The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 291

Screenplay by IRWIN R. BLACKER For decades, scholars have been nibbling around the edges of the subject of Jews in film. Numerous articles and a few books have been written on the topic. The Jew in American Cinema by Patricia Erens (Indiana University: $27.50, illustrated), however, completely dates and makes almost worthless all those that have come before it. Clearly written with a minimum of jargon, reflecting sensitivity as well as mature judgment, "'The Jew in American Cinema" shows how a doctoral dissertation can be turned into a classic of ethnic film studies.

Analyzing primarily the changing image of the Jew in film and only secondarily the role of the Jew in the industry, Erens quotes Allen Rivkin, the last director of the Jewish Film Advisory Committee, on the committee's dissolution after "Oliver" and like films at the end of the '60s: "Our job was done." Monitoring the image of the Jew really ended, however, when Ron Leibman, a Jew, played a Jewish labor organizer from New York in "Norma Rae." Despite the careless misnaming of some as Jews who are not and the failure to name some who should have been named who are, as well as a very inadequate set of indices, "The Jew in American Cinema" is what a good film book should be. The third book about cinematographers in as many months, Masters of Light: Conversations With Contemporary Cinematographers by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato (University of California: $27.50) is a -rate book about men whose contributions have too long been overlooked or taken for granted. The 15 camera artists, from Nestor Almendros to Vilmos Zsigmond, discuss their craft and backgrounds in sufficient detail for the reader to understand the men, the different ways they work, their contribution and how they achieved what they have. In a moment rare among those who have achieved success, John Bailey People," "Big Chill," etc.) credits his teacher: Peterson was a very dynamic and energetic guy who really turned me on to cinematography. He was SO positively certain that films were made by cameramen that he kind of convinced me." A book for all film lovers and all film makers.

The day of the one- -volume history of cinema may not be gone, but the time when one person can successfully write The Story of Cinema: A Complete Narrative History From the Beginnings to the Present as has David Shipman (St. Martin's: $50, illustrated) is behind us. With more than 600,000 weary words, "The Story of Cinema" attempts to cover individuals, styles, studios, industry problems, national film industries, television, technology, etc. through the discussion of 5.000 films. BOOKS BOUGHT We visit you and give estimates.

No Obligation. Immediate Payment. BERKELOUW (213) 393-21161 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK "The Story of Cinema," if nothing else, shows how great is the need for a film history equivalent of "Literary History of the United States," where each chapter was written by a major scholar. Such a book will take the courage of a great publisher and great editors. In 1948 when the editors of "LHUS" appeared at the Modern Language Assn.

Convention, they were received with a standing ovation from their peers. Shipman is unlikely to receive the same attention. Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus: A Spiritual Diary by Franco Zeffirelli, translated from the Italian by Willis J. Egan, SJ (Harper Row: illustrated), is the director's personal account of his involvement in the film for television, -his reluctance to make it, the persuasive powers of executive Lew Grade, the problems of casting and location and the impact of the film on its director. Though details are not always well explained, "Jesus" is the kind of book any film lover will appreciate.

Now, Voyager, edited with an introduction by Jeanne Allen (University of Wisconsin: $17.50, hardcover; $6.95, paperback; illustrated) is part of an excellent on- -going series that is bringing Warner Brothers scripts into print. There is, however, in the concept of this series a flaw so gross as to offend thousands. Prof. Jeanne Allen, who contributes a fine, feminist -oriented introduction, has her name on the dust jacket and the title page along with that of the series editor, while Casey Robinson, who stripped away the excesses of the novel, structured the script and provided the dialogue, is not mentioned until Page 24, disappears after three pages and is never mentioned again, not even in the notes concerning his script. The bulk of the volume is the script written by Casey Robinson, not novelist Olive Prouty, director Rapper or actress Bette Davis, though Allen gives that impression.

It was certainly not written by Allen, whose name appears alone on the title page. This series totally misunderstands that the script was written by a screenwriter, apparently the least of all created and creative beings. Writing for the Soaps by Jean Rouverol (Writer's Digest: illustrated) is more practical and realistic than most writing texts. Though possibly leaving out too STONES FOR IBARRA of the most distinguished novels and of recent years in paperback $4.95 Hunter's has available copies of STONES FOR IBARRA in Hardback $14.95 BEVERLY HILLS WESTWOOD much about something as important as dramaturgy, "Writing for the Soaps" includes agencies, sponsors and affiliates in a chapter entitled, "'The Root of All Evil." The inclusion of a breakdown for a day's episode, show bibles, use of stock shots, chrome-key, budgetary limitations, the interweaving of story lines, makes this the book for the novice interested in day- or prime- soaps. Though much of the apparatus and appendices are padding, "Writing for the Soaps" is a pioneer work with too many virtues to be overlooked.

Listen to Me: The Story of Elizabeth Quinn by Elizabeth Quinn and Michael Owen (Michael Joseph: illustrated) is Quinn's autobiography. Normally, an autobio of one so young might be called premature, but the story of a girl who lost her hearing as a child and starred with acclaim on the London stage in "Children of a Lesser God" has a tale to tell of family alcoholism and deafness that is warm and well worth reading if one respects such things as courage and talent. With his celebrity bio Vivien Leigh (St. Martin's: illustrated), John Russell Taylor, once a fine writer, by Harriet SERVING THE WEST SINCE 1851 PASADENA LA JOLLA merely adds another link of indigestible sausage to the chain he has been turning out with increasingly less and less stuffing. With a too-slight text and weirdly colored pics, "Vivien Leigh" serves no recognizable purpose.

Astaire: The Man, the Dancer by Bob Thomas with comments by Fred Astaire (St. Martin's: illustrated) almost -describes in the title. Thomas, author of 15 other cele-bios, is a competent craftsman, and all the basic bio data is here in chronological order. Gene Kelly by Clive Hirschhorn (St. Martin's: illustrated), however, leans too heavily on Kelly's selective memory, which is not as flawless as his dancing.

Both are books for those who enjoy the best four dancing feet in film history. Many years ago a publishing sent a letter to the writers on his spring list apologizing for "Zsa Zsa" being on the same list, but, he explained, he "needed the money to balance the list." One can only wonder about the case for Such Devoted Sisters: Those Fabulous Gabors by Peter H. Brown (St. Martin's: illustrated). For the very foolish.

Doerr AMERICAN FICTION: A TEMPORARY HARRIET DOERR SIONES FOR OF EXTRAORDINARY BEAUTY. UNUSUAL PIERCES THE NEW YORKIN OF IT HUNTER'S BOOKS WINNER of the 1984 American Book Award VIKING PENGUIN PHOENIX SCOTTSDALE REVIEW SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24,.