'list. Dr. King reluctantly let Mr. Leiris,on . by his opposition tothe Vietnam War.
to accuse the lawyer of being a Cornmu- his aides, The
Kennedy suggested that Mr. Levison be a white man. for hie guidance and el-'
Rains and the Rev. Dr. Ralph D. Aberna- jig for smear material, was King's basic decency. The late Robert F. suggests' that Dr. King cial screening, insists that his sole pur- • Christian Leadership Conference. Perhaps inevitably drew Young, now United' States Chief Federal Bureau of Investigation, .search-* to be almost fiercely independent, some-. dropped from the movement because the quence. But Williams is excluded altogether. But Mr., • tending that Mr. Mares script inflates who is no 'Mrs. King's lawyer, and An- prominent, then, as an illustration of Dr .cupatIon with Mr.-,Levison in the film Mann, in New York this week for spe- the roles played by, among others, is decidedly minor in the film, and Mr. in any movement, and that is where vest- • and thy, oun illuminating his central subject—Dr. Kine.go,.but later invited him back He included and emplailzed only those elements that he thought essential for a King, Stanley Levison, a white King aide • a late Delegate to the United Nations.. , movement, specifically the Southern ed interests enter the picture. Hosea Wit.
pose wee
.criticism and potential controversy.
• .-e
million, traces the life of Martin Luther
"Judgment at Nuremberg". and televi;ri,
future wife,:Coretta, to his murder at.a project, ,reportedly costing nearly: $5 usually blustery swirl of vested-Interest King 'Jr. from the 1953 courtship of his • '
(which gave birth to "Kojalt"), this new i whose previous scripts include the film.;
s ion's "The Marcus-Nelsori . Minders" Written and directed by • Abby Mann,
nights, begins Sunday at 9 P.M. Already • the production is caught up in an un-
Memphis Motel in 1968. .
The role of Mr. Levison becomes -
Undoubtedly the S.C.L.C. leaders have As
point. The character of Dr. Abernathy
degree
J.
•
.
.
a
'Edgar .Hoo.ver, Director of
unshakable belief in nonviolence. ,M8 had cone of•the Hoover tactic. ^ • •
-
ent leaders of S.C.L.C., are con- '-
portrait of Dr. King; this is By
to capture Dr. King as a
of factionalism Is unavoidable
a
JOHN
portrait of the civil-rights
segments on consecutive -
by NBC-TV in two-hour .!
1NG," 's slx-hour "docu-
drama" being presented'
30
J.
•
O'CONNOR
. .
.
preparing
•
-
man...
.Mrs.
the
.
i:
l
,
l.
Time and time
times going counter to the advice of all
wife,.Coretta in
-
Paul
Some observers argue that
•
Winfield,;
the ,l'ilm'.dnes
2
v.1-.-!
best example
again; Dr. King, shown
,
' • •*i_
• '
'4'1
.
in white
04
had
no such thing,
4 4.
g '
o re
/a.provided
-
Wee
1
to
-
:
hat, as Martin Luther King Jr:, and Cicely Tyson, next,to him, as his
preoc-
ly
be
on
shown on
•
rama o
before Dr. King's death, black police- men
derponstratora In Memphis are shown
to lot psychopath fighting tho
volved in the King assassination. Mr.
that the F.B.I. was to some degree in- Hoover is Portrayed as a harassing rac- 'qinte intentionaty runs into explosive way—they'll never make
controversy
.
black
ja
THE NEW YORK TIMES, THURSDAY; FEBRUARY 9, 1978
Beyond factional ego battles, the film •
be
ly
res
on the F.B.I. payroill.'And, hours
tr
Pons
- • • • 4. -
insurrection."
ansferrect Ch..'
ible for
-
with a clear Implication
Sunday, gonda :and.
to
biLs
Black anti-King
w
afet
tl
y specter
e
ze s
ud-
of logue, action and composite characters
'later says: "It just don't happen that
4
•
it was coincidental!'
fact. Time sequences At times, newsreel footage is combined were created to advance the story."
with dramatizanun to produce a black-
end-white blur of fact and re-created. not avoid the familiar pitfalls of the treacherous form. It is conceded at the outset that "in some instances, dia-
Tuesday.
Purely as "docu-drama," "King" does
vbirnle:
anti Rights Drive
•
po
the
we
la
rf
are violatede ,
t
u
t
l
. •
Alain Iwilthl
scene betwee
me
believe
■
'
n
a.
