query: 1215 copies of the Magna Carta were on display at the British Library on February 3rd, 2015.

pos: Magna Carta Magna Carta Libertatum ( Medieval Latin for `` the Great Charter of the Liberties '' ) , commonly called Magna Carta ( also Magna Charta ; '' ( the ) Great Charter '' ) , is a charter agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede , near Windsor , on 15 June 1215 . First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons , it promised the protection of church rights , protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment , access to swift justice , and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown , to be implemented through a council of 25 barons . Neither side stood behind their commitments , and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III , leading to the First Barons ' War . After John 's death , the regency government of his young son , Henry III , reissued the document in 1216 , stripped of some of its more radical content , in an unsuccessful bid to build political support for their cause . At the end of the war in 1217 , it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at Lambeth , where the document acquired the name Magna Carta , to distinguish it from the smaller Charter of the Forest which was issued at the same time . Short of funds , Henry reissued the charter again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes ; his son , Edward I , repeated the exercise in 1297 , this time confirming it as part of England 's statute law .   The charter became part of English political life and was typically renewed by each monarch in turn , although as time went by and the fledgling English Parliament passed new laws , it lost some of its practical significance . At the end of the 16th century there was an upsurge in interest in Magna Carta . Lawyers and historians at the time believed that there was an ancient English constitution , going back to the days of the Anglo-Saxons , that protected individual English freedoms . They argued that the Norman invasion of 1066 had overthrown these rights , and that Magna Carta had been a popular attempt to restore them , making the charter an essential foundation for the contemporary powers of Parliament and legal principles such as habeas corpus . Although this historical account was badly flawed , jurists such as Sir Edward Coke used Magna Carta extensively in the early 17th century , arguing against the divine right of kings propounded by the Stuart monarchs . Both James I and his son Charles I attempted to suppress the discussion of Magna Carta , until the issue was curtailed by the English Civil War of the 1640s and the execution of Charles .   The political myth of Magna Carta and its protection of ancient personal liberties persisted after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 until well into the 19th century . It influenced the early American colonists in the Thirteen Colonies and the formation of the American Constitution in 1787 , which became the supreme law of the land in the new republic of the United States . Research by Victorian historians showed that the original 1215 charter had concerned the medieval relationship between the monarch and the barons , rather than the rights of ordinary people , but the charter remained a powerful , iconic document , even after almost all of its content was repealed from the statute books in the 19th and 20th centuries . Magna Carta still forms an important symbol of liberty today , often cited by politicians and campaigners , and is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities , Lord Denning describing it as `` the greatest constitutional document of all times -- the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot '' .   In the 21st century , four exemplifications of the original 1215 charter remain in existence , held by the British Library and the cathedrals of Lincoln and Salisbury . There are also a handful of the subsequent charters in public and private ownership , including copies of the 1297 charter in both the United States and Australia . The original charters were written on parchment sheets using quill pens , in heavily abbreviated medieval Latin , which was the convention for legal documents at that time . Each was sealed with the royal great seal ( made of beeswax and resin sealing wax ) : very few of the seals have survived . Although scholars refer to the 63 numbered `` clauses '' of Magna Carta , this is a modern system of numbering , introduced by Sir William Blackstone in 1759 ; the original charter formed a single , long unbroken text . The four original 1215 charters were displayed together at the British Library for one day , 3 February 2015 , to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta .

neg: St Cuthbert Gospel The St Cuthbert Gospel , also known as the Stonyhurst Gospel or the St Cuthbert Gospel of St John , is an early 8th-century pocket gospel book , written in Latin . Its finely decorated leather binding is the earliest known Western bookbinding to survive , and both the 94 vellum folios and the binding are in outstanding condition for a book of this age . With a page size of only 138 x , the St Cuthbert Gospel is one of the smallest surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts . The essentially undecorated text is the Gospel of John in Latin , written in a script that has been regarded as a model of elegant simplicity .   The book takes its name from Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne , North East England , in whose tomb it was placed , probably a few years after his death in 687 . Although it was long regarded as Cuthbert 's personal copy of the Gospel , to which there are early references , and so a relic of the saint , the book is now thought to date from shortly after Cuthbert 's death . It was probably a gift from Monkwearmouth -- Jarrow Abbey , where it was written , intended to be placed in St Cuthbert 's coffin in the few decades after this was placed behind the altar at Lindisfarne in 698 . It presumably remained in the coffin through its long travels after 875 , forced by Viking invasions , ending at Durham Cathedral . The book was found inside the coffin and removed in 1104 when the burial was once again moved within the cathedral . It was kept there with other relics , and important visitors were able to wear the book in a leather bag around their necks . It is thought that after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England by Henry VIII between 1536 and 1541 , the book passed to collectors . It was eventually given to Stonyhurst College , the Jesuit school in Lancashire .   From 1979 it was on long-term loan from the British province of the Jesuit order to the British Library , catalogued as Loan 74 . On 14 July 2011 the British Library launched a fundraising campaign to buy the book for # 9 million , and on 17 April 2012 announced that the purchase had been completed and the book was now British Library Additional MS 89000 .   The library plans to display the Gospel for equal amounts of time in London and Durham . It describes the manuscript as `` the earliest surviving intact European book and one of the world 's most significant books '' . The Cuthbert Gospel returned to Durham to feature in exhibitions in 2013 and 2014 . In 2017 it was `` resting '' off display , but it will be in British Library 's Anglo-Saxon exhibition in autumn 2018 . A new book on the gospel was published in 2015 , incorporating the results of research since the purchase ; among other things this pushed the likely date from the late 7th to the early 8th century , perhaps as late as 730 .

neg: British Library Philatelic Collections The British Library Philatelic Collections is the national philatelic collection of the United Kingdom with over 8 million items from around the world . It was established in 1891 as part of the British Museum Library , later to become the British Library , with the collection of Thomas Tapling . In addition to bequests and continuing donations , the library received consistent deposits by the Crown Agency and has become a primary research collection for British Empire and international history . The collections contain a wide range of artefacts in addition to postage stamps , from newspaper stamps to a press used to print the first British postage stamps .

