QUIBBLES & BITS

. . . What an endorsement! An ad for Bluethner Pianos in a Hollywood Bowl program says they’re “Proudly Owned By Singers.” The add then rattles off six names, including Mario del Monaco, the illustrious Italian tenor who used to own a Bluethner--until he died in 1982.

. . . Roy Firestone, part of ESPN’s crew covering last Sunday’s Raiders-Cowboys game, broke the stunning news that Frank Sinatra almost became a limited partner of the Raiders. The useless tidbit gave Roy the chance to brag that “(owner) Al Davis took me aside to talk for 45 minutes the other day.” Wow.

. . . In case you can’t get enough sequels, Fox recently registered these titles with the MPAA: “Romancing the Stone III: The Crimson Eagle” and “The Fly II: The Insect Awakens.”

. . . When are Siskel & Ebert going to start mentioning screenwriters for excellent (or lousy) movies--instead of giving directors and actors all the credit?

. . . Newly formed Avenue Pictures announced its first production as “Pascali’s Island,” calling it a “tentative title.” Maybe because Avenue pres Cary Brokaw left Island Pictures last year under less than amicable circumstances--and would rather avoid any references to water-bound land masses?