The Daily Times from Salisbury, Maryland • 39

ENTERTAINMENT Salisbury, Mar. 30, 1980 SECTION n9 bving Life Story Loretta Lyn I rl The Reel World i By Dick Fleming Vi 1 come the turning point for Miss Lynn comes when her husband buys her fist guitar, encourages her to sing and forces her into her first public performance, in a roadside honky tonk. From that point, the film takes on a fairy tale quality. She records her first record and the couple leaves the children with family and takes off cross country by automobile, promoting the record at every radio station along the way. The trip ends with the realization of the singer's dream performance at the Grand OleOpry.

The story could easily have stopped there, implying a happily-ever-after ending. But it would not have been realistic; there is a price to be paid for success. In Miss Lynn's case, being a celebrity took its toll with marital strains, pill abuse and the loneliness of, life oh the road, culminating in her much publicized breakdown during a concert performance. The film tends to deal with those problems only superficially, but it to be lauded for depicting them honestly. (To offer the benefit of the doubt, how much detail can you get into a two -hour movie?) If the latter portion of the film is less memorable than the early scenes, perhaps it is in part because Apted abandons his leisurely directing pace in an apparent attempt to get in too much in too little time.

But it seems somehow fitting the things we remember most are the simple values of Miss Lynn's early life, in the end, I think, it is those values that have helped make her a survivor, deserving not of our sympathy, but of our admiration. Miner's Daughter" is rated PG. Contains some profanity, discreet sexual references and one scene of mild violence. It is playing at the Shoppers World Cinema. V.

l. ndication in their earlier efforts that they were capable of such exceptional performances. Another pleasant surprise is Levon Helm, singer and drummer with the rock group The Band who, in his acting debut, portrays Loretta's father. Helm brings a quiet dignity to his performance as a man made old before his time by a life of working in the coal mines that lends much to the air of authenticity that helps make the film so believable and appealing. Through the first part of the film loving attention is given to an accurate recreation of the impoverished surroundings of Miss Lynn's early life.

Drawing from intimate details, director Michael Apted and screenwriter Tom Rickman and the performers show her transformation from an ignorant young hillbilly bride to a self-confident, engaging performer. The transformation is carried out with humor and compassion, but is never condescending. A MOTHER of four children by the time she is 20 (twins will "Coal Miner's Daughter," the story of singer Loretta Lynn's" rise to fame as the "first lady of country music," is not only an extraordinarily honest film biography, ft is one of the most enjoyable movies I have seen in a long time. In fact, despite what is by all accounts a factual presentation of the singer's life story, it would be an injustice to pass the film off as just another show business biography. Worse still would be to shun the movie on the mistaken impression that it appeals only to rednecks and country music fans.

Indeed, the movie transcends the limitations of the country music genre with its touching story of simple human values and the pursuit of a better life. Sissy Spacek, who, in the role of Miss Lynn, has the very difficult challenge of portraying someone who is still alive and widely recognized by a large number of people, doesn't so much play the singer as seemingly becomes her. From the naive, 13-year-old country girl from Butcher Hollow, to the 40-year-old country superstar, Miss Spacek is never less than completely believable in the role. The fact that she does all her own singing in the movie makes the performance that much more credible, and unlikely to be outdone any time sooa ALMOST as impressive, and even more surprising, are Tommy Lee Jones as Doolittle "Mooney" Lynn, who guides his wife to stardom with love and determination then almost falls by the wayside in the wake of her success, and Beverly D'Angelo (who also does her own singing) as the late Patsy Cline, who befriended Miss Lynn upon her arrival to Nashville and was also a significant factor in her early success. While Miss Spacek's performance should come as no surprise to those who have followed, her career, neither Jones nor Miss D'Angelo had given any in- Vaughn Is Still The 1 Hard Man' LOS ANGELES (AP) When the story calls for eoM, bard man, the actor that producers often turn to first is Robert Vaughn.

"They do call on me," said Vaughn. "That's half my in- come. 1 "These are usually good, meaty roles. I played those roles before I was hero in 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' I played those parts in movies and television for years." LIFE ON SCREEN. Country singer Loretta Lynn, right, and her mother, Clara Butcher, are all smiles after watching the premiere of "Coal Miner's Daughter." The movie is about Miss Lynn's rise from poverty to "first lady of country music." (AP Laserphoto) T-TV New Salisbury Station Willi Soon Be On The Air tertainment from "all of Delmarva." Using sophisticated transmission equipment, WMDT engineers have altered the television station's broadcast signal so it will take on an oblong, rather than circular, shape.

