AD’S LINEAGE : A Tribute From ‘Heidi’ Is No Joking Matter

The ad appearing in the Jan. 18 issue of the Hollywood Reporter was enough to grab the entertainment world’s attention.

Addressed to veteran Emmy-winning television producer Robert Halmi Sr. (“Lonesome Dove,” “The Josephine Baker Story”) as part of a 56-page supplement saluting him on his 70th birthday, the ad read:

“Dear Bob, You’ve Always Been My Favorite Client . . . Next One’s on Me.”

It was signed: “Heidi.”

The mere mention of the name “Heidi” in Hollywood, of course, conjures up the alleged Hollywood madam, Heidi Fleiss, whose arrest last year on pandering and drug charges ignited a major scandal at Columbia Pictures.

The seismic shock waves continued after Vanity Fair recently published an article on Fleiss in which she purportedly identified some famous clients of her high-priced call-girl ring. The story prompted Fleiss’ lawyers to issue a statement that she had been grossly misquoted, but the magazine stood by its story.

So it was all the more mystifying to believe that Robert Halmi Sr., a former Life magazine photographer who over the past two decades has assembled nearly 200 productions (including the upcoming $40-million miniseries “Scarlett,” based on Alexandra Ripley’s sequel to “Gone With the Wind”) could be getting a congratulatory message from that Heidi.

Or did he?

No way! came the response from Halmi’s New York-based production company, RHI Entertainment Inc., when asked if the ad had been placed by Fleiss.

“It was done as an inside joke by a person who knows him and thought it would be funny to do it this way,” said K.C. Schulberg, vice president of marketing at RHI Entertainment.

Schulberg declined to identify that person, except to say: “The ad was placed by a good friend of his who lives in Switzerland and used to share a sheep farm with him. It has nothing to do with Heidi or Hollywood.”

Halmi, in fact, didn’t even know of the birthday salute until arriving in the U.S. late last week for a party. His staff had intended it as a surprise and planned to show it to him when he flew in from Africa, where he is shooting “The Ascent.”

Officials at the Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, said they did not think the ad was in poor taste, even though the intent of such special sections is to celebrate the life and career achievements of the person in question. It has published tributes to many entertainment figures, such as Johnny Carson, George Lucas and Clint Eastwood.

Associate publisher Lynne Segall said that before any tribute is published, the person being honored is asked to submit a list of friends or companies that would likely take out ads ($1,500 for a talent ad; $2,500 for a company ad) honoring that person. “I don’t know who placed it,” she said.

Fleiss, through a spokesman, had no comment except to say she had nothing to do with the ad.