Canadian Film Digest (Apr 1973)

The Canadian Film Digest Books April 1973 The Tallulah Cult Tallulah by Brendan Gill Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, $28.75. It wasn’t so long ago that the only biographies of figures in the entertainment world were mindless junk. Now, spurred on first by nostalgia and second by: a realistic appraisal of American accomplishment in the arts, we have accounts and estimations of performers that are worthwhile. Even coffee-table books about them. First Cole Porter, now Tallulah Bankhead. And it’s worth it. Brendan Gill has written a lavish biography of a lavish woman. Tallulah as a person is, to most young people today, as foreign as her name. But when she died in 1968, her obituary ran two columns on the front page of The New York Times. As Gill remarks, ‘‘Kings have made do with less.” Who was this Tallulah, anyway? During the Twenties in England, only three other people were as well known: Churchill, Shaw, and a now forgotten jockey. And she was well known, not because of her talent, which was considerable but never fully cultivated, but also because of her personality. She was, according to Gill, ‘intensely present.” Her legend was a series of escapades, mostly true and the rest lived up to. Running naked, taking drugs, sex, partying for days, extremely witty and clever — the legend of Tallulah. But the reality of Tallulah was more complex. She had an immense ambition, immense beauty, a unique voice — “‘low, sweet, husky’’ — and such a desire for companionship that she could never stand being alone. She was extravagant, yes, but she was generous. She was the darling of the Gods — the upper gallery in English theatres was called the Gods — and was swooned over as much as the Beatles. In short, she was fascinated by Life and insatiable for it. She worked hard at roles and at play, and deserved the adulation she received. Gill’s biography is not extremely detailed, but he recounts the main events of her life better than her other biographers. Plus he . recreates her milieu completely: the Roaring Twenties, her Alabama youth with the future Zelda Fitzgerald, her real stage triumphs in The Little Foxes, her loves and hates, and her fears and paranoia. The volume is boundlessly illustrated with photos of Tallulah and her surroundings. Capsule biographies of important personages appear, and documents and letters are reproduced. 1. Name two actors who played Billy the Kid in very different film versions. One was in the Forties and one in the Fifties. 2. Who played Henry Higgins in the original sound version of Shaw's Pygmalion, made in the Thirties for MGM? 3. One of the great scandals in film history was Ingrid Bergman’s affair with Roberto Rossellini. What film did he direct her in? 4, Identify the Gable movie: Carl Loomis is a Salvation Army worker who reforms showgirl Ivy Stevens. 5. Name the three men who played the title roles in the 1948 movie The Three Godfathers. 6, In the film Rhapsody in Blue, who played the title role of George Gershwin? 7. Noel Coward's most famous musical was Bitter Sweet. Who played the starring roles? DIGEST MOVIE QUIZ NO. 6 Tallulah, Darling of the Gods by Kieran Tunney Secker and Warburg, $10.95. Tunney was an almost-constant companion of Tallulah during the last two decades of her life. He is an Irish playwright and very much younger than she, but they hit it off immediately as they met — he was sent from London to interest her in a play — and she called them ‘‘the twins.”’ ' His book is a true memoir. It is not an attempt to list the events of her life chronologically, but a series of episodes, adventures, and stories about their times together, and stories she would tell him about her earlier life, all of which sums up her character and tries to explain it. The author is, of course, biased, but the book is not. Tunney tries to account for some of Tallulah’s incredible tantrums and _ idiosyncracies, such as leaving money to those who wailed upon her and denying those who, by refusing to cater to her, showed they loved her. She did it because she felt that, even though she saw the predatory nature of most of them, they had worked for it and it was the only thing they could do; she rewarded them. In the most fascinating section, he describes a scene when actor Eric Portman straightforwardly told her what everyone said: she was a spoiled brat, a caricature, who had wasted her talent in crap, and was detestable for her self-indulgence. Later Talullah explained to Tunney that she knew it was true, but throughout her life, dating especially from her loss of the lead in