www.4DBios.com

SHOW BIZ ROYALS - ENGLISH MONARCHS - RICHARD BURTON & ELIZABETH TAYLOR & FRIENDS

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS POET/WARRIOR:
Storyline: The bellicose bard struts his stuff on the world’s stage time and again in a variety of roles that never allow him to tap into the inner man despite his outer gifted glories as storyteller supreme, actor extraordinaire and chivalric hero nonpareil.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) - English writer. Outer: His grandparents were servants, while his maternal grandfather had to leave the country as an embezzler. Son of an improvident naval clerk who went to prison for debt. 2nd of 8 children. Experienced frequent moves as a child, and suffered great bitterness towards his progenitors, as well as a lifelong sense of deprivation because of his upbringing, despite having a small attic library at his behest, and his sire’s eagerness to show him off as a recitative prodigy. Went to work in a shoe polish factory as a youth, and never forgave his mother for making him continue to labor after his father had been released from debtor’s prison. Largely self-educated with only 2 short periods of formal book-learning. Became a law clerk and shorthand reporter in 1829. Missed a stage audition through illness, then abandoned the idea of the theater when his first story was published in 1833. More would soon follow under the sobriquet of “Boz.” Went on to enjoy enormous success as a novelist, journalist and newspaper serialist, limning the life of Victorian England from the vantage of his own erratic beginnings. His first success was in his mid-20s, with The Pickwick Papers, while his later masterworks included Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities, all of which were first written and appeared as serials, with Copperfield, his clear favorite. An amateur actor, he loved to perform, and had a lifelong love affair with his audiences. Married Catherine Hogarth in his mid-20s, 10 children from union, 7 sons, 2 daughters, and one who died in infancy. His wife’s younger sister, Mary, died in his arms when she was 17, and thereafter he perpetuated her sense of innocence, while the third sister, Georgina, was his closest friend his last decade, and with him when he expired. Began giving public readings in his early 40s, and derived such pleasure from it, that he was doing it regularly by his mid-40s. Also participated in amateur theatrical productions in his home, where he met actress Ellen Ternan (Elizabeth Taylor). His public lectures and overseas tours eventually taxed his health. After 23 years of marriage, he left his wife, who had grown fat and unhappy, and slandered her to keep their children. Secretly took up with Ternan, almost 30 years his junior, employing a multitude of disguises to perpetuate their illicit romance over the last 13 years of his life. Had an enormously successful tour of America in his mid-50s but it so strained him that he collapsed on a farewell series of lectures in England. Died of a massive stroke and cerebral hemorrhage, after collapsing at dinner, completely exhausted of his vital life force. Buried in the Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey. The most popular writer of his time, he still remains a transcendental literary figure, thanks to his extraordinary storytelling skills. Inner: Dandyish, mean-spirited, and obsessed with money. Strong sense of self-discipline, loathed fatherhood, and was a ruthless businessman. Harsh to his family save for his sister-in-laws, and emotionally vindictive, although one of the very few who could take on entrenched institutions, and still remain a beloved writer, and ultimately a national treasure. Had a strong sense of being imprisoned within himself, with no particular understanding of his interior. Penetrating gaze, enormous personal force, with a great desire for the sympathy of his readers. Eager, restless energy, although he carried great sadness towards the end of his life. Extremely perceptive about the character of others, with a peculiar genius for comic portrayals. Often acted out his tales while writing, pantomiming, mirror-tripping and mumbling out his lines. Highly social, loved parties and games. A tale-of-two-internal-cities lifetime of trying to integrate the depths of his interior through his skills as storyteller and perceptive limner of his surroundings, with a great need to be a well-loved public figure, although because of his roiling, unprocessed anger at his unfortunate beginnings, he failed to understand himself in the process. Richard Burton (Richard Jenkins, Jr.) (1925-1984) - Welsh actor. Outer: Son of a hard-drinking but charming Welsh coal miner and barmaid, 12th of 13 children. His mother died when he was 2, and he spoke no English until he was 10. Good athlete at school, and an avid reader as a youth, with a beautiful speaking voice. Taken into the home of his schoolmaster, Philip Burton, and adopted his last name in appreciation of his teaching him to speak English and introducing him to the classics. Won a scholarship to Oxford, evincing his incipient acting genius, as well as his huge appetite for alcohol and women, learning how to down a sconce of beer in 10 seconds. 5’9”, but projected himself as much taller. Made his stage debut at 18 in “Druid’s Rest,” just prior to his entering the university, and took the play to London. Served for 3 years during WW II with the Royal Air Force as a navigator. Returned to the stage on his discharge, and made his film debut the same year in The Last Days of Dolwyn. Married Sybil Williams, an actress, in his mid-20s, 2 daughters from union, including Kate Burton, who followed both parents to the stage. Became a gifted star of both stage and screen, working in both England and America, with a mesmerizing voice and presence, playing many his/storical and classical roles. Published a novel, A Christmas Story, in his late 30s. After appearing as King Arthur in the stage version of “Camelot,” in 1960, his international stardom was assured. His relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, begun during the filming of Cleopatra in 1962, and initially spurred by the sense of danger she represented, turned him into a superstar icon, but their lavish lifestyle muted his later career and affected his health, as he pursued fame and money rather than continuing to develop his own artistry. Divorced in 1963, and the pair married in his late 30s. The stellar couple went on to make numerous films together, including the highly effective, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf in 1966, before divorcing a decade later, one daughter from union. Remarried her at 50, but divorced again a year afterwards. Their last public performance was in 1983 in Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” which titillated the audience in its reflection of their well-known public personae. An excellent storyteller, but dissipated himself throughout his career via heavy drink. Relaxed by reading Charles Dickens, whom he would eventually become. Married Susan Hunt, a BBC continuity girl in 1976 and divorced her in 1982, then remarried a fifth time to Sally Hay at the near end of his life. Despite his enormous potential for theatrical immortality, he was unable to maintain it throughout his career, because of his own personal failings. Gained some sense of peace at the end of his life just before dying, once again, of a cerebral hemorrhage, this time in a Geneva hospital. Buried in red from head to toe in honor of his native Wales. Nominated for 7 Academy Rewards, but never won one, in a career that spanned over 40 films. Inner: Voluptuously vulnerable and passionate, as well as compulsively seductive. Felt his own life was the best role he ever played. Handsome, regal, charismatic figure with great self-love and equal self-loathing. Brilliant conversationalist, with a bawdy sense of humor and a self-deprecating wit. Sensitive, puritanical, couldn’t bear to be touched while acting, probably prompted by a sense that his body was a channel for a far greater talent than his own. Dualistic lifetime of playing the actor/king and achieving great outer success, despite an inner feeling of failure, through his ongoing inability at true introspection. David Garrick (1717-1779) - English actor, manager and dramatist. Outer: Descended from a French Protestant family. Son of a captain in the English army, mother was the daughter of a vicar choral and was of Irish extraction. 3rd son of 7 children. Had a strict upbringing with his father often absent, and toyed with the law until he received an inheritance at his father’s death, when he was 20. Became a wine shop owner with his older brother, before turning to the stage. Wrote a comedy, which was produced when he was 23. Made his first stage appearance in a mask, playing a Harlequin, when the actor billed for the role fell sick. Suffered managerial rejection, and could not tell his family of his choice of profession. The year after the death of his mother in his early 20s, he scored his first triumph as Richard III, and went on to become the pre-eminent actor of his time, introducing a new naturalistic style of emoting. Also became a central fixture of the cultural social life of London. Short but highly versatile, with mobile, expressive features. Played classic and contemporary drama equally impressively. In his early 30s, he married Eva Maria Veigel, a Viennese opera dancer, childless but happy union. The duo became famous for their hospitality. Reformed both staging and the stylized diction of his time, trained thespians and wrote plays in a life dedicated to bringing the theater alive. Had a volatile relationship with actress Elizabeth Yonge (Elizabeth Taylor), who refused to bend to his will. A prolific letter writer, he was also an accomplished poet. By 1766, his acting career was all but over, although he continued in his capacity as a manager. Had a happy retirement, after a series of farewell performances. Died of kidney failure, a condition that plagued him all his life, and was buried in Westminster Abbey in the Poet’s Corner. Inner: Damaged kidneys are a sign of feelings of inner impurity. Vain, highly gregarious, and snobbish, but totally dedicated to his craft. Generous, fiery, also avaricious. Bridge lifetime of transferring his communication skills from the political theater to that of the stage, to begin a series of lives of pure creative exposition, while still retaining a royal edge in all his endeavors. Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester (1563-1626) - English soldier, diplomat and patron of literature. Outer: 2nd son of Henry Sidney (George Will), lord deputy of Ireland. Mother was the daughter of an English duke. His brother was courtier/poet Philip Sidney (Winston Churchill). Educated at Christ Church College, Oxford and spent most of the next 5 years traveling on the Continent. Happily married in 1584 to an heiress and noted beauty, Barbara Gamage, 2 sons and 8 daughters from the union, including Mary Wroth (Elizabeth Taylor), a poet. Entered Parliament in his early 20s, then fought against Spain in the Netherlands under his uncle, Robert Dudley (Bob Hope), Earl of Leicester. Knighted in his early 20s. Made governor of Flushing in 1588, fought several times in the Netherlands, was wounded once, then returned to England on the accession of James I (Kenneth Tynan) and ultimately became chamberlain to the queen consort. Made a baron in 1603, and showed an interest in colonial exploration. His wife died and he remarried a widow. Created earl of Leicester in his mid-40s, inheriting his uncle’s property. Established his estate, Penthurst, as a center of music and literature. Wrote the words for some of John Dowland’s (Freddy Mercury) songs, and lived out his life as a dabbler in the arts. Inner: Intelligent, graceful demeanor, charming warrior. Support lifetime of developing his aesthetic sensibilities, while acting in the power arenas of his time as a peripheral player. James I (1394-1437) - King of Scotland. Outer: Son of Robert III (Rosemary Kennedy), a disabled cripple ultimately incapable of rule. Sent to France at the age of 12 by his father for his safe-keeping, but was captured by English sailors and imprisoned until he was 30, despite being acclaimed king at his father’s death in 1406. His regent, the Duke of Albany, had no desire to pay the ransom, and continued to rule until his own death in 1420, at which point the young king was let go. Initially incarcerated in the Tower of London, then at various other places, but also spent time at the English court, where he was introduced to a far more cultural milieu than if he had spent his youth in Scotland. Wrote the story of his capture, release and his romance with his wife Joan (Elizabeth Taylor) in Kingis Quair. Married her at 30, 8 children, including successor James II (Joseph Kennedy, Sr.). On his release, he immediately asserted his authority, confiscating the estates of his enemies, and using them to run his government, since his nobles had created semi-independent minor kingdoms out of their holdings. Forcibly went after the Albany family in particular, while calling a parliament, of the Highland chiefs, in which some were arrested and others were executed, in order to show his ruthless sense of rule. Won their undying enmity for his heavy-handedness, although he saw no other way to implement his will. Created a magnificent palace at Linlithglow, and cemented an alliance with France by sending a large contingent to fight for their king, Charles VII (Leon Blum) against the English. Physically powerful, he was also a skilled writer and poet, and a master of the language of the time, while serving as an energetic ruler whose strong personality brooked no opposition. Assassinated by a group of his nobles hiding beneath the floorboards of a priory, after having been warned of the danger beforehand by a Celtic seeress. His widow quickly had the conspirators captured and executed, and his son succeeded him. His heart was taken to the Holy Land and back again. Inner: Harsh and acquisitive, yet a champion of justice for the common people. Devout, highly cultured and demanding. His incarceration was a symbol of a continual need for going within to integrate his aggressive, but poetic outer character. Poet/warrior lifetime of martyrdom, language mastery, autocratic rule and sensitivity to the needs of commoners, while giving full play to his ongoing sense of romantic heroism. Richard I (1157-1199) - English king. Known as ‘Lion-Heart’. Outer: 3rd son of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Doris Kopf-Schroeder) and Henry II (Kathleen Kennedy) and his mother’s clear favorite. Had two older half-sisters, and two older brothers who both died young, as well as two younger sisters, and two younger brothers, including John (Henry Fonda), who succeeded him. Brought up at a court redolent with troubadours and chivalry, and exhibited a precocious sense of militaristic rule. Fathered one illegitimate son, otherwise had little interest in women. Educated to be a warrior, he joined with his brothers in a rebellion against his sire in his teens, then submitted to him and was pardoned. Spent his 20s cruelly putting down revolts in his French possessions, while also committing rapine, before challenging his sire anew, and then had to fight his older brothers, before becoming heir to the throne in 1183, then allied with the French King Philippe II (FDR) against his father. Showed himself to be a gifted poet, with a sure feel for chivalric language, writing in both French and Lemosin. A handsome man above average height, with reddish-blond hair and a pale complexion. After much maneuvering he inherited the throne in his early 30s on his sire’s death, but had a singular ambition to lead the Third Crusade in order to recapture Jerusalem. Sold everything he owned, raised an army and a fleet, and headed east. Discovered his father had seduced his intended bride, and became a confirmed homophile, while marrying her sister, Berengaria (Elizabeth Taylor) in his mid-30s during the Crusade, no children from union. His military prowess far out-shadowed his political maneuverings, and though he came within miles of Jerusalem twice, he was unable to capture it, while alienating his allies. Extremely bloodthirsty in his conquests, including the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in Acre, when he could not wangle a trade for the True Cross from the Saracen leader, Saladin (David Sarnoff). Realized afterwards he would have to regroup back home in order to do effective battle with him. His brother John raised a rebellion in his absence, and came close to seizing the throne, but was forgiven when the king finally came back to England. Discovered on his way home and was captured and imprisoned at the end of 1192. Ransomed for an exorbitant figure and returned home in 1194 to be crowned a 2nd time. A severe anti-Semite, he had Jews crucified for miles along the road of his triumphant return to the throne, after earlier having inspired much violence on the Semites of his kingdom when he was initially crowned. Went to Normandy a month after his return and never came back to England, spending precious little time there as a ruler. Died of a gangrenous wound from an arrow shot into his arm during a castle seige. Had his brain, heart and body buried in different places, with the latter placed at the feet of his father. Raised to the level of chivalric icon after his death, in some arenas, while he remained a bugbear in the Muslim world. Because he produced no legitimate heirs, he was succeeded by his brother John. Inner: Strong poetic sensibilities, good writer, saw himself as a knightly ideal, despite his violent feelings towards women. Little sense of responsibility, hot-tempered, highly energetic and cruel. Generous, shrewd, and a warrior through and through. Chivalric lifetime of bringing his swinging sword and singing heart to the English throne, while being given the opportunity to delve into his complex and polluted interior through the repeated theme of capture, imprisonment and release. Macbeth (1005-1057) - King of Scotland. Outer: Probably the grandson of Malcolm II (John Fitzgerald). His name Mac-Bethad meant “son of life.” Married the direct descendant of an earlier Scottish king, Gruoch (Elizabeth Taylor), who gave him a claim to the throne, no children from union. Made commander-in-chief of the army of the Scots and was largely given free martial reign, which inspired him to murder his predecessor, Duncan I (Joseph Kennedy, Sr.) and seize the throne for himself in 1040. Did continuous battle to uphold his lands, and made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050 to be absolved of his crimes. Proved to be highly acquisitive and an adequate governor, during his 17 year reign, but his role as usurper necessitated ongoing warfare with his nobles over his position. Defeated in battle by Duncan’s son, Malcolm III Canmore (John F. Kennedy), but continued to rule for another three years, before being finally killed in a battle by Malcolm, with the help of the English army. Succeeded by his stepson, Lulach. The famous eponymous Shakespearean play of his rule was based on the chronicles of the time and probably greatly exaggerated his negative character. Inner: Schemer and intriguer. Usurper lifetime where legend superseded actualities, turning him into eternal archetype of intrigue and self-destructive naked ambition, a course he would play with in his lives of exposition. Valentinian I (Flavius Valentinianus) (321-375) - Roman Emperor. Outer: Father was a muscular peasant turned general, who was noted for his strength and wrestling skills. The latter rose to tribune, but became a victim of political intrigue and had his estates confiscated. Grew up in the Danube area and had a lifelong antipathy for his more urbanized Roman countrymen. Well-built, he received a solid education, then proved himself an adept warrior. His first wife, Marina Severa, died some time after giving birth to a son Gratian (Peter O’Toole). Became a senior cavalry officer, although he was banished in 362 to Thebes in Egypt by the emperor because of his Christian allegiances. After being recalled and proving himself again militarily, he was raised to the purple by his fellow commanders at the age of 43. Appointed his brother Valens (Henry Fonda) emperor in the east, while claiming the West as his realm, with the former clearly subordinate to him. Immediately had to deal with a revolt in the east and tribal troubles in the west in Gaul with the Alamanni, and opted to deal with the latter first, showing his initial priorities. Able to make his will manifest through his military skills, over the next several years, while being forced to serially deal with the whole western empire, including the African provinces, so that he spent his entire reign fighting to maintain the integrity of his empire, and restoring confidence in the army’s abilities. Made his son Gratian co-Augustus, to further implement his sense of control, while the military served as a vehicle for individual advancement, particularly for those from the provinces. His second wife, Justina (Jane Fonda), was from an aristocratic Sicilian family of senatorial rank. Their son Valentinian II (Ted Turner), would become an emperor, and together they had 3 daughters as well. In addition to his martial prowess, he was an accomplished artist and sculptor. Lived outside of Rome to be closer to the dangerous borders of his empire, while also underscoring his own anti-Rome sentiments. Made frontier defense a priority, and understood the importance of making soldiers financially solvent, giving them both seed and stock in payment. Had a strong sense of duty to the lower classes, while thoroughly alienating the senatorial and power elite of Rome, making the city’s civilians secondary to its soldiers. Conscientious, Catholic, controlling, and permissive in matters of religion, although he deliberately remained neutral in the controversies of the day. Far more interested in the monies from the churches, than their religious doctrine. As the last of the effective western emperors, he created a dynasty that would last a century. Died of an apoplectic stroke while berating a band of brigands. Left a largely polarized society because of his emphasis on armed might, and his heavy taxation to support it. Inner: Jealous, chaste and moral, severe and superstitious. Sensitive to the needs of commoners, warrior through and through, with his main focus on elevating the role of the military in Roman society. Warrior/artist lifetime, once again, of evincing a relatively controlled character during lives of rule, which probably ultimately inspired him to turn to his more creative side in order to open himself up more emotionally, so as to integrate his complex combination of warrior, actor, storyteller and dazzling communicator.

