Question Svengali/svengolly

What or who is it?

andrea chase ([email]) wrote:

Svengali was a famous hypnotist/magician. The name became synonomous with someone who could entrance or mesmerize (sometimes sexually) another person, and place them under his power.

Correct. But Elaine mispronounced it as Sven-jolly, which prompted the funniest line from that episode: Jerry: "Maybe he has a cheerful mental hold on you."

On 14 Jan 98 16:21:13 GMT, [email] (Dave) wrote:

I love how Kramer tries to get all tough with him on the phone, then winds up scheduling a meeting.

Then, their meeting in person is hilarious. Kramer is sitting in the "noisy" leather chair, smoking cigars with the doctor, and "giving" Elaine back to him in the end.

There aren't any sinister therapists like that, are there???? ;-)

-g

Gregory C. Larkin wrote:

I can think of one guy who fits that description: Dr. Jerome Oziel, the shrink for the Menendez brothers. According to his former patient/girlfriend, Judalon Smith, (who testified in court that she was eavesdropping when the brothers confessed to killing their parents) he was able to get her to acquiesce to his suggestions by repeating a post-hypnotic key word.

She recorded their phone conversations for her own protection, and played one on TV in which she was arguing with Oziel. All of a sudden, he interrupts her and calmly says, "Are these your thorns?" She paused for about two seconds and resumed arguing. "Thorns?" Oziel said. Silence on Smith's end again, this time a little longer. She then struggled to start again. "Thorns?" he said, and so it went, until she stopped talking, and saw things his way.

(cue the Theme to Twilight Zone)

DLC

they got all the spookiest ones in that ep., him and good ol' Joey Divola...

love how he says "Hi Jerry" in that calm voice.. remind anyone else of Dr. Hannibal Lechter from Silence of the Lambs?

Svengali was a famous hypnotist/magician.

      ** Svengali was sort of a phantom of the opera.  He made
         his appearance in George duMaurier's novel TRILBY, and
         though hats were named after the novel's title character,
         one or two movie versions of the novel were named after
         Svengali.  With his hypnotic powers, he made Trilby into
         a successful singer; but without his help she could not
         sing.

         The novel is pleasant enough in its old-fashioned way,
         and it concludes with a mighty clever blessing:

           A little work, a little play
           To keep us going:  and so, good day.
           A little warmth, a little light
           Of love's bestowing:  and so, good night.
           A little joy, to match the sorrow
           Of each day's growing:  and so, good morrow.
           A little trust that when we die
           We reap our sowing:  and so, goodbye.

Mark L.

Svengali memerized Trilby the heroine of the 19th centuary novel in which svengali first appeared.