You Read It First In Vintage Paparazzi

Down Romance Lane: Marilyn Erskine and Tab Hunter who toured in “Our Town” (Tab amazed everyone in his first play!) double- dated with Debbie Reynolds and Richard Anderson on their return to Hollywood. A few days later. Tab was on the town again, but this time with Lori Nelson. . . . And Mari Blanchard is back with attorney Greg Bautzer who had been seeing Mona Freeman in the interim. Speaking of Mona, who still insists those Bing Crosby “romance” rumors embarrass her, she catches up on movies in the private projection room of the private offices of the MCA agency—with Bing Crosby . . . Even if you don’t ask Jane Powell, she will tell you her dates with set designer Jacques Mapes are purely platonic . . . And Jeff Chandler enjoys the com pany of Susan Hayward, Marilyn Maxwell, Julia Adams and Terry Moore!

Twinkle-Twinkle: Director Walter Lang told Cal about the time he was putting Betty Grable through her paces in “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim.” One morning a beautiful blonde, accompanied by her dramatic coach, arrived on the set. “The casting office sent me over to act with Miss Grable,” said the unknown actress, “May I have my lines, please?” The director gave her an encouraging wink as he said, “You have one scene with Miss Grable and in it you say ‘Hello.’ ” Marilyn Monroe roared when Lang recalled her experience!

Baby Talk: Ann Blyth and her husband finally decided to have a doctor outside the family deliver her baby in June. In the meantime, Annie continues to send letters of congratulations to Dr. McNulty’s patients when their babies are born. Annie, who has just finished “Rose Marie” with Howard Keel, was rushed into “The Student Prince” when the studio heard the good news—Annie’s good news, that is! … After her studio practically held a gun to the stork’s back, Virginia Mayo will not do “Helen of Troy” after all. But the new mother has her “old” figure back—and how! Which rhymes with wow!

First Aid: As usual, the great heart of Hollywood responded when Ciro’s bandleader, Bobby Ramos, was so seriously injured in an automobile accident. Columnist and Photoplay writer Sheilah Graham started the auction ball rolling by offering five dollars for a kiss from Jimmy Durante! Then Dean Martin immediately offered fifty dollars for a kiss from Sheilah—which prompted Jerry Lewis to offer five hundred dollars for a kiss from Dean! Everyone got into the act and, as a result, Bobby Ramos will have the best medical care available.

Hard to Handls: Jimmy Stewart and his wife, Gloria, took over the private dining room at Chasen’s and served pheasants from their own ranch. Jimmy, who is making “Rear Window” for Alfred Hitchcock at Paramount, told his guests, “I have to wear a heavy plaster cast on one leg throughout the picture and each morning after the fresh plaster hardens, I can’t walk! Well, no one remembered that I’d have to go to lunch and back and forth to my dressing room! When it finally dawned on them, they had to hire a man just to push me around in a wheel chair!”

Behind the Camera: Jane Russell usually gets what she wants and after seeing Richard Egan’s super-sexy acting in “Wicked Woman,” Jane got him for her leading man in “The Big Rainbow” . . . Burt Lancaster who does all his own trick riding in “Bronco Apache,” has to wear a wide belt when he strips down to that handsome waistline. The scar from his recent operation still shows . . . Cute and practical is the surprise they pulled on Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis who co-star again in “Men of Iron.” U-I built for them a complete housekeeping, dressing-room bungalow right on the set—with just “Mister and Missus” lettered on the front door and a “Welcome” mat in front of it.

Hollywood is Happy: That Arlene Dahl’s hit in Jose Ferrer’s stage production of “Cyrano,” compensated for her TV flop- eroo. Yes, Fernando Lamas flew to New York and stood in the wings to watch his beautiful Dahl . . . That Rosemary Clooney’s fine roles in “Red Garters” and “White Christmas” erased the memory of her wasted talents in “Here Come the Girls” . . . That Esther Williams reconsidered and will now execute several sensational swimming numbers in her next film, “Athena,” instead of only one.

Lady in Waiting: With Stewart Granger in England filming “Beau Brummell,” every day seemed like a year to Jean Simmons. Then she read in the papers that RKO boss-man Howard Hughes sold her three-picture contract to an independent producer. It was the last straw and in tears Jean called her husband. Stewart urged her to get the details before she upset herself too much. Jean did and discovered she liked the first script, “A Bullet Is Waiting,” very much. She still misses her man just the same!

Naked Truth: The Gary Coopers who have been separated for many moons are now living under the same roof but still going their separate ways. While Coop’s making a movie in Mexico and dating the local lovelies, a young Hollywood architect escorts Rocky Cooper to various parties. The Coopers’ devotion to their beautiful teen-age daughter. Maria, might have something to do with this unusual living arrangement . . . Jane Wyman and Freddie Karger, married fourteen months and seemingly so happy, surprised Hollywood when they separated. Jane announces that a divorce will definitely follow . . . And it’s ditto for Ida Lupino and Howard Duff!

Busy Beaver: Cal caught up with June Allyson in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Each hand was locked on to a junior member of the Powell family, who tugged in opposite directions. “Sorry I can’t talk,” she called out as the children dragged her off. “We’re going to model at a fashion show and the kids can’t wait to ham it up! ”

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE MARCH 1954