From Dancing Elves to Elvis: Look Back at the Life and Career of Mary Tyler Moore!

Mary Tyler Moore She's known around the world for her portrayal of the headstrong, independent journalist Mary Tyler Moore but the actress behind the hilarious heroine had quite the resume before her pioneering performance on the landmark 70s TV series. Mary Tyler Moore to receive lifetime achievement award Did you know that Moore performed as a dancing elf in commercials that aired during Ozzie and Harriet? And who knew she once played a nun opposite ... Elvis? (It's OK, we didn't either!) Look back at the actress' life and career in photos in honor of her 75th birthday this week.

'Hobbit' Plot Particulars Reveal 'An Unforeseen Journey'

"The Hobbit: An Unforeseen Journey" sets forth on its mission in December of next season, getting moviegoers their first dose of Middle-Earth large-screen goodness in almost 10 years. It's just the initial silo of these two-part "Master in the Rings" prequel, too, so we'll cash more you may anticipate when "There and AgainInch hits in December 2013. We've extended known that "The Hobbit" might be put into two movies, nevertheless the breaking point involving the two films has ongoing to become unclear. The quantity of J.R.R. Tolkien's story can make it to the first "Hobbit" movie? Exactly what are we readily available for? Due to a plot synopsis discovered by Bleeding Awesome, we've got our answer. Keep reading through through for your official "Unforeseen" plot particulars. The knowledge follows the right path of title character Bilbo Baggins, who's taken right into a legendary pursuit to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor within the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached unexpectedly with the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds themselves joining a company of 13 dwarves introduced with the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will need them to the Wild through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Bots, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies for the East as well as the wastelands in the Lonely Mountain first they need to escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his existence forever...Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, round the shores from the undercover lake, the humble Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, more youthful crowd gains getting Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unforeseen and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that's connected using the fate of Middle-earth in manners Bilbo cannot begin to know. What can you consider the "Unforeseen Journey" plot? Reveal your opinions round the "Hobbit" news inside the comments section and also on Twitter!

Friday Box Office: New Year's Eve Fizzles in First

What the saying again? You can fool some moviegoers all the time and all moviegoers some of the time, but you can’t fool all of them all the time? Something like that — maybe we should ask Warner Bros., Garry Marshall and all the stars stuffed so ruthlessly into New Year’s Eve, who recycled the model that earned the aromatic Valentine’s Day a $56 million opening weekend and found less than a third of that crowd ready to fall for it again. Still, it will be enough for first place on a pillow-soft weekend. Your Friday Box Office is here. 1. NEW YEAR’S EVE: $5,080,000 (new) 2. THE SITTER: $3,725,000 (new) 3. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1: $2,500,000 ($254,083,000) 4. THE MUPPETS: $1,664,000 ($60,427,000) 5. HUGO: $1,600,000 ($28,964,000) [Figures via Box Office Mojo

TNT's blue streak

'The Closer'From the very first scene in June 2005, it was evident that "The Closer" was no ordinary procedural cop show, and Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson would be an atypical lead character.In the pilot, Kyra Sedgwick, as the unapologetic southern belle top cop, tells to a colleague: "Excuse me, lieutenant, but if I liked being called a bitch to my face, I'd still be married."More than six years later, the show that branded TNT as a home for original scripted programming still averages 6.6 million viewers and celebrates its 100th episode today. It's a milestone rarely reached on the cable landscape.So how did the skein reach that magic number? The team behind its success has identified a few key ingredients: Creator James Duff's distinctive voice, Sedgwick's embodiment of the character and a surrounding environment that complemented those two elements.Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. TV, which produces the "The Closer," calls it a "game-changing series a perfect marriage of high-quality material and inspired execution."The development of "The Closer" came when TNT, at the time best known for its movies, miniseries and syndicated cop shows, was ready to explore scripted, serialized television full force."The strategy for us at the time was to take the audience we had and lead them to something new," recalls TNT topper Michael Wright, who was looking for a logical companion to "Law & Order." "It needed to be a cable procedural but a little quirkier and unexpected."Duff, along with exec producers Greer Shephard and Michael Robin, accepted the challenge and pitched a series about a strong female character who wasn't just there to ask the right questions in order to move the plotline along."We made the entire first season about what it's like to be a woman in a world dominated by men," Duff says. "How you go on being who you are in an environment that doesn't reward you for that? That's actually something that everyone pretty much can relate to. Yes, it had a specific resonance with women, but we all can relate to being a fish out of water."Their approach, during a time when Shephard says, "The evidence was the star and crime procedurals has divorced themselves from character," instantly separated the show from other cop dramas.They cast Sedgwick as their heroine, a film actress with little interest in pursuing TV. Yet, the Gotham-based thesp, despite her own reluctance about the gig, instantly took to the role.Sedgwick says she understood the character from the moment she read the script and lobbied hard to keep in Johnson's quirky toughness."There was a scene in the pilot where she was on the phone with her mother, telling her she could no longer be a ballerina because she's chosen to be a cop. I told them 'If you're going to cut that scene, I promise you I won't play the part,' " says Sedgwick. "And, I was totally moved by her addiction to chocolate. If I wasn't in love with her before, I fell madly in love with her then. She was a really unusual creature."The role has earned Sedgwick both an Emmy and Golden Globe."Sedgwick is central to the show's success," says Entertainment Weekly TV critic Ken Tucker. "She's taken what is essentially a variation on Columbo and has made the character her own blend of shrewdness, toughness and vulnerability.""THE CLOSER" 100TH EPISODE TNT's blue streak | Sedgwick confides on 'Closer' ramifications | 'Crime' a sign of new times | Bailey, Reynolds recollect favorite moments Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Amy Winehouse Foundation Makes First Donation

