INC. hears that U.S. Labor Secretary Ray Donovan, on leave of absence while awaiting trial in New York on charges stemming from a building contract scandal, is putting the finishing touches on his resignation, which would become effective March 1.
— The $10,000 contest to rename the new McCormick Place annex has been called off. INC. hears that the contest was quietly killed when trade show managers complained about the name change after reading about it in INC. two weeks ago.
— Dum-da-dum-dumb . . . INC. hears that two ”highly intoxicated and combative” off-duty FBI agents were arrested Monday night when they blocked the entrance of a North Side bar after being denied admittance. They reportedly argued with the arresting officers, took a swing at the lock-up keeper of the Chicago Avenue district station, and weren`t carrying their FBI identification cards. Charges of disorderly conduct were dropped when FBI heavies showed up and promised to discipline the naughty boys. Wonder if they are being forced to watch every episode of the old ”FBI” TV series?
WESTMORELAND POSTSCRIPTS . . .
Why was CBS the last network to go on the air with the news that retired Army Gen. William Westmoreland had dropped his libel suit against the network? Could it be that Capital Legal Foundation, which picked up Westmoreland`s legal bills (some $3 million worth), leaked the story to the competition as the final zinger? . . . The 11 jurors who will appear on ”CBS Morning News” Wednesday will be polled as to how they would have voted–and why–had the case gone to the jury.
— Although Westmoreland characterized the CBS statement of him as ”the best I could get” and ”what I asked for originally,” the network`s chief attorney says the general could have gotten a much more strongly worded statement had he settled earlier. ”CBS was prepared to go further in its general description of him,” David Boies says, ”and before the trial, nobody required him to say anything nice about the network and its `long and outstanding journalistic tradition.` ” In fact, language such as ”patriotic and honorable and loyal” appeared in at least two earlier statements submitted to Westmoreland. He was holding out for ”regrets,” Boies says.
— An INC. source reports that Westmoreland`s wife, Kitsy, is ”relieved and ready to take the general home to Charleston, S.C.,” where she can needlepoint in peace. Mrs. Westmoreland, who spent her days in court working on dining room chair covers, spent Tuesday ”hugging and kissing court personnel and members of the press.”
THE HOLLYWOOD WIFE . . .
Jackie Collins, who takes the blame/credit for writing ”Hollywood Wives,” has been watching it ”sprawled on my bed with my kids, eating chocolates, along with the rest of the country.” (Not exactly, Jackie. Even with its hot hot tub scene, Monday night`s second episode barely beat out
”Cagney and Lacey” and its story line on breast cancer.) And what does Collins think of TV`s version of ”HW”? ”Wellll . . . ” she purred, ”It`s not `War and Peace,` but it is a lot of fun.” Collins has just finished
”Lucky,” a sequel to ”Chances,” and is starting ”Hollywood Husbands,”
the story of a talk show host, a young male movie star and the husband of a famous actress. ”I`m going to write about their lives in the bedroom, not in the studio.”
PROMISES, PROMISES . . .
Second City`s John Kapelos has the assurance of film editor Dede Allen that he`s going to be a big star, even though she edited ”a big hunk” of his three-page ”Breakfast Club” scene from the final cut of the movie. ”She was really sweet about it,” Kapelos says. ”She told me that she cut Gene Hackman`s best stuff from `Bonnie and Clyde,` so when I make my movie, she`s going to be the editor.” His movie? He has written two screenplays, and like John (”Breakfast Club”) Hughes (who gave the role of Carl the janitor to Kapelos after experiencing ”creative differences” with Rick Moranis), he wants to direct. But he also wants to act, so he has written ”interesting roles” for himself into both screenplays. One of the movies is about a year away from being filmed, so Kapelos` Second City days, which go back to 1978, may be numbered. ”There`s a point where doing comedy reaches diminishing returns, and I think I`ve passed that point. Comedy is a tough thing to sustain.”
INC.LINGS . . .
Watch for Gov. James Thompson to announce a children`s sexual abuse prevention program, to be called ”Kids` Initiative,” on Friday. The program will be directed by Illinois Inspector General Jeremy Margolis. . . . Tickets go on sale Saturday for an April 6 Hall and Oates concert in the Horizon . . . Wednesday birthdays: Nancy Wilson, 48; Sidney Poitier, 58; Robert Altman, 60; Gloria Vanderbilt, 61; Edward Albert, 34; Buffy Sainte-Marie, 44; Amanda Blake, 54; Sandy Duncan, 39; WFYR`s Jeff Blackman, 29; Henry Markbreit, 78. . . . When Jami (”Mischief”) Gertz appears on the ”Tonight” show Feb. 27, her parents, Walter and Sharyn Gertz of Glenview, will be watching–from the studio audience. The actress just finished filming with Kevin Bacon on
”Quicksilver,” scheduled for Christmas release.