neg: McDonald Road Library McDonald Road Library is one of 28 freely-accessible public libraries in Edinburgh , Scotland . The library opened in 1904 as the East Branch of the city 's library service . It is located on the corner of McDonald Road and Leith Walk , and is a category B listed building .   At its opening the library held a stock of 11,498 volumes and recorded in excess of 190,000 issues ( loans ) per annum during its early years . Books were not directly accessible by the public for browsing until after 1922 when Edinburgh 's library service switched to an `` open access '' approach to their collections . In the year the library opened the then-five public libraries serving the city issued 962,724 loans from stock .   The building is one of the original five branch libraries , constructed and opened after Central Library , under the stewardship of Hew Morrison who served as Principal Librarian between 1887 and 1922 . The fourth branch library constructed , McDonald Road was built with help from funding provided by the trustees of a bequest from publisher Thomas Nelson to provide `` shelter halls '' for the working men of the city .   By 1950 , the stock of volumes held in the library had more than tripled : 33,963 in the main collection and 6,211 in the junior reading room . Issues from the stock were 285,559 and 57,557 respectively . With the city much expanded , being served by Central Library , thirteen branch libraries , other suburban and deposited libraries , mobile and hospital services , plus books for the blind , the city 's community was provided with access to over 650,000 volumes and the combined issues from the service totalled over four million lendings .   As with all public libraries in Edinburgh , adult collections are organised using the Library of Congress Classification system . Since Wigan dropped the system during a 1974 local government reorganisation , Edinburgh is the only municipality in the UK continuing to use it . Children 's books are organised under the more-widespread Dewey Decimal Classification scheme .   McDonald Road branch is open to the public seven days a week ; with disabled access . It is on nine bus routes , offers free Wi-Fi , public computer access , a business hub , `` Bookbug '' sessions for pre-school children , five book/reading groups , a children 's craft drop-in and some local councillors ' surgeries .

neg: Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums ( IWM ) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England , three of which are in London . Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917 , the museum was intended to record the civil and military war effort and sacrifice of Britain and its Empire during the First World War . The museum 's remit has since expanded to include all conflicts in which British or Commonwealth forces have been involved since 1914 . As of 2012 , the museum aims `` to provide for , and to encourage , the study and understanding of the history of modern war and ` wartime experience ' '' .   Originally housed in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham Hill , the museum opened to the public in 1920 . In 1924 , the museum moved to space in the Imperial Institute in South Kensington , and finally in 1936 , the museum acquired a permanent home that was previously the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark . The outbreak of the Second World War saw the museum expand both its collections and its terms of reference , but in the post-war period , the museum entered a period of decline . The 1960s saw the museum redevelop its Southwark building , now referred to as Imperial War Museum London , which serves as the organisation 's corporate headquarters . During the 1970s , the museum began to expand onto other sites . The first , in 1976 , was a historic airfield in Cambridgeshire now referred to as IWM Duxford . In 1978 , the Royal Navy cruiser became a branch of the museum , having previously been preserved for the nation by a private trust . In 1984 , the Cabinet War Rooms , an underground wartime command centre , was opened to the public . From the 1980s onwards , the museum 's Bethlem building underwent a series of multimillion-pound redevelopments , completed in 2000 . Finally , 2002 saw the opening of IWM North in Trafford , Greater Manchester , the fifth branch of the museum and the first in the north of England . In 2011 , the museum rebranded itself as IWM , standing for `` Imperial War Museums '' .   The museum 's collections include archives of personal and official documents , photographs , film and video material , and oral history recordings , an extensive library , a large art collection , and examples of military vehicles and aircraft , equipment , and other artefacts .   The museum is funded by government grants , charitable donations , and revenue generation through commercial activity such as retailing , licensing , and publishing . General admission is free to IWM London ( although specific exhibitions require the purchase of a ticket ) and IWM North , but an admission fee is levied at the other branches . The museum is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 1993 and a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture , Media and Sport . As of January 2012 , the Chairman of the Trustees is Sir Francis Richards . Since October 2008 , the museum 's Director General has been Diane Lees .

neg: Old English literature Old English literature or Anglo-Saxon literature , encompasses literature written in Old English , in Anglo-Saxon England from the 7th century to the decades after the Norman Conquest of 1066 . `` Cædmon 's Hymn '' , composed in the 7th century , according to Bede , is often considered the oldest extant poem in English , whereas the later poem , The Grave is one of the final poems written in Old English , and presents a transitional text between Old and Middle English . The Peterborough Chronicle can also be considered a late-period text , continuing into the 12th century .   The poem Beowulf , which often begins the traditional canon of English literature , is the most famous work of Old English literature . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle has also proven significant for historical study , preserving a chronology of early English history .   In descending order of quantity , Old English literature consists of : sermons and saints ' lives ; biblical translations ; translated Latin works of the early Church Fathers ; Anglo-Saxon chronicles and narrative history works ; laws , wills and other legal works ; practical works on grammar , medicine , geography ; and poetry . In all there are over 400 surviving manuscripts from the period , of which about 189 are considered `` major '' .   Besides Old English literature , Anglo-Saxons wrote a number of Anglo-Latin works .

neg: List of Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain, 1720–39 This is an incomplete list of Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain for the years 1720 -- 1739 . For Acts passed up until 1707 see List of Acts of the Parliament of England and List of Acts of the Parliament of Scotland . See also the List of Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 and the List of Acts of the Parliament of Ireland , 1701 -- 1800 .   For Acts passed from 1801 onwards see List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . For Acts of the devolved parliaments and assemblies in the United Kingdom , see the List of Acts of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 , the List of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly , and the List of Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales ; see also the List of Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland .   The number shown after each Act 's title is its chapter number . Acts are cited using this number , preceded by the year ( s ) of the reign during which the relevant parliamentary session was held ; thus the Union with Ireland Act 1800 is cited as `` 39 & 40 Geo . 3 c. 67 '' , meaning the 67th Act passed during the session that started in the 39th year of the reign of George III and which finished in the 40th year of that reign . Note that the modern convention is to use Arabic numerals in citations ( thus `` 41 Geo . 3 '' rather than `` 41 Geo . III '' ) . Note also that Acts of the last session of the Parliament of Great Britain and the first session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are both cited as `` 41 Geo . 3 '' .   Acts passed by the Parliament of Great Britain did not have a short title ; however , some of these Acts have subsequently been given a short title by Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ( such as the Short Titles Act 1896 ) .   Before the Acts of Parliament ( Commencement ) Act 1793 came into force on 8 April 1793 , Acts passed by the Parliament of Great Britain were deemed to have come into effect on the first day of the session in which they were passed . Because of this , the years given in the list below may in fact be the year before a particular Act was passed .

