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Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 74

Location:
Santa Cruz, California
Issue Date:
Page:
74
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

Spotlight-Santa Cruz Sentinel- Friday, Oct. 24, 198( -IS Starman VBC-TV series hoots episode Santa Cruz RICK CHATENEVER ntinel Staff Writer -Jit looks like a regular old laundry ltruck pulling up at the entrance to years. They knew exactly what they wanted to do. They took it to all the studios and whenever it -would be turned down, they'd rewrite it." When it finally went into production, he said, "it went pretty smoothly, as films go. They were such nice guys, everyone wanted to do good work for them." Similarly good vibes exist among the "Starman" crew he said, describing his co-workers, and himself, as "wackos." Others might draw similar conclusions watching his character's naive discoveries on the show.

A lot of the fun of the series is Starman's ongoing discoveries of the little facts of life on this planet. But he and his son also have something going for them: the powers of the sphere. "They have unlimited powers," said assistant director Lansbury. "They can melt bars. They can make cars start up on their own." The little marble-like thing Bridges left behind in the movie, has now been inherited by Hays and Barns.

But can they keep the show in the tough 10 p.m. spot Friday on the air past the initial 13 episodes? "We'll find out next month if we're renewed," said Lansbury. "Who knows?" Not the Starman. "I try not to worry about it," said Hays. That wasn't the only thing he tries not to think about.

He side- He can communicate with them. This episode focuses on a falcon, which has brought the crew to Santa Cruz in the first place. They filmed Monday at UCSC's peregrine falcon project, followed by two more days at Henry Cowell. The bird itself was "absolutely gorgeous," said Hays during a break between shots. Hays might not quite possess his character's super communication powers, but he did have a chance to hold and launch the bird for scenes in the show.

Besides the bird, the local scenery also was an attraction of filming in this area. On this particular morning the crew was catching the musky beauty of the redwoods for one shot, the fall sunshine dancing off a stream for the next. Hays has relatives in Carmel, so he's no stranger to this part of the state. "I love this area," he said. Santa Cruz, though, was usually the place he drove through to get where he was headed.

His acting career began in college in San Diego, going into high gear a little later at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre. The dark-haired actor is probably best known for his starring role in "Airplane," the free-flying satire which altered the pace and shape of screen comedy to come. That film was so successful, he said, because its directors (Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker) "had worked on it for five enry Cowell State Park to let out ime hitchhikers. The man and the jy who climb out look like a regular tan and boy. But they're not.

Depending on how du look at It, they are either an lien-and-a-half you know, visitors rom "somewhere else" or else a ouple of big-time television stars. Irboth. Robert Hays is the man. Thirteen-ear-old C.B. Barnes is the boy.

kjpng with the rest of the 65-member Columbia Pictures crew, they also lappen to be visitors from "somewhere else" Hollywood here to an episode of the new ABC-TV feeries Starman. Entitled "The Falcon," it airs on Channels 7 and 11 at 10 p.m. Nov. 14. The laundry truck scene calls for the truck to pull up, the stars to get lout, the stars to wave goodbye, the stars to walk away.

Coyro Sentinel Actor Robert Hays and a bird from UCSC's peregrine falcon project. That was great, guys! yells an assistant director as they finish the shot. It was, sort of inspired," agreed star Hays. The series is a spin-off from the popular Jeff Bridges movie. In the 'Survival Game' shooting on location TV version, Starman comes back 14 years after the movie ended, looking for his son.

Being a Starman, the title charac ter has certain special talents. For one thing, he's capable of taking on the characteristics of an earthman, any earthman. Consequently, producers of the series and star Hays don't have to worry about connections or comparisons with Bridges. He has a different body this STARMAN wasn't the only one of his kind make that, the movie star kind sighted in Santa Cruz this week. "Born American" movie star Mike Norris, son of Chuck, arrived this week along with a Trans World Productions crew to begin six weeks of local filming on a new action adventure "Survival Game." The film is described by the studio an action-adventure-romance.

Norris plays a devotee of the simulated war exercise game called in which players shoot paint capsules at one another in place of real bullets. time," joked Hays between shots. "He left Jeff Bridges 14 years ago that body would be smelling pretty bad by now." He lands in a "Mount St. Helens million stash from those illicit activities, making him a prime target for more contemporary criminals. Actress Deborah Goodrich, whose past credits include "Just One of the Guys" and "April Fools Day," plays Cassel's daughter and Norris' eventual love interest.

Arlene Golonka, whose past screen credits include "My Tutor," "The Inlaws" and "Airport II," is also featured. The film is action-oriented and involves a lot of stunts, according to studio reports. Herb Freed is directing and Gideon Amir is the producer. Some 15 actors and actresses from the Santa Cruz and San Francisco areas have been cast in speaking parts, according to Judy Bouley of Central Coast Production Services. She said the new film would call for a maximum of 500 extras.

RICK CHATENEVER environment," according to assis tant director Jim Lansbury. There, coincidentally, a news helicopter has just crashed, killing a photographer on board. Voiia a new identity for the friendly alien. In the movie, Starman left a son- to-be on this planet. Now he finds the boy, Scott Hayden (Barnes) in a foster home, and the two set out to His skill at the game is called upon when he chances upon a scheme to kidnap and rob an ex-convict played by Seymour Cassel, a radical Ph.D.-type from the '60s who also manufactured LSD on the side.

Cassel still knows the whereabouts of a $2- find the boy's mother. Of course this being TV, they are also being pursued by a villainous research scientist, forcing them to lay low, sleeping in the woods. That the basic concept of the series. Michael Douglas is one of the show's executive producers. The di rector of this episode is Bob Chenault.

ror According to Lansbury, Starman is just a little naive discovering things like donuts are major revelations. "He's being educated on this planet, but he's also educating humans." He's" got a'wa'y witH.ariimals', too. 4 -J I I I I just plain guy. There really isn't room for contemplation. In TV series work, he no time.

You work 59 hours a day, collapse at night, then do it all again the next day. There's no time to figure out if it's glamorous or not." :m.y.:I stepped any effort to typecast himself as a comedy actor, leading man or something in between. "People love to find categories," he said. "But I just try to find work, things I enjoy doing." He has "no idea" of how playing alien is differerit'from playing a I I I I it-tl' Tt i 'Starman'? co-star C.B,. Barnes.

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About Santa Cruz Sentinel Archive

Pages Available:
901,688
Years Available:
1884-2005