Holocaust survivor's daughter tells story
GOOD MORNING: More personal drama took center stage Wednesday night at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in L.A. when Diane Von Furstenberg was the speaker in their Arts & Leisure Series. Diane's mother was a survivor of Auschwitz. In her bio, "Diane: A Signature Life" (Simon & Schuster), she says, "As a child of a survivor I realize it was very important for me to talk about the Holocaust. It became one of my life causes." Of her mother's internment, Diane said, "The Nazis had wanted them (the camp inmates) to be naked and servile and to some extent they still were (years later). They would not forget the nightmare of the camps. Nor would I -- nor should I." Her mother weighed 49 pounds when released from the camp -- but still bore Diane 18 months later -- despite doctors' warnings. Diane told me, "My mother taught me to be a survivor and not a victim." And now, the immensely successful creator of the "wrap dress" is starting again -- at age 50. "They think I'm hot again," she says of the young women who again take to "the wrap" saying it really works -- "even if you're not 50 and have a decent body! Claudia Schiffer, for instance, says all she wants to wear is the wrap dress!" ... Of course everyone wants to find out about her treatment of Barry Diller in her book. "No one can understand our amazing relationship -- for 23 years," she laughs. But, in her book, she says, "Barry made the adjustment from (her) lover to friend. His love would turn out to be the deepest of all." He flew her out to L.A. from Houston in his plane, accompanied her to the Wiesenthal event and tonight hosts a party for her at the Book Soup Bistro on the Sunset Strip. "She's family," he adds. Diller was also instrumental in her success on QVC with her line(s) and now on HSN ... In her book, she thanks "Barry for being Barry" ... Auschwitz was also an unexpected topic of Rabbi Marvin Hier's remarks Wednesday. He had returned from a screening the previous night (Tuesday) at the Tampa Theater for "The Long Way Home," the Oscar-winning feature docu he produced for the Moriah Films division of the Wiesenthal Center. Outside the Tampa theater, a dozen, well-dressed youths, claiming to be graduates of South Florida U. met the moviegoers with anti-Semitic placards, one of which read: "Good News from Auschwitz: Only 77,000 Died Here." They also passed out literature denying the existence of the camps. They should ask Diane Von Furstenberg to read them passages from her book in which she describes the tortures her mother -- and others -- endured.
LOOK FOR PLANET HOLLYWOOD to launch a new look -- with the next generation of stars, also a new look and new menu -- in the next 45 days ... Dollars and scents: add Stefanie Powers to the celebs selling their wares on QVC. She debuts her Rare Orchid fragrance, QVC's first in-house fragrance, on Monday. She'll also show footage of the capture of the fragrance in the jungle of Nicaragua highlands. Powers is busy on other financial fronts -- but is still very much in showbiz. She and Roger Moore host "A Doctor in the House" and she readies to start "The Intrusion" feature for producer Pierre David to shoot in Montreal with Doug Jackson directing. Margot Kidder co-stars. Kidder, looking great, now makes her home in Montana. She also did a "Touched by an Angel" seg ... Jack Haley Jr. was among those who paid his own way at Mann's Chinese to see the renewed "The Wizard of Oz." His verdict: "It's glorious. The audience responded magnificently." This could be a great time to rebroadcast the Jack Haley Jr.-produced 1990 CBS special "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz -- The Making of a Movie Classic." The Haley Jr.-special, ably hosted by Angela Lansbury, also includes some excellent scenes which didn't make it to the final print, making the special doubly worth seeing again -- on TV or shown with the feature in theaters.
THE NATIONALLY TELEVISED UCLA-USC football game Nov. 21 will afford added exposure to Mattel Inc.'s $25 million check to UCLA's new Children's Hospital/Medical Center, following today's presentation by Mattel CEO Jill E. Barad. Michael Ovitz is chairing the fundraising for his alma mater's Medical Center's $1.3 billion, 10-year building fund, the first phase of which is targeted at $690 million and for which he has already raised $580 million ... Marvin Davis has delayed his knee surgery at UCLA until after the first of the year ... Carroll O'Connor will produce/direct USA Network's "Waving Goodbye," about his late son Hugh. Carroll will play himself. The telepic is being made with the Partnership for a Drug Free America, says O'Connor -- and with a blessing from the White House ... The Dick Van Dyke seminar tonight at the BevHills Museum of TV and Radio is a sellout. He should get a laugh during the Q&A. Someone should remind Dick that he told me 25 years ago he was retiring from TV series. He's in the 6th year of his latest, "Diagnosis Murder." He'll be 73 Dec. 13.
