It
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ENTERTAINMENT
Tliursday, March 16,1989
BEI
THE Sffi
with Lisa Collins
Madonna
A1B. Sure!
Mo^an Freeman Sidnej Poiter
Arraignment Sched>ded For A1 B. Sure: On March 22, Warner
Bros Record's hejirtthrob A1 B. Sure Is scheduled to be arraigned
on charges that he raped 23-year old Monique E^dwards. Sure,
(whose real name Is Albert Brown), and his bodyguard, Soloman
Miller were both arrested on Februaiy 26 and charged with rape.
The pair were released after posting $15,000 ball each, according
to West Hollywood Sheriffs station officials. Edwards, a pre
med student. Is the sister of actor Stoney Jackson, co-star of "The
Insiders" and 'The White Shadow". Jackson reportedly sum
moned the police when Edwards returned to his Los Angeles
home "crying and half-dressed." An attorney for the 23-year old,
pre-med student, has said that aside from criminal charges, she
will file a civil suit. A third party, Geffen recording artist, Chris
Williams, was also named. (William's debut LP Is slated for re
lease this month). Meanwhile, Warner Bros has had no com
ment, referring all calls to Sure's attorney. Hometown friends of
Sure's In Mount Vernon, New "Vork, are shocked. "There's no
way--that's not A1 at all," said one. "He's not violent. He's just
not that kind of guy." On the other hand, a source close to Ed
wards-Travis Clark, executive producer of "A Man Called
Hawk", was outraged. "Black women have been raped enough In
this society. This Is not about money. It's about Integrity and
principle."...As It stands. It appears the court will determine
what really happened that night. In a related Incident. Stoney
Jackson reportedly went after Sure with a pipe, during a perfor
mance at a Los Angeles Comedy Club. Jackson, who had to be re
strained, had no comment.
Who's That Guy: Amidst tlie controversy surrounding Madon
na's so-called blasphemous "Like A Prayer" video Is an upcom
ing, black actor you're sure to be seeing a lot more of. Preferring
to be known simply as "Leon", the 26-year old New York City na
tive portrays the black saint that Madonna kisses. Standing
6'3", Leon has stood out In films like "Colors", "The Flamingo
Kid", and "All The Right Moves", and most recently ABC-TV's
four-hour presentation of "The Women of Brewster Place". In It,
he plays Robin Givens' lover, and while Leon's been cast In all
types of roles. It his portrayal of lover to those like Madonna
and Givens that Is sure to get the most mileage. During the film
ing of "Brewster's Place", Tyson and Givens were very much to
gether, with Tyson on the set every day. with the exception of the
day of the scheduled love scene with Leon and Robin.
"Fortunately for me. It was the one day he wasn't there. I remem
ber him telling me that he had been reading my role at home with
her, and I replied to him, I just hope I do as well as you do with
her, and we both laughed."
Sidney Poiter Honored: The American Museum of the Moving
Image recently honored Sidney Poltler with a black-tle gala In
New York. The 62-year old actor-director was quoted as saying,
"It does me good to know that there are people who feel that my
work has encouraged them to do this....I rather like It. Because
the bulk of my life and my work Is certainly behind me." Speak
ing of Poltler, he was Warner Bros' first choice to portray the con
troversial Principal Joe Clark in "Lean On Me", but turned It
down (reportedly telling the studio that he didn't believe In
Clark's politics). Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy were ap
proached, but had other committments. Danny Glover was also
considered, but the film's writer fought for Freeman who'd won
an academy award nomination for his work In "Street Smart".
With the raves he is getting for his portrayal of Clark, Freeman
may just win a second academy awa^ nomination. Short Takes:
Kim Field's current heartthrob Is the eldest son of Rev. Jesse
Jackson....and this columnist extends heartfelt sympathies to
veteran actor Brock Peters on the passing of his wife, Didi, after a
long bout with cancer...Next week: As earlier promised, El De-
Barge talks candidly about his career and the recent drug scandal
that rocked his family.
Hollywood's On Its Way To
Sixth Street In Charlotte
CHARLOTTE - The first annual
Hollywood On Sixth, a film and
fun festival created to spotlight
publicly/privately funded build
ings along Sixth Street, pre
mieres at 11:30 a.m., Saturday,
. April 1, In uptown Charlotte.
The festival will feature free
films, videos and commercials
produced In North Carolina,
mimes, jugglers, strolling street
musicians, celebrity look-eilikes,
balloons, T-shirts, posters, art
exhibits, delicious foods and
theme park characters. Film In-
dustiy notables will provide ex
hibits and lectures.
"There's something for every
one," says Hollywood On Sixth
Chairman Mary Jackson. "It's a
family festival that's thoroughly
entertaining while showcasing
some uptown buildings that de
serve our attention."
Holtywood On Sbcth focuses on
the Hollywood-themed grand
opening of the Charlotte Appa
rel Center. The festival will be
the only time the entire center
will be open to the general pub
lic.
