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Exclusive: Rush Limbaugh May Have Had Cancer Longer Than He Says, Set Up $5Mil Tax Free Foundation, Donated $500,000 to Famed Clinic in July 2018

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Rush Limbaugh May Have Had Cancer Longer Than He Says, Set Up $5Mil Tax Free Foundation, Donated $500,000 to Famed Clinic in July 2018

EXCLUSIVE Rush Limbaugh only announced yesterday that he had Stage 4 advanced lung cancer. He made it seem like this was a new thing, discovered only back in January.

But the right wing radio host may have known two years ago that he had cancer. The only surprising part may have been the Stage 4 news.

In July 2018, Limbaugh and his current and fourth wife donated $500,000 to the Dana Farber Cancer Clinic in Boston. It came at the same time that he and the wife started a brand new 501 c3 called the Rush and Kathryn Limbaugh Family Foundation. They put $5 million into the Foundation and sent a tenth of it to Dana Farber. They had never had a foundation before, nor given money to Dana Farber. They made no other donations from the $5 million.

The couple’s 501 c3 Form 990 was received by the IRS on May 20, 2019, ten months after the donation. The foundation lists Kathryn Adams Limbaugh as President, Rush Hudson Limbaugh as treasurer, and Penelope Adams Rogers as secretary.

On Monday, Limbaugh concluded his show saying “I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Diagnosis confirmed by two medical institutions back on Jan. 20.”

The 69-year-old continued: “I thought about trying to do this without anybody knowing because I don’t like making things about me,” he said. “But there are going to be days that I’m not going to be able to be here because I’m undergoing treatment or I’m reacting to treatment.”

What’s really been going on? We may be hearing about it on his show soon enough.

That’s Entertainment: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Rips Up Trump’s SOTU Speech and Makes Strongest Statement of Night

Roger Friedman
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That’s Entertainment: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Rips Up Trump’s SOTU Speech and Makes Strongest Statement of Night

Before tonight’s State of the Union address, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi extended her hand to Donald Trump in line with civil behavior.

Trump, impeached by the House, on trial in the Senate, snubbed her and turned away. He’s a boor, with no decency, a man who only respects dictators and goons. Didn’t he think there would be consequences?

Sure enough, Pelosi got him back in the most stunning statement of the night. When Trump was finished, and taking kudos from his illiterate, self serving all white followers, Pelosi slam dunked him. She stood and ripped up her copy of his speech. Trump, with his back to her, had no idea what was going on. Then Pelosi shook hands with Vice President Pence. who accepted her gesture.

Pelosi 1, Trump 0.

 

Oscar Surprise: Longtime (Anonymous) Academy Member Chooses “Jojo Rabbit,” Joaquin, Renee, Scarlett, Hopkins

Roger Friedman
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Oscar Surprise: Longtime (Anonymous) Academy Member Chooses “Jojo Rabbit,” Joaquin, Renee, Scarlett, Hopkins

I had a chance meeting with a longtime Academy voter tonight. Since voting has closed, this person shared their main choices for the Oscars with me.

Remember, this is a member probably for 40 plus years. They made a lot of movies before moving to TV, where they had profoundly long lasting success. They are also Jewish, which matters because of their Best Picture choice: “Jojo Rabbit.”

What? I gasped. I said, I found it anti-Semitic.

“No, you didn’t understand it,” they said. “You realize that the mother– superbly played by Scarlett Johansson– hates them. She is trying to teach her son a lesson. She does, too. I thought it was brilliant.”

Consequently, this voter’s choice for Best Supporting Actress was Scarlett, not Laura Dern. “Marriage Story,” they said, “was my second choice film.”

Third choice? “1917.”

Best actor? No hesitation: “Joaquin! That’s an amazing performance. And the movie was wonderful. What he did…”

Best actress? “Renee Zellweger.” Even though the movie may not be factual? “Doesn’t matter. She got Judy.”

Here’s a surprise: no Brad Pitt for Best Supporting Actor. This person selected Anthony Hopkins, from “The Two Popes.” They said, “I just loved listening to him [and to Jonathan Pryce]. I voted for the screenplay, too.”

At this point were interrupted. I said “The Irishman” was my favorite movie of the year. They replied: “That was low down on my list. I felt like I’d seen it before.”

Well, it’s just one vote, but from a veteran with good taste.  Just FYI. We never discussed “Parasite,” but I got the feeling they weren’t a fan.

