I

Pace lJ-Tbe Daily low.-10w. CIty, )o.-Friday, April I', 1m
Robertson Et
Reems among
Refocus faces
by RON GIVENS
Stall Writer
,
Fact, fiction and legal issues
are the elements that will
make up this spring's edition
of the Refocus festival of the
photographic arts. Refocus
starts its llk1ay run today,
and the speakers in film and
photography constitute a
mixed bag.
Headlining the film portion
of Refocus are two highly
regarded foreign fibnmakers
- Marcel Ophuls of France
and Peter Watkins of England
- and two actors who have
been involved with legal
issues in the fibn industry,
Cliff Robertson and Harry
Reems.
Robertson is a noted fibn
actor who won an Academy
Award in 1968 for his role in
the film Charly . He has
recently received attention
because of the scandal at
Columbia Pictures in which
Columbia executive David
Belgelman aUegedly forged
Robertson's name on a check
and then pocketed the money.
Robertson will participate in
informal workshops the
weekend of April 22-23.
Reems is noted for his roles
in X-rated films and was put
on trial for his participation in
the film Deep Throat. Reems
will speak on "Sex, Morality
and the Law" at 8 ".m. April
22.
Ophul and Watkins present
an interesting contrast in their
approach to filmmaking .
Ophuls has been acclaimed for
his work in documentary fibn.
His films The Sorrow and the
Pity, A Sense of Loss and
Memor y of Justice have been
praised for their sensitive
portrayal of human activity in
controversial activity. Ophuls
will speak at 7 p.m. Sunday.
In contrast, Peter Watkins
has played with the boundary
between fact and fiction in his
films . In Edvard Munch,
Watkins used documentary
techniques, such as interviews,
to create his portrait
of the famous painter.
Watkins will speak at 7 p.m.
Saturday.
There is a similar contrast
between two of the
photography speakers. Les
Krim, who is noted for his
directorial approach to
photography, is entirely
subj!!ctive in his bizarre
imagery. The other speaker,
Jerome Liebling, was influential
in the formation of
the Photo League, which
attempted to document events
of social Significance that
were often disregarded in the
commercial press. Krim will
speak at 8 p.m. April 20;
Liebling will give a presentation
at 8 p.m. April 22.
As part of the photography
activities, J,.ester Fader, a
professor at the University of
Michigan, will be giving
workshops on the construction
of view cameras April 17-18.
Another photography speaker
is Gary Hallman, currently on
leave of absence from the
University of Minnesota .
Haliman has participa ted in
more than 57 exhibitions since
1968, including shows at the
Museum of Modem Art in New
York City and the International
Museum of
Photography in Rochester,
N.Y. HaUman will speak at
8:30 p.m. April 21.
More information about
Refocus activities can be
obtained at the Union box
office or by caUing 353-4158.
Deaths spur voluntary recall of wiggle toys
WASHINGTON (UPI) - In what
could be one of the biggest toy recalls
in history, the government Thursday
moved against the "Water Wiggle," a
device linked to the drowning of two
children.
More than 2% million of the toys,
made by Wham-O Manufacturing Co.,
San Gabriel, Calif., have been sold
during the past 17 years. In addition,
an unknown number are on store
shelves or in the distribution chain.
The Consumer Product Safety
Commission's aMouncement said it
had no firm idea how many of the toys
remain in the hands of consumers or
how many will be recovered. But it
urged owners to take them back to the
place of purchase for a full refund or
credit toward another product.
The toys sold for about $3,50 each.
Wham-O is voluntarily conducting
the recall and has agreed to halt sales,
the commission said. A spokesman
said the recall could be one of the
largest ever involving toys, in terms
of the potential number still in use.
The device is a multi-colored,
seven-foot plastic hose with an
aluminum water-jet nozzle on the end
covered by a slotted, bell-shaped
piece of plastic. When connected to a
garden hose, the toy bounces and
bucks snake-like around the lawn,
spraying children as they play with it.
Both deaths occurred when the
children stuck the nozzle into their
mouths after the bellshaped head had
Shorter birth cycle claimed
BUFFALO, N.Y. (UPI) - A
University of Buffalo scientist
says the accepted idea that the·
human gestation period is 270
days may not be entirely accurate.
.
Dr. Lyle C. Borst, an
astronomer and physicist, says
he has found evidence of a 262-
day gestation period. His findings,
he said, are based on
studies of birth records keyed to
Buffalo's famous "Blizzard of
'Tl."
