Austyn and Bella playing in her house..

In Memoriam: Playbill.com Remembers Those We Lost in 2008

By Kenneth Jones
03 Jan 2009 

(clockwise from top left) Eartha Kitt, Harold Pinter, Clive Barnes and Gerald Schoenfeld

A Nobel Prize-winning playwright. A major Broadway theatre owner and producer. A longtime New York City theatre critic. A sultry cabaret star who sexily purred songs into her eighties.

Respectively, Harold Pinter, Gerald Schoenfeld, Clive Barnes and Eartha Kitt were among theatre people we lost in 2008. As 2009 dawns, Playbill.com now looks back to reflect on the contributions of theatre folk who died in the past calendar year.

Some names you know, some had no international profile. They all made an impact. Whether their contributions were felt locally, regionally, nationally or around the world, the writers, producers, advocates, actors, composers, musicians, lyricists, directors, technicians and designers of the following list contributed to the welfare of the art form.

This necrology was culled from the 2008 pages of Playbill.com, with most reporting by Robert Simonson. This is not meant to be a complete list of the countless theatre people who left us — and left us inspired — in the past 12 months.

Full stories are archived in Playbill.com's Obituaries section.

Joseph Shaw, 87, an actor, director and teacher who spent 24 seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada, Jan. 9 in Stratford, ON.

Jim Posante, 59, a Michigan director, actor, teacher and choreographer who was a beloved fixture in the Ann Arbor theatre community, Jan. 13 following a sudden stroke.

Lois Nettleton, 80, a career stage actress whose many roles included a turn as Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, Jan. 18 in Woodland Hills, CA.

	Suzanne Pleshette

Suzanne Pleshette, 70, actress of stage, film and television best known for playing Emily on TV's "The Bob Newhart Show," Jan. 19 at her home in Los Angeles.

Bill Hart, 70, a director whose largely Off-Broadway-focused work led to collaborations with the likes of Sam Shepard, Joseph Chaikin and Joseph Papp, Jan. 20 of complications of pancreatic cancer.

Roberto Gari, 87, an actor with several Broadway credits who also had a career as an artist, and who was known for his late-career role as the stricken father on TV's "Strangers With Candy," Jan. 22 of a heart attack in Manhattan.

Michael Abbott, 81, who produced the first New York staging of the war drama Stalag 17 when he was only 21 and was about to serve the same role for a coming Broadway revival, Jan. 24 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan.

Arthur Kramer, 81, the lawyer brother of playwright Larry Kramer who became known to theatregoers through a character based on him in the play The Normal Heart, Jan. 26 of a stroke in Stamford, CT.

Robert R. Oliver, 68, actor who played Mortimer in the current Off-Broadway revival of the musical The Fantasticks, Feb. 4 of a heart attack.

Augusta Dabney, 89, an actress whose stage, film and television credits stretched over six decades, and included many soap operas, Feb. 4.

Kirk Browning, 86, the longtime director of "Live From Lincoln Center" and a longtime hand at creating televised theatre, Feb. 10 of cardiac arrest in Manhattan.

Dennis Letts, 73, the patrician actor who created the role of Beverly Weston, the father who goes missing in his son Tracy Letts' acclaimed Broadway play, August: Osage County, Feb. 22 in Oklahoma after a battle with cancer.

Joan Marlowe, 88, co-publisher of the Theatre Information Bulletin and the former wife of Broadway critic Ward Morehouse, March 6.

Roy Scheider, 75, the character actor who in the 1970s found an unlikely career as a leading man in "Jaws" and "All That Jazz," March 9 in Little Rock, AR.

Ivan Dixon, 76, the Broadway, film and TV actor with credits as diverse asA Raisin in the Sun on Broadway and "Hogan's Heroes" on television, March 16 of complications from kidney failure in Charlotte, NC.

Anthony Minghella, 54, director who won an Academy Award for his direction of "The English Patient" and recently made a big splash in opera with his production of Madame Butterfly, March 18.

Paul Scofield, 86, Tony Award-winning actor (A Man for All Seasons) whose sonorous voice, commanding presence and mournfully dignified mien made him one of the leading players of the London and international stage during the latter half of the twentieth century, March 19 of leukemia.

Richard Widmark, 93, actor whose six-decade film career was sparked by a memorable portrayal as a cackling hood, March 24 at his home in Roxbury, CT.

