How George Took a Backseat in Vegas

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The collective salary for the all-star "Oceans 11," starring George Clooney, is impressive: $30 million. Bear in mind, notes the Wall Street Journal, which looks into the making of the movie remake of the '60s Frank Sinatra "Rat Pack" favorite, that most members of this new "11" earn nearly as much as that all by themselves: Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. But they all took cuts to be part of this party, thanks to Clooney's wooing . . . and producer Jerry Weintraub's bowing to some of the demands that the actors made. For instance, Roberts missed the first few weeks of filming, because she was working on another movie. And Pitt would not shoot any scenes on Thursday nights, so he could watch his wife, Jennifer Aniston, on "Friends." But no one could stop the pranks on the Las Vegas set, said the producer. Clooney loved to boobytrap doors with pails of water. Pitt said that it took him two hours every day to undo the set-ups in his hotel room that had been left for him by Clooney and Damon. But the guys got back at Clooney. They wrapped his toilet seat with Saran Wrap. "Ocean's 11" opens Dec. 7.