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

Paul Orfalea founded KinkoÕs in 1970 and, after 30 years of overseeing its phenomenal growth, ÒrepurposedÓ his life to spend more time with his family and teach school at UCSB and an Entrepreneurial Course at the Marshall School of Business at USC. He recounted NatalieÕs difficulty giving birth (more than 60 hours of labor!) and their foundationÕs initiatives which enhance the lives of underprivileged youth. Paul and Natalie were presented with the annual Caregiver Award by baseballÕs Todd Zeile. Welcoming all was Dennis Ellman, who presides over the JDRF Greater Los Angeles Chapter, and Jeff Randall fired up the live auction bidders. The event raised $1 million. Accompanying himself at the concert grand piano, Neil Sedaka had the crowd crooning his teen hits from the Õ50s and Õ60s Ð from Breaking Up Is Hard to Do to Calendar Girl. Introducing Neil, music maestro David Foster reminded that Neil was a child prodigy, playing the piano at age 8 and studying at Juilliard. Neil noted that when he and wife Leba traveled to Beijing last month and motored to the Great Wall of China, the bus driver began singing Calendar Girl Ð Neil sidled over and thanked him for singing one of his songs. Only to have the bus driver stare at him in disbelief, with Neil assuring him that, indeed, he was the songwriter, with the bus driver laughing, ÒIf youÕre Neil Sedaka, then IÕm Elvis Presley.Ó They were amused by BonoÕs comment about the Cannes Film Festival as a culture shock of Òthe haves and the have-yachtsÓ at Piccolo Paradiso in Beverly Hills, where Anne and Arnold Kopelson encouraged our table that included that heaven-sent beauty Kelly Day to read Rickles Book, which jumped onto the New York Times bestseller list overnight. One of the great gents in showbusiness, Don Rickles of Broadway, Las Vegas, and Hollywood is a comic extraordinaire, whom weÕll soon see in Oceans Thirteen with its cast of matinee idols. Piccolo Paradiso in Beverly Hills is a favorite of Anne and ArnoldÕs, owned by Giacomino Drago, another of the hard-working Drago brothers, from Celestino to Tanino, whoÕve enhanced our town with their popular Italian restaurants. Easy to see why the Kopelsons favor the friendly and no-attitude spot on South Beverly Drive Ð Norberto Zandi looked after us, the spaghetti pesto and branzino were excellent, although Arnold was disappointed with what he ordered, but, in true diplomatic politesse, was gently forgiving and ordered another dish. Arnold gave high marks to the screenplay that director Neil Jordan has written for A Killing on Carnival Row that he and Anne are producing for New Line, a thriller Òabout a fantastical city of humans, vampires and winged fairy prostitutes É a wrongly accused police inspector must team up with a beautiful fairy to stop a monstrous killer from tearing the city apart.Ó Additionally, theyÕve hired Wesley Strick to write Virtues, another character-driven thriller. As for Don RicklesÕ memoir, written with David Ritz, the jacket copy promises ÒRicklesÕ Book will make you rich (if you treasure great humor).Ó About the Cannes Film Festival, international bankers poured in to bankroll films, meet and hook-up with the starlets, and opinions ranged from Òstrongest line-up of films everÓ to arty-farty to New York Times Manohla DargisÕ appreciation of much Òcinematic art,Ó singling out actress Asia Argento as the festivalÕs star Ð Òa woman of mystery.Ó Last yearÕs winner of the Palme DÕOr was the Irish civil war drama, The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach, a cinema saint with reviewers. The U.S. gross? $l.5 million. This yearÕs winner was Cristian MunginÕs back-alley abortion drama, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, about RomaniaÕs final days under the brutal Communist dictator Nicolau Ceausescu. Karl Lagerfeld came to California and conquered Los Angeles, flying in 50 Chanel executives and inviting 500 guests to the unveiling of his Chanel cruise collection at Santa MonicaÕs Hanger 8 (we did not attend). However, the news that missed the media radar is that heÕs leasing space on Melrose Place for his Karl Lagerfeld designs. KarlÕs discovering Los Angeles, tells WWDÕs Marc Karimzadeh that heÕs sold all his houses, Òin Europe, people steal from you, and you canÕt get rid of them.Ó Says heÕs all for hotels with room service and Òif thereÕs a leak, itÕs their problem, not mine.Ó He favors the Beverly Hills Hotel, shops at MaxfieldÕs for things he doesnÕt see Òin Paris or Milan, the Japanese lines are always very good and modern.Ó Matsuhisa is his restaurant of choice, finds Hollywood to be Òvery international nowÓ and that heÕs Òvery much in touch with the silent era of Hollywood,Ó whatever the hell that means. About our Òyouth-driven vanity in TinseltownÓ and the plethora of plastic surgery, he shudders that you get Òthe feeling here that some survived serious car crashes.Ó Good news about broadcaster Kevin James, formerly with KABC, acclaimed for his astute analyses on air of City Hall, LAUSD, LAPD and a fearless critic of Mayor Antonio and his administration. Kevin has joined KRLA (870 AM) and is broadcasting for two hours weekday nights from 9 PM to 11 PM. At 43, his resume impresses, having spent 3 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, followed by 10 years as top litigator for our leading law firms in high profile entertainment matters, representing Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Elle Macpherson, Lauren Holly and others. Prior to riding high with ratings during his Red Eye Radio tenure at KABC, Kevin achieved ratings success at KTOK in Oklahoma City, where he ÒownedÓ the morning drive slot. He appears on Court TV and CNN, and brings a strong yet fresh and youthful voice with his assessments of our California community, including immigration, plus national issues affecting the nationÕs future. KevinÕs easy to listen to, and we invariably learn more from his no-nonsense exegeses of the news. Congratulations to Kevin and KRLA. NewsweekÕs David Ansen got it right in his review of Judd ApatowÕs Knocked Up, describing Judd as Òsynthesizing the neurotic, outsider comedy of Woody Allen, the benign satire of Paul Mazursky and the gross-out combustibility of the Farrelly Brothers into a sweet, raunchy and loose style all his own.Ó The filmÕs Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen are two terrific farceurs. Not to be missed, if you like to laugh, with big box-office grosses on the way. Online at www.bhcourier.com.