Modern Screen (Jan-Dec 1960)

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have one of my records played in the church, during the Mass." He closed his eyes. Betty said nothing. "The Ave Maria" Mario said. "My voice, I 'want it to ring through the church as I lie there. I want it for you and the children — so you will know that a part of me, at least, is still alive, and with you." His eyes opened. "Will you do that for me?" he asked. "Yes," Betty said, suddenly afraid. FOUR DAYS LATER: "I am sorry, Signora," the priest said, at the Lanza villa, that morning. "I have spoken to the Bishop. The idea of the recording, though it was your husband's last wish, must be vetoed. Schubert, the composer, was not a Catholic. It is a matter of ecclesiastics . . . We know how you grieve right now. Anything else in our power, within sanction, we will do . . . But this we cannot. . . ." Three thousand Romans stood in the square outside The Church of the Sacra Cuore della Madonna later this sun-filled morning, watching, silently, as the coffin was lifted from the black-draped hearse, and carried inside — followed by the stunned widow and her four small chil dren, and by the others who had arri with them. The people outside waited, still sili throughout the Mass. Till, towards the € the bells of the church began to toll i till someone, an old woman, weeping, gan to pray aloud for the repose of soul of Mario Lanza. Ave Maria, she prayed, chanting, si ing, almost, Ave. Ave, Dominus, Dominus tecum Benedicta te in mulieribus Et benedictus fructus ventris. Mario's last film is For The First Ti MGM. The Fabulous Fifties (Continued from page 50) And, toward the end of the year, in late September — that seemingly never-to-end story starts, which began with the headline: ELIZABETH TAYLOR DATES HUSBAND OF "BEST FRIEND" DEBBIE REYNOLDS IN NEW YORK. EDDIE FISHER CONFIRMS HE WILL ASK DEBBIE FOR A DIVORCE. 1959: Ingrid Bergman, that most controversial lady, was invited to return for her first visit in years as a special guest of the Academy. Accompanied by her bridegroom, Lars Schmidt and daughter Pia, Ingrid accepted — leading to many debates pro and con as to whether she should ever have been invited. The coveted Oscars of '59 were won by Susan Hayward for / Want To Live and by David Niven in Separate Tables. MOVIE MARRIAGE OF THE YEAR— naturally was that of Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher in a Jewish ceremony in Las Vegas on May 8th. MOVIE DIVORCE OF THE YEAR— just as obviously Debbie Reynolds' freeing the way for the marriage above — and thank heavens, at last, we began to hope we could take a breather from this triangle! Next to Debbie's divorce the most startling suit was Eleanor Powell's against Glenn Ford after 16 years of marriage. "I've had it!" Eleanor told the Judge on May 2nd — incidentally Glenn's birthday. Less startling partings were: Anita Ekberg's from Tony Steele on April 28th: the not surprising action filed by Mrs. Peter Viertel paving the way for her writer husband to marry Deborah Kerr when she is free — and May Britt and her youthful Stanford student socialite bridegroom of a year, Ed Gregson. BABY NEWS: The birth of a DAUGHTER—at last— to Bing Crosby and his actress wife Kathy Grant, their second child, after five sons for Bing! An earlier birth to make news was the arrival of a much desired son to the late Tyrone Power and his widow, Debbie Minardos, on January 22nd. DEATHS of 1959 were numerous and shocking starting with the loss of that master showman, Cecil Blount De Mille. great creator of screen spectacles, on January 21st. A severe loss to Hollywood. Joan Crawford's husband, Al Steele, high-salaried head of a soft drink company died in their New York apartment in April. Another top directorial name, Charles Vidor, was lost to us while directing Magic Flame (the Franz Liszt story) in Vienna. Then early September brought those three tragic deaths of superstitious belief — beautiful, gay Kay Kendall who captured all our hearts in Les Girls and who had so much to live for — died at the age of 32, of leukemia, in the arms of her grieving husband Rex Harrison. A few days later, in almost the same manner, in the arms of his wife, Jan Sterling, Paul Douglas suffered a fatal heart seizure; lovable little Edmund Gwenn, that fine actor and comedian who had been tops with American audiences since his touching and prize-winning performance in Miracle On 34th Street, also passed away. 1959 brought an end to the short violent life of Mario Lanza. And to the rich, full and daring life of swashbuckling Errol Flynn, whose death seemed to epitomize the end of the gay romantic era in Hollywood's history. 