Mr. Sayles Goes to College -- Movie Stars in Tow

Campus life usually isn’t glamorous -- but Daryl Hannah helps.

The actress, one of the stars of John Sayles’ political satire “Silver City,” took to the streets of Los Angeles on Tuesday in an effort to get out the vote.

Hannah, along with Sayles, actors Chris Cooper, Billy Zane, Thora Birch and others, started the day in City Council chambers, where Sept. 14 was declared “John Sayles Day.” The group then hopped on a bus plastered with the movie’s posters -- to go to Los Angeles City College.

“Silver City’s” lead character is loosely based on George W. Bush and his 1994 Texas gubernatorial campaign.

“Broadside ridicule of the people in power is one of the great traditions of democracy,” said producer Maggie Renzi.

Sayles and company exhorted a few hundred students gathered on the main quad to keep informed.

“Politicians are only as good as we make them be,” Sayles told the crowd.

Cinema student Kevin Zuberbier, 21, was glad to see stars making an appearance on campus.

“A younger person would honestly listen to a celebrity more than they would a politician,” said Zuberbier, a Glendale resident who plans to vote for Democratic nominee Sen. John F. Kerry.

Having a Ball With the Selectric

The back-and-forth on the details of Sen John F. Kerry’s and President Bush’s military service records spotlighted a forgotten tool: the typewriter.

With experts and journalists examining the authenticity of typefaces on Texas Air National Guard documents, the IBM Selectric is making a comeback. Well, at least on EBay, where more than 100 items related to the once-popular typewriter are available. One Texas entrepreneur’s sales pitch draws on the news of the day: “Forge your own ‘70s documents -- IBM Selectric typewriter.”

Duly Quoted

“In our family, I’m known as Barbara’s revenge on George.” -- Jenna Bush, daughter of President Bush, at a campaign event in Michigan last week, referring to her grandmother, Barbara

Compiled from staff, Web and wire reports by Times staff researcher Susannah Rosenblatt.

The latest state polls and an interactive map to try out electoral vote scenarios are available at latimes.com/pollmap.