Under Hedda’s Hat

Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin are sure working at a reconciliation. Only time will tell if it takes. They loaded up a trailer with all kinds of camping equipment, and took off for the wilds of Northern New York for a couple days of togetherness. They love each other, are mad about the baby, but have their differences. She was brought up in an environment of love; Darin had to fight every inch of the way. He was an experienced young man when they met; he was her first romance. When not working, she got up at five each morning to cook his breakfast; later he complained her cooking wasn’t up to mother’s. Well, she was trying. I wonder if jealousy isn’t at the root of their troubles? Her success is greater than his.

Above: Sue Lyon and producer Jimmy Harris are still an item—and will be for a while, anyway—they’re making a new picture called, “I Want My Mother.” Sue’s theme song seems to be “I Want Jimmy.” They’re engaged to be married. Do I think that the wedding will come off? Well, Sue’s young—but he’s young-at-heart!

Not since Cleopatra’s co-stars cut that Roman caper has the town been licking its chops in anticipation of the explosion they expect to take place when Richard Burton and Ava Gardner begin work in Mexico in “Night of the Iguana.” Everybody’s trying to predict what will happen when the so-called Beau Brummel of Stratford-on-Avon meets up with One Touch of Venus. The one with the biggest anxiety is Liz Taylor, who got her next picture postponed until February, so she could sit ringside in Mexico.

If the Natalie Wood-Arthur Loew, Jr., romance runs true to form it won’t lead to the altar. Arthur’s been a friend in need to Liz after the death of Mike Todd; to Janet Leigh when she parted from Tony Curtis. Debbie Loew leaned on him after Ty Power’s death and he married her. But it didn’t last.

Some of the most beautiful gals are planning to drop by Stanford University. Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Prince Williams of Gloucester—a handsome, twenty-one-year-old crack polo player—is enrolled in the School of Business Administration there.

Since director George Sidney is masterminding Ann-Margret’s career, she’s all signed up for the next three years. She’ll do two pictures with Sinatra, five for Columbia, two for M-G-M and two for 20th. George Burns gave her her first big break when he put her in his show in Las Vegas. After a screen test, she did “Pocketful of Miracles” and “State Fair.” She’s got good sense, too. When people call her a star, she denies it. “I hope I will be a star some day. Bette Davis is a star.” Ann-Margret was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father, Gustav Olson, works as an electrician with Lucille Ball. “In Chicago my father drove me to my dancing and music lessons even though it meant traveling forty miles each way,” she says. “He didn’t push me—he encouraged me.”

Above: Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball are not only two top comediennes—they have quite a few other things in common. Namely: they’ve each had a first marriage that didn’t work out; both have second marriages that are happy. And more important—both are red-heads.

Above: Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti aren’t married—by Italian law. Nevertheless, they’re busy making lavish renovations on a fabulous three-million-dollar villa they bought near Rome.

Above, Bob Hope, wife Dolores and son Tony make a rare family shot. Bob, incidentally, who had Honeychile Wilder (now Princess Hohenlohe) in a few of his pictures, tells that he received a letter from her saying she was going to write a book. Since she comes from Tiger, Georgia, he suggested she title it “Tiger Princess.” He spoke to his publisher about her story; then got a message that Honeychile was sitting in Paris waiting for him to send a writer. She once told me she had joined thirteen religious denominations by the time she was fifteen.

Above: Sal Mineo and Jill Haworth still date, though their much-talked-about engagement never did materialize. Originally they were going to marry when Jill reached the age of eighteen in August. But that’s passed and the status quo remains static. What is it with you two—why can’t you decide?

Malibu has again become the mecca for our biggest stars. Katharine Hepburn has again taken the house there she first occupied years ago. Lauren Bacall and Jason Robards summered there. Shirley MacLaine and Steve Parker are moving into one of the apartments in the building they own. Vera Miles and her husband moved from his Malibu home back to the one Vera owns, which is in Encino.

