george plimpton accentwhat happened to mark reilly strong island
No one realized till the next day that this was the weather that created the extreme blue skies of Sept. 11a condition I since learned that pilots call severe clear. The next day, friends called and said, That was the last party. George was not vainhe didnt care a whit about his image. If you say, I parked my car in Harvard Yard, you are being rhotic. So, pairing the Cagney hint with the Kennedy Inaugural, could we date the changeover to 1961? As a result, this American version of a posh accent has all but disappeared even among the American upper classes. Whee!! These events were recalled in his best-known book Paper Lion, which was later adapted into the 1968 feature film starring Alan Alda. That tension between what was in his heart and what his voice allowed him to express is the basic tension of language we all face, only heightened. After running the pilot, Rod Serling realized the narration needed a less pompous sounding and more natural voice himself. How do I know you're not George Plimpton? [17], In 1953, Plimpton joined the influential literary journal The Paris Review, founded by Peter Matthiessen, Thomas H. Guinzburg, and Harold L. "Doc" Humes, becoming its first editor in chief. Elaine Kaufman, owner of Elaines restaurant:Over the 40 years I knew him, George came in often, sometimes twice a week, usually on his way back from a cocktail party. [5][6][7][8][9][10] His father was a successful corporate lawyer and partner of the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton; he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy as U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, serving from 1961 to 1965. He's a pitcher, part yogi and part recluse. George Plimpton was an upper-class guy with a patrician accent who partied his way through life . (This is not to belittle Lowell Thomas, but to recognize the artifice that served him so well in his career). I just knew it was going to be something terrible. A little before my time, but Kennedy certainly didnt, even if his vernacular was more formal than Brandos. Plimpton was .the public face of the New York intellectual: tweedy, eclectic and with a plummy accent he himself described as "Eastern seaboard cosmopolitan." . 1) The linguists have a name for it: they call it Mid-Atlantic English. I dont like this name, for reasons Ill explain in a minute. Plimpton played quarterback for the Detroit Lions and triangle for the New York Philharmonic, an. Plimpton entered Harvard as a member of the Class of 1948, but did not graduate until 1950 due to intervening military service. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He grew up in New York City with bona fide WASP credentials; became the longtime editor of the Paris Review, working with many of the great novelists of the day; contributed to the New Journalism. These are some of the things my father could not say: Shit. Fuck. I love you. His curses were never actually curse-words, though it was perhaps because of this that they held such weight. Plimpton sparred for three rounds with boxing greats Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson while on assignment for Sports Illustrated. Mia had the perfect model! In the "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" episode of The Simpsons, he hosts the "Spellympics" and attempts to bribe Lisa Simpson to lose with the offer of a scholarship at a Seven Sisters College and a hot plate; "it's perfect for soup! Havent heard that term in years. Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your in-box. On one website, I read about a Choate alumn saying one can still hear the LL (see above thread) accent on campus. (Every now and then he also called me Sweet Prince, as in Goodnight, Sweet Prince.), Of course, my fathers voice was odd not just in what it said, but in what it couldnt. What exactly is a Boston Brahmin accent? A few days after, I went to a Paris Review party and showed off my damaged nose and two black eyes to George. For such admissions to escape my fathers lips, they always had to be a little removed somehow. It was then that the majority of audiences first heard Hollywood actors speaking predominantly in Mid-Atlantic English, British expatriates John Houseman, Henry Daniell, Anthony Hopkins, Camilla Luddington, and Angela Cartwright exemplified the accent, as did [a long list of North Americans, from Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly to Richard Chamberlain and Christopher Plummer]. Alan Alda, portraying my dad in the movie version of Paper Lion (his book on playing quarterback for the Detroit Lions), didnt bother with his voice at all. Plimpton was a writer-raconteur and dilettante in the best sense of the word: He co-founded an important literary magazine, the . In another cartoon in The New Yorker, a patient looks up at the masked surgeon about to operate on him and asks, "Wait a minute! To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Both of Plimpton's maternal grandparents were born with the surname Ames; his mother was the granddaughter of Medal of Honor recipient Adelbert Ames (1835-1933), an American sailor, soldier, and politician, and Oliver Ames, a US political figure and the 35th Governor of Massachusetts (18871890). By strange coincidence, I actually became quite good friends with his (ex-)in-laws here in Manhattan. On Sept. 26, George Plimpton died in his sleep, at the age of 76. The Curious Case Of Sidd Finch. Archie Moore, after all, had broken his nose. A heuristic approximation! He looked like a very eccentric old Englishman. And so it seemed only fitting to commemorate his death with the form he made his own.Meghan ORourke. By George Plimpton. He just did it because Columbia was another literary magazine. And the answer may explain partly why it has gone out of fashion: Jonathan Harris, the actor who played Dr. Smith on the television show "Lost in Space.". "[44], In 2006, the musician