LA Times Crossword Answers 20 Feb 13, Wednesday

CROSSWORD SETTER: Eric Williams
THEME: Woody … today’s grid is all about Woody Allen, and the grid is replete with Woody Allen movies:

37A. 2011 film in which Owen Wilson says, “Wonderful but forgettable. That sounds like a picture I’ve seen. I probably wrote it.” MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
15D. With 16-Across, 1986 film in which Dianne Wiest says, “But you have to remember, while you read and you’re cursing my name, that this is my first script.” HANNAH AND
16A. See 15-Down HER SISTERS
26D. 1977 film in which 59-Across says, “Awards! They do nothing but give out awards!” ANNIE HALL

59A. Winner of screenwriting Oscars for the three quoted films WOODY ALLEN

COMPLETION TIME: 6m 57s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across
1. When Romeo meets Juliet ACT I
In the balcony scene in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Juliet utters the famous line:

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?

Every school kid must have commented with a giggle “he’s down in the garden!” Of course, “wherefore” isn’t an archaic word for “where”, but rather an old way of saying “why”. So Juliet is asking, “Why art thou Romeo, a Montague, and hence a sworn enemy of the Capulets?”

10. His mausoleum is in Tiananmen Square MAO
Tiananmen Square is located in the center of Beijing, China. It is the third largest city square in the world, after Merdeka Square in Jakarta, Indonesia and Praça dos Girassóis in Palmas, Brazil. Tiananmen Square can hold up to 600,000 people.

13. Close-Up, e.g. TOOTHPASTE
Close-up toothpaste was launched in 1967 as the first gel toothpaste in the world.

21. Peoria-to-Decatur dir. SSE
The city of Decatur in Central Illinois is known as “the Soybean Capital of the World”. The city’s most famous resident was Abraham Lincoln, and it was in Decatur that the future US President gave his first political speech.

Peoria is the oldest European settlement in the state of Illinois, having been settled by the French in 1680. The city is famous for being cited as “the average American city”.

31. Stratford’s river AVON
There are actually four rivers called the Avon in England, but “Shakespeare’s Avon” lies mainly in Warwickshire. The name “Avon” comes from the Old English word for a river, “abona”. Stratford-upon-Avon was of course the brithplace of William Shakespeare’s.

34. Holm and McKellen IANS
English actor Sir Ian Holm is very respected on the stage in the UK, but is better known for his film roles here in the US. Holm played the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in two of the “Lord of the Rings” movies, and he also played the character who turns out be an android in the film “Alien”.

Sir Ian McKellen is a marvelous English actor, someone who is comfortable playing anything from Macbeth on stage to Magneto in an X-Men movie. On the big screen he is very famous for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of Rings”. In the UK Sir Ian is noted for being at the forefront of the campaign for equal rights for gay people, a role he has enthusiastically embraced since the eighties.

36. “Star Trek” role UHURA
Lt. Nyota Uhura was the communications officer in the original “Star Trek” television series, played by Nichelle Nichols. The role was significant in that Uhura was one of the first African American characters to figure front and center in US television. In a 1968 episode, Kirk (played by William Shatner) and Uhura kiss, the first inter-racial kiss to be broadcast in the US. Apparently the scene was meant to be shot twice, with and without the kiss, so that network executives could later decide which version to air. William Shatner says that he deliberately ran long on the first shoot (with the kiss) and fluffed the hurried second shoot (without the kiss), so that the network would have no choice.

37. 2011 film in which Owen Wilson says, “Wonderful but forgettable. That sounds like a picture I’ve seen. I probably wrote it.” MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
The 2011 Woody Allen movie called “Midnight in Paris” is a real gem in my opinion. I’ve never liked Woody Allen films, to be honest, mainly because I’m not a fan of Woody Allen as an actor. “Midnight in Paris” is very much a Woody Allen script, with Owen Wilson playing the role that Allen would usually reserve for himself. Wilson plays a much better Woody Allen! Highly recommended …

41. Letterman rival LENO
Jay Leno was born James Leno in New Rochelle, New York. Jay’s father was the son of Italian immigrants, and his mother was from Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts and actually dropped out of school on the advice of a high school guidance counsellor. However, years later he went to Emerson college and earned a Bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. Leno also started a comedy club at Emerson in 1973. Today Jay Leno is a car nut and owns about 200 vehicles of various types. You can check them out on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com.

42. “99 Luftballons” singer NENA
Nena is a German singer (“Nena” became the name of her band as well) who had a big hit with one of my favorite songs of the eighties … “99 Luftballons”. The English translation of the German title (“99 Red Balloons”) isn’t literal, with the color “red” added just so that the title had the right number of syllables for the tune. “Luftballon” is the name given to a child’s toy balloon in German.

