Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 243

AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENT. 3 mmsmmmm Click, chop, ring, chop, chop TICKETS AVAILABLE AT CH1CAG0LAND WARD STORES: CHICAGO: HARVEY ROCKFORO 140 S. SlaU SI. 6RJMGC SK0K.IE 618 W. Chiciio Am.

IOMBARD WAUKEGAN DEERFIELO MI. PROSPECT CART, IND. EVERGREEN PARK OAK PARK MUNSTER, IND. r.Tiil Run Theatre 3 CONCERTS Arte Crown Theotre KATE SMITH IN CONCERT Tonite CAROLE KING -518 SPORTS ROLLER DERBY First Place Battte-Pioneert vs. World Champion N.V.

Chiett Amphitheatre -519 Match Race-Robinson vi. Oroll Hammond Civic Center 516 Richards H.S., Oak Lawn -517 VYheaton North H.S.-521 T0T1E FIELDS Tonight JOEL GREYJOAN RIVERS 517-20 LENA HORNEBILLY ECKSTINE 522-27 GEORGE CARLIN-61-3 ELLA FITZGERALD 612 17 LILY T0MLIN-618 24 THEATRE G0DSPELL Sfudeboker Tfieafre SPECIAL EVENTS TOMMY Auditorium Theatre -720-25 NIGHT CLUDS EMPIRE ROOM Bobby Vinton 58-26 MISTER KELLY'S Delia Reese -58-20 LONDON HOUSE Oscar Peterson -thru 520 LIZA HARRY BELAFONTE 62 3 KRIS KRISTOFFERSON RITA C00LIDGE 67 ISAAC HAYES 73 RARE EARTH -713-15 SHA NANA -720-22 SEALS I CROFTS -727 28 LOGGINS MESSINA 8 9 10 FIFTH DIMENSION 812 GUESS WHO 818 19 AMERICA-821 22 Auditorium Tfcenfre FRANK ZAPPA -516 SHIRLEY BASSEY-520 DOOBIE BROTHERS -526 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR STEELY DANARGENT -728 Chicago Stadium SONNY CHER -69 International Amphitheatrt I own many theaters In Hong Kong and have been making a fortune thru the years by supplying the rapacious Hong Kong market with a different feature almost every week. Only last year did Run Run Shaw, the production chief, contact Warner Bros, about playing these films off in English-speaking theaters. Shaw's terms were most favorable to Warners, no one anticipating the yellow tornado. Now, of course, Monday morning quarterbacks abound, and they point to the popularity of the ABC-TV series Kung Fu and to the proliferation of karate instruction parlors.

The films, In case you haven't seen them, are terribly short on story material, badly dubbed, and unintentionally hilarious. In "Duel of the Iron Fist," for example, a woman speaks out of a man's mouth; in "Five Fingers of Death," an elderly man delivers a two-sentence speech while chewing his rice. But they can be decidedly entertaining, providing you enjoy feats of violence. There are karate chops, foot stomps and kicks, knife slashings, and leaping somersaults that end in head butting. And a good many Chicagoans do dig this action.

"Five Fingers of Death" has grossed approximately $270,000 in four weeks at the State Lake. "Fists of Fury" looks like it will better $60,000 in its opening week at the Oriental. "Duel of the Iron Fist" knocked down $65,000 in 19 days at the 600-seat Loop Theater. Approximately three-fourths of the audience has been black. We will learn the appeal karate films hold for whites when Confucius say: Man who bankroll karate film never run out of won ton.

By Gene Siskel "HEY, MAN," said the kid to the movie critic standing outside of the State Lake Theater, "do they really pop a dude's eyes out In there?" He was referring to "Five Fingers of Death," the fabulously successful karate flick that has generated a film business stampede or, if you prefer a worldwide epidemic of Asian kung-flu. Item: Last week three of the eight first-run, downtown Chicago film houses were playing karate films. Item: The film producers association of Iran has called on the Iranian government to ban the karate "menace." The producers claim the karate films are tying up most of their major theaters, thereby limiting the release of locally produced product. Item: Hollywood's American-International Pictures, always ready to build or jump on a bandwagon, has just acquired its first karate film. It is called "Deep Thrust" and purports to feature "the mistress of the death blow." The karate frenzy is simply the latest in a long line of movie epidemics: beach party, motorcycle gang, werewolf-vampire, gladiator, and get-whitey.

The karate films are made in Hong Kong and Taiwan for about $80,000 each, and many of them have already played in the United States in exclusively oriental film houses. A major supplier of these films is Shaw Brothers production company, which cranks out about 40 each year. The Shaws THRU JUNE 1 Matinees Sat. Sun. STUDEBAKER THEATRE TICKETRDN TICKETRON HAS TICKETS NOW for these and other top attractions, at all Ticketron outlets.

