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THE BARB 3
©A.y-IN© T© THE MCYIES
With Steve Warren
Mary Loos describes
herself as “third genera
tion Hollywood,” and de
scribes Hollywood as “a
legend--it isn’t a place
where everything happens;
it’s name for a fantasy
which is spread all over
the world.”
Her Grandfather wrote
for silent films,
tier aunt, Anita Loos, who
went on to write “Gentle
men Prefer* Blondes” and
work on such screenplays
as “San Francisco” and
“Blossoms in the Dust.”
Now in her 80s, Anita Loos
is still turning out mem
oirs and novels at a pro
lific rate.
_ Though she grew up amia
the glory that was Holly
wood, Mary studied to be
an archaeologist. When I
met her she was wearing a
necklace made from an Az
tec relic she had dug up
herself. She was dressed
in an attractive navy blue
pantsuit, and a divine pur
ple coat which she had also
unearthed--at a garage
sale. “It’s incredible what
you can find in a garage
sale in California,” she
says.
On tour to promote her
first book, a novel about
the movie industry from 19
13-1947 called “The Beg
gars Are Coming” (Ban
tam Paperback X8540),
Mary Loos was happy to
discuss the Hollywood gay
scene.
Her attitude boils down
to “Some of my best
friends are...” But then,
some of her best friends
are.
“I have known lots of in
dividuals in Hollywood,”
she says, “who I presume
belong to the gay scene. As
someone--I think it was
Ethel Bar rymore--said
when they asked her if a
certain actress was a Les
bian, “I really couldn’t an
swer because I was never
under the bed.”
“I think in the arts par
ticularly, the gay society is
accepted without any ques
tion. My own point of view
is that I don’t care what
anybody does unless I want
to do it with them.
“I think the finest de
signers and the finest di
rectors and the finest pro
duction designers and the
finest actors have belonged
to the gay scene, and per
haps smothered it before.
“As a matter of fact, the
situation is in my novel,
“The Beggars Are Com
ing.” It’s a young man who
is brought into the film
business through his rela
tionship with a very power
ful newspaper reporter and
critic. And he grows to be
one of the great stars of
the film business. And in
the beginning of my book,
he attempts to conceal it by
having an unhappy romance
with a leading lady because
he thinks it will get him
along.
“I think there’s a great
relief in gay circles now
that they don’t have to go
underground.
Mary Loos as she looked in 1937, lunching with
Clark Gable, and as she appears today.
Ja me s Caa n
“I know some gay peo
ple who have had very
happy marriages, and I
know some gay people who
have had marriages with
gay people; and I know
children who who are the
product of gay fathers and
mothers who took the other
route.
“I don’t think it’s as di-
strubing as it used to be.
People are more oriented
to people now than they are
to moralities, because mo
ralities change.
“The only ones that con
cern me are the bisexual
people, because I think they
might not be as happy as
someone who is admittedly
gay.
“The latest phrase is
tri- (try?) sexual--anything
goes!”
Among the screenplays
Mary Loos wrote, in con
junction with her former
husband, Richard Sale, are
‘ ‘A Ticket to Tomahawk’ ’
(Marilyn Monroe’s fourth
picture); “Gentlemen Mar
ry Brunettes” (an unsuc
cessful attempt to capita
lize on “Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes”); and “Mr. Bel
vedere Goes to College” (a
successful sequel to “Sit
ting Pretty,” retaining the
Clifton Webb character).
She must be pushing 60,
but she doesn’t look it; and
her novel proves she either
has young ideas or a good
memory.
CEAU-CEAU
Most of us could stand
to be more humble. But I
find Marcel Marceau’s lack
of modesty refreshing. He
is solely responsible for
the current popularity of
the art of pantomime, and
he know’s it.
(I’m not talking about the
lip-synching done by some
female impersonators.
Marcel Marceau
Mime, as practiced by
Marceau, is a way. of com
municating thoughts, feel
ings and stories, without
Using any words.)
