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Controversial Director Roman Polanski and His 1977 “Victim,” Samantha Geimer, Pose for Smiling Picture Together in Paris

Roger Friedman
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Controversial Director Roman Polanski and His 1977 “Victim,” Samantha Geimer, Pose for Smiling Picture Together in Paris

Roman Polanski is hated around the world for his encounter in 1977 with 13 year old Samantha Geimer in Hollywood. He was arrested for rape, spent time in jail, and then fled the US when the judge was about to renege on his release.

Forty five years later, Geimer and her husband, David, met with Polanski and his wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, in Paris. The two men interviewed each other for a French magazine cover in which Geimer and Seigner agreed that Polanski was not to blame for anything. Geimer has always maintained her support of Polanski.

While the Geimers were in Paris, David took a photo of his wife and Polanski. They are all smiles.

Geimer told the French magazine:

“Let me be very clear: what happened with Polanski was never a big problem for me. I didn’t even know it was illegal, that someone could be arrested for it. I was fine, I’m still fine. The fact that we’ve made this [a big deal] weighs on me terribly. To have to constantly repeat that it wasn’t a big deal, it’s a terrible burden.

“The extradition attempt, the fact that Roman was arrested like that, it was so unfair and so in opposition to justice,” Geimer also said in the Le Pointe interview. “Everyone should know by now that Roman has served his sentence. Which was… long, if you want my opinion. From my side, nobody wanted him to go to jail, but he did and it was enough. He paid his debt to society. There, end of story. He did everything that was asked of him until the situation went berserk he had no other choice but to flee. Anyone who thinks that he deserves to be in prison is wrong. It isn’t the case today and it wasn’t the case yesterday.”

Exclusive: Double Oscar (and Emmy) Winner Michael Douglas Will Be Part of the Opening Ceremony at Cannes This Year

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Double Oscar (and Emmy) Winner Michael Douglas Will Be Part of the Opening Ceremony at Cannes This Year

The Cannes Film Festival opening night is going to be pretty incredible.

Already chosen for the opening is “Jeanne duBarry,” which features an extended cameo from Johnny Depp. The actor will not miss the red carpet at the Palais, believe me. He needs this exposure for his comeback, whatever that may be.

I already told that Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Catherine Deneuve and the late Marcello Mastoianna, will appear on stage opening night and help open the festival. Both her parents are/were Cannes darlings. I scooped that Deneuve’s photograph is being used this year on the festival poster.

Now comes from two time Oscar winner Michael Douglas that he will also be part of the opening night ceremony. This is great news. Douglas is one of our great actors and movie stars. He won the acting Oscar in 1986 for “Wall Street.” He also won the producer’s Oscar for making “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975. His other acclaimed performances include “Fatal Attraction,” “The China Syndrome,” “Solitary Man,” “Wonder Boys,” “Traffic,” and “The American President.” His “Falling Down” is a cult classic.

Douglas may be the only American on stage as director Ruben Ostlund is head of the jury. We’ll see who Ostlund enlists. It’s not clear if Douglas will stick around the festival. He’s taking his family, including Oscar winning wife Catherine Zeta Jones, on a European vacation.

Broadway Review: Ben Platt, Micaela Diamond Don’t Let the “Parade” Pass Them By In Stunning Revival of Controversial Musical

Regina Weinreich
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Broadway Review: Ben Platt, Micaela Diamond Don’t Let the “Parade” Pass Them By In Stunning Revival of Controversial Musical

Looking mild-mannered, even Evan Hanson-ish, Ben Platt plays the real-life historic figure Leo Frank, a Jew who was lynched in the early 20th century in Atlanta. Lynching, a gruesome act of violence performed in the American South, and illustrated by Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” is not the customary way of doing away with Jews as we think of it. Still, this really happened. As the musical “Parade”—yes, musical—moves on to its climax, we see how justice works when zealous prosecutors force witness testimony serving their agenda, however racist. And, when an antsy mob takes over. Or maybe that’s the easy excuse for getting rid of “others.” Chilling, riveting entertainment, Parade, now revived at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre is so fiercely good, it defies you to turn away.

Leo Frank from Brooklyn as written in Alfred Uhry’s excellent script, seemed secular enough to endure the south with its worship of confederate ideals. The play opens with a celebration of those who fought and died for this land. Anyone wondering about sources for white supremacy, see it here, in the exuberance of those who fought the war—the civil war of course. Leo Frank’s story takes place some fifty years after, with aging soldiers, soil still blood-soaked, and blacks finding their way. A proverbial fish out of water, Frank manages a factory. A little girl not yet fourteen working there, is dead. Accused and found guilty, innocent Frank is set to die. Prodded by Frank’s wife Lucille, a stunning performance by Micaela Diamond, the governor commutes his sentence, and that’s when the mob hits, completing their blood lust, as Frank says the “Shima,” (Hear O Israel, the Lord is One) prayer to God, questioning what purpose this death serves HIM. Very Job-like—it’s a heartbreak.

