The Kansas City Times from Kansas City, Missouri • 10

10A THE KANSAS CITY TIMES Thursday March 23 If 72 Empty Seats Protest Unseen Showing of 'Godfather Student Practical Nursing schol- tion and these would be recy- unite various IU By Robert Butler cled in fratemi By Robert Butler Student Practical Nursing scholarship fund tion and these would be recycled in the unite various civic fraternal Italian-Americaa and social groups in the city Did anyone see last night? Only James Monaco of 914 Missouri Avenue a council member sat in on the first five minutes just to make sure the film ran to an empty house Following the presentation council members joined about 600 Italian-Americans at the American Sons of Columbus hall at 2415 Independence There Carl Privitera council president explained that the council formed 13 months ago hoped to George Costello the public relations director said that the council had not printed ticket for the showing because no one would view the movie However be said the council had the tickets that had been printed for the associa A Mambrr of Th Star's Staff It exactly your traditional movie premiere True the lobby of the Empire I Theater was filled with men in tuxedos women in evening gowns and a small army of newsmen who had turned out for the opening performance in Kansas City of But the film as ex-eted played to an empty pec ted house miU A PANTSUIT PAIRING WITH THE SHIRT JACKET LOOK 28 Zip-front three quarter belted shirt jacket over coordinated white flare pants 10-18 in BlackWhite polyester By Mr Zee Misses Dresses Downtown and Suburban Stores Phone GRand 1-7515 tf Kansas City bought out the theater ror $2500 as a protest against the film which is the story of a New York Mafia family (Star photo by Wes Lyle) Although all seats for last night's premier performance of Godfather" at the Empire I Theater had been sold the filVn played to an empty house The Italian-American Unification Council of Standing Room Only? Earlier this month the Italian-American Unification Council of Greater Kansas City bought out the 1000 seats in the theater at a cost of $2500 Last night while the story of a New York Mafia family unreeled unseen members of the council ex- Sained their actions in purchas-g the tickets and then urged Kansas Citians to see the film Thomas Gialde vice-president of the council explained that had beep heralded as an excellent production with millions of persons destined to see it strongly oppose a kind of prejudice the picture can Gialde said by discouraging the picture's viewing but by appealing to the viewers to place the picture in its proper Gialde said that many Italian-Americans suffer from because of the bad image given them in novels television programs and motion pictures which make them look or something less than comes as no surprise to the public to learn of an Italian-American he said it often surprises the public to learn that their Italian-American friend associate or neighbor furnish them with a hot television set and know any more about something called the Mafia than they Gialde called upon the seeing God- Carl A Bua treasurer of the council said that because the Kansas City Practical Association which first had bought the tickets for the premiere had agreed to let the council sponsor the showing the council had donated $400 to the said the type of thing that really promotes a Carl Hess manager ot the Empire predicted that all four of the showings today would be sold out Following speech ment Become involved all you must do is Meanwhile out in the cashier's booth Carol Orerly 18 was busy turning patrons away the time people come up and want to see she said ust tell them the same thing It's all sold Russ Beckner division manager for American Multi-Cinema Inc was pleased with the turn of events which attracted television crews from as far as Chicago happy about the publici-ity the Beckner to recognize that Italian-Americans do not live in the manner portrayed on the screen Greater Kansas City accepts the invitation to be sensitive will always show to a house which is empty of average viewers because it is filled with sensitive viewers have paid for the right to demonstrate our feelings by this 1 dramatization of what we believe is the best way to eliminate cultural Gialde continued accept oui invitation to be a participant in this dramatization and experi Films of the Day "THE (At the Empire and Glenwood) Drama with screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola (based on Puzo's novel) directed by Coppola produced bv Albert Ruddy and released by Paramount with these principal play- Don orisons Marlon Brando Michael imlraan Annv James caan Tom Hagen Duvall Kay Adams Diane Keaton Bv Giles Fowler The Star's Motion Picture Editor All in all what an irony Even as ethnic protest was gathering ggainst an Italian-American named Francis Ford Coppola had just made another novel into one of the finest movies to be seen in the last year bloodier victories That both these men can appeal is in no way ironic Both are strong righteous figures The film has kept faith with this difficult truth while looking into the world with