IF IT’S OSCAR TIME, IT’S PARTY TIME

It’s party time in Hollywood. Beginning last night with the Directors Guild of America awards banquet, there’s nonstop socializing right through Oscar night--Monday, March 25.

And among the people throwing the parties, the competition for celebrities is intense. One party organizer was exasperated when actor James Stewart said he couldn’t make it to a Beverly Hills party on Oscar night. Stewart had already agreed to go to agent Irving Lazar’s traditional Oscar bash for 200 “personal friends� at Spago above the Sunset Strip. According to Stewart publicist John Strauss, the veteran actor is already committed to another party, given on his and Ginger Rogers’ behalf the same night. “He’d have to be cloned in order to be everywhere,� says Strauss.

The party for Rogers and Stewart is typical of the Oscar-night tie-ins that have sprouted in recent years. The party at Stringfellows in Beverly Hills commemorates the 50th anniversary of Stewart winning an Oscar for “Philadelphia Story� and Rogers for “Kitty Foyle� and will benefit the American Spirit Foundation.

If his schedule can be believed, Kevin Costner, whose “Dances With Wolves� is nominated in 12 Oscar categories, will have to do some fancy footwork to make it to all the parties he’s supposed to attend. A Costner assistant says he would “definitely� be attending last night’s Directors Guild dinner, the Oscars and Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel--where he is guest speaker.

As “Wolves’ � star, director and co-producer, Costner would be welcome at any party, of course. Costner is invited to the academy’s Oscar nominees luncheon on Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton, and the American Cinematheque’s Moving Picture Ball, honoring “GoodFellas� director Martin Scorsese, on Friday night at the Century Plaza. Lazar has invited Costner to Spago, and he’s expected at the academy’s Governors’ Ball following the Oscar ceremonies.

The Scorsese tribute will bring out Jodie Foster, David Geffen, Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Irwin Winkler and Robert Wise, among others.

The Independent Spirit Awards used to be a much quieter event. Now the Independent Feature Project/West luncheon is a hot ticket, known for its irreverent tone. Buck Henry is the host and he’ll be joined by Oscar nominees Andy Garcia and Annette Bening, and David Puttnam, Marlee Matlin, Isabella Rossellini, Andie MacDowell, Quincy Jones and Laura Dern, among many.

Director Stanley Kramer will be honored Oscar night by the American Foundation for the Performing Arts in a benefit for the Motion Picture & Television Fund at Roxbury on Sunset Boulevard. And over at Maple Drive in Beverly Hills, actor Esai Morales is chairman of the fourth annual Oscar-night benefit for El Rescate--the Central American refugee agency--which usually attracts a younger Hollywood crowd.

The Writers Guild holds its awards program on Wednesday and the Publicists Guild annual luncheon at the Beverly Hilton will be on Friday. The publicists will host Oscar nominees Richard Harris, Diane Ladd, Bruce Davison and Graham Green, among other film and TV personalities.

Even the Brits are getting Oscar fever, this year broadcasting the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Academy Awards from Hollywood for the first time, as well as London. Today’s ceremonies at the Bel Age Hotel will include Shirley MacLaine, Whoopi Goldberg, Anthony Hopkins and Jane Seymour.

Hollywood is starting to wonder: Who’ll have the energy to go to the Oscars?