Roles to Die For

Дополнительные материалы к разделу 6 “What Helps You to Enjoy Yourselves?” Reading section ‘Roles to Die For’ учебника В.П. Кузовлева “English 10-11”

Read the text about a Hollywood tradition:

Hollywood’s Oldest Publicity Stunt

Some two million people descend on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles every year to see the signatures and hand- and footprints of almost 200 movie celebrities, including Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Judy Garland, in the concrete Forecourt of the Stars at the famous Chinese Theatre. The story behind this tradition, Hollywood’s longest-lasting publicity stunt, has never been clear. But it most certainly involved Sid Grauman, the movie palace king, and his good friends, silent screen stars Mary Pickford, Norma Talmadge, and Douglas Fairbanks. The three dipped their feet in cement to promote the theater’s opening in May 1927.
Grauman (1879-1950) made a name for himself in the 1910s and ‘20s with his lavish million-dollar movie theaters. But the 2,258-seat Chinese Theatre was Grauman’s greatest movie palace. Still an operating movie theater, it is furnished with Chinese-style furniture, rugs, and artwork. It has a jade-green pagoda roof and authentic stone sculptures from the Ming Dynasty. But it is the theater’s front courtyard that draws the most visitors.
Accounts differ as to who can be credited with the forecourt tradition. According to Mary Pickford, the idea for celebrity imprints came to her when her dog sprinted across the forecourt during construction, leaving pawprints in the newly cemented driveway. In another account, Grauman was inspired when he saw Norma Talmadge walk on wet cement at the theater construction site.
Whatever the inspiration, the forecourt was an instant hit. Grauman selected the stars to be remembered, often in coordination with the openings of their new films at the Chinese Theatre. The tradition almost died in the 1970s and ‘80s, with only seven and nine ceremonies respectively. But the 1990s saw a revival: 27 ceremonies were held. Inductees in 1999 included Ron Howard, Richard Gere, Sean Connery, and Susan Sarandon.

Exercise 1. Find the words in the above text:

a. to move from a higher level to a lower one ________________
b. the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc _____________
c. something that is done to attract people’s attention, especially in advertising or politics _______________
d. to put something into a liquid and quickly lift it out again _______________
e. large and generous _______________
f. a large open area in front of a building such as a garage, or hotel ______________
g. the mark left by an object being pressed into or onto something ______________
h. to run very fast for a short distance ______________

Exercise 2. Insert the missing words from the ex.1:

1. ____________ your finger in the batter and taste it.
2. Todd flew over the city in a hot air balloon as a _____________ .
3. Bill ___________ up the steps.
4. They would organize ____________ dinners for potential customers.
5. The case has received massive ______________ .
6. The plane started to _____________ .

Exercise 3. Answer the questions:

1. Why do many people come to Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles?
2. Who started the tradition of leaving the signatures and hand- and footprints of movie celebrities?
3. Why was this tradition started?
4. Who was Sid Grauman?
5. Was this tradition immediately popular?
6. Why, according to your opinion many people come to see the imprints of movie stars?
7. Would you like to see them yourself?
8. Why, in your opinion, did this tradition almost die in the 1970s and ’80s?
9. Do you know about other similar Hollywood traditions?
10. Do we have similar traditions in our country? Do we need them? And if ‘yes’, then why?

Project Work

1. Find out who Mary Pickford, Norma Talmadge, Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland were.
2. Tell about your favourite movie star. Does he/she has his/her imprints on Hollywood Boulevard?
3. Find out some information about the Russian movie stars of the period this tradition was started. Who were they? How were they honoured? Did they have much in common with their American counterparts?

Exercise 4. “Movie Cloze”

Fill in the blanks below with the words from the box:

Parts of the Movie

The place or time a movie takes place is called the (1) _____________. What happens in a movie is called the (2) _____________. A movie is usually broken up into many (3) ______________. The movie is filmed with a (4) ________________.

People in Movies

The people who act in the movie are (5) _____________. A (6) _____________ is a part that an actor plays. The main actor is sometimes called the (7) ________________. When a famous person has a short appearance in a film it is called a (8) _______________. An (9) ____________ is an unimportant person who acts in the background. A (10) ______________ is a person who watches movies and writes reviews about them.

Movie Genres

The type of movie is the movie (11) ______________. A movie that makes you laugh is a (12) _______________. A movie that makes you scream is a (13) ________________. A movie that is exciting with lots of guns and explosions is an (14) _______________ movie. Movies about the future or space are known as (15) _________________ films. And a movie about real life is a (16) _________________. An (17) _________________ film has cartoon characters.

Blockbusters

Movies with big budgets that sell a lot of tickets are called (18) __________________. Many of these movies do so well that movie producers make a (19) _______________, or part II.

At the Theater

The place where you watch a movie is called a (20) _________________. To see a movie, usually, you have to buy a (21) _______________. The movie is projected onto a large (22) _____________ using a movie (23) _______________. An (24) _______________ is a person who shows you to your seat and makes sure everybody is quiet during the movie.

Exercise 5. Do the crossword ‘Movie genres’.

Across:

1. A movie about natural catastrophes.

3. A movie where animation characters take part.

4. A story or play with many sudden exciting events, and very good or bad characters, who show feelings that are too strong or simple to seem real.

6. A movie about life in the 19th century in the American West.

7. A movie in which imaginary future developments in science and their effect on life are shown.

9. A play, film etc that is intended to entertain people and make them laugh.

10. A book or film that tells an exciting story about murder or crime.

Down:

1. A movie or television programme that gives facts and information about something.

2. A movie which is stuffed with fights.

5. A play or movie that uses singing and dancing to tell a story.

8. A movie in which strange and frightening things happen.

Keys:

Ex.1: a. descend; b. publicity; c. stunt; d. dip; e. lavish; f. forecourt; g. imprint; h. sprint

Ex.2: 1. dip; 2. publicity stunt; 3. sprinted; 4. lavish; 5. publicity; 6. descend

Ex.4: 1. setting; 2. plot; 3. scenes; 4. camera; 5. actors; 6. character; 7. star; 8. cameo; 9. extra; 10. critic; 11. genre; 12. comedy; 13. horror; 14. action; 15. sci-fi; 16. documentary; 17. animation; 18. blockbusters; 19. sequel; 20. theater; 21. ticket; 22. screen; 23. projector; 24. usher

Crossword

Across: 1.disaster; 3. cartoon; 4. melodrama; 6. western; 7. sci-fi; 9. comedy; 10. thriller

Down: 1. documentray; 2. action; 5. musical; 8. horror

to be continued