LONDON (AP) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney and American heiress Nancy Shevell were married on Sunday, emerging joyously from a 45-minute civil marriage ceremony to be showered with confetti from fans. The pop icon raised his bride's arm in triumph as they blew kisses to the hundreds of fans and paparazzi waiting on the steps of the Old Marylebone Town Hall for the big event.
Shevell, with a white flower in her long dark hair, wore an elegant, understated above-the-knee gown designed by McCartney's daughter, Stella. He wore a blue suit, a pale blue tie, and a gigantic grin.
The former moptop wore his tinted hair longish for the occasion, bringing back memories of the days when girls swooned as he sang "All My Loving" and other boy-meets-girl hits.
The loving couple, beaming and relaxed, drove off in a burgundy Lexus for a gala reception at their nearby home in the St. John's Wood neighborhood. Champagne and cake awaited, along with guests like Ringo Starr, in a casual black t-shirt under his fitted suit, and his wife, the actress Barbara Bach.
There was a bit of deja vu for McCartney - he married his first wife, Linda Eastman, at the same place in 1969, breaking the hearts of teenage girls throughout much of the world.
Details of the ceremony have not been released. Press reports suggest McCartney's younger brother Mike served as best man and his young daughter Beatrice as flower girl.
A tent had been set up at McCartney's house nearby in the St. John's Wood neighborhood, and party decorations were delivered for a reception after the ceremony.
McCartney's traditional good luck seemed to hold - gloomy skies brightened as the events unfolded. Rain early in the day had stopped.
Shevell, 51, is McCartney's third wife. They were engaged earlier this year. The couple met in the Hamptons in Long Island, New York, shortly after the singer's divorce from Heather Mills in 2008.
It is Shevell's second marriage. She seemed relaxed and radiant as she arrived for the ceremony, waving easily to the crowd.
Shevell, who is independently wealthy, was married for more than 20 years to attorney Bruce Blakeman and serves on the board of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. She also is a vice president of a lucrative New Jersey-based trucking company owned by her father.
McCartney married Eastman, a talented photographer who specialized in rock and roll portraits, at the height of the hippie era, when the Beatles were at the apex of their global fame.
The marriage of the Beatle known as "the cute one" caused young women and girls to burst into tears outside the registry office, and broke the hearts of uncounted fans throughout the world.
While many rock and roll marriages from that era broke down, the McCartneys enjoyed a long, happy marriage for many years, raising four children and spending virtually every night together except when McCartney was briefly jailed in Japan on marijuana charges.
Linda played and sang in his successful post-Beatles band Wings - even though critics thought she added little to the ensemble - and used her marriage to a Beatle to promote vegetarianism and other causes that were also backed by McCartney.
Her life was cut short by breast cancer in 1998, leaving McCartney adrift.
Mills then entered the picture. They married in 2002 at a gala affair at an Irish castle, and soon after had a daughter. But the marriage collapsed fairly quickly and ended with a bitter divorce in 2008.
Mills publicly accused McCartney of cruelty and sought a massive $250 million divorce settlement, but the judge sided with McCartney, calling her claims exorbitant.
The British public, enamored of the sunny Sir Paul since his early Beatle days, also sided with the singer.
The case offered a rare glimpse into the magnitude of McCartney's fortune, which includes songwriting royalties from a raft of classic tunes, many co-written with the late John Lennon, who would have turned 71 on Sunday.
Court papers filed by McCartney at the time indicated he had a net worth of approximately $800 million, including a valuable collection of art works including paintings by Picasso and Renoir along with luxury real estate holdings and sound music investments going well beyond his own works.
The impending marriage of one of the most enduring figures in British cultural life sparked Britain's fevered tabloid headline writers to try to come up with new puns on Sunday based on the Beatles' memorable song titles.
The best was probably "Ticket to Bride", a play on the 1965 chart topper "Ticket to Ride."
This is a still image, but if you move your eyes around the central square pattern, the stars will seem to move. The effect is due to a phenomenon that's colloquially called "eye jitter." The eyes, constantly moving by imperceptible amounts, amplify the difference between the two patterns and create the illusion of motion.
"I am convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You have got to find what you love, and that is as true for work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking and don't settle. As with the matters of the heart, you will know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking and DON'T SETTLE!"
Does Busch Stadium need to invest in a dugout dog to help keep the field clear? Roy Oswalt(notes) might think so.
For the second straight night, a brave and fast squirrel — we like to think it was the same one — hilariously interrupted a NLDS game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. The tiny critter was even more brazen than it was on Tuesday, streaking across home plate just after Oswalt delivered a pitch to Skip Schumaker(notes) in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Watch your toes, Skip!
