Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1952)

hollywood party line no matter what change of silhouette a new style trend may bring (though Heaven knows, most any silhouette is chic at the moment) there is never really an/ style or “shape” or color that challenges the perennial smartness of black. And now there’s the latest rage in fabrics, our old, old standby, crepe, to wear it in. Whether softly draped or softly full, nothing lends itself to the addition of varied accessories nor furnishes the basis for so many changes of costume as your old friend, the “basic black.” This season, the very festive cocktail or dinner dress will be superseded by the less dressy, yet more than usually smart afternoon dress. Golly! It’s been ages since gals shopped for glamorous afternoon clothes. But they’re making up for lost time. Saw Esther Williams at the Brown Derby in a navy blue crepe very much in the new mood. The bodice was snug, with full sleeves that drew tight just above the elbow. The skirt had a graceful panel — lined in mauve satin — floating from the right hip to the hem. A tiny navy hat, violet-trimmed, short mauve gloves, and navy suede bag and shoes finished off this charming outfit. Then there are those wonderful wrinkle-resistant crepes that can go anywhere, anytime, and look just as good after a week in a suit-case! Shelley Winters has a stunner in charcoal gray. It was her mainstay when she visited her Vittorio in Mexico while he was working on “Sombrero.” The trim sheath has short puffed sleeves, and over it goes a soft jacket with a narrow shawl collar and bracelet* length sleeves. But we’d better get on to shindigs! The opening of “The Story of Will Rogers” was a very glittery event and full of nostalgic moments. Finlay Currie, that great character actor, showed up in kilts! Roy Rogers and his ever-lovin’ Dale Evans wore matching white suits and cute cowboy hats. But for most, it was a black-tie affair and the grandstand crowd cheered their favorites— Debbie Reynolds, real sharp in a mauve, full-skirted evening gown, with Bob Wagner; Margaret O’Brien, in a beoootiful white lace bouffant gown; Wanda Hendrix in white satin, with Dick Allan; Janet Leigh, with that poodle cut she hates (but has to have for “The Naked Spur”) and Tony Curtis with a long bob — and we’re not kidding; The Danny Thomases, the Jeff Chandlers, the Jerry Lewises, the Dennis Morgans, Joel McCrea. . Premiering: Wanda Hendrix, Dick Allan On the way into the theater, Virginia Mayo, in a lovely full-skirted gown of fire-engine red silk and net, suddenly stopped dead, raised her skirts and had hubby Michael O’Shea adjust a fire-red garter on one of her gorgeous gams! (Most of the gapers probably weren’t hep to the fact that this might have p been a good stunt to plug Virginia’s picture, “She’s Working Her Way Through College.”) Now then, we come to the exciting opening of the play, “Stalag 17” (you’ll be seeing a movie of it this fall), when not only Michael Rennie showed up wearing one of those black string ties with his tux, but so did George Montgomery. (We teenk they steenk! — the ties, that is!) Also at the show were the Burt Lancasters (he left next day for the Fiji Islands to star in “His Majesty O’Keefe”), Dinah Shore, really snappy in dressy separates consisting of black velvet, short-sleeved, low-necked top and a gold and black metallic skirt “a few thousand yards” wide. The Brod Crawfords, Monica Lewis in pale blue taffeta, Eve Arden, the Don Taylors, the Lloyd Nolans, Gary Cooper with dotter, Maria, Alex Nicol there too! But it was starlet Laurette Luez who really stole the style show (and we don’t necessarily mean the laurels for smartness). She was decked out in a slinky, low-cut number of black satin. It was so tight, it looked as though she was wearing black skin. All we can say is that if Marilyn Monroe had seen it, she would probably have cut her throat. Or cut Laurette’s! Of course, the biggest to-do in town was one again honoring Judy Garland. Meaning the huge testimonial dinner tossed for the gal by the Friars’ Club at the Biltmore Bowl. And the bowl overflowed with people who not only paid tribute to Judy, but paid $25 a plate for the privilege, thus swelling the charity fund of the Friars to the merry tune of $25,000. Speechmakers (including Judy, who also sang) were Frank Sinatra, Roz Russell, Ezio Pinza, Marie Wilson, Olivia de Havilland, Eddie Cantor, Ronnie Reagan and others. Judy looked darling in pale, pale yellow crepe and net trimmed with tiny pearls. Roz Russell pulled the nicest, most sentimental line of the evening when she said, “I don’t need an autograph book, Judy. Your name is written on my heart.” Guess who’s Gary 6 favorite girl friend now! Bob and Dolores Hope seldom go to parties or nightclubs, hut they had lots of fun at the soiree Liz Dailey (Dan’s ex) gave for her on-again, off-again fiance, wealthy Bob Neal, at Ciro’s. Sheila Connolly, who is an absolute double for Liz Taylor, was there with Arthur Loew, Jr., once Janet Leigh’s best beau. Craig Hill was with Molly Dunn who used to date Pete Lawford, and Pete was there with Jean McDonald. Terry Moore was stunning in a full skirted dress of reddish brown crepe. Wot fun there was at the crammed jam-session type party Jane Wyman threw for about a hundred chums! Jane asked her guests to wear ginghams, dungarees and such, and she came in a red and white checked cotton. Nancy Sinatra, and most of the other gals dressed “as instructed.” But of all people, Betty Hutton, who loves to rough it, was dolled up like crazy! She wore a tiny little cocktail hat with a really knockout black and white checked dress. Sally Cobb, wife of Brown Derby’s Bob Cobb, looked similarly chic in white satin with small black stripes. Bettv, new groom, Charlie, and Mrs. Boh Cobb 3