Peter Hansen, one of the original cast members from “General Hospital,” died Sunday age 95. Hansen played Lee Baldwin, the town lawyer in Port Charles and adoptive father of Scotty Baldwin. Hansen was a staple on TV from the 1950s through the 80s, a great journeyman actor– the kind I wish SAG would salute instead of established stars. He was just good. He started playing Lee Baldwin in 1965 and finished up in 2004– that’s some record. He was on the show when I was in grade school. Our housekeeper was obsessed with Lee and his various travails, so we all knew who he was. Hansen projected a sense of solidity while the other people who lived in Port Charles were all nuts. Kudos to him on a great career.
UPDATE One Direction’s Harry Styles Loses Grip on Number 1, Dropping On Charts After 5 Days
WEDNESDAY And the drop continues, down to 4. By Saturday the record will need a huge injection from the SNL appearance.
TUESDAY Maybe Harry Styles’ fans are waiting til they see him on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend.
But here’s some news that surprised me: after 5 days, Harry’s big premiere single has dropped off from number 1 to number 3 on iTunes.
Whoops!
“Sign of the Times” came out of the gate with ferocity on Friday. One Direction fans went nuts and sent it straight to number 1.
Now this aftertoon, “Something Just Like This” by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers took the top spot, and sent Harry plummeting to number 3. Bruno Mars remains ensconced at number 2.
Meanwhile. here’s another “Sign of the Times.” Styles’ single is not burning up the Spotify charts. It’s around number 16 or 17 on both the US list and the Global. I had a feeling that a five minute power ballad that never picks up might be a problem. Kids don’t have the patience to list to it. And it doesn’t tell a story. There’s nothing in the lyrics that makes you want to stay til the end.
Maybe Styles will regain the top spots when he appears on “SNL.” But right now the Zayn fans are getting a chuckle.
Broadway: “Hamilton” Parody “Spamilton” Moving to Theater District, Just Blocks Away
So you can’t get in to see “Hamilton”? How about the next best thing?
The hilarious parody called “Spamilton” is moving down to the theatre district from the Upper West Side. It’s still off-Broadway but it’s also on Broadway, at the 47th Street Theater, home of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater.
“Spamilton” will also open this November at the Kirk Douglas Theater in downtown Los Angeles. At the Triad, on West 72nd St. “Spamilton” has been a non stop sellout. And really if you can’t get into “Hamilton,” this is a pretty sound alternative. (And a lot less expensive!)
The spoof makes merciless fun of “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda and all of Broadway. That’s because “Forbidden Broadway” creator Gerard Alessandrini invented it. But all of his send ups over the years, this one is the funniest. And the cast is superb. There’s nothing better than seeing them rip through this sacred cow of a hit. My favorite part is Neil Patrick Harris singing “I Want to be in the Film When it Happens.”
Pop Copy Cat: Ed Sheeran Settles Copyright Claim on Hit Song “Photograph” After Conceding Claim Another Song
Ed Sheeran is starting to get a reputation.
He’s reportedly settled a copyright claim on his hit record, “Photograph.” A pair of songwriters named Martin Harrington and Tom Leonard sued, saying “Photograph” sounded like their song “Amazing.” Sheeran didn’t wait to find out how a judge or jury would feel about it. Presumably money has changed hands.
Sheeran is not new to this game. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that Sheeran had to give credit and copyright to the authors of the TLC hit “No Scrubs.” Sheeran’s current smash, “Shape of You,” sounds just like it. Sing along.
There is also a pending lawsuit over his hit “Thinking of You.” I always said that song sounded like Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On.” Eventually the Gaye estate caught up to it.
Sheeran plays acoustic guitar, is from Yorkshire, England, and comes off like a cross between Van Morrison and Elton John. Only those two never had these problems. They wrote original music. Sheeran says he took a year off to write his new album, “Divide,” but maybe he was listening to the radio a lot. In any case, he wants to be taken seriously. This is not the legacy he wants.
