‘Melvin and Howard9 as interesting as cornflakes
By Thomas A. Rhodes
Everyone loves “little com­
edies.” Hollywood producers
love them because they don’t
cost a fortune to make. Critics
love them because they’re
without car chàses, and au­
diences love them pecause
they’re audaciously light. ,
It seems-that everyone is so
tired of comedies of excess,
that any movie that has a half­
way readable script, a couple of
decent performances, and
anything that adds a little Lysol
to the current stink of bad com­
edies is destined (or doomed)
to be pigeon-holed,
“It’s
‘Rocky,’ ‘Breaking Away,’ and
more. It’s Brilliant!”, as “My
Bodyguard” was.
This same problem is arising
with the newest of the “little
“M & H” is based on the tale
of Melvin Dummar (Played by
Paul Le Mat), the man who
allegedly picked up the injured
billionaire Howard Hughes
(Jason Robarbs) in the middle
of the desert to give him a ride
one night, and found himself to
be one of the 14 beneficiaries
of Hughes’ will. But the story is
not so much of Melvin Dum-
rriar and. Howard Hughes as it
is of the life of Dummar. The
standard loser, Dummar strug­
gles daily to hang on to his job
as a milkman as well as hang
on to his wife (Mary Steen-
burgen).
comedies,” “Melvin and
Howard.” Upon looking at the
one-sheet in the theater and
flipping through the “New York
Times,” those same adjectives
appear, giving the reader the
clue that what he will'see will
compare with “Lawrence of
Arabia.” Unfortunately,
“Melvin and Howard” (“M &
H”) is just another little com­
edy, so little in fact,'that it’s-in
danger of turning into dust.
Eventually, Steenburgen
leaves him, and while co­
managing a small gasoline sta­
tion, an auspicious looking
man leaves what looks like the
will of the recently perished
Howard Hughes. It seems that
the late Hughes has bequeath­
ed him $156 million. Keeping
the facts straight, Dummar
doesn’t reap the fortunes be­
queathed him and the film
ends with the nice poignant
scene between Melvin and
Howard.
It’s a beautiful scene to end
with (the scenes between Le
Mat and Robarbs are the best
the film offers). Unfortunately,
there are only two scenes with
Melvin and Howard (at the
beginning and the end), which
is the main problem with “M &
H.” Dummar’s life without
Hughes (which constitutes 90
percent of the film) is pretty
much standard, everyday life,,
which isn’t worthy of 90
rtiinuteS of film. Imagine a
movie about Mr. Smith before
he (joes to Washington and
you’ve got “M & H.” .
Writer Bo Goldman, (co­
author of “Cookoo’s Nest”) is
short on humor, save for a few
All those years, all those dreams, all those sons...
one of them is going to be a star.
moments - (Which
ai
delightful). Director Jonath,
Demme (“Last Embrace
“Handle with Care”) seemed
recognize the screenplay pi
blem and attempted to covei
up with some fancy film techi
ques. His camera moij
almost constantly through^
the show. This may look nii
but his continual use of I
Panaflex (hand held) 'cans
and his overuse of. panni
shots distracted from the act)
and appeared as though
was hiding an insufficn
script.
Hamboyant direction a
cinematography work well w
an equally flamboya
screenplay, such as Rich;
Rush’s direction of Lawrei
Marcus’ excessive screenplay
“The Stunt Man.” But in “N
H,” it doesn’t work. With j
camera flying 1 throu
Roslands milk company, it |
adding complexities to a sei
'that was fairly simple.
The performances are pri
much on the level, with Jas
Robarbs and Mary Stei
burgen coming off best. “N
H” isn’t a bad movie by <
means. It just isn’t “brillii
lyrical; or as good as Amerii
films can get.”
arts
brief
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IN SELECTED THEATRES
Opening at Selected Theatres Near You»
Vocal music students of
Music Department will pres
a concert Monday A in 1
McLoughlin Theater begim
■ at 7:30 p.m. the feat«
-groups will be the. Madt
Ensemble, the Concert Ch
and the Swing Choir. 1
Madrigal Ensemble will pres
some additional selections fi
the Baroque Period, as we
those ddne at the Festiva
the Performing Arts; in ai
tion, there will be class
guitar pieces, and a vocal
by Momo Asamoto. and I
Neff. The Swing Choir will
_form selections from
Chorus Line,” “Day by Di
and tunes by Billy Joel and!
Young. The Concert Choir
v present a mixture of sec
and religious music, inclui
Mendelssohn’s “He, watd
over Isfael.” Approximate!!
students wiH be perform
Admission is free.
Wednesday’s Mini-prog
at noon- will feature the
ingsworth Brothers, an acol
folk-duo from Molalla,
group plays ’ mostly origir
according to Dave Buckle
Student Activities, and th
start ^around noon in ■
Fireside Lounge.
On Monday at noon, A
Byron will be featured in
Fireside Lounge. Byron is f
L.A. and is a veteran of n
talk shows and club d
where his country/cofl
style of performing has dr
wide praise. Byron 1
\
takeoffs on commerd
\ among other things, and wi
y accompanied by an ele
\ guitar/bass player. The
starts at noon. *
Clackamas Community Colli