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Couric vs. Cooper: Katie’s Safe at CBS

Roger Friedman
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Couric vs. Cooper: Katie’s Safe at CBS

couriccooper Couric vs. Cooper: Katies Safe at CBSToday’s story in the New York Times about Katie Couric vs. Anderson Cooper: Insiders tell me it’s more than likely that Cooper’s team planted the story.

“He wants out of CNN,” they say. “His ratings are terrible, and he’s miserable.”

This may be true. The sources do concede that Cooper has met with CBS News chiefs, but that the conversations are more about either anchoring the “CBS Morning Show” or joining “60 Minutes” in a more permanent way. Cooper already contributes to the latter show as a freelancer, so to speak.

A few things about this new wrinkle. For one, Katie gets about 6 million viewers per night. Cooper has less than 1 million. So CBS is unlikely to make that switch. It’s not like Oprah wants to come in and do the 6:30 news.

Second, as Couric’s contract ends in May 2011, she’s brought stability and likability to the evening news. Her weekly webcasts are very popular. And the show has gotten a bunch of awards recently. CBS News’ Sean McManus, insiders point out, is unlikely to tamper with all that.

So don’t start planning for the Invasion of the Silver Fox just yet. And something tells me that Cooper and his powerhouse agent Richard Liebner did plant the Times story just to rattle CNN’s cage a little bit. The esteemed cable news network isn’t going to let Cooper go anytime soon.

Modine, Linney, Stars Descend on Broadway

Roger Friedman
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Modine, Linney, Stars Descend on Broadway

It’s March 1, and that means plenty of well-known names are arriving (or have recently arrived) on Broadway. It’s Tony season, with new plays and lots of A-list actors filling up our dance card through June.

On Friday night I caught Matthew Modine playing Helen Keller’s father in “The Miracle Worker.” This is a striking and sensational new production directed by Kate Whoriskey (”Ruined”) at the Circle in the Square. Modine brings new life to the role of Helen’s sympathetic but frustrated father, Dr. Arthur Keller,’ that should bring him accolades. Moreover, Abigail Breslin, of “Little Miss Sunshine” fame, a past Oscar nominee, shows off her burgeoning talents as Helen. Patty Duke will be proud to see who inherited her famous role. I’m told that the Patty Duke-Anne Bancroft film’s director, Arthur Penn, has already stopped in to give the new show his blessing…Richard Kind, of “A Serious Man” and “Spin City” fame, brought his eight year old daughter…

…Laura Linney has already gotten rave reviews for her work in Manhattan Theater Club’s “Time Stands Still” written by Donald Margulies. She is exceptional but the whole cast is top notch including Brian D’arcy James, Alicia Silverstone, and Eric Bogosian. Linney plays a war journalist photographer, James is her husband who is also a journalist. At one point in the show he admits to Linney’s character that he’s caved in and done a celebrity profile for Vanity Fair. I asked James–who previously played Shrek on Broadway–who he thought his character was writing about. “I picked the most famous and outrageous person I could think of,” he said. “Lady GaGa!”… Emile Hirsch was in our audience…

…Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie of “The Hurt Locker” will miss the Oscars on Sunday because he’s opening in “Behanding in Spokane” this week with Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell…And Jeff Daniels has returned to “God of Carnage,” but playing the role originated by James Gandolfini. That’s a first. Making this new round of “Carnage” intriguing is the addition of Janet McTeer, playing the role she originated in London. I would watch Janet McTeer read the phone book. She is amazing…

Carly: ‘Nothing to Do with David Geffen!’

Roger Friedman
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Carly: ‘Nothing to Do with David Geffen!’

Carly Simon was en route to the UK when the British papers got all the signals wrong about her song “You’re So Vain.”

She emailed me last night: “What a riot! Nothing to do with David Geffen! What a funny mistake! Someone got a clue mistaken for another mistake!”

As I wrote in the previous post about this subject, Carly did not even know David Geffen when she wrote the song in 1971.

She also writes: “How can this guessing game stop without a lie?”

