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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

Michael Jackson`s Fate Likely to Be in Jury`s Hands Next Week; Who Will Cash in on Deep Throat Revelation?

Aired June 2, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: The endgame arrives in the Michael Jackson trial.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And the DVD collections you`ve just got to collect. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Tonight, cashing in on the Deep Throat shocker. Now that we know who he is, who`s going to make money big time on the million dollar story? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the deep bottom line on Deep Throat.

BRYANT: Angelina instant replay. Tonight, Angelina Jolie`s dazzling different look. Plus, what do all those tattoos really mean?

HAMMER: Plus a showbiz flashback.

(MUSIC)

HAMMER: A reality show that dares to ask the likes of Loverboy and Tiffany, where are they now? And can they still sing? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is behind the scenes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH GIBSON, SINGER: Hey, this is Deborah Gibson. And if it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, yeah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and you`re at the top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. You`re watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.

BRYANT: Tonight. Deep Throat, deep pockets. They kept a secret for 40 years.

HAMMER: And now that the cat is out of the bag, those who kept the Deep Throat secrets are spilling their guts and may wind up swimming in cash. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer with all the details.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNNHN CORRESPONDENT: We`re talking about a lot of money here, A.J. and Karyn. The reporters who kept the mystery of Deep Throat alive for all of those years hit the airwaves today to tell their side of the story, a story that Bob Woodward will be selling in a new book and the family of the newly unmasked Watergate source also showing signs that they do plan to do the same thing. Now that the secret`s out, who is cashing in?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARL BERNSTEIN, JOURNALIST: It`s a strange feeling but also relieved of the obligation.

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): Relieved of the obligation of keeping Washington`s biggest secret, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward told all on the "Today Show." The two reporters who blew the lid off the Watergate story talked about their super secret source, Deep Throat who we found out this week is retired FBI official Mark Felt.

BOB WOODWARD, JOURNALIST: There was this sense that we were going to tell the story when he was deceased. In a way, I kind of, and I think you do, feel a certain joy that he`s happy and living well

HAFFENREFFER: And Felt may be planning to live even better now that his secret`s out. From his home in California, the 91-year old Felt bluntly told NBC cameras what he plans to do next.

H. W. FELT, DEEP THROAT: I`ll arrange to write a book or something and make as much money as I can.

HAFFENREFFER: If that`s his plan, felt`s super secret role in the biggest political scandal of the century could definitely mean big bucks for him and his family. A book deal alone could be worth a cool and easy $1 million. And according to the "Wall Street Journal," they`re already fielding book and movie offers. On the "Today Show" Bernstein said more power to him.

BERNSTEIN: I certainly would not begrudge him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Making cash.

BERNSTEIN: Making some money. Especially that the critics who are -- who are saying this, most of them have written books of Watergate after they went to jail.

HAFFENREFFER: Felt`s confession has launched a new Watergate obsession. The people at the DVD rental service NetFlix would agree. They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT requests for the 1970s Watergate movie "All the President`s Men", which stars Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat, are up twelve fold this week. And amazon.com says the book on which that movie was based has been zooming up the best-seller charts fast, from 400 to 43, overnight. One publisher says a new book could be a best-seller as well.

PETER OSNOS, PUBLICAFFAIRS PUBLISHING: It`s just an extraordinarily interesting and exciting story. After all, you have this young intrepid reporter, meeting this very senior FBI official in a garage in Virginia. You know, you have all of those potted plants being moved around on the balcony. It`s got all of the elements of a great novel.

HAFFENREFFER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned reporter Bob Woodward is busy banging out his own Deep Throat book. One that will be in bookstores in four weeks on July 1st and probably on the best seller lists soon after. But how well would a book from Deep Throat himself do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a man who took an immense risk. What did Mark Felt think he was doing? If we`d get the answer to the question I think it would be one really interesting book.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: And we may. There is a lot of speculation when and to whom Mark Felt will sell the story. "Vanity Fair" magazine says it did not pay for the article in which Felt went public as Deep Throat. Felt`s relatives say they have not decided how to proceed. Meanwhile, Robert Redford who plays Bob Woodward in "All the President`s Men" appears on CNN`s PAULA ZAHN live tonight. He tells Paula what he would say to Mark Felt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR: I`d want to know how -- put himself now, together with yesterday and say, how do you feel now against how you felt then. What do you have to say about that? First of all I would probably want look him in the eye and say, is this really you`re doing? You`re 91 years old. Is this something you had to do? Were you coaxed to do it? If you wanted to do it, I want to know how you feel now versus how you remember feeling at that time when you were carrying that secret around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAFFENREFFER: Maybe more questions than answers. The entire Redford interview airs tonight on PAULA ZAHN NOW on CNN. A.J.?

HAMMER: All right. David Haffenreffer. Thank you very much.

