Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1963)

F unDeR HeDDas HaT continued Battling the pounds are Kim Novak and Shelley Winters. I don’t know how Kim’s keeping her calories down, but Shelley’s taken up hypnosis. All those men running in and out of Kim’s door at the Dorchester Hotel weren’t boy friends — they were drama coaches getting her shaped up to tackle the Bette Davis role in “Of Human Bondage.” She’s out to prove something in this one, and is leaving no stone unturned. When asked if she might pick an Englishman for a husband, Kim said, “Men are all the same the world over. And I love variety.” Eva Gabor predicts that sister Zsa Zsa’s marriage to Herbert Hutner will last forever. I don’t know about that, but to date Zsa Zsa’s on Cloud 9. Hutner shelled out a quarter of a million dollars to buy her the most beautiful home in Bel Air — and he put it in her name. The place is so big it actually contains a huge ballroom, which Zsa Zsa says would make a night club. There are three built-in safes where she can stash her jewels. Frank Sinatra’s present to his parents, the Martin Sinatras, on their fiftieth wedding anniversary: A $60,000 home in New Jersey. Frank dumped his hilltop house here for $200,000. Above: A local photographer zeroed in on Doris Day and came away with an amazing series of photographs showing her in all moods — from gleeful to glum. But the eye-catcher was another of those candids showing how skillful she is with bubble gum. Doris’ next job is the part Marilyn Monroe didn’t live to finish in “Something’s Got To Give.” You can bet there will be no nude bathing in it. Handing out Photoplay’s Gold Medal Awards on Johnny Carson’s TV show was a romp. Bette Davis, a sneaky one when it comes to stealing the show, got the biggest hand from Johnny’s audience. In case you missed the awards on TV, Bette’s story of how she lost out on the part of Scarlett O’Hara is worth repeating. She’d been raising cain with Warners to get her better stories and was pretty angry with them. So when the bosses called her in and said they could get “Gone With The Wind,” and told her it was a wonderful book, she snapped, “I’ll just bet it’s a dilly!” — and stalked off to England to sit out her contract. “It was one of the biggest boo-boos I ever made,” she recalls. Gary Clarke forgot his tuxedo and had to borrow one for the big evening. It was a little snug but nobody noticed. This was the first time I’d met Gary and I was much impressed with your choice for “most promising actor.” He seemed as confused as I was about his off-again, onagain romance with Connie Stevens, and wouldn’t talk about it on TV. Connie, I hear, has decided to create a new image. First step: a brand new bedroom addition to her home. It’ll be decorated with a bright red carpet and all pink furnishings. Dick Chamberlain, Photoplay’s actor of the year, was either the most relaxed winner — or the most exhausted. We flew East on the same plane, and Dr. Kildare snoozed soundly all the way. And in case anyone is interested — and about a million females are — he doesn’t snore. Suzanne Pleshette and Troy Donahue threw a unique party. All their friends had been sick, so they had them come as their favorite disease. They rented wheelchairs, had an ambulance outside the house, set up the cocktail bar like an operating table, and served wine in plasma bottles. Suzanne was crushed to learn that the idea wasn’t original— Carole Lombard and Bill Powell did it once long ago. After giving me the “we’re too busy with our careers for marriage” routine, Suzanne changed to: “I’m not too busy for marriage but . . .” Their romance is getting to the serious stage — he’s met her folks. And they liked him. ( Continued on page 26) 24