Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1952)

Stuff... Hollywood Party Line BY EDITH GWYNN Mr orous Mocambo opening . . . Beauty and the beast— or Jane Powell splitting a fat Nova Scotia lobster at the King’s while she hums along with the Disc Jockey . . . Roy Rogers and Dale Evans fishing off the coast of Malibu, where a whale suddenly emerged next to their boat and sent them scooting back to their boots and saddles! Canine Critic: Hearing Smudgie, her pet pooch, howling his head off, Doris Day went into the living room to investigate. With back stiffened and fur all but flying he was sitting there watching a popular singing star make her debut on television! No, Smudgie didn’t receive an extra special bone for his loyalty. Doris never worries about rival singers and anyway, she has too much humor to consider anything but the very funny side of this very funny story! Slow Poke: Everybody loves her but | the fact still remains, somehow Marilyn / Monroe always manages to be behind schedule. Although she has never been known to hold up a set — she does keep : even reporters waiting. That’s like breaking one of the ten commandments in Hollywood. Armed Guard: Here’s one for the Hollywood book. The Stewart Grangers took Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding to Palm Springs just before the latter departed for England. Liz and Michael didn’t want to pose for photographers down there, because of the little time they had left to be together. When the Grangers were asked to pose separately, they begged off, explaining— I1 “We’re chaperoning and it wouldn’t be very nice for us to leave Elizabeth and Michael by themselves!” Wherp Men Are Men: Wearing a beautiful new gown, Joanne Dru floated down the stairway as her young son, ( Continued on page 18) Katie Grayson, who has been living very quiet ly since divorce from Johnnie Johnston, came with David May, once wed to Ann Rutherford Marie Wilson, Jane Russell, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse at Pantages premiere used to be identified with knits only for Spring! Spring! Spring around, gals, and get yourselves one of the first and newest resort dresses now blooming in the shops. As always, they’re the real tip-off as to what we’ll be wearing for months to come. When Arlene Dahl and Lex Barker had a bunch of their friends in for a Swedish grog party, she wore a simple short-sleeved Vnecked dress of a wonderful beige nubbed silk. It was a perfect foil for her Titian coloring. There’s a narrow button-down panel of matching beige linen from neck to hem of its moderately full skirt; the cuffs are edged with linen, too. Arlene wore gobs of bright coral and gold jewelry with it. Jeanne Crain and Georgiana Montalban, both expectin’, were wearing beautifully embroidered and beaded sweater cardigan jackets over their full skirts. The one-time prosaic sweater is now in full swing as a real glamour job. And the sequins, headings, embroidery, etc., that winter wear, are now chic all year round. John Lund’s pretty wife Marie whipped up a flaring, quilted gold-toned crepe skirt to go with a beautiful gold sweater decorated with topaz sequins that she bought — and wore this stunning outfit to a party at my house. Lena Horne wore a chartreuse sweater crushed into a big skirt of chartreuse silk faille, its unpressed pleats held to a tiny waistline by a corset-like belt of black patent. Lena sang for us all accompanied by her husband Lennie Hayton, alternating with Roger Edens, the former pianist and musician who arranges all Judy Garland’s songs as a gesture of friendship, even though he’s a producer now. Errol Flynn and Pat Vymore, the Bruce Cabots, the Herbert Marshalls, the Johnny Greens, Angela Greene and lovely Donna Reed in black lace were other dropper-inners at Chez Gwynn. Omigosh, almost forgot the Van Johnsons. Van was wearing a dark blue suit, bright red flannel vest, bright red socks and black suede slippers with dull gold embroidery on ’em that Van said he bought in England. For laughs maybe? There was dancing in the streets — but literally — the night Howard Hughes preemed “Two Tickets to Broadway.” Traffic at Hollywood and Vine came to a stop; there were people standing on roofs of buildings around the Pantages Theatre as uniformed men (soldiers, sailors and marines) grabbed cuties from the Studio Club (specially invited for the event) and did Charlestons and rhumbas right on the street! Manny Harmon’s hot band blared from a raised platform in the lobby. People broke through police lines and mobbed the celebs and star Tony Martin got into the general mad spirit and did some vocalizing. Jane Russell, wearing the heaviest pair of chandelier earrings you’ve ever seen (see cut), got a big hand fi-om the crowd. Kathryn Grayson, with David May, was in pale gray; Gloria de Haven was with her pa, Carter de Haven; Laraine Day looked perky in bright red taffeta with Leo Durocher; Joyce Holden, with Dok Stanford, was a charmer in a net dress that shaded from blues to deep violet tones. There was a mad crush of humanity at the party hosted by Frank Sinatra after the preview of “Meet Danny Wilson” at the Ambassador. Ava Gardner remained in the background as Frank bounced around being nice as all-get-out to the press and other invitees — even sang for the crowd. There was quite a jam session later, with Dean Martin, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, the Jeff Chandlers, Marilyn Maxwell, Shelley Winters, Donald O’Connor, Billy Eckstine and Rock Hudson taking part. There’s one more party we must tell you about — because it was such fun and so gay. I’m referring to the night Sam Spiegal and Humphrey Bogart, who coproduced “The African Queen,” invited a hundred guests to a special showing, then wined and dined them later with a supper dance at Romanoff’s. After that delightful movie, everyone was in a fun mood and when they got to Romanoff’s they found hundreds of little toy monkeys strung from ribbons over the bar and their tables decorated with tiny mechanical elephants, lizards, etc., that really “did their stuff' when wound up. Lauren Bacall, in a black and white cocktail dress, acted as hostess for such as Cary Grant and Betsy Drake, Marilyn Monroe with Nick Ray (being unwound from Gloria Grahame), Dan Dailey (stag), the Ray Millands, Arlene Dahl and Lex Barker, Ann Miller, in white trimmed with lots of white ostrich feathers, with Eddie Grainger, the James Masons (Mrs. M. in a slinky black crepe gown), Eleanor Parker in flowing yellow chiffon.