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Showbiz Tonight
Man Killed as 50 Cent Movie Showing; Vietnam Vets Bond on George Lopez Show Staff; Tim Robbins Dishes on "Zathura," Politics
Aired November 11, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, murder at the movies. A multiplex pulls the new 50 Cent movie after a man is shot dead at the theater. Tonight, is the movie linked to the shooting? And should theaters increase security? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
The Marilyn Monroe mystery. Shocking new evidence about the death of America`s most famous sex symbol, and a theory that she planned to remarry Joe DiMaggio on what became the date of her funeral. Tonight, Joe DiMaggio`s niece, live, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
In Hollywood, thin is in. But some Hollywood stars may be dieting their way to dangerous ground. Tonight, you`ll hear the stars speak only to us about Hollywood`s skinny little secret. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ACTRESS: Hello, I`m Keira Knightley and if it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there, I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, murder at the movies. And the question: are you safe going to the movies? A man was killed at a Pennsylvania theater showing "Get Rich or Die Tryin`." It`s the new movie about a gangster-turned-rapper that stars real-life gangster-turned-rapper 50 Cent.
Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tackles the hot new debate about violence in movies and violence at the movies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
50 CENT, RAPPER: I think it`s sad.
HAMMER (voice-over): Rapper turned actor 50 Cent on "The View" this morning about a deadly shooting that`s marred the opening of his violent new movie, "Get Rich or Die Tryin`."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What played out in front of the theater looked like a police movie.
HAMMER: Local news reports detailed the grisly scene at this Loews Theater in suburban Pittsburgh. Minutes after a 9 p.m. showing of "Get Rich or Die Tryin`," a gunfight erupted right in the lobby as horrified moviegoers scrambled for cover. A 30-year-old man was killed. There have been no arrests. And police can`t definitely say the movie influenced the shooting.
On "The View" today, 50 Cent expressed his condolences but offered no apologies.
50 CENT: I feel for the victim`s family in this situation. You know, these weren`t kids. This was a 30-year-old man, had a dispute with three other guys that he had known prior to this, you know. So I don`t think the film is responsible for it, but I think it`s sad that that has to continuously happen.
HAMMER: "Get Rich or Die Tryin`" is no longer being shown at the theater where the shooting took place.
Publicity from the shooting is not exactly welcome news for "Get Rich or Die Tryin`," which already sparked concerns about its violent content even before its release this week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The message is, violence is OK. It`s promoted at the highest level.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been bringing you the story of residents in South Central L.A. who demanded the removal of a billboard promoting the movie, saying the picture of the superstar rapper holding a gun promoted violence.
50 CENT: I`m a gangsta.
HAMMER: Violence at movies with gang or gangster-related themes is not unheard of. At least four people were killed at theaters showing "Godfather III" and "The Warriors."
But Warrington Hudlin, the producer of such films as "Boomerang," says the violence at urban gangster movies like "Boyz `N The Hood," "New Jack City" and now "Get Rich or Die Tryin`" gets extra attention.
WARRINGTON HUDLIN, MOVIE PRODUCER: I think that it`s dangerous to draw a connection between the movie that`s playing and the violence in the theater.
HAMMER: Just before a big box office weekend, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked moviegoers in New York City what they thought about this latest theater shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think security needs to be a main focus, like cops and everything all over, but there should be an undertone, an undertoned measure of security.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think that if you have a propensity to violence and you see a violent movie, then that might lead you to participate in it.
HAMMER: Even though "Get Rich or Die Tryin`" may get some extra publicity from this incident, no one is expecting its box office to suffer.
PAUL DEGARABEDIAN, EXHIBITOR RELATIONS: The audience that wants to see it is going to see it regardless of any press coverage paid to any sort of incidents at movie theaters.
HAMMER: One moviegoer at the Pennsylvania theater where the shooting took place says violence can break out anywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if "Fried Green Tomatoes" were being played and somebody got shot, you know, it would have been the same situation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Theater chains are not talking about what kind of security measures they`re taking for "Get Rich or Die Tryin`" or for any other movie, for that matter. But the National Association of Theater Owners tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that violence in movie theaters is extremely rare and that, quote, "Theater companies across America strive to provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for all of our patrons."
Now weigh want to turn this topic over to you with our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. When showing violent movies, should theaters increase security? You can vote by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us your thoughts on e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of what you have to say later in the show.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Hollywood is mourning the loss of Moustapha Akkad, a Syrian-born filmmaker and producer of all eight of the "Halloween" movies. Akkad died today from injuries he sustained in the hotel bombings in Jordan.
Akkad told "The New York Times" in 1998 that he produced horror movies to raise money for his positive religious-themed films. He produced and directed "The Message," starring Anthony Quinn, a 1976 film about the history of Islam.
