The Press Democrat from Santa Rosa, California • 18

18 The Pren Democrat, Santa Rosa, Friday, Feb. 28, 1975 on Central Park South. "I loved it those men were like a lot of men I've known in my life," said Gael Greene, the writer. "They really do want wives who are robots." Eleanor Perry agreed, "The film presses buttons that make you furious the fact that all the Stepford men wanted were big breasts, big bottoms, a clean house, fresh-perked coffee and sex." THE STEPFORD WIVES' A controversial film walked out, followed by thc other women. The "awareness session" ended with the remaining women pretty much agreed that the movie was "junk," and that women should write and direct their own movies if they are ever to have any intelligent "women's" pictures." However, a more favorable reaction to the film, or at least to some of its ideas, emerged a bit later at a smaller gathering around Eleanor Perry's fireplace By JUDY KLEMESRUD New York Time Service NEW YORK Gael Greene "loved" the movie.

Mrs. Ring Lardner Jr. considered it a "putdown of humanity in general." Betty Friedan called it a "rip-off of the women's movement," 'and then stomped out of the screening room. They were among the 100 women "opinionmakers" may not want to go to 'two guy' pictures." And then the film began. And before it was over, the frequent hisses, groans and guffaws from the crowd indicated that perhaps Columbia had made a mistake if they thought these women opinion makers would like "The Stepford Wives." "I think it's completely ridiculous," said Linda Ark-ing, a writer who was the first to speak up in the "awareness session." "I couldn't believe the film.

It dumps on everyone women, men, suburbia. It confirms every fear we've ever had about the battle of the sexes, and it says there is no way for people to get to-. gether and lead human lives." About 10 minutes into the "awareness session," Betty Friedan stood and with a voice quivering with emotion, said: "I think we should all leave here. I don't think we should help publicize this movie. It's a' rip-off of the women's movement." She grabbed her coat and WEEKNIGHTS 1 OPM place them with identical, lifelife automatons who love cooking, housekeeping and the other traditional wifely roles, and abhor anything vaguely related to feminism.

Because the film includes a consciousness-raising session, and frequent references to the women's move-'ment, "The Stepford Wives" is one of the first films to deal with feminism in any manner. Its reviews were mixed, and women critics generally liked it while men critics generally hated it. And so, Columbia Pictures asked Eleanor Perry, one of the film industry's more vociferous feminists she was also the screenwriter of "Dairy of a Mad Housewife" to host the screening in the hopes it would drum up interest among other women. "Finally, a movie that is not about two guys and their adventures," Miss Perry said before the screening began. "I wonder if film makers know they may be shutting off half their audience with that kind of film women who CHILDREN'S (under II (raarioM) $2.00 SAT.

SKATING SPECIAL includ skat rental CROUP CUSS Ho 1:30 PM OPiN SKATING 2 1 4:30 PM. Phone 528-7333 1425 SontaRoso Ave. S.K. SATURDAY 6 Academy BEST "HER WILUAM WJWiWSi'lWZi'r Mffi CHILDREN'S MATINEE SNOOPY, WEEKNIGHTS Award Nominations ACTOR ALBERT FIOEY wii nu NAME IS' HOLDEN DUSAY JOAN HOTCHKIS OPEN 539-2907 BREEZY 7:0510:30 7 Directed by CLINT EASTWOOD ftbttliaK rcm-mmm (COME SHOWTIMES 1PM 2:30 "9 BIG NEW SONG HITS Bv lbht a shermw I Of I 1 -mJjGo Cs X. lY SILVER STRING MACEDONIA BAND Folk concert set LAST GREAT HIDING PLACE COTATI MOVIES $1.25, 795 9441 6 FILMS BY WOMEN FILM MAKERS "MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON" "PASSING QUIETLY THROUGH" PIUS 4 OTHERS 7PM 9PM SHOWCASE, Ptta.

762-4530 BREEZY 'R' Cont. 7pm SEBASTIANI, SONOMA, 996-2020 BREEZY 'R' RIO, MONTE RIO, 865-1 192 BIRDS DO IT, BEES DO IT 8:45 LEMONADE JOE 7:1 5 ADM. $1 .50 24MIUBRAE AVE SANTA ROSA "awareness session" in which the women were in- vited to air their feelings gripes, praise or otherwise about the film. "The Stepford Wives," which stars Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss, is based on Ira Levin's novel about a group of suburban husbands who learn how to have the perfect wife: They kill their real wives and re- tures such as the Turkish dominion over Macedonia and Bulguaria. The group, which plays instruments such as the bouzouki, dumbek, gadulka and tupan as well as conventional instruments, has won high praise for its many performances including those of KQED-TV and KPFA-FM in the bay area.

Each member of the Macedonia Band plays several different instruments during a performance, making possible a wide variety of sounds and styles. Interpol's going after film pirates New York Times Service NEW YORK The country's major movie producers and distributors plan to establish a special security organization to ferret out and help prosecute pirates who obtain prints of films and show them illegally around the world. Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, under whose aegis the prospective office is being created, said that "this new print office will be the prime instrument in locating pirates and cooperating with police authorities and prosecutors' offices in putting these pirates in jail." Exclusive Drive -In Showing adults $2.00 6 to 12 yrs. 50c OF THE PEANUTS Sp. 1972 by United fenuit Syndicate.

