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Show Thursday. September 23. 1982 - Par IT Film Entertainment in 'Dark Ages' Producer Impressed with Local Talent A man By LINDA HARRIS wfao experienced first-han- d the Golden Age of Hollywood, Duke Major, theatre owner and producer, says that we are now experiencing the Dark Ages of theatre and film. But even though theatre is still grappling for the recognition it deserves, he feels very strongly that history will repeat itself and a long overdue Renaissance will take place in theatre entertainment. In words spoken together more than once, Major extolled the theatrical talents of the people living in Utah 'alley. "This area is loaded with talent, and it's as professional as you'll see," he said. "We have some of the best choreographers," he adds. Duke moved here from southern California 20 years ago and 5 years ago purchased the Alhambra in Pleasant Grove and the Villa in Springville. He has been producing plays ever since. But his theatre history goes back a lot further than that in fact, it started before he was born, with Grandfather Cluff, owner of the first theatre in Provo, Cluf f 's Hall. The love that the older Cluff and his 12 sons had for the theatre somehow was instilled in his grandson. Duke has been close to this form of entertainment all his life. He gained an appreciation for acting early when he and his sister bought nickel passes to double features almost every night. "It was during the depression. My mother was widowed. So we would go to the movies while she was at work, then we would all walk home together," he said. That was the age of the real superstar Alan Ladd, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Katherine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy, to name a few. While in high school, he worked in radio. Anyone who part-tim- e listened to radio in the 40s probably recalls the Lux Radio Show; every Monday night they would present an adaptation of the popular films of the year and bill some of Hollywood's biggest stars to portray the characters. and an Major was a ticket-take- r usher there. He recalls Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper coming to the station and doing the hour-lon- g adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls". There were many stars Duke helped to their limousines when the show was over. He came to know many of them personally "Almost everyone of them was very nice. They were kind and considerate with the people they worked with," he said. During the war years, he worked at the Hollywood Canteen (the USO); Bette Davis was the manager then. Many of the people in broadcasting donated time to entertain, to dance with the soldiers, or to do a variety of menial tasks. "I washed dishes there with Jimmy Stewart," says Duke. But Major feels that a great era has passed. Like the Golden Age of Greece and Rome, Hollywood, too, had its age where all roads led there. And like the Golden Age of Greece and Rome, Hollywood's Golden Age has plummeted as well. Major says the film industry is now in a dark stage. Movies, filled with are geared almost wholly to the mentality, he says, but they are insidiously pushing on them garbage that helps to create the problems we face today. Among these films, he says, there is only an occasional Camelot like "Raiders of The Lost Ark" or "E.T." Major attributes the downfall to the moviegoers not to Hollywood. He feels film watchers have dictated the e decline by their support of entertainment. "We have a unique position in this valley," he says. He believes we can set an example here by what we support. He frowns on those who censor movies. "They attack the bad, but they won't support the good. They always concentrate on the negative," he says. He cites an example - Annie, d a movie, got very little support here. "It played only 3 weeks at one theatre. If a movie isn't making money, the theatre-owner- s don't keep showing it. Porky's, an run in the movie, had a valley," says Major. "And people lined up four abreast to see it." Several plays have been put on at the Alhambra. All have been family entertainment. One of them, a successful Broadway play called "The Fantastiks", was seen by an audience of three on opening night. "The indictment against us is that movies like Porky's make money. The indictment is that we sit at home and do not support movies like Annie," said the producer. Reiterating his praise of the talent in this area and also the power of the populace to set a trend, Major says, "There's nothing we couldn't do here. There's nothing we can't accomplish, if we get people behind us." Major feels the small independent theaters are a thing of the past. Thus he plans to remodel the Alhambra and have nothing but live entertainment there when it reopens. The Villa has been operating successfully for some years. "We now have a group of theatre fans that attend the plays regularly," said Duke. "Once people come and see how live theatre is done, they're hooked. There's not another process like it," he says. "We have received letters from people all over. They can't believe the quality of talent here," he says, putting those words together again. He tells of a New York family traveling through. They decided to take in a play at the Villa called "Pippin". After the play they commented that they had seen the same play on Broadway but had never understood it until they saw it portrayed at the Springville theatre. live theatre became a part of Duke's blood during World War II. While stationed in Europe, he volunteered to paint sets for a Hollywood road show, "On The Town". He ended up touring with them on special assignment. He played 11 different parts. He says he actually spent more time changing costumes than he did on the stage. In Utah, under the direction of former Pleasant Grove High School teacher, David Larrson, he has been Uncle Max in Sound of Musk, Grandpa Abernathy in Guys and Dolls, Mr. Lundie in Brigadoon, and Finley in Promised Valley. "Everyone should have some background in theater," Major says. It helps you to memorize, it makes you think, it helps you know how to give talks and to speak in public, it gives you confidence, he adds. "It's fun to watch the young people around here develop their talents over the years," he says. To watch them go from raw talent to a very polished performance is a great thrill to him. "We've got some talented kids," he reiterates. "We had as many as 400 applicants apply for "Showboat." He feels we could compete in quality with San Francisco and win. "We have as professional as you'll see," he again affirms. SOUNDS EASY YOU! North Orem (3 doors i Mef-- EXTERIOR I VCR r DUKE MAJOR discusses future plans for the Alhambra Theatre in Pleasant Grove. After remodeling, the theatre will be suited for live entertainment. CENTERS Cover those areas with gutters and downspbuts, soffit and trim accessories in beautiful designer colors. Coming Soon Cat People Victor Victoria The roofhome known as overhang, trim and gutters can be one of the most trouble causing. And when these areas have a rundown look, the look spreads to the rest of your home. Well, you'll never have to worry about the look again when you replace your existing system with attractive, maintenance-frealuminum overhangs, trim and gutters. And you'll find the perfect look for your home at Home Front Centers. 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