Quaid
"The Last Detail"'s Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid and Morgan Freeman (in the role created by Otis Young) -- 30 years later. Darryl Ponicsan, whose hilarious yet touching novel became Robert Towne's equally-sensaysh script under Hal Ashby's direction, has written the sequel, "Last Flag Flying" reports Quaid. "It's a moving revisitation of our characters re-captured by our relationships," Quaid says. In the new setting Nicholson runs a bar. Of course all are anxiously awaiting a final script before committing. Nicholson was just as cautious about joining Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed." He's heading to New York next week to begin hefty rehearsals before filming next month. He playfully tells me he'll ask Leo to change his name to "Luke." "Then," laughed Nicholson, "we could be known as "Matthew, Mark, John and Luke." Get it? Nicholson's in a work mode again and even tells me he's next thinking about directing -- he hasn't since "The Two Jakes" in 1990. While in N.Y. Nicholson will attend the preem of "The Interpreter," which stars pal Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman ... While most Laker fans are sitting out the rest of the season, Nicholson was faithfully on hand as usual Monday night. "That's where I started," he modestly allowed.
RANDY IS BRILLIANT," "Elvis" exec producer Howard Braunstein told me of Quaid's portrayal of Col. Tom Parker in the upcoming CBS miniseries (May 8-11). He added 15 pounds to play the role. (He used padding to play LBJ in his award-winning role in "L.B.J., The Early Years" for NBC.) Braunstein and Quaid told me neither had met Parker -- or Elvis. Brainstein had seen every tape of his, and Quaid said he'd seen a live Presley performance at the Vegas Hilton. "As I stood in line, Parker had set up stands of souvenirs for those waiting to buy." How is he portrayed in the pic? "It was a push-me pull-me relationship," said Braunstein, "art vs. commerce." The TV'er spans Presley from the age of 18 to his comeback show on NBC in 1968. All the songs are sung by Presley, no imitators. "Love Me," by Leiber and Stoller is one of 'em, and in the upcoming special "Elvis By The Presleys" there are possibly 12 Leiber and Stoller songs, their office awaits final edit. The duo's now readying a never-before-heard record by Peggy Lee -- the disc to be sold on the Web ... I asked Mike Stoller if the duo had ever written a religious song. He revealed one: "Jesus Won't Let You Down." Any suggestion for the recording artist?
AS POPE JOHN PAUL II continues to make news -- and the Vatican is questioned on the appointment of Cardinal Bernard Law who presided at one of the funeral Masses -- I am reminded of the Pope's visit to the U.S. in 1995. I wrote: "Conflicting answers from CBS about re-skedding (?) the airing of 'Godfather III.' As you recall the movie is not exactly complimentary to the Vatican. It was skedded to air next Sunday (Oct. 8) -- coincidentally during the Pope's visit to the U.S. One source said 'Godfather' was taken off the sked to help establish hourlong dramatic series such as 'Central Park West,' 'American Gothic,' 'Courthouse' and 'New York News.' But another at the net admitted, the Pope's visit was one of a number of reasons it was taken off the schedule. There was no new airdate skedded." In the film,
Variety's Todd McCarthy referred to the "corruption in the Vatican" as made evident in the appointment of Michael Corleone to an honored office in the church. McCarthy also noted the "mysterious death" of Pope John Paul I "after a very short reign." It was decided not to air the film the same time Pope John Paul II was being celebrated on his visit to the U.S.
LADIES' NIGHT: I spoke with Kathleen Turner after she'd taken her class from NYU's Tisch School to the Longacre theater where she appears in ""Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." It's her first time teaching on a steady basis, and the B'way theater experience is the first for the students. She is having too much of an enjoyable stand to think about leaving "It's the most exciting role I've ever had." And she admits never having seen it onstage -- or screen. Albee approved her casting in it after, she said, "I lobbied him, and he agreed to let me do a reading. A few hours later he said 'OK.'" She had a knee replaced in November, but never told him. "I lied a little," she says. "I said I was 'having it scoped.' I was on my feet the next day." ... In L.A. Sunday, we caught Stefanie Powers and the terrif company of "The King and I" at the Pantages." She started in London and has worked her way here as the company in the classic is winding down its final week. She is sad that the Japan date was KO'd. But she's hopeful a U.S. return will materialize in the fall. Meanwhile, she heads to Poland to star in a docu on the Mazowia Polish Folk Ballet Company for PBS. "I'm Polish," she said, "and speak Polish." She then heads to Africa and her continuing work on the William Holden Wildlife Foundation.
ERIC BRAEDEN, who has starred as Victor Newman on "The Young and the Restless" for more than 25 years, will headline the Daytime Emmy Awards May 20 on CBS along with Deidre Hall and Susan Lucci. Braeden segues to the bigscreen and he produces the feature, "The Man Who Came Back." ... Restaurant Row on La Cienega has a spectacular showman-like addition. It's the Brazil-born Fogo De Chao whose gaucho-costumed waiters skewer choice steaks, lamb chops and pork at your table to follow a salad bar to end all salad bars. The wines -- in a 28-foot tall rack -- are a sight as well as a taste satisfier and the giant mural is a visual delight to backdrop the menu ... Over the weekend we also visited an old faithful, the Grill on the Alley in BevHills where Jerry Seinfeld was dining with managers Howard West and George Shapiro. Jerry was in town to work on "The Bee Movie" for DreamWorks. And to also set upcoming dates at Caesars: June 10-11, Aug. 12-13 and Dec. 26-27.
Contact Army Archerd at
army.archerd@variety.com