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Dan Gross: Will's a Pirate (aargh); Kevin gets Spacey

OVERBROOK native superstar Will Smith turned up Friday night at Industry XIX (1904 Chestnut) to help family friend and party promoter Jackiem "Jacky" Wright celebrate his 30th birthday. While Smith was in Philly, he wasn't repping Philly, instead wearing a Pirates baseball cap.

OVERBROOK native superstar Will Smith turned up Friday night at Industry XIX (1904 Chestnut) to help family friend and Jackiem "Jacky" Wright of sports and entertainment management consulting firm The 400 PTM celebrate his 30th birthday. While Smith was in Philly, he wasn't repping Philly, instead wearing a Pirates baseball cap.

* Smith wasn't the only Hollywood heavyweight in town over the weekend. Kevin Spacey had drinks Friday night at Smith & Wollensky at the Rittenhouse, Dandelion (18th & Sansom) and Chris' Jazz Cafe (1421 Sansom). No word on why the actor, who won an Academy Award for "American Beauty," was in town.

* Speaking of Smith & Wollensky, GM Lane Kelly's last day was Friday. He worked at the steakhouse for 12 years and says he's taking time off to write a book.

Roxy to close, revamp

The Roxy Theatre (2023 Sansom), the city's last remaining independently owned cinema, will close Nov. 7, according to building owner John Ciccone, of San-Mor Limited Partnership. Ciccone confirmed Friday to the People Paper's Molly Eichel that he terminated the lease of attorney Bernard Nearey, who has run the movie house for more than 15 years.

Ciccone said that he intends to completely renovate the space, upgrade sound systems, screens, and seats, purchase two digital projectors, which cost $110,000 each, and keep the Roxy as a movie theater focusing on repertory art-house films and the occasional mainstream release.

"It's not a matter of evicting Bernie but finding a way to take the Roxy to the next level," Ciccone, who also owns the AdrienneLive theater, on Sansom, said Friday.

He said that restaurateur Stephen Starr had approached him about turning the Roxy into something like the Alamo Drafthouse, in Austin, Texas, where patrons can get dinner and drinks along with their movie, but Ciccone is set on keeping it a traditional movie house for now.

The Roxy Theater was opened, at 2021 Sansom, in 1975 by Max Raab, a clothing magnate and producer of films such as "A Clockwork Orange." In 1983, the Roxy took over 2023 Sansom and added a second screen. The theater was closed from 1994 to 1997, when Nearey resurrected it.

Nearey is not happy. He told us Friday that Ciccone begged him to stay and keep the theater running when he purchased the Roxy from Raab's estate in 2008.

"He came to me with hat in hand," Nearey said of Ciccone. "He needed me to stay in operation. He told me to take care of the movies and he would handle all exteriors and maintenance."

Nearey said that Ciccone hadn't put "one penny into the building."

He acknowledges that Ciccone has the legal right to terminate his lease, which renews every six months, but is upset at having received a fax Friday telling him that Ciccone believes the building to be unsafe and that he should vacate now.

"It's not unsafe," said Nearey, who plans to show movies until Nov. 6. "I just had an inspection by L&I and the Fire Department. He offered to pay me to get out early. Whatever they want to do in here, they want to do it quickly."

In other movie business . . .

* Actress Maura Tierney, known to many from her years on "ER," has joined the cast of "McCanick," an indie crime drama starring Chestnut Hill's David Morse, Irish actor Ciaran Hinds and Abington native Mike Vogel.

Tierney plays the ex-wife of Morse's character and shot a scene with the actor Saturday at Norris Square, in Kensington.

The Hooters played Thursday at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, following a premiere of the film "Backwards," written by, starring and produced by Haverford's Sarah Megan Thomas.

Turns out, Hooters frontman Eric Bazilian used to babysit Thomas when she was a little girl.

Bazilian and bandmate Rob Hyman wrote and performed the film's closing-credits song.

Co-star James Van Der Beek (of "Dawson's Creek" fame) was unable to attend Thursday's event, but "Gossip Girl" actress Margaret Colin, David Alan Basche of TV Land's "The Exes" and wife Alysia Reiner, who also appears in "Backwards," were there. The film, a rowing romance, was shot along Boathouse Row and on the Main Line.

Directed by Ben Hickernell, "Backwards" is now playing at the Ritz East, Bryn Mawr Film Institute and the Ambler Theatre.

Smith on 'Scandal'

You may not have heard of Judy Smith, and she might like it that way. The crisis manager, whose past clients include Monica Lewinsky and Michael Vick, says that she prefers to stay behind the scenes to help navigate a situation and protect a brand or individual with "strength and calm."

Smith is the inspiration for the lead character on ABC's "Scandal," which stars Kerry Washington and returns for its second season at 10 p.m. Thursday night. She is also a producer of the TV series.

On Tuesday, Smith is keynote speaker at the State of the Industry event, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, sponsored by the Philadelphia Black Public Relations Society, the Philadelphia Public Relations Association and the Public Relations Society of America's local chapter.

For more info, visit pbprs.com.

OUT AND ABOUT

Actress Alfre Woodard caught "Love Story" at the Walnut Street Theatre on Thursday.

An interesting note about the piano used in the show: It's signed by Liberace, who used the Baldwin while playing a concert in Atlantic City, in 1985. It's now owned by Jim Craine, who rented it to the Walnut Street and has previously rented it to Cyndi Lauper for a House of Blues concert.

* 6ABC's Adam Joseph, NBC 10's Dawn Timmeney, Fox 29's Howard Eskin and state Sen. Larry Farnese were among guests at Philadelphia Style magazine's party Thursday at Liberte Lounge, at the Sofitel. Stylist and TV personality Carson Kressley, on the cover of the new issue, was the guest of honor, happily talking or posing with anybody who asked the former "Queer Eye" fashion expert and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant.

* Olympic rower Susan Francia, who won two gold medals in London, dined at the Palm a few nights back. Francia, a Penn grad, was at the Bellevue for a women's event by Mary Dougherty, of the Nicole Miller store.