NEWSMAKERS | Firth dislikes plan to clean up ‘Speech’

NEWSMAKERS

Firth dislikes plan to clean up ‘Speech’

LOS ANGELES

“The King’s Speech” might be cleaning up its language, but star Colin Firth does not like the idea. After winning the best-actor Oscar for the title role in the British monarchy saga, Firth said backstage Sunday that he opposes the prospect of a PG-13 version of “The King’s Speech,” which would alter a pivotal cussing scene that earned the film an R rating for language. “I don’t take this stuff lightly, but in the context of this film, it could not be more edifying, more appropriate. It’s not vicious, it’s not an insult or it’s not in any of the contexts which might offend people,” Firth said.

The Weinstein Co., the film’s distributor, has considered releasing a PG-13 version, which potentially could open it up to a wider audience. An R rating prohibits anyone younger than 17 from seeing a film without an adult.

Miley Cyrus to appear on ‘SNL’ as guest host

NEW YORK

NBC says Miley Cyrus will be making her first appearance as guest host of “Saturday Night Live” this week.

The network said Monday that the multiplatinum-selling singer will be joined by musical guests The Strokes.

A week later on March 12, Zach Galifianakis makes his return visit to “SNL” as guest host with musical guest Jessie J. Galifianakis stars on the HBO comedy series “Bored to Death.” He has just finished filming “The Hangover 2.” “Saturday Night Live” airs Saturdays on NBC at 11:30 p.m.

Blues legend Kirkland dies in Fla. wreck

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla.

An 88-year-old blues legend known as the “Gypsy of the Blues” was killed in Florida when his car turned into the path of a Greyhound bus. Eddie Kirkland was traveling southeast on U.S. Highway 98 in Crystal River, north of Tampa, about 8:30 a.m. Sunday when he tried to make a U-turn in front of the bus, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The bus, which was traveling northwest, pushed Kirkland’s Ford Taurus about 200 yards before the vehicles stopped.

Kirkland was flown to Tampa General Hospital, where he died.

Thirteen passengers were on the bus, which was being driven by 67-year-old James Smith of Tallahassee, the Highway Patrol said. No one on the bus was injured.

The Highway Patrol continued to investigate the accident Monday.

According to his website, Kirkland, who lived in Macon, Ga., performed Saturday night at the Dunedin Brewery in Dunedin, the final stop in a four-city swing through Florida in February.

Actress Jane Russell dies at age 89

LOS ANGELES

Jane Russell, the busty brunette who shot to fame as the sexy star of Howard Hughes’ 1941 Western “The Outlaw,” died Monday of respiratory failure, her family said. She was 89.

Although Russell largely retired from Hollywood after her final film, 1970’s “Darker Than Amber,” she had remained active in her church, with charitable organizations and with a local singing group until her health began to decline just a couple of weeks ago, said her daughter-in-law, Etta Waterfield.

She died at her home in Santa Maria.

“She always said I’m going to die in the saddle; I’m not going to sit at home and become an old woman,” Waterfield told The Associated Press. “And that’s exactly what she did; she died in the saddle.SDRq

Vindicator wire services