The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 60

Friday, September 11, 1998 Page 12BThe jacksor, Sun 150 years SWINGING' ON A STAR raveSiearf from Jackson: Jean Barnwell, teen actor Jean Marie Barnwell left Jackson and St. Mary's School about 10 years ego for New York City. 1 1 That was when she was in the fourth grade. Now, at age 18, Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His most recent movie was "The Man in the Iron Mask," which he wrote and directed, starring Leonardo di Caprio, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne and Gerard Depardieu.

Wallace also has had four novels published since 1980: The Russian Rose, So Late Into the Night, Blood of the Lamb and Where Angels Watch. He has co-created two network series: "Broken Badges" and "Sonny Spoon." Wallace is married to choreographer Christine Cullen Wallace. know their roots," said his cousin, Bill Page. "But he was here for rest and relaxation. He wouldn't talk about any upcoming projects." Wallace didn't grow up here because his parents moved to Memphis, then to Lynchburg, when he was 11.

He graduated from Duke University, where he studied Russian language, literature and creative writing. His aunt, Betty Myracle, lives near Wildersville in Henderson County. On March 26, 1996, Myracle said, "We were very disappointed (that Wallace's screenplay didn't win), but we were very pleased that he had some wins. I'm very proud of him." Wallace said he still has fond memories of hanging around his uncle Sam Page's store, located on Highway 22 near Wildersville. "Braveheart" didn't win an Academy Award, but the epic about the Scottish warrior did win the Best Picture Oscar, plus Best Director for Mel Gibson, who played the role of William Wallace, and won awards for best makeup, sound effects and cinematography.

He did win the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay of 1995 and received a By JACQUE HILLMAN The Jackson Sun Randall Wallace might be in Hollywood, but he has not forgotten West Tennessee. Wallace, known for writing the successful screenplay and novel on which the Academy Award nominee movie "Braveheart" was based, was born at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Although he didn't grow up here, he still returns to the area. He was in Jackson recently visiting family. "He brought his two boys with him because he wants them to Barnwell "From the Mixed-up Files with Lauren Bacall, a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie.

She co-starred in "Blue River" (FOX), "Born to be Wild" (Warner Brothers' Family Entertainment) and played Geena Davis in "Angie." Her TV credits as a guest star include: "7th Heaven," "Second Noah," "Feds," "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" "ER," and a starring role in "Governor Phoebe" (a CBS pilot). In I played a diabetic in a coma," she said. "I awakened to have a conversation with Eriq La Salle and NoahWyle." A favorite memory is talking with Lauren Bacall. "She told us wonderful stories about going to Africa with Humphrey Bogart while he was shooting 'African she said. Of her career, she said, "Acting is fun but really hard work." She has relished her lifestyle change.

"I've done so much. When people talk about things they've done, I think, 'I've done But she still misses barbecue, fried okra and cornbread. 1 "Barnwell is an actress who will complete her senior high school year at a boarding school. "I really like science," said Barnwell, who said she might major in physics in college. "And James Cameron, who directed is also a physicist.

Actors are some of the smartest people I know. They have so many life experiences to bring to their roles." The girl with bright auburn hair and freckles modeled one summer with the Ford Agency, then moved to New York. Since then, she has made many national commercials, including one now showing for apple cinnamon Cheerios. She starred in kicks US r- tt 11'" Vs Jtv i-V Denise LaSalle, soul queen Some of LaSalle's other hits in Jackson is home to the sassy soul and blues queen Denise LaSalle, along with her husband, radio station owner James "Super" Wolfe. LaSalle is a native of Mm clude "Married, But Not to Each Other" (also recorded by country artist Barbara Mandrell); "Working Overtime;" "Now Run and Tell That;" "Drop That Zero;" and the catchy "Don't Mess with My Tu Tu." Malaco has been LaSalle's record label since the early 1980s.

LaSalle is also founder of the National Association for the Preservation of the Blues, a group that promotes and honors artists in the fields of soul-blues and rhythm and blues. She still tours frequently and performs occasionally in Jackson. LaSalle V3 Her career-launching hit was the 1969 "Trapped by a Thing Called Love." She married Wolfe in 1977 and they have a son, Kenneth Ray, and a daughter, Bridgette Michelle. ft i- Gil Scott-Heron, poet, musician His trademark recording is "The Revolution Will not Be Televised." Other hits include "The Bottle," "(What's the Word) Johannesburg," "Whitey on the Moon" and the anti-drug "Angel Dust." Performing with Brian Jackson and the Midnight Band, Scott-Heron became known as a "leader of social thought." His songs fused blues and jazz into what he From the time talking movies made their debut, West Tennesseans have been packing the theater houses. By LISA MEALS The Jackson Sun On a typical Saturday, the two movie houses off the U.S.