neg: Companion to British History The Companion to British History ( ISBN 978-0-9560983-0-6 ) is a single-volume encyclopaedic reference work `` bigger than a foundation stone , longer than the Bible '' ( Daily Telegraph ) written by the sole hand of Charles Arnold-Baker and edited by his son Henry von Blumenthal in 1996 who , as proprietor of Longcross Press , published the First and Third Editions . It was described by The Spectator as `` arguably one of the most remarkable books ever written '' . An account of how the book came to be written and published appeared as a feature article in the Daily Telegraph . The Second Edition was by Routledge .   Category : British non-fiction literature

neg: Pax Britannica Pax Britannica ( Latin for `` British Peace '' , modelled after Pax Romana ) was the period of relative peace in Europe ( 1815 -- 1914 ) during which the British Empire became the global hegemonic power and adopted the role of a global police force .   Between 1815 and 1914 , a period referred to as Britain 's `` imperial century , '' around 10,000,000 sqmi of territory and roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire . Victory over Napoleonic France left the British without any serious international rival , other than perhaps Russia in central Asia . When Russia tried expanding its influence in the Balkans , the British and French defeated it in the Crimean War ( 1854 -- 56 ) , thereby protecting the by-then feeble Ottoman Empire .   Britain 's Royal Navy controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power . Alongside the formal control it exerted over its own colonies , Britain 's dominant position in world trade meant that it effectively controlled access to many regions , such as Asia and Latin America . British merchants , shippers and bankers had such an overwhelming advantage over everyone else that in addition to its colonies it had an `` informal empire '' .

neg: Jewel Tower The Jewel Tower is a 14th-century surviving element of the royal Palace of Westminster , in London , England . It was built between 1365 and 1366 , under the direction of William of Sleaford and Henry de Yevele , to house the personal treasure of Edward III . The tower , a three-storey , crenellated stone building , occupied a secluded part of the palace and was protected by a moat linked to the River Thames . The ground floor featured elaborate carved vaulting , described by historian Jeremy Ashbee as `` an architectural masterpiece '' . The tower continued to be used for storing the monarch 's treasure and personal possessions until 1512 , when a fire in the palace caused Henry VIII to relocate his court to Whitehall .   At the end of the 16th century , the House of Lords began to use the tower to store its parliamentary records , building a house alongside it for the use of the parliamentary clerk , and extensive improvements followed in 1621 . The tower continued as the Lords ' records office through the 18th century , and several sets of renovations and building work were carried out to improve its fire-proofing and comfort , creating the current appearance of the tower . In 1834 , the tower was one of only four buildings to survive a terrible fire in Westminster , and in the aftermath the records were moved to a new , purpose-built archive .   The Jewel Tower was taken over by the newly formed Standard Weights and Measures Department in 1869 , who used it for storing and testing official weights and measures . The rising levels of London traffic made the tower increasingly unsuitable for this work , and by 1938 the department had abandoned it in favour of other facilities . In 1948 , the building was placed into the care of the Ministry of Works , who repaired the damage inflicted to the tower during the Second World War , and extensively restored the building , clearing the surrounding area and opening the tower for tourists . In the 21st century , the Jewel Tower is managed by English Heritage , receiving around 30,000 visitors each year .

neg: Antiquarian Booksellers Association The Antiquarian Booksellers Association ( ABA ) is the senior trade body in the British Isles for dealers in antiquarian and rare books , manuscripts and allied materials . The ABA organises a number of book fairs every year including its flagship fair held at Olympia , London in May , which features exhibitors from all around the world , and the Chelsea Antiquarian Book Fair in November . Fairs are held in Edinburgh in March and Bristol in July in conjunction with the Provincial Book Fairs Association . The ABA sponsors the London Rare Books School , the York Antiquarian Book Seminar , and a series of seminars at the University of London . The ABA Office is located on Bell Yard , off Fleet Street and next to the Royal Courts of Justice .

neg: Great Canterbury Psalter The Great Canterbury Psalter , Anglo-Catalan Psalter or Paris Psalter is an early 13th - and mid 14th-century illuminated manuscript with the shelfmark MS lat . 8846 in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris . It was made in two different locations and moments in time : at Canterbury around 1200 ( 184 pages ) and in Catalonia around 1340 . It is the last of a series of copies of the Utrecht Psalter made in Canterbury , following the Harley Psalter and the Eadwine Psalter .   The English elements are : the main texts , but only taking the Psalms up to Psalm 98 ; a prefatory cycle of biblical scenes , from both Old and New Testaments , over eight pages , each divided into 12 square compartments ( one has 18 medallions instead ) ; illustrations to the Psalms adapting the Utrecht compositions , but only covering most of the psalms up to Psalm 52 .

neg: Cadency labels of the British royal family Heraldic labels are used to differentiate the personal coats of arms of members of the royal family of the United Kingdom from that of the monarch and from each other . In the Gallo-British heraldic tradition , cadency marks have been available to `` difference '' the arms of a son from those of his father , and the arms of brothers from each other , and traditionally this was often done when it was considered important for each man to have a distinctive individual coat of arms and/or to differentiate the arms of the head of a house from junior members of the family . This was especially important in the case of arms of sovereignty : to use the undifferenced arms of a kingdom is to assert a claim to the throne . Therefore , in the English royal family , cadency marks were used from the time of Henry III , typically a label or bordure alluding to the arms of the bearer 's mother or wife . After about 1340 , when Edward III made a claim to the throne of France , a blue label did not contrast sufficiently with the blue field of the French quarter of the royal arms ; accordingly most royal cadets used labels argent : that of the heir apparent was plain , and all others were charged . Bordures of various tinctures continued to be used into the 15th century .

