Independent from Long Beach, California • 89

INDEPtNDENT.PRESS.TELESRAM-S.15 Moviegoers can look forward to improved fare in the next five years and beyond if Stanley Kramer is right While the sausage factories grind out their endless chain of situation comedies and soap operas for television, film makers will produce fewer, but truer and more exciting movies. And an underrated generation of Americans will appreciate the compliment and be drawn to the cinema houses in large numbers. No Longer a Mogul's World STANLEY KRAMER on movie making How about the success of 'Mad, Mad World? Did it show theres always a place-for good comedy on the screen? 1RAMER SNORTED. I don't think Mad World shows it does have an approach to basic human greed, but its mainly a physical jwe. havent had too many of them.

People tell other people Its wild, On another competitive front for Hollywood, is an impression that foreign films have passed their early peak an accurate one? "I dont think so, was the reply. They may have reached their saturation point in technique, however, and will have to find their way back to simplicity: Simplicity is a hard thing to achieve. You know how women with money and good taste look for expensive simplicity. Its not easy. But there are some great movie makers in-other countries, and certainly theyve had.

their impact on American pictures. 4 They've put a mirror to their own life to a far greater extent than we have to our life and times. Theye commented on the state of their youth, changes in. their countries, everything, and as such they took some of our audience." But that is changing, he said confidently, and will change some more. and American creative talent working without fetters, should need no apology anywhere in the world.

Our contribution must be better than its been. And I think it will be." He leaned forward. In the next deqade, the film will come into its own as the most mature, penetrating and exciting medium in the-world. I Anyhow, tharslhewayTheiHdustry'g trailblazing producer director" hopefully. sees the years ahead for Hollywood.

Certainly its the way he intends to go. a young-looking 51 wearing a windbreaker in his office at Columbia' Studios, took pains to disclaim any role ax. an authoritative spokesman, or any. kind' of 'spokesman. Hes right enough.

There can be no single spokesman for all Hqllywood. On the other hand he himself mast certainly be one of the more impor- taht catalysts in the movement away from theold mogul system toward freeing crea-1 tive people to come together and tum out the best thats in their pooled talents. This, after all, is the man responsible for such frontal assaults on business-as-usual as "The Defiant One, "On the Beach and "Judgment at Nuremberg, pictures like "Home of the "Not as a Stranger, Mutiny," "Champion, "High Noon, "Inherit the Wind, and, most recently, that oddly contrasting pair Ship-of Fools and "Mad, Mad World. RIGHT NOW KRAMER is hard at work on McKinlay Kantors epic of Civil War prison-camp life, Andersonville. You kpow hes doing something.

Though genial and gracious as could be, he gives off the intent directness of whose creative faculties are aglow. we start to talk about Holly- wood, lets remember that Hollywood is of the rest of the world. "If theres a world at peace, It affects us one way. If theres going to be a -world of chaos, Im not sure it matters so much what any of us do. For better or worse, Kramer believes our films have a lot to do with how we look to the rest of the world.

The responsibility this places on Hollywood in projecting the American image in these fateful times is clearly of importance to him. But scarcely in the same way as to those who say that films critical of aspects of American life are not good for us to show abroad! "That idea, he said with emphasis, "is old fashioned, ridiculous and downright un-American. Kramer speaks rapidly, often leaning toward the one he is addressing. He may be a casual person in other but not when hes on' the subject central to his work and purpose. "Are we so weak that we cant face our own shortcomings and let others see them? Of course not.

People are aware we have deficiencies, and in some countries, they realize, they couldn't do what we are trying to do about them. We need more and more comment -about our own fabric, socially, politically, in every way. Weve got to reflect ourselves honestly." There's been an unfortunate watering down of the American image, he believes, and film makers, among others, must examine themselves to see where they have fallen short. How, he asked, do we recapture the idealistic appeal we had, the moral, free image that was always our countrys strong "EVERYWHERE IN the world every-where-the young people feel and even act the same way. You see it when you travel: How do you reach out to them successfully? Not by lightweight material.

Kramer sees a continuation of the build-ing of handsome new movie theaters in the years ahead. So many theaters are antiquated and broken down, this was almost inevitable. Any industry where that happens needs to refurbish, or it becomes a drag. What if television programs dramatically improve, will that cut into the come-, back success of the movies? f- Kramer shook his head negatively. I see the whole thing as one now.

Say TV on a Tuesday night has something great. will gravitate to it. But a good film stands on its own. Itll, be showing in the neighborhood theater for more than that one night. If it has a like excitement and electricity about it, people are going to want to see it.

Outside of this occasional moment- of greatness, TV, circa 1966, does not seem to rank high with Stanley Kramer. They're back in technique 30 years, when a studio would be making 40 A pictures and 40 Bs. He smiled. Take some of that hashish and stack it up against My Fair Lady. Remem- ber, too, pictures have a far greater potential audience than even the best thing on TV.

