PARTY LINES : CITY OF HOPE GALA TOO BIG FOR ONE DAY.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

When City of Hope plans a party, it's a two-day affair.

The annual Woman (or Man) of the Year Award luncheon attracts so many of the city's ladies-who-lunch that there's never enough room to squeeze all of them into the Beverly Hilton ballroom in one seating.

One of the main reasons it's a hot ticket is the swell fashion show with clever choreography and novel dance numbers, though the Beverly Hilton's famous Baked Alaska dessert is always a crowd-pleaser, too.

This year 1,200 guests came to see Paramount Pictures executive Christine Essel joke about the huge-and-hefty crystal trophy being ``so modest and subtle'' and her hope that it would help in her next salary negotiations. Then she teared up and talked about her special affinity for the City of Hope and its realistic hope for a cure for the world's most serious diseases, adding that philanthropy starts ``with treating each other kindly, pausing to make someone small feel big.''

After the standard chicken breast lunch and the yummy ice cream dessert, guests were treated to the lavish fashion parade produced by Carin Holmenas and sponsored by Anne and Jack Needleman. Highlights included sassy pink knit suits by Liola of Beverly Hills, and elegant, often beaded, gowns by Travilla, topped with fur coats by Edwards-Lowell.

``Finally we're seeing colors and styles that women can really wear,'' whispered fashion arbiter Mr. Blackwell, who was still recovering from throat surgery he'd had three weeks ago.

Besides wearable fashions for men and women, the show had several enthusiastic dance numbers saluting the zoot suit era, the '40s night club scene and the be-boppin' '50s.

While Blackwell critiqued fashions worn by both the guests and models (the man can't help himself), other table talk turned to Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum.

Besides reminding us that the museum's annual Dinosaur Ball is coming up May 1, museum governor Carole Sumner Krechman said the museum is moving to new digs. A new location hasn't been decided yet.

The event that raised $150,000 for the City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute in Los Angeles, was planned by event chairwomen Nadine Mosk, Marcie Goldstein and Vivienne Goldstein.

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5 Photos

Photo: (1) Warner Bros. CEO Bob Daly, left, schmoozes with honoree Jamie Kellner, CEO of the WB network, and NBC Entertainment president Scott Sassa at the National Conference for Community and Justice's Humanitarian Awards gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Berliner Studio

(2--3) City of Hope's Woman of the Year, Christine Essel of Paramount Pictures, is congratulated by past honoree Mr. Blackwell, above, at the annual two-day luncheon and fashion show held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The gala raised $150,000 for cancer, diabetes and AIDS research. Guests were treated to swing dancers modeling the latest spring fashions by Liola, Travilla, Nicole Miller, Jhane Barnes and Canyon Beachwear of Malibu. The show was produced by Carin Holmenas.

(4) John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary president Roberta Novick, left, shares a moment with ``The Young and the Restless'' star Don Diamont and his wife, Rachel, at the institute's gala. Receiving the Duke Award for philanthropic work were Franklin Mint and Teleflora owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick.

Lee Salem

(5) Sharing a moment at the Help Group's fifth annual ``Love a Child, Heal a Heart'' breakfast at the Sheraton Universal Hotel are L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, left, event chairman Gary Carmona, state Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg and Help Group president Barbara Firestone. The event was sponsored by United Way and local organizations, including Free Arts for Abused Children and the Valley Non-Profit Alliance, and honored Hertzberg.

David Sprague/Daily News