The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 20, 1981, Page Page 7, Image 7
Ententi
No'iv
By Peggi M
Staff Wr
Members of the audience of
treated to a sharp performance o
the USC Cultural Series has pres<
The interweaving of comedy a
of Thomas "Fats" Waller is a f
bination of performers. Within
members of the cast delivers hi
such as "Honeysuckle Rose" ar
Now." There is no star of thh
performers' talent gives "Am'
animation, and color.
MICHELE MCCAIN became
bumped and shook her way t
Adjora Faith McMillan added al
one could hope for. The dancing
delight, especially in "The Vipei
favorites.
Each performer's dominant si
to the show. Clent Bowers for th
for the show, also established 1
version of "Your Feet's Too Big
Nealy roused the audience into s
"Fat and Greasy."
For the most part, the show w
occasionally interspersed love
pany's "Black and Blue" was a
olaced before the finale. Anotl
was McCain and Mary Davis' "1
the cast had not won everyom
finished the job.
Melvii
By David Baker
Film Critic
Reviewing Jonathan
Demme's "Melvin and
Howard" nrpssnts a
problem not usually
associated with the writing
of this column. If I say I was
profoundly disappointed by
the film, people might stay
away from it and that's the
last thing I want to have
happen.
But diasppointed I was.
The picture was named Best
Picture of 1980 by the
National Society of Film
Critics and has received
several other accolades,
most all of which are undeserved.
"Melvin and
Howard" is a nice "little"
movie, faintly reminiscent of
such sleepers as "Breaking
Away" and Demme's own
"Uiuzen s Banc!, ' dui ma is
all it is.
It's hardly the be-all and
end-all of moviemaking and
anyone going to the theater
expecting some sort of
religious experience from it
is bound to be shattered.
THE CLEVER, but
misconceived screenplay by
Bo Goldman deals with
perennial loser Melvin
Dummar (Paul LeMat), his
alleged meeting with
Howard Hugos and Mo
mo vio ' 'Meivin and Ho w<
ainmer
lisb*
orrow
K?r
''Ain't Misbehavin'" were
f one of the best productions
in ted.
nd dance into the fine music
>erfect vehicle for this comthe
show each of the five
is rendition of "Fats" songs
id "Keepin' Out of Mischief
3 show. The union of these
t Misbehavin"' its variety,
i a key to comedy as she
hroughout the show; wtyle
11 the enthusiasm and energ>
xjv:U r% :^
ui miuuii waig i\eaiy was a
r's Drag," one of the crowd's
tyle added a distinct element
e most part the straight mar
himself as a comic with his
In his next number, he anc
ringing and clapping along tc
CIS upucdl dMU UVCIJf, W1U1 dl
i song. However, the com
poignant piece strategically
ler piece worthy of mentioi
Find Out What They Like." I
j over already, this nunibei
W ?
n,nG
Howard Hughes (Jasor
Robards), and the sub
sequent discovery of a wil
naming Dummar as a $154
million heir to the Hughe
estate.
The movie begins, nor
mally enough, whei
Dummar finds the ireezmi
Hughes alone in the deserl
He picks the old man up
gives him a coat and a lift t
Las Vegas. But instead c
telescoping the time betwee
their meeting to the time c
Hughes' death, Goldma
concentrates on wha
happens to Dummar in th
interim. The discovery of th
will and the ensuing leg]
battles are treated almost a
an afterthought.
The only thing gained t
centering on this part <
Melvin's life is that we'i
given a chance to meet h
a : TIL_ t
iwu wives, iiic niai, u^iw.
(Mary Steenburgen),
almost as big a loser f
Melvin, whom she ten
porarily abandons for
career as a go-go dancer.
After a divorce,
remarriage, a second chi
and a winning appearan<
on a television game sho\
Lynda divorces Melvin f<
good and he then marri<
fi -
tvin Dummar, a loser, <
ard."
ehavi
f < _ mi 11 ii i
jmIPS
t iBWBBM
1 vJ#
i ^HH|g gjg
> ^ ff-W
i THE ONLY PROBLEM with t
- system. The voices had a tinn;
r nrnhlflme in unHprctnririiricr thp \
i quality of sound worked againsl
f the production much.
r The talent in this show did n<
musicians, the set design, and tl
ward i
5
5 V r
rt/a i/<* ili
(VIary oivaiivuijjktu fstay* ,*
>y who has a short career as a
Bonnie (Pamela Reed), who
is institutes a change of
la Hughes, "Melvin and
js Howard" is a bit of a cheat.
IS
n- The performances,
a though, are wonderful,
especially Steenburgen's.
She alone is responsible for
a the movie's two funniest
Id scenes: Lynda winning
:e $10,000 on the game show
v, and Lynda quitting her
ar dancing job, taking off her
es skimpy costume and
J^jjl -1*
so-star in Jonathan Damna's
9 0 j
nint
lif j&M
he show concerned the sound th
y sound which caused some el
vords of a few numbers. This sii
the singers, but did not mar
bi
3t stop with the singers. The fii
le lighting assisted in making er
drab
nl S -1 ?9 S |&8 '-HE;:1
IHHv^:v'
:J : : :': x .
