BRAD GREY - PARAMOUNT CHAIRMAN'S OSCAR BID FAILS

Paramount movie boss BRAD GREY has lost his bid to be credited at the Oscars for his work as a producer on Best Picture nominee THE DEPARTED. Grey's appeal was denied by a panel of 20 Hollywood filmmakers at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday (25JAN07), upholding a previous decision by the Producers Guild of America. It means just one producer of the four listed on the film's credits - British-born GRAHAM KING - will be permitted to take the stage at the Kodak Theatre on 25 February (07) should The Departed win the award, academy spokesman JOHN PAVLIK confirms. Ex-producer Grey worked on the film before taking his job at Paramount. In a statement, he says, "I loved working on The Departed and will always think of it as one of the best times of my career." Other Departed producers not allowed to take to the stage are BRAD PITT (whose film company Plan B Productions was involved in the movie) and the director MARTIN SCORSESE.