Beloved Hollywood big studio producer Richard Zanuck has died at age 77 in Hollywood. Zanuck’s long list of hits includes “Jaws,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “Cocoon,” “Big Fish,” and most recently, “Dark Shadows.” In recent years he co-produced movies with his third wife, Lili Fini Zanuck. For most of his career, Dick Zanuck partnered with the late great David Brown, and they were a popular and successful team in Hollywood. Zanuck was part of Hollywood’s real dynasty. His famous father, Darryl F. Zanuck, helped start Hollywood. He began producing movies in 1925. The Zanucks leave a long and proud legacy in the film business. Here’s a link to a great piece from two years ago in the L.A. Times. RIP. http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2010/04/13/richard-d-zanuck-a-hollywood-legend-too-busy-to-look-back/
Billy Joel Will Lend Motorcyles, Work on Soundtrack for Indie Biker Movie
Billy Joel is getting into the movie business, sort of. He’s organizing the soundtrack and lending his motorcycles for an indie biker movie called “American Dresser.” Billy is listed as Consulting Producer. The film stars Stephen Lang, veteran Wes Studi and a New York actor named Carmine Cangialosi. The movie shoots in Long Island Mexico beginning this September. I guess the soundrack will be songs from Billy’s massive catalog. A casting call has gone out, it’s all on the up and up, but no one’s registered the film yet on the imdb.com. Updates to come…
Here’s the synopsis:
In this modern day western, old friends John Moore and Charlie Wildhorse are
brought together by unfortunate circumstances that turn into an opportunity for both to fulfill a life
long dream of riding their motorcycles West from Long Island, New York. Once on the open road
the ride takes an unexpected turn, in the form of a young loner named Willie. After some
problems and a few states, the three men from two very different generations slowly begin to
understand one another, while learning a little something about themselves as they cross our
breathtaking and diverse country. The adventures they encounter along the way will last a
lifetime, while making the heart pump and the imagination run wild.
“People get older but dreams are ageless.”
Kelsey Grammer Welcomes Fourth Child, A Girl
Kelsey Grammer, star of “Boss,” but always Frasier Crane in our hearts, has welcomed his fourth child into the world. Faith Evangeline Elisa Grammer was born at 1 am this morning. She weighs 6lb, 2oz, but she won’t weight that forever. Tomorrow, she’ll be heavier, and so on. Kelsey has a 28 year old actress daughter, Spencer Grammer, and two younger kids with Camille, who’s now a “Beverly Hills Housewife.”
Here’s a personal note from Kayte and Kelsey:
“Early this morning Kayte gave birth to Faith Evangeline Elisa Grammer. We are thrilled. She was 6 lbs. 2oz. when she entered the world at 1am on the 13th of July in the year 2012. Mother and child are in excellent health.
We were ecstatic earlier this year, when we announced that Kayte was carrying twins. Tragically we lost the little boy shortly thereafter. This was not something we cared to make known publicly at the time. It was unspeakably painful and we know that people will understand our desire to keep the news private then, as we know they will respect our privacy in this matter now. A glorious birth with a lingering sadness is ours today. We choose to celebrate the life that has been given us. We proudly introduce our Faith to the world today looking forward to the days ahead and the children yet to come.”
Kayte and Kelsey Grammer
Exclusive American Idol Update: Randy Jackson Will Bring Mariah Carey; JLO Out!
So it goes, and keeps coming around again. Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, managers, careers. I am told by a source close to “American Idol” that Mariah Carey’s deal “is in play” to become a judge. Now listen, kids. Randy Jackson manages Mariah Carey. If Mariah’s coming, Randy’s staying. Or the other way around. Either way, that would probably mean the exit for Jennifer Lopez, who has lots to do after two years on “Idol.” She used to have a movie career. She can have it again. Mariah and JLO have a long, awkward history.
UPDATE: Jennifer Lopez just announced she’s leaving the show. Welcome, Mariah. And of course, the announcement was made by Ryan Seacrest on his radio. It’s all orchestrated, friends. None of this is random.
Mariah and JLO have a long, awkward history. Mariah and JLO each been managed by Benny Medina, often brilliantly, always smartly. Lopez is with Medina now. If the show goes for the Randy and Mariah package, which would be sensational, then they still have to find a “Simon”–a leader, frankly, a white guy, with music industry cred. They need their own Adam Levine, a la “The Voice.” I think they should go for Rob Thomas, of matchbox twenty. They should also reach out to songwriter Diane Warren. Just my opinion, and no one but no one asked me. But keep your eyes on the Randy-Mariah deal.
