7/27/00

LC000727

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

WARREN>> A FLYING INSECT IS DESTROYING VINEYARDS IN THE TEMECULA VALLEY AND THE GROWERS ARE SCRAMBLING TO STOP IT.

PHILIP BRUCE>> SURVIVORS. THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE TEMECULA'S WINE MAKERS TODAY.

PETER POOLE>> WE'VE ACTUALLY LOST ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE VINEYARD, BUT THE REMAINING VINEYARD AT THIS POINT LOOKS VERY HEALTHY.

VAL>> ON TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, WOULD YOU BE MORE WILLING TO BUY AN SUV IF IT GOT BETTER MILEAGE? FORD SAYS THAT'S THEIR PLAN. WE'LL TALK WITH AN INDUSTRY WATCHER AND GET HIS TAKE ON THEIR STRATEGY.

WARREN>> ALSO TONIGHT, PATT MORRISON FINDS OUT IF IT'S EVER BAD TO APOLOGIZE.

PATT>> NOW THE LAW MEANS YOU CAN SAY YOU'RE SORRY, ON TONIGHT'S INFINITELY MORRISON.

VAL>> AND SOME OLD MOVIES GET A MAKEOVER. WE'LL LOOK AT THE BEFORE AND THE AFTER OF FILM PRESERVATION.

WARREN>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT FOR THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2000.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

AND THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

WARREN>> GOOD EVENING, I'M WARREN OLNEY

VAL>> AND I'M ZAVALA.

WARREN>> OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, CALIFORNIA VINEYARDS ARE UNDER ASSAULT. THE CULPRIT? A HALF-INCH INSECT THAT HOPS FROM LEAF TO LEAF AND THREATENS TO DESTROY THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRAPEVINES. THE INSECT, CALLED THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER, REPRODUCES EASILY AND CARRIES A DREADED DISEASE THAT HAS ALREADY DONE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY.

VAL>> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS DECLARED AN AGRICULTURAL STATE OF EMERGENCY. NURSERIES MUST NOW INSPECT EVERY LEAF OF EVERY PLANT THAT THEY SHIP OUT AND SOME INFECTED PLANTS HAVE ALREADY ENDED UP IN LANDFILLS. BUT THE REAL DANGER LIES AHEAD. IF THIS SHARPSHOOTER CAN'T BE STOPPED HERE, IT WILL SPREAD NORTH THREATENING CALIFORNIA'S $2 BILLION DOLLAR GRAPE HARVEST. PHILIP BRUCE TAKES US TO THE FRONTLINES OF THE BATTLE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY'S TEMECULA VALLEY.

PHILIP>> TEMECULA WINE HAS LOTS OF GOOD THINGS GOING FOR IT, BUT SNOB APPEAL HAS NEVER BEEN ONE OF THEM. IT'S A STEPCHILD OF CALIFORNIA'S WINE INDUSTRY, A GOOD SOLID PRODUCT THAT STILL GETS NO RESPECT FROM THE SO-CALLED CONNOISSEURS WHO RAVE ABOUT NAPA AND SONOMA, WHILE FORGETTING ABOUT THE STATE'S OTHER WINE COUNTRY. BUT THESE DAYS, WINE MAKERS ACROSS THE TEMECULA VALLEY HAVE A LOT MORE TO WORRY ABOUT THAN BEING SLIGHTED. THEY'RE IN A MAJOR FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL AND, AT TIMES, THEY SEEM TO BE LOSING IT.

PETER POOLE>> WE'VE ACTUALLY LOST ABOUT 30 PERCENT OF THE VINEYARD, BUT THE REMAINING VINEYARD AT THIS POINT LOOKS VERY HEALTHY.

PHILIP>> PETER POOLE TRIES TO BE OPTIMISTIC, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN EASY. THE VINEYARDS THAT HIS FATHER BOUGHT THIRTY YEARS AGO ARE SOMETHING OF A FAMILY LEGACY. THE GRAPEVINES OF HIS MT. PALOMAR VINEYARDS STRETCH ACROSS THE HORIZON, THOUGH NOT AS FAR AS THEY USED TO. DISEASE STRUCK THE VINEYARD AND POOLE WAS FORCED TO BULLDOZE ROW AFTER ROW OF GRAPES UNTIL NOTHING WAS LEFT OF THEM BUT HUGE PILES OF DEAD BRUSH.

PETER POOLE>> WELL, I HAD A SORT OF A SICK FEELING IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK, LOOKING AT THE VINES THIS YEAR, SEEING WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE DECIDED TO KEEP AND FARM, THEY'RE LOOKING WONDERFULLY HEALTHY AT THIS POINT AND SO IT CERTAINLY MAKES ME FEEL BETTER. WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS, BUT WE'RE EXPECTING A GOOD CROP AND WE'RE STILL IN BUSINESS.

