Trevor Nunn's follow-up to My Fair Lady, a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 40s classic musical South Pacific, has been widely anticipated.

Another lavish musical, another production with more than an eye to the National's box office.

The question - apart from whether the National should be staging such shows - has been whether the show would repeat My Fair Lady's runaway success.

On first glance, the answer is it could well do - Nunn has teamed up again with Matthew Bourne as choreographer to produce a show of enormous energy and fun, with a good ensemble cast and a beautiful set.

'Central relationship does not quite ring true'

The sexual frustration of the US army boys and girls stationed on a remote island in World War II shines through in the marvellously physical crowd numbers, Nothing Like A Dame and Wash That Man Right Out Of my Hair.

Meanwhile the show's more serious themes - racism, inequality and the inhumanity of war - work well for a 21st Century audience.

Nunn makes a serious attempt to deal with these sensitively, and uses the set to make his points for him - as the show opens, the serenity of the island is destroyed by exercising soldiers.

The production also makes the most throughout of a jeep and anti-aircraft gun that should really have programme billing, the number of appearances they make.

'Charm'

The racial prejudice of the two central characters, Lieutenant Joe Cable and Ensign Nellie Forbush, is tackled head-on, using the audience's loss of sympathy for the characters as a dramatic force.

We are kept hooked as Joe is destroyed by confrontation with his inner self, while Nellie, in her own crisis, finds strength and a second chance for happiness.

But this darker element plays second fiddle to the show's joie de vivre and sometimes feels rushedin favour of of the big numbers.

Of course, there is no Martine McCutcheon to grab the headlines.

'Wash that man: Ensemble pieces are enormous fun'

But Lauren Kennedy as Nellie has undoubted charm and a great voice, which could be exploited even further.

She would benefit from a stronger stage presence to carry solo scenes, but hopefully that will come.

Her beau, Philip Quast as the mysterious Frenchman Emile de Becque, also uses his superb voice to great effect and lends the production a serious mien, despite an accent which seems at times borrowed from 'Allo 'Allo.

Their relationship never quite convinces, however, and their scenes appear pallid compared to the big numbers.

Sheila Francisco is excellent - perhaps the best in the show - as a larger than life Bloody Mary, the island trader who becomes closely involved in the characters' lives.

And Nick Holder as clowning SeaBee Luther Billis is another, literally, oversized creation who enjoys taking every chance he can to steal the scene.

Edward Baker-Duly as the doomed Lieutenant Joe Cable gives a sensitive portrayal as the all-American boy from Princeton who ends up destroyed by the islands.

Overall, this is another cracking show, with its few flaws unlikely to stop anyone having a great night out.

South Pacific is on at the National Theatre in London.

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Mis--casting:

When Billy Wilder was casting "Some Like It Hot" in 1959, he originally chose Frank Sinatra and Mitzi Gaynor, along with Jack Lemmon. But when Sinatra stood him up for an important lunch to discuss the party, Wilder re-cast Tony Curtis.

Then Wilder learned that Marilyn Monroe was very interested in playing Sugar Cane. So Mitzi was gone, and Marilyn was in. The AFI recently named this classic comedy as the Best Comedy Ever.
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BRITISH ACTOR JOHN THAW ('INSPECTOR MORSE') DIES:

Actor John Thaw, star of "Inspector Morse" and "The Sweeney", has died at the age of 60.
He had been battling cancer of the oesophagus and died at his home in Wiltshire.
His wife, actress Sheila Hancock, said: "John died with his family around him.
"We have all been so grateful for the thousands of letters and messages from people wishing him well.

"Everyone, including the media, has been wonderful during this difficult period.
"I would like them all to know how much their support and understanding has meant to him and to all of us."
Thaw's public admission on 19 June that he was undergoing treatment for cancer of the oesophagus made front-page news.
It was delivered with characteristic bluntness.
In a statement Thaw said: "I am receiving treatment for cancer of the oesophagus. As soon as this has been completed, I intend to return to work."
The star had been planning to resume work in spring, filming two more episodes of the ITV drama 'Kavanagh QC'.

