Today's Blind Items
I've heard this before, and allegedly Very Bad Things is loosely based on it to some extent. However, I always thought of it as a Hollywood legend until I recently met someone in the producer's family. When I say family, there is one widow and one child. No other family. None.
A fairly minor producer died within the past month or so. It wasn't really noteworthy for the most part, but there were three or four very happy actors to see him pass. All of the actors are aging, but not George Burns old or anything. In fact, they are still A list at least by reputation. Could they carry a movie OR television show on their own anymore? Probably not. Are they regularly in movies AND television? Yes. See, back in the day there was a party like you could only have in Hollywood's glory days. Martinis, cigars and lots of beautiful women. Well it turns out that one of the beautiful women didn't go home at the end of the night. There was some incident involving either five or six actors. Two have died. Not knowing what to do, these actors got a studio gofer, now our dead producer and told him to get rid of the body and not tell anyone about it or tell anyone where the body was buried. Throughout the remainder of the producer's life, these actors took care of him, but were always afraid he would spill the secret because he was the only one who knew where the body was buried. No body, no case. Now, they are just worried that something will show up in the estate sale and some person will stumble onto a letter or some other evidence hidden in a desk drawer which will come back to haunt them. Maybe that's why one of the actors offered to buy the house with everything in it at a price that is twice what the place is worth. Still waiting to see if it will be accepted, but there won't be an estate sale yet for sure. The actors think they are being careful and that their true motives are unknown. Not at all the case, but the producer's widow is happy to take their money and be done with it. One hint is they have all been in at least one western. Although it could be on television OR in a movie.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteWe would like to do an interview with you about your blog for www.BlogInterviewer.com . We'd like to give you the opportunity to give us some insight on the "person behind the blog."
It would just take a few minutes of your time. The interview form can be submitted online at http://bloginterviewer.com/submit-an-interview
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BlogInterviewer.com
Holy shit, for once a BI about something serious!
ReplyDeleteI guess that poor woman's friends and/or family never found out what happened to her. How sad.
mike shhhhh! this is insane!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm thinking Donald Sutherland types for age group. Any takers?
ReplyDeleteThere was an Ed Friendly who died a couple of days ago - he produced Rowan & Martin's Laugh In as well as Little House on the Prairie - but I haven't found if he's got a widow or anything else...
ReplyDeletewow! Now this is a blind item! I'm furiously searching google news for dead producers who fit this bill. Had a cople of leads, but their families are too big! Will keep looking! Again, wow!
ReplyDeleteSorry can't be Ed - two kids
ReplyDeleteWesterns. Clint Eastwood. Movies AND TV...
ReplyDeleteSyndey Rose...worked with the brat pack....
ReplyDeleteHey 12:58--
ReplyDeleteFriendly is one that I looked at. He had a son and a daughter, though. And three grandchildren. Plus, is the death too recent for the offer from the actor?
Plus, could Little House be considered a western? If it is, Micheal Landon is dead? Don't want to think he would be involved, but, as I've learned, you can never tell about anyone. I think the minor producer may have died a few weeks back judging from the BI. But, I've read them wrong before! Also, I'm not as interested in learning the ID of the producer as I am of the actors! Wow. I do feel for the family of that poor girl. If I get some time, I may go to the missing person's site for California--I'm assuming the party was there. I'm sure there are a lot of young women who have gone missing in CA that have never been reported, though.
This is juicy. I keep having to remind myself that this is real (yeah, I know it could be made-up) and a woman died.
..errr, rat pack..doh!
ReplyDeleteRat packers are all dead or wearing diapers.
ReplyDeleteYoung Guns!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking along the lines of the Magnificent 7. You're looking at Yul Brenner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Steve McQueen and Eli Wallach.
ReplyDeleteI know that Steve and Yul are dead. Not sure on the rest.
A producer just died a few weeks ago...hmmm...who was it???
Sonny, I knew it was you.
ReplyDeleteStan Daniels
ReplyDeleteEd Friendly
Beau Vandenecker
Jo Durden-Smith
all producers who have died in the last couple of weeks.
Going back earlier, there is Julian Ludwig, who worked with Eastwood:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963173.html?categoryId=25&cs=1
Daniels as four children.
ReplyDeleteJo Durden-Smith has one child.
The others I can't find info on.
Doesn't this person have only one child?
Peter R. Simpson
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, Paul Newman popped into my head... for one of the actors obviously.
ReplyDeleteDid you see that DListed gave us the answer to an old Blind Item? The one about a young actress dating her TV dad. It's Hayden P!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat about these guys:
ReplyDeleteYoung Guns is a 1988 action/western film:
Its stars include Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, and Dermot Mulroney.
Another thought is Tommy Lee Jones.
~Lohan
AWESOME blind!!!! I have no clue who it is, but.....AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteIt's the Young Guns crew. Now figure out the producer and we're in business.
ReplyDeleteSilverado was a big western when it came out in the 80s. Lots of A-lister types in that...
ReplyDeleteOr how about Lonesome Dove??? Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones...
Checking IMDb for a fit, but so far nothing.
