::: George Christy ::: From the Beverly Hills Courier

As evidenced by her winning, always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride performance in 27 Dresses, and her riotous role in Knocked Up. Katherine (Katie) Heigl appears born to the royal purple of cinema. Next weekendÕs daffy 27 Dresses was written by The Devil Wear PradaÕs Aline Brosh McKenna, directed by Anne Fletcher, whose actors James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer and Edward Burns, are having a hoot (the wedding ending will give you an oops of a goose). Arriving with her dad, Paul, a financial analyst, and manager mom Nancy, Katie was the toast of the Napa Valley Grille party after FoxÕs premiere at the Village Theatre, where the young audience roared and applauded. Early on, Katie was a child model at nine, later acting since 1992, and next stars in Ugly Truth as a romantically challenged, morning show producer directed by Robert Luketic. Spyglass EntertainmentÕs Roger Birnbaum, with Diane Nathanson, and Gary Barber, were congratulated, as were 27 DressesÕ editor Priscilla Nedd Friendly with husband David Friendly (Little Miss Sunshine). DavidÕs heading to Shreveport, LA, (Òfor those tax advantagesÓ) to film his comedy about has-been backup singers. With Bernie Mac and Samuel Jackson, laughs already are bouncing off the screen? Meanwhile, director Anne Fletcher confesses sheÕs been a bridesmaid twice and a best man only once. A last hurrah? Who knows, maybe not, as youÕll read further. MortonÕs restaurant closed at the end of the year, ending a good-times era after a 30-year-run. With the lease expiring, the monthly rent jumped from $30,000 to $100,000. ÒTime to step aside, weÕve done our best, and itÕs been wonderful,Ó says Pam Morton, who managed the restaurant owned by her and twin Peter, the Hard Rock tycoon. TheyÕve had a great history of success that included the annual Vanity Fair Oscar parties. One of the cityÕs most beautiful, commodious and serene dining rooms with a soaring ceiling and art by Francis Bacon, MortonÕs could be counted on for comfort food (the popular lime chicken and cote de boeuf), excellent service, and friendly maitre dÕhotel Todd Thurman. Among our favorite waiters was Skip Osborne, planning to retire to his native Ohio, but now that heÕs been offered twice the price for his farmhouse, not far from Cleveland, heÕs reconsidering. Monday nights at MortonÕs buzzed with the Hollywood who-and-who, and became a tag line, with Spy magazineÕs pseudonymous Celia Brady signing her column, ÒSee you Monday night at MortonÕs.Ó For that final call at MortonÕs, regulars arrived for a sip and dinner, with the kitchen running out of the popular lime chicken. Coming and going were Luanne Wells with Newport Beach developer Bob Alleborn, whose dad was third in command under Jack Warner at Warner Bros., Rosemarie Stack with Leonard Stanley, Andy Friendly with Pat Crowley, Nancy Josephson and Larry Sanitsky, Frank Koenigsberg, Susan and Jon Dolgen, ArmaniÕs Wanda McDaniel and Al Ruddy, the David Hobermans, Ben Stein, Beverly Hills Roots Store manager Nicole Redd (a Nicole Kidman look-alike), Benny Medina, MortonÕs bartender of 23 years Jack Martin, Stacey Burka, who looked after MortonÕs lunch crowd. Lunch was always a pleasure, with sunlight filtering in through the high widows. Producer-manager Bernie Brillstein delivered a farewell toast Ð he and wife Carrie Winston were hosted by Tina Sinatra, along with TinaÕs best friend, Bob Silberstein, Joanna and Sidney Poitier, Veronique Peck. A late arrival was Mara Gibbs, whose sister Heidi Gibbs was busy photographing the crowd (they are the half-sisters of Pam and Peter, having the same mom Addy, who later wed Richard Gibbs), Mara, whose recent book, Everybody Eats There, Inside the WorldÕs Legendary Restaurants, written with Bill Stadiem, shared her news. That when Peter Morton dined at MortonÕs that last week, and encountered an enthusiastic crowd that included Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, Peter wondered if they might not open another restaurant down the line. ÒPam needs time off,Ó says Mara. ÒBut later on, she may like coming back to the actionÉ anything is possible.