Modern Screen (Dec 1949 - Nov 1950)

LOUELLA PARSONS' GOOD NEWS Setting conflicting advice from the chef and from husband Ben Gage on how thick the slices should be, Esther Williams carves a roast beef at the gala opening of her and Ben's new Hollywood restaurant, The Trails. The Palms, a former sandwich joint that worked its way up in the world, has a more informal first night. Scott Brady takes over the piano as Sail Russell and Suy Madison show sympathy — for the helpless guests. The funny pari of it came after the party. Vera-Ellen told me next day. Their "paint" had been designed for them by the MGM makeup department. They could safely wear it for several hours, but the only way to get it off was out in the open air, using cloth saturated in alcohol. They were warned that, in a closed room, the alcohol would knock them out. Imagine coming home from a party at two in the morning (when most of us did go home that evening) and star ding out in the cold night breezes in little except your skin to rub off your gilt! Diana Lynn, as Madame Butterfly, and her husband, John Lindsay, as Madame Butterfly's naval boyfriend. Lieutenant Pinkerton, sat at my table and applauded Roddy McDowall and Ann Blyth dancing by. Roddy was a mail bag, all puffed out with old fan letters and newspapers, and cute Ann was the helicopter that flies over Hollywood giving us "airmail" right in the various city zones. Everybody kept spinning the silver propeller on top of Ann's head, but Roddy said he preferred the balancing propeller, which was attached to his girlfriend right where your mamma use to apply the hair brush. Roddy said it was very useful — giving them a lot of free space on the dance floor. Joan Crawford was there in her carnival costume from Flamingo Road with Cesar Romero as her escort. But I didn't see her erstwhile boyfriend, Greg Bautzer, with Ginger Rogers — though goodness knows, I have seen these two together everywhere else this month. Ginger and Greg have seemed serious enough to be marriage-minded. Dan Duryea, considering his screen roles, came most appropriately as a wolf. Handsome 12 young Scott Brady stalked in as Frankenstein's monster, in a scarey green make-up and red eyes. Dinah Shore turned up as a very curvaceous Sadie Thompson with George Montgomery as an Indian. I'll conclude with one little word of criticism. It's this: I wish our glamor girls wouldn't destroy their charm on the off-chance of being amusing. Betty Hutton, for example, came to the Ball looking like a beat-up ranch hand, wearing a mustache and with a dirty face and uncombed hair. I know she meant to be funny — and she was. But her own bouncy, pretty self is so much more delightful. And this applies to all our other dolls who were present with snaggle teeth, black eyes and other curious get-up. I still don't believe that the way to fans' hearts is through looking ugly. (For pictures of the stars at the Piess Photographers' Ball, see page 52. — Ed.) * # * Jeanne Crain's and Paul Brinkman's housewarming to show off their beautiful new home — high on a mountain top with an enchanting view — was one of the important social events recently. Paul, who built practically every bit of the house by hand, proudly showed his friends his handiwork at this party, which was a buffet supper for almost 200 guests. Earlier in the evening, the oldest son of the Brinkmans' was brought in to meet the guests. He is a darling little boy. He had already won my heart by saying to Jeanne at the time she was putting her footprints in the Grauman's Chinese Theater court, "Mommy is making mudpies." Well, "Mommy" can make mudpies or anything else she wants these days after her performance in Pinky, which made us all realize Jeanne is now one of our top dramatic actresses. When Ingrid Bergman's personal representative, Joe Steele, returned to Hollywood from Europe, he went right over to see Dr. Peter Lindstrom — to give him some Italian dresses that Ingrid had sent for her 11-year-old daughter Pia. Joe said the doctor was cordial but Ingrid's divorce plans weren't mentioned. * * * Purely Parsons' Opinions: The sensation of New York is Janet Blair, who never had a real break in Hollywood. The best she ever got were "B" pictures. When will Hollywood learn to appreciate its real talent? ... I don't know of a man in Hollywood who so completely enjoys life as Paul Douglas. . . . Maybe it's Greg Bautzer's influence, but it's a fact that Ginger Rogers is much better dressed since she has been going with him. She wears her hair combed back plainly from her face and all those geegaws she used to have on her clothes are now fortunately missing. . . . The young couple who live the simplest and seem to be the most contented with each other are Larry Parks and Betty Garrett. . . . Stars may come and go, but for sheer charm, I still nominate Gary Cooper. . . . Ever since I saw The File on Thelma Jordon I've had my money on Wendell Corey — he's not pretty, but my, how he can act! . . . I'm personally bored with that rumpledshirt, unmade-bed routine of Montgomery Clift's. That boy is a great star and a superb actor, but why on earth does he have this affectation of being so deliberately untidy? ... I believe it is high time they stopped wasting lovely Janis Carter in "B" pictures. There really is a siren, as you surely know if you saw her in I Married a Communist. . . . I'd like to see Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster together in a picture with Ava Gardner as the girl they scrap over.