Under Hedda’s Hat
Bette Davis threatens Gary Merrill with complete annihilation if he takes her into court over custody of the children. “You can quote me,” blazed Bette. “At the time of our divorce I was a polite woman. If he persists in suing, it’s going to be the dirtiest case in history and when it’s over he’ll never see the children again.”
Merrill says he and Rita Hayworth are still friends, “but I’m not very good at marriage. I think after two failures I should quit.”
Rita’s ex, producer James Hill, denies reports he’ll marry Rossana Schiaffino in Italy. According to him they’re “just friends.”
Cliff Robertson’s more serious about Louise King (widow of English racing driver Peter Collins) than any girl in ages. They’ve known each other since ’53. This twosome bears watching now that Louise has moved West to seek her fortune as an actress. She used to be a Girl Friday on the “Today” show in New York. Cliff, as you probably heard, stars in “PT 109.”
Above: Charlie ChapIin’s eighteen-year-old daughter Geraldine danced the Can-Can before the Queen Mother in England. She has been studying ballet for six years. A real beauty, we wish Geraldine joy and success.
Rock Hudson has a new fan in director Howard Hawks. When Howard checked in at Universal to direct “Man’s Favorite Sport,” he discovered Rock going through the props he’ll use in the picture. He spent hours learning how to get himself tangled up in a hammock and a tent “That’s why Rock is number one,” said Hawks.“He works.”
Everyone in the know has his fingers crossed that the romance between two big married stars is just a passing fancy that will be forgotten when the picture they’re doing together is finished. Meanwhile, it’s proved to be such a juicy bit of gossip that the names Liz and Burton have almost been forgotten.
A well-known star about to make a picture with an Italian star was approached by the head of the Roman paparazzi (photographers), who swore that during the making of “Cleopatra,” Richard Burton paid him $300 a month to report daily where Burton would be and what Liz was wearing so they could be easily spotted. When Burton kissed his wife Sybil goodbye before she flew back to England, he told the photog exactly where he could be found immediately after the plane took off, and that the lady he would be meeting would be wearing a leopard hat and coat. Fantastic! And I believe it!
Above : The high-flying gal with the Chaplin-type get-up is none other than Glenn Ford’s sweetie, Miss Hopie Lange.
Below: Ann-Margret certainly gets around for a young ’un—her latest escort is Hugh O’Brian. Now just where does that leave Eddie Fisher—not to mention ex-Queen Soraya?
Jane Powell and Pat Nerney decided on a trial separation right after celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary. Jane was in tears when she called to tell me the unhappy news. She said it was her idea that they part for a while, and that she was optimistic that they might work things cat. Pat took a dimmer view.
Dolores Hart is definitely asking Steve Boyd to her wedding to Don Robinson. “I’m going to make sure he can’t skip sending me a present,” she laughed. Steve tried his best to woo Dolores but she knew all the time she was going to marry Don. Don was so persistent. I heard he proposed twenty-five times before Dolores said yes. You’d think it would have been kind of an old story on the twenty-sixth round—but she got so excited she threw up. As to who’s consoling Steve, you can bet he’s not weeping alone.
Ava Gardner and Claude Terrail, owner of the famous Tour D’Argent restaurant and former husband of Barbara Warner, had themselves a time in London where’s she’s taken a flat.
It looked as though Ava was coming back strong when she did “55 Days At Peking” and was announced to do “Pink Panther.” But her demands were so tough the Mirisch Brothers replaced her with Capucine. Walter Mirisch said, “We make pictures for a living—not to expedite actors’ egos.”
We hoped it wouldn’t happen—but Vince (Dr. Casey) Edwards comes on the set so sure of himself that his co-workers think he really believes he could perform a real life operation, as well as a make-believe one.
Above: Brigitte Bardot will wed her Sami Frey now that she’s divorced Mr. Charrier.
Judy Garland’s bitter over her divorce from Sid Luft. When I asked if she’d have to give him half of everything, she said, “I’m giving him half of nothing. He got everything for ten years, Hedda, now it’s gonna be my turn.”
It must be love. Richard Chamberlain donned a black wig and sang in “The Fantastiks” at a little theater in Hollywood, all because his friend Clara Ray was in it.
Rod Taylor found Diane McBain briefly before he went to London, which happened to be where Anita Ekberg was making a picture. But don’t hold your breath. Rod likes Anita, but likes his freedom more.
Here’s a new low. A so-called psychiatrist has written a book titled “Violators Of The Child, Marilyn Monroe,” in which he tells about his romance with her. And he’s such a coward he wouldn’t even use his own name.
The Crosby boys are still having trouble. Lindsay’s wife Barbara lost their expected baby. Then, Lindsay had what everyone called a breakdown. Now Barbara’s suing for divorce and asking $3,000 monthly alimony, claiming he’s worth a million. Philip’s separation from wife Sandy is unusual. He left home but didn’t take his clothes. For a while he was going back to the house once a week but refused to tell where he’d been. Sandy said she had no plans to divorce him—now or ever!
One of our biggest stars, once married to an alcoholic, is fighting a losing battle with the bottle. Her friends are horrified, but don’t know how to help.
Movita, supposedly the one and only Mrs. Marlon Brando these days, played the native girl opposite Franchot Tone in the 1935 version of “Mutiny On The Bounty.” By conservative estimate, this lands her in her forties. It also puts her in the third corner of a triangle. Tarita, the native girl of the present “Mutiny” and formerly a Tahitian waitress, is also chummy with Marlon—who seems to like things complicated.
That J. Lee Thompson is not to be outdone. After spending a fortune calling his fiancee Susan Hampshire in London, he went over for a showdown and they called the whole thing off. She explained she didn’t want to give up her career and he agreed with her. Now the director has signed Susan to play a role in his next picture, “The Mound Builders,” filmed in Mexico.
Above: Cara Williams and I shared handsome Arthur Cameron at a Beverly Hilton benefit party. We girls agreed it was pretty nice, even to share him.
Suzy Parker and Brad Dillman are still in love.
Quite a switch Dick Quine pulled when he moved into a Hollywood apartment and left orders that his address and telephone number were not to be given to Kim Novak. He wasn’t that finicky in Paris where he, his son and Kim were very cozy.
Joan Crawford’s delighted with the rumor that she’ll marry New York’s Governor Nelson Rockefeller, but swears it’s not true. She met him only once—at a campaign party a year ago. I asked why she didn’t do some campaigning of her own, she replied, “I’m old-fashioned enough to think the fellow should ask.”
Zsa Zsa Gabor took on a fourth husband, Herbert Hutner, after dating him but three weeks. She was an hour late for the ceremony. She said her mink coat wasn’t her best one—but it matched her wedding gown.
Bob Hope and Sophie Tucker stole the spotlight when they appeared before Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Variety Performance in London. They raised $126,000 for the Variety Artists Benevolent Fund. Sophie belted out her old standbys—and got the longest ovation in the history of the theater. And Hope—was Hope. That, no one can ever beat. What would we do without him?
That’s all the news for now. I’ll write more next month.
It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1963
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