People

SALLY FIELD HEADED FOR BROADWAY

As one of the world's most popular impish stars, the two-time Oscar-winning Sally Field has carved quite a niche for herself. But amid all the things she has done, she has never played on Broadway. According to producers of the sarcastic comedy "The Goat," that's about to change.

Field and actor Bill Irwin will be taking over the roles now being played by veterans Mercedes Ruehl and Bill Pullman. The switch of major players is scheduled for around Sept. 13, just after the play is scheduled to take a short hiatus during the Sept. 11 anniversary. The play, which won a Tony this year, is an unusual vehicle, about a man who falls in love with an animal.

In recent years Irwin has appeared in such hits as "Fool Moon" and "Largely New York." Field's acting credits are extensive, starting with her early days on TV in "The Flying Nun" and the more recent Emmy-winning appearance on "ER."

RYDER COURT ACTION DELAYED AGAIN

A Los Angeles-area court has granted a delay in the case against actress Winona Ryder. Court records show that Ryder's pre-trial hearing on her complicated shoplifting case has now been delayed until Aug. 26. Published reports show that she is accused of shoplifting about $6,000 worth of goods from a Saks Fifth Avenue store just before Christmas 2001.

A lawyer for the 30-year-old actress says that the courts are pursuing litigation solely because of his client's "star status." Ryder is currently free on $20,000 bail.

REALITY SETTING IN FOR ANNA NICOLE

The much-hyped reality TV show starring Anna Nicole Smith may have been an initial ratings smash, but it's begun to fade off the scope. According to the folks at the Nielsen company, "The Anna Nicole Show" garnered only a little over 3.4 million viewers during last weekend's airing. It opened to an audience of more than four million. But, according to some pundits, if you consider the target audience for the show, the numbers are still good enough to warrant it staying on the air. Smith is now 34 and the much-mentioned widow of Texas billionaire J. Howard Marshall.

Speaking of TV ratings, the CBS program "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is still leading the summer ratings, followed by two other CBS shows, "60 Minutes" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

KING WANTS RIVAL RAPPERS TO BATTLE IT OUT

If boxing promoter Don King has his way, two of the nation's most outspoken rap stars (or is that redundant?) would "duke it out" musically on a national pay-per-view event. According to Newsday, King is suggesting that hip-hoppers Jay-Z and Nas take their war of words to a larger venue, a joint stage, for a kind of old-fashioned "battle of the bands." It is reported that King has been talking with the founder of a popular rap label, Roc-a-Fella Records, Damon Dash, about helping to organize the encounter. During the past few weeks, Jay-Z, one of Roc-a-Fella's stable of stars, has openly challenged Nas to play in a pay-per-view "encounter."

There are reports that Nas has responded to the offer by saying that pay-per-view events are for boxers and wrestlers.

MOYERS PLEADS IN TRAFFIC CASE

Long-time newsman and documentarian Bill Moyers has pleaded guilty to charges of negligent driving. He was fined $750. The Houston Chronicle says that Moyers was first charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop last month in Vermont. A trooper at the time reported that he saw Moyers weaving across the centerline on a two-lane highway. In response to the charges, the journalist wrote an open letter to a Vermont newspaper claiming that he had been drinking at a birthday party, but had only had a glass of champagne and a small amount of wine. The award-winning reporter is now 68.

IN TRIBUTE TO ENOS SLAUGHTER

The death of baseball icon Enos Slaughter fell through the news cracks this week. The great slugger, long associated with the St. Louis Cardinals, was a staple in the national game in the 1940s. His most famous moment in the sport he loved came during the 1946 World Series. Dan O'Neill, writing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, notes that Slaughter made a famous "mad dash home" to help the Cardinals win in what is remembered as one of the key moments in the history of baseball.

Few were aware of how Slaughter's health had deteriorated in recent months, following emergency surgeries to repair colon and stomach problems. The first indication to his many friends and fans was that he missed the recent Baseball Hall of Fame induction. It was the first time he had not gone to Cooperstown for the annual event since his own induction in 1985. Sensing that something might be wrong, all 47 of the Hall of Famers who were there jointly signed a greeting card for Slaughter. He died at the Duke University Medical Center this week. Enos Slaughter, a true sports gentleman, was 86.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 395

With this week's death of baseball legend Enos Slaughter and the recent death of Ted Williams in mind, today's question: "With what famous sports legend, living or dead, would you like to have supper?" Put HERO in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 390 (TABLE)

Last week we wondered just how many items you had on your bathroom dressing table or lavatory. Here is a quick sampling of some of the replies: Many people wrote in to say they thought this was a silly question until they began counting. We got a similar response when we asked how many clocks you had and how many doors. The average response was an amazing 32.

Chris M. wrote to say that the answer was 14, including all the bathroom items and, for some reason, a screwdriver. Roberta J. says she is glad she has a large vanity table. "I need it!" She has 50 things on the table. Pat O., one of our more frequent contributors, counted 42 and was very surprised at the answer.

On the other side of the coin, LReyn says that she keeps everything in drawers and on shelves. Her tabletop is neat and clean. The highest number we found from the random check was 102! (From a person who did not want his or her name mentioned). NEXT: Your thoughts about Elvis. GBA.