Welcome to Vintage Paparazzi.

You Read It First In Vintage Paparazzi

Party: Dick Powell, whom I’ve called a friend since his early Hollywood days. has always been a silent one. and one who’s interested me So when I chatted with him at the Don Loper party recently, I couldn’t help wonder what makes this guy tick. Dick’s silence. no doubt, has contributed to his great success as producer, writer, director, actor. And to hear him sing the wonderful old numbers from his early Warner Brothers musicals, to the accompaniment of the strolling violinist—“There’s a Small Hotel” and “I Only Have Eyes for You”—what memories. what memories! Even the waiters stopped in their tracks. “Someday.” he confided to me during dinner. “when all this is over, I’ll move into the little house in back of Ellen’s home (his daughter by Joan Blondell) and live out my life in peace and quiet.” And what a wonderful story those few words tell.






But to get back to the party—it served two purposes: A farewell to handsome Curt Jurgens, the Germany-bound actor who played the Nazi officer in “The Enemy Below,” and a greeting to Rossano and Lydia Brazzi,who had flown in from the “South Pacific” location in Hawaii. Lydia is a woman beloved by everyone. “When the women don’t make a fuss over Rossano,” she whispered, “we’re out of business.”

Set of the Month: Talk about stories in front of the cameras, for drama we’ll take the behind-camera ones every time.






What happens when two people as deeply in love as Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward work together in a movie? How do they react on the set? And in scenes before the camera? We found out as we watched on “The Long, Hot Summer” set where Paul, Joanne, Tony Franciosa and Orson Welles, in a bright red bathrobe the size of a Barnum and Bailey tent, were emoting. Like the stars they are, Joanne and Paul went through their scenes of bristling animosity with a conviction that would have fooled Cupid himself. Joanne was called upon to dislike this brash Newman and while cameras turned, she hated him. But the instant director Martin Ritt called “Cut!” the feeling gave way to one of mutual tenderness, of unspoken emotion. Then each went off to his separate dressing room.






It’s amazing just how much drama lay behind that scene. Joanne and Paul. frustrated in their love by a former marriage of Paul’s that seems insoluble. Tony Franciosa, taut, tense, nervously apprehensive over the court’s decision on that ten-day jail sentence for assaulting a cameraman. Orson, one of the greatest and most widely dissipated talents in Hollywood, wrapped in his bathrobe, reading, reading, reading. To forget?



Inside News: Sal Mineo’s former agent allowed that Sal’s mother overwhelming as far as he was concerned. So Mrs. Mineo has taken over and Sal feels he couldn’t have a better agent The Natalie Wood – Bob Wagnerromance grows warmer by the minute. That black, white and red lap robe Natalie knitted for Bob’s boat so pleased the bridegroom-to-be that Natalie is redecorating the entire boat in black, white and red. As a honeymoon barge???






Award-Coppers: Nostalgia and reminiscence set the scene for the eighteen or so silent screen notables who gathered in Rochester, N. Y., to receive the George Eastman House Medals of Honor for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Motion Pictures from 1926-30. Among the stars walking off with awards were Mary Pickford, Janet Gaynor, Gloria Swanson, Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Ramon Navarro, Maurice Chevalier and Harold Lloyd. As Lillian Gish stated, “It was quite a day.



Chit chat: Marilyn Monroe turned down a big fat fortune to ;appear in a single TV show. Just getting Glamorbug back to the screen in “Blue Angel” has been job enough . . . They do say that over in Germany, G.I. Gary Crosby is singing a new song to his fellow soldiers: “I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl that Married Dear Old Dad.” . . . We doubt if Lana Turner, in her first mother role on the screen, knew that sweet- faced Diane Varsi,the young lady chosen to play Lana’s off-spring, had already off-sprung into marriage and was seeking a divorce. Not that it matters talentwise. for Miss Varsi is a coming star and no mistake.






More Venetia: The cutest blonde in town. Venetia Stevenson, won’t speak to two of the “cutest” lads—Tab Hunter and Barry Coe. A spat over the horse Venetia bought from Tab brought on his complete freeze-out. And Barry’s romance hit a snag when a local re- porter wrote that Venetia scoffed at marriage with young Coe. “I will not be scoffed at.” Barry confided to me over lunch. “At least not in print I won’t.” But when it comes to her ex-hubby, Russ Tamblyn, it’s a different story: “Of course Russ gave a wonderful performance in ‘Peyton Place’,” she snaps. “Why should anyone be surprised? And I can tell you this. Russ is the only person I’ll know ten years from now.”






