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Hollywood Stars:
 | Susan Hayward
After some years of apprenticeship, stardom and the first of five Oscar nominations came to former photographer's model Susan Hayward with Smash-Up--The Story of a Woman (1947). From then on the gifted, husky-voiced, and ravishing redhead, despite playing a range of parts that included sultry temptresses, rich bitches, and intrepid heroines, became uniquely identified with suffering, both harrowing and poignant but always gutsy. A huge box-office draw during the 1950s, she won hearts portraying singer Jane Froman who was crippled in an air crash, was superb as singer Lilian Roth suffering from alcoholism in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1956), won her Academy Award for I Want to Live (1958) in which she went to the gas chamber, and was the natural choice to star in the remakes of Back Street (1961) and Dark Victory (retitled Stolen Hours, 1963). Born Edythe Marrener in Brooklyn, New York, she suffered much off-screen, too--a stormy marriage, custody battles, and a suicide attempt before dying of a brain tumor at the age of 56.
Where the Hollywood Stars Dined:
Legendary hoofer Ann Miller shares her favourite Hollywood haunts.
Hollywood has changed a lot since the days when Ann Miller made her mark by playing dancers and ingenues in films such as" Stage Door" and "You Can't Take It With You." The gifted star of such MGM classics as "Easter Parade" and "On the Town" made a big comeback this year as the enigmatic landlady in "Mulholland Drive," David Lynch's tale of Hollywood's dark side. Here, the spunky 70s something shares some of her favorite L.A. hot spots of today and yesteryear.
Lucy's El Adobe (On Melrose and Gower)
We used to go to Lucy's, when I was under contract to RKO, where I did "Room Service" and "You Can't Take It With You." Rouben Mamoulian taught me about this drink, Lagrima de Cristo, the Tears of Christ. It was the most marvelous white wine I ever tasted.
Zarape (Vermont and Sunset, now closed)
I'd go with Desi (Arnaz) and Lucy (Ball) over on Vermont, to Zarape. I was 18. They had great Mexican food, and we'd dance. I was the one who introduced Desi to Lucy. I was rehearsing with Lucy, and George Abbott walked in with Desi. I knew Desi from New York where he worked at a big nightclub. He was terrific. Even then he played "Babalu." I looked up, and said, "Oh, Desi, I want you to meet Lucy Ball."
Mocambo (Sunset Blvd., now closed)
My husband Reese Milner romanced me there. He was a monster, who eventually threw me down the stairs when I was pregnant and broke my back. He was a son of a bitch. But I was in love with him. And, oh, the Mocambo! Above the orchestra, there was this huge thing with exotic birds, practically all around the room. It was soundproof, all these gorgeous birds, the big wings, the feathers. You'd see the birds when you were dancing. I remember Xavier Cugat playing there.
Perino's (The old Perino's across from the Ambassador, now closed)
I remember the night Howard Hughes took me to Perino's. It was the chic place to go. I was all dressed up, and he arrived in a beat-up old Chevrolet, dirty tennis shoes and a raggedy, open collar. I made him change his shirt and shoes in my powder room. At the restaurant, he went into the kitchen to make his own salad. He put on surgical gloves to mix the salad. "I don't trust people with dirty hands," he said. I thought it was a date. But he took me out to talk about Linda Darnell, who was my best friend.
The Biltmore (On Grand in downtown)
I had my first date there, but no one knew he was gay. There was this beautiful huge ballroom. They had two Academy Awards there. I was at Walt Disney's table the night he won an award. I was with Hermes Pan. I had the biggest crush on him, he looked just like Fred Astaire, then gradually found out he was gay. But he became my closest and dearest friend.
Cocoanut Grove (Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Blvd., now closed)
I used to take all my beaus there. They had the biggest orchestra in the world, and you could ballroom dance. I remember going there with the marajah of Coochbohar of India, he was a gorgeous young man. There was all these wonderful palm trees. I remember Elizabeth Taylor walking in, everyone from the MGM lot. I made my escorts bring me gardenias, and wore them on my wrist.
Pantages (On Hollywood near Vine)
Most of my pictures were at Columbia and RKO, and the premieres were at the Pantages. Ginger Rogers was my best friend, and I sat beside her at the "Stage Door" premiere. That was my first premiere. I was 17. I remember that red carpet, the gardenias on my wrist, and everybody oohing and aahing. It was absolutely incredible. The gowns and furs. You were a star the minute you got out of the limo.
