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Peter Rabbit

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112-547: Peter Rabbit is a fictional animal character in various children's stories by English author Beatrix Potter . A mischievous, adventurous young rabbit who wears a blue jacket, he first appeared in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, and subsequently in five more books between 1904 and 1912. The six books by Potter featuring Peter Rabbit have sold over 150 million copies . Spin-off merchandise includes dishes, wallpaper, painting books, board games and dolls. In 1903, Peter Rabbit

224-486: A barrister in London. Rupert practiced law, specialising in equity law and conveyancing . He married Helen Leech (1839–1932) on 8 August 1863 at Hyde Unitarian Chapel, Gee Cross . Helen was the daughter of Jane Ashton (1806–1884) and John Leech, a wealthy cotton merchant and shipbuilder from Stalybridge . Helen's first cousins were siblings Harriet Lupton ( née Ashton) and Thomas Ashton, 1st Baron Ashton of Hyde . It

336-738: A 70-years-after-death limit. Hill Top Farm was opened to the public by the National Trust in 1946; her artwork was displayed there until 1985 when it was moved to William Heelis's former law offices in Hawkshead , also owned by the National Trust as the Beatrix Potter Gallery . Potter gave her folios of mycological drawings to the Armitt Library and Museum in Ambleside before her death. The Tale of Peter Rabbit

448-646: A Victorian Genius (2008). In 1971, a ballet film was released, The Tales of Beatrix Potter , directed by Reginald Mills, set to music by John Lanchbery with choreography by Frederick Ashton , and performed in character costume by members of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera House orchestra. The ballet of the same name has been performed by other dance companies around the world. In 1992, Potter's children's book The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

560-546: A blue jacket with brass buttons and shoes. Peter, his widowed mother, Mrs. Rabbit, as well as his younger sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail (with Peter the eldest of the four little rabbits) live in a rabbit hole that has a human kitchen, human furniture, as well as a shop where Mrs. Rabbit sells various items. Peter's relatives are his cousin Benjamin Bunny and Benjamin's father, Mr. Benjamin Bouncer. Peter Rabbit

672-596: A book. In 1997, the Linnean Society issued a posthumous apology to Potter for the sexism displayed in its handling of her research. Potter's artistic and literary interests were deeply influenced by fairy tales and fantasy. She was a student of the classic fairy tales of Western Europe as well as stories from the Old Testament , John Bunyan 's The Pilgrim's Progress and Harriet Beecher Stowe 's Uncle Tom's Cabin . She grew up with Aesop's Fables ,

784-536: A brief appearance to establish a shared universe setting, to make a point, or to offer homage . Balzac often employed this practice, as in his Comédie humaine . Sometimes a cameo features a historical person who "drops in" on fictional characters in a historical novel , as when Benjamin Franklin shares a beer with Phillipe Charboneau in The Bastard by John Jakes . A cameo appearance can be made by

896-465: A couple of cameos. She had two cameos in Will & Grace and she even had a few in the 1990s. Actor Edward Norton appeared as himself in the satirical film The Dictator (2012) starring Sacha Baron Cohen . The mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori made many cameos in his Kamen Rider series. The animated series Adventures of Tintin featured its author Hergé in all the episodes. Stephen King

1008-417: A film about Tony Wilson , has a cameo by the real Tony Wilson and many other notable people. In the film Apollo 13 , James Lovell (the real commander of that flight) and his wife Marilyn appeared next to the actors playing them ( Tom Hanks and Kathleen Quinlan respectively), and Chuck Yeager , whose story is told in the early part of the film, appears in a cameo in the airfield bar. Domino Harvey made

1120-841: A more independent process of reproduction. Rebuffed by William Thiselton-Dyer , the Director at Kew, because of her sex and amateur status, Potter wrote up her conclusions and submitted a paper, On the Germination of the Spores of the Agaricineae , to the Linnean Society in 1897. It was introduced by Massee because, as a woman, Potter could not attend proceedings nor read her paper. She subsequently withdrew it, realising that some of her samples were contaminated, but continued her microscopic studies for several more years. Her work

1232-515: A number of her former cast members, including the villain ( Arte Johnson ), Johnny Brown , Judy Carne , Henry Gibson , Gary Owens and Joanne Worley . Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) features cameos by dozens of actors from Hollywood's golden age. The Player (1992) features cameos from 65 Hollywood actors. Run for Your Wife (2012) is filled with cameos from 80 of Britain's film and TV stars from

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1344-542: A nursing trust for local villages and served on various committees and councils responsible for footpaths and other rural issues. Soon after acquiring Hill Top Farm, Potter became keenly interested in the breeding and raising of Herdwick sheep , the indigenous fell sheep. In 1923 she bought a large sheep farm in the Troutbeck Valley called Troutbeck Park Farm , formerly a deer park, restoring its land with thousands of Herdwick sheep. This established her as one of

1456-526: A pie by Mrs. McGregor). He eats as many vegetables as he can before Mr. McGregor spots and chases him. Peter manages to escape, but not before losing his jacket and shoes, which Mr. McGregor uses to dress a scarecrow . Peter returns home weary, ill, and naked and is put to bed with a dose of chamomile tea. In The Tale of Benjamin Bunny , first published in 1904, Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny brings him back to Mr. McGregor's garden and they retrieve

