The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 10

MUSIC LIVELY ARTS Happenings ART PAGE 10 FILM THEATER Mr Sat, Oct. 20, 1973 A melodrama of Matthau vs. the Mafia "CHAHLIY VARRICK," Unlvarul Picture presentation) produced by Jere nlngi Lang and Don Slegeli directed by Don Seigeli tcreanpiay by Howard Rodman and Dean Riesner, from John Rmmti novel. ''The Looleni" photography by Michael Butler. With Walter Matthau, Jo Don Baker, John Vernon, Felicia Farr, Andy Roblnion, Sheree North.

Rated PQ (parental guidance suggested). At the Regency I. win u. TV) MUSIC Ingrid Steoer, Morito Nopier, Irene Dolit, Thomai "The Mikado" Lompllghten production ot Presentation Theoter, Turk neorMotonie, 8:30 p.m. Cemmuniry Chember Ployere Free progrom ot Legion ot Honor museum, todoy ond Sunday, 3 p.m.

Free Organ Recitali At Legion ot Honor museum, today ond Sunday, 4 p.m. lerkeley Promenade Orchestra Thomai Rorlck conduct! Beethoven Ninth Symphony in Trinity Methodist, Dana ond Duront, Berkeley, 8 p.m. Percussion Concert Ellsondro Toscono ot Community Music Center, 544 Capp, 7 p.m. Greek Concert Musician-composer Mikis Theodoraku ond hit singers ond orchestra ot Zellerbach Auditorium, UC Berkeley. 8 p.m.

Irish Concert Dermot O'Brien, Larry Cunningham and the Blue Boys, at Veterans Auditorium, Van Ness ond 8:30 p.m. New Orleans. Jon The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, ot Masonic Auditorium, Nob Hill. Tonight ot 8:30, tomorrow at 3 p.m. Bluogrest The Hired Hands, ot Paul's Saloon, 3251 Scott St.

9 p.m. Contemporary Polk Peter Spelmon and Spclbound, ot Generosity, 198) Union St. 9 p.m. Rock-Dance Earthquake and Rubin and the Rubinoos, at Long Branch Saloon, 2504 San Pablo Berkeley. 9:30 p.m.

Latin-Afrorock Dakila and Hoodoo, at the Lion's Share, 60 Redhill, San Anselmo, at 9 p.m. Allair ond Mitchell ond Friends beginning at 2 a.m. Indian Music Chitresh Das, Kathak dancer, with Zakir Hussaln on toblo, ot Marin Fellowship of Unitarians, 40 Channing, Terra Linda. 8 p.m. Jan Vince Hickey and his Jazz Cardinals, at the Baltic, 135 Park Place, Point Richmond, 9 p.m.

Reck The Chaos Chorus and Stagger Band, at Uncle Sam's 8196 Bodega, Scbostopol, tonight and tomorrow, 9 p.m. Rock Ramesh with Prism ond Regl Woods tonight, at the Sleeping Lady Cafe, 58 Bolinas Road, Fairfax. 9 p.m. STAGE Theoter The American Theater's production of Shakespeare's "Toming of the Shrew" opens tonight at the Geary. 8:30 p.m.

Comedy The Oakland Civic Theater's production of Kaufman ond Hart's "Ttte Man Who Come to Dinner." By Stanley Elchelbaum Walter Matthau plays a soft-hearted bank robber in IDon Siegel'8 new film, "Charley Varrick," which has every-; thing going for It but plausibility. I We are confronted with a caper involving the theft of from a small-town bank in New Mexico. Matthau, -who's always considered himself a petty crook, is distressed by the size of his haul, which he learns is Mafia Imoney that's been stashed away in the conservative little bank. The story then becomes a Matthau versus Mafia action melodrama, with our sympathy manipulated toward Matthau, since he has, after all, only stolen from the Mafia. We're meant to root for him in his efforts to escape being killed by a super-brutal hit man, Joe Don Baker, sent from Las Vegas.

"Charley Varrick," which opened yesterday at the Regency 1, has prime commercial potential. Producer-director Siegel Harry," among many others) knows all about the cash value of brutality. Matthau, moreover, is a box-office favorite by virtue of his exceptional talent for playing diamonds in the rough tough guys who are tender and lovable underneath. Here, he's given a rare dramatic role (the actor has for some time said he wanted the chance to get away from comedy) and he fulfills it admirably, but he's sabotaged by the incredible contrivances of the script. Charley Varrick, Matthau is supposed to be a sentimental slob who's turned crooked because it was forced on him.