James Anthony Church, 77, a British actor who spent three decades with the Royal Shakespeare Company before taking a post at the Denver Center Theatre Company, March 25 in London.

Jerry Kravat, 72, manager of the careers of a wide array of musical theatre and cabaret artists, including Barbara Cook, March 31 after cancer surgery.

Sherry Britton, 89, a five-foot-three, raven-haired beauty with an hourglass figure who was one of the last great stars of the burlesque stage, April 1 at her home in Manhattan.

	Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston, 84, actor who played monumental historical figures from Moses to Michelangelo on the big screen and, despite a limited acting range, forged one of the longest careers in American movie history, April 5 at his home in Beverly Hills.

Madeline Gilford, 84, a performer and producer who was married to actor Jack Gilford for 40 years, and was blacklisted with him in the 1950s, April 14 in her Greenwich Village apartment.

Peter Howard, 80, arranger and conductor who worked on many Broadway shows in numerous capacities, but most commonly as either music director or dance arranger, April 18.

Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson, 91, the only daughter of legendary Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld and actress Billie Burke, April 11 of congestive heart failure at her home in Los Angeles.

Oni Faida Lampley, 49, the award-winning playwright of The Dark Kalamazoo, Mixed Babies and her personal illness-inspired Tough Titty, April 28 after a battle with breast cancer.

Alvin Colt, 92, Broadway costume designer who won a Tony Award for the 1955 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Pipe Dream, May 4 in Manhattan.

John F. Altieri, 38, actor who most recently performed the role of Bob Crewe in the first national tour of Jersey Boys, May 5 of pneumonia in Las Vegas, NV.

Jimmy Slyde, 80, dancer who began tap dancing during the Big Band era and maintained an elegant, seemingly effortless standard throughout the rest of his long career, May 16 at his home in Hanson, MA.

Huntington Hartford, 97, the grandson of one of the founders of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company whose wealth occasionally led him into the world of theatre — including, in 1954, the conversion of an old movie house into the only legit stage in Hollywood at the time — May 19 at his home in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas.

Sydney Pollack, 73, a former stage actor who rose to direct a series of highly commercial and star-laden pictures, including "Tootsie" and "The Way We Were" in the 1970s and 1980s, May 27 at his home in Los Angeles.

Paul Sills, 80, one of the founders of the famous Chicago-based improvisational comedy group known as The Second City, June 2 of pneumonia at his home in Baileys Harbor, WI.

Peter Murray Kapetan, 51, an actor, singer and dancer who most recently appeared on Broadway in The Wedding Singer, June 4 in New York City.

Gene Persson, 74, a theatre producer responsible for such diverse productions as LeRoi Jones' tense racial drama, Dutchman, and the musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, June 6 of a heart attack at a Times Square pizzeria.

	Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse, 87, the MGM star who made a late-in-life Broadway debut in the musical Grand Hotel, but is best known for her leggy, sensuous work in the films "The Band Wagon," "Silk Stockings" and "Brigadoon," June 17 of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hospital.

Dody Goodman, 94, actress whose ditzy comic persona was well known to patrons of theatre, film and television from the 1950s on, June 22 at the Actors Fund Home in New Jersey.

Patti McKenny, 57, a Chicago playwright, librettist and lyricist who was a vocal advocate of the development of homegrown musicals (via Chicago Musical Theatre Works, which she co-founded), June 28 of a heart ailment in her Northside Chicago apartment.

Keith Charles, 74, a veteran New York City actor with credits on Broadway (Applause) and Off-Broadway (Night and Her Stars, The Fantasticks), July 1 of lung cancer at his home in New York City.

Rosemary Ingham, 71, a costume designer and teacher who was there at the founding of the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, and the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, MN, July 14 of a stroke at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, NY.

Larry Haines, 89, a stage and television actor who gave a Tony Award-nominated performance as the humane Dr. Dreyfuss in Promises, Promises, July 17 in Delray Beach, FL.

Gladys Nederlander, 83, a theatre producer and member of the powerful theatrical family that owns and operates theatres across the United States, July 21 of heart failure in New York City.

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, 71, Drama Desk Award-winning actress who founded the National Black Theatre Inc., July 21.

	Estelle Getty

Estelle Getty, 84, the actress who spent decades struggling in obscurity before becoming an overnight star as a salty, back-talking grandmother in the hit sitcom "Golden Girls," July 22 after suffering from advanced dementia, at her home in Los Angeles.

