Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1962)

continued i E GOSSIP SECTION keep trying to convince the world of his questionable moral character? That's my opinion. The word around town is that there was a lot more behind that slap than just a quick flare-up of temper. To begin, it seems Brando finally caught on to Anna's modus operandi. "Spying," is what he labeled it. "Since our divorce in 1959, she has used thirty-six to thirty-eight nurses to accompany Christian to my house during his visits. I'm tired of being spied upon in this manner." That's how he told it to the judge. And evidently the Santa Monica Court sympathized with him in part because they granted him permission to have his son Christian visit him every third weekend in addition to the twice-weekly visitation rights that had been granted him previously. This was a triumph for Anna in a sense, too, because a nurse must accompany young Christian on The weekend visits. But despite this, Anna was furious when she heard the decision. She had fought tooth and nail to prevent it, and you could tell by looking at her that she was ready to burst. And she did just that. As soon as they stepped into the corridor outside the courtroom, she lashed out with the slap that was heard around the world. She caught Brando square on the cheek. He ducked to avoid the next blow he saw coming and the reporters and photographers had a field day. Brando, with his temper under control, left with his present wife Movita. His face was beet red, but he played it cool in the best tradition of method acting. Anna, on the other hand, hung around to make the very most of what she had just done. "Don't ever say I didn’t give you a good picture," she boasted to the photographers who I'm sure greatly appreciated what she had done. "Why did you do it, Miss Kashfi?" someone asked. "Because he's a slob!" she screamed. "I've said it before (in court testimony) and I repeat it now. He's a big slob!" Why would a woman who didn't care become so emotional? The questions continued. "What about the accusation that you're spying on him?" someone else in the crowd shouted. "He's a liar," Anna shrieked. "He has a guilty conscience because of the immoral life he leads. He knows I am aware of the kind of man he is . . . that is why he has guilty feelings." There is was. She'd said it again. Last year during one of their ten court hearings over Christian's custody, Anna had told a judge: "He's an immoral man. I don't want my child to grow up in that kind of environment." She didn't make clear exactly what Brando's environment was, nor did she further explain what she meant when she said, "He has ideas contrary to present established society." And if you remember, Anna showed her way with words back in 1959 shortly after she and Brando were divorced. He had showed up at her home on Christmas to visit their son — but his mistake was bringing Barbara Luna with him. "The nerve of him," Anna had fumed. "I was infuriated. I told him and that woman . . . that Barbara Luna ... to get out. And I let them know the way I felt in no uncertain terms. It’s bad enough that I have to go into hiding in my own house on Marlon's regular visiting day, but when he brings another woman, that's the last straw!" That angry barrage was another inkling that maybe Anna was more than inconvenienced or even just annoyed. Could she have been jealous, jealous of Brando's new girl friend — divorced or not? And there was something else she said outside the courtroom after she’d let off steam with that slap — someone asked her if she planned to substitute lady detectives for nurses to get the lowdown on Brando. Her answer? "I don't have to spy on him — he has a wife who can do that." But it must be remembered that when Anna was married to Brando, she had quite a time trying to keep tabs on him. In her divorce action she charged that she didn't like the way he stayed away from home so much. "I was left alone very much and I was very lonely and afraid," she had said. "Marlon would take off at all hours of the day and night. His only explanation was that he intended to lead the life he lived before we were married." That's the way Brando is. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Anna knows this now and she knew it while they were married. She got out, but that doesn't always solve a problem. You can stop living with a man as his wife, but you can't stop loving him. And my guess is Anna has never stopped loving him. Their battles (verbal until now) have been aired in newspapers and magazines all over the country. I’ve heard more than one remark around town about Anna's lack of pride, her loss of dignity. And do you know what I tell these people? That the battles are going to go on and on — no matter what the courts decide on nurses or vacations or visitation rights for little Christian. Because that isn't the real battle. The battle is a woman fighting herself, fighting to stop loving a man whom she's lost. And until she makes peace with herself, she’ll never make peace with Brando. Frankie To Wed Juliet! Hollywood isn’t easily shocked, but the news that Frank Sinatra will marry Juliet Prowse took quite a few people in our town by surprise. Especially since Sinatra took Dorothy Provine to Australia recently with some friends, and Juliet was telling everyone that she was going to marry her young manager, Eddie Goldstone! Sinatra said they will marry in the near future — Juliet will name the day. "I'm just thrilled to death," he went on. "I have never been as happy as this in my life. And this is such a wonderful girl." Juliet's comments? "I have never really been in love with anyone before or since I met Frank. I was heartbroken when we split up after being very close for a year." Sounds good! And Sinatra's friends say that if anyone can tie him down, it's Juliet. I say she must be quite a gal. Incidentally, the first people Sinatra notified about the engagement were his children. Lana Turner still makes monthly trips to Connecticut to see Cheryl in the hospital. Lana hopes to bring her daughter home by summer and start a new life. I heard that Tommy Sands and Nancy Sinatra thought an offspring was on the way. But it turned out to be a false alarm. Another man nearly broke up the Nancy Kwan-Max Schell holiday. But the other man was explained away, and now Nancy and Max are walking on the clouds again. I thought Dinah Shore wanted to curtail her career so she could spend more time with her children. Now I wonder why she's going on the road with a night-club act? In the past, Dinah's always turned down lucrative nitery dates. Maybe she thinks work and travel will help her forget her broken marriage. Sammy Davis, Jr. and May Britt have started a bank account for their offspring. Edd Byrnes and Asa Maynor flew down to Acapulco, and the marriage rumors really started flying. But when friends asked Asa the lowdown, she said she hadn't made up her mind. I say you can never tell what may happen under a Mexican moon! The Rita Hay worth-Gary Merrill romance apparently soured with time. Or maybe they don't go out in public when the weather is too cold to wear bermuda shorts. Another wife-husband team in the making. M-G-M may give Dick Benjamin a chance to direct. Why? He's Paula Prentiss' new groom. Apparently Yvette Mimieux's secret marriage has secretly been called off. She's dating around town. Could be, though, her secret hubby doesn't care. Watch out, Rock Hudson. A fella named Ralph Taeger is giving Marilyn Maxwell the rush. So far she has said no to going out with him. But isn't she weakening? • 18