool and Kashmir Ki Kali, he also brought a comical side to his negative characters. While Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor's careers as the young hero started to decline in the late 1960s and Rajendra Kumar and Shammi Kapoor stopped playing the lead by 1973, Pran continued with his roles. His association with Dev Anand, begun in 1948, continued even during the 1970s and the 1980s with Johny Mera Naam (1970), Yeh Gulistan Hamara (1972), Joshila (1973), Warrant (1975) and Des Pardes (1978).

Pran played roles in comedy films starring Kishore Kumar and Mehmood Ali in the lead. His collaborations with Mehmood include Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), Lakhon Me Ek (1971) and with Kishore Kumar include Chham Chhama Chham (1952), Aasha (1957), Bewaqoof (1960), Half Ticket (1962) and Man-Mauji (1962).

In the late 1960s, Pran played Malang Chacha, a veteran war hero, in Manoj Kumar's film Upkar (1967). The Kalyanji Anandji song "Kasme Waade Pyaar Wafaa" was picturised on him. In this film, Pran played a more sympathetic role. He received his first Filmfare Award for Upkar. Kumar continued to cast him in pivotal roles in films such as Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Be-Imaan (1972), Sanyasi (1975) and Dus Numbri (1976).

From 1967 onward he also acted in Bengali films, beginning with Ashim Banerjee's Sonai Dighe, where Joy Mukherjee was the hero.

Pran played the supporting role in several of these, which replaced his image as the villain with that of a character actor. After 1969, he was offered the lead role in films like Nanha Farishta (1969), Jangal Mein Mangal (1972), Dharma (1973), Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara (1973) and Rahu Ketu (1978).

Pran and Ashok Kumar were very close friends in professional and real life. They acted in 27 films together from 1951 to 1987 starting with Afsana (1951). Their other films include Mr. X (1957), Adhikar (1971), Victoria No. 203 (1972), Chori Mera Kaam (1975) and Raja Aur Rana (1984). Sung by Kishore Kumar, the songs "Hum Bolega To Bologe Ke Bolta Hai" from Kasauti (1974) and "Micheal Daru Peeke Dandha Kartha Hai" from Majboor (1974), picturized on Pran, were very popular.

From 1969 to 1982, Pran was one of the highest-paid actors in Bollywood. He played the lead role in the film Aurat (1967) paired opposite Padmini, with Rajesh Khanna in a supporting role. Pran and Khanna worked in five more films — Maryada (1971), Jaanwar (1983), Souten (1983), Bewafai (1985) and Durgaa (1985). In 1973, he recommended Amitabh Bachchan to Prakash Mehra for the character of Vijay in Zanjeer, a role earlier offered to Dev Anand and Dharmendra. Pran's role as Sher Khan, with his red wig and beard and Pathan I style was well appreciated. Pran acted with Bachchan in about 14 films with notable ones being Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Don (1978), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Dostana (1980), Kaalia (1981), Naseeb (1981) and Sharaabi (1984).

Pran occasionally accepted antagonistic roles from 1971 to 1992. He appeared as a villain in films like Maryada, Naya Zamana, Jawan Muhabat, Aan Baan, Roop Tera Mastana, Yeh Gulistan Hamara, Gaddar, Rahu Ketu, Andha Kanoon (1983), Duniya (1984), Insaaf Kaun Karega, Durgaa, Bewafai, Hoshiyar, Dharm Adhikari and Azaad Desh Ke Ghulam. Pran had dual roles in Khoon Ka Rishta, Insaaf and Jangal Mein Mangal.

He produced the movie Lakshmanrekha in 1991, the only one he produced in his Bollywood career, and played Kishan Lal Sharma in the movie.

In 1998, at the age of 78, Pran suffered a heart attack, after which he started rejecting film offers due to age-related issues. But in the 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan requested Pran to do roles in his home productions Tere Mere Sapne (1996) and Mrityudata (1997). Pran made an exception by acting in them to help Bachchan through a difficult time in his career. In 1997, his character in Mrityudaata was modified to compensate for Pran's shaking legs in real life and in Tere Mere Sapne, his shots were taken with him seated. After 2000, he made a few guest appearances.

Pran married Shukla Ahluwalia in 1945 and has two sons, Arvind and Sunil Sikand, and a daughter, Pinky.

