OSCARS: Leave the Guns at Home

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/01/2002 at 02:17 PM EST

Judith Lieber bags, yes. Rolex watches, yes. Firearms, no. Leadership at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has requested -- make that "demanded," in an official edict -- that personal security guards for the stars refrain from carrying concealed weapons on Oscar night, March 24, reports PEOPLE. The bodyguards had been allowed to carry guns during previous Oscar casts. (Limos also frequently have bulletproof glass.) But after the events of Sept. 11, the Academy "just wanted to know who's armed in the building," said security consultant Jack Struble, whose firm, Mercer Michael, will be protecting some of the attendees (he won't say whom). So that means the only people with guns at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Oscar night will be the police and security guards hired specifically for the event. But Struble says there will be some recourse in case of attack. Struble's people are drafting plans for escape routes and rendezvous points for their clients, should the need arise. "We'll be prepared," he said.