Mel Brooks Isn’t Afraid to Admit He’s Great“There’s no sense beating around the bush and being modest. I’m one of the best! I didn’t mind tooting my own horn. Shame on me, but that’s the […]
The Lost Roles of Richard PryorOne of the most acclaimed and respected stand-up comedians of all time, Richard Pryor shot to fame in the 1970’s and proved to be a charismatic […]
J-Vanka a Step Closer to Jew-VankaIvanka’s found a controversial rabbi to oversee her conversion so she can finally marry Jared Kushner and create perfect, Chosen offspring.
‘Page Six’ Manages to Not Revel in Sarah Jessica Parker’s Failure Sarah Jessica Parker is not confident that her unreleased movie, Spinning Into Butter, will ever see the light of day. Barack Obama and his wife are slated to attend the opening of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Oprah on Thursday. Cosmetics heir Olivia Chantecaille got engaged to banker boyfriend Ren Grady. Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively took a bunch of friends shopping to Armani Exchange on Fifth Avenue. Shake Shack is opening a location on the Upper West Side! Sting, Diddy, and Josh Hartnett all hung out at Half Nelson producer Charlie Corwin’s birthday at Socialista, which is now back open after the hepatitis scare. Michael Musto will appear on the cover of The Village Voice spoofing this magazine’s Lindsay Lohan shoot.
Breaking: Someone Fancy Went to Mohegan Sun!Vanity Fair style arbiter Amy Fine Collins went to the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. Central Park carriage owners responded to Pink’s animal-cruelty charges by deriding them as the “ignorant comments of a B-list pop star.” Nets chairman and real-estate developer Bruce Ratner is getting married to plastic surgeon Pamela Lipkin. At Sundance, Paris Hilton gave a lap dance to Jared Leto, David Katzenberg took pictures of his privates for girlfriend Nicky Hilton, Cisco Adler got into a shoving match, Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian made out, and Adrian Grenier lost his drumsticks. John Legend says he doesn’t get caught up with dating models and that he’s “more concerned with (his) happiness.”
gossipmonger
Underwear Model Hits the FloorA publicist for model Annabel Vartanian claims that the model fainted at a La Perla party because “she wore herself out,” not because she has an eating disorder. Kim Cattrall is donating all the furs she wore in the Sex and the City movie to PETA, which in turn will give them to charity. Cindy Adams is taking credit for breaking Enquirer’s John Edwards–is–having–an–affair story. East Village landmark dive bars Sophie’s and Mona’s are both going up for sale after the holidays. Police commish Ray Kelly says he won’t make a decision about running for mayor until after the presidential scrum plays out. Donald Trump will be David Letterman’s first guest back when he goes live on January 2. Model Selita Ebanks, who may have been dating James Blake, was at a Knicks game with Giants lineman Osi Umenyira.
21 questions
‘Brothers and Sisters’ Star Dave Annable Plays Wii All DayName: Dave Annable
Job: Playing injured Iraq vet Justin Walker on ABC’s Brothers and Sisters.
Age: 28
Borough: Annable grew up upstate, went to SUNY Plattsburgh, and earned his acting chops in the city with the Neighborhood Playhouse, living in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Who’s your favorite New Yorker, living or dead, real or fictional?
Mel Brooks.
What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?
After studying at the “library,” N.Y. pizza at 2 a.m.
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
Play the Nintendo Wii.
in other news
Mel Brooks Hiding Concerns About ‘Young Frankenstein’?On Wednesday night when we ran into Mel Brooks at the Fox Business Network launch party, he told us that he was still making “nips and cuts” to his new Broadway show, Young Frankenstein, which is in previews right now. “It’s going in the right direction,” he assured us, jollily. But apparently Mel is painting a rosy picture. In today’s Post, Michael Riedel reports that Brooks and the Frankenstein crew are panicking because lead actor Roger Bart’s back problems are going to prevent him from taking the stage in most performances. He has a talented understudy, but Riedel’s source (someone ridiculously nicknamed “Deep Abby Norman”) says that producers are looking for a more famous lead. Eddie Izzard and Hugh Jackman have both been mentioned. We’re guessing, though, if he happened to ask Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes at the FBN party for their thoughts, they’d have given the same advice we will: Pick whoever is the hottest.
