'Lobbying Efforts
A CONVENTION OF delegates from
several Pennsylvania colleges this week
end gave a welcome boost to student ef
forts to create a lobby in Harrisburg.
When it came to serious and crucial
debate on issues affecting the Univer
sity, such as those preceding a vote on
education appropriations, students in the
past lacked any voice in the matter. They
still do.
But the establishment of the Penn
sylvania Association of College and Uni
versity Student Governments ma y
change that. It is beginning with a small
base only eight of 136 schools sent
representatives to a convention last
weekend but several important goals
were reached.
THE GROUP MANAGED to draw
up a constitution and establish a perm
anent steering committee, which will
coordinate funds, oversee the operation
of PACUSG and initiate legislation into
its general assembly.
PACUSG representatives say it will
take at least two years for the Harris
burg lobby concept to become a working
reality. We hope it will be sooner; hut
the group plans to work actively on
other projects until the lobby goal. which
is the most important one, can be
realized.
One of their immediate goals ties
The $l4 million, 5-year production may make or break
Ryan's Daughter—too long and overproduced
By JOE MEYERS
Collegian Film Critic
It took five years for "Ryan's Daughter" to reach the
screen. David Lean and Robert Bolt started work on it
immediately after their "Doctor Zhivago" was wrapped up
in 1965.
Because of the success of "Zhivago" Lean and Bolt
were given a blank check by MGM for their next project.
So, after Bolt finished the script (which he says required
over a year's work), shooting was started under Lean's
direction in Ireland, with a $l4 million budget.
Things have changed tremendously in movies since
'65. More and more pictures are bombing at the box-office
every year, and nearly all the multi-million dollar produc
tions have been major disasters ("Paint Your Wagon,"
"Star." et al).
MGM, in particular, has suffered heavily since they
gave the go-ahead on "Ryan." One large box-office failure
("Zabriskie Point") after another ("The Strawberry State
ment") has brought the studio near the bankruptcy point.
So, the importance of David Lean's $l4 million production
has changed greatly since it was conceived. The success,
or failure, of the studio is very nearly riding on this one
picture's financial future.
Publicity Build-up
Earlier this year, the studio's huge publicity machinery
began to crank out reams of copy on the film. The sales
pitch steadily increased in volume until the premiere in
November.
When the film finally was cut and ready for release,
it was first shown to the members of the Motion Picture
Association, who would determine its rating. On the first
ballot, "Ryan's Daughter" was given an R (mainly because
of a brief shot of Sarah Miles' breasts). An almost audible
shudder could be heard going up in MGM's executive offi
ces a reserved seat, roadshow attraction like "Ryan"
depends on the family trade for business; thus, the MPA
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IFC and PANHEL
THE GUESS WHO
Thru Friday,
Editorial Opinion
All these interim programs are good
ones, and deserve support. But•we must
not forget the major emphasis: establish
ing a student lobby in Harrisburg. Uni
versity students here recently gained
local power when the governor an
nounced he would appoint a student to
the Board of Trustees. PACUSG will
give students all over the state some
added influence, working as a unit when
the legislature discusses college appro
priations. This is a yet-untapped area in
which students urgently need a voice.
PACUSG STILL IS a fledgling or
ganization, with only small student sup
port Nevertheless, its coordinators are
dedicated toward creating a strong stu
dent voice in Harrisburg a voice
which is vital and necessary. We sup
port them in their efforts to build this
lobby.
in CONCERT
SUNDAY MAY 23
REC HALL
Tickets On Sale
9:00 A.M.
Ground
the lobbying concept in with the Public
Interest Research Group concept of con
sumer advocate Ralph Nader. A strong
and active PACUSG is necessary, its
members say, so that Nader's associates
will declare Pennsylvania a "target
state" for establishing a PIRG.
ONCE THE PIRG is established,
PACUSG would receive much greater
financial and activist support, giving the
student lobby effort that much greater
impetus.
rating, in effect, killed the prospect of commercial success
for the production.
Metro then told the MPA that it would not put the
R in the film's advertisements or publicity material (as re
quired under the system), even if appeals before the rating
panel did not change the rating. The MPA then backed
down and changed the rating to a GP (unrestricted).
Campaign Success
The huge selling campaign on behalf of the film suc
ceeded with most of the New 'York critics. Nearly all of the
newspaper, television and radio reviewers (with the excep
tion of the Times) gave it their strongest po - sible .r . .t.
