I
PAGE' TW0
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
TUESDAY, D'IARCH 14, 1967
PAGE TWO THE MICHIGAN DAiLY TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1967
ON SALE TODAY:
The Twaddler Hints of Professionalism
Fifth Ann Arbor Festival Films
Muddle New Cinema Methods
By ELIZABETH WISSMAN
In the first issue of The Twad-
dler, published last November,
there was a short essay on the
"fatal question" of justifying the
existence of a new campus maga-.
zine. One might here intone that
"beauty is its own excuse" etc., but
that would put The Twaddler un-
der the obligation to be beautiful.
In a more generous mood, one
can allowthe Twaddler as an ex-
periment, an effort to provide the
campus with a relevant humor-
literature magazine rather than
"in-group" style publication.
Avoid Professionalism
The Twaddler has certainly
managed to avoid the "profes-
sionalism" which its editors com-
plained of in Generation. But
there is pseudo-professionalism in
abundance.
The cover editorial suffers from
abstract nouns as earth, soul, and
nothing is an open imitation of
mysticism, or a sort of poor man's
profundity.
1choes of Joyce
While Steve Unger's fold-in in-
vokes a "visceral forced communi-
cation," it contains strange echoes
of James Joyce.
The two fictional pieces, "Fable"
and "No Lock but Time" are ir-
regular in the tone and language
they employ. "Fable" seems to
cling to Biblical diction at times,
and it, too, is filled with tricky
attractions.
But the attempt to pierce these
abstractions, to give them an ar-
tistic meaning, is genuine if not
entirely succespful.
"No Lock but Time," on the
other hand, -seems too hurriedly
written, and sinks into a cheap
O'Henry ending, destroying the
tension it has built.
quote from the Saturday Evening
Post.
The references to "Flaming
Creatures" and Lt. Staudenmeier
which .jam the magazine remind
one that there's no joke like an
old joke. Or, maybe, that an old
joke is no joke at all.
There are some genuinely clever
doings in the Twaddler Review.
The New York Daily News' system
of rating quality with one to five
stars is satirized, and an issue of
Cliff's Notes is reviewed. Portions
of the "Map of Muddle Earth" are
also clever.
Basically, The Twaddler is bur-
dened by an intense self-con-
sciousness. It moves between the
pompous and the pop, never quite
finding the golden mean.
And it is this "Middle Earth"
which must be found, if it wishes
to achieve something better than
the vacuum of Gargoyle-Genera-
tion.
Shirley Verrett Captures
Concert Audience at Hill
asevere over-exposure to the tor"_-
ment- of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's Lacks Freshness
Modern Americana, and the jum- The Twaddler's goal of fresh-
bled mystery-speech of Bob Dylan. ness and "probing significance" is
A large number of the poems hardly achieved with yet another
drop in a glib "godhead" when- Tolkien review. But there it is-
ever the image wears thin. The an essay which summarizes all
constant use of such collective or that has gone before, including a
DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN
The Daily Offilcal Bulletin is an
official publication of the Univer-
city of Michigan for. which The
Michigan Daily assumes no editor-
ial responsibility. Notices should be
*sent in TYPE WRITTEN form to
Room 3564 Administration Bldg. be-
fore 2 p.m. of the day preceding
publication and by 2 p.m. Friday,
for Saturday and Sunday. General
ORGANIZATION
NOTICES
USE OF THIS COLUMN FOR AN-
NOUNCEMENTS is available to officially
recognized and registered student orga-
nizations. only. Forms are available in
Room 1011 SAB.
Russky Kruzhok,. Tea and Russian
conversation, Tues., March 14, 3-5 p.m.,
305. Frieze.
Scottish Country Folk Dance Club,
Dancing, Wed., March 15, 8-10 p.m.,
Women's Athletic Bldg. Step instruc-
tion and practice-8-8:30 p.m. only.
Joint Judiciary Council, Meeting,
Wed., March 15, 6:30 p.m., 3540 SAB.
Deutscher verein, Kaffeestunde, Wed.,
March 15, 3-5 p.m., 3050 Frieze Bldg.
* * *
Hillel Foundation, Kosher Dining Club
-429 Hill. Sabbath meals: Friday at 6
p.m., Saturday at noon. Call 663-4129
for reservations.