*

PATHWAY OF THE ACTRESS AS WORLD/CLASS BEAUTY:
Storyline: The stunning screen queen gradually learns to assert her own independence and give flower to her resonant character after many a life of subservience to the will and wishes of others, particularly her longtime mate.
Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) - American actress, activist and entrepreneur. Outer: Mother was former stage actress Sara Sothern, who wished her to be a child star, and relentlessly drove her towards that goal. Father was a buyer for his brother’s prosperous art galley in St. Louis, and was dominated by his wife. Her parents moved to England before her birth and her progenitor opened his own gallery in London. One older brother, Howard, who also made some screen appearances. Began ballet lessons when she could walk and danced before the royal family at the age 3. Isolated and educated by tutors, she moved to the U.S. at 7 at the outset of WW II, when her sire opened a Beverly Hills art gallery. He was also an abusive drinker, who resented his daughter’s success, although she was able to forgive him later in life. Thoroughly resented her over-controlled childhood, which left her extremely angry and self-destructive. Made her film debut at 10, in There’s One Born Every Minute, an ironic counterclaim to her subsequent unique status in the world’s pantheon of popular personalities, while feeling her childhood ended as soon as she started working. Came to public notice with National Velvet in 1944, and saw soon afterwards, her life was no longer her own. Never took an acting lesson, preferring to deal with her roles intuitively while blossoming into a remarkable violet-eyed beauty, without passing through awkward adolescence. 5’4”, and voluptuous, with a double set of eyelashes. Lifelong friend of fellow child star Roddy MacDowell. Married for the first time at 17 to spoiled alcoholic hotel heir Nicky Hilton, converting from Christian Science to Catholicism to do so, although the union lasted only a few months, after he drunkenly battered her on their honeymoon, and later caused a miscarriage from another beating. Married again at 20 to actor Michael Wilding, who was some 20 years her senior. Proved a virago with him, henpecking him constantly, which ended the marriage 4 years later. 2 sons from the union. Wed flamboyant showman Mike Todd in 1957, converting to Judaism to do so, while he treated her like a child, which she adored, making up for her earlier life, but he was killed in a plane crash the following year, aboard ‘The Lucky Liz,’ which he had named after her. One daughter from the union, which was also abusive at times, and left her inconsolable at his death. Broke up a popular Hollywood marriage to betroth singer Eddie Fisher in 1959, which outraged her fans, and this union, which produced one adopted daughter, also failed, and they were divorced 5 years later. Her near-death experience from pneumonia won back her audience support. Received her first Academy Reward for Best Actress in 1960 for playing a call-girl in Butterfield 8, a script and film she hated, although it helped break her MGM contract. Made headlines anew during the filming of Cleopatra, for her tempestuous affair with actor Richard Burton, who played Marc Antony (Jean de Lattre) to her Cleopatra (Clare Booth Luce), and the two went on to two tempestuous marriages, the first lasting a decade, beginning in 1964, the second a year in 1975, while she admitted she probably would have wed him a third time, had he not died, since she never lost her deep, abiding love her him. Became the first actress to be paid $1 million, for her 1963 role as Cleopatra. Won a 2nd Best Actress Oscar in 1966 playing opposite Burton in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a rancorous look at marriage. Struggled with weight, health, and alcohol abuse, before finally learning to love and respect herself. As her film career wound down, she appeared on TV and launched her own successful perfume line, as well as House of Taylor for her products. Married John Warner, later elected a U.S. Senator, in her early 40s, after redivorcing Burton, and that union, too, ended in divorce, 6 years later, when she disclosed she had never felt so alone in her life, during it. Her final marriage in 1991 was to a former construction worker, 20 years her junior, twice-married Larry Fortensky, who she met while drying out, in a symbolic integration with her earthy self, although the two later separated and divorced, after 5 years of marriage. In 1993, she was given the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Continually in the public eye as an icon of beauty, self-destruction and redemption. Deeply involved in the AIDS awareness campaign, although health problems continually curtailed her public appearances. Diagnosed with a brain tumor on her 65th birthday, while her precarious constitution continued to give her life dramatic resonance, despite only sporadic acting appearances later on. Made a Dame of the British Empire in 2000, and published her quasi-memoirs, “Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry,” 2 years later. Swam with sharks off Hawai’i, and took up with a much younger gay African-American talent agency owner, Jason Winters, in her 70s, while doing battle with a host of ailments, that finally confined her to a wheelchair, but did not break her indomitable spirit. Died of congestive heart failure surrounded by her children after a six week hospital stay. Inner: Loyal, generous, self-sacrificing, raunchy, earthy and profane. Also self-serving, whining and difficult at times, as residue from her unhappy upbringing. Always felt herself as part of the public domain. Loved to eat, as well as collect jewelry, while suffering more than 70 illnesses, injuries and accidents that required hospitalization, causing a lifelong struggle with alcohol and painkillers. Saw herself as far more of a man’s woman, than a woman’s woman. Queenly lifetime of self-destructing, healing and dealing with herself through personal tragedy and triumph as a royal figure of the public imagination. Elizabeth Yonge Pope (1744?-1797) - English actress. Outer: Of humble origins, she worked as a millinery apprentice as a young girl, before being given a letter of introduction to actor/manager David Garrick (Richard Burton), and became an actress in his company. Made her debut in 1768 at Drury Lane, and was immediately recognized as a talented thespian. The two then parted ways over a contractual dispute, and her desire not to have him dominate her life. After working as an actress on the Dublin stage in both comedy and tragedy, she returned to Garrick 2 years later, both supporting and tormenting him. Spent 8 years with his company until his retirement. Played leads in both comedy and tragedy, and was considered the best all-around actress of her day, although her specific abilities in each were considered inferior to the top actresses of her time. Unhappily married in 1785 to Alexander Pope (Roddy MacDowell), a painter and an actor who was 19 years her junior, no children from union. Active on stage until life’s end. Inner: Vivacious, spirited, strong-voiced and soft-featured. Focused lifetime of putting her energy into her craft rather than her life, while maintaining a love/hate relationship with her longtime mate, with emphasis placed on her independence rather than her interdependence. Mary Wroth (1587-1652) - English writer. Outer: Daughter of Robert Sidney (Richard Burton). Mother was a wealthy heiress and cousin of Sir Walter Raleigh (William O. Douglas). Spent most of her early childhood at the house of her aunt Mary Herbert (Arianna Huffington), while her father was a governor in the Netherlands. In 1604, she unhappily married Robert Wroth, a wealthy landowner, who brought her into the court circles of James I (Kenneth Tynan). Her husband was a drunk, wastrel and bodice-chaser. Played a nymph in one of Queen Anne’s (Lauren Bacall) masques, which was written by Ben Jonson (Norman Mailer). Appeared in another of his masques, and had his comedy, The Alchemist, dedicated to her. The duo may have been lovers, although no proof exists of the connection, while she proved to be a sympathetic patroness of contemporary literature. When her spouse died in 1614, he left her in enormous debt. Afterwards, she became the mistress of her first cousin, the third Earl of Pembroke, with whom she had 2 illegitimate children. The adulterous affair darkened her name at court, and she was expelled from the queen’s circle of friends. Managed her own affairs following her father’s death to disastrous results, putting herself even further in debt. In order to relieve herself of it, in 1621, she published an awkwardly written prose romance, The Countess of Montgomeries, Urania, which limned, in a series of tales, the unhappy relationships of a series of female characters based loosely on court scandals and individuals. The work outraged a goodly number of people because of direct references to them, although she claimed her characters were innocent creations on her part. Wrote a sequel, although it was never published, nor was a play she penned. The latter part of her life is totally unrecorded, thanks, in large part, to her retreating from society. Nevertheless, she managed to secure a reputation that transcended her time thanks to being the first of her gender to pen a known long fiction work. Inner: Wrathful lifetime of getting even for her social difficulties, via her sharp pen, despite having to suffer further straits for her temerity in doing so. Margaret of York (1446-1503) - English duchess of Burgundy. Outer: Of the royal House of York, and descendant of earlier English kings. Father was the 3rd duke of York. Mother was from the powerful Neville family, while her brother Edward (Ethan Hawke), eventually became king of England as Edward IV, as did her younger sibling Richard (Evelyn Waugh), as Richard III. Nearly 6’ tall, slim and upright with a handsome gray-eyed aesthetic. The object of dynastic manipulations by the ducal houses of both France and England, she was supposed to wed Charles the Bold, (Bob Geldof), the Duke of Burgundy. As arrangements dragged on, however, she became engaged to the constable of Portugal, although he died soon after. After further negotiations, including a papal bribe since the pair were loose cousins of the fourth degree, and a slanderous attempt by the French king, Louis XI (Adolf Hitler) to stop the union at all costs, the two were wed in 1468, and she became her husband’s third and final wife. A spectacular wedding ceremony ensued, in which she made her appearance on a golden litter pulled by white horses, in what would subsequently be billed as the marriage of the century, replete with masques and entertainments and a surfeit of tapestries and jewels. Such would be the splendor of the event, that it would henceforth be re-enacted in Bruges at five year intervals right up through the 21st century. Despite its auspicious beginnings, the marriage produced no offspring, although she proved a highly capable and popular helpmate, as well as a patroness of letters, commissioning many manuscripts. Her brother’s hold on the English crown proved tenuous, and a rebellion sponsored by the House of Lancaster, and backed by the French crown, caused Edward to be overthrown and flee to Burgundy. Her plea to her husband to support her sibling fell largely on deaf ears, until the former suddenly found himself the potential target of both the French and English crowns. Very much involved in both the events and personalities of her sibling’s successful reclamation of his throne. Following the deaths of the Lancastrian claimants, Henry VI (Harold Nicolson) and his son, the crown was secured again for her family. After her mother-in-law’s death in 1471, her husband became less and less manageable, while dreaming of greater and greater glories, which ultimately led to his death on the battlefield in 1477. As the dowager duchess, she was able to skillfully guide her stepdaughter, Mary of Burgundy (Peaches Geldof) into a useful union with the House of Hapsburg. Her own duchy had been taken by the French crown,with her husband’s fall, although she spurned Louis’s attempts to buy her off. Renewed trade twixt England and Burgundy, and served as an important protectoress of what was left of her domain. When Mary of Burgundy suddenly died after having a horse crush her, in 1482, her position was inalterably weakened, and Louis took full advantage of it, through treaties and further dynastic manipulations. Lost her last vestige of power in 1483 when her brother died. Her young nephews, Edward V (Prince Edward) and his brother were imprisoned in the Tower of London and secretly executed by her youngest usurping sibling, Richard III (Evelyn Waugh), only to have the English throne usurped from him on the battlefield in 1485, bringing her ruling house tumbling down, as the House of Tudor, in the form of Henry VII (Rupert Murdoch) assumed the English crown. Supported any and all challenges to what she felt was an illegitimate claimant, including Perkin Warbeck (Spiro Agnew), giving him both money and false acknowledgement as one of her nephews who died in the Tower of London, to no avail. Managed to live long enough to see Burgundy regain a sense of stability, while also having a hand in the raising of the future HRE Charles V (Napoleon Bonaparte), through her bloodline connection to the thrones of Castile and Aragon. Died with a certan sense of satisfaction that she had weathered continual family crises, and was still able to maintain a strong hand on the tiller throughout. Inner: Strong-willed, highly intelligent, and unafraid to duke it out with the various powermongers of her time. Gracious, with a wry wit, and well-liked by all who knew her, with a sure instinct for power, and a distinct awareness of what she had to do to maintain her position. Hands-on lifetime of showing her capabilities as both a ruler, and someone whose position was steadily whittled away by the dark hand of fate, while holding her own, with whatever was thrown at her. Joan Beaufort (c1405-1445) - Scottish queen. Outer: Father was the Earl of Somerset. Grandfather was John of Gaunt (Lyndon Johnson). During his long interment in England, James I of Scotland (Richard Burton) saw her and fell in love with her. Had a romantic union with him, which he wrote about in The Kingis Quair. Since her parents were anxious for a royal match, they hastened the arrangements for his ransom and release. Married in 1424, one surviving son, James II (Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.) and 6 daughters. In her early 30s, she was wounded in an attempt to save her husband, who was assassinated in front of her. Her sense of vengeance led to the capture and execution of her husband’s murderers. Made regent and married the Black Knight of Lorne to gain a protector. However, she was surprised by a rival and held captive, in imitation of her husband’s earlier experience. Forced to surrender custody of her son and husband’s heir, as well as her dowry and Stirling Castle. After her release, she was never a force again. Bore 3 sons in her second union, which was not a love match, and when she died she was buried next to her first husband. Inner: Passionate, willful and romantic. Passion-filled lifetime of experiencing full-bodied royal romance with her longtime mate, only to lose him to the violence of politics, and still be able to fashion a life for herself out of the ashes of their connection. Ellen Ternan (Ellen Lawless Ternan) (1839-1914) - English actress and mistress. Outer: A member of a stage family, her mother and grandmother were both actresses, while her manager/father was a failure, and wound up in an asylum after a breakdown, before dying of syphilis when she was 7. The youngest of 3 sisters, with her two older siblings, Fanny and Maria, becoming actresses, as did she, obediently following her mother from company to company. Fanny would eventually marry the older brother of writer Anthony Trollope (Anthony Powell). Blonde-haired and moderately pretty, she was known as Nelly to family and friends, although remained undistinguished in her thrust-upon profession. Met writer Charles Dickens (Richard Burton) during one of his semi-amateur productions when she was 18, and he was nearly 3 decades her senior, as well as the father of a daughter her age. Since his own marriage was in name only, and divorce was out of the question, he avidly pursued her, and she became his secret mistress for the last 13 years of his life, although in keeping with Victorian standards of the times, he never publicly acknowledged her. He did, however, support both her and her mother, providing her with housing, which she rented out after his death. There may or may not have been children from their liaison who died young, although their relationship was probably predicated more on companionship than concupiscence, and she spent most of their time together waiting for him to show up. In 1865, her arm was injured in a train crash, and her health became delicate afterwards. Spent a good deal of her time reading and studying languages, and may have been with Dickens when he died, before transporting his body back home to keep up appearances. Left £1000 by him, she traveled and stayed with her married sisters. Wound up marrying George Wharton, a young student who was a dozen years her junior, and wanted a church career. Instead, she persuaded him to run a boy’s school, and they had a son and daughter together. After her spouse gave up the school, they had financial difficulties, and she wound up outliving both him and her sisters, to whom she remained extremely close. Later, she claimed her relationship with Dickens was distasteful, forcing her to totally reinvent herself. Finally succumbed to breast cancer, and was buried by her husband. His contemporary biographers would subsequently delete her from his life, and all their letters were burned, although her son discovered the deception through papers she had kept, much to his shock, and it eventually became public knowledge in century 20, long after its participants were dead and buried. Inner: Obedient, interdependent, romantic, as well as clever, witty and charming. Put-upon lifetime of support, where her will and needs were totally subservient to another’s, before beginning a series of lives built on the theme of eventually learning independence through her own considerable power of personality. Berengaria (1165-c1230) - Queen of England. Outer: First-born daughter of the King and Queen of Navarre. Met her future husband, Richard I of England (Richard Burton) in Sicily, who was betrothed to her sister, but wound up rejecting the latter after learning his father had seduced her. Despite being a second choice, she married him in her mid-20s, no children, while he coveted her territory far more than he did her. Considered the most beautiful woman of her time. Devoted to Richard, who was probably a homophile. Never saw England, took the veil and retired to a Cistercian convent which she founded after her husband’s death in 1199. Became the only English queen never to have set foot on British soil. Contemporary writers found little of note about her other than her physicality. Ultimately had to sue the Church to be recognized as his widow. Inner: Loyal, pious and willing to submit to the will of others. Support lifetime of unrequited devotion, acting out the chivalrous romance of the subservient maiden. Gruoch (Lady MacBeth) (fl. 11th cent.) - Queen of Scotland. Outer: Descendant of an earlier king of Scotland. Married a Scottish laird, at least one son, Lulach (Peter O’Toole) from the union. Widowed when her husband and fifty of his men were burned alive in a great hall, she married Macbeth (Richard Burton), who became king of the Scots, no children. Her life is completely obscured by a lack of herstorical recording of her activities. Became the archetype of the scheming helpmate through the Shakespearean play on husband, based on loose records of the time, although her role was probably greatly exaggerated. Inner: Mythic lifetime of taking on legendary dimensions for intrigue and scheming, while her actualities were probably far more domestic than demonic.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS THOROUGH ECCENTRIC:
Storyline: The incorrigible exhibitionist does bibulous battle with himself in order to release his outrageous sense of the dramatic on the various stages he chooses to trod, while evincing an insatiable gift for the outlandish, the outre and the outrageous.
