Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 36

35 Monday. Jan. 31.1983 Philadelphia Dally News A Party in Washington for the New 'Shogiin' around, rolled his eyes and said, "He must have a large family." Federal Communications Commission chairman Mark Fowler stayed longer, as did a bunch of other FCC members and minor government officials. The average age of sedate party goers was over 40. and they fell in with the familiar knots of people they hadn't seen since the last party.

To them, the saki, cocktails, sushi, ttmpura shrimp and bite-size chicken was no big deal. The ambassador's residence, set well back from Nebraska Avenue at the bottom of a hollow, is an artful blending of East and West. The rooms, designed for entertaining hordes of guests, are large and sparsely furnished. Little furniture breaks the clean line of the walls. There are no lamps and few tables.

The wall across from the entrance to the sitting room is, in effect, two-story-high sliding doors, in the Japanese fashion, constructed of rice paper held in place by wooden frames. A lovely effect, but a bit of a pain, an embassy employee told me. The rice paper must be replaced once or twice a year by highly skilled Japanese craftsmen. As much as I loved and recommended "Shogun." 1 am worried that NBC may be airing the encore too soon after the initial broadcast. I asked NBC president Mulholland if he shared my concern.

There's no proof that the longer a program rests, the stronger it gets, he said. He expects that the mini-series will "attract new viewers be- TELEVISION By STUART D. BYKOFSKY September 1980, that will be rebroad-cast over five consecutive nights, starting tonight at 8 on Channel 1 Washington is a "party town" with a lot of rules that are strange to the rest of the country. The invitation to the parry called for "informal" attire. In Philly.

that means jeans and tank tops. In Washington, that means dark suits for men, dresses for women. In Philly. if you buzz in only long enough for a quick hello and a handshake, you're rude. In Washington, you're important.

There were a lot of important Washingtonians at the party. -NBC Nightly News" anchor Roger Mudd was an out so fast you'd have thought his car was parked at an expired meter. NBC correspondent-anchor Chris Wallace also was in a rush. Former California Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr, no longer an elected official, had time enough for a drink. Others lingered longer.

The NBC hierarchy was represented by. among others, NBC chairman of the board Thornton Bradshaw and NBC president Robert Mulholland. who accepted a citation of appreciation from the ambassador. Jack Klugman showed up and stayed for a while, mingling happily with everyone within reach. Upon entering the residence's 40-yard by 20-yard foyer.

Klugman looked The series is called "She's Having Our Baby." Radio Waves Now that Daily News tipster Don Haskin has reported that Mary Jo Melone will be leaving KYW News-radio next month to take a job at the St. Petersburg Times as a general assignment reporter, I can only add that she's one of our town's best reporters and will be missed by her friends and colleagues Last Wednesday, WUHY-FM changed its call letters to WHYY-FM to reflect its identity as the public broadcasting station in the Delaware Valley. 3 DAYS OWIY 55 Giant SQ. YDS. of 501 NYLON PILE FOR ONLY We SeU What We Advertise MILL CLOSEOUT 14 Gorgeous Col $049 o's.

Multi-colors, Plushes. Solids Tweeds- Also Com L. mercial Carpet, si REG. S8.9S-S9.95 (Ifest fccnta) la Phil. Call 985-0131 IN N.J.

667-4747 401 COOPER LANDING RD. CHERRY HILL, N.J. mm mtHML 1 i It rmmmmmmx cause of the narration." About one hour of additional narration by Orson Welles has been added, to explain what is happening during the long stretches of Japanese dialog that befuddled many viewers the first time it was on. The narration is low key and unobtrusive, but will work against the atmosphere of the show for the purists who didnt mind having to struggle and guess a bit. By not understanding Japanese, viewers shared Blackthorne's predicament.

Mulholland said 125 million Americans saw the show the first time it was broadcast (NBC Research says it was 115 million) "and this time another 125 million Americans will see it and this time they'll understand it," he joked. The added narration and the re-broadcast dont bother James Clave 11, who wrote the original novel and was executive producer of the mini-series. "It is now a better show," he said, and will even appeal to people who saw it the first time, who "missed one or two words." The ambassador presented Gavell, who suffered hardships as a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II, with a citation "for your contribution to enhancing understanding between our two peoples lYlou have stimulated profound curiosity about, and strong interest in, Japan." Clavell currently is working on "Noble House," another novel of his that is being turned into a 12-hour mini-series, this time by a German group. Filming begins in Hong Kong in November, and his target for delivery is December 1984, which means it is likely to be seen in the fall of 1985. Is NBC interested in the project, I asked? "I'm getting a warm reception everywhere," he beamed.

