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The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 35

Location:
San Francisco, California
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Page:
35
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

RUFUS THOMAS, singing originator of "soul" dance steps, is the brightest of many stars in the swinging "Wattstax" film. Thur, Mar. 15, 1973 XxaiulurrPage 35 A Hillbilly Allegory on Violence totem'. 'Wattstax': Soul From Inside Out "LOLLY- MADONNA XXX" MGM releasej produced by Rodney Carr-Smith; directed by Richard C. Sar-afian; screenplay by Rodney Carr -Smith and Sue Grafton, from Miss Grafton's novel.

"The Lolly Madonna photography by Philip Lathrop. With Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges, Season Hubley, Katherine Squire, Scott Wilson, Tre-sa HURhes, Timothy Scott. Rated PG (parental guidance suggested). At the Baronet, New Mission, Plaza and Spruce Drive-in. Scott Wilson's injured head by his mother, who asks him whether he prefers brown or yellow thread.

We don't have to wait too long, through, lor the serious carnage, like Rod Steig-er father of the Feather household kicking out the guts of his own son because the boy questioned his authority. You may ask what an ac tor of Steiger's stature is doing in such an utterly foul film. Or why Robert Ryan who plays the Gutshall paterfamilias also had to stoop so low, Whatever Sarafian did to entice them hasn't carried over to "Lolly-Madonna." which he directed with all the finesse of a concretemixer. Stanley Eichelbaum Another corrupt little lesson in the tragic effects of violence is rammed down our throat in "Lolly-Madonna XXX," which opened yesterday at the Baronet, New Mission, Plaza and Spruce Drive-in. The odd-looking title may not worth explaining since MGM decided to drop the three X's from their ads, lest people mistake this PG-rated atrocity for a non-violent skin flick.

I'll only go so far as to tell you that the X's are the love-and-kisses kind and Lolly-Madonna is a phony signature tin a postcard with which a feuding Tennessee backwoods family called the Gutshalls provokes a war with their hated neighbors, the Feathers. It's never clear why the Feathers fall for the trick and kidnap a pretty teenager who's a stranger in town and has nothing to do with the postcard prank. But the Feathers think she's Lolly-Madonna and hold her prisoner. She's a nice girl (and proves it by wanting to bathe every day) and she soon falls in love with the Feathers' sweet-natured son, Jeff Bridges. The girl is played with spirit by an appealing newcomer named Season Hub-ley.

That's about all I can say in the film's favor. Director Richard C. Sar-af ian hasn't lost his taste for violence since putting us through the bloody awful ordeal of "Man in the Wilderness." He's now grabbed hold of an insufferably obvious allegory (adapted from Sue Grafton's novel, "The Lolly-Madonna in which the Feathers and Gutshalls are supposed to represent our bleeding nation. In case you don't get the symbolism of this hillbilly clan war, there's a brusque zoom shot to a photograph of a Green Beret which the Fathers display in their Pacific Wind Variety Benefit By Philip EJwood In August of last year the black Watts community of Los Angeles celebrated, by public reflection, on its rise from the ashes of the 1965 conflagrations. The Stax Record Co.

joined with Watts leaders to present a mammoth "Wattstax" music session in the LA Memorial Coliseum as a part of that Seventh Annual Watts mas, a graduate of Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. II i Richard Rondeau home to show that one of their boys went off to Vietnam to learn all about killing. To insure that we won't forget the tragedy of these warring families, Sarafian subjects us to an obscene display blood-letting which doesn't end until more than half the cast is senselessly killed off. And you can be sure that each death has Sam Peckinpah's now-obligatory stamp of agonizing slow-motion. violence starts off rather modestly, with a rape scene.

