And the Oscars are . . . 93
The Oscars was a 1929 brain drain from MGM’s second “M” — Louis B. Mayer. Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 250 egos swallowing fish and chicken. Douglas Fairbanks made a quickie quiet speech. No media.
L.B. Mayer: “Hang medals, awards on film egos. Then they’ll kill themselves to produce what you want.” Those gold-plated statuettes — even announced before being given — grabbed one magazine paragraph.
Janet Gaynor, 22, won Best Actress for her role in three films. Best Actor, Emil Jannings. In ’39, director Margaret Herrick thought the statuette resembled her uncle Oscar. Supposedly, that’s how the name began.
Time to eat out
Restaurants are resurrecting. After hitting the stock exchange opening bell Jesse Jackson hit Midtown’s Bice Cucina. Michael Cohen with the wife, but without the ankle bracelet, nodded to onlookers at Fresco. At the Plaza talking with everyone between martini sips — Martha Stewart. Friday at cigar bar Macanudo, Giuliani and Sharpton.
Oz road
Besides Florida’s rotted oranges and potted seniors, Pepe Fanjul gave a fund-raiser at his Palm Beach farm for Mehmet Oz who’s running off TV and onto Pennsylvania’s Senate race. One cheapo, thinking the donation was $250, RSVP’d yes. Learning it was $250,000, he figured “Shove it” and sprung instead for a burger.
Religious pols
Lent encompasses two spiritual tests: 40 years Israelites wandered; 40 days Jesus fasted. Today, monitoring both Repubs and Dems, some vaccinated, others maskless, He might’ve considered pols Pharisees and Sadducees.
Televangelist Pat Robertson claims Putin’s aim “is to move against Israel and, as predicted in the Book of Ezekiel,” Ukraine’s a “staging ground” for an eventual Armageddon battle.
Rev. Robert Jeffress, of Dallas’ First Baptist Church: “I don’t care how many rosary beads Biden rubs. He’s the ungodliest president in the history of our country.”
Should Garth party on?
Letters “G” and “D” — often a beginning for a curse — fit Garth Drabinsky’s initials.
“Tyrannical . . . destructive . . . psychopathic . . . fraudster . . . nasty” are some of the nicer things said about him.
Convict. After producing “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and flunking a production company’s arithmetic, he did jail time for fraud and forgery.
There’s even a documentary swimming around: “Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life of Garth Drabinsky.” Imagine what he’d get if people liked him.
The thing’s a look from ex-staffers, players like Chita Rivera, Diahann Carroll, Elaine Stritch who called him “my favorite convicted producer.”
Out after years in the can, this guy’s even producing a new show. “Paradise Square” opens April 3. He intends this as his comeback.
Legislators today want criminals treated nicely — so . . . go.
He’s a legacy
James Nederlander, who owned nine theaters plus the Palace, produced over 100 B’way shows like “Annie,” “La Cage aux Folles,” “Nine,” “Sweet Charity.” The musical “Rent” which played the Nederlander was the fuel for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick . . . Boom!” My friend James would have turned 100 Thursday. His son Jimmy’s producing “Mr. Saturday Night,” which previews two days before at the Nederlander Theatre.
QUESTION: Who has an IQ of 200? Answer: Russia.
Not only said in New York, kids, not only said in New York.
