Getting Her Teeth Into Acting Role

Here’s another case of an actress getting a job because of her physical attributes.

Celia Kushner, age 85, interviewed for the coming Disney comedy “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

“They asked her, ‘Do you have false teeth?’ ” recalled her daughter, Adrienne Omansky. “She said, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘Can you take them out?’ She said, ‘Yes,’ and took them out. They called back a short time later and said, ‘You’ve got the job.’ ”

*

BARS TO SUCCESS? Omansky teaches a class for seniors interested in making TV commercials, and her mom is one of her students. The free course, offered by the city’s L.A. Community Adult School, has landed several jobs for Omansky’s “kids” and has attracted attention elsewhere in the nation. Omansky even received a letter from an inmate in a Florida prison who wanted to start commercial-acting classes for prisoners (of all ages).

She sent him the info. But product endorsement possibilities would seem to be limited for incarcerated actors. Then, again, cigarette makers are always looking for new marketing approaches.

*

DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT GEOGRAPHY: “Discover Reno Air’s Newest Destinations!” proclaims the headline in the airline’s flight guide.

“I guess so!” observers Pam Schulz of Culver City, who sent it along to me. She pointed out that the guide’s map seems to be lost in space, spotlighting such previously unknown spots as Detroit, Mont., and Chicago, Wyo. (see accompanying).

*

NINETY YEARS ONLY CELEBRATIONS: Philippe’s restaurant, the downtown landmark near Union Station, celebrates its 90th birthday this year. So do Murray and Louvicia Woodson of L.A. So the Woodsons are holding a joint birthday party at the eatery on Aug. 2, with 60 family members expected to attend. I think you could call the Woodsons regulars at Philippe since they’ve been dining there for as long as they’ve been married--66 years.

*

DUELING BIRTHDAYS: No doubt the Woodsons will also attend Philippe’s own 90th birthday party Oct. 6. French dip sandwiches, which the eatery claims to have invented, will be sold that day at 1908 prices (10 cents each).

It will be interesting to see if Cole’s restaurant on 6th Street, which is also celebrating a 90th anniversary and also claims to have invented the French dip, will hold a counter-birthday party that day.

*

NO BIRTHDAY HERE: The Times’ Lori Shepler noticed a restaurant in Pico Rivera that has presumably fallen out of the top 10 rankings inasmuch as it has shut down (see photo).

MiscelLAny:

Keith Drucker of L.A., thumbing through the “Everything Pages” of his GTE phone directory, came upon a toll-free information number with extensions for several categories, including “Drunk Driving and Drug-Related Offenses.” One of the latter was: “Obtaining a business permit” (see accompanying). Maybe if you’re whacked out enough to think you’re in Detroit, Mont. . . .