Well, I guess summer is upon us. Everyone out here is running around half naked like Polynesian hookers, not altogether a bad thing, if you like scantily clad starlet's with gorgeous bodies.

The eye candy was detracted a bisel by the passing of Ray Charles. Most recently seen as Grandma Yetta’s boy toy on “The Nanny”, Charles was around long before any of the pishers on that show were born. Originally named Charles Ray Robinson, and born in Albany in 1930, Charles lost his sight at the age of seven, suspectedly from complications from glaucoma. Charles was one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and had more hits than Babe Ruth, most notably, “Georgia”, “Hit The Road, Jack!”, and “I Can’t Stop Loving You”. In his spare time, Charles was twice married and fathered nine children and successfully battled heroin addiction. The twelve time Grammy award winner died in his Beverly Hills home of acute liver disease at the age of 73.

Just in from the “One More Time” department, Warner Brothers has announced plans for a new, 200 million dollar edition of “Superman!”, after years of delays and obstacles in bringing an updated version to the screen, (nu? Why does Hollywood feel that it has to make “New and Improved out of everything? Genug, shoyn!) following the television mega-hit “Smallville”. No names have been mentioned yet as to who will play the ‘Man of Steel’, although my sources say that every eligible action/adventure actor from Brendan Fraser to Toby McGuire is biting and scratching to get tested for the role. Last year the rumors were saying that Nicholas Cage was contending for the part, after which the project sank like a lead matzo ball. But the Home of the Frog has persevered, and filming is expected to begin late this year.

Meanwhile The Hollywood Walk of Fame is slated to be expanded to encompass its new honorees, among whom are Susan Lucci, James Doohan, Ben Stiller, Tom Brokaw, and the first star ever to appear sans trousers in a movie…you guessed it, Donald Duck! Also being honored is television icon Soupy Sales, best remembered for taking pies in the face and getting thrown out of television for giving the finger to his audience on his children’s show.

And, speaking of James Doohan, (the farschvitzed engineer on the original “Star Trek” series,) you won’t need Scotty to beam you up when you need a sci-fi fix anymore. Seattle, Washington, is the new home of the Sci-Fi Museum and Hall of Fame, with exhibits pertaining to Star Trek, The Matrix, Bladerunner, and The Jetsons, to name just a few. The venture is the brainchild of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, who donated a reported 20 million dollars toward its realization.

And finally, from the “Dumb and Dumber” department, Disney Chief Michael Eisner (the man who offers living proof that not everyone whose mishpokhe is an infallible business man,) has announced that, given the unprecedented losses Disney suffered in recent months, (Like they’ll ever FORGET the “Alamo”,) there will be a substantial cut-back in the next fiscal year on investments in live-action films. Thirteen films, slated for production have been shelved indefinitely, and Disney plans to opt more for franchised projects, such as the now-in-production “Pirates of the Caribbean 2”, which is licensed by Disney to another company. Bob Iger, Chief Operations Officer for Disney, said “We have found there is no direct correlation between spending more money, and making more money with regards to film projects.” Nu? And this yutz spent six years in college to figure that out? Feh!


Well, that’s it for now, Gang. Have a safe and happy Independence day, (and for all my fellow Holiday Chazzers, a filling one,) and I’ll see you next month!