Our Gang star murdered
Jay R. Smith, 87, was found stabbed to death October 5 in the Nevada desert. A homeless man who had been doing odd jobs for is being sought for questioning. Smith appeared in several Our Gang films during the 1920s. He joins a long list of former Our Gang actors to meet with tragedy. Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins died in a plane crash in 1945, days short of his 20th birthday; Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was shot to death in 1959 at the age of 32; Billy "Froggy" Laughlin died in a motorscooter accident at the age of 16; Scotty Beckett died in 1968 from a drug overdose; and Robert Blake, who played Mickey in the series, is currently in jail, charged with the murder of his wife.

Full figures make a comeback
The recent success of several full-figured leading ladies has mystified Hollywood bigwigs, who seem to prefer anorexic-thin stars. In the summer sleeper hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the plump bride, played by Nia Vardalos, learns to love her full figure, and less-than-thin actresses Erika Christensen and Melanie Lynskey have been burning up the screen in box office hits such as Swimfan, The Banger Sisters, Sweet Home Alabama and Abandon. The cover of the latest issue of People proclaims Sexy at any Size! The accompanying article includes photos of the voluptuous actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. Even waif-like model Kate Moss recently declared she was tired of not eating, and she happily put on pounds while pregnant.

Seagal extortion plot exposed
Alexander Proctor has been jailed for leaving a dead fish, a rose and a note saying "STOP" on the hood of Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch's car, as well as smashing the windshield. Busch told police she had also been confronted by two men who demanded that she stop writing about the alleged extortion plot involving Steven Seagal's former filmmaking partner, Julius Nasso, and Gambino crime family boss Anthony "Sonny" Ciccone. Authorities said Nasso conspired with Ciccone to extort money from Seagal after the martial arts action star ended his 10-year partnership with Nasso two years ago. During a meeting at a New York restaurant, demands were made on Seagal to pay $150,000 for each movie he made without Nasso. Seagal reportedly paid the mob $700,000. Proctor could receive up to 20 years in jail.