neg: York Library York Library ( York Explore Library and Archive ) is situated in Museum Street , York , England .   York 's first subscription library opened in 1794 , but it was only in 1893 that the city 's first public library was opened in Clifford Street by the then Duke and Duchess of York , in a building formerly occupied by the Institute of Popular Science and Literature . This was the period when free public libraries were supplanting subscription libraries , and the establishment of York 's public library was the city 's way of marking Queen Victoria 's Diamond Jubilee . In 1917 the public library was merged with York Subscription Library .   The present library building on Museum Street was designed by Walter Brierley and opened in 1927 . Since then , there have been a number of extensions to the building , most recently in 2014 , when the library became home to the City Archives .

neg: Auchinleck manuscript The Auchinleck Manuscript , NLS Adv. MS 19.2.1 , currently forms part of the collection of the National Library of Scotland . It is an illuminated manuscript copied on parchment in the 14th century in London . The manuscript provides a glimpse of a time of political tension and social change in England . The English were continuing to reclaim their language and national identity , and to distance themselves from the Norman conquerors who had taken over the country after the Battle of Hastings 300 years before .

neg: Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII ( full title : Letters and Papers , Foreign and Domestic , of the Reign of Henry VIII : preserved in the Public Record Office , the British Museum , and elsewhere in England ) is a multi-volume edition of documents from the reign of Henry VIII of England . The series was edited by J.S. Brewer , James Gairdner and R. H. Brodie , and originally published between 1862 and 1932 . It remains a key resource for historians of the period , and is now freely available online as part of British History Online .   Surviving documents from the Public Record Office ( now The National Archives ) , the British Museum ( now the British Library ) , other archives , and reliable older publications , are presented in date order . The texts are calendared : that is to say , they are slightly summarised and edited , the language modernised , and some explanatory footnotes added ; but all substantive content is retained . Undated documents are printed at the end of the assumed month or year . Grants and payments from accounts are also inserted at the end of their respective months .   The earlier State Papers of Henry VIII , published by the Royal Commission for State Papers in 11 volumes between 1830 and 1852 , is not wholly superseded because the editors of that series sought to reproduce the original phrasing and orthography of the selected letters .

neg: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma The Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma ( Rome National Central Library ) , in Rome , is one of two central national libraries of Italy , along with Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze in Florence . In total , 9 national libraries exist , out of 46 state libraries .   The library 's mission is to collect and preserve all the publications in Italy and the most important foreign works , especially those related to Italy , and make them available to anyone .  The collection currently includes more than 7,000,000 printed volumes , 2,000 incunabula , 25,000 cinquecentine ( 16th century books ) , 8,000 manuscripts , 10,000 drawings , 20,000 maps , and 1,342,154 brochures .

neg: List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, 1980–99 This is a complete list of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the years 1980 -- 1999 . Note that the first parliament of the United Kingdom was held in 1801 ; parliaments between 1707 and 1800 were either parliaments of Great Britain or of Ireland ) . For Acts passed up until 1707 see List of Acts of the Parliament of England and List of Acts of the Parliament of Scotland . For Acts passed from 1707 to 1800 see List of Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain . See also the List of Acts of the Parliament of Ireland .   For Acts of the devolved parliaments and assemblies in the United Kingdom , see the List of Acts of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 , the List of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly , and the List of Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales ; see also the List of Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland .   The number shown after each Act 's title is its chapter number . Acts passed before 1963 are cited using this number , preceded by the year ( s ) of the reign during which the relevant parliamentary session was held ; thus the Union with Ireland Act 1800 is cited as `` 39 & 40 Geo . 3 c. 67 '' , meaning the 67th Act passed during the session that started in the 39th year of the reign of George III and which finished in the 40th year of that reign . Note that the modern convention is to use Arabic numerals in citations ( thus `` 41 Geo . 3 '' rather than `` 41 Geo . III '' ) . Note also that Acts of the last session of the Parliament of Great Britain and the first session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom are both cited as `` 41 Geo . 3 '' . Acts passed from 1963 onwards are simply cited by calendar year and chapter number .  __ NOTOC __

neg: Aberdeen Bestiary The Aberdeen Bestiary ( Aberdeen University Library , Univ Lib . MS 24 ) is a 12th-century English illuminated manuscript bestiary that was first listed in 1542 in the inventory of the Old Royal Library at the Palace of Westminster .   Information about its origins and patron are circumstantial . It probably comes from the 12th century and was owned by a wealthy ecclesiastical patron of the north or south province . The Aberdeen Bestiary is related to other bestiaries of the Middle Ages such as the Ashmole Bestiary .

neg: A History of Britain (book) A History of Britain is a three volume work written by Simon Schama to accompany a series of documentaries he presented for the BBC .   The volumes are :  A History of Britain I : At the Edge of the World ? 3000 BC -- AD 1603 ( BBC , 2000 , ISBN 0-563-48714-3 )  A History of Britain II : The British Wars 1603 -- 1776 ( BBC , 2001 , ISBN 0-563-48718-6 )  A History of Britain III : The Fate of Empire 1776 -- 2000 ( BBC , 2002 , ISBN 0-563-48719-4 )