Eurochow (On Westwood in Westwood)
The decor is fabulous. It looks like a movie set. And I like the fact that I can order Chinese hors d'oeuvres and then have a smashing steak. The food is superb, pricey, but really, really good.
La Dolce Vita (Little Santa Monica near Wilshire)
The greatest Italian restaurant in town. That was Frank Sinatra's favorite restaurant. He loved it. There's the rollatine, eggplant stuffed with little tiny vermicelli, rolled in a tomato sauce. Out of this world.
La Scala (On Canon Drive, Beverly Hills)
It used to be on baby Santa Monica. Wonderful linguini with white clam sauce. I went once with Cary Grant. We had met at a cocktail party, and he said, "You want to go for dinner?"
H. Salt (Santa Monica Blvd. in West. L.A.)
It's at the beach. I love the fried cod with tartar sauce, with cole slaw. I love to eat. I eat everything that isn't nailed down. That's the problem for me. I don't take men down there. It's small and not very glamorous. I go in slacks.
Casa Escobar (Wilshire in Santa Monica)
Mexican is my favorite food, and this is my favorite. There's a huge bar. The best enchiladas and tacos in town. And, oh, the margaritas! You've got it made. I've discovered Corona beer, with a lime on the top. It's the kind of place you can be romantic with a beau or go with a bunch of pals.
© 2003
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Victor Mature - A Hollywood Hunk:
 | Victor Mature, the beefy leading man of the '40s and '50s whose films included "Kiss of Death" and "Samson and Delilah," died in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., following a three-year battle with cancer. He was 86.
Though he admitted to being a better golfer than actor, Mature, who had leading roles in almost 50 films, came along at a time when inscrutable leading men with muscular physiques were in fashion. Never averse to publicity, he played up his sobriquet "the Hunk," which gave him needed visibility to compete with some of his more talented contemporaries, like Charlton Heston and Robert Mitchum.
He is best remembered for biblical spectacles including Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah" and "The Robe," but turned in some of his best work in films noir such as "Kiss of Death" and "Cry of the City" as well as John Ford's classic Western "My Darling Clementine."
But since the late '50s, except for occasional small roles, like the early '80s TV remake of "Samson and Delilah," Mature rarely worked in the business. He never took acting too seriously, he confessed. Nor marriage, to some extent: He wed five times.
Born in Louisville, Ky., Mature left school in his teens and became a successful candy wholesaler. With that money, he started a restaurant in 1935 only to sell it a short time later and head to California, where he intended to become an actor.
He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse's drama school and in 1936 made his debut there in "Paths of Glory." Odd jobs sustained him over the next couple of years, until he landed a fellowship at the Playhouse and a leading role in "Autumn Crocus."
A year later, while acting in Ben Hecht's "To Quito and Back," he was spotted by producer Hal Roach, who gave him a small role in "The Housekeeper's Daughter" with Joan Bennett. The brief appearance resulted in a deluge of fan mail, and he was thrown into a leading role in "One Million B.C.," a subpar caveman tale.
The poorly reviewed film gave him a profile as a brawny, he-man type, and he capitalized on the attendant publicity. In 1940, Roach sold half of Mature's $250-a-week, seven-year contract to RKO, which put him in the film version of "No, No Nanette." He continued in a musical vein, moving on to Broadway in Moss Hart's play with music "Lady in the Dark," opposite Gertrude Lawrence. It was here that the description "hunk" was ascribed to him. And it stuck.
In 1941, Fox took over his contract and paid him $1,200 a week while casting him in musical vehicles with Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, including "Song of the Islands" and "My Gal Sal."
During the war, Mature signed up with the Coast Guard and was assigned to duty patrolling the North Atlantic. His only acting work during the period was the musical "Tars and Spars" for recruitment purposes.
After the war, he landed a plum role in "My Darling Clementine." Other strong vehicles included "Moss Rose" (1947) and "Cry of the City."
His biggest success would be as Samson in DeMille's 1950 version of "Samson and Delilah," for which he was paid $50,000.
Mature worked in a range of films throughout the '50s, from musical comedies like "Wabash Avenue" and "Million Dollar Mermaid" to Westerns like "Chief Crazy Horse" and action films such as "Dangerous Mission" and "Betrayed." But he is best remembered for beefcake spectacles like "Androcles and the Lion," "The Robe," "Demetrius and the Gladiators" and "The Egyptian."
