Arts

The Michigan Daily

Friday, July 9, 1982.

Page 7

Even a director
like John Huston
can't save 'Annie'

Clubs/Bars
The Blind Pig (208 S. First; 996-
8555)
Tonight and tomorrow night
Juanita McCray and the Motor City
Beat Band attack the blues.
Joe's Star Lounge (109 N. Main;
665-JOES)
Dick Siegel and the Ministers of
Melody pour out their collection of
originals and old R&B. On Sunday,
Mike Smith and the Country Volun-
teers have a host benefit for the Per-
formance Network.

Friday: Reggae fun with SLK.
Saturday: R&B magic from the Blue
Front Persuaders. Sunday: Brian
Tomsic and Mike Pool dj reggae and
rock.
Second Chance (516 E. Liberty;
994-5350)
The best of '60s rock from Steve
King and the Dittilies. All weekend.
U-Club (Michigan Union; 763-5911)
Every Thursday night, Reggae
Dance Party takes off; every Friday
night it's Rockin' Oldies. Both shows
are dj'ed by Michael Kremen and
during the summer take place out-
doors on the patio from 8:30 to 12:30.
Concerts
Duran Duran, England's latest
rock band with energy to spare,
plays at Clutch Cargo's tonight. For
information call 665-4755.
Theater
Ann Arbor Civic Theater
The Robber Bridegroom, a Tony
winning bluegrass musical, con-
tinues at the Civic Theater playing
Thursdays through Saturdays for
the next three weeks. For infor-
mation call 662-7282.

By Richard Campbell
T O TAKE A line from a song, "We
got Annie!" But it turns out we
don't really want Annie, the $40 million
dollar musical based on the
phenomenally successful cartoon strip
and recent Broadway show.
It's not that Annie doesn't live up to
its pre-release hype, or that the film
doesn't reflect the money put into it.
Annie simply lacks any real storyline.
At least the stage version kept track
of characters and situations, bringing
them all to a tidy conclusion with plenty
of hum-along-type tunes. The film, for
some reason, chooses to leave out some
of the best songs, add outside action,
and generally interfere with a solid (if
simple-minded) book and music.
There are entire sequences inthe film
that could be juggled around without af-
fecting the plot or characters. Carol
Burnett's rendition of "Little Girls"
might fit comfortably anywhere in the
first half of the movie. The most enter-
taining song on stage, "Easy Street,"
ends up lifeless and contrived.
And at one point the entire edifice
screeches to a halt as Daddy Warbucks
takes Annie to Radio City Music Hall
and we are shown film clips from
Camille.
The worst of it all is that the film has
so much going for it. Aileen Quinn is
properly adorable as the red-headed
tyke and can sing and dance to boot;
Ann Reinking is angelic as Daddy War-
buck's secretary; and Albert Finney is
magnificent as the power-hungry

'Annie'
... something's missing
capitalist with a heart of gold.
Add to that the uncluttered direction
of the inimitable John Huston and fren-
zied, circus-like musical sequences
from Joe Layton and it would seem that
Annie couldn't miss. Guess again.
Ultimately, Annie is a film that lacks
any real purpose. The entertainment
has been meddled out, the innocence
forgotten, and the fun ignored.
Don't shed any tears for producer
Ray Stark, though. Annie will make
more than a tidy profit with album
sales, Annie dolls, and theater guaran-
tees to make it worth Stark's while. Too
bad it's not worth our time to watch it.

Mr. Flood's Party (120 W. Liberty;
995-2132)
A sublime mixture of soul and
R&B from Chicago Pete and the
Detroiters tonight and tomorrow
night. Andy Boller plays blues piano
on Sunday.
Rick's American Cafe (611 Church;
996-2474)


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