Confessions of a FILM FOX

Confessions of a FILM FOX

By Jaan Uhelszki

Gay Liberation? Male homosexuals will have equal rights, and regular roles on four network series this season, according to the Wall Street Journal’s report. If you’re looking big boy—the gay roles will include a therapy group member in CBS’s Bob Newhart Show, a hairdresser on NBC’s Snips and an aspiring actor on ABC’s Nancy Walker Show. Meanwhile your favorite fagabond lovers, “Ed and Howard” will return to their roles on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. The latest word on that far-out space nut, David Bowie is that he’ll do a film for Ingmar Berg* man. According to Rona Barrett, David went so far as to say he’ll do it “for free” because he “loves” Ingmar’s work.

Cute Couple? Cher and Freddie Prinze are being pitched to costar in the movie version of the musical hit recording “The Princess and the Punk” Cher reportedly declined, explaining she’d much rather play “Devil Woman.” y Sonny Bono is riding high these days, too. He’s started his own ^table of thoroughbreds, only the other day he bought a gelding, “Cowboy Bob”, in a claiming race at Hollywood Park. Don’t worry, Sonny isn’t about to lose his shirt, but he may lose his voice if he accepts a starring role in Mickey Rooney’s new movie “The Great Voice Transplant.”

Konked out on King Kong? MGM had to hire 30 seamstresses to work quite a few 40 hour weeks sewing hair onto the body of that mechanical monkeyshine King Kong. What do you mean, what does the sewing circle call itself? The King’s Hair-em, naturally. . . .

Those wonderful wops are always trying to get in on the chowline, and this time they’ll be taking their gravy train to the movies the Italian’s answer to King Kong, is called Baby Kong, in 3-D yet.

Ever since lilya Faulltind announced he was going to revive the Superman epic, stories about the original Superman, George Reeves' untimely suicide have resurfaced. All that homework done for the new flick has uncovered some unsavory facts about Reeves’ death, which might have been the result of some unpaid gambling debts. There’s hot gossip that his death may be re-investigated as a possible homicide. As for the film, Jimmy Caan turned down the three million dollars he was offered to play the title role because he felt he was being “caaned.” What Caan didn’t cotton to was the idea of making two movies instead of one (a la Three and Four Musketeers). It’s no sweat for Marlon Brando, who’ll play Superman’s dad. He conveniently dies in the first movie. Gene Hackman was unconvenientiy unavailable for comment, but we’ll be seeing him in both. Where, Where Have We Heard That Before? Producers Max Reed and Adam Linter are trying to persuade Bnd Cort (Harold & Maude) to star in Tubes, a picture about a young misfit who’s a little on the weirder side as a result of growing up watching five TV sets simultaneously in his bedroom.'

Film and Eddie? No, Slow and Eddie. That zany twosome are reteaming with their old and equally zany crony, Frank Zappa, in the long overdue sequel to their first and last cinematic splash. 200 Motels. The title of the sequel? 400 Motels. Did you have to ask?

The Eagles recently purchased the film rights to that non-fictional psychotic reaction, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, which the five of them plan to star in sometime in early ’77. They plan to keep the_ story line intact, with only minor script division and a slight title change—/ Never Promised You An Interview.

Enie Weenie Chili Beanie—Spirits Are About To Speak. Dustin Hoffman and Redd Foxx have chipped in and hired the renowned magician/psychic Nick Lewis to attempt to contact the spirit of the late Lenny Bruce.

Rod Stewart is still claiming everything is A-OK in his love life, but he is still being spotted squiring other blondes about town, as if he doesn’t have enough trouble already, with his ex-steady, Dee Harrington, who is writing a book about their five years of unwedded bliss.

Fred Astaire, a sprightly 76, famous for his fancy footwork on the big screen, proved he is not as light on his feet as he used to be. During his daily skateboard ride, he hit a crack in the cement and completely washed out and broke his wrist. Michelle Phillips finally ran out of dimes after making numerous transatlantic phone calls from the set of her Valentino pic to Hollywood, where her longtime beau, Warren Beatty, has been playing While The Cat Was Away. Sure, Mama Phillips was exasperated when she found out he was spending so much time with Joni Mit* chell—but when she found out he was hand holding with Diana Ross at the party given by Jimmy Carter, she caught the first 747 home . . . Andy Warhol’s new movie, Bad, should be viewed only on an empty stomach, unless you intend to frequent the restroom during some of the more playful scenes—such as a baby being thrown out a window and a murdered man’s forefinger that mysteriously appears in a bottle of ketchup.

Throngs of thrill seekers have packed moviehouses to catch a glimpse of Gregory Peck out with the anti-Christ child, portrayed in The Omen in gloriously gory technicolor.

Apparently there were some men in cloaks and collars in' the audience, because The Omen, a second cousin to Exorcist, received an unusual award from the California School for Theology for promoting the lead in biblical prophecy. The school gave the filmakers their award at the graduation ceremonies which were held at the Forest Lawn Cemetery. Huh?

Alice Cooper’s anemic corpuscles are back in order and he’s finally back working and on the silver screen. Alice recently finished filming American Needle, a movie based on the upcomig swine flu program. The producer, Michael B. Malvin, warned people not to have the flu shots until after seeing Needle. According to Malvin, the compulsory inoculation is a sinister scheme perpetrated by the government (kind of like LSD! The water supply in reverse).