VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Productions say lights, camera … Vegas!

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002 | 9:08 a.m.

Seems like every time you turn on the TV these days, Las Vegas hits you right between the eyes.

On Sunday CBS is premiering "Martin and Lewis," a biopic based on the meteoric rise and fall of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Lewis, who is in New York on a promotional tour, told VegasBeat Tuesday: "It is a hard story to tell, but I think it is a good portrayal. Those were fun times."

Also, a pair of local entertainers, Charo and Stephen Sorrentino, are just back from Hollywood ... Squares, that is, where they taped episodes of the long-running game show.

Last weekend camera crews from the nationally syndicated entertainment show "Extra!" were swarming the anniversary events at the Palms. "Access Hollywood" devoted an entire hour to Las Vegas last weekend. "Inside Edition" interviewed Ricci Martin this week for a segment slated to air Friday, which is tied to the TV movie featuring his father.

"Martin and Lewis" co-producer John Stamos told VegasBeat that he became seriously interested in the project after he was introduced to Ricci Martin by Billy Hinsche when Stamos was making "The Beach Boys: An American Family" a few years back.

Hinsche used to perform with the seminal California band and backs the younger Martin.

In the CBS film Lewis is played by Sean Hayes of the hit series "Will & Grace;" Jeremy Northam from "Gosford Park" plays Dino.

"I saw it and they did an outstanding job," Martin told us Tuesday during a break from his national tour. "Jeremy captured Dad wonderfully, and Sean does a dead-on Jerry."

Charo, meanwhile, said appearing on "Hollywood Squares" is a lot easier now then her first go-round, when Peter Marshall hosted and she sat next to Paul Lynde.

"My English was terrible then and I never understood the questions," she told me Tuesday.

Nerd herd

Hilarious scene outside MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday when Microsoft boss Bill Gates addressed about 12,000 Comdex conventioneers.

Anyone attending events at that arena have to go through metal detectors.

And all those electronics buffs were weighed down with the latest in Palm Pilots, cell phones, beepers, BlackBerrys, wrist altimeters, Global Positioning Systems, secret code rings and whatever else they carry.

So when they tried to pass through the metal detectors, well, there were so many buzzers and red lights going off it looked like a "pinball-machine testing facility," one security guard said.

There were so many gizmo-related delays that it took nearly three hours to fill the arena.

Hidden star

Leonardo DiCaprio is the titanic star of the two most talked about Christmas movie releases, the Martin Scorsese epic "Gangs of New York" and the Steven Spielberg-helmed "Catch Me if You Can."

DiCaprio is rich and famous, but when he goes out in public he tries to not look the part.

When he was having dinner at the Palms meat emporium N9NE the other night, he was looking especially scruffy in jeans, a red long-sleeved T-shirt, a black baseball cap and goatee.

Before DiCaprio's entree arrived, an older, obviously wealthy man who seemed to not recognize him approached the table and gave him a bag of pretzels.

Then the man reached for his wallet and took out several $100 bills, saying DiCaprio looked like he could use a shave, a shower and some new clothes.

A dumbstruck DiCaprio started to explain, but the man just turned and walked away -- before he exploded in laughter.

The prankster was a low-profile high-roller named R.J. Cipriani, who knew exactly to whom he was talking.

The hotel knew him, too, of course, or else security never would have let him near the movie star.

Choco-light

The holiday season in Las Vegas gets its unofficial start tonight at the Ethel M-sponsored "Light the Night" party.

The ninth annual event features strolling musicians, 40,000 pieces of delectable Ethel M confections and free hot chocolate. It takes place at its factory and cactus garden on Sunset Way in Henderson.

Santa Claus himself will flick on the 260,000 lights at 5:15 p.m.

The skinny

Perhaps Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman should switch to Bombay Light.

He started his much-heralded exercise and weight-loss program one month ago and had a weigh-in Tuesday.

The mayor tipped the scales at 228.5 pounds. He started at 232 pounds.

Back to the treadmill, your honor.

Stayin' alive

Who says the TV show "Survivor" only appeals to a younger demographic?

On Friday a "Survivor Challenge" will pit teams from Sun City MacDonald Ranch and Sun City Anthem -- a pair of senior communities -- against each other.

"Don't worry, contestants won't have to eat bugs or other disgusting foods, nor will anyone be subjected to tribal councils or be voted off anything," event spokesman Howard Stutz said.

The competition kicks off at 9 a.m. Four coed teams will face off in a variety of physical challenges and mind games.

Check out ...

Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer at Aureole inside Mandalay Bay for a private Microsoft party for select Comdex guests late Sunday ... Carmen Electra and Kadeem Hardison inside the Guggenheim Las Vegas Sunday afternoon, filming host wraps for their new show, "Livin' Large" ... The usual parade of notables at Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel: actors Judd Nelson and Stephen Dorff; David Robins of the Spago group and designer Adam Tahani; and Kerry Simon's friend and former colleague Jean-Georges Vongerichten, sampling Simon's signature desert, the flavored cotton candy; and an incognito Charlie Watts ... The nice feature on Las Vegas lensman Francis George in the photography trade journal Creativity Magazine ... The nicer feature on Joe and Gavin Maloof in the No v. 25 ESPN: The Magazine; they are photographed with U2's Bono at a Lakers game and at the Palms ... Canadian comic ! Alan Thicke taking in a luxurious spa treatment at the Aqua Sulis spa at JW Marriott Las Vegas after the big Odyssey dinner Saturday night, where he, co-host John Daly (of "Real TV") and the Rembrandts (who sing the "Friends" theme) led a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" to Odyssey founder Virgina Martino.