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ERTAN/MENI

cllwaine performs ‘raw power blues’

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Saturday night, Grinnell College will
be fortunate in welcolnlng Ellen Mulls
waine to South Lounge ior two pcl'foi'r
mances of pure blues lllcilivainc is
breaking a night to Caliloriiia to ap
pear in two late sets, 10:00 and 11:00,
scheduled to avold conllict with the
Renaissance Feast.

Though Mcilwaine may be un»
ramiliar to many, tier relative obscurt
ty should not be attributed to any lack
or talent. She has repeatedly rejected
attempts on the part of many to have
her music reach a broader market by
changing her style or backing her With
a more commercial band since it
would alter what she wants to do with
her music She has i‘emaiilcd true to
her art throughout her 20 years on the
blues scene and currently records with
Polydor, Coatl. and United Artists,
since these companies make no at-
tempt to dictate her sound. Perlorm-
lng Programs and Activttles Counselor

The films for this weekend are
Adam's Kill (1949), an excellent old
movie with Spencer Tracy and
Katherine Hepburn, and A Doll's
House (1973}, which stars Jane Fonda
and David Warner.

This being Women’s Week, at least
one of the lilms on campus has to be
about equal rights for women; Adam's
Rib fits the bill. It stars Tracy as
Adam Bonner, an assistant D A , and
Hepburn as Miranda Bolincr (his
wile), a practicing attorney in-
evitably, the Banners (a happily mare
ried couple) wind up on opposite sides
oi the same case Hepburn tries to get
a woman acquitted of assaulting her
husband, even though she's guilty, on
the grounds that, given the same cir~
cumstances, a man would be acquit:
ted. Tracy sees this as an attempt to
circumvent the laiv. Again inevitably,
they can‘t keep their differences in the
courtroom and their marriage goes on
the rocks

Tracy and Hepburn are one or the
best couples Hollywood ever produced
Their brilliance together could make
even the most miserable lilin a Joy to
watch, but luckily, tlils film is far
from miserable. George Cukor, as
always, directed the mone beautilully
and there is excellent support from
Tom Ewell and Judy Holhday as the
litigants in the court case, But of
course, Tracy and Hepburn steal the
show. They create many memorable
scenes, including one in which Tracy
proves to Hepburn that melt can use

November lo, l 9 79

Georgia Dentel notes, “I’ve never
known a periormer so laid-back about
SHCCQSS n

Another misconception about Men
walne may concern her music The
mention oi a women and a guitar oiten
conjures up the image oI a .loan
Baezish folk-singer. Mcllwaine is
much more than that, however, A unir
que blues guitarist, vocalist and
pianist, she writes much of her own
material and fuses her own style to
those pieces she borrows. The only
comparison that can be made is that
she periorms the same “raw power
blues” as Big Mama Thornton, though
there are major dilicrences between
the performers

Critics have had great praise tor
Mcllwaine. A recent Christian Science
Monitor ai‘ticlc states, “Her guitar
picking, twangiug, and bottle-necking
have more raw power than any punk
rock group could hope to muster and

in concert/mink harris'

more music. Her voice is multi-
colored, multi-octaved, and generally
splendid." ’
Her credits are equally impressive
McIlwaine has appeared with such
lustrious company as Bonnie naitt,
Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, George '
Tliorogood, Bruce Springsteen, James
Cotton, Richie Havans, Joni Mitchell,‘
Tai Mahal, The Doobie Brothers, John
Hammond, u. Walkerithe list goes'
on and on. ,
Saturday night‘s perlormances are
Mcllwalne‘s sole Midwest ape _
pearances beiore traveling west tor a.
number of dates in California. ‘
Guitarists will be interested in a rare
amp Mcllwaine uses in perlormance,_
though details were not available on‘ -
the specific make, Music afficianados
will bepieased with her blues.
Her concert should be a valuable addir
tion to Women’s Week and is not to be
missed.

film/ tom spackman and mike glassmnn

‘Adam’s Rib’ springs women’s lib

tears to get what they want, too.

This is one of the best films to come
on campus so tar and it might be one
of the best we get all year. Don't miss
it.

A Doll's House IS the screen adaptar
tion oi the play by Henrik Ibsen. or
course, there is always trouble in
translerring a stage play to the
screen How many things should be in»
cluded that would not work on the
stagc‘.7 Where should the line be drawn
between poetic license and Ibsen's
rolling over in his grave? This version
does a lairly good job sticking to
the original play, but it is easy to tell
which dialogue is Ibsen's and which
has been inserted

Fonda has the leading role as Nora
in this classic play about a woman
coming of age, beginning to unders»

tand her life and herself, The story
revolves around Nora and her family,
particularly her husband, Torvald,
played by Warner. They have been
married tor eight years and Nora has
been completely dominated by Tor:_
vald {or the duration. A series of ’
crises hit the household. shaking the
two people and creating an at-
mosphere of realization.

The beginning is a bit slow, but, on
the whole, the brilliance of lbsenjs';
Work shines through. The subplotsjare
about unrequited love and the destruc-
tion of life from the past. In short. it is
a touching, moving story about ego,
domination, and understanding.

Film Schedule this weekend:
Adam's Rih: Fri, 9:30, ARH‘ Sun,,
10:00, ARH. A Doll's lions
ARH; Sun., 9:30, SL.

 

liDlC programming highlights

Sotordoy 9 o m noon The Best 0/
Southern Boogie Music hosted by Chris
Ettel

Sunday 2 p n4 p in Chicago syn
phony This week the entire proglam is
devoted to Biol-knows "Filth Symphony.

Sunday a p m c 30 p in , Jazz
Revisited lealures llrst sessions by toll
greats Jimmy loncelord, Gene Kropo,
and John t<nby

Mcndoy'oaa p mo 30 p m.. BBC
Scremeii’lie megall/hlc microwave
mysten/u and more.

Tuesday 6 p m7 p m,‘ Folk Festival
USA includes per/omiances by the '
Al/lcon Marimba Ensemble, Baby a
Cramps, ond Hourglass, ‘

Thursday 5.30 p.m .7 on: NPR .
Recital Hal/7Mozart's “Minoel and
ins," Beethoven's "Trio in E "

 

 

