Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

"He just wants people to see the movie and draw their own conclusions," says Dean Cain, speaking of "September Dawn" — the May 4 release written and directed by his father, Christopher Cain, in which Dean plays Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith.

The film, which stars Jon Voight, Terence Stamp and Lolita Davidovich, deals with the Sept. 11, 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, when a wagon train full of Arkansas settlers was ambushed by a renegade group of Mormons — an incident regarded as one of the darkest chapters in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The film, says Dean, asks whether church leader "Brigham Young [w]as complicit in ordering the massacre. The church says no. The film brings up some very significant questions.

"I was a history major in college and I read a lot about it," adds the Princeton grad. "I do know that everything said by Brigham Young in the film is taken from historical records."

The feature was made quietly last year in Canada, but has already stirred controversy, eliciting a statement from the Mormon Church to the effect that it isn't factual, says Dean. "But they haven't seen it," he adds. "I'm sure he doesn't have a problem with them seeing the movie any time."

Meanwhile, Dean has the April 22 CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "Crossroads: a Story of Forgiveness," an inspiring real-life story in which he plays a man whose wife and daughter are killed in an automobile accident involving a teenage street racer, who he eventually confronts. And the actor is in the midst of making "Protect and Serve" a CBS ensemble drama series pilot in which he plays an LAPD cop. From "Las Vegas" producer Gary Scott Thompson, it shows officers' lives at home as well as on the job, and has Monica Potter as Dean's wife.

THE PERSONAL TRACK: Singer/actor Marques Houston acknowledges that his new "Veteran" CD — which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart — is his most personal to date, as it delves into his past relationships. He makes it clear, however, that he's not about exploiting anyone for the sake of his art.

"You don't want to put all your business and your dirty laundry out there — just enough to where people can get a feel of who you are," says Houston, who wrote most of the songs on the album that features such guest artists as Mya, Young Joc and Ne-Yo (cq all).

The 25-year-old one-time "Sister, Sister" cutup, who started singing with the group Immature at age 11, says that since he grew up in the public eye, "The only thing people don't know about me is my personal relationships. I've kept all my girlfriends private. I feel like when you put yourself out there like that, people just hate and want to tear it down."

COURT ORDER: Anne Archer, who stars as a potential Supreme Court justice embroiled in a sex scandal in Lifetime TV's April 9 "Judicial Indiscretion," considers the role "a perfect match for me. I'm always interested in big issues on the world stage, the national stage. This character is faced with political assassination. She is a highly ethical person who is set up and destroyed," says Archer. She adds that she abhors "the kind of politics when everything is personalized and it's not about the job someone does."

The made-for-TV movie story has her judge character involved with a writer who turns out to be a male prostitute. "I think the salaciousness of the crime makes for good drama. It's not dry, it's provocative, which makes it very entertaining," she says. "As our director so wisely pointed out, there is nothing worse than grandstanding on an issue. It's boring television. This film has rich scenes that illustrate everything without saying it."

CHILDREN'S HOUR: They're looking for a 6-to-9-year-old to play the key role of Eddie Murphy's daughter in Paramount's "NowhereLand," which is due to shoot in early fall. That's the film in which Murphy is to play an executive whose life is falling apart — but who discovers solutions to his problems exist in the imaginary world of princesses and dragons concocted by his highly imaginative offspring.

CHILDREN'S HOUR, TOO: A July production start has been set for the supernatural chiller "Darkness Visible" — which stars Sean Young, M. Emmett Walsh, Barbara Bain and her daughter, Juliet Landau. The story has to do with strange goings-on after the murder of a little girl, and casting is underway for girls who'll play the eclectic assortment of friends of the deceased 10-year-old.

AUGH!: It had to happen. Soon to go into production is an independent flick called "Midnight Movie" — which shows what happens when the 12 a.m. showing of a scary film turns into a real-life horror scene, as the killer in the picture comes out and attacks people in the theater. Does that sound like a date movie or what?

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and 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 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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