The necklace, which dates from the late 19th century, was bought by a member of the jewelry industry in Asia, according to Christie's auction house. The necklace is closely linked to Ms. Peron, who died in 1952. She was seen wearing it in official Argentine postage stamps. She was born in poor, rural Argentina. An actress, she married Juan Domingo Peron in 1945. He became the country's leader and the couple dominated Argentina. Until her death from cancer a few years later, “Evita” was revered by some as a saint and loathed by others as power-hungry and ruthless. Her life story was made into a musical and a movie.

Naomi Watts: She knows playing Ann Darrow in the remake of 1933 classic King Kong is an iconic role, but she hopes it won't leave her typecast. Australian Watts, an Academy Award nominee for her role in 21 Grams alongside Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro, told reporters today she was disappointed Fay Wray, who died last month at the age of 96, wouldn't see her reprise the Ann role. "It's very sad. Those are some big shoes to fill. She did a wonderful job. Going back and seeing the movie several times and seeing what she did - it's quite beautiful. " Luckily enough, we got the opportunity to meet her, all together in New York and we had just a lovely evening. "We had a little chit-chat about the experience and she cracked a few jokes. It was nice to have that connection but it's very sad that she's not going to be able to see the movie. She seemed quite interested." Wray's career has been forever remembered for her screams in King Kong, a damsel in distress in the grasp of a giant gorilla atop the Empire State Building. Watts, however, was optimistic her own career wouldn't become typecast in the role of vaudeville actress cum King Kong love interest Darrow. " It is an iconic movie and an iconic role but there are pluses about that. I've done quite a lot of different work before this movie and hopefully people won't suddenly see me as only this role."  So keen was Watts to join Peter Jackson's cast for King Kong, she signed up script-unseen.  "Obviously there was no script at that time but I did know the film... it seemed like a great idea and with Fran Walsh and Phillipa (Boyens), the great scripts that they have... produced before, it seemed like a very full package," she said.  "This story is just so simplistic and very human. That's why I'm here."

 

 

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FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE. OCTOBER 2005. Page 5

GOSSIPS OF THE YEAR                                                   From the Desk of Lydia Steinberg, Melanie Cooper, Lucie Harrison, Bob Stewart, Maggie Ashckar. Elizabeth Rothingham, Colins Marshall, Francesca Roukdin, Graham Reed, Olivier Duff.

Lennon compilation

Photo: Yoko Ono stands by a poster of John Lennon at the premiere of the DVD containing 20 songs and previously unreleased footage of Lennon

Yoko Ono says compiling a new DVD of John Lennon's solo work was one of the hardest jobs she's ever done. "It was very hard for me to work on this, because there were many footages that reminded me of my life with John," Ono told the audience at a preview screening Tuesday of Lennon Legend. Lennon Legend features 20 of Lennon's songs, illustrated with a mix of restored promo clips, new animation and previously unseen footage of the couple. "Sometimes it made me feel less professional about it, and I wondered if I could go through it," Ono said. As executive producer of the disc, she helped comb through videotapes, home movies and newsreels for footage of the couple in performance, at home in New York City and at the beach. Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building on Dec. 8, 1980. He and Ono were married in 1969.  "His life was a very driven one, a very compressed one," the 70-year-old Ono said.  "In his very short life, he did a lot for us." Lennon Legend, a companion to a 1998 album of the same name, will be released  in Britain.

CLEAN UP YOUR ACTING

 Tara Reid has lashed out at what she sees as a Hollywood double standard. While Reid has been forced to work desperately to reform her (rather well-deserved) party-girl image, she's annoyed to see Colin Farrell's roguish behaviour rewarded. "You watch that guy smoking endless cigarettes, every other word is f**k, f**k, f**k, 'I'll screw any girl in the world.' If I did that I'd be blackballed out of the industry." You know, Reid may have a point. Of course Tinseltown's selective prejudice is based on talent, not gender. Farrell is a gifted actor whereas Reid's last two credits are National Lampoon's Van Wilder and My Boss's Daughter. Tara, make a decent movie and you too can sleep with as many women as you want.

Speaking of Demi, the dark angel has decided to furnish her new US$4.8 million love palace with furniture from IKEA. While this may sound like she's going cheap on the décor, I think Demi's just a hopeless romantic. Flipping through the IKEA catalogue must remind her of Ashton -- pages and pages of unpolished wood.

 

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 FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE. OCTOBER 2005. Page 6

GOSSIPS OF THE YEAR

Elton John, in Taipei for a concert, has sworn at reporters who swarmed around him at the airport and called them "rude, vile pigs". Wearing a bright blue tracksuit and dark sunglasses, the star shouted expletives as he was mobbed by photographers and TV crew. "Rude, vile pigs!" he shouted at the reporters at the Chiang Kai Shek airport after he arrived shortly after midnight. "Do you know what that means? Rude, vile pigs. That's what all of you are." One of the photographers shouted back: "Why don't you get out of Taiwan?" John replied: "We'd love to get out of Taiwan if it's full of people like you. Pig! Pig!" The star, who recently performed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, is scheduled to leave after his first performance in Taiwan on Thursday.

 White Chicks: Is the latest comedy from the wacky Wayans family who brought us the Scary Movie flicks. Keenan Ivory Wayans again directs his two bros, who have screenwriting and producer credits, but while it's nice to keep the work in the family the gags seem to have run dry. In the first five minutes Shawn and Marlon show off their impersonation skills as they play a couple of music-loving elderly Latin American shopkeepers offering some good laughs and getting us into their comedy headspace of light cultural satire, slapstick gags and low humour. Shawn and Marlon are in fact Marcus and Kevin, two lousy FBI agents who like to play the undercover renegade cop routine, without any success. To save their careers, they agree to look after the wealthy Wilton sisters who the FBI think are threatened with being kidnapped. Tiffany and Brittany Wilton - based on the Hilton sisters - are heading to the Hamptons, where they hope to be the stars of the last social weekend of the season. A car accident and a couple of tiny cuts later and the girls could not possibly show their faces in public. So Marcus and Kevin become the Wiltons - Michael Jackson would be jealous at the transformation. Even though the makeup is good, it's not good enough to be convincing. That the sisters' friends believe the imposters, is the film's running gag but it sure runs thin. Side stories such as Marcus' rocky marriage and Kevin's attempt to settle down don't offer many more laughs, although Terry Crews as Latrell Spencer, a super sexed up Afro-American pro-athlete on the look out for some nice white booty, delivers some memorable moments. Otherwise, it's a load of absolute nonsense, as might be expected from the Wayans. But even by their own dubious standards, it's less than inspired. CAST: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Jaime King, Terry Crews, Busy Philipps. DIRECTOR: Keenan Ivory Wayans. RUNNING TIME: 109 mins. RATING: M (violence, sexual references). SCREENING: Village, Berkeley, Hoyts Cinemas.

 

Tom Cruise's first outing as a screen villain has seduced viewers and sent his latest film Collateral straight to the top of the UK box office. Cruise plays an assassin in the film but he managed to warm cinemagoers' hearts with a walkabout at its British premiere earlier this month, chatting to fans in Leicester Square for more than two hours. Screen International said weekend box office takings amounted to 2.2 million pounds for the thriller, which also stars comic actor Jamie Foxx.

 

 

FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE. OCTOBER 2005. Page 7

GOSSIPS OF THE YEAR                                                    From the Desk of Lydia Steinberg, Melanie Cooper, Lucie Harrison, Bob Stewart, Maggie Ashckar. Elizabeth Rothingham, Colins Marshall, Francesca Roukdin, Graham Reed, Olivier Duff.

 

Schwarzenegger: He has his hands full as governor of Kah-lee-forn-ee-ah, but producers of the next "Terminator" movie are talking to Arnold Schwarzenegger in hopes that he'll be back for at least a small role, a spokesman for backers of the film said. Fourteen months after "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" had its premiere, development of "T4" is in full swing with the same producers aiming to start shooting next year, said Dennis Higgins, a spokesman for financing partner Intermedia. Talks also are under way with "Terminator 3" director Jonathan Mostow to return for the next sequel, and he is overseeing the draft of a script by writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris, who shared screenplay credits on the last film, Higgins said. The "Terminator" series ranks as one of the most successful film franchises ever. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," grossed more than US$500 million (NZ$748m) worldwide after its 1991 release, while "T3" generated US$430 million at the global box office.

One question producers have is whether Schwarzenegger can tear himself away from the demands of state government long enough to return as the virtually indestructible, lead-slinging cyborg from the future. The Austrian-born actor-turned-politician clinched a record US$30 million salary to reprise his signature film role in "T3." "We're certainly talking to Arnold and his people," Higgins said. "He obviously has a day job that he has to take into consideration. But we're talking to him." A source close to the production acknowledged that it was unlikely that Schwarzenegger would be available to star, but said producers hoped that he could play a "minor role." Schwarzenegger's personal financial advisor Paul Wachter said, "It is not even on our radar screen ... Arnold is signing bills." He did not rule a possible cameo appearance but added, "Is it is realistic that while he is in office, he takes a starring role? Hardly." Schwarzenegger, who assumed office as governor in November, has said he would put his Hollywood career on hold while in office and focus on the business of the state.