October 26, 1999

TOM CRUISE PUTS HIMSELF IN HARM'S WAY, ONLY NOT REALLY

By ROGER ANDERSON Scripps Howard News Service

CELEBRITY DERRING-DO: One can scarcely turn around without seeing yet another report about Tom Cruise doing something heroic, usually involving saving some child from harm. This time out, what we have is Tom insisting on doing his own high-altitude stunt on a Utah mountaintop and almost coming to grief as a result.

Fortunately, Tom's publicist - the estimable Pat Kingsley - is able to provide the New York Daily News with a very reassuring narrative concerning this near-tragedy.

"He did slip once," she admits. He lost his footing and was hanging by his hands."

The stunt, incidentally, was designed for inclusion in "Mission Impossible II," now being lensed under the aegis of director John Woo.

"Paramount was concerned it could be a bit risky," Pat continues, lending perspective to the question whether Tom should have been endangering himself in the first place, "but everybody there is happy with the footage." And, really, isn't being happy with the footage what it’s all about?

A footnote: Tom was, it says here, secured from real danger by an emergency wire. (Is it too late to choose another item to open the column?)

MORE CELEBRITY DERRING-DO: One of our favorite topics the last few weeks has been the exploits and peregrinations of such airborne stars as John Travolta, the aforementioned Cruisemeister, Tom Hanks and Harrison Ford, all of whom are wont to purchase and pilot flying vehicles of various descriptions. This time the theme leads to what could have been a very unhappy ending indeed, for we see by a report that Harrison (currently starring in "Random Hearts") had a spot of bother recently when the helicopter someone was teaching him to fly almost crash-landed. On the other hand, the actor and his instructor were in the middle of a lesson on emergency landings, so maybe it turned out for the best - especially since only the chopper sustained any damage.

HAIR IN THE NEWS: People magazine has it on good authority that rumors saying Jennifer Lopez's hairdresser for the movie "The Cell" took a hike because the star wouldn't communicate with her except through an intermediary are all wet. The real deal, according to Julio Caro, the pic's producer, is that the hairdresser didn't work out because her knowledge of wigs was insufficient, and Jennifer's role calls for a lot of them (wigs, that is).

"There's a big difference between hair and wigs," Julio observes sagely. "Jennifer is quite accessible. She has an assistant on the set, but we all communicate directly with her."

MORE RUMORS: Then the National Enquirer prints a story alleging that Kevin Costner has got a romantic thing going with a woman named Tawny Little who once served as Miss America.

"A similar story ran two years ago in another tab," Kevin's unnamed "rep" tells a reporter. "It's about as accurate now as it was then. Kevin and Tawny are friends but they're not dating. He's not seeing anybody seriously." One assumes that last sentence is code for "He's having ad lib sexual relations with any woman who happens to catch his eye," but that's just our interpretation.

PARTY NEWS: Thank goodness for the New York Post, which reports that a producer named Richard Perry recently feted Mick Jagger with a big do during a visit Mick paid to Hollywood. Among those in attendance at this function were Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller, Farrah Fawcett, Carrie Fisher and Penny Marshall. Presumably a fine time was had by all. (Farrah Fawcett?)

FEMALE MUD-WRESTLING IN PRINT: You may not know this, but not every person who lives in New York is wild with enthusiasm about Hillary Clinton's plans to run for senator of that state. For instance, a top New York society gal and a big Republican named Georgette Mosbacher tells a Big Apple reporter that she's appalled by the idea that she would support the first lady strictly because of her gender.

"To suggest that women vote for another woman is sexist and insulting to women," Georgette says, her nostrils flaring. "We are not mindless beings that just herd with our own."

FEMALE MUD-WRESTLING IN PRINT, PART 2: Apparently figuring that this statement of hers was not categorical enough, Georgette favors a different reporter with a different statement in a similar but not identical vein.

"I don't think parachuting into New York to run for Senate or putting on a Yankee cap is a credible start," she says. "New Yorkers are not that stupid." Yet parachuting into New York would probably win any candidate a vote or two.

Roger Anderson is arts and entertainment editor at Scripps Howard News Service.

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