Campus
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
8:30 p.m.-THE BEST YEARS
OF OUR LIVES. William Wyler's
1946 Academy Award winner about
three World War II veterans at-
tempting to pick up the pieces of
their civilian lives. Frederick
March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews,
Teresa Wright and Virginia Mayo
star.--2
10:30 p.m.-PUBLIC EYE. CBC
news 'analysis of "NATO in Tran-
sition" studies the state of the
European alliance. Gen. Lyman
Lemnitzer, NATO supreme com-
mander, and Harlen Cleveland,
U.S. permanent representative to
NATO, appear.--9.
Something To Swap?
Try Daily Clossifieds
Notices may be published a maxi-
mum of two times on request; Day,
Calendar items appear once 'only.
Student organization notices are not
accepted for publication. For more
information call 764-9270.
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
Day Calendar
Bureau of Industrial Relations Sem-
inar-Michigan Union, 8:30 a.m.
School of Music Wind Instrument
Department Recital - Recital Hall,
School of Music, 12:30 p.m.
Near Eastern Languages and Litera-
tures Poetry Recital-Nazeer ElI-Azma;
t recital of his poetry in Arabic and
English, with analysis and discussion:
Lane Hall Aud., 4 p.m.
English Reading: John Haines, oet,
will read from his~ work, Tues., March
14, Aud. A, Angell Hall, 4:10 p.m.
School of Business Administration
Dean's Forum-L. S. Bork, president,
The Economic Club of Detroit, 131
Business Administration, 8 p.m.
Dept. of Architecture Lecture-Gerald
Crane, principal, Crane & Gorwic As-
sociates and ajunct professor of plan-
ning, "The Practice of Urban Design":
Aud., Architecture and Design, 8 p.m.
University's Sesquicentennial Motion
Picture Premiere: "Knowledge, Wisdom,
and the Courage to Serve": Tues., March
14, Rackham Amphitheatre; for Univer-
sity faculty and staff, 8 and 9 p.m.
School of Music Degree Recital--Ben-
jamin McLain, piano: Recital Hall,
School of Music, 8:30 pm.
(Continued on Page 6)
Phone 434-0190
&'intwA*. On. CARPENTER ROAS
OPEN' 6:30 P.M. FIRST RUN
NOW SHOWING
aD ME Shown at 9 P.M. Only
BEDiM
STORY k1T
but
NOT -
or'
children color
Also-
By R. A. PERRY
Shirley Verrett is a hefty, beau-
tiful, rich brown Negress who has
a power to command an audience's
attention like a night torch on a
hillside. It is impossible to take
one's eyse from her while she lov-
ingly shapes and infuses her songs
with grace and feeling. Last night
at Hill Auditorium this newly ris-
en vocal star won the small audi-
ence with a program of. Spanish
French, German and American
songs.
Miss Verrett's mezzo-soprano has
no weak spots; she is full and firm
in all registers "and controlled at
every dynamic level. Because her
voice is not a pensive dark mezzo
such as Kathleen Ferrier's, she is
most suited for more dramatic and
less profoundly serious roles.
For this reason, the major work
on her program, Brahms' "Erneste
Gesange," was the least satisfy-
ing. A lack of a coherent concept
of the work, and a curious swal-
lowing of the phrases which ended
musical lines, resulted in an ep-
isodic and segmented rendering
of these somber pieces. Miss Ver-
rett was unable to make convinc-
ing the requireddepth of feeling,
such as is inherent in Ferrier's
performance. Likewise, her Mozart
"Hallelujah" from the "Exsultate
Jubilate" was too studied.
Barring these reservations, the
remainder of the concert was a
complete joy. Both the excerpt
from "Samson and Delila" and
Milhaud's "Chanson de Negresse"
received careful and beautifully
inflected readings. Three Spanish
songs were tossed off in a justly
incisive manner.
The formal program ended with
three Negro spirituals. Though her
singing here was as refined and
velvety as in the classical songs,
Miss Verrett was obviously not the
opera star gone slumming. Con-
trolled subtlty could not enervate
these deeply felt and moving per-
formances.
Realizing that she (and the au-
dience) had just warmed up, she
sang five encores, including a
splendid "Habanere" (happily
avoiding the swoopings in recent
versions by Callas and Price), three
folk songs, and, to drive home her
versatility, a song in Russian.
