Under Hedda’s Hat

The story behind Marilyn Monroe’s ouster from “Something’s Got To Give” isn’t pretty, and those in the know believe it could be the end of her career. The studio gave in to her every demand, but she continued delaying tactics until there was no tomorrow. Something is radically wrong with a girl who makes personal appearances everywhere except on the set.

The mourners have been converging to console Marilyn. Mexican adorer Jose Bolanos arrived from south of the border. Her psychiatrist came from New York. Joe DiMaggio came to town, too. Paula Strasberg took off for New York. She needed consoling herself—she lost her $2,500-a-week-job as La Monroe’s drama coach.

Chris Bergen (above) seven-month-old son of Frances and Edgar, stole the show from Papa and Jack Benny at his christening in Hollywood. The picture’s so adorable I thought you’d like to get a look at it.

And guess who’s got a crush on Candy Bergen? Doris Day’s twenty-year-old son Terry, who’s now doing recordings.

Desi Arnaz bought his nine-year-old son a racer that goes fifty miles an hour. Lucy is worried, and I don’t blame her.

Sammy Davis finally explained all those stories that insist he and Frank Sinatra are no longer friendly. Said Sammy: “Everything’s fine. It’s just that I’m married and can no longer hang out all night—or meet people at three in the morning. Frank understands.”

Lucille Ball not only stole Bob Hope’s writers but all his jokes at the surprise birthday party Jack Warner gave him. Among other things she said: “I’ve been a fan of Bob’s ever since my mother took me to see his first picture. He comes from a close family, five brothers, one sister and four press agents. He’s the only man who used idiot cards on his honeymoon.” It left Hope speechless. But not for long. He was the main speaker at Georgetown University’s commencement exercises. His son Tony graduated—and the University gave Bob an honorary degree. Quipped Bob: “I feel as out of place as President Kennedy at a meeting of the American Medical Association.” When students saw him they all yelled, “Hi, Ski Nose!” It was one of the most rollicking graduation ceremonies in memory. His advice to young people going into the world: “Don’t go!” Tony, who got engaged about a week after graduation, will go to Harvard Law School in Boston this September. He, like all Hope’s children, is a delight. Bob and Dolores Hope are fine and successful parents.

Debbie Reynolds says, “I don’t know about anybody else—but I’m tired.” It was April, 1961 when she started “How The West Was Won,” and she finally finished that film (plus two others plus running the Thalian Circus benefit) by the middle of June, 1962. Now she’ll have her baby in September, and won’t do a thing till March, 1963.

That six-year friendship between Gardner McKay and Dolores Hawkins got out of hand when it was printed that he was following her all over the country. From what I hear, it was the other way around. Dolores, who came here for the summer, said she was waiting around to have a tooth straightened. She took all of Gardner’s appointments at his dentist. When McKay heard that, he joined the crew of the Jubilee and took off post haste for the Bermuda yacht races.

Well, Maximilian Schell couldn’t make up his mind, so Nancy Kwan married handsome Peter Poch, a ski instructor, in London. Title of Max’s latest picture is “The Reluctant Saint”—well, it’s half right anyway.

Cheryl Crane, Lana Turner’s daughter, now lives with her grandmother, but she may be moving back in with Mama. The rumors say Lana and Fred May have called it a day. I also heard she has a new interest.

That’s Joan Crawford (above) eating her fan! She was attending a bullfight, but it got so gory she couldn’t stand to watch! Joan will be a familiar face around our town again—she’s co-starring with Bette Davis in a new moving picture.

When Frank Sinatra (above) finished up his round-the-world tour for children’s charities, he found a new dinner companion with a long, inquisitive nose!

Everybody’s predicting that Richard Burton will return to his wife, as though he was doing her a big favor. Well, who’d want him? I remember the time when he was being interviewed while one of the chorus girls from the Copa held his hand, and he had the nerve to say how much he loved his wife and nothing would separate him from his children. The Copa cutie laughed right out loud.

Liz Taylor’s antics have shocked the world. But from the time she was a child she’s had everything she wanted. In fact, it was given her before she asked for it. She’s been used by one man after another for publicity. Being seen with the world’s greatest beauty and number one star did the fellows no harm. Burton’s never had so many offers before—nor has Eddie.

Well, Natalie and Warren (above) are back in town. Now we start playing the will-they-or-won’t-they guessing game again.

For the past two years Tuesday Weld and Gary Lockwood have been on-again-off-again so many times, it’s hard to keep score. I wish they’d make a final decision, don’t you?

Dean Martin, playing a noble knight of olde, is a little out of character. There are those who say walking out on the picture after Marilyn got the boot was not exactly his idea. He sure drew fire from the unions. They didn’t like the idea of his closing down a picture and throwing 104 assistants out of jobs. Martin had plenty to lose ($350,000 plus seven-and-a-half percent of the gross)—so don’t be surprised if there are more fireworks before the film is forgotten.

When Glenn Ford left Hollywood for a picture abroad with Hope Lange, he was mad for Connie Stevens and vice-versa, but absence didn’t make his heart grow fonder. The reason Connie didn’t hear from him was that he was busy taking Hope out after working hours.

They showed up at the gala supper party Prince Rainier and Grace put on for Frank Sinatra, after he performed in Monaco. Grace and Frank have been close friends ever since they appeared together in “High Society.”

