BITS AND PIECES 08/01 Part 1
PUSSSYKATT
--A meal at a Midtown restaurant has cost Leona Helmsley $10,000 - and the
final bill could add up to millions. A Manhattan judge fined the "Queen of
Mean" 10 grand and ruled she defaulted in a lawsuit after she claimed she was
too ill to answer questions in the case - and was then spotted dining out later
that evening. After viewing a videotape of a smiling Helmsley exiting Avra
restaurant carrying her little dog Trouble, state Supreme Court Justice Walter
Tolub said he found her "illness" claim hard to swallow. "I believe Mrs.
Helmsley simply doesn't want to be deposed, period," Tolub said. Tolub's
default finding could be extremely costly to the 81-year-old hotel empress, who
is being sued for $10 million for libel and breach of contract by former
employee - and alleged former paramour - Patrick Ward. The ruling means
Helmsley lost the right to defend herself against the charges, leaving the only
issue to be decided at trial the amount of damages. The ruling was also good
news for Charles Bell, who's filed a gay-bias suit against Helmsley, because
she now has to give a deposition in that case.
NY POST/MICHAEL STARR.....
--"All My Children" star Walt Willey (Jackson Montgomery) has partnered with
barewalls.com, an online art site, to launch a new program designed to donate
art to children's and veteran's hospitals nationwide (including University
Hospitals of Cleveland, Brooklyn Veterans Hospital and Children's Hospitals of
Los Angeles). Just log onto Willey's website, willeyworld.com, to donate art or
money directly to the hospitals. If you buy artwork, for instance, 10 percent
of that purchase price will be donated, in art, to the hospitals. Those who
make a purchase will receive a complimentary photo of Willey (available only
through this project).
--So how long will this marriage last? Juliette Lewis, co-starring (with Uma
Thurman) in the HBO movie "Hysterical Blindness" (airing in October), tells the
new issue of Redbook that she still gets crushes on husband Steve Berra's
"cute" friends.
--"Crime & Punishment," created by Dick Wolf, continues to be a boon for the
help hotlines listed at the end of each episode. At the end of last Sunday's
episode, the Childhelp USA hotline number (800-422-4453) was flashed -
resulting in over a 100 percent increase in calls.
NY POST/PAGE SIX....
--NOW that Joan Rivers' "Broke and Alone in London" has finished its extended,
sold-out run, she's looking to bring the hit to New York - possibly as a
two-woman show with Whoopi Goldberg, possibly titled "Black and White." "There
is talk about doing something together," a source confirmed. The two women
would share top billing and alternate who would open the show and who would
follow. Since Joan's show in London was only 45 minutes to an hour, the
addition of Whoopi would justify an intermission - and a top ticket price.
--MIKE Tyson dancing and swilling champagne with two ladyfriends, and Mark
Wahlberg, Wesley Snipes and Mo Vaughn at Jessica Rosenblum's Monday night bash
at Suite 16 . . . NICK McDonnell, 17, hosting a party for his buzzed-about
novel "12" at Fez for a posse of Kangol cap-wearing, chain-smoking, private
school pals . . .
--CALVIN Klein and Andre Leon Talley eating separate midnight meals at the
Princess Diner in Southampton . . .
--BRIAN McFayden on line for a toilet at Bungalow 8, snapping at another
relief-seeker who told the MTV veejay: "You look so familiar." McFayden
replied: "I am on 'TRL,' you idiot!"
--CHLOE Sevigny never forgets a sartorial slight. When a People magazine
reporter approached the stylish star at the book party for Mick Rock's "Moonage
Daydream: The Life & Times of Ziggy Stardust" at the National Arts Club,
Sevigny snapped, "People always put me on their worst-dressed lists. I will not
grant an interview." There was more excitement when rock photog Bob Gruen
chased down a thief who tried to steal one of Rock's poster-size prints of
Bowie. Keith Richards' son Marlon hosted Jimmy Fallon, Sasha Lazard, Sophie
Dahl, David Lauren and Shalom Harlow.
--LINDA Evangelista has finally given her soccer stud, Fabien Barthez, the
boot. The veteran supermodel was said to be unhappy living in rainy northern
England with the Manchester United star, and is back here hanging out with
Warner LeRoy's son, Max. The two were photographed snuggling in London's Soho
by photographers, and, despite their age difference - he is in his early 20s
and she is mid-30s - looked very happy.
