Powerful adaptation of Jack London story

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33434, 16 January 1974, Page 4

Powerful adaptation of Jack London story

1 At times the cold seemed to almost crack) through the television set in the powerful version of Jack London’s! “To Build a Fire,” I screened on Monday! evening. i Based on one man’s eventually unsuccessful struggle against nature, in the form of sub-zero temperatures in the far north-west of I Canada, the piece emerged! las convincing television. I It dealt fairly effectively! iwith the difficult problem of portraying intense cold to I viewers who have never exIperienced it. The sound of the biting ! wind, suitable background! music and a build-up in suspense as the man fought the inescapable effects of frostbite all helped create the right atmosphere. The newcomer who decided to contravene the law! ' of the train and travel alone was played by lan Hogg. And the narration, nicely attuned to the man’s ex- j periences, was from Orson Welles. I The film successfully outj lined the relationship between man and dog, showing I the superiority of the animal | in an environment in which it could survive, but in which the man could not. Obviously there were many sequences which were the result of careful and painstaking camera work. Even slow motion was used to portray the feeling of delirium following panic which the man experienced as he ran along the trail try-

ring to escape the inevitable. . Another high point was I the return of circulation I when the viewer could : almost share the feeling of ! excruciating pain when j circulation returned to nearj frozen fingers. I There was, no doubt, | many a viewer who itched to help the fumbling man strike one of his matches in the agonising failure to light the fire that would have saved his life. The film was produced for ithe 8.8. C. and Westinghouse iin America by David iCobham Productions. # $ $ j The new series of I the Christchurch-produced “Bumper to Bumper” programme began well. The new front-man, Alastair Ansell, has a nice, relaxed television manner and has no trouble holding viewers’ attention.

I He also manages to identjjify himself with Mr Average i! Driver and was able to make 1 points related to his own exfl perience, no doubt shared by i! thousands. -I The material used was 'first-class and discussion of , | driving attitudes and responi'sibility, related to accidents, i must have struck a chord i with every viewer who t drives a vehicle. » The first of the new series, which will deal with r petrol usage later, was well produced by CHTV3’s Kim ilGabara with excellent illusitration of points. The speeded-up flow of ' traffic at an intersection was ‘.'a sure attention-getter, as Lwere the simulated crashes. I If the programme helps to I prevent some of the acci- ' | dents which Alastair so j rightly says should never 3 happen, then it will be well ' worth while, It promises to be interesting viewing into the bargain. —K.C.

CHTV3 2.00 p.m.: News, weather. 2.05: Film (1966)—“And Now Miguel” (C). 3.39: Six Wheels North. Documentary (Repeat. 4.32: The Andy Griffith Show. Comedy (Repeat) (C). 5.03: Joe (C). 5.18: Make a Wish. Children’s series (C). 5.40: News (C). 5.44: Black Beauty. Adventure (C). 6.09: Inner Space. Marine life (C). 6.35: Something Else. Music (C>. 7.00: Network news. 7.20: 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. 7.27: Weather. The South Tonight. 7.45: Thrillseekers (C). 8.11: The Delphi Bureau. Drama (C) 9.04: Newsbrief (C). 9.06: Bless This House. Comedy (C). 9.33: The Devil and Miss Sarah. Drama (Gene Barry) (C). 10.46: Late news, weather (C>.

NATIONAL LINK [lncluding 3YA Christchurch (690 kilohertz); 2YA Wellington (570 kilohertz); 4YA Dunedin 750 kilohertz); and 3YZ Grevmouth <950 kilhertz>.l 7.30 p.m.: The Maori Programme. 8.0: Cricket, LovelyCricket. 8.30: Weather and News. 9.0: Double Bill. 10.30: News, and Weather. 10.45: Good for a Laugh. 11.0: 8.8. C. News and Commentary. 11.15: Continuous Programme. 3YC, CHRISTCHURCH (960 kilohertz)

7.31 p.m.: Delius: An Arabesque John ShirleyQuirk (baritone), Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Charles Gi*oves. 7.43: Elgar: Sonata in E minor. Op. 82 — Hugh Bean (violin), David Parkhouse (piano). 8.10: Concertante Ensemble: Amelia Skinner (flute), Luigi Ferletti (oboe), Alan Gold (clarinet), Gordon Skinner (bassoon), Marcel Lambert (horn). Niel-

sen: Wind Quintet. 8.36: Ravel; Vaises nobles et sentimentales — Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul Paray. 8.51: Duparc: The Former Life; Phidyle; Sad Song; Rosamund’s Manor House; Lament — Gerard Souzay (baritone), Dalton Baldwin (piano). 9.11:i N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra conducted by Brian Priestman. Carl Pini (violin). Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F minor (La Passione); Alban Berg: Violin Concerto. (Recorded at a Wellington Concert). 10.1: Poems by Keats: Ode to a Nightingale; La Belle Dame sans merci; On the Sea — read by Garry Watson, Tony Church and Derek Godfrey. 10.10: Murray Perahia at the Queen Elizabeth Hall: Winner of the 1972 Leeds International Piano Competition.

3ZB, CHRISTCHURCH (1100 kilohertz) 7.30 p.m.: John Blumsky. 8.2: The Country Music Show. 10.3: Undercover.