Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1951)

she has her visiting maid. Nancy says she’s never gone Dutch on a Hollywood date. But she did often in New York. Joan Evans goes Dutch a lot because, as she says, “I know so many starving young actors.” Joan dates boys in the industry almost exclusively. “They seem to understand my problems. Besides, I’m so new to this business that actortalk simply thrills me. I want to talk about pictures all the time.” Joan’s first date was an Exeter prom. “I was the youngest girl there,” she says. “But my mother worked on the theory that unless I had been ready to handle myself well, unless I was adult enough to accept the responsibility of a date like that, I wouldn’t have been asked.” Joan loves to entertain in her apartment in her parents’ house, to have kids over and listen to records. Her biggest party was a house-warming. Thirty-five dropped in from nine o’clock on. At midnight she served chili that had been made early that morning and was re-heated on the hot plate in her small kitchen. Joan’s idea of a special date is the ballet, the theater, or a concert. Carleton Carpenter likes to get Sunday breakfast for his friends. He also has people in for dinners which he cooks. Macaroni and cheese is his specialty. Occasionally, Carleton says, he will go Dutch. Debbie Reynolds likes to go Dutch. “And most of the boys agree,” she says, “particularly college boys who have to buy books and who aren’t earning any money.” Debbie still goes with boys she knew in high school, doesn’t mix too much with the Hollywood crowd. Asked if there are restrictions on her dating she says with casual pride, “My family trusts me.” Phyllis Kirk doesn’t go out with actors very much. She likes writers, she says, “and musicians, mostly one musician.” That would be Andre Previn, the brilliant young pianist who headed the M-G-M music department until he went into service. Now Phyllis, who is by way of being an intellectual, spends hours writing him. Phyllis likes to cook buffet suppers for her friends. About special dates, she says, “I never think of a date being average or special according to what is done. It’s the guy who makes the difference.” Dale Robertson was five years old when he started going out with a little girl who lived around the corner back in Oklahoma. “And we went together,” he says, “right straight through school.” Dale likes to have friends over after dinner for talk and TV. Out-of-doors his favorite date is to go horseback riding. Betty Lynn goes Dutch when she’s with a bunch of professional people on tour or something like that. But she doesn’t believe in it for a real date. Betty’s very social, loves to go out. But when she stays in she likes to have girls over for “heavy talking.” Tony Curtis, who says he was “pushing six” when he started to date, likes to ask the kids to his place to listen to his record collection. He’ll go Dutch if he’s on layoff. “If a girl’s in accord,” he explains, “and says, ‘You’re with me tonight,’ I’m not in the least embarrassed.” Rock Hudson will go Dutch “if a girl asks me and I’m short of cash.” He’s dated non-professional girls mostly because “a girl’s a girl and a guy’s a guy whether they’re in pictures or not.” His favorite girl now, however, is Vera-Ellen. Rock doesn’t entertain at his apartment. “I wouldn’t,” he says, “inflict my cooking on my friends.” Roddy McDowall didn’t start dating until he was seventeen. Now he almost never dates nonprofessional girls. “I’m in love ^>4e Worn by Jan Sterling, in “Ace in the Hole" A Paramount Picture SCULPTURED SWIMSUITS For illustrated style folder, write: ROSE MARIE REID DEPT. Pti 1 035 SANTEE ST 10S ANGELES 15 A gem of a swimsuit . . . designed like an evening gown with diamond-cut decol letage and sculptured like a fine foundation garment . . . in jewel tones that glow for sun . . . for swim . . . for psychology. I p H 0 T 0 P L A y 77