Page 2 University Daily Kansan Friday, April 1. 1955 Taste, Humor Mark 1955 Academy Awards Wednesday night's big show from Hollywood—the Academy award presentations—had better writers this year. It was marked by taste, by a few humorous interludes, by some good—though nervous—patter from master-of-ceremonies Bob Hope. The music wasn't quite so brassy as in the past. The elimination of the endless lists of contending films was wise. As for the awards themselves—well, things are shaping up. Two years age, with supreme disdain for artistic achievements, Hollywood gave the big Oscar to the best photographed motion picture of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circles ever made. A year before that, the bright musical, "An American in Paris," slipped in while "A Place in the Sun" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" hung about in the wings. And the Oldmobile commercials were pretty, though almost as frequent as the patent medicine ads on the Katz Million-Dollar-Movies series. But last year it was "From Here to Eternity" and "Stalag 17" and "Roman Holiday." This year it was the magnificent "On the Waterfront," surely the top achievement of the year. And there was recognition for the film version of Clifford Odet's Broadway play, "The Country Girl." Last year offered slimmer pickings, despite boasts of the trade to the contrary. The screens were too big—imagine even considering "The Coins in the Fountain" among the top five! There were too many epics, too many like "The Black Knight" and "Demetrius and the Gladiators" and "King Richard and the Crusaders." But "Waterfront" will likely stand out for years to come. "Country Girl" partisans may console themselves by considering that a filmed version of a stage play often is regarded somewhat more lightly than pure motion picture dramas. There are a few regrets from this quarter. One is that so many awards must go to one picture. Another—a sentimental regret—is that Judy Garland didn't win an award. Once more—too bad "Carmen Jones," "Executive Suite" and "A Star Is Born" were not cited. They were among the year's top entertainments. Who Says the Postman Only Rings Twice? —Rolfe Davis Editor. UDK: The place: somewhere in the here-after. The time: during the Easter vacation. The characters: W. A. White and Ron Grandon—who, a, few days earlier, had been thrown to the bulls enyaged farmers occupying the seats in the Legislature. White is speaking: "Imagine anything bearing my name would turn out somethink like this! Thank God I'm a spirit!" "It's too much for mortal flesh to bear." White is waving a reprint of an editorial written by Grandon and appearing on Tuesday, March 29, in the UDK. Grandon, a little awwed by the great man, tries to interrupt: "What would you do?" White: "Don't interrupt me, young man. You ought to learn a thing or two about journalism before you start criticizing the very men who set up that fine school in my honor. Why, the first line of a lead editorial was misleading, not to mention the extraneous material you dragged in. What kind of writing is that?" Grandson (finally managing to get in a word): "I was only trying to win some sympathy for the laboring man." White, beginning to turn a little purple: "For the laboring man, you say? The laboring Man? You mean the labor bosses. You're not parrotting the men who called the Taft-Hartley bill 'a slave labor law' — and then couldn't get the laboring man to back them up!" White walks back and forth shaking his head. Then he grabs the reprinted editorial and reads from it: "Gov. Fred Hall is showing what he meant by his campaign promises for a new brand of Kansas Republicianism." Hell, man, angling for some political power. There's nothing new about politicians (He reads again.) ... The Kansas House and Senate wilted before the power of the interest groups which are pushing the proposal. Yeah, (he ridicules) the dastardly House and Senate bow to the wicked pressure groups while young, virginal Fred Hall saves the fair damsel in distress. (White attempts a falsetto:) My hero!" Grandon, breaking in again: "Sir, I thought the editorial was rather well thought out and phased as you yourself would have done it." White stares a minute in disbelief, shakes his head and calms down a little. "Young man, you say this proposal came to Kansas from some other states, which you list. You then go on to say, 'These states proved their agricultural basis and their domination by business interests in passing these laws.' Now, if that isn't an example of mixed up logic, I'll eat a roller off that Kluge there, core and all. (Grandon tries to interrupt, unsuccessfully.) 'Right-to-work is reactionary and primitive.' You'd better start defining your terms, young man. They are changing because Kansas no longer feel that the State should not export well over half the graduating classes of its universities . . .! Back in my day you'd have your knuckles rapped for such a beauty as that! Why, son University of Kansas Student Newspaper News Room, Ad Floor, KU 7370 UNIVERSITY DAILY HANSAN Member of the Inland Daily Press association. Associated Collegeiate Press association. Represented by the National Advisory Council for Library Mail subscription rates, $3 a semester or $4.50 a year (add $1 a semester if in stock). Attend every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination periods. Entered as second class master's degree student. Post office under act of March 3, 1879 EDITORIAL STAFF