--DON'T mess with Mayte's man. Tommy Lee's girlfriend used her dancing prowess
to vanquish a rival Monday at Lotus. A scantily clad strumpet was bumping and
grinding atop the tables of Scott Stapp and his band Creed, DMX and Lil' Kim,
popsters BB Mak and singer Everlast before she jumped onto Lee's table. Miffed
that Lee was drooling over the dancer, Mayte - who used to jiggle on stage with
ex-hubby Prince - jumped up and out-shimmied the interloper. "It was basically
a go-go dance-off, and Mayte won," says our spy.
NY POST/LIZ SMITH....
--DIANA ROSS has had a reputation - justified or not - as being "difficult"
with the people who work for her. But she has always been a doll to her fans,
and she proved it again recently prior to her one-night-only stint in Westbury.
The great star arrived at the stage door sans makeup and found more than a
dozen hard-core fans waiting with cameras and memorabilia. She said, "OK, kids,
I'll sign whatever you want, but please no pictures now, I haven't got my face
on." She then autographed every photo, album, poster and CD - one guy had 20
old vinyl Supremes records! She even commented nicely about one pic that showed
her with Mary Wilson, an original Supreme with whom Diana has had some testy
moments - "She's always been a great girl," said Diana. Then she said, "Why
don't you all come in and watch the sound check and rehearsal?" And so they
did, and were witness to Ross kidding around, camping it up and generally being
very undiva-like. ("Why can't I ever remember the lyrics to 'Love Child'?" she
giggled at one point.) And, true to her promise, later that night, in full war
paint and glam regalia, she let these special fans - and several hundred others
- photograph her until everyone was all flashed out. Just call me a sucker for
a sweet item. I've always liked Diana, anyway, and always remember what she
told Barbara Walters years ago when questioned on certain gossiped-about
behavior. "I have my standards, and I expect those standards to be met," said
Diana, in a dignified manner, "just as you do."
--FOR FANS and friends of Fannie Flagg I have great news. Fannie's latest
oeuvre, "Standing in the Rainbow" is just as delicious a serving of Southern
comfort as her "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café." Fannie invites
her readers to make friends with a host of colorful Midwestern characters, who
sneak into your heart and force you to live through all their joys and
tribulations following WWII right up to yesterday. In this stormy world of
"now," Fannie Flagg offers escape, at least momentarily, into the rainbow of
her imagination.
--ACCLAIMED COMPOSER Edward Bilous (PBS' "Frontier House") has been chosen to
write the music for "Portraits of Grief," an anniversary tribute to the victims
of 9/11 for the Discovery Channel. This airs on Sept. 9. An ensemble of
Juilliard students as well as several world-famous musicians - bansuri flute
master Steve Gorn among them - participate.
--ALL OF you know "Oprah's Dr. Phil" - Phil McGraw - who became such a hit
dispensing hard-hitting advice to troubled couples that he spun off with his
own syndicated show, debuting this fall. Who you may not know is Dr. Phil's son
Jay McGraw - 22, dashing, recently named one of People magazine's "Top 50
Bachelors." He'll be a regular on dad's show, and is expected to make quite an
impact. (Will he be on hand to soothe those who are on the receiving end of Big
Daddy's tough talk?) Like his father, Jay is also a best-selling author. His
"Life Strategies for Teens" was on the New York Times list. Jay dates
Wilhelmina model Amy Mueller, and if they ever have a "relationship issue" they
certainly know where they can go for counseling. If they can take it, that is.
--FOR THOSE who like their Madonna nasty, gorgeously dressed, and (eventually)
naked, you're gonna love her in "Swept Away." This remake of Lina Wertmuller's
1975 film has discontented rich-bitch Madonna browbeating her yacht minions in
an eye-popping wardrobe, cast-away on an island in little more than a bikini,
and then subjugated, vulnerable and bare-naked, in an artistic, shadowed way.
Madonna's hubby, Guy Ritchie, who directed the pic, is a secure man to have
allowed his wife so many intimate scenes with co-star Adriano Giannini (he is
the son of the original male star of "Swept Away" Giancarlo Giannini). But
maybe watching the Mrs. cavort stoked the old home fires - a bit of married
fantasy, you know? Critics will say what they will, but Madonna can't be
faulted physically in "Swept Away." Her abs alone - after two children - take
Best Actress honors. In October, Madonna appears on the cover of Vanity Fair,
photographed by Craig McDean and profiled by Stephan Daly. He did an excellent
appreciation of Madonna last year in VF's music issue. Mrs. Ritchie,
press-bruised, never forgets a kind remark.
