Heavy, Man

The set of Oliver Stone’s now-filming “The Doors” has been very closed to the press, complete with secrecy clauses for cast and crew, and a hold on all photographs of star Val Kilmer as ‘60s rebel-rocker Jim Morrison. But our sources, visiting the picture’s around-town locations, tell us that the usually blond Kilmer has been transformed into a dead ringer for the dark-tressed, enigmatic Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971 at age 27.

“I felt like I was standing right next to Jim--I didn’t even think of him as being an actor,” reports one spy, who describes scenes, shot earlier this week, in which Kilmer, “Twin Peaks” FBI man Kyle MacLachlan (as keyboardist Ray Manzarek), Frank Whalley (guitarist Robby Krieger) and Kevin Dillon (drummer John Densmore) performed on stage at the Sunset Strip’s Whiskey a Go Go. (Baby boomers driving past the Whiskey have been doing double-takes, too; the exterior of the club has been restored to its ‘60s psychedelic Day-Glo glory.)

Kilmer’s sporting Morrison’s fashion trademark: tight black leather pants. Extras were in paisleys, bell-bottoms and boots. “And lots and lots of long hair,” adds the source. “But it didn’t look silly--the way the ‘60s usually looks silly (in movies).”

The production, which has also been filming extensively in Venice (where band members hung out), also boasts ultra-’60s set decoration and a lot of cameos--including Ron Kovic, Eric Burdon of the Animals and singer-composer Paul Williams.

Also in the film is Chief Red Crow of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (actually, one of several Indians in the cast), who kicked off the production’s shoot with a “purification ceremony”--Morrison, you’ll recall, believed he was possessed of an Indian spirit.

Musically, the present plan is to have Kilmer do his own singing, which will later be mixed with the singing of the real Morrison. “Hopefully so that you don’t know where the real Morrison begins and ends,” said a spokeswoman for the film.