ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110017
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: TOM SHALES
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: TOM SHALES
With stars that range from Cary Grant to Woody Woodpecker and contributions from such directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Orson Welles, ``The Universal Story'' certainly doesn't lack for marquee names. A two-hour history of Universal Studios, the fast-moving documentary includes clips from more than 130 films.
Universal had its ups and downs over the years and so does the film, but for the most part it's fabulous fun. The film had its world premiere last month on Starz and Encore, two pay-cable channels owned by, guess who, Universal. It continues playing on those channels and is now also available for sale or rental at video stores.
Why pay to see a big long ad for Universal? Because it's crammed with memory-stirring moments and screen classics, as well as a smattering of oddities and rarities. We learn, for instance, what line of dialogue was censored from the original monsterpiece ``Frankenstein.'' It occurs after the creature first moves, causing Dr. F to exclaim, ``In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be God.''
Soon after the film's release, everything but ``in the name of God'' was blurred over on the soundtrack with a thunderclap because the line struck some religious groups as profane.
``The Universal Story'' is not a big-budget spectacular like ``That's Entertainment!,'' which MGM made to celebrate itself. There are no on-camera interviews with stars of past or present, though we do hear a few audio snippets from the likes of Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver. It figures that this is not a lavish film, though, because through most of its history, Universal was known as a pretty cheap outfit.
It didn't have a big stable of stars, opting for the more frugal route of borrowing stars from other studios. It helped destroy the golden age of live television by flooding the airwaves with cheaply made filmed shows. Universal always seemed the lowly champ of the corner-cutters.
But as the clips and amiable narrator Richard Dreyfuss remind us, there were many golden moments along the way. Universal made few musicals but one of them, the 1936 version of ``Show Boat'' directed by James Whale, was magnificent, and preserved on film performances by legends like Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel. Robeson's definitive ``Ole Man River'' is one of the clips included.
Sometimes ``Universal Story'' seems to get its priorities screwed up. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, two of America's biggest movie stars in the 1940s, virtually saved Universal from extinction with their low-budget, high-grossing comedy hits, but they get less than two minutes in ``Universal Story.'' Oh, the injustice!
Among other highlights that fly by: A very minor early screen appearance by Clint Eastwood in ``Francis Joins the Navy'' which starred, of course, a talking mule; James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich bickering and tussling in ``Destry Rides Again''; Kirk Douglas and Woody Strode meeting as gladiators in ``Spartacus'' (a film that helped get the studio some respect); Van Heflin mournfully setting off a bomb in ``Airport''; and a clip from Steven Spielberg's student film, ``Amblin','' which first brought him to Universal's attention.
Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, now housed on the Universal lot, is named after that first film. Spielberg went on to do more for Universal than Abbott and Costello and Ma and Pa Kettle put together: ``Jaws,'' ``E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial'' and ``Jurassic Park,'' for instance.
The Spielberg saga even provides a thrilling conclusion for ``The Universal Story.'' After many years of being known for films that put profits well above artistic considerations, Spielberg gave the studio its noblest triumph ever: ``Schindler's List'' in 1993.
Discussing ``Apollo 13,'' Tom Hanks hails it as ``real dream-come-true stuff.'' That, perhaps, is what movies are at their best, and ``The Universal Story'' is overflowing with edifying examples. It's two hours, and a few bucks, well spent.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB