Leader-Telegram from Eau Claire, Wisconsin • 47

"3 October 24, 1533 Hrvlr.v 3F 7 r- 2F .2 I Hits and Misses I IN A7) i. i i I As this 1967 photo shows, the Downtown Cinema, formerly the Cameo Theatre, reopened with The Sound of Music," a film that played for 17 weeks, a record at that time. 3 MUSIC: At 48, Texan Jimmie Dale Gilmore has been justifiably acclaimed as one of the greatest country singers, though not by the Nashville machine. The seat of country music has always been at odds with Gilmore's wide open, passionate, roughhewn approach. But non-Nashville critics have heaped accolades on him.

Now, with "Spinning Around The Sun" (Elektra), a 12-song collection that runs the gamut from hillbilly blues to folk, pop, country and rockabilly, Gilmore has arguably the best album of his career. There isn't a weak number here, but of particular note is Gilmore's reedy, heartbroken rendition on Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," his mournful reworking of "I Was The One," (originally a minor hit for Elvis Presley in 1956), his version of Butch Hancock's "Just a Wave," a duet with Lucinda Williams called "Reunion" and an old jug band tune, "Mobile Line," reworked as a back-roads boogie. "Cowgirl's Emmylou Harris; Asylum: Harris's first album for Asylum is her best album in a while. There's a gospel thread running through "Cowgirl's Prayer" in "Prayer in Open "I Hear a Call" and "Jerusalem Tomorrow." Harris' warm, homespun voice is beautifully suited to that material. All in all, "Cowgirl's Prayer" is a welcome return to form for the woman most responsible for modern country's youth movement.

PAPERBACKS: In "Kissinger A Biography" (TouchstoneSimon Schuster, $16), Walter Isaacson documents the life of the statesman who was Richard Nixon's kindred spirit and who seemed to wield as much power as the presidents he served. Selected as one of the best books of 1992 by The New York Times Book Review, this is "the book to end all books on Kissinger," Theodore Draper said. "Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary by Torii Morrison; Vintage; $9: Based on lectures the author gave at Harvard University, this book shows how white American writers have used black characters to express their own fears of powerlessness and sexuality. Morrison, recent winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, can "teach whites about how they have constructed not only black but white identity," Wendy Steiner said last year. "Rads: The 1970 Bombing of the Army Math Research Center at the University of Wisconsin and Its by Tom Bates; Harper Perennial; $12: Today's terrorists had a psychic counterpart in Karl Armstrong, a leftist who embraced violence for what he deemed a greater good: ironically, peace.

Last year reviewer Michael Kazin said that by illuminating the mostly forgotten tragedy of the 1970 bombing that Armstrong masterminded, "justice historical, personal, even literary has been done." VIDEOCASSETTES: Rip Tom is Henry Miller in "Tropic of Cancer" (1970; Paramount; closed captioned; NC-17), Joseph Strick's vivid, funny depiction of Miller's diary-novel of his libertine days in France during the early 1930s. A river of profanity and a brazenly sly style befit the original, although there is only a smattering of sex. In the late stages. Miller's involvement with a neurotic friend slows the pace in a film that "succeeds best on the level of a comic, sexual adventure of a man obsessed and motivated by one thing" (Howard Thompson). From news services A new downtown theater takes on an old look when the Cameo Budget Twin opens this week.

By William Foy Leader-Telegram staff Foflowing is a brief history of theaters Eau Claira The Grand Opera House of Eau Clah The vaudeville theater on 406 S. Barstow St ran from Oct 1,1883, toSept 12, 1928. Electric Park (later Hallie Park) The open-air theater showed siJent pictures from June 19,1901, to Sept 6, TNBljoU --Trie vaudeville theater at 41 IS. Barstow Stlaterwaa renamed the Unique and showed silent films. It opened Feb.

2, 1904, and ctosedJunel, 1926. Orpheum Theater Also a vaudeville house, I wasiocatedaM11-113N. Barstow St It opened Oct 4, 1909, and closed Oct 7, 1917. New Palace Theatre-' The motion picture theater, at 420 S. Barstow St, ran from March 30, 1910, to Jan.

6, 1916. i Lyric Theatre Nicknamed "The Cozy," the movie theater at 211 S. Barstow St ran from Sept 18, 1910, to September 1919. StarTheatraTrre movie house, at 428 Water St, ran freer) Ded 29 1912, toJan. 22, 1916.

O'Klare Theatre Located at 101-103 N. Barstow St, the theater showed sitents from Sept 6, 1914, to May 23, 1926. It opened as a frst-run motion pic-'" ture theater in the early 1940s but closed by the early 1 950s. In the mid-'50s was reopened as the Uptown Theater, but it closed alter two years, and the building was demolished in 1962. City Auditorium The multipurpose theater, at 122-134 ri Barstow St, opened April 22, 1919 and closed in spring 1961.

Wisconsin Theatre The theater, at 31 1 Grand Ave, opened Nov. 23, 1925, and was later renamed the Badger. The building was demolished in 1966. -vrr-rr The State Theatre At 3 1 2 Eau Claire St, the theater opened to much 1 fanfare on Jaa 19, 1926. It closed in March 1982.

