Mitzi at the Marmont

In 2013, USA Today did an article on actress/dancer Mitzi Gaynor, which included the story of how she met her husband:

She was 18 years old. She'd just broken up with Howard Hughes, and her agent wanted her to go out to hear Harry Belafonte. She assumed he was some Italian singer. Her agent was going to send a guy to escort her. She was all dressed up in her black velvet outfit, sexily cut down the front. She opened the door to the penthouse at Chateau Marmont that she was sharing with her mother to find this tall handsome fellow ready to take her out drinking and dancing. He asked for Mitzi Gaynor. "I'm Mitzi Gaynor," she told him. "Don't you recognize me? I'm in all the movies." "I'm so sorry," he told her. "I only go to foreign films." She went outside to find he'd brought his old two-door Plymouth, which needed to be washed, and whose backseat was loaded with his dirty clothes. They arrived. She stepped out. Flashbulbs started going off. "I'm 18, I'm hot, I just broke up with Howard Hughes," she remembers. "I'm like Paris Hilton or something." And then his laundry fell out of the backseat onto the ground around her feet. Gossip columnists Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons were standing together watching – one of the few times they got along, Gaynor says – and Hopper turned to Parsons and said, "Who's that with Mitzi?" "I don't know," Parsons said. "But Mitzi must really like him." And she did.

She married Bean on November 18, 1954, and stayed with him until his death in 2006. The above recently acquired photo shows Mitzi posing on the balcony of the Chateau Marmont Penthouse (room 64). For the backstory of that photo shoot, I consulted the best book about Chateau History, Life at the Marmont by Raymond Sarlot and Fred E. Basten.

Noted Hollywood photographer, Wally Seawell, was the person responsible for bringing [Howard[ Hughes to the Marmont. As associated of the famed Paul Hesse, whose magnificent color portraits of stars first graced the covers of Photoplay magazine, Seawell had been asked to shoot a series of glamor portraits for his latest protege, an unknown but promising teenage dancer-singer named Mitzi Gaynor. According to Seawell, the Gaynor assignment was one of his most difficult, even more challenging than his sessions with Hughes discovery, Faith Domergue. (“We took a million pictures of her, and nothing happened.”) “When Mitzi first came in,” Seawell says, “she was so unattractive. We finally had to call in hair stylist Larry Germaine, who completely did her over, creating an entirely new look for her. It took three days to get her ready to shoot, but we got some marvelous shots.”



During the lengthy and arduous “shoot” Seawell learned that Hughes intended to set Gaynor and her mother up in an apartment at Sunset Tower, but it first had to be redecorated. He contacted Walter Kane, Hughes’ right-hand man, to tell him that the penthouse at the Marmont was not only vacant but available for far less than Sunset Tower was asking. Best of all, the penthouse had just been redone by celebrated fashion and interior designer, Don Loper, who had incorporated a number of his own luxurious touches, such as black-and-white harlequin tiles in the entry hall and floor-to-ceiling antique mirrors encasing the fireplace. Kane called the Marmont immediately and secured the penthouse. When Gaynor arrived with her mother, she was overheard to remark, “Won’t it be wonderful? When I sit on the john, I’ll be able to see all of Hollywood!” Mitzi Gaynor remained at the Marmont until Hughes discovered he wasn’t the only man in her life. As Seawell remembers, “She was also seeing [talent agent] Jack Bean on the sly at night—after she had been out with Howard. When Howard learned about that, he dumped her.”

Mitzi Gaynor - so unattractive?!? Makes me think about this line from “Legally Blonde”:



About the only way people today would know who Don Loper is would be if they watched reruns of “I Love Lucy.” In one of the most famous episodes, “The Fashion Show,” which first aired February 28, 1955, Lucy is in Hollywood and wants to buy a Don Loper original. It turns out even a basic little black dress costs $500 at the Don Loper salon (the equivalent of almost $6000 today). In order to prevent husband Ricky from getting mad at her expenditure, Lucy gets a painful sunburn, thinking Ricky will feel sorry for her instead of angry. It doesn’t work. Loper saves the day by giving Lucy the dress for free when she agrees to change outfits for the celebrity fashion show in which she will be appearing. A rather wooden Loper appears as himself in the episode.