Akkad lived in Los Angeles, but was in Jordan to attend a wedding with his daughter at the Radisson in Amman, which was bombed along with two other hotels yesterday. His daughter, Rima (ph), also died in the attacks. Moustapha Akkad was 75 years old.
HAMMER: Another terrorist attack is at the center of tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." Steven Spielberg`s upcoming new movie "Munich" is about the killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. The movie explores the secret Israeli squad that was assigned to track down and kill those who had planned the attack.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good afternoon, I`m speaking to you live just outside the Olympic village in Munich, West Germany. At this moment, eight or nine athletes of the Israeli team are being held prisoner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These guerrillas are a group called Black September.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have automatic weapons on the hostages.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A deal is being made...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Massive security forces.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Staging in front of us...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re all gone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every civilization finds it necessary to negotiate compromises with its own values.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to ask you, will you undertake a mission? You will have to leave the country and your family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t live with refusing this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have 11 Palestinian names. Each had a hand in planning Munich. You`re going to kill them one by one. We deposit money into a box that doesn`t exist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two hundred thousand by what name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I alone?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ll have four others. They know useful things like documents, cars, cleanup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I give the signal by switching off the light.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s strange to think of oneself as an assassin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Think of yourself as something else then.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It should have exploded by now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found three more names for you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know how many laws we`ve broken?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He picks up the phone, we hit the remote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re supposed to be righteous. I lose that, that`s my soul!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s your papa. Don`t forget my voice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think you can outrun your fears? Or doubts?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Unquestionably a powerful film. "Munich" opens nationwide on December 23.
ANDERSON: Crew members on the set of "The George Lopez Show" were surprised to find that many of them shared a common history of serving in war. We`re honoring them, and all veterans, on this Veterans Day, next.
HAMMER: Plus, big-time actor, longtime activist. Tim Robbins tells us whether he thinks his views have affected his career, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And, the shrinking of Hollywood. It seems the stars are thinner than ever. But are they sending a dangerous message? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report on body image in Hollywood, coming up.
HAMMER: First our "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz" for a Friday night. In "The Brady Bunch," what was the name of Cindy`s favorite doll? An easy one to send you into the weekend. Was it: A, Kitty Karry All; B, Miss Kitty; C, Chatty Kathy; or D, Mrs. Beasly? We`re coming right back with the answer.
Friday night in New York City, lovely shot of Columbus Circle live from the Headline Prime studios.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In "The Brady Bunch," what was the name of Cindy`s favorite doll? Kitty Karry All, Miss Kitty, Chatty Kathy, or Mrs. Beasly? You had to know it was A, Kitty Karry All.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
On this Veterans Day, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a very special look at some former Vietnam vets who are all now crew members on a Hollywood set. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is live in Hollywood with that story.
Hey, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke, that`s right. It`s a story of five exceptional Vietnam vets who found themselves working side by side on the set of ABC`s "The George Lopez Show." It`s a rare and unique tale of shared experience and camaraderie on a Hollywood set.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is me and Alley Cat together in Danang, Vietnam, 1968.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, look at that. Look at that picture.
VARGAS (voice-over): It`s been more than 30 years since these men heroically patrolled the rice fields and waters of Vietnam as United States soldiers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, 1967.
VARGAS: Now, they are manning the set of the ABC hit comedy, "The George Lopez Show." As senior crew members, their work gets the show on the air.
George Lopez tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they are part of what makes his crew so diverse and so unique.
GEORGE LOPEZ, ACTOR: Those guys and their stories and who they are and what they do and what experience they bring, not only in life but in their ability to do their job, is great to see every day. You know, because they`re not -- come on, look what they`ve come through. They`re going to be thrown by tape on the floor? I don`t think so.
VARGAS: There are an incredible five Vietnam vets on the staff of the Lopez show, an extraordinary number for any set in Hollywood. They were all surprised but heartened to find each other.
ANGELO OREFICE, VIETNAM VETERAN: It`s kind of a rare situation. It`s kind of nice because we can -- do share some memories together and just memories other people don`t understand. They can`t fathom some of it.
VARGAS: Al Orefice is Angelo`s first cousin. Angelo traveled across Vietnam to see him when they were both serving for an Easter weekend in 1969.
AL OREFICE, VIETNAM VETERAN: All the helicopters were grounded because of the weather was so bad, so I was hitchhiking down to Danang. Whoever I could get a right with or do a little bit of walking, whatever. Ended up with him. We spent three days together, which was great, excellent. We celebrated our 35th anniversary of that weekend this last Easter.
VARGAS: Shared stories like that with the vets and other cast members brought one word to mind: family.
