Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 83

AS BURY PARK PRESS I SUNDAY, NOV. 13,2005 -n COMING ATTRACTIONS COMING ATTRACTIONS 10 Mexican cuisine in Long Branch Two looks at 21st-century rudeness 'American Splendor' writer Harvey Pekar on life after movie fame FLOS Movies 2 Movie times 3 Best Bets 4 Music 5 Columns 8 Puzzles 13 Kathy Dzielak Entertainment Editor (732) 643-4265 Chris M. Junior Copy Editor (732) 643-4254 11 mm mm -JM M. tVNNE truss V. Talk to ne Hand '1 ne evening in 1956, four Asbury Park teenagers gathered on Mattison Avenue for the first-ever rehearsal of a singing group that would soon take the neighborhood by storm, The Mar-Keys.

For one of the boys, 16-year-old Leon- Njk ard Welch, this was a seminal moment. Prior to that day, by his reckoning, he had never sung for anyone. Nearly 50 years later, he still doesn't know why Joe Major, the teen who put the group together, even invited him to join. Whatever the reason, Joe made a prescient choice, because when Leonard finally did open his mouth to sing, some wonderful things began to happen. Some not-so-wonderful things happened, too, during a sharp-edged singing career that would take Lenny Welch, as he became known, all the way to No.

4 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop-singles chart in late 1963 with a velvet-toned remake of the 1940s big-band hit "Since I Fell for You," then all the way back to obscurity, all too quickly. A decade before Bruce Springsteen released his debut album, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.," Lenny Welch was that city's pop-music hero, particularly within Asbury Parks black commu nity. "He was the one who put us on the map," says Carl Williams, 64, of Lakewood, who attended 1 XXtflt TP Asbury Park High School a year behind Welch in the late '50s and remembers how the city stood still during the singer's first appearance on Dick Clark's "American i r. lit All about IT'S CASH VS. 'POTTER' By ELEANOR O'SULLIVAN Movie Writer IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE that a major film company would dare release an important movie the same weekend as the fourth "Harry Potter" flick, yet that's what 20th Century Fox is doing.

Fox is releasing the new Johnny Cash biopic, "Walk the Line," on the same weekend as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," Joaquin Phoenix stars as the beloved country singer in this film about his early years on a farm to his rise to national prominence as a singer on the Sun Records label (which also released early music by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins). Co-starring is Reese With- Daniel Radcliff stars in "Harry Potter and the Goblet oi Fire," in theaters this Week. AMOclated Pret erspoon as June Carter, who became Cash's good friend, then lover and eventually his adored wife. Cash was born in 1932 and died in September 2003; Carter Cesh was bom in 1929 and died in May 2003. Directed by James Mangold Phoenix and Witherspoon do their own singing.

As for the Potter film, "Hairy Potter and the Goblet of Fire," it reteams Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in a scenario that finds Harry selected to compete in a dangerous wizard contest, even though he is underage. With Timothy Spall, Jason Isaacs, David Tennant and Eric Sykes. Directed by Mike Newell, who helmed the superlative Irish children's drama "Into the West." TELEVISION SUNDAY'S BEST ON TV By MIKE HUGHES Gannett News Service TONIGHTS MUST-SEE "Masterpiece Theatre: The Virgin Queen," 9-11 p.m., PBS, Channels 12 and 13 (concludes Nov. 20). Here is British drama at its best.

It has the brilliant execution of "The Lost Prince" (last year's Emmy-winner), plus a historical story of passion and power. In 16th-century England, the daughters of the late King Henry VIII eye the throne. Queen Mary (Joanne Whal-ley) sends her half-sister Elizabeth (Anne-Marie Duff) to the Tower of London. In the decades that follow after her sister's death, Queen Elizabeth I will reign over a grand era. She will remain unmarried while, the film says, loving Robert Dudley (Tom Hardy).

Hardy brings wonderfully fresh and eccentric work. This is what Tom Cruise would do in a British costume drama. And it's great British drama. The costumes and settings are brilliant; strong dialogue pours from a deep pool of gifted actors. 'BORN' AGAIN By TIM DONNELLY Correspondent HE'S BACK, AND IN THE nick of time, as withdrawal symptoms from live Bruce Springsteen shows in the area had begun to surface.

The worldwide solo acoustic tour supporting "Devils Dust" stops in New Jersey again this month for four shows: tonight at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, Wednesday at the Theater at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford and Nov. 21-22 at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. Limited tickets still are available for the Trenton shows. Besides the concerts, there is another big reason this week to celebrate all things Boss: Tuesday's release of the 30th anniversary "Born to Run" boxed set. Just in time for holiday gift-giving, the set includes "Hammersmith Odeon, London '75," an exhilarating film of Bruce Springsteen and the Street Band's legendary 1975 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon; a new documentary, "Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to the classic album in remastered CD form; and a 48-page booklet of previously unpublished photographs with an introduction by Springsteen.

For an exclusive dip into the way-back machine, nothing is going to beat Monday's 90-minute, big-screen sneak peek of the "Born to Run" material taking place at 59 theaters nationwide. Screenings are scheduled to take place beginning at 7 p.m. at the following theaters: Commerce Center Stadium, 2399 Route 1 North Brunswick; (732) 940-8361. Union Square Stadium 14, 850 Broadway, Manhattan; (212) 253-2225. By ELEANOR O'SULLIVAN Movie Writer A CARTOON ABOUT spoiled Central Park zoo animals makes its debut this week on the home-viewing market.

"Madagascar" features the voices of Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith as animals who are transported to Africa. PG. Ratings are for restricted to 17 and older, unless accompanied by an adult; PG-13, for parents strongly cautioned that some material may be unsuitable for those under 13; PG, suggesting some material may be unsuitable for younger audiences; and suitable for general viewing. "Madagascar," rated PG. "The Skeleton Key," a gothic drama about a young woman caring for an invalid in New Orleans.

With Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt and Peter Sar-sgaard. PG-13. "Stealth," a drama about Air Force pilots who try to prevent an artificial intelligence program from running amok. Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx star. uUitlHili TO DVD siiA.NoMm.i: (4; Je'Yl lYl) 0 3 MICIIAKIJ.SVPNIKWSM 11 iLLL Ji Bruce Springsteen is LJ I on stage, CD and i II screen this week.

i HOME MOVIES Welch would make some noise on the pop chart with a handful of other songs, including "Ebb Tide" in 1964 and the first slow version of Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" in 1970. But "Since I Fell for You," a potent cocktail of love, loss and longing, was Welch's sig-nature song. "It was because of the damn Beatles that it didn't make No. I Future is still bright for '60s hilmakcr from Asbury Park 1," recalls Sam G. Siciliano, 60, a bass singer and vice president of advertising for the Asbury Park Press who was part of the Jersey Shore's vibrant doo-wop scene in the 1960s.

It was in January 1964, of course, that the lads from Liverpool, England, took the country by storm with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." See Welch, Page E9 These are the best years of my life. ITS ALL ABOUT LOVE A new CD by Lenny Welch Featuring songs written by Ray Dahrouge of Neptune Available in stores now www.lennywelch.com Singer Lenny Welch (pictured visiting his old neighborhood in Asbury Park) says he has made peace with his past the good as well as the bad. mrrr-nf ..,11 in iihwhh .1111.1 1 'IM)IWIlWWIHIWiaMMiiilillWllilllillilW)WUi WWWJIIHHilWIWWMi 1 llllillliwiciin.