Word: contortionist
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...piano is dying. So is the pianist -of exhaustion. Or so claims Monique de la Bruchollerie, one of Europe's top concert pianists. Modern piano compositions have become so wickedly difficult to play that to get by today the pianist must be something of a contortionist-gyrating, flailing, crossing hands, crouching spread-eagle fashion to play both ends of the keyboard simultaneously. To rescue both piano and pianist from extinction, Monique has designed a new instrument-a kind of piano on the half shell...
...murder plot itself, and the mock trial that follows it, Writer George Axelrod (The Seven Year Itch) and Director Richard Quine make the mistake of thinking that the muse of comedy is a rubber-limbed contortionist, and sometimes stretch the fun to the breaking point. Luckily, the supporting cast shows such spirit that Lemmon has to work hard for his share of the laughs. As the gentlemen's gentleman who would not hesitate one moment to help rub out a superfluous lady, Terry-Thomas hyphenates the movie with tomfoolery, holding whole scenes together by letting his face fall apart...
...loved it, despite its leeching managers and overnight hops, shoebox lunches and tank-town audiences. To him, it was a school of inventive self-reliance peopled with lovable oddballs. A gaudy branch of human botany, vaudeville finds in Fred Allen an affectionate and scrupulous botanist who cherishes every last contortionist, hypnotist, iron-jawed lady, human xylophone, one-armed cornetist, rube comedian, Hindu conjurer and clay modeler who ever played a split week east of Lompo,. Calif. or west of Maiden, Mass...
...small man among the outsize players of professional basketball. Cousy makes up for his lack of size with cat-quick reflexes and spur-of-the-moment shots that are almost impossible to defend against. Lean and loose, he goes through muscular gyrations that would awe a contortionist. He is currently among the N.B.A.'s top scorers, the league leader in assists, and an agile defender against men half a foot taller...
...members of the crew, 270 refused to answer Inspector Martin's questions. These, plus one known Communist, spent Christmas on board, within sight of Manhattan's glittering lights. The French Line arranged a Christmas dinner and a show (including a female contortionist...