He couldn't make it in his chosen field, stunt pilot for an air circus, after the "big combines" moved in. And he's had no success as a crop duster, which he works at be-tween bank jobs. To underscore Charley's good-heartedness, he's shown caressing his dead wife, who's shot while driving the getaway car after the New Mexico heist, where an elderly bank guard has been murdered by Charley's jittery accomplice, Andy Robinson. Charley, sentiment and all, is next seen sprinkling gunpowder over his wife's body In preparation for blowing up the get-away car with her inside. He is, on the one hand, soft and, on the other, hard as nails.

His inconsitent character is also exposed in an utterly unbelievable episode in which Charley stops long enough to make love to the secretary (Felicia Farr) of a Mafia frontman (John Vernon) who runs the bank chain that's lost the Las Vegas money. Since Charley is running for his life, the time-out-for-love sequence is preposterous. Most of the plotting seems entirely too trumped-up to match director Siegel's taut, facile, realistic style. Siegel's expertise with crime melodrama brings a fine, gripping, suspenseful quality to the story, which is, alas, too defective to stand up to any scrutiny. The cast is unusually good, with several fine performances, including Sheree North's convincingly hard-boiled impersonation of an underworld photographer who specializes in forged passports.

9rJi ptr' ANDY ROBINSON AND WALTER MATTHAU Amazed by their haul from a small-town bank On the Scene Carson 'matures' on stage I Rock concert to tape in S. F. 4 breath through their guf-iaws. Singer Phyllis McGuire (the "middle one" from the McGuire sisters' trio) opens the program with eight pleasant and varied selections. She's a trouper and knows how to work with a good band like Bernie Kahn's Circle Star ensemble.

"There Will Never Be Another You," one of a number of her steady standards, had a strong musical touch no frills, no faking. Just melodic comprehension and a voice that could handle the tune's composed intricacies. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 10, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center. 8:30 p.m.

DANCE Akin Alley Dance Theater "Dance for Six," "Metallics," "Cry," "Revelations," Memorial Auditorium, Stanford, 8 p.m. (sold out.) Rama the Fire Doner At UC Extension, 55 Laguna, 8:30 p.m. Balincso Shadow Play At St. John's Presbyterian, 2640 College, Berkeley, 8 p.m. SPECIAL EVENTS Film Festival At the Poloce of Fine Arts.

Todoy: A retrospective tribute to Ruth Gordon, 1 p.m. Jomes Bridges' "The Paper Chase," with Timothy Bottoms, 7 p.m. Hector Solos' "Lucia" (Cuba), 9:45 p.m. Sunday: a retrospective tribute to Robert Altman, 1 p.m. Jacques Demy's "The Most Important Event Since Man Walked on the Moon" (France), with Marcello Mostroianni ond Catherine Deneuve, 7 p.m.

Andrei Torkovsky's "Andrei Rouble' (USSR), 9:45 p.m. Hounted House The Auxiliary to the Children's Health Home for Mentally Retarded Children ond Adults' annual Original Haunted House, at 701 N. San Mateo Son Mateo, through Oct. 3 1 Weekdays from 3 to 9 p.m., weekends from 12 to 9 p.m. and Holloween from 3 to 6 p.m.

FILM SPECIALS Film Series Harry Nilsson's "The Point" and Chopter Six cf "Dick Trocy vs. Crime, at the Presidio Theater, 2340 Chestnut St. midnight. Pacific Film Archive Otto Preminger's "Fallen Angel" 1 945), with Dana Andrews, Alice Faye and Linda Darnell, at the University Art Museum, 2621 Durant Berkeley. 8:30 p.m.

Also, George Marshall's "The Blue Dahlia" (1946), with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. 6:20 and 10 p.m. ART Amalia Schulthest Sculpture at Rose Rabow Gallery, 2 1 30 Leavenworth, through Nov. 1 7. Sidewalk Paintings by Children At Buena Vista School, 2641 -25th to Nov.

