Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1959)

Boys, Dates, Diets: Jill St. John was sitting thoughtfully in front of a plate of chocolate peppermint ice-cream when I reached the studio dining room just a little late for our lunch date the other day. “What are you thinking about?” I asked as I sat down. “Dates,” she answered simply, in her straight-forward way, digging a spoon into the ice-cream. “What about them?” I said. “Well, I’ve decided there are two kinds — those you shake hands with at the door and those you kiss goodnight. I shake hands with Tom Neal,” Jill babbled on, “’cause we’re old friends. I shake hands with boys on a first date and with boys who are just-fun dates. Lance is the other kind. There’s just no one like Lance after all,” she smiled, displaying the identification bracelet that Lance Reventlow’s mother, Barbara Hutton, had given him years before. “And now it's mine,” she explained. “It’s pretty.’ I told her. And she smiled. At that moment our little talk was interrupted by the loud unwrapping of kitchen paper coming from the other side of the table. It was Carol Lynley, my other luncheon companion, fumbling into sheaves of wax paper. I must have had a questioning look on my face because, without my saying anything, she said, “It’s hard-boiled eggs. They don’t have them on the menu so I brought them with me — for my diet.” Then she added, “would you like me to bring you some tomorrow?” “No, I’ve another luncheon date then,” I said. “But thank you all the same.” Then a voice next to me cut in with, “But Carol — aren’t they fattening?” It was Jill. “No more than chocolate ice-cream,” quipped Carol. Carol Lynley (top) told me about her egg diet, but Jill St. John stuck to her specialty: MEN. “My mother’s very strict about dates,” Sandra told me. “She always makes Lindsay promise to have me home by eleven.” Then Sandra cocked her head to one side, and, with a sort of spaniel look, said, “But someday, Miss Hamilton, I'll be eighteen and then I’ll be able to go to parties and stay up much later.” “What does Lindsay think about it?” I asked. “Oh — he’s very good. He always gets me home on time,” she said and then she added, “but maybe sometimes I wish he wouldn’t. It’s kind of early.” Troubles: John Saxon lias been looking rather forlorn lately so I asked him what was wrong. “It's my beard." he sighed. “I'm so beard weary I have fights with myself not to shave it off. I had to have it for 'The Big Fisherman’ and each time I’ve shaved it — I've had to grow it again for retakes.” But even though 1 assured him he looks good in a beard, he didn’t seem convinced. . . . Jerry Lewis has a problem too. It’s about the new baby (due in November). I really think he would like to have a girl this time. He's got four boys! I do know that if the new baby is a girl, she'll have a pretty pink wardrobe all ready for her. Jerry chose it with loving care right before Patti’s last trip to the hospital — just in case! Newly -chic Leslie Caron chatting with Shirley MacLaine . . . What’s Happening: It's been a month of distinguished vistors. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor came into Hollywood for a few days and created quite a stir. And then we had two Indian visitors — producer Y. Shantaram and the lovely Indian star Sandhya who came here for the Sam Goldwyn Award for their film “Two Eyes, Two Hands.” There was something so wonderfully serene about them. It won’t be long before the return of Elvis Presley, and he’s certainly not been forgotten while he’s been away. There’s quite a line-up of work waiting for him — a movie for Hal Wallis, another for Twentieth Century-Fox and a third for M-G-M, to say nothing of personal appearances and TV guest shots . . . I admire the way Barry Coe and Edward Byrnes look after their fans. Barry, in addition to answering his monumental mail, gets out a monthly news sheet to his fan clubs. And Ed is so anxious to please, he has two full-time secretaries helping him sort and mail his letters. I lunched with Debbie just before she left for Spain and she kept the conversation away from Eddie and her personal problems except to say. “It's all behind me now and I look forward to a happy, busy life." Liz and Eddie have set the date for May and then will head for Europe. Debbie will be back home by then. ( continued ) George Nader kept Loretta Young posted on the winners. Ill