DAWN: PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE RUNAWAY

US, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
Eve Plumb, Leigh Mc Closkey, Bo Hopkins.
Directed by Randall Kleiser.

Alexander and Dawn are two complementary telemovies. Dawn, Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, was a successful telemovie portraying a young girl with difficulties at home going to Los Angeles and becoming a victim of oppressive circumstances, unemployment. She becomes a prostitute, is under the oppressive rule of a pimp and experiences brutality. She also encounters a kindly homosexual young man, Alexander, and they fall in love. Alexander in his love tries to defend her and is beaten up.
Alexander, The Other Side of Dawn, follows from this particular incident but gives us the background to Alexander's life. He also has a difficult home background and comes to Los Angeles. He becomes involved in male prostitution for rich women as well as for homosexual activities including a relationship with a football star. The background of the police, the courts, therapy are to the fore in both films. They are made for the home television audience and are successful in giving an authentic background, as well as dealing with squalid situations in a way that is acceptable for home viewing as well as providing insight into real social problems.

Eve Plumb is very good as Dawn as is Leigh Mc Closky as Alexander. They appear in both films. There are strong supporting casts in each of the films including Lynn Carlin as Dawn's mother and Bo Hopkins as the pimp. Earl Holiman is a social worker in Alexander. Juliet Mills appears as a rich woman in the latter film. The direction of Dawn is by Randall Kleiser, director of such telemovies as The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and of the film Grease. The second film was directed by John Erman.

1. The impact of this film in its presentation of human nature? ugly society? Its presentation of the truth about the ugliness of modern cities and their way of life? The film as a warning?

2. The impact of the film as a telemovie? Its strong and sordid content, adapted for home audiences, a sense of realism without wallowing in what is sordid, the adapting of such an 'adult' theme for the widest possible audience? Bringing this material into people's homes, the treatment, the distractions from audience concentration, commercials etc.? The success of the impact within these limitations?

3. The authenticity of the picture of Los Angeles, colour, the city itself and the way that it was used, the streets, the brightness, the ugliness of the surface? Los Angeles at night? Poverty and degradation? The importance of the musical score, the songs? The pacing of the film for giving an authentic feel of this Los Angeles world?

4. Could audiences identify with the characters? Themes of parents and their relationship with their adolescent children, difficult home situations, parental weaknesses as, for instance, drinking, single parents? The pressures on the parents, on the children? Seeking and hoping? The inadequacy of people to cope with such difficult situations? The presentation of alternate worlds and life styles? difficulties, temptations, risks? Themes of helping and hoping? Audience interest In these themes and their being portrayed vigorously?

5. The credibility of the initial situations, Dawn's mother and her style, being alone, attitude towards her children, drinking, humiliating her daughter on the dance floor? Dawn's brother and their decisions, about running away? The impact of the humiliation on Dawn, her love and her hatred for her mother, absent father? The presentation of Dawn leaving home and the ordinariness of the bus trip - and the flashbacks within this? The build-up of a sense of running away and the reasons for Dawn's anger, her background at home, her opportunities? The strengths and weaknesses of her character? her wanting a good time, her ordinary girlishness? The memory of her mother and the warnings? The background of the situation as helping to understand Dawn throughout her sordid experience? Her keeping in contact with her mother by phone during the time in Los Angeles? The importance of her finally going back to the situation, her hopes, her mother's hope?

6. The picture of Los Angeles - bright lights, a hustling world, Hollywood Boulevard, the people who were hungry, the way that the people were hustling there, Dawn and being robbed, the prostitutes and their toughness as well as their resilience? The introduction to the prostitutes and giving some plausibility for Dawn to immerse herself In this world? The apartment and her trying to settle down?

7. How credible were the fortunes and misfortunes for Dawn? Various chances and the way she responded? Her strength of character, weakness, pride? For example, the help from the woman at the stall who recognised she was hungry, the contact with the police, Dawn's note for her? The police and the possibility of helping? Her going to the clinic and it being assumed that she had V.D? The impact of the flu on her? Her feelings of hunger and humiliation, the need for a job? The Initial observation on the types of the American city for good and for evil?

8, The importance of the encounter with Alexander? His being at the clinic, friendship, attraction? The possibility of a future? The bonds, the support of each other? Her hoping for work? The pathos of her following him and discovering his way of life? His giving her an example for hustling? The bitterness between the two as regards their prostitution work?

9. Dawn and her gradually immersing herself in the world of the prostitute? Her first pick-up and his attitude towards her and advice? Francie and her toughness and then the introduction to the world of the protector? How was this symbolised in the character of Swan and his hold over the girls, his toughness, his trying to keep clear of interference by the law? The pressure on Dawn? Her deciding to be one of Swan's girls? The introduction to the girls especially Suale and her explanation of herself and the sadness of the later death of Francie and Susie's being at the morgue? The nature of protection? Swan's hold over the girls, his programming them, his expectations, his continually supervising them? The harsh life of the prostitute?

10. The ambiguity of her life as a teenage prostitute and her relationship with Alexander? The importance of the painting on the wall and what it meant to him, to her? The build-up to her stealing the book and the accidental harshness and the inevitability of her being charged? The police? The hardness of her approach to him and staying with Swan? Alex being bashed by Swan's men? The illustration of Swan's power?

11. The importance of Umber? his social role, his work, his ability to talk? His liaison with Alexander and Alexander's helping him? Alexander's persuading Dawn to come by saying that he loved her and to see Umber? The importance of Umber's taking Dawn to the morgue to see Susie's body and to see her parents? Alexander getting the job as an example for Dawn? That Dawn should have so many people trying to help her?

12. The climax of Alexander's and Dawn's love? The symbol of the gift? Her inability to tell him that she had to go back to Swan? Her harshness towards him, her love? Alexander's upset, the confrontation of Swan, the fight? Dawn's calling in of the police? Her anxiety for Alexander? The possibility of a new life? Dawn's returning home, the optimism about her mother - justified? The hope for Dawn to make a new life and build out of the evil she had experienced?

13. The overall effect of identification with these characters, with their problems, the possibility of this happening to ordinary people? Hopes for change? The moralising effect of this kind of telemovie?