Celebrity Watch

Over The Top!

Dede Wilsey, Trevor Traina & bride Alexis Swanson Traina

“This is the party of the year,” beamed Stanlee Gatti, the Maestro of Magic in San Francisco, who creates those spectacular, jaw-dropping events for Dede Wilsey, Danielle Steel, and Elton John. Stanlee was at Dede Wilsey’s black-tie dinner dance for 350 guests at the de Young Museum’s Wilsey Court. The party honored her mega-millionaire Internet entrepreneur son Trevor Traina’s marriage to beauty Alexis Swanson, radiant in Carolina Herrera’s signature gown with its purple bustier and flowered skirt.

Stanlee had transformed Wilsey Court into Roseville, with 250,000 Ecuadorean roses, creating the swankiest night club in beige and black patent leather. And he lauded Dede for raising $190 million for the de Young, and for bailing out the Opera in the Park this summer when it suffered a financial crisis.

He also acknowledged her loyalty, while admiring her princess-style Oscar de la Renta ball gown. “For the dance tonight, she hired Earl Heckscher’s swinging band, 25 pieces, because Earl is San Francisco, as was his popular dad Ernie, rather than bring in out-of-towners like Peter Duchin.” And for the dinner, local catering pasha Dan McCall served the gourmet menu of Maine lobster salad, filet mignon and a mind-blowing marquise de chocolat with fresh raspberries.

The newlyweds had returned from honeymooning at the Imperial Suite at the Ritz in Paris, Il Palazzo Bauer in Venice and at Villa Feltrinelli in Lake Garda. As Napa Valley neighbors, Trevor & Alexis met during family dinners (he and his film producer brother Todd Traina were gifted their country house by mom Dede; Todd and wife Kate, by the way, are infanticipating, with Dede establishing a trust fund for her first grandchild).

Friends jetted in from the East and Europe for the dinner dance, as they did for Trevor & Alexis’ wedding in Napa, with Dede hosting the rehearsal dinner for 250 at “the castle,” at the Sattui Winery in Calistoga. Stanlee again dazzled guests with his ultrasuede design creations, topiaries, floral garlands, and bonfires burning rosemary, with the wedding weekenders seated at six long tables.

Alexis, previously wed to Marshall Farre of the Jack Daniels dynasty, organized the wedding at her family’s estate in Oakville, with three open-air tents and a Southern-inspired repast replete with cornbread and beaten biscuits. Episcopalian Bishop William Swing officiated at the ceremony, with Alexis’ sisters, Claiborne and Veronica, as her bridesmaids, and Trevor standing tall with 17 groomsmen, including his half-brother Maxx Traina, the handsome son of Danielle Steel and John Traina.

Welcomed by Alexis’ parents Elizabeth & Clarke Swanson were Danielle and her elegant daughters (Victoria Traina is now styling runway models with her own designer shoes and personal accessories for 22-year-old New York designer Alexander Wang).

Brittanie Mountz and Mayor Gavin

Here and there were Mayor Gavin, Ambassador Howard Leach with wife Gretchen, Vanessa & Billy Getty, Kamala Harris, Denise Hale, Diane Chapman & Matthew Kelly, Maria Manetti Farrow, Allison Speer, Chris Bass, Kelly & Don Johnson, Adam Dell, Victoire & Owsley Brown, and San Francisco’s new “it” couple, Sloane & Roger Barnett, whom Denise Hale finds “most attractive.” Roger bought the Shaklee Corp., and relocated to San Francisco, with the town waiting in line to entertain the newcomers.

Not Too Loudly

“The process of creating a fragrance is very different from writing. Everything about writing and creating a book is solitary,” says Danielle Steel, who’s teamed with Elizabeth Arden to create “Danielle,” which she launches this month.

Described as a “floriental kaleidoscope,” the fragrance combines sensual notes of Mediterranean mandarin, jasmine, rose, and Danielle’s global literary fame (having sold 550 million books in 47 countries) will drum-roll the promotions that’ll include major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, amazon.com, Borders — a first in fragrance history. Known as the best American buyer of couture fashion, Danielle designed the fragrance box based on a favorite pink satin and black lace Rochas original.

“With a fragrance, many, many people are involved to achieve the final result of elegance, beauty, package, design, bottle and fragrance. As they say, ‘It takes a village,’ while writing only takes one person. I looked for a fragrance that was sexy, mysterious and warm — the essence of womanhood that will speak not too loudly.”

Hot Ticket

Volver’s Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz

“It’s true, I padded Penelope Cruz’s ass in Volver for that Sophia Loren peasant look,” admits director Pedro Almodovar (which he explains is pronounced Al-mo-DO-var, while Penelope is pronounced Pen-ay-LO-pay). Volver, also starring Carmen Maura, is being touted for a Best Picture Oscar, as is Penelope’s ravishing performance, and it was a favorite at the 31st Toronto International Film Festival, which screened 352 films from 6l countries, attracting a press corps of hundreds.

