ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 9, 1996 TAG: 9611120133
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HOLLYWOOD
SOURCE: SUSAN KING LOS ANGELES TIMES
When ``Dallas'' fans last saw the crafty, charming, conniving J.R. Ewing on the series finale five years ago, he was literally in a devil of a mess. Only brother Bobby witnessed what really happened when the suicidal J.R. raised his pistol and a shot rang out.
Even Larry Hagman, who played the role to perfection for 13 seasons, was in the dark as to J.R.'s fate. ``I didn't know if he was dead,'' Hagman says. ``I didn't know if they were going to do [a ``Dallas'' movie]. The way we ended it left it open.''
Well, J.R. is alive and well and up to his dirty tricks in the CBS reunion flick, ``Dallas: J.R. Returns,'' which airs this week in the series' old Friday night time slot (at 9 on WDBJ-Channel 7).
It seems that for the past five years, J.R. has been living, and loving, in Paris. But he's come home to reclaim Ewing Oil from his old nemesis Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). Cliff is busy trying to relocate the long-lost daughter he had with former flame Afton Cooper (Audrey Landers).
Meanwhile, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) has been running Southfork and is living a quiet life on the ranch with son, Christopher, (Chris Demetral). J.R.'s former wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), and son John Ross (Omri Katz), who have been living in London with her new husband, return to Southfork when they hear some startling news about J.R.
Reuniting for the movie, Duffy says, was ``just like you seeing your family again. We obviously don't call each other `J.R.' and `Bobby' when we see each other socially, but you put on those clothes and you step in front of that camera and it was like, `Oh, my God. This is wonderful. This is the best life ever.'''
``It was like we had never stopped,'' Kercheval adds.
``J.R. Returns'' had been in development for a few years. ``Larry and I have always wanted to do something with `Dallas,''' says Duffy, who is co-executive producer of the movie with Hagman.
``We even considered at one time, and I still think it would be a great idea, to do the `Airplane!' version of `Dallas' as a feature film and just go for right-off-the-wall humor.''
Production originally was set to start a year ago but was delayed when Hagman had a liver transplant. Six months after his surgery, the actor was strong enough to do the film.
``We were really cheerleaders for his health,'' Gray says. ``It was really a magical experience for us. We had to watch his pacing, but he was fine.''
The film is dedicated to its director and executive producer, Leonard Katzman, who died in September of a heart attack. Katzman was one of the series' executive producers and wrote and directed countless episodes.
As with the original series, ``J.R. Returns'' has plenty of sex. Not only does J.R. have a one-night stand with Sue Ellen, he also has an affair with his attorney's niece (Tracy Scoggins).
``It was hell, but somebody had to do it,'' Hagman says, laughing. ``Tracy's not a bad-looking girl.''
Reruns of ``Dallas,'' once the most popular show on television, are airing three times a day on The Nashville Network. ``You can't look at those,'' Kercheval says, laughing. ``Those are sad because we were so young.''
``That's when you know when time has marched on,'' Duffy adds. ``You take a look and go: `Look at that. I only had one chin.'''
The cast reports that ever since ``Dallas'' went off the air in 1991, fans have been asking about a reunion. ``They are so happy when I tell them we did a movie,'' Duffy says. ``You'd think I had given them a Christmas present.''
The ``Dallas'' gang are about as close-knit as the Ewings themselves. ``Patrick and I go fishing and hunting a lot,'' says a fully recovered Hagman, who is at work in New Orleans on his new midseason CBS drama series ``Orleans.'' ``I see Linda perhaps once every two weeks.''
``Larry and I are both Virgos,'' Gray says. ``Every year we have our Virgo dinner, as we call it. I [also] have an Easter egg hunt at my house every year, so I invite everybody who has children, so Ken brought his daughter. So we do see each other, not all the time, but sporadically and always with love.''
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Larry Hagman and Linda Gray reprise their roles inby CNB``Dallas: J.R. Returns,'' airing Friday at 9 p.m. on WDBJ-Channel
7.