TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Joel Stratte-McClure and Jenny Peters

MALE CALL: Chris Rock rushed up to Jake Gyllenhaal after the Hollywood premiere of ``Jarhead'' and gave him repeated bear hugs and back slaps.

``You're the greatest jarhead ever!'' Rock told the actor, referring to his lead role as a Marine sniper/soldier fighting in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm.

That wasn't the only male bonding at Thursday's after-party at the Hollywood Palladium. Although ``Jarhead'' drill sergeant Jamie Foxx was AWOL to host an event in Atlanta, famed ``Star Wars'' creator George Lucas had a long huddle with ``Jarhead'' director Sam Mendes. By the time the two finished their extended exchange, a talked-out Mendes found he had lost his voice. At a nearby table, author/political provocateur Gore Vidal discussed the film with ``Jarhead'' producer Doug Wick.

``This is what guys do when they see a film about men at war,'' explained Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Gyllenhaal's mentor/friend in ``Jarhead.''

``The film portrays the unique sense of family found in the Marines, and I've always been envious of that kind of camaraderie.''

Coincidentally, he and Gyllenhaal are tight in real life; Sarsgaard dates his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was also at the party.

``Jarhead'' is based on the real-life military experiences captured in Anthony Swofford's best-selling book of the same title. And the author feels the film will strike a chord with soldiers and vets.

``Marines are proud to be called jarheads and welcome the truth about a young grunt in the Middle East because they want others to know about their experiences,'' said Swofford. ``Jake and Peter were most surprised by the jarheads' tough and brutal lifestyle and by the powerful bond among these young men,'' he explained, mixing with guests who included Dwayne ``The Rock'' Johnson, Henry Simmons, Mark Ruffalo, Eric McCormack and Chris Cooper, who plays a gung-ho lieutenant colonel in the film.

But ``Jarhead'' is not just a guy's flick. ``American women should definitely see it,'' said Sarsgaard, ``because they also live in a country that's at war.''

CHANNELING JOHNNY & JUNE: Were Johnny Cash and June Carter in the house Tuesday night at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre? It sure seemed like it, for those two country music icons may be gone, but their songs are alive and well.

It was the second night of shooting on ``I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash,'' the CBS TV special due to air Nov. 16. That's just two days before James Mangold's biopic ``Walk the Line'' two-steps into theaters. The Pantages was jam-packed with famous faces and rabid fans.

``Whenever I listen to his music, I feel like I'm right there with him,'' said the evening's host and star of the film, Joaquin Phoenix.

Phoenix, who does all his own singing of Cash's songs in the movie, did his intros and then stepped aside and let the pros go to work. He did pick up a guitar during Norah Jones' rendition of ``Home of the Blues.''

Musical greats just kept coming all night, with Martina McBride singing ``I Still Miss Someone,'' then Kid Rock and Jerry Lee Lewis belting out a terrific version of ``I Walk the Line,'' with the Kid's on-again-off-again galpal Pamela Anderson perched in the front row. She bolted when the Kid wrapped, missing more classic Cash-Carter songs by Kris Kristofferson; Shooter Jennings and his mom, Jessi Colter; Alison Krauss; and Dwight Yoakam, but none of the other famous faces in the crowd budged until Lewis closed with a massive sing-along of ``Will the Circle Be Unbroken.''

Country fans in the packed theater included co-host and ``Walk the Line'' co-star Reese Witherspoon, as well as Dennis Quaid, Rebecca De Mornay, Jim Caviezel, Andy Garcia and Leelee Sobieski, who won the most-appropriate-outfit award of the night for a retro country girl wide- skirted dress perfect for a square dance. We're sure Johnny - and especially June - would have approved.

WE SAW U

Jessica Alba, Carmen Electra, Lindsay Lohan and Rebecca Gayheart shopping at haute West Hollywood boutique Diane Merrick on Melrose, right across the street from Urth Cafe. Alba picked out some gorgeous drop earrings by Malinda Maria. Electra stepped into a pair of black wedges by Sechelles. And Lohan and Gayheart really tied one on - both bought a tie-front sweater by Diane Merrick.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1) GYLLENHAAL and ROCK: Everybody loves Jake.

(2) LUCAS and MENDES: Jedi and ``Jarhead.''

(3) SARSGAARD and GYLLENHAAL: Semper Fi.

Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com

(4) LEWIS and KID ROCK: All about Cash.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

(5) SOBIESKI: Swing your partner round and round ... and promenade.

Steve Granitz/WireImage.com