It is time now for "Showbiz In Depth." Deep Throat, should Mark Felt be commented or reprimanded for his actions? Joining us live to talk about it, KNEW radio show host Jeff Katz, he is out of San Francisco. WMAL radio talk show host Michael Graham out of Washington, DC, and from Los Angeles, Kevin James, of KABC Radio.

And gentlemen, I want to thank you all for joining us. Tonight, we`re using you to sort of take the temperature of America because you are talking to America every single day and Jeff I want to start with you and talk about what`s the most hotly debated aspect of this entire story. Is he a villain or should he be commended? Is he a hero if what are your listeners saying?

JEFF KATZ, KABC RADIO HOST: The word hero never came up in conversation. Weasel, turncoat, ratfink, shameful person. Those all came up. Nobody labeled this guy hero. There was an awful lot of discussion here in the Bay Area. And remember, Mr. Felt lives not too far from San Francisco itself. There are a lot of people here very, very angry and trying to figure out, quite frankly, why he`s being lauded as a hero.

HAMMER: Michael, are you hearing the same thing from your audience?

MICHAEL GRAHAM, WMAL RADIO HOST: Absolutely. And I think it`s convenient to the guy whose non de guerre was Deep Throat, in fact had his own porn star name Mark Felt. We have been commenting on that quite a bit on my show. But I was listening -- watching your package. The thing about his life being an amazing life for fiction, absolutely.

But my listeners keep asking over and over again, how does an FBI agent, number two guy, allow crime to go on? Isn`t it his job to confront wrongdoers? If he would have been a hear hero we would have heard him years ago when he confronted Nixon on the steps of the Justice Department. Not in a garage with a reporter over in Roslyn, Virginia.

HAMMER: Okay. Kevin your eyes are raising a little bit down in the Southland? Are they saying something a little different?

KEVIN JAMES, KABC RADIO HOST: Let me tell you. Well, there may be an answer. Number two guy in the FBI, might be well aware of the corruption going all the way into the Justice Department. Maybe that`s why he thought was safer to go to the media than to go to the attorney general himself. Or deeper into the Justice Department. My listeners here in Los Angeles, I hear the word hero sometimes. I have more of a balance than me colleagues do in Washington and San Francisco. And it`s certainly a story here people in L.A. definitely want to hear.

KATZ: I don`t know about a .

HAMMER: Go ahead, Jeff, chime in.

KATZ: I don`t know you have more of a balance. The reality is that this was a guy who was p.o.`d about the fact he was passed over for a promotion. If he really were a hero, if he really wanted to get the bad guys and get the do-gooders in charge he would have gone to a U.S. attorney in DC, in Maryland, in Virginia. This was a guy who was exacting revenge because he got passed observe. Definitely not a hero.

HAMMER: Get in there, Michael.

GRAHAM: There is also the point that you can go to the media and be a hero. The way is on the record. In front of a camera and you take your lumps. Mark Felt held on to his job, held on to his pension, held on to his cushy parking space, which here in DC is a primo issue and was able to have it both ways. He attacked a political enemy and he kept his jobs and never had to take lumps for it.

HAMMER: Guys, guys, once again, Kevin, let me get into this next question so we don`t run out of time. And keeping in mind of course talking about what your listeners are saying. Obviously motives are being talked about quite a bit here, the aspect of money being at play here we just saw Mark Felt mention you know he`s going make as much money as he can. What is the audience saying about mark`s motives?

JAMES: They don`t have any problem at this point. My audience members, the ones in support of what he did they think that the ones that in essence appreciated seeing the downfall of the Nixon administration, they said, if there`s an administration that`s corrupt, we don`t care what party they are, we want them gone. They think, hey, it`s a free market society. The guy ought to be entitled to the money, it`s his story. He can tell it. The other guys certainly made their money. Why not?

HAMMER: Jeff, what are you hearing in the Bay Area?

KATZ: Well, we look at folks part of the felt family and the word smarmy comes into play. This was never about heroism. It seems now to be about money. The quotes from the kids and the grandson and other relatives are little off-color. I have no problem at all with this guy selling his story. Obviously Woodward and Bernstein have made a huge amount of money on it.

But, again, it`s being packaged as this heroic action. And Michael is absolutely correct. If he wanted to be a hero, should have been on the record, should have done it in a way that he was named. And now it just seems very -- it just seems slimy.

HAMMER: All right, Michael, quickly -- let Michael get in quickly, what are your listeners saying about this?

GRAHAM: The right-wing nut jobs like myself support capitalism and have no problem with the money. They see the checkbook journalism. To me, the dividing line here is your attitude is the press. And if you think the press are heroes, you like what he did. If you think the press have their own agenda and Mark Felt fed into it, you probably don`t think much of Mark Felt.

