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We are going to take a look at dialogue
from a Oldsmobile car TV commercial , an episode from a
cartoon series known as Mr. Peabody and the WayBack
Machine , a scene from the film, The Amateur
, a scene from the film, Elizabeth and Essex, a
short note on the origins of the movie Shakespeare in
Love, and see and hear a short animation of Shakespeare
from the folks at MTV.
In 1994, Oldsmobile car company ran an ad
that was called,"Open Minded." The commercial begins with
the traditional Droeshout image of Shakespeare followed by
the narrator asking "Do you think Shakespeare wrote the
plays?" Then there's a cut to a still frame with the words,
"Possibly not." The ad goes on to challenge another
traditional idea by asking , "Do you think the Universe
started with a big bang?" Again, the words "Possibly Not"
appear. The ad goes on to show that the car they are
promoting is reliable, dependable in a changing
world.
In the 1960's a popular cartoon series
appeared in homes across America called "Rocky and
Bullwinkle". After the segment was over there appeared a
cartoon segment called, "Mr. Peabody and the Wayback
Machine." Both were made by animation genius Jay Ward.
"Mr. Peabody and the Wayback Machine" was a
delightful series in which the central characters, Sherman
and Mr. Peabody, the know it all character in the form of a
dog travel back in time and visit history's famous
personalities. One episode begins with Mr. Peabody
announcing they are going to visit Mr. William Shakespeare.
The scene changes to where our intrepid characters are
standing outside an Elizabethan theatre with a sign that
says, "Romeo and Zelda" by William Shakespeare.Sherman looks
up bewildered by the sign. Let's pick up the dialogue from
here....
Sherman- Now playing a new play,
Romeo and Zelda?
Mr. Peabody- must be a misprint.
Narrator-But it wasn't, for inside the theatre the
play was in rehearsal.
From outside a Balcony, an actor can be heard....
"Zelda, where art thou Zelda?
Mr. Peabody -(narrates) Instead of opening on the
Balcony, Juliet or rather Zelda came marching out of the
wings of the theatre carrying a large flower pot. She left
the stage and went directly to a familiar figure who was
sitting all alone in the first row.
Sherman- That must be William Shakespeare Mr.
Peabody! Look Zelda's gonna present him with a flower!
Mr. Peabody- She's presenting him with a flower all
right......
CLUNK! (Zelda hits Shakespeare over the head with the flower
pot. "Zelda" removes her mask and is revealed to be Francis
Bacon underneath!) Bacon yells at a dazed Shakespeare,
"That'll teach you to steal my plays!"
Sherman- It's a man wearing a disguise!
Mr.Peabody- Francis Bacon, if I'm not mistaken, and I
never am.
Shakespeare- Bacon! You'll fry for this!
Sherman- "Oh heart what hollow light burneth in
yonder patio!"
(Shakespeare is clutching his sore head while pointing to
Sherman and says), E gad,the lad's an ad libber!
(Sherman continues his role as Romeo below the balcony and
begins to climb a ladder up to the balcony and says), Zelda,
I mean, Juliet, where art thou Juliet?
Peabody-(narrates) You can well imagine Sherman's
dismay when instead of a lovely young maiden, a lion
appeared with a very loud roar! In one prodigious leap the
lion left the balcony and proceeded to empty the
theatre.
(the lion turns to go after Mr. Peabody, Sherman, and
Shakespeare)
Shakespeare--Run for your lives the performance is
canceled!
Peabody- No need to panic, we'll simply ring the
curtain down! (the curtain comes crashing down on the lion
and knocks him out)
Shakespeare-(holding his brow in shock) The tragedy
that this should happen to me! If I find the rogue who owned
that beast !!!......
suddenly, Francis Bacon appears again pointing to himself
and exclaims... That beast is mine!
Shakespeare (surprised)--Bacon!