Peter O’Toole (1932) - Irish/English actor. Outer: Father was a book/maker known as ‘Capt’n Paddy’ or ‘Spats.’ Mother was of Scottish descent, and gave her son his love of literature. Older sister. The family moved frequently, finally landing in Northern England in Leeds, amidst other Irish immigrants. Smuggled into pubs under his father’s coat, and saw his first stage show at the age of 6. Made to conform in Catholic school as nuns constantly tried to whack him out of his left-handedness, which made him quit his formal education at 14, after repeated truancies. Had a very loose, adventurous childhood, during which time he became obsessed with the German Furher Adolf Hitler. Worked in a warehouse wrapping cartons before joining the staff of the Yorkshire Evening News as a copyboy and photographer’s assistant, then as a reporter. 6’3”, slim and handsome with blue eyes and blonde hair. As a teen, he was involved in amateur theater, making his stage debut at 17. After a two year stint in WW II in the Royal Navy as a signalman and decoder, he became a professional stage actor with the Bristol Old Vic company. Married Welsh actress Sian Phillips in his late 20s, 2 daughters who became actresses, although the union probably stifled a promising career for his wife. Later fathered a child by an American model. Acted the wild man during this period, scaling buildings and running drunkenly amok, although his escapades enhanced his marriage, while ordinary life did not. Made his film debut in 1959 in an Italian/French/English production, The Savage Innocents, then became an international star 3 years later as Lawrence of Arabia, for which he meticulously prepared, learning to speak Arabic and ride a camel. Fashioned a subsequent noted career playing eccentric characters and ambivalent heroes, with a touch of madness to many of his memorable roles, including the cult classic, The Ruling Class. A heavy drinker, which ended his marriage after 2 decades and led to major stomach surgery, putting a hiatus to his career during a long period of recovery. Proved himself resilient, however, and later resumed it with numerous memorable character roles, as well as appearing in a host of highly forgettable vehicles. Close friend of Richard Burton, nominated for Academy Rewards 7 times, although never won an Oscar. Wrote his autobiography, Loitering With Intent, and was eventually given an honorary Oscar in 2003, although at first refused it, thinking it would jinx his actually winning one for his later work. Inner: Mischievous, eccentric, actor to the core. Perfectionist, Irishophile, bibulous, and always centerstage. Off-center lifetime of giving unique self-expression to his sense of self-destructive self-congratulations through a highly acclaimed stage and screen career, reflecting his own charming megalomania and equal thirst for the intoxicants of fame, firewater and mild infamy. Herbert Beerbohm Tree (Herbert Draper Beerbohm) (1853-1917) - English actor. Outer: Of German/Dutch/Lithuanian descent. Second son of a naturalized Lithuanian-born grain merchant. Mother was English. Half-brother of well-known caricaturist, Max Beerbohm. Educated in England and Germany, then began in his father’s business, but soon gravitated towards the stage, initially with amateur troupes. Tall and slim with blue eyes and red hair and a thin voice as well. Became a professional actor in his mid-20s, and appeared in over 50 plays in his first 8 years upon the stage. In 1882, he married Helen Holt, an actress who was in many of his productions, 3 daughters from the union, including actress Viola Tree and actress/poet Iris Tree. The relationship was often volatile, but eventually amicable. In addition, he maintained a second household with May Pinney, the daughter of a clergyman, who changed her name to Reed. Had six children with her, including director Carol Reed, while their relationship would continue until his death. Had his first London success in 1884, and by 1887, he was running the Haymarket Theater in London’s West End, with a mixture of popular melodrama and contemporary playwrights. By century’s nearend, he helped fund construction of His Majesty’s Theater, which would become a showcase for Shakespeare, in particular. His over-elaborate productions would prove enormously profitable, and would reflect his histrionic style as well, which depended on flourishes and gestures, and worked best when he was assaying eccentrics. Proved himself highly versatile, as well as a clever mimic, and extremely inventive, although his ad libs as the original Prof. Henry Higgins in George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” did not sit well with the author, and never became a subsequent part of the play. Became the most successful actor-manager of his time, specializing in romantic roles and comedy, while also penning several books. In 1904, he founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Knighted for his efforts in his mid-50s. Died after injuring his knee from a fall downstairs, and suffering blood clots from the subsequent operation. Knee injuries are usually indicative of an unwillingness to submit to greater powers than one’s own. Inner: Royalty of the English stage. Generous, creative, engaging, highly witty, with a great love of his craft. Healing lifetime of ruling over his domain of the classic theater in his usual unique, eccentric manner, going for the lighthearted rather than the heavily dramatic, while exhibiting far more control over himself than his last brilliant, but flawed, go-round in this series, as well as his next life, which was a combination of the dynamics of the two. Edmund Kean (1789-1833) - English actor. Outer: Illegitimate son of an itinerant actress and a street hawker of the same name who killed himself at 22. Deserted by his mother and put in the care of his uncle’s mistress, a fallen member of high society with a theatrical bent and with high ambitions for him and his obvious talents. Countered her by an anarchic childhood in the streets, breaking both his legs as a circus tumbler. Adopted by a wealthy middle-class couple, but fled them when he felt belittled. From 15 onwards, he pursued the stage as career, and spent a frustrating 10 year apprenticeship, during which time he became an alcoholic. In his early 20s, he married Mary Chambers, an actress, but had little connection to the union, 2 sons, including Charles Kean (Charles Laughton), who became a noted star. His eldest son, and his favorite, died before fulfilling his ambition to become an actor as well. Because of his slight build, he emphasized natural acting over the prevalent static, declamatory mode of the day, and electrified the stage with his physical portrayals of Shakespearean, as well as contemporary, characters. Rose to a pre-eminent position, but his fear of losing his uncrowned kingship of the English stage brought out the worst in his own character, and made for some uneven performances. Poorly received in Scotland and America, but elected a Huron chief in Canada. His sensitivity over his lowly status as an actor drew him into the social and political underworlds of his time for his companionship. Successfully sued for adultery by a cuckolded alderman, he became a slanderous victim of the press. Sank into acute alcoholism, feeling persecuted and degraded, and eventually died a few weeks after collapsing following his final performance, as Othello, the tragic alien moor, perhaps his greatest role. Viewed as one of the great tragedians of all time. Inner: Innovative, highly creative, but also self-destructive, extremely self-absorbed, and hypersensitive to slights. Third rail lifetime of trying to purge himself of his creative shadows through the uninhibited acting-out of his complex interior both onstage and off, allowing his draw towards his own muddied inner underworld ultimate victory over him. William Powell (1735-1769) - English actor. Outer: From a poor background. Originally apprenticed to a distiller. Married a Miss Branston in 1759, who became an actress. Middle-height, round-shouldered, and extremely expressive, with a musical, rather than a powerful voice. Made his debut in London in 1763 as the understudy of David Garrick (Richard Burton), who had coached him as a replacement so that he could travel. Gained great critical acclaim for his initial effort, and went on to prove extremely popular, thanks to his facility for emotional expression. Garrick, however, soon grew jealous of his popularity, although the two continued to work together. His very promising career was cut short when he caught cold playing cricket, and succumbed to it a short time later. Inner: Transition lifetime of briefly tasting the stage, and probably finding it much more to his liking than royal robes, for the sheer power of expression it gave him, not to mention the overwhelming adulation it also afforded him for his immediately noticeable emotive skills. Charles II (1630-1685) - King of England. Outer: 2nd and eldest surviving son of Charles I (George VI) and Henrietta Marie (Queen Mother Elizabeth). His distant father had both his and his brother’s portraits hung over the breakfast table, so that they could be seen but not heard. Close with his sister Henrietta Anne (Jodie Foster), who wound up marrying Philippe I, duc d’Orleans (Gianni Versace). Had a conventional education and unremarkable, albeit dissipated youth, but was thrown into the turmoil of the English Civil War, turning him into a cynical, self-indulgent, morally evasive young man. Resisted his mother’s and sister’s attempts to convert him to Catholicism, and made a strong effort to save his father and the crown, including accompanying him in battle, but when his sire was beheaded in 1649, and the Puritan forces prevailed in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the Protectorate, he left England for exile at the Hague. Later accepted the crown of the Scots in 1651, although he was defeated by the forces of the Commonwealth in a subsequent invasion of England, causing him deep bitterness. Became a fugitive with a price on his head and little European support, living in relative destitution in France. Finally assumed the crown in 1660, at the age of 30 after the fall of the Commonwealth and political maneuvering by his allies. Thanks to an extremely generous dowry, he married a Catholic Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza (Mary Gordon), the following year, no children. Although unfaithful in extremis to his wife, he genuinely liked her, and treated her with kindness, because of her reciprocal devotion to him. Deeply grieved and anxiety-ridden, when she nearly fell mortally ill two years into the marriage. When she recovered he immediately and shamelessly pursued her maid of honor, Frances Stewart (Joan Collins), although his devout and pious wife continually ignored his infidelities because of his overt charm, and seeming genuine caring for her. Witty and libidinous, he enjoyed physical pleasures, as well as the company of women, while the arts and theater flourished under him. Trusted affairs of state to old Royalists, and became known as ‘the Merry Monarch.’ Tall and athletic, but hated routine and the details of governance. Had 13 known mistresses, and a huge sexual appetite, with 14 acknowledged illegitimate children through 7 mothers, many of whom he ennobled. Numerous plots erupted during his reign, centered round a fear of Catholic rule, although he held to his Anglican upbringing, and protected his wife against the anti-Catholicism of the time. Briefly flirted with the idea of divorce around 1670, then abandoned it. After his brother, the future James II (Martin Sheen) converted to Catholicism in 1673, he was under extreme pressure to either legitimatize an heir like the Duke of Monmouth (Edward VIII), or divorce his barren wife and marry a Protestant princess. Refused, however, to do either, much to the consternation of his ministers, and instead the prospect of a Catholic king over England began to loom larger and larger, although everyone of that religious persuasion was denied public office by a Test Act edict in 1673. Five years later, the Popish Plot, engendered by one Titus Oates (Ann Coulter) threw the country into hysteria, but he remained steadfast in the face of the lies leveled at his wife. A weak monarch in general, he nearly lost control of his government towards the 2 decade mark of his quarter century reign, although he achieved some sense of domestic prosperity in his final years. Inept at foreign policy, he was far more a cultural than a political figure. Because of his wife’s influence, he took Catholic rites just before his death from an apoplectic fit, and was succeeded by his Catholic brother, James II. Spent his last hours apologizing to everyone for taking so long in his dying, and in his last breath asked his curtains be raised and his window opened, “that I may behold the light of the sun for the last time.” Inner: Brave, clever, adventurous, witty, intelligent. “Never said a foolish thing, never did a wise one.” Lazy but shrewd, an apt restorer of a lively crown over England. Irresistible to women, likable to men, treated everyone with a cordial familiarity. Endearingly human, with the ability to both embrace and discard people with no ill feelings on the part of either party. Restored lifetime of waiting for rule, and then enjoying its sensual benefits once he had it, while proving he had little aptitude for actual governance, necessitating a switch in his ongoing life path to the realm of make-believe, rather than the restrictive theater of political precepts. James V (1512-1542) - King of Scotland. Outer: Son of James IV (Kathleen Kennedy) and Margaret Tudor (Margaret Thatcher). Ascended to the throne at the age of 17 months, while his formidable mother held the regency for him. Suffered an extremely unhappy childhood, no other siblings, despised his stepfather and disliked his mother. Had a number of tutors, but received little formal learning, although was a proficient musician. Seized as a youth, escaped, declared competent to rule at 12 and established his kingship at the age of 16. Sought solace in chasing after women and low company. Quite handsome, he had many mistresses, and numerous out-of-wedlock children. In 1537, he married Madeleine of Valois (Natalie Wood), the daughter of the French king, Francois I (David Lloyd George), but his wife died the following year of tuberclosis. Remarried to Mary of Guise (Rebecca West) in 1538, 3 children by his 2nd wife, including his successor, Mary, Queen of Scots (Marguerite Duras), his only legitimate daughter. Cruel and forceful with the rich and powerful, but sensitive to the plight of the poor. His popularity with the people earned him the sobriquet of ‘king of the commons.’ Persecuted heretics and instituted some Church reform, although the converted Protestant nobility held him in contempt for continuing his Roman Catholic practices, during a time when the Reformation was making serious inroads into Northern Europe. The country was also divided between those who were pro-French and those who were pro-English, while he was clearly in the camp of the former. Loathed by the aristocracy, who refused to support him in a war with England, when his small army was routed in 1542. The end of his reign was plagued by a hunting accident, then the death of his 2 sons. Had a mental breakdown and died a week after his army suffered a heavy battle loss, taking to bed and virtually willing himself to expire. Inner: Alternately charming and cruel, vindictive and acquisitive, an admixture of his own royal house. Loss-laden lifetime of disassociation from his family followed by an adulthood of exacting vengeance on his own class for it, and a deeply depressive finale to complete his circle of sadness. Lulach (?-1058) - Scottish king. Outer: Son of Gruoch (Elizabeth Taylor). His father and fifty of his men were burned to death in a great hall. Became the stepson of the Scottish king MacBeth (Richard Burton) when his mother wed the latter. Married with at least one son and daughter. After his sire’s death in battle, he became the first Scottish king crowned at Scone, but was defeated and killed by Malcolm III Caenmore (JFK), who had also dispatched his sire, a few months later. Inner: Nicknamed “the Fool,” and “the Simple-Minded.” Fool’s errand lifetime of being given a throne he probably had no taste for, requiring a return to saidsame in far more competent and aggressive form, in his ongoing dualistic approach to all of his lives made glaringly public. Gratian (Flavius Gratianus Augustus) (359-383) - Roman emperor. Outer: Son of Emperor Valentinian I (Richard Burton). Made a consul at the age of 7, Augustus at the age of 8, and advanced to the purple at 9, sharing the early part of his reign with his father and his uncle Valens (Henry Fonda). Educated by the poet Ausonius (Stephen Spender), who exerted governmental influence during his minority while imbuing his pupil with an excellent grasp of language, as well as a moderate and popular sense of rule. When his father died in 375, he became sole ruler of the West, then shared the empire with his half-brother, Valentinian II (Ted Turner). Spent most of his reign fighting in Gaul. Appointed Theodosius I (Kenneth Tynan), emperor in the East on the death of his uncle. Married at the age of 7 to Flavia Maxima Constantia, the 12 yr old daughter of a posthumous emperor, Constantius II (Jawaharlal Nehru). One son from the union, but outlived both, and remarried Laeta in his last year. Good soldier, pious Christian, dropped all pagan trappings of office, including the title of pontifex maximus, the first emperor to do so. Eloquent orator with a keen interest in literature and religion, as well as sport. Liked to play the fool. Assassinated by one of his senior officers, after his troops had deserted him, following his attempt at stopping a usurper in Britain. Inner: Agreeable and cultivated, warlike and merciful. Enjoyed the theatricality of his power. Scattershot lifetime of pursuing various interests of rule, without focusing on any one of them for any singular outstanding achievement, necessitating a focus on kingship in his next series of high profile incarnations, before returning fulltime to the theatrical realm.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD:
Storyline: The raffish rogue eventually tames his wicked, wicked waywardness and channels it into his craft, after many a go-round of compulsively playing himself out in pursuit of his own unholy trinity of wine, women and seductive song.
