Molly Picon Gets Matchmaker Role
By HERBERT G. LUFT
(Copyright 1970, JTA. Inc.)
LONDON - Molly Picon, at 72,
has been signed by Norman Jewi-
son for the co-starring role of
Yente, the matchmaker, in the
Mirisch-Cartier production for
United Artists of
"Fiddler on the
Roof," now in
rehearsal at the
Pinewood S t u-
dios, Iver Heath,
and pre-record-
ing the score and
songs at Anvil
music stage, in
Denham.
The film ver- Miss Picon
sion of the international musical
hit, one of the most successful in
Broadway history since opening at
the Imperial Theatre on Sept. 22,
1964, and now on the stages of 17
countries, goes before the cam-
eras in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, in Au-
gust for four months of exterior
photography. The crew returns to
the British Rank-Pinewood Studios
in December for two months of
interiors, basically for the spec-
tacular dance sequences.
In the much-coveted part of
Yente, Molly Picon will be en-
joying her widest and most pres-
tigious audience exposure in the
six decades of her professional
career. The grand old lady of
the Yiddish stage, through the
cial interviews for the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency arranged by
this columnist at the Pinewood
Studios.
• • *
Josef Shaftel, the British movie
producer, returned from a visit
to Israel, where he met officials
of the government Film Center for
discussions on his upcoming pro-
duction of "Masada," to go be-
fore the cameras in the Holy Land
in January of 1971.
The screenplay by Anthony
Shaffer is based on the chronicle
of the Zealots who defied Rome
in the first century A.D. and who,
during the siege of Masada, chose
death instead of submission to a
barbaric empire.
Meetings with the heads of the
Israeli film department were held
in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The
Shaftel party also visited the site
of the rebellion at Masada, the
ancient fortress which still stands
on a mountain facing the Dead
Sea. Plans are to film the entire
production of "Masada" in Israel.
Robert Chartoff and Irwin Wink-
ler, the team responsible for three
highly controversial and most suc-
cessful moves made in the States
and in England - "They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?" "The Straw-
berry Statement" and "Leo the
Last," - are preparing for the
production of "California Genera-
tion," based on the first novel by
Jacqueline Briskin published ear-
lier this month by Lippincott. The
story concerns the hangups,
morals, fears and ideals of a group
of California High School gradu-
Virward 2 bile MS, 15 ML ates during the past decade. Pro-
BLOOMFIELD
duction is expected to get under
Gee. C. Scott as
way late this year for Columbia
"PATTOW' (GP)
release.
with Karl Maiden
• • •
MATINEE WEDNESDAY 2 p.m.
MON. thru THURS. EVES. 8 p.m. only
Arthur Garfunkel, seen as Cap-
FRI. EVES. 8:30 p.m. only
tain
Nately,
a
sensitive rich young
SAT. 2:00, 6:10, 10:00.
SUN. 12:30, 4:30, 3:30.
man of New England stock, in the
W. Warren at Miller Road motion picture version of Joseph
CAMELOT
5.1.5040
Direct from exclusive 1st run engage- Heller's antiwar novel "Catch-22,"
ment, continuous performances.
in reality is just the opposite from
"PAINT YOUR WAGON"
the character he depicts on the
WED. SAT. SUN. 12:20 2:50, 5:30, II:00, screen - namely, one-half of Si-
10.15, FRI. 6:00, 1:15, 10:30, Thurs. Mon.
mon and Garfunkel, perhaps the
Tues. 7:00, 9:30.
hottest team in popular music to-
Plymouth Rd.
day. They created the music used
MAI KAI
at Farmington Rd.
GA 7-0430 A KE 4-6400
in Mike Nichols' "The Graduate,"
Direct from exclusive 1st. run engage-
including the hit number, "Mrs.
ment, continuous performance.
Robinson." It is for director
"PAINT YOUR WAGON"
Nichols that Garfunkel now makes
WED. SAT. & SUN. 12:20, 2:50, 5:30, MOO,
10:15, FRI. 6:00, 8:15, 10:30. THUR. MON. his screen debut in an unlikely
TOES, 7:00, 9:30.
characterization.
