Law Forum Panelists Say U.S. Cinema Not Mature

American movies have not come of age, according to three panelists at the Harvard Law School Forum last night. Speaking on the topic, "American Movies: Growing Up At Last?," they cited examples of filmmakers, film audiences and the film industry to support their negative view.

The three panelists were Joshua Logan, well-known film and stage director who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for his work on South Pacific; Judith Crist, film and drama critics for NBC-TV and TV Guide; and Shirley Clarke, underground filmmaker in New York City.

Speaking before an audience of 300, each panelist outlined film trends in the past twenty years, and then answered questions on the state of the film industry today.

A new freedom of expression and a more sophisticated audience response to film were the two most important developments, according to Logan. Mrs. Crist attributed the change in audience reaction to the audio-visual orientation of modern society. The younger generation was "weaned with television," she said. The "magic" of stuntmen and special effects has been destroyed. However she added that this technical appreciation did not imply a more sophisticated criticism of intellectual content.

For Mrs. Crist, "personal filmmaking"--the underground, experimental film movement--is the most important film development since World War II.

The panelists deplored the commercial pressures of Hollywood. Logan called it "a pretty immature place," where an arist is "only as good as his last film."

But all three said that the direction of the film industry is ultimately the audience's responsibility. Mrs. Crist said, "Movies reflect. They don't set styles."

Logan also spoke on the necessity of communication in art. Writing to please oneself is "a form of masturbation. Art is intercourse," he said.