The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 38

PD C-14 Friday, January 1, 1988 AUaaubria Bails ton Overweight Marylanders sue producers of satire Were told video would be wholesome movie Betty Ford 'doing well' after surgery RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) Betty Ford was reported doing well Thursday after unanticipated surgery that followed a heart operation last month, and she was expected to remain hospitalized for about two more days. The wife of former President Gerald Ford entered Eisenhower Medical Center on Tuesday when she felt weak after dinner. The weakness was accompanied by bleeding from sutures from her quadruple bypass surgery last month, Fire Department officials said. "She is back in the cardiac care unit (at Eisenhower Medical Center) and is doing well," Ford spokesman Bob Barrett said Thursday.

Barrett provided no details of the surgery except to say that it was "to correct a minor wound problem" and that her recovery from last month's heart operation "is continuing uninterrupted." Ford visited his 69-year-old wife in the hospital for about 40 minutes Thursday, Barrett said. When Mrs. Ford was taken to the hospital by ambulance Tuesday night, Ford accompanied her and remained with her for several hours. The surgery that began late Wednesday night and lasted until early Thursday had been unanticipated, said hospital administrator Michael Rembis. ELLICOTT CITY, Md.

AP) Three members of a support group for fat people say they were ridiculed in a video satire after being told they'd be part of a wholesome movie about diverse lifestyles. The lawsuit said the R-rated video discriminates against fat people and ridicules their life style and personal views. In a $2.1 million suit filed last week in Howard County Circuit Court the plaintiffs say they were displayed in an "outrageously derogatory and humiliating manner" in a segment titled Club Fed in a 90-minute video, "The Sex O'Clock News." The trio, Maryland members of National Association to Aid Fat Americans agreed to be filmed for a movie while attending a convention of the organization in Crystal City eight years ago. But recently friends informed them that shots of them appeared accompanied by pig and cow noises in a spoof of a prime-time newscast in the video "The Sex O'clock News," according to the lawsuit. "I would never have approved of being in something like that," said Paula Dachis, an accounts manager with an investment management firm in Rockville.

"It goes against everything I've worked for for nine years." In addition to damages, Dachis, of Columbia, a Sast president of the group, Russell F. Williams of Hagerstown and Margaret Fox of Wal dorf are seeking a preliminary injunction to ban the rental and sale of the video in Maryland. Because of the film's negative portrayal of fat people, Dachis said she fears neighbors, coworkers and friends are laughing behind her back. "I never know when I'm standing in the grocery store and someone is looking at me, if they have seen the movie the night before," she said. Named In lawsuit The suit names as defendants the film's producer, Romano Vanderbes, president of Chase Films in New York City; Prism Entertainment a Los-Angeles based home videocassette movie distributor, and William Milling, an independent producer who shot the raw footage of the plaintiffs.

Earl Rosenstein, senior vice president of Prism Entertainment, said his company obtained distribution rights to the movie about one year ago from Vanderbes. Rosenstein said he's confident Vanderbes obtained proper releases from partipicants in the movie. "I'm sure he has that," he said. "When we get a home video, we ask for proof of chain of title. Vanderbes supplied that." But Dachis said she and the other plaintiffs "never consented to be in 'The Sex O'Clock It's embarrassing to be associated with it." Associated Press Tidbits Runs length of Great Wall William Lindesay, 31, a British teacher, has run from end to end of China's 1 Great Wall.

He took 78 days to complete the run in two stretches. Courthouse turns into New Year's Eve club since May 1986. But on Wednesday the producers said "insurmountable scheduling difficulties" forced a postponement. The British and American producers are Shubert, Three Knights Ltd. and Robert Fox Ltd.

Another 'stand' ATLANTA (AP) Preservationists trying to save the house where Margaret Mitchell wrote much of "Gone With The Wind" have gone to Mayor Andrew Young with a last-ditch effort to stop demolition. John Taylor, president of Mitchell House on Wednesday gave the mayor the results of a new report by Georgia State University researchers, who found, in Taylor's words, "an overwhelming response that this house needs to be saved." The GSU researchers concluded that "incredible numbers of people coming to Atlanta want to see something pertaining to 'Gone With The American tradition." Art Blakey, Lionel Hampton and Billy Taylor were each awarded $20,000 Jazz Masters Fellowships, joining 18 other jazz performers given the award over the past six years. The money goes to support a project of the recipient's choice, said endowment chairman Frank Hodsoll. The endowment is an independent agency of the federal government created to encourage and support American arts and artists. Musical postponed NEW YORK (AP) A Broadway production of the Jut London musical "Chess," scheduled for this spring, has been postponed indefinitely because of scheduling conflicts.

Gerald Schoenfeld, president of the Shubert Organization, had announced last week that rehearsals for the Broadway production would start in February. The show has been running in London 'Dynasty' doings LOS ANGELES (AP) The "Dynasty" vixen played by Joan Collins will soon fall victim to a sniper's bullet that abruptly ends her campaign for governor. Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan, who's survived more perils than Pauline, is struck by a bullet during a televised debate among the candidates for governor of Colorado in the episode to be broadcast Jan. 20. Her fate will be revealed and the assailant unmasked the following week as part of the ABC prime-time soap opera's new policy of "mini-clif mangers." There has been talk that this would be the last year for "Dynasty," and that it had virtually exhausted its story possibilities.

Jazz Fellowships WASHINGTON (AP) The National Endowment for the Arts announced awards Thursday to three jazz musicians for contributions to "jazz in the African- NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) Recovering alcoholics turned a county courthouse into a nightclub Thursday for a New Year's Eve party that had the blessings of the presiding judge. District Court Judge Albertus Morse Jr. was happy at the thought that participants in the non-alcoholic bash "won't appear in his court the day after," said William P. Nagle Sr, founder and director of the Honor Court.

The private, non-profit organization is for alcoholics on the mend, and it was the ninth party held by the group. Nagle said he expected at least 300 people, including police officers on breaks from their duty and residents of the western Massachusetts city who wanted something different from the usual drunken parties. Some of the 50 members of the Honor Court readied the courtroom and adjoining lobby Thursday with signs and other decorations while others prepared a non-alcoholic buffet. A local orchestra and choir of elderly singers volunteered to The Honor Court members also teamed up in twos to provide free rides home for those at other parties who don't believe in abstinence. Nagle said he had 20 cars at the ready.

Nagle pointed out the irony of holding the party in the place where most of the members had once faced the wrath of the law for misdeeds performed under the influence. Most have been in court "Most of us have been in the court many times under different circumstances," said Nagle, himself a recovering alcoholic. Morse said he couldn't recall how the courthouse party tradition got started. "But I'm sure I said yes back then and I would say yes again," he said. He credited Nagle with singlehandedly transforming many of the city's alcoholics into a formidable working force that sweeps Northampton's streets and delivers 100 meals daily to shut-ins and others in need.

And he said the courthouse usually ends up cleaner after the bash than before. grazie irmi LAMB. ar IWItftl p. 1.3 4W; Mir Mm 0 MM A'ci ym ih tin ItfUMMTI 411 yaw ittm MM H02 MsMt hft yum Hi i tw km Ti Vi4 lumimM yJd ovA dmff FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION! ENTIRE STOCK I SAVE UP TO Buon anno! Happy New Year! Bonne Annee! Frohes Neues Jahr! HoBbiM roAOM! Li OF CLOTHING! ALEXANDRIA MALL Starting January 1.