4
materiaL" But the demands of telyi- of demands the But materiaL"
pie, if you don't distort what they say, say, they what distort don't you if pie,
it doesn't matter where you insert the the insert you where matter doesn't it
at a time that would be one year after after year one be would that time a at
defense: "If you don't distort the pea-, pea-, the distort don't you "If defense:
Malcolm's death. Mr. Mann pre Mann Mr. death. Malcolm's
Black Muslim leader, the first scene scene first the leader, Muslim Black
12-year project, is made to take place place take to made is project, 12-year
that that
, ,
F. F.
Mr. Mann actually wrote in his his in wrote actually Mann Mr.
,
qses,his• qses,his•
'inner strength ,and' dignity of, a born born a of, dignity ,and' strength 'inner
, '
'fight. 'fight.
twhent'clowning around in a pillow pillow a in around twhent'clowning
'King Jr. as a man? To a remarkable remarkable a To man? a as Jr. 'King
,leader;.'He ,leader;.'He
disappointing, once again reverting to to reverting again once disappointing,
cently. But most'of the supporting cast cast supporting the most'of But cently. have seriously infected her acting re- acting her infected seriously have
an u an Eugene (Bull) Connor, the Police Corn- Corn- Police the Connor, (Bull) Eugene
Andrew Andrew is, good,' notably Howard Rollins as as Rollins Howard notably good,' is,
,: tic concerns, which rarely amount to to amount rarely which concerns, tic ,:
missiontui of Birmingham. 'Ala.; Dick Dick 'Ala.; Birmingham. of missiontui most respects. Although the actor can't can't actor the Although respects. most dramatist, dramatist,
Freeman Jr. as Damon Lockwood (one'. (one'. Lockwood Damon as Jr. Freeman ' re obviously contained In the sweeping sweeping the In contained obviously re '
ance as Dr. King is extraordinary in in extraordinary is King Dr. as ance
, to to ,
nances
quite duplicate the magnificent reso- magnificent the duplicate quite
rigid than the subjective choices of a a of choices subjective the than rigid
ny. ny.
and entertainment, are justifiably more more justifiably are entertainment, and Anthony. Anthony.
he fully' embodies the determination, determination, the embodies fully' he
eon, eon,
movements of Dr. King's public life- public King's Dr. of movements
extent, yes, Paul Winfield's perform- Winfield's Paul yes, extent,
of the composite ctharacters), and espe- espe- and ctharacters), composite the of
daily Ossle Davis Davis Ossle daily
King. King.
dealing with Dr. King's private domes- private King's Dr. with dealing
century. This Is the message that that message the Is This century.
not diplomatic ,enough.• His Vietnam Vietnam His ,enough.• diplomatic not
he he
dynamic' and important leaders of the the of leaders important and dynamic'
some of his own colleagues;' he was was he colleagues;' own his of some
Montgoinery to Birmingham to Selma. Selma. to Birmingham to Montgoinery
rights to the Vietnarn.War. to the na- the to Vietnarn.War. the to rights
in the end, end, the in
taking action too soon, For the F.B.I., F.B.I., the For soon, too action taking
tion's poor.. poor.. tion's
tween servings of the main bussiness bussiness main the of servings tween on black patriotism; For the Country, Country, the For patriotism; black on
at hand, The Major dramatic thrusts thrusts dramatic Major The hand, at
more than' obligatory interludes be- interludes obligatory than' more
protests, they said, alienated President President alienated said, they protests,
comes through clearly in in clearly through comes
Lyndon B, Johnson and "put slur". slur". "put and Johnson B, Lyndon
As Coretta, King, Cicely' Tyson . . Tyson Cicely' King, Coretta, As
Does "Kinejciipture Martin Luther Luther Martin "Kinejciipture Does
Mr. Mann's script is weakest when when weakest is script Mann's Mr.
For the Kennedys, he was usually, usually, was he Kennedys, the For
was, always doing too much. For For much. too doing always was,
Chicago. from busing .to 'voting 'voting .to busing from Chicago.
-
ritating primness that seems to to seems that primness ritating
with its peculiar mixture of of mixture peculiar its with
Sr., Sr.,
. .
I I
of Dr..King!s public speaking, speaking, public Dr..King!s of
,
Young:.Kenneth McMillan as as McMillan Young:.Kenneth
.; : : .;
a a
tower of belevolent.tyran- belevolent.tyran- of tower
-
Commands respect even even respect Commands
he was was he
• • • •
'as Malcolm X,. Al Al X,. Malcolm 'as
• •
a _Martin _Martin a
• •
• •
one of the most most the of one
;1
"King! "King!
.
- • ' ' • -
; ;
: :
Luther Luther
. .
news news 6 6