PAGE 26, WEDNESDAY, NOVFMBr 19. 1980 WHITRY FREE PRESS Whitby Free Press .. AT THE MOVIES . with Barry Murkar Two new stars born in the Idolmaker CINEMA SHOWCASE WEEDA S- W,, o., RhOlCU~~ 7:O& 0 OIAIIvWO Starin, PIVATE flI A movie will be breaking on the local scene shortly that is guaranteed to pack them in, the same way John Travolta did in Saturday Night Fever. The film titled The Idolmaker, could very likely make an idol of the 25-year old man who plays the lead role. Peter Gallagher is the star and has already thought of what the movie may. do for him, and claims he is repelled by, the thought of being an idol of large groups of adoring, groping, screaming fans, but adds that already having had a little taste of that kind of glory makes him a little hungry. Hustler Vinnie Vacarri in the story, offers a good looking sax player in a New York night club the chance for money and fame. HE renames the sax man Tom- my Dee, played by Paul Land, and stars out to publicize and tout his new singer with the swivel hips. Tommy Dee is launched into orbit and soon becomes America's teenage idol. The story is based on real life. The time is 1960. Elvis has become a G.I., Buddy Holly is dead, the so-called order has been blemisheg by the payola scandals and America's young set is ready for a new hereo. The man whose -career touched off the story idea is the man who actually launched the careers of Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Peter Gallagher who plays the role of Caesare, pat- terened after Fabian, has the talent to make him look pitiful by comparison. A native New Yorker himself, lhe holds a university degree in economics, and is the son of an advertising agency executive. First for Gallagher, it was a dozen high school plays, then to university and more amateur plays, then finally professional work with the Boston Shakespeare Com- pany. He realized he was a career actor. Two auditions got him jobs in Hair and then Grease. Both of these experiences honed his talents. His direc- tor in The Idolmaker credits him with having consumate skill in acting, singing and dancing. Gene Kirkwood, the producer is enthusiastic about both Gallagher and Land, although feels that Gallagher will probably have the best chance to suc- ceed as a result of the'movie because of his experience. Both actors were selected from thousands who auditioned, and 50 who took the screen test. Kirkwood says both the young men are stars already and don't even realize it yet. Gallagher says the chance for the role was a great op- portunity and gave hime the chance to show just what he cando. He said that at first he didn't like the idea, feeling it was just another ex- ploitation movie. He soon discovered that everyone he knew with dark hair, was trying out for the part, so decided it must be worth somehting. The film has already been tagged by some crities as stunning and hugely enter- taining. Gallagher still worries about becoming an idol. He said during the film of a con- cert scene he "saw how crazy girls are'. He claims he did not make the movie for the money, although at the moment he is broke. The Idolmaker a new type of musical about something that happened back in the 60's will likely make millions for its producers, and hurl its two top idols into im- mediate stardom. Consultation service open to the public As of October 20, 1980 the Provincial Court, Family Division at 44 Bond Street West in Oshawa, is offering a volunteer conciliation ser- vice to the public. The con- ciliation service is designed to assist couples caught up in the court process and to reconcile problems they are experiencing around custody and in particular access arrangements. Although the service has been operating in Toronto, Hamilton and Kingston, it is new to Durham Region. The program is jointly sponsored by the Social Planning Council of Oshawa Whitby and the Bar Association of Durham Region. The following per- sons will be providing coun- selling services at the court offices -to those couples in- terested in using the ser- vice: Bobi Anderson of Pickering; Annette Tensen, of Bowmanville; Donna Mackie, of Oshawa; Sandy Archibald of Bowmanville; Stan Mason, Carm Murant, and Liz Gomes of Oshawa. As well as professional training and -degree backgrounds, all volünteers have extensive experience in family and children's ser- vices, family counselling and social work. Margaret Jackson, president of the Local Council of Womeni, will be acting as a volunteer co-ordinator to the service. Through the efforts of the social planning council and with the assistance of the at- torney general's office, volunteer conciliators will uow be able tQ work directly with clients and to counsel and conciliate with ail members of the family at the court offices. Brian Evans, a lawyer with the- law firm Schilling Evans in Whitby, is co- chairman of the committee on conciliation services and represents the bar association as their chair- man of the family law sub- committee. According to Evans, the project has the full support of local lawyers. "Lawyers practising family law are in general agreement that difficult emotional issues like access can best be dealt with in a conciliatory rather than ad- versary setting and that an agreed upon settlement is likely to last longer than a court imposed one. The idea is to bring the husband and wife together, not to recon- ciliate their separation, but to counsel and assist them to make satisfactory CONT'D ON PG. 30