This Army Has a Little Variety

GOOD EVENING: Tinseltown’s finest turned out Friday night to pay homage to Army Archerd, the man who has wished them “good morning” for 40 years at the top of his well-read page-two column in the trade paper, Daily Variety.

In an industry that values the flavor of the month, this event was full of genuine sentiment for a journalist who has been around long enough to interview Charlie Chaplin in the director’s chair, visit a dying Bogie and watch Jon Peters cut hair.

“It’s awesome,” said the 71-year-old honoree as he glanced inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel ballroom packed with many personalities whose careers he has chronicled. “I look at this whole room and think I should be taking out my pen and taking notes.”

Attendees included Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Ovitz, Sherry Lansing, Mark Canton, Aaron Spelling, Mike Medavoy, Jeff Sagansky, Leonard Goldberg, Karl Malden, Marvin Davis, Raymond Burr, Brandon Tartikoff, Jimmy Stewart, Sidney Sheinberg and Alan Ladd Jr.

“But I won’t even be writing a column for Monday,” Archerd said, sounding a bit disappointed. “I have the day off.”

Both pros and civilians--as they say in Hollywood to distinguish entertainment industry types from all others--showed, with many of the former joking that if they hadn’t appeared they might never be mentioned in Archerd’s “Just for Variety” column again.

But as was repeatedly pointed out by those who paid tribute on stage--including Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, James Earl Jones, Dick Van Dyke, Robert Stack, Jay Leno and Sidney Poitier--they had come to show their respect for Archerd’s integrity and kindness.

“To honor Army Archerd, I would have moved heaven and earth to be here,” said Roseanne Arnold. “I read you every day and I will never send you a fax,” she added, referring to her recent spate of vitriolic communiques to critics panning her husband’s TV show.

Faye Dunaway and Ben Gazzara spoofed the theatrical production, “Love Letters,” reading supposed dispatches between Archerd and his wife, Selma, as young sweethearts.

The most astonishing tribute, however, didn’t come from a show-biz trouper but from President Bill Clinton. He sent a chatty videotaped message saying he’d like a mention in the column one day.

Dinner ticket and raffle sales reached around $700,000, with proceeds to be divided among Concern Foundation for Cancer Research, ERAS Center and Victoria Village. More than 1,100 people attended.

Still, some things in Hollywood never change, even after four decades. Archerd and his wife were seated at a table in the second tier of the ballroom. The “A” tables on the first tier were reserved for studio heads and stars.