Kennedy Clan to Spotlight Hunger Closer to Home

Sen. Ted Kennedy, whose Christmastime trip to Africa last year helped to spotlight famine victims, this year will be visiting poor children in America, a close friend said. The Massachusetts Democrat will be accompanied by several members of the Kennedy family . . . Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy’s recent trip to the Middle East included a swing through Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. McCarthy was part of a small group of lieutenant governors on a trip paid for by the Council of Saudi Arabian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, according to John Duke Anthony of the National Council of U.S.-Arab Relations, which helped “facilitate” the trip. McCarthy and his wife, Jackie, then went to Israel on vacation but managed a visit with Prime Minister Shimon Peres.

DINNERS--The Mexican America Legal Defense and Educational Fund holds its 11th annual dinner Monday at the Beverly Hilton. This year MALDEF honors Luis G. Nogales, chairman and CEO of United Press International, while David E. Anderson, president and CEO of General Telephone Co. of California receives the Corporate Responsibility Award. The Legal Services Award will be presented to Manuel Ruiz--the first Mexican-American to graduate from USC’s on-campus law school and a former chair of the Hispanic Division of the Republican National Committee. . . . George C. Moody chairs the Boys Club of America 1985 Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award Dinner honoring Gov. George Deukmejian at the Century Plaza Monday night. The dinner committee and the Boys’ Club’s trustee list contains many of L.A.’s most prominent business names.

ONLY IN HOLLYWOOD--For those interested in covering the Sunday wedding of pianist Roger Williams to Lucia di Carlo (“his sweetheart of 11 years”), here is some information gleaned from the press kit prepared for the occasion. Williams has presented his wife-to-be with a $1 million California ranch house, directly across the street from his own home in Encino and the couple “plans to build an underground tunnel between the two properties.” Williams’ 80 albums have sold more than 17 million copies. The bride, a former Miss Omaha, appeared in several Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis films, and explained, via the press release, that “we met through our dentist, at a party, and our first date was a screening of ‘The Godfather--Part II’ and then off to a quiet Italian dinner, of course.” A happy ending--and a tunnel of love.

DRACMANIA--Hollywood insiders Monday night got their first look at “Enemy Mine,” and the talk is that Lou Gossett Jr., the alien Drac who gives birth during the film, has a once-in-a-lifetime performance. The movie, written by Edward Khmara (“Ladyhawke”) and edited in Bavaria by director Wolfgang Petersen, opens in mid-December.

GRAND OLD GIRL--A handful of Californians headed to N.Y.C. last weekend for the first meeting of the new Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial Commission, the 47-member board set up by Interior Secretary Donald Hodel with two-year terms. Three Californians--Suzanne Marx, Lady Dodge and Virginia Braun--were among the handful of women, along with former U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, on the mostly male board. A cigar-wielding Lee Iacocca, the commission chair, ran the meeting at N.Y.C.

NO AUDITION--Mary Frann (Bob Newhart’s TV wife) is commenting with Bill Devane on this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS--and has been asked to do the honors for NBC for the Tournament of Roses Parade. She’s never been a Rose Princess, but she has been the American Junior Miss. When? “Why, in my senior year,” is the coy reply.

ACHIEVEMENTS--Ken Kragen, who conceived “We Are the World” and is now the driving force behind “Hands Across America,” will become the first non-black to receive an American Black Achievement Award. Also honored this year are Bishop Desmond Tutu, Cab Calloway, Rep. William Gray III (D-Pa.), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Eddie Murphy and Wynton Marsalis . . . Jane Nathanson raised $76,000 for Pro Peace and the Great American Peace March with her one-night art auction of works donated by David Hockney, Fred Eversley, Laddie Dill and Larry Poons.

INTERNATIONAL--A friend back from London reports that he caught Denis Healy of Amnesty International and Vladimir Pozner, the Soviet commentator, on the BBC, joined by Vidal Sassoon. The three chatted pleasantly until Sassoon asked Pozner: “Everyone is so charming--why aren’t you letting the Jews out of Russia?”