Taylor Momsen
American musician and former actress (born 1993)
Taylor Michel Momsen (born July 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, model, and former actress. Prior to her retirement from acting, she portrayed the character of Cindy Lou Who in the film "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) and Jenny Humphrey on The CW's teen drama series "Gossip Girl" (2007–2010; 2012). Momsen has been the frontwoman of the American rock band the Pretty Reckless since their inception in 2009.
Early life.
Momsen was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are Michael and Collette Momsen. She also has a younger sister, Sloane Momsen, who is also an actress. She is of partial Russian descent. She was raised Catholic, attending Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School for elementary school and later Herbert Hoover Middle School (in Potomac, Maryland), but is now non-religious. She also studied ballet at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in St. Louis.
Career.
Acting.
She began acting professionally at three years of age in a 1997 national commercial for Shake 'n Bake. She was then cast in "The Prophet's Game".
In 2000, Momsen played the role of Cindy Lou Who in Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", her breakout role. In 2002, she played Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel" and Alexandra, the President's daughter, in "".
Momsen's career came to a halt for over three years until she received a lead role in the WB series "Misconceptions", which never aired. After that, she appeared in the 2006 film "Saving Shiloh". She also auditioned for the title role in "Hannah Montana", and was in the top three, but the role was instead awarded to Miley Cyrus—a decision that Momsen was happy with in retrospect. In 2007, she starred in the Walt Disney Pictures film "Underdog" as Molly and as Jennifer in the movie "Paranoid Park", directed by Gus Van Sant.
Beginning in 2007, she played the character of Jenny Humphrey in The CW television series "Gossip Girl", based on the book series by Cecily von Ziegesar. Momsen's appearances on the series became increasingly sporadic, and, by the end of the first half of the fourth season, she had only appeared in four episodes. It was then announced that the actress would be scheduled for an indefinite hiatus from the show, which ended with her leaving the series as a regular cast member after the completion of the fourth season in 2011. On August 16, 2011, Momsen told "Elle" magazine that she had quit acting to focus on her music career. On October 16, 2012, it was reported that Momsen would be returning to "Gossip Girl" for its final episode, in which she appeared briefly in the wedding sequence.
Reflecting on her child acting career, she described it as an "alienating" experience, detailing bullying she received after her performance in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".
Modeling.
Momsen was signed with Ford Models at a very young age: "My parents signed me up with Ford [Modeling] at the age of two. No two-year-old wants to be working, but I had no choice. My whole life, I was in and out of school. I didn't have friends. I was working constantly and I didn't have a real life."
In June 2008, at the age of 14, Momsen signed to IMG Models. She was the face of British fashion chain New Look for its spring/summer 2010 collection. After weeks of speculation about who would be the face of Madonna's 2010 fashion line "Material Girl", Momsen was announced on July 15, 2010. A week later, Momsen was announced as the model for John Galliano's new women's fragrance, scheduled to launch in autumn 2010. In 2010, she appeared in a video for Galliano's "Parlez-Moi d'Amour" fragrance ad campaign.
Momsen is the face of Samantha Thavasa's handbag line. She has done multiple photoshoots, press events, and commercials.
Momsen appeared on the cover of "Page Six Magazine" when she was 15 years old in 2009. She also appeared on the February 2010 cover of "Seventeen". In October 2010, Momsen wore a pair of platform stilettos, thigh-high stockings, and a holster strapped around her leg for "Revolver". She appeared on the cover of "FHM"'s March 2012 edition and "FHM" ranked Momsen #29 in its 2012 Hot 100 issue. She also made her cover debut for "Maxim" in the November 2013 issue.
In an interview with music journalist Jason Tanamor, when asked about posing for "Playboy", she said, "I was at the mansion last week and took some pictures. Does that count?"
Music.
Momsen has said that "music is where I can be me", stating that "acting is easy. I've been doing it for so long and I totally love it. But you're playing a character instead of yourself. Music is more personal because you're writing it and you're involved in every step of it." At seven years old, Momsen recorded the song "Where Are You Christmas?" for the soundtrack to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". In 2002, she recorded the songs "One Small Voice" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for the compilation album "School's Out! Christmas".
In March 2009, Momsen stated in an interview with "OK!" magazine that her band the Pretty Reckless had signed a deal with Interscope Records. She played her first tour with her band opening for The Veronicas on their Revenge Is Sweeter Tour in spring 2009. After the tour, Momsen began working with guitarist Ben Phillips, who would soon join the band. Momsen subsequently swapped out her former bandmates. She co-writes songs with Phillips; in addition to lead vocals, Momsen also plays rhythm guitar.
The band's debut album "Light Me Up" was released on August 30, 2010, in the UK, where it debuted at number 6, as well as at number 18 in Ireland. The first single "Make Me Wanna Die" was released on May 30, 2010, while the second single "Miss Nothing" which was released on August 23, 2010, peaked at number 39. "Just Tonight" was released as the album's third single. Songs from this album have featured in the movie "Kick-Ass" as well as the television series "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gossip Girl".
Television personality Heidi Montag recorded "Blackout", a song written by Momsen. According to Momsen, she wrote the song when she was 8 years old and recorded it as a demo with a producer. Montag released the song as a digital only single, with the music video being directed by her husband Spencer Pratt. Momsen commented about the recording: "I'm like, okay, dude, you're singing an 8-year-old's words, but that's cool. It's so funny because I didn't shop it or anything and I get this call going, 'Did you write a song for Heidi Montag'? And I'm like, 'What?'" The track was later included on Montag's debut studio album, "Superficial" (2010).
On July 27, 2011, Momsen announced that the band would be the supporting act for Evanescence during the fall of 2011. Throughout 2012, Momsen and her band toured North America; the second headlining tour, titled the Medicine Tour, began in March 2012 and culminated with supporting dates for Marilyn Manson's 2012 world tour Hey Cruel World... Tour. Momsen also appeared as guest vocalist on the first track of ex Ministry member Paul Barker's 2012 album "Fix This".
On November 30, 2012, it was announced that the Pretty Reckless' fourth single "Kill Me" would be released on December 11. The track was the last song to be featured in the "Gossip Girl" series finale.
Momsen cites Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Who, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Marilyn Manson, Oasis, and Shirley Manson of Garbage as some of her personal influences.
"Going to Hell" was released on March 18, 2014. The release marked the band's largest sales week to date and landed at number five on the Billboard 200 with over 35,000 copies sold in its first week. The success of the record saw Taylor, along with the rest of the band, break records when they became the first female-fronted band to reach No. 1 on the rock radio charts with its first two singles: "Heaven Knows" in March 2014 and "Fucked Up World" in September 2014. The Pretty Reckless also spent the majority of late 2013 throughout 2014 on tour supporting "Going To Hell". In 2014, her band also supported Fall Out Boy in their European leg of the Save Rock n Roll Tour along with New Politics.
