Behind the Scenes Photos of Rowan Atkinson in Rehearsals for the Sketch Show “Not the Nine O’Clock News”

Before he was the bumbling Mr. Bean or the sharp-tongued Blackadder, Rowan Atkinson became a household name as one of the four stars of the satirical sketch show Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979–1982). The show was revolutionary for its time, designed as a fast-paced, “alternative” comedy competitor to the BBC’s actual Nine O’Clock News. It was here that Atkinson first showcased his “rubber-faced” physical comedy and his unique ability to play both the absolute intellectual and the complete idiot.

Atkinson often played characters that were pompous, unhinged, or eerily quiet. Some of his most iconic moments include:

• Gerald the Gorilla: Perhaps his most famous sketch from the series, where he plays a remarkably articulate gorilla (Wilderbeast) who has been “educated” by a researcher (played by Mel Smith). The comedy comes from the gorilla being more sophisticated and well-spoken than his captor.

• The Constable (The “Nice” Policeman): Atkinson excelled at playing over-the-top, slightly menacing authority figures. In one famous sketch, he plays a police officer giving evidence in court who lists increasingly ridiculous “crimes” committed by a defendant, including “walking on the cracks in the pavement.”

• The “Final” Politician: He often played politicians or newsreaders who would deliver absurdly blunt or catastrophic news with a perfectly straight, professional face.

• The Music Teacher: A masterclass in his physical comedy, where he attempts to conduct or play instruments with disastrous, high-energy results.

The show launched the careers of the “Big Four”: Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith, Griff Rhys Jones, and Pamela Stephenson. It was during this show that Atkinson began collaborating with writer Richard Curtis. This partnership directly led to the creation of Blackadder shortly after the sketch show ended in 1982.

While the show was highly verbal and satirical, Atkinson’s performance proved that he didn’t need words to be the funniest person on screen—a trait he would later maximize for Mr. Bean. His performances earned him the 1981 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance.

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40 Beautiful Portraits of Romanian Girls From the 1920s and 1930s

The photographic portraits of Romanian girls from the 1920s and 1930s offer a breathtaking glimpse into a world where tradition and natural beauty lived in perfect harmony.

In these vintage frames, young women are often seen wearing the iconic “Ia”, the traditional hand-embroidered blouse, which served as a proud symbol of their regional identity and artisanal heritage. Whether captured in the rural landscapes of Transylvania or in classic studio settings, these girls possessed an ethereal poise, their hair often adorned with flowers or delicate silk headscarves.

These portraits do more than just document the fashion of the interwar period, they capture the “Romanian soul,” preserving a sense of innocence, dignity, and cultural pride that continues to inspire the world of art and fashion today.

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30 Glamorous Photos of a Young and Beautiful Jane Wyman in the 1930s

Jane Wyman (born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007) was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 1960 she received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for both motion pictures and television. She was the first wife of actor and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

In the 1930s, Wyman was the quintessential “working actress.” Long before she became an Academy Award-winning dramatic powerhouse or the matriarch of Falcon Crest, she spent the decade paying her dues as a “contract player” at Warner Bros. During this era, she was often cast as a wisecracking, fast-talking blonde—a persona that was largely a studio creation and quite different from her later serious image.

She began as an extra and chorus girl, appearing in films like Gold Diggers of 1933 and Anything Goes (1936). During this time, she also briefly worked as a radio singer under the name Jane Durrell. In 1936, she signed with Warner Bros. Pictures, which required her to change her name to Jane Wyman. By the late 1930s, she moved from bit parts to leading roles in “B” movies, such as Public Wedding (1937) and Torchy Blane... Playing with Dynamite (1939).

In 1938, while filming Brother Rat, she met fellow actor Ronald Reagan. They became engaged near the end of the decade and married in January 1940.

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Audrey Hepburn Photographed by Edward Quinn During the Production of ‘Monte Carlo Baby’ (1951)

“It was in 1951 at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo while I was watching a rehearsal on the set of the film Monte Carlo Baby and I was shooting pictures right and left. Then I saw this girl. She was in a corner of the room discussing a step with one of the dancers. I was absolutely floored by her. She stood out like an orchid in a patch of weeds. I grabbed one of the crew and asked, “Who is this girl?” I learned that far from being the star of the picture, she had just a small part. She was Audrey Hepburn who was then absolutely unknown (her name appeared as “Audrey Hopbern” in the press release, a long way down the list of credits). She had been a dancer and had done some small parts in films, but was unknown to the general public…

I approached her and asked her if it would be possible to go out on a photo session to some picturesque backgrounds. She accepted and we went out the following day in my small two-seater Mathys car model 1930. After having made a few pictures in Monte Carlo we drove to the medieval Eze-Village, high up on the Corniche Road. The old car nearly did not make it up the hill and as I had practically no brakes, we were in danger of slipping backwards. Finally we got to Eze safely but when we wanted to go back to Monte Carlo, the car would not start, so Audrey had to push it until we got on to a steep hill down to the corniche. Audrey couldn’t have been nicer about the whole thing. She obligingly changed costumes several times, drove from location to location. Her slender, gamine beauty was in great contrast to the bosomy glamour of the times and set a new style for young actresses.