Trump Decimates Correspondents Dinner: Obscure “Daily Show” Comedian Chosen as Last Minute Emcee
Donald Trump has pretty much gotten his way as far as decimating the White House Correspondents Dinner.
This morning the group announced a last minute emcee, roastmaster, and it’s the most obscure person they could find for a high profile event. Hasan Minhaj– raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of him– will preside over the WHCD on April 29th. He’s a senior correspondent for The Daily Show. Okay.
Preside over what? Good question. All the major parties are cancelled. A list celebrities will be scarce. Oh yeah, the President isn’t coming and no one from his staff is, either.
Maybe Minhaj will be funny. But he’s not Seth Meyers or Conan O’Brien or even Cecily Strong.
The WHCA’s big get for the evening is Woodward and Bernstein– Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, of Watergate and “All the President’s Men” fame– will speak and give out some awards. But this is like inviting Simon & Garfunkel because this pair are not friendly in real life. So I’m sure they won’t appear on the dais together.
The Correspondents Association also announced that their executive director of 20 years, Julia Whitson, is stepping down.
Country Comfort: Jessica Chastain, Josh Brolin Circling Taylor Hackford Bio Flick of George Jones and Tammy Wynette
Even as Jessica Chastain’s “Zookeeper’s Wife” is unfolding as an indie hit comes word about a potential new project. I’m told that Chastain and Josh Brolin are circling a musical bio pic of George Jones and Tammy Wynette directed by Taylor Hackford. The word is the project is “coming together” fast. What a great film– and perfect director since Hackford knows music films best.
Meanwhile our Leah Sydney caught up with Chastain last week at the LA premiere of “Zookeeper,” where the busy actress (five films in the can) was hoping to get a rest soon. “Zookeeper” has already made $7.4 million in two weeks. Produced by Jamie Patricof, the film is a true story based on the best seller by Diane Ackerman. Chastain plays Polish heroine Antonina Zabinska, who along with her fellow animal loving husband Jan ( Belgian actor Johan Heldenbergh) are both keepers of the Warsaw Zoo. They heroically managed to save hundreds of Jews by hiding them from the Nazis in empty animal cages, putting their own lives and that of their son at risk. Daniel Bruhl perfectly plays the sinister Nazi Zoologist Lutz Heck.
Written by Angela Workman and directed by Niki Caro, the film is at times truly moving and tough to watch, bittersweet and lovely– especially when showing the universal appeal of love for animals and the innate desire to help our fellow human beings in need. At the recent premiere n Hollywood I asked Jessica what drew her to the role. “I wanted to celebrate a hero who used compassion to fight hate.” She explained, “A lot of times we only celebrate heroes who use violence. It’s important to look at the non violent people.”
with reporting from RF
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Split Causes Actress to Stop Adding Money to Couple’s Joint Charitable Foundation
EXCLUSIVE I’ve reported for the last several years on the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, operated by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They’ve been extremely generous with their money. But every year the couple would donate equal amounts into the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and the money would be doled out accordingly.
But the latest filing for Jolie-Pitt, filed with the IRS last November– two months after their split– shows a major change. Pitt donated $250,000 to the foundation. Jolie’s donation? Zero. Nothing.
Total donations to the foundation came to $460,000, with Pitt’s part the largest. The other contributions were $111,720 from the Australian Center for International Agriculture Research; $69,558 from a Toronto teachers’ pension fund; and $25,000 from the fund’s financial adviser.
Jolie-Pitt had almost $2.4 million in expenses as it looks like they’re depleting their assets in light of the divorce. But this filing is for the 2015 calendar year, and states clearly “the foundation has no plans for dissolution.” Of course, the couple had no plans for dissolution at the end of 2015 either. Of the $2.4 million million, $1.35 million went to actual charities covering the couple’s largesse in Cambodia and other countries. Two executives split $254,000 in salaries, and a philanthropic adviser collected just under $70,000.
Meanwhile, Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation in New Orleans is booming, with $45 million in assets.
Mariah Carey’s “New Deal” with Epic Records is Her Old Deal, Reiterated
Variety is reporting this morning that Mariah Carey has a “new deal” with Epic Records.
