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Katherine Jackson Pimps Out Michael Jackson’s Kids to Good Morning America

Roger Friedman
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Katherine Jackson Pimps Out Michael Jackson’s Kids to Good Morning America

Michael Jackson must be rolling in his grave. This morning his mother, Katherine Jackson, pimped out his three kids–Prince, Paris, know and Blanket– on “Good Morning America.” The kids, and Katherine, appeared with Robin Roberts, who I hope did not she was being used to shill for Katherine Jackson’s “business partner,” Howard Mann, to sell the expensive book of photographs he’s been selling on his website.

The longish segment ended with a big plug for the book by Robin herself. Did money change hands for this interview? Katherine Jackson and Howard Mann do nothing for free, so perhaps the whole objective was to sell that book that no one wants.

The segment also promoted the idea that there is a new Heal the World Foundation. There is not. The foundation closed years before Michael died. Mann has been ordered by a federal court to stop using the name, the Jackson estate has made it clear that the foundation has nothing to do with Michael Jackson.

Nevertheless, in this interview the children were used to advance the idea. Roberts noted, hilariously, that Prince Jackson, age 14, “is on the board of Heal the World.” What does he want to do? “Help animals who can’t speak for themselves.” (What about those that can?) One day, those poor kids will realize how they were used for this scheme. Where is Margaret Lodise, the court appointed lawyer for these children? How did they allow this to happen?

Rocker Bebe Buell Teams Up with Mega Manager Wendy Dio

Roger Friedman
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Rocker Bebe Buell Teams Up with Mega Manager Wendy Dio

It was about time rocker Bebe Buell made a big announcement. Daughter Liv Tyler is on the comeback trail with several films including “The Ledge,” just bought by IFC. Liv’s dad, Steven Tyler, is getting all judicial on “American Idol.” So Bebe, who has a bestselling memor–“Rebel Heart”–and a hot indie album called “Sugar”–has just been swooped up for management by Wendy Dio, widow of rocker Ronnie James Dio. Wendy is hot as a pistol right now, and also philanthropic: she recently donated $100,000 to the TJ Martell Foundation for cancer research. Wendy has plans to bring Bebe’s band to Europe for a big tour, and start recording a new album soon. Bebe’s band includes her husband, producer and songwriter Jim Walls. Dio is very excited about working with Bebe– she saw her play a couple of times and fell in love. “Bebe is one of the most charismatic performers I’ve ever seen,” Wendy told me. “I can’t wait to unveil her talents to the world.” I can’t either–Wendy has good taste! And if Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney can rock into their 60s, then Bebe should have no problem in her 50s. She was a young mother, after all!

Oscar Week: “King’s,” “Kids,” “Fighter” Party On, “Social Network” AWOL

Roger Friedman
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0

Last night– Wednesday–felt like the kick off for “Oscar Week.” But where oh where is the gang from the critically praised box office hit, “The Social Network’? They are AWOL while the other Best Picture nominees begin to celebrate their films.  “The Social Network” is not very social, it seems. There’s nothing scheduled for them, and no sign of anyone except the affable Armie Hammer. Producer Scott Rudin missed the Writers Guild Awards on February 5th because of pneumonia, and then kind of disappeared. There is a dinner this week for “True Grit” and the Coen Brothers, but no sign of  Rudin, who produced both that film and “The Social Network.”  I’m told that the reason for no “Network” event may be traced to internal disagreements between Rudin and Sony, which released that film. It’s odd, because Sony Pictures Classics is having its own annual nominees dinner as usual, this year to celebrate Jacki Weaver.

Rudin, by the way, says I protest too much: he’s in New York starting a movie and has three  Broadway shows all opening and previewing. “Sony’s done everything for us,” he insists. So there!

Meanwhile, the other films are mostly all present: Last night, for example, Dior held a swanky dinner for Harvey Weinstein at the Chateau Marmont. Sharon Stone, Ridley Scott, Halle Berry, Olivier Martinez, Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Adrien Brody, Anne Hathaway, Chelsea Handler (with Chateau owner Andre Balazs), and lots of French people swarmed the Chateau lobby and gardens, all decked out very elegantly. “The King’s Speech” and “Blue Valentine” also get a party on Saturday night.