Bruce Adler, 63, the scion of a Yiddish theatre family who went on to have much success on the Broadway stage (1979's Oklahoma!), winning two Tony Award nominations, July 25 after a battle with liver cancer.

Stuart W. Little, 86, writer and critic who for three decades covered the New York theatre, including a stint at the New York Herald Tribune, July 27 of heart failure in Canaan, CT.

Luther Davis, 91, librettist who won a Tony Award for his book to the musicalKismet, July 29 in the Bronx.

Peter Kass, 85, an acting teacher whose many celebrated pupils included Faye Dunaway and Maureen Stapleton, Aug. 4.

	Simon Gray

Simon Gray, 71, the British playwright who for four decades chronicled with sardonic wit and a cerebral style the mores of English literary and academic circles (in Butley and The Common Pursuit, for example), Aug. 7 after a battle with lung cancer.

Eleanore Reznikoff, 57, a theatre producer who worked with such companies as the Long Wharf Theatre, Lincoln Center, Yale Repertory Theater and Circle in the Square, and later became a film marketing and advertising executive, Aug. 9 in Los Angeles.

Terence Rigby, 71, the British actor adept at playing villains, and who embodied ambiguous menace in several plays by Harold Pinter, including Broadway's The Homecomingin 1967, Aug. 10 of lung cancer.

George Furth, 75, a playwright and actor who made his lasting contribution to the American theatre through two collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim, the musicalsCompany and Merrily We Roll Along, Aug. 10 in Santa Monica, CA.

Jack Zink, 61, a major voice in South Florida entertainment coverage for more than three decades, most recently as the theatre and classical music critic and cultural affairs writer for The South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Aug. 18 from cancer.

Tad Mosel, 86, who adapted James Agee's novel "A Death in the Family" into the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play All the Way Home, Aug. 24 in Concord, NH.

Richard Monette, 64, the longest-serving artistic director in the history of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival — 14 seasons, from 1994 to 2007 — Sept. 10 of a pulmonary embolus in a hospital in London, ON.

John E. Booth, 89, author of the books "The Critic, Power, and the Performing Arts" (1991) and "Actors Talk About Acting" (with Lewis B. Funke, 1963) and the first chairman of Theatre Development Fund, Sept. 10 of natural causes in his home in New Mexico.

David Jones, 74, the respected if undersung English director who forged career relationships with major stage figures such as playwright Harold Pinter and actors Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley, and helped rehabilitate the reputation of Gorky as a playwright, Sept. 18 in Rockport, ME.

Michael D. Mitchell, 68, artistic director of the Fulton Theatre, the resident Equity company operating at the historic Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA, Sept. 22 at his Lancaster home after a battle with cancer.

Irene Dailey, 88, the actress who created the role of the unhappily married wife in The Subject Was Roses on Broadway, and later found success in soap operas, Sept. 24 of colon cancer in Santa Rosa, CA.

	Paul Newman

Paul Newman, 83, the sensitive and handsome stage and film actor who proved to be the most versatile and durable artist of the soul-searching, Method-informed generation of anti-heroes that burst on the screen in the 1950s, Sept. 26 after battling cancer.

Philip Thomas "Tom" Roland, 79, an actor, director and educator who worked in the Chicago area and beyond, including Wagon Wheel Theatre in Indiana and Northwestern University, Sept. 26 at Manor Care in Highland Park, IL.

Rob Guest, 57, a star of the musical stage in Australia (in Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables), Oct. 1 in Melbourne following a stroke.

Eileen Herlie, 90, a stage and television actress who was nominated for a Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award in 1960 for Take Me Along, and also starred in All American and in soaps, Oct. 8 in Manhattan.

Harry S. Gold, 50, executive director of business and legal affairs for Disney Theatrical Productions, Oct. 10 after a long battle with cancer in New York City.

Edie Adams, 81, a multi-talented actress who put her shapely figure, comic instincts, and clear, Juilliard-trained singing voice to good use by creating the roles of Eileen Sherwood in Wonderful Town and Daisy Mae inLi'l Abner, Oct. 15 of pneumonia and cancer in the West Hills section of Los Angeles.