Then we're teased along with a bit of horseplay involving the sewing up of The Pacific Wind will present its second program on the Opera Variety Theater benefit series Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m. in the OVT concert hall at 3944 Balboa St. Purpose of the series is to help finance completion of a neighborhood center for the lively arts. Pacific Wind is a new chamber group directed by clarinetist Stephen McCo- handsome girls with gorgeous gospel voices, sing "Peace Be Still" in a frame church the emotional impact is staggering both in the movie theater and in the tiny sanctuary where the The music is the "Wattstax" focal point but the excited, colorful, crowd (frequently brought into sharp individual focus) is quite as important as the famous artists and perhaps more signlicant. nas suidiea wun 5.i".

symphony first horn Arthur Krehbiel, bassoonist Kathy Johnson is in the Marin Symphony, and flutist Bob Harrow is a graduate of Queens College in New York. The program includes works of Haydn, Blaser, ReU cha, Milhaud and Jolivet Summer Festival. Some 100,000 people came to the Coliseum spectacular and 12 four-man camera crews, mostly black, filmed the seven hour presentation. The movie "Wattstax," which opened yesterday at the Market Street Cinema, is a skillfully produced 95 minute slice of the music, the Watts community, and the Aug. 20 event.

"Wattstax" is a superb documentary of "soul" from the inside out it is a rhythmic audio-visual excursion into exotic America. "Wattstax" is always moving from the Coliseum stage to restaurant and barber shop comments; from street and alley scenes to night club episodes and church fronts and what goes on inside. When The Emotions, three Met Soups Up Repertoire By Arthur Bloomfield special. preview I IMI WWliMAM Ait ITHJ I BA HP wrmm fmnrwi uammwIW lnurA1HJU ew ramoRRow MANKIWK7 jl mmmm -om weeK. fltti FnflNCISCO'S MOST COMFORTABI THFATTTm Pc I i''(i'Trr WhjTfc SHOWS AT: 7:00 and BARGAIN MATINEES Wednesday.

vn NFsiin mii ik 673-7ii Vaturdavi ist nour bunaav 1 5 th WEEK Plus "McCABE MRS. MILLER' "McCabe" 8:40 "Blues" 7:00, 10: 5Q unobtrusive cameras caught a remarkable amount of inner spiritual turmoil, and exhilaration. When the irrepressible Ru-fus Thomas sings and dances "Breakdown" and "Funky Chicken" (a couple of the many dances he's originated) the stadium erupts with dancers who spill onto the turf. If "Wattstax" has a star, it's Thomas in his wild pink Bermuda-length play suit. Albert King cries out "I'll Sing the Blues for You," and the sexy-smooth Luther Ingram nails down "If Lovin' You is Wrong I Don't Want to Be Right." And there is Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Johnny Tny-lor and the soul-ro'jkmg Bar-Kays.

Each distinctive, each nicely presented, and each filmed performance seasoned with scenes from the stands and Watts community. There are a half-dozen sequences of comic Richard Pryor as he observes the realities of being black, and a full complement of old 'and young Watts blacks rer'lnct SUTTtH SIHftl BARGAIN MATINEES Wednesday, Saturday ft 1st hour Sunday 31 So. one pecfoRirunce only! the fiRst public showing OpiBRllllAnt new film ByfRAncozefficelli, who BROuqhtyou and Justino Diaz, with James Levine, the Met's principal conductor, in the pit. "Hoffmann" will have Joan Sutherland as all the heroines, Placido Domingo as Hoffmann, Thomas Stewart as all the villains, and Richard Bonynge conducting a version he has presided over in Seattle. Kubelik conducts -the "Goetterdaemmerung," with Birgit Nilsson, Jess Thomas and Thomas Stewart heading the cast.

"Don Giovanni." under Karl Boehm, will bring Leontyne Price as Donna Anna in her only role during the season. Opening Night has Martina Arroyo in "Tro-vatore," Levine conducting. Other Met news: Chapin says nobody has been fired. The Metropolitan Opera has announced a 1973-74 season which will be its most interesting repertoire-wise in a long time. Included among the new productions are Berlioz' "Les Troyens" (which San Francisco has played in an abridged version), Rossini's "Italian Girl in Algiers" with Marilyn Home (available here previously, too) and Verdi's rarely done grand opera, "I Vespri Sicili-ani." Also on the agenda are a new "Tales of Hoffmann," "Goetterdaemmerung" and "Don Giovanni." The news reflects plans made by the late Goeran Gentele, briefly the Met's general manager, and carried on by the present acting manager, Schuyler Chapin.

