The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 35

Entertainment People Comics Pages 35 to 42, Wednesday, January 26, 1977 Delights of satirist's 'spectak' include swipes at Charlehois Radio by Joan Irwin Cable isn't the answer in televising Parliament very well what to do with them. With broadcasters complaining that they can't afford first-rate programming, why spend enormous sums of money on yet another distribution system? Second, existing cable systems cover less than half the country's households. Even if cable operators should be forced to provide service to rural areas where cable-laying costs are high and financial returns low, there are still places cable will never reach. Surely remote areas deserve to receive the debates of their elected members as much as urban areas do. Even if a channel on existing cable systems were designated for parliamentary coverage the debates would reach fewer than half the Canadian households.

A new CBC-operated cable system would have similar limitations. It seems to me that the CBC should carry the daily parliamentary question period live (it begins at 2 p.m.) and that it should be repeated in the evening on CBC television or radio or on cable systems' community channels. Whichever way the distribution is arranged we'll need to be able to see the full daily sessions. Can you imagine anyone, whether broadcaster, politician or public servant, who would want the responsibility of editing the parliamentary debates? Now that the House of Commons has approved plans to televise parliamentary debates, it's time to look at the way in which proceedings will be distributed. A consultant's study says it would cost about $3.3 million to install the necessary eight cameras and other equipment.

Operating costs would be about $935,000 a year. So far so good, but what would happen to the sound and pictures once the cameras began to roll? The ideal distributor of the parliamentary coverage is the publicly owned CBC. but the corporation is considerably less than enthusiastic about the job. Late last year current CBC President Al Johnson suggested that the corporation might set up a new cable TV network to carry parliamentary debates live in the afternoon and commercial-free repeats of CBC programs during the evening. The government would be expected to pay for the new network as well as the costs of setting up and operating the service.

There are several problems with that proposal. First. Canada does not need more communications hardware except in areas still not receiving basic service in the two official languages. We've got radio. TV.

cable and satellite networks aplenty now in most parts of the country and we don't seem to know That impressionist Jean-Guy Moreau's new show, Mon cher Rene, e'est a ton tour, has emerged as the smash hit of the Quebecois pop entertainment season is a pleasure that was to be expected. Moreau, who must rank with the American Frank Gorshin technically and dramatically as an impersonator, is a master satirist who always stretches his imagination to top his previous efforts. Just as the historical fantasy, Tabaslak, seemed hard to improve on, so does his current "spectak" at Theatre Maisonneuve until Jan. 30. It starts with a concept Rene Levesque dreaming of a barrage of local personalities descending with their petty egos and desires that is realized by Moreau's most manic, fevered and inspired performance to date.

He is a superb entertainer and his show made me laugh harder and more often than any I've seen in the past few years. Coming during the post-election euphoria and uncertainty, Mon cher Rene is a breath of laughing gas. The show has such dramatic totality that even if, say, an anglophone does not recognize a particular impersonation, Moreau offers more to laugh at the intensity of his mannerisms, the timing and edge of his voice, the hip, absurdist way he flits about the stage assuming new roles. This is a show intimate in the ways of the Quebecois, to whose heart it speaks. But this is not an "in-crowd" show, because of the mature depth and creativity of Moreau the showman.

He ranks as a comic internationally. Above all, he's hilarious. How could Rene's dream be complete without a visit from a concerned Liberace: "Gee, I sure hope you people don't change the French cuisine up here the ere pes suzettes and regouts de boulettes!" Doubly ironic is his roasting of Robert Charlebois, the former heavyweight champ of local rock, whom he reduces to an egocentric buffoon. Moreau was a compatriot Charlebois (before he became "le grand Now Moreau has made his own. -mark, and in his ranks are two more old cronies of Charlebois, guitarist Michel Robidoux and stage and lighting specialist Robert Lottin ville Satirist Jean-Guy Moreau at left creates one of the mock personalities that have made him one of Quebec's favorite impressionists.

