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THE PANTHER - Page 5 - March 1974
Innovative 'Five’
Gets A Big Hand
By KATHYE LEWIS
Congratulations are sure
ly in order to Brock Pe
ters and Michael Tolan
for bringing to the screen
the off Broadway hit by
Charlie Russell, Five on
the Black Hand Side. The
movie is refreshing, edu
cational, and a new inno
vation for “Black” movies.
It also provides many fa
miliar and relatively new
Black actors a means of
expressing true to life cha
racters instead of bogey
men and prostitutes.
Five on the Black Hand
Side deals with an ego
tistical and business ori
ented Black man, Mr. John
Henry Brooks, who heads
a very complex house
hold. His wife, who he re
fers to as Mrs. Brooks,
is an extremely domina
ted woman who is trying
to salvage her marriage
but is also trying to gain
respect from her husband.
His two sons are contrast
ing. Gideon, the youngest,
is a complete rebel who can
come to no terms with his
father about his education
and goals. Booker T. is an
average talk Black-sleep
white brother, who wishes
to be called Shareef, in
stead of by his slave name.
Gail, his daughter, is a
moderate. She has wedding
plans underway and she
is very preoccupied with
them. However, she shows
a consciousness of her her
itage and has a relation
ship with a very revolu
tionary young Black man.
The intermingling of the
family’s attitudes is in
teresting and keeps the
action flowing in the movie.
There is never a dull
moment in this fast paced
film.
The plot of the film is
to override the father’s
attitudes and to erase his
white-oriented ways. His
family is attempting to
show their love with posi
tive expressions towards
Black awareness. Their
efforts succeed in the end
and Mr. Brooks surren
ders himself to richer and
fuller relationships with
his family.
The actors are real and
very believable. The wife,
Mrs. Brook,s played by
Clarice Taylor, portrays
her character extremely
well. She shows the anguish
of a simmering volcano,
but also the love of a ten
der woman. She rejoices
in her new found self, a
Black woman. She no lon
ger wants to remain a brow
beaten and domineered
wife. Gideon, (Glynn Tur
man), and Booker T.
(D’Urville Martin ), are
typical brothers. They ar
gue and fight but they still
love each other. Their con
cern for each other is dem
onstrated throughout the
film, as each recognizes
one another’s hang-ups.
Gail, (Bonnie Banfield),
is truly a dependent wo
man. She relies on Mar
vin, (Carl Franklin), her
fiancee vgry heavily. She
is emotional and a bit
selfish, but she cares about
her family and wishes for
happiness within the fami
ly. Mrs. Brooks’ friends,
Stormy Monday, (Ja’NetDu
Bois), and Ruby, (Virgi
nia Capers), are two strong
willed woman. Stormy is a
scorned woman who enjoys
getting even with men, and
Ruby is a dedicated neigh
bor with a good head on her
shoulders. Marvin, is a
truly beautiful brother who
strongly believes in Black
people and their need for
unity. He speaks eloquent
ly and is an arbitrator
in the war which ensues
between Mr. and Mrs. B
Brooks.
The institution of tradi
tional marriage is ques
tioned as the bride, Gail,
and the groom, Marvin,
are wedded in an African
ceremony complete with
African drummers. The
Soul Train dancers added
a nice flavor to the cere
mony also. It is a very col
orful and beautiful cer
emony and it provides a
suitable ending for the mo
vie.
There are so many good
things to say about Five
but the best thing is for one
to experience it oneself.
You’ll meet all of the typ-
pical characters, num
bers runners, pimps, hus
tlers, holy rollers, and
prostitutes, but they are
not exalted, but merely -
shown as a part of socie
ty.
Technically, there were
few faults. The color was
very natural and the sce
nery was beautiful also.
Scenes varied from the
apartment, to the barber
shop, Brook’s business,
to the church and all of
them blended well. The
music score fit the scenes
well and the music itself
had a nice beat to it. The
lighting and shooting an
gles were used effective
ly to foreshadow coming
events and to empnasize
certain occurrences.
