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greg lukow
ICCI1J ClflCI
Have current movie trends outgrown the great American1
western? The western tradition has become a prominent
part of our culture over the years, but recently western
productions have slowly wound down until they have
nearly come to a halt. Even on TV, Gunsmoke remains a
last sentinel; 10 or 15 years ago westerns ruled the tube.
It's been more than a year since the last major western
(Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garret and Billy the Kid) hit the
screen. Even John Wayne, last and greatest member of the
western's old guard, has ridden right on past the last sunset
and into the city for his latest movie. The few new westerns
turned out this past year have been dreary foreign
productions (Mexican, Italian and even Israeli) that usually
capitalize on one or two well known American stars stuck
in among an unknown foreign cast.
New Yorker's film critic Pauline Kael has even gone so
far as to say that the western is dead. But it's difficult to
say whether we are seeing the end of a long movie era. The
western probably has meant too much to the American
public to be so easily forgotten.
The entire situation has, in fact, been seen before and
for many of the same reasons. Between 1929 and 1935
when the gangster heroes were bringing movie patrons out
their depression doldrums and into the movie houses, the
production of major, big budget westerns was almost nil.
The period was dominated by the low budget "B" westerns
(even those weren't as good as the post-1935 Hopalong
Cassidy, Gene Autry era) and one is hardpressed to name
any major, big star westerns from that time.
But the western pulled out of near oblivion in the late
'30s with stars like Gary Cooper, Errol Flyrn and, of
course, the rise of Wayne in John Ford's Stagecoach. The
'40s saw westerns reach a stable peak in popularity, turning
up such classics as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Red River
and Duel in the Sun.
The '50s, on the other hand, saw the death of the "B"
movies and the first signs of new insight into the field. The
classic High Noon was created. Hollywood finally began
dealing sympathetically with Indians in Broken Arrow, and
Shane perhaps the purest clear cut western myth on
film was produced. . " "
, , Things really began to change in the '60s, and this period
on up to the present has been a melting pot of westerns of
every type. There were comedies, musicals, socially
conscious westerns, epic westerns, sadistic westerns and
more John Wayne. Films like True Grit, McCabe and Mrs.
v. Miller., Paint Your Wagon. Little Big Man. The Good the
y l&?4 .ml, UgfY, and everr 'ttiti 'just-refsasd Blazing
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each other.
The newest, most unique change in the western
technique in many years was brought about by Italian
director Sergio Leone's deliberate, vivacious yet fascinating
spaghetti westerns. If Peckinpah flipped the western myth
around, Leone dropped St completely. His movies have no
heroes-only silent, deadly men who stay alive simply
because they kill faster.
Indeed, in iooking back on the past decade, Peckinpah
and Leone have been our only important western directors.
The great masters of frontier romance and action like
directors Ford, Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and Henry
Hathaway are now dead or inactive. Thase men had been
making America's greatest westerns for a long, long time
and it is the absence of heirs willing to seriously tackle the
genre, that makes the current outlook so bleak.
'Road to Freedom' stimulating
By Diane Wank
.On the Read to Freedom, by A I vin Lee and
Mylon Le Fevre
This album comes as a surprise, and the
excellent quality is somewhat surprising as well.
Mylon Le Fevre and Alvin Lee are good
musicians, but this album proves that, if they
were good before, they are still capable of being
dynamite.
The title cut is the best, and their rendition
of George Harrison's "So Sad" is fine. Harrison
proves he can write; it's a 9000 song, and U'
done well. Lee's own "Fallen Angel" and
"Carry My Load" are two more fine cuts.
Let's hope this album isn't the last for this
MM
Song." "Leave Your Hat On" and "Sail Away
better than their composer. Her style is bluesy
and fervid. And the album is not less than great.
3
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Sartor-Homann'
flowers
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the years.
. J , 1 29 "Q" STREET & GATEWAY MALL
Woodwind quintet
o perform tonight
A program of prcdomin.nith, t: r i .! pi.M..ry music will be
presented by the Nebraska 'Aocd vmd Quintet in concert tonight
at 8 p.m. at Kimbal Recital Hall.
The quintet is composed of oocKvind instructors from the
UN L School of Music.
Woodwind Quintet No. 3. the first selection bv Alec Wilder,
attempts to juxtapose jazz and elcnvnts of serious, academic
style music. Wilder began his careei wrning popular tunes, many
of which were recorded by singer Frank Sin itra.
Quintet in A Major, the second selection was composed by
Franz Danzi, a contempory of Bectfio tn.
According to Gary Echols, thi; qjinttt's assonist, the last
selection, Quintet No. 1 by A' 4" Tti, is "one of the best
contemporty pieces for wooV irt'iM tel.. " Hu added, however,
that it is "harder than hell" u ,.
The Nebrask" Woodwind Quintet h.n done some touring this
year. They have played at Peru Stjte Co'lege and in some state
high schools.
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from the proessional sports
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Balf our representative w II !. u i if s.fcn Thursday,
April 11 & Friday , Apw IT, 1) i in to ii j in.
partnership; it's stimulating for them as well as
for the listener.
Etta James
The first time I ever saw Etta James was
when I was in junior high school. She was,
surprisingly enough, on one of those old bubble
gum TV shows, "Where the Action Is." Her
powerful gospel singing style struck me then,
just as it does now.
This release contains some surprises. For
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It APRIL 12 and 13 11 :4j P.M. all seats: $2.00
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thursday, epril 1 1, 1974
daily nebraskan
paje 7
