Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Beloved ladylike actress Shirley Jones and her wacky, perpetually over-the-top husband, Marty Ingels, celebrate their 30th anniversary Tuesday (Nov. 13), much to the surprise of many and dismay of some. Shirley is insisting that there be no mariachi bands performing out on their lawn, purchasing of an entire candy store in her honor or other such shenanigans Marty has pulled in the past. 

"I'm the crazy one, not him," insists Shirley.

"Carl Reiner had the best line: 'I don't know what he sees in her,'" Marty adds. "We're a testimonial to the power of a sense of humor."

These days, in addition to Jones's singing engagements and her hosting chores on PBS's forthcoming "Great American Movie Musicals" series, she's doing public speaking dates. And yes, audiences ask her about her marriage, which has certainly had its ups and downs, "but I'm still laughing more than crying," she says.

Next Friday (Nov. 16), Shirley heads to Oklahoma for Statehood Day Centennial celebration. Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and other native Oklahomans will be on hand to perform, along with Shirley, who rose to fame as sweet Laurey in both the Broadway and film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic musical "Oklahoma."

"Going anywhere 54 years later without a walker is an achievement, but not only that, they're building the entire show around her," to hear Ingels tell it. "Not too many Shirley's age are still singing as well as Shirley."

Meanwhile, he's putting his all into getting a film made about Haym Salomon, "the little Jewish man who was George Washington's right-hand man, who gathered his network of Jews around the world and ended up financing our revolution. He was as much of a founding father as anyone, yet we don't know his name. I've got my head and heart set on a Jewish 'Lawrence of Arabia,'" says Ingels. He has a script, and producer Branko Lustig also working on the projects, so you never know. 

UNDER THE SEA, OUT IN SPACE: You might not think things could get any sweeter for Tom Kenny, a.k.a. the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants, what with a "SpongeBob" cartoon marathon preceding Nickelodeon's Nov. 12-debuting "Atlantis SquarePantis" — his new movie complete with guest voice David Bowie as Lord Royal Highness. But prolific voice-artist Kenny has lots of other irons in the fire, including work on the "Transformers" cartoon, that's being spun from the Michael Bay picture, and "'The Clone Wars' for Lucas Arts.

That's a beautiful CGI animated series," enthuses Tom. "They're really taking a long time doing it. George Lucas is directly involved. He's all about not putting it out there 'til he's 100 percent pleased. And he's right because it's beautifully different and great looking. The 'Star Wars' fans are going to be so happy. I love being part of that universe."

Who does Tom play?

"I can't say. I don't want to risk the wrath of George."

Kenny also appears in his live action guise as Patchy the Pirate during the forthcoming "SpongeBob" extravaganza. He's seen doing his own talk show, underwater. Really. In a tank at the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas. "They had waterproof cue cards for me to read," he says.

CAN YOU DIGIT? Hands, er, heads up, people! "It's going to be a big Thumb year in 2008," promises Oscar-nominated writer/director/producer Steve Oedekerk ("Evan Almighty," "Bruce Almighty," "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective") — the man responsible for such Thumb Parodies as "Thumb Wars," "Thumbtanic," "Bat Thumb," "Frankenthumb" and "The Godthumb."

"We've got a few different Thumb properties we're working on," says Oedekerk, whose latest contribution to the entertainment scene is as creator/writer and voice actor on Nickelodeon's animated "Back at the Barnyard" series, based on his big-screen comedy, "Barnyard." "There's an entire Thumpire on the way!" he says, adding, "My life becomes a very bizarre, odd thing when I spend so much time on thumbs." Hmmm. Good thing he has barnyard animals who act and talk like people to help him keep it real.

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "Prison Break" didn't snatch her up as a series regular, so actress Camille Guaty moved over to Sin City with a role on NBC's "Las Vegas." However, she tells us her days on the Wentworth Miller show may not be entirely over. "I believe that I will be coming back for the finale, but you never know with my availability how they're going to work things out," says Guaty, who's definitely enjoying her role as the Montecito's new concierge, but thinks fondly of the Fox drama. "Just to be recurring on a show with such popularity and good material was great. I'm just sad that I didn't get more of an opportunity to work on it. I started working on something else and that's what happens."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Fortune 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.

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