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Laurie Colwin Remembered, Author of Wonderful Stories

Roger Friedman
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Laurie Colwin Remembered, Author of Wonderful Stories

Today would have been author/writer/novelist/essayist/short story writer Laurie Colwin‘s 66th birthday. She died on October 24, 1992 of a sudden heart attack at age 48.

Every year I tell my readers about Laurie, so we never forget her. All of her terrific, insightful, funny, trenchant books are in print, which is a rarity. All the novels like “Happy All the Time,” “Family Happiness,” and “A Big Storm Knocked it Over” to short story collections–“Another Marvelous Thing,” “The Lone Pilgrim”– and her essays “Home Cooking” and “More Home Cooking.”

I always like to remind everyone that it was Laurie, working in the editorial department of EP Dutton under the late great Henry Robbins, who discovered and published Fran Lebowitz’s seminal collection, “Metropolitan Life.” Laurie read Lebowitz’s “I Cover the Waterfront” column in Interview magazine, and told Robbins they had to publish her. Laurie also worked for Charles Schulz, the creator of  Peanuts.

But it’s her own writing that we continue to revel in 18 years after her death. Why none of these stories haven’t been turned translated into film is a mystery. All the characters are so perfect–for actresses especially. All the women who complain there are no parts should read these books and option them. Lucy Liu, for example, would be just right as Holly in “Happy All the Time.” Parker Posey could be Misty Berkowitz. And so on. Oprah’s new network should option the whole collection!

You can catch up with Laurie’s world at www.lauriecolwin.com and on Facebook. She was a great friend, mother and wife. Happy Birthday Laurie! I can’t wait for thousands of new readers to discover the wonderful gifts you left behind.

(photo by Nancy Crampton)

Jack Nicholson Tells Mike Nichols at AFI Tribute: “Even Oysters Have Enemies”

Roger Friedman
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Jack Nicholson Tells Mike Nichols at AFI Tribute: “Even Oysters Have Enemies”

Jack Nicholson showed up very late for Mike Nichols’ big AFI tribute last week in Hollywood—he’d been watching the Lakers, of course. Then Nicholson made everyone including Robin Williams—who later riffed on this—scratch their heads with his comments.

Nicholson said: ”This is so wonderful about what every one is saying about you.  Remember, though, Mike: even oysters have enemies.” Jack tried to explain himself by adding:  “I know you like animals a lot , that’s why I told the oyster joke.”

The rest of the A List stars who came out for director Nichols (pictured here with wife Diane Sawyer) were a little obtuse. You can see it all on June 26 on TV Land, but our pal Leah Sydney was there and sent along some of the bon mots from the show.

Some of the tributes were odd, others poignant or funny. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made a surprise appearance to kick things off and sang “Mrs. Robinson” from the “The Graduate.” That alone would have been worth the price of the evening. Then an avalanche of stars rolled through Stage 15 at Sony Studios (the same place where Judy Garland once skipped down the Yellow Brick Road.)

Among the speakers were all the greats Nichols has directed on film plus a few famous friends: Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty and sister Shirley MacLaine, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Nora Ephron, Eric Idle, Emma Thompson, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, and Mary Louise Parker.

Nichols, by the way, counts Albert Einstein as a cousin, which of course was much fodder for jokes. Mike’s famous comedy partner Elaine May was the first to bring it up. She said: “Albert Einstein was a very sad man when he died because he hadn’t achieved a Combined Field Theory and that’s gotta be depressing.  But if he’s watching tonight- he’s got to be immensely happy that he’s Mike Nichols’ cousin.” She added: “This is a very emotional night for me because 30 years ago I bought this dress for his first lifetime achievement award.”

Cher told the most revealing story of her own career, recalling that when she’d gone to see the trailer for “Silkwood” at a Westwood theater, the crowd clapped for Meryl Streep’s name, Kurt Russell’s name, but laughed when her own name appeaered on the screen.  She left the theater crying, and called Nichols.  “He told me not to worry. That they would be clapping after they saw the movie.”  He was right. “Silkwood” was the first of three films, including “Mask” and “Moonstruck” that made Cher a movie star.

