Author George Plimpton Dies in New York Aged 76

NEW YORK (Reuters) - George Plimpton, who edited the Paris Review literary journal for 50 years, wrote best sellers about sports from a participant's view and even acted in Hollywood movies, died in his sleep at his New York apartment. He was 76.

"Last night, the 50th anniversary issue (of the Paris Review) was put to bed with him at the helm," his lawyer, James Goodale, said on Friday.

"He had had some heart problems, but he seemed to be in very good health and we are all surprised by his death."

Plimpton was also a prolific book editor, a television pitchman and a bon vivant of New York society.

Known for writing about topics through first-hand experience, Plimpton played as a quarterback for the Detroit Lions, played triangle for the New York Philharmonic, flew on a circus trapeze, fought bulls with Ernest Hemingway, pitched baseballs to Willie Mays and battled in a boxing ring.

The indefatigable Plimpton had been scheduled to leave for Cuba on Saturday for a reading of "Zelda, Scott, and Ernest," a play about Hemingway, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, which he wrote with Terry Quinn.

Angela Hemingway, daughter-in-law of the famed writer, was with Plimpton late on Thursday afternoon rehearsing the play. "George and I spoke again around 6:30 last night," she said. "I told him that I thought he looked better than he had ever looked."

Educated at Exeter, Yale, Harvard and Cambridge, Plimpton was at home in literary circles, high society and sports arenas. "George had a rare gift," longtime friend and Pulitzer Prize winner Norman Mailer said in a statement.

"Friends were almost always happy to see him because you knew he was bound to improve your mood. He was so open to life and all its new and unexpected situations. What fine manners he had! Few could give a toast or tell a story with equal humor. He gave vitality to the all-but-lost concept that to be an inventive gentleman was a thoroughgoing art in itself."

UNLIKELY ENDEAVORS

Plimpton, a friend of the Kennedys who helped subdue Sirhan Sirhan after he shot presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy at a Los Angeles hotel in June 1968, was best known for writing about professional sports and other unlikely endeavors by taking part as an amateur.

"There are people who would perhaps call me a dilettante, because it looks as though I'm having too much fun. I have never been convinced there's anything inherently wrong in having fun," Plimpton once said.

In his first participatory journalism foray, he boxed three rounds with light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore in 1959.

Plimpton wrote in Sports Illustrated about his experiences, many of them becoming books like "Out of My League" (1961), on baseball, "Paper Lion" (1966), about playing NFL football and "The Bogey Man" (1968), about professional golf.

Ernest Hemingway called "Out of My League," "beautifully observed and incredibly conceived."

Plimpton was also at ease acting in films such as "Good Will Hunting" (1997), "L.A. Story" (1991) and "Reds" (1981).

Plimpton helped found the Paris Review while he was an undergraduate and helped it gain international attention by printing works from newcomers like Philip Roth and Jack Kerouac and established writers such as Ezra Pound, Pablo Neruda and Gunter Grass rather than focus on criticism.
 
Born in New York in 1927, Plimpton is survived by his wife, Sarah Dudley Plimpton, and four children from two marriages.

British Singer Robert Palmer Dies in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - British rock singer Robert Palmer, best known for his hit 1980 videos featuring leggy models in short black dresses and electric guitars, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 54.

Palmer's record company said the Yorkshire-born singer, who lived in Switzerland, died while on a trip to Paris where was taking a break with his girlfriend after recording a documentary in London.

The father of two had his biggest success with the 1985 single "Addicted to Love" and its accompanying video which featured a lineup of sexy backing singers. The clip was voted the eighth best of all time by MTV viewers.

Palmer frequently peaked in the charts during the 1980s with catchy, songs like "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible," often accompanied by testosterone-fueled videos.

Accused of being a male chauvinist after the "Addicted To Love" video, Palmer protested in a recent newspaper interview that it was not his idea to include the women in the clips.

"People think the video was my idea, that I would happily portray myself as a James Bond of boogie. That surprises me because I don't think about my image at all." He said the girls were filmed separately and edited into a clip of him singing.

"When I saw it I was shocked," he said. "Simply Irresistible was quite a sexy video but they have become so erotic these days that if my three were released now they wouldn't cause a stir."

Palmer, whose smart suits and laconic style set the tone for much of the 1980s pop scene, died in his hotel room just off the Champs Elysees, a Paris police spokeswoman said.

