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Wednesdav. December 11, 1974
University Daily Kansan
1974 movies artistic, financial successes
By KENN LOUDEN Entertainment Editor
1974 was a successful year for the movie industry, both artistically and commercially. The number of movies produced increase by about 20 per cent, but, according to Variety, attendance at movie theaters increased 23 per cent over last year's total, and there is still one month left.
The main trend was a return to big-budget epics, especially those that deal with disaster. Included were "Airport 75", Earthquake Gold,"Fold", the "Three Two Three" and what is probably the best, Richard Lester's "Juzgenaut."
It was a comeback for many established directors. Toward the front was Lester, who also directed a great comic movie about a sturdy star-headed featured a star-studded head cast by he
Lucien, "Ingmar Bergman's 'Scenes from a Marriage'—made originally for television, Lina Wertmuller's "The Seduction of Mimi" and "Love and Anarch," Bertrand Biler's "Going Places" and Claude Lelouch's "La Bonne Anne."
The best of the foreign films unquestionably was Federico Fellini's "Amacord"—a nostalgic film that shows his childhood as seen through the frantic, intense eyes. But it not only a good foreign film, but a good Fellini film, which is a great compliment.
The younger, independent American directors provided viewers with films that were both entertaining and artistic. The best of these were Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation," starring Gene Hackman as a character who seems to be the most consistently good filmmaker of the 1970s, "Thieves Like Us" and "California Split." The first is an excellent
On the other hand, there were several disappointments. Sam Peckinpain reached a new with "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia."1 New Boy Bogdanovich proved more gratified, girlfriend, Cylid Shepherd, than to Henry Miller in his production of "Daisy Miller."2
Andy Warhol's "Frankenstein" was a disguise. It did, however, firmly establish Warhol as America's greatest charlatan, who will put his name on anything he makes.
Charles Bronson, the original Neanderthal man, starred in a couple of right-biting bits of trash that were box-office hits but don't deserve to be named.
And then there was "The Trial of Billy Jack" for those who love to eat up left-wing food.
dramatic as well as comic talents.
Most disappointing of all was Jack Clayton's treatment of "The Great Gatsby." Actually, most of the blame falls on the promoters who billed the film . . .
Raquel Welch, who proved that she can be an adopted comedienne. Also notable in the film were Michael York and Faye Dunaway.
questionable science-fiction film starring Sean Conery; Camery, Reizel's interesting "The Gambler," with James Caan and Lauren Hutton; and Jann Troll's "Zandy's Bride," which was rotable for the fine successes by Gene Hackman and Liv Ullmann.
Although the year has been one of the best for new movies in a decade, it still has its flaws. "It's kind of funny," she said.
Blake Edward's "The Tamarin Seed," an old-fashioned, romantic adventure, reestablished Julie Andrews as a popular dramatic actress, and Martin Ritt directed Jon Voight in "Crankout," the best role of his career. Robert Aldrich made a respectable showing with "The Longest Yard," starring Burt Reynolds and Edible Albert.
The film is an excellent example of the detective genre, and it takes place in drought-striken Los Angeles during the 1930s. The film won accolades for Jack Nicholson, who is possibly America's best actor, and director-turned-actor John Huston.
But the greatest comeback of them all was that of Roman Polski, whose film "Chinatown" has been heralded by critics and is probably the film of the year—nears in many years.
It also established Faye Dunaway as the most popular and maybe the best young dramatic actress in America, and the only one who can capture the mysterious, romantic image of Greta Garbo, Joan Heywood and Marlene Dietrich in their heedvays.
On the lighter side, Stanley Donen returned to the musical in his direction of *That's Entertainment*, with Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. "That'S Entertainment" was essentially a selection of the greatest MGM musicals, including *Boy Gelman*; Gene Kelly and Fred Ainslie.
Foreign film-makers provided the cinema with some of the year's finest motion pictures. These included "The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir," Louis Malle's "Lacombe,
It was a bad year for nostalgia lovers, who had to settle for junk like "The Lords of Flatbush," "'Macon County Line" and "Our Time."
Peter Bogdanovich is directing "Cole" based on the life and music of Cole Porter and Ken Russell is directing the famous rock-opera "Tommy," starring Ann Margaret, Oliver Reed, Elton John and Tina Fey. Pashe has just completed directing "Lenny," based on the life and based on the life of the anti-establish comedian Lenny Bruce.
The most severe setback occurred in the musical genre, as Lucille Ball proved that she could neither sing, dance nor act in "Mame."
Newman, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astraite,
Rey Millan, Ray Millan and Richard Chamberlain.
The University Information Center gets about 2,300 calls a week, and the calls cover everything from the symptoms of venereal disease to how to spell it.
make a good film. The quality of the films didn't match the quality of the publicity. You don't have to be conscious side of middle-class Americans by telling them they would be seeing classics. The sums of the offerings, such as "Lost in the Stars" and "Rinoceros," were cheap.
