Sybil Jason dies at 83

Sybil Jason, a child actress during the 1930s who was meant to be Warner Bros.' answer to Shirley Temple, died Aug. 23 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Northridge, Calif. She was 83. During the Depression, 20th Century Fox earned huge sums from Temple's pictures and from the sale of merchandise with her image, and an eager Jack Warner signed Jason after seeing her in 1935's "Barnacle Bill," the brunette moppet's first bigscreen effort. The South African-born Jason starred in a series of Warner films -- including "Little Big Shot," "The Singing Kid" and, with Pat O'Brien and Humphrey Bogart, "The Great O'Malley" (1937) -- that were much like Temple's pics at Fox without ever equaling their success. Warner Bros. did not renew her contract, but Fox signed her and cast her alongside Temple in "The Little Princess" and "The Blue Bird." The latter pic ended her career as a child actress in 1940 (a fan club devoted to her continued into the 21st century). Though there was a certain amount of tension, Jason and Temple became friends, which they remained until Jason's death, Jason's daughter, Toni Drake-Rossi, told the New York Times. Born Sybil Jacobson in Cape Town, the tyke started out dancing and doing impressions in performances with her uncle's orchestra in London. She weathered WWII back in South Africa; after the war she taught acting and acted on the stage in California. Her husband Anthony Drake, who wrote for radio, died in 2005. In addition to her daughter, Jason is survived by a grandson. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

MTV Video Music Awards Winner Katy Perry: Firework Is a Movement (Video)

Katy Perry walked away from Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards a big winner with two trophies. In addition to the triumph of winning Video Of The Year for "Firework," she also won for Best Collaboration with Kanye West for "E.T."our editor recommendsMTV Video Music Awards: Tyler the Creator Still Hates Bruno Mars' Music (Video)MTV Video Music Awards: Lady Gaga Doesn't Break From Foul-Mouthed Drag King Act (Video)MTV Video Music Awards: Nicki Minaj Talks Her Upcoming Album (Video) PHOTOS: MTV VMAs: Best and Worst Moments "I was just shocked," Perry says backstage in the pressroom about her Video Of The Year Award. "Because there's a lot of great people in that category, especially Adele, who I love and is most deserving of anything, any nomination." "I felt like I was in the right place tonight, especially with that award," she continues. "We all know 'California Girls' is a great song, but it's not going to change the world or anything like that. But, 'Firework' to me, it feels like it's a movement. I feel like you can always sing songs about clubs and bub and b---hes and hos, but it takes a little bit more to sing songs like 'Firework.'" PHOTOS: MTV VMAs Red Carpet Perry's husband, actor and comedian Russell Brand, took the lead on the event's tribute to the late Amy Winehouse and Perry says, "I'm proud of him, whatever comes out of him." "I think he was right on," she then adds. "I think not only was he providing the beautiful color palette that Amy was, but he was also providing a realistic point of view, as well, and giving hope to anyone out there that felt like they needed hope. So, I felt like it was really well rounded and smart and that's why I married him, because he's smart. I learn a lot." She also spoke about the grueling tour she's on and her reasoning for the night's unique outfit choices. Watch the full interview below. Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter:@TheRealJethro Related Topics Katy Perry Russell Brand Video Music Awards VMAs 2011

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'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark's' Katie Holmes Reveals What Scares Her

