and Lotto Box live only on Channel 10.
Can the John and Yoko TV movie capture the Beatle spirit? Why is Miami Shores
fed up with showbiz? Could Emu whip Burt two out of three falls? What's in the
cards for Riptide's Tom Bray? Entertainment Tonight sprints for the
finish on Friday August 9th 1985. You couldn't beat my dingy.
Hello everyone I'm Rob Weller and I'm Mary Hart. Rocker Bruce Springsteen fresh
from Triumph in Cleveland tonight adds Chicago to his series of sellouts on tour
with Born in the USA. Springsteen's musical portrait of good and bad times
in America has added his name to the legend roster of rock and roll. It started
of course with the King Elvis Presley and then the Beatles assumed the crown.
The most famous Beatle of them all the late John Lennon. Imagine a television
movie depicting the 14-year love affair between John Lennon and Yoko Ono then
picture it being filmed in London and starring two actors who bear a striking
resemblance to the famous couple they portray. I'm hoping to play him well I do
play him very cynical at times but also very warm and very loving very hurtful
I can't afford to fall into the trouble playing him like a hero I don't I can't
afford to look up to him while I'm doing it. I think she's a woman of great
strength someone with a very unique and individual mind. Liverpool native Mark
McGann and Kim Meori former co-star of TV St. Elsewhere had the cast of John and
Yoko a love story a three-hour NBC movie. The film begins in the Beatle years and
ends with Lennon's death. These people had three or four major events a week
over a 14-year period so I had to make decisions as to which of those events I
was going to capture on film. In all the research it really comes down to people's
points of view of her and of John and their lives together as much as you want
to be accurate all it comes down to is really my point of view as well. If it's
a tribute it's only a tribute because it's we're trying to get as close to
his life as possible if people have this idea of John Lennon that he was an angel
and they're gonna get shattered by this film and it's a very silly idea anyway
you know because he wasn't. More than 30 Beatle songs and Lennon compositions are
included in the story although not all in their original form. What we've done
is to rerecord certain tracks with Mark McGann who's playing John Lennon
singing John Lennon. More than a trip down music's memory lane the
dramatization adheres to the theme of its title. It's a love story primarily
about two people who were very deeply in love.
The Karate Kid is number one on the latest Billboard list of video cassette
rentals. Starman is second then Falcon and the Snowman, The Flamingo Kid and a
Soldier Story. Over on the Billboard best-selling video cassette list, top
spot goes to Pinocchio followed by Jane Fonda's workout We Are the World, the
Video Event, WrestleMania and Singing in the Rain. There's also news for buyers of
record albums and audio cassettes. The nation's top record companies will be
putting warning labels on recordings which contain sexually explicit lyrics.
More plans are afoot to mix politics and show business. Actor Fess Parker who
fought on TV's frontier is Davy Crockett says he's considering a run for the US
Senate next year in California. Parker currently is seeking the Republican
Party's stamp of approval and there was a party to commemorate a big win last
night in Hollywood. The cast of The Young and the Restless got together to
celebrate winning five daytime Emmys including the award for best soap.
Al Owens reports. And the winner is Tracy Berg Bregman from The Young and the Restless.
And the winner is Beth Laitland for Young and the Restless. The Young and the Restless.
This show has won many Emmys since it first went on the air 12 years ago.
But this year's crop of winners is the show's biggest. Not only was it a time to
raise glasses of good cheer and to share congratulatory embraces but it was a time
to talk about what winning all those Emmys could mean in the future. You're
going to have another area of audience that will sample you that maybe didn't
watch the show before. They're going to see what is the show all about that it
earned an Emmy and you're going to end up with some of that audience. There's
been a lot more recognition and what's nice is it looks like the industry is
finally recognizing daytime people. It will raise my name value just a little
bit. Now people won't say Beth Maitland who's that girl? Sounds familiar. It'll be
Beth Maitland she won an Emmy for a soap. How cool.
