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THE PANTHER PAGE 5
SPOOK” Is Genesis For
Progressive Black Films
By Kathye Lewis
“The Spook Who Sat By
The Door” is one of the
most exciting adventure
films this year. The pro
ducers, Bokari LTD, along
with Sam Greenlee and Os
sie Davis, did a successful
adaptation of the novel by
Sam Greenlee to the screen.
It is a must for all Black
people to see and under
stand.
The film begins with a
strategy meeting in a white
Senator’s chambers. The
senator’s target is the Black
community--how can he in
crease his popularity? The
resulting solution is to
charge the Central Intelli
gence Agency, (CIA) with
discrimination in hiring.
The CIA responded by re
cruiting fifty men to under
go training. The CIA hoped
to have no survivors: from
its strenuous training how
ever, after months of train
ing Dan Freeman, played
by Lawrence Cook, suc
cessfully completed the
course and became the
first Black CIA agent.
Freeman played the role
of the “token nigger” in the
CIA for five years. He
finally quit and went to
Chicago to take a job as a
social worker in the Black
community. This was a
“front” from which he de
veloped a base for the Co
bras, which were to become
the most skillful, intelli
gent and revolutionary gue
rilla warfare group in
thenation.
Under Freeman’s expert
direction, using knowledge
from his CIA training, the
Cobras developed quickly.
Their union was a solid
brotherhood dedicated to the
freedom of Black people
and the elimination of white
oppression.
The scenes are very dra
matic and the action never
ceases. Many examples oi
happiness, sometimes cou
pled by tension, are filmed
with great effect. Free
man’s returning to his com
munity to use his know
ledge for its benefit, is
not new: but it is frequen
tly overlooked by the Blacks
who gain wealth and favor
in the white community.
Freeman has contact with
only two Black women in the
movie. Paula Kelley plays
a prostitute who turns into
an informer for Freeman
later in the picture. Her
role, as a prostitute, is
not degrading because she
is portrayed as a tender
person in her scenes with
Freeman, in contrast to the
usual rawness of a pros
titute’s attitude.
The acting is good in all
aspects. This film introduc-
ed a new crop of Black ac
tors and actressesto the
audience. The Brothers and
Sisters really dealt with
their parts effectively, and
the roles were convincing
and true to life. Lawrence
Cook portrayed his role as
the mastermind behind the
scenes, (especially well).
The technical aspects
of the film are good. The
color, shooting angles, es
pecially in the night war
fare scenes, sound, and the
musical score, by Herbie
Hancock, were blended ex
pertly.
I have nothing but praise
for the movie, and I again
urge all Brothers and Sis
ters to see the movie, Now!
It is already past due time
for a check up on our minds
and levels of conscious
ness, and “The Spook Who
Sat By The Door’’will give
insight into the problem of
how we should relate as
Black people.
The movie is playing at
the Lowe’s Grand Theatre.
African Play Presented
By Barbara Massenburg
The Department of drama
and the Morehouse/Spelman
players presented a play,
‘The Fall’ on October 2-6
and 9-13.
The Nigerian play, writ
ten by Obotundeljimere, was
in one act with several set
tings.
The characters were well
played by the actors, but
there should have been more
practice on dialect and self
control. The imitated Ni
gerian dialect did not come
off well
Depicting the creation of
earth and man in the same
sequence in which it is pre
sent in the Bible ‘The Fall’
begins with the setting in hea
ven. God, played by Darrel
Ross, is conversing with his
two consultants, Gabriel and
Lucifer, played by Kevin
Clement and Murray Rig
gins, respectively. Gabriel a
patient young man is humble
and obeys God’s wishes
throughout the play. Lucifer
an imaginative individual, is
revealed in the play as the
mastermind behind ‘the
creation’. Under his coach
ing, God creates the earth.
Disagreement over who
will rule earth and man,
forces God to throw Lucifer
out of heaven. Lucifer who
is determined to satisfy his
wishes coaches Heva, play
ed by Debra Thomas, into
sinning, thus resulting in
God throwing she and Hadam,
played by Robert Lee, out
of the garden.
The scenery switches to
the 20th century and shows
Lucifer influencing other
creatures into committing
sinful acts. But, Lucifer,
goes on to great heights,
obtaining a position as an im
portant executive on earth,
while God remains in heaven
unhappy with the earth
man he created
Phoroah Performs
At Black Art s Center
Pharaoh Senders
By RONALD HARRIS
Traveler in sound/spirit
a messenger by the name of
Pharoah Sanders, descen
ded on the Black Arts Cen
ter on Mayson Turner Rd.
and blew sounds of magic
into an attentative and
appreciative audience of
about 200 people. Sunday,
October 21.
Pharoah Sanders, jazz
innovator and composer,
took out time from his week-
long engagement at the
twelfth Gate in Atlanta
to do a special performance
Brother Pharoah Unlea
shed upon the audience a
display of musical mas
tery that can be simply
described by one word,
SPIRITUAL.
