; The White Girl": A Breakthrough Movie
Durham, N. C.- Principal pho
tography for "The White Girl," the
first feature movie project for tele
vision producer and host Tony
Wf® rec*nt]y completed,
the $2 million movie with a mes
sage about drug use and self
respect stars Troy Beyer of the
prime-time soap opera "Dynasty"
and Taimak who played the lead
in "The Last Dragon."
The White Girl" is a double en
tendre - the street name for co
caine and the way a young Black
woman sees herself.
Michael Spinks, "the people s
champion," and comedian George
Kirby make cameo appearances.
And a group called "The Say No
Rappers" perform the film's
theme song, also called "The
White Girl." The song, along with
a music video, produced on loca
tion with a cast of 1,000, will be
used to market the movie and its
anti-drug message.
Behind the scenes, there is an
other story unfolding. "I think con
gratulations are in order for your
efforts to find and assemble a real
ly superb production staff and
crew," veteran actor Donald Craig
was moved to write after his re
turn to Hollywood. "The organiza
tion is truly first rate. And the cast
was a joy to work with."
Brown, who wrote the script
and directed the film, says that
Troy Beyer brings to her role as a
misguided young drug addict an
uncanny timing and force. Her
performance, he believes, will
bring her critical acclaim. Moreo
ver, Brown notes that he was
amused to hear that he could not
assemble a first-rate film crew
that was totally integrated.
"Just as 'Roots' established that
there were hundreds of competent
and talented actors and actresses
in the industry who could perform
if given a chance, 'The White Girl'
demonstrates that there are hun
dreds of talented and competent
film technicians waiting in the
wings as well,” he explains.
The technician that Brown
praises the most is Black cinema
tographer Joseph Wilcots, the
only Director of Photography
(DP) of his race to ever receive an
EMMY nomination. Wilcots has
received this honor twice, once for
the mini-series 'Roots" and for
"Roots: The Second Generation."
Wilcots is also acclaimed as one of
the ten best in his profession. Al
though he regularly receives
enough offers to keep him busy,
he continues to be overlooked for
many potential boxoffice block
busters that promote wider recog
nition among the genera] public.
With the release of "The White
Girl, Wilcots feels all of that may
change.
1 see this film as having the po
tential for gaining more critical ac
claim than anything I have done
since 'Roots,'" says Wilcots. "The
performances by several of the
leading characters and the urgen
cy of the message that it delivers
should assure that it will be a pop
ular discussion piece."
Troy Beyer, on the other hand,
t cited for her role on "Dynasty"
and the dramatic Showtime spe
cial Uncle Tom's Cabin," is
seeing her career skyrocket.
She has been the talk of every
body on the set. Twice during
filming, she received standing
ovations from members of the
crew, and Brown says that several
of her scenes "have made veteran
performers sit ud and take notice."
One of those veteran perform
ers is Donald Craig, who portrays
Mr. W., a corporate-type who is
covertly involved in drugs and
prostitution. Craig has been seen
on the wide screen in hits such as
Dragnet," "Frances" and
"Network." He says that Beyer "is
not only incredibly beautiful and
talented - but with this film will
demonstrate to everyone that she
is on the brink of national stardom.
Her performance will certainly
get the attention of a large number
of the members of the Motion Pic
ture Academy."
Craig, whose television credits
include several episodes of "Knots
Landing," "Dallas," "Dynasty" and
Murder, She Wrote" — says he
turned down an important televi
sion role to accept the Mr. W. role
in The White Girl" because he felt
the movie's anti-drug theme "was
so much more important."
I aimak, who recently per
formed in a very popular music
video with Janet Jackson and is
already widely known for his
martial arts skills in "The Last
Dragon," will once again spellbind
his large following of fans. Not
only does he have two excellent
fight scenes in "The White Girl,"
and is credited with choreograph
ing them as well, but Brown says
that his growth as an actor will
amaze many critics. "I predict that
he will become the film industry's
most popular Black leading man.
This just might be the movie
that the Black Stars fell on,"
Brown adds, referring to an all
star cast of mostly newcomers.
"Take Teresa Farley as the de
structive and scheming Vanessa.
Joan Collins copld learn a thing
or two from her. DiAnne Shaw,
who plays the sweet, bubbly Deb
bie, brings the girl-next-door to my
neighborhood," Brown asserts.
And 0. L. Duke's performance
as the evil Nicky will set new film
standards for insights into the psy
chological make-up of pimps and
pushers."
Movie bufTs will remember Ms.
Shaw as Lynn Neal in Sidney Poit
ier's "One More Saturday Nite,"
"Time Bomb" with Billy Dee Wil
liams and "Hard Knox" with Rob
ert Conrad. This is Teresa Yvon
Farley's sixth film. Her last two
films were "Bright Lights, Big
City" for MGM/UA and "Turk
182" for 20th Century Fox Pic
tures. But her performance as an
overly ambitious, selfish, cocaine
addict should mark the beginning
of many good roles in the future.
Duke has appeared in "A Sol
dier's Play" and "Seize the Day"
with Robin Williams. "He is one of
the best all-around actors in the
business," Brown asserts.