49. U2 producer or, backwards, U2 hit ENO
Brian Eno started out his musical career with Roxy Music. However, Eno’s most oft-played composition (by far!) is Microsoft’s “start-up jingle”, the 6-second sound you hear when the Windows operating system is booting up. Eno might have annoyed the Microsoft folks when he stated on a BBC radio show:

I wrote it on a Mac. I’ve never used a PC in my life; I don’t like them.

Irish singer Bono is a Dubliner, born Paul David Hewson. As a youth, Hewson was given the nickname “Bono Vox” by a friend, a Latin expression meaning “good voice”, and so the singer has been known as Bono since the late seventies. His band’s first name was “Feedback”, later changed to “The Hype”. The band members searched for yet another name and chose U2 from a list of six names suggested by a friend. They picked U2 because it was the name they disliked least …

50. Aswan landmark DAM
From ancient times right up to 1970, the annual flooding of the Nile was a significant event in Egypt. The flooding allowed the deposition of fertile silt far beyond the banks of the river, helping the region’s agriculture. However, the flooding was unpredictable. So the Aswan Dam was built in the sixties and from 1970 the flooding was brought under control.

56. Simoleons MOOLA
Lettuce, cabbage, kale, dough, scratch, simoleons and moola are all slang terms for money.

58. Justin Bieber or the golden calf IDOL
I saw Justin Bieber on television a while back for the first time, and boy do I feel old. This heartthrob from Canada was born in 1994(!), and he is recording hit after hit. Me, I’ll stick with the Beatles …

According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, Aaron made a golden calf as an idol for the Israelites to worship while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. When Moses returned, he became angry on seeing the calf and destroyed it.

59. Winner of screenwriting Oscars for the three quoted films WOODY ALLEN
Woody Allen’s real name is Allan Stewart Konigsberg. Allen has been nominated for an Academy Award an incredible 21 times in many different categories, and has won on three occasions. He has more Oscar nominations as a screenwriter than any other writer, but he spurns the Awards ceremony and only attended it once in all his years in the movie business. He broke tradition by turning up at the 2002 ceremony, unannounced, to beg producers to continue filming in his beloved New York City despite the fears created by the 9/11 attacks.

62. Stax Records genre SOUL
Stax Records was founded in 1957 as Satellite Records. The biggest star to record with Stax was the great Otis Redding.

63. “Titus __”: 16th-century play ANDRONICUS
“Titus Andronicus” is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, perhaps even the first that he wrote. I’ve never seen the play and apparently it is very gory, perhaps the reason why it was quite popular in Shakespeare’s own lifetime. Over the decades, sensibilities have changed and a result “Titus Andronicus” is performed less often today than his other works.

64. Pre-LCD screen CRT
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) are the screens that are found in most laptops today, and in flat panel computer screens and some televisions. LCD monitors basically replaced Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screens, the old television technology.

Down
1. Oldest musketeer ATHOS
The “Three Musketeers” are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, and their young protégé is D’Artagnan. A musketeer was an infantry soldier who was equipped with a musket. Funnily enough, Alexandre Dumas’ “Three Musketeers” really don’t use their muskets, and are better known for their prowess with their swords.

2. Directing brothers COENS
I think it’s great to see two brothers working together and being so successful. Joel and Ethan Coen are two movie producers and directors who both live in New York City. The Coen brothers do love the movie-making business and they even married industry “insiders”. Ethan’s wife is film editor Tricia Cooke, and Joel is married to one of my favorite actresses, the lovely Frances McDormand.

3. Rich cake TORTE
A torte is a type of cake made primarily with eggs, sugar and ground nuts (but no flour).

4. “__ small world” IT’S A
“It’s a Small World” is the name of a surprisingly (to me!) popular ride in Disneyland. The ride was created for the 1964 World’s Fair that was held in New York, and was moved to Disneyland in 1966 after the fair closed. The song that accompanies the ride was written soon after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the message of peace in the lyrics perhaps reflects the “sigh of relief” that pervaded the globe at the time. The song actually gives its name to the ride, which was originally to be called “Children of the World”.

9. Sycophant YES MAN
A sycophant is a selfish person, one who flatters. The term comes from the Greek “sykophantes” which originally meant “one who shows the fig”. This phrase described a vulgar gesture made with the thumb and two fingers.

10. Lionel train, say MINIATURE
Lionel is the name most associated with toy trains in the US. The first Lionel trains rolled off the production line in 1901 and they are still produced today, although the original Lionel Corporation is long gone. In 1995, the brand was bought by an investment company that included train enthusiast Neil Young (the singer), and operated as Lionel, LLC. Neil Young’s financial involvement ended after a 2008 reorganization of the company following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, but the company is still producing and selling.

