4 The Daily Tar Heel Tuesday, January 25,
Free flicks not completely gratis
by Chip Ensslin
Staff Writer
Taxi Driver and Seven Beauties, two
of the most publicized films of 1976,
were shown to near-capacity audiences
in Carroll Hall this past weekend as part
of the Carolina Union's Spring Free
Flick program. These films represent a
trend toward scheduling popular
contemporary films, which began last
semester after the success of the student
government film series, which included
The Sting and pie Godfather.
Seven Beauties was free, as are most
of the films on the Spring Schedule.
Taxi Driver, part of the Super Friday
Series, cost a dollar.
"We've gotten a lot of compliments
on the list," said Hank Baker,
chairperson of the Union's twelve
person Free Flick selection committee.
"One guy said it was the best schedule he
ever saw. We've gotten a lot of positive
feedback from the students."
Reaction from downtown theater
owners has not been as positive. Since
the free flicks utilize University
resources and do not pay taxes, rent, or
business license costs, downtown
theater owners feel that the competition
free flicks cause them is unfair.
"The reason we're showing films like
this is because the attendance was very
poor last year," Baker said. It was very
obvious that we were not fulfilling the
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Kaleidoscope Editor
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begin to wonder why. Hundreds of critics of
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more clear-cut standards of judging works.
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1977
students' needs. Since we are the
Student Union and we use the students'
money, we ought to show what the
students want."
But according to E. Carrington
Smith, former manager of the Carolina
Theater, now retired, the original
concept of Free Flicks has been
"perverted" in recent years. Smith first
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"I just think that nothing the University sponsors should be in
direct competition with us." Jerry Robinson, manager of the
Varsity Theatre.
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came to Chapel Hill as an
undergraduate in 1927, and gave the
University permission to show free
flicks during the war years. His
permission was required because free
movies were forbidden along with other
university retail operations by the 1939
Umstead Act, which prohibited direct
retail competition between town
merchants and the University.
Smith gave permission to University
the presence of creative genius
when the final product looked like
something more than last night's lefovers.
The Challenge, a film that explores
modern art and its creators, will be shown at
8 tonight and Thursday and at 2 p.m. on
Saturday in Carroll Hall. Admission is $2 at
the door.
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comptroller W.D. Carmichael to show
movies to students on Fridays and
Saturdays without charging admission.
"In the old days," Smith said, "when
we made the agreement, they were to
submit lists to us for our approval. They
were to show old movies, which
wouldn't compete with us." Smith said
that after Carmichael died, the lists were
no longer submitted for approval. He
said that in his opinion free flicks have
"turned into a monster."
Smith said that the Umstead Act was
still in effect, but because of the
ambiguity of its phrasing, it was subject
to differing, interpretations. In his
opinion, the University violates the Act
with regard to Student Stores
merchandising as well as the free flicks.
The law states that the Greater
Challenge illustrates the growth and
dynam ism of nearly 1 00 years of modern art.
Relationships between styles are explained,
such as how Cubism completed the
revolution begun by Cezanne and how
diversified styles emerged.
Director-producer Herbert Kline
Academy Award-winning director of Walls
of Fire, persuaded Orson Welles to appear in
and narrate the film. Commentary was
written by Pierre Schneider, art critic of The
New York Times and L Express.
Kline filmed many of the world's great
artists at work in their studios. The film
allows us unique visits with such artists as
Village Opticians
PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED
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CONTACT LENSES
fitted polished cleaned
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prescriptibhnloh-prescnption
downtown
University of North Carolina is
prohibited from selling articles of
merchandise exceeding 25c, except
those produced "incident to educational
research, incident to the operation of
instructional departments, and articles
of merchandise incident to classroom
work, meals, or books."
In my opinion, free flicks violate the
state laws," said Jerry .Robinson,
manager of the Varsity Theatre. "That's
my opinion, but it's debatable. 1 just
think that nothing the University
sponsors should be in direct
competition with us (downtown
merchants)." Robinson noted that
within the last two weeks, he has shown
The Passenger and Love and Death, two
movies on the free flick schedule.
As an undergraduate, Robinson
Chagall, Lipchitz, Oldenburg, Di Chirico
and many more These are newly filmed
sequences and in many cases are the only
existing film on the artist.
Many important artists, however, were
unavailable for filming so Kline proceded to
comb the world for rare existing footage.
Consequently, The Challenge shows us
Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Duchamp,
Pollack and other artists creating and
explaining the works that have made them
famous.
The film also visits great collection in The
Louvre, The Guggenheim and The Museum
of Modern Art.
tyv
John C. Southern, Optician
121 E. Franklin St.
ftext to tt Varsity Theatre
942-3254
theatres have to pay
worked with the free flicks as a Union
employee from 1967-69. He said that he
believes free flicks infringe more and
more upon the downtown theater
business every year.
"It didn't used to be like this," said
Scott Reid, manager of the twin
Carolina theaters. "Free flicks used to
show movies you couldn't get
downtown. Showing movies like this is
really unfair.
"He's not spending the students'
money wisely," . Reid continued.
"They're probably paying for Taxi
Driver what six old Bogart movies
would cost,"
Baker said he could not name any
specific prices, but said that six Bogart
films would cost a lot more than Taxi
Driver.
Reid made it clear that he thinks the
idea of free movies is good for the
University. He objects only when they
become competitive.
"I'd just as soon they show movies
every day," he said. "All we've asked
them to do is to talk to us about what
they're planning to run."
Reid said that he and other theater
owners have met with Dean of Student
Affairs Donald A. Boulton and other
members of the University
administration.
"They've (the theater owners) never
said anything to me." Baker said. "If
r
i
jCampus Concerns Committee
Invites all Faculty and students to
An Informal
Every Wednesday and Thursday
9:00-11:00 A.M.
in the Redecorated Pine Room
Coffee and Pastry will be sold.
At Peppi's we make every pizza
Naturally we don't skimp. . .so when
pizza . . .at a great price.
Peppi's must be better
'cause our customers keep
coming back. Once
you've tried us, we're sure
you'll be back too.
Because at Peppi's,
our customers know
the difference.
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Good Mon.' Thurs
they wanted to ask me for a list, Td give
it to them, but it wouldn't make any
difference," he said, indicating that he
would still run what his committee had
decided to program.
Baker says that he sympathizes with
downtown theater owners, but feels that
students want contemporary
programming.
"I see their point," he said. "I know
they don't have a lot to work with or to
book."
Reid said that if he owned the theater,
he would probably sue. The American
Broadcasting Company (ABC) is the
parent corporation, however, and since
Chapel Hill is the smallest town that an
ABC theater plays, Reid said he did not
think that ABC would consider it worth
the hassles involved.
Robinson said that he would not sue,
but that his parent corporation, the
Eastern Federal Corporation, might
take legal action.
,.; When asked if he thought that this
I year's free flick program violated the
? Umstead Act, Baker said," As far as I'm
concerned, if the Student Stores can do
what they're doing (i.e. sell retail
merchandise) we can do what we're
doing. I don't think we're violating the
Umstead Act at all," Baker said. "We're
here for the students, not the downtown
theaters."
iiiiii
Orson Welles
narrates and
appears in The
Challenge, a film
tribute to modern
art. It will be shown
at 8 tonight and
Thursday and at 2
p.m. on Saturday In
Carroll Hall.
mm
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Coffee Klatch
like we're making it for ourselves.
you come to Peppi's you get a great
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Expires Nov. 30
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203 W. Franhlin Stroot
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