The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 26, 1979, Page Page 4, Image 4
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By DalaSmoak
OanMoack Staff Writ?f j
Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday is set in 1
Washington just after World War II. Harry <
Brock, a wealthy junkman, tries to in- <
fkience favorable legislation by buying a
senator, Norval Hedges. A moralistic i
reporter, Paul Verrall, sets out to expose 1
Brock's plan. The play is a simplistic one; it ]
makes some naive assumptions about ]
government and it leaves something to be i
desired when judged for literary or I
dramatic merit. It is, however, a pleasant, 1
escaDist Dlav. humorous and entertaining
Friday's performance by the USC 1
Summer Repertory Theatre was en- 1
tertaining due to lively performances and \
brisk pacing. The humorous and <
imaginative performances of the i
stereotyped characters kept them from i
becoming stale and boring. J
Rob Bigalke, as the blustering, obnoxious i
Harry Brock, was realistic and effective in
the role. Bigalke's physical presence also
helped to establish and define his character. I
D Kinnrln A 1/^rt/-?! > titon Dillio T*\n?ac?% t
tviiuiivia niui ivh waa uiuic jL/dWii, Dl utR S v
girlfriend. Her character is the stereotyped, \
dumb, ex-chorus girl. Despite this handicap, 1
Ms. Aldrich was believable and even tender i
in the role. t
John Ammerman, as Paul Verral, the i
clean-cut truth-seeking reporter, played his ]
role smoothly, at times seeming to gently i
parody the hero stereotype. David Landon i
Above: Frank Langella i
role of 'Dracula.' Belov
Burns and Brooke Shie/c
You & Me, Kid.'
testerda\
is EM, Brock's lawyer, played a man past
his prime due to age and drink. Landon
effectively projected the quiet desperation
if his character's life.
Some of the funniest moments of the play
were due to Brad J. Senri's Dortraval of
Eddie, Brock's dim-witted cousin. Tom
Divan was the less-than-bright Senator
Hedges, imaginative within the limits of his
role. Candace Compton wa# amusing in her
arief appearance as the Senator's emptyleaded,
lushing wife.
The pacing is brisk, except for a rather
tedious gin rummy session in the first act.
With two intermissions, the show lasts
jnder two-and-a-half hours. The setting is
enhanced by the big-band music before the
show and during intermissions. The set
tself is a room of an expensive (1946) hotel
suite, with older furniture nice enough to
~ _ n i r* 1- ? -
eneci urot'K s income.
Four performances remain of Born
Yesterday: tonight at 8 p.m., Sunday af:ernoon
at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 1, and
Saturday, Aug. 4, at 8 p.m. The company
.vill continue to perform A Streetcar Named
Desire and Tartuffe through Aug. 5, and will
perform a children's show, Mother Goose on
the Loose Wednesday through Saturday
mornings at 10 a.m. through Aug. 4. All
performances are at Longstreet Theatre.
Oall 777-2551 for reservations and more
nformation
so oblivious to the v
seems downright s
potentially jolting
puts onscreen, inc
k/\nrAlmAnf (Ty \ T/xl
lA/WCllllCIil. IAW UCi
The Amityville
Kidder and Rod St<
^Anson's best-sellin|
couple's dream he
Dutch Square
The Apple Dunn
a iic i/vuuic mat'
n the title Sommer are a po
? respectively, m ti
VI (jOOtge filmed in Charlest(
jf* :n ' /no/ to hold y?ur inten
4/f/Sr (PG) Spring Vallej
Dracula: John 1
witty film version
Langella is a m
movements seem ,
pfe. contributes anothe
Hamilton Deane, a
Escape From Al
comedy in Kver;
mm Eastwood is back
*' prison tale. The ol
. ?>. directed. (PG) Ric
The Frisc?Kid
Aldrich's new peri
jp Wilder's sidekick
^ -j Harrison Ford. (Pi
%>. ?& f# JjP|| Game of Death
middle of filming,
wild extremes to n
I definitely Lee's la
^ m'ss ?#'* Caro
\*M Hooper: An eari
movie about stunti
||F are worth the pr
mesmmmm ine m-t^ws: /
MM?
j9 briskly
Rhonda Aldrich
eekend Mc
By David Baker slapst
Entertainment Editor jq fg|<
)tt has directed Alien in a manner chara*
iewers' feelings that the film often are pr
inister. Anything he perceives as are t
(or revolting) to an audience, he Ameri
:luding several scenes of disem- impen
fferson Square The
Horror: James Brolin, Margot careei
iiger star in this filmization of Jay mer I
I book. The story tells how a young better
>use turns into a nightmare. (R) Palm<
The
tling Gang Rides Again: A totally .
to The Apple Dumpling Gang. It nftthin
id Tim Conway as bumbling bank- ,
i Square
ey of the Ultravixens: The king of l^okc 1
iphy, Russ Meyer, returns with M0rw.