9. Sam Richardson Drawings ond sculptures at Civic Art Gallery of Son Jose, 1 10 South Market, San Jose, to Nov. 30. Robert Harvey Paintings ot Socred Heart School, Valparaiso Avenue, Menlo Park, to Nov. 30.

ft By Tom Campbell NBC-TV's "Midnight Special" goes on location for several shows this fall. In the works are three European outings and two shows from San Francisco, to be taped in December. Carlos Santana was lucky to get out of Panama in the towel someone tossed him' when fans began ripping off his clothes f( souvenirs. So the Red Cross stepped in to provide bodyguards during Santana's concert stop in El Salvador, preventing the Latin rocker from becoming the 'world's first walking disaster area. Joe Cocker fans will be glad to learn he's back in fession.

Cocker went into London studios earlier this month to work on his first album in much too long, with Nicky Hopkins providing backup. The Record Plant provides the latest in carry-out services. They sent a mobile unit out record Sly Stone sessions in his new Bay Area abode. lf 1 ft By Philip Elwood Johnny Carson has put together a first rate, thorough-ly professional hour of stand-up comedy for his weekend show at the Circle Star Theater. It is one of the best one-m an performances we've had around here in years by a guy who could probably get by if he just waltzed through some mediocre living-TV material.

Carson never gets onto an ego trip and never name drops. Somehow, I expected both. He uses his TV experiences as a logical medium of course, but he does it from the perspective of the insider who sympathizes with the baggy-eyed late night viewer. He has great fun with TV commercials, both actual and imagined, but his approach isn't giggly or obvious. He zeroes in on certain advertising pitches and considers them from a far more mature perspective than is his usual TV "Tonight" show habit.

Taller than TV viewers would expect, Carson moves around the stage like a jerky marionette boxer or maybe an erratic home movie. As a veteran radioman, prior to his TV fame. Carson has impeccable sentence structure, and never "ers" or "ahs" his way through audio space. He comments on troubles with sponsors by citing the strange and uncomfortable promotion for Nashville's Woodlawn Mortuary, a hi-rise structure where the elevator operator might call out the names of each floor's "occupants." Then logically he moves to LA's Forest Lawn, with it occasional bargain price funerals then to observations on TV commercials in general. Carson's capsule com PHYLLIS McGUIRE Melodic comprehension provocative.

He was as up-to-the-minute as many of his "Tonight" show introductory comments when he spoofed President Nixon's late-Friday agreement provide the Cox investigation with a written transcript of the tapes. "I can hear it in 20 year noted Carson, "when an announcer says, 'Hey gang, want those great tapes from the 1970's? just send in $5.95 to Carson's memories of teenage sexual frustration in Eastman School auditions set Edward Easley, the director of admissions at the University of Rochester's celebrated Eastman School of Music, will hold advisory auditions in San Francisco Nov. 5 and 6 for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors considering applying to Eastman. For an appointment, call (716 275-3003 or write Easley at Eastman School, 26 Gibbs Rochester, N.Y. 14604.

JOHNNY CARSON Superb comedy show Norfolk, Nebraska, especially the inevitable drugstore purchase from an old family friend, were perfection. And his justly famous "Deputy John's Fun Club" routine, which ended last night's show, is socko gut-humor. "John" is host for a Saturday morning kiddies' TV showr, but on this occasion is submerged in the cloud of a monumental hangover. Carson leads into the piece brilliantly, sets his stage masterfully, and has his listeners gasping for What's the score For latest results call The Examiner KSFO SPORTSDIAL. 478-9560.

TICKETS ON SALE 71 LAST DA OPENS OCT. 23 LIMITED ENGAGEMENT MAT. 2:30 TONIGHT 8:30 Tfit World' Best-loud romance HAXOLOF1ELOINC MHIU JOE LAYTONV I Gilbert Lt 4J I SuZjvanY Gilbert A tptcucuiw Production Mutant Mlufcallt The past of Nigel Pegrum of Steeleye Span comes back jo haunt him on the late-late show. Pegrum played a rock drummer (type casting) in one of those awful old horror flicks. Ringo Starr and David Essex will star in a Jnovie sequel to "That'll Be the Day," filming in London in February.

It's titled "Stardust." Mountain is back together. Felix Pappalardi, Leslie West and Corky Laing have reassembled, which doesn't Speak too well for the future of the West, Bruce Laing combo. There are rumblings that Poco may disband entirely now that Rich Furay's quit. They deny it. The City of New York "honors" Bette Midler in December, proclaiming her Honorary Sanitation Commissioner.

