Premiere Gives Big Lift to 2 Small Charities

Although Thursday’s benefit world premiere of Warner Bros.’ “Forever Young” wasn’t lavish by Hollywood standards, it meant the world to two small charities sharing the fund-raiser’s proceeds.

For Santa Monica’s Homeless Drop-in Center and Hollywood’s Recovery Center, the $70,000 they’ll divide is a substantial part of their annual budgets.

The affair consisted of pre-screening drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the Motion Picture Academy’s lobby. The $125 tickets were sold in the film community to some extent, but the 900-strong crowd was by no means star-studded.

“This is a big night for the Recovery Center,” said Gloria Montgomery, who co-founded the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with Joan Wendorf. “We operate on an almost day-to-day basis. This means we’ll able to pay the rent, the light bill, the gas bill and eat for a while longer.”

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The money was important, but the fact that it was raised from donations makes it possible to compound its value by applying for grants that require matching funds from private sources.

“Government funding for social services is very unstable,” said Vivian Rothstein, executive director of the Ocean Park Community Center, of which the Drop-in Center is part. “Private funds allow us to go after support we otherwise wouldn’t be able to qualify for.”

The two charities got hold of the premiere for their fund-raiser in the best Hollywood tradition--they knew somebody.

The Recovery Center has a prime connection: The film’s star, Mel Gibson, has taken a personal interest in their work.

“Alcoholism is something that runs in my family,” said Gibson. “It’s something that’s close to me. People do come back from it, and it’s a miracle. And I like to be part of that.”

The Drop-in Center has on its board both the film’s producer, Bruce Davey, and Gibson’s lawyer, Nigel Sinclair, who co-chaired the event along with Gene Diamand and Rand Holston.

“I think every single premiere should be a charity benefit,” said Sinclair. “It’s a way the entertainment community can make an immediate tangible response to the awfulness of walking past destitute families in the street.”