MOVIES - April 2, 1996

Schindler’s Widow Writes: Oskar Schindler may be a world hero for saving some 1,300 Jews from the Nazi Holocaust, but his widow has written a book portraying him otherwise. “Emilie Schindler--Memoirs” depicts the subject of Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie “Schindler’s List” as a greedy man whose main interest in saving Polish Jews from Adolf Hitler’s death camps was to have cheap labor to keep his china factory going and to spare Schindler himself from being sent to the war’s front lines. “Spielberg’s film . . . portrays Oskar as a hero of this century. That is not true,” the book says. Meanwhile, at a Buenos Aires press conference last week introducing the book, Emilie Schindler, who was toasted at numerous celebratory parties after the film’s release in 1994, went even further, saying that “Schindler’s List” was “packed with lies.” Spielberg’s story was simply incorrect, she said, adding: “What does he know about my life? Absolutely nothing.” Spielberg could not be reached to comment on Schindler’s charges, his spokesman said. The Schindlers moved to Argentina following the war. Oskar Schindler eventually returned to Germany and died in 1974 but his wife stayed in Argentina and led a quiet life supported by Jewish groups.

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Following “Babe”: Five books by the author behind “Babe” have been optioned by Jim Henson Pictures and Jim Henson Productions for film and television. The Dick King-Smith books--”George Speaks,” “The Waterhorse,” “Martin’s Mice,” “The Cuckoo Child” and “Daggie Dogfoot”--will be developed in association with London-based Ecosse Films. King-Smith’s book, “The Sheep Pig,” was adapted to the screen as “Babe” by Universal. Neal Scanlan of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop oversaw the creation of a series of animatronic farmyard animals for the film, which received an Academy Award last week for best visual effects.

Eastwood Weds: Clint Eastwood and TV anchorwoman Dina Ruiz tied the knot Sunday in a small private ceremony at the home of Las Vegas hotel executive Steve Wynn. The on-screen tough guy was all smiles when the couple got their license at the Clark County Courthouse. “He was very relaxed and very pleasant,” said Kathy Webb, deputy clerk of the license bureau. “He called me by name. He surprised me. He was a very nice person, very down-to-earth.” It was the second marriage for Eastwood, 65, and the first for the 30-year-old Ruiz, an anchorwoman at KSBW in Salinas.