Maybelline diaries 1940, "Catalina Island," Tom Lyle Williams niece's visit the Villa Valentino

Tuesday June 18, 1940

Up at 7:30, so had very little sleep. Catalina today, and what a day we had. The Premiere was the grandest affair I have ever attended, and will probably ever attend, but for real fun, I believe Catalina was the best. The four of us, Annette, arnold, Tom Lyle and I I just rested on the way over. The boat was quite large and ample seating capacity. The boat took two and a half hours to make the trip. Santa Catalina Island presented a beautiful picture from the boat. The mountains extended right to the water's edge with few beaches. The water was a very deep blue, almost a sate blue with the sunlight making it glisten like silver. The flying fist darted in and out of the water, resembling birds made of silver. As we neared the shore two speed boats filled with passengers raced out to welcome our boat. The picture of Santa Catalina from the boat was lovely.

 We could get a good view of the Pavilion and St. Catherine Hotel. Higher up on the mountain side were home's of Mrs. William Wrigley, P.E. Wrigley and the former Zane Grey. To the right of the Sane Grey home we could see the small chapel housing the chimes that ring every fifteen minutes and heard all over the Island. After the boat landed, we immediately took a but to the St. Catherine Hotel for lunch. Such a beautiful hotel, and such a gorgeous setting. It reminds you of the Edgewater Beach Marine dining room, perhaps because the lawn goes right down to the water's edge, and you sit and look right out on the water. Our table was close to the windows and the view from there was wonderful. The lawn was like green velvet with all colors and varieties of flowers making a lovely frame for Avalon Bay. If we had ordered a day, we couldn't have asked for a better one. The sun was warm enough, and yet it was cool in the shade. Had to rush lunch a bit to made the tours.

 As we were coming out of the hotel we saw Ruth Hussey.


The first tour we took was in a glass bottom boat to see the submarine gardens. The boat sailed close to shore, and the various flowers, plants, etc.only grow among the rocks. The iodine plant was pretty. Also saw other varieties of flowers, fish and lots of unusual rock formations. The diver put on an exhibition before we landed. He swam under the boat, staying under for three minutes. We could watch him through the glass. Had just time to get off this boat and on another for the Seal Rock Tour. This boat was different in that it was open and we could see all around. Kept close to shore again, and around the rocks to see the seals. The boat stopped so we could get a good look at the seals, took a picture , then the captain blew a whistle to bring the seals into the water. After this tour, we had time to look over the town of Avalon. Avalon is a resort town, a la Ritz. We walked up and down the main street, took some pictures and started looking for the Chi Chi Bar. This bar and cocktail lounge is south seas island style, but not as cute as the bar in the Villa Valentino. Had one drink, listened to the orchestra and danced. Tom Lyle is certainly getting good about dancing. He suggested a dance with only Neppie and Arnold on the floor. Tom Lyle knew the manager from Palm Springs, as he has a cocktail lounge there too. The manager came over for a chat and bought a round of drinks.

 Our time was slipping and we hadn't seen the Cubs Ball Park. Couldn't go back to Chicago without seeing the Cubs training ground, so up the hill we marched and took a picture for evidance.

Now for the great big thrill, our ride back to Long Beach on a plane. We watched the plane land in the water and coast to shore. My first ride in an amphibian plane. It was lots of fun. The view from the plane, of the water, mountains, ships and different cities was wonderful. The ride was only fifteen minutes compared with two and a half hours by boat. The plane hardly seemed to move and yet we were traveling over a hundred miles per hour. After landing we drove to Hollywood and the Villa Valentino for dinner. Emery has been rehearsing for a play “Lady Windermere's Fan,” since we arrived. Annette, Arnold, Tom Lyle and I went over to the theatre for dress rehearsal. Emery was good, and we all thought the play clever. 

  After the play we stopped at the Pig 'n Whistle for a bite to eat.  Saw Delores del Rio in the Pig 'n Whistle and saw her car and chauffeur waiting outside for her. Drove home to end a perfect day. 

Tom Lyle Williams, Emery and Arnold lived together at the Villa Valentino.  When Tom Lyle's niece's Annette Williams and Jane Allen, visited them in June of 1940, Tom Lyle rolled out the red carpet.  He gave the girls a 10 day extravaganza birds eye view, of Hollywood and Southern California.  This is an excerpt of Jane's diary.  If you'd like to read more, check my archives on the right column of my blog, under Jane Allen.

MARILYN MONROE - CARLYLE BLACKWELL JR - BRUNO BERNARD.

Maybelline photographer Carlyle Blackwell Jr., Hollywood actor, race car driver and innovator of natural color photography in the 1950's.

Carlyle Blackwell posing Marilyn Monroe in 1952.

Black and White photos by Carlyle Blackwell, 1952.

Below are several pictures of Marilyn Monroe by Carlyle Blackwell Jr., using natural color, natural lighting and

                  Maybelline..... of course!!!! 

Carlyle Blackwell Jr. collection of Marilyn Monroe using natural light and color in 1953.

Below, Marilyn Monroe's pictures are  discovered by Hugh Hefner.

When 27-year-old Hugh Hefner launched his debut Playboy Magazine, with “Sweetheart of the Month” Marilyn Monroe gracing the cover in December of 1953, he had no idea that it would become a world wide success.  

The famous women of the 1950’s that appeared in Playboy Magazine include Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Tina Louise, Joan Arnold, Kim Novak, and Brigitte Bardot.

Playboy Magazines first centerfold in the 1954 Issue.click.

Photographers and artists like Carlyle Blackwell, Bruno Bernard and Zoe Moezert paid $50/hr for nude models to pose..... Many of their models became Hollywood Stars. 

