Golden Globes Security: Behind The Scenes

Golden Globe favoritism allegations denied
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A spokesman for the Golden Globe awards denied allegations the event has become a virtual Payola scheme by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. A statement issued by the show said the allegations made in a Lawsuit filed this week by former Globes consultant Michael Russell were without merit. "This is no more than the case of a disgruntled former consulting firm, whose contract was not renewed, attempting to take advantage once again of the Globe's inte...

Former Golden Globes publicist sues, claims payola
A former publicist for the organization that runs the Golden Globes has sued the group on the eve of its glitzy awards show, claiming it engages in Payola schemes for nominations and awards. Michael Russell sued the Hollywood Foreign Press Association late Thursday, just three days before the Golden Globes are slated to air Sunday on NBC. The Lawsuit claims that many association members "abuse their positions and engage in unethical and potentially unlawful deals and arrangements which amount to...

Swag suites kick into high gear for Golden Globes
In this Jan. 14, 2011 photo, people stand in the DPA Golden Globes Gift Suite at the L'Ermitage Hotel in Los Angeles. Awards season is gifting season in Hollywood, and with Sunday's Golden Globes in sight, swag suites are almost as common as celebrity sightings. Awards season is gifting season in Hollywood, and on Golden Globes weekend, swag suites are almost as common as celebrity sightings. At least half a dozen such suites intended to lavish stars with gowns, jewels, Vacations and other luxu...

Hough having more fun as a blonde
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Singer and actress Julianne Hough says she went back to basics when she went back to blonde. Hough told People Magazine at a Beverly Hills gala this week she reverted from brunette to her natural blonde in time for this weekend's Golden Globes. "The brown was for a movie so I'm back to being me," Hough said, adding that some fine-tuning needs to be completed to her mane, but boyfriend Ryan Seacrest is definitely pleased so far. "He likes the blonde for sur...

CHUMMY IN LOS ANGELES: Sheriff Lee Baca launched a criminal probe at request of fashion magnate.
CHUMMY IN Los Angeles: Sheriff Lee Baca launched a Criminal Probe at request of Fashion Magnate. “Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca personally launched a Criminal Investigation in another police agency’s jurisdiction after a request from a Millionaire businessman who later contributed $100,000 to two sheriff’s charities, according to civil court Testimony, Law Enforcement records and interviews. . . . In October, a Times investigation detailed a similar case in which Baca l...

The battle for Golden Globes glory
Film studios are spending huge amounts on ensuring that their productions are victorious in Sunday's Golden Globes....

Publicist sues Golden Globes organizers
Los Angeles (Hollywood Reporter) - Michael Russell, who for years represented the Golden Globes as its lead publicist, has filed a $2 million Lawsuit accusing the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of "Payola" in connection with the show. The suit -- filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court on the eve of Sunday's Globes telecast by Russell, Stephen Locascio, Cinepoint Prods and the Michael Russell Group -- accuses the Journalist organization of terminating a deal for Russell and his compan...

Golden Globes 2011: Colin Firth leads British invasion
Colin Firth leads the British invasion at this year's Golden Globes as The King's Speech is nominated for seven awards....

Ballroom, show workers ready for the Golden Globes
The tables aren't set yet, but the stage is — and so are the Veteran producer and first-time director of this year's Golden Globe Awards. Producer Barry Adelman and director Louis J. Horvitz say that with the big show just days away, the belly butterflies are beginning to flutter. "We get our adrenaline going, no matter how many times we've done it, and that will build until showtime," says Adelman, standing in the middle of the Beverly Hilton's International Ballroom, where hundreds of st...

Golden Globes Live Chat
Join The Daily Beast's Kate Aurthur and Choire Sicha for a live chat about Hollywood’s drunkest night, the Golden Globes. The chat kicks off at Sunday, January 16th at 8 p.m. EST. Enter your email in the box below for a reminder Sunday night....

Golden Globes stage to shine with 30,000 crystals
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The Golden Globes ceremony will be even more glittery this year. Apart from all the stars lighting up the room, the new set at the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom will shine with 30,000 Swarovski crystals. Dick Clark Productions, which is producing the Globes, says some 3,000 pounds of crystals were flown in from Austria for Sunday’s ceremony. Production designer Brian Stonestreet says the crystal-encrusted set design was inspired by t...

Golden Globes stage to shine with 30,000 crystals
In this Jan. 12, 2011 photo, crystals from a chandelier that will be used for the Golden Globe Awards are seen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Golden Globe awards will air on Sunday, Jan. 16. The Golden Globes ceremony will be even more glittery this year. Apart from all the stars lighting up the room, the new set at the Beverly Hilton Hotel's International Ballroom will shine with 30,000 Swarovski crystals. Dick Clark Productions, which is producing the Globes, says so...

Hall Of Shame: Liberals Who Used Tragedy To Smear The Right
CHRYSTIA FREELAND, Reuters: I’m from Alberta. I’m from Alberta. Calgary has a Muslim mayor. My Dad does have guns, but we have universal healthcare. And Canada is heaven for the Elizabeth Warrens of the world because it has banking regulations. That’s the difference. It didn’t have a Financial Crisis. And the government didn’t have to bail out the banks. So the middle-class is okay. Bill Maher: Because we don’t have government healthcare, that’s one r...

