90 | MAY 23 • 2024
J
N
DISNEY & BEACH BOYS,
ANTI-AI FLICK, A CHILD
DISAPPEARS & ANOTHER
CHILD IS TAKEN
The Disney Channel will
premiere (May 24) a new
documentary titled The
Beach Boys. Of course, it is
about the very successful
rock group which was most
popular in the ’60s and
’70s.
There were a couple of
Jews in the Beach Boys’
orbit. The original band
lineup included Brian
Wilson (principal songwrit-
er); Brian’s brothers (Carl
and Dennis); Mike Love
(a cousin of the Wilson
brothers) and Al Jardine (a
neighbor of the Wilsons)
— and “sometimes,” David
Marks, now 75. He was
also a childhood neighbor
of the Wilsons.
Marks, a very good gui-
tarist, played on the Beach
Boys first four albums
(1961-63). He left the band
in 1963 after arguing with
band manager Murry
Wilson, the almost psychot-
ic and violent father of the
Wilson brothers.
He rejoined the band
several times, usually to
play on tours (2005, 2008,
2011 and 2013). Marks’
father was Jewish, and his
mother wasn’t Jewish. A
reliable source tells me
he talked to Marks, and
Marks said he identified as
Jewish.
Marilyn Kovell, now 81,
married Brian Wilson in
1964 and they divorced
in 1979. She is a talented
(Jewish) singer and the
mother of Brian’s daugh-
ters, Wendy and Carnie
Wilson. Carnie, now 56,
and Wendy, 54, formed
two-thirds of the singing
group Wilson-Phillips, which
had hits from 1989 until
their first break-up in 1992
(the band is active again,
now).
My same source tells me
that Kovell didn’t raise her
daughters in any faith and,
as adults, they don’t seem
to have any Jewish ties.
On May 24, Netflix will
premiere Atlas, a sci-fic
thriller. Jennifer Lopez
stars as Atlas Shepherd, a
brilliant data analyst with
a distrust of artificial intel-
ligence. She and a “ren-
egade robot” join forces
to save humanity from AI
“gone amuck.”
The film was written
by Aron Eli Coleite, 50.
He’s a veteran sci-fi writer
(TV series Daybreak and
Heroes). A 2020 Jewish
Journal profile noted that
he had a strong formal
Jewish education; that
he met his wife through
a Jewish group; and he
tries to incorporate Jewish
humanistic values into his
scripts.
On May 30, Netflix will
premiere Eric, a six-episode
series. Premise: Vincent
(Benedict Cumberbatch) is
a puppeteer in 1980s New
York whose 9-year-old son,
Edgar, has gone missing.
Vincent is the host of a
children’s TV program (with
puppets) called “Good Day
Sunshine.” His son’s disap-
pearance makes Vincent
increasingly volatile, and
his behavior alienates him
from his friends and family.
After issues with sub-
stance abuse, Vincent
becomes convinced that he
can reunite with Edgar with
the help of his 7-foot-tall
puppet, Eric.
Dan Fogler, 47, a famil-
iar and busy character
actor, (The Goldbergs and
Walking Dead), portrays
Lennie Wilson, Vincent’s
best friend. Lennie is also
Vincent’s work colleague,
and a brilliant puppeteer
and maker in his own right.
Lennie has a special bond
with Edgar, who frequently
visited the set of “Good
Day Sunshine” before his
disappearance.
The IMDB Eric cast list
includes Adam Silver, 30ish,
and it notes that his “Eric”
character, Murray, is in all
six episodes. I found out
Silver had a long theater
history, but only recently
has he gotten any TV work.
He played (Jewish) WWII
airman David Solomon in
Masters of the Air. I sus-
pect he is Jewish, but I hav-
en’t confirmed that yet.
Kidnapping: The
Abduction of Edgardo
Mortara opens in theaters
on May 24. This Italian film
got generally good reviews
when it opened last year
at the Cannes Film Festival
and in European theaters.
You’ll have to check when
it opens in a theater near
you. It’s emotionally a hard
film to watch, and I suspect
that means many theaters
just won’t screen it.
In 1857, the Pope still had
secular control of a fairly
large part of Italy, including
the city of Bologna, where
the Jewish Mortara family
lived. In 1857, a Catholic
housekeeper told a priest
that she had worked for
the Mortara family, and she
secretly baptized Edgardo
when he became ill as
a baby. She thought he
would die.
This priest “ran” with this
news — papal law then
held that no baptized child
could be raised by Jews
(unless the parents convert-
ed to Catholicism).
Edgardo was 6-years old
when he taken by the Papal
police in June 1858. Of
course, his parents wanted
him back. But that return
never happens, despite
international protests.
Much more information
on the Mortara kidnapping
can be found, easily, online.
The new film, critics agree,
depicts the real Mortara
case events in historically
accurate scenes.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
GLENN FRANCIS
David Marks
GAGE SKIDMORE
Carnie Wilson
GAGE SKIDMORE
Dan Fogler