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Today Bruno Bernard is remembered as the man who immortalized and mastered the art of pin-up photography.  He has been called "King of Glamour" and Rembrandt of Photography.

His daughter Susan Bernard is in charge of his photographs.  His website can be viewed at Bernard of Hollywood.  Susan Bernard's book Marilyn Intimate Exposure is available on amazon.com.

Zoe Moezert 

In the late 1930's Mozert also became famous as a movie poster artist. She painted the poster for Carole Lombard's "True Confession", and the Howard Hughes film "The Outlaw" with Jane Russell.

My Dream Girl: A Collector's Guide to Zoe Mozert, by Norm Platnick and Rick Huisking. Twelve years in the making, this new volume attempts to bring together everything known about Zoe Mozert's printed works, 

Dolores Del Monte, March 1954 Playmate and The Maybelline Story.

Playboy centerfold Dolores Del Monte didn't even know that she was a Playmate until 1979. She used to pose for Bruno Bernard and Zoe Moezert and was glad she was  receiving $50/hour.

Dolores Del Monte, Miss March 1954 Centerfold.

Bruno sold some of her pictures to The Baumgarth Calendar Company, which in turn sold the pictures to a young man named Hugh Hefner

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t was Dolores's son, Steve who found out when he was browsing the contents of the 25th Anniversary 

issue of Playboy. He called his mother from College and informed her that she was one of Playboy's first centerfolds.  For 25 years she had no idea what had happened to the picture she had posed for so long ago. Today she is a regular at Playboy Mansion parties. 

I met Dolores Del Monte last year at a book signing in Laguna Beach at the 484 North Gallery and found her story absolutely fascinating.  Imagine not knowing you were Miss March, 1954 until 1979.  She turns 80 this year and still is a great beauty with the longest eyelashes I've ever seen.

   

Delores Del Monte's story made me curious to see if any Maybelline ads were shot by these famous Hollywood Photographers..... Paul Hesse and Carlyle Blackwell are two I can document, however I'm sure Tom Lyle used a variety of the best, to capture the perfection he demanded. 

Check in tomorrow to see the final day of Hollywood's Glamour Photographers and.....Photographer and Race Car Driver Carlyle Blackwell Jr's pictures on the track.

Maybelline Story returns to Laguna Beach California.

The Maybelline Story Embraced by Artist's at 484 North Gallery in Laguna Beach. 

Signing the Maybelline Story for Palm Springs artist
Jean Fitch Jones, be sure to check out her beautiful abstract expressionistic art on her website.

Here is an interesting group of people I met at the 484 North Gallery last night during my book signing.  Starting on the left you see a cool Laguna Beach local named Rick Johnston.

Standing next to Rick is Bob Kronquist, the owner of the 484 North Gallery.  Bob was just a boy when he and his family moved to Laguna beach in 1950 so his dad could open the Kronquist Gallery.  In 1973 the Kronquists remodeled their home into the present Gallery and today it is a cooperative gallery where artists contribute time, labor, computer skills, clients lists, food, promotions, music or whatever they can to encourage the growth of the Gallery.  Click on Bob's website and see some of the wonderful drawings and paintings he has collected of flamboyant Hollywood personalities and intriguing timeless nudes.  

Next to Bob is Dolores Del Monte Playboy Playmate Centerfold Miss March 1954, a fascinating lady with a story that should be made into a book and movie. Next to Dolores is Maya Volk of Global Hyperbaric, who specializes in healing, Anti-Aging, Detox etc through Oxygen Therapy. Next to Maya is Cameron Pearce  founder of Ohana Palms Recovery specializing in infusing the Spirit of Tropical Healing with Holistic Treatment Programs. Finally beautiful Melody Owens a featured artist at the 484 North Gallery who has drawn some amazing nudes of Playmate Centerfold Dolores Del Monte.  See below.

 An original drawing of Playmate Dolores Del Monte behind The Maybelline Story, next to Audrey Hepburn and several nudes drawn by artist Melody Owens.  The original painting of Marilyn Monroe's famous pinup girl is a 484 North Gallery prize possession but I guess every picture has its price! .  The Maybelline Story was in good company with the Hollywood greats.

Here is picture of  Playboy's Miss March 1954 Centerfold, Dolores Del Monte with The Maybelline Story.  She certainly fits right in with Hollywood's Glamour Era in the 1950's when Maybelline was first making cutting edge TV commercials.  In fact Dolores Del Monte should have been a Maybelline model, but I hear she gave up a career in the movies for marriage and children.  But who didn't in the 1950's, right? 

French Impressionistic Artist Shirley de Pierre is a featured fine artist at 484 North Gallery were with owner Bob Kronquist.  

 Impressionistic paintings by Shirley de Pierre at the 484 North Gallery.

484 North Gallery has been in the same spot for nearly 40 years and features some of Hollywood's most prized rarely seen pictures of famous faces before they were Super Stars.  In this newspaper from the early 1950s is a shot of Norma Jean Baker before becoming Marilyn Monroe.  I hope you will stop by the Gallery if you are ever in the seaside artist town of Laguna Beach and enjoy the vast variety of  unusual art Bob Kronquist has placed in his laid back Surf City Gallery.  Also pick up a copy of The Maybelline Story while there, why not? It's cover is as beautiful as any black and white Hollywood portrait in the Gallery.

Stay tuned, on Monday I will be posting my radio interview on Voice America as will as more wonderful stories and pictures of those good old Maybelline Days.  And don't forget to purchase an autographed copy of The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it from this website.  Thanks for continuing to follow the Maybelline Blog. 

 Both nudes of Dolores Del Monte by artist Melody Owens.