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were so afraid after screening her new film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, they had to watch another movie before going to bed.our editor recommendsDon't Be Afraid of the Dark -- Film Review'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' Trailer Scares! "I'm not sure what he watched. Maybe The Sound of Music?" jokes Holmes in an interview with Reuters to promote the movie, which hits theaters on Friday. PHOTOS: 'The Kennedys' Premiere Writer/director Guillermo del Toro interjects: "I think it was that Adam Sandler comedy, [You] Don't Mess With The Zohan.' Holmes says she likes "classic horror films. But I'm not a big slasher, gory type of horror film fan." Del Toro says he's proud that "the movies I've tried to produce, write and direct, I'm very proud to say as far as I can remember I've never written a female victim, a scream queen or a part like that. I always try to create very strong female characters, in many cases stronger than the guys. Certainly in Don't Be Afraid." PHOTOS: Emmy Nominations 2011: Snubs and Shockers Holmes also found a personal connection in the horror flick, in which she protects her daughter. She is mother to Suri, 5. "I think being a mom myself, when I read my character and I saw the journey she takes and how we see her make sacrifices for her child -- I think I didn't understand that until I became a mom," she says. "Just how much you love this person. You will do anything for that person, and you have strength you didn't know that you had, which is what I like about my character. So I think that being a mom definitely gave me much more insight to this character." PHOTOS: Summer Movie Guide So what scares Holmes and Del Toro? "People who like to take the wind out of your sail because there's a lot more they're doing. If they're doing that to your face then they're doing more. So that scares me more than, like, a monster," says Holmes. Jokes Del Toro, "Politicians -- a lot. They are so deranged, especially these days. And human pettiness. Oh my God that's scary. It's so horrifying. I've seen a UFO, and I've heard ghosts twice -- once in New Zealand and once in Mexico, but those are not the scariest things. The scary things are real things like every day." Related Topics Guillermo del Toro Katie Holmes Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

NCIS Exclusive First Look: Can Gibbs & Co. Trust Scott Wolf's FBI Agent?

NCIS NCIS' Season 9 premiere will focus on Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and his hunt for the person who's leaking NCIS intel. But it will also introduce a potentially recurring new character in Scott Wolf's FBI Agent Stratton.Fall Preview: Get scoop on all your favorite returning showsStratton is described as an agent who isn't quite what he appears to be. Namely, his nice-guy looks hide a man who can be powerful, cunning and dangerous when the need arises.So can he be trusted? Based on the exclusive first image from Season 9 below, it seems Gibbs (Mark Harmon) may be asking himself that very question."There are a lot of layers to the character of FBI Agent Stratton and I think we're all looking forward to seeing how things evolve," executive producer Gary Glasberg tells TVGuide.com.How (or if) Wolf's character may be connected to DiNozzo's mole hunt remains a mystery, but Glasberg promises answers - and, of course, more questions. "You're going to get the answer to who was in that photograph - and somebody's going to die," Glasberg teases. "[Tony's] mission sort of wraps itself up, but what happens at the end sort of opens up a whole other aspect to it that will carry us through the season."Is NCIS on your Watchlist? Add it and your other favorites now and never miss an episodeBut all the fireworks aren't just at the end of the episode. "I highly, highly recommend that [viewers] make sure to not miss the first five minutes of the episode, because it's going to start with a big bang," Glasberg says.NCIS returns Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 8/7c on CBS. Check out the exclusive image:

It's Official: Rev. Al Sharpton to Host 'PoliticsNation' at MSNBC

Mere days after MSNBC leader Phil Griffin told reporters that Rev.Al Sharpton "suits the MSNBC sensibility," the civil privileges activist has formally became a member of the cable network's roster of hosts.our editor recommendsAl Sharpton to produce Sunday-morning show'The Daily Show' Jams MSNBC for Misrepresenting Ron Perry, Maligning Leader Obama'Golden-Voiced Destitute Man' Lands MSNBC Gig The frequent cable news guest will host PoliticsNation, a nightly program which will air weeknights live at 6 pm eastern. This program, that will feature discussion at the time's head lines, will debut August. 29. STORY: MSNBC Professional States the Network Is Starting to 'Chip Away' at Fox "I have known Rev. Sharpton for more than ten years and also have tremendous respect for him. He happens to be our most thoughtful and entertaining visitors," stated Griffin inside a statement. "I am thrilled that he's now arrived at a place in the career where he's in a position to devote themself to hosting a nightly show." Adds Sharpton, that has subbed set for past MSNBC hosts and it has completed throughout the 6 pm time slot since June, "It's a natural extension of my existence work and growth. All of us study from our discomfort and operate from your tripping and something must either learn how to lean forward or fall backwards. I'm glad they've given me the chance to carry on my forward lean." STORY: Rachel Maddow Stretches MSNBC Contract (Exclusive) Earlier this year, Sharpton got a election of confidence from fellow MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who told the tv Experts Association he's done particularly well. "It matters in my experience who's on at 6 p.m., clearly, and that he has been doing very well to keep our audience and helping construct it towards 7 p.m. I am talking about, he isn't completely there yet, but when he will get the task, I believe he'd prosper.Inch Sharpton will keep his gig as host of the across the country syndicated radio reveal that broadcasts 5 days per week. Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Subjects Al Sharpton MSNBC

Google's TV redux?