Shame, James! The middle-aged heroes looked every which-way with embarrassment, after Jimmy Cagney’sremark that stars his age should get off the screen and give younger players a chance. We say. nonsense. There isn’t a young player alive with the charm of Cary Grant, the ability of Fredric March, the valor of Stewart Granger, the virility of Clark Gable, the flair of Errol Flynn, the humor of Bob Hope, the authority ofBing Crosby, or the force of James Cagney. So please, in this teen-age world, can’t we keep our middle-agers with us just a little while longer, dear Mr. Cagney?






Exiles: It’s farewell, Italia, for Sophia Loren, caught up in the toils of love that exiled her from her home in Italy. In Switzerland, Sophia looks longingly across the Alps to Italy, her native land which, after her hasty proxy marriage to producer Carlo Ponti in Mexico, remains forbidden territory. To the Italians, Carlo is still married to his first wife, in a land where there is no divorce.

In Hollywood, they whisper a strange story about Sophia’s hurried proxy divorce and marriage. They claim the constant pursuit of a certain big star and a persistent director prompted her action. Anxious to escape pursuit wherever she roamed, Sophia hurried the marriage along. Respecting and loving Ponti, she hoped to acquire stature and protection. But will that stop the charming, persistent wolves? She’s dreaming.



Believe me: The marriage of Peggy Connolly to comedian Dick Martin removed one more obstacle between the welding of Frank Sinatra and Lauren Bacall, Peggy having been Frankie’s best girl for several years . . . Joan Crawford just can’t bring herself to sell the Brentwood house that has been hers since early stardom. Husband Al Steele’s work keeps him in New York, but Joan’s heart keeps her in Hollywood. In memory, at least . . . And that new song Tab Hunter sings in “Gunman’s Walk” titled “I’m a Runaway” is sure to be one. A runaway hit, that is. Not to mention Tab’s bouncy “Don’t Let It Get Around,” first introduced in print in December Photoplay . . . Speaking of records, we’re mighty proud of Pat Boone, on his new LP, “April Love,” from his movie of the same name, Pat’s co-star, Shirley Jones sings with him.






Brando: It’s more interesting, if that’s possible, to view that about-to-become-a-father Brando off-screen than on. Seated a few tables from ours in the 20th Century-Fox dining room, we had a front row view of “Marlon the Marvel” at lunch with several men friends. His thinning hair, blond for retakes on “The Young Lions,” gave weird accent to his scowls, his concentration while others spoke, his teeth-picking, with nary a smile to relieve the seriousness of a simple occasion. It was Marlon, however, who strode across the room for an extra chair when a business partner joined the group. Still scowling, of course. Genius, you know.



On the Sharp Side? Dorothy Malone wishes Scott Brady would keep her name out of his conversations. Dorothy says her romance with Scott has been over for two years, and why Scott keeps on chatting about Miss Malone is beyond her. Incidentally, Errol Flynn’s role of John Barrymore has been built up to equal value with Dorothy’s in “Too Much, Too Soon.” As long as it’s a good picture, Dorothy doesn’t care . . . Picture, if you can, the beauteous Liz Taylor in Palm Springs up to her knees in small children. With her, Liz will have her own three tots—the two Wilding boys and baby Todd, and her two step-grandchildren, those of Mike Todd’s son! Liz a step-grandmother? Oh come now!



John Saxon has taken up smoking those big black cigars for a reason. When a determined cutie creeps too close, John lets go with a big black poof and no more cutie. Really! . . . Universal-International is suddenly excited about Martha Hyer, their new ladylike type, a la Grace Kelly. Anxious to keep her happy, the studio bought her a fine new house, furnished it lavishly and came across with an elegant new car, suitable for a lady who wears white gloves and big hats to parties. And, of course, there is Gene Kelly to keep her happy, off screen, while former escort George Nader has been quietly dropped by the same studio. 



