European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 05, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 5, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 5miniseries Scarlett coming to Small screen new York a tomorrow is still another Day for Rhett and Scarlett a on the Silver screen. Scarlett the Best Selling sequel to gone with the wind will appear instead on lbs As a television miniseries in 1993. Rights to the sequel were purchased for a record $8 million plus said Robert Halmi chairman of rh1 entertainment inc. The Independent producer and distributor purchased the rights to the novel in association with the network and two european distributors. Larry Blaustein vice president of Public relations for the William Morris Agency which negotiated the Deal said the previous record bid for rights to a Book was $2.5 million for Gay Talese a thy neighbors wife. The Agency also worked on those negotiations. United artists purchased the rights to Talese a Book m 1979, but the film was never made. The rights to Scarlett belonged to the estate of the late Margaret Mitchell who wrote gone with the wind. Halmi said the Deal Means a there will be no feature film and in a so  a a feature movie would be Bead on with gone with the wind. I done to think that a possible a he said. A that would be sacrilegious. If i was the maker of gone with the wind and Scarlett the movie was coming i would show gone with the wind the week before and wipe them  Halmi whose company also produced the acclaimed miniseries Lone some Dove said sunday that he hoped the miniseries would air during the Spring or fall sweeps of 1993. He declined to offer any preference for who would Star in the miniseries. For the role of Scarlett he said he wanted to conduct a search like the one David Selznick undertook in the 1930s for the film of gone with the wind. Vivien Leigh who was unknown to american audiences got the part at the last minute. _ one person who wont be involved is Alexandra Ripley who was chosen by Mitchells estate to write the sequel. Halmi said Ripley a writer of historical Romance novels lacked the necessary screenwriting experience. He also indicated he had some changes in mind. A the property is not buying the Book. You re buying the franchise of these characters and i believe i can improve on it a Little bit a Halmi said. A nothing is really wrong with it but it is Tough to sustain that Many years of these characters. I was worried we lost Rhett somewhere in the Middle for a Little  Halmi said he wanted to conclude the Story in Atlanta not in Ireland where the Book ends. A i would also like to rename the baby daughter a he joked referring to Katie Colum of Hara the child Rhett and Scarlett have in the sequel. Despite scathing reviews Scarlett has sold More than 5 million copies  rejects Appeal on Navy recruit s death Washington apr the supreme court on monday refused to near an Appeal by the family of a Navy recruit who died during a training exercise. The justices declined without comment to use the Case to reconsider a 1950 ban on lawsuits against the military by members of the armed forces. The courts action closed the books on a lawsuit by the family of airman recruit Lee Mirecki who died in 1988 after instructors forced the panic stricken Sailor Back into the water during a Rescue training exercise. The family a Appeal said the military should not be immune from being sued if its allegedly egregious conduct causes injury or death to those in the armed forces. Mirecki 19, of Appleton wis., climbed out of a swimming Pool during the March 2, 1988, Rescue exercise at Nas Pensacola in Florida shouting that he was resigning from the Navy. The recruit who since childhood had a fear of drowning said he was unable to continue with the exercise called a Sharks and daisies a in which students swim with their hands behind their backs and instructors simulating panicking victims grab them around the head. Instructors forced Mirecki Back into the water and began what is known in the Navy As a Smur Fingo a holding the trainee under water until he is unconscious and turns Blue. Other recruits were ordered to line up with their backs to the Pool and sing the National Anthem to prevent them from seeing what was going on. Mirecki was held under water for some time. A pathologist said he suffered fear induced heart failure and drowned. Initially the Navy said Mirecki a death was accidental but did not provide a detailed explanation. Two months later it acknowledged what happened after Mirecki a family heard reports from other recruits and went to members of Congress and the news Media for help. One instructor was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to 90 Days in the Brig. A second trial cleared the officer in charge of the school on charges of dereliction of duty. Four other instructors received administrative penalties. The commander of the naval aviation schools come was reprimanded. Mirecki smother Elaine m. Kitowski accused the Navy of negligence and filed a $5 million suit. A Federal judge threw out the suit. The 11th . Circuit court of appeals upheld that ruling in May. A despite the extreme circumstances surrounding Mirecki Sheath we cannot escape the fact his death arose out of an activity incident to his military service a the appeals court said. The appellate court relied on a 1950 supreme court ruling that established the so called feres doctrine which protects the military from suits stemming from Active duty injuries or deaths to members of the armed forces. The 1950 decision squelched a suit by survivors of Rudolf j. Feres