neg: Crown Estate The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporation sole , making it the `` Sovereign 's public estate '' , which is neither government property nor part of the monarch 's private estate . As a result of this arrangement , the sovereign is not involved with the management or administration of the estate , exercising only very limited control of its affairs . Instead , the estate 's extensive portfolio is overseen by a semi-independent , incorporated public body headed by the Crown Estate Commissioners , who exercise `` the powers of ownership '' of the estate , although they are not `` owners in their own right '' . The revenues from these hereditary possessions have been placed by the monarch at the disposition of Her Majesty 's Government and thus proceed directly to Her Majesty 's Treasury for the benefit of the British nation . The Crown Estate is formally accountable to the Parliament of the United Kingdom , where it is legally mandated to make an annual report to the sovereign , a copy of which is forwarded to the House of Commons .   The Crown Estate is one of the largest property managers in the United Kingdom , overseeing property worth # 12 billion , with urban properties valued at # 9.1 billion representing the majority of the estate by value . These include a large number of properties in central London , but the estate also controls 792000 ha of agricultural land and forest , more than half of the UK 's foreshore , and retains various other traditional holdings and rights , including Ascot Racecourse and Windsor Great Park . Naturally occurring gold and silver in the UK , collectively known as `` Mines Royal '' , are managed by The Crown Estate and leased to mining operators .   Historically , Crown Estate properties were administered by the reigning monarch to help fund the business of governing the country . However , in 1760 , George III surrendered control over the Estate 's revenues to the treasury , thus relieving him of the responsibility of personally paying for the costs of the civil service , defence costs , the national debt , and his own personal debts . In return , he received an annual grant known as the Civil list . By tradition , each subsequent monarch agreed to this arrangement upon his or her accession . However , from 1 April 2012 , under the terms of the Sovereign Grant Act 2011 ( SSG ) , the Civil List was abolished and the monarch was thenceforth provided with a stable source of revenue indexed to a percentage of the Crown Estate 's annual net revenue ( currently set at 15 % ) . This was intended to provide a long-term solution and remove the politically sensitive issue of Parliament having to debate the Civil List allowance every ten years . Subsequently , the Sovereign Grant Act allows for all future monarchs to simply extend these provisions for their reigns by Order in Council . The act does not imply any legal change on the nature of the estate 's ownership , but is simply a benchmark by which the sovereign grant is set as a grant by Parliament .


query: Bette Davis had a persona.

pos: Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth `` Bette '' Davis ( April 5 , 1908 -- October 6 , 1989 ) was an American actress of film , television , and theater . Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history , she was noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic , sardonic characters and was reputed for her performances in a range of film genres , from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional comedies , although her greatest successes were her roles in romantic dramas .   After appearing in Broadway plays , Davis moved to Hollywood in 1930 . However , her early films for Universal Studios ( and as a loanout to other studios ) were unsuccessful . She joined Warner Bros. in 1932 and established her career with several critically acclaimed performances . In 1937 , she attempted to free herself from her contract . Although she lost the well-publicized legal case against the studio , it marked the beginning of the most successful period of her career . Until the late 1940s , she was one of American cinema 's most celebrated leading ladies , known for her forceful and intense style . Davis gained a reputation as a perfectionist who could be highly combative and confrontational . She clashed with studio executives and film directors as well as many of her co-stars . Her forthright manner , idiosyncratic speech and ubiquitous cigarette contributed to a public persona , which has often been imitated .   Davis was the co-founder of the Hollywood Canteen , and was the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice , was the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting , and was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute . Her career went through several periods of eclipse , and she admitted that her success had often been at the expense of her personal relationships . Married four times , she was once widowed and three times divorced , and raised her children as a single parent . Her final years were marred by a long period of ill health , but she continued acting until shortly before her death from breast cancer , with more than 100 films , television and theater roles to her credit . In 1999 , Davis was placed second behind Katharine Hepburn on the American Film Institute 's list of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema .

neg: The Mysterious Mr. Davis The Mysterious Mr. Davis is a 1939 British comedy drama film directed by Claude Autant-Lara and starring Henry Kendall , Kathleen Kelly and Alastair Sim . It was made as a quota quickie and distributed by the American company RKO Pictures . It was based on the novel The Partner by Jenaro Prieto and was released the same year as an Italian adaptation The Silent Partner .

neg: BET Style BET Style is an entertainment show , much like syndicated Entertainment Tonight , that focuses on African Americans in the entertainment industry . It aired from 2004 to 2006 on Black Entertainment Television at 7:30 e-p/6 :30 c on Thursdays . Its hosts were usually Big Tigger and Melyssa Ford . Its last episode was on July 6 , 2006 . It was replaced by The Black Carpet , a show covering similar material in a new style .

neg: Mary Davis Mary Davis may refer to :  Moll Davis ( Mary Davis , c. 1648 -- 1708 ) , actress and mistress of Charles II of Great Britain  Mary Davis ( actress ) , American silent film actress  Mary E.P. Davis ( 1840 -- 1924 ) , nursing instructor  Mary Davis ( activist ) ( born 1954 ) , Special Olympics organiser and candidate in the Irish presidential election , 2011  Mary Bond Davis ( born 1958 ) , American singer , actor and dancer  Mary Lund Davis ( 1922 -- 2008 ) , modernist architect  Mary Davis , singer of the S.O.S. Band

neg: David Newell (actor, born 1905) David Newell was primarily known as an American character actor , whose acting career spanned from the very beginning of the sound film era through the middle of the 1950s . He made his film debut in a featured role in The Hole in the Wall , a 1929 film starring Edward G. Robinson and Claudette Colbert . Early in his career he had many featured roles , in such films as : RKO 's The Runaway Bride in 1929 , starring Mary Astor ; 1931 's Ten Cents a Dance , starring Barbara Stanwyck and directed by Lionel Barrymore ; and White Heat in 1934 . He would occasionally receive a starring role , as in 1930 's Just Like Heaven , which co-starred Anita Louise . However , by the mid-1930s he was being relegated to mostly smaller supporting roles . Some of the more notable films he appeared in include : A Star is Born ( 1937 ) , which stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March ; Blondie ( 1938 ) ; the Bette Davis vehicle , Dark Victory ( 1939 ) ; Day-Time Wife ( 1939 ) , starring Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell ; It 's a Wonderful World ( 1939 ) , with James Stewart and Claudette Colbert ; Rings on Her Fingers ( 1942 ) , starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney ; the Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore film , Up in Arms ( 1944 ) , which also stars Dana Andrews ; 1947 's Killer McCoy with Mickey Rooney , Brian Donlevy , and Ann Blyth ; Homecoming ( 1948 ) , starring Clark Gable , Lana Turner , and Anne Baxter ; That Wonderful Urge ( 1949 ) , starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney ; David and Bathsheba ( 1951 ) , starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward ; and Cecil B. DeMille 's 1952 blockbuster , The Greatest Show on Earth . During his 25-year acting career , he appeared in over 110 films . His final appearance in film was in 1954 's The Eddie Cantor Story , in which he had a small supporting role .   In the late 1940s he also began working as a make-up artist , which he transitioned full-time to in 1955 ; this was due to injuries sustained during a car accident , which left him physically disfigured . He retired from the film industry in 1961 , although he continued to work in television through the beginning of the 1970s , his last position being the make-up artist on the television show , Lassie .   Newell died two days past his 75th birthday , on January 25 , 1980 .

