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Bobby Morse Succeeded in Show Business: RIP at 90, Emmy and Tony Winner

Roger Friedman
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Bobby Morse Succeeded in Show Business: RIP at 90, Emmy and Tony Winner

Robert Morse is gone at age 90. His impish charm, noted everywhere this morning, served him well. His big early moment came in 1962’s “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” for which his extremely charming performance won him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He won another Tony in 1990 for his one man show as Truman Capote as “Tru,” and an Emmy award for play Capote in a 1980 TV special.

To more contemporary audiences, Morse was better known as Bert Cooper, founder of ad agency Sterling Cooper, on “Mad Men.” He was nominated for Best Guest Actor in a Drama five times between 2008 and 2014 in that role which he made iconic and beloved before getting a big musical number upon his exit. (He should have won.)

But it was Morse’s J. Pierrepont Finch in “How to Succeed” that cemented his career all through the 1960s. First it was on Broadway and then in the movie in 1967, each time with Michele Lee, later the star of “Knots Landing,” as his Rosemary.

Here he is:

and here is as Bert Cooper:

I talked to Morse a lot over the years, first when he was on Broadway in “Tru,” and later with “Mad Men.” He was just delightful, incredibly fun and smart and insightful. He’s really going to be missed and never forgotten.

Alec Baldwin Announces Exoneration in Halyna Hutchins’ Death, But That May Be a Bit Premature

Roger Friedman
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Alec Baldwin Announces Exoneration in Halyna Hutchins’ Death, But That May Be a Bit Premature

Alec Baldwin has posted an odd Tweet which he says is from his lawyer. They thank the New Mexico Environment Department for investigating the death of Halyna Hutchins and exonerating Alec from responsibility.

But that maybe a premature because that’s not exactly what the report about the Hutchins death says. Indeed, they point out that that assistant director Dave Halls handed Baldwin a loaded gun and that Baldwin didn’t know it. They state that “Alec Baldwin’s authority on the set included approving script changes and actor candidates.” But they also add that “Alec Baldwin handled the revolver and fired the round that struck and injured Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza.”

Baldwin’s exoneration is not mentioned in the report, only in his lawyer’s tweet.

So let’s wait a second. Even if we know Baldwin didn’t intentionally fire a loaded gun, and certainly had no intention of killing or hurting anyone, the report states that he fired the gun. Baldwin has always maintained that he did not fire the gun.

On top of that, the report is highly critical of Rush Productions LLC. In a summary they say “OHSB found that Rust willfully violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act by demonstrating plain indifference to the safety of employees and exposing those employees to the serious hazards associated with firearm use.” They fined the Rust company over $136,000 for causing Hutchins’s death.

They state that the accident was “willful.” The report says: “Members of Rust management knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set and acted with plain indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices, adhere to film industry standards for firearm safety, and take corrective action.’

But the department does not determine individual responsibility: “OHSB has jurisdiction to hold employers accountable for violations of workplace safety requirements. In this case, the employer is Rust Movie Productions, LLC. OHSB does not issue citations to any individuals associated with the employer.”

So no one is off the hook. Not Baldwin, not Hannah Guiterrez-Reed, and certainly not Dave Halls or of the producers of the movie. There’s a lot more to come here.

Nat Geo Channel’s “Genius” Moving to Disney Plus, Where You’ll Have to Pay for It Big Time

Roger Friedman
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Nat Geo Channel’s “Genius” Moving to Disney Plus, Where You’ll Have to Pay for It Big Time

Always read the fine print in the contract.

Up til now, Nat Geo’s “Genius” series was on their channel, lumped into your cable tier. But starting with the next production, the sometimes fact based series is moving to Disney Plus. You’ll have to pay to stream it.

After sort of botching the Aretha Franklin “Genius” series, the producers are now moving on to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. They’re going to be thrown together for the next series, which will combine their incredibly disparate stories.

According to a press release: “While King advanced racial equality through nonviolent protest, Malcolm X argued forcefully for Black empowerment, identity, and self-determination. With their formidable wives, Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, by their sides, King and Malcolm X became synonymous with the civil rights era and the fight for racial and economic justice. While they met only once and often challenged each other’s views, neither would have been as successful without the other.”