Over at Cecconi’s, the “Kids Are All Right” producer Celine Rattray and director Lisa Cholodenko entertained their crowd. And there’s more: for the last few days there have been all kinds of stealth parties and lunches for David O. Russell, director of “The Fighter.” When James Franco arrives, there will be at least two parties connected to “127 Hours,” not to mention two other parties thrown by Fox Searchlight–one tonight, for their anniversary, with no press, and one on Sunday. That will also take care of “Black Swan” and Natalie Portman.

More parties: the “new”  Hollywood Reporter is giving the exact same party the “old” Hollywood Reporter gave last year, even though they fired Eric Mika, the former publisher, who invented the idea of using Mayor Villiaragosa’s residence. Nothing will ever top last year’s party, which featured guests Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva who looked like they’d been sleeping in their clothes and then suddenly remembered they had a party at attend. It was their last public appearance before the fighting began through lawyers. Even “Mad Dog” Beckman can’t top that!

The Hollywood Reporter, now a weekly glossy, is a mystery to everyone here. They have no ads, but lots of expensive photo shoots and a big overhead with salaries. Last week their issue carried seven “house” ads — touting themselves–and one commercial page, from Armani. Even the inside back page, on heavy stock, was a house ad.

Motion Picture Fund Agrees: Long Term Care Facility to Stay Open

Roger Friedman
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0

Good news! The long running very contentious fight between the Motion Picture and TV Fund, and the patients who live in their long term care facility, is over. The MPTV Fund has caved in and found an outside operator which will run the hospital after two years of a public bruising war. In the time since this started, the number of patients has been reduced from about 100 to 37. But patients and family members stood their ground, since their contract promised them lifelong care.

The families started a website–www.savingthelivesofourown.org, and protested quite publicly. One person who must be very relieved that a compromise has been reached is Jeffrey Katzenberg. The Dreamworks Animation chief hosts the twice yearly celebrity benefits for the Fund–the next one is Saturday night at the Beverly Hills Hotel. For the last two years protesters have waved placards as A list movie stars arrived to mix, mingle, and get expensive gift bags. Katzenberg, who’s very philanthropic, was suddenly in the middle of this embarrassing situation.

So congrats to the families and patients and the people who hung in there! Let this be a lesson to greedy nursing homes and assisted living residences everywhere. Long term medical care is going to be a growing issue as people live longer.

Leon Russell, Garth Brooks Make Songwriters Hall of Fame

Roger Friedman
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0

Leon Russell, Garth Brooks, “Lady Marmalade” writer Allen Toussaint, John Bettis, and Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Russell was an enthusiastic choice of the Songwriters group, as opposed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where Elton John made sure Leon got in, if even as a side man. Russell and Elton John released a great album last year called “The Union.”

The other inductees are all terrific–and in full disclosure, this reporter is on the nominating committee. Kelly and Steinberg wrote “True Colors,” “Like a Virgin,” and dozens of hits including two of the Pretenders’ best: “I’ll Stand by You” and “Night in My Veins.” John Bettis’s credits include two of the Carpenters’ best: “Goodbye to Love” and “Yesterday Once More,” plus “Human Nature” for Michael Jackson.

Linda Moran has transformed the Songwriters Hall of Fame into a mega deal, and legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb is now the chairman, succeeding lyricist Hal David, who’s 90 years old going strong, and hasn’t left the building. Phil Ramone produces the show, a hot hot ticket, on June 16th at the Marriott Marquis. More announcements about the show are coming, including who’s performing (always an A list).

My guess–and I have no inside info yet–is that we could see Labelle, Cyndi Lauper, Elton John, and Trisha Yearwood on the stage. If Madonna were really cool, she’d come and sing “Like a Virgin” for the guys who put her on the map.

Kevin Costner Making a Comeback? Why Not?