Actually, Mariah’s new deal is her old deal. She just hasn’t done anything about it. Carey signed with Epic’s LA Reid quite a while ago. She released a new single called “Infinity” which became the linchpin in a greatest hits package. Then, she did nothing. A few weeks ago she released a single no one at Epic knew about in advance, called “I Don’t.” It didn’t.
I reported from Oscar weekend that Carey was in danger of being dropped by Epic. No one could get in touch with her. Her manager, Stella Whatchamacallit, is well known for blocking access to the star. Stella attacked me in a supermarket tabloid for writing this, which was pretty amusing. Now reports come today that Mariah has kicked her dancer-boyfriend to the curb. She likes drama, that’s for sure.
The only way for Mariah to make a comeback now is to stop making hip hop records or hip-pop, as you might call them. She has a great voice. She’s never recorded an album that shows off that voice properly. She needs a real producer, real songs, real arrangements. She has to surprise the world by showing she’s vocalist, and not just a pin up who can hit a high note.
Some of Carey’s finest moments came when she covered “Without You” and “I’ll Be There.” There are plenty more songs like that in the world. She has to hire someone great to find them.
As for her new deal, okay, whatever. God bless. Just make the record.
Julian Assange Film with Lady Gaga Interview Directed by Oscar Winner Laura Poitras Goes to Showtime
“Risk,” Laura Poitras’s film sbout Julian Assange, has been sold to Showtime. The cable network showed a promo for it after the finale of Homeland. More to come.
This is the film we saw in Cannes last year that showed how Assange escaped into the Ecuadorian embassy in London. It also shows him being interviewed by Lady Gaga. Now maybe it will include footage of him shtupping Pamela Anderson on Ecuador’s dime.
I asked several times in the last year what had happened to “Risk.” There was no answer. Then tonight it turned up on the Showtime promo. What a weird way to announce a film.
In Cannes we did get to meet Assange’s weird assortment of cult like followers. One day when he goes to jail perhaps they’ll go with him. Who knows?
What seems to be the case is that there’s no theatrical release for this film. Poitras released “CitizenFour” through Radius-Weinstein and won an Oscar. But the Radius people have vanished, and I guess there were no takers. Still, Showtime can make a big deal of this.
Showtime, by the way, means Les Moonves of CBS approved this. I’m fascinated by Moonves’s interest in progressive politics. Good for him. Waiting for “Homeland” tonight I watched “Circus” and was totally captivated. (But I am sorry about Peter Quinn.)
Janet Jackson’s Divorce May Be Tied to Katherine Jackson’s Estate and Her Living Arrangements
The timing of Janet Jackson’s divorce/separation is interesting in that it lines up with her mother’s current living arrangements.
I am told that Katherine Jackson, now back in L.A. after visiting Janet in London for three months, is now residing in Janet’s condo in Westwood with her aide and security. Janet, Reebie, and Jermaine do not want their mother to return to her Calabasas home while nephew Trent is living there.
But last week Katherine didn’t show up in court for a hearing in which she accuses Trent of elder abuse. And on top of that, Katherine’s grandson TJ and his family are living on the compound with Trent, and with Blanket Jackson, Michael’s eldest son. Katherine and TJ are Blanket’s co-guardians.
The Trent Jackson story is very fishy. Katherine Jackson’s papers against him sound like they were written by her greedy children, the same ones who “kidnapped” her in 2012. They are still trying to get their hands on some part of the Michael Jackson estate.
To that end, Katherine filed suit against the Michael Jackson executors a couple of weeks ago despite being taken care of like a queen by the estate. It’s questionable if Mrs. Jackson knows all these details.
The estate is also taking care of Joseph Jackson. But when the Jackson elders pass from this Earth, the estate will go to Michael’s three children. If the siblings can’t lay claim to the money while their mother is alive, they are out in the cold.
Amazing, isn’t it? The fight for Michael Jackson’s money among his relatives continues. Yet his children are going out in the world and representing him beautifully. The kids are alright. But that original family seems to have learned nothing.