The supporting actors are excellent—singing Jason Robert Brown’s score and dancing Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant’s choreography; they could star in their own play. Ben Platt brings his own stardom and followers of course, but, under Michael Arden’s direction, plays it low key, even when he sits onstage for the 15-minute intermission as if echoing the dreary wait for his foregone end. By curtain call, standing among his fellow players, taking bows, Platt — who deserves many awards and accolades — notes of this very specific American antisemitism, “Yes this was grim, but now is worse.”

PS “Parade” is a revival. The original version played a short run in 1998. It didn’t work despite Hal Prince directing, choreography by Patricia Birch assisted by Rob Ashford. Carolee Carmello was the star along with Brent Carver. All of these people are A listers, but maybe it was too soon, or the chemistry was off. The second time around is a charm.

Friars Club Selling Historic Building Because They Have To: They’re in Foreclosure, Being Sued for $13 Million by Loaner, Inspection Cites Massive “Disrepair”

Roger Friedman
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Friars Club Selling Historic Building Because They Have To: They’re in Foreclosure, Being Sued for $13 Million by Loaner, Inspection Cites Massive “Disrepair”

This week, the Friars Club told the New York Post they’re selling their legendary building on East 55th St. without telling the whole story.

I wrote two weeks ago that the Friars are being sued for their $13 million mortgage loan. According to the Post, they’re seeking $18 million, so they can reap a $5 million benefit. They say they’ll rent the place from the new owner. But they have no money. The club has been destroyed by greed.

Kairos Credit Strategies, which owns the $13 million note, submitted a building inspection to the court on March 23, 2023.

According to the report:

“Generally, the premises was in a state of disrepair. The
bar on the ground floor, and the entertainment/meeting rooms on the second
and third floors app eared to be in decent condition, but there were multiple
places with evidence of water damage and mold (including the basement
kitchen, first floor entertainment room, and upper floor locker room), partially
demolished ceilings and floors, exposed wiring in the stairwell and uncovered
electrical panels, mounds of trash in rooms and corridors, and signs of
mice/roach presence. Most notably, there is a standing pool of water about one
inch deep in the sub‐basement. AEI indicated that they had evaluated the
premises before the loan was issued and that no renovations appear to have
occurred since then. Arthur Aidala, the Friars Club, had mentioned to Kairos that
the water in the property had been shut off and the property was not being used
for any purposes.”

Other Items of Note: “The fifth and sixth floors of the property are office space.
They contained piles and boxes of documents and were completely disorganized.
Papers in plain sight included a December 2022 judgment from New York
Supreme Court against the Club in the amount of approximately $17,000,
financial documents and notices, and a large amount of unopened mail.“

As I also wrote recently, the Friars let their 100 year old trademark lapse, and now they’re not allowed to retrieve it. Long ago they lost their 501c3 not for profit status. The building at 57 East 55th is not landmarked. We’ve reached the end for the Friars Club, which had so much history and vitality for so many decades. The people running the Friars for the last decade let this happen. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Carol Burnett Special Scores Huge Ratings for Wrong Network: Why Was It On NBC and Not CBS?

Roger Friedman
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Carol Burnett Special Scores Huge Ratings for Wrong Network: Why Was It On NBC and Not CBS?

The 90th birthday Carol Burnett special scored huge ratings Wednesday night. The show pulled in 7.6 million viewers and was number 1 across all broadcast networks.

But insiders are wondering why it wasn’t on CBS, Carol’s home for two decades, and on NBC instead?

The word is CBS passed on the special even though Carol was one of the superstars of the 60s and 70s who made them into the Tiffany Network. Even with all the A listers on the show, like Cher and Julie Andrews, the 90th birthday didn’t appeal to them.

Instead, Burnett — who owns her famous CBS show and all its clips — turned to NBC. They went for it without thinking twice, and their decision paid off handsomely.

Burnett is ageless, even at 90, and has gotten hipper over the years. Her old shows play every night on the MeTV Channel and have found a whole new audience.

In CBS’s defense, I will say the special was not well produced. It had a cheap look to it, and wasn’t well written. But fans didn’t care. A lot of the ratings success came from excellent marketing and word of mouth. What CBS didn’t understand is that Burnett represents a much needed nostalgia for calmer times— even though when the show aired, we had Watergate and Vietnam. But people weren’t vicious the way they are now.

