Upcoming Honorees, Class of ’86

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY ALERT--Get out your fancy duds. The 1986 rush to partying is upon us. This season sees Angelenos honoring just about everyone--including a departed Russian composer and some lively department stores. More on those later. . . .

Stars turn out Monday when Jack Valenti picks up the ’86 Champion of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Division at a black-tie party at the Sheraton Premiere. Lorimar’s Merv Adelson, General Cinema’s Paul Del Rossi, 20th Century Fox’s Barry Diller and MCA’s Sidney Sheinberg are the chairs. We guess there will be just a few stars, huh, like award presenter Kirk Douglas, and Warren Beatty, Charlton Heston and Victoria Principal, all of whom are making “special tributes” to Valenti. . . .

Department stores get honors Jan. 24, when the L.A. Chamber of Commerce holds its 98th Inaugural Ball. The fete at the Century Plaza will cite the Broadway’s M. W. Proudfoot and H. Michael Hecht, Bullock’s Allen Questrom, the May Co.’s Judith Hofer and Robinson’s Michael Gould. . . .

The 50th anniversary of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” will be celebrated March 12 at the L.A. Chamber Orchestra’s annual bash at the Beverly Hilton. “Star Wars” composer John Williams conducts the orchestra that evening, and, as the best bonus since Bank Nights, Walter Matthau narrates. The new, updated version of the story has been scripted by Larry Gelbart. . . . Williams will be there Jan. 21 when ticket sales get kicked-off with a reception at the beachfront home of Roy and Carol Doumani. Chairs for the dinner are Kay Duke Ingalls, Hannah M. Kennedy and Judith Rosen.

GOP DOINGS--Busy table hoppers Wednesday night were Sen. Pete Wilson, Rep. Ed Zschau (GOP senatorial candidate), former Lt. Gov. Mike Curb and Rep. John McCain--at the Bistro Garden fund-raiser for McCain, the former POW now running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Barry Goldwater. Wilson urged support for McCain, jokingly insisting that he would then no longer be the lowest-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. One poignant moment--McCain recalling how in his first campaign a similar fund-raiser was hosted by the late Justin Dart, whose son Stephen had taken the major role in putting this together.

CHOICES--Why no big publicity spread on the made-for-TV movie--starring George C. Scott, Jacqueline Bisset and Melissa Gilbert--set for Feb. 17? The film, scripted by Judith Parker, centers on a family where two unplanned pregnancies occur. The film makes the point that each woman should have the opportunity to make a choice--and perhaps that could be a lightning rod for anti-abortion groups.

INS--AND OUTS--Jimmy’s was certainly in among the movie set this week. One lunchtime, new UA chairman Jerry Weintraub and prexy Tony Thomopoulos listened while Billy Wilder regaled them with Sam Speigel stories. Nearby Maximilian Schell (“Peter the Great”) left his vegetable plate for big hugs with Rogers and Cowan’s London presence, Margaret Gardner. Who also got a big hello from Sidney Poitier and, at another table, David Begelman and Stanley Donen. Weintraub made this week’s “In Moguls” designation in the biweekly W’s annual list of “ins and outs,” as did Barry Diller and Michael Eisner. . . . Other noteworthy outs, according to those folks: Don Johnson, Marvin Davis, big charity parties, the Philippines’ Imelda Marcos, First Daughter Maureen Reagan, Diane Keaton and Warren Beatty. And Elizabeth Taylor. Puleeze. Let’s be serious.

AWARDS, KUDOS, ETC.--Corwin and Nanci Denney honor Jimmy Stewart, Robert Wagner and the Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon of St. John’s Hospital. They’ll be quaffing cocktails at the Beverly Wilshire on Jan. 29. . . . Gloria Steinem gets honored at the 10th annual William O. Douglas Award dinner for Public Counsel (that’s the public-interest law office of the L.A. County Bar and the Bev Hills Bar). . . . Screen Actors Guild prexy Patty Duke keynotes the first Women of Achievement Awards lunch from the Century City Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network on May 9 at the Century Plaza.

OUT ON A LIMB--The man who continues to deny that he has any senatorial aspirations this year is still seen by heavyweight Republican forces and sources as a last-minute entry in this year’s election. So don’t be surprised if Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth announces shortly before the March 7 deadline.

DASTARDLY--What dastards are spreading rumors about sweet, lovable George Hamilton being the downfall of the “Dynasty” ratings this season? Why, a spokesman for Hamilton insists that he had originally signed for 13 episodes only and “they liked him so much there are 17 in all.” He was “never, never supposed to do more” because in April, filming starts for “Love at Second Bite.” We’re just thrilled that the kidnaped Krystle will be set free.

A DIFFICULT THING TO DO--Liz Smith of the N.Y. Daily News reported this week that Josh Donen was getting over Cher by dating Kate Wagner. If true, this would really be news, since the two share the very same mother, Marion Wagner, married to Stanley Donen and then to Robert Wagner.