John Adams High School - Clipper Yearbook (Ozone Park, NY)

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WHEN A best seller like Mary lane Wards startling novel about hte in a mental institution The Snake Pit made into a movie youd think the transition from the book to a movie would be impossible Alter seeing the picture l can tell you differently First ld like to talk about the book The authors realistic picture ot lite inside the walls ol a state mental hos pital does not make a pretty story the setting is grim and so are the situations that arise when a young womans experiences in the various wards are told The book spares no expense in telling how shock treat patients in describing the straitiack et cases and in general giving a truthful account ot the horrible or deals mental patients go through on their way toward recovery Since the book is told through the confused state of mind of Virginia Cunningham the principal character parts are written in a confusing manner especially when Virginia is having one ol he oft days Now she recovers her mental sta bility and is cured of her sickness ?nz14k Study through the aid and guidance of a psychiatrist called Doctor Kirk makes a strange and fascinating story l saw the picture in New York and was more than surprised in seeing what an excellent Job has been done to make the picture iust as real and powerful as the best seller There has been little change in the story itself but what has been added to the pic ture is an improvement over the nov el By the use of flashbacks the mov io tells about the life of the girl out side the hopsital and furnishes 1nc1 dents that led to her breakdown Per haps another of the pictures many pal part ot the young woman played by Olivia de Havilland to the small est parts ot other patients which is excellent The picture is a frank study of insanity lor 1ust what it really is an illness that can be cured lust like any other disease The picture in a Jay makes a plea tor better mental hospitals and has you realize that hocking cond1t1ons are still preval ent in our hospitals today Since the movie will undoubtedly be seen and known by more people than the num ber of persons who read the book l think it will do a lot to boost better state mental institutions and will broaden the understanding and sym pathy ot all who see it 26 . . A , , ments are given to the unfortunate assets is the acting, from the princi- I T- A I . . . . . w O , , 4 . f

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FACES SWARMED past Some looked up and exchanged a casual grrn but too many contrnued on burred deep beneath bulky collars and scarfs The few that took notrce were rn fluenced by the ardent pleas of Aw mom I 1ust gotta tell Santa Claus about that brke at Mrmbles and Only one more package Thrs wrll b my last really rt wrll Can I tell hrrn v hat a good grrl lve been srnce last Chrrstmas'9 Huh? Can l'f' The man rn the red plush surt looked down rnto the crowd Hrs glanc drdn t fall upon any rndrvrdual but seemed to catch up the scene rn a body wrth a s ngle sprrrt There was no demarca tron of people or packages or mov ment Everythrng 1ust went by before tt could be caught The expressron of the mans mask mrght have been that of hrs face had the afmable smrle broken through lrnes c hrs mouth He was a member of Santa Unlrmrted an organrzatron that trrds the approprrate Santa for all oc casrons But thrs wasnt an approprrate Santa Claus not one who deserved the beamrng glances from carnatron studded floor walkers or delrghted saueals of chrldren pullrng on hrs rerns The department store Santa Claus thrs year wasn't even a Holly old elf ' He was Just another man who rnrght have been on an unemplo frnent frle had he not found the seasonal strnt The store has a srckenrng steamed smell that closed rn around the shop pers lt found rts nascent odors rn wer 25 H X f I 3 Sad Santa ELLEN SCHWARZ rubber boots the crrsp mrxture f wrapprng paper and twrne and the fresh smell of wet green parnt frf green parnt has any drsttnctrve odorl The man on the regal throne felt more and more exhausted not from any great labor What sort of real work rs connected to a Job such as thrs? Yet he seemed to tnhale all the haste and r ovement rn the shoppers pace untrr he too felt the exhaustron of the rusn hour From somewhere an echo of a bell came through the crowd lt drdn t have any great tone but rt seemed to heave a srgh wrth the department store em proyees Santa rmmedrately rose and hurrred to the locker room Off came the whrskers the boots and th frerf plush surt that was to bear the trace o some green parnt for next year Qanta to wear fAt least red and gre n were seasonablel Wrthrn a few mrnute the yo r man was rn the offrce recervrng a pay check for hrs frnal weeks work He looked at rt and then thrust rt gurckly, almost nealectfully, rnto hrs pocket He had almost reached the door when someone from the drn called, Merry Chrrstmas He nodded and mumbled a reprw vfhrch was taken wrth hrm as he went out through the employees exrt ' .- Life . -f21f:i..-1- X , jr kia: w .1 L11 f .:ogg?f'ffA--gg. Q ll ' Illsgxlfiy' 1 ', 1 g :ggi-J 1' .f I efsf' W, 4.12?' We '21 . 5 f we '11 , Q -1 jg I ,jf ' N 5 -2 1111 ' K ' 'Z 'ul N . , 11 Q 1, . N 'gif Cu t U V. :U ! ', 'y7'0f 1 1 X .tt - .L - 7 I f' X , ,f f . 1 1 an 1 tmp , 16,1 . . 11 1 .1 . . S . . 11 11 - , . 1 . , . V 1 11 , O . . S . 1 1 1 . . ' 1 . - ' Q- . . . ki ' I . 1 -1 , X, .. 1 . 1 tt I ' 11 1 . 11 1 . ' I f 1 A - . . . 1 . - . . y :A 1 V , ., I V X3 4 A - I ' 'f- f a - ' to . e, . 3, L IQ

