Jones' Period Blog

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Below is my ranking of the Season Two episodes from the HBO historical drama, "THE GILDED AGE". Created by Julian Fellowes, the series stars Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector and Cynthia Nixon: <lj-cut>

RANKING OF "THE GILDED AGE" SEASON TWO (2023) EPISODES

1. (2.05) "Close Enough to Touch" - Socialite Bertha Russell makes final preparations for the societal event of the summer season with a dinner to honor the Duke of Buckingham in Newport. Peggy Scott and her employer T. Thomas Fortune encounter hostile whites at a black-owned restaurant, while covering a story in Tuskagee, Alabama. And Ada Brook finally marries her new beau, the Reverend Luke Forte, despite the disapproval of her older sister, socialite Agnes van Rhijn.

2. (2.03) "Head to Head" - The Opera war between Bertha and Mrs. Caroline Astor escalates. At Bertha's fundraiser, a surprise guest in the form of Bertha's former maid, now socialite Mrs. Enid Winterton, reveals an unpleasant secret regarding her husband, George Russell. Peggy offers to join Fortune in covering the new dormitory story at the Tuskegee Institute. And George attempts to woo union leader Mr. Henderson.

3. (2.01) "You Don't Even Like the Opera" - In the season premiere, the Scotts visit Philadelphia to attend an Easter memorial service for Peggy's dead son, who had ended up adopted. Ada meets Luke Forte for the first time following Easter service. And after being snubbed by Mrs. Astor's opera community, Bertha decides to support the new Metropolitan Opera over the senior Academy of Music.

4. (2.08) "In Terms of Winning and Losing" - In the season finale, the fate of the van Rhijn household is uncertain after Oscar van Rhijn loses his family's fortune to a con artist. Footman Jack Trotter's alarm clock patent is approved. Arthur Scott thwarts the New York Educational Board's secret attempt to close African-American schools. Later, Peggy decides to end her employment with The New York Globe, wary of her attraction to the married Mr. Fortune. Marian Brook decides to end her whirlwind engagement to Agnes' nephew by marriage, the wealthy Dashiell Montgomery. And the Duke of Buckingham becomes the pivotal figure in the Opera war between Bertha and Mrs. Astor.

5. (2.07) "Wonders Never Cease" - New York City citizens celebrate the final construction of the new Brooklyn Bridge. Marian harbors doubts about her engagement to Dashiell. Oscar discovers that Miss Beaton, the young socialite he had hoped to marry, is a con artist who had tricked him of most of the van Rhijn money. The van Rhijn-Forte household suffers a personal tragedy.

6. (2.04) "His Grace the Duke" - Bertha discovers the funding for the unfinished Metropolitan Opera House has run out. Ada fears Agnes will disapprove of her meetings with Reverend Forte. Peggy and Mr. Fortune travel to Tuskegee. Bertha insinuates herself with the Duke of Buckingham at a dinner held by her former maid, the socialite Mrs. Enid Winterton. George and other business owners conspire to subvert impending labor strikes. And Bertha forces Larry's new lover to end their romance.

7. (2.06) "Warning Shots" - Mrs. Winterton demands Bertha's center box at the Met in exchange for her support. Peggy asks Mr. Fortune to investigate the New York Education Board's decision to close the Black schools. Reverend Forte receives unpleasant news, following his and Ada's honeymoon. George and a number of military soldiers face striking workers at his Pittsburgh steel plant. And Marian receives a surprising, yet very public marriage proposal.

8. (2.02) "Some Sort of Trick" - To escape the tense atmosphere at her parents' Brooklyn home, Peggy rejoins the van Rhijn household as Agnes' secretary. Both Peggy and Agnes warn the latter's maid Armstrong to treat the former with more respect. Gladys Russell put an end to Oscar's pursuit of her with a rejection of his marriage proposal. Her brother, the newly architect Larry Russell, becomes romantically involved with his new client, a woman twice his age. The Russells discover that Bertha's former maid has married a wealthy elderly member of New York society. </lj-cut>

ashlie atkinson, audra mcdonald, blake ritson, brittany bradford, carrie coon, christine baranski, christopher denham, cynthia nixon, dakin matthews, debra monk, denée benton, donna murphy, gilded age, harry richardson, history, jack gilpin, john douglas thompson, julian fellows, kelley curran, kelli o'hara, kristine nielsen, louisa jacobson, morgan spector, nathan lane, robert sean leonard, salli richardson-whitfield, simon jones, sullivan jones, taissa farmiga, television, ben lamb,