PHILIP>> SURVIVORS. THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE TEMECULA'S WINE MAKERS TODAY. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEY AND THEIR VINEYARDS HAVE BEEN UNDER SIEGE BY A VIRUS SPREAD BY A BUG, A PLAGUE THAT'S HARMLESS TO PEOPLE, BUT DEADLY TO THE GRAPEVINES.

BEN DRAKE>> AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS FRUIT IS COMPLETELY USELESS. IT'S COMPLETELY DRIED UP. YOU CAN SEE I CAN JUST RUB IT OFF.

PHILIP>> THIS GRAPEVINE IS ONE OF THE LATEST VICTIMS OF PIERCE'S DISEASE, A BLIGHT THAT'S DEVASTATING THE WINE BUSINESS ACROSS TEMECULA. VINEYARD MANAGER, BEN DRAKE, SAYS THE VIRUS CLOGS THE PLANT'S ARTERIES AND CHOKES OFF ITS ABILITY TO TAKE IN WATER, BUT IT MAY TAKE YEARS TO SHOW ANY SYMPTOMS.

BEN DRAKE>> IT'S LIKE A HEART PATIENT WITH PLUGGED ARTERIES OR A HEART PROBLEM. AS LONG AS YOU'RE SITTING AND YOUR WALKING AND YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM, THE MINUTE YOU START TO RUN OR HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL STRESS ON IT, THEN YOU BEGIN TO HAVE THE SYMPTOMS AND YOU WOULD HAVE A HEART ATTACK. WELL, THIS VINE HAS BASICALLY HAD A HEART ATTACK.

PHILIP>> DRAKE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STOP THE DISEASE BEFORE IT WIPES OUT ANY MORE GRAPES. STOPPING THE VIRUS MEANS STOPPING THE BUG THAT SPREADS IT, A DURABLE LITTLE INSECT WITH A TASTE FOR THE VINE. MEET THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER.

BEN DRAKE>> YOU SEE THAT ONE ON THAT LEAF? THERE'S ONE RIGHT UP THERE ON THE TIP.

PHILIP>> THE SHARPSHOOTER HAS A SHARP BEAK THAT ALLOWS IT TO PIERCE A PLANT STEM AND FEED ON WHAT'S INSIDE, BUT IT ISN'T THE BUG THAT'S KILLING THE VINEYARDS. IT'S A VIRUS THAT THE SHARPSHOOTER CARRIES. WHEN THE INSECT ISN'T CHOMPING ON GRAPEVINES, IT'S LOUNGING IN CITRUS TREES LIKE THESE.

SO, LOOKING AT THIS, I MEAN, HOW MANY BUGS DO YOU THINK ARE ON THIS TREE?

BEN DRAKE>> PROBABLY FORTY BUGS, PROBABLY, JUST ON THIS ONE LITTLE TREE.

PHILIP>> PIERCE'S DISEASE HAS NO EFFECT ON CITRUS TREES, SO THE BUGS ARE CAUSING NO DAMAGE HERE, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN THEY FLY ACROSS THE ROAD TO THE VINEYARDS AND STARTING FEEDING ON THE GRAPEVINES. THAT'S WHEN A NUISANCE BECOMES A CRISIS.

FOR A LONG TIME, WINE GROWERS UP NORTH DIDN'T CARE A LOT ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE IN TEMECULA. IF ANYTHING, MANY OF THEM LOOKED DOWN THEIR NOSES AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WINE INDUSTRY. AND WHEN IT CAME TO THE OUTBREAK OF DISEASE ACROSS THIS VALLEY, WELL, THEY LOOKED AT THAT AS A LOCAL PROBLEM THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT. BUT GUESS WHAT. IT'S NOT SO LOCAL ANYMORE.

BILL GILLETTE>> BEFORE WE COULD EVEN GET OUR PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY HAD TAKEN ALL OF THE PLANT MATERIAL OUT AND THEY HAD PUT IT IN HEAVY BAGS AND DONE ALL THEY COULD TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANY SPREAD OF THE INSECT.

PHILIP>> THAT'S HOW LOCAL OFFICIALS REACTED JUST DAYS AGO WHEN SHARPSHOOTERS AND THEIR EGGS WERE SPOTTED ON SOME ROSE BUSHES SHIPPED TO A NURSERY OUTSIDE SANTA BARBARA.

BILL GILLETTE>> ROSES, UP TO THIS POINT, WERE NOT EVEN KNOWN TO BE A HOST FOR THIS INSECT, BUT IN THIS CASE, THEY LAY THEIR EGGS WHEREVER IT’S CONVENIENT FOR THEM.