NY DAILY NEWS/RUSH AND MOLLOY.....
--Mick Rock has been David Bowie's exclusive photographer for 30 years. So it
seemed only natural when the British pop star approached the photographer six
years ago to compile photographs for a biography, "Moonage Daydream: The Life
and Times of Ziggy Stardust." The book, by Dave Thompson, coincides with the
30th anniversary of the original release of Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of
Ziggy Stardust." It includes more than 600 photos of the pop star. The
photographer - with his unruly, curly hair and multicolored sneakers - told us
at Tuesday's book party in the National Arts Club what he loved most about
photographing Bowie. "He's always been naturally sensational in front of a
camera, even when I knew him before he became famous," he told us. "He's a
freak, a mutant, a man from Mars. But he's my friend and I love him." Bowie
wasn't at the party, which was thrown by Keith Richards' son, Marlon. Making
appearances at the revel (which later moved on to Serena's on W. 23rd) were
Chloe Sevigny and "Saturday Night Live" comic Jimmy Fallon (curiously shy about
being photographed together), Sophie Dahl, Shalom Harlow, Zac Posen, Liv Tyler
and Grant Show. All left with necklaces that proclaim "Bowie Rocks."
--British rapper Slick Rick may be headed back to England - for good. The
flashy hip-hop star has been chillin' in a Florida detention center since
June1, when he was arrested after he got off a Caribbean cruise ship in Miami.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service issued a warrant for his arrest in
1997, claiming that he was an illegal alien. Slick, whose given name is Rick
Walters, argued that neither he nor his lawyers were aware of the warrant. He's
facing deportation over a conviction for attempted murder 11 years ago. "It's
not right to start penalizing good people," he griped yesterday morning when he
called the Power 105.1 morning show. "We need a humane monitoring system to
search out the good and bad." While he awaits his next hearing, he has gotten
letters of support from Will Smith, Chris Rock, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and
Russell Simmons.
NY DAILY NEWS/Bill Hutchinson
--The Brits have chosen a Seattle artist's design for a Princess Diana memorial
fountain, but critics blasted the idea as having more Northwest grunge than
Union Jack royalty. Kathryn Gustafson's so-called water feature will have two
stone channels - shaped in a necklace - that flow down a hill into a kiddie
pool in London's Hyde Park. Construction of the $4.7 million project is
expected to begin right away and be finished by Aug. 31, 2003, the sixth
anniversary of Diana's death. Shortly after a selection committee announced its
pick yesterday, critics branded it an unfitting homage to the People's
Princess. "She's the most celebrated Briton of the last quarter century, and
we've remembered her with a puddle," said Vivienne Parry, a friend of Diana's.
A blue-ribbon panel struggled for 18 months to find the right shrine for the
Princess of Wales. The picks came down to Gustafson's concept and one proposed
by Bombay-born British artist Anish Kapoor - a colored dome of water - which
lost out because it was deemed slightly too radical.
USA TODAY....
--Elvis Presley admits having a temper, longs to play football and details
favorite foods in previously unreleased interview excerpts from 1956-72 in the
September Esquire. "I like pork chops and country ham, creamed potatoes ...
red-eye gravy. I eat a lot of Jell-O," Presley says. But "I never have tasted
alcohol." RCA released the quotes to promote its new CD, Elvis 30 #1 Hits, out
in September. Meanwhile, Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla, and Immortal Entertainment
will create a musical based on her love affair with The King.
--Bruce Springsteen tops Madonna, Cher, The Who, Ozzy Osbourne and Britney
Spears as most deserving of a postal stamp, says a TRIO/Harris poll out today.
And 26% think Britney's career has legs, and she'll be bigger in 10 years than
she is now. The poll surveyed 1,028 people 18 or older July 18-21.
--Pressplay, one of the music industry's subscription-based answers to Napster
and other pirate Web services, has lifted restrictions that annoyed consumers.
