Latest news with #BlackDog
The Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Cannes-winning film to compete at Danang Asian Film Festival 2025
HANOI: Black Dog, the winning film of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, will compete in the Asian Film section at the third Danang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III). In addition to Black Dog, 13 other films will compete in the same section, notably including Mua Tren Canh Buom (Don't Cry, Butterfly), directed by emerging Vietnamese filmmaker Duong Dieu Linh. DANAFF, which comes this year to the coastal city from June 29 to July 5, is co-organised by the Danang Department of Culture and Sports and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA). With the theme 'Asian Bridges', DANAFF will be attended by Asian and international filmmakers, famous Vietnamese filmmakers and artists, alongside screenings from young filmmakers and is expected to attract numerous cinematic fans to the coastal city. The Venice jury praised the 'Don't Cry', Butterfly's uniqueness and creativity, which 'mixes comedy, social drama and fantasy while depicting the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship'. Photo courtesy of An Nam Productions Black Dog tells a story about Lang, newly released from prison, who heads back to his hometown in Northwest China. While working on a team clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he forms a touching bond with one black stray. The film director, Guan Hu, is a Chinese filmmaker associated with the Sixth Generation movement, known for their gritty realism movies, who best known for Mr Six, The Eight Hundred and Cow. The film won the 2024 Venice Film Festival Critics′ Week Grand Prize and the Most Innovative Film Award at Settimana Internazionale della Critica. The Chair of the Vietnam Cinema Promotion Association and Executive Director of the DANAFF III, Ngo Phuong Lan, said that DANAFF III will mark a significant step up in terms of scale, duration and programming compared to its previous two editions. "Expanding from five official days in the past editions to seven this year, the festival will showcase over 100 selected films, up from 46 in DANAFF I and 63 in DANAFF II," she said. "The number of screenings has also doubled to approximately 200, compared to 100 last year." One of the highlights of DANAFF III is the introduction of the Panorama of Asian Cinema, which showcases outstanding Asian films that have earned acclaim at international film festivals, along with world premieres debuting at DANAFF. This year also marks the launch of the Asian Film Critics Award within the Panorama programme. A selected programme highlights Vietnam war-themed films in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of National Reunification, as well as a country-in-focus programme highlighting Korean cinema. These will be followed by two major seminars, including 'The Legacy of Vietnamese War Cinema Post-Reunification', which offers in-depth evaluations of the genre's achievements and cultural impact. The seminar 'Korean Cinema: Lessons from Global Success and Industrial Development' which will explore both creative content and policy frameworks, with participation from film scholars, industry professionals and educators from Korea and Vietnam. Lan said: "Korean and Vietnamese cinema shared thematic and stylistic similarities during the 1960s–70s, Korean cinema surged forward from the 1990s, leaving a lasting mark on the international scene. We aim to draw practical lessons and inspiration for regional cinema industries." The festival will also see the launch of DANAFF Talents, a series of training, networking, and film development activities for young and emerging filmmakers, including the 'Nurturing Talent' Acting Workshop, the Project Incubator and Master Classes led by industry experts. For the first time, the Project Incubator is introduced as a core component of DANAFF Talents, featuring two main categories, Art-house Film Projects and Genre Film Projects, with a total of 14 standout projects selected for development. As with previous editions, DANAFF III also continues key features that have become its hallmarks, such as the Film Achievement Award, honouring an outstanding Asian filmmaker who has made significant contributions to the development of cinema. In addition to in-competition films and selected programmes' films, the festival will feature screenings of Vietnamese Contemporary Cinema, featuring 18 recently produced Vietnamese films. The festival will have free screenings in theatres and outdoor public spaces. Additionally, Danang audiences can engage in conversations and exchanges with artists and film crews. Nguyen Thi Anh Thi, Vice Chair of the Danang People's Committee, Head of the Organising Committee of DANAFF said: "I hope that in the future, DANAFF will grow to become a prominent film festival in the region like the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea." — Vietnam News/ANN
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bucket list: 60 best must-try things to do, tourist attractions in Palm Beach County