The Producers Guild of America announced their five 2012 Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture award nominees Friday.our editor recommends'Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest' Trailer HBO Acquires Rights to Elton John Documentary 'The Union'SUNDANCE: 'Project Nim' Broaches Big Issues on Opening Night'Senna' Starts Theatrical Run in High Gear Sony Pictures Classics' Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest from Michael Rapaport, Richard Press' Bill Cunningham NY from Zeitgeist Films and Senna, the profile of Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna from Asif Kapadia were among the nominees. VIDEO: 'Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest' Trailer Project Nim, which follows a chimpanzee who was raised like a human child from Oscar-winnerJames March (Man on Wire) also received a nod. PHOTOS: From 'The Artist' to 'War Horse,' 22 Awards Contenders That Prominently Feature Animals As did Cameron Crowe's film on the making of Elton John and Leon Russell's T-Bone Burnett-produced album, The Union. COVER STORY: Cameron Crowe Reveals How He Seduced Matt Damon for 'We Bought a Zoo;' Names His 5 Favorite Movies The PGA will announce television series nominations Dec. 7, followed by the rest of the categories Jan. 3. The awards ceremony is set to be held Jan. 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Awards Watch Roundtable: The Producers Related Topics PGA Awards Elton John Cameron Crowe T-Bone Burnett The Union

Came & Astro Talk X-Factor Elimination

First Released: December 2, 2011 12:04 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium Caption Came Ryniewicz and Simon Cowell onstage in the X Factor Top 7 to five Live Elimination Show in Hollywood, Calif., on December 1, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Balladeer Came Ryniewicz got the boot together with teen rapper Astro around the X Factor Thursday evening, and also the 15year-old singer though tearful throughout her elimination states she wasnt whatsoever surprised at her exit, as she'd a sense her sitting version of Michael Jacksons Billie Jean could be her ticket home. I told [Simon] in testing I had been like, You realize, Simon, basically go back home, Ill be right which i shouldnt have this chair, Came told Access Hollywood backstage in the X Factor elimination on Thursday. I believe going home would be a reality hit for the two of us. Simon agreed, telling Access he recognized forcing Came to sit down while carrying out another slow song was certainly an error. You have to simply accept total responsibility, you realize? If this is effective, you are taking the applause, so when it is going wrong, you are taking it around the face, he stated. I required it around the face. I first got it wrong. She shouldnt happen to be for the reason that position. While Came might have lost her chance at winning the $5 million prize, shes got the support of Attacking Young Boys, who sent her a good message on Twitter following her elimination Keep yr mind up. I lost my first competition too, Justin Tweeted towards the teen singer. Case the start. Never say never. For Astro, also 15, the open rapper was sad to depart the show, but excited for his future. I simply seem like this can be a walking stone for me personally, he told Access. It was a launch pad for my career. Im excited. Im likely to released lots of music soon. Im just grateful. The NY native will mind the place to find Brooklyn to start focusing on new material for his loyal fans, the astronauts. Ive reached hideout and re-on the background music, he stated. Im certainly likely to be doing lots of promo everywhere. Im just likely to keep pushing out music for those my supporters, my Astronauts. It will not stop here. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Oscar Hunks! George Clooney, Brad Pitt Could Give Much-Needed Ratings Boost

