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February 1995, Week 2

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 8 Feb 1995 20:12:39 CST
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
John McInnes writes: <<I find my opinion of the series dropping with each
installment (though in
its defense, I thought the description to Welles as "the first
director-star" was a reference to his *starring* in KANE as well as
directing, rather than to his lofty status as a director). >>
 
I appreciate John's attempt salvage SOME intellectual honesty from this
series, but I must point out that Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, William S. Hart,
Noel Coward and many, many others preceded Welles in this regard as well. It
is typical of the scholarship of this series (which also had one participant
refer to "Kane" (1941) as a 1949 film!) that such thoughtless hyperbole could
get past the producers.
 
Although it pains me deeply to add to Larry Jarvik's ammunition, there is no
doubt that the series, especially in light of its cost, is a major
embarassment. Brownlow & Gill, Turell & Killiam, Richard Schickel and others
have brought the tv documentary on the cinema too far to be overshadowed by
this (so far) turkey.
 
Gene Stavis, School of Visual Arts - NYC

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