By Tim Molloy

Posted February 3rd 2012

Bounce TV will honor Don Cornelius with a seven-hour “Soul Train” marathon Saturday.

The marathon will begin with the show’s first episode and conclude with his final episode as host. It will be hosted by TLC‘s Chilli.

Cornelius, 75, was found dead of a gunshot wound this morning at his home in the Sherman Oaks district of Los Angeles.

Bounce, which airs “Soul Train” weekdays at 6 p.m., is also adding the series to its prime-time lineup beginning Monday. Monday Night Soul will feature four classic episodes of “Soul Train” back to back from 8 p.m. to Midnight ET every week.

Saturday’s marathon will begin at 7 p.m. Here is a list of the episodes, as described by Bounce:

Also from TheWrap: Don Cornelius, Creator of ‘Soul Train,’ dies

7 p.m.: The very first episode of “Soul Train,” featuring Gladys Knight & the Pips, 1971

8 p.m.: Al Green is the showcased artist, 1972

9 p.m.: The Commodores are featured in their prime, 1977

10 p.m.: Kool and the Gang highlight the show, 1983

11 p.m.: Janet Jackson in her first big music year, 1986

Midnight: En Vogue star in their debut year, 1990

1 a.m.: Cornelius’ last show as host, 1993

Bounce TV is available on free local station WUAB Channel 43.2 in the Northeast Ohio area. (Consult your Satellite or Cable guide for their WUAB 43.2  location)

By Davide Germaine

Posted January 30th 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Deep South drama “The Help” won three prizes Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, including best actress for Viola Davis and supporting actress for Octavia Spencer.

“The Help” also claimed the guild’s ensemble award, the show’s equivalent of a best-picture prize.

Davis and Spencer won as black maids going public with uneasy truths about their white employers in 1960s Mississippi.

Jean Dujardin won the lead-actor honor for “The Artist” as a silent-film superstar whose career crumbles when the sound era arrives. Christopher Plummer won for supporting actor as an elderly dad who comes out as gay in “Beginners.”

The wins boost the actors’ prospects for the same honors at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards.

Plummer would become the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar at age 82, two years older than Jessica Tandy when she won best actress for “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Backstage, Plummer joked about whether he would like to win an Oscar, an honor so elusive during his esteemed 60-year career that he did not even receive his first Academy Award nomination until two years ago, for “The Last Station.”

“No, I think it’s frightfully boring,” Plummer said. “That’s an awful question. Listen, we don’t go into this business preoccupied by awards. If we did, we wouldn’t last five minutes.”

Spencer, a veteran actress who had toiled in small TV and movie parts previously, had a breakout role in “The Help” as a brassy maid whose mouth continually gets her in trouble.

“I’m going to dedicate this to the downtrodden, the under-served, the underprivileged, overtaxed — whether emotionally, physically or financially,” Spencer said.

On the television side, comedy series awards went to “Modern Family” for best ensemble; Alec Baldwin as best actor for “30 Rock”; and Betty White as best actress for “Hot in Cleveland.”

“You can’t name me, without naming those other wonderful women on ‘Hot in Cleveland,’” the 90-year-old White said. “This nomination belongs to four of us. Please, please know that I’m dealing them right in with this. I’m not going to let them keep this, but I’ll let them see it.”

The TV drama show winners were: Jessica Lange as best actress for “American Horror Story”; and Steve Buscemi as best actor for “Boardwalk Empire,” which also won the ensemble prize.

For TV movie or miniseries, Kate Winslet won as best actress for “Mildred Pierce,” while Paul Giamatti was named best actor for “Too Big to Fail.”

Before the official ceremony, the Screen Actors Guild presented its honor for best film stunt ensemble to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” The TV stunt award went to “Game of Thrones.”

The winners at the SAG ceremony typically go on to earn Oscars. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars — Colin Firth for “The King’s Speech,” Natalie Portman for “Black Swan” and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for “The Fighter.”

The same generally holds true for the weekend’s other big Hollywood honors, the Directors Guild of America Awards, where Michel Hazanavicius won the feature-film prize Saturday for “The Artist.” The Directors Guild winner has gone on to earn the best-director Oscar 57 times in the 63-year history of the union’s awards show.

The guild’s ensemble prize, considered the ceremony’s equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting what will win the top award at the Oscars.

While “The King’s Speech” won both honors a year ago, the SAG cast recipient has gone on to claim the top Oscar only eight times in the 16 years since the guild added the category.

