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Tuesday, November 21, 1989
ENTERTAINMENT
BEHIND THE
SCENES
with Lisa Collins
What A Week! It started with a star-studded tribute to
Sammy Davis Jr., and just about everybody was there.
There was Michael Jackson ( who sang a song he'd written
especially for Sanimy), Frank Sinatra, Bill Cofeby, Eddie
Murphy (who served as host), Richard Pryor, Anita Baker,
Shirley Maclaine, Stevie Wonder, Jasmine Guy, Goldie
Hawn (who recited a song), Whitney Houston, Rev. Jesse
Jackson, Paula Adula, Clint Eastwood, Dionne Warwick,
Mike Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Ella Fitzgerald, Gregory
Peck, Dean Martin, and believe it or not, the list went on.
Proceeds from the event, honoring his 60 years in show
business, went to benefit the United Negro College Fund.
The highlight of the evening came when Davis took to the
stage for a little tap routine with none other than Gregory
Hines. Davis couldn't say much due to surgery for his
throat cancer, but all could see how very touched he was. "I
got good news from the doctor," Davis said backstage in a
barely audible voice. "In about four or five weeks of recov
ery, I'll be back yelling and screaming again." After the
show, he invited 50 or so of the guests back to his Beverly
Hills home for a more intimate celebration. (Incidentally
the show was taped for broadcast on ABC sometime in
January) . . . Just two days later, a star-studded crowd
turned out for the 10th Annlver sary of the UNCF's Parade
Of Starts telethon. Honorary Chairman Eddie Murphy
came accompanied by (just good friend) Whitney Houston.
Of course, Lou Rawls was also there, and it was so crowded
you couldn't breathe. But what else can you expect when
the type-written invitations signed by Murphy, imparted
that he would be on hand to personally greet guests. Those
who came out included Vanessa Williams, Suzanne De-
Passe, Sidney Poitler, Nell Carter, Quincy Jones, Jeopar
dy's Alex Trabec (who received a special award), Jackee,
Rapper Jazzy Jeff, Maril3m McCoo, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Later that night, Murphy turned up at pal Arsenlo Hall's
promo party in conjunction with the release of his new
MCA album, "Large And In Charge". Hall, as Chunky A,
videotaped a special message to guests at the chlcken-and-
champagne bash. The very next night, Murphy's "Harlem
Nights" opened to mixed reviews. The film which just
could breathe life into the career of Richard Pryor and co-
stars like Della Reese and Redd Foxx. But Murphy's first
attempt at directing has not met with critical acclaim.
One major complaint has been the language, reminiscent
of humor that has at one time or another given himself,
Pryor and Foxx bad reps on the touring circuit.
Honoring R&B Pioneers: Percy Sledge, Mary Wells, Etta
James and Ruth Brown were among those honored with
Career Achievement Awards from the Rhythm & Blues
Foundation at the Smithsonian institution's National
Museum of American History. Speaking of awards, the
Hoilywood-Beverly Hills chapter of the NAACP an
nounced nominations In the categories of recording, mo
vie and television industries for the 22nd Annual Image
Awards Program. The awards ceremony, which Is slated
for December 9 in Los Angeles, will be broadcast on NBC In
January. Oprah Winfrey was named "entertainer of the
year", while Sammy Davis Jr., Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis
will be Inducted Into the Hall of Fame. ... In Short: "In
The Heat of the Night" star Howard Rollins is taking it
See BEHIND On Page 2B
Harlem Nights
Murphy’s Directing Debut O K
Ekldle Murphy and
Richard Piyor of
"HARLEM NIGHTS",
AC. TURNER
Post Staff Writer
What happens when you cast
the most talented black comedi
ans In one movie? Eddie Mur
phy asked this question and his
answer is "Harlem Nights."
Unfortunately, the movie is
exactly what the public expected
it to be. The audience drowned
in obscenities. "Harlem Nights"
did not offer any surprises.
