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

Into each life, a little raunch must fall, and Jake KasdanÕs Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, stokes the appetite for smart-ass laughs throughout his 92-minute film. JakeÕs written and produced it with comic-meister Judd Apatow about a whack-job, wannabe musician Dewey Cox, whoÕs a mad mix of rock ÔnÕ roll and country crooning. That do-no-wrong actor of his generation, John C. Reilly, hits the screen with comedy colleagues, SNLÕs Kristen Wig and The OfficeÕs Jenna Fischer, as he wiggles onto the wornout stairway to stardom. ÒJohn has a voice like Roy Orbison and heÕs built like Johnny Cash, a great combination,Ó says Judd Apatow. Dewey falls into every pitfall imaginable, from weed to hooch, on his delirious ride from Alabama farmboy to jailbird to meeting Elvis Presley, played by Jack White of The White Stripes. Dewey encounters the Beatles in India Ð where else? Ð and donÕt be fooled by the disguises of Jack Black as Paul McCartney, Jason SchwartzmanÕs Ringo, Justin LongÕs George Harrison and Paul RuddÕs John Lennon. Popping up are Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Jewel, rapper Ghostface Killah, Harold Ramis, Dave Krumholz, Craig Robinson, Tim Meadows, Chris Parnell, Matt Besser. And Eddie Vedder, of all people, presents Dewey with his Lifetime Achievement Award. Absurd, over the top with a crazy satiric bent, and the music, Judd Apatow says Òis really good.Ó Designing maestro Stanlee Gatti always surprises and wows those sophisticated (and, yes, often jaded) San Franciscans whoÕve seen everything, as he did last week by adding another huge room to make way for the more than 700 friends (!) arriving at Ann and Gordon GettyÕs mansionette in Pacific Heights to celebrate GordonÕs 74th birthday. StanleeÕs production associate, Cindy Reber, informs they camped at the Gettys for two weeks to create their spectacular settings that had guests wondering if they were dreaming. The new outdoor room jammed with a hot band, full bar and dance floor. And the party decor, within the Getty interiors, dazzled with thousands of pink roses. Imported from Ecuador, the roses were fashioned into disco-ball globes on table after table. Lavish buffet feasts were topped with caviar and oysters, sushi and rack of lamb, prepared by chef Jennifer Johnson, formerly with Alice WatersÕ renowned Chez Panisse. Nor should we overlook more bands, from rock to salsa, livening the night with music. Another joyous Getty fete. Merla Zellerbach, our esteemed editor emerita at the Nob Hill Gazette, mentioned rumors are floating that, for GordonÕs 75th birthday in 2008, Ann, an internationally acclaimed designer, in taking over Treasure Island. When MerlaÕs husband Lee Munson was asked to drop off an ailing chum before Merla and their friends planned to leave, he handed Merla some cash for a cab. ÒBut then the Gettys graciously offered us their chauffeur,Ó says Merla. Òand somehow I lost the 20 dollar bill. When I told Lee, he smiled, ÔDonÕt worry, honey. Whoever finds it will think that at the Gettys, money grows on trees!Ó In Los Angeles, Todd Traina (Grace Is Gone), one of VarietyÕs Ò10 producers to watch,Ó and wife Kate with daughter Daisy invited the young and beautiful to their Hollywood Hills aerie for Christmas cheer. This was DaisyÕs second Christmas, and checking out Lulu PowersÕ catered treats were a Òvery pregnantÓ Nicole Richie (boyfriend Joel Madden was on tour; he appeared in ToddÕs PunkÕs Not Dead documentary); Jennifer Ziegler; Jeanne Tripplehorn; ToddÕs sisters Vanessa and Samantha, whose mom is novelist Danielle Steel; photographer Steve Danelian, whoÕs wed to Lulu; Marjorie Skouras, who decorated the house; Will Kopelman with DisturbiaÕs Sarah Roemer; agents Thomas Cushing and David Flynn; Angela Janklow with Jeff Stein; Alex Kohner, and gaggles of usual suspects. Next day, Todd, Katie and Daisy left for Christmas in San Francisco, and will spend the New YearÕs weekend in Sun Valley. The holiday party hosted by redhaired bombshell and former Borghese and La Prairie cosmetics queen Georgette Mosbacher at her high-ceilinged Upper Fifth Avenue Apartment (opposite the Metropolitan Museum of Art) is as good as it gets, declare her powerful pals. WeÕve known Georgette, a political tiger, through her marriages to developer Bob Muir, FabergeÕs George Barrie, and Secretary of Commerce Bob Mosbacher, who awarded her $500,000 tax free annually after their divorce. Not long ago, presidential hopeful Fred Thompson was among her escorts. Partying this season were the likes of Nora Ephron, Christopher Buckley, designer Ralph Rucci, Bill OÕReilly, CNN president Jonathan Klein, Rush Limbaugh, top cop Ray Kelly, who may run for mayor of New York if, as insiders predict, Mayor Michael Bloomberg opts to run on a nonpartisan presidential ticket. In Connecticut, meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein, who has a hit with Denzel WashingtonÕs The Great Debaters, wed the beautiful Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, with Harvey confiding that heÕs Òfashionably challenged.Ó The newlywedsÕ guest list included Wendi and Rupert Murdoch, ParamountÕs Brad Grey, CBSÕ Les Moonves with Julie Chen, NBCÕs Jeff Zucker, Ron Perelman, SNLÕs Lorne Michaels, Renee Zellweger, Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Naomi Watts, Marc Anthony with Jennifer Lopez. The New York PostÕs Liz Smith reports that GeorginaÕs brother, Edward, read Ogden NashÕs A Word to Husbands. ÒWhenever youÕre wrong, admit it; Whenever youÕre right, shut up.Ó ÒYou had to be there,Ó says PR veteran Dale Olson, among the guests at DreamWorks/ParamountÕs screening of Sweeney Todd at Paramount Studios. ÒThere the crowd was, including Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, Stephen Sondheim, and Tim Burton, watching Johnny Depp freak when he saw Rose Marie. Said he grew up watching her on the Dick Van Dyke Show, never missed it, was her fan. Both were riveted, had a good long visit, and for Johnny this was a special thrill.Ó And, hey, for Rose Marie, too! Online at www.bhcourier.com.