a Soldier killed in a Barracks fire attributed to negligence. A although his instructors intentionally subjected Mirecki to a surfing a his death resulted from their negligence in persisting in that exercise not from the intention to kill him a the appeals court said. In the stars and stripes10 years ago nov. 5,1981 a Nasa officials blamed filter clogging a a gunk in 5 quarts of Oil Worth about $25 for a postponement in the second launching of the space shuttle Columbia from Cape canaveral Fla. The decision to postpone came with liftoff 31 seconds away.20 years ago nov. 5,1971 a in a Deal that Industry sources said would net him $5 million 82-year-old Charlie Chaplin went to Paris to attend a gala revival of 10 old Chaplin films which he had kept under lock and key for More than 20 years.30 years ago nov. 5,1961 a Ethiopia. Nigeria and the Sudan asked for a meeting of the . Security Council to take up the situation in the Congo. The three countries said peace was threatened by the continued presence of mercenaries in the Congo a secessionist Katanga province.40 years ago nov. 5,1951 it. Gen. George Erskine commander of British forces in Egypt was reported As stating that the situation in the Suez canal zone bordered a on the threat of  at the same time Egypt protested that British forces were dragging workers to forced labor at gunpoint in the canal zone. Tenure Issue in Washington state Pennsylvania race Lead balloting by David Espo a political writer democratic sen. Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania struggles to keep his appointed seat today against a Challenge from former attorney general Dick Thornburgh. Mississippi and Kentucky Are picking governors in off year elections. The most far reaching contest May be the one to limit the tenure of members of Congress from Washington state a a measure that names no politicians but could affect the Fate of Many including House speaker Thomas s. Foley. San Francisco Houston and Boston Are among the big cities holding mayoral elections and voters in Virginia and Pennsylvania will elect new members of the House. The Pennsylvania Senate race where Wofford has fashioned an underdog Campaign around Middle class economic issues and support for National health insurance and the Washington ballot question to limit the terms of the states congressional delegation have drawn the interest of politicians looking ahead to the 1992 Campaign. Wofford appointed after the death of sen. John Heinz in a plane helicopter collision last Spring is seeking to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Pennsylvania in nearly three decades. He is a former aide to president Kennedy Bryn mawr College president and state labor Secretary. Thornburgh who served two popular terms As governor in the 1980s, resigned from the Cabinet to Malke the Senate race. He has campaigned As an ally of the president and has tried to tie wot Ford to unpopular policies of the Man who appointed him democratic gov. Robert Casey. The Winner will serve out the three years remaining of Heinz a term. The term limitation Campaign in Washington state would Force Foley a Democrat and the rest of the states delegation into retirement in 1994 by setting a three term limit on House members and a 12-year limit on congressional service. The terms of the governor and other state officeholders also would be limited. Perhaps the nations most closely watched governors race a a Runoff in Louisiana Between former Kun flux klan Leader David Duke a Republican and democratic former gov. Edwin Edwards a wont be held until saturday nov. 16. The Mississippi governor race pits the democratic incumbent Ray Mabus against Republican Kirk Fordice. Democrats have held the governors office for More than a Century but a constitutional change makes Mabus the first one eligible to seek a second consecutive term. He has stressed his commitment to education Reform and no new taxes. Democrats have controlled the governors office in Kentucky for 24 years and it. Gov. Brereton Jones is out to extend the string in a Campaign slug est. His rival in the race to succeed departing gov. Wallace Wilkinson is seven term rep. Larry Hopkins. Virginia a House race pits George Allen a gop state Delegate and son of the late professional football coach against Kay Slaughter a City councilwoman from Charlottesville. The Winner will succeed Republican d. French Slaughter who is a Cousin of the democratic candidate and is retiring because of ill health. In other elections around the country a in Philadelphia the House race is a four Way Competition to succeed former democratic whip Bill Gray. Democrat Lucien Blackwell is favored Over Chaka Fattah a democratic state senator John White a former stale welfare Secretary and Republican Nadine l. Bulford. A also in Philadelphia Democrat de run Dell a former prosecutor is heavily favored to succeed departing mayor w. Wilson Goode. A in Bostons High profile mayoral elections Ray Flynn is heavily favored to win a third term. A in Baltimore Kurt Schmoke is expected to win a second mayoral term with ease. A in Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire is in a three Way race for a new term against lawyer Bob Lanier and state rep. Sylvester Turner who is trying to become the City a first Black mayor. A in san Francisco Art Agnos faces four rivals in a re election bid. City supervisor Angela Alioto and former police chief Frank Jordan Are the most prominent opponents. A in Indianapolis Democrat Louis j. Mayhem and Republican Stephen Goldsmith arc vying to replace William Hudnut Iii retiring after four terms