The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 30

An Unusual Series Of Summer Concerts' LIVKLY ARTS FILM TlltiATKR MUSIC A1IT vhbV Page 30 Thursday, June 24, 1971 'Plaza Suite 9 Movie A Play in Three Acts Folk Song Festival I and II (Aug. 2 and 16) and a classical song program Aug. 9. All events are at 8:30, with a summer ticket rata in effect and parking across California Street (at Walnut) In the Fireman's Fund parking lot. By Stanley Etehelbaum Neil Simon's hit play, Tlaza Suite," remains very miK a play in the rigidly confined movie, which opened at the Golden Gate I.

Virtually nothing has been done to provide the 5hree-act comedy with breathing space. Simon's adapta-Jion is so uninventive, so literal, he even felt the need to inform us matterof-factly (after the title flashes on the screen) that w're seeing "A Neil Simon Play." And when the movie is A concert of tntmic for three flutes, and biuiIIkt for four bassoons tlio.so ore attractions on the nov el summer concert series to be offered by tho Jewish Community Center July 1 through Aug. 16. The flutists ore Janet Millard, Barbara Bernhard imd Larry Duckies, members of the Oakland and San Francisco Symphonies, who'll apppear Juiy 1. The bassoonists, from various Bay Area posts, are Greg Barber, Jerry Dagg, Walter Green and Charles Ul-lery they'll play July 20, their concert titled "The Elusive Truffle." Other events are the East Bay Trio (violinist Konald Erickson, violist Nancy Ellis, cellist Judi-aba) on July 12, the Fine Arts Guild in an informal opera presentation July 19, I WW JWN taw fit tlVtVyr i'i 1 fy I i when sho's being overawed by what she's read in the gossip columns and pumps Matthau with lines like, "I suppose you'll go back to Hollywood and have a big laugh with Jill St.

John over this. Matthau's most skillful characterization is in the final segment, where he and Miss Grant are seen as the nouveau-riche parents of a recalcitrant bride who decides (only minutes before the ceremony) to lock herself in the bathroom. The joke goes stale rather quickly. But Matthau and Miss Grant contribute marvelously as the desperate pair who are less concerned with what's ailing their daughter than with the tears she might be shedding all over her $400 wedding gown. Though I laughed at this and other droll morsels in "Plaza Suite," I found most of the film flatly uninspired and too mechanically locked into the wordy comedy that worked so much better on the stage.

tfver, Walter Matthau and Jis three leading ladies laureen Stapleton. Barbara Harris and Lee Grant come forward to take a iSow, as they would in the theater. This is not to say that 5 ou wont enjoy the jokes and situations. There are plenty of clever tags to savor and take ome with you. i But the film is only sporadically funny, because a Jreat deal of the material Jliat Mike Nichols staged so divertingly on Broadway has now been blunted or magnified out of shape by Arthur Killer's pedestrian direction.

"Miss Stapleton particu larly has been permitted to ive the sort of larger- than-life or a that's acceptable on the stage, but gets to be irritating on the screen. She's the only holdover from the original Broadway version in which she appeared opposite George C. Scott, each playing three roles in the trio of playlets that make up "Plaza Suite." The same suite of rooms in New York's Plaza Hotel is the scene for the separate playlets, in which three couples are sparring for different reasons. Matthau is superb in all three male roles and displays a versatility I never thought he had. The female roles are now divided between his three co-stars.

In the first episode, Miss 5 tion and Miss Stapleton's exaggerated whining robs it of any comic relief Simon intended it to have. The best sequence is the second, in which Matthau plays a Hollywood wolf a famous producer striving to seduce his high-school sweetheart, Miss Harris, who's terribly nervous about their reunion because she's got a husband and kids back in Tenafly, New Jersey. Miss Harris could not be more amusing, especially 7mm WALTER MATTHAU AND BARBARA HARRIS IN ACT II Hollywood wolf tries to seduce his high school sweetheart The Afghans Play Mean Polo THE DUNCAN COMPANY OF PERFORMING ARTISTS prasanfi UHURUH Performance at 8:30 p.m. THE BOARDING HOUSE THEATER 960 Bush Street San Francisco, Calif. 94109 Phone Reservation 441.4944 Stapleton is a fretful wife who learns from her callous husband on their 23rd anniversary that he's taken TM Littli Fn TNilfi, SI Pacific.

Su Ffuciici mmmmmmmammmmmmmui Mini Fih zzztm i i a mistress and that their marriage is more or less through. It's an unpleasant situa- "THE HORSEMEN." a Columbia Pictures release; produced by Edward Lewis; directed by John Fran-kenheimer. screenplay by Dalton Trumboi based on the novel by Joseph Kessel. With Omar Sharif. Leigh Taylor-Young, Jack Pal-ance, David De, Peter Jeffrey, Mohammed Shamsi.

