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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 25 July 2018
John Waters, others celebrate the anniversary of 'Hairspray'

By MICHAEL CIDONI LEN- can actor, singer and
NOX drag queen Divine, who
Associated Press portrayed Tracy's mother
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ricki Edna.
Lake never in her wildest Divine died of complica-
dreams thought she'd be tions from an enlarged
celebrating the 30th an- heart just a little more than
niversary of the film "Hair- a week after the film's wide
spray" at the lofty Acad- release.
emy of Motion Picture Arts Blondie lead singer and
and Sciences. "Hairspray" actress Debbie
"I never thought the movie Harry remembered her co-
was going to come out, let star.
alone have this life span. "Divine was very gener-
And for me to be alive 30 ous and relaxed and sort
years later, for me to be of soulful and there's that
turning 50 in two months ... soft voice," Harry recalled.
you know, it's all kind of sur- "And then we had to strug-
real," she said. gle during the scene of the
Most of the film's surviving exploding hair. And I had
stars, as well as its writer- bruises on my arms. Mother
director John Waters, gath- was very strong!"
ered Monday at the Acad- "Hairspray" featured a
emy for a special screen- cameo appearance by re-
ing of the film, hosted by cording artist and actress
Oscar-winning Barry Jen- In this March 2, 2016 file photo, John Waters attends the opening night of the Metrograph movie Pia Zadora, who said she
kins, the writer-director of theater in New York. wasn't surprised by the film's
"Moonlight." Associated Press long life. It eventually was
Jenkins was just age 8 when adapted into a Broadway
the film was released, but real events. snuck in middle America. had directed just a hand- musical, a musical feature,
he said his parents were "In real life, that show nev- And they didn't notice. I ful of features that earned and also a musical televi-
big fans of the period com- er integrated. It just went mean, they didn't notice him a cult following. But sion production.
edy, set in 1962 Baltimore. off the air rather than inte- the message. Well, they did "Hairspray" was his break- "I mean, John — you can't
It's about a teen-dance TV grate," Jenkins said. "I think notice the message. But through, marking his in- deny this guy knows what
show that is rocked when John gives us this very hap- I've said that even racists troduction to mainstream the hell he's doing," Zadora
a short, plump dynamo — py, hopeful ending, by hav- like 'Hairspray.'" audiences. It also marked said. "It was right. It was just
the adorable Tracy Turn- ing the show integrate at Before "Hairspray," Waters a breakthrough for Ameri- right."q
blad — unseats Amber the end of his version of the
Von Tussle, the nasty blond film. So I think, even in that,
beauty who long has been you see that he was trying
the reigning queen. Turmoil to say that it is possible for
ensues when Tracy sug- us to come together."
gests producers stop limit- As for the film's pro-inte-
ing black dancers' appear- gration message, Waters
ances and pushes for the noted: "It was a sneak at-
show to be fully integrated. tack. It was a Trojan horse.
Jenkins noted that Waters' It was the only radical mov-
script is loosely based on ie I ever made, because it

Professor's life is changed

in 'A Noise Downstairs'

Associated Press his memories and suffers
"A Noise Downstairs" (Wil- from PTSD. Hoffman re-
liam Morrow), by Linwood ceives a prison sentence
Barclay and shows no signs of re-
Paul Davis is driving home morse. How well do you
when he sees his mentor truly know someone? Da-
and colleague Kenneth vis' wife is forgiving but
Hoffman driving erratically. starts to show concern that
He follows and soon learns he's not healing as well as
that Hoffman has two hoped. She finds an old
dead bodies in his trunk. typewriter and decides to
When Davis confronts him, buy it to help cheer up her
Hoffman whacks him in the husband. He has always
head with a shovel. The po- wanted one and instantly
lice show up just in time to takes to using it regularly to
stop another murder. write his diary and help him
Over eight months later, come to terms with what
Davis still has issues with happened.q