Throughout 2015, Momsen continued to record new material for the third Pretty Reckless album. On September 29, 2016, the band released the single "Take Me Down", which reached number one on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock chart. The third album, "Who You Selling For," was released in October 2016.
In 2020, Momsen lent her vocals to the American rock band Evanescence for "Use My Voice", a single from the band's album "The Bitter Truth," alongside other artists such as American rock vocalist Lzzy Hale from Halestorm, Dutch symphonic metal vocalist Sharon den Adel from Within Temptation, and electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling.
The Pretty Reckless released their fourth album, "Death by Rock and Roll", on February 12, 2021. The Pretty Reckless became the first female-fronted band to have five number one singles when "Death by Rock and Roll" hit number one on the charts.
Personal life.
Momsen was friends with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and record producer Kato Khandwala. After their respective deaths in 2017 and 2018, she isolated herself, and fell into depression, eventually using music to deal with the trauma.
Discography.
The Pretty Reckless studio albums
References.
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)
2000 Christmas film by Ron Howard
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a 2000 American Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Ron Howard, who also produced with Brian Grazer, from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's book of the same name, this marked the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film. It is the first live-action adaptation and the second adaptation of the book, following the 1966 animated TV special. Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, the film stars Jim Carrey as the eponymous character, with Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles. The story revolves around the Grinch, a grumpy, green recluse living on Mount Crumpit, who despises Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville and sets out to sabotage their holiday celebration.
"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was released on November 17, 2000, by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for Carrey's performance and the film's visual effects, while its dark humor and tone were criticized. It emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, grossing $347 million worldwide and spending four weeks as the top film in the U.S. It became the highest-grossing film of 2000 domestically and the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000 worldwide. It is on the second highest-grossing holiday film of all time behind "Home Alone" (1990), until it was surpassed by the 2018 animated version of "The Grinch" produced by Universal's Illumination animation division.
At the 73rd Academy Awards, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" won Best Makeup and Hairstyling, in addition to earning nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Carrey's performance earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Plot.
As the Whos of Whoville prepare for their beloved Christmas celebrations, the Grinch, a bitter and misanthropic green creature who resides in a cave on Mount Crumpit, despises the holiday and plans to ruin it. Six-year-old Cindy Lou Who, disillusioned by the town's obsession with the materialistic aspects of Christmas, has a chance encounter with the Grinch at the Whoville post office, where he reluctantly saves her after she falls into a mail-sorting machine.
Wishing to learn why the supposedly-evil Grinch saved her, Cindy makes inquiries and learns from the townspeople that the orphaned Grinch was raised by two elderly female Whos. While in school, the Grinch and his classmate Martha May Whovier had mutual crushes on each other. Class bully Augustus MayWho, who was also interested in Martha, told the Grinch that Martha would never like him because of his hairy face. The Grinch tried to shave with an electric razor just before the class Christmas Party, but ended up cutting himself numerous times. When Augustus, the teacher and every other classmate but Martha laughed at the result, the Grinch snapped, declared his hatred of Christmas, and fled to Mount Crumpit.
Determined to try to make things right, Cindy nominates the Grinch as the town's Holiday Cheermeister; the townsfolk agree, but Augustus, who is now the Mayor, strongly objects. Cindy personally travels to Mount Crumpit to invite the Grinch, who is reluctantly persuaded to come after he learns Martha will be there. At the ceremony, the Grinch participates in various events and greatly enjoys himself, until Mayor MayWho gives him an electric razor as a present, deliberately reminding him of his unhappy childhood. To further humiliate the Grinch, Mayor MayWho proposes to Martha in front of everyone, offering her a new car as an engagement gift. Inflamed, the Grinch lashes out at the Whos, accusing them of valuing Christmas only for its materialism. He then shaves the mayor's head and lights the town's Christmas tree on fire before returning to his cave on Mount Crumpit.
Learning that the Whos have a spare tree and are still planning to celebrate, the Grinch hatches a plan to steal all the Whos' Christmas presents, decorations, and food while they sleep. Disguising himself as Santa Claus and dressing his dog Max as a reindeer, the Grinch descends into Whoville on a high-tech sleigh. He starts by sneaking into Cindy Lou Who's house. Cindy spots him, but mistakes him for Santa Claus, and the Grinch manages to convince her he is just taking the tree to the North Pole for repairs. After she goes to bed, the Grinch strips the entire town of its Christmas goods, stuffing everything into a giant sack and driving it to the top of Mount Crumpit.
On Christmas morning, the Whos wake up to discover the theft, much to their dismay. Mayor MayWho accuses Cindy of causing the Grinch to ruin Christmas, but her father, postmaster Lou Lou Who, defends her, reminding the town that Christmas is about more than gifts and decorations. Inspired by his words, the Whos come together, join hands, and begin singing Christmas carols, while Cindy once again sneaks off to Mount Crumpit to visit the Grinch.
As the Grinch prepares to push the sleigh full of stolen goods off the top of Mount Crumpit, he hears the Whos singing below and realizes that his plan has failed. Struck by the true meaning of Christmas, the Grinch's heart literally grows three sizes, and he is overcome with emotion. He then notices the sleigh is about to slip off the mountain into the gorge below, with Cindy sitting atop it. In an impressive feat of strength, the Grinch bodily lifts the sleigh, saving Cindy and the town's Christmas decor.
Returning to Whoville, the Grinch gives back the stolen goods and apologizes. He surrenders to the police, but they decide to pardon him, despite Mayor MayWho's objections. Martha May immediately returns Mayor MayWho's engagement ring and professes her love for the Grinch. After joining the Whos for more carol singing, the reformed Grinch allows the Whos to hold their traditional Christmas feast in his cave, personally carving and serving the Roast Beast.
Production.
Development.
Before his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss consistently declined offers to sell the film rights to his books. However, following his passing, his widow Audrey Geisel began entertaining several merchandising deals, including clothing lines, accessories, and CDs. In July 1998, her agents made a significant announcement: the film rights to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" would be auctioned. The terms were stringent—suitors had to be willing to pay $5 million upfront, 4% of the box-office gross, 50% of merchandising revenue, 70% of book tie-in profits, and music-related income. In addition, any actor considered for the role of the Grinch had to be of a similar stature to Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey. Only directors or writers who had previously earned at least $1 million on a previous project were eligible to participate.
Several studios and filmmakers pitched their vision for the live-action "Grinch". 20th Century Fox, with director Tom Shadyac and producers Dave Phillips and John Davis, pitched their version with Jack Nicholson in mind for the Grinch. The Farrelly brothers and John Hughes also submitted their own versions. Universal Pictures, represented by Brian Grazer and Gary Ross, also made a presentation, but all offers were initially rejected by Geisel. Grazer, however, enlisted his producing partner, Ron Howard, to join negotiations. Though Howard was initially uninterested in a live-action "Grinch" and was focused on adapting "The Sea-Wolf", Grazer convinced him to visit Geisel for a pitch. While reviewing the book, Howard became intrigued by Cindy Lou Who's character and developed a vision for a film with an expanded role for her, a deeper portrayal of the Whos, and a more fleshed-out backstory for the Grinch.