PS Why does this make sense, corporately? “American Idol” is contracted to Universal Music. Randy is producing Mariah’s new album for Universal, where she still has a deal. It’s all about synergy. And Universal’s Jimmy Iovine will be back.
Mary Kennedy Legal Papers: RFK Jr. “Tenacious and Devious Adversary”
The legal papers filed by Mary Richardson Kennedy’s law firm, Hennessey and Bienstock, paint a very grim and shocking picture of Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s wife’s life leading up to her suicide. The papers had been talked about in the press a few weeks ago. But the actual reading of them is fairly surprising. The accusations against Kennedy are substantial and frightening. First of all, the lawyers want Kennedy removed as the Adminstrator of Mary’s estate: .”..he should not be permitted to serve as Administrator of the estate because of the significant conflict of interest between his interests, as distributee of and, most significantly, as debtor, to his estranged wife’s estate, and as adversary of the estate’s creditors.”
According to the firm, Kennedy owes them nearly $300,000 for work they did on his ongoing divorce–and which he agreed to pay in signed stipulations.
The papers go on to describe the nature of Mary Richardson Kennedy’s life in the months leading up to her tragic suicide.
Here’s the sum and substance of the papers. It’s a great read. Take your time. The Park Agency is the firm that pays the Kennedy family bills. ParenteBeard is another firm hired by the law firm to handle the complicated financial arrangements between Kennedy, his children, and Richardson:
“At the time of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s death on May 16, 2012, the matrimonial action was a two-year-old fully and bitterly contested litigation, with a full trial of all issues scheduled to commence in September, 2012. Neither the custody of the four minor Kennedy children nor the parties’ finances – child support, spousal support or equitable distribution -had been resolved.
“In that litigation, Mr. Kennedy was a tenacious and devious adversary: For example, by excluding significant assets from the marital estate, Mr. Kennedy sought to prevent a fair and equitable distribution of marital assets and a fair measure of financial support to his wife of eighteen (18) years, and was also seeking to deprive Ms. Richardson Kennedy of joint legal and physical custody of their four children. Ms. Richardson Kennedy had little choice but to continue to litigate all issues in the matrimonial action.
“In fact, as financial discovery proceeded, and it became evident to Mr. Kennedy that our client would not simply acquiesce to his settlement demands, Mr. Kennedy engaged in a scorched-earth litigation approach that required our firm and ParenteBeard to put in many hours in defense of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s equitable distribution, support and custody claims.
“For example, Mr. Kennedy’s Sworn Statement of Net Worth falsely listed the vast majority of his assets as “separate property,” when he knew or should have known otherwise. It took scores of hours of tracing analysis of voluminous documents by our firm and ParenteBeard, followed by two days of Mr. Kennedy’s deposition, and depositions of two of the senior employees of the Park Agency, before there was any acknowledgment that the vast majority of the sums claimed to be separate -including retirement funds contributed during the marriage -were, in fact, marital.
“In addition, whereas the Park Agency had paid Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s and the children’s household expenses throughout the marriage without question, and her counsel and expett fees since they were incurred, beginning in about September, 2011, there was a noticeable delay or denial of direct payments and payments of family credit cards for items charged by Ms. Richardson Kennedy.
“After November, 2011, not only did the Park Agency cause Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s credit to be severely restricted and thereby prevent payment of her counsel and experts, contrary to the Court’s October 11, 2011 Order, but it also made it impossible for her to pay any expenses to providers who did not accept credit cards and cut off her access to cash. Unfortunately, the last months of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s life were full of daily financial challenges, directly attributable to Mr. Kennedy’s litigation tactics, executed through his family office.
“The issues relating to the parties’ four children were, if anything, even more contentious, as were the parties’ conduct towards each other. For example, in January, 2012, the parties were ordered by the Court to refrain from contacting each other based on evidence that Mr. Kennedy was pressuring Ms. Richardson Kennedy to accede to his custody demands and refrain from continuing to seek her equitable share of the couple’s assets. The parties were also ordered to refrain from discussing any family finances or issues in the matrimonial proceeding with their children.