Below is Loper’s harlequin tiled entrance of the Chateau Penthouse, which still exists today and makes it easily recognizable in the many film and TV appearances for which it has been used.



Back to Lucy…the tweed suit Lucy must wear only exacerbates her sunburn; Loper’s “fixing” of the collar does nothing to help poor Lucy’s discomfort!



Here are some of Loper’s fashions worn by the other celebrity wives, starting with a dancing costume called “Baldini” modeled by Mrs. Dean Martin:



Mrs. Van Heflin wears another dancing costume called “Palmer”:



…and Mrs. Forrest Tucker wears a ballgown called “Sonata” in the color “Pink Mink”:



Three years later, Shirley Temple would wear costumes designed by Don Loper on her TV series, “Shirley Temple’s Storybook”:



If you want to see the fashion show portion of the “I Love Lucy” episode, here you go!



See more Chateau Marmont photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Cover Girl

Shirley Temple’s third LIFE Magazine cover was released on February 3, 1958. She is shown with her daughter, Lori Black, at their Atherton, California home. Below is an alternate shot, showing the vinyl 1950’s Shirley Temple doll that daughter Lori is holding.



Shirley was a marketing wiz and knew that with her old movies being shown on TV and the upcoming release of her TV Storybook Anthology, the time was ripe to re-release the doll bearing her childhood likeness.



Shown below is the book Shirley is sharing with her daughter: Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Retold for Young Children, Published by Grosset & Dunlap, 1952, with illustrations by James Caraway.



Shirley also released her own collection of Fairy Tales, featuring the ones that were dramatized on her television show:



Back to LIFE Magazine! From the inside front cover:



Looking lovelier than ever in her original Don Loper gown, (eat your heart out, Lucy!) Shirley garnered a full-page color image inside the magazine.



The other two pages of the feature were black and white, focusing on her family and, of course, her earlier career as an actress. The contemporary shot of Shirley watching herself as a child in “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” is marvelous, and her quote is somewhat wistful: “It seems like someone else.”





The first episode of Shirley’s anthology series was “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Charlton Heston and Claire Bloom. No, Chuck did not play Beauty.



Claire Bloom tightly hugging one of her wardrobe pieces.



Final image for today’s post shows Shirley getting ready for the LIFE photo shoot, with director Mitchell Leisen behind her.



See more Shirley Temple’s Storybook photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley and Endora

Born the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister, actress Agnes Moorehead (best known as Endora in “Bewitched”) made her movie debut in Orson Welles’ classic, “Citizen Kane” (1941). Not a bad start! She made the most of her small part, playing the mother of the title character. Agnes and Orson had met previously through her radio work on “The Shadow” and “March of Time.” Welles soon invited her to join him and Joseph Cotten as part of his Mercury Theatre on the Air, which included the famous 1938 “War of the Worlds” broadcast. As a result of that show, the Mercury players ventured out to Hollywood.

The Shirley connection began with the 1944 David Selznick wartime epic, “Since You Went Away.”



In this scene, the two Hilton sisters (Shirley and Jennifer Jones) tell off their mother’s friend, Emily Hawkins (Agnes).



Moorehead was excellent playing a snobbish socialite who loves to gossip about all the other women in the community. In the scene below, she is with Joseph Cotten (former Mercury Theatre costar) and Claudette Colbert; Irving Bacon plays the bartender in the background.



Just four years earlier, Bacon was serving Shirley soda in “Young People”:



Back to Agnes. Here she is in a fashion publicity still for “Since You Went Away,” looking very stylish!



