The Key West citizen., 1952-08-12
HOLLYWOOD
NOTES
Bv BOB THOMAS

OOoAICSS, StdI ASA PuOSCO Ny
the size of his roles or salary. It's
how big and elaborate the dressing
room is.
When unknown players are
signed at a studio, they have vir-
tually no place to hang their hats.
If they succeed in becoming fea-
tured players, they are assigned
rooms in a building with their col,
leagues. If they make the dizzy
climb to stardom, they are moved
into a swank building with other
stars and given fancy suites.
Dressing rooms at the MGM star
factory are the particular head
ache of Miss Eli Benneche. She
has been decorating interiors at
the studio for over two decades.
II have to take care of 750 dres-
sing rooms and Offices" she re-
ported. "MoSt of them have to be
designed and decorated individual
ly. The actors aren't the only ones
who have certain desires In color
and decoration; the directors and
producers can be just as particu-
lar, or more so. l suppose that's
true of all people in show business,
in which color and design play
such an important part"
Times have changed, she added,
remarking that the economy wave
in Hollywood has cut down the
lavishness of stars dressing rooms.
''In the old days, we might redo
a stars room every two or three
years." she said. "That doesn't
happen any more"
She looked back rather WiStfully
to the days when the MGM queens
We'd for supremacy. Top gal was
Norma Shearer, who had suite
in expensive modern design. Joan
Crawford had an elaborate English
18th Century affair. Marion Davies
held court in her own building, a
two story Spanish house. When she
got mad at the studio and left,
she moved the building off the lot.
cat first Garbo wouldn't talk to
anyone but Adrain, who designed
her rooms," Miss Benneche said.
"But in her last years here, she
came down to earth a little. She
let me design her dressing room,
but it was a great problem. I could
not get a decision from her on
anything. When she did decide, she
would contradict herself later.
Hedy Lamar was another head
ache, Miss Benneche added. Hedy
was overly particular and also
wanted to change things. The de.
signer almost gave up on Judy
Garland, who wanted black and
white decor.
katharine Hepburn's room was
terrible" the decorator exclaimed.
"Why, she wouldn't allow anything
but striped mattress ticking on the
bed. She had some ratty curtains
on the window and droopy cartoons
hung on the walls. She didn't want
anything fancier."
Dressing rooms for present MGM
stars are elegant but restrained.
Greer Carson leans to turquoise
with dark green and white. Lana
Turner's room is mostly white with
pale pink and blue. Elizabeth Tay-
lor's is peach and white. Esther
Williams has early American de-
sign with blue and red predominant
ing.
Some men, like Red Shelton and
Fred Astaire, never make requests,
Miss Benneche remarked, but most
actors are just as particular as the
women. Most of the men prefer
red and blue.
But tho men aren't so quick to
change" she said. II designed an
early American room for Clark
Gable back in 1887, and he hasn't
allowed it to be changed since"
would be larger than it is in the
services.
Do the professional officers treat
them as equals?
Most of them" says Col. Towle.
There are still a few old-timerS