Gossip! Gossip! Gossip! Cal York: September 1961

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Natalie Wood and Bob Wagner sounded off at each other in front of a crowd of celebrities one night—their first public battle. And a few days later, they announced a trial separation.

Once very good friends, Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida are really at odds these days. Tony didn’t report on the set of Lady L in June, and Gina was furious. She stood around for hours awaiting his arrival. The reason Tony didn’t show: the final rewrite of the script reduced Tony’s role almost to that of an errand boy.

A reliable source gave Photoplay an exclusive scoop: Twentieth Century-Fox is refusing to advance Liz Taylor any more money until her role in Cleopatra has been recorded on film. The studio had signed her for one million dollars and given her a substantial advance, but that was prior to all the delays in getting the epic under way. So now they’re taking no chances, and they’ve informed her agents: “No work, no pay.” And Liz undoubtedly could use some of the money now. The Eddie Fishers’ bank account has been hit hard in the wake of her costly illness and all those daily expenses that produce bills, bills, bills.

Richard Beymer could be flirting with trouble—his latest heart throb is a certain French actress deeply entangled in divorce proceedings with her husband.

The inside details of Cheryl Crane’s latest tussle with the law is more tragic than shocking. The troubled teenager was arrested again—this time in the apartment of her grandmother. Cheryl and the two girls with her hand been drinking. I understand Lana Turner had to be put under a physician’s care when informed of her daughter’s latest escapade. But now that Cheryl has decided to seek psychiatric help, things may be looking better—for everyone.

Debbie Reynolds isn’t denying those pregnancy rumours so vehemently now. She even has her close friends guessing if she and Harry Karl are expecting. Are you, Debbie? I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that she’s decided to make only one film a year now. She had been doing four or five. Or is it Karl’s millions?

The columnists had a field day when up popped Marilyn Monroe as Frank Sinatra’s date—twice, once unofficially at Tony and Janet Curtis’ tenth anniversary party and once officially at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. Frank even tossed a private party for Marilyn following the last show, during which she sat at his table and appeared awestruck. Everyone was so busy trying to make a serious romantic item out of the episodes that the other scoop behind their meetings was overlooked. Frank, who always has a keen eye open for business, arranged the dates to offer Marilyn a fantastic deal to co-star with him in a film for his own company.

From the Photoplay archives.