THE HART-BREAK OF ‘HOLLYTICS’ : Campaigns of Liberal Presidential Hopefuls Wooing Ex-Senator’s Hollywood Backers

Among liberals in the entertainment community, the prime topic of late hasn’t been Cannes, “Ishtar” or networks’ fall schedules.

The subject is Hollytics --the mixing of Hollywood and politics--that magnetic attraction between Potomac pols and Tinseltown talent that becomes highly visible during election years.

The question of the moment: With former Sen. Gary Hart’s presidential bid so abruptly terminated, what will become of his strong Hollywood cadre of support?

“The vultures are circling, no doubt about it,” rock entrepreneur and former Hart supporter Danny Goldberg said. “I’ve heard indirectly from a number of campaigns.”

Finance chairmen for the remaining Democratic contenders are deadly serious about snapping up Hart’s Hollywood base. Celebrity endorsements fatten campaign coffers and heighten voter recognition of low-profile candidates.

In the wake of the Hart debacle, however, there are indications that liberal Hollywood’s response to any candidate may be long in coming and tied much more to specific issues and causes than in the past.

Hart’s withdrawal means that Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, Goldie Hawn, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas--all of whom lent their names at one time or another to Hart fund-raisers--are free agents again, and phone calls from rival campaigns have been coming in.

“They’re not coming right out and asking for our support,” said a longtime Hart supporter with strong industry-wide connections. “They’re calling to offer their condolences, which, more or less, is one way to subtly let us know that they’re there.”

Danny Goldberg, president of Gold Mountain Records and manager of Bonnie Raitt, Belinda Carlisle, Don Johnson and others, is a longtime political activist. He produced the nationwide “Rock Against Drugs” TV spots, was behind “No Nukes” rock documentary and is president of the Musical Majority, a coalition of musicians and industry executives opposed to the Parents Music Resource Center’s drive to rate albums.

Goldberg, 36, was pessimistic about other campaigns’ immediate chances of winning over Hart supporters: “Because they’ve been burned on Hart, I think they’ll be slow to commit. Gary’s support structure was built up over a long period of time with a set of ideals and a winability that can’t be replaced in a week or two.”

A spokesman for Fonda and her husband, Democratic Assemblyman Tom Hayden, said the two would not be making any endorsements for now. Former 20th Century Fox owner Marvin Davis and his film producer son John--who jointly sponsored a $1,000-per-person reception in April at the senior Davis’ home for Hart--would be “sitting on the fence for the time being,” the younger Davis said.

However, representatives for several stars listed in Hart campaign literature said their clients weren’t necessarily Hart supporters.

A spokeswoman for Emilio Estevez said the actor had no idea how his name came to be listed on an invitation to a Hart fund-raiser at the Palace last month and described Estevez as “not committed to anyone.”

Pat Kingsley, an owner of PMK, one of the movie industry’s most powerful public relations firms, had a similar response when asked about stars on her roster: “I think it might be a bit premature to say my clients were committed.”

In political circles, Kingsley is considered to be a key individual in bringing movie stars to campaigns. If Kingsley likes a candidate, they say, she can deliver top talent. Kingsley handles publicity for, among others, Goldie Hawn, Sally Field, Robert Redford and “Ishtar,” Warren Beatty’s latest film.

Hawn and Beatty were listed as sponsors of the Hart fund-raiser at the Palace in April, which Hawn attended (Beatty was said to be busy in New York and canceled his appearance at the last minute). Still, Kingsley maintained that a star’s appearance at a fund-raiser did not necessarily mean a commitment to a candidate. “They might have paid to attend fund-raisers, but I think they were there to listen, not to endorse,” she said. “They’re holding back.”

The same is true for musicians, said Goldberg--who, like Kingsley, has a reputation among politicians as the person who can deliver top talent for the right cause or candidate.

“I would never use the word deliver ,” Goldberg said. “These artists have very strong personal views about the issues, but I certainly have access to them and most of the time, our views are the same.”

In the past, politically active musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul and Mary, Jackson Browne, Carole King, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash have donated their time and talent to various fund-raisers and benefit concerts. However, few other musicians have publicized ties to presidential candidates.

“A lot of people--and I am among them--will be taking some time to evaluate the situation prior to jumping behind someone with a benefit concert. I think you’ll see a lot more concentration on issues in this campaign. We’re going to want to know if candidates are against aid to the contras , if they want to curtail defense spending or if they support various environmental groups.”

A group of 50 to 75 Hart supporters gathered Friday to vow their allegiance to Hart’s ideals, in the absence of his candidacy.

“Our goal is to keep intact what we believe to be the best organized political structure in the show-business sector,” said Tony Adams, longtime producer to director Blake Edwards and a former Hart supporter. “That gives us time to look at the other candidates properly, without prematurely jumping into another campaign.”

Similarly, the Hollywood Political Women’s Caucus, which represents 70 or so notable Democratic women in the industry, is interviewing candidates as they pass through town. Several members indicated that the caucus won’t be making early endorsements either.

Such a stance may prove worrisome to campaign organizers such as Terence McAuliffe, national finance chairman for presidential candidate Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.). A presidential campaign veteran, McAuliffe described the entertainment industry as “a very important source of funds. Industry support can literally can make the difference in a campaign.”

Indeed, Gephardt--who has announced his drive for former Hart supporters’ money and endorsements--already made a well-publicized bid for Hollywood support last week during congressional hearings on the colorization of black-and-white films. Flanked by directors Woody Allen and Sydney Pollack, Gephardt introduced a bill that would give film makers control over their projects.

(His action was a source of some snickering among Hollywood political insiders who suggested that Gephardt picked the wrong side of Hollywood to support. They suggest that studio heads, who want to colorize old films to make additional profits--will not look kindly on Gephardt or his bill. Studio chiefs can throw big fund-raising parties on their lots--as Disney’s Michael Eisner did for Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) this winter; Woody Allen, they say, can hardly be relied upon as a major political ally.)

McAuliffe pooh-poohed the comments. “(Gephardt) had been working on this thing for months, so the timing (after the Hart withdrawal) was a coincidence. If the studio heads are upset, it will be our job to convince them why we took the stand.”