WILL BALASH, VIETNAM VETERAN: It`s family. We`re all very comfortable together. And we just come and have a good time. It`s a wonderful job, because I come in to work every day and get to laugh.
VARGAS: They have all been with the Lopez show since the very first episode. The show is now in its fifth season and on its 90th episode. George Lopez told us he never really had a family, but said these vets are part of his family now.
LOPEZ: You know, the thing is that they`re great guys. You know, if they still wore fatigues, I`d still be a little concerned, but they`re great guys and they`re really funny. And we know they`re their history and we`re proud of them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And George and the cast get together quite often off the set, too. They have regular staff bowling and golf tournaments and potlucks and lunches around the holidays. Brooke, I bet they have a lot of fun.
ANDERSON: I bet they do, too. What a terrific story. Sibila Vargas, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
HAMMER: Tonight in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Tim Robbins. He`s an accomplished actor and Oscar winner and an outspoken activist, and he stars in the fantasy adventure "Zathura," which opens today. It`s open for you to see this weekend.
Tim Robbins is joining us now.
It`s nice to see you.
TIM ROBBINS, ACTOR: Good to see you, too.
HAMMER: I mentioned Oscar winner in my introduction to you. That must feel nice to hear. I know it`s not the most important thing, but it has to have a nice ring.
ROBBINS: No, it is the most important.
HAMMER: OK. And to be sure, you won that for the "Mystic River" movie.
ROBBINS: That`s right.
HAMMER: A very dark role. You`ve played such a wide variety of roles throughout your career, from "Austin Powers" to "Shawshank Redemption." So a wild ride, a wild space ride like "Zathura" lands on the desk of Tim Robbins. What makes you decide to do the movie?
ROBBINS: Well, John Favreau called me and said, "Listen, this is not a big part, and you`re only in the beginning and the end. But I really need someone I can trust to set a tone for the family, because without it, if the audience doesn`t care about these kids and where they`re from and what family they`re from, the movie doesn`t work."
So he -- he offered me this part. I usually don`t do parts like that just simply to lend credence to a project, but because this script was so exciting and, in so many ways, tapped into this kind of universal thing we all have as kids when, you know, our imaginations take hold and you can go anywhere in your living room.
When I was a kid, I lived in a pretty small apartment in New York City and I remember going out to the Wild West and having showdowns at the O.K. Corral, and I pitched the seventh game of the World Series and won it for the New York Mets in my living room.
HAMMER: No surprise.
ROBBINS: Yes. And so what the -- the movie starts with these kids, starts with me going off to work and telling them not to get into trouble. And so they go down to the basement of this house they`ve just moved into, and they start playing this antique game they found. And on the first move, the house starts to shake, and they look outside and they realize they`re in deep space.
HAMMER: From their living room. All of a sudden in outer space. And the kids very competitive in this movie.
ROBBINS: Yes.
HAMMER: I was thinking, you know, we look at you and your partner, Susan Sarandon, and you seem like you`d be such cool parents and that you`d have really well adjusted kids. Are they that well adjusted, or are they really competitive, kind of like the kids...
ROBBINS: You`d have to ask them, but I think they`re great kids and I`m real proud of all of them. I just came from a parent/teacher conference, actually, and my son is doing great.
HAMMER: Excellent.
ROBBINS: He showed me a film that he made, which is amazing. So, I`m really, really excited about that.
HAMMER: I also mentioned your activism as I was introducing you. People may not know this; you`re vocal about what you think about politics. Big shocker there.
ROBBINS: Well, I try to ask questions when other people aren`t, you know, using the access that I might have.
HAMMER: And the interesting thing about the access you have and other Hollywood Democrats have was not looked so fondly upon, say, a year ago. It was not listened to as much. And people might have said, "Oh, those Hollywood Democrats are a lunch of left-wing whackos."
And now people are standing up and taking notice much more today. Why do you think that is?
ROBBINS: I`m not sure, but I believe what you`re talking about is before the war. And if you think about the way people wrote about us and talked about us, it was as if we were, you know, in some way betraying the country. And, in fact, what we were doing was trying to honor what this country was all about, which is especially, if you`re going into war, you should have a dialogue.
And what we were saying at the time was let`s give the weapons inspectors a little more time. We don`t really believe there`s weapons of mass destruction. And that became a -- you know, in the right wing press and on certain right-wing television stations, became something that it wasn`t.
And I think the most important thing in this kind of thing is -- is to be able to have a dialogue on things. And if you can`t, then, you know, what kind -- what kind of country is this, you know?
HAMMER: Do you think the outspokenness can make a difference? I mean, you look on Tuesday, Arnold Schwarzenegger had these measures, these proposals up on the ballot. They were all shot down by voters. Warren Beatty very vocal and outspoken against those measures.
