Warner, Turner spotlight Day

Texas embraces Thornton as one of its own

By LIZ SMITH

WE'RE ALWAYS talking up Doris Day here. She's the singing movie sweetheart of the '50s and '60s and like we keep saying, she deserves an Oscar Lifetime Achievement award more than most who get one. Come April 7, Warner Hot Video and Turner Classic Movies will showcase their "TCM Spotlight: Doris Day Collection." This features five new-to-DVD titles, focusing on Doris' golden years at Warner Bros where her film career began. I'm talking "April in Paris"..."It's a Great Feeling" ... "Starlift" ..."Tea for Two"...and "The Tunnel of Love. There are even bonus features like classic cartoons and vintage shorts.

I LIKE to joke that if you have even visited Texas or passed through Lubbock or "thought" about Texas, that's good enough for the Texas Film Hall of Fame to take you for their own. This happened to Arkansas native Billy Bob Thornton. He became an official Texan recently, receiving the Tom Mix Honorary Texan Award from the Film Society. When Dennis Quaid called him a native "of Northeast Texas -- that is, Hot Springs, Ark," Billy Bob quickly reminded him of all the Texascentric movies he has made, including "The Alamo," "Friday Night Lights" and "Armageddon." Billy Bob also boasted that he has lived in both Austin and Tomball, Texas. (This is good enough for the Film Society.) Honored along with Billy Bob were Larry Hagman, born in Fort Worth ... Powers Boothe, a Texas State U. graduate and native of Snyder, the director of "Twilight" -- Catherine Hardwicke who is from McAllen. But if you even know where Texas is on the map, the Film Society may claim you. This year the Festival highlighted the "Spiderman" director Sam Raimi's work-in-progress version of his horror film "Drag Me to Hell."

IF YOU love movies,you'll love a stunning and unusual memoir written by Allegra Huston. Simon & Schuster is high on this one! Allegra is the daughter of legendary director John Huston and the Italian-American ballet dancer-model Ricki Soma. Ricki died in a car accident when Allegra was only four and the little girl became a nomad in her own life -- shuttling between Ireland, Long Island, Mexico and Hollywood. Allegra grew up with her siblings Anjelica, Tony and Danny Huston and was variously cared for by nannies, stepmoms, and friends. In time she discovered that her biological father was writer John Julius Norwich, a British blueblood. This didn't change her complicated life and Allegra has written with tenderness, candor and bewilderment about finding her identity. The word picture she gives here of the famous John Huston is brilliant. You can practically see him, hear the voice he used in "Chinatown" and this is simply a wonderful book -- part mystery, part journey, part heartbreak.

Remember Xena, Warrior Princess? She was played by the imposing Lucy Lawless. (An actress who once, briefly, worked as gold miner in Australia!) I lost track of Lucy after "Xena" went off the air, but now she's heading back to the small screen in a familiar genre. She will appear as Lucretia in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." This is the true-life tale of the great slave revolt against the Romans, led by Spartacus. Kirk Douglas created him memorably on the bigscreen, back in 1960. For this version the reluctant gladiator/rebel leader will be played by Australian actor Andy Whitfield. And this cable effort for the Starz network is no cheap deal. The director is Sam Raimi of the "Evil Dead" and "Spider Man" movies.

BACK WHEN teen heartthrob Zac Efron was announced to do the remake of "Footloose," I admitted Zac was indeed a cutie, but no Kevin Bacon -- there are more than six degrees of talent and appeal separating these two! The original movie was perfect, anyway, why mess around with it? Well, even though the director of the new "Footloose" was Kenny Ortega, who has helmed all those "High School Musicals" which propelled Zac to stardom, the young actor pulled out of the project. But, Ortega, and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are forging ahead. They are all looking at hottie Chace Crawford, from the wildly popular "Gossip Girl" TV series. He, too, is very attractive, and who knew he could dance? But, again -- Kevin Bacon owns this role.