Well, one way would be to tell the real story. But why do that now and spoil all the fun?

Meantime, and more importantly, Carly’s lawsuit against Starbucks aka Hear Music continues apace. I’ll have more on that this week. Hear Music released Simon’s “This Kind of Love” on the same day it went out of business. Among other things, Simon wants the album back so she can re-release it. Yes, she has clouds in her coffee, literally.

Meanwhile, Simon hits Britain tomorrow on a promotional tour for her “Never Been Gone” album. The album contains the new version of “You’re So Vain” embedded with clues. But David Geffen can rest easy. He would never have been caught dead wearing an apricot scarf, anyway!

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nominee, ‘Can’t Wait’ for Oscars

Roger Friedman
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Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nominee, ‘Can’t Wait’ for Oscars

mgylenhaal Maggie Gyllenhaal, Nominee, Cant Wait for OscarsMaggie Gyllenhaal, nominated for best supporting actress for “Crazy Heart,” is really just happy to be nominated for an Oscar.

“I’m going to enjoy all of it,” she told me the other night at a USA Network/Vanity Fair party held in the thick of the big snowstorm. All the USA Network TV shows were being celebrated–”Characters Approved.” There were lots of TV people roaming around Barry Diller’s magnificent IAC Building lobby waiting to hear the cast of “American Idiot” perform. Gyllenhaal was one of a few who were just being saluted for being themselves. Nora Ephron was another. (The IAC building looked like a giant lit up snowflake on the dreary West Side.)

I ran into Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell, stars of “Burn Notice.” Tamara Tunie, from “Law and Order,” was there with her singer husband Gregory. Matthew Bomer, star of “White Collar,” brought his blue eyes. (He was once almost cast to play Superman.) Also shaking off the blizzard: Piper Perabo, Saffron Burrows, Gabrielle Anwar, designer Narciso Rodriguez, and “Precious” Best Actress nominee Gabourey Sidibe. An animated Marc Feuerstein, of “Royal Pains,” emceed the presentation of various awards like he was George Jessel at a bar mitzvah.

Constantine Maroulis, of “American Idol” fame, told me he was taking a night off from “Rock of Ages” before heading back into the musical’s grueling weekend schedule (five shows from Friday through Sunday).

And then there was Maggie. “I’m looking forward to doing the whole thing, all the parties. I know it’s crazy, but why not?” she said. I agree! Embrace Oscar Week. “I’m hoping I can bring my mom, too, to the Governors Ball.” That’s screenwriter Naomi Foner. Otherwise, Maggie’s date will be actor husband, Peter Sarsgaard, who shoulda been nominated for his supporting role in “An Education.”

“My mom is throwing me a little party over the weekend,” Maggie confided. “Just family, and my teachers.” Her eyes lit up. “But they we’re going to do everything.” She has a full understanding of Mo’Nique’s trajectory as the “Precious” favorite.

“She’s the one person I really wanted to meet,” Maggie said. “But she didn’t come to the Nominees Luncheon.”

And Gyllenhaal is psyched for her co-star, the odds on favorite Best Actor, Jeff Bridges. “If he wins, it will bring the movie to a wider audience, and that’s all anyone wants.”

‘Bourne’ Again? New Installment Seems Doubtful

Roger Friedman
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‘Bourne’ Again? New Installment Seems Doubtful

bourne Bourne Again? New Installment Seems DoubtfulAt the rate things are going, a fourth installment of the “Bourne” series remains, sadly, doubtful.

Last night at the premiere of “Green Zone,” starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass — who directed “The Bourne Ultimatum” — the question was asked. And really, no one could answer it.

Of course, Matt Damon told this column months ago that he wouldn’t make a Bourne movie without Greengrass.

Now Matt can only shrug. At the party at Nobu 57 following the “Green Zone” screening, there was a low murmur about trying to do a “Bourne” prequel. Ever since “Star Trek” (2009) took off , everyone in Hollywood wants to make a prequel about the early days of known characters. Look for Woody Allen to make “Alvy Singer, Teenage Hero” soon. (Just kidding. But Grammy Hall would be much younger.)