Roger Friedman
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1

Suddenly, everyone wants Kevin Costner again. (Except of course Stephen Baldwin, who’s suing him. But that’s another story.) I’m told that Costner is being offered a role in a new film called “The Words,” in which he would play — possibly– the father of Bradley Cooper. Jeremy Irons also co-stars. It’s a very good role, and might be a kind of literary “Field of Dreams.” There are also rumors circulating that Costner is wanted for the next “Superman” movie, maybe to play Clark Kent’s dad. And Costner meanwhile tours with his country rock band; they’re playing at some industry events.

All of this is a good turnaround for an actor who once ruled the world with “Dances with Wolves,” “Bull Durham,” and about a half dozen hits in the 1980s early 90s. But then career disaster struck. Lots of flops followed “Wolves,” its Oscars, and financial windfall. From “Wyatt Earp” to “The War” to the two infamous grand calamities–“Waterworld” and “The Postman.” Hubris did him in.

More recently Costher has been in the news with a device he says can separate oil from sea water. He was going to save the Gulf of Mexicon from BP. But things went awry and now one investor, Stephen Baldwin, the grinning brother of Alec, is suing him. Someone’s going to need a machine to separate fact from fiction.

But Costner the actor was always a cool guy. Even his later releases (he’s only 55, this makes him seem ancient), he’s done okay. He was very good in “The Company Men.” And this fall he says he’s going to shoot a movie with his old pal Kevin Reynolds, who he replaced on “Waterworld” so he could utter this wonderful line to Jeanne Tripplehorn as they descended below the sea, Costner’s gills flapping: “I’ll breathe for you.”

Larry King: “CNN Is Making Me Go On With Piers Morgan”

Roger Friedman
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0

Larry King tells me that CNN is making him go on tonight with his successor Piers Morgan. I ran into Larry on Monday having a holiday lunch with the radio legend Norm Pattiz, chairman emeritus of Westwood One Radio, at the famed Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills. They are cooking up something big for Larry, which is great: there was nothing better than listening to the King on radio in the old days, interviewing and giving opinions. If he came back, he’d be bigger than ever.

But forcing Larry to appear with his replacement? Apparently, he’s still under contract with CNN and pretty much can’t turn down what they ask him to do. So he will appear tonight for one half hour, thirty minutes, and deal with Piers Morgan. Why? Because Larry made a comment recently that “Piers Morgan was oversold.” Now he’s going to go back to his old studio and explain himself. The explanation? That CNN over hyped someone the American public knew little about. That Morgan should have been allowed to attract an audience on his merits, not by dint of constant pr and ads.

Larry has nothing against Piers Morgan. But I do think Morgan, who is obviously very talented, comes across on CNN a little like FM radio. Where Larry barked, Piers soothes. I watched his recent interview with Janet Jackson, but it was difficult: Janet speaks in a whisper, like Jackie Kennedy or Marilyn Monroe. Piers’s voice is like Celestial Seasonings. I went through two cappuccinos during the hour. If only someone from Altoona had called in!

Helen Mirren Thinks Maria Bello Will Be “Great” in “Prime Suspect”

Roger Friedman
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1

The magnificent Helen Mirren — an Oscar presenter this Sunday– tells me she’s thrilled that American producers have chosen Maria Bello to play Jane Tennison in the new version of “Prime Suspect” headed for NBC as a new series. Helen and her famed director husband Taylor Hackford were first among the guests last night at a Vanity Fair party for “The Fighter”–an event that included Oscar nominee Amy Adams as well as Gerard Butler, Nia Vardalos, Ryan Kwanten of “True Blood,” hot as a pistol Welsh actor Luke Evans, plus director Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Monster’s Ball”), “Rabbit Hole” co-producer Celine Rattray. But no sign of the rest of “The Fighter” crowd–they are all dispersed to many locales working on movies until Saturday when they fly in for the Oscars.