Of course, we have Ava Duvernay’s excellent “Selma” and Spike Lee’s classic “Malcolm X” as precedents. But now screenwriter Jeff Stetson will weave together these two civil rights leaders in “Genius: MLK-X.” No word on casting yet.

Why did “Genius” leave its happy home at Nat Geo? Money is always the answer. The series is adding Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood as executive producers, but so far no King or Malcolm X scholars, historians, or experts. That’s what got them in trouble with Aretha.

Producers of Alec Baldwin Movie “Rust” Where Filmmaker Was Killed Fined $136,793 for “Avoidable” Death

Roger Friedman
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Producers of Alec Baldwin Movie “Rust” Where Filmmaker Was Killed Fined $136,793 for “Avoidable” Death

It won’t be much consolation to the family of dead cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. But the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) has fined the producers of the Alec Baldwin movie “Rust” $136,793 for Hutchins’ “avoidable” death last winter on set.

You may recall that Baldwin allegedly fired a gun that was loaded with real bullets, or didn’t fire the gun but it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding the film’s director.

Quoting from the OHSB’s press release: “The report concludes that Rust Movie Productions, LLC
management knew that firearm safety procedures were not being followed on set and demonstrated plain indifference to employee safety by failing to review work practices and take corrective action.”

Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney said: “Our investigation found that this tragic incident never would have happened if Rust Movie Productions, LLC had followed national film industry standards for firearm safety,” said “This is a complete failure of the employer to follow recognized national protocols that keep employees safe.”

You can watch the video statement here:

TV: “Blackish” Goes Out with a Whimper, NBC Has No Monday Night Viewers

Roger Friedman
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TV: “Blackish” Goes Out with a Whimper, NBC Has No Monday Night Viewers

Ratings, ratings, ratings!

“Blackish” wrapped up 8 award winning classy seasons last night on ABC. It went out with a whimper, I’m afraid. Just 2.4 million million watched the show end its run.

But look, it’s all good. “Blackish” made real stars out of Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. It launched Kenya Barris, and had spin offs. “Blackish” was the rare network comedy to get Emmy nominations. Its legacy is preserved. And there would be no “Abbott Elementary” without it.

Over on NBC, Mondays are bleak. Absolutely no one is watching “American Song Contest” or “Endgame.” The former is hosted by Kelly Clarkson, dressed like a sofa, and Snoop Dogg, who has no idea where he is. The latter is one of those mystery generic NBC shows no one watches or realizes is on television.

On Monday, the pair of shows averaged 1.5 million viewers all night. That’s about 4 million less than everything else on the other networks including “American Idol.” Why NBC would put a singing show on against “Idol” is anyone’s guess. Masochism? With ABC plotting the return of Monday Night Football, NBC might think about putting on some actual shows to replace these.

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon New Movie Needs An Actor to Play Michael Jordan: Phenoms Wanted

Roger Friedman
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Ben Affleck, Matt Damon New Movie Needs An Actor to Play Michael Jordan: Phenoms Wanted

Big announcement: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are getting back together for the first time since “The Last Duel.” Didn’t see that one? No worries, they had no scenes together.

Their new project is for Amazon, and it’s the story of how Nike romanced basketball great Michael Jordan. The movie is not called “Sneakers” but it should be (there was already a great heist movie with that name). Affleck plays Nike’s Phil Knight and will direct the film, Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, and will co-write the screenplay with Affleck. Ben’s movie, “Argo,” won Best Picture a few years ago and he’s directed several other good films like “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town.”

Not included in the announcement is sort of the key thing: who’s going to play Michael Jordan? He’s sort of key to the story. So is his late father, Michael Jordan Sr. Jordan was a young, hot star on the Chicago Bulls in 1984 when he signed his deal with Nike for $500,000 a year for five years. LOL. In the first year, Nike sold $126 million of Air Jordans. The rest is history.

At the time, Jordan was just 21. He was also (and still is) six-foot-six. He’s also the greatest ball player of his time. So finding an actor to play him will not be easy but it will be crucial to the movie. It could be a star making moment for a young, gifted actor who can dribble and still be charming. So hold on. Phenoms wanted.

