4 ARTS The Michigan Daily Sunday, February 13, 1983 Page6 Eubie Blake dies at 100 8mm festival returns 4 NEW YORK AP - Eubie Blake, the ragtime pianist and hit composer who opened Broadway to black songwriters, died Saturday, five days after he celebrated his 100th birthday. Blake composed such 1920s Broad- way hits as "I'm Just Wild About Harry" and "Memories of You" and made a hugely successful comeback when he was in his 80s. Blake died at his Brooklyn home shortly after noon, apparently of old age and complications from a bout of pneumonia he had in the last week, said his attorney, Elliot Hoffman. "Until the last moment of his life, he remained alert and appreciative of the affection and recognition he received from his friends and collegues," Hof- fman said. Ragtime and Blake were reborn together in the late 1960s, and from the start of his new career, the onetime Baltimore bordello pianist was a star of the concert stage, jazz festivals and television. A smash Broadway revue, Eubie, an evening of his music, was a hit of the 1979 season, spiced on several evenings by surprise appearances at the piano by the 96-year-old composer. "Sometimes I think the people are kidding me. I can't play that good," he told a 1973 interviewer after critics praised his performances at jazz festivals from Carnegie Hall to Norway and with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In his later years Blake was still ap- pearing, at $2,500 and up a performan- ce, and drawing a substantial income in royalties from his 315 com- position -rags, waltzes, and standar- ds like "I'm Just Wild About Harry,'" which Harry Truman used as his presidential campaign song in 1948. "I'll keep performing," Blake once said, "until one day while I'm on stage, the man upstairs says 9, 10-you're out." By Richard Campbell 8 MM FILMMAKING isn't just for vacation movies anymore. Tonight the Ann Arbor Film Co-op's 13th annual 8mm film Film Festival ends with screenings of festival highlights and winners. The film's are pretty much a grab bag of film techniques ranging in quality from incredibly dull to very en- tertaining. Often those movies with the best technique have silly plots, while, the films that contain interesting ideas look like they're made by grade- schoolers. Tim Artist, one of the three judges and a former director of the festival, says that "You can't use theatrical films as a basis (for judging)." With filmmakers dipping into their own pockets to make their films most of the entries are between four and 10 minutes in length-. and have only a small in- terest in plotlines and characters. Although the quality of the film's is generally high, certain technical problems have to be accepted such )as the occasional out-of-focus, dimly- lighted, or unsteady shot. Sound quality is also fairly shakey due to the limitations of the medium. "You've got to look past (such problems) to find the idea behind the film," says Artist. A third of Thursday's films involved some sort of stop-motion photography, where clay figures, sand, or pictures appear to move. A Nice Place to Visit But... by Bill Weber had extraordinary sets and special effects in a story set on a planet inhabited by small clay balls. Santa Claus Parade, by John Porter, was simply that-a city's Thanksgiving Day Parade compressed into four minutes of film. Dennis Duggan's Afternoon in the Sun concerned a young girl and her aunt, both victims of a car accident. Good acting and direction helped to overcome problems in the film's com- plex exposition and sountrack. November Ritual, by Lori Tooker, was a plea against hunting. Shot in black and white, a lone hunter shoots a deer, which, like David Letterman's "My Dog Bob" series, has only been suggested through camera movements. Though too stated and a little preten- tious, the film demonstrated the power that 8mm can have. Leonardo Crescenti and Carlos Porto submitted Sea Hearts, a very abstract and impressionistic film about a doomed relationship between a woman and a frustrated musician. Slow camera movement and good use of minimalist settings gave the film a very unique perspective on its love story. This is a Musical, by Demetrios Est- delacropolis, was certainly the strangest film in the festival. Presen- ted by "The Committee to Elect Ronald Reagan Lamb of God'' and "The Or- dinary People's