Pedro and Penelope joined the guests at the 22nd annual hot-ticket festival luncheon hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel’s general manager Chris Hart, who corrals the who-and-the-who. Kevin Costner discussed his action film, The Guardian, and praised chef Lynn Crawford’s by-now-infamous chicken pot pie, the luncheon’s signature dish anointed by the regulars as “the best ever.” Kevin was in town with wife Christine, her mom Judy, and his beautiful daughter Lily, now 20 and in school (daughter Annie is teaching in India, and son Joe’s begun college).

Demi Moore

Demi Moore was decreed by National Post columnist Shinan Govani as “looking 28” (she’s 43, daughter Rumer’s in college), and Joan Collins came with husband Percy Gibson. Joan’s costarring with Linda Evans in Legends. the James Kirkwood cat-fight comedy that opened in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and will settle soon on Broadway. (I saw it 20 years ago with Carol Channing and Mary Martin — a bitch-fest hoot.)

Percy Gibbons and Joan Collins

Rex Reed was visibly disturbed after catching the screening of Shortbus, in which the leading man performs a sex act on himself — “out-and-out porn, and, ugh, look for it in theaters this fall!” Yet other critics say they laughed. Norman Jewison presented the luncheon guests with his favored Putney Heath Farms maple syrup, and those Roots Stores tycoons, Michael Budman and his architect wife Diane Bald, and Don Green with wife Denyse, gifted all with their exclusive leather-bound agendas created by Roots leathermeister Karl Kowaleski.

Seated at the six round tables were CTV powerhouse Ivan Fecan and his producer wife Sandra Faire, who are being honored by the Council of Christians and Jews, Ivan’s CTV president Susanne Boyce, the handsome Mulroney brothers (Ben’s the host of Canadian Idol and younger Mark’s a financial wizard — they’re sons of former prime minister Brian Mulroney and his elegant Mila).

Rex Reed and Toronto Four Seasons Hotel general manager Chris Hart

Also there, Terrie & George Eaton (the Rockefellers of the North), the festival’s Michele Maheux, festival sponsors Myrna & John Daniels, festival founder Dusty Cohl with wife Joan — their nephew Michael Cohl produces the Rolling Stones concerts and the forthcoming Barbra Streisand tour.

Arriving from Europe was Paris’ Yanou Collart with Swarovski’s Francois Ortarix, bringing their crystal menagerie of bibelots for the luncheon guests and surprises for the galaxy of stars attending the festival. Vanity Fair and Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch’s award-winning photographer Bruce Weber, a filmmaker and publisher as well, caught up with Tevro and Chase designer and art curator Paul Sinclaire, also with Hilary & Galen Weston of the posh Holt Renfrew and Selfridge’s emporiums, Canada’s Loblaws supermarkets, Thomas English muffins, castle in Ireland and villa in Palm Beach. Hilary’s the former Lieutenant Governor of Canada.

Club Monaco’s Joe Mimran later toasted spouse Kim’s birthday at Opus, the dining room deemed by Joe’s crowd as “our country club” — Kim’s the design talent behind her Pink Tartan label, also created the attendants’ uniforms for Canada’s Portland airlines.

Fox chair Jim Gianopulos was anticipating Russell Crowe’s arrival that night for the premiere of A Good Year based on Peter Mayles’ novel about Provence, co-starring Russell, Albert Finney and Freddie Highmore, directed by Ridley Scott, a Provence neighbor of Peter’s.

ICM superagent Ed Limato’s tortoise shell shades were the buzz of the luncheon, and with Ed was his ICM colleague Toni Howard, who represents Halle Berry, Laura Llinney, Christina Ricci, and Samuel Jackson. Ed’s client stable includes Denzel Washington, Steve Martin, Liam Neeson, Richard Gere, and Billy Crystal, among others. Ed was in town to premiere his client Derek Luke’s apartheid film, Catch a Fire, which received high marks from audiences.

Ed hosts the best Oscar weekend party at his Beverly Hills mansionette built by Dick Powell for wife Joan Blondell. While Vanity Fair pursues the paparazzi press, we’re fortunate to have our NHG scoop on Ed’s grand slam with its parade of glamorama Lotusland legends, young and forever young (no other press is invited). This year, Vanity Fair is offering two tickets for its next Oscar night fannybumper at Morton’s in a “new subscriber” lottery, with an admonition that, “Cosmetic surgery is not included.”

In Hollywood, houses like Ed’s cling to ghostly provenances. After Dick and Joan separated, Betty Grable and lover George Raft, whose well-endowed maleness preceded him, moved in. Ingrid Bergman’s affair with Roberto Rossellini that produced a child out of wedlock and branded Ingrid as “box office poison” was consummated at her Beverly Hills residence on Benedict Canyon, where she lived with her doctor husband Peter Lindstrom. Ladykiller Bill Holden bedded Grace Kelly at a bungalow south of Sunset Boulevard. Etcetera. Realtors establish selling points with this lore to star-struck buyers.

Savoring the luncheon dessert of white peaches with vanilla and double chocolate ice cream and the richest chocolate sauce imaginable topped with chopped amaretti were Crash Oscar-winner Paul Haggis and India’s favorite actor John Abraham, who premiered his The Kabul Express.