The set began with an A-
frikan-Brazilian tune that
was chanted by the ensem-
bled and later picked up
by the audience.
Next was a long driving
composition in which Pha
roah performed an unac
companied solo that com
pletely thrilled the au
dience.
The evening reached its
climax as the group moved
into a medly of “Healing
Song” a composition pre
viously recorded on Pha
roah Live at the East and
“The Creator has a mas
ter plan” one of Pharoah's
most durable and well-know
compositions.
The screams and scree
ches of Pharoah’s tenor sa
xophone assaulted the air
and the crowd shouted and
stamped its approval. Love,
harmony, and Black unity,
the theme of Pharoah’s
music, flowed from the en--
semble and traveled-
through the audience. The
mood was electric, as Pha
roah left the stage and
strolled through the au
dience blowing and screa
ming through his horn.
Pharoah was backed
by some pretty heavy musi
cians. Calvin Hill, the
bassist, is a former mem
ber of the McCoy- Tyner
group. Joe Bonner, Piano
percussion and bamboo-
flutes, gave the group a -
strong chordal background
throughout the set.
Lawerence Hillian, con
gas and percusion, has to
be one of the best conga pla
yers around. The drums
were handled by an un
identified brother who “sat
in’ ’ due to the absence
! of Pharoah’s regular drum
mer, Norman Connors.
I heard the group with
Norman Connors on drums
earlier that week and one
could definitely tell that
his expertise was missing
from the Sunday perform
ance.
Floyd Hollins, a Iocs;
trumpet player, also “sal
in” with the group and
did some very nice things
on trumpet.
The appearance of a mu
sician of the caliber; of
Pharoah Sanders is an
event to be cherished in a
musically backwards city
like Atlanta.
I would like to praise
Brother Iban for bring
ing Pharoah Sanders to the
Black Community at a
price members of the com
munity could afford and in
an atmosphere they could
enjoy.
.Bio
fCK/
The Black Arts - Center
will be having a number of
progressive activities dur
ing the year. Be sure to
check it out.
Cinema Club Offers
The ‘Best’ In Films
PAC Hears
Grievances
BY FANNIE FLONO
The Political Action
Council (PAC) is a new stu
dent organization designed to
deal with the grievances of
the students.
That’s how Eddie Craw
ford, chairman of the Coun
cil describes it.
PAC, formerly the Political
Action Committee, was or
ganized by the SGA as a
regulatory instrument of that
organization.
However, the members
changed their name and be
came independent recently.
According to Crawford,
there were several reasons,
‘We did not want to be
come a figurehead,’ he said.
Crawford said the SGA
president had expressed
concern that he and PAC
were trying to undermine
her position.
Crawford added that the
duties of PAC were limited
under SGA control.
According to Miss Wright
SGA president, the council
was originally formed to dis
seminate information thro
ugh printed material, meet
ings, and seminars concern
ing the political situation
in the world and how it af
fects blacks.
Crawford agreed.
‘Our main thing now is
research and investigation.’
PAC would like to go fur
ther and initiate action in
some cases, he said.
Crawford added that the
Council would like to han
dle more types of problems.
‘Any problem or grievance
that is relevant to students,
we would like to handle.’
‘We want to show the stu
dents that we are sincerely
interested in their pro
blems,’ he said.
According to Crawford,
each class president was
asked to send two repre
sentatives to join PAC.
However, anyone may be
come a member, he said.
Regular meetings are held
every Wednesday at 6 pm in
Brawley Hall.
The executive council con
sists of Alvin Hamilton, co-
chairman, Ronald Harris,
public relations officer and
Brenda Cocker, secretary.
According to Crawford,
several subcommittes have
already been formed. Among
them are committees on tui
tion, coed visitation, and dor
mitory conditions.
The Council is presently
contemplating rejoining the
SGA because of administra
tive hassles and the lack of
a charter. Crawford said.
Miss Wright said she
would welcome such amove.
The Panther
Needs
The Clark College Cine
ma Club is starting the
year off once more with the
best in films. The premiere
showing, “Across 110th
streets” inOctober was a
success, in spite of the li
mited accomdations.
The club plans to con
tinue bringing the best in
entertainment and hope that
it will be able to use the
auditorium when it’s com
pleted to provide better
facilities.
Some of the top films
which will be shwon this
year, include “Lady Sings
the Blues,” “Melinda, ”
“Sounder”, “Fritz the
Cat,” “Woodstock,” and
“A Warm December,”
These are only a few of the
movies scheduled.
Notices will be posted well
in advance of the show date
for each film. Admission
will be charged only in cases
of a benefit for a specific
cause.
Our schedule for Novem
ber begins with “A Man
called Horse,” November
4th, “Joe Kidd,” on No
vember 11th, “Lady Sings
the Blues,” November 18th,
and tentatively “Cool
Breeze” on November 25th,
and on December 2nd,
“Trouble Man.’
ID Cards must be pro
vided for admission to all
movies