Cult status
He had been married to Ms Hancock since 1973. Between them they had three daughters, Melanie Jane, from Hancock's first marriage, Abigail from Thaw's first marriage and Joanne.
Ms Hancock herself fought back from breast cancer 13 years ago.
Thaw's big break was as the tough-talking, no nonsense policeman in 'The Sweeney'.
The series lasted only three years but it has attained a cult status.

The role that was to define Thaw's career began in 1985 when he was cast as the cerebral Inspector Morse, based on the books by Colin Dexter.
When the character was finally killed off on screen in 2000 there was a sense of mourning, as 13 million people tuned in.
Television producer Ted Childs had tea with Thaw and Ms Hancock on Wednesday last week to discuss planned episodes of 'Kavanagh QC'.
"John was as he has been throughout his illness, very positive, funny and self-effacing," he said.
"He clearly was not very well.
"But he was anxious to get back to work and had a great sense of humour.
Childs, who worked on programmes with Thaw for nearly 30 years, added: "We also talked about the old times, working on 'The Sweeney', and it was very funny."


FEBRUARY MOVIE NEWS
22- Roger Ebert, movie reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times since 1967, undergoes surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his thyroid gland. The prognosis is for a "a quick and complete recovery."
22- Lucille Lund, B-movie actress of the 1930s most famous for her roles in classic horror films such as that of Boris Karloff's wife and stepdaughter in THE BLACK CAT (1934), dies at age 89.
21- Hubert de Givenchy, Parisian fashion designer who outfitted Audrey Hepburn in such films as FUNNY FACE (1957), BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961) and CHARADE (1963), celebrates his 75th birthday.
20- Screenwriter and author Stephen Longstreet, who wrote more than 100 fiction and nonfiction books and, during his tenure at Warner Bros. in the 1940s and '50s, contributed to such films as THE JOLSON STORY (1946) and THE HELEN MORGAN STORY (1957), dies of pneumonia at 94.
20- Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning star of LILIES OF THE FIELD (1963) and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967), celebrates his 75th birthday.
17- Joan Collins, 68-year-old film and television actress best known for her role as Alexis Colby on "Dynasty," marries 36-year-old theatre manager Percy Gibson (her fifth husband) at a ceremony in London.
17- The debut of a restored version of Charlie Chaplin's World War II Nazi satire THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940), complete with a digitally remastered soundtrack, closes the Berlin Film Festival. The classic comedy is set to go into general release in theatres across France and Japan in October.
15- The Cannes Film Festival announces it will honor classic MGM musical dancer Cyd Charisse, whose films include SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952), THE BAND WAGON (1953) and BRIGADOON (1954), on May 26 with an event at the Cinematheque de la Danse in Paris which will include a screening of SILK STOCKINGS (1957), Charisse's favorite film with Fred Astaire.
15- Ernest Borgnine, 85-year-old Oscar-winning star of such films as FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) and MARTY (1955), signs a three-picture deal with Universal Studios, the first of which will be CRIMEBUSTERS (2003).
13- Carol Lynley, former teen model turned actress whose film appearances of the 1960s included roles in RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE (1961), UNDER THE YUM YUM TREE (1963) and BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING (1965), celebrates her 60th birthday.
9- Kathryn Grayson, leading MGM soprano of the 1940s and '50s best known for her leading roles in SHOW BOAT (1951) and KISS ME KATE (1955), celebrates her 80th birthday.
8- John Williams, prolific Oscar-winning film composer whose classic films scores have included HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966), VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967) and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972), celebrates his 70th birthday.
6- Film exhibitor Cowboy Pictures reaches an agreement with Janus Films, a production company whose films of the 1940s through 1960s included Jean Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946) and Henri-Georges Clouzot's WAGES OF FEAR (1953), to bring the company's library of classic international films back to movie theatres, six per year, beginning in April.
6- Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-born blonde beauty whose film roles include WE'RE NOT MARRIED (1952), TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) and DROP DEAD DARLING (1966), celebrates her 85th birthday.
6- Guy Stockwell, older brother of child star Dean Stockwell and actor himself whose film appearances included THE WAR LORD (1965), BEAU GESTE (1966) and AIRPORT 1975 (1974), dies at age 68.
5- Annalee Whitmore Fadiman, famed World War II journalist and MGM screenwriter whose work film work included ANDY HARDY MEETS DEBUTANTE (1940), commits suicide after suffering from breast cancer and Parkinson's disease at age 85.
4- George Nader, muscular screen actor of the 1950s whose film appearances included roles in ROBOT MONSTER (1953), SIX BRIDGES TO CROSS (1955) and AWAY ALL BOATS (1956), dies of pneumonia at age 80.
1- Hildegard Knef, smoky-voiced German actress and torch singer whose more than 50 film appearances included such Hollywood productions as DECISION BEFORE DAWN (1951) and THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO (1952), dies of complications from emphysema at 76.