The cursing soon became sec
ondary because the movie was
hilariously raw. The interac
tions between the characters
came across as being spontane
ous and natural.
Richard Pryor plays Sugar
Ray, a night club owner who
deals in gambling and ladles.
Sugar Ray adopted Eddie Mur
phy's character. Quick.
Quick and Sugar Ray meet
In 1918 when Quick was seven
years old. Sugar Ray decides to
keep Quick around after he res
cues him from an angry crap
shooter.
Sugar Ray and Quick find
themselves on the hit-list of a
big time dealer, appropriately
named Bugsy Malone, played by
Michael Lerner.
Malone makes several at
tempts at Quick's life, all of
which were unsuccessful. Enter
Dominique La Rue (Jaslmlne
Guy) the beautiful love Interest
of Quick.
La Rue works for Malone and
weasels Quick into a compro
mising position.
Sugar realizes that Malone's
attempts to exterminate his
business will make life Impos
sible, so he concocts a scheme to
leave town with a bang.
Also featured In the film are
Della Reese, Redd Foxx, Danny
Aiello, Belinda Tolbert, and Ar-
senio Hall.
"Harlem Nights" proved to be
an extremely entertaining mo
vie. Reese, Aiello, and Foxx gave
good performances.
The fight scene between
Reese's character, Vera Walker,
and Quick was undoubtedly the
funniest. I was Impressed by
Reese because she was consis
tently in character. The audi
ence was able to look further
Into Vera Walker. Reese pre
sented her as more than an eve
ryday madam.
Of course Murphy was hilari
ous, but this was by no stretch of
the Imagination one his best
films.
"Harlem Nights can not com
pare to "Beverly Hills Cop 1 or 11"
simply because the script and
the characters(with the excep
tion of Vera Walker) are not well
developed.
Murphy fell a little short of
the mark with "Harlem Nights."
This Is the first film he has
ever directed, written, and pro
duced.
"Harlem Nights" Is definitely
worth a look-see, but it Is not
anything to run and see twice..
**Harlem Nights*' Premier Turns Into Gang Fights And Stabbings
BT LESLIE DREYFOUS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
BOSTON (AP) — About 20 un
dercover police officers and the
mayor attended the weekend
premier of Eddie Murphy's new
film amid a crowd of rowdy
teen-agers who went into the
night riled up by the showing.
Kids from around Boston came
out to see "Harlem Nights," the
story of two black nightclub
owners, but as crowds left the
theater after the early show
what started out as entertain
ment turned sour.
"Had we not been there, there
would have been hell to pay. I al
most went so far as to order that
the movie close down," Mayor
Raymond L. Flynn said Satur
day.
"And it's unfortunate because
there are a lot of good kids who
went to the movie interested
only In having a good time."
At least one brawl broke out
Immediately outside the theater
and at least one gang attended
the showing. Two separate stab
bings were reported within 90
minutes on nearby streets.
Flynn said scenes depicting vi
olence and "glorifying" drugs
goaded some audience members
to act up as they went back out
into the Boston night.
The offices of Paramount Pic
tures and Eddie Murphy Produc
tions, the film's producers, were
closed Saturday and officials
weren't Immediately available
for comment.
The cinema's assistant manag
er, Andre Brown, said the thea
ter was rowdy and raucous, with
teen-agers running up and down
aisles.
"It was a good thing the police
were there because things would
have gotten out of hand," Brown
said. "But people were kind of de
cent because they saw them
around."
Fl}mn said he watched unno
ticed, and appalled, as the
crowds streamed out, reenacting
scenes from the film and
"talking about the glorification
of the lifestyle - the gold, the
cars."
"1 don't want to censor movies,
that's not my Intention at all,
but I wish we could look up to
good hard working people and
family environments rather
than this life of fast drugs and
gang violence," he said.
Two separate stabbings were
reported near the theater before
11 p.m. and police said they had
about 15 or 20 suspects, all of
whom were between 15 and 21
years old.