Mr. Kennedy Is Liable For Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s Counsel And Expert Fees
“Dating from long before the matrimonial action was commenced, and all during that action, Mr. Kennedy was responsible for the payment of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s counsel and expert fees, and he arranged for their payment through the Park Agency. Ms. Richardson Kennedy had not been employed outside the home for many years, had no independent source of income, and was entirely financially dependent on Mr. Kennedy, not only for counsel and expert fees, but also for basic expenses, including medical bills, household utilities and grocenes, as well as the children’s expenses.
“As noted above, Mr. Kennedy’s obligation was formalized in the matrimonial action by stipulation, So-Ordered by Justice Christopher on October 11, 2011. That court order required Mr. Kennedy to continue to have the Park Agency pay Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s counsel and expert fees in the matrimonial action (“October 11, 2011 Order”, Exhibit D). On November 21, 2011, Mr. Kennedy was again ordered by the Court, by so-ordered stipulation, to comply with the financial provisions of the October 11, 2011 Order, which included the continued payment of Ms. Kennedy’s counsel and expert fees (“November 21, 2011 Order”, Exhibit E). These Orders did not require production of any time records by Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s counsel and experts, and permitted continuation of the practice of monthly invoices being approved by Ms. Richardson Kennedy or her designee.
“Mr. Kennedy, through the Park Agency, paid Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s counsel and expert fee invoices for October and November, 2011, but, after that, ceased making all payments, including those for counsel and expert fees. All attempts to charge the parties’ joint American Express account for such fees – the method of payment that had been used for many months-were rejected.
“For several months, we repeatedly raised-by e-mail, letter and in person – Mr. Kennedy’s failure to pay Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s counsel and expe1i fees with Mr. Kennedy’s counsel, Blank Rome LLP, and demanded immediate payment of the unpaid fees. Only days before Ms. Kennedy’s death, we sought and had scheduled a conference with the Court to discuss several issues, including a request (as required by the Westchester Matrimonial Rules) for permission to bring a motion for contempt against Mr. Kennedy for, among other things, his failure to obey the Court’s Orders concerning counsel and expert fees, as well as payment for necessary medical treatment. A final demand for payment of the counsel and expert fees, dated May 21, 2012, has not resulted in any payment.
“Since on or about December 1, 2011, and continuing until Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s death, H & B and ParenteBeard provided hundreds of hours of legal and expert forensic accounting services to Ms. Richardson Kennedy in the matrimonial action. Mr. Kennedy’s failure to make the required monthly payments for her expert and counsel fees for services provided from December, 2011 through May 16, 2012 in accordance with the Court’s orders has resulted in unpaid balances of $226,945.69 to H & B and $51,544.85 to ParenteBeard, for a total of $278,490.54.
Assets of the Estate
“The counsel and expert fees due and owing to H & B and to ParenteBeard are debts of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s estate, and the court orders directing their payment by her husband, Mr. Kennedy, are assets of the estate. The Petitioners herein are creditors of the estate, but the ultimate debtor will be Mr. Kennedy. Therefore, H & B is petitioning this Court for the appointment of a Public Administrator to act as a fiduciary and appropriately garner the assets, and pay the debts, of the estate, which include all expert and legal fees that were due and owing by Mr. Kennedy on behalf of his wife.
“It is plain that Mr. Kennedy must not be permitted by this Court to serve as the Administrator of Ms. Richardson Kennedy’s estate because, with respect to the debt and corresponding asset discussed herein, which is a major debt and asset of the estate, Mr. Kennedy has a clear conflict of interest between his personal, pecuniary interests and the interest of the estate (to collect all assets and pay all the debts of the estate, including those owed to the estate by him). The relationship between the spouses in the months immediately prior to her untimely death, and the extent of the debt owed by Mr. Kennedy to her estate presents significant cause for concern; and justifies the disqualification of Mr. Kennedy fi•om consideration as Administrator.
“The appointment of the Public Administrator, a neutral fiduciary, is necessary under these circumstances; it is the only means to ensure an appropriate, and just administration of the estate.
Mary Kennedy Suicide Saga: Who Really Found Her
Who really found Mary Richardson Kennedy hanging from a noose in her barn on May 16th? It wasn’t Bobby Kennedy Jr and the housekeeper, as had previously had been said. According to an autopsy report, it was Shannon White, Mary’s long time friend and spiritual adviser. The story broke yesterday at t local Gannett newspaper– http://tinyurl.com/7lsl7ev.