Ethan Hawke (1970) - American actor and writer. Outer: Parents were teenagers when their son was conceived. The duo separated when he was a toddler, and divorced when he was 3, and he had little contact with his father afterwards. His mother, who had wanted him to be a novelist, ultimately moved to Romania to work for gypsy rights. Moved frequently, which gave him a sense of independence, then his mother remarried when he was 10, and the family settled in New Jersey, 2 half-siblings. His stepfather encouraged his theatrical ambitions, and he made his acting debut at the age of 13 in a local theater production of “St. Joan.” A casting director saw him, and he fashioned his movie debut shortly afterwards in a sci-fi film, Explorers, which flopped. 5’10 1/2”. A voracious reader, and despite his first failure, deeply determined to be an actor, although burnt by his initial experience. Enrolled at Carnegie-Mellon Univ, but dropped out after a year to pursue films fulltime, beginning with Dead Poet’s Society. Made two tries at NYU’s film school, but preferred direct experience to classroom learning. His career began building slowly, while he investigated various media of expression, including writing, as well as co-founding Malaparte, a short-lived Manhattan theater company. Stereotyped as a goateed slacker from his first 2 popular films, he is quite the driven opposite. In his late 20s, he married actress Uma Thurman, daughter and son from union. Made his directorial debut with Chelsea Walls in 2001, while also penning 2 ill-received novels on the subject of tortured love. Has built a solid reputation based on skills, rather than surface appeal, showing a preference for demanding, rather than high profile, roles that test his burgeoning growth as an actor, which has made for slow, steady going as he gradually moves into his mature self after many a go-round of being the eternal man-boy. Rifts in his relationship with Thurman arose in 2003, placing him once again in his roving eye persona, as he continues to do battle with his sense of artistry and an innate longtime irresponsibility in intimate relationships. The pair eventually divorced, thanks to the pressures of celebrity while he continues to opt for roles that explore his chops, be it theater, including Tom Stoppard’s marathon “The Coast of Utopia,” and update of “The Cherry Orchard,” or film, rather than well-paying formulaic work. In 2008, he wed the former nanny to his children, Ryan Shawhughes, while she was pregnant with their first daughter together, who arrived soon afterwards. A second daughter would follow. Inner: Desire for fame and fortune, with a preference for drama over comedy. Amateur musician, hard-worker, driven, self-deprecating and self-confident. Casual and grounded, for once, thanks to a more serious take on his life than in previous forays into the arts. Hawk-eyed lifetime of finally committing to his craft, after numerous go-rounds of committing himself largely to having a good time, despite talents to be so much more than he has been thus far in the realm of popular entertainment. Errol Flynn (1909-1959) - Australian actor. Outer: Son of an Australian marine biologist and zoologist. Despite being afforded an excellent education in both Australia and England, he was continually expelled from school for mischiefmaking. 6’2”, athletic, strikingly handsome. Clerked for a shipping company in his mid-teens, then entered government service in New Guinea, but an unquenchable thirst for adventure sent him in search of gold. Bought a boat and sailed again for New Guinea, where he became manager of a tobacco plantation, while writing a newspaper column for a Sydney paper. An accomplished yachtsman, he played the role of Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian in an Australian semi-documentary for his film debut, then went to England and joined the Northampton Repertory Company. A low-budget film followed, which led to a Hollywood contract in his mid-20s. Married actress Lili Damita the year he arrived in Hollywood and became a star after appearing in Captain Blood. He soon became king of the Hollywood costume dramas, as well as a hard-drinking, hedonistic, brawling Casanova. Turned down for active duty in WW II because of various physical ailments, which wounded his pride deeply. Despite his successes, he yearned to be taken more seriously as an actor, but never quite had the ability to do so. A sensational statutory rape trial in the 1940s added the phrase “in like Flynn,” to the language, when he was acquitted of accosting two teen-age girls aboard his yacht. Divorced after 7 years of marriage, look-alike son from the union, Sean, was a photo-journalist killed in SE Asia. Married Nora Eddington in his mid-30s, two daughters from the union, divorced 6 years later. His popularity began to wane in the late 1940s, as his dissipation began to show more on him. Married actress Patrice Wymore in his early 40s, daughter from union. His wife retired to help him get his life back together. Embittered and deeply in debt, he left Hollywood for England, but could not resurrect his career and lost most of his money in a failed film venture. Sailed aimlessly, then returned to Hollywood, where he played drunks in his next 3 films, including a portrait of his old drinking partner, John Barrymore (Johnny Depp). Dissipated himself to an incredible extent with his carnal lifestyle, using alcohol and drugs in his drive towards physical self-destruction, and died of the ravages of his wicked, wicked ways from a heart attack at 50. The coroner thought he was much older. Rumors abounded of spydom and bisexuality after his relatively early death. Wrote 3 books, including his posthumous autobiography, “My Wicked, Wicked Ways.” Inner: Charming, worldly, adventurous, with a strong penchant for glut. Despite relative mastery of the seas, at sea over successes and excesses, with virtually no ability to reign himself in. Over-indulgent lifetime of pursuing pleasure to the hilt and suffering the corporeal consequences for it. Robert ‘Romeo’ Coates (1772-1848) - English actor and bon vivant. Outer: Father was a merchant and sugar planter on the West Indian island of Antigua. One of 9 children, but the only one to live past infancy. At 8, he was brought to England by his father, and received a liberal, classical education. Returned to Antigua, showed a taste for the theater, and gave some amateur performances. His sire died when he was in his mid-20s, and he inherited some munificent diamonds, along with a healthy estate. Returned to England and lived lavishly in Bath, with, among other things, a carriage shaped like a kettledrum. In 1810, he made his debut in England as Romeo, from whence he received his nickname. Also known as ‘Diamond’ and ‘Cock-a-Doodle-Doo,’ for his debonair ways. Caused a sensation with his off-the-wall acting style, and was the subject of both caricatures and impersonators. Eventually the laughter greeting his uneven performances turned to hissing. Married Emma Robinson in 1823, but was a compulsive playboy, as well as highly active socially. Recklessly extravagant, he was also quite generous, performing for charitable purposes. Overspent himself, then lived on the wreck of his fortune. Crushed between a hansom and a carriage, he died of the inflammation of erysipelas, a skin disease. Inner: Hedonistic, gregarious and charming. Enjoyed the joyous laughter of others, even at the expense of himself, while sparing no expense in the all-out pursuit of pleasure. Loved the display of diamonds. Overindulgent lifetime of willingly playing the fool, while transferring his energies from the stage of statecraft to that of pure theater, before literally flaming out with a skin disease. Charles Edward Stuart (1720-1788) - Claimant to the English throne. Known as “The Young Pretender” and “Bonnie Prince Charlie.” Outer: Grandson of exiled James II (Martin Sheen) of England, eldest son of ‘The Old Pretender,’ James Edward Stuart (Rob Lowe) and his Polish princess wife (Demi Moore). Raised as a Catholic in Rome and tutored to be a warrior. His mother became religiously unbalanced, while his father was a melancholic, deeply distant man. After some disastrous adventures with the French fleet, he led a tiny invasion with a dozen men into Scotland, to raise a revolt against England, then crossed the English border with over 5000 troops, but was forced to retreat back to Scotland. Subsequently routed, he fled to the continent by ship, after being chased for nearly half a year by British soldiers. Spent the rest of his life in a drunken, debauched state, refusing to separate from his mistress, who was a reputed spy, while trying to win support for his cause, to little avail. Married in 1772 to a witty German princess, Louisa (Jacqueline Bisset), whom he made Countess of Albany. His wife separated from him 8 years later, because of his excessive drinking. At the end of his life, he sought out the daughter he had fathered during his wanderings, and when he found her, made her duchess of Albany. Ultimately settled in Rome, while the major Catholic powers repudiated him. Became a figure of myth and legend, which had little to do with his inebriated reality. Inner: Courageous but prone to egregiously self-destructive habits, with little in the way of parental models to give him the stability to deal with his life’s mission, the recovery of the English throne. Fool’s errand lifetime of failing to live up to his own martial myths, and actively self-destroying in the process. Relived the period as Errol Flynn in “Master of Ballantrae.” Robert Devereaux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1567-1601) - English courtier. Outer: Father was Walter Devereaux, the 1st Earl, (Gene Autry), a blood-splattered soldier who massacred many innocents in Ireland, while his mother was a cousin of Elizabeth I (Mae West). Younger brother of Penelope Devereaux (Uma Thurman). Succeeded to his title on the death of his father, when he was 9, and 4 years later his mother married Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Bob Hope). Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. A handsome, dashing soldier and cavalry officer, he won a reputation for bravery in battle in the Netherlands at the age of 19. Came to court in 1584, and within 3 years, he had become a fast favorite of Elizabeth, thanks to his charm, although he continually angered her with his impulsive actions. Following his stepfather’s death in 1588, he replaced him as Master of the Horse. Held numerous posts, but his restless ambition always demanded more then he received. Felt he was the queen’s equal, because of his own impressive lineage, which would ultimately lead to his undoing. Became a national hero for his military exploits, but his arrogance and competitiveness undermined his influence. In his mid-20s, he secretly married Frances Walsingham, the widow of courtier/poet Philip Sidney (Winston Churchill), 5 children from union, included his successor, Robert (Tommy Lee Jones). Uncovered a plot to murder the queen by her physician, then fought in Spain to great individual, albeit, overall failed effect. Overextended himself and disobeyed the queen, who slapped his face when he turned her back on her. After further political and military insolence in Ireland, he was tried in 1600, deprived of his offices, and subsequently suffered financial ruin. Marched with a band of nobles in an attempt to force an audience with the queen, but received no popular support for his actions and retreated. Arrested afterwards, he was tried for treason, found guilty and beheaded. His life was played by Errol Flynn in the biopic “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex,” opposite Bette Davis. Inner: Knightly, chivalrous, with ambitions far beyond his own scope. Brave, reckless, passionate, impulsive. Derring-do lifetime, once again, of playing with self-destruction as an ultimate means of self-expression, despite obvious martial and political abilities. Edward IV (1441-1483) - King of England. Outer: Eldest surviving son of Richard, Duke of York, who was descended from earlier English kings. His mother was the daughter of the Earl of Westmoreland, and his sister Margaret (Elizabeth Taylor), eventually became duchess of Burgundy. Early on, he showed a propensity for pursuing pleasure, despite being a martial adept for the House of York. His begetter was killed in 1460, and he quickly showed himself to be a brave general in the War of the Roses, defeating the forces of Henry VI (Harold Nicholson) at the age of 18, although he swore fealty to the crown. When he thoroughly overwhelmed the Lancastrians the following year, he succeeded to the throne at the age of 19. His early reign was dominated by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (Robert Kilroy-Silk), when he showed more interest in fighting, feasting, fornicating and pageantry than rule, but he later proved quite independent. One of his mistresses was Jane Shore (Bette Davis). In his early 20s, he secretly married Elizabeth Woodville (Joan Crawford), when she would not submit to him at knife/point, 7 children from union, including his murdered successor Edward V (Prince Edward), and Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), who married Henry VII (Rupert Murdoch). Their match was unpopular with the court when he revealed it, because of their plans to unite him with a French princess. Through his own deft maneuvers, however, Warwick soon lost influence, although he was subsequently seized by the latter. Had too many supporters, however, and was able to flee, later returning to England and killing Warwick in 1471. Consolidated his rule soon afterwards by defeating the House of Lancaster and having Henry VI murdered. Invaded France 4 years afterwards with the largest army ever to leave England at the time, but withdrew after being paid a handsome sum. Clever with money, he enhanced the treasury and the crown, and England experienced a period of prosperity under him. Ruled more like a nobleman than king, and became more suspicious of people as he grew older, executing his own brother for having earlier sympathized with Warwick. His pleasure-loving lifestyle fed into his early death of fever at the age of 40. Ultimately succeeded by his brother, the infamous Richard III (Evelyn Waugh). Dualistic king - energetic and lazy, self-indulgent and able. Inner: Handsome, witty, intelligent, fashionable. Libidinous, greedy, obsessive seducer. Treated all subjects with the same familiarity. His lives of power were all surrounded by the romance, rather than the reality of rule, which eventually led him towards a far more direct pathway of public self-expression. Double-pronged lifetime of the twin pursuits of power and pleasure, an ongoing theme of his. Edwy (also Eadwig) (940?-959) - English king. Called ‘the Handsome.’ Outer: Oldest son of Edmund I (Richard Wellesley) and St. Aelfigu. Probably around 15 at the time of his succession. Left his coronation feast to visit his mistress, Aelgifu (Jacqueline Bisset), whom he later married c957, and was condemned by the cleric and reformer Dunstan (Saul Williams) for having done so, since she was the daughter of his stepmother. Because of the close degree of kinship, he was forced to banish both her and her mother. Dunstan despised him afterwards and drove him into exile, but he appointed 2 of Dunstan’s opponents to the see of Canterbury, and did not halt the monastic reform that the churchman had inaugurated, although he did persecute monks. 2 years into his rule, the Mercians and Northumbrians revolted and proclaimed his brother Edgar (Gene Autry) as ruler. Controlled only the area south of the Thames and died soon afterwards. On his death, Dunstan saw his soul being carried off by devils. Left no issue. Inner: Resentful, pleasure-loving and immature. Foolish, vindictive and lecherous. Perpetual adolescent lifetime of experiencing only brief, truncated rule, necessitating another longer and more mature return to the throne, to try to complete his own inner sense of kingship. Valentinian III (Flavius Placidius Valentinianus) (419-455) - Roman Emperor. Outer: Only son of Emperor Constantius III (Bernardo Bertolucci), and Aelia Placidia (Zelda Fitzgerald). Younger brother of Justa Grata Honoria (Joan Crawford). Following the death of his father, when he was 2, he went with his mother and sister to Constantinople to the court of his grandfather, Theodosius I (Kenneth Tynan), who installed as Augustus during the late period of the Empire, but was totally uninterested in rule. Made emperor at the age of 6, and was on the throne for 30 years, his singular concern was in the arena of religion, supporting orthodoxy. Had his mother serve as regent during his minority, and then his calvary master, Flavius Aetius (Gene Autry) largely governed in his stead. In 433, he married the beautiful Licina Eudoxia (Mae West), which united the two halves of the House of Theodosius. Through his lax rule, however, the western empire was steadily whittled down via incursions by other tribes, while Rome’s lack of support forced him into severe taxation, which lost him the support of his provinces. A good athlete and skilled horseman. he loved the company of astrologers and magicians, and enjoyed enjoying himself, including dalliances with the wives of others. Forced to exile his sister, after she petitioned Attila the Hun for help, and he mistakenly saw it as a marriage proposal, and invaded his terrain, ravaging Gaul and Italy. Qt the urging of others, he personally stabbed Aetius to death in 454. Assassinated in return, he ended the century-long dynasty of the House of Valentinian. Inner: Genial, social, seductive and pleasure-loving, with little interest in state. Keep-the-goblets-overflowing lifetime of manifesting his relaxed style of rule, allowing others to govern in his stead, while he pursued his own pleasures, and, in so doing, maintained a long uncontroversial reign, that directly fed into the loss of Rome’s western empire.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS ROGUE CAPITALIST:
Storyline: The devious opportunist affords his/story many memories and little thanks for an over-the-top character continually dedicated to the enhancement of his ambitions at the expense of any show of weakness around him.
