The Minneapolis Star from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 26

De STM IS hAs MI Thursday, March 25, 1982 The Minneapolis Tribune Nancy Anne Parsons Actress returns home in 'Porky's' 12 4 By ILGA EGLITIS Staff Writer It was a rare treat for Minnetonka moviegoers. They were able to see a two films for free: "Porky's" and "Sleeping Beauty." The first was just released by 20th Century-Fox and billed as a "rowdy, raunchy comedy of adolescence." The second was a locally produced, low-budget version of a classic, filmed almost 30 years ago. And although the titles and subject matter were clearly different, there was a reason for showing both films. They are, after all, the very first and the very latest films in which Nancy Parsons has starred. That name may not ring a bell, unless perhaps you were a Skipper in the class of 1960 at Minnetonka High School.

Then, Nancy Anne Parsons ran with the old Gray's Bay crowd. She was a member of -teens, GAA, the Breezes school newspaper staff, drama and debate clubs and the band. Now Nancy (without the Parsons lives in Toluca Lake, down from Universal -and her credits include theater and movies, including "Pennies, from Heaven" and Hell," for which she was nominated in 1980 as best supporting actress by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. And she has appeared in television on "The Bob Hope Christmas Special" and on episodes of "Charlie's "The Rockford Files" and "Lou Grant." She is best known for her portrayal of neurotics, and in "Porky's," she plays a humorless and very rigid gym teacher, Miss Balbricker. The lobby at Shelard Park Cinema was full last Thursday, as Minnetonka High School alumni and current staff members and students filed past the marquee, which welcomed Parsons and "Porky's" to the Twin Cities area.

They were invited to the theater by 20th Century-Fox for a free showing of the movie, and afterwards, to the lunchroom of Minnetonka High School for an impromtu reunion with Parsons, and a showing of her first film. Parsons hadn't been back to her old stomping grounds-except for an overnight stay several years ago- since she left for California about six weeks before graduation. There were a couple of announcements before the lights went down. No, the film was not, as many people thought, about a drive-in by the same name once located near Lake Calhoun. Nor was it filmed in Minnesota at all, but in Florida.

And the only real local connection was Parsons. There was an important caveat too: The movie, about six adolescents from Angel Beach High School searching for carnal experience at a redneck dive, was "something prepare yourself Although drama classes were among her favorites, Parsons' fondest high school memory is a band competition at the University of Minnesota, in which she played the baritone horn. "It kind of was like 'Music she said. But she insists she hasn't patterned any of the characters she's played after Minnetonkans, especially not her most recent character in "Porky's." The movie got mixed reviews, she said, because "it's not a reviewer's picture." Although Parsons has been invited to all her reunions, she's never been able to attend because either she couldn't afford to as a fledgling actress or her schedule wouldn't allow it. When the studio suggested the idea of promoting "Porky's" here and arranging a high school reunion, Parsons was cool to the idea at first.

But she soon came around. She was thrilled to drive past her old house on Bay Street a couple of times, and may even ask for a tour if she comes back this summer with her daughters, Elizabeth, 17, and Margaret, 12. "I realize they should know where I grew up," she said. Parsons was amazed at the number of old chums who turned out to see her after the screening. There were lots of hugs and shrieks as she passed through the crowd of a few hundred people, about a quarter of whom were in her class.

They bombarded her with questions about her life now, her children, plans and all the rest, but mostly, they wanted to share their "remember -when" stories. Toni Walton had -party pictures from high school. She recalled (and her mother confirmed) that the "best" girlfriends often got in trouble together, often while cruising. Like the time the car battery went dead and they got into trouble for staying out late. Or when Nancy was driving without a license and hit a police car.

Walton wasn't surprised at Parsons' career choice. "She was always dramatic. She always wanted to make something of herself." John Seamans agreed. "She was very emotional." What some kids would. shrug off, he said, Nancy cried about.

A fourthgrade classmate lost a tooth one day and Nancy spontaneously started crying. "If you knew Nancy 30 years ago, you wouldn't think it was the same person," said Joan Wikstrom, because Parsons was so quiet then. As a matter of fact, Nancy and Joan's brother, Jimmy Rippetoe, were so shy that they wouldn't even look at each other at the bus stop. The highlight of the reunion clearly was when Jim Rippetoe showed the home movie of that very first production of "Sleeping Beauty." And it epitomized Parsons' advice to prospective actors and actresses: "If it's what you want, do Follow that dream." Staff Photo by David Brewster Nancy Parsons chatted with former schoolmates As the film started to roll, the audience broke out in applause at the first sight of Parsons' name on the screen and followed her every move. Once the lights came on again and Miss Balbricker on the screen turned into Nancy Parsons in person, she asked the audience, "Were some of my classmates shocked?" There was no clear response.

"You don't have very good memories then," she chided. In an interview at her suite in the Hyatt Regency hotel earlier that afternoon, she reminisced about her days in Minnetonka. How could she forget her first role it "Sleeping It Was' Aug. 20, 1952, in Jimmy Rippe- toe's back yard overlooking Gray's Bay. The whole neighborhood was invited and they paid a penny admission.

There were peanuts, printed programs, and the local newspaper even COvered it. Nancy was the queen. Jim played the king. "We were so shy we didn't even look at each other," she said with a smile. She remembered a dramatic fainting scene where a dog came onstage and licked her face.

Hoping that no one had noticed, she continued with the scene, only to be interrupted by howls of laughter from the audience. ex Always "unbelievably shy, she did open up among close friends, like the time a group camped overnight on an island in Lake Minnetonka. While some of the girls sat around the campfire sharing ghost stories, Nancy preferred to sneak up from behind to scare them, she said, chuckling. Parsons believes her whole childhood experience was geared to becoming an actress. "I fantasized a lot," she said.

"I had a prig vate place in the woods by my house where I would go and lie on the grass and look through the trees." Being there, she added, gave her "a tremendous sense of infinity and Since that time, she has always regarded the theater "almost as 'a temple," she said..