Natalie Portman: “In ‘Closer,’ Mike  cut out nude scenes when I had second thoughts. He also made sure I learned how to pole dance, which is an tremendously useful skill in this economy.”

Robin Williams: “Hey you were a brilliant child.  [Nichols was certified as a genius at age 12]. “It’s rumored you had final cut at your circumcision.”

Of course the great Nichols got in the last word: “I got to see my own memorial and I’m still alive. Sort of.”

We’ll have to watch TV Land to see all the little asides and crack ups. The AFI Tribute special is always a lot of fun!

OJ Files for Prison Release On 16th Anniversary of Nicole Brown-Ron Goldman Murder

Roger Friedman
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OJ Files for Prison Release On 16th Anniversary of Nicole Brown-Ron Goldman Murder

Timing is everything. And no one has worse timing than O.J. Simpson.

Yesterday he filed for an overturn of his conviction and for release from a Las Vegas prison. He’s serving a 9 to 33 year term for charges stemming from a hotel room heist that involved guns.

Today is the 16th anniversary of the double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex wife, and Ronald Goldman. A civil court decided he was responsible for the deaths. A criminal court jury, as we all know, acquitted him.

Having no sense of propriety or contrition, Simpson allowed his attorney, Yale Galanter, to file in the Las Vegas case on– of all days–the anniversary of this grisly murder. And even though Simpson was acquitted by the criminal case jury, he more or less admitted to the murders in his book, “If I Did It.”

The book, now owned by the victims’ families, maps out how Simpson carried out this tragic crime. Judith Regan, then publisher of her own book imprint at Rupert Murdoch‘s Harper Collins, paid Simpson almost a million dollars before anyone was the wiser. By the time it was discovered the money was gone–spent or hidden–and the victims’ families were unable to recover it as part of their judgment in the civil case.

During my coverage of the Simpson criminal trial for New York magazine, I was offered an explanation of the murders by a Harvard forensic psychiatrist and a writer who’d interviewed Simpson pal Al Cowlings. The scenario was that Simpson had been addicted to steroids all his life for rheumatoid arthritis. But in the weeks leading up to the murders, he’d stopped taking them cold turkey and had substituted a health drink devised by his friend, Dr. Christian Reichardt. The pair I spoke to concluded that Simpson was in steroid withdrawal.

In fact, when Simpson returned to Los Angeles from Chicago the day after the murders (he’d flown there approximately after they’d happened), his attorney, Robert Shapiro, replaced Simpson’s long time physician with Dr. Robert Huizenga, an expert on steroid use among professional athletes. A few years ago, when I asked Dr. Huizenga why he hadn’t discussed any of this when he testified in the trial, he responded: “They asked me the wrong questions.”

“My take, and what I say now, is that Simpson was innocent in the trial,” Huizenga told me.

“That doesn’t mean he did or didn’t do it. Let’s face it, the evidence is completely suspicious. Some guilty people are set free,” Huizenga said.

Huizenga told me he was shocked about how prosecutors treated him. His direct questioning by the state was from Deputy District Attorney Brian Kelberg, who worked for Marcia Clark.

“I told them that Simpson appeared to be limping when he came into my office. Instead of asking me about that, they said, ‘He wasn’t limping, you’re lying, we have tape of him from two months before.’”

Clark’s team never asked why Simpson had been limping, or what would have brought him to that point.

On the stand, Huizenga told Kelberg that Simpson walked into his office three days after the murders “like Tarzan’s grandfather.” Instead of exploring how Simpson could have come to be in that condition, Kelberg replied: “…perhaps Mr. Simpson was faking a limp in your office?”

“They assumed I was lying,” Huizenga said to me. “They didn’t ask me if it was possible that he’d been in the greatest fight of his life just a few days before.”

Ken Starr Case Goes to $59 Mil with New Hollywood Victims

Roger Friedman
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Ken Starr Case Goes to $59 Mil with New Hollywood Victims

Money manager to the stars, Ken Starr, had his criminal indictment increased from $30 million to almost double that at $59 million yesterday.

