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Information about Svengali

This article is about the literary character. For the card trick unconnected to this character, see Svengali deck.
Svengali is the name of a fictional hypnotist in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. A sensation in its day, the novel created a stereotype of the abusive hypnotist that persists to this day. The character was portrayed in many silent film versions of the story, and in talking pictures by John Barrymore in a 1931 film of the same name, by Donald Wolfit in a 1954 version in Technicolor, and by Peter O'Toole in a 1983 made-for-television modernized version, also in color, co-starring Jodie Foster. This last one changed the names of all the characters, but was still called Svengali.

The word "" has entered the language meaning a person who, with evil intent, manipulates another into doing what is desired. It is frequently used for any kind of coach who seems to exercise an extreme degree of domination over a performer (especially if the person is female or believes he or she can only perform in the presence of the coach).

The character

He "would either fawn or bully, and could be grossly impertinent. He had a kind of cynical humor, which was more offensive than amusing, and always laughed at the wrong thing, at the wrong time, in the wrong place. And his laughter was always derisive and full of malice."

Svengali transforms Trilby into a great singer using hypnosis, but she cannot perform without his help in entering a trance state. The relation between Svengali and Trilby forms only a small portion of the novel, which is mainly an evocation of Bohemian Paris in the 1850s.

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A trick deck is a specially constructed deck of cards which can be used by magicians to do a certain types of card magic tricks. Most decks of this sort look just like ordinary decks, but they actually have a hidden gimmick within.
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George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March, 1834 – 8 October, 1896) was a British author and cartoonist, born in Paris, France.

He studied art in Paris, and moved to Antwerp, Belgium, where he lost vision in his left eye.
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Trilby, a gothic horror novel by George du Maurier published in 1894 was one of the most popular novels of its time, perhaps the second best selling novel of the Fin de siècle period. It is set in the 1850s in an idyllic bohemian Paris.
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Stereotypes are ideas about people of other particular groups, based primarily on membership in that group. They may be positive or negative prejudicial, and may be used to justify certain discriminatory behaviors. Some people consider all stereotypes to be negative.
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Hypnosis is a trance-like state that resembles sleep but which is induced by a hypnotist whose suggestions are readily accepted by their subject. [1] Some supposed hypnotic indicators and subjective changes in mental state can be achieved without relaxation or a lengthy
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Svengali is a 1931 drama/horror film starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh and Bramwell Fletcher, directed by Archie Mayo and written by J. Grubb Alexander.
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Donald Wolfit, KBE (April 20, 1902 – February 17, 1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre.

Wolfit was born in Newark, Nottinghamshire, and attended the Magnus Grammar School (now Magnus Church of England School) and made his
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Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation (a subsidiary of Technicolor, Inc.), now a division of Thomson.
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Peter O’Toole

Birth name Peter Seamus O’Toole
Born July 2 1932 (1932--) (age 75)
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Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster at the German premiere of The Brave One, September 13, 2007
Birth name Alicia Christian Foster
Born November 19 1962 (1962--)
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The term bohemian was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities.
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Ville de Paris

City flag City coat of arms

Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur
(Latin: "Tossed by the waves, she does not sink")

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro.
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In the performing arts, a 'stage mother' is a term for the mother of a child actor. The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc.
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