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Japan's favorite monster no-show at own party ByJoeAgnew - Herald staff writer What would happen if they threw a party for Godzilla in Chicago? Would he show up? Thesetting is Friday night at Juke Box Saturday night, a 50's bar on North Lincoln Avenue in the city. TNT press and several others have been alerted that "Godzilla is back," and that he is expecting a cast of thousands to assemble at the bar in his honor. Those so lucky to receive this invitation have been promised compli­ mentary tickets to his "comeback" movie, "Godzilla '85"; the movie's original soundtrack recording; hors d'oeuvres, i.e. "Godzilla" burgers and cocktails; press kits; plus a chance to see some trailers from the new movie. The invitation stimulates the imagination. It creates images of cream cheese dyed green, shaped into Godzilla feet and anchored on Triscuits. Or a short, balding movie producer wearing sunglasses, flanked by several beautiful models all sporting "I Love Godzilla" buttons. But best of all, a possible appearance by the Japanese movie idol himself. " . * Upon entering the Juke Box, however, the setting is something less than a Hollywood spectacle. The bar's doorman -- minus a Godzilla mask -- is taking invitations from the trickle of people entering the bar. Behind him stands a small card table holding a few press releases, a few more invitations, and a small metal warming oven. The atmosphere is enhanced by a few "Godzilla '85" movie posters, as well as some balloons. Noting aloud that "things should be perking up in just a bit," the doorman tells entering patrons to help themselves to the "Godzilla burgers" in the oven. They turn out to be White Castles. Over at the bar, the bartenders are pouring "Godzilla cocktails" -- one shot of sake over ice, topped off by Dr. Pepper and a piece of lime. Nearby, a disc jockey is spinning 50's records from the front seat of a red convertible parked next to dance floor. In between songs, he calls out Godzilla trivia questions. "What year was the first 'Godzilla' movie made?" he asks. His question is returned with silence, even though there are about 20 people in the bar. He eventually asks the question again, and one person guesses the year 1952 -- which turns out to be wrong. Other patrons begin calling out other years, and by process of elimination, a blonde named Donna guesses the correct answer of 1956. When she goes up to collect her complimentary tickets, the DJ also informs patrons that Donna was also the winner of the previous night's "lip sync" contest. Meanwhile, two businessmen from Houston sit at the far end of the bar. They pass on the free Godzilla cocktails, and opt instead for a couple of tap beers. The bartender pours them into into two eight-ounce plastic cups -- about two- thirds beer and the remainder foam. "Three-fifty," he informs them. Both give what could be described as polite gasps, but they submit to the bartender, who indicates by his stare that he's as capable as Godzilla in breathing fire. -file DJ can be heard- asking another trivJa-guesttOtt: "What was the nameof the movie in which Godzilla fought the Smog Monster?" No one answers, although a few get up and go over to the warming oven to get some burgers. One of the Houston businessmen -- who are in town for a sports equipment convention -- explains why he and his partner showed up. "There was this cute blonde at McCormick Place who was handing out invitations. We told some friends we'd meet them here -- we figured this was where the action would be." No sooner does he finish when a rotund little man with a goatee and a huge camera bag bursts into the bar. "Where is everybody?" he asks aloud. "I busted my rear aid to come here from Minnesota." He introduces himself as Dm to the businessmen, explaining that he was hired by the bar's owner to capture this event on film. Don is also the first person to enter the bar in a while. The song "96 Tears" is fading on the sound system as the DJ asks another trivia question. "What was the name of Raymond Burr's character in the Godzilla movie that he recreates in 'Godzilla '85?' " is obviously a harder question, but one patron figures it out by looking through the press release. He runs over to the DJ's passenger side and gives the answer-which is "Steve Martin." ' Don gets a laugh out of the answer. "Imagine that, Steve Martin," he says. "Just like the comedian. I wonder if he knows that?" Don then excuses himself to get some food. Meanwhile the winner - also named Steve -- walks back showing his prizes. They include a copy of the "original sound track recording" (a single from the movie titled "I Was Afraid To Love You" by Jill Elliott); a "Godzilla Beach Patrol Vest" - a plastic orange vest with "Godzilla" written on the back; and a pass for two to the new movie. Steve passes a 80-ish looking woman who's just entered the bar with an invitation dangling from her hand. "Where is everybody?" she immediately asks. Raymond Burr - looking like a cross between Orson Welles and William Conrad -- stares over the proceedings from nearby video screen. The Houston businessman starts talking camping equipment. "Mar­ ket's always good for camping equipment," he says. "I mean, what's the first thing blue-collar workers do when they get laid off? They go camping or fishing." The nearby bartender asks a patron if they'd like another Godzilla cocktail. "Are they all right, or are you just drinking them because they're free?" he asks. Don eventually walks back to the bar with two hot dogs on one bun. He removes the top bun, pours on mustard, and proceeds to eat the whole thing opened-faced, The friends of the two businessmen arrive, and all four walk over