Notebook
By Chandrani Ghosh, Tam Gray, Ian Judson, Belinda Luscombe, Michele Orecklin, Edgar Ortega Barrales, Alain Sanders and Jessica Yadegaran
WINNERS & LOSERS
[WINNERS]
CLUBBY The first limited-edition Beanie Baby is issued. Parents: the goal of your summer is now set
JULIE FOUDY Women's soccer star dazzles World Cup fans with smarts and verve. A commentator is born
DON KING The nation's most flamboyant boxing promoter wins another: not guilty of insurance fraud
[& LOSERS]
CHARLENE BARSHEFSKY U.S. Trade Rep breaks rule, brings home too many Beijing Beanie Babies. Bet she still needs Clubby
SINATRA JR.'S KIDNAPPERS They may have hoped to cash in by helping make a movie of the story, but Frank Jr. is suing them
THE ZAPRUDER FAMILY Custodians of America's most tragic home movie go commercial, put J.F.K. video on sale
SO SUE ME
JACKPOT! A jury ordered Warner Bros. to pay Francis Ford Coppola a total of $80 million for reneging on a deal to remake Pinocchio. Quite a pay-day, considering what some of his films have grossed domestically:
Tucker (1988) $19 million The Cotton Club (1984) $25 million The Godfather II (1974) $46 million The Rainmaker (1997) $46 million The Godfather III (1990) $65 million Dracula (1992) $82 million The Godfather (1972) $134 million
WISHING ON A STAR
Call it a cultural crisis: many American museums are coming upon hard times. Here are but a few:
MUSEUM: The Ava Gardner Museum, in Smithfield, N.C. PROBLEM: It has to relocate. TREASURES IN LIMBO: A Polaroid of one of Ava's corgis, with "Here I am sitting in my Louis XVI sofa. Aren't I grand?" written on the back. THE FUTURE: The museum is seeking donations for its building fund.
MUSEUM: The Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Movie Museum in Las Vegas PROBLEM: The hotel that houses it will be auctioned in August. TREASURES IN LIMBO: Original test shots of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. THE FUTURE: Up in the air.
MUSEUM: The Hello Gorgeous Museum, in San Francisco (pictured) PROBLEM: It closed. TREASURES IN LIMBO: Some of the Barbra Streisand memorabilia was auctioned off, but some Barbra refrigerator magnets and a cookie jar are still available. THE FUTURE: None.
SWEET SPOT
GOING, GOING, ALL GONE Sluggers have always been associated with candy bars. What would go in a Mark McGwire bar?
--Marlene Machut, M&M/Mars: "Our Upper Decker would have peanuts outside and, inside, chewy caramel that goes a long way!"
--Laurie MacDonald, Nestle: "The Nestle Slammer would be packed with peanuts--for power!"
--Andy Jacobs, Brach & Brock: "We'd fill a chocolate bar with jelly beans, which would replicate his bat, which needs some filling if he's hitting all those home runs!"
--A spokeswoman for Cadbury declined to participate: "The British know nothing about baseball."
THRILLER
JACKO'S JOYRIDES How many theme parks does Michael Jackson want to build? Here are some of the places he's planted his glove so far. Call it Michael's Fantasy
Detroit Announced last week plans to build a theme park-casino complex
Scouted locations in London (6/97), the Virgin Islands (4/98) and Namibia (5/98)
Warsaw (5/97) Signed a "preliminary letter of intent" to develop a park
Seoul (11/97) Signed a "preliminary memorandum of understanding" to invest in a park
OOPS2K
CARVED IN STONE If you think only computers have a Year 2000 problem, think again. Gravestone carvers say there is a surfeit of headstones with 19-- carved on them. Apparently people ordered their markers, not expecting to out-live the 20th century. Many will. The good news? The stones can be restored.
NUMBERS
800 million Approximate worldwide audience for Super Bowl XXXII
2 billion Approximate worldwide audience for Sunday's World Cup final
16.8% Average voter turnout in the 1998 primaries thus far
19.58% Primary turnout in 1994, the historic low
66% Percentage who said in a recent poll that gays should be allowed to serve in the Army
77% Percentage who said in a recent poll that gays should be included in the draft, should it be restored
$1 million Amount turned down by Mark McGwire to wear only Nike apparel while in uniform
$5,000 Amount he receives from Franklin for wearing the Franklin batting glove he prefers
$0 Amount he receives from Nike for wearing the Nike shoes he prefers
Sources: NFL, New York Times, CSAE, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, USA Today, Washington Post