Hollywood Studio Magazine (June 1971)

A. Lincoln opening - H. Fonda, Shirlee Fonda, Jimmy Doolittle and actor Van Heflin at the Huntington Hartford Theater school teacher was signed by Columbia. First to admit he couldn’t act, Ross had three expressions, blank, blanker, and blankest. He had the distinction of playing opposite such never-to-be forgotten favorites as Lynn Merrick, Adele Jergens, Janis Carter, and Elyse Knox. As a producer at Universal he worked with Lana Turner, Barbara Stanwyck, Doris Day, and other unknowns. No wonder Ross wanted to get back to Columbia! To celebrate the return to his alma mater, Ross was honored with a large cocktail party at the Bistro given by studio president Stanley Schneider. The most predictable twosome were Tina Sinatra and Robert Wagner, the least likely, Kay Starr and Jim Nabors. Others were Carol (Burnett) and Joe Hamilton, David Janssen, Jane Wyman, Jane (Powell) and Jim Fitzgerald, and Ross’ associate, Jacque Mapes with Lura Mako. * * * Back again Tom Jones, his tight pants, and wild gyrations were back in Las Vegas — this time at Caesars Palace, where he broke all attendance records I rode up on the plane for the 30-year-old Welshman’s premiere party with John Mills, his wife, novelist Mary Hayley Bell, and their daughter, Juliet Mills. The family agreed there is nothing like Las Vegas in their native England. John has removed the sling he wore when he won the academy award and the injured hand is getting better every day. Others who gathered to congratulate the choir-boy-turned-sex symbol including the one time high living “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis; Sean Connery wearing his toupee, Sally Keller man and husband Rick Edleston, Maximilian Schell, Jill St. John, soon-to-be divorced as well as a mother, Diana Ross, and Susannah York. Mitzi Twenty years ago, when I was a struggling young actor, I worked in a 20th Century-Fox film, “Friendly Island.” It was so bad (my performance was only a contributing factor) it couldn’t be released. It brought a quick demise to the movie careers of its stars William Lundigan, Jane Greer and Gloria DeHaven. Only a chubby 19-year-old girl named Mitzi Gaynor survived the disaster. At that time she looked like a cross between Vera-Ellen and Jane Withers. Two years later, Mitzi almost ate herself into the twihght zone of hasbeendom. Hollywood had stopped making musicals, no one wanted Mitzi, who began to eat to compensate for her frustration-and gained forty pounds. Mitzi weighed 150 when she met talent agent Jack Bean. In 1955 plump Miss Gaynor became svelte Mrs. Bean, and, once again her career skyrocketed when she won the lead in the film version of “South Pacific.” Ten years ago, my first assignment when I began working with the late Cobina Wright was to cover Mitzi’s premiere night club act at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. In person, the tremendous talent which the screen has never captured, electrified a surprised opening night audience who remembered Mitzi in such forgettable epics as “Bloodhounds of Broadway,” “Three Young Texans,” and “Golden Girl.” Since that night ten years ago, I have never missed one of Mitzi’s openings in Las Vegas and we have become good friends. So, naturally when I was invited to the Riviera where she appeared during the month of May, I accepted. And once again I was enchanted with her great versatility and artistry. Off stage, Mitzi imbues her personal life with the same energies as her professional one. She’s an excellent hostess and loves to entertain at her tastefully decorated Beverly Hills home. Mrs. Bean’s selectivity also extends into haute couture, and her name has appeared consistently on the “best dressed” list. SUSANNAH YORK, John Mills, Academy Award winner, and Tom Jones at Caesars Palace partv. Las Veeas JOE LEWIS and Tom Jones in Vegas 26