HAMMER: Okay, gentlemen, I have got to wrap it up. Jeff, Michael and Kevin, I know there`s more to talk about. And America will be talking to you guys about this for weeks to come I`m sure. Thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And tonight, on CNN, we`re going to have a special two-hour LARRY KING LIVE when Larry sits down with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their first exclusive primetime interview at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. It`s going to be fascinating. He`ll be with Dan Rather at 10:00 Eastern.

Karyn?

BRYANT: Now we want to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Deep Throat, Mark Felt, is he a hero. You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or if you would like to tell us more, email us. showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address.

We`ll share some of your thoughts later in the show.

Well, there is big news to tell you about Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen. We`ll fill you in on that coming up.

HAMMER: And remember when tiffany saw him standing there? How about before Arrested Development was the name of the TV show? It`s a blast from the musical past on a new reality show. And we`re going take you behind the scenes for a show biz flashback.

BRYANT: Also, DVDs you absolutely must have for your collection. It`s our special rear series, the DVD deal.

HAMMER: Time now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" great American pop culture quiz. Here we go.

The role of Tommy Williams in "Shawshank Redemption" was originally intended for which actor? Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon or Kevin Spacey? Think about it. We`re coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly`s" great American pop culture quiz. The role of Tommy Williams in "Shawshank Redemption" was originally intended for which actor? Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon or Kevin Spacey? The answer, B, Brad Pitt.

BRYANT: You have heard all about her and now, tonight, for the first time, we can show you what the so-called runway bride looks like since running away. The woman who captured America`s imagination, Jennifer Wilbanks headed to court today in Georgia. She pleaded "no contest" to a felony charge of making false statements to police.

As part of an apparent plea deal, Wilbanks was sentenced to two years` probation and 120 hours of community service for lying to police about being abducted. She also must continue her mental health treatment. Wilbanks told the judge that she is truly sorry.

HAMMER: Well, it`s almost over. By this time tomorrow, the jury in the Michael Jackson molestation trial will have the case. But today, there was some powerful talk in the courtroom. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is your place to turn for the very latest in the Jackson trial, and our Brooke Anderson is live from out front of the Neverland Ranch with more. Fill us in, Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., Jackson actually arrived home here about 45 minutes ago to Neverland Ranch from a day in court. It`s about a 30-minute drive from the courthouse in Santa Maria. He was greeted by a throng of fans, some of them rushed up to his car to get a closer look. Jackson`s car slowly its way down the driveway. We saw his waving had through an open window. We clearly saw his father, Joe, sitting in front of him. Some of the fans even cried at the mere sight of that waving hand by Jackson.

All right. Let`s go to earlier in the day. Jackson arrived at the courthouse this morning with his parents. His brothers, Tito, Randy, Jermaine and comedian and family friend Dick Gregory.

It was a big day. Closing arguments, the prosecution of course went first. Deputy district attorney Ron Zonen, one of the things that he said was that when Jackson brought children to the Neverland Ranch, at times they were separate from their parents and Jackson would take them to what Zonen described as a forbidden place, Jackson`s bedroom and then teach them about human sexuality.

Zonen also attacked defense attorney Tom Mesereau`s credibility saying he did not follow through with promises he made during the opening statement. Legal analysts said Zonen was animated focused and, most importantly, effective.

Now, Mesereau then started his closing. It was described as excellent as well. His main point was this entire thing is a shakedown, that the accuser and his mother are both con artists. He gave examples in the past of when he said they have lied. Credibility a pivotal issue all around in this case.

Now, Mesereau did not finish his closing. He will do that beginning tomorrow morning. Prosecution will then have the final word. Then it will go to the jury. A.J.?

HAMMER: Brooke, I imagine there`s quite a bit of activity there at the Neverland Ranch were you are. In fact, I see a sign of support directly behind you. Give us a feel of what`s happen happening there at the ranch?

ANDERSON: A.J., a ton of support. Fans from all over the world. Poland, Ireland, they tell me Italy, France, England all over the U.S. In fact, they had a prayer vigil for Jackson last night. They joined hands, they sang for Jackson, sang some of his songs and they prayed for Jackson.

Now, if we can take a look at some of the fans behind me. They tell me they have taken days off work, weeks off work, to be here. Some of them have spent hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars for this effort. And they bring elaborate gifts.

Yesterday, one of the security guards came out, accepted those gifts, said he would give them to Jackson. We saw cards. We saw DVDs, CDs, framed pictures, you name it. A.J., their zeal, their devotion, their intense passion, it is truly something I`ve never seen before. Back to you.

HAMMER: All right, Brooke, we look forward to have you keeping an eye on things out there at Michael Jackson`s home. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live from out front of the Neverland Ranch. Of course stay tuned to Headline Prime, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and NANCY GRACE are your places to turn for the late latest in the Michael Jackson trial.