Pran was in/famous for his villain roles, and a highly regarded character actor in Bollywood from the 1940s to the 1990s. He played heroes from 1940 to 1947, negative roles from 1942 to 1991, and supporting and character roles from 1967 to 2007. From the late 1940s through the 70s was the peak of Pran's career as a villain, especially in the 1950s and 60s. In a long and prolific career, Pran appeared in over 362 films. 

Pran received many awards and honors in his career, including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1967, 1969 and 1972, and was awarded the Filmfare Special Award in 1997. He was named "Villain of the Millennium" by Stardust Awards in 2000. The Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan Award in 2001 for his contributions to the arts. He was honored in 2013 with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest national award for cinema artists, by the Government of India. In 2010, he was named on the list of CNN's Top 25 Asian actors of all time.

Pran died on July 12, 2013 at the age of 93 at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre after suffering a prolonged illness.

Iftekhar

Iftekhar Ahmed Sharif, credited as Iftekhar or Iftikhar, was an Indian actor who mainly worked in Hindi cinema. 

Iftekhar was born February 22, 1920 in Jalandhar and was the eldest among four brothers and a sister. After completing his matriculation, Iftekhar did a diploma course in painting from Lucknow College Of Arts. Iftekhar had a passion for singing and was impressed with the famous singer Kundanlal Sehgal. In his 20s, Iftekhar travelled to Calcutta for an audition conducted by the music composer Kamal Dasgupta, who was then serving for His Master's Voice. Dasgupta was so impressed by Iftekhar's personality that he recommended his name to M. P. Productions as an actor.

Iftekhar made his debut in the 1944 film Taqraar, which was made under the banner of Art Films-Kolkata.

Many of Iftekhar's close relatives, including his parents and siblings, migrated to Pakistan during the partition. He would have preferred to stay in Calcutta, but rioting forced him to leave Calcutta. Along with his wife and daughters, he moved to Bombay, where they struggled to make ends meet. Iftekhar had been introduced to actor Ashok Kumar during his time in Calcutta and contacted him in Bombay, gaining a role in the Bombay Talkies movie Muqaddar (1950). Iftekhar acted in over 400 films in a career that spanned from the 1940s through to the early 1990s.

His brother, Imtiaz Ahmed, was a famous TV character actor of PTV (Pakistan Television), especially Afshan and Tanhaiyan. Like many of the older character actors who populated the Bollywood universe of the 1960s and 1970s, Iftekhar had been a lead actor in his youth during the "golden age" of Bollywood, in the 1940s and 1950s. His roles ranged from father, uncle, great-uncle, grandfather, police officer, police commissioner, courtroom judge and doctor. He also did negative roles in Bandini, Sawan Bhadon, Call Girl, Khel Khel Mein and Agent Vinod.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Iftekhar graduated to playing uncle, father, and what came to be his speciality: police inspector roles, doctor or senior advocate. Generally he played "sympathetic" characters but, on occasion, he played the heavy. One of his most memorable roles as a heavy was as Amitabh Bachchan's corrupt industrialist mentor in Yash Chopra's classic Deewaar (1975). Another of Iftekhar's classic roles was as the police inspector in Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer. It was a small part, but the scene where Iftekhar reprimands the near-hysteric Amitabh Bachchan for taking the law into his own hands is incredibly powerful. Another important role as a police officer was played by him in the 1978 hit film Don. Some of his major roles came in Rajesh Khanna films such as Joroo Ka Ghulam, Mehboob Ki Mehndi, The Train, Khamoshi, Safar, Raja Rani, Ittefaq, Rajput and Awam.

Besides Deewaar and Zanjeer, Iftekar had character roles in many of the classics of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s Bollywood cinema: Bimal Roy's Bandini, Raj Kapoor's Sangam, Manoj Kumar's Shaheed, Teesri Manzil, Teesri Kasam, Johny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Don, The Gambler (1971 film), Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978) and Sholay, to name but a few.

Apart from Hindi films, he appeared in two episodes of the American TV series Maya in 1967 as well the English language films Bombay Talkie (1970) and City of Joy (1992).

Iftekhar married Hannah Joseph, from Calcutta, who changed her religion and name to Hina Ahmed. They had two daughters; Salma and Sayeda.

