Dorothy Kilgallen Movie?

[John Simkin]

Message posted on a Anne Heche website:

We hear that Anne Heche has agreed to portray columnist Dorothy Kilgallen in a screen (maybe small screen) version of Lee Israel's marvelous book, "Kilgallen." Barry Levinson's production company, Spring Creek, has joined David Yarnell in the project. Author Israel describes Yarnell as "darling, brilliant and tasteful!" He produced CBS' "Deep in My Heart," which snared an Emmy for Anne Bancroft, and also that marvelous American Masters documentary on Billy Wilder. This should be some movie. Kilgallen was, in my opinion, along with Walter Winchell, probably the best of the bunch when it came to golden age columning; her private life was tumultuous, her death mysterious. There are those who insist that Dorothy "knew too much" about events surrounding the "suicide" of Marilyn Monroe and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Heche should be sensational in this role. Though she is prettier than the real Dorothy (cruelly dubbed "the chinless wonder" by Frank Sinatra), there is some vague resemblance in the cameo face and delicate complexion. And she's actress enough to convey whatever it is she needs to as one of the greatest and most controversial "gossip columnists" of the era. And considering Anne's sometimes contentious relationship with the press because of her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres, there is an extra added frisson of excitement and interest to the idea of her playing an ink-stained wretch.

http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Club/2419/

[Nic Martin]

Well, Hollywood will turn anyone or anything into a movie to make a buck, won't they? Nonetheless, it'll be interesting if they do it right.

[Tim Gratz]

Well, Hollywood will turn anyone or anything into a movie to make a buck, won't they? Nonetheless, it'll be interesting if they do it right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is a movie scheduled for production to start in 2005, called "The Good Sheperd" about the history of the CIA, loosely based on the career of James Jesus Angleton. The screenplay is by the man who wrote Forrest Gump.

Robert DeNiro is to direct the movie.

Matt Damon stars as the young Angleton and DeNiro will play the older Angleton.

I think I previously refered to the Tommy Lee Jones movie re Nosenko. It is pro-Nosenko, anti-Angleton (if memory serves me).

The Rat Pack (an HBO movie) is quite good. Its portrayal of Joe Kennedy is very good. It explores, in quite accurate historical detail, the relationship between JFK and Sinatra (nothing about the assassination). It is available on DVD.

Sugartime, another TV movie, I believe, has an interesting portrayal of the relationship between Giancana and Phyllis McGuire. It illustrates the odd juxtaposition between the "sweet McGuire sisters" and the evil of Giancana by interposing a scene of Giancana watching the Mcguire sisters perform while one of his associates is savagely beating someone to death with a baseball bat. It is based on a book by the FBI agent who was dogging Giancana.

Edited December 12, 2004 by Tim Gratz

[Nic Martin]

Well, Hollywood will turn anyone or anything into a movie to make a buck, won't they? Nonetheless, it'll be interesting if they do it right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is a movie scheduled for production to start in 2005, called "The Good Sheperd" about the history of the CIA, loosely based on the career of James Jesus Angleton. The screenplay is by the man who wrote Forrest Gump.

Robert DeNiro is to direct the movie.

Matt Damon stars as the young Angleton and DeNiro will play the older Angleton.

I think I previously refered to the Tommy Lee Jones movie re Nosenko. It is pro-Nosenko, anti-Angleton (if memory serves me).

The Rat Pack (an HBO movie) is quite good. Its portrayal of Joe Kennedy is very good. It explores, in quite accurate historical detail, the relationship between JFK and Sinatra (nothing about the assassination). It is available on DVD.

Sugartime, another TV movie, I believe, has an interesting portrayal of the relationship between Giancana and Phyllis McGuire. It illustrates the odd juxtaposition between the "sweet McGuire sisters" and the evil of Giancana by interposing a scene of Giancana watching the Mcguire sisters perform while one of his associates is savagely beating someone to death with a baseball bat. It is based on a book by the FBI agent who was dogging Giancana.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I own the "Rat Pack" DVD, it's quite good. I knew about "The Good Sheperd," because I'm a rather big De Niro fan. I'll look into Tommy Lee Jones, though.

[Shanet Clark]

I hope the Dorothy Kilgallen movie goes through, looks good.

Angie Dickinson and Peter Lawford are very interesting characters, and the Rat Pack carries some distinct cultural history implications.

The new stuff needs to capture the tension of the PARALLAX VIEW, THE CONVERSATION, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, THE DAY OF THE JACKEL and THE EIGER SANCTION and of course John Frankenhammers THE TRAIN and MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE with Lawrence Harvey. Film is the most powerful cultural mediator of political beliefs.

Edited December 12, 2004 by Shanet Clark

[David Yarnell]

Message posted on a Anne Heche website:

We hear that Anne Heche has agreed to portray columnist Dorothy Kilgallen in a screen (maybe small screen) version of Lee Israel's marvelous book, "Kilgallen." Barry Levinson's production company, Spring Creek, has joined David Yarnell in the project. Author Israel describes Yarnell as "darling, brilliant and tasteful!"

http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Club/2419/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm no longer working on the film. I still have videotaped interviews of people who encountered Kilgallen at the very end of her life.