Do you think the average person out there pays attention to what people in Hollywood are saying about these things?
ROBBINS: I think they do and I think that`s why we`ve been getting a message to not do it. I think it is effective.
And I think -- the other message they send is, is this going to hurt your career? But it certainly hasn`t hurt mine and I won an Oscar after I came out against the war.
I don`t believe in the intimidation factor for anyone, for either side, by the way. I think that everyone should have a right to express their opinion and do so in whatever venue they can. And if I have access to the media and I do it, I think that`s my right as an American.
HAMMER: And you do do it responsibly, I will say, and it`s a pleasure to have you here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ROBBINS: And go see "Zathura"...
HAMMER: Tim Robbins.
ROBBINS: ... whether you`re a Republican or a Democrat.
HAMMER: It doesn`t matter. It`s a nonpartisan film. "Zathura" is in theaters now.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Tom Cruise and Elizabeth Taylor are making room on their mantels after winning awards from the British film industry.
Stars from both sides of the pond, including Anthony Hopkins and Jon Voight, converged in Hollywood last night for the Britannia Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, also known as BAFTA.
Elizabeth Taylor received an award for excellence in international entertainment. Tom Cruise, who attended with fiancee and mom-to-be Katie Holmes, received the Stanley Kubrick Brittania Award for excellence in film.
Anthony Hopkins, who worked with Cruise on "Mission: Impossible II, presented his award.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY HOPKINS, ACTOR: He`s got boundless, unharnessed energy. I think that`s what adds to his create charisma as a star. And he also makes you feel very welcome on the set.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Also honored "Four Weddings and a Funeral" director Mike Newell, who also directed "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."
HAMMER: Reba McEntire is concerned about one of her co-stars. She tells us how her TV daughter is fighting anorexia. That`s coming up next.
Plus, it`s an enduring mystery, the death of Marilyn Monroe. Tonight, a startling claim by Joe DiMaggio`s niece, who was a friend of Marilyn`s. She`ll be live right here in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And, two decades of "Oprah." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at how the queen of daytime is celebrating 20 years on the air, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Oprah Winfrey is celebrating 20 years on the air with a new DVD of her favorite moments. And on Monday`s show, Oprah will share some of the highlights.
Tonight, we have your first look at one of those moments, when Oprah talked to a woman who, at 40 years old, had never read a book, then decided to read one for Oprah`s book club.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Not one?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not one.
WINFREY: How did that happen? Can`t you -- you can read?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can read. Yes, I can read. I just never did until I kept watching the book club, and it was like something made me want to do this. It was like, I got to take part in this. It looks so wonderful, and there was just so much excitement around it. It`s like, I have to do this.
And finally, I bought my first book. And I bought it, so I would have to read it. And I did it, "She`s Come Undone." And I cried at the end, and it was because I finished it and it was a great book.
WINFREY: It was the first book you read at 40 years old? Forty years old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve been weeping all day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You can see more favorite moments on Monday`s "Oprah." And on Tuesday, "The Oprah Winfrey 20th Anniversary DVD Collection" comes out. And the profits go to Oprah`s Angel Network.
HAMMER: Were Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio planning to get remarried? There are some startling new revelations tonight about Marilyn`s life and death. DiMaggio`s niece joins us live, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Plus, body image in Hollywood. The stars speak out on what kind of message "thin is in" is sending to the masses. That`s next, in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
HAMMER: And we`ll check out the buzz around Richard Gere`s movie "Bee Season" and other new films, coming up in "Picks and Pans."
ANDERSON: But first, it`s time for the "Entertainment Weekly Must List." Here are five things that "EW" says you just have to check out.
First, get to Broadway to see "Sweeney Todd." "EW" calls it "a dazzling minimalist staging of Stephen Sondheim`s grisly musical."
Next, "EW" says to check out Neil Diamond`s new album. He proves that less is always more in his "12 Songs" album.
Then pick up a cop of John Hodgman`s "The Areas of My Expertise." Here you can find a whole lot of pointless humor in one place.
"EW" also says you want to tune into "The Office." Steve Carell stars in the NBC sitcom that highlights the often under appreciated middle managers.
And finally, "EW" says to pick up the new "Office Space" special edition DVD.
Now, for more on the "Must List," pick up a copy of "Entertainment Weekly." It`s on newsstands now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in just a minute. Hi there. I`m Sophia Choi with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Well, President Bush is lashing out at critics of the Iraq war. In a Veterans Day speech in Pennsylvania, he denied his administration manipulated prewar intelligence. The president pointed out that a congressional investigation found no evidence that intelligence officials were pressured. He accuses opponents of trying to rewrite history.