45 Bypass in Jackson Malco Cinema 8 and Regal Cinemas are packed, patrons willing to pay for even the poorest-rated movies. In the early 1900s, Jackson theaters had other lures to get customers in to see the new movies. Lavishly decorated movie houses were more like opera halls than today's standard theaters. A house musician often provided "special effects" such as a barking dog or mood music for silent screen shows. Ticket prices were only a nickel or a dime (Matinee tickets now are at least $4).

Movie houses also provided a stage for traveling opera shows and theatrical productions. Built in the early 1900s on the corner of Liberty and Baltimore streets, the Marlowe Theatre was one of the first if not the first theater in Jackson to play host to the new moving pictures along with stage shows, operas and plays. In the early 1920s, another' movie house, The Lyric Theatre (which eventually became The Paramount), was built next door to the Marlowe. J.H. Driver of Jackson recalled being at the Lyric Theater in the '30s when it caught fire.

"Jackie Cooper and Wallace Beery were starring in Driver said. "I'll never forget it. Celluloid film back then was very flammable. It would overheat and like gasoline. If you got a match anywhere near it, it would go off.

In those days you cranked the movies and the projector got too hot." The Gem Theatre soon followed on Liberty Street. Driver recalled two other fires in movie theaters, once at the Met. "it looked like real smoke coming out of the gun barrel on the screen," Driver said. "It was real smoke. The projection room blew up and Bill Carlton caught fire.

We had to put him out." Meanwhile, The Marlowe changed its name to the State Theatre. In the 1930s, the Hauber Theatre on East Main Street followed. Driver said when Frank Albert-son created a 12-chapter serialized movie called "The Lost Spe- One of the young men who helped integrate Jackson city schools, Gil Scott-Heron went on to become one of the great political poets and musicians of his generation. His music and writings have been described as revolutionary, but Scott-Heron first made his mark on history in 1962 as one of three black students to desegregate Tigrett Junior High School. He was then known as Gilbert "Scotty" Heron.

Raised by his grandmother, Scott-Heron lived on Cumberland Street across from old Merry High School. After his grandmother's death in 1960, Scott-Heron moved to New York City with his mother and established himself in the music business by the early '70s. termed "bluesology, the science of HELEN COMEfVThe Jackson Sun Movie-goers' gifts from the Malco Theater. cial," "me and my dad, we stood in line every Friday night at the Hauber Theatre to see that picture. It was real interesting.

About these men who diverted a train to another track and hid it." After World War II, the Gem Theatre changed its name to The Met Theatre and moved to College Street, where the municipal parking lot stands today at the corner of North Highland and College. The Met was open until 1955, when it became a television studio for WDXI-TV (the predecessor of WBBJ-TV). Sometime around 1950, The Paramount became the Malco Theatre, and the remodeled State Theatre became The Paramount. By the time TV came into the picture, Jackson had two walk-in movie theaters and two drive-ins, the Sky-vue (earlier known as the Met-N-Mov) at U.S. 45 North and the Jaxon-Drive In at the corner of U.S.

70 and Parkway. Malco Theatres which owned both the Malco and Paramount theaters, added a modern venue in 1967 with its Mall Theatre in Old Hickory Mall (where Blockbuster Video now operates). The Cabana Theatre opened in Hamilton Hills Shopping Center in 1971 (near where O'Charley's stands) and offered West Tennessee moviegoers private viewing in individual "cabanas," small boxes in a balcony area, and in a general admission auditorium. Moviegoers viewed the picture through a glass screen. By the mid-70s, Malco already had announced plans for its "twin-cinema" near Union University on a then-sparsely populated business area.

And, surprisingly, drive-in theaters were still popular that enough the construction of Jaxon South Drive-In, on U.S. 45 South, was announced in September 1976. Malco's new twin theater grew into a quartet by the mid-80s. Another expansion was announced by Malco in July 1990 to double the size of the Malco Quartet, turning it into the existing Malco Cinema 8. While some movie theaters were expanding, though, the downtown houses were strug-' how things feel.

In the late 1970s, Scott-Heron formed the music group "Amnesia Express," adding hip-hop rhythms to some of his music. Songs from this era included his "Re-Ron" and 'B' Movie," making political jabs at the Reagan administration. Scott-Heron's last release was the 1994 "Spirits." HELEN COMEfVThe Jackson Sun When the olcJ movie theater in downtown Jackson was torn down, art work for the Old Coffee Club coffee shop was revealed. An old photo of the theater is shown below. Wink Martindale, game show host Martindale has been hosting television game shows since the 1950s, when he was the star of Quick, for $10,000 which Jackson native has been host of the most nationally televised game shows? Right.