Monday, October 13, 2025

"ONCE UPON A TIME" Season One (2011-2012) Photo Gallery

Below are images from Season Ome of ABC's "ONCE UPON A TIME". The series starred Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas and Robert Carlyle:

"ONCE UPON A TIME" SEASON ONE (2011-2012) Photo Gallery

Friday, October 10, 2025

"THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" (1938) Review

”THE ADVENTUERS OF ROBIN HOOD” (1938) Review

Eighty-seven years ago, the 1938 film, ”THE ADVENTUERS OF ROBIN HOOD”, was released in theaters for the first time. For many fans and film critics, the swashbuckler is considered the definitive Errol Flynn movie. They also view his character, Sir Robin of Locksley, as the pinnacle of the Australian actor’s career.

There have been previous versions of the Robin Hood tale before and after. The other most famous versions are the 1922 silent film that starred Douglas Fairbanks and the 1950s TV series that starred Richard Greene. Like the other versions, the movie told the story of the young Saxon nobleman (Flynn) who created a band of outlaws to protest against the reign of Prince John (Claude Rains) in England during the early 1190s. With King Richard the Lionhearted (Ian Hunter) a hostage of Austria’s king, John usurps the royal power to oppress the English poor – especially the Saxons – with the help of Sir Guy Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper). Robin and his right hand man, Will Scarlett (Patric Knowles), recruits the likes of Little John (Alan Hale, Sr.), Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), Much the Miller's Son (Herbert Mundin) and a band of outlaws. Soon, Prince John and his Norman cronies find their cruelties opposed and themselves harassed beyond all bearing. Robin also finds the time to fall in love with the Norman noblewoman and royal ward, Maid Marian Fitzwalter (Olivia de Havilland).

To be frank, ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” was a glorious triumph not only for the Warner Brothers Studios, but for Flynn as well. It has everything that the moviegoer could possibly want in a swashbuckler – great action, rich color, a superb score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and a leading man who more than embodied what the main character stood for. Warner Bros. executives Jack Warner and Hal Wallis had originally cast James Cagney in the lead. But the actor became embroiled in one of his many feuds with the studio and two years later, Flynn won the role. I cannot say how Cagney would have portrayed Robin of Locksley. But Warner and Wallis certainly struck it rich with Flynn in the lead. Not only did he look the part, he handled the physical aspects of the role, perfectly. And he managed to inject Robin with a great mixture of roguish humor and sincere compassion.

The rest of the cast were also superb. Olivia de Havilland was never more lovelier. Even better, her Maid Marian became more than just the love interest and damsel-in-distress. Once Robin had swayed her to his cause, she turned out to be a valuable recruit. Not only did she managed to come up with a plan to save Robin from execution, she was the one who discovered a plot by Prince John, Sir Guy and the Sheriff to assassinate the returning King Richard.

Claude Rains, with his soft voice, made a deliciously sly Prince John. Basil Rathbone was tough enough to serve as a physical adversary for Robin. Their duel in the final scene at Nottingham Castle is considered a classic, thanks to the fencing choreography staged by Fred Cavens. And Melville Cooper was his usual funny self as the buffoonish Sheriff of Nottingham. Although I find it odd that he was the only one who was able to come up with a successful plan to capture Sir Robin. And where would ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” be without its supporting cast that portrayed Robin’s Merry Men? The handsome Patric Knowles made a sly and witty Will Scarlett. Alan Dale Sr. returned as Little John, a role he had first made famous in the 1922 film. Eugene Pallette made great use of his frog voice and gruff demeanor as Friar Tuck. And Herbert Mundin, as Much the Miller’s Son, seemed to be the best of the bunch. Not only did he proved to be as brave as Robin, he also won the hand of Marian’s nurse, Bess, portrayed by the always memorable Una O’Connor.

