The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 35

Calendar Things lodo and places to go Review of "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud l)-7 4.9 dm tin satr 1.1 1 Sunday, June 8, 1975 The Sun-Telegram, San Bernardino, Calif. I) Section Knott just a berry farm By CARL VETZER Sun-Telgram Staff Writer BUENA PARK First it was a little berry stand, off the side of the road, remember? You don't. Oh, well, you probably discovered it when it became Knott's Berry Farm, and Mrs. Knott opened a chicken dinner restaurant. Still too far back? Well, how about when it became Knott's Berry Farm and Ghost Town? Beginning to ring a bell? We're up to about 1940.

That's when Walter Knott began bringing in buildings from desert ghost towns and reconstructing them near the railroad. That's when things began to go hog wild. First there was a stagecoach ride, then a train ride, and eventually a log ride, a Calico mine ride and befitting the Knott's Republican image a brick by brick replica Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Then, a second area of the park was added and it became Knott's Rerry Farm, Ghost Town and Fiesta Village. The Fiesta Yillaee part was designed along an Old Mexico theme with open stall markets, strolling mariachis, and an animal farm.

Well, now it's grown again, and park publicists are pumping away at the theme "There's a whole neu park going' on." The cause of all the hoopla is the opening of the new Roaring '20 Amusement Area a five acre recreation of an old time amusement park with a penny arcade, bumper cars, roller coaster and so one. Well, the penny arcade is here, but inflation has caused the name to be changed to simply a game room. The bumper cars are here, too, renamed "Knott's Wheeler Deeler Bumper Car Ride." There's also a "Whirlwind" ride which whips its riders around in a circle of dips and climbs at a speed of 53 miles an hour, and a somewhat slower indoor ride known as "Knott's Bear-y Tales" strangely reminicent of another attraction at a certain other park down the road, which shall remain nameless in which animated bears tell of their trip to a '30's era county fair with their prize winning jams and jellies. But the heart of the new Roaring '30's area is the Corkscrew ride. Billed the world's first, this attraction takes a trainload of 24 passengers some 70 feet in the air, drops them down in one frantic plunge, then twirls them around so they are completely upside down, and not just once, but twice.

The area had it's official Grand Opening yesterday but the rides have actually been in operation since the Memorial Day weekend, and the park has been packing them in like sardines since then. (There was an unconfirmed report from one usually reliable source who visited the area over the three-day weekend that the line for the Corkscrew ride started in LA. County.i In case you were wondering. Knott's has not streached its name to Knott's Berry Farm. Ghost Town, Fiesta Village and Roaring '20' area.

Now it's simply "Knott's Old Time dventures." NrV 'whit jpysJv i Corkscrew, highlight of Knott's Berry Farm's new area TV cutting quantity for more quality films ifcV' ft; -v The brains behind this whole expansion project is 53-year old Marion Knott Anderson Walter Knott's youngest daughter who was actually born on the park grounds and grew up along with it. Shunning such pastimes as tennis, golf and the like, she has made the park her work, her recreation and her life. A merchandizing major at USC, she follows each project from con The headiiners lined up so far: Pat Boone and family, Rick Nelson. The Lennon Sisters, a i Avalon, B. J.

Thomas, Supremes. and the Captain and Tennille. During the day, the theater features a slapstick musical comedy revue. "Pop Your Buttons." The park also books acts ranging from Can Can dancers and (Continued on D-4. Column 1) LOS ANGELES (API -Television was a movie addict's paradise this past season.

Between the three networks there was a film on in prime time every night sometimes two films. This is about to change. All three are cutting back on movie nights next fall ABC from four to two, NBC from three to wo. CBS from two to one. There will be some nights when the addict will have to get his nightly "fix" from old movies on local channels.

The cutback covers both movies made for television and films the networks purchased after they made the rounds of the nation's theaters. In the case of the purchased films, the reduction isn't surprising. Network executives say that-many of the movies available for purchase today are too racy for the tube or don't have the mass appeal necessary for big ratings. "There aren't that many good pictures to begin with," says Fred Silverman, CBS programming chief. "And we have program censoring problems.

The prices are out of sight We just don't feel that the number and quality of movies available warrants an extra two hours. We'd rather take those two hours and do original television programming. Because finally that's what television is all about: creating new material for the viewer at home." This is precisely the thinking that spurred the enormous growth of the TV movie over the past eight years which makes the cut- (Continued on 4, Column 1) two sisters, Virginia and Toni. are all active in the operations of the park. Her husband, Andy Anderson, directs the amusement division, and their son Darrell is entertainment and merchandising manager.

It's Darrell's job to book the acts that are featured in the Good Time Theater (formerly, the John Wayne Theaten during a summertime concert series called "Knotts at Night." Among the Associated Press wirephoto fun in the sun I -x A't kfLJt La. I Jr. i ception to completion, and is the only woman in the U.S. to ever play such a major role in the development and management of an amusement center. She says she trys to keep the philosophy of the park simple "like a visit to grandma's, if only grandma had a roller coaster." There are other members of the Knott family at work here, too.

Marion's brother Russell and Art Sponsored and the Riverside do-it puppets, p.m., Center. 'it There won't be as much work for film crews next year Symphonic wind ensemble mini nnnnart fin ITriHou ClraaV San BernarrJino valiev Loileee. San Ber Free I by the Art Allaince of the Riverside Art the Press Enterprise for the benefit of Art Center; Art Fair for the whole family, yourself art activities, Jim Gamble and his musical and dance entertainment, 10 a.m.-5 today Seventh between Lime and Orange Riverside. Ticket books available at Riverside Art Theatre. nardino.

M. uiorai concen 7:30 p.m., today, Lecture Hall, Physical Sciences California State College, San Bernardino..