Motorola XPRT Googles deal to get Motorola Mobility boosts questions regarding its ambitions to develop the set-top box business.Attaining a more powerful grasp from the wireless market might be the main motive behind Google's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, however the buyout's effect on the cable market is to not be undervalued. If Google does not finish up spinning off Motorola's settop-box business, the Mountain View, Calif., juggernaut come in prime position to tackle the television sector in ways that wasn't accomplished using its battling Google TV product. That might not have been immediately apparent Monday as Google place the focus squarely on the significance of acquiring patents and integrating its Android operating-system with Motorola's hardware holdings. All Boss Ray Page allows about set-tops arrived a vague mention of the what Motorola describes since it's "home" unit. Stated Page, "I believe there's an chance to accelerate innovation in your home business by working with the cable and telco industry once we undergo a transition to Ip address.Inch But exactly how just that "innovation" will get implemented might be greatly consequential, based on Serta Olds, an analyst with Gabriel Talking to Group. "This may be the tail that's wagging your dog,Inch Olds stated. "The set-top box is of greater importance to Google than anybody could anticipate." Motorola is among the greatest providers of set-top boxes worldwide, but that has not came to a distinction because of the cable industry has lengthy been belittled for saddling its customers having a low quality consumer experience. Google can enjoy a vital role in speeding up the industry's evolution to IP-connected boxes that may open a variety of options, including seamless internet access. This is an evolution that's already happening with MSOs like Comcast, which went public in the Cable Show in June with hybrid and IP-connected methods that it's presently experimentation. Nevertheless, cable operators might not be so excited through the prospect of Google getting its on the job the cable biz's infrastructure, especially because Google TV wasn't exactly a champion. No part of the product steered clear of critique, from the interface to its cost, that has been considerably reduced. Sales were so slow that recently among Google's partners, Logitech, says more and more people within the second quarter were coming back the merchandise than purchasing it. But Motorola could give Google full control to complete its vision for getting married to TV and also the Internet as opposed to the limited achieve that came through close ties. Google TV could become what Tivo grew to become with a operators, who started providing the service like a value-add option built-into existing boxes as opposed to a stand alone device battling to locate a place in living spaces already overloaded with a lot of products. But Motorola could finish up getting increasingly than simply a Trojan viruses equine for relaunching Google TV. A foothold within the family room could give Google the pipeline to push YouTube alongside existing multichannel packages when the right deals can be achieved with cable operators. Whether piping in YouTube as well as other video platforms like Hulu -- particularly if Google eventually ends up obtaining it -- the organization could empower MSOs to counter the benefit of cord-cutting by looking into making online-shipped content a part of monthly subscriptions. Google can also be situated to market specific advertising and measure viewership in ways more granular than Nielsen, that has been belittled because of its less-than-exact rankings system. "This is often a play a lot larger than just Google TV," stated Olds. "Bing is prepared to pursue the television market in additional ways than a single.Inch Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

'Real Housewives' Hits Road For Tour

Bravo today announced The Real Housewives Live Tour, which will feature a panel discussion and audience Q&As with different stars of the network's franchise as they dish about their shows and cast secrets in matinee and evening shows. Three cities are on the list: Atlantic City, Oct. 1; Chicago, Oct. 8; and Atlanta, Oct. 15. "Bravo viewers like to truly engage in the shows they are passionate about," said Ellen Stone, SVP Marketing at the network. We'll see pretty fast if she's right -- a live show is a big leap for a series that doesn't feature actual performances, a la Glee, American Idol or The Voice. Another leap: Tickets start at $49.50 and go up to $170 -- that price gets you the Red Carpet package, which includes an exclusive cocktail reception, a separate entrance and a red carpet walk, premier seating, and limited-edition tour laminate and matching lanyard.