Some Like It VERY Hot: Cool New Musical of Famed Movie Coming to Broadway This Fall

Roger Friedman
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Some Like It VERY Hot: Cool New Musical of Famed Movie Coming to Broadway This Fall

Sounds like a drag: “Some Like it Hot” is coming to Broadway this fall in a very cool production.

The book is by Matthew Lopez of “The Inheritance” and — get this — the marvelous Amber Ruffin. Christian Borle is one of the stars. The songs are by Marc Shaiman. Casey Nicholaw is directing.

The producing team includes the Shuberts, Jimmy Nederlander, Neil Meron, Kenny Leon, Roy Furman, and Bob Greenblatt. They’re like the all -stars of people who are loved on the Great White Way.

If this isn’t the 2024 Tony winner, I’d be very surprised.

The rest of the cast includes J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks,Kevin Del Aguila, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Adam Heller, and Mark Lotito.

You know that “Some Like it Hot” was Billy Wilder’s very famous and hilarious 1959 movie starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe. Jack and Tony are being chased by gangsters after witnessing a mob murder. So they join an all girl jazz band in 1930s Chicago and dress as women — in drag — and fool the bad guys.

The movie is on every best of list for the 1950s and all time. It was nominated for six Oscars and won 1 for Best Costume Design-Black and White.

Back in 1972, super producer David Merrick tried a musical adaptation of “Some Like It Hot.” They called it “Sugar.” Tony Roberts and Robert Morse starred with Elaine Joyce, but the whole thing flopped even though it was directed by Gower Champion and Jule Styne songs. The new show is NOT connected to that one, which ran for only 505 performances.

This version has been looming for two years. It was supposed to preview in Chicago before the pandemic started, but then got stuck in all that madness. So this team is ready!

Smart Move: Aimee Mann Adds Steely Dan Song to Set After Being Dropped as Group’s Opening Act

Roger Friedman
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Smart Move: Aimee Mann Adds Steely Dan Song to Set After Being Dropped as Group’s Opening Act

Aimee Mann knows how to make lemonade from lemons. There was a recent hubbub after she was dropped by Steely Dan as the opening act on their coming tour.

Mann has been around long enough not to take the snub seriously. She told our audience last night at a very sold out City Winery she didn’t care. She responded in the press by telling Donald Fagen she forgave him only if he’d explain the obscure lyrics to a long ago Dan song she wanted to perform called “Brooklyn.”

“To my surprise he sent back a three page letter spelling out what he and Walter Becker were thinking,” said the sanguine 61 year old (who looks maybe tops 41). “So it’s all good.” And then she and her magnificent little rock band played the song as part of her encore. It worked out pretty well.

Aimee Mann is one of my musical guilty pleasures. She fronted the band til Tuesday out of Boston for three albums in the 80s, scored a big hit, “Voices Carry,” and made a desert island disc called “Everything’s Different Now.”

But then she went solo in ’89, and started making independent albums off the grid of the music business. She went her own way, even scoring an Oscar nomination for “Save Me,” her song from Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” in 1999. Time has passed. Every couple of years there’s a new collection of beautifully orchestrated, Beatle-melodic songs, often melancholic, punctuated by Aimee’s strangely beautiful and kind of nasal vocal that cannot get enough of.

She was supposed to be on tour last winter, but COVID got her band. Now they’re all better and on the road. Did I mention the band? They are like a dream on stage, actual musicians, a throwback to the old days of layered, constructed pop rock. They actually sound like they know what they’re doing.

This tour is meant to promote another extremely well made album, “QUeens of the Summer Hotel,” which consists of songs Mann wrote for a musical version of Susannah Kaysen’s “Girl, Interrupted.” Yes, that was also the Angelina Jolie movie. The musical would never be made, but I’m so glad Aimee wrote these songs. They are among her best, especially “I See You” and “Suicide is Murder,” which are, for her, typically evocative, memorable, and moving.

