Evening star., 1936-08-02

In contrast 10 tne Gays WHEN
kept open house for visiting nobility
I'd Pickfair was considered the one
smart place to visit, there are now
three types of parties given: Intimate,
big, amusing.
Claudette Colbert and husband, DR..
FRESHMAN. Mrs David o. Selznick,
Merle Oberon, Mrs. Samuel Goldwyn
end Mr.. and Mrs. Douglas Fairbanks,
sr., are the leaders of the little. but
good, entertainment groups. Guest
lists OF Miss Colbert are conspicuous
by the absence of film folk names. To
please her husband, Claudette usually
invites professionals to the free
and easy Saturday and Sunday eve
ming gatherings at her Holmby Hills
home.
The parties given by Mrs. Selznick
are more formal-and equally difficult
to crash, unless the Would-be invitee
has some claim to fame. Millionaire
jock Whitney is frequent guest. Ditto
millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt. Marlene
Dietrich, Dolores Del Rio and her huS-
band, Cedric Gibbons. Madeleine Car
roll. Lily Damita and Enrol Flynn.
Merle Oberon'S Sunday luncheons in
her Santa Monica Beach home usually
comprise all the available visiting
British nobility in Hollywood, and. in
edition, her great friends, Norma
Shearer, Irving Thalberg. the Fredric
Marches, Herbert Marshall, Gloria
Swanson. and, of course, David Nlven.
The largest gathering sponsored by
Merle to date was given recently to
Welcome the new Mrs. Douglas Fair
b9nks.
The parties of the former Lady Ash
lov and her husband have been COM
r0sed principally of English friends
ct the couple A hangover from Doug's
Pickfair days is the titled house guest
It the beach home-currently, the
Countess of Warwick.
Mary Pickford is still holding her
CWn as hostess of the white mansion
she once shared with Douglas. But
l,or hostesSing activities are now pri-
rlarily devoted to stimulating interest
in charities rather than in provid-
i~g glittering entertainment for visit
ing noblemen.
The home of Samuel Goldwyn in
Teverely Hills is the mecca for every
visiting and resident celebrity. More
than any other hostess in Hollywood,
Mrs. GoldWyn possesses that indefin-
sble quality that makes guests feel at
fome-and want to come again. The
Party she gave on New Year eve,
from the viewpoint of food. wine,
dress, Jewels and screen star guests,
vas the best in decade.
Joan Crawford rarely gives large
entertainments except to honor re-
noWned musicians, as she did recently
fer Leopold StokoWski. Joan prefers
to give intimate parties for romancing
couples Her special favorites right
TOW are Barbara Stanwyck- Robert
Talyor and Francis Lederer-Mary
Ioos.
Every once in a while, Charlie
Chaplin emerges from Seclusion to
throw a large party in honor of
literary celebrity. H G.. Wells. recent
recipient of Chaplin-Pauletta Goddard
hospitality, was viewed by HollyWood'S
bcst people (about 200 StrongD
Chaplin prefers smaller groups for
everyday entertaining. Regulars at
the dinner table include his physician,
Dr. Cecil Reynolds, and King Vidor.
The most important hostess in
Hollywood, on the score of size, is
Mrs. Basil Rathbone, wife of the ac-
ter. She is closely followed by Marion
Davies, Kay Francis and Carole Lom-
bard-Who prefer fancy dress affairs
the Countess di Frasso. and Mrs.
Harry Lachman. whose husband di-
rccts for Columbia. Mrs. Rathbone
thinks nothing of inviting 800 people
1T q time to her Los Feliz mansion,
to meet James Hilton, the Marques
and Marquesa de Portage, Lady
Tiendal elsie De Wolfe) or Banker
Jules Bache Mrs. Rathbone will do
anything to insure her party's popu-
lerity. She accomplished the miracle
of snow in Hollywood at her last
years Christmas party. decorating
the grounds with icicles and snow
composition.
Slant-eyed Mrs. Lachman Is proud
Cf her Chinese ancestry cher father
as o Manchurian prince and usu-
ly wears Oriental costume and jade
r~naments for entertainments given
I her home on Beverly drive. Chop
ley figures prominently on the
.lenu. During these affairs, to which
e corralled every British title, Euro
AN and American celebrity in
0lIyWood, Mr.. Lachman usually
.des in his den with a few of his
-onies.
The parties sponsored by Marion
svies in her beach home and the
.iraYagant affairs given in the
Juntess di FraSso's all-white Bev-
-lY Hills home have been chronicled
- much for repetition here, with the
reception Of an amusing story told of
gae-crasher at the recent red and
hite party given by Elsa Maxwell In
ae home Of the countess. He was
'aught red-handed stubbing his Gig
.ette into the white carpet. Il
ought the joint had been hired for
71e night" ne explained.