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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, March 25.1953
Annual Oscar Splurge Prompts Re-Evaluation
With the prospective candidates wearing brave fixed smiles and the spotlight of a national television hookup on the proceedings, the annual splurge of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ladled out its 14-carat Oscars last Thursday night. But to the armchair kibitzers one award indicated that all that glitters is not gold.
Even the array of screen celebrities gasped when the best picture of the year was pronounced to be Cecil B. DeMille's "The Greatest Show on Earth." The multi-million dollar circus saga with a fake heroics plot and Mr. DeMille's uninspiring narration was pleasant entertainment but hardly the best film that Hollywood turned out last year.
As has happened repeatedly in the past, the award apparently fell to Mr. DeMille's lot for sentimental reasons. "The Greatest Show" was his 70th picture, but—barring a minor special award—was the first Academy recognition for the man fondly known as the biggest extra recruiter in the film capital.
Otherwise, the presentations went pretty much according to forecast. The critics largely went along with the best actor award to Gary Cooper for the quiet strength of his role in "High Noon," and the best actress award to Shirley Booth for her portrayal of the dowdy, tragic Lola in "Come Back, Little Sheba."
The best supporting actor and actress citations were also well selected. Gloria Grahame as the southern belle in "The Bad and the Beautiful" held together a picture which was both bad and unbeautiful (but which unexplainedly won the best screenplay award). And Anthony Quinn rightfully was named the best supporting actor for his realistic interpretation of a Mexican revolutionary's brother in "Viva Zapata."
The picking of John Ford's directorial work on the lifting comedy, "The Quiet Man," was reasonable, although one wonders if his long acquaintance with the Hollywood scene influenced the choice. The year's directing by Fred Zinneman, a comparative newcomer ("High Noon" and "The Member of the Wedding") under producer Stanley Kramer—who merited the Thalberg award if anyone did—could scarcely be excelled.
The Academy has awarded many guilt-complex Oscars to make up for outstanding works bypassed in previous years. It can also be criticized for ignoring pictures released early in the year (resulting in last-minute artistic deluges in recent races) and for slighting foreign films. Laurence Olivier couldn't be overlooked for "Hamlet," but the nomination this year of Alec Guinness for "The Lavender Hill Mob" was a tongue-in-cheek affair.
And so it goes. Some of the unquestioned greats of the celluloid world have never been recognized. Charlie Chaplin—contributing "City Lights," "Modern Times," "The Great Dictator," and "Limelight" to the screen culture—has never won an award and never will. The histrionic ghosts of Greta Garbo and John Barrymore mock the presentations. Also, the genius of Orson Welles (whose "Citizen Kane" ranks as an undisputed landmark in film history) has been shunted.
The influence of the Academy on the level of films produced should not be overlooked, and this year's choices were still above average. But the back-patting hoopla and haphazard selection of the awards could certainly bear a critical self-appraisal by the movie industry. Jerry Kudson
POGO
by Dick Bibler
Little Man on Campus
'He says he finished th' course work for the M.A. 40 years ago —but he had a little trouble getting his thesis accepted.'
Book Review
Phillips' 2nd Happiest Day' Delineates Rich of Our Time
The Second Happiest Day, Phillips, John, N.Y.: Harper and Brothers, 409 pages.
Mr. Phillips' bleak first novel is about the rich of our time, especially two such persons. One, George Warwick March III, was born into the magic circle; the other, Gus Taylor, reaches it through the efforts of his uncle and himself. ___
George was brought into the world following a pink champagne party. He was properly reared by continental tutors, polished in Swiss schools, and directed at Emmanuel Academy in East Northrup, Mass. He entered Harvard in 1941 where he was an undistinguished student but an all-round good fellow and a popular drinker rushed by the clubs.
With fellow students he left Harvard to enter the Army, and, as was proper, was discharged as a captain. D u r i g n g the post-war dilemma George re-entered and re-left Harvard, dabbled in Wall street, drink, oil, farming, and perspectives in Oslo, Dublin, and Capri.
Throughout the years he lived by the rules—which, to George, represented a specific and much-needed way of life.
Gus Taylor, who tells the story, is in the fifty-thousand-a-year world, but not a member of it. His intellect, ambition, and pride sees with the sensitivity of an outsider who misses nothing on the inside.
Gus watches the creeping, quiet friction which slowly grinds George down—a mother whose hobby is husbands; his father who died, everyone tells him, from an accidental fall from a hotel window; his sweetheart Lila, whose hard-headed charm tortures him; the competition of the Harvard snobbery clubs; the smokers, parties, dinners, dances, and early morning vomit-stained dinner jackets.