neg: Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens ( born March 18 , 1970 ) , known professionally by her stage name Queen Latifah , is an American rapper , songwriter , singer , actress , model , television producer , record producer , and talk show host . Born in Newark , New Jersey , she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen the same year , featuring the hit single `` Ladies First '' . Her second album , Nature of a Sista ( 1991 ) , was her final album with Tommy Boy Records .   Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the FOX sitcom Living Single , from 1993 to 1998 . Her third album Black Reign ( 1993 ) , spawned the single `` U.N.I.T.Y. '' , which won a Grammy Award and was successful on the Billboard Hot 100 . She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off ( 1996 ) and released her fourth album , Order in the Court , in 1998 , with Motown Records . Latifah gained mainstream success and acclaim with her performance in the film Chicago ( 2002 ) , receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress .   Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004 , and has since appeared in a number of films , such as Bringing Down the House ( 2003 ) , Taxi ( 2004 ) , Barbershop 2 : Back in Business ( 2005 ) , Beauty Shop ( 2005 ) , Last Holiday ( 2006 ) , Hairspray ( 2007 ) and Joyful Noise ( 2012 ) . In 2007 and 2009 , she released two more studio albums -- Trav ` lin ' Light and Persona . She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show , which ran from late 2013 to early 2015 on CBS . Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie ( 2015 ) , which she co-produced , winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie .   She has long been considered one of hip-hop 's pioneer feminists . Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 . Latifah 's work in music , film and television has earned her a Grammy Award , an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , three Screen Actors Guild Awards , two NAACP Image Awards , an Academy Award nomination and sales of over two million records .

neg: Character (arts) A character ( sometimes known as a fictional character ) is a person or other being in a narrative work of art ( such as a novel , play , television series , or film ) . The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person , in which case the distinction of a `` fictional '' versus `` real '' character may be made . Derived from the ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ , the English word dates from the Restoration , although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749 . From this , the sense of `` a part played by an actor '' developed . Character , particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema , involves `` the illusion of being a human person . '' In literature , characters guide readers through their stories , helping them to understand plots and ponder themes . Since the end of the 18th century , the phrase `` in character '' has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor . Since the 19th century , the art of creating characters , as practiced by actors or writers , has been called characterisation .   A character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type . Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised . The characters in Henrik Ibsen 's Hedda Gabler ( 1891 ) and August Strindberg 's Miss Julie ( 1888 ) , for example , are representative of specific positions in the social relations of class and gender , such that the conflicts between the characters reveal ideological conflicts .   The study of a character requires an analysis of its relations with all of the other characters in the work . The individual status of a character is defined through the network of oppositions ( proairetic , pragmatic , linguistic , proxemic ) that it forms with the other characters . The relation between characters and the action of the story shifts historically , often miming shifts in society and its ideas about human individuality , self-determination , and the social order .

neg: The Three Faces of Eve The Three Faces of Eve is a 1957 American mystery drama film presented in CinemaScope , based on a book by psychiatrists Corbett H. Thigpen and Hervey M. Cleckley , who also helped write the screenplay . It was based on their case of Chris Costner Sizemore , also known as Eve White , a woman they suggested might suffer from dissociative identity disorder ( multiple personality disorder ) . Sizemore 's identity was concealed in interviews and this film , and was not revealed to the public until 1975 . The film is directed by Nunnally Johnson .   Joanne Woodward won the Academy Award for Best Actress , making her the first actress to win an Oscar for portraying three different personalities ( Eve White , Eve Black and Jane ) . The Three Faces of Eve also became the first film since 1936 to win the Best Actress award without getting nominated in another category after Bette Davis won for Dangerous .

neg: Pocketful of Miracles Pocketful of Miracles is a 1961 American comedy film starring Bette Davis and Glenn Ford , and directed by Frank Capra . The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend is based on the screenplay Lady for a Day by Robert Riskin , which was adapted from the Damon Runyon short story `` Madame La Gimp '' .   The film proved to be the final project for both Capra and veteran actor Thomas Mitchell but also featured the film debut of Ann-Margret .   Supporting player Peter Falk was nominated for an Academy Award but George Chakiris won that year for West Side Story . Capra said that Falk 's performance was a bright spot in this `` miserable film . ''   The 1989 film Miracles starring Jackie Chan and Anita Mui , and the 2008 film Singh Is Kinng starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif are based on Pocketful of Miracles .

neg: Marion Davies Marion Cecilia Davies ( née Douras January 3 , 1897 -- September 22 , 1961 ) was an American film actress , producer , screenwriter , and philanthropist .   Davies was already building a solid reputation as a film comedian when newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst , with whom she had begun a romantic relationship , took over management of her career . Hearst financed Davies ' pictures , promoted her heavily through his newspapers and Hearst Newsreels , and pressured studios to cast her in historical dramas for which she was ill-suited . For this reason , Davies is better remembered today as Hearst 's mistress and the hostess of many lavish events for the Hollywood elite . In particular , her name is linked with the 1924 scandal aboard Hearst 's yacht when one of his guests , film producer Thomas Ince , died .   In the film Citizen Kane ( 1941 ) , the title character 's second wife -- an untalented singer whom he tries to promote -- was widely assumed to be based on Davies . But many commentators , including Citizen Kane writer/director Orson Welles himself , have defended Davies ' record as a gifted actress , to whom Hearst 's patronage did more harm than good . She retired from the screen in 1937 , choosing to devote herself to Hearst and charitable work .   In Hearst 's declining years , Davies provided financial as well as emotional support until his death in 1951 . She married for the first time eleven weeks after his death , a marriage which lasted until Davies died of stomach cancer in 1961 at the age of 64 .

