ENTERTAINMENT dining room, carry-out and trays • breakfast • lunch • dinner • after-theater • kiddie menu open tuesdays thru sundays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. lincoln shopping center, 101/2 mile & greenfield, oak park l 968-0022 THE GOLD COIN a OPEN 7 DAYS — YOUR HOST: HOWARD LEW SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE COMPLETE CARRY-OUT AVAILABLE NEW A LA CARTE DINNERS UNDER $5 24480 W. 10 MILE ON TEL-EX PLAZA) West of Telegraph 353 7848 - GOLDEN BOWL Restaurant 22106 COOLIDGE AT 9 MILE In A & P Shopping Center 398-5502 or 398-5503 DINE IN & CARRY-OUT SZECHUAN, MANDARIN, CANTONESE & AMERICAN CUISINE OPEN 7 DAYS-Mon.-Thurs. 11-10, Fri. & Sat. 11-11, Sun. & Holidays 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. • Banquet Facilities Your Chef: FRANK ENG l de Pv oe l x Chinese-American Restaurant Cantonese, Szechuan & American Dining & Carry-Out OPEN 7 DAYS ... Mon.-Thurs. 11:30-9:30, Fri. & Sat. 11:30-11, Sun. 12-9:30 642-8386 4067 W. Maple Rd. Just East of Telegraph TNE Gr"EiNT WALE SERVING YOUR FAVORITE EXOTIC DRINKS & CHOICE COCKTAILS PRIVATE DINING ROOM • BANQUETS • PARTIES • BUSINESS MEETINGS Your host . . . HENRY LUM Businessmen's Luncheons • Carry-outs • Catering 476-9181 (Drakeshire Shopping Center) • 35135 Grand River HOA KOW INN Specializing In Cantonese, Szechuan & Mandarin Foods Open Daily 11 to 10:30, Sat. 11 to 12 Mid., Sun. 12 to 10:30 — 13715 W. 9 MILE, W. of Coolidge • Oak Park • 547-4663 — Carry-Out Service KABOB GRILL Authentic Lebanese Cuisine CARRY-OUT & CATERING AVAILABLE 29702 SOUTHFIELD AT 12 1/2 MILE (In Southfield Plaza) 557-5990 34637 GRAND RIVER AVE. (Bet. Drake & Farmington) 442-9490 AON.-THURS. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. FRI. & SAT. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m CLOSED SUNDAYS ORIENTAL EXPRESS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT • COMPLETE CARRY-OUT CANTONESE & SZECHUAN PREPARED BY A CHINESE COOK OPEN 7 DAYS 2458 ORCHARD LAKE RD, West of Middlebelt IN LOADING DOCK MALL • Sylvdn Lake 683-4840 DINE OUT AT A JEWISH NEWS RECOGNIZED RESTAURANT 74 FRIDAY, MAY-24, 1991 Gene Barry Enjoys The Best Of Times RITA CHARLESTON Special to The Jewish News H is list of credits read like a "Who's Who" of show business. Born and raised in New York, Gene Barry received a coveted singing scholarship at the age of 17, appeared in hit after hit on Broadway and went on to star in Hollywood films and several hit TV series. Yet for all the accolades he has amassed, it is his little Jewish grandmother whom he credits most with having given him the wherewithal to accomplish all he set out to achieve. "The fact is," says Mr. Barry, "I speak Yiddish and only because of my grand- mother. Although all her children were born in America, she insisted they all learn to speak Yiddish. But I think they tried to break away from old traditions. However, I, as the grandchild who loved her so much, learn- ed to speak her language. Besides, I figured that she couldn't speak any English so how else was I going to com- municate with her?" Years later Mr. Barry learn- ed the truth when he in- troduced his wife to his grand- mother. "I left the room for a time figuring it wasn't going to be a very easy conversation for either of them since my wife couldn't speak one word of Yiddish. But when I came back, there was my grand- mother speaking perfect English!' The ruse never bothered Mr. Barry one bit. "My grand- mother gave me an awful lot in terms of self-belief," he says. "She inspired me in terms of lifting myself out of the mire of ordinariness. She really helped me because for a nice Jewish boy growing up in New York, wanting to be an actor was unheard of, and I think she is the one most responsible for seeing to it that I did what I really wanted to do with my life." And to make it all wor- thwhile, his grandmother did get to see him in his first ma- jor role on Broadway in the musical Rosalinda before she died. Blessed with a fine singing voice and his grandmother's belief in his abilities, Mr. Barry began making the rounds of producers' offices while still in high school. He hit Broadway when he was just 23 and, after several Gene Barry: Broadway, films and TV. more appearances on the Great White Way, as well as some TV appearances, Mr. Barry was lured to Hollywood. His first picture, titled The Turning Point was true to its name. Following the role, Mr. Barry signed a long-term con- tract with Paramount Pic- tures, and starred in a number of films, including War of the Worlds, Naked Alibi and Soldier of Fortune. In 1958, he was approached to create the lead role in a television series called "Bat Masterson!' At first he declin- ed the offer, not wanting to do a western and preferring to stay in films. But when the producers explained the character was a different kind of cowboy, one who wore a der- by and carried a cane, the idea became appealing and Mr. Barry agreed to do the part. "Bat Masterson" was followed by two more major hit series, "Burke's Law" and "The Name of the Game." Although Mr. Barry was a hit on TV, he became very un- popular with the film moguls of the day. "I never really wanted to go into television at the time," Mt Barry admits. "I felt television would destroy the gains I had made in motion pictures, and I was right. In those days, one didn't fight the studio, which still had the star system. Back then they looked down on television per- formers who were viewed as the enemy because they gave away their talents to the public for nothing. Today their major stars come from television, but not in those days." So while virtually shunned by the film studios here, Mr. Barry went to Europe to make movies. But his televi- sion producers soon nixed those deals for him. "There was a constant bat- tle of schedules," he says. "We were doing 39 shows a year in those days so there was always a war going on for your time and energy. And if you were a star, you were right there in the middle of the warfare." Eventually tiring of the game plan, Mr. Barry return- ed to the stage to do a number of musical productions. He also took his own one-man show, Gene Barry in One, around the world. The year 1983 became a banner year for Mr. Barry when he was asked by pro- ducer Allan Carr to originate the role of "Georges" in the Tony Award-winning Broad- way musical La Cage Aux Folles. Mr. Barry earned both a Tony and Drama Desk nomination as best male lead in a musical for his performance. D