But back to Helen, Oscar winner for “The Queen,” who at one point was seen carrying a tray of nibbles she’d rounded up at the District club. She brought the tray to Hackford, careful not to drop them as she maneuvered her way through the crowd. So what about Maria? “I think she’s great,” said Mirren. “The right choice. Now they have to be careful  to get the right cinematographer, to get the proper mood and look. And of course a wonderful screenwriter. The original Prime Suspects were four hour miniseries,” Mirren observed. “I’m not sure how they’ll capture that in an hour for a series.”

And what of Taylor Hackford? More on this later, but I can tell you he’s developing a miniseries about Ahmet Ertegun and the history of Atlantic Records–a scripted drama, not a documentary. Hackford loves the history of pop music, having directed “Ray” and “Hail Hail Rock and Roll.” This is going to be just great–with actors playing all the Atlantic execs and stars like Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, Ruth Brown, Wilson Pickett, etc. And who will play Ray Charles? Hey, why not a cameo from Jamie Foxx, whom Hackford directed to an Oscar in “Ray”?

PS If you’re a Mirren fan, do rent “Red,” now out on DVD. It’s quite the rollercoaster ride, and Helen is a treat as a comic hit woman. Bravo!

James Franco: Oscar Co-Host Curates Gus van Sant Art Show in Beverly Hills

Roger Friedman
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2

There’s a gigantic billboard that’s gone up on Sunset Boulevard towering over the Chateau Marmont. It’s for a James Franco art exhibit that opens officially on Saturday at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills. Yes, the same James Franco who’s co-hosting the Academy Awards on Sunday and is taking classes at Yale and the Rhode Island School of Design. And who’s nominated for an Oscar for “127  Hours.”

Franco’s art exhibit is called “Unfinished” and is a collaboration with his “Milk” director, Gus van Sant. (“Milk” producer Bruce Cohen, who’s co-producing the Oscars, convinced Franco to do the show also.) There’s no description of the show yet, and the whole thing is a mystery beyond the sole photograph of the back of actor River Phoenix’s head, wearing sunglasses, taken by van Sant during the making of “My Own Private Idaho.”

All of the “unfinished” is actually paintings by van Sant and still photography from “Idaho,” a movie that Franco is obsessed with. He told me this afternoon, on a break from classes, that he and van Sant went back and watched all the dailies from “Idaho.” Gucci put up the money, van Sant got a deal, and now all the unused material from “Idaho” is digitized and assembled. van Sant even gave Franco a copy.

The show will be unveiled on Thursday night at the Gagosian Gallery, followed by a usual suspects dinner at Mr. Chow’s. On Friday night, there’s some more unveiling of some kind, followed by a sneak party at Franco’s new watering hole, The Writer’s Room, which apparently is right now under construction in Hollywood.

Rolling Stone Cover Contest Includes “Unknown” Band of Famous Names

Roger Friedman
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1

I was kind of shocked the bite sized nature of Rolling Stone. The magazine has turned into a loss leader for the website. But the funniest thing in there is this contest for readers to pick an unknown group for the cover. One of the groups, The Americans,  is so “unknown” that it’s produced by Sean Lennon and Mark Ronson. Do we really think they’re not going to win the contest? Remember Rolling Stone is owned by Jann Wenner, who’s so far up Yoko Ono’s Flux he can’t see straight. I feel bad for the other acts.

The Americans are fronted by Charlie Klarsfeld, 21. who’s described as the son of fashion photographer Pamela Hanson. That’s an understatement. He’s also the son of Georges Klarsfeld, the late head of L’Oreal in Paris who mysteriously committed suicide in 1996. Georges Klarsfeld’s uncle and and aunt are the famous Nazi Hunters, Serge and Beate Klarsfeld– still very much alive.  (Google them if you’ve never heard their amazing life stories–made into a TV movie years ago.) The elder Klarsfelds accused L’Oreal owner Andre Bettencourt of Nazi ties the year before their nephew –the rising star of the company — killed himself.

Will the music of The Americans reflect this incredible history? Sadly now. Songs like “Requiem” and “Antidote”–slickly produced by Ronson–and featuring Sean Lennon–are upbeat pop, Beatle-esque, and happily derivative of 60s pop. You know with the biographies of these guys there could be so much more — if they’d just get out of their own way.

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