BRYANT: Denise Richards has given birth to a baby girl. Today her rep confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Lola Sheen was born last night, weighing in at six pounds, ten ounces. Mom and the baby are doing just fine. Richards filed for divorce from Charlie Sheen in March. This is their second child together.

HAMMER: Well, tonight a blast from the musical past. From Tiffany to Arrested Development, hitmakers from the `80s are back. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is live in Hollywood right now with that story. Hi, Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNNHN CORRESPONDENT : Hi, A.J. Well, it`s the latest reality music show that has everyone talking, but this time it`s not newcomers that are competing. NBC`s new reality show "Hit Me Baby One More Time" brings back oldies from the `80s. The show debuts tonight at 9 Eastern but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got to talk to some of the musicians before they hit the small screen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS (voice-over): Tiffany, the pop princess from the past, burst onstage in the mall in the `80s. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there backstage as she tries to find it a second time around on NBC`s new reality show "Hit Me One More Time." The show pits former fans against each other. They perform their greatest hit and a new favorite and the audience gets to vote for the best.

Tiffany told us doing the show was a no-brainer.

TIFFANY, SINGER: I didn`t need to be convinced. Once they started saying Loverboy, CC Peniston, all of these people I thought, how could I not? I mean these are a great bunch of people, very talented people to be involved with.

VARGAS: That`s right. And you can`t deny CC Peniston. How can you forget her hit? She`s on board, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what? I say, once a hit, always a hit.

VARGAS: And so is Loverboy. Remember this one?

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When NBC said it would be on prime time Thursdays we said, yes, let`s do it.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: Arrested Development made this song, "Tennessee," famous again.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: And they told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they definitely developed all these years later.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jumped right in it. It`s like diving. You`re like, yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also, it was a good opportunity for us to get the word out in the United States about what we`ve been up to. So it was like, yeah, we`ll do it, definitely.

VARGAS: The show is already a hit in the U.K. and the American version is hosted by British hottie Vernon Kay. Move over, Ryan Seacrest.

VERNON KAY, "HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME" HOST: Please, no. No, I have watched "American Idol" because I thought I`d get kind of a phonedish (ph) and get an idea of how American shows work. So I have been watching Ryan`s work.

(MUSIC)

VARGAS: The stateside version may just pull in some more talent. Flock of Seagulls isn`t running away from the chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, they`ve offered us to do the show in England and it was to far to go and stuff like that. We said, no, we`re a band, we`ll stay in bed instead. So then they said, we`ll bring the show to you then. I was like, okay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: "Hit Me Baby One More Time" will also feature background pieces on the musicians and will include updates on current lives and careers. A.J.?

HAMMER: That looks like a lot of fun. Thanks very much, Sibila.

Well, in the `80s music online was just a twinkle in some programmer`s eye. My, how times have changed. We`re going to help you sort out music sites that are offering some really great exclusives for you. That`s coming up in the showbiz guide.

BRYANT: Plus, step into the ring. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT one-on-one with megastar Russell Crowe who reveals all about his new movie "Cinderella Man."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: It is time for the showbiz guide, where throughout the week we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight, your guide to music online. Joining us live is "Billboard`s" executive editor Tamara Conniff. And tonight we`re talking about five great sites were we can find exclusive music releases online.

I want to talk about myspace.com. Something going on with the Black Eyed Peas, right?

TAMARA CONNIFF, "BILLBOARD": Oh absolutely. Myspace is really a great place to experience music, stream it, before you go out and buy it, to see if you like it. Myspace is going to be streaming Black Eyed Peas` new album. Go check it out, see if you like it, and go to record stores and buy it or buy it online.

BRYANT: Okay. Now, I`m a huge Coldplay fan. And I know that iTunes is doing something with their record.

CONNIFF: Yes. This is actually a really big deal. I`ve heard part of the Coldplay album. It`s incredible. You can go to iTunes and preorder the entire album. They are also going to be offering singles on a rotation basis you can download for free and check them out.

BRYANT: Cool. There`s also aolmusic.com, and they`re partnering up with Bob Geldolf`s Live 8 concert, right?

CONNIFF: Right. It`s actually pretty amazing. The Live 8 Concert to End Poverty. An incredible list of artists including Paul McCartney, and you`re going to be able to access it through aolmusic.

BRYANT: Very cool. And finally, Yahoo! -- Not finally, YahooMusic.com for $4.99 a month you`ve got a special deal, you can just go nuts?

CONNIFF: That is a really good deal. It`s a promotion, one month only $4.99 download as much as you want. If you ever wanted to hear music weren`t sure you`d like it, go to Yahoo! and you can get it.

BRYANT: That`s a pretty good deal because some people really stock up.

CONNIFF: Yeah. And you can. It`s like an all you can eat buffet.

BRYANT: Now, finally let`s get to billboard.com your own site.

CONNIFF: Yes. Bilboard.com, check out our charts. You can listen to music, download music, new releases, what`s going on. Latest news on artists. Go there, get exactly what you need.