• • •
MAIN, ROYAL OAVA' 1 814111110Mile
Moshe Mizrahi is the director of
The continuation of "HAWAII"
Charlton Heston in
the Israeli motion picture "The
"THE HAWAIIANS"
Strange Visitor," which German
Plus
actor Hans Christian Blech por-
"SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF" trays a former Gestapo officer
who smuggles himself into the
lar Ril jn eg r
REDFORD KE 7. 2560-Fr a e n
Negev after the war and marries
Held Over 2nd Big Week
the owner of a small Eilat inn.
Exclusive area 1st run Jack Lemmon,
Sandy Dennis
"The Strange Visitor" will be
shown at the forthcoming Berlin
"THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS"
Wk. Nights 7:30, 9:30. FRI. 6:15, 8:05, International Film Festival as a
10:00. SAT. 12:35, 2:30, 4:20, 6:15, 3:10,
contribution to crime-fighting by
10:05, Sun. 1:45, 3:35, 5:30, 7:25, 9:20.
the Israeli film maker. Your JTA
313 W. Fourth, R. 0.
correspondent, now temporarily in
ROYAL OAK
LI 1-2812
Charlie Brown and the 'Peanuts' Gang England, is flying to Berlin for
in
coverage of films from many
"A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN" lands next week.
Fri. 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00. Sat.
wide appeal of "Fiddler on the
Roof," is bound to reach more
people on the screen, tens of
millions of them, than she did
in all her years on Manhattan's
Second Avenue.
Making her debut as a child
actress in 1910, Molly Picon bow-
ed on Broadway in 1940 in "Morn-
ing Star." She subsequently scored
as a headliner at New York's
principal showcases for vaude-
ville, the Palace and the Capital.
Molly's big breakthrough as a
Broadway star came with the Is-
rael-based 1961 hit musical "Milk
and Honey," for which she re-
ceived a Tony Award nomination.
With Frank Sinatra (as her son)
she co-starred in the 1963 filmiza-
tion of the Neil Simon comedy,
"Come Blow Your Horn" at Para-
mount, to be followed by a se-
ries of television shows, both live
and recorded.
Miss Picon, whose energy and
youthful appearance belie her
years, comes to London now after
having concluded a widely-
acclaimed Broadway performance
in "Paris Is Out!" Prior to that
was her assignment in the recent
revival of "The Front Page," in
which she played the role vacated
by Helen Hayes.
Haim Topol, the Israeli actor
who stars as Tevye, and Norma
Crane, who will enact the role of
Golde, will be the subjects of spe-
MOVIE GUIDE
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Jane Fonda, Robert Redford
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FRI., SAT. 3:55 only. SUN. 3:30, 7:00,
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Sat. Children's Matinee
All Seats 75e Open 1:00
Starts 1:20 over 4:35
"King Kong vs. Godzilla" and "King
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American legend blazes the trail of comedy with bears,
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Gene Rosenbero, Associate Producer
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THE ZODIAC
THEATRE
12 Mile at
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358-0226
Radical Summer School
CHICAGO (JTA) - A Radical
Jewish Summer School is being
offered at the Hillel Foundation of
Northwestern University at Evan-
ston, Ill., by the Jewish Student
Movement at the University, start-
ing July 6 and continuing through
Aug. 26.
Students will participate in
seminars and discussion groups
on such topics as "The American
Jew: Where He's At and Why,"
"Jewish Political Activism" and
"Alternate Jewish Lifestyles."
Courses also will be offered in
conversational Hebrew and Yiddish
literature in translation. A spokes-
man said that the program was
developed to give "new insights
into Jewish identity and the future
of the American Jewish community
from a radically Jewish perspec-
tive." Classes will be held on
weekday evenings.
Distrust all men in whom the
impulse to punish is powerful.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, July 10, 1970-39
Gutmann-Edited Book Defines
Jewish Customs, Ceremonial
Art as 'Beauty in Holiness'
striving of the Jews at all times
Dr. Joseph Gutmann, professor
to fulfill their obligation to God
of art history at Wayne State
in the 'beauty of holiness.' "
University, adds a most valuable
collection of essays, including a
This can be. said to be in the
number of his own studies, to the main the spirit of the collected
library on art with special empha- works that combine to make the
sis on the Jewish historical con- Guttman-edited volume impressive
as an interpretation of the spiritual
values in Judaism. In his own ini-
tial essay on the aspects of the
Second Commandment and the in-
terpretation of the proscription on
"graven images," Dr. Guttman
takes the view that "a rigidly and
uniformly anti-iconic attitude on
the part of the- Jews remains as
much a myth as the Procrustean
bed on which Jewish art history
has so often been made to lie."
