'Thomas' preem attracts tykes galore

GOOD MORNING: William Shakespeare is alive and well -- in Hollywood. I found him in two more unlikely places over the weekend. First, at a gala party at Barry London's home celebrating the premiere of "Thomas and the Magic Railroad." It was the finale of a day that started at 11 ayem with the pic's preem at Loews Cineplex Century Plaza -- where both theaters were overflowing with youngsters, their parents, grandparents and -- the filmmakers. The stars on hand included Peter Fonda, Mara Wilson, Alec Baldwin, Michael E. Rodgers, Russell Means. And the filmmakers, led by Britt Allcroft, who put the Thomas trains on track -- both as toys, videos ($20 million in sales!), TV and now as a feature. And it was Barry London's daughter Samantha, then 3, who brought Thomas to the attention of her dad. Five years after, Thomas chugged onto the bigscreen with a sendoff rivaling any star's. The pic goes out to 2,000-plus screens, and has an enormous marketing partnership ... Following the pic's preem, a party filled the ABCenter grounds with food, fun, favors for children of all ages. Even one child-to-be, via a very expectant Marlee Matlin who was there with 4-year-old daughter Sarah Rose as well. At night, the party at Barry London's estate was for adults. And that's where Shakespeare came in -- not as a guest, but in the conversation I had with Peter Fonda. He's confident that as soon as sister Jane does some regional theater in Atlanta, she'll be ready to go back to work in films -- and he wants the pic to be a family affair: Jane, Peter, Bridget and Troy (Hayden). Peter says it should be a family story and who better to have created family fare than -- Shakespeare -- in modern clothes. But first Peter teams up with Kris Kristofferson in a saga about sheepherders, "Wooly Boys."

SHAKESPEARE ALSO REARED his wooly mane over the weekend with the preem of Sherwood Schwartz's play, "The Trial of Othello" at Theatre West. Shakespeare and Schwartz first teamed on "Gilligan's Island's" "Producer" seg in which a Hollywood producer, played by Phil Silvers, crashed on the island. The troupe put on a musical version of "Hamlet" in order to get Ginger (Tina Louise) a screen test eventually in Hollywood. The music was operatic and Sherwood swears more people had their first relationship with Shakespeare and opera -- thanks to "Gilligan's Island." And now, in "The Trial of Othello," Schwartz has modernized Shakespeare with Othello on trial for the murder of Desdemona. The audience is the jury, and Sherwood says first nighters complained they weren't allowed to vote "guilty" or "not guilty." You'll have to see "The Trial" to know why. Meanwhile, Schwartz claims his aim with the play is to play colleges -- "as an introduction to Shakespeare" well, in a way. Meanwhile, Schwartz has proven he's not all "Gilligan" or "Brady" as in "The Brady Bunch."

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF MOVIES: The Minimally Invasive Surgery Center at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation is holding a seminar Oct. 15-16 on "Fantastic Voyage, the operating room of the future -- where you will be operating tomorrow." And, you guessed it, they've invited director Richard Fleischer to attend, stating, in their invite, that his film "represents the most prophetic piece of film work about the future of medical technology ever shown. Even today, no other body of work conveys the concept of treating vascular disease from 'within' as this film so adeptly does." They also asked award-winning filmmaker Fleischer to "participate in a discussion of the past, the present and the future of medical intervention." A very flattered Fleischer said he's in no way qualified to be on the same platform with members of the medical profession (even though he was a four-year pre-med at Brown!) but he agreed to talk about the making of the 1966 film that stars Stephen Boyd and Raquel Welch as the medical team, reduced in size so they could be injected and enter the human body. The medics will welcome Fleischer, screen his picture and want to listen to his tales of medical movie making.

THE SHRINE GALA FOLLOWING the close of the Democonvention at the Staples Center, Aug. 17, will now include Enrique Iglesias, Boyz II Men, Babyface -- in addition to the already noted appearance by Barbra Streisand. Harvey Weinstein and John Sykes join Tom Carter in the talent department. David Foster oversees the fund-raiser for the DNC ... Those performing for the Hollywood Gala Salute to President Clinton, Aug. 12 at Ken Rogers' ranch, now include: Cher, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, Brian McKnight, David Spade, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Bolton, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton. The tribute is also a fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton's senatorial campaign ... Polly Bergen, who made her professional singing debut in 1944, is making a return with her first professional date, Oct. 10, headlining at Feinstein's at N.Y.'s Regency hotel. She quit smoking two years ago and went into heavy training (daily) with an operatic coach. She "tried out" at a couple of AIDS benefits -- and on her 70th birthday, July 14, she serenaded guests including Adolph Green, Phyllis Newman, Kitty Callan, Arlene Dahl, Elaine Stritch and manager Jan McCormack, who hosted. Luther Henderson accompanied, and he's working with Bergen on a CD. Collectibles is re-releasing her hit (Col) CD's "Bergen Sings Morgan" and "The Party's Over." She tells me she wants to play L.A. next.