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Monday, March 26, 2001

By Marylynn Uricchio, Post-Gazette SEEN Editor

And the Oscar for Best Actress went to ...Leslie Sargent for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich. Stuart Hoffman is chief economist for PNC during the day, but a whole new future opened up to him last night when he took home Best Actor honors at "Lights! Glamour! Action," the first Academy Awards party to benefit the Pittsburgh Film Office. It was a match made in Hollywood, a theme that screamed movies in every shape and form.

	Brooke Lynn as Marilyn Monroe. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

More than 800 guests waltzed down the red carpet at Loews Waterfront Theatre in Homestead, where screaming fans and paparazzi hired for the night made everyone feel like a star. Inside, there was a VIP champagne reception for big spenders before the doors opened to throngs of elegantly-dressed men and women, and a few men dressed as women. Dawn Keezer, the dynamic director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, seemed to know everybody. It's safe to say that not one of her many supporters can understand why an office that has generated $228 million for the local economy in the last 10 years has to go begging for its annual budget of $350,000. But it does, which is why the benefit was born.

PNC Financial Services Group served as the presenting sponsor, represented by honorary chairs Tom Whitford of PNC and his wife, Margaret. Guests were free to roam around the enormous lobby, bid on silent-auction items, graze the buffets donated by 12 restaurants or stop in the theaters where films made in Pittsburgh were shown. The Oscar telecast was also carried on movie screens, along with "Pittsburgh Stars," a compilation of clips featuring guests doing their favorite lines. The Benny Benack Band played before the Pittsburgh Film Workers Awards were presented, along with those acting kudos (Rob and Christine Cochran won Best Couple, and Dr. Freddie and Hilda Fu won for Best Foreign Film -- they read lines to "Crouching Tiger" in Chinese!). Nijole from Ruth Young gave out Fashion Diva Awards to some very deserving winners -- the whole crowd was a knockout.

Tom and Margaret Whitford (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

Such diversity testified to the power of movies and movie-making. From Mayor Tom Murphy and a host of politicians (Congresswoman Melissa Hart, state Reps. Dan Frankel, Ralph Kaiser, Tom Michlovic, Paul Costa, Harry Readshaw and Dave Mayernik) to models dressed as movie stars, the guests were in the mood. Partygoers included film office chair Rick McMaster, emcee Sally Wiggin, Andy Smith, the legendary Tom Savini, Russ Streiner (who put the fabulous "Pittsburgh Stars" together), Jay and Ranny Ferguson, Cody Cluff of the L.A. film office, Rich and Cindy Engler, David and Karen Haddad, Douglas Dick and Laura Hruby, Mike and Debbie Barbarita, Dayton and Barbara Baker, Pam and Ken McCory, "The Mothman Prophecies" producer Richard Wright with Anya, Dennis Huber, Sue Fuhrer and Paul Leventon, Katherine and Tracy Henderson, and Mia Hallet and Joel Bernard.

Also there were Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Charlie Humphrey, Rob Glimcher, Jim and Carol McCarl, Nathan Schwartz, Burton Morris, Russ Kemerer and Beth Wainwright, Beth and Michael Kuhn, Mary Kay and Oliver Poppenberg, Dr. Tim Heffner, Barbara McNees, Barbara McQuown, Carol Caroselli, David and Vicki Case, Tom O'Shea, Allan Wampler, Carol Sloan and Don Carpenter, Dr. Ted and Kimberly Steliotes, Janet and Matt Simon, Jay Verno, Perry and Lora Seigsmond, Sherri Wholey, Paul Solomon, Roberta Weissburg, Audrey Brourman, Janet Markel and Barry Lhormer, Gerry Voros, Roberta and Jeff Letwin, Cheryl Gerson, Jay Pochapin, Diane Greco, Wes Blaha, Frank Sacco and many, many more. Susie Franklin gets a special award as event strategist, and Laurie Streiner produced.