1568-677: A pioneer of character merchandising. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy , making him the oldest licensed character . Born into an upper-middle-class household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children. She had numerous pets and spent holidays in Scotland and the Lake District , developing a love of landscape, flora and fauna, all of which she closely observed and painted. Potter's study and watercolours of fungi led to her being widely respected in

1680-482: A pleasant intelligent race, but I should think awkward to live with... the language is past description." Potter had been a disciple of the land conservation and preservation ideals of her long-time friend and mentor, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley , the first secretary and founding member of the National Trust . According to the National Trust, "she supported the efforts of the National Trust to preserve not just

1792-525: A revered naturalist and amateur mycologist, during a summer holiday in Dunkeld in Perthshire in 1892. He helped improve the accuracy of her illustrations, taught her taxonomy , and supplied her with live specimens to paint during the winter. Curious as to how fungi reproduced, Potter began microscopic drawings of fungus spores (the agarics ) and in 1895 developed a theory of their germination . Through

1904-517: A ride on Mr. and Mrs. McGregor's wagon. The book was released on September 18, 2012. In autumn 2012, it was reported that Thompson would write more Peter Rabbit books. Her next tale, The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit , was released in 2013, followed by The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit in 2014. On 27 May 2021, a reboot of Peter Rabbit was released, entitled Peter Rabbit Head Over Tail , written by Rachel Bright and illustrated by Nicola Kinnear, followed by Peter Rabbit Hide and Seek in 2022, then

2016-633: A short appearance as a street thug who confronts Pee-wee in the back alley in Pee-wee's Big Adventure , and a visitor at the fair in Blackpool who gets a skeleton thrown at him in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children . Director Martin Scorsese appears in the background of his films as a bystander or an unseen character . In Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967), he played one of

2128-639: A short appearance in the credits of Domino , while the real Erin Brockovich had a cameo as a waitress named Julia in the eponymous movie (where her role is played by the actress Julia Roberts ). Sophie Wilson had a cameo as a barmaid in Micro Men , which shows her work for Acorn Computers . In a flashback sequence in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas , Raoul Duke (played by Johnny Depp ) runs into

2240-511: A small number of collectors' 50p British coins . In 1936, Walt Disney expressed interest in making a Peter Rabbit film. He proposed his idea of a feature-length film to Beatrix Potter, but she refused and did not give him the rights. Peter Rabbit appears in the 1971 ballet film, The Tales of Beatrix Potter . He also was featured in HBO 's 1991 Storybook Musical adaptation of The Tale of Peter Rabbit , narrated by Carol Burnett . Several of

2352-518: A small role and appears only briefly. He is grown up and his sister Flopsy is now married to their cousin Benjamin. The two are the parents of six little Flopsy Bunnies. Peter and his mother keep a nursery garden, and the bunnies come by asking him for spare cabbage . In The Tale of Mr. Tod , first published in 1912, Benjamin and Flopsy's children are kidnapped by notorious badger Tommy Brock. Peter helps Benjamin chase after Brock, who hides out in

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2464-575: A village in the Lake District. Over the following decades, she purchased additional farms to preserve the unique hill country landscape. In 1913, at the age of 47, she married William Heelis (1871–1945), a respected local solicitor with an office in Hawkshead . Potter was also a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and a prosperous farmer keenly interested in land preservation. She continued to write, illustrate, and design merchandise based on her children's books for British publisher Warne until

2576-456: A way to earn money in the 1890s, Potter printed Christmas cards of her own design, as well as cards for special occasions. These were her first commercially successful works as an illustrator. Mice and rabbits were the most frequent subject of her fantasy paintings. In 1890, the firm of Hildesheimer and Faulkner bought several of the drawings of her rabbit Benjamin Bunny to illustrate verses by Frederic Weatherly titled A Happy Pair . In 1893,

2688-674: Is Peter Rabbit Up and Away in 2024. Potter created a soft doll depicting Peter Rabbit and a Peter Rabbit board game shortly after the tale's first publication. The character has been depicted in a multitude of spinoff merchandise such as porcelain figurines, painting books and dishes. Peter Rabbit was the first soft toy to be patented , in 1903, making Peter the oldest licensed character . The following year they went on sale and were mass produced by Steiff . Harrods department store in London has been selling it since at least 1910, when toys of Potter characters first appeared in their catalogues. The British publisher Frederick Warne & Co owns

2800-493: Is an invaluable source for understanding a vibrant part of British society in the late 19th century. It describes Potter's maturing artistic and intellectual interests, her often amusing insights into the places she visited, and her unusual ability to observe nature and to describe it. Started in 1881, her journal ends in 1897 when her artistic and intellectual energies were absorbed in scientific study and in efforts to publish her drawings. Precocious but reserved and often bored, she

2912-548: Is famous for making short cameo appearances in almost every movie based on his novels. An Adventure in Space and Time , a drama about how Doctor Who began, features many actors from the show's past , including two past companions in a party scene, another as a mother calling her children in for dinner and a fourth in a car park at the BBC as a guard. In the movie adaptation of Les Miserables , Colm Wilkinson , who originated

3024-803: Is only now being properly evaluated. Potter later gave her other mycological and scientific drawings to the Armitt Museum and Library in Ambleside, where mycologists still refer to them to identify fungi. There is also a collection of her fungus paintings at the Perth Museum and Art Gallery in Perth, Scotland, donated by Charles McIntosh. In 1967, the mycologist W. P. K. Findlay included many of Potter's beautifully accurate fungus drawings in his Wayside & Woodland Fungi , thereby fulfilling her desire to one day have her fungus drawings published in