“To be very honest,” he
replied when I asked who
would rank as the world’s
second-greatest mime,
“the second-greatest would
be a company, I think, be
cause it would be difficult
for somebody else--he
would be accused of copy
ing me.
“In the future--maybe
in America, you have such
a potential of young people
--in a generation, there
will be a new Buster
Keaton, Chaplin, or a new
Marceau, why not?”
The occasion for our talk
was the release of his
movie, “Shanks,” which I
praised in this column last
month and again encourage
you to see.
Although he’s made short
subjects and documentaries
and appeared briefly in
“Barbarella” “Shanks” is
the first feature Marceau
has starred in. He’s been
an international celebrity
for more than two decades,
so why did he wait so long?
“Because, you know,” he
says, “it was very difficult
for me because I am who
I am, doing what I do on
stage....! could not make
just any talking film, just
to prove that I’m an actor,
it would destroy the magic
I do onstage. I had to find
the material that-would be
a Fairy tale or a film
where magic would be
strong.....
“Then (director William)
Castle saw me in Hollywood
when I played last year...'
and he had this story writ
ten by an English writer,
Ronald Graham, who writes
for the Theatre of the ab
surd
“Bill Castle, who always
did horror films, this time
did not want to make a hor
ror film. Since “Rose
mary’s Baby,” he’s chang
ed...he wants to bring some
beauty in the minds of peo
ple-through fantasy.
“The he saw me and he
said “Marcel Marceau is
the man who can create
this....”
Tm very happy that I
did it because I think, for
me, it’s very important.
It’s the start of my career
in the film industry.”
After this aupicious be
ginning . - that career- will-
Susannah York and Roger Moore
in "Gold”
continue in another film for
Castle. Marceau doesn’t
know what it will be, but
says, “I want to make a
film which will combine
pathos and comedy; but I
would like very much if
mine always is present.”
And mine always will be
present, thanks to Marcel
Marceau and the genera
tion of young people he has
inspired.
THE GAMBLER
Fans of James Caan will
enjoy him in “The Gamb
ler,” his meatiest (no pun
intended) film role to date.
If you’re not as taken with
his charisma as he' seems:
to be, you’ll be less im
pressed with his perform-:
ance. %
He doesn’t get a lot of
help from Lauren Hutton, a:
model-turning-actress. But
the rest of the cast, includ- ;
ing Morris Carnovsky and;
Paul Sorvina, are ex-;
cellent.
Caan plays a college
professor who is a compul
sive gambler. James To-
back’s well constructed
screenplay shows us that
such men have self-de
structive urges. This point
is brought home in the real
ending, which follows a
scene that looks so much
like the end that you might
leave early.
“The Gambler” is a very
good movie, if you enjoy
serious drama.
“Gold*’
If you go to the movies
for sheer escapist enter
tainment, “Gold” is as
good as you will find. It’s
one of the few recent re
leases that doesn’t appear
to cut corners because of
budget limitations.
The basic plot is about a
conspiracy to flood a gold
mine, killing hundreds of
men in > process, 1 for com
plex financial reasons. But
there’s also a love story,
between Roger Moore and
Susannah York. She happens
to be married to Moore's
boss at the mine, Bradford
Dillmani who is also one of
the conspirators.
The spectacular mine di -
saster ; provides 1 a '.sus;
penseful climax to an eii :
tertaining picture that’ goes
first-class all the way.
“THE CRAZY WORLD OF
JULIUS VROODER”
Timothy Bottoms ‘ and
Barbara ' Seagull are ' a,s
convincing as can be l iti
“The Crazy World ’ Of
Julius Vrooder, “the love
story of a mental patient
and his nurse! The picture
itself is a cinematic trifle!
pleasant but unmemorable.
It has elements of satire,
pathos, social comment-
anything that might win
segment of the audience, if
only for a moment. It’s not
all put together terribly but
it will carry you along if
you’re not too demanding.