I don't think they have to all have been in the same western. It could just be a big hint--plus, older actors have a better chance of being in a western because so many were made (both movies and tv) a while back.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the way I read the BI doesn't mean that the producer we are looking for directed the western. Actually, the way the BI is written, we could figure out the producer and never find the link to the actors.
"Taking care of him" doesn't mean being in his movies--it could just mean calling in favors.
still no proof that DS is really ZX.
ReplyDeleteHow many of these guys are A-listers?
ReplyDeleteEmilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, and Dermot Mulroney
Ok, another thought is Burt Reynolds.
ReplyDeleteStill working with my original idea of Young Guns as well.
~Lohan
I think the actors have to be older. if they were having parties in Hollywood's "glory days" and the died was only a gofer then? Also, 2 of the actors involved hace died.
ReplyDeleteit says the actors probably cannot carry a movie or tv show anymore, which rules out Kiefer Sutherland.
ReplyDeleteI think we have to think older and not all in the same movie, tv show.
I wonder who the widow & the child are - ent had to have met them....I was thinking maybe the child is connected to the movie in some way if it's loosley based on the story - but Peter Berg has an older sister. lol Just chucking ideas out there.
ReplyDeleteBurt Reynolds is close with Charlton heston and Clint Eastwood--as per his wiki page. Jon Voight was also a former co star. What do we think of Burt?
ReplyDelete~Lohan
How would Peter Berg have this information so that he could loosely base the movie, "Very Bad Things" on this story? I think we should look for a connection there, no?
ReplyDeleteThe producer and the western are probably not related.... it doesn't read that way in the blind. I think that it's likely that the western hint is a way to help us figure out the actors, but I doubt there will be an obvious link to the dead producer, if we can find a match for the producer, and then some options for the group of actors, we could probably search for some general stuff about the producer and maybe find some mention or some link to one or more of the actors....
ReplyDeletesorry, its the college student in me getting all research-y.
Nicole
I went to wikipedia and typed in Westerns. A lot of info popped up, including a list of actors who were commonly in westerns.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerns
I agree that I'm getting an older vibe and think the young guns guys are too young. I am thinking this happened in the late 50's, 60's, or early 70's.
Definitely the cast of Young Guns....good call.
ReplyDeleteI can't find who produced VBT....not that I think it may be the deceased but it may be a link/clue.
ReplyDeleteIm going to second stinky on this one and guess that they are probably an older crowd... Im thinking our actors are in the age range of tommy lee jones ect.
ReplyDeleteI think Peter Berg probably just heard the "hollywood legend" as Ent calls it and wrote a screenplay based on it. Sounds like the story has been around a while.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the cast of Young Guns....good call.
ReplyDelete----------------------
No, nowhere does it say that the actors involved all appeared in a western together. They were all at a party together and all have apeared in westerns in either TV or movies.
George Burns died in 1996 at the age of 101. So when Ent says "not George Burns old," he is referring to actors who are much older than the guys who were in Young Guns...like twice their ages. We need to look at aguys who are in their 70s/80s.
That makes sense, stinky.
ReplyDeleteThis one is gonna drive us nuts for DAYS!
burt renyolds and the deliverence cast are the right age, some of them have died, and they where around in the cigar and martini era. they have all done westerns.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the 80's were definitely NOT considered the glory days of Hollywood, in fact, at the time there was a lot a lot a lot of grumbling about how Hollywood was going to seed, so definitely probably thinking more in the late 50's or the early 70's for the event to have occurred and the actors were probably fairly young at the time, making them 60's or 70's now. I know it would make sense to think of the Young Guns guys, but it is DEFINITLY NOT them, way wrong time period. I agree that they were probably not all in the same movie, otherwise the TV clue wouldn't be there.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the producer who just died has to be younger than the actors since the BI says the producer was just a gopher at the time of the 'crime'.
ReplyDeleteKim
Okay, the phrase "Hollywood glory days" implies the period where the studios controlled every aspect of their actors lives, covering up anything that might offer the slightest whiff of scandal.
ReplyDeleteWhy else would a "studio gofer" be employed on such a mission?
Another clue is the use of the phrase "martinis, cigars and beautiful women"... typically this leads one to think of the era of the late 50's early 60's, albeit near the end of the almighty studio influence, however still applicable.
IMHO, these two items definitely narrow the era down to a specific time period, ie late 50's to early 60's - anything later doesn't fit those particular clues.
I'm also thinking something that might help would be to check career paths of the recently deceased producers, seeing who fits the bill family-wise, and also started as a gofer but then managed a rapid but not neccesarily meteoric rise to producer - unless I'm completely misreading the BI, his silence was apparently paid for by said career path.
We need to think along the lines of someone like James Garner.
ReplyDeleteHe was in several westerns on TV and in the movies, and is still working.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/
What about jack nickolson's crowd?
ReplyDeleteJack was in Goin South a western with Jon Belushi, christopher lloyd and Ed Begley jr.
Jack owns quite a bit of real estate in Hollywood.
norman frank and ed friendly both are producers that died in either may or june of this year
ReplyDeleteCharles Evans (produced Tootsie) founded Evan-Picone, Brother: Robert Evans; one living son; sister: Alice Shure
ReplyDeleteI have googled my fingers off and can't find a recent death that fits! ARRGGHH!
