Great Acting, Deeply Moving Plot Make
`Shop on Main Street' Noteworthy Movie

Studio Theater, Livernois and
Davison, is - certain, for months
to come, to attract long lines of
film-lovers awaiting the oppor-
tunity to see one of the very great
films of many years.
"The Shop on Main Street"
opens at the Studio on Wednesday.
It already has the acclaim of
critics in this country, in England,
in Czechoslovakia, where it was
produced. It deservedly claims
'.cognition as the best foreign
an of the year. The reasons? Ex-
kellent acting, a well - motivated
plot, portrayal of a people's sub-
jection and its submission to
Nazism, a form of resistance and
a woman's unyielding piety.
It is a very grim movie. It
is Czech, with English subtitles
to which the viewer becomes ac-
customed very speedily, and it
is marked by many Yiddish
comments which stud the film.
They are the comments of the
great Polish-Jewish actress Ida
Kaminska who also hums Yid-
dish ditties and who, 'unaware
of the dangers that lurk for her,
retains a dignity of Jewish
womanhood that makes her role
one of the very great portrayals
of all time.
Sharing honors for great acting
in "The Shop on Main Street" is
Josef Kroner. It is no wonder that
between the two — Kaminska and
Kroner—there was so much power
to gain for this film the best act-
ing awards of the 1965 Film Fes-
tival, and the right to official
entry for the Czech film in the
U.S. Academy Awards.
The story itself is deeply mov-
ing. In a Slovakian setting during
the last war, the story commences
with the assignment of Tono
Brtko (Josef Kroner), as Aryan
controller of a Jewish shop. When
Tono arrives at the shop to attain
his goal of acquiring wealth and
providing the • luxuries his wife
craves for, he finds that the owner,
Rosalie Lautmann ova (Ida Ka-
minska) is deaf, that she is un-
aware of what is transpiring around
her under Nazi rule. A friend who
had just come to the store, shown
the official assignment to Tono, in
his sense of outrage, suggests to
Mme. Lautmannova that Tono was
sent to be her assistant.
It develops that the Jewish
community, knowing of Rosalie
Lautmannova's plight, had been
giving her financial aid, had
supplied her with Sabbath neces-
sities and enabled her to ob-
serve the day of rest in piety.
Tono, too, learning quickly that
the merchandise in the store
assigned to him by the Nazi
invaders is mythical, that the
boxes which supposedly are
marked as containing buttons
and other objects are really
empty, fits into his role. Soon
he is paid off by the Jewish
community and he is able to
make some provisions for his
wife.
But there is a guilt within him,
,nd when his wife keeps nagging
/ him to look for Lautmonnova's
fortunes—there is the assumption
that a Jew hides wealth!—he be-
comes enraged and beats her
mercilessly.
Then comes the day of reckon-
N
ing. The order is 'given that all
Jews must get ready for deporta-
tion, taking with them each a
maximum of 30 kilos of their be-
longings, gathering to be herded
into trucks for undesignated con-
centration camps. This is when
Tono is confronted with the prob-
lem of Rosalie Lautmannova's
fate. Fortified with a bottle of
whiskey, he is determined to pro-
tect her at the risk of his own
life. But towards the end, believ-
ing she would not be detained

(4,

I

e0::666

"

because of the state of her health,
her age and her deafness, and
fearing that he himself might be
accused of failure to live up to
Nazi orders, he begins to com-
mand the woman to get into the
awaiting lines.
It is when he opens the store
on that Sabbath day that Rosalie
first rebels and accuses her
"helper" of drunkenness. Then
she peeps out of the window and
when she sees the entire com-
munity lined up to be herded into
trucks, the rabbi among them, she
realizes that trouble is brewing
and she exclaims: "Pogrom!"
When Tono insists on taking
her out she rushes to the rear
and he finds her dead. He there-
upon locates a rope, locks the door
and soon there is an overturned
stool, pointing to his having atoned
by his own death for his readiness
to be a partner to a crime. It

Hospital Appoints Research Director

Dr. Howard V. Rickenberger, Dr. Rickenberg went to England
44, noted molecular biologist and as a boy to attend secondary
professor- of bacteriology at In- school. He served in the Australian
diana University, has been named Army from 1942-1946. He received
research director of the National his BS in 1950 at Cornell and his
Jewish Hospital at Denver, effec- PhD in microbiology from Yale.
tive July 1.
In 1955-56, he was a fellow of
He succeeds Dr. Gardner Middle- the National Institute of Medical
brook, who resigned to join the Research in London, then became
University of Maryland medical an instructor in microbiology at
the University of Washington. He
school staff.
was an assistant professor of
Dr. Rickenberg's main interest microbiology when he left the
is the study of gene-enzyme rela- University of Washington in 1960
tionships — a factor which plays to become an associate professor
a major role in understanding of bacteriology at Indiana Uni•
basic life processes. versity. In 1963, he became pro-
Born in Nuremberg, Germany, fessor of bacteriology at Indiana.

