davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1961-05-21
SCREEN

AMBASSADOR-"The Absent Minded Professor" Fred
MacMurray in fantasy by Walt Disney; 1:35, $40
5:45, 7:45 and 9:40 pm.
APEX-"LAvventura a clinical study Of souls sick
Italian style; lis 4, 6:45 and $3.50 pm.
CAPITOL-Atants the Lost Continent: well-deserved
disaster overtakes legendary land: 1:15 g. 445, $780,
BIS and 1915 pm.
DUPONT-"Never Sunday" sophisticated saga of how
life is in Greece these days. l, 2:50 440, $50, S25
and 10:15 pm.
KEITHS-"Revot of the Slaves" Rhonda Fleming in a
spashy of ancient social unrest; $780, 335, $685.
TAO and 9:45 pm.
MacARTHUR-"Two-WayS Stretch; Peter Sellers manages
to make prison life droll and charming; a very funny
picture; 2. 3:35, $40, 6:45. 500 and 955 pm
METROPOLITAN-"Th Absent Minded Professor: Fred
MacMurray in a fantasy by Walt Disney; 1870, $780,
5:35. 7:40 and 9:45 pm.
ONTAR1O-"Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" Brit
lsh Academy Award winner about one very angry and
bitter young man; los, 2:50, 4:35 $50 sos and
$50 pm.
PALACE-"Return to Peyton Place" unintentonally the
years siiest parody of life 110, 3:2O $780, TAO
and $50 pm
PLAYHOUSE-"Mein Kampf"; Naz archives Weld their
own tale of horror 1880, $780, $780, 7:30 and 9:25 IN
PLAZA-"Sun Lovers Holiday an eager young American
goes to Brazil to collect inheritance and finds still
more good fortune; 115 2:45 4l0, 5:35. z. 825 and
$50 pm.
ToWN-"one-Eyed Jacks" Marion Brando directs and
stars in outdoor adventure tale featuring lot Of
Mexicans; l. $3.50, 615 and pm.
TRANS-LUX-"Mein Kampf" Nazi archives Weld their
own tale Of horror: 115 3:15 5:15 tbs and 915 pm
UPTOWN-Exodus the story of Israes BIRTH more epic
in size than depth; 2 and 7:30 pm.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." fragile script Is more than off
set by brilliant camera work, superb acting and
815 pm.
Evening star., 1961-05-21
By HAROLD HEFFERNAN

ny nAnOAID nEr EHkNAN
North American Newspaper Alliance)
HOLLYWOOD.-You don't
have to look far in the gar
den of Hollywood to find a
shrinking violet. This flower
usually comes up in the form
of an actor or actress who
pretends to shun the public
glare-and hastenS to assure
you that he'd rather be right
than be recognized.
All of which gives that
four-threat genius Sheldon
Leonard a severe pain in the
neck.
Don't let anyone ever tell
you it's a hardship to walk
down a restaurant aisle or
into a theater and be recog-
nized," says the onetime
actor, today one Of the most
brilliant behind-scene opera
tors as writer, producer and
director. Public approval
and the adulation that goes
with its part Of the actors
basic reward for what he
does.
An Often HOOdlum
Actors who belittle this
are being something less
than honest. I think" adds
Leonard.
When it comes to things
thespic, Sheldon can speak
from both sides of the cam
era. Before turning to the
technical end, he earned a
fair country living by playing
every known variety of hood
lum on radio and in movies.
After graduating from Syr-
acuse University with a B.A.
Leonard turned all this basic
learning in on the job of
managing a movie theater.
That indirectly brought him
to Hollywood, where for 10
Evening star., 1961-05-21

