At least Clooney still has his shirt
This was to have been the big week for George Clooney and nightclub creator Rande Gerber.
Had the plan worked, they would have been celebrating a twin triumph: the grand opening of the first phase of their $3 billion Las Ramblas luxury condo and hotel development, tied in with the Las Vegas premiere of “Ocean’s Thirteen.”
A source close to the Las Ramblas project said Clooney laid out his vision in a private meeting. He said, “We’ll blow it out. We’ll do the premiere (in Las Vegas) and have all the press that goes along with it.”
The project, a collaboration with giant developer Related Companies, was going to include a 300-room boutique hotel with an “old Vegas and old Hollywood” concept.
Groundbreaking was to take place last September.
“I could end up just losing my shirt on this whole thing, but these guys are pretty good at what they do,” Clooney said in a press release at the time. “It’s going to be an adventure.”
Clooney and Gerber ended up being victims of the real estate market slowdown.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Lon Bronson‘s All-Star Band is headlining tonight at Boulder Station’s Railhead, then he’s off to Florida for the final episode extravaganza of “The Sopranos.” Bronson will conduct a 12-piece orchestra featuring the vocals of Sinatra-soundalike Brian Duprey of “The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean” (Greek Isles). They’ll be hanging out with the “Sopranos” cast at the blowout party at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. “Supposedly even the cast does not know how this final episode turns out,” Bronson said. …
“Ocean’s Thirteen” co-star Don Cheadle told me he’s planning to play jazz legend Miles Davis in a biographical film next year. …
Producer Jerry Weintraub raised some eyebrows when, after receiving a proclamation from Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons, he praised CineVegas film festival president Robin Greenspun as “the real first lady” after he got the Vanguard Producer Award. “Can I put this on the craps table?” Weintraub teased after accepting the large round glass award. …
Wayne Newton is considering three different film scripts, his wife, Kathleen, told reporters during their CineVegas red carpet outing.
MAY I RECOMMEND …
The ninth CineVegas film festival has eight days of shows remaining at the Palms’ Brenden Theatres. Tickets are $10 per screening; passes are $100 to $525. Go to www.cinevegas.com or call (888-883-4278).
SIGHTINGS
Clooney, beating Cheadle two games to none in one-on-one basketball in the Palms’ Hardwood suite, where Clooney stayed on Wednesday. He partied in Moon nightclub and joined Palms owner George Maloof, castmate Ellen Barkin and Gerber in the Playboy Club, where the party raged until 4 a.m. … Oscar nominee James Woods and his girlfriend, Ashley Madison, celebrating her 21st birthday at the “Ocean’s Thirteen” after-party after dining at Andre Rochat‘s Alize (Palms) with her mother, who lives in Las Vegas. … Michael McKean, Lenny on “Laverne & Shirley,” and his wife, Annette O’Toole, who played Clark Kent’s teenage sweetheart, Lana Lang, in “Superman III,” in the crowd at “Hello Dere!” (Orleans) on Wednesday. They were in town for the premiere of “The Grand,” co-starring Woody Harrelson, Jason Alexander and Ray Romano.
THE PUNCH LINE
“She’s ballooned to 93 pounds.” — From David Letterman‘s Top Ten Signs Paris Hilton Isn’t Doing Well in Prison
Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
NORM CLARKEMORE COLUMNS