One of the nicest parties was the one Bette Davis gave to announce the engagement of her sixteen-year-old daughter BD to Jeremy Hyman, who arrived from London the day before with a heart-shaped diamond ring in hand. They invited only their old and dear friends, only those who’d known BD—from the doctor who delivered her to the nurse who took care of her when she was a baby. The wedding takes place here in December; they’ll make their home in London. BD’s a lucky girl. Jeremy is charming, has a divine sense of humor, and has more than enough of the world’s goods to make any girl happy.

When Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen walked on the set of “Soldier in the Rain,” there was a big painted sign reading: “The Gleason and The McQueen.” The chemistry between those two is the kind we used to get between Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable, or Vic McLaglen and Eddie Lowe. Whoever thought up the sign gave the stars a feeling of warmth and good will.

Jim Mitchum was a gentleman, but had to admit that the announcement of his engagement got out of hand. “We’d been dating a month and people began writing things.” But he called his mother in London to tell her the engagement was off!

I always thought Jim Garner would become a big star if he ever got out of “Maverick,” but didn’t think he could do it so soon. In less than two years he has four starring films (“Thrill of It All,” “The Great Escape,” “Wheeler Dealers” and “Move Over, Darling”), plus his own company. I call that pretty good.

Above: Danny Kaye’s Russian tour was a great, thing. Like Bob Hope, he’ll go anywhere to entertain—especially children. When Danny plays to the kids, he’s really the world’s greatest.

When Rock Hudson got a look at Jim Garner and Doris Day in “Thrill of It All,” he said to producer Ross Hunter, “Why did you let me turn down that picture? Why didn’t you hit me over the head and make me do it?” Said Ross, “Well, next time you’ll have to listen.” And you can bet your life Rock will!

Above: George Hamilton and Tony Perkins both took me to lunch in New York, and I had a really fine time. George finally finished the picture “Act One” in New York. He told me he was in every scene, but had no romance in it. His co-star Jason Robards, Jr., who plays George Kaufman, has a wife, but Hamilton, who’s the romantic one, had no one to make love to—on film.

Carol Lynley’s tracking down the source of those ugly rumors being spread about her. She doesn’t have to look far. One of the wildest was that she was breaking up the marriage between a top actress and her husband. A dame called me from Chicago to tip me off, so I put in a call to Carol. “Don’t I have enough troubles over my divorce, without this?” she said. It’s happened before. When she made “The Cardinal,” she was supposed to be romancing director Otto Preminger, also a married man. Somebody’s out to do Carol dirt. I just wonder why?

Above: That’s Casey (Vince Edwards to you) at the bat. He was filming a TV segment about a ball player (played by Sammy Davis, Jr.), so Vince belted one!

Jane Fonda’s setting her own standards for glamour. When the Royal Ballet, featuring Rudolf Nureyev, was here, Jane showed up all in black, wearing Russian boots. Jane’s in love with the legend of the movie queen. Designer Orry Kelly goes along with that—and made her the same outfit he did for Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca.” Jane says if she can find one happily married couple, she might take a chance herself, but there are none. She learned to drive and took off alone in the direction of fabulous Big Sur.

Loretta Young had the time of her life in New York; she was escorted everywhere by her handsome son Christopher Lewis. Everyone thought he was Loretta’s brand new, young beau.

We’ve screamed about new faces. Well, Josh Logan gave Bob Walker the starring role in “Ensign Pulver,” and I want to predict he’ll be a big star. He’s sensitive, intelligent, has a sense of humor and is handsomer than his father, with those great big eyes of his mother, Jennifer Jones. And he has tons of talent.

Above: Rose-Marie snuggles her TV co-star the great Dick Van Dyke. When Columbia signed Van Dyke for “Bye Bye Birdie” on a long-term deal, they didn’t know what they were getting. Since making “Mary Poppins” for Disney, Dick’s trying to get out of his Columbia contract. Disney and many of us believe he’s the hottest comedian in motion pictures today. When he visited his home town, Danville, Ohio, all the schools, banks, everything was shut tighter than a drum. Everyone went to the big party at the high school that night. No one—not even Dick—knew they previewed “Bye Bye Birdie” that same night.

Half the producers here are looking for parts for Barbara Stanwyck. They’re crazy about the girl, but haven’t come up with the right one yet.

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

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE OCTOBER 1963