We have compiled a bucket list of 60 must-try things to do and see in Palm Beach County that can keep boredom at bay indefinitely. It's a list fit for locals and tourists alike with no shortage of both indoor and outdoor amusement and relaxation. From the beaches to the shores of Lake Okeechobee, this list covers everything from world-famous attractions to hidden gems, fine dining to fun (bike) riding, not to mention the arts, architecture, history, shopping and sports. Presented loosely in geographic order from north to south, here's our list of fun things to do. 1. Go mountain biking on the trails at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. 2. Take the one-and-half hour Trapper Tour (available only at higher tides) aboard the Loxahatchee Queen III at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and see Trapper Nelson's homestead. 3. See Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve on Jupiter Island and watch as crashing waves send plumes of water through the rocks along the beach. 4. Take a selfie (very carefully) from the top of the Jupiter Lighthouse. More ways to enjoy Palm Beach County: Best waterfront restaurants in and around West Palm Beach 5. Visit the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and see native Florida animals up close and learn about their biology, habitats and conservation efforts. The center also offers fun events including Yoga in the Wild, their Walk on the Wild Side Tour, and much more. 6. Do a drift fishing trip out of Square Grouper Marina with Capt. Bill Taylor aboard the Black Dog. 7. Have lunch, dinner or drinks at the Square Grouper Tiki Bar at Jupiter Inlet. A beautiful spot to see the Jupiter Lighthouse and watch boats come and go, it has been featured in several music videos. 8. See the Miami Marlins' Single-A affiliate minor league team, the Jupiter Hammerheads, play at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. 9. Catch a stage performance at the fabulously renovated Maltz Jupiter Theatre, complete with 216-screen LED wall that adds a new twist in theater production. 10. See and learn about sea turtles at Loggerhead Marinelife Center where they do research as well as rescue and rehabilitate injured turtles. They also host popular beach releases after the turtles are healthy and ready to return to the wild. 11. Kayak or paddleboard at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park where, depending on the season, you could see manatees, dolphin, mullet, snook, rays, wading birds and more. 12. Head to Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach to snorkel Palm Beach County's very own natural aquarium: the snorkel trail under the Blue Heron Bridge. 13. In the summer months, get wet and wild at the Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach and experience the park's nearly three dozen slides and attractions. 14. Visit Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach and see the manatees as they congregate, especially after a cold front, around the nearby power plant's warm water discharges. Learn about these endangered, gentle giants and how to help save them. 15. Head to Grassy Waters Preserve in West Palm Beach and explore the nearly 23 square miles of this expansive wetlands ecosystem on foot or via canoe or kayak. 16. Take a bicycle ride down the Lake Trail in Palm Beach from the Palm Beach Marina to Annie's Dock. Keeping cool: Looking for some cool treats? Best ice cream, gelato, ice pops in Palm Beach County 17. Have a meal at Green's Pharmacy, opened in 1938, in Palm Beach where the Kennedys used to stop in for breakfast and lunch. 18. Venture to the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Whitehall, a 75-room, 100,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion, was built by Henry Flagler as a wedding gift for his wife, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler. 19. Take a walk down world-famous Worth Avenue in Palm Beach from the clock tower down to the Everglades Club (do not miss the alcoves, or "vias," along the way). 20. When the president is not in town, drive ridiculously slow by Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach while holding your cell phone out of either the window or sunroof — and infuriate all the local motorists behind you. 21. Begin the day at sunrise on Palm Beach with photos at the clock tower and finish with it watching the sunset over Lake Okeechobee. 22. Dine at one of the dozen or more restaurants at CityPlace, including El Camino, Maman, Adrienne's Pizzabar and more, in downtown West Palm Beach, then see a traveling Broadway show at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. 23. From October through April, stop by the award-winning West Palm Beach GreenMarket featuring over 130 vendors and held along the city's beautiful waterfront. More: After brief closure, West Palm Beach's Blind Monk restaurant opens in larger space 24. Over the winter holidays, visit Sandi Tree, the 35-foot tall, 800-ton holiday sand sculpture, along the West Palm Beach waterfront. At night, the tree is bathed in a light show accompanied by music. 25. Catch some live music at Respectable Street on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. The club helped spark the downtown area's resurrection and has been going strong for over 35 years. 