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. Self portrait of George du Maurier George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (6 March 1834 – 8 October 1896) was a British author who was born in Paris, France. ... Trilby is a gothic horror novel by George du Maurier published in 1894. ... For the 1996 Blur single, see Stereotypes (song). ... Hypnosis, as defined by the American Psychological Association Division of Psychological Hypnosis, is a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests that a client, patient, or experimental participant experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior. ... John Sidney Blyth Barrymore (February 15, 1882 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – May 29, 1942 in Los Angeles, California), was an American actor. ... 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. ... Donald Wolfit (1902-1968) was an English actor-manager, knighted in 1957 for his services to the theatre. ... Logo celebrating Technicolors 90th Anniversary Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation (a subsidiary of Technicolor, Inc. ... Peter Seamus OToole (born Peter James OToole on August 2, 1932) is an eight-time Academy Award-nominated Irish actor. ... A television movie (also known as a TV film, TV movie, TV-movie, feature-length drama, made-for-TV movie, movie of the week (MOTW or MOW), single drama, telemovie, telefilm, or two-hour-long drama) is a film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network. ... Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer. ...

The word "Svengali" 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. The term Bohemian was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ...

See also

• Stage mother

In the United States theater, television and movie industries, a stage mother is the term for the mother of a child actor. ...

External link

• [1] Complete online text of the novel.