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Che 70g PAULA TRACHMAN ONE DAY some years ago a light fog from the sea began to roll over the land As it progressed it grew steadily darker This is the story of that fog Slowly like an ameba engulfing particles in its path the creeping phantom covered everything it came upon buildings trees people like some monstrous vermin clammily claimed all that would attempt to withstand it Yet it was so queer no one tried to hold back the incoming tide of the fog Lamps were not lighted so that the people could see but the people made no outcry It seemed that everyone was to be lulled to sleep by that smothering soft cloud The fog obscured vision outwardly and inwardly drugging everyone with its false appearance of restful peace Still no attempt was made to check the now swifter moving vapor Close your eyes rest everything lS safe dont worry relax iust for a few mo ments what can happen? it sooth ingly seemed to say lm 1ust going about my own business soon l shall pass without interfering with you And so they listened and for a little while were heedless of the thing hovering over them lt was true the neoulous form passed over them A few were interested and watched its passage As they watched they re marked that it was growing deeper and darker and beginning to take form lt passed over their neighbors lands obscuring them from vision A few pin-pricks of lights would be ob- served and a few muffled shouts were heard, and then, silence and gloomf Still they watched, and the Cloud shaped more, and grew still darker and more angry looking, and it shaped still more and the onlookers began to be troubled and perturbed as the operation of choking the light and the voices continued More and more awakened and watched The nebulous vapor had taken shape and that shape was evil lt was rapidly cover ing all in sight They were to pay dearly for that moment of rest There was now nothing to prevent the evil from swallowing them Was it to be a Gotterdammerung another Twi light of the gods 'P And so they bestirred themselves and built fires to melt away the dark ness The lights grew brighter as more and more fuel was heaped upon the pyre Then there began to come ans wering lights from the valleys of dark ness Weak tiny spots gleaming un steadily at first but growing continu ally stronger and steadier with aid All together they forced the last pale remnants of the again nebulous cloud back into the sea There was much reioicing after the conquering of the night and the peo ple set up a council to make sure another attempt by the evil would be foiled and then they returned to their homes and went about their tasks Again a log IS beginning to come upon the land This time it is from a different direction lust a small grayish matter So small thef say lt will soon dissolve But do you not remem ber? You cannot sleep in the smother ing folds of the fog now' Strike a match Let the flame kindle a blaze that will banish forever the dark creeping cloud ,XJ-E N-?Q'l ' V9 4,1-s in I 1 1 1 1 . , . - 1 1 ., ' ' . , , . . . A . I 11 11 it . I - . 11 - 1 1 1 1 1 - ' I ' 1 I - 1 I ' . . ,, . 1 ' I - 11 - . - it 1 . . I 1 , . , . . . , 1, . 1 - 1 . ' 11 11 ,X . , X - 1 1 ' A - 11 1 . - A 1 . . ,1 , I X . , , D Aix 1 -1 . A . 4: . -'W EE ' H-1, .Ml 1 'X -V xx, v If-:-N' r-11- 21 'al Mft '57, , N4 21 1111--1' fx .l,lf,l ,, 1 . :N