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Show Thursday, March 9, H$ 3 twitch C O V E R TORY o I1 honored with an Academy Award. According to the gossip of the times, her films were too moral and Hollywood wasn't in the mood for moral messages. Mary Dickson says she hates to think that women have to come up with the kind of material men do to receive awards. "That was one of my problems with Thelma and Louise' she said. "They were having women basically do what men do and I don't think that looks any better on women than it looks on men. To me that was just kind of a buddy movie." But directing the kind of films that subscribes to male standards could be a key to winning. "Women have never been nominated in the directors' category," local film critic, Chris Hicks pointed out "Only one woman has ever been nominated and that was In May 1927, when talking films had just made their in the 70s. Then of course, obviously, it does look like discrimination. All the men debut and film artists like Al Jolson and Gloria'Swanson are being nominated in these categories. Why can't the women (be)" filled the silver screen, the Awards of Merit, which ultiLieberman explains that nominations come from the Academy Board members and are based strictly on the quality of the project But he notes that "a college stumately became the Academy Awards were born. Even that first year, people complained about the dent who is a female got nominated (this year)," he said. "This is her first thing." Women do more for themselves and for society when they bring the feminine academy's choices. Swanson wasn't happy when the academy invited perspective to film. "We are different than men," Leslie Pepper, entertainment ediher to receive an Honorable Mention award, while her tor for New Woman magazine, said. "Our differences are not better or worse. They competitor, Janet Gaynor, received the Best Actress are just different We need those differences in life and film needs to reflect life." award. And Jolson wasn't pleased at being overlooked John Gray, the author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, points out for his leading role in The Jazz Singer Hollywood's that men and women communicate differently. They argue differently. When a first big talking film. women from Venus is disturbed about a relationship problem she tries to explain In his unauthorized book, And the her feelings to her partner. The man from Mars sees her complaints as an arguWinner Is ... ment He figures an argument is something you try to win. Instead of trying to The History understand why she is upset, the man from Mars points out illogical statements in and Politics of her presentation. He wins "the argument" She feels worse. They both lose. the Martians have a tough time distinguishing between,feelings and beliefs. One Oscar believes someone is wrong. One feels frustrated and disappointed. Feelings are mysImmanual tifying to the Martian mind. This is one reason males grab their guns and head for i notes the nearest wilderness area when females from Venus insist on talking things out. c ! Levy T that films with Gray has hit on something important Effectively depicting introspective feelings in TV a serious mes- film may require a bit of Venusian dialogue. But every man has feminine qualities flit; 81 sage usually and every woman has masculine qualities. Some men have more qualities in the catgarner more egory that Gray names Venus. Women who make it in business are often from Mars. Best Actor But then Martians set the standards in business and in the world. In the film industry, the Martian standard also reigns, and includes the following than Best Actress awards. criteria: Films are a visual medium. Dialogue and sound are only an enhancement. He further notes The best films are those that build characters and tell stories through visual images ""i ISlIlllliiii:P that films that and action with little verbiage. This Martian standard continues to be the criteria win Best Actor by which the industry and the academy judge films. Female filmmakers have been ignored by the academy because Venusian traits also tend to win Best Picture. The are not recognized as positive assets to film or to any other industry. "There is a school of thought that feels that, ever since sound came into being, same cannot be said 1LU for the films that get film has been ruined because it's supposed to be a visual medium," Hicks said. "But I don't necessarily subscribe to that. If you were going to do that and say dialogue the Best Actress nod, for theater and visual imagery is for film, then I think you're discounting an is for a are nominated things "Every year, few actresses lot of great films that are really nothing more than dialogue." awful their best or most worthy projects that are probably not because there just aren't that many to choose from," Nevertheless, Martians continually ask themselves how they can reduce verbiage and dialogue. The better questions are: How can I make this dialogue seem realistic Deseret NewsKSL film critic Chris Hicks remarked. Leslie Unger, Communications Assistant for the without making it as boring as real conversation Does this action need a little Academy of Arts and Sciences, defended the academy. more verbiage to ensure the audience will get the message intended by my use of The academy has nothing to do with a single film that's visual imagest Filmmakers will always use action and visual images for mood and amplification produced. Ever!", She laughs. "If there aren't good roles for of a characters emotions. But sound, dialogue and narration are viewed by women, it ain't our fault" add-on- s to the action. Mary Dickson, film critic for The Private Eye Weekly Venusians as integral parts of the whole, rather than speculates about whether the problem may be linked to male domination in B SB the academy itself. But the academy collects no demographics, so there is g medium first and are an action medium sec"In reality movies are a no way to know anything about gender, age, race or any of those things. ond," Hicks remarked. "It also depends on how you define action. There can be a "You become a member (of the Academy) based on lot of action and interaction in conversation if it's done right" Lynn Tempest, Publisher of Network, Salt Lake City's feminist monthly, says your work," explained Frank H. Lieberman, publicity coordinator for the academy. So if you get work (in the "Some male filmmakers have dealt very sensitively with films. But I do think that film industry) and you're female, you become eligible to women probably bring a special sensitivity to film." Hicks agrees, adding, "I think Hollywood tends to underestimate the male audi- be a member of the academy." , ence Every man that I have Actually, women have always worked in the film indusLittle see talked that to which the to went 1913 and In 1934, predates fact, between try. V wnBespt I Academy Awards, filmmaker Lois Weber directed, starred Women, even if he had to be his has films. In 1916 it to and produced more than 50 Actor also wife, dragged by in, a publication called Movie Picture Stories named her the come out of it loving it" TEND TO WET J is female filmmaker Universal Studios 1917 in and woman I director, Today's Picture, greatest -here Her coveted male to or what her female, I a accomplish director, stay. same every gave The 1 ,42? , . ment has only brushed the sur- , her own studio, apart from the main lot face of Hollywood and the Weber became so suc BEST;i ; SAID cessful that Paramount Academy Awards. But inde- l ACTREGS. ; ) wT set their eyes on her pendent film festivals like are showing and lured her away in Sundance 1920 Avith an offer of Hollywood what is possible $50,000 per film, when a creative filmmaker which was a huge fig- can do with only a fraction is ure for the times. She of the funds Hollywood spends on five films a film, when she is given the free 1 produced O J first year dom to do her own thing. her during And the academy is responding. As with Paramount. But when the box office sales reinforce what Sundance has talkies came in, known all along, Hollywood like many others will also respond. The 1 I sfljy If J if Awards, l?.fti..r:..,V lie"-. S mad xAcn VA iiii Si J IBS OPS 00 (L (L W S) story-tellin- N tb r ed f,-- J " ' "- - J for .i y&S i J who'd had great success during the silent era, Lois Weber faded iW it- fPST out. ' 1 nJr I ' w. .... She .was never to be f ' Venusian influence will radically change the standard by which films are now measured, and more and more females will become Oscar recipients in the non-gend- er categories. Jt ( i 'X:J i 1 |