In 1986, owners Gene Grengs and Warren Barbera donated it to the Eau Claire Regional Arts Counci, which renovated it into a performing arts facility that reopened in 1988. The Carrm Theatre The thealer at 315 S.Barstcw 1 946. After closing in the early 1 950s, Ihe theater was reopened in June 14, 1967, as the Downtown Cinema It expanded to two screens in December 1985 and closed hi August 1992. It reopens on Oct 29, 1993, as theCameo Budget Twin. Hollywood Theatre The theater at 412 S.

Barstow St (jpened in March 1947. It expanded to three screens in 1981 and closed in May1992. i Stardusk Drtveri The theater, on U.S. 53, opened in March 1949 atd closed in September 1983. Gemini Drtve-ln The theater, on U.S.

12 in northwest Eau Claire, opened In August 1973. London Square Twin The London Square Mai Cinema opened in Jarrary 1 974. ReparKied to tnree screens in screens in June 1992 i Oakwood Mall Cinema The six-screen theater opened in November Editor's note: Some information for this article came from The Grand Opera House of Eau Claire, a 1972 doctoral thesis by University ofWisoonsirhMadison student Wayne R. Wolfert he opening of the Cameo Budget Twin represents at least three encores. For one thing, when the marquee lights up Friday at 315 S.

Barstow St, it will mean that downtown Eau Claire will have a movie theater again. For another, the Cameo will feature "second run" films, giving moviegoers a chance to see efforts they missed the first time around. And for a third, theater owner -Gene Grengs is restoring the Cameo to the way it looked when it first opened Dec. 20. 1946.

1 thought, Let's go back to original colors," he said. "We've been working for two weeks to restore the wooden doors." A more detailed description of the theater can be found in the Dec. 20, 1946, edition of the Eau Claire Daily Telegram. Grengs recently was given a framed copy of the article. "All the latest and most desirable features in movie theater construction have been incorporated in the new building," the theater owner is reported to have said.

"The interior is featured in pastel greens and blues combined with deep Castilian red at the rear, with same colored rugs and seats. The original theater's opening, however, wasn't such a happy See MOVIES, Page 2F aming MTV in fire tragedy is easyway out By Ray Richmond Los Angeles Daily News I have trnuhle buvine into the altera- III tions that the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-Head" is to blame in the troversial drama "NYPD Blue," even after its racy 'content was blasted by critics and dropped by its affiliated stations all over the place. a. The faith has paid dividends. ABC is having the last laugh because it's got a genuine hit on its hands, with "NYPD Blue" finishing in 13th place in the ratings last week and easily winning its time period over, among other things a baseball playoff game.

It rewarding to see such a quality show being appreciated by the masses based on its merits rather than misguided hype. Coming dean: I'm still in mourning because my cable company, Century, came to terms at the 1 1th hour with KNBC to continue broadcasting that channel's The point is that sooner or later, people are going to have to start taking responsibility for what they and their offspring do. Even under tragic circumstances. The best: My periodic top 10 series pro-. grams on television, for anyone who dares Jo care: In descending order of quality: 1.

"The Simpsons," Fox: Hasn't lost a "Step. 2. "Late Show With David Letterman CBS: New and better than ever. J. "Seinfeld," NBC: Picked up right where it left off last season.

4. "The Larry Sanders Show," HBO: A comedy gem, if less consistent than last season. "5. "Picket Fences," CBS: The second-season opener is a classic. 6.

"NYPD Blue," ABC. Yes, it's already that good. 7. "Roseanne," ABC Still as funny as ever. 8.

"48 Hours," CBS: Consistendy terrific 9. "Dream On," HBO: Underrated and marvelous. 10. "Frasier" NBC Gets funnier every -week. Tuning to HBO: I love the fact that the commercial networks are suddenly flocking to HBO to air made-for-TV movies in the wake of that network's Emmy Awards Best of all is the announcement that NBC, after developing and then dumping the rights to dramatize "And the Band Played On," has decided that it's OK to air the story of the dawn of the AIDS crisis in America now that HBO has done the leg-work for them.

The problem is that neither NBC nor ABC nor CBS will ever possess an intangible that HBO seems to have in spades. It's called guts. Red-hot 'Blue': OK, OK, so ABC has showed some guts by sticking with its con that "Beavis and Butt-Head" should not be shown at 6 p.m. That certainly is irresponsible. (MTV has moved the show to 9:30 p.m., repeated at 10 p.m.) But to say that MTV is to blame for inspiring destructive behavior in impressionable youngsters is to effectively remove the responsibility for policing the TV set and keeping their kids on the straight-and-narrow path from the shoulders of par-wts.

I I reluctantly accept MTV's announce- ment that there will be no future references to fire in "Beavis and Butt-Head" Under the circumstances, I suppose, it -seemed the politically correct thing to do, though it doesn't seem to jibe with the company's position that it did nothing wrong. death of a 2-year-old girl whose 5-year-old brother apparently set Sre to her bed after hearing on and that fire is "cool" If I write here that dancing on a power line is a cool thing to do, does that make me accountable if your youngster does it? I don't think so and I'll tell you why. It's called personal (as in parental) responsibility. There is a disease spreading throughout America in which blame is pinned on everybody except No, 1. The cigarette company is responsible if you contract cancer.

Song lyrics make teen-agers commit suicide, so the band is to blame. This, to my mind, is an extension of that. I agree with tny colleague Phil Rosenthal just was mat close to being tree of "Hard Copy" and "Roggin's Heroes." Even a week would have been special. N.Y. Times News Service.