Other publicly funded build
ings along Sixth Street between
Church and College will provide
entertainment, Hollywood-slyle,
while allowing visitors to see
first-hand the successful public
and private partnership In this
area. These include Cityfalr, the
new Library, Spirit Square, The
Dunhlll Hotel, Discovery Place,
The Days Hotel, The Thistle Re
staurant and many others.
Retailers and commercial out
lets In the area will feature In
teractive exhibits as well as en
tertainment.
The festival runs from 11:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hollywood On
Sixth Is sponsored by the Cen
tral Charlotte Association/
Charlotte Chamber, the Char
lotte Uptown Development Cor
poration, the City of Charlotte
and WSOC-TV.
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THE CAST: (Back row) Lynn Hamilton and Pat Crowley;
(middle row) Taurean Blacque and Joan Pringle, Gall Ram
sey and Andrew Masset and Kelly Rutherford; (bottom row)
Sharon Brown, Kris toff St. John and Nancy Sorel.
E
New Soap Centers On Two Families:
One Black, One White
"Generations," a contemporary
daytime drama set In Chicago,
centers on the relationships of
two families - one white, the
Whitmores; one black, the Mar
shalls -- whose lives have been
linked for several generations.
Vowing to overcome her hum
ble beginnings, Ruth grows into
a savvy and enterprising wom
an. Her strength and determina
tion to Improve her position in
life fuels the ambitions of her
husband, Henry (Blacque). With
the help of their long time friend
Rebecca Whitmore, an attorney,
Henry was able to finance his
own business, Marshall's Ice
Cream. With five stores, he now
provides a prosperous life for
his family and Vivian, who lives
with them. Their three children
are Chantal (Brown), a lawyer;
Jacquelyn Marshall Rhymes, a
homemaker and mother; and
Adam Marshall (St. John), a col
lege student.
Rebecca Whitmore, who was
heiress to her father's fortune,
suffered an enormous financial
and emotional setback when
her ex-husband, Peter, squan
dered her Inheritance without
her knowledge. As a divorced
mother forced to make It on her
own, she earned a law degree
and works at a prestigious law
firm. Her daughter, Laura, has
been married many years to
successful advertising executive
Trevor McCallum (Masset) and
has three children, the oldest
being Monique (Sorel), a college
student. Rebecca's other chil
dren are J.D. Whitmore (role to
be cast), a once successful rock
star who struggles to make a
comeback, and Stephanie (Ru
therford) -- nicknamed Sam —
also a college student.
The series stars; Anthony Ad-
dabbo ("Loving"), Jonelle Allen
("Two Gentlemen of Verona"),
Taurean Blacque (who was
nominated for a 1982 Emmy for
"Hill Street Blues"), Sharon
Brown ("Dreamgirls"), Pat Crow
ley ("Dynasty"), George Deloy
("Days Of Our Lives"), Rick Fitts
('The Hanoi Hilton"), Lynn Ha
milton ("Sanford and Son"), An
drew Masset ("Days Of Our
Lives"), Joan Pringle ("The White
Shadow"), Gall Ramsey ("General
Hospital"), Barbara Rhoades
('You Again"), Kelly Rutherford
("Loving"), Nancy Sorel ("One Life
To Live") and Kristoff St. John
("Charlie and Company).
Two time Emmy nominee Sally
Sussman ( "The Young and the
Restless") Is the creator, execu
tive producer and head writer.
Three time Emmy winner Ruby
Vejar ('The Young and the Rest
less") Is the co-executive pro
ducer and will direct multiple
episodes. "Generations" is an
Old Forest Hill Production in as
sociation with NBC Produc
tions.
The link between the Marshall
and the Whitmore families ex
tends back three generations to
when Vivian Potter (Hamilton)
(Pringle), lived In the Whitmore
mansion. Vivian worked as
housekeeper and nanny for Re
becca Whitmore (Crowley) and
her daughters Laura (Ramsey)
and Sam (Rutherford), and son
JX>.
Noted Sociologist
Consults On Series
"The framework of these two
families of distinctly separate
races provides a rich fabric for
exploring both personal and so
cial relationships," says Dr. Troy
Duster, special consultant to
"Generations."
A professor of sociology at the
University of California, Berke
ley, Duster emphasizes that
"Generations" Is more than a
metaphor. "It represents what's
happening In America now. As a
nation, we encourage and sup
port upward mobility. My specif
ic role as a consultant Is to pro
vide a contemporary
perspective and to add texture
from my field when the three
main story components — race
relations, social mobility and
family relations — Intersect."
Duster feels that a shift In so
cial and economic status, such
as that portrayed In the
"Generations" time span, can al
ter the nature of relations be
tween the races; "While many
blacks, for Instance, are still ec
onomically insecure, a sizable
portion of the black population,
no longer In menial labor, re-
I . I
Duster
lates to whites as equals. Fre
quently, the blacks have even
higher social and economic
status. In 'Generations,' the two
sets of families stay In contact
during this gradual change in
status and that makes for some
interesting dramatic tension."