It will be interesting to see whether consumers will spend money in this grim holiday season. We have all read about “Black Tuesday,” the stock market crashed, which signaled the start of the worst economy the country has ever seen. The Great Depression years were grim, marked by soup lines and bread lines. This time around, more so than in recent recessions, the economy is dealing with the banking and housing ailments, a 700 billion taxpayer bailout, and the demise of three of the biggest security firms. No matter who wins, McCain or Obama, no one, unfortunately, will miraculously cure the economy overnight. Therefore, by the time you read this, we will have a new president.

One thing we will not have is Robert Plant. In an interview with BBC Radio a few weeks ago, bassist John Paul Jones said he, guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bonham “are trying out a couple of singers.” The members of Led Zeppelin aren’t waiting for Robert Plant to agree on a reunion tour and/or album. Plant did team up last December in London with the group, however this year he’s been touring with Alison Krauss.

Even though times are bad, parents still managed to take their children to the movies to see “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” to make “HSM3” one of the top box-office successes with an approximate weekend debut of 42 million. This made Hollywood very happy. The movie brought young fans out of the woodwork to watch the cast led by Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel and Corbin Bleu. We suddenly find Troy (Zac Efron) deciding between a basketball or arts scholarship, and dealing with the loss of his sweetheart Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). The movie has a family appeal. The director Kenny Ortega’s latest Disney flick has a huge following, mind you; they had to open up two viewing rooms to accommodate the young fans and parents when I attended. The parents just love watching their kids having fun at the movies. That’s the key of making a Hollywood hit. They especially love Zac Efron on the big screen. It’s just like humming to “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” “HSM 3: Senior Year” is a true inspirational movie.  It makes you feel happy.

I can hear the teens screaming already. Variety reports the youngest brother, 8-year-old Frankie, will star in a big-screen adaptation of “Walter the Farting Dog,” alongside his older siblings Kevin, Joe and Nick. The flick is based on a series of children’s books by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray. These boys are unstoppable. The film is scheduled to start shooting sometime in spring 2009. The film casts the Jonas Brothers as musicians whose sick great-aunt asks them to care for her smelly canine companion. Frankie will get involved in family-filled adventures, even tackling a team of jewel thieves. While this marks their first major movie, the boys are no strangers to the camera. The TV flick “Camp Rock” made the Jonas Brothers a mega-hit amongst teens.

He may be gone; however his good work lives on. The annual fundraiser for Paul Newman’s children camp went on without him, but not without Hollywood A-listers who turned out in tribute to the actor, who died last month. The Associated Press reports, Jack Nicholson, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Casey Affleck, Bruce Willis, Warren Beatty, Sean Penn and Danny Glover joined in a dramatic reading of “The World of Nick Adams” in San Francisco on October 27, to benefit the Painted Turtle, a camp for seriously ill children that was started by Newman in 1999.

Rose’s Scoop: Birthday wishes go out to best-selling author, journalist, publicist to the stars and my friend Tommy Garrett who celebrated in grand Hollywood style another glorious birthday on November 2. If that makes you want to dance, Season 5 of “So You think You Can Dance” will begin on November 13 in New York. Check out the details at Fox.com/dance.

Remember Veteran’s Day on November 11.