Wednesday, July 8.1987
7
Arts and Entertainment 'Dragnet' found guilty of mediocrity
By KRISTEN HAYS
Staff writer
Let the record show that *Dragnet* is a violation of penal code 1.23475.0987.56, which roughly translates into gross misuse of talent, a mediocre script and story line, and above all, miscasting.
Don't get me wrong. *Dragnet* isn't a complete failure by any means. It does have its moments.
Harry Morgan, who played Jack Webb's sidekick, Gannon, in the series, once said how difficult it was for them to talk in the now classic monotone. Dan Akyrok couldn't have been more perfect for the role of Joe Friday, nephew of Webb's Friday. He rolls off a five-minute monologue without batting an eye, almost like an auctioneer.
So... if the lead character is so good, what's so wrong with this movie? Unfortunately, quite a lot. It's incredible how a好 group of filmmakers, from director to actor to writer, can produce such a sloppy mess, and a sloppy mess this is.
Clue 1: Akyrok and his Gannon-like sidekick, Peb Streebuck, played by Tom Hanks, are both entertaining, funny men who need good scripts
to be good. If not, the result is a Dr. Detroit, or The Money Pit.
Here, not only are they mired in a ridiculous story line, but they are thrown together and expected to be funny. But there's no chemistry whatsoever between the two. Is Streebek Friday's straight man, or straight funny man? They seem awkward and uncomfortable together. Perhaps this movie would have been better with Bill Murray in Hanks' role. Hanks is wasted here. He was good in Nothing in Common with Jackie Gleason, a partner with whom he had exciting chemistry. Here he's reduced to being Aykroyd's shadow.
Clue 2: Dabney Coleman, the quintessential schmuck, plays a Guccione-esque porn king with a lisp, but we don't even get a chance to hate him because he's onscreen so little.
to the audience. Plummer hasn't had a decent role since The Sound of Music. This muck is an example of the kinds of roles he'd has since then, a shame for such a fine actor.
Clue 3: Christopher Plummer plays a priest gone bad who is the head of P.A.G.A.N. People Against Goodness And Normalcy. This deviant group steals a truckload of Coleman's skin magazines for some reason beneficial to Plumber, Coleman, and the police commissioner, played by Elizabeth Ashley, but lost
Clue 4: Friday and Streebek are hot on P.A.G.A.N.'s trail and attend a bizarre ceremony where the virgin Connie Swail, played by Alexandra Paul, will be sacrificed. Connie strums the romantic strings of stodgy Friday's heart, and, although beautiful, she's about as expressive as Tupperware.
*Dragnet* could have been better had it not fooled with the sacrificial virgin/P.A.G.A.N. story and stuck with typical cops-and-robbers stuff. For example, Friday defuses some young muggers, and bemoans the fact that not only do they try to mug him, but they do it "on a school night," too. Also, what was the connection between the commissioner, the priest, and the porn king? For some reason, that's a secret, and not even Friday divulges it.
One interesting twist is the return of Gannon, played by Harry Morgan, as the precinct captain. He's the
crowning touch to references to the series, including photos of Uclee Friday and Chesterfield cigarettes sitting neatly on nephew Friday's desk. Gannon's gotten more emotional and grandfatherly in his old age, too.
Tom Mankiewicz's direction is adequate, even if predictable. We know the missing snake will be in the sacrificial pit, we know Friday will lose his composure for once, and we know what Friday's biggest accomplishment will be at the end. The problem here is the script.
If a film has a poor script, it can't rise above it. This one, written by Aykroyd, Alan Zweibel, and Mankiewicz, has some funny moments, especially with Aykroyd's monologues. However, those are Aykroyd's moments. No such luck for Hanks, Coleman, Morgan or anyone else. It's as though Aykroyd gave himself the pick of the litter and left the runts to everyone else, which was poor judgment on his part. Had he tried to be more of a team player, this movie could have reached its full potential.
The Ebeling Brothers
Local group takes its act on the road will play in the streets Down Under
By DEBRA A. PETERSON
Special to the Kansan
From the outside, the Rock Chalk Bar, at 618 W. 12th St., looked like a Frank Lloyd Wright experiment in driftwood. But from the crowd assembled on the front porch last Wednesday night, it was clear that something besides architecture had attracted people there.