In September 1998, Howard officially signed on to direct and co-produce the film, with Jim Carrey cast as the Grinch. John Stamos auditioned for the role, but backed out due to being allergic to prosthetics. It was later revealed that Universal Pictures paid $9 million for the rights to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Oh, the Places You'll Go!". Before Howard's involvement, Tim Burton was approached to direct but turned down the offer due to a scheduling conflict with "Sleepy Hollow".
The final screenplay, written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (known for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Doc Hollywood"), underwent eight drafts before reaching a final version. Audrey Geisel had significant control over the script, vetoing several jokes she found inappropriate, including one about a family called the "Who-steins" who lacked a Christmas tree and presents. Additionally, she rejected the inclusion of a stuffed trophy of "The Cat in the Hat" on the Grinch's wall. Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer, writers from "Seinfeld", contributed to an uncredited rewrite.
Filming and makeup.
Principal photography for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" took place from September 1999 to January 2000. Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss' widow, visited the set in October 1999. The majority of the Whoville set was constructed on the Universal Studios Backlot, located behind the iconic Bates Motel set from "Psycho" (1960). Rick Baker, the makeup artist, was responsible for designing and creating the prosthetic makeup for Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast. According to Baker on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience", originally, "they wanted me to paint Jim Carrey green and that was it" but after leaking a test video of himself in Grinch-makeup, the studio agreed to Baker's version in the film. After several tests, Carrey was impressed by a photo of Baker's first makeup test, leading to the decision to use Baker's initial design. The Grinch costume was made of yak hair, dyed green, and sewn onto a spandex suit.
The makeup application process for Carrey took up to two and a half hours each day, and Carrey often compared wearing the costume to "being buried alive." In his frustration, he once kicked a hole in the wall of his trailer. Kazu Hiro, Carrey's makeup artist, recalled that Carrey was initially difficult to work with on set, often being irritable and disappearing during shoots. This led to significant production delays, with only three days' worth of footage being completed after two weeks of filming. Hiro eventually left the production, but after discussions with Ron Howard and Baker, Carrey agreed to control his temper, and Hiro returned to the set. To help Carrey cope with the grueling makeup process, producer Brian Grazer hired a consultant to train him in methods for "enduring torture".
Josh Ryan Evans, who portrayed the eight-year-old Grinch, wore the same type of makeup and bodysuit as Carrey. Over the course of filming, Carrey spent 92 days in Grinch makeup and eventually became more comfortable with the process. Most of the makeup appliances used for the actors were connected to their upper lips, along with prosthetic noses, ears, dentures, and wigs.
To keep Carrey's spirits up during production, Howard once donned a Grinch suit himself, and on another occasion, he invited actor Don Knotts to the set, knowing Carrey was a fan of Knotts' work. Carrey also wore uncomfortable yellow contact lenses for his portrayal of the Grinch, but due to the discomfort, many scenes required post-production digital alterations to color his eyes.
During one scene, where the Grinch is directing his dog, Max, Carrey improvised by mimicking Howard's directing style. Howard found the impression hilarious and decided to include the moment in the final cut of the film.
Visual effects.
The film's visual effects were provided by Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H) and Digital Domain, who crafted the CGI environments and characters.
In addition to the visual effects, the movie relied heavily on practical effects and extensive makeup to transform Jim Carrey into the Grinch. This involved hours of makeup application using pioneering techniques that allowed for flexibility in Carrey's facial expressions, enabling him to maintain his comedic timing and exaggerated movements despite the prosthetics.
Music.
The soundtrack for the album was released on November 7, 2000. It features a collection of music performed by several artists, including Busta Rhymes, Faith Hill, Eels, Smash Mouth, and NSYNC.
An expanded edition of the soundtrack featuring more cues from Horner's score was released on November 1, 2022 on La-La Land Records.
All song lengths via Apple Music.
Release.
Theatrical.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was first screened on November 8 at the Universal Amphitheatre to the cast and crew, as well as others in the industry, including Will Smith.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was theatrically released by Universal Pictures in the United States and Canada on November 17, 2000. Then on November 23, 2000 it was released in Germany and one week later on November 30 it was released in Argentina, Australia, Malaysia and Netherlands. Later on December 1, 2000 the film received widespread release in The United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Uruguay and South Africa. Throughout December the film would also be released in France, Croatia, Chile, Hungary, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Russia as well as others.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was later re-released in Germany on November 15, 2001.
Television.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" premiered on television on ABC on November 25, 2004, and aired there until 2014 (with the exception of 2009). From 2010 to 2014, it was paired with the animated television special, airing annually as part of ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, which later became Freeform's event. During its airings, additional deleted scenes were featured that were not part of the original theatrical, VHS, or DVD releases. These included extended scenes such as Cindy's dad maxing out his credit card on gifts, Cindy inquiring about the Grinch before school, Lou visiting Cindy after she stayed late at school, and extended Grinch scenes in his cave and at the Christmas party. Other added content involved Martha May and Betty Lou competing in the Christmas Lights Contest in which it was won by Martha May, the Grinch trying on different outfits, and various moments showing the Whos preparing for Christmas.
Since 2015, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" has aired on NBC on Christmas night, typically following the animated television special. However, it did not air in 2022 due to an NFL game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Arizona Cardinals. In 2020, it aired on FX to promote the television premiere of the 2018 animated film of The Grinch.
Marketing.
In Summer 2000, a trailer for "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" debuted in theaters, attached to screenings of '. This was part of an agreement between Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, in which Paramount agreed to show the "Grinch" trailer in exchange for Universal screening a Paramount trailer in front of '. A second trailer debuted on October 6, 2000, along with the release of "Meet the Parents".
Simultaneously, Toys "R" Us launched a massive promotional campaign for the film, transforming their stores into "Whobilation Headquarters" with one of the most elaborate visual merchandising displays in the company's history. Stores featured floor-to-ceiling window graphics of the film's characters, and in some locations, 8-foot 3D Grinch-themed characters adorned the entrances. Wendy's also joined the promotion, offering kids meal toys featuring the Grinch. Additional promotional partners included Kellogg's, Nabisco, Hershey's, Visa, Coca-Cola and United States Postal Service.
To further coincide with the film's release, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal's Islands of Adventure introduced Grinchmas, a holiday event that has since become an annual tradition at the theme parks.
Home media.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was released on VHS and DVD on November 20, 2001. In its first week of release, it sold a combined total of <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />8+1⁄2 million home video units, including three million DVDs and four million VHS copies, making it the best-selling holiday home video title at that time. The film became one of only four titles—alongside "", "Shrek" and "The Mummy Returns"—to sell more than two million DVD copies during their opening weeks. It also achieved the distinction of being the second-highest opening week home video sales for any live-action film, following "Titanic".
