Horsy Set Basks in California Hospitality

The international horse set dominated Los Angeles’ social picture last week. Here for the Eclipse Ball and the special awards for their “best,” they were also enjoying the best of California hospitality.

On one night, Hollywood Park’s Marje Everett tented in the pool and garden areas of her Holmby Hills house and invited the visiting big horse dealers and breeders, plus the creme de la creme of Hollywood, for hors d’oeuvre (caviar, seafood), a seated dinner and dancing to Ernie Heckscher’s orchestra. Heckscher is a favorite with San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel crowd and with Marje.

The same night, Virginia Milner took over the private room at Jimmy’s for a black-tie dinner dance honoring Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and his wife Marylou. That night, Ted Bassett announced that Whitney, known forever as Sonny, would receive the horseman-of-the-year award at the Eclipse Ball, recognizing his contributions over the past 50 years to the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. Everyone applauded madly, particularly Jimmy Kilroe, who had received the same award a few years back.

Nelson (Bunker) Hunt and his wife Caroline, Cary and Barbara Grant, John and Julie Forsythe, Linda Evans, television’s Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy, producer Howard and Ruth Koch, Jerry and Jane Weintraub, super jockey Bill Shoemaker and trainer Charlie Whittingham were part of the crowd at Marje Everett’s party, along with horse owners Mary Jones Bradley, Howell Wynn of Dallas, Don and Skippy McCoy and Alyce and Spud Williamson. And mingling well were Feliza and Elliott Plowe, the Gene Kleins, the Art Kellys, Atty. Gen. and Mrs. John Van de Kamp, Caroline Ahmanson and U.S. Information Agency chief Charlie Wick and wife Mary, who left early for another dinner.

The talk was mostly horsy at Giney Milner’s “do,” but when the word got out that Loretta Young (wearing what producer Bill Frye described as her “Cats” hat) had just signed with Aaron Spelling to play the matriarch in his television series, “Dark Mansions,” we were back to movie talk. Squiring Loretta was Curtis Kent. (The new man in her life, we were told, was in England.)

“God bless us all,” said Marylou Whitney, looking like a snow princess in her gauzy silver dress, hair caught back with a diamond headband. And among those echoing the sentiments were Kirk and Anne Douglas (they hosted a luncheon for the popular Whitneys who lived in Bel-Air about 25 years ago when he was in the movie business), Ross (a terrific dancer) and Rita Barrett, Gloria and Jimmy Stewart, Nancy and Alan Livingston, Ginny and Henry Mancini, Cyd and Tony Martin and San Francisco’s Marian and Robert Miller and Nini Martin.

“He has had the best horses of any person living or dead,” said Patsy Pope about Sonny Whitney. Mrs. Pope, who knows a thing or two about horses, had been at Marje Everett’s party first, as had Martha and Jimmy Kilroe. Filling the tiny dance floor at Jimmy’s were Earle and Marion Jorgensen, Tom and Ruth Jones, Beverly and Chase Morsey, New Yorker Gus Ober, Marion and George Scharffenberger, Myles Lowell, Rosemarie and Bob Stack, Jim Wharton, Onnalee and Bill Doheny, Wallis Annenberg and ABC veep Gary Pudney, Alfredo de la Vega, Chardee and Tucker Trainer, Connie Wald, Ambassador to the Vatican and Mrs. William Wilson (they were leaving for Rome within the next few days), Natalie and Gwynn Robinson and Macdonald Carey, who is at work on his second book of poetry.

Harriet Luckman got a raft of presents on her birthday. Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic honored her at a special dinner at the Century Plaza Tower and created quite a fuss over the 30 years she has put in as a devoted volunteer.

Her husband’s birthday present was a big surprise. World-famous architect Charles Luckman, who has been married to Harriet for 54 years, announced that he is giving a $2.5-million matching funds grant to the clinic in her name. And then Coca-Cola’s Lucille Boswell, chairman of the clinic’s board, presented a gift that brought tears to Harriet’s eyes--the original construction paper, cookie cutter art work done by 4-year-old Jose, a clinic preschooler, for the dinner’s invitation.

Clinic president Thomas Ledwith explained that Luckman’s gift will be used to launch a matching funds campaign for a new $5-million clinic headquarters to be named the Charles and Harriet Luckman Building. But first things first--the clinic is searching for a site.

Among the 200 who turned out to pay tribute to Mrs. Luckman were Mayor Tom Bradley and Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who read proclamations from the city and county; Commissioner Jessie Mae Beavers and her husband; the Luckmans’ sons Charles Jr., Jim and Steven (they had three dozen red roses for their mother) and their wives; John Raitt, who sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel;” and Dorothy Kirsten, who sang “Happy Birthday” when the cake was wheeled out; Coca-Cola Bottling Co.’s chairman and an executive of Beatrice Foods, Jack R. Attwood and his wife; Herbert Boswell; Grace and Merrill Lowell; the Howard Edgertons; Dr. and Mrs. Lee A. DuBridge; Matilda and Gabe Barnett (his first novel is doing well); the Kennedy Galpins; Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer Kline; the Arthur Kellys, Mrs. Elbert T. Hudson; Michael and Betty Noling; Patti Morris; David and Sue Hirsch; Mr. and Mrs. Arlan Renfro; Mr. and Mrs. Bill Stennis (they own the Golden Bird chicken chain); Mr. and Mrs. Steve Tobia.

The Social Scramble: Doubleday editor Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a very visible head turner around town last week. “You want to know who’s a superstar?” asked tennis-playing wine man and Ma Maison regular Pierre Groleau. “She’s the one. There was such a commotion when she came in Friday for lunch.” Thursday, Jackie O had been at the Bistro, sitting at the highly desirable corner table with publisher (“Manhattan”) Jean-Claude Suares. Friday at Ma Maison, she was with Suares again. Later, they were joined by Martha Stewart, East Coast author and caterer, who had been conducting a cooking class at Ma Maison’s culinary school. Being discreet about their people watching at the Bistro were San Francisco’s ebullient Mrs. Francis Martin with Jim Wharton; and at Ma Maison the lunch bunch included Suzanne Pleshette with Shera Falk (she said the separation from Peter is definite) and Dudley Moore with Goldie Hawn.

Obviously, Elizabeth Taylor’s estrangement from Dennis Stein has been amicable. Just days after she announced that they would not wed, La Taylor and Stein were dining at L’Orangerie. Elizabeth devoted the next evening to her hair stylist, Jose Eber, who was creating a new “do” for sun-streaked locks.