'Jackass' kicks its way to No. 1
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- "Jackass: Number Two," probably not a big hit among the literati, was the weekend's No. 1 top draw at the U.S. box office, racking up $28.1 million.
"Jet Li's Fearless" was No. 2 with $10.56 million.
All figures are estimated receipts from Box Office Mojo.
At No. 3, "Gridiron Gang" was holding the line with $9.7 million in its second week of release.
"Flyboys" was No. 4 with a little over $6 million; "Everyone's Hero" No. 5 with $4.75 million; "The Black Dahlia" No. 6 with about $4.44 million; "All the King's Men," in its first weekend of limited release, No. 7 with $3.8 million; "The Covenant" No. 8 with $3.3 million, and "The Illusionist" No. 9 with a little more than $3.27 million.
"Little Miss Sunshine" skipped into 10th place in its ninth weekend out with more than $2.87 million.
Statue of 1800s sergeant guards park
FORT LEWIS, Wash, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A larger-than-life statue of Army Sgt. John Ordway, a key player in the Lewis and Clark expedition 200 years ago, has been erected in Fort Lewis, Wash.
A 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Ordway, holding a pen and journal in one hand and steadying a musket with the other, is one of the first Army statues recognizing enlisted men, The (Portland) Oregonian said Sunday. The dedication was scheduled to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's return to St. Louis.
Ordway volunteered for Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery, and was responsible for training soldiers, keeping official journals and tracking detachment orders, the Oregonian said. During the expedition from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River, Ordway's journals provided some of the most detailed accounts of the three-year overland journey.
The statue at a memorial park just outside the base has Ordway wearing an authentic uniform a first sergeant would wear at that time.
TV writer-producer Charles Larson dies
PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- TV's "Sky King" and "The Lone Ranger" writer Charles Larson has died in Portland, Ore., at the age of 83.
Larson began his Hollywood career as a messenger at MGM studios, cashing paychecks for acting legends such as Lionel Barrymore and hunting down stars such as Judy Garland when they were late, The (Portland) Oregonian said Sunday. He later became a studio screenwriter, writing shorts for features that ran before films.
Larson was one of the original writers for Saturday morning fare as "The Lone Ranger" and "Sky King." During 1960s and 1970s, Larson was both a writer and producer of television shows such as "The Interns," "Cade's County" and "The F.B.I."
Larson, who died Thursday, also enjoyed a career as a novelist, writing mysteries, including a Crime Club series called "Muir's Blood" and "Matthew's Hand."
He is survived by his wife, Alice Larson.
'Kwai' Oscar-winning composer Arnold dies
NORFOLK, England, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Oscar winning British composer Malcolm Arnold who wrote "The Bridge on the River Kwai" score, died in a Norfolk, England, hospital after a brief illness.
Arnold, 84, who died Saturday, was suffering from a chest infection, the BBC said Sunday. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.
During his career, Arnold composed 132 film scores, including those to
"Whistle Down the Wind" and "Hobson's Choice." He won the Oscar for scoring the war epic in 1958.
He also composed seven ballets, nine symphonies and two operas.
Anthony Day, Arnold's companion and care-giver, said Arnold had frontal lobe dementia for the last several years, but "he was a happy, lovely man who enjoyed his music and enjoyed his life," the BBC said.
The Saturday premier of Arnold's interpretation of the "Three Musketeers" was dedicated to the composer.