this score could not be wider.
namely whether "L'Avven-
tura" is saying that every
thing in life from a view
from a balcony to casual
amour - is dramatic. Or,
whether nothing in human
experience really is anything
more than senseless sensual
meandering.
So many things happen
in "L'Avventura." beginning
with the disappearance Of a
neurotic, aristocratic beauty
and ending with a wan and
wiStful affair between thes
girls architect lover and the
pretty blond who was the
missing girls best friend. If
Antonioni is asking what
price the loss of innocence
or how sick the soul of man
can become and still survive,
the voice in which he speaks
could hardly be less insist
ent. Did he really ask? Does
he really care to know?
"L'Avventura," does not
answer.
Not so Producer Jerry Wald
in Return to Peyton Place" /"
A Vein of Gold
Mr.. Wald discovered a veri-
table gold mine in Grace
MetalliouS' original novel of
epidemic sin, "Peyton Place. /"
It has everything, unwrapped.
Dominant among the stock
on display were rape, incest,
adultery, promiscuity. All
were present in quantities
to make the dullest movie
goer believe had the film
the slightest illusion of real
ity-that icy, austere New
England was truly a hotbed
of carnality.
Return to Peyton Place"
clearly had to be a more
power-packed Stimulant COM
pounded of the same ingre-
dents. 1t is. but with an
effect that Mr.. Wald seems
not to have anticipated, that
the whole sordid pageant
might turn into a satire
saturated parody, Dogpatch
life transferred to a New Eng
land small town setting.
Yet, as compared with the
other two pictures, this is not
the aspect of Return to
Peyton Place" that weighs
most groteSquely to it's dis
advantage.
Its really damning quality,
even if it never shows up at
the boxoffice, as it probably
will not, is an overlay of unc-
ton. This is implicit in the
fact that after wallowing in
Peyton Places immortality,
the film winds up with the
pretenSe that it was all un-
dertaken to press home the
moral that the sinner is re-
deemable.
Perhaps he is, but not in
these terms.
Evening star., 1961-05-21
BROADWAY
Of Actresses, Aches and Pains

an image that clarifies in
depreciation for her.
MY impression of this role
is a wonderful faceted jewel
in which there is q terrible
crack"
The Henry Benker play
was directed by her husband,
Alfred Ryder, their first di
rector actress Sortie to
Broadway.
Working with a husband
could be tremendously more
difficult If there wasn't tai
ent," she notes. "In this
case, it was easier, because
he knew how to get at some
things In me better than a
stranger could. We had a
shorthand of communica-
ton"
Return to Comedy
While Miss Stanley pro-
vides one of the seasons
standout feminine dramatic
stints. Barbara Bel Geddes
has the distaff comedy di-
vision well in hand in Mary,
Mary"
Barbara slips into purpose
full high gear whenever en-
crossed. Between engage
ments she tends to moody
preoccupation.
In MARY, Mary" a stand
ing room only caper at the
Hayes Theater, Miss Bel Ged-
des returns to comic enter
prise from which she has been
absent since THE Moon Is
Blue"
"The only thing that scared
me about 1t was when Jean
Kerr told me during rehears-
ais that she had written it
for me-" reports blue-eyed
Barbara.
Wants to Tour
One of those rare ventures
which meshed smoothly from
the start, the comedy gave
her an unusual ache.
THE only thing we had to
do was cut As minutes of
laughs from the original
script" she says. THAT was
painful"
Among her plans, Miss Bel
Evening star., 1961-05-21
BIue-Eyed Apuches?
Oh, Yes, There Were

HOLLYWOOD (AP).-It's
another first for Chuck Con-
norS.
The onetime Brooklyn
Dodger first baSeman who be-
came one Of TVS biggest stars
is playing Geronimo" in a
movie about the famed
Apache chief.
Originally, he had planned
to wear brown contact lenses
but found they filtered out
too much of the intensity of
expression in his eyes.
So now Connors is going
to play a blue-eyed Apache
in color, too.
Studio research found there
really were a few blue-eyed
Apaches.
Evening star., 1961-05-21
No Honest Actor Shuns AduIotion,
Says Leonard, Once One Himself

life-I plugged a couple guys
per week, died once or twice,
and that was it. No worrying
about sciptS and costumes
and lighting.
Speaking frankly, acting
can be a sort Of mental vaca-
ton. The difficulties are ex-
aggerated - by the actors
themselves. The layman
thinks that it's such a task
to memorize a few lines!
Actually, it's a skill most
actors acquire early in their
careers"
He Was Pushed
Why then has Leonard
chosen the more Spartan
rigors Of producing several
shows at once?
II don't know that ! chose
it." says he. Maybe it chose
me. Sometimes a mans ca
reer is pushed in certain
directions that he didn't in
tend at first. With me, it's
been a case of several op-
portunities presenting them
selves at the right time in
my life.
I'll say this, producing
and directing give you the
feeling of creating something
out of nothing. That can
make even a 24-hour day
seem worth while.
Sounds pretty noble,
doesn't it?" smiled Leonard,
a man who can laugh at
himself. II hope I can re-
member it when I work my
next 24-hour day."
Evening star., 1961-05-21

