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Well, EXCUUUUUSE MMEEE!!! , by Bernie Russell As a Prop

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Well, EXCUUUUUSE MMEEE!!! , by Bernie Russell As a Prop Well, EXCUUUUUSE MMEEE!!! , By Bernie Russell as a prop. Delivering his routines in a playing make Martin's delivery no'thing "Let's Get Small" (Warner Brothers) stream-of-consciousness style, he ram­ if not energetic. - Steve Martin bles from joke to joke, subject to subject The best delivery in the world means Steve Martin, the crazy comic who is ' as if he was thinking them up as he went nothing if the material is not funny. swiftly becoming a phenomenon, can along. Besides this rambling (he himself Martin"s material is better than funny, it now be heard on a hilarious new record says "I'm a ramblin' guy"), Martin will is silly, clever, and absurd, not to men­ called "Let'! Get Small". "Let's Get often interject in a loud disc-jockey-like tion crazy. "Let's Get Small" begins Small" is a live album of Martin in voice things like, "This is COMEDY!" or with "Hamblin' Man", a sketch he per­ "comedy concert" at The Boarding "We're movin' now!" He can also readily formed on Saturday Night Live. The House in San Francisco. adjust his voice to sound happy, sad, routine begins with Martin playing a Martin's style and delivery are unique. angry, sentimental, stupid, or stoned complex song on his banjo, as he says to He plays himself from, the beginning of (among other things). Such vocal gym­ the audience in a low, confidential voice, the show to the end with only his banjo nastics' together with expert banjo- "Hey, this guy is good!" In the next sketch, called "Vegas", he puts his own words to Perry Como's ·hit "It's Impos­ sible". Then comes "Let's Get Small", which is actually several routines' lumped together under the one title. The main sketch concerns getting high on drugs; something Martin uses to clever effect by calling it "getting small." Side One ends with Martin's solution to the population problem-the death penalty for traffic violations. One Side Two, Martin discusses such topics as smoking, funny comedy gags, why he is mad at his mother, and how he broke up with his girlfriend- of three years. These misleadingly Rerious sub­ jects/ are reduced to total craziness and absurdity in Martin's hands. Two of the highlights of "Let's Get Small" are routines called "Excuse Me" and 1." It is no more than in the average high "Grandmother's Song." "Excuse Me" is school, but enough to bother people not· Martin's now famous catch-phrase (bet­ used to that type of talk. • ter known as "EXCUUUUUSE MM­ It is easy to see why there is so much MEEE!!!") that he shouts in mock- . excitement about Steve Martin. Since anger at the lighting crew. "Grand- ' the late Sixties, stand-up comedy has mother's Song" begins with · such vir­ been burdened with either political mes­ tuous advice as "Be courteous, kind, and sages or obscene subject matter. Martin forgiving," and continues with "Be has cast aside the politics and sex and oblong and have your knees removed," gone straight for the laughs. He is not out and "Live in a swamp and be three- to "prove" anything, just to have a good dimensional. " , time. "Let's Get Small" is recommended Although very clean by modern com­ for anybody who enjoys a good laugh, as edy standards, there is a generous Martin says "A day without sunshine is 'I'm Just A Crazy Guy' amount of vulgarity in "Let's Get Smal- like" . night !" Movie Review "Fraternity Row" Gives Us Nothing By Judy Theroux lily white, wealthy and snobbish young The student of the 1970's has often upper classmen - and their freshman been compared to the cozy, childlike and ,pledges, a younger version of same. apathetic youth of the 1950's. We are a Across the lawn is the sister sorority silent youth, more concerned with jobs, "Kappa Delta Alpha", a female version money and security than with social in­ of same, although perhaps more stuck­ justice. A symbol of our "regression" to up. the 50's is the revival of fraternities and Roger, sensitively portrayed by Peter sororities on college campuses. The Fox, is the pledgemaster determined to 1960's boycott of the Greek system has put an end to the worn-out, often bar­ ended. Today, fraternities and sororities baric hazing rituals thfit each new pledge are plentiful and thriving. must endure in order to be initiated. Charles Gary Allison has taken this Chunck, (Scott Newman, son of Paul), is state of affairs to write and produce his the house bully who insists that the old Students dance down 'Fraternity Row' first movie, "Fraternity Row" which, ac­ rules must be enforced, including the cording to Mr. Allison, is in part a warn­ hazing, for the sake of tradition. Between barbarism. "Fraternity Row" is not a Allison's attempt to warn of the ing to today's youth to beware of what he Roger and Chunck is Zac, played by nostalgia film, although from the promo dangers of group persuasion has little ef­ sees as a potential spiritual suffocation Gregory Harrison, the freshman dreamer pictures one would get that impression. fect basically because he has used the and corruption that such tight, who seeks the truer meaning 0'£ fraternity Rather, it uses the 50's, a time of racism, elite icing of society - sons of congres­ ritualistic organizations can cause. life: brotherhood. Roger introduces Zac McCarthy, hypocrisy, and conformity to smen, ambassadors, surgeons and oil illustrate its intended meaning. magnates : as an example. If one isn't The film has a very intriguing to The Great Gatsby and the two become fast friends, fighting for a higher quality Technically, the film is very slick and immediately nauseated by most of the background. It began as a University of of fraternity life. professional. The cinematography is bril­ characters - youth taken in stride - the Southern California student production, Enter the girl friends - members of the liant. But the film goes too far. Its major senseless "mumbo-jumbo" and tipsy initiated by Mr. Allison when he sister sorority, naturally. Betty Ann, the flaw is the inappropriate quoting of pas­ ideals of each in the progress of the film returned to the school for his Ph. D. in epitome of arrogance, is brillia'ntly sages from The Great Gatsby, done by will do the job. We are supposed to' take Philosophy and Communications. played by Wendy Phillips. Her motto Cliff Robertson as the narrative voice of a heed from the fate of these poor young Although the lead roles were filled by seems to be "Greek style or no style at al­ grown up Roger. The passages add an un­ people, but the very aura surrounding professional actors, and the film even­ l". Jennifer (Nancy Morgan) constantly necessary element of melodrama, and are each provokes alienation rather than tually was acquired by Paramount, pleads with .Zac to abandon the more embarrasing than helpful. First, compassion. The rituals and snobbery "Fraternity Row" also used the talents of none of the characters had their boats appear to be more of a natural state for USC students. ' "mumbo-jumbo passwords and secret signals" but, strangely enough, never against the current to begin with, at least these people, rather than a product of The equipment, raw film, and film leaves herself. not in Jay Gatsby's style. Second, their individual need for security. processing were all financed by grants From this pohit, the struggle between granted that there is a Jay Gatsby in all If you enjoy looking back to the 50's, from various businesses. Old Greek and New Greek begins; the of us, Gatsby's dreams and struggles and have some time to kill, go see The film is set on a small eastern col­ struggle to find true brotherhood amidst seem somehow more respectable than "Fraternity Row". If you want more, lege campus in 1954. We meet the an ancient system that promotes clan­ the agonizing decision of whether or not forget it. The film is offensive and not ef­ members of Gamma Nu Pi - a group of nishness, snobbery and a form of social to feed your pledges raw liver. fective as a social comment. .
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