Oscar hopeful Firth gets Hollywood star
British actor Colin Firth, who is tipped for Oscar glory for his latest movie the "The King's Speech," was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Thursday. The 50-year-old, who plays stuttering King George VI in the movie also expected to do well in this weekend's Golden Globes, referred to the movie as he posed next to his sidewalk star on Hollywood Boulevard. "Sometimes one feels like that particular king in moments like these," he quipped to a small crowd gathered for the photoc...

Oscar hopeful Firth gets Hollywood star
British actor Colin Firth, who is tipped for Oscar glory for his latest movie "The King's Speech," was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. The 50-year-old, who plays stuttering King George VI in the movie also expected to do well in this weekend's Golden Globes, referred to the movie as he posed next to his sidewalk star on Hollywood Boulevard. "Sometimes one feels like that particular king in moments like these," he quipped to a small crowd gathered for the photocall. "I am very ha...

Firth's pride and tears as he receives Hollywood star
How do you overcome a stammer? British actor Colin Firth has been presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, dedicating the honour to his wife. Firth, nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in The King's Speech, was seen to wipe away a tear at the ceremony. Speaking of his wife Livia, Firth, 50, said: "When I look down there at that star, it's her name I see." Firth rose to fame in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, before starring in The English Patient and A S...

The Morning Fix: Big media worry FCC is overreaching on conditions for Comcast-NBC deal. Some 'Desperate Housewives' desperate f
After the coffee. Before wondering why I have to get sick on a Friday.  The Skinny: Got knocked out by a fever last night so if the material isn't 100%, that's why. Hope all you Golden Globe folks have a fun weekend. While media watchdogs are worried that proposed conditions on the Comcast-NBC Universal Merger don't go far enough, some rival media giants fear they could go too far. Wait, big media looking out for one another, stop the presses! Not so fast. Walt Disney Co. an...

Golden Globe awards hit by corruption scandal
A former publicist for the organisation that runs the Golden Globes sued the group on the eve of its glitzy awards show, claiming its members receive favours for some nominations and awards....

Miss Golden Globe Through the Years
Gia Mantegna, actor Joe Mantegna’s daughter, will see a lot of screen time on Sunday night as this year’s Miss Golden Globe. From Melanie Griffith to Rumer Willis, see the Hollywood debutantes who’ve held the title in years past....

Police obtain photos of Loughner posing with gun while wearing red g-string (Daily Caller)
Read more stories from The Daily Caller Chris Matthews calls Obama critics 'crackers' Rush Limbaugh: I didn't know about Tucson billboard featuring decorative bullet holes Brooklyn College Professor and NY Times writer Helen Rubinstein stole Internet for years — but she may have to pay big-time now Golden Globes: Flashback to Hollywood's Golden Age [SLIDESHOW] Top 10 prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft [SLIDESHOW] Police officials said Friday that they’ve obtained photographs of the accus...

Extra, Extra
Flickr user Gripjagraphy Remember to follow Gothamist on Twitter and like us on Facebook. From the Gothamist Newsmap: a second alarm fire at 101-14 110th Street in Queens, an MVA Overturn on the southbound Prospect Expressway at 11th Avenue in Brooklyn and a shooting at Hillside Avenue in Manhattan. A Lawsuit over a mean group of girls at Miss Porter's School in Connecticut has been dropped. Want to learn about mobsters? Go to Rao's. Diddy skips the Golden Globes to perform with comedian Chris...

Globes face lawsuit on eve of Hollywood show
A former publicist for the Golden Globes show is suing its organizers for Breach of Contract and allegedly taking bribes, a lawyer said, on the eve of the annual Hollywood awards gala. Michael Russell, who worked for the Globes' organizers for 17 years, wants at least two million dollars in damages and lost wages from them and accusing them of running a "payola" scheme, according to the Lawsuit, obtained by AFP. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) dismissed the action as a case of "...

The National Law Enforcement Memorial
Every time I get down to DC I try to hit a few of the many monuments and attractions in the city in between meetings. For those of you who don’t get to visit very often, there are a lot of them, trust me. Everyone seems to catch the big ticket items - Congress, the White House, the reflecting pool, Washington Monument - but there are lots of other ones which don’t get as much attention but are worth a look. During my last trip I stopped by the National Law Enforcement Mem...

Israeli PM's guards tell journalists to strip
Source: AFP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's guards ordered a pregnant Arab newswoman to remove her Bra and told other reporters to strip to their underwear, Journalists said on Wednesday. The demands were made on Tuesday as Journalists tried to enter a five-star hotel in Jerusalem for the premier's annual reception for the foreign press, prompting some to walk out rather than face humiliating and invasive searches. The incident drew cries of outrage from the Tel Aviv-based Foreign Pr...

Al-Jazeera files complaint over security checks at Jerusalem event
A female reporter for the Qatar-based news channel was reportedly asked to remove articles of clothing, including her Bra, while entering a Foreign Press Association event....