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OL’ MAN RIVER
Music by Jerome Kern,
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Recorded 1938

FROM WIKIPEDIA:
“Ol’ Man River” (music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat that tells the story of African American hardship and struggles of the time. It is the most famous song in the show. It is sung complete once, by Joe, a dock worker who travels with the show boat, and reappears three times more in brief reprises.

It is sung first by Joe and a male chorus, and reprised by Joe and full chorus in the final scene, but twice reprised by him as a solo. He serves as a sort of musical Greek chorus, and the song, when reprised, comments on the action, as if saying “This has happened, but the river keeps rolling on anyway”.

The song was first performed live in the original production of Show Boat on December 27, 1927 by Jules Bledsoe. However, the most famous rendition of it, one that is still noted today, was sung by Paul Robeson in James Whale’s 1936 film version of Show Boat (Robeson had performed the song several times before this film, even recording it with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra back in 1928). Many musicians and musical groups have covered the song, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles, and it is considered an American classic. William Warfield sang it in the 1951 film version of Show Boat, another rendition which became very famous. (Warfield repeated it throughout his career.) Famous bass singer of The Temptations, Melvin Franklin was known to sing this at most concerts, which eventually became his signature song. Judy Garland, one of the few female singers to attempt the song sang a powerful rendition of the song on her television show in 1962 and also recorded it.

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Lion of the Desert

Lion of the Desert is a 1981 historical film starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar fighting Mussolini’s army prior to World War II. It was directed by Moustapha Akkad. The year is 1929 and dictator Benito Mussolini (Rod Steiger) is still faced with the 20-year long war waged by Arab and Berber patriots in Libya to combat Italian colonization and the establishment of ‘The Fourth Shore’ - the rebirth of a Roman Empire in Africa. Mussolini appoints General Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed) as his sixth governor to Libya, confident that the eminently accredited soldier can crush the rebellion and restore the dissipated glories of Imperial Rome.Inspirational in the resistance towards the oppressors is the leadership of one man - Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn). A teacher by profession, guerilla by obligation, Mukhtar has committed himself to a war that cannot be won in his own lifetime.

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Strike

Aka “Strike”. “In Russia’s factory region during Czarist rule, there’s restlessness and strike planning among workers; management brings in … all » spies and external agents.” Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein, written by Grigori Aleksandrov and Sergei M. Eisenstein, 1925. Film in public domain

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The End of Saint Petersburg (1927)

This silent film depicts the Russian Revolutionary movement through the life a peasant - worker - soldier - revolutionary.

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October

Also known as “Ten Days That Shook the World”. “Fascinating Russian silent feature which is interested in the final moments … all » of the Russian Revolution which brought the Communist to power.” “October was one of two films commissioned by the Soviet government to honour the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution.” One more Eisenstein’s masterpiece of edition, using his theory of “intellectual montage”. Directed and written by Grigori Aleksandrov and Sergei M. Eisenstein, based on the book “Ten Days That Shook the World”, 1927.

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Battleship Potemkin - Bronenosets Potyomkin

Eisenstein’s classic silent film about a riot after a battleship’s crew are given rotten meat to eat. Based on a true story.

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zulm aur aman

A song against US occupation on Iraq, directed by Daljit Ami.War is a mechanism for profit maximization and establish hegemony. All the warmongers ranging from Hitler to Bush and Blair have created similar tragedies of human corpses and destruction, giving different reasons. blood sucking wars leaves behind hunger and scarcity. Zulm Aur Aman establish the striking similarities from Hitler to Bush-blair to bring out the profit motive of wars.

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