Iced GibsonMel Gibson has provided the latest...

Iced Gibson

Mel Gibson has provided the latest bit of theater at Van Nuys Airport, a place that has been the scene of on- and off-screen drama for more than 50 years.

Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis and about 150 extras were on location there for several days during March shooting some scenes from the Icon Productions/Warner Bros. film “The Rest of Daniel.”

The film is about a daredevil pilot in Northern California who volunteers to be frozen in 1939 and wakes up in 1992. Daniel agrees to do this because he is distraught over something bad that happened to his wife.

(Yes, it is being called “The Rest of Lethal Weapon.”)

In preparation for the shooting, an army of carpenters and other minions of the set designer worked for several weeks building an “old” tower on the west side of the airport.

This new/old structure is still causing some second looks from local pilots, who don’t remember that “old” building being there yesterday.

The reason the 35-foot high tower was made to look old is because it is meant to look like what Daniel sees when he wakes up from the long sleep in 1992.

The other tower for the film, as it would have looked in 1939, was built on location in Moorpark, in 60 m.p.h. winds and pouring rain.

Most of the extras who worked in the scenes at Van Nuys were area military personnel who, by now, should be used to working in front of the lights.

In fact, the 146th Tactical Wing of the Air National Guard, when it was based at the airport from the time of World War II until 1990, was always called the Hollywood Air Force by other military pilots, because of its proximity to the entertainment industry and the fact that its planes and personnel were often used in television shows and movies.

This, in spite of the serious work the unit carried out for years.

It all started on Dec. 7, 1941, when the military commandeered Van Nuys Airport after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the 146th Tactical Wing of the California Air National Guard was created and based there.

It was there that the Air National Guard returned from World War II, and left for the Korean War in 1951 and Berlin crisis in 1961. It was from there, in the ‘60s, that planes were dispatched to return Vietnam wounded.

But, in spite of the serious operations launched at Van Nuys, wing personnel were always razzed as being show biz, and when the 146th flew off to its new home at Point Mugu Naval Air Station in 1990, it was given a suitably pomp-filled, musical, show-bizzy send-off.

One of the highlights of the goodby ceremony was an 800-foot-off-the-ground flyby by three huge C-130s.

This thrilled those gathered to say goodby but terrified players on the nearby golf course who thought they were under attack by devil-crazed cargo planes.

There will be no aerial acrobatics or golf players getting flattened in “The Rest of Daniel,” but Valleyites can watch for the “old tower” scenes in the movie and know that they were home-grown.

In the Mail

It’s called BYX and it stands for Bill Your Ex.

For Deborah Hutchison, it was not only a face-saver but has turned into a growth industry.

Hutchison has devised a systematic, business-like way for people to bill their ex-mates for child support and alimony.

It’s a simple $14.95 kit that includes a monthly bill, an overdue notice and a copy for the biller’s records. People can get the kit by writing to 3960 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Suite 437, Studio City 91604.

Hutchison, who says she put her ex-husband through medical school, said the kit came about because of her anger and frustration in trying to get her ex-husband to send her court-awarded settlement payments. She says that, when she moved to Los Angeles from Chicago, it was almost as though he’d forgotten about what he owed her.

“He was back there, and I was out here, and it wasn’t like he was sitting there thinking, ‘Gee, it’s almost that time of the month when I get to pay my ex-wife whom I haven’t seen for five years.’ ” So Hutchison, “trying to think like a business person,” created this way to formalize the payment process.

Hutchison says that, when she started offering the service to the public, she decided to work through a postal service because “I had visions of some irate husband coming after me with a shotgun.”

She said that, according to many people who call to thank her, not only women but also men are using the kit, and those who are billed seem to appreciate the formality.

“It’s great to not only get your own problem sorted out but to be able to help other people,” Hutchison said.

Home Non-Cooking

Ever since the concept of Superwoman became endemic, persons of the female persuasion have been trying to do it all.

Little League, the PTA, the fast-track job, the perfectly run house. “Oh, you’re bringing home eight for dinner?” No problem, we used to say.

That was shortly before the nervous breakdown.

Well (soup and) nuts to that.

These days, women, with the help of a couple of mother’s little helpers, are learning how to delegate, and it’s about time.

One of the more obvious chores to delegate is one’s mate’s announcement that mystery guests are coming for dinner. The only problem is that few of us have Julia Child at home on our range.

But one phone call can get you a meal of the haute- est cuisine or a finger licker like El Paso barbecue. Whose business is it, anyway, how that feast got on your table?

The trick is to live in an area served by one of the restaurant delivery services. Then you can order in almost anything in Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, German, Thai, Turkish, Greek, Southwest or California cuisine.

Two such services are Dining In, which operates from Studio City to Woodland Hills, and Glendale Gourmet, a Glendale delivery service. They each have some outstanding restaurants, but there is a price to be paid.

At Dining In, which represents more than 20 restaurants, including Vivaldi, Brio, Fortes, Akbar and Tempo, there is a $5 delivery charge for each order, and according to its publication, Dining In Elegance Magazine, gratuities to the drivers are greatly appreciated.

You must place your order for lunch between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and there is a $25 minimum. Large orders, they say, should be placed the day before.

Per-person prices range from $3.25 for a hamburger from Cafe 50’s to . . . you probably don’t want to know . . . depending on how many people you are ordering for, how fancy you want it and how many courses you want.

Dinner orders must be placed between 5 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 5 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. There’s a $15 minimum.

Delivery is basically between Mulholland Highway, Reseda Boulevard, Sherman Way and Lankershim Boulevard, although they will deliver out of the area for special orders.

Glendale Gourmet also has a nice selection of restaurants, including the Rusty Pelican, Hana Sushi and Far Niente. There is a $4 delivery charge plus a minimum order of $10.

Both services accept credit cards or cash, and the Glendale Gourmet will take a personal check.

All you have to do is order, pay and then dig in.

Big Bucks

Don’t let that demure demeanor fool you, those librarians know how to rake it in.

Someone at the Woodland Hills branch of the Public Library decided that, since many of the patrons are interested in best sellers, some way should be created to give the public what it wants.

Voila, Project Best Seller, started with a $2,000 donation from the branch Friends of the Library. It charges 10 cents a day rental for each book on its current list.

When asked how successful the program has become, senior librarian Eunice Kent said it brings in about $800, which can buy a lot of best sellers.

That’s $800 a month, folks, not a year.

Overheard

“I’m never going to get old, because I don’t have the money to enjoy it.”

Encino woman contemplating her future