Jack Watch
Bull fans and media lurked around the Lakers bench in hopes of seeing Jack Nicholson Wednesday night. But Jack`s only coming to the sixth and seventh games ”if he`s needed,” said record producer Lou Adler, who was sitting with the Illinois Sports Authority`s Peter Bynoe. Adler told Nicholson on the phone about all the reported sightings of the star in Chicago. ”I told him he was the Elvis Presley of the NBA.”
Big Jim
Jim Thompson, whose careers now include lawyer, lobbyist, intelligence observer, antique dealer, board sitter and politician, also is available for public speaking. In the Leigh Bureau`s new brochure, the former Guv is described as ”one of the most prominent and dynamic conservative speakers.” (Conservative?) The brochure also cites Thompson`s experience in various areas such as leading ”trade missions to Moscow, China, and Germany.” Not to mention Barcelona, England and Ireland. How much does Thompson charge? Between $5,000 and $10,000.
Sam, the man
Transportation Secretary Sam Skinner keeps saying he doesn`t want to leave his job to replace Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh. But: ”I`m going to do whatever President Bush wants me to do. If he wants me to jump in the Potomac River with my suit on, I`m going to do it. . . . It would be a good photo op.”
. . . Newest name on the AG rumor list: White House Counsel Boyden Gray.
Potpourri
President Bush and Secretary of State Jim Baker had to use a ”hard sell” on Bob Strauss to persuade him to take the job of U.S. ambassador to Moscow. But, behind the facade of Texas wheeler-dealer, Strauss is an ”old-fashioned patriot” so he agreed. And Bush was the key convincer, not Baker, according to Jim Cicconi, a former White House official who`s a partner in Strauss` law firm. . . . Speculation is that former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joseph Cunningham, now director of the court`s administrative arm, may temporarily fill the vacancy resulting from Justice Horace Calvo`s death.
All together now
This is a great time for paranoia if you`re a twentysomething actor or actress and don`t have a part in ”Where the Day Takes You.” It`s an about-to-be-filmed movie about homeless teens that will co-star (among others) Ione Skye, Dermot Mulroney, Christian Slater, Laura San Giacomo, Sean Astin, Balthazar Getty, Alyssa Milano and Adam Baldwin (the one that`s not related to the other Baldwins). Nancy McKeon, whose brother Phil (formerly of TV`s
”Alice”) is producer, also has a part.
Read my lips
Legislation is pending in several states that would require ads for concerts to disclose if the performers will be using any pre-recorded material and lip- synching instead of singing live. At least one organization has hired a lobbyist to make the rounds to oppose the laws: The North American Concert Promoters Association.
Back to the beginning
Howard Hesseman, who got expelled from ”Head of the Class” when his contract demands exceeded his value, has signed on for some episodes of the new ”WKRP in Cincinnati.” But things could get a little weird because the producers have also signed on Art Dillhenn to direct a few episodes-and his old job was director of ”Head of the Class.” With the addition of Loni Anderson for at least a few episodes, the only original cast member still holding out is Tim Reid.
Springpatch
The Illinois Education Association, which endorsed Jim Edgar, is going to run $60,000 worth of radio ads attacking the Guv for his tax proposals. . . . Edgar has given Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra something to do. Kustra will do the rebuttal at the annual Gridiron Show next week in Springpatch. . . . The crowd at House Speaker Mike Madigan`s annual ring-kissing at Lake Springfield was described as ”shore to shore.”
Weird Chicago
Thursday`s action at Ka-Boom includes a contest to see who can finish a tequila sucker-including the worm-first. . . . The sauce for the ribs at Wayne`s, a restaurant opening June 12 at Clybourn and North Avenues, is cooked by Wayne`s mother in her kitchen on the South Side and transported to the restaurant in gallon jugs in the trunk of her car.
INC.lings
Thursday birthdays: Bjorn Borg, 35; Sandra Bernhard, 36; Larry Lujack, 51;
Robert Englund, 45; Gary ”U.S.” Bonds, 52; Roe Conn, 27; state Sen. Howard Brookins, 59. . . . Are we there yet? Three Tempel Lippizan horses from the Tempel Farms in Wadsworth will be making a 17-hour trip by trailer to this weekend`s Mozart Festival in Bartlesville, Okla.; also on the entertainment roster is flutist Jean Pierre Rampal, but we think he`ll probably take a plane. . . . It`s a wedding kind of a weekend at Live Bait Theatre, where all the cast members of ”Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” will perform Saturday in bridal garb.
