DURING the production of “Hannibal Rising,” the coming prequel to that sweet Hannibal Lecter series, as sorted body parts went missing. Take the character Dortlich, played by Richard Brake. In the film, he loses his severed head. In reality, he actually lost it for good. This nice head was pinched by someone on the set. In another scene actor Gaspard Ulliel plays Hannibal Lecter in med school, working on a full-size replica human body. Someone on set stole the rubber penis. With its various attachments. Hacked them right off and pocketed them. “Hannibal (not so) Rising” opens Friday.
THIS Ryan O’Neal kerfuffle with son Griffin is not his first time tangling with the children. Daughter Tatum O’Neal once described to me Ryan’s estrangement from her and hostility toward her. She called him “bitter.” Secondly, there’s Ryan’s own DNA inside son Griffin. Daddy has a dark side, as does this kid who’s had repeat scrapes with the law. Years back at least one was because of a fight. And with whom? . . . His father.
FRIENDS are remembering the 10th anniversary of Gianni Versace’s death. Flying to Europe for the memorial service, Trudie Styler said: “When I married Sting, Gianni made my wedding dress. At our dinner, Sting sat on my right, Gianni on my left. As your friend, he was different. He was the shy quiet man who talked of art and allowed his costumes to speak for him. And his sister Donatella is more than just that person with the flaming looks and lifestyle. Not as classical as he, she was always Out There. The one out in the clubs who’d come back and say, ‘This is what they’re wearing.’ Donatella hasn’t received sufficient credit for her part in the Versace success.”
SO pull up a chair, put down your unemployment check and hear how the swells live. Take Tuesday. A 200-lady luncheon at the St. Regis for Sarah Ferguson, ex-daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, ex-sister-in-law to HRH Charles, ex-aunt of king-in-waiting William. The still-called Duchess of York, who lives now in New York, was the American Cancer Society’s centerpiece. Chairman was HRH Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia. It was announced that for some reason Rufus the Earl of Albemarle wouldn’t attend as expected. Jeez, what a blow.
The gossip: St. Regis’ James Guzenski told me their Alain Ducasse restaurant construction begins June. Furrier Dennis Basso whispered: “Thank God it got cold.” Carolina Herrera pronounced her show the day before so popular people had to be turned away. Barbara de Portago mentioned her coming fund-raiser for the Palace of Versailles and Claude Monet’s garden, to which I’m sure my housekeeper will contribute. Someone asked why fashion magazine Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey always looks tacky. Why this non-teenager wears long Lindsay Lohan hair and, the other morning, a loud evening jacket with glitzy gold braid embroidered in jazzy gold beads. “So it’s designer expensive, but doesn’t she read her own stuff and know how to dress when? If the devil wore Prada, she at least had taste.”
Fergie’s nifty. Also smart. At her table, two people from People magazine, two from Ladies Home Journal, two from the “Today” show. “I’m going to be a regular on ‘Today,’ ” she told me. “Stories from the heart. Like how you lose weight.” Added producers Amy Rosenblum and Debbie Kosofsky: “It was an experiment, but it’s doing well. She’ll be on every month.”
Of her own recent report that she’s dateless, dateless Sarah laughed: “Really sounds so uncool, doesn’t it? Like I’m bereft. Maybe I shouldn’t have said it.”
That same night. Again, Sarah Ferguson. This time at House & Garden’s Orchid Dinner. The Rainbow Room. Maybe this Duchess lacks guys, but not meals. She sure isn’t home eating frozen TV dinners. It was gloriously decorated tables like Dylan’s candy store’s triple vases with lollipops, licorice sticks, fruit candies, nut bars and 36 pounds of gum balls in fuchsia, pink, yellow, lemon, etc., to match the candy-colored orchids on the top. Like Harry Slatkin‘s white orchids festooned with tea candles, which he’s manufacturing in the Duchess’ own name, but which she’s not ever home long enough to light. Like designer Tony Ingrao, whose tall polished riding boots were filled with designer orchids.
Public relations man Couri Hay bought me a $175 giant purple Vanda Fuchs Violetta, one of the For Sale-for charity orchids. It’s now in my home, in case Fergie’s looking to drop in for yet another snack.
IN Palm Beach where the old WASPish society still hasn’t accepted the new money and there are still restricted clubs, two Floridians discussed travel. One asked: “You been to the Everglades?” And the other answered: “No, they don’t take Jews.”
Only in Palm Beach, kids, only in Palm Beach.