Character Actor Pat Hingle, 84

“He wasn’t a household name, but his solid, broad, hang-dog screen face became a household image.” In addition to considerable theater and television work, Hingle played crucial roles in films from On the Waterfront and Splendor in the Grass to Norma Rae and The Grifters; he was best known as Commissioner Gordon in the first four Batman films.

Retrying Shylock: Diana’s Lawyer On Finding Against Him

“Seven senior lawyers convened in New York last month to reconsider the case against Shylock, Shakespeare’s money lender in The Merchant of Venice. One of those lawyers, Anthony Julius – best known for representing Princess Diana in her divorce from Prince Charles – explains why he voted to let merchant Antonio keep the money after all.”

One Thing The Downturn Won’t Kill: The Art Fair

“[T]he fair phenomenon, which grew out of the need for dealers to compete with the ever-expanding range of the auction rooms, is now deeply entrenched as a concept for convenient one-stop shopping and has become a key source of income for dealers.” While “there may now be too many fairs, and some may fall by the wayside, those that adapt to the new economic reality can survive.”

Broadway’s ’08 Attendance Grew Slightly Over ’07

“Broadway grossed $940,871,190 during the 2008 calendar year — about on par with last year’s $938 million, although that tally was hobbled by the 19-day stagehands’ strike that in 2007 darkened the majority of Rialto shows during some of the Street’s most profitable frames. … Attendance hit 12.32 million, just above the 12.29 million logged in 2007.”