THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1977
Page 5
KOOtS. • • Alex Haley traces Black heritage in television novel series
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By JOAN HANAUER
United Press International
NEW YORK — Alex Haley spent
hears searching for an intangible
iat slavery stole from black Ameri-
H — his identity as part of an
■jc group with an identity and
jllure beyond the American ex-
erjence.
Blacks in America traditionally
a\|ebeen identified, by themselves
nd others, in terms of what was
one to them. Their history, as far
5 they know it, began in slavery,
nd they can claim only vague roots
jjwiewhere in Africa.
^Haley went back to find out who
is ancestors were, where in Africa
came from, how they came to
e sold into slavery, and what hap-
ened to them as slaves and freed-
ien. His story, told in the bestsel-
ng book “Roots,” comes to televi-
on via ABC-TV starting Jan. 23,
•lOp.m., Central time in a 12-hour
Jesentation over eight consecutive
lights, a method of putting a novel
n the air that hasn’t been tried be-
After two-hour episodes Jan. 23
nd 24, “Roots will be shown from
9-10 p.m., Central time Jan. 25-27,
goes to two hours Jan. 28, back to
one hour Jan. 29, and winds up Jan.
30, 9-10 p.m., Central time.
It makes for stunning television
theater.
The first two segments of the pro
gram get “Roots” off to a rousing
start, although they are very differ
ent.
“Roots” begins in The Gambia,
West Africa, in 1750 with the birth
of Kunta Kinte, who was “the Afri
can” about whom Haley’s grand
mother once told him stories.
Kunta Kinte is shown growing up
in an idyllic pastoral setting,
perhaps somewhat romanticized,
but a far cry from the old-fashioned
stereotype of primitive savagery.
The boy, only recently having
completed his manhood rites, is
captured by slavers. The scenes that
follow, as the captives are caged on
a beach, then stuffed into a slave
ship like perishable but not very
valuable goods — there are argu
ments for both “tight pack and
“loose pack” of human cargo — are
horribly realistic.
LeVar Burton as the young Kunta
Kinte, Cicely Tyson as his mother
and Thalmus Rasulala as his father
bring to the screen a warm family
picture before it is shattered by
Ralph Waite as an evil third mate
(what’s Pa Walton doing in a role
like this?) and Edward Asner as a
moralistic ship’s captain corrupted
by slavery.
The slaves aboard ship, most of
whom do not speak a common lan
guage and don’t even understand
what the ocean is, try to take over
“the white man’s canoe,” but the
rebellion fails, and they are sold at
Annapolis. Here Kunte Kinte is
bought by Lome Greene and finds
both a friend in Louis Gossett Jr.,
and a cruel overseer in Vic Morrow.
The story continues through the
week until Jan. 30 when the eman
cipated black family, harassed by
nightriders and exploited by the
greedy, moves to Henning, Tenn.
That’s where Alex Haley first heard
his grandmother speak of “the Afri-
Brandon Stoddard, ABC vice
president who has seen the “Roots”
project through from the beginning,
speaks proudly of the show. Those
who have read the book will find
minor differences, and Stoddard
explained in an interview:
“First of all, when we bought
‘Roots’ two years ago, it was only
one-third finished. We worked off of
I don’t know how many drafts of
‘Roots.’ At one point we were work
ing with 2,800 pages and there were
some things in the drafts that did
not wind up in the Doubleday book.
“Then there were the dramatic
changes — to have a slave talking
inside his head for an hour is okay in
a book, but it doesn’t play too well
on television. But there is nothing
in ‘Roots’ that Alex didn’t whole
heartedly approve.”
Stoddard said the innovative
scheduling was done for maximum
impact.
“Roots’ is an event in itself,”
Stoddard said. “It’s not like Rich
Man, Poor Man,’ which spanned 20
years in the amount of television
time that ‘Roots’ covers 117 years.
“With ‘Rich Man, Poor Man’ each
episode ended with a man on a cliff.
But with ‘Roots’ the mood changes,
the characters change and you can
go into ‘Roots’ at any point, miss a
night and go back to it, and not be
confused.
‘‘We don’t expect 90 million
Americans never to go out to dinner
or visit Aunt Sally’s from Jan. 23
through Jan. 30. I do think a lot of
people will be watching at least
three or four episodes.”
In a way, “Roots,” which cost
ABC $6 million, is a gamble.
“Obviously there has never been
a television drama which deals with
blacks on a long-term basis,” Stod
dard said. “But there are attitudes
and emotions here that have no
thing to do with black and white.
I’m a New England WASP and I
find myself responding to it enor
mously. What ‘Roots’ says about the
meaning of family and the impor
tance of your heritage, and of main
taining your heritage, will touch
everybody.”
Two can ride cheaper
than one.
Cxxncil
A Public Ser/ice ot This Magazine & The Advertising Council
A&M AEROBICS CLUB
Spring Adult Fitness Programs for Men and Women
REGISTER EARLY!