3136-624: Is owned by Warne , The Tailor of Gloucester by the Tate Gallery , and The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by the British Museum . Beatrix Potter was the first to recognise that content—as we now call the stuff that makes up a book or a film—was only the beginning. In 1903, Peter hopped outside his pages to become a patented soft toy, which gave him the distinction of being not only Mr. McGregor‘s mortal enemy, but also becoming

3248-577: Is worth $ 500 million today. In the process, she created a system that continues to benefit all licensed characters, from Mickey Mouse to Harry Potter." The largest public collection of her letters and drawings is the Leslie Linder Bequest and Leslie Linder Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. (Linder was the collector who—after five years of work—finally transcribed Potter's early journal, originally written in code.) In

3360-542: The Lethal Weapon franchise also directed by Donner – appears as the lead bank robber . He and Maverick (Gibson) share a scene where they look as if they knew each other, but then shake it off. As Glover makes his escape with the money, he mutters "I'm too old for this shit", his character's catchphrase in the Lethal Weapon films. In addition, a strain of the main theme from Lethal Weapon plays in

3472-480: The score when Glover is revealed. Actress Margot Kidder made a cameo appearance in the same film as a robbed villager: she had previously starred as Lois Lane in Donner's Superman (1978). Ben Stiller , Vince Vaughn , Owen Wilson , Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell have made appearances in so many of the same films (whether as lead characters or cameos) that USA Today coined the term " Frat Pack " to name

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3584-470: The 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth by showing that she was "far more than a 19th-century weekend painter. She was an artist of astonishing range." In December 2017, the asteroid 13975 Beatrixpotter , discovered by Belgian astronomer Eric Elst in 1992, was renamed in her memory. In 2022, an exhibition, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature , was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Research for

3696-524: The 1960s, '70s and '80s. Aaron Sorkin also had cameos in some works he wrote: as a bar customer speaking about the law in his debut film screenplay A Few Good Men (1992), as an advertising executive in The Social Network , and as a guest at the inauguration of President Matt Santos in the final episode of The West Wing . Franco Nero , the actor who portrayed the Django character in

3808-584: The 20 acres (8.1 ha) Castle Farm across the road from Hill Top Farm. She visited Hill Top at every opportunity, and her books written during this period (such as The Tale of Ginger and Pickles , about the local shop in Near Sawrey and The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse , a wood mouse) reflect her increasing participation in village life and her delight in country living. "Hill Top is to be presented to my visitors as if I had just gone out and they had just missed me." —Statement by Potter in her will to

3920-527: The Flower Moon , in a minor role as a radio drama narrator. In a same way, Roman Polanski appeared as a hired hoodlum in his film Chinatown , slitting Jack Nicholson's nose with the blade of his clasp knife. F. Gary Gray has made many appearances in the films he has directed including Friday , Set It Off , Law Abiding Citizen , and Straight Outta Compton . Directors sometimes cast well-known lead actors with whom they have worked in

4032-692: The Lingholm kitchen garden as her original inspiration for Mr. McGregor's garden in The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Lingholm was listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England in 2013. In 2016, Peter Rabbit and other Potter characters featured on a series of UK postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth. The same year, Peter Rabbit and other Potter characters appeared on

4144-660: The National Trust, including over 4,000 acres (16 km ) of land, sixteen farms, cottages and herds of cattle and Herdwick sheep. Hers was the largest gift at that time to the National Trust, and it enabled the preservation of the land now included in the Lake District National Park and the continuation of fell farming. The central office of the National Trust in Swindon was named "Heelis" in 2005 in her memory. William Heelis continued his stewardship of their properties and of her literary and artistic work for

4256-566: The National Trust. Owning and managing these working farms required routine collaboration with the widely respected William Heelis. By the summer of 1912, Heelis had proposed marriage and Potter had accepted; although she did not immediately tell her parents, who once again disapproved because Heelis was only a country solicitor. Potter and Heelis were married on 15 October 1913 in London at St Mary Abbots in Kensington . The couple moved immediately to Near Sawrey , residing at Castle Cottage,

4368-455: The Trust for seven years until the National Trust could afford to repurchase most of the property from her. Potter's stewardship of these farms earned her full regard, but she was not without her critics, not the least of which were her contemporaries who felt she used her wealth and the position of her husband to acquire properties in advance of their being made public. She was notable in observing

4480-827: The United States, the largest public collections are those in the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia , and the Cotsen Children's Library at Princeton University . In 2015, a manuscript for an unpublished book was discovered by Jo Hanks, a publisher at Penguin Random House Children's Books, in the Victoria and Albert Museum archive. The book The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots , with illustrations by Quentin Blake ,

4592-534: The action was restricted to the titular lifeboat, Hitchcock appeared in a newspaper ad. Quentin Tarantino provides brief cameos or small roles in all his movies. Likewise, Peter Jackson has made brief cameos in all of his movies, except for his first feature-length film Bad Taste in which he played a main character, as well as The Battle of the Five Armies , though a portrait of him appears in

