Wednesday, June 20, 2007

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.

288 comments:

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Mike said...

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Anonymous said...

Holy shit, for once a BI about something serious!
I guess that poor woman's friends and/or family never found out what happened to her. How sad.

Anonymous said...

mike shhhhh! this is insane!

addicted to blinds said...

Okay, I'm thinking Donald Sutherland types for age group. Any takers?

Anonymous said...

There 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...

Anonymous said...

wow! 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!

Anonymous said...

Sorry can't be Ed - two kids

Anonymous said...

Westerns. Clint Eastwood. Movies AND TV...

Anonymous said...

Syndey Rose...worked with the brat pack....

Anonymous said...

Hey 12:58--
Friendly 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.

Anonymous said...

..errr, rat pack..doh!

Anonymous said...

Rat packers are all dead or wearing diapers.

Pope-rah said...

Young Guns!

Anonymous said...

I'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.

I know that Steve and Yul are dead. Not sure on the rest.

A producer just died a few weeks ago...hmmm...who was it???

Anonymous said...

Sonny, I knew it was you.

Anonymous said...

Stan Daniels
Ed Friendly
Beau Vandenecker
Jo Durden-Smith

all producers who have died in the last couple of weeks.

Anonymous said...

Going back earlier, there is Julian Ludwig, who worked with Eastwood:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963173.html?categoryId=25&cs=1

Anonymous said...

Daniels as four children.
Jo Durden-Smith has one child.
The others I can't find info on.

Doesn't this person have only one child?

Anonymous said...

Peter R. Simpson

Anonymous said...

For some reason, Paul Newman popped into my head... for one of the actors obviously.

Anonymous said...

Did 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!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What about these guys:

Young 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

Anonymous said...

AWESOME blind!!!! I have no clue who it is, but.....AWESOME!

Anonymous said...

It's the Young Guns crew. Now figure out the producer and we're in business.

Hez said...

Silverado was a big western when it came out in the 80s. Lots of A-lister types in that...

Or how about Lonesome Dove??? Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones...

Checking IMDb for a fit, but so far nothing.

Anonymous said...

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.

Also, 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.

Anonymous said...

still no proof that DS is really ZX.

Anonymous said...

How many of these guys are A-listers?

Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, and Dermot Mulroney

Anonymous said...

Ok, another thought is Burt Reynolds.

Still working with my original idea of Young Guns as well.

~Lohan

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

it says the actors probably cannot carry a movie or tv show anymore, which rules out Kiefer Sutherland.
I think we have to think older and not all in the same movie, tv show.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Burt 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?

~Lohan

Anonymous said...

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?

Anonymous said...

The 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....


sorry, its the college student in me getting all research-y.

Nicole

Anonymous said...

I went to wikipedia and typed in Westerns. A lot of info popped up, including a list of actors who were commonly in westerns.

http://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.

Stacy said...

Definitely the cast of Young Guns....good call.

Anonymous said...

I can't find who produced VBT....not that I think it may be the deceased but it may be a link/clue.

Anonymous said...

Im 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.

Anonymous said...

I 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.

Anonymous said...

Definitely the cast of Young Guns....good call.
----------------------

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.

Anonymous said...

That makes sense, stinky.

This one is gonna drive us nuts for DAYS!

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 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.

Anonymous said...

I 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'.

Kim

Anonymous said...

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.
Why 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.

Anonymous said...

We need to think along the lines of someone like James Garner.
He was in several westerns on TV and in the movies, and is still working.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001258/

Anonymous said...

What about jack nickolson's crowd?

Jack 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.

Anonymous said...

norman frank and ed friendly both are producers that died in either may or june of this year

Anonymous said...

Charles Evans (produced Tootsie) founded Evan-Picone, Brother: Robert Evans; one living son; sister: Alice Shure

Anonymous said...

I have googled my fingers off and can't find a recent death that fits! ARRGGHH!

Anonymous said...

I'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)

Anonymous said...

not a single one of you are offering up clues that are worth while.

Anonymous said...

You're right, 2:26 - so have at it! Seriously, if that's all you have to offer, you're just adding to the heap.

Anonymous said...

Charles Evans was never a gofer at a studio. He was too busy working in the rag trade.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
not a single one of you are offering up clues that are worth while.

2:26 PM
--------------

Excuse me, we are BRAINSTORMING.

Anonymous said...

Norman Frank was married to Joyce Seigenfeld, who died in 1994.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone here seen Very Bad Things? How does it end? Trying to work backwards on this one.

Anonymous said...

It's called bouncing off ideas off one another, jacka$$.

Try being constructive or try not leaving a comment...either or...

Anonymous said...

I think you guys are doing great research - keep it up!!

Anonymous said...

ent needs to provide more info, there are just to many possibilities for us to nail it down.
oh and a picture of DS holding up a sign that says she's ZX would be nice as well.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Thinking out loud here -

The 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?

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Clint Eastwood was on a tv show called Rawhide.

Anonymous said...

I Caan't imagine who it could be.

Anonymous said...

But 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."

