Post-Paddy Day
McCourtshipsPADDY'S Day has come and gone, and I can hear the MADD and not so mad people saying, "Thank goodness." It was certainly a big day for the McCourts. Thanks to "Angela's Ashes," they have become the No. 1 Irish-American family in the land, eclipsing the fading Kennedys. When I first met Frank McCourt, the eldest of the four brothers and author of the "Ashes" memoir that has made them famous, he and brother Malachy (MAL-uh-key) were doing a two-man S.F. show called "A Couple of Blackguards." It turned out to be the genesis of "Angela's Ashes," which is still atop the best-seller lists after nearly two years. Yesterday Frank McCourt appeared on "Good Morning America" before lunching in the White House at the invitation of President Bill Clinton. Malachy's son Colin has done a personal film on the family called "The McCourts of Limerick," which aired last night on Cinemax. And, on a local note, my San Francisco bartender pal Michael McCourt (as itemed here yesterday) appeared on Ron Jacobs' KCCN talk show and spoke about all the above. He also quoted the cynical observation about Northern Ireland: "There are lots of Protestants and lots of Catholics there, but not many Christians." ...
WHAT goes around comes around? Castle High senior Kathleen Stuart, one of the most promising young actress/singers I've seen in Hawaii, played the Donna Reed character in Diamond Head Theatre's holiday production of "A Wonderful Life." Now, by coincidence, she's applying for a Donna Reed Foundation scholarship as she heads to London this fall to attend the Mountainview Conservatory for the Arts ...
Hooked on ciggies
YOU'D never know it from his performance as Higgins on "Magnum, P.I.," but actor John Hillerman sounds like he's addicted to smoking. He has his Lake Arrowhead house in L.A. up for sale ($1.7 million) because he wants to live where he can have a cigarette and glass of wine with dinner and he's "had it" with California's anti-smoking laws. The house sounds like a bargain at that price. It's an English country house-style structure with six bedrooms and eight baths in 7,000 square feet, complete with elevator, a tram to a boat dock (a ski boat is included) and a heated driveway for melting the snow. Hillerman used to live in the Wailana penthouse, following in the large footsteps of Wilt Chamberlain, but has no desire to move back to Hawaii ...THE Aston people often refer to the Waikiki Beachside as the jewel in its crown of hotels. So it's appropriate that the hotel now has its very own queen -- beauty queen, that is. She's Monica Vasquez, crowned Miss North Shore to go with her title of Miss Waikiki. Two other recently crowned beauties are Jenn Herra of Lanai (Miss HPU) and Rebekah Kaleiouluihi Stewart, winning the Miss West Oahu crown. They'll compete for the Miss Hawaii title June 12 ...
A guy named Guy
THE French would pronounce his name GEE (with a hard "g") but where Chart House head bartender Guy Maynard is concerned, he's just a regular guy. His pals at the popular Ilikai Marina eatery made him a surprised Guy the other day when they celebrated his 20th anniversary at the Chart House. He started out there in 1978 as a dishwasher. The anniversary party was complete with Chinese food, which had been ordered. His cookie contained some good fortune as well. His colleagues gifted him with a weekend at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Kapalua ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.