TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Joel Stratte-McClure

60 YEARS IN sHOW BIZ: Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman didn't bring a bunch of her friends to the ultra-trendy Brazilian restaurant Fogo de Chao in Beverly Hills on Thursday night to fete her 60th birthday.

No, the indefatigable 80-year-old dynamic star was actually celebrating 60 years in show business, and the party attracted six decades' worth of talent. After all, the nine-time Emmy Award-winning actress has worked with everyone who's anyone in Hollywood.

``I've known Cloris for over 40 years. and she's truly an icon and a legend,'' said Mel Brooks, looking dapper in a dark gray suit and flirting outrageously with every woman on the green carpet. ``She was always a mainstay of my films, and tonight I can admit that we actually slept together. No sex, though, just sleep!''

``It cost me a fortune to get all of my friends to show up tonight,'' joked Leachman, who looked glam in a sexy silk top and black pants as she greeted Stefanie Powers, Dick Van Patten, Jayne Meadows, Doris Roberts, Dick Van Dyke, Ed Asner, Elliott Gould and Mary Tyler Moore. ``But it was worth it.''

Almost everyone had a kind word.

``She's still as impish, crazy and lovely as she was 40 years ago when we first met,'' said Asner.

``Talk about longevity -- she's still working more than anyone here tonight!'' added Powers, whose green outfit was color-coordinated with the carpet.

But not everyone was happy to see Leachman getting all the attention. ``I've been in the business for 60 years, too and they didn't give me a party!'' quipped Van Dyke.

RUNNING FOR LAUGHS: Could Robin Williams be our next president?

Already riding high in the polls following his candor concerning an ongoing battle with alcoholism, Williams makes an almost successful bid for the office in ``Man of the Year.'' Some political pundits at the film's premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday night thought the comedian should take the cinematic campaign into the real political realm.

Williams, who's on the cover of the November/December issue of AARP The Magazine, already acts like a potential candidate. He and wife Marsha arrived long before co-stars Laura Linney and Jeff Goldblum to schmooze on the red carpet. He casually chatted with every media outlet and smiled broadly as he waved to the crowds across Hollywood Boulevard. He was even startled by a fan who briefly broke through security.

``Was that guy part of the script?'' Williams asked.

More poignantly, the San Francisco-based actor insisted that he would NOT be a candidate for office. That's a sure sign he might run.

``Oh, please, no, I don't want to be in office,'' Williams insisted. ``I've seen what it does to people. I'd rather be a comic. And I'm not sure I appeal to lesbian vegetarians. But we do need someone with integrity, honesty, passion and humor.''

What did one experienced politician think of his chances?

``It was a very shrewd political move to so publicly go into rehab,'' said Mary Carey, the porn star who ran for governor of California against Arnold Schwarzenegger. ``I'm sure he'll find God before he officially enters the race.''

There weren't any posters supporting a Williams-for-president candidacy at the after-party at the Roosevelt Hotel, which was bedecked with red, white and blue balloons. But candidate or noncandidate, Williams was definitely president for a night.

FRIGHT FRATERNITY: Old Leatherface is back! And no, we're not talking about some of the older stars who showed up at Grauman's Chinese on Thursday night for the premiere of ``The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.''

But the prequel to the gory 1974 cult horror film, set four years before the original bloodbath, definitely impressed horror film veterans Robert Englund and R. Lee Ermey.

``I usually don't go to premieres because they always screw up the film,'' said Ermey, who plays a sheriff in the latest massacre. ``But this is the third time I've seen the new `Chainsaw' and it gets better each time.''

``This is my first night out in three months, but I couldn't miss it because and we're into the season of the witch and Halloween,'' said Englund, who played Freddy Krueger in ``A Nightmare on Elm Street'' and has been directing/editing ``The Killer Pad.''

``It's like a return to good old-school horror, just brutal, brutal. There's talk of doing a prequel to `Elm Street' -- also here doing research.''

That kind of talk didn't frighten Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, Diora Baird and other members of the ``Chainsaw'' cast/production away from the after-party at nearby Les Deux, where scary Michael Jackson tunes blasted from the speakers.

But producer Michael Bay`s mother didn't make it.

``I can understand why Michael wouldn't let his mother see this movie,'' said Jon Voight.

That means ``Chainsaw'' is definitely a tasty Halloween treat.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) BROOKS and LEACHMAN: Friends (almost) forever

Vince Bucci/Getty Images

(2) WILLIAMS: Candidate or comic? Is there a difference?

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

(3) ENGLUND: Hes still very scary