Geddes for the first time
in her career wants to go on
tour, when the present Broad
way stand eventually ends.
II guess I was lazy" Bar
bara AYERS, but now my feel
ing for the theater is getting
stronger"
Also on her summer agenda
are getting her suburban
farm into increased yield and
an intensive" workout at
the painting easel. OF her
hobby she notes:
Il like to call the paint
ings something for children,
but more grownups like them.
What I would love to do is
illustrate some books for chill
dren."
Evening star., 1961-05-21
COMING ATTRACTIONS
STAGE
l in the Sun
SCREEN

NATIONAL-"A Raisin in the Sum" opens May &c.
SCREEN
AMBASSADOR-"The Last Sunset; Rock Hudson Kirk
Douglas; starts June g.
APEX-"Days of Thrills and Laughter"
CAPITOL-'The Big Show; starts Thursday.
DUPONT-"The Ballad of Soldier"
KETTHS-"The Young Savages" starts Wednesday,
MacARTHUR-"A French Mistress"
METROPOLITAN-"Th Last Sunset" Rock Hudson Kirk
Douglas starts June 8.
PALACE-"LadieS Man"
ONTARIO-The Pleasure of His Company" Fred Astaire
PLAZA-"Love and the Frenchwoman"; starts Friday.
TOWN-"On the Double; Danny Kaye; Wednesday
TRANS-LUX-"And the Wild, Wild Women; starts
Wednesday
Evening star., 1961-05-21
THE PASSING SHOW
THE PASSING SHOW
There's Variety of Choice
In Movie Moral Climates

point is that Sensuality is
simply a zestful way of life
with its suntanned, earthly
Greeks. 1t is projected merely
as a folkway which can take
some amusing twists when a
reforming American under
takes to impose his rigid
moral code upon the merry
Magdalena of an Aeolian port
town.
As Virtues Are Valued
Thus, lacking in so many
other virtues, it at least has
one of not letting virtue earn
a phony victory over the lives
of a collection of natural
sinners.
The artistic picture of the
three is "L'Avventura," the
work of Rome'S Michelangelo
Antonioni. The characters of
"L'Avventura" are Italy's idle
postwar rich, pretty much
the same ones who are dealt
with in the currently most
talked-of movie, Fellini's La
Dolce Vita"
In the latter, which will
not be shown locally until
July, Fellini uses a reporter,
a gossip columnist, as the
character through whom his
picture makes its comment on
the sordid emptiness Of
Roman society'S life.
Not Antonioni. He feels
the need OF no such device.
Whatever of comment LAY
ventura" has to make, he
leaves entirely to his camera.
He does so fully conscious
of the risk that the literal
minded moviegoer will leave
the theater wondering pre-
ciSely what Antonioni is try
ing to say.
The range of judgment on
Evening star., 1961-05-21
BY JAY CARMODY
Drama Critic Of The Star

Lay dabblers in, or stu
dents of, the moral climate
of movies can find a number
Of specimens currently on
local screens.
One of these is a comedy,
Never on Sunday" which
is now in it's 22d week at the
Dupont Theater, and which
may prove that sex treated
as a joke provides a para
doxical form of relief for
moviegoers surfeited with the
subject.
Another is "L'Avventura,"
an Italian film at the Apex,
which looks at the whole
broad landscape of amoral
sensuality and allows the
camera to make its own COM
ment on the moral emptiness
Of the lives it pictures.
Peyton Place Again
The third is the Palaces
Return to Peyton Place." a
product of Hollywood which
hides a boxoffice hunger in
a skein of moral sham that
is worse than defenselesS.
Intrinsically. the hopes of
all three to make money for
their producers may be equal,
but the evidence is most con-
spicuously against the Ameri-
can film. At least the i'm
ports avoid the dishonest in
timation that the moviegoer
has just heard a sermon on
the subject, Let him who is
without sin among you, cast
the first stone"
Neither of the other pic
lures makes the slightest pre-
tense that it is other than
what it seems. In the case
of Never on Sunday" its
Evening star., 1961-05-21
BY JAMES BACON
Associated Press Writer


