BY JOEL STRATTE-McCLURE > LA.COM

“I can’t believe that I used to kiss Warren Beatty,” Julie Christie gushed after watching a clip from “Shampoo” during a 90-minute conversation with Leonard Maltin at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 25.

Christie, who lived with Beatty shortly after she won an Academy Award 42 years ago for “Darling,” is an Oscar best-actress favorite for her portrayal of an Alzheimer-afflicted patient in “Away From Her.”

“I still haven’t succumbed to the allure of Hollywood, but I want as many people as possible to see this film,” the rebellious actress said before festival director Roger Durling introduced her as a “stellar, beautiful and vibrant icon.” “But I’m not going to do a big number for the Oscars if they take place. No designer dress for me.”

Christie, who will be 67 in April and still describes herself as “haywire,” got the most laughs of the night when she reflected on her life and career.

‘It’s been such an incredible time span,” the outspoken actress concluded. “But who could have dreamt that we’d get to the point that the world is ruled by a kind of impish privileged monkey?”

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Photo of Julie Christie at the SAG Awards by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.