Re -Train Your Brain To Happiness

October 16, 2012

Clint Eastwood - A True "Renaissance Man" - Updated

Clint in "Rawhide" as "Rowdy Yates" - and singing.

The now legendary scene from "Dirty Harry".

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary :
The definition of RENAISSANCE MAN is a person who has wide interests and is expert in several areas .

(I am not referring to the historical Renaissance period I wrote about here.)

Pretty good summary of Clint Eastwood!

He is one of my favourite actors, if not the favourite, and a great director.

He is also a very accomplished musician and he sings too!

He has won innumerable awards for his work - not surprising at all.

(Not the best quality clip from "Paint Your Wagon", but you get the picture. I have lost track of how many times I have watched this!)

I have been a Clint Eastwood fan since my high school days when watching "Rawhide" was something one looked forward to every week - almost religiously - especially in my home.

After all these years, too many to count, he is still making superb movies.

Many of his movies have "made my day"!

“Trouble With The Curve” is his latest movie and will be released here this year – 2012.

I couldn't even say which of his movies is my very favourite one.

Clint’s body of work is listed here.
And here.

Some examples: “The Bridges of Madison County” , “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Grand Torino” just to mention a few.

I have watched many of them, and many more than once or twice!

Some of the musical pieces Clint has written or sung in his movies are listed here. And here.

Clint considers himself a Libertarian, along with another favourite of mine, Dwight Yoakam.

Clint is on Twitter and has his own website.

Ok,,here it is – the legendary line from “Sudden Impact”!

Resistance on my part is futile!

Clint Eastwood is a legend!

Love this song,,and the movie - "Honky Tonk Man".

Here’s an interesting take on “Dirty Harry”, recently posted.

The odd conglomeration of names involved in the inception of what became Clint Eastwood's signature movie include John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Irvin Kershner, Terence Malick and John Milius. The first two, along with Robert Mitchum and Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, turned down the role while the others were among the writers of numerous drafts, many set in New York rather than San Francisco. Bouncing from studio to studio, it almost ended up a tv movie for ABC!

When Eastwood was approached he insisted on returning to the first draft and hiring Don Siegel to direct, as they had enjoyed working together on the offbeat flop The Beguiled.

As always, you can find more great trailers and trailer commentaries at http://www.trailersfromhell.com
ABOUT TRAILERS FROM HELL:

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Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/trailersfromhel
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Amazing resemblance between father and son!

Clint and Scott Eastwood

Picture credit: Today

Trailers From Hell's take on another favorite of mine - The Outlaw Josey Wales

See also:

100 Greatest Movie Characters

The African Queen Sails Again

Above: 170 Great Clint Eastwood Quotes

Below: 'Dirty Harry' and 'Josey Wales' - now iconic movie characters.

Clint Eastwood’s singing career.
Another example.

As if all that wasn't enough Clint Eastwood makes a movie of "The Jersey Boys" Musical.

In 2015 "American Sniper" will be released.

From director Clint Eastwood comes AMERICAN SNIPER, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.

U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world.

Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the SEAL creed to “leave no man behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

The training a US SEAL undertakes is quite incredible! Check it out here.

Thanks to You Tube.

Updates:
Weekend Box Office: ‘American Sniper’ Set To Be Clint Eastwood’s Record Opening.

Chris Kyle's Achievements.

And it is now also a major Oscar contender with 6 nominations.

May 31st 2016 - Clint's Birthday.

