The Rolling Stones' concert film "Shine a Light" will start this year's Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at the Fox Theatre. The Fox has set the series' first seven films, including showings of the classics "Casablanca" and "Ben-Hur." Seven films for August will be selected later. The schedule: "Shine a Light" —- 7:30 p.m. June 5; "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" —- 2 p.m. June 8; "Atonement" —- 7 p.m. June 8; "Casablanca" —- 7:30 p.m. June 17; "No Country for Old Men" —- 7:30 p.m. June 18; "Enchanted" —- 2 p.m. July 13; and "Ben-Hur" —- 7 p.m. July 13.

Tickets will go on sale May 19. Individual tickets will be $7 (12-ticket packs are $60). The pre-show with Larry Douglas Embury performing on the "Mighty Mo" organ and a sing-along and classic cartoon all will be returning.

Time to dress up for book's debut

Pull out the old cotillion gown and rev up Grandpa's Ford F-100, it's time to go read.

"Girls in Trucks" author Katie Crouch will discuss and sign her debut novel at Wordsmiths Books in Decatur on Tuesday, and the Wordsmiths folks are hoping the crowd will come prepared.

Anybody, guy or gal, who shows up in a high-society ball gown or a pickup gets entered into a contest to win gift certificates or free books.

The story is an old one: Southern society girl goes to New York, wrestles with her past and present, heads home after a tragedy and sees South Carolina in a new light.

But it's different, Russ Marshalek, marketing director at Wordsmiths swears. "I will go so far to pick it as one of my favorites for the year already," he says, describing it as the "Southern, female David Sedaris."

It's not exactly autobiographical, but Crouch said it's not exactly fictional, either.

Crouch grew up in Charleston, studied in New York and spent five years putting together the book.

Check it out at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wordsmiths Books, 545 N. McDonough St., Decatur.

Word warriors, get set for spelling bee

This ought to be F-U-N. The fifth annual "Vox Rox" spelling bee starts at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Park Tavern's Garden Tent. Billed as "March Madness" meets geek chic, the event benefits VOX, a youth development organization where teens put together a newspaper and Web site. Comedians Spencer Stephens, Matt Horgan and Tim Stoltenberg will emcee. Corporations can put their word warriors in the game for a $2,500 sponsorship that includes a table for 10 for the cheering section. Current corporate competitors include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dow Lohnes, Georgia Power Co., Kilpatrick Stockton, Southern Co. and Turner Broadcasting. Individuals can sign up for $500, including a table for five spectators or $1,000 for a table for 10. Call 404-614-0040, e-mail anna@voxrox.org or see www.voxrox.org/bee for info.

Party celebrates jazz festival

Jazz lovers came out to City Hall East last week for a preview party celebrating the 31st annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, held May 24-26 at Woodruff Park. (details: www.atlantafestivals.com).

We visited with Camille Russell Love, director of the city's Office of Cultural Affairs, Nnena Nchege, jazz festival project supervisor, and JoAnn Haden-Miller, cultural and heritage marketing director in the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The event featured live jazz (of course) and samples from restaurants including Se' Vauge, Chima, City Grill, Dailey's, Ray's in the City, the Loft at Castleberry Hill and Villa Christina.

Mayor Shirley Franklin, a fan of classics like Miles Davis, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, told the crowd she'd studied ballet but declared she'd come back in the next life as a jazz dancer.

"Some people would say I'm stuck in the past," she joked. "I'm an old-timer."

Since the fest is moving to Woodruff Park, we asked the mayor —- given a recent CVB study confirming that panhandling is getting worse —- how she thinks the 2005 ordinance banning aggressive panhandling is working.

"I'm not going to answer that," she said.

Well, gosh.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Actress-singer Ann-Margret is 67. "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno is 58. Singer-bassist Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is 55. Rapper Too Short is 42. Actress Bridget Moynahan is 37. Actor Chris Young is 37. Rapper Big Gipp of Goodie Mob is 35. Actor Jorge Garcia ("Lost") is 35. Actress Penelope Cruz is 34. Actress Jessica Alba ("Dark Angel") is 27.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"She's had 100 hairstyles in her history, but tomorrow's is a mystery."

—- WSB's Mark Winne on the ever-changing coiffures of colleague Monica Pearson. Winne made his quip while he served as emcee for the recent Heroes, Saints and Legends gala at the Piedmont Driving Club, benefiting the Foundation of Wesley Woods.

Contributing: Jennifer Brett, Tracy Brown, Bob Longino and news services

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