Edward Hopper (1882–1967) said his 1942 Nighthawks was inspired by “a restaurant on New York’s Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet.”  One of the best-known images of twentieth-century art, the painting depicts an all-night diner in which three customers, all lost in their own thoughts, have congregated.  Fluorescent lights had just come into use in the early 1940s, and the all-night diner emits an eerie glow, like a beacon on the dark street corner.  Hopper eliminated any reference to an entrance, and the viewer, drawn to the light, is shut out from the scene by a seamless wedge of glass.  The four anonymous and uncommunicative night owls seem as separate and remote from the viewer as they are from one another.  The red-haired woman was modeled by the artist’s wife, Jo.  See an image with the word Phillies at the top at https://www.artic.edu/artworks/111628/nighthawks 

Adolph Zukor (1873-1976) was known as the "father of the feature film in America."  From running penny arcades to creating Paramount Pictures Corporation, Zukor had a hand in the development of every aspect of the film industry.  He worked at Paramount every day until his 100th birthday, and held the title of chairman emeritus until his death at the age of 103.  Adolph Zukor was born in the rural village of Risce, Hungary on January 7, 1873.  His parents ran a small store and grew crops.  Learning of America from letters sent by immigrants, Zukor decided that he wanted to travel there.  In 1888, he asked the orphans' fund for the money to travel to America.  He received enough for a steamship ticket and $40, which he sewed inside his vest.  In New York, Zukor found work as an apprentice in a fur shop for $4 a week.  With other immigrant boys, he boxed, played baseball, and sang Hungarian songs.  He also attended night school.  Over the years he saved several thousand dollars.  Around age 21, he returned to Hungary for a visit and saw some of Europe.  He married Lottie Kaufman, also a Hungarian immigrant, in 1897.  Zukor started a fur business with his wife's uncle, Morris Kohn.  The partners, with two other men, started a penny arcade, complete with peep machines, a shooting gallery, punching bags, stationary bicycles, and candy.  The business did very well, bringing in $500 to $700 a day.  Zukor decided to get out of the fur business and devote all his time to the arcade.  He worked closely with Marcus Loew at this time, becoming treasurer of his company.  Zukor put in a motion picture theater on the floor above the arcade.  Called the Crystal Hall, it had a glass staircase with water cascading inside it over colored lights.  It cost five cents to see a movie.  Zukor developed his own brand of "talking" pictures.  He had actors stand behind the movie screen and say their lines in synchronization with the silent action on the screen, which they could see in reverse.  Zukor formed a partnership with Edwin S. Porter, a screen director who agreed to furnish his experience, talent, and prestige, but no money.  With him, in their Manhattan studio, the Famous Players Film Company made America's first feature-length film.  The Prisoner of Zenda, opened successfully in 1914.  In 1916, Famous Players merged with the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company to form the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, with Samuel Goldwyn as chairman of the board, Cecil De Mille as director-general, Zukor as president, and Lasky as vice-president.  In 1914, W.W. Hodkinson founded Paramount Pictures Corporation, whose purpose was to distribute films.  When disagreements over policy arose, the stockholders chose Zukor to head the company, feeling that he was best equipped to guide features to success.  Once in control, Zukor arranged for a loan of ten million dollars to improve and buy theaters, thus giving Paramount control over the creation, distribution, and exhibition of movies.  In the 1920s, Famous Players-Lasky began releasing their films under the Paramount name.  Zukor built the modern film industry using the star system.   https://biography.yourdictionary.com/adolph-zukor  Encyclopedia of World Biography.  Copyright 2010 The Gale Group, Inc.  

Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; 1878–1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director.  He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul (1931), and remains best known to modern audiences for the role of villainous Mr. Potter in Frank Capra's 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life.  He is also particularly remembered as Ebenezer Scrooge in annual broadcasts of A Christmas Carol during his last two decades.  He is also known for playing Dr. Leonard Gillespie in MGM's nine Dr. Kildare films, a role he reprised in a further six films focusing solely on Gillespie and in a radio series entitled The Story of Dr. Kildare.  He was a member of the theatrical Barrymore family.  Lionel Barrymore was born in Philadelphia, the son of actors Georgiana Drew Barrymore and Maurice Barrymore.  He was the elder brother of Ethel and John Barrymore, the uncle of John Drew Barrymore and Diana Barrymore and the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore.  He attended private schools as a child, including the Art Students League of New York.  Barrymore also composed music.  His works ranged from solo piano pieces to large-scale orchestral works, such as "Tableau Russe," which was performed twice in Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day (1941) as Cornelia's Symphony, first on piano by Nils Asther's character and later by a full symphony orchestra.  His piano compositions, "Scherzo Grotesque" and "Song Without Words", were published by G. Schirmer in 1945.  Upon the death of his brother John in 1942, he composed a work "In Memoriam", which was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra.  He also composed the theme song of the radio program Mayor of the Town.  Barrymore was a skillful graphic artist, creating etchings and drawings and was a member of the Society of American Etchers.  Some of his etchings were included in the Hundred Prints of the Year.  He wrote a historical novel, Mr. Cantonwine:  A Moral Tale (1953).  He was also a horticulturalist, growing roses on his Chatsworth Ranch.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Barrymore 

comer  noun  informal  ​someone who is likely to be successful at a particular activity  Synonyms and related words  Successful person, success, achiever, high-flier  https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/comer 

Garlic growers have to find creative ways to preserve their harvest.  If left in a warm, humid environment for a few weeks, the pungent bulbs turn inky black.  Despite appearances, the yield isn’t spoiled.  This savory iteration is simply called “black garlic.”  By placing garlic in particular conditions, farmers induce the Maillard reaction—a chemical process responsible for the umami taste of seared meat.  The bulb’s innards take on a sticky, jellied texture.  As the enzymes that impart its characteristic sharpness break down, the garlic also develops sweet, savory, and earthy qualities.  Tasters liken the flavor to deep, caramelized, aged balsamic.  The shadowy ingredient has a long history as a health food in Korea.  In Japan, ramen chefs use black garlic oil to add an umami kick to steaming broth.  Italian restaurants also feature the savory bulb in spreads, in dressings, or as an accoutrement for meat and seafood.  Cooks sometimes dry and powder the cloves into a savory sprinkle that enhances dishes, akin to MSG.  At-home chefs can create their own black garlic, too.  Setting the rice cooker to “warm” will create an optimal environment, as long as you’re willing to wait for a couple weeks.  https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/black-garlic 

Regulators in the United Kingdom are warning people with a history of severe allergies not to get the new coronavirus vaccine.  The advisory comes after two National Health Services employees, both with a history of severe allergies, had bad reactions after receiving the new Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine December 8, 2020, the first day of the U.K.'s nationwide immunization campaign.  Shortly after the two workers received the shot, they developed symptoms of "anaphylactoid reactions," The Telegraph reports.  Jaclyn Diaz  https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/09/944539982/u-k-regulators-tell-people-with-severe-allergies-not-to-get-vaccine   

Matthew Morrison stars in Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical on NBC December 9, 2020 at 8 PM ET.  The musical, which had previously been seen on Broadway in 2006 and 2007, features a book and lyrics by Tim Mason and music by Mel Marvin.  The production toured regionally following its Main Stem premiere and returned to NYC to play Madison Square Garden.  Joining Morrison on stage are Tony winner Denis O’Hare as adult Max (The Grinch’s faithful dog), Booboo Stewart as young Max, and Amelia Minto as Cindy-Lou Who.  Dan Meyer  https://www.playbill.com/article/dr-seuss-the-grinch-musical-special-starring-matthew-morrison-airs-on-nbc-december-9 

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2295  December 9, 2020