guffaws that regularly punctuate the
conversation. "Why is this movie dif-
ferent from other movies?" she asks,
and laughs some more. Then, quite
unnecessarily, she adds, "That was a
little joke."
Michele Lee (named for an Aunt
Leah) Dusick was conceived in New
York — her parents, Sylvia and Jack, are
from the Bronx and Brooklyn — but
was born and raised in Los Angeles.
Her father, who as a young man had to
turn down an art scholarship to support
his mother, went west to become an
apprentice makeup artist.
He opened a New York-style deli,
Jack and Eddie's, but eventually decid-
ed to concentrate on makeup, working
on TV shows like "Rawhide" and "Dr.
Kildare." Ironically, he worked on .
many of the same sets that his daugh-
ter would during the 14 seasons she
starred as Karen MacKenzie on "Knots
Landing."
Lee, who is in her mid-50s but
looks much younger, was brought up
in a Conservative Jewish household,

lowed, including a two-year-run on
Broadway as the female lead (opposite
Robert Morse) in How to Succeed in
Business Without Really Trying, a Tony
Award nomination for her star turn in
Michael Bennett's Seesaw and, of
course, "Knots Landing," where she
appeared in all 344 episodes, an
American television record.
Lee is currently married to Fred
Rappoport, a former CBS executive
who is now an independent producer.
Previously, she was married to the
actor James Farentino — he plays her
publisher Bernard Geis in "Scandalous
Me" - and they have a son, David.
"Jim was a card-carrying Jew," Lee
explains. "When we were married, he
was very much a part of our family's
Jewish life. He and his mother would
sit at our holiday table."
The Farentinos recognized the
potential problems for children of par-
ents in a mixed marriage. Farentino was
a lapsed Catholic, and so their child's
religious upbringing was never an issue.
Young David (David Mordecai ben
Israel) was raised as a Jew and
-g became a bar mitzvah.
The conversation shifts to the
way Jews are portrayed on televi-
sion. Lee is a fan of "The
Nanny," saying, "There may be a
lot of pros and cons in terms of
this woman's funny voice, and
she dresses outrageously. But
before her, you just didn't have a
Jewish character carrying a show.
I think Fran Drescher has done
wonderful things for the image of
Jews in America because people
Above: Michele Lee as Jacqueline Susann, a
love her.
woman who lived the wildly outrageous booze -
"I've had gentiles come up to
and pills party life of New York in the 1960s.
me and say how much they enjoy
her, and [they] use Jewish expres-
Opposite page: Michele Lee on "Scandalous
sions like verkacta. She comes
Me "Happy times. And bitter herbs."
into the home every night, and
she's the heroine and attractive
where major holidays were observed
and gorgeous."
and traditions handed down. Her
Jewish things seem to get to Lee.
brother, Kenneth, went to Hebrew
"When I hear a cantor sing, it brings
School and had a bar mitzvah; girls, as
me back to who and what I am.
was traditional at the time, went only
[Jewish music] brings us back to a
to Sunday school.
part of our childhood and innocence,
"I remember going to Yizkor ser-
a place that's really spiritual."
vices with my father and brother, and
And she starts singing, "Baruch
my father explaining to us, 'This is
atah, Adonai
how we honor those we've lost,"' she
"When I hear our music," she says
says.
again, "I get very emotional." 11
Lee always sang — at home and in
school. Just a few days after finishing
high school, she landed a professional
"Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline
role in a revue that producer David
Susann Story" airs 9 p.m.
Merrick saw, liked and brought to
Wednesday, Dec. 9, on the USA
New York.
Network. Check your local cable
listings.
A series of career highlights fol-

UPON YOUR REQUEST,
SELECTION MAY
INCLUDE: ,

McKNIGHT
PLISSON
W.SCOTT
ERTE'
BEHRENS
GORMAN
PICASSO
BOULANGER
HAENRAETS
DALI
CHAGALL
MIRO
BUCKELS
MOSES
EBGI
AGAM
HATFIELD
FAZZNO
TARKAY
VASARELY
WOOD
NEIMAN
DELACROIX
MIHANOVIC
ALANIZ
SHAO
HARVEY
ROCKWELL
WYETH
And Many More!

AJJ artwork Is custom framed
and matted. Opening bids are
Lip to 50% less than tracktional
framed gaftery prices.

To Benefit:

TEMPLE KOL AMI

At:

Temple Kol Ami
5085 Walnut Lake Road
West Bloomfield, Michigan

Date:

Saturday, December 12, 1998

Time:

Preview: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Auction: 8:00 p.m.

Admission:

$8.00 per person
$15.00 per couple

For Tickets & Information Call: (248) 661-0040

Hors d'oeuvres - Wine & Cheese - Coffee & Tea - Cake
Door Prize
MasterCard, VISA, Discover, & AmEx will be accepted

Preeented by
ROSS GALLEFIIES,INC. 761-D COMES AVENUE HOLBROOK, NY 11741 (516) 471-6700

ghe Test Says So Atuch

Custom Made

Baskets and Trays
For The Holidays

• Personal
• Corporate Gifts
• Candys and Nuts
• Fruits and Wines
Also Our
Famous Gift Boxes with
Fresh Roasted Nuts and Candy Favorites

NIBBLES & NUTS

AT THE VINEYARDS

• Nationwide Delivery

(248) 737-8088

Malt Card

• www.8776gifts.com

Toll Free: 877-GIFTS-88
Fax: (248) 737-3869
1111" 701
We Accept Major Credit Cards
t o v .ce,

*********************

12/4

1998

Retroitle_wisb_N_Ewiri