You Read It First In Vintage Paparazzi
False Impressions: After endless tests, they finally selected a long page-boy wig with bangs for Robert Wagner to wear as “Prince Valiant.” Kids Bob, “All the others made me look like—Alexis Smith!” . . . Robert Taylor’s red eyes and sneezing fits on the “Knights of the Round Table” set had his London studio losing its mind. The second he stopped working he was fine again. Finally, they discovered Bob was allergic to his Sir Launcelot wig, so they hurriedly made him a new one out of synthetic hair! . . . A package addressed to D. Day was delivered to D. Day. It was supposed to go to Doris, however, and Dennis received it! The contents? Pink lingerie!
Heart Throbs: Donald O’Connor’s wearing a wide happy smile again. Petite Marilyn Erskine is the reason and she’s a good match for our boy in the talent, wit and charm department. Marilyn can cook too! . . . Scott Brady and Elaine Stewart yakking it up at a Ciro’s table for two, printed this sign on the back of a menu and propped it up against a sugar bowl: “This isn’t a romance, but—we like it—we like it!” . . . Tab Hunter confessing to his pals that he hocked everything but his new convertible to fly to Dallas State Fair and see Debbie Reynolds in her stage production of “Best Foot Forward.” . . . Yvonne DeCarlo and Turhan Bey have rekindled their romance into a feeble flame! . . . The new craze to wear no lipstick has been taken up by Gene Tierney in Paris. Needless to say, Prince Aly Khan prefers it.
The Month in Hollywood: Obliging Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell wore plunging necklines when they leaned way down to put their signatures, hand and footprints in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre . . . Deserving news that Mrs. Spencer Tracy was named “Woman of the Year” for her untiring efforts in behalf of deaf children . . . Sad news that Fred MacMurray lost his lovely wife, Lili, after a prolonged illness. Fred’s selfless devotion during their seventeen-year marriage was beyond description . . . Glad news that Clark Gable finally has a smash hit in “Mogambo” and so deserving Disturbing news that the Jeff Chandlers are incompatible again, with the big fellow leasing a Westwood apartment to live in solo.
Little Women: Every man from eight to eighty (including Cal) was’ watching them shoot “Son of Sinbad,” a Technicolor extravaganza. One hundred and eighty bleached blondes wore a smile—and a string of beads. Mari Blanchard who is a blonde, naturally wore a brunette wig! There was the tall, sensuous stripper, Lili St. Cyr, whose voice is being dubbed, but the body is all Lil’s. Obviously someone forgot that Sally Forrest is a real dancer when they pasted on her costume. The Johnson office made them reshoot her number! Dale Robertson’s Oklahoma drawl coming out of that oriental get-up, was the end!
Another Chance: Jack Briggs (he was Ginger Rogers’ third husband) has a new wife and they’re expecting their first baby Talking of Ginger, she and husband Jacques Bergerac are wonderfully happy. Devoted wife Ginger spends her leisure hours grooming her bridegroom for a screen career at Metro . . . Zachary Scott now married to actress Ruth Ford, legally adopted her daughter whose real father is European actor Peter Van Eyck . . . Phil Terry, husband number three on Joan Crawford’s list, is married again. He now owns a beautiful home on Lido Isle and commutes to Hollywood and film work.
Seen and Heard: Jane Powell and Gene Nelson holding hands throughout “The City Is Dark” preview at the Pantages Theatre, while the audience applauded Gene’s first dramatic triumph . . . Ricardo Montalban and wife Georgianna have been married ten years, have four children, are holding hands whenever Cal sees them . . . Hollywood hysterical note: An eager-beaver writer called M-G-M and requested to be first on the interview list when Ann Blyth expects a baby. At the time, Ann was still on her honeymoon! . . . Portrait of a happy man: John Derek who finally secured his release from Columbia. Now all he wants to do is take ugly pills and become a director! . . . Sign on a Hollywood theatre marquee: John Wayne in “Trouble Along the Way.” Also, “The Lady Wants Mink.” Someone must have been reading John’s personal publicity!
Salt and Pepper: While Leslie Caron’s husband is in the Coast Guard, she attends a Beverly Boulevard cooking school. Every week he receives a prize package to sample . . . There’s nothing Russian about Barbara Rush and Jeffrey Hunter except their wonderful Beef Stroganoff. Saturday nights they whip up a huge bowl for Bob Wagner, the Dale Robertsons and other friends who happen to drop in . . . Personal to Virginia Mayo: You used baking soda, honey, instead of baking powder in that cake you baked for Michael O’Shea. He loves you, so he ate it!