BRYANT: Who would you say is the top downloaded artist these days?

CONNIFF: Well, it depends if you`re looking at actual song or ring tones. Usher is constantly being downloaded Kanye West, John Legend, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, all those are really top, top sellers.

BRYANT: And out of those five, which do you think is the most user friendly site?

CONNIFF: Well, I have to say billboard.com but I guess I probably shouldn`t say that. I really think iTunes is. iTunes is extremely user friendly.

BRYANT: All right. Great. Well, Tamara Conniff, thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

CONNIFF: Thanks for having me.

HAMMER: All good, very helpful and important information. But you know, man cannot live online music alone. Not with all those movies out there on DVD. Coming up in our special series, the DVD deal, we`re going to take a look at those must-have DVDs. Those great collections that you just have to add to `your` collection.

Plus: variety is the spice of Angelina Jolie`s red carpet life. We`ve got her many looks, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS: Hello there. I`m Sophia Choi. Here`s your Headline Prime newsbreak.

Convoys carrying U.S. diplomats and Iraqi politician were the target of separate suicide car bombings in Iraq this morning. Those blasts killed 19 including an Iraqi politician and two children. No Americans were hurt.

The so-called runaway bride has pleaded no contest to a felony charge of making false statements to police. Jennifer Wilbanks apologized for pretending to be kidnapped when she decided not to go through with her April wedding. She`s been sentenced to two years` probation and 120 hours of community service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANURAG KASHYAP, SPELLING BEE CHAMPION: I-A-T-U-R-A.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHOI: And with that 13-year-old Anurag Kashyap won the national spelling bee. The California eighth grader won in the 19th round by correctly spelling the word appoggiatura. He beat out 272 other spellers to take home some $30,000 in prizes. Congratulations to him.

That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi. Now, back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: She is re-fashioning the world. But first Angelina Jolie did a little makeover on herself. The actress`s transformation coming up.

HAMMER: And Russell Crowe revamps for "Cinderella Man." The muscle- man`s a tough-guy in the ring, but a softy outside it. What he`s really fighting for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMA BUNTON, SINGER: Hi, everyone. I`m Emma Bunton. And if it happened today, it`s on if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant.

Here are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: The Michael Jackson trial is almost in the hands of the jury. The defense will finish up its closing arguments tomorrow. In closing arguments today, prosecutors told the jury Jackson targeted a cancer survivor and brought the little boy into the world of the forbidden. Defense attorneys countered saying the boy`s family is a bunch of con artists.

BRYANT: The secret is out. So, will the money roll? Making a deep pocket out of "Deep Pocket." Mark Felt says he intents to write his book about his role as an informant the Watergate scandal. Journalist Bob Woodward is cranking out his own book in less than four weeks.

HAMMER: And leads to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day "Deep Throat," Mark Felt, is he a hero?" We`d like you to keep voting by going to the Web site CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you have more to say, send us your e-mails, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. We`re going to share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.

BRYANT: We have this story just in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Cameron Diaz is suing the "National Enquirer" for $60 million for publishing a paparazzi photo implying she`s having an affair with the producer of her MTV show "Trippin." Diaz and the producer filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles yesterday accusing the tabloid of slander, libel and a host of other charges.

HAMMER: Well tonight, Hollywood`s hottest in-love newlywed is defending Tom Cruise for his very public displays of love for actress Katie Holmes. Cruise has been everywhere lately, publicly professing his love for Holmes. And in the past few weeks, he`s also been talking more and more about his religion, scientology.

"The New York Times" is reporting that tongues are wagging in Hollywood about whether Cruise is actually harming his career. But today on "The View," Cruise`s Jerry Maguire co-star Renee Zellweger, who just got married to country star Kenny Chesney said she`s thrilled that Cruise is in love.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: I`m happy for him. He`s a nice man. And he deserves happiness. And I don`t care about that. I don`t care what anybody who doesn`t know him has to say about what`s going on in his life. his life. I am for him. Because he gives goodness and kindness every day to every...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: A quick note, we learned today that Renee`s ex, Jack White of the White Stripes is now a married man. He married model Karen Elson in the Amazon jungle in Brazil yesterday. Apparently, it was a very nice day for a white wedding.

BRYANT: Well, Dave Chappelle has last laugh on DVD sales. Season two of his hit show has set a new TV to DVD record.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE CHAPPELLE: Real Sex street interview take one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what`s the greatest thing you ever did sexually?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The craziest thing I did sex -- oh, oh, oh. OK, OK, OK. One time I had a three-way with these two guys in college and my sorority sisters were like cheering me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: OH, that`s a funny show that "Dave Chappelle Show."

Well, within a week of its release, "Season 2: Uncensored" has sold $1.2 million copies. Retailers unloaded 500,000 copies in the first day alone.