Viacom earnings outstrip anticipation

Viacom Corporation., who owns MTV, Comedy Central and Vital Pictures, stated Friday that it is net gain elevated 37 percent within the latest quarter, because of growing advertising sales and greater costs from cable television along with other firms that carry its channels.The organization, that is controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone, gained $574 million, or 97 cents per share, within the fiscal third quarter that ended on June 30. That's up 37 percent from $420 million, or 69 cents per share, last year.Eliminating special products, modified earnings were 99 cents per share. That's well over the 86 cents per share that experts questioned by FactSet were expecting.Viacom's revenue rose 15 % to $3.77 billion from $3.28 billion. Experts were expecting $3.52 billion.Leader and Boss Philippe Dauman stated the "breadth of hit programming found across Viacom's media network portfolio" is adding to strong advertising growth.Worldwide advertising revenue increased 14 % to $1.28 billion, while U.S. ad sales elevated 12 % throughout the quarter. The U.S. and worldwide growth rates were slightly greater than Viacom saw in the earlier quarter, further sign the advertising marketplace is enhancing.Viacom stated revenue at its media systems segment, including MTV, Nickelodeon along with other Television channels, increased 16 percent to $2.39 billion. The business's shot entertainment segment, including Vital, saw revenue increase 13 percent to $1.41 billion because of gains in DVD sales and TV license revenue. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

REVIEW: Rachel Weisz Keeps The Whistleblower from Straying into Self-Righteousness

Sometimes a movie’s social conscience is better expressed through the faces of its actors than through its words. That’s the case with The Whistleblower, in which Rachel Weisz plays an American police officer who takes a job as a peacekeeper in postwar Bosnia only to learn that keeping any nominal notion of peace is impossible: She discovers that the area is rife with human trafficking, and that contractors working under the auspices of the United Nations and the State Department are directly involved. The Whistleblower, the feature debut from filmmaker Larysa Kondracki, is based on real-life events and the experiences of a real person, Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who arrived in Bosnia in 1999. It’s a gritty, often unsettling piece of work, though it does suffer from some of the structural problems that generally arise when you try to shape a composite of events and stories into a dramatic whole. (The script is by Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan.) There are times when the picture feels like a pile-up of horrors rather than a meaningfully shaped story — it wants to open our eyes, but isn’t sure what to do once it’s got our attention. Even so, the horrors it depicts are wholly believable, and it’s not hard to buy the movie’s case that the U.N. looked the other way while underage girls were essentially being sold into slavery, victims not just of general postwar devastation in the area, but of insidious human greed and cruelty. Kathy, as Weisz plays her, is one of those capable women who nonetheless finds herself in a situation she can’t cope with. Her ex-husband is moving, along with the couple’s daughter, across the country. Kathy can’t get a transfer, and she can’t afford to just pick up stakes and follow; her ex accuses her of having too much invested in her work as a cop, and the rest of the movie continues to ask, “How much investment is too much?” Kathy accepts the lucrative gig in Bosnia as a way to make enough money to live closer to her daughter. What she finds, instead, is a world of young women who need her even more than her daughter does. In the movie’s early moments, we meet a young Ukrainian woman named Raya (Roxana Condurache) who, urged on a by friend, becomes involved in what appears to be — although it’s never exactly spelled out — some sort of shady escort scheme. All she wants to do is have a better life than her mother, a copy-shop worker, has. When we first see her, she’s an open-faced young woman with an elfin smile; the next time we see her, she’s been badly beaten and is in serious need of medical attention. She’s somehow escaped a joint called the Florida Bar. When Kathy investigates the place after it has — only allegedly, it turns out — been raided by the police, she discovers what is essentially a torture chamber where young women are sexually abused, ostensibly in exchange for their papers and their freedom. They believe they’re paying off a debt, but they’re really being kept as slaves. Kathy urges Raya to testify against the bar’s owner, promising to protect her. But the more she learns about this and similar operations in the area, the more dangerous the situation becomes: It turns out that many of her colleagues are directly involved in the trafficking, and even the ones who aren’t involved know about it and say nothing. Even before she begins untangling the most horrific threads of her case, she’s told by one of her superiors, “We are not here as investigators. We monitor. That’s it.” The Whistleblower effectively stipples what is at first just a small cloud of paranoia, eventually building it out to a suffocating, all-encompassing wall of fog. In places, Kondracki might go too far in spelling out the brutality suffered by these girls: There are a few shots too many of stained mattresses strewn on the floor and grimy bowls half-filled with urine. And the movie features lots of secondary characters whose roles aren’t quite clear: One of those is played by Vanessa Redgrave — she’s a high-level human-rights official, but she can’t seem to do much to help Kathy. Still, she gets to deliver plummy lines about human dignity. It’s hard to tell how we’re supposed to feel about her, and it may be because Kondracki doesn’t know how she feels about her, either. The always-dependable David Strathairn shows up as a police internal-affairs chief who finds his own authority overruled. (When Kathy arrives at a secret location to talk to him, he shakily offers her a drink and then takes one himself — never a good sign.) Raya, as Condurache plays her, has a tragically courageous air about her — she’s the kind of woman who doesn’t want to admit to her own vulnerability, even though it’s painfully apparent. But it’s Weisz’s face that provides the best window into the movie’s motives and intentions. When she asks the ruggedly good-looking Dutch colleague she’s been dating (played by Danish actor Nikolaj Lie Kaas) whether or not he knew about the trafficking, he offers a slightly hedgy answer, and Kondracki trains the camera on Weisz’s unspoken response: We watch as her face searches his, parsing his expression for potential deceit. Weisz is a sensitive but sturdy actress, just what a director needs for a job like this. She doesn’t hammer at the righteousness of the role, and she’s in touch not just with Kathy’s resoluteness but with her shortcomings, chiefly her misguided belief that she can protect these victimized girls when she can’t even protect herself. At certain points, Weisz’s face registers disbelief at the atrocities around her, and that disbelief is essential — it’s not naivete, but a way of reckoning with just how cruel and unjust the world can be. The Whistleblower may overstate some of its themes, but Weisz keeps dipping below the movie’s surface, always looking for the shadowy underside of moral certainty. And if the movie sometimes treads too close to being self-congratulatory, Weisz always reels it back in. She makes human decency look anything but basic.

