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‘Love Story’ stars reunite for Paramount Pictures’ 100th anniversary




Turning 100 means never having to say you're sorry.

Paramount Pictures, the last Hollywood movie studio to still be located in the actual area called "Hollywood," celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.  To mark the occasion, 116 actors, directors, producers and executives from the studio's history gathered for one photo for Vanity Fair magazine.

The event brought together some of the biggest box-office stars and most honored actors alive, from legends like Kirk Douglas and Mickey Rooney to fresh faces like Shia LaBeouf and Julianne Hough. There were three captains of the Starship Enterprise (William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and Chris Pine). And standing in the middle above them all were Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw, the stars of 1970's "Love Story."




It was only the second time in the last decade that O'Neal and MacGraw have reunited (they appeared on "Oprah" in 2010 to mark the film's 40th anniversary).  MacGraw, now 73, left California for New Mexico in 1994 after a wildfire destroyed her home. She devotes most of her time now to animal rights activism, but she told Yahoo! Movies that she was honored to be invited back to take part in the photo alongside her "Love Story" costar.

In an email interview, MacGraw said, "It was more than thrilling... and incredibly nostalgic.. to be a part of that extraordinary gathering of actors who had worked for Paramount, as I had. It seems utterly unbelievable to me that Ryan and I did 'that film' together so many, many years ago (when it feels like yesterday), and that we were privileged to take part in such a significant 'Graduation Picture' with all of those amazing actors."


The photo places MacGraw and O'Neal at the center of the collected group, standing high above the rest of the luminaries.  It's an appropriate placement, because without the success of their movie 42 years ago, there might not be a Paramount Pictures today.

By the mid-1960s, Paramount Pictures was floundering. It had suffered a string of expensive and embarrassing flops like the Lee Marvin/Clint Eastwood musical (yes, musical) "Paint Your Wagon." Paramount's parent company Gulf+Western was on the verge of dumping the entire film studio. But then young head of production Robert Evans convinced the board that they had a hit on their hands with the movie based on a runaway bestselling novel called "Love Story."

Author Erich Segal originally wrote "Love Story" as a screenplay, but after it was rejected by several studios he turned it into a novel. Evans, who was married to MacGraw at the time, greenlit the movie version with his wife in the lead (though, at age 31, she was already six years older than her character lived to be).

"Love Story" was a smash hit, bringing in over $100 million in the U.S. (in 2012 dollars, that's over $550 million, slightly less than "The Avengers" has earned).  It also received eight Academy Award nominations, including nods for MacGraw and O'Neal, and won the Oscar for Best Original Score. More importantly, it established Paramount Pictures as a leading studio again. It went on to make some of the most successful and acclaimed films of the era: "The Godfather," "Chinatown," "Paper Moon," "Harold and Maude," "The Conversation," "Marathon Man," and "Saturday Night Fever."


The years following "Love Story" saw tumultuous times for both MacGraw and O'Neal. Both have had turbulent relationships and other personal struggles that made them the target of public scrutiny. The 71-year-old O'Neal announced earlier this year he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and USA Today reported in May that he successfully underwent treatment for the disease (O'Neal declined our request for comment).

MacGraw concluded that the reunion with her costar for the anniversary picture was more than just another photo shoot for her: "Frankly, I felt very emotional about the whole experience, and it brought back life-changing memories for me."



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Need to take measures, says Pranab on poor IIP data


New Delhi, June 12  India's industrial output grew by a meagre 0.1 percent in April due to a contraction in capital goods and dip in manufacturing and mining sectors, government data showed Tuesday, underlining the need for a monetary stimulus to revive growth.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee voiced disappointment at the numbers and said there is a need to take measures.

"I am disappointed ... we shall have to take some steps which signals positivism," he said while addressing a meeting of chiefs of public sector banks.

The data released by the Central Statistical Organisation showed that growth in factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), slowed down to 0.1 percent in April from 5.3 percent a year ago.

The figures showed that capital goods output declined by 16.3 percent as against a growth of 6.6 percent in the same month last year. The mining output contracted by 3.1 percent against a growth of 1.6 percent in the same month a year ago. The manufacturing sector grew only at 0.1 percent.

Industry associations reacted calling for a rates cut by the Reserve Bank of India in its mid-quarter review of monetary policy June 18.

"The government, to rejuvenate business confidence and get industrial growth back on track, must initiate actions to revive industrial growth. RBI should reduce repo and CRR rates by 100 basis points to revive investment sentiment," said Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Director General Chandrajit Banerjee.

FICCI President R.V. Kanoria said: "In the immediate term, the government must push for reforms in areas where Parliament's approval is not required so as to boost business confidence, which would encourage investments."

The meagre growth comes in the backdrop of a fall of 3.5 percent in industrial production in March, the first such contraction since October 2011, when it shrank by 4.7 percent.