In December 2001, "Variety" reported that the film was the second-biggest selling home video release of the year, with 16.9 million copies sold and $296 million in revenue. A Blu-ray/DVD combo pack was released on October 13, 2009, followed by a digitally remastered Blu-ray release on October 13, 2015. The film was also remastered in 4K and released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 17, 2017.
Reception.
Box office.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" grossed $260 million domestically and $85.1 million in other territories, resulting in a worldwide gross of $345.1 million, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000.
In the United States, the film debuted at #1 on its opening day, earning $15.6 million. Over the weekend, it grossed $55.1 million, with an average of $17,615 from 3,127 theaters. At the time of its release, it held the sixth-highest three-day opening weekend of any film, trailing behind "Toy Story 2", "X-Men", ', ' and "". Additionally, it surpassed "Batman Forever" to secure the largest opening weekend for a Jim Carrey film and set a new record for Ron Howard's highest-grossing opening weekend, overtaking "Ransom" (1996). The film became the first non-Disney film to top the Thanksgiving weekend box office since "Mrs. Doubtfire" in 1993. It held the record for the highest opening weekend for a Christmas-themed film for 18 years, until the 2018 animated version of "The Grinch" surpassed it with $67.6 million.
In its second weekend, the film grossed $52.1 million, dropping just 5.1%, setting a record for the highest-grossing second weekend for any film at that time, surpassing "The Phantom Menace". It remained at the top of the box office for four weekends, until it was overtaken by "What Women Want" and "Dude, Where's My Car?" in mid-December. It continued to draw holiday crowds, outperforming another family film, "The Emperor's New Groove". By then, it had surpassed "Mission: Impossible 2" to become the top-grossing film of the year. The film ended its theatrical run on March 1, 2001, with a final domestic gross of $260,044,825. "Box Office Mojo" estimates that the film sold over 48.1 million tickets in North America.
Critical response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" holds an approval rating of 49% based on 144 reviews with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Jim Carrey shines as the Grinch. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this movie. You'd be better off watching the TV cartoon." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, describing it as "a dank, eerie, weird movie about a sour creature" and noting that the production design lacked the festive brightness that the material required. Ebert remarked that Carrey "works as hard as an actor has ever worked in a movie, to small avail", but noted that adults might appreciate Carrey's effort "in an intellectual sort of way."
Paul Clinton of CNN highlighted Carrey's dominance in the film, stating that "Carrey was born to play this role" and adding that "if he's not in the scene, there is no scene". Similarly, Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" commented on the Grinch's "mischievously divided" personality and praised how Carrey's performance transitions from chaotic to heartfelt, concluding that Carrey "carreys the movie" ["sic"] by skillfully balancing his wild antics with a genuine emotional turn.
Peter Stack of the "San Francisco Chronicle" said, "Nobody could play the Grinch better than Jim Carrey, whose rubbery antics and maniacal sense of mischief are so well suited to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Dr. Seuss himself might have turned to Carrey as a model for the classic curmudgeon had the actor been around in 1957." However, he wondered why Carrey "made himself sound like Sean Connery" and warned that the character's intensity may frighten small children. James Berardinelli of ReelViews wrote that Carrey's "off-the-wall performance is reminiscent of what he accomplished in "The Mask", except that here he never allows the special effects to upstage him. Carrey's Grinch is a combination of Seuss's creation and Carrey's personality, with a voice that sounds far more like a weird amalgamation of Sean Connery and Jim Backus (Bond meets Magoo!) than it does Karloff." He concluded that Carrey "brings animation to the live action, and, surrounded by glittering, fantastical sets and computer-spun special effects, Carrey enables Ron Howard's version of the classic story to come across as more of a welcome endeavor than a pointless re-tread."
Other reviews were more mixed. Stephanie Zacharek of "Salon" criticized the film, writing that "Carrey pulls off an admirable impersonation of an animated figure ... It's fine as mimicry goes – but mimicry isn't the best playground for comic genius." While acknowledging a few "terrific ad-libs," she felt Carrey's jokes were "nothing more than a desperate effort to inject some offbeat humor into an otherwise numbingly unhip, nonsensical and just plain dull story."
Todd McCarthy of "Variety" echoed some of these sentiments, noting that Carrey "tries out all sorts of intonations, vocal pitches, and delivery styles" in his performance, at times reminding viewers of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. However, McCarthy felt that while Carrey's antics hit the mark at times, they also seemed "arbitrary and scattershot." He further commented that Carrey's "free-flowing tirades, full of catch-all allusions and references, are pitched for adult appreciation" and were likely to "sail right over the heads of pre-teens."
Possible sequel.
In December 2024, despite the widow's disapproval and prohibition over producing live-action adaptations of Seuss' works in the future, Carrey stated that he was open to reprising his role as the Grinch in a new film on the condition that he could portray The Grinch through motion capture technology, citing his "extremely excruciating" experience with makeup in the original film.
References.
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The Grinch (film)
2018 animated film by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney
The Grinch, also known as Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, is a 2018 American animated Christmas comedy film produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination, and distributed by Universal. The third screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss' 1957 book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!", following the 1966 television special and the 2000 live-action feature-length film, it is Illumination's second Dr. Seuss film adaptation, after "The Lorax" in 2012. The plot follows the Grinch, who plans to stop Whoville's Christmas celebration by stealing all the town's decorations and gifts, with his pet dog Max.
The film was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, from a screenplay written by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow. The film stars the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character, with Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, and Pharrell Williams, who serves as the narrator. The film was announced in 2013, and by 2016, Cumberbatch was cast as the titular character, and Cheney and Peter Candeland were set to direct. However, in 2018, Mosier took over Candeland's


Barney Miller
American sitcom
Barney Miller is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village (Lower Manhattan). The series was broadcast on ABC from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Former character actor Noam Pitlik directed 102 of the 170 episodes. It spawned a spin-off series, "Fish", that ran from February 5, 1977, to May 18, 1978, focusing on the character Philip K. Fish.
Premise.
"Barney Miller" takes place almost entirely within the confines of the detectives' squad room and Captain Barney Miller's adjoining office of New York City's fictional 12th Precinct, located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. A typical episode featured the detectives of the 12th bringing in several complainants or suspects to the squad room. Usually, there were two or three separate subplots in a given episode, with different officers dealing with different crimes. Rarely, about once a year, an episode would feature one or more of the detectives outside of the walls of the precinct, either on a stakeout or at their homes.
The squad consists of:<br>
Capt. Bernard (Barney) Miller. An affable, personable senior officer who tries to maintain a sense of order while his detectives process a noisy parade of unusual criminals and victims. He reasons with the various complainants to effect a successful conclusion or compromise. Barney is noted around the squad room for his compassion, dedication, and diplomacy, but he does have to cope with the personal problems of his squad. His marriage is troubled; both husband and wife love each other, but Mrs. Miller constantly worries for Barney's safety in dangerous police situations, and agitates for him to leave his job or move somewhere else.
