Army of Friends
When a glass toppled from a waiter’s tray at last week’s star-studded fete for Army Archerd, it was the guest of honor who rushed to pick up the pieces. Those Eagle Scout manners have been the Hollywood columnist’s stock in trade since he started writing for Daily Variety in 1953. “Army still gets more excited about a scoop than reporters half his age. He’s the lord of the zings and he always gets it right,” said Variety editor Peter Bart in his tribute to the man whose three-dot column is as much a part of Tinseltown history as the Oscar.
The scene on the Beverly Hilton’s red carpet was a paparazzi paradise as many of the stars Archerd has chronicled for five decades arrived for the black-tie dinner and show, which raised more than $1 million for his favorite charity, the Kayne-Eras Center, a Culver City-based educational facility for developmentally impaired children and adults. Southern California Children’s Varieties donated a van to the center on behalf of Army and his wife, Selma.
The evening event, held April 26 and sponsored by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Mercedes-Benz and Harry Winston, drew a packed house. Guests included Julie Andrews, Ed Begley Jr., Jacqueline Bisset, Garth Brooks, Red Buttons, Tony Danza, Peter Falk, Larry Gelbart, Merv Griffin, Quincy Jones, Joe Mantegna, Reba McEntire, Sidney Poitier, Carl Reiner, Tom Selleck, Rod Steiger, Jack Valenti, Jon Voight, Dennis Weaver, Esther Williams, Michael York. Regis Philbin came from New York to emcee the event, which was co-chaired by Charlie Koones, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tom Sherak and Bart, who surprised Archerd with the keys to a new Mercedes.
Columnists Liz Smith, Bob Osborne and Cindy Adams sent their messages via video: “I steal from Army almost every day,” Smith said. “He’s always first with everything; it’s absolutely infuriating.” Julie Andrews crooned her tribute, “We’ve Grown Accustomed to His Space.”
But, it was Archerd who made eyes misty with his adaptation of “Thanks for the Memory”: For 50 years of friends through all those fashion trends; starting out with boxer shorts and ending in Depends; for the gifted ones, the lifted ones, for friends both straight and gay and gods with feet of clay. Thank you so much.
--Patt Diroll
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Library Awards
Americans can take heart, author David McCullough told the gathering at the Los Angeles Public Library: There are still many more libraries in this country than there are McDonald’s. And he added, “What better symbol is there of our independence?”
The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer was on hand to receive the library’s annual Literary Award. His longtime friend, John F. Cooke, chairman of the library foundation, presented McCullough the Tiffany crystal sculpture in front of a sold-out crowd at the library’s seventh annual awards dinner April 23 at the downtown Central Library. McCullough joins a distinguished roster of past honorees: E.L. Doctorow, Louise Erdrich, Seamus Heaney, John Updike, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Carlos Fuentes.
Also honored at the event was Joni Smith, founding president of the Council of the Library Foundation, which has raised more than $3 million since it was launched in 1995. Smith was presented the Light of Learning Award by city librarian Susan Kent. The library’s Corporate Philanthropy award was presented to Farmers Insurance Group, which has been a major sponsor of the library since 1993. Martin D. Feinstein, chief executive of Farmers, accepted the award from Lucy McCoy, president of the board of library commissioners.
After the ceremonies, more than 300 guests dined on Peggy Dark’s bill of fare at tables arranged on levels of the library’s eight-story atrium. Kathleen Brown chaired the dinner, which raised $230,000, to be shared by the 67 branches citywide.
Among library supporters assembled were Flora L. Thornton, Jane Ackerman, Nancy and Michael Harahan, Anissa and Paul Balson, Evelyn Hoffman, Laura and Robert Chick, Mickey and Gordon Bodek, Tory and Bob Brant, Sandra and Ralph Casillas, Robert Cotten, Teri and Dan Floyd, Tom and Rose Ann Frank, Howard Gould, Anne and Jeff Grausam, Dean Hansell, Maidee and Arnold Kirkeby, Rita and Klaus Liebelt and Celeste and Thomas McLain.
--P.D.
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Geffen, Backstage
From Bruce Vilanch’s encounter with Tallulah Bankhead’s gastric distress, to George Segal’s tale of George C. Scott’s onstage “spitting,” to Peter Falk’s ill-starred campaign for an Oscar, the stars shared their professional peaks and peccadilloes at “Backstage at the Geffen,” the Westwood theater’s inaugural fund-raiser.
Jason Alexander and Annette Bening served as honorary co-chairs of the April 22 event, which began with Tanino’s alfresco buffet followed by a string of anecdotes and dramatizations. David Hyde Pierce offered a tribute to his former Geffen co-star Uta Hagen; Neil Simon told of a frustrating ordeal with a ham actor; Alexander and Bening teamed up on an excerpt from David Ives’ “All in the Timing.” Alfre Woodard, Martin Short, Rita Wilson, Dana Delany and Peter Bonerz brought down the house with a scene from Christopher Durang’s “The Actor’s Nightmare.”
