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Flashback: May Pang Recalls John Lennon’s Famous 1974 Thanksgiving Show with Elton John

Roger Friedman
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Flashback: May Pang Recalls John Lennon’s Famous 1974 Thanksgiving Show with Elton John

After all these years I asked May Pang about John Lennon‘s surprise visit to Elton John‘s 1974 Thanksgiving show at Madison Square Garden. The date was November 28, 1974. I remember it well since I went to the show the next night. You see, I was 17, and it was Thanksgiving. We knew there was no way the parents would let us go that night. All day Friday there was press from the night before. Alas, no Lennon on Friday. The magic was gone.

May recalls that Elton had taken the S.S. France from England to New York. Cynthia Lennon and Julian were also on the boat. Elton came and recorded the piano parts on John’s song, “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night.” They made a deal that if the single hit #1, John would have to come and perform at an Elton John show.

When the record hit #1 right away, Elton called. “He said, I don’t want to put you on the spot, but we agreed,” Pang recalls. “So we went up to Boston with Elton and watched his show from backstage. Just to see how it worked.”

Then the plan was to choose songs for the New York show. “John said, Let’s do I Saw Her Standing There,’ May says. “He said, It’s Paul [McCartney]‘s song, but it’s ok.’ They did that, Whatever Gets You Thru the Night, and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’

Prior to the show, May recalls, everyone went to Thanksgiving dinner at Linda Stein’s house. There was an after party at the Pierre Hotel. And why was Yoko there? “Yoko called us every day. One day I said to her, John is going to play with Elton John at the Garden. We invited her.”

John, May says, made sure she– Pang–was on stage and in sight when he went on with Elton John. “He said he’d be alright if he could see me dancing.”

“The Fighter” vs. “The Town”: Will 2010 Oscars Take Two Boston Films?

Roger Friedman
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“The Fighter” vs. “The Town”: Will 2010 Oscars Take Two Boston Films?

Ever since “Good Will Hunting,” Hollywood loves a Boston accent.

The sharper the accent, the fewer hard r’s, the better for everyone.

It was just a few seasons ago that Martin Scorsese‘s “The Departed”– or “The Dep-ah-ted”–won the award for Best Picture.

We’ve also also had Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” and Ben Affleck’s “Gone Baby Gone” starring brother Casey.

Earlier this fall, Affleck returned with “The Town.” It’s a great film that did surprisingly well at the box office. Affleck, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner were all good. Blake Lively was a pleasant surprise.

But can the Oscars take two Boston movies in one season? Soon to come is David O. Russell‘s “The Fighter.” Unlike Affleck, Russell is not from the Boston area. You could say Affleck has him a leg up on hometown sympathy.

But Russell has Mark Wahlberg, the flip side of the Afflecks (Ben and Casey) and Matt Damon. His gang didn’t go to Harvard. As Wahlberg says whenever gets the chance, nearly everyone he went to school with is either dead or in jail. He’s not kidding.

“The Fighter” is also based on a real person, local boxer Micky Ward, and his eccentric family. Eccentric really helps here, too, because the two supporting performances are the kind spectacular showings that Oscar voters will love. Melissa Leo, so good in “Frozen River” a couple of years ago, is outstanding as Micky’s ambitious mom. And Christian Bale, who should write a book about gaining and losing weight on a whim, wears Micky’s brother, Dickie, tighter than his Batman suit. This is nothing to say of top notch work by Amy Adams and Wahlberg himself.

If there’s room for only Boston flick on this year’s Oscar card, I’m going to bet it’s for “The Fighter.” That’s going to sting for Affleck–after all, it’s his town. But fighting and the Oscars are similar in that they’re both about luck and timing.

PS Now just watch the Boston Film Critics give their award to “The King’s Speech” or “The Social Network.” Hah! Won’t that be a freakin’ laugh?

Sheryl Crow to Kids in Audience: “Is Your Dad Single?”

Roger Friedman
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Sheryl Crow to Kids in Audience: “Is Your Dad Single?”

