Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Connie Stevens Has Full Future As Septuagenarian Filmmaker/Whirl of a Week for SIFF Honoree Frank Vincent

Even as Connie Stevens' first film as a director, the September release "Saving Grace B. Jones," is collecting accolades, the one-time Hollywood bombshell is looking forward to directing her second movie. It's an independent Western called "Prairie Bones" that takes place in 1870.

"They saw my film and hired me to do it," she says of the producers. "I think I'm right for this historical piece. I love history, and I'm interested in the details of history."

She also has five other movie projects she's written. And she's working on a script she's planning as a starring vehicle for daughter Joely Fisher, "something really important for her."

This would be an impressive burst of creativity at any age, but the fact that Stevens is 72 makes it downright phenomenal.

What took her so long to embark on her career as an auteur?

"I've always been the girl with the smile and the chiffon dresses. Maybe I just didn't believe I could do it myself," admits Stevens, whose movie drew accolades as compassionate and poignant at the recent Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival. "I bought my own publicity, so to speak, and lifestyle."

The 1950s-set "Saving Grace B. Jones" stars Tatum O'Neal as the mentally disturbed central character, who creates chaos after being released from an asylum and moving in with her brother and sister-in-law (Michael Biehn and Penelope Ann Miller) in a small Missouri town. Stevens' other daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher, is in the cast as well.

The story came out of Stevens' own life experience, dealing with an unbalanced neighbor in Boonville, Mo., where she lived as a young teen — well before her rise to fame as Cricket of "Hawaiian Eye" and her years as a fan-magazine favorite during her marriage to Eddie Fisher and beyond.

Unexpectedly returning to Boonville on her drive from New York to Los Angeles after 9/11 brought back memories for Stevens. Seeing movies that left her thinking "I could write something better than that" and getting inspired by the success of Oscar-winning "The Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow — all figured in sparking her venture into the professional unknown.

Becoming a film director as a septuagenarian has advantages, she points out.

"I've traveled the entire world; there are only two or three places I haven't been. I find the lightness in people, and what they care about transcends differences in where they are. ... I've lived long enough to have a different viewpoint on certain subjects that are now coming to the attention of a generation."

TOUGH-GUY TRIBUTE: It's a hectic week for Frank Vincent, as the New York character actor will be feted with the Soho International Film Festival's Icon Award on Friday (4/22) and serve as the title attraction of "An Evening with Frank Vincent" at the fest the night before (4/21).

Vincent, who is known for his work with Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in "Raging Bull," "Casino" and "Goodfellas" — as well as "The Sopranos" and dozens of other credits — will also be on hand for an N.Y. party honoring the DVD release tomorrow (4/19) of his "Chicago Overcoat" movie.

Vincent admits he was "stunned" when he arrived on the set of "Chicago Overcoat" and discovered that filmmaker Brian Caunter and his fellow writers on the movie were all in their 20s.

"But by the end of the day, they had me convinced they were more than capable — completely professional. And I loved being around all that young energy, you know?"

Vincent eventually learned that the team "wrote the script for me, and they contacted me through my manager on IMDb. They sent me the script, and I loved it. Sure enough, we made a deal, and we kept together."

The drama, in which he plays a mob hitman on his last job, also stars Kathrine Narducci, Stacy Keach and Armand Assante.

Next, Vincent expects to make a big-screen comedy called "Fickle" for filmmaker John Gallagher this summer. A changeup from his mob fare, it has him playing the father of two eligible young ladies.

Not that Vincent doesn't embrace the kind of role with which he is most identified. He's selling his "mobbleheads," as in his mafioso bobblehead likeness — bursting with goodfella lines — via his frankvincent.com website.

SPEAKING OF MAFIA STUFF: Tony Sirico, still remembered as "The Sopranos" tough guy Paulie Walnuts, was among the notables on hand the other night for the New York premiere of IMAX's "Born to Be Wild 3D" — along with the likes of Kristin Davis, Lake Bell, and Dr. Ruth.

Sirico is a softie when it comes to animals, especially his beloved racehorses. But it was the "Wild" 3D photography of swinging elephant trunks jumping off the screen that got him thinking about the idea of a "Sopranos" feature in IMAX 3D.

"Fuhgeddaboutit, great, unbelievable," joked Sirico at the safari-themed after-party at Atlantic Grill. "Can you imagine the reaction when my character gets to wielding his baseball bat on some rat in 3D? That's the real Bada Bing. It would be like you were a part of Tony's crew."

No, thanks. The original was more than real enough for a lot of us.

NOT-SO-KID STUFF: Whimsy men and Whimsy women, Munchkins and Winkies are being cast now for Sam Raimi's "Oz: The Great and Powerful" — Disney's already highly anticipated "Wizard of Oz" prequel starring James Franco, with Mila Kunis as the Wicked Witch. We're looking forward to seeing how Raimi deals with all those far-out L. Frank Baum characters.

Casting of a few subsidiary characters is also under way for the soon-to-begin-production "Ted," in which Mark Wahlberg will play a grown man whose best friend is his very own teddy bear that came to life back in 1985. Hey, it's a plot you haven't heard before. Kunis is also in this live-action comedy from "Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane.

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. COPYRIGHT 2011 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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