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Show "ta- April, r- 1979 Ampersand 3 l 13 include The Molly Maguires (made by Martin Ritt, who directed Norma Rae) in that positive line-u- p but that underrated movie is really about anarchism in the coal mines, not about organizing unions. It does, however, introduce audiences to a fascinating character the very real James McParlan, who got his start as a ferocious strikebreaker by infiltrating the incendiary Mollies and turning spy for the Pinkertons. McParlan ended his career turning the Ludlow strike into a massacre for the Rockefellers. There is dhu Sail of the Earth, made by blacklisted people outside Hollywood, and a couple of excellent documentaries such as I'nion Maids and Harlan County, I SA. From mainstream Hollye wood came the failure Found for which the Clory, eulogized working man and union organizers. But the exceptions seem to prove the rule. I;or an industry that thrives on heroes, an industry that has contrived to make heroes out of everyone from Alexander Graham Bell to John Phillip Sousa, it seems incredible that Desolation Angels Li box-offic- 1 ,;,, -- ....ir..pif out of Sally Field as Sorma Rae, strong-arme- d textile mill for unionizing. a Southern wants unionism to bring him a free ride, and Lazy MM and the Strikers, another variation on that same theme. It was standard procedure for Hollywood movies to tell employers to give workers a lair deal, but the operative word was give. That attitude prevailed into the Thirties and Forties with movies such as Black Fury with Paul Muni and Valley of Decision with Gregory Peck and Greer Garson, where sympathy is with the workers, but the message clearly states that unionism (i.e., the Closed Shop) has no place in a free America. That attitude on the screen reflected what was happening to the film industry behind the cameras. Producers knew organized labor meant rising costs, and they fought like hell to keep unions out of the industy. Part of the original lure of Los Angeles was General such scrappy, courageous and dramatic people as labor leaders have been so thoroughly shafted. Where are the movies about Mother Jones, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Bill Hayward, Emma Goldman, Joe Hill (there was a movie about Hill Swedish), Eugene Debs or even Harry on) Bridges? Perhaps Sorma Rae signals a change. Perhaps the recent airing of the Iriangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire on NBC, recounting one of the great tragedies of this century, signals a change. Perhaps Warren Beatty will really make that movie on radical journalist John Reed that he's been planning for seven years. They are all long overdue. Jacoba Atlas H.MR, starring John Savage, Treat Wiliams, Beverly D'Angelo; based on the musical play, book 2f lyrics by Gerome Ragni & James Rado, music by Gait MacDermot; directed by Milos Forman. When Hair first saw the light of theater in the late Sixties, it was. to some, shocking and Harrison Gray Otis, owner and founder of titillating with its nudity and easy sex; to the Los Angeles Times, who promised that the others of us, it was corny and unrealistic. The City of Angels would remain an open shop tunes were (still are) pleasant and the whole town with a steady stream of cheap labor. But schmear earned unprecedented millions for movie workers weren't buying w hat Otis was its creators. Now, ten years too late, Hair has selling. The first strike against producers been whitewashed, spruced up, and taught to occurred in 1918, with sporadic strikes follow- behave. No sex, very little nudity . . . and there isn't much left. ing until 1933 when IATSK (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees) The players are generally good: John Savwalk-out that for a time crippled the age, who was excellent in 7 he Deer Hunter, is a staged a industry. The major studio Iwisses brought in believable Claude; Williams as and the walk-ou- t scabs and Berger is dazzling (this kid's gonna be a star, was quelled (see Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon as they say), but D'Angelo as Sheila (who has for an interesting account of this), but the been transformed into a debutante, of all threat remained. The unions finally won a things) is a bit dull. Two numbers, dosed shop in 1937 after bloody battling and "Aquarius" and "Easy to Be Hard" are awetactics on both sides, but it was a somely performed, and two other numbers, strong-ardouble-edge- d victory for labor because the "I Got Life" and "Black Boys White Boys" closed shop was won under the questionable inspired heavy applause from the preview leadership of two men, RioIT and Browne, audience. mobsters from Chicago who introduced orThough Czech expatriate Forman fills the with thousands of extras, it's all sound screen crime into Hollywood's organized ganized and fury, signifying nothing. It's not that he labor. I he legac y of Bioil and Brow tie was cyniisn't faithful to some great work of art, it's that he hasn't changed it enough. It remains and cism. Unions had lost their sainthood union supporters bad lost their innocence. superficial as ever. The hippie ethic has long since been reWhen the American Communist Party battled for control of the Writers Guild in the pudiated as irresponsible, naive and selfish; arch-hipp- strike-breake- tj&asm ie rs m late Thirties and into the Forties, many of the rank and file membership were left be- wildered. The sense of betrayal was growing stronger, and it was that climate of mistrust (hat produced Hollywood's most famous labor film, On the Waterfront, which clearly earmarked unions as corrupt. The offspring of Waterfront, F.I.S.T. and lilue Collar, also showed unions as fraudulent and corrupt. There have been a few movies which champion labor, but not many. Some might DESOLATION ANGELS Includes their new single, "ROCK 'N' ROLL FANTASY" what once seemed so benevolent now looks embarrassingly ignorant in the cold light of history. It would be difficult to make this story, these characters, relevant today; the easiest approach might be nostalgic exploitation, but Hair doesn't even give us that; clean, sincere hippies are so Available on SWAIMSOIMG records & tapes For-man- 's uncon-troversi- al they're boring. Forman added some political overtones with army hoot at camp footage and a poignant ( Continued on page 26) role-revers- al Oitntxjted My ATCO RerorH A Ovtiion d Atlanta RCTixdmj; C 7? Man, fecorfrnq Ct 0 Ccp o". I Co Produced by fUd Company |
