Thousands of Beatles fans descended on London's Abbey Road to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic photograph that graced the cover of the last album the group recorded together. The photo, taken by Ian Macmillan, has become a revered symbol of an era. It depicted The Beatles simply walking across the road in single file. However, fans have long debated that there were aspects to the photo that implied that Paul McCartney was dead. It is still debated among fans whether The Beatles intentionally started the hoax by planting possible clues in songs and in photos. As for Abbey Road itself, the location has long been a magnet for pop culture fans who routinely photograph themselves crossing the road. Some local merchants are delighted, but London police consider a royal pain. For more click here

Asian film and pop music star Jay Chou has landed the role of Kato in the forthcoming version of The Green Hornet, which will star Seth Rogen in the title role. Chou got the part after actor Stephen Chow backed out of the role of the martial arts master and sidekick to the Hornet. The Hollywood Reporter quotes Chou as saying, "It's an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee. I won't try to be Bruce Lee's Kato -- I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part". For more click here

Iconic TV pitchman Billy Mays died last month of a heart attack, but an official autopsy report says that he used cocaine and the drug contributed to his heart failure. The coroner concluded that Mays had used cocaine days before his death. He was also using a wealth of other prescription drugs, possibly to alleviate pain for various health problems. Mays' family and his business partner deny they know anything about his use of cocaine and the family issued a scathing statement denouncing the coroner's release of his conclusion to the press. Even in death, Mays remains a fixture on American TV. His bombastic advertisements for household products are still being shown. For more click here

There will be a rare appearance by Ursula Andress at the Autographica show in Birmingham, England on the weekend of September 12-13. The iconic first James Bond girl will be joined by other alumni of the 007 series including Edward Fox, who played M in Never Say Never Again. For more click here

Critic John Farr pays homage to a man who generally doesn't get his due when there are discussions of great American directors: John Huston. The larger-than-life, crusty tough guy had an amazing body of work. Consider just these gems: The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The African Queen, The Dead, The Man Who Would Be King, The Misfits, The Asphalt Jungle to name but a few. Even his failures were fascinating, as they included The Unforgiven and Reflections in a Golden Eye. Let's not overlook his second career as a superb character actor. His villainous turn in Chinatown is one of the best performances of 1970s cinema. To read more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

The bell has tolled for the two Big Bens. At the Movies, the popular movie review syndicated TV series founded by critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, has fired its two current hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz. The show is returning to its roots by replacing them with two seasoned, professional film critics: A.O. Scott of The New York Times and Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune. The producers were obviously responding to widespread criticism that the two Bens were out of their depth in getting the plumb spot as hosts of the show. Mankiewicz is part of the legendary show business family and had seemed to be more accepted by the audience. However, when Ben Lyons, the twenty-something son of film critic Jeffrey Lyons got the co-host spot, there was outrage among TV critics and the audience. Lyons was accused of having little knowledge of film history and was said to be all-too-happy to give favorable reviews in order to curry favor with studios. The move is an attempt to restore the integrity to the show it once enjoyed with Siskel and Ebert. It's a rare example of the industry reversing its mania for attracting a youth-oriented audience at any cost. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Budd Schulberg, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of On the Waterfront, has died at age 95. The prolific Schulberg came from a show business family - his father was head of production for Paramount. However, he was never enamored of the industry and his sensational novel What Makes Sammy Run? exposed the seamier side of the business. Schulberg also exposed corruption on the New York docks in the 1954 film On the Waterfront (although the movie was shot entirely in Hoboken, New Jersey). Many felt the character of punch-drunk ex-boxer Terry Malloy (played by Marlon Brando) was an alter-ego for Schulberg himself. This was due to the fact that the character is presented as a hero for informing on his friends in the interest of the greater public good. Schulberg was dogged throughout his life by the fact that both he and the film's director Elia Kazan were friendly witnesses during  the McCarthy hearings. Both named names and implicated fellow writers and filmmakers as being Communist sympathizers.

Although Schulberg never equaled the success of Waterfront, he did win acclaim for the novel The Harder They Fall, which blew the lid off crime infiltration in the world of boxing. The book was made into a film in 1956. It was to be Humphrey Bogart's final role.Schulberg also wrote A Face in the Crowd, which was directed by Kazan. The film traces the rags-to-riches career of a country singer who becomes increasingly monstrous as fame goes to his head Although not a commercial success at the time, the movie is regarded today as a classic - due in no small part to a ferocious, star-making performance by Andy Griffith.For more click here

Director John Hughes, whose films Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club and Planes, Trains and Automobiles made him a hero of the Brat Pack generation, has died suddenly at age 59. Hughes was stricken by a heart attack in Manhattan, where he was visiting family members. Hughes' meteoric rise was followed by his virtual withdrawal from the film industry. He was rarely interviewed and seemed to relish his self-imposed retirement, as it allowed him to spend more time with his family. For more click here

Howard Smit, the makeup artist who worked on such films as The Wizard of Oz, Gunga Din, The Birds and Marnie, has died at age 98. Smit was instrumental in getting the Academy to finally award an Oscar in the category of achievement in makeup. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Harry Alan Towers, the legendary British producer of low-budget, high-profit B movies, has died at age 88. Towers had a long career and had remained active in the film business. He was working on his autobiography when he died. Towers was a master at selling low-budget movies with one major star in order to broaden international appeal. He worked many times with Sir Christopher Lee, and their collaborative efforts included the highly popular Fu Manchu films of the 1960s. Towers also dabbled in B spy movies and horror films with kinky sexual angles. In the 1990s, he also brought Michael Caine back to the role of Harry Palmer in a series of made-for-cable TV movies. He is survived by his wife, actress Maria Rohm.