Others on the bill included Richard Benjamin, Kevin Kilner, Amy Pietz and Kevin Anderson.
Gil Cates produced and David Pence and Pamela Robinson co-chaired the event, which raised $165,000.
--P.D.
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Laughs by Leno
Tossing out irreverent one-liners as fast as the audience could catch them, comedian Jay Leno made his premiere appearance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center during a benefit for its education fund.
“I know what we can do about Osama bin Laden--send over Anna Nicole Smith; she’ll get his money and he’ll be dead in a week,” Leno quipped, as he began his stand-up routine in Segerstrom Hall in front of a 2,500-strong crowd. In an 80-minute show laced with the late-night TV talk show host’s trademark deadpans, Leno railed against new airline security measures (“They take my nose clippers; anyone who has seen terrorists knows they don’t use nose clippers”) to automobile innovations (“They’re talking about installing microwaves; can’t you see someone [on their cell] yelling, “Gotta go! My souffle’s burning!”) to health-care costs (“You think it’s expensive? Wait till it’s free!”).
After the show, donors to the center who paid $3,000 per couple, schmoozed onstage with Leno before enjoying a buffet supper and dancing to a jazz quartet. Proceeds of about $79,000 from the April 27 event will go toward the center’s arts education programs, said center President Jerry Mandel.
--Ann Conway
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Human Options
In a reminder of the reason they had gathered, guests at a benefit to raise funds for victims of domestic violence watched a performance by the Stop Gap drama company on the life stages of abuse victims. More than 400 supporters gathered for the benefit, which raised $225,000 for Human Options, a nonprofit providing housing and counseling for abused women and children in Orange County.
Honored at the April 27 event at the Four Seasons in Newport Beach were the builders of the organization’s Safe House for Kids and Moms: Costain Homes, HomeAid Orange County, Lennar Homes, Shea Homes and Steton Construction.
The benefit was co-chaired by Steve and Susan Giusto.
--A.C.
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Legal Aid
Attorneys Andrew J. Guilford and Leigh Steinberg were honored at the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Jurisprudence Awards dinner at the Four Seasons in Newport Beach.
The men were recognized for their contributions to the legal profession and their communities. Net proceeds of $92,000 from the April 25 event will go toward the organization’s programs in the areas of hate-crime and anti-bias, and anti-prejudice education. The event was co-chaired by Thomas R. Malcolm, Patrice Jeffries, Don West, Scott Wylie and Dean Zipser.
--A.C.
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Coming up:
* Anchorwoman Linda Alvarez will host Fiesta Los Angeles, a benefit fashion luncheon sponsored by Friends of the Autry in Heritage Court of the Autry Museum on Monday. Tickets: $65. Call (323) 667-2000, Ext. 326.
* Carmen Zapata, president and co-founder of the Bilingual Foundation for the Arts, will receive its El Angel Lifetime Achievement at Ole America, the 22nd annual Angel Awards gala on Thursday at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Tickets: $275. Call (323) 225-4044.
* The ninth annual Race to Erase MS to benefit the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis Center Without Walls takes place Friday at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa. Tickets: $1,000. Call (310) 440-4842.
* The Long Beach Museum of Art presents the premiere of its exhibition “Spontaneous Combustion: The Fusion of Art Design and Fashion,” on Saturday. The exhibit is open to the public through June 2. Premiere tickets: $100 to $250. Call (562) 439-2119.
* St. Joseph’s Center, which serves the homeless and working poor in Venice, will honor the Parish of St. Matthew in Pacific Palisades at its benefit dinner dance, Saturday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Tickets: $250. Call (310) 396-6468, Ext. 325.
* The Luminaires, Juniors of the Doheny Eye Institute, hold their annual black-tie benefit, “An Evening at the Sunset Room, on Saturday. Tickets: $250. Call (310) 442-7111.
* The Runway for Life Celebrity Fashion Show to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will be held Saturday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Tickets: $100 to $250. Call (800) 227-6737.
* The Galactic Gala, celebrating the 50th year of the Peninsula Committee for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, will be at the California Science Center on Saturday. Tickets: $175. Call (310) 377-8774.
* The Valley Cities Jewish Community Center is staging a Las Vegas night Saturday to raise funds needed to save the Sherman Oaks center, scheduled to close in June. Call (818) 786-6310.
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Information for Social Circuits can be directed to Patt Diroll in L.A. (pattdiroll@earthlink.net or [213] 237-7144) or Ann Conway in Orange County (annconway@ latimes.com, or [714] 966-5952).
