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

ÒMaybe the best meal IÕve ever eaten,Ó declared Overture Films CEO Chris McGurk, with wife Jamie agreeing. They were back from their summer holiday in Italy, where they hooked up with chef Mamma Agata in Ravello, after touring the Gore Vidal estate thereabouts, which sold recently for $14 million. ÒIÕve never had eggplant parmigiana that was so flavorful and tender, followed by two pastas, a lemon chicken, and topped off with a lemon cake baked with her homemade limoncello that melted in your mouth Ð like a pop tart,Ó says Chris. ÒWeÕve eaten in many places here and abroad, but this is unequaled. And we got a kick out of Mamma Agata confessing sheÕs hungry to taste a Chicago hot dog and our In-N-Out burger.Ó Ravello was founded high on a cliff during the 9th century, with residents prospering from the seafaring trade. As its power and populace declined, RavelloÕs cultural heritage remained, attracting Chanel, Garbo, composers Edvard Grieg and Richard Wagner in eras past. And Gore Vidal, who wrote numerous books at his villa, La Rondinaia, quickly became a devotee of Mamma Agata. At age 13, she began cooking for a wealthy Chicagoan, Mary Jane Chirigo, whose Ravello estate overlooked the Amalfi Coast. Although at age eight, she already was preparing meals for her eight brothers and sisters. With time, the Agnellis of the Fiat empire discovered her, just as the McGurks did this August at her farmhouse thatÕs surrounded by organic vegetable and fruit gardens, looked after by her husband of 45 years, Salvatore, who was the former maitre dÕhotel in a local hotel. No pesticides are used, and none of the vegetables are genetically modified, and Salvatore cheerfully walks diners around the garden, suggesting the best time to plant or cut and sharing his myriad gardening secrets. He produces both red and white wines, the limoncello, tangerine, apricot and fennel liqueurs with his 41-year-old winemaker Gennaro, and also takes care of the chickens, rabbits, turkeys and ducks. Those whoÕve found Mamma AgataÕs cooking irresistible include Sophia Loren, Fred Astaire, Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroianni, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, who became obsessed with her lemon cake and ordered it for breakfast. Mamma AgataÕs since organized cooking classes, and her philosophy remains that ÒitÕs best to keep the food simple, with genuine ingredients.Ó She doubtlessly would be appalled at the crappy over-creativity of too many of todayÕs young chefs. And the fools who rush in to pay them homage at outrageous prices. Which sets one wondering about peoplesÕ taste. One of our distinguished chefs shrugs with regret that Òsurprisingly many folks really have no idea of what theyÕre eating or what good food is Ð and this includes critics, too.Ó DoesnÕt this apply to dress designers and fashion critics, who create dresses most women wouldnÕt be caught dead wearing, unless theyÕre freak-chics. The McGurks lodged at the Palazzo Sasso, a dream hotel, as they describe it. We were dining that night at Dan TanaÕs, where the New York steak is non pareil and where itÕs party time night after night. Jamie noted that her brother, Steven Levitan, is the writer-producer of the anticipated Fox comedy, Back to You, starring Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton as Pittsburgh news anchors. At Overture, Chris has hired his former MGM executives Peter Adee and Danny Rosett, along with Adam Keen in charge of communications, and says that firmÕs film slate for 2008 is exciting. ÒWeÕve signed Robert De Niro and Al Pacino to star in Right to Kill, which begins shooting in New York next month with Jon Avnet directing. In January, weÕll open the Callie Khouri comedy, Mad Money, which CallieÕs directed with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes, and are completing post-production on Charlize TheronÕs drama, Ferris Wheel. We have Maria Bello and Kevin Kline in the Vietnam War drama, 105 Degrees and Rising, Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce will star in the espionage thriller, Traitor, and next fall Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman co-star in the romantic drama, Last Chance Harvey. Lawrence Bender will produce a pair of thrillers, Skypath, about an airman being terrorized by a mysterious pilot, and Outside, about paranormal events. All are budgeted under $30 million. For a new company, weÕre understandably proud.