His development of this theme is
of unusual interest because it is so
often debated.
In another essay, Dr. Gutmann
questions the traditionality of some
of the established traditons, such
as the form of the Menora and the
display of the Eternal Light and
the Decalogue. The custom of head
covering is defined and its social
propriety and decorum are re-
viewed to indicate that there is no
established compulsion for it. Other
laws, practices and customs enter
into the outlines in the course of
PROF. JOSEPH GUTMANN
reviewing art and ceremonials, in
nections, with his "Beauty in the essays of the eminent authori-
Holiness-Studies in Jewish Cus- ties.
Rituals and creativity assume in-
toms and Ceremonial Art," pub-
teresting roles in the analyses in
lished by Ktay.
this valuable book. Dr. Gutmann
Noted authorities are represent- has added to the interest that is
ed in the numerous articles in- growing in art with his impressive
corporated in this work - Franz work. -P.S.
Landsberger, Mark Wischnitzer,
Jacob Z. Lauterbach, Sol Baruch
Finesinger, Solomon B. Freehof,
Alfred Werner, Samuel Krauss,
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
Moses Kremer.
(Copyright 1970, JTA, Inc-)
The author-editor is represent-
Why is It a custom to pour out
ed in four essays in the several
the
water
contained in the vessels
sections in his books titled Art-
Artisans, Torah Decorations, in the house in which a person
Sabbath, Hanuka, Wedding, Cus- died?
It is claimed by some (Kol Bo)
toms and Ceremonies. Dr. Gut-
mann's essays are on the sub- that this was a means in olden
jects "The Second Command- times of announcing to the neigh-
ment and the Image in Juda- borhood that a person had died in
ism," "King James Bible," such a home. It was considered
"Wedding Customs and Cere- undersirable to spread such bad
monies in Art" and "How Tra- news by word of mouth and so a
ditional Are Our Traditions?" symbol such as this was used in-
His introductory essay illumines stead.
The reason for choosing this par-
the subjects under consideration
and serves as a guide to the ticular kind of symbol is traced by
reading and study of the contents some to the contention of the rab-
of this work which is extensively bis that the well of water which
accompanied the Israelites in the
illustrated.
A human interest note in Prof. course of their wandering through
Gutmann's introduction shows that the wilderness, kept pace with
a German Catholic, Heinrich Frau- them because of the virtue of
berger, pioneered in the study of Moses' sister, Miriam. When she
Jewish ceremonial art. When an died, this water ceased to flow.
architect sought his advice about Some have contended that the life
a design for a grilled enclosure for of an individual is like a fresh
a Jewish grave, in 1895, Frau- vibrant source of water which
berger could not find resource ceases to flow when death occurs.
people to guide him and it led to There are some who contend that
his commencing to collect Jewish water which has been left exposed
ceremonial objects and the estab- in a vessel in the house where a
lishment, in 1897, in Frankfurt am person died, bears with it a sense
Main, of the first society to conduct of impurity brought about by death
and thus has to be spilled out.
studies in this field.
• • •
The title of Dr. Gutmann'i col-
Why is it forbidden to leave a
lected essays is defined in his in-
patient alone when one is aware
troduction in which he points out:
"The Jewish participation in this patient is dying?
Generally speaking, this comes
the arts, the ceremonial art and
the customs associated with them. under the heading of giving respect
testify to the rich and vibrant and honor to one's fellow man
diversity of Judaism. Not only along with showing concern for
did the forms and meanings of him. The more helpless one's fe:-
the objects and their ceremonies low man is, because of poverty or
change from country to country sickness, the more Jewish tradition
and from century to century, insists that his needs be taken care
but the customs and the objects of and that he be considered a re-
themselves differ widely. Rather sponsibility of others. Thus, a pa-
than diminishing Judaism, these tient who is about to die is ex-
customs and their expression in tremely helpless and deserves the
art reveal the dynamic flexibil- concern and care of his fellow
ity and adaptability of Judaism, humans constantly. Others write
which constantly introduced new that the soul of a person feels deso-
ceremonies and objects to meet late and alone at the time of death.
specific needs growing out of the The company of others at that par-
dominant cultural environment. ticular time is said to relieve the
Yet for all their diversity, the loneliness of his soul as it leaves
Weekly Quiz
customs and their art objects its life-long homestead-the human
testify to an essential unity-the body.