was an indication of a moved con-
science.
The film ends with a dance
and music—the- band is angelic,
a couple, as angels — Tono and
Rosalie — are dancing, presum-
ably heavenward, because of
their joint effort to resist the
Nazi terror. Perhaps this was
the great expression of resist.
ance, since in the community
portrayed there was so little
of it!
Yet the film did indicate the
breaking of an amity between
Jews and non-Jews. One of the
characters is the barber, Katz
(Martin Gregor). For 47 years he
had shaved the faces of the men
who now were in the crowd col-
laborating with Nazism.
Rosalie's piety, her insistence on
By PHILIPPE DEVILLERS
closing her shop on Shabbat, con-
stantly insisting that the Shabbos
French scholar and writer; a
must be respected, is one of the
leading authority on Vietnam. That
very moving elements in the
was referred to during the
movie, just as Ida Kaminska's por-
Fulbright hearings.
Shazar, King of Nepal
trayal of the great lady in the
story is such a remarkably notable
Break Bread; India
MARCH 28 — 8 P.M.
highlight in an outstanding film.
ST. JAMES METHODIST CHURCH
With
great
acting
and
a
deeply
Ignores His Visit
15888 ARCH-DALE, DETROIT
moving story, "The Shop on Main
NEW DELHI (JTA)—Israel and Street" is without challenge, one
On Puritan 2 Blocks East of Southfield Freeway
Nepal have a happy relationship of the very great plays of our
ADMISSION CHARGE $2.00
which "most nations would envy," time.
—P. S.
P-resident Shazar of Israel said
at a banquet to the King and
Queen of Nepal last weekend on a
state visit there.
The ambassador of India, which
has recognized Israel but never
exchanged ambassadors, was not
present at the banquet.
Previously, the Israeli president
had called on the king and queen
at the royal palace, and discussed
matters of mutual interest. A re-
port on the banquet was broadcast
on the India radio network.
Official Nepal sources ex-
- . _ _-._ , : ' ,. ‘z., .
I . ,...._
pressed surprise Sunday at a re-
port that the Pakistani ambas-
--- -..
sador in Cairo had conveyed to
---
- ----;- 1 IV, \
._.: .• ._7,-_ - =-77
...z■i ' k . 1
,
Nepal the "indignation" of Paki-
-7
tV ' \ -../ ,
stan and Communist China for
'‘"
.,13j,..,*,
sending army personnel to Israel
i ' ■ •/,;.'7
for paratroop training.
,-,_ :..- ‘.‘ :
• , • '
Nepali Foreign Office sources
said they had no knowledge of any
Without continuing
protest of "indignation" having
- . '. :. .". .-, . . -- -: . - -, - - • - _ . - -:: : • ....
and increasing visible
been conveyed to them by the two
countries, with which Nepal "also
protest, responsible
maintains friendly relations."
Return plans for President Sha-
criticism and dissent
zar's flight from Nepal were
changed, so that the president and
within Congress will
his entourage would not have to
end.
spend a full day in India, only one
hour. During that hour, he did not
leave his plane.
Israeli officials were angered by
We encourage all
the fact that the India Foreign
groups and individuals
Ministry failed to send a repre-
sentative to the airport, as is the
who oppose this war
customary practice for a visiting
head of state, when the presi-
to take part in the
dential plane landed in New Delhi.
Instead of being invited to make
many activities that
himself comfortable in the air-
are
being planned for
port's lounge for VIPs, President
Shazar had been totally ignored
these International
by the Indian officials when he
was on the way to Katmandu.
Days of Protest.
On the other hand, Nepal's king
and queen and other members of
the royal family accorded a warm
welcome to President and Mrs.
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M. COMMUNITY ARTS AUDITORIUM CASS AT KIRBY
Shazar at the Gauchar Airport,
Forum on War in Vietnam. Panel with our Congressman John Conyers
Katmandu.
Sponsored by Wayne State University Young Democrats
In his welcome, King Mahendra
said Nepal had always had feel-
SATURDAY, 4 P.M. MARCH FROM CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH
ings of friendship and good will for
at Adams and Woodward down to Campus Martius, with giant puppets and
Israel and its people. President
death drums
Shazar replied that Israel was at
one with Nepal in Nepal's desire
to see the whole world firmly
SATURDAY, 6 P.M.
based on the principles of peace
DEMONSTRATE
AT
COBO HALL FOR PEACE IN VIETNAM
and international friendship.
Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner of Michigan Democratic Party
Diplomats of Communist China
and Pakistan were not present, but
SATURDAY, 8 P.M. IN COBO HALL, ROOM 2040
India was represented by a charge
Tom Hayden reports on his visit to Hanoi.
d'affaires.

A LOOK AT VIETNAM

INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF PROTEST
AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM

March 25-26

■

DEMONSTRATIONS
IN 100 CITIES
IN U.S. PLUS 50
OTHER COUNTRIES

REFREGIER

Dedicate Temple Complex

LONG BEACH, Calif. (JTA)—
Dedication ceremonies were held
here last week for a new $250,000
educational center and sanctuary
building complex recently com-
pleted by Temple Sinai here.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 25, 1966-39

COME JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS

Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Axelrod
Professor and Mrs. Robert Broner
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Axelrod
Professor and Mrs. Arthur Field
Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Freedman
Professor Herbert Haber
Dr. and Mrs. M. M. Honeyman

Dr. and Mrs. Paul Lowinger
Professor and Mrs. Arthur Lipow
Dr. and Mrs. Frank Reisman
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Robinson
Professor Jonathan Schwartz
Mr. Ruthven Simons
Professor and Mrs. Paul Sporn
and Friends