Bob Hope (Leslie ‘Bob’ Townes Hope) (1903-2003) - English/American entertainer. Outer: Father was an alcoholic stone contractor, mother was a Welsh singer of Italian extract, who ultimately became a washerwoman. 5th of 7 sons. Came to the U.S. with his family at the age of 5, and had an impoverished upbringing. Won a Charlie Chaplin-imitation contest at 10, then worked as a newsboy, soda jerk, and briefly a boxer for 2 bouts, fighting under the name of Packy East, before becoming a dance teacher, then an amateur entertainer, with an act of singing, eccentric dancing and bantering. 5’10”, with a notable ski nose. Became a vaudevillian as a comedian/singer/dancer, beginning with the Fatty Arbuckle (John Belushi) traveling show, eventually adding more comedy to his act. In his mid-20s, he made it to NYC and at 30, did his first star turn in the musical Roberta. Began his film career a year later in comedy shorts. Briefly married Grace Troxell in 1933, but divorced by year’s end. The following annum, he wed Dolores Reade, a sultry nightclub singer, 4 adopted children from union, but he kept his domestic life hidden from the press to preserve the privacy of his progeny, while he was rarely home himself, although his wife was able to handle his compulsive infidelities through their rich lifestyle. Successful appearances on radio won him a role in The Big Broadcast of 1938, in which he sang his subsequent theme song, ‘Thanks for the Memory.’ By the 1940s, he began a series of extremely popular ‘Road’ pictures with singer Bing Crosby, and from 1941 to 1953 was one of Hollywood’s top moneymaking stars. At his height, he was on the road some 250 nights a year. Became one of the world’s wealthiest entertainers, with an estate in the hundreds of millions, through real estate, oil & gas, broadcasting, thoroughbreds, and at one point was part owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, although he always took great pains to deny his wealth. Formulaic comedies saw him wisecrack his way through various versions of the same cowardly screen character, which proved extremely popular in the 1940s, and less so as the decades progressed. An inveterate entertainer of overseas troops, beginning with WW II right through the Persian Gulf conflict, as well as an inveterate seducer. Loved captive audiences and the sound of laughter, tailoring his gags to each and every crowd. Depended upon timing, rather than wit, with much of his material quite creaky in content. As gagmaster, and indefatigable performer, he was a constant presence on TV through specials, as well as a longtime M.C. for the Oscar ceremonies, winning 5 special awards for his services. As an avid golfer, he hosted the Bob Hope Desert Classic. Authored numerous books on his travels and adventures on the road to become a national and well-loved institution. Recipient of a host of humanitarian awards, in a lifetime dedicated totally to being centerstage in the public eye. Daily massages allowed him to become a centenarian, although increased frailty caused him to retire in his 90s. Died at home from complications from pneumonia a few months after hitting 100. Supposedly his last words were, “Surprise me,” when his wife asked where he wanted to be buried. Inner: Dual character: Great patriot, willing to put it all on the line close to combat to entertain American troops. Bringer of hope and cheer to many, and genuinely beloved. Also highly acquisitive, using a quick wit, as well as a battery of gag writers, to bombard the American public with his presence. Continually driven to make money, feeling himself responsible for the support of many. Preternaturally positive, refusing to deal in the negative. Highly conservative politically, with a propensity to mock the weak and dispossessed. Kept a file of some half a million jokes in a vault in a dozen four drawer filing cabinets, seeing them as his ultimate capital. Trickster lifetime of hiding his private greed through public approbation for a self-created light-hearted character, while secretly interested in power, conquest, dominance and gain. Jim Fisk (1834-1872) - American robber baron. Outer: His father owned a traveling emporium, which he later purchased and ran himself. Had scant schooling, while exhibiting a boastful and flashy persona. Worked as a circus barker and performer, then a waiter and peddler. Married Lucy Moore, a 15 year old orphan in 1854, although they lived apart, and may not have had a sexual relationship at all, but merely gave him the show of a union, while he maintained mistresses by the score once he became wealthy. Nevertheless, he periodically visited his wife, and they spent summers and vacations together. Became a dry-goods salesman for Boston-based Jordan Marsh, then managed large Civil War contracts on a commission basis for them. A cotton buyer, he handled extensive purchases and did quite well, although after the war, his Boston business failed. Became an agent for Daniel Drew’s (Gene Autry) steamboats, then founded the brokerage firm of Fisk and Belden in his early 30s, with the help of Drew, and his fortunes quickly rose. Joined Drew and Jay Gould (Walter O’Malley) in a manipulation of railroad stocks to help them stave off Cornelius Vanderbilt (J. Paul Getty). As v.p. and comptroller, he paid off public officials, produced Broadway shows, dramas and French opera bouffe, and hooked up with a bevy of Broadway beauties, including Josie Mansfield (Grace Kelly), upon whom he showered jewelry and gifts in the tens of thousands of dollars. His wife was able to handle his affairs because of their rich lifestyle. Became enormously wealthy, with a huge paunch. A flamboyant figure, who often wore a cape over his large body, he was known as “The Prince of the Erie.” Along with his two cohorts, he inflated the price of gold in an attempt to corner the market, and caused a panic in 1869 that ruined many. Lost on his investment, when his partner Gould secretly sold much of his gold, and also managed to create a disastrous financial climate through their actions that reverberated not only through the U.S., but Europe as well. Became associated with Ned Stokes (Bing Crosby) through oil stock manipulations, and though the two made money off their mutual dishonesty, Stokes stole his mistress, Josie Mansfield, from him. After public accusations, he brought Stokes to trial for blackmail, for which he was found guilty. Enraged, Stokes pulled a pistol on him on the stairs in a plush hotel. Shot in his own ample stomach, he died of the wounds several hours later. Had a spectacular funeral. Inner: Arrogant, greedy, competitive, jealous and pompous. Fat, jovial and brassy. Showboating lifetime of going after pure wealth and power through any means available, only to be undone by his longtime competitive rival. James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658-1712) - Scottish nobleman. Outer: Father was the third duke of Hamilton through marriage, and his mother was the third duchess in her own right. One of 13 siblings, and the eldest son, entitling him to the title of earl of Arran. The family had suffered loss during the Civil Wars, but by the time he was 2, it had recovered his mother’s estates. Small, dark and swarthy, and his mother’s clear favorite, since he resembled her departed father. Both parents saw him as the hope of the future of the family, and invested considerable energy in his education and upbringing, spoiling him rotten. Entered Glascow Univ. in 1671, although soon showed a preference for low company over high-minded studies, and acted the complete wastrel, while covering up his activities with lies. Sent off by his parents on a grand tour with a chaperone, in hopes he would evince more mature behavior. Instead, he pursued an even more profligate course in France, much to his progenitors’ dismay, then was sent on to Rome, where he developed a passion for art. Called home by his family, who were deeply disappointed in his continuing wastrel ways, he reluctantly complied, and wound up at the court of Charles II (Peter O’Toole), who made him a gentleman of the bedchamber. Freed of his family, he promptly gambled, gamboled, dueled and ran up huge debts, while fathering at least 3 illegitimate children. Continually weaseled out of potential marriages his father had set up, before being sent to France in 1683 as an ambassador-extraordinaire by the king, much to his delight. Made an aide-de-camp to Louis XIV (Charles de Gaulle), and accompanied the king on two campaigns, while enjoying his own apartments at Versailles. At the death of Charles, however, he was recalled to England, much to his disappointment, although found favor with his successor, James II (Martin Sheen). Overwhelmed by debt, he was forced to bend to his father’s dictum of marry or else, and, in 1688, reluctantly wedded Anne Spencer, the eldest daughter of Robert Spencer, third earl of Sunderland (Howard Hughes), in a move on the latter’s part to ingratiate himself with the new Catholic king. Although his wife initially had misgivings, his charm won her over, but their firstborn, a daughter, died less than a month later the following year. James would be overthrown in 1688, in favor of William of Orange (Lyndon Johnson), and he remained loyal to the former, winding up in the Tower of London, for his defiance of the new authority. Upon his release, he remained a Jacobite, and had another brief prison term, before settling in Scotland, only to see his wife die of puerperal fever, following the birth of a second daughter. Distraught, he returned to London, and had an affair with an illegitimate daughter of Charles, Barbara Fitzroy (Grace Kelly). Their son would be brought up by his mother, while Fitzroy was banished to a nunnery. More mischief followed and in 1698, bowing to parental pressure, he married Elizabeth Gerard, a teenage heiress, 7 children from the union. As promised, his mother resigned her titles, and he became the 4th duke of Hamilton, which gave him entry to the Scottish Parliament. Subsequently fought eloquently against a union of Scotland and England, but found continual excuse through illness from avoiding any decisive action to that effect, bitterly disappointing his supporters. Remained in Scotland after the Act of Union was passed, before handing his surviving children off to his mother, to be raised on her monies, and heading back to England with his young wife. Although arrested in conjunction with a Jacobite invasion of Scotland, he foreswore loyalty to England, was released to his estate, and never visited his native land again. Subsequently switched loyalty to the Tories, when the Whigs lost power, and then tried to ingratiate himself with Queen Anne (Princess Anne) who had no heirs, in order to become her designated successor. Even went so far as naming his third son Anne in her honor, to the amazement of his associates. Made a privy councilor in 1710, and a peer of the realm the following year. Became involved in a lawsuit with his wife’s family, as well as a longtime contretemps over an inheritance with Charles Mohun (Bing Crosby). Although he was given a much-desired ambassadorship to France by the queen, he got into a violent quarrel with the drunken Mohun, and the next day the duo fought a duel in Hyde Park. Although an accomplished duelist, he was now stout and out-of-shape, and his opponent was nearly two decades his junior, although heavyset himself. The duo fought with great anger and fury, slashing one another repeatedly with their swords. Delivered a mortal blow to Mohun, but while he was leaning over his dying enemy, the latter managed to slash an artery in his right arm, and kill him with his last breath. Unmourned by his wife, who vented her spleen afterwards on her dead husband, while the outcry from the fight wound up rewriting the rules on duels, replacing swords with pistols, and banning seconds from participating. Inner: Charming, extravagant, deceitful and incredibly manipulative. Genuine Francophile, with a love of intrigue as well as fine art, and a haughty, bold manner. Libertine lifetime of taking full advantage of his advantageous birth, only to finally get his comeuppance from his longtime competitive nemesis, who, for once, was able to bring him down, despite having to sacrifice his own life to do so. Robert Carr, earl of Somerset (c1590-1645) - Scottish nobleman. Outer: Younger son of a Scottish nobleman, by his second wife. Handsome and arrogant, he immediately won the affection of homophile James I (Kenneth Tynan) upon meeting him, serving as his page. Went to France afterwards to seek his fortune, and on his return, broke his arm in a tilting match, brining him back into the monarch’s orbit. Fast became his favorite, while rising swiftly to a position of affluence and prestige, ultimately becoming a privy councilor at the age of 21, before being made secretary to the king the following year. Thomas Overbury (Bing Crosby), an equally ambitious courtier, was made secretary and mentor to him. When Carr fell in love with Frances Howard (Grace Kelly), the wife of Robert Devereaux, the 3rd earl of Essex (Tommy Lee Jones), he had the king appoint a commission to annul her union so that he could marry into the powerful but corrupt Howard family, who approved of the 2nd match. Overbury greatly feared the waning of his own influence on his influential charge and protested vehemently, but he was subsequently thrown into the Tower of London for high contempt, and was slowly poisoned by Carr and Howard, who were married several months after his death. One daughter from the union. Made earl of Somerset and treasurer of Scotland, and the following year was appointed lord chamberlain, but grew peevish with his appointments, and was soon replaced as a favorite by George Villiers (Warren Beatty), the duke of Buckingham. When the circumstances surrounding Overbury’s death were made public, the duo were tried, convicted of murder and imprisoned for 6 years for that act, and though ultimately released and pardoned, both disappeared into obscurity. Inner: Arrogant, ambitious, ruthless. Payback lifetime for doing in his longtime victim/rival, in their seesaw dance through time, while exhibiting the same corrupt traits and naked ambition of all his aristocratic lives in this series.Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester (1532-1588) - English nobleman. Outer: 5th of 6 sons of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (Henry Fonda), who was virtual ruler of England during the brief reign of Edward VI (Cecil Beaton). Younger brother of John (Martin Sheen), Ambrose (George F. Kennan), Guildford (Rob Lowe) and Henry (Aaron Sorkin). Carefully educated, he was brought at 16 by his father into the royal circle, as a contemporary of the future Edward VI and Elizabeth I (Mae West). Handsome, tall and dignified. In 1550, he married Amy Robsart (Bing Crosby), whose father was lord of the manor in Norfolk. Prominent in local affairs in Norfolk during the early part of his marriage, he became a Member of Parliament for the county in 1553. After accompanying his sire to court without his wife on the premature death of Edward VI, he aided his father and brothers in placing his sister-in-law, Lady Jane Grey (Antonia Fraser) on the throne, but fell along with his family, when they were accused of treason in their royal manipulations. Committed to the Tower of London in 1553 and sentenced to death. Although his father was executed, he was pardoned and released the following year, thanks to his mother’s pleadings, and served with the English forces in France, in 1557 alongside two brothers, which gained their honors and titles back. When Elizabeth I (Mae West) ascended to the throne the year afterwards, his fortunes improved considerably. Within a year he was made privy councilor and Knight of the Garter, and, as one of her favorites, he soon became the queen’s lover, with the possibility of a royal marriage. His wife was subsequently found dead at the foot of a flight of stairs with her neck broken, as the result of a possible suicide over his regal affair. Although he had an alibi of being with the queen at the time of her demise, he had spoken of divorcing or poisoning her several months beforehand. Nevertheless, a verdict of accidental death was given to her passing. He and Elizabeth became closer afterwards, but the queen never gave him political or matrimonial consideration, preferring him as a noble boy-toy, giving him the added title as earl of Leicester. As an alternative, he proposed to her sister, Mary (Rose Kennedy), but was also rejected. Elizabeth was often annoyed with him, thanks to his extravagance, while rumors abounded they had a secret child together. Continued his wooing and scheming, then in 1578, secretly married the widow of Walter Devereux, 1st earl of Essex (Gene Autry), whom he was suspected of poisoning. One son from union (Ted Turner), although he never acknowledged the relationship, fearing the queen’s wrath, and he tried poisoning his wife afterwards. As a Puritan, he zealously advocated war against Catholic countries, all the while accumulating great wealth. Sent by the queen to command 6,000 troops to help the Netherlands revolt against Spanish rule, he failed completely as a commander, as well as in his assigned political role, and his arrogant manner caused his recall 2 years later. Despite his ineptitude, he was made lieutenant general of the army, but finally died of a continual fever, after having been poisoned unknowingly by his wife, who rumor had it, was in love with another. Inner: Scheming, ambitious, treacherous, his father’s son. Arrogant, ambitious, profoundly dishonest. Glutton, extravagant dresser, cruel to women, and an accomplished poisoner. Patron of literature and drama. Devious lifetime of acting out his darkness under a veneer of charm in his ongoing exploration in the art of manipulation in winning public, rather than private, love. The later death on the stairs in his Fisk life, was a reflection of undoing his first wife in this go-round. Aethelred II (968?-1016) - English king. Known as “the Unready.” Outer: Mother was queen Aelfthryth (Grace Kelly), father was King Edgar (Gene Autry). Younger half-brother of Edward the Martyr (Bing Crosby). Ascended the throne on the murder of Edward in 978, which cast suspicion on him and undermined his authority. His initial reign was dominated by his mother. When the Danish invasions resumed 2 years later, the country did not rally behind him and it was ravaged, while he continued to hold some guilt over his sibling’s death. Proved himself to be highly oppressive, and could do little to stop the continual Viking raids, other than pay tribute, which excited more raids. Induced by his favorite Aethelstine, as well as his own greed, to do his own ravaging on the see of Rochester. His first marriage to Aelfigu, the daughter of a Northumbrian ealdorman, produced four sons, including his successor, Edmund II Ironsides (Edmond Allenby). In 991, he wed Aelfgifu, the daughter of another ealdorman, and had 3 sons and a host of daughters by her. After his second wife’s death, he married Emma (Mae West), daughter of the duke of Normandy, and had a daughter and two sons, including Edward the Confessor (J. William Fulbright). Bought off attacks, and published laws regulating bail and surety, as well as a police code in 997, but his efforts were largely disorganized. When order was finally restored and his countrymen began to resettle in towns, he launched a massacre of Danish settlers in 1002. Promulgated a code of military regulations, then ordered the entire nation to be called out against the Danes, only to be crippled by the pro-Danish sympathies of his favorite, Edric. Bought off the Danes for £48,000 in 1012. When the Danish king Sweyn I had been accepted as king of England in 1013, he fled to Rouen, but was invited back the following year on Sweyn’s death by his council under the condition that he redress their grievances, but he failed to reassert control. Implicated in a dual assassination of Danish thegns in 1215. Succeeded by his son Edmund II Ironsides who, along with Canute the Dane (Whittaker Chambers), dismembered the kingdom. Inner: Brave warrior, strong and large. Greedy, treacherous, strong-willed, albeit without the resource and loyal following to make anything happen. Lacked judgment, often listened to bad advice and rode roughshod over property rights. Despite his failings, England experienced a Golden Age of culture under him. Unready lifetime of relegating his longtime competitive ally/enemy to ashes, once again, only to pay for his perfidy for the rest of his reflective rule. Petronius Maximus (c396-455) - Roman Emperor. Outer: Origins unknown, since he probably came from an undistinguished family, and then later fabricated a descent from the emperor Magnus Maximus (Evelyn Waugh). Began his career in his mid-teens, as praetor, and showed an excellent instinct for power in his steady rise through senatorial ranks, via high-level imperial appointments. Married with at least one son, Palladius (Bing Crosby). Held numerous offices and became very wealthy, compiling an impressive resumé, concluding with prefect of Rome twice and consul in 433, and again in 439. May have been involved in the assassination of the Roman general Flavius Aetius (Gene Autry), although the act did nothing to further his career. His first wife was seduced and raped by the emperor, Valentinian III (Ethan Hawke). Probably vengefully complicitous in the latter’s assassination in 455, before claiming the throne of Rome for himself through both his wealth and offices, thus ending the near century long run of the House of Valentinian. Quickly married the widow of Valentinian III, Licinia Eudoxia (Bette Davis), who held him responsible for her husband’s death. She, in turn, called on the Vandal king for revenge, and Rome was subsequently beseiged. Abandoned by his bodyguard and entourage, he fled the city rather than fight, but was discovered by a mob. Showered with stones and killed, along with his son, after which the crowd mutilated his body and threw it in the Tiber. Reigned for a month a half, inspiring incredible violence afterwards. Inner: Acquisitive and power hungry, as well as extremely insecure, continually decrying his position once he had assumed the throne of Rome. Woe-is-me lifetime of causing much mischief in his inept wake, through his unabated acquisitiveness, and need to carve his name large on the public record.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS HARD-HEARTED COMPETITOR:
Storyline: The second banana continually comes out on the losing end of his eternal struggle with his longtime top banana cohort/enemy, while evincing a less than exemplary character despite his relaxed facade and smooth skills, which hide a volcanic and avaricious temperament beneath them.
