Close but . . . one cigar?The...

Close but . . . one cigar?The city of West Hollywood’s decision to outlaw smoking in restaurants has Chasen’s worried about one of its most famous customers, a 97-year-old cigar fancier.

“I would like to get permission for George Burns to come in and smoke,” said general manager Ralph Woodworth. “He puffs on them. He’s not a big smoker.”

City Councilman Paul Koretz said a compromise is possible.

“Certainly if we made a variance excepting smokers 97 and over, it wouldn’t affect very many people,” he said. “Long lives and smoking don’t usually go together.”

Koretz said the matter will be discussed by the City Council. Chasen’s just hopes it doesn’t get bogged down in politics, delaying passage until Burns is 100.

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L.A. on $10,000 a day: Actress Kim Basinger has been given another month to submit a new plan for paying off her debts after a few questions were raised in court about the actress’s financial health.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Geraldine Mund wondered why Basinger’s Woodland Hills residence, purchased for $1.2 million, is listed at $600,000 in her papers. Mund noted that the actress, who owes Main Line Pictures $8.1 million for backing out of “Boxing Helena,” claims to be living in a “modest home” in “a middle-class neighborhood.”

Yet during the first five months of the year, Basinger’s expenditures included--but were not limited to--$20,000 for clothes, $2,400 for gardening, $16,500 in domestic salaries and $23,000 for personal expenses.

Then there was Basinger’s $8,500 tab for pet care, which prompted Mund to inquire whether the actress has a kennel.

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A penny for AT&T;’s thoughts: While we’re on the subject of indebtedness, Mid-Wilshire accountant Don Manning sent along a recent bill that one of his clients received--in fact, the second notice from the phone company. Manning’s client naturally wishes to remain anonymous so as not to sully his good name.

Perhaps AT&T; would permit payment on an installment plan.

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A museum with a peel: Browsing through our favorite magazine, Mondo L.A., we were heartened to see that Altadena’s Banana Museum is hanging in there.

Proprietor Ken Bannister--he prefers Bananister--told writer Laurie Jacobson that he has more than 15,000 banana-related items in his 21-year-old shrine, which is intended to keep “spirits up and morale high in a world going bananas.”

Even the cheery Bannister might feel a frown coming on if he reads Jacobson’s review. She termed the museum, whose treasures range form a banana purse and a banana umbrella to a movie poster of “Herbie Goes Bananas,” as “filled to the brim with bananality.”

Watch your step, Jacobson.

miscelLAny:

Author William Manchester writes that when Winston Churchill visited Hollywood in 1929, Charlie Chaplin mentioned that he intended to play Jesus Christ in a movie. Asked Churchill: “Have you cleared the rights?”