ReplyDeleteI've been going through Variety's recent deaths - if it's an obscure producer they might have had record but all I've found so far is Charles Evans (guessed above) and Julian Ludwig (but he isn't recorded to have had a child)
ReplyDeletenot a single one of you are offering up clues that are worth while.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, 2:26 - so have at it! Seriously, if that's all you have to offer, you're just adding to the heap.
ReplyDeleteCharles Evans was never a gofer at a studio. He was too busy working in the rag trade.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeletenot a single one of you are offering up clues that are worth while.
2:26 PM
--------------
Excuse me, we are BRAINSTORMING.
Norman Frank was married to Joyce Seigenfeld, who died in 1994.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone here seen Very Bad Things? How does it end? Trying to work backwards on this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's called bouncing off ideas off one another, jacka$$.
ReplyDeleteTry being constructive or try not leaving a comment...either or...
I think you guys are doing great research - keep it up!!
ReplyDeleteent needs to provide more info, there are just to many possibilities for us to nail it down.
ReplyDeleteoh and a picture of DS holding up a sign that says she's ZX would be nice as well.
if the actors are young they could be about the same age as the producer who died, a gofer doesn't mean a sixteen year old kid, and in this incident I would highly doubt it being a kid. For some reason Lloyd Bridges kept popping into my head as one possibility, heck, maybe Beau.
ReplyDeleteThinking out loud here -
ReplyDeleteThe actors that are still alive aren't George Burns old, meaning they're not 100. They're still considered A list, because of their reputations. They're regularly found in film and television.
That last one has me. It rules out Eastwood, Redford, Newman.
Actors that have been in westerns who are no longer with us include Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson.
What males do we know that are in the 50 - 85 age range do we see regularly on television and in films?
perhaps George Burns being mentioned was a clue? someone who worked with George Burns? something to do with "martinis, cigars and lots of beautiful women", or other verbage from the BI.
ReplyDeleteClint Eastwood was on a tv show called Rawhide.
ReplyDeleteI Caan't imagine who it could be.
ReplyDeleteBut the way it's written, makes it sound like they're regularly on tv now. EL wrote, "Could they carry a movie OR television show on their own anymore? Probably not. Are they regularly in movies AND television? Yes."
ReplyDeleteSounds current to me.
Okay, according to the LA Times Obit, Ed Friendly started his career in TV in 1949 as a sales exec - definitely not a candidate since the BI indicates a "studio gofer".
ReplyDeleteIn the end of VBT..I beleive Piven and whathisname are left, one of them is in a wheelchair one has a missing leg?? and they are fighting in the backyard over what hapeend...correct me if im wrong.
ReplyDeletealmost everyone else dies in some horrific way..my god i gotta watch that again.
Nathalie Wood anyone?? Christopher Walkens was on the boat.
ReplyDeleteCaan't imagine who it could be.
ReplyDeletefreudian? James Caan?
I remember a story not that long ago concerning an actor who was offering to buy a house and all it's contents, but for the life of me I can't remember who the star was, and I can't figure out how to do a search.
ReplyDeleteya Natalie was pushed by Heart to Heart (Wagner) after she was found cheating with Walken.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Jack Nicholson famously snap up Brando's house asap after he kicked it?
ReplyDeleteSo Clint Eastwoods next film is gonna be Letters from Dead Hookers...or Baggage of our Fathers??
ReplyDeleteJames Caan is a great guess. He did Wagon Train and Death Valley Days back in the 60s
ReplyDeleteDidn't Jack Nicholson famously snap up Brando's house asap after he kicked it?
ReplyDeleteWhen Brando died he had like a dozen kids! Plus, he was never a studio gopher, he went from Broadway star to Hollywood Star in no time flat.
I'm going with Burt Reynolds and his gang of friends, currently doing movies and TV. All are approximately age 65 or more - old but not George Burns and A-list by reputation
ReplyDeleteBurt Reynolds
Ned Beatty
Peter Fonda
Gene Hackman
Clint Eastwood
Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Dennis Hopper, James Caan, James Garner,
ReplyDeleteAll starred in Westerns. McQueen is dead. Hopper and Caan are on tv (Hopper in commercials, Caan in Vegas) Eastwood still makes movies. What has Garner done lately?
James Garner
ReplyDeleteThe Magic Shoe (2007) (pre-production) .... Grandfather
Terra (2008) (filming) (voice)
The Ultimate Gift (2006) .... Red Stevens
"8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" .... Jim Egan (41 episodes, 2003-2005)
... aka 8 Simple Rules (USA: new title)
- Ditch Day (2005) TV Episode .... Jim Egan
- Sleepover (2005) TV Episode .... Jim Egan
- The Teachers Lounge (2005) TV Episode .... Jim Egan
- The After Party (2005) TV Episode .... Jim Egan
- C.J.'s Real Dad (2005) TV Episode .... Jim Egan
(36 more)
Ent's gotta be exaggerating timeline of producer's death, there is NADA...this is a great BI but not a lot of word-clues etc.
ReplyDeleteCaan has definitely had his anger issues, could see him being part of something like this, somehow.
Thanks anon 3:05!
ReplyDeleteAll my guys are A list by reputation. One is dead, like the BI said, so we have to find another dead actor of that type and era.