When you have 40 years of songs to choose from, a setlist isn’t easy. There was no “Voices Carry” or my favorite of her solo songs, “Say Anything.” But the set is incredibly strong and has many high points including a knock out rock rave up for “I Can’t Help You Anymore” from her 2005 album, “The Forgotten Arm,” as well as “Little Bombs” from that album, and two “Magnolia” songs, “Wise Up,” and “Save Me.” The numbers are lush in their arrangements, and very textured so that even the bleakest lyrics are filigreed with random hints of optimism. You leave the theater humming not just a few of these songs. And that’s saying a lot these days.

The tour goes on for the next few weeks. Don’t miss it.

Netflix Stock Falls 25% in After Hours Trading After Shocking Report of Draining Viewership

Roger Friedman
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Netflix Stock Falls 25% in After Hours Trading After Shocking Report of Draining Viewership

Netflix stock has taken a beating tonight. In after hours trading the stock has fallen 25%, or by almost $90.

The reason? The first quarter report issued this afternoon showing the streaming giant has lost 200,000 subscribers in the last quarter and expects 2 million more on the way out.

The company is blaming shared passwords on the steep decline. They say 100 million people worldwide are abusing the system, with 30 mil in the US and Canada. If they could get those people to pay up, they say, the picture would be a lot rosier.

That may be it. Or are the reasons more complicated? When Netflix took off they were the only game in town. But now we’re all paying for lots of streaming services including Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and myriad others.

Also there’s too much content. As a reviewer, it’s impossible for me to keep up with it. For a person not covering TV and movies as a business, I don’t know how anyone does it. (And I pay for those subs, by the way.)

And let’s not forget HBO and Showtime, which have the advantage of being on the TV anyway, as part of an overall subscription. No Roku or Apple TV device involved in that, no switching over to Smart TV. HBO is just there at channel 301. And both cable outfits have plenty of hits to watch, from “Succession” and “Hacks” to “Billions” and “Yellowjackets.”

Netflix has had its share of watercooler shows, from “Bridgerton” to “Inventing Anna” and “Ozark,” “Grace and Frankie.” They’ve also had very compelling, Oscar worthy movies like “The Irishman,” “Roma,” and “The Power of the Dog.”

But now, even Starz Channel has “Gaslit,” and Hulu had “The Handmaids Tale,” and Disney plus is churning out “Star Wars” and Marvel shows. Amazon is trying, with shows like “Mrs. Maisel.” The time available to watch all this stuff is shrinking. And some of like to go to sporting events, concerts, and dinner. Or just take a walk.

The game is narrowing. And the rules are going to change.

TV: ABC Renews “The Goldbergs” for a 10th, Unnecessary Season, Without Jeff Garlin: Will They Kill Off Murray?

Roger Friedman
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TV: ABC Renews “The Goldbergs” for a 10th, Unnecessary Season, Without Jeff Garlin: Will They Kill Off Murray?

Alas, “The Goldbergs” has been renewed by ABC for a 10th season.

Already the height of mediocrity, “The Goldbergs” lost its star, Jeff Garlin, last winter, and its showcase performer, George Segal, in March 2021.

This show has no reason to exist other than it can pull in around 3 million viewers per outing, is inexpensive (no stars now at all), and is familiar enough for audiences to “not mind it” when it’s on. It’s the kind of ABC sitcom (think “The Middle”) that no one knows is on, gets no awards or attention, but advertisers can put family oriented products on it.

In network terms, it’s golden.

But “The Goldbergs” still has a problem. They pretended all year that Garlin’s character, Murray, the father in the family, was still there. They used stand ins or made oblique references. But Garlin is not returning, and neither is Murray. The production ousted Garlin because wasn’t politically correct off stage. (He doesn’t care. Garlin is on a prestige show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and is beloved by his fans.)

So what will “The Goldbergs” do? Kill off Murray? Send him to Alaska? Put him in a coma? Why not recast him with a bland TV actor? They’re going to have to make a choice this spring when they write the 10th season bible.

And here’s one funny thing about “The Goldbergs,” a show about was conceived as a Jewish family. None of the remaining Goldbergs is played by a Jewish actor. Indeed, one of them is actually named “Troy Gentile,” the most non-Jewish name I can think of.

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