People: Elvis Presley all but cooked his golden goose with Hollywood bigwigs, who caught his act in Los Angeles, wherein Elvis, bespangled and sequined, writhed and wrestled on the floor with a plastic dog, throwing hundreds of teenagers into screaming hysterics. The police toned down the act the following night, but the taste left in Hollywood’s mouth isn’t exactly a pleasant one . . . Credit, please, the unpublicized act of Bob Mitchum while on location in San Diego for “The Enemy Below.” When a local disk jockey invited Bob to a “Youth for Christ” meeting, unpredictable Mitchum accepted and made a short but sincere address. “I don’t know much about this,” he said, “but I respect your cause and admire you for it.” . . . Dale Robertson’sremarriage to his first wife, Jacqueline, in Rome. seemed the unlikeliest of events. in view of their unhappiness together during the first try. Maybe Dale’s breakup with Mary Murphy taught him that first things come first. And Jackie was first.



That contract given handsome Harvard sophomore James MacArthur by Walt Disney guarantees him $2,500 a week during summer vacations, providing Jim keeps on with his schooling. And Jim has no notion of quitting. Like Pat Boone, he realizes the importance of education . . . Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer react differently at previews. For instance, at the showing of “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” Audrey sat quietly holding Mel’s hand while he shouted aloud at the funny lines and jerked violently in his seat at the suspenseful moments. Opposites who love each other . . . And wouldn’t you know it? Bosses at 20th are so pleased with Tommy Sands in “Sing! Boy, Sing!” his next one is a straight non-singing movie.



Rumblings of Ingrid: If Ingrid Bergman counted on finding personal privacy by shaking the dust of Rome off her feet and taking off for London, she was bitterly disappointed. British reporters are more daring and insistent than their American colleagues. When I arrived from Paris at London Airport, there were about a dozen photographers covering the plane’s landing. Inquiry disclosed that they were awaiting Lars Schmidt, Ingrid’s Swedish escort. They had no idea when he was coming from Paris, so they were covering every single plane from Paris by every airline. Their persistence won out as they caught him landing, and by following him, discovered that he had arranged a meeting with Ingrid.



At a press party in London, Ingrid still wore her gold wedding band and an emerald ring, which she admitted was a gift from Rossellini. When asked to kiss Cary Grant, her co-star, for a press photo. Ingrid laughed and said, “We only do that when we’re paid for it, in the film.” Bergman gave a clue to her turmoil of the past months when she said. “I don’t reveal my feelings. I carry it all inside.”

Interrupted Honeymoon: A sad honeymoon was that of Christine Carere and Philippe Nicaud. Two days after their marriage in Paris, Christine received a wire from Jean Negulesco to return to Hollywood for rehearsals for “A Certain Smile.” She didn’t dare tell Philippe immediately. since they hadn’t had time for a honeymoon (he’s starring in a hit Paris play). In the five days remaining before her departure, she bought furniture for their apartment and arranged to have it decorated.



Short Takes: One person who will be glad to see Gene Kelly back in Paris is ballet dancer Claude Bessy. She is starring in a ballet, and Gene sees her every time he comes to Paris . . . Mario Lanza’s secret for losing weight: boiled shrimp and steak . . . Cary Grant works out every day at a London gymnasium to keep his form . . . Spain’s leading toreador (after Dominguin), Angel Peralta, says Ava Gardner, whom he is teaching the finer points of bullfighting, could become a professional if she wanted to … A dramatic situation at a London theater: On one side of the aisle sat Diana Dors and Tommy Yeardye, whom she is seeing, again. On the other, Diana’s ex-husband, Dennis Hamilton, with a blonde who looked like Diana. At intermission, Diana got up and Tommy stayed in his seat. Hamilton took that opportunity to go over and chat with Yeardye!



Grimaldis Want Daughter: Grace and Rainier are making sure they will be free from the eyes of curious tourists and newspaper people when they move into the new villa they are building on a mountain top in Monaco. It is in the midst of the “military territory” of Monaco, a small bit of land covered by a law which makes trespassers liable to arrest under the anti-spy laws of Monaco. The couple are building a lot of bedrooms because they intend to have many children. Despite stories to the contrary, they would like to have a girl for their next child, as a playmate for Caroline. They know they have plenty of time to have a boy, although there will be a longer wait between the birth of this child and their next, on Grace’s doctor’s orders.

See you next month, with a surprise and a “new look” for “Inside tuff.”

BY CAL YORK

 

It is a quote. PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 1958



1 Comment
  • zoritoler imol
    24 Nisan 2023

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