FILM/SNEAK PEEK : ROBESON'S ACADEMY HONOR.

Byline: - Bob McCarthy

``Old Man River'' from the Oscar Hammerstein-Jerome Kern musical ``Show Boat'' pairs lyric and melody in a way that mimics the deep Mississippi - slow and deliberate, always sure of its course. Paul Robeson, the basso profundo who sang it in the 1936 screen version, embodied those same characteristics.

Robeson was a Renaissance man and the son of a slave. He was an athlete and scholar at Rutgers University, and later studied law at Columbia University and played pro football. He was headed for a law career until a production at the Harlem YMCA changed all that.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen the 1936-made ``Show Boat'' at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the late actor's birth. Charles Musser, a Yale University professor of film studies, will make the introduction.

After his YMCA debut, Robeson's talent became apparent to playwright Eugene O'Neill, who sought out the law-school graduate to star in two plays. For three decades, Robeson split time between making films (11 in all from 1925-42) and touring European stages, where he won acclaim and his fame grew. But his affinity for Soviet-style socialism caused him great troubles in this country.

He was accused of being a Communist. His denial and steadfast refusal to renounce his U.S. citizenship in spite of strong accusation won him the admiration of his fellow African-Americans. He died at age 77 in Harlem.

Tickets are $5 general admission, $3 for academy members. The evening program is part of the Academy Series at the organization's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Call [phone] for information.

Two exhibitions will open this month to commemorate Robeson's centennial. The first, ``Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen,'' opens Sept. 12 at the California African-American Museum in Exposition Park. On Sept. 27, a lecture series and exhibit, ``Paul Robeson: All-American Superstar and Man for the People,'' begins at Watts Labor Community Action Committee.

Next month, UCLA's James Bridges Theatre will devote a film series to Robeson from Oct. 1-11.

Distinguished women

Barbara Walters, Diahann Carroll and USA network founder Kay Koplovitz are this year's honorees at the annual Women in Film Lucy Awards on Sept. 12 in Beverly Hills.

The Lucy Awards, founded in 1994 with support from the estate of Lucille Ball, honor television actors, writers, producers, directors and creative artists who exemplify the spirit and achievements of the late comedic actress. Past winners include Carol Burnett, Angela Lansbury, Tracey Ullman and Garry Marshall.

A lifetime service award will be presented to Bonnie Dore, past president of Women in Film and co-founder of the Lucy Awards.

For ticket information, call [phone].

Darkness over Paris

A restored version of Louis Feuillade's silent, 10-part masterpiece ``Les Vampires'' will be shown in its entirely Sept. 12 and 13 at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo.

``Les Vampires'' runs a prodigious seven hours and will begin at 1 p.m. both days. To accommodate the audience, the 1915 film will screen in two-hour blocks with breaks, including a final intermission for dinner. All seats are $20, and all proceeds benefit the 1920-era theater.

The restoration was completed by Emmy winner David Shepard of Film Preservation Associates and includes digital correction of frames, English titles, color tinting and an orchestral score compiled and directed by Robert Israel.

``Les Vampires'' is being made available on video for the first time through Water Bearer Films. This blend of realism, fantasy, horror and comedy follows the criminal exploits of a band of thieves who prey on Paris to gain influence over the city.

The Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond Ave. (two blocks north of El Segundo Boulevard), has been an exhibitor of silent and early classic films since 1988. For show information or directions, call [phone]. For video information, call [phone].

The world to converge

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the International Documentary Association are co-sponsoring the third International Documentary Congress Oct. 28-30. The deadline to register is Sept. 15.

IDC3 is an international forum for producers, programmers, distributors, scholars, students and viewers to meet and discuss the documentary. It features panels, keynote addresses, a getting-started workshop, public evening programs with film clips, and panels of documentary makers, academics and journalists discussing relevant topics.

Sessions will be held at the IMAX Theatre at the California Science Center. Three-day packages cost $225 for academy and IDA members and $325 for the general public; individual tickets for single days or events are available. For information or to register, call [phone], Ext. 176, or e-mail idc3oscars.org by Sept. 15.

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Photo

Photo: Hattie McDaniel and Paul Robeson in a scene from ``Show Boat,'' which is being screened by the motion-picture academy for the 100th anniversary of Robeson's birth.