Just to say WELCOME, and hope you enjoy this Web Site !

NEWS ABOUT THE STARS:
*CAGE AND PRESLEY SPLIT*

Actor Nicolas Cage and girlfriend Lisa Marie Presley have separated after 10 months together.
The star of Captain Corelli's Mandolin had been with Elvis's daughter since last year but their split was confirmed in a joint statement.

It said: "Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley ended their 10-month relationship two weeks ago. They hope to remain friendly."

Cage has been married twice, to model Kristina Fulton, with whom he has a nine-year-old son, and to Patricia Arquette, from whom he was divorced in 2001.

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* OSCAR FOUND!*
Oscar host Whoopi Goldberg's own Academy Award turned up in a rubbish bin after thieves stole it, it has been revealed.
The actress, who won a best supporting Oscar for Ghost in 1991, sent the trophy to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences so it could be sent away for cleaning and replating.

The package was shipped from Los Angeles to Chicago by United Parcel Service (UPS) but when it arrived at the statue's manfacturers the box was empty.
MyOscar will never leave my house again!

Whoopi Goldberg

Goldberg's spokesman Brad Cafarelli said someone had opened the packaging, removed the award and resealed the box.

He said security staff at Ontario, California, airport found the trophy discarded in a bin.

In 2000, 55 statues were stolen as they were being delivered from the manufacturers and later all but three were found in a skip.

Fence

Three men were arrested and convicted of theft, resulting in jail sentences or probation.

All Oscar trophies are numbered and Goldberg's was engraved with her name, making it extremely difficult to sell on without detection.

"I don't know how in the world they would ever fence the darn thing," said Academy spokesman John Pavlik.

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*HILDEGARD KNEF DIES AT 76.*

Hildegard Knef, the actress and singer who starred in Germany's first post-World War II movie and scandalised church officials with a nude scene in 1951, has died in a Berlin clinic aged 76.
She had been admitted to the hospital with a lung infection, hospital officials said.
Knef's health had declined after emergency surgery last year.
"She was the voice of Berlin and one of Germany's greatest international stars," said Dieter Kosslick, the director of the Berlin film festival.
He said the festival, which opens next week, would adjust its programme to honour her.

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*PLANET OF THE APES - HEALTH RISK*

The producers of the Hollywood movie Planet of the Apes are being taken to court in Los Angeles over claims that some film extras were exposed to dangerous substances on set.
It is alleged that minor cast members were exposed to hazardous materials for extended periods of time while filming dust storm scenes.
The lawsuit was filed by Jeffrey Clark on behalf of all the extras who took part in the shooting of a dust storm scene. The film, which opened in cinemas last year, was a remake of the classic ape adventure from the 1960s, and starred Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter.
But the actors who played apes and humans claim they were exposed to a substance known as fuller's earth, which allegedly contains a lung irritant and has the potential to cause cancer.
It is claimed that the extras were not supplied with protection masks and that they were exposed to the substance for six to eight hours a day.
The lawsuit alleges that the film's studio removed labels from bags of the powder which warned of the possible cancer risk. The Fox Entertainment Group and the Entertainment Partner Service Group face allegations which include fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The bit-part actors are seeking compensation and a share of the film's profits.
A spokeswoman for the Fox Group said the company had no comment on the lawsuit.

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*GEORGE NADER DIES*

Actor George Nader, who is best known for his starring role in the 1950s kitsch sci-fi classic Robot Monster, has died at the age of 80. The actor died from pneumonia at the Motion Picture Country Home, near Los Angeles, his publicist said. Nader was also well known as one of the inner circle of the late actor Rock Hudson. His long-term partner, Mark Miller, was Hudson's secretary for many years. Nader was named as a beneficiary in Hudson's will after the actor's death in 1985.