/ actresses (?) bouncing across the .. c
iide. (X) Fox .. ^ea
Guffin: George Kennedy and Elke , ?
lice chief and a prime minister, chn^
lis new mystery-comedy. It was r.V"V
>n, so the scenery is pretty enough a 1
sst through the slower sequences. to dig!
Badham directed this stylish and starsof
the hit Broadway play. Frank Mo<
ost handsome Dracula, but his prece
a bit stiff at times. John Williams away
sr excellent score and the sets, bv womp
re outstanding. (R) Spring Valley of elef
catraz: After a dreadful attempt at and o
y Which Way But Loose, Clint Coluri
: where he belongs in this tense The
d pod-master himself, Don Siegel, Hicha
hi and Mall Frog
: The rabbi goes west in Robert travai
od comedy, starring Gene Wilder. Uoc
here is an unusually effective Awari
r? \ til
u/1 id/,ii origin
: Bruce Lee passed away in the rule c
so the producers had to go to some stars,
lake a whole movie out of what was is do^
orth of footage. At any rate, it's Rock}
st film and his fans won't want to shortt
lina, Columbia East The
lest, offbeat, but ultimately boring Needl
nen. Burt Reynolds and Sallv Field RoaHi
ice of admission. (PG) Columbia Hoadi
most
Arthur Hiller directed this wacky River
f Z\A
v. w^jirTitM i i
and Rob Bigalke
ick comedy which is, by far, the funniest movie
this year. Alan Arkin and Peter Falk (in a
cienzation not unlike Columbo gone insane)
iceless as a paranoid dentist and a G-man who
>rought together for a world-saving South
ican adventure as a result of their offsprings'
iding marriage. (PG) Columbia Mall
Kids are Alright: A documentary, spanning the
r of The Who from the early 1960s until drumCeith
Moon's death this past year. Infinitely
than The Band's The Last Waltz. (PG)
itto
Main Event: Heaven knows, I never thought
:e a Barbra Streisand movie, but there's simply
g about this one to like. Streisand chews up
t every scene she appears in and Howard
: direction is laid-back to the point where it
ike he radioed in his instructions while skiing in
ly. (PG) Bush River Mall, Spring Valley
tballs: A low-budget, Canadian-made comedy
1 ' ' '
c^criw uics an exienuea carioon sKeicn irom
iion's Saturday Night Live. As with most of that
> better sketches, it is very funny as a whole,
)us in several instances, more than a bit
:ted and best remembered after you have time
est everything it tries to convey. Bill Murray
(PG) Gamecock, Spring Valley
>nraker: Like the 10 James Bond pictures that
ded it, Moonraker is the kind of film that can get
wiui anyining. rne stunts are exciting, the
n are beautiful and Roger Moore is the picture
Sance as 007. Easily the best film of the summer
ne of the classiest movies of the year. (PG)
ibia Mall
Muppet Movie: Steve Martin, Mel Brooks,
rd Pryor and Madeline Kahn inin thp
and Miss Piggy in their first big-screen exganza.
(G) Bush River Mall
ky II: This erratic sequel to the Academy
d winning Best Picture of 1976 has all of the
al cast members returning under the sovereign
>f Sylvester Stallone, who wrote, directed and
His direction is amateurish and his screenplay
wnright childish, but Stallone's portrayal of
1 ic cn arwirI Hint ?? *?1 * "
j ? uiai yvu can ovenooK ms lecnnicai
comings. (PG) Bush River Mall
Villain: In the simplest of terms, Hal
lam's new non-comedy is a live-action
*unner cartoon that doesn't seem to have a
mnner. Consequently, every scene looks as if its
^ 1 * *
pan nit!) ueen ripped away. (PG) Cush
Mall, Gamecock