26. Stop in at Roxy's Pub on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. Established in 1933, the pub features 64 beers on draft, an extensive menu and a rooftop bar and even a now-open rooftop pool. More: Outdoor dining at its best! Top rooftop restaurants, bars in Palm Beach County 27. Take a sunset cruise from the West Palm Beach docks aboard the Hakuna Matata. Take in the beautiful architecture located on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway during the two-hour trip. 28. Walk below and snag Insta-worthy pics of the amazing 600-piece Chihuly glass ceiling at the Norton Museum of Art found along the Dixie Corridor in West Palm Beach. The colorful pieces combine to make an artwork that looks like light pouring through a coral reef and is called the "Persian Sea Life" ceiling. 29. Have breakfast at the iconic, 75-year-old Howley's Diner where "cooked in sight, must be right" is proven true. Try their Gino's Meatloaf or the beautiful behemoth, the Big Mouth Burger. 30. Work your wheels — skateboard, in-line or BMX bike — at West Palm Beach's recently renovated Phipps Skate Park off Dixie Highway. 31. Bring a lawn chair and watch a movie outdoors on the waterfront during West Palm Beach's Screen on the Green nights — the second Friday of every month. 32. Enjoy the mini golf oasis Pop Stroke with two amazing 18-hole putting courses. Co-owned by Tiger Woods, their slogan is Eat, Put, Drink. 33. See cougars, capybaras, jaguars, tigers, tapirs, bears, otters, koalas, kookaburas and more at the Palm Beach Zoo. Bring swimsuits for the zoo's fountain and splash pad. Bring your appetite for the Tropics Café. 34. See rotating exhibits, learn about science, enjoy food truck events and even travel back to the 1970s with in a laser light concert at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. 35. Hit the links at West Palm Beach's meticulously-maintained golf course The Park. While there dine at the restaurant The House or grab a quick bite at The Cabana. 36. Enjoy a very "Palm Beach-style" afternoon and play croquet at the 10-acre National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. 37. Play 18 holes of golf on the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course where the front nine is along the Atlantic Ocean and the back nine is along the Intracoastal Waterway. More: At the Table: Local open-to-the-public golf course clubhouse restaurants offer tasty fare 38. Head to Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds to see the Riddle House, which was featured on the show "Ghost Adventures." 39. Visit the family-run Bulk Candy Store where you can experience the History of Candy tour and sink your teeth in their incredibly vast selection including Smarties, Dad's Root Beer Barrels, Bit O Honey, Laffy Taffy, Necco, Pop Rocks and much more. 40. Learn to ski, wakeboard or kneeboard at the Shark Wake Park located in the vast Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach. 41. See a polo match at the National Polo Center in Wellington during the winter season. 42. Visit one of the nation's top "safari parks" — Lion Country Safari, a 600-acre, drive-through open zoo in Loxahatchee. It features more than 1,000 wild animals from six continents, including lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras and chimpanzees. 43. Grab some friends and battle it out in a round of paintball at Piquet Entertainment & Race Track in Loxahatchee Groves. The property also has a kart track and mini golf. 44. Watch the streets of Lake Worth Beach get transformed into an art gallery as over 600 artists use the pavement as their canvas during the annual Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival. 45. See a performance in the historic Lake Worth Playhouse in the city's vibrant downtown. The theater, built in a Moorish Deco style, first opened in 1924 and puts on award-winning dramas, comedies, musicals, Broadway favorites and more. 46. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Benny's on the Beach on the Lake Worth Pier. Though there are many restaurants that boast "water views," there aren't many perched on a pier actually out over the water. You could even have a celebrity encounter as rocker Jon Bon Jovi and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay have been spotted at the fun location. 47. A hike through the Lantana Nature Preserve is a great way to see a coastal hardwood hammock, great tree and plant specimens as well as many species of birds, reptiles and insects. 48. Drink or dine at the Old Key Lime House, a family-owned restaurant and bar built in 1889. This vintage-island spot in Lantana is like one big, sprawling tiki bar docked on the Intracoastal Waterway. 49. Put on a bib and get dinner at Riggins Crabhouse, the area's only authentic Maryland-style crabhouse, in Lantana. 50. Stop in at Two Georges Waterfront Grille in Boynton Beach and enjoy lunch or dinner while watching the boats pass along the Intracoastal Waterway. In business for over 60 years, they are well-known for frozen cocktails, crab cakes and more. 51. Hike, bike, canoe or kayak the miles of waterways and trails throughout The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge's nearly 150,000 acres. 52. Take a relaxing stroll and learn about Japanese culture at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in western Delray Beach. Be on the lookout for special evening hours when summer arrives and the days are longer. 53. Spend an afternoon shopping and eating your way down Delray Beach's hippest street: Atlantic Avenue. Check out newcomers like Gabriella's, Gesto and Bourbon Steak. 