For Immediate Release on Entertainment Drive
Released by Beck/Smith

Kelley Shines at PR Awards
Hollywood -- March 25, 1996 -- The annual Publicists Guild Awards -- one of the foremost pre-Oscar events -- was highlighted this year by acceptance speeches by David E. Kelley and Sherry Lansing, who were voted Showman of the Year honors in television and movies, respectively. Kelley, whose phenominal writing led to numerous memorable "L.A. Law" episodes, as well as his own series creations "Picket Fences" and "Chicago Hope," admitted he was surprised to get such an award. He never thought of himself as a "showman," and what's more, he was surprised to win a Publicists Guild award because "I don't have a publicist." Kelley, who's married to Michelle Pfeiffer, was presented his award by Dennis Franz of "NYPD Blue." He told an anecdote about how he and fellow writer-producer Steven Bochco often try out scripts on one another -- and how, when he read the then- untitled pilot script for what was to become "NYPD Blue," he told Bochco he loved it, but the detective who died at the end was really -- in a strange way -- the most appealing character on the show and should not be killed off. Bochco told him that indeed, it had already been decided to make that character -- Franz's Detective Sipowicz -- an ongoing one. "But I like to think I had something to do with it," Kelley said, as Franz laughed. Subsequently, he watched as Dennis beat out his own "Picket Fences" star Tom Skerritt for an Emmy, which he said gave him quite a feeling in his heart. Then he saw Dennis beat out Mandy Patinkin -- his "Chicago Hope" star -- for a Screen Actors Guild Award, and again, remembering how he had helped save Sipowicz's life, he felt that strange feeling. And then "NYPD Blue" beat "Picket Fences" in SAG's ensemble acting category. Kelley says at that point he approached his friend and former "L.A. Law" colleague Bochco, and told him, "You know, I think I had something to do with this." And Bochco said, "Absolutely you did; you write 'Picket Fences'!" Sharon Stone introduced Sherry Lansing, with a smart, off-kilter speech -- very much a put-on -- in which she talked about power being spelled "B-E-A-U-T-Y" and the unimportance of accomplishments. She wound up her remarks by joking that Sherry had been selected because "she's a great broad -- and we like her best!" The Paramount chief -- whose studio won best film campaign honors for "Braveheart" (take note, Oscar handicappers!) -- created a new definition of "Showman," saying that showmen are "people who can get audiences interested enough in a presentation to listen to new ideas." Other memorable moments included a cellular phone ringing right in the middle of remarks by Mira Sorvino. She was up to the occasion. She stopped and said, "Would you like to get that?...Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Los Angeles." Another presenter, James Cromwell -- a.k.a. Farmer Hoggett of "Babe" -- drew laughs by saying how pleased he was to be invited, but he wanted us to know, "I did not eat the chicken." There was also a moving tribute to the late George Burns. Variety columnist Army Archered started the honors, recalling the beloved performer's humanity and selflessness, then presenting the Guild's lifetime achievement award to Irving Fein, Burns' manager and friend of decades, who accepted the posthumous honor. Brooke Shields then gave a heartfelt tribute to her "Just You and Me, Kid" co-star, Burns, and read a sweet letter Burns had written to her back when she was 13.

"Rolonda" Survives Talk Show Backlash and Glut
Hollywood -- March 26, 1996 -- Because of the backlash against talk show sensationalism -- and a market glutted by too many of its ilk -- many talk shows have ended up nothing more than road kill on the tube. "Rolonda," however has been picked up for its fourth season and recently got a major upgrade in New York, where it moved from WCBS to WPIX, from a late-night to a morning timeslot. The show's host, Rolonda Watts, says, "I'm real proud we decided very early on to give up sensationalism for more compelling stories and to give up conflict for more conflict resolution. I can still see the skid marks from when we put on the brakes and said, 'We are not going any further than this [with sensational topics]. Other talk shows can keep going.' And they did and fell over the cliff." Watts says that in the 1996-97 season her show will continue to focus on "having a good time. We're dedicated to families and relationships. We recognize we all go through difficult situations with people we love and we hope to at least offer some resolution to people's problems....If we can't find an answer, we can at least help people start on the road to better communication and getting along."