In 1986, Hudson's biographer,, Sara Davidson, said Nader and Miller were key members of "Rock's family for most of his adult life". Tony Curtis, who appeared with Nader in the 1955 crime drama Six Bridges to Cross, called him "one of the kindest and most generous men I've ever known". Nader became an actor after serving in World War II. 'Robot Monster', in 1953, in which he battled an alien, was his big break. The cheaply-shot film - it was made in just four days - became an instant cult classic among connoisseurs of amusingly bad movies. But it also made money at the box office. Nader won a Golden Globe Award as best male newcomer of 1954. He went on to appear in 'Sins of Jezebel', with Paulette Goddard, and 'The Female Animal', with Hedy Lamarr. Among his more serious projects was a role in the 1956 war drama 'Away All Boats'. In the 1960s, Nader moved to Germany, where he became famous for his portrayals of the tough FBI agent Jerry Cotton in eight crime thrillers shot in Europe. He retired from acting in 1973 and took up writing. His 1978 novel, Chrome, portrays the forbidden love between a man and a robot set in a tyrannical future. It was considered groundbreaking for its portrayal of a homosexual relationship.
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Mis--casting:
John Patrick Shanley had Sally Field in mind for the lead when he wrote "Moonstruck" (1987). But no studio would buy Sally as an Italian-American. So it was suggested that Cher play the part.

Not only did the studio find Cher right for the role, but so did the Academy when she won the Oscar for Best Actress of 1987.

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"THE CINEMA IS DEAD !" say's Greenaway:

British film director Peter Greenaway has accused today's filmmakers of killing the medium with cynicism and laziness.
Speaking to The Times, Mr Greenaway said: "Cinema is dead.

"In the early 1950s and 1960s the whole family would go to the cinema every week of the year.

"Now you're hard-pressed to find someone who goes once a year."



I want to create a project that says 'goodbye cinema, hello new language'

Peter Greenaway
He blamed film's reliance on literary adaptations, dismissing the recent box office hits The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone as "cynical exercises in making a quick buck".

Films should be more than adjuncts to bookshops, he said.

The artform must "reinvent itself and produce original work that stretched the imagination", he said, rather than churn out formulaic pictures that were like thousands of others.

Mr Greenaway's assertions about the UK box office are not supported by the available evidence.

According to Screen Digest and the BFI, UK cinema audiences hit their lowest point in 1984 when 54 million visits were made.


Rossellini: Lined up for Greenaway's next project

The total number of film attendances has risen almost every year since then, to 142.5 million in 2000 - the highest figure since 1972.

In March Mr Greenaway starts shooting his next film project, The Tulse Luper Suitcases.

The director plans to make a trilogy of 120-minute feature films covering the life of Tulse Luper, a "professional prisoner" whose crimes include espionage, embezzlement and murder.

Mr Greenaway said he wants to use the films to break away from older cinematic forms.

"I want to create a huge project that says 'goodbye cinema, hello new language'," he said.

Cult status

The films will be released in parallel with a series of DVDs, CD-Roms, books, TV films and websites, designed to draw audiences into the story and the characters.

Isabella Rossellini, the actress daughter of Ingrid Bergman, will star in The Tulse Luper Suitcases.

Mr Greenaway's filmmaking has often been controversial, but his multi-layered and visually sumptuous films - such as The Draughtsman's Contract and Prospero's Books - have often crossed into mainstream cinema while maintaining a cult status with fans.

THE TOP FIVE:

Have you ever thought about what your five all time favorite movies are?

A few year ago, some of America's top critics were asked to name their top five. Here were the results:

Joel Siegal of "Good Morning America":
Casablanca/ Citizen Kane/
Pinocchio/ Raging Bull/ The Wizard of Oz.

Guy Flatley of Cosmopolitan:
City Lights / The Maltese Falcon /
Singin' in the Rain / Raging Bull / Manhatten.

Andrew Sarris of Village Voice:
Sunrise / Vertigo / The Magnificient
Ambersons / The Searchers / The Great Dictator.

William Wolf of Gannet News Service:
Citizen Kane / Modern Times /
Treasure of the Sierra Madre /
Casablanca / Intolerance.

