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Show X Page Wednesday, December 25, 1974 10 the absence of borrowed dips from other studios, That's Entertainment is about as complete a retrospective of the movie musical as we are LEWIS BROTHERS likdy to see. On the Origins of Christmas Christmas is a holiday that we all tend to rush into headlong without ever giving a thought to its Morgan origins, which, surprisingly enough, lie buried deep in the pagan religions of the past. Most of our from these anare, in fact, carry-over- s holidays Film these In tend to be cient religions. origins Europe, Aside from a good selection of films, theres not obscured are than here. less they much happening in Salt Lake this week. One of The turn of the year in has long been these films. That's Entertainment, opens at the occasion of calendrical as a the observances Avalon Theatre on Christmas Day. first-rate There really hasnt been a musical on on the loose during this period. Such obfilm since the with the exception of the renewal were also meant excellent Cabaret. So, when you go see That's En- - servances . ... to ensure the... ... bd ' 1x1 Jat tertainment, dont surprised if , upon leaving the theatre, you have theiirgeto say, They dont 4a Hj make them like they used to. They dont because and sowing. Later, husbandry ?D9enl this and' is not because of I they cant, just rising costs. More relevant is the loss of the lavish style ersal of the mmlal an of thinking which disappeared along with the r$s master and servant. studio system symbolized by ulde Eun5 which ceased to be a major studio just last year, now runs the Grand Hotelin Las Vegas and no longer distributes films, although they nortiern Europe it is dark all day and all night), may still produce a few features. Grand Hotel was its fire rites and vegetation ceremonies were the title of an Academy Award-winnin- g in the Yule log, evergreen all-stfilm in 1932. It was the first big talkie, and given expression and the exchange of gifts, decorations, feasting, it proved so popular that the formula has been a customs transferred with the mortuary together movie staple ever since. It was in this film that from the festival cult of the dead in to winter the Garbo spoke those famous words, I want to be November. alone. The name of the Vegas hotel only emAt the beginning of the Christian era, the date of phasizes a sadness and irony in the demise of one the birth of Christ was a matter of speculation of the most important forces in the film business. because of the absence of any precise indications Jack Haley, Jr. wrote, produced, and directed in the Gospel narratives as to the day, month, and Thats Entertainment. He grew up in year when it occurred. No reference, in fact, Hollywood (his father played the Tin Man in The exists of the observance of a festival to comWizard of Oz) and has already turned out several memorate the event until December 25th was set TV specials about the industrys past. These inapart as the Feast of the Nativity in the clude Hollywood: The Golden Years and Philocalian Calendar, which was drawn up in The Fabulous City Lights MOW mid-wint- er COMPLETE TIME TABLE Salt Lake City Park City Stage DEPARTS ARRIVES mid-fiftie- s, J? oTof M-G-- M-G-- GfflDGMggttSElD Draft Snacks Ladles9 Nights Tuesday B&hlnd Thursday 10c beers ths Pslacs Ffophoust . 12p.rn.