Asked which of his own pictures he considered his best, he begged off. I suppose it may sound falsely self-effacing and modest, he said, but I'm never fully satisfied with any picture I do. I can't name one, and say this is it, this is the one I want my children to remember me by, this is my best, the one where I did all I wanted to do. He shrugged. That's what saves us On a different level then, could he say which picture or pictures gave him the most satisfaction in the doing? 'Thats different, he' said.

There was one that doesnt get mentioned much The Men about paraplegic vets of Korea, it was Marlon Brandos first starring role. I come back to that one with satisfaction. Then there are pictures where there's the romance about doing them and the actors in them like The Defiant Ones' and the emergence-of-Sidney Poitier getting together with Spencer Tracy late in his career in Judgment at Nuremberg' Oskar Werner being introduced in Ship of. Food. He reflected, and added Doing On the Beach at a time before there was general awareness of what nuclear- war meant WE MUST SHOW the wprld what we are and what we are doing to be even more we are.

That's the American Are these feelings shared by others in the industry? He nodded. Id say by most of the ere- ative people. Thats why Im optimistic. Creative people are now pretty much in control of what they are doing. What accounted for this change from the old, often artistically frustrating days? The answer was crisp.

The complete failure of vested interests and the moguls to be aware, up-to-date, to meet the needs of a totally new audience. The change, he added, can be seen in the disintegration of the major studios. Theres no RKO any more, for instance. A big studio like 20th Century Fox used to have 20 staff producers. Now; they deal with the producer-director they want for a given picture.

The potential audience not only is underestimated, but always has been, Kramer believes. He recalled the great glee with which some movie makers spoke of the need to turn out films for an audience on the mental level of a 12-year-old. "In times of no challenge, with no competition from TV and other things, all pictures made money. Then things changed. Most did not make money.

Thats in the breadbasket. They had to think maybe creative people had answers. Looking ahead, are there enough creative people in Hollywood? Sure, he replied with a smile of satisfaction. Plenty. Were getting most of them from TV, thats where they found their opportunity to get started.

He rattled off a string of names. Its a big pool of young and exciting-people "whowant to express themselves more daringly." The very way this new breed. looks at movie making is part of his hope for the years ahead. "Movies are limitless, seen as an art form. Seen as an industry, they are limited.

Which doesnt mean that Stanley Kramer is some kind of impractical dreamer, oblivious to the dollar and cents factor in movie making. Hes betting on a- quality product proving to be the best business over the long pull. One reason he thinks hes right is the strong evidence that the young generation in a changing world doesn't take kindly to being regarded as idiotic, and is restless about standards imposed upon thgm by their elders which they see as artificial. LA VIE i El Dorado to be Man-Made Wildwood the place to meet your friends and entertain your guests during the half -decade You Are More Important Than The Sale! Verne Holmes Dodge wants you to know that wc appreciate and respect your business that wc keep our overhead low in order that we may save you money that, for over 35 years, our honesty and integrity has been without question that our attitude now, and in the future, will be YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SALE" that our ales and sendee has increased. by over 25' each year for the past 8 years; thanks to oiir pleased customers.

lease Comm and 5mm Us Soon WN. HOLMES Continental or. American Cuisine you'll find your favorites here at their very best! We're famous for Flaming Duck or choose from 2) table d'hote Dinners Lobster Thermidor, for instance, or "Beef Stroganoff, Prime Ribs of Beef, Broiled Filet Mignon or New York Cut Steak. Our Caesar Salad is sensational. For Dessert, live it up with Baked Alaska or Crepes Suzette.

Ll'NCHLON DINNER COCKTAILS BANQUET FACILITIES ed. Because of the grants, the whole park project is being accelerated, although it will continue to evolve beyond 1971. Already the park site is.lt-'-''-taking on wild-looking con: tours through the Park Departments efforts to. create a pleasantly rolling terrain of hills' and valleys, streams, meadows, lakes, islands and even a natural looking swaipp area. Plans call for bridges spanning the larger of two lakes to an island and, on the island, a nature headquarters with a small museum, exhibits and working room for a trained naturalist and assistants.

Many birds and animals will adopt the area as a home without an invitation, Obert says. Some will sibly be brought in. Of course the lakes, streams and swamp will have such natural life as fish and frogs. H. Vai Long Beach, limited mainly to flatland by land-hungry subdivisions on its is making its own Wildwood park.

This, of course, is El Dorado Park, now undergoing transformation south of Spring Street between the San Gabriel River and the citys tree farm. It will take five years or to dress up nature (he way we have in mind, says Don Obert, city park director. But the public will probably be admitted to parts of -El Dorado Park East by late summer, Obert says. Over the next five years. approximately $2.8 million is earmarked from a 1964-bond issue to 'make the park into a nature center.

Also, last December the city received $213,033 from the state to help the develop-ment along Another in state aid is anticipat- Dyki, Jr. VERNE HOLMES Dodge WM. HOLMES JOHN H.VAN DYKE, JR. CO-OWNERS 1909 EAST FOURTH STREET, LONG. BEACH CLOSED MONDAYS HEmloek 620 I 5.

MdJUnlH, LB. 426-7131 I I I I 1 f'V 4.