Posted on 01/21/2005 5:19:46 PM PST by ambrose
Dennis Hopper should be hopping mad, some Hollywood actors said this week.
Hopper, who organized The Creative Coalition's Ball after the Ball Thursday night as part of the activities surrounding President Bush's inauguration, apparently got a surprise phone call from the Presidential Inaugural Committee Wednesday night - telling him not to come to his own party.
"I feel terrible that the White House inaugural committee that invited Dennis decided to disinvite him," "Sopranos" actor Joe Pantoliano told reporters at the event, where the entertainment - aside from mingling with some of Tinseltown's stars - was singer Macy Gray.
Hopper reportedly was not given an explanation for the insult. A call to the PIC had not been returned by press time.
Thursday's ball at the Reagan Building in Washington featured names such as Pantoliano - the group's co-director - along with actor and director Tony Goldwyn, Mario Van Peebles, Joe Piscopo, Matthew Modine and other actors. Various politicos like Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., also attended.
But many were sorry about the absence of Hopper, who was the organizer and chair of the event and who personally wrote letters to and called the evening's headliners to invite them.
"I was very disappointed. I was told he was all of a sudden disinvited by the Inaugural Committee ... but he's with us in spirit," Goldwyn, who played the dark character Carl Bruner in the 1990 smash-hit "Ghost," and more recently co-starred in "The Last Samurai," told reporters on the red carpet Thursday.
Hopper, a Hollywood icon and long-time actor, director and producer who has starred in films such as "Speed," "Easy Rider" and "Apocalypse Now," is a hard-core supporter of Bush, although his wife did partake in fund-raising activities for Sen. John Kerry, Bush's Democratic challenger in the 2004 presidential election.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Whether you & I like it or not, Hollywood is influential.
Personally, I'd rather they produce something other than the garbage they've been cranking out the past 40 years. A few more key players sympathetic to our side couldn't hurt.
Nor do I believe The WH controlled the inviaation list for all these balls.
It's really hard to tell what side of the table some of these people are on. While I believe 9/11 did see some real conversion with some in Hollywood...I have to say that I wouldn't think Hopper would be one of them.
Excuse me.
I want PROOF.
I know there was a big event made over Kid Rock but I recall no controversy about Hopper. I wasn't even aware he would be in attendence.
I thought Kid Rock should be invited and was in disagreement with those that sought to keep him out, but I find it suprising to learn after the fact similiar trouble was expressed about Hopper and we are only learning of it NOW.
Give me proof. Maybe it's so, maybe it isn't. I want evidence either way as I find it difficult to believe this wouldn't have come to our attention earlier.
He gave $50,000 to the Kerry campaign.
"If he's such a big supporter and most Freepers are only finding out now..."
Actually, I've known that Dennis Hopper is a Republican for a good while now.
Naturally, the MSM and Hollywood aren't going to send out a newsletter on the subject.
No argument there. And I've always thought there was something screwy about Macy Gray--don't like here music anyway. But there's something odd about this story. The guest list doesn't jibe.
""Kerry's $50,000 Hollywood supporters include actor Dennis Hopper, ..."
Nothing surprises me any more,
This just doesn't ring true. If the ball was held by the Creative Coalition, then it seems to me that they would be the ones that controlled the invitations.
And so you choose to believe this article which is contradicted by an article saying he was busy with a project?
Yeah, it's a shame about Gandolfini. But at least he and Paulie support the troops, which is more than I can say for the most of Hollywood.
President Bush doesn't need Hollywood. They need him, and his leadership, as we all do.
It's great that some entertainers support our President and troops, who are fighting for the oppressed in the world.
But President Bush NEEDS Hollywood?...hell no. I think that was obvious on Nov. 3rd, 2004. A good part of the Hollywood community gave it all they had, and they still couldn't defeat him, and what he stands for.
Hollywood loved Kennedy, but THEY didn't get him elected......
I think the question to be asked is, does Hollywood NEED us common folks, who have been lining their pockets for years, paying their salaries. I, for one, no longer contribute to the filthy rich who continue to use their "celebrity" to disrespect our country.
How great will your loss be?
Why did they do this? If he was a hardcore supporter of Bush? This is worse than not getting invited at all!
You know, there are quite a few parallels between Dennis Hopper and the late (great) Vincent Prices (please excuse the present tense here... I'm not quite sure how to do this).
Both are great actors, and have a very wide range of skills, but both can play vilians better than nearly anyone else. And they can take a villan who would be sort of "silly" if nearly anyone else were to play him, and make him real, and even give that vilan a "human side," making him all the more scary!
Both are avid collectors of art, and artists themselves.
Both are excellent directors.
Mark
so Hopper has no idea how to get big PR for himself? And somehow this guy is vital to the GOP's interests?
I'm glad you caught that. I was about to bring you up to date:)
I wonder why that $50K donation doesn't show up at OpenSecrets.org? The only donation they show from Dennis Hopper in the last three years is $2,000 to the RNC.
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