Frank Sinatra, Abbott and Costello, Marilyn Maxwell and more, promote 15 year Dorise Van, at the Hollywood Palladium

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TOMMY DORSEY BAND WITH FRANK SINATRA,

 OPENS THE PALLADIUM IN 1940...

 caught the eye of Kris Van Hook, while researching information for his mother, Dorise Van's, Memorial Service.

He contacted me and asked if I'd like to see pictures of fifteen year old Doris Marie Lent...who changed her name to Dorise Van, in the 1940's...when singing with Big Bands at the Hollywood Palladium and Coconut Grove. 

I was intrigued with her story and said yes, because my parents - as teenagers during WWll - danced at the Palladium every chance they could get.....
and might have known her. 

I asked Kris if he had any stories about his mom and Frank Sinatra, and he said, "in 1969, when my mom was singing at the Sahara Hotel in Vegas, Frank was at the Sands with the Rat Pack and bumped into her after her show, on the way to her room and asked her to a "party." I am sure he didn't recognize the 17 year old girl he met in 1944, in the grown up lady before him.....Believe it or not she did say NO!"

Not many young girls sang with Bandleader, singer and Radio Star, Phil Harris, (Married to Hollywood Star Alice Faye.) 

or hung out with Marilyn Maxwell, her husband, Actor John Conte, and Abbott and Costello.

It must have fun meeting cute young crooners like
 Dick Hayes,

and be seen with very glamorous Stars, like  Marilyn Maxwell, known as the other Marilyn.

15 year Dorise Van was the "Darling" of the Coconut Grove - yet few people remember those Old Hollywood Days when,

little Dorise Van's father worked at the Palladium as a waiter, while she attended Hollywood Professional School, being groomed for Stardom.

She was born in 1928 in Philadelphia but because of the depression, her father kept moving west to find work. 

At only 13, Dorise made personal appearances with Phil Harris, Ozzie Nelson and Ivan Scott's orchestra. On local radio stations she did singing and dramatic shows.

As an adult she went on to have a good career as a club singer in Orange County as well as stints in Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas. 

Eventually Dorise Married and had a family, but never

 gave up her singing career.

For the last twenty years she was in ministry and very recently passed away at 85, after living a blessed life.

 Dorise will not only be remembered as part of Hollywood's history, but will forever be revered as is an inspirational role model, with a Spirit to give unselfishly to others.  

you'll love me original.mp3 3395K   Play   Download

The year, 1966. The song, "You'll Love Me." The composer, "Richie Carpenter, later known as Richard, the brother of Karen Carpenter of "The Carpenters."

 The artists, a veteran duo, packing in the crowds nightly in the "Round the World Lounge," at the Disneyland Hotel, cutting their first song with Platter records. They are known as "The Two of Us." Their names, Dorise Van and Bill McClure.

Thank you so much Kris for sharing these never before seen priceless memories of your mother's life with me and my friends.

My mother, Pauline Mac Donald-Williams, 16 years old and a member of the Hollywood Studio Club, hoping to have a professional dancing career at MGM.

My parents, Pauline and Bill Williams on their Honeymoon.

TOMMY DORSEY BAND WITH FRANK SINATRA, OPENS THE PALLADIUM IN 1940

In the 1940's, all the great bands played the Hollywood Palladium, including Freddie Martin, Phil Harris, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Miller, Bob Crosby, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Kay Kyser, Les Brown, Artie Shaw, Wood Herman, Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee, Alice Faye, the Andrew Sisters and Gene Krupa.

During WW2 the Palladium hosted a radio broadcast. Betty Grable and other Stars would greet servicemen and ask for their favorite song to be played, while kids listened on their car radio's, while cruising Sunset Blvd.

Betty Grable without makeup, in a before and after Maybelline ad, 1940, made girls aware of what a difference Maybelline made in their sex appeal.   

A big Star like Grable, brought thousands of girls into the dime stores to purchase Maybelline.... before going dancing at the Palladium that night.

Maybelline print ad's like this were placed in all the movie magazines during WW ll.

Hedy Lamarr like many other big Stars, were featured in Maybelline ads in the 1940s.

Servicemen, were regulars at the Palladium during the War and Maybelline helped sell War Bonds with ads like this placed in movie magazines.