Iftekhar died on March 4, 1995 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Sanjeev Kumar

Sanjeev Kumar was an Indian actor. 

He won several major awards, including two National Film Awards for Best Actor for his performances in the movies Dastak (1970) and Koshish (1972). Unlike his peers, Kumar did not mind playing roles that were non-glamorous, such as characters well beyond his age. Movies such as iconic character Thakur in Sholay (1975) Arjun Pandit (1976) and Trishul (1978), along with the remakes of Tamil films into Hindi such as Khilona (1970), Naya Din Nai Raat (1974), Yehi Hai Zindagi (1977), Devata (1978) and Ram Tere Kitne Naam (1985) exemplify his versatility. He also did suspense-thriller films such as Shikar (1968), Uljhan (1975) and Trishna (1978) and Qatl (1986), Kumar also proved himself to do comedy in films such as Manchali (1973), Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978), Biwi-O-Biwi (1981) Angoor (1982) and Hero (1983).

Sanjeev Kumar was born as Harihar Jethalal Jariwala on July 9, 1938 in Surat into a Gujarati family. He came to Bombay when he was very young. A stint in a film school led him to Bollywood, where he eventually became an accomplished actor. He is widely acclaimed by the critics and general public alike to be one of the all-time greatest actors of Indian cinema.

Kumar started his acting career as a stage actor, starting with IPTA in Bombay and later joining the Indian National Theatre. Even as a stage actor, he had a penchant for playing older roles; at age 22, he played an old man in an adaptation of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. In the following year, in the play Damru directed by A.K. Hangal, he again played the role of a 60-year-old with six children.

He made his film debut with a small role in Hum Hindustani in 1960. His first film as a protagonist was in Nishan (1965). In 1968, he acted alongside Dilip Kumar in Sunghursh. He also starred opposite Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana in the hit film Sachaai (1969).

He starred in the 1966 Gujarati film Kalapi, which was based on the poet Kalapi's life, with him playing the title role, Padmarani playing the role of his wife, Rama and Aruna Irani as the love interest. The film was directed by Manhar Raskapur. Later Aruna Irani worked with him in another Gujarati film, Mare Javun Pele Par (1968).

In 1970, the movie Khilona, which was the remake of Gujarati film Mare Javun Pele Paar (1968), brought Kumar national recognition. In 1972, he played in an Indo-Iranian film, Subah-O-Shaam. This was when the director Gulzar first spotted him. Later he cast Kumar in the roles of older men in 4 films Parichay (1972), Koshish (1973), Aandhi (1975) and Mausam (1975). Gulzar cast Kumar in the roles of younger men in the films Angoor (1981) and Namkeen (1982). He won the BFJA Awards for Best Actor (Hindi) for his portrayal of a deaf and mute person in Koshish opposite Jaya Bhaduri. He reached to his success when he starred in the box office hits Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Manchali (1973) and Aap Ki Kasam (1974). In 1973, he made a guest appearance during a song in a Tamil movie, Bharatha Vilas (1973). He performed in nine movies directed by Gulzar. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed him in Arjun Pandit, for which he won the Filmfare Best Actor Award.

He did three films opposite famous Tamil actress L. Vijayalakshmi, including Husn Aur Ishq and Badal which became hits. Their first film was Alibaba Aur 40 Chor which was unsuccessful. His Raja Aur Runk, released in 1968, was a great success. He did Kangan, Rivaaj, Zindagi, Be-Reham, Archana and Do Ladkiyan opposite Mala Sinha. He did Priya, Anubhav, Gustaaki Maaf, Bachpan and Khud-Daar with Tanuja. He was paired with Raakhee in Angaare, Paras, Trishna, Shriman Shrimati and Hamare Tumhare. His hits with Leena Chandavarkar included Apne Rang Hazar, Manchali and Anhonee. He was paired regularly with Sulakshana Pandit in films such as Uljhan and Waqt Ki Deewar and with Moushumi Chatterjee in Itni Si Baat and Daasi.

