Oscar season means homework for Las Vegas resident
Former actress Julie Mitchell held up her homework — a case of newly minted movie CDs — then remembered her instructions: It's top secret. No sharing with anyone, especially with the media.
Mitchell, who moved to the United States from Australia in 1944 at age 17, is one of the oldest of the 7,000 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members who vote on the Oscars.
Her assignment is to go through the films sent to her and vote on the best actors and actresses.
Mitchell, a Las Vegas resident for more than a decade, had an acting career that included parts in "Dirty Harry" and "The Candidate," starring Robert Redford, and a reoccurring role in the 1970s TV series "Streets of San Francisco."
"Just little bitty parts, but oh I loved it!" said Mitchell, whose stage name was Julie Holloway.
Her den is filled with memorabilia from her acting career. Over a door is a framed rectangular prop photo from "The Candidate," with the words "McKay the better way" and a head shot of Redford. It was campaign slogan for Redford's character, who was running in California for the Senate.
Her favorite actor was Peter Falk of "Columbo" fame, said Mitchell, who lives in an ultra-private development near Summerlin.
"We were doing a cable car scene, and he had to pick somebody out of the cast who was blond. He picked me," she said.
She apologized for not having any on-location photos. That was Rule No. 1: "Don't take a camera on the set. That was considered unprofessional."
Other nice guys included Sidney Poitier and Jack Lemmon, she said. She loved Goldie Hawn.
The down-to-earth actors often sat with the rest of the actors during meals. Barbra Streisand had a "snobby" reputation, Mitchell said, for heading straight to her trailer during breaks.
She was in 20 to 30 movies, she estimates, with the bulk of her career in theaters on the West Coast, including a lead role in "Harvey" in Fresno.
She's proud that, early on, she took a "small role that nobody wanted" and turned it into a dream career.
Palm closing
A Las Vegas restaurant known for its steaks and caricatures of VIP patrons is closing in June for a 10-week renovation.
Only 300 of the 1,400 sketches will be repainted on the walls when The Palm at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace reopens Labor Day weekend.
"We've been open for 23 years, and we're going to make it look new again," said general manager Larry Close, who became GM in 1997.
The Palm is one of 24 in the United States, "but we've been No. 1 in sales since I've been here," Close said.
The caricature-covered walls will be painted over and redone "with my 300 best customers and local celebrities," Close said.
Oscar party
The local Oscar viewing party will again be held at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms hotel-casino today.
Red carpet and pre-Oscar coverage starts at 4 p.m., with the live telecast starting at 5:30 p.m.
Co-hosting the event will be KTNV-TV, Channel 13, morning anchor Dayna Roselli and Chet Buchanan of "Chet Buchanan and the Morning Zoo" on KLUC-radio, 98.5 FM.
All proceeds go to Variety The Children's Charity of Southern Nevada. Tickets: $25. That includes $25 in theater concessions.
The $250 VIP tickets include a dinner created by Alize chef Mark Purdy and his team, who will create Oscar-themed dishes. Entertainers include magician Lance Burton and members of the "Chippendales," "Jersey Boys," "Million Dollar Quartet," "Rock of Ages," "Absinthe" and "Fantasy."
Sightings
Former Backstreet Boys AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson, chatting with Britney Spears before her "Piece of Me" show Friday at Planet Hollywood Resort. McLean, who appeared on "Lip Sync Battle" Thursday night, was later invited on stage as the "victim" of Spears' "Freakshow" number, which features her guest crawling across the stage on a leash while Spears follows with whip in hand.
The punch line
"Police in Cincinnati are looking for a bald man who has been stealing Rogaine from drug stores. The suspect is being described as 'armed and suddenly dating again.'" — Conan O'Brien
— Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. On Twitter: @Norm_Clarke