Greengrass told me, “I don’t think I’ll do it. I’ve done it.” A Universal source said, “We have to wait for a script.” Damon doesn’t know. He’s pushing “Green Zone” and getting ready for the role of his life in the Coen Bros.’ update of “True Grit.”

“It’s based on the original novel, not the John Wayne movie,” he said. “The script is amazing. And yes, it’s violent.”

A soft persistent snow fell ceaselessly while Damon et al chowed down on Nobu specialities like rock shrimp and sashimi salad. No one wanted to leave, starting with knockout international model Frederique van der Wal, actress Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson, or even out of left field guest former Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy.

Matt did tell me a couple more things of interest. He and Ben Affleck have set up a deal to try and make the story of Yankee pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Petersen. But it’s a long way down the road, since no script exists and no one’s ure how to write the saga of teammates who switched wives. Screenwriters Brian Koppelman and David Levien (”Oceans 13,” “Rounders”) said they’d been collecting info on the two couples for years. Maybe they’ll wind up writing it.

“Ben has always wanted to make that film,” said Matt. Affleck–the two will always be connected–debuts a new film he directed later this year called “The Town.” His “The Company Men” which played at Sundance may wind up with The Weinstein Company, sources say. “The Company Men” is a good, very real and troubling film with surprising performances by Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, and Tommy Lee Jones.

But no more Bourne for now, folks. Go see the “Green Zone” when it opens March 11th. It’s the closest thing to being Bourne again.

[CORRECTED: There are three movies in the “Bourne” series.]

You’re So Wrong: Carly Simon Song NOT About David Geffen

Roger Friedman
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You’re So Wrong: Carly Simon Song NOT About David Geffen

The British papers have gone crazy over a 38-year-old story. And they’ve got it all wrong, of course.

For years, Carly Simon has teased the public that “You’re So Vain,” her signature record, was about Warren Beatty. She always said the character– who flew his Lear Jet to Nova Scotia “to see a total eclipse of the sun” — was a combination of egotistic former dates.

Now, Simon has re-recorded “You’re So Vain” in an “unplugged” style for a new album called “Never Been Gone.” As a nod of the hat to the Beatles, Carly says the word “David” backwards as a red herring. She’s let it slip that it might be a clue about the song’s real-life inspiration.

The British papers decided this must be David Geffen. They stole that idea from a blog by Brandon Kim posted last November here.

Brandon Kim made a mistake, and the Brits followed it. Listen to me carefully: He said that Simon was mad at Geffen because he ran her record company and paid too much attention to labelmate Joni Mitchell.

Wrong.

David Geffen had nothing to do with Carly Simon in 1972. He ran Asylum Records. She was on Elektra. Jac Holzman ran Elektra and was in charge of the album “No Secrets” and the song “You’re So Vain.”

It wasn’t until the next year that Elektra was merged with Asylum. In 1974, Carly released another album, called “Hot Cakes,” on Elektra. Joni Mitchell released “Court and Spark.” Says a friend of Simon: “Carly was upset that Geffen paid more attention to Joni, but that was well after ‘You’re So Vain.’ He is not the man in the song.”

SCOOP: According to someone who worked on the “Never Been Gone” there are two other names spoken backwards and hidden in the new recording. They are clues. One is Warren. The other, I can’t figure out. I haven’t had to play a record backwards since Paul McCartney “died” in 1969. Good luck, everyone. This column remains steadfast that Beatty is the guy. But you never know.

Rolling Stones’ Long-Banned Film Is Coming (Kinda)

Roger Friedman
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Rolling Stones’ Long-Banned Film Is Coming (Kinda)

Fans of the Rolling Stones know all about a little known underground film that could not be released in the early 1970s. It was called “Cocksucker Blues.” It was made around the time of he recording of “Exile on Main Street” in 1971 and it contained some racy, racy stuff. (Considering what we see on YouTube and from Paris Hilton, however, it may seem tame now!)