On this Veterans Day, five more soldiers have died in Iraq. That raises the number of U.S. troops killed in the war to 2,061. There are currently about 160,000 U.S. troops stationed there.
And a Roman Catholic group has called off a boycott of Wal-Mart. That`s after the retailer apologized for an employee`s e-mail calling Christmas a mix of world traditions. The e-mail was a response to a woman who complained Wal-Mart was replacing a Merry Christmas greeting with Happy Holidays.
That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: So, Brooke, correct me if I`m wrong, isn`t there some kind of a statistic that models are thinner than something like 98 percent of all Americans?
ANDERSON: Ninety-eight percent of women in America.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s nuts. I don`t know how they come up with that number. But apparently, that`s what it is.
Between the models and impossibly thin actors, there`s been a lot of controversy over whether or not Hollywood causes body image identity issues for individuals. And it`s something I know you`re going to be looking into in just a few minutes in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
ANDERSON: It`s truly frightening the lengths some people will go to, A.J.
And also, fascinating revelations about the death of Marilyn Monroe. June DiMaggio -- she was a dear friend of Marilyn`s, also the niece of Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn`s ex-husband -- June says Marilyn did not commit suicide. She says she hung out with her the day she died.
She also says a phone conversation reveals that Marilyn was not alone the night of her death. We will speak with June live. She will be joining us with those details coming up.
HAMMER: Interesting revelation so many years later.
But first, let`s get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joining us once again live in Hollywood -- Sibila?
VARGAS: Hey, A.J.
Tonight, "7th Heaven" has used up its nine lives. After 10 seasons, the WB is pulling the plug on the top-rated family drama. Industry watchers blame cost-cutting. The Camden family will bow out in May.
Meanwhile, multiple Emmy awards have not saved "Arrested Development" from death row. FOX is pulling the sitcom from its November sweeps schedule and has indicated it will cancel the show, which has never made much of a dent in the ratings.
And Johnny Depp is defending ex-girlfriend Kate Moss, lashing out at her treatment by the media. Depp says he was appalled by the, quote, "vicious attacks" that ensued after pictures of Moss allegedly snorting cocaine surfaced in a British tabloid.
Moss recently left rehab and was reunited with their 3-year-old daughter. Depp, who dated Moss for four years, said she was a good mother and called the press coverage of her ordeals "unforgivable."
Real-life violence hits the movies. The new 50 Cent film, "Get Rich or Die Tryin`," has been pulled from a multiplex near Pittsburgh after a man was fatally shot in the theater`s lobby. Investigators are still trying to determine whether those involved in the shooting had just come from the movie.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, thanks so much.
That story leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," once again. Violent movies: Should theaters increase security? You can continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. And you can continue to send us your e-mail at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of them at 55 past of the hour.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report: Hollywood and body image. Lately, you can`t help but notice how thin some of today`s biggest stars have become. Now, what kind of message is this sending to young people? Is it causing men and women to develop eating disorders?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the skinny on Hollywood`s little secret.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): In Hollywood, beauty is everything. From the red carpet to the runway, thin is definitely in. Hollywood`s A-listers seem skinnier than ever. Here`s superstar Lindsay Lohan. She`s a favorite among teens, especially young girls.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I`m going for the Brigitte Bardot look.
ANDERSON: This is Lindsey before, cute and curvy. Here she is now. Lindsay tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she dropped the weight through exercise and insists she does not have an eating disorder.
LOHAN: Everyone has their own reason for why they want to be thin or how they get that way or -- and I`m healthy. And I`m not an idiot. And I have people around me that would say, "Hey, stop it," that I can trust and that I will actually listen to.
But I don`t want to be sick. I don`t want to be -- I`m not like that.
ANDERSON: Models, for many, they represent the ideal female. They`re also thinner than 98 percent of women in this country.
Carolina Kurkova is one of the top models in the world right now, but even she says everyday women shouldn`t lose perspective.
CAROLINA KURKOVA, SUPERMODEL: We all are how we are. It`s not like we do some crazy diets. I really don`t want anybody to think, "Oh, this is how we have to look, and we have to be skinny like that."
ANDERSON: But many women do feel they have to look like that and like this. They are images that many young girls look at and can be influenced by.
LOHAN: It scares me, because my sister`s 11 and she reads the tabloids.
ANDERSON: Lynn Grefe, who heads up the National Eating Disorders Association, tells us Hollywood`s size zero phenomenon is, in fact, sending a very dangerous message.
LYNN GREFE, CEO, NEDA: It`s a terrible message to young women who idolize these people. These Hollywood people are role models, and it`s a terrible message.