Surprisingly, ”THE ADVENTUES OF ROBIN HOOD” had two directors. Hal Wallis first assigned the film to William Keighley, who had directed Flynn in ”THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER” (1937). But Hal Wallis felt slightly dissatisfied with Keighley’s slow handling of the action sequences and replaced him with Warner Bros’ reliable warhorse, Michael Curtiz. Flynn, who detested the Hungarian-born director, must have screamed in frustration. But Curtiz’s direction gave the film a tighter pace and better action sequences for which the movie is famous. ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” was one of the first films of the studio to use the old three-strip Technicolor process. And it paid off, giving the movie a rich color and vibrancy. And what would this version of Robin Hood be without Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Academy Award winning score. I am still surprised that Korngold had originally turned down the assignment because he felt that his score could not live up to the movie’s action. Thankfully, he proved himself wrong.

”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” seemed to have everything going for it – great cast, great photography, great action and great music. And it all seemed to blend seamlessly. Yet . . . it is not my favorite Errol Flynn movie. I had come across a review of the film in which a critic stated that one of the reasons this was his favorite Flynn movie was its light-hearted tone and simplistic characterizations that allowed the audience to escape from the more complex, modern world. And I could see those traits in the movie.

But as much as I had enjoyed it, there were times when the movie came off as a little too light or simple for me. Sir Robin of Locksley may be considered Flynn’s best role, but I must admit that I found his portrayal of Geoffrey Vickers in ”THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE” (1936) and Geoffrey Thorpe in ”THE SEA HAWK” (1940) more complex and interesting. In fact, I consider the two movies to be my favorites that Flynn ever made. However, I do love ”THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD” and consider it one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

TIME MACHINE: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (1875-1914)

TIME MACHINE: ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND OF AUSTRIA (1875-1914)

June 28 marked the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary (present day Bosnia-Herzegovina). Also killed was his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. Franz Ferdinand was not only an Archduke of Austria-Hungary, but also a Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia; and from 1889 until his death, the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

The assassination had been planned by a group of assassins (five Serbs and one Bosnian) coordinated by a Bosnian-Serb named Danilo Ilić. The political objective of the assassination was to break off Austria-Hungary's south-Slav provinces so they could be combined into a Yugoslavia. The assassins' motives were consistent with a movement that will later became known as Young Bosnia. Also involved in the plot were Dragutin Dimitrijević, Chief of Serbian Military Intelligence; his assistant Major Vojislav Tankosić, and a spy named Rade Malobabić.

During a meeting held in January 1914, the group discussed possible Austro-Hungarian targets for assassination that include Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The participants eventually decided to send Mehmed Mehmedbašić to Sarajevo, to kill the Governor of Bosnia, Oskar Potiorek. However, Mehmedbašić ditched his weapons, while traveling from France to Bosnia-Herzegovina via the train, when the police was searching for a thief. Upon his arrival in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mehmedbašićhe tried to search for new weapons. When his searched delayed the attempt on Potiorek, Ilić summoned Mehmedbašić and on March 26, 1914; informed the latter that the mission to kill Potiorek had been cancelled. The group decided to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, instead. Ilić recruited two Serbian youths, Vaso Čubrilović and Cvjetko Popović on April 19, 1914; to kill Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Unbeknownst to them, three Serbian youths living in Belgrade – Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabež and Nedeljko Čabrinović – expressed an eagerness to carry out an assassination. They approached a fellow Bosnian Serb and former guerrilla fighter to transport arms to Sarajevo and participate in the assassination.

Franz Ferdinand, the Duchess of Hohenberg and their party traveled by train from Ilidža Spa to Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Governor Oskar Potiorek met the party at Sarajevo station. Six automobiles were waiting. Three local police officers got into the first car with the chief officer of special security. Franz Ferdinand, the Duchess, Governor Potiorek, and Lieutenant Colonel Count Franz von Harrach rode in the third car. The motorcade passed the first assassin, Mehmedbašić, who had failed to act. Vaso Čubrilović armed with a pistol and a bomb, also failed to act. Further along the route Nedeljko Čabrinović, who possessed a bomb, tossed the latter at Franz Ferdinand's car at 10:10 am. However, the bomb bounced off the folded back convertible cover and into the street. The timed detonator caused it to explode under the next car, wounding 16 to 20 people. Čabrinović swallowed his cyanide pill and jumped into the Miljacka River, but his suicide attempt failed. The police dragged Čabrinović out of the river and he was severely beaten by the crowd before being taken into custody. Franz Ferdinand's procession sped away towards the Town Hall.