Mommy Dearest Channel 3 starts a three-part series Wednesday at 11 p.m. on surrogate mothers, reported by Barbara Monaco. Each part will be repeated on the following day's 5 p.m. newscast. Monaco interviews a Temple law student who will have someone's baby for Si 2.000, plus an exclusive interview with the only local womar to have become a surrogate mother.

witii Host. F. Lee RaiW Find out who 's lying and OTJJV UUl! A man accused of making ocaw uueais to tus boss? 14 VAar-rJH riaim Kav a boyfriend is the tatbet of ber oany ne aemes WASHINGTON When it comes to Japan, many Westerners think in ttrms orily of the present automobiles, cameras and high technology so "Shogun's" most important contribution, according to Yoshio Okawara, Japan's ambassador to the United Starts, was to teach the West something about Japan's rich historical and cultural past. Despite the occasional cruelty and violence it portrayed, the NBC ministries brought to US million American viewers a new perspective about Japan an appreciation of startling- ly different Japanese customs that never before had been seen on television. It was landmark entertainment not only in the Nielsen book (the No.

2 rated i i i e's behind "Roots," and earning the highest ratings for any broad cast week NBC history) but also in the book of knowledge and understanding that builds bridges between peoples. "Sh.ogun" also was nominated for 14 Fmmys, won three, and picked up -a flock of other awards, including the prestigious George Foster Peubxiy Award. For all those reasons, the ambassador hosted a cocktail reception in his residence last Thursday night to honor the series, first telecast in Richard Continued from Page 3t search and write a script). Finally. Rank relented and gave me money to have my screenplay written, but the company wouldn't go beyond that point most regrettable encounter was with Thorn-FMI.

They wouldn't read the script, but said no anyway. They told me that they had a 'gut reaction' about the subject. It was obscene! I couldn't believe it." Attenborough came close to making the film for mogul Joe Levine for whom he directed "A Bridge Too Far" and but Levine wanted a name actor, a bankable personality like Robert De Niro or Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman, in fact, was so interested in the project that he.of-fered to test for it. De Niro was interested, too in the proect.

but cot in Attenborough as director. "These are two of our best actors." Attenborough opined, "but the character of Gandhi is a unique creation. He had to be played by someone we've ntver tr. countered before, preferably by an Indian. Anthony Hopkins wanted to play him.

He was willing to g) on a drastic fast to doit. I love Tony, but had this moie already made in my head and Tony simply wasn't it. "I despaired. My good fellow, you d-'n't Kr. ow what dtpiir i.

belie' Etykofsky me. I was desperate. I had emptied my bank account, and I still didn't have my movie. Few people wanted to make it. and those few didn't share my particular vision.

"But I always bounced back and regained my sanity. It was my conv ic-tion that always pulled me through. "Once 1 decided in my mind that 1 wouldn't compromise, everything fell into place. Gold Crest, a British investment company that was just getting active in filmmaking it put up the seed money for 'Chariots of Fire" agreed to finance my dream. 'Gandhi" was made entirely with private money, no industry money.

"Then, I discovered Ben Kingsley a British-trained Indian. Who could ask for more? He was a godsend. Ben's real name is Krishna Bhanji. His family comes from the same area in India's Gujarat state where Gandhi was born Slimmed down and with his head shaved and dressed in that sheet, well, it was uncanny. Ben is Gandhi." So, Attenborough had his money, his actor and his script "an ideal script." he insists and set out to capture one man's spint on screen.

"I include as many facts as possible and try to be objective, but my main objective was to to show what made the man work, what made him so captivating and powerful in an intimate way. This film is about his credibility and that meant leaving out cert at detai Is. sh uf fl in some i gs around and. yes. even tidying up his personal life.

"I didn't him up to make him- look better. We don't deify him. There's still a certain ambiguity. My film is a truthful, honest assessment of important issues in one man's life. "Getting back to your initial question All of this was restricted by the money that was available.

I used every cent I got. I used everything I filmed. 'Gandhi' was planned meticulously because our money was finite. Thai why certain things, certain issues are missing. "What attracted me to Gandhi in the first place was his human development.

I find his evolution bewitching. Even now I find it difficult to believe that he started his peace movement when he was 45 "This is a story I had to tell. I didn't set out to make a film statement. I don't think like a filmmaker. I am a storyteller, not really a filmmaker.

I mean. I don't necessarily enjoy the feel of celluloid between my fingers. It's just that Gandhi's life and views lend themselves to that extraordinary dramatic form film. His personality is that of a film character. "I'm glad for the delays now.

I think this is the perfect time for "Gandhi." We can apply his views to the solutions of our problems and disagreements. Forget that I'm talking like a filmmaker. "We can enjoy his life simply as a marvelous tale. That's the storyteller in me talking. "The reluctant filmmaker in me is grateful for the delays because, well, 20ears ago.

I wouldn't have had Ben Kmgsk. He's what, tuf ri ny siory jtito a IdaS. TONIGHT 7:30 PM 67 r..