Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1959)

Coming so soon after the death of Tony’s father, it spread a pail of gloom, now lifted, on the Curtis manse. . . . Marlon Brando thinks France Nuyen, now in Broadway’s “Susie Wong,” is the prettiest thing since Anna Kashfi. But, as friends point out to France, look what happened to Anna. . . . Anthony Steele, Anita Ekberg’s husband and a once favorite star in England, may try it alone in Hollywood. And everyone in town is pulling for him to rebuild his tottering career. Around Town: James Darren lost little time bemoaning his separation from wife and child after they were gone. At least James looks awfully pleased these days with Evie Norlund of Denmark, a young and pretty starlet — and with the success of his song “Gidget. . . . Sal Mineo was amused at those first few fan letters raving over his latest film. “And Tonka very much,” the letters ended. But now Sal has had it. So, please, no more. And Tonka very much. ... It was a return shower Debbie Reynolds gave Lita Calhoun. And Rory’s cute wife, who “showered” Debbie before the arrival of Todd Fisher, is so excited over the prospect of her second child — “Well, I can’t eat,” she cried. “Only like a small horse,” Rory grins. ... If Sue and Alan Ladd aren’t the most excited, adoring grandparents in town, don't tell me about any others. I wouldn't believe it. In fact, the glow that radiates from the Ladds over the birth of their grandchild to daughter Carol Lee and husband John Veitch, makes dark Debbie thanks Dorothy Malone for “loan” of her Jacques. glasses a must. Even young David Ladd is beaming like crazy. That Happy Curtis Family: You can have your jamborees. I spent an afternoon playing peek-a-boo with two-year-old Kelly Curtis, who peeked in and out of the bedroom draperies at her mother and me, and I found it much more fun. Janet Leigh, Kelly’s beautiful mother, invited me to inspect the new Curtis-Leigh manse and was I ever impressed by that large entrance hall! The den, living room, dining room, master bedroom and Tony’s office suite are all on the first Hoor, all carpeted in white and furnished here and there with semi-modern pieces Tony and Janet selected themselves. Like most young couples, Barbara Loren is Rick’s date, Dave’s with Venetia Stevenson. the Curtises are buying furniture only as they can afford it, and going slowly to insure against those repent-in-leisure mistakes. . . . Tony and Janet sleep in twin beds in one large room, with Tony using his office-den-bath as a dressing room, but every once in a while Tony frowns like a thundercloud as Janet loses her head in a grand rearranging and shoving around of furniture. . . . All afternoon, Janet kept peeping in at Jaimie, reassuring herself that the baby was really all right after that operation. Kelly, in a black-and-white check blouse, red pleated skirt and red bows in her blond hair, made elaborate efforts to tiptoe and not waken her baby sister sleeping in the yellow nursery. When Tony arrived home from the studio, his first move was to hound up the stairs for a long, tender look at Jaimie. Tony looks completely happy and he doesn’t care who sees it. As for Janet, there’s a new maturity about her these days that has nothing to do with those becoming grey hairs that Tony loves. Flying Chips: When “Maverick’s” Jack Kelly and his wife May Wynn part, they say “I love you.” When they meet again, they greet each other with the same words. Kinda wonderful, isn’t it? . . . The way to have a ball when visiting Hollywood is to look like a star. When blond lovelies Dorothy Johnson and Betty Holland arrived from Texas to spend a few days while husbands Kirk and Gage hunted tiger in India, tourists instantly fastened on them with “Aren't you Eleanor Parker?” “Aren’t you Deborah Kerr?” or “Aren’t you Mrs. Kirk Douglas?” Intrigued, the girls stayed on an extra week. . . . One Broadway show they really should run excursions to will be Tony Perkins’ proposed play about his experiences as a babysitter in New York. “I worked at the job for a year and a half in order to earn money,” Tony says, “and one time I even sat with a Great Dane dog.” . . . When Audie Murphy was married to Wanda Hendrix, both were young, immature and unhappy. Yet Audie, who has grown since those bad days, was the first to reach out a helping hand to Wanda after her recent divorce from Jim Stack, actor Bob's brother. Heartsick, Wanda wept with gratitude as Audie told her, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get started again.” And he will. . . . After happily waving farewell to Fort Ord and the Army, Ben Cooper’s back in Hollywood and his many friends couldn’t be more pleased to see him once again. Do you remember Ben in “The Rose Tattoo”? I wonder what smart producer will be the first to sign him up again. ( continued) All eyes were on Debbie at the Thalian Ball till the brothers Crosby went onstage spoofing “The Brothers Karamazov.” 19