The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

The Film Stars at Play Wide World Joan Blondell seems to be having a serious moment with her husband, George Barnes. With the season in full swing, this month is brilliant with gay, delightful parties By GRACE KINGSLEY At the beach party in honor of Jamshed Dinshaw Petit of India — Shirley Ross, Una Merkel, Madge Evans, and Nelson Eddy's mother. Standing are Dorothy Jenner, Mr. Petit, and Betty Furness. Wide World Above: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kelly (she was Dorothy Mackaye) at the Warner Brothers' party. Right: At the Mayfair dance Harpo Marx plays Eskimo behind William Haines and Kay Francis. 30 CHILDREN are fast becoming the center of many parties given by the screen folk. I don't mean just the romper Romeos and tiny Juliets of the screen. I mean the sons and daughters of the picture stars. If you think you're going to attend any party given by a screen luminary who has children without seeing junior, you're very much mistaken. Even though he be only of the highchair-and-teaspoonfulof-spinach age, junior is always trotted out. Sometimes when a picture player hasn't a kid of his own, he borrows one for the occasion! Edna May Oliver did that not long ago when she gave a party. I suspect indeed, that if it hadn't been for Miss Mavourneen O'Brien, nine months old, the Pat O'Briens never would have given that delightful party of theirs. Especially as it was Mavourneen's ninth-month birthday exactly. She made personal appearances in her pink-and-white nursery, and all the mamas of Hollywood gathered around, including Jobyna (Mrs. Dick) Arlen, Dixie Lee (Mrs. Bing) Crosby, Louise Fazenda (Mrs. Hal Wallis), Mrs. Mervyn Leroy, Sally Eilers (Mrs. Harry Joe Brown), Mrs. Joe E. Brown, Gracie Allen, Joan Blondell (Mrs. George Barnes), Mrs. Frank McHugh, Mrs. Spencer Tracy, Mrs. Paul Kelly, and Mrs. Ralph Morgan. Sally Eilers proved that she knew her diets by heart, and Mrs. Bing told what to do when baby cried in the night. Then there was the christening party which Andy Devine gave for his little son Timothy (Tad for short), at his home, away up on the top of a Hollywood hill. And was mama Devine proud! By the way, before he was born, Mrs. Devine, who has a gift for drawing, sketched a picture of the baby — and it turned out to look like him! Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres had assisted at the ceremony, Ginger being the infant's godmother, and having bathed and dressed the baby herself, and Lew having held Ginger's gloves and purse while Ginger held Timothy. The christening robe had been made away back in 1838, in Spain, when goodness knows nobody ever thought of motion pictures, and had been worn by Prince Jaime of Spain, if that excites you. All the other mamas and papas were at the reception, including Mr. and Mrs. Richard Arlen, Mr. and Mrs. Bing Crosby, Mr. and Mrs. William Wellman, and then there was young bachelor Bennie Alexander. THE Mayfair is being taken over more and more by the younger set, and such a lot of romantic atmosphere as there was at the last dance! Polly Ann Young came with Carter Hermann, rich Pasadenan, and Sally Blane with Cesar Romero, while Loretta Young was with Bernard Newman, costume designer at Radio. Fred Keating brought Barbara Blair, Madge Bellamy was squired by Leroy Mason; Harpo Marx flitted in with Susan Fleming; Harriet Hoctor, in Rupert Hughes' party, was with Cornwell Jackson. Peaches Jackson (who used to be a kid actress, but who is all grown up now) arrived with Wilbur May; Monta Bell brought Genie Davis, and in that party also were Lawrence Gray and Betty Bronson (not the Betty who played Peter Pan) ; Lyle Talbot with Peggy Watters, Mary Carlisle with James Blakeley, and Toby Wing came with director Dudley Murphy. Constance Bennett was with a party, and Madge Evans with Tom Gallery. Will Rogers arrived with Hal Roach's party, but didn't dance. Hal Roach naturally still ballyhoos his racetrack at Santa Anita, and one of the decorations of the bar in the private room of the Beverly-Wilshire, where the party was held, was an ice horse. This horse, when the place began to warm up, ran almost as fast as the famous Azucar. (Please turn to page 69) The New Movie Magazine, June, 1935