Milton Katselas, 75, a respected Tony Award-nominated director, acting teacher, author, painter and founder of the Beverly Hills Playhouse acting school, Oct. 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Studs Terkel, 96, the Chicago journalist and radio host who used interviews with ordinary people to explore some of the central tenets of the American character, and whose books inspired stage shows includingWorking and The Good War, Oct. 31 at his Chicago home.

Yma Sumac, 86, the improbable singing star of the 1950s who claimed to possess a five-octave vocal range and ancestors who could be traced back to the Incas, and whose bizarre sound is heard on the cast recording of the musical Flahooley, Nov. 1 at an assisted-living home in Los Angeles after an eight-month bout with colon cancer.

Robin Farquhar, 59, the executive director of the Flat Rock Playhouse, the Equity theatre in the North Carolina mountains south of Asheville, Nov. 3 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Flat Rock.

Alee Ralph, 45, production supervisor and casting agent who worked on the national tours of many hit Broadway musicals, Nov. 3.

Michael Higgins, 88, who performed on Broadway and Off-Broadway stages from the 1940s to the 1980s, winning two Obie Awards (for The Crucible and Reunion) in the process, Nov. 5 in Manhattan.

Clive Barnes, 81, who covered the New York theatre and dance worlds for four decades, first as a critic for The New York Times and then for the New York Post, Nov. 19.

Gerald Schoenfeld, 84, the longtime Chairman of the theatre-owning powerhouse known as the Shubert Organization and a man routinely referred to as the most powerful man on Broadway, Nov. 25 at his home in Manhattan.

William Gibson, 94, playwright who wrote the Broadway hit Two for the Seesaw and won a Tony Award for The Miracle Worker, his dramatic telling of the relationship between Helen Keller and her determined teacher Annie Sullivan, Nov. 25.

Patricia Marand, 74, actress who was nominated for a 1966 Tony Award for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Broadway musical It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman, Nov. 27 of brain cancer in her Manhattan home.

	Paul Benedict

Paul Benedict, 70, actor who gained fame as the quirky English neighbor of the family in the TV sitcom "The Jeffersons," but remained faithful to the stage throughout his long career, Dec. 1 on Martha's Vineyard.

Nina Foch, 84, a Dutch-born actress of stage and screen, who often played worldly women of cool, controlling instincts (see M-G-M's "An American in Paris"), Dec. 5 at her home in Los Angeles.

Robert Prosky, 77, Tony-nominated actor (A Walk in the Woods, Glengarry Glen Ross) who etched a long series of wise, lived-in portrayals in film, television and on the stage over a 50-year career, Dec. 8 at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC.

Van Johnson, 92, the handsome and affable screen star (with Broadway and stock credits) who reached such heights of popularity during the 1940s that he was called "The Voiceless Sinatra," Dec. 12 at an assisted living center in Nyack, NY.

Dorothy Sarnoff, 94, an actress who made an impression on Broadway as Lady Thiang in the original run of The King and I, and also worked in opera before embarking on an influential career as an image consultant, Dec. 20 at her home in Manhattan.

	Dale Wasserman

Dale Wasserman, 94, librettist who penned the book for the 1966 Tony Award-winning musical Man of La Mancha, and the stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Dec. 21 of heart failure in Arizona.

Harold Pinter, 78, the one-time British actor who tried his hand at writing in the 1950s only to become one of the most prominent and influential playwrights of the second half of the 20th century, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, Dec. 24 after a long illness.

Eartha Kitt, 81, cabaret and concert singer and Tony-nominated Broadway actress (Timbuktu!, The Wild Party) whose exotic, sex-kitten persona and sultry, purring vocal delivery were unlike anything that had come before her, though she has been much imitated since, Dec. 25 of colon cancer.

"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; 
that which it loves, and also that which it fears."
— James Allen

Trisha sent this ~ playing in the house!

But the one thing that all places have in common is that "The food you eat is will bring good luck...... "

 

 

On New Year’s Day, people around the world set the table with foods that are said to bring good luck and prosperity.

For instance, many cultures believe that eating doughnuts will get you more than a flabby tummy. In the Netherlands, anything in the shape of a ring is considered good luck because it symbolizes coming full circle, completing a year’s cycle. So for the Dutch, it’s doughnuts for New Year’s.

And in the American South, there’s a saying that, if you eat peas on New Year’s Day, you’ll have plenty of everything the rest of the year, which is why the dish Hoppin’ John made with black-eyed peas is so popular in many parts of the United States.

