EARLY BIRD SHARON GLESS FINALLY COPS AN EMMY

The early arrival of Sharon Gless to the 38th annual Emmy Awards on Sunday proved a good omen for the show--and Gless.

Gless, among the first to enter the Pasadena Civic Auditorium--wearing a creamy yellow gown laced with gold and silver brocade--picked up the Emmy for best actress in an ongoing drama series, one of the first categories of the evening.

Gless, who had seen the best drama actress award go to Tyne Daly, her partner on “Cagney & Lacey,” three times in the past, had been a favorite for the award this year. Daly’s husband, Georg Stanford Brown, was also an early winner, for best direction on “Cagney & Lacey,” which also was tabbed best drama series.

“Moonlighting’s” popular Bruce Willis, another early arrival, didn’t fare as well, losing out in the best actor in a drama series category to William Daniels of “St. Elsewhere.” Willis did, however, make one of the evening’s biggest fashion statements, wearing an all-suede tuxedo and dark sunglasses and sporting short, spiky hair. “Moonlighting” co-star Cybill Shepherd, who arrived 45 minutes after Willis and received nearly as loud a welcome, made a reverse fashion statement: In place of the orange Reeboks she wore at last year’s ceremony were high heels matching her fire-engine-red strapless gown.

Some of the other crowd favorites were “Family Ties’ ” Michael J. Fox (who picked up his first Emmy for best actor in a comedy series), “Wheel of Fortune’s” Vanna White, “Miami Vice’s” Philip Michael Thomas and “The Golden Girls’ ” Rue McClanahan.

Howie Mandel might have received bigger applause, but he was, on first glance, indistinguishable from the valet parking attendants who were busy opening limo doors on Colorado Boulevard. The “St. Elsewhere” star was wearing red tails and bright yellow running shoes.

They say his show is “tired,” but Tom Selleck, star of “Magnum, P.I.,” was still a crowd favorite, drawing screams of delight from stargazers as he arrived.

Selleck, dressed in a cream-colored double-breasted dinner jacket, returned the gesture, turning to wave to the several hundred fans lodged between the May Co. and J.C. Penney department stores across the street from the Pasadena Civic.

The fans proved fickle. Revealing their youngish average age, they barely noticed Kirk Douglas, nominated as best actor in a miniseries for his work in “Amos.” But a younger competitor in that field, Aidan Quinn of the AIDS drama “An Early Frost,” also slipped into the auditorium virtually unnoticed as he snapped his gum. And “Night Court” star Richard Moll was cheered by the crowd, while the arrival of his co-star, John Laroquette, was barely acknowledged.

Perhaps the two biggest fashion statements of the pre-Emmy arrivals--at opposite ends of the spectrum--were made by Jean Kasem and Tom Poston. Kasem, who will star in the “Cheers” spinoff, “The Tortellis,” set to start next year, wore black plumage that completely covered her head.

And Poston, nominated as best supporting actor in a comedy for “Newhart,” exited his limousine with his tie dangling around his neck. While fans acknowledged his arrival, he stood in the middle of the street and tied his tie.