a

the B

Dancers fulfill
great -expectation

T he great Soviet Moiseyev Dance Company came, were

teas — and conquered the hearts of thousands fo Vancouver-

Eli ast week with their spectacular performances at the Queen
Zabeth Theatre, where they played to capacity crowds,

sa Audiences maryelled at the beauty, grace and agility
th Wn by the company of 100 performers as they went through
aad repertoire of folk dances ranging from a Suite of Old

“Ssian Dances to the eye-filling finale in the Ukrainian Suite,

th Audiences couldn’t believe their eyes at some ofthe sights
a beheld on the stage, The appreciation of the audience was
ee by thunderous applause during and after each dance,

iences didn’t want to see it end, and, when finally the last

j Strtain rung down, they reluctantly left their seats,

New booklets throw light
°n Vietnam, Congo events

WO booklets are now avail-
she at the People’s Co-op
Bah Ore which are essential
oe for everyone who wants
Pb abreast of today’s im-
Portant world events, z
os first of these booklets,
“War Just arrived, is entitled,
: an Atrocity in Vietnam,”
mention by Bertrand Russell
‘Ussell D, Stetler Jr. It is
Titish publication issued by
ae Beerand Russell Peace Foun-
and sells for 75¢,

tj

a aout outlines the history
Cities ietnam struggle and atro-
Dupp Committed by the U,S, and

bet forces in Vietnam, It is

S
4 ahandbook of factual materi-
’ cluding quotes from authori-

S
male Y TEMPLE, famed US
eau » ts shown in Red Square,
wens Ee during a recent visit. She
dic. : the Soviet Union to seek
al help for a sick brother.

tative sources, showing the
nature of the U.S, aggression in
South East Asia,

It is interesting to note that
although the booklet was prepared
before the latest admission by
@he U,S, of the use of gas, the
case that the U.S, is using in-
human weapons against the guer-
rillas is strongly presented,
These weapons include, along
with gas, other forms of chemi-
cal warfare, napalm, and the
planting of poisonous shrubs,

There are only a limited num-
ber of these booklets on hand so
be sure you get your copy early,

The other important publica-
tion is -entitled:; “What Are We
Doing in the Congo?” Written by
Dr, Human Lumer, author of a
number of important books and
editor of the monthly magazine,
“Political Affairs” in the U,S,
The pamphlet details the extent
of U.S, involvement in the affairs
of the Congo, It outlines the ex-
tent of U,S, big business invest-
ment in the Congo, and the role
played by Tshombe and the mer-
ceneries,

Lumer gives some interesting
background to show how the U.S,
“misused” the United Nations to
serve “its own interests in the

‘Congo. The pamphlet throws new

light on the so-called “rescue
mission” in which the US, and
Britain took part, and presents
evidence which proves that it was
deliberate military intervention
rather than a mission motivated

by humane considerations,
—M.R.

DARSHAN SINGH:

‘ Meeting an old friend’

By JOHN WEIR
Ne: is a crossroads ofthe
world — here East meets
West irrespective of Rudyard
Kipling’s jingle, and you’re more
likely to bump into an old friend
from the other side of the globe

here than anywhere else,

I had seen Darshan Singh last
in Toronto in 1947, Now I saw
him again as he stopped over in
Moscow (“something Ihave want-
ed to do for many years”) on his
way from the Punjab to London,

The years had been good to
him, Despite failing eyesight, he
is full of spirits and avid to hear
all about Canada and old friends
there, It was “old home week”
for several hours with remini-
scences interspersed with ques-
tions,

Perhaps there is acopy of“Ca-
nada and the Rise of Asia” on your
bookshelf, a book you can still
read with pleasure and benefit

today, although it was written by .