HOLLYWOOD.-Burt Lam
caster, who once thought
acting was for sissies, sits
atop the Hollywood heap
today-rich, famous, winner
of an Academy Award.
But Lancaster, a rugged
maverick in a town where
most follow the herd, is still
an enigma to many in Holly
wood. And the 47-year-old
actor couldn't care less.
He might seem the logical
successor to Gable and
Cooper but doesn't want to
be.
Coop and Gable are the
greatest heroes the screen
has ever known" explains
Burt, 80 great that they
we're bigger than life.
Me? I'm a realist. All l ask
Of a script is that it be true
to life"
That tips off Burt's ver-
satility of character on the
screen - an alcoholic in
Come Back, Little Sheba;"
an evil columnist in Sweet
Smell of Success" the lout
of The Rose Tattoo" and
the phony revivalist of
Elmer Gantry."
His FavOrites
That last role won the g.
foot-2 actor his first Oscar.
He had come close once be-
fore in 1854 with his per-
formance in From Here to
Eternity" which the New
York critics called the best
that year.
Those two pictures are his
favorites of the 33 he has
made since hitting stardom
in Ernest Hemingway's THE
Killers" in 1916, his first
picture.
I met Lancaster before
that was released. The late
Mark Hellinger introduced us
in Chicago. Hellinger, who
shared Burt's contract with
Hal Wallis, produced THE
Killers" and predicted Lam
caster would become one of
the screens greats.
Hellinger had trouble get
ting Lancaster to portray the
punchy prizefighter of The
Killers"
Hellinger called up Lam
casters agent and told him
the actor didn't like the
script.
Candid Answer
What does he know about
scripts?" the agent stormed.
Hes never seen one"
But that was Lancaster
unawed by the mighty-then
and now.
By his second picture, he
was telling the director what
to do and after a few more
he was producing them. BY
the middle sos, Hecht- Hill
Lancaster was the biggest
independent company in the
business. Then it dissolved.
There was talk that the
partners wanted to revert to
a smaller. more creative op-
GRAFTON. But, as always, Burt
gave the candid answer:
I'VE were losing money"
he said.
When the company pro-
duced Marty" one of the
all-time classics. studio pub
licity sent out reams of copy
applauding the artistic dar-
Evening star., 1961-05-21

ing OF a company that would
gamble 100000 on the SIM
pie love story of a lonely
butcher boy and a Bronx
wallflower.
Tax-LOsS Try
Once again Lancaster gave
the be h IN d = the publicity
story:
Its true that we saw the
artistic value of the tender
love story but we expected it
to be a commercial flop. We
needed a flop to offset the
big crosses from Vera Cruz"
But Marty" begun as a
tax loss, wound up making
six millions-and it's still
going Strong-even in Russia.
But later HILL pictures
lost money.
"Lancaster'S current prof.
ects give an insight into his
versatility. In The Birdman
of AlcatraZ," he practically
does a one-man movie por-
traying convict Robert
Stroud who has spent most
of the last 81 years in soli-
tary confinement with birds
his only companions.
Burt is emotionally in
volved with Stroud's case
because the self-taught lifer
has become one of the
worlds foremost authorities
on bird diseases.
He interrupted filming that
one to portray a Nazi war
criminal in Judgment at
Nuremberg"
A Homecoming
And then there's THE
Young Savages," a hard
hitting movie about the ju-
venile gang wars in New
York's East Harlem.
For Burt, the location
filming was a homecoming.
He was born in a slum on
l06th and Third avenue.
"On our block, you were
either Italian or Jewish. We
were the only Irish English
family there" Burt recalls.
Now it is mostly Negro and
Puerto Rican."
I'VE used to fight - in
gangs, too," Burt recalls.
But it was honest fighting.
We weren't out to kill. There
were no knives or guns or
chains or baseball bats"
Lancaster's father was a
postal clerk and his mother
was a strong -willed, scrupu-
lously honest woman who
would cuff her children if
they got out of line.
Mother Was Boss
Il could take care of my
self on the street." Burt
remembers, "but let's say that
my mother had some control
over U.S."
All the Lancaster children,
two sons and a daughter,
went to college instead of
Sing Sing-unlike some of
the neighbors' kids.
Burt was the only one who
didn't graduate. He quit City
College after two years to
join a circus acrobatic act
with his pal, Nick Cravat.
They started at So a week;
once in vaudeville got up to
$400 a week but there we're
times when even SO looked
big. Once Burt was on WPA.
Another time he worked in
Marshall Fields lingerie and
See BACON, Page D-14
Evening star., 1961-05-21