The producers and directors of the South wanted to remake their Tamil and Telugu films in Hindi with either Kumar or Rajesh Khanna in lead. It was these Hindi film remakes which elevated the success in his career. Khilona and its Tamil version Engirundho Vandhaal were made simultaneously. Navarathri was remade as Naya Din Nai Raat. Kumar reprised the role played by Thengai Srinivasan in Yehi Hai Zindagi which was a remake of Kaliyuga Kannan. He starred as the lead Shaandaar (1974) which was a remake of Kasturi Nivasa with Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar in the lead. Kumar enacted the role played by AVM Rajan in Anadhai Aanandhan, in its Hindi version Chanda Aur Bijli. Gnana Oli was remade as Devata in 1978 with Kumar reprising the role originally played by Sivaji Ganesan. He also acted in Swarg Narak (1978) the remake of Swargam Narakam. He played the role which N.T. Rama Rao did originally in Devina Chesina Manushulu, in its Hindi version Takkar in 1980. Tayaramma Bangarayya was remade as Shriman Shrimati in 1982, Raman Ethanai Ramanadi was remade as Raam Kitne Tere Naam in 1985. Kumar reprised the role played by R.Muthuraman in Alukuoru Aasai in its Hindi remake Itni Si Baat in 1981. Sivaji Ganesan gave Kumar a role in his own home production Gauri (1968), which was a remake of Shanti (1965). The role played by S.S. Rajendran in Shanti was re-enacted by Kumar in Gauri.

Northern Indian producers and directors cast Kumar primarily in supporting roles in films like Khud-Daar, Sawaal, Zabardast, Hero, and Silsila. Sanjeev Kumar's excellent comic timing entertained audiences in films such as Seeta Aur Geeta, Biwi O Biwi (1981), Pati, Patni Aur Woh, Angoor (1982) and Hero (1983).

His performances in films such as Charitraheen, Grihapravesh, Chehre Pe Chehra, Suraag, Sawaal and Yaadgaar were appreciated by critics. Kumar always demonstrated a willingness to take on unconventional roles that challenged him as an actor. His role as Mirza Sajjad Ali,[12] a chess-obsessed Lucknowi (citizen of Lucknow), in Satyajit Ray's classic Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) exemplified that aspect. His best-remembered roles were in the blockbuster films Sholay (1975) and Trishul (1978). His portrayal of the character Thakur, from Sholay was regarded as one of his stellar performances. In Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974), Kumar reprised nine-roles. This film enhanced his status and reputation as a serious actor in Bollywood. He stood his ground against leading superstars such as Rajesh Khanna in Aap Ki Kasam; Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor in the Yash Chopra multi-star cast film Trishul (1978) and Dilip Kumar in Sangharsh and Vidhaata (1982).

He did many regional films in different languages including Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi and his mother tongue Gujarati. In 1980, he starred in the Punjabi movie Fauji Chacha. He also made guest appearances in two Tamil films, Bharata Vilas and Uyarndhavargal (a remake of Koshish).

Pandit chose to remain unmarried.

After his first heart attack, he underwent a bypass surgery in the U.S. However, on November  6, 1985, at the age of 47, he suffered a massive heart attack, which resulted in his death.

More than ten of Kumar's films were released after his death with the last one, Professor Ki Padosan, released in December 1993. At the time of his death, only 75% of the film was complete and it was eventually decided to alter the storyline in the second half to explain the absence of Kumar's character.

Walter Bryan Emery

Walter Bryan Emery was a British Egyptologist. 

His career was devoted to the excavation of archaeological sites along the Nile Valley. During the Second World War, he served with distinction as an officer in the British Army and, in the immediate aftermath, in the Diplomatic Service, both still in Egypt.

Walter Bryan Emery was born on July 2, 1903 in New Brighton, Cheshire, the son of Walter Thomas Emery – the head of a technical college – and Beatrice Mary Emery. Emery was educated at St Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool.

On leaving school, he was briefly apprenticed to a firm of marine engineers. His training there resulted in his becoming an excellent draftsman, a skill which produced the brilliantly executed line drawings that permeated his later published works on Egyptology, and which was similarly influential in his wartime military career.

After preliminary training at the Liverpool Institute of Archaeology, Emery made his first trip to Egypt as an assistant on the staff of the Egypt Exploration Society, in 1923. There he participated in the excavation of Amarna, the ancient city in Middle Egypt founded by the pharaoh Akhenaton.

By 1924, he was already field director of Sir Robert Mond's excavations at Thebes for the University of Liverpool. He made several clearings, restorations and protective operations into a score of tombs at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. Between 1924 and 1928, continuing as Director of the Mond Expedition, he worked on excavations at Nubia, Luxor and Thebes.