Pork plays a role in many countries’ feasts, including Germany, where it’s served with sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is made from cabbage, which is considered another lucky dish, because the leaves are said to represent paper money.

Lentils and pork: In Brazil, as in Italy, bowls of little coin-shaped lentils will be served up to signify wealth. To make the dish even better, chunks of pork sausage are added.

Hidden coin: In Greece, St. Basil’s Cake is served with a gold or silver coin inside. The first slice is for St. Basil (New Year’s Day coincides with St. Basil’s Day, which is named for one of the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church), the second slice is for the house and the next slices go to the most senior resident down to the youngest. The one who finds the coin will be blessed with good fortune in the coming year.

Watermelon: For the Vietnamese, watermelon is a sign of luck because of its red flesh. People even dye the seeds red and serve them as delicacies.

Red snapper and soba noodles: Red (or pink) is also considered a lucky color in Japan, where red snapper is served up, as well as long soba noodles. The belief is if you can suck up one noodle completely without it breaking, you will have a long life.

Rice, herring and cod: Rice turns up on New Year’s tables from Vietnam to Scandinavia, where a silky rice pudding is served. Like the St. Basil’s coin, an almond is hidden in the pudding, and the lucky recipient is said to enjoy good fortune.

Grapes: In Spain and Portugal, as well as Mexico and Cuba, it’s tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. According to the legend, Spain enjoyed a gigantic grape harvest at the turn of the 20th Century. The Spaniards considered that a huge stroke of luck, so a dozen grapes from a bunch are eaten in celebration and to ensure another 12 months of happiness.

Ann's Birthday and New Years Eve...

Grandma Ann had a wonderful birthday thanks to Jake and his planning... and to Heather, Tammy, Trisha and Marilyn for making food things for it.. We had a very wonderful meal and Ann opened gifts and celebrated the New Year... Missy and Craig along with Reese stopped by.... Even Great Grandma Moffat came over too... So we almost had all our amazing family together for Grandma Moffat's birthday... Grandma got to watch her 4 of her pride and joy... her Grandchildren - entertain.... Austyn, Andrew, Madison and Isabella... She wants to again thank everyone for the wonderful dinner and gifts, plus the giving of your time to celebrate her birthday.

Happy Birthday Ann

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANN

AND MANY MANY MORE

HAPPY AND MEMORABLE ONES AS WELL...

I LOVE YOU, FOREVER AND A DAY!

S

Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.
  - Lynda Barry

It is dangerous for a national candidate to say things that people might remember.
  - Eugene McCarthy

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
  - Noel Coward

Make More than Just Your New Year's Eve Rock: Six Ways to Take Charge of 2009

As the year comes to a close, it's time to think about what you want next year to look like. Stephen Covey, one of the most prolific leadership authors of our time, says there are six things you can do right now to make 2009 your best year ever:

1. Be proactive.
It's more than just taking initiative. It means being responsible for your own life. Empower yourself to lead and spread your influence no matter what position you hold.

2. Sharpen the saw.
Decide what's truly important. Sharpen your saw early in the day by learning to say no to the unimportant and yes to the highly important.

3. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. It's human nature to want to be understood, but when both parties are trying to be understood, neither party is listening. By making the investment to understand the other party, you can magically transform the course of your conversations.

4. Begin with the end in mind. Start today with an image of the end of your life as the frame of reference by which everything else is examined. With a clear idea of where you are going, examine everything in the context of what matters to you most.

5. Develop a vision mission statement. Get a deep sense of your life's mission, purpose and value system, then establish your goals and a system of accountability that keeps you on track.

6. Think win-win.There is enough success for everyone, so don't view another person's success as success achieved at your expense or exclusion

"It doesn't matter where you are coming from. 
All that matters is where you are going."
— Brian Tracy

An old saying... but still applys to this coming year, I think...

work like you don't need the money,

love like you have never been hurt,

and dance like no one is watching...  

Hey... How bout us? can we get in on it too???? Everyone else is...

Retailers Want In on Stimulus Plan... 

BEST DOGGONE XMAS WEEKEND!

BEST DOGGONE XMAS WEEKEND! 