Christa Ludwig, Shirley MATIONAL GENERAL PICTURES Presents JACQUELINE BISSET JOSEPH COTTEN fit a JIM BROWN e. "POSEIDEN ADVENTURE" WILL FOLLOW if, ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS NAIIONAL GtNlRAL PKIURLS PREStNIS JiHl BRQUin LEE CLEEF INCLUDING Best Supporting Actress SHELLEY WINTERS -ess Verrett and Jon Vickers star in "Troyens," conducted, by Met music director Rafael "Vespri" will fea ture Montserrat Caballe, Ni colai Gedda, Sherrill Milnes A simple prank, a game nobody ROD SHIGER-ROBERT RYAN on lite and love, birth and death, poverty and plenty in Watts. Rev. Jesse Jackson's powerful conducting of the National Black Litany, "I Am Somebody," which begins the film followed by Kim Weston's impassioned singing of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" sets a standard that never lets down in noPM nAH AT 19 WDDN Bargain Matinees Dailv.S1.00 until dunnoi HAIL CAESAR Godfather Jof Harlem! PANAVISION METROCOLOR IPG MGM HELL, UPS DOWN Happenings STAGE Jazz Rock Musical "Vibrations," presented by the New Art Theater, at Lone Mountain College Theater, 2800 Turk through Saturday (and next weekend, Thursday Saturday) 8:30 p.m. MUSIC Oakland Symphony Horold Farberman conducts Debussy's "Iberia," and Alicia de Larrochais piano soloist in Mozart A major concerto and Folia's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain," Oakland Auditorium Theater 8:30 p.m.

Diabelli Variations Pianist Paul Hersh plays Beethoven's work at S.F. Conservatory of Music, 1 9th Avenue and Ortega 8:00 p.m. S.F. Conservatory Orchestra Niklaus Wyss conducts works of Vivaldi, Walton and Bizet, with soloists, S.F. Museum of Art 8:00 p.m.

Lieder Recital Hans-Olaf Hudemann sings Schubert, Brahms, Wolf ond Strauss at Goethe Institute, 432 Clay 8:00 p.m. Musicologist wit Nicholas Slonimsky at Mills College Concert Hall 8:00 p.m. Folk Rock Concert Seals and Croft, and England Dan and John Ford Coley, at Berkeley Community Theater, Grove St. at Allsron Way 8:00 p.m. Jazz Don Ellis and his Electric Trio, at Mandrake's, 1048 University 'Berkeley, through Sunday 9:30 p.m.

Blues Rock Michael Bloomfield and the mob, Frank Biner Band, and Nick Grovin-ites with Blue Gravy, at Keystone Berkeley, 211 9 University through Saturday 9:00 p.m. Blues Hi Tide Harris blues band, at Gack- scraggle, 3599- Taraval St 9:30 p.m. Folk-Rock David Rae, and Tubes, at the Orphanage, 807 Montgomery St 9:30 p.m. Jazz Jules Broussard quartet, at the Keyhole Lounge, 2400 Bayshore through Monday 9:00 p.m. Sunday 5:00 p.m.

Folk Doug Kennedy, at Latitude 08, 621 Bridgeway, Sausalito, through Sunday 9:30 p.m. Bluegrass The Hired Hands, at Paul's Saloon, 3251 Scott St. 9:00 p.m. Folk Tim Dawe and the Wooden Strings, at Orion Coffeehouse, 40 Cedar Alley 9:00 p.m. Gospel-Rock Gideon and Power, and Clover, at Long Branch Saloon, tonight and tor-morrow 9:30 p.m..

