Evening star., 1960-07-22


visitors.
Artistic Russians, at least, v
more amiable than political or
This impression was inten
when occupants of Washing
tons drama desks broke rolls
with the director and two stars
of The Idiot" the next film
to be shown here in the cul-
tural exchange program. The
latter three are Julia Borisova
and Yuri Yakolev, the striking,
young and intelligent perform
ers, and Ivan Pyriev. consider
ably their elder and the direc-
tor Of the picture which comes
next week to the Apex.
A sound track of the affair,
mostly a laughing two hours,
might have encouraged the
cold war powers each to defuse
at least one small missile.
This is not to suggest that
everyone was strictly imbued
with his, or her, party manners.
Conceptual differences did crop
up here and there-a rather
vehement one on the social re-
sponsibility of the artist-but
none that could not be subdued
for the time being with a couple
of shrugs.
AS. say, at Sardi's or Ro-
manoff's when no one is really
feeling acrimonious.
WIDE AGREEMENT - On
most subjects. everyone was in
merry accord. Among these.
that the film exchange should
be broadened by both coun-
tries, that, as expected, Marty"
so far is the most popular of
the American films shown in
Russia. that Roman Holiday"
with Audrey Hepburn is run
nerup. that My Fair Lady"
was wonderful in Russia espe-
cially for its elegance, and that
there are more resemblances
than differences, at least tech
nically, in film making in the
two countries.
Miss Borisova and Mr.. Yako-
low, who are less privy than
Washington drama critics to
political snags, had an excl
ting exchange to propose.
They would like to see West
Side Story" the Bernstein
Laurents Robbins musical,
which they did see in London,
in Moscow and other cities
back home. AS to the reported
dislike of Russian cultural Of
ficials for Bernstein's score,
they couldn't believe it in view
Of the composer-co conductors
vastly popular tour of Russia.
Moreover" said Miss Bori-
sova in translated English, the
reported reluctance on the part
Of American officials to such a
seamy show of American delin-
quency and prejudice is hard
to understand. Certainly it has
a hopeful ending in the final
understanding of the battling
racial groups in New York"
CANDOR BEGETS CAN
DOR: Candid questions pro-
duced candid, and amusing
answers from Mr.. Pyriev.
What did he have to say, he
was asked, about Premier
Khrushchev's remark that most
Russian pictures were boring.
That no country has a mo-
nopoly on producing a majority
of pictures that may be boring. y
Mr.. Pyriev said.
H* -
NOW TAKE CRITICS: Rus
sian entertainment producers
Mr.. Pyriev made clear, feel like
those anywhere else about
critics. I'VE like them to be
kind" he said, "and we like
them to agree with us. but We
do not expect them to do the
latter. What we dislike is that
they sometimes use clubs in
stead of dispassionate. merely
diSagreeable judgment"
AND DISAGREEMENT: Aft
er agreeing on so many things,
those mentioned and such
others as Chekhov, Turgenev,
Gogol and others, the luncheon
hit its longest stretch of polite
dissent on the responsibility of
the creative artist.
Mr.. Pyriev could not see the
function of the writer, or what
ever, to express a private point
of view about life even if he
does so in the hope of enter
tanning or enlightening his fel-
low men.
The artists responsibility.
Mr.. Pyriev dissented in ex-
cited Russian, is to the people
and" one gathered by implica-
tton at least. Ito the state"
Happily, however, if it is of
any use to diplomats and poll
ticians, the disagreement ended
on a note of live-and-let-live.
In their spare time, the Rus
sian visitors are seeing as many
American movies as possible
while here, in New York and
Hollywood. A partial list OF
their preferences indicates a
wide variety of taste. So far
1t includes The Apartment, "
Ben Hur," Pillow Talk, The
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