Entertainment

Fans of HBO's polygamy hit Big Love couldn't help but notice the seating of the show's star, Bill Paxton, at Saturday night's Fashion at the Park gala at NorthPark. The AFI Dallas International Film Festival was the beneficiary of the fashion fete, and a group of the film-fest biggies showed up for the runway fashion show and dinner in the big climate-controlled tent.

Mr. Paxton was seated practically on the runway, and models in the fashion show for designer Naeem Khan had to parade in front of him.

The actor's rapacious attentiveness made him look a tad like his character in Big Love, shopping for wife No. 4.

In addition to Mr. Paxton, other AFI luminaries at the NorthPark gala included Amy Redford (daughter of Robert Redford), The O.C. star Mischa Barton (who's here for the AFI screening of her film Assassination of a High School President), AFI Dallas Founders Circle members Gina and Scott Ginsburg, and AFI Dallas CEO and artistic director Michael Cain and his wife, Melina.

With his Victory Park development being one of the main sponsors of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, Ross Perot Jr. is lending more than just his name to the success of the venture.

He dispatched his Gulfstream jet to pick up Oscar winner Helen Hunt, living legend Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan, and No Country for Old Men star Josh Brolin and his daughter, Eden, and bring them to Dallas for Thursday's AFI opening-night gala at the Majestic Theater.

When the group arrived at the W Hotel (owned by Perot the Younger) they were greeted by the aforementioned Michael Cain and AFI Dallas Founders Circle member Ruth O'Donnell Mutch.

One of the first things out of Ms. Hunt's mouth was how much she'd heard about the Dallas museums. Within a trice, Mr. Cain arranged for her to get VIP tours of the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Crow Collection before returning to the W to freshen up for the gala.

The centerpiece of opening night was the screening of Ms. Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me.

While the audience watched the film, in which she stars opposite Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick and Bette Midler, Ms. Hunt slipped out to grab dinner at Craft.

Barney's elfin creative director Simon Doonan did something about his height at Fashion at the Park's opening show. He stepped on the runway in Lanvin high heel shoes.

"All my girlfriends complain about the pain of wearing high shoes; now I can really empathize with them," he said. "[Lanvin designer] Alber Elbaz will probably never speak to me again, or maybe he will hire me to be his shoe model."

During his stay at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Mickey Rooney had a leather chair from the lobby moved outside the front door, where he sat and greeted hotel guests.

Another recent Mansion overnight guest was American Idol's loopy/sexy judge Paula Abdul.

She made time to eat with three friends in the dining room at Table 39, the favorite of Mansion founder Caroline Rose Hunt.

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