Darshan Singh at the very be-
ginning of that “rise” that has
changed the world, He wrote it
before léaving for his homeland,
India, to get into the battle for
its liberation,

Darshan Singh came to Canada
as a 17-year-old young man in
1937 to attend the University of
British Columbia, That same
year he joined the Young Com-
munist League of Canada—and
two years later, the Communist
Party,

When war broke out in 1939,
he and other Indian students were
ordered to join the armed forces
or be deported, Darshan and his .
friends took a principled posi-
tion—they would not enlist solong
as voting privileges were denied
them, To avoid deportation, Dar-
shan left for a secluded spot in
Northern Alberta, where he
worked in a logging camp,

He never returned to the U,B,C,
For two years he worked in log-
ging camps and sawmills on Van-
couver Island, at other times on
the mainland, and all the time he
had his “second job” which later
became his main one; organizing
the workers, With Nigel Morgan,
Hal Pritchett and others he built
the International Woodworkers
Association, was a member of
the union’s B,C, executive board,
helped to lead many battles, in-
cluding the 46-day general strike
in 1946,

Darshan Singh loved Canada,
but his native country was in
flames, so he decided to return
to India. He visited Toronto where
the newly-established Progress
Books had published his work,
to say goodbye to his comrades
in the party headquarters, He re-
calls the warm wishes and wise
advice of Tim Buck and others
with gratitude and love,

His work in India was difficult
but rewarding, For many years
he was engaged in trade union
organization, where his Canadian
experience stood him in good
stead, He is now a district func-
tionary of the Indian Communist
Party in his native Punjab and
had the satisfaction of winning
156,000 votes in the last election
as the standard-bearer of the
party, His opponent, a sitting
cabinet member, was re-elected,
but Darshan Singh (everybody
knows him by the nickname “Ca-
nadian”) made an excellent show-
ing — and there will be other
elections,

Darshan spoke with great feel-
ing of his “second homeland” and
old Canadian friends, And I was
glad to tell him he too has not
been forgotten,

‘Sound of Music’—much charm
as well as a striking climax

JULIE ANDREWS —“as bonnie and wholesome as Sound of Music.” Her performance has won wide
a head prefect’’—stars in the Twentieth Century-Fox acclaim.
production of the successful stage musical ‘The

Ithough by no means the

last word in scintillating en-
tertainment, Robert Wise’s The
‘Sound of Music (Dominion, Mon-
day) has a simple charm which
grows on you as the film grows
in depth,

It is handicapped by a persis-
tent lack of visual brightness,
The sweeping panoramic views
of the Austrian lakes and moun-
tains look as if they’ve been shot
on a wet morning in February.

(They were, in fact, I found out
afterwards, filmed during a wet
June and July, with the unlucky
company waiting for days for the
smallest break in the clouds.)

The convent setting of the early
scenes doesn’t help either, I can
think of a lot more jolly outlooks
than black-clad nuns in dark
cloisters, chanting in solemn
chorus,

But still, the story has its own
enchantment, helped forward by a
lively cast and by the songs which,

although sub-standard Rogers
and Hammerstein in the main, are
pleasantly expanded and de-
veloped,

Julie Andrews, as wholeso.ne
and bonnie as a head prefect,
warbles attractively inthe role of

the wayward candidate for nun-
hood who becomes agoverness to
seven unmanageable children,
and teaches them to sing,

That’s where the “Do-Re-Mi”
song comes in—easily the best of
the melodies, if you can ignore
the irritating lyrics,

Christopher Plummer is no
sweet singer, but he handles the
role of Captain von Trapp, the
children’s handsome, tyrannical
widower father, with light but
firm individuality, making the
most of every slender chance,

What with the children, the
singing and dancing, the puppet

show and the gentle romance,
there is ample enjoyment for
youngsters and for tired parents
too,

But it takes far too long to get
to the real meat of the story,
which is based on a real-life ex-
perience,

For this is prewar Austria
tthe last of the golden days of
the ’30s, the prologue mislead-
ingly suggests), and the country
is under the shadow of approach-
ing fascism,

After the Anschluss, with Aus-
tria overrun by the nazis, things
are pulled together for astriking
climax,

The Von Trapp family’s gay
singing gesture against the nazis
‘before their escape across the
mountains, has a sense of pur-
pose which, although belated,
gives the production a big dra-
matic lift.

It’s a romanticized view, of
course, But it works well in the
context, and allows the film to
finish on a disarmingly radiant
note, —Nina Hibbin

April 9, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 9