"CONGRESS IS so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens - and then, everybody disagrees."
This is a Russian observer back in 1944. Nothing much has changed.
WELL, IT "only" cost $40 in taxi fare for me to go down and back to the newly opened Crosby Street Hotel between Spring and Prince streets -- this is foreign territory for Midtown Manhattanites like me. But "they say" that this chic little hotel is the coming thing and they may be right. I didn't see much of it but can vouch for its fabulous orange-seater screening room! Anyway, I didn't want to miss an Andrew Saffir Cinema Society event, especially when it was sponsored by another great friend, Calvin Klein.
Still, I knew the paparazzi covering were in bad shape when they all began screaming for a photo of me and my gossip cohort Cindy Adams locked in each other's arms as if we'd never been photographed together before. (Cindy and I may put out a book with all the pictures of the two of us together at the Oscars, the Tonys, the Emmys, the Grammys, every Broadway opening, where we prove over and over that we are not mortal enemies!)
My pal Roger Friedman of the hot Web site Showbiz411.com comments that the celebrity pickings were rather thin at this party. But for heaven's sake, there was an entirely all-in-white, angelic-looking Oscar winner named Penelope Cruz appearing onstage to welcome us. This beauty is one of the nicest and most adorable women ever to grace a marquee. She was introduced by Sony bigwigs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard as "One of the greatest screen actors in the world!" Oh, yes, there was a party after at The Standard on Washington Street and so far, I forgot to mention that the occasion was the new Pedro Almodovar film "Broken Embraces." It stars Penelope, as usual.
Here are just a few people that film promoter Andrew Saffir attracted: Another Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, an Oscar potential Gabourey Sidibe of "Precious," "Nine's" wonderful Fergie, actors Billy Crudup, Michael Pitt, Michael Imperioli of "The Sopranos," fashion's favorite Patrick Demarchelier, the popular Tatiana von Furstenberg, "Twilight's" Ashley Greene, the twin Ashley Olsen, the ex Mrs. Rod Stewart, Rachel Hunter, and one of my favorite designers, the beautiful Rachel Roy.
The movie? Well it's Cruz and director Almodovar in their usual on-screen embrace in their eighth film together. And though I've always loved and appreciated them in all their past work together, I found this one overlong, puzzling and difficult to follow. Mainly, what I liked was the color of it - showing the star in all her Spanish glory. But what do I know? Read The New Yorker review and go see for yourself! That's the only "criticism" anyone should take of a film; go see for yourself.
Oh, yes, there are many homages in this movie to the greats of the past. Some of it seems quite like Alfred Hitchcock, so maybe it will be an enormous hit.
COMING to New York? Living in New York? Let me pass on a bit of advice. Arrange a special Sunday at noon to hit the famous Algonquin Hotel. Make a reservation for brunch and then listen to the one and only world's greatest jazz pianist with your coffee.
I do mean Barbara Carroll, in her 80s and going strong. This redheaded stunner is the one who made the Bemelman Bar in the Carlyle Hotel famous for years, but now she just does her stuff once a week in New York's most nostalgic hotel.
And what "stuff" it is. You will be transported by her elegant manner, her wonderful touch on the keyboard and her nostalgic reruns of Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, Kern, Sondheim and all the rest. It's hard to be romantic at high noon, but inside the historic Algonquin, listening, to Barbara you will want to also take her CDs home with you. ("All in Fun: The Music of Jerome Kern" and "Barbara Carroll Live at Birdland" are two of my favorites. You can ask her yourself how to order them after the show. Yes, it costs about $70 for this experience, but it's worth every penny. I can't think of a more exotic or sophisticated experience than starting a Sunday in Manhattan in this manner.
DAME JUDI Dench has been gracing New York doing promotions for the coming musical movie "Nine," in which she plays an adviser/confidante to the leading man, Daniel Day Lewis. She is recognized everywhere, not for her life of serious acting in the British theater, but for playing M in the latest James Bond movies.
Her next stage role will be as Titania, the queen of the fairies, in a new "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which will bow at the Rose Theater in Kingston, England. (She first performed the role of Titania as a schoolgirl some 56 years ago.)
Dame Judi, 74, says she is weary of playing to type. "I've no interest in playing oldies anymore. No, no, no. Far more fitting for the next stage in my career to play a slut." (No wonder Judi is such a hit wherever she goes; her remarks are priceless.) She did add a more realistic note: "Of course, one is lucky to be acting at all. I'm happy when I have a job -- any job. One is always afraid of having no work."
(E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@aol.com, or write to her c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.)