Bing Crosby (Harry ‘Bing’ Crosby) (1902?-1977) - American singer/actor. Outer: Of Irish descent, with an old world working-class background. Mother was domineering, punitive, tyrannical and the family authority, father was a happy go-lucky mandolin-playing book/keeper, who build both his childhood homes. 4th of 7 children, with three older brothers, including Bob who became a bandleader, and two younger sisters. Got his outer personality from his father, and his inner one from his mother, making for two unintegrated people. Grew up in Spokane, Washington. Received his nickname from a comic-strip, ‘The Bingville Bugle,’ whose main character’s ears stuck out, like his did. 5’7”. Originally Bingo, shortened to Bing. A nature athlete, he won an award in elocution and debate and sang all the time as a child while entertaining thoughts of becoming an entertainer. Attended a Jesuit high school, and learned elocution, which gave him his unique phrasing. Dropped out of law studies at Gonzaga College, after becoming a singer/drummer in a local band. Went to Los Angeles, and by his early 20s, he was crooning with the Paul Whiteman band, while battling a drinking problem. Cut his first record, “I Got the Girl,” and made his film debut in his mid-20s with the band. One of the first singers to take advantage of electronic amplification, using the microphone as an instrument. A genuinely talented musician, although he later blandified his song selection for wider appeal. Married a singer, dancer and actress, Dixie Lee (June Pointer), at 27, which ended her career and she soon both shared his affinity for alcohol, and surpassed him, becoming a full-blown alcoholic, and dying 22 years later from its effects, as well as ovarian cancer. Fiercely disciplined their 4 sons, who were all unsuccessful actors. Two committed suicide and one wrote a book after his father’s death of the beatings and abuse he and his brothers took from him. About to divorce his wife over one of his many affairs when he discovered she was dying. Worked with the Rhythm Boys then went solo in his late 20s, playing nightclubs and appearing in some Mack Sennett (Quentin Tarantino) shorts. His recording successes made him the star of his own radio show, and he became one of the country’s most popular singers as a crooner, a relaxed interpreter of tunes, while serving as the first major performer to pre-record his shows. Slight build, but compensated for his physical failings with a projected charm in a spate of light musicals in the 1930s. Appeared with comedian Bob Hope in a series of ‘Road’ movies in the 1940s, proving himself an adept foil, while amassing one of the largest fortunes in show business of the time, 2nd only to Hope. His estimated wealth ran into the hundreds of millions with his holdings in real estate, banking, oil & gas, broadcasting and the Coca Cola Co. In 1944, he won an Academy Reward for Best Actor in the role of a priest in Going My Way, and continued enjoying outer success in all venues of show business: radio, records, films and TV. Made over 70 films, had more number one hits than anyone, and was Hollywood’s top box office draw 5 times, from 1944 to 1948. Fell in love with Grace Kelly, while working with her on The Country Girl, although she ultimately rejected him. Remarried at 50, to an actress 30 years his junior, Kathryn Grant, 3 children from union. Won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962, the first to be so honored. Died of a massive heart attack while playing golf in Spain, after issuing his last words, “That was a great game of golf, fellas. Let’s go get a coke.” Collaborated on his autobiography Call Me Lucky. His last son killed himself because the trust fund his father left him didn’t start until he was 65. "Bing Crosby - The Hollow Man" appeared 4 years after his death, excoriating his character as mean and callous. Inner: Projected self-confidence, albeit far less integrated than his surface ease showed. Intensely competitive with Bob Hope. Defined the modern electronic singer. Despite public adulation and successful career, stingy, selfish, highly manipulative, unloving. Hollow man lifetime of exploiting a pleasing voice and a seemingly sunny persona, while keeping his darkness hidden in an unintegrated go-round of material success and emotional failure. Ned Stokes (Edward Stokes) (1841-1901) - American murderer. Outer: From an aristocratic Philadelphia family. Handsome and cultured, he owned a productive oil refinery through which he first met robber baron Jim Fisk (Bob Hope). The pair quickly became fast friends, then proceeded to engage in stock manipulations around oil. Profited enormously, but felt a competitive rivalry with him, and stole his mistress, sometime actress, Josie Mansfield (Grace Kelly). Fisk reacted angrily, since he had introduced the two, and accused him of embezzling oil stocks which they jointly owned, while he countered with a suit charging slander. Josie, who had been given tens of thousands of dollars by Fisk, upped the stakes by charging the latter with alienation of affections. Fisk sued his former partner for blackmail, and the two went to trial. After being highly agitated by questions on the stand, he was later found guilty. Afterwards, he pocketed a pistol and went in search of Fisk. Hid at the top of a richly carpeted stairway in a hotel, where he knew the robber baron would be making his appearance. As the caped figure began ascending the stairway, he pulled out his pistol and fired twice, wounding Fisk first in the arm, and then blasting him in his ample stomach, although his victim lived long enough to identify him as his slayer. Apprehended and put on trial 3 times for the crime. Given the death sentence at the end of his 2nd trial, but his lawyers managed a 3rd one, where he was convicted of manslaughter and only given 6 years. Although Josie Mansfield had pleaded for his life, she did not wait for him in prison. After his release, he made several poor investments, but became manager of one of NYC’s finer hotels, and eventually acquired interest in it, and once again grew rich. Remained unmarried, and he ultimately died in his 5th Ave. mansion. Next to his bed was the Colt revolver which he had used to kill Fisk. Inner: Arrogant, angry, greedy. Revenge lifetime of getting even for earlier murderous staircase mischief in Fisk’s Leicester life, only to suffer isolation and empty riches for his efforts. Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun (c1675-1712) - English politician. Outer: Parents had an extremely contentious relationship. His father was felled, while acting as a second in a duel shortly after his birth, so that he inherited both his title and his estate at his entry. No monies, however, were forthcoming, and the estate was deeply in debt, depriving him of an education. Wished to live like a lord, and found he had no overt skills, so that he was forced to resort to gambling in order to maintain himself in the style to which he felt he was entitled. Married the daughter of an earl in 1691, with the hopes of a large dowry, which was not forthcoming, and he quickly separated from his otherwise unwanted bride. Abandoned himself afterwards into hedonistic pursuits, and fought his first duel over a gambling contretemps later that year. Helped a cutthroat captain, who was a misperceived rival of actor William Mountfort (Hugh Grant) for the hand of actress Anne Bracegirdle (Greta Garbo), by ambushing the latter and holding him while the latter stabbed and killed him. Tried by the House of Lords for his complicity in the crime, he was overwhelmingly acquitted, much to everyone else’s keen disappointment. Joined the army afterwards, and served briefly in France. After another duel in 1697, he was once again tried for murder, and was once again acquitted. Took his seat in the House of Lords afterwards as a Whig. In 1701, he accompanied the Earl of Macclesfield on a diplomatic mission, and after the death of the former later that year, found himself the heir to most of his estate. Wound up spending the next decade fighting off rival claimants, most particularly those of James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (Bob Hope). Married a second time to the daughter of the state physician to the queen, and grew corpulent. Highly social, and well-liked as a rounder, he became a member of the influential Kit-Kat Club, whose rolls including many of the leading literary lights, as well as Whig politicians of the day. In 1712, with his party in defeat, and Hamilton’s claims on his estate gaining traction, he drunkenly challenged him to a duel in Hyde Park in London, after a violent quarrel twixt the two. The two fought furiously, and although mortally wounded by Hamilton, he managed to sever an artery in his right arm with a dying slash as the former was bending over his body, so that both died almost simultaneously, although the duke’s friends forswore he had been killed by one of the baron’s seconds. The resultant clamor over the grisly episode caused the government to ban swords in favor of pistols in subsequent duels, and to outlaw seconds participating altogether. Inner: Profligate and hot-tempered, albeit largely well-liked, despite his many character flaws. Rake’s regress lifetime of finally getting some recompense for his earlier victimhood, only to fall once again to his longtime nemesis, in his ongoing inability up to that point, to best him in any contest of wills.Thomas Overbury (1581-1613) - English victim. Outer: Father was a bencher of the Middle Temple who was a recorder in Glouster, before sitting in Parliament for that city and finally being appointed a judge in Wales. Educated at Queen’s College, Oxford, where he proved himself a good student before graduating at the age of 18. Entered the Middle Temple to become a lawyer, then was introduced after a trip to Scotland to Robert Carr (Bob Hope), who was a page to the earl of Dunbar. In 1603, Carr became attendant and probably lover to James I (Kenneth Tynan), and needed Overbury’s talents at self-expression to compensate for his own lack of saidsame, and he became tutor and secretary to the former. Knighted in 1608, he shared some of his friend’s prosperity. After Carr was made Viscount Rochester in 1610, he helped him win the affection of Frances Howard (Grace Kelly), the young wife of the Earl of Essex (Tommy Lee Jones), by aiding him in composing letters and poems to her. Fell in love with Philip Sidney’s (Winston Churchill) daughter at the same time. Begged Carr not to marry Howard, which he felt threatened his own position, only to win Carr’s eternal resentment. Wrote a poem, called A Wife, which he circulated at court, and was seen as a direct attack on his patron’s intended. Connected to the Protestant wing of the court, while Howard was a Catholic. Turned down potential diplomatic posts, which caused him to fall out of favor with the court. The king wound up resenting him, as did the queen, and both felt that he had mocked the monarch. Arrested in 1613, the same year that Carr married Howard. Lady Howard slowly had him poisoned via an apothecary’s apprentice with a mercury enema after he complained of constipation, and he died 3 months later of exhaustion. 2 years later, public suspicions arose and Carr and his wife were imprisoned, while 4 accomplices were executed. Carr eventually was released to lead a life of obscurity. Inner: Intelligent, articulate and talented, but no match for the machinations of his longtime cohort/enemy. Manipulative lifetime of playing the victim of the superior ambitions of his longtime cohort, and, as usual, coming out the loser at the hands of his far superior rival. Amy Robsart (c1532-1560) - English spousal victim. Outer: Only legitimate child of a lord of the manor in Norfolk. Married to Robert Dudley (Bob Hope), around the age of 18. Her husband was prominent locally during the early part of their marriage, then began frequenting court circles without her. Visited him regularly in the Tower of London when he was under a death sentence for treason in his family’s manipulations around a successor to Edward VI (Cecil Beaton). After he was released and Elizabeth I (Mae West) ascended the throne, Dudley abandoned her while romancing the queen. Rumors of his affair with Elizabeth I depressed her deeply, and she was found one day at the foot of the stairs in her manor with her neck broken. Dudley was acquitted of any wrongdoing in the act, and she entered herstory’s canon as a victim of his blind ambition. Inner: Conventional mate to longtime cohort, and victim of his grasping, gluttonous ways. Stairs would figure in later recompense lifetime when this soul would kill his longtime friend/nemesis/mate several centuries later, also over jealousy, with herself as the catalyst. Love martyr lifetime of serving as a victim for the unbridled ambition of a performer who is never satisfied with what he has and always wants more. Edward (c963-978) - English king. Known as “Saint Edward the Martyr.” Outer: Father was King Edgar (Gene Autry), stepmother was Queen Aelfthryth (Grace Kelly). Half-brother of Aethelred (Bob Hope). Succeeded to the throne on the death of his father in 975, although a faction preferred his younger sibling. Assassinated while visiting his half-brother in Corfe. The act was either done or planned by his step-mother or Aethelred, but was carried out by the queen’s thegns. Widely mourned after his death, while his remains were said to cause miracles. Given the sobriquet of ‘Martyr,’ in 1001. Inner: Victim lifetime of achieving beloved status through extremely early death, before his true character could emerge, while once again falling prey to the far greater ambitions and drives of his longtime ally/enemy/brother. Palladius (c420-455) - Roman caesar. Outer: Father was Petronius Maximus (Bob Hope), a future, albeit brief, Roman emperor. Mother, Licinia, was his first wife. Followed his sire’s steady rise through the senatorial ranks, along with the wealth, privilege and power it brought. When the former succeeded to the purple in 455, through his complicity in the assassination of Valentinian III (Ethan Hawke), he was made Caesar of the western empire, while marrying one of the daughters of the latter to cement his own succession. His father, however, only ruled seventy-one days, when his second wife, Licinia Eudoxia (Bette Davis) the widow of Valentinian, received the help of the Vandal king in unseating her unwanted new husband. Probably stoned to death along with his father by an angry mob, when the two tried to flee the city, and then, along with him, mutilated and tossed into the Tiber. Inner: Foil lifetime of falling victim to his longtime cohort’s machinations, in their ongoing dual dance around power, wealth and deadly competition.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS CHECKERED CHESSMATE:
Storyline: The perplexing princess alternately plays victim and manipulator with her longtime lover/cohorts, and when finally on her own, ends her own fairy-tale life with a resounding crash to give secret intimation of her various rises and falls in the hallways of royal power.
