American Society of Cinematographers nominates five lensers

ASC taps five cameramen

The American Society of Cinematographers’ list of nominees for outstanding achievement in a feature film for 2009 has a distinctly international flavor.

Only one American was among the five cinematographers named Monday: Robert Richardson, for “Inglourious Basterds.”

He was joined by Briton Barry Ackroyd, for “The Hurt Locker”; Aussie Dion Beebe, for “Nine”; Mauro Fiore, of Italy, for “Avatar”; and Austrian Christian Berger for “The White Ribbon,” the only black-and-white film in the group.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony Feb. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. Last year’s winner, Anthony Dod Mantle of “Slumdog Millionaire,” went on to win the Academy Award.

-- Susan King Leno, O’Brien trade quips

Fox executives made clear Monday they’d love to talk to Conan O’Brien about doing a late-night program at their network but said that the host of “The Tonight Show” must first decide whether he wants to leave NBC.

O’Brien wasn’t saying what he might do in the wake of NBC’s decision to move Jay Leno’s 10 p.m. show back to 11:35 p.m. in February and bump “The Tonight Show” to 12:05 a.m.

“Everybody now wants to know what my plans are,” he said during his monologue. “All I can say is that I plan to continue putting on a great show night after night -- while stealing as many office supplies as humanly possible.”

He ran down a comical list of his career options and took a couple of shots at the NBC brass, including suggesting he might “leave television altogether and work in a classier business with better people -- like hard-core porn.”

Leno also displayed some venom in his monologue Monday. “I take pride in one thing,” he said. “I leave NBC prime-time the same way I found it: a complete disaster.”

-- Lee Margulies Lloyd Webber now ‘fighting fit’

Andrew Lloyd Webber says he has been successfully treated for prostate cancer.

The composer of “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Evita” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” says he is now “fighting fit” after the operation to remove his prostate gland and later battling an E.coli infection.

Lloyd Webber, 61, currently is preparing for the London premiere in March of “Love Never Dies,” his sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” and a new BBC television series to cast Dorothy in a stage adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.”

-- associated press Walters rebuffs NBC’s offer

Barbara Walters said Monday that NBC News tried to hire her back last June.

Walters, 80, told the audience of “The View” that she met with NBC executives but chose not to return to the network where she spent 13 years on the “Today” show because she’s been happy at ABC.

NBC News said in a statement, “The idea of Walters bookending her career at NBC News was appealing to everyone. It was a natural conversation to have with a true broadcast pioneer. We have nothing but enormous respect for Barbara.”

-- associated press Children’s films buckle up more

Characters in children’s movies are wising up about personal safety, increasingly using seat belts, bike helmets and crosswalks, but many still aren’t ideal role models, a government study found.

The trend may reflect efforts by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups to get Hollywood to convey positive public health messages. But the study also shows these efforts haven’t been universally embraced.

The center examined 67 popular movies from 2003 to 2007 that were rated G or PG. Results were compared with two previous CDC studies, and were published Monday in Pediatrics.

Among the findings: 56% of car passengers wore seat belts, versus 35% in 1998-2002 and 27% in 1995-97; 25% of bicyclists wore helmets, versus 15% in 1998-2002 and 6% in 1995-97; 75% of boaters wore life jackets, versus none in 1998-2002 and 17% in 1995-97.

Some unsafe behavior increased, such as riding motorcycles without a helmet.

-- associated press Service set for slain director

Hollywood’s Fountain Theatre is organizing a Jan. 23 memorial for Ben Bradley, a longtime director and producer for the company who was found stabbed to death in his Mid-Wilshire home on Jan. 2.

The memorial will take place at 11 a.m. at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood and is open to the public.

-- David Ng