Stars Trek to Cramer’s Big Hoedown

In Los Angeles, power is measured by how far you have to drive to go to work--or how far people will drive to come to your party.

That axiom makes television producer Doug Cramer one powerful fellow, as for the third year, dozens of rich and famous trekked 150 miles north to his Dynasty-perfect spread for his annual Barn Dance.

Dudded out in their best Western garb, they came by helicopter (Marvin Davis, Leonard Goldberg, Swifty and Mary Lazar); by limo (Barbara Davis, Wendy Goldberg, Harriet and Armand Deutsch); by bus (art mavens Bea and Phil Gersh and Arte and Gisela Johnson) and by truck (Jane and Marc Nathanson--he winning honors for best cowboy shirt, even though it came from Billy Martin’s shop on Madison Avenue).

When the fellow who has produced some of America’s best-known nighttime soaps wants to create an evening, it has Dynasty-like drama, a little entrepreneurial excitement like Davis and fellow guest Dennis Stanfill, still antagonists in their 20th Century Fox-connected lawsuit. Then there were best-selling novelist Danielle Steel with her husband, John Traina, and also among the guests, his former wife, Dede Wilsey. There were spangly Hollywood names (Kirk and Anne Douglas, Michael and Diandra Douglas, Ray and Fran Stark), a cushion of VIP GOPers (former Atty. Gen. William and Jean Smith), a best-bet bunch from the art world (artist Ed Ruscha, dealers Leo Castelli, Mary Boone and Michael Werner, and L.A.’s Irving Blum), and an almost-full moon that came up on schedule when the 150 guests sat down for barbecue.

Western dress here was almost free-association and Rodeo Drive an apparent source, though no one topped three years ago, when Mary Boone told Cramer she’d never been to a barbecue. So, he organized the first annual Barn Dance and she showed up in a Chanel suit.

On Saturday night, Wendy Goldberg sported a cute jeans jacket with sparkly epaulets. When she couldn’t remember where it was purchased, she quipped “Let’s say Suite 101,” her mother’s Beverly Hills boutique. Terry Stanfill was dramatic in an Old California Spanish costume, while Patti Skouras looked as young as her daughter, Tina, in jeans skirt and a Pierre Deux bandanna. The host wore what looked like Polo pleated denim pants and the Mark Taper’s Gordon Davidson was striking in a leather hat--”A gift from Luis Valdez when he did ‘Zoot Suit,’ ” Davidson said. “This hat has worked, it’s been in the fields.”

Still in the L.A. dramatic fields is the Ahmanson’s Bobby Fryer, who was taking thanks from all that he’s agreed to stay on as artistic director for another season. Also kudoed--Architectural Digest’s Paige and Arthur Rense, recently remarried.

One slightly uncomfortable spangled cowboy, receiving innumerable compliments on his outfit, did manage to mutter, “I hope I don’t look like Dale Evans.”

If anyone felt a little overdressed or a little chilly, they could follow Marcia Weisman’s example and put on their party-favor--a Barn Dance sweat shirt, this year, in a bravado burst of party-giving confidence, it had a guest list on the back.

Shirlee Fonda and Joan Quinn (in a loose white nightgown-style dress with cowboy boots and a ravishing Seaman Chapps sheriff star pin) snapped photos, while Nick and Felisa Vanoff danced and San Francisco’s Prentis and Denise Hale visited.

Craig Johnson, a superb party organizer himself, made sure folks chowed down from the wagons set up near Cramer’s private gallery. Motion Picture Assn. president Jack Valenti was ebullient over the 22nd birthday of his son, John (graduating from Stanford and now in the movie biz himself).

With this crowd, there was great conversation. Jane Nathanson told Reagan-familiar William French Smith that she was hosting Michael Dukakis at a fund-raiser Thursday night, and “maybe you’d like to stop by.” Conversation from another Michael, Douglas (a surely hot Oscar property), was a major source of talk--reports that he chatted with agent Sue Mengers about a book over chili, or that he was discussing his Lansing-Jaffe film in which hidden angers between Americans and Japanese more than surface.

Fred and Joan Nicholas, usually too busy on the dance floor for much talk, were confined to chatting because of his broken ankle. For once, the queen of party givers, Barbara Lazaroff, was very in the dark, as her husband, Wolfgang Puck, whispered plans for the surprise birthday party he was giving for her on Sunday aboard a chartered yacht.