Mukherjee, however, said that several measures were being taken and growth would revive. The government will ensure faster project clearances and fix regulatory issues to boost investor confidence, he said.

At the Bombay Stock exchange, the benchmark index rose 1.2 percent to its highest close in over a month after the weak IIP data raised hopes of a cut in interest rates.
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Germans recover Stuka bomber wreck from Baltic Sea

BERLIN  — German military divers are working to hoist the wreck of a Stuka dive bomber from the floor of the Baltic Sea, a rare example of the plane that once wreaked havoc over Europe as part of the Nazis' war machine.

The single-engine monoplane carried sirens that produced a distinctive and terrifying screaming sound as it dove vertically to release its bombs or strafe targets with its machine guns. There are only two complete Stukas still around.

The Stuka wreck, first discovered in the 1990s when a fisherman's nets snagged on it, lies about 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast of the German Baltic island of Ruegen, in about 18 meters (60 feet) of water.

The divers have been working over the past week to prepare the bomber to be hoisted to the surface, using fire hoses to carefully free it from the sand. They have already brought up smaller pieces and also hauled up its motor over the weekend.

They are now working to free the main 9-meter (30-foot) fuselage piece and expect to bring it up on Tuesday, depending on the weather, said Capt. Sebastian Bangert, a spokesman from the German Military Historical Museum in Dresden, which is running the recovery operation.

Initial reports are that it is in good condition despite having spent the last seven decades at the bottom of the sea, he said.

"From my perspective there's a lot of damage — it's been under water for 70 years — but our restoration crew says it's in really good condition for being restored," said Bangert, speaking from the deck of the Navy ship being used for the operation. "That's our goal — a complete restoration and not conservation as a wreck."

So far, little is known about this particular plane — when it crashed, who its pilot and gunner were and whether they survived the crash, Bangert said. Once the plane is brought to the surface, researchers will use the serial number to track down all of the information.

The Junkers JU87 — known by most as the Stuka, which is short for the German word for dive bomber 'Sturzkampfflugzeug" — first saw service in the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War, being sent by Hitler to help the fascists.

The only two known complete Stukas are on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in London and at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Both are later models. Bangert said from the motor, the one just found is also likely a later model "JU87D."

Still, to find such a complete example is "terrific," said Andrew Simpson, curator of the aircraft collection at the RAF Museum.

"You are still talking about less than a dozen in the world, even if you include every back end and center section found on the Russian steppes," he said. "Any Stuka is good."

Following its service in Spain, Stukas fired the first shots of World War II, dropping Nazi bombs on the Polish town of Wielun on Sept. 1, 1939, killing some 1,200 civilians in what is considered one of the first terror bombings in history.

German ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel claimed to have destroyed more than 500 tanks, mostly on the Eastern Front, and several ships including a Soviet battleship, primarily in the Stuka.

The Stuka was used throughout the World War II, but for all its successes in the early days on the Western Front and in the later invasion of the Soviet Union, the aircraft was later overmatched by quicker and more maneuverable Allied fighter planes.

As museum pieces today, they're a big draw for visitors and also important for researchers and historians, said Kathleen McCarthy, director of collections at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, whose Stuka had been shot down over Libya in the last year of the war.

"The discovery and raising of a third Stuka from the sea floor will be a great asset for both scholars and the general public interested in learning more about historic military technology as well as this critical period in our world history," she said.

The German Military Historical Museum plans to eventually display the Stuka at its Air Force Museum, located at the former Gatow airport in Berlin.
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Henry Thomas on ‘E.T.’ 30 years later and his new role as Hank Williams




Thirty years ago today, "E.T." opened in theaters nationwide and eventually broke box office records, earning $435 million. In honor of the film's 30th anniversary, Yahoo! Movies caught up with the human star of "E.T." Henry Thomas, who played the curious, red-hoodie-wearing young Elliot.

To our surprise, Thomas admitted the enduring impact of the '80s blockbuster film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is only now hitting him.

Now 40, married, and a father of three, Thomas spoke candidly of his place in cinematic history, his admiration of Spielberg -- and other legendary directors he has worked with -- and his starring role in the upcoming film "The Last Ride" (in theaters June 22) -- about the last days of post-war era country music legend Hank Williams Sr., who died at the age of 29.

Meriah Doty: Since you play a country music legend in "The Last Ride," I'm curious: Are you country music fan?

Henry Thomas: I have been by proxy. I grew up in a rural South Texas community so I heard a lot of Texas music growing up. There's a soft spot in my heart for some old '60s and '70s country, but I'm not a big fan of the big commercial country music in any way, shape or form. I really like that kind of bluegrass, old-time music that Hank Williams' music came out of.


MD: How much did you know about Hank Williams when you took on the role and how much did you have to research?