Sgt. Philip K. Fish. The senior member of the squad, the sad-faced Sgt. Fish is a world-weary police veteran who is friendly enough but seldom smiles. He usually makes pointed observations about the strange situations in the squad room. He is constantly telephoned by his lonely wife Bernice, who saddles him with her own problems. Bernice is seldom seen in person; the character is almost always played by Florence Stanley, and once by Doris Belack.
Sgt. Nick Yemana. Second in seniority, Sgt. Yemana is an even-tempered, good-humored Japanese bachelor. He usually shows only mild surprise at the craziness in the squad room, and makes quietly humorous remarks. He is energy efficient, making only token attempts to handle the mountain of police paperwork, but he does follow through on cases. His hobbies are gambling (he is constantly following horse races) and Japanese cooking, and he makes the worst coffee in town.
Det. Stanley (Wojo) Wojciehowicz. Originally written as the house dumb-bell with a goofy laugh and funny remarks, Wojo becomes an "average man" character who often brings his troubles to the office and turns to Barney as a father figure. Wojo cares about people's problems, and worries about the consequences of governmental inactivity. (This first manifested itself when Wojo discovered there was no plan in place to evacuate New York in case of an emergency.) In these cases, he takes matters into his own hands and summons federal officials, much to Barney's embarrassment. Away from the squad room, Wojo is a ladies' man, whose late nights make him constantly late for work.
Sgt. Ron Harris. Harris is a black bachelor, and early episodes have him using urban street slang. He becomes a literate, intelligent detective who lapses into dialect only under stress. Harris always dresses impeccably and enjoys the finer things in life, with a thirst for more respect and prestige. He moonlights as a writer of fiction, with magazine stories to his credit. His squad-based novel becomes a success, and his self-centered pursuit of wealth occupies many of his working hours.
Sgt. Chano Amengual. Amengual is a Puerto Rican bachelor and, like Wojo, is sensitive to people's problems. An excellent detective, he is very observant and his unusual methods solve cases. He is bilingual, which is helpful when the need arises, and he is disgusted and frankly embarrassed by the influx of petty criminals who are also Puerto Rican.
Sgt. Arthur Dietrich. When Fish retires, Dietrich replaces him. The bespectacled Dietrich is very low-key and highly intelligent, having trained in both the medical and legal professions, and he has a vast knowledge of specialized topics. He can be counted on to define some esoteric concept quickly and clearly. He is an unusually thorough detective, going to great lengths to follow leads when he thinks he's right, and he uses his wide knowledge to solve baffling cases. Away from the squad room, he is a bachelor who loves jazz and plays a poor clarinet, and he enjoys sports, TV cartoons, and The Three Stooges.
Officer Carl Levitt. An ambitious, obsequious patrolman who delivers the daily mail. He never fails to remind Barney that he is available for plainclothes detective work, and ultimately the persistent Levitt is allowed to work part-time among the detectives. Levitt occasionally displays surprising skills that help solve cases. Away from the squad room, Levitt also enjoys the Stooges, particularly Shemp Howard.
Cast.
Recurring characters.
Other officers and staff.
‡ "Murdock, Gorman, and Leiber all made guest appearances in other roles in addition to their regularly recurring series roles."
12th Precinct regulars.
The 12th Precinct had a number of regular complainants, habitués of the holding cell, or other people who often dropped by. Characters seen on three or more episodes included:
Pilot.
The series was born out of an unsold television pilot, "The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller", that aired on August 22, 1974, as part of an ABC summer anthology series, "Just for Laughs". Linden and Vigoda were cast in their series roles; no other eventual cast members were present. Abby Dalton played Barney Miller's wife, Liz, while Val Bisoglio, Rod Perry, and a pre-"Hill Street Blues" Charles Haid rounded out the cast of the pilot. Guest stars included Mike Moore, Chu Chu Mulave, Henry Beckman, Buddy Lester, Michael Tessier and Anne Wyndham.
The pilot script was later largely reused in the debut episode "Ramon". For this reworked episode, Bisoglio's lines were more or less evenly split between the new characters of Yemana and Chano, while Haid's character of Kazinski became Max Gail's Wojciehowicz. Rod Perry's character, Sgt. Wilson, was replaced by Harris in the reworked episode, although Wilson would reappear one more time in the first-season episode "Experience" before disappearing from the series entirely. Abby Dalton was replaced by Barbara Barrie as Liz, and Henry Beckman's character of Uncle Charlie was dropped entirely. The rest of the guest cast (Moore, Malave, Lester, Tessier, and Wyndham) reprised their roles in the debut episode.
Unlike the remainder of the series, the pilot was shot on film at CBS Studio Center, where the sets of the 12th Precinct and the Miller apartment were originally built. When the show went into regular production in late 1974, it was recorded on videotape. The sets were moved to the ABC Television Center in Hollywood, where they remained until production ended in 1982.
The pilot was never broadcast in syndication. It was released in 2011 as part of Shout Factory's complete series set on DVD.
Opening theme.
The show's theme music is an instrumental in a jazz fusion style, written by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson. The theme opens with a distinctive bass line performed by studio musician Chuck Berghofer. The bass line was improvised by Berghofer at the request of producer Dominik Hauser: "Can you do something on the bass? This guy is a cop in New York. Can we just start it out with the bass?" Several versions of the theme were used during different seasons.
The theme plays over scenes of the Manhattan skyline, followed by shots of the characters and opening credits. Season 1 opened and closed with a shot of Midtown Manhattan as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey. Season 2 onward opened with a shot of Lower Manhattan as seen from Brooklyn Heights, with a barge being towed in the foreground, and closed with a shot of the Midtown Manhattan skyline as seen from Long Island City.
The theme song was ranked No. 23 and No. 27, respectively, by "Complex" and "Paste" magazines, in their lists of "best TV theme songs".
Production.
Staging.
Production of "Barney Miller" deliberately resembled a theatrical stage play; scenes rarely strayed from the precinct station's squad room, with its prominent open-barred holding cell, and Miller's adjoining office. The room was said to be on the second or third floor, depending on the episode. Clutter was plentiful and much of it seemed immobile over the years, including a coat hanging on a clothes rack near Harris' desk. A handful of episodes (fewer than a dozen of 170) were partially or fully set in other locations, including a stakeout location ("Stakeout"), a hospital room ("Hair"), an undercover operation ("Grand Hotel"), a jail (three separate rooms in "Contempt"), a hotel room ("Chinatown"), and the apartments of Barney ("Ramon" and "Graft"), Chano ("The Hero"), Fish ("Fish") and Wojo ("Wojo's Girl"). In "The DNA Story", we finally see the inside of the men's room. "Barney Miller" tended to obey two of the three classical unities of drama: unity of place and unity of time. The third unity, unity of action, was not followed, since each episode had multiple subplots.
"Barney Miller" was one of the few sitcoms of the period that occasionally mentioned the then-current year or allowed the audience to infer the then-current year.
Taping.
