James Bacon, R. I. P.

James Bacon, Hollywood columnist, dies at 96: "James Bacon, who began his career at The Associated Press in the 1940s and spent 75 years chronicling Hollywood's biggest stars as a reporter, author and syndicated columnist, has died. He was 96.

Family friend Stan Rosenfield says Bacon died in his sleep of congestive heart failure Saturday at his Northridge home.

As a reporter for the AP and later as columnist for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Bacon had a knack for befriending A-list celebrities. He palled around with John Wayne, shared whisky with Frank Sinatra, was a confidant of Marilyn Monroe and met eight U.S. presidents."