PHILIP>> THAT MEANS WHAT WAS ONCE SEEN AS TEMECULA’S PROBLEM IS NOW MOVING NORTH, STRAIGHT TOWARD THE LUSH VINEYARDS OF THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST AND PERHAPS EVEN FURTHER TO THE STATE’S FLAGSHIP WINE COUNTRY, THE NAPA AND SONOMA VALLEYS. IN THE MEANTIME, TEMECULA IS STILL GROUND ZERO FOR THE WORST INFESTATION. THEY CAN KILL ALL THE BUGS HERE, BUT GETTING RID OF THE VIRUS ISN’T SO EASY. IT’S BURIED WITHIN MANY PLANTS THAT TODAY SEEM HEALTHY, WAITING TO GO OFF LIKE A TIME BOMB.

BEN DRAKE>> A LOT OF VINES WERE CUT OUT OF THIS FIELD LAST FALL AND NOW WE’RE SEEING SYMPTOMS IN VINES. YOU KNOW, IT MAY TAKE A YEAR, IT MAY TAKE TWO MORE YEARS, SO THESE INFECTIONS WERE NOT DONE PROBABLY THIS YEAR WITH THAT AMOUNT OF INFECTION IN IT. IT WAS DONE LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE. WE’RE GOING TO BE LIVING WITH PIERCE’S DISEASE FOR A WHILE, EVEN WITHOUT THE INSECT.

PHILIP>> THE GOOD NEWS IS, TEMECULA IS FINALLY GETTING LOTS OF OUTSIDE HELP FROM GOVERNMENT RESEARCHERS WHO ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW THINGS LIKE A NON-TOXIC SPRAY THAT COATS THE GRAPEVINES WITH A WHITE CHALKY CLAY. TO THE SHARPSHOOTER, SCIENTISTS SAY, IT TASTES LIKE PEANUT BUTTER MIXED WITH SANDPAPER. THE BAD NEWS IS, HELP WAS SLOW IN COMING AND IT MIGHT HAVE NEVER ARRIVED IF THE RICH WINERIES TO THE NORTH HADN’T FELT THREATENED. EITHER WAY, TEMECULA’S WINE GROWERS SAY THEY’RE NOT DEAD YET IN SPITE OF ALL THE NAYSAYERS WHO’VE ALREADY WRITTEN THE OBITUARIES.

PETER POOLE>> THAT UPSETS ME. IN FACT, IT CAN EVEN ANGER ME SOMETIME BECAUSE I FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE THEY’RE GOING FOR SENSATIONALISM ON IT. IT’S A REAL AND SERIOUS PROBLEM, BUT WE DON’T NEED TO SENSATIONALIZE IT WITH REPORTS THAT GO OVERBOARD ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING.

WARREN>> WHAT’S HAPPENING FURTHER NORTH? WHAT ABOUT NAPA AND ST. HELENA AND ALL THAT AREA?

PHILIP>> WELL, FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY, WE’RE GETTING A REPORT THAT A GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER WAS SPOTTED NORTH OF NAPA COUNTY, SO YOU’RE REALLY NOW LOOKING AT THE INSECT GOING INTO THE HEART OF CALIFORNIA’S FLAGSHIP WINE COUNTRY, THE VERY AREA THAT THEY’VE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP IT OUT OF.

WARREN>> DO THEY INVARIABLY HAVE THE VIRUS? DOES EVERY INSECT CARRY --

PHILIP>> -- NOT EVERY INSECT, BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF GRAPEVINES THAT ARE INFECTED WITH THIS VIRUS AND THESE BUGS LIKE TO FEED ON THESE GRAPEVINES. SO EVERY TIME THEY GET ON AN INFECTED VINE, IT’S A VICIOUS CIRCLE. THEY JUST KEEP CARRYING IT AROUND.

VAL>> COULD THIS REALLY TOTALLY WIPE OUT A WHOLE WINE INDUSTRY?

PHILIP>> YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA HISTORY HAS PROOF OF THAT. IN THE LATE 1880’S, ANAHEIM, OF ALL PLACES, WAS A HUGE GRAPE-GROWING AREA. AN OUTBREAK OF PIERCE’S DISEASE BACK THEN WIPED IT OUT, JUST WIPED IT OFF THE MAP THERE. IT’S NOT A NEW PROBLEM, BUT IT WENT AWAY BACK THEN, THEY DIDN’T SEE IT, THEN IT CAME BACK.

WARREN>> YOU’RE NOT SENSATIONALIZING THIS --

PHILIP>> -- NOT, NOT AT ALL.

WARREN>> THAT’S WHAT THE GENTLEMAN WARNED YOU AGAINST DOING.

PHILIP>> WELL, THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED IN TEMECULA AND, I HAVE TO SAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SOUND THE DEATH KNELL FOR THE WINE BUSINESS IN TEMECULA. IT’S NOT DEAD YET, BUT THEY HAVE SUFFERED SOME PRETTY HEAVY LOSSES.

VAL>> WOW. VINEYARDS IN ANAHEIM. HARD TO IMAGINE, ISN’T IT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. REALLY INTERESTING.