In the end George loses his friend and fiancee. He cannot denounce the rules, although broken by them.
Mail subscription rates; $3 a semester or a year, add $1 a semester (if in Lawrence) to the rate for every afternoon during the University year except Saturdays and Sundays. University holidays and examination days are on Friday, June 17, 2010; at Lawrence, Kan., Post Office Under act
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Cus Taylor's stronger personality, on the other hand, helps him find his own way.
This first novel is a strong piece of writing. Mr. Phillips has brought together two central characters, interwoven with lesser, but equally strong personalities. There is no personal moral to be found in The Second Happiest Day, except that one must know and believe in himself.
Letters
ASC Abolitionists 'Surpass Reason'
To the Editor of the Daily Kansan
To the Editor of the Daily Kansan:
It seems that the "small select group" that was so bent upon replacing student government with university government has suffered defeat.
Their reasoning is indicative of their actions. Some outlawed organizations have publicized themselves here at KU for several years but these abolitionists have surpassed any actions that I have seen.
Posters were placed, under cover of darkness (are they ashed?) on the campus where no posters are allowed. Upon reading a poster one thinks that a number of left-wingers in the campus and were attempting to place control of student affairs in the hands of the University.
Many cars were pasted upon with unwanted banners. This also was done under cover of darkness. It seemed as if it were Homecoming again, until one realized the trite banners publicized a method of relieving the students of their voice in government.
I feel that the chancellor wants to give the students as much power as they can assume. As our student, government grows better it will assume more power, serving the students and the University to a fuller extent. I feel that the reorganization of the ASC that passed by a landslide yesterday is a big step in this direction.
Louis Breyfogle engineering junior
One Man's Opinion
By BILL DICKENSON
We heard the familiar question yesterday: "Why have students lost interest in the University theater?"
In one sense, the question was misleading. At least two recent productions have found solid support from the student body," Lily, the Felon's Daughter," an old-time melodrama, set new records in the 154-seat little theater of Green hall. Four loud, spectacular performances played to 680 persons, each of whom paid 50c to boo the villain. The closing show was choked with about 50 standees.
And Franz Lehar's popular operetta, "The Merry Widow," cavorted before a record 3,060 spectators in five performances in Fraser theater. These are the successes.
But there have been attendance failures, also. The second University Theatre production, "The Dark Lady of the Sonnets" and "A Phoenix Too Frequent," was scantly welcomed. Only 1,182 persons attended, leaving 1,500 empty seats during the four-performance run.
The first production in Fraser, "The Morning Star," met with a slight token of student support, and the most recent show, "An Inspector Calls," opened to a one-third capacity audience composed largely of faculty and townspeople.
It would seem obvious that students are avoiding the serious theater. A wild melodrama and a light operetta have realized their potential, but philosophical theater has gone begging.
The trend would seem to be continuing. Two days before the opening of the KU roadshow, "The Contrast," only 125 tickets had been sold for the first night.
University Theatre director John Newfield has taken an uncompromising stand with art. He believes that "the meaning of educational theater is endangered" when the student body supports only one aspect.
Television, radio, the movies—the light media—are making giant inroads on the character of the American theater. The intellectual content of the serious play seems to have become offensive to those who have been subject to the influences of frivolous, mass-audience media.
"The student," he declared, "must develop the kind of taste that appreciates variety and fosters thoughtful attitude. They must go along with us when we experiment."
"The Morning Star," an original play by Henry C. Haskell, was such an experimental venture. One half of the seats were filled during the run.
Has the student body become intellectually apathetic toward real art? Statistics would seem to say, "Yes". But the reply is a shame-faced whisper.
Gymnastic Team Deserves Funds
To the Editor of the Daily Kansam;
It seems to me that a group of boys who have been doing a great deal for the students and for the school have been sadly overlooked—a group that has been providing a lot of fine entertainment for students and guests of the University at a great expense of time and effort. It is time for us to acknowledge the boys on the gymnastic team and show our appreciation to them.
Just how we can show our thanks to these boys is another problem. Some of these boys have competed at distant places in the name of the University at their own expense. This coming weekend they are planning to go to Ft. Worth to compete in a gymnastic meet individually representing KU—at their own expense.
Since there seem to be ample funds for all other organizations to travel around—the band, athletic teams, theater productions-I think that here is an excellent opportunity to show our appreciation by the University or athletic department somehow financing this trip to Texas for this fine group of Kansas men.
Charles Bether graduate student