Republic of China," it's the kind of film you'd expect to find if anyone ever gives C.E. Krell a camera. Shots of grandmothers singing songs in different languages, a certain fetish for bananas, grandmothers dancing with birdcages and lamps, and more coin- prised this lengthy condemnation. (I think) of musicals, TV, and most of t1e rest of western civilization. The Ann Arbor festival is one of 'be oldest and largest of 8mm film festivAls and is dedicated to the growth and developement of the 8mm format. This year the festival has moved ,to Auditorium A and, through a donation by Elmo Corporation, the films are projec- ted by a state-of-the-art xenon arc lamp projector. 8mm, usually appearing dilnd on the big screen, never looked better; Besides screening movies, this year's festival had presentations by two fil'n- makers interested in 8mm. Huey Coleman led a workshop yesterday"af- ternoon in which he detailed his unique approach to teaching filmmaking to young people. Also, Sue Berkey demonstrated her sculptural films, movies projected onto objects such as a picket fence or a toaster. , Tonights screening of winners and highlights will be at 7 and 9 p.m. in Auditorium A. Remember, Steven Spielberg started in 8mm. Ragtime pianist Eubie Blake, composer of such songs as "I'm Just Wild About Harry," is pictured here in a 1975 photo. He died Saturday at age 104. Ernest Hemingway live: the old man and the scene 4 'I By Jeffrey W. Manning THE PERFORMANCE Network's pro -duction of Hem: An Interview, a candid monologue by Ernest Hemingway, opened last night. Now, anyone who knows anything about Hemingway is aware Ernest never wrote a play. It's important to under- stand that Hem is written and perfor- med by Robert Beaupre and is one man's individual interpretation of what an interview with Ernest Hemingway would be like. Though Hem is well written, factually accurate, and entertaining, it simply isn't convincing. The script, which draws a good deal from Hemingway's works, is coherent and well structured, but the fault of Hem lies in Beaupre's inability to capture the char'acter of Hemingway on stage. This is not a bad play, mind you, it simply doesn't live up to its potential. The show is performed in one act and subdivided into four categories, each representing one of Hemingway's ob- sessions: women, war, writing, and water. Set in Havanna, Cuba, in 1960, Hemingway casually tells the audience his opinions on the "four Ws," and relates a few anecdotes from his past. Starting with women ("You begin with that which you know least about"), he accounts for some of his romantic escapades, including one with Gertrude Stein, which is particularly interesting because Stein was a lesbian. The play then focuses on war, where "In Another Country" is quoted exten- sively. The show slips into a discussion of water, when, inevitably, The Old Man and the Sea surfaces, and it con- cludes with Hemingway commenting on his work as a writer ("All it takes to be a writer is a lousy childhood and a literary awareness."). Interspersed throughout these four sections are comments by Hemingway about his friends and acquaintences. The play reveals many tfhis influences and favorite authors, as well as his views on the mistakes of the writers he dislikes. These remarks are the most interesting aspect of Hem. The script is funny, enlightening, and, at times, melancholy. For a one- man play, Be%,pre has done a com- mendable job of writing a drama which maintains the audience's interest. The staging of the show also plays a vital role in arresting the audience's at- tention. Beaupre moves about the set throughout Hem, using the entire stage, but never so bis movements seem ob- vious or unnatural. The acting, however, is not as im- pressive. Though the script has ac- curately adapted Hemingeway's man- ner of speaking, Beaupre's physical characterization of Hemingway is not right. He portrays Hemingway with more sensitivity and emotion than is evident in his writings. Hemingway was a sober, madho guy who wouldn't be drawn to the verge of tears during an interview. Beaupre's gestures used to convey this emotionalism seem contrived and overplayed. During some of the scenes where Hemingway is angry, Beaupre spits out words too fast for comprehen- sion. Beaupre could have kept Hemingway's emotions more subtle, relying