A NEW ERA OF INNOCENCE?

As a kid, one of the most striking movie scenes I recall seeing was from “It Happened One Night.”

No, it wasn’t the moment when the hitch-hiking Claudette Colbert raised the hem of her skirt and stopped a passing auto--although that was funny and memorable. Rather, it was the scene when Clark Gable hung a blanket in the middle of the room he and Colbert were forced to share for the night so that each could have privacy. Highly ingenious, thought the kid who stayed up late to watch the movie on TV.

Little did I realize then how safe the movie makers were playing it. But such were the sexual attitudes of that era. Yet despite the naivete of it all, there was a clever sexual charge to it. The scene was romantic. I think many movie fans remember it well because Gable and Colbert didn’t jump into bed together.

A quirky thought . . . What if they had? Would it have been so memorable?

As John M. Wilson reports in our cover article, the movie and TV community appears on the verge of playing it safe once more when depicting sexual encounters. This time, “safe” isn’t the result of the “innocence” of our era. Hardly, what with movies like “Blue Velvet” and “Personal Services” and “Prick Up Your Ears.”

No, this time, of course, “safe” refers to AIDS and the depiction of responsible behavior on screen--that is, non-promiscuous sexual relations.

The point has been raised among a few members of Calendar’s staff that no matter what, many people will probably ignore any advice about the dangers of bed hopping. Some argue that if the movies and TV are to reflect life realistically, they should be able to make a movie about that kind of person.

They ask: Is “AIDS awareness” a new buzz word that may subtlely restrict artistic freedom of expression? And some suggest that Hollywood and the creative community may be overreacting to the health crisis because such a high number of the afflicted have come from here and New York.

And who’s to say that just because a highly charged romantic bedroom scene is on screen, viewers will want to ape the behavior? So goes the thinking.

Few people--aside from extremists and the group of parents who want to control rock lyrics--advocate censorship. And in the case of “AIDS awareness,” there’s no evidence of any kind of regulation in the wind. At this point, it’s self-imposed control on the part of the creative community.

Only last week the Entertainment Industries Council, formed three years ago to address the drug problem, issued a “challenge” to the film and TV industry to use its considerable influence to help educate the public about AIDS. This, from an industry supported organization.

Hollywood often gets accused of glorifying violence and bending to the lowest common denominator. Often with good reason. But here’s a case where the creative community appears to be reaching--on its own--for the high road. Three cheers.

Artists, producers, writers--even newspaper editors and reporters--etc., don’t operate in a vacuum. They--we--are profoundly affected by events we see around us--and AIDS is a horrifying phenomenon. This is one reason why Calendar decided to phrase the question: “Is Hollywood Getting the Message About Safe Sex?”

The answer, as Wilson reports, is mostly yes. There’s a sense of social responsibility . . . of art reflecting the times.

Of course, maybe the skeptics in the office will be right. Maybe Hollywood will go overboard as usual and sex will all but disappear. Maybe there will be a new demand for blankets.

Many of us at Calendar know or have known people with AIDS. We cover the arts and we make friends. And we see the names of the fallen almost daily in the obituary columns of the show business trade papers.

Although I didn’t plan this and I never wanted this kind of ending for these comments--I got some bad news as I was finishing this article.

As I was writing these final lines a phone call came from the roommate of a friend. My friend had just died of a cancer related to AIDS.

I felt chills, then sadness over the passing of someone so young. But also I felt a resolve that we must do what we can to fight this epidemic.

Comedy and drama and dance can reach the public. If the arts go overboard in their reaction, it can be excused. This is life and death.