TV Radio Mirror (Jul - Dec 1961)

What's New on the West Coast (Continued from page 7) panel of a plane, Ralph pushed on with his study and became a fullfledged licensed pilot. But now his agents are getting worried. He was offered an important role and they regretfully turned it down. Reason: He would have had to play a botanist slowly dying of plant poisoning. "We were afraid he'd get so realistic, he'd 'live the role' and we'd lose a client," they explain. Ralph grins: "I wonder what they'd say if they knew I've been approached about doing the part of a spaceman?" The City Dump Is Where You Need A Fan: VanHeflin recently remodeled his home and had to take a number of large trees, cut down from his Brentwood estate, to the Los Angeles city dump. While waiting for his crew of workmen to unload the trucks, Van was approached by an official bearing what looked like a book of regulations. The actor immediately became worried for fear he'd broken a law. "Mr. Heflin," said the official, "would you be good enough to sign our city -dump guest book? We'd like to add your name to those of the other stars we've had here!" Hollywood Go-Round : Dan Duryea's recent appearance on Laramie marked the actor's 100th "guest star" television appearance. . . . Cliff Robertson has purchased screen rights to "The Two Weeks of Charlie Gordon," U.S. Steel Hour teleplay which won him an Emmy nomination. . . . The kiddies' favorite comic, Soupy Sales, has formed his own TV company and will film a series with the quite natural title of In The Soup. . . . Warner Bros, apparently learned a lesson from the James Gainer walkout and court case and are giving all their TV stable a crack at feature films. Andrew Duggan and Ty Hardin have been assigned top roles in the studio's "Chapman Report." . . . Larry Pennell, star of the new Ripcord series, says: "Some actors do movies so they can get into TV, and some do TV so they can make it big in movies. Me — I'm just working real hard so I can get my own radio show. It's my number-one ambition." . . . Efrem Zimbalist explains why he no longer enjoys reading detective stories: "Before I started work in 77 Sunset Strip, I read mysteries voraciously, each time trying to guess who done it. Lately, when I read them, I find myself trying to guess what the network might object to, if it were a teleplay!" . . . Bob Ryan's a "rotten" businessman but a "first-class" Irishman. While filming 'Billy Budd" in London, he passed up a BBC TV "special" and spent his one week off from the film visiting distant relatives in Ireland. "Just had to get a look at the land of my forebears," says Bob, "even if it did cost me money." . . . Molly Bee filed for divorce against TV cameraman John Kipp less than three months after she became a bride. Friends say she married on the rebound — is "torching" for an "unavailable" man. ... A surprise twosome cropping up often is Joan Fontaine and Glenn Ford. Joan's comment: "He's interesting, well-read, doesn't talk about the movie industry, and he orders a dinner beautifully." No corn Believe it or not — Groucho goes dramatic in General Electric Theater. ment from Glenn, who showered roses on ex-wife Eleanor Powell during her recent starring at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. . . . And recently divorced Chuck Connors has been busy denying rumors he's interested in Joan Taylor. Joan's appeared on The Rifleman, but their friendship is purely professional. . . . Anna Maria Alberghetti is negotiating with Rod Serling to write an original Broadway play for her. And Hugh O'Brian is another with the "legit" bug — may star for producer Alfred Lunt next fall in a musical comedy. The Monday Tuesday Lost Her Head: Tuesday Weld, the "wig-wag girl" (she owns seven of the artifices), finally bought a brunette one. But she promptly filed and forgot it. A few weeks later, the cute blonde opened the closet where she'd set it neatly on its model-head and let out a shriek. She'd forgotten all about it and for a minute thought it was really somebody's head! Incidentally, for the astro logical-minded, Gary Lockwood, a current Tuesday admirer, has the same birthday, February 21, as Dick Beymer, Tuesday's ex-love. Tribute to a True Gentleman: When the annual Santa Claus Parade debuts down Hollywood Boulevard this year, its usual leader will be missing. Leo Carrillo, "Man on Horseback," and a star on TV's Cisco Kid a few years back, is gone — and a symbol of California tradition will be sorely missed. The Whosie & Whatsie: Gary Vinson, who plays the office boy in The Roaring 20's, took James Flavin, who plays the city editor, to the opening of "The Ice Follies." Says Gary: "I want to be upped to reporter — so I figured I'd butter up the boss." . . . Leonard Ackerman and John Burrows, the coproducers of Target: The Corruptors, are two serious young bachelors who insist that, while they are by no means "anti-romance," their show is no place for outside fun. Jack Lemmon wanted a walk-on role when girlfriend Felicia Farr was appearing in a recent segment, but the producers both said "nix — work and romance don't mix." Incidentally, Jack and Felicia, "steadies" for four years, seem to hold the Hollywood record in the "When will they ever marry?" department. Doug McClure and Barbara Luna, "engaged" for almost two years, seem to be the runnerups. The betting is 80-20 that neither wedding will ever come off — but then, the same odds were up before Debbie Reynolds and Harry Karl finally became "Mr. and Mrs." . . . Gi-oucho, Chico and Harpo Marx will tread the TVways next season in a most unique way. They'll star in a new Screen Gems comedy series to be produced in "TriCinemation." In this new animated art form, the threesome will be represented visually by life-like figures that will talk (except for Harpo — who will whistle), move, and act exactly like the Marx Brothers in their famous movies. All the brothers will have to do is provide the voices. "And that," says Groucho, "is the easiest way to earn a living I've ever heard of." Groucho has a G-E Theater coming up in which he does a straight dramatic role. The producer hoped that his daughter, Melinda, could portray his TV offspring. But, after testing, it was realized that fifteenyear-old Miss Marx wasn't old enough to play a girl about to be married. It turned out to be a family affair, anyway— with Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Hopper playing the young couple. Dennis and Brooke Hayward, daughter of producer Leland Hayward and the late Margaret Sullavan,. were newlyweds of three weeks when signed to portray the teenagers in the TV segment. 55