The glitter, the glamour, the war

Will Smith, who was scheduled to be a presenter at this year's Academy Awards, dropped out because he did not feel it would be "appropriate" for him to be there.

But Anjelica Huston, who is scheduled to appear on stage in Sunday's tribute to past Oscar winners, said on Wednesday she still plans to attend the event.

"There is another faction that feels this is an inappropriate time to don jewels and sashay down the carpet," she said. "But the Academy Awards has stayed blessedly neutral throughout the years and so I am not as conflicted about it."

Within minutes of the academy's announcement that there would be no red carpet for the arrivals, ticket holders were anguishing over "appropriate" choices on everything from attendance to accessories, from politics to attire. Wednesday night's bombings heightened the tension. Reports of celebrity cancellations raced through town, and the possibility of the academy's postponing or even canceling the event hung in the air. Although the major party planners, including those for the Governor's Ball, Vanity Fair and Miramax, said they were moving forward in a scaled-down fashion -- no red carpets, no paparazzi, no press inside -- they were taking things one hour at a time.

On Rodeo Drive, Denise Faye, assistant choreographer for "Chicago," said she had begun looking for a new dress. "It's a big mess. I'm totally revisiting my selection. I think it's probably inappropriate," she said.

Faye's first pick was a pink lace gown embellished with freshwater pearls. "I'm thinking black is probably the way to go," she said. But, she wondered, "where are all these black gowns going to come from?" Faye had just finished getting a blowout at the Frederic Fekkai hair salon and was headed to an appointment with her gown designer, Mark Zunino. "You want to think global," she said, "but, at some point, the personal intrudes."

As she spoke, a young woman walked around with a silver tray offering delicate glasses of Perrier-Jouet champagne. Because this is still Oscar week after all.

Throughout the ages, a tenet of the entertainment community has been to perform under duress. From the orchestra playing on deck as the Titanic slid into the icy sea to Bob Hope's tireless USO trips,the show has gone on under all sorts of circumstances.

That doesn't mean it's easy. The line between show-biz pluck and narcissism is often a fine one, as the celebrities slated to attend this year's war-clouded Oscars are discovering. Many are conflicted about the best image to project -- unquenchable glamour or tasteful citizenship.

Even before President Bush issued his 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, Hollywood was grappling with this dilemma. Lead actor nominee Daniel Day-Lewis voiced many people's concerns at last week's nominees' luncheon. "It would seem obscene," he said, "if we were trouncing up the red carpet, grinning and waving, while people are dying somewhere."

His words were quoted often during the days that followed by folks in the industry who wondered about the etiquette of an awards ceremony in times of international strife. In making the announcement about the curtailed festivities, producer Gil Cates explained that the decision to forgo the red carpet came about because so many celebrities were asking if they could just sneak in the back way.

Not that they're scanning EBay for sackcloth and ashes. Although the millions of dollars of diamonds that are out on loan from De Beers and Harry Winston may be toned down, there's still plenty of sparkle. Many feel that there is an obligation not just that the show go on but that it do so with glitz intact.

Stylist Phillip Bloch is recommending that his clients, who include Halle Berry, Jennifer Tilly, Faye Dunaway, Iman and Jim Carrey, wait until this morning before contemplating any change. Bloch is sure his clients "are wearing what they planned to wear" which was more subdued than in past years. "It's not about big, beaded dresses. It's going to be a more toned-down Hollywood, an overall lack of flash and a more minimal, comfortable, relaxed glamour look."

And, he says, glamour remains a necessity even in times of war. People watch the Oscars "and love it. For a few hours they can escape -- and we need an escape now more than ever."

Others, including sharp-tongued fashion commentator Joan Rivers, who traded in her gold sequined Scaasi gown for a Pamela Dennis suit, are turning to fashion Plan B. And B, of course, stands for black.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a lot more black or dark colors worn," said Patty Fox, this year's Oscar show fashion coordinator, who offers advice to stylists and stars. "Now that the world situation has changed, I think it's important to always be appropriate ... elegant rather than flashy."