Grace Kelly Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco (1929-1982) - American actress and royal princess. Outer: Third child of Jack Kelly, the son of an Irish immigrant and worked as a hod carrier and bricklayer, and ultimately became a millionaire contractor, who was almost elected mayor of Philadelphia. Also a champion skull rower, although Britain refused to allow him to race in their championship, because he had worked with his hands. At one point, he had 27 mistresses simultaneously, and also had links with organized crime. Her mother was of German descent, and also an athlete. Two sisters, and a playboy champion rower brother completed the family, with the second generation tinged by alcoholism. Withdrawn and sickly as a child, she grew up in 17 room mansion, replete with a chauffeur. Made her stage debut at 10 in Philadelphia. Had a private school education, then came to NYC to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Worked as a model, did TV commercials and appeared in TV dramas, before making her Broadway debut at 20 in August Strindberg’s (Ingmar Bergman) “The Father.” 5’7”, with classical features and an ice blonde beauty. Recreated herself as a perfect gentlewoman, then went to Hollywood where she played her act to the hilt, becoming an iconized movie star, after debuting in a bit part in her early 20s. First starred in High Noon the following year, and won an Oscar for her role in The Country Girl, as the embittered wife of an alcoholic actor, played by Bing Crosby, who fell in love with her in real life. Her career only lasted for 11 films in a 5 year period, as well as some 35 live TV dramas, as a reserved, northern European beauty with a passionate interior. Even though she was rumored to be romantically involved with several celebrities who were of her sire’s generation, including actors Clark Gable (George Clooney), William Holden, James Stewart, Ray Milland and Bing Crosby, no public opprobrium came from them, and many of those claims might just be the product of imaginative projection and little else. While working on an Alfred Hitchcock film on the French Riviera, To Catch A Thief, she met Prince Ranier III, the ruler of the tiny principality of Monaco. Retired from the screen and, despite hardly knowing him, married her prince charming in her late 20s, in a spectacular ceremony, 2 daughters and a son from the union. Her dull, jealous husband, who maintained numerous mistresses, banned the screening of her films on the pain of death, and outlawed old associates from visiting, while forbidding her to make any attempts at a filmic comeback. Brought up her 2 daughters in a straitlaced environment, and both of them later rebelled as juicy tabloid princesses. Remained in close contact with her family, returning to Philadelphia frequently. Did a TV tour of Monaco in her mid-30s, and much speculation always surrounded a potential return to the screen for her, but nothing ever materialized, other than her narration of a few documentaries. Died from a cerebral hemorrhage that caused her to lose control of her Land Rover, allowing it to plunge off a 45 foot embankment and burst into flames, in the same spot where she once shot a scene for To Catch A Thief. Her 17 year old daughter Stephanie was with her at time, although survived the wreck. The circumstances surrounding her death remain clouded, adding to her royal mystery as the ice princess consumed by fire. Inner: Domestic, elegant and determinedly genteel, with strong family attachments. Had a habit of talking to herself aloud, while constantly searching for perfection. Fairytale lifetime of actualizing her royal roots in both reel and real life, while coming to a violent end in recompense for her own hidden herstory with Bob Hope, whom she managed to avoid, and Bing Crosby, whom she did not. Josie Mansfield (Helen Josephine Mansfield) (c1840-1931) - American entertainer and mistress. Outer: Highly attractive minor Broadway entertainer who became the mistress of robber baron Jim Fisk (Bob Hope), who, in turn, lavished her with expensive gifts, despite being married at the time, although his wife tolerated his very public indiscretions. Had a jewelry collection that was the envy of sporting New York. Maintained in royal style at her own plush home by Fisk, until he introduced her to his handsome associate, Ned Stokes (Bing Crosby), who immediately fell in love with her. Fisk and Stokes had a jealous falling out over her affections, and while she was far more attracted to Stokes, she also realized that Fisk was a very beneficial meal ticket. The duo brought the matter to court, while she sued Fisk for alienation of affections. Stokes ultimately shot and killed Fisk on the stairs of the Broadway Central Hotel, after she had informed him of his whereabouts. Although she had pleaded for Stokes’s life during his subsequent murder trial, where he was convicted, she did not wait for him in prison. Instead, she went to Paris, where she became a heralded celebrity for her role as catalyst for the passionate murder, and gave lectures on love and its sometime consequences. Married a NY lawyer in 1891, who announced he was the only one who could save her from drink. Instead, he was declared insane from excessive drink and the use chloral in 1897. Eventually died as a result from a fall in a department store while living on the left bank of Paris, with pictures of both Fisk and Stokes above her bed. Inner: Highly material, not adverse to strutting on the stage of makeshift celebrity, and secretly vengeful. Long-lived lifetime of serving as a catalyst for the murderous relationship of her 2 longtime ally/enemies, without having to pay the piper for her manipulations, save for unfortunate final marriage. Barbara Fitzroy (1672-1737) - English noblewoman. Outer: Mother was Barbara Villiers (Bette Davis), Duchess of Cleveland, the mistress of Charles II (Peter O’Toole). Youngest of 6, although her paternity was in question, and her father may have been John Churchill (JFK). Grew up at court, and in 1691, had an illegitimate son with James Hamilton (Bob Hope), then the earl of Arran. Their relationship was resisted mightily by the latter’s family, who were looking for a far better match for their wayward son, and with no support, she was forced to become a nun in a French convent under the name of Bernadette, while her mother raised the child. Eventually, she became a prioress at the Convent of St. Nicholas. Inner: Atonement lifetime for past follies, while dealing with the repercussions of her longtime involvement with the same rakish rascal that would lead her astray in go-round after go-round. Frances Howard, countess of Somerset (1590-1632) - English noblewoman and conspirator. Outer: Father was the first earl of Suffolk (George Bush, Sr.), mother was his second wife. Had a privileged upbringing and for familial political reasons married Robert Devereaux, the third Earl of Essex (Tommy Lee Jones), in her early teens, although was repelled by him. Her husband went traveling on the continent right after their union, without consummating it and she subsequently enjoyed a frivolous life at court. Her spouse returned in 1610, but was unable to arouse himself around her, while she hated the life on his estate, after the excitement of the court. Shortly afterwards, she became the lover of courtier Robert Carr (Bob Hope), and the affair was heightened by potions attained from the court astrologer. Her family saw the advantage of her relationship with the up-and-coming Carr, a favorite of King James I (Kenneth Tynan), and helped establish a nullity commission that concluded Essex was impotent and she was still a virgin. Carr’s secretary, Thomas Overbury (Bing Crosby), felt threatened by the relationship and questioned her virginity, after having first helped win her over to Carr by composing poetry and letters to her. After Overbury’s arrest in 1613, the duo plotted to poison him while he was in the Tower of London, and he died 10 days before the nullity of her first marriage was granted. Aided by her close friend Anne Turner (Cybill Shepherd) who would ultimately be executed for her complicity in the crime. Married at 23 to Carr, who was created earl of Somerset, although wagging tongues continued to accuse her of witchcraft in her husband’s impotence, which was not manifest with other women. Two years after Overbury’s demise, Carr began to panic when rumors about their complicity in his death started to circulate. A commission in 1615 executed lesser participants in his undoing, and the two went on trial the following year, after producing a daughter. Her reputation was permanently sullied with slanderous accusations of sorcery, promiscuity and worse. She pleaded guilty and confessed, while her husband pleaded the opposite, although both were convicted and condemned to death. She was immediately pardoned, although Carr did not receive his pardon until 1624. The pair remained in prison until 1622 and then were forced to live in retirement in complete obscurity. Probably died of cancer of the womb. Inner: Self-destructive sense of self brought on by her close association with a master manipulator. Remorseful and shamed for her complicitous actions. Manipulative lifetime of exploring her darker side through her own ongoing interrelationship with a longtime highly competitive and deadly pair, and her own need to reflect their mutual murderous mischief. Aelfthryth (945?-1002?) - English queen. Outer: Father was an ealdorman of Devon. Her first husband held the same rank and died in 962. Sister-in-law of the head of the monastic party. Became the 2nd wife of the king of Wessex, Edgar (Gene Autry), and went on to push the fortunes of her son Aethelred (Bob Hope) over his older half-brother, Edward (Bing Crosby). Probably directly implicated in Edward’s subsequent death when he visited his half-brother. Became queen regent for her son during his minority when he succeeded to the throne in 978. Death date and place unknown. Inner: Manipulative lifetime of trying to extend her power through one of her era’s most devious manipulators, resulting in her ultimate disappearance from the record-books.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS FOLKSY CAPITALIST:
Storyline: The homespun hoarder likes to ride with the big boys on the greenest of ranges, and manages to make his acquisitiveness secondary to his jes’ folks character, in a masterful performance worthy of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gene Autry (Orvon Grover Autry) (1907-1998) - American entertainer. Outer: From a farming family, he grew up near a railroad line in rural Texas. Father was largely shiftless and mother was sickly. Began singing in a church choir, and was taught to play the guitar by his mother at 12. Worked as as a railroad telegrapher in Oklahoma, when entertainer Will Rogers (Arlo Guthrie) heard him sing and suggested he go to NYC and get a job on radio. After failing an audition there, he began singing on a Tulsa radio station in his early 20s, and became known as Oklahoma’s Yodeling Cowboy. Married Ina Mae Spivey, a former schoolteacher in 1932, who died in 1980. His wife, a Christian Scientist, tolerated his numerous indiscretions, as well as at least one longterm relationship, with Gail Davis, a co-star in some of his films. Within 3 years, he was the star of his own radio show, as well as a recording artist, which he parlayed into a number of rodeos he owned, and a relentless schedule of public appearances. 5’9” and unprepossessing physically, but a supersalesman of himself. Couldn’t ride, rope, act or shoot when he came to Hollywood, but he made his film debut in his mid-20s, singing in a Ken Maynard (Steve-O) western, which led to a lead role in a serial and then his first star turn in 1935 in Tumbling Tumbleweeds. Became the top singing cowboy for Republic Pictures, along with his horse Champion, and his requisite sidekick Smiley Burnette, and from 1938 to 1942 was one of the top 10 moneymakers in Hollywood, with a simple mix of action, song and his white hat always prevailing over greed and evil. Set all his extremely modestly-budgeted films in the modern west, while the black hats ranged from Nazi spies to gangsters to crooked oil company execs. An extremely wooden performer, he never kissed the heroine or fired the first shot in any of his over 90 films. Served as a flight officer with the Air Transport Command in WW II, flying cargo planes and later touring with a USO troupe in the South Pacific, but when he returned at war’s end, his status as Republic’s numero uno singing cowboy star had been eclipsed by Roy Rogers, causing him to move over to Columbia Pictures, before forming his own film production company, Gene Autry Pictures. Through his astute business sense, he was able to amass a huge fortune, with a media empire that included radio and later TV, ranches, hotels, real estate, oil wells, a flying school, a music publishing company, and in 1960, the California Angels baseball team. Constantly on the move, making his money by the aggregate of his work, rather than any one specific. In 1949, he recorded ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ the 3rd best-selling record of all time. The following year, he became the first major motion picture star to enter TV, producing and starring in 91 eponymous episodes over a 5 year period. Synergistically used all the media available to him to sell his products, using his films to sell his radio show, his radio show to sell his records, his records his sheet music, and the covers of the latter to sell his movies. Retired from films in 1953, and eventually became a little too boozy to perform. A western his/story buff, he created the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles. Wrote his autobiography, “Back in the Saddle Again” in 1978, which was his theme song. Married Jacqueline Ellam, a banking executive and business partner in 1981, 3 + decades his junior. Although he eventually sold 1/4 of his share of the hapless Angels, who always seemed to swoon in September during their pennant runs, he died of a longtime illness shortly after yet another of their collapses. Worth $320 million at the time of his death, and the only entertainer to shine with all 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: for records, radio, movies, television and live performances. Inner: Hard-working, even-tempered, well-liked, acquisitive, generous, hands-off employer who demanded loyalty, but allowed his underlings free reign. A minimal talent who said he couldn’t act or sing particularly well, but he sure could count. A hearty drinker, and always looking for the next conquest, contra his clean public image. Watched his pennies carefully. In the saddle lifetime of integrating both his public need for approbation and private need for acquisitiveness, while vastly improving his ability to exploit his communication skills, and in so doing, becoming a hero of sorts for those who like their good guys strictly two dimensional. Daniel Drew (1797-1879) - American robber baron. Outer: Father was a stock-farmer. Had a meager education, and was largely illiterate, although he knew his numbers. His sire died when he was 15, and he enlisted in the War of 1812 and served 3 months, before becoming a cattle drover and horse trader. Married Roxana Mead at 25, son from the union. Despite his future success, he remained, in essence, a drover all his life, a combination of crudeness and shrewdness, with a sharp eye for profit, and a grasping, unscrupulous need to make amends for his impoverished childhood. a clever cattle buyer, he became the first to drive herds across the Allegheny Mountains. Settled in NYC in 1829, and bought the Bull’s Head Tavern, which became a principal exchange for drovers. After making his first fortune, bought an interest in a steamboat line in his mid-30s, ultimately establishing several lines as well as a steamboat service in Lake Champlain. Through his successes, he established the brokerage firm of Drew, Robinson and Co., and became one of the principal traders of railroad stocks in the U.S., ultimately outliving his partners. At the same time, as a nominal Methodist, he founded the Drew Theological Seminary, as well as a women’s seminary in Carmel, NY, while building several churches. Became involved with the Erie Railroad in 1853, and manipulated stocks shamelessly, helping to cause the economic panic of 1857, as the first notorious speculative director. Joined Jim Fisk (Bob Hope), who had initially been one of his agents, and Jay Gould (Walter O’Malley) in opposing transportation magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt’s (J. Paul Getty) in his attempts at gaining control of the profitable line. Outwitted in 1864 by Vanderbilt and was eager for revenge. Printed extra shares, which lowered prices and sold short, shearing Vanderbilt of millions in 1868. Milked, however, by Gould and Fisk 3 years later, he was ruined in the panic of 1873. 3 years following, he was forced to declare bankruptcy, from which he never recovered. Spent his last years dependent on his son. Inner: Pious rascal, naive and book ignorant, but clever with figures. Railroads are symbolic of communication, giving him foundation to go far more directly into the communication industry the next go-round, in an attempt to win both public love and private capital. Competitive lifetime of dealing with fellow manipulative rascals, leading him to stake out his own simple niche the next time, where he would be given far freer range. Walter Devereaux, 1st earl of Essex (1541-1576) - English soldier. Outer: Eldest son of an English noble. Educated at home, he succeeded to his grandfather’s title of viscount when he was 17. In his early 20s, he married Lettice Knollys, a first cousin once removed from Elizabeth I (Mae West) 4 children who survived, including eldest daughter, Penelope Rich (Uma Thurman) and eldest son, Robert Devereux, 2nd earl of Essex (Ethan Hawke). Helped suppress an insurrection in his late 20s, and 3 years later was entitled as an earl. Offered to subdue and colonize a rebellious portion of Ulster in 1573, but had difficulty in obtaining Queen Elizabeth I’s (Mae West) support. Conducted raids that brutally massacred innocent civilians, then held a conference with one of the families of the rebel leaders, and malevolently had them executed. When Robert Dudley, the earl of Leicester (Bob Hope), whom he had earlier slandered, persuaded the queen to end the enterprise, he massacred several hundred of the last rebel’s followers, mostly women and children, who were hiding in caves. As compensation for his losses, the queen gave him a barony in Monaghan and made him earl marshal of Ireland. Died of dysentery shortly after returning to Ireland from England, amidst rumors that he had been poisoned by Leicester, who later married his widow, although his post mortem showed no signs of it. Sang a hymn of his own composition on his deathbed. Inner: Brutal, acquisitive and treacherous, albeit courageous, and learned in his/story and genealogy. Uninhibited lifetime of uncontrolled manipulation and slaughter in trying to gain his aims, only to be undone by his own poisonous will. Edgar (944-975) - English king. Outer: Younger son of Edmund the Magnificent (Robert Kilroy-Silk) and Queen Aelfigu, who died soon after his birth. Probably brought up at the court of his uncle, King Edred (Michael Kennedy) and his brother King Edwy (Ethan Hawke). Chosen king of the land north of the Thames by northern rebels in 957, after his brother was deposed. Two years later he became king of Wessex when his brother died. Short, strong and slim. Married Aethelflaed, by whom he had Edward the Martyr (Bing Crosby), who succeeded him. In 964, he married an ealdorman’s widowed daughter, Aelfthryth (Grace Kelly), 2 sons, including Aethelred (Bob Hope). Priests refused to bless his 2nd, uncanonical union, and he was forced into a 7 year penance for it. Brought back the abbot St. Dunstan (Thomas Jefferson) as his chief minister, and was a patron of the monastic reform movement, while favoring the Benedictines. Spared from Viking attacks, and was conciliatory to his Danish subjects by using some of them in his service, as well as allowing them limited self-government in the north. Purchased the goodwill of Scotland’s king, and made an alliance with his relative, the German Emperor Otto the Great (Mohandes Gandhi). Had a solemn coronation in 973 to symbolically draw the country together. Organized naval defenses against northern pirates, and created an efficient police system. Sailed round his kingdom every winter and spring. Reportedly led a loose private life and was forced to do penance for it by Dunstan, although that may have been propaganda against him for his pro-Danish stance. Generally credited with the revival of the English church, during a prosperous and peaceful reign. Inner: Handsome, charming, well-organized, good sense of his own vigorous rule. Focused lifetime of serving as an effective ruler during the early days of England by making good alliances, taking good counsel and being up to the demands of his wild kingdom. Flavius Aetius (?-454) - Roman general. Outer: From the German frontier, father was a master of the cavalry. Became a hostage in his youth to the Huns, and learned their ways, before building his later career on contacts with them. Secured command in Gaul, then was aided by the Huns in his rise to commander-in-chief, and they helped him restore order in Gaul against the Franks and Visigoths. Became master of the Roman Empire, beginning in 430, during most of reign of Valentinian III (Ethan Hawke) through his military skills, and in effect was the leading figure in the empire. Elected consul 3 times, despite his commoner beginnings, and was granted the status of patrician in 433, as he continued to successfully wage war in Gaul. Ultimately overwhelmed by Attila the Hun, after being forced to call upon the Visigoth tribes he had previously defeated to help him briefly stop the latter’s incursion. After Attila successfully invaded Italy, he was accused of treason and stabbed to death by the emperor himself, at the insistence of the latter’s usurping successor, Petronius Maximus (Bob Hope). Inner: Highly competent martial adept. Sword-in-hand lifetime of exploring his martial skills, only to be undone by his only real failure, which would add to his willfulness in this arena in the millennia to come.

