The more, the merrier ... and the more moola.

Now comes word that George Clooney and the "Ocean's Thirteen" gang are undertaking a three-city road trip, hosting a trio of swanky charity bashes to benefit war refugees in Darfur.

The comedy caper will make its North American premiere on June 5 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, a publicist said. A Vegas 'do follows June 6. The Second City is the final stop of the traveling star-a-rama, arriving June 7 at the AMC River East.

Clooney, Matt Damon, homeboy Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin and producer Jerry Weintraub will rub shoulders with us regular folks here. Tickets to the film and glitzy after-party here start at a bargain $1,500 a head.

Bowing nationwide on June 8, "Ocean's Thirteen" -- the third film in the "Ocean" franchise -- reunites director Steven Soderbergh with the usual suspects (Clooney, Brad Pitt, Damon, Cheadle, Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner and Elliott Gould. Andy Garcia's mob boss joins the gang this time.

Barkin is a new love interest, with Al Pacino turning up as a crooked casino boss. In the latest installment, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and the gang reteam when Pacino's character cheats one of Ocean's original 11 (Gould).

While in Hollywood, Clooney, Pitt, Damon and Weintraub will smoosh their hand and footprints in wet cement in the Grauman's fabled forecourt. Tinseltown veteran Weintraub is the first producer to be accorded the privilege. "Ocean's Thirteen's" world premiere is May 24 at the Cannes Film Festival. Ticket information is pending.

Look, up in the sky

Chicago's best-known Pulitzer Prize winner is bracing for larger-than-life birthday greetings May 16. New Press has hired a skywriter to write "Happy 95th B-day Studs Terkel" over the city from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. The ever-rumpled oral historian ("Working") has two new books up his checked sleeve, "The Studs Terkel Reader" and his memoir "Touch and Go."

Speaking of larger-than-life icons ...

"Spider-Man 3" is over-the-top in IMAX. And five lucky readers will snare two free tickets apiece to the super-sized screening at the Navy Pier IMAX Theatre. The first five people who reach this columnist between 9 a.m. and 9:05 a.m. only today at (219) 852-4329 will bag the passes, valid for any post-May 21 screening. Times employees are not eligible. Keep trying; voicemail messages don't count. Winners' names will be published next week. Movie passes are courtesy of Navy Pier IMAX Theatre and must be picked up at the Times office in Munster by May 18.

Grapevine

Spotted: Oprah (of course), Mayor Daley and the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the premiere of "The Color Purple" here ... Jeff Santo, who chronicled pop/Cubs star Ron Santo's battle with diabetes in "This Old Cub" is behind the camera again. The younger Santo is helming a family drama titled "Jake's Corner," the saga of a Heisman Trophy winner plagued by tragedy. The cast includes Richard Tyson, Diane Ladd, David Della Rocco and singer B.J. Thomas ... Back by popular demand, "Saturday Night Live" alum Julia Sweeney performs encores of her tragicomic show "Letting Go of God" June 16-17 at the Lakeshore Theater.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at mwoulfe@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4329.