If there was an incident between one woman and five or six actors, I doubt this was an anger management problem.
ReplyDeleteSounds kinky.
And Brando could round out the list.
ReplyDeleteCharles Bronson and Jason Robards are from that era and they're gone.
ReplyDeleteJames Caan was in Elf.
ReplyDeleteI love Elf.
Anon 3:02pm is on to something. Almost all listed were hit movie/tv stars, but couldn't carry them alone.
ReplyDeleteRemember guys the people still alive cannot carry a movie or tv show alone so that would rule out:
Clint Eastwood (probably-on the fence about him)
Jack Nicholson (still carrying movies)
Kiefer Sutherland (he's on hit show)
I really like James Garner and Gene Hackman guesses! Gotta see if they did anything together. I dunno why just to see.
Tracee
I like the guesses of actors in the James Garner, Walter Maltheu (?), Jack Lemmon age group. I think thats the age we should be researching.
ReplyDeleteThis is one BI where ENT is not going to give any clues, and it's not going to be 'revealed' without an arrest or five. This is homicide and cover-up, not a little piece of gossip.
ReplyDeleteGood research going on here!
BTW- what about Warren Beatty. This reeks of him.
ReplyDeleteoff to research.
Tracee
who in god's name uses wikipedia as a research tool? Give your head a shake.
ReplyDeleteThe main thing to do is find the actor who wanted to buy the dead producers house and contents.
ReplyDeleteRemember Clint Eastwood is a powerful producer and IMO could still carry a movie easily. Wouldn't ENT have made some sort of exception for him in the BI?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I'm also liking the Caan, et. al. group for this. Poor woman.
Remember Clint Eastwood is a powerful producer and IMO could still carry a movie easily. Wouldn't ENT have made some sort of exception for him in the BI?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I'm also liking the Caan, et. al. group for this. Poor woman.
Benjamin "Bob" Clark, film director, producer and screenwriter: born New Orleans, Louisiana 5 August 1941; married (one son, and one son deceased); died Los Angeles 4 April 2007.
ReplyDeleteOkay so this what caught my eye under Warren Beatty's imdb page.
ReplyDeleteLives on famed "Bad Boy Drive" a.k.a. Muholland Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. Nicknamed so because its famed residents are bad boy actors Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, and Beatty.
Brando dead. Was he in a western. And then we have Jack whose still alive. Weird...
Tracee
Andy Sidaris looks good for the producer?
ReplyDeleteOther possibles-
Stan Daniels
Burt Topper
Hey 3:20 Where do you suggest to start research? Star Magazine? Sorry I didn't bring my library card to work.
ReplyDeleteOkay so Brando and Jack starred in Missouri Breaks together. And Brando starred with Caan in The Godfather and James Caan starred in many westerns like Journey to Shiloh and El Dorado, with the Duke himself.
ReplyDeleteImdb says it wasn't til the 90s that he kicked his coke habit. And now he's on the show Las Vegas.
So I say Jack Nicholson and James Caan.
What do you guys think?
Tracee--You are a genius! You go, girl!
ReplyDelete2.53... ooooh, that sounds pretty good to me. But didn't they find Natalie Wood's body?
ReplyDeleteJames Caan, Warren Beatty, Dennis Hopper - all seem pretty viable suspects and I can see them being involved in some creepy stuff. Can't see James Garner being in this somehow. However.
I really don't know if I want to find out the details of this one Ent..
Didn't Jack Nicholson just buy an neighbors home? If it isn't him it is someone like him. Like Warren Beatty, and James Caan or Peter Fonda.
ReplyDeleteKIA
Sidney Sheldon died in January...he produced as well as wrote (obviously)...might explain actors fears he'd spill the beans in a tell all
ReplyDeleteI might be off, but man imdb.com keeps all of these handy trivia things. I was leaning toward Garner and Hackman, but then I found the "Bad Boy" thing and it caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteCheck it out...it's on all of theirs except for Caan.
But it does talk about his addiction.
http://imdb.com/name/nm0000197/bio
I dunno if I'm ready to really find out yet either. Super creeeepy.
Tracee
These seem like great research links, but I am afraid I am too lazy to do the work:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.einsiders.com/features/columns/apr07obituaries.php
http://www.einsiders.com/features/columns/may07obituaries.php
How about this for thought....When I say family, there is one widow and one child. No other family. None.
ReplyDeleteSays nothing about it being HIS widow or child, lets think out of the box.
I find this site mildly amusing, but this lady might know if a celeb made an offer in the manner the BI suggestsif anyone wants to email her:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.realestalker.blogspot.com/
Nicholson is a legend who can easily open a film. He's beyond A list. Not him. Although damn, I like the IDEA of Jack for it. Can you imagine the parties he had (and still has)? To be Jack for one night. . . even if it did involve a dead broad.
ReplyDeleteBurt Reynolds and Clint are old friends. Both did a hell of a lot of Western's back in the day. But Eastwood is a legend who is also beyond A list.
I'm stumped but I LOVE this BI.
http://shopping.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1620595.ece
ReplyDeleteTracee - I am with you -
ReplyDeleteWarren Beatty was the first name that came into my head. He typified (pre-Annette) the old-school, martini-swilling party bachelor.
