SS Lollipop News. Shirley Temple will be honored for her lifetime achievement in film and also in recognition of her humanitarian work by the Screen Actors Guild at its 12th annual ceremony on January 29th in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately the one-time child superstar will not have her husband of 55 years at her side. Charles Black, whom she married in 1950, died on August 4th from bone marrow disease. We offer our heart-felt condolences to Mrs. Black.

Shirley Temple

About this time last year the all-American Shirley Temple Drink Company introduced its bottled version of the famous, non-alcoholic Shirley Temple cocktail at the Food and Beverage Show in New York City’s Jacob Javits Center, where it won a prize as the best new beverage. When word gets out that it happens to be a favorite of Maddox Jolie, Angelina’s son, we’re sure that the Shirley Temple will get a bump-up in popularity. Angelina has asked the producers of her new film, The Good Shepherd, to stock her trailer with several cases of the bottled drink with immediate replacements when the supply gets low.

We’ve heard that Brad Pitt likes the nostalgic beverage too. The drink — a shot of grenadine syrup and lemon/lime soda or ginger ale with a maraschino cherry garnish — was conceived in the late 1930s by a mixologist at Chasen’s, the famed restaurant located for years at Beverly Boulevard and Doheny Drive, which has since closed its doors. We have not been able to determine if Shirley is getting royalties or what financial arrangement, if any, exists. But you have to wonder why a likeness of the adorable moppet who single-handedly saved 20th Century-Fox Studios from bankruptcy is absent from the drink’s label.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Capote

We concluded our trip back East by jetting to Canada for the 30th annual Toronto Film Festival and managed to see a slew of pictures that you’ll be hearing about during the next few months. Two films that we urge you to put on your “must-see” list that are definite Oscar contenders are Brokeback Mountain and Capote. Take it from us: They are both brilliant. Philip Seymour Hoffman will most certainly be an Academy Award nominee as Best Actor and he may very well win. He doesn’t portray Truman Capote, he becomes him!

We must also applaud Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal for their stunning portrayal of a couple of gay cowboys who must come to terms with their feelings for each other in Brokeback Mountain. They are risky roles but they pull them off without a hitch.

The Toronto fest has always been a bellweather for the many pre-Oscar awards shows. It is also a major star magnet. You couldn’t walk through the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel without seeing a celebrity, not to mention dozens of screaming fans, particularly young girls, corralled behind barricades, desperate for a look at (or perhaps more of) today’s crop of young, handsome leading men, including Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp and the aforementioned Ledger and Gyllenhaal.

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten in Love. Kirsten Dunst, looking quite fetching in a black Christian LaCroix dress, was there to promote her new movie Elizabethtown, in which she stars as a flight attendant. Anticipating our question about her keeping company with her co-star Orlando Bloom, something that we’d heard or read somewhere, she cut us off with what was more a joshing admonition than an outright censure: “You both know I don’t like to talk about any personal life.”

Gossip mongers have had Kirsten and Orlando “inseparable” since the MTV Music Video Awards a months ago. And there they were, side by side, at the star-drenched premiere of their movie.

We asked Orlando about the persistent rumors and the newspapers that quote him as saying “Kirsten is all I want for Christmas.” “It just makes me laugh,” he said. “None of that stuff is ever true, and anyone who knows us knows that. It’s just part of the “package.”

Well, we must say that a confident Orlando seemed very intrigued by Kirsten, who recently reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal following a brief hiatus in their two-year relationship. One of Kirsten’s gal pals spoke to us on the promise of anonymity: “Kirsten and Jake have been friends and lovers for years, but they’re stuck on a merry-go-round.” She admits that she loves it when guys fight over her.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain

A couple of weeks ago, we reported on pretty good authority that Kirsten may also have the hots for her Marie Antoinette co-star, Jamie Dorman, late of Keira Knightley’s camp. It’s all very dizzying Kirsten. We are not quite sure what kind of love elixir you’re dispensing but you should bottle it or license it. Spread it around. Make a mint.

Pre-production meetings for Factory Girl have practically taken over our lives. Filming was to have been in New Orleans, but for obvious reasons, will not take place in Shreveport, Louisiana. Our producer Holly Weirsma has thoughtfully make the decision that Katrina survivors will be given priority consideration for housing and jobs in connection with the film which gets underway after Thanksgiving.

Because the film took us out of the loop and because of our trip to New York and Toronto, we had to catch up with friends and sources and what better place to do this than MR. CHOW in Beverly Hills? It is one of the best places in town to run into celebrities and that was our fate when we ran into striking brunette Evangeline Lilly, a breakout star of Lost, ABC’s Emmy-winning dramatic show.

Evangeline Lilly

She said she was en route to Hawaii where the series is shot. We wondered if she were surprised by the show’s success. “We knew what we were doing was totally original and very risky. It was a dangerous thing to do because it was so out there. I don’t think any of us could have predicted how the American public has embraced us. Our fans were obviously looking for something intelligent, challenging.”

Also at MR CHOW were those filmmaking brothers Chris and Paul Weitz, dining with Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan. The brothers have just signed a deal with NBC Universal Television. Since Chris and I have been working separately on films, this will be a great opportunity to have some fun collaborating in TV,” said Paul.

Sitting at the next table was Julian McMahon, the handsome star of Nip Tuck, F/X’s off-beat hit series which explores the upside and downside of plastic surgery. As to his own position on plastic surgery (cosmetic), Julian said “I’ve always advocated that if people can do something without harming themselves physically or emotionally, then sure. It should be an enhancer in life.”

Julian McMahon

Of his series character, Dr. Christian Troy: “I just want to see him get back to the guy who is rich and making money and having a lot of sex.” How does one get through the raunchy sex scenes that are endemic to the show’s success?

“I don’t think anybody in their right minds wants to hang around with a c**k sock on, which is what I do quite often. But instead of being embarrassed, I just stand next to everybody and kind of rub their noses in it,” he explained shamelessly. Since he is so often bare-assed in the show, how does he keep his epidermis so camera-ready? He said his bathroom is stocked with beauty products and that he uses Avance hydrating body silk moisturizer “for that nice smooth body you see on you TV screen.”

Although they’ve been out of the public glare lately, apparently things are moving right along with the matrimonial department for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. Late word just arrived that Katie has approached the Duchess of Domesticity, the Queen of Cuisine, none other than Martha Stewart herself, about catering the much heralded nuptials of Tom and Katie. And incredibly, Martha reportedly said yes. The stories goes that Katie has visited Martha’s daytime show for a discussion of weddings. We were told by Martha years ago that she is out of the catering business forever. We have to believe that still holds true. With a daily TV show and a weekly one as well, when would she find time?