Editorial Editor Karen Hilmer Editorial Assistants John Her- rine Bates Benjamin Brown TINGTON NEWS STAFF Executive Editor Nancy Neville Man, Editors LaVerie Yates, Mary Editor A. Editors LaVere Yates, Mary Bess Stephens, Irene Conferer, Tom Lyons News Editor Lee Ann Urban Assistant News Editor Larry Day Sports Editor Drew Walt Asst. Sports Editor John McMillion Wire Editor Amy DeYong Gregor Groves Asst. Society Editor Madelyn Brite Feature Editor Gene Shank News Advisor C. M. Pickett BUSINESS STAFF Business Mgr. Georgia Wallace Mgt. Business Mgr. James Cazier Nat. Adv. Mgr. James Cazier Circulation Mgr. Sue Epperson Advisor Job Seeker Business Advisor Gene Bratter I'm surprised St. Peter even let you in the gate. Grandon, wings drooping, walks away. White snaps his fingers and a typewriter appears. He sits down and starts hammering. With apologies to William A. White. James M. Leitnaker Graduate student To the Editor: As a theater-goer and a reader of the UDK, I would like to submit my opinions about the coverage or lack of coverage of the University Theater productions in the UDK. I have read the letters of both Mr. Murrill and Mr. Richards, and am inclined to agree with Mr. Murril. From my experience in reading the UDK, the theater productions have not been adequately reviewed, although they have been given preliminary publicity in a manner that is commensurate with their importance in university life. Like Mr. Murrill, I did not find fault with the negative tone of the Richard III review, but I did find fault with its skimpeness and with its being relegated to practically the back page. The implication in this was: University productions aren't important enough to deserve more space. It seems to me that if you are going to pan a play, you could at least pan it thoroughly and in a place where someone is likely to read the review. Without being personal, I would like to take exception to a few points made by Mr. Richards. In his letter, he seems to pride himself on the fact that he is an average man attending the theater, and that his wife, by gosh, is even more average than he is, so there. (I guess that will take care of you highbrows.) I would like to submit that the average man has no business reviewing a play. That chore should be left to someone with a thorough knowledge of the theater, someone capable of making sound library, aesthetic, and dramatic judgments in a play. Sophocles to Tennessee Williams. Furthermore, I refuse to believe that such a person does not exist in the undergraduate student body. Other university dailies are able to attract talented drama critics, and there is no reason why KU cannot do the same. One final point: I am sure that no one would want a UDK reviewer to do something less than intel- LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler "Did I get an "A" outa this course?—Did I get a "B"?—A "C?" A "D"?———Flunked it, huh? Flashbacks in History From The Daily Kansan 25 YEARS AGO University structures built during the last 10 years included the stadium, Watkins hall, Corbin hall, Snow hall, the Student Union, the central administration building, auditorium, one section of the electrical engineering laboratory, power house, Watson library, and the practice house for Home Economics, all totaling a cost of about three million dollars. Final registration figures obtained from the registrar's office showed that there were more students registered than ever before at the University. The totals, complete up to March 1, were 2,421 men and 1,510 women. "The wets haven't a 'Chinaman's Chance' of overturning the dry law," Col. Raymond Robbins, Chicago economist, predicted before the House judiciary committee. "Science, grouping out into the infinity of space, has located a ninth planet so distant from the earth that an airplane traveling 120 miles an hour could reach it only after 35 centuries." Governor Reed of Kansas wired his office to grant extradition runners to Colorado for three bank badges arrested at Jetmore, Kan. All inductees between 18 and 20 years of age inclusive, with a few exceptions, were to be placed in the Army during the next three months. 10 YEARS AGO "For Whom the Bells Tolls," with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, and "The Keys of the Kingdom," with Gregory Peck and Thomas Mitchell, were showing in downtown theaters. Charles Steeper and his band played for the traditional Engineers' dance, the Hobnail Hop, on St. Patrick's day, in the Military Science building. ually honest. It is ridiculous to assume that a review must be in the nature of publicity and sales promotion. However, I do believe that most people connected with the university would like to see the UDK recognize the importance of the theater productions by printing full length reviews, favorable and unfavorable, by an undergraduate with an abundance of enthusiasm for and knowledge of the theater. Burling Lowery English instructor Editor's note: What Mr. Lowrey and Mr. Murrill seem to forget is that the School of Journalism is trying to develop that intangible quality in its students called news judgment. University play, per se, is not necessarily worthy of page 1 reviews merely because it's a University play. A play such as "Richard III" does not contain enough news to every student to warrant top positions in the UDK. You, Mr. Lowrey, may know your plays and your reviews, but we believe that the line should be drawn when we are questioned as to where we place stories. K.H.