The resulting signal ex- tends the north and south range over what a circle would By TOM LEONARD Of The Times Staff Barring any unforseen last minute problem, Delmarva's. newest and most powerful television station will burst forth onto the screen this week, culminating three years of planning and one year of construction. Billed as a "showcase for Delmarva" by its vice-president provide, and should give good or better reception with only your and spokesman, William rt Mallery, WMDT-TV will drawr gef9 built-in antenna anywhere 3.5 million watts. Droaa- on Delmarva from bmyrna to Accomac, he said. at any other time, Mallery said.

Live, on-the-scene, news broadcasts are planned in two to four months, he said. ONE of the Shore-oriented offerings planned for the future is what Mallery called a "local entertainment program" which will "expose Delmarva talent." Music, drama and variety programs featuring local performers will be shown. Also in the works is a "news magazine" type show, which will provide news, feature and entertainment-type programming, again from the local angle, said Mallery. WMDT hired a "professional meterologist" to do their weather broadcasts, Mallery said, since the station feels that "watermen and farmers depend a tremendous amount on good weather forecasts." Mallery said he hopes Delmarva viewers will "laugh with us" during the inevitable foul-ups and "bugs" that will have to be worked out during the first few weeks of production. and run until 2 a.m.

or slightly later, according to Mallery. About 12 hours per day will be devoted to network programming from primary affiliate ABC. Included, according to plans, will be the highly-rated "The Muppet Show," and such popular offerings as "Mash," "Happy Days," "Love Boat," and ABC's Wide World Sports. NBC's "Saturday Night Live" was a surprise late Mallery said WMDT plans to carry many World Championship Tennis programs, in response to what he sees as the great interest in that sport locally. The station received a congratulatory telegram from ABC after a short clip filmed by local crewmen at the recent WCT Invitational In Maryland here was accepted and retransmitted throughout the nation.

"It was probably the first time in history an ABC story has been written by a station not yet on the air," the telegram read. Nightly news broadcasts will be featured at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and rebroadcast later at night for those who can't see it casting from its nearly finished studio in the old Rite-Aid building on Salisbury's Downtown Plaza. The owners, MDV Television had hoped to name their new station WMBV. the last letters to stand for their coverage- area of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

They had to settle for their current call letters, however, since that title was found to be already in use by a marine broadcast station. Mallery said he hoped Virginia residents "won't feel slighted," and promised that WMDT will cover news.and en- MALLERY said the "thought process" that gave birth to WMDT began in 1977, with the FCC granting a construction permit in March of last year. During that time, the station was granted a zoning exception to build its transmission tower near Sharptown. Microwave transmission signals will be beamed from the studio on the Plaza via a large antenna- atop the building to the Sharptown tower, and then broadcast over the Peninsula. WMDT's broadcast day will normally begin about 7 a.m., Singer T.G, Sheppard Is Just Scratching Surface Vaughn plays anotner com, hard-eyed man in "City in Fear," an ABC movie airing tonight.

He plays an Eastern publisher who takes over an ailing Los Angeles seeks to boost circulation by sensational coverage of the killing of several young women. David Janssen, in his last television role before his death, is a columnist Vaughn hires to hype the murder coverage. Jan-ssen's final appearance wrll be in the movie "Inchon." The killer in "City in Fear" becomes fascinated by Jan- ssen's stories and contacts him. Acting on the killer's agreement to talk exclusively to him, Janssen doesn't tell the police or his publisher and signs a big-money book contract. The movie also stars Perry King as a police detective, Mickey Rourke as the killer, William Daniels as the newspaper's managing editor, and Susan Sullivan as Vaughn's wife.

One of Vaughn's best por-' trayals was as the presidential assistant in the ABC miniseries "Washington: Behind Closed Doors." In that fictional account of Watergate, his-character was loosely based on H.R. Haldeman. Vaughn also played the politically ambitious district attorney in "Bullit," his first role after the TV series "The Man FromU.N.C.L.E." There's another side to Vaughn, of course. He's played four presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. ri A f( v- NASHVILLE, Tenn.

(AP) r-Singer T.G. Sheppard has just bought a $231,000 bus for traveling to concerts, has had three straight No. 1 country music hits and expanded his payroll to 14 employees. He's making the rounds of the television talk shows, proudly wears a necklace given him by Elvis Presley, and is an early contender for country music male vocalist of the year. Still, he says, "We're just scratching the surface.

