I do it all because I'm evil

[sovay]

Hey, friendlist.

1. Pursuant to nineweaving's recent post on Evelyn Nesbit, I've noticed more than one review of Claude Chabrol's La fille coupée en deux (2007) mention that the film is an update-retelling of l'affaire Stanford White et Harry Thaw. It is not a historical film. I find this fascinating. What other real-life events have become cultural mythology, infinitely reworkable as such? Kim Philby comes to mind, because of John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) and the last ten minutes of The Good Shepherd (2006) I caught on television last night, but I know there must be other, really obvious examples that I'm missing.

2. Recommend me some Dennis Potter. I have so far seen Dreamchild (1985), which I think is the best take on Alice Liddell I have encountered so far, and the original television play of Brimstone and Treacle (1976), which I just discovered and really, really loved. Pennies from Heaven (1978) is up next, because by this point I have no excuse for not having seen it, but what else of his should I know about?

3. Does anyone know if there exist recordings of Lloyd Alexander reading his own work?

Comments

[sovay]

The Earp brothers and the O.K. Corral are a good example, I think, as the events surrounding the Tombstone period have been cultural mythology for decades, told and retold and examined from multiple angles.

I was thinking less of historical events retold as themselves, somehow, than appropriated as allusions or patterns: with the serial numbers filed off, if you like. But you are right that as far as cultural mythologies go, the O.K. Corral is huge.

Cold Lazarus and Karaoke (which go together), The Stone Tape, and most certainly The Singing Detective, which is quite autobiographical in many respects, even more so than the original Pennies From Heaven.

Thank you! Three of these I hadn't even heard of. Awesome.