Beatle Tribute to Broadway: At All Star Memorial, Paul McCartney Calls Jerry Herman “One of the All Time Greats”

Roger Friedman
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Beatle Tribute to Broadway: At All Star Memorial, Paul McCartney Calls Jerry Herman “One of the All Time Greats”

The Lunt Fontanne Theater was bursting with stars and heavy hitters of renown yesterday afternoon to say goodbye to the great Jerry Herman, composer of “Hello, Dolly!” “Mame” “La Cage Aux Folles” and many other hits. Herman died on December 26th at age 88. I did not know him, but I was always proud to say we lived on the same block.

The show — produced by Michael Feinstein, Jane Dorian, and Terry Marler– was dedicated to celebrating Jerry’s life, boasted 9 Tony winners including Harvey Fierstein, Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, Kristen Chenoweth, Tyne Daly, Sutton Foster, Kelli O’Hara, Leslie Uggams, Debby Gravitte, plus stars Ron Raines, Jeremy Jordan, Marilyn Maye, Klea Blackhurst, LeRoy Reams, and Lorna Luft, who came in from L.A. for the occasion.

Spotted in filled to the gills theater: Michele Lee, Loretta Swit, Donna MacKechnie, Brenda Vaccaro, Sheldon Harnick (going strong at almost 96!), Billy Stritch, composer/pianist Ron Abel, and “Frozen” writers Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez.

The show was brilliantly conceived by Michael Feinstein and directed by Michael Bruni. The memorial was about the music and terrific songs from Herman’s shows, which are standing the test of time – are fun, emotional, optimistic in keeping with Jerry’s own attitude toward entertainment and life. There was a 29-piece orchestra on stage and 20 members of a Broadway vocal chorus who were able to create the moments from classic shows and add value to particular numbers. Herman’s musicals always had a huge place for the chorus in songs. A great emotional moment, was when famous Broadway conductor Don Pippin, the original conductor of “Hello Dolly,” came on to conduct. Very respectful and the audience got it. Huge applause on his entrance and for Betty Buckley, who just closed the national tour of “Dolly!”

Other standouts included Kelli O’Hara singing “Before the Parade Passes By” and Ron Raines leading the ensemble with “Mame.” Sutton Foster wowed the crowd with “I Don’t Want to Know” from “Dear World.”

The capper: Angela Lansbury and Paul McCartney each sent video tape presentations. Angela talked of her first meeting with Jerry which enabled her to move to the Broadway stage. She seems to have been an intimate very personal friend of Jerry’s. McCartney talked of Herman being “one of the all-time greats” whose music will last forever. McCartney should know: back in 1964, Louis Armstrong’s recording of “Hello, Dolly!” stopped the Beatles from having a 15th week at number 1!

Beach Boy Mike Love Confuses “Surfin’ Safari” With the Real Thing, Group Founder Brian Wilson Urges Boycott of Group Plan to Play Hunting Convention

Roger Friedman
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Beach Boy Mike Love Confuses “Surfin’ Safari” With the Real Thing, Group Founder Brian Wilson Urges Boycott of Group Plan to Play Hunting Convention

Beach Boy founder Brian Wilson and original bandmember Al Jardine are urging former bandmate Mike Love not to play a hunting convention on Wednesday in Reno, Nevada.

Apparently Love, a cousin to Wilson, has the rightx to tour with the Beach Boys name. Always a villain in their 50 plus year saga, Love has confused the band’s 1962 hit “Surfin’ Safari” with the real thing– big game hunting. He’s planning to have his Beach Boys– which don’t include Brian Wilson or Jardine — perform at the SCI Hunters Convention in Reno this week. The hideous Donald Trump Jr. is the keynote speaker.

A petition has gone up at change.org to stop Love, et al from wrecking what’s left of the Beach Boys name by participating in this crap fest. I’m curious to hear what John Stamos– who has played with the band over the last years– thinks of this situation. Also, Bruce Johnston, who– like Wilson, brothers Carl and Dennis, Love, and Jardine– was a founding member. (Carl and Dennis Wilson are deceased.)

On Twitter, Wilson writes: “It has been brought to my attention that on Wednesday February 5, The Beach Boys touring group licensed by Mike Love are headlining at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada…This organization supports trophy hunting, which Both Al and I are emphatically opposed to. There’s nothing we can do personally to stop the show, so please join us in signing the petition at change.org.”

Wilson is the musical genius behind the Beach Boys’ greatest compositions from “Good Vibrations” to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” and “Surf’s Up.”