Rex Reed, of Holiday, who seems to find a new master
piece every month (which he promptly labels "the best
picture I've seen in years"), called it "a major event in the
history of the movies."
Stop At Nothing
They don't do this for every film, of course (even the
studios realize that things like "Tora, Tora, Tora" and
"Darling Lili" are hopeless bombs), but when as much is
riding on a picture as is the case with "Ryan's Daughter"
you can be pretty sure that MGM •will stop at nothing to
make it succeed. Is it merely a coincidence that the Times
(one of the very few papers in the country which keeps
its critics entirely free of advertising pressures) was the
only lukewarm, mass circulation New York review?
Despite the blatant high-pressure sales job; one can't
really criticize "Ryan's Daughter" too much (not in a sea
son that brought us "Zechariah," among others) it's not
that awful. It is, though, too damned long and. boring.
When I first saw the film, many in the audience got up
to leave at the intermission, and were surprised to learn
from their fellow viewers that the picture was only half
over.
The acting in the movie ranges from mediocre (Robert
Mitchum) to very bad (Jon Mills). Sara Miles is a rather
odd choice for the title role. She's been good in several
other films, but still she is a rather lackluster performer,
and is totally unable to carry such a huge movie. Someone
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present
8 p.m.
May 17-21 From
till 4:30 P.M.
Floor HUB
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~0~
SOMETIMES, WHEu tioU ARE A
GREAT MIER, 'THE WORDS
COME GO FAST ilOu CM NARDLY
PUT "NEM DOA ON PAPER...
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50METIMES
1
Lackluster Performer
Letters
Lack of vocabulary
TO THE EDITOR: I am - just an outsider, but have been on
the University Park campus during the last two war rallies,
more commonly called protests. I was always under the
impression that the idea of the college was for higher
education. If my only two visits to this campus were to
give me this impression I must say they have fallen quite
short. Not that the majority of the students are responsible
or are even taking part in the protests, but to an outsider
the impression is there. This impression generated by ap
proximately one per cent of the,total college population is
very distasteful. The chants that are being used and the
obscenities that are. used in many of the speeches could
definitely be in better taste. .
Profanity 'and vulgarity are nothing more than the
showing of a person's lack of vocabulary. If this is the
purpose of such chants the students that attend these pro
tests and use these four-letter words are doing a fine job
of showing their lack of vocabulary. Certainly educated
people could compile a better way of expressing them
selves than through the obscene four-letter word way.
Anything of this caliber, be it protest or otherwise, is
nothing more than a distraction and accomplishes nothing
in the way of results. Protests have brought about results
but the results were not arrived at through four-letter
obscentities.
Maybe through the use of a good dictionary this prob
lem could be aleviated and students could express the same
meaning intended, but through the use of a vocabulary
instead of through the lack of one.
Mischanneled monies..
TO THE EDITOR: Last Saturday's sports page included an
article stating: "If Penn State students are boycotting any
thing this spring, it's baseball, tennis, golf and track." This
may very well be true, and moreover, if that's the case it
is a very encouraging situation. It's about time that people
came to realize that the true function of a university is
with a little screen presence and dazzle, like Vanessa Red
grave or Maggie Smith, might have made it worth sitting
through.
Maurice Jarre's music for films has slumped to an
almost obscene level with "Ryan's Daughter." His work
has become literally unbearable. Jarre takes one bad Nina
Rota-like theme (Rota is the famed composer who has
scored most of Fellini's films), and repeats it again and
again and again, for the entire length of the picture. Near
the end, it gets to the point where one can not believe that
the theme is going to be dragged out yet again—but it is.
No music at all would. have been infinitely more suited
to the picture than Jarre's aural drivel—it very nearly
ruins the impact of Fred Young's gorgeous color photog
raphy.
_Long and Overproduced
All of the fuss surrounding the production and release
of the movie could have been avoided if anyone at Metro
had had the sense to carefully look at the script, and to
realize that it had no commercial possibility. "Ryan's
Daughter" is most certainly not the kind of film that I
would pick to determine the success or failure of any
enterprise that I headed. Nobody (except the critics I men
tioned) seems to care for it. Most people come out of
the movie thinking that it is just too long and overpro
duced for the slight story that it contains.
But, because of the huge success of "Bridge on the
River Kwait," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "Doctor Zhi
vago" (all mammoth films), David Lean undoubtedly came
to the 'conclusion that no matter what script he chose for
his next project, it had to be a $lO-million-plus, three hour
picture. He fell into the trap of thinking that each of his
subsequent pictures had to be bigger and better than the
last one (whereas, in reality, they have only gotten bigger
and emptier). I would not be at all surprised if "Ryan's
Daughter" was to become Lean's last film—for in the in
creasingly tight movie market he will either have to make
small pictures, or no pictures at all.