With the success of The Lion King 3D, Disney and Disney�Pixar have announced the 3D re-releases of Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid for 2012 and 2013:
On the heels of the phenomenal success of The Lion King 3D � which will cross the $80 million mark at the domestic box office today � The Walt Disney Studios has announced limited theatrical engagements for four of its classic films for the first time in 3D. The following titles from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios will be released in 2012 and 2013:
- Beauty and the Beast � January 13, 2012
- Disney�Pixar's Finding Nemo � September 14, 2012
- Disney�Pixar's Monsters, Inc. � January 18, 2013 (Monsters University, a prequel to the original film, arrives in theaters in Disney Digital 3D on June 21, 2013)
- The Little Mermaid � September 13, 2013
"Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we're fortunate to have a treasure trove of both," said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. "We're thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D � and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen."
Originally released in 1991, Beauty and the Beast is a classic "tale as old as time" that follows the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious beast and his enchanted staff, who must learn the most important lesson of all � that true beauty comes from within. Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award� for Best Picture, earning an additional five Oscar� nominations and winning two. It has grossed $380.4 million worldwide.
First released in 2003, Disney�Pixar's Finding Nemo takes audiences into a whole new world in this undersea adventure about family, courage and challenges. When Marlin, an overly cautious clownfish living in the Great Barrier Reef, helplessly watches his son get scooped up by a diver, he must put aside his fears of the ocean and leave the safety of his coral enclave to find Nemo. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory, a forgetful but relentlessly optimistic fish, Marlin finds himself the unlikely hero in a seemingly impossible land-and-sea rescue. Finding Nemo won an Academy Award� for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for three others. With a total of $867.6 million worldwide, it was the second highest-grossing film of 2003.
In 2001, Disney�Pixar released Monsters, Inc. Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home. Monsters, Inc. shattered every DVD-era home entertainment sales record when 11 million DVD/VHS copies were sold during its first week of release. It won an Academy Award� for Best Song and has grossed $526.9 million worldwide.
Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid, stars Ariel, a fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder, and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true and save her father's beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula. One of the most celebrated animated films of all time, The Little Mermaid was nominated for three Academy Awards�, winning two. It has grossed $228.9 million worldwide.
Stamford First Bank will host a "Tribute to Dean Martin" fundraiser on Oct. 12.
Photo credit:Contributed Image
STAMFORD, Conn. – Vocalist Jack Lynn will take people back to 1950s Las Vegas, specifically the Sands Hotel and Casino, when he performs “Tribute to Dean Martin” Oct. 12 at Stamford First Bank. Lynn will croon all of Dino’s classic hits, including “Amore,” “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes” and many more. The event will raise funds for the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Cancer Center at Stamford Hospital, a press release said.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and “Tribute to Dean Martin” is one of many events planned for Stamford’s “Pain the Town Pink” campaign.
The fundraiser will take place at the bank’s office, 612 Bedford St., in Stamford. The suggested donation is $20 per person. For more information, contact Jen at the bank at (203) 391-5777.
THEATER OF OPERATIONS: The creative force behind Pixar has taken the mantle of Walt Disney and created an unrivaled hit machine. His latest effort, this summer’s Cars 2, fared well at the box office, despite generally middling reviews—a testament to the Pixar brand. Next big project: Monsters University, a “prequel” to the $525-million-grossing Monsters, Inc. EXECUTIVE TIC: The animation king has a phobia-like aversion to cell phones and e-mails. His preferred mode of giving feedback: leaving voice messages via iPad. SIGNATURE ACCESSORY: Hawaiian shirts—more than 1,000 of them—of which 375 are sorted by subject matter in his closet. LITTLE BUDDY: Brad Bird. The creative force behind Pixar’s Ratatouille and The Incredibles directed the upcoming Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, for Paramount. SIDE PROJECT: Lasseter Family Winery produced 1,300 cases of wine last year, from grapes grown on his 95-acre estate, in Glen Ellen, California. GREEN BONA FIDES: More than 1,700 solar panels generate enough energy to service his winery and 10,000-square-foot home. OFFICE DECOR: The walls of his office at Pixar are lined with thousands of toys, from vintage Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars to assorted Pixar memorabilia.
Lee Unkrich will post one photo for every day on his currently unnamed Pixar project.
Wouldn’t it be magical to see behind the curtain at Pixar? To get a peek into the studio that has earned 26 Academy Awards, producing hit after animated hit?
