All Arnold Had to Say Was ‘Shush!’

There was a little mix-up in the intros, and when the crowd kept whispering, there were several “shushses” from Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the kick-off for the May 29 Kenny Rogers benefit for the Children’s Museum proved that people could have a good time while trying to sell tickets.

Crowding the living room of producer Al and Wanda Ruddy Tuesday night was a somewhat Western-wearing crowd including Juli Hutner, the ultra-glamorous Marianne Rogers (who said she and Kenny will be moving to Georgia permanently this summer), Maria Shriver and Schwarzenegger, Mike and Patrica Duff Medavoy, benefit chair Carol Walker and museum board chair Jo Usher with spouse Harry.

“We just listed our house and this is the fanciest open house you’ve ever been to,” the hostess kiddingly told the crowd, including fellow board members and volunteers from the Inner Circle support group. Museum director Jack Armstrong (with help from a Schwarzenegger “shush”) stressed that the more than one-half of the museum’s operating budget came from contributions. “This benefit will bring us a big chunk of money,” he said, since the museum had 1,000 seats at the Universal Ampitheatre available for their sale. The money raised, Armstrong said, would come in handy since 250,000 kids visit the museum each year. The event features a gala cocktail buffet from Rococo before the Rogers concert.

When the blocks of the tickets were put on sale, host Ruddy proving an aggressive sales person. “If there is anybody here who doesn’t want to buy tickets--jump in the pool.”

P. S. People bought tickets. But nobody bought the house.

CHANGE OF PLACE--When the tuxedoed valet parker opens the doors for the celebs at Monday night’s Academy Awards, he just might look familiar to politicos watching at home. It will indeed be Louis Moret--an Eastside businessman and member of the Democratic National Committee, who persuaded his valet-parking buddies to let him help out at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion . . . What is Board of Public Works President Maureen Kindel doing in a trash can? It’s an honor--or at least an invitation to an honor. A picture of Kindel peeks out of a silver trash can on the invite to the 40th birthday event for OEF International. The dinner April 12 will help OEF, which is a private nonprofit organization aimed at delivering training and technical assistance to low-income women in developing countries. Fran Savitch, executive assistant to the mayor, chairs the event, while Mayor Tom Bradley is the honorary chair. Co-chairs include former Deputy Secretary of State Warren Christopher, AFL-CIO honcho Bill Robertson and attorney Paul Ziffren.

PRINCIPALED DIETING--Ali MacGraw, dashing Danny Sullivan, Lee and Angela Rich, Linda Gray, Michelle Lee, Linda Jenner and Grammy-award winning David Foster, Jose Eber, Aida Thibiant, Dr. Arnold Klein and writer Annie and Gary Gilbar all turned out at Neiman-Marcus Wednesday night to help Victoria Principal launch (not lunch) her new book. Her best-selling “The Body Principal” was only a prelude to this opus, “The Diet Principal,” which teaches about nutrition. Thus everything served was prepared from the book, including turkey tacos and yogurt soup. She’ll be back at Neiman-Marcus Saturday afternoon signing books and being her own best ad since, of course, there is the story of how she was just another teen-age chubette who has made herself slim . . . Eat your heart out, folks, at the American Wine and Food Institute get together at the Regency Club on April 3. Chef Joachim Splichal (on the premises for a few months until a permanent chef is located and trained by him) will whip up lots and lots of wonderful stuff for food habitues like Michael McCarty, Julia Child, Trader Joe’s Joe Coulombe and Wally’s Steve Wallace.

NOT EVEN IN L.A.--That’s what old hands on the hype circuit keep saying, as next Wednesday’s ga-ga la-la event involving “Her Royal Highness Princess Royale Clare Victoria Savoy Romanov Bourbon Hausburg Lorraine Orleans Hughes Windsor” continues on track. No one seems sure where her glitz train is headed, but previously unheard from Princess Royale will hold an international press conference at Perino’s, where she promises to fulfill “The Secret of Fatima.” Also on tap, dinners and galas that apparently constitute the “First Annual World Royalty for Peace Spectacular.” Believe me, we’ll keep you up to date.

UPCOMING--The NAACP’s tribute to Frank Sinatra--now set for May 14 at the Century Plaza--has picked up co-chairs of Barbara Walters, Lee Iacocca and Quincy Jones. Plus a passel of celeb committee members . . . SHARE (Share Happily and Reap Endlessly) has done it again. They have contributed $1 million to the establishment of the SHARE’s Child Disability Center at Cedars-Sinai.