Jack Nicholson could still carry a movie on his name but James Caan is another one I would include.
Does this story remind anyone else of the entries about "K", the 60+ A-list actor Ent met early in his career?
ReplyDeletewww.crazydaysandnights.net/search/label/K
Coincidence? I think we all figured Jack for that one, too...
Sorry-I posted the link above...it says a producer by the name of Ronald Shedlow started as Errol Flynn's assiatant...????
ReplyDeleteScratch Bob Clark off the suspect possibility-began his film career in Canada, not the U.S., even though he was from Florida originally.
ReplyDelete"Martinis, cigars and lots of beautiful women." Sounds like the typical Jack Nicholson, et al MO.
ReplyDeleteHow about another wrinkle... As soon as all of the available answers in the "infamous" MV blind item were excluded, ENT came back and said he changed some of the facts. So any of the clues in this item may well have been "changed". Assuming this item is true (which is generally pretty suspect on this site), I would say enough clues were changed so that we will never know the true participants. But, I agree, after many weeks of boring, recycled and rumored blind items, true or not, this one is quite juicy.
ReplyDeleteSome background info on James Caan, interesting, no?
ReplyDeleteIn 1994, he was the subject of two criminal investigations, one involving a physical attack on a woman with whom he was reportedly in a relationship and one in which he allegedly flashed a gun in front of rapper Derek Lee in a parking lot. Caan was never charged with any of the crimes, but he found his way back into rehab and laid low for a while. In 1996, he completed rehab again.
Oops--left part of Caan's "resume" off:
ReplyDeleteIn 1993, Caan was questioned about an odd death involving a young actor named Mark Alan Schwartz, who fell from a Los Angeles high-rise apartment building.
The part about "no family. none." reminded me of the western movie, "Once Upon a Time in the West". Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson. If you've seen it, you'll know why I'm saying this.
ReplyDeleteForget that--all four of the leads are now dead, dead, dead, dead.
ReplyDeleteRight, so some of them could be part of the clue.
ReplyDeleteI'm not convinced all of the actors were in the same movie anyway.
There is no reason to believe all the actors were in the same movie. As a matter of fact, it's HIGHLY doubtful.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking of James Coburn, who I think passed a few years ago. I'm seeing him with a cigar and martini.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like the 50/60s. James Garner fits the Bi well.
I really liked that movie... and Cameron was in it. :o)
ReplyDeleteY'all are good at brainstorming.
Jin said...
ReplyDeleteHow about this for thought....When I say family, there is one widow and one child. No other family. None.
Says nothing about it being HIS widow or child, lets think out of the box.
3:55 PM
Good thought, however...
"Not at all the case, but the producer's widow is happy to take their money and be done with it."
Young Guns Crew...way too young. James Garner and Company...way too
ReplyDeleteold. Ryan O'Neal and Lee Majors (former best friends)....JUST RIGHT. Think about The Big Valley...perhaps Bonanza. Think about Movie Westerns from the late 60's to mid 70's. Although...some from the Silverado Gang may be involved....hmmmm...
I think the "OR" is a clue...but don't know how it works in. The state of Oregon as a movie title? Some movie lingo I don't know? MsSuz
ReplyDeleteWhat about actors like Elliott Gould or George Segal? They're about the right age and I think they're both still doing movies and TV....just throwing 'em out there....
ReplyDeleteAudra, I disagree. The mention of martinis and cigars puts it at fifties, early to mid-sixties IMO. Definetly not 70's. James Garner and all would fit perfect for the time period. Thats my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteAnd people, we have heard of these people I am sure hence A list. So what if they were a-list back then. I am sure we have still heard of them. We should keep that in mind.
http://defamer.com/hollywood/jack-nicholson/jack-nicholson-to-turn-brandos-estate-into-botanical-bachelor-paradise-192559.php
ReplyDeleteWhen would Hollywood's true glory days have been...I'm thinking before TV really became mainstream in the mid 60's? Before that movie stars very much could get away with murder (reminded me of that early Ent story as well but I was thinking more Paul Newman). The Rat Pack is all dead aren't they....I'm thinking a generation younger then them for the actor group....more up and commers when guys like Sinatra were ruling. Meh - just ramblig.
ReplyDeleteCurtis Harrington
ReplyDeleteThe defamer article doesn't apply if you consider:
ReplyDelete1) Brando wasn't a producer
2) he didn't just die
3) his death couldn't be categorized as not really noteworthy
4) the actor in the blind has made an offer that still hasn't been agreed upon at this time
I'm starting to think this is one of those blind items we'll never figure out completely. Even if we see that some actor has snatched up the home of a producer, we still won't be able to figure out who the other actors are and what really happened.
Ok...let's see...Enty said they are AGING...not OLD. Since the average male life expectancy is 75 years and James Garner will be 80 next year....I would say James Garner isn't aging...James Garner is OLD....as are any of the actors y'all are saying were popular BEFORE tv came about in the 50's....sheesh. I believe these actors are currently in their 60's.
ReplyDeleteThink about it guys, if the actors were in their heyday in the 1950's, they would be AT LEAST in their 70's right now! That's NOT aging. You're cracking me up!