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4704-549: The author of a work to put a sort of personal "signature" on a story. Vladimir Nabokov often put himself in his novels, for instance as the very minor character Vivian Darkbloom (an anagram of his name) in Lolita . Cameos are also a tradition of the Muppets ' many projects over the years. Alfred Hitchcock is known for his frequent cameos in his movies , as early as in his third film The Lodger (1927). In Lifeboat , as

4816-455: The basis of Potter's future career as a writer-artist-storyteller. In 1900, Potter revised her tale about the four little rabbits, and fashioned a dummy book of it – it has been suggested, in imitation of Helen Bannerman 's 1899 bestseller The Story of Little Black Sambo . Unable to find a buyer for the work, she published it for family and friends at her own expense in December 1901. It

4928-601: The carrot eating peasant in The Desolation of Smaug was featured in the foreground in reference to The Fellowship of the Ring . In addition, when he was directing Heavenly Creatures (1994), he appeared as a drunk person bumping into the main characters, and in the Frighteners , Jackson appeared as a man with piercings with his real-life son in a bouncer. Director Tim Burton briefly appears in his films. He made

5040-444: The case of many film adaptations of television series, or of remakes of earlier films. Others honour artists or celebrities known for work in a particular field, such as comic book writer Stan Lee , who made appearances in every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie up to Avengers: Endgame . Cameos also occur in novels and other literary works. "Literary cameos" usually involve an established character from another work who makes

5152-471: The children of her former governess Annie Carter Moore, particularly to Moore's eldest son Noel, who was often ill. In September 1893, Potter was on holiday at Eastwood in Dunkeld , Perthshire. She had run out of things to say to Noel, and so she told him a story about "four little rabbits whose names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter". It became one of the most famous children's letters ever written and

5264-439: The clothes Peter lost in The Tale of Peter Rabbit . However, after they gather onions to give to Peter's mother, they are captured by Mr. McGregor's cat. Bouncer arrives and rescues them, but also punishes Peter and Benjamin for going into the garden by whipping them with a switch . In this tale, Peter displays some trepidation about returning to the garden. In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies , first published in 1909, Peter has

5376-525: The connections of her uncle Sir Henry Enfield Roscoe , a chemist and vice-chancellor of the University of London , she consulted with botanists at Kew Gardens , convincing George Massee of her ability to germinate spores and her theory of hybridisation . She did not believe in the theory of symbiosis proposed by Simon Schwendener , the German mycologist, as previously thought; instead, she proposed

5488-457: The country, and both children became adept students of natural history . In 1882, when Dalguise was no longer available, the Potters took their first summer holiday in the Lake District , at Wray Castle near Lake Windermere . Here Potter met Hardwicke Rawnsley , vicar of Wray and later the founding secretary of the National Trust , whose interest in the countryside and country life inspired

5600-437: The countryside. As children, Potter and Bertram had numerous small animals as pets which they observed closely and drew endlessly. In their schoolroom, Potter and Bertram kept a variety of small pets—mice, rabbits, a hedgehog and some bats, along with collections of butterflies and other insects—which they drew and studied. Potter was devoted to the care of her small animals, often taking them with her on long holidays. In most of

5712-409: The duties of land management and her diminishing eyesight made it difficult to continue. Potter died of pneumonia and heart disease on 22 December 1943 at her home in Near Sawrey at the age of 77, leaving almost all her property to the National Trust . She is credited with preserving much of the land that now constitutes the Lake District National Park . Potter's books continue to sell throughout

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5824-530: The exhibition identified the man's court waistcoat c. 1780s, which inspired Potter's sketch in The Tailor of Gloucester . There are many interpretations of Potter's literary work, the sources of her art, and her life and times. These include critical evaluations of her corpus of children's literature and Modernist interpretations of Humphrey Carpenter and Katherine Chandler. Judy Taylor, That Naughty Rabbit: Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit (rev. 2002) tells

5936-738: The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen , Charles Kingsley 's The Water Babies , the folk tales and mythology of Scotland , the German Romantics , Shakespeare , and the romances of Sir Walter Scott . As a young child, before the age of eight, Edward Lear 's A Book of Nonsense , including the much-loved The Owl and the Pussycat , and Lewis Carroll 's Alice in Wonderland had made their impression, although she later said of Alice that she

6048-431: The farm for her while she made physical improvements and learned the techniques of fell farming and of raising livestock, including pigs, cows and chickens; the following year she added sheep. Realising she needed to protect her boundaries, she sought advice from W.H. Heelis & Son, a local firm of solicitors with offices in nearby Hawkshead . With William Heelis acting for her, she bought contiguous pasture, and in 1909

6160-484: The field of mycology . In her thirties, Potter self-published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit . Following this, Potter began writing and illustrating children's books full-time. Potter wrote over sixty books, with the best known being her twenty-three children's tales . In 1905, using the proceeds from her books and a legacy from an aunt, Potter bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey ,

6272-429: The film, and Zareh Nalbandian also produced, while Lauren Abrahams oversaw the project for Sony Pictures Animation. A sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021) reunited most of the cast of the previous film. Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis ( née   Potter ; 28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( / ˈ b iː ə t r ɪ k s / BEE -ə-triks ),

6384-532: The film, and gave the term wide circulation outside the theatrical profession. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), an "epic comedy", also features cameos from nearly every popular American comedian alive at the time, including The Three Stooges , Jerry Lewis , Buster Keaton and a voice-only cameo by Selma Diamond . "Murder on High C", a 1975 episode of the TV series Get Christie Love! , which starred former Laugh-In cast member Teresa Graves , featured

