Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1958)

Liz Taylor, resplendent in velvet and jewels, was girl of the hour at “Raintree County” premiere. Her gown, a black floor-length sheath, was designed to show off rubies, diamonds and chinchilla stole, gifts from Mike INSIDE Cal York's Gossip of Hollywood Parties: Mike Todd, at his $7,000 party following the “Raintree County” premiere in Louisville, Ky., cautioned the orchestra not to play “Around the World in 80 Days.” “This is her night,” Mike emphasized, nodding toward Liz, “and I want no publicity for myself.” And her, in bright array, looked a dream. But Mike’s tune was different the following week at his “intimate” Madison Square Garden blowout, held to celebate the first birthday anniversary of “80 Days.” More than 18,000 guests sang his laurels during the year’s biggest and most publicized fiasco. At the Jules Stein (MCA) soiree, Gene Kelly popped in from the “Marjorie Morningstar” location. Remembering those rumors of bickering between Gene and his leading lady, Natalie Wood, we asked how the picture was going. “Well,” said Gene with a shrug, “at the moment it’s in bits and pieces.” The following week so was Gene, with an injured leg and Asian flu. In bits and pieces. At the same party, Van Johnson bustled over. “Hey, I was thinking about you today,” he said. “While I was washing the lunch dishes, I came across that tray you gave Evie and me for a wedding present and I — ” IFhile he was washing the lunch dishes?!! Tut tut, the things you do hear at Hollywood parties . . . George Nader, at the same party, hasn’t half the social ease as girlfriend Martha Hyer.. Highlight of the shebang that Jack Benny threw for Ed Sullivan was Maurice Chevalier's rendition of “Dixie” with a French roll accent . . . And the contortions in that number put on by eight-year-old Portland Mason at Dean Martin’s Mocambo party was to me the height of bad taste. Tears: The misty eyes of Jeff Chandler, who finally moved into a Hollywood apartment alone, at the mention of his two children . . . The wails of Marie Wilson at the prospect of losing the adored baby she hoped to adopt, with the real mother now asserting her claim. People in Hollywood Wonder: Why George Raft didn’t title that too-revealing magazine confessional just plain “Riff-Raft” and be done with it . . . If 20th Century-Fox will be successful in its plan to star Elvis Presley, Pat Boone and Tommy Sands in one picture . . . Why, in “Raintree County,” M-G-M insisted on those closeups of Monty Clift's swollen features, results of that auto smack-up ... If Monty is really in love wtih his secretary, Marge Stengel, as reported, and if so why May Britt draped his arm at the premiere. They just wonder about Monty, period. They’re concerned over Shelley Winters and Hedy Lamarr, two stars who insist on feudin’ and fussin’ through life. Contention, in part, prevented Shelley’s play, “The Saturday Night Kid,” from opening on Broadway, and cost Hedy many friends at Universal Studios. Hello, Memphis: It was two o’clock in the morning in Memphis and eleven P.M. in Hollywood, when Nick Adams and I decided to telephone Elvis Presley with news of his latest movie, “Jailhouse Rock.” Nick had carted us off to the private showing earlier that evening and couldn’t wait to get back to the telephone. “He’s ( Continued ) At the preem, Monty Clift and date May Britt were a study in seriousness. But pert Doris Day, with hubby Marty, was her usual gay, funloving self, in a lush white stole