Celebrity Party Gossip with Sparse Political Connections

made a dramatic, sullen, last-minute appearance looking perfectly skinny in a dress from her eponymous collection. At the Women in Film cocktail party at Cecconi’s, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shailene Woodley, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens networked with Jessica, Octavia and Viola now of social stamina fame. Blythe Danner kissed me at the door as a military-type looked on. I kept saying to him, “Where have we met?” Nowhere. He was astronaut Mark E. Kelly who came with Blythe and is married to former congresswoman _ Gabrielle Giffords, Paltrow's second cousin. Only I could mistake an astronaut for a movie marketing guy. Vanity Fair féted Scorsese and The Film Foundation, which has saved 555 films in 22 years. Cocktails were at the restored Bel-Air Hotel. Honorary Jewess Lorraine Bracco ran past me yelling that she was late for Ronald Perelman’s Shabbat dinner. Three, three-time Oscar composer Howard Shore, costume designer Sandy Powell and editor Thelma Schoonmaker were honored. Sir Ben Kingsley, Danny Huston, Patty Clarkson, Irwin Winkler and Giorgio Armani’s niece Roberta Armani with Wanda McDaniels debated best director: Marty or Michel? “Nobbs” delivered me to WME'’s Party at kahuna Ari Emanuel’s Brentwood estate, where NFL quarterback and new client Tim Tebow was the toast of | the party, especially to Taylor | Swift who made $35.7 million \ this year. Michael Douglas ~.\ gave me a kiss... doesnt ») get any better. Longtime lovebirds Robert Pattinson winners: and Kristen Stewart made a rare appearance, glued to each other's hips. They mingled with co- star Taylor Lautner, Miley Cyrus, and her Hunger Games beau Liam Hemsworth. Meanwhile Charlize Theron, Jack Black, Rooney Mara, Ben Stiller, Barry Sonnenfeld and Larry David talked business with moguls Les Moonves and _ Viacom's Philippe Dauman. Next was UTA Chairman Zoe Saldana Felicity Jones Jim Berkus’ soiree that police almost shut down because the DJ got carried away impressing Harrison Ford, Channing Tatum, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Freston, Disney’s Rich Ross, SNLUs Lorne Michaels and Oscar show producer Brian Grazer. Sunset Tower Hotel owner Jeff Klein and producer John Goldwyn hosted a secret dinner for Anna and Graydon Carter at their Hollywood Hills home with Tom Ford, Mitch Glazer, Fran Lebowitz, Vito Schnabel, Denise Hale, Lisa and Eric Eisner and VF’s Punch Hutton, who is Tim Hutton’s sister. Last stop was CAA Byran Lourd’s “Friday Night Party’ = “Nobbs” was instructed to drop me off at a neighborhood school where a luxury van transported guests to the stone and glass Bel-Air estate situated on a narrow street. I knew that guests Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz, Sofia Vergara, Salma Hayek, Sandra Bullock, and Glee’s Matthew Morrison did not arrive by bus. Once inside the playing field leveled out and pound for pound there was more famous flesh per square inch than the Oscars Miley Cyrus themselves. I huddled with Meryl on the couch and we talked about her race. She thought Viola. I thought Meryl. She didn’t know about Harvey's last-minute “29 year” shout out. I hugged Bette Midler and flirted with Jim Sturgess and Bennett Miller. Universal’s Donna Langley, who is overseeing Tom Hooper’s production Les Miserables, mentioned Hugh Jackman’s impeccable manners should insure best behavior from Russell Crowe. I introduced HBO’s Game Change director Jay Roach, who is an authority on Hitler, to George Clooney who is writing a thriller about the Nazis stealing art. Clooney whispered, “The Frenchman is winning.” I thanked Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane and Richard Lovett, got on the bus and prayed that I get invited back. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 I dragged my tired ass to the Academy, as foreign film aficionado Mark Johnson was conducting a symposium on the nominated films, which included Sony APRIL 2012 * AVENUE MAGAZINE | 63 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013457