From the accompanying blurb:

SYMPHONY IN BLUE Agnes Moorehead…goes out “stepping” in this stunningly but simple suit of turquoise blue wool. Across the front of the suit is an intricate design of sliver thread and turquoise sequins, surrounded by raindrop sequins. With the suit, Miss Moorehead wears long gloves, crushed at the wrist, and a grosgrain envelope bag and feather pouff of matching royal blue.



Agnes and Shirley worked together again in 1958. From Agnes’ biography, I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead by Charles Tranberg:

Agnes made the first of three appearances on “Shirley Temple’s Storybook” in the fall of 1958, as a witch in an hour-long adaptation of “Rapunzel.” Miss Temple didn’t appear in the play itself and the leading role of Rapunzel went to a young newcomer, Carol Lynley. Miss Lynley had happy recollections of her time working with Agnes. She recalled Agnes as “great company always — funny, feisty, witty, direct and very professional; just a fabulous lady.” But she never really got to know her, despite working with her again the next year in a General Electric Theater presentation with Ronald Reagan, and future meetings at social events. “We never socialized on a personal level. There was a big difference in our ages. I think the only person she ever really socialized with who was much younger than she was Debbie (Reynolds).” While they certainly did get along, “She was a private person, she never volunteered information regarding her private life and she never invaded your privacy.” Miss Lynley never even knew that Agnes had a son. Still, she cherishes the memory of their professional collaborations. “I think she was one of the all-time great Grande Dames of Hollywood.” “Rapunzel” did well in the ratings and won favorable reviews, including this one: “In view of the approach of Halloween, ‘Rapunzel’ was an appropriate choice for the TV screen. There probably was no new moral lesson in this fairy tale. But if there happens to be a rampion garden in the neighborhood, it probably won’t be invited for a long time by young adventurers. Miss Moorehead might just happen to be hiding there.” Carol Lynley was applauded as “lovely and sympathetic.” Agnes was not Endora in ‘Rapunzel,’ but a more evil cousin. Some of the dramatic gestures that she uses in ‘Rapunzel’ may remind one of the witch she would immortalize within a decade, but this witch was ugly where Endora was glamorous, evil where Endora was mischievous. 

In 1960, Shirley revamped her series and retitled it, “The Shirley Temple Show.” Agnes starred in two episodes, including the first one, “The Land of Oz.” Agnes played yet another witch, this one named Mombi, who she chose to give a cockney accent. Interesting to note that Bill Asher produced this episode and “Bewitched,” which starred his wife at the time, Elizabeth Montgomery.



The scenes in “Oz” with wacky comedian Jonathan Winters and Agnes are a delight to watch. And yes, Shirley fans, that’s Shirley’s childhood movie costar Arthur Treacher on the left.



Not surprisingly, good triumphs over evil and Queen Ozma (Shirley)…



punishes wicked old Mombi by taking away her magical powers.



Agnes next starred with Shirley in “The House of the Seven Gables,” which aired December 11, 1960.



Jonathan Harris, who played Dr. Smith on “Lost in Space,” later recalled working on that episode with Agnes and Shirley:

That was a very interesting piece with Bob Culp and Aggie Moorehead, bless her dead heart. Oh, God I loved her so! I did a couple of other things with her, including “Bewitched”! Aggie was a wonderful actress. She loved purple. Everything about Aggie was purple. The dressing room was a series of purple: lilac, purple, deep… she loved purple! And her clothes were that way, and her hair was orange! And she was one of the best actresses I ever knew in my whole life. Wonderful, wonderful! There are highlights of doing that show that I remember; the Shirley Temple thing. I’ll never forget, because of her and because of the fact that this divine child actor became a non-actor! We had a scene in the “Anne of whatever Gables” that we were in which I attempted to throttle her, and Arthur Hiller directed it, and when the take was over, the cameraman came to me and said, “You were wonderful in that!” I said, “Thank you!” So I decided to be very magnanimous, and I went to Shirley and I said, “The cameraman said that we were wonderful in that!” And she glared at me and said, “He didn’t tell ME!” And I was going to say, “Because you were not wonderful, you were terrible!” but I didn’t!



