studio, 10–11, 130
media. See press and publicity
MGM
former employees, 178–79
Mayer as head of, 10–11, 130
production rate, 28–29, 250
stars’ publicity and reputations, 7, 174–75, 176
Minnelli, Liza, 3–8
Minnelli, Vincente, 7
Mitchum, Robert, 177
Mix, Tom, 74, 199
Mizner, Wilson, 195–97
Mocambo, 211–14, 212, 213
Monroe, Marilyn, 91, 96, 184
Montand, Yves, 91
Montgomery, Robert, 32, 215
Moore, Colleen, 31
Morgan, Frank, 148
movie studios. See studios and movie business
movie theaters, 79, 249
Neff, Wallace, 74, 116
Neutra, Richard, 48, 100–101
Niblo, Fred, 84
nightclubs. See also restaurants
black entertainers, 214
Café Montmartre, 194
Ciro’s, 209–11, 213
Club Mont-Aire, 216
Coffee Dan’s, 189
Embassy Club, 194–95
Hollywood Canteen, 207–8, 208
image of nightclubbing stars, 169–70
informal atmosphere, 216
The Magic Castle, 22, 66
Mocambo, 211–14, 212, 213
during Prohibition, 189–91
Sunset Inn, 190, 191
Trocadero “The Troc,” 204–6, 214–16
Vernon Country Club, 190
Niven, David, 184–85
Novarro, Ramon, 81
Oliver, Harry, 81, 244
Olmedo, Alex and David, 99
Orsatti, Frankie, 190
Palm Springs, 45–52
Paramount, 24, 28, 45, 81, 165, 193
Parsons, Louella, 170, 172–75, 173, 174, 241
parties
decline of, 135–36
practical jokes and gags, 143
prominent hosts and hostesses, 71, 101, 104–5, 127, 129–30, 133, 139–43
social standing and networks, 126, 143–44
theme parties, 81, 103–4, 139
Perino’s/Alexander Perino, 232–34, 233
Pickford, Mary, 69–73, 72, 135, 140, 141, 241
Players, 234, 234–35
Polglase, Van Nest, 82
polo, 94, 98, 109, 150–51
Powell, William, 40, 49, 83, 110, 153, 198
Power, Tyrone, 153, 162, 184–85, 207, 250
press and publicity
freelance press agent, 179–80
gossip columnists, 170–75, 173, 174
paparazzi and scandalmongers, 172, 182–86
protection of stars’ reputations, 14, 171, 176–77, 180–82
restaurant policies concerning, 183, 194, 226, 228
studio publicists and press agents, 171–72, 175–79
writers’ fees, 171
Prohibition years, 189–91, 205
radio studios, 216–17
Raft, George, 163, 202, 203
Rathbone, Basil and Ouida, 142–43
Ratoff, Gregory, 55, 152
Reeves, John J., 27
restaurants. See also nightclubs
Au Petit Jean, 228–29
Brown Derby, 195–204, 197, 198
Café Swiss, 244–45
Chasen’s, 224–28, 227, 232
Cock ’n Bull, 237
Cocoanut Grove, 215, 230–31, 231
Don the Beachcomber’s, 48, 237–40
experimentation and novelty, 237
Henry’s, 192
home-style cooking, 192
La Rue, 240–42
La Scala, 228
manners and standards at, 193, 213
Musso & Frank, 192
Perino’s, 232–34, 233
Philippe the Original, 21
Players, 234, 234–35
policies on photographers and reporters, 183, 194, 226, 228
Romanoff’s, 217–24, 218, 232
Sardi’s, 195
Scandia, 235–37, 236
Schwab’s Pharmacy, 245–46
Ship Café, 191
Smoke House, 244
Tam O’Shanter, 244
Tick Tock Tea Room, 245
Vendôme, 241
Victor Hugo, 192–93
Yamashiro, 22
Rex gambling ship, 55–56, 56
Rindge family, 40
Roach, Hal, 149, 150
Robinson, Edward G., 142, 142
Rogers, Ginger, 82
Rogers, Will, 75, 90, 94, 102, 109, 150
Roland, Gilbert, 54, 100, 116
Romanoff’s/Mike Romanoff, 154, 217–24, 218, 220, 229, 232
Scandia, 235–37, 236
Schenck, Joe
after divorce, 116
gambling, 53, 55, 242
homes, 26, 100, 116–17
investments, 38, 57, 59
loans to friends and employees, 75, 204, 243
personality, 115
studios, 58, 176
Schindler, Rudolph, 48, 195
Schulberg, B. P., 53, 126
Schwab’s Pharmacy, 245–46
Selznick, David O., 53, 55, 81
Selznick, Irene Mayer, 128–29, 130