Wink Martindale. Y4 mm I "itlHwratiii "Can You Top This?" Others down through the years: "GambitLas Vegas Gambit," "Headline Chasers," "High Rollers," "How's Your Mother-in-Law," "Tic Tac Dough" and "What's This Martindale can be found on cable as the host of Lifetime Television's "Debt." The show's contestants arrive with between $6,000 and $10,000 in debt credit cards, student loans, whatever and try to wipe out the debt by answering pop-culture questions. The show airs weekdays at 5:30 p.m. The veteran Jfain "game show host even had his own "Wink Martin-'. dale Day" proclaimed in 1981 by former Mayor Bob Conger.

I For many years, Martindale helped raise money for the West I Tennessee Cerebral Palsy Center's annual telethon, serving as its host. gling. The Paramount closed in 1986, followed by the original Malco in the summer of 1987. "Crocodile Dundee" was the last movie to show at Malco, which was taken down by the wrecking ball just this summer. Just weeks before downtown's Malco closed its doors, Jackson saw the opening of its newest theater, a six-screen movie complex operated by United Artists.

Unit ed Artists Theater became Regain Cinemas and later Regal ex- panded into a 10-screen venue. This summer, Regal and Memphis-based announced plans to join in production of another new the-ater, possibly with 18 screens" near The Home Depot in Nortbi; Jackson. Plans call for possibly closing one bf the existing thei aters and turning the other into discount theater. I- jGene Evans, 'My Friend Flicka' Actor Gene 11 II III MIUliillli. Evans landed in 4West Tennessee 1973 as a sheriff in the movie Tall." Then he bought a 38-acre farm near Medon and 'Hived there until iApril.

when he iiimimw ii mi ilin i iirir ii iTriin "it fir auui S3SV JAiM Ill II' ml cuorann 1 tm vi 1 1 Pusser. He also acted in several films, including "Cattle Queen of Montana," "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kidd," "The Steel Helmet" and "Operation Petticoat." Evans is also was known in West Tennessee for his role in helping rebuild the burned-out Union Baptist Church in Medon. Evans joined forces with the Jackson Theatre Guild in a 1987 benefit community production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" that helped raise money to rebuild the church. Evans played the role of eccentric brother Teddy Brewster in the comedy about two sweet old women who dispose of the gentlemen callers who visit their home. Evans twjlii 1 1 kmm.Mj!mmi "'-died of heart failure at age 73.

Evans, a native of Arizona, acted for more than 40 years. He yiaa known the 1950s television '-show "My Friend Flicka" and the "Walking Tall," the story McNairy County Sheriff Buford Courtesy ol Donald Terry Courtesy of Donal(J Jerry Marlowe Theatre in Jackson in the early 1900s. Lucius 'Dusty' Brooks, cowboy star natitn Drnnki 1 Lane College grad Dave Clark made music liMuuo iuoijr caiucu ueiore neaaing west ior tame in his nlace in the history books as 1 A 1 1 1 the mimic nnrl mnvi(J inHiiatripa lin, Quincy Jones, Mahalia Jack was one ot the earnest dibck record promoters. Along the way, he worked with other major labels, landing in 1980 at Malaco, where he was senior vice president at the time of his death. Over the years, Clark worked with artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, B.B.

King, Sam Cooke, Aretha Frank himself over the years. Interested in music as a child, Clark took music lessons in Jackson and performed with traveling shows. He graduated from Lane College and attended The Julliard Conservatory of Music in New York. It was in New York that he became a record promoter in 1938, working with Decca. He By LISA MEALS The Jackson Sun Dave Clark, born in Jackson, had worked in most every angle of the music industry as performer, promoter, consultant and songwriter before his death in Jackson, in 1995.

He is believed to have been 82 at the time, but that's questionable since he gave varying birthdates for son and others. He served as musical consultant for several movies, including "The Color Purple," and was named to the Chicago Music Hall of Fame in 1981. As a songwriter, he had more than 60 works to his credit, including B.B. King's "Why I Sing the Blues." His movie roles helped launch him in a singing career that included a two-year stint as a bass singer with the quartet The Ink Spots. In October 1995, Jackson's Rosie Robinson was host for a mini-film festival in Brooks' honor at the Carnegie Center for Arts and History in Jackson.

He was 84 at the time. one of few black cowboy actors in the late 1930s. Brooks, brother of Jackson's Dr. Cleo Brooks Boyd, starred in several black westerns with actor Herb Jeffiea. His film credits include "Harlem Rides the Range," "Bronze Buckaroo" and "Two-gun Man from Harlem Brooks attended Lane College.

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