Lee Unkrich, the director of Toy Story 3, will be giving fans an inside look into his next project, but it’s just with one photo per day. Hopefully, a picture really can be worth a thousand words. STORY: Pixar's Highs and Lows of the Past 25 Years
“Today is day one on my next project,” Unkrich wrote on Twitter. “Every day I'll post a new photo chronicling the journey.”
The first day photo, posted on September 26, is a close-up of a Mac keyboard with the caption: “the starting line.” Unkrich is using Tumblr to post his photo updates. PHOTOS: THR's Animators Roundtable
Unkrich has plenty to live up to, since his last project, Toy Story 3, was Pixar’s highest grossing film of all time, and the top grossing film of 2010. Additionally, it was the third animated movie to ever earn a best picture nomination. Unkrich also worked as a co-director on Toy Story 2, and an editor on the original Toy Story.
Currently, nothing is known about Unkrich’s upcoming project – not a name, a premise or even a character. Disney did announce two new Pixar projects back in August at Disney’s D23 conference. Oscar winner Pete Docter (Up) is helming the Untitled Pixar Movie that You See Inside the Brain, which is aiming for a Summer 2014 release. Additionally, the Untitled Pixar Movie about Dinosaurs will be directed by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and produced by John Walker, and is aiming for a holiday 2013 release.
Harrison Ford says "it's an absolute delight" any time he gets to dust off the ol' fedora and whip to play Indiana Jones, so much so that he'll be on board if a fifth film in the series ever happens. But apparently he's not too wild about a sci-fi angle.
During a Q&A session with director Steven Spielberg at a 30th-anniversary Raiders of the Lost Ark screening this week in Los Angeles, Ford said he would be open to returning to the character.
"Maybe a fifth, but I ain't going to Mars," he said.
Ford's remarks were in response to Spielberg's claim that he and George Lucas have discussed a possible fifth installment in the series. It hasn't gone any further than mere discussion at this point, but Ford seems to be quite open to the idea.
"It's an absolute delight to revisit this character," Ford said, "and a chance to work with Steven again, who only hires me for Indiana Jones."
This prompted Spielberg to note an interesting factoid:
"I gotta correct this," Spielberg chimed in. "Do you know who I offered Jurassic Park to? This guy. Alan Grant I first offered to this guy."
Ford's response: "That was a lot like going to Mars."
So Harrison Ford isn't into fighting dinosaurs, and doesn't seem to be into another sci-fi-heavy Indy flick. How about it? If these guys get the ball (or the giant boulder, as it were) rolling again, would you be up for an Indy 5?
The movie legend on flying up the coast for a cheeseburger, getting his ear pierced, being scary and if there'll be another Indiana Jones
'All of my planes are great to fly, and that's why I've got so many of them. I also have more than my fair share of motorbikes - eight or nine,' said Harrison Ford
I'm in it for the money,' says Harrison Ford, 67, over co ffee in Beverly Hills. 'And I mean that in the nicest possible way. This is my job.'
He is, of course, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Hollywood, with an estimated fortune of $300 million. His films, including the blockbusters Star Wars, Blade Runner, The Empire Strikes Back, The Fugitive and Raiders Of The Lost Ark, have grossed more than $3.5 billion.
'Acting is my craft,' he says. 'I've spent my whole life working on it and I want to get paid well to do it, because otherwise I'm being irresponsible, not valuing what I do for a living. When I came into this business I didn't even know the names of the movie studios - I was under contract to a studio for $150 a week. One thing I learned is that the studios had no respect for a person who was willing to work for them for that amount. So I realised that the value I put on my own work was the value and respect I would get back.'
In his latest movie, Extraordinary Measures, he plays a scientist who joins a father in his search to find a cure that will save his two children from a rare disease. They have to raise $100 million to develop a new drug.
Ford has four children and three grandchildren. He lives with actress Calista Flockhart and her son Liam.
'It's important for my career to play different kinds of characters': Harrison with Brendan Fraser in his latest film, Extraordinary Measures
There's nothing good about being famous
You always think, 'If I'm successful, then I'll have opportunities.' You never figure the cost of fame will be a total loss of privacy. That's incalculable. What a burden that is for anybody. It was unanticipated and I've never enjoyed it. You can get the table you want in a restaurant. It gets you doctor's appointments. But what's that worth? Nothing. The real coin of the realm is freedom - to make choices, do the projects that you want to do and have some control over the stories and the way a film is released and sold.
It's been years since I got my ear pierced but people still talk about it.
