The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 158

Gumby seems a little green in his first big-screen role What a great way to (flebrate a birthday, anniversary or any special occasion! Just buy two dinner cruise tickets and one of our Buy Dinner Cruise Tickets Plus A Celebration Package I special celebration packages, and we'll give you two free tickets so your friends can join in the fun. Buy four tickets and two celebration packages, and four guests can cruise free. Either way, everyone will enjoy a wonderful meal, I. I ively show and hours of dancing on the looks like Groucho Marx and talks like W.C. Fields; Gumby's girlfriend, Tara, and her groupie sidekick, Ginger; Prickle and Goo, a dinosaur and a weird blue clay thing, respectively; Professor Kapp, an absentminded scientist; and the Groobee, a bumble beelike thing with a penchant for trapping people in nastily assembled crates.

As he does in many of his old adventures, Gumby, in his movie, can walk through the covers of books and enter the world therein. Hence, there is a segment set in King Arthur's court and another in a Star Wars-ian future, where Gumby engages in a light-sword duel with his evil twin. (A tacky new product-placement twist: In the movie, Gumby can also walk through the covers of videotapes, and so the playroom shelves are strategically lined with Gumby videos.) The gentle, spacy quality of Clokey's creation and the animator's childlike sense of make-believe come across in many of these episodes, but Gumby and Pokey are, it turns out, better served in small doses. GUMBY from Page 5 wouldn't know it from watching the animator's new film which, I guess, is part of this homemade-looking picture's charm. Set in a world of toy props and model-train towns, Gumby boasts none of the intricate, sophisticated detail of such stop-motion plasticine and puppet work as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas or Nick Park's Oscar-winner, The Wrong Trousers.

There's a simplicity to Clokey's technique that suggests the moving-pictures equivalent of American primitive art. All of which would be fine if the storyline for this epic work was a little more engaging or the work itself a little less epic in length. Instead, Gumby The Movie presents a series of loosely tied episodes in which Gumby and his rock-band cohorts, the Clay-boys, have to do battle with a pair of greedy Blockheads (orange guys with alphabet-block noggins) who abduct them and create evil duplicates all for the purpose of making Gumby's dog, Lowbelly, cry. (When it cries, the pooch's tears turn to valuable pearls.) Along for the ride, in one way or another, are a talent agent who 'vX'r mSmw- Delaware River, all in one I complete party package. Call I for full details today while SPIRIT OF PHILADELPHIA HAJtlOt CRUISES I Get Tickets Free! OFFER GOOD FOR UP 10 1 COUPLES ON ANY SUNDAY THRU THURSDAY DINNER CRUISE NOT VAUD ON EXISTING RESERVATIONS OR ON SPECIAL EVENT CRUISES.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. PLEASE Something different Something fun. I MENTION CODE: "CELEBRATION" WHEN CALLING. EXPIRES 103095. fhmtlunrrruM iitnrimmMOrnnrnu In 'Run of the a coming of age in Ireland L1H It i III '-'i -f Johnny Cash Dionne Warwick 1 RUN from Page 6 there is a far more blurred line to cross between adolescence and manhood, and he feels trapped in his house with his domineering dad.

The Run of the Country, which reunites Finney with Peter Yates for the first time since their collaboration in The Dresser, refers Michael Feinstein Jackie Mason Oct. 5-9 Oct. 11-15 Oct. 19-21 Oct. 25-30 movie, but his presence drives the film even when he's not in the scene.

Most of the action is given to Danny (played by young American actor Matt Keesjar) and An-nagh (Victoria Smurfit), the beauty he falls for. Naturally, An-nagh lives across the border, prompting the inexorable and rather predictable culmination of The Run of the Country. Film production is flourishing in Ireland, whose castles Mel Gibson used so effectively for Brave-heart. The Run of the Country is a reminder of a continuing and gratifying trend in which major directors and stars go to Ireland to make Irish stories. to the heady freedom that Danny discovers when he runs away.

He finds a refuge with his friend Prunty, who raises cattle. Prunty THE JARS spends his time carousing and commandeering up Protestant farmers livestock that stray across the border. Connaughton's script is sup SHNh AT TROPWORLD posed to give Finney a back seat in what is essentially a coming-of-age I III How to get into Weekend listings Noiv for only $5 you can enjoy fabulous entertainment in A tlantic City's largest shoivroom. Present this ad to the TropWorld Box Office. Validw performers listed excluding Jackie Mason Subject to availability Limited availability on Saturdays Limit 2 tickets per coupon.

events must be open to the public. If the item is scheduled to appear in Weekend, the staff will call to verify information that has been provided. No information is printed in Weekend listings unless it has been verified. Mail the information and any photographs to Weekend Calendar, The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101. Listing information, but not photographs, may be faxed to 215-854-4782.

For further information, call 215-854-5600. The Weekend staff attempts to use as many items for its various listings as practicable, and anyone with a possible entry is welcome to send information. Some guidelines: All items must be received in writing no later than 10 days before publication. Weekend cannot take announcements by phone. Information must contain a description of the event, date, time, place, cost, sponsoring organization and a phone number that can be published in the paper.

All Atlantic City's Luckiest Place to Play! TropWorld, CASINO AND EOTEKTAINMENT RESORT An Aztar Corporation Casino Brighton and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401-6390 Present this ad to purchase rickets in advance at the TropWorld Box Office. For phone orders, call Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 and mention this ad. For information, call 1-800-843-8767, ext. 4020 or (60V) 340-4020 GamMing problem? Call 1-800 GAMBLE. 16 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Friday, September 29, 1995.