Morning Briefing

MOVIES

‘Phantom’ Support: A group calling itself “The Michael Crawford Phantom Movie Campaign” took out a two-page ad in Daily Variety on Monday urging Andrew Lloyd Webber to “show the courage of your original conviction” and cast Michael Crawford in the movie version of “The Phantom of the Opera.” The ad, which a group spokeswoman said was in reaction to talk from actor Antonio Banderas’ camp about his interest in the role, noted that Crawford’s 1,300 stage performances in the role took in $80 million at theater box offices. “We’re the ones with the money,” the ad said. “ ‘Phantom’ is poised potentially to make or break the musical film genre. Will you take it to new heights or bury it?” The spokeswoman described the purchasers of the ad as an Internet-based group of 300 consumers from the U.S., Canada, England and Australia; she said the campaign’s Web site, at https://www.phantommovie.com, had received 1,500 signatures from Crawford supporters all over the world. A spokeswoman at Warner Bros., which owns the movie rights, said the film is “still in development” and that no stars are attached.

AFI Goes on the Road: The American Film Institute will announce plans today for a 20-city tour of movie memorabilia, mini film sets and theatrical clips designed to “bring American film history to movie lovers across the nation and enhance AFI’s continuing effort to raise awareness of classic films and screen icons.” Described by AFI Director Jean Picker Firstenberg as a “traveling museum,” the American Film Centennial National Tour will kick off Friday in Miami, with a Los Angeles stop planned at the Los Cerritos shopping mall May 7-9.

Designated Stinkers: So “Shakespeare in Love” captured the crown as last year’s best picture, but what was the year’s worst flick? According to the 19th annual Golden Raspberry Awards--determined by film professionals, journalists and movie fans and announced just before Sunday’s Oscars--the dubious honor goes to the Joe Eszterhas satire “An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn!” In fact, Eszterhas, who wrote the script, co-wrote one of the film’s songs and appeared in the movie as himself, garnered a record four Razzie awards, for worst new star, worst supporting actor, worst screenplay and worst original song. Eszterhas shared the worst new star designation with talk-show host Jerry Springer, who starred in the big screen’s “Ringmaster.” The worst actor award, meanwhile, went to Bruce Willis for a trio of performances--”Armageddon,” “Mercury Rising” and “The Siege”--and the Spice Girls were dubbed worst actress for “Spice World.” Gus Van Sant was named worst director for his remake of “Psycho.”

Do ‘Toons Need Rehab?: A new study suggests that Disney’s animated elephant Dumbo--who inadvertently swills champagne and ends up dreaming of pink elephants--and many other cartoon characters aren’t good role models for kids when it comes to drinking and smoking. The report, unveiled at an American Medical Assn. conference in New York, found that more than two-thirds of the 50 G-rated, animated films released by major studios during the past 60 years portray alcohol or tobacco use. Dr. Adam O. Goldstein, of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine, said he began the study two years ago when he took his children to animated films and was struck by the amount of smoking. In addition to Disney films, the study also looked at releases from MGM/United Artists, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. A Disney spokeswoman responded: “To suggest that Disney films endorse or support the use of tobacco and alcohol is absurd.”

RADIO

KFI Schedule: KFI-AM (640) began its new afternoon-drive lineup Monday, following the departure of John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou (“John & Ken”), who will be switching to morning drive (5 to 9 a.m.) on KABC-AM (790). From 3 to 4 p.m., KFI is airing a consumer call-in show, hosted by Clark Howard, who also will continue to be heard on the station from 3 to 5 a.m. Then from 4 to 7 p.m., KFI presents “Karel and Andrew,” hosted by Karel Bouley and Andrew Howard, two 30-ish men who had been doing fill-in work at the station. Program Director David G. Hall described them as “not only openly gay but over-the-top, flamboyantly gay. But they don’t talk about gay issues. They talk about being gay the way [morning-drive host] Bill Handel talks about being Jewish.” Meanwhile, Kobylt said Monday that it’s likely he and Chiampou could begin their new gig at KABC on July 1 to coincide with the start of the summer Arbitron ratings quarter.

QUICK TAKES

Tickets go on sale Sunday at 10 a.m. for Southland R.E.M. concert dates, Aug. 9 and 10 at the Greek Theatre and Aug. 11 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. . . . “The Rugrats Movie” passed the $100-million mark at the box office over the weekend, becoming the first animated non-Disney movie to do so. . . . Director Ron Howard will put his hands and feet in wet cement in the forecourt of Mann’s Chinese Theater today during noon ceremonies. . . . “The CBS Evening News With Dan Rather” has won the 1998 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for outstanding investigative work in print and broadcast media, for a seven-part series that identified the remains of an unknown soldier buried at Arlington National Cemetery as Vietnam war hero Sgt. Michael Blassie. . . . Director Curtis Hanson (“L.A. Confidential”) has been appointed chairman of the UCLA Film and Television Archive, a new position in which he will oversee a newly created board of media artists who will advise the archive’s staff on creative issues.