When I showed her the contact prints of the photographs the next day, she was very excited and said she had never been photographed in such a variety of poses. She asked if she could send them straight away to her agent in Hollywood, of course I agreed. He showed them to the Paramount heads and she was asked to make a screen test and consequently got the leading part in the film Roman Holiday.” – Edward Quinn

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Photos of a Young Diane Keaton in the Late 1960s

In the late 1960s, Diane Keaton (January 5, 1946 – October 11, 2025) was a rising stage actress in New York City, years away from becoming a household name but already establishing the “eccentric” reputation that would define her career. Born Diane Hall, she moved to New York at 19 to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse under the legendary Sanford Meisner. Because there was already an actress named Diane Hall in the union, she took her mother’s maiden name, Keaton.

In 1968, Keaton landed her first major professional role in the original Broadway production of the rock musical Hair. Notably, she was one of the few cast members who declined to undress for the show’s famous nude scene.

In 1969, she auditioned for Woody Allen’s Broadway play Play It Again, Sam. Her performance as Linda Christie earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. This role sparked a long-term creative partnership and a romantic relationship with Allen.

Even in the late 1960s, Keaton was known for an idiosyncratic and personal style that favored vintage and thrifted pieces. She frequently visited Goodwill stores, which she called her “sanctuary,” to find unique items. Her look was characterized by a “fresh-faced” naturalism and a preference for unconventional fashion choices, such as requesting to wear a bowler hat to her high school prom just a few years earlier.

Photographers of the era, such as Peter Basch, captured her in 1968 as a young actress with a “relaxed yet sophisticated” demeanor, marking her as a unique presence compared to the typical Hollywood starlets of the time.

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Beautiful Fashion Portraits of (Lud) Ludmila Feodoseyevna From the 1930s and ’40s

Born Ludmila Feodoseyevna in St. Petersburg in 1913, the daughter of a Russian vice-governor, the woman known simply as “Lud” became one of the highest-paid and most sought-after supermodels of the 1930s and ’40s.

After fleeing the Russian Revolution, Lud found herself in Paris, where her aristocratic poise and “lethally beautiful” features caught the eye of legendary photographer Horst P. Horst. She famously became a bone of contention between fashion rivals Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, both of whom fought for her exclusive services. Her most iconic image, standing in a white Alix gown between two marble pillars, remains the definitive symbol of 1930s elegance.

Beyond the studio, Lud lived a life as dramatic as a film noir: she worked during the Occupation of France, married a French Marquis, and later reportedly traveled the world with a lion tamer. Explore these stunning fashion portraits of Lud, capturing her timeless elegance throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

Lud in evening dress by Jean Patou, jewelry by Mauboussin, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1936

Lud in black crêpe dress printed with small turtles near the neckline, novel black straw pole bonnet tops the ensemble by Schiaparelli (another selection by Mrs. Wallis Simpson for her trousseau), 1937

Lud in blue and silver lamé long-sleeved dress by Schiaparelli (this dress was among those selected by Mrs. Wallis Simpson for her trousseau), 1937

Lud in suit and hat by Schiaparelli, photo by Horst P. Horst, 1937

Lud in tailored gray-and-white plaid suit, double-breasted with flap pockets, photo by Lusha Nelson, 1937

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J.K. Rowling Writing Harry Potter at a Café in Scotland, 1998

In this photo from 1998, J.K. Rowling is seen writing in an Edinburgh café, where she famously drafted much of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She famously wrote the first drafts of the series by hand rather than on a computer.

In the 1990s, Rowling frequently wrote in local cafes because it was easier to get her infant daughter to sleep while walking, and once asleep, the cafes provided a warm place to work that was cheaper than heating her apartment. While she wrote in several places, The Elephant House and Nicolson’s Cafe (which was owned by her brother-in-law) are the most famous.

At the time, Rowling was navigating life as a single mother on welfare, relying on sheer determination, a pen, and her imagination to bring the world of Hogwarts to life. She meticulously planned the series by hand, often using napkins or sticky notes in lieu of proper notebooks, pouring hours of creativity into a story that would soon capture the hearts of millions.

Despite facing repeated rejection from twelve different publishers, Rowling persevered. When Bloomsbury finally accepted her manuscript, it marked the beginning of a literary phenomenon. From those humble café beginnings, the Harry Potter series would grow into one of the most successful and influential franchises in modern literary history, a testament to persistence, vision, and unyielding dedication.