Rain, she thought she could turn around at any moment and acquire the technique and experience that greatness requires. She found, by the time she did The Little Foxes, that she had been wrong, and then it was too late. She admitted, but never regretted, the desire for power, success and extravagance which she received and wanted to keep, before she obtained the training. She never had someone to advise her on scripts, and was a very bad judge of those given to her, but sitting in a theatre she was an astute critic of others’ work. : Tunney constantly calls Tallulah beautiful, even in her waning years when, stricken with emphysema, all others testified to her physical decay. But Tunney means beauty in another way: he usually ascribes it to a statement or gesture or thing she did. And there he seems correct. For her beauty was active, dramatic. 8. The songs used in the movie Singin’ in the Rain were used originally in another movie. Name the earlier film and its stars. 9. Bogie and Edward G. Robinson were rival fight managers in what movie? Who played the title role? 10. What do these actors have in common: Sheldon Lewis, John Barrymore, Conrad Veidt, Fredric March, Spencer Tracy? Answers: ‘apAH ‘JIT pue [Ayer “iq padeyd qe Ady] “01 ‘UAapfoH Wey ‘peyryesy pry ‘6 ‘pueyiey Apne pue Aauooy AMY YIM SulTy ul saqeg ‘g ‘preuoqoR ayjouear pure Appa Uuos[aN “2 “eply 119qoy “9 “Ar ‘Kaieg Aliey ‘ziiwepusaurry oped ‘aude uyor "¢ ‘SIDUUIS Aulysney “p "1pOquIO.S “g ‘pseMOH] aysey “% ‘ueWAMON [neg ‘10[AeL yI9qQOY-"T We'll make you an offer you can’t refuse The next Canadian Film Digest Yearbook will be published in September. To make sure you have the names, numbers, and statistics of the Canadian Film Industry handy now, we'll send you the current Yearbook for only $3.50. That's $1.50 less than the regular $5.00 price. The special discount rate is available only by filling out the coupon below. Send to Canadian Film Digest, 175 Bloor East, Toronto 5 Do it now. You can’t refuse. Are you looking for actors, technicians, teachers? We will provide a FREE listing in this column to help you. Send your information to Casting, The Canadian Film Digest, 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5. ANY personnel, not only movie people, are eligible. Canadian Playwrights Toronto Playwright Guy F. Claude Hamel has been commissioned by C.S.P. World News to produce a book recording playwrights in Canada. He would like photos and resumes for inclusion in the book to be sent to him at P.O. Box 224, Station J. Toronto, Ont. M4J 4Y1. Community Producers Toronto Community Producers have a LIP grant and are looking for actors who are looking for a play, playwrights who are loon. for actors and directors looking for both. 7. short they have openings for all for the use of VTR and filming of local, non-commercial community affairs programming, as well as cross-Canada non-commercial and educational programming. Contact: Jon Stanley, 736 Bathurst St., Toronto 4, Ont. Creighton School of Drama Toronto The Creighton School of Drama requires a drama teacher. For appointment call Liza Creighton, (416) 533-2367. Factory Theatre Lab Toronto Factory Theatre Lab needs: a_ technical director, stage manager, promotion assistants, super secretary, and office help. Salary will depend on the people and kind of funding for the next two shows. At the moment they are optimistic. Also need several part-time people and a lot of volunteer help. Call (416) 921-5989 and ask for Ken, Eric or Ralph. -Hobel-Leiterman Productions Toronto Screenplays or script-outlines for feature length dramatic productions wanted. All submissions will be given careful reading with a view to production in Canada. Please mail with self-addressed return envelope to: HobelLeiterman, 573 Church St., Toronto, Ont. M4Y 2E4. Italian Edu-Art Service Toronto Semi-professional group. with LIP grant looking for non-Equity actors and actresses preferably bilingual (Italian). Photos and resumes to Italian Edu-Art Service, Frank Spezzano, 33 Brandon Ave., Toronto, Ont. (416) 536-2343. Kingston Campus Kingston, Ontario St. Lawrence College of Applied Arts and Technology is seeking applications for instructor to teach and direct productions in a new, three-year theatre arts program with options in technical theatre and puppetry. Requirements: Four year Bachelor’s degree in theatre or equivalent certificate of study from professional experience; experience in area of acting, directing. Starting date between April Ist and June Ist, 1973. