Friday, February 22, 2008
Sharif must pay damages
for slugging attendant
LOS ANGELES — A parking lot attendant who claimed he was punched by Omar Sharif has won a knockout decision in court. Superior Court Judge Joe W. Hilberman entered a default judgment Tuesday for more than $318,000 in damages in favor of Juan Luis Ochoa Anderson when the 75-year-old actor failed to show up for a deposition, according to court documents. Sharif pleaded no contest last year to misdemeanor battery and was ordered to take an anger management course for the incident outside a Beverly Hills steakhouse in 2005. According to the lawsuit, the Egyptian-born actor known for roles in “Dr. Zhivago” and “Lawrence of Arabia” was belligerent and intoxicated and called Anderson, a Guatemalan immigrant, a “stupid Mexican” when he refused to accept a 20 euro note. Anderson alleged Sharif then punched him. Anderson was awarded total damages of $318,190 plus costs and attorneys’ fees, according to court documents.
Peter Fonda to receive
filmmaking award
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Peter Fonda, the king of cool in “Easy Rider,” will receive the 2008 King Vidor Career Achievement Award at next month’s San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. He will appear at the festival March 15 to accept the honor, Executive Director Wendy Eidson said Wednesday. The King Vidor award, named after the director of the 1956 movie “War and Peace,” honors career achievement in filmmaking. Fonda, who will turn 68 on Saturday, is best known for his role in the 1969 film “Easy Rider.” He has received two Oscar nominations, one for acting (“Ulee’s Gold”) and one for screenwriting (“Easy Rider”). His screen credits also include “Race With the Devil” and “3:10 to Yuma.” The festival runs March 7-16.
Pauly Shore sues his
neighbor, Wes Craven
LOS ANGELES — Pauly Shore is suing neighbor Wes Craven for creating a nightmare on his property in a dispute between the two that began last year. Shore claimed that a landslide on his Hollywood Hills property in December 2006 was caused by Craven’s failure to properly maintain vegetation and landscaping on a hillside on his property, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Superior Court. Shore’s allegations are part of a countersuit in response to a suit filed on behalf of Craven last June. Craven alleged that Shore upgraded his home with a pool, spa, landscaping and other improvements that caused water to seep down a slope and damage his property.
Today’s birthdays
Announcer Don Pardo is 90. Actor Paul Dooley is 80. Hollywood “ghost singer” Marni Nixon is 78. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., is 76. Movie director Jonathan Demme is 64. Actor John Ashton is 60. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Julius Erving is 58. Actor Kyle MacLachlan is 49. Actress-comedian Rachel Dratch is 42. Actress Jeri Ryan is 40. Actor Thomas Jane is 39. Actress Tamara Mello is 38. Tennis player Michael Chang is 36. Actress Drew Barrymore is 33. Actress Liza Huber is 33. Singer James Blunt is 31. Actor Daniel E. Smith is 18.