Jul 29, 2004 12:00 a.m. - Yahoo! News - Entertainment - Television
Variety - GOOD MORNING: As the curtain falls tonight on the Democonvention and its Hollywood cast in Boston, I recall another Hollywood-hoopla'd politico party. The date was July 13, 1960 and the convention was at L.A.'s Sports Arena. On that last night, John F. Kennedy beat out Adlai Stevenson. In my column of July 15, 1960, "I was on the platform many of the nominating hours -- also on this platform, behind the speakers were Peter Lawford, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra who had been on their feet quietly watching the proceedings from this excellent vantage point since 3 p.m. The Hollywood group was in such force at this political decision, a Democratic victory should make for an administration more sympathetic to the problems of showbiz -- domestic and foreign." The party Friday night in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum at which Kennedy and veepee nominee Lyndon Johnson made their acceptance speeches, included Steve Allen as m.c., Frank Sinatra, Mort Sahl, Edward G. Robinson, Phyllis Kirk, Vincent Price, Mercedes McCambridge, Jan Sterling, Barry Sullivan, Shirley MacLaine, Ralph Bellamy and Lee Marvin. ... At Monday night's toast to Sen. Edward Kennedy at Boston's Symphony Hall, John Williams conducted the Boston Symphony and performers included Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Yo-Yo Ma, Bono, Glenn Close and Ben Affleck, who presented Kennedy with a white jacket -- in which to conduct the orch in "Stars And Stripes Forever." Kennedy zoomed over to the hall from the Convention where his speech was bigscreen'd to guests in the Symph Hall. The showbiz group applausing him there included Mark Canton, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, George Stevens Jr. (wife Liz is on the convention platform organizing committee). Stevens met in Boston with "An American Requiem, God, My Father, and the War That Came Between Us" author James Carroll, who is scripting his book with Tim Willocks as a Stevens feature. Also at the Kennedy salute in Boston was Vernon Jordan -- John Kerry has asked him to negotiate with the Republicans on the upcoming presidential debates. He's agreed ... Bill Clinton, who has book signing dates in Ireland and China, will be back in time for hefty campaigning for Kerry.
FCC seeks input on TV violence (Variety) Variety - NEW YORK -- The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday launched a wide-ranging inquiry into whether it...
