Newspaper Page Text
The BARB, September 1,1977 - Page 5
with Steve Warren
Was General Douglas
MacArthur gay?Acco rding
to people involved in
making the biographical
film, MacArthur, the an
swer is a definite "probably
not”
He was very dose to his
wife, who was born in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee,
according to Marj Dusay,
who plays Mra MacArthur
in the • film. "They were
only separated for a total
of about two months out
of 14 years” Dusay say a
"Wherever he went, he sent
for her as soon as it was
safe ”
What rumors there are
concerning the general link
him with his aide, Colonel
Huff Nicholas Coster; who
has that role, says he does
not believe them. In his
research, Coster says, he
read a book by Huff which
was written in "an un be
lievable, Jayne Mansfield
literary style - I got very
little from it ”
But nothing in the book,
according to Coster, would
"indicate any homosexual
overtones. I wouldn’t be
afraid to play it if it was
there - I was in The Boys
in the Band (on stage)!
Gregory Peck, who does a
fine job in the title role,
doesn’t discuss this aspect
of MacArthur, but says he
enjoyed his work on the
picture because "complex,
contradictory men make
great characters.”
That may be true, but it
still takes some great
writing to bring out the
character’s greatness; and
MacArthur doesn’t have
that It touches briefly on
all facets of the man’s
character and career, with
out ever letting us get a
handle on him. Watching
the movie is like looking
through a photo album
with the pages in random
order.
The gay question is never
brought up, but MacArthur
does embrace a soldier in
one scene which is supposed
to illustrate his humanity.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
The summer’s big fun
movie (other than Star
Wars) is the new James
Bond opus, The Spy Who
Loved Me Everything but
the title has been changed
from Ian Fleming’s novel,
but the formula is the same
as the other Bond movies.
This time, however, it’s not
taken seriously - not even
the obligatory sexism.
Roger Moore looks like
he’s enjoying himself as
James Bond, working with
Russian agent Barbara
Bach to foil Curt Jurgens’
plot to take over the world.
Part of the fun comes from
Jurgens’ indestructible
henchman, "Jaws,” (Rich
ard Kiel).
The Spy Who Loved Me
is .a campy .delight
Rocky Horror [Peter Hinwood] pairs up with Susan
Sarandon—and everbody else-
THE ROCKY HORROR
PICTURE SHOW
If camp is what you’re
looking for, a favorite of
camp followers everywhere
has become entrenched as a
weekend late, late show at
Atlanta’s Film Forum. Be
cause of its irregul ar release
pattern, we never reviewed
The Rocky Horror Picture
Show here So, for the
record..
'' Rocky Horror” (Peter
Hinwood) is the creation
of "Dr. Frank N. Furter”
(Tim Curry); and such a
gorgeous creation he is, it
makes you wonder whether
indeed, only God can make
a tree? Susan Sarandon
and Barry Bostwick are
the innocent couple who
wander into Curry’s castle
on the night of Rocky’s
birth* — just in time for the
orgy.
There’s music, too, and
drag, and all manner of
strange beings. The Rocky
Horror Picture Show isn’t
always as funny as it tries
to be, but it’s funny enough
to give you a gay time at
the Film Forum. Especially
at 2 a m.
-in “The Rocky Horror Picture
CINDERELLA
The X—Rated Cinderella
will amuse the people who
liked last year’s Alice in
Wonderland, and a few
more besides. It’s a funny
movie with a lot of pretty
(female) bodies. Brett
Smiley, who plays the
Prince, is pretty too; but he
never shows us the royal
family jewels. Besides, he
looks as interested in
making love to women as
I would be
Cheryl Smith is not an
especially attractive Cin
derella Wien she’s glam
orized for the ball, it’s like
a change from Sissy Spacek.
to Carol Kane The funniest
scenes involve Sy Richard
son, a black comedian, as
the "fairy godmother.” He
lisps a couple of lines, then
drops the fag bit in favor
of some Richard Pryor -
style humor.
Although the songs look
no more real than the sex
scenes, there are some
clever lyrics ("The Prince
will now conduct a search
through hovels, homes and
huts, in order to retrieve
the lass who sheathed his
[Michael York plays Ann-Margaret’s stepson in “The Last,
I Remake of Bean Geste.” “It’s not incest if you’re adopted,’’
| Marty Feldman says. * *
royal putz”). The score
might be worth putting on
an album.
Cinderella is silly, but it’s
not bad silly.
THE LAST REMAKE OF
BEAU GESTE
Did someone mention
silly? Marty Feldman’s
The Last Remake of Beau
Geste is low camp of a
higher order. It spoofs
movie diche$ in the manner
of Start the Revolution
without Me, but is not as
consistently amusing.
Feldman and Michael
York play identical twin
brothers who windupinthe
French Foreign Legion.
Between desert wars and a
search (in the strangest
places!) for a missing jewel,
York romances his a-
doptive stepmother, Ann-
Margret
The cast is good and there
are enough hilarious mo
ments to foster the hope that
Feldman will continue
growing as a filmmaker.
MARCH OR DIE ,
After... Beau Geste, it’s im
possible to take a straight
Foreign Legion adventure
seriously, but that’s what
director Dick Richards
(Farewell, My Lovely)
asks us to do in March or
Die
Benson and his father con
cocted — maybe "collected”
is a better word— this story
of a rural boy who goes to
a big City college on a
basketball scholarship.
Robby overdoes his gawky
bit foj about an hour, until
all but his staunchest fans
could puke Then he sets
about winningthe respect of
his tutor, Annette O’ Toole,
his teammates and. even the
hard-hearted coach, G. D.
Spradlin.
By putting down college
athletics, One, on One tries
to make us cheer for Benson
as he attempts to rise above
the System. Perhaps those
young enough not to have
seen the story many tunes
before will be psyched into
doing so. The rest of us
just wait in vain for a good
This beautifully - filmed
epic has a good cast, led
by Gene Hackman, Terence
Hill and Catherine
Deneuve Except for Hill,
who handles the heavy
action, none of them works
too hard; but they do all
the roles require of them.
The script repeats many
of the same cliches as the
Feldman film, but without
(intentional) humorous
twists. It’s mostly deja vu
— in color.
ONE ON ONE
Robby Benson’s always
nice to look at, especially
in gym shorts. But aside
from the visual aspects, no
one much older than Robby
(20) will find a lot to like
about One on One
G.D. Spradlin [r.] coaches Robby Benson in “One on One.”