neg: Marilyn Monroe in popular culture Marilyn Monroe 's life and persona have been used in film , television , music , the arts , and by other celebrities .

neg: International Sweethearts of Rhythm The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all women 's band in the United States . During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day . They played swing and jazz on a national circuit that included the Apollo Theater in New York City , the Regal Theater in Chicago , and the Howard Theater in Washington , DC . After a performance in Chicago in 1943 , the Chicago Defender announced the band was , `` One of the hottest stage shows that ever raised the roof of the theater ! '' More recently , they have been labeled `` the most prominent and probably best female aggregation of the Big Band era . '' During feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s in America , the International Sweethearts of Rhythm regained a significant amount of popularity , particularly with feminist writers and musicologists who have made it their goal to change the discourse on the history of jazz to equally include both men and women musicians . Antionette Handy , flutist , documented the story of these female musicians of color .

neg: Miles Davis Volume 2 Miles Davis Volume 2 refers to two separate but related entities . The first is a Miles Davis studio album released by Blue Note Records as a 10-inch LP , as BLP 5022 in 1953 . The six tracks from this LP plus five alternate takes were released on CD in 1990 and remastered with restored artwork in 2001 .   The second Miles Davis Volume 2 is a compilation of tracks from all three of his sessions with the label , released ( with different cover art ) in 1956 as BLP 1502 .   The original 10-inch LP ( BLP 5022 ) contained music from Davis ' second session for Blue Note , recorded April 20 , 1953 . The recording was made at a point in Davis ' life when he was struggling with heroin addiction , and in his autobiography Davis remembers that he , Jimmy Heath , and Art Blakey were all very high in the studio . Davis also states that the song title `` C.T.A. '' was named after Heath 's girlfriend Connie Theresa Ann .   The 1990 CD ( Blue Note CDP 7 81502 2 ) contained the music recorded at the April 20 , 1953 session , including all of the original 10 `` LP , along with alternate takes from the same session , but using the cover art from the 1956 compilation LP . The 2001 CD ( Blue Note 7243 5 32611 2 2 ) remastered by Rudy Van Gelder restored the artwork from BLP 5022 with the same track list . Davis ' other recordings for Blue Note ( in 1952 and 1954 ) are collected on the RVG CD edition of Miles Davis Volume 1 .   The 12-inch LP ( BLP 1502 ) was originally released in 1956 ( following Miles Davis Volume 1 ( BLP 1501 ) ) after Davis won the Down Beat readers poll as best trumpeter . The two volumes of repackaged Miles Davis material were the first releases in Blue Note 's new 1500 series of 12 `` LPs . The music compiled on the two volumes was from three separate recording sessions made over 1952 -- 54 , some of which had been previously issued as singles , and as three now discontinued 10 '' LPs . Volume 2 contained material from all three sessions , and some previously unreleased alternate takes . The master takes of the March 6 , 1954 session , which made up the bulk of the 12 `` LP , had originally been issued in 10 `` LP format under the title Miles Davis , Volume 3 ( BLP 5040 ) , and the May 9 , 1952 material had been previously released the 10 '' LP Young Man with a Horn ( BLP 5013 ) . Some Japanese CD versions reproduce the original 12 `` LP running order .

neg: Multiple audience dilemma Multiple audience dilemma ,   also known as multiple audience problem , is a situation that arises when a singular person or group creates multiple images for themselves to present to separate audiences , and then the audiences meet ; creating a need to personify different images of the same self without having others figure out what is happening . This might happen through choosing to act in a specific way to convey a personality that matches both images of the self that both audiences are familiar with , as a way of compromising for both audiences without one or both .

neg: The Virgin Queen (1955 film) The Virgin Queen is a 1955 DeLuxe Color historical drama film in CinemaScope starring Bette Davis , Richard Todd and Joan Collins . It focuses on the relationship between Elizabeth I of England and Sir Walter Raleigh .   The film marks the second time Davis played the English monarch ; the first was The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ( 1939 ) . It was also the first Hollywood film for Australian actor Rod Taylor .   Charles LeMaire and Mary Wills were nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design . LeMaire won , but for another film , Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing ( 1955 ) .

neg: Billy Davis (songwriter) Roquel `` Billy '' Davis ( July 11 , 1932 -- September 2 , 2004 ) , of Detroit , was an American songwriter , record producer , and singer . Davis was also known as a writer/producer of commercial jingles , mostly for Coca-Cola . He was also known as Tyran Carlo on writing credits .   Early in his career in Detroit , Davis sang and wrote with an early version of the Four Tops called `` The Four Aims '' , which included his cousin Lawrence Payton . In the late-1950s , he collaborated with Berry Gordy , the Motown Records founder , to write a number of hit songs for Jackie Wilson . The most notable of these was `` Lonely Teardrops '' , written by Davis , Gordy , and Gordy 's sister Gwen , who was Davis 's girlfriend at the time . Davis and Gwen Gordy later founded Anna Records , which was the distributor of the early singles from Berry Gordy 's newly formed Tamla label . The two also wrote `` Reet Petite '' for Wilson , which was a Top 10 hit for the singer in the UK and later topped the British charts in 1986 when re-released . Another success for the two was Marv Johnson 's major hit in 1959 , `` You Got What It Takes '' ( # 2 R&B , # 10 pop ) , as the two continued to work together .   In the early 1960s , Davis left Detroit and moved to Chess Records in Chicago , after being persuaded by label owner , Leonard Chess to take charge of the A&R and creative departments , bringing in and supervising in-house songwriters , arrangers and producers , who were aiming now at the soul and crossover pop markets . During this period , he wrote and produced for many artists , including Etta James , The Dells , Billy Stewart , Little Milton , Jackie Ross , Mitty Collier and Fontella Bass , whose 1965 single , `` Rescue Me '' was Davis ' biggest hit ( # 1 R&B , # 4 pop ) .   Davis quit Chess towards the end of 1968 , some months before the record company was eventually sold , with his success at the label gaining him a position writing and producing jingles at the McCann Erickson advertising agency in New York City . He eventually rose to Senior Vice-President and Music Director . While at McCann-Erickson , Davis 's primary client was The Coca-Cola Company , for which he produced the famous jingle `` I 'd Like to Teach the World to Sing ( In Perfect Harmony ) '' , used in a 1971 Coca-Cola television advertisement . He also produced other jingles such as `` It 's the Real Thing '' , `` Things Go Better With Coke '' and `` Country Sunshine '' for Coca-Cola ( with country singer Dottie West , who recorded the song ) , and `` If You 've Got the Time '' for Miller Beer .   Davis died of natural causes in New Rochelle , New York in September 2004 . He was 72 years old .

