Happy days are here again!South of the...

Happy days are here again!

South of the Boulevard, a San Fernando Valley newspaper, sang a happy tune about the economy in an article unabashedly titled “An Upbeat Editorial--At Last.” It listed several reasons that “business in the West Valley is looking better,” including this one: “The U.S. Bankruptcy Court is up and running and drawing people into Warner Center.”

DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO WEST L.A.? In Cabazon off Interstate 10, Erna Parth of Torrance noticed a directional sign with no shortage of arrows. Further proof that the Earth is round.

UNREAL ESTATE: Dick Boyle of Oceanside came across an ad in a local newspaper for a building that is no fixer-upper. It would be a compliment to call it a fixer-upper.

ONLY HIS BOOTS WERE INVINCIBLE: We mentioned the new book “Hollywood Kryptonite,” which rejects the official finding of suicide in the 1959 shooting death of George Reeves, TV’s Superman. Authors Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger also offer several interesting bits of trivia about Reeves and the show, which is still a fixture on television.

* The first time Reeves made a public appearance in full uniform as Superman, “a child approached the actor brandishing a gun. Ironically, the child had hijacked his dad’s Luger, a souvenir from World War II. The boy had wanted to own a bullet that had been flattened by bouncing off Superman’s chest.”

* During a speaking appearance by Reeves in Inglewood, “a pint-size fan in the front row yelled out, ‘You bum--let’s see you fly!’ Unnerved, George quickly left the stage.”

* Reeves’ boots in the show were Superman hand-me-downs. They were previously used by Kirk Alyn, the Man of Steel in the old Columbia movie serials. They were found in storage at the Western Costume Co.

* Reeves, who grew to despise his role, would enact a ritual at the end of each season in which he would cut out the costume’s “S’ emblem to save it for a friend. Then, Reeves would pour gasoline on the rest of the outfit and strike a match. Once “he performed this ritual in the parking lot behind Musso & Frank’s.”

* In the last episode of the show’s final season, cub reporter Jimmy Olson (Jack Larson) tells Reeves: “Golly, Mr. Kent, you’ll never know how wonderful it is to be like Superman.” Kent responds: “No, Jimmy, I guess I never will.” Those were the last words Reeves ever spoke on screen.

NO OPENING ACTS HERE: Writer Hank Rosenfeld attended the recent funeral of veteran comedian and actor Morey Amsterdam, one of the stars of TV’s “Dick Van Dyke Show.” The speakers at the rites included such names as Carl Reiner and Milton Berle. Before the tributes began, Rosenfeld reports, the mourners were informed that the order of speakers had been arranged “randomly, not according to billing.”

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Madonna’s “Evita” is due out soon and you can be sure that Razzies’ founder John JB Wilson has taken note. Each year, Wilson parodies the Oscars with a ceremony that honors the worst of Hollywood (such as “worst actress”). Wilson is taking reservations from Razzie voters and just plain aficionados of the awful to attend the 4:30 p.m. showing of “Evita” at the Cinerama Dome on Dec. 29.