By 9:30 p.m., people had begun drifting inside. Some sit at picnic tables and workbenches or at the bar on stools with torn seats. Others ringed the tiny 4-by-8-foot dance floor in front of the performing area.
As customers poured in, bartender Geoff Mockbee pirouetted like a dancer from bar to refrigerator to cash register, puffing clouds of smoke around the cigarette in his mouth.
"They're slipping through the woodwork. Howard," he called to the ticket-taker. A half hour later, more than 50 people had jammed into the tiny bar.
The occasion was a performance by the Ebeling brothers, a 10-year old local band that plays the blues. But after their gig tonight at 9 p.m.at the Rock Chalk Bar, who want to hear the Ebelings' music will have to buy their newly released tape because the brothers will be 7,000 miles away playing music in Australia and New Zealand.
Terry Ebeling said the idea for the trip came when Billy Ebeling recently returned from a world tour, enthusiastic about the opportunities for street musicians in Australia and
New Zealand. He suggested that the other two brothers go back with him.
Billy and Tim Ebeling plan to leave July 10. Terry will join them at the end of the summer. Meanwhile, he will continue to play Wednesday nights at the Rock Chalk Bar.
Terry and Billy Ebeling have been overseas before, playing their guitars and harmonicas on the streets in Europe. They, with brother Tim on percussion, have played regularly in the Rock Clash bar Mo, and in the Rock Chalk Bar. Last weekend, they played at Kansas City's Spirit Festival.
Their father, Donald Ebeling, said,
"None of them had formal lessons.
They just picked biting it un."
All three brothers have worked part-time jobs to survive, Terry Ebeling said, and all three are looking forward to playing music full time on their tour because there aren't many places to play in Lawrence.
"Seems like it's hard to play live music and survive." Terry Ebeling said, "I'm tough for local bands. They are several hungry bands that are excellent."
The Jazzhaus, 926$^1$ Massachusetts St., has live music four nights a week, said P.J. Mather, a bartender there. She said that only about one-third of the bands that play there are local, and the others come from all over the country.
As they performed Wednesday night at the Rock Chalk Bar, the brothers seemed to be having a good time.
Billy, Tim and Terry Ebeling.
Terry Ebeling used a harmonica case to thump his homemade wash tub bass, an instrument he said he fell in love with when a musician started jamming with him on the streets of Phoenix.
Tim Ebeling tossed his spinning drumstick into the air and caught it as if he were the Johnny Carson of the music world.
Billy Ebeling, the slave-driver of
And as people got up on the dance floor to bop, sweep and shimmy, it didn't seem to matter that the room was empty. It was hard to carry on a conversation.
the trio, according to brother Terry, tortured his slide guitar as he growled about "Wishy Washy Women" and having "One Eye on the Road."
Nothing mattered but the blues
Calendar
9 a.m. — "Introduction to dBase III," a microcomputer workshop at the Academic Computing Center. Call 864-4291 for more information.
Today
2 p.m. — "Exploring Career Options," an Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center program in the International Room in the Kansas Union.
7 p.m. — "In Cold Blood,"
7 p.m. — "In Cold Blood," SUA film shown in Wooldraft Union in the Kansas Union. Admission is free. The SUA office on level 4 of the Union
8 p.m. — Carillon recital. Albert Gerken, University carillonneur.
8 p.m. — Lawrence Community and Musician's Concert. Live music in South Park, 12th and Massachusetts streets.
9:30 p.m. — MaHoots Live music at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
Tomorrow
Noon — Summer Youth Theatre performs for the Brown Bag Concert series in front of the First National Bank Building, 900 Massachusetts St. 2 p.m. — "Human Relations," an affirmative action workshop in 208 Strong Hall. Call Carla Anderson at 864-3664 to register
All day — Orientation for new College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students in the Kansas Union
**7 p.m. — “Casino Royale”**
**Going Hollywood,” SUA films shown in Woolfrift Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Admission is $2. Tickets are sold at the SUA office on level 4 of the Union.
