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J ohnny GotHis Gun Died in' 77

But Earnslts Reui,ual in' 7 7By lfuthy [eqrrrottr

Predicting a movie's success is always a riskyendeavor, even when it lools like a sure winner. Butsome films, bccause of their controversial orunorthodox subject matter, are not eonsideredworth the gamble by distributors. fuid if someimprudent backer is 'found, the general consensususually proves correct when, &e movic is aboxoffice failure.

"The King of llearts" and "Harold urd Maude"wcre such films. Old agr, death and madness wcreclearly unpalatable subjects for popular tastc. Orwere they? Tirne has provrd the bcst judge of valucal the small cult followings that rprsng up rroundthe films grcw steadil), clch time they $€rG rcvived.

"Johnny Got Hk Gun" is a plcture wi& a vcrysimilar history. lvriterdirector Delton Trumbo andproducer Bruce Campbelt had grcat dtfficulty infinding anyone willing to finance a fllm rbout anarmles, legless, faccles World lVar I victim. When itfinally appeared in l97l very few people sew it,dthough tt received sornc critical acclalm and *onthree rnajor a*ards at the cannes Ftm Festival.

After Trurnbo's reccnt dcrth, Crmpbcll boughtrole distributing rights to the film and dccldcd thctiilr had corte for a ra'ivrl. Hc lr phnning to tanrttr country with it, doiry I rcrtir of tc-cturcr inwhich he will bc accompuricd by tlr film'r star,fffiathy Bottornr.. This ,Friday, Santa Barbara's fultngton Theaterwill be the launching sitc of thc debut, BruceCampbell gave thc first pf his preliminary telkt last

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end. added "it's a tove story, rcally." Spcars wascven morc emphatic on this point, doscribing it u"a strong af{irmation of ttrc desire to live" and "astory of thc ability to com,nnunicatc."

Campbell scems fairly optimlttic about tho film'lchanccs of rucceeding 'this timc rround",d$.hit,carefullyglotted grasrrootr campalgn that will fintconceRtratc oR the studmt domographic ureibcforc opmtng in lVestwood or Ncw York. Ncxt

Johnny Got His Gun-.But Few Saw

Friday on campus, punctuated by slides and clipsfrom the film. Bottoms was not prcscnt as he had toappear in court that morning for "mooninu ahelicopter at the beach."

campbcll spoke to a crowd of about 200 on thefilm's origins in the thirties, wlren Trumbo wrotethe book "Johnny Got His Gun" bescd on a truecarc of a wlr casualty that profoundly afhcted thewriter. one of the Hdlywood Tcn blecklisted in1947, Trumbo was not able to 30e his desire tomake a filrn vcrsion of his novrl rcdtzcd unti! 1964,whsn he worked on the proiect with Director [.nisBunuel in Mcxico. UnfortunrUly, thc moncy ranout bcforc lt was completcd urd the partncnhipdisolvcd. Trumbo findly dircctcd the film himrctfbecaurc he wu not able to rflord r ncw director"

For thc tttle role, Trumbo unnted rn unknown,and Timothy Bottoms, r rccent grrduate of SanuBarbarr l{igh, lendcd thc pirt. Ris only previousacdng cxpcrlcnoa wes tn rchod plryl. Alro fui ttrcot arc fcon Robcr&, Domld Suthcrhnd rndManhr Hunt.

Arkcd to rpoculate ebout why the Jilm x/!srccoivtd ro poorly in 19? t, ClmpbGU fctt thrt rmajor problcm wes timlng, thrt the victnam lYarhad made lts messagc too irnmcdiate urdhrrdtritting, rnd thrt no onc wrntcd to scc .hdowrcr." Now, campbcll urd hrs esociaten Rev.Dick Spears, lre trklng Scrt pins to convcy thepoeitlve aspccts of the fllm. Crmpbcllr nacountbgTrunnbo's own fecling thrt the movlc hrd r hopeful

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stop after Santa Barbara is Tuscon and ttrsUniversity of Arlzona.

lVhcther today's entertainmentoriented movicaudienccs will accopt a topic that wes too disturbingsix ycffir ago remains to be scn. And while thcanti-war contrortrsy in sow safely buricd, "JohnnyGol, llrrrfiun'h&',open to a wholc ncw linc of {irc&om the "right to dio" lupportcrs. But the filmposos e uniquc chrllongc: en cxpcrienoa thrtpromlc* to be difficult but pontrful, urd not likclyto leavc thoc who soe lt unchrngcd.