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Show DriTwimiMiiinirmTTirr '4rt iip The Salt Lake Tribune. Saturday, June "' in ' V - 28. 1(W Hitchcocks Steps Still Best By Rick Kogan Clucago writer CHICAGO In the first place, the new film version of The Thirty-Nin- e Steps is better than the second version of The Thirty-Nin- e Steps," filmed in not as ennd as th onmnl version of The 1959, but Thirty-Nin- e Steps, filmed in 1939 by the late, great Alfred Hitchcock It is not a bad film. John Buchan's lively spy yam seems able to come through any transfiguration with a good deal of suspense intact, even Hitchcocks version bore scant resemblance to the original tale But what suspense and mtngue still linger in this latest version are seriously hampered by a number of leaden performances, a bfeless script and a pacing that often seems better suited to an afternoon soap opera. This is by no means a criticism based on Hitchcocks film It would not do, at this or any point, to explam the differences m plot or style some between this version and subtle, some monstrous Hitchcocks Any fan of that original gem knows the story only too well and any movie fan knows that a film must stand or crumble on its own merits Here most of those merits lie m the tale and not in the telling A young South African, Richard Hannay (Robert Powell), gives involuntary aide to Scutter, a former spy for the Bntish Secret Service, played by John Mills When Scutter is murdered, Hannay is blamed (a la Cary Grant at the United Nations in "North by Northwest). The only way to prove his innocence is to recover a missing booklet, kept by Scutter, that holds the key to a plot to kill the premier of Greece and send Britain prematurely into World War I Sun-Tim- He is pursued by the police and by the gang of German spies who want the booklet He is caught by the police, is stolen from them by the German spies, escapes and heads for Scotland, where he was headed in the Urst place, before all this espionage fell upon him On the way north from London, he has all sorts of escapades and close calls He changes outfits many times He gets some help from a wealthy pretty blond and finally retrieves the booklet, wisely mailed to his Scottish destination by Scutter Working closely with the police, he unravels the mystery in harrowing, (literally) fashion It is an absurd plot, elaborated around an impossible web of coincidences, but it makes a compelling tale, nonetheless Naturally, this film introduces some new elements and twists of its own, many quite effective But the lead characters are not lively enough to carry the storys load last-minu- te Powell lacks the necessary urbanity m his portrayal of Hannay, substituting an arrogant posturing that makes ium seem less a toy of fate than a junior Karen Dotnce, as his blond companion, is an icy, emotionless wreck Together they create about as many sparks as a pair of wet leaves Far better are David Warner, suitably creepy as Applegate, the ringleader of the spies, and Mills, delightfully furtive m the role of Scutter But director Don Sharp chose to kill Mills off in the first reel, perhaps not realizing that in so doing he was stealing a large chunk of life from a movie that could ill afford to lose one tiny slice. ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT VILLAGE PEOPLE VALERIE PC URINE BRUCE JENNER t HARRISON FORD CARRIE FISHER DEE WILLIAMS ANTHONY DANIELS ItA. J a .MARK HAMILL BILLY A ., , v DAVID PROW51 70MMDOL DOLBY KFNNY STifieo j BAKER PflTRMAYHFW PG?AT FRANK i tci theflu&uz. CV H GUQMQ 8MSSTT0 LOCATED SOUTH Of TEMPLE SQUAR- - E- SHOWS 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7.00, COMING JULY23RD nights. AN ENTICINGLY BEAUTIFUL movie: ... honky-ton- k Talar- SI --Gem Shald, WSBC1V ifi rt . 22 Hard fiat days and !; 1 , f AN BAM MOUNTAIN y MEN' k UTAH-THEATR- Mom Barrett, v ABC-T- v tlANClf FQRQ niitw OUJSOY THE HUMAN - FACTOR COPPOLA 'll'U'l sldlliob THF (HACK St All HOYT ,C ARMISJI AVION ymtllll KIND THU CARS Cl ART HR ( INS mWK KIT ROOM WK HAM . .ROBTRr IVMVA ri If ANN! ROStNBfRl ViATHlSON (OmttA p. kMHNSA ,. 1 u isC .384-618- Al NT 1 MUSI Y IB DTS( HASH wAltllAM D WITTl FRAAK IS COPfX H A AKROll &AI ARD 1. iA Al TFR UN FY T( )M sTFRNPFW., Kt KN - TIM TROPt ATI UK'S FWD f IOM 3 iff PWAHOl PKTl Rf2 HtfVMi t kORUff fUNV IIRIMIHIk.LMILR AW llUkXfl LKM1 CiTO lift INC U VI Wff fHOULCTIOfi SHMtlV, k,V DtBWfl-O- i LUU.TRm'HOJICOtAKAyYi BA.MD Uh Tbf SRUft III MHCMJMVH KFLM1AI ID AMti BWDuCi AND UTHAR MMHaii B mxi ElANSi IKMNC Wff DintciiDin mhlmiriikjn panmiw'n a pmm. ft urn ft m PoiiKiw FS IhI United Artists ft EXCLUSIVE! TROLLEY 1.40, 3 50, 6 00, 8.10, 10 20 DOLBY STEREO' CORNERS m fYTnn COTTD9WOOO MJUI INI M'l1 J7M711 CM THE IKS AND PUBLIC SCREE There's nothing funnier than Peter SeBers in Being There: ; 8.30 OPEN AT fiREASr CO-HI- T Hete a comedy that valiantly defies both gravity and the latest Hollywood fashion." l JUST WHEN YOU -- TKASA HU H Timr Hafatiru vtrA M(U flMaaa MMTHWIU PETER SELLERS . JACK WARDEN THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO FISHING IN THE CARRIBEAN MadAINE SHIRLEY KINGTHERE MFLVYN DOUGLAS Richard (Vsart richaro basehart ft i vntiw s v usi Xr-- PG GENE SHALIT, tfiAarSa MM s. J fl 4V4 BiEMW NBC-T- V "TODAY" aieilMtObai S m United Artists j: EXCLUSIVE! 2:15, 4:45 7:15,9:45 k- - Xfck wamAK- ' 31 I -- THEY RISE AT NIC. I IT FOR MORE JAMES BROWN CAB CALLOWAY RAY CHARLES CARRIE FISHER 1 Til ARETHA FRANKLIN HENRY GIBSON THE BLUES BROTHERS BAND R illALKuil Vi M1TBICTI0 0MINGTJULY418TH, VOYAG MfarmnT3 BROWN AINIVIRMI PKTl At nMH P49I 9A491H' The LONG SuAAftM mCjm.,,, THE SUPERTHRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF JAWS AND THE DEEP". ss,ssivik i r?Q2 in im niMn iwi mimks im 4411)7,' u MICHAEL CAINE A UNIVERSAL DAVID WARNER r- -i PICTURE mm i ip ffAMHY NORTH CENTER TROLLEY I 6 C"t I 4 2 12 IS, 30, 45, 9 15 Muodi 12 IS. 2 30, 4 45, 7 00,9 15 EVERY DECADEl AN EXCITING DISCOVERY. Brigitte Bardot in the 50s. Catherine Deneuve in the 60s. Jane Fonda in the 70b. , ' m Km BARRY And now, for the 80s, Cindy Pickett in "Night Oamea. PKMJS JOtfM CODY 3.30, 5.30, 10,7:30, 9.30 1 m IW 1:15,3:15,5:15, 7:15, 9.15 ' v THE ELECTRICJrF2G HORSEMAN i -,- . oo 5 20 9 45 ipg LOCATED SOUTH OF TEMPLE SQUARE SHOWS DAILY AT 12:30, N VII ITF R 2.50I, 5:10, 7.30, 9:45 ..I. I'll J J WKT RJDERS Umted Vtitti ENDS TUESDAY 2.00, 4:30 30, |
