The Current Cinema by Penelope Gilliatt. Review of Luchino Visconti's film, "Ossessione", made in 1942. For years it was forbidden public showing in this country, because it is based on James M. Cain's "The Postman Always Rings Twice", the rights to which had already been bought for a Hollywood film with Lana Turner...

Fiction The UFO Menace by Woody Allen. Writer looks at the phenomenon of UFOs, noting that they have been reported in the Bible, Greek writings, and Goethe. Quotes Goethe: "En route from the Leipzig Anxiety Festival, ... I...saw several fiery red balls... I screamed that I was a genius and consequently could not run very fast..." Writer...

The Talk of the Town Case Closed by Mark Singer. Talk story about how a civil law suit was filed against George Willig for climbing the south tower of the World Trade Center. Willig was called "The Human Fly" by the "NY Post." The suit was prepared by, and the summons delivered to Willig on top of the World Trade...

Profiles ALL IN THE ARTIST'S HEAD by Philip Hamburger. PROFILE of Robert Beverly Hale, 76, artist and teacher. He teaches two courses, Artistic Anatomy and Elements of Drawing, at the Art Students League on West 57th St. Many consider Hale the foremost teacher of artistic anatomy in the country and perhaps the world. His classes are always oversubscribed, and...

Dancing White Turning Gray by Arlene Croce.

The Talk of the Town Company by Jeremy Bernstein. Talk story about backstage visit with the British cast of "Side by Side by Sondheim", an evening of musical-comedy songs by and commentary about Stephen Sondheim. The show, playing at the Music Box Theatre, originated in London last year, where it was a hit, and opened here a few...

The Talk of the Town Chef's Table by Rogers E. M. Whitaker. Talk story about a restaurant beneath the Plaza Hotel which serves only lunch 6 days a week for no more than a single table. Chez Trombetti is what some call this restaurant because its proprietor is Joseph Trombetti, the Plaza's executive chef, an imposing man of 46, who is the...

Fiction The Egg Race by John Updike. Ferguson, an archeologist, remembers his father who died 5 years before. He divorced his wife and remarried after his father's death. He recalls a tour of Midwestern colleges made with his son, 17. Ferguson attends a high school reunion in his hometown of Hayesville after receiving an invitation from old...

Books Fighting All the Way by Mollie Panter-Downes.

The Race Track Forego's Metropolitan by G. F. T. Ryall. Forego won the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on Memorial Day. If Forego sweeps the Big Three handicap races by winning the Suburban and the Brooklyn Handicaps, he will need only one or two more gallops to reach the top, which would please Mrs. Martha Gerry, who owns him...

Comment by Faith McNulty. Letter from a woman who writes to us from time to time. She just read that Caroline Kennedy was hired by the "News", as a copyperson at a salary of $156.89 a week. She reminisces about her experiences as a copyboy at the "News". In 1941, when she got the...

Letter from Taiwan by Robert Shaplen. Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China, is nervous these days because the United States, the Taiwanese government's staunchest ally and protector, will probably extend full diplomatic recognition, either this year or next, to the Chinese Communist government in Peking and will simultaneously "derecognize" Taiwan. Militarily, the island can...

Letter from Washington by Richard H. Rovere. According to the polls Jimmy Carter enjoys the confidence of the electorate, but this doesn't help much in his dealings with Congress, in generating public enthusiasm for his policies, or even in reaching a consensus within the Administration. He described his energy program as a moral equivalent of war &...

Musical Events Low-Country Festival by Andrew Porter.

Poetry Three Poems by L. E. Sissman. Hello, black skull, How privily you shine...