Richard Norton

Photo by Paul McMahon

her husband, John (Halloween) Carpenter, Adrienne Barbeau proved to be a real charmer as we lunched at the Ritz Carlton's main dining room.

Primarily known for her five years as the liberated and divorced daughter on the very popular television comedy series, Maude (actually she also guested on that show during its sixth and final season), Ms. Barbeau made her motion picture debut in Carpenter's previous film, The Fog. She met him when he directed her in the made for television movie (which he also wrote), Someone Is Watching. They were married in January of 1979. Although they plan to have children, she says, "So far, we are only talking about it." Incidently, she has another film that is currently playing in Boston, Cannonball Run (not directed by Carpenter), with two other pictures completed (neither of these made by her husband); The Next, a science fiction film that she made in Greece, and The Swamp Thing, which was filmed on location in Charlestown, N.C. and co-stars Louis Jourdan. She is excited by the fact that she is about to begin filming Creep Show in Pittsburg for director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead). She does look forward to working with Carpenter again soon, however, and they have a couple of properties that they are developing. This talented director, who, beside Halloween, also gave us the highly successful television film, Elvis, is at the moment completing a re-make of The Thing. It seems that they both have a preference for the more grotesque motion pictures.

Looking back on her extensive television career, Ms. Barbeau (who is also very famous for her cheesecake poster, a poster that is among the all time best sellers, along with those of Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Tiegs) feels fortunate to have done Maude. "Norman Lear (that show's creator) is a genius," she says. "My husband is a brilliant talent, but Lear was the first genius I ever met... Most of the comedy on TV today is unimportant, but Maude had substance. I began to examine my own values because of Maude. I was not the least bit political or involved until I did Maude... We often did shows that were controversial, but important." She has absolutely no desire to do a sitcom on television although she has had offers (in fact, Ms. Barbeau doesn't really like doing comedy or comedy in general that much). Yet, she knows that she has more of a voice to speak her views because of her television fame. A strong supporter of E.R.A. these days, she feels that there is no reason that she cannot be feminine and look attractive and even sexy and still support the feminist movement. "In fact," she says, "I have more of a platform because of the poster."

Born in Sacramento, California, she grew up in San Jose. After she came East and worked in several touring summer stock productions of Broadway musicals, she landed a job on Broadway as a replacement as the daughter Hodel in

Fiddler On The Roof (incidently, Bette Midler played her sister Tzeitel in that production) in 1968. Following the short-lived, 1971 Off-Broadway musical, Stag Movie, in which she starred, Adrienne Barbeau created the role of Rizzo in Grease (1972), which not only won her a Tony Award nomination, but her role in Maude. She was understandably somewhat resentful that she did not get the movie role of Rizzo (Stockard Channing did) and has never seen the film.

Ms. Barbeau says that she really enoys touring to promote her films and that she especially likes Boston and would like to see more of it. Although, she does admit that some strange things have happened to her on these tours. For instance, when here recently, she took a walk from the Ritz Carlton, where she was staying, up Newbury Street. A man, who claimed to be a photographer, tried to pick her up. He said that he wanted her to model for him. He also told her that she looked "a lot like Adrienne Barbeau," but that "Barbeau's breasts are bigger." She told him that she was only in town for the day and thanked him and walked away... If he only knew!

There is a new and very violent martial arts movie in town, Force: Five (playing at the Saxon Theatre) and one of its stars, Richard Norton, was in Boston to talk to the press at a luncheon held at the 57 Restaurant. This handsome and very blond, mustached, six-footer spends much of his time as a body-guard to such celebrities as Linda Ronstadt, David Bowie and James Taylor, who he just recently completed doing a forty city, two month tour with. At one time, some ten years ago, he also worked for the Rolling Stones and has worked for Joe Cocker. Force: Five marks, what he calls, his "first real acting job," although he has appeared in the films The Octagon (with Chuck Norris) and in An Eye For An Eye. He wants to, "someday be known as an actor who does martial arts rather than a martial arts person who acts." He

admits that he has, "a lot to learn as far as acting goes." He wants to branch out into "other facets of acting." What he has learned from making Force: Five has made him, "much better prepared for the next one I do," he said.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, he began his interest in the martial arts nearly twenty years ago, when he was only twelve years old. Today, he and a partner own over one hundred schools that teach self defense and martial arts throughout Australia. His knowledge in this field is what led him to work as a body-guard for the stars. Of this lifestyle, he says, "The Pop world is really an abstract world." Those connections, plus his manly good looks, led him into acting. He now lives in Los Angeles (three years), still single, he works out every day with martial arts champion Chuck Norris (who has made several motion pictures including some of the Bruce Lee films).

A nice, soft-spoken guy, who evidently can look after himself, Richard Norton is pretty good to look at too!

Boston has its first gay roof top bar at the 1270 called appropriately enough, The Top Of The Twelve. The view (both of the Boston sky-line at night and the sun-bathers during the day) make this a unique Boston experience. Open daily from 11 a.m. it is worth your checking it out.

For all of you movie nostalgia and memorabilia fans, I have recently discovered a shop that will help you find all kinds of wondrous treasures. The Cornhill Magazine and Book Company (20 East Street, near South Station) carries a huge selection of movie stills (old and new), as well as movie posters and magazines. Ask for Warren, he's a bit of a character and a movie fan too.

Speaking of movies, the star-studded junket with Julie Andrews, William Holden, Robert Preston, Loretta Swit and others, to ballyhoo the controversial Blake Edwards' film, S.O.B. came too late for this issue, but, will be covered in next week's column. See you then.

Richard Harris comes to Boston's Metropolitan Center as King Arthur in the hit Lerner & Loewe musical "Camelot" on August 6th (through Aug. 30th).

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July 29, 1981 Esplanade 15