Student's film has story to tell
Photo by Halina Pawl
'Keep talking,' says Richard Geary Photo by Halina Pawl
Richard Geary, Wichita graduate student, does some in-camera editing as he films an episode in his movie, "Your Country Calls," the story of a young man who is trying to avoid induction. The film, written and edited by Geary, will be shown at the Pawnshop Wednesday and Thursday nights.
By TERRY KOCH
Kansan Staff Writer
Richard Geary, Wichita graduate student, is a film-lover with a story to tell.
That story is the basis of his film, "Your Country Calls," to be shown at the Pawnshop, a coffee house at 15 East 8th St., Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Geary describes the film as "autobiographical; it's the story of one young man's attempt to avoid the draft. At the end nothing is certain," he said.
He wrote the film script in the summer of 1968, he said, and in the fall he decided to produce it.
"I was taking a special problems course in broadcasting, and began the film to fulfill a requirement for that course," he said.
"We've worked on it every Sunday since September 28, 1968," he said, "and we just finished it two weeks ago."
The "we" Geary speaks of are numerous student and faculty members who cooperated by acting in the film and helping to produce it.
"The film's total cost was about $810, most of which was supplied by my father," he said.
The radio-television-film department of the KU School of Journalism supplied the cameras
and equipment, he said, and Peter Dart, associate professor of speech and drama, acted in it and assisted with the production.
Halina Pawl, Topeka junior and University Daily Kansan photographer, operated the boom, shot the stills and played a bit part, he said.
"I was his right hand, I guess," said Miss Pawl.
"My bit part is a minute-and-a-half soliloquy about soy sauce," she said.
"The solloquey," said Geary, "is based on a story I heard about a guy who went to his induction physical after drinking a bottle of soy sauce. It supposedly sent his blood pressure way up."
The main characters are KU students, he said. Mark Tauber, Winnetka, Ill., sophomore, plays the young man facing the draft, and Janet Pugh, Salina junior, plays his girl.
The soundtrack, he said, was composed and played on the piano, by Philip Bayles, Houston, Tex., senior.
"His music saves the movie in a few places," Geary said.
He recalled some of the problems inevitable when making a film. "At one point," he said, "we went into McCollum Hall to do some filming. They were about to throw us out until we told them
we were making a documentary about student life.
"One tiny scene required a shot of a bus pulling out of a station. We set up all of our equipment at the exit, only to watch the bus pull out the back way," Geary said.
About the technique of the film, Geary said. "It's a little episodic. It involves a series of separate confrontations, but they follow chronologically and they all connect."
Most of the editing, he said was done "on the set, in the camera, largely for financial reasons."
Geary told why he chose KU over a west coast university to study filmmaking.
He said there was no similarity between his film and "Greetings," described on marquees as "an overground sex-protest."
"Out there," he said, "eight people direct a film simultaneously, to prepare film students for commercial work. An idea has to be voted on by all eight before it's accepted. The editing room must be utter chaos."
"My film isn't funny, and not so audacious," he said.
"Also," he said, "there's no sex or nudity in it."
Young selected to head J-school for coming year
Lee F. Young, assistant professor of journalism, has been appointed as acting Dean of the School of Journalism for the coming year on unanimous recommendation of the William Allen White School of Journalism's Central Committee and Warren K. Agee, outgoing dean of the School of Journalism. He is to carry on the school's activities on more than a caretaker basis, Agee said.
Young said his intentions are to direct the School through the same channels of progress instigated by Agee and to keep a high caliber of instruction within the School.
Young is known for his direction of the Midwestern Journalism Camp and will have to turn over his directorship to Calder Pickett, professor of journalism, July 1.
Young graduated with an A.B. in American Studies from Syracuse University in 1950 and obtained his masters degree in journalism from KU in 1967. While attending Syracuse, he edited the school yearbook for two years.
Before beginning his teaching career in 1960, Young had had fifteen years' professional experience with publishing firms and advertising agencies. He was production manager for a publishing house, an engraving company and an advertising agency, besides being general manager for a veterinary medicine publishing company in Bonner Springs.
Young was named "Hillteacher" by the KU Jayhawker in 1967 as one of the outstanding teachers on campus.
May 12 1969 KANSAN 15
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