ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
/?wfry Bridges tells story of 6-year-old girl among
first to integrate New Orleans public schools in 1960
The dramatization
of 6-year-old
Ruby Bridges'
heroic actions
during the racial
ly heated 1960s inspired a host
of award-winning talent to
come together for Ruby Bridges,
a two-hour movie starring Lela
Rochon, Penelope Ann Miller,
Michael Beach, Kevin Pollak
and newcomer Chaz Monet.
Directed by Euzhan Palcy, Ruby
Bridges will air as part of The
Wonderful World of Disney on
Sunday, Jan. 18, on ABC.
Shot entirely on location in
Wilmington, N.C., Ruby
Bridges is a poignant drama
based on the true story of 6
year-old Ruby Nelle Bridges,
one of the first African
American students to be inte
grated into the New Orleans
public schools in 1960. The
searing image of Ruby escorted
to school under the protection
of federal marshals inspired tVie
unforgettable . Norman
Rockwell painting. The Problem
We All Live With.
Sensual Lela Rochon, of
Waiting to Exhale fame, por
trays a different type of charac
ter in Ruby Bridges. As little
Ruby's mother, Lucielle Bridges,
Rochon tackled the part of a
very religious, stern and coura
geous mother who believed that
this opportunity to help make a
change in the world was the
right choice for her daughter.
"When I read the script, it
touched me right away," says
Rochon. "Without even finish
ing it, I said, 'Okay, this is my
next job. I love this!"'
Her reasons for stepping out
of feature films for this telefilm
were simple. "It's very rare that
you find a project of this quali
ty for television. It's something
that I could really sink my teeth
into and commit to."
Lucielle stood by her little
girl as she marched into her
classroom every day surrounded
by four federal marshals and a
jeering crowd of "Negro
haters." "I think when you make
moral decisions like this in your
life," reflects Rochon, "you have
to trust in your
strength. Lucielle trust- 1*
ed in her faith in the
Lord and I think that
V It
ssL ^
had a lot to do with her courage
and why she was so headstrong
on Ruby doing this."
Film and television star
Michael Beach (Soul Food,
Wailing to Exhale, ER) brings
another dimension to this story
with his portrayal of Ruby's
father, Abon, in the two-hour
telefilm. Between his movies
and his role on ER, Beach's
schedule has not allowed him to
do too many television movies.
He decided to make an excep
tion for Ruby Bridges.
"The script was so good, it
just called out to me. The
opportunity to play a character
like this in a film like this is
something that you really can't
pass up."
Newcomer Chaz
Monet makes her televi
sion debut in the title rble.
Rees remembers Chaz's
auditions as "luminous."
"She just came through
with just the right qualities.
When those qualities are
there, it never fails."
Rounding out the cast are
Penelope Ann Miller
(Awakenings, Carlito's Way) as
Barbara Henry, the courageous
and caring teacher from Boston
who would become the friend
young Ruby desperately needed,
and Kevin Pollak (A Few
Good Men) as Dr. Robert
Coles, the psychiatrist who ^
has dedicated his life to the
study of social stress on
impoverished children. E
Award winning French I
film director Euzhan Palcy .
(A Dry While Season, Sugar I
Cane Alley) directed Ruby
Bridges with a firm yet loving n
hand. "It was a great honor M
to direct this film," muses 11
V
Palcy, "because it's about life,
it's about love, it's about faith,
it's about dreams, hope, strug
gles, freedom and a challenge. I
believe that this is not a story
for Americans only ... it is a
story for the world."
rati
IkalM
Ruby (Chax Monit) walks to hor now school
with hor mothor, Luclollo (Lola Rochon) in
"Tho Wondorful World of Disnoy's" Ruby
Brldgos, airing Sunday, Jon, IS on ABC.
