Digest

Box office magic

By TIMES WIRES
Published July 13, 2007

Harry Potter has the magic touch at the box office. The Order of the Phoenix took in $44.8-million in its first day, the best single-day gross ever for a movie on a Wednesday. That included $12-million from screenings that started at midnight Tuesday. The sequel topped the previous Wednesday record of $40.4-million for 2004's Spider-Man 2, according to box office tracker Media By Numbers.

Perks for Paris

Los Angeles County jail officials vowed to treat Paris Hilton like any other inmate. But the Sheriff's Department on Thursday launched an internal investigation into whether the hotel heiress received special perks while at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, the Los Angelos Times reports. The department union said deputies say Hilton had free access to a cordless phone while other prisoners must wait in line to use pay phones during set hours. Hilton also received daily visits from top brass at the Lynwood facility - including a captain who delivered her mail - in contrast to others who receive letters brought to them by inmate trusties, they said. And officials were allegedly ordered to give her a new jail uniform while many inmates use recycled ones. Michael Gennaco, chief attorney for the Sheriff's Department's Office of Independent Review, said he would track the investigation.

Not so 'ladylike'

Miss New Jersey can keep her crown despite photos that show her acting "not in a ladylike manner." Hours after a nervous Amy Polumbo went public Thursday on NBC's Today show with photos of herself that had been sent anonymously to pageant officials, those officials decided the pictures did not merit taking away her title.

Richie hearing put off

Nicole Richie's driving-under-the-influence trial was delayed Wednesday until Aug. 16 so a defense expert can challenge evidence in the case. Richie's lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, said in court that Dr. Terence Sean McGee will testify about tests and conclusions by drug experts used by prosecutors. Holley told the court that McGee's testimony was critical to the defense, but he is unavailable to appear in court until next month. Richie, 25, was not in court for the brief hearing. Because she faces a misdemeanor charge, she was not required to attend.

Families haggle over O.J. book

The family of Nicole Brown Simpson wants a piece of the rights to O.J. Simpson's If I Did It book that a proposed federal bankruptcy court settlement would award solely to the estate of Ron Goldman, who was slain along with Simpson's ex-wife in 1994, the Associated Press reports. The Brown family says in court papers that it should get 40 percent of any proceeds from the book, with the Goldmans entitled to 60 percent. The Goldmans are trying to get control of the aborted book, as well as the copyright and movie rights. The Goldmans want to rename the book Confessions of a Double Murderer and shop it around.

Goodbye Court TV, hello truTV

Court TV is adjourning in favor of truTV. The network has announced its name would change, effective Jan. 1, to better reflect an emphasis on nonfiction programming. TruTV will still offer court coverage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, and on its Web site. But the focus shifts at 3 p.m., when a new talk show with Star Jones as host airs. Nonfiction series like Forensic Files and Haunting Evidence will continue, the network said. But the network is also developing series on female bounty hunters in Miami, con artists and life-or-death rescues.

Diller injures back

Veteran comedian Phyllis Diller had to cancel a Tonight Show appearance celebrating her 90th birthday because she fractured a disc in her back after an awkward turn. She was also set to appear before the Television Critics Association confab. "It's very disappointing," her manager, Milt Suchin, said. "She was going to do a stand-up bit but she really can't stand up properly." She may need a month to recuperate, he said. Diller voices Peter's mother for the animated TV series Family Guy and recently made a guest appearance on ABC's Boston Legal.

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 23:41:09]