Black Movies, TV News Briefs
Jimmie “J. J.” Walker To Star In Broadway Musical
by Jesse H. Walker
Special to the Post
While many parental groups
and TV watchdogs are criti
cizing the ads on TV children’s
shows a defender of the shows
testified last week before a
Congressional subcommittee
that if the ads were banned the
children’s shows would simply
disappear. It’s not necessa
rily so, however. “Big Blue
Marble”, the award-winning
show bankrolled by ITT has
been presented for the past
five seasons without commer
cial interruption. ITT pre
sents it as a public service.
And it’s seen in 60 foreign
countries in addition to appro
ximately 200 domestic sta
tions.
Jimmie “J.J.” Walker
comes to Broadway in the hit
Broadway musical, “I Love
- My Wife” on April 24, replac
ing the Smothers Brothers and
with an all-black cast.
Faye Robinson, leading so
prano of the New York City
Opera, will entertain at the
Frederick Douglass Awards
Dinner of the New York Urban
League on May 3. Dinner was
to honor Cardinal Cooke, TV
producer Gil Noble and com
munity leader Mrs. Louise
Fisher Morris. The latter died
last week
Hibby Brown, one of the
famous barmaid Brown
Twins, was seriously injured
and near death after a car
fleeing police on a Harlem
MM AiMMIMi
Ruby Dee
...Dramatic actress
street crashed into the car she
was in. She had been working
at the Baby Grand Cafe on
West 125th Street, but was
scheduled to renew relation
ship with Red Randolph when
be opens his new Quintes
sence on West 46th Street.
“Discovering Our Roots” is
the theme of the tour August
*•18 to Ivory Coast, Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Senegal and
coordinated by Dr. Olivia
Pearl Stokes, a professor in
City University of New York
" who has led 16 study seminars
in Africa’s independent
nations since I960. Tour is
handled by Cosmopolitan
Travel Bureau, Inc., 250 W.
57th St., NYC 10019, Attention:
Dolores G. Wright.
That TV film starring ii»ii«
Gossett Jr., “Lawman With
out a Gun”, will finally make
it when NBC airs it on April 23.
Jimmie “J. J." Walker
...Famed TV star
He plays tbe first black candi
date ever to run for sheriff in
an Alabama county and it's
based on tbe life of Rev.
Thomas E. Gilmore who be
came tbe first elected black
sheriff of Greene County, Ala
bama, in 1970.
Maya Angelou’s “I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings",
will be shown on CBS-TV on
April 28 with such names as
Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll,
Esther Rolle, Paul Benjamin,
Roger E. Mosely and Madge
Sinclair. Movie was filmed in
Vicksburg, ‘Mass.
Games which could affect
tbe championship of tbe Paci
fic Division in tbe NBA will be
televised nationally by CBS
Sports. On Sunday, April 1,
CBS will televise tbe Los
Angeles at Philadelphia game
to all areas of tbe country
except tbe Pacific, time sooe at
1:45 p.m. Eastern time. Fans
in tbe Pacific time zone will
see Golden State at Seattle at
3:45 p.m., local time. On April
6, Seattle's game at Los
Angeles will be seen.
Grace Bumbry, Metropoli
tan Opera soprano thrilled her
fans in a Carnegie Hall con
cert last week and will appear
for tbe first time with tbe New
York City Opera in the fall of
1961, singing the role of Abi
gaille in tbe new production of
Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Miss
Bumbry will also sing the
name part in "Medea” and
will perform the works with
the company in Los Angeles as
well as New York.
Thanks to the sharp eye of
the Afro’s Ida Peters we can
report that Will Mas tin, uncle
of Sammy Davis, Jr., was 79
when be died last week and not
100 as the wire services repor
ted. He was separated from
his Canadian-born wife in
1973, and leaves two children,
a son and a daughter.
Sammy Davis Jr. will be the
grand marshall of the Atlantic
City Easter boardwalk parade
on April 15. He often played
there in the 50’s, mainly at tbe
Club Harlan.
The Afro’s Bob Matthews
reports that Baltimore' and
Washington, D.C. are fast be
coming the hot spots for Jazz
on the East Coast, taking over
where once New York and
Chicago led.
Johnny Hartman wound up
a heavily mitted week at
Marty’s Jazz Club at 73rd and
Third Avenue.
Sarah Vaughan’s three
dates at Carnegie Hall within
a 10-day period were a huge
success, artistically and finan
cially. All were sold out
performances.
A month-long festival of
black theatre, dance, music
and poetry starts May 1 at
Lincoln Center. Among those
participating in what is called
the largest gathering of black
performing artists in NYC,
will be the Karamu House
Theater of Cleveland, the
Billie Holiday Theater and the
Richard Allen Center Theater
of NY.C, the Repertory, Inc.
and the Workshops for
Careers in the Arts from
Washington. Also the Inner
City Repertory Company of
Los Angeles, the Dashiki
Theater of New Orleans, the
Alvin Alley American Dance
Theater of NYC, the Detroit
Dance Company, the Phila
danco dance company of Phil
adelphia, the Rod Rodgers
Dance Company, Internation
al Afrikan American Ballet,
the Duke Ellington Orchestra,
Mary Lou Williams, Odetta,
Leon Thomas, the Dixie Hum
mingbirds and the Heritage
Hall Jazz Band.
• A special event will be a
birthday celebration for Lor
raine Ha ns berry, led by
James Baldwin. >
A Tale Of
Two
Spiffies.
Once upon a time there were these two dudes. One day dude one
said to dude two, “Easter’s coming.”
To which dude two replied, “Sure is.”
So, dude one headed out to Ralph’s Factory Outlet to get himself a
suit.
But, dude two, being the wiser of the two, headed, instead, to
Milton’s at 516 South Tryon Street. They both paid $89.90.
But, dude two knew the difference. You see, the suit from Ralph’s
was made to sell for $89.90. But the suit from Milton’s was actually
made to sell for $185.00. The way Milton’s does business, it just
happened to wind up at $89.90. (Usually does.)
Come Easter Day, both dudes were dandies in their splashy new
suits, and the women went crazy with desire.
However, about a month later, the dudes passed on the street in
their Caster suits. “Your suit from Ralph’s is fading,” said dude two.
AnH it mac
“Your suit from Milton's still looks new,” said one. And it did. <
Then, about two months after that our two friends met again.
“Man, your Easter suit still looks nice,” said dude one.
“Thanks,” said two. “How's yours?”
“Worn out,” said one. And it was. “But what do you expect for
S89.90?”
I The Sunday after Easter. April 22. there will be a pre-celebration of CELEBRATE
CHARLOTTE. The block in front of the store will be closed offfor a Block Party to
CELEBRATE CHARLOTTE. Three of Charlotte's finest bands, clowns, magicians,
art flowers, surprise specials in the store and mostly . . . Fun for the whole family.
Time of party: 2-6 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
“I expect mine to last for the next three Easters,” said two
And it did.
WORA L: You can go to Ralph’s and buy a nice cheap suit.
)r, go to Milton’s and buy a nice suit cheap.
Milton’s
CLOTHING CUPBOARD
516 S. Tryon, Charlotte
Downtown, Chapel Hill
Monday Saturday 10-6:30 OPEN SUNDAYS 2-6 ’
Free 1 hour parking between 1st and Church
Phone 377-0242