Inc. A CINEMA CENTEN t-JLMS PRESENTATION plus THE GOLDEN 31 8 ST SANTA ROSA The Silver String Macedonia Band will perform the folk music of Eastern Europe in an 8:15 p.m. concert tomorrow in Luther Bur-bank Auditorium at Santa Rosa Junior College. Tickets will be available at the door at the price of $1 general, 50 cents for KAY LENZ starring "BREZY who gathered the other night, at the invitation of Eleanor Perry, the screen- writer, and her daughter, Ann Bayer, a writer, for what was billed as "an eve- ning for wives and other women." The event was a special screening of the controver- sial film, "The Stepford Wives." It was followed by an SRJC students and Gold Card holders and 75 cents for other students. The group of six young musicians is known for accuracy and authenticity in the music it plays.

Much of the music derives from ancient tradition and is influenced by a mixture of cul- PETALUMA 763 -5600 OPEN -SHOW 7.30 ADULTS ONLY, 18 OR DAVID tTfmmm tonight Saturday jPJM ONE COMPLETE SHOW ALICE ONCE 9PM 7PM MARJ FILM RATING GUIDE For Parents and Their Children GENERAL AUDIENCES AM Agpi Adm.tieO PG PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED Some Mattnat May Mot Bt Suitable For Pr-TtnaBeri RESTRICTED Under requires accompany mg Parent or Adult Guardian NO ONI UNDER II ADMITTED (Age limit may vary in ceriam areaa) MPAA NOW SHOWING THRU SATURDAY ONE WEEK ONLT! TO BE Sis. Music by MICHEL LEGRAND Written by JO HEIMS Produced by ROBERT DALEY TECHNICOLOR' A UNIVERSAL MALPASO CO. PRODUCTION A NOW SHOWING FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT ffi tf I OPEN 7PM 542-7800 at 9:30 Robert Redford 'Jeremiah Johnson" PANAVISION COLOR JOHNWATOE "MAX at 7:20 JyTKIRLWOltOCVtO do it to the u. A. as at fPV 11:25 AND SUNDAY HOME! A NATIONAL GEWEHAL PiCTURFS RELEASE TECHNICOLOR iGio FISH CARTOONS DOORS OPEN PG-i SATURDAY ALL SEATS $1.50 Box Office Open for Pre -Ticket Sale OOCRS OPEN 11PM -T nr ALL 7 i.

SEATS )IJZ- 'ZS I THE NEWEST MEMBER fi" rWwatt 1.1' HI iv. t'- -3 WEEKNIGHTS Note Co -Hit VILLAGE ONLY "PRIME CUT" 9 PM Alee is 35. She has kid. She hasn't got a job and she's on her own. How come she has such a good time? Academy Award Nominations BEST ACTRESS ELLEN BURSTYN Best Supporting Actress Diane Ladd 'L fCHNlCOLOR From Warner Bros.

A Warner Communications Company GQ fh Ryan O'Neal Jacqueline Bisset THE THIEF WHO CAME TO DINNER Academy Award KATE WOLF, Don Coffen and Rod Dickinson are among the musicians set to perform at the Peta-luma Evolution Art Institure's benefit country music dance and dinner tomorrow night at the Cotati Veterans Memorial Building. Music will start at 7 p.m. and run through midnight. Donations will be $2 per person, with proceeds going to the non-profit art school. if I OPIVE-IN novaio petaluma PETALUMA nominations including BEST PICTURE i ja GET SET FOR A 4D JOURNEY INTO TRANS-ETHERIQ VISION! (WITH TELEPATHIC DIALOGUE!) GET SET FOR A PSYCHIC FREAKOUT! ELLEN BURSTYN I GET SET KRIS KRISTOFFERSON i i I 8 'V G22H23J FRIDAY SATURDAY 7PM and TONIGHT SATURDAY AMARC0RD at 8:50 PM A 0.

SELZNICKS PRODUCTION OF MARGARET MITCHELLS AJCE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE GOWEVITH I I -1 THEVM CLRKGABLE 11EN LEIGH LESLIE HOM OIMAdeBMlAND TONIGHT THE LATE SHOW mmmsmmmm Alexrleltenzy's WINNER NEW YORK FILM CRITICSAWARD BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR BEST DIRECTOR FANTASY I a vou won't believe your eyes! (v OVER, ID X-RATED HiHwconirk? zRfn jL-'4i Jf 1ST SANTA MOSA 1-LJAA XV adults, 18 or over, ID, Cont. 7pm BY PRODUCER'S PERMISSION HELD OVER THRU MARCH 4TH MISTERS imtte SAME PROCfOM Oriiii DSP UNCUT hcs.it. LINDA LDVRACE EU1E! STARTS MARCH 5 "YOUNG FANTASIES" "THEATRE GAMES" ii riMW plus (2nd Adult Hit! Thaw could teach ttMtoachtrs a thing or two! a i-v i Yiv' ill iii.u ii. ill 'NBKriekl fi aW a4 Fl IV afl II Co-Feature lOVBandten AND THE WHOLE DAMN THUG 7pm-11pm MaCJCjIe UfHOUlV BoSbmS 431.