Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1952)

] liollywocx a ] party line one of the most lavish soirees given hereabouts in a long time was the "little shindig” the Director Henry Hathaways tossed for only a hundred of their most intimate friends. The Hathaways gathered most of Filmville’s top glamour pusses beneath a tent that was oh. so flatteringly lighted. Not only was the tent decorated with thousands of white flowers, but its poles, besides being strung with the blooms, had a total of forty-five white bird cages hanging from them at various angles. Dining and dancing in this decor, none looked lovelier than Arlene Dahl in apricot chiffon, a wonderful complement to her red hair; Nancy Sinatra, in strapless white satin with heart-shaped bodice above enormously full floor-length skirt; Rhonda Fleming in a slinky white beaded dress; Lauren Bacall in a two-piece floorlength blue taffeta gown that belied her expectin' condition. Clifton Webb & Mom, the Mervyn LeRoys, Barbara Stanwyck with Jean Pierre Aumont (who was taking off for Europe that week), the Ricardo Montalbans, the Van Johnsons (Evie in a stunning pink, heavily Leaded Fontana creation) and the Ty Powers were others there. * A very swank dinner-dance was the one the Jack Bennvs gave before they took off for Europe. It was at Romanoff’s “Crown Room” and swirling about in their fanciest duds were Ann Sothern in blaek chiffon with best beau, Richard Egan. Jane Wyman wore a gorgeous gown of voluminous skirts-onskirts of pale blue tulle shading into violet. Jane came with the Perlbergs. June Allyson, in cherry red taffeta grinned when Dick Powell borrowed a trumpet from a member of the band and did some tooting himself. Dean Martin sang — and, of course. Jack Benny played a fiddle solo for all the nice people. * Before Bette Davis and Gary Merrill went visiting back east, these two showed their early New England background by giving another real old-fashioned clambake on the sands in front of their home at Malibu Beach. Lobster and corn cooked in a deep pit of hot bricks, steamed clams and wonderful salads were part of the feast. Jane Wyman back with Greg Bautzer, Keenan Wynn, Ann Sheridan. Carleton Carpenter and the David Waynes were among the fifty guests. Later, most of ’em played the weirdest game. A toy balloon was filled with helium. Then someone would take a deep breath from it. If the intake is properly done, the gas will make even the most masculine voice sound like Donald Duck's. Don't imagine you'll be able to try this on the neighbors. The price of helium is slightly prohibitive. * Hey! Ernest Adler, the New York stylist who came to Hollywood to do Judy Garland’s hair-styling during her stage engagements, says that gals who aren’t afraid to change their head-contours from time to time will be buying plenty of "fallsies” this fall. He says the vogue for additional hair pieces like “falls,” curls, bangs and chignons is gaining in favor — despite the poodle and other variations of the short snip. The kids of famous parents had another inning when almost three hundred pupils of the Buckley schools put on their own production of an old-time vaudeville show at Hollywood’s Coronet Theatre. The sprigs who put on “The Bantam Brevities” ranged in age from two to twelve. Among the singers, dancers and comics were Liza Minnelli, whose Ma just happens to be Judy Garland, peppy little Alice Faye Harris, whose Ma and Pa, Alice and Phil, were beaming from the audience. Ditto for Eleanor Parker’s little dotter, Susan Friedlob, Robert Young’s first-grader, Kathy Young — and little Timmy Lee, son of M-G-M studio’s police chief. Everybody had a hall ! And speaking of kids — Betty Hutton gave a baby shower for her sister Marion at the Balboa Bay Club, and thought of a cute stunt for occasions like this. All the girls were asked to bring baby pictures of themselves. The snaps or photos were then all mixed up in a basket. The prize went to the femme who guessed the most pictures correctly — after a quick glance around the room — for an extra look or two at “the chums.” A writer-pal of Betty’s came out with the highest score and she went home carrying the most beootiful petticoat, with three handembroidered frilly flounces. Buyers from almost every state, plus oglers from Alaska, Canada. Japan and other far away places, came to our Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove to see the new styles dreamed up by the California Apparel Creators. And, believe me, it’s apparent that apparel made from orlon. dacron, nylon or combinations of these with wool, rayon, etc., are the thing to buy now and for your on-coming fall and winter wardrobes. At this between-season time, a smart gal knows enough not to waste her money at late summer sales. She will buy something that will do for the early fall warm weather and carry on into the blustery days, as well. It’s amazing how much choice one has with the new materials. You can make almost any purchase an all-year round wearable! The new styles are very feminine — waistlines are lower. And anybody should know that longer waistlines (especially the basque effect) seem to take pounds off any body! The “glitter look” we’ve spoken of continues — even carrying over into fall coats. Some woolly toppers and evening wraps, of course, have collars or cuffs, or both, trimmed with I simulated jewels. And really exciting are the cottons, rayons and orlons that look like woolly tweeds. You can start wearing i them right now — and they’re perfect later under fall wraps, most especially if they’re trimmed with velvet or can be smartly combined with velvet or suede accessories later on. Jean Simmons and Mona Freeman have outfits that illustrate this point. They may look summery as all git-out now, but they’ll be darned chic when the leaves begin to fall. Mona’s is a dark red dress of heavy, rough-finish linen, with a huge skirt. Jean's is a stunning daytimer — made of, believe it or not, real mattress ticking, in dark gray with paler gray stripes. And speaking of clothes, when Barbara Stanwyck was named "best dressed woman in the entertainment world” by the California Fashion Creators — and was given their annual Golden Scissors Award — she looked mighty deserving of the honor. She accepted it in a shortish white lace dress, over deep blue taffeta. Its full, stiffened skirt was topped by a tight bodice trimmed with tiny blue and white “sea-shells.” Barbara Stanwyck, Aumont