Friday: 'Marley & Me' #1, 'Bedtime Stories' And 'Benjamin Button' Tied #2, 'Valkyrie' #4

FRIDAY 11 PM UPDATE: Marley stays top dog! Family fare is what post-holiday moviegoers wanted today. But overall attendance was down after an enormous Christmas Day at the domestic box office. Nevertheless it's looking like a jolly $200 million 3-day weekend that's 10% bigger than last year's. Early box office numbers show Fox's Marley & Me easily holding onto No. 1 Friday in 3,480 theaters with $14.4M for a huge projected 4-day holiday of $52.5M. (I hope the studio is purchasing a few treats for the pooch being pimped out in the pic.) Not surprisingly, Disney's Bedtime Stories moves up into 2nd place with $10.2M in 3,681 runs, thanks to kiddie matinees and gumball dreams kicking in, and what may be a strong 4-day holiday of $41M. That's neck and neck with Paramount's The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button which is playing in almost 700 less venues and winning over audiences with its Oscar-touted visuals and performances. (Although some think Adam Sandler beat Brad Pitt Friday with $11M because of the much shorter running time of 99 minutes vs 167 minutes.) MGM/UA's Valkyrie sticks at #4 adding another $8M grosses from 2,711 dates for what should be a 4-day holiday of $32M. Tom Cruise can breathe easy now: he's still a star. The pic's $24M Fri-Sat-Sun estimate is in line with his opening weekends for Collateral, The Last Samurai, and Vanilla Sky not adjusted for inflation or higher ticket prices. 

Warner Bros' Yes Man hangs on for #5 with $6.6M Friday and a predicted 4-day holiday of $24.5M. Sony's Seven Pounds holds for 6th with a solid $5.3M Friday and a 4-day holiday estimate of $19.5M. Children packed Universal's The Tale Of Despereaux enabling the toon mouse to scamper into No. 7 with $3.5M Friday and a $13M projection for the 4-day holiday. In 8th place, Fox's The Day the Earth Stood Still made $3M Friday for what should be a 4-day holiday of $10.5M. But #9, Lionsgate's The Spirit, went from a little disappointing debut to a lot disappointing despite its comic book roots. "A true wipeout, down around 25% tonight. At around $3 million, it may come in 9th," a rival studio exec tells me. Rounding out the Top 10, Miramax's Oscar-buzzed Doubt got a nice 30% bump from Christmas Day after expanding into 1,267 theaters for $1.8M and an estimated 4-day holiday of $7M.

FRIDAY 8 AM: Christmas Day was "enormous" for the movie industry with the top two pics setting all-time records for the holiday, studios are telling me. Even the weather cooperated. Good thing too because, for weeks now, Hollywood has been hotly anticipating today's opening of five high-profile movies with potential to be blockbusters (because Christmas releases on average have a 6.9 multiple). Latest estimates for Thursday box office nationally are:

No. 1 Fox's Marley And Me $14.6M in 3,480 theaters, No. 2 Paramount's The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button $11.8M from 2,988 venues, No. 3 Disney's Bedtime Stories $10.5M for 3,681 runs, and No. 4 MGM/UA's Valkyrie $8.3M from 2,711 plays, No. 5 Warner Bros' Yes Man $5.8M for 3,434 theaters, No. 6 Sony's Seven Pounds $4.8M in 2,758 dates, and No. 7 Lionsgate's The Spirit $3.8M from 2,509 venues.

When it comes to North American moviegoing habits, this rule is primo -- don't ever bet against a pooch. So my info is that 20th Century Fox's Marley And Me based on the bestselling book is beating the competition "by a mile". Driven by women moviegoers, the Owen Wilson tearjerker about a man and his dog did twice what was expected -- as did No. 2, Paramount's Oscar buzzed The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button starring Brad Pitt. "It's a classic dovetail: Marley's strength is smack in the middle of the country and the south, while Button is strong on both coasts," one studio insider tells me. I also hear Benjamin Button is rapidly selling out today because of demand and a long running time. Bedtime Stories had been expected to lead the pack of five films opening today. But watch out for it tomorrow because of the Adam Sandler starrer's short running time and kiddie matinees all holiday weekend. Tom Cruise's Valkyrie is definitely doing business and won't flop like his other film for UA, Lions For Lambs), but at least it's not stillborn. In 5th place is holdover Sony's Seven Pounds, again demonstrating Will Smith's box office drawing power even in a downer film. Taking a hit from the new openers is Warner Bros' Yes Man comedy which moved down from 1st to 6th. Remains to be seen if Jim Carrey gets a payday on this film. (See my previous, The Worst Talent Deal Ever?) Refresh for updates...

