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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 10 March 2020
Review: Authors look at ‘The Greatest Year at the Movies’

By LEE D. MITGANG produced as many endur- with movies that broke new
Associated Press ing classics as 1939, a year artistic ground. Among
“Cinema ’62: The Greatest that placed 19 films on the them were Federico Fellini
Year at the Movies,” Rut- Library of Congress’ presti- (“La Dolce Vita”), Francois
gers University Press, by Ste- gious National Film Registry, Truffaut (“Jules et Jim”),
phen Farber and Michael more than twice the eight Tony Richardson (“The
McClellan such films from 1962. But Loneliness of the Long Dis-
What was the greatest year 1962’s importance rests on tance Runner”), Pietro Ger-
in cinema history? Among the artistic daring of its films, mi (“Divorce Italian Style”)
film fans and critics, 1939 and on the unprecedent- and Michelangelo Anto-
has long been a favor- ed willingness of filmmakers nioni (“La Notte”).
ite pick. Hollywood’s stu- to tackle taboo subjects at The authors add spice and
dio system was at its peak a time when the produc- credibility to their history
that year and cranked out tion codes and the cen- with interviews of survivors
an astonishing number of sorious Legion of Decency of 1962 filmmaking, includ-
crowd-pleasing, star-stud- still wielded influence on ing Mariette Hartley who
ded films including “The Wiz- Hollywood producers and made her debut in direc-
ard of Oz,” “Mr. Smith Goes American audiences. tor Sam Peckinpah’s “Ride
to Washington,” “Ninotch- Echoing the emerging the High Country”; Shirley
ka,” “Stagecoach” and civil rights spirit of the early Knight, who starred with
“Dark Victory.” At the top ’60s, for example, “To Kill a Paul Newman in the sexu-
of that formidable heap Mockingbird” poignantly ally charged “Sweet Bird of
was “Gone with the Wind,” indicted racial injustice, Youth”; and Angela Lans-
which won eight Oscars, though not without objec- bury, who gave a delicious-
including best picture. A tions from film raters for ly villainous performance
new history by Los Angeles its frequent use of the “n- in director John Franken-
film critics and scholars Ste- word.” “Lolita” depicted heimer’s “The Manchurian
phen Farber and Michael an older man’s obsession Candidate.”
McClellan offers a differ- with a preadolescent girl. The book ends with a
ent and, for many, surpris- The British import “A Taste chapter-long appraisal of
ing alternative. In their au- of Honey” offered an un- David Lean’s “Lawrence
daciously titled “Cinema usually adult portrayal of of Arabia,” 1962’s most
’62: The Greatest Year at homosexuality and scored honored, commercially
the Movies,” they argue well with audiences. Bos- successful and technically
that the early ‘60s in gen- ley Crowther, The New York This cover image released by Rutgers University Press shows dazzling film. It featured a
eral - and 1962 in particular Times’ powerful film critic, "Cinema '62: The Greatest Year at the Movies" by Stephen sophisticated plot replete
-- deserve recognition not called it the year’s best film. Farber and Michael McClellan. Associated Press with political chicanery,
just for big-wave beach Hollywood’s studio system colonialism and a subtle
movies, but also for new- may have been declining Ford’s “The Man Who Shot in the psychological thriller depiction of the title char-
wave films from abroad in 1962 but reliable stars Liberty Valance.” Screen “Whatever Happened to acter’s homosexuality, and
and for the emergence of like Doris Day, John Wayne, veteran Rosalind Russell Baby Jane?,” whose poster a superb cast of old hands
a generation of American James Stewart and Bette put an indelible stamp on the authors feature on their like Claude Rains as well as
auteurs who were fashion- Davis still churned out an the lead role of Rose in book jacket. relative newcomers Peter
ing a mold-breaking new impressive number of hit “Gypsy.” Davis and Joan From abroad, filmmakers O’Toole and Omar Sharif.
Hollywood. Strictly by num- films. Wayne and Stewart Crawford gave unforget- were drawing American Yet fascinatingly, it drew
bers, 1962 may not have starred in director John tably creepy performances audiences as never before only mixed reviews.q

Sesame’s Count wants to get young children counted in census

By MIKE SCHNEIDER are counted in the 2020 sippi. “Hamilton” creator
Associated Press census. The public service Lin-Manuel Miranda and
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — No announcements in English U.S. Rep. Alexandria Oca-
other age group was un- and Spanish started airing sio-Cortez cut one for New
der-counted more during Monday. The head count York City. Sesame Work-
the last once-a-decade starts for most people this shop also is offering on its
census than children un- Thursday. website fliers and informa-
der age 5, researchers say. In the ad, the Count plays tion about the census that
Sesame Street is hoping to a census taker. Casting for can be downloaded and
use Count von Count to the spots was purposeful, distributed.
change that. Sesame Workshop officials Demographers estimate
The Muppet best known said. “Rosita is a bilingual that 4.6% percent of chil-
as the Count is joining Muppet. Elmo is popular dren under 5, or 1 million
Elmo, Rosita and her mom, and connected to young children, weren’t counted
Rosa, in public service an- children and families, and This May 30, 2018 file photo shows Sesame Street character in the 2010 census. The un-
nouncements filmed on the Count is so logical Count von Count at Sesame Workshop's 16th annual Benefit der-counting was worst in
the set of the long-running when it comes to being Gala in New York. minority communities, with
educational television counted,” said Jeanette Associated Press under-counting for His-
show. The spots encour- Betancourt, Sesame Work- ters are joining a growing ed. Morgan Freeman panic children estimated
age parents of young shop’s senior vice presi- group of celebrities using made a public service an- at 7.5% and for black chil-
children to make sure dent of U.S. Social Impact. their influence to encour- nouncement for census dren at 6.3%, according to
they and their children The Sesame Street charac- age people to be count- outreach efforts in Missis- researchers.q