Jazz Ahmad Jamal trio, at El Matador, 492 Broadway, through March 24 9:30 p.m. Folk The Arkansas Sheiks, string band music, at Freight and Salvage, 1827 San Pablo Berkeley 9:30 p.m. Rock Alice Stuart and Snake, at the Boat-house, Bridgeway at Sausalito, through Saturday 9:30 p.m. Rock-and-Roll Mitch Woods and his Red Hot Mama, at Sweetwater, Mill Valley 9:30 p.m. Folk -Blues Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, at Inn of the Beginning, Cotatl, through Sunday 9:30 p.m.

FILM SPECIALS Film Series Canyon Cinematheque presents films by Bruce Baillie, at the San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St 8:30 p.m. Film Series "The African Queen" (1951) and "Bombay Talkie" (1971, India), at the Merritt College cafeteria, 12500 Campus Oakland 7:00 p.m. ART Picasso Prints Connoisseur's Gallery, 1 Embarcadero Center, to May 14. a WINNER OF TWO ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR EDDIE ALBERT 8r PEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS JE ANNIE BERLIN "1 cat with the i-i Plus: "SKYJACKED" Open at 362-4822 1 im r. i cancer Neil Simon's S-'Z r.lawsL i The Heartbreak Kid Plus: "SKYJACKED" Open at An blame Mdy Film I SorraMont 1 I DilvCity 70MM and 6 Track Stereo Sound PRINTS BY DELUXE" Plus James Garner in "They Only Kill Their Masters" 'Lolly' 6:30,10:00 'Masters at FRED WILLIAMSON mm TONIGHT at $1.00 Bargain Hour 12:00 Plus "MADE FOR EACH OTHER' And A Selected Short Subject 'Caesar' 1:30,3:35, 5:40,7:45, 9:50 Plus "Lovers ft Other Stranqers' Satiric Revue At Mercy Ilijrli The Adult Company of the Performing Arts Workshop will open a tour of its satiric dance revue, "The Human Condition," with performances Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, at 8 p.m.

at the Center for Related Arts, Mercy High School. The production will tour Bay Area schools and theaters for two months. to 1:00 Sat. and Wed. "Heartbreak" at 7:00 and "Made" at 8:45 Bargain Mats.

Wed. Sat. 1st hr. Sun. "Heartbreak" at 8:45 7:00 and 10:35 Bargain Mats." Saturday Stindav 1.50 til Plus: "SKYJACKED" Continuous Nightly From Robert Plus Jim Brown In "SLAUGHTER" sai 234 1 Continuous from I pm Nightly Redlord Jeremiah Johnson" TUESDAY it ANTHONY WELD PERKINS "PIMIT AS IT LAYS1 L2l PG From Werner Broe "THE FINEST PERFORMANCE JACK LEMMON HAS EVER GIVEN." Charles Chemplln, i.A.

Timet LAST 6 DAYS A Werner Communicetione Compeny Tr MORE DAYS Jib Bernardo Bertolucci's BEFORE IT i Plus: "When The Legends Die" "THE CONFORMISTS WEEKDAYS Play 9:00 Conform 7:00 10:40 SAT SUN Ray 9:06 Conform 3:20 7:00 10:40 Tonight "Jeremiah" at TURNS A RAINBOW ADVENTURE FILM PRODUCED 8V JOSEF SHAFTEL TO00-AO1S STARRING Peler Sellers Featuring Fiona Fullerton "Alice" PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION and F1LMWAYS. INC present JKLEMMQN in A MARTIN RANSOHOFF Production "SAVE THE TIGER" 7 Leqends" 7:00 4 TV, i JzJHER OH! co-starring JACK GILFORD mm It's unforgettable tun for adults "DELIVERANCEr! MATINEES- everyday III 2 p.m. SSTIMES inej worm "McCABE third best le ha naval ornlodat fn IVIILLth --I -sn- I Naw At 6 Theatres Including east bay BEWARE THE DEVIL CARD! WORLD PREMIERE ALHAMBRA THEATRE STARTS WEDNESDAY MARCH 21st W1 1jpi "BLACK CEASAR" "SLAUGHTER" Itinrt- 1 5 5. I 00 10 It I UWN COUNTRY SAN JOSE SAN FRANCISCO A National General Pictures Release 'GROUP MARRIAGE 0 WALTER READE THEATRES 1 c.i inw 'BONNIE'S KIDS' "Newman and his cast are to tie commented lor the meticulous transposition of Zindal's play, which has reached the screen in powerfully affecting terms" Stanley Ficnalbatm, S.F. lammer Plus: CHARLES HRONSON In "RED SUN" Tonlaht Tonlqht "Judge" at 'LOLLY MADONNA' 'SKYJACKED'pg "Red Sun" "Red Sun" at 7:004 At All Theatres: Weekdays at Sun.