Ó A vision of blondeness, she pulls up to MortonÕs in her sleek black Jaguar XL, every inch a glamour girl who, we discover, modeled for agencies such as the prestigious Elite and L.A. Models. In her slim black Armani-esque dress, accessorized with a classic string of pearls, Mississippi-born Conroy Kanter could pass for a New York socialite visiting the West Coast. She joins her PR mentor, Warren Cowan, a Hollywood legend for decades, with Conroy having driven more than an hour to West Hollywood from her 66-acre ranch north of Pepperdine University near Point Dume, to wine and dine in MortonÕs dining room. A perennial favorite for those who appreciate space, MortonÕs is comfortably scaled for civilized conversation between tables (no eavesdropping!), and good unpretentious food without the maelstrom of the overcrowded trendy spots where waits of an hour or more for a table arenÕt unusual. As happened last week at The Foundry, where friends gave up waiting, and beelined to MortonÕs for dinner. Wed to Harry Kanter, owner of United Laboratories which has more than 300 employees, Conroy has two children, 11-year-old Charlie Eliza (named for the late A&M music impresario Charlie Minor, who was murdered) and 9-year-old son Reed, a black-belt karate champ. ÒBoth have their dadÕs dark hair,Ó she says, adding that she thinks nothing of flying to Hong Kong. Or to Dubai with her youngsters for the indoor skiing at the most beautiful mall in the world. Indoor skiing? ÒWonderful, with four-seat ski lifts! Dubai has a tradition of soccer, which I love, being a soccer mom. ÒI visited Liverpool not long ago for a soccer match, more than 50,000 fans turned out to watch Liverpool play Chelsea, all singing You Never Walk Alone at the top of their lungs. I even lucked into meeting a professor, Rogan Taylor, at the University of Liverpool, who teaches the history of soccer. IÕm working on creating strategic partnerships with soccer players in SoccerEx, which is comparable to the NFL, having them join charities such as Artists for Human Rights.Ó All this, and ConroyÕs a kick-boxer, too, certified scuba diver, fly fisherwoman, mountain biker, softball and tennis player, and a hot dancer. This summer, we read a Harvard Health Letter that rated the best exercises. Walking? Swimming? Excellent. But at the top of the list is dancing for a half hour. The medical experts concluded that dancing moves all of our muscles and bones naturally. ÒGeorge Schlatter and I are developing a TV series, Soccer Moms, and IÕm working on a feature film, Morning Star and Moon, with producer Gary Foster, who this week gave me a list of 100 potential financial partners,Ó says Conroy. ÒA generational, good-versus-evil film that Shirley MacLaineÕs expressed an interest in playing the grandmother. My short film, Sweet Tooth, about two 9-year-old girls who are karate champs, is a hit wherever itÕs screened. IÕve produced Cake with a cast of 85 Ð I play the mother of the flower girl at the wedding where anything that can go wrong goes wrong. Will Wallace, the son of Ecky Malick, directed. EckyÕs the high school sweetheart of filmmaker Terence Malick, who helmed The Thin Red Line, Days of Heaven, Badlands Ð they live in Texas, reconnected after previous marriages, and she and I now are partnered in a production company. ÒAt the ranch, we have four horses, peacocks and a peahen that we raised from being a tiny little ball. She follows us everywhere, thinks weÕre her mother. WeÕve added a saltwater pool to the property Ð better for everyoneÕs skin and hair and eyes, since thereÕs no chlorine.Ó In the East, New Yorkers turned out at the East Hampton Theatre for the Cinema Society/Wall Street JournalÕs screening of The Good Night, written by Jake Paltrow for his directorial debut. JakeÕs sister, Gwyneth, whoÕs in the film, joined the crowd, with guests observing that Gwyneth, the cover girl for W this month, Òlooks great but different.Ó Online at www.bhcourier.com.