1959 saw film personalities having their usual share of accidents and illnesses, the most serious being Bob Hope's eye trouble (he has now permanently lost partial sight in his left eye). And Audrey Hepburn's bad fall from a horse while shooting a scene for The Unforgiven in Durango, Mexico. Also, Hollywood was electrified by two widely divergent developments during '59. Fast rising young actress Diane Varsi. a smash in her first big role in Peyton Place — walked out flat on her career to enroll as a college student in Bennington College in far off Vermont. Diane's parting shot was "I'm through with Hollywood and its false face." Want to bet? Another "private life" shocker was the family feud which broke out between Bing Crosby and his four grown sons after Bing was quoted as saying "I'm a bad father." Unfortunately, Gary agreed with him — all this to the tune of some pretty disillusioning and unhappy headlines. Let's hope 1960 will find this family clan devoted and united again. The outstanding MOVIE GIRL OF THE YEAR was that redheaded pixie Shirley MacLaine — with blonde Lee Remick of Anatomy of a Murder fame not very far behind. And if you think I am going to close this fascinating chapter on the fascinating year of 1959 without mention of that great day in my own life, June 7th, when I was presented with an honorary Doctor of Letters Degree at Quincy College, Quiney, 111. — you just don't know your girl reporter. . . . PHOTOGRAPHERS' CREDITS The photographs appearing in this issue are credited below page by page: 9 — Nat Dallinger from Gilloon; 10 — Globe; 11 — UPI; 12 — UPI; 13 — Wide World; 14 — Wide World. UPI; 15 — UPI; 16 — Galaxy. Nat Dallinger of Gilloon: 22. 23 — AP Wirephoto; 24 Jack Albin of Burchman; 26. 27 — Peter Oliver of Topix; 31— Topix; 32 — Wide World: 34 — Burchman: 35-50 — INP, UP. European, Magnum Photos, Jacques Lowe, Wide World, Hans Knopf of Pix, Topix. Del Hayden of Topix. Bob Beerman, Jack Albin of Burchman, Globe; 51 — Larry Barbier of Globe; 55 — Sam Wu of Galaxy. "Your what?" Astrid almost screamet me. "Here, let me see what you're read anyway." Stealthily, like a cornered rat, I bad away. But, quick as a cat, she leaped, : snatched the article. She flipped to the front page wh Louella had typed her name, cast a I cold eye at me and said. "So! Two seco ago I thought I'd married a genius, am turns out he's nothing but a crook!" Redemption I hung my head in shame. I had nothing to say. "Nothing but a crook," she repeated. "The crooked shall be made straight replied weakly. "It says so in the Bi I'll redeem myself. I'll wash the dis tonight." "It's bad enough that you've lied i broken my faith in you," she said, gu ing down a giggle; "don't come i my kitchen and break all the disl too." "I'll tell you what I will do then." I a "I'll answer your impossible questi "Not in six minutes, but tonight. 1 very night I promise I'll write it all do' all by myself, all about the Fifties, a wh long article that I might even print Modern Screen, and I won't steal a wc not a single word, from anybody, not e^ Louella. "And you know what it'll be about? "The really wonderful thing that h; pened in the entertainment world the Nineteen Fifties — Youth. Vitar Y-O-U-T-H. "A great big shot in the arm of Elvis c Frankie and Tommy and Connie and Ric and Fabian, all turning loose on the w; weary old world of the Fifties a wh circus wagon full of old-time joyful sing and dancing. "And it'll be about the moody, qu ones too, the strange ones — all the k from Jimmy Dean to Tuesday Weld M said to the tired old world of the Fift "Listen, World, we may not be the v you think kids should be. in fact you n think we're kookie as Kookie, but in < own way we're serious, World, and you got to dig us sooner or later. . . ." "Sooner or later," Astrid cut in, appreciate it if you'd listen to me. too. one second. Now before you get can away (and I do mean by the man in white coat) will you please find th Christmas decorations?" Stick around Well, to make a long story just a t bit longer, I still haven't located the th (or was it four?) boxes of last ye colored lights and tinsel, and I still hav written that article for Modern Scr about Hollywood in the Fabulous Fifi but I would at least like to say to al you Merry Christmas. Happy New Y and stick around for the Sensatk Sixties.