Sheryl Crow put on a live show Thursday night for the venerable Samuel Waxman Cancer Research charity. This is a big annual event that brings in deep pockets from Wall Street. By the looks of things, the group took in between $3 and $4 million during the evening. Not bad.

But it was Crow’s performance that everyone waited around for, and she didn’t disappoint. The cancer survivor brought her whole band, with back up singers, and keyboardist, and played for nearly an hour. (Not for free, either.)

Most of the set was cover songs, which seemed to put her in a good mood. Her own “You’re My Favorite Mistake” rocked harder than expected. It was only toward the end of the non-encore show that she tossed in more recognizable hits like “If It Makes You Happy” and “All I Wanna Do (Is Have Some Fun).”

(Some said she was already back in one of her two Manhattan apartments before the backup singers were in their dressing rooms.

During an early number though, Crow found some kids at the foot of the heavily guarded (ridiculously so for a private event) stage. She leaned down and said to one kid, “How old are you? I’ll be a cougar. I’m 48.” She then joked, “Is your dad single?”

Note to Sheryl: if you’re really shopping for dates while on the road, brush up that road crew and security you’ve got. They’re no way to meet people.

Keith Urban’s Dedication to Nicole Kidman: “I Continue to Be Brought to My Knees”

Roger Friedman
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Keith Urban’s Dedication to Nicole Kidman: “I Continue to Be Brought to My Knees”

Keith Urban has a new album out, the excellent–if too short–“Get Closer.”

And he dedicates it, of course, to his wife, Nicole Kidman.

Keith writes:

“Nicole Mary–i continue to be brought to my knees by this love of ours…I am in awe of how this blessed family we are creating stretches and fearlessly opens my vulnerable heart…and I just want to be a better man, for you, and father for our heavenly Sunday Rose, and have you go to sleep every night knowing that no one has ever, or will ever, love you as much I do…and all we need is faith…”

Urban has always been pitched as a country singer. Of course he and his blessed family are based in Nashville. But after listening to “Get Closer,” I’d say he’s really more in the vein of the Eagles or Southern California country. On “Get Closer” he reminds me more of Dan Fogelberg than Johnny Cash. The songs are tremendously catchy country rock. My only concern is there are only eight of them. Four more would have been perfect. But we’ll have to take what we can get.

On the other hand, “Get Closer” has no filler. Urban doesn’t write all the songs, which is nice; a few of them are from Nashville songwriters (which must make the local publishers very happy). He wrote “Long Hot Summer” with Richard Marx, and a few others with his partner, Darrell Brown. I also really liked a non-Urban number called “Without You,” which could cross over to pop radio. (Think out of the box, guys.) All the songs are full of characters and conversation, just like a movie (hey Nicole).  Well done.

Quincy Jones Exclusive Video Interview: “Joe Jackson Is a Liar”

Roger Friedman
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Quincy Jones Exclusive Video Interview: “Joe Jackson Is a Liar”

Quincy Jones–he’s one of my heroes, I won’t beat around the bush. Long before he hooked up with Michael Jackson, Q was an all-star musician and composer. He produced the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles, besides leading his own band around the world.

Quincy’s new album, “Soul Bossa Nostra,” features tons of today’s stars reinterpreting his music. John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg are all on it. I am partial to a track he did with Mary J. Blige called “Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me,” an update of a 1981 number he did with Stevie Wonder and Patti Austin. It’s the best Mary J has ever sounded.

The album is accompanied by a book called “Q on Producing.” If you’re even slightly interested in popular music of the last 40 years, this book is a gift. It’s also a great holiday item for coffee tables, as long as you read it. I’ve devoured it.

That Quincy is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the great shames of that organization. But he doesn’t care, and he doesn’t need it.

It was Q–not to diminish Michael Jackson–who made “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad” happen. Don’t worry, he gives Michael a lot of credit, all due credit, as a songwriter. But producers are a special thing: they create the sound. Quincy brought 25 years of musical sophistication with him when he and Michael Jackson hooked up. He told me, as you’ll see that “Joe Jackson is a liar” when he says he was always in the studio with Michael. And still, as Quincy notes, “No one from that family has ever thanked me.”

We thank you, Q! Rock on!

