Monday, Nov. 23, 2009

Stars show up to honor Motown

Detroit -- Black ties and gowns filled a ballroom Saturday in a big-bucks salute to Detroit-style royalty - the King of Motown, the Queen of Soul and the Kid of Rock.

Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, along with Aretha Franklin, Kid Rock and Motown's original kid, Stevie Wonder, came to Motown's original hometown for the Motown 50 Golden Gala. The 50th-anniversary event, which fetched $350 and up for a ticket, was a fundraiser for the Motown Historical Museum.

The event drew about 750 people and many of the big names and behind-the-scenes people from the label, which moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Detroit's output included scores of hits, including "My Girl" by The Temptations, "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.

Gordy was joined on the red carpet earlier in the evening by local and national celebrities and dignitaries, including Otis Williams of the Temptations, which was on the bill; Claudette Robinson of the Miracles; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; comedian Sinbad, the event's host; and Detroit Mayor and former Detroit Pistons all-star Dave Bing.

Vampire flick is tops

Los Angeles The vampire romance "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sucked up $140.7 million in its first three days and pulled in a total of $258.8 million worldwide, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The No. 1 domestic debut for Summit Entertainment's "New Moon" was more than twice the $69.6 million haul over the same weekend last year for "Twilight," the first in the franchise based on Stephenie Meyer's novels.

Following are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com.

1. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," $140.7 million

2. "The Blind Side," $34.5 million

3. "2012," $26.5 million

4. "Planet 51," $12.6 million

5. "Disney's A Christmas Carol," $12.2 million

6. "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," $11 million

7. "The Men Who Stare at Goats," $2.8 million

8. "Couples Retreat," $2 million

9. "The Fourth Kind," $1.7 million

10. "Law Abiding Citizen," $1.6 million

Birthdays today

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas ("Basic Instinct," "Showgirls"), 65

Actor Steve Landesberg ("Barney Miller"), 64

Comedy writer Bruce Vilanch ("Hollywood Squares"), 62

Singer Bruce Hornsby, 55

"Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts, 49

Singer-actress Miley Cyrus, 17