Under Hedda’s Hat
Three men are wandering around with diamond rings their girls gave back. Frank Sinatra got the ring back from Juliet Prowse—but she kept a bracelet and some other gee-gaws. Myrna Fahey may end up with the hefty stone Dick Beymer spent his all on for Dany Saval. He has that look in his eye when he’s with Myrna, which is pretty often. Burt Sugarman is stuck with a marquise-cut sparkler which Ann-Margret returned after the shortest engagement on record. Half of their friends hadn’t gotten around to wishing them well when whammy, the rich boy was out of her life. You see, Ann-Margret began getting advice from her family. They didn’t want her to marry now, and Burt didn’t want to wait.
Dick Powell and June Allyson (above) are like lovebirds. Dick’s been wooing his Junie just as if they’d never been married and almost divorced. He even sings her that lilting love song “Second Time Around”—and she loves it. At a house-warming party given by Aaron Spelling and Carolyn Jones, June appeared in a black, low-cut satin gown. Before she left home her daughter said to her: “Mommy, you’re not going out like that!” Mommy did, and when she asked me how I liked it, I answered, laughing: “It’s the first time I’ve known that you had any Jayne Mansfields.”
As expected, Mrs. Lindsay Crosby gave premature birth to her baby, a pound-and-a-half boy who lived only one hour. At last report, the Crosbys were still living together.
I’m disappointed in Juliet Prowse. After Frank Sinatra announced they’d be married I called her up and said: “I’d like to give you a champagne shower.” She was delighted and said she’d let me know the date when she arrived back from Africa. I never heard from her. When I ran into her, I said: “You’re a very naughty girl.” Juliet deliberately avoided me which makes me believe there’s much more to this marriage cancelation than meets the eye.
Doesn’t Rex Harrison’s bride Rachel Roberts (above) look a lot like his used-to-be best gal—Miss Tammy Grimes?
If Van Johnson’s wise he’ll stay in Europe—then he won’t have to pay Evie that tremendous $5,000-a-month alimony.
Vincent Edwards (with me, above) unleashed a nice voice on the Dinah Shore TV show— but the dialogue given him was dreadful. Vince, who’s signed a record contract, just grins when people are surprised he can sing. They never knew he sang in “High Button Shoes” on Broadway just a few years ago.
Sharon Hugueny celebrated her eighteenth birthday, is getting good parts at Warners and no longer has to attend school. She’s being seen a lot with Ty Hardin. For a time I was worried about her, she looked so desperately unhappy, but she’s been coming out of that depression slowly—but very nicely.
It’s well known that Nancy Kwan is that way about Max Schell. But Max has said from the very beginning that he doesn’t have marriage on his mind. But another admirer of Nancy’s, has. The only trouble is he’s already married!!!
Edd Byrnes wed Asa Maynor (above) and feuded with the press. He should know the pen is mightier than the comb.
Ever since I’ve known Shirley MacLaine, I’ve admired her loyalty to her husband Steve Parker who’s rarely, if ever, by her side. How much longer she’ll continue pining for him is problematical—since there’s another gentleman (and very attractive he is, too!)—who’s nuts for her.
If Tony Perkins doesn’t come home from Europe soon, I’ll have to go over there and see what the little monster’s up to. I’m very fond of this lad.
There was much wringing of hands and tears when Glenn Ford took off for Europe to make a picture and left Connie Stevens at home. They’re real gone on each other, and I firmly believe she’s the only girl since his divorce who has him seriously thinking of marriage.
The bets in town are fifty-fifty as to which one will tire of the romance first—Natalie Wood or handsome Mr. Warren Beatty.
Whichever way the wind blows—and before it dies down, I’m sure it’ll reach hurricane proportions—I don’t believe that Mrs. Richard Burton is ever going to divorce her husband. That would be the last thing in the world he’d want. His security lies in that connubial knot. Despite hopes of a quiet divorce, there’ll be many more fireworks between Liz and Eddie before finis is writen to “Cleopatra.”
Marilyn Monroe (above) has never looked better—but she has no love to keep her warm. Joe DiMaggio is still a good friend and I believe always will be. She found a nice companion in Mexican screen writer Jose Bolanos, but I don’t think it’s a romance. Marilyn’s concentrating on a good picture. She sure needs one—her last two were just awful.
George Hamilton was so anxious to announce his forthcoming marriage to Susan Kohner that instead of permitting it to be done properly by Susan’s parents, he jumped the gun and did it himself. Her family was not pleased. George may have to do a hitch in the Army before the wedding can take place.
Michael Wilding lost a wife and the role of Sandra Dee’s father in “If A Man Answers” the same week. But now he and Marie McDonald have picked up their friendship where they left off before he married Susan Nell. Mike’s brought his father over from England again and they expect to settle here in the United States for good.
John Wayne was a little startled when he heard his wife Pilar say two weeks after birth of their son: “I’d like another baby right away.” I was not only surprised but furious when I went over the list of Oscar winners and learned that Duke Wayne’s never gotten one. He’s been giving fine performances for years. He’s all male and I don’t believe he’s ever made a picture that’s lost money. The possible exception is the one he did in Japan with John Huston. A horrible thought just hit me: Could it be Duke hasn’t had enough flops in this town to get himself an Oscar?
Producers can get Paul Newman and-or Joanne Woodward if the script is good and they can guarantee both will be working at the same time. Jerry Wald managed to get Paul for “The Enemy Within” and pretty Mrs. Newman for “Celebration.”
When Mrs. Chuck Connors divorced her husband (TV’s Rifleman) she told the judge: “I guess all the adulation was what he needed more than us. About four years ago, he started staying away from home and adopted an attitude of complete indifference to me and our four sons. He didn’t seem to need his family after he achieved success on television.”
Arthur Miller’s new wife, Ingebord Morath, knew Marilyn Monroe quite well. She photographed “The Misfits” in Reno. She also rescued Audie Murphy when he fell into a mountain lake while making “The Unforgiven” in Mexico. Ingebord and her camera have been around the world many times.
I think Janet Leigh (above with Jim Garner) is being very brave about her separation from Tony. She States there’s no other man or woman. I hope it’s the truth. I heard Tony sure was attentive to his leading lady in “Taras Bulba.” He used to go to her apartment almost daily on his way home from the studio to have coffee with her. But her mother was always present. Her name—Christine Kaufmann. She’s the same fraulein who was in “Town Without Pity.”
Lucille Ball’s decision to go back to television was a hard one to make. The real reason for it is quite a story. After the phenomenal success of “I Love Lucy” and the heartbreaking divorce that followed, she tried Broadway and Desi became the big producer. Neither got very far. Lucille’s play wasn’t the hit it should have been in spite of its fairly good run. Desilu, with Desi at the helm, was on rather shaky ground. Now they’re back where they started—Lucy as the star of a new TV series; Desi as the producer. The only difference is Lucy’s got a new husband (Gary Morton)—and Desi’s got a lot of expensive race horses.
Jayne Mansfield should take a tip from Sophia Loren who said: “I have a soul as well as a body and don’t have to parade myself any more.” I’m afraid Jayne will never learn, though. If she tried hard, she could be a really fine actress—but her superstructure gets in her way.
Dolores Hart is studying French so she can read Bob Oliveira’s letters. He’s an American who’s lived in Paris for eleven years. “He’s always writing comments in French and I’m not sure what he means,” said Dolores. “You can say ‘pass the butter’ in that language and it could come out like a great love scene,”
That’s all the news for now. I’ll write you more next month.
It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE JUNE 1962
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