Oscar honors ‘Network’ filmmaker Sidney Lumet

Los Angeles (AP) — Filmmaker Sidney Lumet will receive an honorary award at the upcoming 77th Academy Awards in February.

The honor was voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors in recognition of his “brilliant services to screenwriters, performers and the art of the motion picture.”

Known as an actor’s director, Lumet was born in Philadelphia and grew up acting at New York’s Yiddish Art Theater. His feature debut, 1957’s “12 Angry Men” earned him his first Oscar nomination for directing.

He’s received four additional nominations, three for directing — “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976) and “The Verdict” (1982) — and another for adapted screenplay for 1981’s “Prince of the City.”

Sheen, Richards to have child

New York — Christmas has come early for Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. The couple are expecting their second child, due in June, People magazine reports. Their first, daughter Sam Sheen, was born in March.

“They are incredibly thrilled and I couldn’t think of a better Christmas present for the both of them and for little Sam,” the magazine quotes Richards’ agent, Chuck James.

Richards, 33, and Sheen, 39, married in June 2002. The couple met while shooting the film “Good Advice” in 2000. They began dating after Richards did guest spots on Sheen’s former TV series, “Spin City.”

Sheen also has a daughter, Cassandra, 20, from his first marriage.

Updike yields book collection

Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. — John Updike, like many a good book-lover, found the cellar of his house and shelves in his barn were being overrun with books he and his wife have collected over the years.

“They were just collecting dust and mouse droppings,” the author told The Boston Globe in Friday’s edition.

Their solution? Find someone who would pay for the used books, and haul them away.

“I’m at an age when you think about lightening your load, rather than dumping it on your heirs,” said Updike, 72, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

Mark Stolle, owner of Manchester by the Book store, bought Updike’s collection. But not all of them will be re-sold cheaply.

In some of the books’ margins are handwritten questions and analogies from the novelist and essayist — writings that Updike called his “scribblings.” Those editions will go for between $200 and $1,000.

Royal bubbly sold after all

London — Collectors of royal family memorabilia bought a 23-year-old piece of wedding cake and magnum of champagne from the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles Friday.

A royal fanatic paid more than $2,000 for the magnum of French champagne from the 1981 royal wedding, while a slice of matured wedding cake sold for $452.

The 1961 vintage Dom Perignon — chosen for the year of Diana’s birth — was one of 12 magnums bottled in a limited edition for the royal wedding.

It failed to sell at auction earlier this week but the collector from northern England called the auction house Friday and agreed to pay $2,029 for the bubbly.

“He’s a genuine collector. I told him it’s a very good investment and how in another 20 years it’ll still be a star item, but he said he intends never to sell it,” Chris Albury of the Dominic Winter auction house in Swindon said.

Rock items on auction block

New York — A Gibson guitar once owned by Beatle George Harrison and a guitar played by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones were among the highlights of a rock ‘n’ roll auction.

Christie’s was offering more than 400 items of rock ‘n’ roll and entertainment memorabilia at Friday’s auction, which was expected to bring in about $3 million.

“Some articles are being offered for sale by collectors, and others by the celebrities themselves or their families,” said Darren Julien of Julien’s, a Hollywood, Calif.-based entertainment auction house, a co-sponsor of the auction.

Other items included Elvis Presley’s Army trench coat, an album cover signed by Bob Dylan and Britney Spears’ grade school book report.

Birthday: Brad Pitt

Actor Brad Pitt is 41. Actor Ossie Davis is 87. Rock singer-musician Keith Richards is 61. Movie director Steven Spielberg is 58. Actor Ray Liotta is 49. Actress Katie Holmes is 26. Singer Christina Aguilera is 24.