N.Z.B.C. should aim at fewer, better films

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 4

N.Z.B.C. should aim at fewer, better films

There have been some good full-length films among the week-end programmes in the last few months, some which are so feeble as to make one wonder why so many feature films are shown. On Friday and Saturday, the quality of the films was rather above average.

The appeal of full-length films to television audiences is easy to understand. On non ’- commercial nights, especially, they are popular, because they permit about an hour and a half of viewing not broken into little pieces. But in most weeks there is a film on Friday night, another on Sunday afternoon, and one on Saturday evening. It might be wiser for the N.Z.B.C. to show fewer films and restrict the selection to good ones. There has been some dreadful rubbish at times.

The Alfred Hitchcock film "Shadow Of A Doubt” on Friday evening was more than passable. It was not the best of Hitchcock by any means. It was made in the early 19405, and lacked the sustained suspense of some of his best-remembered films. But there was tension, which built up slowly, and there was a suitably dramatic climax. The delightful Teresa Wright, a very youthful-look-ing MacDonald Carey and a villainous Joseph Cotton were the principals. Fashions in dress and make-up looked strange, and that is often a difficulty with these older films. A period piece is one thing; but to see ourselves or our parents as we or they used to be breeds a faintly comic note which is not good for dramatic masterpieces. However, “Shadow Of A Doubt” came out pretty well. ♦ * ♦

There was a star-studded cast for the Saturday night film, "Flight Of The Phoenix.” Ernest Borgnine, of “McHale's Navy,” was extremely good in his minor role. James Stewart was the principal in this battle for survival after an aircraft crash in a desert. He has tremendous appeal, and in this role had to display a

CHTV3 2.00: Headline news. 2.03: Tocqueville’s America. Documentary. 257: Notes for a film about Donna and Gail. Dramatised documentary. (Repeat) 3.44: Green Acres. Comedy. 4.08: The Contestants. Sport (Repeat) 453: The Paper Bag Players. 456: Herman the Hermit. 5.03: Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. 554: Carousel. 5.39: Headline news, weather. 5.42: Adventures in Rainbow Country. 6.06: I Dream of Jeannie. Comedy. 6.30: Monster Music Mash. 7.00: Network news. 750: Weather. The South Tonight 7.40: The Governor and J.J.—“The Governor Gets The Chair.” Comedy. 8.05: The First Lady—“A Cross For Sarah.” Drama. 855: Grandstand. Sport. 952: Thirty Minute Theatre—“Pay As You Go.” (Sarah Lawson, Norman Rossington, Brian Wilde) 9.50: Towards Tomorrow—“ Assault on Life.” Documentary. 10.41: The Science Report. 10.54: Late news, weather. I

NATIONAL LINK (Including 3¥A Chrutchureb (690 kilohertz); 2YA, WeUlnr ton (570 kilohertz); 4VA. Dunedin (780 kilohertz); ana 3YZ. Greymouth (920 kilohertz) 7.0 p.m.: N.Z.B.C. Sports News. 7.11: Marlene Dietrich sings in German. 7.30: Vic Hammett at the Tokoroa Wurlitzer Organ. 7.45: Here Come the Blackface Minstrels. 8.0: Rhythm on Record. 8.30: Weather and News, Checkpoint. 9.0: Naked Canvas A play. 10.0: Eurolite. 10.30: N.Z.B.C. News, Comment, Weather. 10.45: Women’s Bowls: New Zealand Championships at Christchurch Report. 11.0: 8.8. C. News and Commentary. 11.15: Swimming: West German Team at Auckland— Report. 11.18: All Night Personality: Mike Lynch. 12.6 a.m.: Doctor in the House. 1.30: Those Were the Days; 3.3: The Star Show; 4.9: Cabaret Time: Mike Dolan. 3YC, CHRISTCHURCH (960 kilohertz) 7.5 p.m.: Maureen Shaw (soprano), Dale Hunter (clarinet), Donald Bowick (piano) —Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock; Rossini: Venetian Regatta: Giacchino Rossini. 7.32: The Economics of New Zealand Forestry. 7.46: Falla: Dances from The Three Cornered Hat Chicago Sym-

rather wider range of emotions than is often demanded of him.

