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Ricky Gervais is the Least of the Golden Globes’ Problems

Roger Friedman
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Ricky Gervais is having so much fun at the expense of the Golden Globes. But he’s the least of their problems. (Won’t it be hilarious if NBC forces the Globes to bring Gervais back as host next year?)

Yes, it seems like everyone is suing the Golden Globes. A recap: the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is being sued by its former publicist Michael Russell.  Now a charity called Stars for a Cause is also suing them. Russell got the HFPA involved with Stars for a Cause a few years ago.

But here’s a twist: one of the main beneficiaries of this Stars for a Cause, according to their Federal tax filings, has been…ta da..Michael Russell! Stars for a Cause has three Form 990s on file with guidestar, which records the finances of US charities.

In 2006, all the money donated to Stars for a Cause–$20,000–went to Michael Russell. In both 2007 and 2008, Stars for a Cause paid Russell $39,500. It does seem like, on paper, the cause involved in this charity was…Michael Russell.

Stars for a Cause is run by the Braunstein family–Beverly Hills attorney George Braunstein is their leader, and his wife and daughter are the officers.George Braunstein told me: “We pay Michael Russell for access to the stars. We wouldn’t have it other wise.”

In 2007, the Braunsteins had a celebrity auction (celebs autograph things) and raised $225,000. Of that, they gave $30,000 to the Hollywood Museum. Another $51,000 went to office expenses including a whopping $26,000 for postage. Braunstein was paid $4,050 for renting Stars for a Cause space in his law offices.

Braustein says the postage was for shipping rare prints to an art exhibit they sponsored.

In 2008, same deal, with a twist: the Braunsteins donated $60,000 to Friends of the Prince’s Trust. Their two other donations: $250 each to AIDS Project Los Angeles, and to Loyola High School.

Russell got his usual $39,500. George Braunstein paid himself $13,000 in legal fees, and $5,500 in rent. The charity listed a $75,000 deficit for the year.

Another line of expenses. coming to almost $9,000, was for travel and entertainment.

But what about Russell? It does seem from the Stars for a Cause Form 990 and the HFPA’s own filing that he was making substantially more in fees from Stars for a Cause than from the HFPA. Was Stars for a Cause paying him for his access to the Golden Globes, meaning movie stars who would promote their causes? Yes, Braunstein says. “Michael Russell had been in the business a long time and knew everyone.”

Braunstein says when Stars for a Cause files its Form 990 for 2010 donations to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief, UN World Progra, Greenpeace and Oxfam will be recorded. Each was tied specifically to a celebrity.

Kidman-Franco “Sweet Bird” on Broadway: Scooped Here First

Roger Friedman
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Yes, James Franco and Nicole Kidman are headed to Broadway this fall for Tennessee Williams’s “Sweet Bird of Youth.”

I told you that Franco was joining Kidman back on November 30th. Here’s the link: http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/11/30/nicole-kidman-may-get-james-franco-as-broadway-co-star

For some reason, Mike Fleming at Deadline Yesterday repurposed the story and didn’t give us credit. At Variety, Mike was the ultimate good guy! Something, or someone, has infected him. Get a Zpack, Mike!

Scott Rudin is producing “Sweet Bird,” and Franco and Kidman are committed to it. Rehearsals will really be scheduled around Franco’s fall classes at Yale.

Both Kidman and Franco are nominated for Oscars this month. It doesn’t look like either will win, but that’s just the circumstances. Each turned in winning performances. Franco’s “127 Hours” is getting an awards month push by Fox Searchlight. See this movie!  It’s not about someone cutting off their arm–that scene is seconds short and at the end of the film. It’s about life and survival. “127 Hours” is a great film.

Kidman does her best work in “Rabbit Hole.” It’s a fine film adaptation of an award winning play. Nicole scores a coup in “Rabbit Hole.” And the whole cast–Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller– deserve kudos.

King’s Speech Star Geoffrey Rush is ‘Best Supportive Actor’

Roger Friedman
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Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue–the speech therapist–so brilliantly in “The King’s Speech.”

But forget Logue–Rush should be playing Lionel “Jet Lag.” Since the beginning of December, Rush has been commuting back and forth from Sydney to Los Angeles on 48 hour turnarounds to help support the movie, attend award shows, etc. He’s been appearing simultaneously on stage in “The Diary of a Mad Man.”