The evolution of Five
on the Black Hand Side
is a monument to Black
films and, although it is
a comedy in a sense, its
message is no joke. Five
has a story to tell about
Black love and it tells
it well.
My only complaint, not
concerning the film itself,
but the location, is the filth
iness of the Atlanta Thea
ter, where Five is show
ing. The filth was awful
and the smell was just as
bad. For such a beautiful
movie deserves a better
accommodation.
Black On!
Photo by Kenneth Hodges
Clark’s jazz band turns out Davage Auditorium in its first performance
of the year
1111!;'
Concert 6 Unveils 9 Jazz Band
By KATHYE LEWIS
Clark College finally
has one! I know you’ve
probably asked yourself
what it is by now, Well,
Clark has a bonafide, dy- *
namite, jazz band of its
own. The emergence of the
Jazz Band was felt by a
relatively large audience,
in Davage Auditorium on
February 26.
Although there was hard
ly any publicity at all
about the concert, people
usually find out when a
groove is goin’ on, and I
do mean a groove. The tal
ents of the musicians and
vocalist, Gloria Gay, were
unveiled to the viewers.
Pieces such as Stevie
Wonder’s Sunshine of My
Life, Herbie Hancock’s
Chameleon and Roberta
Flack’s First Time Ever
I Saw Your Face, were
only minute portions of
the colorful programme.
Some of the Clark stu
dents involved in the Jazz
Band creation are Tho
mas Howard, Anthony Car
michael, Waymon Strick
land, Stet Graham. These
are hard working persons,
who really deserve more
credit and support from
Clark.
Singling out some of the
talents, we have Ojeda
Penn, on electric piano,
and brother, he can cook!
He does things to a piano
that will set your mind in
seventh heaven. You can
sit back and groove and
relax and enjoy his vibra
tions. Marshall Harp, on
alto sax, is a beautiful sax -
ist. He blows sweet tunes
and melodies and he feels
your soul out with his.
His music blends well,
but he is also a great
soloist. Gloria Gay is a
vocalist of great talent.
Hermusic varies from blues
to jazz, to contemporary
soul music. Her voice is
strong, but it still lacks
experience. She is,-a mov
ing singer however, and her
accomplishment is shown
in her songs. Her best
number was Billie Holi
day’s God Bless the Child.
Gregory Mayfield, trum
pet, and Waymon Strick
land, tenor, showed their
talents too. These broth
ers can really handle
themselves. Of course,
all of the other brothers,
were doing a really hip job.
The sounds moved the crowd
and the folks were soon
joining in clapping and
rapping.
The Clark College Jazz
Band will definitely suc-
,cefed- as. long as its mem
bers continue In the vein that
they’ve begun. The group
is handled through the
music department and any
inquiries can be made there.
The jazz groups’ director
is Joe Jennings, a very
adept man. He has a big
job on his hands, but he
is dealing with it in a very
successful manner. Black
on Brothers!!!!!
NOTICE
Prospective year book
and newspaper editors must
meet eligibility require
ments set up last fall by
the Students’ Publications
Board before they can run
for these offices.
The new requirements
were adopted by the Pub
lications Board in an ef
fort to assure the college
of quality leadership on
the major student publica
tions.
These requirements,ac
cording to Robert Lee,
chairman of the Board are:
- - The student must sub
mit two recommendations
from faculty members in
support of his/her com
petence in written com
munications.
- - The student must
have actively worked for
one semester on a publi
cation.
- - The student must]
have a minimum grade;
point average of 2.5
All persons planning ti
run for editor of the
yearbook or newspaper ini
the upcoming election-
should submit the above
information to Lee im
mediately. He is located
in the counseling office in
Holmes Hall.
The Publications Board,
which adopted the new gui-
deslines for editors, was
established last year by
President Vivian W. Hen
derson to work in a davi-
sory capacity to all ma
jor student publications.
It is composed of students,
faculty and administra
tion officials.
uy worked tor uon ouiciais.
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