on vocal inflections and facial expressions rather than melodramatic actions. If you're not familiar with Hemingway, however, you might be taken in by this play. It has loads of backround informatin and it is enter- taining. Bur, if you know HemingwayE well and have a preconceived notion of his character, you might be disappoip- ted. In Friday's preview of the show, at was mentioned that Hem might extend another weekend. Hem will, in fact, play riee more shows next weekend' Thursday and Saturday at 7 PM, aid Sunday at 2 PM, Tickets are five dollars in advance (available at t'he Michigan Theatre Box Office, and Tl e Performance Network), or six dollarsE at the door. - West Side Book Shop Used & rare books, bought. sold Large selection of quality used paperbacks at / cover price. KEROUAC POSTER 25th Anniversary of "On the Road" $10.00 Limited Supply 113 W. Liberty 995-1891 E z S *MemberAntiquarian Booksellers' } 0 Association of America _ - - AA- VA LENTINE'S DAY INDIVIDUAL THEATRES GIVE YOUR SWEETHEART s Ae. at. -b.ry764 MOVIE GIFT CERTIFICATES _ l t I - 1 COMING 2/18/83 DUDLEY MOORE IN "LOVE SICK" Sat. Sun $2.00 Shows Before 6:00 PM "WONDERFUL"NEWYORK TIMES "DON'T MISS IT' US MAGAZINE "REMARKABLE" NEW YORKER SEN4 HURS1 FRI MON --6:25,8:10, 9:55 SATSUN- 12:50, 2:40, 4:30, 6:25, 8:10,.9:55 GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER BEST ACTRESS in a Drama MERYL STREEP SOPH IE'S KEVIN KLINE CHOICE FRI MON - 6:45, 9:30 SAT SUN - 1:00, 3:50, 6:45, 9:30 Records George Harrison-Gone Troppo' (Geffen) Poor George. This new album of his sat around the Daily office for weeks before I took it under my arm, soothed its pain and washed away its tears (bad for the vinyl), and took it home to play on my turntable. It's not nice to be un- wanted, and I feel like a better person for my samaritanish deed. Unfortunately, Gone Troppo should have stayed in the office. "Troppo" means, in musical terms, "too fast." Now whatever fast has to do, with this album-or George Harrison alone-is beyond me. Listening to G. H. albums is like drinking honey in a sen- sory deprivation tank filled with the odor of incense and tulips; the world becomes slow and lugubrious and (sometimes) pleasantly non-hectic. George Harrison is the perennial "laid back" fellow, limboing syrupily into iI our ears; and, worse yet, he's nice. Now there's nothing wrong with nice. It's just that your grandmother would probably tap her toes to this stuff! Like that strangely-similar-sounding group the Beatles, Harrison is the next evolutionary step from elevator muzak, and thusly a threat to music that speaks rather than whispers. Well, I'm getting off on all sorts of tangents here . . . Gene Troppo is pleasant ear-candy, nothing more. The title song sounds oddly like Simon and Garfunkle's "59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," and is such a rip-off of said-tune that it brings back memories of a similar incident between George's "My Sweet Lord" and "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons a few years back. C'mon: "Borrowing" is no big deal, but to be so obvious about it ...(or maybe it's oblivious). "Unknown Delight" is Beatles-city, take your pick and compare-I kept listening for John and Paul on toe chorus, but, nope, that's Willy Greece, Bobby King, and Pico Pena instead (The Fab Three?). "Greece," a wo4- thless instrumental, is nice hoejrg music for the green-thumbers ou1t there, and "Dream Away," the theime from the movie Time Bandits (which George produced), tries to act as somne selling point for this melange of meah- derings, but goes vastly unnoticed. Poor George. He works with son e great folks here, like bassist Herbie Flowers, drummer Jim Keltner, ayd percussionist (from the old Elton John band) Ray Cooper, but he can't cut it. I'll play Gone Troppo every once in:a blue moon to keep its spirits up, but as the first (and best) song goes: Here4I go again / Hear that knockin' won't let me in / Only want the same old thing... Wake up my love. Zzzzzzzzzzz . -By Larry Dean PROFESSIONAL THEATRE PROGRAM presents ACTING Shakespeare's PERICLEES FEBRUARY 15, 8pm POWER CENTER Tickets available at PTP Ticket Office COMPANY WINTER PROOF! WARM AND 100% WATERPROOF THESE FLAT, FASHIONABLE BOOTS ARE CUFFABLE AND AFFORDABLE. ONLY AT CANDESENCE. IN BLACK, TAUPE, & BORDEAUX I WE f ff. g 'Tas