The accompanist, Charles Wads-
worth, was a bit stiff and un-
subtle at times, with far too many
physical gestures which distract-
ed attention from Miss Verrett,
but otherwise his playing was ac-
ceptable and supportive.
Forgetting the Brahms, the au-
dience gave Miss Verrett a stand-
ing ovation.
By ANDREW LUGG
EDITOR'S NOTE: Andrew
Lugg, a Daily reviewer, was a
Film Festival judge. The opin-
ions in this article are his and
do not represent those of other
judges.
The fifth Ann Arbor Film Festi-
val showed very clearly a new di-
rection for the experimental film.
The almost hysterical concern
with double and triple exposure,
painting and scratching and oth-
er techniques which give an ab
stract quality to the film have
been superceded in many cases by
more direct visual imagery.
Now it seems that filmmakers
are denying the notion of films
as "painting-in-motion" and are
investigating various new narra-
tive forms in which they can "say,
something."
Film Writing
Andrew Meyer's film "An Early
Clue to the New Direction" is a
good example of film-writing, or
"ecriture..
Superficially, it is a simple story
story of Joy Bang coming to John-
ny Prescott's house to find Rene
Richard. Each of thetactors plays
himself-Johnny Prescott, an old
man living in his wild, junk-filled
house in Boston; Joy, who really
does come to visit him, and Rene
as the nephew boy-friend of John-
ny Prescott.
This is how it is-a disarming
personal expression. Johnny Pres-
cott and Joy each have a pres-
ence, whfich is not acted-it just
"is." Warhol's influence on Meyer
is apparent. They both have a
way of filming which makes the
characters exist, not as universal
figures but as individuals.
The "Early Clue" is a new way
of looking at characterization. The
result is a narrative form differ-
ent from anything that I have seen
before and which may only be
found in Meyer, Godard and War-
hol.
In its conception "An Early
Clue" was a feature length film;
but due to Rene Richard backing
out, the film ended up only as
a clue.
But the conception is impor-
tant, since this new narrative form
demands a revolutionary approach
to the film medium. No longer
can the experimental film-maker
be thinking in terms of 10-min-
ute exercises in abstraction. "An
Early Clue" emphasizes Warhol's
aesthetic of the extended encount-
er with personalities.
Melange of Imagery
Bruce Baillie's film "Castro
Street" underlined this point. In
this he has created a beautiful
melange of imagery drawn from
scenes of the railroad. The tone
and the rhythm of the abstrac-
tions is so masterful, so final, that
it seems there is nowhere else for
the abstract expressionists to go.
Baillie's technical abilIty is of
the highest order and for this he
had to get second prize. Finally,
however, I have the feeling that
the Southern Pacific Railroad
should buy the film and use it as
an advertisement. "Beauty," but
so what?
The choice of "Winter '64, '66"
by David Brooks was unpopular
with the Saturday night audiences.
It had a very personal quality
about it, like a journal. He had
something very definite to say
about the textures of Winter, and
he visualized this with immense
control.
Combining sections of blank
screen with flashes of "winter"-
imagery which is not easy Brook's
film presented a form of poetry
which developed out of the film
itself and which was not imposed
on it. Unlike Baillie's film, the
author was clearly present, and
the film was truly "open-ended."
This is another form of "6criture."
Psychedelic
"Lapis" by James Whitney was
the best of the "psychedelic" films.
But, once again, it seems to be the
end for this particular genre.
Tom Berman submitted "The
Bridge." Berman's film combined
a murder with scenes from a pool
room, which was somewhat con-
trived. Despite excessively cliche
ridden cutting, Berman's technical
ability and his eye for composi-
tion showed a maturity, more typ-
ical of a well established director'
than of a student film-maker.
CINEMA I
presents
STEVE McQUEEN
JAMES GARNER
RICHARD
ATTENBOROUGH
' JAMES COLBURN
CHARLES BRONSON
DAVID McCALLUM
in
THE GR EAT
ESCAPE
CINEMASCOPE & COLOR
F R I DAY & SATURDAY
6:15 and 9:15 P.M.
SUNDAY at 7 P.M.
