Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 186

A selection from the Valley's two leading newspapers hf II fo sf nini "'ills UfoitAW 1M1BJ.i,i hi ii 15 a.ft,ir, Bthi m-wMmmlkma VIDEO: on wheels. Page 2. CLASSIFIEDS: Where to buy, sell, trade. Page 4. jJ FOOD: Middle Eastern cuisine.

Page 14. WHY: Fields of beans. Page 3. Wednesday, June 29, 1994-East I i nnlnnnnQ iff Iflf 0mm Costner range is impressive in role of Earp RATING: By Bob Fenster The Arizona Republic New lawmen in the wild West fought as many big duels as Wyatt Earp. His latest battle takes place at the box office, as Kevin Costner's "Wyatt Earp" has a showdown with Kurt Russell's rival "Tombstone." Costner's version of the Earp legend is bigger, bolder and more fascinating than "Tombstone." It's a far better movie.

But "Tombstone" has one thing in its favor: It got off first. "Tombstone," with its pop tale of gunfighters as gangsters, became a surprise hit in December. Whether enough movie lovers will want to see the Earp legend better told in a three-hour epic remains to be seen. While "Tombstone" narrowed its focus to cover the war between the Earps and the Clanton gang, "Wyatt Earp" recounts more of the family saga, beginning as Wyatt comes of age during the Civil War. See FENSTER, Page 14 ass? 1 'V- 3 r.

4 PrtiiWf won Ethan Miller THE PHOENIX GAZETTE "It's a lot of fun, but It also takes a lot of effort," says Steve Pace. He dances with contest partner Connie Haines. Country dancers two-step to contest JONES MOVIE FENSTER THWr The Um King Wyatt Earp itHrk City Slickers II Speed A'rVA'i Widows' Peak 'ickk'" Maverick- 'r "trick The Flintstones MA By Mary Ellen Gambon THE PHOENIX GAZETTE hp. music surrounds vnu like a whirlrjool. four to five hours a week, and then we go out dancing two or three nights a week." Haines says she's already counting on going to the finals.

Their most captivating number was the two-step their expertise and easy flirtation made them a crowd pleaser. As Haines pulled off Pace's hat, a chorus of screams erupted from the sidelines. Although he relishes competition and has participated in several contests, Pace says he also enjoys the friendliness of the people who come to watch. "The camaraderie here really means a lot," See DANCE, Page 2 push can compete for cash prizes and a chance to represent the area in the National Championships, scheduled for Dec. 7 at Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

National winners receive $10,000. At Cheyenne Cattle Co. in the second week of competition, it felt like a family reunion. Several couples danced before and after the contest or worked on the sidelines perfecting steps and teaching them to friends. Among those teaching were Steve Pace, 32, and Connie Haines, 26, both of Phoenix, who won the first two competitions.

"It's a lot of fun, but it also takes a lot of effort," Pace says. "We usually practice about Funky lights in hues of red and blue guide dancers to the waiting floor. No, this is not a flashback to "Saturday Night Fever." It's the Cheyenne Cattle where the Marlboro Country Nights Dance Showdown '94 is kicking into full swing. The contest, billed as the nation's largest and richest dance competition, includes 125 of the top country dance clubs in the United States. The local winner will shuffle over to the regional finals in Los Angeles on July 13.

Couples who know their two-step and tush 'Earp' suffers from history overload Fearless Jack Palance Los Angeles By Bill Jones THE PHOENIX GAZETTE othing has softened in Jack Palance since 1953 when he played the black-clad gunfighter RATING: -kick By Bill Jones THE PHOENIX GAZETTE Someone filled "Wyatt Earp's" holster with molasses. As entertainment, the movie is a bit slow on the draw. But as history, its aim is remarkably true. Lawrence Kasdan's three-hour epic about the West's most famous lawman is two hours of laborious back story and one hour of gunfights at the OK banal. Still, if you are familiar with the Earp saga, you will be impressed by the film's dogged determination to tell it like it was, even if it means diluting and confounding the narrative thread.

The film opens as Wyatt (Kevin Costner) and his brothers prepare to make history in a shootout with the Clanton and the McLaury gangs in Tombstone. Before the fireworks commence, however, the story lapses into a long flashback, beginning with Wyatt's days as a young man in the Midwest, where he is See JONES, Page 14 t- fc writer-star Billy Crystal, the cowboy way. The role netted the veteran actor his first Oscar. Because Curly died in the 1991 film, the writers were obliged to invent a twin brother for the sequel. This time Palance plays an old seafarer who helps Crystal and his city-slicker pals find Curly's gold.

Whatever you think of Palance, you have to respect his fearlessness. It's authentic. In a room full of rubber-stamp rebels dressed in T-shirts, jeans and sport coats, Palance wears a powder-blue summer suit with a matching tie. On the back of his right hand is a small swatch of emerald-green oil paint. In his spare time, the actor is an artist.

See PALANCE, Page 3 who faced down blond and buckskinned Alan Ladd in "Shane." At 75, Palance still possesses a steely gaze that challenges the whole room. And his big granite face you could still break a barrel slat across it without changing his expression. He sits at a table flanked by reporters. The subject is "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold." In the first "City Slickers," Palance played Curly, the crusty trail boss who showed three city dudes, including Actor Jack Palance comes by his toughness naturally. As a boy he worked In the Pennsylvania coal mines and later tried his hand at professional boxing.

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