Putting a (Famous) Face on the Issue of Housing

Hollywood writer-director Randall Wallace knows how to play both sides of the fence when it comes to using famous faces to raise money and awareness for a charity that builds houses for people in need.

Wallace, who founded Hollywood for Habitat, an arm of Habitat for Humanity International, has been working with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and corporate sponsor OurHouse.com to galvanize support for Habitat’s weeklong 20-house blitz build in Wilmington beginning Saturday. At times, he said, he was tempted to exploit the celebs who are working on the blitz. (It was even suggested to him that if he publicized the names, heads of corporations would donate money, just to work alongside a famous face.)

“But I have always refused,” said Wallace, who wrote the screenplays for “Braveheart” and the upcoming film “Pearl Harbor.” “I don’t want this to be one more exercise in the Hollywood idolatry machine. The stars of this event are the people who are going to live in these houses. They are heroic.”

That said, now that the project is a go and all the volunteer slots are filled, Wallace offered that Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robin Williams are scheduled to lend a hand, alongside the families who will live in the new houses. (Hmm . . . I wonder whose pictures will show up in InStyle magazine.)

Although it’s too late to get involved this time, there will be another build in January. Info: https://www.habitatlb.org.

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I stopped by the Beverly Center in Los Angeles the other day for one reason and one reason only--to buy a pair of stockings. When I left, I expected not to have to pay the $1 parking fee charged for the first three hours. (There has always been a grace period of 30 minutes, during which parking is free.)

Well folks, the grace period is finito.

You now have to pay the $1 fee, even if you just drive into the parking structure, turn around and drive out.

A spokesman for the mall says the policy was changed “because of congestion.”

News flash: It ain’t working.

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac, first published in 1792 during George Washington’s second term as president, isn’t all tide tables, moon calendars and weather forecasts. The tiny tomes predict next year’s fashion trends, too.

The 2001 edition advises that, for women, not all clothes will be loud. White will be popular, especially with jeans, and navy will be an important neutral. Sleepwear sales are up, and the almanac predicts women will be wearing pajama bottoms outside of the house with camisoles and mules. (At last, my prayers will have been answered.) What to get rid of? Knee-length capri pants (finally!), thick black platform sandals and nylon shoulder bags.

For men, chunky watches will be in, according to the Almanac, but not chunky shoes. And we all knew it had to happen sooner or later: The mustache is back. Patterns and bright colors are on the rise for men’s clothes.

Imagine . . . Yankee farmers in Hawaiian shirts.

SoCal Confidential runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Booth Moore can be reached at booth.moore@latimes.com.