Nice Going

IF YOU’VE ever watched a Hollywood glamour doll on a personal appearance tour step out of an overnight plane, a rattling train, a crowded boat or a bus en route to a camp show, you have marveled how she managed to keep her hair without one straggling lock, her make-up without blurred lipstick or shiny nose, her clothes free from a single wrinkle.

That, dear readers, is no accident. It’s the fine art of traveling beautifully. With the Hollywood girls, this is good business. For those of you who contemplate a summer vacation, to travel beautifully is wise and thrifty.

Actually, every one of these tricks of Hollywood’s lovelies, who have travel in their blood and brains in their heads, is simple, easy to learn, easy to master.

Nancy Davis advises: If you are traveling by car, start with clean hair done up in pm-curls. Tie a scarf or turban around your head. Carry a brush-and-comb set in a small case; stop at the last gas station before your destination and comb out your hair. Also cleanse your face and put on make-up, using dime-store sample sizes of powder, lipstick, cold cream and such which you can carry in your handbag. Change from slacks or similar loose driving clothes to the outfit in which you wish to arrive.

When driving, wear those cream-skin gloves used to whiten and soften hands. They’re fine to grip the wheel and they give you a beauty treatment at the same time. Cream your face—nobody’s going to see you. Put eye drops in your eyes, eye cream underneath. Use no make-up except lipstick.

If you start driving with the top down, don’t overdo the sunbath unless you want to look like a lobster. Put a good anti-sunburn lotion on face and arms—such as Tartan, which you can be sure of, as it has been approved by the American Medical Association. Then put the top up after a short time. Take along a thermos of the water you’re used to drinking. Many stomach aches come from changes in drinking water.

Hang your dresses in a zipper bag hooked to the roof of your car. If your car has a solid top, you can buy rods on which to hook the bag. A knit dress has more advantages than most people realize; it doesn’t wrinkle, it absorbs moisture.

Margaret Whiting, Cyd Charisse, and Arlene Dahl, all of whom have recently been going by bus to camps and hospitals to entertain servicemen, offer these suggestions: When you go by bus you see the world and the world sees you. So wear comfortable but attractive clothes. Nix on tight skirts that slide up if you want to put up your feet. Take along a pair of cotton gloves and keep them on. Not only are they ladylike, they protect your skin. Have a fresh pair for your arrival.

Don’t slump. Don’t look out of the window all the time. Rest your eyes. It’s a good time, too, to do eye exercises: Close eyes, look up right, down left, etc. Cup palms over eyes; see black. Do your foot exercises secretly, rotating feet, stretching ankles. Use the same hair deal as in auto travel and comb out in ladies room at last stop before destination.

Anne Baxter, who has been working on location nearly two years, has discovered wonderful tricks for train travel.

Suppose you’re making an overnight trip or longer. Use the first night as a time for rest and relaxation. Prepare for the second night as a transition, a rest cure. After that, be yourself.

Anne, the first night out, has an early dinner and asks the porter to make up her berth while she’s in the diner. She doesn’t hang around the club car afterward but goes to bed at once; gives herself a quick facial; puts oil on her hands.

If you are traveling alone, you might take along that old lingerie, that washed-out nightgown you were about to throw away. Then when you get to your destination you can dispose of them and you won’t be bothered with soiled clothes to pack. Write your first letters home on the train; that’ll keep your family in a good humor and you won’t have to think about them for a day or so after you get where you’re going.

For vacationers who wish to travel by train and for whom Pullman accommodations are off-budget limits—traveling by rail-coach can be fun. When going coach, try to book reservations on an extra-fare streamliner. The extra fare never comes to more than an additional five dollars and, aside from greater speed, these trains have special foot-rest and reclining chairs, luxurious dining coaches and beautiful and spacious rest-room facilities.

Keep an attractive and non-crushable dark blouse (nylon’s wonderful) and skirt on hand so you’ll look attractive during social activities in the club car. Bring a blanket. You can rent a pillow but blankets are not available.

Send ahead all luggage that is not absolutely necessary for use on the train two or three days before you leave and it will be at the station when you arrive. This saves a lot of tips, lots of worry.

Take garments that won’t get out of shape, get shoulder pads crushed or soil easily. Take as few changes as possible. Select separates in combinations that are interchangeable. Choose colors that combine and supplement each other.

Before Terry Moore married Glenn Davis, she dashed back and forth weekends to Hawaii where Glenn was playing pro-basketball. Therefore, her rules for beauty while flying are based on romantic experience. The “travel light” rule is important in plane travel. Three sets of separates—she traveled in one— kept Terry supplied with clothes for a week. She wore a sweater, carried her coat. Her only luggage was a generous make-up kit (which she also used as her purse) and a garment bag. She carried slacks in the make-up kit and donned those for plane sleeping.

When Patrice Wymore married yacht-loving Errol Flynn, she learned to look lovely while living at sea. Her rules are good for those who contemplate a river trip or a lake jaunt.

Because Errol’s yacht is anchored for such long intervals offshore, Pat wore yachting caps that pulled down right over her hairline. This was because the hard water made it impossible for her to take care of her hair properly. As their trip took them into different climates, Pat had chiffon or jersey caps for warm weather, felt caps with ear flaps for bad weather. On board she usually wore slacks.

To protect her skin from the drying effects of water travel, she used mineral oil, both for body and face. Pat has very light eyebrows and lashes. Because of salt spray and wind, mascara was unsuitable. So she had her eyebrows and lashes dyed, which lasted about two months.

Donna Reed, in traveling, uses as much nylon as possible because it’s so easy to launder. She can get by with one nylon blouse, slip, nightgown and two pairs of panties and bras. She keeps to one basic color in her outer clothing—gray, black or brown. Whatever color she chooses, her garments are interchangeable. Donna keeps cosmetics in a plastic box which holds five plastic bottles and three plastic jars, non-spillable and non-breakable.

All these hints add up to the fact that if you want to travel beautifully, comfortably and arrive at your destination with poise and bandbox freshness, it’s wise to plan ahead. So take a tip from the stars themselves for the most successful vacation of your life.

THE END

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE MAY 1951