Arts Si Life
Best Bets
HOLLYWOOD LEGEND
Turner Classic Movies will pay tribute to one of
the most prolific and famous Jewish-American pro-
ducers in Hollywood with the world premiere of
Irving Thalberg: Prince of
Hollywood, a new 74-minute
documentary by
filmmaker/photographer
Robert Trachtenberg that pre-
mieres 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1,
on the TCM cable station.
The documentary will be
accompanied by a festival of
11 of Thalberg's best films —
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935),
Grand Hotel (1932) and
Camille (1935) among them
— that kicks off the network's
Irving Thalberg
annual "31 Days of Oscar"
festival, featuring 24 hours a
day of nothing but Oscar-winning and nominated
films.
Thalberg, who was dubbed the "Boy Wonder"
(he became head of production for Universal
Studios at age 20 and of MGM at age 24) and
supported the founding of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, died of pneumonia in
1936 at age 37. Since then, the Academy has
bestowed the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
to producers whose bodies of work reflect a consis-
tently high quality of motion-picture production.
For more on Thalberg and a complete schedule
of films, go to www.tcm.com .
FULL OF FOLK
The Ark in Ann Arbor marks its 40th anniver-
sary this year and kicks off the celebration with the
presentation of its 28th annual Ann Arbor Folk
Festival.
Celebrity Jews
NATE BLOOM
Special to. the Jewish News
Global Notes
NATALIE PORTMAN scored twice in
recent weeks — she was named as one of
the top ten best dressed women by the nasty
Mr. RICHARD BLACKWELL (yes, he is
Jewish, too), and she picked up a Golden
Globe for Best Supporting Actress for
Closer. Portman has spent the last few
months in Israel studying at Hebrew
University (where she was spotted by DAN
HORWITZ of West Bloomfield, who is
spending a semester abroad there). She told
The two-day event, beginning 7 p.m.
originated the role of the Wizard of Oz
Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28-29,
on Broadway in the smash musical
at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, fea-
Wicked.
tures established and rising stars repre-
Tickets are $300 (Friend), $400
senting a wide spectrum of musical
(Patron) and $500 (Benefactor). Call the
styles.
Variety office at (248) 258-5511.
Friday night's headliners are the
folk/country/pop duo the Indigo
GAIL ZIMMERMAN
Girls, who'll be joined by gospel
SKETCHES FROM
Arts Editor
group the Blind Boys of Alabama,
Celtic group Glengarry Bhoys, pop-
THE FRONT
rock singer-songwriter Vienna Teng, Welsh-
Inspired by Winslow Homer's Civil War paint-
born singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, fiddle
ings, New York-based artist Steve Mumford made
champ Jeremy Kittel and jazz-inspired
four trips to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 to chronicle
chanteuse Susan Werner, who'll emcee both
military and civilian life in the U.S.-occupied
evenings.
country. As he traveled, the artist made ink draw-
The lineup for Saturday includes headliner
ings and watercolors in a sketchbook, recording
blues artist Keb Mo, English folk-rocker
daily street life, military actions, checkpoints, oil
Richard Thompson, the classically flavored
fields, mass graves, market days and the surround-
Krueger Brothers, English traditional singer
ing countryside.
David Jones and singer-songwriters Richard
The result is the exhibition "Drawing From Life:
Shindell and Lynn Miles.
Steve Mumford in Iraq, 2003-2004," running Jan.
Tickets range from $30-$250. Information and
29-April 3 at the Cranbrook Art Museum in
tickets: www.theark.org or (734) 763-TKTS.
Bloomfield Hills, where Mumford will deliver an
artist's lecture 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, during an
reception.
MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE opening
In a related program at the museum, WSU
Variety, The Children's Charity,
Professor of Art History Dora Apel will
which raises money for local charities
examine different strategies for represent-
benefiting children with special
ing war — from the Napoleonic invasion
needs, brings star of stage, film and
of Spain by Goya to World War I by
television Joel Grey to town for the
Otto Dix and Max Beckmann to artists
Snow Ball, a benefit event beginning
in World War II — 3 p.m. Sunday,
6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the
March 6, preceded by the film Journalists
Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. The
Under Fire: Working in a War Zone, at
evening includes a black-tie dinne r, a
2:30 p.m.
live auction of fantasy packages
g and
Admission is free for Cranbrook mem-
performances by Grey and
bers and children under 13/$6 adults/$4
violinist/singer Sonia Lee.
students and seniors. For more informa-
Grey, an Academy Award winner
tion, go to ArtMuseum@Cranbrook.edu
for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret,
Joel Grey
or call (248) 645-3323. ❑
a Brit newspaper: "Living in Israel is really beautiful.
One of the most shocking things is how peaceful it
feels." Her next film is being made in
Israel; she plays an American Jew.
WILLIAM SHATNER, who won a
Golden Globe for Boston Legate is in the
Indian summer of his long career. In late
March, he will star in a miniseries on Spike
TV set in the tiny Iowa town where Capt.
Kirk of Star Trek was supposed to be born.
The town thought Shatner was making a
sci-fi show there — but the real point of
the series was to film the reaction of the
townspeople to "Hollywood outsiders."
The Globes saw a real battle of the red-
carpet commentators. JOAN and MELIS-
Natalie Portman:
SA RIVERS (or Joan and "Mini-Me," as
Best-dressed.
the duo has been called) were lured way
from the E! cable network to comment for the TV
Guide Channel. While Joan's face is surgically frozen,
she was still a lot more animated than the personality
stiffs doing Globe celeb interviews for NBC and E!.
Joan especially came alive when Globe nominee JERE-
MY PIVEN broke down under questioning and said
that he was "single, straight and Jewish."
EMMY ROSSUM had a sort of bad night — she
didn't win the Globe for Phantom of the Opera, and
while her dress won plaudits from the critics, it had a
long train that was often stepped on by Globe partygo-
ers.
Next up — before the always highly anticipated Feb.
27 Academy Awards — is the Screen Actors Guild
Awards, airing 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, on TNT
❑
Nate Bloom is the California-based editor of
vvww.jewhoo.corn
1/27
2005
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