Coppola’s ‘Big Boy’ applauded
Here is a look at the past. Items have been culled from The Chronicle’s archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.
1992
May 13: Mayor Frank Jordan last night ordered an investigation into charges that Police Chief Richard Hongisto commanded officers to confiscate thousands of copies of a gay newspaper that depicted the chief in a suggestive pose with a nightstick. The mayor called for an emergency closed-door session of the Police Commission to discuss the allegations against Hongisto and for an internal police investigation to determine whether other officers were involved in the incident. Jordan, a former chief of police, would not rule out the possibility that Hongisto — who was named chief six weeks ago — could lose his job if he were found to have been involved.
Hongisto denied the accusation. Asked whether he ordered the papers removed, Hongisto snapped: “Absolutely not.” The accusation comes amid criticism of the Police Department’s handling of demonstrations since the Rodney King verdict. Several members of the Board of Supervisors have joined civil rights advocates in criticizing police for overstepping their powers by arresting hundreds of lawful protesters and innocent bystanders. Kim Corsaro, publisher of the Bay Times, a twice-monthly gay and lesbian publication, said that thousands of copies from the 40,000-paper press run were removed from news racks early Friday morning. The paper’s cover featured a photograph of Hongisto’s head over the body of a woman in a police uniform with a nightstick rising from her groin. “Dick’s Cool New Tool: Martial Law” the headline reads.
— Elaine Herscher and Marc Sandalow
1967
May 9: The Board of Supervisors last night approved a resolution designed to discourage a mass invasion of hippies into the Haight-Ashbury. The resolution, offered by Supervisor Terry Francois spoke of “unsanitary and overcrowded conditions” in the Haight-Ashbury, of the prevalence of runaways there, of nationwide publicity, of the dangers of crime, delinquency, venereal disease, fire and epidemic. May 11: “You’re a Big Boy Now,” which opened yesterday at the Cinema 21, may well be the first film on The Youth of Today which is not The Bore of Tomorrow. After a string of “The Wild Angels,” “Riot on Sunset Strip” and “Hallucination Generation” abortions, Francis Ford Coppola’s first film is a triumph of honesty and compassion. Coppola, who wrote and directed the comedy, is only 27 and will certainly be an important force in filmmaking. Predictably, there is much that is derivative in “Big Boy.” The characters are stereotyped, the situations are standard and the director’s camera editing owes much to Richard Lester. But there is also a vitality, charm and ring of truth which is the mark of the man and not the classroom. The humorous moments of the film, and the unobtrusive poignancy are effective, but the overwhelming mood is a joy of being alive. The Lovin’ Spoonful sing and play several songs written by John Sebastian which match perfectly the swinging quality of the doings on screen. Go, Francis Ford Coppola, go.
— John L. Wasserman
1942
May 9: The military will put a 10 o’clock lid on the town unless taverns clean up and get rid of B-girls, George Reilly of the State Board of Equalization yesterday warned San Francisco tavern owners whom he had summoned to his office. “I mean right now,” Reilly said. “We aren’t going to plead or argue with you any more. If you expect to survive — clean up. Or look for another job.” Reilly outlined three points: 1. Get rid of prostitutes in bars. The venereal disease rate is skyrocketing in the city. 2. Obey the 2 o’clock closing law or lose liquor license. 3. Stop serving sailors or soldiers who are intoxicated. Stop serving sailors or soldiers who are under 21. Stop serving soldiers or sailors hard liquor before 6 p.m. or after 10 p.m. The penalties: Loss of liquor license and places out of bounds by the military. In this last category, Reilly warned that serving drinks through subterfuge to civilians to turn over to service men, will be considered an outright violation. Reilly warned some 50 tavern owners who met with him in the State building that no employee should drink with a service man.
1917
May 10: The wrist is no place to slap a fellow any more, on account of the war. The khaki and drab uniforms that are becoming more and more the vogue these days have no handy places for watches, so logic brought the wrist timepiece for soldiers into its own. Already new officers are becoming accustomed to them, and most of the boys look at them as if they’d worn them there all their lives. The rush for wrist watches has already been felt in many of the local jewelry stores, and orders for more timepieces, built on sturdy lines to fit a man’s wrist, have been sent to the Waltham and Elgin factories, which are working overtime to supply the demand for that item in an Army officer’s accouterment.