In review Situation comedy is a little gory, but good By Steve Williams Staff Writer I "Silver Streak" is essentially a gi gantic situation comedy taking place ¡on and off a speeding train bound from Los Angeles to Chicago. Most of the humor evolves from the ridiculous situations in which Gene Wilder finds himself, and the various stereotypes Mattered throughout. I Wilder is cast as a small time pub lisher on his first train ride who wastes no time making a fool of himself by stumbling into a neighboring compart ment containing a very incompletely [dressed young women - thus the fun plane, milking a cow, stealing three cars - one of them belonging to a typically stupid sherrif, breaking a police road block to avoid being ar rested on charges of murder, and Wilder was even forced to disguise himself as being -black to get by the police. "Silver Streak" is a superb comedy commanding a great variety of ways to make people laugh. One of the most effective methods was the ele ment of surprise used in unsurpassing excellence in many situations. "Silver Streak" is for those who like to laugh and have a good time as long as they can handle a few gory details. That night. Wilder and the previous ly mentioned young lady are inter rupted by a rather dead body falling in front of the window - the lady's boss. Wilder then begins his investi gation (very privately) which results in his ejection from the train a total of three times, several killings (one with a spear gun), and a mad chase across the country involving a literal army of federal and state police. * Thishilarious madness climaxes with a runaway train that simply demolishes the Chicago train station. While off the train Wilder's attempts to reboard take him through such experiences as flying a two seat air [begins. ■ calendar thursday I Focus on Women. "Women in the Middle Years" lecture by Betty Brad- lyn. CC-117. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $1. ASG Meeting. Fireside Lounge. 11 a.m. I The New Theatre workshop. M-119. Tumbleweed Connection. Sampan Room, 517 Main, Oregon City. Also Saturday. Mr. Personality. Arrowhead Golf Club. Hwy, 213 on the Molalla River. Also Saturday. 9 p.m. Red and Dixie Butcher with Main- street. Whitehorse Lounge, Main Street, Molalla. 9:15 p.m. No cover. 2 p.m. The New Theatre performance. CC I Mall. 8 p.m. Free. Banshee. Doc Holiday's Pub, 1320 I Main, Oregon City. 9 p.m. No cover. ■ Also Friday and Saturday. ■ "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye." |KGW TV, Channel 8. 9 p.m. A histori- | cal look at John F. Kennedy's first I run for public office in 1946. l I Country Joe. Paramount North west, Portland. $6 advance. ■Til Die if I Can't Live Forever." Portiat d Civic Theatre Blue Room. 18:30 p.m. $4 adults, $3 students/ ■ senior citizens. 226-3048 for reser vations. Also Friday and Saturday. I friday ■Spoon River Anthology." CCRT rjrformance. 8:30 p.m. McLoughlin Theatre. Also Saturday evening. packamas Community College weekend Raintree. CCC Dance. 8 p.m. Sat urday. Sponsored by NORML. CC Mall. Free for CCC students, $1 gen eral. Marbelized scarves for wearing and hanging art exhibit. By Peggy Ty- craft. Hoffman Gallery, School of the Arts and Crafts Society, 616 N.W. 18th, Portland. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. tuesday Mini Concert. CC Mail. Noon. Community Services Workshop. CC 101.7 to 9 p.m. Christopher Parkening, guitarist. Ci vic Auditorium. 8:15 p.m. $6, $5 and $4. Foghat with Rick Darenger and Sammy Hagger. Memorial Coliseum. $6.50. Wednesday Coffeehouse featuring the Bov a/ Brothers, acrobatics. Noon. Free. Oregon String Sinfonietta, directed by Eugene Kaza. 3 p.m. Sunday. Holladay Park Church of God, 2120 N.E. Tillamook, Portland, Free. Jazz Ensemble and Swing Choir concert. CC Mall. 8 p.m. monday Creative Bread Making for Men. Homemaker's Update. CC-101.6 p.m. "The Other Side of the Mountain." ASG sponsored movie. Fireside Lounge. 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Kinetic Wood Sculpture showing by Jim Fink. Hoffman Gallery, N.W. 18th and Hoyt, Portland. 5 to 8 p.m. Page 9