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By KEN WILLIAMS Sun-Tattler Staff When the glamour and glitter of ?╟úParis Amour?╟Ñ adorns the stage of the Bal Masque ? Supper Club starting tonight at the Ameri- cana Hotel in Bal Harbour, the name of Jerry Jackson will be etched on everything. Not only did Jackson conceive the French revue but he also does the choreography and the di- rection. The rather unspectacular stage name of Jefry Jackson does not reveal the flamboy- ant, effervescent nature of the artist nor does it reflect the exciting career of this fascinat- ing man. South Florida audiences know him well. He choreographed ?╟úSeven Brides for Seven Brothers?╟Ñ at the Miami Beach Theater of the Performing Arts and on Broadway in the 1978 revival. He also directed and choreo- graphed the acclaimed ?╟úFantasies of Love Au Naturel?╟Ñ at the Playboy Club in Miami. HE IS A man of a thousand stories who can tell of working with perhaps the greatest dancer Of them all, Fred Astaire, or assisting the famous choreographer, Hermes Pan. He can fell tales on Bette Davis (?╟úMy ex-friend is really the b?╟÷h off-camera that she plays on the screen?╟Ñ), Goldie Hawn, Juliet Prowse and Tony Orlando (?╟úHe still thinks of him- self as a fatso and that's why he was so diffi- cult to get to dance on his TV show?╟Ñ). Jackson is perhaps the most famous di- rector and choreographer of French revues. He is a legend in Las Vegas, where his ?╟úFolie Bergere?╟Ñ is still playing in the Tropi- cana Hotel. The ?╟úCan-Can?╟Ñ number from that show has won the award as ?╟  ?╟  Best Pro- duction Number of the Year?╟Ñ for three con- secutive years. It is ironic that the French created the can-can and an Oklahoma became intern- ationally known for his versions. That-s why Jackson was so honored when he was Chosen the ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ in Paris in 1967 and the 80th anniversary show of ?╟úCasino du Paris?╟Ñ TONIGHT'S PREMIERE in Bal Harbour concludes three hectic weeks of rehearsal for Jackson. ?╟úParis Amour?╟Ñ will feature 21 col- orful numbers featuring beautiful women and men plus performances by the Ages* tinos, a balancing act, and Senor Wenees* the famed juggler and Ventriloquist. The show will conclude with three different can-cans, the last of which is called ?╟úLe Can-Can Ex- tn^naire^ ohd it showcases not only the beauty but ties of the cast. ?╟úPm pleased with what I've seen so far,?╟Ñ said Jackson, sipping on a glass of wine dur- ing dinner ut the Gaucho Steak Houise at the Americana. ?╟úI?╟╓ve researched my audience here and this is the kind of show which will please them. I1 All audiences; are tough arid each one is different. When I go to Paris, I have a differ- ent audience than Las Vegos. Miami Beach is a very, very particular audience because they?╟╓ve seen a lot and because they won?╟╓t settle for anything but the best. But I?╟╓ve won so many awards and have had so many hits that if this show doesn?╟╓t Work, I?╟╓ll have to sit back and see what went wrong. I don?╟╓t expect that, however, to happen.?╟Ñ WHILE JACKSON doesn?╟╓t lack for con- fidence, he has no ego problem, either. He is the proverbial ?╟únice guy?╟Ñ ?╟÷ the kind you would trust with your sister or your daughter on a date. He is handsome, refined, edu- cated, graceful and charming ?╟÷ and an achiever who overcame a childhood handicap to become one of the best in his business. Jackson was born in 1936 in Bristow, Okla., a tiny town of 5,000 folk who lived within a day?╟╓s drive of Tulsa. Jackson?╟╓s fam- ily was the talk of the town, to say the least, ?╟úMy family was nouveau riche,?╟Ñ Jackson said. ?╟úI had an aunt who was a lot like Auntie Mame. My mom was quite a trip, too.?╟Ñ The family wealth was accumulated by Jackson?╟╓s grandpa, a Lebanese immigrant ?╟úMY GRANDFATHER had this impos- sible Lebanese name*?╟Ñ Jackson said, ?╟úso he changed it, ironically, to Joseph Abraham. He made a fortune from monies he had made peddling pencils for a higher price than he had paid for them.?╟Ñ Thus, the American dream came true for Joseph Abraham, who, when he passed away, left his money to his widow and their children. Jackson said the family had a good ole time what with houses in Oklahoma, Be- verly Hills and Manhattan. ?╟úOne afternoon, I remember, my aunt and my mom were driving down the side- walk near Grauman?╟╓s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Calif.,?╟Ñ Jackson said. ?╟úThis puz- zled cop stopped them to give them a ticket. My mom said to Aha cop, ?╟ But, darling, you?╟╓re ruining the shot.?╟╓ The cop looked around, but didn?╟╓t see any cameras. But mom had an answer for that: ?╟ Oh, we?╟╓re us- ing hidden cameras!?╟╓ So the cop let them go and even cleared the sidewalk for them. And they continued driving down the sidewalk!?╟Ñ LIFE AS A kid was not all fairyland for young Jerry, despite stories like this. He was born with a slight malformation of his feet. ?╟úI was crippled until I was 18 and had to wear those corrective shoes,?