After such a spate, it was hard to see him in anything else, which is why by the early '60s he'd joined the exodus of American actors to Italy, where he starred in "Hannibal" and "The Tartars."
But by the end of the decade, he was reduced mostly to cameos, some spoofing his persona, such as "After the Fox," a comedy with Peter Sellers, and the Monkees' "Head."
Appropriately, he came out of retirement in 1983 to play Samson's father in a TV remake of "Samson and Delilah."
Survivors include his wife, Lorey, a former Chicago opera singer, and their daughter, Victoria, who graduated from an opera program at the U. of California, San Diego.
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Jane Froman - With a Song in Her Heart:
 | Jane Froman's three-decade career included radio and television, recordings on major labels, nightclub performances, and appearances in Broadway shows and Hollywood movies. Although she had classical voice training, early in her career she was drawn to the songs of the era's brilliant young songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin, who were inspiring a resurgence in popular music. In 1934, at age 27, she became the top-polled "girl singer." The famous composer and producer, Billy Rose, when asked to name the top ten female singers, is reported to have replied, "Jane Froman and nine others."
Jane's unique, dramatic voice seemed to mirror the courage with which she overcame multiple life adversities. One of these was the February, 1943 USO plane crash in which she suffered severe injuries. Her courageous return to Europe on crutches to inspire wounded servicemen was a focus of the 1952 award winning 20th-Century Fox movie, With a Song in My Heart. While Susan Hayward was Oscar-nominated for her portrayal of Jane, Jane's own singing on the soundtrack became a best-selling record album.
The movie caused a career renaissance resulting in many new fans, many more recordings and her own Emmy-nominated CBS television show, USA Canteen (later renamed The Jane Froman Show). I Believe, the very first hit song to be introduced on television, was written for Jane by the show's musicians and earned her a gold record.
Jane retired to her home town of Columbia, Missouri in 1961, but continued the volunteer work for which she was known throughout her career. In the '50s, Jane had helped redirect fan adoration into creative projects and gala benefits for the financial support of the children's program at the Menninger Institute. She was born in 1907 and passed in 1980.
The Boone County Historical Museum in Columbia, Missouri, serves as a repository for Jane Froman memorabilia and is the primary site for annual reunions of admirers, friends, and family from all over the world.
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A Tribute to Ida Lupino:
 | It's no exaggeration to say that Ida Lupino was born to be in the entertainment business. Her father was a famous dance hall performer in England, and her mother was known as the fastest tap dancer alive. She began performing at 10, entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at 13, and first appeared on film at 15.
But while she did fulfill her early promise and became a movie star, and later on one of the most prolific women directors in Hollywood history, she never quite reached the top rank of movie people. She did it all, though.
Born in England (On February 4 in either 1914 or 1918, depending on which biography you read), Ida Lupino eventually found her way to Hollywood in 1935, with advance billing as the "Jean Harlow of England," but her talent was wasted in second-rate films. In 1938, at the ripe old age of 18, she decided not to renew her contract with Paramount, and became an independent.
Dumping the platinum blonde hair and heavy makeup, she returned to her normal dark hair color, and fought her way into a role in the William Wellman-directed "The Light That Failed" (1939), gaining critical acclaim. This was followed by more B films, but also some meaty roles in "They Drive by Night" (1940), "High Sierra" (1941), and "The Hard Way" (1942); she won the New York Film Critics Award as best actress for the latter film.
In 1948 she and her husband Collier Young formed their own filmmaking company, The Filmmakers. In 1950, when the directory of "Not Wanted" suffered a heart attack, Ida took over as director; it was the start of another career for her. She directed five more films for her company, and was described as an actor's director. Her films mostly tackled themes that other movie companies didn't deal with, and approached them in an uncompromising manner.
Lupino continued both her acting and directing careers in the 1950s, but by 1956 made the transition to television, as both an actor and a director. She directed episodes of shows such as "The Untouchables," "The Fugitive," and "Bewitched," and appeared as a guest star on "Bonanza," "Columbo," and "Charlie's Angels," among others. Her last theatrical film directing job was "The Trouble With Angels" (1966), starring Rosalind Russell and Hayley Mills.
Lupino had one daughter, with her third husband, Howard Duff, who she married in 1951 and divorced in 1984. She formally retired from movies and TV in 1978, and died of a stroke on August 3, 1995. She was a strong voice for women in films, and a great credit to her show business family. Please enjoy this tribute article, written in honor of either her 85th or 89th birthday, depending on who you believe. Either way, we salute her.
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