bill tush.com

Summertime

Well, it's been a while since I have updated things. In one way it was a slow summer and in other ways a quick one.

In June we went to New York to help the Friars Club celebrate one hundred years. They really didn't need our help but we went anyway. Ran into some old friends like those in the photos below.

Friars G.M. Jean Pierre Trebot and New York TV news ledgend Marvin Scott. Marvin just celebrated forty years on New York television. Now that is impressive. He was also responsible for giving British Airways the idea to donate one of the now retired Concordes the the Intrepid Air and Sea Museum located on the West Side Highway at 48th. St. I actually flew the Concorde once in 1979. The occasion was a press junket for "Airport 79-The Concorde. Flew to Paris then onto Nice. Four days on non-stop partying, the only sleep we got was when they showed us the movie.

Also ran into some funny folks outside of the club on west 55th. St.

Joy BeHar one of the hosts of ABC's "The View," The very funny Comedian and Writer Jeffrey Ross. Another very funny person Susie Essman. She plays the wife of Larry David's manager on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The funniest show on TV.

Ross, Essman and Behar also are regulars on the dias at the annual Friar's Club Roasts. This October the Roastee will be Donald Trump. You can bet his hair will get a workout at that event.

I've attended almost every roast for the past twenty years including the infamous Ted Danson in blackface at the roast for his then girlfriend Whoopie Goldberg. The funniest though had to be Billy Crystal in 1992. I wish I could repeat some of the jokes but that wouldn't be kosher. To use a word the Friar's would probably use.

Then on the way to another function I bumped into to Miss New York Teen. she's heading to the Miss USA Pagent which by the way is owned by Donald Trump. What a small world, and he owns much of it.

Headed out to the ledgendary Hamptons in July to attend a picnic on the beach benifiting the Drama Dept. Thats a non-profit group that produces new works and neglected classics. That line came right off of their press kit.

The picnic was actually at the beautiful home of Heide Banks and Howard Lazar.

Designer Isaac Mizahi, Arts Patron Myra Scheer and our hostess Heide Banks posed for a photo with yours truly.

And here's an old friend I have not seen in years Richard Zoglin, Time Magazine's Theatre Editor. In the seventies Richard was the Atlanta Journal Consitution's Radio TV Editor and did a bunch of stuff on me when I was a cable star.

Had a chance to stop by new Time Warner Center and see a bunch of old CNN friends. Let me tell you this that facility is amazing and no expense was spared. The company cafeteria could rival any New York Restaraunt. I guess it took Time-Warner to clue CNN in that they are in the television business. it won't be in the too distant future either that Time Warner movesw the entire CNN Operation to New York and Atlanta is a memory.

My advice is if you have been thinking of making the CNN tour a stop on an Atlanta visit. Save your money. Tours will be starting New York soon and for fifteen bucks, they will be much better.

Quick note:

I just read where they are now in the process of remaking "Cannonball Run II." My question why II? Wasn't the first one bad enough to remake?

Does Hally Berry have nine lives or is "Catwoman" going to send her to the litterbox? She hasn't done a good film since "Monster's Ball." She won the Oscar for that one and there is a well known thing called, "The Oscar Curse."

You have got to buy, not rent "Bad Santa." Hally's Monster's Ball co-star Billy Bob Thornton is fabulos as a drunken, foul mouthed department store Santa. Don't let the kids see it, but at my house it's going to become a Christmas tradition.

Oh! Before I forget one of the funniest sights at the Friars club party was Abe Vagoda and Dominic Chianese sitting together. Vagoda of course from the classic "Godfather" and Chianese is Uncle Junior from "The Sopranos" wish I had a picture of them discussing mob deals or maybe their next acting gig.

Until next time...