years in the gangster era he
reigned as one of the screens
most delightful hoods.
When TV arrived, Leon
ards pantomimic magic was
lost to out-front admirers.
He became, among other
things, the mastermind of
Danny Thomas CBS-TV Sc
ries.
And, you know what?"
Sheldon pursued. II liked
being recognized. I still like
it. So does Danny. We're
both loquacious guys-we dig
talking to people. Being an
actor you've got a chance to
meet a million different fas-
cinating people. Why kick
it away because of tenn
perament?'"
Ex-movie mobster Leonard
these days is building a real
empire-and it's all on the
up and up. In partnership
with Danny, he's involved in
the production of five shows
for the fall season. In addi-
Stion to Danny's, they include
THE Real McCoys," The
Andy Griffith Show" THE
Joey Bishop Show" and Dick
Van Dykes MY Double
Life"
Return to Acting
Just for a sort of revisita-
ton to his old haunts, Shell
don is going movie actor
again. This will occur in the
Apple Annie" story, now
known as "Pocketful of Mir
acles," and naturally he'll be
loW-doWn-a Chicago over
lord in New York to bargain
with the Big Towns under
world king, Glenn Ford. It's
his first screen start since
Guys and Dolls" G954 and
he was able to do it only
because the part is a vignette
requiring but two days.
Il remember the good old
acting days" Sheldon con-
tinued with a grin. What a
Evening star., 1961-05-21
TODAY'S SCHEDULES
STAGE
As Virtues Are Valued

ARENA-"Man and superman"; by Bernard Shaw; BIS
pm.
NATIoNAL-Dark; "once Upon a Mattress;
Evening star., 1961-05-21
Now Lancaster Knows
Acting's Not for Sissies

ing of a company that would
gamble 100000 on the SIM
pie love story of a lonely
butcher boy and a Bronx
wallflower.
Evening star., 1961-03-26
BY BOB THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

HOLLYWOOD. - When
Bud Abbott stepped before
the camera last week, he
marked these milestones:
First time he had done a
single.
First time he played a dra-
matte role.
1t was also the first time
he returned to Universal
Studios since the days he
and the late Lou Costello
were filmdom'S comedy kings.
Bud was back at Universal
(now Revue) to play a hard
bitten agent of a night club
comic Oee Marvin) in "The
Jokes on Me-" which will
appear on G. E. Theater April
16. I watched as Director Ida
Lupino put the two actors
through their PAGES. Bud
seemed to have the same
confidence he displayed as
straight man of the Abbott
and Costello team.
"I'm not nervous" he said
later. 1T does seem q little
strange not working with the
little guy. But what the heck
acting is acting, whether
you're doing Who's on first?
or a dramatic scene. I think
I can handle it,"
Buds confidence may also
stem from the conquest of
another hurdle. This month
he made his return to the
comedy business, working
with q new partner, Candy
Candido. They opened to ex-
cellent returns at the Holiday
Evening star., 1961-03-26
THE PASSING SHOW
lyman Grew Up
Ever So Brightly