We went after baseball players for drug use. We should be having hearings on Hollywood for the message they`re sending about sending kids into these terrible, potentially life-threatening illnesses.
ANDERSON: As many as 10 million females and one million males battle anorexia or bulimia in the United States.
PAULA ABDUL, "AMERICAN IDOL": You picked the right song.
ANDERSON: "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul was one of those people.
ABDUL: Hollywood sends a bad message. They do.
ANDERSON: For years, Abdul suffered from bulimia. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it was a battle she fought privately at a very public time in her life.
Abdul was at the height of her pop music career when her eating disorder was at its worst. At the time, she was selling millions of albums. But inside, she was struggling. In 1992, she went public and checked herself into rehab.
ABDUL: For me, to be able to call up my publicist at the time and say, "OK, you`re going to hear that I`m at this place. It`s true. Let`s set up the proper interviews so that the tabloids don`t bastardize something that is extremely, extremely important to me."
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was with Abdul as she received what she calls the biggest honor of her life.
ABDUL: This is probably my most proud moment.
ANDERSON: Here she is getting an award from the National Eating Disorders Association for raising awareness of her disease.
ABDUL: I am present. I am present in life. And I am present. And I am aware of every day. And I`m not checked out. I`m not worried about what meal I`m going to eat next, what meal I`m not going to eat next.
ANDERSON: Abdul is not the only celebrity to publicly confess to having an eating disorder. "Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler says she, too, suffered in silence from anorexia and exercise bulimia for years. Things got so bad that her weight dropped to about 80 pounds.
JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER, ACTRESS: I truly lost a will to live. I seriously contemplated suicide, because I felt that no one in this world would ever understand the constant battle I had in my head every day.
ANDERSON: Then there`s 19-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen, who checked herself into an eating disorder clinic back in June after jaws dropped when she showed up at the premiere of her movie, "New York Minute," looking shockingly thin and frail.
CRAIG JOHNSON, PH.D, NEDA: Given the sort of the emphasis, the glamorization of thinness and -- why do not more young women have the illness?
ANDERSON: Yet, it is refreshing to hear that there are those in Hollywood, like Jessica Alba, who are picture perfect without being obsessed with weight.
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS: I feel like if that`s too much weight and too much effort on your appearance, it`s just wasted. It`s wasted on something that is going to go away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: For more information on eating disorders, visit Nationaleatingdisorders.org.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, Reba McEntire is speaking out about her co- star`s battle with an eating disorder. Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Pomers, who is on the WB show "Reba," sought treatment for anorexia back in September. Cast mates knew something was terribly wrong when she arrived on set and had withered to only 73 pounds. You`re looking at a before-and- after photo right now from "People" magazine.
Reba McEntire, Scarlett`s TV mom, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that everyone in the cast is pulling for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REBA MCENTIRE, PLAYS SCARLETT`S MOTHER: She`s doing very well. She`s improving. And we`re very eager for her to come back on the set, because we miss her and we love her a bunch.
She is getting the help she needs. And she`s speaking out about it to help others. And I think she`s a very strong lady.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Scarlett`s family says they hope going public will raise awareness of eating disorders. For more on Scarlett`s struggle, you can pick up a copy of "People" magazine, on newsstands now.
ANDERSON: Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Marilyn Monroe mystery. Joe DiMaggio`s niece makes a startling claim, and she`s here live in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And is Jennifer Aniston`s new movie, "Derailed," on thrill ride or a train wreck? The review, plus a look at some other new flicks, coming up in "Picks and Pans."
ANDERSON: And a new reason to "Climb Every Mountain," as "The Sound of Music" reaches a major milestone. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there to bring you a flashback to remember, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood.
Tonight, we have new details surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe and why one woman says Monroe didn`t commit suicide. On the day of Monroe`s funeral, she was reportedly going to remarry legendary Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio.
Although the police report says Monroe overdosed on pills, June DiMaggio, Joe`s niece, says that`s not what happened. She was a close friend of Monroe`s and has written all about it in her memoir, "Marilyn, Joe and Me."
June DiMaggio joins us live in Hollywood, along with Mary Jane Popp, who helped her write her memoir.
Welcome to you both.
JUNE DIMAGGIO, JOE DIMAGGIO`S NIECE: Hi, Brooke.
MARY JANE POPP, CO-AUTHOR, "MARILYN, JOE AND ME": Thank you.
ANDERSON: Hi, there.
Now, June, ever since Marilyn`s death was ruled a suicide back in 1962, there have been suspicions whether it really was suicide. Now, the cops say they were called to Marilyn`s house at 4:30 in the morning. But, June, you say the cops came to your house the night before at around 11:00 and told you about it.
How is that possible, such a time discrepancy there?