Jonathan Coulton wrote the song entitled "A Talk with George", a part of his 'Thing a Week' series, in tribute to Plimpton's many adventures and approach to life. [47][48] Lewis Lapham, editor, Harpers Magazine:Georges immense enthusiasm was his primary characteristic. Felix Grucci Jr., of Fireworks by Grucci (Plimpton wrote about the Grucci family, widely held to be the first family of fireworks, in Fireworks: A History and Celebration):George had a very big passion for fireworks. Even the most basic conversation was often a struggle. I'm not an expert, but Bill Labov from UPenn is, and he is quoted thusly: According to William Labov, teaching of this pronunciation declined sharply after the end of World War II. I think that perhaps Harris' portrayal of Dr. Smith made the accent so identified with cowardly buffoonery that no one in the baby boom generation and later would want to use the accent as anything other than a joke. ), this isnt some kind of morbid contest to see who can be the first to inform the board of some celebritys death. In the early 60s, when I was working at the firework plant with my dad [Felix Grucci], George would pull up in shiny red sports car on his way to the Hamptons. After it was published, all of the baseball people were trying to get in touch with Sidd, but he didnt existit was an April Fools joke! We were both excitedId just come back from a weekend in Las Vegas, and hed just come back from celebrating the fortieth anniversary reunion of his Detroit Lions team at Ford Field, where the fans had given him a standing ovation, and he had raised his hatand for a moment we were no longer father and son, but just two big excited boys, each comparing adventures, and I could hear the pride in his voice, the happiness. At least, not to me, nor even to my sister, a fact she mentions in the movie. expelled from the very expensive, very WASP-y Philips George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was an American journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. [citation needed], In the movie Plimpton! "[34] A feature in Mad titled "Some Really Dangerous Jobs for George Plimpton" spotlighted him trying to swim across Lake Erie, strolling through New York's Times Square in the middle of the night, and spending a week with Jerry Lewis. Plimpton died on September 25, 2003, in his New York City apartment from a heart attack later determined to have been caused by a catecholamine surge. Oh now, Im joking, Carnac ( see? For it was George Plimpton the writer, not the editor nor the celebrity, who was honored here . No matter where he was, or who he wasquarterback, trapeze artist, Philharmonic triangle-playerhis voice never changed, proving that you can be whomever you want to be without ever abandoning yourself. It came from a different era, shouldnt have still existed, but nevertheless, there it wasold New England, old New York, tinged with a hint of Kings College Kings English. But dying in sleep: It was as if he was doing what he did when he tried out for all those other things as an amateurballooning, acting, boxing, performing at amateur night. But the average person never talked that way. George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was an American journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. His father co-founded the law firm Debevoise Plimpton. And his apartment, with those windows that looked out onto the East River, became a famous landmark in NYC. After his discharge, Plimpton returned to Harvard and finished his undergraduate education. His experience was captured in the book Out of My League. Old money, would never say the word spanky, and certainly had more money than God could count. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. Even Orson Welles on occasion. He appeared in the PBS American Masters documentary on Andy Warhol. She is the product of a line of the original Dutch settlers of New York and grew up in Tuxedo Park and the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan, very exclusive. The young Paris Review editor and other New York literary figures arrived during a period marked by hope for a democratic Cuba. When George Plimpton Met the Best Bartender in Brooklyn Two New York Legends Collide By Tim Sultan February 26, 2016 The only other person that I had known who possessed a similar charisma to Sunny Balzano's was my first employer in New York: George Plimpton. The responses fall into interesting categories: linguistic descriptions of this accent; sociological and ethnic explanations for its rise and fall; possible technological factors in its prominence and disappearance; explanations rooted in the movie industry; nominees for who might have been the last American to talk this way; and suggestions that a few rare specimens still exist. Hes just trying it out and will come back and write a book about his experiences. For more than five decades, author and journalist George Plimpton delved deeply into an array of high-profile and often physically grueling experiences, including professional baseball, boxing . Ive known him forsix months and I just now learned hes not English!. