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Her grandfather spent his time in a castle called San Simeon. For Patricia Hearst, 22, the foreseeable future will be spent in a California prison cell. Convicted last March of armed robbery and of using a firearm to commit a felony, Patty came to U.S. district court in San Francisco last week for sentencing. With her counselor Episcopal Priest Edward John Dumke seated behind her, along with Father Randolph Hearst, owner-publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, and Mother Catherine, the 90-lb. heiress stood tight-lipped as Judge William Orrick Jr. sentenced her to seven years, minus 371 days for time already served. "Violence is unacceptable in our society," lectured Orrick, a 1974 Nixon appointee. Though she will be eligible for parole in 16 months, Patty still faces trial in a state court on eleven counts stemming from a shoplifting and shooting incident at a Los Angeles sporting-goods store. If convicted she could be sentenced to life.
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Franklin Roosevelt made his name a catch-phrase joke, but Hamilton Fish is still battling for the last laugh. A flinty New York conservative and 13-term member of the House (1920-45), Fish helped inspire the celebrated 1940 Roosevelt refrain citing Congressmen "Martin, Barton and Fish" as three banes of New Deal legislation. Now a sprightly 87, Fish recently surfaced with a new book lambasting Roosevelt (F.D.R.: The Other Side of the Coin), and he shows no signs of slowing down. Last week the hardy widower announced plans to marry Alice Curtis Desmond, 79, a friend of 40 years. "She's a remarkable woman —highly intelligent," said Fish approvingly. "She's very much in favor of my political views."
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At 16, Cornelia Sharpe stashed her braces and auditioned for the first of her 200 TV commercials. Now 28 and a seasoned cinema bunkmate (appearing with Al Pacino in Serpico, with Michael Sarrazin in The Reincarnation of Peter Proud), the actress has sunk her straightened teeth into a new role. Cast as a neo-Mata Hari in The Next Man, Sharpe sets out to wipe out a Saudi Arabian Minister of State, played by Sean Cannery, 46. Would-be assassin, however, quickly turns amorist. "It's a love story dipped in oil," coos Cornelia, who hints that her days as a femme fatale might be heading for a fadeout. "I don't think I'm very beautiful," she says unconvincingly. "Let's put it this way, honey. For a girl, after 21, it's downhill all the way."
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More than a year after signing Singer-Composer Stevie Wonder to a $13 million contract, the folks at Motown Records were getting nervous. A colossal 60-ft. by 265-ft. billboard in New York's Times Square had been heralding the coming of his new album for three months, but Wonder kept fiddling away at his unfinished work. Last week the wait ended as Stevie, clad in Lone Ranger rig, welcomed critics and reporters to North Brookfield, Mass., for a preview of Songs in the Key of Life. The record just might earn a silver bullet on the charts. Even before public release this week, more than 1 million copies of Songs have been sold.
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