Call Dr. George Jessup 845-6841
for registration and fee information
Classes begin Monday, January 24 — Aerobics
Activity Room (G. R. Annex 255):
“Noon Exercise Program for Women” — Monday through
Friday, 12:00-1:00
“Evening Program for Men and Women” — Monday
through Thursday, 5:00-6:00
Darkness, cold slow search
By MARY HESALROAD
t)i. William P. Fife of Texas
University played a major
in the investigation of the mur-
displl]
ioo!
istkf
professor finds Baugh’s body
der of Lawrence Tipton Baugh. He
found the body last Saturday by
Scuba diving in the Navasota River.
The Brazos County Sheriffs Of-
Dr. William P. Fife
lice asked Fife to help in the search
for Baugh’s body last Friday. Fife is
a professor of biology and sponsor of
the Scuba Club at A&M.
“This business of trying to find
things under water is a lot more dif
ficult than many people realize, be
cause rarely do you have the
visibility you see in picture books,”
Fife said yesterday.
Wayne Hughes, Dennis Denton
and Tracy Treybig, undergraduates
at A&M, assisted Fife in the search.
Hughes and Denton are assistants
for Fife at the hyperbaric testing
laboratory.
Fife has worked with the Texas
Rangers in si miliar circumstances.
Last year he made an unsuccessful
search in the Red River for a gun
that may have been used to kill a
Hearne man.
Fife compared his dive in the
Navasota River to being in a totally
dark room.
“I couldn’t see a thing,” he said.
“Everything had to be done by feel
ing along the river bed. When you
are in this kind of position and you
have currents in the water as well as
extreme cold you just aren’t very ef
ficient.”
Diving in such conditions could
be dangerous, Fife said.
“The core temperature of the
der;
Deni®
i,
lion
iter,
M.S.C.
CAMERA
COMMITTEE
FIRST MEETING
MONDAY,
JAN. 24, 1977
ROOM 301,
RUDDER TOWER
7:30 P.M.
BE THERE!
Thanks Aggies — for again giving Ol’
Army Lou your business.
II you still need some books or a calculator, come to Lou.
He’s got a complete line of used'books and calculators.
Loupot’s Bookstore
Northg ate-Across
From the Post Office
;s Bff
liseu |I f
ist,'
we 9 X *° e *
o®* <oN® n < ^ 6 g^'
vec ° ^ nN'® 6 *91* GO rV oS
body drops under those conditions
and you begin to lose your judge
ment.”
He explained that the divers had
to get out of the water frequently to
get warm.
“This is more common than rare
when you’re searching for things
like this,” he said.
“The people who do a lot of this
work said the body usually doesn’t
move too far,” Fife said.
He found the body near where
College Station police have said
Walter Joe Coleman told them he
had thrown it. Coleman is charged
with Baugh’s murder.
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includes french fries and salad
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NORTHGATE
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If you have had trouble finding
housing at A&M, Northgate
Condominium could end that
search and offer more than just
housing. Have your parents invest
that rent money in your future
and own a piece of College
Station's most prestigious real
estate — Northgate. We will sell
or rent when you graduate.
This does not constititute an offer which may be
made only by a written prospectus.
Northgate Condominium
P.O. BoxT12
Aggieland Station
College Station, Texas 77844
Telephone 713/846-4711
Please send me more information on Northgate
Name
Address
City _
Tel. No.
.State
Zip
2-11-23-76
TheTest
We’re looking for a few good college men who will
make good Marine officers.
It’s a test of body, brain and spirit: If you’ve got it,
prove it. If you want it, work for it. If you think you’re a
leader, show us.
That’s our challenge. The only promise we make is
that you’ll be running in good company.
It takes a lot to become a leader in the Marines. You
need hard training. Rigid discipline. Emphasized re
sponsibility. A determination to win. Confidence in
those you lead. And a sense of integrity inspired by the
uniform and insignia of a Marine Officer.
Slots are still open for undergraduate Officer Training
this summer. Aviation applications must be in our office
by 15 March, Ground applications by 8 May.
v-.-V=v*...
THE MARINE PLC PROGRAM
— Be commissioned upon graduation
— No interruption of academic career
—All Officer Training conducted during summer
— No on-campus military requirements
— Accrued longevity for pay purposes
— Guaranteed Flight Training
— No service obligation until commissioning
— Eligible for $100 per month financial assistance
— Eligible for FAA approved Flight Instruction
Capt. John HILL (Aviation Officer, F-4 Pilot) and Capt. Joe
LEINENBACH (Infantry Officer) will be in the MSG on the 24th, 25th
and 26th of January. Come by and speak with them between 9 A.M.
and 3 P.M. or call Houston (collect) anytime 226-5465.
*NOTE: All current PLC’s and PLC applicants. There will be a
Semper Fidelis meeting at the TRICON on Tuesday, January 25, at
7:30 P.M. The basic School will be discussed by Lt. J. T. RYBERG,
USMC, who has just completed the school.
The Marines