Viewers will have cling to that three-disc set for their fix. Comedy Central postponed season three when Chappelle went AWOL. But the comic reigns supreme overall in TV to DVD sales.

"The Chappelle Show: Season 1" tops the list of best-selling TV to DVD sets with nearly 3 million copies. It is followed by "Family Guy, Volume I," "The Simpsons: Season One," "Seinfeld: Seasons One and Two" and "Sex and the City: Season One."

So what DVDs must you absolutely have for you collection? Well, tonight, we continue our special series "The DVD Deal."

And joining us live to give us their picks for must have collections. In New York, Belinda Luscombe from "Time" magazine. Joining us from Virginia tonight, Mike Snyder from "USA Today" and on the West Coast in San Francisco, James Rocchi from "Net Flicks."

Thank you all for joining us. And Belinda, I want to start with you. I`m on a desert island, all I got is my DVD player and a TV. What DVD must I have?

BELINDA LUSCOMBE, TIME: That`s all you took to the desert island, A.J.?

HAMMER: That`s all they would let me have, sorry.

LUSCOMBE: I`d take the "Star Wars Trilogy." It`s a big set. It`s got four big DVDs. And the reason I`d take it is this, the Star Wars Trilogy unlike the Matrix Trilogy or the Rocky movies, when you`ve seen to the end of it, you don`t wish you hadn`t eaten the whole thing. The last two don`t spoil the first one for you. It`s a really good set. And the documentary that comes with it is incredible.

It shows how incredibly hard it was to get the first one made, how it was absolutely centimeters away from being a complete disaster for George Lucas and for FOX and for everyone involved. And once more, it`s a kind of set that you can sit down and with your children watch it, and you can watch it again and again. And for the adults, it`s like a nostalgia trip and for the kids, it`s a whole new world.

HAMMER: All right, Mike any thoughts on why that`s a must have?

MIKE SNYDER, USA TODAY: Oh, that`s a great set, obviously. I mean, you can`t argue with Star Wars. And that documentary is great, because you have people like Peter Jackson and other filmmakers talking about how George Lucas inspired them. I mean I wouldn`t be in trouble getting stuck on a desert island with that.

HAMMER: All right. James, you can chime in quickly on Star Wars.

JAMES ROCCHI, NETFLIX: I`m still crossing my fingers that one day, maybe, Lucas will release the original films on DVD and not the slightly revised editions he quote/unquote improved.

HAMMER: Right.

ROCCHI: That`s keeping it from being my desert island pick.

HAMMER: OK, Mike. Well, let`s get with your pick. What would you have? What`s a must have for any collection?

SNYDER: Well, speaking of Peter Jackson, the third installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy "Return of the King," won 11s Oscars. But the best part is, you can get a longer version if you`re a real fan of the films and that would be my DVD, the extended decision of Return of the King. It is four discs. And it has an extra hour of almost of extra stuff.

Then, when you`re done, you can watch about a day`s worth of extra material from finding the sites of where they`re going to make the film to other things like making costumes. And then the final shots of the film, the cast saying good-bye to each other and the premieres. I mean it`s just a great way to spend time learning about the film making process and everything that went into the Lord of the Rings.

And if you really want to geek out, you can listen to one of four or five commentaries with the people that make costumes with the director Peter Jackson, with the cast. I`m mean, I`ve had this on my shelf for six months. And I haven`t even gotten through all of it yet.

HAMMER: Wow. A lot of stuff on there.

Well Mike, I want to get to your collections too. What is an absolute must have for any DVD library?

ROCCHI: Well, I would say the must have is one that`s coming soon, and that would be the new 30th anniversary edition of "Jaws." This is a classic film that really changed the shape of American movie making. It includes a two-hour long documentary, new material and most importantly, it`s a great movie.

I always joke, the cruelest words in DVD are big "Mom Mama`s House: Special Edition." I think that all of the bells and whistles don`t matter if you don`t have a terrific film. And "Jaws" is exactly that. It holds up. It`s suspenseful. It`s funny.

And this DVD gives a great insight in all of the challenges in the making of the film. And its legacy how it affected not only just Hollywood for that summer, but for years to come.

HAMMER: It`s a truly great summer viewing movie. And real quickly, Belinda, did you have something to chime in on "Jaws?"

LUSCOMBE: I mean, "Jaws" is a great choice as well. "Jaws" and the first "Star Wars" came out pretty much the same summer or one summer apart. And they did change the face of movie making. I`m just not a big enough geek to watch that much "Return of the King."

HAMMER: All right. Well, it sounds like we can`t go wrong with "Jaws," "Lord of the Rings" and the "Star Wars Trilogy." Thank you for helping us out with must haves for the DVD library.

Belinda, Mike and James, all of you, for joining here us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And tomorrow, "The DVD Deal" continues when we look into the booming business of DVDs.