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. (And, OK, Im not a linguist, but Im married to one!) [Then] this August he showed up, pulled the shirt over his head, and said he was ready to bat. Shoot! hed hiss, when he was mad. When George told the story, DiMaggio laughed so hard I thought he was going to fall on the floor. Macklem . But the gentleman amateur - a Harvard. In his July 1936 obituary, the New York Times described George Arthur Plimpton (13 July 1855-1 July 1936) as an "internationally known publisher and collector, college trustee and philanthropist." As the materials in the George A. Plimpton Papers testify, those four areas of activity dominated Plimpton's public and private lives. My dad could never say what he feltnot reallyand neither can any of us. Never heard of this decidedly imprecise term. I just heard that George Plimpton has died. But he could easily have said, Alice, I have enough trouble raising money for my magazine.. It was so tiny that if you saw him in it, you couldnt believe hed be able to get himself out of it. "[27], Plimpton was a member of the cast of the A&E TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (200102). Please educate me. He watched the first pitch sail high for a ball, and then hit a rope into left field. George had three siblings: Francis Taylor Pearsons Plimpton Jr., Oakes Ames Plimpton,[15] and Sarah Gay Plimpton. [citation needed] In 1958, prior to a post-season exhibition game at Yankee Stadium between teams managed by Willie Mays (National League) and Mickey Mantle (American League), Plimpton pitched against the National League. The Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a . On Saturday Night Live, even the great impersonator Dana Carvey couldnt get it quite right. It was always as if one were setting out with him on a special adventure. What was our problem? George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 - September 25, 2003) was an American journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. Peter even came with us on our honeymoon in Ravello, though George didnt. He was not himself interested in poetry, but he read all of the poems every quarter, and he would tell me what he thought of them. I thought they were terrific. Call me back.. How widespread, numerically and geographically? **Those of us whose families are from Larchmont (that would be me) just call it lockjaw. Ever. Charles McGrath, editor of the New York Times Book Review:I dont think George had played golf in years, but he used to save up oddball tips for me and others. Even if it had nothing else going for itsomething very far from the truth Shadow Box by George Plimpton will forever remain a bastion of boxing literature because of the image it contains of the "Near Room," a place of dreadful foreboding which Muhammad Ali once described to the famed . The journal, which had operated out of his home, moved downtown. George Plimpton gives an auction winner a star-studded walk through the legendary NYC eatery Elaine's. George also approved, I think, of the fact that I lost. Everything he did was like this, just a bit odd. After several problems with transporting and preparing the fireworks, Plimpton and Grucci became the first competitors from the United States to win the event. Typical of George to laugh about something others saw as a defining traithe never took himself all that seriously. Hed ask what was new in fireworks business and doodle around the facility with my dad, and he would always leave with a package of fireworks, to put on his own show. **. If you were making a speech in a large hall, or speaking on the radio, you needed to enunciate very clearly and use a lot of emphases to be sure your audience could understand what you were saying. Larchmont Lockjaw? Plimpton and Dudley were the parents of twin daughters Laura Dudley Plimpton and Olivia Hartley Plimpton. **Oh, I suppose we should all just lavish praise upon Carnac the Magnificent now for bringing this to your attention, is that it? These experiences served as the basis of another football book, Mad Ducks and Bears, although much of the book dealt with the off-field escapades and observations of football friends Alex Karras ("Mad Duck") and John Gordy ("Bear"). His friendships testified to what an eclectic man he was. Too old-fashioned. And here for the full interview). Here's how Geroge Plimpton and his team created a prodigious pitcher out of thin air. He looked for ways in which he could make himself a ridiculous figure, and not only on the football field, but in all walks of life. *Originally posted by j.c. * [41] She is the daughter of James Chittenden Dudley,[42] a managing partner of Manhattan-based investment firm Dudley and Company, and geologist Elisabeth Claypool. Norman Mailer said that George Plimpton was the best-loved man in New York. Others outside the entertainment industry known for speaking Mid-Atlantic English include William F. Buckley, Jr., Gore Vidal, George Plimpton, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Norman Mailer, Diana Vreeland, Maria Callas, Cornelius Vanderbilt IV. What exactly is a Boston Brahmin accent? Showdown in the Pits. In 1994, Plimpton appeared several times in the Ken Burns series Baseball, in which he shared some personal baseball experiences as well as other memorable events throughout the history of baseball.[20]. Between 2000 and 2003, Plimpton wrote the libretto to a new opera, Animal Tales, commissioned by Family Opera Initiative, with music by Kitty Brazelton directed by Grethe Barrett Holby. Why couldnt we have a good time, too? Its a shot from a YouTube video that itself is a fascinating time-capsule portrait of language change. * Whether on the football field or on a golf course or in a poem or an essay, the notion of human talent in whatever form excited him. Sign up for the Books & Fiction newsletter. George Plimpton, journalist extraordinaire, trains with and then performs as Quarterback for the Baltimore Colts. The Sidd Finch story was accompanied by a series of photos which managed to convince even the eagle-eyed fans . The clearest example of the Mid-Atlantic accent is the accent of the Frasier & Niles Crane characters on the TV show Frasier. I live in Connecticut which is both the richest and poorest state in the union - I think we still are - and we have our fair share of extremely rich folk who sit around all day in their large victorians wearing rockport loafers, no sox, khaki pants and a polo-shirt with the collar up. O ne afternoon this summer, I sat in George Plimpton's study waiting for the gentleman editor, participatory journalist, and beloved gadfly of American letters to arrive. We were going to go looking for strange birds. (What else happened that year???
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