neg: The Ipana Troubadors The Ipana Troubadors ( aka The Ipana Troubadours ) was a musical variety radio program which began in New York on WEAF in 1923 . In actuality , the Troubadors were the Sam Lanin Orchestra . They opened the show with their theme , `` Smiles . ''   The show was sponsored by Bristol Myers ' Ipana Toothpaste , and it was during this period that Bristol Myers introduced the slogan , `` Ipana for the Smile of Beauty ; Sal Hepatica for the Smile of Health . ''   With a mix of hot swing music and novelty tunes , the show moved from WEAF to the NBC Red Network ( 1926-28 ) for a 30-minute series on Wednesday evenings at 9pm . It then aired on the Blue Network ( 1929-31 ) Mondays at 8:30 pm . Network radio exposure made the Ipana Troubadors one of the most well-known dance bands of the 1920s , resulting in a recording contract with Columbia and bookings at dance halls , such as the Casino at Bemus Point , New York . However , the recording contract covered only the Ipana Troubadors , so Lanin continued to recording on other labels under his own name and a variety of pseudonyms .   With title changes , the show continued on the Red Network ( 1933-34 ) , Wednesdays at 9pm . Helen Hayes was a guest on the show of October 4 , 1933 , appearing in a scene with John Beal . In 1934 , The Ipana Troubadors merged with Fred Allen 's The Hour of Smiles .   Radio station policies in the early 1920s dictated that no commercial messages intrude on a program . However , once the program moved to NBC , the attitude toward advertising accelerated , as noted by Timothy D. Taylor in `` Music and Advertising in Early Radio '' :  Spot and national advertisements frequently had a tie-in , often simply a plain poster or print ad , and frequently more . A brochure about Ipana Toothpaste produced by NBC in 1928 included photos of the tie-ins that Ipana provided to customers who wrote in : a Magic Radio Time Table pad , so that listeners could write down their favorite programs ; a bridge score card ; a photo of the Ipana Troubadors , the program 's resident musicians ; a card with a paean to the smile . All of these items had the Ipana name prominently displayed . Then there was the tie-in material made available to dealers : posters , brochures , a `` radio applause card '' that listeners could take to send in comments on the program , and more ( National Broadcasting Company , Improving the Smiles of a Nation ! ) .   Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey were heard on the show during the 1920s , along with Red Nichols and others . Musicians during the 1930s included Jack Teagarden and Joe Venuti , with vocalists Chick Bullock and Dick Robertson . Another guest was vaudeville headliner Marion Harris , billed by NBC as `` The Little Girl with the Big Voice . ''

neg: La Otra (film) La Otra ( `` The Other '' ( feminine ) ) , sometimes screened with the title The Other One , is a 1946 Mexican drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring Dolores del Río . The film inspired the movie Dead Ringer , starred by Bette Davis .

neg: Betty Hutton Betty Hutton ( born Elizabeth June Thornburg ; February 26 , 1921 -- March 12 , 2007 )  was an American stage , film , and television actress , comedian , dancer , and singer .

neg: The World of Carl Sandburg The World of Carl Sandburg was a stage presentation of selections from the poetry and prose of Carl Sandburg , chosen and arranged by Norman Corwin , starring Bette Davis . There was a 21-week national tour 1959 -- 1960 , co-starring Davis 's husband Gary Merrill , towards the end , he was replaced by Barry Sullivan . Afterwards , there was a one-month run at the Henry Miller Theatre in the fall of 1960 , co-starring Leif Erickson . Guitar accompaniment and singing was provided by the folk singer Clark Allen .   For the opening performances , both of the tour and on Broadway , Sandburg himself spoke after the production .   A printed text version , with commentary by Corwin and Sandburg , was then published in 1961 .

neg: Part-talkie A part-talkie is a partly , and most often primarily , silent film which includes one or more synchronous sound sequences with audible dialog or singing . During the silent portions lines of dialog are presented as `` titles '' -- printed text briefly filling the screen -- and the soundtrack is used only to supply musical accompaniment and sound effects .   In the case of feature films made in the United States , nearly all such hybrid films date to the 1927-1929 period of transition from `` silents '' to full-fledged `` talkies '' with audible dialog throughout . It took about a year and a half for a transition period for American movie houses to move from almost all silent to almost all equipped for sound . In the interim period , studios reacted by improvising four solutions : fast remakes of recent productions , `` goat gland '' pictures with one or two sound sequences spliced into already finished productions , dual sound and silent versions produced simultaneously , and part-talkies .   The famous so-called `` first talking picture '' , The Jazz Singer ( 1927 ) , starring Al Jolson , is in fact a part-talkie . It features only about fifteen minutes of singing and talking , interspersed throughout the film , while the rest is a typical silent film with `` titles '' and only a recorded orchestral accompaniment .