Oscar is no grouch on set of LV movie

We're in Mayor Oscar Goodman's office, where the movie crew for "Red Herring" (a neo-noir murder mystery) sets up lights, camera and wires, wires, wires.

Goodman has a small cameo in the film. And here he comes through the front door of his office to eyeball the crew.

"This looks legit -- almost," Goodman jokes. The crew laughs.

Goodman sees someone sitting at his desk.

"Get off of my throne," he jokes again.

Oscar's always joking -- except when he's not.

The crew tells Goodman they're ready for him to act. But he points to his face. It doesn't have any movie magic on it.

"Is this a face that needs no makeup?" he asks. "A naturally ruddy complexion?"

They send him away for a powder, and he returns a moment later looking fresher. He walks past his office door, again, with another comedic entrance, disguised as a threat:

"I was in 'Casino,' and when my mother saw it said, 'It's a good thing you're a lawyer.' Then, I became the mayor so I would be able to have power issuing permits over people making movies in Las Vegas.

"The first one was with Jackie Chan and 'Rush Hour 2.' I was with Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Alan King. It was at the D.I. (Desert Inn) before it was imploded. They made it into a wonderful casino, with red-flocked wallpaper, showgirls, slot machines."

But his scene was left on the cutting-room floor.

"So I screamed and I yelled. I got Chan on the phone, I got Brett Ratner, his director, on the phone, and told them they'd never make 'Rush Hour 3' as long as I'm the mayor.

"I scared them so much they put me in the DVD," he says.

"The same thing happened with 'Ocean's Eleven.' Great scene. Danny Gans, Wayne Newton, Siegfried and Roy -- at the MGM, a fight scene."

That Goodman scene was left on the cutting room floor, too.

"So the next movie, I had an airtight contract. I was going to enjoin them if they cut me. It was called 'Angel Blade.' And they told me it was going to be an exotic thriller. It turns out it's an EROTIC thriller. I AM in that movie, and I can't even take it home."

One of the movie honchos laughs, as most people do in the room, and he vows to Goodman, "You will not be cut in this film. I guarantee it."

Goodman sits at his throne, the camera rolls, and he plays his part as mayor, ordering detectives to work together on a murder case that possibly involves another politician.

Goodman nails his lines in the first take. But as each subsequent takes goes on, he sometimes misses a word or an inflection. Nothing terrible. Just enough for Oscar to feign humility:

"I held Scorsese up for three days!"

Scene over, Goodman declares his hour's work a success:

"Academy Award!"

The crew on this locally produced independent film starts to exit Goodman's office, since the mayor has a real meeting to attend.

Looking back from the doorway, screenwriter and producer Joshua A. Cohen leaves with a joke of his own, telling the sound team, "Keep the microphone running."

(You might see the crew around town for the next few weeks. Still on the schedule: filming a knifing in an alley, a scene at Bootlegger Bistro, and shots with Vincent Pastore of "The Sopranos," plus Las Vegan and 1992's Playmate of the Year Corinna Harney-Jones, and MySpace vixen Bobbi Billard. Check out production at RedHerringMovie.com.)

COURTNEY, KIEFER COMING

The Mirage has lined up stars for the hotel's 20th anniversary parties Oct. 1-3. At Bare pool that Friday night, Kiefer Sutherland emcee's "Slash & Friends" starring Courtney Love, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Aerosmith's Joe Perry and bands on Sutherland's music label.

Contrary to what was reported by other media yesterday, "Friends" does not star Adam Levine, Jason Bonham, Rob Zombie or Tommy Lee. Tickets: $125 at the Mirage box office, or $150 at the door. After the show, Slash and celebs go to club Jet, hosted by tattoo man Mario Barth. ... Perry plays that Thursday night at Revolution Lounge. ... And Saturday, Terry Fator's theater screens for free a documentary on rock photographer Robert Knight, who'll be there.

Contact Doug Elfman at 383-0391 or e-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal. com. He also blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.