David Carr's
piece about the trepidations and nail-bitings over possible indictments stemming from the
Anthony Pellicano wire-tapping mess ("A B-Movie Becomes a Blockbuster") is another reason why Carr should continue doing his Carpetbagger column 24/7 after the Oscar race concludes. It's always a tasty read, it's got attitude, and is well-reported and well-written. The
wire-tapping case against Pellicano "could ultimately threaten the reputation and
even the freedom of some of the entertainment industry's most prominent figures," he notes, and "also serves as a reminder that even though the studios are now just one more adjunct of large media companies, Hollywood has always been a wide-open town that lives by its own rules. Many recognizable names have been questioned, among them
Bert Fields, whose client list includes some of the city's better-known names, including
Michael S. Ovitz, the once-powerful talent agent, and
Brad Grey, now the chairman of Paramount. P
eople who were in litigation against both men were subjected to background checks and wiretapping, according to the indictment, but neither has been implicated in any criminal activity." Yet. As Carr adds, "With the indictment of
Terry N. Christensen, a respected member of the Los Angeles bar [hit] with wiretapping and conspiracy charges in connection with the divorce case of
Kirk Kerkorian, the billionaire investor, no one knows which way the marble will roll next." And "given that federal investigators are in receipt of an uncertain number of recorded conversations, all those being questioned have to answer knowing that
they may face federal perjury charges if they are less than forthcoming."