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No one but Clooney, one of the last true matinee idols, could convince studio executives to green-light this film. Not only does the screwball comedy take place in the 1920s, it’s told with a style and tone that hasn’t been popular since films like “His Girl Friday” and “Some Like It Hot” were in style.
But I imagine that studio heads looked at Clooney, who was hot off a superb second directorial effort with “Good Night and Good Luck,” and thought his suave looks and quick wit would at least guarantee a large opening weekend, even if the movie felt dated and cheesy.
And yet, the surprise is that Clooney’s homage to screwball classics is a surprisingly enjoyable, funny and charming little romp. The formula may be old enough to have accrued a few creaks and wheezes, but it’s still reliable when handled with the right hands.
Clooney, also the film’s director, is Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly, a professional football player back in 1925, back when the sport was considered to be nothing more than a bunch of oafs running around in an empty field. There were no fans, no fireworks and no rules, as is evidenced when a quarterback for Dodge’s team, the Duluth Bulldogs, punches out the opposing team. Dodge enjoys that, complaining that the sport’s professionalism is hurting the game, turning it from something fun to something money-grubbing.
I have a feeling the character may be what attracted Clooney to the role. Although he’s gaining popularity as a serious actor for his work in “Syriana” and last year’s “Michael Clayton,” Clooney’s always been one of the few remaining stars who comes off as irascible, loving a good practical joke, a stiff drink and a night on the town. It’s easy to see why he loves playing Dodge, a lovable lug who talks fast and smooth, and enjoys a visit to a speakeasy now and then or a good old-fashioned pub brawl.

sourcenewspapers.com

Jericho is dead, and this time all the nuts in the world aren’t going to bring it back. CBS had hoped the fan frenzy that inspired them to revive the show for a mini-season might be a sign that Jericho was a true late bloomer along the lines of Family Guy, but ratings were actually lower this winter than they were last year at this time. It didn’t help that it was preceded by Big Brother, which would be an inappropriate lead-in even in a season where it had better ratings.
The finale (CBS, 10 PM), which will apparently give the show’s fans at least a little closure, will find Jake (Skeet Ulrich) and Hawkins (Lennie James) attempting to prove to Texas that a conspiracy is behind everything and the Cheyenne government is behind the conspiracy. The bigger question even after the credits roll tonight is whether the fervent fans that won the first time will attempt to rally again. Jericho could have been treated better by CBS — the decision to impose a Lost-style hiatus on it only two months into its run proved especially disastrous — but I’ve never understood why so many found it worthy of their energy.
American Idol (Fox, 8 PM): The top ten perform songs associated with the years in which they were born, which will likely mean (for most of them) another trip through the 1980s. David Archuleta should do “Funky Cold Medina” to get his mojo back.
Beauty and the Geek (CW, 8 PM): It’s beauties vs. geeks in a game of flag football in which someone winds up getting hurt. See, if these geeks had ever played football before, they would know the “flag” part is supposed to prevent injuries.
Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 8 PM): The first hour of two will be a recap of last night, which sounds like dangerous programming against American Idol. Hour two will finally bring our first two eliminations. Back to the rabbits-in-hats tomorrow for Penn Jillette?

film.com

OK, let’s get one thing cleared up before we start the recap of the show…
YES, Joanne did bungle and let the pre-taping cat out of the bag last week. She said “Sunday” (the day she and the ladies actually taped their performances), then quickly attempted to cover it with “I mean, Wednesday” (referring to the day the show was broadcast.)
YES, as confirmed by my behind-the-scenes AI contact, the performance shows at this point in the competition ARE pre-taped. Currently, the boys are singing for their supper on Saturday, the girls on Sunday. Do I think some transparency of this fact would have been appreciated by the general populus before Joanne’s tongue trippage?
Of course. But then, I’m a big fan of the truthiness.
I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising, given the current number of contestants and the extreme amount of work to be done between shows: Picking songs, rehearsals, Vommercials, hair, make-up, photo shoots, interview packages, schooling for the young ‘uns, you name it. Oh yeah, they try to sleep a little too.
Does it take a little of the excitement away from Tuesday and Wednesday nights right now? I think so. And according to all the emails I have received from AI fans asking if the pre-taping rumor is true, they do too.

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