University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

Breaking Through The Shell

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Yesterday I expected to see
another typical Walt Disney
adventure film, "The Wild
Country." I was somewhat
surprised by it however, for Walt
Disney Productions seems, at long
last, to be shedding the cocoon of
innocence that once surrounded
any picture which came out of that
studio.

The story is like "Swiss Family
Robbinson Goes West," and the
plot tends to get bogged down by
having every catastrophe, hit the
pioneer family. This could get
extremely tedious and could
explode into spectacle, like "How
the West Was Won." Somehow, this
never happens in "The Wild
Country," and I can only applaud
the teamwork which goes into
every Disney production.

Robert Totten's direction is
revolutionary for a Disney film.
There are tilt shots, angle shots and
my favorite, hand-held camera
shots. You'd never see some of
these shots in other Disney films.
The most gratifying aspect of the
film is the truly beautiful location
photography of the Grand
Teton-Jackson Hole area of
Wyoming.

The script, by Calvin Clements,
Jr. and Paul Savage, presents the
usual pioneer film stereotypes.
There's the evil cattle rancher, the
"let's go back East" mother (Vera
Miles), the "no, we're staying"
father (Steve Forrest), the friendly
trapper (Jack Elam, who is not as
good as he was in "Rio Lobo"), and
the cute kid (Clint Howard).

There's also the other son,
played by Ronny Howard, and it's
his character that is the most
interesting. There is a feeling of
complexity in this young man,
which I certainly welcome in
"family entertainment." Of course
the biggest surprise is when a mare
is giving birth and the mother tries
to get the boys into the house. The
father says "Let 'em stay." They do
and so does the camera. Walt would
turn over in his grave, but
hallelujah, his studio is breaking
through the sugar shell, and still
making films that Mom and Dad
can enjoy with the kids.

(Now at the Barracks Road)

***

Another "Love Story" comes to
the Paramount today. It's the
classic epic "Gone With the Wind."
If you've missed it, by all means see

it this week and enjoy Scarlett
O'Hara crying, "We'll never be
hungry again!" It's great stuff.