The event:
The honors: Presented by Baccarat, the black-tie affair at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills honored
Former Secretary of State James Baker III delivered the tribute to Irani, and in a surprise ending to the festivities, Douglas and Weintraub presented Damon with an award, too -- for his efforts to bring clean water to those in need.
Douglas and Damon starred opposite one another as Liberace and his lover in the Golden Globe-winning TV movie "Behind the Candelabra," and throughout the evening, the pair bantered about who wore the most sequins.
The awards are named for the late Danny Kaye, the celebrated actor, comedian and UNICEF's first celebrity Goodwill Ambassador, and his daughter Dena Kaye took a turn at the lectern. "Children are the world's most valuable natural resource," she recalled her father saying, and then added, "That's exactly why we're here tonight."
The crowd: The gala attracted business leaders, elected officials and so many celebrities that on taking the stage, Weintraub noted: “Every star in Hollywood is here.” The audience at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel included
The show: Cheryl Burke and Valentin Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing with the Stars" were up first, followed by Paul Anka singing the classic "My Way." Tailoring his lyrics to the occasion, Anka stopped at Irani's table, just before Irani's husband rose on cue to sing, "We do things her way."
The night’s headliner, Emmy and
A quote of note: Explaining how he came to co-emcee the ball and present Douglas' award, Damon said: "There are two rules in Hollywood, as far as I know: One is 'Never work with children or animals,' and the other is 'Never say no to Jerry Weintraub.'"
Ellen Olivier is founder of Society News LA.
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