Morning Report - News from Nov. 7, 1998

ART

New Law in Austria: Austria’s parliament has unanimously enacted a law providing for the return of Jewish artworks plundered by the Nazis or donated under coercion from postwar governments. The law covers art that entered state-run museums and art collections under questionable circumstances over the last six decades. It could allow Maria Altmann of Los Angeles to retrieve several paintings that have been housed in the Austrian Gallery in Vienna. Altmann is a beneficiary of her uncle, Austrian sugar magnate Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, who died in 1945, after his art collection had been taken by the Nazis. The most valuable painting--estimated to be worth more than $30 million--is a portrait of Bloch-Bauer’s wife, Adele, by Gustav Klimt. Altmann’s attorney, E. Randol Schoenberg, said he is hopeful the looted artworks will be returned promptly.

Auction at Christie’s: An auction of American art Wednesday night at Christie’s in Beverly Hills racked up a total of $2 million in sales, set a record for California Impressionist William Wendt and brought unexpectedly high prices for other works. Wendt’s landscape “In the Valley,” valued at $80,000 to $120,000, was purchased anonymously for a whopping $530,000. An autumn scene by Jasper Cropsey that was expected to fetch no more than $60,000 brought $145,500, and the price of a painting by Harvey T. Dunn escalated from an estimated high of $25,000 to $105,900.

POP/ROCK

Slander Suit: Singer Michael Jackson has lost round two in his slander suit against Paramount Pictures and former “Hard Copy” reporter Diane Dimond. California’s State Court of Appeals upheld a Superior Court ruling, stating no evidence of malice existed in a January 1995 broadcast in which Dimond reported the search and purported existence of a videotape showing Jackson fondling an underage boy. The “Hard Copy” story was based on information provided largely by one source, Victor Gutierrez, who wrote and self-published “Michael Jackson Was My Lover.” Gutierrez, later sued by Jackson, lost and was ordered to pay the pop star $2.7 million in damages. The tape was never found or aired. Attorney Patricia L. Glaser, who represents the Paramount-produced show and Dimond, said Gutierrez had been a reliable source for Dimond on 10 previous stories involving Jackson, and said the ruling would help protect journalists over the issue of defamation of character.

Honors Report: Recording industry titan Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records, and singer Bobby “Blue” Bland, now in his sixth decade of performing, will receive the Blues Foundation’s fourth annual Lifetime Achievement Award Monday night at the House of Blues. Performing on their behalf will be a stellar lineup featuring Ray Charles, Stephen Sills, Boz Scaggs, Ruth Brown and Bland.

TELEVISION

‘Homicide’ to Court TV: Court TV, as part of its new strategy to broaden the appeal of its prime-time schedule, has acquired exclusive rights to reruns of NBC’s popular detective drama “Homicide: Life on the Street.” The series will begin on the cable network Jan. 1. The network also plans to revamp “Johnnie Cochran Live” into a half-hour nightly newsmagazine.

Protest at Disney: The National Assn. of Broadcast Employees and Technicians held a rally Friday outside the Walt Disney Studios, the owner of ABC, charging the network with unfair labor practices. ABC has locked out union members since Tuesday, after an unannounced walkout Monday. A union spokeswoman estimated that between 200 and 300 people attended the Burbank rally.

MOVIES

‘Breakfast’ at Disney: Walt Disney Studios has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Breakfast of Champions,” Bruce Willis and Alan Rudolph’s movie version of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s 1973 novel. Speculation about where the film would find a home had swirled after screenings in New York and Los Angeles drew a lukewarm reception from distributors. But Disney, whose “Armageddon” and upcoming “The Sixth Sense” both star Willis, apparently wants to stay in the Willis business. The film will likely be released next spring.

QUICK TAKES

Artist Harry Gamboa Jr., an influential figure in the Chicano avant-garde arena for nearly three decades, will read from his new book of collected writings, “Urban Exile,” tonight at 8 at Skylight Books in Los Feliz. . . . On Sunday, PS ARTS, the nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore arts education in schools, features a special musical performance by “3rd Rock From the Sun” star John Lithgow as well as a silent auction of works by Frank Gehry, David Hockney and Alexis Smith. The program will be at 72 Market Street in Venice from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. . . . On Veterans Day Wednesday, Gregory Peck, honorary chairman of L.A. Vets and the Bel-Air Navy League, will host a benefit screening of “Return With Honor”--a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmakers Freida Lee Mock and Terry Sanders--at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.