Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Christian Bale has been dubbed difficult to work with since that audiotape was released of him going into an angry tirade on the set of "Terminator Salvation" — a rant subsequently heard everywhere from NPR to YouTube to cell phone ringtones.

However, his co-star in the upcoming flick "Public Enemies," Shawn Hatosy, says he had a very positive experience with the actor and people shouldn't jump to conclusions when they don't know the whole story. "One thing I'll say about Christian is that I've never seen anybody more dedicated to their craft, and someone who takes it so seriously, any interruption can set you off, especially when you're doing something that is very emotional," notes Hatosy, who plays an FBI agent in the flick that also stars Johnny Depp.

"When you make movies, there's a lot of tension, and there's a lot of things that can go wrong. It's so easy for people to make a big thing of something when they don't know everything that's gone on. I don't know what happened," he adds. "I only heard what was recorded. It's not my business to judge him. I know of him as a man, and he's a good man. He's a loving father and a good husband. I'm sure people have things that go on in their work that they don't want other people to know, but they're not under a microscope."

"Public Enemies" hits theatres in July, and in the meantime Hatosy is starring in the upcoming movie "Bad Lieutenant" with Nicolas Cage, and he's also a regular on John Wells' newest TV show "Southland." "We're taking over 'ER's' timeslot, so those are some pretty big shoes to fill," he says of the NBC show, which premieres in April. "I think John Wells sets such a standard for television. If you're an actor, you want to be a part of his projects. This is certainly one of the coolest things I've ever done."

CELEB SEEN: Andrew Dice Clay, who was the first casualty in Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice 2," was spotted watching himself get the boot on the small screen at the World Famous Comedy Store Sunday night. The comic, who is a regular at the L.A. comedy club, watched in silence at the outside bar while surrounded by a few fellow comedians. While his life as a Trump businessman was short lived, it's a good thing he has comedy to fall back on!

OZ FOR A CAUSE: It was a treat to see Hollywood's Aussies come together this past weekend at a high school in Pacific Palisades to play soccer to raise money for the Australian Red Cross, which is aiding the residents of Victoria after their devastating bushfires.

"Without A Trace" star Anthony LaPaglia helped coordinate the event and also showed some major skills on the field as goalie. Fellow Aussie Simon Baker from "The Mentalist" worked hard scoring goals and afterwards walked around the stadium barefoot while taking pictures with young fans. However, "American Idol" star Michael Johns was feeling the affects of the heat. "It's the hottest day of the year. I feel like I'm going to puke," he told his wife in between games. After getting some love from his dog, he pushed through and joined the other celebrities on the field including "True Blood's" Anna Paquin, The Cult's Billy Duffy and Donal Logue from "Life."

LAUGHING MATTERS: When Gary Anthony Williams and Jeannie Roshar put their idea for the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival into motion last June, "it took off like a rocket," he says, in terms of people wanting to get involved or submit entries. The two funny people soon found themselves with 600 films and another 600 scripts for the writing competition component of the fest, which runs tomorrow (3/5) through Sunday (3/8) at L.A.'s newly renovated Downtown Independent Theater. "We were truly overwhelmed," he admits. "We thought we were going to hit the ground walking, but someone turned the treadmill on high."

Williams and Roshar, along with fellow cofounder Ryan Higman, arranged for the winners of their fest to get meetings with the heads of popular comedy websites Funny or Die and Atomic Wedgie — and the top winner will be featured on Funny or Die. Also incorporated into the fest are networking opportunities with production company and management company execs, parties and panels including one called Famous People Talking about Sh*t, featuring Laraine Newman, Aisha Tyler, Regina King, Sean Astin and Mindy Sterling.

But most important: the films themselves. "The longest one is a half hour, the shortest are under a minute," says Williams.

As a favorite example, they cite "A Horribly Slow Murder with an Extremely Inefficient Weapon." Roshar says, "It's about a guy who is being very slowly chased on foot by shrouded man who keeps hitting him with a spoon over 10 years, all around the world, 'til he can't take it anymore, and he dies." Adds Williams, "I've watched it so many times, and I'm still wondering, 'Did these guys really go to Egypt to shoot this?'"

With reports by Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.