UU ...... a
HOLLYWOOD -- Is anyone bothered
by "Arthur Christmas," who Sony Pic-
tures claims is the son of Santa Claus?
Santa can be traced back to 1823, when
Clement Clarke Moore gave the word
the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas."
He also was known as Father Christmas
and Kris Kringle, and in Greek and
Byzantine folklore he is referred to as
Basil of Caesarea. In 1996, a TV movie
with music by Jerry Herman ("Hello
Dolly" and "Mame") and starring An-
gela Lansbury gave us a detailed and
close-up look at "Mrs. Santa Claus." In
2002, ABC Family gave us "Santa Claus,
Jr." with Nick Stabile as Kris Kringle Jr.,
and now we have "Arthur Christmas," in
3D no less.
Not only did they create Arthur out
of thin air, but they've also invented a
brother named Steve and Santa's father,
Grand-Santa. The questions that beg for
answers are ... if Santa and Mrs. Claus are
almost 200 years old, can they still have
children? Does anyone with a pen have
the right to make up family members for
one of the greatest folklore figures the
world has ever known? Judging from
the disappointing box-office receipts
for "Arthur Christmas," people aren't
in a rush to update the family tree for
Father Xmas !
The cable station Antenna TV recently
revived the old Three Stooges shorts.
The Farrelly Brothers homage to "The
Three Stooges" is being released in April
by Sony Pictures, which just happens to
own Antenna TV. Chris Diamantopoulas
is Moe, "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes
is Larry, and "Mad TV's" Will Sasso is
Curly. This film won't be like the 2000
TV film which had Paul Ben-Victor as
Moe, "Sex and the City's" Evan Han-
dler as Larry and "The Shield's" Michael
Chiklis as Curly. That film was about
how the Stooges were taken advantage
of by Columbia Pictures head Harry
Cohn, who produced their black-and-
white short films.
.......................... This new film is about the characters in
those shorts, with all the physical humor
and slapstick. Added star power is pro-
vided by "Glee's" Jane Lynch, "Modern
Family's" Sofia Vergara, "Dreamgirls"
Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, "Curb
Your Enthusiasm's" Larry David and
"Jersey Shore" stars Snookie and Mike
"The Situation" Sorrentino. In true Far-
relly Brothers fashion, they've crafted a
vehicle that has the Stooges trying to save
their childhood orphanage, inadvertently
stumbling onto a murder plot and starring
in a reality TV show. The trailers online
look very funny, but can they sustain it
for a full-length film? Even the Stooges
would?ve done a double take at having
to work with Snookie and The Situation!
Hey Snookie, "pick 2 fingers !"
Send letters to Tony Rizzo's Hollywood,
8306 Wilshire Blvd., No. 362, Beverly
Hills, CA 90211.
(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.
Will Sasso, Chris Diamantopoulas, Sean Hayes
1. GEN-
ERAL
KNOWL-
EDGE: by Ffti
W h i c h R0drigue z
youth
group's slogan is "Learn by doing"?
2. TELEVISION: Who was the German
commandant of Stalag 13 in TV's"Hogan's
Heroes"?
3. U.S. GOVERNMENT: VChich state did
Harry Byrd represent in the U.S. Senate for
32 years?
4. INVENTORS: Who was the inventor of
the first practical process of photography?
5. MYTHOLOGY: Who was the Greek
goddess Persephone?
6. HISTORY: What did Jack Ruby, who
killed JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald,
do for a living?
7. SPORTS: When was the Stanley Cup
first awarded?
8. THEATER: Tennessee Williams won a
Pulitizer Prize for which one of his plays
in 1948?
9. GEOGRAPHY: The c.ity of Cartagena,
Spain, lies next to which body of water?
10. EXPLORERS: What was the nationality
of polar explorer Roaid Amundsen?
ANSWERS
1.4-H
2. Col. Wilhelm Klink
3. Virginia
4. Louis Daguerre
5. Queen of the underworld
6. Ruby was a Dallas nightclub owner
7. 1893
8. "A Streetcar Named Desire"
9. Mediterranean Sea
10. Norweigan
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A hectic
period begins to wind down. Take time to
draw some deep breaths and relax before
getting into your next project. A long-ab-
sent family member makes contact.
. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You're
eager to move forward with a new chal-
lenge that suddenly dropped in your lap.
But you'd be wise to take this one step at
a time to allow new developments to come
through.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You're
almost ready to make a commitment. A
lingering doubt or two, however, should
be resolved before you move ahead. An as-
sociate could provide important answers.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Caution
is still the watchword as you move closer
toward a decision about a new situation. If
you act too fast, you might miss some vital
warning signs. Go slowly and stay alert.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your new goal
looks promising, and your golden touch
does much to enhance its prospects for
success. In your private life, Cupid does
his best to make your new relationship
special.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) That
impatient side of yours is looking to goad
you into moving before you're ready to
take that big step. Stay calm and cool. Let
things fall into place before you act.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A
legal matter you hoped could finally be
settled could be a pesky problem for a
while, until all the parties agree to stop
disagreeing with each other. Be patient.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)
Partnerships -- personal or professional --
which began before the new year take on
new importance. They also reveal some
previously hidden risks. So be warned.
SAGrITARIUS (November 22 to Decem-
ber 21) Your associates are firmly on your
side, and that persistent problem that has
caused you to delay some activities should
soon be resolved to your satisfaction.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to Janu-
ary 19) Favorable changes continue to
dominate, and you should be respo.nding
positively as they emerge. Someone wants
to become more involved in what you:re
doing.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to Februaryd 8)
A friend wants to share a secret that coald
answer some questions you've wonderel
about for a long time. Meanwhile, travdl
aspects continue to be strong. :
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Sta2
on your new course despite so-called well-
meaning efforts to discourage you. Rely on
your deep sense of self-awareness to guide
you to do what's right for you.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have the capac-
ity to meet challenges that others might find
overwhelming, and turn them into success-
fill ventures.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