ReplyDeleteWell, "you" keep believing it. Others might not. He says aging but not George Burns old. That would be 100. So, under, say, 80 works for me.
ReplyDeleteEL said they were aging, but not George Burns old. George Burns was 100 years old when he died. That could mean anywhere from 50 to 85, as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteAnd what actor named here was in their heyday in the 1950's?????
Whoa Ent..duck and cover. While this is all sorts of juicy, I fear for your safety if it gets out you're talking about this. As you well know, money and power are the 2 things that fuel where you live.
ReplyDeleteBe safe
SA
This better not be the friggin' Fatty Arbuckle story.
ReplyDeleteWhat about some of these....
ReplyDeleteKirk Douglas
Dennis Hopper
Wayne Rogers
James Dean (dead)
Paul Newman
All big in their time...not so much now but still known names...were all doing movies in the late 50's (some together like Cool Hand Luke)
I don't know if by taking care of the producer ent means keeping him working or financially supporting him or both....if it was through work they all could have him in common for their past movies' producer.
Surely not. Its barely even close to the real story. I would be pissed
ReplyDelete7:47 I have started going through some movie producers for James Garner and some other popular guesses. And cross checking to see if that person died recently. No luck yet but, you guys keep giving me names and Ill heep searching credits. I have no life :-)
ReplyDeleteLOL 7:51 I'd say you have the patience to cross check stuff....that's a helluva plus!
ReplyDelete(anon 7:47)
Wow. Twisted Sister needs to get laid. STAT.
ReplyDeleteMarlon Brando HAS to be involved in this somehow.
ReplyDeleteStuart Rosenberg
ReplyDeleteDirected lots but produced in the early 50's... Died 15 March 2007....survived by one son one wife...
WHAT actors over 70 are currently in movies and television? Name 3 or 4. If you can name them, then I think we have our answers, n'est ce pas? I love the selective reading of these BI's.
ReplyDeleteDee Snyder, no need to be a bitch - no matter how much you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, my thing is....what did they DO to the poor girl?
ReplyDeletePoor Jimmy Caan. He's always the guess to half these blind items.
ReplyDeletePhyllis Diller - Burt Reynolds is 71. James Caan is a few years younger.
ReplyDeleteWhy over 70? They can be in their 50's or 60's, too, I would think.
Stuart's son also directs all be it as an assitant for the most part - did a movie with non other then Burt Reynolds..lol...for those that guessed him.
ReplyDeleteUm. Twisted Sis. I was being sarcastic. Therefore, I pronounce YOU to be the Queen of Selective Reading in here. Congrats! (thanks for proving my point)
ReplyDeleteStuart Rosenberg is an interesting name, Anon 8:17. He either directed or produced Cool Hand Luke, along with other films. That's not a western, but if you look at some of the stars in it, we might see some names of people who could be involved in this.
ReplyDeleteI knew Burt was a louse!
ReplyDeleteGirl, how do you expect me to see sarcasm in font? You need to add a winky or an lol or something.
ReplyDeleteNow don't be the bitch I accused you of being, 'k? We'll just do a group hug and sing Kumbaya. Winky and an lol to you.
:) He directed Cool Hand Luke that had a number of big & smaller stars in it..lol...the ones above - Paul Newman, Wayne Rogers etc. I think most have been in a western in some way in their careers...but the rest of the story (not assuming this is the producer but just in general) will be hard to find - I can't find any 'pop culture' bits deriving from VBT
ReplyDelete8:20, and all the other times you are,Jack Nicholson would be one and James Garner would be two, I am sure it will take me no time to find number 3.
ReplyDeleteIm pretty concerned for all involved.
ReplyDeleteIf ENT knows this story and the particulars of who was involved etc then the widow has obviously told somebody. If she is accepting money to keep her mouth shut but still telling a bunch of people all about it then she, and anyone else who knows, could be in danger. We are talking about the death of a woman and the subsequent cover up.
The repuations and lives of at least 3 a-list stars are at stake, not to mention the widow herself for accepting money to cover up a death.
This story is just plain old horrible. I feel for the family of the woman who died - they may never know the truth about their loved one.
Kind of reminds me of "The Cat's Meow" except in that case it was the director that bought the farm. For some reason, George Kennedy kept popping into my mind. Don't think he could be considered A-list but it seems that he was always a part of an ensemble group in several westerns.
ReplyDelete8:38 maybe Clint Eastwood?? Not saying it's him just saying there are still actors out there over 70. They may make their movies further apart but, they are out there.
ReplyDeleteK - this is longish and I apologize but this is Peter Berg's voice on VBT and what it was based on...
ReplyDeleteThe idea was born at a bachelor party that Berg was at several years ago, where a pair of strippers were doing a sex show on the floor.
As the conservative, office-worker types at the party watched and cheered, they started to close in on the two women. Berg remembers a "very weird, intense vibe" coming off the situation.
"I wondered what might happen if it started getting tribal, what might happen if these guys just snapped."
He wrote the first draft during downtime between his scenes in Cop Land, then shopped the script around. Only after Diaz and Slater signed on (Slater also executive-produced the film) could he raise any cash at all.
