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

Alexander Crawford Hitz is quite the young attractive host, having built a modern three-storey aerie high in the hills of Sunset Plaza Drive, and to toast the birthdays of Kenneth Jay Lane (Kenny) and Peter Bacanovic, he planned a dinner party with two round tables for 18 guests, the tables dressed with his familyÕs silver, Crown Derby porcelain and antique lace. Alex, who lives between Los Angeles and Manhattan and was born to Southern charm in Atlanta, cooked the leg of lamb himself, from a James Beard recipe. ÒSeven hours in the oven, one hour at 400 degrees, then six hours at 200 degrees,Ó he offered, and the lamb was intensely flavorful and so tender that you could eat it with a spoon. And he knows his wines, offering La Doucette for the white wine folks and the Chateau Montrose 1999 claret for others. ÒFood and wine,Ó Alex believes, Òare history, culture, sex Ð all that and more.Ó At my table, second helpings of the lamb were irresistible for Kenny Lane, Betsy Bloomingdale, beauty Susan Fales-Hill, writing her second novel, Victoria Brynner (daughter of Yul Brynner) with photographer husband Gino Sullivan, artist Konstantine Kakanias, who lives in the fabled Whitley Heights area in Hollywood (Òin the house where Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor nestedÓ). Betsy says that Alex hails from a Coca-Cola heritage (his maternal grandfather bought Coca-Cola stock early on), and Kenny adds that AlexÕs mother, Caroline, after divorcing his dad, married the Pulitzer Prize-winning conductor Robert Shaw, a genius who I met when he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1991. Kenny, as many know, is the world-famous designer and creator of fabulous faux jewelry. It was Kenny who designed the three-strand pearls for Barbara Bush when she was in the White House and that she wears today. And he sold thousands of copies around the world. He designed the saxophone brooch for Pamela Harriman, who was the earliest supporter of saxophonist President Bill Clinton. (PamelaÕs affairs with FiatÕs Gianni Agnelli, Frank Sinatra and others are the stuff of legend.) When we enjoyed lunch at Spago the day of AlexÕs dinner, Sherry Yard, the dining roomÕs dessert mastermind, immediately recognized Kenny from his QVC appearances that are immeasurably successful. Kenny had stopped in Los Angeles to houseguest with longtime friend Connie Wald, who was married to the dynamic producer Jerry Wald (The Long Hot Summer, Peyton Place). The following afternoon he flew to Singapore and later to Jakarta, where his jewelry sells out and where heÕd been invited as a guest for press interviews and photo ops by business associates thereabouts. The night before AlexÕs dinner, Kenny dined with Connie Wald and Nancy Reagan, whoÕll attend the Washington, D.C. events for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip from May 6 through 8 commemorating the quadricentennial of the founding of Jamestown, Va., that will include the dinner hosted by President George W and Laura Bush. Kenny lamented the loss of his friend Pat Buckley, the Vancouver-born, heiress wife of William Buckley and whose son Christopher Buckley is the best selling author (Thank You for Smoking and the current Boomsday). Pat raised more than $75 million through the years for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and millions for the Metropolitan Museum, where Kenny says that the Greek and Roman galleries, the centerpiece of the institutionÕs l5-year, $220 million overhaul, are not to be missed for its Greek and Roman art. ÒPat Buckley had chic without couture,Ó he says, Òand the world will miss her humor. Without her and Nan Kempner, New York society will never be the same.Ó Alex owns an oil portrait of the adored Nan, the worldÕs most famous clotheshorse, that hangs in his library, where guests were served drinks. Her couture wardrobe will be on display next month at San FranciscoÕs de Young Museum. We also lamented the loss of 96-year-old Kitty Carlisle, who we praised during her performances in 2005 at the Geffen Playhouse. Her singing was joyous, and the anecdotes she shared about George Gershwin wooing her, singing with Irving Berlin, and dancing with Cole Porter were pure delight A grande dame of quintessential charm, she partied with the Geffen Playhouse crowd afterward at Santa MonicaÕs Ocean Avenue Restaurant during the buffet supper hosted by Venice MagazineÕs Nancy Bishop and Paige Petrone, arriving with Chris Hart, her son with playwright Moss Hart. Only last month she sold-out her cabaret act at FeinsteinÕs at the Regency in New York. And several weeks ago in the New York Times she confessed that she ÒcanÕt remember a day without Nivea creme,Ó which she Òswears by, the best thing IÕve ever put on my face.Ó When someone dies, a Victorian adage claimed, a library burns down. And these losses are irreplaceable. Birthday Boy Peter Bacanovic assesses that cities go through cyclical moments, and Los Angeles is in the mainstream. ÒMuch as we love it, not a good time now for New York, but itÕll return,Ó he says, Òand while IÕm living in a West Hollywood flat, IÕm ready for a grown-up place here -- IÕve fallen in love with L.A.Ó His friend, Julia Sorkin, awarded an enormous divorce settlement from West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip creator Aaron Sorkin, joined Peter at the party. (Aaron, we should note, wrote the screenplay for the Julia Roberts-Tom Hanks fall release, Charlie WilsonÕs War, directed by Mike Nichols.) Financier Blaine Lourd (brother of CAA partner Bryan Lourd) and wife Crystal talked about their three young sons, Brice, Cole and Boone, and Betsy Bloomingdale was escorted by Burt Boyar, the former Broadway columnist who befriended Sammy Davis Jr. early on. BurtÕs published a handsome coffee-table treasure of Rat Pack photographs from SammyÕs massive collection, and is producing a documentary with Robert Bloomingdale about the multi-talented Sammy. Betsy added that daughter Lisa Bloomingdale BellÕs exhibiting her paintings in a Pasadena gallery and in San Miguel de Allende. No matter what the grousing critics say, I found Heroes at the Geffen Playhouse a pleasant diversion of an evening. Wonderful to watch pros such as Dick Benjamin, Len Cariou and George Segal commanding and enlivening the stage in a play that brought forth laugh after laugh from the audience I saw it with. Young actors would do themselves a favor to catch these ÒsmoothiesÓ performing in this warm-hearted French comedy translated by Tom Stoppard. That afternoon, thanks to Tina Hellier of the New Zealand consulate, I was invited to dine at the Brentwood residence of her consul general Rob Taylor, the youngest and best-looking diplomat IÕve encountered in our City of the Angels. The luncheon honored author Linda Olsson, whose novel, Astrid and Veronika, about two women who find solace after suffering great losses, is a best seller in New Zealand, where Linda relocated with her family from her native Sweden. She read a chapter from her novel, now published in the U.S. by Penguin Press, and Linda revealed that she both loves and hates New Zealand. ÒI love it because the countryÕs new, without formalities, anyone can reach anyone Ð even the prime minister. WeÕre about four million people, and the sceneryÕs breathtaking. What I donÕt like is that weÕre lacking in tradition, which we have in Sweden. Still, I wouldnÕt want to live anywhere else!Ó We have Sofia Riley of Thank God ItÕs Sofia catering for the steaming-hot chicken pot pie, sans crust and sans bŽchamel and folded into a vellum-thin, bow-tied filo pastry. Among the best and healthiest IÕve had, and Sofia, may we have the recipe, please? Online www.bhcourier.com.