As I told you when this first began on June 1st, the number is going to keep getting larger. http://tinyurl.com/2b8cndv

Singer Carly Simon, whom I knew had felt she’d been swindled by Starr, told me months ago that something fishy was going on in his office. Her friends, like Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer, Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, were also Starr victims. So is their good friend and publicist, Leslee Dart, who told me she got away from Starr years ago. Simon indicates in the New York Observer this week that James Taylor may have been a client.

A lot of people will say they left Starr’s management a long time ago. It may not necessarily be the case.

In the updated complaint, there are four new victims. One of them is listed as a producer in his late 70s who lost $4.5 million. Another is a screenwriter in his 80s who lost over 8 million dollars. And there’s an actress in her 80s.

The movie producer is the man I wrote about last week, who visited Starr with his wife the day before Starr was arrested. The couple got no indication from Starr that anything was wrong. http://tinyurl.com/3a8g7yn

Unfortunately, they follow the pattern Starr established with the late Joan Stanton, who died last year at age 94. He’d been using her $80 million inheritance as a bank since 1987. Starr and Planet Hollywood owner Keith Barish settled with the Stanton estate respectively in January of this year and August of last year. http://tinyurl.com/36lbjsw

The settlements may have been so severe that they caused Starr to start looting other clients’ accounts.

Named also in this latest complaint is an unidentified big shot in Democratic party politics. What still has not emerged by name in the Starr complaints is the name of Marvin S. Rosen, who owns Marose LLC, was a Starr partner, and was glued to him at the hip. I told you about this relationship last week.

The tabloids, meantime, are having a field day with Starr’s fourth wife, Diane Passage, a former stripper at Scores. She’s an easy target, so why not? But it’s unclear how much Passage really knew about what Starr was doing. She’s named as a defendant in the SEC case but hasn’t been arested. She’s still holed at the couple’s new $5.5. million apartment on the East Side. She’s being supposed emotionally at least by family, and is trying to figure out a game plan. It’s doubtful that she will return to stripping, as the tabs are hoping. Rather, Passage is in a great position to write a book and have a movie based on this experience.

More to come…

It’s My Birthday, Here’s the Music

Roger Friedman
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It’s My Birthday, Here’s the Music

It’s my birthday weekend, so here are a few titles that have been on my mind lately. Add to them anything from Stax or Motown, Hi or Malaco Records. Don’t forget some more recent singers like Julia Fordham, or Ryan Adams. (His “Cold Roses” album is my favorite.) Add in the Beatles, Stones, Squeeze, the Kinks, and Stevie Wonder. Toss in Aretha Franklin for good measure. Wrap it up with Bruce and friends on “The Fever.” Dig out Jorma Kaukonen‘s “Genesis” and Lou Reed singing “September Song.” Absolutely all of Roy Orbison. Major Lance doing “The Monkey Time.” Richard Perry‘s great recordings with Carly Simon, Nilsson, and Ringo Starr. And that’s the way to celebrate a birthday weekend. Yes, I’m 53 and damn proud of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgPfCUfVhcM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X74WFfn1iRk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMRLrf4pNn4

The Michael Jackson Vultures Circle June 25th for 1st Attack

Roger Friedman
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The Michael Jackson Vultures Circle June 25th for 1st Attack

The vultures around Michael Jackson have circled June 25th–the first anniversary of his death– for their first attacks.

That’s the day Ian Halperin, sleazy tabloid muckracker, airs his “Gone Too Soon” film on the TV Guide Network. Halperin has already feasted on Michael Jackson‘s remains with a book last year. Now he comes with an editorial film in which he interviews the D list from the Jackson outer circle about their knowledge of Jackson’s life. It will be interesting to see how he handles not having Jackson’ s music in his film, let alone the people who really knew him. Expect much heavy weighing in from the illustrious Tohme R. Tohme.

Even better: June 25th is also launch date for a, ahem, book by Leonard Rowe, erstwhile concert promoter. Rowe was in cahoots with Joseph Jackson  before Michael died to try and wrest control of the London “This Is It” concerts from AEG Live. Rowe and Jackson actually called this reporter a few weeks prior to Michael’s passing, thinking they could enlist my help in this effort. I essentially hung up on them. For a short time, Rowe wormed his way into Michael’s good graces before he was fired. Yes, Rowe was fired in writing by Michael Jackson. Now he wants to sell his side of the story.