Subscribers can download and listen to as many songs as they choose for $9.95 a
month (the original limit was 20 songs) and, for $8 more, can transfer 10 of
those songs to CD or a digital music portable. It's "the most significant
announcement ... in online music in two years," says Gartner G2 analyst P.J.
McNealy.
E! ONLINE...
--Spin magazine naming Guns N' Roses' 1987 debut album Appetite For Destruction
the greatest heavy metal album of all time. Led Zeppelin's untitled 1971
release was second, followed by Black Sabbath's Paranoid in third.
--World Wrestling Entertainment creating a Los Angeles-based division that will
develop film and TV programming for its WWE-branded characters.
--Kelly Ripa denying a New York Post story quoting her as saying that she will
probably not return as a regular cast member of All My Children. "All My
Children has been and will continue to be a big part of my life...I hope to
continue to appear as Hayley Santos for many years to come," she said in a
statement.
www.zap2it.com....
--The city of Los Angeles is asking that two new police dramas on the fall TV
schedule pay license fees for using likenesses of the city police department's
badge and logo. L.A. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo tells the Los Angeles Times
that the city has "basically been lazy about [protecting] its intellectual
property" and wants to rectify that by charging license fees to NBC's
"Boomtown" and CBS' "Robbery Homicide Division." Representatives from both
networks say that the characters in their shows won't be displaying exact
likenesses of the LAPD's badge or logos, so they shouldn't have to pay the
fees. Delgadillo, however, has hinted at some sort of legal action if the shows
refuse. The LAPD is looking to improve its image to the public in the wake of
the department's Rampart corruption scandal, in which several officers in an
anti-gang unit were accused of abusing their power. After seeing the pilot of
FX's "The Shield," which was originally titled "Rampart," the department
demanded the show remove all references to the city. Although the show clearly
takes place in Los Angeles, characters rarely refer to the city by name. The
networks say they're uncomfortable with the idea of the LAPD looking over their
shoulders as they develop the two series. "We really want to be able to shoot
in L.A., but this makes it difficult," says Mark Graboff, NBC's West Coast
executive vice president. "This kind of behavior will drive shows out of L.A."
The police department, meanwhile, is looking for a balance of "creativity and
representation of the LAPD in such a way that it does not damage our image and
reputation," Cmdr. Gary Brennan says. Delgadillo says his talks with NBC took
an "adversarial" tone, while discussions with CBS were more cordial.
--HBO's World War II miniseries "Band of Brothers" will be released on DVD and
videotape in November. The six-disc or tape set, due in stores Nov. 5,
contains all 10 hours of the series, based on historian Stephen Ambrose's
best-selling book of the same name. "Band of Brothers" follows the men of Easy
Company, part of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, from their training
in Georgia to the D-Day landing at Normandy through the end of the war. In
addition to the 10 episodes of the series, both the DVD and VHS sets will
include the documentary "We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company," a
companion documentary featuring interviews with surviving members of the
company. The DVD set will also contain a making-of documentary; a video diary
shot by Ron Livingston, one of the miniseries' stars; and a "field guide" that
gives historical context to each episode and the people involved. "Band of
Brothers," which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, is
up for 19 Emmy awards, including Oustanding Miniseries.
--Asa Hutchinson, director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will discuss
"The Drug War" on the next edition of the critically acclaimed DENNIS MILLER
LIVE, presented FRIDAY, AUG. 2 (11:30 p.m.-midnight live ET; tape-delayed PT),
exclusively on HBO. Other HBO playdates: Aug. 4 (1:30 a.m.) and 6 (12:30 a.m.).
HBO2 playdates: Aug. 3 (11:00 p.m.) and 5 (midnight). DENNIS MILLER LIVE gives
Miller a showcase for his freewheeling commentaries. Each program opens with a
monologue, a rant about the week's topic, a live chat with a guest, viewer
call-ins and a wrap-up of the week's events. Guests will be announced as they
are confirmed. The executive producers of DENNIS MILLER LIVE are Dennis Miller,
Kevin C. Slattery and Eddie Feldmann; co-executive producer, David Feldman;
produced by Michelle DeVoe; producers, Colleen Grillo, Jim Hanna and Jose
Arroyo; director, Debbie Palacio; writing supervised by Eddie Feldmann;
writers, Jose Arroyo, Rich Dahm, David Feldman, Jim Hanna, Rob Kutner, Kirsten
McFarland, Dennis Miller and Jacob Sager Weinstein.
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