When he wrote “Surfin’ Safari” it was about loading up surfboards on a wood paneled station wagon and cruising the coast for good waves. It was NOT about murdering endangered species around the world.

This is absolutely repugnant behavior by Love, who doesn’t have a great reputation in Beach Boy history. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Southern Africa twice in my lifetime. Once you’ve seen the majestic animals who inhabit the continent, all you want to do is protect them from vulgarians like the Trumps. Photo safari, surfing safari, yes! Hunting, no!

 

Hips Don’t Lie: Super Bowl Conquest Sends 2001 Shakira Song to Number 1 on iTunes, Plus 9 More Onto the Top 100

Roger Friedman
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Hips Don’t Lie: Super Bowl Conquest Sends 2001 Shakira Song to Number 1 on iTunes, Plus 9 More Onto the Top 100

You just think the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl. The real winner was Shakira.

The hot 43 year old Latinx singer was such a hit at the halftime show that she’s having the biggest run on the charts since Lady Gaga did the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.

Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever” has hit number 1 on iTunes. It was released on August 27, 2001. There are four more Shakira tracks in the top 10 including her “Hips Don’t Lie” duet with Wyclef Jean. Five more follow from number 11 to 100.

The people want Shakira!

Jennifer Lopez didn’t too badly, either. She has nine tracks on the iTunes top 100, although the highest is number 23, “Waiting for Tonight.”

So forget the “criticism” of their performances. Shakira and JLo rocked that football stadium. I think JLo deserves a lot of credit for having Shakira join her on the show, too. Jennifer Lopez words hard for the money. She is persistent. Diva? Maybe? But you don’t there by being lazy.

On the iTunes album charts, Shakira has five albums in the top 100. Lopez has one. But to be fair, JLo is not an album artist. So we’ll cut her some slack.

Apart from the Super Bowl, CBS This Morning can take credit for two James Taylor collections of hits arriving on the iTunes chart. Jane Pauley interviewed him on Sunday and managed to not once mention his marriage to Carly Simon. I found that pretty funny. JT has an audio biography coming on Audible.com that takes him conveniently almost up to the day he met his first wife and mother of his oldest two children. Carly Simon and James Taylor were like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran in their day. They made the cover of Rolling Stone. They were married for 11 years. But hey, CBS Sunday Morning, facts are fungible.

Filmed Version of Powerhouse Broadway Musical “Hamilton” Sells to Disney for Record Price of $75 Million

Roger Friedman
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Filmed Version of Powerhouse Broadway Musical “Hamilton” Sells to Disney for Record Price of $75 Million

“Hamilton” is coming to movie theaters.

The Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning powerhouse of a musical was evidently worth $75 million, according to reports. And dig this: this is not the movie, “Hamilton.” This version was filmed two weeks before the original cast departed the show. It’s a filmed version of a stage presentation.

A movie of “Hamilton” could appear one day, who knows? Maybe a decade from now.

But this show is different than most others in that it is still selling out five years after it opened at the Public Theater. Its soundtrack has sold millions of copies and continues to be in the top 100. Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical about Alexander Hamilton has so penetrated the culture that John Bolton has named his forthcoming book after a song in the show called “In the Room Where it Happened.”

With this release, we’ll be able to feel like we’re watching the play and be in the middle of it. But the biggest reason to see it will be not having to pay $500 a ticket, which is the price– if you can get it. Still, nothing will be like the live show.

The “Hamilton” film will debut in theaters in October 2021.

Indie Spirit Awards Are This Saturday: They’re a Non Profit with Over $5 Mil in Salaries, and Just Under $400K in Grants to Filmmakers

Roger Friedman
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Indie Spirit Awards Are This Saturday: They’re a Non Profit with Over $5 Mil in Salaries, and Just Under $400K in Grants to Filmmakers

The 2020 Indie Spirit Awards will be handed out on Saturday in Santa Monica. They’re given by the non profit called Film Independent, which has a host of other programs. A boatload of actors, producers, distributors, and indie film people will head down to a big circus tent on the beach for the afternoon program. Last year, about 100,000 people watched the live broadcast on the IFC Channel. Most people will not know the ceremony took place.

Film Independent sounds like a classy name. But a look at the finances for this 501 c3 shows a lot of mysteries.

In 2018, according to their Form 990, Film Independent — which you’d think operated on a shoestring budget– listed around $5 million for salaries. They said their top people earned a total of $578,287. But according to the breakdown included, 7 people share over $900,000 alone.

