The delivery room is now in session:...

The delivery room is now in session: Superior Court Judge Judith Chirlin found herself in the role of eyewitness the other day--attending the birth of her clerk’s boy, Corey.

It came about because Syndy Richard, the clerk, “said to me one day: ‘Since you’ve never had a baby, you might want to be there,’ ” Chirlin said.

At the hospital, Richard required a painkiller at one point, prompting her and the judge to reminisce about the malpractice case of an obstetrician who had several patients die during labor.

Did Richard’s doctor hear the discussion?

“Oh yes,” Chirlin said. “He thought it was very interesting.”

No wonder SHE wasn’t showing: One of the last cases Judge Chirlin handled before attending the birth was the lawsuit involving actress Kim Basinger.

Syndy Richard was also on duty--”like a true, dedicated court employee, she waited” until after the case ended, Chirlin said. During the trial, “Kim talked to Syndy about how difficult it must be for her to get up while keeping her balance,” the judge added.

A snoopy newshound, who overheard, mistakenly smelled a scoop. “The reporter,” Chirlin said, “later went to ask Syndy if Kim was pregnant.”

Here’s a little extra for a bottle of Evian: Ed Stalcup of Malibu was walking through a parking lot near the beach when a panhandler asked him:

“Say, man, do you have any extra change? I want to get an avocado and watercress sandwich.”

Bursting on the scene: In honor of the 37th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s first screen test, 1,000 postal cachets were stamped with the seal, “Paramount Pictures--Return to Sender Station--Hollywood, Calif.” (Yup, the screen test was on April Fools’ Day.)

Paramount says that the cachets, which eventually will be offered for public sale, are also going to be stamped at four other crucial places in the King’s life, including the Las Vegas Hilton, site of a record-breaking 1969 engagement.

Records, smrecords. The real significance of that appearance is that it marked the first time that Elvis split his pants onstage.

Getting a buzz-on: Barbara Joan Grubman of Woodland Hills, who snapped the accompanying marquee photo, says she hopes the top item has had the stingers removed.

Well, L.A. has no seasons anyway: Russell Clampitt enclosed an ad from the AMC theaters in Century City, which are touting a “Fall Film Retrospective.” It began last month--long before April Fools’ Day.

He must be a hard-driving type: When Ohio Distinctive Software sent a letter to Dick Tyler of Burbank, the company nerd addressed it to Disk Tyler.

miscelLAny:

Maybe it doesn’t quite rank up there with the corner of Gregory and Peck in Beverly Hills. But, in Hollywood, Dan Geleno found the intersection of Rodney and Kingswell.

Los Angeles Times

Scent of a news scoop: Kim Basinger’s conversation put newshound on wrong track.

Los Angeles Times