7 p.m. — "The American Past with Calder Pickett," KANU FM— 91:5
8 p.m. — Midwestern Music Camp honors recital in Swarthout Hall in murphy Hall.
Friday
9 a.m. — "WordPerfect It," a microcomputer workshop at the Academic Computing Center, Call 864-4291 for more information.
1 p.m. " intermediate Wordstar " a microcomputer workshop at the Academic Computing Center. Call 864-4291 for more information.
7 p.m. — "Opera Is My Hobby with James Seaver," KANU FM— 91.5.
7-30 p.m. — Midwestern Music Camp jazz ensembles recital in Swathowt Jazz Hall in Murphy Hall
Swainborough Hecital Hall in Murphy Hall.
8 p.m. . . Observeary open house, weather permitting, at the Clyde W. Tombaugh Observatory, 500 Lindley Hall. Call 684-3166 for more information.
9 p.m. - The Lonesome Houndogs. Live music at the Rock Chalk Bar, 618 W. 12th St.
9:30 p.m. — Evan John and the H-Bombs. Live music at the Jazzahus, 92$^{1/2}$ Massachusetts St.
9:30 p.m. — Red Zone. Live music at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
Saturday
All day — Orientation for new College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students at the Kansas Union.
9 a.m. — "The Vintage Jazz Show with Michael Maher," KANU FM-91, 53
10 a.m. - "The Jazz Scene with Dick Wright," KANU FM-91.5.
10 a.m. — Midwestern Music camp piano recital in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall.
2 p.m. — Midwestern Music Camp concert in Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall.
9:30 p.m. — Evan John and the H-Bombs. Live music at the Jazzer. 92% Massachusetts St.
9 p.m. — Dashboard Buddha.
Live music at the Rock Chalk Bar, 618
W. 12th St.
5:30 p.m. — Red Zone. Live music at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.
Sunday
3 p.m. — Carillon recital. Mark Holmberg, assistant University carilonneur.
Monday
8-30 a.m. — "Our Solar System," "Aquatic Biology," and "Drawing From Nature." Three Museum of Natural History workshops for children ages 7 to 13. Through July 17. Call 864-4173 for more information.
9 a.m. — Sturgeon Memorial Writers Workshop in science fiction. The instructors for the five-day workshop are Frederick Pohl and James Gunn. Limited to 15 applicants. The fee is $250. Call James Gunn at 864-3771 for more information.
1 p.m. — “Beetles Bees and Bugs” and “Vanishing Prairies.” A historical History workshops for children aged 14 and up July 17. Call 864-1473 for information.
Tuesday
All day — Orientation for new College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students in the Kansas Union.
9 a.m. — "Intermediate MS-DOS," a microcomputer workshop in the Academic Computing Center. Call 864-4291 for more information.
1 p.m. - "WordPerfect ill," a microcomputer workshop in the Academic Computing Center, Call 864-4291 for more information
2 p.m. — "Preventing Sexual Harassment," an affirmative action workshop in 208 Strong Hall. Call 864-3686 to register.
8 p.m. — Midwestern Music Camp faculty and staff recital in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hall.
PC PURCHASE POWER EXTENDED TO STUDENTS/STAFF!
$895
The State of Kansas has contracted with Tandon for AT-compatible personal computers. These computers and others are now available through Computer Outlet to KU students, faculty and staff at low prices such as:
TANDON PCX-2
This PC-compatible has 640K RAM, two floppy disk drives, serial/parallel ports, DOS 3.1 and full one year warranty.
$1295
This powerful XT-compatible comes with a 20 MB disk drive, 640K RAM, a single floppy drive, serial/parallel ports, DOS 3.1 and one year warranty.
TANDON PCX-20
TANDON PCA-20
$1795
The PCA-20 is an "AT" compatible and comes with 1 MB of RAM, dual speed processor, dual video board, and high speed 20 MB hard drive, serial/parallel板 DOS 3.1, MS-Windows and a full one year warranty -- all for under $2000!
COMPUTER OUTLET
- Monitor not included
Your computer
connection at
843-PLUG • 804 N.H.
Lawrence, Kansas
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