6496-725: The film. For example, he played a peasant eating a carrot in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Desolation of Smaug , a warrior of Rohan in The Two Towers , and a Corsair of Umbar boatswain in The Return of the King . All four were non-speaking "blink and you miss him" appearances, although in the Extended Release version of The Return of the King , his character was given more screen time and his reprise of

6608-492: The first fifteen years of her life, Potter spent summer holidays at Dalguise , an estate on the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland . There she sketched and explored an area that nourished her imagination and her observation. Her first sketchbook from those holidays, kept at age 8 and dated 1875, is held at and has been digitised by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London . Potter and her brother were allowed great freedom in

6720-679: The first licensed character. In 1903, Potter created the first Peter Rabbit soft toy and registered him at the Patent Office in London, making Peter the oldest licensed fictional character. Merchandise of Peter and other Potter characters have been sold at Harrods department store in London since at least 1910 when the range first appeared in their catalogues. Along with her writing Potter would continue to oversee merchandising and licensing opportunities for her characters. On her legacy, Nicholas Tucker in The Guardian writes, "she

6832-487: The forest foliage. In The Tale of Ginger and Pickles , first published in 1909, Peter and other characters from Potter's previous stories make cameo appearances in the artwork, patronising the shop of Ginger and Pickles. To mark the 110th anniversary of the publication of The Tale of Peter Rabbit , Frederick Warne & Co. commissioned British actress Emma Thompson to write The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit , in which Peter ends up in Scotland after accidentally hitching

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6944-419: The gangsters; he was a lighting crewman in After Hours and a passenger in Taxi Driver . He opened up his film The Color of Money with a monologue on the art of playing pool. In addition, he appeared with his wife and daughter as wealthy New Yorkers in Gangs of New York , and as a theatre-goer and can be heard as a movie projectionist in The Aviator . He also appeared in his 2023 work Killers of

7056-400: The group. Actor Adam Sandler is also known for frequently casting fellow Saturday Night Live performers (including Rob Schneider and David Spade ) in various roles in his films (as well as making cameo appearances of his own in theirs, most of which he co-produces). Sam Raimi frequently uses his brother Ted and Bruce Campbell in his films. The American singer/actress Cher had

7168-406: The house of the fox, Mr. Tod. Mr. Tod finds Brock sleeping in his bed, and as the two get into a scuffle, Peter and Benjamin rescue the children. Peter makes cameo appearances in two other tales. In The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle , first published in 1905, Peter and Benjamin are customers of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman. The two rabbits are depicted in one illustration peeping from

7280-407: The largest banks. Merchandisers in Japan estimate that 80% of the population have heard of Peter Rabbit. A statue of Peter Rabbit is located on the grounds of Lingholm country house just outside the village of Portinscale in the Lake District , north west England, where Potter spent her summer holidays (between 1885 and 1907) and where she drew inspiration for her Peter Rabbit books. She credited

7392-443: The last an illustrator whose work was later collected by her father, was a great influence. Her earliest illustrations focused on traditional rhymes and stories like Cinderella , Sleeping Beauty , Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves , Puss in Boots , and Little Red Riding Hood . However, most often her illustrations were fantasies featuring her own pets: mice, rabbits, kittens, and guinea pigs. In her teenage years, Potter

7504-562: The last of whom was Annie Moore ( née Carter), just three years older than Potter, who tutored Potter in German as well as acting as lady's companion . She and Potter remained friends throughout their lives, and Annie's eight children were the recipients of many of Potter's picture letters. It was Annie who later suggested that these letters might make good children's books. She and her younger brother Walter Bertram (1872–1918) grew up with few friends outside their large extended family. Her parents were artistic, interested in nature, and enjoyed

7616-470: The literal meaning of " cameo ", a miniature carving on a gemstone. More recently, in the late 20th century, a "cameo" has come to refer to any short appearance as a character. Cameos are generally not credited because of their brevity, or a perceived mismatch between the celebrity's stature and the film or television series in which they are appearing. Many are publicity stunts . Others are acknowledgements of an actor's contribution to an earlier work, as in

7728-442: The local agricultural shows, where Potter was often asked to serve as a judge. In 1942 she became President-elect of the Herdwick Sheepbreeders' Association, the first time a woman had been elected, but died before taking office. In one of her diary entries whilst travelling through Wales, Potter complained about the Welsh language . She wrote " Machynlleth , wretched town, hardly a person could speak English", continuing "Welsh seem

7840-435: The major Herdwick sheep farmers in the county. She was admired by her shepherds and farm managers for her willingness to experiment with the latest biological remedies for the common diseases of sheep, and for her employment of the best shepherds, sheep breeders, and farm managers. By the late 1920s, Potter and her Hill Top farm manager Tom Storey had made a name for their prize-winning Herdwick flock, which took many prizes at

7952-663: The match because Warne was "in trade" and thus not socially suitable. The engagement lasted only one month—Warne died of pernicious anaemia at age 37. That same year, Potter used some of her income and a small inheritance from an aunt to buy Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey , located 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Lake Windermere in the English Lake District . Potter and Warne may have hoped that Hill Top Farm would be their holiday home, but after Warne's death, Potter went ahead with its purchase as she had always wanted to own that farm and live in "that charming village". The tenant farmer John Cannon and his family agreed to stay on to manage

