LA.COMFIDENTIAL > CELEBS.

People partied for different causes all over Hollywood on Wednesday night (perhaps getting warmed up for the big-ticket Obama fundraiser happening Thursday night at chic nightclub Area?), proving once again that movie stars really do think about something other than themselves.

Leonardo DiCaprio brought his new cautionary environmental documentary, "The 11th Hour," to the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, courtesy of sponsor Aveda, and his pals lined up to support him. Tobey Maguire turned up, along with Kate Bosworth, Val Kilmer, Julie Delpy, Adrian Grenier, Shiva Rose and Q'orianka Kilcher; all waited patiently as DiCaprio worked the red carpet to get his environment message out.

"We're at a real tipping point. Certainly global warming is at the forefront of a lot of people's minds, and it's being talked about more than ever. So it's just an exciting movement to be a part of," he said. "I think it is the movement of, certainly, my generation and the next generation. I think it's galvanized the younger generation more than any other movement in years."

Farther west on Sunset Boulevard, Harry Shearer was raising political awareness at the House of Blues with the launch of his new satirical CD, "Songs Pointed and Pointless." With help from friends Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole, and his wife, Judith Owen, he skewered George Bush, Dick Cheney, Michael Jackson and the CIA as a raucous audience of familiar faces cheered him on. Fred Willard, Kurtwood Smith, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Valentine and Jane Lynch were all on Shearer's political page; the only dissident voice there was Lynch's, who said sadly at the packed after party in the HOB Foundation Room, "They didn't ask me to sing!"

Emmy Rossum didn't sing either at the Helio Ocean device launch happening next door at the Sunset Tower Hotel, but she did pass out samples of her upcoming CD at the bash that benefited Heal the Bay's Coastal Clean-Up Day. As Leo said across town, "How can you argue with wanting cleaner air, cleaner water?"

To read more about Leo and what he has to say, turn to Sunday's LA.COM.

>JENNY PETERS/SPYWITNESS

Honoring Karch Kiraly with a final spike

When the beach volleyball doubles pro teams take to the sand this weekend to play the Manhattan Beach Open, there will be a familiar face missing from the lineup. Karch Kiraly, universally acknowledged as the greatest player ever to step on the court (with Olympic gold medals for both indoor and outdoor), is injured and will not be playing. It's a sign of the times that injuries are forcing the 46-year-old athlete to finally end his long, legendary career. Kiraly will retire at the end of this AVP season (he hopes to play later in Boston or Brooklyn), which is why so many legends of the game gathered Thursday night in Manhattan Beach to honor him at the AVP Dinner of Champions. From Mike O'Hara, who won the first Manhattan Beach Open in 1960, to Todd Rogers, the 2006 champ, the audience was filled with a sea of top players. Past greats (and all previous tournament winners) Singin Smith, Randy Stoklos, Jim Menges, Mike Dodd, Tim Hovland, Chris Marlowe and Steve Obradovich rubbed tall shoulders with current stars Eric Fonoimoana, Mike Lambert, Stein Metzger, Dax Holdren and Kiraly's current partner, Kevin Wong. Reigning female star Misty May came with her dad, Butch, along with top players Liz Masakayan, Jenny Johnson-Jordan, Holly McPeak and Barbara Fontana. After a series of tributes, a teary-eyed Kiraly said, sadly, "I feel like I got to attend my own funeral!" Fans of the pink-hatted master need not despair completely, however, for Kiraly will be in the booth commentating on the games as NBC airs the final matches live this weekend.

>J.P.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Leonardo DiCaprio

KEVIN WINTER>GETTY IMAGES

(2) Karch Kiraly

MATT A. BROWN>AVP.COM