Steve Guttenberg Speaks Out on Bubba Smith's Death

Steve Guttenberg is saddened by the death of his Police Academy co-star Bubba Smith. "Bubba was my friend. His generosity was far larger than his physical stature," Guttenberg tells TMZ.com PHOTOS:Hollywood's Notable Deaths "Only his gift for caring about his friends and family could compare with his achievements on the football field, film and television. He also laughed like no other," added Guttenberg. Smith's body was found by his caretaker Wednesday in his Baldwin Hills home in Los Angeles. He was 66. Officials believe he died of natural causes. He was a defensive linema at Michigan State and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame before going on to a nine-season NFL career with the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the '60s and '70s. Smith then transitioned to acting with the Police Academy films and on TV series Blue Thunder. He also memorably appeared in Miller Lite commercials. His last film, Daze: Vol. Too, may never be released because it doesn't have a distributor, ep Miller Uwanawich says. It features a song-and-dance number that spoofs Police Academy. Related Topics Steve Guttenberg Bubba Smith

First Clip from T&A-Free Shark Night 3D Teases T&A

With a name like Shark Night 3D — and a trailer that highlights bikini-clad co-eds and shark attacks — you would be right to assume that the upcoming David R. Ellis-directed film would be packed to the gills with boobs and blood. As the director told Movieline at Comic-Con, however, it’s not. “This movie is just a really smart, well-written movie with great character arcs, great twists, without having to have gratuitous nudity or language. Jaws was PG-13. The Birds. All those really great horror films.” Fair points, David! Though you might want to tell the marketing department, since the first clip from Shark Night teases gratuitous nudity and some shark-related ultra-violence. To be fair, that scene is clear homage to Chrissie’s death in Jaws — right down to the shark POV from beneath the sea. Though for the perspective Shark Night audience member — one weaned on the blood-splattered T&A in Piranha 3D last summer — will that reference go unnoticed? Also, how does a shark that big hang out in water that shallow? Just sayin’. [via Shock Till You Drop]