The Hollywood Palladium opened with vocalist Frank Sinatra playing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

 A few weeks later, they recorded an album at the Palladium.

The Palladium that night must have seemed like a dreamy refuge in a world that was growing darker

 by the day."

Yet the excitement must have blown the top off the Ballroom..... with six bars serving liquor and two more serving soft drinks and a $1 cover charge and a $3 charge for dinner.

Dorothy Lamour was there to snip the ribbon, spangled with orchids, and as Jack Benny, Judy Garland and Lana Turner looked on, hundreds of couples danced the jitterbug.

During WW ll, radio shows originated from the Palladium to raise funds to aid war sufferers in Britain. Celebrities guest included; Ronald Coleman, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Jack Benny, Claudette Colbert, Myrna Loy and Charles Boyer.

 

Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra,

"I'll Never Smile Again," 1940.

Read more about the Palladium during WW ll, and all the big Stars that were featured in Maybelline ads, in my book, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Rita Hayworth, Maybelline's sexiest model, ever.

During the filming of GILDA, Rita Hayworth appeared in this Maybelline ad.  She was such a big hit that her dress, her glove, her pose became an icon

She was the leading lady to the world's leading men - She danced with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly - acted with Tracy, Grant, Cagney and Cooper - she was married to Orson Welles and Aly Khan.

 Rita Hayworth was America's favorite pin-up girl - she was the folly, grandeur, romance and beauty of Hollywood in it's prime - when it dazzled not only America, but the entire world. She was the incomparable Rita Hayworth.

Rita Hayworth: Portrait of a Love Godess - by John Kobal - 1983 Biography of America's Fave Pin-Up Girl.

4 used copies available on Amazon.

Rita Hayworth, magazine covers, with Frank Sinatra singing "I've Got You Under My Skin."

Two days left to bid on Hedy Lamarr, vintage makeup bag.  Ebay

Gerald Ford's, 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine, part of Bill Williams collection.

Bill Williams moved to Old Las Palmas in Palm Springs, in 1972 and bought Silent Film Star Marie Dressler's, two acre estate so he could store his car collection.  One of my fathers most fun classic cars was this 1961 Limo, once owned by President Gerald Ford.

Bill Williams, Casa de Guillermo was a showplace in the 1970's and was featured on the cover of the Palm Springs, official Map-Brochure.  It was a flamboyant location, used for movies, TV shows and fundraising.  

By 1980, after Bill married Gloria, the gates of Casa de Guillermo, were closed to the public and became strictly a family compound.

Besides Maybelline heir, Bill Williams, Hollywood celebrities and former Presidents including, Kirk Douglas and Bob Hope, former President Gerald Ford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Elvis Presley, made Palm Springs their home. 

Want to know the who's who, of Hollywood Stars, how owned Palm Springs Estates?   click here - http://www.palmspringscelebrityhomesforsale.com/

Bill may not have been a Movie Star, or even a celebrity, but he sure lived like one.  He bought Gerald Ford's, 1961 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine in 1978, for it's history, luxurious interior, and the little holes on the hood, where he could place little American Flags, for special events. 

 It wasn't unusual for Bill and Gloria to cruise down Gerald Ford Drive, with their Dobermans in the back seat.   

Bill Williams, Father of the Bride, in 1998, waiting for his daughter, Billee and her bridesmaids, to to get in the car.

Guests arriving from the airport, for Billee's and Steve Killer's rehearsal dinner.

Chuck Williams aka, BB1 and Sharrie, on the right, yelling for Billee to hurry up, or she'll be late for her own wedding.

Chuck in the driver's seat, next to me, on the way to the reception in Newport Beach.

 Steve and Billee Killer on the way to their reception.

 Bill with his driver's hat on, picking up his cousins, at the Balboa Bay Club, in Newport Beach, and transporting them to Laguna Beach,  for Billee and Steve's rehearsal dinner.

Thank you for following The Maybelline Vintage Docu-Blog and reading The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Bill Williams 1963 Lincoln Continental during the Rat Pack years.

Tom Lyle Williams nephew, Bill Williams, added a 1963 Lincoln Continental, to his collection in 1979.

This picture of my father, Bill Williams was taken at Casa de Guillermo, on his 66th Birthday.  He loved Frank Sinatra and carried the spirit, of The Rat Pack.