Checking birth records 270
days after the blizzard, Borst
found no a bnormal increase in
the number of births. But 262
days after the blizzard, he said,
21 births were recorded, which
is more than double the 8.5 daily
average for the city of Buffalo.
That's not to say that a 270-
day gestation period doesn't
occur, he said.
Borst studied birth patterns
related to two blackouts in New
York City and found evidence of
268 ~nd 270-day gestation
periods.
However; he attributed the
variations to unstable ·test
conditions in New York. Power
was restored at various times
during the night in Brooklyn
and Queens, he explained.
Borst is also convinced that
the 24-hour solar-lunar cycle
plays a major role in determining
birth patterns.
"For instance, the natural
time for mating is at night," he
said. "But with the advent of
late-night television, second and
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• Plate Combination no_ 1 & 2
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325 N. Calhoun SI.
West
either been removed or faUen off. The
force of the water was such that the
children died when the nozzle was
lodged in their mouth, the announcement
said.
A 4-year-old boy died last month in
Holly Hill, Fla., in such an accident,
the agency said, and a J.-year-old boy
drowned in Baton Rouge, La., in 1975.
The commission said it is not clear
how the toys involved became
dismantled or exactly how the nozzle
became lodged in the children's
mouths.
"Parents are advised not to allow
their children to play with this
product," the commission said.
"Wham-O requests its retailers to
remove all 'Water Wiggles' from their
third work shifts, electric lights
and other disruptive influences,
solar cycle factors in studying
reproduction are less reliable
than they once were."
Any study of reproduction
patterns must be related to
power blackouts or paralyzing
blizzards, he said.
"The ideal study would
require about 10 million people
living in primitive conditions,"
he said.
"But where do you find
conditions like that? "
Houn:
Tues - ThUI1 11 am - 10 pm
Fri & Sat 11 ~m - midnlghf
Sun. 8 am-2 pm ,
shelves.
"Consumers who own a 'Water
Wiggle' toy should return the product
to the retail store where purchased for
a full refund or credit towards another
product. "
Additional information about the
toy may be obtained by writing the
Friday Special
Shop In
•
$1.50
Pitchers
Bud - Blue Ribbon - Schlitz
Anheuser-Busch Natural Light
Blue Ribbon Natural Light
f3 .. 5 pm
Free popcorn
3-5 pm every day
No cover charge
company aNl35 East El Monte St., San
Gabriel, Calif., 91778, or at its toll-free
telephone number - (800) 423-4592
and (800) 423-4593.
Information also is available from
the commission's toll-free hot line,
(800) 638-2666, or in Maryland, (800)
492-2937.
Iowa City I
in Weclne:sdal
meet.
The Hawks,
this year,
Wisconsin
Madison.
Only one
eight wins
the field
Bill
Postscripts
Bloodmobile
The Johnson Coonly Chapter of the American Red Cr06S will sponsor a Blood·
mobile from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the College of Law. For more Informellon, call
337-2119.
Recital
Alejandro Baceiar, violoncello, w1fl present a redial at 6:30 p.m. today in Harp.
HilI.
Folk dance
The UI Folk DlnCe Club w11 meet from 7:3CH 1:45 p.m. today In the Union
Lucas·Dodge Room.
Reading
Siories by CIwIea Bukowafd will be read by Iowa City poets Chuck Miller, Anselm
Hole and Jim MIllac at8 p.m. today at Jim', BookaIore, 610 S. Dubuque. A pl/ty will
follow the reading.
Biofeedback
P. Johnson, psychology Inllruaor and cCHlirector 01 Biofeedback & Psyc/lological
Setvices In Iowa City, will give a free demonalrallon on bloI~ at 8 p.m.
lOdayat the The Clearing. 827 Iowa Ave.
Clean-up
Free EnvIr~ wil be coordinating an Iowa City .'Spring Cleao-up" for the National
Coff. "PMch Inl" week. Plllidpa"'l will be combing lIreeta, parfcI and
atreeme In pr ... anged ... _ of the dly. For more Inform.UOIl. calI3~3888 .
Fall orientation
The Orierwallon ~ needa IIUdenI vatu,.. .. to conductllMli group dI.
CUIIlorw In the homes of !acuity membera al a pwI 01 the Flit Orientation Program
next AUQUII. K you are InterestMlln helping 10 a