Best supporting actor? How about best Supportive actor since until Christian Bale came along in “The Fighter,” Rush was the dead on favorite for an Oscar?

The play ends its Sydney run on Feburary 6, then transfers to the Brooklyn Academy of Music from February 11th through mid March. There will likely be an understudy on Sunday, February 27th. Ironically, the venue at BAM is called The Harvey Theater.

On Monday, at a Hollywood lunch given for him at the Peninsula Hotel by his “Pirates of the Caribbean” producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Rush told our Leah Sydney that the jet lag wasn’t so bad after all. He said, ““I’m lucky to have these problems and I know it.  I drink water, I sleep a lot.”

Bruckheimer told the crowd–including  Angela Lansbury  Sharon Stone , James Cromwell, Virginia Madsen, Dyan Cannon, Mickey and Jan Rooney, Patrick Stewart,  Hal Holbrook, Frances Fisher, Martin Landau, Angie Dickinson, Sharon Stone, Brenda Vaccaro, Peter Gallagher, Ileana Douglas and Jane Seymour–that  “Geoffrey, over the course of four ‘Pirates’ has transformed himself body and and soul into the Captain.  He owns every part he plays and his performances haunt you.  He’s more than a great actor, he’s quite simply a genius.” 

Rush said that he and his wife Jane, “just jetted here from Australia yesterday, I’m doing a play there, and I’m going back tonight. I feel embraced by this town.”  Then Renee Taylor’s phone rang loudly, to which Geoffrey quipped,  answer that, “it might be your agent.” 

Rush said that Martin Landau “gave me the best advice early in his career, which I can’t tell you, I have to protect patient/therapist privilege. I can say that he’s a party animal though.”

Rush confessed to Angela  Lansbury that , “In my closeted metro sexual adolescent years, I did leap around my room lip synching to Mame.  I thought she should know that.”

He thanked Sharon Stone for “yelling my name out with such enthusiasm at the Golden Globes.”

He thanked Helena Bonham Carter  “who always felt the triangle of man love (me, Colin Firth and Tom Hooper) was dangerous so she only popped in on weekends cause she was shooting Harry Potter. ”

He also thanked his wife, Jane. “She’s an amazing actress. The secret of our success is that we share blouses.”

Directors Guild winner Tom Hooper than explained that the only reason the film was made was because Geoffrey signed on and that’s when everyone else agreed to to do it.

He brings a wide eyed joy and wonderment to his craft every day he’s on a set. Tom then had everyone toast to “The Kings Speech Therapist.”

reporting in Hollywood by Leah Sydney

Courtney Love Twitter Law Suit Will Be Settled, No Trial

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Courtney Love will not go to trial in her Twitter lawsuit.

I’ve learned exclusively that Courtney’s lawsuit, brought by clothing designer Dawn Simorangkir who said she’d been defamed by the Hole singer on Twitter, is in the process of being settled. All that remains are the signatures.

A few months ago there was a lot of speculation that the case would be a first in court. At issue, what happens when you call people names on Twitter?

It turns out: not much.

Love’s attorney James Janowitz is said to have worked with  Bryan Freedman, Simorangkir’s attorney, to reach simple agreements. In the end, it turns, my source says, that Twitter is pretty much open to interpretation. Calling names it on is much like being on the playground.

On Twitter, Love called Simorangkir all kinds of things including  “a drug-pushing prostitute with a history of assault and battery who lost custody of her own child and capitalized on Love’s fame before stealing from her.”

 Well, publicity from the news of the lawsuit has only been good for the designer, it seems, who could not prove any real damages. In the end, I’m told, business has only gotten better. Maybe Love should attack more people! (No, no just kidding, Courtney!)

Vanity Fair Snares Oscar Hosts Franco and Hathaway for Cover

Roger Friedman
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Vanity Fair should be announcing its cover stars for its annual Oscar issue any minute now. But I am told that the number 1 Hollywood magazine snared Oscar hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco for the cover. The shoot, held in mid December, also boasts up and comer Anthony Mackie and “Buried” star Ryan Reynolds. Natalie Portman had been scheduled for the shoot, but the word is her pregnancy prevented it. (Maybe she had morning sickness.)