"Everyone at Universal Music is deeply shocked and saddened at the terrible news," Universal said in London. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at the difficult time."

Palmer's latest album "Drive" was described by critics as a melting pot of old R&B, Bahamian and Caribbean music, jump blues, Delta blues and raunch 'n' roll.

He discussed those influences in an interview on Wednesday at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, London, for a TV program called "My Kinda People," a spokesman for Yorkshire television told Reuters.

Born Alan Palmer, the son of a naval officer, Palmer saw no TV or movies until he was 12. Limited to music, he soon became a fan of the rhythm and blues of Lena Horne and Nat King Cole.

Giving off a clean-living image with his love of three-piece suits, Palmer never embraced the excesses of a rock 'n' roll lifestyle and pursued a solo career after playing in locally renowned bands like Dada and Vinegar Joe in his 20s.

"I just always felt comfortable in a suit and tie," he once said. "It's served me well, because I never got aligned with any fashion trend. I simply believed that if you're going to be in public, dress up."

'Rundown' Set to Rock Weekend Box Office

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Three films targeting a wide swath of potential moviegoers are hitting the box office this weekend. But it looks as if only one will generate numbers equivalent to those of a summer blockbuster.

"The Rundown," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is shaping up as the likely competition crusher. A Universal Pictures release of a Universal-Columbia production, the action-comedy has earned good reviews comparing it with buddy films of yore.

"Rundown" marks Johnson's first film where he moves beyond his well-known character of Mathayus the Scorpion King, who helped bring gobs of dollars to Universal. He originally appeared in "The Mummy Returns," which opened to $68.1 million in May 2001, and then took center stage in "The Scorpion King," which opened to $36 million in April 2002.

In early reviews, critics have compared Johnson's "Rundown" exploits with those of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, so this movie could officially launch the wrestler-turned-actor into a bona fide action hero. It doesn't hurt, either, that the film also stars "American Pie's" Seann William Scott. Expectations are that the film will gross at least $15 million-$17 million, but it could reach into $20 million territory.

Directed by Peter Berg ("Very Bad Things"), "Rundown" centers on the unlikely team of Johnson and Scott, who must join forces to fight the evil leader of a gold-mining corporation that is after the same treasure they are. Targeting the under-25 crowd, the PG-13 film from screenwriters R.J. Stewart and James Vanderbilt will bow in 3,152 theaters.

Miramax Films will release the Danny DeVito-directed dark comedy "Duplex" this weekend in 2,189 theaters. The PG-13 film starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore has received little advertising support and, despite the star power of its two leads, is not expected to generate much box office heat. Although it looks to attract the upscale young-adult audience interested in a plot concerning an up-and-coming couple whose lives are slowly unraveling due to a pesky rent-controlled upstairs neighbor, the film is not likely to earn much more than $6 million.

Meanwhile, Disney's "Under the Tuscan Sun" is hoping to draw the adult-female audience to a loose adaptation of Frances Mayes' best-selling memoir. Offering up Diane Lane's first starring role since last year's Oscar-nominated performance in "Unfaithful," the film will open on 1,226 screens with hopes of capitalizing on strong word-of-mouth. Rated PG-13 and filmed entirely in Italy, "Tuscan" focuses on Lane's character as a newly divorced American writer who is coerced into a trip to Italy to help her overcome her profound depression. On impulse, she purchases a rundown villa, and an interesting supporting cast helps turn the woman's life around.

Written and directed by Audrey Wells ("Guinevere"), "Tuscan" veers considerably from Mayes' novel, but the marketing campaign is reaching out to fans of the book as well as to scorned women everywhere. The film could open to $10 million and then climb from there, if Disney's expectations are fulfilled.

In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics will bow "My Life Without Me," directed by Isabel Coixet, in New York and Los Angeles. The R-rated film stars Sarah Polley as a young mother of two who lives in a trailer and decides to cover up the fact that she is dying of cancer so she can live out her final months of life with a sense of freedom. Alfred Molina, Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Plummer co-star.

R.S. Entertainment will debut "Luther" starring Joseph Fiennes and Molina and directed by Eric Till. The movie tells the story of German priest Martin Luther, who challenged the orthodoxy of the Catholic church in the 1500s, igniting a religious reformation that transformed Christianity and much of Western culture.

