MOVIES’Panther’ Support: Thirty-two prominent African Americans, including...

MOVIES

‘Panther’ Support: Thirty-two prominent African Americans, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, poet Maya Angelou, producer Quincy Jones and director Spike Lee, took out a full-page ad in Hollywood’s trade papers on Friday proclaiming their support for director-producer Mario Van Peebles’ just-released movie “Panther.” The film, which details the birth of the controversial Black Panther movement in the 1960s, has come under fire from radio talk-show host David Horowitz and his Center for the Study of Popular Culture, which has branded the film “a two-hour lie” and claimed it incites violence. In Friday’s ad, the supporters say the film portrays the Panthers “in an authentic light,” emphasizes the party’s “positive activities” and “sends a message of strength, dignity and empowerment to the African American community . . . especially to our youth.” Others named in the add included actors Danny Glover, Louis Gossett Jr., Cicely Tyson and Alfre Woodard; congressmen Ron Dellums (D-Oakland) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), and basketball great Earvin (Magic) Johnson.

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Busey Hospitalized: Actor Gary Busey (“The Buddy Holly Story,” “Lethal Weapon”) was in serious condition Friday at Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center following an apparent overdose of cocaine, a sheriff’s spokesman said. Paramedics took the actor, 50, to the hospital at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, after his fiancee found him unconscious in his Malibu home. A gram and a half of cocaine was found in Busey’s shirt pocket, the sheriff’s spokesman said, and after obtaining a search warrant, deputies allegedly found another half gram of cocaine, four grams of marijuana and two grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms in the master bedroom. Busey was not arrested but authorities said the case will be submitted to the district attorney’s office. Hospital spokeswoman Cindy Kramer said Busey was improving and his prognosis for recovery is good.

POP/ROCK

Televised Jackson Concert?: Michael Jackson is in negotiations with cable’s HBO to broadcast a concert by the pop superstar, whose long-awaited album, “HIStory,” is due out June 20. No details are set, however, and no contracts are signed, Jackson spokesman Bob Jones said. If a concert were televised on HBO, it would apparently be part of an upcoming tour by Jackson, which Jones said “certainly would not be before next year” and “will not be outside of the country.” Jackson last toured in 1993, but canceled his dates midway through, claiming of an addiction to painkillers. It was around that same time that Jackson came under allegations of child molestation from a 13-year-old boy; although he settled a civil lawsuit brought by his accuser for a reported $10 million to $20 million, no charges were ever filed against him.

TV & RADIO

CBS Spat: “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney confirmed that he received a phone call from a very angry CBS Chairman Laurence Tisch over comments Rooney made on Wednesday’s “PrimeTime Live” about the management of CBS News. “I don’t see why someone like Larry Tisch doesn’t say, ‘I’ve got all this money. What a wonderful thing it would be if I took my millions and millions of dollars and just made a great news division,’ ” Rooney said during an interview with Sam Donaldson, speculating at another point that “(Tisch) makes more money for himself than his stockholders.” Tisch reportedly called Rooney, read the offending passages to him, offered a “very brief” appraisal and hung up. “He was sore,” Rooney admitted, adding only that “I’m not fired.”

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Restored to Health: It was business as usual Friday at Los Angeles public-radio station KPFK-FM (90.7) after union staff members ended a 24-hour sickout late Thursday night. “Our staff is coming in like they usually do,” General Manager Pam Burton said. Local 1421 of the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America staged Thursday’s labor action in response to layoffs handed out by management last month. The station remained on the air, but relied more than usual on taped programming. On Friday, the union continued to call for the layoffs to be rescinded, with management maintaining they were necessary because the station is $60,000 in debt.

QUICK TAKES

Indonesia’s Bagong Dance Theatre has canceled its California tour, including its Thursday and Friday dates at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, because of difficulties obtaining travel visas in time for the tour. The tour may be rescheduled at a later date, however, ticket holders should return to the point of purchase for a refund. . . . A New York appeals court has rejected Woody Allen’s request to be allowed regular visits with ex-lover Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter Dylan. Farrow’s claim that Allen sexually abused the 9-year-old has never been proven. . . . Marilyn McCoo will perform tonight at downtown’s Glam Slam in a benefit for the Watts Health Foundation’s South Los Angeles Community AIDS Program. The event, chaired by Smokey Robinson, was organized after the recent death of rapper Eazy-E, due to complications from AIDS. . . . Chevy Chase will be among the participants at a rally to support continued funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, tonight at 6 at La Brea Avenue’s Every Picture Tells a Story gallery.