Barbara’s Kids Get a Big Boost

“I told my husband I needed lipstick--and he told me that first I needed a blouse,” quipped the cute Patti Skouras, pointing to the black lace camisole peaking out from her yellow suit jacket.

Tommy Skouras just shook his head and followed her, part of the crowd of big contributors at the party after the “Frank, Liza and Sammy” concert Saturday night benefiting the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage. The trio’s 18-city “Ultimate Event” tour, which started in September and finishes up its U.S.A. stint in Miami on Superbowl Weekend, made its only California stop for the benefit.

There had been concern that the Forum would not sell out on the Thanksgiving weekend--with tickets still available the day before--but 17,400 people showed up, “and that means just under $1 million net to the Children’s Center,” Barbara Sinatra told the post-concert Forum party of 400.

Tom Selleck and his wife, Jillie, made just a quick stop at the party, understandable since Mrs. Selleck is very pregnant. “I’m proud of her,” said Selleck with the knowledge of a soon-to-be-father, “since she lasted the whole concert without going to the bathroom.”

Chowing down on a Rococo supper that began with soup served in a hollowed-out squash, the group included Henry and Sedge Plitt (he was continuing his birthday celebration, but refused to say how many), Corinna and Freddie Fields, Joanna Carson (off soon to New York), Victoria and Ed McMahon, Chevy and Jayni Chase, Mitzi Gaynor, June Lockhart, the always glamorous Doris Fields Heller, Lee Minnelli seated beside Liza, Altovise Davis in a sweeping fur coat, George and Jolene Schlatter, and Robert Wagner and Jill St. John--all raving about the concert.

More kudos, these to Gene and Jackie Autry on last week’s opening of the new Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. And, even though Jackie Autry says she’s turning her considerable organizational talents to the Autrys’ baseball endeavors, she didn’t miss the chance to pick up a great museum addition. When Sammy Davis Jr. stopped by the table, she told him she really wanted some of his Western duds (he starred with Sinatra in “Sergeants Three”). And Davis agreed, saying she’d have them for the museum in 10 days.

That kind of response is just what it’s been like since the museum opened, Jackie Autry said. One woman, invited to the party, was so impressed that she sent in a $10,000 check to become a “founder” without any solicitation. She said that she went “incognito, just in my jeans and cowboy boots” to the museum a few days after it opened and that the response from regular museum visitors was wonderful.

And, speaking of wonderful, Barbara Sinatra said that $3 million of a needed $5 million for the Children’s Center have been raised.

KUDOS--To our friends at People Assisting the Homeless (P.A.T.H.) who so far this fall, with their Imaginary Feast, have raised more than $100,000. And that’s without centerpieces, a band, favors or having to dress up in black tie. Hurrah!

MORE FRANK AND LIZA AND MORE BENEFITS--Sinatra and Minnelli are two of the roasters set for Jan. 7, when Nathan Golden is honored by the Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs.Steve Lawrence will emcee the evening at the Century Towers, and signing on as other roasters are Lucille Ball, Hal Linden, Jerry Weintraub, Tommy Lasorda and Hal Linden. . . .

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox do the honors Friday at the ground-breaking of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. There will be a reception and dinner after the ceremony, all set for the Anaheim Hilton. The ground-breaking ceremony is free, but tickets to the ground-breaking, reception and dinner are $1,000 (and that includes VIP parking and the only seating at the ground-breaking). Tickets to just the ground-breaking and dinner are $250.