WEDNESDAY PM: Big movies, big stars, big holiday weekend, and, if the weather cooperates, there's a certainty of big box office grosses. But there's still more snow and ice storms forecast for up and down North America threatening to lower yet another weekend's movie ticket take overall and prevent 2008 from having a banner year. Here are Christmas weekend predictions.

#1. First up, Disney's Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler, kids, gumballs... C'mon, this is gonna be huge, and it's got the widest release of all five pics. Who cares about the awful reviews? The pic looks like fun for kids and their parents, and it's only 99 minutes long. The very strong family tracking looks a lot like this holiday season's Night At The Museum, which also starred a funnyman to draw in general audience (Ben Stiller), had stinky reviews, but made $575M around the world. Playing in 3,681 theaters, Bedtime Stories should open to $40+M over the 4-day holiday, according to my box office gurus.

#2. Right behind it is 20th Century Fox's heavily marketed Marley And Me based on the bestselling book. All my movie analysts don't dare bet against a dog movie. (Remember how well another PG pic about a pooch, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, debuted earlier this year? How about $29.3M on its opening 3-day weekend, all for the cost of canine food.) This is undoubtedly Owen Wilson's comeback pic. The movie is tracking big with females of all ages, and well with (Old Yeller-fixated?) older males. It'll do well on Friday's date night as long as girlfriends remembers to stuff Kleenex in their purses, and their boyfriends aren't too embarrassed to walk out of the theater crying. Seriously, are audiences adequately prepared for the plot denouement? The marketing campaign doesn't dare hint at it. Running into 3,480 venues, it's got Christmas Day's second widest release. My box office gurus expect a $30M opening for the holiday long weekend. I think it could go higher and maybe beat Bedtime Stories for No. 1.

#3. Receiving good reviews and great Oscar buzz and a gargantuan awards campaign, Paramount's The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is certainly going to be sampled. Still, there's some skepticism about the box office potential of what is now being referred to as "Hollywood's most expensive art flick". Not to mention that it's being marketed to within an inch of its megaplex life for a hefty price. (Then again, studio boss Brad Grey feels a special obligation to try to win an Oscar for his former management client Brad Pitt and their once joint production company Plan B.) All those new Golden Globe nominations will surely help market the film which is tracking strongest with females over age 16 and males over age 25. But the PG-13 pic's hefty 2 hour, 47 minute running time will limit its box office gross. Still the studio is hoping that the strong word of mouth could push Benjamin Button to a great multiple. (One Paramount exec tells me the pic could play like The Pursuit Of Happyness which started at $26M and end up with $162M domestic. But I say Brad Pitt simply isn't the phenomenal box office draw that Will Smith is...) Playing in 2,988 dates, Benjamin Button should open to $25M, according to my box office gurus.

#4. It wasn't too long ago that MGM/UA's Valkyrie was a bad joke, what with Tom Cruise dressed in a German army uniform in a World War II movie, directed by Bryan Singer still living down his underperforming Superman Returns, with an ever-changing release date that finally settled on December 25th. (Because when I think Nazi's, I think Christmas Day.) But a team of marketing experts -- led by MGM/UA's Michael Vollman and outside consultant Terry Press who reputedly spent $60M to do it -- managed to turn things around. Although Hollywood analysts don't see how this pic will earn out unless it's a blockbuster overseas where Cruise is still considered a huge star. (Lions For Lambs did 3x its domestic take overseas.) Still, I could have sworn it was going to be stillborn domestically. Yet all of a sudden, Valkyrie is receiving decent reviews and tracking well with males aged 16+ and stealing away the guy audience that normally would see The Spirit. Is this still a referendum on Tom's viability as a superstar? Yes and no. After all, his photo isn't even featured on the movie poster. I once thought anyone who believed Valkyrie could open to more than $15M was nuts. Now my box office gurus agree with MGM predictions that the PG-13 pic, playing in 2,711 theaters, can do $25M for the Christmas long weekend. But I still suspect, despite the curiosity factor, it'll be hard-pressed to beat $20M.

