Quick Takes: Beatles guitar in auction

Chances are this guitar has nothing to weep about. A Vox electric guitar said to have been played by John Lennon and George Harrison — along with some jewelry given by Elvis Presley to associates and an autographed pillow Michael Jackson threw to a fan — are among a bevy of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia items coming up for auction May 18 in New York.

The one-of-a-kind Vox guitar was played by Lennon during a video recording session for the song “Hello Goodbye,” and by Harrison while he was practicing “I Am the Walrus” for the “Magical Mystery Tour” film, according to Julien’s Auctions, which will host the sale. It is expected to fetch $200,000 to $300,000. If that’s not please pleasing enough, the auction will include other Beatles-related items: a cape created for Presley for his “Aloha From Hawaii” 1973 TV special, jumpsuits from teen heartthrob David Cassidy, as well as items from the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Madonna and others. The full catalog can be viewed at juliensauctions.com.

—Randy Lewis

Prince to go on West Coast tour

You saw him smash a guitar (purportedly a Roots member’s) this month on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” And you no doubt heard about his stunning late-night concert at South by Southwest last weekend. Now Prince is taking his revitalized live show on the road for a West Coast club tour set to launch in mid-April.

Appearing this week in a video chat with the blogger Dr. Funkenberry, the members of Prince’s new backing band 3rd Eye Girl said the trek will kick off April 15 in Vancouver and wrap up with gigs May 7 and 8 at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Ticket information is expected in the next week or so, according to Dr. Funkenberry.

—Mikael Wood

Set a course for lots of ‘Star Trek’

Got plans this weekend? You do now. Now through the end of the month, the video streaming service Hulu is making every episode of the original “Star Trek” television series and all its offshoots — including “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space 9,” “Voyager” and “Enterprise” — available free for online viewing to celebrate William Shatner’s birthday. The actor who played Captain Kirk in the original series and in several subsequent movies turned 82 Friday.

Fans have their work cut out for them: There are 693 episodes in all and just over a week to watch them. For anyone interested in help navigating the “Star Trek” universe, Hulu has created a mini-playlist of episodes grouped together thematically.

Time to fire up those computers, resistance is, after all, futile.

— Deborah Netburn

Film on Salinger to be in theaters

Just a few years after his death, the reclusive J.D. Salinger is going public like never before — in a documentary that has fascinated the literary and media worlds for some time. Shane Salerno’s “Salinger,” about “The Catcher in the Rye” author who died in 2010, will be released in theaters on Sept. 6, the Weinstein Co. said on Thursday. That positions it for a run at late-summer film festivals that mark the beginning of awards season.

Salerno has also turned the material into a book, while the movie will also air as part of PBS’ venerated “American Masters” series. Reps for the film said that “Salinger” will feature well over 100 interviews with the author’s inner circle as well as entertainment personalities such as David Milch and Philip Seymour Hoffman talking about the influence Salinger had on their work.

—Steven Zeitchik

Cruise page on Russian website

Tom Cruise is on an all new mission and he’s targeting Russians — no, it’s not another “Mission Impossible” sequel and he’s not recruiting for Scientology (we don’t think). He is instead perhaps the first Hollywood star to set up a page on the popular Russian social network Vkontakte (In Contact).

The actor’s page appeared Friday, announced by a message on Twitter saying “See you there!” in Russian. His profile picture is a poster for his new science fiction film “Oblivion,” which comes out in Russia on April 11, two weeks before it opens in the U.S.

Cruise’s page is a sign of Russia’s increasing box office clout. Box office income rose 8% last year to $1.3 billion, the ninth-highest in the world, and is expected to grow 9% this year.

—Associated Press