Sgt. John Walsh said it wasn't
Immediately clear whether the
Incidents were related, but they
both occurred in the downtown
theater district that lays be
tween the movie house and the
city's South End.
The city has reeled recently
from a string of shootings, In
cluding one in which a suburban
man was wounded his pregnant
wife fatally shot. Officials and
community activists have been
working to ease gang violence
and diminish drug.trade, partic
ularly In the Roxbuiy, Mattapan
and Dorchester neighborhoods.
And they say movies that pro
mote negative images only
make matters worse.
'We Inherit students who spend
the majority of their time either
being Influenced by the media
outside the home or in front of
the television," said the Rev. Hu
bert E. Walters, a college profes
sor and pastor at the Southern
Baptist Church. "Unless there's
some connection between what
they're doing and we're doing,
we're defeated."
Dorcus Dunham, the owner of
Chez Vous RoUer Rink, a Roxbu-
ry gathering spot that promotes
alternatives to drugs, said she
hadn't yet seen the film but was
wary for similar reasons.
"If it's pertaining to any type of
violence or drugs that Is not a
good image at all. especially
with all the problems we're hav
ing In the community," she said.
Community activists agreed
any movie sending out the
wrong messages was a blow
against their cause, but gang
warfare and crack dealing go be
yond the Images Hollywood
filmmakers produce.
The Rev. Roland C. McCall of
Grant African Methodist Epis
copal Church said the violence
that cropped up this Friday
night — or any other -- can't be
jjegged on celluloid suggestion.
"It goes far beyond the movie.
It's something in our culture and
our society," he said. 'We're in a
society where success Is money,
having a nice car, that kind of
thing. And that makes children
more susceptible to the drug
lords."
Jive Jazz Collection Features South African Artists In Trilogy
BY M.L. LaNey H
POST CORRESPONDENT
From the heartland of South
Africa come many time-
honored musical forms. Now
there Is another realm of musi
cal turf coming into view - the
mostly unheralded jazz of South
Africa.
As part of the continuing in
flux of foreign Influences, South
African jazz has found a well-
deserved if belated respect in
America.
Despite the rigors of apartheid,
nothing has served effectively
to snuff out Southern Africa's
emerging musical identity
through the medium of Jazz.
The means of expression best
suits the gravity of the political
and social upheaval that smol
ders beneath the everyday bore
dom of a repressive regime.
In many ways South Africa is
Just emerging from a long period
of isolation brought about by the
constraints of apartheid. For
more than 30 years the maln-
springs of South African jazz
were by-and-large vagabonds
and refugees scattered across the
globe.
As such, expatriates were de
nied access to the continuing ev
olutionary developments of the
rich and fertile heritage that
was left behind.
For Instance there is the ad
vent of the first combination of
American ragtime and Zulu cho
rales in the 1920s,
By the 1950s other Innovators
witnessed the transition from
wild localized exuberance to
more recognizable big band
blowouts, a la EUlngton.
Now the 1980s are closing and
a check of the latest practition
ers, shows more vitality getting
through than ever before. One
recent attempt to capture the
musical impressions of South
Africa's Jazz is a collection of
three albums known as the Jive
Jazz Series.
It Introduces three brilliant
players drawn from the genera
tion that grew up under apart
heid,"...who chose to develop
South Africa's jazz rather than
its ' pop tradltlonals. Series pro
ducer Koloi Lebona, was Instru
mental In the making of Paul
Simon's smash "Graceland" pro
ject
JIVE
JAZZ
That particular endeavor was
partially responsible for the
rapid Interest that developed in
the United States for groups like
Ladysmith, Black Mombusa and
Jonathan Butler,
The trilogy includes: Barney
Rachabane's Barney's Way Vol. I;
McCoy Mrubata's Firebird, Vol.
II and Ezra Ngcukana's You
Think You know Me, Vol. m.