The group soon extended its moniker to elmer gantrys velvet opera when member dave terry lead vocals, guitar, harmonica changed his name to elmer gantry and started wearing a cape and preachers hat similar to the title character in the sinclair lewis novel elmer gantry turned oscar winning movie in 1960. Published in 1926, this is the story of a professional good man, a preacher and pastor in those first decades of the 20th century before the great depression. Elmer the patchwork elephant, a children s picture book series by author david mckee. The band is fronted by singer david terry, had previously fronted the impacts, five proud walkers and elmer gantrys velvet opera.
Elmer gantrys velvet opera 05 walter sly meets bill bailey. Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the. Initially just calling themselves velvet opera, they developed their full name when terry took to wearing a cape and preachers hat in the style of the title character in the 1960 film adaptation of sinclair lewis novel, elmer gantry. They started out as a soul and blues band called the five proud walkers, but after opening for pink floyd on tour, the group went more towards psychedelic rock and changed their name to velvet opera. Named himself in honour of the character in the burt lancaster movie elmer gantry. Lewis had long wanted to write a novel about what he called the religion racket. Elmer gantrys velvet opera mary jane releases discogs. Elmer gantry s velvet opera, a british psychedelic rock band active in the late 1960s.
The group emerged from a soulblues band called the five proud walkers. A monumental study of one of the most famous authors in the 20th century by one of the most distinguished literary men of america today, sinclair lewis. Jan 03, 2019 this most devastating of lewiss satires is similar to babbitt in that it is loosely structured and episodic. Elmer gantry is a very real portrayal of a man who is ecstatic about his religion, but it is all an outward show for profit. Elmer gantrys velvet opera 05 walter sly meets bill. Sinclair lewis has 173 books on goodreads with 188096 ratings. See all books authored by sinclair lewis, including it cant happen here, and main street, and more on. Before the altar was a long, velvet cushion, very thick and soft. Even the hollywoodization of sinclair lewis elmer gantry couldnt cover up all the hypocrisy of organized religion that lewis gleefully portrayed in his book. Elmer gantry s velvet opera was a british rock band active in the late 1960s. Whereas, in elmer gantry, lewis turns religion into a business. In 1930, lewis became the first american author to win the nobel prize in literature.
The first option was the velvet opera, but dave terry appeared in a session wearing a long black cape and a preachers hat, the band immediately identified him with sinclair lewis fictional character elmer gantry and in that moment his name changed and the band was baptized as elmer gantry s velvet opera. Elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel. Sinclair lewis was enough of a writer for his books to still be readable and his characters contemporary. Based on the muckraker sinclair lewis novel, and superbly translated to the screen by richard brooks in cold blood, the professionals, cat on a hot tin roof, this story of hucksterism by religion is a masterpiece. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money and chasing women. Elmer gantry, a flawed preacher for the ages elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis. Sinclair lewis as set down in the good book elmer gantry in which this author of the early 20th century condemns organized religion, most notably the baptist church.
Jim had a resolute tenor, and as to elmer gantry, even more than his bulk, his thick black hair, his venturesome black eyes, you remembered that arousing barytone. Elmer gantry, as the title suggests, is an most insincere and hypocritical preacher of the faith. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of america in fundamentalist and evangelistic. From elmer gantrys relations to lulu bains, from harry zenzs almost frank hint that he was an atheist, frank perceived that. Elmer gantry, is initially attracted by booze and easy money though he eventually. Elmer gantry is a 1960 american drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to smalltown america. In babbit, sinclair lewis turns business into a religion. Elmer gantrys velvet opera elmer gantrys velvet opera. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, first edition abebooks. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Midhudson library system elmer gantry by sinclair lewis. Between the publication of main street and elmer gantry, lewis published his two of his seminal works, babbit 1922 and arrowsmith 1925. Elmer gantry, novel by sinclair lewis, a satiric indictment of fundamentalist religion that caused an uproar upon its publication in 1927. K so it s no surprise then, that this band would have slotted perfectly into the britpop scene, or going back further in.
Sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. In 1998, richard rossi appeared on stage in his own adaptation of elmer gantry. Elmer gantry by sinclair lewis goodreads share book. He kept from flunking only because jim lefferts drove him to his books. On the selfish theory of love with elmer gantry david. Elmer gantry nottingham poster 1969 an original silkscreened gig poster 20x 30 for the spring fever nottingham college of art ball, 20th march 1969, starring elmer gantry s velvet opera uncle stan as support. Elmer gantry and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. This tale of a hypocritical preacher who prefers money, booze and women over saving souls is today considered a classic. The first novel in new york times bestselling author jan karons beloved series set in americas favorite small town. Elmer gantry, a novel by sinclair lewis, which was made into a film starring burt lancaster. Selected short stories of sinclair lewis rep sinclair lewis. Pawley later of big town fame as elmer gantry and vera allen as sister sharon falconer.
