A juicy new documentary about the life and public battles of late real estate mogul Leona Helmsley is currently in production, Variety has learned exclusively. The film will contain never-before-heard tapes of Helmsley and her archrival Donald Trump, as well as “smoking gun” evidence that will question the tax evasion case brought on her by Rudy Giuliani in 1988.
Helmsley was an icon of the “greed is good” era, an owner of luxury hotels and condominiums who left behind a 5 billion estate. Branded the “Queen of Mean” by the New York tabloids for her acid tongue and regal air, she was a bitter rival of Trump — who once called her “a disgrace to the industry and a disgrace to humanity in general.” Of Trump, Helmsley once reportedly said: “I wouldn’t trust him if his tongue was notarized.”
Trump notoriously tried to snatch the crown jewel of Helmsley’s property portfolio,...
Helmsley was an icon of the “greed is good” era, an owner of luxury hotels and condominiums who left behind a 5 billion estate. Branded the “Queen of Mean” by the New York tabloids for her acid tongue and regal air, she was a bitter rival of Trump — who once called her “a disgrace to the industry and a disgrace to humanity in general.” Of Trump, Helmsley once reportedly said: “I wouldn’t trust him if his tongue was notarized.”
Trump notoriously tried to snatch the crown jewel of Helmsley’s property portfolio,...
- 5/25/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
In Showtime’s new docuseries “Gossip” a recording of Donald Trump pretending to be his own publicist is played; a story about Tom Cruise’s front teeth falling out during a dinner with former New York Post editor-in-chief Col Allen is told; and 91-year-old Cindy Adams defends her past and present friendships with Roy Cohn, Imelda Marcos, John Gotti, Gen. Manuel Noriega and, of course, Trump.
But beyond salacious Page Six stories and Adams’ questionable friendships, “Gossip,” is at its core an examination of power and how Rupert Murdoch fundamentally shifted the foundation of the news industry via the New York Post and its tabloid journalism.
The four-part docuseries explores how New York City’s most prominent gossip columnists – Liz Smith, George Rush, Richard Johnson and Adams – built their careers and used their power.
“Gossip” director-producer Jenny Carchman is no stranger to covering media outlets, having received an Emmy nomination...
But beyond salacious Page Six stories and Adams’ questionable friendships, “Gossip,” is at its core an examination of power and how Rupert Murdoch fundamentally shifted the foundation of the news industry via the New York Post and its tabloid journalism.
The four-part docuseries explores how New York City’s most prominent gossip columnists – Liz Smith, George Rush, Richard Johnson and Adams – built their careers and used their power.
“Gossip” director-producer Jenny Carchman is no stranger to covering media outlets, having received an Emmy nomination...
- 8/21/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Charles “Chuck” Fries, whose career as a television and film producer included a long list of classic shows, series and films, died Wednesday, his family announced. He was 92. No cause of death was given.
During a prolific career that spanned more than 60 years, he participated in the production of more than 5,000 series episodes, 140 television movies and miniseries and more than 40 theatrical films. His producing credits range from Tales of the Crypt and The Call of the Wild to TV’s The Amazing Spider-Man and The Martian Chronicles to Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean, Troop Beverly Hills and Screamers.
Born on September 30, 1928, in native of Cincinnati, Fries began his career at Ziv Television in 1952, where he worked on legendary syndicated shows like The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, Bat Masterson, and Sea Hunt. He moved to Screen Gems in 1960, where he was involved in the production of such classics as Naked City,...
During a prolific career that spanned more than 60 years, he participated in the production of more than 5,000 series episodes, 140 television movies and miniseries and more than 40 theatrical films. His producing credits range from Tales of the Crypt and The Call of the Wild to TV’s The Amazing Spider-Man and The Martian Chronicles to Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean, Troop Beverly Hills and Screamers.
Born on September 30, 1928, in native of Cincinnati, Fries began his career at Ziv Television in 1952, where he worked on legendary syndicated shows like The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, Bat Masterson, and Sea Hunt. He moved to Screen Gems in 1960, where he was involved in the production of such classics as Naked City,...
- 4/23/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Modern-day McCarthyism apparently doesn’t stand a chance against Alan Dershowitz, who boasted today on CNN that he “is winning the battle on Martha’s Vineyard.”
Dershowitz declared victory on this morning’s Smerconish, just 10 days after the socially embattled coastal summerer wrote a column for The Hill in which he bemoaned being shunned by old friends and other warm-weather trippers on the famously liberal (and famously elite) Martha’s Vineyard.
Watch a clip below.
The Harvard law prof emeritus wrote – to much internet snarking – that the cause of all the cold shoulders was his very public arguments against the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
“For them,” he wrote about his Vineyard neighbors on June 27, “it is enough that what I have said about the Constitution might help Trump. So they are shunning me and trying to ban me from their social life on Martha’s Vineyard.”
The part that...
Dershowitz declared victory on this morning’s Smerconish, just 10 days after the socially embattled coastal summerer wrote a column for The Hill in which he bemoaned being shunned by old friends and other warm-weather trippers on the famously liberal (and famously elite) Martha’s Vineyard.
Watch a clip below.
The Harvard law prof emeritus wrote – to much internet snarking – that the cause of all the cold shoulders was his very public arguments against the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
“For them,” he wrote about his Vineyard neighbors on June 27, “it is enough that what I have said about the Constitution might help Trump. So they are shunning me and trying to ban me from their social life on Martha’s Vineyard.”
The part that...
- 7/7/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Empire State Building finale of “Sleepless in Seattle,” the hit romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks celebrating its 25th anniversary on June 25, has become an indelible scene in pop culture.
It almost didn’t happen — but fortunately, Nora Ephron knew people.
Annie (Ryan), a writer from Baltimore, finally meets Seattle widower (Tom Hanks) and his young son Jonah (Ross Malinger) at the observation deck on the famed landmark on Valentine’s Day.
But producer Gary Foster recalled they weren’t granted permission to shoot there.
So, Foster told Ephron, who co-wrote and directed the film. “And Nora said, ‘I know somebody.’ It was a famous publicist who represented Leona Helmsley, who was in prison at the time. The man said I’m going to see her in a few days and I’ll bring her up.”
The publicist asked the Queen of Mean, who owned the building,...
It almost didn’t happen — but fortunately, Nora Ephron knew people.
Annie (Ryan), a writer from Baltimore, finally meets Seattle widower (Tom Hanks) and his young son Jonah (Ross Malinger) at the observation deck on the famed landmark on Valentine’s Day.
But producer Gary Foster recalled they weren’t granted permission to shoot there.
So, Foster told Ephron, who co-wrote and directed the film. “And Nora said, ‘I know somebody.’ It was a famous publicist who represented Leona Helmsley, who was in prison at the time. The man said I’m going to see her in a few days and I’ll bring her up.”
The publicist asked the Queen of Mean, who owned the building,...
- 6/25/2018
- by Susan King
- Variety Film + TV
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