"Barney Miller" was notorious for its marathon taping sessions. Early seasons were recorded before a live studio audience and used a laugh track for sweetening reactions during post-production. Creator and executive producer Danny Arnold would then rewrite and restage entire scenes after the audience departed, actively looking for quieter, subtler moments that would not play well before a crowd; a taping session that began in the afternoon or early evening would then continue into the early morning hours. Max Gail referred to this in the Jack Soo retrospective episode aired on May 17, 1979, remarking that one of the clips shown was a scene that "we finished around 2:30 in the morning." In a 1977 blooper, a crew member mentions it being 3:15 a.m.
Writer Tom Reeder described working on the show:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Danny Arnold was the creator of the show, and especially in the early years, he was a marvel. When he was "on", he could spin out entire scenes, ad-libbing dialogue—and great jokes—for every character. By the time those scenes got to script form, though, he obsessively rewrote them.
That's true of a lot of showrunners, but Danny couldn't seem to stop himself. Sometime during season 2 (or maybe it was 3) the show was no longer taped in front of an audience, partly because the script was rarely done by show night. When one season began, six pages were in print. Not six scripts—six pages of one script.
This meant that on the day the show was taped, the actors would hang around on the stage, waiting for pages to be sent down. Then—sometimes at 2 a.m.—they would have to learn new scenes. Ron Carey (Officer Levitt) would get his fairly quickly: "Here's your mail, Captain." On the other hand, poor Steve Landesberg (Dietrich) might have to memorize long speeches explaining how nuclear fission works.
In the early years, Danny benefited from the heroic writing efforts of Chris Hayward, who was a veteran writer, and rookies Tony Sheehan and Reinhold Weege who, like me, didn't know any better. They were the "Barney Miller" writing staff. My agent wisely turned down Danny's annual offers of staff jobs, negotiating freelance assignments (so-called "multiple deals") for me instead. Even so, the pace was frantic—on one assignment I was given three hours to write the story outline. On another occasion, a friend came into my office at ABC-Vine Street and said, "Hey, Reeder, want to go get some lunch?" I pointed to the paper in my typewriter and said, "This script is on the stage—thanks anyway."
Employing a live audience became impractical as lengthy reshoots became commonplace. By Season 4, only a quiet laugh track was used when necessary.
Barney Miller's wife.
When "Barney Miller" premiered in January 1975, actress Barbara Barrie was hired as a regular cast member to play Liz Miller, Barney's wise, faithful, and loving wife. She received second billing in the opening credits after Hal Linden. During that half-season, Barrie appeared in seven episodes out of thirteen. At that time, the premise of the show was to focus on Barney's career as a police captain at the 12th Precinct as well as his home life with his wife and children.
At the start of the 1975–76 season, when it became evident that storylines at the 12th Precinct were taking precedence, Barrie went to producer Danny Arnold and asked to be released from the show. Arnold reluctantly agreed and Barrie appeared in only two episodes that year: "The Social Worker", which was the second episode of the second season, and the holiday installment "Happy New Year". But she continued to receive second billing in the opening credits throughout the second year.
In the third season, Barrie's character as well as Barney's children were occasionally mentioned but never seen. In the spring of 1978, Barrie returned to the series as a guest star reprising her role of Liz Miller in the episode "Quo Vadis". In that episode, Barney gets shot on duty, but survives his attack virtually unharmed. Liz, upset by the incident and unable to withstand the pressures of being a policeman's wife, gives Barney an ultimatum to either give up his police job so they can move to a safer neighborhood or end their marriage. At the end of the episode, Barney and Liz separate.
During the 1978–79 season, Barrie made her final appearance on "Barney Miller" in the Christmas show "Toys". In that episode, Liz meets Barney at the 12th Precinct on Christmas Eve to discuss celebrating the holidays with their children, leading up to the possibility of a reconciliation. After this episode, Liz is never seen again, but toward the end of the fifth season, Barney happily announces to his staff that he and Liz have ended their separation and that he is moving back to their apartment. Despite Barrie's absence, her character continues to be mentioned throughout the rest of the show's run, and when a dangerous police emergency is announced on radio or television, Liz always calls to check on Barney's safety.
Fish.
In the first season of "Barney Miller", the character of Fish (played by Abe Vigoda) proved so popular that ABC was considering a spin-off as early as October 1975, and the actor Vigoda tried to emphasize his importance to "Barney Miller". Author Richard Meyers reported, "Abe Vigoda had been complaining loudly and often that if it were not for Fish, "Barney" might be a bust. He wanted more attention, more credit, and more money. ["TV Guide"] said that he wanted the show changed to "Fish and Barney", although he would accept "Barney and Fish"." Producer Danny Arnold settled the situation by giving Vigoda his own show, provided that he appeared on at least some of the "Barney Miller" episodes in the meantime.
"Fish" premiered on February 5, 1977. It focused on the domestic side of Fish's life as he and his wife Bernice (played by Florence Stanley) became foster parents to five racially mixed children known as "Persons in Need of Supervision" (PINS). Fish continued to appear sporadically in the second half of Season 3 of "Barney Miller" while also starring in "Fish". During the 1977–78 season, Fish officially retired from the NYPD in Season 4, Episode 2 episode of "Barney Miller". "Fish" had reasonably good ratings but did not match "Barney Miller"'s. ABC was going to renew the show for a third season, but, according to cast member Todd Bridges, Vigoda demanded more money than the producers were willing to pay. As a result, ABC canceled "Fish" in May 1978 without a series finale.
There was talk of Abe Vigoda returning to "Barney Miller" as a regular cast member. According to Vigoda, producer Danny Arnold approached him: "Danny wined and dined me at the Park Lane Hotel the other day in New York, trying to convince me to come back. He wants me either as a regular or to do some guest shots, as well as a "Barney Miller" movie to be shot in New York for European distribution. I told him I could not make a commitment at the present time because of other offers." Arnold told reporters, "We've made an offer to him but we haven't received a definite response." Vigoda held out for more money, Arnold refused, and Vigoda finally walked away from negotiations.
After the smoke had cleared from Vigoda's departure, syndicated columnist Gary Deeb wrote candidly about the situation: "A major factor in his disappearing act is the fact that it was Detective Fish, not Abe Vigoda, whom millions of viewers had fallen in love with. Vigoda's recent difficulty in locating respectable work has been triggered by his own personality. According to many Hollywood performers, the guy is a royal pain -- and in many cases, it's simply not worth the hassle to hire him. During his three-and-a-half seasons on "Barney Miller", Vigoda drove Danny Arnold, the program's creator, up the wall." In the spring of 1981, Vigoda did make a final appearance as Fish as a guest in the seventh-season episode "Lady and the Bomb", thus giving his character some closure.
Wojo pilot.
