Douglas du Jour

Honoring a member of the Douglas family seems to be the reliable plot du jour for fund-raising this year. Last month Cedars-Sinai raised $1.5 million for cancer research with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas as the draw. On Friday, Anne Douglas was honored as “Mother of the Year” at a luncheon hosted by Helping Hand of Los Angeles. And, Kirk Douglas, the patriarch, was presented with the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary’s Special Service Duke Award at the 16th annual Odyssey Ball on April 28 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. More than 900 guests packed the International Ballroom, which was transformed into a 1940s-style nightclub scene for the black-tie bash.

Larry Hagman and Carroll O’Connor were among former Duke awardees present. In accepting the award, Douglas noted that it was especially meaningful because he had co-starred in four films with Wayne, including “Cast a Giant Shadow,” shot in Israel with Frank Sinatra and Yul Brynner. “Israel was never the same,” he said.

Also there were several members of the Wayne clan. Weather guy Fritz Coleman conducted the live auction at the event that raised $75,000, said Ina Lewis, auxiliary president. Andrea Katz and Sue Bender co-chaired the event, which grossed more than $750,000 for the Santa Monica-based cancer center.