Al Owens Entertainment Tonight. As we head into the second half of the summer
three more movies are going into wide release today. My Science Project, Pee-Wee's
Big Adventure and Summer Rental. Summer Rental is among many movies recently
made in Florida, a state which usually goes out of its way to promote location
filming by movies and TV shows. But there are a couple of exceptions. Monday we
reported on efforts to halt location filming in Palm Beach. Now add suburban
Miami Shores to the list. Scott Osborne has that story. Hollywood producers
enjoy a standing invitation to film in Florida. Hello I'm Bob Graham governor of
Florida. Since the 1900s our state has had an enthusiasm for the film industry.
There is no place quite like Florida. With its range of film locations Florida lured more than
187 million dollars worth of film and TV work to the state last year. But one
Florida community suburban Miami Shores is having second thoughts about the
motion picture and TV production business. An ordinance regulating
commercial picture activity in Miami Shores. The village council approved a
law that puts strict limits on location film work. All those in favor signify by
saying aye. Aye. All those opposed. No. It has always been a residential community and
we've tried to you know try to keep commercial activity out of here. By
opening the door to the film industry you are beginning to commercialize your
residential areas. Miami Vice is filmed at this striking house in Miami Shores.
This residence appeared in two commercials. These homes too have served
as film locations. South Florida recognized a long time ago we can't have
an economy that's built entirely on tourism and drugs. The village council
turned down the zoning board recommendation that all film work be
banned. Well we can live with it. We naturally would just as well have had
it not even happen at all. They're undoing years decades of effort on the
part of the whole state of Florida toward developing film production in the
state. While Florida welcomes filmmakers with open arms Miami Shores now offers a
more cautious welcome. Scott Osborne entertainment tonight.
Next Rona Barrett has a first look at Michael Termino's controversial Year of
the Dragon. Hand ahead Bert and Charles go one-and-one with Rod and Emu.
Reagan, Rourke, Rambo and Rona are up next. Senior correspondent Rona Barrett is here
with news of a controversial new movie, a never-ending merchandising onslaught and
a surprise visit by the president. Rona. Thank you Rob. President Ronald Reagan
arrives in California on Sunday for a three-week vacation and arrangements are
being made for him to visit actor Rock Hudson at the UCLA Medical Center where
Hudson has been hospitalized with AIDS. The White House as we go to broadcast
would not confirm the story but top Republican sources in California say the
report is accurate. In other news one week from today a crime thriller called
Year of the Dragon opens and it is destined to become one of 1985's most
controversial films. Much attention will be focused on it because the 18 million
dollar movie is director Michael Termino's first since 1980's Heaven's Gate
a 40 million dollar disaster which led to the sale of United Artists to MGM in
1981. Year of the Dragon has already drawn sharply divided reaction at its
advanced press screenings. You either love it or hate it. The reason in one
word, violence. The film is a cross between Serpico and a Chinese version of
The Godfather. It stars Mickey Rock as a hard-bitten cop who wages an all-out war
against a gang lord in New York's Chinatown. In the process this dragon
spills as much blood as Rambo. And speaking of Rambo, the Rambo merchandising
mania marches on. A spokesperson for the company licensing the onslaught of
Rambo posters, buttons, t-shirts and other spin-offs says the phenomenon now will
invade Europe, South America, Israel and other countries. Next up by Christmas all
over the world will be Rambo casual wear for men and boys. Rambo skateboards,
Rambo radios and last but hardly least a whole line of Rambo greeting cards.
Before it's over this marketing blitzkrieg is expected to gross over a
hundred and fifty million dollars. And finally take a look at the ultimate
Rambo spin-off. That's Rambo and he costs six dollars. Have a nice weekend everyone.