8064-410: The movie or show playing a minor role can be referred to as a cameo role as well, such as director Alfred Hitchcock who made frequent cameo appearances in his films. Originally, in the 1920s, a "cameo role" meant "a small character part that stands out from the other minor parts". The Oxford English Dictionary connects this with the meaning "a short literary sketch or portrait", which is based on

8176-652: The narrative. In June 1903, a trade edition of the tale was published by Frederick Warne & Co , and by the end of the year, 28,000 copies were in print. Over the years, The Tale of Peter Rabbit has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and as of 2008, the Peter Rabbit series of six books has sold more than 150 million copies in 35 languages. Peter Rabbit made his first appearance in 1902 in The Tale of Peter Rabbit where Peter disobeys his mother's orders and sneaks into Mr. McGregor's garden (where his father had once had "an accident" involving his being put in

8288-540: The new Hentschel three-colour process to reproduce her watercolours. On 2 October 1902, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published and became an immediate success. It was followed the next year by The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin and The Tailor of Gloucester , which had also first been written as picture letters to the Moore children. Working with Norman Warne as her editor, Potter published two or three little books each year: 23 books in all. The last book in this format

8400-644: The oneness of God and that rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Potter's paternal grandfather, Edmund Potter , from Glossop in Derbyshire , owned what was then the largest calico printing works in England, and later served as a Member of Parliament. Potter's father, Rupert William Potter (1832–1914), was educated at Manchester College by the Unitarian philosopher James Martineau . He then trained as

8512-466: The original 1966 film , appears in a bar scene of the Tarantino film Django Unchained . There, he asks Django ( Jamie Foxx ) to spell his name, which led to the famous promotional tagline for the film - "The 'D' is silent". Franco's character responds simply, "I know." Many cameos featured in Maverick (1994), directed by Richard Donner . Among them, Danny Glover – Mel Gibson 's co-star in

8624-561: The outbreak of World War I , Potter persuaded her mother to move to the Lake District, renting her a property in Sawrey. Finding life in Sawrey dull, Helen Potter soon moved to Lindeth Howe (now a 34-bedroomed hotel), a large house the Potters had previously rented for the summer in Bowness , on the other side of Lake Windermere. Potter continued to write stories for Frederick Warne & Co and fully participated in country life. She established

8736-457: The past in other films. In Jane Eyre (1943), Elizabeth Taylor makes a cameo appearance as Helen Burns, Jane's friend from school who dies from a cold. Mike Todd 's film Around the World in 80 Days (1956) was filled with cameo roles: John Gielgud as an English butler, Frank Sinatra playing piano in a saloon, and others. The stars in cameo roles were pictured in oval insets in posters for

8848-407: The places of extraordinary beauty but also those heads of valleys and low grazing lands that would be irreparably ruined by development." Potter was also an authority on the traditional Lakeland crafts and period furniture, as well as local stonework. She restored and preserved the farms that she bought or managed, making sure that each farm house had in it a piece of antique Lakeland furniture. Potter

8960-399: The problems of afforestation , preserving the intact grazing lands, and husbanding the quarries and timber on these farms. All her farms were stocked with Herdwick sheep and frequently with Galloway cattle . Potter continued to write stories and to draw, although mostly for her own pleasure. In 1922, Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes , a collection of traditional English nursery rhymes ,

9072-505: The real investor Michael Burry appeared as an employee of his hedge fund "Scion Capital" while answering the phone saying "Doctor Burry's office". An unusual example of a famous non-actor being given a small but speaking fictional role occurred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Second Chances ." Dr. Mae Jemison , an astronaut , the first Black woman in space, and a long-time fan of Star Trek ,

9184-419: The real-life Hunter S. Thompson , upon whom the character of Duke is based, leading him to remark "There I was...mother of God, there I am! Holy fuck." Stephen Hawking in popular culture lists more than a dozen appearances of the scientist playing himself. Maria Von Trapp made an uncredited brief cameo appearance in the film version of her life, The Sound of Music . She appeared in the background during

9296-654: The renovated farmhouse on Castle Farm, which was 34 acres (14 ha) large. Hill Top remained a working farm but was now remodelled to allow for the tenant family and Potter's private studio and workshop. At last her own woman, Potter settled into the partnerships that shaped the rest of her life: her country solicitor husband and his large family, her farms, the Sawrey community and the predictable rounds of country life. The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck and The Tale of Tom Kitten are representative of Hill Top Farm and her farming life and reflect her happiness with her country life. Her father, Rupert Potter, died in 1914, and with

9408-456: The role for the second season, respectively. An animated/live-action adaptation, Peter Rabbit produced by Sony Pictures Animation , was released on 8 February 2018. James Corden voices Peter Rabbit with Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne starring in the live-action role of the lead female named Bea (based on Potter herself). Other cast members include Margot Robbie , Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki . Will Gluck directed and produced

9520-640: The role of Jean Valjean in the West End and on Broadway, made a cameo as the Bishop of Digne . In the Soviet film Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears , Innokenty Smoktunovsky appeared for a minute as himself. Films based on actual events occasionally include cameo guest appearances by the people portrayed in them. In The Pursuit of Happyness , Chris Gardner made a cameo at the end. 24 Hour Party People ,

