'Fortune' overplays faults and violence in prison life

by Emerson Batdorff

After watching "Fortne and Men's Eyes," e obviously are suposed to be inspired to ush out and reform the rison system.

But it lays on the aults of the prison sysem so heavily that it is st impossible to believe he picture.

If the movie ever had

place of stone walls and iron bars and flabby discipline. Except for discipline. Except for one or two, it is filled almost entirely. by totally evil people and if you didn't send them to prison, I don't know where you would send them.

The theme of the story is that prison is a brutalizing place so we are shown its effects on a nice, gentle fellow

calculated to appeal to sensible viewers as a natural attitude.

He also talks into the wall with his lips up against it. "What's with him?” a man is likely to say out in the audience. Eventually Burton (who is in for grass "my father turned me in" and how more innocent can you get?) gets up the courage to beat the

ad a guard take a who is well played by liver out of his tormen-

and in maintaining Order (except to further The readily apparent Machinations of the lot) a watcher might et the idea that this as a sensible picture of rison life.

Whether it is or not, it ertainly doesn't appear bbe.

The prison seems to e in charge of sexual eviates who all but run he place, getting speial favor for the auhorities and lining up e young boys for sysmatic rape. There is one such exicit scene that makes a erson wonder at the R ating the picture en-

ys.

The setting is the anent Quebec prison; a

Wendell Burton.

He is assaulted (second homosexual assault of the movie) by a vicious criminal played like a cup of lye by Zooey Hall. He has a peculiar mannerism that peculiar mannerism that calls for him to stand with his face touching the wall at all times possible, a stance not

-'Fortune and . ..

Directed by Harvey Hart, screenplay by John Herbert from his play. Produced by Lester Persky and Lewis M. Allen. MCM release. Adults ́ only. Smitty

AUTOGASSETSTRUT

Queonis Rocky Mone Screwdriver

Hely Face Peters

Sgt. Chit

Wendell Burton Michael Greer Zoocy Hall Banny Freedusan Larry Perkins

mes Barren Lazare Fores Jon Granik

ter.

Then, guess what? He furns into a raging homosexual on his own. I don't believe it.

The role of Queenie, a vividly overt homosexual, is taken with male-: volent fury by Michael Greer, who did the part on stage for years. The thorough evilness that he injects into the role makes it both fascinating and appalling.

It may well be that "Fortune and and Men's Eyes" is inherently a better stage play than it is a movie. The stage finds it easier to suggest, rather than show implicitly, what's going on. No close ups. I think. there is often more im-, pact if we aren't so badly harrowed while being instructed.

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