The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 62

FACT-FICTION 'Serpico' and 'Executive Action' Families Face Competition HOLLYWOOD The Partridge Family is up against All in the Family this year. Shirley Jones says," "If we can survive this year, and that competition, we'll keep going." If not, she says, she'd like lo do another half-hour situation comedy. She says she enjoys the way of life she has making the show. standable character. He would be just as fascinating if he'd been called Frank Johnson, and placed in the same situa-'t ions.

Then the authors could have been free to add needed characters who could not be identified by the real situations. By FRANCES TAYLOR (c)NewfcueNeiStrvfc NEW YORK Combining facts and fiction is a difficult job in any medium but for a filmmaker, it's dangerous. Two recent movies exemplify problems awaiting a mixture of fact and close-to-fact. "Serpico" and "Executive Action" are among the current movies which use actual events, names and places plus invented people, motives and actions. "Serpico" is an exciting movie built around the character and experience of a New York City cop who liked his Job.

He wanted to do it without interference from other cops who were taking bribes to en sure they would 'not do their job. "Executive Action" bases its story on the assassination Fri. Sat. From Los Angeles THE DANNY HAN LEY GROUP Dec. 16 MOTHER'S FINEST of President Kennedy with an invented group of top-level industrialists and other money men who plan to kill the President.

Frank Serpico is alive and living abroad since his exposure of police corruption led to creation of the Knapp Commission, which investi- -gated the -whole matter. Many individuals involved with Serpico are alive and living in the U.S. Witnesses of the assassination are also alive. All the real individuals could sue a filmmaker if their characters are or seem to be damaged by a word or action in either film. That's a restricting situation for 'the writer of a screenplay.

In both cases, the risks were taken" with great care. "Serpico" thus is somewhat weakened by its concentration on Serpico himself. In reviewing the movie, I noted the screenplay was almost per feet. Its few imperfections seem to arise from the need to avoid identifying persons who might be injured. Thus there is hardly a cop in the movie who shares any of Serpico's attitudes.

Granted, the real Serpico is clearly shown as becoming obsessed with his' struggle against bribe-taking. 1 It's a noble obsession, but the tens of thousands Atlanta's Finest Adult Movies UNCENSOREDH IN LIVING COLORII ITNOVSItHtf.il t. tiX FESTIVAL CINEMA 142 Spring St. Downtown Atlanta Phone 523-4864 For Today's Film Titles PARIS I ft II THEATRES 320 Peachfree Heart of Atlanta Phone 524-1569 For Today's Film Titles -m rrr OPIN OAlIf OO bbixh Li K3 771 ADULTS ONLY uimifpT i niunui Ml MU 1HRIII I lMf UKKI.MOU.IMKII I ml star sti IN COLOR Bl C. AnolliMBigUullHll finl-Run, All-Nwl "WELCOME of New York cops there must have been others who felt almost the same way as Serpico.

In his travels from one precinct or division to another he could have met -more than two others who would join him, in some fashion, in his quest. Dramatically, his lone fight is effective. Factually, it seems weak in the face of the sheer numbers of cops in New York City, The movie is highly successful, but it might have been just as stirring with a few additions. The existence of widespread corruption can't be denied. But if Serpico had a small group of allies they might have found an equally small group of higher-ups to work with them.

In "Executive Action," we are dealing with a tragedy of such immensity the effort to expose it from a different point of view requires the utmost care. Again, the authors of the screenplay seem to be -backing away from identifying anyone but 'the known figures in the assassination. Because the plotters are shadowy, corrupt but discon- 1 nected individuals, we lose the urgency which drama must have. We need to know what these men will gain or lose if their planned assassination succeeds. We are told by the.

screenplay in only the most general terms: power, free- dom to push their regressive ideas, more wealth to add to what is seen as almost unlimited wealth to begin with. The blend of fact with possibly factual figures doesn't perhaps because, the undisputed facts are weakened by what we know is added like topping on a cake or a pudding. -'t "State of Siege," another exciting movie based almost entirely on facts of political kidnapings and executions in Latin America, suffered from the same split; between invented action and real acts. All these movies achieve some success. All could have been more solid in their conclusions if they had.

simply based their stories on facts, leaving the way open for the viewer to relate the story to known characters and events. Slight name changes' won't solve the problem, nor will substituting a short, fat police commissioner for ah actual man, tall and elegant However, of three movies, is the only one that succeeds in building continuous absorption and developing a wholly under- Burr's Illness Heart Spasm HOLLYWOOD Raymond Burr's health problems officially have been diagnosed now as a "heart spasm." But his doctors have said, privately, that if he hadn't been in good physical condition it would have been more serious. "It was a warning," the doctors said, "but it would have killed a lesser man." J2J STRANGER" IEST OF THEM ILL Show al 1 2 Midnight nfiiww mill wot mnm I33ZT nmmm "'HIGH RISE' gets IT UP. DEPICTS A NICER AND BRIGHTER WORLD THAN WE'LL EVER SEE." Day Moscw, Saw row. Ph wIb UtrtaaTuttM hum Mwrs MClEXj if- QT3 1 I Mm II: kft jm mm mm P1 mi DON'T MISS OF SATAN" NOW SHOWING I XXX -IN COLOR "STIMULANTS" Cherry 1 "TWE PDSSESSlOy Uk muw ma man we couldn't handler AtMATtOMlV! cc ran i.iw tmiMSUL UnUMtTMTttMIML ummfwww KVSRVMONVAV' TWQOF ANOf WARHOL'S BIG HITS! JOE DALUSANDRO SYLVIA MILES in "HEAT" lot Dallmandre In "TRASH" Call Th off (w fotura Tlm -TrTTTTirTl THEATRE I AJ "Y0UNQ AND EAGER" 3 I -s.

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