THE JEWISH NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT

Sho w

Biz

VICTORIA BELYEU DIAZ

Special to The Jewish News

S

he is a kind of Rosalind
Russell-Bette Midler com-
bination, this Hollywood
columnist who lives in De-
troit. Candid, loquacious,
sometimes even comical, she is wear-
ing a Techni-color-red jumpsuit and
munching on a piece of apple strudel in
her queen-sized, at-home office. Sud-
denly, she thinks of a story she wants
to tell you, a story you have to hear. It
is a story about an unforgettable star
she encountered, shortly after her ar-
rival in Detroit, way back in 1956.
"I was working on the old NBC
Monitor radio show," says Shirley
Eder, moving to the edge of her chair,
in a posture that suggests she is going

to enjoy telling this story as much as
you are going to enjoy listening to it.
"The Clyde Beatty Circus was in town,
and I was out at the State Fairgrounds,
about to go on, live — in a cage — with
Clyde Beatty and Rajah, the lion. I
would interview anything in those
days.
" 'Rajah!' Beatty shouts and,
without any warning, pushes me out of
the safety cage and into the main cage.
Rajah trots over, opens his mouth, and
roars right in my face. I mean, the
thing comes over, with his mouth open
like that." (Here, the story is accom-
panied with appropriate gestures.
Eder does not just tell a story, she
shows it to you.)

"I've got the microphone. Beatty
has the whip. Remember that this is
live. So, what do I do? I scream, 'Oh, my
God!' I throw down the microphone.
And I run!
"My kids, who have brought their
friends and come to watch, are crying.
All their friends are crying. My
mother is listening at home, and
doesn't know what has happened to
me.
"Let me tell you, that lion's breath
you wouldn't believe. To this day, I can
still smell old Rajah."
If you're looking for stories, Eder
has a million of them. Mention just
about any current celebrity, and she

Entertainment
reporter
Shirley Eder
has her share
of stories
to tell

Continued on next page

WEEK OF DECEMBER 28-JANUARY 1

GCO INGoP LACES

LISTINGS WELCOME

Performing a pas de deux?
Screening a film? Staging a
play? If so, The Jewish News
wants to hear about it in our
new entertainment calendar,
Going Places. Send concert,
film, dance, comedy, club
and other entertainment ac-
tivity listings to Entertain-
ment Calendar, The Jewish
News, 20300 Civic Center Dr.,
Suite 240, Southfield 48076.
Items must be typied;
double-spaced and include
the time, date, place, admis-
sion charge of each event
and a name and phone
number of someone to call
during business hours. List-
ings must be received at
least two weeks prior to pub-
lication.

FAMILIES

DETROIT YOUTHEATRE: De-
troit Institute of Arts, 5200
Woodward, Detroit, A Pocketful
of Rhymes, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
today, Saturday and Sunday;
admission, 832-2730.

COMEDY

COMEDY CROSSING: 23055
Telegraph, Southfield, lower
level of Red Cedars, Ron
Coden and Co., 8:30 and 11
p.m. today and Saturday; ad-
mission, reservations, 353-
3798.
HOLLY HOTEL: 110 Battle Alley,
Holly, John King, Jerry Elliott,
8:30 and 10:30 p.m. today and

Saturday, admission, reserva-
tions, 1-634-1891.
MUSIC HALL CENTER: 350
Madison, Detroit, Les Ballet
Trockadero de Monte Carlo, 8
p.m. Wednesday and Jan. 2-4,
admission, 963-7680.
COMEDY CASTLE AND CAFE:
2593 Woodward, Berkley,
Comedy Castle alumni, 8:30
and 11:30 p.m. today and Satur-
day; The Amazing Jonathan,
8:30 p.m.Tuesday and Jan. 2-3;
admission, reservations, 542-
9900.

THEATER

HYATT REGENCY DEARBORN:
Second Level, The Club, original
Neil Simon classic, The Odd
Couple, by Jimmy Launce

Productions, 8:30 p.m., now
through Jan. 10, admission,
reservations, 593-1234, ext.
2323.
SOMERSET
DINNER
THEATRE: Lower Level, Some-
rset Mall, Squabbles, by Jimmy
Launce Productions; 8:15 p.m.
today, through Jan. 17, admis-
sion, reservations, 649-6629.
DOWNTOWN DINNER THEA-
TER: Veterans Memorial Build-
ing banquet hall, They're Play-
ing Our Song, presented by
Jimthy Launce Productions,
cocktails 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7,
curtain at 8:45 today, every Fri-
day and Saturday, admission,
reservations, 224-6000.
MEADOW BROOK THEATER: *
Oakland University, Rochester,
The Rose Tattoo, 8 p.m. Thurs-

day, through Jan. 25; admission,
1-377-3300.
BIRMINGHAM THEATRE: 211
S. Woodward, Birmingham,
Fiddler on the Roof, Saturd7
through Jan. 25; 644-3533.

22ND GREAT LAKES INVITA-
TIONAL: Joe Louis Arena, 3
p.m. Saturday, Michigan Tech
vs. University of Michigan, 7
p.m. Sunday, Michigan State
University vs. Western Michi-
gan University, college hoc-
key play-offs; 3 p.m. Sunday,
consolation game, 7p.m. Sun-
day championship; admidskin,
567-7500.

Continued on Page 63