54. Visit the Silverball Retro Arcade in Delray Beach, play endless modern and retro arcade games along with pinball while imagining you're in a video for the song "Pinball Wizard" by The Who. 55. Watch sharks and stingrays chow down at the Sandoway Discovery Center on A1A in Delray Beach. There are other animal encounters as well at the beachfront property that features the beautifully restored Sandoway House built in 1936. 56. Submerge yourself in Delray Beach's art scene by heading to the Pineapple Grove Arts District, where you'll find murals, sculptures and vibrant art galleries. 57. See Wakodahatchee Wetlands, which was created from 50 acres of unused utility land and transformed into a wetlands area that features and boardwalk and is usually packed with wildlife. 58. Get your groove on with a free or ticketed concert at the Mizner Park Amphitheater at Mizner Park in Boca Raton. While you're there, check out the current exhibits at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. 59. Go kayaking from the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, where you can learn about the center's sea turtle rehabilitation program. They also host hikes and canoe trips. 60. See the Florida Atlantic University Owls take on AAC rivals in a division 1 college football game during football season at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton. Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@ Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Best things to do, tourist attractions near West Palm, Jupiter FL
Scroll.in
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Start the week with a film: ‘Black Dog' is a poignant tale of feral dogs and stray humans
Few have documented the impact of economic change on society as have Chinese directors. In the films of Wang Xiaoshuai (So Long, My Son) and Jia Zhangke (24 City), the brutal effects of breakneck growth are mostly deeply seen and felt in physical surroundings – villages, urban housing complexes, factories. It's fitting, then, that Jia Zhangke has a cameo in Guan Hu's Black Dog (2024). Guan's film is set in the Chinese section of the Gobi Desert. Stunt rider Lang (Eddie Peng) is on his way back home after serving a prison sentence. The bus in which Lang is travelling flips over when a pack of stray dogs crosses its path – the first indication that Lang's fate will be tied up with canines. Lang arrives to find his town undergoing a massive transformation. It has been earmarked for redevelopment in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Many residents have already departed, leaving behind hollowed-out buildings and shuttered stores. The local zoo has very few animals left, among them a lazy tiger. The town's authorities are more worried about the feral dogs running about. They promise that whoever captures the animals will get a reward and the title of honorary citizen. Lang signs up with a patrol team, only to find himself caring far too much for a black dog that has previously bitten him. The dog is as skinny as Lang is lanky. A taciturn loner, Lang builds a bond with the dog while grappling with his own feelings of abandonment. Lang's solitude – a choice but also a consequence of being cut off from family and society – is relieved by the dog and Grape (Ton Liya), a dancer at a visiting circus. Jia Zhangke plays Uncle Yao, the leader of the canine-capture team. Zhangke's presence in Black Dog is possibly a tribute to the manner in which he has used landscapes to document China's experiments with large-scale capitalism. Black Dog bagged the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. The movie is available in India on Prime Video. Black Dog is grand in scope and intimate in treatment. The visual schema and superbly sketched characters give a vivid sense of what it means to lose your home to a top-down government policy, to be adrift in a sea of forced transformation. Cinematographer Weizhe Gao captures both the town's crumbling architecture and the harshness of the surrounding desert. The extraordinary backdrops deserves to be seen on as large a screen as possible. The scenes involving the free-running dogs are remarkably filmed, matching Kornel Mundruczo's White God (2014). The movie isn't just a visual treat. Without being heavy-handed or preachy, Guan Hu creates a poignant allegory of displacement, resilience and individual freedom. One of the most memorable montages, in which people line up to watch a solar eclipse and watch the Olympics opening ceremony, plays out to the classic Pink Floyd song Mother. Eddie Peng brilliantly plays Lang, who has barely any dialogue and communicates his feelings through minimalistic gestures. After the film shoot was completed, Peng adopted the dog that starred alongside him, echoing Lang's love for a soul as lost and found as his own. Play
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
The small picturesque Lancashire village with one pub and plenty of community spirit