The New York Daily News has also been covering the suicide and consequent treatment of Mary Richardson Kennedy, late wife of Robert Kennedy Jr. Here’s today’s link: http://tinyurl.com/cdewfvc. First they revealed that Richardson’s grave was moved after her funeral to another spot in the Hyannis, Mass. cemetery–far from the Kennedys. Her family had previously gone to court to have Mary buried in their own plot.
Bobby Kennedy, even though he was divorcing his wife and was having a very public affair with a TV star, Cheryl Hines, wanted Richardson buried with the Kennedys–but not so much. Then it was scooped that the exhumation was improper, and that no papers were applied for or filed. Bobby just had her moved, period. 
Some of this is now taking on the aspects of Teddy Kennedy’s Chappaquiddick story: lots of lies and half truths about what really went on with Mary Kennedy. It’s kind of shocking, and you can’t imagine what Kennedy’s older children must be thinking as these revelations appear.
Meantime, legal papers filed after Richardson’s death by her divorce lawyers are extremely shocking. The firm of Hennessey and Bienstock claims several things including that they’re owed almost $300,000 by Kennedy for work they did on his not-yet finalized divorce from Richardson. The firm is telling the Surrogate Court that Kennedy should not be “permitted to serve as Administrator of the estate because of the significant conflict of interest between his interests, as distributee of and, most significantly, as debtor, to his estranged wife’s estate, and as adversary of the estate’s creditors.”
More about the papers in the next story….
Photo c2012 Ann Lawlor/Showbiz411
Madonna Sued over 1990 Hit “Vogue”–Producer/Writer Will Know the Answer
Poor Madonna! What a year she’s having. Madonna is being sued 22 years after her hit song, “Vogue,” came out. Apparently new computer programs can detect samples hidden in records. Both “Vogue” and a 1977 disco record by the Salsoul Orchestra were each written and produced by Richard “Shep” Pettibone. (Madonna helies heavily, let’s say, on collaborators.) If that name sounds familiar it’s because in addition to working with Madonna, Pettibone remixed almost all the records of the late 80s and early 90s. That’s why so many of them sound the same. But early in his career he worked with Salsoul Records and the self named group.
Salsoul Orchestra was the kind of thing that disco haters really hated in the late 70s. It was like soft funk mixed with soft jazz and then whipped into a smooth frappe that made you gag while you desperately hunted out the Clash, the Jam or Elvis Costello. Anyway, I digress. Seems Pettibone is accused of pulling some old horns and strings off of a Salsoul hit called “Ooh (I Love It)” and burying them in “Vogue” to give it its propulsion. Frankly, the original record by SalSoul sounds like it borrowed from Van McCoy’s “The Hustle.” Now everyone who worked with Pettibone — and the list is long, long long– should go back and see what he hid in their records. He remixed a lot of Janet Jackson’s and the Pet Shop Boys’ hit records. But I’d start by analyzing Pettibone’s Madonna contributions:
Madonna – Where’s the Party (1986)
Madonna – Into the Groove (1985)
Madonna – Causing a Commotion (1987)
Madonna – Like a Prayer (1989)
Madonna – Express Yourself (1989)
Madonna – Keep it Together (1990)
Madonna – Vogue (1990)
Madonna – Justify My Love (1990)
Madonna – Rescue Me (1991)
Madonna – Erotica (1992)
Madonna – Deeper and Deeper (1992)
Madonna – This Used to Be my Playground (1992)
Madonna – Bad Girl (1993)
Madonna – Fever (1993)
Madonna – Rain (1993)
Exclusive: On Money ‘American Idol’ Is Low Balling Everyone
Steven Tyler, a inside source tells me, was low-balled out of his job at “American Idol.” “They’re low balling everyone with offers,” says the source. “With Steven, they didn’t care if he left. In his second year, they didn’t think he added anything.” So Tyler returns to Aerosmith, and he’ll be huge again. With Jennifer Lopez–my source says that “she’s ambivalent” about the offer that’s been made. Hence her comments on the “Today” show. She’s ready to walk away. “But she does love the show. It surprised her. It’s hard work, but she loves it. I think if they made her a reasonable offer, she’d consider staying.”
