Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1960)

Lauren and Jason tried to hide when their secret came out. Bits anti Bites: While poor Debbie Reynolds wore herself out selling tickets all over Las Vegas to the Thalian Charity Ball, a hot piece of news trailed along. It began when a columnist reported Harry Karl had bought Debbie a $32,000 full-length white mink coat as a wedding present. Along with that Benedict Canyon home Harry is rumored to have bought his bride-to-be, and also all those jewels and presents. In short, what has Liz got that Debbie hasn’t, except Eddie Fisher? And speaking of Eddie, his days as a singer seem to be over and from now on Eddie will concentrate on Liz’s career and be a movie producer. Good luck to you, Eddie! Lunch at Warners: Bob Conrad, one oi the “Hawaiian Eye” stars, gave up his daily hour at the studio gym to lunch with me in Warners’ Green Room and to chat freely of his home and family. And what a well-adjusted family it is. For instance, Bob told me about a recent trip he and his wife and two small daughters took through central California. Everywhere, even in the smallest towns, the fans recognized and besieged Bob for his autograph. “Why are you writing on those pieces of paper?” his bewildered children asked. “Oh, it’s something about my job,” Bob said, and passed it off. One day, the older of his little daughters, who had been playing with neighbor children, asked Bob a puzzling question: “Daddy, are you an actor or a movie star? “I m an actor,” Bob said. “You see, people who are actors live in an apartment as we do. Stars live in Beverly Hills and have swimming pools.” “Oh,” said the little girl, completely satisfied with the explanation. And, incidentally, here’s one actor who takes a genuine interest in you, his fans, going over your letters with tender seriousness, often working at his studio office until late into the night. “Interest in my fans may not make me a star,” says Bob. “but it makes for better understanding between us.” And how very right he is. This and That : Connie Stevens was the proudest young lady in town showing off her ten-year-old half-sister, Ava Maria, and her seven-year-old halfbrother, Johnny. During their visit here, the kids were the pets of the studio. And no wonder. Young johnny, who scored on Broadway in the play “Creen Willow,” is all set Eva Marie and Jeff had a ball. for his next play, “A Death in the Family,” and Ava has an offer to step into the Mary Martin show “Sound of Music” this season. No wonder Connie beamed. . . . The three most wanted men in Hollywood today are Cary Grant, Elrem Zimbalist and Yves Montand, in that order. There isn’t an actress in the business who wouldn’t give her capped eye-teeth to play opposite one of these three. With Cary, powerful enough to pick and choose his own, the choice boils down to Efrem and Yves, with Efrem a fair edge over the Frenchman. And happy was Lana Turner to grab the Zimbalist charmer for her current film, “By Love Possessed,” and more than happy was Ingrid Bergman to land Montand for her movie “Time on Her Hands.” . . . Eva Marie Saint and hubby, Jeff Hayden, had a grand time at the “Ice Follies” premiere. . . . The famous Kowloon restaurant in Hollywood keeps a chain across the booth that was Stephen Boyd’s favorite. Even Edd Byrnes couldn’t break down their resolution to keep it exclusively Boyd’s until the actor returns from movie-making overseas. Twosomes: the Bob Conrads, Connie Stevens and John Ashley. Cal York’s Jottings: Doris Day is still glowing with pleasure over being named “Star of the Year” by the Theater Owners of America. . . . Donald O’Connor beaming over his new son Don. “But he’s not to be called Junior,” Don tells me. The O’Connors are also the parents of two little girls. . . . Twentieth Century-Fox lifted Millie Perkin’s suspension. . . . Alana Ladd happy over her job in a “77 Sunset Strip” segment and the fact her good friend Peter Fonda, Henry’s son, traveled to Hollywood to see her. Could be a romance for these two. . . . Connie Francis won another gold record which is getting to be a habit with this popular young singer. . . . Lori Nelson and composer-conductor Johnny Mann may be “Mann” and wife any minute now and are they happy. . . . The warmest romance in town is that of Jean Simmons and director Richard Brooks which doesn't set too well with Stew'art Granger. . . . Lauren Bacall was named by Jason Rohard’s wife in a separation action. Friends predict that, when he’s free, Lauren will wed Jason, who bears an almost uncanny resemblance to her late husband, Humphrey Bogart.