In 1929 he was appointed field director of the Archaeological Survey of Nubia under the auspices of the Egyptian Government Service of Antiquities, with authority to explore and excavate all ancient sites in Nubia which were soon to be flooded after the erection of the Aswan Low Dam. Working at Quban, Ballana and Qustul, he excavated the X-Group of tombs dating to the 3rd to 6th century A.D. He was assisted in his work by his wife, Molly. The completion of the excavations of the fortress at Buhen ended his work in Nubia.

He then became director of fieldwork at Luxor and Armant. During the years 1935 to 1939 he was the director of the Archaeological Survey of Nubia. During these years as director, Emery also investigated several early dynastic tombs at Saqqara. While at Saqqara he made the significant discovery of a "zoo" of mummified animal remains.

Emery was commissioned as an Army officer immediately on the outbreak of war, on 12 September 1939. There was no Intelligence Corps at the time, so Emery was commissioned into the General List as a 2nd Lt. (108571). His considerable local knowledge and practical experience was invaluable to those preparing the defence of Egypt against a potential attack from Italian forces to the West and to the South and he was quickly directed to the intelligence desk at General Headquarters (GHQ), British Troops in Egypt, in Cairo. An early preoccupation was to ensure the quantity and quality of mapping to be issued to the mobilised units that were pouring into the kingdom from all quarters of the Empire: the going for vehicles needed to be noted, water-sources, newly installed enemy defences, etc. Emery's training as a draughtsman was a great asset; his work-colleagues at this time included the future general Victor Paley.

By 1942, Emery was a War Substantive (WS) captain, but was serving in the rank of Major. His contribution to the success at Alamein was rewarded with a Mention in Despatches (MiD). At the end of the North African campaign, with the successful landing of Allied troops on mainland Italy, Emery was further recognised with the award of a military MBE, in 1943. In addition, Emery was later promoted to temporary Lt.Col., on taking command of his branch.

After six years, Lt.Col. Emery, MBE, was released from service on 27 November 1945, and his wartime rank was given formal confirmation. Though not unique, his record was nevertheless impressive for an officer with no previous military experience (PME) who was commissioned after the start of the war: to be promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant-Colonel, and to be awarded an honour in addition, indicated an exceptional contribution that was notable in itself.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, with many archaeological sites still off-limits, Emery accepted a diplomatic post with the British embassy in Cairo. Starting as an Attaché in 1947, he rose to the rank of First Secretary, until his resignation in 1951 to accept an academic role in London.

In 1951, Emery was appointed Edwards Professor of Egyptian Archaeology and Philology at University College London, a seat he held for nearly two decades, to 1970.[5] He was elected to the British Academy Fellowship in 1959, and in 1969 he was awarded a civil CBE for his contribution to Egyptology, superseding his military MBE.

During the vacations, Emery was able to resume a limited degree of field-work. From the late 1950s, he worked for seven seasons in the Sudan, at Buhen and Qasr Ibrim. Then, in 1964, he returned once more to Saqqara, where he discovered the "enclosure of the sacred animals".

His principal publications are: Great tombs of the 1st dynasty, (3 volumes) 1949–58; Archaic Egypt, 1961; and Egypt in Nubia, 1965.

Walter Emery returned to his beloved Egypt but did not enjoy a long retirement: he was sent to hospital on March 7, 1971 after having a stroke. Following a second stroke on 9 March, he died in the Anglo-American Hospital in Cairo, on March 11, 1971. He was buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Cairo.

Gonzalo Suárez

 

Gonzalo Suárez Morilla is a Spanish writer, screenwriter and film director.

In 1963 he published his first novel De cuerpo presente. His 1975 film The Regent's Wife was entered into the 9th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1991 film Don Juan in Hell was entered into the 17th Moscow International Film Festival.

In 1984 he acted as the married writer in Pedro Almodóvar's ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (What Have I Done to Deserve This?).

In 1987 he directed Los pazos de Ulloa for TVE.

At Gijón International Film Festival in 2003, he received the Nacho Martinez Award.

Personal life

He has a younger brother cinematographer Carlos Suárez, two daughters and son, Gonzalo Suárez Girard, who is a video game director, most well known for his work on Commandos.

