Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 144

Along the 'Streets5 of Little Italy A KNOCKOUT! A MIRACLE! tuetii HI vita By Gene Siskel BEGINNING WRITERS re advised to "write about what you know Two of this year's best motion pictures argue that the same advice is well-heeded by aspiring filmmakers. "American Graffiti" bubbled, up out of the memory of 28-year-old George Lucas, who himself was a teen-ager in a California town like the one pictured In his fond remembrance of adolescent life In the early '60s. Indeed, "American Graffiti" is one of the funniest films in quite some time, because of its director's familiarity with its subject. Thru that familiarity Lucas was able to distill the teen-age personality Into four finely drawn, human archetypes: the pseudolntclloctual, the going-steady homebody, the greasy hot-rodder, and the four-eyed wimp. When the wimp pulls into the local drive-in restaurant driving a Vespa, the low-horsepower and monster-fendered motorcycle for the chicken-hearted, one knows that director Lucas knows.

When the wimp tries to park the Vespa, but forgets to shut off its motor, only to have the bike run away from him and crash into the drive-in's wall, one knows that Lucas really knows. A new movie made by a film school friend of Lucas displays the very same familiarity with its subject. The film is called "Mean Streets," it was directed by 31-year-old Martin Scorsese, and it is set in the uncertain recent past in the Little Italy section of New York. "Mean Streets" will be shown tomorrow at 7 p. m.

in the Devon Theater, 6225 N. SIDNEY EDFNfHtlFNTi BEN BlCltf the dectmeindfylloftheetitire world teen through the eyes of COLE PORTER OPENING DEC. 11 ENJOY DINNER AT LONG JOHNS OR THE PRESIDENTS AND PARK FREE IN-BUILDING PARKING AVAILABLE RESTAURANT THEA TRE PACKAGES AVAILABLE GROUP SALES 642-4981 Thurl. 7:30 p.m. S5.90 Friday 8:00 p.m.

$7.50 Wed. Matinee 2:00 p.m. S4.90 Saturday 6:30 9:30 p.m. $7.50 TICKET INFORMATION 732-4470 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE BOX OFFICE AND ALL TICKETRON OUTLETS Broadway, as part of the ninth annual Chicago International Film Festival. Director Scorsese will be present after the screening to answer questions.

"Mean Streets" is currently scheduled to open commercially in Chicago In January. Like "American Graffiti," "Mean Streets" seems to play itself out over one long night of action. Like "American Graffiti," "Mean Streets" is male-centered. There are differences, however. "Mean Streets" is not a happy film; it is violent.

Instead of messing around with camshafts and french fries, the boys in "Mean Streets" play with the numbers and juice-loan rackets. They dress not in chinos and button-down madras shirts, but slick sharkskin suits. They are junior mobsters taking on-the-job training for a life of extortion. This is Little Italy as Scorsese and his friends lived it 10 years ago. According to Scorsese, the film is based on the experiences and characters of himself and three of his teen-age friends.

"Mean Streets" is not the first film that Scorsese made about his young manhood. First came the well-reviewed but commercial flop, "Who's That Knocking at My Door?" Scorsese compared the two films during a conversation we had three weeks ago at the San Francisco Film Festival. "The first one, compared to 'Mean Streets, Is like a rough charcoal sketch compared to a full-color painting. "Who's That Knocking at My 1967 was a film that dealt with a simple theme, one basic idea a young guy trying to deal with his madonna-whore complex about women-plus a slight indication of what Little Italy was like. "The lifestyle depicted In 'Who's That Knocking" is a very lonely thing; it's very boring.

The three main characters hang out together in their small club; they drive around in their car doing nothing, listening to the car radio. They have nothing to do. They put the car in a garage and actually watch it being parked to make sure the attendant doesn't scratch it. They go to bars all the time to get drunk and ralso hell, but even in these scenes, the camera is very tight on them so that you see very few other people. They really are alone.

"But it takes in a lot less than 'Mean Streets' takes in: the family relationships, the relationships between the guys, the whole 'night quality' of 'Mean "Originally, our idea for 'Mean Streets' was to film it as one long party a crazy, energetic night set in a string of bars with a lot of fights sort of three downtown nights stuck together. "Instead of just dealing with the central Director Martii Scor sese center discusses a scene with DeNiro lleft and Keitel. if frgp I .1 NATIONAL DANCE ENSEMBLE OF ill 811 i iiii im -mmm MBmm pa is -j i Brings this nation's most eminent dancers, musicians and choreographers. Prices; M. F.

$7.00, 1st Bal. $6.00, $5.00, $4.00 2nd Bal. Gallery $2.00, Box Seats $7.50 WORLD FAMOUS BARITONE IMCf STAR Or CONCERT AND OPERA 1 AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS HMCESa M.F. $8.50, $7 Mt 1st Mai. $7 JO, $4.00, and Bal.

UJOO; Gallery Bexet $10.00 LAST WEEKS oNrVA TftflAV AT XV -r WIEDRICH 4 8 P.M. 1 uniuAuu's Longest Yr Running Musical Hit TICKETS it box Office or at any Ticketron Outlet. Moil Orders; Send chedti with self-oddretied stomped envelope to Auditorvjm Theatre Council 70 E. Congress, Chicago 60605 Latecomers will be seated at appropriate intervoli fj M.i.f.i. Now thru Dec.

2 MICHAEL COLE of TV's Mod Squad 'Wait Until Dark' Dec, 4 Jan. 6 Exciting Musical Revue 'FOUR ON THE FLOOR' Grammy Award Album on POLYDOR Groua Salem ornce hckehon ootms. tM)2-4Vei STUDENT HUiH WITH I D. MAIL PHONE ORDERS DE 7-1000 JULLIARD STRING QUARTET SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT CONCERT NATIONAL COLLEGE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Reserved Seats $5 For mail order tickets, send self-addressed stamped envelope to Dayton GrafmanNational College of Education2840 Sheridan Rd.Evonston, III. 60201.

For information, call ext. 54. Our writers are a step ahead of the times. (Diicago (Tribune Luncheon Matinee Wednesday! Phone Orders 584-1454 Phone 261-7943 Fine writing on! interesting subjects, plus super photographs; all add up to one stupendous magazine the Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine. Page 6 Section 6 -November 18, 1973 CHICAGO TRIBUNE Arts Fun- i i i 'i.