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daily nebraskan
tuesday, january 13, 1981
' I . . I . II I Mil I W I ' I . .
Fonda sacrifices politics for laughs in new film
By Pete Schmitz
In the last 12 years, Jane Fonda's career has been
indicative of the problems and limitations endemic to
mixing art and politics in America.
After 10 years of acting in mediocre-to-poor movies,
where she survived on her heritage and looks. Fonda made
her artistic breakthrough in They Shoot Horses Don't
They (1969), in which she played a tough-as-nails waif
who gives up on life after years of being beaten by Depression-era
poverty. The critical acclaim she received for that
role gave her the confidence to catch "The Pollywood
Bandwagon", just when other celebrities were getting off
after deciding that politics wasn't chic anymore.
During the early 70s, Fonda shocked and enraged talk
show audiences with her radical rhetoric. After she re
ceived an Oscar for Klute (1971), she visited Hanoi and
was seen in a poorly made anti-war satire called Steelyard
Blues (1972). All this made the public so angry that an
effective movement emerged to keep her out of work as
well as to keep her movies out of the theaters. After being
jobless for two years, she played Nora in the film adapta
tion of Ibsen's play A Doll's House (1974). Because the
distributors couldn't find anyone to show the movie (al
though a large audience was waiting), it finally got put on
television for one night.
Fonda changes image
Then she changed midway through the 70s. She gave
interviews to magazines she formerly dismissed as repres
sive and reactionary. She got back on the talk show cir
cuit, but instead of exposing the underside of the Ameri
can way of life, she extolled the virtues of marriage and
the family as well as love of one's country. While she had
conservatives convinced of her patriotism (she even posed
for pictures with John Wayne), she made it clear to the
relief of the left that there still was much to be done in
order to further justice in America.
When People Magazine proclaimed that "America
loves Jane again," offers for movie roles came pouring in.
With another Oscar in hand, and two additional nomin
ations, the prodigal daughter of Hollywood was back to
stay, but only if she learned to behave herself.
For the last few years then, it has been interesting to
view the latest Fonda flick just to see how she manages
the task of using film as a political platform without
coming off too strong. Her most recent movie, Nine to
Five, which co-stars Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, has
been considered a disappointment by the critics, but it has
done well at the box office. This is not surprising, because
the movie has great entertainment value which sadly
undermines its political potential.
Nine to Five is about secretaries who work for a com
pany called Consolidation Incorporation. Tomlin plays an
office supervisor who is continually passed up for promo
tions by those she has trained. Fonda is a newly divorced
woman who has never worked a day in her life, and
Parton is the sexually harassed private secretary of the big
boss.
Continued on Page 9
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Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Film Corp
Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda star in the 20th Century Fox film Nine to Five.
ETV plans to broadcast studio concerts this spring
By Cydney Wilson
The Nebraska ETV network will tape four free con
certs in January.
The local bands are Little Jimmy Valentine and the
Heart Murmurs, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m.; Blackberry Winter. Jan.
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Daily Nebraskan Photo
Sean Benjamin of the Heart Murmur!
21 at 8 p.m.; the Neoclassic Jazz Orchestra, Jan. 25 at
3:30 p.m.; and the Sandy Creek Pickers, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m.
The project began in late September when KTV began
circulating an announcement that it was looking for four
bands to perform jazz, folk, country, and rock.
The shows will be aired in a four-part series. The
groups were asked to submit a tape of their work, back
ground information, a publicity photo, and a two-month
schedule of their bookings.
From the appeal. Gene Bunge. senior producer for
Cultural Affairs at NFTV, received 60 responses from all
over Nebraska, as well as from Iowa and Oklahoma.
Then he selected a panel of five members; three from
NFTV, one from a local newspaper, and one from the
Music Department at UNL. Then the panel selected four
groups and two alternates.
Not looking at ratings
"In producing a show such as this, we don't ust look
at the Nielsen ratings. There is a need lor different kinds
of broadcasting, not just symphony and ballet," Bunge
said.
"There is not a great deal of expressed or written inter
est in the kind of music represented by the four concerts,
yet with the increasing number of clubs with live music,
there is a definite need for this type of programming."
Bunge said the exposure "will be a marked
improvement within the musical community. Country and
bluegrass music are always popular in Nebraska, hvery
time we have a show, such as the Grand OLle Opry, we
get a lot of mail. This is not so true of the others. Yet I
believe there is an interest, it is just not expressed in quite
the same way."
Response to this series already has been tremendous.
Jan. 5 was the first day for reservations. After an hour,
the Zoo seats allotted for each concert were taken. In
addition, there is a waiting list.
Two minute sets of each group will be edited into a 35
minutc program.
Bands which are union members will be paid minimum
union scale. Bands that are nonunion will negotiate with
Bunge, and probably will be paid the same as for a local
job. All financing for the series is through Nebraskans for
Public Television.
Bunge and the other directors, Michael Farrell and
Harvey Stewart, have listened to the bands perform, and
have discussed the tapings with panel members. Bunge
said he wants to "showcase the bands' best."
Concert-style format
The format will be similar to that of a concert. Bunge
said he wants the studio crowded because it will create an
atmosphere like Saturday Niuht Live. The audience will sit
four or live to a table. A dance floor will also be provided.
"We could have done the shows remote (on location),
and perhaps we will do so m the future," Bunge said. "Yet
when you set up in a bar, with the lights and all, vou
eventually turn the club into a studio."
"There is not a whole lot of expenditure with these
concerts, as we're using the same set. only the background
piece will change. We're also taping them every other dav,
so the set won't need to be set up for each concert'"
Alter editing the programs, in which the bands will
have some decision, the shows prnhahlv will be aired in
April or May. The title will be WaJnesdav Showcase, and
starts at 8 p.m.
Bunge could not be definite because the series has not
been taped.
"It could be that we might decide to show both of a
band's sets, or the tapings may not work at all. If, how
ever, they are successful, I can foresee doing more con
certs in the future, perhaps some on remote, for we still
have many more bands out of the 60 from which to
choose. Or we could open it all up again, as there are new
bands forming all the time."