DIMAGGIO: Well, to tell you the truth, I was out on a date with my boyfriend. I played tennis, came home after eating dinner with him and being with him for a while. And I took a shower.
And when I got out of the shower in my pajamas, I put my robe on. And the doorbell rang. I went to the door. It was around 11:30. And there stood an officer and a policeman.
And they said to me, "Are you June DiMaggio?" And I said, "Yes." "We want to get in touch with Joe DiMaggio." I said, "Well, he`s in San Francisco."
And I said, "Why?" And they said, "Well, Marilyn Monroe committed suicide." I said, "No way, no way. She was getting ready to remarry Joe."
So I let them -- I called my mother, Lee DiMaggio, because I knew Joe would be there. Sure enough, when I got on the phone, my mother was crying. She already knew.
ANDERSON: Wow.
DIMAGGIO: And my Uncle Joe got on the phone. And the policeman told him, and the rest you know.
ANDERSON: Now, June, you say you actually hung out, saw Marilyn the day of her death. Leading up to her death, the weeks before her death, many people seemed to think she was mentally unstable. How did she seem to you?
DIMAGGIO: Marilyn was never unstable. She was terribly happy. She was getting ready on the 8th of that month to remarry my uncle, Joe DiMaggio.
She asked me to make a pizza. It was 10:30 in the morning. And, of course, I always cooked and I made her an anchovy pizza. And I brought it over to her. And that`s when I came home, and I told you the rest before. She was very happy.
ANDERSON: Mary Jane, as you were helping put together this memoir, what`s the most surprising thing you learned about June`s experiences that night?
POPP: I think, not only that night, the experiences that I learned that was most important to me is that this is a Marilyn Monroe that most people don`t know. This is a Marilyn Monroe that was a spiritual person, an intellectual person, had heart.
And it comes from the inside out. She was a beautiful woman, yes, absolutely. There`s no doubt. But there was a beauty, an inner beauty in Marilyn Monroe, that no one knew about.
And, yes, she was the happiest person. She was getting remarried. She was going to go down to Mexico with June`s mother, Lee, to buy wrought- iron furniture for the new home.
ANDERSON: Seems like she had a lot ahead of her, absolutely.
June, another startling claim I want to get to. You said your mother, Lee, was the last one to speak to her and that, in a phone conversation, she said Marilyn screamed and then was cut off.
Why did she never reveal that and talk about what happened there?
DIMAGGIO: My mother was talking to Marilyn on the phone, because Marilyn had told me she was going to call my mother to ask her to go to Mexico with her to buy the wrought iron furniture. So happy.
And she called my mother. And, evidently, while she was on the phone, she screamed, and she screamed out the name or the names -- I`m not sure -- of who was in the room and dropped the phone. And my mother knew she was murdered.
POPP: And, Brooke, just to add something, I actually, in my investigative reporting, and as a result of what June told me, I found someone who actually met a person who claims that he was the man, one of the two men, who killed Marilyn Monroe. And you`ll hear all about it; the details are gruesome.
ANDERSON: But, Lee took this to her grave? OK, June DiMaggio...
DIMAGGIO: That`s right.
ANDERSON: ... Mary Jane Popp...
DIMAGGIO: My mother would never tell anyone, because she wanted us to live.
POPP: And absolutely, Brooke, it`s about time. It`s the truth.
DIMAGGIO: It`s the truth, and I want the whole world to know the truth.
ANDERSON: All right, June DiMaggio, Mary Jane Popp, fascinating stuff. Thank you so much for being here and sharing it with us.
And you can read more about the latest evidence in the death of Marilyn Monroe in this month`s "Playboy" magazine or pick up June DiMaggio`s memoir, "Marilyn, Joe and Me," when it hits stores in the spring.
HAMMER: ... helping you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight in "People`s" "Picks and Pans," four highly anticipated new movies starring Richard Gere, 50 Cent, Jennifer Aniston and Keira Knightley, among others.
Here to give us her preview of each film, movie critic from "People" magazine, Leah Rozen. Always a pleasure to see you on a Friday night.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Thank you, A.J. Same.
HAMMER: So, Leah, you may have noticed Jennifer Aniston`s been making the rounds getting a lot of publicity right now for her new movie, "Derailed." She says she`s very proud of this project. Should she be?
ROZEN: Well, partly because it`s not a romantic comedy. And she pretty much had done romantic comedies. This is a suspense thriller.
She can be proud of her performance, less proud of the movie, because this is one of those movies where, you know, it all relies on sort of a twist and a surprise, and I really doubt there are going to be many people in the audience who aren`t a step ahead of the movie all the way through. So it`s a thriller that is less than thrilling.
