Thursday, April 5, 1984
The Pendulum
Arts
Page 5
Former Fishtin Christian football plarer directed "Norma Rae
Hollywood talent Ritt, to discuss films here
By Chris Quad
Staff Writer
Hollywood. Just the mention
of this famous city evokes im
ages of shapley, platinum
haired actresses and muscular,
sun-tanned actors driving slick
red Ferraris.
This Jand of directors, pro
ducers and stars seems worlds
away from Elon College, N.C.
One Elon College alumnus,
however, has made a name for
himself in this famous city as a
talented and respected
director.
Martin Ritt came to Elon Col
lege in 1932 from Brooklyn,
N.Y. During his two-year stay at
Elon, Ritt played football
under Coach Peahead Walker,
participated in various theat
rical productions and took in
all he could about the South, a
region that would provide the
setting for eight of his films.
Today, Ritt is the established
and respected director of such
films as Norma Rae, Sounder,
and Conrack. In a business
where money is the bottom
line, Ritt has managed to direct
movies with meaningful social
content while still remaining
bankable.
Ritt will be visiting the Elon
What’s ‘Afoot’?
Martin Ritt
College campus the first week
of May. According to Dr. Lamar
Bland, associate professor of
English, Ritt is exactly the kind
of figure a liberal college
should be interested in. “Ritt is
a humanitarian, he,has a social
conscience and is interested in
human stories,” said Bland.
“His best films reveal this.”
During his stay at Elon, Ritt
will be visiting classes and will
be available for mealtime con
versation. On May 3 a panel dis
cussion entitled “An Evening
With Martin Ritt” will be held.
Along with Bland, the panel
will include Dr. Anne Ponder
and Bob Nowell, both com
munications instructors at
Elon College.
It is a rare opportunity for
students to get this close to a
major Hollywood director,”'
said Bland. “I am hopeful that
people will take advantage of
this opportunity.”
Three weeks prior to Ritt’s
visit, the college plans to show
some of Ritt’s films. The Liber
al Arts Forum on campus is
funding a showing of some of
his films.
On April 10, the film Sounder
will be shown at 7 p.m. in Whit
ley Auditorium. “Sounder is
Ritt’s single best known film
and is praised by critics as
being an honest film about
black people in the South,”
said Bland.
Norma Rae will be shown on
April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in Mooney
Building. Sally Field won an
Oscar for Best Actress for her
portrayal of a Southern woman
trying to unionize textile
workers.
The movie Hud will be shown
on April 26 at 3:30 p.m. in
NC band has fine debut LP
By Mike Wheaton
Let’s Active’s first album
Afoot on IRS records is de
finitely a welcome addition to
My new music fan’s collection.
This pop trio from North
Carolina features Mitch Easter
on guitar, Faye Hunter on bass
! and Sara Bromberg on drums.
In fact, their album was re
corded at the famous Drive-In
: Studio in Winston Salem.
Mbum review
least impressive song is “Make
up with Me.” It’s not nearly as
fast paced as “Every Word
Means No.” Ending the album
is a slower song that features
an excellent musical arrange
ment labeled “Edge of the
World.” Mitch Easter’s skilled
guitar playing becomes clearly
evident on this cut.
Overall, this band comes
across as being very fresh
sounding and original. Afoot is
recommended to anyone who
likes progressive music or just
good old-fashioned pop!
Side one of their album be
gins with a song entitled
“Room with a View.” It has the
Sreatest potential of any song
on the album to be a hit.
“In Between” is a fair song
3nd features a good musical
jrrangement. “Leader of the
Men” is a decent song that fea-
wes some excellent singing.
The real gem of the album is
Every Word Means No,” the
”rst song on the second side.
Although this song is sort of
"^rd to describe, it comes
J^ross as being very poppy.
™3ybe it could be classified as
New-Psychedelic.
the entire album, the
DO YOU NEED
Hirlli Control or liirlli Control in-
I'ornialion?
V .I). Scr«*»Miinfi or Tr*‘utnn‘nt
Frefinancy restiufi?
THEN CALL
Planned Parenthood of the lrial, Inc
At 37;5-()67«
WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN
AND TO HELP.
418 S. Eugene ('.ourt
(ireenshoro, IN.C..
and Winston-Salem.
Mooney. The film, starring
Paul Newman, is a modern
Western, examining the man
ner in which the values of the
Old West function in modern
society.
The Front, a film that deals
with Ritt’s experiences of
being blacklisted in the 1950s,
will be shown on April 30 at 7
p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.
Conrack will be shown on
May 1 at 7 p.m. in Whitley Au
ditorium. “This film is about a
young teacher who goes into a
community in coastal Geor
gia,” said Bland. “Ritt de
scribes it as a film about the
love affair between a teacher
and the students in a public
school.”
“These films are being
shown to build in a familiarity
with the man’s work, so every
one can profit from his visit,”
Bland said. “We are getting
Ritt at a good time in his
career. He has shown in the
last 10 years that if he can do
what he wants to do, he can do
fine work.”
According to Bland, Ritt is a
director who is in the business
for more than money. His films
are not just money makers,
they are also socially meaning
ful. “Ritt wanted to make the
movie Sounder so much that he
did so for only 10 percent of his
usual salary,” Bland said. He
got 50 percent of his normal sal
ary for doing Norma Rae. “
^^They^re here.^^
Steven Spielberg has fascinated,
mystified and scared audiences with
JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF
THE THIRD KIND and RAIDERS OF
THE LOST ARK. Now, he takes you
into the terrifying world of...
It knows what scares you.
Friday, April 6
8:00 p.m.
Wliitley Auditorium
Admission: ^1.00