Quick Takes: It’s classic McCartney

It’s classic McCartney

Following in the footsteps of other baby boomer crooners dipping into the classics, Paul McCartney said Monday he’ll be releasing a new album of cover songs, along with two new compositions, on Feb. 7.

The as-yet-untitled album will feature American songs that McCartney said were key early influences on him and fellow former Beatle John Lennon. The titles are being kept under wraps for now, but there will be guest appearances by Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton.

McCartney, 69, has penned two new songs in the spirit of the others on the album, called “My Valentine” and “Only Our Hearts.” The former began streaming on McCartney’s website Monday.

—Randall Roberts

Credit where Trumbo’s due

Calling it a “gift of justice for the holiday,” the Writers Guild of America, West has restored Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay credit to “Roman Holiday.”

The iconic 1953 movie, in which Audrey Hepburn plays a cloistered princess who falls for an American journalist in Rome played by Gregory Peck, was co-written by Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton.

But Trumbo never got a credit for his work on the film because he was blacklisted as part of the Hollywood 10 after refusing to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities about communist influence in the industry. He was cited for contempt of Congress and imprisoned.

To continue writing, he had to use fronts or pseudonyms. Hunter fronted for him in selling the story for “Roman Holiday.”

The guild had given story credit to Trumbo in 1992, paving the way a year later for him to posthumously receive the Oscar that had gone to Hunter 40 years earlier. After investigating the matter further, the guild’s board has voted to give Trumbo a full screenplay credit for “Roman Holiday,” sharing the honor with Hunter and Dighton. Trumbo died in 1976.

—Richard Verrier

Steinbeck fest to fete Guthrie

The Steinbeck Center in Salinas, Calif., has held a festival honoring the author of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men” every year since 1980. At the 2012 Steinbeck Festival in May, it will jointly celebrate John Steinbeck and folk musician Woody Guthrie, two chroniclers of American hardship and resilience.

2012 marks Guthrie’s centennial, and the Steinbeck Center will present an exhibition, “Woody Guthrie at One Hundred,” in cooperation with the Grammy Museum and the Woody Guthrie archives.

—Carolyn Kellogg

‘Tattoo’ products met with scorn

The longtime partner of late Swedish crime writer Stieg Larsson says he wouldn’t have approved of merchandise being linked to this week’s release of a Hollywood adaptation of his bestselling novel, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

Eva Gabrielsson said Monday that Larsson would have instead used the buzz around his work to call attention to violence and discrimination against women.

“We would never have sold any rights for merchandising,” Gabrielsson said. “It has nothing to do with books.”

H&M has released a Dragon Tattoo collection, created by costume designer Trish Summerville, that it says is inspired by Lisbeth Salander, the tattooed antiheroine of Larsson’s books and the film adaptations.

Gabrielsson and Larsson were a couple for more than 30 years, but never married. Larsson didn’t leave a will, so his brother and father inherited the rights to his works when he died in 2004.

—Associated Press

MTV braces for more ‘Punk’d’

Remember the days of celebs learning they owed $900,000 in back taxes (Justin Timberlake) and Oscar winners getting a tongue-lashing from Comic-Con enthusiasts (Hilary Swank)? Well, get ready for more: MTV said Monday it’s bringing back “Punk’d.”

The network will present a first look at footage from the series’ new season during its annual New Year’s Eve special. But MTV was mum on who will be hosting the hidden camera show, which will premiere in 2012. Executive producer Ashton Kutcher originally helmed the show; he’s now busy with “Two and a Half Men.”

—Yvonne Villarreal