*

PATHWAY OF THE PERFORMER AS DOMESTIC & EXOTIC GODDESS:
Storyline: The revamped vamp returns from motion picture limbo as a far more integrated character, both privately and professionally, allowing her the leeway of a highly stimulating upbringing, a challenging career, and a series of out-of-the-ordinary mates for a multi-dimensional go-round, in lieu of her one-note career of yore.
Uma Thurman (Uma Karuna Thurman) (1970) - American actress. Outer: Father was a professor of Buddhism and Asian religions, mother was Swedish and a model turned psychotherapist, who was once married to renegade scientist Timothy Leary, under whom her 2nd husband also studied at Harvard. Her mother fled Nazi Germany after her own father was briefly jailed, and insisted her children not think of themselves as Americans, and instilled within them a far more worldly sensibility. Named after a Hindu goddess and had two extended periods in India when she was a year old and a decade later. One of 3 brothers and 3 sisters, with all carrying unusual names. Her father became the first American to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk, although later renounced monastic life and remained the foremost Buddhist scholar in the U.S., and wanted his daughter to be a professor, as well. Had a stimulating upbringing near the campus of Amherst where her progenitor taught and mother practiced, before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Felt awkward growing up, wanted to be normal, much to her unconventional parents’ chagrin. Rebelled and became a cheer leader, but ultimately found her metier in acting. Attended a professional children’s school, modeled, then dropped out at 15 and headed for NYC determined to be an actress. Nearly 6’, slim, with an exotic sloe-eyed beauty, she got modeling roles, which led to filmwork. Lived in NYC’s notorious Hell’s Kitchen, and made her debut in a low-budget thriller, Kiss Daddy Goodnight. Drew notice as a seduced virgin in Dangerous Liaisons when she was 18, and further cemented her visual presence as Venus in The Adventures of Baron von Munchhausen. At 20 she married and then divorced volatile actor Gary Oldman 2 years later. Did another interesting turn in Pulp Fiction, as an overdosed gang boss’s girlfriend. Married actor Ethan Hawke in her late 20s, 2 children from union, after meeting him on the set of Gattaca. Maintains a public personality through her unusual persona, while selecting her roles carefully and intelligently, after having been unduly exploited the last time around. In 2003 and 2004, she appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s bloodfest Kill Bill, Vols. 1 and 2, as an avenging bride, as her marriage began to unravel as well in public, thanks to her husband’s infidelity. Later divorced, causing a period of painful reassessment for herself. Mercilessly stalked afterwards by a psychiatric patient to the point where she had to bring her menacer to trial in 2008, to rid herself of him. Despite vowing never to wed again, she became engaged later in the year to wealthy scion Arpad ‘Arki’ Busson, amidst fears of her friends that he totally dominated her, only to later disengage and then re-engage herself from and with him. Inner: Sense of destiny about her. Intelligent, articulate, exotic. Dually conventional and unconventional lifetime of making sure she would not fall into the one-note trap of her previous existence in this series, while creating a unique vessel through which she can pour her considerable self. Theda Bara (Theodosia Goodman) (1890-1955) - American actress. Outer: Father was a Polish Jewish immigrant tailor who became a partner in a Cincinnati clothing manufacturing firm. Mother was French, and dealt in hair goods before her marriage. Her grandmother’s name had been De Bara, and the family legally changed theirs to Bara in 1917, after their daughter’s initial success. Born 5 years earlier than the date she claimed, 1890. 5’6”, 132 lbs. Attended the Univ. of Cincinnati for 2 years, before her family moved to NYC to foster her theatrical ambitions. Had a minor stage career, under the name of Theodosia de Coppet without making much of a name for herself, until she appeared in a 1915 film, A Fool There Was, playing a vamp that preyed on a hapless businessman. It was a secondary role but it caused a sensation. ‘Kiss me, my fool,’ a line from the film, became her byword. Over the next 4 years, she made 39 films, always playing the same role as the predatory, highly sexual female. As one of Hollywood’s first major personalities, she made as much as $4000 a week at the height of her brief reign. Reached her archetypal peak as Cleopatra, which excited the censors. As a femme fatale archetype, she enjoyed only a brief run in the public’s imagination, around the WW I era. Her press agents recreated her as Theda Bara, an anagram for Arab Death. As the supposed daughter of a French artist and his Arabian mistress, she claimed to be a reincarnated ancient Egyptian with direct memories of that time, and occult powers. Despite her exotic trappings, she was quite domestic and home-loving, living with her parents in an apartment in NYC. In her mid-30s, she married English-born film director Charles Brabin (Baz Luhrmann), who did some of her movies, no children from the close union. Retired from show business in her late 30s, and was known as a gracious hostess who collected interesting people around her, as well as did charitable work. Died after a long bout with cancer, and her husband followed two years later. Inner: Strong dichotomy between her outer smoldering sexuality and inner domesticity. Indulged in spiritualism, disliked her public role. Kiss me, you fool lifetime of playing briefly with the power of surfaces as a public phenomenon, before retreating into more a comfortable private role as domestic goddess and collector of stimulating personalities. Penelope Rich (Penelope Devereaux) (1562-1607) - English noblewoman. Outer: Great-grandmother had been a sister of Anne Boleyn (Katherine Hepburn). Distant relative of the current queen, Elizabeth I (Mae West). Daughter of Walter Devereaux (Gene Autry), 1st Earl of Essex and sister of Robert Devereaux (Ethan Hawke). Quite beautiful, and well educated. Because of the many ties between her family and Philip Sidney’s (Winston Churchill), she became a poetic inspiration for him, and he would apostrophize her as ‘Stella’ in his Astrophel and Stella. Her father died in 1576, and on his deathbed, asked that Sidney marry his daughter, although the match was broken off for nonromantic reasons, after her being affianced to him for several years. Instead her guardian secured a union for her in 1581 with Robert Rich, 3rd Baron Rich, an overbearing, dull and unpleasant being. She protested vehemently against it, but in vain, and was forced into marrying him, much to Sidney’s profound displeasure, since he found her unavailability made her even more enticing to him. Had six children in her marriage, with two sons on opposing sides of the subsequent English Civil Wars, before openly becoming involved with Charles Blount, 8th Lord Mountjoy (Baz Luhrmann), a dazzling courtier who was a great favorite of Elizabeth. Her husband took no action against his wife during her brother’s lifetime, and she nursed him through an illness, before getting a legal separation in 1601, the same year her sibling was executed. Mountjoy wound up replacing her brother as commander in Ireland, and was able to put down the rebellion that had destroyed the latter’s career, so that when he returned to England, he was a bona fide hero. Earlier the two men had once fought a jealous duel over the queen’s affections, before becoming close friends. Moved in with him, and had 5 more illegitimate children by him. On the accession of James I (Kenneth Tynan), Mountjoy was made Earl of Devon, as reward for their support of him for the throne. The duo enjoyed an elevated status at the new king’s lively court, since James cared not a whit that they were blatant adulterers. During this time, a Jesuit father tried to convert her but failed. In 1605, her husband sued for divorce, but she wasn’t allowed to remarry in order to legitimize her offspring with Mountjoy. Instead, they were illegally wed, by William Laud (William F. Buckley, Jr.), the Earl’s chaplain, contra canon law, while her children remained illegitimate. Both king and queen were outraged at the apostasy, and the couple suddenly found themselves banished from the court. Devon, or as he became known, Devonshire, died within the year, and she passed on within an annum of him. Inner: Strong-willed, passionate and independent. Follow your heart lifetime of serving as a muse, then rebelling against a forced union, in order to find the love she craved, while dealing with the consequences of running contra to society’s proscribed rules of behavior, as a vamp of her time.

*

PATHWAY OF THE FILMMAKER AS REVAMPED VAMPOPHILE:
Storyline: The waltzing warrior finally comes into his own as an artiste, after many a go-round as a dashing hero, and one as a largely slapdash director, in his desire to bring his creative life on an even par with his earlier battlefield mastery.
Baz Luhrmann (Mark Anthony Luhrmann) (1962) - Australian director, writer and producer. Outer: Father owned a movie theater, which set him on his life-path, as a filmmaker. The family also owned a gas station and farm in a rural section of Australia, which fed into his fantasy life as well. Both his parents entered ballroom competitions, which would later on become subject matter for him, since he was a ballroom dancer as a child and his mother taught the craft as well. Got his nickname because of a resemblance to a British TV glove puppet called Basil Brush. Greatly influenced by grand opera and its deliberate excess, he showed his innovative style on in front of the footlights by staging a 1950s post-war Paris version of Giacomo Puccini’s (Francis Coppola) “La Boheme” for the Sydney Opera House, specifically geared for people intimidated by opera, in which the performance stressed performances rather than big-voiced singing, to make it far more readily accessible. Began his film career with Strictly Ballroom in 1992, which would become part of what he would call the Red Curtain Trilogy, culminating in his most popular film, Moulin Rouge in 2001, a revamping of the modern-day musical. In 1997, he married production designer Catherine Martin, who has worked on all his films, 2 children from the union. Brought his earlier “La Boheme” to Broadway in 2003 to plaudits, while also occasionally writing songs. The following year, he shot a 4 minute $18 million commercial for Chanel #5, starring Nicole Kidman, with whom he worked on Moulin Rouge and would do so again in Australia. Chooses his projects with care, and always with the sense that the audience must be delighted and entertained above all else. Inner: Curious name parallel with his longtime inamorata, despite both probably deciding not to connect intimately this go-round. Likes bright colors in his work, as well as fast editing and baroque images, as if it were imitating intricate dance steps. Also likes his audiences to know they’re watching a movie, and not a slice of life. Has a special affinity for Bollywood excess, in his decidedly non-intellectual and highly emotional take on filmmaking. Revamped lifetime of exploring the pure theatricality of filmdom, from a purely fun perspective, after earlier having done so from a strictly commercial one, while making his professional and private life one, instead of divided as before. Charles Brabin (1883-1957) - English actor and director. Outer: Matriculated at St. Francis Xavier College. Sailed to NY in his late teens, and did odd jobs, before becoming a stage actor for two years. Joined the Edison Film Company in 1908, first as an actor, working in a picture a week for a year. Became a stage manager next, before making his debut as a director in 1910 with The Usurer's Grip. Produced Hollywood’s first serial in 1914, What Happened to Mary, writing the script as it was shot. Made 27 one-reelers in 27 different countries afterwards. Worked for several companies during the teens, and eventually signed with Fox. Save for one film, most of his work was mediocre fare, done to the order of studio executives, who were far more interested in pandering to commercial tastes than producing works of art. Willingly complied, during his quarter century or so behind the camera, and ultimately was known for who he married, rather than what he did. After working on several films with America’s favorite overamped vamp, Theda Bara (Uma Thurman), the two were wed in 1921, when her star was on the downswing, no children from the union. Made his finest film the following year, with his own money, Driven, a low budget moonshine melodrama which he wrote, produced and directed. Continued working throughout the silent era, although never reached the level of his singular masterpiece again, and made his last film in 1934. His wife was quite the opposite of her smoldering screen presence in private life, and the two had a close, highly social relationship, with their home serving as a gathering place for interesting, cultured people. Eventually died of a heart attack two years after his spouse succumbed to cancer. Inner: More than willing to compromise himself for a comfortable salary, although did leave one testament to his potential, had he been more driven. Largely unchallenged lifetime of fashioning a good living for himself, while only giving one singular indication of his larger artistic potential, before retiring with his longtime love to a pleasurable, stimulating social life, without ever really extending himself. Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1563-1606) - English noble and soldier. Outer: From a family whose fortunes and influence were on the wane. 2nd son of an English lord. Vowed as a child that he would restore his family’s good name. Briefly studied at Oxford, and succeeded to the family peerage on the death of his elder brother in 1594. Tall, comely and dashing, he came to the attention of Elizabeth I (Mae West), which occasioned the jealousy of Robert Devereaux, 2nd Earl of Essex (Ethan Hawke), and the two fought an inconclusive duel, although became close friends afterwards. Saw almost continuous action on the continent afterwards, serving in the Netherlands and Brittany from his mid-20s to mid-30s. His frequent absences fro the court disturbed the queen, although he saw his service as a means of reclaiming his family’s name. Popular with the poets of the day, he was the subject of much verse. Joined Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh (William O. Douglas) on an expedition to the Azores against Spanish treasure ships towards the end of this period. Became involved in a passionate affair with Penelope Rich (Uma Thurman), who was unhappily married at the time, and the mother of 6, and wound up having 5 more illegitimate children with her. She was the sister of Devereaux, whom he replaced in 1600 as lord deputy of Ireland, and who would soon be executed for treason. Through his ruthless rule and martial abilities, he was able to bring a nine year rebellion there to an end, which Essex was never able to do. Defeated the rebel leader, and then treated his vanquished foe honorably and with amnesty, which made him a hero to some in England, and far too lenient to others. When James I (Kenneth Tynan) acceded to the throne, he was made Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland from 1603 to 1604. On his return to England, James made him Earl of Devon, and also master of ordnance, while giving him generous estates. Both he and his lover were welcome members at court, despite their blatant adultery. Following her divorce, the duo were married by his chaplain, William Laud (William F. Buckley, Jr.) in 1605, contra canon law, so that their children remained illegitimate. Died the following year of inflammation of the lungs, and since he had no official issue, his hereditary titles became extinct. Inner: Dashing and heroic, an able warrior and leader with a passionate nature. Careful dresser and eater, and very conscious of the impression he was making. Derring-do lifetime of showing himself to be both ruthless and honorable in his martial aims, and well beyond convention in his intimate pursuits, creating a mixed bag for his descendants, despite a pleasurable one for himself.

*