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