Bernard Pearson

Bernard Stanley Pearson is a British potter and sculptor who in 1981 set up a pottery called Clare Craft in the Suffolk town of Clare. Here, he and his team produced a range of fantasy and comical figurines. This led to a meeting with Terry Pratchett in 1990, and Clare Craft went on to design a range of figurines based on characters from Pratchett’s Discworld novels.

In 1997, at Pratchett’s suggestion, Pearson began crafting ‘The Unreal Estate’, a series of highly detailed architectural models based on Discworld locations, most notably the Unseen University. During this time, he and his wife Isobel also created a wide range of studio pottery based on landscape and fantasy imagery under the back stamp of ‘Bernard Pearson Ceramics’.

In 2000 he moved to the town of Wincanton in Somerset, England, where he established a Discworld centre and retail outlet called ‘The Cunning Artificer’, the name bestowed upon him by his friend Terry Pratchett. Here, he and Isobel launched more Discworld merchandise, including the ‘Discworld Stamps’. This latter collaboration with Terry Pratchett resulted in the creation of many thousands of ‘Cinderella’ stamps that are held in collections from the British Library to private collectors the world over. He also co-authored The Complete Discworld Almanack with Terry Pratchett in 2004. ‘The Cunning Artificer’ became ‘The Discworld Emporium’ in 2011 when Ian Mitchell and Reb Voyce joined the partnership and set up a successful online business shipping books and Discworld artifacts worldwide. Following the death of Terry Pratchett in 2015, Pearson took a back seat in the design and running of the Emporium.

In 2018 Pearson published his first novel Dovetail and has since continued to focus on writing. He has embarked upon several podcasts and is known for his wit and skills as a raconteur.

Are you a Famous Pipe Smoker?

Are you or someone you know a famous or infamous pipe smoker?  Local Celebrities, educators, authors, professionals, etc. 

If so you belong here.   Contact me and I will gladly add you to the list of famous pipe smokers.  This is a not for profit Blog, it is just a way to let people see how many greats before us smoked pipes. 

My Favorite Pipe Makers

These are a list of my personal favorite pipe makers.

1. Bjarne Nielsen -Bjarne Nielsen was the owner and the founder of Bjarne pipes. After a MBA degree from the University of Copenhagen and a career in the Danish Foreign Service the company was founded in 1973 and it is probably Denmark's largest pipe manufacturer of 100% hand made pipes. Each pipe is formed on a lathe and as a consequence, there are no model numbers. Each and every pipe is totally hand made and individual. Bjarne was a friend to all who enjoyed the true pleasures of a good pipe. He will be missed.
2. Larry Comeaux - Larry Comeaux of Memphis TN made pipes for over 30 years. His intricately carved pieces won him several honors. Larry was a true master craftsman If you could imagine it he could make it.
3. Savinelli - The Savinelli family and its many skilled artisans since 1876 are made using only the best grades of Sardinian and Corsican briar. Every pipe is made with great care and pride. Savinelli pipes are a must for any pipe smoker they come in an array of different styles from traditional to modern.
4. Eric Nording - Erik Nørding was originally educated in engineering. Pipe carving began as a hobby, but as time went by, he became more interested in pipe making as a profession. During the last 40 years Erik Nørding has built his own business, which today produces approximately 50,000 pipes a year.
5. W.O. Larsen - W.O. Larsen of Denmark is one of the most respected and revered pipe making families in the world. Currently in its fifth generation of pipe making, W.O. Larsen pipes are made from the very best Corsican briar and come in a variety of finishes, shapes and price ranges.
6. BriarWorks - Pipe makers Todd Johnson and Pete Prevost began work in 2012 to change the perception of what serially produced pipe manufacturing could be. That project evolved and grew and in 2013, BriarWorks began operations in Nashville, TN. Through hard work, ingenuity, and tenacity BriarWorks is producing some of the finest pipes ever made in a serial production environment.

Hobbies

 

What are your favorite hobbies to do while smoking a pipe?

I am a pipe smoker

I am a fly fisherman 

 

I tie my own flies

I am an artist

I am a carpenter

I am a cowboy

I am an equestrian

 

I am a chess player

I am a golfer

I am a melophile with a love of classical music 

I am a bibliophile 

I am a writer and poet

I am a cinephile

and 

I am an amateur tobacconist

Warren Hull

John Warren Hull, known professionally as Warren Hull, was an American actor, singer and television personality active from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was one of the most popular serial actors in the action-adventure field.

