Evening star., 1947-02-26

types who would have nothing to {
the two do not seem to 60 toge1
Russians and anybody.
None of this alters the fact thai
there is Phi Beta out there who i!
always doing better and better ane
who looks as if he might end up II
that director class of which Frank
Capra is member.
His name is Ella KaZan whose
alma matters include Amherst ano
Yale. When one refers to Kazan az
being "out there" meaning Holly
wood, that actually is only a partia
truth. His address, and home, are ir
an old-fashioned brownstone house
in the East 70s, New York, and his
visits to Hollywood are never longer
than it takes him to make a picture
He likes making pictures and he
Is not impervious to the lotus life OF
the Pacific. It is just that for q
place to live, he likes New York and
confesses to being hopeless East
erner. It probably always will be
this way, which is an even more de-
fiant and manly thing when it is
realized there are three young Ka-
zans whose orange juice would be
fresher out west.
Unlike most directors, and GER
tainly not because of his Phi Beta
Kappa key (Which should forestaH
q rush of P. B. KS. out there)
Kazan started at the top in movie
direction. Instead of going through
the standard apprenticeship OF
short subjects, Class B pictures, and
inexpensive AS. his first directoral
chore was "a Tree Grows in Brook
lyn."
His latest one Is in the same cate
CORY. It Is "Sea of Grass"
This does not mean that titles
referring to the native flora in
stantly make Hollywood think OF
Kazan. He was not botany major
He got the tree and grass screen
play assignments for the reason
that they are basic bits of Ameri-
cana, pictures about people who re-
fleet what is regarded as the Amerl-
can spirit, and who need a director
with some understanding Of this
sort Of thing.
Kazan Is it.
In connection with his picture as
signments. the ones Hollywood wants
him 10 DO, and with reference to
his refusal to dwell in the movie
capital, Kazan has an idea.
It is the feeling that those who
make Americas movies are too in
sular, that living in the kind OF
Paradise they do, they get out OF
touch with the realities with which
the rest Of the country is concerned. |.
He is all in favor of the trend of
taking casts and crews right to the
locales of the pictures they are max
ing. He did that in Sea Of Grass. y
much Of which is pure Nebraska,
and he thinks it would be excellent
for other companies to do the same.
Hollywood has set up big BAR
rier betWeen screen and stage which
exists only in this country" Kazan
SdYS. LII 1eO110Ol1J L al 40 ca1AO @S4oo
COW, partly for geographical reasons,
prominent stars work simultaneously
on stage and screen. I think it
would be good to see far more in
terchange of this kind here, and
the big reduction in travel time be-
tween the coasts should foster this" 3"
Although he avoids saying SO in
as many words, Kazan echoes here
a comparison between American and
foreign pictures which is definitely
fattering to the latter. 1t relates
to a difference between the two
types which resulted in many 10
best lists last year including as
many as five foreign screenplays.
II x%
Another diplomatic observation
Kazan Is willing to make on the
same score, he sums up as follows:
1--WE also got a notion that many
picture producers have a tendency
to underrate their audiences, and
to play around with the phrase pure
entertainment" until 1t be-; z;ins to de-
feat its own ends.
Movie audiences are far more
adult than ever before. They rarely
let a good picture down. even If
it's not cut out in terms OF conven-
tional birthday-cake entertainment,
they welcome new ideas and stories
with ideas"
Hollywood clearly could use more
Phi Beta Kappas.
At least those like kazan.
~ ~
Bulletin board: Henry "" after
l6 weeks, still draws capacity aud
fences but any one now can buy
tickets at performance time.
Five weeks In advance was the orig
inal requirement. E. Attendance to
date totals $4,000. Nobody 6
Girl" next Children's Theater per-
formance, was written half CEN
tury ago, but it still tells a remark
ably timely story of life in France
=. There will be two performances
Saturday at Lisner auditorium.
Ladies in Retirement" will be offer
ed in three performances, March 3
4 and 6, by the Alexandria Little
Theater. George Washington
High School auditorium is the place
:. The original production of the
same play by the group resulted in
the demand for a return engage
ment.