1
lefvin Dammar's first wife
) go-go dancer.
walking out of the club stark
naked. j
Aside from my feelings
about the thrust of Goldman's
screenplay being
misguided, the main reason
why I can't join the critical
concensus on "Melvin and
Howard" is that I dislike
Demme's style of direction.
HIS QUIVERING, hand/tn*viA?*a
oU/\fp molrA ma
liciu Lcaiucia ouuio uiaivv mv,
dizzy, while the sweeping
movements and selected
overexposures he uses seem
to me out of place in
anything but a war movie, a
genre he has yet to tackle.
But "Melvin and Howard"
| is sufficiently off-beat to
morif itc fuiirid conn unH tlio
I? ?V MVIIIg kJVVII MIIV4 VI IV
work of the actors only
reinforces that fact. So the
word from here is "go,"
even though I'm sure that
m anyone who does so will have
completely forgotten that he
did a month from now.
^ mere s simpiy noining in
P this movie to stick to one's
memory for more than a few
f hours after having seen it.
But the feelings it induces
^ are good while they last and
that's more than can be said
for most of Hollywood's
latest offerings.
r;..is.... -
hissl
HK3H1
t \ mBKBNSBbbBBBUI
is a stylish, crisp performance.
ements helped set an appropria
milar to that of a nightclub.
"Ain't Misbehavin"' was one o
ans have had a chance to see f
*st class music, dance and corned
itertainment.
C
ouyuuu
buy a st
By Jim Poin
Staff Wri
The nice young man in the bli
an Aqua-Fresh smiie and introc
Brand X. today's house spe<
sits on a shelf surrounded by i
Your eyes are dazzled by the 2
table, cassette deck, ana noor s
Have you been taken by a :
jockey? Is Brand X the system
ACCORDING TO an em
Distributors, you have been tal
system you need.
"Nation-wide, ninety-perceni
il i 1 11 ft* i ? .1
menarasen, nesaiu.
Paul Whitten, general mar
agrees.
"Big chain stores and disc
mass-marketed products sold
nothing about the product," he:
THERE ARE MANY pro!
buying stereo equipment. Har<
just one of the many and perha
Be wary of anyone pushing a pa
he's been told to get that syj
names are important but not
ponents. An excellent piece of
under a relatively obscure nar
advisors, not hard-sell magicia
amount of money you want \
equipment you need. How mucl
Once these decisions have be
parison shopping to familiarize
Whitten firmly believes in cor
we encourage people to sno
to appreciate a good system," h
"People have the idea if th
they're going to pay more. This
better equipment usually does
cheaper equipment. A specialty
lot of trouble," he added.
SPEAKERS ARE perhaps th
nurrhatp nppnrHino tn Whittpn
f*" O
"Speakers are the most cri
You're better off having less
speakers," he said.
Most dealers suggest listenin
than electronic music when try
They generally agree that elec
indicator. Electronic music is
i? ,.r u
UCI let 111 ctlllilUlll Ul U1MUI IIUII, II
clear sound. Vocalists' recc
compare speakers, according t<
"Very few people hear good a
but everyone hears the hui
recommend such vocalists as
Taylor. These recordings alio1
sound of the speakers," he said
j WHITTKN SAYS if the speak
then the reproduction of the in
also. He warns against spea
speakers with a booming bass.
' .' ... .
how
The combination of these
te mood for the show, one
f the finest shows Columor
awhile. The mixture of
ly was a welcome source of
jant to
ereo?
dexter
ter \
ie Spandex suit flashes you
iuces you to Brand X.
cial in stereo components,
in array of flashing lights,
shiny black receiver, turnpeakers.
smooth talking sales floor
you really need?
ployee of Hi-Fi Sound
ten, and Brand X is not the
t of the salespeople are on
lager of Upstairs Audio,
:ount houses are offering
by salespeople who know
said.
)lems encountered when
d-selling floor jockeys are
ps the most easily avoided,
rticular brand. Ten to one,
item off the shelf. Brand
essential in stereo comequipment
can be bought
ne. Salespeople should be
ns. Decide for yourself the
:o spend and the type of
h does music mean to you?
sen made, do some comyourself
with the market,
nparison shopping. j
p around so they can learn
e said. lj
ey go to a specialty shop I
> is generally not true. The I
n't cost anymore than the |
v shoo can save somponp a I
e most important part of a
tical part of the system,
er electronics and better
g to acoustic music rather
ing out a pair of speakers,
tronic music is not a good
usually produced with a
lerefore not allowing for a
trdings are excellent to
sWhitten. I
icoustic music all the time,
nan voice everyday. We
Neil Diamond and James
w you to pick up the true
;er reproduces vocals well,
struments should be good,
kers that sound boxy, or
see Stereo, page 9