AUD. A, ANGELL HALL
.50c
I .D. Required
Ii
RESERVATIONS:
EMU THEATRE
HU 2-3453
MARCH 15-19
The University of Michigan
Gilbert & Sullivan Society
Presents
PA1TI1ENCE
March 22, 23, 24,25
Wed., Thurs. Performances..............$1.50
Fri., Sat. Performances ................ $2.50
C Sat. Matinee ..........................$1.50
Tickets on sale 9:00 to 5:00 March 15-17, Fishbowl
p __: ______________
STARTS F R IDAY
THE TRIUMPHANT FINALE
OF THE
1966 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL
"A TRIUMPH, AN OUTSTANDING FILM OF OUR TIME. CERTAINLY
THE OUTSTANDING OFFERING AT THE FESTIVAL."
-Judith Crist, World-Journal Tribune
"BEAUTIFULLY MADE AND ACTED . . . strikingly realistic and
emotionally taut."--Bosley Crowther, N.Y. Times
"A WORK OF ART... a great statement for our times."
--Archer Winsten, N.Y. Post
A
4
ANTU ciiiuier
I CC rs
I
"YOU'D BETTER GO SEE IT
AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
Sylvie is superb."
--Crowther, N.Y. Times
"Played to perfection by Sylvie."
-New Yorker Magazine
te Watr., Read.Organization. Inc present.
BERTOLT BRECHT'S
Ith
old lady
COMING
FRIDAY
I
".IEXTRA MATINEE
NOVV PERFORMANCE!
Arthur Miller's
AFTER THE FALL
Sunday, March 19th, at 2:30 P.M.
TRUEBLOOD AUDITORIUM
e I
Tickets Now Available at University Players
4
TN FAD(AND nOW
shown at TO USE IT)
7:25 Only
Plus-"WATER COLOR HOLIDAY"
Color Cartoon
I
I
AWARDS: Shown outside the Festival at Cannes (approved as the
official French entry to the Cannes Festival last May, it was withdrawn
under pressure from the Franco regime). At the end of the Cannes
Festival, a group of Spanish film critics awarded LGEF its newly-inaugu-
rated Prix Luis Bunuel. It also received the International Film Critics'
Prize (Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographic) at
Cannes. The "French Oscars" of the French Academy (L'Academie du
Cinema) were awarded to Resnais for "the best filrm of the year"'and
to Yves Montand for "the best performance."
Shown at the non-competitive 4th New York Film Festival, 1966.
Directed by ALA IN RESNAI S
Starring YVES MONTAND # INGRID THULIN
and introducing GENEVIEVE BUJOLD
I
I
HOLDING FOR
A FOURTH WEEK!
_YXITY.nol,
ILI
(a- m
,M;Ikjllavrb
Program Information 6 NO 2-6264
I
w
?:.2nd BIG
WEEK!
MAIcuirAIN.
bro l TA-TE
AM.
y
aM Darin i
A Carlo Ponti Production
DIAL 8-6416
Produced by SOFRACIMA/PARIS-EUROPA FILM,
STOCKHOLM/A BRANDON FILMS RELEASE
"BEST
FILM
OF
19661"
National
Society
of Film Critics *
FRIDAY: 7-9-11
SATURDAY:
5-7-9-11
I
AFTER
THE FALL
THIS WEEK ONLY!
r ~ t
Pam NSW= - NMI sia. hiouma ~ Eva ini
t 4 .,CHARLES KASHER- .mei GUY HAMILTON us* EVAN JONES
TECHNICOLOROPANAVISION@." at 1:00-3:00-5:00-7:00-9:10
u STARTS SATURDAYg'
Peter O'Toole "THE NIGHT OF THE GENERALS"
:O4marrShorifr
Box Office
in Trueblood Auditorium
Open today 12:30-5 P.M.
Please Note:
"AFTER THE FALL"
replaces
"An Enemy of the People"
Note Theatre Change!
I
TODAY AT
7 &9 P.M.,
Regular Performances
Wednesday-Saturday
I
FOUR POSITIONS OPEN
; i'?}: :Fiiri!"i:}?:"i:<:fi rr.
!::": d 1:::'1. tFdlt :ti ^i'o^'! ~wi.'.'. YM : ; 1I .'} J:ti fA ;
For
"A GREAT
PICTURE!"
UM AMOtLUS
Vice President Radock's Student Advisory
I'll..loomEw IV b 1 -
'/7! ,~?YA~TU I ~dWkcarnnpln Anternini's
irk-a',:°'; " ' 'T 1
I
I