He once told me a story, about the time, he ran into Sinatra at the Palms Springs airport in the 1982.  Sinatra had just gotten off his private jet and was obviously celebrating something special.  My father just happened to have several cases of champagne in the trunk of his 1961 Limo and a few bottles on ice.  He walked up to Sinatra and asked if he'd like to pop a bottle of Champagne - and wound up giving him a case.  But not before having a toast and few riveting laughs with his all time idol.

Here is a picture of Gloria, my father's third wife, at Casa d Guillermo, next to his, 1963 Lincoln Continental, with the suicide doors and red interior.  I remember
my father calling me one day, so excited, he could hardly talk.  I had to keep saying, "slow down I can't understand you." 

He'd just purchased this Lincoln, for $5,000, in mint condition, and kept repeating, "it's the same car Kennedy drove in before he was killed - it's such a beauty I had to have it."

 He loved to drive the Lincoln, down Palm Canyon with the top down and Frank Sinatra blasting from the stereo, even into his 80's.  Sadly, the car was sold at the estate sale for $10,000 cash, when the Casa was sold in 2004.

1963 Lincoln Continental - Pres. Kennedy rode in Fort Worth. This is a news clip about a 1963 Lincoln Continenta​l President Kennedy rode in on the morning of November 22, 1963 - previous to taking off from Dallas to Fort Worth.

Needless to say, beautiful classic cars, were a big part of my father's life and that's why I'm so excited to have found his uncle, Tom Lyle Williams 1940 Packard Victoria. 

My father was a teenager, when he and his uncle, drove down Sunset Blvd, on their way to sign contracts, with Movie Stars, who would appear in Maybelline ads, in the 1930's and 40's. 


Chuck working on his Cobra.

 My cousin Chuck Williams, aka, BB1, carries the torch, for being the family car collector today.  We'll be working with Steve Snyder of VAULTCARS, (son of Bill Snyder, the Packard Victoria's owner,)  making a mini-documentary of the Packard's history and restoration.  So stay tuned this March for more details.

Love vintage cars???  Check out this website on Stars and their cars!!!  http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/lord-k-s-garage-100-star-ride?xg_s

Maybelline was more than just a tin of mascara.

The final chapter of Chet and Mabel's love story.  Softly as I Leave You.

The Maybelline Story is a series of Love Stories in a family that not only gave the world it's first commercially sold mascara, but also added a bit of romance to the American tapestry.

Chet Hewes in his 80's was proud of this picture and sent it the entire family.  He wrote, "I just caught this beautiful black bass here in our little Tower Lake, show it to the rest of the gang,"  signed, Poppy.

After the Maybelline Company sold in Dec of 1967, Chet and Mabel moved into the newly constructed Lake Point Tower, located on a promontory of the Lake Michigan lakefront in downtown Chicago.

They spent their final years there, captivated by the spectacular views of the shoreline . . They loved the security of having a 24 hour doorman, and enjoyed all of the amenities - including a playground, pool, duck pond, and waterfalls - shops and restaurants and even a 2.5 acre park. But the thing that Chet liked the most, was an ATM machine that spit out $100 bills on demand.  He said he and Mabel never had to leave the building because it was a world within a world.

Mabel and Chet at Tom Lyle's in 1972.

Final Mabel and Chet story, from their granddaughter, Linda Hughes:

Grammy never wanted anything but to have a family and Poppy felt the same. They were stereotypical of their times - he earned the money, took care of the yard, cars and that sort of thing. She took care of the kids and house. Even Joyce, who can be a rabid feminist, said Gammy was the happiest, most content person and would not have wanted another kind of life.


Grammy and Poppy, loved one another literally to the end. The night she died they were living in Chicago,  Gammy had had chest pain earlier in the evening so she went to lie down.  When Poppy checked on her she was gone. My parents rushed down and arrived before the ambulance.  Poppy asked my mother to come with him into the bedroom where she lay in bed and said  "I want you to see how beautiful she still looks."  

I'm reminded of the song, Softly As I Leave You,  Frank Sinatra sang it and the line "For my heart would break if you should wake and see me go."

Frank Sinatra - Softly As I Leave You 


To this day Mabel and Chet's love story lives on in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to have known them.  I'm happy to say they touched my live in the most profound way and were instrumental, in my desire, to tell the Williams family's story.