"Mr. and Mrs. Loving" Change of Pace for Lela Rochon
Hollywood -- March 27, 1996 -- Lela Rochon, who stars opposite Timothy Hutton in Showtime's "Mr. & Mrs. Loving" -- which debuts Sunday, March 31, with chances of a theatrical release ahead -- says making the movie was a totally different experience from that of "Waiting to Exhale." "I had not had one day off in the production and the hours were really grueling. Tim Hutton and I had to carry the piece. And Mildred Loving is such a different character; in 'Exhale' so much of my role was involved with physical beauty -- hair and nails and so forth. This was a different kind of acting. It was really good for me." "Mr. & Mrs. Loving" is the true story of the couple whose travails (being arrested by marshals on their wedding night, having to flee to a state without miscegenation laws...) ultimately led to the abolition of laws against interracial marriage in the U.S. Hutton at one point tried to buy rights to the story himself, intending to produce it. He eventually linked up with producer Daniel Paulsen, and settled for serving only as leading man. Lela has great praise for her co-star. "I think Tim should be a director some day; he was so thoughtful and knowledgeable about this piece and how it should be played. I think we both really knew who our characters were as far as being simple, shy people. There was a lot of collaboration between the director and the two of us." Rochon admits she's surprised she hadn't heard of the Loving case (which unfolded between the late 1950s and early 60s) prior to making this movie. "Lawyers have all heard of it," she adds. "They all study it in law school."

Mira Sorvino Surprised by Marilyn Monroe Discoveries
Hollywood -- March 28, 1996 -- Mira Sorvino says there were a few things she was surprised to discover about Marilyn Monroe after doing extensive research for her portrayal of the icon in HBO's May 18 "Norma Jean & Marilyn" telepic. "I didn't know the extent of the incredible number of men in her life, especially towards the end," says the actress who just won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Mighty Aphrodite." "She was involved with like five or six people at the same time and that was really desperate. She was a functioning pill addict for most of her career. And something that I discovered and was very surprised about was the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. Also she had about 12 abortions, which very few people know about." In the HBO telepic, Ashley Judd plays Monroe pre-stardom when she was still Norma Jean Baker and Sorvino plays her after the name change. Sorvino says, "I did feel I had a responsibility to study Marilyn because she's an icon and I felt my portrayal had to bear a resemblance to the real person. I watched all the footage I could on her offscreen interviews, I listened to radio interviews, I read everything I could get my hands on, I watched all of her movies several times over, and I talked to a few people who knew her." Sorvino says in researching Monroe, "I discovered her own sparkling wit that she alone possessed. That was not any publicity gimmick. She had her own ironic witty voice and came up with amazing impromptu answers to questions. Milton Greene published a book she'd been working on in the mid-50s, which sounds very much like the way Marilyn talked, so you know that she wrote it. It comes out the way that she sounded and the way she put things together had a real natural, funny ease to it. That I really enjoyed." Sorvino does make clear, however, that she's not just doing another impersonation of Marilyn Monroe in "Norma Jean & Marilyn." "It's not a direct, absolute impersonation because she is someone who was different offscreen than the public persona. If you go to a Vegas show you'll see someone who'll do a perfect Marilyn sort of from 'The Seven Year Itch' era -- that baby doll with the breathy, sexy voice and droopy eyelids. Certainly we do some of that in this movie, but it also tries to show other parts of her personality, her life, and her inner turmoil, which is dramatized by having the two different characters -- her old self and her movie-star self -- and the sort of self-hatred that was a result of that duality."

Reynolds Business in Trouble
Hollywood -- March 29, 1996 -- Debbie Reynolds, who has her first starring role in a major feature film in decades with Albert Brooks' upcoming "Mother," returned from her acting assignment to bad news. Her Las Vegas hotel/showroom/museum is in financial trouble -- a fact her son, Todd Fisher, acknowledged to this column. Fisher (a.k.a. Carrie's brother and Eddie's son) took over as CEO of his mother's Vegas enterprises last June -- and it's been difficult to turn the hulking business vessel around. According to Todd, once he and Debbie -- as he refers to his mother -- get a new mortgage on their property, they'll be able to pay off the debts they have to a number of their vendors and service providers. "I didn't bother her during the making of 'Mother' at all....Now, I talk to her almost daily about issues that are going on with the company, although I still don't bother her with trivia. Debbie says she's not a great businesswoman. Obviously, her strong suit is entertainment. She did 8 or 9 shows a week at the hotel for 48 weeks last year. Her show of course sells out; the occupancy is over 100 percent....The four months she was gone to make the movie mark the longest time she's been away." Todd also credits his mother for keeping customers coming into the hotel/showroom/museum (the casino area is closing down Sunday, until such time as Debbie and Todd can get their own gaming license and run it themselves, he says). "We have no budget for advertising, which is brutal. Fortunately, Debbie is a big name....Sometimes I'll come in and see 100 people in the lobby, and it's 'Why are they here?' It's a miracle. It turns out they've just seen Debbie talking about the hotel on some show." On the plus side, Todd says, "The museum show is on the upswing," and other talent who've been performing in the showroom have done well. And perhaps best of all, last week Debbie was out with the mayor of Las Vegas cutting the ribbon for a new superhighway -- that goes right by her hotel.

Copyright (c) 1996 Beck/Smith Ent.


[Home] [Back]