And then also, Aggie and I had lunch everyday and came back to the studio roaring with glee; we adored each other! One day, we were met by Miss Temple, saying, “You never asked ME to go to lunch!” So we sort of poked each other and I said, “Would you like to have lunch with us tomorrow, Miss Temple?” “Yes!” That’s the way she talked!

It would seem that Harris was every bit as bitchy and catty as his character from “Lost in Space.”



My final photo of Agnes is a publicity shot from “Bewitched” for the July 1965 “Just One Happy Family” episode with costar Maurice Evans. Her work as Endora is unmatched, making her an integral part of the show’s success. One more little Shirley tidbit from Agnes’ biography:

On October 7, 1965, Agnes heard from Shirley Temple Black regarding coming to San Francisco as a guest star at the opening of the ninth annual San Francisco Film Festival. As an honored guest, she would attend a black tie dinner and be introduced onstage at the opening night of the Festival, and then attend a post-opening supper dance at the Fairmount Hotel. The Festival would also fly Agnes and a companion to San Francisco and put her up at the Fairmont Hotel. In a postscript, in a handwritten note to Agnes, Shirley writes, “Please, please come! Last time you were here I tried to contact you, but you were probably too involved. This time, I’ll have many interesting people to introduce you to. Fondly, Shirley.” Agnes did attend and, while she had a good time, she would later say she was “embarrassed” by all the attention.

Moorehead died of cancer in 1974. Many believe that the cancer originated from her making the movie “The Conqueror” in 1956. Unbeknownst to the crew, the film’s Nevada location had previously served as a nuclear testing site. Many others involved in the film also died of cancer, including Susan Hayward (1975), John Wayne (1979), and director Dick Powell (1963). The fact that all of them smoked didn’t help either. You be the judge.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: The Baby Jane Connection

The classic camp horror film “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962) has a number of Shirley connections. Who knew? At the beginning of the film, we see two little girls in a theatre back in 1917. One is Jane, a famous child star with big blonde curls (more Pickford than Temple, though); the other is her sister Blanche, the wide-eyed and not-so-inwardly jealous one with dark hair.

Julie Allred had her one and only screen appearance in this film as little Jane, apparently due to her family’s religious beliefs. On the flip side, Gina Gillespie (young Blanche), already had quite a healthy number of screen credits by the time “Baby Jane” was made, including two on “The Shirley Temple Show.” Born September 20, 1951, she is the sister of ex-Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie.

Her first appearance on “The Shirley Temple Show” was in 1960, playing the title character in the “Madeline” episode.

Imogene Coca costarred, doing a beautiful job as Miss Clavel.

Gina’s second appearance was in the January 8, 1961 “Pippi Longstocking” episode. Gina has the distinction of being the first to play Astrid Lindgren’s character in a television or movie adaptation.

And here we have adult Blanche, played by Joan Crawford. Probably the one time you’d ever see this actress looking anything less than glamorous:

Back in 1938, Joan had visited Shirley on the set of “Little Miss Broadway,” giving the star a box of chocolates:

Anna Lee plays the nosy neighbor, Mrs. Bates in “Baby Jane”:

Back in 1948, she costarred with Shirley in the John Ford Western, “Fort Apache.” Irene Rich is the actress in the center:

And there you have it. I didn’t really see any significant connection between Shirley and Bette Davis; perhaps she had heard Vivien Leigh’s famous quote about her when she declined to replace Crawford in “Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte”:

“I could almost stand to look at Joan Crawford's face at 6am, but not Bette Davis.”

