A brief trip down Memory Lane: The recent New York Times obituary of Italian film producer Dino Di Laurentis mentioned his early film Bitter Rice, which brought to mind the frenzy that overwhelmed the Dartmouth campus when it arrived at the Webster Hall-Nugget movie theater in the winter of our junior year. It wasn’t the flick’s insights into the plight of poor farm workers in post-World War II Italy that packed the house with hooting and hollering students for every showing of an extended booking, but its earthy realism and—acknowledge it—erotic suggestiveness and nubile heroine Silvana Mangano (I had to Google for her name) that created the furor. It was a wide departure from the Nugget’s usual fare from then censorship-bound Hollywood studios.


Looking back in the light of the subsequent relaxation—some might say, deterioration—of movie standards, Bitter Rice was undoubtedly pretty tame stuff, but in the context of its time it was hot enough to relieve for a few days at least the bleakness of a Hanover winter, and even today its recollection warms my memories of college days.


A quick segue forward of 60-plus years to early spring 2011 and Palm City, Florida, where a luncheon at Harbor Ridge Country Club featuring as speaker football coach Buddy Teevens ’79, son of our late classmate Gene Teevens, brought together a goodly sized gathering of alumni. On hand were 11 ’52ers: Roy Abbott, Jack Boyle, Bob Brace, Howie Carter, Dick Lathrop, Bill Randall, Tom Schenck, Jack Unkles, Dick Watt, Marty Yarvis and me. Buddy’s optimistic preview of the upcoming season and the continued resurgence of Dartmouth football fortunes provided added pleasure to the fellowship of a pleasant afternoon. Buddy also made a pitch for our individual support of the Friends of Dartmouth Football, to which we as a class now contribute from the voluntary supplement to our class dues. Those interested can get further information at dartmouthsports.com.


—Dave Drexler, 1706 N. Park Drive, Apt. 8, Wilmington, DE 19806; (302) 428-0398; dave@drexler.com