IN OUR TOP STORY TOMORROW, SOME LA NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IN THE GRIP OF A VIOLENT SUMMER. CRIME NUMBERS ARE UP, BUT IT BEARS REMEMBERING THAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE SOMEONE’S SON OR DAUGHTER.

>> LINDA [DEMAGNUS] KNOWS ABOUT THE LOSS OF FAMILY. JUST THREE MONTHS AGO, SOMEONE SHOT AND KILLED HER ONLY SON, OMAR.

>> FOR WHATEVER REASON HE WAS KILLED, IT STILL LEAVES ME CHILDLESS.

VAL>> THAT’S TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M.

WARREN>> WELL, ONE SURE WAY TO STIR UP SOME PEOPLE IS TO REPEAT THESE THREE WORDS: SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE. PEOPLE EITHER LOVE THEM OR THEY HATE THEM. THEY POLLUTE MORE THAN PASSENGER CARS, THEY GUZZLE GAS AND THEY CAN BE LETHAL WEAPONS.

VAL>> WELL, NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN LOST ON CAR MAKERS AND NOW THE NUMBER ONE MAKER OF SUVS SAYS THEY’LL UP THE GAS MILEAGE THEY GET. CHRIS POOL, THE WEST COAST EDITOR OF CONSUMER GUIDE PUBLICATIONS, IS HERE TO HELP US SORT FACT FROM SPIN. THAT’S IN TONIGHT’S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS.

WARREN>> CHRIS POOL JOINS US. GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

CHRIS POOL>> THANK YOU. IT’S GOOD TO BE HERE.

WARREN>> WHAT IS FORD, THE BIGGEST MAKER OF THE BIGGEST SUVS, BIGGEST GAS GUZZLERS OF ALL, TWELVE MILES PER GALLON FOR THE EXCURSION, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO?

CHRIS POOL>> WELL, THEY ARE PROMISING TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON A COMMITMENT THAT THEY ARE MAKING TO BE CLEANER, SAFER AND SOONER. IT’S A CAMPAIGN THAT THEY’VE LAUNCHED. WHAT THEY’VE PROMISED TO DO IS TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL FUEL ECONOMY OF ALL THEIR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES BY 25 PERCENT BY THE YEAR 2005, WHICH IS A VERY LAUDABLE GOAL. FORD ALSO, AS PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN, CERTIFIED THEIR SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE ENGINES ON THEIR DOMESTICALLY MADE MODELS TO LOW EMISSIONS VEHICLE STANDARDS, WHICH IS ONE NOTCH CLEANER THAN THE BASIC MINIMUM THAT IS REQUIRED.

WARREN>> OKAY, BUT TWELVE MILES TO THE GALLON, THEY’RE GOING TO IMPROVE THAT BY 25 PERCENT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN THE YEAR 2005? SIXTEEN?

CHRIS POOL>> WELL, THEY’LL BE UP TO ABOUT 15 OR 16, WHICH IS NOT A HUGE IMPROVEMENT. ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DESPITE THEIR STATEMENTS THAT THIS IS A CUSTOMER-DRIVEN INITIATIVE, THEY SAY PEOPLE, THEIR CUSTOMERS, ARE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR GREATER FUEL EFFICIENCY. THE FACT IS THAT MANY EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT PERFORMANCE IS MORE IMPORTANT TO SUV BUYERS AND FORD IS DOING THIS AS A KIND OF PREEMPTIVE STRIKE. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE IN CONGRESS LATELY ABOUT RAISING FEDERAL FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS, ESPECIALLY FOR LIGHT TRUCKS. THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT LIGHT TRUCKS NOW ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT HALF OF ALL NEW VEHICLE SALES.

WARREN>> IT’S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE LIGHT TRUCKS, OFFICIALLY, NOT CARS.

CHRIS POOL>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT, YES. THE EXCURSION, THE BIGGEST OF THEM ALL, THE ONE THAT GETS TWELVE MILES A GALLON, IS SO HEAVY THAT IT DOESN’T EVEN QUALIFY AS A LIGHT TRUCK. BUT VEHICLES LIKE THE EXPLORER AND OTHER POPULAR SPORT UTILITIES DO QUALIFY AS LIGHT TRUCKS. THERE’S BEEN SOME DEBATE IN CONGRESS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO RAISE THOSE STANDARDS AND IT’S QUITE CONTROVERSIAL NOW.

