Sir Sidney Poitier, who captivated the near-sellout crowd of 1,200 at Houston Baptist University on Monday night, thoroughly charmed a dinner gathering of 30 the night before at Hotel Granduca. Brilliant Lecture series chair emeritus Lynn Wyatt hosted the intimate dinner gathering that was organized by Brilliant Lecture series founding director Scott Brogan.

Soft-spoken and a true gentleman, the 84-year-old Poitier moved with grace as he and his longtime friend Lynn sat at three different locations along the single lengthy table, allowing almost everyone conversation with the famed actor. Much of the conversation centered on his life and experiences including his premature birth in Miami and his youth in his family's home in the Bahamas.

Among those tuning into the Oscar-winning actor's words were Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Lora and Dr. John Clemmons, Kelli Cohen Fein and Martin Fein, Denise Bush Bahr and Philip Bahr, Anna Dean, Wade Wilson and Carol and Mike Linn.

Applause, applause for Ristorante Cavour and chef Renato De Pirro, who was on site on a Sunday night to prepare the sophisticated five-course meal. And with 17 servers and a number of supervisors, the ultimate in service was assured and was delivered.

Designing minds

Chesie Breen — author, public relations consultant and contributing editor to House Beautiful — winged in from New York with armloads of her new design book, Traditional Now: Interiors by David Kleinberg. And traveling with the busy mother of three, daughter-in-law of our town's Pat and Dan Breen, was the designer himself.

The two were featured at a PaperCity book signing held at Chateau Domingue, the resource for architectural antiques and European finds. Owners Ruth and Jack Gay welcomed the fashionable crowd along with PaperCity honcho Holly Moore.

The real fun began aprés the book event, when friends gathered at the art-filled abode of fashion whiz Gregory Fourticq for socializing over steaming plates of Tex-Mex fare straight from nearby Armandos. The Gays and Moore were there along with Pat Breen, Ann and Mathew Wolf, Patsy and Greg Fourticq, Terry and Tommy Smith, John and Becca Cason Thrash, Windi Grimes and Cabrina and Steve Owsley.

Brains and brawn

That was the powerful combination at the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund luncheon when four-time Super Bowl champ and Fox Sports broadcasterTerry Bradshaw joined Linda Lorelle on stage to present 20 college scholarships, totaling almost $200,000, to area high school students. The bonus for these kids was announcement that each would receive an iPad, courtesy of Houston Texans Mario Williams and Eric Winston and the Hackett Family Foundation.

The luncheon was chaired by Neiman Marcus GM Bob Devlin and Donna and Bob Bruni.

Among those who were both entertained and inspired by Bradshaw's keynote address were Joanne King Herring, Penny Loyd, Rusty Hardin, Dennis Proctor, Penny and John Butler, D'Artagnan Bebel, Danielle and John Ellis, Annette and George Strake and Lou Gregory, Lorelle's husband who co-founded the non-profit with her.

March of Dimes top brass

The swank aerie of Patsy and Greg Fourticq was the setting last week for one in a continuing flight of cocktail gatherings on behalf of the March of Dimes, an organization that the Fourticqs have long supported. Wednesday's get-together served to introduce March of Dimes national president Jennifer Howse, who winged in to personally announce that Houston is one of two cities to debut a new March of Dimes initiative.

The non-profit, focused on delivering healthy babies, is pushing the concept that mothers-to-be with a healthy pregnancy should wait a full 39 weeks before considering elective C-sections or induced birth.

March of Dimes supporters on hand included MOD executive director Ellen Efsic, Children's Memorial Hospital CEO Susan Distefano, Lan Bentsen, Janet Gurwitch, Diane Lokey Farb, Rosemary Schatzman, Diane and John Connally and Dr. Hugo Bellen.

Sight 'ems

M. Night Shyamalan, popular writer and director of supernatural thrillers The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and The Village, at Sushi Raku in Midtown where he dined with his production staff. Shyamalan arrived in Houston on Saturday in route to Costa Rica to shoot a new thriller with Quentin Tarantino starring Will Smith. His flight was grounded here due to technical issues so he chartered a flight for the next morning and decided to hit the town for sake and monkfish liver specials at Sushi Raku.

Owner Patrick Chiu paraded a buffet of exotic specials for the group of 10 and then later took them to Red Door nightclub and Roak for some late night action . . .

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain dining at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House Saturday night following his debate with Newt Gingrich in The Woodlands. He interrupted his dinner of Caesar salad and crab claws to applaude two soldiers in uniform that came into the restaurant. And he posed for photos with the men and their dates . . .

Masquerade Theatre's board chair Paula Smith and artistic director Phillip Duggins at America's River Oaks where they welcomed supporters to a champagne reception celebrating the start of the season at Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall. Raising their glasses were spring gala chairs Nancy and Rob Martin plus Jay Tribble, Jano Kelley and Heidi and Steven Skiff . . .

Karen and Byron Hood treating Cathy and Jesse Marion to an anniversary dinner at Philippe Restaurant + Lounge. Add Cathy's birthday to the celebration.