Focus Features will expand the increasingly popular "Lost in Translation" to 488 theaters this weekend. The Sofia Coppola-directed film already has earned $4.7 million in two weekends of limited release.

Skinny Ryan Doesn't Have Enough Heft for 'Survivor: Pearl Islands'

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - It's a dark and stormy night when "Survivor: Pearl Islands" open on Episode Two. It's also eerily quiet in that way that seems so menacing when you move from the city to the suburbs and wake up positive that the sound of the cat playing with a paper bag in found under the sink is really a masked man trying to break in and steal your Franklin Mint collector plates.

Over among the Morgans, Tijuana is freezing and Osten is worried about his shirtless state, but when Day Four dawns it is all one big lovefest over at the Drake tribe as seen through the rose-colored glasses of Rupert. See, Rupert is just thrilled to be living off the fat of the land and finding himself surrounded by "beautiful souls." He has also become particularly attached to the tribe's fishing apparatus that he keeps referring to as "my spear."

The burly counselor to troubled teens (you just know he's said, "Let's rap about this" more than once) says he loves living in a giant fish tank and seeing him swim around among the schools of fish and eels it does look like a lot of "Finding Nemo" fun. Well, actually, more like "Killing Nemo" and then "Eating Nemo" fun.

In short order the two tribes (minus last week's evictee Nicole) are brought together for their first reward challenge. Jeff explains that the prize is "part" of a treasure map with a clue to the booty's location on the back, plus the privilege of plundering one item from the losing tribe's camp (a bonus that will be part of all of the reward challenges this time around).

It suffices to say that the Morgans' miserable performance is largely due to the poor start made by Ryan S., dubbed by his tribe as Skinny Ryan (although he refers to himself as "the goober of the Morgan tribe"). They never quite recover from his floundering and we'll never quite be the same after witnessing Lillian's large white Grandma panties.

The Drakes win handily. They speculate that the piece of map they are given appears to be "a third" of the complete one, but are bummed that they can't start their search due to high tide. Luckily, they have looting to occupy their time with instead. Jon wants to hurt the Morgans by taking the tarp they're using for the roof of their shelter, but Rupert firmly says that they don't need to "hurt" anyone.

Sandra is sent to collect the tribe's bounty -- we're guessing because her Spanish-speaking skills really came in handy when bartering in the fishing village -- and intially intends to take their water jug. However, when she can't locate such an animal she decides to go for the tarp instead.

Furious, the Morgans refuse to help her take it down. Sandra happily goes about ripping down the palm fronds covering the tarp and basically tears apart the only structure they have, cheerily wishing them goodbye with the heartfelt hope that the bedbugs don't bite.

Whipped and broken, the Morgans try to tack together some sort of shelter against the punishing nights ahead, with Osten hinting to Andrew that he wants to quit the game which causes Tijuana to beg him to tough it out.

Back on the Drake island, Rupert is very, very, very upset because Shawn lost the tip of the fishing spear. A lot of ranting and raving is endured before Rupert dives into the ocean and -- we'll be damned -- finds it. He celebrates this Iron Man moment by throwing back his head and letting loose with an animalistic roar.

All the testosterone that is pumping through the Drakes by this point serves them well in the immunity challenge which they add to their previous two wins, forcing the Morgans to further cull the herd and causing Osten to approach Ryan and ask that he vote to send Osten home.

At what feels like the longest Tribal Council ever, Jeff shows that he's been doing his homework and watching the dailies with his very pointed questions that no one ever seems to clue into might give them some hints as to what their tribemates are thinking, plotting or saying.

Despite Osten's plea to Ryan S., and in part due to Osten's vote for him rather than himself, Skinny Ryan's lack of physical prowess is enough to make him another expendable part of the Morgans' waning fortunes.

Coldplay Unveils Live CD/DVD Details

The release of a live Coldplay CD/DVD has been bumped up a week to Nov. 4. As previously reported, "Coldplay Live 2003" was taped July 21-22 in Sydney. The CD features 12 cuts, including the hits "Yellow," "In My Place" and "Clocks," as well as the new songs "Moses" and "One I Love" and the early rarity "See You Soon."

