NAMES & FACES

John Travolta with "Be Cool" co-star Uma Thurman on Monday after flying himself to London for the movie's premiere. (Ian West -- Press Association Via AP)

The Governor Needs No Notes

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke for 40 minutes without notes yesterday at a $250,000 fundraiser for his reform agenda hosted at the St. Regis Hotel by Wayne Berman, chairman of the Federalist Group, and Nick Calio, senior vice president for global government affairs for Citigroup. Funny, more spouses and children turned up for the photo session than is typical at Washington fundraisers.

Berman, one of the city's top lobbyists and fundraisers, is the husband of Lea Berman, who in January became White House social secretary. "I'm getting used to being the husband of the glamorous social secretary," Berman joked. "Today, I was escorting the glamorous governor."

Afterward, Schwarzenegger went over to Citigroup for a roundtable discussion with a dozen business supporters, covering topics from workers' compensation to the Golden State's decline in foreign tourism. He didn't use any notes there, either.

Vinnie and the Jet

On the How-Cool-Is-That Scale, it's hard to rank any higher than flying your own jet across the pond for the premiere of your latest movie.

"Yesterday we left the house, kissed the kids goodbye, then we went into the back yard, got in a jet and flew to London," actor-pilot John Travolta said Monday in England, where his latest flick premiered. "That was pretty cool." Oh, the name of the movie, of course, is "Be Cool" -- which is just what we hope Captain Travolta does when he's coming in for a landing.

Desperate for Help

"Desperate Housewives" starlet Eva Longoria has a problem: She's just too pretty. No, really. "I always have this problem at photo shoots, when all of [the 'Desperate Housewives' cast members] are together," she chirps in the April issue of Marie Claire. "I'll get the least attention. [The photographers or stylists will say], 'She'll look good in anything.' Or, 'Oh, she doesn't need the best lighting, because she'll look good in any light.' I'm like, 'No, I need help, too!' "

Kidnappers Beware

Russell Crowe jokes to Gentlemen's Quarterly mag (uh, GQ to us) that in the future people should think twice before wanting to kidnap him -- and that includes al Qaeda. Crowe says al Qaeda was behind a possible kidnapping plot in 2001, which led to FBI agents surrounding him at the Oscars that year. (CNN reports that a federal law official said Crowe's name was indeed on a list of possible kidnapping targets.)

He warns that if kidnapped, he may be troublesome, not to mention quite the yakker. "Mate, if you want to kidnap me, you'd better bring a mouth gag," he says. "I'll be talking you out of the essential philosophies you believe in the first 24 hours, son. I might chew through the first one, too, so be prepared."

Noted . . .

People mag reports that "American Pie" cutie Shannon Elizabeth and her hubby since 2002, Joseph Reitman, have split . . . And keep an eye out for Alanis Morissette and Lee Ann Womack, who are performing tonight in Washington for the Wireless Foundation and Lifetime Television's "Champions for Change" reception. We hear various members of Congress were given light blue scarves and ties to wear during Lifetime's annual "Week in Washington" to raise awareness about violence against women. We're sorry to say that charming crooner Michael Bolton, a regular supporter, has already come and gone.

. . . and Quoted

"Looks like Star Jones hung out her pantyhose to dry."

-- Johnny Carson's longtime lead writer on the "Tonight" show, Ray Siller, telling friends what he thought of "The Gates" in Central Park, as reported by the New York Post.

-- Compiled by Anne Schroeder

from wire and staff reports

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