We're not that big yet." But there's more. His hometown, Humboldt, proclaimed a day in his honor, and Gov. Lamar Alexander was singers in country music. He's currently riding a crest of three straight No. 1 hits, "You Feel Good All Over," "Last Cheater's Waltz" and "I'll Be Coming Back for More." All are from his album, "Three-Fourths Lonely," a top seller for seven months.

"I'd like to be as big as my ability will let me go," says Sheppard, who looks like a younger Conway Twitty. "I don't necessarily want to be a household word. "If entertainment- died tomorrow, I could cope. I don't need fame and glory to go forward. I've had my share.

present for the celebration. Then there was the legendary Marty Robbins' comment that Sheppard is at the top of his list of favoritesingers. "I don't think I have an, ego problem," Sheppard says. "It destroys your creative juices." His modesty must be battered. There's still more to brag about.

He's given up devotes many hours to his family, drinks nothing stronger than wine, and recently invited a fan into his home after spotting her taking a picture of his house. There vou have some insight into Sheppard, 35, one of the brightest and most talented Mi, 1 13 i. Inn mmf Janssen, left, in his last major television performance, stars with Robert a three hour movie on ABC-TV tonight. CITY IN David Vaughn in "City In Fear, T. G.

Sheppard Two Violinists In Family Is No Problem She Say prefer me to play 25 concerts a year." At home. Miss Fried practices in the morning, so her son knows what to expect. There is a woman looking after him, she says, adding, "I think he gets a certain comfort out Of the fact I'm there, even though he can't play with me. The door isn't shut and I don't make a rule that he can't come in. He doesn't usually come in when I play but I think he feels reassured that he can.

1 "It seems to me that this is acceptable. If a mother works till 5 o'clock, her child doesn't see her during the day at all." them. What experience? You go to win. I did." Miss Fried was already signed for bookings with Shaw Concerts. She says, "I had two or three engagements lined up.

The week after the competition, I had 70." Since, it has stayed at about 70 concerts a year. She says, "One year I did 90-some. It was the year before our son, Danny, who is 2'4, was born. I was feeling fantastic, excited about everything, playing well. I think being so happy affected my playing.

If you're in a good without even a touch of depression, you play better. "The violin wasn't the most important thing in my life at the moment. Having a child was. I think it made me freer in spirit. At home you should try hard, when you practice, but you should be more free on stage." The violinist is expecting a second child but, because Danny is at home in Bloomington, and she has to travel to perform, she isn't playing 90 concerts this year.

"The ideal would be 50 or 60 if the quality is good," she says. "I think Danny would ably my severest critic, but I know he basically likes my playing. It's a very healthy kind of criticism. "Music is very important to both of us. We both just happen to play the same instrument; it's no more than that Our life isn't built around our professions.

Everybody has to get away from his profession every once in a while. You can't live it 24 hours a day. I think we have a good home life." Miss Fried, recently performed with the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and got reviews which called her a vir- NEW YORK (AP) Violinist Miriam Fried launched her career by winning a big contest But she says now she isn't competitive, either in her home life or her career. She is married to a violinist, Paul Biss. He teaches at Indiana University and is interested in playing chamber music, while she performs as soloist with orchestras.

"He doesn't compete," she says. "He is not the competing type. If we both were, I think a marriage couldn't survive. "We play very well together. And I nlay for him and he tells the whole subject of whether I would be a professional violinist or not, said it seemed to be a real great achievement for any violinist.

Somehow that caught my attention. "I remember when I saw the brochure announcing the Brussels competition, in 1970, I decided to enter. I had been away from school a year. I really did work my head off for it It is quite grueling, three weeks long. I think it was the longest three weeks of my life.

"You go to win. If anybody tells me they go to a contest just for the experience I just stare at rarity. Her first American teacher, Joseph Gingold, at Indiana University, told her that when he was growing up there were 10 violin recitals a week in New York. Now there aren't 10 a month. The public's taste for soloists has moved to piano and voice.

Miss Fried won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition in May 1971, at age 24, the only woman linist to have won it. She says, "I remember when I was 13 or 14 we read in a newspaper in Israel that a Russian had won the Brussels competition. My father, who usually stayed out of says she doesn't feel competitive toward other concert violinists. "You can't worry about what this one and that one is doing and where they're getting engagements. "I suppose anybody who has a career must be ambitious to a degree! I'm not after people stopping me in the street and saying they know I'm Miriam Fried.