Well now: Ten minutes of “CB” are being included officially in a 30-minute documentary that the Stones will release in May. The other 20 minutes comprise 10 minutes of a film that was released but few saw called “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones” (out of print and unavailable since 1974) and 10 more minutes of a new full-length doc called “Stones in Exile,” made by director Stephen Kijack. That latter title will also be released as a full-length doc at the same time in a format still to be determined.

And all of this comes along with a new full-length version of the album “Exile on Main Street,” which will now have 10 extra tracks in addition to “Tumbling Dice,” “Happy,” “Sister Morphine” and all the classic songs we already know from the original.

“Exile” comes from the Stones’ most fertile period, right after “Sticky Fingers” a year before. The Stones had just signed with Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records, escaping from their old contract with Allen Klein and Decca and London Records. Mick had just married Bianca, and their world was on fire. Oh to have been a fly on the wall from that period! It’s hoped that “Stones in Exile” will provide that feeling. And maybe there will be new unexpurgated full-length versions of “CB” on the black market (do they still call it that? or is it eBay?). Anyway, I saw it way back in 1981, on something called a Betamax, and it proved the Stones were the Greatest rock ‘n’ roll Band in the world — for many reasons!

Jack Nicholson Helps Send N.Y.’s Most Famous Flack South

Roger Friedman
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Jack Nicholson Helps Send N.Y.’s Most Famous Flack South

Bobby Zarem is heading south. He’s leaving on Sunday to go live in his beloved Savannah, Ga., where he’s been the mastermind for the city’s film festival for many years.

New York without Bobby Zarem? It’s unimaginable. Like New York without bagels. Or taxis. He’s the only publicist about whom a movie was made — “People I Know,” starring Al Pacino, Bobby’s pal, as the garrulous flack.

His sort of farewell party was at Elaine’s, where Bobby’s thrown a million parties for a million authors, actors, and raconteurs. The place filled up fast with a variety of well-known faces, from actor Josh Lucas to the inimitably elegant Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of the legend Gary Cooper, from Patti D’Arbanville to Art Garfunkel and his beautiful singing wife, Kim.

There were plenty of Elaine’s regulars. The spirit of Neil Travis hovered. Page Six’s Richard Johnson was chatting amicably with his former competitor Lloyd Grove, who used to be at the Daily News. Joanna Molloy, still of the News, was happy to see Broadway producer Judy Gordon, who also saw producer David Richenthal, who was in turn gushing about Matthew Modine’s performance in his new production of “The Miracle Worker.” And so on. There were clutches of movie publicists from the different studios. Famed manager and former agent Johnnie Planco with partner Gene Parseghian, TV producer Fred Rappaport, children’s book publisher Josh Gaspero and so on made the scene. I saw Bob Wallace, who survived a term as editor of Rolling Stone when it was still a real magazine.

It was generally acknowledged that even with Bobby returning occasionally from the South, an end of an era had finally arrived. Years ago, Bobby invented Denise Rich, for example, when she wrote a song about New York. To get an inscribed invite to a Zarem party at Elaine’s meant you’d really, really made it.

Into all this came Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter to shake Zarem’s hand and wish him well. The sea of people parted. And then the phone rang.

“Jack Nicholson is calling,” said Diane Becker, who manages Elaine’s. Even Carter was impressed. Bobby swam across the room to grab the pay phone. “Jack Nicholson is calling you.” someone else said to him. No big deal, really. Bobby responded, “We talk all the time,” he said.

‘Hurt Locker’ Producer Blows Himself Up with E-mails

Roger Friedman
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‘Hurt Locker’ Producer Blows Himself Up with E-mails

“Hurt Locker” producer Nicholas Chartier has gotten himself into hot water. A novice to the Oscar process, Chartier violated Academy rules by sending out an e-mail to voters last week.

Here’s what he said:

I hope all is well with you.’ I just wanted to write you and say I hope you liked Hurt Locker and if you did and want us to win, please tell Pierce and your friends who vote for the Oscars, tell actors, directors,crew members, art directors, special effects people, if everyone tells one or two of their friends, we will win and not a $500M film, we need independent movies to win like the movies you and I do, so if you believe The Hurt Locker is the best movie of 2010, help us!