This is a Russian observer back in 1944. Nothing much has changed.
WELL, IT "only" cost $40 in taxi fare for me to go down and back to the newly opened Crosby Street Hotel between Spring and Prince streets -- this is foreign territory for Midtown Manhattanites like me. But "they say" that this chic little hotel is the coming thing and they may be right. I didn't see much of it but can vouch for its fabulous orange-seater screening room! Anyway, I didn't want to miss an Andrew Saffir Cinema Society event, especially when it was sponsored by another great friend, Calvin Klein.
Still, I knew the paparazzi covering were in bad shape when they all began screaming for a photo of me and my gossip cohort Cindy Adams locked in each other's arms as if we'd never been photographed together before. (Cindy and I may put out a book with all the pictures of the two of us together at the Oscars, the Tonys, the Emmys, the Grammys, every Broadway opening, where we prove over and over that we are not mortal enemies!)
My pal Roger Friedman of the hot Web site Showbiz411.com comments that the celebrity pickings were rather thin at this party. But for heaven's sake, there was an entirely all-in-white, angelic-looking Oscar winner named Penelope Cruz appearing onstage to welcome us. This beauty is one of the nicest and most adorable women ever to grace a marquee. She was introduced by Sony bigwigs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard as "One of the greatest screen actors in the world!" Oh, yes, there was a party after at The Standard on Washington Street and so far, I forgot to mention that the occasion was the new Pedro Almodovar film "Broken Embraces." It stars Penelope, as usual.
Here are just a few people that film promoter Andrew Saffir attracted: Another Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, an Oscar potential Gabourey Sidibe of "Precious," "Nine's" wonderful Fergie, actors Billy Crudup, Michael Pitt, Michael Imperioli of "The Sopranos," fashion's favorite Patrick Demarchelier, the popular Tatiana von Furstenberg, "Twilight's" Ashley Greene, the twin Ashley Olsen, the ex Mrs. Rod Stewart, Rachel Hunter, and one of my favorite designers, the beautiful Rachel Roy.
The movie? Well it's Cruz and director Almodovar in their usual on-screen embrace in their eighth film together. And though I've always loved and appreciated them in all their past work together, I found this one overlong, puzzling and difficult to follow. Mainly, what I liked was the color of it - showing the star in all her Spanish glory. But what do I know? Read The New Yorker review and go see for yourself! That's the only "criticism" anyone should take of a film; go see for yourself.
Oh, yes, there are many homages in this movie to the greats of the past. Some of it seems quite like Alfred Hitchcock, so maybe it will be an enormous hit.
COMING to New York? Living in New York? Let me pass on a bit of advice. Arrange a special Sunday at noon to hit the famous Algonquin Hotel. Make a reservation for brunch and then listen to the one and only world's greatest jazz pianist with your coffee.
I do mean Barbara Carroll, in her 80s and going strong. This redheaded stunner is the one who made the Bemelman Bar in the Carlyle Hotel famous for years, but now she just does her stuff once a week in New York's most nostalgic hotel.
And what "stuff" it is. You will be transported by her elegant manner, her wonderful touch on the keyboard and her nostalgic reruns of Porter, Berlin, Gershwin, Kern, Sondheim and all the rest. It's hard to be romantic at high noon, but inside the historic Algonquin, listening, to Barbara you will want to also take her CDs home with you. ("All in Fun: The Music of Jerome Kern" and "Barbara Carroll Live at Birdland" are two of my favorites. You can ask her yourself how to order them after the show. Yes, it costs about $70 for this experience, but it's worth every penny. I can't think of a more exotic or sophisticated experience than starting a Sunday in Manhattan in this manner.
DAME JUDI Dench has been gracing New York doing promotions for the coming musical movie "Nine," in which she plays an adviser/confidante to the leading man, Daniel Day Lewis. She is recognized everywhere, not for her life of serious acting in the British theater, but for playing M in the latest James Bond movies.
Her next stage role will be as Titania, the queen of the fairies, in a new "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which will bow at the Rose Theater in Kingston, England. (She first performed the role of Titania as a schoolgirl some 56 years ago.)
Dame Judi, 74, says she is weary of playing to type. "I've no interest in playing oldies anymore. No, no, no. Far more fitting for the next stage in my career to play a slut." (No wonder Judi is such a hit wherever she goes; her remarks are priceless.) She did add a more realistic note: "Of course, one is lucky to be acting at all. I'm happy when I have a job -- any job. One is always afraid of having no work."
(E-mail Liz Smith at MES3838@aol.com, or write to her c/o Tribune Media Services, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, NY 14207.)