VAL>> SO THEY’RE TRYING TO HEAD CONGRESS OFF AT THE PASS. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HEAD OF FORD. HE IS AN ACTUAL MEMBER OF THE FORD FAMILY. IS HE JUST MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY ENLIGHTENED OR WHAT’S HIS --

CHRIS POOL>> -- WILLIAM CLAY FORD IS OF THE BABY BOOM GENERATION. HE IS THE GREAT-GRANDSON OF HENRY FORD, THE LEGENDARY HENRY FORD, AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HE IS ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE AND CONCERNED. I ALSO HAPPEN TO THINK HE WANTS TO LEAVE HIS MARK ON THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AS CHAIRMAN AND HAS STAKED HIS GROUND ON ENVIRONMENT AND FUEL ECONOMY. BUT HE DOES DRIVE, OR SO THE COMPANY SAYS, AN ELECTRIC RANGER PICKUP, A ZERO EMISSIONS VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH I DOUBT IF HE DRIVES IT VERY FAR OR VERY OFTEN. BUT I BELIEVE HE IS SINCERE IN THIS. ON THE OTHER HAND, FORD NOW SELLS MORE CARS THAN IT DOES TRUCKS AND --

VAL>> -- MEANING TRUCKS -- MEANING SUVS?

CHRIS POOL>> TRUCKS OF ALL KINDS.

VAL>> OKAY, INCLUDING --

CHRIS POOL>> IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP TEN SELLING VEHICLES, FIVE OF THEM ARE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRODUCTS AND THREE OF THOSE FIVE ARE TRUCKS. THE FULL-SIZE F SERIES PICKUP, THE FORD EXPLORER AND -- WHAT’S THE LAST ONE? --

VAL>> -- THE EXPEDITION?

CHRIS POOL>> -- WELL, THERE’S ANOTHER ONE IN THERE. NO, --

VAL>> -- EXCURSION?

CHRIS POOL>> NO, NOT THE EXCURSION, BUT THERE’S ONE OTHER IN THERE. ANYWAY, FIVE OF THE TEN BEST SELLING VEHICLES CURRENTLY ARE TRUCKS, HALF OF THEM. SO, I MEAN, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS MOVE FOR FORD. IT’S GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENRY, IT LOOKS GOOD IN THE PRESS, IT PROBABLY WILL IMPRESS A FEW PEOPLE IN THE SHOWROOM. YOU KNOW, INCREASINGLY, CAR COMPANIES REALIZE THAT IT’S A SALES PLUS FOR THEM TO BE PERCEIVED AS GREEN.

WARREN>> ARE WE LIVING IN A FOOL’S PARADISE WHEN WE’RE DRIVING AROUND IN VEHICLES THAT BURN TWELVE OR EVEN SIXTEEN MILES PER GALLON, WHEN WE’RE HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS WITH GASOLINE PRICES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND WE’VE ALL LEARNED THAT THIS IS NOT A RENEWABLE RESOURCE ULTIMATELY?

VAL>> ISN’T THAT THE REAL PRESSURE TO LOWER MILEAGE, GAS PRICES?

CHRIS POOL>> WELL, THAT IS A CONSIDERATION, BUT YOU KNOW EVEN WHEN GAS PRICES SPIKED ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS AGO IN THE MIDWEST, THERE WAS NO WHOLESALE RUSH TO TRADE IN SUVS ON ECONOMY CARS. IT HARDLY REGISTERED A BLIP. APPARENTLY, AND I’VE SEEN SOME STUDIES THAT SUPPORT THIS NOTION, PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY SOMEWHAT HIGHER GAS PRICES AS LONG AS IT MEANS THEY CAN KEEP THEIR SUVS. NOW HOW HIGH GAS PRICES HAVE TO GO BEFORE PEOPLE WILL REALLY MAKE A SWITCH REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

WARREN>> HOW HIGH ARE THEY IN EUROPE?

CHRIS POOL>> IN SOME PLACES, $4.00 A GALLON FOR SELF-SERVE REGULAR, AND

WARREN>> -- THINK THAT WOULD DO IT?

CHRIS POOL>> OH, YES.

WARREN>> BUT IT WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE SUV SALES?

CHRIS POOL>> IT WOULD CUT DOWN ON THE PURCHASE, I THINK, OF MANY LESS THAN FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES. THE TROUBLE IS THAT, OF COURSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD SUVS, LUXURY CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES THAT DON’T GET GOOD MILEAGE, CAN AFFORD THE GAS.

VAL>> REAL BRIEFLY, WE HAVE ONLY HAVE ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS LEFT, ARE THE JAPANESE GOING TO BEAT US TO THE PUNCH? ARE THEY GOING TO PRODUCE SUVS AT LOWER MILEAGE THAN WE’RE DOING?

CHRIS POOL>> YOU MEAN WITH BETTER FUEL CONSUMPTION?

VAL>> I’M SORRY, BETTER FUEL CONSUMPTION.

CHRIS POOL>> IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. THEY HAVEN’T YET --

VAL>> -- BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED WITH PASSENGER VEHICLES.

CHRIS POOL>> WELL, THAT’S TRUE, BUT IT’S A LOT EASIER TO GET HIGH MILEAGE IN A LIGHTWEIGHT CAR THAN IT IS IN A HEAVY TRUCK. THE JAPANESE MODELS REALLY ARE VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, BETTER THAN THE DOMESTIC MODELS FOR REAL WORLD FUEL ECONOMY.

