There was actually a brief moment on the red carpet, before the American Cinematheque's Tribute to Julia Roberts, when it sounded like her pal and "Ocean's" co-star George Clooney might actually show up to give her the award. After all, she'd presented George with his Cinematheque honors last year.

Talking with The Envelope, "Pretty Woman" director Garry Marshall let it slip that Clooney was presenting the award to Julia. Hmm. Would George try to sneak in? Maybe it was a surprise?  A practical joke? But an in-the-know publicist for Blair Underwood, said that Clooney's uber-publicist, Stan Rosenfield, wasn't there and that Clooney was "in New York." Apparently, Marshall hadn't gotten the updated memo.

Still, Clooney's videotaped congrats - which consisted of him talking while hiding in a toilet stall, and when a hand reached under the stall and tapped his foot for toilet paper (or something else), he discovers Brad Pitt is in the stall next to him - did get the most laughs during the ceremony that also included roast/toasts from Bruce Willis, Marcia Gay Harden, Natalie Portman, Shirley MacLaine and Garry Marshall.

And Tom Hanks, who, not coincidentally, co-stars with Julia in Mike Nichols' new film, "Charlie Wilson's War," a sure-fire Oscar-contender due out this winter, presented the award for a photo op before the show. Denzel Washington did the real honors instead of Clooney.

But the night's second biggest laugh was when Julia, who just gave birth to her third child in June, stepped on stage and asked, "Is there a hungry baby in house? Come on up!"

Photo Credits: Hungry babies at a Hollywood awards party? Yes, in a manner of speaking.
WireImage

Whaaa? Orlando Bloom was at Cedars-Sinai's emergency room early this morning?

And he was reportedly comforting a friend who suffered a reportedly minor neck injury in a car wreck that occured when the "Pirates" star was driving his Porsche home from a Hollywood club?

CLICK HERE FOR the statement his rep released about the incident. 

But darn, if only I'd known! I only live a few blocks away and I could have deftly sliced open my thumb and hightailed to Cedars for medical treatment and maybe bumped into him.

Just kidding.  I used to think Orlo was hot back when he had long blond hair and could fire like seven arrows in seven seconds and  bring down a stampeding Orc. But that now he's dating Jessica Simpson and lurking around Hollywood clubs wearing a bizarre Gandalf hood over his head, well, the elven magic is gone.

Click here to see the video of Bloom walking away from the crash. Ouch.

Photo Credits: Looks like the Bloom is off the rose..
FilmMagic

Is it just me or does Ricky Martin look a little too - oh, how to put this - comfortable in this particular dance position?

Photo Credits: Ricky actually performed live in concert at the Fillmore in Miami Wednesday night. I know, I know. He's been gone so long, I thought he was dead too.
WireImage

Jake and Reese? Dating? Nyah!

The romantically-rumored couple didn't even look like they knew each other at last night's "Rendition" premiere. Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon (who is now legally divorced from husband Ryan Phillipe) scrupulously avoided being photographed together on the red carpet. And Gyllenspoon only posed in the same pix at the post party when director Gavin Hood was safely sandwiched between them.
No touching of Reese to Jake flesh was possible!

Doesn't that remind you of another romantically-rumored couple at their first premiere together?

Wow. What a difference a decade makes.

And while we're looking back in time, here's something we may never see again:

No one -- neither Diane Sawyer nor David Letterman -- has dared defy her publicist's wishes and flat out asked Jennifer Lopez if she's pregnant. Fine. Let's just keep everyone guessing right up until the minute a house-sized JLo discovers a suspicious pool of water at her feet. Has anyone noticed that this bump rumpus has generated way more media attention than she and Marc Anthony's first music tour and her "Brave" new album would have gotten on their own merit?

But frankly, if JLo isn't pregnant, she has t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e taste in clothes.

Here's what she wore in New York last night, roughly the 25th such dreadfully unflattering trapeze-shaped get-up she's worn in the past month.

Photo credit: WireImage

Move over, Marty Scorsese. Better watch your back, Clint Eastwood.

There are some new girls on the directing block.

Kirsten Dunst, Rita Wilson and Kate Hudson showed off their directorial skills at last night's Glamour magazine "Reel Moments" premiere held at -- where else -- the Directors Guild in Los Angeles.

Hudson cast Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Virginia Madsen, Chevy Chase and Kristen Stewart in "Cutlass," a story of family and traditions.

Dunst put Winona Ryder in her ghostly tale, "Welcome." And Wilson directed Jeanne ("Big Love")Tripplehorn in her film, "The Trap." Plus Rita sings the title song, "Lessons Learned," written by Diane Warren!

All the stories were submissions to Glamour's ongoing "Reel Moments" readers contest. This year's task? Stories about finding happiness. And (duh) the contest was sponsored this year by Clinique, which just  happens to have a fragrance called Happy.

Check out all the ladies' efforts by clicking HERE!

Photo credit: WireImage

Michelle Monaghan is gaining ground as a major red-carpet fashion force. She's definitely got a Selma Blair/Katie Holmes thing going on. She was the best-dressed babe at the "Gone Baby Gone" premiere this week in a Derek Lam gathered gray gown. To check out the designer's website, click HERE!

And she looked fierce at the recent premiere of "The Heartbreak Kid" in a fine-feathered sexy strapless dress from the YSL Cruise '08 collection, the YSL Vera heel and a square black satin minaudiere.

In "Gone," she plays Casey Affleck's detective partner/wife. Here's Michelle talking about Casey's brother, first-time director Ben Affleck. And yeah, she'd probably work with both of them again.

Photo Credits: WireImage

The Humane Society has issued the following warning: Keep all black and white spotted dogs away from Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling. 

This is a darn good year in the Affleck family.

Forget all those "Gigli" jokes. This is officially Ben Affleck's Comeback Year. He and Matt Damon won an Oscar for their "Good Will Hunting" script in 1998. Now his first directorial feature, "Gone Baby Gone," is opening wide and is up for 2008 awards consideration.

Did I mention he also co-wrote the "Gone" screenplay based on Dennis Lehane's ("Mystic River") novel about the search for a missing 4-year-old girl in Boston?

And it's also Casey Affleck's Breakthrough Year. Ben's little bro has impressive roles in two big awards contending films; he's the lead in brother Ben's "Gone" and co-stars with Brad Pitt in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."