At the New Mission, El Rey and Spruce Drive in. Qualified General Audience (GP). of the piece, looking dark and mysterious as a good hero should, and JackPal-ance is his old pa, a tired, jealous, unpleasant sort of man. Come to think of it, that's the prevailing adjective to describe this miserably inflated potboiler unpleasant, with an exclamation mark! Arthur Bloomfield 2nd SMASH YEAR! Over 75,000 people have been moved by this play. All for different reasons.

tickets al Ticketron I Macy's (4151 4M 4niaaMHMaaaaaHBaaaBBi EXCELLENT SEATS AVAILABLE Ceary Theatre Box Office, 415 Geary St, Open 10 a.m. lo 6 p.m. daily For Group Diicounti, Call Ken Kantar 771-3880 Box Office 673-6440 JACK PALANCE IN "THE HORSEMEN" Camel wrestling is among the diversions Itullet West Tour Ballet West of Salt Lake City, directed by former San Franciscan Will am Christerisen, will tour Europe this summer, going to Athens, Split, Ljubljana, Verona, Vichy, Alx lei Bains, Santander and Geneva. Jacques d'Amboisa of the New York City Ballet will be guest artist. "HOWLING SUCCESS? VERY FUNNY! HILARIOUS! DELIGHTFUL! SEVERAL OF THE SKITS MAT BECOME CLASSICS!" KnicfcarboclivrS.F.

Chronlcfa Flic (Oommillee PRESENTS AN I an ilk TT tuttf) Mori 1 OQ kalu'tfcy I JO. 1 10 j. 'Jou. Plaza suite. Through its portals pass the world's most mixed-up mortals.

-snr Qpj CtUr lUIWCtLtr rinst.m htlm NOW PLAYING 1 Shown Today At tit- THtAIHLU INL. Matinees Daily it 1:00.2:50. 4:40,6:30,8:30 and t'-6 In everyone life there's a SUMMER OF '42 A Rotwrt MulliganRichard A Roth Production JENNIFER 0 NEILL GARY GRIMES JERRY HOUSfcR OLIVER CONANT HIRMAN RAUCHCR RICHARD A ROTH RORf RT MULLIGAN MICHEL It GRAND IKMCatlMH LQfEZ rr Toniijht mt 6:30.8 30 10:30 LAST I DAYS Columbia Pictum Prntt JEAN -CLAUDE BRIALY Tonmht "Wiilerloo" at 8:30 "FUIIIb'' fi (10 WATERLOO of Britain" Taoi)hi "Plr" ji "Stranqlw" 30 4 10 JO 10 HILLiMoTGH PUCE rim UIM L'lHl IS In "Th Brnton SlrnHl'' tnnitomn Shonfilnq Cnir oi hie Parkinq) Bargain Mt every Wd. 1.00 III 3 00 Winner Academy Awirrlj rmn 8 "MARINEWORLD IS REALLY LOVED IT!" (actual comments ol San Franciscans who hava teen there) YOU'LL AGREE WHEN YOU SEE AMAZING MARINEWORLD'S 16 GREAT HELD OVER PULITZER PRIZE BEST PLAY V)70 CHorlct tmrtm' 10 On Broadway Theater 43S Broadway. San Francisco 6S69 IRS I maioi oullflJ POSITIVELY LAST 6 DAYS! Astorvoflcve.

PilmedDyuaviauBai. van's 53 Daughter TONIGHT FRIDAY AT 8:00 WW AMH INU Ut 1 rtt llll NOW "LOVE STORY" BECOMES YOUR STORY Sin fimixo -FftRHMOUNf PICTUHtS PRESENTS AliMacGraw Ryan O'Neal ThiKtir'l vSkW BmlSellir I John Marley Ray Milland IN mini) A PARAMOUNT PICTURE Today V.30-3:2b-b:25 Mi- -5 LION WEST 5:30 10:30 LIMITED SHOWING LAST 5 TH6 LION INWINT6R PLUS THE ONE ONLY WEST SIDE STORY" mm OPEN DAILY 11:00 OPEN 7:30 FRI SAT 7:00 SOFT YOUNG GIRLS BEHIND HARD PRISON BARS. THEY'RE LEARNING FAST V'ThB STUDENT NURSES'; OPEN FRI SAT 7:00 BIG JOHN WAYNE in "BIG JAKE" PLUS STEVE McQUEEN in "THE REIVERS" SEAN CONNtHY In THE ANDERSON TAPES" plus "MAROONED" Pf jn SAt OMAR SHAMIF in "The HORSEMEN" PLUS BURT BAnCASTCR in i I I r. mm- I M. HIT HTM mm.

"MACMFICENT-TIIE MOST PROVOCATIVE AND ENTERTAINING PRODUCTION OF ITS TY PE E'VE EVER SEEN!" S.F Examiner COOD SEATS AVAILABLE MICTION AT Horsemen," the new, dare I call it horse opera at the New Mission, EI Rey and Spruce Drive-in, is one big lot of hokum for the blood lust set. it-This is Alexander Korda brought up to date, which is to say all the color, s'weep and corn of the mystical East have been modernized with vertiginous Super Panavision sweeps across the Afghanistinian plains plus, of course, the sickening double portion "of violence which is considered necessary in the epic trade. "The Horsemen" is about what the Columbia Eictures' press literature Calls the world's most violent sport, Buzkasni. No, that is not something to eat. It's asortofbeefed-up version of a kids' potato race.