1:00,3:00.5:00,7:00,9.00 Vi $1.00 Bargain Hour til tV Saturday Wednesday Dominican Concert Soprano Edith Zitelli arid pianist Adolph Bailer will perform music of Mozart, Mechem, Debussy, Falla and Bizet in Caleruega Hall at Dominican College, San Rafael, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door. :30 EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT IIummim in Showtime Daily ay JOANNE woaawARa Product of American National Enterprises Inc "THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON 100 Official U.S. Entry, Caneei Film Festival 1173 Bargain Matinee Daily II Spats 00 Until 3 DO em "A SENSITIVE LOVE STORY TO RECALL WITH DELIGHT" Exclusive Engagement jfumim HiMaeaaeMeMneeneMeMM TONITE At 8:00 Boxoffice Open Dally 12 To 9 p.m. The special occasion you've 1 been waiting for.

fj BjQ RTlffl NO RESERVED SEATS-RESERVED PERFORMANCES ONLY EVERY TICKET ThilHron pn GUANANTEES KTTTiTi III 111 il 50 -Paint Knickerbocker, S.F. Cknnlcli i tut i it M-MICIIMC THE Exclusive San Francisco Engagement VI LAHKINaiHIIIJ.tlll mm and mmw stirrlnf Yves Montand Homy Schneider Showfj'mai 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 -STARTS TOMORROW "Flamboyantfoxes and dapper dudes are enjoying themselves in a foot-stomping, hip-shaking celebration!" -NEWSWEEK LAS I UAT THeiiiiiooe BJ CtABY JthLAKt Shown at 7:00 4 9:30 liclprdlil CAESARand CLEOPATRA. STAX FILMSW0LPER PICTURES ynurr SJA mi 4 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS La; 4m Presents Columbra Pictures present (NOWT HOSS HUNTER'S Musical Production of Larkln oil Geary Max von! dow-Liv Ullmann IO' -fll 1 1 unci' who cum to Dinna Showtimtt Today 7:00 9:45 The misSranfco 0dSlf' K(o)lpSK3 Muc bvBURJ BACHAR.ACH Lvnc bv HAL DAVID From exclusive San Francisco VBrnK Common. tnnt COTOr ICOLUMBIA NOMINATED FOR ACADEMY AWARDS PICTURES IMWIIW i I fcfle Brrp unuTrD I Mt nurarf uwviTT engagement Ma.onolG.oryLJ V86 Showfrmet Today EXCLUSIVE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ENGAGEMENT Showe Daily at: 12:00. 2:40.

5:15. 8:00. 10:30 pm TpiCTtmj! ACTOR ACTRESS KfUKNiaAT 12:01, 2:00. 1.00. 1:00.

1:00, 10 00 Plus: MICH ALL CALE in Plus James Coburn in bclWi'M'i''i'rF For Theatre parties end special Group PLUS ROBERT REDFORO IN "LITTLE Wattstax' 3:10, 6:45 10:1 Big' 1:30. 5:00 8:30 Special Ritii For 30110011314 laarfilte "PULP" THE CAREY TREATMENT "SOUNDER" i I ewiejejiiur Mares cent entries Hincus 9B9-b060 Croupi. Call 433-1645 ar 7TS-3 LThief 8:40 'Pulp' 7:00 10:25 Open 6:30 Show starts 7:00 J. Passes not honored this antjaqement.

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