BRYANT: No surprise that the "Star Wars" package is at my house, A.J. No surprise.

Lisa Kudrow makes a comeback in a new comedy series. The "Friends" star turned out in Los Angeles for the premiere of her new show, "The Comeback." Kudrow plays a former "it" girl doing whatever it takes to get back in the spotlight. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her character who agrees to star in a reality series and lets the cameras follow her attempts to return to TV stardom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA KUDROW, ACTRESS: I mean, my favorite brand of humor, anyway, is that kind of subtle, person`s completely unaware of how they`re coming off, you know. So, I like that a lot.

And it`s also sad. This woman is pathetic. She`s so diluted about who she is and her, you know, place in this world that -- she`s pathetic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: "The Comeback" debuts Sunday night on HBO.

HAMMER: "Cinderella Man" needed more than a glass slipper to win this fight. Russell Crowe tells us what part of his body he changed for this new movie, and what it`s like to be a real-life daddy. That`s coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."

BRYANT: Plus, she went from wild woman to glamour girl. Angelina Jolie`s personal style. That is Thursday`s "InStyle."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Tonight, a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Russell Crowe, who stars with Renee Zellweger in a new movie "Cinderella Man," which opens tomorrow. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas went one-on-one with Crowe, and Sibila joins us once again live from Hollywood. Hey there, Sibila.

VARGAS: Hey, Karyn. That`s right. Crowe reunites with director Ron Howard for this one. They first worked together on the Oscar-winning film "A Beautiful Mind."

Now, "Cinderella Man" tells the story about real-life boxer James J. Braddock, who entered the ring to feed his family during the Great Depression of the 1930s. And Crowe told me that he loved immersing himself in the boxer`s life, down to the very little details. He also told me that he`s enjoying another role, as father.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: I`ve seen this film, and just looking at you, the transformation. How important is the look for you?

RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: You know, I had footage of Braddock, and I knew the style of a boxer he was, and so, you know, I wasn`t -- you know, this - - the film, and the way that I move in the film is as close as I can get to recreating him. I`m not doing a generic boxer; I`m specifically doing James J. Braddock.

Part of the fun for me is the detail. The ears, I don`t know if you noticed, he`s got cauliflower ears. And they also poke out, so I had -- I had these bars stuck up behind my ears to make my ears go like that, and it was so funny. I said, you know, I showed Ron, look, here`s a photo of Braddock, here`s a photo of me, and he goes oh, gee, I don`t know, you know, Russell, are you sure, you know, I mean, are you sure about the ears, you know? I mean, I`m a guy who`s got ears like that. I`m not sure if that should be in the movie.

VARGAS: Do you ever feel like with your characters, that they leave something with you?

CROWE: Oh I think, you know, I put so much effort into it and stuff, I always take something away with the characters, and take, you know, life stuff with me. You know, my dad occasionally jokes that I only became a man when I started making movies, because of all the various skills I`ve had to learn, you know. And if only I`d just shut up and listened a little bit more when I was younger, I would have been ahead of the game.

VARGAS: Did you learn anything as a family man now? I mean, you`ve celebrated your second-year anniversary, and you`ve got this little guy, who I hear is an incorrigible flirt. Does he take after his dad or his mom?

CROWE: Just trying to think if I`m going to get in trouble answering.

If you go into having a kid like the way that we have, in that, you know, we waited a long time. You know, we got married first, you know, and then we said, you know, as soon as a baby comes, the baby, and then honeymoon, pregnancy, it was just like boom, wow. Maybe just a little quicker than we were expecting. But once you`ve made the decision, you know, with an open heart that you want to have a child, then it doesn`t matter what happens after that, you know. Because the priorities are in place and that`s that this little baby comes first. So you know, I have a great relationship with my boy, and I`m just really looking forward to it unfolding over the years, you know, because it`s just so special now, I can`t imagine how much fun it`s going to be when we can have a chat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And there`s already Oscar buzz building around this film here in Hollywood. Now, the film also stars Paul Giamatti as Crowe`s trainer, another great performance -- Karyn.

BRYANT: All right, Sibila, I`m really looking forward to that picture. Thanks very much.

HAMMER: It`s time now for Thursday`s "InStyle." Tonight, Angelina Jolie and how she`s transformed over the years from wild child to glamour girl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTHA MCCULLY, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Instant replay is a section in the magazine where we really look at the transformation of an actress over time. All of her looks, her movie roles, what she`s worn on the red carpet, what she`s worn in her own life.

Angelina Jolie has had an amazing transformation. Sort of wild child, hellcat, to really glamour woman. I mean, she has really come into her own, and this story really marks the transformation of her.

Angelina Jolie really loves her tattoos, and she has quite a few of them. There`s a medieval one that`s a dragon, a literary one that`s a quote from Tennessee Williams, sort of a prayer for the wilder part.