Brown, who is betting $2 mil
lion that he is correct, states that
"The White Girl" is only the first of
many feature films his company
will produce, predicting at least
one new film per vear.
Although the motion picture is
not expected to be released before
early spring of 1988, a music vid
eo will hit the market in late De
cember or early January. The ef
fort, featuring music produced by
Associate Producer George Mar
tin, will mark the first time that a
feature film has had a music video
precede its release. The video is r
performed by "The Say No Rap
pers and led by Rapmasters To
rey Drinker and Nathan Garrett,
Jr.
Jim Cannady is the producer
and Sheryl Cannady is the execu
tive producer of "The White Girl."
MOVIE BREAKTHROUGH - Stars Troy Beyer of "Dynasty" 1
(left) and Talmak of "The Last Dragon" will lead an all-star '
- cast of newcomers in "The White Girl," a love story with an i
anti-drug theme, written and directed by Tony Brown. '
A KING AND HIS INTERGALACTIC COURT - Martin Luther
King III pays a special visit to three unusual space travelers -
Hooter (L) and the Geex (Odie and Idie) - outside-the Journey
into Imagination pavilion at Walt Disney World Epcot Center.
The 30th Annual
EBONY Fashion Fair
Sponsored by
Delta Zeta Chapter
Zeta Phi Beta
% Sorority
Benefit of
Scholarship Fund
& Community
Charities
Ovens Auditorium
Charlotte, N.C.
Sunday, Nov. 1,1987 - 6pm
Ticket Prices: $17 & $20
Tickets Available At:
AME Zion Publishing House,
Suite 101,401 East 2nd Street
Now through Oct. 31 & Nov. 1
At Ovens 3:00-4:00 pm
For Additional Ticket Into. Call
399-8416
Gospel Music Explodes On Cable
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Albuquerque, NM- Time was
when the phones were quiet
around the coiporate offices of the
Gospel Music Network (GMN), a
six-hour-per-day, all-Christian
music satellite and cable network.
Not any longer.
The deluge of calls began short
ly after GMN ran a special
"Stryper TViple Set": all three vide
os from the Christian heavy metal
band, Stryper, run back-to-back
after an episode of Lightmusic
which featured an interview with
Robert Sweet, drummer for the
band.
"The day after we ran the
Lightmusic show followed by the
Triple Set, we must have gotten 20
or 30 calls from ldds who had seen
it and wanted to know when we
were going to replay it," said Scott
Pelking, Vice President of Pro
gramming for GMN, the Gospel
Music Network, an all-gospel mu
sic video satellite and cable ser
vice. "After that, we received at
least 10 calls per day from young
people who heard about the show
from friends and wanted to see it
for themselves, but they didn't
know how to get us. We'd let them
know if we had a cable or broad
cast affiliate in their area or how
they could pick us up off the satel
lite."
Soon after that, several maga
zines featured stories about the
network, and the calls haven't
slackened.
"We're primarily getting calls
from people who have read about
us in one of the Christian music
periodicals who ran a story on us,
said Pelking. "They haven't seen
us, but they'd like to. They want to
know what they need to do to get
us onto their local cable system."
Letters have come in as well,
asking about the service. The
GMN staffhas been busy fulfilling
the requests for information. Re
quests come from teens ("You can
have your MTV," reads one letter
from an inquirer from Omaha,
Nebraska, "give me my GMN!")
and from parents as well. Many of
the interested callers and writers
are providing contacts and ad
dresses of their local cable compa
nies.
Response has been such that
GMN is actively working on in
creasing its current six-hour, non
prime-time schedule to a mini
mum 10-hour broadcast day
which includes prime-time. GMN
also plans to broadcast in stereo as
well.
Response from artists and
record companies has also been
good.
"When I came here in March,
we had 86 music videos, and most
of those were contemporary,"
comments Pelking. "Now, we
have almost 300 usable videos in
our library. The greatest percent
age of new videos are Southern
Gospel and Black Gospel music.
And a lot of these videos are from
companies or artists we never
knew existed."
"One of the other popular points
of GMN is that we are ad
supported," said GMN President
William Airy. "We'd rather that
our viewers support our advertis
ers and donate their money local
ly. People seem to appreciate that.”
GMN is broadcast daily from
SatCom 4, Transponder 3, from 1
7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Fri
day, and from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday.
Whnl happens to a dream deferred?
Docs it dry up
l.ikc a ruinln In the .tun?
And foster like a sorc
And then run?
Does It stink like rotten meal?
Or crust and sugar ovor
Llko a syrupy sweat?
Mayha it Just sags
Lika a heavy load.
Or does It argdede?
—Langston Hughes
GM PRODUCTIONS
’ proaents
"A RAISIN IN THE SUN"
drama la Thru* Acra by Lorraine lleaabery
Featuring Margaret Freeman
Friday (bill p.m.). Saturday (hli p.m.) nnd Sunday Dili p.m.)
Waakanda beginning October tl through Matador It. I HI
Titbatet
Attlt Theatre |« - Oonaral Admiaalon
Atro-AmerUen Cultural Canter w Studoate/Sdaloro
*01 M. Myer* Street. Charlotte Oraup Patau Aral table
POI et&MATI(mll*FQ»MATt<*, Finns W-IMO