╟Ñ said. Jackson. ?╟úAmong the kids, I was an outcast. And I was overweight, fat. I even stuttered.?╟Ñ Today he is popular, slim and of cable speech. ?╟úI could have felt sorry for myself but I didn?╟╓t. And the end result would have been very ugly -^ neurosis, self-pity and relying on others fdr sympathy. But I relied on my- self very much ... It eventually made me all the more creative.?╟Ñ HE WANTED TO play the piano and dance. ?╟ÑThank God my mother was liberaL minded,?╟Ñ Jackson JERRY JACKSON Thinking Up Visions Of loveliness homa who wanted to play the piano or dance were considered sissies.?╟Ñ He also became a film buff, especially of movies starring Fred Astaire and Gene Kel- ly. ?╟úThe ?╟╓30s was the classical period for movies,?╟Ñ he said. ?╟úBusby Berkley had such an impact on choreography, using the con- trasts of black and white. The ?╟╓50s musicals were different, not quite as good. Full color was a new-fangled toy and people were ex- perimenting with colors.?╟Ñ taro, jacKson went to Los Angeles to study dance, mostly because his doctors felt this would be good rehabilitation on his legs and feet. While on the West Coast, he en- rolled at UCLA, where he eventually gradu- ated with a master?╟╓s degree in aft and a mi- nor in music. All this time, he also was work- ing in Las Vegas during his summers and continuinghis danceclasses. ?╟úMy grandfather was very rich and had set aside a trust fund for my college,?╟Ñ he said. ?╟úBut I worked my way through UCLA prove to iny family that I could do it on my own. After I graduated, I gave the money back and my family was grateful, consid- ering that they had squandered most of the family fortune by this time. They never trusted banks and never invested the money in stocks or real estate and today they?╟╓re hearing poverty.?╟Ñ On his own, Jackson pursued many inter- ests after graduation. He was a regular danc- er on Danny Kaye?╟╓s weekly CBS television series for two years while simultaneously working steadily as a professional fashion photographer. In addition, he designed two dental centers for the Teamsters in Los An- geles, constructing the buildings as Spanish missions, IN I960, choreographer Hermes Pan took him to Rome to perform on Italian tele- vision?╟╓s ?╟úStudio Uno.?╟Ñ . On that show was Barry Chase, Astaire?╟╓s dancing partner. She asked Jackson to assist her on a number when they returned to the U.S., which he did. He also choreographed several specialty^ numbers for her on TV shows such as ?╟úCarol* Burnett?╟Ñ and ?╟úHollywood Palace.?╟Ñ Hermes Pan again asked for his assis- tance on the movie ?╟úFinian?╟╓s Rainbow?╟Ñ star- ring Ffed Astaire, Tommy Steele and Petula Clark. ?╟úI didn?╟╓t want to start choreographing un- til my 30s,?╟Ñ Jackson said. ?╟úI wanted to learn as much as I could about as much as I could. That?╟╓s why I can design my own costumes, why I can decorate my own home, why I can lay out my own arrangements. That?╟╓s why I spent some time as a professional high-fa! ion photographer for Saks Fifth Avei^i That?╟╓s why I?╟╓ve worked with the best, mm YTVitat Actsiro amt Hfirmps Pan.?╟Ñ Fred Astaire and Hermes Pan, AFTER A DECADE of apprenticeship a ?╟úlearner,?╟Ñ Jackson then became a ?╟údoe^. In 1970, he did three lounge revues for thd Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. That year he ajgd did ?╟úViva Les Girls?╟Ñ at the Dunes, sharing! the choreography with Ron Lewis, who nowL is Jackson's major Vegas rival. 1 In 1972, he staged and choreographed two! Broadway revivals, ?╟úMan of La Mancha'?╟Ñ? starring Lani Kazan and ?╟úPromises, Promis-I es?╟Ñ starring Frank Gorshin. I For three years, he was choreographer fori ?╟úTony Orlando and Dawn?╟Ñ on CBS. He aise| worked in 1977 as choreographer of the ?╟úEn- tertainment Awards of the Year?╟Ñ and in 19781 as choreographer of ?╟úThe 25th Anhiversaryl of the Wonderful World of Disney,?╟Ñ both oil NBC. He has worked for both French anf| Italian television. AMONG THE FRENCH revues lie has' staged are ?╟úCasino du Liban?╟Ñ in Beirut, ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ in Puerto Rico, and presented the ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ in Manila in a command performance requested by Presi- dent Ferdinand E. Marcos. Prior to the Bal Harbour assignment Jackson completed the second edition of I ?╟úPin-Ups?╟Ñ for the Sahara Hotel in Reno and I another French revue in Acapulco. j Jackson described how he conceives show. ?╟úFirst, I get all kinds of magazines,?╟Ñ hel said. ?╟úI spend around $500 a month on maga-f zines. I read them, get an idea and then re-| search it. I go dancing at discos to get anj idea of what?╟╓s current. I go to plays and mov- ies to see what?╟╓s happening. ?╟úFROM MY NOTES, the show takes a form, a shape. I?╟╓ll see that one number will contrast for that one. Then I design the cos- JERRY JACKSON, 17D,Col. 1 who married a woman who was part Ameri- can Indian, part Irish and Scottish..