After "Fish" was canceled, a special one-hour episode of "Barney Miller" aired on January 25, 1979. It was created as a pilot episode for another possible "Barney Miller" spin-off to star series regular Max Gail. Titled "Wojo's Girl", the first half of the episode was set at the 12th Precinct in which Wojo (played by Gail) decides to have his girlfriend Nancy, a former prostitute (played by Darlene Parks), live with him. The second half of the installment takes place entirely in Wojo's apartment as he and Nancy struggle to adjust to living together. The pilot did not sell, Parks's character of Nancy was never seen again and Gail remained with "Barney Miller" until the series ended in the spring of 1982.
Linda Lavin.
Shortly after the premiere of "Barney Miller" in early 1975, actress Linda Lavin guest starred as Detective Janice Wentworth on the eighth episode "Ms. Cop". Her character in that installment went over very well with audiences and Lavin was brought back as a semi-regular for "Barney Miller"'s second year. During that season, a romance began at the 12th Precinct between Detective Wentworth and Detective (Wojo) Wojciehowicz (played by Max Gail). However, at the same time, Lavin had just completed a television pilot for CBS called "Alice", which was based on the Academy Award-winning film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The pilot quickly sold to CBS and they included it on their schedule for the 1976–1977 season. As a result, Lavin left "Barney Miller" at the end of the show's second season. "Alice" ran for nine years on CBS and immediately established Lavin as a television star. Lavin never returned to "Barney Miller" although her character of Detective Janice Wentworth was seen briefly as a flashback in the last episode of the series, "Landmark: Part 3".
Downstairs.
The "Barney Miller" episodes often made references to the uniformed policemen "downstairs" in the station house, particularly desk sergeant Kogan (played by actor Milt Kogan). During the first two seasons Kogan himself would visit the squad room on business. Thereafter the actor was no longer seen but "Kogan" lived on as the desk sergeant downstairs, whom Barney would telephone whenever his detectives needed reinforcements from the policemen on duty. Officer Carl Levitt (played by Ron Carey) was one of these "uniforms".
Other officers.
The captain's life was sometimes complicated by visits from officers in other departments. The most frequent visitor was Inspector Franklin D. Luger (played by James Gregory). Luger was a battle-scarred veteran of the force whose glory days were the 1940s, when he was a rough-and-ready cop alongside his partners Kleiner, Foster, and Brown. Although his career advanced, his mindset did not. Luger was constantly living in the past, telling and retelling stories of the old days to anyone who would listen, and his clueless and often tactless treatment of current-day felons and detainees was always being salvaged more diplomatically by Barney. Away from the station Luger was equally out of date, living alone in a one-room apartment with a hot plate and an antique DuMont television set.
Barney's constant antagonist was Lieutenant Ben Scanlon (played by George Murdock) of the vice squad. The reptilian Scanlon always popped up whenever he heard of irregular activity at the 12th Precinct, and was determined to cause trouble for the unflappable Barney.
Death of Jack Soo.
Toward the end of the fourth year, Jack Soo was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was absent for the last five episodes of the 1977–78 season. To help fill the void during his medical leave, actress Mari Gorman was brought in for three installments as Officer Roslyn Licori. Cast member Ron Carey's role of Officer Carl Levitt was also expanded at this time to compensate for Soo's absence. Soo returned to "Barney Miller" at the start of the 1978–79 season but his cancer had already metastasized and spread very quickly. As a result, he was only able to complete nine episodes that year. By the time he taped his last appearance which was the installment "The Vandal" that aired on November 9, 1978, Soo's illness was quite evident in his rapid weight loss. Two months later, he died on January 11, 1979, at the age of 61. The fifth-season finale "Jack Soo: A Retrospective" aired on May 17, 1979, and was a tribute to him. For this installment, the cast of "Barney Miller" led by Hal Linden appeared as themselves on the 12th Precinct office set as they fondly shared stories and reminiscences about Soo as an actor. At the end of the episode, the cast raised their coffee cups in loving memory of Jack Soo.
Replacing Soo.
During the seventh season, in an attempt to fill the void left by Jack Soo, a new character was added to "Barney Miller": Detective Sergeant Eric Dorsey. The role was filled by young actor Paul Lieber, who had shown promise during the previous season as an inept gunman in "The Architect". Sgt. Dorsey antagonized the squad members immediately by assuming they were all corrupt. Even though he eventually realized that his convictions were not true, the downbeat character was not popular with viewers. As a result, Lieber's tenure on the show lasted only a few weeks with his character of Dorsey reassigned to another precinct.
LGBT.
Marty Morrison (played by Jack DeLeon) was an effeminate shoplifter always getting caught and always trying to plead for clemency from Capt. Miller. Both DeLeon and his dialogue always played for laughs, and Marty became the first popular "guest" character in the show (Marty made the most appearances of any recurring character). After several solo appearances Marty was joined by his more serious friend Darryl Driscoll (played by Ray Stewart). These were among the earliest recurring gay characters on American television. Danny Arnold worked closely with the Gay Media Task Force, an activist group that worked on LGBT representation in media, in developing the characters. Initially both characters were presented in a stereotypically effeminate manner but in later appearances Darryl began dressing and speaking in a more mainstream fashion, and in the episode "The Child Stealers" Darryl disclosed that he was formerly heterosexual but now divorced. In the same episode Officer Zitelli (played by Dino Natali), the new mailroom clerk who had been keeping his homosexuality secret from everyone except Capt. Miller, was angered by hostile remarks and declared, ""I'm" gay."
Slow ratings growth.
The series took a while to become a hit, but ABC supported it anyway.
In the 1975 "The Courtesans" episode (S1 E5) with Nancy Dussault, creator/producer/showrunner Danny Arnold threatened to quit his own show, if network censors removed a risqué punchline. (At the end of the episode, Wojo made an especially cutting remark to the prostitute, who responded in kind and left the station house. Wojo then timidly asked Barney for the loan of fifty dollars.) The network relented and the resulting publicity over the x-rated episode that was banned in two markets ensured the series' ratings survival, according to Hal Linden.
Reprieve.
Danny Arnold had planned to end production of "Barney Miller" in May 1981, and his decision came as a shocking surprise to the cast and crew. "I never saw so many white faces in one place in my life," said Arnold's spokesman Bob Garon. "There were tears in everyone's eyes, including Hal [Linden's]." Garon explained that Arnold could not find a suitable replacement for writer-producer Tony Sheehan, and that Arnold didn't want the show repeating storylines. The same report cited that Arnold faced "intense pressure from ABC" to reconsider his decision. Arnold finally agreed, and the series continued for one more year before he made good his resolution to end the series. The show was not canceled; the network was reluctant to see the highly rated show leave the air.
Reception by police.
"Barney Miller" retains a devoted following among real-life police officers, who appreciate the show's emphasis on dialog and believably quirky characters, and its low-key portrayal of cops going about their jobs. In a 2005 op-ed for the "New York Times", New York police detective Lucas Miller wrote:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Real cops are not usually fans of cop shows. [...] Many police officers maintain that the most realistic police show in the history of television was the sitcom "Barney Miller", [...] The action was mostly off screen, the squad room the only set, and the guys were a motley bunch of character actors who were in no danger of being picked for the N.Y.P.D. pin-up calendar. But they worked hard, made jokes, got hurt and answered to their straight-man commander. For real detectives, most of the action does happen off screen, and we spend a lot of time back in the squad room writing reports about it. Like Barney Miller's squad, we crack jokes at one another, at the cases that come in, and at the crazy suspect locked in the holding cell six feet from the new guy's desk. Life really is more like "Barney Miller" than "NYPD Blue", but our jokes aren't nearly as funny.