Sounds current to me.

Anonymous said...

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".

Anonymous said...

In 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.
almost everyone else dies in some horrific way..my god i gotta watch that again.

Anonymous said...

Nathalie Wood anyone?? Christopher Walkens was on the boat.

Anonymous said...

Caan't imagine who it could be.

freudian? James Caan?

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

ya Natalie was pushed by Heart to Heart (Wagner) after she was found cheating with Walken.

Anonymous said...

Didn't Jack Nicholson famously snap up Brando's house asap after he kicked it?

Anonymous said...

So Clint Eastwoods next film is gonna be Letters from Dead Hookers...or Baggage of our Fathers??

Anonymous said...

James Caan is a great guess. He did Wagon Train and Death Valley Days back in the 60s

Anonymous said...

Didn't Jack Nicholson famously snap up Brando's house asap after he kicked it?

When 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.

Anonymous said...

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
Burt Reynolds
Ned Beatty
Peter Fonda
Gene Hackman
Clint Eastwood

Anonymous said...

Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Dennis Hopper, James Caan, James Garner,

All 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?

Anonymous said...

James Garner

The 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)

Anonymous said...

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.

Caan has definitely had his anger issues, could see him being part of something like this, somehow.

Anonymous said...

Thanks anon 3:05!

All 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.

Anonymous said...

If there was an incident between one woman and five or six actors, I doubt this was an anger management problem.

Sounds kinky.

Anonymous said...

And Brando could round out the list.

Anonymous said...

Charles Bronson and Jason Robards are from that era and they're gone.

Anonymous said...

James Caan was in Elf.
I love Elf.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:02pm is on to something. Almost all listed were hit movie/tv stars, but couldn't carry them alone.

Remember 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

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

This 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.

Good research going on here!

Anonymous said...

BTW- what about Warren Beatty. This reeks of him.

off to research.

Tracee

Anonymous said...

who in god's name uses wikipedia as a research tool? Give your head a shake.

Anonymous said...

The main thing to do is find the actor who wanted to buy the dead producers house and contents.

Anonymous said...

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?

Otherwise, I'm also liking the Caan, et. al. group for this. Poor woman.

Anonymous said...

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?

Otherwise, I'm also liking the Caan, et. al. group for this. Poor woman.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Okay so this what caught my eye under Warren Beatty's imdb page.

Lives 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

Anonymous said...

Andy Sidaris looks good for the producer?

Other possibles-
Stan Daniels
Burt Topper

Anonymous said...

Hey 3:20 Where do you suggest to start research? Star Magazine? Sorry I didn't bring my library card to work.

Anonymous said...

Okay 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.

Imdb 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?

Anonymous said...

Tracee--You are a genius! You go, girl!

Anonymous said...

2.53... ooooh, that sounds pretty good to me. But didn't they find Natalie Wood's body?

James 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..

Anonymous said...

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.


KIA

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

I 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.

Check 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

Anonymous said...

These seem like great research links, but I am afraid I am too lazy to do the work:

http://www.einsiders.com/features/columns/apr07obituaries.php

http://www.einsiders.com/features/columns/may07obituaries.php

Anonymous said...

How 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.

Anonymous said...

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:

http://www.realestalker.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

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.

Burt 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.

Anonymous said...

http://shopping.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1620595.ece

Anonymous said...

Tracee - I am with you -

Warren 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.

Hez said...

Does this story remind anyone else of the entries about "K", the 60+ A-list actor Ent met early in his career?

www.crazydaysandnights.net/search/label/K

Coincidence? I think we all figured Jack for that one, too...

Anonymous said...

Sorry-I posted the link above...it says a producer by the name of Ronald Shedlow started as Errol Flynn's assiatant...????

Anonymous said...

Scratch Bob Clark off the suspect possibility-began his film career in Canada, not the U.S., even though he was from Florida originally.

Anonymous said...

"Martinis, cigars and lots of beautiful women." Sounds like the typical Jack Nicholson, et al MO.

Anonymous said...

How 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.

Anonymous said...

Some background info on James Caan, interesting, no?

In 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.

Anonymous said...

Oops--left part of Caan's "resume" off:
In 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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Forget that--all four of the leads are now dead, dead, dead, dead.

Anonymous said...

Right, so some of them could be part of the clue.

I'm not convinced all of the actors were in the same movie anyway.

Anonymous said...

There is no reason to believe all the actors were in the same movie. As a matter of fact, it's HIGHLY doubtful.

Anonymous said...

I keep thinking of James Coburn, who I think passed a few years ago. I'm seeing him with a cigar and martini.

It does sound like the 50/60s. James Garner fits the Bi well.

Anonymous said...

I really liked that movie... and Cameron was in it. :o)

Y'all are good at brainstorming.

Anonymous said...

Jin said...
How 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."

Anonymous said...

Young Guns Crew...way too young. James Garner and Company...way too
old. 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...

Anonymous said...

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

Anonymous said...

What 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....

Anonymous said...

Audra, 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.

And 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.

