Sue Lloyd

After the visit of the Baron Armand de Valfort, I decided to go, without delay, talk to my old friend, and part time collaborator, Jean Vigogne- better known as Sanvergogne, a nickname he inherited many years ago, when he was a cat burglar. This appellation fitted him so well, that he adopted it, in the same way one chooses to wear, every day, the same pair of shoes, because it feels so comfortable. Indeed, I don’t remember, during all the years we knew each other, having ever called him by any other name than this silly alias which he bore with a dignity that inspired respect. Sanvergogne was a giant of a man, endowed with a colossal strength. And typical of those who are born with such a phenomenal physical advantage, he was not a violent person, except of course, if he were provoked, an eventuality that could not possibly materialize. In addition to his superhuman force, he possessed an extraordinary vision; his tawny eyes never let escape a detail, even at night, especially at night, where they seem to transform into long and invisible appendages, guiding him through the darkest places. I must add, that if his eyes were sharp, blind, was his loyalty towards his friends, and to me, in particular. He also possessed a certain amount of honor, and I am sure he would have shown more of that virtue, had he known the exact significance of the word. As it were, his honorability matched only the definition, he had invented for himself, of what honor means: something like: “he…

when she’s in Pleasantville, Skip calls her smart. This can be seen when Jennifer’s in class and they’re learning about the only two existing streets in Pleasantville. Jennifer raises her hand and asks “What’s outside of Pleasantville?” This shows that Jennifer is actually curious and genuinely wants to know what’s outside of Pleasantville because it doesn’t make sense to her. Another example would be when Jennifer starts reading books and starts going to the library free willingly. One day…

In Sue Grafton’s The Parker Shotgun, Jackie and Bill Barnett exhibit covetous behavior for the highly-sought-after Parker shotgun that Kinsey Millhone recognizes to identify the culprit of Rudd’s murder, thus indicating that excessive acquisitiveness often triggers unpredictable, heartless actions. In Kinsey’s first encounter with Jackie, Jackie discloses that she had a miserable marriage with Bill due to the fact that his extravagant promises to her were lies. Kinsey meets Jackie in Jackie’s…

fearless and unemotional men who are good fighters, and gunmen with ‘slick mouths’. The private investigator tradition has slightly deviated since its introduction during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Women have transitioned from being femme fatales to intelligent, strong private investigators. Rex Stout introduced the first female private eye in 1937 but it was not until the 1970’s that female writers such as P.D James, Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton, Liza Cody, Karen Kijewski, Carolina…

seem to doubt that you will ever move on to bigger and better things. When you seem different than everyone else, or have different motivations, goals and interests, people seem to think you will falter in your attempt to achieve your goals. The reality is, no matter where you come from, or what your interests are, the only time you will encounter a detour on your road to success, is when you lack self-confidence and the necessary work ethic. On the road to success, one must exhibit…

By now we are familiar with Charlie Chaplin’s silent films and his talents; not only as a pantomime actor but also as a writer and director. Certainty, his 1931 silent film “City Lights” is a proof of his talent as an actor, writer, chorographer and director (Kamin) . The film gave Chaplin the opportunity to display his creative talents within the silent film industry. Although, Chaplin’s talents are numerous we are going to concentrate on his acting performance in the “City Lights” film. In…

Train robberies, the Civil War and a damsel in distress. These are the major plots of Buster Keaton’s The General. The General premiered in 1926 and was written and directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman. The film stars Keaton as train-loving, everyman, Johnny Gray and Marion Mack as Gray’s sweetheart, Annabelle Lee. The General monopolizes on the success of chase films such as The Great Train Robbery to create a film that seamlessly combines drama, action and comedy. In fact, these three…

It's a big mess down there" Mr. Lloyd said. “Come on dad,” Myles replied. “I am meeting my friends at the park to play basketball today". “Your friends can wait but your chores come first. Being responsible, disciplined, and accountable will take you far in life. Always remember that son,” Mr. Lloyd answered as he left Myles’ room. Myles heads for the basement huffing and puffing, disappointed that his plans have been changed. "You got to be kidding me" Myles shouted as he saw boxes…

Goldman Sachs is responsible for the following ethical issues involving Greece: 1) Greece’s access to “off-balance sheet” (OBS) financing that resulted in a bribe for Goldman Sachs, 2) Greece being qualified for membership into the “European Monetary Union (EMU),” 3) Greece’s manipulation of global currency “exchange”/”interest rates” to continue its borrow and spend strategy, and 4) Greece’s need for a bailout by the “European Union (EU)” (Brooks & Dunn, 2015, p. 35). To further explain,…

Not often does a decision made by a director due to lack of funds create an end result that critics will continue discussing for nearly a century. However German director Fritz Lang, made such a decision for his 1931 film, M. Partly due to monetary constraints, and partly due to feelings that his own artistic vision would be compromised by including sound in his piece, the end result was a film with roughly a third in total silence. No film, as of yet, quite encapsulates the deafening power of…