WARREN>> CHRIS, WE’RE OUT OF TIME. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.

CHRIS POOL>> THANK YOU.

VAL>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WILL SUVS EVER BECOME GREEN MACHINES? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS OR ANY OF THE REPORTS WE HAVE HERE ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT. HERE ARE THE WAYS YOU CAN REACH US:

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG.
LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

WARREN>> IN TONIGHT’S INFINITELY MORRISON, PATT CONSIDERS THE LEGALITY OF APOLOGIZING.

PATT>> SOMETIMES LAW AND LIFE STAND COMPLETELY AT ODDS. SOMETIMES THE MOST NATURAL HUMAN IMPULSE IS THWARTED BY LEGAL RESTRICTIONS. THE DOCTOR WHO APOLOGIZES FOR LEAVING SURGICAL SCISSORS INSIDE YOU, THE DRIVER WHO SAYS HE’S SORRY FOR PLOWING INTO YOU COULD FIND HIS APOLOGY COSTING HIM EVEN MORE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAN HIS GUILT ALONE WOULD ORDINARILY MAKE HIM PAY.

UNDER THE CALIFORNIA EVIDENCE CODE, SUCH REGRETFUL REMARKS, HOWEVER DECENT AND CIVILIZED THEY MAY BE, HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A CONFESSION OF GUILT IN CIVIL LAWSUITS. BUT NOT HEARING THEM HAS ADDED HOSTILITY TO THE LITIGIOUS IMPULSE. THE REACTION GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “WELL, WHY, THAT S.O.B. KNOWS HE HIT MY CAR OR CUT OFF MY LEG AND HE WON’T EVEN APOLOGIZE. WAIT UNTIL I GET HIM INTO COURT. I’LL CLEAN HIS CLOCK.”

BUT NOW A MEASURE DRAFTED BY A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW. IT PREVENTS USING SOMEONE’S SIMPLE AND HEARTFELT “I’M SORRY” AS EVIDENCE OF GUILT. BOTH THE JUDGE AND THE LEGISLATOR WHO INTRODUCED THE MEASURE BELIEVE THE SO-CALLED BENEVOLENT GESTURE LAW CAN RATCHET DOWN ANGER AND HURT AND PERHAPS EVEN DETER PEOPLE FROM FILING SUIT. SOMEONE ANGRY ABOUT A MEDICAL SCREW-UP OR A TRAFFIC TANGLE MIGHT BE LESS INCLINED TO MAKE A FEDERAL CASE OUT OF IT IF HE RECEIVES A SIMPLE AND HEARTFELT APOLOGY.

NOW AS MUCH AS WE MAY BE PLEASED THAT SOME COMMON SENSE HAS BEEN REINTRODUCED INTO PUBLIC LIFE, THE PITY IS THAT SUCH A LAW WAS NEEDED IN THE FIRST PLACE, THAT GOOD MANNERS WERE EVER OVERTAKEN BY GOOD LAWYERING. THE BENEVOLENT GESTURE LAW HAS SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH SIMILAR LAWS IN TEXAS AND IN MASSACHUSETTS WITH ONE RATHER IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE. IN MASSACHUSETTS, YOU CAN SAY, “I’M SORRY. IT WAS MY FAULT” AND THAT WON’T BE CONSIDERED A CONFESSION OF LIABILITY. BUT IN CALIFORNIA, AS IN TEXAS, PRESUMABLY ON ACCOUNT OF SOME LAWYERLY EDITING, ONLY “I’M SORRY” CAN BE SAFE. SAY ANYTHING MORE, LIKE “IT WAS MY FAULT”, AND THE COURTS COULD SEE TO IT THAT YOU ARE SORRY INDEED.

VAL>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, PATT.

WELL, EVEN THOUGH HOLLYWOOD CRANKS OUT OVER 400 FILMS A YEAR, THOUSANDS MORE HAVE BEEN LOST. IN FACT, 50 PERCENT OF AMERICAN FILMS MADE BEFORE 1950 HAVE LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED.

WARREN>> BUT THERE IS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. LUCKILY, FILM PRESERVATION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN WELL UNDERWAY AND WHERE ELSE BUT HERE IN LOS ANGELES. THE UCLA FILM AND TELEVISION ARCHIVE IS HAVING ITS TENTH FESTIVAL OF PRESERVATION TO SHOWCASE MANY OF THE CLASSIC FILMS THAT IT’S MANAGED TO SAVE. WE’LL GET A SNEAK PEEK IN TONIGHT’S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS.

EARLY FILMS WERE PRODUCED USING NITRATE CELLULOSE OR ACETATE STOCK. BOTH DETERIORATE, BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. PRESERVATIONISTS TRY TO SAVE THOSE OLD PRINTS, USUALLY BY TRANSFERRING THEM FROM THE OLD STOCK TO SOMETHING STRONGER.