The DVD boasts 17 songs, including all of the tracks on the CD plus such cuts as "The Scientist," "Daylight," "Trouble" and "Life Is for Living." A 40-minute tour documentary spotlights behind-the-scenes footage tapes in London, Madrid and Los Angeles. Fans will also be able to access song lyrics.

For the U.K. version of the DVD, due Nov. 10, buyers can choose between a limited-edition special package with as-yet-unannounced extra features, as well as a standard edition package made out of 100% recycled paper.

Coldplay is presently taking a break from the road, although frontman Chris Martin recently told Billboard.com he has begun writing material for the follow-up to 2002's "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Today, the group received four nominations for the 2003 Q Awards, including best live act and best single for "Clocks."

Here is the "Coldplay Live 2003" DVD tracklisting:

"Politik"
"God Put a Smile Upon Your Face"
"A Rush of Blood to the Head"
"Daylight"
"Trouble"
"One I Love"
"Don't Panic"
"Shiver"
"See You Soon"
"Everything's Not Lost"
"Moses"
"Yellow"
"The Scientist"
"Clocks"
"In My Place"
"Amsterdam"
"Life Is for Living"

Here is the "Coldplay Live 2003" CD tracklisting:

"Politik"
"God Put a Smile Upon Your Face"
"A Rush of Blood to the Head"
"One I Love"
"See You Soon"
"Shiver"
"Everything's Not Lost"
"Moses"
"Yellow"
"Clocks"
"In My Place"
"Amsterdam"

R.E.M. Bolsters 'Best Of' With Bonus Disc

R.E.M. has finalized the track list for its upcoming Warner Bros. greatest-hits collection, "In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003." Due Oct. 28, the album is being released as a single-disc 18-track edition, a special edition with a bonus rarities disc and a DVD.

In addition to two newly recorded songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal," the set will feature 16 tracks from the group's Warner Bros. era, from 1989's "Green" through last year's "Reveal." Album tracks such as "Orange Crush," "E-Bow the Letter," "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," "Losing My Religion" and "Imitation of Life" sit alongside Warner Bros. soundtrack contributions "The Great Beyond" (from 2000's "Man on the Moon") and "All the Right Friends" (from the 2002 soundtrack to "Vanilla Sky").

The 15-track rarities disc features alternate versions of "Leave," "Why Not Smile," "The Lifting" and "Beat a Drum," live recordings of "Turn You Inside-Out," "Drive," "The One I Love" and "Country Feedback" and non-album tracks such as "Chance," "Fretless," "It's a Free World Baby," "Revolution" and "2jn." The latter is a previously unreleased demo from the "Reveal" recording sessions.

The tracklist for the DVD version of "In Time" has not yet been finalized, but it will feature 16 clips including "Losing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts" as well as several performances from 2001's South Africa Freedom Day concert in London's Trafalgar Square.

The group is in the midst of its fall North American tour, which visits Chicago's United Center tomorrow (Sept. 26) with Sparklehorse in tow.

Here is the track list to "In Time":

"Man on the Moon"
"The Great Beyond"
"Bad Day"
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
"All the Way to Reno"
"Losing My Religion"
"E-Bow the Letter"
"Orange Crush"
"Imitation of Life"
"Daysleeper"
"Animal"
"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite"
"Stand"
"Electrolite"
"All the Right Friends"
"Everybody Hurts"
"At My Most Beautiful"
"Nightswimming"

Here is the track list to the bonus rarities disc:

"Pop Song 89" (acoustic)
"Turn You Inside-out" (live)
"Fretless"
"Chance"
"It's a Free World Baby"
"Drive" (live)
"Star Me Kitten" featuring William S. Burroughs
"Revolution"
"Leave" (alternate version)
"Why Not Smile" (alternate version)
"The Lifting" (demo version)
"Beat a Drum" (demo version)
"2jn"
"The One I Love" (live)
"Country Feedback" (live)

Kinnear Is Competition For Ross

Greg Kinnear will make a guest run on FRIENDS during November sweeps. He will play a Nobel Prize-winning scientist that is in charge of a grant that Ross really wants. However, since this new scientist used to date Ross' girlfriend Charlie, wacky hijinx ensue.

COME TOGETHER

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Yoko Ono joining the family of the late George Harrison Wednesday night for the Hollywood premiere of Concert for George. The all-star tribute show, featuring performances from the two Beatles along with Tom Petty and Eric Clapton, was shot last year and will be released theatrically October 3.