Though “The Help” won the ensemble prize this time, “The Artist” and George Clooney’s family drama “The Descendants” are considered stronger contenders for the best-picture Oscar.

Mary Tyler Moore received the guild’s lifetime-achievement award, an honor presented to her by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sit-com “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

SAG President Ken Howard put in a plug during the show for the guild’s planned merger with another Hollywood union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The boards of both groups have approved the merger, and ballots will be sent to members of each union.

“As one union, SAG-AFTRA will support a future of great entertainment for all of us,” Howard said.

___

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

By Dana Oliver

Posted January 29th 2012

Last month, when I was invited by Pantene to an unveiling of their new celebrity spokeswoman who has “ethnic hair,” I could barely contain my excitement. Someone who looked like me would finally front the brand. After exchanging countless guesses with other beauty editors, my girl crush Sanaa Lathan appeared looking stunning as usual.

The 40-year-old actress, whose breakout role was a tomboy turned bombshell in the romantic drama “Love & Basketball,” has been named the face of Pantene Pro-V’s Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Collection.

“It was instilled in me at a young age, how you treat your body is really important,” said Lathan. “We had an aloe vera plant in the house, and if I’d get a cut or scrape my mother would cut off a piece and apply the aloe. I saw firsthand how these things really work. Now we’re at a time where we have Whole Foods, everything is green and everyone is going organic. So, I’m glad Pantene is incorporating natural ingredients into their products.”

Scroll down as Lathan dishes on her hair care regimen, bold red lipstick and the secret to her gorgeous gams.

On maintaining her thick hair:
I always deep condition. It’s really important to keep my hair moisturized, not put too much heat on it and keep the ends trimmed. Also, I like to rotate my hairstyles. I’ll do straight and then when I’m in-between, I’ll wear my natural texture.

On hair extensions:
I’ll wear pieces and weaves in movies, but I’m loving my own hair especially because I’ve been taking good care of it and can go without [extensions]. I like wearing it in a cool chignon or really wild.

On her favorite Pantene products:
I love the NatureFusion Moisture Balance shampoo and conditioner and the Relaxed & Natural daily oil cream moisturizer.

On her sexy red pout:
It’s MAC Ruby Woo. I love the matte finish and it looks different on so many skin tones. Part of the fun in being an actress is that I can have so many personas. I think every woman should be that way. Yet, when it comes to my makeup, there’s been two go-tos: the dark eye with nude lips or a red lipstick.

On her flawless complexion:
For my skin, I like using organic because it goes straight into your bloodstream. It’s like putting something into your mouth.

On staying in shape:
I have one of those mini trampolines that you can get from WalMart. I jump on that for about 30 minutes while watching soap operas.

Posted January 27th 2012

Don’t ask Chris Rock about Newt Gingrich. The comic destroyed a videographer’s camera at Tao at Sundance, the scene of a Google bash and Jonny Lennon’s 4am Funday soiree, in the early hours of Monday when he was ambushed with a string of political questions after being asked to pose for a picture. A spy tells us, “A guy walked up to Chris and his entourage and said, ‘Hey, could I get a photo of you with my girlfriend?’ When he turned around, he found a video camera in his face, asking him about Gingrich.” Another spy said: “Chris pushed the interviewer and grabbed the camera. He smashed it so hard, it broke into pieces. He cursed the guy for filming when he had asked them to stop.” Another witness said that after smashing the camera, Rock asked him, “Did you get your shot?” Security escorted the video guy out, and Rock left peacefully, we’re told. Rock’s rep declined to comment.

Posted January 26th 2012

(AP) — Oprah Winfrey says she is confident that President Barack Obama will win another four-year term in this year’s U.S. election.

The talk show host was addressing a literary festival Sunday in the northwestern Indian town of Jaipur.

Winfrey praised Obama’s handling of the presidency. She said his next four years would be even more successful, with people able to get back to work.

Winfrey backed Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign in her first-ever political endorsement.

She was among the biggest crowd pullers at the annual Jaipur Literary Festival, which brings together top writers, poets and critics and around 50,000 literary fans from around the world.

Winfrey has been in India for a week filming programs for her new TV network.

By Derrick Bryson Taylor

Posted January 24th 2012

Brandy and Kim Kardashian, BFF’s? Hard to believe, but that’s exactly how it was before Kim’s much talked about sex tape with Brandy’s brother, Ray-J in 2007.

