Monday, June 16, 2003 | 10:47 a.m.
Pages from the VegasBeat weekend notebook:
Friday, 6:55 p.m.
To what does Phyllis Diller credit her still-piercing mental agility and sense of humor?
"Clearly, it is the paint fumes," the 85-year-old comedic legend tells us at an exhibition of her paintings at The Stirling Club.
Her work was surprisingly good, guests said, and ranged from impressionistic works to pen-and-ink sketches, self-portraits and Mondrian-esque geometric patterns.
Phyllis McGuire bought two pictures of an apple tree, one of which she had Diller inscribe to her friend, famed gossip Liz Smith.
Rita Rudner playfully drew a picture on the back of a price list and proudly showed it off to her producer husband, Martin Bergman.
Penn Jillette reveled in the stares and disapproving head shakes from the old guard for showing up at the exclusive club in ripped denim jeans and an old polo shirt.
Friday, 10:20 p.m.
In the dressing room underneath the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath screams "Uncle Billy!" and rushes over to hug Billy Hinsche, the longtime Beach Boys keyboard player. Hinsche is actually an uncle of Murphy Karges, Sugar Ray's bass player, not McGrath.
But the whole band knows and loves him.
McGrath started to emotionally recount an experience with Hinsche at last year's Carl Wilson Foundation benefit in Los Angeles:
"I was onstage, and Brian Wilson was on my left and Eric Clapton on my right. I'm singing 'Barbara Ann' and Jackson Browne starts singing into my microphone with me," McGrath said.
"It was a real 'Where's Waldo' moment for me. Who was I to be playing with those guys? I never had a chance to thank you, Billy, for letting me do that."
Hinsche heads the Wilson Foundation and organizes its annual benefit concert.
Friday, 11:05 p.m.
Anaheim Mighty Ducks wingers Mike Leclerc and Jason Krog and center Andy McDonald enter Sugar Ray's dressing room.
"Come on guys, cheer up," Karges says to the still-sullen skaters. Then he goes over to his trunk and pulls out a 2003 Stanley Cup Finals cap.
"Next year this hat will say 'Champion!' "
Friday, 11:50 p.m.
In the next three minutes, Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas loses $15,000 playing blackjack at the Palms.
He didn't flinch. And why would he? In March he signed a five-year, $33.75-million contract extension.
Saturday, 6:50 p.m.
Las Vegas photographer Denise Truscello is about to go into the CineVegas screening of Scott Caan's movie, "Dallas 362," at the Palms.
One of the film's stars, Jeff Goldblum, walks up to her.
"Denise?"
Seems that 10 years ago to the day, the raven-haired beauty had quit Goldblum's Playhouse West acting class in Los Angeles to become a photographer.
But he remembered her. They sat together for the screening, next to co-star Kelly Lynch.
Saturday, 9:10 p.m.
"It's all bull---- the movies they make today," Tony Curtis was saying. "It's not about the writing or the story anymore."
Curtis starred in the best movie ever made about gossip columnists, "The Sweet Smell of Success," a thinly veiled attack on Walter Winchell.
Few people can begin a story like Curtis can: "Me and Marilyn ..."
Curtis, born Bernie Schwartz, was at Treasure Island to get an award from the Las Vegas Screenwriters Conference.
Saturday, 10 p.m.
"The first time I worked with my son Shaun Cassidy was on his show, 'The Agency.' The first time he told me not to change something in the script that I wanted to change, I felt like telling him to go to his room," said Shirley Jones.
She is known to younger audiences as the matriarch of television's "The Partridge Family," and to older ones as an Oscar winner for "Elmer Gantry."
She and husband Marty Ingels presented Curtis with his award.
Saturday, 11:20 p.m.
Several stars of the CineVegas entry, "This Girl's Life," are lined up along the red carpet at Paris Las Vegas for the post-screening party at Risque.
Stunning newcomer Juliette Marquis stars in the independent flick as an Internet porn star.
"A bare shoulder can be erotic and full-frontal nudity can be tacky and dull," she said. "It depends on a lot of different factors."
She happily posed for pictures with co-stars Sean Douglas, Kip Pardue and Rosario Dawson. The film also stars James Woods.
Also on the carpet: 50 MAWTS -- Marine Aviation Weapons Tactics Squad members. The unit was the first Marine group to be deployed to Iraq and the first to suffer loss of life.
Sunday, 12:40 a.m.
Elizabeth An is from a family of restaurateurs. This is the first night for their new nightclub inside Prana.
An is thrilled that club impresario Marklen Kennedy has filled the room with an eclectic and attractive mix, including Val Kilmer, David Lee Roth, Joe Jackson (Michael's dad), Hard Rock scion Harry Morton, Robin Leach, most of Earth, Wind & Fire and enough willowy models to open an agency.
Sunday, 8:40 p.m.
Moments after making a 50-year-old Lincoln convertible appear on stage at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre, David Copperfield introduces his parents, who are sitting in a center booth.
"Happy Father's Day," Copperfield calls out as the spotlight hits his folks.
Sunday, 10:35 p.m.
Best for last.
Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater scats on a stage at Venus with Clint Holmes at the official opening bash for the CineVegas film festival.
The impromptu show also featured Vegas entertainers Santa Fe, Frankie Scinta, Monti Rock III, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and husband Charles "Blackie" Hunt, Bob Anderson, Sheena Easton and Lance Burton.
Hundreds of visiting film producers, actors, directors, writers and techs are wowed by the onstage talent, and giddy to be so close to guests like Siegfried & Roy.
Finally, CineVegas angels Andrea Weinberger, Sheila Lee, Carrie Foster and Shannon Fitzgerald stop working to enjoy the magic they have helped to create.
The name of the party was, "It's Vegas, Baby." It certainly was.
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