Hull was born on January 17, 1903 in Gasport, New York, Hull was one of three children born to John and Laura (nee Shafer) Hull. Both of his parents were Quakers. Hull attended Lockport High School, graduating in 1922. He then attended New York University with the intention of pursuing a career in business. He later decided to pursue a career in music and enrolled at the Eastman School of Music, where he studied voice. After completing his studies, he moved to New York City, where he became a chorus boy in Shubert operas and operettas. This eventually led to Hull working in Broadway musicals. In 1923, he began working as a radio announcer. Hull was the master of ceremonies for the first Your Hit Parade radio program and also worked as an announcer for The Beatrice Lillie Show.

In the mid-1930s, Hull pursued a screen career. He made his screen debut in 1934 for Educational Pictures, a short-subject studio. He co-starred opposite singer Sylvia Froos in the Young Romance series of musical comedies filmed in New York; Hull often joined Froos in song. In 1935 Hull was signed to a contract by Warner Bros., and spent the next few years playing leading men both in dramas and musicals.

When his Warners contract expired, Hull had no trouble finding work at other studios. He teamed with Patricia Ellis, one of his leading ladies at Warners, for the Republic Pictures musical Rhythm in the Clouds (1937). He also played romantic leads in a string of features for Monogram Pictures. Two of Hull's better-known appearances of this period were opposite Boris Karloff, in The Walking Dead (1936) and Night Key (1937). Some of Hull's early appearances have him billed as "J. Warren Hull."

In 1938, Columbia Pictures terminated its association with the Weiss Brothers, independent producers who had been making adventure serials for Columbia release, and decided to make its own cliffhangers. Warren Hull was signed for Columbia's second (and perhaps best) serial production, The Spider's Web (1938), based on a popular magazine character. Hull played three parts: criminologist Richard Wentworth, his masked-and-caped alter ego The Spider, and, in a second masquerade, lowlife mobster Blinky McQuade. The personable Hull brought a breezy sense of humor to his serial roles; he is probably the only serial hero who ever laughs on screen. Hull kept audiences following the Spider's thrilling exploits, making The Spider's Web the most popular and profitable serial of the year, outstripping such worthy cliffhangers as Buck Rogers and Dick Tracy Returns by a wide margin, according to a tally published in the Motion Picture Herald and The Film Daily.

Pleased with Hull's performance, Columbia cast him as Mandrake the Magician in its 1939 serial. Universal Pictures starred the now-established serial hero in The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941) and Columbia put him back in the mask and cloak for The Spider Returns (1941).

In the mid-1940s, Hull returned to radio announcing, appearing with frequency on such programs as Your Hit Parade and Vox Pop. During World War II, Hull traveled about the country and in Canada, putting on Vox Pop before servicemen at camps and bases. After the War, he did Vox Pop broadcasts from France, Britain, Alaska, and Puerto Rico. In 1947, he hosted The Warren Hull Show, for CBS radio. During this time, Hull also hosted Cavalcade of Bands for Dumont radio.

In 1948 he replaced Todd Russell as the host of the radio game show Strike It Rich. Hull continued as host when the show was adapted for television in 1951. This is the TV series for which Warren Hull is best known; Hull remained host for the duration of the series, which ended in 1958.

Hull was also the emcee of Spin to Win, only the second game show created by the team of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. In 1953–54, former Miss America Bess Myerson co-hosted a game show called "The Big Payoff"; Hull occasionally substituted for regular co-host Robert Paige. During the next two decades he hosted TV programs such as Top Dollar, Beat the Odds, and Public Prosecutor. By the early 1960s, Hull was largely retired and was living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 1962, he came out of retirement to host the game show Who in the World.

Hull was married four times and had four children. His first three marriages ended in divorce. His fourth marriage to Susan Fossum Stevens lasted until his death in 1974.

On September 14, 1974, Hull died of congestive heart failure at Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, at the age of 71. His funeral was held on September 18 at the Church of the Epiphany in Southbury, Connecticut, after which he was buried at the New North Cemetery in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut.