Chazz touts 'Noel's' good charms

GOOD MORNING: I don't make up this stuff. "What 'Pretty Woman' did for Julia Roberts, this picture will do for Penelope Cruz." It was director Chazz Palminteri talking from the "Noel" set in Montreal (doubling for New York!). He also says the relationship between Cruz and Paul Walker "lights up the screen -- they have a magic chemistry." And no, Tom Cruise was not on hand for the filming of scenes between Cruz and Walker ... "Noel," a film of five New Yorkers seeking a miracle on Christmas Eve, winds filming Christmas Eve when Palminteri wings to New York where his daughter Gabriella celebrates her second birthday -- on Christmas Day. Palminteri was between scenes on his first feature directorial stint. (He's done TV's "Oz" and "Women Vs. Men" for Showtime). He says, "People will leave the theater smiling -- and they will relate to a lot of the roles. After 9/11 the world is ready for a film like this. No sex, no violence no special effects." The pic also boasts a dramatic performance by Susan Sarandon who tends to a mother stricken by Alzheimer's, and a comedic performance by Alan Arkin in the script by David Hubbard. Palminteri notes that his thesps often performed in Montreal temperatures reaching a 14-below zero wind-chill temperature.

MEANWHILE, CLOSER TO HOME, in a mid-city L.A. residential street, I found another indie film at work. This one, "Adam and Eve," is shooting L.A. for - L.A. How refreshing! Jeff Kanew is directing a film of youngsters in the college-set story scripted by his son, Justin. Starring is Cameron Douglas, 25-year-old son of Michael Douglas. Neither his father nor grandfather had such an auspicious start for a film, Cameron smiled. "In my first week I was in bed with three girls!" Kirk visited the set and volunteered to play a role, but director Kanew thought better of the idea of doing another Douglas "family" film. Besides, he'd directed Kirk in "Tough Guys" back in 1986. Among the young beauties co-starring with Cameron is Emmanuelle Chriqui ("Wrong Turn") who assured me she is not shown naked in that scene with Cameron. "Only my back," she smiled. (Douglas unveils his derriere as well). Jake Hoffman, 22-year-old son of Dustin, and Brian Klugman-Munch add to the second (and third) generation thesps in the pic. Just out of NYU, he and all the young players are working for little money. They are supposed to be undergrads at "S.C.U." and have permission to film on the campus of -- USC. The pic is being shot in Panasonic 400 and Kanew says the clarity and intensity rival film ... Young Douglas, whose career includes deejaying, also displays his singing talent in the film ... While out here from his N.Y.C. home, he's houseguesting with Anne and Kirk.

FOLLOWING THE DEDICATION of the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank Wednesday, family and friends were hosted by Dolores at the Hope Toluca Lake home. She has recuped from back surgery and progressed from a walker-to-wheelchair-to-a cane. Dolores is 94. Daughter Linda and son Kelly will be aboard the Bob Hope-toasted "Thanks for the Memory" float from Subway in the Rose Parade ... In the Oscar show, Hope will receive an appropriately thankful tribute film compilation of his 18 Oscar hostints. Joe Roth says people will be reminded "he was the one and only." Katharine Hepburn and Gregory Peck will also be thanked for their memories in extensive film clips and Roth promises the segments for all three giants will be introduced "by the biggest people in the biz." Soon as he winds the Oscars, Roth directs "Skipping Christmas" in which Jamie Lee Curtis will play Tim Allen's wife in a story about a couple deciding NOT to celebrate Christmas. And that of course, is when the fun begins ... Academy executive director Bruce Davis says there will be no further honorary Oscars this year beyond the already noted special recognition to Blake Edwards. There'll be no Thalberg or Jean Hersholt awards ... Even with the Oscar show features, Acad president William Pierson assures me, "The show will be fast paced, young and -- on time." He and Roth can work on that at lunch today. And again tomorrow with director Louis J. Horvitz, who just fine-tuned the editing on "The Kennedy Center Honors" ... Edwards and wife Julie Andrews will spend the holidays at their home in Gstaad, Switzerland. She has time off from filming "The Princess Diaries II" with director Garry Marshall.

SAG HAS RECOGNIZED VOICEOVER competition by thesps and the guild sanctioned a screening of "Finding Nemo" Saturday noon at Disney Studios' Main Theater and a Q&A following with Ellen DeGeneres who terrifically voiced Dory the Blue Tang ... Demo presidential contender Wesley Clark has rented a house in Malibu from Dec. 25-Jan.1 to celebrate both his birthday (it's Dec. 23, 1944) and the anticipated birth of his son's first baby. Clark, pere, has a number of campaign speech commitments coming up in Southern California ... A card from Bob Ginty informs us he and Michelle G. Craske will wed Dec. 23 at the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club in Hobart, Australia ... Longtime publicists Pete and Lillian Latsis celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, Dec. 26 ... Sidney Sheldon just heard form his publisher (Morrow) that his new book, "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" will have an initial printing of 750,000 copies. It's due in August. Sheldon receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Palm Springs Film Festival, Jan.11 ... Gary Smith will be honored by the Friends of Sheba Medical Center, Feb. 5 at the BevHilton. Proceeds from the dinner benefit the Sheba Medical Center in Israel ... The BevHills Peninsula's Ali Kasikci, who continues the tradition of great BevHills hoteliers, held his annual year-end dinner party for "closest friends" with award-winning chef Bill Bracken creating a spectacular menu to rival culinary's crθme de la crθme ... Joni and Jody Berry held their annual holiday open house where showbiz vets showed they are still looking great and on top of their game. The list included: Margaret O'Brien, Jane Withers, Anne Jeffreys, Red Buttons (with Jane Scott), Joan and Norm Crosby, Alix and Budd Friedman, Roxanne and Jack Carter, Sid Caesar, Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin, Maxine and Gary Smith, the A.C. Lyles and a platoon of the always-charitable SHARE ladies.