-2s.r- n M-G-- & ar Downtown Salt Lake Park City on way - $2.50 Airport Park City one way $3.50 Era. Hollywood: Romein336. The selection of December 25th for the Feast of The film clips in Thats Entertainment do not the to This in order. tends Nativity was determined, no doubt, to counchronological appear create the illusion that was constantly teract the Roman Saturnalia and the Mithraic musicals, but this was cer-- Natalis Solis Invicti held in honor of the birth of producing first-ratnot The studio limped through the the sun at the end of the winter solstice, though case. the tainly thirties with their Broadway Melody revues the Saturnalia actually ended on December 24th. and ridiculous extravaganzas such as The Great Nevertheless, both Christmas and Epiphany were Ziegfeld. It wasnt until 1939, with The Wizard of based originally on solstice festivals. As Christianity spread to Northern Europe, its Oz that Golden Age really began. Arthur Freed, a former songwriter, was the associate Feast of the Nativity came into contact with the Yuletide rites and customs which, were so enproducer on this film. He went on to produce virin this region. In spite of repeated trenched the all of musicals' that tually great denunciations by the Church these pagan rites followed. persisted. It is not surprising, therefore, that a of ancient seasonal customs and The function of a producer is basically to bring from a beliefs is this and make talent and it work, together number, of different sources just. what Freed was able to do. The artists he broughHltaman; Celtic, Tetrtonic, WestCm'Asianrand to are some of the most illustrious names Christian remain today in the observance of connected with the movie musical Vincente Min-- .. Christmas. These customs often have been only remotely nelli, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, to the Feast of Nativity, though the ocrelated to few. name a and Green, Comden, Adolph Betty Thats Entertainment naturally focuses on the currence of the commemoration in the greater s, decade between the and part of Europe in the darkest and coldest part of Golden Age. These were the years of On the year has given prominence to fires and lights the Town, The Pirate, An American in Paris, The and to outward signs and symbols of renewal in Band Wagon, and Sin gin in the Rain. In spite of nature and the sun. PROSPECTOR TOP OF MAIN STREET IN THE ALPINE LODGE IRIMI: NEW S6.9S 6.9S RIB YORK ; M-G-- M Park City - Alta - Snowbird Stage DEPARTS PARK CITY PARK WEST ALTA 7:40 am 3:45 pm 7:30 am 3:35 pm ARRIVES SNOWBIRD 9:15 am 5:15 pm 9:00 am 5:00 pm STEAK-SHRIM- COMBO P . . 6.95 . M-G-- 5:30 5:30 -- 1 0:30 -- 11:00 Weekends Weekdays M-G-- M Alta - Snowbird - Park City ARRIVES PARK WEST PARK CITY DEPARTS SNOWBIRD ALTA 8:00am 5:00 pm Stage 9:15am 10:2Qam pm pma:30 SmIs guaranteed 5:15 .10:30am 6:40 pm ) -- li ; in a group) $5.50 mid-forti- mid-fiftie- es cAannsSEN M-G-- CALL or 7 359-867- 649-857- 0 Park City Salt Lake -- THURS WED FRI HOttHW 'iimr bio man' Nm k Ahm SUN Vbw4 rn. Alton Ren M UV 4M we , veebl )( ' i t IKH'W I -V Rui Miew m Jt HNMRiMMeWWNkMill mm m we mm wmmwa .ewf Mne fwre wgiwm H's himkmH Ai eenu me mm w r Raw NrR we 1492 Park Avenue, Park City pHoti ! mmi m siauratti TUES MON mmi Wi yUrfOyielWWw wm PARK CITY, UTAH A "II 411 mm mmrnm ! w mm rnmmmmmmmm 0Mm mm we me mm tmm Mewtof mr dm a 1974 SAT DUSTIN Il wmw 649-895- 1 December m MAIN STREET Adult 1 Student 2 Children - accompanied by an adult Melodrama 2.50 DOUBLE SHOW See both and ave Adult 4 Student 3 Children - accompanied by adult l.5ft 7:00 & 9:15 2 PHONE 436 2pm ADMISSION SHOWTIME 9 IS American Delicacies HOURS 12:00 am to 10:00pm 7 days a week $3.95 EdglcS Showtime & ALL YOU CAN EAT! mm Showtime 7:00 Cinema Specializing in Brunch Sunday 10am SPEND A DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS 1 Delicatessen and Liquor Store Imported T.MI. Cinema 1 M-G-- M by raeervatlon only - round trip - $6.50 one way - $4.00 round trip (6 or more 649-877- r iwm Close to the Ski A rea Me For Reservations Call MeeM he mm J Alt me Mutel we wet 649-930- 0 The Most Elegant The Eating Establishment Middle of Main OPEN 7 AM -- 10 PM DAILY Featuring a revised menu including. & Crab Omelettes Steak Sandwiches And our regular Gourmet Lunch & LIQUOR & WINE STORE ON PREMISES BANQUET & RECEPTION FACILITIES . . . Avocado, Sour Cream & Spanish omeletts, Homemade Clam Chowder Shrimp CONTINENTAL CUISINE Breakfast Specialties Open every night 5 p.m.-l- l p.m Your hosts : A li and Jennifer Manteghi |