See more photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: All in the Family

Shirley Temple made a comeback of sorts to show business in 1958 when she returned to Hollywood (actually Burbank) to film her new television show, “Shirley Temple’s Storybook.” Commuting back and forth between her home in Atherton (just south of San Francisco), Shirley kept her actual time on set to a minimum so that she wouldn’t have to be away from her husband and three children any more than was necessary. According to Lloyd Shearer, West Coast correspondent for Parade Magazine, Shirley was “besieged by her three children” to be on the show. Shirley explained to him, “Every time I returned from Hollywood one of them would invariably say, ‘Mummy, why can’t we go on TV with you? It seems so easy. You don’t do anything ’cept talk.’” Shirley got the green light from husband Charles Black and decided to let her kids learn the unvarnished truth: acting is hard, hot, grueling work. All three children (Susan, 10 1⁄2, Charles, 6 1⁄2, and Lori, 4 1⁄2) into a plane and took them with her to Burbank so that they could make their acting debut in the “Mother Goose” episode that was set to air on December 21, 1958. It was to be the last show of the season.

Shearer was there on the day of filming and reported back to Parade:

The two girls were each given one line to learn, informed that their salary for one day’s work would be the minimal $80 each. Their brother, on the other hand, was assigned a featured role that called for one day’s rehearsal and one day’s work. His salary: $570. All three children were hustled into wardrobe and dressed in period costumes. Cracked Lori, youngest and most outspoken of the group, “These clothes are old-fashioned.” In the make-up department, 6 year-old Charley rebelled against the application of cosmetics. “I never wear lipstick at home,” he plaintively wailed. The make-up man explained that the film was being photographed in color. Bregrudgingly, Charley went along with the game. On the set, 10-year-old Susan was met by a tutor, told that according to California law she would have to do some schoolwork until director Mitchell Leisen called her.

Shirley and her two youngest were sent before the cameras. Charley was told to climb a maypole, eight-feet high. When he shinnied to the top, he was wired with a sling. A stagehand was assigned to stand under him in case of accident. Mother Shirley stood to one side, her hand clasped to Lori’s, never taking her eyes off Charley. The assistant director bellowed, “Quiet, everybody.“ The hot lights flashed on, and director Mitch Leisen nodded to his cameraman to “roll ’em.” The scene called for young Charley to look out from atop his maypole and shout, “I see him coming. It’s the Prince, the Prince.” Charley recited his lines blandly. Director Leisen smiled. “One more time, Charley,” he coached. “Only this time, with feeling. I want you to get all excited when you say, ‘It’s the Prince, the Prince.’” Charley shook his handsome head, again underplayed the line. Director Leisen was up on his toes. “It’s the Prince, the Prince,” he shouted as if he were shouting “Fire!” “Do you hear me, Charley? ‘It’s the Prince, the Prince.’” Charley nodded. “That’s just what I’ve been saying,” he calmly explained to Leisen, “It’s the Prince, the Prince.” The veteran director motioned to Shirley who came over and said, “Charley, now listen to me. When you say, ‘It’s the Prince, the Prince,’ Mr. Leisen wants you to call it out, to announce it. You’ve got to act excited, pleased, happy.” Said Charley, “I’m getting tired sitting up here, Mama.” “You’re the one who said he wanted to be on television,” Shirley countered. “Let’s go home,” Charley said. Eventually, Shirley’s son recited his lines to the director’s satisfaction.

It was then his sister Lori’s turn. As the camera moved in for a two-shot of Shirley and daughter, Lori turned her back to the lens. “You can’t do that, darling,” her mother said. “You’ve got to face the camera.” “Those lights get in my eyes,” Lori complained. “Take those lights away.” Patiently mother explained that lights were necessary equipment for picture making. Another “take” was begun. This time Lori closed her eyes. As Shirley started to remonstrate, petulant Lori stomped her right foot. “Those lights are hot, Mommy. They make me sweat. If they don’t take the lights away, I don’t wanna play.” Shirley bent down, maternally lifted Lori, cradled the child in her arms. Leisen called a “break.” By day’s end all of Shirley’s three children had performed their jobs creditably. Shirley not only felt proud of her trio but of herself as well. “I wanted them to learn,” she pointed out, “that acting is hard work. I wanted them to realize that in show business — I guess in any business — nobody gives you something for nothing. I think they learned that today and I’m glad.”

See more Shirley Temple’s Storybook photos at my main website.