VAL>> AND HERE WITH MORE IS BOB GITT. HE IS HEAD PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR THE UCLA FILM AND TELEVISION ARCHIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

BOB GITT>> VERY GLAD TO BE HERE.

VAL>> I WAS AMAZED TO LEARN THAT, NOT JUST 50 PERCENT OF THOSE BEFORE 1950, BUT ALMOST 80 OR 90 PERCENT OF ALL SILENT FILMS HAVE BEEN LOST.

BOB GITT>> RIGHT. SOME OF THE FIRST FILMS EVER MADE IN THIS CENTURY WHEN MOVIES WERE JUST BEING BORN AS AN ART FORM ARE NOW LOST FOREVER.

WARREN>> EACH GENERATION THINKS THAT ITS TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO LAST FOREVER?

BOB GITT>> I KNOW. EVERYBODY THINKS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TODAY IS GOING TO LAST AND LAST AND YET IT HASN’T BEEN PERFECTED YET AS FAR AS STORAGE.

WARREN>> SO, THE POINT THEN, WHEN YOU PRESERVE THINGS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU PUT THEM RIGHT INTO STORAGE, PUT A COPY OF THEM IN STORAGE, SO THAT THEY’LL BE AROUND?

BOB GITT>> YES, THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT. WE MAKE A COPY FOR PEOPLE TO SEE, OF COURSE, AND INDEED THAT’S WHAT WE’RE RUNNING IN OUR FESTIVAL. BUT WE ALSO PUT A MASTER PRINT OR A MASTER NEGATIVE IN COLD STORAGE FOR THE FUTURE. WE USE POLYESTER FILM WHICH WE ARE TOLD WILL LAST FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

WARREN>> LET’S LOOK AT “MOONLAND”, A 1928 OR 1929 SHORT SUBJECT, AND TELL US WHAT WE ARE SEEING.

BOB GITT>> OKAY, THIS IS A LITTLE SHORT SUBJECT THAT, AS FAR AS WE KNOW, ONLY SURVIVES IN A SCRATCHY SIXTEEN MILLIMETER COPY. YOU’LL NOTICE THERE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN THAT THAT’S WHAT THE FILM ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE, BUT DAVE REYNOLDS --

VAL>> -- THE SCRATCHES THAT ARE GOING --

BOB GITT>> YEAH, THE SCRATCHES GOING THROUGH THE BOY’S --

VAL>> -- SO THE RIGHT IS BEFORE, THE LEFT IS --

WARREN>> HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THAT SCRATCH?

BOB GITT>> WHAT WE DO IS, DAVE REYNOLDS OF OUR STAFF HAS AN OPTICAL PRINTER SET UP. YOU CAN PUT THE FILM THROUGH A LIQUID. YOU ACTUALLY IMMERSE IT THROUGH LIQUID WHICH FILLS IN THE SCRATCHES AND THEN YOU RE-PHOTOGRAPH IT AND YOU DON’T SEE ANY OF THEM. THE TRUTH IS, IT’S A VERY EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE THAT GOES BACK MANY YEARS. IT’S A LOT CHEAPER THAN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND IT WORKS GREAT.

WARREN>> SO THERE’S NOTHING NEW ABOUT IT?

BOB GITT>> NOTHING NEW ABOUT IT, BUT IT WORKS FANTASTICALLY WELL.

VAL>> THE NEXT ONE IS FROM 1933 CALLED “THE POWER AND THE GLORY”. TELL US ABOUT THIS ONE.

BOB GITT>> YEAH, VERY IMPORTANT FILM THAT WE’RE FEATURING THE OPENING WEEKEND OF THE FESTIVAL. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT FILM IN THE CAREER OF SPENCER TRACY BECAUSE IT’S THE MOVIE THAT MADE HIM A STAR.

VAL>> AH, THERE HE IS.

WARREN>> -- WHAT’S WRONG WITH WHAT WE’RE SEEING?

BOB GITT>> COLEEN MOORE IS THERE. WELL, ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A PRINT AVAILABLE THAT YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM THERE THAT WAS KIND OF GRAINY AND BLURRY AND RUBBERY LOOKING. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A MUCH BETTER COPY BY CALLING IN ALL THE BEST ELEMENTS SURVIVING ON THIS FILM. FROM TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX ITSELF THAT ORIGINALLY MADE THE PICTURE, FROM OUR OWN VAULTS WHERE WE HAD AN OLD PRINT. INCOMPLETE BUT IN MUCH BETTER QUALITY THAN OTHER MATERIALS. AND EVEN FROM A SIXTEEN MILLIMETER PRINT THAT PRESTON STURGESS, THE SCREENWRITER, HAD IN HIS PRIVATE COLLECTION.

VAL>> SO YOU DON’T JUST TREAT FILM. YOU ACTUALLY DO DETECTIVE WORK TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHERE OTHER PRINTS EXIST --

WARREN>> -- AND END UP WITH A SORT OF COMPOSITE.