Student Representative
to the University Senate
will be held on
Wed. May 19 and Thur. May 20
in Dieke Lobby
The following candidates are running:
Mary. Ann Hrivnak
James McCrory
6th term Geography
Billy C. Williams
Claude Bolze
10th term Geological Science
Penn State PlaverJ
are now accepting applications
for membership until
Monday, May 24
• 51 years at PSU
• Theatrical production planned for
'7l • '72 yr.
o Co-sponsor of Neuspaum
is Scholarship Fund
• Social functions with others interested
in the Theater
e Possible sponsorship of individual proletis
Applications Available at 103 Arts Building
J. Davis
assistant to bookstore coordinator
Elections for EMS
6th term Meteorology
9th term Meteorology
to the Editor
the intellectual and physical betterment of all students,
not just an elite five-, nine- or eleven-man team.
Penn State does have an excellent intramural , pro
gram, but it could be made even better with a transfer of
funds from University-supported teams. Part of the large
sums of money now destined to benefit a very small minor
ity of athletes could also be channeled into worthwhile
social programs. The admissions, of more minority group
individuals is one such project that would eventually bene
fit all of society.
Yet, since these monies are considered "departmental,"
the College of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
would probably be reluctant to give up these funds. If this
is the case, then I say at least put them where•they'll do
the most good. The true profits of athletics are not mea
sured" by the number of spectators or the box office take,
They are determined by the number of people who partici
pate and benefit.
Cheers to Ritenour
TO THE EDITOR: After reading many denigrating letters
and articles on Ritenour Health Center, I would like to
recount my experiences there. I was admitted to the Emer
gency ward at approximately 3 am. after lying unconscious
in a field for some time after totalling a station wagon. I
do not know who brought me to the hospital, but I thank
him for his samaritan instincts.
I have been trained as a medic in the army. been in
both civilian and military hospitals both working and as a
patient, and I have never been taken care of as well any
where.
From the moment I was carried in, until I walked out
four days later, I was under constant surveillance by the
nurses: hourly TPR's and my every, need taken care of with
quickness and serenity. (When one takes into consideration
that the dispensary handles thousands of students each
term and the hospital hundreds with damn little apprecia
tion from the student body, it seemed to me the best way
to say thank you was through a Collegian letter).
I would personally like to thank nurses Gains, Pane
and Delahout for the excellent services rendered me and
Drs. Chub, Franco, Shipley and Reed for the attention and
care given me.
Basis for merit system
TO THE EDITOR: I was quoted in Saturday's Collegian as
saying that "a majority of the 'USG Senators do not support
a letter proposing that the student body consist of at least
30 per cent veterans and disadvantaged students." What
I said was that several senators did not support this pro
posal. I do not know whether a majority support it or not.
I brought up the point at a meeting with Oswald the other
night in Simmons Hall I told him that I was against such
a proposal as were several other senators because we
believe that the merit system is much more fair. In an
era where the quota system has finally been done away
with so that students can enter on an equal basis, such
a proposal is very regressive. The answer to the problem
is to spend more money in the secondary school system
for those that are disadvantaged so that they are able to
enter any college. As for one's potential, this should always
be considered a basis for admission, regardless of the per
son's background. I hope I have cleared up my position on
this matter.
VIE; liatig &Uri:llan
Mall Subscription Price: 5i200 a Year
Mailing Address Box 47, State College. Pa. 1161101
Editorial and Business Office Basement of Sackett (North End►
Phone 065.2531
Business office hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 - a.m. ts 4 P.B.
ROBERT J. McHUGH 4 630.,
Editor
Opinions expressed by the editors and staff of The Daily Collegian are net
necessarily those of the University Administration, faculty, or student bOdy.
PAGE TWO
PIZZA & BEER ,I
TONIGHT
HERLOCHER'S
SALE !
May (9: till End of Term
$1 OFF ANYTHING OVER $3.99
at .
VALHALLA
Mon. 11-9 153 S. Allen St,
Tues.-Fri. 11-6 • (below Penn Whelan Drug Store)
Sat. 10-5:30 237.9585
Paul Engman
(61h-recreation and parks-Kant, Pa.)
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Successor to The Free Lance, est. 1887
Member of The Asiociated Press
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1971
THE COPPER KITCHEN
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