THERE is not much to sing about in Annie (Pearl, 1.55pm), the cotton wool musical about a mop-headed orphan girl. It was, for reasons no-one has fathomed, directed by John Huston, a strange choice. It was produced by Ray Stark, who later said: 'This is the film I want on my tombstone.' Time magazine said of it: 'Funeral services may be held starting this week at a theatre near you.' The cost of Annie, which stars Aileen Quinn as the waif and a bald Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks, the millionaire who adopts her and grows to love her, or at least like her, started at US$9 million for the rights and rose during production to US$42 million. The film bombed and none of the massive investment was recovered.
Annie loses all the charm of the comic strip and stage show upon which it is based. Quinn is engaging enough as the foundling and Carol Burnett hams it up as the gin-soaked ruler of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan. But some of the best songs have been discarded and the dancing is ponderous. It is intended for children, but ends up being simply infantile. John Huston was not proud of it. Even he can make a mistake; it is a shame it had to be such a big one.
AND do not confuse Dad (World, 11.00am) with great film-making. The cast is not half bad - Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis, Ethan Hawke, Kathy Baker - but the film is emotional exploitation. Danson is the preoccupied executive who learns his father (Lemmon) may be on his last legs and rushes home to spend time with him.
BIBLICAL epic of the day is Solomon And Sheba (Pearl, 9.30pm) which, despite the presence of Yul Brynner - with hair - and Gina Lollobrigida, might put you to sleep. It is the story of Solomon's ascension to the throne of Israel and the long, tormented conflict he has with his elder brother, Adonijah. Lollobrigida is the beautiful Queen of Sheba. Solomon invites her (and her entourage) to Jerusalem, falls prey to her charms, and asks her to marry him.
IN 1993 a natural history documentary called Aliya The Asian Elephant won a bronze award for something or the other at the New York Festival. It was made by father-and-son team Simon and John King. As is Inura The Dingo (World, 8.30), which follows a young female dingo, the bay-eating kind, and her struggles to survive in the parched red desert of central Australia. Here the dingoes enjoy an existence that scarcely changed for thousands of years.
Like all desert animals, Inura's fortunes are governed by drought. Her ordeals begin as a puppy, holed-up in among the rocks while her mother forages for food. A camel succumbs to the harsh conditions and packs of dingoes fall upon its carcass. Hands up those who never realised there were camels in Australia.