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ONE VIEWER'S OPINION
Who's io Hlumv for th*> 20-Miituie Shorigif/o'?
( Continued from Page 6) Hulot in Air. Hulot's Holiday remains his best film to date). No one will bicker over the special "nostalgia" award that went to Chevalier, one of our most enjoyable secular idols.
Production-wise, the Oscarcast was an energetic offering, if notably laggard in some spots. As always, there was the stunning promenade of stars on the Pantages midawy — entrance by duos, a bit of banter, then the presentations. Boosting the variety was a shifting pattern of emcees that ranged from Bob Hope, zestfully batting out some old material, to Jerry Lewis, unprepared and unsure whether to be reverent or to lapse into the Lewis zaniness which is his more normal posture. It seems to many that Mr. Lewis' hectic and rather worn style is not suited to the proceedings. Mort Sahl injected a much appreciated "inside" note into the proceedings and demonstrated what good material and downbeat delivery can do by gleaning the laugh of the evening.
Wald showed savvy in staging his sketches and musical numbers, most of
them graced with an opulent display of talent. Chevalier, winding through Thank Heaven for Little Girls in his customary recitativo , had the aid of a mammoth spectrum of West Coast pulchritude for a dance ensemble. Fluid, suspended sets helped to blend one number into another, but some musical numbers suffered from lethargic camerawork, especially A Certain Smile with John Raitt warbling and Marge and Gower hoofing.
Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas did a filmed repeat of last year's hit Cole Porter number It's All Right With Us. Angela Lansbury, Dana Wynter and Joan Collins continued the same bit with It's Bully, the cameras picking out the best actress nominees from the audience. Unfortunately, one unhappy line appeared to embarrass Roz Russell. A team of eight writers are credited with bits and continuity, their wit occasionally poking through for humorous effect. The Ustinov-McClaine special effects skit was quite the most clever of all the bits.
What marred a smooth and titillating show was the 20-minutes-early ending. Instead of an upbeat finale, the mass There's No Business Like Show Business fade-out was inept and disorganized.
The public generally blames the movie people for this sad ending, but the fault actually lay with NBC, which must shoulder the responsibility for the timing of the show. However, we agree with George Stevens, president of the Academy, that a lengthy show involving over 100 personalities, with many unrehearsed portions runs the risk of being short or overlong. One can only wonder why the NBC director, Alan Handley, did not keep a closer eye on the clock and pace it more judiciously.
On the whole, the 1959 Oscar show moved smoothly. Star-struck movie fans probably were content to get their glimpses of the personalities they adore. Those who tuned in in quest of entertainment have reason to wish they had received more. But, as someone says, don't get me wrong, I love Hollywood.
SHOWMEN. .
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Film BULLETIN April 13. 1959 Pjqe 27