Elmer gantry and 7 related entities entities finder. Members of the band would later become members of the strawbs, hudson ford and stretch. He took his stage name from the book elmer gantry by sinclair lewis, about a hellfire preacher later made into a movie starring burt lancaster. Elmer gantry nottingham poster 1969 an original silkscreened gig poster 20x 30 for the spring fever nottingham college of art ball, 20th march 1969, starring elmer gantrys velvet opera uncle stan. Velvet opera elmer gantrys is a psychedelicspace rock. Elmer gantrys velvet opera elmer gantry nottingham poster. We might be tempted to think that the corruption evident in modern televangelists is a new occurence. Oct 03, 2014 elmer gantry s velvet opera, at various times also known as velvet opera, was a british rock band active in the late 1960s. Over the past few weeks, ive enjoyed sinclair lewis novel elmer gantry as an audio book, beautifully read by anthony heald and it took me a while to figure out why. American novelist sinclair lewis published elmer gantry. They started out as a soul and blues band called the five proud walkers, but after opening for pink floyd on tour, the group went more towards psychedelic rock and. In no other lewis novel is the sexual element as important as in this one. Adapted by director richard brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel of the same name by sinclair lewis and stars burt lancaster, jean simmons, arthur kennedy, shirley jones and patti page. Complete your elmer gantrys velvet opera collection.
An american life will stand for years to come in the select company of definitive american biographies. Oce 250gt 350gt 350xt acuity acuity gantry encoder 3010114824 rgh41x10s19a. Elmer gantry velvet opera elmer gantry, alex and ani charms, opera, velvet. Analysis of sinclair lewiss novels literary theory and. Feb 22, 2008 elmer gantry, a flawed preacher for the ages elmer gantry, the traveling evangelist who loved whiskey, women and wealth, was conceived by sinclair lewis in a bestselling 1927 novel and continues. Sinclair lewis books list of books by author sinclair lewis. Feb 18, 2016 for example, read lewis sinclairs exposition on love in elmer gantry elmer had laid in a fruitful theological library. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer gantry scandalized readers when it was first published, causing sinclair lewis to be invited to a jail cell in new hampshire and to his own lynching in virginia. In fact, elmer gantry s velvet opera continued to sound thoroughly modern for decades, while their myriad musical meanderings took them down wayward byways that later became stylistic highways at least in their native u. Its three main parts concern elmer gantrys involvement with three different women. Menckenstyle atheistic journalist, and edward andrews as george babbitt, a character borrowed from another sinclair lewis novel.
Choose country australia 1 canada 1 france 2 netherlands 3 uk 8 usa 2 uk 8. Burt lancaster player the greatest role of his career, getting his only oscar for his performance. After supporting pink floyd on tour, they were inspired. After various forays into evangelism, he becomes a successful methodist minister despite his hypocrisy and serial sexual indiscretions. Dec 04, 2007 sinclair lewis worldfamous satire of religious hypocrisy and the excesses of the roaring. Elmer gantry s velvet opera self titled lp epic records ex promo mono psych. Elmer gantry has even been made into a new opera, with a score by robert aldridge and a libretto by herschel garfein, that recently premiered in nashville. Elmer gantrys velvet opera was a british rock band active in the late 1960s. This was the apogee of his literary career, and in the period from ann vickers 1933 to the posthumously published world so wide 1951 lewis wrote ten novels that reveal the progressive decline of his creative powers. Sinclair lewis lord, how that book of lewis, main street, did bore me. Elmer gantry s velvet opera, at various times also known as velvet opera, was a british rock band active in the late 1960s. Regardless, this movie stands the test of time, because the human condition regarding religion hasnt changed. Also appearing in elmer gantry are arthur kennedy as an h.
Velvet opera ride a hustlers dream great rock uk 1969. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading elmer gantry. The 1960 film of the same name starred burt lancaster as gantry and jean simmons as sister sharon falconer. Universally recognized as a landmark in american literature, elmer ga. She picked up a bible which lay by her on the long velvet cushion at the foot of the.
S gantry for sale entertainment collectibles market. Was a member of the of the bogus fleetwood mac band, that the then manager clifford davis send on a us tour in 1974 when the real fleetwood mac rejected the tour. In 1930, following elmer gantry 1927 and dodsworth 1929, sinclair lewis became the first american author to be awarded the nobel prize for distinction in world literature. May 20, 20 harry sinclair lewis 18851951 appears twice on this list, the first time in 1921 for his novel mainstreet. There is a mens dormitory, but elmer gantry and jim lefferts lived together in the. Elmer gantry is a satirical novel written by sinclair lewis in 1926 that presents aspects of the religious activity of america in fundamentalist and evangelistic circles and the attitudes of the 1920s public toward it. Elmer and jim lefferts retired to a table to nourish the long, rich, chocolate strains suitable to drunken melody.
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