A million times beefed up. You could also describe it as a kind of gladiatorial polo. The characters in "Horsemen" are not intellectuals, they are men of action, sitting on their liprses, stubble to the sun, ppsing pregnantly for cinematic closeups which tell you they have feverish desire coursing through their veins. Desire to win, win, win, slash, zing, bonk. talk In simple sentences punctuated with fre- Top High School Jazz Band i -The group from Ygnacio VaUey High School in Concert topped a field of 12 in the first California Honor High School Jazz Band competition in Monterey.

The Ygnacio band and an all star band chosen for p.erf ormers during the competition will appear at the Monterey Jazz Festival the afternoon of Sept. la. cr OOP SEATS AT t00 MOM OPERA HOUSE NOW THRU SUNDAY TONIGHT 8:30 P.M. -TAMING OF THE SHREW- Wjf MARCIA KAYDEE, RICHARD CRAGUN, BIRCIT KEIL trtUAl PENINSULA Hit F.I 2 JUKI 30 FLINT Cf NTH TMIN6 Of TMHHfW- TICKETS All PERfS.i SWrnaa Cloy SF (3974717) Poklaaa (444 IS7S); Soa Jos let Off ic (746-11 SO; flint Ctr Bai OH; All 12 Mocy't. Open Daily 9:30 ON SAN $3.50 Adults a.m.

quent exclamation marks. "You, my son, shall win! Trumpets blare, oboes make sinuous melody, and surely Gunga Din is right over the next mountain peak. When the Buzkashi is not being played there are other diversions no, not pipe and slippers, but camel wrestling, bird fights, you know the Sado-sexo trip. Omar Sharif is the hero RIGHT OUT OF TODAY'S (New York Time Furor) III ADI IM mm i.nii mi prophetic n.i sotir on news leaks fff'i-r credibility gappings JLIES FEIFFER'S Vhne House Slimier "SKILLFUL BLACK COMEDY!" -KnicderbockerChroiiicli "HILARIOUSLY WELL STAGED!" Variety "MAKES POINTS, BlackmSjc. See "EXCELLENT SPOOF!" KPIX TV Student Special Vt PRICE Wed.

IThurj.J pm Fri. 10:30 Sea them all on lust one low admission (that includes everything) Tha Killer Whale Show! The Water Ski Boat Show! Tha Dolphin Olympics Trained Seal Show Parrot Show Underwater Fantasy Water Skiing Elephant Thrilling Kite Man Lite at Edge ot Sea and much mora than you can even imagine. Plus FREE boat ride parking! On Bayshore, So. of S.F. Airport Dn Rauchnra Rrt nl i $2 Children (under 5 FREE!) Gardenl HORSES a Artist Consultants Presents I GREAT FAMILY FUN Direct from (Madson Square July 2, 3.

4 OAKLAND COLISEUM July 5 and 6 S.F. COW PALACE CALL 673-6440 duff Ihrttt. OHtt t. tiptn If t.m. i n.

4uti iTUIXNT RUSH 15 minutes brtiirr turUin Si .50 J.10 1m Diuuunlt I all 1'jltl mm MARINES' MEMORIAL THEATRE (mi ton a Mm and Marty Krofft THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF featuring THF Created by Sid Sf THE CWAT WHITE STUUONS Of VHNNA MAM FAMOUS 11 WAlf EXSNE -MIIACLI OF TNI WMITI ITUUOH" in one of wono i mow skcucuiai faoents 50 CHAMPION HOUSES "AIRS ABOVE THE CBQUXD" Take your own cable car adventure ride through the golden years of San Francisco's glorious history. Over 150 electronically animated characters in 14 co'orful scenes. An Enchanting way to see San Francisco. OPEN EVERY DAY 10 A.M. to 10 P.M.

441-6262 2 SHOWS FRI. SAT. 8 10:30 pm NtW CQMMmiE THEATER 836 Montgomery agencies or phont 398-3777 Tirlimt Information C. 4)1 ri'KI 4 I) C. J4 4IW IkIiMI (It w.

til In bil TirillM iMH.Mti In luift liiuM ImM Catttr (tlita. I i ttl Unit IttitwM. I IM ttlHI. if4. in MU ll 1 Cllf 0uC COutlUM Jvt JO 1- OO a4 I H) pm Mt4 00 I COW PALACf Mi I I 00 pm 00 0 Mltt Id tttll ttrfttatKH dl Kll IikI r.iM It U4 tttt I Next to the Wax Museum 8 et Fisherman's Wharf-Jefferson and Mason Sts.

ThePROFFESSlONALS" Lr lOINMLP ASSOCIATES 3 U.tltUSAUS3HS;i2(lUUIlJ Pram 20IH. CtflUry-fo.