11. 1998 animated film released the month before “A Bug’s Life” ANTZ
“Antz” was the first feature movie released by Dreamworks SKG, the studio founded by Steven Spielberg and two partners in 1994. “Antz” came out in 1998, and has a stellar cast that includes Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman and many, many other big names. The cartoon is quite unique in that the facial features of the voice actors are reflected in the animated characters.

12. Jim Davis dog ODIE
Odie is the best friend of “Garfield” and is a slobbery beagle, a character in Jim Davis’s comic strip.

14. “Fantasia” tutu wearer HIPPO
“Fantasia” was Disney’s third feature length movie, released in 1940. The film had a disappointing critical reception and pushed the Disney company into financial difficulties. RKO took over the film’s distribution in 1946. The folks at RKO cut a full hour off the running time and relaunched the movie into a successful run. If you haven’t seen “Fantasia”, I urge you to do so. It’s a real delight …

15. With 16-Across, 1986 film in which Dianne Wiest says, “But you have to remember, while you read and you’re cursing my name, that this is my first script.” HANNAH AND
(16. See 15-Down HER SISTERS)
“Hannah and Her Sisters” is a 1986 comedy-drama film that was written and directed by Woody Allen. Hannah is played by Mia Farrow, and Hannah’s two sisters are played by Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest.

23. Calc prereq TRIG
The Latin word “calculus” was originally used for a reckoning or an account, and originally applied to a pebble that was used to maintain a count. The Latin word came from the Greek for a pebble, “khalix”.

24. Lesley of “60 Minutes” STAHL
Lesley Stahl has worked on “60 Minutes” since 1991. She is married to author “Aaron Latham”. As a journalist, it was Latham who wrote the article that inspired the movie “Urban Cowboy”.

26. 1977 film in which 59-Across says, “Awards! They do nothing but give out awards!” ANNIE HALL
(59. Winner of screenwriting Oscars for the three quoted films WOODY ALLEN)
I suppose if there is any Woody Allen movie that I enjoy watching, it’s “Annie Hall” from 1977. I think Diane Keaton is a great actress and she is wonderful in this film. You’ll see Paul Simon as well, making a rare movie appearance, and even Truman Capote playing himself. The film is also famous for sparking a movement in the fashion world to adopt the “Annie Hall” look, that very distinctive appearance championed by Diane Keaton as the Annie Hall character.

29. Consumer advocate Brockovich ERIN
Erin Brockovich is an environmental activists who is famous for the role she played in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating drinking water. Her story was told in a 2000 film titled “Erin Brockovich” that starred Julia Roberts. Brockovich herself actually appeared in the film as she was given a cameo as a waitress in a restaurant scene.

30. Mercury Seven org. NASA
The Mercury Seven was the name given to the original lineup of NASA astronauts. Members of the 7-man team actually flew on all the major NASA programs: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Space Shuttle. The seven astronauts were:

– Alan Shepherd
– Gus Grissom
– John Glenn
– Scott Carpenter
– Wally Schirra
– Gordon Cooper
– Deke Slayton

32. Hollywood crosser VINE
The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles is an iconic part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

38. Fjord, for one INLET
A drowned valley might be called a ria or a fjord, both formed as sea level rises. A ria is a drowned valley created by river erosion, and a fjord is a drowned valley created by glaciation.

44. Formosa, now TAIWAN
Prior to 1945, the island that we know today as Taiwan was called “Formosa”, the Portuguese word for “beautiful”. Portuguese sailors gave the island this name when they spotted it in 1544. The official name for the state of Taiwan is the “Republic of China”.

46. Willy, Biff or Happy of drama LOMAN
Willy, Biff and Happy Loman are all characters in Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman”. Biff and Happy are Willy’s two sons.

“Death of a Salesman” is a famous play by Arthur Miller, first produced in 1949. “Death of a Salesman” won a Pulitzer and several Tony Awards over the years. The “salesman” in the play is the famous character Willy Loman. The play originally opened up on Broadway and ran for 724 performances. The lead role was played by the veteran actor Lee J. Cobb.

48. Blackmore heroine DOONE
The novel “Lorna Doone” was written by Richard Doddridge Blackmore. R. D. Blackmore was an English novelist, very celebrated and in demand in his day (the late 1800s). His romantic story “Lorna Doone” was by no means a personal favorite of his, and yet it is the only one of his works still in print.

50. Sweets, in Naples DOLCI
Naples (“Napoli” in Italian) is the third largest city in Italy. The name “Napoli” comes from the city’s Ancient Greek name, which translates as “New City”. That’s a bit of a paradox as today Naples is one of the oldest, continuously-inhabited cities in the world.

