Premiere Party as Wild as When the West Was Won

Gramercy Pictures launched both itself and “Posse” Wednesday night at the Cinerama Dome.

This was the film’s West Coast benefit premiere as well as Gramercy’s first release--and, according to a Gramercy publicist, “the first rainbow Western.” To celebrate, there was a post-screening party on all three levels of the Hollywood Palace that raised $40,000 for the United Negro College Fund.

Downstairs at stage level, director/star Mario Van Peebles was recounting some of the advice his father, director Melvin Van Peebles, had given him.

“He told me a career in Hollywood has four phases,” said Van Peebles the Younger. “First there’s Mario Who? Then, Get Me Mario! Followed by, Get Me a Young Mario! Before it comes back to, Mario Who?”

As Van Peebles was speaking, shots of tequila in test tubes were being distributed by waitresses (or “shooter persons” as one woman called them) and the deejay was calling out, “We got any rump shakers in the house?” to a crowd in a mood to party.

Prominent among the revelers was Little Richard, who made a dramatic arrival in his own Western-style outfit--a black suit with metal embroidery, a matching shirt and cowboy boots covered in silver stripes.

He stopped to consider what a loss it was to the film and cinema in general that Little Richard wasn’t in “Posse.” “Oooooohhhh chil’, I can ride, honey!” he yelled before heading upstairs. “You ain’t seen no riding yet. I can ride a horse. I would tell that horse to shut up.”

Horseless, Richard maneuvered through the 900-strong crowd that included the film’s co-stars, Stephen Baldwin, Blair Underwood, Salli Richardson and Tone Loc, plus guests including Debbie Allen, Samuel Jackson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Angela Bassett, Eric Dickerson and Tragedy, the Intelligent Hoodlum. (Yes, that’s his name.)

Perhaps the happiest person at the party was massive weightlifter Tiny Lister. He said “Posse” was the best film role he’d ever had. He said he’s done 21 movies, usually “as the guy who can pick people up and knock horses out.”

As the party progressed and there was a performance by Tone Loc and Vesta, Lister could forget about punching horses and just shake his rump.