For Liz and Joan, a Close Encounter or Star Wars?

The final wrinkles are being ironed out in the plan to have Joan Rivers and Elizabeth Taylor meet, eye-to-violet eye.

It’s the first close encounter of the stars kind since Ms. Rivers began discussing Ms. Taylor as part of her act--and it’s all-for-charity, as the riveting Rivers revealed. She credited Michaele Vollbracht--the designer of the big, wild, colorful dresses--for putting it all together. (He’s buddies with both the ladies.)

The benefit is set for Nov. 17 at Spago. And the $500-a-person tickets will benefit the ICAN foundation for battered children, a Rivers spokesman said. No doubt tickets will go as fast as last year’s face lift.

HAPPY, HAPPY--It was certainly that, as older Hollywood met the newer anti-nuclear movement at Wallis Annenberg’s Saturday night for daughter Lauren Weingarten’s lively 24th birthday party. Not a generation gap was in sight. The birthday girl is architect of the PRO-Peace camp site plan for next year’s cross-country nine-month trek. PRO-Peace’s David Mixner said he was thrilled when, during the party, First Daughter Patti Davis volunteered to entertain during the Great Peace March. Also on hand: Susan Newman, Joan Rivers and spouse Edgar Rosenberg, ABC’s President Tony Thomopoulos, Skip and Melinda Short, Norma Bowles, Marcia Hobbs, Columbia Pictures President Steve Sohmer, actress Patti D’Arbanville.

STAR BRIGHT--And lots of them, turn out Thursday night for the Devereux Foundation’s black-tie dinner honoring ABC Vice President Gary L. Pudney. The foundation supports centers--in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Victoria, Tex.; Washington, Conn.; Rutland, Mass., Devon, Pa., and Santa Barbara--that treat emotionally, physically and mentally impaired children and adults. Expected at the Beverly Wilshire are 800 guests, almost all of them famous--everyone from Florida Gov. Robert Graham, the sculptor Robert Graham, to Wayne Newton (who’ll be singing), Carol Burnett (also part of the show), Burt Reynolds, “Webster’s” Emanuel Lewis, Ann-Margret, Sheldon Andelson, Aaron Spelling with wife Candy, Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, Marcia Weisman, Fred Weisman, Gary Collins and wife Mary Ann Mobley and the two pretty Lindas--that’s Linda Evans and Linda Gray.

WONDER-FULL--Sunday was Stevie Wonder Day in L.A., proclaimed by Mayor Tom Bradley and honoring him not just for his philanthropic activities, but for bringing “to us such hit records as ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life’ (and) ‘My Cherie Amour’ . . . “ Wonder that evening received the Allan K. Jonas Life Achievement Award at a black-tie dinner at the Century Plaza. And Sam Harris, the Motown singer who won “Star Search,” really wowed them. Breaking tradition with most Hollywood benefits, the honoree then entertained. Emcee Smokey Robinson jokingly told that the philosophically-bent Wonder had been persuaded for 25 minutes backstage to sing rather than get into the speech-making mode. The black-tie evening was chaired by Dionne Warwick and Adrienne and Elliott Horwitch, and Dorothy and Allan Jonas were joined by KCBS-TV’s Jess and Phyllis Marlow, Ray and Nancy Fisher, Geoff and Aileen Adams and Georgianna and Alan Rothenberg (just back from celebrating their 25th anniversary with their three sons in Italy).

NEW YEAR’S BLAST--At Griffith Observatory, where Halley’s comet will be close on a New Year’s Eve, the Friends of G.O. are planning a party. Chaired by Don Livingston, the Dec. 31 do promises binoculars, supper, drinks and dancing and a party that won’t be repeated until the next century. At $100 a head, it’s not a fund-raiser--but will help publicize the observatory’s $6.5-million redevelopment plan.