It’s a three panel deal so there are plenty more A listers. The cover is described Prince like as a new power generation.

The funny thing is how everyone–the trades, the regular mags like Newsweek–are all trying to copy the Vanity Fair Hollywood issue. It won’t work.

Meantime, I hear that Vanity Fair has a socko story about Harvey Weinstein’s “comeback” by Bryan Burroughs. He’s bullish on Harvey, as is a documentary that’s supposed to screen in Toronto on February 10th.

The fact is that Harvey and brother Bob weathered the rough transition from the end of their Disney deal through the recession and some poor film choices. With “The Reader” and “inglourious Basterds,” they started the long climb back. And they were refinanced brilliantly. And refocused on their core business.

Five short years later, “The King’s Speech” is booming. “Blue Valentine” has turned into an indie box office hit. Next season, the Weinsteins’ Oscar film is called “Marilyn and Me” starring Michelle Williams–she’s supposed to be amazing. And at Sundance they picked up “The Details” and “My Idiot Brother”–two potential hits.

PS Word is very strong on the new Oscar broadcast for February 27th. Producer Bruce Cohen and the regular Academy gang is putting together a hotm funny show. Lots of pre-tapes and maybe some parodies a la Billy Crystal!

“The King’s Speech” Sweeps Awards Weekend, Heads to Oscar Coronation

Roger Friedman
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Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” swept the awards weekend with wins at all the Guilds: Screen Actors, Producers, Directors.

Now this gorgeous film heads to a coronation on February 27th at the Academy Awards. I told you this would happen back in early September, when the other Oscar “pundits” had clearly decided for “The Social Network.” It’s amazing to me about all those blogs that concentrate on the Oscars, get almost everything wrong, and then stamp their feet about their importance.

If only all that punditry and “digging” for bits of information were applied to reporting in any other field besides the Academy Awards.

What happened? “The Social Network” is a great, exciting movie. The acting is fine. But it’s a writer’s movie–Aaron Sorkin is kind of the star of the movie. Sometimes we thought he was the director because David Fincher is so reticent in public. That’s not all: in the end, “The Social Network” doesn’t speak to a larger human issue. It’s about friendship gone bad, yes. But it’s also about billions of dollars being divided among young people. Everyone wins, no matter what happens.

“The King’s Speech” is big scale. It’s about family and honor and facing a challenge. It’s also about kindness. In the end, that will always win a Best Picture. Exuberance helps also. And “The Social Network,” while cutting edge, lacks those qualities.

But what about all those online critics polls, etc? They were all wrong. Now they’ll try to explain what happened. Of course, they knew all along!

PS Kudos this season to actors who were team players: Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Max Minghella, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Mark Wahlberg, and Matt Damon. They made their movies successful, and had to take backseats during awards season. They’re all great!

SAG Awards: King’s Speech, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo

Roger Friedman
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The Screen Actors Guild Awards are tonight. Refresh this page often.

The King’s Speech and Colin Firth win Best Ensemble and Best Actor.  This movie now heads to coronation at the Oscars.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman for “Black Swan. “Smart pro-SAG speech. Getting bigger. Annette Bening, et al still rock!

Christian Bale wins Best Supporting Actor for “The Fighter.”

Al Pacino wins as Dr. Kevorkian again. He’s in New York on Broadway in “Merchant of Venice.” HBO clean sweep of anything they were nominated for. Claire Danes also wins for HBO.

Ernest Borgnine is great. What a career. Tim Conway, still the best. But no mention of Ernie’s 2 minute marriage to Ethel Merman. TMZ woulda loved them!

Best Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin. Best Actress, Comedy Series: Betty White. Wow. Good for her! “Modern Love” is Best Comedy Ensemble.

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, “The Fighter.” Gets a little political, pro-union. Good for her.

Best TV Ensemble: “Boardwalk Empire.” HBO is king. AMC loses focus on “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad.”

Best Actor, TV Drama: Steve Buscemi for “Boardwalk Empire.” Beats Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, et al. Wow. Second award for Buscemi this winter.

Best Actress, TV Drama: Julianna Margulies, for “The Good Wife.”