And then of course there is a Buddhist one that is about protecting her son, Maddox.

Angelina really loves an ivory white dress. It`s a very clean, sophisticated style. And she`ll do it in a lot of different ways. I mean, she`ll wear a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo, or a Marc Bauer old Hollywood style beautiful satin gown.

One of the costume designers was saying that Angelina Jolie really knows how not to obscure herself, which I think is a really interesting thing when wearing dresses. She was wearing a champagne-colored Randolph Duke gown in 1998 and 1999. And then there`s a metallic Versace, also in sort of this crystal color, and then even an olive Collette Dinnigan in 2003. And then a caramel Celine mini dress, but she always carries it off with a certain sort of -- her body really comes through.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: For more about Angelina Jolie`s fashion sense, all you have to do is pick up a copy of June`s "InStyle" magazine, which is on the newsstands now.

BRYANT: It`s time to get your laugh on in "Laugh After Dark." We do it every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed.

Well, about this time last night, "American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, he had just come from paying a visit to "The Daily Show`s" Jon Stewart, where the barefooted Bo made a somewhat (INAUDIBLE) attempt to promote his new CD.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, "DAILY SHOW": The songs, the two songs, "Inside Your Heaven," "Vehicle," is this thing already selling? Is this available for people? This is the CD. Are they getting it now? What`s the situation?

BO BICE, "AMERICAN IDOL" RUNNER-UP: I don`t think that that is out in stores yet. Well, let`s see. Nothing in there.

STEWART: Is that true?

BICE: We`re not going to be listening today!

STEWART: I`ve been completely ripped off. I paid $9.99 for this.

BICE: Actually, you know what`s bad? This is really Clay`s. It`s invisible, you know?

STEWART: Clay`s invisible CD that he plays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: You got to check first before you walk out of the store.

BRYANT: There you go. All right, well, tonight on "The Daily Show," Russell Crowe.

HAMMER: Well, a nail-biter in Washington. You can call it s-u-s-p-e- n-s-e -- did I get that right?

BRYANT: Yes, you did.

HAMMER: That was at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. A 13-year-old emerges victorious. We`re going to tell you how.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Deep Throat, Mark Felt: Is he a hero? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or write us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Now, you can bend it like Beckham. The British soccer star is showing American kids a thing or two on the field. Today, the athlete announced plans for the David Beckham Academy. It is set to open this fall, the Home Depot Center in California. There`s also a sister academy in East London. The school is designed to sharpen the skills and sportsmanship of young players. As this say in soccer -- I mean, football...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Goal!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, A.J., if you`re planning on changing professions and going pro in spelling, you better look out. You may have some competition -- fierce competition -- from the 13-year-old winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASHYAP: Appoggiatura. A-P-P-O-G-G-I-A-T-U-R-A!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Anurag Kashyap out of California beat out 272 other spellers in the 78th annual bee. The winning word -- appoggiatura.

HAMMER: What?

BRYANT: Appoggiatura.

HAMMER: Well said.

BRYANT: It`s an Italian musical term, meaning an embellishing note or tone, but for this eighth-grader, it means some $30,000 in prizes. Anurag burst into tears, calling it just pure happiness.

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Deep Throat, Mark Felt -- is he a hero?

Here`s how the vote`s going so far: 65 percent of you say, yes, Mark Felt is a hero, so 35 percent no, he is not. We`ve gotten some e-mails on the question as well.

We got this one from Tony that says, "Yes, heroes are people who change things for the better. So, by that definition, yes." Also heard from Andrew in Arkansas who wrote, "I salute him and the fact that he had to be worry about being outed for all of these years."

Remember, you can continue to vote by going to the Web site CNN.com/showbiztonight.

BRYANT: It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, tomorrow.

HAMMER: For that, he`s back. Let`s take a look at the "Showbiz Marquee," with the marquee guy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEE GUY: So, what really happened on-set with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? Just ask the eye behind the camera. OK, we will. The director of "Mr. And Mrs. Smith," Doug Liman, joins us live tomorrow, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Also tomorrow -- and one of TV`s greatest moms ever. We love her! Phylicia Rashad. She`s up for her second Tony award. She`ll always be in our hearts for "Cosby" and she`s got lots to say about -- about -- well, if we told you, we would ruin the surprise, wouldn`t we? Phylicia Rashad, live, tomorrow. This is the marquee guy, and as A.J. and Karyn can tell you, often imitated but never duplicated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: We did a decent job...

BRYANT: We tried.

HAMMER: ...filling in for the marquee guy yesterday.

BRYANT: Tomorrow!

HAMMER: You saw the play Phylicia Rashad is in.

BRYANT: I did. I`ve seen Phylicia Rashad on stage. She is -- she`s terrific and just she`s a very talented woman.

HAMMER: She`s a lovely woman as well. Looking forward to having her here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.

END


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