to a "dunk tank" on the other end of the room. A few couples are dancing to "Til The Midnight Hour." After a couple of tries, one of them hits the target, dropping the guy on the seat into the water. The winner gets two tickets to the God­ zilla movie. Don starts an argument with the bartender over which is better -- the meat on the White Castle burger or the bun. An older man who's been drinking a Godzilla cocktail interrupts them. He explains that he's in on "quick busi­ ness" from Colorado, and seems to remember there were some "girlie shows" in the area when he visited several years ago. Don and the bartender ignore htm, and after a few minutes he finishes his cocktail and leaves. Godzilla still hasn't shown up except for on the video screen. It repeatedly shows clips of him melting skyscrapers with his breath, then stomping a bridge with his foot. Japanese citi­ zens are scrambling every which way. Don chuckles at the screen, then turns to the bar­ tender remarking "I love the 50's." Out on Lincoln Avenue, there's no trace of the monster, either, just well-dressed couples mak­ ing their way into the many trendy restaurants in the light evening rain. Guardian Angels on the Howard elevated line appear to be more interested in watching for thieves and muggers as they position themselves at the train's en­ trances at each stop. When the train descends underground after, the Fullerton stop, a young woman looks up from highlighting passages in her Bible to smile at one of the young men. He hands her a flier with information about joining the Angels. i GODZILLA «*• Page 10B PEOPLE TALK Gold fever in Key West A 7-ounce gold bar valued at $50,000 and a 5.96-carat emerald are the top prizes in a weeklong treasure hunt that began in Key West, Fla., Saturday. The gold was donated by Mel Fisher, the treasure hunter who found the Spanish galleon Atocha and its treasure -- gold, silver coins, silver bars and other trinkets worth up to $300 million. Tourists, adventurers and lovers of games will unravel the mystery of the sinking of a fictional ship, coincidentally named Nuestra Senora de Atocha, and the first person who fits the clues together and finds the sunken treasure gets the gold and the $10,000 emerald. Key West officials thought up the treasure hunt to attract tourists during September, the slowest month for tourism in the Keys, and to benefit the Monroe Association for Retarded Citizens. Lange Aid Jessica Lange, who plays country great Patsy Cline in the soon-to-be- released movie "Sweet Dreams," has just signed to star in "Crimes of the Heart" with fellow Academy Award winners Sissy Spacek and Diane Keaton. Based on the play by Beth Henley, "Crimes of the Heart" will be directed by Australian Bruce Beresford, who made "Breaker Mor- ant," and it will be the second project to pair Lange and Spacek. Lange and Spacek were to have helped emcee the Fam Aid concert in Champaign Sunday but instead they were to appear in taped segments since the organizers changed the show's format. "I hope that the concerts, in addition to raising money for the cause, will call attention to it and perhaps make a difference in the upcoming farm bill legislation," said Lange, who played a woman losing her family farm in "Country" last year. "Hopefully, the Farm Aid concert will motivate people across the country to resonate to the plight of the farmers, and lend them their support in any way they can." Little house in the hospital Actress Melissa Gilbert made a dream come true for a young fan and it brightened her day as well. Gilbert, 21, flew to Portland, Ore., to see Erin Riley* 8, an avid fan^pf the television show Gilbert starred in, "Little House on the Prairie/While she was recovering from injuries suffered in a car wreck that killed her father. Friends and relatives had asked the Starlight Foundation to arrange a Gilbert visit but were told actors rarely have time for personal visists and that probably the best Erin could hope for was a videotape and a phone call. "Just to see her smile -- that's why I came here," Gilbert said after the half-hour encounter, which sne said was the first time she visited a fan in a hospital. "In a case like this, a videotape would not be as good." Glimpses Vincent Wharton, the lead singer of the heavy metal rock band Motley Crue, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to make $2.7 million restitution for a drunken driving collision that killed the drummer of another band and injured two other people. Wharton, 23, jail term was delayed until next June so the band can finish its tour... Andy Fortuno, who died in Miami last week at the age of 74, was known as "the bartender to the stars" for a good reason. "He was head bartender at the Copacabana in New York in the 1940s when stars like Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, Sammy Davis Jr., and Joey Bishop were just starting out," said his longtime friend, Steve DiClacco. Other Fortuno clients were Ronald Reagan, J. Edgar Hoover, Bette Davis and A1 Capone. Good Shepherd offers classes for mothers-to-be Barrington's Good Shepherd Hos­ pital is offering two carefully planned programs designed espe­ cially for the mother-to-be and new mother. All classes are held at the hospital, and are taught by a li­ censed physical therapist. Physician referrals are required. Prenatal Fitness Program -- de­ signed to help mothers enjoy preg­ nancy both physically and emotion­ ally, this total fitness program begins with a complete evaluation of posture, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. Individual medical history, as well as lifestyle is considered in planning individual fitness programs. The main focus of this class will be on exercise, including strength, flexibility and light aerobics. Stu­ dents will also learn how to relieve some possible discomforts of preg­ nancy -- backache, muscle tension and fatigue. Information on nutri­ tion, relaxation techniques, breast­ feeding and proper body mechanics (standing, lifting, sitting etc., will also be provided. This 10-week program is held evT ery Monday and Wednesday evening from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Me & Mom -- Special ways of &ftnmunicatlng without actually speaking develop between a mother and her child. Exercising with a new baby can be an excellent form of nonverbal communication. The "Me & Mom" program is for new moms and babies two weeks to six months old, and provides a great opportuni­ ty to get together and "talk shop" with other new mothers. Exercises focus on strengthening the abdomen, Improving posture and learning techniques for relax­ ation. Mothers will also learn some stretching and movement exercise to do with their baby at home that ESS offers language classes language enrichment classes are now being offered for children age 11 months to 18 months through the Easter Seal Society for McHenry County. The program teaches children how to discriminate between the various stimuli they receive from the environment, how to process and understand this Information, and how to remember it for later use. Parents are asked to take an ac­ tive part in their child's language development and are taught how to detect weaknesses in their child's listening habits as well as how to YMCA has aerobics The Lake Region YMCA has add­ ed a youth aerobic exercise class on Monday and Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. The class is for sixth-eighth graders and runs eight weeks for 45 minutes per class. The class is developed to help im­ prove flexibility, strength and car­ diovascular fitness. The YMCA hopes this will start youth into the fitness habit early. The class will meet at the YMCA with participants required to sign up for both classes. i For more Information, call 459- 4455. Alcohol safety program enters its third season SPRINGFIELD -- Plans to contin­ ue a Comprehensive Alcohol Safety Program project in McHenry Coun­ ty have been approved by the Illi­ nois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety. The project will be coordinated by Sheriffs De- Grove and >artments will participate in the project along with the Sheriff's Department. The purpose of the program is to reduce alcohol-related accidents along the Illinois/Wisconsin border by 19 percent through an intensive public information and education campaign and Increased enforce­ ment of the Driving Under the influ­ ence (DUD law. Sergeant George B. Corson will present monthly releases to the me­ dia and make appearances before civic and educational groups. Police officers will be hired back during off-duty hours to patrol areas of the county which have experienced a large number of alcohol-related ac­ cidents. Approximately 49 percent of the $188,993 cost of the program will be reimbursed to the county Federal funds for highway safety projects were made available to the State of Illinois under the Highway Safety Act of 1966. There's hope for foreclosed owners are both fun and help to facilitate normal child development patterns. This four-week program Is held on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. For more information on these programs, please call the hospital at 312/381-9353. strengthen their child's listening skills. "A child must be able to listen well before he can be an active learner," Speech Pathologist Bette McCullagh said. He must have a firm understanding of speech and language before he can develop his a b i l i t y t o e x p r e s s h i m s e l f meaningfully." The Easter Seal Language Enrich­ ment program will begin Oct. 10 and will be offered In four sessions. Classes will be held at the Grace Lutheran Church, 1300 Klshwaukee Valley Road, Woodstock. A speech and language screening, as well as private consultation with a speech pathologist, will be Included with the program. Call 815/338-1707 for more information. A recent decision by Judge Will of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois will allow many former homeowners in the area who have lost their homes In foreclosure to regain them or ob­ tain a comparable property. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oper­ ates a program of mortgage relief known as the assignment program. The program allows homeowners with FHA insured mortgages who are facing foreclosure to have their mortgage assigned to HUD. HUD becomes the homeowner's mortgage company. Monthly pay­ ments can be reduced or suspended for up to 36 months to allow the homeowner an opportunity to regain financial stability. As part of an ongoing lawsuit against HUD over the administra­ tion of the assignment program, le­ gal aid attorneys challenged HUD's denial of 35,000 applications for as­ signment. Judge Will ordered that the applications must be repro­ cessed using a corrected criteria for ID is attempting to contact the 35,000 mortgagors whose applica­ tions were rejected Those persons will have 60 days from the date of receiving actual notice from HUD to make an oral or written request for their application to be reprocessed. If the application is accepted upon reprocessing, the former homeown­ er will receive either the return of their home, a comparable home or money damages. Persons who have received notifi­ cation from HUD or who feel that they are eligible for reprocessing of an assignment denial should contact their family attorney, Prairie State Legal Services at (312) 662-6925 or (800)942-3940 , INDEX/SECTION B Dear Abby ORTHWE8T HEW8PAPERG