Price and Scorsese Have Something in Common
Professor and Filmmaker Share Interest in Late Author
By Kristen Beam
One of Edith Wharton’s most
widely read books, and a 1921 Pulitzer Prize
winner, The Age of Innocence, has recently
been made into a major motion picture. Dr.
Alan Price, Professor of English and an ex
pert on the novel's writer, describes the film
as an “attempt to take a serious novel and
present it as a ‘crossover,’ something that is
serious with popular appeal. Price went on to
cite Stephen King as a good example of a
writer crossing his books over onto another
medium..
By making The Age of Innocence ,
according to Price, Scorsese is satisfying his
personal feelings towards the book while at
the same time presenting it to the people in a
way which they can understand it.
The story takes place in New York
in 1870. May Welland, played by Winona
Ryder, is engaged to a prominent lawyer,
Newland Archer (Daniel Day Lewis). May
has a cousin named Ellen Olenska (Michelle
Halloween Bash Slated
By Virginia Rodino
A Halloween Bash is being held
on October 28, in the Commons Building
at Ilighacres PSU, with a door charge of
$3.00. There will be a number of great
acts including recording artists Voo Sha
Dae and comedian Danny Shcedan. Voo
Sha Dae, a local based hip-hop group who
writes and produces all their own music,
will be performing from 9-1.
Voo Sha Dae will be performing with D. J.-
XL from 8-9,
Comedian Danny Sheehan uti
lizes a unique mixture of entertaining ma
terial that exceeds the ordinary. Sheehan
was the host of ‘ ‘American Hot Trax’ ’ and
a featured comedian on the “Geraldo”
Show. He has also performed at
Dangerfield’s,’’TheComic Strip,’’and the
Improv.
Wilkes and Bloomsburg Univer
sities as well as the Schuykill, Berks,
Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton Penn Stale Comedian Danny Sheehan
Campuses, have also been invited.
Library Extends Hours
The Penn Stale Hazleton Campus library
hours have been extended for the Fall Semes
ter. The library’s hours of operation arc:
Monday through Thursday: 8:00 a.m. -11:00
p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday:
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 3:00 p.m. -
11:00 p.m.
The campus library has more than 60,000
volumes, 400 periodicals, collections ofmaps,
Pfeiffer) whose eccentric ideals do not con
form to acceptable behavior of women at that
time. Welland’s fiance defends Olenska and
in the process becomes fond ofher. The movie
is sweetened by the elaborate costumes and
well researched attention to detail that seems
to immerse the audience into another era.
According to Price, the film is up
against rough odds. It cost 40 million dollars
to make, edit, and distribute, but is estimated
to attract only a 30 million dollar audience.
Serious movies such as The Age of Innocence
one are usually produced on a smaller budget
with the same audience response.
Other films by Scorsese include Taxi
Driver, The Last Temptation of Christ, Dan
gerous Liaisons, Goodfellas, and Howards
End.
The Age of Innocence opened Au
gust 31, at the Venice Film Festival, and is in
theaters now.
The release of Martin Scorccsc’s
tapesand CD’s, through its computer system,
is linked to the millions of volumes in the
Penn State library system as well as to na
tional reference libraries and the Library of
Congress.
Hie library is open to the public, and
residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl
vania may borrow books. For questions about
the library, call 450-3170.
film, The Age of Innocence, coincides with
tire completion of Dr. Alan Price’s biography
of Edith Wharton (1862-1937).
“This is my life’s project,” ex
plained Price, Professor of English. 'Hie
biography covers Wharton’s life from 1914-
1919. After fifteen years of research and
work that took him to places such as Paris,
Florence, New York, Stanford University,
Yale, Indiana University, and Princeton, the
book is now in its final stages. When asked
what sparked his interest in Edith Wharton,
Price said, ‘ ‘ She is much smarter than I could
ever hope to be. She read, spoke, and under
stood five different languages.”
Price went on to describe Wharton
as a wonderful stylist. “There are certain
people who are just gifted with words and she
is one of them.”
According to Price, the biography
will probably be printed by next fall. In 1989,
Price served as president of the Edith Wharton
Society. His work has also been published in
the textbooks used by the Arts 1 class, and he
has written chapters for the Oxford Compan
ion to Women Writers.
Students Evacuate
Residence Halls
ByR. Scott Rappold
Residents of South I lall were evacu
ated from the building on Wednesday, Sep
tember 22, at about 5:30 due to a gas leak.
Shouts of “lire” and “gas teak” Were heard
as the students gathered in the cold outside
the residence hall. The Fire Department and
Police Were called in to handle the situation.
According to Charles Redden, Manager of
Housing and Food Services, the gas leak
occurred at the propane tank behind South
Hall. Jeremiah Rouse, a sophomore, notified
a member pf Housing and Food Service Staff
of the leak, said Redden.
“ Ihe person who fills the tank from
the company left the bleeder valve open,”
explained Redden “ Wejusthad tocloseit.”
/ South Hall had to be evacuated be
cause of the danger of gas collecting in the
rooms. According to Redden* “It was not a
serious situation because it was external. We
were just taking all precautions.’’ The resi
dents were allowed back in&ide after an hour,
and fire police directed traffic that was backed
up several yards up the hill.
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