BOB GITT>> THAT’S RIGHT. IT’S SORT OF LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE, PUTTING THE FILM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. THIS FILM IS GREAT BECAUSE IT’S NOT ONLY IMPORTANT AS AN EARLY SPENCER TRACY FILM, BUT IT’S ALSO A PRECURSOR OF “CITIZEN KANE”. IT TELLS A WEALTHY MAN’S LIFE STORY ALL OUT OF ORDER IN FLASHBACK. JUST LIKE ORSON WELLS’ FILM, BUT IT WAS MADE SEVEN YEARS EARLIER.

WARREN>> VERY IMPORTANT HISTORY, IT BEING RETAINED. WHAT ABOUT “THE HOUSE OF FEAR”?

BOB GITT>> OH, “THE HOUSE OF FEAR”. YEAH, THAT’S ONE OF THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES. IT WAS VERY POPULAR DURING WORLD WAR II. IN FACT, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE BACK IN THE 60’S, THE FILM SOCIETY USED TO RUN BLURRY SIXTEEN MILLIMETER COPIES OF THESE OLD FILMS WITH BASIL RATHBONE AS SHERLOCK HOLMES. THEY’RE A LOT OF FUN. BUT WHEN YOU SEE THE WAY THE COPIES USED TO LOOK COMPARED TO WHAT WE’RE ABLE TO DO TODAY, IT’S AMAZING. WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO TAKE A 55-YEAR-OLD NITRATE NEGATIVE AND, USING TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY, MAKE A MUCH BETTER COPY.

WARREN>> OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO LISTEN TO “THE HOUSE OF FEAR” AS WELL AS LOOKING AT IT.

[FILM CLIP]

WARREN>> YOU CAN SEE THAT THING COME ALIVE. DIDN’T IMPRESS SHERLOCK HOLMES, BUT IT’S CHANGED COMPLETELY.

VAL>> AUDIO WAS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT GETS JUST SO MUMBLEY, YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND --

BOB GITT>> YES, AND THAT’S ONE AREA WHERE WE ARE USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TODAY TO GET RID OF CRACKLES AND POPS AND CLICKS. WE DON’T CHANGE THE AUDIO, BUT WE DO GET RID OF THE ARTIFACTS OF AGING.

WARREN>> LET’S SHOW THE NEXT ONE FIRST BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE SURE TO SEE ALL OF “SHE KNOWS HER ONIONS”.

BOB GITT>> OH, YES.

WARREN>> OKAY. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. OOPS, NOT QUITE READY FOR THAT? TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT THEN.

BOB GITT>> I CAN TELL YOU A BIT ABOUT THIS. WARNER BROTHERS INTRODUCED SOUND BACK IN THE 1920’S AND ORIGINALLY, EVEN BEFORE “THE JAZZ SINGER”, THEY WERE BRINGING OUT LITTLE PROGRAMS WITH SOUND SHORT SUBJECTS. THE SOUND WAS ACTUALLY RECORDED ON LARGE PHONOGRAPH RECORDS AT THAT TIME AND SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE PICTURE. IN THIS LITTLE SHORT THAT WE’VE PRESERVED CALLED “VAN & SKANK”, IT’S A VAUDEVILLE TEAM. THEY DO THIS MARVELOUS LITTLE NUMBER CALLED “SHE KNOWS HER ONIONS” AND WE’RE GOING TO BE RUNNING IT IN THE FESTIVAL. IT’S FROM EARLY 1927.

WARREN>> HERE IT IS.

[FILM CLIP]

WARREN>> THAT IS TERRIFIC.

VAL>> THAT IS REALLY WONDERFUL.

WARREN>> IT REALLY LOOKS GOOD AND SOUNDS GOOD BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK.

BOB GITT>> WELL, I HOPE SO.

VAL>> BOB GITT FROM UCLA’S FILM PRESERVATION PROGRAM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

BOB GITT>> VERY GLAD TO BE HERE.

VAL>> AND YOU CAN CHECK THE NUMBER AND THE WEB SITE ON YOUR SCREEN FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TENTH FESTIVAL OF PRESERVATION AT UCLA WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE FILM OF MANY OF THE CLIPS YOU SAW HERE. IT OPENS TOMORROW AND RUNS THROUGH AUGUST 26.

WARREN>> THAT’S IT FOR TONIGHT’S PROGRAM.

TOMORROW ON WHICH WAY LA, FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS, THIS HAS BECOME THE SUMMER OF DISCONTENT. LONG DELAYS AND LOUSY SERVICE. ARE THEY THE NORM NOW? ARE BIGGER AIRPORTS THE ANSWER? THAT’S TOMORROW.

KCRW 89.9 FM, WHICH WAY LA
WEEKDAYS FROM 1-2 P.M.
REBROADCAST AT 7:00 P.M.

VAL>> AND FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING. TAKE CARE.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

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