I Edgar Winter's band, which added Rick Derringer on guitar, subtracted him. Jerry Weans has joined the group, for the moment anyway. Rumor is John Kay may reunite Steppenwolf before year's end If Rod Stewart's "Oh No, Not My Baby" sounds familiar, remember Maxine Brown did it first nine years ago. Alice Cooper will take a few days off on the way back from bis Tokyo show to get in some golf in Hawaii, and what that'll do to our 50th State's favorite sport is anybody's guess. Barry White is trying for his third consecutive goldie, I'Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up," from his forthcoming LP, "Stone Gon'." The Who kicks off a U.S.

tour at San Francisco's Cow Palace Nov. 19. Spokesmen for the group say the tour will introduce their new rockopera, I'Quadraphenia," and "reintroduce" the group to U.S. fans. Don't blame the current surge in UFO sightings on Commander Cody His Lost Planet Airmen.

They book flieir road trips through San Rafael's Fly by Night Travel Service. On second thought 4th Smash Year! SEATS AVAILABLE 1 wi! TONIGHT at 8:30 Fridays Saturdays at 8:30 thru Nov. 10. FINAL Matinee Nov. 1 0 Adults 84.50; seniors and students always 82.25 Get future tickets ahead at S.F.

Tiiket Center. 221 HAROLD ROME MORTON fOOTE DEBORAH KERR "THE DAY AFTER 0'Farrell or any MACY'i. Heel seating on Fridays and added matinee Xo. 10. Presentation Starring Tonight at 8:30 pm The Little Fox Theatre.

533 Pacific San Francisco B.O. Phone 434-4738 Also Ticketron, Macy's leading agencies LESLEY ANN PERNELL WARREN ROBERTS Tbeatre, Turk at Masonic. UOANA POWER TERENCE (HONK. ments on the Watergate affair, its TV coverage and its meaning, were hilarious and THE FAIR i LIGHTERS GOOD SEATS CURRAN AVAILABLE THEATRE 414 GEARY ST. 673-1060 CURRAN TONIGHT AT 8 1 10:30 "CRAZIEST FUNNIEST SHOW IN TOWN!" IjytoirOikiind tribune 0L WW brings soul to the Venetian Room jRossellini due at Stanford Italian film director Robert Rosselluni, noted for his post-World War II social dramas, "Paisan" and Open City," will present his new film, "Blaise Pas-cal," at Stanford's Memorial Auditorium Monday, Oct.

29, at 7:30 p.m. PRESENTS AT MASONIC AUDITORIUM TWO PERFORMANCES TONIGHT AT AT 3 P.M. That Fabulous "Good Time Music" October 16 throuah 25. Shows at 9:30 and midnight. I sv Superb cuisine and IK dancing to Ernie Heckscher's i.

Bio Band. 'ttf MP? tf AMERICAN CONSERVATORY THEATRE Opening Tonight at 830 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Shakespeare's lustiest comedy offers the definitive battle of the sexes. THE HOT BALTIMORE by Lanford Wilson Winner of the New York Drama Critics'Awarb! for Best American Play of the 1973 season BEST SEATS -Tickets Now On Sale- BOX OFFiCE PHONE; (415) 673-6440 Tickets at Box Office and All Agencies GROUP SALES-771-3880 GEARY THEATRE Geary and Mason TONIGHT tJTL. MONGO SANTAMARIA 8:30 p.m., Fri. I Sat.

8 i 10:30 p.m., Sun. 7:30 p.m. Tickets available thru Ticketron all leading agencies STUDENT RUSH $2.5053.50 THE MONTGOMERY PLAYHOUSE 622 Broadway, S.F. (foimetiy the home ol The Committee) FOR RESERVATIONS AND GROUP RATES 768 8262 Peiie Herrai'de; challenges Johnny Weis-muiler, to a rcpe swinging contest. 4TH SMASH MONTH! and his orchestra featuring LUIS GASCA Billie DeDe Pierce and Their Wonderful PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND nToiST.

Benefitting MISSION REBELS Childrens' Breakfast Program TICKETS ONLY $4.00 EACH AT THE DOOR The 859 0'Farrell 885-0750 Fairmont Heservitiom: 362-6109.