detached world of so much
Of theater, and its inhahi-
tantS, as the job of a uranium
pile worker does from that of
a dairy maid.
At least, this is how it
seems. It explains the
mood of dubiety and under
nourished hope that the
newspaper reviewer takes to
his aisle seats on opening
nights. He is not tired of
his job, or jaded, or miffed
that limited writing time
limits him to reviewing in
stead of criticizing plays.
The newspaper critic has as
warm a welcome for, say,
Carnival" or MY Fair
Lady" as the most avid mere
entertainment seeker in any
audience. He is almost as
vulnerable to diversion as
any other theatergoer.
A Sense of Waste
Nevertheless, he has a sense
of waste and misuse of a
powerful instrument for the
stimulation Of a social sense
when the producers of drama
offer a diet largely made up
OF musicals, sex Favored
farce, and the like. He does
not mind that Carnival"
tickets are impossible to buy,
but he is sad to mark how
easily possible it is to get
them to "A Taste of Honey"
"All the Way Home" and
plays which deal with the
constantly more acute dilem-
ma of coming to terms with
a Shifty, treacherous life.
It is pleasant then to find
in Mr.. lyman, who was so
much Of the theater in his
beginning, q critic who can
see the opportunity it-and
its audiences-are missing in
a theater that seeks merely
to entertain.
There Is too much of a re-
semblance here to a metro
politan newspaper without
an editorial page, one with
which the reader may agree
or disagree, but never be left
an unmoved lump.
Evening star., 1961-03-26

home. "I keep a little apart
ment in the city. But mostly
I live with my family in
Mamaroneck - with two
brothers, a sister, a sister
in-law, and my parents.
When I was buying the
house / asked for eight bed
rooms. If mother knows
you're in New York and you
don't go to Mamaroneck.
she gets hurt. We have Wis
itors all the time. Some never
leave. You haven't lived until
you've tasted mom's spa
ghetti!"
Sal started his acting ca
reer as the goat boy in Rose
Tattoo" on Broadway. Then
he was understudy to Prince
Chulalongkorn in "The King
and I" for a year, before
playing the role.
THE first time I had con-
tact with Gertie Lawrence
was when I went on as un-
derstudy for the prince and,
until he was out with meas
les. I thought I'd never get
a break. He had q tempera-
ture of 103 and a broken
nose. but wouldn't go home
until the measles hit him.
So, I'm doing Getting to
Know You and, when I bent
over, my pants ripped and
fell down."
THE audience thought it
was part of the number and
laughed. But Miss Lawrence
realized how embarrassed I
was, and she patted my rear
with her fan and sent me
off to the wings. Later, she
stopped me and said, Sal,
Evening star., 1961-03-26
SCREEN


ANBAESADOR-"Giant" the film of Edna Ferbers Texas
novel. with James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock
Hudson; 1:25 ASS and 8:25 pm.
APEX-"It Happened in Broad Daylight: psychopathic
killer the loose; 1O5 ESQ, ABS, $40, and $50 pm
CAPTTOL-"The MionaireSs"; the unlikely combination
Of Sophia Loren and Shaw farce that never quite
DUPoNT-"Never Sunday; sophisticated saga Of how
life is in Greece these days; l, 2:50 440, $780, 1925
and 1918 pm.
KEITH'S-"Operation Eichmann'; weak screen treat
ment of deeply dramatic theme 1:4O. $40. $50, 750
and 9:55 PM
MacARTHUR-"The Entertainer: Laurence Olivier in
worthy film version of John Osbornes play; 210 4:05
6, 1855 and $50 pm
METROPOLTTAN-"Cian the film of Edna Ferber's
Texas novel with James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and
Rock Hudson; 1885, sos and $40 pm.
ONTARIO-"Tunes of Glory; Alec Guinness stars in a
fine tale about the principles of military conduct;
l:20, $3.50, $40, 7:50 and 10 pm.
PALACE-"Au Hands Deck; comedy songs and ro-
nance on the seven with Pat Boone, Buddy
Hackett and Barbara Eden; 150, $780, $50, 1850 and
$50 pm
PLAYHOUSE-"Question ~; religious leader provides
guidance for those under the Communist yoke in East
Germany; $780, $3.50, $780, 1880 and $50 pm.
PLAZA-No Morals; which describes the herone $780,
3:15, 4:50 6:25, and 9:4O pm
TOWN-"Ihe World OF Suzie Wong; tastefuly tailored
5:35, 1850 and 1910 pm
TRANS-LUX-"Pepe"; marathon comedy and dance pro-
duction starring Cantinfas; l. 1885, $50 and S:45 Pm
UPTOWNEXodus"; the story of ISraes birth; epic
in size than depth: and 1880 pm.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." fragile script is more than off
set by brilliant camera work. superb acting; and
8:15 pm.