HT: I knew a bit about Hank Williams -- like everybody knows a little bit about Hank Williams I suppose. The research that I did was in a large part medical because I really wanted to understand what it would be like to have spina bifida, and also what it feels like to be on morphine and alcohol at the same time -- which I decided not to do a physical experiment with. Color me crazy. [laughs] There are a lot of myths surrounding him and there's a lot of footage that you can look at to get an idea of how he moved. My research beyond the script is usually only as much as I feel I need and I felt like this character was already about 80 percent there on the page. It was just kind of confining him into a form that resembled Hank Williams enough that it didn't deter audience members.

MD: You depict him at a time of his life when he's sick. It's clearly a dark time in his life. Did you find it personally difficult to take that on when you were shooting?

HT: Yeah, it wears on you after a while. Playing dark moments or dark places in people's lives. You certainly take your work home with you a little bit. There's also a great wealth of humor. I think the real Hank Williams -- he had a real sense of humor. You could tell from his song writing and everything. In this piece, I really enjoyed playing the comic moments of it just because you need that kind of levity.


MD: In playing Hank Williams Sr. what was the biggest thing you learned?

HT: When you make something like this and there's never enough time, it amazes me when young actors step up and really do good work and I think that Jesse James [Thomas' co-star] really helped me go to work every day and do good work. All the interiors we shot inside the car -- we did that all in the space of one day. We shot something like 19 pages [of the script] in one day because it was all just blocked off and they basically changed the [camera] angles slightly and we had pages and pages of dialogue. So it became kind of like a play. I think in an environment where people hardly ever rehearse anymore, those days stand out. I'm really proud of our performances in the film just because I know what kind of pressures we were under to pull through. When you have somebody like Jesse, who was, I'd say 20, when we were doing this, it's great. It's nice to see the young folks are still doing good work these days.




MD: Well, you have my segue wrapped in a neat bow: Speaking of young actors... 30 years later, how do you think of "E.T." now? -- just the enormity of that movie and your part in it?

HT: It certainly wasn't something that I ever thought I'd be talking about 30 years from then. It's funny because I think it's just now starting to hit me how hugely successful it was and what a big deal it was.


MD: Wow, really?

HT: To a certain extent you feel like you're just kind of caught up in some after effect of a marketing strategy. But then you kind of realize the supply is there because there's a demand. People still really respond to this film. Now it's odd because I have people who are younger than I am saying how exciting that film was for them... It's the first film they remember seeing with their parents. So it makes you feel good to be associated with something that people still remember.


MD: In working with Steven Spielberg, is there anything you took away that has endured over the years?

HT: Of all of the great directors that I've worked with, they all share a common trait -- you see it across the board. Spielberg was probably the most enthusiastic guy to watch off camera when the take was being filmed because he was so caught up in the film, really excited about it all the time. That level of enthusiasm for it and the passion is something that not everybody has. Whatever his achievements, whatever he's done, I think at heart the reason he's successful and the reason he continues to make films is to satisfy that enthusiasm. He has a real genuine love for film. I think all those guys do -- Scorsese does for sure, Milos Foreman for sure, yeah.

MD: What can we expect from you in the future?

HT: Stay alive. [laughs] I've decided as an actor, the level that I work at, I really don't have much control over my career. I kind of have to take it as it comes. I have parameters that I work under, but for the most part I just don't worry about it. As long as my kids are not screaming at me for food, I'm pretty okay. [laughs] I can survive.





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CM orders Nityananda's ashram to be kept 'under lock'




Bangalore, June 11  The Karnataka government Monday ordered locking up the ashram near here of controversial Hindu religious guru Nityananda Swami following fresh allegations of sexual exploitation of women against him.

"I have ordered that the ashram be kept under lock," Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda told reporters. The move came in the wake of increasing demand for its closure.

Gowda said legal steps would be taken to get the bail of Nityananda cancelled, to arrest him if necessary.

Nityananda, who is already facing rape charges, has been on bail since June 2010 after he was arrested from Solan in Himachal Pradesh. He went into hiding in Solan for about a month in March-April 2010 after a Tamil TV channel aired a video purportedly showing him indulging in sexual acts.

After being picked by Karnataka Police he was in a Bangalore for seven weeks.

The whereabouts of 32-year-old Nityananda are not known since last Friday. He has been out of the ashram spread over a 29-acre plot in Bidadi, about 35 km from here.

The latest trouble for the controversial religious leader began after a Kannada TV channel started telecasting complaints by several women that they were sexually exploited by him.

The Congress, the Janata Dal-Secular as well as several Kannada groups have been for the last three days demanding immediate closure of the ashram and action against Nityananda.

The ashram saw fracas between media personnel and disciples of Nityananda last Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Nityananda asked a reporter to go out for asking inconvenient questions, leading to protests. The next day, the press meet called by his disciples also ended in chaos.
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