vision unblurred by sentiment or rage Coppola and his cast refuse to condescent to their material they respect its dramatic values and show as much by treating it with penetrating honesty The sense of period and is perfect right down to the cut of the last suit Perfect too is the feel for the textures of an infinitely rich ethnic life-style And best of all are its insights into character years of crisis and domesticity love and treachery explores things that count in the universal scheme things like the transience and effects of power the terrible costs exacted by rigid loyalties the question of guilt in a society that rejects moral responsibility beyond its own front gate A striking feature of the film is that all its characters from the stately Don Corleone to the most insignificant gunman are locked in a merciless system of ethics that orients every part of their lives Certain of rights and wrongs within the system they are free to live with a kind of shadow normality Brando carries the Don Corleone role with an authority that anchors the drama He does so without cliche His thin husky voice surprisingly high conveys a tremendous sense of power in abeyance of danger leashed-in But he can also be poignant with the special poignancy found in the sorrow and tenderness of powerful men Quite as good is Pacino as the chosen son at first grave and boyisfi then hardening with the step-by-step death of innocence and the demands of rule And if there were space to do so nearly equal praise could be given to James Caan as the violent-tempered Sonny Robert Duvall as the cool watchful Tom Hagan Diane Keaton as wife who resists believing in the horrors she knows exist: Richard Castellano as the lethal fat man Clemenza and any number of lesser players Within these lives are monstrous contrasts brilliantly defined on screen: The untroubled gaiety of a wedding and the casual planning for vendetta a solemn church baptism cross-cut with shots of slaughter on the streets a cook-iing lesson by a jolly henchman hungry after an afternoon murder a love idyll between a husband and his bride shredded by the blast of a hidden bomb Coppola has given the film a largo pacing steady and almost grand to underscore the curiously medieval values of the lives on camera He also has avoided most of the slick devices of artificial tension preferring to let the story build organically out of its best ingredients the people and their strange ambivalent warm-violent world The plot centers on the pas- pi But perhaps the whole brouhaha should be laid to rest without further comment stands as something of a triumph with or without the publicity of its well-meaning opponents It is a triumph of traditional story telling cinema in an age that bad just about forgotten such things a triumph of art over the nulpv sensationalism of Mario Puzo's book and finally a triumoh of film Itself as a medium that can give unsusnected dimension to Such a blatantly commercial To credit be did write (however badly and cheaply) one hell of a gripping story And the plot emerges almost intact in the screenplay bv Puzo and Coppola But it is CoDpola as director in charge of an admirable cast who augments the film far beyond its melodramatic origins is still a story film Yet its depiction of an Italian underworld family over several I of of sage rule from the old Don (Marlon Brando) to his youngest son A1 Pacino) who finally leads the Family to new and Skelly Oil Marketing To Move to Tulsa 3 DAYS ONLY! Today-Friday-Saturday! A special selling! famous make shoes! values to $2300 16" one peek at the famous label will surprise you! anen said sincerely regre this displacement of personnel but we simply have no tenable he said Wayne A Dirks manager of marketing in Kansas City said the situation was being faced with mixed emotions we realize the company must change to keep pace with the times and we know Tulsa is a good place to live and work So we look forward to the new Dirks said He said Skelly will continue to be well represented in Kansas City by the regional and district employees The company has 5-000 employees including 1600 in the marketing department working in 23 midcontinent states Approximately 1000 persons are employed by Skelly in Tulsa Phone Demand Skelly Oil Company anti plans yesterday to move it marketing headquarters from Kansas City to its corporate headquarters in Tulsa Approximately 80 employees will be a part of the transfer to be made from June 30 to July 4 a company spokesman said Paul Vaananen Tulsa a company group vice-president aaii relocation woidd reduce cost because of duplication im-prove co-ordination between departments and increase the efficiency of support operations marketing headquarters has been in Kansas City since 1931 All other departments are in the Oil Center Building in Tulsa The southern region marketing headquarters will remain in the Skelly Building 605 4t7b where the jjome office is now located pen said Gusto bone dulci calf leather shoe salons all 6 stores A Royal Flush red and navy dulci calf leather Pilgrim black navy or bone alligator print Curio red navy or black crinkle patent I HI r-.