Meantime, Film Independent’s net balances shrank in 2018 by $1.5 million from 2017, down to $3.2 million. Total revenue was $10.8 million in 2018. But grants to filmmakers, etc came to just $366,000. Revenue less expenses was MINUS $1.5 million. Total functional expenses for 2018 were $12.3 million.

Of course, Film Independent is a valuable resource for indie filmmakers in Southern California. The organization also runs the LA Film Festival, and associated film programs. They also have a prestigious board of directors. This year, one of their own, Kasi Lemmons, can boas that her film, “Clemency,” is nominated for Best Feature, Screenplay, and Lead Actress (Alfre Woodard).

This year might bring a little extra pizzazz to the tent: Jennifer Lopez is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in “Hustlers.” If she wins, she’ll have defeated the likes of Octavia Spencer (“Luce”), Taylor Russell (“Waves”), and Zhao Shuzhen (“The Farewell”). But, you never know these days. The other celebrity from outside the indie world will be Adam Sandler, for “Uncut Gems.” Sandler actually has a shot at winning, as the other nominees are solid but not particularly exciting.

Hedging their bets, the Spirit Awards do give out one big honor, their Robert Altman Ensemble Award, guaranteeing stars on the red carpet. This year the winner is Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” which means the director, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern will be in attendance whether they like it or not.

 

 

Demi Lovato Bookends Her Week with Stunning Grammys Performance and Super Bowl National Anthem Triumph

Roger Friedman
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Demi Lovato Bookends Her Week with Stunning Grammys Performance and Super Bowl National Anthem Triumph

Demi Lovato’s having a terrific comeback. She bookended her week with the Grammys and the Super Bowl. She has a great voice. If she can just stay on the right track now, her career will flourish.

Demi on the Grammys:

Demi Sings the Star Spangled Banner:

BAFTA British Academy Awards Follow, Point to, Oscars: “1917” Best Film, Best Director Sam Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt, Laura Dern Win for Acting

Roger Friedman
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BAFTA British Academy Awards Follow, Point to, Oscars: “1917” Best Film, Best Director Sam Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt, Laura Dern Win for Acting

It’s an all white BAFTA. And it’s all -white with them. All the supposed and anticipated Oscar winners swept the British Academy. I am surprised, however, that “Jojo Rabbit,” won Best Adapted Screenplay. I’d choose any of the other nominees. The Oscars are one week from tonight, and these are the likely winners.

keep refreshing…

Sam Mendes has won Best Director for “1917.” The film wins Best Picture. Has already won cinematography.

The BAFTA Awards are being given out in London. So far they’re hewing to the American awards circuit. Laura Dern and Brad Pitt have each won Supporting Actor awards. “Parasite” has won Best Foreign Language Film. “Parasite” has also won Best Original Screenplay. “Jojo Rabbit” picked up adapted screenplay. “1917” is Best British Film. Roger Deakins won Best Cinematography for “1917.” “For Sama” is Best Documentary.

BEST FILM

1917

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

1917
Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Callum McDougall, Jayne-Ann Tenggren, Krysty Wilson-Cairns

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

BAIT
Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PARASITE
Bong Joon Ho

DOCUMENTARY

FOR SAMA
Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts

ANIMATED FILM

KLAUS
Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh

DIRECTOR

Sam Mendes, 1917

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

PARASITE
Han Jin Won, Bong Joon Ho

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

JOJO RABBIT
Taika Waititi

LEADING ACTRESS

JUDY Renee Zellweger

LEADING ACTOR

JOKER Joaquin Phoenix

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

LAURA DERN
Marriage Story

SUPPORTING ACTOR

BRAD PITT
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

ORIGINAL SCORE

JOKER
Hildur Guðnadóttir

CASTING

Joker

CINEMATOGRAPHY

1917
Roger Deakins

EDITING

FORD V FERRARI (LE MANS ’66)
Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker

PRODUCTION DESIGN

1917
Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN

LITTLE WOMEN
Jacqueline Durran

MAKE UP & HAIR

BOMBSHELL
Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan

SOUND

1917
Scott Millan, Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate, Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

1917
Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, Dominic Tuohy

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

GRANDAD WAS A ROMANTIC
Maryam Mohajer

BRITISH SHORT FILM

LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL)
Carol Dysinger, Elena Andreicheva

EE RISING STAR AWARD

Micheal Ward

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA

Andy Serkis

 

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