HAMMER: Well, then let`s move on to something I hope you have nice things to say about, because I saw "Pride and Prejudice." I`m not a fan of the period pieces, but I really warmed up to it and, quite frankly, I loved it. And I think Keira Knightley could get an Oscar nod for it.
What`s your take?
ROZEN: The movie company certainly hopes so. I like this "Pride and Prejudice." I don`t think it`s the definite "Pride and Prejudice." I still think that`s the 1996 miniseries.
HAMMER: Which was television, not film.
ROZEN: Which was television, exactly.
But this is -- it`s a good "Pride and Prejudice." It gets the wit and the wisdom of Jane Austen. It really shows you that they exist in a rural environment. There are pigs walking through the house.
What`s fascinating with this "Pride and Prejudice" is Matthew MacFayden who is the Mr. Darcy. And he`s kind of this big lug of a Mr. Darcy. And we`re used to sort of slight more effete, priggish Mr. Darcys, but it works.
So I think anyone who is fond of Austen`s stuff will enjoy this "Pride and Prejudice."
HAMMER: I`m glad to hear you liked that.
Let`s move on to "Bee Season." Richard Gere is back with Juliette Binoche.
ROZEN: This is a movie based on a best-selling novel about a family where the daughter becomes a spelling bee champion and what has seemed like a happy upper-middle-class family turns dysfunctional in a big way.
It`s a movie that`s sort of looking at serious themes. It`s a movie for grown-ups. Starts well and then kind of starts to fall apart.
HAMMER: OK. Well, then, finally on our list tonight, Eminem certainly had success with "8 Mile," a semi-autobiographical movie about a rapper trying to make it. 50 Cent, Curtis Jackson trying to do the same with "Get Rich or Die Tryin`," again semi-autobiographical.
ROZEN: Problem is, he is not as lively a screen presence as Eminem was. 50 Cent playing himself just is stolid. Terrence Howard is also in the movie, and every scene he`s in just crackles. There are rather good actors surrounding 50 Cent. And you just keep going, "If a real actor was doing the center role."
50 Cent may have lived the part; he`s not as good as playing it. It becomes a fairly standard gangsters-in-the-hood kind of drama.
HAMMER: OK. Well, a lot to choose from this weekend. Leah Rozen from "People" magazine, appreciate your insight.
ROZEN: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: And for more "Picks and Pans," grab your copy of "People" magazine, on newsstands now.
ANDERSON: Well, dust off your lederhosen. It`s time to head for the hills. "The Sound of Music," one of my all-time favorites, is not 16 going on 17. It`s turning 40.
And to celebrate, a special two-disc, 40th anniversary DVD is being released next week. The DVD features a fully-restored version of the classic film, commentary by the stars and the director, and a sing-along interactive version so you can yodel along with the cast.
And speaking of the cast, they all reunited for the first time in 40 years at New York`s Tavern on the Green. There you see them, the Von Trapp kids. They`re all grown up. Star Julie Andrews says the film remains one of her favorite things.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIE ANDREWS, ACTRESS: It`s got kids. It`s got mountains. It`s got a decent feeling for religion. I just think it appeals to everybody. And it`s beautifully shot, and the music is great. How lovely that it`s lasted this long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The DVD will be released worldwide on November 15th.
HAMMER: There`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," not that "The Sound of Music" falls into this category, but we`re asking: Violent movies: Should security be increased in theaters? You can vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight or write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com Your e-mails live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." When they`re showing violent movies, should theaters increase security?
Here`s the vote so far: 43 percent of you say yes; 57 percent of you say no. Some of the e-mails we`ve received include one from Gigi in Georgia, who writes, "Violent types attend violent movies, and sometimes violence erupts at the scene."
But Dan from Kansas writes, "The increase in security will only increase the already too high cost of going to the movies."
You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: And now it`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday. So let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee."
Marquee Guy, take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: Monday, I`m just wild about Harry. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" burns up the big screen. And we cast our spell on the stars. It`s great balls of fire, as our "Harry Potter" week kicks off Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also Monday, from witches to the Wichita lineman, Glen Campbell. The rhinestone cowboy is about to ride into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he`ll be with us live. You`ll see why Campbell`s soup-er, Monday.
This is the Marquee Guy, thrilled it`s Friday, and do you know what Saturday is? Come on, say it -- it`s tomorrow!
HAMMER: Tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Tomorrow!
HAMMER: Yeah, yeah.
By the way, Brooke, I saw "Goblet of Fire" this week.
ANDERSON: You loved it?
HAMMER: It`s fantastic.
ANDERSON: I can`t wait to see it myself.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Have a nice weekend.
ANDERSON: All right. I`m Brooke Anderson. Please stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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