Bacon- With eggs!! (Bacon lets fly some eggs that
break on Shakespeare's face)
THE END
The Amateur a dramatic film that
came out in 1982 starring Christopher Plummer, John Savage,
Marthe Keller, Arthur Hill, and directed by Charles Jarrott
has several scenes in which Francis Bacon and Shakespeare
are mentioned. The plot centers around the girlfriend of a
CIA computer expert who is murdered. Her boyfriend (Savage's
character) decides to doggedly hunt down her killer. In the
beginning of his search the Savage character meets with CIA
brass to explain how he plans to use Big Bertha, the CIA
computer, to run down a facsimile of a 1586 letter from Mary
Queen of Scots that portends that she is planning to murder
Elizabeth 1st. Savage tells the CIA boss that he is "looking
for numerical sequences, acrostics, Elizabethan substitution
systems and Bacon's biliteral cyphers." Then there is a
scene in which Savage attends a lecture on Shakespeare and
Bacon cyphers by a university professor played by
Christopher Plumber. Later the two characters meet up on a
train ride sharing the same compartment. Let's pick up the
conversation:
Savage- I went to your lecture at the University the
other day, at least part of it.
Plumber- Ah, You are interested in the subject of
Bacon versus Shakespeare?
Savage- I am interested in cyphers.
Plumber- You are a colleague? A visiting professor
perhaps? My card, please, (reaches into his pocket) Lakosh,
Antonine Lakosh.
Savage- I've heard of you.
Plumber- Although the Bacon Society is my avocation,
my occupation is also detection, deciphering of clues,
uncovering of the impostor!
Savage- Search for truth.
Plumber-Oh yes, How does it go? "For truth will come
to light, murder cannot....
Savage- ...Be hid long. (Pause) William
Shakespeare?
Plumber- (slowly says) Francis Bacon.
The 1939 film, Elizabeth and Essex
stars Bette Davis as Queen Elizabeth, Errol Flynn as
Essex and Donald Crisp (how ironic) as Francis Bacon.
Although the film portrays an orthodox understanding of the
three not as mother and sons it does however illustrate the
hot tempered relation between Essex and Elizabeth with Bacon
as counselor for both. The following scene is both dramatic
and pivotal in regards to the fate of Essex.
Francis Bacon-There's seldom been a man so unwise,so
headstrong but he could sometimes see the necessity of
keeping friends and not making enemies at court. But you!
You quarrel with the Queen because she wanted peace and you
wanted war.
Essex- War! There is a war--with Spain! Such a silly
frightened woman as only a woman would wait it.
Bacon- Let me answer that. You're not forthright with
yourself. You wish to complete your record as general, crush
Spain, make a name like Caesar's and climb the pinnacle of
fame. You wanted Cadiz and caught the people's hearts.
Caught their voices until the streets ring with your name
whenever you pass. They care you're too popular already. My
lord, you are loved better than the Queen, that's your
danger. She will not suffer a subject to eclipse her. She
cannot suffer it.
Essex- Make no mistake she will not! So, I must wait,
huh? Hold back?
Bacon- Precisely.
Essex- Why? I come from better blood than Elizabeth.
My name was among the earl's who stood around the oak with
King John. What the nobles once taught a king a noble may
teach a queen.
Bacon- You talk treason and death. The old order is
dead. You and your house will die with it if you cannot
learn. This is Elizabeth we're dealing with!
Essex-What's a devil a king but a man. A queen but a
woman!
Bacon-There's one man in all her kingdom that she
fears, and that man is yourself. And she has good reason to
fear you.
Essex-To fear me? Why? I'm loyal.
Bacon-You're a man not easily governed. Moreover a
popular general and acclaimed. And last, she loves you . . .
which makes you more to be feared whether you love her or
not.
Essex- Love her? (pause) I most certainly do love
her.
Bacon- My Lord, a man as young as yourself-
Essex- If she were my mother's kitchen hag, toothless
and wooden legged, she still make all the others seem pale
and colorless. I tell you she's a witch. She's got a witch's
brain. I love her! I hate her! (sighs) I adore her.
Bacon- That side of it you must know for yourself.
But my Lord, permit me to caution you. Don't count too much
on the loves of queens.
Essex-Thanks schoolmaster Bacon for that sound
lecture and the sound advice.
Bacon- Which you probably will not take.
Essex-
Which I probably will not.
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