Key Door Wasn’t Open to Ad

Some critics are taking issue with the historical accuracy of a scene in the new film “The Doors.” Singer Jim Morrison (actor Val Kilmer) busts up a television set after seeing a Ford commercial in which a singing group belts out the Doors’ hit song “Light My Fire.”

According to various accounts, members of the group wanted to sell the song, but Morrison ultimately vetoed it.

Actually, there was a “Light My Fire” commercial, albeit for Buick. The ad, for three styles of the 1970 Buick Skylark, featured a woman outfitted in bell bottoms and beads along with soft background music similar to the instrumental sections of Jose Feliciano’s version.

“I know they’ll light your fire,” she said. “They have mine.”

Wall Street Tweek?

There’s a familiar name among the Carter Hawley Hale stockholders waiting anxiously to see how much value, if any, their shares will ultimately have now that the Los Angeles retailer has sought bankruptcy court protection.

McCullough, Andrews & Cappiello (as in Frank Cappiello, longtime panelist on the PBS program “Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser”) is the largest CHH stockholder besides employees. The money management firm owns about 2.7 million CHH shares, or 8.2%, according to the company’s November proxy statement.

Cappiello says he and his partners believe that there is still considerable value in such Carter Hawley assets as its real estate. Do they think they’ll get much of their money back?

“Hope springs eternal, and I’m a Roman Catholic who believes in heaven. It’s one of those things you just don’t know. We’re hopeful; otherwise, we would have sold it,” Cappiello said.

We’re Pussycats, Comrade

The Los Angeles office of the BBDO advertising agency was intrigued by reports that BBDO Worldwide executives spoke briefly with the Soviet KGB about a possible campaign to improve the secret police agency’s image.

So they came up with a parody campaign called “The New KGB.” It starts with a new logo--a flower and sickle--and includes such slogans as “We’re not your father’s KGB,” “Operatives are standing by,” “Gee! No KGB,” “We were just following orders” and “Last year, an unspeakable dungeon. This year, a world-class wine cellar.”

Briefly . . .

A state banking regulators organization warns that proposed Treasury Department bank reforms will create an all-powerful “RoboRegulator” . . . The Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco, once known as the “Summer of Love” city, says calls and letters are running 3-to-1 in favor of the chamber’s advertising campaign saying citizens supported the Persian Gulf War despite widespread anti-war sentiment.