Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003 | 10:46 a.m.
Our last story from Playboy's 50th anniversary weekend involves a VegasBeat fantasy fulfilled: We called some of the numbers in one of Hugh Hefner's famous little black books.
Unfortunately, virtually no one was home -- they were 45-year-old numbers, as the book was from 1957. The only one we dialed that was still good was for photographer Richard Avedon.
"Any good numbers I save for myself," said Hefner, appropriately resplendent in an open-neck red silk shirt with a white collar and a smartly tailored $2,000 suit.
Some of the publishing potentate's vintage address books were on display at the Palms over the weekend as a preview to a Christie's auction of Playboy and Hefner memorabilia.
As soon as as we saw the books, we whipped out our cell phone and started dialing. First up was a Miami woman whose entry included the comments, "Friend of Joyce's ... lively ..."
Disconnected. Drats.
Other memorabilia included original manuscripts from Hunter S. Thompson and Henry Miller, several LeRoy Neiman paintings and an original Playboy Bunny costume.
The auction takes place Dec. 17 in New York City. Pre-sale online bidding will begin about a month before at Christies.com. Items such as Hef's old Mercedes limo, a 33-page Jack Kerouac novelette, "Before the Road," and some Shel Silverstein cartoons are also up for bid.
Lookin' good
We think that bow-tied KTNV Channel 13 weather forecaster Nathan Tannenbaum is a pretty natty dresser.
But his wife, Linda Tannenbaum, doesn't necessarily agree. So today he's going to get the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" treatment from "An Evening at La Cage" star Frank Marino and his friends, courtesy of Mark & Mercedes, the morning team at KMXB 94.1-FM (The Mix).
They'll spend the day shopping at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, with cameras following their every move.
"As long as they don't mess with the bow tie," Tannenbaum said. "I fear that viewers will cringe if they see me with an open collar, my chest hairs peeking out, and big fat gold chains hanging from my neck."
He said that the bow tie would likely remain part of his professional uniform. "The makeover is more of a personal thing -- something my wife suggested," Tannenbaum said.
But today on the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news, viewers will get a look at the new look.
Shockey-ing
Pretty good game Sunday for New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey -- especially since he was spotted Friday night at Rain in the Desert at the Palms tossing back cosmopolitans at one of the Playboy parties.
Shockey caught six passes for 92 yards in his team's 24-21 overtime road victory over the Washington Redskins.
Shockey left the team at 1 p.m. Friday from the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., and reported back, on schedule, Saturday afternoon, according to Giants Vice President for Communications Pat Hanlon.
Hanlon said he had not spoken to Shockey as of Monday afternoon and declined further comment.
Shockey is no stranger to Vegas or to controversy. In an August Sports Illustrated article, he painfully recounted recovering from several alcohol-fueled Las Vegas binges.
That same month, he had to publicly apologize to former Giants coach Bill Parcells after calling him a "homo" in a New York Magazine article.
Doctor pays
Heads turned Sunday night when people recognized Neil Patrick Harris -- who played "Doogie Howser, M.D." on the old sitcom -- on a "Blue Man Group" ticket line inside Luxor.
Heads turned again when Harris was told he had to pay for his tickets after requesting comps for the show.
And heads nodded up and down in admiration when Harris whipped out his credit card and paid for the four seats, no questions asked.
Insult
Why exactly did socialites Nicky and Paris Hilton storm out of "Zumanity" at New York-New York on opening night?
We were sitting a few rows away from them, and saw them become angry when show emcee Joey Arias stared down at them from the stage and said, "What is this, the hooker section?"
Within minutes, they were outta there.
Calls to producers seeking a comment from Arias were not immediately returned.
Cameras followed the pair all over Vegas this weekend for a future segment on Oprah Winfrey's show. No word on whether Paris was caught on film dancing up on the center bar at N9NE (Palms) Friday night after consuming several cocktails.
VegasBits
More surprises: Sheryl Crow and Bobby Gibbons from ZZ Top joined Kid Rock onstage at Rain on Sunday night during his concert to close out the Playboy anniversary weekend ...
Shoppers: Dennis Rodman and wife Michelle Moyer stopped at the new Love Jones lingerie store at the Hard Rock Hotel and bought a $300 Madonna belt ...
Concert: After checking out "Zumanity" Saturday night, Daryl Hannah attended the midnight White Stripes show at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel ...
Dinner: David Spade had dinner Sunday night at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel ...
In and out: Before his Saturday night MGM Grand show, Jimmy Buffett had an early dinner at Charlie Palmer Steak (Four Seasons). A staffer there reports he was "in and out in an hour" ...
Family: Irma North -- sister of the late Ritchie Valens -- saw Valens impersonator Ray Anthony at The Imperial Palace's "Legends in Concert" show Friday night ...
Sight: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame record producer Clive Davis was at the Bellagio on Friday for a party introducing Giorgio Armani's new line of eyewear ...
Congrats: Two Vegas shows celebrate their one-year anniversaries this week. David Saxe's "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show" in the Showroom at The Venetian had a champagne toast with an invited audience after Monday night's show. Penn & Teller, who debuted at The Rio in September 2002, don't have a public celebration planned.
From Sun wires
Ninety of the 135 candidates in California's gubernatorial recall election took Jay Leno up on his offer to appear on "The Tonight Show."
"Welcome to California, now under the division of Ringling Bros., ladies and gentlemen," Leno said Monday as he welcomed the motley group to his 300-seat NBC studio in Burbank, Calif., for the taping of the program.
He gave each candidate 10 seconds to say what they would do to improve California.
The catch? All 90 candidates had to answer at the same time.
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