Top right, Moreau as Charlebois; below him, Charlebois described by the Gazette's Juan Rodriguez as a fading hero as Charlebois, before his new short-hair image. Rock Pop by Juan Rodriguez The ABC dramatization of Alex Haley's best-selling family history Roots is another demonstration of the daring which has put the network at the top of the U.S. ratings this season for the first time ever. Instead of running parts of the 12-hour adaptation once a week in the conventional TV way, ABC has scheduled it in prime time on eight consecutive nights beginning Sunday of this week. The quality of the production, however, fails in almost every way to match the inventiveness of the scheduling.

Whoever it was who said that a picture is worth a thousand words has been disproved by this shallow, vulgarized adaptation of a powerful and moving book. That the TV version strays sometimes from Haley's text is not important. What is important is that the ABC series conveys about as much sense of documented horror as you'd find in a Hollywood western, with the difference that in this case the good guys are all black and the bad guys are all white. Scenes that should be gut-wrenching are merely melodramatic. Characters, both sympathetic and unsympathetic, are one-dimensional and unpersuasive.

It's as if everyone involved in the ambitious $6-million production, including Haley, who gets an adviser credit, forgot that the story is true and terrible enough to stand on its own. Olympic song, Je t'aime, and continues to compose for a variety cf local artists. Saxophonist-singer Carlyle Miller, ex of an old Stevie Wonder Band, has been issuing light disco records such as the current I Am Not A Fool (to Love You). He also plays on discs by top local songstresses Diane Dufresne, Patsy Gallant, and the rest. Yves Laferriere and Christianne Ro-bichaud, the spirit of the group Contraction, have collaborated with members of Beau Dommage, the most established pop-rock outfit in the province.

Singer Estelle St. Croix sang the Olympic song. Guitarist-keyboardist Marcel Beau-champ is still with Charlebois, and is into Jesus freakdom. Rawn Bankley, singer-songwriter-ace guitarist, is set to release a solo album and can be heard singing the "Chicken at home, fun to eat" radio 'jingles for a local barbeque company. Finally, Bill Gagnon, the mad genius behind Ville Emard Blues Band and one of the most wildly inventive electric bassists anywhere, is laying low in his hometown, Verdun, planning out a new group one with freaky make-up, costumes and staging, playing a three-act rock opera.

cois music fans and after the inevitable break-up of the Utopian Ville Emard co-op (they were just too big and bold for Kay-Bee) the local music scene is filled with ex-Ville Emard musicians in prominent roles. Drummer Denis Farmer and guitarist Robert Stanley are now members of Harmonium, the hottest rock group in the province (the group's recent double-disc I'Heptade is over the 100,000 sales mark). Michel Dion and Serge Valieres play bass and guitar respectively for Yvon Deschamps, most popular of the Quebecois comics. Percussionist Michel Seguin continues with his afro-jazz concept, Toubabou, in various incarnations and has beat the drums for chanteuse Louise Forestier. Drummer Christian St.

Roch wrote the music to the official Montreal back, provides a metaphor for his career. He had been invited to boat parties by Alfred Hitchcock and Sergeo Leone, but arrived a couple of minutes late and missed the boat each time. His shouts of "Hey come back, it's Robert Charlebois" fell on deaf ears. So why are they saying all these nasty things about someone who is surely one of the most talented artistes on the local scene? Because Charlebois played demigod at the expense of his creative juices. When members of his own group (the best he'd ever had) invited him to participate in their 18-member musical cooperative, Ville Emard Blues Band, he spurned them publicly, saying, "All I ask of my musicians is that they play the right notes on key." Now that Charlebois is considered passe by the new generation of Quebe Have cigar will travel: Charlebois' last and slickest album, Longue distance, was recently declared Quebec "gold" (for sales in excess of 50,000 copies), largely on the strength of the hit single, on Ami Fidel.