They say good things come in small packages, this is definitely the case for one of Bolton's most quaint villages, Belmont. Although this remote Lancashire village is situated seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Belmont's salt-of-the-Earth residents, historic pub and charming architecture is the quintessential British community. Belmont village is located just north of Bolton. (Image: Leah Collins) The beating heart of Belmont is it's only pub, The Black Dog, which has been serving its residents since 1825. I stopped by for a pint and a chat in order to develop a better understanding of the village's rich history. READ MORE: The secret Lancashire village judged one of the most beautiful The Black Dog in Belmont gets £230,000 refurbishment Three scenic walks near to pubs The Black Dog is the only pub in Belmont. (Image: Leah Collins) The pub's barmaid, Becky, said: 'People are proud of it here, they celebrate the history. 'The village is small, I'd say there's about 500 residents here. It's a tight-knit community, everyone knows everyone. The village has so much history, there's the reservoir and the sailing club which are popular attractions. Becky is a barmaid in The Black Dog. (Image: Leah Collins) 'My dad was born and raised in the same Farmhouse here, so Belmont is completely tied up to my own family's history.' The Black Dog, which is also a hotel, is currently under the ownership of brewery Joseph Holt and has won multiple awards and recommendations. The interior of the pub is a modern twist on a classic, complete with an ornate fireplace and dark wooded panelling. After finishing my drink, I paid a visit to St Peter's Church, just a stone's throw away from The Black Dog. The building, which dates back to 1849, is a crucial facet of Belmont living and remains one of six Anglican churches in four parishes serving communities in the north Bolton and Turton area. St Peter's Church in Belmont. (Image: Leah Collins) In true springtime fashion, I was greeted by some fluffy white sheep and adorable lambs pottering the grounds. The church doubles as an outreach Post Office, open on Friday mornings, which compensates for the lack of shops in the village. Next stop was local business the Fresh Farm Shop, based at the Belmont Works on Egerton Road. The sister shop to Fresh Meat Packs, which is based next door, the new shop sells a range of meats and fresh produce such as vegetables, dairy products, cakes, spices and more, all sourced from around the North West. I chatted to shop assistant Freya Hitchford, who grew up in the Belmont area. Freya Hitchford has grown up in the area. (Image: Leah Collins) She said: 'Belmont is a nice spot, I have spent all my high school years here and have grown up in the area. It's home to me. 'I worked at the Black Dog before here, there's a palpable sense of community that you don't necessarily get with other places. 'I would say that the problem with living here is transport, you need to be able to drive if you live here really, the busses can be unreliable and there isn't much public transport. 'Working here is nice, I see people who I haven't seen in years and people always come to visit us from outside of Belmont.' Belmont's history is rooted in its agriculture. Before 1800, it was a small hamlet called Hordern, consisting of farms and a few cottages. By the mid-19th century, the population grew to about 1,000, fuelled by industries like Ryecroft Mill and Belmont Bleach Works.
Boston Globe
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Robert Douglas, whose Black Dog became a symbol of summer, dies at 93
Advertisement Although Mr. Douglas spent much of his time on the water, skippering chartered tours on the Shenandoah, he was eager for a place near the harbor where he could sit among friends with a good cup of chowder. Most of the island's restaurants were closed in the winter, when visitors stuck to the mainland. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up With help from carpenter Allan Miller, who became a part-owner of the restaurant, Mr. Douglas took matters into his own hands, opening the Black Dog in Vineyard Haven in the dead of winter, January 1971. The restaurant remained open year-round, offering steak, chicken, and plenty of seafood specials, including locally caught bluefish and flounder stuffed with crab. Within a matter of months, it was attracting attention well outside New England. Advertisement 'Stockbrokers and freaks, infants and old seadogs swell the line seven days a week every day of the year,' restaurant critic Raymond A. Sokolov wrote in The New York Times that August, praising the food as 'an expert blend of the gourmet and the gutsy.' By then, the restaurant was frequented by unassuming locals as well as celebrities including singer James Taylor and actress Ruth Gordon. It gained an even wider following with help from T-shirts, hats, and other merchandise bearing a picture of Mr. Douglas's pet dog, the aptly named Black Dog, for whom the restaurant was named. The dog was itself named after a pirate in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel 'Treasure Island.' Diners at The Black Dog Tavern, a Vineyard icon since 1971. MATT COSBY/NYT In its classic version, the Black Dog T-shirt featured only the dog logo on the front, drawn by artist and restaurant hostess Stephanie Phelan. On the back was the Black Dog's name, along with the year of the shirt's purchase - a detail that helped visitors memorialize their trip to the island and, intentionally or not, served to distinguish newcomers from old-timers. Although the shirts were first sold in the early 1980s, the merchandise really took off a decade later, after President Clinton and his wife, Hillary, began sporting the gear on summer trips to the island. (Under questioning about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the president testified that he had given Black Dog T-shirts to Lewinsky as a gift, along with a Black Dog tote bag and stuffed animal.) 