51. Native Alaskan ALEUT
The Aleuts live on the Aleutian Islands of the North Pacific, and on the Commander Islands at the western end of the same island chain. The Aleutian Islands are part of the United States, and the Commander Islands are in Russia.

52. Minister’s house MANSE
A manse is a minister’s home in various Christian traditions. “Manse” derives from “mansus”, the Latin for “dwelling”. The term can also be used for any stately residence.

57. Lena of “Chocolat” OLIN
The lovely Lena Olin is a Swedish actress, clearly someone who had acting in her blood. Her mother was the actress Britta Holmberg and her father the actor and director Stig Olin. Olin had a very successful career in Sweden, often working with the great Ingmar Bergman. Olin’s breakthrough international and English-speaking role was playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” released in 1988. Way back in 1974, the lovely Miss Olin was crowned Miss Scandinavia in a beauty pageant for Nordic women held in Helsinki, Finland.

“Chocolat” is big screen adaption of the novel of the same name by Joanne Harris. “Chocolat” tells the story of a young mother with a six-year-old daughter who opens up a chocolate shop in a French village. The mother is played by the lovely Juliette Binoche.

60. Seuss’s “The 5000 Fingers of __” DR T
“The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.” is a 1953 film written by Dr Seuss, the only film that he ever wrote.

61. Rocky hellos YOS
You might remember Rocky Balboa saying, “Yo, Adrian!” in the original Rocky movie. Adrian was Rocky’s wife played by the lovely Talia Shire, sister of director Francis Ford Coppola.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. When Romeo meets Juliet ACT I
5. Crummy LOUSY
10. His mausoleum is in Tiananmen Square MAO
13. Close-Up, e.g. TOOTHPASTE
15. Posterior HIND
16. See 15-Down HER SISTERS
17. Pro foe ANTI
18. Ready to pour ON TAP
19. Paint as wicked DEMONIZE
21. Peoria-to-Decatur dir. SSE
22. TD’s six PTS
25. Question eliciting “Let’s!” WANNA?
26. Vital vessel AORTA
28. Tidy up NEATEN
31. Stratford’s river AVON
34. Holm and McKellen IANS
36. “Star Trek” role UHURA
37. 2011 film in which Owen Wilson says, “Wonderful but forgettable. That sounds like a picture I’ve seen. I probably wrote it.” MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
40. No __ sight END IN
41. Letterman rival LENO
42. “99 Luftballons” singer NENA
43. Thaw once more REMELT
45. Give a good talking-to SCOLD
47. In the lead AHEAD
49. U2 producer or, backwards, U2 hit ENO
50. Aswan landmark DAM
53. Gift of a sort DONATION
56. Simoleons MOOLA
58. Justin Bieber or the golden calf IDOL
59. Winner of screenwriting Oscars for the three quoted films WOODY ALLEN
62. Stax Records genre SOUL
63. “Titus __”: 16th-century play ANDRONICUS
64. Pre-LCD screen CRT
65. Makes a home NESTS
66. Time in ads NITE

Down
1. Oldest musketeer ATHOS
2. Directing brothers COENS
3. Rich cake TORTE
4. “__ small world” IT’S A
5. 12-in. albums LPS
6. Cereal grain OAT
7. Previously owned USED
8. Scatter, like petals STREW
9. Sycophant YES MAN
10. Lionel train, say MINIATURE
11. 1998 animated film released the month before “A Bug’s Life” ANTZ
12. Jim Davis dog ODIE
14. “Fantasia” tutu wearer HIPPO
15. With 16-Across, 1986 film in which Dianne Wiest says, “But you have to remember, while you read and you’re cursing my name, that this is my first script.” HANNAH AND
20. Outmaneuver ONE-UP
23. Calc prereq TRIG
24. Lesley of “60 Minutes” STAHL
26. 1977 film in which 59-Across says, “Awards! They do nothing but give out awards!” ANNIE HALL
27. Starts the pot ANTES
29. Consumer advocate Brockovich ERIN
30. Mercury Seven org. NASA
31. From the U.S. AMER
32. Hollywood crosser VINE
33. Fifth wheel ODD MAN OUT
35. From then on SINCE
38. Fjord, for one INLET
39. High time? NOON
44. Formosa, now TAIWAN
46. Willy, Biff or Happy of drama LOMAN
48. Blackmore heroine DOONE
50. Sweets, in Naples DOLCI
51. Native Alaskan ALEUT
52. Minister’s house MANSE
53. Oft-burned object DISC
54. Stench ODOR
55. Approves quietly NODS
57. Lena of “Chocolat” OLIN
60. Seuss’s “The 5000 Fingers of __” DR T
61. Rocky hellos YOS

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