Holding Court at the ForumListen loves the...

Holding Court at the Forum

Listen loves the Lakers. And we always check to see if Jack Nicholson is in his regular spot. On a recent Sunday afternoon, he wasn’t, but Dyan Cannon was seated court side, looking every inch the slam-dunk fan. She wore a monotone sort of cowgirl gear: striped blouse with matching beige pants, vest and boots. And of course, that blondish-beige mane, which shook like a cheerleader’s pompon in the last seconds of the game, cheering Laker James Worthy on his two-point shot that won the game.

I’ll Take the Wardrobe

They’re not skimping on the costumes for the CBS miniseries “I’ll Take Manhattan,” based on the Judith Krantz novel, set in the 1960s and scheduled to air next week. The cast includes Valerie Bertinelli and Barry Bostwick. But Lynne Griffin, who plays Candice Alexander--just one of the ill-fated characters in the show--gets to wear the clothes to die in , if not for. Her wardrobe is authentic from the inside out, she tells Listen. It starts with “cardboard pointy bras and full, long-line girdles,” topped by uncomfortably “narrow skirts, boxy jackets, pillbox hats and white gloves.” They all have toney labels, including Chanel, Givenchy and Oleg Cassini. Griffin says the “killer” outfit is a Hawaiian print bathing suit with a built-in bra, true to the era. “I swear it could have walked away on its own,” she giggles.

Quote of the Week

“The sense of being perfectly well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity which religion is powerless to bestow.”

Those words, inscribed over the entrance to an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, were sent to us by Maura K. Eggan, marketing director of the South Coast Plaza mall. Eggan writes that she visited the museum on a recent trip and was “greatly reassured that a distinguished man of American letters acknowledged a sentiment that I would be reluctant to admit for fear of seeming frivolous.” The thought would be interesting enough if it had come from Ralph Lauren, Eggan adds. But in fact, the author is (ta da): Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Two-Suiter at the Grammys

When Don Johnson and Whoopi Goldberg arrived on stage in identical Gianni Versace suits during the Grammy Awards Tuesday night, Johnson quipped that someone--implying Goldberg--had been foraging through his closet. But that’s not quite the way it happened, according to Eric Darling of the Gianni Versace boutique on Rodeo Drive. Goldberg and her stylist were shopping at the boutique a couple of weeks ago, Darling says, when “Whoopi fell in love with the man’s suit. She insisted that Don Johnson wear the exact same suit when they went to the podium.” Darling tells Listen he called Milan to locate the second suit, which turned out to be too large for Johnson and had to be altered by the actor’s Miami tailor. “It was an Italian Size 52, and he’s a 48.” Darling also notes that Tuesday night probably won’t be the last public exposure for these two pale-gray double-breasted linen suits. He says Goldberg mentioned that she intends to wear the suit--or suits--in the new movie she’s making in Los Angeles.

Good-Night Dreams

Quincy Jones’ daughter, Jolie, must be a night owl. Recently the aspiring singer-actress set out at 10:30 p.m. in search of a dressy evening outfit. She found it at Irit Designs in Beverly Hills, where designer Irit Ehrlich has evening hours by appointment. She says Jones tried on lots of clothes before she chose a beaded, black chiffon skirt, a silver-and-black print chiffon top and a silk-velvet blazer. It seems the nocturnal shopper has friends with the same habits. Ehrlich says Jones sent a pal to the boutique the next night, who took home a skirt, two tops and a jacket.

A Swatch in Time

Cathy Lee Crosby knows how to make a lot out of a little. She came across a skimp of a dress (strapless, with a short bubble-style skirt) at I. Magnin in Beverly Hills and told the designer, Kevan Hall, “she wanted it in a lot of different fabrics,” he reports. Now he is busy putting together a batch of swatches he’ll send to Crosby for her consideration. The original dress is floral print silk. For possible encores, Hall will send a selection of taffetas and crepes. Where will it all end? “We don’t have a number yet,” he reports.