TICKETRON GIFT CERTIFICATES now available lor all Ticketron events. I I 1 I Jl ROCK ROLL REVIVAL 526 DEEP PURPLE-65 $1.00 off reg. ticket prices es lor tickets purchased LENA H0RNE BILLY ECKSTINE MAY 23 24 -MILL RUN THEATRE MAY TICKET SPECIAL any Montgomery Ward ticket outlet. "POLISHED CAST PRESENTS IT ITH CANNINESS AND SURETY STRONG FROM NORMAN TOP TO BOTTOM Holy Moses! lis Kate RICE iviu. Leonard.

thibUne ASSOCIATES n. PRESENTS: DY UALt Chicago symphony orchestra WASSERMAN i From the Novel by I KEN KESEY Sir Georg Solti Music Director Directed by HARVEY MEDLINSKY Saturday Special Concert (Latin School Benefit) May 19, at 8:30 Peter Eros, Conductor Louise Russell, Soprano Vahan Khanzadian, Tenor "Viennese Night" featuring music by Strauss, Lehar, Suppe, Nicolal and others Tickets $2.50 to $6.00 Orchestra Hall 220 S. Michigan Ave. 427-7711 TICKETS AT BOX OFFICE AND BY PHONE AND MAIL WED. THURS.

8 P.M. $6.60 $5.50 14.50 FRI. 8 P.M. SUN. 7 P.M.

$7.50 $6.60 $5.60 SAT. 6:30 P.M. and 9 P.M. $7.60 $6.60 $6.50 WED. SUN.

MATS 2 P.M. $5.50 $4.60 $3.50 FOR BEST SELECTION. GIVE ALTERNATE DATES. ENCLOSE SELF ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE, CHECK OR MONEY unutn. r-ATABLt lltn 61.

THcATnc STUDENT DISCOUNT TICKETS WITH I CALL TINA fUND RAISING A THEA TRE PARTIES CALL LILLIAN R. GOODMAN A Continued jrom page 3 tie. In 1930, she was cast as the comedy lead in "Flying High." "I was unhappy because I was being made a fool of by the star of the show," she recalls. It was Bert Lahr. "He was always putting me down, stopping the applause with some crack.

I had just about made up my mind to go back to college. Then Ted Collins came into the picture. God works In mysterious ways. What Collins proposed was that Kate give up comedy and dancing and stick to singing. She made her radio debut on May 1, 1931, and from then on was one of the biggest stars in the business, if not the, biggest.

She made more than 2,000 recordings, was an honorary Texas Ranger, an honorary Sioux Indian, a homespun radio philosopher, and the top salesman of World War II savings bonds million worth. Collins was her business partner and manager for 34 years. "We were in business on a handshake. I did the singin' and he did the business. He was a man's man, a fine fella.

Everybody loved him." They formed a corporation called Rated, which still exists. But in 1964, Collins died, and Kate admits, "I didn't know which way to turn. I didn't do anything for six months. I was always able to go to Ted with my problems, and he would straighten them out." But she picked up the pieces and learned to handle business arrangements. She also hired a 225-pound ex-Marine as her bodyguard.

Speaking of weight, Kate is unusually trim now. The thinnest she's been since 1935, she admits. "I lost 85 pounds in the last three years, totally under my doctor's guidance. I have to lose 25 more. He said if I didn't get rid of some of this weight, I was going to have a heart attack.

But my weight never hindered me. I played tennis and golf. I swim like a fish." But she also likes to cook, especially at her country home in Lake Placid, N. Y. "I'm great on desserts, as you might know," she laughs.

"I like plain cooking. Standing rib roast with Yorkshire pudding. For breakfast, nothing can top gorgeous hot pancakes and country sausages. I also like creamed chipped beef with hot grits." She starts to laugh. "But tonight, all I can have for dinner is a sandwich." She doesn't regret never having married.

"Every darn young man I went with wanted me to give up my career. I Just couldn't do it. That always caused the split. But I have the enjoyment "of my sister's daughters andjheir children. I have no regrets.

"My entire life has been guided by prayer. How can anyone convince me otherwise about God's creation when -He gave me these vocal chords? I cannot read music. I have never vocalized. I haven't sung since last July, and all I do is open my mouth and out It comes. Nobody will ever convince me that I wasn't blessed.

I started at 4 and I am now 64 and I have been singing all my life. Thanks be to God." Chicago Tribune Pieu Service D3MNERTHEATER1 TOM ELROD and CAROL SAENZ in "Champagne! Complex" i THE AWARDS WINNER! DINNER A THEATRE RffMf voiiont W. 581 -3090 072 ARCHER AVE. 4llodiiWttl UVE SHOW AND DINNER CHI 10W MICE Show every nife eiccpt Mort. Company of 26; Great Food BUDGET PRICES WEEK NITES NIOHUY (epl Wed.

Mai 2 SHOWS SAT. RESERVATIONSi 452-9767 Rt. 20 (lake Ploominqdale, III, Nominated for Awordi Bosf Play Best Actor lot Cnoreogropfty 1 mil W. c( Eiwihower extemlon) Page A Section 6 CHICAGO. TRIBUNE Arts, Fun-May 3, 1873.