Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Thomas Jane is a proponent of 3D. He made his "Dark Country" film in 3D. And last week, he hosted the second annual 3D Film & Music Festival. So it was only a matter of time before a cheeky TV station brought up the idea of "Hung 3D" — as in his ribald HBO series about an unusually well-endowed high-school-basketball-coach-turned-male-prostitute.

Jane laughs at the suggestion. "Yes, if we ever do decide to do full-frontal with Ray Decker, I think we should do it in 3D," he deadpans. "Things look bigger in 3D."

Jane confesses he is as surprised as anyone that the dark comedy is in its third season — which launches Sunday (Oct. 2). "I never expected this to go beyond one season, to tell you the truth. But the chemistry between the actors — especially between me and Jane Adams — is really strong. And the writing continues to be strong. One of the questions that's often asked is, 'How long can they keep this going?' I think the characters are complex enough and the relationships are deep enough that we can keep going and going." In fact, he says, "Now I've had so much fun making Season 3, I'm really hoping for a Season 4."

To hear Jane tell it, Season 3 goes light on harsh reality compared to the show's past. "We started out with our heroes trying to make ends meet in unconventional ways, and we got a lot of mileage out of that. But by Season 3, the economy still sucks, and we don't want to talk about it all the time. I think people don't want too much of a downer. So we decided, 'Let's just have some fun.' It's a sexier, funnier, faster season, and it's my favorite season because of that."

This will also become the season that "the cat's out of the bag," in terms of Ray's new profession becoming known to the people in his life, including his ex-wife (Anne Heche).

Ray's clients are more attractive this season as well, something Jane says was a conscious choice. One of the creative challenges of the series, it seems, is coming up with plausible reasons why a beautiful, desirable woman would "pay for the experience," as Jane puts it. Could be personal peccadilloes. ("If you want to chase me through the park dressed as a cop, that's what you get.") Could be wish fulfillment, such as his comely, blond, rich, former student satisfying her schoolgirl crush at last. Talk about fantasy time.

The star (whose divorce from Patrica Arquette became final in July) says that doing the show has impacted his own outlook on sex.

"As a man, I've learned to sort of see the sexual experience through the eyes of a woman. That's where men and women — their wants and needs — are different," Jane notes.

"A man's point of view is, 'I'm going to meet this girl, go to dinner and then, if I'm lucky, go back to my house and get down to the business of [sex].' But there is a whole list of criteria for a woman to have sex with a guy. Ray has to deliver a full-service package, almost like a boyfriend experience. The woman wants to feel taken care of, to feel safe ... It's very elucidating. Men are interested in this stuff, you know. Men want to know how to satisfy a woman."

But still, as far as what male viewers ask him about when he chats about the show at events and such, Jane says, "The most frequent question I get asked is, 'How much?'"

Okay. So, how much? "Six hundred bucks," he answers. "We're in a depression, or it would be more."

HE'S GOT THE MUSIC: Robert Davi wowed 'em at the Feast of San Gennaro Prima Notte bash in Hollywood last week — previewing the smooth and swingin' sound of his singing on "Davi Sings Sinatra: On the Road to Romance," his Oct. 24 release for the Fontana/Universal Music labels. It's an unexpected pleasure.

The performer, best known for his acting work in such movies as "Die Hard" and "The Goonies," started off as a singer — a trained opera singer, in fact. He's also a long-time Sinatra devotee who has a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of the late performer's musical training and technique. Davi's 12-track recording includes such songs as "Witchcraft," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and "Nice 'n Easy." He declares, "This music is from the golden age of American music. Sinatra was its greatest interpreter, the greatest entertainer of all time."

As it happened, Davi got his first movie break in Ol' Blue Eyes' "Contract on Cherry Street."

"He was great. Very encouraging. He took me under wing," Davi recalls. In fact, according to Davi, when the late film producer Cubby Broccoli was looking for a villain for his 1989 "License to Kill" James Bond flick, Sinatra told him to get Davi — and he did. He never told Sinatra he could sing.

For the past two and a half years, "Davi Sings Sinatra" has been the performer's labor of love. On the album, Davi worked with such blue-ribbon talent as producer Phil Ramone and musical director/arranger Randy Waldman, and Davi even went back into training to ensure his vocal fitness. The official record launch event takes place Oct. 19 at Los Angeles's The Grove. Promises Davi, "We'll have a great band — a hot, cooking band."

LET'S MAKE A MEMORY: Speaking of singing, Jack Jones found out that Monty Hall wanted more than anything to have him sing a song at his 90th birthday party at the Canadian Consulate in LA this week — and subsequently drove all the way in from his Palm Springs, Calif., home to do the honors.

Afterwards, Jack asked the Winnipeg-born former "Let's Make a Deal" host what he wanted most for his birthday. Still fast on his feet, Monty answered, "I want to celebrate my 91st." Ba-dum-bum!

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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