WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2011

“Thor,” the mythical action-packed Norse saga, opened to impressive box office receipts of $66 million, but confusion seems to reign over the film. According to exit polls, 37.3% of the weekend audience thought Thor was the Norse God of Banging Your Thumb with a Hammer.

The pilot on an American Airline flight from Houston to Chicago had to divert the plane to St. Louis after a deranged passenger attempted to open the door at 30,000 feet.  Several alert passengers knocked the guy out by pummeling him with their dinner rolls.

Maria Shriver knew her 25-year marriage to former California governor Arnold Schwartzenegger was toast when she heard he was working on a new movie to be called “The Prenuptionator.”

With the retirement of Phil Jackson after 11 NBA Championship rings, the LA Lakers are searching frantically for a replacement but prospects look slim.  They may have to settle for an agent from ICM with experience handling overpaid film colony prima- donnas.

L.A.’s Skirball Museum is featuring a display of Houdini’s cages, straight-jackets, chains, saws and other magical memorabilia through September.  Opening day crowds had to cool their heels, though, when no one could figure out how to open the door.