The self published “What Really Happened to Michael Jackson, King of Pop” looks like it’s a hoot. On Rowe’s website he’s already given away the introduction. Rowe basically accuses AEG Live of killing Michael. My favorite of his assertions is that “not many people knew that Michael owned 50% of Sony’s entire catalog.” Uh, Leonard, I don’t think there’s a Sherpa in Nepal who doesn’t know that whole story. This is not exactly a revelation.

rowe writes: “I was also trying my best to fight what I perceived to be the evil that was surrounding him at that time.” He says: “In my opinion, AEG had a contract with Michael that was nothing less than a cocked financial gun pointed to his head.  It is my belief that he was being totally exploited.”

Indeed, the only people who certainly intended to exploit Michael Jackson were Leonard Rowe and his partner, Joseph Jackson. These two have their own long history. Joe Jackson actually sued Rowe in the 80s over a Jacksons tour. Not only that, but Rowe is an ex-con. He also lost a lawsuit brought against him as a concert promoter by R. Kelly and was ordered to pay $3.4 million. He also had to pay NeYo $700,000.

In Rowe launched a lawsuit against the William Morris Agency, CAA and other group claiming racism as the reason he couldn’t promote more concerts. On December 30, 2005 ,after losing the case and appealing it, Rowe was finally crushed by a federal appeals court judge. A year earlier, another judge, finding for the defendants, wrote: “plaintiffs raised no genuine issue of material fact and that no rational trier of fact could find for plaintiffs on any of the myriad of claims made in this action.”

According to one report: “Rowe spent time in federal prison in the early 90’s for being convicted of wire fraud for his role in the cashing of a fraudulent insurance check. He has had multiple arrests for writing bad checks.”

Stay tuned because the lunacy has only just begun. There’s word that Brian Oxman, representing Joseph Jackson, wants to file a wrongful death suit against AEG Live. And he is going to accuse AEG of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act, saying that they knew he was a drug addict. To paraphrase Michael Jackson, “I got to be there” when these actions are filed, just to see the looks on the faces of the court clerks.

Oxman was disciplined by the California State Supreme Court last December, for the second time in a dozen years. He was fired by Tom Mesereau, Jackson’s criminal attorney, for among other things falling asleep in court during Jackson’s child molestation trial.

Here’s a story I wrote in 2005 about Oxman getting fired. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,154573,00.html

James Franco Bringing Film and “Performance” Exhibition to NYC

Roger Friedman
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James Franco Bringing Film and “Performance” Exhibition to NYC

James Franco: he is the Renaissance Man of his generation. Now he’s got a film, drawing, photography, sculpture and performance exhibition opening in New York on June 22nd at the Clocktower Gallery. It’s called “The Dangerous Book for Boys” and seems to be connected to the recent children’s book of that title. See above link.

Franco continues to be the most ambitious and interesting actor of his generation. He’s busy making short films, long films, art installations, and appearing on “General Hospital” as Banksy gone mad. He’s going to Yale in the fall as a combination writing and film post graduate student. He’s also thinking of working with Doctors with Borders and starting a cooking show. (Just kidding.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5PSdBWvx8s

Here’s another video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gtJsK6yoIM&NR=1

You can also check out www.dangerousbookforboys.com

Two big questions waiting to be answered: why “four” boys instead of “for” boys on the invite? Are there three other people involved? And does James Franco ever sleep? Stay tuned…

Wait: better yet–will they film this for “General Hospital”? Is that the performance part?

Cindy Adams: Where in the World Is The Famed Gossip?

Roger Friedman
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Cindy Adams: Where in the World Is The Famed Gossip?

Only in New York, kids: a famous gossip columnist disappears and no one is asking questions.

Cindy Adams last filed a column for the New York Post on May 20th. A few days later, Page Six said she was in the hospital for anemia.

Well, it’s June 10th, and there’s no sign of Cindy. Her assistant, in fact, says she’s still in the hospital. “She was very run down” is the explanation.