I had no idea people would be so overjoyed, but I did it for myself because I wanted it. I never thought of it as an element of style. I was sitting having lunch with two guys my own age who both had earrings. And after drinking one or two glasses of white wine too many, I said, 'Why shouldn't I have an earring?' And I went down to the first jewellery store that off ered to punch a hole in your ear for the price of an earring and suddenly I had one. I was totally unprepared for the attention it would get.
Harrison piloted his Cessna 208 Caravan to help with Operation Smile's relief effort in Haiti
I'm so passionate about flying I often fly up the coast for a cheeseburger.
Flying is like good music: it elevates the spirit and it's an exhilarating freedom. It's not a thrill thing or an adrenaline rush; it's engaging in a process that takes focus and commitment. I love the machines, I love the aviation community. I used to own aeroplanes and have pilots flying them for me, but I finally realised they were having more fun than I was. They were getting to play with my toys. I was 52 when I started flying - I'd been an actor for 25 years and I wanted to learn something new. Acting was my only identity. Learning to fly was a lot of work, but the net result was a sense of freedom and a pleasure in seeing to the safety of myself and the people who fly with me.
All of my planes are great to fly, and that's why I've got so many of them.
I have a Citation Sovereign, a long-range jet; a Grand Caravan, a turboprop aircraft capable of operating on unimproved strips; and a De Havilland, a bush plane. I have a 1929 Waco Taperwing open-top biplane; a 1942 PT-22 open-top monoplane trainer; an Aviat Husky, a two-seat fabric-covered bush plane; and a Bell 407 helicopter. I also have more than my fair share of motorbikes - eight or nine. I have four or five BMWs, a couple of Harleys, a couple of Hondas and a Triumph; plus I have sports touring bikes. I'm a single rider, and I love being out in the air. I like the focus that comes when you're riding - you really have to be very keyed into what you're doing. I ride up into the mountains in LA on twisty little canyon roads on Sunday mornings with a group of other enthusiasts.
Crashing your plane is like scraping your bumper.
One time when I was landing I got caught in a dramatic wind shear, which resulted in about $9,000 worth of damage. That's small change. But it was a troubling couple of minutes. I've had other weather-induced misadventures. I got caught in a microburst (a sudden downdraught) in my helicopter - I ended up doing an aeronautical rodeo. I was OK, but it gave me the opportunity to buy a new helicopter.
I can be scary if necessary.
When I know I'm right about something I will persist up to and past an annoying level of insistence. As a producer I don't see myself as the boss; I'm a collaborator. Very little makes me angry. I lose my temper rarely, very rarely. But I'm as complicated as the next person. I'm certainly capable of all the good and bad things everybody else is capable of.
It used to be that somebody would send me a script, I'd call them and say I loved it and two weeks later we'd be in pre-production.
That's what it was like with Witness - we proceeded on a handshake and they worked out a deal very quickly. It just isn't that way any more. Money's tight and the business isn't as healthy as it once was. I was willing to work for something more approaching an allowance than a pay cheque on Extraordinary Measures because I understood the realities of the economics of this kind of film.
Harrison as the iconic Han Solo in 1977's Star Wars (left) and in another career-defying role in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (right)
There's nothing better than seeing a herd of elk right outside the window of my house in Wyoming.
My land gives me an opportunity to be close to nature, and I find spiritual solace in nature, contemplating our species in the context of the natural world. The property is much the same as it was 150 years ago. It's in the mountains and had never been developed when I bought it. Apart from the home and outbuildings, I've kept it pretty much in that state. I know that the property will be there for as long as I live and well after that in the hands of my children.
I'm a big fan of Prince Charles.
I met him because I worked on a little film project for The Prince's Trust last year, and he's a charming man, very nice and a very smart guy. We may be working together on an environmental project this year for Conservation International. I'm on the board, and we're very happy because Prince Charles asked to join us. A few weeks ago we voted to place him on our board of directors. We'll probably do something together soon connected with the protection of the environment.
Provided I'm still alive, I'll make myself available for the next Indiana Jones.
There may well be another film if we find a script, and we're able to develop a story in less than the 18 years it took to make the last one. I'm not Indiana Jones - I'm an actor. I just work, and it's important for my career to play di fferent kinds of characters. Extraordinary Measures is a compelling story of a father's devotion and courage. It deals with problems of healthcare and the di fficulty of getting a drug through the pharmaceutical industry and approved by the federal government.
I don't care about awards.
I'd rather make a living at what I do and have time to be with my family. I don't have any expectation in that area.