Franz Ferdinand and the Duchess returned to the motorcade at 10:45 am. and entered the third card. In order to avoid the city center, General Oskar Potiorek decided that the royal car should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo Hospital. The driver, Leopold Lojka, turned right into Franz Josef Street. After learning about the failed assassination attempt, Princip decided to make another attempt on the Archduke's life on the latter's return trip. He moved to a position in front of a delicatessen off Appel Quay. The Archduke's motorcade made the mistake of following the original route. Governor Potiorek, who shared the Imperial couple's vehicle, ordered the driver to reverse and take the Quay to the hospital. Lojka stopped the car close to where Princip was standing. The latter stepped forward and fired two shots from a Belgian-made 9×17mm Fabrique Nationale model 1910 semi-automatic pistol. The first bullet wounded the Archduke in the jugular vein. The second bullet hit the Duchess in her abdomen. Princip was immediately arrested. At his sentencing, Princip stated that his intention had been to kill Governor Potiorek, rather than the Duchess. Both victims remained seated upright, but died on the way to the Governor's residence for medical treatment. As reported by Count Harrach, Franz Ferdinand's last words were "Sophie, Sophie! Don't die! Live for our children!", followed by six or seven utterances of "It is nothing." These mutterings were followed by a long death rattle. Sophie was dead upon arrival at the Governor's residence. Franz Ferdinand died 10 minutes later.

Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo, Franz Joseph's Chamberlain, hated Franz Ferdinand and Sophie with a passion and with the emperor's connivance, decided to turn the funeral into a massive and vicious snub. He disinvited foreign royalty, the dead couple's three children were excluded from the few public ceremonies and only the immediate Imperial family attended. Even the Austro-Hungarian officer corps was forbidden to salute the funeral train. However, this was nothing in compare to the political aftermath of the assassinations.

Not only was Princip captured, but also his fellow conspirators. They were all tried and convicted by early 1915. Ironically, Princip, who had actually pulled the trigger, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, where he died from malnutrition and disease in 1918. Only three of the conspirators were executed on February 3, 1915 - Danilo Ilić and Veljko Čubrilović. Anti-Serb rioting broke out in Sarajevo and various other places within the Austria-Hungary Empire, hours after the assassination. Country-wide anti-Serb pogroms and demonstrations were also organized throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Oskar Potiorek, the Austro-Hungarian governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The assassinations produced widespread shock across Europe. There was a great deal of initial sympathy toward Austria. Within two days, Austria-Hungary and its ally, Germany, advised Serbia that it should open an investigation on the assassination, but the Serbian government responded that the incident did not concern them. After conducting its own criminal investigation, Austro-Hungary issued what became known as the July Ultimatum, which listed demands made to Serbia regarding the assassinations within 48 hours. After receiving support from Russia, Serbia agreed to at least two out of ten demands. The government mobilized its troops and transported them by tramp steamers across the Danube River to the Austro-Hungarian at Temes-Kubin. Austro-Hungarian soldiers fired into the air to warn them off. On July 28, 1914; Austria-Hungary and its ally, Germany, declared war on Serbia. Under the Secret Treaty of 1892, Russia and France were obliged to mobilize their armies if any of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austo-Hungary and Italy) mobilized. Russia's mobilization completed full Austro-Hungarian and German mobilizations. Soon all the Great Powers, except Italy, had chosen sides. World War I had begun.

Sunday, October 5, 2025

"LOKI" Season One (2021) Photo Gallery

Below are images from Season One of "LOKI", the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)/Disney Plus limited series. Created by Michael Waldron, the series starred Tom Hiddleston in the title role:

"LOKI" SEASON ONE (2021) Photo Gallery