Tue, March 31, 2009
A Malawi court is expected to rule on Friday whether Madonna can adopt a second infant from the country. The pop star appeared in court on Monday seeking to adopt a four-year-old girl, Mercy James. The case was adjourned until April 3. Critics had accused the government of giving one of the world's most successful singers special treatment when she adopted her Malawian son David Banda, saying it skirted laws that ban non-residents from adopting children.
Oscar-winning French composer Maurice Jarre, who wrote the scores for films including "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia," has died in Los Angeles at the age of 84. Jarre's music won him Academy Awards for those classics and for "A Passage to India." He also worked with directors from Alfred Hitchcock and Luchino Visconti to Peter Weir. Jarre, who had lived in Los Angeles for many years, was one of the most successful and industrious film composers of his time with more than 150 credits to his name.
The University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts celebrated its 80th birthday over the weekend by dedicating a new 137,000-square-foot complex. The new structures include sound stages, screening rooms and state-of-the-art digital equipment. Among those showing off the new digs were USC alum and donor George Lucas and his director pal, Steven Spielberg. USC is known for producing successful talent. In every year since 1973, at least one former student from the USC school has been nominated for an Oscar. Lucas and his Lucasfilm Foundation contributed 75 million dollars to the construction of the school's new classrooms and equipment. His foundation also funded the School of Cinematic Arts endowment by 100 million dollars
