Blind Date Party

Mitzi Gaynor’s blind date party began as a dinner-time conversation. “It’s spring,” said Mitzi to her mother and her fiancé, Jack Bean, that evening. “And I don’t need a calendar to know it.”

“You’re real crazy,” grinned Jack. “But I love you.” 

“And | love you,” said his girl. That’s just it. It’s my theory that everyone should be in love.”

“I second the emotion,” was Mr. Bean’s enthusiastic reply.

“And Dick Allan should ask Terry Moore for a date,” Mitzi went on.

“Mitzi,” said her mother. “Eat your dinner.”

“Why should Dick Allan ask Terry Moore for a date?” asked the reasonable Mr. Bean.

Mitzi’s reply was equally reasonable. 

Terry and Dick had known each other for nearly a year. Terry’d taken dancing lessons from Dick at the Fox lot. But Richard had confided to Mitzi he’d never had nerve enough to ask Terry for a date. She always seemed to be going out with five other guys . . . and . . . well . . .

“Think of all the kids who would make cute couples and they don’t even know it,” sighed Mitzi.

Operation Cupid was underway. Before the evening was over, the party was planned. Comprising the guest list were some of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor boys and bachelor girls—Terry and Dick, Lori and George, Susan Cabot and Dick Anderson, Dolores Dorn and Hugh O’Brian. Next day, Mitzi called to invite the girls. Jack phoned the boys. The inevitable question, “Who’ll be my date?” was answered with mysterious stretches of silence, followed by double talk, ending with “Wait and see.”

The girls planned to arrive early. Dolores was first. She’d made up her mind to wear a blue gown, then decided upon her new red dress. Mitzi met her at the door. “Twins,” she whooped, standing there in her chiffon creation. Terry, coming up the steps, heard her. “Triplets,” she corrected when she reached the door. Terry was also wearing red. When Lori arrived, the girls breathed sighs of relief. “Now here’s a girl who dares to be different,” Dolores declared. Lori wore pink.

Just then Susan Cabot appeared in the doorway and Jack went to greet her. She looked around. “Where’s everybody?” she asked.

“Here we are,” volunteered Hugh.

Then Mitzi appeared. “Here we are,” she grinned. “Come on in.”

So Susan went in and pretty soon the girls came out and there was a flurry of introductions. And for an ice-breaker Mitzi organized a game of charades, during which Hugh O’Brian’s idea of “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” nearly broke the floor.

Mitzi and Jack beamed as the couples paired off. Lori and George took to one another right away. They’re both quiet, both very serious about their careers. She’d seen him in RKO’s “Carnival Story,” in which he has a lead. He’d heard raves about her performance as Nora in the scene from “Here Come the Clowns,” which was featured in the Universal-International stage show, “Inside U-I.” They talked about acting and they talked about travel. George had made pictures in India, Sweden and Germany. Lori talked of the film festival in South America which she’d recently attended.

“You make a beautiful corpse,” said Hugh to Dolores.

“Why thank you,” said Dolores to Hugh, taking no offense.

She was a victim of the killer in “Phantom of the Rue Morgue.” However, she’s very much alive in “Lucky Me” and currently under contract to Warners. Hugh obtained his release from Universal-Inter- national to freelance, and was signed by Fox for a role in “Broken Lance.”

Dick Anderson, who’s in M-G-M’s “Student Prince,” dubbed tiny Susan Cabot “Half-pint.” Susan (in “Ride Clear of Diablo”) likes tall guys, used to date Rock Hudson. Dick occasionally squires Debbie Reynolds and Vera-Ellen.

After everyone devoured the buffet supper provided by Mrs. Gerber, . . Terry and Dick were talked into going through one of their dance routines. “Terry’s one of my best pupils,” said Dick proudly.

Kids left shortly before midnight, leaving a thoughtful host and hostess sitting dreaming beside the pool—happy as a couple of Cupids.

THE END

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE JULY 1954