Page 2 COLD BLOOD-REVIEW Senseless killings generally go tinrecorded, except for a short peri od of time when newspaper head lines scream of man's inhumanity to man. And even when the papers do present extended coverage, a reader is given the bare facts and psycho logical backgrounds are forgotten. IN COLD BLOOD, a brilliant movie adaptation of author Truman Capote's successful book of the same title, transcends this problem with a vivid analysis of two men who brutally kill a family of four. There are reasons for the brutal murders, and one of them is not , the frustration of being unable to locate a huge sum of money in a farmer's house. One of the murderers is Dick, a former high school basketball stand out, who splits apart his own fam ily of a wife and two children be cause of an extra-marital affair. ("A couple of times in the back seat.") The other is Perry, product of a once-happy family destroyed in his childhood by an unfaithful moth er and a wrathful father. The frus tration of this destruction is car ried into his adult life by his fath her whom he detests and admires throughout this worthwhile movie. There is much play and counter play between the two characters. Dick has called on Perry because he knows he is a man who can kill. But Perry, who is usually high on aspirins, is not as willing to kill as Dick would like. Perry sees in Dick his own youth through the former's broken home and later as his father when a confrontation with by R. Thomas Berner. a gun takes place between the two. This is the final psychological straw which breaks the proverbial camel's back and sends Perry into an hysterical murder rampage. But the movie is not there only to carry to the world insight on a killer. In the end, when the con demned men are about to be hanged, a bitter dialogue on capital punish ment preceeds the hangings. And further absurdity of man's inhumanity to man goes over to the other side the supposed balanced side when Perry's request to re lieve himself is denied by the pri son guards who stand on ceremony in backing their refusal. It is the prison chaplain who convinces the guards to give in to Perry's request. The chaplain, also, forms an in teresting part in the story. Could he have stopped the murders from happening with the prior knowledge Perry was about to break parole? What I felt to be one of the fin est points of the movie was the interrogation of Dick which in part went something like this: Police Detective: Why do all of you have those (pointing to several tatoos on Dick's body)? Dick: All of who? What do you mean? Police Detective: I mean, crim inals. Dick: (In a rage.) Everybody has their tatoos. Yours is a badge, cop. Other people, the country club, the Elks (he rambles on). Perhaps Truman Capote's "psych out" of two killers went further than intended and put all American so ciety on the couch. PARNASSUS SELECTS NEW OFFICERS There was a meeting of the Parnassus Society on May 16, to elect officers for the fall term and to initiate new members. The new officers are Bonnie Bangor, President; Jerry Notaro, Vice-President; and Kathy Gibson, Secretary. New members were chosen for superior achievement in academic work and positive participation in organized activities. Outgoing President, Joseph La mont, presided for the induction ceremonies. Mr. Ralph Crawford is the advisor of the Highacres Honor Society. "THE ENGLISH TEACHER" See the teacher. He teaches English. He hates misplaced commas. He hates obscure meanings. He hates pronouns with unclear references. Hate, Hate, Hate! See the student. He studies English. He misplaces commas. He obscures meanings. His pronouns have unclear references. Shame, Shame, Shame! See the teacher, hate the student. See the teacher, flunk the student Flunk, Flunk, Flunk! The student is Ernest Hemingway. I guess Ernie couldn't write as well as he thought he could!
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers