‘Godzilla’ wrap
a successTHEY looked like two local haole-type kids, strolling through Haleiwa, eating shave ice. Nobody seemed to bother them and they made the most of the time they had to themselves during an all too short stay at the Turtle Bay Hilton. I'm referring to Matthew Broderick and his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, who left for L.A. Saturday after wrapping the shooting for "Godzilla." Broderick, who just finished a long run in a hit revival on Broadway of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," was coaxed into doing both the hula and macarena during a cast and crew party Friday night on the Turtle Bay lawn. Parker was a knockout in her pareau -- what could be more appropriate attire at a "wrap" party? Tri-Star President Chris Lee, an Iolani grad, was here supervising the shooting and exemplifying Broderick's Broadway show character ...
THERE was also a decided local look about the past weekend at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. Gov. Ben Cayetano and bride Vicky were there for a function put on by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce of Southern Nevada -- I didn't know there was such a group. He was being honored as the first elected U.S. governor of Filipino ancestry. And entertainment at the function was by Martin Nievera. To top it off, the whole thing was coordinated by the MGM's special events and marketing chief Miki Hanley -- you guessed it, another local girl ...
IT was 14 months ago that I returned from a trip to San Francisco and alerted readers to a new book called "Angela's Ashes," written by Frank McCourt, brother of my good S.F. pal Michael McCourt, mixologist at Seal's Cove at Pier 33 on the Embarcadero. I chided the manager at Borders for only ordering six copies, in light of early positive reviews. At that time I predicted great things for the book, a moving tale of an Irish family growing up in wretched poverty in Limerick, Ireland. What's the opposite of wretched poverty? That's what Frank McCourt's enjoying these days as his book nears the one year mark atop the New York Times best seller list. He's already won the National Critics Award and the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Along with a huge advance for allowing Scribner's to publish the book, McCourt sold the film rights for close to $1 million and the paperback rights for another $1 million. Well above the poverty line ... McCourting more publicity
AND still the publicity mounts up. McCourt is featured in the Aug. 25 Newsweek and on the cover of Irish America's July/August edition. And yesterday's New York Times had another long story about a new videography, "The McCourts of Limerick," which is being created out of film footage taken by McCourt's nephew since he was 7 years old. What a great success story for a retired high school creative writing instructor who showed he can do by publishing his first novel in his 67th year ...
THE theme of Emme Tomimbang's Fox2 feature this week is borne out in the title, "An Island Moment with Royal Families." Emme visits Robert F. Kennedy, a member of the closest thing America has had to a "Royal Family," son of Bobby and nephew of slain President John F. Kennedy. Others she shares time with are Quentin Kawananakoa, whose family has ties to the Hawaiian Monarchy, and Vicky Cayetano, who went from running a laundry service to marrying the governor and become Hawaii's First Lady. The episode airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. and repeats Saturday at 4 on KHON ... First families
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.