9632-633: The same in Potter and who was to have a lasting impact on her life. At about the age of 14, Potter began to keep a diary, written in a simple substitution cipher of her own devising. Her Journal was important to the development of her creativity, serving as both sketchbook and literary experiment. In tiny handwriting, she reported on society, recorded her impressions of art and artists, recounted stories and observed life around her. The Journal , deciphered and transcribed by Leslie Linder in 1958, does not provide an intimate record of her personal life, but it

9744-545: The same printer bought several more drawings for Weatherly's Our Dear Relations , another book of rhymes, and the following year Potter sold a series of frog illustrations and verses for Changing Pictures , a popular annual offered by the art publisher Ernest Nister. Potter was pleased by this success and determined to publish her own illustrated stories. Whenever Potter went on holiday to the Lake District or Scotland , she sent letters to young friends, illustrating them with quick sketches. Many of these letters were written to

9856-738: The song "I Have Confidence" with her daughter Rosmarie and stepson Werner Von Trapp. Jacqueline Susann , author of the best-selling novel Valley of the Dolls , appears as a TV reporter in a brief scene in the film based upon her novel . Tom Morello , American guitarist and musician, made an appearance in the Marvel film Iron Man (2008), in which he also participated in the soundtrack . Elon Musk and Larry Ellison , both founders of large technology companies, were featured in cameos in Iron Man 2 (2010). The king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf ,

9968-575: The stories featuring Peter Rabbit were also animated for the 1992 BBC anthology series , The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends and two edutainment titles published by Mindscape The Adventures of Peter Rabbit & Benjamin Bunny in 1995 and Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit's Math Garden in 1996. An animated children's TV series Peter Rabbit premiered on Nickelodeon and CBeebies in December 2012, with Colin DePaula voicing Peter in its first season (American version) and L. Parker Lucas taking over

10080-751: The story of the first publication and many editions. Potter's country life, her farming and role as a landscape preservationist are discussed in the work of Matthew Kelly, The Women Who Saved the English Countryside (2022). See also Susan Denyer and authors in the publications of The National Trust , such as Beatrix Potter at Home in the Lake District (2004). Potter's work as a scientific illustrator and her work in mycology are discussed in Linda Lear 's books Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature (2006) and Beatrix Potter: The Extraordinary Life of

10192-583: The trademark rights of the Beatrix Potter characters. The Peter Rabbit (rather than other Beatrix Potter characters) stories and merchandise are very popular in Japan: many Japanese tourists visit the Lake District after becoming familiar with Potter's work at an early age at school. There is an accurate replica of Potter's house and a theme park in Japan, and a series of Mr. McGregor's gardens in one of

10304-579: The twenty months he survived her. When he died in August 1945, he left the remainder to the National Trust. Potter left almost all the original illustrations for her books to the National Trust. The copyright to her stories and merchandise was then given to her publisher Frederick Warne & Co, now a division of the Penguin Group . On 1 January 2014, the copyright expired in the UK and other countries with

10416-468: The world in many languages with her stories being retold in songs, films, ballet, and animations, and her life is depicted in two films – The Tales of Beatrix Potter (1983) and Miss Potter (2006). Potter's family on both sides were from the Manchester area. They were English Unitarians , associated with dissenting Protestant congregations, influential in 19th-century Britain, that affirmed

10528-480: Was Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes in 1922, a collection of favourite rhymes. Although The Tale of Little Pig Robinson was not published until 1930, it had been written much earlier. Potter continued creating her little books until after the First World War when her energies were increasingly directed toward her farming, sheep-breeding, and land conservation. The immense popularity of Potter's books

10640-517: Was a regular visitor to the art galleries of London, particularly enjoying the summer and winter exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London. Her Journal reveals her growing sophistication as a critic as well as the influence of her father's friend, the artist Sir John Everett Millais , who recognised Potter's talent of observation. Although Potter was aware of art and artistic trends, her drawing and her prose style were uniquely her own. As

10752-399: Was an English writer, illustrator , natural scientist , and conservationist . She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit , which was her first commercially published work in 1902. Her books, including The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck and The Tale of Tom Kitten , have sold more than 250 million copies. An entrepreneur, Potter was

10864-684: Was based on the lively quality of her illustrations, the non-didactic nature of her stories, the depiction of the rural countryside, and the imaginative qualities she lent to her animal characters. Potter was also a canny businesswoman. As early as 1903, she made and patented a Peter Rabbit doll. It was followed by other merchandise over the years, including painting books, board games, wall-paper, figurines, baby blankets and china tea-sets. All were licensed by Frederick Warne & Co and earned Potter an independent income, as well as immense profits for her publisher. In 1905, Potter and Norman Warne became unofficially engaged. Potter's parents objected to

10976-464: Was destroyed in the Blitz . Bousfield Primary School now stands where the house once was. A blue plaque on the school building testifies to the former site of the Potter home. Both parents were artistically talented, and Rupert was an adept amateur photographer. Rupert had invested in the stock market, and by the early 1890s, he was extremely wealthy. Beatrix Potter was educated by three governesses,

