Fund Draws Young and Committed

“We are today. This is tomorrow,” Edie Wasserman said in an off-the-cuff appraisal of the “younger” crowd who joined the longtime supporters of the Motion Picture and Television Fund in her living room.

“Today,” at least as far as the fund is concerned, has been fairly outstanding. In the last two years, Wasserman, along with retired producer Walter Seltzer and retired studio exec Bob Blumofe, has raised more than $32 million. “Edie won’t even take a title--but she’s the one that raised the money,” Blumofe was quick to say.

But now it was time to go after the next generation. So with some personal stories--and a little show-biz chatter--the fund veterans Thursday night pitched folks like the new head of MGM John Goldwyn, agent Mike Ovitz, writer Jim Bridges, writer Lawrence and Meg Kasdan, director Sydney and Claire Pollack, MCA exec Skip Paul, Richard Zanuck and Morgan Fairchild. In the crowd also were such longtime fund supporters as attorney Lynne Wasserman, Roddy McDowall and Robert Wagner. These were the “young people” Cindra and Alan Ladd Jr. hope to sign up as part of a newly forming auxiliary.

“Edie hasn’t said so out front, but we are, unfortunately, getting old,” quipped William Morris’ Roger Davis, the president of the fund’s board of directors. He told the dozens of guests that by signing on to the auxiliary they would be complying with the fund’s well-known motto: “We take care of our own.”

The fund supports the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital (with a new large hospital opening in the spring) and a retirement village, provides health care for hundreds and hundreds of outpatients and steps in to help with direct financial means when hard times hit someone in the industry.

Edie Wasserman and board member Herb Steinberg said that they quickly wanted to dispel two false rumors--there is no “old actors’ home. We serve everyone in the industry,” she said. And Steinberg stressed that no one had to sign over any of his estate to live in the home. “Last year we served 25,000 people in the industry,” Steinberg said, adding that “$3 million was provided in direct grants,” with a chunk of that money going to people directly hit by the writers’ strike.

Another board member, Walter Mirisch, said that the story of the founding of the 70-year-old fund is a “story of people just like us--artists, executives, workers, joined together to help their co-workers.” He kidded that his deep involvement with the fund began in 1972 at a gala at the Music Center, “starring Frank Sinatra in the first of his final appearances. We raised $1 million that night--at a time when a million dollars was really something,” he added.

Now, what’s still needed to be raised is $20 million-plus for the hospital and home’s expansion--but that’s not going to happen easily, until those at the reception, Cindra Ladd said, who are in a “position of power in this town create the leadership.” She asked those gathered to “help in planning a gala” to open the new Woodland Hills Hospital on March 4.

MORE HELP--Cher was on the phone, talking about the Dec. 7 premiere of “Torch Song Trilogy,” which will benefit members of the entertainment industry who have AIDS. Sponsoring the “Hollywood Helps” evening are the entertainment unions and groups--the Actors’ Fund, Actors Equity Assn., American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild.

“It is my group,” Cher said. “All of our unions have gotten together to support the people in my industry. . . . It’s like the Motion Picture Home--people taking care of their own. These are people who are my friends. People I care about.”

When she was approached to chair the event (set for the Cineplex Odeon and the Century Plaza), Cher said that she had to do it. “A lot of really creative people have come down with this disease. I am really proud that my industry would pull together. It is like having a parent, having everyone come together to help the children.”

UPCOMING--”Frank, Liza & Sammy” make their lone L.A. appearance Saturday--benefiting the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. It’s at the Forum, and among those planning to show up to hear Sinatra, Minnelli and Davis as $2,500-per-patron guests are Veronique and Gregory Peck, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, George Burns and Barbara and Marvin Davis. . . .

The Simon Wiesenthal Center hosts the premiere of Menahem Golan’s “Hanna’s War” on Tuesday at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.