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Show Streisand, Andrews proclaim themselves as the 'STAR' By Ed Ditterline The year 1968 ended with two prominent personalities in entertainment proclaiming "I'm the greatest star!" Unfortunately, only one individual can claim that honor based upon performance. That one person is Barbra Streisand, and the movie which made her "the greatest star" is "Funny Girl." The other individual, a star in her own right, is academy award-winner Julie Andrews. Her claim to stardom came long before her recent movie "Star." The two movies which have been released very closely together are allied in many ways. Both are about women who gained stardom in the same flamboyant era. "Funny Girl" is the story of Fanny Brice and "Star" is the life of Gertrude Lawrence. Unfortunately, the films run parallel in many ways, rather than just in period of time. Both stars were notoriously impulsive and asserted their superior acting ability long before they had proved they had it to the theater-going public. Both began in organized revues, Fanny Brice in the Ziegfield Follies and Gertrude Lawrence in Andre Chariot's Revue. Both were first starlighted individually under a circumstance where pregnancy was an influence. Fanny Brice turned a magnificently conceived Ziegfield "wedding" into a laughing hysteria when she stuffed a pillow in her wedding dress because she was embarrassed to be called "so beautiful" when she realized she was not. Gertrude Lawrence first highlighted Chariot's Revue as a stand-in doing "Berlington Bertie" while actually pregnant. In group entertainment, both began their careers by being the ; unwieldy chorus girl who broke up the routine. Gertrude Lawrence turned "Oh It's A Lovely War" into a shamhles when (Continued on Page 10) j . , 'f11 y S ii Nielson changes style ; Slyron romanticizes in 'Confessions'; Kael discredits meaning in movies original, but unfortunately not much better. Imagine Sellers as a hippie! Kael hits me right in a sore spot because I feel that there should be some conscious intent of purpose behind the movie, rather than to merely entertain. We could stay home and watch Hogan's Heroes, which I like very much, if that were the case. I don't think that the film has to come right out and say "My purpose is...." It should be up to the individual, however. Along the same line, exceptional camera work or dialogue can determine the worth of a film. (Although I must admit that almost every movie now has outstanding camera work "he compositional emphasis L the concern.) I am not impressed in the slightest by spectacle any more, I guess that is why I disliked "Star" so much. (See review) Kael goes on to say "...American movies are like advertisements and we can certainly assume that indirectly they sell a way of life that includes soap as well as an infinity of other products." Although I admit that films have become commercial to the point of ridiculousness, these occurences in film (the Goodyear signs in "Grand Prix" are the classic example) reflect society, giving a necessary slam to the sham we live. If a car is traveling down a highway in a movie, then for heaven's sake, don't take out the billboards just because someone in the audience would be uncontrollably influenced to go out and buy the product. (Shades of Vance Packard.) These points of realism add substance to the movie in the sense that they are a part of our daily lives and we can either recognize or ignore them according to our own particular orientation. Some other time I'll relate how Kael feels about the American man "keeping woman in subservient degradation." (Continued From Pag she first became a par Daffodil Girls. Fanny E the same with the "Roli Rag" number. Here is where the res ends, because both movie in their production and success or failure, go their ways. Pale Comparisons "Star" proves to be fa by comparison in seven First, Julie Andrews attetl play a gorgeous socialit? bodily curves tended I revealed far too much if she had to offer. Thei beauty and "freshly J look of Julie Andrew's hi never successfully pun 1 "Jenny" number in the J film where she attempts t "bad" girl with the pj sequined devils whirling her. This point is brought even more clearly j "Limehouse Blues" numbi. Julie plays the unwilling t of an oriental hou; prostitution. j From the first, the L "Star" was meant to cha image of Julie Andrews. S hoping to be transforms "the shirt-waisted peasant the "whirling, dal constellation" of a star movie. Whereas most ! would be terribly flatterec' typecast as a Mary Poppi, Sister Maria, Julie Andrei not. Unfortunately for ; however, she failed misers molding her new image. Lacked Vitality The musical nut throughout "Star" lacl vitality and outright clas those in "Funny Girl" haw I'm quite sure everyone has been asked "What did you get for Christmas so many times they are almost ready to be sick. I know I've thought about publishing a newsletter so that I won't have to repeat myself. The one thing which I got for Christmas which made the crowds and the pine needles on the floor and the plastic snow all over my electric lights worthwhile was a painting from my wife: Becky, done by Steve Nielsen. I have been following this beautiful work around from gallery to gallery for the past two years, really wanting to own it. Finally, in a kind gesture of true Christmas spirit, Steve lowered the price to where we could afford it. The painting is "Eleanor and the Blue Hounds." It comes from a period or style of Steve's which also includes the popular "Three Mystics," "The Flower Girl," and "The Actor " along with several others. Steve sold most of this particular style at the Art League Christmas Bazaar, and I have no doubt that all of these paintings will be valuable some day. Hoary Period Steve has a very distinct style which is immediately recognizable from no less than 30 feet. His work is highly controversial in the sense that it makes a definite impression either favorably or unfavorably, immediately. He has said that people have asked him if he has some loose gears upstairs because of his treatment of the subject matter. Most of his characters in the four portraits I have mentioned are "hoary" (as in warts, wrinkles and hair.) Any Nielsen painting will have an unbelievable textural quality if it is in this "grotesque" period as I ca" it-Steve it-Steve has recently changed his style and it can be seen on the front of the Autumn Quarter of Pen. Other Christmas presents which I received include several books. One in particular, "The Confessions of Nat Turner" has me a little stumped. Although I admit that I have barely opened the cover, I have found that William Styron seems to be a romantic, at least in his descriptions. It seems strange for a romantic to be writing about the bloody Turner's Rebellion. I'm really excited about the book, although I wonder when I'll have time to finish it with the assignments piling up. I'm sure it is very challenging reading. Critical Critic While browsing at the bookstore, I picked up a copy of Pauline Kael's "I Lost It at the Movies," which has managed to send me into fits of anger, ranting throughout the house after I read every passage. If you aren't familiar with Pauline Kael, she is recognized as the most controversial, biased, satirical, opinionated movie critic today. She is quite prominent, writing for Life, Vogue, Holiday, Film Quarterly and The New Yorker, but as one of my friends told me the other day "I have the right to express my opinion also." That's what I'm going to do. Little in Common In the first place, the two of us don't have much in common. She remarks that she really liked "The Pink Panther" and even said "those people who are looking for importance in a film are often contemptuous of the crude vitality of American films, though this crudity is not always offensive. ..it can break the planned standardization of mass entertainment." I personally detest Peter Sellers' acting,, although I have tried to keep my mind open to his particular brand of idiolitry (my own conglomeration for idiotic idolitry for himself.) I saw "The Pink Panther" and came out praising Henry Mancini for the musical score and damning Sellers because he ruined the movie. "The Party" had far worse implications for me. It was the most insane brand of worn-out pie-throwing foolishness I have ever seen. I was glad "I Love You Alice B. Toklas" was a little more |