Decision Is Spinal [NYP]
Earlier: Fox Business Network: The Victory Party
party lines
Fox Business Network: The Victory PartyLast night’s launch party for Fox Business Network had so many media and business moguls, you couldn’t throw a canapé without mussing up the rug of some very important dude. Seriously, our throats were burning from inhaling the perfume of wealth and success. In one corner of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur, Liz Smith chatted with Mel Brooks and Harvey Weinstein. (Apparently, Harvey loves the channel. “I love Roger Ailes,” he said, though he would not tell us what he liked the best or whether he ate Money for Breakfast.) In another corner, Oscar and Annette de la Renta greeted Regis and Joy Philbin. And kingly in the middle of it all, like a pair of samurai and their husbands, were Rupert Murdoch, Les Moonves, Julie Chen, and Rupert’s wife, Wendi Deng. “Wendi, we love your bracelets!” we cried in unison, suddenly morphing into Blair’s sidekicks in Gossip Girl. “They were only twenty dollars,” she exclaimed. Wow, we thought. Wendi is so down-to-earth! “But this wasn’t,” she laugh-cackled, flashing us her index finger, which was adorned with what looked to be the actual Hope Diamond.
party lines
Beware of Brooks Bearing Pickled Herring
We’ve always kind of thought this, but now we know for sure: Mel Brooks’ entire life is like a slapstick comedy. We spotted him at last night’s New Yorkers for Children Annual Fall Gala, fresh from rehearsals from his Young Frankenstein, which opens on Broadway in November. “One day I brought in some pickled herring, a jar of pickled herring, for the dancers — a gift!” the director-producer-comedian told us gleefully. “But I spilled, and three dancers slipped and fell. But! The way they fell gave Susan Stroman [the choreographer] a great idea for a slide.” “So you’re a choreographer now, too?” New York asked. “No, no,” he demurred. “I just help with the slides. —Elizabeth Brown
the early word
‘Young Frankenstein’: You’ll Never Believe What They’re Calling Megan MullallyThe young woman outside the Paramount Theatre says she’s come to the Seattle preview of Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks’s follow-up to his tremendous hit The Producers, because she’s a “bitch.” “And so is Megan Mullally!” she squeals. “From Will & Grace! She’s a bitch, I’m a bitch. We have a connection!” Ms. Mullally’s superfan is among an older and decidedly more guarded crowd — the middle-aged couple sitting next to us came because they got a deal when they bought tickets to Spamalot.
Gore 2008!At an Air America relaunch, Bill Clinton said Al Gore has the money to run for president. Rudy Giuliani is raising money in Jerusalem. Paul McCartney is playing new songs at a free Highline Ballroom show tonight. Tom Wolfe is worried Gus Van Sant’s adaptation of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test won’t do the LSD trips justice. Mel Brooks thinks Cloris Leachmen is too old to reprise her role in Young Frankenstein. Paris Hilton is naked online again. At the Apollo’s spring benefit, David Dinkins said he likes Kyra Sedgwick. Dumbo developer David Walentas will play polo with Adolpho Cambiaso, the world’s best player, in Bridgehampton this summer. Beyoncé wouldn’t sign a British fan’s painting. Britney Spears exposed herself again, and snuggled with gal pal, at a Hollywood club.
Donald Trump Has ‘Jealous Enemies’Donald Trump claims that “jealous enemies” are spreading rumors that contractors working on his Atlantic City properties haven’t been paid for their work. After much deliberation, Daniel Boulud has decided to name his forthcoming Upper West Side bistro “Bar Boulud.” Jade Jagger had some serious air rage on a flight from London. Paramount head Brad Grey allegedly said that the reason Dreamgirls wasn’t nominated for a Best Picture Oscar is that “everyone hates David [Geffen].” Jim McGreevey’s wife is planning a tell-all.