Among the festival-goers was Away From Her star Julie Christie, who, when asked why she hasn’t appeared in a film for 35 years, replied, “There are more important things in life than making movies.”

Babel’s Brad Pitt turned up for Sunday night’s OneXOne event hosted by Matt Damon benefiting children’s charities, and Bruce Weber, who screened his 1988 film, Let’s Get Lost, about trumpeter Chet Baker, hosted his Sunday get-together at everybody’s favorite Italian rathskeller, SotoSoto, with its fine cuisine under the guidance of owner Marisa Rocca, whose mama Laura prepares the specialties and sister Antonella creates the pastries.

Entertaining for Bruce was chanteuse Angela Cantilon, applauded by blonde bombshell Phyllis Melhado, formerly with Estee Lauder, whose crackling-hot screenplay, Gypsy Fire, exposes the scandalous Machiavellian intrigues within the fragrance industry, an ideal vehicle (à la The Devil Wears Prada) for Eva Mendes or Jennifer Lopez as the Latina leading lady.

Angela was accompanied alternately on the violin and piano by husband Paul, wearing the newest-of-the-new with his striped navy blue blazer — a tailored navy blue skirt to the floor designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier that impressed fashion-savvy Hilary Weston.

Over the weekend, President Bill Clinton celebrated another 60th birthday dinner at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York, raking in nearly $5 million for his foundation, with Kevin Spacey emceeing, and Billy Crystal, James Taylor, Sarah McClahan, Josh Groban, and Jon bon Jovi performing.

Hillary and Chelsea Clinton arrived late, with Hillary blasting the Death of a President film by Brit producer-director Gabriel Rang, who digitalized President George W. Bush’s face for the assassination scene. “Despicable…absolutely outrageous,” fumed the New York Senator. “That anyone would even attempt to profit on such a horrible scenario makes me sick.”

Dessert Spoons & More

Wellesley College’s 1962 graduate Nora Ephron, author, director and screenwriter, whose parents were noted screenwriters Henry & Phoebe Ephron, toured bake shops with the Chronicle’s Heidi Benson during Nora’s San Francisco stopover: Miette for the $3-a-pop cupcakes, Citizen Cake and Tartine. Afterward she was interviewed by Armistead Maupin during Sydney Goldstein’s City Arts & Lectures full-house at Herbst Auditorium. Nora regaled the crowd, as she did during Andrea Grossman’s Los Angeles SRO lecture series, discussing her No. 1 bestseller, I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts About Being a Woman.

“For most women, it’s 42 — that’s when the neck starts to go. If you’re clever, you avoid dealing with it by averting your eyes when you pass a mirror. But eventually that telltale photograph of yourself…or the rear view mirror of the car…or a blouse with a V-neck that used to look good on you makes you come to terms…that your neck isn’t what it used to be. Whenever I read a quote from someone who’s talking about how great it is to be older, all I can think is they’re crazy. Don’t they have a neck?

“Is there anything good about getting older? Absolutely. You have an entire second career in maintenance to keep from looking like a bag lady. The second career comes along when you’re looking for something to do to take up one workday a week and all your disposable income: exercise, hair, hair dye, manicures, hair-removal, and anti-aging regimens that don’t involve anesthetics.

“Menopause inspired me to write my book, along with those cheerful books on the subject — you know, stuff that I’m entering the best years of my life. What are they talking about? One day I was having lunch with a bunch of women friends, and all of us were wearing turtleneck sweaters, scarves or Mandarin collars. That seemed funny and odd to me. And it crossed my mind that all any of us needed — besides the ability to camouflage the lower half of our faces — was a book on the subject of getting older. Even young people worry about getting older, spend way too much time making preventive strikes against it, instead of savoring the fact that they’re young.

“Is 60 the new 40? But after you turn 60, way too many of your friends are dealing with the real issues of aging, which are not cosmetic. I can’t see a thing, for example. And the other night, it took eight of us to remember the name of that movie with Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close. I’m not telling the truth. It took eight of us NOT to remember it.

“What do I enjoy most? Cooking dinner, and I wish I could be paid for it.

“One of my favorite dishes is the baked ricotta from Suzanne Goin’s cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I serve it with everything. I’m now finishing a script based on Julie Powell’s book, Julie and Julia, about her experience cooking every recipe in the Julia Child cookbook during a one-year period and writing a blog about it.

“My advice for young writers — although nobody ever listens to me — is to become a journalist for a while, and learn to write on deadline and to write about pretty much everything. That’s what I did. I love writing for newspapers, I wrote an op-ed piece recently for the New York Times about service in restaurants and those awful dessert spoons. Dessert is delicious and bad for you, but you still want it to last as long as possible. You can’t make it last when they give you a great big spoon to eat it with. You gobble up your dessert in two big gulps. And it’s gone. Why don’t we get this…it’s so obvious!”

The author of All I Could See From Where I Stood, a novel written in college, and The Los Angeles Underground Gourmet, George Christy traveled as a roving editor for Town & Country magazine (when he fell in love with San Francisco), before joining the Hollywood Reporter, where his column, The Great Life, appeared for 26 years. He appears in films and on television.