Jury: O'Connor Didn't Slander

A Los Angeles civil court jury has cleared actor Carroll O'Connor of slander charges brought by a man he accused of helping to drive his adopted son Hugh to suicide by supplying him with cocaine. O'Connor said outside the court he had no intention of continuing his campaign against convicted drug user Harry Perzigian. But, O'Connor added, "The public will handle Harry and the people on the street will handle Harry when they see him. And he's going to have to pay for what he did." Perzigian sued the 72-year-old actor after O'Connor gave a series of television interviews in which he accused the songwriter of being "a partner in murder."

Guilty Verdict in Cosby Case

After more than two days of deliberations, a federal jury in Manhattan has convicted Autumn Jackson and two co-defendants of trying to extort $40 million from entertainer Bill Cosby. Jackson, who claims to be Cosby's illegitimate daughter, had threatened to sell her story to a tabloid newspaper. Jackson and co-defendants Jose Medina, 51, and Boris Sabas, 42, were convicted on three counts of conspiracy, extortion and violating the federal law that prohibits the use of interstate commerce to commit crimes. Jackson faces up to 12 years in prison when she is sentenced in New York Oct. 22.

Museum Plans Versace Exhibit

Officials at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York say they will host an exhibition celebrating the work of slain fashion designer Gianni Versace. The exhibition will open at the museum's Costume Institute Dec. 11 and remain open through March 22, 1998. The Versace exhibition will include a small retrospective of the Italian designer's major themes and pieces, and it will trace his inspirations from Greek and Roman classicism and 18th-century court styles to pop artist Andy Warhol and modern abstract art. The exhibit also will include Versace's recent experiments with new materials such as plastic and metal mesh. Versace was known to visit the landmark museum.

New Film For Nathan Lane

Two top names on Broadway are very close to pairing on a feature film, according to Variety. Nathan Lane, who starred in "Guys and Dolls" and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," reportedly will star in the comedy, "The Best Man." Variety says talks are under way with Jerry Zaks to direct. Lane and Zaks worked together on "Guys and Dolls" and "Laughter on the 23rd Floor." "The Best Man" is a romantic comedy about a mental patient who escapes from an institution to be the best man at his childhood friend's wedding.

Will Vaughn Be 'Black and Blue?'

Woody Harrelson and Vince Vaughn ("Swingers") are being eyed to star in the 1970s cop drama "Red White Black and Blue," sources tell Variety. The film is about three vice cops who are set up for a murder they didn't commit and their fight to clear their names. Insiders tell Variety that the story is "The French Connection" meets "The Mod Squad." The Universal Pictures project is expected to go before the cameras in February.

'Toy Story' Comes to TV

"The Wonderful World of Disney" will return to television in September. And Variety says ABC will run the movie "Toy Story" for the show's premiere. The 1995 animated picture, which features the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, will air on Sept. 28. During the November sweeps, "Wonderful World" will feature the previously announced "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," a new version of "Oliver Twist," the made-for-TV film "The Garbage-Picking, Field Goal-Kicking, Philadelphia Phenomenon" and the network television premiere of "The Santa Clause."

Feature Film About Reeves

The mysterious death of TV's original Superman is set to be investigated in a feature film, according to Variety. The project will be based on the 1996 book "Hollywood Kryptonite: The Bulldog, the Lady and the Death of Superman," which concludes that George Reeves was murdered. His death in 1959 was officially considered a suicide. Written by Sam Kashner and Nancy Shoenberger, the book details the evidence left by the late Hollywood scribe and MGM executive Sam Myer, and concludes that Reeves was murdered.

Clinton Attends Hollywood Bash

When President Clinton takes a short trip to California this weekend, he'll attend a party hosted by an MCA head honcho. Variety's Army Archerd says Edie and Lew Wasserman will fete the chief executive. According to Archerd, guests include: Disney's Michael Eisner, actress Mary Steenburgen, actor Ted Danson, Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, and Roger Clinton.

Redford Case Reopened

Police in Boulder, Colo., say an investigation into the 1983 murder of a college student who was the boyfriend of Robert Redford's daughter has been reopened. Sidney Wells, 22, was a journalism student at the University of Colorado in Boulder when he was found shot to death in his apartment on Aug. 1, 1983. He was dating Redford's daughter Shauna. Wells' roommate, Thayne Alan Smika, was arrested for the murder. No charges were filed at the time, but Boulder police say they want to talk to Smika again.

Connie Stevens' 'Healing'

Actress Connie Stevens is now winding up a documentary on Vietnam, according to Variety's Army Archerd. The film, "A Healing," reportedly will be shown during the October dedication festivities of the Women Veterans' Memorial in Arlington, Va. Stevens tells Variety it will also be shown to Congress, and at festivals in New York and Toronto, Canada.

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