Cross Roads: Just as Cal predicted last month, Betty Grable was surpassed in surprise only by Betty Hutton (who had a similar experience) when her contract was canceled. Like La Hutton for Paramount, gams Grable has been a top money maker for Twentieth Century-Fox for seventeen years. She asked for her release after refusing to do a loan-out musical at Columbia. This is a day of come-hard, go-fast in Hollywood. Would Betty’s studio have acted otherwise if Marilyn Monroe hadn’t been around?
Boxing Gloves, Anyone? They kissed and made up when “Red Garters” finished shooting, but you can bet that Rosemary Clooney won’t be making another movie with Gene Barry. Insiders say Gene has a talent for rubbing people the wrong way; it’s un-intentional and he isn’t even aware of it . . . Elizabeth Taylor supposedly said that Michael Wilding made his “first” and “last” picture with Joan Crawford when he made “Torch Song.” Hollywood is mystified over the reason . . . Action in “Rage of the Jungle” has nothing on the “rage” Ann Sheridan and Glenn Ford felt for each other. Glenn, it seems, claims that Annie’s tardiness on the set held up production. She contends, he was always afraid someone might take one foot of film away from him!
Magnificent Misfit: Cal hereby declares a “Roman Holiday” to shout the praise of this charming picture. It isn’t 3-D, wide screen, or in Technicolor, but now we know why every Hollywood star was so curious about Audrey Hepburn! So help us, several studios snubbed this new cinema enchantress because she lacks classic beauty and her teeth aren’t perfectly shaped. Director William Wyler was merely searching for talent and, oh brother, he really found it!
Paging Pinkerton: Elizabeth Taylor faces a dilemma. She just doesn’t know what nationality she is, so she’s appealed to M-G-M’s legal department to straighten out the tangle. Born in England, lovely Liz automatically became an American by marrying Nicky Hilton at the age of nineteen. Having divorced him and married Britisher Michael Wilding before she was twenty-one, she believes she again became English. Now that she is twenty-one, Liz wishes to choose her country. “I want it to be America,” she says firmly.
Clothes Horse: Other stars are green with envy. A clause in Jane Russell’s fabulous contract gives her the right to keep any gown that has been designed for her to wear in a picture. But the ironical part is, Jane has no clothes sense and knows it. She’d rather wear slacks and sweaters than sequins and sables!
Sacred Trust: Although he isn’t a Catholic, Gary Cooper has such respect for his daughter’s religion, he accompanied Maria and his estranged wife to an audience with the Pope . . . By joining forces with the Christian group conducted by Jane Russell’s mother, David Brian’s found the peace and happiness he’s long been seeking . . . It’s a long drive each Sunday, but William Holden wanted his sons to attend the same church in Pasadena where he received his religious teachings.
Honeymoon Blues: When Dale and Jackie Robertson were married there was only time for a one-day honeymoon. But Dale made a promise that they would have a real honeymoon at Banff and romantic Lake Louise, soon. Well, two years and two months later they finally got that Canadian honeymoon. It was beautiful and dreamy as friends and travel folders had promised, but not as they had planned. It was more like home week at Twentieth—the company of “River of No Return” had arrived to location there. Then to keep them further company, a special teen-aged travel tour checked into the hotel, starry-eyed to find Dale Robertson an unscheduled r attraction. Cute girls though, and ever so polite thanking Jackie for being such a good sport and letting Dale dance with all thirty-six of them!
’T aint Necessarily So: Charlton Heston was tied up with the filming of “Bad for Each Other,” when his talented wife, Lydia Clarke, received a hurried call from New York to try out for a stage play. She flew East and the rumors flew everywhere. “The Hestons are parting.” Nothing of the kind! These two are very happily married and intend to stay so. Prologue: Lydia got the part and Heston will be spending a lot of time in New York this fall.
Lowdown from London: Hollywood hears from across the Atlantic that even actor Leo Genn (who is a British subject) resented the attitude of the local press toward Alan Ladd’s making “The Big Jump” in England. Always the gentleman, Alan remained kind, courteous and said nothing . . . His Hollywood friends are distressed by reports drifting back about Errol Flynn. He seems to have lost incentive—added weight detracts from his wonderful physique and his handsome facial features have changed. So say those who have seen him recently. We wonder why and hope it isn’t true.
Dog Tales: Zsa Zsa Gabor and her French poodle wear the same hair-do, but her bark isn’t worse than pet poochie’s bite . . . The puppy that director John Huston gave to Audie Murphy when he made “Red Badge of Courage” has grown to the size of a small pony, so Pappy got to work and raised the roof on the dog house.
It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE OCTOBER 1953