(Cinema Retro writer John Exshaw covers the making of the Fu Manchu films in Cinema Retro issue #15, coming this fall. The story includes exclusive comments from Sir Christopher Lee).

"Inspired" by public paranoia over security threats, Hollywood is about to unleash a tidal wave of new films and TV series all centering on the end of the world as we know it. Disaster films have a long tradition in Hollywood, with the Clark Gable-Spencer Tracy starrer San Francisco detailing the city's disastrous earthquake, The High and the Mighty pitting Duke Wayne against a failing airliner engine and Airport elevating the "plane-in-jeopardy"  scenario to an all-star blockbuster. Unlike the disaster films of the 1970s, which dealt with every-day scenarios such as forces of nature, the new slate of movies dwell on the aftermath of man-made tragedies. Sounds like we'll be watching The Deer Hunter for its relative comedic content. For more click here

 

The Green Hornet may have only lasted one season on ABC-TV in 1966, but it spawned a legacy that still lives on. In addition to making Bruce Lee a star, the show also introduced The Black Beauty, the classic, gadget-filled personal vehicle of the Hornet and Kato. Click here to check out the ultimate web site dedicated to the car. For a full story on the history of The Black Beauty, see Cinema Retro issue #1. 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Since we're in the age of wacky conspiracy theories (i.e. the moon landing never took place, President Bush blew up the World Trade Center, President Obama isn't a citizen...), we're happy to contribute the latest food for thought: are George Clooney (seen here in Syriana mode) and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal one and the same? Ridiculous, you say? The devilish Hollywood liberal Clooney has appropriated Marlon Brando's makeup techniques from The Godfather by stuffing his jaw with cotton in order to distort his cheeks - but it doesn't fool us! Crazy, you say? Then explain why you never see Clooney and Meshaal at the same social event...

Actor Harry Towb, a familiar face to all British TV viewers, has died from cancer at age 83. Towb appeared on the long-running TV series EastEnders, and over the decades made guest appearances on such popular British shows as Z Cars, The Saint, Doctor Who, The Bill, The Champions and The Avengers. Feature film credits include All Night Long, The Blue Max and Prudence and the Pill. For more click here

Stanley Kubrick made relatively few films over his long career, in part because of his well known penchant for taking years to decide on his next film project. The pace of his output was also slowed by the extensive effort he put into many movies that never saw the light of day, including a major biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte and a studio-funded hardcore porn movie with top production values. Empire On-Line examines these projects, including Kubrick's aborted collaboration with Marlon Brando on One-Eyed Jacks. Click here to view 

Andrew Lloyd Webber feels the time is right to have his early musical success Jesus Christ Superstar rise again - on theater screens. The stage production was a sensation in the late 1960s, dividing critics as to whether is was a reverent or tacky look at the last six days of Christ's life, as seen through the eyes of Judas. Norman Jewison directed the 1973 film version, but it was not a critical or commercial success. Universal will release the remake and are in discussions with Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer) to direct. For more click here

Director Ridley Scott is confirmed to be returning to Fox's dormant Alien franchise for the first time since the original film was released in 1979. Three sequels had been released in the intervening years, but only James Cameron's Aliens was particularly well-received. Scott has been induced to return to the franchise on the basis of screenwriter Jon Spaihts' script which is a prequel to the original film. In Alien, the crew of a space towing vessel investigates a distress signal from a nearby planet. They find the remains of a being from another world who has obviously suffered a horrendous, but mysterious death. Upon re-entering orbit, the crew finds their craft has been infiltrated by an unseen menace that is killing them off one-by-one. The new film will explore how the events leading up to these developments originated. For more click here

The good news for Errol Flynn fans is that his 1935 swashbuckler classic Captain Blood will be remade by Warner Brothers. The bad news? It's going to be set in outer space. Yes, that outer space...as in Alien, 2001 and Lost in...well, you know where. Directors Michael and Peter Spierig admit the premise seems wacky, but they promise to keep the new version fairly close to the plot of the original which found Flynn as a wrongly convicted doctor who escapes authorities and becomes a feared pirate. We can't wait for Buck Rogers to be remade as musical. For more click here 

By Lee Pfeiffer

On the British web site Female First, there is an overview of the careers of each member of The Magnificent Seven. It's pretty thin gruel - the piece omits most of the notable career achievements of the actors (Charles Bronson's references end with The Dirty Dozen and don't even mention his emergence as a 70s superstar), James Coburn's career recap omits his star-making role as Our Man Flint, Brad Dexter is mentioned as a co-worker of Frank Sinatra without going into the fact that he was also a successful producer, and there is no mention of Robert Vaughn's current smash hit TV series Hustle, which is ironic because it is filmed and telecast in England. As the old joke goes, "Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" - there are still some facts presented that the average reader might find interesting about the career trajectories of The Seven. Click here to read.