In London, Princess Margaret and her Tony attended the party Frank gave after his concert. Margaret begged to be excused at 2:30 A.M. Her sister was celebrating her birthday next day and Margaret had to look her sparkling best.

Prince Philip and Judy Garland were born on the same day. Judy’s forty; he’s forty-one. She cut her birthday cake on the set of “Lonely Stage” with the producer, cast and crew and her three children. Sid Luft wasn’t invited. While Judy is making the picture in London, Sid lives at a luxury hotel and sends a daily message to Judy: “Just to remind you that I’ll be at the Carlton Towers when you collapse.”

Since Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy are happily married, it can now be told that the late Aly Khan’s brother Sadri was once madly in love with her. But it came too late. She was already in love with Cassidy.

Dolores Hart is a girl of great independence and says: “Romance is wonderful when it’s genuine, but the phony kind dreamed up by some press agent leaves me ill. When I marry it will be because I chose the man—and nobody else.” She inherited that independence from her grandfather Caspar Bowen who, because of a dare, jumped over a fence on his 85th birthday. He won the bet but died two days later.

Even though Janet Leigh has filed for divorce, some feel she and Tony Curtis will reconcile. I don’t think so. ’Tis said that Jorge Guinle, Brazilian millionaire, was dating Janet—also Arthur Loew, Jr. Heck, those are old standbys; more like brothers than husbands-to-be.

Whatever happened to that marriage between Rod Taylor and Anita Ekberg? He’s been seeing a lot of Rhonda Fleming.

Dick Van Dyke (above rehearsing with Janet Leigh—my she’s lost weight!) has his first big role in Hollywood (“Bye Bye Birdie”). It took a smash TV show to put him in the movies.

Susan Kohner won’t marry George Hamilton after all—she gave him back his ring saying they had career problems. I heard the real reason was a job, all right, a little blond one named Sue (“Lolita”) Lyon. I guess Georgie is just partial to all our Sweet Sue’s!

During her first trip to Hollywood, Jane Fonda said she’d never marry until she wanted children. But her romance with Andreas Voutsinos seems to be going great guns. If she’s in the mood, he would be her choice. He’s also her drama coach, but couldn’t accompany her to Greece for her picture. If he had, he’d have been drafted into the Greek Army. But she visited his parents in Athens while he waited for her in London.

Perhaps he can convince Jane that marriage isn’t for the birds. He feels she’s ring shy because of all the divorces right in her own family.

Mrs. Rex Harrison has this to say about her husband: “He’s a misunderstood man.” And I should think he’s an unhappy one, too. You wouldn’t know he’s in “Cleopatra.”

Burt Lancaster’s shack in Palermo, Italy, is better than Liz’ pad in Rome. He has only eight drawing rooms, five kitchens and a score of bedrooms. His friends wouldn’t recognize this new setup. He always lived modestly here in Hollywood.

How come Marlon Brando’s pictures have never been shown in Russia? His reason for want- ing to take his vacation there is because “nobody would know me.” If he keeps fooling around with that axe (he almost sliced off a toe) nobody here will know him either. And he’d hate that.

It’s dangerous for Vince Edwards to make personal appearances. His car had to be removed from a parade in Indianapolis before the finish. Little girls and stylish women were throwing themselves at the convertible. Finally, when a little girl was hit by a motorcycle, parade officials steered Vince’s auto out of the parade lineup.

Ava Gardner must be serious about her comeback. She spent time getting her figure streamlined and her beautiful face in shape for “55 Days At Peking.” Being a gypsy must get boring after a while. Besides, the picture will be shot in Spain.

Who’s designing those breakaway evening gowns for Jayne Mansfield? One fell apart in the right places while she was dancing in a Rome cafe with Mickey Hargitay, and the carabinieri practically had to club the rioters into submission.

Edward G. Robinson (above) really frightened his friends when he had his heart attack in far-off Africa. His famous quote: “I’ll be back on the set tomorrow.”

George Maharis fans have a treat in store when they hear him sing. He has a charming voice, but he needs Roger Edens to coach him in song styling.

Joan Blondell, who went to the Golden Door to streamline her figure, said her two pug dogs lost as much as she did. They sure missed mother’s cooking. Joan’s working for her ex-husband Dick Powell in one of his TV shows. They’re still pals!

Eddie Fisher’s closing night at Cocoanut Grove was a lulu. Bo Belinsky and that nice Dean Chance, a couple of big-time baseball players, helped Fisher celebrate. Later Belinsky, who had to pitch next day, got himself in a little slugging match with a woman. The Angels’ man- ager fined each of the boys $250. When Fisher heard about it he said: “I’m shocked. Somebody should take Bo aside and give him some advice.” But that wasn’t his only joke—he’s got a million of ’em. He introduced Juliet Prowse, whom he was romancing, but claimed he was just baby-sitting her for Frank Sinatra. Mike Wilding was there also, and Eddie introduced him as “related to me by marriage.” Has good taste gone entirely out of our lives? I’m not one who has jumped on the bandwagon for Fisher. I think he got just what he deserved. And all this hoopla over him is not going to change my opinion, and what’s more—I told him so.

That’s all the news for now. I’ll write more next month. 

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 1962