Biopics Now Focus On Key Moments Rather Than A Whole Life

Related:
Daniel Day-Lewis Receives A Knighthood
Burt Bacharach Brings Back The Hits: From Marlene Dietrich to Glastonbury
Joni Mitchell: Why She Blocked Taylor Swift For Biopic Role
Tina Turner: What’s Age Got To Do With It?
Sylvester Stallone: Not Feeling Old!
Hedy Lamarr - Beauty And Brains in Abundance
Charlie Chaplin: The Birth Of The Tramp
Alfred Hitchcock: Mysteries Of The Master Of Suspense
Carlos Gardel And The Tango In Movies
"Rush" - An Under-rated Ron Howard Movie
Audrey Hepburn Quotes
Dolly Parton: A Biography Movie And A Time Capsule For Her 100th Birthday
Sophia Loren Quotes
Maggie Smith: Michael Coveney’s Biography
Robert Mitchum: Film Noir Legend
John Wayne 7th Most Popular Star - Still!
How Marlon Brando Almost Missed His Defining Role
A Look at a Legend: Elizabeth Taylor
Paul Newman - Hollywood Legend
Scott Eastwood, Riding Towards Movie Stardom
The 100 Greatest Movie Characters
A Look at a Legend: Rita Hayworth
A Look at a Legend: James Dean
Michael Douglas: The Hemsworth Brothers And Hugh Jackman Are Hollywood Gold
After Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, The Hemsworths, Where Are The Men Of The Movies?
How Groucho Marx Invented Modern Comedy
Marilyn Monroe: Fashioning The Myth And The Reality
Loretta Lynn
A History Of Mick Jagger On Film
Gregory Peck: Hollywood Legend
Florence Foster Jenkins: Meryl Streep's Latest Biopic
Citizen Kane: Orson Welles’s Masterpiece, As A 1941 NYT Critic Saw It
"The Man Who Knew Infinity" Review - Jeremy Irons And Dev Patel
Loving Vincent: The World's First Fully Painted Film
Dean Martin: 99 Years Of His Music and Movies
The Lasting Legacy Of The Good, The Bad And the Ugly
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Judy Garland: Happy Birthday!
Marilyn Monroe: Her Secret Diary
The Rolling Stones: A New Movie About The Making of 'Exile on Main Street'

Steven Spielberg: Is He A Lost Talent?

Gene Wilder: Master Of Comedy
Clint Eastwood's Latest Biopic - Sully
10 Historical Movies That Mostly Get It Right
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Are These The Top 10 Comedy Actors of All Time?
Happy Birthday, Julie Andrews!
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Words of Wisdom from Marilyn Monroe

Thanks to Daniel for this one.

This picture with thanks to Tera Greene.

Marilyn Monroe: Fashioning The Myth And The Reality

Marilyn Monroe's Belongings Up For Auction

Marilyn Monroe: Her Secret Diary

Famous Blondes, From Monroe and Novak To Bardot And Basinger

Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' Dress Sells for $4.8 Million

October 03, 2012

Updated Again: Archduke Joseph Gem To Fetch At Least $15m at Auction - and now The Argyle Siren And More from Rio Tinto Mines

The Archduke Joseph Diamond

ONE of the world's most historic diamonds, the Archduke Joseph, is up for sale in Geneva with an expected price tag well in excess of $US15 million ($14.68 million), Christie's auction house says.

Update: Archduke Joseph Diamond fetches record $21.5M

The Beau Sancy Diamond

Look at the difference in the quality!

In several posts I have written about diamonds. People who know me know I love jewellery and gems! I love them for many reasons:

For their beauty, for their geological aspects, for their history and for the legends and romance that surround them.

Some of these posts are here, including the recently auctioned Beau Sancy Diamond, and also the auction of the jewels of the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

It will be interesting to see of this “Archduke Joseph” gem gets the predicted price or goes even higher as is often the case.

I admit I had never heard of it for obvious reasons.

Oddly enough Christie's never contacts me about impending jewellery auctions – I can’t imagine why/sarc!

I think Dame Elizabeth Taylor and beautiful jewellery go together perfectly!

And fortunately I have something in common with her: my husband likes us both! (present tense deliberate!)

The Taylor-Burton Diamond - 69.42 carats

ONE of the world's most historic diamonds, the Archduke Joseph, is up for sale in Geneva with an expected price tag well in excess of $US15 million ($14.68 million), Christie's auction house says.

"It's a 76.02 carat cushion-shaped D-colour diamond (considered to be the most flawless), from the famous Golconda mines in India," Christie's senior international specialist Jean-Marc Lunel told AFP.

The colourless gem, which is about the size of a domino and 1.5 centimetres thick, is to be exhibited from October 13 in New York, Hong Kong and Genevafore the auction in Switzerland on November 13.

Described as the "star lot of the fall jewellery auction season" by Christie's, the diamond has the same provenance as other illustrious jewels including the Koh-i-noor - part of the crown jewels held in the Tower of London - and the Regent, believed by many to be the finest diamond in the French crown jewels and now in the Louvre museum in Paris.

All three jewels come from the now closed Golconda mines, which produced the purest gems, Lunel said.

Next month's auction will be the second time Christie's has sold the Archduke Joseph after it fetched $US6.5 million at a Geneva sale in 1993.

The jewel, which belonged to Archduke Joseph of Austria (1872-1962), was put in a vault of the Hungarian General Credit Bank in 1933 by his son, the Archduke Joseph Francis.

The diamond was sold three years later to an anonymous buyer who left it in a safe during World War II, escaping the attention of the Nazis.

It finally resurfaced in 1961 at auction in London and was offered for sale in November 1993 at Christie's Geneva.

