IT’S O.C., BY GEORGE! No surprise that...
IT’S O.C., BY GEORGE! No surprise that Orange County’s bankruptcy made noted Boston-based financial analyst George Putnam III’s annual list of the year’s 10 most dramatic bankruptcies. Only the federal government going broke and the Japan banking fiasco placed higher. But Putnam had plenty of ammunition left to aim this way. . . . Orange County’s speculative investment strategy, Putnam theorizes, was like “playing Russian roulette with five bullets.”
DINO MAGIC: He knew he’d have to stay by the phone. After Dean Martin’s death Christmas Day, comedian Joey Bishop of Newport Beach has been fielding interviews from across the country about his fellow Rat Pack member. . . . They’d been friends since the ‘40s. Says Bishop: “I don’t know of any performer who was so loved when he walked out on stage. He was so brilliant: his timing, his delivery, his comedy mind.”
TV FIRST: Remember Tommy McGruder, the 35-year-old animator who lost 400 pounds on a crash diet--then had surgery Dec. 15 at the Chapman Medical Center in Orange to shed another 75 pounds of excess skin? The operation was a success, and he’s doing great, says a hospital spokeswoman. . . . McGruder was scheduled to be released today. He’s also supposed to get a most unusual 3 a.m. wake-up. Reason: Before he’s released, he’s scheduled to appear on “CBS This Morning” from the hospital lobby.
ORANGE ROSE: Part of the fun of making it to the Rose Bowl is the Southern California glitz that goes with it. . . . At Disneyland in Anaheim today, a handful of USC and Northwestern players and the teams’ two coaches will meet guests, ride lots of rides and have a news conference. Their college bands play at a special parade there Friday. . . . Not to be outdone, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park is offering half-price tickets to anyone wearing USC or Northwestern name or team logo clothes--plus the school colors.