'What the Lacoste alligator shirt was to the 1970s, and Ralph Lauren's polo pony to the '80s, the Black Dog threatens to become to the '90s, in appropriately faded shades of moss green, stone-washed blue, soft cherry and classic white,' Ruth Marcus of the Post wrote in 1994. Advertisement An umbrella at the Black Dog Bakery helped frame ferries in Vineyard Haven. Mark Lennihan/Associated Press 'At times this island looks like a veritable kennel club, with every other person sporting some piece of Black Dog gear,' Marcus added, before noting that 'Black Dog shirts have been sighted everywhere from a country lane in Provence to the slopes of the Grand Tetons. A recent clipping from a Florida newspaper shows a Cuban refugee being picked up on the high seas - wearing a Black Dog hat.' The restaurant capitalized on the trend by opening a succession of retail shops it called General Stores, first on the Vineyard and then up and down the East Coast, with locations now stretching from Florida to Maine. It released a cookbook; sold merchandise through mail-order catalogues that reached more than 200,000 customers; and expanded its lineup to sell Black Dog granola tins, baby onesies, bucket hats, and soccer balls. 'The tail started wagging the dog,' Mr. Douglas once noted in an interview with the Vineyard Gazette. 'It started as a restaurant and it turned into a dry goods business.' The second of four sons, Robert Stuart Douglas was born in Chicago on March 18, 1932, and grew up in Lake Forest, Ill. His paternal forebears helped found the Quaker Oats Co. His father, James H. Douglas Jr., was an Army veteran who worked as a lawyer, investment banker, and military official, serving as secretary of the Air Force and deputy secretary of defense during the Eisenhower administration. Mr. Douglas was 16 when his mother, the former Grace McGann, died. Mr. Douglas studied political science at Northwestern University, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1955. He trained as a fighter pilot in the Air Force, flying his last mission in 1958, when he ejected from a malfunctioning jet, according to the Black Dog's website. Advertisement Later that year, Mr. Douglas moved to Vineyard full time and turned from the skies to the water. The Gazette reported that he worked for several months as a seaman on the 1962 film 'Mutiny on the Bounty,' aboard a replica of the HMS Bounty that was built in Nova Scotia and sailed through the Panama Canal to Tahiti, where the movie was shot on location. After returning to New England, Mr. Douglas worked at the Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, and financed the construction of his own schooner, the Shenandoah, which he named after a favorite sea shanty. He bought a string of waterfront properties in Vineyard Haven that today house Black Dog Tall Ships Inc., according to the Gazette. As part of that effort, he expanded his fleet by acquiring a second schooner, the Alabama, a former pilot boat that he overhauled and added sails. The vessel now does tours out of Vineyard Harbor. The lure of the ocean animated much of Mr. Douglas's life. 'The bigger the sailing vessel, the more fun it is to sail,' he wrote in Sea History magazine. 'Seven thousand square feet of canvas straining overhead, the roar and thunder of the lee bow wave, the view from aloft on the crosstrees seventy feet above the decks, the slow determined response of a one hundred and seventy ton hull to two or three spokes the wheel, the intricacies of square rig, sharply braced yards and tapering topmasts outlined against a star-filled sky. Advertisement 'This whole sailing ship ethos is powerful and many faceted, but undeniable, and once involved with it, one is never quite the same again.' Mr. Douglas married Charlene Lapointe, a sailor and equestrian, in 1970. She runs Arrowhead Farm in West Tisbury, where she offers boarding, riding lessons, and summer camps, according to the Gazette. In addition to his wife and son Morgan, he leaves three sons, Robert Jr., Jamie, and Brooke, who have each played a role in the family business; and six grandchildren. During a lull in his charter business in the 1990s, Mr. Douglas began using the Shenandoah to deliver his love of the sea to local schoolchildren. 'They are just great big sponges, they can't get enough,' he told the Gazette in 2013. 'Everything is new and interesting. I provide the platform, a different lifestyle, one that is entirely different from anything they have ever experienced.' By 2020, when Mr. Douglas donated the schooner to the Martha's Vineyard Ocean Academy, an estimated 5,000 children were said to have sailed aboard the Shenandoah, some in trips that lasted a week or more. The ship was engine-free and occasionally encountered fog that could stymie a voyage for three days at a time. When that happened, Mr. Douglas said, the children were unbothered, learning to tie knots or jumping off the side to go swimming. Adults had less patience for the inconvenience. 'Grownups tend to lose their resiliency,' he observed. 'That is the major grown-up problem.'
