WritingarticlesaboutfilmsforTheFrontPagewasmyfirstproperjob.BeforethenIhaddonebitsofreviewing—novelsforothernewspapersfilmsforamagazineandanythingIwasaskedtodofortheradio.ThatwashowImetTomSeatonthefirstartseditorofTheFrontPagewhohadalsowrittenfortelevision.HehiredmebutTomwasnotprimarilyajournalistorhewouldcertainlyhavebeenmorecarefulinchoosinghisstaff.

Atfirsthisideawasthatateamofcriticsshouldtakecareoftheartformsthatdidn’trequirespecializedknowledge:booksTVtheatrefilmandradio.TherewouldbeaweeklylunchatwhichwewouldmakeourchoicesfromtheartisticmaterialthatTomhaddecidedweshouldcoverthoughtherewouldalsobegueststomaketheatmospheresociable.

Itallfeltlikeabitofdreamatthattime:anewnewspaperandIwasoneoftheteam.Itseemedsounlikelythatapapercouldbeintroducedintoacrowdedmarket.Itseemedjustaslikelythatamillionairewantedtohelpmepersonallyandwaspretendingtoemployme.Suchwasmylackofself-confidence.

Tom’soriginalschemeforateamofcriticsfortheartsnevertookoff.Itwasagoodideabutwedidn’tgettogetherasplannedandsoeverythingwasdonebyphone.ItturnedouttoothatthegeneralpublicouttherepreferredtoassociateareviewerwithasinglesubjectareaandsoIchosefilm.WithoutTom’sinitialpushthoughwewouldhardlyhavecomeupwiththepresentarrangementbywhichIwriteanextendedweeklypieceusuallyononefilm.

ThespaceIamgivenallowsmetobroadenmyargument—orforcesmeinanuninterestingweektomakesomethingoutofnothing.Butwhatismyroleinthepublicarena(舞台)?Iassumethatpeoplechoosewhatfilmstogotoonthebasisofthestarsthepublicityorthedirector.Soifafilmreviewisn’treallyaconsumerguidewhatisit?Icertainlydon’tfeelIhavearesponsibilitytobe‘right’aboutamovie.NordoIthinkthereshouldbeacertainnumberof‘great’and‘bad’filmseachyear.AllIhavetodoisputforwardanargument.I’mnotajudgeandnorwouldIwanttobe.

43.WhatdowelearnaboutTomSeatonfromthefirstparagraph?

A.Heencouragedthewritertobecomeawriter.

B.Hemetthewriterwhenworkingfortelevision.

C.Hehadworkedinvariousareasofthemedia.

D