PS Quincy still holds out hope of prroducing a long in the wings Stevie Wonder-Tony Bennett album–a project I announced a couple of years ago. Q is ready, guys. Let’s go!

CBS Cancels Medium: We Told You On October 28th

Roger Friedman
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CBS Cancels Medium: We Told You On October 28th

CBS has officially canceled “Medium,” starring Patricia Arquette.

We told you this on October 28th. Or rather, Arquette herself told us she already knew about. Hello!

http://tinyurl.com/2bo8jen

And that’s the way it goes. Arquette will go back to films, and has loads of other options for the future. Co-star Jake Weber got a little pr push of his own last spring when it turned out he was the real life 8 year old in the documentary about the Rolling Stones from 1972’s “Exile on Main Street.”

Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation is 98% White and Mostly Male

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation is 98% White and Mostly Male

http://tinyurl.com/2e4qj4o

The new weekly Hollywood Reporter is out, and they’ve really cracked the business wide open.

According to their cover feature on the Next Generation, Hollywood’s “Young Guns” are five white guys.

Inside the issue, featured among dozens of agents and actors, there are two–that’s right, two–men of color. One is African American. One was born in Uganda.

The only black actor of the next generation in Hollywood is Brandon T. Jackson, the “real” black guy from “Tropic Thunder.” The only executive? Tendo Nagenda, a VP of production at Disney.

Otherwise, Janice Min’s cutting edge magazine sadly reflects the fact that this year there are no non-white potential Oscar nominees. After last year’s excitement over “Precious,” this year there is no multi-culturalism at all. It’s a sad state of affairs for 2010 in Hollywood.

They’re so proud of what they’ve done that the new Hollywood Reporter even made a video of a party they threw recently. The link is at top. It’s a little embarrassing.

They managed to find a dozen actors, writers and directors under the age of 35 and not one of them is non-Caucasian. It’s just unbelievable.

Since THR couldn’t do it, here are some suggestions for Next Generation actors under 35:

Paula Patton, currently shooting “Mission: Impossible 4,” doesn’t turn 35 until next month. She’s talented, beautiful, and made a name for herself in “Precious.”

Jurnee Smollett is 24, and made quite an impression in “The Great Debaters.” So did Nate Parker, 31, who stars in George Lucas‘s “Red Tails.”

Anthony Mackie, 32, is already a star in the eyes of many. He’s got “The Adjustment Bureau” coming up, and is right now starring in “Night Catches Us” with another new generation star, Kerry Washington, who’s 33.

Of course, there are many, many more from Derek Luke and Joy Bryant to Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, nominee Gabby Sidibe, and Octavia Spencer, who’s going to be a knockout next season in “The Help.”

And directors: Gina Prince Bythewood (she’s 41), “Secret Life of Bees” and many other credits; Tim Story (40) directed both of the Fantastic Four movies and “Barbershop.”

Feel free to add some names in the Comments section. Let’s tell The Hollywood Reporter who they missed. Movies must be multi-cultural in order for Hollywood to survive.

Vanessa Redgrave’s Most Famous TV Movie 30th Anniversary Celebration

Roger Friedman
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Vanessa Redgrave’s Most Famous TV Movie 30th Anniversary Celebration

This Sunday, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones have a day off from “Driving Miss Daisy” on Broadway. Jones is spending a quiet day in his country home. But Redgrave is taking a trip back 30 years.

The actress’s most famous American TV performance, as Fania Fenelon in “Playing for Time,” is being celebrated at the Paley Center on Sunday afternoon on its 30th anniversary. Redgrave’s costar Jane Alexander and producer Linda Yellen are going to be interviewed by Pat Mitchell, who heads the center.

“Playing for Time” was made by CBS back when networks still produced important TV movies–now it’s up to HBO, Showtime, and PBS. The screenplay was by famed writer Arthur Miller. The cast included Christine Baranski, Shirley Knight, Marisa Berenson, Maud Adams, Robin Bartlett, and a pre-“thirtysomething” Melanie Mayron. Daniel Mann, award winning from films and Broadway, was the director.