"For many students, we play the role of be brother or sister with good friendly advice."
The American Film Theatre (AFT) proved that a good play doesn't always
Most of the calls concern the University, Kathy Hoggard, director of the information center, said recently. Library and gymnasium hours, times of lectures and questions regarding processes such as calling a patient or calls coping KU matters, she said.
Students turn to the information center for information they can know but don't know, where they can be.
Most disappointing of all was Jack Clayton's treatment of "The Great Gatsby." Actually most of the blame falls on the promoters who billed the film as the greatest movie of all time. The movie was too long, and sometimes boring, but it made them more successful. Dial Farrow, Bruce Deacon, Sam Waterston and Lois Chiles. As Gatsby, Robert Redford proved that he is a personality rather than an actor.
Sidney Poitier directed "Uptown Saturday Night," which was mainly a showcase for the talents of Bill Cosby, Roscoe Lee Browne, Flip Wilson, Paula Kelly, Richard Pryor and Harry Belafonte, but was still very entertaining.
huckles dominated the comedy genre and "Claudine," a sentimental comedy about bringing up a family on welfare in the late 1960s, was an example of Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones.
The crime and violence genre was mainly disappointing, with such lackluster offerings as "Crazy Joe," "The Super Cops," "Busting" and "The Midnight Man." Two fine exceptions were "The Black Wind-Up" and "The Monster." The featured Michael Caine, and Alan Paluka's exciting "The Parallax View," starring Warren Beatty.
Center called for information
The center also refers people to sources better qualified to answer questions. Legal inquiries are referred to the Legal Aid Department, and related calls are referred to Headquarters.
Personal assistance calls are an important part of the information service, communication and attention. Assistance and referrals are given for problem pregnancies, drug problems and mental health problems. A telephone call to a therapist is lonely and want someone to talk to, she said.
ABOUT ONE-FOURTH of the inquiries to the information center regard general information, such as events in the Lawrence community, addresses, directions, movie listings, weather, spelling, where to find information, zip codes and formulas.
"Harry and Tonto," by Paul Mazursky, provided an insight into the life of elderly people, a subject that too often been overlooked. Art Carney gave his greatest performance as Harry, an old man who continually lives and learns.
One person at a time usually handles the calls at the information center. During heavy calling periods, however, there are more people working the Malls, Mills said.
The center must collect most of its own information, said Jack Mills, a worker at the center. Security and Parking is very good about keeping the center posted.
RUMOR CONTROL, the original function of the center when it was started in spring is to give a call to a rumor. The most common rumor calls now pertain to drug rumors. The center tries to pin down the source of the rumor and give callers an answer, which calls they have received about a given rumor.
movie about the 1930s, but it was unsuccessful at the box-office. The latter combined the talents of Elliott Gould and the adventures proved and to be financially successful.
Other notable films by young directors included "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz," by Ted Kotchke, which provides a realistic look at the Jewish community, and "Snow White," by Spielberg's "Sugarland Express," which gave Goldie Hawn a chance to show her
People call from dull parties because they're bored or from good parties "to shoot the breeze," Mills said. One of his fanfiction novels told how, when the electricity had gone out, he said.
"Outside of the blacks' comedies and "The Three Musketeers," the only notable comedy was Mel Brooks's "Blazing Sadies," which had something to offend everybody and was described as everything musketeer. And the comedies included the ridiculous "The Groove Tub" and Barbaria Streisand's attempt at slackson in "for 'pete Sake.'"
THE PEAK TIME of the day for calls at
the center is between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Mills, Mills
Weekend calls have a distinct character, Mills said. Mills works the Saturday night shift. Anyone who calls after 11 p.m. on Saturday probably wants to talk, be said.
"This guy who was drunk called from a party saying that they were playing strip poker and the lights had gone out," Mills said.
The same person called Mills back later to tell him that the power was back on and he had gone to work.
The most severe setback occurred in the musical genre, as Lucille Ball proved that she could neither sing, dance nor act in "Mame."
Sidney Lumet has just completed "Murder on the Orient Express" based on the novel by Agathea Christie with a cast of actors including Ginnifer Grove, Michael York, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins and Jacqueline Bissett, and Milos Forman is at work on "One Flew over the River," with Jack Nicholson in the leading role.
Some other films that deserve mention include John Boorman's "Zarodoz," a film
Finally, "The Godfather Part 2" directed by Coppola and starring Al Pacino and Diane Keaton, will be released soon, as will the sequel to "The Three Musketeers," in which he demonstrates how to kill off Faye Dunaway and Raquel Welch and still have a comedy.
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"The Towering Inferno" may be the disaster epic to guide Steve McQueen, Pia
be worth seeing include Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Passenger," with Jack Nicholson; Ingar Bergman's first musical, "The Merry Widow" with Barbara Streisand "Funny Lady," a sequel to Giraffa, Gil Streisand and Caan, and Billy Wilder's "The Front Page," which will feature Walter Matthias, Jack Lemmon and Carol Burnett.
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