Ó That first week when MortonÕs opened 30 years ago (across the street from where John Varvatos is now), we welcomed it in our Great Life column in the Hollywood Reporter, revealing the then-unlisted telephone number, and Hollywood denizens rallied. Taking over the space now, Nick Jones renegotiated the $100,000 monthly rent to $80,000 for his SoHo House that heÕll launch, patterned after his members-only club in London. You tell me, is the It Crowd ready for another private club? Peter Morton was in Aspen, and for the holidays he and model Linda Evangelista joined the crowd on Paul AllenÕs mineÕs-bigger-than-yours yacht at St. BartÕs. The tropical weather turned cold, reports Russell Simmons, who came with beauty Porschela Coleman. Boating and partying around the island were George Lucas, Pauletta and Denzel Washington, Nicollette Sheridan with Michael Bolton, Ron Perelman, Ivanka Trump with New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner, Lorne Michaels, Rashida Jones, Terrence Howard, GoogleÕs Sergey Brin, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, newlyweds Georgina Chapman and Harvey Weinstein, Chateau Marmont/Mercer HotelsÕ Andre Balazs, Billy Joel and Katie Lee, Tom Freston, Larry Gagosian, Anne Hathaway, Jimmy Buffet and buffed Giorgio Armani in a white bikini. They founded the Creative Artists Agency, which became a powerhouse success. The trio of Bill Haber, who became their TV go-to guy; Ron Meyer, now heading Universal; and Michael Ovitz, who recently opened Kumo, meaning cloud, a posh sushi restaurant in West Hollywood -- chef Hiro Fujita came from MichaelÕs other restaurant, Hamasaku, in West Los Angeles. Along with her Christmas card greetings, BillÕs wife, the soignŽe Carole Haber, brought us up to date on BillÕs King Midas touch with the hit shows heÕs brought to Broadway and elsewhere. ÒItÕs been another insanely busy year, crazier than usual. ÒLast fall, Bill opened three plays the critics praised: Two London imports, Tom StoppardÕs triumph, Rock N Roll, directed by Trevor Nunn and starring Sinead Cusack and Rufus Sewell, and Connor McPhersonÕs The Seafarer with Cieran Hinds and David Morse. And from Chicago, he imported the Steppenwolf production of Tracy LettsÕ acclaimed August: Osage County. In the spring, he won a Tony for Best Revival of a Play with JourneyÕs End; produced Inherit the Wind starring Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy; and LoveMusik starring Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy as the German composer Kurt Weill and lover Lotte Lenya. His Spamalot continues to play to sold-out audiences, lately at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Five companies of Spamalot are playing simultaneously: Broadway, London, Las Vegas, Melbourne, and the U.S. touring company, with plans afoot to open in mainland Europe as a traveling show. ÒThis spring, heÕll open three or four more shows on Broadway, and will produce three miniseries for television.Ó The Habers are globetrotters (even visited Antartica), and in the East they commute between residences in Connecticut and Manhattan. Carole adds that they always miss their town house in Paris, which she visits four times a year, and their fabled chateau in the Loire Valley that Bill refers to as Òthe farm.Ó They will spend the summer there, other than a week in Beijing for the opening of the Olympics. Carole informs that Òson Mark is working at film directing, and still lives in Beverly Hills, while son Quinn and wife Janice live in Honolulu, where Quinn works for the State of Hawaii in a branch of childrenÕs social services, with Janice holding down two jobs.Ó Before we forget, Carole and Bill were invited to tea with Queen Elizabeth at her annual summer garden party at Buckingham Palace. And letÕs acknowledge BillÕs indefatigable work with Save the Children. Online at www.bhcourier.com.