Some declining heroes will go anywhere to grab publicity: Charlebois took a vacation in Cuba and had an audience with Castro, whose voice is heard on the fade-out of Afon ami Fidel. Allegedly, one of the first things Charlebois asked upon arrival in Cuba was, "Where can I get a club sandwich here?" Another tale, from his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival a few years LOUIS O'NEILL Revamping film industry Quebec activates film-fund institute FUN" I New York Times "IRRESISTIBLE" in bii skit-ii ewvk Carson, Taylor chosen Hasty Pudding awards announced 'Boston Glow I. r-T- r-- vz' "PROVOCATIVE I Chicago Daily I liUli AlialiTi fJIX News Magazinm WW xxv yAU Angeles Times CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) Long-time NBC Tonight Show host Johnny Carson and actress Elizabeth Taylor have been named 1977 Man and Woman of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Club. The club is the oldest U.S.

theatrical organization, producing musicals for the last 129 years. Carson, the club's 11th Man of the Year, and- Taylor, the 27th woman to win the award, will participate in a parade here Feb. 15. "The Woman of the Year award is given to an outstanding woman of the theatre who best demonstrates great artistic skills and feminine qualities. In recognition of her extensive film career and role in the entertainment world, Elizabeth Taylor was the unanimous choice for the award," club officials said in announcing the choice Monday.

In response to his award, Carson said he was "very thrilled and flattered." The Man of the Year award will be presented Feb. 25, the opening night of the Hasty Pudding's annual musical comedy, this year titled Cardinal Knowledge. Last year, Bette Midler won the Woman of the Year title, and Valerie Harper of TV's Rhoda show was named in 1975. Others winners have included Faye Dunaway, Liza Min-nelli and Katharine Hepburn. ELIZABETH TAYLOR 'Outstanding woman in theatre' Roch Demers, president of Faroun Films, a Montreal film distribution company, has been named chairman of the seven-member board of directors of the Institut Quebecois du Cinema.

The institute was set up to administer funds provided by the provincial government for the support of the private film industry in Quebec. The government said it is designed to safeguard both the freedom of creation and expression of filmmakers and the freedom of choice of consumers. The institute was established by the former Liberal government under its Bill 1 on cinema in June, 1975, but not activated until this month, under Parti Quebecois Communications Minister Louis O'Neill. O'Neill has described the revamping of tbe film industry here as one of. his priorities.

Besides Demers, (other members of the board of directors, all of whom were appointed by O'Neill this month, are vice-president Michel Brule, director of the department of sociology at the Universite de Montreal, secretary-treasurer Paul Gen-dron, Louise Cousineau, radio-TV columnist for La Presse, producer Guy Fournier, director Jean Dan-sereau, and technician Francois Pro-tat. The board, operating on an interim budget of $50,000, began meeting late last week to work out the suggestions it will present later to rtickcte Sex kittens replaced by tame 'Bambi' fare in cinema mix-up by Joanna Glass Until Feb. 6 in centaiir2 BY POPULAR DEMAND MATINEE TODAY at 1 P.M A highly original 'energy circus' combining dance, acrobatics, sculpture and wit into an irresistible new art form AN EFFECT NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON ANY STAGE! FEBRUARY 1-2-3 8:30 P.M. Tickets S10 $8 $8 $5 S4 ON SALE PLACE DES ARTS, MONTREAL TRUST, P.V.M. GROUPS.

CHAXGEX 935-0678 MASTER CHARGE (Golden Age $1.00) formed a line in front of the manager's office, the screen abruptly went blank and in due course, switched to the scheduled performance. The manager explained that Bambi had been booked for the afternoon program and the operator had put it on for the evening show by mistake. Meanwhile, the manager faced fresh complaints from patrons who were unhappy because Bambi had been taken off. He gave them tickets for the next afternoon. FROME, England (CP) The attraction that had drawn a capacity film audience in this Somerset town was a double bill, The Sex Virgins and The Swedish Playgirls.

But when the curtains rolled back, the spectators found themselves watching the innocent diversions of Bambi, the deer; Thumper, the rabbit; Flower, the skunk, and the other characters of the well-loved Walt Disney children's cartoon clasic, Bambi. When a procession of irate customers 5Vn v4 to si.