Juniors Honor the Sage Senior--Thatcher

Lady Margaret Thatcher said she’d speak to the Junior Chamber of Commerce for no fee if they’d agree to no profit. They did, she did and 840 of the over-21/under-39 members in business togs filled the Ballroom of the Regent Beverly Wilshire last week.

Britain’s former prime minister--wearing a long, tailored purple suit with a satin collar--received an ovation even before she stepped to the stage. “I seem to feel that in this auditorium there is a good deal of true conservative thinking,” she said. She added that she was grateful, “at my age,” to be honored by the juniors. Dinner chair Stephen Tisdall had just lauded her integrity.

Among her remarks: “People are longing for leadership. . . . Your Constitution is the greatest expression of liberty in the English language. . . . Right makes might, not the other way around. . . . Politicians don’t know very well how to run business, and they are best kept out of it. . . . Aggression must never be appeased. . . . Please do not depend on organizations like the United Nations to keep the peace. . . . If a politician goes for popularity, he will fail. . . . The West is becoming more bureaucratic.”

On NAFTA: “Pass it.”

Listening were Junior Chamber leaders, including president Brion Talley, Carolyn Oliver, Sari Smith and Carlos Solis. British Consul General Merrick Baker-Bates, wearing a Flanders’ poppy for the World War I Armistice, had earlier toasted Thatcher after the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus sang “God Save the Queen.”

Guests left with autographed gift copies of Thatcher’s book, “The Downing Street Years.”

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LEGACIES: How often do you see Jane Fonda and Candice Bergen arm in arm? Or how often, really, Candice and her beautiful mother, Frances Bergen (widow of Edgar)? Fondas galore--Jane, Peter, Bridget, Justin and Shirlee (Henry’s widow)--and Bergens--Candice, Kris and Frances--plus Jane’s noted spouse, Ted Turner, and Candice’s noted spouse, Louis Malle, made looky-loos out of everyone at the Hollywood Legacy Awards party headed by Hollywood Entertainment Museum President Phyllis Caskey at the refurbished Hollywood Palladium.

Indeed, the Palladium was fresh and lovely--hard to imagine after its recent tawdriness--with new paint, carpet and glittery chandeliers.

Most chic: Mayor Richard Riordan with Nancy Daly, Marjorie Lord Volk and husband Harry, Constance Towers Gavin, Felisa Vanoff and son Nick, Charles and Mary Jane Wick, Juli and Herb Hutner, Leonard Maltin as emcee, Walter Grauman and A. J. Carothers as script writers.

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FANTASIES: It’s become a tradition for ballgoers at the annual Los Angeles Master Chorale’s party to parade through the Biltmore Hotel Gallery to the Crystal Ballroom between phalanxes of Chorale singers in chorus.

Saturday evening, six-time chair Liz Hirsch added the last descendant of the last doge of Venice, Grazia Consola Contarini, to the parade. And she turned the night into a Venetian Fantasy Ball. Never mind that the Chorale’s after-dinner tribute directed by Paul Salamunovich was Neopolitan. “We have lovely Venetian songs,” Contarini said, “but we haven’t done a very good job in promoting them.”

Soprano Leona Mitchell also triumphed after dinner. The night, with waiters in gondolier hats, court dancers and Comedia dell’ Arte, had the flavor of Venice’s oldest cafe, the Caffe Florian.

Prominent: Chorale honorees Anne and Harrison (Buzz) Price and honorary chairs, Steven Lavine, president of California Institute of the Arts, and his wife Janet Sternburg. More: Elayne and Tom Techentin, Jane and Ted McAniff, Judith and Clifford Miller, and Beverly and Larry Thrall. Tim and Victoria Griffin, and Jennifer Schultz and Stewart Reeves were in one of those exclusive boxes that adorn the ballroom.

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THE CIRCUIT: Francophiles Mary Lou and George Boone gave a dinner party for the Friends of Vieilles Maisons Francaises at their San Marino home. Burks Hamner hosted a cocktail party for the Friends, and numerous members clustered for coffee and croissants at Jimmy’s Restaurant in Beverly Hills to meet Princess Marie-Sol de La Tour d’Auvergne, international president.

The group was also celebrating publication of “Chateau Cuisine” by Anne Willan, a book of family recipes of French chateau owners who are members. Friends is dedicated to preserving historic French and American art, buildings and gardens.

The coterie at the Boones’ included antiquarian Gep Durenberger, Christian and Edie Frere, Getty Museum Curator of Decorative Arts Gillian Wilson, and Angelenos Dona and Dwight Kendall (who own a chateau in Chantilly). The princess stressed the cost of maintaining the historic maisons, noting that many owners rely upon tours, cooking classes, weekend hunting parties and guest stays to cover expenses.

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THE TOWN: The Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace begins its 200th White House Celebration in earnest Friday as it launches eight months of exhibitions and speakers. Friday, at a VIP luncheon, White House Chef Henry Haller presents “Entertaining at the White House”. . . .

Los Angeles celebrates National Philanthropy Day on Friday with Rafer Johnson at a Beverly Hilton breakfast. Pasadena’s observation of the day will be at the Huntington Library with former California Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp.

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HOLIDAYS: Chrysalis, which provides jobs for the homeless, launches the holiday season Saturday with “First Lights of L.A.” It’s a black-tie dinner in the atrium of the MCI Center’s Broadway Plaza. Guests will mingle among 27 designer Christmas trees to raise $100,000.