More stars than there are in Heaven, was the MGM motto and Swifty took it to heart. That was his Oscar party. First held at the Bistro (no longer extant) in Beverly Hills, and then up on Sunset at the first Spago which was then brand new and the hottest coolest place in town. It was one of the most coveted invitations on both Coasts, and even across the seas.
![]() | ![]() | | Madonna and Michael Jackson en route to Irving "Swifty" Lazar's Annual Oscar Party. | ![]() |
Swifty brought out the stars – the ones he wanted, that is. Along with his “friends,” a social school of the biggest fish from New York, Paris, and even L.A. For years, this was the after-party to long for. It was small (the restaurant was not large), and also Irving was a most refined snob when it came to the elbows he would rub with. And so it stayed until ... he died.
The end of an era, yes, but the beginning of a new one, a bigger, flashier, grander, more fabulous after-party was inaugurated by Graydon Carter, the peripatetic editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair. It first took place at Morton’s restaurant in West Hollywood. Carter who has an eye and a sense for “stars” brought out the crème de la crème, old and new and the Swifty’s crowd (maybe). It was an instant hit and never compared to the Lazar party. Because it was beyond compare. This party is so big that guests (well, not the most VIP) are invited in shifts. Really. And they go ... and wait ... because it’s worth it.
Graydon Carter brought out all the stars. He stuck his little toes into the bubbling brook of movieland and liked the feel of it. I wouldn’t doubt he thought more than once, of giving up his entire publishing career for the adventures of the Big Screen. He even produced some very successful docu-films. But he knows better. Hollywood’s a place where you’re walking around on smoke. I loved ya honey, but the show closed.
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