First African American-owned
theater chain opens in Chicago
CHICAGO ? Alisa and
Donzell Starks, owners of Inner
" City Entertainment Inc. (ICE), the
first African-American-owned
theatre chain in the country, have
brought more than a touch of
Hollywood to Chicago. The three
$40 million state-of-the-art multi
plexes, financed hy the husband
and wife team, also brought over
400 jobs, family-oriented enter
tainment and, most importantly,
hope for economic revitalization
in Chicago's under-served commu
nities.
The Inner City
Entertainment/Cineplex Odeon
Theatres premiered with a special
grand opening screening of Steven
Spielberg's film "Amistad."
Directed by Spielberg and pro
duced by Debbie Allen, "Amistad"
is based on a true story about the
sag^ of 55 African captives who
led in rebellion by Cinque
(Djimon Hounsou) on board the
Spanish slave ship. After breaking
free and taking over the slave ship,
the captives tried unsuccessfully to
sail back to Africa before being
captured, jailed and tried before
the Supreme Court in this historic
case, which tested the foundation
of America's legal system.
Inner City Entertainment,
along with their business partners,
Toronto-based Cineplex Odeon
Corporation, which will operate
the Chicago multiplexes, were
joined by Allen, actor Hounsou,
producer/director Bill Duke,
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley
and a host of friends to mark this
historic occasion.
During a press conference,
Daley praised the project for gen
erating "much needed" economic
growth in the city's rebuilding the
Lawndale, Chicago Lawn and
Chatham neighborhoods, as well
as providing a job training pro
gram for area youth. He pro
claimed the theaters' first official
day of business as, "Let's go to the
movies day in Chicago."
Just in time for the holiday sea
son. the Inner City Entertainment
Theatres officially opened their
doors to the public showing a full
slate of Hollywood blockbusters,
including "Eve's Bayou,"
"Flubber," "Alien: Resurrection,"
"The Jackal," "Anastasis" "Mortal
Kombat: Annihilation," "Soul
Food" and "Starship Trooper."
"Part of our goal is to own and
operate over 100 screens by the
year 2000," said Don Starks, pres
ident and CEO of ICE. "We have
an excellent model here in Chicago
and want to use ICE Theatres as a
vehicle to revitalize communities
elsewhere in the U.S. ICE will pro
vide both entertainment and jobs
for the community."
Starks, a former investment
banker who developed the 34
screens in Chicago, plans to open
three to four multiplexes in mar
kets around the country each
November. Projects are underway
to develop ICE Theatres in Gary,
Pictured during the Inner City Sntertainment-Cineplex Odeon
Theatre grand opening are (left to right) actor/director Bill Duke;
Donwell and Alita Starke, owniri of ICS Theatre*; Amittod producer
Debbie Allen; and actor Djimon Houneou, ICS plane to open eeveral
etate-of-the-art multiplexee in Baltimore, Md.; Charlotte, M.C.;
Cleveland, Ohio; and Oary, Ind., in 1998, making it the firet
African-American-owned chain in the United Statee.
\
Ind.; Baltimore, Md.; Charlotte,
N.C.; and Cleveland, Ohio. These
four sites will be opened in 1998.
"Going to the movies is the
No. 1 entertainment activity for
African Americans," stated Alisa
Starks, executive vice president of
marketing and communications
for ICE. "African Americans are
not monolithic moviegoers. We
want to see a variety of films, and
it i% important that we have ICE
Theatres and access to films s- cit
as "Amistad" and "Eve's Bayou"
to share our history with all cul
tures."
Founded in 1993, Inner City
Entertainment Inc. is dedicated to
building state-of-the-art theaters
and entertainment centers which
exhibit first-run feature films in
urban communities around the
country, creating employment
opportunities for minorities and
providing family-oriented enter
tainment options.
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ACROSS the CREEK a
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THE ARTISTIC STUDIO
ZxTsA Janice Price-Hlnton
Artistic Director
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JJ ?) Also Available: Acting, Voice and Muaical Theater 1
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