Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Jacqueline Bisset is awaiting word on the fate of "The Last Film Festival" — Linda Yellen's big-screen comedy in which she stars with Chris Kattan and the late Dennis Hopper, which, she reveals, "We still haven't quite finished. We still need more money to finish it. It's a pity. They're just struggling with the end of it, hoping someone comes forward. It's Dennis Hopper's last film, and it's fun — really pretty funny."

Bisset, who has the Hallmark Channel original movie "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" coming up Dec. 11, tells us that the cancer that took Hopper's life in May was not apparent when they worked together. She adds, "I was actually an admirer of Dennis for years as a painter and photographer" — in addition to his work as an actor and filmmaker. "He was such a fascinating character, a gentlemanly person to work with, a sensitive personality.

"I hope we find some angel who'll find the money to get the film finished. With the recession, everyone is suffering," she notes.

Bisset inhabits a world of wealth and 19th-century elegance in her persona as the imposing Isabella Crawford in "An Old-Fashioned Christmas." Continuing the character she first played in the Hallmark Channel's hugely successful 2008 "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving" — drawn from Louisa May Alcott's short story — Bisset this time finds herself in Ireland for a tale of money, manners and romance.

"I think my character has more aspects in this film than the first one," comments the British actress, who was often hailed as the thinking man's sex symbol back when she graced such films as "Bullitt" and "The Deep." "In the first film, I was pretty uptight. I get to sort of explain myself a little bit now. I still get to be a little bossy, but I mean well, and I'm trying very hard (not) to have everything messed up. My rapport with the character of Tilly, the granddaughter (Catherine Steadman), has grown, as she's definitely thinking for herself and not following politely. She's taken on some quite ballsy attitudes, in fact. She's fallen in love with two men at the same time. One of them, she doesn't quite know his motives — but I do," adds Bisset with a laugh.

The still-lovely Bisset, who is busy these days with her Avon Anew Platinum product line for women 60-plus, has a love interest (Ian McIlhenny) in "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" as well.

BETTER WITH JUST YOU, FOR NOW: "Better With You" star Jennifer Finnigan and husband Jonathan Silverman have been married since 2007 and gush about each other as if they were married yesterday.

As for the pitter-patter of little Silverman feet? "That's something we're excited about and looking forward to," she tells us. "But we want to get all of our selfishness our of our systems first. There are places we want to go, and things are picking up for us both work-wise so we'll hold off on that for a little while longer."

THE BIG-SCREEN SCENE: When young actor-filmmaker Jerome Elston Scott says that his "Anderson's Cross" coming-of-age movie has already opened a lot of doors for him, professionally, he isn't kidding. Scott, familiar to viewers of "Freaks and Geeks," "Undeclared" and other shows, will be shooting another movie beginning later this month called "Hostage Diner," which he also wrote.

"It's a black comedy about a group of people held hostage by this bank robber, who decide to kill the robber and keep the money."

Then, in March, he's directing the bigger-budgeted "Prep School" with Charlie McDermott, Evan Ross and Jeremy Sumpter — also from his own script. Scott says it has a "Dead Poets Society" tone. Then he has "The Perfect Night," a comedy that "I am shooting later in the spring, after we do 'Prep School.' It's about a kid who gets stuck in an elevator the night of the prom."

And there's also an "Anderson's Cross" cable series in the works, a prequel to the film festival favorite that'll be available on Amazon.com starting Monday (11/22).

Scott started writing "Anderson's Cross" as a way to showcase himself as an actor, he says. But little by little, as he started to put the production together, it became apparent that his story of young friends, family and sexual exploration both gay and straight was going to be his baby — and he seems to have taken to producing and directing like a natural.

"When you're in a movie and also directing, you have to take your ego and park it," he observes. "Your tendency is to look at yourself — but you have to look a the entire thing. Like, 'Even though I don't like my angle in this scene, did we nail the scene?' I often had to go back and get my stuff later. I was like the sacrificial lamb."

Scott credits Judd Apatow as his example of a filmmaker who "creates this great atmosphere on his sets — the kind of atmosphere where people feel free to be artists. Everyone feels it, down to the extras. It's a great lesson, and it all started with him. It's not just that he makes these funny movies and TV shows that have heart. That's him — that's the kind of guy he is. I haven't really told him that," adds Scott.

He's bound to hear now.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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