I-1' S Friday, September 14, 1973
a hu4ksterish bible salesman
"Let the Good Times Roll" is a
documentary, of sorts. It supposedly
recreates the 1950's with the help of rock
•and roll artists like Chuck Berry, Bill
Haley and the Comets, Bo Didley, the
Shirells and others. The film, however, is
composed largely of recently made film of
rock and roll concerts held in New York by
promoter Richard Nader, the film's
producer.
In an attempt to be more than a simple
filmed concert, "Good Times..." sports a
lot of split screen work (that is, the wide
panavision screen is divided into two
separate picturesrzso shots of old TV
shows and movies can be thrown in som
time to time.
The unfortunate thing about this film is
that nothing works.- \As a, film
reconstruction or an era,' Times.."
fails to convey any real atmosphere or
character. While clips of James Dean,
Brando and Groucho Marx can_suggest
things in the past, they really contribute
nothing to the content of the film aside
from an occasional exclamation 'of
recognition.
'The marathon "movie orgies,"
produced for a national beer company,
work much better as a rapid-fire synthesis
of nostalgia. As far as capturing the spirit
of the "good old days of rock and roll" no
film succeeds nearly as well as George
Lucas' new motion picture (not released
as yet in this area) "American Graffitti"
'Let the
Good Times Roll'
'Paper Moon'
is brilliant
Ryan O'Neal as
preys on widows.
which depicts 1962 in brilliant,
entertaining and extremely professional
fashion. "Good Times..." cannot even hold
a candle, to this kind of nostalgic
recreation.
On still simpler levels "Good Times..."
is disappointing. While the photography
and sound are good, they do not really take
advantage of their potential. The split
screen technique, for example; : or multi
image technique (more than two images)
is limited to a few similar shots with only
an occasional kaleidoscopic conjunction of
images or, as mentioned before, periodic
clips from old films.
The National Film Board of Canada has
done far superior things with split screen,
especially Some of its fast moving and
entertaining travelogues. There was also
a dandy little murder mystery a few
months ago called "Sisters" which made
excellent use of split screen by showing
the same action from two separate
camera angles, a technique far more
interesting than anything in "Good
Times...".
Even as a filmed concert, this movie
lacks the energy and vitality one
experiences at live concerts by these
artists or those of Jerry Lee Lewis or Sha-
Na-Na. Despite all the shots of sweaty
performers and screaming fans there is
just no spunk, no life, no real excitement
in this film, and isn't that what it is
supposedly all 'about?
Just for the memories
and the music
By Jennifer Wilkinson
By Al Walentis
Two years ago "The Last Picture Shew"
introduced Peter BOgdanovich as one of
the dynamic young directors in American
cinema. Through skillful cutting and a
near-perfeCt duplication of Texas life
during the 1950'5, Bogdanovich brilliantly
detailed the dying of a small community
and, more i so, a way of life.
His latest production, "Paper Moon,"
establishes l him as one of the premier
forces in filmmaking. Its critical response
will earn the 33-year-old director's next
productiotn an advance sale as hefty as a
Muhammad Ali purse, in addition to some
assorted ; mug shots in ' Time and
Newsweek • magazines.
Like its predecessor, "Paper Moon" is
set in a dead era and culture. The scene
this time is the Midwest during the
Depression and Bogdanovich recreates
not only the mood and intrinsic details, but
also the filmmaking style. Consequently,
"Paper Moon" is shot in black-and-white,
without Cinemascope or distract-a-vision.
The effect of a-1930's flick is so real that a
coming attraction is expected for Karloff
and Lugosi,in "The Black Cat" or a sports
reel highlighting Max Schmeling's
knockout of Joe Louis.
"Paper Moon" is much lighter than
earlier Bogdanovich fare. Ryan O'Neal
stars as a hucksterish bible salesman
preying on, widows. He is accompanied by
Addle, a , nine-year-old girl he is
transporting to Missouri. She never ends
up there and together they connive
schemes more elaborate than peddling
bibles. I
Return of the 50's
'Despite shots of
sweaty performers and
screaming fans, there is ,
no real excitement in this
By Mark Trachtman
Like it or not, the fifties'had a style all
their own. 'fLet The Good Times Roll" is a
refreshing, funny and touching collage of
the era, its mores and music.
And whal. music! So direct and to the
point. There's a special kind of innocence
in such songs as the Coasters' "Poison
Ivy:" "You better not *let her under your
skin or yoU'll soon need an ocean of
calamine kition." And there's nothing in
the. world like Fats Domino's rendering of
"Blueberry Hill."
The film is more than just a collection of
old songs, though. Artful splicing places
the singer beside his image of fifteen years
past while Choice still photographs and
fifties news reports put the sounds in their
setting.
Ryan O'Neal turns • in a fine
performance which shouldlerase some of
the pseudo-reputation he 'claimed after
stints on "Peyton Place" !and in "Love
•
Story."
But it's Tatum O'Neal as Addie who;l
steals more than the money she lifts in the'
film. She has already forced critics to'
grope for expletives to define thegirl who
could become the youngest Oscar winner
in history. •
Basically, `Taper. Moon," may appeari
to be nothing more than a nostalgic,
enterprise, designed. to capture the spirit]
of a portion of Americana.] But on higher,
levels, it touches all ranges uf the human)
experience, from persons Unable to cope
with an angry environment to the forces
that drive men to thievery and deceit.
In the early sequences ill is Addie who'
gains the audience's sympathy as she foils
Moze (Ryan) in his attempts to extract
every dollar from his unwary customers.l,
Later it is Addie who emerges less than
perfect when she sabotages l l4love's affair ;
with a sexy carnival dancer. Finally, both
suffer when a bootleg schezine goes awry.
Through all_ of this, I,Bogdanovich
smoothly molds the characters who,
although not vaguely reminiscent of
actual person, do emerge as satiric
representation of reality.
Reviewers everywhere are acclaiming
"Paper Moon" as one of the five best films
of 1973. It might be. At the very least it's
one of the most enjoyable, filled with
charm and warmth, pathcis and humor.
I '
But not without a slight nudge 'here and
there at present day politics. One
flashback shows a very. serious 1950's
Richard Nixon "loving his country" , to the
tune of "Why is Everybody Always
Picking on Me? Charlie Brown . . ." while
two packages of Old Gold cigarettes dance
insolently on one side of the screen.
Little Richard's alniost (Alice)
Cooperesque performance in the second
half of the film is a bit out of tune with the
general mood and momentarily stops the
otherwise rapid pace. But the pause is not
too damaging.
"Let the Good Times Roll" is greatly
entertaining and very worth seeing, if only
for the memories the old songs bring back.