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Side show

By SHARON FINK, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 16, 2002

ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD AWARDS SHOW: Harrison Ford uses his fists to simulate the key part of Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia hairstyle. Steven Spielberg smiles to hide his decades-old pain over not thinking of the Star Wars idea himself. And George Lucas looks in vain for Mark Hamill, who probably was busy promoting his new movie, Baxter and Bananas. This mini-Star Wars reunion (Spielberg's just a Friend of George) took place Friday as the Los Angeles chapter of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts gave Lucas its Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence. The award is that thing Lucas is holding. And you thought he was stealing a cheese tray.

* * *

AND DON'T FORGET TO NAME THE INFIRMARY AFTER HIM: Kelsey Grammer, a 1973 graduate of Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, has given the school a six-figure donation. (For the money he makes, it easily could have been seven, but let's not quibble.)

The private school, which goes from prekindergarten to 12th grade, is trying to raise $15-million to build a middle school campus and fix up its athletic facilities.

TV's Frasier Crane didn't want the exact amount of his donation publicized. School vice president for development Larry Edwards said in an Associated Press report it was in the six-figure range.

In a statement, Grammer said he has "deepest appreciation" for the school, which has about 1,600 students now, and he likes "what the school has done and what it plans to do."

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WHO KNEW SHE WAS STILL ALIVE? Among the great entertainment milestones of the weekend: Phyllis Diller gave her last live standup comedy performance. The 84-year-old, who started her comedy career in 1955, did 40 minutes Sunday at California State University, Northridge. She said in an Associated Press report she wants to spend more time painting and writing.

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THE NEW CHURCH LADY: In what passes as a bulletin in the world of the British monarchy, Prince Charles took longtime companion Camilla Parker Bowles to his grandmother's favorite church Sunday for the first time, it is believed.

How sweet. How opportunistic.

Charles was very close to the Queen Mother Elizabeth, who died last month at 101 and was buried last week. On the other hand, the rumblings have been that the Queen Mum wasn't especially fond of Parker Bowles, so there was merit in keeping Camilla out of sight at key times.

(Then again, rumblings say the Queen Mum didn't much like Diana, either).

The visit to Crathie Church, near the royal family's Balmoral estate in Scotland, is seen to be another public step in Charles and Camilla's relationship.

The Associated Press reported that observers took Camilla's attendance at the Queen Mum's funeral as a sign she is slowly winning Queen Elizabeth's approval.

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IT WASN'T THE SAME AFTER PAUL LYNDE ANYWAY: Whoopi Goldberg is leaving the center square on Hollywood Squares at the end of the season, TV Guide Online says. Goldberg, who also is one of the show's producers, couldn't get her salary demands met by Squares' syndicator, Variety says.

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