The two had a falling out shortly afterwards, but on the  “Wendy Williams Show” Brandy extended an olive branch to Kim, saying she missed their friendship. She tells ESSENCE.com she’s ready to forgive her brother’s ex. “I think forgiveness is growth and owning up to your mistakes is growth and we both made mistakes in our friendship — but why hold on to that?”

She adds, “Why hold a grudge because at the end of the day, I’ll always love Kim and I know she’ll always love me, whether she expresses it or not. Why hold on to something to only hurt myself? It’s not worth it. ”

As fate would have it, Brandy and Kim are co-starring in Tyler Perry’s new film “The Marriage Counselor.” The singer makes a point to say that despite all of the backlash Tyler Perry has received for casting Kim, she stands behind him. “What I respect about Tyler Perry is that he goes with his gut. He follows his intuition, that guidance we all have within us,” she says. “And I think a part of being the type of mogul that he is, is always listening to that.”

By Ms. Osupa Nia

Posted January 23rd 2012

(PHOTO CREDITS: ROGER MASTROIANNI)

Cleveland Play House has introduced the newly constructed ‘Second Stage’ theatre to Greater Clevelanders with the grand opening of Jeffrey Hatcher’s ‘Ten Chimneys,’ the personal and artistic retreat for the legendary husband and wife theatrical acting team Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. Margot Peters biography of the Lunts describes their ‘trademark technique consisted of overlapping each other’s lines, various muggings, smirkings, hesitations, interrupting and circling around each other, nudging and mocking — intimate byplay their audiences found sexy and charming.’ Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt enjoyed a marriage and theatrical team career that spanned over fifty-five years.

(PHOTO: MARIETTE HARTLEY, FILM AND TELEVISION CHARACTER ACTRESS AS HATTIE SEDERHOLM)

‘Ten Chimneys’ is a fast paced comedy depicting an artistic session with Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt at their lavish estate ‘Ten Chimneys’ in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Hatcher chose Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’ as the playwright of the session in question. Uta Hagen did appear in the 1938 performance of ‘The Seagull’ with the Lunts.

Hatcher’s choice of Chekhov alludes to the temperamental relationship and lifestyle of the Lunts. Chekhov’s style is known for its dramatic subtext…skirting around issues and not addressing them directly. And so the case with Ten Chimneys’ as it alludes to Alfred Lunts’ excessive attachment to his mother and her constant interference in his personal life.  A sea of innuendo including whether Alfred Lunt and Uta Hagen were having an affair? Was Alfred Lunt bisexual? Did Lynn and Alfred Lunt entertain ménage a trois trysts? Was Alfred and Lynn’s marriage an ongoing stage performance?

In reality the answers are yes! Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne’s lives were an ever evolving stage play. ‘Ten Chimneys’ was a theatrical set. Their exuberant parties were stage shows and their friends were the audience. Noel Coward a close protege to the Lunts wrote ‘Design For Living,’ for him and the Lunts to perform. It is a story about a ménage a trois with two men and women. Uta Hagen was only nineteen years old in the 1938 performance of ’The Seagull,’ yet she was of legal age.

These are only some of the mind boggling perplexities that Hatcher has created with ‘Ten Chimneys.’  Michael Bloom’s directorial mastery extols the consignment and timing of these eccentricities. The seasoned cast of only seven breathes life into Hatcher and Blooms vision and their performances are seamless. Finally, a warm  welcome for film and television character actress Mariette Hartley to the Cleveland theatrical stage in this outstanding presentation of ‘Ten Chimneys.’

‘Ten Chimneys’ run of show is through February 5^th 2012.  ‘Second Stage’ is an intimate, interactive theatre that makes you feel like you are a part of the performance.  Cleveland Play House at PlayhouseSquare…I love it!

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Posted January 23rd 2012

Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan was hospitalized on Sunday night in Park City, Utah, where he was attending an awards ceremony as part of the Sundance Film Festival.

The “30 Rock” star was taken to the Park City Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Amy Roberts confirmed to NBC News.

Morgan, 43, was being honored at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards.

Entertainment news website TMZ quoted unidentified sources as saying the actor “appeared extremely intoxicated during his award acceptance speech“.

However, TMZ later posted a statement from Morgan’s publicist, Lewis Kay, which said: “Any reports of Tracy consuming alcohol are 100 percent false. From a combination of exhaustion and altitude, Tracy is seeking medical attention.”

