Oscar Night: Let the Partying Begin

How long is Hollywood’s A-list? Not long enough, according to Jaime Flores, executive director of El Rescate.

The Central American immigrant advocacy group, whose supporters include Jackson Browne, Edward James Olmos, Cheech Marin, Susan Sarandon and Esai Morales among others, will not be holding its Oscar bash this year for the first time in eight years due to lack of interest and Hollywood’s penchant for moving on to something new.

El Rescate, which started as a hip answer to the Swifty Lazar party at Spago, became--after Swifty’s last bash in ‘93--the oldest ongoing Oscar party. But in Hollywood that doesn’t seem to count for much. “People want to go to new parties every year,” says Flores. “And now there are so many others around.”

This year everyone is already pulling strings to get themselves invited to Miramax’s March 27 Oscar party at Chasen’s, one of the final parties at the legendary restaurant due to close on April 1. With 22 nominations, including John Travolta for best actor and Quentin Tarantino for best director, Miramax is expected to have its guest list mushroom to 1,000.

Just who is on that list? A spokeswoman for Miramax refuses to divulge any of the names. “Once you start naming names, it becomes a can of worms,” she says. “But certainly with just our nominees we will have quite a stellar evening.”

Restaurateurs know that star-heavy events like Oscar parties generate the kind of publicity money can’t buy. That’s why Victor Drai was more than willing to host a party at Drai’s for Paramount, whose nominated films include “Forrest Gump,” and “Nobody’s Fool.” “I said if I’m going to have a party, it’s got to be the biggest,” says Drai, a producer turned restaurateur. “Otherwise, I may as well close like last year.”

Drai’s plans to hold the Vanity Fair party at his West Hollywood restaurant in ’94 fell through. “I was the first one to talk to Vanity Fair,” says Drai, still steamed because the party he says was his idea took place at Morton’s “because they thought Morton’s would be more hip.”

Once again, producer Steve Tisch and Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter will co-host a party at Morton’s. According to Pam Morton of Morton’s, the West Hollywood restaurant will serve dinner to 150 guests with 250 to 300 more stopping by for cocktails after the awards. “It’s basically the same party as last year,” Morton says.

Elton John’s party, a benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation at $250 a head or $7,500 a table, has been held at Maple Drive in Beverly Hills for the past two years. This year, however, John is moving the festivities to the Four Seasons Hotel. “The decision had to do with the way the room worked,” says spokeswoman Sarah McMullen. “Maple Drive is on two levels and we wanted one ballroom, one workable space.”

But if Maple Drive’s chef-owner Leonard Schwartz is crying the blues over losing the pop singer’s party and the priceless publicity that goes with it, he’s over it now. Last week Maple Drive hooked Gramercy Picture’s (“Four Weddings and A Funeral”) party, which means the ‘90s answer to Cary Grant, Hugh Grant, will be at the top of the guest list.

So far there are no party plans at Spago. Wolfgang Puck and his team of ace chefs will be whipping up the famous Spago Jewish pizza, Chino Ranch chopped salad and other dishes for guests at the Governors Ball. Hoping to keep the official post-Academy Awards soiree at the Shrine from being overshadowed by other parties, the academy hired Puck to feed its 1,700 guests.

For more restaurant coverage, please see Sunday’s Los Angeles Times Magazine and Thursday’s Food Section.