#5. My movie analysts don't expect much life from Lionsgate's The Spirit adapted from Will Eisner's graphic novels despite a flashy marketing campaign meant to cultivate its Sin City visuals rather than its comic book content. "It's tracking only with genre audiences. Lionsgate shouldn't have tried to brave the Christmas competition," one rival studio exec tells me. Opening in 2,500 plays, The Spirit isn't expected to exceed low teens over the 4-day holiday. 

As for the one-week holdovers, Warner Bros' Yes Man could recover from last weekend's disappointing box office due to disastrous winter storms enough to come in #5 among all the movies with $20M for the Christmas long weekend. Also affected weather-wise was Sony's Seven Pounds which may come in #7 with a 4-day holiday total in the low teens. And Universal's Tale Of Despereaux should come in #8 playing primarily to preschoolers for a $10M Christmas long weekend. 

Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati

Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati

By Steve Connor, Science editor

Saturday, 27 December 2008

 

When it comes to science, Barack Obama is no better than many of us. Today he joins the list of shame of those in public life who made scientifically unsupportable statements in 2008.

Closer to home, Nigella Lawson and Delia Smith faltered on the science of food, while Kate Moss, Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore all get roastings for scientific illiteracy.

The Celebrities and Science Review 2008, prepared by the group Sense About Science, identifies some of the worst examples of scientific illiteracy among those who profess to know better – including top politicians.

Mr Obama and John McCain blundered into the MMR vaccine row during their presidential campaigns. "We've seen just a skyrocketing autism rate," said President-elect Obama. "Some people are suspicious that it's connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it," he said.

His words were echoed by Mr McCain. "It's indisputable that [autism] is on the rise among children, the question is what's causing it," he said. "There's strong evidence that indicates it's got to do with a preservative in the vaccines."

Exhaustive research has failed to substantiate any link to vaccines or any preservatives. The rise in autism is thought to be due to an increased awareness of the condition.

Sarah Palin, Mr McCain's running mate, waded into the mire with her dismissal of some government research projects. "Sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not," Ms Palin said. But the geneticist Ellen Solomon takes Ms Palin to task for not understanding the importance of studies into fruit flies, which share roughly half their genes with humans. "They have been used for more than a century to understand how genes work, which has implications in, for example, understanding the ageing process," she said.

Hollywood did not escape the critical analysis of the scientific reviewers, who lambasted Tom Cruise, for his comments on psychiatry being a crime against humanity, and Julianne Moore, who warned against using products full of unnatural chemicals.

"The real crime against humanity continues to be the enduring misery caused by the major mental illnesses across the globe, and the continuing lack of resources devoted to supporting those afflicted," said the psychiatrist Professor Simon Wessely.

In answer to Moore, the science author and chemist John Emsley said that natural chemicals are not automatically safer than man-made chemicals, which undergo rigorous testing.

"Something which is naturally sourced may well include a mixture of things that are capable of causing an adverse reaction," Dr Emsley said.

Other mentions went to the chefs Nigella Lawson, who said "mind meals" can make you feel different about life, and Delia Smith, who claimed it is possible to eliminate sugar from the diet. The dietician Catherine Collins said that Lawson's support for expensive allergy foods is a wasted opportunity and too costly for those on limited incomes, while Lisa Miles of the British Nutrition Foundation said that sugars are part of a balanced diet.

Kate Moss, Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore all espoused the idea that you can detoxify your body with either diet (scientifically unsupportable) or, in the case of Moore, products such as "highly trained medical leeches" which make you bleed. Scientists point out that diet alone cannot remove toxins and that blood itself is not a toxin, and even if it did contain toxins, removing a little bit of it is not going to help.

But top prize went to the lifestyle guru Carole Caplin for denouncing a study showing that vitamin supplements offer little or no health benefits as "rubbish" – it is the third year on the run that she has been mentioned in the review. Science author and GP Ben Goldacre pointed out that the study Ms Caplin referred to was the most authoritative yet published. "Carole should understand that research can often produce results which challenge our preconceptions: that is why science is more interesting than just following your nose," Dr Goldacre said.

Talking sense: Two who got it right

*The writer Jilly Cooper gets nine out of ten for making a stab at why alternative treatments might work: "If you believe them, then they work." That describes the placebo effect, where a harmless but useless remedy seems to work because the patient feels as if it is working.

*The vocal coach and singer Carrie Grant is applauded for raising the profile of Crohn's disease without abusing the science. "There are so many therapies available, but none of them are going to cure you," she said.