Read here for updates. Much of the Guild overlaps with the acting branch of the Academy, so the SAGs are the best barometer for Oscars. With “The King’s Speech” winning both the Directors and Producers Guild Awards, it could be that the Golden Globes are totally–as Sarah Palin might say–refudiated. Let’s see what happens tonight. The SAGs are live at 8pm EST.

DGA Awards: “King’s Speech” Director Tom Hooper Wins!

Roger Friedman
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The Directors Guild of America has given its Best Director award to Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech.” It’s a total upset over David Fincher and “The Social Network.” Other awards were: for Best Documentary to Charles Ferguson for “Inside Job.” “Modern Family” won for Best comedy series. “Boardwalk Empire” and Martin Scorsese won Best TV drama. “Temple Grandin” got Best Mini Series or TV Movie with director Mick Jackson.

Hooper and “The King’s Speech” are now poised to take everything at the Academy Awards. Add this to their Producer’s Guild award. Yowza.

And this was quite a night anyway. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and spoofed himself with guest host Jesse Eisenberg, who plays him in “The Social Network.”

At Sundance, Drake Doremus’s “Like Crazy” won the jury prize for Best Dramatic film. “How to Die In Oregon” won Best Documentary.

Meantime, at the box office, 12 times nominated “The King’s Speech” is surging in ticket sales.

TheTony Awards (Glen Weiss) received DGA for Best Musical or Variety. “One Life to Live” wins Best Director for a soap (Larry Carpenter).

The DGA dinner was one of the longest of any awards show in history, it feels like. Almost six hours including cocktails. Yikes!

Gladys Horton, RIP: Sang Motown’s First#1 Hit “Please Mr. Postman”

Roger Friedman
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Gladys Horton, lead singer of what was really Motown’s original group, the Marvelettes, died yesterday. She was 66. Among the hit records she sang  on: “Please Mr. Postman,” “Beachwood 4-5789,” “Don’t Mess with Bill,” “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game,” and so many more.

Horton was 15 when she and her high school friends, whom she’d dubbed “The Marvelettes,” had Motown’s first #1 hit in 1961. “Please Mr. Postman” was later covered by the Beatles, and in 1975, the Carpenters, each of whom had memorable recordings. But the original is the best.

I think the most shocking thing about Horton’s death is her age. Why is it that so few Motown artists have lived into their late 60s? It’s almost like a curse. Whether it was drugs or disease, the Motown label has the worst mortality rate in music history. Marvin Gaye, Florence Ballard, Mary Wells, Levi Stubbs, nearly all of the Temptations and Four Tops, Tammi Terrell, Michael Jackson– none of them have lived into old age.

But we do still have Stevie, Smokey, Diana, Mary Wilson, Gladys and Bubba Knight, and the Miracles.

Rest in peace, Gladys. (She’s on the right in this 1966 photo.)

Six Degrees Between Meryl Streep and Abraham Lincoln

Roger Friedman
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Actually, there are fewer than three degrees between Meryl Streep and Abraham Lincoln.

Streep’s son-in-law to be, Benjamin Walker, signing on to play “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” The Broadway star of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” is engaged to marry Streep’s daughter, Mamie Gummer. Gummer is currently in the cast of ABC’s “Off the Map,” which shoots on the “Lost” set in Hawaii.

Walker and I ran into each other on  Golden Globe night. At the time, he’d tested for the part of Abe Lincoln, who ages from 20 to 55. He asked me to keep it quiet — which I did– lest he jinx getting the role. It was an 8 month process.

It didn’t seem like much of a stretch for him to play the 16th president of the United States. Walker had just spent two years off and on Broadway playing crazy Indian killer prez Andrew Jackson. He is a versatile actor who will now emerge quite quickly as a star of his generation.

You may recall that I’d reported exclusively last year that Walker was all set for “X Men: First Class.”  He dropped out when he decided to take “Andrew Jackson” to Broadway. It worked out well: now he stars in his own movie and isn’t part of an ensemble. Good choice. Walker first met with the producers of “Vampire” when they’d seen his “X Men” test and thought he was a star. “Vampire” starts shooting in March.

By the way, at the Critics Choice Awards, Steven Spielberg got quite a laugh about “Vampire Hunter.” He’s making the real “Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day Lewis. But he wished this production well. “It sounds like great fun,” he said.

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