Now the movie is made, and Berg is waiting - with keen interest - for public reaction, as his little baby of a twisted indie flick gets a major, mass-market promotional push.
Some of the reaction has already been negative. But Berg's not surprised.
"Some people think the violence is really gratuitous or that the dark comedy isn't effective, that it's just dark and not comedic.
"I tried to do something that was draining. I wanted it to be intense, and I wanted it to be unforgiving, and I wanted it to hit and hit and hit and hit."
But the film isn't purely about shock, Berg maintains. While the characters end up doing some very bad things indeed, the audience should look at them and say, "But what would I do in that situation? And how clean is my own conscience?"
"We look at a fall from grace as one event. But it's not," Berg says.
"It's dozens of tiny little events that slowly add up, karmically, and before you know it, you've fallen."
I see Stuart Rosenberg has worked with Paul Newman (a bunch of times), Robert Redford, Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall, Jack Lemmon,Elliot Gould, and Clint Eastwood, all of whom have been in Westerns, and most of them have been on TV and are about the right age.
ReplyDeleteIMDb says SR is a director and producer.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I don't know the answer to this BI but, I just know James Garner is part of this. So A-list then and now by reputation. Still does movies, does t.v., Has done many many westerns. I don't know what happened or any other players but he HAS to be in it. Too many clues fit. We don't get that many as it is and they all fit him. Coincidence? No way. (and I don't know how you spell coincidence so spare me your comments if I was wrong :-))
ReplyDeleteHoly man I didn't know about Jack Lemmon...Robert Duvall...Charles Bronson...and you know I looked and looked at Elliot Gould at first but found the connection through Paul Newman and Cool Hand Luke.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the movie - but I can't remember how the hooker/stripper died - pierced her head on something on the wall?? That could have very easily happened at any kind of 'party' in any era unfortunatly.
(anon 8:17)
Sorry...I have seen Very Bad Things... only parts of Cool Hand Luke - which is Not about Vegas trips gone bad.
ReplyDeleteRosenberg also moved pretty quickly from apprentice film editorto directing TV shows.
ReplyDeleteMeh. I see he also has a daughter and four grandchildren. Scratch him, unless Ent is changing facts again.
Melissa - coincidentally, you spelled it right. ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, Lemmon and Bronson are deceased.
ReplyDeleteLMAO. Glad to know, Hez. First time I think :-)
ReplyDeleteSasha - his obit on Variety stated one son and four grand children...still looking around...
ReplyDeleteAnd ent would have streched it as well by saying died a month or so ago.
(anon 8:17)
anon @ 9:41 On wiki, it mentions a daughter named Vivianne Rosenberg.
ReplyDeleteDammit all. LOL
ReplyDeleteI am with you 9:47.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way I have searched and searched for this producer who died. I even gave ent a few months because sometimes he fudges. No one fits. good night and good luck
And James Garner is one of the actors in case I haven't mentioned that
http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/daily/20070606/simpson.html
ReplyDeletePeter Simpson died June 6. Minor producer of such things as Prom Night. One son, Brock. Can't find anything about a widow. Lived in Canada, but Ent does not rule out such a thing.
I read this and it reminded me of a book, possibly a Jackie Collins novel. Two young girls go to a party where there are Hollywood actors and are drugged. One of them dies and the other one gets away and can't figure out what happened to her friend. I can't remember the book, but I know it was a roman a clef and the event could have been based in fact and possbily based on this.
ReplyDeleteTwisted Sister,
ReplyDeleteThat Fatty Arbuckle comment made me laugh out loud. Thanks.
~American in Holland
I say Donald Sutherland has to be involved. The hot temper obviously runs in the family.
ReplyDeleteWasn't the "golden age of Hollywood" around the "Gone With The Wind" time-line?
ReplyDeleteOooh this is one juicy BI and so sad too!!
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible at guessing but I do so enjoy reading everyone elses guesses.
But: If no one besides the producer and the actors know about the poor girls death, how did Enty happen to find out about it?
Or did the producer tell people in his family about the dead girl?(sorry if those are stupid questions)
I know I'd go to the police if info like that was related to me, but maybe money shuts people up, I wouldn't know.
-Teppy
It's implied, but it doesn't say that they killed the woman, just that she didn't make it home - could have been an overdose, accident even natural causes (though unlikely) that they cowardly covered up instead of outright murder and its steamrolled into urban legend. I wouldn't assume it was as grisly as VBT plotline. That doesn't excuse them though.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the VBT movie plot - there are 5 guys, 2 of them brothers, some of them Jewish and apparently that's a big part of the plot for some reason, one them is also very quiet? Also, only one person committs the original crime and the rest cover it up - could that be the actor looking to buy the house? It's a long shot, but any chance any of those things could narrow it down?
The producer may not include that he was a gopher in his bio - especially if he was unexpectedly promoted, any very junior start might suffice.
Lastly, I think this is likely an urban legend and ENT is just stirring the pot. No way a secret this big could be so open.
American in Holland - I'm so glad you got the joke! Kind of obscure, really, since none of us were around at the time. I thought since we were being accused of going back to the 1950's, I'd go back even further. I'm evil that way. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhy are people eliminating producers who have a daughter instead of a son? The blind say a widow and child, and doesn't provide a gender.