Randy Jackson–also got a lower than expected offer and is waiting for something from Fox that sounds better. I’m told he’s considering his options. Randy could leave “American Idol” now and do 100 things. He’s already doing 200 other things–producing, managing, working with Mariah Carey. Says my source: “Fox doesn’t realize the audience forms a relationship to the people, not the format. They love Randy and Jennifer.” And NBC’s “The Voice” is gaining on “AI.” What could “AI” do? Keep Randy and JLO, and bring back Paula Abdul. No kidding.
http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/07/12/american-idol-randy-jackson-out-adam-lambert-in-dawg-no
Harvey Weinstein Wants Bill Murray to Play Him in the Movies
Have you noticed that Harvey Weinstein has been more public this year than ever before? The co-chairman of the Weinstein Company has won back to back Best Picture Oscars with “The King’s Speech” and “The Artist.” His company’s debt is settled and he’s in a good place for this fall with four potential hits: “The Master,” “Django Unchained,” “Lawless,” “Killing Them Softly.” He has also the leading foreign film, “The Intouchables,” which has won raves and brought in lots of people to theaters. Everyone loves this movie. Plus this fall he’ll also release “The Sapphires” featuring music by Sam & Dave. In this new interview in Fandango online, he says he will only make a movie in which he’s a character if Bill Murray plays him. It’s not a bad idea. http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/exclusive-interview-harvey-weinstein-on-intouchables-his-career-and-what-comes-next-718168.html
Denise Rich May Have Feared Exposure from New US-Swiss Tax Treaty Amendments
Everyone’s wondering why Denise Rich took the drastic step of renouncing her US citizenship? (Everyone of course except the New York Times, which hasn’t reported this story at all.) Was it tax evasion? Was it simply to avoid paying U.S. taxes? Denise—who received $500 million in her divorced from her exiled husband Marc in their 1996 divorce– had been paying taxes right along without any problem. So that’s not it. But Denise did have an issue last March over off shore holdings and taxes. And new amendments to the Swiss-American tax treaty may have persuaded her to escape the US and potential scrutiny.
After all the scrutiny she had in 2000-2001 over Bill Clinton’s shocking presidential pardon of Rich, Denise didn’t need anyone else looking into her finances. But it’s no much about the taxes but about her holdings abroad, and how laws are changing quickly right now. In March the United States and Switzerland amended their tax treaty significantly. The amendment is supposed to make it easier for the IRS and the Treasury Department to see into Swiss bank accounts held by Americans—especially those with tax issues.
According to the Wall Street Journal: “Under the new treaty, U.S. authorities will be able to ask the Swiss to disclose names of U.S. taxpayers at a bank who exhibit certain “behavioral patterns” indicating tax evasion under U.S. law, such as trying to conceal the ownership of the account through a trust. The U.S. also will be able to request information even from small cantonal banks that, unlike UBS and Credit Suisse Group, don’t do business in the U.S.”
If anything besides family convinced Denise to get out of Dodge quickly, so to speak, that would be it. Nothing else makes sense. Rich has been a very vocal public figure, an entertaining socialite who loves big parties in her home and everywhere else. She’ll be missed on the circuit. But the threat of exposure—especially if it revealed any more from her dealings with Marc Rich—may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
And the renewed friendship with Rich, who’s said to have been unwell in the last couple of years, could be part of it, too. Although they were once enemies, time, and grandchildren, have given them a truce. They’ve socialized together and have been at family functions. Rich may have warned her about the treaty changes.
According to the New York Times as recently as June 21st, the amendments to the treaty—although Rand Paul attempted to block them in Congress—are going through.
The Times notes: “While the details are still being discussed, the deal calls for Swiss banks to transfer American client data directly to the I.R.S. in a way that allows the banks to honor the spirit of Switzerland’s banking laws. The agency will be able to combine that data with information gleaned through the use of the countries’ existing bilateral tax treaty, as necessary.” Denise Rich might not be the only person we know fleeing the U.S. before the end of the year.
But here’s one thing to remember: once you give up your U.S. passport, there’s no coming home. To visit her home in Aspen, or to see her friends in the U.S.. or throw her annual Gabrielle’s Angel Ball, Denise will now be regarded as a foreigner.
By the way, one other famous name renounced his citizenship in May: Philip Radziwill, stepson of Lee Radziwill, who’s the sister of the late Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Radziwill married a Vogue editor in 2010, so he can probably stay in the U.S. as long as she’s an American.