Since then the diamond has changed hands privately, but Christie's declined to comment on the identity of the current owner.

The auction house holds eight major jewellery sales a year, including two in Geneva.

"The first half of 2012 saw record sales, thanks mainly to the May auction in Geneva," said Lunel, "when part of the jewellery collection of billionairess Lily Safra was sold for good causes."

With thanks to the The Australian

Click on the images to enlarge.

Update: The Argyle Siren.

Somewhat more affordable!

The Argyle Siren, a 1.32ct square, radiant-cut stone that could fetch $US2m on the retail market.

DEMAND for Rio Tinto's pink diamonds continues to sparkle as bidders pay record prices in this year's tender process, with one gem tipped to fetch more than $US2 million ($1.95m) when it hits the retail market.

The mining giant revealed yesterday that its 2012 Argyle pink diamonds tender, the most exclusive diamond sale in the world, had demonstrated strong global appeal and delivered an exceptional result for the iconic gems.

This year there were 56 single pink diamonds, including two red diamonds and an additional 19 lots of blue diamonds from Rio's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia.

The tender process is private and conducted through closed bids, meaning the prices paid are not disclosed by Rio. But seasoned bidder John Glajz, who has been buying Argyle diamonds for more than 20 years, said the prices fetched were probably greater than ever before.

"From my own personal experience, I've seen prices effectively more than double since 2005-06," he said.

Singapore-based Mr Glajz collected a prized gem after bidding the highest price for the most valuable diamond from the collection -- Argyle Siren, a 1.32-carat, square, radiant-cut, "fancy vivid purplish pink" specimen.

He said while he normally purchased quite a few stones, after this year's bidding process he only received three lots. But the Argyle Siren was the one he had been chasing, and he said he had paid a "very bullish" price.

"This particular stone, once it goes down to the retail level and set in a designer item of jewellery, it is something that will retail well in excess of $2m," he said.

Mr Glajz said he was not in a hurry to sell the diamond, the finest stone he had seen in 25 years, and he had gone beyond his normal limits to ensure he was the successful bidder.

"When you deal with such stones there is a personal involvement -- it's not just a commodity," he said.

"The many times I looked at it, I put up the price myself in my head. It's just something very special -- it talks to you. It definitely tempted me."

Rio said the successful bidders for the 2012 tender collection came from both established and emerging markets, with several diamonds headed for India and the "hero" blue diamond, Argyle Elektra, destined for Japan.

"These rare Argyle diamonds provide the escalating intrinsic value of an investment and are destined for the exclusive echelons of the world's most sophisticated collectors," said Jean-Marc Lieberherr, chief commercial officer for Rio Tinto Diamonds.

With thanks to The Australian

Another update from The Australian - October 14th - 2013:

From the Australian – October 14th, 2013 (pay wall)

RIO Tinto's annual Argyle pink diamond tender has set a world record, with one stone selling for more than $US2 million ($2.1m) and another fetching the highest price for a "Fancy Deep" pink diamond.

This year there were 64 precious stones on offer, including three "Fancy Red" diamonds, and with private bids coming in well above pre-tender estimates and a record number of bids over $US1m, industry speculation has suggested the entire collection sold for more than $US25m.

Seasoned bidder John Glajz, who has been buying Argyle diamonds for more than 20 years, scored the prized gem from the collection, the Argyle Phoenix -- a 1.56 carat Fancy Red that achieved the highest per carat price for a diamond produced from the Argyle mine.

Singapore-based Mr Glajz said the stones on offer this year were "absolutely exquisite" and he was shocked when told he had won the bid for the Argyle Phoenix.

The bids are private but Mr Glajz is believed to have bid more than $US2m for the stone and he told The Australian yesterday that it could retail for about $US4m to $US5m when it reached the end customer.

"I have never paid that much in my life -- this has been the largest cheque I have ever written to Argyle," he said.

Internationally renowned Mr Glajz, the largest business partner in Asia with Argyle Diamond Mine, said the Phoenix was an "unbelievable stone" and he had not witnessed anything like it in the 20 years he had been involved with diamonds from the mine in Western Australia's Kimberley region.

Mr Glajz is planning to create a "magnificent" item of jewellery that will be classified as a world heirloom, adding that it is destined to go to someone who has "absolutely everything".

Mr Glajz's company bid on 80 per cent of the tender diamonds and he was also the highest bidder on a few other smaller stones which he said saw him pay up to 25 per cent more than the previous year.

Jean-Marc Lieberherr, managing director of Rio Tinto Diamonds, said after 30 years of production Argyle continued to produce the world's most coveted diamonds.