December 21, 1999

JODIE FOSTER'S PEOPLE IN MILD TIFF WITH CBS

By ROGER ANDERSON Scripps Howard News Service

HAIR AND MAKEUP IN THE NEWS: There's a good reason why you seldom read anything about Jodie Foster in this column: she's an intelligent, talented woman who very rarely says or does anything stupid. Even in the present case, it's not Jodie herself but her underlings and associates who have let themselves in for a spot of examination.

It seems Jodie, in the throes of touting her latest big motion picture, "Anna and the King," recently made an appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes II," whereupon the network was presented by her people with a hair and makeup bill totaling $12,000.

"It took us by surprise," "Minutes II" executive producer Jeff Eager admits to USA Today. "But apparently it took about 3-1/2 weeks to put her makeup on. ... We're going to keep looking into it."

HAIR AND MAKEUP IN THE NEWS - THE SAGA CONTINUES: Upon being reached for comment by the USA Today folks, Jodie's publicist, Pat Kinglsey - who, like a handful of other great flacks, is only slightly less well known than her celebrity client - at first issues a categorical disclaimer.

"We had nothing to do with it," she says.

However, Pat does go on to say she has ascertained that the bill in question ought to be in the amount of $7,500.

"Somebody," she whispers, "is conceivably padding the bill."

HAIR AND MAKEUP IN THE NEWS - SOMEONE GET THE COPS: In the nick of time, "Minutes II" producer Rob Wallace enters a conciliatory word to the effect that everything, after all, is relative. He even remembers his days back at ABC, when interviews Barbara Walters did with Barbra Streisand and Elizabeth Taylor resulted in makeup bills of $5,000 per day per diva.

"It's not outrageous for that business," he says. "It's just outrageous from our point of view."

HAIR AND MAKEUP IN THE NEWS - A SURPRISE ENDING: Jodie then proceeds to muddy the waters by making a subsequent appearance on NBC's "Tonight" show that apparently has excited no fiscal controversy.

We pay for the limo and a portion of the hair and makeup bill," an NBC spokeswoman tells the New York Post, sounding, at this point, like a female King Solomon, "and the rest is the studio's responsibility."

But this development doesn't seem to have any ramifications for the problem at CBS.

"We need more information before we can pay the bill," that network's publicist says.

So we're through here?

ROMANCE IN THE NEWS: The New York Daily News has gone to press with an item that Edward Norton, who starred in "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and subsequently kept romantic company with his "Flynt" co-star, Courtney Love, is currently pitching woo with screen siren Salma Hayek.

Newsworthy as this notion may be, Salma's "rep" doesn't respond to the News' requests for clarification, while Edward's - a flack named Brian Swardstrom - is rude enough to tell the rag that his policy is to make no comment about his client's personal life.

GREAT FLACKS REVISITED: Since the beginning of the column, we've had the uncanny feeling that top publicist Pat Kingsley was going to come in for not one but two citations this time out.

Sure enough, here she is talking on behalf of one of her other clients, Tom Cruise, who has been accused of wanting to distance himself from the upcoming movie "Magnolia," in which he plays a sex guru.

"It's true that Tom did not want this perceived as a Tom Cruise movie," Pat allows, "but the issue was never a contract issue."

THE INSIDE DOPE: This Sunday, Walter Scott of Parade magazine will satisfy an inquiring reader who wants to know why "King of TV" David E. Kelley's program, "Snoops," is such a stinker, helpfully buttonholing Danny Nucci, a young actor who appears in the show, for his views on the matter.

"David is always looking for ways to improve it," Danny says, "and he's available to the cast if we want to suggest something." Or even if they want to take over writing and producing it altogether, we'll bet.

ON A SAD NOTE: Walter adds that ABC announced, just as Parade was going to press, that "Snoops” will be euthanized as of January. Sorry, Danny!

WORDS OF WISDOM: Here we have a news report in which all kinds of people involved in the making of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," a new movie starring Matt Damon and directed by Anthony Minghella, say every imaginable sort of charming thing about that him and about life: in general.

We choose to pass along to you something said by Sydney Pollack, a noted director in his own right who served as executive producer on the project and characterizes "Mr. Ripley" as "a risky movie. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but if you just played it safe all the time, you'd fall asleep."

Thanks, Syd, for closing the column. (Zzzzzzzzzzzzz ...).

Roger Anderson is arts and entertainment editor at Scripps Howard News Service.

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