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'Possession' takes hold of No. 1 spot

LOS ANGELES, D.C., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- "The Possession" haunted the No. 1 spot at the U.S. box office this weekend, raking in $17.725 million in gross receipts.

The Sam Raimi production stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick.

"Lawless," starring Shia LaBeouf among others, was No. 2 with $9.674 million.

All studio estimates of gross U.S. box office receipts are via Box Office Mojo.

"The Expendables" was third with $8.8 million; "The Bourne Legacy" fourth with $7.248 million; "ParaNorman" fifth with $6.551 million; "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" sixth with $6.055 million; "The Dark Knight Rises" seventh with $5.88 million; "The Campaign" eighth with $5.445 million; and "2016 Obama's America" with $5.103 million

Scientology vetted Cruise's girlfriends

GOLD BASE, Calif., Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Scientology officials arranged an elaborate vetting process for possible girlfriends for Tom Cruise before he married Katie Holmes, sources told Vanity Fair.

Actresses who were Scientology members were called in by the church under the pretense of auditioning for a training video and were asked their thoughts about Cruise.

Marc Headley, a Scientologist who watched the videos, said whomever dated Cruise would not only have to please the actor, but also "toe the line for Scientology."

"You can't do anything to displease Scientology, because Tom Cruise will freak out," he said.

Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian-born, London-raised actress, was selected to date Cruise between November 2004 and January 2005.

A source, whose name was not reported, told Vanity Fair Boniadi had to sign a confidentiality agreement and was told if she messed up, she was be declared a suppressive person, an enemy of Scientology.

The source said Cruise was offended by Boniadi when she told him "Very well done," for receiving Scientology's Freedom Medal of Valor. The phrasing implied Cruise was her junior. The actor later broke up with her through Scientology officials, Vanity Fair reported.

The article also reveals Holmes' prenuptial agreement with Cruise filled five bankers boxes and Martin Holmes' attempts to keep his daughter away from Scientology before daughter Suri was born.

Songwriter Hal David dead at 91

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Lyricist Hal David, who won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," died of a stroke Saturday in Los Angeles, his wife said. He was 91.

David died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his wife Eunice told The New York Times.

David often teamed with Burt Bacharach and besides "Raindrops" they had three other songs nominated for Academy Awards -- "What's New, Pussycat?," "Alfie" and "The Look of Love."

Other David hits included "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?," "What Do You Get When You Fall in Love?," "Always Something There to Remind Me," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,""A House Is Not a Home," and "What the World Needs Now."

Singer Dionne Warwick was a frequent benefactor of David and Bacharach's work. Perry Como, Dusty Springfield, Gene Pitney and Karen Carpenter were a few of the others who had success with David's songs.

Besides his wife, David is survived by two sons and three grandchildren. His first wife Anne died in 1987.

'Next Top Model' Preston gives birth

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Angelea Preston has given birth to a son in New York, her representative said.

Eric Bueno Brown, Jr., was born at 1:51 a.m. Aug. 26 at New York Hospital in Queens to Preston and her husband, Eric Brown, the representative told Us Weekly.

Preston's first child, daughter Giavonna Anchell, was born in 2003 three months premature and died 23 days later. Eric Jr. "arrived right on time," the rep said.

"Angelea, Eric and Eric, Jr. are doing great! Right now Angelea is on super mother mode, tending every minute to her beautiful newborn son! She's ecstatic and cries happy tears because she can't believe he's here," the rep said.

Brown and Preston married in February and announced the pregnancy in May. Brown, 37, has children from a previous relationship.

"He is a great father to his kids," Preston told Us Weekly in May.