I’m sure you know plenty of people you’ve worked with who are academy members whethere a publicist, a writer, a sound engineer, please take 5 minutes and contact them. Please call one or two persons, everything will help!

Consequently, Chartier has been advised of his mistake, and sent this e-mail as a follow-up:

My email to you was out of line and not in the spirit of the celebration of cinema that this acknowledgement is. I was even more wrong, both personally and professionally, to ask for your help in encouraging others to vote for the film and to comment on another movie. As’ passionate as I am about the film’ we made, this was an extremely inappropriate email to send, and something that the Academy strongly disapproves of in the rules.

My naivete, ignorance of the rules and plain stupidity as a first time nominee’ is not an excuse for this behavior and I strongly regret it. Being nominated for an Academy Award is the ultimate honor and I should have taken the time to read the rules.

I am emailing’ each person this very same statement asking’ to retract my previous email and requesting that you please disregard it.

I truly apologize to anyone I have offended.

So now what? Chartier is obviously freaked out, as “The Hurt Locker” didn’t really need this kind of help or attention less than a week before ballots are due in. Will there be an uproar? We all know that if Scott Rudin or Harvey Weinstein had sent this kind of e-mail, there would be demonstrations in the streets and ritual sacrifices.

And the Academy does consider what happened as a serious violation of rules. Here’s the official stance: “The original email was indeed a violation of the Academy’s campaign regulations.’ Any announcement about any action the Academy might choose to take will not come until after balloting has closed on Tuesday (5 p.m. PT).”

J.R. Ewing of Radio in Texas Election Battle

Roger Friedman
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J.R. Ewing of Radio in Texas Election Battle

sjlee J.R. Ewing of Radio in Texas Election BattleIn Texas there’s a fierce battle over a Congressional primary being held this Tuesday. And pop radio seems to be the issue.

Democrat Sheila Jackson-Lee, who’s been a great and vocal member of’ Congress since 1994, has done a lot of good things during her run in Washington. One of the best things is her fight to help recording artists get paid by radio stations. She’s one of the supporters of the important Performance Rights Act (HR 848).

But Lee’s support has made her a target from a couple of special interest groups. I’m told that the National Association of Broadcasters — the lobbying group that represents the wealthy radio monopolies — as well as Radio One, a 52-station network of black radio stations — has been piling on Lee to knock her out of office. There’s a primary vote in Texas on Tuesday, March 2.

In particular, Radio One’s Cathy Hughes, sources say, has been using her Houston station to dump on Lee and support her opponent. Hughes is terrified of the Performance Rights Act because if it passed, she’d have to contribute to a pool that actually paid musicians for being paid on the radio. Hughes actually has a web page where she sings out of key and misstates facts about the Bill.

Down in Texas, Cathy Hughes – who lives in Washington, D.C., and is wealthier than most of the musicians who get played on her stations — has used J.R. Ewing-like methods against Sheila Jackson-Lee, sources say. “She’s pounding Lee,” says a Texas radio listener, on the three local Radio One Houston stations and two more in Dallas.

Since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll in the ’50s, radio has had to pay only the writers of songs they play. But the actual singers and musicians have received nothing. This is particularly daunting for performers who didn’t write their songs. That includes everyone from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand to Whitney Houston, Linda Ronstadt and Judy Collins.

Take the latter case: Collins sang and popularized Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.” But only Mitchell gets paid when Collins’ record is played on the radio. It’s been 40 years since the record sold copies. But it’s played every day, somewhere. Collins’ only option to make money from it is to go out and do concerts.

Radio One and the NAB oppose this. They think Judy Collins should be out concertizing til she’s 90.

And the NAB is serious about trying to kill the Performance Rights Act. This month, for example, the lobbying group ran 60 commercial spots in one week — over just seven days — on WTOP in Washington, D.C. (not a Radio One station), against the Performance Rights Act. And guess what? There was no charge from WTOP even though the ads were worth over $100,000. They were free.

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