Stephen Schiff of Vanity Fair:
Seven Chances / Trouble in Paradise /
Swing Time / Touch of Evil / Godfather I & II.

Peter Travis of People:
Vertigo / 2001: A Space Odyssey / Lady from
Shanghai / The Searchers / Annie Hall.

Michael Medved of Sneak Previews:
Casablanca / Mr Smith Goes to
Washington / The Godfather II / The Grapes of
Wrath/ Fantasia.

Bruce Williamson of Playboy: Citizen Kane / Godfather I & II / Modern
Times / Nashville / Singin' in the Rain.

David Ansen of Newsweek :
Sherlock Jr / Trouble in Paradise /
The Awful Truth / Magnificient Ambersons /
McCabe and Mrs Miller.

Jay Carr of Boston Globe:
Gold Rush / Footlight Parade / Sunrise/
Casablanca / My Darling Clementine.

(Some of these critics may no longer be with said
publications.)

So, can you come up with your favorite five movies of all time?
I'm still working on my list!

Cheers, Lon +

The Oscars for 2001 are going to be presented Sunday night. And here are my predictions. I'm really going to stick my neck out here. After all,
what fun is there in playing it safe?

I think there are some interesting comparisons between 2001 and the Oscars presented 50 years ago for the year 1951.

The Best Picture race for 1951 (presented in 1952) was too close to call with "A Place In the Sun" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" running neck
and neck. When "Sun's" director, George Stevens, won, it was a good indication the movie would also win the top prize as usually the two go hand in hand. In fact, by the time the Best Picture was to be announced, some of the audience was already heading for the door to beat the crowd.
But they were stopped dead in their tracks when the envelope was opened and the winner was MGM's musical, "An American In Paris."

Apparently the front runners,"Sun"and "Streetcar," had cancelled each other out opening the door for Gene Kelly's Paris musical to take it home.

Now, exactly 50 years later, a similar scenario is developing. "A Beautiful Mind" and "The Lord of the Rings" are too close to call. Ron Howard may
win Best Director for "Mind." But I think another Paris musical will step up to the plate to win Best Picture: the red windmill, "Moulin Rouge."

If I were voting, however, my favorite movie for 2001 is "In the Bedroom," a look at how, under unusual and devastating circumstances, a "normal"
American family can be capable for anything.

Tomorrow: How the Best Actor and Actress races are similar to 1951.

Comment:
Aw hell dad, they will be awarding the best picture Oscar Sunday night, but you can bet your ass it won't be Moulin Rouge,
A Beautiful Mind reigns.....tomorrow I will come up with a snazzy retort to your dialogue on the best actors.

My son's opinions to the contrary (ahem!), I still think it would be fun if Moulin Rouge upsets the Oscar apple cart and brings a bit of fresh
air to an otherwise stuffy awards show. Now then....

Some comparisons between Best Actress for 1951 and 2001.
For 1951, Vivien Leigh was one of two front runners for her work in "A Streetcar Named Desire." A veteran, she had won 12 years earlier for "Gone With the Wind." The other front runner was a young star by the name of Shelley Winters for "A Place in the Sun." Shelley was half way down the aisle before she realized that Ronald Coleman had read
Vivien Leigh's name as the winner.

For 2001, it's Sissy Spacek's Oscar to lose for "In the Bedroom." Like Leigh, she's a vet with one Oscar under her belt. She won 21 years ago
for "Coal Miner's Daughter." And like Leigh, a younger star is nippin' at her heels (or wherever). Halle Barry is making a strong bid for "Monster's
Ball." My prediction: Sissy will get her other bookend.

For Best Actor: In 1951 a youngster named Marlon Brando was expected to bring home the gold for "Streetcar." But the surprise winner was
old-timer Humphrey Bogart for "The African Queen."

For 2001, youngster Russell Crowe is in the lead for "A Beautiful Mind." But my gut sez old-timer Denzel Washington will get the prize for playing
against type in "Training Day."

For Supporting Actors: Ian McKellen for "The Lord of the Rings," and Jennifer Connelly for "A Beautiful Mind." For Director, I'll go with
Ron Howard for "Mind." All would get my vote except Washington. I would have voted for Tom Wilkinson for "In the Bedroom."

So tune in Sunday night and see how right (or wrong) I am!

Cheers, Lon +