A society set up in memory of Goon and Pink Panther star Peter Sellers has won the support of the Prince of Wales.

Prince Charles has agreed to become an honorary member of the Peter Sellers Appreciation Society on the 20th anniversary year of the actor's death.

The official launch for the society will be held at a club early next month with a "Peter Sellers Remembered" evening set to be hosted in July at a London theatre.

Other celebrity supporters include comic Spike Milligan, who is patron of the society and the actor and old friend David Lodge, who has agreed to be president.

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Sir Elton's Glaad all over

Pop veteran Sir Elton John has been presented with a special achievement award by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in New York.

The film Boys Don't Cry, which tells the story of Brendon Teena, was also honoured at the ceremony. Only a week ago its star, Hilary Swank, won an Oscar for her starring role.

Swank and the film's director, Kimberly Peirce, were on hand to receive the award. Celebrity presenters included Brooke Shields, Elle MacPherson, Kevin Bacon, Julianne Moore and Willem Dafoe.

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Movie stars at Hawaii memorial

Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Cuba Gooding Jr were among the stars and officials at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii.

It coincided with the start of filming of Disney's $135m (�84m) epic Pearl Harbor which uses hi-tech special effects to recreate the 1941 attack on Hawaii.

The memorial service, which Affleck described as "moving, humbling and profound", featured vintage World War II planes rumbling overhead.

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Hoffman's thriller of a return

Dustin Hoffman has signed to star in a new English-language drama by French director Claude Lelouch, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

T For Thriller will be the actor's first major role since he was nominated for an Oscar two years ago for Wag The Dog.

Lelouch is said to have written the part specifically for Hoffman after the pair met in Cannes a few years ago. The thriller will be filmed on location in New York, Paris, Italy and the UK.

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Julia holds on to top spot

Julia Roberts' latest film Erin Brockovich - the real-life story of a feisty legal secretary, has clung onto the top spot at the US box office for the third weekend in a row.

The movie, which opens in the UK this Friday, earned around $14.2m (�8.8m) with DreamWorks' latest animated feature -The Road to El Dorado, featuring the voices of Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline and Elton John's music - was second with $12.5m (�7.8m).

Oscar glory boosted sales for American Beauty" by 44% to $5.8m (�3.6m) - making an overall total of $117m (�73m).

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Shooting starts on Linda film

Filming has begun in Canada on a four-hour TV mini-series about the life of Linda McCartney.

Little-known actress Elizabeth Mitchell plays the lead, while Gary Bakewell, who played Paul McCartney in the movie Backbeat, takes on that role again.

A spokesman for Sir Paul said that he had not been asked for any input. The film will be shown in the US and the UK, although no date has been fixed.