The film was based on a memoir by Fenelon, an Auschwitz survivor from the Holocaust. Her story was legendary: to escape death in the worst concentration camp, she join an orchestra of prison women that entertained the Nazi commanders at the camp. “Playing for Time” remains a searing story of survival. It won the Emmy Award in 1981 for Best Movie. (There were many fewer categories then.) I’m surprised no one’s tried to remake it. Fenelon’s saga would make a natural role for Natalie Portman or even Gwyneth Paltrow.

Redgrave was a lightning rod when she made the movie because of her infamous pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist politics. There was a huge controversy about her playing Fenelon. But many actresses turned down the part because it required shaving their heads. Arthur Miller told the New York Times: ”I wasn’t aware of what an activist she was.” He said he decided ”to let the results justify themselves.” In the end, Redgrave proved to be an outstanding choice.

Ronni Chasen Memorialized By Her New York Friends

Roger Friedman
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Ronni Chasen Memorialized By Her New York Friends

Ronni Chasen, our beloved pal, so coldly and brutally murdered two days ago, was memorialized last night by her New York friends.

Producer Scott Rudin and long time publicity maven Kathie Berlin rounded up Ronni’s pals and brought them to the back room of Michael’s restaurant on West 55th St.

Among the teary eyed guests was actor Bob Balaban and composer Elliot Goldenthal. Harvey Weinstein paid an unexpected visit; he and Rudin set aside their differences in deference to Ronni.

Publicists and journalists from all over the city poured in and shared stories about Ronni including how she got her name. The New York Times’s Paula Schwartz divined from Ronni’s ex sister- in-law (they were still great friends) that the famed publicist had borrowed “Chasen” from the famed Hollywood restaurant Chasen’s. D’uh! It was a witty choice on Ronni’s part. Otherwise she’d have been Ronni Cohen.

Kathie Berlin, who worked at Rogers & Cowan eons ago with Ronni, was the only speaker. She recalled how Ronnie was at Warren Cowan‘s hospital bedside when he passed away. She also said that recently when someone had asked the old friends how long they’d known each other, Berlin replied: “forty years.” Chasen, she said, piped up: “25!”

“Ronni would not have been happy to see her age in the newspaper,” Berlin laughed.

Many of the guests are heading west for Ronni’s funeral on Sunday in Los Angeles. And while our memorial was the first of many ways to say goodbye to a friend, this is just the beginning. There are more questions than answers about what happened to her on Monday night at the corner of Sunset and Whittier in Beverly Hills. And this is a group of friends who want answers.

PS No fund has been set up in memory of Ronni Chasen. If anyone solicits money or requests donations of any kind, this a fabrication. One Hollywood publicist has been rumored to have asked for checks made out in his name. This is quite shameful. Ronni is survived by her brother, veteran Hollywood screenwriter Larry Cohen, and his five children.

Harry Potter 7: So Much Security, and It’s On Line Anyway

Roger Friedman
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Harry Potter 7: So Much Security, and It’s On Line Anyway

Remember I told you that on Monday night, security was crazy at the premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”? All bags going into the theater were emptied. The security guards walked around using night goggles in Alice Tully Hall to catch video pirates.

And guess what? The first 36 minutes of “Harry Potter 7” as I call it — they’re online. The trades say they’re on BitTorrent. On the imdb.com message boards, fans are discussing it.

Hey it was only 18 months ago when I wasn’t allowed to discuss the pirating of “Wolverine.” Whatever did happen to that man they arrested in the Bronx? Hmm…

Anyway, all of that clamping down on Monday night, and it lead to this.

Listen, the security was so bad at Monday’s screening that all the regular crashers–there’s a whole cast of characters, well known to the staffs of all the security companies–made it inside the theater. Not only that, Alice Tully Hall was stocked with off duty NYPD cops who were too busy telling people they couldn’t use the bathrooms to see who was doing what.

Piracy is not funny, and it’s way out of hand. My whole point 18 months ago was that this has become prevalent, and that the wrong steps are being taken to prevent it.

On the other hand, “Wolverine” was a big hit; the piracy didn’t hurt the box office. I doubt it will stop people from seeing “Deathly Hallows” on a big screen.

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