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As Elaine May Turns 89, It s Time to Give the Filmmaking Giant the Credit She Deserves
Brent Lang, provided by
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Nevertheless, she persisted.
Elaine May, who turns 89 on Wednesday, has enjoyed a late career resurgence, earning a Tony Award for her work in Kenneth Lonergan’s play “The Waverly Gallery” and directing an acclaimed documentary on her friend and frequent collaborator Mike Nichols for American Masters. Even “Ishtar,” her much derided 1987 flop, clawed its way into the black by the early aughts, as emails from the Sony hack revealed.
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And yet, it’s impossible not to feel as though movie lovers and comedy fans have been robbed of decades of great work because the entertainment industry never quite knew what to make of May. Her struggles to remain true to her unbending artistic compass in a bottom-line-driven industry derailed her directing ambitions. May’s resume is slender, consisting of just four
There are plenty of classic novels that underwent well-known title changes during the writing process, but there are just as many examples of famous characters that got their names changed before release, too. Here are 10 of them!
1. Scarlett O’Hara
The iconic
Gone with the Wind heroine went by the name Pansy O Hara right up until the book went to print in 1936. During this time, the novel itself was known under the working title
Tomorrow Is Another Day.
2. Holly Golightly
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly was named Connie Gustafson. Side note: Truman Capote is thought to have based Holly on several different women, including Gloria Vanderbilt, Oona Chaplin, and Walter Matthau s wife, Carol Grace. His own mother was probably also an inspiration.