This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. our editor recommendsHow to Be an Oscars Winner: Dress Like One at the Golden GlobesWhy 'Tintin' and 'Rango' Stand Out Among This Year's Animated Awards Contenders (Opinion)Does Brad Pitt's Beane in 'Moneyball' = Gregory Peck's Finch in 'Mockingbird'?THR Actor Roundtable: George Clooney's Worst Job, Nick Nolte's Thoughts On Death, and Who Has 'Rage' IssuesMichael Fassbender on Sexual Deviance in 'A Dangerous Method' and 'Shame' (Video) At 84, Oscar may no longer be a stud, but he still hangs out witha pretty studly crew. At least that could be the case this year if, as the bloggerati are predicting, a particularly handsome lineup of leading men is nominated for best actor. And that, in turn, could help the Oscar broadcast's efforts to fend off further ratings decline. VIDEOS: THR's Awards Season Actors Roundtable The contest is fluid -- nominations won't be announced until Jan.24 -- but the consensus has George Clooney, for his beleaguered dad in The Descendants, and Leonardo DiCaprio, for his embittered FBI director in J. Edgar, at the top of the list. Brad Pitt is a strong contender for the casual ease with which he steps into the shoes of baseball GM Billy Beane in Moneyball. And a couple of relative newcomers have become early favorites: Germany-born, London-based Michael Fassbender, who fearlessly lets it all hang out in the NC-17 Shame, and French matinee idol Jean Dujardin, who pours on the charm as a fading star in the silent movie The Artist. PHOTOS: Oscar Legends on Oscar It's a lineup straight out of the GQ Men of the Year Awards by way of People's Sexiest Man Alive cover-- Clooney and Pitt are two-time titleholders. (There's even an outside chance fellow SMA Matt Damon could join them for We Bought a Zoo.) It's not a typical Academy roundup if only because the Oscars tend to underrate the work of a lot of the best-looking leading men. Big-screen smoothies, they can make it look too easy; they often appear in action films or romantic comedies that aren't considered awards-worthy and steer clear of the showy transformations the Academy favors. That's one reason DiCaprio, who was ignored for his clean-cut earnestness in Titanic, is now being applauded for donning all that aging makeup in J. Edgar. It's all the more impressive that Clooney and Pitt are being taken seriously this year because neither adopts a thick accent or funny mustache to play his part. PHOTOS: Oscar Show Moments Now all of that would just be something for fan sites to gush over if it also didn't have ratings implications. The Academy might have breathed a sigh of relief when Billy Crystal agreed to emcee the show in the wake of Eddie Murphy's departure. But Crystal, who hasn't hosted since 2004, is 63, making him the second-oldest solo host since a 74-year-old Bob Hope fronted the show in 1978. And that's not going to make the young girls swoon. There's also a question of how widespread the appeal of the movies nominated for best picture will be when the show is broadcast Feb.26. When noms were announced last awards season, there were two mega-grossers: Toy Story 3 ($415 million domestic) and Inception ($293 million). But this year, with only five nominees guaranteed, it's an open question whether 2011's top-grossing movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part2, will make the cut. The closest thing to a popular nominee right now is the all-girl The Help, which has collected $168 million domestically. PHOTOS: Oscar Hosts Through the Years But if the best-picture nominees are short on crowd-pleasers, a posse of hot actors could provide ratings insurance. Certainly, it would help the surrounding media industry that feeds into the Oscars. "It's an exciting possibility that George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, the men from the Ocean's movies, could all be on the red carpet together competing for best actor," says Entertainment Tonight executive producer Linda Bell Blue. "And they all play strong men with backbone, which is what female moviegoers are looking for." GOLDEN BOYS: Dishy leading men have to wait to get the gold Cary Grant: Two nominations before his Honorary Oscar in 1970 Paul Newman: 10 noms, a win for The Color of Money, an Honorary in 1986 Robert Redford: 1 acting nom, 1 directing win, then an Honorary in 2002 Warren Beatty: 4 acting noms, 1 directing win, then the Thalberg in 2000 PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Oscars 2012: The Early Signals Related Topics Brad Pitt George Clooney Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon Michael Fassbender Moneyball The Descendants Shame Awards Season Preview