Hollywood Party Line

Boys and girls, squares and rounds! This past month has been the craziest! People you’d least suspect going in for frantic antics, wild quotes, dinners, preems and parties unending, it seemed.

 

By now, the world-shaking, but quite amusing and harmless stunt of Darryl Zanuck’s flying-trapeze act during the Ciro’s party for Terry Moore and dotter, Darrylyn Zanuck, is past history on the front pages. But there were lots of other things to note and enjoy at this unique and festive affair. Spectacular is the word to use for that night when Herman Hover and his beautiful wife, Yvonne, played host to almost four hundred at their cafe, Ciro’s, which natch was closed to the public for the evening. First came a sit-down, or rather squat-down, Japanese dinner for thirty—with diners, orientally costumed, consuming strictly Japanese vittles in Japanese style. Then, around nine, came the deluge of glamour-pusses, many of ’em so well camouflaged by their make-up and costumes it took me hours to recognize them. Jean Sim- mons, for instance; and Darrylyn in her black wig; and Lori Nelson (with Bob Kenaston, young son of Bille Dove!); Cleo Moore and Mitzi Gaynor. Clifton Webb’s get-up was a puzzler too—a Japanese kimono and a French beret! Bob Wagner wore his “Prince Valiant” wig. Joan Weldon and Jay Robinson put on what they called a “Chinese Charleston” before the early ayem hours; Jimmy Durante sang; Terry Moore sang, “Give Me a Little Kiss, Willya, Huh?”—then planted a big smooch on boss, D. F. Zanuck. Hey, mebbe that’s what sent him flying into the air on that trapeze?

Jane Powell and Mrs. Spike Jones arrived at Ciro’s in a real ricksha; Melinda Markey was with Brad Jackson who used to go with Piper Laurie.

During the floor-show part, of which I needn’t tell you was unrehearsed, the crowd was entertained by a pair of real geisha girls who sang and danced. There were huge blown-up pictures of Terry and Susie in their overseas duds and helmets all over the place. They’d just returned from entertaining the lads in Korea, y’know. Others at this $15,000 party were the Rex Harrisons, Debbie Reynolds, Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane, Hugh O’Brian, Lawrence Harvey, Craig Hill, Mari Blanchard and Linda Christian. I’ve left Linda for last—because hercostume was the last gasp—and had people pop-eyed! She wore a sarong from bare midriff to ankles and was bare footed. From midriff to neck was absolutely nothing—in the back. From waistline to her ears in front, however, were garlands and garlands of fresh flower leis hanging from her neck—and actually covering her modestly enough.

Pardon my pun—but the “Red Garters” preem was the snappiest of the month—with lots of celebs on hand and red garters being tossed around, tried on, posed in—as photogs’ bulbs flashed in the foyer of the theatre. Paramount sent out a bunch of well-stacked chorus cuties in Gay 90’s tights and opera-length hose to pose-pretty during the festivities and toss red garters at the fans in the bleachers. The lucky catchers got into the theatre for free. The gal most talked about during the evening was brunette starlet Marla English, a real beauty who greatly resembles Elizabeth Taylor. Joanne Gilbert, Terry Moore and Zsa Zsa Gabor seemed to be staging an endurance contest as to which could linger longest in the lobby and thereby get the most pictures taken before the movie flashed on the screen. Guy Mitchell and Zsa Zsa (she in platinum gown with wrap to match) stepped out of an old-fashioned horse-drawn buggy before all this pandemonium at the theatre entrance. Terry was with Tab Hunter, Marilyn Erskine with Casey Adams, Mona Freeman and Bob Stack, Aldo Ray with Jeff Donnell, Pat Crowley with Rupert Allen. Corinne Calvet (wearing long gray hair, of all things, and a white gown), the Bob Cummings, the Cecil B. De Milles, Eddie Robinson, the Dan Duryeas, the Mayor of Beverly Hills.

Mitzi Gaynor furnished a special eyeful at the star-studded Screen Directors Guild Award Dinner. She was poured into a skin-tight all-sequined gown. John Wayne, who lights up like a neon sign when Pilar Pallette is around, had tiny little Pilar on his arm.

When the Foreign Correspondents gave their Golden Globe Award shindig, it was a few days after Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had taken their vows, John Wayne, telling the diners why Marilyn wasn’t there to accept her Award, said, “Miss Monroe isn’t present. But then, Scrabble is keeping everyone at home these nights!”

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE MAY 1954