If I felt I would be playing with fine orchestras for as long as I would want to be playing, that for me would be achieving what my ambition is." Miss Fried had a solo recital in Carnegie Hall this season but she says the violin recital is a trame minq, irce uhaicij, vtuoso and a born violinist. She me what he thinks. He is prob Stare In New Broadway Comedy Claudia Kincaide Will Produce Players' Show Esther Rolle Appearing On Stage manager for the Hecht has chosen as her chief assistant, Michael Taylor, as chairman of set construction. Taylor is renowned in Salisbury for his technical accomplishments on almost every major theater production held in the past few years: He has held the position of technical director for MDTs "Guys and Dolls" and "Fiddler on the Roof," set construction chairman for the Community Players' "Oliver!" and "Bells are Ringing" and lighting technician for Salisbury State Theatre's "Star-Spangled Girl" among many others. Tickets are now on sale for "Gypsy!" at $5 for adults, $4 for children and students and $14 for families.

They are available at both Ralph Gaskill stores, both Hess Apparel stores, and City Hall Museum downtown and from any Players' member. Call 5460099 for more in-' formation. Terry Leutner, president of Community Players of Salisbury has announced the selection of Claudia Kincaide as producer of the spring musical, ''Gypsy 1" to be presented April 17, 18, 19 and 20 at Wicomico Senior High School Auditorium. Ms. Kincaide was chosen for her broad experience in backstage and technical organization.

She produced the Players' most recent production "All My Sons," and was the assistant producer of their, highly successful musical, "Oliver!" last spring. She also performed in the chorus of that production. Her other, credits in production include props manager for Masque Dinner Theatre's "Guy and Dolls" and "Fiddler on the Roof," and stage manager of the Players' 'Bells are Ringing." Ms. Kincaide, in area rene after that. She left the show one season, she says, after objecting to what she felt were demeaning depictions of her character's children, particularly the oldest son, played by comedian-actor Jimmie Walker.

It wasn't that the writers worked with malice aforethought, she says, it's just that many of them had no real idea of what black family life was like and "were just guessing at what they think goes on." "I have no objections to comedy, but "Good Times' was being played for a truth and it had been recognized by the community at large as sort of a model rather than a stereotype. "I couldn't be responsible for children thinking they could grow up in this world in a home like that, and be as idiotic and irresponsible as my son tin the show)." Teeth," "Black Nativity" and "Purlie." She speaks with quiet pride about "Good Times" and its depiction of family life. As originally planned, her character, a mother, had no husband. She objected: "I could see no reason why I should bring another black show to television where there was no father image," she says. "I told them I had a father, that he and my mother had 18 children, and that he was with us from beginning to end.

"I also said it would foe an injustice to him and all the friends I grew up with to perpetuate the thought that black women and their children have nothing to do with fathers." She convinced those in charge, she says, to include a father ior her children right from the start of the series. But life was not entirely -sa working-class family, a spinoff series from "Maude" in which she was a regular. A short, plump woman of strong opinions and a rich, almost musical voice, she's been absent from Broadway for eight years. Her last show here was Melvin Van Peebles' "Don't Play Us Cheap." One of 18 children of a Florida farmer and his wife, Miss Rolle considers herself first and foremost a stage actress, despite her television fame. She began her career shortly after moving here in 1942 to live with an older sister, attend college and study acting.

One of the original members of the Negro Emsemble Company, she worked in it for years, finally made her Broadway debut in the '60s in "Blues for Mr. Charlie," and toured America and overseas in such plays as "The Skin of Our NEW YORK AP) When she was a kid, Esther Rolle thought of becoming a reporter. But "there wasn't hardly any future in journalism for a black woman. Wasn't much future in it for a black man, either. "It was a double whammy for me, being black and female.

And my parents didn't think it was practical." The Fourth Estate's loss was theater's gain. The veteran actress is currently appearing in "Horowitz and Mrs. Washington," a new comedy opening, this week on Broadway. In the show, directed by Josh Logan, she plays a nurse tending a cranky, prejudiced old widower (Sam Levene) who is recovering from a mugging near Central Park. She took the part after a successful six-year run in CBS' "Good Times," tha Norman Lear comedy about a black.

ft 4-' iv- hOhA Claudia KJncakto.