A view from inside the Golden Globes ceremony

The Associated Press, Sunday, January 17, 2010, 5:16pm (PST)

By MSNEnt

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- The Golden Globe Awards is like a fancy dinner party in an alternate universe where everyone is famous and beautiful. There's a fully stocked bar — and a fully stocked makeup station in the bathroom. A-listers in their finest attire fill almost every seat in the Beverly Hilton Hotel's International Ballroom. Here's a running view from inside the festivities.

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Rain on the red carpet meant the Beverly Hilton Hotel's International Ballroom filled up fast this year. With red-carpet schmoozing limited by the weather, nominee Edie Falco and her date got an early start on their dinner. Rex Lee of "Entourage" milled about with a cocktail and Mike Tyson greeted a friend before finding his seat.

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The cameras and the crowds never tire of Sophia Loren. That was made clear as the 75-year-old star stopped to collect kisses all the way to her table at Sunday's Golden Globes, while photographers never stopped snapping pictures of her.

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"Dexter" star Michael C. Hall, who recently announced he's being treated for cancer, arrived with a black turban on his head and his wife and co-star, Jennifer Carpenter, on his arm. Hall, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, says the disease is in remission.

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It may have been raining outside but the stars were in clear view inside at the Golden Globes. Super couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon hugged and visited with Julianna Marguiles and Jane Lynch of "Glee" as the members of the "Entourage" cast joined their co-star Rex Lee. Morgan Freeman, nominated for a best actor award for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in "Invictus," made his way through the crowd, followed not far behind by Amy Poehler, who was wearing a red over-one-shoulder dress.

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"Ladies and gentlemen, the ... "

Well, it was just one of the Beatles, but Paul McCartney still gets a round of applause from Hollywood when he shows up to take his seat at the Golden Globe Awards.

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The show hadn't even started and already Heather Graham and Kevin Connolly were trading information about what parties they should hit afterward. Meanwhile, Sedgwick and Bacon chatted with Sandra Bullock and her husband, Jesse James, as Falco and Glenn Close greeted each other with kisses. With three minutes to showtime, a voice was heard over the loudspeaker: "Take your seats and settle down."

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Even on a rainy night, there's still a last-minute rush to get in before they close the doors and the cameras roll. This year's fashionably late crowd included: Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, and Harrison Ford with fiance Calista Flockhart. Bringing up the rear right behind them: director James Cameron.

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Associated Press writer Lou Ferrara contributed to this story.

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AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter. Follow her at http://twitter.com/APSandy.