Fox News Ratings Collapse with Dominion Scandal: Hannity Falls to Lowest Number Ever, Well Below 2 Million, Carlson Replacement Show Down By Two Thirds

Roger Friedman
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Fox News Ratings Collapse with Dominion Scandal: Hannity Falls to Lowest Number Ever, Well Below 2 Million, Carlson Replacement Show Down By Two Thirds

Fox News’s ratings are collapsing quickly following their $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting.

On Wednesday night, Sean Hannity’s 9pm show fell to its lowest number ever, 1.7 million. This is even lower than last Friday’s 1.98 million. In recent months, Hannity has been averaging 2.5 million viewers a night.

Hannity is very likely on the chopping block at Fox. But his sudden drop is attributable also to the surprise exit this past Monday morning of ousted Tucker Carlson. The replacement show at 8pm fell 50% on Tuesday and then totally collapsed on Wednesday, to just 1.33 million. Carlson prior to the Dominion scandal reveal was getting between 3.1 million and 3.4 million.

Fox News viewers are jumping ship like crazy now that the truth is out about the company’s anchors lying to them about the 2020 election. About half of them have suddenly developed a conscience. Or they want to be told more lies on Newsmax or OANN.

Also down is Laura Ingraham’s 10pm show, although that was never much of a draw. And Jesse Watters’ 7pm show has lost around 1 million viewers since April 17th.

Hannity is not alone on the chopping block, by the way. He and Maria Bartiromo face uncertain futures at the network, I’m told. So, too, are several executives who allowed the faces of the network to lie them into the nearly $800 million payout.

Night Out: Bebe Buell Brings Her New Book and Some Hot Songs to Shake Up the National Arts Club

Roger Friedman
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Night Out: Bebe Buell Brings Her New Book and Some Hot Songs to Shake Up the National Arts Club

Bebe Buell. So you know her as Liv Tyler’s mom, a force to be reckoned with as a rocker starting in the 70s after a career as a Ford Model and a Playboy cover star. She dated a lot of rock stars, some for long periods, but she’s also an author, a muse, and tribute to the expression Living Well is the Best Revenge.

In the old days with Todd Rundgren, the statuesque blonde used to hang out with Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, and other cool downtown denizens at Max’s Kansas City, on lower Park Avenue near 18th St. Last night, Buell hosted an intimate book signing (“Rebel Soul,” a hillarious and insightful read), cocktails, and a charming performance around the corner from the long gone Max’s at the National Arts Club.

The National Arts Club? The stodgy private domain founded in 1898? Yes, indeed! They love her. I asked her, Did you even know about the National Arts Club when you were hanging out at Max’s 50 years ago?

Bebe shot me a look. “Of course, honey. We all knew about it. It was very important!” They were young actors, models, and musicians but they knew what the Old World meant.

Guests at last night’s show included really famed photographers Bob Gruen and David Croland, director and E Streeter Maureen van Zandt, Factory girl Penny Arcade, rock and art world legend Liz Derringer, St. Martin’s Press’s Elizabeth Beier, famed Columbia Records exec Dick Wingate, rocker and writer Richard Barone, Beverly Keel (dean of Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Media and Entertainment, and about three dozen other admirers.

Bebe’s mini-concert was a stripped down affair that worked surprising well considering usually she’s played Joe’s Pub or the old club Don Hill’s with a more substantial band. Dressed in a chic new wave semi-Goth fringed black top and long dress, the eternally youthful Bebe was joined on stage by her husband of 23 years, gifted guitarist Jim Wallerstein, and Nashville musician Gyasi. Kind of like a tryout for Cafe Carlyle, mixed this acoustic, unplugged set with stories from her book about her colorful life, her history in pop and punk rock, and so on. She has a naturally engaging and disarming sense of humor, and a hearty laugh to go along with a smokey voice that reminds of Marianne Faithfull.

Her songs included originals that juxtapose a punk stance with witty lyrics backed up the musicians’ intensely melodic guitars. All things Bebe Buell are eclectic, which is why she’s more interesting than ever.

Preview: “Succession” Episode 6 Puts Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Front and Center in a Painfully Perfect Performance

Roger Friedman
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Preview: “Succession” Episode 6 Puts Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Front and Center in a Painfully Perfect Performance

Episode 6 of Season 4 “Succession” continues the story of a family unraveling.

