Party Has an Oscar State of Mind

The Scene: A pre-Oscar party Sunday night at L’Orangerie restaurant; its sole intent was to provide Hollywood executives, actors, insiders, columnists, and, yes, nominees one more opportunity to prognosticate and pontificate on Monday night’s outcome. No speeches. No honoree. Harry Winston jewelers and Relais & Chateaux, the international restaurant and hotel directory, just wanted to throw a party.

The Buzz: Oscar shoptalk. Shoe-ins. Party overload. The ongoing enigma of How Academy Members Think. Companies that close early on Oscar Monday so people can go home and watch the arrivals on television.

Overheard: “I voted for you.”

Quoted: By nominee Ron Kovic (adapted screenplay, “Born on the Fourth of July”), “My mother and father are driving all the way from Yuma, Ariz., in their motor home. At the last minute they decided they wanted to come.”

Noted: By nominee Martin Landau (supporting actor, “Crimes and Misdemeanors”), who recently returned from the Berlin Film Festival, on the response to his film there, “East Berliners loved it. The laughs came when they were supposed to--no difference from a New York audience.”

Who Was There: Nominee Oliver Stone (director, adapted screenplay, “Born on the Fourth of July”), Army and Selma Archerd, Maurice Jarre, Maximilian Schell and Natalya Andrechenko Siberiade, Michael Caine, Roger Moore, Irving and Mary Lazar, Jose Eber, Jackie Collins, Marvin and Barbara Davis with daughter Patty Raynes, Jack Valenti, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, Jaclyn Smith, Leonard and Wendy Goldberg, Freddie Fields, Al and Wanda Ruddy, Robert and Rosemarie Stack, and L’Orangerie owners Gerard and Virginie Ferry.

Dress Code: Tuxedos for the men (the sole exceptions were Kovic, in sports jacket, and Stone, who wore white athletic shoes with a dark suit); materials that twinkled for the women including the dazzling diamonds worn by the Harry Winston contingent.

Chow: Smoked sturgeon and salmon with chanterelles and basil, lamb loin with ginger and mint, pear tart with candied ice cream and petit fours, all washed down with Dom Perignon.

Planning ahead: The indefatigably sociable Jayne and Henry Berger will stay home in their robes and watch the Oscars on TV--starting off with caviar, followed by hot dogs, hamburgers and chili, all prepared by their French chef.