Archive for the ‘Hollywood and Nashville’ Category

Jon Hamm

The stock market is soaring (Karl Marx would never have believed a “dove” market), there is despair on the east coast and on the west coast parties were being organized for the Emmy Awards telecast on Sept. 18.  Many alums of John Burroughs and Mizzou are crossing their fingers hoping  their talented fellow-student, Jon Hamm, will win as “drama actor of the year” for his role as Don Draper, the hard-drinking, chain-smoking executive in “Mad Men.” A bevy of television critics have already signed off choosing Hamm as their choice. The ballots are in and AMC has already optioned for three more series, giving Hamm, a yesteryear resident of Creve Coeur, a leg-up on his future.

Andy Cohen

Our town’s Andy Cohen’s book has been snapped up by Henry Holt to publish Cohen’s memoir next summer. The publisher may be betting on the book will find an audience with “housewives who think Cohen is their gay best friend,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The book has been described as tracing his life from a closeted gay teen growing up in our burbs to his career as a producer at CBS “This Morning,” “48 Hours” and his present berth as programming exec at Bravo.

One of the most memorable film and television sirens the columnist ever knew was Lucille Ball. Whether it was in the Paramount commissary and backlot or at fancy galas, she would always stop to chat with me and she adored reminiscences. In 1979 during the gala honoring Frank Sinatra’s 40th anniversary in show business at Vegas’ Caesars Palace, I reminded Ball of a story long before she evolved from a misused ornament in b-movies to a supernova.  She stepped aside from her husband, Gary Morton, and I recalled her meeting agent/manager William Shifrin in the MGM commissary. She sought his advice telling him she had been romanced by so many men on the lot, but still yearned for a featured role. Shifrin pointed to a gentleman having lunch in the producers’ dining room and told her, “But, have you met Pandro Berman?” Long story short. She sidled up to prolific producer Berman and voila! She won a featured role in the 1943 film, “DuBarry Was A Lady.” After she heard my take, Ball hid her eyes with her hands, shook her head and howled with laughter.

GARY MORTON, LUCILLE BALL AND THE COLUMNIST

Look for some of our leading corporations to be hit by marketing reps from MGM and Sony for product placements in the new James Bond film, “Bond 23.” More than $45 million is being sought by brand ambassadors, who cinched plugs for Aston Martins, BMWs , watches, clothing and other accessories in previous Bond movies.

Former mass communications prof at SIU-E Jack Shaheen is currently co-hosting with Robert Osborne TCM’s “Race and Hollywood Arab Images,” a film series each Tuesday and Thursday this month. Shaheen is the author of 300-plus publications and author of five books of which his most recent is “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People.” An Oxford research scholar and onetime CBS news consultant on Middle East affairs, Shaheen has also worked with producer Jeffrey Katzenberg on the animated movie, “The Prince of Egypt.”

Who’s getting trashed these days?  Let’s begin with Malcolm Forbes, whose publication is in decline.  The tell-all book is by former editor Stewart Pinkerton and titled, “The Fall of the House of Forbes.”  David Evanier has penned a tome with dirty dish about crooner Tony Bennett - “All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett.”  Steven Spielberg is getting flak over his taping a message seen at a Bar Mitzvah on the grounds of the Auschwitz concentration camp.  Doctors, who lay off to play golf and get a healthy day in the office. Lindsay Lohan, who’s come up with a hundred new ways to become a burden to her family. The woman in the elevator at Plaza-Frontenac, who told her friend, “I’ve got a new pill and it has nothing but side-effects.” Bernard Madoff, whom people love to hate in installments – they’ll last longer. The somewhat drunk reporter, who called the newspaper. “City desk,” voiced a receptionist to which the reporter asked, “Which drawer?” Criminal “Whitey” Bulger, who should go home now that his cage is cleaned. Newt Gingrich, who never exaggerates about his accomplishments but tries his best.  John Edwards, who learned from his mistakes, but he should’ve studied more for the test. Lady Gaga, who has Van Gogh’s ear for comedy.They won’t say that former president of Egypt Hosni Murbarak is rotten, but they get the sinking feeling that Hitler didn’t die in that bunker. Every time Joan Rivers wants to express herself, some people suggest UPS. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise and to him, bubble-gum cards are part of the Great Books series.

A pre-trial conference will take place April 1 in the County Circuit Court of Judge Steve Goldman on the matter of Randall Bugnitz on his arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bugnitz, co-owner of Mean Hands Clothing, was arrested in Ellisville and is repped by John Rogers. Bugnitz received a gold recording for engineering R&B star Mya’s 2003 release, “Moodring,” on Intgerscope/A&M Records. He also co-wrote Mya‘s “Everything or Nothing.” She performed the song on Jay Leno. Bugnitz has also done sound engineering for Shaquille O’Neal, Jessica Simpson and Keyshia Cole. . .Those were the days, my friend, when the fledgling Variety Club of St. Louis was fired-up by the likes of Edward Arthur, Bob Johnson, Joe Simpkins, Morris Shenker, Johnny Londoff and Harry Bussman. In its beginning, the club had tiny headquarters at the Chase Hotel and was barely able to eke out a meager budget for the exec director and the telethon. Times have changed. Nowadays, the club’s chief Jan Albus is drawing each year about $130,000 and the charity has a two-star out of four-star rating, according to the most recent charity navigator. . .St. Louis University is touting the fall opening of its Center for Global Citizenship in the College of Arts and Sciences. The center will house English as a second language, international studies and high-tech classrooms for interaction with professors and students in other countries. Meanwhile, its College of Prison Program is expanding to offer an associate degree to prisoners and staffers at Missouri’s Bonne Terre Center. “Research shows the rate of recidivism drops significantly for college educated prisoners,” writes interim dean, the Rev. Michael D. Barber.

Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth‘s name was bandied about over the weekend at Shareef Malnik’s revered Miami Beach restaurant, The Forge, and word was flashed in that trophy oasis that the star in Broadway’s revival of “Promises, Promises” has been cast in an ABC pilot, “Good Christian Bitches.”  During his Florida getaway, the columnist popped into The Forge, established 45 years ago by hometowner and boyhood pal  Alvin Malnik.  Chenoweth is but one of the trophy restaurant’s aficionados, who deem The Forge a must-stop by the likes of Malnik’s friends Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell, August Busch, IV., and Lutheran North High alum Kimora Lee Simmons.  Then it was on to the Cuban hotspot, Catalina, with Dick Martins and his wife, Ellen Soeteber, former editor of the Post-Dispatch and yesteryear exec with the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Victor Isart.