Hollywood Party Line

THE THALIANS is a new social group comprising about two hundred members of movietown’s younger set, both sexes. But plenty older celebs are joining up or lending a hand to this bunch of “do-gooders.” Aside from talking shop at their meetings, they also stage charity events and parties—mostly to raise money for their pet cause, mental health. At their dinner dance, plus an hilarious show at Ciro’s, they raised more than $10,000 for mental health centers. The “they” consisted of such as Debbie Reynolds, Hugh O’Brian, Gary Crosby, Maureen O’Hara, Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, who are among the club’s officers. For their first big bash, ringsiders included Rita Moreno, Anne Francis with John Lupton, Carol Ohmart with Tom Tryon, Jack Benny, the Guy Madisons, the Dean Martins, Cleo Moore, Lori Nelson with Tab Hunter, the Danny Kayes, Rhonda Fleming with Dr. Lew Morrill (freshly reconciled), Natalie Wood with Perry Lopez, May Wynn—and everyone enjoying Don McGuire’s funny satire of “Love Me or Leave Me.”

Two big preems this month. One was the glittery opening of “The Tall Men” at Grauman’s Chinese. Indoors—natch. The other, the bow of the Ice Follies at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium. The Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Bob Ryan starrer had an appropriately Western flavor for its glittery debut, what with L. A. Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz handing Gable a deputy sheriff’s badge, after a parade by a posse down Hollywood Boulevard. Jane wore rhinestone earrings a mile long and a long black fox stole. It was first “night out” for Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Kay Gable so far as a premiere is concerned and the bleacher crowd went mad for ’em. Kim Novak, in black lace, with Mac Krim (she could be Kim Krim any minute!) sat in front of me and I noted her hair, which she had to dye darker for “Picnic,” is back to its original light, light blond.

At the Ice Follies the Clark Gables were the center of attention, though Liberace, Doris Day with Marty Melcher, Joan Crawford with dotter, Christina and John Payne’s dotter, Sally, Charlton and Lydia Heston got their share of stares. Ann Miller was with Conrad Hilton, the hotel “typhoon.” This time out, Natalie Wood was Tab Hunter’s date. Ann Blyth was here with her doc looking lovely in an emerald green street dress. Liberace was “dressed to the teeth.” A red polka-dotted evening shirt fulla ruffles, a white bolero jacket, black trousers (the conservative touch! ), a black tie made of bugle beads, a cummerbund of black bugle beads, and cuff links, shirt studs and ring of diamonds—all in the shape of pianos!

Grace Kelly wore a simple, dark suit to the welcome-to-Hollywood cocktail party M-G-M bosses tossed for Alec Guinness, the swelegant Britisher who’d just arrived to play opposite Grace in “The Swan.” Grace wouldn’t tell where she got the new gold and pearl cherub brooch she had on, but you could well guess there’s an inscription from Jean Pierre Aumont on the back of it! Alec Guinness was telling how his bed collapsed under him as his plane was over the North Pole en route here. He added amusingly, “I just stayed on the floor a bit, gawking at the northern lights and such things. Very pleasant.” Later that evening, the Kelly gal gave a hamburger barbecue for Guinness at her house. Her guests were mostly of filmville’s British colony and included Elizabeth Taylor and Mike Wilding—and, of course, a lot of English accents!

John Ireland and Joanne Dru tossed a soiree at The Captain’s Table to celebrate opening of the new resort club they’ve opened at Phoenix, Arizona. Anna Maria Alberghetti took over a new Italian café, Abruzzi, tossed a dinner to celebrate the whole family’s recent TV success and engagement at Las Vegas.

—BY EDITH GWYNN

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE DECEMBER 1955