Selznick, Myron, 53, 150, 206
Shatto, George, 41
Shearer, Norma, 99, 104–5
Sinatra, Frank, 51, 52, 162–64, 164, 219, 220
St. John, Jill, 3, 52, 77, 109, 125, 135, 179
Stanwyck, Barbara, 40, 150, 201
stars. See actors
Stewart, Jimmy, 131–32, 154–55, 207, 226, 227, 228
Strickling, Howard, 175, 178–79
studios and movie business. See also specific studios
actor layoffs, 169
agent package deals, 221–22
changes after World War II, 8–10
clannishness and competitiveness, 10, 113–14, 130
corporate owners, 11
creation of fantasy, 28, 79–80, 81
decline in production and profits, 182, 249–50
during Depression, 28–29
exclusive actor contracts, 171, 182
investment in stars, 79, 195
in Los Angles economy, 29
passion and pride of founders, 11–12
protection of stars’ reputations, 14, 171, 176–77, 180–82
publicists and press agents, 171–72, 175–79
studio buildings, 80–81
studio locations, 73–74, 109, 193
Sturges, Preston, 234–35
Swanson, Gloria, 74, 141–42
Talmadge, Norma, 99–100, 116, 140, 195
Taylor, Elizabeth, 4–6, 92, 93, 182
Taylor, Francis, 95
Taylor, Robert, 154, 155, 201, 207
television, 9–10, 136, 182, 249, 250
Thalberg, Irving, 104
Thompson, Kay, 179, 211, 245
Tracy, Spencer, 90, 150, 178, 209
Trocadero “The Troc,” 204–6, 214–16
20th Century Fox. See Fox/20th Century Fox
United Artists, 58, 70, 115
Universal, 28–29, 127, 250
Valentino, Rudolph, 75–78, 76, 159–60
Van Heusen, Jimmy, 223
Vendôme, 241
Victor Hugo, 192–93
von Sternberg, Josef, 100–101
Wagner, Robert J.
adolescent years, 32, 43, 83, 120
children, 51, 125, 145
contract wi
th Fox, 44, 58, 175, 251
first film, 239–40
golf, 144–48, 146
homes, 30, 51–52, 109, 125
love for horses, 32–34, 33, 125, 253–54
marriages, 51, 52, 125, 203
move to California, 29–30
photos, 33, 46, 47, 50, 87, 118, 146, 164, 173
on St. John’s Hospital board, 132
Wald, Jerry and Connie, 126
Walker, Robert, 43, 177
Walsh, Raoul, 54, 150, 252–53
Warner, Ann, 113, 114, 179
Warner, Harry, 10, 93–94, 113, 114, 150
Warner, Jack
at costume party, 142
donation to Hollywood Canteen, 207
gambling, 242
gentrification of, 179
home, 110–14, 115
interest in horses and racing, 150
ouster of brother from studio, 113–14
passion for moviemaking, 11–12
restaurant investments, 196, 217, 224
Warner Bros.
in movie industry family, 10–11
ouster of Harry, 113–14
production rate, 28–29, 250
studio locations, 109, 193
typical movies, 115
Wasserman, Lew, 115
Wayne, John, 43, 222
Webb, Clifton, 13, 54, 153, 173
West, Nathanael, 30
Weyl, Carl Jules, 195, 199
Wilcox, Horace and Daeida, 20
Wilder, Billy, 63, 132–35
Wilkerson, Billy, 54, 204–6, 205, 209–10, 215–16, 240–43
Williams, Paul Revere, 95–97, 230–31
Williams Brothers, 211
Willson, Henry, 181–82
Wood, Natalie, 44, 52, 164, 186, 203, 228
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 107–8, 108
Wrigley, Phil, and family, 44
Wrigley, William, Jr., 41–42
Zanuck, Darryl
favorite restaurants, 197–98, 219
homes, 116–17, 117
investments, 38, 217
leisure activities, 94, 151, 151, 152, 153–54
military service, 207
studio, 58, 176
types and styles of movies, 8–9, 11–12, 116
Zanuck, Richard, 117–18
Zukor, Adolph, 11, 24, 165
* It’s not generally known, but Gladys Belzer, Loretta Young’s mother, had a thriving career as a decorator to the Hollywood set; she often collaborated with the architect John Woolf, who built houses for Fanny Brice, among many others.
You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age Page 21