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Resume to: Chairman, Visual and Creative Arts Department, St. Lawrence College of Applied Arts and Technology, Portsmouth Avenue, P.O. Box 6000, Kingston, Ont. ‘ Patti Payne Toronto Shooting has begun for CBC-TV’s eight onehour episodes of Pierre Berton’s National Digest Classified Wanted: Collector will buy old Film Daily. Yearbooks, posters, stills, films. George Hoskins, 111 Chudleigh St., Toronto 12. Phone (416) 928-3784. Do you have an article to sell, a service to supply, a position to fill? Place your ad in the Digest Classified for only 80 cents per line. Send your copy to Classifieds, The Canadian Film Digest, 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5. Digest Casting Page 19 Dream. Casting here and points west — mostly men in the 30-60-year-old range. Documentary to be shot across Canada from the end of February until mid-July. Director is Eric Till and producer is Jim Murray. Photos and resumes to Patti Payne, 2264 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto 500, Ontario. Also: For a CBC one-hour anthology drama: 2 German couple in their midto late thirties; business men in their forties and fifties; thirtyish lawyer-type with contemporary look. Another Anthology is to be announced soon. Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. Centre For Communication And The Arts (operations) needs a theatre technician. Should be experienced in the routines of preparing and operating stage shows. Should have some knowledge of stage lighting, sound, and film projection techniques. Experience in a university multi-disciplinary arts centre is desirable. Must be capable of working variable hours and with minimal supervision. Theatre Calgary Calgary : Harold Baldridge, artistic director, is accepting applications for employment for Theatre Calgary’s 1973-74 season. As a result of applications received, interviews will be scheduled later this spring. Publicity and promotions director (annual) opening available now; production manager (seasonal to annual), experienced; resident set designer (seasonal) possibly combined with costume designer, experienced; technical director and lighting designer (seasonal), experienced; costume designer and/ or cutter (seasonal), experienced desirable; experienced Equity stage manager (seasonal); carpenters (seasonal); technical assistants who in exchange for minimal salary will receive first hand experience working under professionals in active theatre. Openings in areas of shop assistants (sets and props); sound and light operators and costume assistants. Send all applications with resume and references marked confidential to: Harold G. Baldridge, Artistic Director, Theatre Calgary, 211 — 11 Avenue SW., Calgary T2R 0C2, Alberta. Theatre for the Physically Disabled Toronto Volunteer actors and actresses, professional or amateur wanted to work with the newly formed Theatre for the Physically Disabled, regarding social consciousness of minority groups in society. Please send a resume with recent picture to: Theatre for the Physically Disabled, 596 Church St., Apt. 2, Toronto 5, Ontario, or phone (416) 922-9207. Toronto Film-makers Co-op, Toronto Toronto Film-makers Co-op is looking for scripts for low-budget feature films. All scripts will be read by at least three filmmakers and critiques and will be returned to each writer. Investments for the films will be sought through the CFDC and private investors. Deadline is May 1 for fall production. Next deadline September 1. Contact: Toronto Filmmakers Co-op, Room 201, 341 Bloor St. W., Toronto 5, Ont. M5S 1W8. University of Alberta Edmonton Drama Department requires MFA in design or professional equivalent, to teach in areas of undergraduate stagecraft, production, design and graduate design. Experience in professional theatre desirable, competence in costume, scene and lighting design, teaching experience desirable. Will design’ one or two main stage productions per season, Salary and rank negotiable to $12,900 at level of assistant professor (subject to budget approval), Position available July ist, 1973. Write: Thomas Peacocke, Chairman, Department of Drama, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. Also: Drama department requires MFA or MA (drama) or equivalent to teach oral communication, voice and = speech, improvisation and/or creative drama, and possibly introductory course in theatre art. ‘Teaching experience necessary, Salary and rank negotiable to $12,900 at level of assistant professor (subject to budget approval), Position available July Ist, 1973. Write: Thomas Peacocke, Chairman, Department ot Drama, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. oN >>