11088-617: Was drawn in black and white with a coloured frontispiece. Rawnsley had great faith in Potter's tale, recast it in didactic verse, and made the rounds of the London publishing houses. Frederick Warne & Co had previously rejected the tale but, eager to compete in the booming small format children's book market, reconsidered and accepted the "bunny book" (as the firm called it) following the recommendation of their prominent children's book artist L. Leslie Brooke . The firm declined Rawnsley's verse in favour of Potter's original prose, and Potter agreed to colour her pen and ink illustrations, choosing

11200-684: Was featured in the film Lorenzo's Oil . Cameo appearance A cameo appearance , also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo ( / ˈ k æ m i oʊ / ), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts . These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly either appearances in a work in which they hold some special significance (such as actors from an original movie appearing in its remake) or renowned people making uncredited appearances. Short appearances by celebrities , film directors , politicians , athletes or musicians are common. A crew member of

11312-517: Was in the children's program Mika ( Mika och renen Ossian på äventyr ) when Mika was in Stockholm with his reindeer. In The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), the real Jordan Belfort appeared as an emcee to introduce Leonardo DiCaprio , who played Belfort, in the final scene. Boxer Roberto Duran and his wife Felicidad made a cameo appearance towards the end of the film Hands of Stone , about Duran's life. In The Big Short (film) ,

11424-581: Was interested in every branch of natural science except astronomy . Botany was a passion for most Victorians , and nature study was a popular enthusiasm. She collected fossils, studied archaeological artefacts from London excavations, and was interested in entomology . In all these areas, she drew and painted her specimens with increasing skill. By the 1890s, her scientific interests centred on mycology . First drawn to fungi because of their colours and evanescence in nature and her delight in painting them, her interest deepened after meeting Charles McIntosh,

11536-577: Was interested in preserving not only the Herdwick sheep but also the way of life of fell farming. In 1930 the Heelises became partners with the National Trust in buying and managing the fell farms included in the large Monk Coniston Estate. The estate was composed of many farms spread over a wide area of north-western Lancashire, including the Tarn Hows . Potter was the de facto estate manager for

11648-468: Was more interested in Tenniel 's illustrations than what they were about. The Brer Rabbit stories of Joel Chandler Harris had been family favourites, and she later studied his Uncle Remus stories and illustrated them. She studied book illustration from a young age and developed her own tastes, but the work of the picture book triumvirate Walter Crane , Kate Greenaway and Randolph Caldecott ,

11760-433: Was named after a pet rabbit whom Beatrix Potter had as a child, and whom she called Peter Piper. The first Peter Rabbit story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit , was created in 1893 initially as a letter to Noel Moore, the five-year-old son of Potter's former governess, Annie Moore. The boy was ill, and Potter wrote him a picture and story letter to help him pass the time and to cheer him up. The letter included sketches illustrating

11872-459: Was published 1 September 2016, to mark the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth. Also in 2016, Peter Rabbit was depicted on the reverse of a British fifty pence coin , and Peter along with other Potter characters featured on a series of UK postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail . In 2017, The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations by Emily Zach was published after San Francisco publisher Chronicle Books decided to mark

11984-966: Was published posthumously by The Horn Book Magazine in 1944. Potter was a generous patron of the Girl Guides , whose troops she allowed to make their summer encampments on her land, and whose company she enjoyed as an older woman. Potter and William Heelis enjoyed a happy marriage of thirty years, continuing their farming and preservation efforts throughout the hard days of World War II . Although they were childless, Potter played an important role in William's large family, particularly enjoying her relationship with several nieces whom she helped educate, and giving comfort and aid to her husband's brothers and sisters. Potter died of complications from pneumonia and heart disease on 22 December 1943 at Castle Cottage, and her remains were cremated at Carleton Crematorium , Blackpool. She left nearly all her property to

12096-460: Was published. Her books in the late 1920s included the semi-autobiographical The Fairy Caravan , a fanciful tale set in her beloved Troutbeck fells . It was published only in the US during Potter's lifetime, and not until 1952 in the UK. Sister Anne , Potter's version of the story of Bluebeard , was written for her American readers, but illustrated by Katharine Sturges. A final folktale, Wag by Wall ,

12208-482: Was reported in July 2014 that Potter had personally given a number of her own original hand-painted illustrations to the two daughters of Arthur and Harriet Lupton, who were cousins to both Beatrix Potter and Catherine, Princess of Wales . Potter's parents lived comfortably at 2 Bolton Gardens, West Brompton , London, where Helen Beatrix was born on 28 July 1866 and her brother Walter Bertram on 14 March 1872. The house

12320-587: Was searching for more independent activities and wished to earn some money of her own while dutifully taking care of her parents, dealing with her especially demanding mother, and managing their various households. In the Victorian era , women of her class were privately educated and rarely went to university. Potter's parents encouraged her higher education, but the social norms of the time limited her academic career within Britain's institutions. Beatrix Potter

12432-466: Was the first author to license fictional characters to a range of toys and household objects still on sale today". In an article by the Smithsonian magazine titled, How Beatrix Potter Invented Character Merchandising , Joy Lanzendorfer writes, "Potter was also an entrepreneur and a pioneer in licensing and merchandising literary characters. Potter built a retail empire out of her “bunny book” that

12544-497: Was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy , making him the oldest licensed character . Peter Rabbit appears as a character in several adaptations, including the television series The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992–1998) and Peter Rabbit (2012–2016), and the live-action/animated films Peter Rabbit (2018) and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021). The rabbits in Potter's stories are anthropomorphic and wear human clothes: Peter wears

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