NEWSMAKERS | ‘Thor’ hammers ‘Bridesmaids’

NEWSMAKERS

‘Thor’ hammers ‘Bridesmaids’

LOS ANGELES

“Thor” nailed down the No. 1 spot at the box office again. Paramount’s 3-D superhero film starring Chris Hemsworth as Marvel’s hammer-toting god of thunder earned $34.5 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That brings the total haul of “Thor” to $119.2 million, though not quite as impressive as fellow comic-book hero “Iron Man 2,” which earned $211.2 million by its second weekend the same time last year.

Universal’s “Bridesmaids,” the raunchy comedy starring Kristen Wiig as a down-on-her-luck maid of honor, debuted above expectations in second place with $24.4 million. Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, attributed the movie’s good reviews and word-of-mouth to wide audience appeal: 67 percent of the audience was female; 33 percent male.

The next adversary for “Thor” arrives next week with the opening of “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” the fourth film in the blockbuster Disney franchise starring Johnny Depp as mischievous pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow.

Universal’s car-racing sequel “Fast Five” with Dwayne Johnson shifted into the third position with $19.5 million in its third weekend in theaters.

Sony’s 3-D vampire-hunting graphic-novel adaptation “Priest” opened in fourth place with $14.5 million, while Fox’s animated bird tale “Rio” landed at fifth place with $8 million in its fifth weekend in theaters.

Chavez thanks Shakira for autographed guitar

CARACAS, Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is thanking Colombian singer Shakira for an autographed red guitar that he says the artist sent him as a gift.

Chavez says he stayed up late strumming on the electric guitar and singing songs. He told Venezuelan state television Sunday: “Thanks to Shakira for that.”

Information Minister Andres Izarra posted a photo of the guitar on Twitter after it arrived Saturday.

Chavez said the musician asked to see him when she performed in Caracas in March, but that her flight was late, and they were unable to meet.

Chavez says he was surprised by the gift and has been practicing on the instrument while recovering from a knee injury.

Coen brothers win $1M prize in Israel

TEL AVIV

The movie-making brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have been awarded a prize worth $1 million.

The Dan David Foundation gives three prizes every year, in past, present and future categories.

The Coen brothers won the “present” category for work that was described as “unique in the history of filmmaking.”

Joel Coen said Sunday he had wanted to visit Israel for a long time and mentioned that his mother had lived in Israel.

The Coens have co- written and co-directed well-known films such as “The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo,” “No Country for Old Men” and “True Grit.”

Noted Elvis performer Ted Prior dies at 68

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J.

Ted Prior, who spent 50 years performing the music of Elvis Presley before adoring fans throughout southern New Jersey, has died. He was 68.

Prior’s manager, Neil Regina, said Prior died Sunday morning.

Prior had never missed a show before being diagnosed with cancer last fall. His streak of nearly 10,000 performances ended when he was forced to miss a New Year’s Eve show.

His career path began at age 14, when at a party he picked up a cheap guitar he had no idea how to play and sang along to a record of “Stuck On You.”

A friend yelled out, “Hey Ted, you sound just like Elvis!”

Prior soon began taking guitar lessons, grew out his hair and started learning every Elvis song he could.

Ex-head of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs dies

MIAMI

Murray Handwerker, who helped grow Nathan’s Famous from his father’s Coney Island hot-dog stand into a national franchise, died Saturday at his home in Palm Beach Gardens. He was 89.

His son, Bill, said his father had suffered from dementia and died in his sleep.

Handwerker’s father, Nathan, opened the Coney Island stand in 1916, four years after emigrating from Poland. Murray was born five years later, on July 25, 1921, and spent so much time in the restaurant he said he came to regard the frankfurter bun boxes as his playpen.

Nathan’s eventually became a fixture. Its hot dogs were served to the British monarchy by President Franklin D. Roosevelt; were a constant magnet for mobster Al Capone and were even flown to a London party for Barbra Streisand.

Associated Press