The assistant also claims that no one knows which hospital Adams is in. Hello? If a publicist told Cindy that about a star, Adams would have the whole town turned upside down. We’re not going to do that, although we did check a few places to be sure. She’s not at Lenox Hill.

Cindy, if you’re reading this, we miss you! Tell us where you are, we’ll send flowers! And candy!

One thing: Cindy’s planned one woman show for Broadway is sure to be delayed. Since it’s written, and sure to be funny, I think her producers should hire a gifted comic actress and put it on anyway. Did I hear anyone say Bette Midler?

Is there a mystery here, aside from Cindy’s age? (I know it, but I’m not saying.) There’s one: I didn’t realize that many years ago Cindy and her late husband, the great comic Joey Adams, embraced Christian Science. They were both born Jewish. Also, Cindy took amazing care of both her mother and Joey in their later years. So I doubt Cindy Adams is eschewing proper doctors’ care. Even Mary Baker Eddy must have liked a cough drop.

So the search teams are on their way. The Tony Awards are on Sunday and it’s hard to imagine Cindy, in a brightly colored designer jacket with her hair piled high, not standing in the Number 1 position on the red carpet, asking questions, taking notes, getting a bunch of quotes to sprinkle through the next several columns. Cindy, if you don’t get back here in a hurry, I’m going to start telling your real story! And it’s a doozy.

Cavalia: They Love Horses, Don’t They? (They Sure Do)

Roger Friedman
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Cavalia: They Love Horses, Don’t They? (They Sure Do)

Run–do not walk–maybe gallop over to a series of dreamlike white tents that have planted down in the Meadowlands Sports Center next to the Izod Center. That’s where “Cavalia,” the Cirque du Soleil-like horse pageant opened last night.

:Cavalia” is the brainchild of Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil. He was there in 1988 when Cirque first came to what was then a not totally built Battery Park City. Twenty one years ago Latourelle got the idea to bring dozens (actual number: 60) of Arabian horses and the best trapeze artists, acrobats, and performers together. He commissioned a musical score by Michel Cusson. In 2003, he opened the show in his home town of Montreal. Since then, it’s traveled to Miami, Los Angeles, and a few other locales.

You have to see “Cavalia” to understand the majesty of these magnificent horses. Not only are they each individual beauties, they are also the best groomed horses in the world. Visitors can see them backstage in their stalls. These horses are living quite a nice life. And no, they are not sitting around smoking cigars and playing poker at night. They’re getting amazing attention!

On stage, the horses run like the wind. The human players are remarkably athletic, with riding abilities that mimic the best in Hollywood westerns. The result is like being out in the desert, and being an eyewitness to nature.

There’s also one segment where about a half dozen white and palomino stallions and geldings gather on stage by themselves, without a trainer, and have what amounts to a cocktail party. The trainer finally arrives and appears to very little to get them organized. It’s quite a scene.

“Cavalia” is in the Meadowlands officially through June 20th, but it’s already sold out. Latourelle is considering a longer stay, but has to leave once football season starts ramping up mid summer. So hurry and get over there.

Spider Man on Broadway Points to November Opening

Roger Friedman
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Spider Man on Broadway Points to November Opening

Believe it or not, “Spider Man: Turn off the Dark” is in full swing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o29VoxtsFk

At $52 million, “Spider Man” is a musical that Broadway may find spins quite a web. But the show–with direction by Julie Taymor, music by U2, and nasty comments from theater twits–is going to happen. I am told that previews are being planned for October, with a late November opening being circled. “Spider Man” will open before the end of 2010, I am assured.

Indeed, the cast and crew are headed to Las Vegas shortly for boot camp. They’re going to learn how to fly at the Foy Flying School, the best theatrical flying academy in the world, which happens to be in Sin City. So everyone’s packing up and getting ready to bolt for insane hot temperatures, pulleys, and nets. And slot machines.

“Spider Man” will offer a lot of flying–even more than we just saw in Cirque du Soleil’s amazing”Cavalia” out at the Izod Theatre in the Meadowlands. Almost no one will be spared the chance to zoom around American Airlines Theater. Even Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker/Spider Man, will be showing off his aviation skills. It won’t be left just to the actors who play silent Spider-men.

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