Richard Attenborough, Dan Duryea, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger were all there, battling it out against the elements, mental and physical exhaustion, and conflicts of personalities, as a new strange aircraft was made from the wreck. Such variations of the Robinson Crusoe story may be regarded as men’s fare, but this film held the attention. The slow, decline of the party, mentally and physically, seemed authentic; but the final escape, with Stewart flying the strange craft, and the others strewn along the wing surfaces, was just a little hard to take. * * *

The rest of the Friday and Saturday programmes had some interesting items. Bill Burrud, who appears to spend a great deal of his time out of doors, was there with “The Challenge Of The Sea,” a documentary on whaling in the Bering Sea. Many viewers must have failed to enjoy the nauseating slaughter of the whales by the most modem methods, but it was a good film of its kind. The photography was now and then startlingly good. And on the subject of the sea, it is good to know that another series of Jacques Cousteau subjects will soon be in the programmes.

♦ * * “The South Tonight” provided some useful clarifications on the subject of the Commonwealth Games swimming pool site which has been proposed by the City Council. Mr Guthrey, not very much at ease before a television camera a while ago, was relaxed, confident and convincing. # * *

It is taken for granted, these days, that an almost perfect job will be done with television filming, but visually, the N.Z.B.C. Symphony under Andre Kostelanetz was especially good, and there was the usual high standard of sound. The cameras found some new and interesting angles, and this mini-concert was a delight to eye and ear. * * *

There were some disappointments during the weekend. “The Mod Squad" is wearing a little thin, and the

phony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner. 7.58: Tchaikovsky: Lenski’s Aria (Eugene Onegin); Puccini: My thoughts return (Le Villi); Mascagni: Open your window (Iris)— Placido Domingo (tenor), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Downes. 8.16: Bach: Harpsichord Concerto in D minor—Herbert Tachezi (harpsichord), Vienna Concentus Musicus under Nicholaus Harnoncourt. 8.38: Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 (Rhemish) —Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Georg Solti. 9.12: Chopin—Eugenia Zareska (soprano), Giorgio Favaretto (piano). 9.30: Sergei Prokofiev: A series of illustrated programijies by Gerald Seaman—(6) Chamber Music. 10.38: Gluck: Otu la cosa (Iphigenie in Aulide); Borodin: Kontchak’s Aria (Prince Igor) Boris Christoff (bass), Philharmonia Orchestra under Jerzy Sernkow. 3ZB, CHRISTCHURCH (1100 kilohertz) 8.2 p.m.: Double One Double O Requests. 11.2: Till the Midnight Hour. 3ZM, CHRISTCHURCH (1400 kilohertz) 7.30 p.m.: Things are Swinging. 9.0: Current Stream. With Peter Sledmere. 11.0: This is Blues.

process was hastened with the dependence this time on one of those motherand-daughter-unhappiness stories. Even more irritating, to this viewer, was “Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).’’ Those script writers must have some restless nights, blushing for shame at having to rely so often on Mr Hopkirk whistling up a wind to delay something or other until the clumsy, inefficient and ludicrous Randall gets into gear. It is well past the time when Mr Randall should have joined Mr Hopkirk in the Great Beyond. Ht He ♦

But there was a reward for those who stayed up late on Saturday. An odd parcel of “The World of Beachcomber” had been found, and was screened. Because the series is long over, this one that temporarily got away was fresh and appealing, with its delicious absurdities and its determined attack on the English language. Watching Spike Milligan and his crazy gang induced the thought that programming of such material could be handled a little differently. It is very right and proper for, say, detective serials to be on at the same time, every week. That applied also to material such as “The Power Game,” and it is perfectly reasonable with “Dr Finlay’s Casebook” and many others. But the richness of absurdity in shows like “Beachcomber” costs the programme its appeal rather quickly. Is there any reason why zany and wonderful performances such as “The World of Beachcomber” should not be on just once a month? Not even New Zealanders could enjoy their Pavlova cake with every meal. PANDORA.

On and off New programmes this week include. Wednesday: ' The Corbett Follies. Friday: Gentle Ben. Series which end are: Tuesday: International Showtime. Misleading Cases. Saturday: F Troop. Untamed World.