Similarly, during his appearance on Jon Favreau's Independent Film Channel talk show "Dinner for Five", Dennis Farina, who worked as a Chicago police officer before turning to acting, called "Barney Miller" the most realistic cop show ever seen on television.
Awards and honors.
"Barney Miller" won a DGA Award from the Directors Guild of America in 1981. The series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1982, after it ended. It received six other nominations in that category, from 1976 to 1981. The series won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 1980 (in addition to nominations in 1976, 1977 and 1982), Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series in 1979, and was nominated for a number of others. It won Golden Globe Awards for in 1976 and 1977 (from a total of seven nominations), and won a Peabody Award in 1978. In 2013, "TV Guide" ranked "Barney Miller" at No. 46 on its list of the 60 best series of all time.
Home media.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released the first three seasons of "Barney Miller" on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on January 20, 2004, to slow sales, and Sony decided not to release any more seasons. However, the decision was later reversed and Season 2 was released in 2008 (four years after the release of Season 1), followed by Season 3 in 2009.
Shout! Factory acquired the rights to the series in 2011 and subsequently released a complete series set on October 25, 2011. The 25-disc set features all 168 episodes of the series as well as bonus features and the first season of the Abe Vigoda spin-off, "Fish".
In 2014, Shout! began releasing individual season sets, season 4 was released on January 7, 2014, season 5 on May 13, 2014. Season 6 on December 9, 2014. and Season 7 on April 7, 2015, followed by the eighth and final season on July 7, 2015.
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 4 on December 20, 2006.
References.
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Tom Barney
American bass guitarist
Tom Barney is an American bass guitarist.
Career.
Barney first came to prominence in the late 1970s, when he appeared on different jazz albums by Turk Mauro and Walter Davis Jr., following to appear on records by such artists as Chaka Khan, Judy Collins, Miles Davis, Bob Mintzer, Terumasa Hino, Jane Fonda, Dizzy Gillespie and Lonnie Liston Smith in the early 80s. On December 15, 1984, he appeared on Saturday Night Live with The Honeydrippers. Some of these opportunities led him to play on albums by Mike Stern, Mitchel Forman, Tania Maria, Grover Washington Jr., Lillo Thomas, Ornella Vanoni, Teddy Pendergrass, Desiree Coleman, Regina Belle and Michael Kamen's Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack. In 1989, along with Philippe Saisse, Omar Hakim, Don Alias and Hiram Bullock he was the constant bass player for saxophonist David Sanborn's Sunday Night/Night Music show.
In the 90s, he played on records by Toshinobu Kubota, James Newton Howard, Alex Foster, Ronnie Cuber, Pierce Turner, Doc Powell, Bernadette Peters, Angelique Kidjo as well as Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Jennifer Lopez, Rosie O'Donnell and on Santana's Grammy-Award-winning album "Supernatural". He was also a member of Steely Dan and played at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival as part of the David Sanborn Band in 1991. Along with Herbie Hancock, Vanessa L. Williams, Pat Metheny, Bruce Hornsby, Dee Dee Bridgewater, John McLaughlin and others, he appeared on the 1994 VHS release of "The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band".
Since 2000, Barney has appeared on records by Anastacia, Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Trina Broussard, Toby Lightman as well as Elbow Bones & the Racketeers. From 2008–2010 he was the constant bass player of the Las Vegas musical "The Showgirl Must Go On" starring Bette Midler and is the current bass player of the musical "The Lion King" in New York City.
Discography.
With Lonnie Liston Smith
References.
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Barney Baxter
American comic strip by Frank Miller
Barney Baxter in the Air is an American comic strip by Frank Miller. It started its run on September 30, 1935, for the Denver's "Rocky Mountain News". Starting on December 7, 1936, it was syndicated by King Features. "Barney Baxter" was an "adventure strip" involving heroic exploits centering on aviation.
The strip was drawn by Miller until 1943 when Bob Naylor took over the duties for a short period. In 1943, the title was shortened to Barney Baxter. Miller returned to the strip in 1946. The strip was discontinued by King Features on January 22, 1950, following Miller's death on March 12, 1949.
Characters and story.
Young aviator Barney Baxter experienced numerous airborne adventures, and during World War II, he battled both German and Japanese villains. Baxter was often accompanied by his sidekick Gopher Gus, who (unlike the rest of the characters) was drawn with the exaggerated facial features of a "humour strip" character. Other characters were Barney's mother, his rival love interests, Patricia and Maura, and his buddy Hap Walters. Comic strip historian Don Markstein noted:
Barney wasn't your standard pretty-boy hero. He was a bit on the short side and pudgy. His face looked kind of lumpy and was covered with freckles. He didn't have a big, toothy grin—in fact, he didn't smile very much at all. Of course, he wasn't downright ugly—his pal, Gopher Gus, a desert rat turned pilot, was the ugly one. His other pal, Hap Walters, a sometime-girlfriend named Patricia and Barney's mom rounded out the cast. They had one thrilling adventure after another, fighting spies, air pirates, Latin American warlords and, when the time came, Nazis and Japs; and they kept it up for almost a decade and a half. The cartoonist behind Barney and his entourage was Frank Miller—but not the Frank Miller who became famous decades later for his work on "Elektra", "Batman" and "Sin City". This Frank Miller was born in 1898 and spent his early thirties working on staff at Denver's "Rocky Mountain News". There, he created "Barney" in 1935 for the paper's "Junior Aviator" page. At first the hero was a boy just entering his teens, who had a burning interest in airplanes; but the series took a more adventurous turn when a grown-up aviator named Cyclone Smith took him (with Mom's permission) on a trip to Alaska. By the time Barney got home, he was a seasoned crime fighter. "Barney Baxter in the Air" (as the strip was originally called—it dropped the last part in 1943) had been running a little more than a year when Miller moved East to work at William Randolph Hearst's "New York Mirror"; and from then on, Barney was no longer a one-paper strip. Starting in December, 1936, it was distributed by Hearst's King Features Syndicate. By that time, Barney had rapidly aged to about his late teens or early twenties. Miller's plots moved fast enough to keep most readers from noticing the occasionally large holes in them.
References.
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Miller Miller Miller & Sloan
American funk/pop band
Miller Miller Miller & Sloan was an American funk/Pop band, based in New York City, that reached its zenith in the early 1980s. The band was made up of the three Miller brothers Dan, C.B. "Barney" and Mike, plus and their childhood friend, Blake Sloan. The band opened for The Clash, as well as Tom Tom Club and Chaka Khan