Anonymous said...

http://defamer.com/hollywood/jack-nicholson/jack-nicholson-to-turn-brandos-estate-into-botanical-bachelor-paradise-192559.php

Anonymous said...

When 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.

Anonymous said...

Curtis Harrington

Anonymous said...

The defamer article doesn't apply if you consider:

1) 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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Think 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!

Anonymous said...

Well, "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.

Anonymous said...

EL 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.

And what actor named here was in their heyday in the 1950's?????

Anonymous said...

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.
Be safe

SA

Anonymous said...

This better not be the friggin' Fatty Arbuckle story.

Anonymous said...

What about some of these....

Kirk 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.

Anonymous said...

Surely not. Its barely even close to the real story. I would be pissed

Anonymous said...

7:47 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 :-)

Anonymous said...

LOL 7:51 I'd say you have the patience to cross check stuff....that's a helluva plus!

(anon 7:47)

Anonymous said...

Wow. Twisted Sister needs to get laid. STAT.

brendalove@gmail.com said...

Marlon Brando HAS to be involved in this somehow.

Anonymous said...

Stuart Rosenberg

Directed lots but produced in the early 50's... Died 15 March 2007....survived by one son one wife...

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Dee Snyder, no need to be a bitch - no matter how much you enjoy it.

brendalove@gmail.com said...

Also, my thing is....what did they DO to the poor girl?

Anonymous said...

Poor Jimmy Caan. He's always the guess to half these blind items.

Anonymous said...

Phyllis Diller - Burt Reynolds is 71. James Caan is a few years younger.

Why over 70? They can be in their 50's or 60's, too, I would think.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Um. 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)

Anonymous said...

Stuart 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.

Anonymous said...

I knew Burt was a louse!

Anonymous said...

Girl, how do you expect me to see sarcasm in font? You need to add a winky or an lol or something.

Now 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.

Anonymous said...

:) 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

Anonymous said...

8:20, 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.

Anonymous said...

Im pretty concerned for all involved.
If 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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

8:38 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.

Anonymous said...

K - this is longish and I apologize but this is Peter Berg's voice on VBT and what it was based on...



The 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."

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

IMDb says SR is a director and producer.

Anonymous said...

You 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 :-))

Anonymous said...

Holy 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.

I 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)

Anonymous said...

Sorry...I have seen Very Bad Things... only parts of Cool Hand Luke - which is Not about Vegas trips gone bad.

Anonymous said...

Rosenberg also moved pretty quickly from apprentice film editorto directing TV shows.

Meh. I see he also has a daughter and four grandchildren. Scratch him, unless Ent is changing facts again.

Hez said...

Melissa - coincidentally, you spelled it right. ;)

Anonymous said...

Also, Lemmon and Bronson are deceased.

Anonymous said...

LMAO. Glad to know, Hez. First time I think :-)

Anonymous said...

Sasha - his obit on Variety stated one son and four grand children...still looking around...

And ent would have streched it as well by saying died a month or so ago.

(anon 8:17)

Anonymous said...

anon @ 9:41 On wiki, it mentions a daughter named Vivianne Rosenberg.

Anonymous said...

Dammit all. LOL

Anonymous said...

I am with you 9:47.

And 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

Anonymous said...

http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/daily/20070606/simpson.html

Peter 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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Twisted Sister,
That Fatty Arbuckle comment made me laugh out loud. Thanks.

~American in Holland

Anonymous said...

I say Donald Sutherland has to be involved. The hot temper obviously runs in the family.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't the "golden age of Hollywood" around the "Gone With The Wind" time-line?

Anonymous said...

Oooh this is one juicy BI and so sad too!!
I'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

Anonymous said...

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.
According 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.

Anonymous said...

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. ;-)

Why 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.

Anonymous said...

Never mind - I just got that you're eliminating grandchildren, not women.

Melody the First said...

Hollywood 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.

I 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).

brendalove@gmail.com said...

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."

Fatty 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.

Anonymous said...

There was some incident involving either five or six actors. Two have died.

My 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

Anonymous said...

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?

Anonymous said...

anyone from "Gunsmoke" fit?

Anonymous said...

6:33 no body no crime, all heresay.

All the same, you LA'ers get out your LA Times Obit sections. It would be there...

Anonymous said...

Jo Durden-Smith is the producer. He's survived by his wife and daughter.

His obituary in the Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/db2402.xml

Anonymous said...

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...

Anonymous said...

Brenda, you are TOO FUNNY!! A Kansas girl, I presume?

Anonymous said...

This 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.

Anonymous said...

doesn'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..

?

Anonymous said...

someone said that waay up, if you would read all the comments before you post.

Anonymous said...

my first time guessing, so please bare with me, but this is just too succulent a tidbit to simply lurk - I want to play along!

I 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

Anonymous said...

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]

Anonymous said...

I think Michael Landon is one of the dead actors - because of the way Ent says television OR movie. ML was only on television.

I'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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Jo Durden-Smith was survived by a wife, daughter, and step-daughter. No history of working as a gofer or for a studio.

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