Mary? Thank you Rona. Family vacations are big this summer. Chevy Chase took the
gang to Europe and John Candy opted for the sandy beaches of Florida. Leonard
Maltins in a darkened theater somewhere in Hollywood with word on Candy's new
comedy Summer Rental. You want to know how bad it's gotten? I go to see a movie
called Summer Rental with John Candy and I expect it to be stupid. Why? Because
all the comedies I've been seeing lately are stupid, even the ones that make me
laugh. Well the laughs on me this time because Summer Rental isn't stupid. It's
nice and it's funny. And John Candy plays a real guy, not a cartoon character. The
film's one caricature is the bad guy played by Richard Krena, a rich jerk who
thinks he owns a Florida resort town until Candy stands up to him. He took a
vacation away from my family. Now I'm gonna take something away from you. What
can you take from me? That. What? My cup? Yeah. You think you can out sail me? Yes.
You couldn't beat my dinghy. Really? Really. You want a bet? Of course there's a bet
and of course there's a race, but the crux of this leisurely paced movie isn't
a race. It's a series of very recognizable incidents in one family's
summer vacation. There's a nice warm feeling to this movie and a lot of funny
ideas too, but what makes it work is the people. John Candy is likeable and
believable. So is Karen Austin as his wife and the three youngsters who play
as kids. Rip Torn comes through with another delightful performance as a
local sea salt and Carl Reiner has directed it all with a very light touch.
Maybe too light at times. The film is kind of soft, but in the sea of sludge
that passes his summertime comedy, it's refreshing to find something that isn't
dumb, that isn't raunchy, that isn't loud, that is funny. So I'm giving Summer
Rental an 8. I'm Leonard Malton, Entertainment Tonight. Our survey of
moviegoers on both coasts rates current movies on an A to D scale. Here's a
rundown of what's playing and how each made the movie track grade.
Since the first of the year cable TV viewing has shown a continual decline,
but one of the bright spots continues to be sports programming. HBO is using that
fact and adding humor to come up with a new sitcom about football called First
and Ten. Kickoff for the comedy is Saturday night. ESPN meanwhile has jumped
on the wrestling roller derby bandwagon. Beginning August 27th the pro wrestling
series will debut followed by a roller derby game. After last summer's Olympics
ESPN took the world's fastest woman and put her behind a microphone, but Evelyn
Ashford has more on her mind than running for the gold or doing TV
commentary and Simon has an update. I want to do it all. I do want to continue
running because that's my first love. It was a year ago this week when the eyes
of the world focused on the women's 100 meter finals. But it's Ashford who wins
it and the time is 10.98. Life has changed since that glorious day for
Evelyn Ashford. Today she's the mother of a three-month-old baby girl named
Rayena. I'd always planned since I was I guess about 21 after I got married that
if I won a gold medal in the Olympic Games then I'd have a baby the next year
because I have done the ultimate I felt. Did you run when you were pregnant? It
was a major decision for me. I didn't I just never thought it was a good idea. I
think it's good to stay to stretch maybe but not to jar the baby. I just
didn't I felt that running would jar the baby too much and I just want to do that.
Evelyn after being in peak condition for so many years what was it like putting
your body through such a tremendous transition? I went right from being in
top physical condition running world record you know doing all these things
to putting on weight and not exercising every day and it was hard hard for me I
could feel I felt I could feel it it was a heaviness. But the world's fastest
woman is back on track. Besides a home life with husband Ray and newborn
daughter she's a commentator for ESPN. On top of all that she's determined to
continue running competitively although she does have her priorities. On a scale
from one to ten my baby is number one and the gold medals and the world
records are number two. Actor Tom Bray who plays the comical computer whiz on
TV's Riptide likes his sports competition a little more on the sedate
side. He collects baseball cards. Dick Shoemaker has more. I'm leaving the
agency. Tom Bray is a member of Riptide's team of TV detectives. He plays
computer expert Murray Bosinski who in real life is Tom Bray avid collector of
baseball cards found in packages of bubblegum. Well I like to collect and set
some people collect individual stars. Pete Rose is of course one of them and
Gary Carter and Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson. Here's a page of Frank Robinson
I'm sure Frank would be thrilled to know that he's sitting in my living room. I
say they'd go maybe for ten dollars each and I paid maybe 78 cents a piece for
them. It's a bull market for baseball cards folks let me tell you but what I
hope to do is instead of selling them is to trade them. And what better place to
trade than the recent National Baseball Card Convention in Anaheim California
but Bray the collector couldn't quite escape being recognized as Bosinski from
Riptide. Don't spend too much money there make sure you get good stuff. But the
subject at hand baseball cards and where to find the right one. Well I'll tell you
if I can only find that tops 52 Mickey Mantle I could mortgage my house and
maybe buy it. How much is this 52 Mantle? $2,000. $2,000 for that 52 Mantle.