Never mind - I just got that you're eliminating grandchildren, not women.
ReplyDeleteHollywood glory days sounds like the 40s/50s to me. When I was a kid in 1960s LA County, Hollywood Blvd was already seedy and "late in the day". It's definitely not the YG actors as they're too young. And unless Tommy Lee Jones was *very* precocious (he was born in '46, according to imdb and nndb) that rules him out. Sounds more like the Clint Eastwood generation.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think they were all in the same western (the BI merely says they were all *in* westerns).
As for other people mentioned, all the Mag7 actors but Eli Wallach and Robert Vaughn are dead. And while LHotP wasn't a western, Bonanza was, so Landon is still in the game (And about the right generation).
Twisted Sister - whaddaya mean, "I'm so glad you got the joke! Kind of obscure, really, since none of us were around at the time."
ReplyDeleteFatty Arbuckle was my home boy!
I'm kidding, kidding. I wish Microsoft would invent some kind of sarcasm button, that would be the bomb.
Seriously though, the Fatty Arbuckle story is quite a tragedy, and I believe the poor man was completely innocent.
There was some incident involving either five or six actors. Two have died.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts: Warren Beatty is good friends with Sean Penn who was really really tight with Brando. There is 1 death. The other death? I am not sure, but these are the people.
Ent: I heard this one before, but I thought this was a rumor.
You guys, think Hurlyburly. Peter Fonda was there too.
kisses
Sorry to rain on the gossip parade with my prudish morals, but out of respect the deceased and her family, shouldn't this info be taken straight to the police?
ReplyDeleteanyone from "Gunsmoke" fit?
ReplyDelete6:33 no body no crime, all heresay.
ReplyDeleteAll the same, you LA'ers get out your LA Times Obit sections. It would be there...
Jo Durden-Smith is the producer. He's survived by his wife and daughter.
ReplyDeleteHis obituary in the Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/db2402.xml
AND since he worked so much with Johnny Cash, maybe he's one of the dead ones? He not only was in Westerns, he was in the soundtracks of them. The other maybe Elvis? As far out as that is. He was in several. I mean, it says two are dead, and they all ran in the same crowd there for a while in their crazy days...
ReplyDeleteBrenda, you are TOO FUNNY!! A Kansas girl, I presume?
ReplyDeleteThis is disgusting. It it's true then you should be calling the police not offering it up as a blind item. I'm not easily shocked but this is really sick and shame on the producers wife and child for carrying this secret on.
ReplyDeletedoesn't nicholson want to buy someone's house...it was recently reported somewhere.. I can't remember where I read that..sorry this is completely as vague of a comment as it can get? But my first instinct was to look toward nicholson..
ReplyDelete?
someone said that waay up, if you would read all the comments before you post.
ReplyDeletemy first time guessing, so please bare with me, but this is just too succulent a tidbit to simply lurk - I want to play along!
ReplyDeleteI have come up with absolutely nothing on a recently dead producer, so a wash there.
I did find something interesting on IMDb about Very Bad Things, however. Turns out it references Deliverance in some way. Can anyone who has seen VBT remember how? Anyway, this got me poking around the Burt Reynolds guess offered above and here is what I've found. Burt is a good fit, I think age-wise and westerns wise. Jon Voight, oscar winner and in six westerns (tv and film) plus I get the impression he could probably do something very bad; Ned Beatty, oscar nominee, six westerns (tv and film) and although he seems nice enough, there is a trivia bit about him regarding the deliverance rape scene in which he ended up beating the actor who was the rapist with a stick - and had to be pulled off the guy by Burt, so who knows if that is a temper that carries over into life?
I know they needn't all be in the same film, but it would make sense that they might have been costars at some point. Further, while each of these guys in their turn could be considered A-list (at least from an award winning perspective) they certainly aren't A-list anymore though they are all still working in some capacity. Now, if we could just figure out whom else they hung out with (the dead actor(s).
I'm working now at parsing the verbiage of the
BI, looking for hints. Does anyone think it is significant that ENT repeated the phrase "where the body was buried" twice in short succession?
At any rate, this is what I have to offer for now. Hope it helps the common cause. Back to the research.
-Kristina
Nicholson lived next door to Marlon Brando for a number of years on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills. Warren Beatty also lived nearby, earning the road the nickname "Bad Boy Drive". After Brando's death in 2004, Nicholson purchased his neighbor's bungalow for $6.1 million, with the purpose of having it demolished. Nicholson stated that it was done out of respect to Brando's legacy, as the house had become derelict.[12]
ReplyDeleteI think Michael Landon is one of the dead actors - because of the way Ent says television OR movie. ML was only on television.
ReplyDeleteI'm leaning towards Stuart Rosenberg for the producer, survived by his wife Margot and son Benjamin.
I think George Kennedy is involved in this somehow.
We found conflicting reports on good old Stuart last night...lol...ones that said one wife/one son and another that said a daughter & grandchildren as well. But there were so many things about him that fit the time lines/actors etc.
ReplyDeleteJo Durden-Smith was survived by a wife, daughter, and step-daughter. No history of working as a gofer or for a studio.
ReplyDelete