Because ‘Dark Knight” Needs More Publicity
By Vicki Walker, The Oakland Tribune, Calif.
Jul. 23–Christian Bale, star of the box-office smash “The Dark Knight,” is denying allegations he assaulted his mother and sister at a London hotel.
Bale, 34, said the allegations were false on Tuesday, hours after the Welsh-born actor was arrested, questioned by London police and released on bail. The actor spent four hours talking with authorities but was not charged.
British media reported that Bale’s mother and sister told police he assaulted them Sunday night at the Dorchester Hotel in London, a day before attending the European premiere of “The Dark Knight.” The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale, 40, and mother Jenny Bale, 61.
A woman thought to be Sharon Bale told reporters, “It’s a family matter,” from her home in Corfe Mullen, 110 miles southwest of London.
The reports surfaced just days after “The Dark Knight,” which co-stars Heath Ledger as Batman’s nemesis the Joker, took a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend. Ledger died earlier this year of an accidental drug overdose in New York — a circumstance that has only added to the movie’s brooding mystique.
BEN THERE, BEN THAT: With the exits of Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert from “At the Movies,” the syndicated movie review show will be taken over by a couple of guys named Ben.
Affleck and Stein? Bernacke and the Ben of Ben and Jerry? Michael
Emerson’s character on “Lost” and the rat in “Willard”? (No, wait, Ben Linus is in a book club.)
Nope. But these new guys have pedigree.
Ben Lyons, a Hollywood reporter and film critic for “E! News” (and son of film critic Jeffrey Lyons), and Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz (grandson of Herman Mankiewicz, who co-wrote “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles) will take over “At the Movies” when its new season begins in September, Disney Domestic Television said Tuesday.
The new hosts will continue to debate the merits of current movies and DVD releases but other segments will be added to the show, including a “critics roundup” in which the hosts are joined via satellite by reviewers from around the country, Disney said.
The new format was believed to contribute to Roeper’s decision Sunday not to renew his contract with the show, followed the next day by Ebert’s. Ebert has not appeared on the show in two years, since cancer surgery rendered him unable to speak.
BETTER THAN PHIL GRAMM’S ‘MENTAL RECESSION’?: President Bush, in an unguarded moment, said Wall Street “got drunk and now it’s got a hangover.”
He made the comment at a political fundraiser Friday in Houston after asking members of the audience to turn off their video cameras. Silly, trusting Georgie. A snippet wound up on a blog Tuesday by Miya Shay of ABC affiliate KTRK in Houston.
Bush clearly was in a good mood as he addressed a crowd in a private home. Media members were barred from the appearance.
“There is no question about it. Wall Street got drunk,” the president said. “That’s one reason I asked you to turn off your TV cameras.”
“The question is, How long will it (take to) sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments?”
(“Do all these fancy financial instruments”? Is this like when he said, “OB-GYNs won’t be able to practice their love with the world”?)
He segued to problems in the housing market but said they weren’t an issue in Houston. “Evidently not in Dallas because Laura’s over there trying to buy a house today.”
The KTRK snippet, to nobody’s surprise (except maybe Bush’s), has been posted on YouTube.
Today’s People Column was compiled by Vicki Walker from news service reports. Comments? Write to us c/o the Times, P.O. Box 8099, Walnut Creek, CA 94596-8099. Or call 925-943-8323, fax 925-943-8265, or e-mail vwalker@bayarea newsgroup.com.
MILESTONES
Today’s birthdays: Actress Gloria DeHaven (83), Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy (72), actor Ronny Cox (70), radio personality Don Imus (68), country singer Tony Joe White (65), rock singer David Essex (61), actor Larry Manetti (61), singer-songwriter John Hall (60), actress Belinda Montgomery (58), musician Blair Thornton of Bachman Turner Overdrive (58), actor Woody Harrelson (47), musician Martin Gore of Depeche Mode (47), actor Eriq Lasalle (46), rock musician Slash (43), actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (41), rock musician Nick Menza (40), model Stephanie Seymour (40), actress Charisma Carpenter (38), R&B singer Sam Watters (38), country singer Alison Krauss (37), R&B singer Dalvin DeGrate (37), musician Chad Gracey of Live (37), comedian Marlon Wayans (36), country singer Shannon Brown (35), actor Omar Epps (35), baseball player Nomar Garciaparra (35), actress Stephanie March (34), musician David Pichette of Emerson Drive (31), R&B singer Michelle Williams (28), actor Daniel Radcliffe (19).
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