Former ballplayer actor Chuck Connors is also on hand to sign baseball cards but
do any other stars buy bubblegum just to get baseball cards. I know for example
Mark Harmon I know you're probably behind there chewing right now. Ed Bagley I
know you're at home. I know my co-stars Perry King and Joe
Penney are probably at the drugstore right now buying the 1985 tops baseball
cards. Actress Grayson Hall died of cancer Wednesday in New York City at the
age of 58. She was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting
actress in 1964 for her role in Night of the Iguana. TV viewers knew her as Dr.
Julia Hoffman in the daytime series Dark Shadows. And silent film star Louise
Brooks died in Rochester New York yesterday of a heart attack at the age
of 78. Brooks is best remembered for the 1929 German classic Pandora's Box and for
her recent writings about Hollywood in the silent era. Rambo in the buff Bert
and the bird. Those stories and more when Entertainment Tonight returns. And check
your local listings for time and station this weekend as Entertainment This Week
spotlights Perry King, Shirley MacLaine, St. Louis shortstop Ozzie Smith, Ryan
Adams and future star Michael J. Fox is profiled by Roto Barrett. This weekend
only on Entertainment This Week. So far this summer the new Sesame Street movie
starring Big Bird hasn't exactly been Big Box Office but there's another bird
around Hollywood who's making quite a name for himself.
Dick Shoemaker reports. This British TV show features two of the BBC's most
popular personalities. Rod Hall and his bird Emu. Both are now in this country on
shows like the half hour comedy hour surprising stars like Burt Reynolds.
What is that? Under your arm. No under your arm.
This is Emu. Yes Emu. Get your breakfast. But what about Emu's violent reputation?
Violent? He's not violent. I mean why did you say that? He's very nice. If you just
stroke him like that go diggle diggle diggle. You see? Do you like to have a little go?
No I know what happens. Oh you coward. Maybe somebody should have warned Burt Reynolds.
That's right.
The October issue of Playgirl will pack a one-two punch. One photo spread will
feature boxer Hector Macho Camacho in the all together. Another will highlight the
Rambo Man Sylvester Stallone. The nude photos which Playgirl paid a pretty
penny for came from a soft porn film Stallone made long before Rocky was a
knockout at the movies. The film was originally called A Party at Kitty and
Studs and then later changed to the Italian Stallion after Sly and Rocky
became household names. Sort of boxers without boxers or something. Monday on
Entertainment Tonight on location with Tom Cruise star of Top Gun and part three
of our series blonde and blue spotlighting Jane Mansfield. And don't
forget to join Rob and Lisa Gibbons this weekend for another installment of
entertainment this week. Today we're gonna wrap up the week with Wham's
latest video. It's called Freedom and it includes footage from their recent tour
of China. See you Monday. Have a good weekend.
Join us tomorrow night as Natalie Cole sings Dangerous and Cool and the Gang
perform their hit Fresh. Also John Denver Howard Jones in a special interview with
the Beach Boys all on solid gold. Now stay tuned for Santana and Heart in
Concert on WJR TV now broadcasting in stereo.