(“30 Rock” is broadcast on NBC. Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft Corp. and NBC Universal.)

Posted January 22nd 2012

One of the perks of being president is the opportunity to live in the White House, a 132-room mansion — complete with bowling alley and private movie theater. So what’s it like to actually attend a screening there? According to “Red Tails” director, Anthony Hemingway, the theater could use some work.

Hemingway, the “Red Tails” cast, producer George Lucas and surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen, were recently invited to the White House to screen the WWII action feature for the First Family. Writing about it in this week’s Hollywood Reporter, the director discussed the generous hospitality provided by President Obama and the rest of his staff.

After an extensive background check (of course), the guests showed up to the White House. There, they were treated to a meet-and-greet by the Commander-in-Chief himself, where they took pictures and went on a private tour. Obama also gave a touching introduction before the film began.

However, the theater wasn’t as presidential as you’d expect.

“When they escort you into the theater, you definitely feel like you’re in a very comfy, intimate space. But it doesn’t have cup holders, which made me nervous because I was afraid of spilling my drink … The theater isn’t set up that well. The sound could be better. The projector needs to be upgraded. It needs a Hollywood pro to go in there and redesign it.”

A Hollywood pro? Perhaps a certain “Star Wars” creator who developed the surround sound company, THX? (That’s a George Lucas reference, if you haven’t figured it out.)

Where the theater lacked in sound quality, it made up in popcorn. “It had just the right amount of salt and butter,” Hemingway said. “It was some of the best popcorn I’ve ever tasted.”

The White House: Great popcorn, bad surround sound.

By Neda Ulaby

Posted January 22nd 2012

The “Matriarch of the Blues” has died. Music legend Etta James died Friday morning at Riverside Community Hospital in California of complications from leukemia. She was 73.

ETTA JAMES ‘AT LAST’

She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938. Her first manager and promoter cut up Jamesetta’s name and reversed it: Etta James.

Her talent was discovered when she was 14 — the same age her mother was when James was born. Within three years, the foster-home runaway had her first hit, with the girl group The Peaches. Back then, “Roll With Me Henry” was deemed too racy for radio, “roll” being a sexual euphemism.

Etta James was still a minor when she toured with Little Richard. Then, she signed with leading blues label Chess Records and bleached her hair platinum blond.

“What I was doing was trying to be a glamour girl,” she told NPR’s Fresh Air in 1994. “Because I’d been a tomboy, and I wanted to look grown and wanted to wear high-heeled shoes and fishtail gowns and big, long rhinestone earrings.”

Darkness Beneath The Joy

James had grit in her voice that could melt like sugar or rub like salt in a wound. Between 1960 and 1963, she had 10 records on the R&B charts, including “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.”

Darkness runs beneath that joy — as does anger, says David Ritz, who wrote a biography of James.

“It isn’t like she sings that song,” Ritz says. “Sometimes, you feel she was going to war with the song.”

By the mid-1960s, James was into hard drugs, and her career hit the skids. She bounced checks, forged prescriptions and stole from her friends. A judge finally gave her a choice: prison or rehabilitation. In 1974, she spent months in recovery at a psychiatric hospital.

“I was around nothing but a lot of white kids,” James told Fresh Air. “They were all younger than I was. I remember on Saturdays, they would play rock ‘n’ roll records and I would say, ‘That music is really happening.’ My song, ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ — they had a version by Rod Stewart, and they kept saying, ‘This is the song you wrote!’ And I’d say, ‘All right!’ ”

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones sent James a letter while she was in rehab and invited her to tour with the band if she stayed clean. In 1978, she joined the Stones on tour. By the ’90s, she’d reached a new generation of fans and won a Grammy. The next challenge was jazz.

“[Jazz] was too disciplined and too confining,” James said on Fresh Air. “I thought you had to be bourgeois to do that. I was a sloppy kid, wanted to be just wild. I think it took me maturing.”

James said making her tribute to Billie Holiday, 1994′s Mystery Lady, also honored her mother, who loved both Holiday and jazz. She said it helped make peace with the woman she idolized, and who had abandoned her.

It’s often said of Etta James that you could hear her whole life in her voice. James told NPR in 1989 that that made sense, though she mostly sang for herself.

“When I sing for myself, I probably sing for anyone who has any kind of hurt, any kind of bad feelings, good feelings, ups and downs, highs and lows, that kind of thing,” she said.

Etta James went to extremes, and owned them in her life, and in her music.