Last week, Kieran Culkin grabbed the ball and ran with it as Roman, and this week he continues to self-flagellate. The three siblings (no Connor or Willow this week, and still no funeral–maybe it happened off screen?) are now on their own to run Waystar, maybe complete The Deal with Matsson, and try not blow everything up.

The episode focuses on Jeremy Strong’s Kendall., who’s been a lot in abeyance this season. Since Episode 1 Kendall seemed centered and almost happy. He laughed and smiled a lot. He had none of the angst of last season in which he tried like hell to destroy his father.

But now Dad is dead, Kendall is in charge along with Roman — and cajoling Shiv, who’s much more clever than they give her credit for. Waystar is about to have an investor conference in Los Angeles. They all go there for that, and to drop by their movie studio. The Deal is coming to a boil. And so is Kendall. What Strong does in this episode sort of explains all of last season and will leave many knots in your stomach. I had stop the press screener for a two minute breather because of the tension. If only Kendall could do the same.

For at least the second time this season, David Rasche as Karl lands a verbal punch no one will forget. I just looked him up. I can’t believe he’s 78 years old. He looks great. I remember him fondly from “Ryan’s Hope.” Great character actors just go on and on. They’re who the SAG Awards should be celebrating.

Four episodes remain. I don’t know how they’ll wrap this up. Maybe Shiv will call in her dragons.

Jerry Springer, 79, Dead: Wasted His Life Lowering the National Conversation to Dirt with Grotesque TV Freak Show

Roger Friedman
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Jerry Springer, 79, Dead: Wasted His Life Lowering the National Conversation to Dirt with Grotesque TV Freak Show

Jerry Springer is dead. He was 79. TMZ says he had a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

Springer’s legacy is years and years of putting crap on TV. Fist fights, DNA tests, low class people shrieking at each other. Springer reveled in presenting a freak show that lowered the national conversation to zero. If you were looking for the end of civilized behavior. that was the Jerry Springer Show. That’s what he leaves behind. He made money off the poor, the uneducated, the bewildered.

Maybe he was a great guy. Who knows? Maybe at home he was lovely. and secretly philanthropic I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But what he did in public, how he used people who didn’t know better, made fools of them and of himself, is what will echo through time. He was a TV descendant of Morton Downey, Jr., who also shined a light on the ugliest parts of humanity and died young, at just 68. The universe couldn’t tolerate another minute of this stuff.

The New York Times is calling Springer “unapologetically brash.” Who are they kidding? A few headlines describe him as “legendary.” But the real word is “infamous.” We’re not celebrating Jerry Springer.

This is what he left us.

Tucker Carlson Replacement Show Sinks 50% in Ratings, Insiders Say Host Refused to Clear Guests with PR Department

Roger Friedman
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Tucker Carlson Replacement Show Sinks 50% in Ratings, Insiders Say Host Refused to Clear Guests with PR Department

On Tuesday night, Tucker Carlson’s 8pm show was replaced by “Fox News Tonight.” Only 1.7 million people tuned in, a 40 to 50% drop from Carlson’s nightly numbers. The sudden drop in viewers affected Sean Hannity at 9pm, whose numbers fell to just over 2 million. Hannity had been averaging around 3 million or just under before Carlson’s dismissal on Monday morning.

This is what Fox feared: they lied to their audience to keep the ratings up. They knew what would happen if they told the truth: the election wasn’t stolen, there was no voter fraud. And now their worst nightmares are unfolding fast.

You know, I worked at Fox News for a decade, from 1999 to 2009. Controversial guests for the evening shows were cleared by the PR department, which always fought with the producers. Public relations chief Irena Briganti was the least popular person in the building at 1211 Ave of the Americas. Personally, I never crossed swords with her. But the stories I heard were often fueled with anger and frustration.

Now I’m told Tucker Carlson’s ouster had a lot to do with lack of communication between his office and Briganti’s. A source says: “He never cleared guests, and bypassed everyone.” More often than not, they say, the PR department had no idea who Carlson was having on his show until the last minute or not at all. This included conspiracy theorists, racists, anti Semites, people so radically dangerous that even the other Fox hosts wouldn’t have them on.

“We used to ask PR, did you know this person was going to be on last night? And they’d just say Tucker does what he wants,” says a source.

The Wall Street Journal — also owned by Rupert Murdoch and spoon fed what the owner wants us to know — reported that Carlson had called a top woman exec at Fox News “the c word.” This was found in Carlson’s redacted testimony in the Dominion case. The woman — there aren’t many to choose from — would either be Briganti or Suzanne Scott., who runs Fox News after having been a secretary in the executive suite. There’s a lot of loathing for both women, although Carlson’s epithet is irredeemable and inexcusable.

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