Always good to see Tom, Rita Hanks
It’s always great fun just to be around the Tom Hankses. Rita and Tom love each other, they LIKE each other, they have heaps of fun together, and they are raising a lovely family. Their talents also abound.
At a recent premiere of Tom’s newest, “The Terminal,” Rita spotted a huge poster of her man in the lobby and ran up to it and kissed it. By the way, do you remember that T. Hanks is one of only two actors to receive back-to-back Oscars? One for “Philadelphia,” the next for “Forrest Gump.” The film he would like most to forget is “Bonfire of the Vanities.”
•After trying for so long, the David Arquettes are more than ecstatic over their new Miss Coco Arquette (named for the famed designer). Courteney has never been happier in any role, and we wish the family many happy years ahead, and maybe a little brother for Miss Coco.
•Word is Drew Barrymore will wed again! This time to Fabrizio Moretti of the Stokes. We also wish them well and hope it lasts.
•You no doubt know by now that Meryl Streep was feted by the AFI with its Life Achievement Award at a beautiful banquet. The main course being shrimp-covered filet mignon, and for dessert, chocolate teardrops filled with white chocolate mousse, all prepared by Wolfgang Puck. Guests toted home bags with all kinds of goodies.
•And at Fox’s Beach Party in Santa Monica, guests sipped cotton-candy martinis and nibbled on a variety of kabobs, followed by a large selection of sweet goodies. Paris Hilton was there, this time in yellow with nary a sign of pink anywhere.
Hollywood Is Reading
•”Bullets Over Hollywood: The American Gangster Picture From the Silents to ‘The Sopranos’” by John McCarty (DaCapo Press). The author traces the history of mob movies, and offers behind-the-scenes anecdotes and much new news about old mobster movies.
•”A Widow for One Year” by John Irving (Ballantine). On-screen now as “The Door in the Floor” starring Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger and Mimi Rogers.
•”How to Make a Short Film” by Frederick Levy (Berkley) is just that. All you’ll need to know, if that’s what you want to do.
•And I just finished reading Joan Fontaine’s autobiography for the second time. She’s a fine writer and could have pursued that as a profession, but then we wouldn’t have had “Rebecca” and all her other movies. In the book, “No Bed of Roses,” Joan says Olivier was difficult with her in “Rebecca” because he wanted his wife, Vivien Leigh, to play the role of “I DeWinter.”
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Bits ‘N’ Pieces
•Mea culpa. Recently I wrote about the Sam Elliot’s daughter Chloe. Her name is Cleo.
•Word coming in from the set of “Ocean’s Twelve” is that Miss Julia’s pregnancy is not helping her temperament.
•Yup. That was Madonna and Guy Ritchie and Demi and Ashton dining at Ashton’s Dolce Restaurant in West Hollywood.