A Name-Brando Product

While other celebrities crave the cover of Vanity Fair, Marlon Brando settles for having his name in the back of the Whole Earth Review.

The quarterly mag is a direct descendant of that 1960s mega-information creation, the Whole Earth Catalog. You remember--back to the earth, geodesic domes, how to order chain saws by mail.

The catalogue has evolved into a publication that declines advertising but embraces organic farming and silicon chips and is now equal parts computers, ecology and chain saws by mail.

Brando is obviously a fan of the magazine. He’s credited as the sole Beverly Hills resident among the four dozen whimsically titled “Maniacal Supporters”--people who have given $1,000 to the nonprofit corporation that publishes Whole Earth Review. This entitles Brando to “a subscription for as long as you--or we--live.” Two of his equally maniacal supporters are Kinswoman of Eugene, Ore., and Continuous Wave, who gives no address.

Eat your heart out, Vanity Fair. You’ll never get subscribers like that.

Where the Auction Is

So you’ve been trying to get a date with that fabulous uber -model and Bardot look-alike Claudia Schiffer, and she keeps turning you down? If your wallet is fat enough, you might have a chance.

A date with Schiffer is one of the auction items to be offered at the Carousel of Hope Ball, a mega-party with celebs galore hosted by Barbara and Marvin Davis, at the Beverly Hilton on Oct. 2. The benefit is expected to raise $5 million for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, the American Diabetes Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International.

Barbara Davis recently held a kickoff luncheon at her home, drawing such supporters as Judy Ovitz, Harriet Deutsch, Suzanne de Passe, Susie Field, Annette O’Malley, Joni Smith and Jane Eisner. During brief remarks to the crowd, Davis held up a bottle of insulin and a syringe, explaining that these are what her daughter, Dana, a diabetic, needs in order to survive.

The Davises are sure not to disappoint with this party; $2 million already has been raised, and the guest list includes Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Sylvester Stallone and Quincy Jones. Natalie Cole will be the headline entertainer, and Roger Moore, Michael Caine and Merv Griffin will emcee.

Oh--did we mention that the party is by invitation? So if you’re not on the list, Claudia might be very disappointed.

Essentials

WHAT YOU NEED TO MANEUVER THE L.A. SCENE: Blondes may have more fun, but do they wield more power? At a recent gathering of some of the city’s top charity-circuit-type women, we noticed a plethora of chin-length blond dos. But it’s not just any shade of pale that signifies a high-ranking status; the prevailing look contained varying hues of ash, gold and light brown woven together to look as natural as possible. And, of course, there should never be the slightest trace of dark roots.